Participants: Pastor Stephen Bohr
Series Code: CGC
Program Code: CGC000016
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01:12 Shall we bow our heads for prayer?
01:13 Our Father in heaven, we thank You so much once again 01:17 for bringing us here. 01:18 We ask for the guidance of Your Holy Spirit 01:21 as we open Your word. 01:22 As we study about the story of the destruction of 01:27 Sodom and Gomorrah, we ask that You will teach us the lessons 01:30 which will be useful in our own personal walk 01:33 with our beloved Savior, Jesus. 01:35 And we thank You, Lord, for hearing our prayer, 01:38 for we ask it in Jesus' name, Amen. 01:42 I'd like us to begin our study today in the book of 01:47 Luke 17:28-30, Luke 17:28-30. 01:58 We've already studied the story of the flood in Noah's day, 02:03 and we discovered that the whole flood story is an illustration 02:08 of events which are going to take place at the end of time. 02:13 Now in our lecture today we are going to study that the story of 02:18 Sodom and Gomorrah also is an illustration of events 02:22 which will take place at the very end of time. 02:25 Lets begin reading at verse 28. 02:29 After talking about the flood, Jesus says, Likewise as it was 02:35 also in the days of Lot; they ate, they drank, they bought, 02:41 they sold, they planted, they built; but in the day that Lot 02:48 went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, 02:53 and destroyed them all. 02:55 And now notice verse 30. 02:57 Even so, in other words, in the same manner. 03:00 Even so, will it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. 03:07 Jesus Himself told us that the story of Sodom and Gomorrah 03:13 is symbolic of events which will take place at the very 03:19 close of human history. 03:21 And so what we want to do in our lecture today is draw a parallel 03:25 between what happened then, and what is going to happen 03:29 now, as we approach the end of time. 03:32 I'd like us to begin in Genesis 13:10 where we have 03:39 a description of the valley where Sodom and Gomorrah were 03:44 before the cities were destroyed. 03:47 Genesis 13:10. This is when Lot and Abraham parted ways. 03:54 You remember that Lot went into the valley where Sodom 03:57 and Gomorrah were, whereas Abraham decided to stay 04:00 in the country outside the cities. 04:02 It says here in chapter 13 and verse 10: 04:16 And then it explains in parenthesis: 04:30 You notice that that whole valley, according to this verse, 04:33 was beautiful. In fact it compares this area with the 04:37 garden of Eden, of all things! 04:41 In other words, it was a very fertile region. 04:45 Now if you go to that region today, you're going to find 04:48 just the opposite. 04:49 I've had the privilege of being on both ends of the Dead Sea 04:54 of the western bank and on the eastern bank, 04:57 the Jordanian side and the Israeli side, and I'll tell you 05:02 that when that sea is called dead, it is very appropriately 05:09 named, because there is nothing alive in that region. 05:13 There's no vegetation, there is no life in the Dead Sea, 05:18 everything is dead, everything is dry. 05:24 There are no birds in the air. 05:25 It's totally and completely dead. 05:30 Furthermore, probably you're aware of this, the Dead Sea 05:36 Basin is the deepest point under sea level on Planet Earth; 05:41 over 1,500 feet below sea level. 05:45 It's almost as if a gigantic crater was burned into 05:50 the ground there that created this huge hole 05:54 over 1,500 feet deep. 05:58 In other words, there's been a great change in that valley 06:02 from a beautiful area, very fertile like the garden of Eden, 06:06 to an area that is totally arid and devoid of life. 06:11 The question is, what caused this change? 06:14 Go with me to Genesis 13:13, and lets examine in what 06:21 condition these cities were before the 06:24 cities were destroyed. 06:25 It says in verse 13: 06:36 Notice the expression, they were exceedingly wicked, 06:41 and sinful against the Lord. 06:43 Now as we examine this story, we discover that these cities 06:48 had three basic sins which excelled every other sin. 06:54 The first sin was the sin of sexual perversion. 07:00 By the way, we get the word sodomy from Sodom. 07:06 Furthermore, in chapter 19 of Genesis we find that when the 07:11 angels were in Lot's house, the men gathered outside. 07:14 We'll come to this a little bit later. 07:16 And they said, Send these two men out to us 07:20 because we want to know them. 07:22 Now the word know in scripture means to have sexual relations. 07:26 In Genesis 4:26 it says, Adam knew his wife Eve, 07:31 and she conceived a son. 07:33 And so what these perverts of Sodom wanted to do was have 07:38 homosexual relations with these angels in the house of Lot. 07:44 They were totally morally, sexually, perverted. 07:47 Furthermore, they men of Sodom were very violent, 07:52 because when Lot refused to send out these two angels 07:56 the Bible says that the men of Sodom started doing violence 08:00 to Lot and those who were inside the house. 08:03 They tried to break the door down. 08:05 They had the intention of killing Lot. 08:07 In other words they had no qualms about murdering someone 08:12 who did not agree with what they wanted. 