We're glad you're at Anchor Bible school, 00:00:15.25\00:00:18.85 or School of Theology. 00:00:18.88\00:00:20.20 We are going to study some exciting things this afternoon. 00:00:20.66\00:00:24.48 But I believe that it would be a good idea for us, 00:00:25.20\00:00:27.91 it's such a solemn topic, that we should have a word of prayer 00:00:27.94\00:00:31.16 to ask the Lord to be with us. 00:00:31.64\00:00:32.87 So let's just bow our heads for a moment of prayer. 00:00:32.90\00:00:35.04 Father in heaven, as we study this momentous principle 00:00:35.52\00:00:39.21 this afternoon, principle number nine on our syllabus, 00:00:39.50\00:00:42.89 we ask, Father, for the guidance of Your Holy Spirit. 00:00:43.30\00:00:46.20 Not only in our study here, but I ask that when this series 00:00:46.58\00:00:50.20 is broadcast on television, that it might be useful 00:00:50.23\00:00:54.10 to those who are sincere of heart; 00:00:54.13\00:00:56.64 that they might be willing to hear the truth 00:00:57.08\00:00:59.98 and to receive it into the heart and into the mind. 00:01:00.01\00:01:02.78 We plead for Your presence, and we know that you will be 00:01:03.41\00:01:06.92 with us, because You have promised. 00:01:06.95\00:01:08.73 And we ask it in the precious name of Jesus, amen. 00:01:09.19\00:01:12.86 Okay, let's go in our syllabus to page 22, 00:01:14.42\00:01:17.37 and we are going to look at principle number nine. 00:01:17.85\00:01:21.63 And principle number nine states, "God's Israel today 00:01:22.26\00:01:27.35 is to be understood spiritually and globally." 00:01:27.38\00:01:31.52 In other words, Israel is no longer in the Middle East. 00:01:32.17\00:01:35.25 God's true Israel is worldwide, and it is a spiritual Israel. 00:01:35.82\00:01:41.29 Now in Bible prophecy, God's Israel is to be understood 00:01:41.98\00:01:46.62 symbolically and universally. 00:01:47.06\00:01:49.80 God has only one people in all ages; 00:01:50.51\00:01:54.06 those who receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. 00:01:54.28\00:01:58.29 However, there are two stages to this. 00:01:59.18\00:02:01.55 The Old Testament saints accepted Christ 00:02:01.58\00:02:04.51 who was promised, whereas those of us who live in this 00:02:04.96\00:02:09.22 period of history accept Christ who has fulfilled the promise. 00:02:09.25\00:02:13.38 But Christ is still the center of both periods, 00:02:13.54\00:02:17.59 both Old and New Testament. 00:02:17.62\00:02:19.78 When God chose Abraham, it was with the purpose 00:02:20.35\00:02:24.00 of bringing the blessing to all the nations of the earth. 00:02:24.03\00:02:27.61 Is that true? 00:02:27.64\00:02:28.78 Absolutely. 00:02:28.93\00:02:30.03 In Genesis chapter 12, God says, "In you all the nations 00:02:30.34\00:02:35.60 of the earth will be blessed." 00:02:35.63\00:02:37.20 It was God's plan to bless all of the nations of the earth, 00:02:37.23\00:02:40.14 not only one nation. 00:02:40.17\00:02:41.95 In order to fulfill His plan, God chose 00:02:42.48\00:02:46.28 twelve individual men, who became the founders 00:02:46.31\00:02:50.86 of national Israel. 00:02:50.89\00:02:53.07 These men then multiplied into the twelve tribes 00:02:53.57\00:02:57.87 that became the nation of Israel. 00:02:58.28\00:03:00.57 God placed Israel at the strategic center 00:03:01.24\00:03:04.64 of three continents; Europe, Asia, and Africa, 00:03:04.67\00:03:10.00 so that passers through would learn the gospel, 00:03:10.36\00:03:14.08 and go back to their nations with the light 00:03:14.18\00:03:17.32 that they had received. 00:03:17.35\00:03:19.08 The gospel was preached in literal types and ceremonies 00:03:19.42\00:03:24.86 that pointed to every aspect of the saving work of the Messiah. 00:03:24.89\00:03:30.32 But Israel failed in its mission. 00:03:30.84\00:03:33.94 Before the Babylonian captivity, they embraced the pagan 00:03:34.55\00:03:38.35 practices of the surrounding nations. 00:03:38.38\00:03:41.03 And after the captivity, they isolated themselves 00:03:41.92\00:03:45.58 from the nations. 00:03:45.61\00:03:47.32 When Israel failed to a great degree to fulfill their mission, 00:03:47.85\00:03:52.83 Jesus came anyway and spiritually fulfilled the 00:03:53.20\00:03:57.16 literal types and ceremonies of the Old Testament system. 00:03:57.19\00:04:00.74 He retraced in Himself the history of Israel 00:04:01.17\00:04:05.02 and redeemed the history of Israel. 00:04:05.22\00:04:07.54 Jesus then chose twelve Jewish men as the founders 00:04:08.22\00:04:13.64 of the Christian church, and sent them out to preach 00:04:13.67\00:04:17.55 the good news about the Messiah who had come. 00:04:17.58\00:04:21.63 By their preaching, the twelve then multiplied 00:04:22.13\00:04:25.85 into a great nation. 00:04:25.95\00:04:27.77 And the mission of that nation was to reach the entire world 00:04:28.39\00:04:32.58 with the message of Jesus in order to prepare the world 00:04:32.61\00:04:36.31 for the second coming. 00:04:36.51\00:04:38.07 So God's plan for Israel and God's plan for the church 00:04:38.32\00:04:41.83 is the same plan. 00:04:41.86\00:04:43.43 The only difference is that in the Old Testament, 00:04:43.81\00:04:46.94 the twelve men and the twelve tribes were to prepare 00:04:46.97\00:04:49.80 Israel for the first coming, whereas now the twelve men 00:04:49.83\00:04:54.40 that founded the Christian church, and all of the 00:04:54.43\00:04:56.56 nations that come from them, their role is to prepare 00:04:56.59\00:04:59.31 the world for the second coming of Christ. 00:04:59.34\00:05:01.62 But the bottom line is that both were called 00:05:01.72\00:05:04.46 to bring people to Jesus Christ. 00:05:04.49\00:05:07.03 The purpose for Israel and for the church is the same; 00:05:08.30\00:05:13.33 to preach the gospel so that the world can be saved. 00:05:13.53\00:05:17.45 Revelation 12 clearly reveals that God has only one Israel; 00:05:17.81\00:05:23.05 the woman who exists in two stages, 00:05:23.23\00:05:27.00 but nevertheless is the same woman. 00:05:27.03\00:05:30.73 Now what we want to do next is to take a look 00:05:31.71\00:05:34.53 at the material that is titled, 00:05:34.77\00:05:37.62 Three Stages of Israel's History. 00:05:37.99\00:05:41.61 Three Stages of Israel's History. 00:05:42.01\00:05:44.91 That's what we're going to dedicate the rest of this 00:05:45.01\00:05:47.86 hour to in our study. 00:05:47.89\00:05:50.18 We, of course, have to begin at Mt. Sinai. 00:05:51.25\00:05:54.39 Because at Mt. Sinai is where God contracted 00:05:55.20\00:05:58.36 a covenant with Israel. 00:05:58.39\00:06:00.40 That's where the covenant relationship officially began. 00:06:00.43\00:06:04.00 God announced to Abraham that He was going to make a 00:06:04.03\00:06:06.42 covenant, but the covenant itself was ratified at Mt. Sinai 00:06:06.45\00:06:11.16 between God and Israel. 00:06:11.19\00:06:12.47 Let's turn in our Bibles to Exodus chapter 19 00:06:12.50\00:06:15.52 and verses 1 through 6. 00:06:15.55\00:06:17.20 Exodus 19 verses 1 through 6. 00:06:17.23\00:06:20.08 It says there, "In the third month after the children 00:06:20.81\00:06:23.38 of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on the same day, 00:06:23.41\00:06:27.64 they came to the Wilderness of Sinai. 00:06:27.84\00:06:30.33 For they had departed from Rephidim, had come to the 00:06:30.70\00:06:33.99 Wilderness of Sinai, and camped in the wilderness. 00:06:34.02\00:06:37.18 So Israel camped there before the mountain. 00:06:37.39\00:06:40.05 And Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him 00:06:40.25\00:06:44.35 from the mountain, saying..." 00:06:44.38\00:06:45.83 So Moses goes up, and now God is going to deliver 00:06:46.10\00:06:48.54 a message to Moses. 00:06:48.57\00:06:50.00 Notice what God says to Moses. 00:06:50.58\00:06:52.78 "Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell 00:06:52.98\00:06:57.11 the children of Israel, 'You have seen what I did 00:06:57.14\00:07:02.55 to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings 00:07:02.58\00:07:06.86 and brought you to Myself.'" 00:07:06.89\00:07:09.78 "I took you away from Pharaoh, and now you are Mine," 00:07:09.89\00:07:13.85 is what God is saying. 00:07:13.88\00:07:15.23 Now I want you to notice something interesting. 00:07:16.24\00:07:18.00 God says, "You are Mine." 00:07:18.03\00:07:19.76 But Israel had to agree, didn't they? 00:07:19.88\00:07:22.03 And so we find in verse 5 God saying, 00:07:22.63\00:07:25.68 "Now therefore, if..." 00:07:25.79\00:07:28.75 Is this a conditional covenant? 00:07:29.38\00:07:31.22 It is a conditional covenant. 00:07:31.51\00:07:33.23 "...if you will indeed obey My voice 00:07:33.43\00:07:36.16 and keep My covenant, then..." 00:07:36.19\00:07:38.49 ...if...then... 00:07:39.11\00:07:40.45 Notice, "'...then you shall be a special treasure to Me 00:07:41.19\00:07:45.41 above all people; for all the earth is Mine. 00:07:45.44\00:07:49.29 And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' 00:07:49.39\00:07:53.44 These are the words which you shall speak 00:07:53.65\00:07:56.18 to the children of Israel." 