Well, what a blessing it is to
be at the Anchor Bible school.
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This is session number five.
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It seems like just an
hour ago that we began.
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And we're already going
to study lesson number five.
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What I want us to deal with
at this time is the principle
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that states that the historical
flow method is the key that
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must be used in order
to understand properly
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Bible prophecy.
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Now I'm not going to follow
what we find in the outline.
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You can read what we have in
the outline under this point.
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What I'm going to do is present
the material that is titled,
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"The Dangers of Futurism."
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And as soon as we
finish this material,
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you're going to be able to
answer all of the questions
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that are found in the syllabus.
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And so we won't follow the
syllabus, but we are going to
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cover the material that is
found there in the syllabus.
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And so we are going to
take a look at the material
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that is titled, "The
Dangers of Futurism."
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At one of our
workers meetings recently
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here in the
conference that I work in,
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we were discussing
the signs that indicate
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that Jesus is soon to come,
and that He is even at the door.
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The pastors were presenting
different signs in the world
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that indicated that
the event is imminent.
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And in the midst of
the conversation one of the
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pastors stood up and
confidently affirmed,
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"I'm not too
concerned about what's coming
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or how He's coming.
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My only concern
is who is coming."
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At the time it sounded
like a nice sound bite.
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But upon closer reflection,
it is a very dangerous thing
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not to know what's
coming and how Jesus is coming.
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I might say that several of the
pastors said a hearty, "amen,"
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to this statement.
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Perhaps thoughtlessly.
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Now some Christians believe
that Jesus Christ will return
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before the tribulation.
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Other Christians believe
that Jesus will come in the
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middle of the tribulation.
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And others believe that
Jesus will come at the end
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of the tribulation period.
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Now as Seventh-day Adventists,
we believe that Jesus will come
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at the end of the
tribulation period.
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We believe that God's
people will go through
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the end time tribulation.
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But most Christians
today do not believe that.
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And you might be
wondering, who cares whether the
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coming of Jesus is pre-trib,
mid-trib, or post-trib?
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Isn't it only important
that Jesus is going to come
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at some point?
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Who cares whether it's
before, during, or after
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the tribulation.
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Well, if you tune in your
television on Sunday mornings,
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you will receive a steady
diet of end time scenarios.
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And all of these
end time scenarios
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are very, very similar.
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The predominate one is
what we call, futurism.
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It is the standard view
of conservative Christians
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such as evangelicals,
Baptists, and people of a
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charismatic persuasion.
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Although there are
minor variations in details,
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they are in harmony when it
comes to the common denominators
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of this view.
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It actually characterizes most
of the television evangelists
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that come across
the airwaves on Sunday.
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Now what is this
futurist view of Bible prophecy
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that has been embraced by
most conservative Christians?
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The fundamental view of
futurists is that God has
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two radically different plans;
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one for literal Israel and the
other for the Christian church.
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In other words, God's plan
for the Jews and God's plan
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for the church are radically
different from one another,
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and they are mutually exclusive.
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Now I want to share
with you what the scenario
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of futurism looks like.
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Basically, the entire scenario
is based on their understanding
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of the prophecy of the
70 weeks, as well as their
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understanding of the millennium.
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And we'll deal
with the millennium
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a little bit later on.
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You see, for them the 70
weeks are to be understood
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as 490 years, as
Seventh-day Adventists believe.
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But they believe that the
70 weeks begin in the days
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of Nehemiah when Nehemiah went
to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem
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in the year 445 BC.
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As Adventists, we believe that
the 70 weeks begin in 457 BC.
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But they believe that
the 70 weeks begin in 445 BC.
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Now, they believe
that the first 69 weeks,
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the first 483
years, flow consecutively
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without interruption.
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And they end, according
to them, in the year 33
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with the first coming of Jesus.
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Now we know that it's the
year 31, but they begin later
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and they end two years later
than what Adventists believe.
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Now they teach that when
Jesus came, He offered the Jews
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His literal kingdom.
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And the Jewish
nation rejected the kingdom
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that Jesus offered them.
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And therefore, Jesus
had to go to a plan B.
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Because the Jewish
nation rejected the Messiah,
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none of the events of the
70th week could be fulfilled.
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Because Jesus came at
the end of the 69th week.
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And so because the
Jews rejected Jesus,
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the 70th week
could not be fulfilled.
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You see, what they do is
they separate week number 70
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from the previous 69 weeks.
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Basically, they say that
the first 69 weeks flowed
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and ended with the
coming of Jesus in the year 33,
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but then the 70th
week could not be fulfilled
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immediately after because
the Jews rejected Jesus Christ.
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So what God did
was to suspend His plan
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for the literal Jewish nation.
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In other words,
He put it on hold.
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Week number 70 was
never fulfilled consecutively
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with the first 69 weeks.
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And so they say that
during the last twenty centuries
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God has been dealing with the
Gentiles, or with the church.
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What they call the church age,
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or the period of the
times of the Gentiles.
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The plan for the
Jews has been put on hold.
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And for twenty centuries
plus, God has been dealing
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with the church.
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And week number 70 has
never been fulfilled yet.
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It is severed or
separated from the first 69.
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Now, they believe that when the
Jewish state was re-established
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in 1948, that this was
a very significant event.
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In fact, they believe that this
is the most significant event
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that indicates that the coming
of Jesus, that the rapture
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is imminent; the
re-establishment of the
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nation of Israel in 1948.
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They say, "This is the catalytic
event that is going to indicate
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that Jesus is
coming very, very soon."
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And then, of course, in the
1967 war when the Jews recovered
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certain portions of
territory, they said,
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"This is further evidence
that the coming of Jesus in the
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rapture is very imminent and
is going to happen very soon."
00:08:09.49\00:08:15.18
So they believe that the
plan for the Jews was suspended
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at the end of week number
69, the 70th week was never
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fulfilled
immediately after the 69,
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for twenty centuries plus
God has suspended His plan
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for the literal Jewish
nation, and now He is engrafting
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the Gentiles, which is
known as the church age
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or the times of the Gentiles.
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Now they believe that
when the times of the Gentiles
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comes to an end, when the
church age comes to an end,
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the prophetic clock for
Israel will begin to tick again.
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And the 70th week
will begin to be fulfilled
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with an interval of
over 2000 years between the
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first 69 and the 70th week.
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They believe that the event
that will mark the beginning
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of the last week, or the
last 7 years of Daniel 9,
00:09:08.56\00:09:12.37
is what they call,
the rapture of the church.
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According to them,
the times of the Gentiles
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will come to an end, the
church age will come to an end,
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when the church is
raptured to heaven invisibly.
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People will suddenly
vanish, drivers will disappear,
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pilots will vanish,
and there will be chaos
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and disorder everywhere.
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Believers will be
caught up to heaven.
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And those who are not ready,
along with the literal Jews,
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will be left behind.
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Now one of the great proponents
of this is called, Hal Lindsey.
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And he calls the
rapture, the great snatch.
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He also wrote a book
titled, Vanished Into Thin Air.
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In other words, people are
going to disappear everywhere
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on planet earth in the rapture.
00:10:00.30\00:10:02.28
They will be taken
too heaven with Jesus.
00:10:02.31\00:10:05.39
And then they
believe that the Holy Spirit
00:10:06.34\00:10:08.07
will be
withdrawn from the earth.
00:10:08.10\00:10:10.16
And the events from Revelation
4 verse 1 to Revelation 19
00:10:10.70\00:10:16.33
will begin to be fulfilled.
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They believe that
Revelation 4 verse 1
00:10:19.53\00:10:21.80
where God says to
John, "Come up hither,"
00:10:21.99\00:10:25.27
that expression,
"Come up hither,"
00:10:25.37\00:10:27.65
is referring to the rapture.
00:10:27.68\00:10:29.43
That John symbolizes the
church, and it's talking about
00:10:29.46\00:10:32.62
the rapture of the church.
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And so they believe that
from Revelation 4 verse 1
00:10:34.33\00:10:37.27
all the way through
Revelation chapter 19,
00:10:37.65\00:10:40.81
it deals
exclusively with the Jews after
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the rapture of the church.
00:10:45.19\00:10:47.45
Now they believe that
during the last seven years
00:10:48.00\00:10:50.91
of the prophecy of the 70
weeks, during this last week
00:10:50.94\00:10:54.43
of the 70 week
prophecy, at the beginning
00:10:54.46\00:10:57.99
a personal antichrist, an
individual, will rise to power.
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And he will rule over a
ten nation Roman federation.
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Which they understand to
be the ten horns of Daniel 7
00:11:08.31\00:11:12.70
and the ten horns that we
find in Revelation chapter 12
00:11:12.80\00:11:17.78
and Revelation chapter 13.
00:11:17.81\00:11:20.03
And so they believe that this
antichrist will rise to power.
00:11:20.29\00:11:23.72
And during the first
1260 days of his dominion
00:11:23.99\00:11:28.62
things will go
quite well for the Jews.
00:11:29.07\00:11:31.61
In fact, he's going to sign
a peace treaty with the Jews,
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and he will favor them.
00:11:36.39\00:11:38.37
He will rebuild
the Jewish temple.
00:11:38.88\00:11:40.94
And the sacrificial
system will be re-established,
00:11:41.21\00:11:44.60
and all will appear to be well.
00:11:44.63\00:11:47.38
But low and behold, what
the Jews don't realize is that
00:11:48.34\00:11:50.81
this individual, this
nice person during these
00:11:50.84\00:11:53.36
three and a half
years, is the antichrist.
00:11:53.39\00:11:55.89
But he's hidden his identity.
00:11:55.92\00:11:57.89
At the beginning of
the final 42 months...
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Because they separate the
1260 days from the 42 months.
00:12:00.87\00:12:04.27
They take the 42 months to be
the last three and a half years
00:12:04.89\00:12:07.76
of the 70 week prophecy.
00:12:07.79\00:12:09.49
So after the 42
literal months...
