Well, I can hardly believe that
we are at lecture number nine
00:00:30.88\00:00:35.40
in the series, The
Bible Or Tradition.
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Once again, I want to
thank you all for coming out
00:00:38.50\00:00:41.22
for lecture number nine,
which is titled, The Acid Test.
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Before we study the
Word of God, we want to pray,
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to ask for the Lord's presence.
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So I invite you to bow
your heads with me as we ask
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God to be with us.
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Father in heaven, we thank
You so much for Your Holy Word.
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We realize that it would be a
terrible thing to live in this
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world without
any divine guidance.
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We wouldn't be able
to explain or understand
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anything that's happening.
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We thank You that in Your
Word you have shown us clearly
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what is
happening, and what will soon
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take place in this world.
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We thank You for Your
Word, which is a sure guide,
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and we ask that as we
study that Word this evening,
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that Your Holy Spirit will
be present with us to help us
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understand that
which You have for us.
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And we thank You for hearing
our prayer, for we ask it in
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Jesus' name, Amen.
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In December of 2010 I
held a series of meetings
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in Karlsruhe, Germany.
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About ten years earlier, I
had held a series of meetings
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in the same city,
actually in the same church.
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And unbeknownst to me, a
non-Adventist, who attended the
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first series of meetings,
also attended the second series
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of meetings as well.
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During the second series
of meetings, on a Wednesday
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evening, the meetings
started on a Sunday night,
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he came up to me and he pointed
at a handbill and he said,
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When are you going to
talk about this topic?
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And he pointed to a section
in the handbill that said,
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What happens when a person dies?
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Now it just so happens that the
pastor of the church had placed
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in that handbill that I
was going to speak about
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the state of the dead.
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But I did not give him that
topic, and so he simply put it
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in there to attract the
attention of the general public.
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And so I told this gentleman
that I was not going to speak
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on that specific
subject, but that if he wished,
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I would be glad to come to
his house and explain to him
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what happens when a person dies.
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And so we set up an
appointment for two days later.
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And in the privacy of his
home the pastor and I met this
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gentleman at the kitchen table.
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Now as we got acquainted,
he shared with us that his wife
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had been a Jehovah's
Witness for many, many years.
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And he had been attending
the Kingdom Hall of the
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Jehovah's Witnesses with
her for those many years.
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But he had never actually become
a member of the Kingdom Hall
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of the Jehovah's Witnesses.
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At some point he told us that he
and his wife had a falling out
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with one of the elders of
the church of the Kingdom Hall,
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and so they quit
attending church.
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Now it's very important for
us to realize, as I continue
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telling this story, that
the Jehovah's Witnesses believe
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very similar to Seventh-day
Adventists when it comes
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to the state of the dead.
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The Jehovah's Witnesses believe
that the dead know not anything
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until the resurrection.
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In other words, they
believe on the state of the dead
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just like
Seventh-day Adventists do.
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And so as we talked there
at his table, he was telling us
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the story about what
had happened to his wife.
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It just so happens that
five months before we arrived
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at his house, his wife
had passed away after a
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devastating bout with cancer.
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They had been married for
a period of twenty-two years,
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and he was disconsolate.
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In fact, as we sat
there at the kitchen table,
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he cried his eyes out,
because he missed her so much.
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Now as we sat there at the
kitchen table, this gentleman
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told us that after his
devastating loss of his wife
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five months earlier, he had
searched for literature to help
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him with his grief
that he was suffering.
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And through the recommendation
of a friend, he came across
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the publications of
Elisabeth Kubler-Ross,
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a Swiss Psychiatrist,
world renowned in her time.
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Now Kubler-Ross's extensive
work with the terminally ill
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had led her to
write a very famous book,
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and that book is
called, On Death and Dying,
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which was
published in the year 1969.
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In this work she spoke
about five stages of grief
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that the
terminally ill go through.
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And those five stages
are: denial, anger, bargaining,
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depression, and
finally acceptance.
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And she showed that
most everybody goes through
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these five stages, not
necessarily everyone in the
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same order, but everybody
experiences, in one sense or
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another these stages.
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Now I remember that I had
the privilege of listening to
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Elisabeth Kubler-Ross in 1972,
speak at a nursing symposium
00:06:08.70\00:06:14.83
at Andrews University, where I
was going to school at the time.
00:06:14.86\00:06:18.47
Now in the late 1970's
Kubler-Ross became interested
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in out-of-body
experiences, and spiritualism.
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In fact, she began experimenting
with the possibility
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of communicating with the dead.
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She came to believe that
reincarnation is compatible
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with Christian doctrine.
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Now as we spoke with this 72
year old gentleman, he described
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how Kubler-Ross's works had
become a great comfort to him
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in his time of grief.
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He told us that he now
believed that when a person died
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they would go
through a dark tunnel.
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And after going through the
dark tunnel, they would come out
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on the other side in a glorious
realm of light, where everything
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was peace, and
everything was love.
00:07:07.22\00:07:10.14
He also told us that his dead
wife had appeared to his friend.
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And, according to the friend,
she had the same appearance,
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and spoke in the same voice,
and relayed a message to him
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that she was in a better place,
and she was enjoying the bliss
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of heaven. Now
what was our response?
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We knew that we had
our work cut out for us.
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And so I formulated a
question to this gentleman.
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I said, More than anything,
I assume that you would want
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to know that your
wife is doing well,
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and that she's
in a better place.
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Is that true? He says,
Of course, that's true!
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Then we showed him, in
the Bible, how God had said
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to Adam and Eve, that
if they ate from the tree
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they would surely die, and how
the devil had said that if they
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ate from the tree
they would not surely die,
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but that they
would live forever.
00:08:09.72\00:08:11.62
We also shared with him
the story of the witch of Endor
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to show Biblically that
the devil can disguise himself
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as departed individuals to try
and deceive those who are alive.
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And we read 2 Corinthians
11, where it says that the devil
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disguises himself
even as an angel of light.
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And then I personally presented
to him a hypothetical case.
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I said, What if your
wife suddenly appeared in
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that doorway over there?
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Lets suppose that she
speaks with the same voice,
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she looks the same, and
she remembers details of the
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times that you spent together,
and she tells you that she
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misses you, but that
she's in a better place.
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Would you believe that
this is your wife because you
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desperately miss her, and
you would like to be with her?
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Would you follow the testimony
of your eyes, and your ears,
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and your heart, and your
feelings, and believe that that
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is your wife because she appears
to be identical to what she was
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during the time
that she was alive?
00:09:19.63\00:09:22.05
This would be a
most trying experience.
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Your eyes, your heart,
your mind, your feelings,
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all tell you that
this is your wife.
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Would you have the
courage to look at that being
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that is appearing before you,
and to say, My heart says that
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you're my wife. My
eyes tell me you're my wife.
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My ears tell me you're my wife.
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My feelings tell me
that you are my wife.
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But the Bible says, The
living know that they will die,
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but the dead know nothing.
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Would you be willing to
go by what the Bible says,
00:09:57.96\00:10:01.15
rather than following
the testimony of your senses,
00:10:01.18\00:10:04.84
and your
emotions, and your feelings?
00:10:04.87\00:10:07.57
Well, his eyes opened wide.
00:10:07.60\00:10:10.45
And for what
seemed to be an eternity,
00:10:10.48\00:10:13.83
there was a period of silence.