00:07:56.21\00:07:57.34 God is saying, "Israel, I want to make a covenant with you. 00:07:57.37\00:08:01.05 I want to get married with you." 00:08:01.68\00:08:03.68 Jeremiah 31 says that God married Israel at Mt. Sinai. 00:08:03.88\00:08:07.71 God says, "I want to marry you. 00:08:08.14\00:08:10.52 I want you to be My wife." 00:08:10.55\00:08:12.43 Now the question is, how would Israel respond 00:08:13.09\00:08:16.06 to this call of God? 00:08:16.16\00:08:17.86 Exodus 19 verses 7 and 8 tells us that Moses 00:08:18.54\00:08:22.75 came down from the mountain and he delivered to Israel 00:08:22.78\00:08:25.79 the message that God had given him to give to the people. 00:08:25.82\00:08:28.91 It says there in Exodus 19:7-8, "So Moses came and called 00:08:29.10\00:08:34.38 for the elders of the people, and laid before them 00:08:34.41\00:08:37.32 all these words which the Lord commanded him. 00:08:37.35\00:08:40.37 Then all the people answered together and said, 00:08:40.70\00:08:43.92 'All that the Lord has spoken we will do.'" 00:08:43.95\00:08:49.30 Is there a covenant now? 00:08:50.09\00:08:51.46 Yes there is. 00:08:51.77\00:08:52.80 So what does Moses do? 00:08:52.83\00:08:54.47 Moses goes up to God and he says, "The people agree." 00:08:54.70\00:08:58.49 Notice the last part of verse 8. 00:08:58.99\00:09:01.05 "So Moses brought back the words of the people to the Lord." 00:09:01.08\00:09:06.77 So was a covenant made at Mt. Sinai? Yes. 00:09:07.57\00:09:10.55 God says, "I want to enter a covenant relationship with you. 00:09:10.58\00:09:13.66 Do you accept?" 00:09:13.76\00:09:15.07 And Israel says, "I do." 00:09:15.10\00:09:17.43 This was a marriage covenant between God and His people. 00:09:17.62\00:09:21.07 And then, of course, God gave His law, His moral law. 00:09:21.31\00:09:26.39 And then God gave the ceremonial system to teach Israel 00:09:26.42\00:09:30.59 about the plan of salvation. 00:09:30.62\00:09:32.45 And when the tabernacle had been built and had been established, 00:09:32.65\00:09:38.84 and had been sanctified, in Exodus chapter 40 and verse 34 00:09:39.25\00:09:44.66 we find a momentous event. 00:09:44.69\00:09:47.13 It says there in Exodus 40 verse 34, 00:09:47.26\00:09:51.15 "Then the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting, 00:09:51.18\00:09:54.59 and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle." 00:09:54.62\00:09:58.42 Do you remember that God had said, 00:09:58.45\00:10:00.01 "You shall build Me a Sanctuary that I may..." What? 00:10:00.04\00:10:03.75 "...that I might dwell among them." 00:10:03.94\00:10:05.57 Well, here's the fulfillment. 00:10:05.60\00:10:07.29 Israel made a covenant, so God says, "Now I'm going to come 00:10:07.39\00:10:10.64 and I'm going to dwell in their midst." 00:10:10.67\00:10:12.02 So the Shekinah glory entered the temple; 00:10:12.05\00:10:15.35 a symbol of God's presence with Israel. 00:10:15.38\00:10:19.13 Now after the pilgrimage through the desert, 00:10:19.92\00:10:22.09 when the people had entered the Promised Land, 00:10:22.12\00:10:25.03 a more permanent structure was built. 00:10:25.23\00:10:27.95 Solomon built the temple. 00:10:28.38\00:10:31.36 And I want you to notice... 00:10:32.16\00:10:33.24 By the way, this is happening around the year 960 BC. 00:10:33.27\00:10:37.20 And Solomon said, "God needs to have a more permanent house, 00:10:37.45\00:10:41.09 because now we are permanently settled in Canaan. 00:10:41.12\00:10:44.67 Before, we were a nomadic people wondering in the wilderness. 00:10:44.86\00:10:48.47 But now we're settled in the land, so we have to build God 00:10:48.50\00:10:51.92 a solid temple and a much nicer temple than just a tent." 00:10:51.95\00:10:56.56 And so we find that Solomon built this beautiful temple. 00:10:56.96\00:11:01.97 One of the seven wonders of the ancient world. 00:11:02.00\00:11:04.89 And then I want you to notice what happened when the 00:11:05.14\00:11:07.28 temple was finished. 00:11:07.31\00:11:08.77 1 Kings chapter 8 and verses 10 and 11. 00:11:08.80\00:11:12.02 1 Kings 8:10-11 00:11:12.05\00:11:13.94 "And it came to pass, when the priests came out of the 00:11:14.32\00:11:17.52 holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the Lord, 00:11:17.55\00:11:21.36 so that the priests could not continue ministering 00:11:21.39\00:11:24.50 because of the cloud; for the glory of the Lord 00:11:24.70\00:11:28.66 filled the house of the Lord." 00:11:28.69\00:11:31.46 Did the Shekinah enter the temple built by Solomon? 00:11:31.68\00:11:34.69 Yes. 00:11:34.91\00:11:35.94 Had the Shekinah entered the tabernacle in the wilderness? 00:11:35.97\00:11:38.88 Yes, God now says, "We are in a covenant relationship. 00:11:38.91\00:11:42.83 And I will dwell in your midst." 00:11:42.86\00:11:44.83 And so the Shekinah, the visible Shekinah glory, 00:11:44.86\00:11:47.68 dwells in the temple. 00:11:47.78\00:11:49.91 Now the question is, did Israel live up to their 00:11:51.83\00:11:55.51 end of the bargain? 00:11:55.54\00:11:57.03 No. 00:11:57.58\00:11:58.61 The next 800 years, after God chose Israel at Mt. Sinai, 00:11:58.94\00:12:05.60 was a story of constant rebellion 00:12:05.99\00:12:09.21 and disobedience to God. 00:12:09.24\00:12:11.00 In fact, we find this clearly revealed in 2 Chronicles 36 00:12:11.39\00:12:15.23 and verses 14 through 16 where, between the time when 00:12:15.43\00:12:19.94 God made His marriage covenant with Israel at Mt. Sinai 00:12:19.97\00:12:23.07 and when the Babylonian captivity took place, 00:12:23.49\00:12:26.85 Israel simply was unfaithful to her husband time and again. 00:12:27.05\00:12:32.55 And she fornicated with the surrounding nations. 00:12:32.58\00:12:35.88 It says there in 2 Chronicles 36 verse 14, 00:12:35.91\00:12:39.01 "Moreover all the leaders of the priests and the people 00:12:39.32\00:12:43.05 transgressed more and more, according to 00:12:43.08\00:12:46.44 all the abominations..." 00:12:46.47\00:12:47.94 Remember, that's a key word. 00:12:47.97\00:12:49.16 "...according to all the abominations of the nations, 00:12:49.19\00:12:52.35 and defiled the house of the Lord which He had 00:12:52.65\00:12:55.61 consecrated in Jerusalem. 00:12:55.64\00:12:57.62 And the Lord God of their fathers..." 00:12:57.93\00:12:59.52 Did God warn them and try to call them back 00:12:59.55\00:13:02.23 to their marriage covenant? Yes. 00:13:02.26\00:13:04.05 "And the Lord God of their fathers sent warnings to them 00:13:04.08\00:13:06.83 by His messengers, rising up early and sending them, 00:13:07.49\00:13:10.96 because He had compassion on His people 00:13:10.99\00:13:13.40 and on His dwelling place." 00:13:13.43\00:13:14.78 How did Israel react? 00:13:14.81\00:13:16.42 "But they mocked the messengers of God, despised His words, 00:13:16.64\00:13:20.92 and scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of the Lord 00:13:20.95\00:13:24.33 arose against His people, till there was no remedy." 00:13:24.36\00:13:28.19 Which eventually led to the Babylonian captivity. 00:13:28.22\00:13:31.39 Now notice how this apostasy is described 00:13:31.42\00:13:33.77 in Ezekiel 16 and verse 15. 00:13:33.80\00:13:35.85 Ezekiel 16 and verse 15. 00:13:35.95\00:13:38.14 God is speaking to His people, to His wife, and He says, 00:13:38.45\00:13:42.10 "But you trusted in your own beauty, played..." What? 00:13:42.13\00:13:46.66 "...the harlot because of your fame, and poured out 00:13:46.86\00:13:50.79 your harlotry on everyone passing by who would have it." 00:13:50.82\00:13:55.37 And so Israel was unfaithful to her Husband. 00:13:56.24\00:14:00.01 And so God says, "I am going to perform a work of judgment." 00:14:00.80\00:14:04.51 And this work of judgment is described 00:14:05.35\00:14:08.80 in the book of Ezekiel, particularly chapter 9. 00:14:09.10\00:14:12.81 Now in Ezekiel chapter 1 and verse 4, 00:14:13.58\00:14:16.21 we find that God is coming from the north in a chariot. 00:14:17.05\00:14:20.89 This is a symbolic vision. 00:14:20.92\00:14:22.56 And the reason He's coming to Jerusalem 00:14:22.83\00:14:25.24 is because He is going to judge Jerusalem because of 00:14:25.27\00:14:28.84 all of the abominations that they were committing 00:14:28.87\00:14:32.29 at this time. 00:14:32.50\00:14:33.86 In fact, in Ezekiel chapter 8 and verses 16 and 17, 00:14:34.25\00:14:39.51 we find the climax of all of the abominations, 00:14:39.82\00:14:43.41 which was the fact that they were worshipping the sun god. 00:14:43.44\00:14:47.92 In other words, they had assimilated all of the 00:14:48.15\00:14:50.60 pagan practices of the surrounding nations. 00:14:50.63\00:14:53.95 They were committing abominations that would 00:14:54.99\00:14:57.17 eventually lead to desolation. 00:14:57.20\00:15:00.13 Two key words in Daniel chapter 9. 00:15:00.16\00:15:02.69 Now, let's notice how Ezekiel chapter 1 and verse 4 reads. 00:15:03.27\00:15:08.79 Ezekiel says, "Then I looked, and behold, a whirlwind 00:15:09.14\00:15:11.69 was coming out of the north, a great cloud with raging fire 00:15:11.72\00:15:15.48 engulfing itself; and brightness was all around it and 00:15:15.51\00:15:19.13 radiating out of its midst like the color of amber, 00:15:19.16\00:15:22.55 out of the midst of the fire." 00:15:22.58\00:15:24.36 God is coming in His fiery chariot to Jerusalem. 