08:14 Now in Ezekiel 49 we find a third sin. 08:18 Not only sexual immorality, not only violence, but there was 08:24 also another terrible sin that afflicted these cities. 08:28 Ezekiel 16:48, 49. 08:34 Notice the description that is given here. 08:37 It says there, verses once again, 48 and 49: As I live, 08:43 says the Lord God, neither your sister Sodom, nor her daughters, 08:50 have gone as you and your daughters have done. 08:53 He's talking to the Hebrew nation. 08:55 Verse 49: Look, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom. 09:02 She and her daughter had pride, fullness of food, and abundance 09:11 of idleness, neither did she strengthen the hand 09:16 of the poor and needy. 09:18 There's one word which describes this condition, 09:21 and it is the word materialism. 09:24 They had an abundance of food, according to this, 09:28 an abundance of leisure and idleness. 09:31 And as a result they did not help those who were 09:35 poor and in need. 09:37 So the three great sins of these cities were sexual immorality, 09:42 violence, and materialism, crass materialism. 09:48 Now let me ask you, are these three sins also sins which have 09:54 proliferated in our present day world? 09:57 You look at the world; sexual immorality and perversion. 10:01 You look at a tremendous increase in violence. 10:06 You look at the crass materialism; people buying 10:09 and selling, doing business, thinking that the world 10:13 is going to last forever, and not thinking about those who 10:16 are in need, but thinking about self. 10:19 Lovers of money, the apostle Paul called them. 10:23 And so you have these terrible sins that were being practiced 10:27 in the cities of the plain, and therefore God decided that He 10:32 was going to destroy these cities, and obliterate them 10:36 from the face of the earth. 10:37 But God never destroys a civilization, He never destroys 10:41 a city without first giving a message of warning. 10:46 Now I want you to go with me to Genesis 18:1, 2, and lets notice 10:52 who came to visit Abraham before the cities were destroyed. 10:57 Genesis 18:1, 2. It says, Then the Lord appeared to him,... 11:05 That is to Abraham. 11:06 ...by the terebinth trees of Mamre: as he was sitting in the 11:12 tent door in the heat of the day. 11:31 How many individuals came to visit Abraham? 11:33 Three individuals came to visit Abraham. 11:37 Immediately we ask the question, who were 11:41 these three individuals? 11:43 Well, before I answer this question, we need to go to 11:47 chapter 18, and verse 22, Genesis 18:22. 11:54 It seems like after these three individuals visit with Abraham, 11:59 they departed from Abraham's tent, 12:03 and they went towards Sodom. 12:05 Notice what we find in verse 22: 12:12 That is where they met Abraham. 12:16 Now lets stop there. 12:20 They went toward Sodom. 12:21 Actually, lets finish the verse, and then I'll explain something. 12:24 And then what does it say? 12:32 Now lets go to chapter 19 and verse 1. 12:35 Here this gets very, very interesting. 12:38 Chapter 19 and verse 1 identifies two of those 12:41 individuals. Notice it says: 12:51 Now wait a minute! You say, There's something wrong here. 12:53 Two angels came to Sodom? 12:57 How many came to visit Abraham? three. 13:01 The question is, what happened to the other one? 13:04 Well, lets finish reading this verse. It says: 13:20 So two angels, we know that at least two of these 13:23 individuals were angels that came to visit Abraham, 13:27 and two of them end up going to Sodom. 13:31 Now the question is, who was the third angel, 13:35 and where did he go? 13:37 Let's go back to Genesis 18:22, Genesis 18:22. 13:46 It says there, and we just read this verse, 13:58 Hum! Where did the Lord show up from? 14:03 Who was that third personage? 14:07 The third personage was whom? the Lord. 14:10 By the way, do you notice that the word LORD is capitalized? 14:13 That is the covenant name, Jehovah. 14:17 Very significant! 14:20 One of the most solemn names, if not the most solemn name 14:23 of God in the Old Testament. 14:26 So it says that Abraham stood before the Lord. 14:29 Two of them, two of the angels, go to Sodom, but Abraham 14:33 still stands before the Lord. 14:35 And now I want you to notice the conversation 14:37 that takes place. By the way, this first angel 14:40 is the judgment angel, or the judgment messenger. 14:44 Lets read verse 23: 14:54 What is Abraham's concern? 14:56 That maybe God is going to what? 14:58 He's going to destroy the wicked and the righteous together. 15:01 Now what does God have to do before He destroys the wicked? 15:05 He has to separate from the wicked what? the righteous. 15:09 What do we call that? 15:11 What do we call that? the judgment. 15:17 Yes, thank you. Notice verse 24: 15:19 Suppose there were fifty righteous within the city? 15:23 Would you also destroy the place and not spare it for the fifty 15:27 righteous that were in it? 15:28 Who is Abraham concerned about? 15:30 Is he concerned about the wicked or the righteous? 