00:10:13.86\00:10:16.55
We prayed with
him, ended the meeting,
00:10:16.58\00:10:21.19
and this was on a
Wednesday evening.
00:10:21.22\00:10:24.09
The meetings
ended on Saturday night.
00:10:24.12\00:10:26.14
And he never came back
to any of the meetings.
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I've often wondered what
happened to this gentleman.
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I've wondered whether the
contact that we made with him
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was productive, in the sense
of leading him to think about
00:10:39.28\00:10:44.53
what we had said to him.
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Because, remember,
he had attended the
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Kingdom Hall with his wife.
00:10:48.92\00:10:50.30
And the Jehovah's
Witnesses believe that the
00:10:50.33\00:10:53.37
dead know nothing.
00:10:53.40\00:10:54.43
And so we were simply presenting
the Biblical scenario of what
00:10:54.46\00:10:59.79
happens when a person dies.
00:10:59.82\00:11:01.42
And so I wondered, did this
man perhaps after a period of
00:11:01.45\00:11:08.16
reflection and thought, come to
the conclusion that that was not
00:11:08.19\00:11:13.07
his wife that was
talking to his friend?
00:11:13.10\00:11:15.06
Did he reach the conclusion
that the dead know nothing?
00:11:15.09\00:11:20.22
Now the traditional acid test.
00:11:20.25\00:11:23.94
You've heard of
the acid test, right?
00:11:23.97\00:11:26.12
That's an
expression that we use.
00:11:26.15\00:11:28.15
The traditional acid test is
used to determine if a precious
00:11:28.18\00:11:33.73
metal is gold,
for example, or not.
00:11:33.76\00:11:36.80
And how do you determine
if a precious metal is gold?
00:11:36.83\00:11:40.45
Well, what you do is you take
a small drop of a strong acid,
00:11:40.48\00:11:45.29
such as nitric acid, and you
put a few drops on the surface
00:11:45.32\00:11:51.36
of the metal. Now most
metals that are not precious,
00:11:51.39\00:11:55.47
they will fizzle. In
other words, they will bubble,
00:11:55.50\00:12:00.19
or fizzle. But when you
put nitric acid on gold,
00:12:00.22\00:12:04.21
it doesn't fizzle at all.
00:12:04.24\00:12:06.40
And this is a test that can be
applied to a metal to determine
00:12:06.43\00:12:11.42
whether it is
gold, or it is not gold.
00:12:11.45\00:12:14.36
It is an inexpensive, decisive,
immediate, and simple test
00:12:14.39\00:12:20.27
to distinguish what
might appear to be gold,
00:12:20.30\00:12:23.55
from that which is truly gold.
00:12:23.58\00:12:26.47
You see, you can't
rely on people telling you
00:12:26.50\00:12:30.73
that the metal is gold.
00:12:30.76\00:12:31.79
You can't rely on the idea
that the metal looks like gold.
00:12:31.82\00:12:36.67
You can't rely
on tasting the gold.
00:12:36.70\00:12:39.40
Have you ever noticed
that people sometimes,
00:12:39.43\00:12:41.54
you know, they bite the gold?
00:12:41.57\00:12:43.03
I don't know if
they're able to determine
00:12:43.06\00:12:44.51
it's gold by biting it.
00:12:44.54\00:12:46.48
But, anyway, that is not
the way in which you should
00:12:46.51\00:12:50.22
determine whether
a metal is a precious
00:12:50.25\00:12:53.49
metal of gold or not.
00:12:53.52\00:12:55.32
You can't go by your hunches.
00:12:55.35\00:12:57.72
You can't go by your feelings.
00:12:57.75\00:12:59.48
You can't go by
what your senses say.
00:12:59.51\00:13:01.99
You must apply an external
test that will give you absolute
00:13:02.02\00:13:07.70
certainty that
that is really gold.
00:13:07.73\00:13:10.55
If you don't, you might
just purchase fools gold.
00:13:10.58\00:13:16.81
And you know fools gold
is actually counterfeit gold.
00:13:16.84\00:13:22.16
It has absolutely no value.
00:13:22.19\00:13:24.54
Now the Bible tells us that
the devil is going to attempt
00:13:24.57\00:13:28.40
to deceive the world at the
end of time, by getting them
00:13:28.43\00:13:32.10
to follow their senses,
their feelings, their emotions,
00:13:32.13\00:13:36.33
and their ears,
instead of following what God
00:13:36.36\00:13:40.04
says in His Holy Word.
00:13:40.07\00:13:41.59
Lets read several verses in
Scripture where we are told that
00:13:41.62\00:13:45.78
the devil is going to attempt
to deceive the whole world
00:13:45.81\00:13:48.89
with signs and wonders
that appeal to the senses,
00:13:48.92\00:13:53.08
and to the
feelings and the emotions.
00:13:53.11\00:13:55.97
Lets begin with Matthew
24: 23-25, Matthew 24:23-25.
00:13:56.00\00:14:04.41
Here Jesus is speaking about end
time events, and He says this:
00:14:04.44\00:14:09.04
What is the purpose of
the great signs and wonders?
00:14:25.75\00:14:28.04
And then Jesus says:
00:14:33.25\00:14:35.36
In other words Jesus is saying,
I've told you this beforehand
00:14:37.94\00:14:41.23
so that you will not be what? so
that you will not be deceived.
00:14:41.26\00:14:44.83
The devil is planning to
perform great signs and wonders.
00:14:44.86\00:14:48.58
Among those signs and wonders
is what is called spiritualism.
00:14:48.61\00:14:53.51
Notice also Revelation 16:13,
14, where we are told that the
00:14:53.54\00:14:58.68
devil is going to use signs
and wonders to gather the whole
00:14:58.71\00:15:01.27
world on his side in
the final controversy.
00:15:01.30\00:15:04.11
It says there in
Revelation 16:13:
00:15:04.14\00:15:07.36
And what is the purpose of
these signs? It is to what?
00:15:25.87\00:15:29.60
It is to gather them
against the government of God,
00:15:34.88\00:15:38.59
and against God's people.
00:15:38.62\00:15:39.96
So we're told that this
three-fold union: the dragon,
00:15:39.99\00:15:44.45
the beast, and
the false prophet,
00:15:44.48\00:15:45.91
which we're not going to
study in this particular series;
00:15:45.94\00:15:49.21
we've studied in other series.
00:15:49.24\00:15:50.75
They are going to perform signs
and wonders, with the intent of
00:15:50.78\00:15:55.07
deceiving the human
race, and gathering everyone
00:15:55.10\00:15:58.40
on the devil's side.
00:15:58.43\00:15:59.78
And then, of course,
we have Matthew 7:21-23.
00:15:59.81\00:16:03.31
You might be saying, Well, these
are going to be secular people
00:16:03.34\00:16:05.92
that are going to be
doing these signs and wonders.
00:16:05.95\00:16:07.72
You know, they're
not religious people.
00:16:07.75\00:16:09.02
They certainly
cannot be Christians.
00:16:09.05\00:16:11.49
Are they Christians?
00:16:11.52\00:16:13.32
Notice what we find in Matthew
7:21-23, Matthew 7:21-23.
00:16:13.35\00:16:19.76
Here Jesus is speaking. It says:
00:16:19.79\00:16:23.01
Are these Christians that
Jesus is talking about? Sure!
00:16:33.45\00:16:37.91
Because a non-Christian
would not call Jesus Lord, Lord.