00:12:09.59\00:12:11.78
Or at the beginning,
rather, of the 42 months,
00:12:11.81\00:12:14.66
the ruler of the ten
nation federation, who is the
00:12:14.92\00:12:17.44
antichrist, will unveil himself
and will reveal his true colors.
00:12:17.47\00:12:22.98
Low and behold, he is
the predicted antichrist
00:12:23.01\00:12:26.43
of Scripture.
00:12:26.46\00:12:27.67
He will be a
blasphemous individual.
00:12:27.91\00:12:29.77
He will blaspheme Christ
and he will persecute the Jews.
00:12:29.80\00:12:34.93
He will sit in a
literal Jerusalem temple
00:12:35.23\00:12:38.13
that has been rebuilt,
and will have a literal image
00:12:38.16\00:12:41.32
built of himself.
00:12:41.35\00:12:42.67
And he will command
everyone to bow down and worship
00:12:42.70\00:12:45.84
the literal image.
00:12:45.87\00:12:47.14
And whoever doesn't
worship will be killed.
00:12:47.17\00:12:50.17
He will put a tattoo on the
forehead or on the right hand
00:12:50.58\00:12:55.04
of individuals who do not
worship the beast or his image.
00:12:55.07\00:13:00.46
They teach that during
this time 144,000 converted Jews
00:13:00.85\00:13:06.37
will become Billy
Grahams and will preach against
00:13:06.58\00:13:10.60
the antichrist and
launch a merciless persecution
00:13:10.63\00:13:15.36
against the Jews.
00:13:15.39\00:13:17.68
This will be the
time of Jacob's trouble.
00:13:17.71\00:13:20.66
They believe that during this
time literal Moses and Elijah
00:13:21.28\00:13:25.38
will resurrect.
00:13:25.41\00:13:26.55
And then they will
be killed for witnessing
00:13:26.71\00:13:29.54
against the antichrist.
00:13:29.57\00:13:31.39
At the end of the 42 months,
or the last week of Daniel 9,
00:13:31.91\00:13:35.71
the antichrist will
come to his ignominious end.
00:13:36.63\00:13:42.21
Jesus will come gloriously,
literally, and visibly
00:13:42.24\00:13:46.10
from heaven with
those that He took to heaven
00:13:46.13\00:13:48.88
seven years before.
00:13:48.91\00:13:50.40
And He will
destroy the antichrist
00:13:50.43\00:13:52.64
and He will deliver
literal Israel from the time
00:13:52.67\00:13:56.87
of Jacob's trouble.
00:13:57.00\00:13:58.52
Then Jesus will establish
on earth His literal kingdom
00:13:58.96\00:14:03.39
for a thousand
years, a millennium,
00:14:03.42\00:14:05.92
and people will live
here in their mortal state
00:14:05.95\00:14:08.96
and Jesus will rule
them with a rod of iron.
00:14:08.99\00:14:13.19
So is the futurist
scenario that is being fed
00:14:13.65\00:14:17.42
to millions of people every
Sunday morning on television.
00:14:17.45\00:14:21.85
And it is believed as
gospel truth by conservative
00:14:21.88\00:14:25.98
Christians all over the world.
00:14:26.01\00:14:29.12
Now let's ask as Seventh-day
Adventists, what implications
00:14:30.44\00:14:33.90
does this interpretation
of prophecy have for us?
00:14:33.93\00:14:37.10
I have several things that
we're going to take a look at.
00:14:37.51\00:14:39.93
It has severe implications for
Seventh-day Adventist theology,
00:14:39.96\00:14:44.77
Seventh-day Adventist
mission, and the very existence
00:14:44.80\00:14:48.06
of the
Seventh-day Adventist Church.
00:14:48.09\00:14:49.93
So let's take a look at
a few things that happen
00:14:50.25\00:14:54.37
with Adventist
interpretation when we adopt,
00:14:54.40\00:14:57.63
or if we should
adopt, the futurist scenario.
00:14:57.66\00:15:00.75
Point number one,
if the fulfillment
00:15:01.17\00:15:05.33
of Revelation 4 through 19
is future with literal Israel
00:15:05.36\00:15:11.74
after the church
is gone from earth,
00:15:12.52\00:15:14.84
what relevance do the three
angels' messages have today?
00:15:15.39\00:15:18.88
None.
00:15:19.64\00:15:20.87
Because if
Revelation 4 through 19
00:15:21.99\00:15:24.20
is going to be fulfilled in
the future with the literal Jews
00:15:24.23\00:15:26.92
after the church
has gone to heaven,
00:15:26.95\00:15:28.75
the three angels'
messages apply to that time,
00:15:29.52\00:15:33.08
not to this time.
00:15:33.11\00:15:34.28
So what the devil
is telling people,
00:15:34.88\00:15:36.47
and I've had people tell me
this in Revelation seminars,
00:15:36.50\00:15:38.87
they say, "Well we don't
worry about Revelation 14.
00:15:39.11\00:15:41.56
That happens after the rapture."
00:15:41.59\00:15:43.22
And so what has
happened, the devil has muted
00:15:43.92\00:15:46.60
the very central message of the
Seventh-day Adventist Church.
00:15:46.70\00:15:49.82
Ellen White has
expressed the importance of the
00:15:50.12\00:15:53.25
three angels' messages.
00:15:53.28\00:15:54.32
Let's read these statements.
00:15:54.35\00:15:56.39
The first is in volume 6 of the
Testimonies, pages 17 and 18.
00:15:56.42\00:16:00.91
She says, "The three angels
of Revelation 14 are represented
00:16:01.27\00:16:05.48
as flying in
the midst of heaven,
00:16:05.51\00:16:07.36
symbolizing the work
of those who proclaim the
00:16:07.66\00:16:10.42
first, second, and
third angels' messages.
00:16:10.45\00:16:13.67
All are linked together.
00:16:14.08\00:16:16.09
The evidences of the abiding,
ever living truth of these
00:16:16.39\00:16:19.95
grand messages that
mean so much to the church,
00:16:19.98\00:16:24.04
that have awakened
such intense opposition
00:16:24.30\00:16:27.10
from the religious
world, are not extinct."
00:16:27.13\00:16:30.29
Now listen carefully to this.
00:16:30.70\00:16:33.17
"Satan is constantly
seeking to cast a shadow
00:16:33.20\00:16:36.94
about these messages, so
that the people of God shall not
00:16:36.97\00:16:41.09
clearly
discern..." Three things.
00:16:41.12\00:16:43.47
Their what? "...their import..."
00:16:44.23\00:16:46.77
What is meant by
the word, "import?"
00:16:46.80\00:16:48.23
Their importance.
00:16:48.81\00:16:50.76
What's the second thing?
00:16:51.66\00:16:53.03
"...their time..."
00:16:53.47\00:16:54.51
That is, when they're fulfilled.
00:16:54.54\00:16:56.46
And what? "...place."
00:16:56.49\00:16:58.86
Where.
00:16:58.89\00:16:59.92
When, where, and
their importance.
00:16:59.95\00:17:03.55
The devil is trying to
cast a shadow over them.
00:17:03.58\00:17:06.12
And she continues saying,
"But they live and are to exert
00:17:06.48\00:17:10.27
their power upon
our religious experience
00:17:10.30\00:17:12.63
while time shall last."
00:17:12.66\00:17:14.87
Praise the Lord for that.
00:17:14.90\00:17:16.06
In another statement that
we find in, Early Writings,
00:17:16.95\00:17:19.24
page 256, this is a
significant statement.
00:17:19.27\00:17:22.28
You know, Ellen White
says that most Adventists are
00:17:22.31\00:17:24.53
going to forsake the
three angels' messages.
00:17:24.56\00:17:26.62
But there will be no
decrease in the people that are
00:17:28.07\00:17:31.38
in God's ranks because
multitudes will come into
00:17:31.41\00:17:33.78
the Adventist church.
00:17:33.81\00:17:34.99
She says this, "Many who
embraced the third message
00:17:36.21\00:17:40.03
had not had an experience
in the former two messages."
00:17:40.51\00:17:43.64
This is talking about 1844.
00:17:44.99\00:17:46.66
See, the Millerites
proclaimed the first two,
00:17:46.69\00:17:49.89
and there were people
who were being converted
00:17:50.59\00:17:52.34
that had not had the
experience in the first two.
00:17:52.37\00:17:54.36
Now notice Satan's reaction.
00:17:54.39\00:17:56.03
"Satan understood this,
and his evil eye was upon them
00:17:56.13\00:18:01.15
to overthrow them; but the
third angel was pointing them
00:18:01.18\00:18:04.74
to the most holy place, and
those who had had an experience
00:18:04.77\00:18:08.47
in the past messages
were pointing them the way
00:18:08.50\00:18:11.53
to the heavenly sanctuary."
00:18:11.56\00:18:12.97
Because we're going to notice
that the third angel's message
00:18:13.00\00:18:15.06
is closely related
with the Most Holy Place
00:18:15.27\00:18:17.87
of the Sanctuary.
00:18:17.90\00:18:18.93
And then she says
this, "Many saw the perfect
00:18:18.96\00:18:22.63
chain of truth in
the angels' messages,
00:18:22.66\00:18:25.83
and gladly
received them..." How?
00:18:25.86\00:18:28.31
"...in their order..."
00:18:28.60\00:18:30.19
Don't preach number three
before you preach number one.
00:18:30.22\00:18:32.38
"...in their order,
and followed Jesus by faith
00:18:33.10\00:18:36.64
into the heavenly sanctuary."
00:18:36.67\00:18:38.35
And now she says
this, "These messages
00:18:38.55\00:18:41.65
were represented
to me as an anchor..."
00:18:41.68\00:18:45.47
This is one of the places
where we got our name from.
00:18:46.57\00:18:49.01
"...as an anchor
to the people of God."
00:18:49.65\00:18:52.68
And then she states,
"Those who understand
00:18:53.36\00:18:56.13
and receive them will be
kept from being swept away
00:18:56.84\00:19:02.01
by the many delusions of Satan."
