Shall we pray? Father in
heaven, we thank You once again,
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for the awesome
privilege of gathering together
00:01:17.19\00:01:20.73
to open Your word.
00:01:20.76\00:01:22.25
What an awesome word it is!
00:01:22.28\00:01:25.19
It reveals the end from
the beginning, and how we can
00:01:25.22\00:01:30.05
prepare for the closing events
in the history of this world.
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We ask that as we study today
about how to choose the right
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church, that Your Holy
Spirit will guide our thoughts.
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We thank You for
hearing our prayer for we ask it
00:01:41.84\00:01:45.01
in Jesus' name, Amen.
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I have the privilege
of traveling quite a bit,
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not only within the
United States, but also to other
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countries of the world.
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And I find it very interesting
that people choose all different
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kinds of reasons why they
want to choose a particular
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church to attend.
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I'd like to share with you,
as we begin our study today,
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some of the reasons that people
have given me in my travels
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for their belonging
to a certain church.
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Some say, well, my friends
attend this certain church,
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and that's the
reason why I go there.
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Other individuals say, well,
my family has belonged to this
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church for generations,
and why change a good thing?
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Still others say, I attend
such and such a church because
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it has the most members.
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Others say, I choose to go
to this church because it has
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upbeat worship services,
or it has wonderful programs,
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or it has plenty of
felt needs seminars.
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Others say, I attend this
church because of the location,
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and because of the
wonderful physical plant
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that the church has.
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Others say, I go to this
church because it has the most
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charismatic, and wonderful
preacher on planet Earth.
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Still others look at
the church as a social club.
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They say, well, you
know, my social life
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is excellent at church,
and that's the reason why
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I go to this specific church.
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My question is, are these really
the true criteria which should
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lead us in choosing which
church we should belong to?
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I believe that all of
these things are important,
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but I believe that there's
something which is far more
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important than any one of
these that I've mentioned,
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or all of them put together.
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And that is we should choose
the church that God specifies
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in scripture, as being
the church which is in harmony
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with His truth as it is
presented in Holy Scripture.
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And so in our study today we're
going to examine the Biblical
00:04:04.29\00:04:08.25
characteristics of the true
church, and we're going to allow
00:04:08.28\00:04:11.99
the Bible to tell us if, in this
world, there is a true church,
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and whether we
can actually find it.
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Now we're going to follow a very
carefully reasoned presentation.
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We're going to
follow step by step.
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You remember that I
mentioned in a previous lecture,
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the principle of historicism.
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Prophecy begins fulfilling in
the days when the prophet wrote,
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and it continues
fulfilling without interruption
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until the close of time.
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That is going to be the method
that we will use for identifying
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the true church
in our study today.
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We're going to begin
our study in Revelation 12,
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and we're going to move
through this chapter and notice
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the different stages that
we find here in this wonderful
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symbolic chapter
of Holy Scripture.
00:05:02.47\00:05:04.84
Revelation 12, and I
want to read verse 1. It says:
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Now I want to dwell
on two particular symbols
00:05:26.95\00:05:30.27
in this verse:
Symbol 1. the woman;
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and Symbol 2. the twelve
stars that she has on her crown.
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or on her garment.
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Now we need to ask the
question, what is represented
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by the woman in this verse?
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Well, let's go to the book
of Jeremiah 6:2, Jeremiah 6:2.
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Here God is speaking about
His church in the Old Testament.
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He's speaking about Israel.
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And it says here; God speaking:
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That is Israel, in other words.
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To what does God compare
His Old Testament church?
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To a beautiful
and delicate woman.
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In other words, a
woman represents the church.
00:06:24.31\00:06:28.00
Now immediately we ask the
question, in Revelation 12,
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is this speaking about
the Old Testament church,
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or is it speaking about
the New Testament church?
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The answer is simple.
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It's referring to
the Old Testament church.
00:06:41.32\00:06:44.10
And you say,
how do we know that?
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Well, the fact is that
when John sees this woman
00:06:45.92\00:06:49.97
in Revelation 12, she
has not had the child yet.
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The child is still in her womb,
and she's crying out because
00:06:53.47\00:06:58.12
she wants to have the child.
00:06:58.15\00:06:59.39
This represents the fact
that Israel was clamoring
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for the Messiah. They were
clamoring for the deliverer
00:07:03.25\00:07:06.74
to be born. In other words, the
fact that the woman still has
00:07:06.77\00:07:09.92
the child in her womb when
John sees her, indicates that
00:07:09.95\00:07:14.07
this woman represents
the Old Testament church.
00:07:14.11\00:07:17.81
Now let's pursue another
avenue to nail down this point.
00:07:17.84\00:07:22.18
Go with me to Genesis 49:28.
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Why a crown of twelve stars?
00:07:25.88\00:07:28.33
This will help us
identify this woman.
00:07:28.36\00:07:30.34
Genesis 49:28. Here we find
a reference to the twelve sons
00:07:30.38\00:07:37.58
of Jacob. And I want you
to notice what we find in this
00:07:37.61\00:07:44.78
verse that helps us identify,
very clearly, this woman
00:07:44.81\00:07:49.69
as the Old Testament church.
00:07:49.72\00:07:51.52
Genesis 49:28. It says this:
00:07:51.55\00:08:06.71
The sons of Jacob.
00:08:06.74\00:08:07.78
So notice that we have
the twelve sons of Jacob,
00:08:17.60\00:08:21.07
which become the twelve what?
the twelve tribes of Israel.
00:08:21.10\00:08:24.94
Incidentally, it's
no coincidence that in
00:08:24.97\00:08:28.55
Genesis 37:9, we're not going
to read it, but in Genesis 37:9
00:08:28.58\00:08:33.99
Joseph makes reference
to a dream that he had.
00:08:34.02\00:08:36.92
And he said that he saw the
sun, the moon, and eleven stars
00:08:36.95\00:08:42.28
bowing to him. And, of
course, that's referring to what
00:08:42.31\00:08:46.11
would happen later in Egypt.
00:08:46.14\00:08:48.04
Notice that his brothers
are compared to what? to stars,
00:08:48.07\00:08:52.94
according to Joseph.
