Well, Anchor is
really going well, isn't it.
00:00:15.69\00:00:18.45
We're on a roll
here, praise the Lord.
00:00:19.30\00:00:21.75
Glad to have all of you from
different parts of the world,
00:00:22.12\00:00:25.27
from different
states in the United States.
00:00:25.30\00:00:27.39
It's been a real blessing
for me to get acquainted
00:00:27.69\00:00:29.81
with many of you.
00:00:29.84\00:00:30.91
And I know that on
Sabbath we'll be able to get
00:00:31.01\00:00:33.51
much better acquainted, because
it's more of a relaxed day.
00:00:33.61\00:00:37.40
Now we've been
studying in our last session
00:00:38.09\00:00:40.60
about true Israel.
00:00:40.63\00:00:42.60
There are two Israel's;
there is a genuine Israel
00:00:42.63\00:00:45.21
and there's a
counterfeit Israel.
00:00:45.24\00:00:46.60
The counterfeit
Israel is only ethnic Israel.
00:00:47.08\00:00:50.26
The genuine Israel is composed
of those who have accepted
00:00:50.59\00:00:54.48
Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
00:00:54.51\00:00:56.73
Now, how many
folds does God have?
00:00:57.04\00:01:00.30
We studied that
God has only one fold.
00:01:01.20\00:01:03.80
And how many shepherds?
00:01:03.83\00:01:05.18
One Shepherd.
00:01:05.39\00:01:06.45
And that
Shepherd is Jesus Christ.
00:01:06.48\00:01:09.23
How many Israel's does God have?
00:01:09.26\00:01:12.97
He has only one true Israel.
00:01:13.17\00:01:15.77
Now we also want to notice
that God has only one body,
00:01:16.41\00:01:20.47
Christ has only one body,
composed of Jews and Gentiles.
00:01:20.50\00:01:23.95
Not two mutually
separable peoples.
00:01:24.15\00:01:26.75
Let's go to Ephesians chapter
2 and verses 13 through 18.
00:01:27.27\00:01:31.69
Ephesians chapter 2
and verses 13 through 18.
00:01:31.72\00:01:36.55
And here, we're going to find
that Jesus Christ has one body.
00:01:36.69\00:01:42.87
Not many bodies, one body.
00:01:42.90\00:01:44.62
It says there,
"But now in Christ Jesus
00:01:45.32\00:01:50.24
you who once were far off..."
00:01:50.27\00:01:52.98
Who are those who
were once far off?
00:01:53.01\00:01:55.25
The Gentiles.
00:01:55.86\00:01:57.13
"...you who were once far
off have been brought near
00:01:57.16\00:02:01.36
by the blood of Christ.
00:02:01.39\00:02:02.98
For He Himself is our
peace, who has made both one..."
00:02:03.86\00:02:08.32
Who are the, "both?"
00:02:08.78\00:02:09.95
Jew and Gentile.
00:02:10.92\00:02:12.04
He has made both one.
00:02:12.07\00:02:13.87
"...and has broken down
the middle wall of separation,
00:02:14.38\00:02:16.99
having abolished in His flesh
the enmity, that is, the law of
00:02:17.09\00:02:20.17
commandments contained
in ordinances, so as to
00:02:20.20\00:02:23.04
create in Himself one new man
from the two, thus making peace,
00:02:23.07\00:02:28.36
and that He might reconcile
them both to God in one body
00:02:28.39\00:02:32.89
through the cross, thereby
putting to death the enmity.
00:02:32.99\00:02:36.95
And He came and preached
peace to you who were afar off,"
00:02:37.15\00:02:40.61
that is the Gentiles,
"and those who were near.
00:02:40.64\00:02:43.53
For through Him
we both have access
00:02:43.56\00:02:47.31
by one Spirit to the Father."
00:02:47.34\00:02:50.50
So how many
bodies does Jesus have?
00:02:51.55\00:02:53.19
Jesus has one body.
00:02:53.98\00:02:55.28
And it's composed of what?
00:02:55.31\00:02:56.69
Jews and Gentiles.
00:02:57.21\00:02:58.47
Are they both Jews,
spiritually speaking?
00:02:58.50\00:03:01.33
They're both Jews.
00:03:01.74\00:03:03.02
They're one people.
00:03:03.67\00:03:04.93
They're God's true Israel,
because they have embraced
00:03:05.32\00:03:08.20
Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
00:03:08.23\00:03:11.51
Now notice also on this
same point, that Jesus has only
00:03:11.61\00:03:15.17
one body, let's read
00:03:15.20\00:03:18.12
1 Corinthians
chapter 12 and verse 13.
00:03:18.15\00:03:20.65
1 Corinthians
chapter 12 and verse 13.
00:03:20.68\00:03:23.77
Once again, the same idea.
00:03:23.80\00:03:25.28
"For by one Spirit we were
all baptized into one body;
00:03:25.71\00:03:32.07
whether Jews or
Greeks, whether slaves or free,
00:03:32.10\00:03:35.55
and all have been made
to drink into one Spirit."
00:03:35.58\00:03:39.37
Do you notice the oneness here?
00:03:39.40\00:03:40.99
God has only one
people, he doesn't have two
00:03:41.20\00:03:43.08
mutually separable peoples;
00:03:43.11\00:03:44.92
one outside of
Christ and one in Christ.
00:03:44.95\00:03:47.54
Ephesians chapter 3 and verse 6.
00:03:47.94\00:03:50.45
"...that the Gentiles should be
fellow heirs, of the..." What?
00:03:50.67\00:03:55.04
"...of the same body,
and partakers of His promise
00:03:55.26\00:03:59.71
in Christ through the gospel."
00:03:59.74\00:04:02.00
And then Colossians 1
verse 18 and verse 24,
00:04:02.26\00:04:05.67
speaking about Jesus, it says,
"He is the head of the body..."
00:04:05.98\00:04:09.78
And what is the body?
00:04:09.81\00:04:11.15
"... the church, who is
the beginning, the firstborn
00:04:11.18\00:04:14.37
from the dead, that
in all things He may have
00:04:14.40\00:04:17.01
the preeminence."
00:04:17.04\00:04:18.31
"I now rejoice in my sufferings
for you, and fill up in my flesh
00:04:18.34\00:04:22.96
what is lacking in
the afflictions of Christ,
00:04:23.06\00:04:25.50
for the sake of His
body, which is the church."
00:04:25.53\00:04:30.16
So how many
bodies does Jesus have?
00:04:30.83\00:04:33.24
He has one body, folks.
00:04:33.27\00:04:35.23
He doesn't have a
Jewish body and a Gentile body.
00:04:35.26\00:04:38.71
He has united Jew and
Gentile in one body in Himself.
00:04:38.97\00:04:43.69
Furthermore,
there's only one city.
00:04:44.35\00:04:46.94
There's not an earthly
city for the literal Jews
00:04:48.28\00:04:50.42
and a heavenly
city for the church.
00:04:50.45\00:04:52.83
There's one city for both.
00:04:53.45\00:04:55.20
How do you know that?
00:04:55.57\00:04:56.78
Revelation
chapter 21 and verse 2.
00:04:57.11\00:04:59.67
We noticed this in
a previous lecture.
00:05:00.45\00:05:02.47
"Then I, John, saw the
holy city, New Jerusalem,
00:05:02.74\00:05:06.52
coming down out of
heaven from God, prepared as a
00:05:06.55\00:05:09.97
bride adorned for her husband."
00:05:10.00\00:05:12.42
So you have the New Jerusalem.
00:05:12.45\00:05:14.45
And I want you to
notice that the New Jerusalem
00:05:14.65\00:05:16.66
has two characteristics
that I want to underline
00:05:16.76\00:05:20.51
regarding what
we're talking about now.
00:05:20.54\00:05:22.54
Revelation 21 and verse 12.
00:05:22.57\00:05:24.79
This is the New
Jerusalem, we just read it.
00:05:24.82\00:05:27.58
It says there, "Also she
had a great and high wall
00:05:28.19\00:05:30.83
with twelve gates, and
twelve angels at the gates,
00:05:30.86\00:05:34.59
and names written on
them, which are the names of the
00:05:34.69\00:05:37.46
twelve tribes of
the children of Israel."
00:05:37.49\00:05:40.02
Is Israel
represented in the holy city?
00:05:40.82\00:05:44.59
Yes it is.
00:05:44.62\00:05:45.97
The gates have the names
of the twelve sons of Jacob,
00:05:46.17\00:05:49.65
the twelve tribes.
00:05:49.68\00:05:51.06
What about God's people
from New Testament times?
00:05:51.51\00:05:55.58
Are they also
represented in the city?
00:05:56.00\00:05:58.12
Absolutely.
00:05:58.40\00:05:59.51
Notice Revelation
chapter 21 and verse 14.
00:05:59.54\00:06:03.44
It says, "Now the wall of
the city had twelve foundations,
00:06:03.47\00:06:06.64
and on them
were the names of the
00:06:06.67\00:06:08.64
twelve apostles of the Lamb."
00:06:08.67\00:06:11.10
So you have there New Testament
and Old Testament Israel.
00:06:11.26\00:06:16.04
And it is the city of the Lamb.
00:06:16.30\00:06:18.84
It's not a Jewish city,
it is the city of the Lamb.
00:06:20.03\00:06:22.98
Now notice Hebrews
11 verses 9 and 10,
00:06:23.41\00:06:26.10
and then we'll read
verses 13 through 16.
00:06:26.20\00:06:29.06
Even the Old Testament
saints, listen carefully,
00:06:29.47\00:06:32.26
even the Old Testament saints
like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
00:06:32.64\00:06:35.85
looked forward to the
heavenly New Jerusalem.
00:06:35.95\00:06:38.81
They knew that the earthly
Jerusalem was only a small
00:06:39.39\00:06:43.10
scale type of a far
greater heavenly reality.
00:06:43.13\00:06:47.46
And they knew that
the earthly Sanctuary
00:06:47.75\00:06:49.74
was an earthly
scale model of the greater
00:06:49.84\00:06:52.92
and real Sanctuary in heaven.
00:06:52.95\00:06:54.70
Let's notice
what Hebrews 11 says.
00:06:54.73\00:06:57.18
"By faith," this is
speaking of Abraham,
00:06:58.12\00:07:00.72
"he dwelt in the land of
promise as in a foreign country,
00:07:00.75\00:07:04.69
dwelling in tents
with Isaac and Jacob,
00:07:04.98\00:07:08.08
the heirs with him
of the same promise."
00:07:08.18\00:07:11.09
Now what city
did Abraham wait for?
00:07:11.54\00:07:14.01
Listen to this, "For he
waited for the city which has
00:07:15.11\00:07:18.97
foundations, whose
builder and maker is God."