00:19:02.04\00:19:04.17
How important are the
three angels' messages?
00:19:04.20\00:19:06.42
"If you do not
understand and receive them,
00:19:06.88\00:19:10.02
you will be deceived by the
devil," is what she's saying.
00:19:10.05\00:19:12.91
And so they're
vitally important.
00:19:13.29\00:19:14.45
So what does the devil say?
00:19:14.48\00:19:15.63
The devil says, "No,
those don't apply to now.
00:19:15.66\00:19:18.10
Those are for the Jews
during the tribulation.
00:19:18.46\00:19:21.52
Don't worry, folks,
everything is okay."
00:19:21.66\00:19:24.05
Because the devil
wants to mute the importance
00:19:24.68\00:19:27.80
of these messages.
00:19:27.90\00:19:29.05
So that's the first
thing that futurism does
00:19:29.08\00:19:32.14
to the message of
the Adventist church.
00:19:32.17\00:19:34.46
But there's a second point.
00:19:34.49\00:19:35.85
Futurism changes the
time for the appearance
00:19:36.72\00:19:40.95
of the antichrist.
00:19:40.98\00:19:42.39
It changes the timing.
00:19:42.56\00:19:44.24
You see, for us as Adventists
the antichrist appeared
00:19:45.52\00:19:49.27
immediately after the
Roman Empire was divided
00:19:49.30\00:19:52.42
into ten kingdoms, right?
00:19:52.45\00:19:53.88
It's simple.
00:19:54.21\00:19:55.24
Lion, Babylon;
bear, Medo-Persia;
00:19:55.54\00:19:58.66
leopard, Greece;
dragon beast, Rome;
00:19:58.69\00:20:01.50
ten horns, Rome divided.
00:20:01.71\00:20:03.89
And then among the
ten, the little horn
00:20:03.92\00:20:05.98
immediately afterwards.
00:20:06.28\00:20:07.71
It's quite simple.
00:20:07.74\00:20:09.13
And so we know that the timing
of the rising of antichrist
00:20:10.04\00:20:13.62
was shortly after the
demise of the Roman Empire.
00:20:13.65\00:20:17.06
It would arise where the
Roman Empire had been divided
00:20:17.09\00:20:20.59
among those kingdoms.
00:20:20.62\00:20:22.14
And we know that this antichrist
would rule for 1260 years,
00:20:22.66\00:20:28.67
beginning in 538 and ending
in 1798 with a deadly wound
00:20:28.70\00:20:34.66
that was given by France.
00:20:34.69\00:20:37.06
But now listen carefully.
00:20:37.93\00:20:39.42
If the antichrist did not appear
shortly after the Roman Empire
00:20:41.92\00:20:47.07
disintegrated, he
is still in the future.
00:20:47.17\00:20:50.64
Right?
00:20:51.75\00:20:52.80
Because that's the way they do.
00:20:53.45\00:20:54.81
They also create a gap.
00:20:54.84\00:20:56.63
See, this
futurism is a gap theology.
00:20:56.66\00:21:00.61
There's a gap
between week 69 and week 70.
00:21:01.19\00:21:04.55
And they say that Daniel
7 was fulfilled in sequence
00:21:04.77\00:21:10.79
until you get to
the fourth beast.
00:21:10.82\00:21:13.10
And then they say that
Rome was never divided.
00:21:14.09\00:21:17.24
Now I don't know how they
can reach that conclusion,
00:21:17.27\00:21:19.11
but they say that part of
the prophecy was not fulfilled.
00:21:19.14\00:21:21.71
And of course, the little
horn was not fulfilled either.
00:21:22.45\00:21:24.62
So there's a gap
between the legs and the feet
00:21:24.65\00:21:28.28
of over 2000 years.
00:21:28.82\00:21:30.84
Because they don't see
the historical flow method,
00:21:31.87\00:21:34.44
how prophecy flows without
gaps and without interruptions.
00:21:34.47\00:21:39.27
And so, if the
antichrist did not appear in the
00:21:39.39\00:21:42.92
sequence of this prophecy, then
the antichrist is still future.
00:21:42.95\00:21:47.77
And if the antichrist is
still future, the papacy has
00:21:47.87\00:21:51.13
nothing to do with
the fulfillment of the
00:21:51.16\00:21:53.02
prophecy of Daniel 7.
00:21:53.05\00:21:54.53
And therefore, the papacy
has nothing to do with the
00:21:57.07\00:21:59.35
change in God's holy law.
00:21:59.38\00:22:01.13
Are you understanding this?
00:22:02.30\00:22:03.67
Your interpretation of
prophecy has huge implications.
00:22:03.70\00:22:08.07
You know, people
say, "Oh don't study,
00:22:08.43\00:22:09.57
don't talk to me about prophecy.
00:22:09.60\00:22:10.74
Talk to me about
the love of Jesus."
00:22:10.77\00:22:12.70
Well, talking about prophecy is
talking about the love of Jesus.
00:22:13.21\00:22:16.17
Because Jesus loves you, He
doesn't want you to be deceived.
00:22:16.20\00:22:18.89
He wants people to be saved.
00:22:20.04\00:22:21.17
But for that, we have
to know Bible prophecy.
00:22:21.20\00:22:24.05
You see, futurists say
that Daniel 2 was fulfilled how?
00:22:25.24\00:22:30.00
Actually, it's
fulfilled with a gap between the
00:22:32.63\00:22:35.93
feet and the legs.
00:22:35.96\00:22:39.19
They say that the
head of gold is Babylon,
00:22:40.64\00:22:42.50
the breast and arms of silver
is the Medes and Persians,
00:22:42.53\00:22:44.81
the belly of bronze is Greece,
00:22:44.84\00:22:46.30
the legs of iron
are the Roman Empire.
00:22:46.33\00:22:48.14
But then they say that the
flow of prophecy is suspended.
00:22:48.17\00:22:51.05
The ten toes represent a
ten nation federation that will
00:22:51.55\00:22:54.42
arise in the future under
the leadership of antichrist.
00:22:54.45\00:22:57.49
And so there's a 2000 year gap
between the feet and the legs.
00:22:57.69\00:23:01.81
Who does that hide from view?
00:23:03.79\00:23:05.52
The Roman Catholic Papacy.
00:23:06.26\00:23:07.90
That's right.
00:23:07.93\00:23:09.04
So secondly, the second
big problem with this view
00:23:09.61\00:23:13.37
is that it hides the
specific time when the
00:23:13.82\00:23:18.73
antichrist would arise.
00:23:18.76\00:23:20.22
Point number three,
futurism changes the place
00:23:20.54\00:23:24.52
for the
appearance of the antichrist.
00:23:24.55\00:23:26.49
The place.
00:23:26.52\00:23:27.77
You see, for us the antichrist
is a counterfeit system
00:23:28.12\00:23:33.85
of Christianity that arose
in the church shortly after
00:23:33.88\00:23:38.50
the disintegration
of the Roman Empire.
00:23:38.53\00:23:40.42
And we believe
that the temple where
00:23:40.99\00:23:42.77
the antichrist sits is what?
00:23:42.80\00:23:45.28
Is the church.
00:23:45.40\00:23:46.43
We talked about that.
00:23:46.46\00:23:47.49
It's the church.
00:23:47.52\00:23:48.84
And we believe that this
temple is not a literal temple
00:23:49.08\00:23:52.30
in the Middle East.
00:23:52.33\00:23:53.36
It is the church
of the Middles Ages.
00:23:53.39\00:23:56.96
The temple is
the Christian church.
00:23:57.29\00:23:59.13
But what does futurism believe?
00:24:00.01\00:24:01.91
Futurism believes that
the antichrist is going to sit
00:24:02.34\00:24:05.33
in a literal rebuilt
Jewish temple after the rapture
00:24:05.36\00:24:09.44
for three and a
half literal years.
00:24:09.47\00:24:11.59
If this is the
case, then prophecy is not
00:24:12.42\00:24:14.55
fulfilled in Rome.
00:24:14.58\00:24:15.88
Prophecy is
fulfilled in the Middle East.
00:24:16.08\00:24:18.20
Thus the fulfillment of
the prophecy in the papacy
00:24:19.07\00:24:21.69
is hidden from view
because people are looking
00:24:21.72\00:24:24.50
in the wrong place.
00:24:24.53\00:24:25.80
Are you
understanding this point?
00:24:27.20\00:24:28.61
It's a serious implication.
00:24:29.17\00:24:30.76
If you believe in
futurism, well you're saying,
00:24:31.54\00:24:34.07
"Well, it's going to
be a future antichrist
00:24:34.10\00:24:36.24
who will sit in a rebuilt Jewish
temple over in the Middle East.
00:24:36.27\00:24:39.67
This is after the
rapture of the church."
00:24:39.70\00:24:41.59
And so what happens?
00:24:42.30\00:24:43.56
What is hidden from view
is that the real antichrist
00:24:44.49\00:24:47.79
arose in Rome, and you can't
see this because you're looking
00:24:47.82\00:24:51.45
in the wrong place.
00:24:51.48\00:24:52.51
You're looking to the Middle
East instead of looking in Rome.
00:24:52.61\00:24:56.64
Point number four,
futurism hides the manner
00:24:58.28\00:25:03.03
of the appearance
of the antichrist,
00:25:03.06\00:25:04.87
the way in which the
antichrist will appear.
00:25:04.90\00:25:07.43
You see, Adventists, along
with the Protestant reformers,
00:25:08.08\00:25:10.75
believe that the antichrist
is a system of counterfeit
00:25:10.95\00:25:13.96
Christianity that sat in
the spiritual temple of God,
00:25:13.99\00:25:18.39
which is the church.
00:25:18.42\00:25:19.81
And as I mentioned,
Paul constantly mentions that
00:25:20.40\00:25:23.54
the temple of God is the church.
00:25:23.74\00:25:26.27
It is not a literal
temple in the Middle East.
00:25:26.30\00:25:29.72
Now, if the antichrist
will be an individual,
00:25:30.09\00:25:33.15
then he cannot be
a worldwide system.