00:08:52.97\00:08:54.45
And so the twelve stars
represent the twelve tribes
00:08:54.48\00:08:57.74
of Israel, which constitutes
the Old Testament church.
00:08:57.77\00:09:02.31
Are you with me?
00:09:02.34\00:09:03.37
Now, this woman not only
represents the Old Testament
00:09:03.40\00:09:08.04
church, but we're going to
notice that it also represents
00:09:08.07\00:09:10.89
the New Testament church.
00:09:10.92\00:09:12.86
You see, God has only one
people throughout the course of
00:09:12.89\00:09:16.54
all of history. He doesn't
have an Old Testament church,
00:09:16.57\00:09:19.91
and a New Testament
church, technically speaking.
00:09:19.94\00:09:22.55
He actually has one true church
that begins at the very start
00:09:22.58\00:09:27.88
of human history, with Adam
and Eve in the garden of Eden,
00:09:27.91\00:09:31.20
and ends at the very end of
time with the faithful remnant
00:09:31.23\00:09:35.30
of God. I want you to
notice that Jesus chose,
00:09:35.33\00:09:39.58
according to the Bible, twelve
apostles to be the nucleus
00:09:39.62\00:09:45.21
of the Christian church.
00:09:45.24\00:09:46.38
And so you have
twelve sons of Jacob,
00:09:46.41\00:09:49.02
which formed the
tribes of Israel.
00:09:49.05\00:09:50.93
You have the twelve apostles
of Jesus, which formed the
00:09:50.96\00:09:54.77
nucleus of the Christian church.
00:09:54.80\00:09:56.79
Now I must underline,
once again, that the woman
00:09:56.82\00:09:59.95
that is seen in Revelation
12:1, at this stage in verse 1,
00:09:59.98\00:10:04.27
represents the
Old Testament church,
00:10:04.30\00:10:06.12
because she has
not had the child.
00:10:06.15\00:10:07.88
Later on though this woman
has to flee into the wilderness,
00:10:07.91\00:10:11.90
and this is referring to
the New Testament church.
00:10:11.93\00:10:14.69
But I want you to
notice that it's the same woman
00:10:14.72\00:10:16.89
the number twelve
identifies both the Old
00:10:16.92\00:10:20.74
and the New Testament church.
00:10:20.77\00:10:22.20
In case someone says,
Well, the number twelve isn't
00:10:22.23\00:10:24.82
really that important.
00:10:25.06\00:10:26.09
Jesus chose twelve
apostles by coincidence.
00:10:26.12\00:10:29.13
I want to go to the
book of Acts 1:16, Acts 1:16.
00:10:29.16\00:10:36.65
When Judas Iscariot fell by the
wayside, we find very clearly
00:10:36.68\00:10:41.31
that the disciples felt
that they needed to have twelve.
00:10:41.34\00:10:44.29
There was something
special about the number twelve.
00:10:44.32\00:10:47.21
Notice Acts 1:16.
Here Peter is speaking.
00:10:47.24\00:10:53.02
He says, Men and brethren, this
scripture had to be fulfilled
00:10:53.05\00:10:57.04
which the Holy Spirit spoke
before by the mouth of David,
00:10:57.07\00:11:01.19
concerning Judas, who became
a guide to those who arrested
00:11:01.22\00:11:05.81
Jesus. And then I want you
to notice that as the story
00:11:05.84\00:11:09.61
continues, they say, We need
to name a successor to Judas.
00:11:09.64\00:11:15.98
There need to be twelve
apostles, because twelve is
00:11:16.01\00:11:20.24
the kingdom number.
00:11:20.28\00:11:21.32
It's the number of the
church of God in the Old
00:11:21.35\00:11:24.56
and in the New Testament.
00:11:24.59\00:11:25.81
And so they cast lots, and
Matthias is actually elected
00:11:25.84\00:11:31.40
as the successor of Judas.
00:11:31.43\00:11:33.67
In other words,
he took Judas' place.
00:11:33.70\00:11:36.66
It's no coincidence, also,
that according to the book of
00:11:36.69\00:11:40.69
Revelation, in Revelation 21:12,
we are told that the gates
00:11:40.72\00:11:46.28
of the holy city have the names
of the twelve tribes of Israel.
00:11:46.31\00:11:50.51
And the foundations of
the city have the names
00:11:50.54\00:11:54.78
of the twelve
apostles of the Lamb.
00:11:54.81\00:11:56.95
Do you notice that there's
only one city that includes the
00:11:56.98\00:12:01.08
saints from the Old
Testament, and the saints
00:12:01.11\00:12:04.08
from the New Testament?
00:12:04.11\00:12:05.14
There's only one woman.
00:12:05.17\00:12:06.57
The number twelve represents
the twelve tribes of Israel,
00:12:06.60\00:12:10.10
and the twelve apostles
of the Lamb; one church,
00:12:10.13\00:12:14.00
from the beginning of
history, till the end of time.
00:12:14.04\00:12:17.01
One true church.
And so in Revelation 12,
00:12:17.04\00:12:21.84
the chapter
begins with this woman.
00:12:21.87\00:12:23.86
She has a child in her
womb, and she's crying out
00:12:23.89\00:12:27.65
to deliver this child.
00:12:27.68\00:12:28.82
Now I want you to
notice who this child is.
00:12:28.85\00:12:33.20
Galatians 4:4
identifies the child.
00:12:33.23\00:12:38.10
By the way, this is very closely
connected with Genesis 3:15.
00:12:38.13\00:12:44.76
Galatians 4:4 says:
00:12:44.79\00:12:48.24
Who is the seed that
is born from the woman?
00:13:01.46\00:13:04.02
It is Jesus Christ.
00:13:04.05\00:13:05.50
Notice also Revelation 12:2,
Revelation 12:2. It says there:
00:13:05.53\00:13:13.84
So she has a child in her womb.
00:13:20.76\00:13:22.94
Now let's go to verse
5 to identify this child.
00:13:22.97\00:13:25.83
It says in verse 5:
00:13:25.86\00:13:27.45
Who is this child? this
male child born of a woman,
00:13:38.72\00:13:42.62
who later is caught up
to God and to His throne?