00:15:24.46\00:15:27.23 He's actually coming to the temple. 00:15:27.26\00:15:28.93 And in the temple, He is going to judge Israel 00:15:29.03\00:15:31.78 for their abominations. 00:15:31.81\00:15:33.64 However, not everyone in Israel was committing the abominations. 00:15:33.86\00:15:38.06 So it was necessary to perform a work of judgment 00:15:38.39\00:15:41.30 to separate the faithful from the unfaithful. 00:15:41.50\00:15:44.28 Let's read Ezekiel chapter 9 and verses 1 through 6. 00:15:44.95\00:15:48.97 "Then He called out in my hearing with a 00:15:49.53\00:15:51.46 loud voice, saying..." 00:15:51.49\00:15:52.91 Incidentally, this is happening around the year 592 BC. 00:15:52.94\00:15:56.86 Jerusalem would be destroyed in 586. 00:15:57.11\00:15:59.77 Just 6 years later, Jerusalem would be destroyed. 00:15:59.80\00:16:03.21 So you have the abominations that led to the desolation 00:16:03.57\00:16:07.17 of Jerusalem just 6 years later. 00:16:07.20\00:16:09.46 So it says, "Then He called out in my hearing with a loud voice, 00:16:09.49\00:16:12.60 saying, 'Let those who have charge over the city draw near, 00:16:12.63\00:16:16.41 each with his deadly weapon in his hand.' 00:16:16.61\00:16:19.47 And suddenly six men came from the direction of the upper gate, 00:16:19.71\00:16:23.00 which faces north, each with his battle-ax in his hand. 00:16:23.03\00:16:26.94 One man among them was clothed with linen 00:16:27.21\00:16:30.80 and had a writer's inkhorn at his side. 00:16:30.83\00:16:33.57 They went in and stood beside the bronze altar." 00:16:33.87\00:16:36.83 That is in the court. 00:16:36.86\00:16:38.02 "Now the glory of the God of Israel had gone up 00:16:38.39\00:16:41.01 from the cherub, where it had been, 00:16:41.04\00:16:42.80 to the threshold of the temple. 00:16:42.83\00:16:44.67 And He called to the man clothed with linen, 00:16:44.90\00:16:47.08 who had the writer's inkhorn at his side; 00:16:47.11\00:16:49.27 and the Lord said to him, 'Go through the midst of the city, 00:16:49.47\00:16:52.83 through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the 00:16:53.60\00:16:58.42 foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the 00:16:58.45\00:17:02.22 abominations that are done within it.'" 00:17:02.25\00:17:04.84 So is there a group in the city who is faithful to the Lord? 00:17:05.26\00:17:09.62 Yes, and a judgment of separation needs to be made. 00:17:09.89\00:17:13.11 Because there is a group of faithful individuals 00:17:13.22\00:17:16.11 that will not be destroyed when the city is destroyed. 00:17:16.14\00:17:20.24 But now notice, after it speaks about the separation 00:17:20.53\00:17:24.65 in the temple, we are told in verse 5, 00:17:24.68\00:17:28.56 "To the others He said in my hearing, 00:17:28.59\00:17:30.92 'Go after him through the city and kill; 00:17:31.08\00:17:35.39 do not let your eye spare, nor have any pity. 00:17:35.77\00:17:40.45 Utterly slay old and young men, maidens and little children 00:17:40.82\00:17:45.30 and women; but do not come near anyone on whom is the mark; 00:17:45.33\00:17:49.65 and begin at My sanctuary.' 00:17:49.68\00:17:52.11 So they began with the elders who were before the temple." 00:17:52.14\00:17:55.95 So was there a judgment of separation? 00:17:56.44\00:17:58.74 Did the Shekinah glory come to the temple 00:17:58.77\00:18:01.13 for the work of judgment? 00:18:01.23\00:18:02.81 It most certainly did. Before the destruction came. 00:18:02.84\00:18:05.90 Now I want you to notice that when this judgment 00:18:07.03\00:18:09.48 comes to an end, after the Lord, the Shekinah glory, 00:18:09.51\00:18:12.63 comes to the temple to perform this work of judgment, 00:18:12.66\00:18:15.70 this work of separation, then the Shekinah glory 00:18:15.73\00:18:20.99 departs the temple. 00:18:21.60\00:18:23.81 I want you to remember these details. 00:18:24.94\00:18:26.37 We're going to come back to them again 00:18:26.40\00:18:28.79 with regards to the destruction of Jerusalem 00:18:28.89\00:18:30.97 for the second time in the year 70. 00:18:31.00\00:18:33.51 Notice what we find in Ezekiel 10 and verse 19. 00:18:33.79\00:18:37.29 "And the cherubim lifted their wings..." 00:18:38.28\00:18:40.74 This is the same chariot that came to the temple 00:18:41.00\00:18:43.39 for the work of judgment. 00:18:43.42\00:18:44.84 "And the cherubim lifted their wings and mounted up 00:18:44.94\00:18:47.83 from the earth in my sight. 00:18:47.86\00:18:49.48 When they went out, the wheels were beside them; 00:18:49.73\00:18:53.15 and they stood at the door of the east gate 00:18:53.48\00:18:56.59 of the Lord's house..." 00:18:56.62\00:18:57.70 That's the entrance to the Lord's house, by the way. 00:18:57.73\00:18:59.92 "...and the glory of the God of Israel was above them." 00:19:00.10\00:19:03.56 At this point, is the glory of the Lord 00:19:03.59\00:19:05.26 still present at the temple? 00:19:05.29\00:19:07.26 It's on the eastern edge of the temple. 00:19:07.42\00:19:09.75 But then something happens. 00:19:09.85\00:19:11.54 The glory departs the temple. 00:19:11.85\00:19:14.20 And for a lingering period of time, it sits upon the 00:19:14.82\00:19:20.15 Mount of Olives east of the city of Jerusalem. 00:19:20.18\00:19:23.36 Notice Ezekiel chapter 11 verses 22 and 23. 00:19:23.68\00:19:27.46 It says, "So the cherubim lifted up their wings, 00:19:27.79\00:19:31.29 with the wheels beside them, and the glory of the 00:19:31.49\00:19:34.60 God of Israel was high above them. 00:19:34.63\00:19:36.48 And the glory of the Lord went up from the midst of the city 00:19:36.68\00:19:41.67 and stood on the mountain, which is on the 00:19:41.77\00:19:45.28 east side of the city." 00:19:45.31\00:19:47.02 Which mountain is on the east side of the city of Jerusalem? 00:19:47.05\00:19:50.42 It is the Mount of Olives. 00:19:50.62\00:19:52.77 And so the glorious presence of the Lord 00:19:53.18\00:19:56.31 that has gone into the temple and performed a work of 00:19:56.34\00:19:59.36 separation or judgment now leaves the temple 00:19:59.39\00:20:02.89 and lingers on the Mount of Olives. 00:20:02.99\00:20:05.12 And Ellen White says that after lingering for a period, 00:20:05.15\00:20:08.51 the Shekinah departed and went to heaven. 00:20:08.75\00:20:11.90 The city was now desolate, 00:20:12.03\00:20:15.08 because the presence of God was no longer there. 00:20:15.84\00:20:19.66 And I want you to notice what happened as a result. 00:20:20.87\00:20:23.39 2 Chronicles 36 and verses 17 to 21. 00:20:23.82\00:20:28.01 2 Chronicles 36:17-21 00:20:28.30\00:20:31.17 It says, "Therefore God brought against them the 00:20:31.42\00:20:34.65 king of the Chaldeans, who killed their..." 00:20:34.68\00:20:37.28 Remember what Ezekiel chapter 9 said? 00:20:37.31\00:20:39.63 This is the fulfillment. 00:20:40.15\00:20:41.43 "...who killed their young men with the sword in the house of 00:20:41.85\00:20:44.69 their sanctuary, and had no compassion on young man 00:20:44.72\00:20:48.76 or virgin, on the aged or the weak; 00:20:48.79\00:20:51.88 He gave them all into his hand. 00:20:52.13\00:20:54.62 And all the articles from the house of God, great and small, 00:20:55.01\00:20:57.69 the treasures of the house of the Lord, 00:20:57.72\00:20:59.83 and the treasures of the king and of his leaders, 00:20:59.86\00:21:02.33 all these he took to Babylon. 00:21:02.49\00:21:04.38 Then they burned the house of God, broke down the 00:21:04.58\00:21:07.20 wall of Jerusalem, burned all its palaces with fire, 00:21:07.23\00:21:10.24 and destroyed all of its precious possessions. 00:21:10.27\00:21:13.07 And those who escaped from the sword he carried away 00:21:13.17\00:21:15.85 to Babylon, where they became servants to him and his sons..." 00:21:15.88\00:21:19.86 Now was the end of the Jewish theocracy? 00:21:20.23\00:21:23.28 No it wasn't? 00:21:23.74\00:21:25.02 Notice that this passage ends with hope. 00:21:25.78\00:21:29.70 Israel was going to receive another chance. 00:21:30.45\00:21:33.54 So let's notice verse 20 again. 00:21:34.80\00:21:37.18 "And those who escaped from the sword he carried away 00:21:37.21\00:21:40.05 to Babylon, where they became servants of him and his sons... 00:21:40.08\00:21:44.32 ...to fulfill the word of the Lord by the prophet Jeremiah, 00:21:44.64\00:21:48.14 until the land had enjoyed her Sabbaths. 00:21:48.17\00:21:51.05 As long as she lay desolate she kept Sabbath, 00:21:51.08\00:21:54.32 to fulfill..." How long? 00:21:54.35\00:21:56.23 "...to fulfill seventy years." 00:21:56.43\00:21:59.62 This is happening... 00:22:00.90\00:22:01.97 By the way, the captivity lasts from 605 to the year, 00:22:02.00\00:22:08.15 let's see, 605 to 536 when the people returned to their land. 00:22:09.46\00:22:14.24 Now God, in other words, gave Israel 00:22:14.49\00:22:17.25 a second chance, didn't He? 00:22:17.28\00:22:18.80 This was not the final end. 00:22:19.06\00:22:20.39 God said, "You're going to spend 70 years captive in Babylon. 