00:25:34.19\00:25:36.30
If he is a blasphemous
atheist, as many are teaching,
00:25:36.97\00:25:41.69
then the Christian church
has nothing to do with the
00:25:42.28\00:25:44.40
fulfillment of these prophecies.
00:25:44.43\00:25:46.32
So does futurism teach
something that hides the
00:25:47.09\00:25:51.33
manner or the way in which
the antichrist will appear?
00:25:51.36\00:25:54.32
Sure, they're expecting
a blasphemous antichrist
00:25:54.75\00:25:58.03
over in the Middle East
after the rapture of the church.
00:25:58.13\00:26:02.68
So they're looking
in the wrong place.
00:26:03.10\00:26:04.75
But they're also
looking in the wrong way.
00:26:04.78\00:26:06.93
Because Scripture
says that the antichrist,
00:26:07.60\00:26:09.75
the manner of his coming
will be, he'll sit in the church
00:26:09.78\00:26:12.59
claiming to be Christ.
00:26:12.62\00:26:14.55
He will arise from within.
00:26:14.94\00:26:16.38
In other words, he's an insider.
00:26:18.97\00:26:20.97
Now let's notice
what Dave Hunt has to say.
00:26:22.56\00:26:24.72
By the way, Dave Hunt is
a dyed-in-the-wool futurist.
00:26:24.75\00:26:27.64
But he got the
identity of antichrist right.
00:26:29.15\00:26:31.98
Listen to his
description of the antichrist.
00:26:33.13\00:26:35.61
He says, "While the Greek
prefix, 'anti,' generally means,
00:26:36.75\00:26:41.43
'against or opposed
to,' it can also mean,
00:26:41.46\00:26:45.31
'in the place of
or a substitute for.'"
00:26:45.34\00:26:48.27
For example,
the word, "antipas."
00:26:49.34\00:26:50.97
Have you ever
heard of Herod Antipas?
00:26:51.00\00:26:53.05
Do you know what,
"anti pas," means?
00:26:53.42\00:26:55.71
It means that he ruled
in place of his father.
00:26:56.68\00:26:58.76
The word, "pas," is, "father,"
00:26:58.79\00:27:00.23
and, "anti," is, "in place of."
00:27:00.26\00:27:01.90
He ruled in place of his father.
00:27:01.93\00:27:03.52
So anti does not mean, against.
00:27:05.16\00:27:07.34
Anti means, in place of.
00:27:07.37\00:27:09.68
So he continues
saying, "The antichrist
00:27:09.78\00:27:12.54
will embody both meanings.
00:27:12.57\00:27:14.34
He will oppose Christ
while pretending to be Christ.
00:27:14.74\00:27:18.01
Instead of a frontal attack
or assault against Christianity,
00:27:18.72\00:27:22.31
the evil one will
pervert the church from within
00:27:22.51\00:27:25.76
by posing as its founder.
00:27:26.28\00:27:28.07
He will cunningly
misrepresent Christ
00:27:28.47\00:27:30.89
while pretending to be Christ."
00:27:30.92\00:27:32.69
And here comes
something very interesting.
00:27:32.89\00:27:34.77
"And right here is
where the plot thickens.
00:27:34.80\00:27:37.87
If the antichrist will
indeed pretend to be the Christ,
00:27:37.90\00:27:41.12
then his followers
must be Christians."
00:27:41.15\00:27:43.96
So Dave Hunt is a
futurist, but he got it right.
00:27:46.15\00:27:48.41
Most futurists
believe that the antichrist
00:27:48.44\00:27:50.58
is a nasty individual,
an atheist, who's going to
00:27:50.61\00:27:53.12
appear in the Middle East,
raise his hand against God,
00:27:53.15\00:27:55.62
and he's going to
blaspheme the God of heaven.
00:27:55.65\00:27:57.53
Some atheist type.
00:27:58.05\00:27:59.52
But Scripture
doesn't teach that.
00:28:00.12\00:28:01.61
Scripture teaches that
he will arise from within.
00:28:01.92\00:28:03.99
That is his
manner of appearance.
00:28:04.02\00:28:06.11
So does the manner of
the appearance of antichrist
00:28:07.04\00:28:09.42
have anything to do with
being deceived concerning this?
00:28:09.45\00:28:12.25
It most certainly does.
00:28:12.67\00:28:14.17
Now the next point is that
futurism, this is number five,
00:28:15.32\00:28:18.54
futurism changes the
parties in the final conflict.
00:28:18.74\00:28:22.44
Who are the two
groups that will be involved
00:28:22.79\00:28:25.17
in the final conflict?
00:28:25.20\00:28:26.63
You see, as Adventists
we believe that on one side
00:28:26.84\00:28:29.36
there will be the dragon, the
beast, and the false prophet.
00:28:29.39\00:28:31.82
The dragon represents
Satan, yes, but working through
00:28:32.26\00:28:34.82
the civil powers of the world.
00:28:34.85\00:28:36.37
The beast represents
the Roman Catholic Papacy.
00:28:36.86\00:28:39.57
And the false prophet represents
apostate Protestantism.
00:28:40.03\00:28:45.19
And we believe that
these three powers will be
00:28:45.22\00:28:48.24
global in scope.
00:28:48.27\00:28:49.76
Those will be the enemies of
God's people in the end time.
00:28:49.79\00:28:53.48
But what does futurism believe?
00:28:54.97\00:28:57.18
Futurism sees it differently.
00:28:57.61\00:28:59.53
They say that the
final battle will be between
00:29:00.05\00:29:02.45
the Jews and the
Arabs in the Middle East.
00:29:02.48\00:29:05.38
And perhaps the Arabs
and the Muslims are going to
00:29:05.91\00:29:08.16
join with the
Russians to persecute the Jews.
00:29:08.19\00:29:11.65
If this is true, then
we're wrong in saying that the
00:29:11.94\00:29:16.46
parties in the controversy
are the dragon, the beast,
00:29:16.49\00:29:19.97
and the false prophet
against all of those who are
00:29:20.00\00:29:23.15
opposed to the
kingdom of Christ.
00:29:23.18\00:29:25.05
In other words, futurism
gets the parties involved
00:29:25.58\00:29:29.45
in the final conflict wrong.
00:29:29.48\00:29:31.41
And so people are looking
for this war in the Middle East
00:29:31.67\00:29:36.02
where, you know, the antichrist
is going to be joining the Arabs
00:29:36.05\00:29:40.55
and is going to be
joining the Russians,
00:29:40.58\00:29:42.07
and perhaps the Chinese,
to war against literal Israel,
00:29:42.10\00:29:45.73
to war against the Jews.
00:29:45.76\00:29:47.22
And meanwhile, the
antichrist sits in Rome.
00:29:47.44\00:29:50.69
And the United
States, the helper, is taking
00:29:51.41\00:29:55.30
steps to help this power.
00:29:55.33\00:29:57.18
And nobody can see it
because they're looking
00:29:57.21\00:29:59.52
in the wrong place.
00:29:59.55\00:30:00.92
The devil is an expert at
what we call, the counter play.
00:30:02.34\00:30:05.35
Do you know what
the counter play is?
00:30:05.38\00:30:06.90
Some of you might know a
little bit about football.
00:30:07.58\00:30:10.06
I'm not talking about
Australian rules football.
00:30:10.52\00:30:12.75
I'm talking about football as it
is played in the United States.
00:30:12.78\00:30:15.98
The counter play is very simple.
00:30:16.01\00:30:17.77
See, the linemen,
they block for the back.
00:30:18.14\00:30:20.75
For the runner.
00:30:21.15\00:30:22.21
And so what usually
happens is the linemen will pull
00:30:22.80\00:30:26.45
in one direction to
block when the runner is
00:30:26.48\00:30:29.18
going to come to that side.
00:30:29.21\00:30:30.67
But the counter play
is when all of the linemen
00:30:30.85\00:30:33.76
run this way,
then the defense says,
00:30:33.79\00:30:36.11
"Oh, the runner
is coming this way."
00:30:36.14\00:30:37.94
And then the runner
goes the opposite direction.
00:30:37.97\00:30:40.00
That's the counter play.
00:30:40.39\00:30:41.59
And so the devil is an expert
at creating counter plays;
00:30:42.02\00:30:46.44
showing the
antichrist in the wrong place,
00:30:46.54\00:30:49.48
appearing in the wrong way,
00:30:50.19\00:30:51.90
saying that the parties
are not the parties that
00:30:52.98\00:30:55.46
prophecy says they are.
00:30:55.49\00:30:57.34
But let me say that futurism
also blurs the issues involved
00:30:58.57\00:31:02.48
in the final conflict.
00:31:02.51\00:31:04.01
As Seventh-day Adventists,
we believe that the issues
00:31:04.52\00:31:06.85
in the final conflict
will be the law, the Sabbath,
00:31:06.88\00:31:12.51
and worship.
00:31:13.05\00:31:14.36
But what futurism
believes is that the war
00:31:15.54\00:31:19.76
that is going to take
place will be in the Middle East
00:31:19.79\00:31:22.89
and it will be
primarily an anti-Semitic war.
00:31:22.99\00:31:26.50
In other words, it's
a war against the Jews.
00:31:27.77\00:31:30.67
Now let me ask you, are
there good and bad Jews?
00:31:32.59\00:31:35.64
Yes. Are there
good and bad Arabs?
00:31:37.67\00:31:39.56
So if you say that the final war
is the Arabs against the Jews,
00:31:40.36\00:31:46.37
you're saying that it's good
people and bad people against
00:31:46.80\00:31:49.17
good people and bad people.
00:31:49.20\00:31:50.85
The fact is that Scripture
teaches that the final war
00:31:51.77\00:31:54.71
will be the righteous
against the unrighteous.
00:31:54.74\00:31:57.24
And it doesn't matter which
ethnic group you belong to.
00:31:57.44\00:32:00.28
The issues are spiritual.