15:32 He's concerned about the righteous; 15:34 that God judged correctly the righteous. Verse 25: 15:58 What is taking place here with this first angel, if we might 16:04 call him a first angel? 16:05 By the way, did you know that the angel of the Lord 16:08 in the Old Testament is none less than Jesus Christ? 16:10 I don't have time to get into that, but scholars of all 16:15 denominations have come to the conclusion that the angel of the 16:17 Lord, who appeared in the burning bush and said, 16:20 I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and told Moses 16:24 to take off his sandals from his feet, because he was 16:26 standing on holy ground. 16:27 It says the angel of the Lord was speaking to Moses. 16:30 It's generally agreed that that angel of his presence, 16:34 that angel of the Lord, is Jesus Christ. 16:37 The word angels means messenger, incidentally. 16:40 And so we find here Abraham standing before this angel 16:43 messenger, and his concern is that the angel messenger perform 16:49 a work of what? judgment. 16:52 Separating the righteous from the unrighteous 16:55 before the destruction. 16:57 Are you following me? 16:58 Now there's a second angel that has a message. 17:04 Go with me to Genesis 19, Genesis 19:12-14, 17:11 Genesis 19:12-14. It says: 17:32 What did they say? Get out! 18:09 What message did these messengers give to Lot 18:12 and to his family? 18:14 Get out, because the cities are fallen. 18:18 The cities are going to be destroyed because of their sins. 18:21 Get out before they're destroyed. 18:24 So the first messenger is the one messenger of the judgment. 18:28 The second message which is given is the cities are corrupt. 18:33 Get out! Are any of you starting to catch an 18:35 interesting picture here? 18:36 Now whoever doesn't get out, what's going to happen to them? 18:40 Go with me to Genesis 19:24, Genesis 19:24. 18:48 And I see some of you smiling because you know where we're 18:51 going with this, even though we haven't gone there yet. 18:54 You see, we noticed that what happened then is going to 18:57 happen at the end. 18:58 Is it just possible that God is going to send a threefold 19:02 message to the world before the close of time warning 19:06 God's people to deliver their lives from the world 19:10 before the destruction comes? Absolutely! 19:12 You see, those three messengers, those three angels, prefigure 19:16 three angels in Revelation 14 that God is going to 19:19 send to the world at the very end of time, to warn the world 19:23 that because of its sins destruction is about to come. 19:26 Now notice Genesis 19:24. It says: 19:35 This is after Lot and his family had come out. 19:51 Where did the fire and brimstone come from? 19:53 It came from whom? 19:56 It came from the Lord. 19:58 And where was the Lord? 19:59 In heaven, according to this. 20:02 And notice the expression, fire and brimstone. 20:04 Do you know that expression fire and brimstone is used 20:07 only for two events in all of the Bible. 20:09 It's used for the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, 20:11 and it's used to speak about the destruction of the wicked 20:15 at the end of time. 20:16 Those are the only two places where the expression 20:19 fire and brimstone is used. 20:20 And, by the way, in the third angel's message it says, 20:24 whoever does not get out will be punished 20:27 with fire and brimstone. 20:29 And so you have contained here in Genesis already 20:33 in shadow form, in miniature form, what is going to happen 20:39 on a worldwide level at the very end of human history. 20:44 Now I want you to notice Genesis 19:10, Genesis 19:10. 20:52 Was there a shut door in this story of Sodom and Gomorrah 20:58 before the cities were destroyed? 21:00 Do you remember that in the story of Noah the door was shut, 21:04 a period went by, then destruction came? 21:08 Is it just possible... 21:09 By the way, the wicked gathered around the ark also. 21:12 Correct? While the righteous were safe where? inside. 21:17 Now notice Genesis 19, Genesis 19:10, Genesis 19:10. 21:26 It says here: But the men,... 21:29 That is the angels. 21:30 We're already identified them. 21:31 But the men reached out their hands and pulled Lot into the 21:38 house with them and shut the door. 21:45 Was there any more opportunity of salvation after that door 21:49 shut for the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah? 21:51 That was it! Who protected Lot and his family from the wrath 21:58 of those wicked people? 21:59 It was angels that protected them from the wicked 22:04 that had gathered around them. 22:05 Just like at the time of the flood there was a closed door 22:10 before destruction actually came. 22:12 And those who were outside Lot's house didn't have the foggiest 22:15 idea that when the door closed that was it. 22:20 By the way, do you know that in Psalm 91:9-12 it says that 22:25 God will send His angels to take charge of His people 22:28 in the midst of the tribulation, and that no plague will touch 22:30 the households of God's people? 22:32 This will be repeated all over again. 22:36 You see, God gave us the stories of Genesis not only as stories, 22:40 but as prophecies. 