00:07:19.00\00:07:22.85
Did Abraham look forward to
the earthly city of Jerusalem?
00:07:23.34\00:07:26.98
And this is Old
Testament, folks.
00:07:27.39\00:07:29.50
He's looking towards the
heavenly city of Jerusalem.
00:07:29.53\00:07:32.37
Verse 13...
00:07:32.40\00:07:33.48
It gives a list of
some of the heroes of faith,
00:07:33.99\00:07:37.06
and then it says,
"These all died in faith,
00:07:37.26\00:07:39.22
not having received
the promises, but having
00:07:39.25\00:07:41.92
seen them afar off were
assured of them, embraced them,
00:07:41.95\00:07:46.13
and confessed that
they were strangers
00:07:46.16\00:07:48.09
and pilgrims on the earth.
00:07:48.12\00:07:50.03
For those who say
such things declare plainly
00:07:50.33\00:07:53.06
that they seek a homeland."
00:07:53.09\00:07:54.86
Did they consider
Canaan a homeland?
00:07:54.89\00:07:57.32
No.
00:07:58.23\00:07:59.28
They were seeking a homeland.
00:07:59.35\00:08:01.74
What was that homeland?
00:08:02.27\00:08:03.54
Let's continue reading.
00:08:03.57\00:08:04.86
"And truly, if they had
called to mind that country
00:08:04.89\00:08:07.77
from which they had
come out, they would have had
00:08:07.80\00:08:10.06
opportunity to return.
00:08:10.09\00:08:11.82
But now they desire a better,
that is, a heavenly country.
00:08:11.85\00:08:16.80
Therefore God is not
ashamed to be called their God,
00:08:16.83\00:08:20.33
for He has
prepared a city for them."
00:08:20.36\00:08:24.52
Did the Old Testament
saints look forward to
00:08:26.38\00:08:28.37
the heavenly city?
00:08:28.40\00:08:29.55
So what was the
literal Jerusalem on earth?
00:08:30.47\00:08:33.11
A little scale model.
00:08:33.14\00:08:34.54
A little sample.
00:08:35.08\00:08:36.86
A literal sample
of the heavenly city.
00:08:37.02\00:08:39.61
Conclusion, the city is
composed of all the redeemed
00:08:40.36\00:08:44.70
from all ages, because
the names of the twelve tribes
00:08:44.73\00:08:47.81
are on the gates and the
names of the twelve apostles
00:08:47.84\00:08:50.64
are on the foundations.
00:08:50.67\00:08:52.03
God does not have two
separate plans for two
00:08:52.06\00:08:54.78
mutually exclusive peoples.
00:08:54.81\00:08:56.53
He has one city
for all of His people.
00:08:56.56\00:08:59.17
We also noticed that
God has only one woman.
00:09:00.13\00:09:03.27
Christ has only one wife.
00:09:04.47\00:09:06.48
If He has two
mutually separable peoples,
00:09:06.87\00:09:10.12
then Jesus would be a bigamist.
00:09:10.31\00:09:12.54
He has only one bride; His
faithful people from all ages.
00:09:13.89\00:09:18.39
Notice Revelation
chapter 12 verses 1 and 2,
00:09:18.96\00:09:21.36
and then verses 5 and 6.
00:09:21.39\00:09:23.32
Verses 1 and 2 are describing
the Old Testament church.
00:09:24.01\00:09:27.00
Verses 5 and 6 are describing
the New Testament church.
00:09:27.03\00:09:30.16
It says, "Now a great sign
appeared in heaven; a woman..."
00:09:30.42\00:09:33.73
Representing the church, right?
00:09:34.21\00:09:35.87
"...a woman clothed with
the sun, with the moon under
00:09:36.06\00:09:38.77
her feet, and on her head
a garland of twelve stars.
00:09:38.80\00:09:42.24
Then being with
child, she cried out in labor
00:09:42.34\00:09:44.74
and in pain to give birth."
00:09:44.77\00:09:46.49
"She bore a male
Child," we're in verse 5,
00:09:46.52\00:09:48.54
"She bore a male Child
who was to rule all nations
00:09:48.57\00:09:51.54
with a rod of iron.
00:09:51.57\00:09:52.61
And her Child was caught
up to God and His throne."
00:09:52.64\00:09:55.93
So what does this
woman represent that we just
00:09:57.39\00:10:00.06
read about from
whom the Child is born?
00:10:00.09\00:10:02.23
It represents the
church. Which church?
00:10:02.69\00:10:05.53
It's the Old Testament church.
00:10:06.15\00:10:07.96
Because Jesus was born from
the Old Testament church, right?
00:10:08.41\00:10:11.86
But let me ask you, do
you have the same woman
00:10:12.09\00:10:14.67
representing the
New Testament church?
00:10:14.70\00:10:16.57
Absolutely.
00:10:16.60\00:10:17.63
Because it says in verse 6, "The
woman fled into the wilderness,"
00:10:17.66\00:10:22.00
the same woman, "where she
has a place prepared by God,
00:10:22.03\00:10:25.46
that they should feed her there
00:10:25.49\00:10:26.93
one thousand two
hundred and sixty days."
00:10:26.96\00:10:30.74
And so how many
women does God have?
00:10:31.32\00:10:33.74
He has one woman,
composed of Old Testament saints
00:10:33.87\00:10:39.52
and New Testament saints.
00:10:39.55\00:10:41.36
Composed of people who lived
in the Old Testament period
00:10:41.77\00:10:44.70
and who live in the
New Testament period.
00:10:44.80\00:10:47.21
And Ellen White, we've
read this statement before
00:10:47.63\00:10:50.60
in, Acts of the
Apostles, page 19, says,
00:10:50.63\00:10:53.23
"As in the Old
Testament the twelve patriarchs
00:10:53.26\00:10:56.28
stood as representatives of
Israel, so the twelve apostles
00:10:56.31\00:11:00.38
stand as representatives
of the gospel church."
00:11:00.41\00:11:04.66
So God has only one woman
representing His true people
00:11:05.77\00:11:09.04
from all ages.
00:11:09.07\00:11:10.43
In Romans 11, we have
one tree that represents
00:11:11.27\00:11:16.62
all of God's people.
00:11:16.65\00:11:18.13
Now, let's notice this in
the handout that you have.
00:11:18.80\00:11:22.76
The kingdom of
Christ is illustrated
00:11:23.26\00:11:25.38
by only one olive
tree that bears good fruit.
00:11:25.41\00:11:28.96
In Romans 11, the olive
tree has several different
00:11:29.67\00:11:32.28
types of branches, but they
all belong to the same tree.
00:11:32.31\00:11:35.53
There are natural branches.
00:11:36.41\00:11:38.19
Who are those?
00:11:38.29\00:11:39.48
The Jews, the literal Jews.
00:11:40.32\00:11:42.28
There are natural branches
that are retained in the tree.
00:11:42.31\00:11:46.03
Why are they
retained in the tree?
00:11:46.06\00:11:48.79
Because they accepted
Jesus Christ as Savior.
00:11:49.11\00:11:51.65
There are natural
branches that are cut off.
00:11:52.25\00:11:54.89
Who are those?
00:11:54.92\00:11:56.15
Those who rejected
Jesus as the Messiah.
00:11:56.41\00:11:58.79
There are natural
branches that are grafted in
00:11:59.08\00:12:01.81
once again into the tree.
00:12:01.84\00:12:03.36
What does that represent?
00:12:03.46\00:12:05.14
It represents the
literal Jews who rejected Jesus,
00:12:05.17\00:12:07.84
and then what?
00:12:07.87\00:12:09.14
Accepted Him.
00:12:09.24\00:12:10.43
That's like Saul of
Tarsus, for example.
00:12:10.46\00:12:12.65
There are wild olive branches
that are grafted into the tree.
00:12:12.95\00:12:17.47
Who are those
wild olive branches?
00:12:17.57\00:12:19.74
They are the Gentiles who
are grafted into God's church.
00:12:19.84\00:12:25.68
There are also wild
olive branches that can
00:12:25.95\00:12:28.44
potentially be
cut off from the tree.
00:12:28.47\00:12:30.81
Who are those?
00:12:30.84\00:12:31.99
Gentiles who abandoned
their relationship with Jesus.
00:12:32.09\00:12:35.44
And finally, there are
those branches that are
00:12:35.79\00:12:40.60
grafted in once again to
the tree, wild olive branches
00:12:40.63\00:12:44.23
that are grafted in.
00:12:44.26\00:12:45.36
That represents Gentiles
who, perhaps, forsook Christ,
00:12:45.39\00:12:48.62
and then they come back again.
00:12:48.65\00:12:49.99
So how many trees do we have?
00:12:50.02\00:12:51.88
We have one tree
composed of people of all types.
00:12:51.91\00:12:56.12
We don't have
two different trees;
00:12:56.15\00:12:57.88
one for the Jews and
one for the Gentiles.
00:12:57.91\00:13:00.77
The key is in verses 20 and
23 where we are told that to be
00:13:01.13\00:13:06.23
part of the tree
means to believe in Jesus.
00:13:06.26\00:13:09.72
To be cut off from the
tree means to reject Jesus.
00:13:10.30\00:13:13.29
The root and the trunk
of the tree symbolize Jesus.
00:13:13.61\00:13:16.51
If we are connected to
the trunk and the root,
00:13:16.54\00:13:19.19
we will bear fruit.
00:13:19.38\00:13:21.78
This is a rather long passage,
let's just go ahead and read it
00:13:22.28\00:13:26.34
so that you can
catch the picture.
00:13:26.37\00:13:28.05
Beginning in verse
17, the apostle Paul says,
00:13:28.83\00:13:31.17
"And if some of the branches
were broken off, and you,
00:13:31.20\00:13:34.44
being a wild olive tree,"
he's writing to the Gentiles,
00:13:34.47\00:13:36.83
"were grafted in among them,
and with them became a partaker
00:13:36.86\00:13:40.61
of the root and
fatness of the olive tree,
00:13:40.64\00:13:42.80
do not boast
against the branches.
00:13:43.14\00:13:46.04
But if you do boast,
remember that you do not
00:13:46.31\00:13:48.88
support the root, but
the root supports you.
00:13:48.91\00:13:51.21
You will say then,
'Branches were broken off
00:13:51.69\00:13:53.85
that I might be grafted in.'
00:13:53.88\00:13:55.33
Well said.
00:13:55.63\00:13:56.69
Because of unbelief
they were broken off..."
00:13:56.80\00:13:58.81
Are you seeing the
reason why they were broken off?
00:13:58.85\00:14:00.78
Unbelief.
00:14:00.81\00:14:01.92
"...and you stand by faith.