00:22:20.42\00:22:24.68 And then after the captivity, I'm going to take you back 00:22:24.88\00:22:28.41 to your land, and I'm going to give you another chance. 00:22:28.51\00:22:31.90 Notice 2 Chronicles 36 verses 22 and 23. 00:22:32.18\00:22:35.78 It says there, "Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia..." 00:22:36.20\00:22:40.02 That's 536, by the way, BC. 00:22:40.44\00:22:42.73 That's when the 70 years ended. 00:22:42.76\00:22:44.45 "...that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah 00:22:44.72\00:22:47.14 might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of 00:22:47.17\00:22:50.49 Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation 00:22:50.52\00:22:53.94 throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying, 00:22:53.97\00:22:57.77 'Thus says Cyrus king of Persia...'" 00:22:58.00\00:23:00.43 Now this is very interesting from a pagan king. 00:23:00.82\00:23:04.57 He says, "All the kingdoms of the earth the Lord God 00:23:05.38\00:23:08.20 of heaven has given me. 00:23:08.23\00:23:09.56 And He has commanded me to build Him a house 00:23:09.99\00:23:13.64 at Jerusalem which is in Judah. 00:23:13.67\00:23:16.11 Who is among you of all His people? 00:23:16.47\00:23:18.71 May the Lord his God be with him, and let him go up." 00:23:18.74\00:23:24.06 Interesting that a pagan king would say that. 00:23:24.56\00:23:27.83 And so Israel returned. 00:23:28.34\00:23:30.31 In 536 they started, they laid the foundations to the temple. 00:23:30.97\00:23:34.88 But then they had so much opposition that they quit 00:23:35.13\00:23:37.85 building the temple. 00:23:37.88\00:23:38.91 And it remained desolate from the year 536 all the way down 00:23:38.94\00:23:43.39 to the year 520. 00:23:43.42\00:23:44.45 And then in 520, Haggai, Zerubbabel, and Zechariah, 00:23:44.48\00:23:49.67 and others, encouraged the people to once again 00:23:49.70\00:23:52.91 come to the temple to start the rebuilding of the temple again. 00:23:52.94\00:23:56.71 And through the help of the prophets, they rebuilt the 00:23:56.98\00:24:00.02 temple in only five years between 520 and 515. 00:24:00.05\00:24:03.87 In 515 the temple was finished. 00:24:03.90\00:24:06.79 Notice Haggai chapter 2 and verses 2 and 3. 00:24:06.82\00:24:10.24 "Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, 00:24:10.77\00:24:14.97 governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, 00:24:15.25\00:24:20.02 the high priest, and to the remnant of the people, saying, 00:24:20.05\00:24:23.37 'Who is left among you who saw this temple in its former glory? 00:24:23.77\00:24:28.28 And how do you see it now? 00:24:28.53\00:24:30.60 In comparison with it, is this not in your eyes as nothing? '" 00:24:30.63\00:24:35.69 You see, they built the temple after the captivity, 00:24:36.62\00:24:39.26 it wasn't even the shadow of what the temple 00:24:39.46\00:24:42.50 built by Solomon was. 00:24:42.53\00:24:44.10 There was no Shekinah in that temple. 00:24:44.60\00:24:47.07 There was no gold and silver. 00:24:47.47\00:24:49.47 It was an ordinary temple compared to the one that 00:24:49.50\00:24:53.00 had been built by Solomon. 00:24:53.03\00:24:55.50 And so Haggai here is saying, "You know, didn't you see the 00:24:56.15\00:24:59.75 temple in its former glory, Solomon's temple?" 00:24:59.78\00:25:02.70 He says, "Isn't this temple nothing in comparison?" 00:25:02.73\00:25:06.09 But now I want you to notice a promise 00:25:06.60\00:25:08.67 that the Jews have never been able to explain. 00:25:08.77\00:25:11.29 Haggai chapter 2 and verses 6 through 9. 00:25:11.93\00:25:15.06 Now comes the promise. 00:25:15.60\00:25:17.15 "For thus says the Lord of hosts, 'Once more, 00:25:17.46\00:25:21.00 it is a little while, I will shake heaven and earth, 00:25:21.26\00:25:24.91 the sea and dry land; and I will shake all nations, and...'" 00:25:24.94\00:25:29.82 What will come? 00:25:31.05\00:25:32.28 "...they shall come to the Desire of All Nations..." 00:25:33.33\00:25:38.32 You know, another way of translating it is, 00:25:40.20\00:25:42.04 the Desire of Ages. 00:25:42.08\00:25:43.93 "...the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill 00:25:44.86\00:25:48.31 this temple with glory." 00:25:48.34\00:25:50.82 Well you know what, that temple was destroyed 00:25:51.48\00:25:53.10 in the year 70 and it never was even the shadow 00:25:53.13\00:25:55.55 of the temple that was built by Solomon. 00:25:55.58\00:25:57.29 So the Jews today are still trying to explain 00:25:57.77\00:26:00.27 how this second temple was going to have 00:26:00.82\00:26:03.42 more glory than the first. 00:26:03.45\00:26:04.48 Let's continue reading. 00:26:04.51\00:26:05.62 It says in verse 8, "'The silver is Mine, 00:26:05.96\00:26:08.61 and the gold is Mine,' says the Lord of hosts. 00:26:08.64\00:26:11.20 'The glory of this latter temple shall be greater 00:26:11.35\00:26:15.25 than the former,' says the Lord of hosts. 00:26:15.28\00:26:17.47 'And in this place I will give peace,' says the Lord of hosts." 00:26:17.50\00:26:22.51 Wow. 00:26:22.98\00:26:24.01 This temple, which was nothing compared to the 00:26:24.63\00:26:27.35 temple that was built by Solomon, 00:26:27.38\00:26:28.88 the Lord says, "This latter temple will be of greater 00:26:29.54\00:26:33.09 glory than the first temple, the temple that was 00:26:33.12\00:26:37.28 built by Solomon." 00:26:37.31\00:26:38.54 So God gave Israel an additional 70 weeks 00:26:39.09\00:26:43.90 of mercy and grace. 00:26:44.37\00:26:46.56 He sent them abundant messengers. 00:26:47.00\00:26:49.30 He had sent messengers before the captivity. 00:26:49.33\00:26:51.85 Now He sends more messengers. 00:26:51.88\00:26:54.04 He sends them Haggai, Zechariah, Joshua the high priest, 00:26:54.07\00:26:58.62 Zerubbabel, Ezra, Nehemiah, Malachi. 00:26:58.65\00:27:02.18 And finally John the Baptist, the twelve, the seventy. 00:27:02.21\00:27:05.84 Yet when Jesus came, they were oblivious to His mission. 00:27:07.20\00:27:12.09 They did not really understand why they existed. 00:27:12.56\00:27:15.41 And so they rejected the Messiah. 00:27:16.21\00:27:19.07 So we've studied two stages of the history of Israel. 00:27:20.00\00:27:22.67 The first stage is between the year 1445 at Mt. Sinai 00:27:23.10\00:27:27.23 and the year of the captivity, 605 BC. 00:27:27.44\00:27:31.57 The second stage is after the captivity in the year 536. 00:27:32.54\00:27:38.25 They go back, they rebuild. 00:27:38.28\00:27:39.63 And then after they've rebuilt the city, the walls, the temple, 00:27:39.66\00:27:43.17 God says, "I'm going to give you another chance. 00:27:43.27\00:27:45.55 I'm going to give you 70 weeks, 490 years more." 00:27:45.58\00:27:50.14 And that's the prophecy that we find in Daniel chapter 9. 00:27:50.84\00:27:53.55 And He says, "This temple which is far inferior in your eyes 00:27:54.02\00:27:58.30 to the temple that was built by Solomon is going to be 00:27:58.33\00:28:01.21 more glorious than that temple." 00:28:01.24\00:28:04.08 Now how are we to understand that? 00:28:05.07\00:28:06.78 Go with me to John chapter 1 and verse 14. 00:28:07.96\00:28:10.32 Here comes stage three of the history of Israel. 00:28:10.35\00:28:12.64 The first stage is Sinai to the captivity. 00:28:12.67\00:28:15.37 The second stage is after the captivity to the 00:28:15.40\00:28:18.02 time that Jesus comes. 00:28:18.05\00:28:19.59 It says in John 1 verse 14, 00:28:19.75\00:28:22.24 "And the Word became..." What? 00:28:22.27\00:28:24.90 "...flesh, and dwelt..." 00:28:25.09\00:28:26.84 That word, "dwelt," is "skénoó," which means, "tabernacled." 00:28:26.87\00:28:31.32 "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us..." 00:28:32.01\00:28:35.49 Doesn't this bring to mind the book of 00:28:35.64\00:28:38.89 Exodus chapter 25 and verse 8 where God said, 00:28:38.92\00:28:41.81 "Make me a Sanctuary and I will dwell among them." 00:28:41.84\00:28:44.78 Interesting. 00:28:45.21\00:28:46.26 Three common words are used on Exodus 25:8 00:28:46.80\00:28:50.39 and John 1 verse 14. 00:28:50.42\00:28:52.84 The word, "tent" or "tabernacle;" 00:28:52.87\00:28:55.06 second, the word, "dwell;" and third, the word, "among." 00:28:55.09\00:28:59.06 In other words, Jesus was the glory that came to be 00:28:59.09\00:29:03.59 in the temple. 00:29:03.62\00:29:04.72 Now the Jews love to brag about Solomon's temple. 00:29:05.80\00:29:10.12 But it's interesting to see what Jesus said. 00:29:11.18\00:29:13.59 Luke chapter 12 verses 27 and 28. 00:29:13.84\00:29:16.70 Jesus says, "Consider the lilies, how they grow; 00:29:17.35\00:29:20.93 they neither toil nor spin. 00:29:21.35\00:29:23.29 And yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory 00:29:23.64\00:29:28.56 was not arrayed like one of these." 00:29:28.59\00:29:30.69 Now when you look at the parallel passage to this one, 00:29:31.16\00:29:34.28 Matthew chapter 12 and verse 42, you find that Jesus says 00:29:34.55\00:29:40.66 about Himself, it adds to what we found in the gospel of Luke, 00:29:40.69\00:29:45.14 "One greater than Solomon is here." 00:29:45.17\00:29:49.61 So who is that greater glory that was going to 00:29:50.51\00:29:53.23 come into the temple? 