22:41 Most people simply read these stories as stories of things 22:45 that happened once upon a time. 22:47 They're not only stories, they are really prophecies written 22:52 as stories. Every single story of Genesis is also a prophecy. 22:58 And so fire descended from heaven, fire and brimstone, 23:02 and consumed the cities. 23:04 And I want you to notice the aftermath of this. 23:07 Genesis 19:28. Here Abraham is looking towards the cities 23:13 after the fire and brimstone fell from God out of heaven. 23:17 Genesis 19:28. It says: 23:23 That is Abraham. 23:39 You read the third angel's message it says that not only 23:43 does fire and brimstone fall from heaven, but it says the 23:47 smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever. 23:51 Now we're going to talk about that a little bit later on 23:54 in these series, but what I want you to notice now is that 23:57 fire and brimstone falls from heaven, and the smoke ascends 24:01 as a result. In Genesis as well as in the third angel's message 24:05 of Revelation 14. Now we need to understand this issue of the 24:11 fire which consumed Sodom and Gomorrah, because fire is also 24:15 going to consume the world. 24:17 There's a fundamental misunderstanding among 24:20 Christians that when the fire falls from heaven, 24:23 the wicked are going to burn in the fire forever and ever, 24:26 and the fire is never going to go out, and they're never 24:28 going to go out. They're going to be tormented, 24:30 and they're going to b suffering forever and ever. 24:32 Now we need to take a closer look at that, because I believe 24:36 that that's based on a tradition which is not in harmony with 24:39 scripture, and you're going to see it as we study along. 24:42 Go with me to Jude 7, that's that little book right before 24:46 the book of Revelation. 24:47 Jude 7 where the destruction of the cities of the plain 24:51 is described. Jude 7. 24:54 See, you have to let scripture interpret itself. 24:56 We can't simply take one verse and say, Oh, well this verse 25:00 means this. We have to compare it with other verses to make 25:03 sense out of what scripture is trying to teach us. 25:06 Notice Jude 7, and I only mention the verse because 25:10 it only has one chapter. So it says: 25:24 See there's the sin that we talked about. 25:40 What kind of fire destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah? 25:44 According to this it was eternal fire which destroyed 25:48 Sodom and Gomorrah. 25:49 But now we have a problem. 25:51 Go with me to 2 Peter, 2 Peter 2:6, 2 Peter 2:6. 25:59 It says here, speaking about the same cities, Sodom and Gomorrah. 26:04 It says: 26:20 What were Sodom and Gomorrah reduced to? ashes! 26:25 Now we have a problem. 26:26 How many of you have ever tried to burn ashes? 26:29 Have you ever gone to the grocery store to buy some ashes 26:34 to put in your fireplace? 26:35 Say, Pastor, that's ridiculous! 26:38 You can't burn ashes because everything that there was 26:40 to burn has already been burned. 26:42 What happens when ashes are all that's left? 26:47 What happens with the fire? 26:48 The fire goes out, because everything that was going to be 26:53 consumed has been what? consumed. 26:55 So immediately we ask the question, how could Sodom and 26:58 Gomorrah have been destroyed by eternal fire, 27:01 and yet the fire went out because the cities were reduced 27:05 to what? to ashes. 27:07 How do we understand this? 27:08 I believe that there's a perfect explanation to this. 27:11 You see, I believe that the fire that burned Sodom and Gomorrah 27:15 is still burning today. 27:17 Not the cities, but the fire, yes. 27:20 Now lets examine this concept. 27:23 You're going to be confused for a few moments until 27:25 you understand what I'm trying to say. 27:27 Go with me to Deuteronomy 4:23, 24, Deuteronomy 4:23, 24. 27:37 Here it says, God speaking to Israel. 27:54 In other words, don't make images, don't practice idolatry. 27:58 Verse 24: 28:10 What is the consuming fire? 28:12 God is the consuming fire, according to this. 28:18 God is the fire. It says He is a consuming fire. 28:23 Now go with me to the book of Hebrews. 28:26 The New Testament corroborates this idea. 28:28 The book of Hebrews 12:28, 29, Hebrews 12:28, 29. Here it says: 28:51 In other words, let's be respectful towards God. 28:54 Lets serve Him with godly fear. 28:56 Notice verse 29: 29:02 Who is the fire? God is the fire according to this. 29:07 My question is, how long has God been the fire? 29:14 How long has God been the fire? 29:15 How long has God existed? Eternally. 29:20 So how long has God been a fire? Eternally. 29:24 Now I need to explain that God is not literally a fire. 29:29 Scripture teaches us what the fire really is. 29:33 Go with me to Exodus 24:17, 18, Exodus 24:17, 18. 29:41 Here we're going to find what the fire is. 29:43 It says there, Exodus 24:17, 18, the following: 29:51 Actually, let's begin at verse 15 for the context. 29:55 It says, Then Moses went up into the mountain, 29:57 and a cloud covered the mountain. 29:59 Thankfully, for Israel, allow me to say. 30:12 What was it that rested on Mount Sinai? 