00:14:02.15\00:14:03.89
Do not be haughty, but fear.
00:14:04.09\00:14:05.77
For if God did not
spare the natural branches,
00:14:06.04\00:14:08.18
He may not spare you either.
00:14:08.28\00:14:10.37
Therefore consider the
goodness and severity of God:
00:14:10.65\00:14:13.56
on those who fell, severity;
but toward you, goodness,
00:14:13.79\00:14:17.43
if you continue in His goodness.
00:14:17.46\00:14:19.81
Otherwise you
also will be cut off.
00:14:20.12\00:14:22.50
And they also, if they
do not continue in unbelief,
00:14:22.73\00:14:25.57
will be grafted in..."
00:14:25.60\00:14:26.63
Are you catching the picture?
00:14:26.66\00:14:27.90
"...for God is able
to graft them in again.
00:14:28.44\00:14:31.00
For if you were cut out
of the olive tree which is
00:14:31.03\00:14:34.45
wild by nature, and were
grafted contrary to nature..."
00:14:34.48\00:14:38.32
Because this is a Jewish tree.
00:14:38.35\00:14:40.32
So when the wild branches are
grafted into the Jewish tree,
00:14:40.51\00:14:44.47
they become Jewish branches.
00:14:44.57\00:14:45.90
Are you with me or not?
00:14:45.93\00:14:47.02
Verse 24, "For if you
were cut out of the olive tree
00:14:47.23\00:14:50.19
which is wild by nature, and
were grafted contrary to nature
00:14:50.22\00:14:53.50
into a cultivated olive
tree, how much more will these,
00:14:53.53\00:14:56.97
who are natural
branches, be grafted into
00:14:57.07\00:14:59.45
their own olive tree?
00:14:59.48\00:15:00.90
For I do not desire,
brethren, that you should be
00:15:01.22\00:15:03.36
ignorant of this
mystery, lest you should be
00:15:03.39\00:15:05.95
wise in your own
opinion, that blindness in part
00:15:05.98\00:15:09.40
has happened to
Israel until the fullness of
00:15:09.50\00:15:12.05
the Gentiles has come in.
00:15:12.08\00:15:13.70
And so all Israel will
be saved, as it is written,
00:15:13.83\00:15:16.74
'The Deliverer will come out
of Zion, and He will turn away
00:15:16.77\00:15:19.89
ungodliness from Jacob.
00:15:19.92\00:15:22.21
For this is My
covenant with them,
00:15:22.24\00:15:24.10
when I take away their sins.'"
00:15:24.13\00:15:26.39
We are currently experiencing
technical difficulty
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with our video and sound.
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Please stand by.
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Please stand by.
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...and He will serve us.
00:16:35.92\00:16:37.55
And He will serve Jews and
Gentiles at the same table.
00:16:37.72\00:16:40.80
Notice what we find
here in Matthew chapter 8
00:16:41.59\00:16:43.59
verses 11 and 12.
00:16:43.62\00:16:45.09
Matthew chapter
8 verses 11 and 12.
00:16:45.12\00:16:47.74
Incidentally, this
comes immediately after Jesus
00:16:48.04\00:16:50.76
has healed the servant
of the Roman centurion.
00:16:50.79\00:16:54.82
He was a Gentile, right?
00:16:55.33\00:16:56.86
So Jesus has just healed the
servant of this Roman centurion,
00:16:57.13\00:17:02.35
this Gentile centurion, and
then Jesus speaks these words.
00:17:02.38\00:17:05.81
"And I say to you that many
will come from east and west..."
00:17:06.20\00:17:10.70
Who are those who
come from east and west?
00:17:11.01\00:17:12.98
The Gentiles.
00:17:13.20\00:17:14.25
"...and sit down..."
00:17:14.45\00:17:16.19
And incidentally, if you
read the parallel passage
00:17:17.29\00:17:19.44
in Luke 22 verse 30, it says,
"and will sit down at My table."
00:17:19.47\00:17:24.87
Jesus is speaking, "They
will sit down at My table."
00:17:25.51\00:17:27.98
"...with Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.
00:17:28.56\00:17:32.52
But the sons of the kingdom..."
00:17:33.82\00:17:35.59
Who are the sons of the kingdom?
00:17:35.62\00:17:37.10
The literal Jewish nation
who did not accept Christ.
00:17:38.26\00:17:40.89
"But the sons of the
kingdom will be cast out
00:17:40.92\00:17:43.79
into outer darkness.
00:17:43.82\00:17:45.25
There will be weeping
and gnashing of teeth."
00:17:45.28\00:17:47.49
Wow.
00:17:48.81\00:17:50.05
So how many tables does
God have, does Christ have?
00:17:50.67\00:17:53.40
He's got one table.
00:17:53.43\00:17:54.60
Is it only going to
be Jews at that table?
00:17:54.63\00:17:56.46
Well Abraham, Isaac,
and Jacob are going to be
00:17:56.67\00:17:58.42
at that table, but
there are going to be people
00:17:58.45\00:18:00.20
who come from the
east and the west.
00:18:00.23\00:18:01.89
And the parallel passage
in Luke says that they will
00:18:02.02\00:18:05.10
come from the south
and the north as well.
00:18:05.13\00:18:07.12
They'll come from the
four directions of the compass.
00:18:07.96\00:18:10.40
When Jesus comes, it
says in Matthew chapter 24
00:18:11.06\00:18:14.42
that He will send forth His
angels and they shall pick up
00:18:14.78\00:18:17.89
His people from the
four corners of the earth.
00:18:17.92\00:18:20.46
They're not all going to be
Jews that will be picked up.
00:18:21.33\00:18:23.80
It will be all of God's
people all over the world
00:18:24.41\00:18:27.65
that will be picked up.
00:18:27.68\00:18:28.92
There is only
one spiritual temple.
00:18:30.44\00:18:32.33
Notice Ephesians
chapter 2 verses 19 through 22.
00:18:33.85\00:18:36.76
This myth that God has
two mutually separable peoples
00:18:36.79\00:18:40.20
and that these prophecies are
going to be fulfilled literally
00:18:40.43\00:18:43.89
with the literal Jews
when the church is in heaven,
00:18:43.92\00:18:46.51
it is a tremendous counterfeit.
00:18:46.54\00:18:48.92
It is a
Christless interpretation
00:18:49.46\00:18:52.00
of Bible prophecy.
00:18:52.10\00:18:53.43
And we need to tell the
world that prophecy is fulfilled
00:18:53.67\00:18:56.96
only in Christ Jesus.
00:18:56.99\00:18:59.30
It is not fulfilled
in the Jewish nation.
00:18:59.33\00:19:02.10
Unless they
believe in Jesus Christ.
00:19:02.30\00:19:05.19
One spiritual
temple, Ephesians 2:19-22.
00:19:05.66\00:19:08.82
The apostle Paul says,
and he's writing to Gentiles,
00:19:09.94\00:19:13.03
"Now, therefore, you are no
longer strangers and foreigners,
00:19:13.41\00:19:17.08
but fellow citizens with
the saints and members of the
00:19:17.93\00:19:22.35
household of God, having
been built on the foundation
00:19:22.38\00:19:26.79
of the apostles and prophets..."
00:19:27.41\00:19:29.61
You have Old and
New Testament there?
00:19:29.93\00:19:31.47
Prophets, Old Testament;
apostles, New Testament.
00:19:32.24\00:19:36.01
But who is the
chief cornerstone?
00:19:36.64\00:19:38.22
It says, "...the apostles and
prophets, Jesus Christ Himself
00:19:38.90\00:19:42.76
being the chief cornerstone..."
00:19:42.79\00:19:44.56
Who is the chief cornerstone
of the spiritual temple
00:19:44.59\00:19:47.24
of the church?
00:19:47.27\00:19:48.43
Jesus.
00:19:49.01\00:19:50.29
Are the foundations of
the church based on the
00:19:51.00\00:19:53.15
Old and the New Testament,
the apostles and the prophets?
00:19:53.18\00:19:56.15
Absolutely.
00:19:56.18\00:19:57.36
But He has only
one temple, one church.
00:19:57.65\00:20:00.50
And so it says in verse 21,
"...in whom the whole building,
00:20:01.42\00:20:04.52
being joined together, grows
into a holy temple in the Lord,
00:20:04.85\00:20:08.48
in whom you also are
being built together for a
00:20:08.83\00:20:12.57
dwelling place of
God in the Spirit."
00:20:12.60\00:20:15.54
Folks, this has
profound implications.
00:20:15.93\00:20:18.50
The temple in
which the antichrist sits
00:20:18.53\00:20:21.25
is not the literal
Jerusalem temple, but rather the
00:20:21.28\00:20:24.46
spiritual temple; the church.
00:20:24.49\00:20:26.91
How many songs
will God's people sing?
00:20:28.98\00:20:31.36
Well the Jews will
sing the song of Moses,
00:20:32.88\00:20:35.18
and we will sing
the song of the Lamb.
00:20:35.21\00:20:37.27
Right?
00:20:38.10\00:20:39.13
No, only one song.
00:20:39.29\00:20:41.83
Notice what we find
in Revelation chapter 15
00:20:42.62\00:20:45.24
verses 3 and 4.
00:20:45.27\00:20:46.75
Revelation
chapter 15 verses 3 and 4.
00:20:46.78\00:20:50.27
It says, "They sing the song
of Moses, the servant of God,
00:20:50.30\00:20:54.77
and the song of the Lamb,
saying, 'Great and marvelous
00:20:55.16\00:21:00.03
are Your works,
Lord God Almighty.
00:21:00.06\00:21:02.15
Just and true are Your
ways, O King of the saints.
00:21:02.41\00:21:05.14
Who shall not fear You, O
Lord, and glorify Your name?
00:21:05.30\00:21:08.60
For You alone are holy.
00:21:08.63\00:21:10.37
For all nations shall
come and worship before You,
00:21:10.40\00:21:12.94
for Your judgments
have been manifested.'"
00:21:13.04\00:21:16.55
What is this song that is going
to be sung by the redeemed?
00:21:17.99\00:21:21.15
The song of Moses,
that's the Old Testament,
00:21:21.48\00:21:26.45
and the Lamb, the New Testament.
00:21:26.48\00:21:29.07
And so God's people
are going to sing one song.
00:21:29.57\00:21:32.24
It's not that the Jews
are going to sing one song
00:21:32.77\00:21:34.98
and those who have
been converted to Christ
00:21:35.01\00:21:37.11
are going to sing another song.
00:21:37.14\00:21:38.45
No, they both
sing the same song.
00:21:38.48\00:21:42.14
Furthermore, we
only have one Father.