00:29:53.26\00:29:54.43 It was none other than Jesus Christ Himself. 00:29:54.46\00:29:58.33 Did Jesus, several times during His ministry, 00:29:59.15\00:30:01.85 teach in the temple courts? 00:30:01.88\00:30:04.09 Yes He did. 00:30:04.19\00:30:05.46 Was He opposed by the religious leaders in those temple courts? 00:30:05.64\00:30:09.69 He most certainly was. 00:30:09.89\00:30:11.65 The Shekinah that came to dwell in that second temple 00:30:12.10\00:30:16.07 was none less than Jesus Christ. 00:30:16.10\00:30:19.27 We saw His glory, the glory as the only begotten of the Father, 00:30:19.30\00:30:24.01 full of grace and truth. 00:30:24.04\00:30:26.34 He fulfilled the prophecy of Haggai. 00:30:26.56\00:30:29.66 The temple was more glorious because Jesus Himself, 00:30:29.69\00:30:33.25 the Shekinah, came to dwell in the temple. 00:30:33.28\00:30:36.30 Towards the end of His life, Jesus, according to 00:30:37.76\00:30:41.40 Luke 19:37-38, descended the Mount of Olives 00:30:41.43\00:30:46.22 for the last time before His death. 00:30:47.05\00:30:49.34 Let's read about it. 00:30:50.02\00:30:51.30 He's actually advancing for the Mount of Olives 00:30:51.90\00:30:54.05 to the golden gate, which is on the eastern side of Jerusalem, 00:30:54.08\00:30:57.14 to go through the golden gate into the city, 00:30:57.17\00:30:59.77 and then into the temple. 00:30:59.80\00:31:00.88 It says, "Then, as He was now drawing near the descent 00:31:00.98\00:31:05.05 of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples 00:31:05.08\00:31:09.17 began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice 00:31:09.20\00:31:12.29 for all His mighty works they had seen, saying, 00:31:12.39\00:31:15.45 'Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord. 00:31:15.48\00:31:19.45 Peace in heaven and glory in the highest.'" 00:31:19.55\00:31:23.49 In verses 47 and 48, we're told that Jesus entered the temple. 00:31:24.69\00:31:30.30 He was the Shekinah in the temple. 00:31:31.02\00:31:33.15 And I want you to notice the response of the 00:31:33.71\00:31:37.50 religious leaders to this glorious Shekinah in the temple. 00:31:37.53\00:31:41.56 It says there in verses 47 and 48, 00:31:42.06\00:31:44.63 "And He was teaching daily in the temple. 00:31:44.99\00:31:47.47 But the chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders 00:31:47.79\00:31:51.27 of the people sought to..." What? 00:31:51.30\00:31:53.12 "...sought to destroy Him, and were unable to do anything; 00:31:53.22\00:31:57.13 for all the people were very attentive to hear Him." 00:31:57.16\00:32:00.21 In fact, do you know that many times during this last week 00:32:00.24\00:32:05.35 of the life of Jesus, Jesus went into the temple 00:32:05.38\00:32:07.90 and taught in the temple, and discussed and answered 00:32:07.93\00:32:11.19 questions that people asked, and debated with 00:32:11.22\00:32:13.78 the religious leaders. 00:32:13.81\00:32:15.12 He was in the temple all the time during this last week. 00:32:15.25\00:32:18.07 He was the Shekinah in the temple. 00:32:18.10\00:32:20.55 Let's notice the last time that Jesus entered the temple. 00:32:22.19\00:32:24.94 Matthew 21 verses 12 and 13. 00:32:24.97\00:32:27.45 There's some very important details here that we need to 00:32:27.48\00:32:30.80 take into account. 00:32:30.83\00:32:32.00 It says there, "Then Jesus went into..." What? 00:32:32.37\00:32:37.67 "...the temple of God..." 00:32:38.35\00:32:39.73 At this point, was the temple still the temple of God? 00:32:39.76\00:32:42.67 Yes it was. 00:32:43.07\00:32:44.28 It says, "Then Jesus went into the temple of God..." 00:32:44.86\00:32:48.13 Is He going to do a work of separation now? 00:32:48.46\00:32:50.78 Oh, this is a work of judgment. Absolutely. 00:32:50.81\00:32:53.48 "...and drove out..." He's cleansing the temple. 00:32:53.58\00:32:55.68 He's cleansing the Sanctuary, if you please. 00:32:55.71\00:32:58.73 "...and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, 00:32:58.97\00:33:02.27 and overturned the tables of the money changers 00:33:02.30\00:33:04.80 and the seats of those who sold doves. 00:33:04.83\00:33:07.16 And He said to them, 'It is written, "My house..."'" 00:33:07.19\00:33:11.10 Was that His house at that point of time? 00:33:11.13\00:33:13.62 You better believe it. 00:33:13.72\00:33:14.80 He went into, according to this, the temple of God 00:33:15.34\00:33:18.92 and He called it, "My house." 00:33:18.95\00:33:20.62 He says, "It is written, 'My house shall be called 00:33:20.69\00:33:23.70 a house of prayer,' but you have made it a 'den of thieves.'" 00:33:23.73\00:33:27.89 And in the next three chapters, Jesus the Shekinah, 00:33:28.94\00:33:33.02 teaches in the temple in person. 00:33:33.61\00:33:37.06 And His main theme in those three chapters 00:33:38.19\00:33:41.28 is discussing the apostasy and rebellion of Israel... 00:33:41.56\00:33:45.34 Interesting. 00:33:46.37\00:33:47.63 ...and what the result would be. 00:33:48.46\00:33:50.31 He actually gave a series of parables. 00:33:50.96\00:33:53.83 Now I'm not going to mention the parable of the fig tree, 00:33:54.12\00:33:57.58 because that's going to be our next study. 00:33:57.61\00:33:59.32 So we're going to skip from where it says, 00:33:59.35\00:34:02.30 "John the Baptist," all the way down to where you find 00:34:02.33\00:34:07.86 Matthew 21 verses 18 and 19. 00:34:09.07\00:34:11.40 We'll come back to that again. 00:34:11.43\00:34:12.91 Let's go down to where it says, Matthew 21 verses 33 to 43. 00:34:12.94\00:34:17.16 How many chances did God give Israel? 00:34:17.19\00:34:19.44 Three. 00:34:20.07\00:34:21.17 The first is before the captivity. 00:34:21.48\00:34:23.50 The second is all of the messengers that He sent 00:34:24.15\00:34:26.36 after the captivity. 00:34:26.39\00:34:27.58 The third is when Jesus Christ Himself comes. 00:34:27.61\00:34:31.29 That is the last resort. 00:34:31.94\00:34:33.28 And you're going to see it in this parable. 00:34:33.31\00:34:35.04 Notice the parable of the vineyard that Jesus gave. 00:34:35.48\00:34:38.40 It's found in Matthew chapter 21 and verses 33 to 43. 00:34:38.96\00:34:46.01 Jesus says, "Hear another parable. 00:34:46.68\00:34:49.53 There was a certain landowner..." 00:34:50.05\00:34:51.75 I'm going to interpret for you. 00:34:52.29\00:34:53.38 This is God the Father. 00:34:53.41\00:34:54.72 "...who planted a vineyard..." 00:34:54.97\00:34:56.70 The vineyard is the city of Jerusalem. 00:34:57.04\00:34:59.19 "...and set a hedge around it..." 00:34:59.39\00:35:01.66 This is the law. 00:35:02.06\00:35:03.35 "...dug a winepress in it and built a tower." 00:35:03.75\00:35:06.64 Which is the temple. 00:35:06.67\00:35:07.87 Ellen White gives all of this interpretation 00:35:08.08\00:35:10.18 of the terminology that is used. 00:35:10.28\00:35:12.86 "And he leased it to vinedressers..." 00:35:12.89\00:35:15.10 Who would the vinedressers be? 00:35:15.43\00:35:17.04 Israel. 00:35:17.22\00:35:18.25 "...and went into a far country. 00:35:18.28\00:35:20.24 Now when vintage time drew near, he sent his servants..." 00:35:20.90\00:35:24.86 This is the first chance that they get. 00:35:25.90\00:35:29.13 "...he sent his servants to the vinedressers, 00:35:29.68\00:35:32.80 that they might receive its fruit. 00:35:32.83\00:35:34.30 And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, 00:35:34.79\00:35:37.75 killed one, and stoned another." 00:35:37.85\00:35:40.31 That's before the captivity. That's stage one. 00:35:41.61\00:35:43.99 "Again..." What does again mean? 00:35:44.94\00:35:47.06 This is a second chance. 00:35:47.77\00:35:49.36 "Again he sent other servants..." 00:35:49.39\00:35:51.58 And by the way, this is Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, 00:35:51.78\00:35:54.94 John the Baptist, etc. 00:35:54.97\00:35:56.22 "...more than the first, and they did likewise to them." 00:35:56.47\00:36:00.06 That's the second chance, right? 00:36:01.09\00:36:02.49 And now notice, "Then last of all he sent his son..." 00:36:02.98\00:36:08.00 Are you catching the picture? 00:36:09.24\00:36:10.55 The third stage is he sends his very own son. 00:36:11.57\00:36:15.76 And he says, "'They will respect my son.' 00:36:18.14\00:36:21.85 But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said 00:36:22.64\00:36:24.78 among themselves, 'This is the heir. 00:36:24.81\00:36:26.98 Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.' 00:36:27.73\00:36:31.36 So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard..." 00:36:31.96\00:36:35.01 Was Jesus cast out of Jerusalem? 00:36:35.66\00:36:37.22 Did He die out of Jerusalem? 00:36:37.25\00:36:38.83 He most certainly did. 00:36:38.87\00:36:39.90 "They cast him out of the vineyard and killed him." 00:36:39.93\00:36:44.30 And now Jesus asked the question, 00:36:47.00\00:36:48.84 "Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, 00:36:49.06\00:36:51.45 what will he do to those vinedressers?" 