30:14 The glory of the Lord. 30:24 Now notice this. 30:36 What is the fire? The fire is the glorious presence 30:42 and light of the Lord. 30:44 What was it that destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah? 30:47 It was the fire that came from God, but what is that fire? 30:51 God revealed His what? 30:54 God revealed His glory. 30:57 How long has God had that glory? 30:59 Only since He destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah? 31:04 Is God an everlasting consuming fire? 31:08 He most certainly is, because He is eternal. 31:11 In other words, the everlasting fire that destroyed Sodom and 31:13 Gomorrah has never gone out! 31:15 It is still burning today. 31:18 Not that which it burnt, but the fire itself is still burning. 31:24 Are you understanding what I am saying? 31:26 Now let's notice Malachi 4:1 amplifying this point. 31:32 Malachi 4:1. See when you compare scripture with scripture 31:37 things become very clear in our minds. 31:40 The thing is, people have too much of a restricted vision. 31:43 Malachi 4:1. It says: 32:09 What is the burning oven going to do? 32:11 What is the fire going to do when the Lord comes? 32:13 It is not going to leave root nor branch. 32:15 Who is the root of all evil? Satan. 32:19 Who are the branches? His followers. 32:22 It's like Jesus said, I am the fine, you are the branches. 32:25 The faithful followers of Jesus are the branches. 32:27 Jesus is the vine. 32:29 The devil is the root. 32:30 His followers are the branches. 32:32 In other words, it says here that there will be left 32:35 neither root nor branch. 32:37 And notice verse 3. Verse 3 says: 32:52 What are the wicked going to be reduced to? 32:54 They are going to be reduced to ashes, which means that they're 32:58 not going to burn forever, but the fire that burned them is 33:01 going to burn forever, because the fire is God's glory. 33:05 Raise your hand if you're understanding what I'm saying. 33:08 Now, let's go... By the way, let me just mention this in 33:12 passing: Revelation 15:2 speaks about God's throne 33:15 and it says that before His throne there's a sea of glass 33:18 mingled with fire. 33:21 Do you know why that sea of glass looks as if it's 33:24 mingled with fire? 33:25 Because God is sitting on the throne, and the glory of God 33:28 is reflected in that sea. 33:30 It's the glory of God; a glory before which sinners would be 33:38 consumed in an instant. 33:39 Now I'm going to surprise you by what I'm going to tell you. 33:43 The churches have it all wrong. 33:45 It's not the wicked who are going to be in the everlasting 33:49 flames, it's the righteous. 33:56 Go with me to Isaiah 33. 33:57 We prove everything here from scripture. 33:59 Isaiah 33:12. This is a strange twist, isn't it? 34:04 Isaiah 33:12 speaks of the destruction of the wicked, 34:09 and then it deals with the righteous. 34:12 It says there in Isaiah 33 beginning in verse 12: 34:25 Hear, you who are afar off, what I have done; and, you who 34:30 are near, acknowledge my might. 34:38 And then notice the question. 35:12 Who's going to inhabit the everlasting flames? 35:15 It's not the wicked, it's the righteous, because the wicked 35:20 when they're in the midst of the fire, they are what? 35:23 They are consumed. 35:24 But the righteous, because they are right with the Lord, 35:27 the fire will not consume them. 35:30 So the church has got it the wrong way around. 35:34 They say the wicked will be in the everlasting flames. 35:37 The righteous will be with the Lord in heaven. 35:39 The fact is, the righteous will be with the Lord in heaven, 35:42 whose presence, whose glory, is like a devouring, everlasting 35:47 fire. Are you clear on this point? 35:50 Now let me ask you, Is God going to send a message to the world 35:56 before the world is destroyed? 35:58 Do you know in how many parts that message is divided? 36:02 Three parts, in the exact order as we noticed in Genesis. 36:08 History is going to be repeated. 36:11 The only difference is that in Genesis a few cities in the 36:16 Dead Sea Basin were destroyed. 36:18 At the end of time this is going to be a global catastrophe. 36:23 What was local in the Old Testament becomes universal 36:27 at the end of time. 36:28 In other words, that was a shadow, it foreshadowed what is 36:32 going to happen in the future. 36:33 Go with me to Revelation 14 and lets examine 36:37 these three messages. 36:38 Revelation 14 and lets begin reading at verse 6. 36:44 Revelation 14:6. Then I saw another angel flying in the 36:51 midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach 36:55 to those who dwell on the earth. 36:56 To every nation, tribe, tongue, and people, 36:59 saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; 37:06 for the hour of his judgment has come. 37:12 Some versions say, the hour of his judgment is come. 37:15 and worship him who made heaven, and earth, the sea, 37:20 and the springs of water. 37:21 Let me ask you, does this judgment take place before 37:23 the destruction of the world? 37:27 What good would it be for God to say, The hour of his judgment 37:30 is come, if that didn't warn the world to get ready 37:36 for the destruction that is coming? 