00:21:42.88\00:21:46.77
The redeemed
have only one Father;
00:21:49.26\00:21:51.08
the Father of Jesus Christ.
00:21:51.75\00:21:53.54
Those who receive
Jesus as Savior and Lord
00:21:54.29\00:21:56.70
become brothers
and sisters of Jesus.
00:21:56.73\00:21:58.82
And because they are
brothers and sisters of Jesus,
00:21:58.85\00:22:01.25
they are also sons
and daughters of God.
00:22:01.35\00:22:04.27
Notice Galatians chapter 3
and verse 26 on this point.
00:22:05.37\00:22:09.06
"For you are all sons of God..."
00:22:09.24\00:22:12.35
How do we become sons of God?
00:22:12.45\00:22:14.27
"...through
faith in Christ Jesus."
00:22:14.30\00:22:16.97
Can we call ourselves
sons of God directly by our
00:22:17.46\00:22:20.22
relationship
with God the Father?
00:22:20.25\00:22:23.15
No, we have to
come through Jesus.
00:22:23.18\00:22:26.06
We have to become His
brothers and His sisters.
00:22:26.09\00:22:29.24
John 1 verses 12 and
13, John 1 verses 12 and 13.
00:22:29.68\00:22:34.21
It tells us that we become
brothers and sisters of Jesus
00:22:34.75\00:22:37.73
as a result of being
sons and daughters of God.
00:22:38.02\00:22:41.75
Notice these verses, "But
as many as received Him..."
00:22:41.85\00:22:45.68
As received whom?
00:22:45.71\00:22:46.91
As received Jesus.
00:22:47.24\00:22:49.17
"...to them He gave the right to
become the children of God..."
00:22:49.20\00:22:52.10
So who are the children of God?
00:22:52.13\00:22:53.72
Those who received Jesus.
00:22:54.91\00:22:56.42
So it says, "But as
many as received Him,
00:22:57.69\00:23:01.01
to them He gave the right
to become children of God,
00:23:01.04\00:23:03.84
to those who believe in
His name; who were born,
00:23:03.87\00:23:08.83
not of blood, nor of
the will of the flesh,
00:23:08.86\00:23:11.61
nor of the will of man..."
00:23:11.64\00:23:13.18
But they were born of whom?
00:23:13.21\00:23:15.48
They were born of God.
00:23:15.51\00:23:17.77
So John 14 verse 6
says, Jesus is speaking,
00:23:18.74\00:23:22.83
"I am the way, the
truth, and the life.
00:23:22.86\00:23:25.21
No one comes to
the Father but by Me."
00:23:25.24\00:23:30.50
Incidentally, there's
also only one high priest
00:23:33.38\00:23:36.81
with one breastplate.
00:23:36.84\00:23:38.12
You see all the
oneness that we have here?
00:23:40.34\00:23:42.58
See, Aaron the high priest
in Israel had a breastplate
00:23:44.14\00:23:46.84
with twelve stones.
00:23:46.87\00:23:48.18
The same twelve stars
on the crown of the woman.
00:23:49.33\00:23:51.87
But Jesus also
has the twelve stones.
00:23:53.21\00:23:55.96
But for Jesus, the twelve stones
represent both Old Testament
00:23:55.99\00:23:59.42
Israel and New Testament Israel.
00:23:59.45\00:24:01.74
He doesn't have
two breastplates.
00:24:02.56\00:24:04.50
He has one breastplate.
00:24:05.04\00:24:06.55
He has all of His
people from all dispensations
00:24:06.65\00:24:09.73
very close to His heart.
00:24:09.93\00:24:12.16
So what are the
conclusions that we can reach?
00:24:13.04\00:24:15.56
Preachers today, non-Adventist
preachers, believe just as
00:24:16.95\00:24:21.38
Saul of Tarsus did
before his conversion.
00:24:21.41\00:24:23.94
You say, "What?"
00:24:26.94\00:24:27.99
Absolutely.
00:24:28.44\00:24:29.47
They jump from the Old
Testament to the end times
00:24:29.99\00:24:33.54
and totally bypass Jesus.
00:24:33.57\00:24:35.56
They say that God chose
literal Israel unconditionally
00:24:36.44\00:24:39.79
and irrevocably, and that
all the promises that God made
00:24:39.82\00:24:44.49
to literal Israel must be
fulfilled with literal Israel
00:24:44.52\00:24:48.21
and literal
Jerusalem in the literal temple
00:24:48.24\00:24:50.85
with re-established literal
sacrifices with a literal
00:24:50.88\00:24:54.30
personal antichrist
sitting in the literal temple
00:24:54.33\00:24:57.38
for a literal
three and a half years.
00:24:57.41\00:24:59.43
Literal enemies will
come from the literal north
00:24:59.46\00:25:01.89
and the literal east
wielding literal weapons to wage
00:25:01.92\00:25:04.79
literal war
against literal Jerusalem.
00:25:04.82\00:25:07.27
And all of this
outside of Christ.
00:25:07.30\00:25:10.18
This is not a Christ-centered
interpretation of prophecy.
00:25:13.15\00:25:16.23
This is false prophecy.
00:25:16.75\00:25:18.71
Do you think, folks, that
if Protestants understood this,
00:25:19.66\00:25:23.55
that people like Tony
Palmer would want to have
00:25:23.58\00:25:26.01
any relationship with
the Roman Catholic Church?
00:25:26.04\00:25:28.82
Are you kidding?
00:25:29.02\00:25:30.53
The reason why Protestants
want to join Catholics today
00:25:30.97\00:25:34.40
is because they've
lost the prophetic scenario.
00:25:34.43\00:25:37.67
They've lost the true
interpretation of prophecy.
00:25:38.10\00:25:40.86
They have lost historicism.
00:25:40.89\00:25:42.65
They have lost the
method that would show them
00:25:43.52\00:25:45.95
that the papacy is the power
that sits in the temple of God,
00:25:45.98\00:25:49.43
that the papacy
changed the Sabbath to Sunday.
00:25:49.63\00:25:52.35
They didn't really
change it, but they attempted
00:25:52.88\00:25:54.84
to change the Sabbath to Sunday.
00:25:54.87\00:25:56.43
They would see
that this is the power
00:25:56.69\00:25:58.61
that sits in the temple of
God, and they would understand
00:25:58.71\00:26:01.59
that the nation that is
going to help the papacy
00:26:01.79\00:26:04.35
recover its power, that is going
to make an image of the papacy
00:26:04.38\00:26:07.98
in the sense of
joining church and state,
00:26:08.01\00:26:10.06
is none less than the
United States of America.
00:26:10.09\00:26:12.49
But instead of looking at
prophecy from the perspective
00:26:13.49\00:26:16.73
that we are studying here, they
focus their eyes on the Muslims.
00:26:16.76\00:26:22.01
They say the
enemy are the Muslims.
00:26:22.94\00:26:25.57
Radical Islam, they
say, that is the enemy.
00:26:25.82\00:26:28.80
And we even have some
Adventists who are saying that.
00:26:28.83\00:26:31.01
There's no place in
the spirit of prophecy
00:26:33.59\00:26:35.31
where Ellen White attributes any
role to Islam in the last days.
00:26:35.34\00:26:39.05
Clearly, the Bible and
the spirit of prophecy tell us
00:26:39.74\00:26:42.44
that the enemies will be the
political powers of the world,
00:26:42.54\00:26:45.82
the civil powers of the
world, that are influenced by
00:26:45.85\00:26:49.32
the papacy and
apostate Protestantism
00:26:49.35\00:26:51.82
to persecute God's people.
00:26:51.85\00:26:53.35
It will be a
spiritual war over worship,
00:26:53.38\00:26:55.91
the law, and the Sabbath.
00:26:55.94\00:26:57.69
And this prophetic
scenario hides everything
00:26:58.87\00:27:04.08
so that people can't see it.
00:27:04.71\00:27:06.02
So who's going to
tell the world about it?
00:27:06.05\00:27:08.14
Do you understand now
the purpose of the loud cry?
00:27:11.46\00:27:14.33
The loud cry is to
proclaim this that we're
00:27:15.74\00:27:18.57
studying in this class.
00:27:18.60\00:27:20.10
Calling people out of
Babylon and telling people
00:27:20.75\00:27:22.72
Babylon is fallen,
it's full of demons.
00:27:22.75\00:27:25.11
Who wants to stay in a
system that is full of demons?
00:27:25.87\00:27:28.97
And I know I'm
being explicit and direct.
00:27:30.05\00:27:33.66
But it's the truth.
00:27:33.85\00:27:35.30
And I say it not to be
unkind, but because only the
00:27:36.40\00:27:40.28
truth will make us free.
00:27:40.31\00:27:41.89
Only the truth will
lead us to come out,
00:27:42.54\00:27:44.96
to walk with Jesus,
00:27:45.40\00:27:47.25
and to know what
the true issues are in
00:27:47.48\00:27:49.92
the interpretation
of Bible prophecy.
00:27:49.95\00:27:51.90
Let me read you a
couple of statements here
00:27:53.40\00:27:55.15
from the spirit of
prophecy on Jerusalem.
00:27:56.67\00:28:01.23
You know, there's
people in the world that say,
00:28:02.27\00:28:03.94
"I would like to
travel to the Holy Land."
00:28:04.56\00:28:07.80
Now, don't misunderstand me.
00:28:09.92\00:28:11.28
I believe that there's a place
to take trips to the Holy Land.
00:28:12.71\00:28:15.52
I'll be explicit.
00:28:16.65\00:28:17.68
And you say, "Well
you're speaking contrary
00:28:17.71\00:28:19.67
to Ellen G. White then."
00:28:19.70\00:28:21.12
I don't think so.
00:28:21.36\00:28:22.42
Because what Ellen
White is describing,
00:28:23.04\00:28:24.84
and I'm going to
read it in a moment,
00:28:24.87\00:28:25.96
is people who think that
they can be closer to Jesus
00:28:25.99\00:28:28.89
by going to Israel.
00:28:28.92\00:28:30.38
Because there's like some
influence that is still there.
00:28:31.46\00:28:37.75
And so if I go, Christ somehow
is going to ooze into me.
00:28:38.25\00:28:43.85
And I'm going to have a
deeper spiritual experience.
00:28:44.92\00:28:46.84
If you're going for that reason,
00:28:46.87\00:28:48.46
you're contradicting
the spirit of prophecy.
00:28:48.49\00:28:50.30
But if you're going
for educational purposes,
00:28:50.33\00:28:53.23
I don't think
there's anything wrong with
00:28:54.37\00:28:55.97
going to the Holy Land.
00:28:56.00\00:28:57.21
Are you
understanding what I'm saying?