00:36:51.48\00:36:54.42 They still haven't caught onto what Jesus is teaching here. 00:36:55.03\00:36:58.32 "Oh they said to Him, 'He will destroy those wicked men 00:36:59.29\00:37:02.65 miserably, and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers 00:37:02.68\00:37:07.61 who will render to him the fruits in their seasons.'" 00:37:07.64\00:37:11.11 Now Jesus is going to make His point. 00:37:12.72\00:37:14.71 "Jesus said to them, 'Have you never read in the Scriptures, 00:37:15.17\00:37:19.43 "The stone which the builders rejected has become 00:37:19.81\00:37:23.46 the chief cornerstone. 00:37:23.49\00:37:24.97 This was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes."'" 00:37:25.22\00:37:29.40 And then He makes a prediction. 00:37:29.55\00:37:31.27 This is a future prediction. 00:37:31.67\00:37:33.57 The tense of the verb is future. 00:37:33.60\00:37:35.33 "Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God..." What? 00:37:35.43\00:37:39.65 "...will be taken from you and given to a nation 00:37:39.68\00:37:45.30 bearing the fruits thereof." 00:37:45.40\00:37:46.72 The word, "nation," there is the word, "ethne." 00:37:46.75\00:37:50.12 It's the very same word that is translated, "Gentiles," 00:37:50.33\00:37:53.37 in the book of Acts. 00:37:53.40\00:37:54.70 Unfortunately it's translated, "nations." 00:37:55.81\00:37:57.63 You get the impression that this is some nation 00:37:57.66\00:38:00.27 that God is going to choose like the Jewish nation. 00:38:00.30\00:38:02.68 No, this is referring to the Gentiles. 00:38:02.71\00:38:05.31 The word, "nation," is "ethne." 00:38:05.34\00:38:07.53 And by the way, in the New Testament there are 00:38:07.63\00:38:09.20 two key words for, "people." 00:38:09.23\00:38:11.11 One is the word, "laos," where the word Laodicea comes from. 00:38:11.14\00:38:18.02 And that is the word that is used mostly 00:38:18.12\00:38:20.65 for God's faithful people. 00:38:20.68\00:38:22.39 Laos. 00:38:22.56\00:38:23.74 But when it speaks about the Gentiles, 00:38:24.24\00:38:26.58 those who are outside the covenant community 00:38:26.81\00:38:29.23 of Israel, those are called, "ethne." 00:38:29.26\00:38:33.42 And so Jesus is saying here that the kingdom would be taken away 00:38:33.52\00:38:37.57 from the Jewish nation as a nation and would be given 00:38:37.60\00:38:41.08 to a people, would be given to the Gentiles, 00:38:41.11\00:38:43.98 who would bear the fruits thereof. 00:38:44.01\00:38:46.29 Incidentally, do you know that there's a parable of Jesus, 00:38:46.46\00:38:49.74 the parable of the man who went into the party, 00:38:49.77\00:38:55.18 the wedding party, without a garment. 00:38:55.21\00:38:57.57 Do you remember that? 00:38:57.60\00:38:58.63 He went to the supper without the garment on. 00:38:59.10\00:39:01.49 You know, there you have also the same message. 00:39:02.02\00:39:04.99 You have messengers that are sent out. 00:39:05.69\00:39:07.82 They reject the message. 00:39:08.37\00:39:09.75 Then the fatted calf is killed. 00:39:10.24\00:39:12.78 That represents the death of Christ. 00:39:12.81\00:39:14.45 And then other messengers are sent. 00:39:15.04\00:39:17.69 And they treat them likewise. 00:39:18.33\00:39:20.49 And then the king is filled with anger, 00:39:20.69\00:39:25.19 and he burns their city. 00:39:25.39\00:39:26.71 Which is what? 00:39:26.90\00:39:27.93 The destruction of the city of Jerusalem. 00:39:27.96\00:39:30.69 Now notice Matthew 23 and verses 29 to 33. 00:39:31.12\00:39:35.00 Here Jesus says, "Woe to you, scribes and 00:39:36.13\00:39:38.29 Pharisees, hypocrites! 00:39:38.32\00:39:39.82 Because you build the tombs of the prophets 00:39:40.13\00:39:42.56 and adorn the monuments of the righteous, and say, 00:39:42.59\00:39:45.76 'If we had lived in the days of our fathers, 00:39:45.79\00:39:48.06 we would not have been partakers with them 00:39:48.09\00:39:50.08 in the blood of the prophets.' 00:39:50.11\00:39:51.73 Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves 00:39:52.18\00:39:54.84 that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. 00:39:54.87\00:39:58.05 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers' guilt." 00:39:58.27\00:40:01.46 Notice that the measure is being what? 00:40:02.28\00:40:04.23 The cup is being filled up. 00:40:04.26\00:40:05.43 When the cup is full, that's it. 00:40:05.46\00:40:08.39 Remember, the cup of the Amorites is not yet full? 00:40:09.07\00:40:12.51 In other words, their probation had not closed. 00:40:12.94\00:40:15.36 So Jesus is saying, "The cup is filling up." 00:40:15.39\00:40:17.56 And then He says to them, "Serpents, brood of vipers! 00:40:18.27\00:40:22.62 How can you escape the condemnation of hell?" 00:40:22.65\00:40:25.73 But now I want you to notice something. 00:40:25.76\00:40:27.23 Even then probation did not close for the Jews. 00:40:27.26\00:40:30.02 Even after Jesus was crucified, probation did not close 00:40:31.54\00:40:35.02 for the Jewish nation. 00:40:35.05\00:40:36.08 Jesus says, "The cup is almost full." 00:40:36.11\00:40:38.07 Jesus gave them three and a half additional years. 00:40:38.75\00:40:42.05 And you say, "How do we know that?" 00:40:42.08\00:40:43.25 From Scripture. 00:40:43.28\00:40:44.39 Notice Matthew 23:34-36. 00:40:44.71\00:40:47.59 And notice the tense of the verbs. 00:40:47.99\00:40:49.97 Jesus is saying, this is just a few days before His death, 00:40:50.84\00:40:53.77 He says, "Therefore, indeed, I send you..." 00:40:54.07\00:40:58.06 And it's really a future tense. 00:40:58.09\00:40:59.59 "...I send you wise men, scribes. 00:40:59.62\00:41:02.27 Some of them you will kill and crucify, 00:41:02.76\00:41:06.45 and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues 00:41:06.48\00:41:10.25 and persecute from city to city..." 00:41:10.28\00:41:13.16 Let me ask you, who were the prophets that were sent to them? 00:41:13.37\00:41:16.23 Do you know who the last prophet of Israel was? 00:41:16.26\00:41:18.61 Stephen. 00:41:18.64\00:41:19.75 He was the last to receive a prophetic vision; 00:41:20.59\00:41:23.08 of Jesus at the right hand of God. 00:41:23.59\00:41:26.06 Who were the wise men? 00:41:26.70\00:41:27.98 The seven deacons were men full of wisdom. 00:41:28.57\00:41:31.06 Let me ask you, who was beaten, according to this, 00:41:32.08\00:41:35.20 who was beaten in the synagogues, 00:41:35.23\00:41:37.34 scourged in the synagogues? 00:41:37.37\00:41:39.19 How about Peter and John, for starters, 00:41:40.21\00:41:42.91 at the beginning of the book of Acts. 00:41:42.94\00:41:44.91 Who persecuted from city to city? 00:41:45.50\00:41:47.82 Saul of Tarsus. 00:41:48.66\00:41:50.30 So Jesus is saying, "I'm still going to send more messengers 00:41:50.68\00:41:53.82 after I die on the cross." 00:41:54.35\00:41:56.74 But then notice what Jesus says. 00:41:57.28\00:41:59.16 "Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes. 00:41:59.26\00:42:02.08 Some of them you will kill and crucify, 00:42:02.11\00:42:03.92 and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues 00:42:03.95\00:42:05.97 and persecute from city to city, that on you may come 00:42:06.00\00:42:10.92 all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of 00:42:10.95\00:42:14.87 righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, 00:42:14.90\00:42:17.14 son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the 00:42:17.17\00:42:19.67 temple and the altar. 00:42:19.70\00:42:20.78 Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come 00:42:20.81\00:42:24.21 upon this generation." 00:42:24.24\00:42:25.97 So did the punishment come right away? 00:42:27.01\00:42:28.56 Did probation close right away when Jesus was crucified? 00:42:28.59\00:42:31.42 Absolutely not. 00:42:31.45\00:42:32.48 He's saying, "I'm going to send you more messengers. 00:42:32.51\00:42:34.41 But you're going to do the same thing to them." 00:42:35.16\00:42:37.45 And then here comes the interesting part. 00:42:38.11\00:42:40.60 Then Jesus departs the temple. 00:42:41.06\00:42:46.27 I want you to notice what we find in Matthew chapter 23 00:42:47.19\00:42:54.43 and verses 37 and 38. 00:42:54.46\00:42:57.03 This is the culmination of the speech of Jesus in the temple. 00:42:57.85\00:43:00.90 After this, He will no longer enter the temple. 00:43:01.14\00:43:03.36 He says, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem..." 00:43:04.07\00:43:06.20 Was He speaking about the city or was He speaking about 00:43:06.39\00:43:08.53 the apostate people in the city? 00:43:08.56\00:43:10.20 The people. 00:43:10.37\00:43:11.40 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the 00:43:11.43\00:43:14.64 prophets and stones those who are sent to her. 00:43:14.67\00:43:18.38 How often I wanted to gather your children together, 00:43:18.66\00:43:21.70 as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, 00:43:22.69\00:43:26.70 but you were not willing." 00:43:26.73\00:43:29.16 And now listen to this. 00:43:29.19\00:43:30.50 "See! Your house is left unto you desolate." 