00:13:42.65\00:13:46.52
There's no doubt.
00:13:46.56\00:13:47.96
It, obviously, is Jesus Christ.
00:13:47.99\00:13:50.58
Now when Jesus Christ is
born, now this woman transitions
00:13:50.61\00:13:55.16
into the New Testament period.
00:13:55.19\00:13:57.70
The same woman. There's
not a woman that represents
00:13:57.73\00:14:00.84
the Old Testament church,
and then another woman which
00:14:00.87\00:14:03.20
represents the
New Testament church.
00:14:03.23\00:14:05.01
There is only one
woman; one true church.
00:14:05.04\00:14:08.57
It has different stages, yes.
00:14:08.60\00:14:11.15
It has different periods, yes.
00:14:11.18\00:14:13.54
But it is one church.
00:14:13.57\00:14:15.63
And so the child is born.
00:14:15.66\00:14:17.85
Now I want you to notice what
happens when the child is born.
00:14:17.88\00:14:21.33
Let's go, once again, to
Revelation 12 and let's read
00:14:21.36\00:14:25.63
verse 3. Revelation 12:3.
00:14:25.66\00:14:29.25
Notice we have a
dragon, and what does this
00:14:42.34\00:14:44.05
dragon want to
do? Notice verse four.
00:14:44.08\00:14:46.99
So what is the
dragon trying to do?
00:15:00.70\00:15:03.21
He's standing next to
the woman to devour the child
00:15:03.24\00:15:06.37
as soon as the child is born.
00:15:06.40\00:15:08.90
Question: who is this dragon?
00:15:08.93\00:15:11.48
Well, Revelation 12:7
identifies this dragon.
00:15:11.51\00:15:16.27
It says there: and
war broke out in heaven.
00:15:16.30\00:15:20.03
Michael and his angels fought
with the dragon, and the dragon
00:15:20.06\00:15:23.75
and his angels fought,
and they did not prevail.
00:15:23.78\00:15:27.03
That is the
devil and his angels.
00:15:27.06\00:15:28.33
Nor was a place found for
them in heaven any longer.
00:15:28.36\00:15:31.44
Who is this dragon?
00:15:46.75\00:15:48.70
The dragon is Satan,
very clearly identified.
00:15:48.73\00:15:53.89
But now I need to
explain something.
00:15:53.92\00:15:56.05
Even though in the primary
sense, the dragon represents
00:15:56.08\00:16:01.29
Satan, in a secondary sense,
the dragon, or the political,
00:16:01.32\00:16:06.30
or civil powers of the
world that the devil uses
00:16:06.33\00:16:09.30
to accomplish his purposes.
00:16:09.33\00:16:11.22
I'll give you an
example, which I've mentioned
00:16:11.25\00:16:13.82
in a previous lecture.
00:16:13.86\00:16:15.44
Ezekiel 29:3. We're
not going to go there,
00:16:15.47\00:16:18.65
but I'll just mention it.
00:16:18.68\00:16:19.71
You have it in
your list of texts.
00:16:19.74\00:16:21.01
There in Ezekiel 29:3, in
the King James Version, it calls
00:16:21.04\00:16:26.84
Pharaoh the great dragon.
00:16:26.87\00:16:30.02
Interesting that a
civil ruler would be called
00:16:30.05\00:16:35.26
the great dragon.
Now when Jesus was born,
00:16:35.29\00:16:39.42
we're told in Revelation 12 that
the great dragon stood next to
00:16:39.45\00:16:43.81
the woman to devour the child
as soon as the child was born.
00:16:43.84\00:16:47.86
Did the devil stand, personally,
next to the woman to destroy
00:16:47.89\00:16:52.21
Jesus when He was born? No.
00:16:52.24\00:16:54.69
How did the devil
try to accomplish it?
00:16:54.72\00:16:58.17
Go with me to
Matthew 2:16, Matthew 2:16.
00:16:58.20\00:17:06.26
Here we find the
way the devil works.
00:17:06.29\00:17:08.17
The devil works
in the background.
00:17:08.20\00:17:09.45
He uses political
powers of the world.
00:17:09.48\00:17:12.17
He uses civil
powers of the world.
00:17:12.20\00:17:14.25
Now notice Matthew 2:16,
Matthew 2:16. It says here:
00:17:14.28\00:17:23.96
...according to the
time which he had determined
00:17:43.73\00:17:46.02
from the wise men.
00:17:46.05\00:17:47.08
So who was the one who actually
did the dirty work, so to speak?
00:17:47.11\00:17:50.94
It was Herod, and Herod
was a ruler of which empire?
00:17:50.97\00:17:55.15
He was a ruler
of the Roman empire.
00:17:55.18\00:17:57.99
So in another sense,
the dragon represents what?
00:17:58.02\00:18:01.71
The dragon represents Rome.
00:18:01.74\00:18:04.01
Are you following me?
00:18:04.04\00:18:05.71
The same fourth beast
of Daniel 7, remember?
00:18:05.74\00:18:10.03
Now that beast that had
teeth of iron, and trampled,
00:18:10.06\00:18:13.69
and destroyed everything
that he came in contact with?
00:18:13.72\00:18:16.43
That's the same
power we have here.
00:18:16.46\00:18:19.02
Now let me ask you, how
many horns did the dragon have
00:18:19.05\00:18:21.56
in Daniel 7? The
dragon had ten horns.
00:18:21.59\00:18:25.84
How many horns does this
dragon have in Revelation 12?
00:18:25.87\00:18:29.86
We just read it in verse 3.
00:18:29.89\00:18:31.35
It says that he had ten horns.
00:18:31.38\00:18:33.95
Is the fourth kingdom
of Daniel 7 the same dragon
00:18:33.98\00:18:37.75
of Revelation 12? Absolutely!
00:18:37.78\00:18:40.57
And so notice, we've moved
from the Old Testament church.
00:18:40.60\00:18:43.80
The woman has the child.
00:18:43.83\00:18:44.86
The child hasn't been born.
00:18:44.89\00:18:45.92
And now we've moved to the
moment which the child is born.