00:16:37.94\00:16:41.00
Now notice what it
continues saying in verse 22.
00:16:41.03\00:16:44.04
Are these people who claim
the name of Jesus? Yes! Notice:
00:16:51.31\00:16:56.79
These are supposed Christians.
00:17:05.97\00:17:08.15
Or it could be translated,
You transgressors of the law.
00:17:16.91\00:17:20.89
So you have here Christians, in
the end time, that are going to
00:17:20.92\00:17:24.93
be prophesying, they're
going to be casting out demons,
00:17:24.96\00:17:27.95
they're going to be
performing signs and wonders.
00:17:27.98\00:17:31.57
And so people are going
to say, Oh, this certainly
00:17:31.60\00:17:34.20
has to be from God.
00:17:34.23\00:17:35.58
But Jesus says,
I never knew them.
00:17:35.62\00:17:38.60
Because they
practiced what? lawlessness.
00:17:38.63\00:17:42.46
In other words, they were
transgressors of God's Holy Law,
00:17:42.49\00:17:46.14
the ten commandments.
00:17:46.17\00:17:47.42
So the big question that we need
to ask is this, How can we keep
00:17:47.45\00:17:52.69
from being deceived
in this final conflict?
00:17:52.72\00:17:55.61
The answer, folks, is
that we need a detector outside
00:17:55.64\00:18:01.06
ourselves that can show us
what is true and what is false.
00:18:01.09\00:18:05.82
We need an external standard
outside of us in order to
00:18:05.85\00:18:10.87
determine what is right,
what is wrong, what is true,
00:18:10.90\00:18:14.51
and what is
false, what is genuine,
00:18:14.54\00:18:17.15
and what is a counterfeit.
00:18:17.18\00:18:19.31
You cannot trust
anything inside of you.
00:18:19.34\00:18:21.72
You cannot trust your eyes.
00:18:21.75\00:18:23.34
You cannot trust your ears.
00:18:23.37\00:18:24.91
You cannot trust your touch.
00:18:24.94\00:18:26.56
You cannot trust your feelings,
your heart, your emotions,
00:18:26.59\00:18:30.60
your intuitions. None
of that can you trust;
00:18:30.63\00:18:33.31
no internal standards.
00:18:33.34\00:18:35.63
We have to have an external
standard like nitric acid,
00:18:35.66\00:18:39.93
to test things to find
out if they are really of God.
00:18:39.96\00:18:43.76
Our only safeguard, folks, at
the end of time will be the same
00:18:43.79\00:18:48.92
safeguard that God gave Adam
and Eve in the garden of Eden.
00:18:48.95\00:18:52.66
You see, the devil is going to
do at the end time what he did
00:18:52.69\00:18:55.54
at the very beginning.
00:18:55.57\00:18:56.60
There is nothing
new under the sun!
00:18:56.63\00:18:58.70
So we need to go back to
the beginning to understand how
00:18:58.73\00:19:02.50
the devil deceived Adam and Eve.
00:19:02.53\00:19:04.00
And then we'll know how the
devil is going to attempt to
00:19:04.03\00:19:06.80
deceive the world at the end
of time, because the devil said
00:19:06.83\00:19:09.43
that it worked back then,
so why won't it work again?
00:19:09.46\00:19:12.76
So I want you to go
with me to Genesis 2:15-17,
00:19:12.79\00:19:18.20
Genesis 2:15-17.
00:19:18.23\00:19:21.40
Now who is
setting the standard here?
00:19:44.93\00:19:48.12
Who is telling Adam and Eve
what is right and what is wrong?
00:19:48.15\00:19:51.28
Is it their heart?
00:19:51.31\00:19:52.78
Is it their
eyes? Is it their ears?
00:19:52.81\00:19:55.30
Or is it an external source,
God saying, This is right,
00:19:55.33\00:19:58.89
and this is wrong?
00:19:58.92\00:19:59.95
Eating from all of
the trees, that's right.
00:19:59.98\00:20:01.60
Eating from this
tree would be sin.
00:20:01.63\00:20:03.75
It would be wrong.
00:20:03.78\00:20:04.84
The standard is not inside them
to know what good and evil are,
00:20:04.87\00:20:10.13
it is a
standard outside of them.
00:20:10.16\00:20:12.78
God is the One who
is giving them the rule.
00:20:12.81\00:20:16.06
He's saying, Obey My Word.
00:20:16.09\00:20:19.23
But then the devil comes to Eve.
00:20:19.26\00:20:22.36
And then, later, we're going
to notice that he comes to Adam.
00:20:22.39\00:20:25.16
Lets go to Genesis
3:1-6, Genesis 3:1-6.
00:20:25.19\00:20:30.78
We're going to find that the
devil used five methods at the
00:20:30.81\00:20:35.32
beginning to lead Adam
and Eve astray from God.
00:20:35.35\00:20:39.40
You know, God had spoken.
00:20:39.43\00:20:40.84
Was this a simple test?
00:20:40.87\00:20:42.61
Was it a test that was
easy to understand? Yeah!
00:20:42.64\00:20:45.60
God said, His Word was,
Don't eat from the tree.
00:20:45.63\00:20:48.83
Adam and Eve simply should
have said, Well, eating from the
00:20:48.86\00:20:52.55
tree is wrong, and so we'll
just eat from the other trees.
00:20:52.58\00:20:55.48
They should have
obeyed the external
00:20:55.51\00:20:57.37
standard that God had set.
00:20:57.40\00:20:58.96
But now notice Genesis 3:1.
00:20:58.99\00:21:01.99
Question, do
serpents speak? Of course not!
00:21:11.60\00:21:16.14
Would it be a miracle for a
serpent to speak? Of course!
00:21:16.17\00:21:20.72
The devil is using a serpent,
and apparently giving it
00:21:20.75\00:21:26.21
the quality of speech.
00:21:26.24\00:21:28.33
But really the devil
is using ventriloquism.
00:21:28.36\00:21:31.92
This is the first
ventriloquist of history.
00:21:31.95\00:21:34.52
But he's performing
a counterfeit miracle,
00:21:34.55\00:21:37.51
because an animal is
speaking; a serpent is speaking.
00:21:37.54\00:21:41.12
So the first
method of the devil is to
00:21:41.15\00:21:43.75
perform counterfeit miracles.
00:21:43.78\00:21:45.80
Now notice what
it continues saying.
00:21:45.83\00:21:48.52
Now is he going
to quote God now?
00:21:54.27\00:21:56.57
Is he going to
quote what God said? Yes.
00:21:56.60\00:21:59.28
Actually, he's going
to misquote God's Word.
00:21:59.31\00:22:01.76
The second method that the devil
uses is to misquote God's Word.
00:22:01.79\00:22:07.38
He doesn't quote it
the way God said it.
00:22:07.41\00:22:09.91
His purpose is to
misquote the Word.
00:22:09.94\00:22:12.37
Notice what it continues saying:
00:22:12.40\00:22:14.62
Is that what God had said? No.
00:22:24.32\00:22:28.05
But is the serpent
claiming to quote God?
00:22:28.08\00:22:30.79
He's claiming to quote
God, but he's misquoting God.
00:22:30.82\00:22:34.23
Do you think the devil is
going to use misquoting God's
00:22:34.26\00:22:37.71
Holy Word, and changing
God's Word at the end of
00:22:37.74\00:22:40.13
time to deceive? Absolutely!