00:28:57.24\00:28:58.79
Now let me read these two
statements from Ellen White
00:28:59.05\00:29:01.97
which are very interesting.
00:29:02.00\00:29:03.26
Whereas everybody today
is talking about going to the
00:29:03.55\00:29:05.68
Holy Land in Israel,
still the Holy Land...
00:29:05.71\00:29:07.82
I watch these programs on
television, they say, you know,
00:29:07.85\00:29:10.68
"We're taking these
tours to the Holy Land,
00:29:10.71\00:29:12.65
and you'll feel closer
to Jesus in the Holy Land."
00:29:12.68\00:29:15.09
Well let's see what Ellen
White had to say about this.
00:29:15.12\00:29:17.58
Review and
Herald, February 25, 1896.
00:29:18.29\00:29:20.85
This is page 24
of your syllabus.
00:29:20.88\00:29:22.95
Page 24 of your syllabus,
there are two statements there.
00:29:22.98\00:29:26.56
I'll just wait a
moment until you're able to
00:29:29.61\00:29:31.67
retrieve that page, because
these are powerful statements.
00:29:31.70\00:29:35.25
Review and
Herald, February 25, 1896,
00:29:37.05\00:29:39.45
Ellen White states, "Do
not seek to go back to the land
00:29:39.48\00:29:43.45
where Christ's
feet trod ages ago.
00:29:43.48\00:29:46.47
Christ says, 'He that followeth
me shall not walk in darkness,
00:29:47.59\00:29:53.27
but shall have
the light of life.'
00:29:53.49\00:29:55.69
We can know far more of Christ
by following him step by step
00:29:56.35\00:30:00.53
in the work of redemption,
seeking the lost and the
00:30:00.64\00:30:03.97
perishing, than by
journeying to old Jerusalem.
00:30:04.00\00:30:07.76
Christ has taken his
people into his church.
00:30:08.44\00:30:11.44
He has swept away every
ceremony of the ancient type."
00:30:13.43\00:30:17.01
You have some people
say, "Well you still have to
00:30:19.16\00:30:21.15
celebrate the feasts."
00:30:21.18\00:30:22.54
Here, it says that He
swept away ever ceremony.
00:30:24.14\00:30:26.23
Not only the
sacrifices, every ceremony.
00:30:26.26\00:30:28.79
"He has given no
liberty to restore these rites,
00:30:30.26\00:30:33.43
or to substitute
anything that will recall
00:30:34.01\00:30:37.17
the old literal sacrifices.
00:30:37.20\00:30:39.14
The Lord requires of his people
spiritual sacrifices alone.
00:30:39.59\00:30:43.47
Everything pertaining to
his worship is placed under the
00:30:44.21\00:30:47.05
superintendence
of his Holy Spirit.
00:30:47.08\00:30:49.27
Jesus said that the Father
would not send the Holy Spirit
00:30:49.76\00:30:52.55
in his name to teach
his disciples all things..."
00:30:52.58\00:30:55.43
Excuse me, "Jesus said
that the Father would send
00:30:57.15\00:30:59.67
the Holy Spirit in his name to
teach his disciples all things,
00:30:59.70\00:31:03.05
and to bring all
things unto their remembrance
00:31:03.34\00:31:06.11
that he had said unto them."
00:31:06.82\00:31:08.48
And now notice what she says.
00:31:09.35\00:31:11.01
"The curse
rests upon Jerusalem."
00:31:11.37\00:31:13.76
Wow.
00:31:16.16\00:31:17.22
The what?
00:31:17.42\00:31:18.45
"The curse rests upon Jerusalem.
00:31:18.93\00:31:21.36
The Lord has obliterated
those things which men would
00:31:21.61\00:31:25.02
worship in and
about Jerusalem..."
00:31:25.05\00:31:26.75
See, it's talking about
worshipping these things.
00:31:26.78\00:31:30.02
"...yet many hold in reverence
literal objects in Palestine,
00:31:31.19\00:31:37.29
while they neglect to
behold Jesus as their advocate
00:31:37.92\00:31:40.98
in the heaven of heavens."
00:31:41.52\00:31:43.20
Is that clear?
00:31:45.25\00:31:46.40
You will not be closer
to Jesus by going to Israel.
00:31:47.89\00:31:50.54
In fact, Ellen White says
that the land is under a curse.
00:31:52.42\00:31:54.67
I went to Israel
many, many years ago.
00:31:54.70\00:31:57.42
And I was blessed.
00:31:57.94\00:31:59.36
Because it helps you
visualize the places that are
00:32:00.01\00:32:03.25
mentioned in Scripture.
00:32:03.28\00:32:04.54
It makes them
really comes alive.
00:32:04.57\00:32:06.36
But I didn't go there
and think when I was crossing
00:32:06.74\00:32:08.85
the Sea of Galilee, I didn't
say, "Well, you know, maybe
00:32:08.88\00:32:11.47
the presence of
Jesus is still here."
00:32:11.50\00:32:13.68
And I didn't go because
I thought I was going to
00:32:15.39\00:32:17.13
have a closer walk with
the Lord by being in Israel.
00:32:17.16\00:32:20.36
Because Jesus said, "Your house
is left unto you desolate."
00:32:21.43\00:32:24.66
That is a desolate land.
00:32:24.76\00:32:26.27
Now notice the second statement.
00:32:27.69\00:32:29.42
This second statement is longer.
00:32:30.00\00:32:31.53
It comes from, Review
and Herald, June 9, 1896.
00:32:31.56\00:32:35.96
Same year.
00:32:36.46\00:32:37.64
She says, "How many there
are who feel that it would
00:32:38.01\00:32:40.60
be a good thing to tread
the soil of old Jerusalem,"
00:32:40.63\00:32:45.86
now notice, "and that
their faith would be greatly
00:32:46.68\00:32:49.75
strengthened by
visiting the scenes of the
00:32:49.78\00:32:53.30
Saviour's life and death.
00:32:53.33\00:32:54.80
But old Jerusalem will never
be a sacred place until it is
00:32:55.74\00:33:00.39
cleansed by the
refining fire from heaven.
00:33:00.42\00:33:03.16
The darkest blot of
guilt rests upon the city that
00:33:04.04\00:33:07.58
refused the light of Christ.
00:33:07.61\00:33:09.41
Do we want to walk in
the footsteps of Jesus?
00:33:09.95\00:33:13.27
We need not seek out
the paths in Nazareth,
00:33:13.90\00:33:17.67
Bethany, and Jerusalem.
00:33:17.70\00:33:19.67
We shall find the footprints
of Jesus by the sick-bed,
00:33:19.92\00:33:24.45
by the side of suffering
humanity, in the hovels
00:33:24.48\00:33:28.78
of the
poverty-stricken and distressed.
00:33:28.81\00:33:31.63
We may walk in these footsteps,
comforting the suffering,
00:33:31.88\00:33:35.07
speaking words of hope
and comfort to the despondent.
00:33:35.10\00:33:38.30
Doing as Jesus did
when he was upon earth,
00:33:38.33\00:33:41.17
we shall walk in
his blessed steps.
00:33:41.58\00:33:43.92
Jesus said, 'If any
man will come after me,
00:33:44.26\00:33:47.48
let him deny himself,
and take up his cross daily,
00:33:47.88\00:33:51.15
and follow me.'
00:33:51.35\00:33:52.65
When the sin-cursed
earth is purified from every
00:33:53.03\00:33:56.18
stain of sin; when the
Mount of Olives is rent asunder,
00:33:56.21\00:34:00.10
and becomes an immense
plain; when the holy city of God
00:34:00.13\00:34:04.37
descends upon it; the land
that is now called the Holy Land
00:34:04.40\00:34:08.41
will indeed become holy."
00:34:08.44\00:34:10.53
I love that.
00:34:11.72\00:34:12.99
"But God's cause and
work will not be advanced by
00:34:14.20\00:34:16.83
making pilgrimages to Jerusalem.
00:34:16.86\00:34:19.29
The curse of God is upon
Jerusalem for the rejection
00:34:19.92\00:34:22.78
and crucifixion of
his only begotten Son.
00:34:22.81\00:34:25.01
But God will
cleanse away the vile blot.
00:34:25.66\00:34:28.27
The prophet says, 'I saw a
new heaven and a new earth;
00:34:28.60\00:34:31.25
for the first heaven and
the first earth are passed away;
00:34:31.50\00:34:34.32
and the sea is no more.
00:34:34.35\00:34:35.82
And I saw the holy
city, new Jerusalem,
00:34:36.30\00:34:38.15
coming down out
of heaven from God,
00:34:38.18\00:34:40.13
made ready as a bride
adorned for her husband.
00:34:40.23\00:34:42.87
And I heard a great
voice out of the throne saying,
00:34:43.11\00:34:45.74
"Behold, the tabernacle of
God is with men, and he shall
00:34:45.84\00:34:49.29
dwell with them, and
they shall be his peoples,
00:34:49.32\00:34:51.87
and God himself shall be
with them, and be their God.
00:34:52.01\00:34:55.32
And he shall wipe away
every tear from their eyes;
00:34:55.58\00:34:57.70
and death shall be no
more; neither shall there be
00:34:57.73\00:35:00.25
mourning, nor
crying, nor pain, any more:
00:35:00.28\00:35:03.29
the first
things are passed away.
00:35:03.70\00:35:05.55
And he that
sitteth on the throne said,
00:35:05.77\00:35:07.89
'Behold, I make
all things new.'"'"
00:35:08.09\00:35:12.02
What makes a place holy?
00:35:14.59\00:35:16.04
The presence of God.
00:35:17.68\00:35:19.31
The presence of Christ.
00:35:19.65\00:35:21.16
So where is Christ present?
00:35:21.62\00:35:23.47
Where is Christ present today?
00:35:26.51\00:35:28.00
Is He present here?
00:35:29.41\00:35:30.68
He's not present here?
00:35:32.72\00:35:34.09
Is He present here?
00:35:34.59\00:35:35.73
Is He present in your heart?
00:35:36.70\00:35:38.17
Will He be
present at prayer meeting?
00:35:39.30\00:35:40.98
Is He present in every church
where Jesus is worshipped?
00:35:42.82\00:35:45.65
Sure.
00:35:46.70\00:35:47.79
Absolutely.
00:35:48.55\00:35:49.62
So let me ask you,
where is the holy land?
00:35:50.28\00:35:53.83
The holy land is where Jesus is.
00:35:55.25\00:35:57.33
And Jesus is where two or
three are gathered in His name.
00:35:57.36\00:36:00.81
So you don't have to go
to Israel, to the Holy Land,
00:36:02.89\00:36:05.44
to see the
fulfillment of prophecy.