00:18:45.95\00:18:49.33
And when the child is
born the dragon, the devil,
00:18:49.36\00:18:52.73
through Herod, tries to destroy
the child, but the child escapes
00:18:52.76\00:18:58.08
from the power of Satan,
and He's caught up to God,
00:18:58.11\00:19:01.71
and to His throne. And then you
notice that the dragon has what?
00:19:01.74\00:19:05.84
The dragon has ten horns.
00:19:05.87\00:19:07.90
Now if you read Revelation
12 you would never get the
00:19:07.93\00:19:10.99
impression that the ten
horns come up after the dragon
00:19:11.02\00:19:14.75
has ruled for a period.
00:19:14.78\00:19:16.18
You don't get that
from the book of Revelation.
00:19:16.21\00:19:18.47
That's why we need to
compare Daniel and Revelation.
00:19:18.50\00:19:21.21
We've studied this before.
00:19:21.24\00:19:23.05
Do you remember that
this dragon beast has three
00:19:23.08\00:19:25.04
stages of existence?
00:19:25.07\00:19:26.30
First of all it
governs as a dragon beast,
00:19:26.33\00:19:29.65
or a nondescript beast.
00:19:29.68\00:19:31.13
Then in Daniel 7:23, 24 it
says that from the head of this
00:19:31.16\00:19:36.22
dragon beast come
forth what? ten horns.
00:19:36.25\00:19:39.91
In other words, Rome is divided
into what? into ten kingdoms.
00:19:39.94\00:19:43.88
And then among the ten
horns rises what? a little horn,
00:19:43.91\00:19:48.99
which rules for time,
times, and the dividing of time.
00:19:49.02\00:19:53.72
Now, let's go back to
Revelation 12 and continue
00:19:53.75\00:19:57.81
studying the sequence.
00:19:57.84\00:19:59.34
You have the woman in the
Old Testament; child not born.
00:19:59.37\00:20:02.68
Then the child is born.
00:20:02.71\00:20:04.54
Then, comparing with Daniel,
that dragon sprouts ten horns.
00:20:04.58\00:20:09.02
Rome is divided
into ten kingdoms.
00:20:09.05\00:20:11.65
Now my question is, which would
be the next stage that you would
00:20:11.68\00:20:15.42
expect to come in Revelation 12?
00:20:15.45\00:20:18.05
It must be the same stage
as the little horn. Right?
00:20:18.08\00:20:22.17
And, by the way, before
we get to the little horn,
00:20:22.20\00:20:24.17
allow me just to mention
two passages: Revelation 12:5,
00:20:24.20\00:20:28.05
speaks of the ascension of
Jesus; Jesus ascended to heaven,
00:20:28.08\00:20:31.03
and if you read
John 12:31-33 Jesus says:
00:20:31.06\00:20:35.52
And He was talking
about His death on the cross.
00:20:40.52\00:20:42.67
And then when
Jesus arrives in heaven,
00:20:42.70\00:20:44.97
according to Revelation
12:10- 12, all heaven is singing
00:20:45.00\00:20:48.72
because the accuser of
the brethren has been what?
00:20:48.75\00:20:51.55
has been cast out, who
accused them day and night.
00:20:51.58\00:20:54.69
And so you have the dragon,
and you have the ten horns.
00:20:54.72\00:20:57.66
You would expect the
next period to be time, times,
00:20:57.69\00:21:00.98
and dividing of time, if
we're following the parallel
00:21:01.01\00:21:03.73
sequence of Daniel 7.
00:21:03.77\00:21:05.01
Now go with me to Revelation
12: 6, Revelation 12:6.
00:21:05.04\00:21:14.57
This is immediately
after the period of the dragon
00:21:14.60\00:21:17.47
with ten horns. And you
notice that in verse 6 it says:
00:21:17.50\00:21:21.02
Then the woman fled into
the wilderness where she has
00:21:21.05\00:21:26.39
a place prepared by
God, that they should feed
00:21:26.42\00:21:30.96
her there 1,260 days.
00:21:30.99\00:21:35.98
What comes after the period of
the dragon with the ten horns?
00:21:36.01\00:21:38.90
The period when the woman flees
to the wilderness for how long?
00:21:38.93\00:21:43.28
1,260 days, which
really are what? years.
00:21:43.31\00:21:50.03
Now Revelation
12:13-15 amplifies this point.
00:21:50.06\00:21:54.87
Notice what we find in verse 13.
00:21:54.90\00:21:57.15
Now when the dragon saw that
he had been cast to the earth,..
00:21:57.18\00:22:00.96
This was done at the cross.
00:22:00.99\00:22:02.65
...he persecuted the woman who
gave birth to the male child.
00:22:02.68\00:22:06.70
See, he went after
the male child first.
00:22:06.73\00:22:09.69
And when he wasn't successful,
now he goes after the woman.
00:22:09.72\00:22:12.89
Verse 14:
00:22:12.92\00:22:13.95
Is this the same period of
the little horn of Daniel 7?
00:22:27.85\00:22:31.54
Absolutely! It's expressed even
in the same terms: time, times,
00:22:31.57\00:22:36.48
and dividing of time, is
the same as 1,260 days or years.
00:22:36.51\00:22:40.74
And so you've moved from the
Old Testament to when the dragon
00:22:40.77\00:22:45.22
rules, and Satan, through
Rome, tries to kill the child;
00:22:45.25\00:22:49.93
to Rome divided into ten
kingdoms, and now to the period
00:22:49.96\00:22:54.76
of the 1,260 years, which,
by the way, lasts from 538,
00:22:54.79\00:23:00.29
according to what we've
studied, till the year 1798.
00:23:00.32\00:23:05.57
Now let's go to Revelation
12, and examine verses 13-15,
00:23:05.60\00:23:11.62
and then we'll read 16,
which is very, very important.
00:23:11.65\00:23:15.03
Revelation 12:13: Now when the
dragon saw that he had been cast
00:23:15.06\00:23:19.76
to the earth, he persecuted
the woman who gave birth
00:23:19.79\00:23:21.98
to the male child.
00:23:22.01\00:23:23.04
Now notice:
00:23:32.75\00:23:33.78
What do waters
represent in scripture?