00:32:00.31\00:32:02.14
They have nothing to do
with what your ethnicity is.
00:32:02.39\00:32:05.78
And it has nothing to do
with the oil of the Middle East,
00:32:05.98\00:32:10.45
which is one of the
favorite topics of those who
00:32:10.48\00:32:12.89
teach futurism; that
the final war is going to be
00:32:12.92\00:32:15.28
a fight over oil or
it's going to be a fight
00:32:15.31\00:32:17.88
of the Arabs against the Jews.
00:32:17.91\00:32:19.55
It totally misses the point
that the struggle is going to be
00:32:19.58\00:32:23.05
over God's law,
over His holy Sabbath,
00:32:23.08\00:32:25.76
and over the issue
of spiritual worship.
00:32:25.79\00:32:29.16
It hides the issues
in the great controversy.
00:32:29.67\00:32:34.06
Point number seven, futurism
obliterates the end time
00:32:34.67\00:32:39.58
appearance of
the remnant church.
00:32:39.61\00:32:41.51
See, the devil
wants to hide when the
00:32:41.80\00:32:43.68
Seventh-day Adventist
Church was going to appear.
00:32:43.71\00:32:45.77
Let me just give
you this scenario
00:32:46.40\00:32:49.22
coming from
Revelation chapter 12.
00:32:49.48\00:32:51.53
In Revelation chapter
12, we have a clear flow
00:32:52.03\00:32:55.11
of historical events.
00:32:55.14\00:32:56.52
We have, first of all, a woman.
00:32:56.77\00:32:59.29
The woman has a
child in her womb.
00:33:00.13\00:33:02.43
Now let me ask you, who
is that child who is in the
00:33:03.60\00:33:05.92
womb of the woman?
00:33:05.95\00:33:06.98
The child is Christ.
00:33:07.38\00:33:08.78
And who is the woman?
00:33:08.81\00:33:10.28
The woman is not Mary there.
00:33:11.78\00:33:14.18
The woman represents the church.
00:33:14.21\00:33:16.56
Which church?
00:33:16.59\00:33:17.74
New Testament church
or Old Testament church?
00:33:17.77\00:33:20.27
It's got to be the
Old Testament church.
00:33:20.61\00:33:22.55
Because we can't have
a New Testament church
00:33:22.75\00:33:24.86
before Jesus is born.
00:33:24.89\00:33:26.30
So let me ask
you a dumb question.
00:33:27.16\00:33:28.88
Who lives first,
the woman or the child?
00:33:29.16\00:33:32.02
Of course, it's the woman.
00:33:33.45\00:33:34.65
Did the woman
exist before the child?
00:33:34.76\00:33:36.62
Of course.
00:33:36.65\00:33:37.70
Did Jesus come from
the lineage of Abraham?
00:33:37.83\00:33:40.84
Did He come from
the lineage of David?
00:33:41.15\00:33:43.97
Did He come from
the holy line? Yes.
00:33:44.25\00:33:46.60
The woman represents
the Old Testament church
00:33:46.63\00:33:49.88
that brings Jesus
Christ into the world.
00:33:49.91\00:33:52.33
So Revelation 12 begins
with the Old Testament church.
00:33:52.75\00:33:55.70
Then the child is born.
00:33:55.88\00:33:57.57
That's the birth of Christ.
00:33:57.60\00:33:58.89
Then it says that He ascends
to God and to His throne.
00:33:59.09\00:34:01.97
That's the ascension
and the installment of Jesus
00:34:02.17\00:34:04.71
in heaven as our High Priest.
00:34:04.74\00:34:06.39
And then after that, we find the
church fleeing to the wilderness
00:34:06.87\00:34:11.94
for 1260 years.
00:34:11.97\00:34:14.42
Are you seeing the flow?
00:34:14.45\00:34:15.63
And towards the
end of the 1260 years,
00:34:16.06\00:34:19.00
the earth helps the woman.
00:34:19.03\00:34:21.02
Now what is represented by
the earth that helps the woman
00:34:22.06\00:34:24.99
as this period of
persecution is taking place?
00:34:25.19\00:34:28.27
The earth represents the
territory of the United States.
00:34:28.81\00:34:32.26
Now in Revelation 13 you have a
beast that rises from the earth.
00:34:32.66\00:34:35.59
That's the nation
that rises from it.
00:34:35.62\00:34:37.42
And I hope you read the
book on Jekyll and Hyde.
00:34:37.59\00:34:41.57
Did you read that book?
00:34:41.60\00:34:42.67
You know, there I show
that the earth represents
00:34:43.71\00:34:46.91
the territory of
the United States
00:34:47.40\00:34:49.03
before the nation is formed.
00:34:49.06\00:34:50.49
Was this a refuge for people
who were persecuted in Europe?
00:34:50.61\00:34:54.03
Yes it was.
00:34:54.35\00:34:55.38
During toward the end of
this period, people migrated
00:34:55.41\00:34:58.37
to the United
States to find freedom,
00:34:58.40\00:35:00.63
liberty of conscience to
worship God according to the
00:35:00.66\00:35:03.15
dictates of their conscience.
00:35:03.18\00:35:04.85
So in other words,
towards the end of this period
00:35:05.27\00:35:07.50
the earth helps the woman, the
territory of the United States.
00:35:07.53\00:35:10.51
And then I want you to
notice that the very next stage
00:35:10.99\00:35:14.06
is that the dragon is
enraged with the woman.
00:35:14.09\00:35:18.20
And he goes to make war
with the remnant of her seed.
00:35:19.34\00:35:23.66
So let me ask you,
when would we expect the
00:35:25.35\00:35:27.54
remnant church to arise?
00:35:27.57\00:35:29.35
Would it have to be
after the 1260 years?
00:35:30.74\00:35:33.34
After the earth
helped the woman?
00:35:34.03\00:35:35.77
Absolutely.
00:35:35.80\00:35:36.98
It would have to
arise shortly after that.
00:35:37.34\00:35:39.12
You're not going to have a gap
of several hundred years, no.
00:35:39.15\00:35:41.93
Because prophecy is
fulfilled in sequence.
00:35:41.96\00:35:45.07
That's the historical
flow method, in other words.
00:35:45.28\00:35:48.09
So after the 1260 years,
it says that the dragon is now
00:35:48.34\00:35:52.72
wroth with the
woman and goes to make war
00:35:52.75\00:35:55.44
with the remnant of her seed.
00:35:55.47\00:35:56.95
Where are the remnant
of her seed to be found?
00:35:56.98\00:35:58.95
On the earth.
00:35:58.98\00:36:00.01
Because the previous
verse says the earth.
00:36:00.23\00:36:02.12
Where is the earth?
00:36:02.69\00:36:03.85
The territory of
the United States.
00:36:04.30\00:36:05.99
Would it be after 1798?
00:36:06.43\00:36:08.63
Yes it would. In the sequence.
00:36:09.14\00:36:10.90
And what would
characterize the remnant church?
00:36:11.00\00:36:14.12
Oh, they keep the
commandments of God.
00:36:14.43\00:36:17.60
How many? Ten.
00:36:18.59\00:36:21.24
And they have the
testimony of Jesus Christ.
00:36:21.27\00:36:24.37
And what is the
testimony of Jesus Christ?
00:36:24.60\00:36:26.55
It is the spirit of prophecy.
00:36:26.81\00:36:29.37
The question is, did
such a church arise after 1798
00:36:30.61\00:36:35.53
in the territory of the
United States that teaches that
00:36:35.83\00:36:39.78
the law of God has to be kept,
and has a prophet in her midst?
00:36:39.81\00:36:44.47
There's a church that
appears shortly after 1798.
00:36:45.12\00:36:48.54
The Seventh-day
Adventist Church.
00:36:48.57\00:36:50.12
But now listen.
00:36:50.15\00:36:51.18
If Revelation 12 deals
with events in the future
00:36:51.21\00:36:54.97
after the rapture of the church,
what happens with the identity
00:36:55.00\00:37:00.36
of God's remnant church;
when it was going to appear,
00:37:00.90\00:37:03.82
where it was going to
appear, and what characteristics
00:37:03.92\00:37:07.30
it was going to have?
00:37:07.33\00:37:08.36
It totally disappears.
00:37:09.17\00:37:10.82
The devil wants to
hide the moment when God's
00:37:10.94\00:37:14.44
remnant church was
going to appear on the scene
00:37:14.47\00:37:17.92
of human history.
00:37:18.13\00:37:19.71
Is it important
whether we believe in
00:37:21.85\00:37:23.77
the historical flow method or
whether we believe in futurism?
00:37:23.80\00:37:27.46
Listen folks, it's a
matter of our existence
00:37:28.17\00:37:32.48
as a denomination.
00:37:32.51\00:37:33.87
We are a prophetic movement.
00:37:33.90\00:37:35.64
We originated as a result
of the study of Bible prophecy.
00:37:36.80\00:37:40.34
And our destiny is
clothed with Bible prophecy.
00:37:40.57\00:37:44.72
So we cannot be a
church that simply
00:37:45.41\00:37:48.26
preaches the love of Jesus.
00:37:48.29\00:37:49.54
It's important to love
Jesus, don't get me wrong.
00:37:49.57\00:37:51.81
We can't simply preach what
other churches are preaching.
00:37:52.49\00:37:55.44
God has given us a
special message and a
00:37:55.47\00:37:58.60
special mission for this time.
00:37:58.63\00:38:00.34
And woe to us if we don't
fulfill that special mission
00:38:00.77\00:38:04.07
and preserve that special
message, because we would
00:38:04.10\00:38:06.56
have no reason
whatsoever to exist.
00:38:06.59\00:38:08.90
Now the next point
is even more serious.
00:38:10.33\00:38:12.59
Futurism destroys
the 2300 day prophecy.
00:38:13.73\00:38:17.32
You say, "How is that?"
00:38:18.87\00:38:20.08
Well let's read the
verse, first of all.