37:38 The purpose of this message is to warn people to get ready 37:40 for the destruction. 37:41 So let me ask you, does the judgment take place 37:42 before the destruction? 37:43 Is God going to separate the righteous from the wicked, 37:47 and is He going to seal His righteous followers before 37:51 destruction comes, like He did with Lot? Yes! 37:54 And, by the way, when the cases are all decided, 37:57 what is going to close? 37:58 The door is going to be shut. 38:02 That's the door in the parable of the ten virgins. 38:05 Ever heard of the parable of the ten virgins? 38:07 The shutting of the door is not the second coming of Christ. 38:09 The shutting of the door is the close of probation, 38:12 because after the door closes, the five foolish virgins 38:16 still have a chance to go, and they try to find oil everywhere, 38:19 but there's no oil, because the Holy Spirit has been withdrawn. 38:24 Preaching has come to an end. 38:25 The door of salvation has ended. 38:29 So do you see that you have an announcement of the judgment 38:33 by the first angel of Revelation chapter 14. 38:35 Now what about the second angel? 38:37 Notice Revelation 14:8. 38:40 It says here: And another angel followed saying, 38:45 Babylon is fallen, is fallen. 38:46 See at the end time the power is not Sodom, it is what? 38:50 It is Babylon. Babylon is fallen, is fallen, 38:53 that great city, because she has made all nations drink of the 38:56 wine of the wrath of her fornication. 38:58 Lets go to chapter 18, because there's an additional concept 39:02 in chapter 18. Chapter 18, and let's read verse 2. 39:08 And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, Babylon 39:12 the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place 39:16 of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for 39:19 every unclean and hated bird. 39:21 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her 39:24 fornication. The kings of the earth have committed fornication 39:27 with her. We'll talk about all this later. 39:29 And the merchants of the earth have become rich through the 39:32 abundance of her luxuries. 39:34 Verse 4. And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, 39:37 Come out of her, my people. 39:42 Is that what the angel said in Sodom? 39:43 Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her what? 39:48 In her sins, and you receive her plagues. 39:53 Very same message given to God's true people who are 40:00 in the midst of Babylon, like Lot was in Sodom, 40:03 at the very end of time. 40:04 And then, of course, you have the third angel's message, 40:07 which warns against worshipping the beast and his image, 40:10 and receiving the mark. 40:11 By the way, we have lectures on each one of these topics: 40:14 on the beast, on the image to the beast, and on the mark 40:18 of the beast. We're going to be dealing with a lot of issues 40:22 in Bible prophecy now, in our second half of this seminar. 40:25 But the third angel says that those who worship the beast 40:28 and his image, and receive the mark, in other words, 40:30 those who don't come out of Babylon. 40:32 Fire and brimstone will fall from heaven, and the smoke 40:36 of their torment will ascend to heaven. 40:40 Very same sequence as in the book of Genesis. 40:45 God has a message for His people in these last days. 40:49 Now the question is, how can we be sure to be ready 40:55 when Jesus comes? 40:57 Lets notice several verses in the New Testament that tell us 41:02 how we need to prepare so that we can stand when Jesus comes. 41:05 You see, just not anybody is going to stand, if they're alive 41:09 when Jesus comes. 41:10 There's a special preparation. 41:11 We have to develop a fireproof character. 41:15 Yes, we must receive Jesus as our Savior, but we must be 41:20 like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; loyal to death. 41:25 Willing to give up the most precious thing, their life, 41:29 in order to be loyal to God. 41:31 Obey His law, worship only Him, not practice idolatry, 41:35 not worship the beast or his image, and as a result, 41:38 when they went into the fire the fire did not consume them, 41:41 because they had fireproof characters. 41:44 Now what will God's people be like, those who are ready 41:48 for the coming of Jesus? 41:49 See, this is something that is almost totally 41:51 absent in the churches. 41:52 Churches talk about, Oh yes, Jesus died for your sins. 41:56 Yes, Jesus stands in your place. 41:58 Jesus intercedes for you. 41:59 You know, if you sin we have an advocate. 42:01 By the way, I believe all of these things; they're Biblical. 42:04 But you have to take the additional step. 42:06 You have to ask God to give you a pure heart, a clean heart. 42:10 That He'll give you clean motivations. 42:13 That He'll give you a pure mind, so that the fountain 42:17 of the heart will produce a change in the life. 42:19 Because the life proves whether our profession is true or not. 42:23 Now allow me to mention a few verses: Hebrews 12:28, 29. 42:28 We already read this, but let's read it again. 42:30 Hebrews 12:28, 29. 