00:22:40.16\00:22:42.40
Now, do you know the reason
why the devil misquoted God?
00:22:42.43\00:22:45.68
Because he knew that
Eve was going to correct it.
00:22:45.71\00:22:48.34
He wanted to
start a conversation.
00:22:48.37\00:22:50.57
See, when somebody
mentions something that you know
00:22:50.60\00:22:54.35
is wrong, what is
your first reaction?
00:22:54.38\00:22:55.96
You say, No, no, no,
no, that's not what He said.
00:22:55.99\00:22:58.70
And so the devil knows
that if he misquotes God's Word,
00:22:58.73\00:23:02.41
immediately Eve is going to
say, That's not what God said.
00:23:02.44\00:23:05.82
And then you would have
the beginning of a what?
00:23:05.85\00:23:08.91
of a conversation.
00:23:08.94\00:23:10.36
And the serpent, the devil,
wanted to converse with Eve
00:23:10.39\00:23:13.62
because he knew that if
he could converse with Eve,
00:23:13.65\00:23:16.26
he would be able
to get into her head.
00:23:16.29\00:23:18.28
Now notice then, first
method the devil uses is
00:23:18.31\00:23:22.33
a counterfeit miracle.
00:23:22.36\00:23:23.76
Second method he uses
is to quote God's Word,
00:23:23.79\00:23:26.90
but he misquotes God's Word.
00:23:26.93\00:23:28.68
Now the third method
that the devil uses is
00:23:28.71\00:23:32.13
the most trying of all.
00:23:32.16\00:23:33.54
Lets go once
again to Genesis 3:1.
00:23:33.57\00:23:36.53
And now comes the
correction from the woman.
00:23:46.61\00:23:49.33
And now she adds to God's Word,
because she's trying to defend
00:24:01.12\00:24:05.22
the honor of God. So she says:
00:24:05.25\00:24:07.65
And it says in Patriarchs and
Prophets that when she said that
00:24:13.75\00:24:16.68
the serpent plucked the
fruit and put it into her hand
00:24:16.71\00:24:18.97
and said, Are you dead?
00:24:19.00\00:24:20.37
Because she said that God
had said that if she touched it,
00:24:20.40\00:24:25.29
she would die. God had not said
that they couldn't touch it.
00:24:25.32\00:24:27.77
God said that
they could not what?
00:24:27.80\00:24:30.32
that they could not eat it.
00:24:30.35\00:24:31.96
And so now we notice the third
method that the devil used.
00:24:31.99\00:24:36.63
Verse 4.
00:24:36.66\00:24:37.69
Now lets think a little
bit about what the serpent
00:24:44.59\00:24:47.93
is saying to the woman.
00:24:47.96\00:24:48.99
What is the
serpent saying about God?
00:24:49.02\00:24:51.27
God is a what? God is a liar.
00:24:51.30\00:24:55.97
What do you suppose the
first thought of Eve was?
00:24:56.00\00:24:59.01
God is a liar. So
why did He lie? Right?
00:24:59.04\00:25:04.59
Wouldn't that be the
question in her mind?
00:25:04.62\00:25:06.46
See the devil is
planting the question.
00:25:06.49\00:25:08.27
See, you're not going to die.
00:25:08.30\00:25:10.70
And so Eve now is thinking,
okay, if we're not going to die,
00:25:10.73\00:25:14.94
then why did God tell us
that we were going to die?
00:25:14.97\00:25:17.30
I want to know! And so
now you have the third method.
00:25:17.33\00:25:22.25
The devil is now
going to play games.
00:25:22.28\00:25:24.14
He's going to lead her,
he's going to lead her to reason
00:25:24.17\00:25:27.08
independently of God.
00:25:27.11\00:25:28.49
He's going to try and
explain things that God
00:25:28.52\00:25:32.21
had not explained.
00:25:32.24\00:25:33.47
God didn't say why they
couldn't eat from the tree.
00:25:33.50\00:25:35.63
He simply said, Don't eat!
00:25:35.66\00:25:37.43
He didn't say that the
tree has, the fruit is poison,
00:25:37.46\00:25:40.39
or anything. God
said simply, Don't eat.
00:25:40.42\00:25:43.07
God gave no explanations.
00:25:43.10\00:25:44.43
So the devil says, I'm going
to give you an explanation.
00:25:44.46\00:25:46.81
And notice what he says.
00:25:46.84\00:25:48.27
Verse 5.
00:25:49.93\00:25:50.96
I'm going to give
you the reason now.
00:25:52.17\00:25:53.98
In other words, God
wants you to be what?
00:26:00.81\00:26:03.36
He wants you to be blind.
00:26:03.39\00:26:05.66
You're blind! He
wants blind service.
00:26:05.69\00:26:08.06
He didn't explain
things to you, did He?
00:26:08.09\00:26:09.69
And what is
happening with Eve's mind?
00:26:09.72\00:26:12.40
Her mind is working overtime.
00:26:12.43\00:26:15.47
Her reasoning powers
are working overtime.
00:26:15.50\00:26:18.26
And she says, I
want to know more.
00:26:18.29\00:26:19.90
What has God
been hiding from us?
00:26:19.93\00:26:22.09
God knows something that
He doesn't want us to know.
00:26:22.12\00:26:26.18
He wants us to be blind!
00:26:26.21\00:26:27.28
What is it? is what her
reasoning powers are screaming.
00:26:27.31\00:26:30.96
So it says in verse 5:
00:26:30.99\00:26:32.13
What is the devil telling Eve?
00:26:42.07\00:26:45.39
He's saying, Eve,
and he's hinting at this.
00:26:45.42\00:26:50.54
He's saying, Eve, do
you know how God became God?
00:26:50.57\00:26:53.94
By eating from the fruit of
this tree, He got His powers.
00:26:53.97\00:26:58.53
But after He ate from the tree,
and He discovered that this tree
00:26:58.56\00:27:02.52
makes a person God, He
didn't want any rivals.
00:27:02.55\00:27:06.39
He didn't want any competition.
00:27:06.42\00:27:07.89
And so from that point on He
told everyone that if they ate
00:27:07.92\00:27:13.03
from the tree,
they were going to die.
00:27:13.06\00:27:14.46
But God's concern was not
that they were going to die,
00:27:14.49\00:27:17.53
God's concern was that
He would have some rivals
00:27:17.56\00:27:20.29
just like Him. Are
you following me or not?
00:27:20.32\00:27:23.21
In other words, Eve
is now saying, Ah ha!
00:27:23.24\00:27:27.21
Now I have my reason!
00:27:27.24\00:27:28.60
God didn't say why we
shouldn't eat from the tree.
00:27:28.63\00:27:31.99
Now I know! God is selfish!
00:27:32.02\00:27:33.81
God is lying to us.
00:27:33.84\00:27:35.06
God wants us to be blind.
00:27:35.09\00:27:36.60
God doesn't want
us to be like Him!
00:27:36.63\00:27:40.24
Are you following me?
00:27:40.27\00:27:42.85
And so what is the devil doing?
00:27:42.88\00:27:45.27
He's leading Eve to
reason, and to use her logic
00:27:45.30\00:27:49.39
independently of God.
00:27:49.42\00:27:50.66
But now notice the devil says
that she is going to be like
00:27:50.69\00:27:54.27
God in a certain way.
00:27:54.30\00:27:55.33
Let me ask you, who
defines good and evil?