00:23:42.25\00:23:45.25
Revelation 17:15 says: the
waters upon which the woman
00:23:45.28\00:23:51.38
sitteth are multitudes,
nations, tongues, and peoples.
00:23:51.41\00:23:56.54
In other words, the dragon used
multitudes, nations, tongues,
00:23:56.57\00:24:00.19
and peoples to try and do
away with the woman who had
00:24:00.22\00:24:04.83
brought the male
child into the world.
00:24:04.86\00:24:07.43
But the Bible says that
God gave the church, the woman,
00:24:07.46\00:24:11.69
refuge in the wilderness.
00:24:11.72\00:24:14.00
He was not able to destroy her.
00:24:14.03\00:24:16.27
Who came to the
rescue of the woman?
00:24:16.30\00:24:20.57
Notice verse 16; very important.
00:24:20.60\00:24:24.08
It says in verse
16 of chapter 12:
00:24:24.12\00:24:27.57
In other words, when the
woman is being persecuted by the
00:24:29.05\00:24:34.52
dragon, who is spewing his
multitudes to try and drown
00:24:34.55\00:24:38.11
the woman and destroy her,
something comes to the rescue.
00:24:38.14\00:24:41.44
Notice, it's not another
beast that comes to the rescue,
00:24:41.48\00:24:44.75
it is the earth; a territory,
if you please. And so it says,:
00:24:44.78\00:24:51.85
And what did the earth do?
00:24:53.59\00:24:54.90
And as a result persecution
what? ceases, because the earth
00:25:01.81\00:25:06.91
swallowed up the
waters of persecution,
00:25:06.94\00:25:08.95
and helped the woman.
00:25:08.98\00:25:10.96
By the way, this must have
happened around the end of the
00:25:10.99\00:25:14.17
1,260 years, right?
00:25:14.20\00:25:15.98
Because we're
following a sequence.
00:25:16.01\00:25:17.81
The little horn and the
beast governed for 1,260 years,
00:25:17.84\00:25:22.87
which means that the earth
helping the woman has to come
00:25:22.90\00:25:25.64
towards the end of this period.
00:25:25.67\00:25:27.89
Now I want you to
notice Revelation 12:17.
00:25:27.92\00:25:31.84
Do you think the Devil is
happy about the Earth helping
00:25:31.87\00:25:34.64
the woman, and swallowing
up the waters of persecution?
00:25:34.67\00:25:37.54
Obviously, not!
00:25:37.57\00:25:38.75
And so we have one
final stage of warfare.
00:25:38.78\00:25:42.83
Revelation 12:17:
00:25:42.86\00:25:46.24
Why would he be
enraged with the woman?
00:25:49.52\00:25:51.15
What does the
previous verse say?
00:25:51.19\00:25:52.58
The earth what?
helped the woman.
00:25:52.61\00:25:56.07
And because the earth
helped the woman, now the dragon
00:25:56.10\00:25:59.69
is further enraged. And notice:
00:25:59.72\00:26:02.74
I like the way the
King James says it:
00:26:08.68\00:26:10.80
with the remnant of her seed...
00:26:10.83\00:26:13.35
And so Revelation
12 comes to an end.
00:26:20.08\00:26:23.41
We followed a
sequence of events.
00:26:23.44\00:26:26.23
Let's review that
sequence of events.
00:26:26.26\00:26:29.94
Chapter 12 of Revelation
begins in the Old Testament
00:26:29.97\00:26:34.38
before the child is born.
00:26:34.41\00:26:36.02
Then it moves to the period
of the dragon, when the dragon
00:26:36.05\00:26:40.03
tries to kill the
child as soon as He is born.
00:26:40.06\00:26:42.79
That dragon, according to Daniel
7, then sprouts ten horns;
00:26:42.82\00:26:47.25
the ten divisions
in western Europe.
00:26:47.28\00:26:49.48
Then the woman is
persecuted into the wilderness
00:26:49.51\00:26:53.54
for 1,260 years: 538 to 1798.
00:26:53.57\00:26:59.21
But towards the end of this
period something known as the
00:26:59.24\00:27:02.69
earth swallows up the
waters of persecution,
00:27:02.72\00:27:05.62
and helps the woman.
00:27:05.65\00:27:06.90
This angers and enrages
the dragon, and so he goes to
00:27:06.93\00:27:11.19
make a final war
against the remnant of her seed,
00:27:11.22\00:27:14.63
who keep the
commandments of God,
00:27:14.66\00:27:16.60
and have the
testimony of Jesus Christ.
00:27:16.63\00:27:19.28
Do you see how this prophecy
has moved from the Old Testament
00:27:19.31\00:27:22.59
till the final persecution
of God's people on planet Earth
00:27:22.62\00:27:25.92
without interruption?
00:27:25.95\00:27:27.79
Now, what are the commandments
of God that are mentioned here
00:27:27.82\00:27:34.52
as being kept by this remnant?
00:27:34.55\00:27:37.16
Well, let's go to
Matthew 19:17, Matthew 19:17.
00:27:37.19\00:27:45.24
Here Jesus is speaking to the
rich young ruler, and He uses
00:27:45.27\00:27:49.12
the same terminology as
we find in Revelation 12:17.
00:27:49.15\00:27:54.58
Actually, Jesus says
to the rich young ruler
00:27:54.61\00:27:58.49
in Matthew 19:17,
Why do you call me good?
00:27:58.52\00:28:05.12
No one is good but God, but
if you want to enter into life,
00:28:05.15\00:28:13.25
what? keep the commandments.
00:28:13.28\00:28:16.00
The same expression:
keep the commandments.
00:28:16.03\00:28:18.37
Now which commandments
was Jesus speaking about?
00:28:18.40\00:28:20.44
If you continue reading,
the young man says, Which?
00:28:20.47\00:28:24.03
Jesus says, You
shall not murder,
00:28:24.06\00:28:25.80
you shall not live in
adultery, you shall not steal,
00:28:25.83\00:28:27.86
you shall not
bear false witness,
00:28:27.90\00:28:29.55
honor your
father and your mother.
00:28:29.58\00:28:30.64
Which commandments is
Jesus quoting when He says,
00:28:30.67\00:28:32.46
Keep the commandments?