00:38:20.11\00:38:22.03
It says, "And he said unto me,
00:38:22.65\00:38:24.45
'Unto two thousand
three hundred days,
00:38:24.70\00:38:27.53
then shall the
sanctuary be...'" What?
00:38:27.87\00:38:30.52
"...then shall the
sanctuary be cleansed."
00:38:30.76\00:38:33.57
Now, there are three key factors
involved in our interpretation
00:38:34.58\00:38:41.79
of this prophecy.
00:38:41.82\00:38:42.98
Number one, the 70
weeks are the first part
00:38:43.34\00:38:47.47
of the 2300
days, and began in 457.
00:38:47.50\00:38:50.77
Correct?
00:38:50.80\00:38:51.83
That's the Adventist view.
00:38:52.03\00:38:53.23
The 70 weeks, first 490
years, are the first portion
00:38:53.76\00:38:56.91
of the 2300 days, and
the 70 weeks began in 457 BC.
00:38:56.94\00:39:01.89
That's the first point.
00:39:02.09\00:39:03.58
The second point is
that the 2300 days are really
00:39:04.07\00:39:07.35
symbolic of what?
00:39:07.38\00:39:08.99
They represent years.
00:39:09.44\00:39:11.09
And the third point
is that there is no gap
00:39:11.53\00:39:16.07
between week 69 and week 70.
00:39:16.10\00:39:19.06
Those are three
non-negotiable items.
00:39:20.67\00:39:23.50
Number one, the 70
weeks are the first part
00:39:23.84\00:39:26.40
of the 2300 day prophecy.
00:39:26.43\00:39:28.07
And they began in 457 BC.
00:39:28.27\00:39:30.36
Number two, the 2300
days are symbolic of years.
00:39:30.53\00:39:34.35
And number three, there is no
gap between week 69 and week 70
00:39:34.38\00:39:39.20
like futurists say.
00:39:39.23\00:39:40.73
Now I might say that in the
Seventh-day Adventist Church,
00:39:41.56\00:39:44.45
there are scholars who
have questioned seriously
00:39:46.23\00:39:49.90
our
interpretation of the 2300 days.
00:39:49.93\00:39:52.24
Some notable names are
people like D.M. Canright,
00:39:53.20\00:39:56.85
A.F. Ballenger,
Fletcher, Desmond Ford,
00:39:57.56\00:40:02.12
and more recently Dale Ratzlaff.
00:40:02.15\00:40:03.92
There must be something
that the devil doesn't like
00:40:04.20\00:40:06.38
about the 2300 day prophecy
that he would take scholars
00:40:06.41\00:40:10.89
within the church that
would be critical of this one
00:40:10.92\00:40:13.90
particular point of
Seventh-day Adventist theology.
00:40:13.93\00:40:17.65
Now listen carefully.
00:40:18.44\00:40:19.72
A wrong beginning and
ending date for the 70 weeks
00:40:20.65\00:40:24.01
destroys the 1844 date.
00:40:25.01\00:40:27.58
In fact, separating
week number 70 from the
00:40:28.44\00:40:31.49
previous 69 totally
obliterates the date of 1844.
00:40:31.52\00:40:36.51
So what does Satan want to hide?
00:40:37.29\00:40:39.39
He wants to hide the
date for the beginning of the
00:40:39.42\00:40:42.61
judgment of the world.
00:40:42.64\00:40:44.12
You say, "How is this?"
00:40:45.90\00:40:47.29
Well, we believe
that the 70 weeks are
00:40:48.26\00:40:50.63
490 consecutive years.
00:40:50.66\00:40:52.78
Then 1810 years more
leads you to October 22, 1844.
00:40:53.49\00:40:58.72
Futurism says, "No, no, no.
00:40:59.26\00:41:00.86
The first 69 were fulfilled.
00:41:00.89\00:41:03.28
2000 year gap, and
then the 70th week begins."
00:41:03.57\00:41:07.56
Let me ask you, what
happens when you create that
00:41:07.59\00:41:09.74
parenthesis or that gap?
00:41:09.77\00:41:11.69
1844 is destroyed.
00:41:11.96\00:41:14.25
Because 1844 depends on
the consecutive fulfillment
00:41:14.78\00:41:19.05
of the 70 weeks.
00:41:19.08\00:41:20.53
If you have a gap,
then 1844 is a non-entity.
00:41:20.95\00:41:26.24
But the judgment is not
the only thing at stake, folks.
00:41:27.92\00:41:30.99
The pioneers of the Seventh-day
Adventist Church discovered
00:41:31.64\00:41:34.63
a whole cluster of
truth shortly after 1844.
00:41:34.66\00:41:39.13
For example, they
discovered that the
00:41:40.35\00:41:41.73
law of God is still binding.
00:41:41.76\00:41:43.34
They discovered that the
Sabbath is still binding.
00:41:44.34\00:41:46.30
How did they discover that?
00:41:46.33\00:41:47.64
Well, when they entered
the Most Holy Place with Jesus,
00:41:47.67\00:41:50.23
what's in the Most Holy Place?
00:41:52.16\00:41:53.81
The ark.
00:41:54.32\00:41:55.36
So all they did was say,
"Okay, what was in the ark?"
00:41:56.05\00:41:58.42
So they go and they look at
the shadow in the Old Testament,
00:41:58.95\00:42:01.61
"Oh, the Ten
Commandments were in the ark.
00:42:01.64\00:42:03.25
Well, then they must be
in the heavenly ark too.
00:42:03.28\00:42:05.90
And so they weren't
nailed to the cross."
00:42:05.93\00:42:07.66
And then they started looking
more carefully, they said,
00:42:09.03\00:42:10.75
"Now wait a minute, what
was in the center of the law?
00:42:10.78\00:42:12.96
The Sabbath.
00:42:12.99\00:42:14.17
And if the earthly Sanctuary was
a reflection of the heavenly one
00:42:15.27\00:42:18.05
and there's a
heavenly ark of the covenant,
00:42:18.25\00:42:20.08
well the Sabbath
must be there too."
00:42:20.11\00:42:22.09
And so slowly but surely,
after 1844, they discovered
00:42:23.59\00:42:27.80
all of the
distinctive doctrines of the
00:42:27.83\00:42:29.80
Seventh-day Adventist
Church that distinguishes
00:42:29.83\00:42:31.74
from every other church.
00:42:31.77\00:42:33.09
They discovered
the state of the dead.
00:42:33.61\00:42:35.41
They discovered the judgment.
00:42:36.05\00:42:37.64
They discovered health
reform, believe it or not.
00:42:38.16\00:42:41.47
And the gift of prophecy
helped explain what had happened
00:42:41.81\00:42:45.25
in 1844 and the
mission and message of the
00:42:45.28\00:42:48.02
Seventh-day Adventist Church.
00:42:48.05\00:42:49.57
You say, "Well, how is
health reform found in the
00:42:50.41\00:42:52.41
Most Holy Place of
the heavenly Sanctuary?"
00:42:52.44\00:42:54.31
Well, you remember there
was a little pot of manna?
00:42:54.50\00:42:56.59
What did God want to
teach through the manna?
00:42:58.04\00:43:00.19
Well, first of all He wanted
to teach Sabbath observance.
00:43:00.81\00:43:03.23
Have you ever noticed
that Sabbath observance is
00:43:03.26\00:43:05.38
high-lighted in
the Most Holy Place?
00:43:05.41\00:43:07.36
You know, Ellen White
had a vision where she saw
00:43:07.39\00:43:09.29
that there was a halo
around the fourth commandment
00:43:09.32\00:43:11.38
that high-lighted
the fourth commandment.
00:43:11.58\00:43:13.19
Where did she get
that idea that the Sabbath
00:43:13.22\00:43:16.31
commandment is high-lighted?
00:43:16.34\00:43:17.58
It's very simple.
00:43:17.61\00:43:18.64
Because in the ark
of the covenant you have
00:43:18.67\00:43:21.15
two Sabbath symbols.
00:43:21.18\00:43:23.39
You have the fourth commandment
in the Ten Commandments,
00:43:23.85\00:43:25.95
and you have the pot of manna.
00:43:25.98\00:43:27.37
And incidentally, the
manna was meant to test Israel
00:43:28.37\00:43:32.24
to see if they
would walk in God's law.
00:43:32.27\00:43:34.40
And the Sabbath will be
the final test to see if people
00:43:35.13\00:43:38.06
will walk in God's law.
00:43:38.09\00:43:39.51
Are you with me?
00:43:39.54\00:43:40.57
And so the
Sabbath, as a test, is found
00:43:40.66\00:43:42.68
in the ark of the covenant.
00:43:42.71\00:43:43.92
Health reform.
00:43:44.25\00:43:45.35
You know, you read
Numbers chapter 11.
00:43:45.65\00:43:47.57
It says there that God
gave Israel manna to teach
00:43:47.60\00:43:50.86
them a simple diet.
00:43:50.89\00:43:52.00
But they said, "Oh no,
we don't want manna, Lord.
00:43:52.10\00:43:54.22
We want the stuff
that we had in Egypt.
00:43:54.25\00:43:56.18
All that rich
food is what we want."
00:43:56.21\00:43:57.85
But God, through the
manna, wanted to teach them
00:43:58.09\00:44:00.17
the simplicity of the diet.
00:44:00.20\00:44:01.49
He wanted to teach
them health reform.
00:44:01.52\00:44:03.32
What about the
state of the dead?
00:44:04.83\00:44:06.06
Is that found in
the Most Holy Place?
00:44:06.09\00:44:08.00
It most certainly is.
00:44:08.20\00:44:09.42
You say, "How?"
00:44:09.45\00:44:10.48
Well first of all, Aaron's rod
that budded represents Christ.
00:44:10.81\00:44:13.97
It was a dead rod.
00:44:14.65\00:44:15.97
And by a miracle
it sprouted to life.
00:44:16.17\00:44:18.45
By life that was in itself.
00:44:20.11\00:44:21.87
Jesus said, "Though I
be dead, yet..." What?