00:27:55.36\00:27:58.25
Where do we get our
definition of good and evil?
00:27:58.28\00:28:01.24
Is that something that
you find in your heart,
00:28:01.27\00:28:02.83
and in your brain?
00:28:02.86\00:28:04.03
Your brain tells you
what's good and evil.
00:28:04.06\00:28:05.51
Your heart tells you
what's good and evil.
00:28:05.54\00:28:07.42
You can determine
what's good and evil.
00:28:07.45\00:28:09.29
No, no, no, no! Who
defines good and evil?
00:28:09.32\00:28:11.76
God did. He said, You eat from
all of the trees; that's good.
00:28:11.79\00:28:15.48
Not from this tree; that's
evil if you eat from this tree.
00:28:15.51\00:28:18.63
God defined good and evil.
00:28:18.66\00:28:19.81
It's a source outside of
us that defines good and evil.
00:28:19.84\00:28:24.49
But what does
the devil say to Eve?
00:28:24.52\00:28:26.98
He says, You will be like
God, knowing good and evil.
00:28:27.01\00:28:30.26
In other words, you don't
have to depend on God to know
00:28:30.29\00:28:33.74
what is good, and what is evil.
00:28:33.77\00:28:35.76
You can know that on your
own because you will be God.
00:28:35.79\00:28:39.76
So the third method that the
devil is using is he's playing
00:28:39.79\00:28:44.03
mental games with Eve.
00:28:44.06\00:28:45.55
He's possessing
her reasoning powers.
00:28:45.58\00:28:48.02
He's using logic so
that she'll follow her logic
00:28:48.05\00:28:51.28
instead of
following the Word of God.
00:28:51.31\00:28:52.60
And then I want you to
notice what the fourth method
00:28:52.63\00:28:55.17
that the devil uses.
00:28:55.20\00:28:56.23
It says in verse 6:
00:28:56.26\00:28:58.68
Are her eyes involved? Yes.
00:29:00.50\00:29:02.58
Were her ears involved to
this point? Yes. So it says:
00:29:02.61\00:29:06.95
What sense is involved there?
00:29:10.93\00:29:12.41
Her taste. That's right!
00:29:12.44\00:29:14.95
What sense is being
involved there? Her touch.
00:29:22.97\00:29:26.02
So what is the devil using?
00:29:29.04\00:29:31.47
He's leading Eve to follow
the testimony of her what?
00:29:31.50\00:29:34.95
of her senses. Of her senses.
00:29:34.98\00:29:39.48
And then I want you
to notice the last method
00:29:39.51\00:29:42.56
that the devil uses.
00:29:42.59\00:29:43.65
In verse 6, at the
end of the verse it says:
00:29:43.68\00:29:47.35
Let me ask you, does
the devil use other people
00:29:52.16\00:29:55.25
to lead other
people astray? Absolutely!
00:29:55.28\00:29:58.27
And so the devil
used five methods:
00:29:58.30\00:30:00.72
1. A counterfeit miracle.
00:30:00.75\00:30:03.10
2. A misuse of Scripture.
00:30:03.13\00:30:05.50
3. A perversion of human reason.
00:30:05.53\00:30:08.59
4. Leading people to follow
the testimony of their senses.
00:30:08.62\00:30:12.47
5. Use another person
to lead a person into sin.
00:30:12.50\00:30:18.59
Let me ask you, what was
the only protection for Eve,
00:30:18.62\00:30:21.51
and for Adam at that point?
00:30:21.54\00:30:23.17
Their only protection was to
do what God said in His Word.
00:30:23.20\00:30:28.26
In other words, it was to ignore
all of those things and to say,
00:30:28.29\00:30:33.16
God said that we should not eat.
00:30:33.19\00:30:36.46
And we live by every
word that proceeds out
00:30:36.49\00:30:40.41
of the mouth of God.
00:30:40.44\00:30:41.67
Is the devil going to use these
same methods at the end of time?
00:30:41.70\00:30:45.54
You'd better believe he is!
00:30:45.57\00:30:47.31
Is the devil going to
use miracles? Yes, he is.
00:30:47.34\00:30:51.68
Is he going to misuse Scripture?
00:30:51.71\00:30:54.53
Is he going to lead
people to misuse Scripture,
00:30:54.56\00:30:56.80
to twist the Scriptures, to add
and to take away from Scripture?
00:30:56.83\00:31:00.18
Absolutely! Is the devil going
to lead people to follow their
00:31:00.21\00:31:03.53
reasoning powers,
their logic? Yes, he is.
00:31:03.56\00:31:06.36
Is he going to lead people
to follow the testimony of their
00:31:06.39\00:31:09.20
senses: what they see,
what they feel, what they hear,
00:31:09.23\00:31:11.84
their taste? Absolutely!
00:31:11.87\00:31:13.67
And is he going to lead people
to lead other people astray?
00:31:13.70\00:31:16.80
He most certainly is.
00:31:16.83\00:31:18.03
The same methods that
worked at the beginning,
00:31:18.06\00:31:21.38
the devil is
going to use at the end.
00:31:21.41\00:31:24.29
Now the great detector, in other
words, that God has given us,
00:31:24.32\00:31:29.34
is His Word; pure and simple.
00:31:29.37\00:31:33.54
And yet today people
accept all kinds of authorities
00:31:33.57\00:31:38.15
in place of the Bible.
00:31:38.18\00:31:39.26
Things such as science,
philosophy, feelings, emotions,
00:31:39.29\00:31:45.88
signs and wonders,
tradition, what others say
00:31:45.91\00:31:50.58
among other things; all sorts of
standards other than the clear,
00:31:50.61\00:31:56.34
simple Word of God.
00:31:56.37\00:31:58.55
And, by the way, some
of our own theologians
00:31:58.58\00:32:01.01
in the Seventh-day Adventist
Church today are saying that
00:32:01.04\00:32:04.08
the Bible was fine
for a pre-scientific
00:32:04.11\00:32:07.17
simplistic society.
00:32:07.20\00:32:09.03
But today we have far
more light, and we're far more
00:32:09.06\00:32:12.49
educated than those
individuals who wrote Scripture.
00:32:12.52\00:32:16.57
Ellen White made this sobering
statement about what our source
00:32:16.60\00:32:21.11
of authority should be.
00:32:21.14\00:32:22.32
In The Great
Controversy, page 595, she says:
00:32:22.35\00:32:25.49
Jesus faced Satan's attacks in
the wilderness by it is written.
00:33:10.13\00:33:15.37
He did not follow His feelings,
His emotions, His appetite,
00:33:15.40\00:33:19.24
His senses. He simply said, I
live by every word that proceeds
00:33:19.27\00:33:23.90
out of the mouth of God.
00:33:23.93\00:33:25.23
In The Great Controversy,
page 593, Ellen White expresses
00:33:25.26\00:33:30.56
what the final
delusion will involve. She says:
00:33:30.59\00:33:33.06
Listen carefully to this now.
00:33:42.02\00:33:45.04
So what is our source
of authority at the end?
00:34:03.89\00:34:07.66
It is God's written
Word, pure and simple.
00:34:07.69\00:34:13.44
A thus saith the Lord.
00:34:13.47\00:34:15.92
Now one of the doctrines that we
especially need to uphold from
00:34:15.95\00:34:20.37
Scripture is the doctrine
of the state of the dead.