00:28:32.49\00:28:33.52
He's referring to the ten
commandments, which means that
00:28:33.55\00:28:37.06
this final remnant on
planet Earth will keep what?
00:28:37.09\00:28:40.86
will keep the
commandments of God.
00:28:40.89\00:28:43.77
The nine
commandments, all nine of them.
00:28:43.80\00:28:46.90
Oh, thank you very much!
00:28:46.93\00:28:48.96
They will keep all of
the commandments of God;
00:28:48.99\00:28:51.44
the ten commandments.
00:28:51.47\00:28:53.23
But notice also that they will
have the testimony of Jesus.
00:28:53.26\00:28:57.34
What is that testimony of Jesus,
which appears in the remnant
00:28:57.37\00:29:00.98
after the year 1798?
00:29:01.01\00:29:02.88
By the way, did you notice
that this remnant has to appear
00:29:02.91\00:29:05.37
when the earth helps the
woman at the end of this period?
00:29:05.40\00:29:09.08
Have you noticed that this
remnant has to appear after
00:29:09.11\00:29:11.71
1798? And where do
they have to appear?
00:29:11.74\00:29:14.42
They have to appear
where? on the earth.
00:29:14.45\00:29:17.60
Because that's the place
where the woman was helped.
00:29:17.63\00:29:21.14
So you need to look
for a people who appear
00:29:21.17\00:29:25.85
on what is called the earth.
00:29:25.88\00:29:27.40
You have to look
for a people who arise
00:29:27.43\00:29:31.11
shortly after the year 1798.
00:29:31.14\00:29:33.93
You have to look for a people
who teach that you're supposed
00:29:33.96\00:29:38.11
to keep all of the
commandments of God.
00:29:38.14\00:29:39.93
And you have to
search for a people who have
00:29:39.96\00:29:42.33
the testimony of Jesus Christ.
00:29:42.36\00:29:44.05
Now the question is, What is
the testimony of Jesus Christ?
00:29:44.09\00:29:47.28
Let's go and let
Revelation itself explain it.
00:29:47.31\00:29:50.00
Revelation
19:10, Revelation 19:10.
00:29:50.03\00:29:55.76
John says this: And I fell
at his feet to worship him.
00:29:55.79\00:30:00.62
Because an angel
has appeared to him.
00:30:00.66\00:30:02.17
But he said to me, See that you
do not do that: I am your fellow
00:30:02.20\00:30:07.90
servant, and of your brethren
who have the testimony of Jesus.
00:30:07.93\00:30:12.99
What do John's brethren have?
00:30:13.02\00:30:14.40
The testimony of Jesus.
00:30:14.43\00:30:17.01
Worship God: for
the testimony of Jesus
00:30:17.04\00:30:21.40
is what? is the
Spirit of Prophecy.
00:30:21.43\00:30:25.62
In other words, the final
remnant, against whom the devil
00:30:25.65\00:30:30.84
launches his final onslaught,
will keep the commandments
00:30:30.87\00:30:35.62
of God; all of the
commandments of God.
00:30:35.65\00:30:38.08
And will have the
testimony of Jesus,
00:30:38.11\00:30:40.62
which is the Spirit of Prophecy.
00:30:40.74\00:30:43.15
The reason why it's called the
Spirit of Prophecy is because
00:30:43.18\00:30:45.75
prophecy is one of the
gifts of the Holy Spirit.
00:30:45.78\00:30:48.46
It is the Spirit of Prophecy.
00:30:48.49\00:30:50.79
In other words, they will
have the gift of prophecy.
00:30:50.82\00:30:54.39
Now do you remember in Daniel
7: 25, the two things that the
00:30:54.42\00:31:00.84
little horn thought
that he could change?
00:31:00.87\00:31:03.37
Go back with me to
Daniel 7:25, Daniel 7:25.
00:31:03.40\00:31:10.88
Some of you weren't here
on that previous presentation,
00:31:10.91\00:31:13.75
so we need to read this, because
it's very, very important.
00:31:13.78\00:31:16.69
It says there in Daniel 7:25:
00:31:16.72\00:31:20.13
Or as the King
James says, shall think...
00:31:27.86\00:31:29.94
We've already identified
the times as God's prophetic
00:31:34.69\00:31:38.83
sequence of events,
God's prophetic calendar.
00:31:38.86\00:31:41.53
The way in which He
explains how prophecy will be
00:31:41.56\00:31:45.25
fulfilled in the end times.
00:31:45.60\00:31:46.63
We've already identified
the law as the law of God,
00:31:46.66\00:31:50.35
as found in the
ten commandments.
00:31:50.38\00:31:52.02
Now, are you seeing
something interesting?
00:31:52.05\00:31:54.56
The little horn thinks that
he can change the law of God,
00:31:54.59\00:31:57.93
and he thinks that he can
change God's prophetic calendar.
00:31:57.96\00:32:00.75
Do you know how
God counteracts that?
00:32:00.78\00:32:02.41
He says, Okay, I'm going
to raise up a people who keep
00:32:02.44\00:32:05.35
the commandments of God, and
who have the gift of prophecy.
00:32:05.38\00:32:07.94
In other words, God
raises up a people to undo what
00:32:07.97\00:32:12.36
the little horn tries to do.
00:32:12.57\00:32:13.70
A people who will
exalt the ten commandments,
00:32:13.73\00:32:16.74
including the one which
the papacy tried to change,
00:32:16.77\00:32:19.52
and which will have
the gift of prophecy,
00:32:19.55\00:32:22.55
which shows the true way in
which final events will develop
00:32:22.58\00:32:27.12
in Bible prophecy.
00:32:27.15\00:32:28.48
And, by the way, if you're
interested in knowing how this
00:32:28.51\00:32:31.44
end time scenario is going
to develop, you need to read
00:32:31.47\00:32:34.48
the book, The Great Controversy.
00:32:34.51\00:32:36.07
You can pick up a
complimentary copy as you go out
00:32:36.10\00:32:39.53
from the lecture today.
00:32:39.56\00:32:40.90
It's a fabulous book.