00:36:05.54\00:36:07.10
Prophecy is
fulfilled all over the world
00:36:07.13\00:36:09.50
where there are people
who confess Jesus Christ
00:36:09.60\00:36:12.07
as Savior and Lord.
00:36:12.10\00:36:13.36
It's simple.
00:36:15.47\00:36:16.50
It's not complicated.
00:36:16.89\00:36:18.22
And it is Christ-centered.
00:36:18.83\00:36:20.30
Now we have
about 21 minutes left,
00:36:20.91\00:36:22.85
so let's go to our addendum.
00:36:23.57\00:36:27.01
The addendum.
00:36:27.84\00:36:28.95
The Significance of
the Stoning of Stephen.
00:36:30.60\00:36:33.63
And we'll have to finish this
in our session tomorrow morning,
00:36:33.66\00:36:37.25
our first
session tomorrow morning.
00:36:37.28\00:36:38.76
So I hope that we'll
arrive here bright and early.
00:36:39.61\00:36:42.17
What time?
00:36:42.82\00:36:43.85
No, 8:30.
00:36:45.09\00:36:46.54
Because we want
to start at nine.
00:36:47.42\00:36:48.96
So let's arrive early tomorrow
so that we can finish this
00:36:50.61\00:36:54.57
material on the
stoning of Stephen.
00:36:54.60\00:36:56.23
And then we're going to
go to our next principle.
00:36:56.43\00:36:59.13
We're going to leave
behind the principle of
00:36:59.36\00:37:02.04
Israel in prophecy.
00:37:02.14\00:37:03.51
You know, I debated on
whether to do Ishmael and Isaac
00:37:04.35\00:37:07.53
or the other material that you
are going to fill in the blanks.
00:37:07.56\00:37:10.53
I might still change my mind,
but we're a little bit behind.
00:37:10.56\00:37:14.02
We'll see, but we will
finish this document on the
00:37:14.05\00:37:17.10
stoning of Stephen, Lord
willing, tomorrow morning.
00:37:17.13\00:37:19.25
Now let's begin at the top.
00:37:19.28\00:37:20.65
Did probation for the
Jewish nation end in 31 AD
00:37:21.08\00:37:25.66
when Jesus was crucified?
00:37:25.69\00:37:26.97
That's the question
that we want to ask.
00:37:27.27\00:37:29.56
When did the door of probation
close for the corporate
00:37:30.31\00:37:34.18
Jewish nation?
00:37:34.21\00:37:35.55
Adventists have always
taught that it was with the
00:37:36.21\00:37:39.11
stoning of Stephen in 34 AD.
00:37:39.14\00:37:42.41
But why do we choose
34 AD as the ending point
00:37:43.24\00:37:48.02
of the 70 week prophecy?
00:37:48.05\00:37:50.00
Didn't Jesus say that probation
closed when He left the
00:37:50.49\00:37:53.99
temple for the last time in
the middle of the last week?
00:37:54.02\00:37:57.20
Didn't He say, "Your house
is left unto you desolate."
00:37:57.31\00:37:59.99
It would seem so.
00:38:00.48\00:38:02.21
However, several things must
be taken into consideration.
00:38:02.53\00:38:06.24
First, in the prophecy
of Daniel 9, God promised
00:38:07.16\00:38:12.47
Israel 70 full
weeks of probation.
00:38:12.50\00:38:15.96
Did He not?
00:38:16.28\00:38:17.31
Absolutely.
00:38:17.52\00:38:18.65
So would 31 AD be 70
full weeks of probation?
00:38:19.01\00:38:23.75
No.
00:38:23.78\00:38:24.81
If their probation
ended in the year 31 AD,
00:38:24.93\00:38:28.23
then they did not get the full
70 weeks as God had promised.
00:38:28.59\00:38:32.82
More than once during
His ministry, Jesus stated
00:38:33.51\00:38:37.24
that He was only
sent to the lost sheep
00:38:37.69\00:38:40.15
of the house of Israel.
00:38:40.18\00:38:41.67
That is, His mission was
limited to the Jewish nation,
00:38:42.03\00:38:46.46
because they had been
allotted 70 weeks of probation.
00:38:46.56\00:38:49.55
Are you
understanding that point?
00:38:49.58\00:38:51.04
Jesus was not being exclusive.
00:38:51.38\00:38:53.48
Jesus was simply
saying, "The 70 weeks we gave
00:38:53.58\00:38:56.78
to the Jewish nation.
00:38:56.81\00:38:57.90
Therefore, I'm sent to the lost
sheep of the house of Israel."
00:38:57.93\00:39:01.18
At first sight,
Christ's statement about the
00:39:01.94\00:39:05.14
lost sheep appears to be a
rather calloused statement.
00:39:05.17\00:39:09.02
But upon closer scrutiny, we
can understand what Jesus meant.
00:39:09.22\00:39:13.69
His central mission involved
only the Jews at this point
00:39:14.21\00:39:18.27
because probationary time had
not ended for the Jewish nation.
00:39:18.63\00:39:23.06
Because the 70 weeks had
not come to their conclusion.
00:39:23.09\00:39:26.93
Though the Jews
cried out at His trial,
00:39:28.06\00:39:30.87
"We have no king but Caesar,"
00:39:30.90\00:39:32.76
and, "His blood be
upon us and our children,"
00:39:33.56\00:39:36.23
and, "Release unto us Barabbas,"
00:39:36.85\00:39:39.28
probation did not close
for the corporate Jewish nation
00:39:39.72\00:39:43.66
at that time.
00:39:43.69\00:39:44.90
After the ascension,
Peter explained that Jesus
00:39:45.56\00:39:48.83
sat down at the right
hand of God in order to give
00:39:48.86\00:39:52.59
repentance unto Israel.
00:39:52.62\00:39:54.47
So did probation close
when Jesus was crucified?
00:39:55.47\00:39:57.91
No, because Peter
says that Jesus was seated
00:39:58.01\00:40:00.46
at the right hand of God
to give repentance to Israel.
00:40:00.49\00:40:03.36
How could He give repentance
to Israel if the door of
00:40:03.85\00:40:06.90
probation for them had closed?
00:40:06.93\00:40:08.76
Significantly in the first seven
chapters of the books of Acts,
00:40:09.04\00:40:13.75
the gospel was
preached only to the Jews.
00:40:13.78\00:40:16.92
It was not until chapter 10,
after the stoning of Stephen,
00:40:19.66\00:40:24.68
that the gospel was
preached to the Gentiles.
00:40:25.25\00:40:28.16
This indicates that the
door of mercy was still open
00:40:28.56\00:40:31.84
to the Jewish nation even
after the ascension of Jesus.
00:40:31.87\00:40:35.37
Are you
understanding that point?
00:40:35.40\00:40:36.79
Now in Matthew 23
and verses 32 to 38,
00:40:37.44\00:40:41.25
we find further evidence
that probation did not close
00:40:41.69\00:40:44.93
for the Jewish nation
when Jesus was crucified.
00:40:44.96\00:40:48.24
In these verses, Jesus reached
the climax of His indictment
00:40:48.65\00:40:52.81
against the Jewish leaders.
00:40:52.84\00:40:54.45
In verses 34 to 36,
which we read a while ago,
00:40:54.94\00:40:58.54
Jesus stated...
00:40:58.78\00:41:00.25
And this is just a
few days before His death,
00:41:00.55\00:41:02.53
two or three
days before His death.
00:41:02.56\00:41:04.46
"Therefore, indeed, I send you
prophets, wise men, and scribes.
00:41:04.85\00:41:12.34
Some of them you
will kill and crucify..."
00:41:12.87\00:41:15.66
So is Jesus saying He's
going to send messengers
00:41:15.69\00:41:18.14
to Israel still
after His crucifixion?
00:41:18.17\00:41:20.35
Yes.
00:41:20.38\00:41:21.41
"Some of them you
will kill and crucify,
00:41:21.44\00:41:24.06
and some of them you will
scourge in your synagogues
00:41:24.53\00:41:27.83
and persecute
from city to city..."
00:41:27.86\00:41:30.02
And then only after
that, we find, "...that on you
00:41:30.77\00:41:35.45
may come all the righteous blood
that has been shed on the earth,
00:41:35.56\00:41:38.76
from the blood of righteous
Abel to the blood of Zechariah,
00:41:38.86\00:41:42.35
the son of Berechiah,
whom you murdered between
00:41:42.38\00:41:44.97
the temple and the altar.
00:41:45.00\00:41:46.41
Assuredly, I say to you,
all these things will come
00:41:46.44\00:41:49.72
upon this generation."
00:41:49.75\00:41:51.14
So what is Jesus saying?
00:41:51.17\00:41:52.71
He's saying, "I'm
going to send you..." What?
00:41:52.74\00:41:56.47
"I'm going to send you prophets,
I'm going to send you wise men,
00:41:56.94\00:42:00.01
I'm going to send you scribes.
00:42:00.04\00:42:01.53
And I'll tell you what
you're going to do to them.
00:42:01.99\00:42:03.75
You are going to
kill and crucify some,
00:42:04.17\00:42:06.76
you're going to scourge others,
00:42:06.79\00:42:08.35
and you're going to persecute
others from city to city."
00:42:08.38\00:42:10.93
And only then does
Jesus say, "When you do that,
00:42:10.96\00:42:13.55
then all of the blood will
come upon this generation."
00:42:13.62\00:42:17.43
Are you following me or not?
00:42:17.46\00:42:18.73
So was the door of
probation still open
00:42:19.00\00:42:21.55
even after the crucifixion?
00:42:21.58\00:42:23.24
Yes it was.
00:42:23.44\00:42:24.57
Now don't miss the
point of this passage.
00:42:24.85\00:42:27.71
Even though these
words were spoken by Jesus
00:42:28.08\00:42:31.18
three days before
His crucifixion, He still
00:42:31.80\00:42:34.57
promised to send, the
verbs are in the future tense,
00:42:34.60\00:42:37.85
Israel prophets,
wise men, and scribes.
00:42:38.30\00:42:41.60
And who were these
prophets, wise men, ad scribes?
00:42:41.99\00:42:45.10
We can glean some
clues from what Jesus said
00:42:45.41\00:42:49.64
would be done to them.
00:42:49.67\00:42:51.02
According to
Jesus, some would be what?
00:42:51.48\00:42:55.02
Killed. Others would be?
00:42:55.33\00:42:57.46
Scourged in the synagogues.
00:42:57.71\00:42:59.76
And still others would be
persecuted from city to city.
00:42:59.79\00:43:03.24
Acts 5:40-41 informs us that
Peter and John were scourged
00:43:03.95\00:43:09.31
in the synagogue.