00:34:20.40\00:34:23.33
Isaiah 8:19 is a
very well known verse
00:34:23.36\00:34:29.26
among Seventh-day
Adventists. It says:
00:34:29.29\00:34:31.65
We're very well acquainted
with that particular verse.
00:34:39.31\00:34:42.18
But have you read
verse 19, the verse that
00:34:42.21\00:34:44.69
comes immediately before?
00:34:44.72\00:34:45.85
Why does it say, to the
law and to the testimony?
00:34:45.88\00:34:48.71
Who is referred to when it says,
If they do not speak according
00:34:48.74\00:34:53.92
to this word
there's no light in them?
00:34:53.95\00:34:55.55
Actually, lets read
verse 19, and see who they are.
00:34:55.58\00:34:59.66
It says in verse 19:
00:34:59.69\00:35:04.92
What are mediums?
People who claim to be able to
00:35:10.05\00:35:14.13
communicate with what?
00:35:14.16\00:35:15.19
With the dead, that's right.
00:35:15.22\00:35:16.79
And then you have that verse,
to the law and to the testimony.
00:35:31.88\00:35:35.23
If they speak not according
to this word, it is because
00:35:35.26\00:35:39.30
there is no light in them.
00:35:39.33\00:35:40.96
Now the law would be the
writings of Moses at this point.
00:35:40.99\00:35:44.67
And the testimony would be
the writings of the prophets
00:35:44.70\00:35:47.18
that have
written up to that point.
00:35:47.21\00:35:48.84
Because the testimony of
Jesus is the Spirit of Prophecy.
00:35:48.87\00:35:52.04
So what Isaiah is saying is that
everything needs to be tested
00:35:52.07\00:35:56.95
by the written Word of God.
00:35:56.98\00:36:00.24
Now there are two
doctrines that are corollaries
00:36:00.27\00:36:04.21
among apostate churches today.
00:36:04.24\00:36:07.01
The first of these is
the immortality of the soul,
00:36:07.04\00:36:10.56
and the second is spiritualism.
00:36:10.59\00:36:13.29
These two
doctrines are interconnected.
00:36:13.32\00:36:16.27
It used to be that Christian
churches believed in the
00:36:16.30\00:36:20.54
immortality of the soul,
but they rejected the idea
00:36:20.57\00:36:24.11
that the dead can
communicate with the living.
00:36:24.14\00:36:26.29
But this has
changed in recent years.
00:36:26.32\00:36:29.76
It was only a matter of
time until churches went from
00:36:29.79\00:36:34.13
point A to point B; from the
idea of the immortality of the
00:36:34.16\00:36:37.74
soul, to the
possibility that the dead can
00:36:37.77\00:36:40.67
communicate with the living.
00:36:40.71\00:36:42.02
There are notable Christian
leaders today who believe in
00:36:42.05\00:36:47.87
OBE's, that is out of
body experiences, as proof
00:36:47.90\00:36:51.68
that there is life after death.
00:36:51.71\00:36:53.12
And there are those
who believe in NDE's,
00:36:53.15\00:36:56.48
which is near death experiences.
00:36:56.51\00:36:58.65
And they use this as
proof that really it is possible
00:36:58.68\00:37:03.75
for the dead to
communicate with the living.
00:37:03.78\00:37:06.23
They also use evidence from
parapsychology, that so-called
00:37:06.26\00:37:11.21
science which supposedly has
proven that there is something
00:37:11.25\00:37:16.17
communicating from the
netherworld with those who
00:37:16.20\00:37:19.29
live in this world.
00:37:19.32\00:37:20.45
And, incidentally, you know
that most people in the world
00:37:20.48\00:37:23.38
today believe that
angels are the spirits
00:37:23.41\00:37:25.66
of departed
relatives who have died.
00:37:25.69\00:37:28.88
The Bible tells us that
the angels existed before
00:37:28.91\00:37:31.84
the creation of the world.
00:37:31.87\00:37:32.90
They are not the
spirits of the dead that come
00:37:32.93\00:37:35.19
back to this world.
00:37:35.22\00:37:36.25
The Bible tells us that
the angels were created by God
00:37:36.28\00:37:39.39
before human beings.
00:37:39.42\00:37:40.87
And yet in the Christian world
today, the idea is that the
00:37:40.91\00:37:44.44
angels are human beings
that died, and their spirits are
00:37:44.47\00:37:47.97
coming back to help
us here on this earth.
00:37:48.01\00:37:50.82
The Bible is clear on
the state of the dead.
00:37:50.86\00:37:53.64
For example,
Psalm 146:3, 4 says:
00:37:53.68\00:37:57.69
That is when you
cease to breathe.
00:38:04.99\00:38:06.76
The King James Version says
his what? his thoughts perish.
00:38:11.75\00:38:15.84
There's no thinking, in
other words, when a person dies.
00:38:15.87\00:38:19.28
Ecclesiastes 9:5 says:
00:38:19.31\00:38:22.15
everything. No, it says:
00:38:25.60\00:38:28.35
Their memory is forgotten.
00:38:34.13\00:38:35.54
And some Christians, they'll
say, Well, what about those
00:38:49.81\00:38:52.15
texts that speak about
being absent from the body,
00:38:52.18\00:38:54.48
and present with the Lord,
and the rich man and Lazarus?
00:38:54.52\00:38:57.98
Doesn't that prove that there's
life after a person dies,
00:38:58.02\00:39:01.45
and during the interim of death?
00:39:01.49\00:39:03.85
Well folks, I wish I had time
to go into all of those texts.
00:39:03.88\00:39:07.44
Fortunately, at Secrets Unsealed
we've produced a whole series
00:39:07.48\00:39:11.01
called Misunderstood
Texts On the State Of the Dead.
00:39:11.04\00:39:13.69
There are twelve presentations
where we take all of these
00:39:13.72\00:39:16.63
texts, and we show that
they are not teaching what most
00:39:16.67\00:39:19.54
Christians think
that they are teaching.
00:39:19.58\00:39:20.97
We study them
carefully within their context.
00:39:21.00\00:39:24.37
Now the question is, how
can we detect a counterfeit?
00:39:24.40\00:39:28.61
The answer,
folks, is very simple.
00:39:28.64\00:39:30.99
The only way that we can
detect a counterfeit is by
00:39:31.02\00:39:34.81
knowing the genuine.
00:39:34.85\00:39:35.88
How can you detect a
counterfeit $100 bill?
00:39:35.91\00:39:40.34
Do you have to know what
the genuine $100 bill looks like
00:39:40.38\00:39:45.13
to detect a
counterfeit? Of course.
00:39:45.17\00:39:47.37
How many of you have ever
seen a counterfeit $4 bill?
00:39:47.41\00:39:51.25
Anybody ever seen a
counterfeit $4 bill?
00:39:51.28\00:39:54.61
Oh, just think how much
money counterfeiters could make
00:39:54.65\00:39:57.46
if they had a
counterfeit $4 bill.
00:39:57.50\00:39:59.94
Why isn't there a
counterfeit $4 bill?
00:39:59.98\00:40:02.57
Because there's
not a genuine $4 bill.
00:40:02.61\00:40:05.13
You see the genius of
the counterfeiters is to copy
00:40:05.17\00:40:09.22
the genuine as closely as
possible in order to deceive,
00:40:09.26\00:40:13.29
isn't it? And so what is
our protection when it comes to
00:40:13.32\00:40:17.32
detecting a counterfeit?