00:43:30.77\00:43:35.08 What change do you see here? 00:43:36.95\00:43:38.62 When Jesus went into the temple upon His triumphal entry, 00:43:40.51\00:43:45.79 it was the temple of God, and He called it, "My house." 00:43:45.82\00:43:49.32 And then Jesus teaches in the temple courts, 00:43:50.75\00:43:53.14 and He's rejected. 00:43:53.17\00:43:54.48 And so now Jesus departs the temple and He says, 00:43:55.47\00:43:59.14 "Your house is left unto you desolate." 00:43:59.17\00:44:01.69 And guess where He went next. 00:44:01.79\00:44:03.95 He went and sat on the Mount of Olives. 00:44:04.37\00:44:07.21 Do you remember the Old Testament story? 00:44:08.89\00:44:10.99 This is repeating the Old Testament story. 00:44:11.75\00:44:13.96 Only this is ultimately the fulfillment. 00:44:14.56\00:44:16.71 Notice Matthew 24 and verse 1. 00:44:16.74\00:44:19.18 "Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple..." 00:44:19.74\00:44:23.72 Right after He said those words. 00:44:23.90\00:44:25.49 The Shekinah now is gone. 00:44:25.52\00:44:27.26 "...and His disciples came up to show Him the 00:44:27.67\00:44:29.99 buildings of the temple." 00:44:30.02\00:44:31.07 And now what does Jesus talk about? 00:44:31.10\00:44:33.01 He's rejected in the temple. 00:44:33.88\00:44:35.69 Those people, He pronounces sentence upon those people. 00:44:36.98\00:44:39.99 The Shekinah abandons the temple. 00:44:40.09\00:44:42.35 And then He speaks about the destruction of Jerusalem. 00:44:42.55\00:44:45.88 Because it no longer has a Shekinah. 00:44:46.23\00:44:48.89 Notice Matthew 24:2-3. 00:44:50.25\00:44:52.45 "And Jesus said to them, 'Do you not see all these things? 00:44:52.55\00:44:56.74 Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left 00:44:57.03\00:45:00.37 here upon another that shall not be thrown down.' 00:45:00.40\00:45:04.13 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples 00:45:04.57\00:45:07.26 came to Him privately saying, 00:45:07.29\00:45:08.60 'Tell us, when will these things be? 00:45:08.70\00:45:10.77 And what will be the sign of Your coming, 00:45:10.80\00:45:12.38 and of the end of the age?'" 00:45:12.48\00:45:14.14 Now you remember the word, "abomination and desolation," 00:45:15.07\00:45:18.01 in the Old Testament? 00:45:18.04\00:45:19.25 What was it that led to the desolation? 00:45:19.92\00:45:21.94 The abominations that were being committed. 00:45:22.73\00:45:24.74 Now notice Matthew 24 and verse 15. 00:45:25.31\00:45:28.25 Matthew 24 and verse 15. 00:45:28.55\00:45:30.22 This verse has a double fulfillment. 00:45:30.25\00:45:32.28 We already studied this at the very beginning of our class. 00:45:32.31\00:45:35.48 The first fulfillment is with literal Jerusalem. 00:45:35.51\00:45:38.12 The second fulfillment, of course, has to do with the 00:45:38.70\00:45:40.94 Sunday law at the end of time. 00:45:40.97\00:45:42.82 You see, with Jerusalem, the Roman standards 00:45:43.08\00:45:45.55 had an eagle with a sun wreath upon them. 00:45:45.58\00:45:50.71 And so when those Christians inside saw them put there 00:45:50.93\00:45:54.05 standards in the ground as a signal that Jerusalem 00:45:54.08\00:45:57.51 was going to be conquered by them, they saw the 00:45:57.54\00:45:59.57 signal of the eagle with outspread wings 00:45:59.60\00:46:02.08 and the golden wreath, which represented the orb of the sun, 00:46:02.18\00:46:05.28 they were to flee. 00:46:05.31\00:46:06.45 At the end of time, it's not a sun wreath at the end of time. 00:46:06.72\00:46:11.67 It is the Sun-day. 00:46:11.70\00:46:13.51 Now notice what it says in Matthew 24 verse 15. 00:46:15.00\00:46:19.23 "Therefore when you see the..." What? 00:46:19.48\00:46:21.62 "...the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of 00:46:22.24\00:46:26.02 by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place; 00:46:26.05\00:46:28.34 whoever reads, let him understand..." 00:46:28.44\00:46:30.33 What was that abomination of desolation? 00:46:30.43\00:46:32.85 Luke 21 and verse 20 explains what the historical 00:46:33.14\00:46:36.09 fulfillment of this was. 00:46:36.12\00:46:37.58 The first fulfillment of this. 00:46:37.61\00:46:39.15 The abomination of desolation was, because of the abominations 00:46:39.18\00:46:42.59 in the city, because of the rejection of the Messiah, 00:46:42.62\00:46:45.83 Jerusalem was going to be destroyed by the Roman armies. 00:46:45.93\00:46:49.80 And so it says in Luke 21 and verse 20, 00:46:49.83\00:46:52.35 "But when you see Jerusalem..." What? 00:46:52.38\00:46:55.12 "...surrounded by armies, then know that its 00:46:55.32\00:46:59.37 desolation is near." 00:46:59.47\00:47:01.77 Are you following me or not? 00:47:01.87\00:47:03.38 Does this have a certain finality to it? 00:47:04.45\00:47:06.86 Is God going to restore the Jewish nation once more? 00:47:06.89\00:47:10.25 No, especially is He going to restore them 00:47:11.15\00:47:13.42 in 1948 in disobedience? 00:47:13.45\00:47:16.61 You know, God always restored Israel to the land 00:47:17.58\00:47:21.05 when they repented. 00:47:21.08\00:47:22.53 In fact, in the chapter in Deuteronomy 28, 00:47:23.53\00:47:25.91 where it speaks about the blessings and curses 00:47:25.94\00:47:27.81 of the covenant, God made it clear that if Israel repented 00:47:27.84\00:47:31.15 when they were in captivity, He would bring them 00:47:31.18\00:47:32.97 back to His land. 00:47:33.00\00:47:34.03 But He does not bring them back to the land in disobedience. 00:47:34.06\00:47:37.09 It has to be a repentant people that would be brought 00:47:38.29\00:47:41.66 once again to their land. 00:47:41.69\00:47:42.93 Is Jerusalem today repentant? 00:47:43.03\00:47:45.42 It is not. 00:47:45.83\00:47:46.90 It has not received Jesus as the Messiah. 00:47:46.93\00:47:49.62 In Luke 19:41-44, we find these words of Jesus. 00:47:50.59\00:47:55.63 Jesus is coming down the Mount of Olives 00:47:55.82\00:47:58.00 and He's coming to the temple for the last time. 00:47:58.03\00:48:00.38 It says, "Now as He drew near, He saw the city 00:48:00.93\00:48:03.42 and wept over it, saying, 'If you had known, even you, 00:48:03.45\00:48:07.72 especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! 00:48:07.75\00:48:12.33 But now they are hidden from your eyes. 00:48:12.36\00:48:14.69 For the days will come upon you when your enemies 00:48:14.89\00:48:17.34 will build an embankment around you, 00:48:17.45\00:48:19.83 surround you and close you in on every side, and level you, 00:48:19.86\00:48:24.24 and your children within you, to the ground; 00:48:24.27\00:48:27.39 and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, 00:48:27.42\00:48:30.65 because you did not know the hour of your visitation.'" 00:48:30.68\00:48:35.65 What does that mean, "You did not know the hour 00:48:36.98\00:48:39.04 of your visitation." 00:48:39.07\00:48:40.44 It means, "You did not know that your Messiah 00:48:40.93\00:48:44.08 was in your midst." 00:48:44.18\00:48:45.53 That's why Jerusalem was destroyed. 00:48:45.95\00:48:48.10 So we have three stages, folks, in the history of Israel. 00:48:48.49\00:48:52.09 Number one, they were taken out of captivity in Egypt. 00:48:52.43\00:48:55.36 They made a covenant with God at Mt. Sinai. 00:48:55.61\00:48:57.86 Apostasy came in for 800 years, and they were taken captive 00:48:58.21\00:49:02.71 to Babylon for 70 years as a result. 00:49:02.74\00:49:05.52 Stage two was when they were restored after the captivity. 00:49:05.87\00:49:10.64 The city, the temple, and the walls, and the government 00:49:10.67\00:49:13.99 were re-established. 00:49:14.02\00:49:15.43 Seventy weeks of probation were given to the nation of Israel. 00:49:15.69\00:49:18.70 Messengers were sent galore. 00:49:19.12\00:49:21.32 This was their second chance. 00:49:21.51\00:49:23.20 But instead of sharing the gospel with the world 00:49:23.23\00:49:26.46 and preparing the world for the coming of Messiah, 00:49:26.49\00:49:28.73 they shut themselves within themselves 00:49:28.76\00:49:30.96 and they became legalistic. 00:49:30.99\00:49:32.63 Stage three is when Israel rejected the last resort. 00:49:32.90\00:49:38.41 You know, in the parable it says, "And last of all, 00:49:38.44\00:49:41.49 he sent his son." 00:49:41.52\00:49:43.28 Does that have a certain finality about it? 00:49:43.84\00:49:46.03 "Last of all, he sent his son." 00:49:46.31\00:49:48.77 What more could He have done for the nation of Israel? 00:49:48.80\00:49:52.66 Now don't misunderstand me. 00:49:52.69\00:49:53.97 There are many Jews within Israel 00:49:54.34\00:49:57.49 that are God's true people. 00:49:58.50\00:50:00.42 Because they have received Jesus. 00:50:01.02\00:50:02.91 So we're not saying that God rejected all of the Jews. 00:50:03.87\00:50:07.13 Far be it from us to say something like that. 00:50:07.16\00:50:10.56 Individually, just like in any other nation, 00:50:10.96\00:50:14.52 the Jews can embrace the Messiah and they can be saved. 00:50:15.20\00:50:18.10 But as God's chosen nation, to share the gospel 00:50:18.66\00:50:22.47 with the world and prepare them to receive the Messiah, 00:50:22.50\00:50:27.01 the plan for the Jewish nation has closed 00:50:27.42\00:50:29.69 because they failed to fulfill their mission. 