00:44:22.38\00:44:27.00
"...yet I live," He
said in Revelation chapter 1.
00:44:27.03\00:44:29.69
And so the rod that
budded miraculously represents
00:44:29.72\00:44:32.46
Jesus and His
resurrection from the dead.
00:44:32.49\00:44:34.93
But even over and above that,
the judgment concept of the
00:44:34.96\00:44:39.66
Adventist church is the
only concept that will help us
00:44:39.70\00:44:43.87
understand the
state of the dead.
00:44:43.90\00:44:45.16
And let me explain how.
00:44:45.19\00:44:46.43
Let's take Adam as our example.
00:44:47.12\00:44:49.19
Adam was the first
individual to be judged
00:44:49.89\00:44:52.84
when the judgment began in 1844.
00:44:53.19\00:44:54.97
Ellen White says beginning
with those who first lived
00:44:55.00\00:44:57.66
on the earth Jesus judges
each successive generation,
00:44:57.69\00:45:02.55
and He ends with the living.
00:45:02.58\00:45:04.08
So the first person
to be judged was Adam.
00:45:04.36\00:45:06.56
Now let me ask you,
where was Adam in 1844?
00:45:06.59\00:45:09.40
Adam was in the grave.
00:45:12.64\00:45:14.16
Disintegrated.
00:45:15.25\00:45:16.70
So how could Adam appear before
the judgment seat of Christ
00:45:17.17\00:45:19.92
in 1844 if he was disintegrated
and totally non-existent?
00:45:19.95\00:45:27.82
How could Adam appear there?
00:45:28.36\00:45:29.88
He appeared there through the
record of his life in the books.
00:45:31.60\00:45:35.62
You see, God has a another
me in His books in written form.
00:45:37.18\00:45:41.46
And so Adam, when God
said, "Adam, you're the first
00:45:42.59\00:45:45.68
to be judged."
00:45:45.71\00:45:46.83
I'm thankful that it's
not in alphabetical order.
00:45:47.19\00:45:50.07
He said, "Adam, appear
before My judgment seat."
00:45:51.54\00:45:53.88
And so what the angels
do is they bring the DVD.
00:45:54.14\00:45:58.74
I'm dramatizing for effect.
00:45:59.75\00:46:01.22
The DVD of Adam's life.
00:46:01.25\00:46:03.66
And so, on a large
screen the life of Adam
00:46:04.39\00:46:07.72
is shown in living color.
00:46:07.75\00:46:09.54
The record that was
made during his life.
00:46:09.57\00:46:11.85
So is there a certain
sense in which Adam is appearing
00:46:13.31\00:46:15.62
alive before the
judgment seat of Christ?
00:46:15.65\00:46:17.76
He's not alive in
person, but the record was made
00:46:17.96\00:46:20.59
while he was alive.
00:46:20.62\00:46:21.93
And so what's seen on the screen
is Adam while he was alive.
00:46:22.81\00:46:25.83
Even though personally
and physically he is what?
00:46:26.13\00:46:28.89
He is dead. Are
you understanding me?
00:46:29.11\00:46:30.71
And so the record
of Adam is examined.
00:46:31.21\00:46:33.41
And it's found that he repented
of sin, he confessed his sins,
00:46:34.12\00:46:37.12
and his name is
retained in the book of life.
00:46:37.32\00:46:39.50
Now here's my question,
how do Christians believe...
00:46:40.29\00:46:42.89
When does the judgment take
place, according to Christians?
00:46:42.92\00:46:45.67
They say, "Oh,
the second coming.
00:46:45.87\00:46:46.97
He will come to judge
the living and the dead."
00:46:47.00\00:46:49.10
As it says in the Credo.
00:46:49.13\00:46:52.23
So they say, you know, the
judgment is when Jesus comes.
00:46:52.50\00:46:55.87
And what do they believe
happens when a person dies?
00:46:57.83\00:47:00.40
When a person dies, if they
were good, they go to heaven.
00:47:01.29\00:47:04.30
If they were
bad, they go to hell.
00:47:04.33\00:47:06.10
If they were half
bad, they go to purgatory.
00:47:06.13\00:47:08.42
And if they had not reached
the age of accountability,
00:47:09.00\00:47:11.51
they go to limbo.
00:47:11.54\00:47:12.72
It's amazing how people
invent all different kinds of
00:47:12.75\00:47:15.60
spheres and levels.
00:47:15.63\00:47:17.47
But here's my question.
00:47:18.38\00:47:19.64
If Adam is judged in 1844, he's
the first to be judged in 1844,
00:47:21.92\00:47:30.16
did he go to
heaven when he died?
00:47:30.36\00:47:32.18
He couldn't have gone
to heaven when he died.
00:47:33.45\00:47:35.45
Would God take him to
heaven before he's judged?
00:47:35.55\00:47:37.79
Absolutely not.
00:47:38.34\00:47:39.48
He's judged in 1844.
00:47:39.73\00:47:41.93
And then when will
he be taken to heaven?
00:47:41.96\00:47:44.56
He will be taken to
heaven when Jesus comes.
00:47:44.95\00:47:47.16
So is the state of the
dead doctrine involved in
00:47:47.26\00:47:50.15
the idea of the judgment, the
Adventist idea of the judgment?
00:47:50.18\00:47:52.66
It most certainly is.
00:47:52.69\00:47:54.21
It's the only
idea that makes sense,
00:47:54.81\00:47:57.17
is the Seventh-day
Adventist view of the judgment.
00:47:57.37\00:47:59.21
Because we teach
that an individual dies,
00:47:59.41\00:48:02.30
they appear before the
judgment seat of Christ.
00:48:02.64\00:48:04.95
When they're judged, they
didn't go to heaven or to hell.
00:48:04.98\00:48:07.26
Because in that case,
when they died they would have
00:48:07.29\00:48:09.10
already been judged.
00:48:09.13\00:48:10.70
And so then they're judged.
00:48:11.25\00:48:12.52
And when Jesus comes,
then He gives a reward
00:48:12.55\00:48:15.89
that has been
decided in the judgment,
00:48:15.92\00:48:18.54
in the pre-advent judgment.
00:48:18.57\00:48:20.29
So all of these
truths are clustered
00:48:20.32\00:48:22.87
in the Most Holy Place.
00:48:22.90\00:48:23.95
And our pioneers discovered
them one by one after 1844
00:48:23.98\00:48:27.96
because they
entered the Most Holy Place.
00:48:27.99\00:48:29.80
And the Most Holy Place teaches
these particular doctrines.
00:48:29.83\00:48:33.86
Now, what are the
particular doctrinal points
00:48:33.89\00:48:38.34
that the
Christian world despises?
00:48:38.37\00:48:40.24
How about the law?
00:48:42.35\00:48:43.90
Oh, it was nailed
to the cross, right?
00:48:44.42\00:48:46.23
How about the Sabbath?
00:48:46.71\00:48:47.94
Oh, it was for the Jews.
00:48:48.64\00:48:50.09
How about health reform?
00:48:50.89\00:48:52.37
Oh, you can eat your pork chops.
00:48:53.60\00:48:55.45
Not a problem. The
prayer sanctifies the pig.
00:48:55.48\00:48:58.57
What do they say
about the state of the dead?
00:49:01.67\00:49:04.20
They say, "Well,
the dead are not dead."
00:49:04.76\00:49:07.11
They're either in
bliss or they're in misery.
00:49:07.14\00:49:09.72
Are those the very
doctrines that are distinctive
00:49:10.86\00:49:14.24
to the
Seventh-day Adventist Church?
00:49:14.34\00:49:15.81
Folks, the doctrines
that make us what we are
00:49:16.06\00:49:19.24
are centered in the Most Holy
Place of the heavenly Sanctuary.
00:49:19.27\00:49:22.19
And the pioneers discovered
it when they entered in 1844.
00:49:22.55\00:49:26.39
So if you destroy the date
1844 by destroying the prophecy
00:49:26.42\00:49:32.13
of the 70 weeks,
you are destroying
00:49:32.16\00:49:34.74
Seventh-day Adventist theology.
00:49:35.07\00:49:37.14
Now, there's another
thing that's important here.
00:49:38.12\00:49:41.19
After 1844, a method
of interpreting prophecy
00:49:41.79\00:49:48.38
was discarded.
00:49:48.41\00:49:49.92
You know that the
Millerites taught that Jesus
00:49:49.95\00:49:51.95
was going to come
on October 22, 1844.
00:49:51.98\00:49:55.40
And Jesus didn't come.
00:49:55.43\00:49:56.63
Do you know what method
Miller and those who preached
00:49:56.97\00:49:59.97
with Miller used
to reach that date?
00:50:00.00\00:50:02.24
The historical flow method.
00:50:03.11\00:50:04.84
They used
historicism as their method
00:50:06.39\00:50:08.55
to reach the
date October 22, 1844.
00:50:09.03\00:50:12.07
70 weeks, 1810 years.
00:50:12.10\00:50:15.30
And then they also
appealed to the Hebrew feasts,
00:50:15.56\00:50:18.26
you know, which give
you the day and the month
00:50:18.45\00:50:21.06
of the Day of Atonement.
00:50:21.89\00:50:23.19
And so they said, "We
have the day and the month
00:50:23.92\00:50:25.96
from the Hebrew
feasts, we have the year
00:50:25.99\00:50:27.83
from Daniel
chapter 8 and verse 14."
00:50:27.86\00:50:29.92
And so they say,
"October 22, 1844
00:50:29.95\00:50:32.10
the judgment is going to begin."
00:50:32.13\00:50:34.58
But Jesus didn't come.
00:50:34.61\00:50:35.93
So you know what the devil did?
00:50:36.75\00:50:38.39
The devil discredited
historicism as a method
00:50:38.99\00:50:42.26
of interpreting prophecy.
00:50:42.29\00:50:43.90
Let me read you some statements.
00:50:44.59\00:50:46.38
One is from Richard Kyle.
00:50:46.41\00:50:48.36
He's not an Adventist.