00:40:17.36\00:40:18.95
You have to know the
genuine in order to be able
00:40:18.98\00:40:22.34
to detect a counterfeit.
00:40:22.37\00:40:25.24
In the book Early Writings,
pages 87 and 88, Ellen White has
00:40:25.28\00:40:31.27
this remarkable
statement. She says:
00:40:31.30\00:40:33.33
That's God's people, by the way.
00:40:34.98\00:40:37.77
We've been
talking about that. Right?
00:41:01.05\00:41:02.43
Let me ask you, if you believe
that the dead aren't dead,
00:41:05.90\00:41:08.27
and that they can communicate
with the living, will you accept
00:41:08.31\00:41:11.33
what they say as being
true? Most likely, Yes.
00:41:11.36\00:41:14.58
And then, notice
what she continues saying:
00:41:14.62\00:41:17.81
What is our protection?
00:41:28.89\00:41:29.92
What will be the only
protection for God's people?
00:41:58.06\00:42:00.61
trusting in God's written word.
00:42:00.64\00:42:04.26
Let me read two or three other
statements from this remarkable
00:42:04.30\00:42:08.99
author. And by the way,
modern spiritualism originated
00:42:09.02\00:42:12.88
in the times of Ellen White,
in 1848 in Rochester, New York.
00:42:12.92\00:42:18.07
That is the official
beginning of spiritualism.
00:42:18.10\00:42:20.68
So she knew very well
what she was talking about.
00:42:20.71\00:42:23.80
The Great Controversy,
page 552, speaking about
00:42:23.83\00:42:26.91
the devil, she says:
00:42:26.94\00:42:27.97
The counterfeit is what?
00:42:34.36\00:42:36.41
What is a perfect counterfeit?
00:42:36.45\00:42:38.63
It's when the government can't
even distinguish a counterfeit
00:42:38.66\00:42:41.65
$100 bill from a genuine one.
00:42:41.68\00:42:43.67
In Signs of the Times,
August 26, 1889 she says:
00:43:04.89\00:43:09.91
See, it will appeal to their
emotions, and their feelings,
00:43:20.18\00:43:23.07
is what she's saying.
00:43:23.10\00:43:24.13
In the book Maranatha,
page 209, she continues saying:
00:43:56.79\00:44:00.85
That is apostate Christianity.
00:44:02.26\00:44:04.07
Now do you know
what the devil's capstone
00:44:37.66\00:44:40.09
of deception is going to be?
00:44:40.13\00:44:41.57
He is going to counterfeit
the second coming of Christ.
00:44:41.61\00:44:45.33
And for those who depend on
their feelings, on their senses,
00:44:45.36\00:44:51.29
on Biblical
arguments that others provide,
00:44:51.33\00:44:55.09
on their emotions.
00:44:55.12\00:44:56.62
They will be
deceived by this counterfeit
00:44:56.65\00:45:00.23
second coming of Satan.
00:45:00.26\00:45:02.03
And you say, where does
the Bible say that the devil
00:45:02.06\00:45:04.71
is going to counterfeit
the second coming of Christ?
00:45:04.74\00:45:08.19
Lets go to 2 Thessalonians
2: 1, 2, and then we'll go
00:45:08.23\00:45:11.64
to verses 9-12, 2
Thessalonians 2:1, 2.
00:45:11.67\00:45:18.23
Now brethren,
concerning the coming.
00:45:18.26\00:45:20.64
That's a very interesting word.
00:45:20.68\00:45:22.43
It's the word
parusia. Remember that.
00:45:22.46\00:45:24.40
Is Jesus going to
gather to us, or are we
00:45:30.62\00:45:32.36
going to gather to Him?
00:45:32.39\00:45:33.42
Our gathering together to
Him, not Him to us, us to Him.
00:45:33.45\00:45:38.09
In other words, the
Apostle Paul is saying,
00:45:50.20\00:45:51.63
Jesus hasn't come yet.
00:45:51.67\00:45:53.30
That's what he's writing.
00:45:53.34\00:45:54.90
And then he goes on
in verses 9 through 12,
00:45:54.94\00:45:58.23
to explain that the
devil is going to counterfeit
00:45:58.26\00:46:01.55
the coming of Christ.
00:46:01.58\00:46:02.61
Now notice what
it says in verse 9.
00:46:02.64\00:46:04.52
Do you know what that
word, coming, there is?
00:46:06.82\00:46:08.85
It's the word parusia.
00:46:08.88\00:46:10.72
So is the antichrist also
going to have a coming? Yes!
00:46:10.76\00:46:16.15
Is it going to be before
the coming of Jesus? Absolutely!
00:46:16.18\00:46:21.54
So it says, The coming of the...
00:46:21.57\00:46:23.52
And what is he
going to come with?
00:46:26.47\00:46:27.88
What? What is
our only protection?
00:46:40.19\00:46:43.14
Now, listen carefully.
00:46:52.93\00:46:54.41
It's not a lie, in the Greek
it is that they should believe
00:46:54.45\00:46:57.96
the lie. And you say,
what lie is this talking about?
00:46:58.00\00:47:00.91
What has the Apostle
Paul been talking about?
00:47:00.94\00:47:03.98
He's been talking
about the counterfeit coming
00:47:04.01\00:47:06.97
of the lawless one who
will perform signs and wonders.
00:47:07.01\00:47:10.39
That is the lie that will
be accepted by those who don't
00:47:10.42\00:47:13.77
receive the truth.
00:47:13.80\00:47:14.83
So it says in verse 11:
00:47:14.86\00:47:16.13
How important is it to follow
the truth, to accept the truth,
00:47:29.32\00:47:33.43
and to live by the truth?
00:47:33.46\00:47:35.00
It's a matter of
life and death folks.
00:47:35.03\00:47:37.17
And, by the way, do you
know where the truth is found?
00:47:37.21\00:47:41.14
Sanctify them through
Your truth; Your Word is truth,
00:47:41.18\00:47:45.08
is what Jesus said.
00:47:45.11\00:47:46.14
The Word of God, the
written Word of God is truth.
00:47:46.17\00:47:49.10
We cannot trust the traditions
of men as being truth.
00:47:49.14\00:47:52.95
We must compare all of
the traditions that men have
00:47:52.98\00:47:56.76
with what God
says in His Holy Word.
00:47:56.80\00:48:00.48
By the way, Jesus also
said that Satan was going to try
00:48:00.51\00:48:05.41
to counterfeit His coming.
00:48:05.44\00:48:07.96
Notice Matthew 24:23, 27:
00:48:08.00\00:48:10.49
What? We just read
that in 2 Thessalonians 2.
00:48:22.33\00:48:25.35
And then Jesus says:
00:48:29.55\00:48:30.58
Is Jesus coming to this
earth to settle down here? No!
00:48:49.36\00:48:55.00
We are going to gather to Him.
00:48:55.04\00:48:57.67
He is not going to gather to us.
00:48:57.70\00:49:00.26
So what if a majestic being
appears all over the world,
00:49:00.30\00:49:05.20
you know, and he
performs miracles, and signs,
00:49:05.23\00:49:07.90
and wonders, and he's dazzling,
and he speaks beautiful words,
00:49:07.94\00:49:11.49
and he says that Sunday is the
day that we're supposed to keep?
00:49:11.52\00:49:14.30
How many people
would be deceived?