00:50:29.72\00:50:32.86 One last point. 00:50:33.51\00:50:34.67 Do you know that the sin that was committed by 00:50:36.19\00:50:39.20 the Jewish nation is the same sin that is committed by the 00:50:39.46\00:50:42.75 Christian world at the end of time? 00:50:42.78\00:50:44.56 Let's notice that. 00:50:45.67\00:50:46.96 And I struggled with this for a while. 00:50:47.24\00:50:48.59 I think I mentioned this in one of my previous presentations. 00:50:48.62\00:50:52.06 You know, I said, "Well, this sounds like two different sins." 00:50:53.30\00:50:56.11 But when you look at it, it really is the same sin. 00:50:56.21\00:50:59.00 Ellen White in Great Controversy, 22 and 23, 00:51:00.08\00:51:02.92 says, "The great sin of the Jews was their rejection of Christ; 00:51:02.95\00:51:08.02 the great sin of the Christian world would be their rejection 00:51:08.99\00:51:13.02 of the law of God, the foundation of His 00:51:13.05\00:51:16.23 government in Heaven and earth. 00:51:16.26\00:51:17.90 The precepts of Jehovah would be despised and set at naught." 00:51:17.93\00:51:22.47 What was the great sin of the Jewish nation? 00:51:23.14\00:51:25.34 Its rejection of Christ. 00:51:25.37\00:51:27.08 What will be the great sin of the Christian world? 00:51:27.42\00:51:29.76 The rejection of God's holy law. 00:51:30.01\00:51:32.56 Now you say, how can this be the same sin? 00:51:33.27\00:51:35.64 It's a similar sin in this sense: 00:51:35.78\00:51:38.31 the law is a reflection of the character of Christ. 00:51:38.68\00:51:43.51 So how can you say, "I love Jesus, 00:51:43.98\00:51:46.71 but I don't love His law." 00:51:46.74\00:51:48.50 If the law is a reflection of who Jesus is, 00:51:49.59\00:51:52.42 and Jesus is the embodiment or the incarnation of the law, 00:51:52.45\00:51:56.03 you cannot say, "Oh I love Jesus, but I hate the law." 00:51:56.06\00:52:00.17 So it's the same sin to reject the law, which is the 00:52:01.60\00:52:05.33 reflection of Christ's character, as it is to 00:52:05.36\00:52:07.90 reject Jesus, who is that law in living flesh. 00:52:07.93\00:52:11.54 Are you understanding me? 00:52:11.57\00:52:12.91 In church, not in Adventist churches, 00:52:14.07\00:52:17.44 but non-Adventist churches you hear that the law 00:52:18.17\00:52:20.92 was nailed to the cross. 00:52:20.95\00:52:22.45 That no one can keep it. 00:52:22.85\00:52:24.46 That it was for the Jews. 00:52:24.69\00:52:26.30 That we're not under law, but under grace. 00:52:26.60\00:52:28.84 That we are not under the letter, 00:52:29.33\00:52:30.85 but we're under the spirit. 00:52:30.88\00:52:32.06 That all you need to do is believe. 00:52:32.09\00:52:34.83 That God does not expect you to keep the law. 00:52:35.14\00:52:37.70 But then these people talk out of both sides of their mouth. 00:52:37.80\00:52:40.49 Because they say, "No, not the law. 00:52:41.77\00:52:43.50 The law was nailed to the cross." 00:52:43.53\00:52:44.86 But then they want to legislate the law from Washington. 00:52:44.89\00:52:48.14 In the political arena you hear a different tone. 00:52:50.56\00:52:53.47 Just by way of example, you have political candidates 00:52:54.55\00:52:57.13 wooing evangelicals. 00:52:57.23\00:52:59.07 Trying to get them over to their side. 00:53:00.41\00:53:02.62 You know, people want government to legislate 00:53:04.18\00:53:08.92 traditional marriage, sanctity of life, anti-pornography. 00:53:09.12\00:53:12.28 They want to post the ten commandments in the courtrooms. 00:53:12.69\00:53:15.35 They want to do all of these things by legislation. 00:53:16.98\00:53:19.51 But, folks, legislation will not cut it. 00:53:20.38\00:53:22.97 Because the ten commandments are there in the Bible. 00:53:24.11\00:53:26.53 You can put the ten commandments on a monument in every 00:53:26.56\00:53:29.30 courtroom in the United States, and it will make no difference. 00:53:29.33\00:53:32.17 Because the law needs to be written in the human heart. 00:53:33.31\00:53:38.17 And when it's written in the human heart, 00:53:38.94\00:53:40.78 then it will affect behavior. 00:53:41.02\00:53:42.89 It does not affect behavior when it's legislated. 00:53:43.86\00:53:46.93 It affects human behavior when God takes His law 00:53:47.58\00:53:51.41 and He writes it in our hearts. 00:53:51.44\00:53:53.05 "I delight to do Your will; 00:53:53.46\00:53:55.54 Your law is written in my heart." 00:53:55.99\00:53:59.02 Listen, folks, the difference between the two covenants 00:53:59.75\00:54:01.93 is not that the old covenant had law 00:54:01.96\00:54:04.00 and the new covenant has grace. 00:54:04.03\00:54:06.09 That is a false dichotomy. 00:54:06.76\00:54:08.58 You see, the old covenant had law and grace. 00:54:09.28\00:54:14.25 Israel saw the law only on tables of stone. 00:54:15.33\00:54:18.17 Moses had the law written on his heart, 00:54:18.87\00:54:20.78 because you could see the glory of Christ on his face. 00:54:20.81\00:54:23.51 God wanted for Israel what Moses had. 00:54:23.92\00:54:26.74 But they said, "No, cover the glory. 00:54:27.26\00:54:29.17 We don't want that glory. 00:54:29.20\00:54:30.23 We want Moses, but we don't want the glory." 00:54:30.26\00:54:32.54 They were saying basically, "We want the writings of Moses, 00:54:32.57\00:54:36.04 but we don't want Jesus." 00:54:36.07\00:54:38.03 And the same sin is being committed by the 00:54:39.28\00:54:41.43 Christian world today by rejecting the law of God, 00:54:41.46\00:54:44.76 which is a reflection of the character of Jesus Christ. 00:54:45.05\00:54:48.46 And let me say, what the churches want to do today 00:54:48.49\00:54:51.10 is they want the government to fix what they broke. 00:54:51.13\00:54:54.00 Because the pastors have preached so many times, 00:54:55.57\00:54:57.94 "You're not under law, you're under grace," 00:54:57.97\00:55:00.07 they've preached so many times that the law was 00:55:00.10\00:55:01.96 nailed to the cross, that people now believe it. 00:55:01.99\00:55:04.43 And they feel like they don't have to keep the law. 00:55:05.91\00:55:08.20 Are you following me? 00:55:09.91\00:55:11.05 So basically, the sin of the Christian world at the 00:55:11.88\00:55:14.25 end of time is going to be the same sin as was committed 00:55:14.28\00:55:19.43 by the Jewish nation. 00:55:19.53\00:55:20.78 But I praise the Lord that in Jerusalem 00:55:20.81\00:55:24.30 there was a faithful remnant. 00:55:24.33\00:55:25.92 And when the city was destroyed, they escaped. 00:55:26.94\00:55:30.70 Just like in the Old Testament, there was a sealing. 00:55:31.24\00:55:33.69 Not all were committing the abominations. 00:55:34.30\00:55:36.62 And they escaped when Jerusalem was destroyed. 00:55:37.13\00:55:40.41 You know, when they saw the signal when Jerusalem was 00:55:40.91\00:55:43.33 destroyed in the year 70, and the Christians, those who 00:55:43.36\00:55:47.25 really embraced Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, 00:55:47.28\00:55:49.84 saw the sign, we're told that they fled. 00:55:49.87\00:55:55.16 And of course, they prayed that their flight 00:55:55.70\00:55:58.43 might not be in winter... 00:55:58.46\00:56:01.41 Probably because it was going to be terribly cold. 00:56:02.94\00:56:05.11 ...or on the Sabbath day. 00:56:05.46\00:56:07.75 Interesting that in Matthew 24, where it speaks about 00:56:07.78\00:56:11.29 God's people having to flee to the mountains, 00:56:11.32\00:56:15.06 it says, "Pray that your flight will not be on the Sabbath." 00:56:15.99\00:56:19.59 They were to pray that in the times of the apostles. 00:56:21.31\00:56:25.24 And that will be the pray of God also at the end of time. 00:56:26.13\00:56:29.42 Because the Sabbath is still God's day of rest. 00:56:29.62\00:56:34.54 And so God has rejected the literal Jewish nation, 00:56:35.38\00:56:39.98 but He has not rejected His people. 00:56:40.01\00:56:42.12 He has not rejected His spiritual Israel. 00:56:42.74\00:56:45.93 He has not rejected true Israel. 00:56:46.13\00:56:48.88 Because true Israel is composed of those 00:56:49.25\00:56:52.20 who have accepted Jesus Christ. 00:56:52.23\00:56:54.48 "If you are Christ's you are Abraham's seed, 00:56:54.73\00:56:58.01 and heirs according to the promise." 00:56:58.04\00:57:00.33 In other words, a Jew is not defined by the blood they have, 00:57:00.53\00:57:04.80 or by the name that they have, or by where they live. 00:57:04.83\00:57:08.11 It is defined by their personal relationship with Jesus Christ 00:57:08.14\00:57:12.99 as their Savior and as their Lord. 00:57:13.19\00:57:15.61 So let me ask you, where is Israel going to be 00:57:17.02\00:57:18.87 at the end of time? 00:57:18.90\00:57:19.96 In the Middle East? 00:57:19.99\00:57:21.38 No, Israel is going to be where Jesus is. 00:57:21.66\00:57:25.22 And Jesus is where two or three are gathered in His name. 00:57:25.25\00:57:29.81 It's not complicated. 00:57:30.85\00:57:32.60 It's very simple. 00:57:33.08\00:57:34.35 May we be among those of spiritual Israel 00:57:35.02\00:57:38.57 who know Jesus as our Savior and as our Lord. 00:57:38.94\00:57:42.32