42:33 Here the apostle Paul is talking about the second coming 42:37 of Jesus. And, by the way, I believe that Paul was the author 42:40 of Hebrews. I'm not going to give you the reasons why 42:43 I believe that now, but I believe that he was. 42:45 And sound Christian tradition indicates that. 42:49 Now notice chapter 12 and verse 28. 42:57 That's the kingdom that's going to come when Jesus arrives. 43:09 How should we serve God? 43:11 With reverence and godly fear. 43:15 Why should we do that? 43:24 So whom does the fire not consume? 43:26 Those who serve God with reverence and godly fear. 43:31 Godly fear means with the utmost respect. 43:36 Notice Hebrews 12:14, being that we're in Hebrews 12. 43:42 Hebrews 12:14, we find these wonderful words. 43:52 And then notice the last part of the verse. 44:03 What must we have in order to be able to see the Lord? 44:06 We must have holiness. 44:09 We must serve Him with godly fear. 44:12 By the way, the Lord Jesus said, Blessed are the pure in heart. 44:19 This is Matthew 5:8. 44:27 Do you know what the wicked are going to do when Jesus comes? 44:30 Revelation 6 describes it. 44:32 They're going to hide in the caves of the earth. 44:34 They're going to cry for rocks to fall upon them, 44:37 because they have not learned to love Jesus. 44:40 They are totally unlike Jesus. 44:42 They can't stand the idea of spending an eternity with Jesus, 44:46 and therefore they're going to hide from the Lord. 44:50 God's people are going to say, Lo, this is our God. 44:53 We have waited for Him, and He will save us, 44:57 as it says in Isaiah 25. 45:00 Notice that passage that we read in Isaiah 33 again. 45:05 There's one verse which I didn't read. 45:07 Isaiah 33:17. After speaking about the righteous living with 45:12 the devouring fire, in other words inhabiting with the glory 45:15 of God, we find these very interesting words about someone 45:20 that the righteous are going to see. 45:26 Notice Isaiah 33:17. It says here: 45:39 See the conclusion? 45:48 Do you know what that land is? 45:50 The land that is very far off? 45:52 It is the place that the King comes from. 45:54 Where does the King come from? 45:56 He comes from heaven. 45:58 Notice a couple of other verses that we find 46:03 in the New Testament. 46:04 Go with me to 1 John 3:1-3, 1 John 3:1-3. 46:13 We find this theme time and again when the second 46:16 coming is spoken about. 46:17 God tells us that we must have a pure, clean life in order to be 46:23 able to wait for the Lord, in order to see God, as Jesus said. 46:28 Notice what we find in 1 John 3: 1-3. 47:02 And what should we be doing in order for this to happen? 47:05 Notice verse 3: 47:09 That is the hope of seeing Jesus when He comes. 47:14 Does what? 47:21 What should we be doing in preparation for 47:24 the coming of Jesus? 47:25 We should be developing holiness. 47:28 We should be purifying ourselves, even as He is pure. 47:32 He provides the soap and water, but we must use it. 47:35 What does it mean, purify yourself? 47:37 I can't purify myself! 47:40 I don't have the soap and the water. 47:41 The soap and the water represent Jesus and the Holy Spirit. 47:44 But I have to take the soap and the water, 47:47 and I have to apply it or it will do me absolutely no good. 47:51 Notice also 2 Peter 3:10, 2 Peter 3:10. 47:56 This is a very marvelous passage that deals with the final 48:03 destruction of the world by fire. 48:05 And I want you to notice the special preparation that God's 48:08 people are going to need in order to withstand this fire. 48:11 It says in verse 10: 48:28 And now notice: 48:34 Because the fire is going to destroy the world, 48:37 what should we be doing? 48:49 What? How should we live? 48:51 In holy what? Conduct and what? godliness. 48:56 Some people say, Ah, it doesn't really matter. 49:00 God doesn't really care what you do. 49:02 We're not saved by works, we're saved by faith. 49:04 Yes, we're saved by a faith that works. 49:08 A faith that doesn't work is a dead faith, 49:12 and a dead faith cannot save you. 49:13 Faith is shown by works. 49:17 If there are no works, there is no faith. 49:20 And so to say that you're saved by bare faith, that you can be 49:26 saved and still live like the devil, is not in harmony with 49:31 the Bible, because when Jesus comes into our 49:34 lives our lives change. 49:37 When He genuinely comes into our lives. 49:39 And that's what the Bible is talking about when it deals 49:42 with preparation for the second coming of Jesus. 49:45 And then it says that we're supposed to do that, 49:47 because the day is hastening when Jesus is going to come, 49:51 it says in 2 Peter 3. 49:53 And then we're told that Jesus is going to make a new heavens, 49:57 and a new earth where righteousness dwells. 50:01 Now, how is this possible? 50:06 How can we develop this fire proof character? 50:10 We've found that God wants us to have it. 50:11 He says without holiness you won't see the Lord. 50:13 The pure in heart will see God. 50:15 We must purify ourselves as He is pure. 50:19 How do we do it? We can't do it! 50:24 The Lord does it, and how does He do it? 50:26 Lets go to three texts: Psalm 119:9-11, Psalm 119:9-11 50:38 gives us the secret. 50:39 We're told here by David, the longest chapter in the Bible, 50:46 the following. Listen up young people! 