00:32:40.93\00:32:42.45
It's a book that was written
by Ellen White, and if you read
00:32:42.48\00:32:45.83
that book, particularly the
last half of it, you say, Wow,
00:32:45.86\00:32:48.86
it's like she lived
right now in these days.
00:32:48.89\00:32:52.13
It's like she was seeing the
news that you see on television
00:32:52.16\00:32:55.49
today, because things are
developing just like she said.
00:32:55.52\00:32:59.51
And, by the way, this
book was published in 1911,
00:32:59.54\00:33:04.14
almost one hundred years ago.
00:33:04.17\00:33:08.13
And what she writes is simply
amazing, because God gave this
00:33:08.16\00:33:12.52
gift to the remnant church
to show how prophecy will truly
00:33:12.55\00:33:16.26
develop, not the way the little
horn said that it would develop.
00:33:16.29\00:33:20.61
Now we need to move
on to Revelation 13,
00:33:20.64\00:33:24.31
because Revelation 13 is
parallel to Revelation 12.
00:33:24.34\00:33:28.21
Go with me to Revelation
13 and let's follow the
00:33:28.24\00:33:32.23
sequence in this chapter.
00:33:32.26\00:33:33.82
Revelation 13, and we
will begin at verse 1.
00:33:33.85\00:33:37.56
Then I stood on the sand of the
sea and I saw a beast coming up
00:33:37.59\00:33:42.16
out of the sea, having
seven heads and ten horns,
00:33:42.19\00:33:46.25
and on his horns ten
crowns, and on his heads
00:33:46.28\00:33:49.84
a blasphemous name.
00:33:49.87\00:33:51.24
Now we could take time to
explain every one of these
00:33:51.27\00:33:53.67
symbols, but it would take
us far beyond the time period
00:33:53.70\00:33:56.03
that we have here.
00:33:56.06\00:33:57.09
Verse 2 is a critical verse.
00:33:57.12\00:33:58.96
What chapter of the Bible
does this make you think of?
00:34:12.00\00:34:16.49
Daniel chapter what? 7!
00:34:16.52\00:34:19.69
Do you have a lion
in both chapters? Yes.
00:34:19.72\00:34:22.90
Do you have a bear
in both chapters? Yes.
00:34:22.93\00:34:25.25
Do you have a leopard
in both chapters? Yes.
00:34:25.28\00:34:27.89
Do you have a
dragon in both chapters?
00:34:27.92\00:34:29.82
Does the dragon have ten horns
in both chapters? Absolutely!
00:34:29.85\00:34:34.12
So Revelation 13 is
following the same sequence as
00:34:34.15\00:34:39.18
Revelation 12. And, by the
way, Revelation 13 is beginning
00:34:39.21\00:34:43.62
in the Old Testament, isn't it?
00:34:43.65\00:34:44.98
Because Babylon, Media Persia,
and Greece are Old Testament
00:34:45.01\00:34:47.87
powers: the lion, the bear, and
the leopard are Old Testament
00:34:47.90\00:34:51.13
powers. And then you move
to the dragon with ten horns,
00:34:51.16\00:34:54.07
which is the same dragon with
ten horns that tried to kill
00:34:54.10\00:34:57.06
the male child when He was born.
00:34:57.09\00:34:59.02
Are you following the sequence?
00:34:59.05\00:35:00.26
Now let me ask you, which
would you expect to be the next
00:35:00.29\00:35:03.76
period in Revelation 13, if
it's parallel to Revelation 12?
00:35:03.79\00:35:07.47
You've seen the Old
Testament: the dragon.
00:35:07.50\00:35:12.12
The dragon has ten horns, and
now the dragon gives his power
00:35:12.15\00:35:16.64
to whom? to the beast.
00:35:16.67\00:35:18.55
How long would you
expect the beast to govern?
00:35:18.58\00:35:20.63
How about 1,260 days, if you're
following the same sequence?
00:35:20.66\00:35:25.28
Yes, you think so? Absolutely!
00:35:25.31\00:35:28.12
Let's go to Revelation
13:5 and you'll see it.
00:35:28.15\00:35:31.64
Revelation 13:5, it
says here in verse 5:
00:35:31.67\00:35:36.47
Is that what the little
horn did also? Absolutely!
00:35:40.98\00:35:43.88
Is that the same period as time,
times, and the dividing of time?
00:35:49.38\00:35:53.10
Absolutely. Is it the same time
period as 1,260 days or years?
00:35:53.13\00:35:58.95
Absolutely! So is
Revelation 13 running parallel
00:35:58.98\00:36:03.33
to Revelation 12? Absolutely!
00:36:03.36\00:36:05.81
And parallel to Daniel 7.
00:36:05.84\00:36:08.08
No doubt whatsoever!
00:36:08.11\00:36:09.50
And now I want you to
notice verse 7 of Revelation 13.
00:36:09.53\00:36:13.47
Verse 7.
00:36:13.50\00:36:14.53
By the way, did you notice here
that in Revelation 12 it says
00:36:18.72\00:36:23.71
that the dragon
persecuted the woman?
00:36:23.74\00:36:26.56
Here it says that the
beast persecuted the saints.
00:36:26.59\00:36:29.82
This is very important.
00:36:29.85\00:36:31.99
What is the woman?
It's the church, Yes.
00:36:32.02\00:36:38.21
In Revelation 12 the woman
is called in Revelation 13 what?
00:36:38.24\00:36:43.46
the saints. So what
is the woman? the saints.
00:36:43.49\00:36:47.00
Are you understanding me?
00:36:47.04\00:36:49.08
In other words, it is
the faithful church of God.
00:36:49.11\00:36:52.78
And so it says in verse 7:
00:36:52.81\00:36:54.83
Remember the waters that the
dragon spewed out of his mouth?
00:37:03.92\00:37:07.20
By the way, whose
emissary is the beast?
00:37:07.23\00:37:09.93
Whose emissary
is the little horn?
00:37:09.96\00:37:11.69
Satan's, and that's why God
gives us these two chapters:
00:37:11.72\00:37:17.47
Revelation 12 and 13, because
Revelation 12 shows that the
00:37:17.50\00:37:21.48
real power behind the
persecution of the church
00:37:21.51\00:37:24.86
is the dragon. But chapter
13 shows us that the dragon
00:37:24.89\00:37:29.96
persecutes the woman
through using what? the beast.