00:49:14.34\00:49:15.94
Probably most of the world.
00:49:15.97\00:49:17.79
Because they would not compare
what this individual teaches,
00:49:17.82\00:49:22.81
with what the Word of God says.
00:49:22.85\00:49:24.28
Ellen White, in Signs
of the Times, May 18, 1882,
00:49:24.32\00:49:28.12
referring to this strong
delusion that God is going to
00:49:28.15\00:49:31.49
send. It's not actually God that
sends it, God simply removes
00:49:31.53\00:49:35.47
His presence, and as
a result they're deluded
00:49:35.51\00:49:37.72
by what they
chose. She says this:
00:49:37.76\00:49:40.96
Does the Bible tell
us how Jesus will come?
00:50:34.47\00:50:37.46
The Bible tells us very
clearly how Jesus will come.
00:50:37.50\00:50:42.25
Is it important to
know how Jesus will come?
00:50:42.28\00:50:44.55
You'd better believe it!
00:50:44.59\00:50:45.62
1 Thessalonians 4:15-18, we're
told how Jesus is going to come.
00:50:45.65\00:50:51.10
Jesus is not going to
touch this earth when He comes.
00:50:51.13\00:50:53.25
But do you know, most every
Christian in the world believes
00:50:53.28\00:50:55.80
that when Jesus Comes,
He's going to settle here
00:50:55.83\00:50:58.44
in this earth
for a thousand years.
00:50:58.47\00:50:59.99
The millennium is going to
be here on earth they believe.
00:51:00.02\00:51:03.18
So they'll be ready to accept
the overmastering delusion
00:51:03.21\00:51:06.44
of the devil when the devil
appears disguised as Christ.
00:51:06.47\00:51:09.39
Because they're expecting
Christ to come all the way
00:51:09.42\00:51:11.97
to the earth, and to
spend a thousand years here.
00:51:12.01\00:51:14.52
Notice 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18:
00:51:14.56\00:51:17.43
Ah, there it is!
00:51:37.21\00:51:38.82
That is those who
died and resurrected.
00:51:41.32\00:51:44.11
Did Jesus promise to take
His people to heaven? Yes!
00:51:51.44\00:51:54.07
Jesus said, In My Father's
house are many mansions.
00:51:54.10\00:51:56.69
I go to prepare a place for you.
00:51:56.73\00:51:58.70
So when Jesus comes
again, He's going to take
00:51:58.73\00:52:01.28
His people to heaven.
00:52:01.31\00:52:02.34
He's not going to
come down to the earth.
00:52:02.37\00:52:03.87
His feet are not
going to touch the earth.
00:52:03.91\00:52:05.62
Notice Matthew
24:31, Matthew 24:31.
00:52:05.65\00:52:11.48
Notice this is a very important
verse, because it tells us that
00:52:11.51\00:52:14.58
Jesus is not going to come to
this earth, and then He's going
00:52:14.61\00:52:17.64
to spend a thousand
years here on earth.
00:52:17.67\00:52:20.12
It says there in
Matthew 24:31, at the conclusion
00:52:20.16\00:52:23.58
of the second coming:
00:52:23.62\00:52:24.65
What is He going to do?
00:52:28.87\00:52:30.30
So is Jesus going to come
all the way down to the earth,
00:52:41.98\00:52:44.48
and, you know, everybody's
going to come to Him?
00:52:44.52\00:52:46.74
No, no, no! It says
here that Jesus is going to
00:52:46.77\00:52:48.92
be above the earth.
00:52:48.96\00:52:49.99
He's going to send His angels,
and His angels will gather
00:52:50.02\00:52:52.74
the people, and
they will be caught up,
00:52:52.78\00:52:54.73
as we read in 1 Thessalonians
4, in the air to meet the Lord
00:52:54.76\00:52:58.27
in the air. Now in
conclusion, let me just read you
00:52:58.31\00:53:01.84
how Ellen White describes
this counterfeit second coming
00:53:01.88\00:53:05.38
of Satan. It's amazing!
00:53:05.41\00:53:08.60
It's found in The Great
Controversy, page 625. She says:
00:53:08.63\00:53:13.46
Notice, that's
to your eyes, right?
00:53:30.96\00:53:33.99
You just read
Revelation 1: 13-15.
00:53:52.69\00:53:55.09
It says his face shines
like the sun, and his legs are
00:53:55.13\00:53:59.70
like burnished bronze.
00:53:59.74\00:54:01.31
You know, and he's clothed
in a white robe of light.
00:54:01.35\00:54:05.09
That's the way the
devil's going to look!
00:54:05.12\00:54:07.44
Just like the description
of Jesus in Revelation 1.
00:54:07.47\00:54:10.30
She continues saying:
00:54:10.34\00:54:11.37
Because they're expecting
Him to come all the way down
00:54:27.12\00:54:28.93
to the earth, folks.
00:54:28.96\00:54:29.99
Now notice, He's not
going to say, I AM THE CHRIST!
00:54:41.15\00:54:44.47
No, He's going to speak
beautiful words like Jesus,
00:54:44.51\00:54:47.79
in a soft voice. It says:
00:54:47.83\00:54:49.96
Why not?
00:55:37.60\00:55:39.44
Two ways in which
people are going to know
00:55:57.96\00:55:59.63
that this is not Christ;
it's not by their feelings,
00:55:59.66\00:56:03.41
or emotions, or their eyes, or
their ears, or what people say.
00:56:03.44\00:56:07.47
There are two ways in
which you're going to know
00:56:07.51\00:56:09.31
that this is not Christ:
00:56:09.34\00:56:10.37
1. Because the way in which
he comes is not the way in which
00:56:10.40\00:56:15.04
the Bible says
Jesus is going to come.
00:56:15.08\00:56:16.56
This individual will appear
in different parts of the earth.
00:56:16.60\00:56:19.84
The Bible says that every eye
will see Jesus simultaneously.
00:56:19.88\00:56:23.09
This individual
will walk upon the earth.
00:56:23.13\00:56:26.33
The Bible says that
Jesus will stay in the air.
00:56:26.37\00:56:29.38
He will not touch the earth.
00:56:29.41\00:56:30.76
And furthermore, the
teachings of this false Christ
00:56:30.79\00:56:34.65
are not in harmony
with the Word of God.
00:56:34.68\00:56:36.66
He's going to say, Sunday is the
day that we're supposed to keep,
00:56:36.69\00:56:40.17
when the Bible says that
the seventh day is the Sabbath
00:56:40.20\00:56:43.61
of the Lord your God.
00:56:43.64\00:56:44.91
So, folks, what will be the
only protection for God's people
00:56:44.95\00:56:49.48
at the end of time?
00:56:49.52\00:56:50.71
It will be implicit trust
in the written Word of God,
00:56:50.75\00:56:56.52
as it appears in the Bible.
00:56:56.56\00:56:58.40
Ellen White, in the book,
Christ Triumphant, page 331,
00:56:58.44\00:57:02.73
had this to say:
00:57:02.76\00:57:04.10
The Word of God, a
thus saith the Lord,
00:57:11.74\00:57:16.03
it is written, as Jesus
told the devil three times
00:57:16.07\00:57:20.77
in the wilderness,
will be the only protection
00:57:20.81\00:57:23.18
for God's people;
not traditions, feelings,
00:57:23.22\00:57:25.56
and emotions, but
what God has said.
00:57:25.59\00:57:28.22