00:43:09.34\00:43:10.77
Saul of Tarsus was
guilty of killing many,
00:43:10.80\00:43:13.60
the most notable
of which was Stephen.
00:43:13.63\00:43:16.50
Noteworthy also is the fact that
Saul of Tarsus later recounted
00:43:16.95\00:43:22.13
that he persecuted
many from city to city.
00:43:22.16\00:43:25.22
Acts 6 verse 3 explains that
the seven deacons were wise men.
00:43:25.82\00:43:30.54
Peter's sermon on
the day of Pentecost
00:43:31.04\00:43:32.76
was a prophetic sermon.
00:43:32.79\00:43:34.53
And his ability to read the
hearts of Ananias and Sapphira
00:43:34.70\00:43:38.42
also reveals that he
possessed the prophetic gift.
00:43:38.65\00:43:41.37
And we shall see shortly that
Stephen was the last prophet
00:43:41.83\00:43:45.31
who ever spoke
to literal Israel.
00:43:45.34\00:43:47.73
So did Jesus fulfill His promise
that He was going to send
00:43:48.31\00:43:50.70
wise men, He was
going to send prophets,
00:43:50.73\00:43:52.83
and He was going to
send messengers to speak
00:43:52.86\00:43:55.92
even after His crucifixion?
00:43:55.95\00:43:57.32
Yes, three and a half
more years Jesus did that.
00:43:57.42\00:44:01.30
Jesus made it
crystal clear in this passage
00:44:01.74\00:44:05.08
that the cup of Israel's
iniquity did not fill up
00:44:05.26\00:44:08.92
until they rejected
the messengers which were
00:44:08.95\00:44:13.21
sent by Jesus to them
after His crucifixion.
00:44:13.24\00:44:17.29
Only then was the
blood of all of the martyrs
00:44:17.32\00:44:20.13
demanded of that generation,
according to verse 35.
00:44:20.16\00:44:24.39
Now Matthew 22:1-10
also provides evidence
00:44:25.32\00:44:29.55
that probation did not
close for the Jewish nation
00:44:29.91\00:44:33.13
when Jesus was crucified.
00:44:33.16\00:44:34.83
In this parable, after
the oxen and fatted cattle
00:44:35.19\00:44:39.39
have been killed...
00:44:39.42\00:44:40.57
And what is represented by
the killing of the animals?
00:44:40.60\00:44:43.15
The death of whom?
00:44:43.92\00:44:45.36
The death of Jesus.
00:44:45.65\00:44:47.11
...God sent out
messengers to invite the Jews
00:44:47.36\00:44:50.03
to His Son's wedding supper.
00:44:50.06\00:44:51.98
But the messengers were ignored,
seized, treated spitefully,
00:44:52.82\00:44:57.86
and killed.
00:44:57.89\00:44:59.33
As a result, God sent
out His armies to destroy
00:44:59.82\00:45:04.60
those murderers
and to burn their city.
00:45:04.63\00:45:07.18
What event was that?
00:45:07.21\00:45:08.48
The destruction of Jerusalem.
00:45:09.52\00:45:11.32
The gospel then went to those
in the highways and byways,
00:45:12.22\00:45:16.09
an expression that is
used to describe the Gentiles.
00:45:16.12\00:45:19.46
Particularly important
here is the fact that the Father
00:45:19.82\00:45:23.05
sent out messengers
to the Jewish nation
00:45:23.08\00:45:25.26
even after the death of Jesus.
00:45:25.50\00:45:27.82
It was only after the
Jews rejected the calls
00:45:28.17\00:45:31.19
of these messengers
that the Father decided
00:45:31.22\00:45:33.77
to destroy them and their city.
00:45:33.80\00:45:35.76
Are you following along?
00:45:35.79\00:45:37.08
Now in Ezekiel
11:22-23, we find a picture of
00:45:37.70\00:45:42.45
God's lingering mercy
for Old Testament Jerusalem
00:45:42.48\00:45:45.99
just before the
Babylonian captivity.
00:45:46.02\00:45:48.39
We took a look
at this a while ago.
00:45:48.42\00:45:50.31
Even though at this point
Jerusalem had been judged,
00:45:50.72\00:45:53.72
and Nebuchadnezzar was on
his way to destroy the city,
00:45:54.11\00:45:57.00
we are told that the Shekinah
left the temple and lingered
00:45:57.47\00:46:02.54
on the Mount of Olives
as if loathed to leave.
00:46:02.57\00:46:06.16
In the same way, when Jesus
left the temple and pronounced
00:46:06.61\00:46:09.13
the awesome words,
"Behold, your house is left
00:46:09.16\00:46:11.52
unto you desolate,"
He did not want to leave.
00:46:11.55\00:46:15.07
We can almost hear Him say,
00:46:15.70\00:46:17.55
"How can I give
you up, oh Israel?"
00:46:17.58\00:46:20.35
Mercy lingered on for
three and a half years.
00:46:20.78\00:46:25.01
Notice that Ellen White
caught this idea very clearly
00:46:25.70\00:46:28.74
in the book, Great
Controversy, page 28.
00:46:28.98\00:46:31.76
It says there, "Through
the preaching of the apostles
00:46:32.81\00:46:35.57
and their associates,
God would cause light
00:46:35.60\00:46:39.55
to shine upon them..."
00:46:39.59\00:46:41.17
That is, upon the Jews.
00:46:41.21\00:46:42.55
"...they would be permitted
to see how prophecy had been
00:46:42.94\00:46:45.99
fulfilled, not only in
the birth and life of Christ,
00:46:46.02\00:46:49.90
but in his death
and resurrection.
00:46:49.93\00:46:52.10
The children were not condemned
for the sins of the parents;
00:46:52.43\00:46:55.91
but when, with a
knowledge of all the light given
00:46:56.10\00:46:59.62
to their parents, the children
rejected the additional light
00:46:59.65\00:47:02.90
granted to themselves,
they became partakers
00:47:02.93\00:47:05.75
of the parents' sins,
and filled up the measure
00:47:05.78\00:47:09.00
of their iniquity."
00:47:09.20\00:47:11.17
Now let's talk about the
ending date for the prophecy
00:47:12.35\00:47:15.55
of the 70 weeks.
00:47:15.58\00:47:17.05
Many have been perplexed
by the apparent absence
00:47:18.24\00:47:22.85
of a clearly defined
ending event for the prophecy
00:47:23.18\00:47:26.75
of the 70 weeks.
00:47:26.78\00:47:28.07
But is such an event
really missing in the
00:47:28.53\00:47:31.04
prophecy of Daniel 9?
00:47:31.07\00:47:32.27
See, in Daniel 9, if you read
the prophecy of the 70 weeks,
00:47:32.30\00:47:35.10
it speaks about, you
know, the coming of the Messiah,
00:47:35.40\00:47:38.96
the anointing of the Messiah,
it speaks about what happens
00:47:38.99\00:47:42.63
at the middle of the last
week, but the prophecy doesn't
00:47:42.73\00:47:46.77
seem to give an ending point.
00:47:46.80\00:47:48.90
There's no event mentioned
in the prophecy of the 70 weeks
00:47:49.83\00:47:53.06
as an ending
point for the 70 weeks.
00:47:53.09\00:47:56.81
We know that the ending
point is the final ending point
00:47:56.84\00:48:00.44
for the Jewish nation as
God's nation to reach out
00:48:00.47\00:48:04.30
to the world with the gospel.
00:48:04.33\00:48:05.53
We know that the ending point
means that probation is closed
00:48:05.56\00:48:10.40
for the Jewish nation
as God's instrument to take
00:48:10.43\00:48:12.58
the gospel to the world.
00:48:12.61\00:48:13.88
But there's no clear
event in Daniel 9 to indicate
00:48:14.51\00:48:18.48
what event marked that moment.
00:48:18.51\00:48:20.68
Apparently.
00:48:21.04\00:48:22.28
Now let's continue here.
00:48:23.50\00:48:24.88
Is such an event really missing
in the prophecy of Daniel 9?
00:48:25.75\00:48:30.70
Seventh-day Adventists
have consistently believed
00:48:31.10\00:48:34.03
that the stoning of
Stephen marked the conclusion
00:48:34.69\00:48:38.11
of the 70 weeks.
00:48:38.14\00:48:39.56
But are we
justified in believing this?
00:48:39.96\00:48:42.70
I believe the biblical
evidence fully vindicates
00:48:43.21\00:48:45.81
the Adventist point of view.
00:48:45.84\00:48:47.27
And why is this?
00:48:47.58\00:48:48.94
A study of Daniel 9:24
indicates that six things
00:48:49.60\00:48:53.91
would be accomplished during
the time period of the 70 weeks.
00:48:53.94\00:48:57.25
One of these was to
seal up vision and prophecy.
00:48:57.76\00:49:01.72
What does this expression mean,
00:49:02.89\00:49:04.40
"to seal up
vision and prophecy?"
00:49:04.43\00:49:07.32
Here comes the
interesting detail.
00:49:08.40\00:49:10.27
The same
expression, "to seal up,"
00:49:10.87\00:49:14.68
is used earlier in this
verse, and is translated,
00:49:15.57\00:49:19.29
"to make an end of sins."
00:49:19.49\00:49:21.81
So in other words,
where it says, "to seal up
00:49:23.92\00:49:26.95
vision and prophecy,"
the translation could be,
00:49:26.98\00:49:30.04
"to end vision and prophecy."
00:49:30.15\00:49:33.23
Because it's the identical word.
00:49:35.11\00:49:36.48
Why, in the same verse,
is it translated in versions,
00:49:36.51\00:49:40.65
"to seal up," in one
place, and in the same verse
00:49:40.68\00:49:44.03
later on it is
translated, "to make an end,"
00:49:44.06\00:49:47.28
when it is the
same Hebrew expression?
00:49:47.68\00:49:50.39
It can be very well
translated, "to make an end of
00:49:50.59\00:49:55.88
vision and prophecy."
00:49:55.91\00:49:57.68
In other words, one of the
accomplishments of the 70 weeks
00:49:58.10\00:50:02.54
was to bring prophecy and vision
to an end for the Jewish nation.
00:50:02.76\00:50:07.26
How and when did this happen?
00:50:07.70\00:50:10.47
When did they receive
the last prophetic vision?
00:50:10.96\00:50:15.59
Careful examination of Acts
6 and 7 reveals that Stephen
00:50:16.48\00:50:21.62
was the last prophet
who was given a vision
00:50:21.85\00:50:26.43
for the nation of Israel.
00:50:26.46\00:50:27.85
Let's take a
look at the evidence.
00:50:28.46\00:50:31.03
In order to
comprehend the significance
00:50:31.59\00:50:33.89
of the events in Acts 6
and 7, we must first understand
00:50:34.52\00:50:38.44
the covenant pattern
in the Old Testament.