He use to be a futurist.
00:50:49.15\00:50:51.50
He use to be a
Plymouth Brethren.
00:50:51.53\00:50:53.07
And he had something very
interesting to say in his book,
00:50:53.58\00:50:56.86
The Last Days Are Here Again.
00:50:56.89\00:50:59.56
He says, "Despite its visibility
the Millerite movement
00:51:00.76\00:51:05.34
had little influence on
subsequent end time thinking."
00:51:05.37\00:51:09.21
In other words, Millerism didn't
cause very much of an impact
00:51:10.69\00:51:13.41
in future end time thinking.
00:51:13.62\00:51:15.44
"It did, however, have
three long-term effects.
00:51:16.11\00:51:19.13
One, Millerism spawned the
Seventh-day Adventist Church.
00:51:20.07\00:51:24.12
Two, it discredited historicist
pre-millennialism..."
00:51:25.20\00:51:29.64
That's our view;
historicism and that Jesus
00:51:31.75\00:51:34.57
is going to come
before the millennium.
00:51:35.39\00:51:37.82
And notice it says,
"...it discredited historicist
00:51:39.17\00:51:42.06
pre-millennialism,
causing it to fade out
00:51:42.09\00:51:45.24
almost entirely after 1844.
00:51:45.27\00:51:48.71
And number three, the Millerite
fiasco demonstrated the perils
00:51:49.71\00:51:53.78
of setting definite
dates for Christ's return."
00:51:53.81\00:51:57.69
In another statement we
find in the same book, page 102,
00:51:58.20\00:52:01.88
he says this, "The
great disappointment of 1844
00:52:03.21\00:52:07.84
had decimated
historicist pre-millennialism."
00:52:08.33\00:52:12.62
What did the disappointment do?
00:52:13.32\00:52:14.92
It almost well-nigh obliterated
historicist pre-millennialism.
00:52:15.54\00:52:20.75
Which is our method of
interpreting Bible prophecy.
00:52:20.78\00:52:23.26
And now notice what
he says, "But a futurist
00:52:23.97\00:52:26.64
pre-millennialism
called, dispensationalism,
00:52:26.67\00:52:29.90
soon arrived on the scene."
00:52:29.93\00:52:31.97
So what did the devil do?
00:52:33.46\00:52:35.09
When Jesus didn't come, he
said the method didn't work.
00:52:35.64\00:52:37.99
So he threw out the
baby with the bath water.
00:52:38.02\00:52:41.15
He wanted to get
rid of our method,
00:52:41.70\00:52:43.76
because he knew that he
could get rid of our message.
00:52:44.12\00:52:47.41
Now notice the
words of another futurist.
00:52:47.63\00:52:50.22
This is Thomas Ice.
00:52:50.25\00:52:52.07
What he says is very icy.
00:52:53.31\00:52:55.07
This is in his book,
00:52:56.17\00:52:57.51
"The Tribulation:
Past or Future," page 6.
00:52:57.77\00:53:00.49
And he actually mentions the
Seventh-day Adventist Church.
00:53:00.98\00:53:03.27
He says, "Historicism, once
the dominant view of Protestants
00:53:03.47\00:53:08.53
from the Reformation until the
middle of the last century..."
00:53:08.56\00:53:11.92
He's writing,
this is in the 1990's.
00:53:11.95\00:53:15.15
So the last century
would be the 1900's.
00:53:15.35\00:53:18.17
So he says, "Historicism,
once the dominant view of
00:53:18.20\00:53:20.60
Protestants from the
Reformation until the
00:53:20.63\00:53:22.92
middle of the last
century, appears to exert little
00:53:22.95\00:53:26.98
attraction as a system
of prophetic interpretation
00:53:27.01\00:53:30.92
to conservative
Christians outside of the
00:53:31.56\00:53:34.51
Seventh-day Adventist circles.
00:53:34.54\00:53:36.31
Within evangelicalism
during the last 150 years,
00:53:36.55\00:53:41.15
futurism has grown to dominate
and overcome historicism."
00:53:41.18\00:53:45.90
Wow.
00:53:47.28\00:53:48.40
Futurism has done its work
of practically obliterating
00:53:49.69\00:53:56.21
the historical flow method
of interpreting Bible prophecy.
00:53:56.43\00:54:00.05
According to Ellen White,
this shifted understanding
00:54:00.91\00:54:05.25
is the direct result of Satan's
desire to get rid of historicism
00:54:05.28\00:54:09.28
as the proper method of
interpreting Bible prophecy.
00:54:09.31\00:54:12.06
And now I quote from,
Early Writings, 256 and 257.
00:54:12.09\00:54:16.24
She says, "After the
great disappointment in 1844,
00:54:16.27\00:54:20.05
Satan and his angels were
busily engaged in laying snares
00:54:20.56\00:54:24.64
to unsettle the
faith of the body.
00:54:24.67\00:54:26.74
He affected the minds of persons
who had had an experience
00:54:26.94\00:54:30.56
in the messages, and who
had an appearance of humility."
00:54:30.59\00:54:33.95
Listen carefully.
00:54:34.28\00:54:35.77
"Some pointed to the future
for the fulfillment of the
00:54:35.80\00:54:38.77
first and second
messages, while others pointed
00:54:38.80\00:54:41.71
far back into the past..."
00:54:41.74\00:54:43.08
What does the devil do?
00:54:43.11\00:54:44.39
He says, "No, these
things are going to be fulfilled
00:54:44.42\00:54:45.88
in the future or they
were fulfilled..." When?
00:54:45.91\00:54:48.83
In the past.
00:54:48.86\00:54:50.30
"...declaring that they
had been there fulfilled.
00:54:50.74\00:54:52.87
These were gaining an
influence over the minds
00:54:53.14\00:54:55.63
of the inexperienced
and unsettling their faith.
00:54:55.66\00:54:59.03
Some were searching the Bible to
build up a faith of their own,
00:54:59.38\00:55:02.88
independent of the body.
00:55:03.08\00:55:04.82
Satan exulted in all
this; for he knew that those
00:55:05.02\00:55:08.40
who broke loose
from the anchor..."
00:55:08.43\00:55:10.83
See, there's our anchor again.
00:55:11.31\00:55:12.88
"...that those who
broke loose from the anchor
00:55:13.57\00:55:15.88
he could affect by
different errors and drive about
00:55:15.91\00:55:20.22
with divers winds of doctrine.
00:55:20.25\00:55:22.94
Many who had led in the
first and second messages
00:55:23.19\00:55:26.22
now denied them, and
there was division and confusion
00:55:26.25\00:55:30.67
throughout the body."
00:55:30.70\00:55:32.14
So the disappointment
led Christians to forsake
00:55:34.51\00:55:39.50
historicism, or the
historical flow method,
00:55:40.35\00:55:42.91
as the method of
interpreting Bible prophecy.
00:55:42.94\00:55:45.75
And by the way,
historicism is the only way
00:55:45.78\00:55:49.29
that we can
interpret prophecy correctly,
00:55:49.62\00:55:51.75
because it comes
internally from Scripture.
00:55:51.78\00:55:53.88
I mean, it's so simple.
00:55:54.30\00:55:55.50
Lion, Babylon;
bear, Medo-Persia;
00:55:56.65\00:55:59.44
leopard, Greece;
dragon beast, Rome.
00:55:59.47\00:56:02.49
Rome is divided
into ten kingdoms.
00:56:02.78\00:56:04.87
Then papal Rome
arises, rules from 538 to 1798.
00:56:04.90\00:56:09.87
And then when this
beast has its deadly wound,
00:56:09.90\00:56:13.96
"I saw another beast
rising from the earth
00:56:13.99\00:56:16.39
that had two horns
like a lamb, but at the end
00:56:16.42\00:56:19.32
it speaks like a dragon."
00:56:19.35\00:56:20.95
Even the United States
rises at the moment when
00:56:22.44\00:56:25.37
the first beast falls.
00:56:25.40\00:56:26.78
And so with historicism,
you know exactly where you are
00:56:27.37\00:56:31.40
in the flow of
history at any given moment.
00:56:31.43\00:56:33.86
But when you create huge gaps,
you don't know where you're at.
00:56:35.03\00:56:39.15
Because you have
no reference point.
00:56:39.69\00:56:41.16
Are you
understanding what I'm saying?
00:56:41.19\00:56:42.70
So our method is the method,
the historical flow method.
00:56:43.24\00:56:47.01
And incidentally,
there's another method called,
00:56:47.45\00:56:49.99
preterism, which is that
the prophecy of the little horn
00:56:50.02\00:56:54.21
was fulfilled with a
nasty individual called,
00:56:54.24\00:56:56.37
Antiochus Epiphanes,
in the Old Testament.
00:56:56.40\00:56:59.44
And that the beast of
Revelation 13 represents Nero.
00:56:59.77\00:57:03.65
So all of these
prophecies were fulfilled
00:57:03.93\00:57:05.94
with Antiochus Epiphanes and
with Nero in the Roman Empire.
00:57:06.15\00:57:09.90
They have no
relevance for us today.
00:57:09.93\00:57:11.81
What is the devil trying to do?
00:57:12.07\00:57:13.60
He's trying to make
Bible prophecy irrelevant.
00:57:13.63\00:57:16.39
If there ever was a
church that has a message to
00:57:16.95\00:57:19.52
share with the world, it is the
Seventh-day Adventist Church.
00:57:19.55\00:57:22.09
If there ever was a time
that we need to share the book,
00:57:22.59\00:57:25.26
The Great Controversy,
with the world, it is now.
00:57:25.29\00:57:27.75
Because that book is the
best presentation in the world
00:57:28.15\00:57:31.74
on the historicist method,
or the historical flow method,
00:57:31.80\00:57:34.88
of explaining and
interpreting Bible prophecy.
00:57:35.18\00:57:37.67
And so, folks, God has
called us to do this very thing;
00:57:38.08\00:57:42.83
to proclaim the three
angels' messages to the world.
00:57:42.86\00:57:46.22