50:52 That means the behavior, by the way. 50:57 How do we cleanse our way? by obeying what? 51:00 By obeying the word. 51:01 How much of the word? 51:05 The nine commandments. 51:08 How many? All of them, because the Bible says that if you break 51:14 one you break them all. 51:16 We don't keep them in order to be saved, we keep them 51:20 because we're saved. 51:21 Works are good as long as you don't put the 51:25 cart before the horse. 51:26 Verse 10. With my whole heart I have sought you. 51:31 Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments. 51:43 What is the secret for gaining the victory over sin? 51:47 Hiding the word where? in the heart. 51:50 You know, the more time I send in the Word, the more victory 51:52 I have in my life. 51:54 The reason why we don't have victory is we spend most of our 51:55 time in front of the television. 51:57 And what the television does, it confirms our sinfulness. 52:00 It strengthens our sinfulness, because we reflect what we see. 52:05 But when you put the word in the heart, day after day, after day, 52:11 our lives take the form of the word. 52:14 Notice also John 15:3 John 15:3. 52:20 Here Jesus is giving the allegory of the vine 52:23 and the branches, and He says some very wise words. 52:27 John 15:3. Speaking about His disciples, He says: 52:31 You are already clean because of the word 52:37 which I have spoken to you. 52:38 What is it that cleansed the disciples? 52:41 The word that Jesus spoke to them. 52:44 Notice Ephesians 5, the same idea, that it's the word 52:49 that cleanses. It's the word that purifies. 52:51 When it comes into our hearts it expels evil. 52:55 Because the word is light, and light expels 52:57 darkness from the life. 52:59 Notice what we find, 53:00 Where did I say we were going now? 53:03 Ah, good. You're still with me. 53:05 Ephesians 5:25-27. 53:10 It says in verse 25: 53:19 Did He give Himself for her for a reason? 53:22 Let's read verse 26. 53:31 How does He cleanse her? 53:39 Do you know what the water represents? 53:41 The water represents the Holy Spirit. 53:43 The Holy Spirit, when we read the word the Holy Spirit, 53:46 it comes in through the word and cleans our hearts. 53:49 And then notice what type of church Jesus is going to have. 53:52 It says in verse 27: 54:09 That's what the word does. 54:12 That's how we can be pure in heart so that we can see God, 54:17 so that we can say, Lo this is our God. 54:20 We have waited for Him, and He will save us. 54:23 That will prepare us to live in the midst 54:27 of the everlasting fire. 54:28 Now allow me to close by saying that there were four kinds 54:33 of people related to Sodom. 54:37 I'm just going to mention this in passing. 54:40 Genesis 13:10-12. Don't even bother to look for it. 54:43 I want you just to listen to what I'm going to say. 54:46 You can read it later. 54:47 It's on your list of texts. 54:48 Genesis 13:10-12 speaks of Abraham. 54:52 Do you know that Abraham never actually lived in the cities? 54:56 From the time that he was called out of Ur of the Chaldees, 55:00 he was faithful to God. 55:02 He never even had contact with the cities. 55:04 You have a second type of person relating to the cities. 55:10 You have Lot who lived in the cities, but he was a follower 55:16 of the Lord in the cities. 55:17 In fact we are told in 2 Peter: 2:7, 8, that Lot was 55:22 tremendously bothered by the wickedness in the cities, 55:27 and he's even called righteous Lot there in 2 Peter 2. 55:32 You see he lived in Sodom, but his heart was not in Sodom, 55:38 and God called him out. 55:40 And now he was with Abraham, the faithful one who never 55:44 lived in the cities. 55:45 Now you have Lot who was a member of God's people, 55:48 who was called out from the cities. 55:50 You have a third type of person. 55:52 That person is Lot's wife. 55:55 She also lived in the cities. 55:59 She accepted the call to come out, but the trouble is she came 56:05 out of Sodom, but Sodom had not come out of her. 56:08 The Bible says that her heart was there. 56:13 She looked back, and she turned into a pillar of salt. 56:16 That represents those, perhaps, that have heard the call 56:20 of Jesus, calling them out of Babylon, 56:22 calling them out of the world where sinful 56:24 practices are carried on. 56:27 And they've come out in excitement, but their heart 56:31 is still in the world. 56:32 Lot represents those who have lived in the world, 56:35 practiced the sins of Babylon, but their heart is 56:38 with the Lord, and so when they're called to come out, 56:40 they come out. Abraham represents those whose strength 56:44 has been pure, let's say since birth. 56:46 And then you have a fourth group which are those who chose 56:51 to stay in the city, the vast majority, 56:54 and were destroyed in the city. 56:57 What group do you belong to? 57:00 Those who were born into the pure faith of scripture? 57:05 Those who were in battle, but had been called out? 57:10 Those who have come out, but whose heart 57:15 is still in the world? 57:16 Or those individuals who remain in the world? 57:20 Our decision will determine our everlasting destiny. |
Revised 2014-12-17