00:50:38.47\00:50:40.99
Due principally to the studies
of Old Testament scholars,
00:50:41.71\00:50:45.59
George Mendenhall
and Meredith Kline...
00:50:45.62\00:50:48.86
They are not
Adventists, by the way.
00:50:49.23\00:50:50.85
...we now know that
God's covenant with Israel
00:50:51.05\00:50:53.66
in the Old Testament
follows the same basic pattern
00:50:53.69\00:50:57.65
as the secular Suzerainty
Treaties of the late Bronze Age,
00:50:57.81\00:51:03.45
which is 1550 BC to 1200 BC.
00:51:03.48\00:51:06.84
We will use Joshua 24, which
describes the covenant renewal
00:51:07.44\00:51:11.64
just before Israel
entered the Promised Land,
00:51:11.67\00:51:13.97
to exemplify the
basic components of the
00:51:14.10\00:51:17.70
Old Testament covenant
between God and Israel.
00:51:17.73\00:51:20.26
These are the
elements that covenants contain
00:51:20.29\00:51:22.68
in the time when God
made the covenant with Israel.
00:51:22.78\00:51:24.95
Would you expect God to
use the same method of covenant
00:51:24.98\00:51:28.60
with Israel as with
the surrounding nations?
00:51:28.63\00:51:30.56
Of course.
00:51:30.59\00:51:31.62
He wasn't going to talk to
them in a different language.
00:51:31.67\00:51:33.97
He would use the same
basic structure as He used
00:51:34.00\00:51:36.57
with the other nations.
00:51:36.77\00:51:38.14
Now what do you have in
this covenant structure?
00:51:38.35\00:51:41.10
When a covenant was
made, first of all you have the
00:51:41.57\00:51:43.70
preamble or the introduction.
00:51:43.73\00:51:46.78
Then it's very interesting that
you have a historical prologue.
00:51:47.62\00:51:52.90
In other words, there's a
telling of the historical events
00:51:53.75\00:51:56.90
that God did for Israel.
00:51:57.45\00:51:59.34
The history of Israel
through the time of the conquest
00:51:59.54\00:52:03.43
is portrayed in
chapter 24, the last half of
00:52:03.50\00:52:08.45
verse 2 through verse 13.
00:52:08.48\00:52:10.64
And then you have the
covenant stipulations.
00:52:11.38\00:52:13.72
In other words, the
obligations of the covenant.
00:52:13.75\00:52:16.00
Then you have the
covenant blessings and curses.
00:52:16.50\00:52:19.70
Then you have an oath
of obedience by Israel.
00:52:20.64\00:52:23.89
Then you have
witnesses to the covenant.
00:52:24.74\00:52:28.84
Then you have a
ceremony to ratify the covenant,
00:52:29.39\00:52:32.61
and arrangements for
the covenant to be preserved
00:52:33.20\00:52:36.32
and perpetuated.
00:52:36.35\00:52:37.73
And then the
covenant is notarized.
00:52:38.01\00:52:40.25
If you read Joshua 24, you're
going to find all of those
00:52:40.46\00:52:43.03
elements in the covenant.
00:52:43.06\00:52:44.50
Now when Israel
broke the covenant,
00:52:45.25\00:52:47.63
God sent them prophets to bring
legal proceedings against them.
00:52:48.04\00:52:52.28
It is important to keep
in mind that the prophets
00:52:53.05\00:52:55.46
were God's lawyers bringing a
covenant lawsuit against Israel.
00:52:55.49\00:52:59.90
The proceeding has come to
be knows as a covenant lawsuit.
00:53:00.41\00:53:04.66
Which in Hebrew is, "rib."
00:53:04.75\00:53:08.02
Though there are
several examples of this
00:53:08.50\00:53:10.50
in the Old Testament, we will
take Micah 6 as our example.
00:53:10.53\00:53:15.34
The word, "rib," is
there translated, "contend,"
00:53:15.66\00:53:18.97
or, "controversy."
00:53:19.00\00:53:20.69
So we need to understand,
you know, Israel was unfaithful
00:53:21.49\00:53:24.62
to God, so God sends the
prophets to sue Israel in court.
00:53:24.65\00:53:28.44
That's basically what you have.
00:53:29.66\00:53:31.33
Now when Israel
broke the covenant,
00:53:32.65\00:53:34.88
God sent them then prophets
to carry on legal proceedings.
00:53:35.53\00:53:39.89
Now let's notice the elements
here that we find in Micah 6.
00:53:39.92\00:53:43.84
First of all, there's a
call to the witnesses to give
00:53:44.20\00:53:47.02
ear to the proceedings.
00:53:47.05\00:53:48.26
I hope that you'll
read these chapters,
00:53:48.29\00:53:49.81
because this is just a summary.
00:53:49.91\00:53:51.40
Then you have an introductory
statement of the case at issue,
00:53:52.01\00:53:55.84
the case that is being
brought before the court.
00:53:56.14\00:53:58.36
Then interestingly enough,
you have a recital of the
00:53:59.07\00:54:01.80
Lord's benevolent acts.
00:54:01.83\00:54:03.93
You have a re-enactment
or repetition of how good
00:54:04.30\00:54:07.49
God was to Israel in history.
00:54:07.69\00:54:09.92
Then you have the indictment.
00:54:10.30\00:54:12.24
And after the indictment,
you have the sentence.
00:54:12.44\00:54:17.87
Now you say, "What does
this have to do with Acts 7?"
00:54:18.93\00:54:22.25
You'll see.
00:54:22.28\00:54:23.31
There's something very
important here in Acts 7.
00:54:23.43\00:54:25.50
As will be noticed above, the
recital of God's benevolent acts
00:54:25.90\00:54:30.21
towards Israel was fundamental,
both to the establishment
00:54:30.24\00:54:34.69
of the covenant, and
to the covenant lawsuit.
00:54:34.72\00:54:37.46
Did God recite the
benevolent acts in both?
00:54:38.03\00:54:40.80
Yes He did.
00:54:40.83\00:54:42.08
Something which has
perplexed some Bible students
00:54:42.42\00:54:45.50
is the inordinately
long historical discourse
00:54:45.53\00:54:49.11
which Stephen gave
before the Sanhedrin.
00:54:49.14\00:54:51.44
Did you notice in Acts 7,
he tells the whole history
00:54:52.00\00:54:54.82
of Israel and how God
was so good to Israel.
00:54:54.85\00:54:57.88
In other words, he is
God's lawyer in court.
00:54:58.32\00:55:01.14
The members of
the Sanhedrin were the
00:55:03.32\00:55:05.25
intelligentsia of Israel.
00:55:05.28\00:55:07.37
Why would Stephen presumably
waste his time and theirs
00:55:08.01\00:55:12.55
with the history that
they knew all too well?
00:55:12.58\00:55:15.09
The answer lies in the fact
that Stephen was God's prophet
00:55:15.86\00:55:19.04
bringing God's
covenant lawsuit against Israel.
00:55:19.21\00:55:22.75
And as we shall see
below, this would be God's
00:55:22.99\00:55:26.19
final covenant lawsuit.
00:55:26.22\00:55:28.47
There is an amazing
parallel, and this will be our
00:55:29.14\00:55:31.70
final point,
between the trial of Christ
00:55:31.73\00:55:34.39
and the trial of Stephen.
00:55:34.42\00:55:35.86
Let's notice a few similarities.
00:55:36.20\00:55:38.14
Both were taken
before the Sanhedrin.
00:55:38.40\00:55:40.75
Both were accused
by false witnesses.
00:55:41.08\00:55:43.60
Both reviewed the
history of the Jewish nation.
00:55:43.63\00:55:46.60
Both spoke about God
sending the prophets,
00:55:46.85\00:55:49.36
and finally sending His own Son.
00:55:49.39\00:55:51.45
In both, money was paid as
a bribe to false witnesses.
00:55:51.89\00:55:55.51
Both were accused of speaking
against Moses and the temple.
00:55:55.73\00:55:59.14
Both accused the
Jewish leaders of shutting
00:55:59.40\00:56:01.35
their ears to the
truth about the Messiah.
00:56:01.38\00:56:04.04
Both prayed for God to forgive
the sin of their enemies.
00:56:04.33\00:56:08.20
Both were killed
outside the city.
00:56:08.68\00:56:11.01
The innocence of both
could be seen on their face.
00:56:11.50\00:56:14.34
In both, there
was a mob mentality.
00:56:14.37\00:56:17.21
The Jews are
repeating with Stephen
00:56:17.71\00:56:19.56
what they did with Christ.
00:56:19.85\00:56:21.64
These parallels suggest
that Stephen was repeating
00:56:22.07\00:56:26.05
the experience of Jesus.
00:56:26.08\00:56:27.66
That is to say, what the Jewish
leaders had done with Jesus,
00:56:27.76\00:56:31.50
they were now doing to Stephen.
00:56:31.53\00:56:34.21
This was the last straw.
00:56:34.31\00:56:37.25
Is this making sense?
00:56:38.82\00:56:40.20
Well, you can't miss
the next exciting episode.
00:56:41.23\00:56:43.97
Because our time is up.
00:56:44.56\00:56:46.01
There are incredible
evidences in the book of Acts
00:56:46.54\00:56:50.35
to prove that the
stoning of Stephen
00:56:50.51\00:56:52.51
is the close of
probation for the Jewish nation
00:56:52.61\00:56:55.19
as God's instrument to
carry the gospel to the world.
00:56:55.22\00:56:59.51
Now God carries the gospel
to the world through those
00:56:59.54\00:57:04.29
who have accepted Jesus
Christ as Savior and Lord.
00:57:04.32\00:57:07.32
Israel is global and worldwide.
00:57:07.35\00:57:10.24
And God's Israel is
spiritual Israel, through whom
00:57:10.27\00:57:14.32
God will fulfill His
promises to His people,
00:57:14.35\00:57:18.82
and through which God
will finally fulfill prophecy
00:57:18.85\00:57:22.46
as it appears in the
books of Daniel and Revelation.
00:57:22.49\00:57:26.84
And so we have a lot of
exciting things still to study.
00:57:27.11\00:57:30.30
In our next session we
will finish this document,
00:57:30.69\00:57:34.58
and you'll find
some amazing things.
00:57:34.68\00:57:36.77
And then we will go to
our next prophetic principle,
00:57:36.80\00:57:40.20
which will take
us quite a long time.
00:57:40.47\00:57:42.47
The last few are going to take
us longer than the first ones.
00:57:42.50\00:57:45.65
So I hope to see you
all at the next session.
00:57:45.68\00:57:48.20