00:37:29.99\00:37:34.31
In other words, the beast
is the emissary of the dragon.
00:37:34.34\00:37:37.99
Now I want us to go
to Revelation 13:10,
00:37:38.02\00:37:43.29
Revelation 13:10. At the end
of this period, the year 1798,
00:37:43.32\00:37:49.73
this beast power, this little
horn power, was going to receive
00:37:49.76\00:37:53.60
a deadly wound.
It says in verse 10:
00:37:53.63\00:37:55.73
In other words he's not
going to be able to persecute
00:37:58.72\00:38:02.11
the Saints of the Most High
anymore, at least for awhile.
00:38:02.14\00:38:05.89
Here is the patience
and the faith of the saints.
00:38:11.87\00:38:14.00
We've already
studied about the sword.
00:38:14.03\00:38:15.57
What does the sword represent?
00:38:15.60\00:38:16.99
The sword
represents the civil power.
00:38:17.02\00:38:19.64
Romans 13 is the critical
chapter; the first 9 verses.
00:38:19.67\00:38:24.30
Do you remember that
it is the civil power
00:38:24.33\00:38:26.54
that bears the sword?
00:38:26.57\00:38:28.28
And so this power was going
to be wounded by the civil power
00:38:28.31\00:38:32.12
which it had used during
its 1,260 years of dominion.
00:38:32.15\00:38:36.11
Let me ask you, when did this
happen to the Roman Catholic
00:38:36.14\00:38:38.70
Papacy? 1798. The power was
removed from the Roman Catholic
00:38:38.73\00:38:44.39
Papacy. It did not cease to
exist as a church, but the civil
00:38:44.42\00:38:47.55
power was removed from it.
00:38:47.58\00:38:49.47
It could no longer use
the governments of the world
00:38:49.50\00:38:52.42
to accomplish its purposes.
00:38:52.45\00:38:54.35
And the governments of the world
have kept that wound in place
00:38:54.38\00:38:58.34
until this day. But in
the United States of America,
00:38:58.37\00:39:01.36
slowly but surely,
ironically in this country,
00:39:01.39\00:39:05.07
that wound is being helped
to heal by people who have
00:39:05.10\00:39:10.67
religious zeal, by people
who are sincere in their hearts.
00:39:10.70\00:39:14.07
They want to moralize America,
but they are using the state to
00:39:14.10\00:39:18.72
accomplish their purposes,
just like the Papacy did
00:39:18.75\00:39:21.65
during the middle ages.
00:39:21.89\00:39:22.92
In other words, they are
forming an image, and a likeness
00:39:22.95\00:39:25.87
to what that first beast did.
00:39:25.90\00:39:27.96
You know Friedrich Nietzsche,
the great philosopher,
00:39:27.99\00:39:32.87
once said, Be careful
when you fight the dragon,
00:39:32.90\00:39:36.84
lest you become a dragon.
00:39:36.87\00:39:39.71
And I would say that to
Christians all over the world
00:39:39.74\00:39:44.48
today. Be careful when you
fight the dragon of immorality,
00:39:44.51\00:39:50.52
and corruption in society.
00:39:50.55\00:39:52.43
Beware of the methods you
use lest you, in the process,
00:39:52.46\00:39:56.47
also become a dragon.
00:39:56.50\00:39:59.37
Now, we've moved from the Old
Testament to the period of Rome;
00:39:59.40\00:40:05.60
Rome divided, 1,260 years.
00:40:05.63\00:40:10.79
This beast receives a
deadly wound at the end
00:40:10.82\00:40:13.62
of the 1,260 years.
00:40:13.65\00:40:15.49
Do you remember in Revelation
12 it said that the next stage
00:40:15.52\00:40:18.48
was that the
earth helped the woman?
00:40:18.51\00:40:20.15
And then it says that the dragon
is enraged with the woman?
00:40:20.18\00:40:24.90
So you have two key words there.
00:40:24.93\00:40:27.75
You have the word
earth helped the woman.
00:40:27.78\00:40:31.02
And the second is the earth
now, the devil, the dragon,
00:40:31.05\00:40:35.98
persecutes the woman in
it's final stage of existence:
00:40:36.01\00:40:40.21
earth and woman. Now
notice Revelation 13:11.
00:40:40.24\00:40:45.05
Very interesting! Right after
this beast receives its deadly
00:40:45.08\00:40:49.93
wound, notice what we find
in Revelation 13:11. It says:
00:40:49.96\00:40:55.03
Is that the same
earth of Revelation 12?
00:41:02.22\00:41:06.02
Do you know what
the only difference is?
00:41:06.05\00:41:08.94
In Revelation 12 the
earth is the territory.
00:41:08.97\00:41:11.69
In Revelation 13 the
beast is the nation that arises
00:41:11.72\00:41:17.10
in that territory. Are
you following me or not?
00:41:17.13\00:41:20.34
Let me ask you, which was the
country in the world that gave
00:41:20.37\00:41:24.61
refuge to those who
were persecuted in Europe?
00:41:24.64\00:41:26.89
It was the United States.
00:41:26.92\00:41:29.10
Have you ever heard
of the pilgrims that fled
00:41:29.13\00:41:31.68
from Europe, from the
persecutions in Europe,
00:41:31.72\00:41:34.24
and came to the United States?
00:41:34.27\00:41:35.30
And, by the way, they
then became the persecutors.
00:41:35.79\00:41:38.74
That's a stage that
people don't talk much about.
00:41:38.77\00:41:41.97
We talk about the Constitutional
stage of the United States,
00:41:42.00\00:41:44.46
but we forget that there's
the period, the colonial period,
00:41:44.49\00:41:46.78
when you could be fined and
thrown into jail for not going
00:41:46.81\00:41:50.96
to church on Sunday.
00:41:50.99\00:41:52.02
Where you could be fined and
thrown into jail if you didn't
00:41:52.05\00:41:56.65
pay your tithes, and I say
pay your tithes, in this case.
00:41:56.68\00:42:00.14
Where if you were not a
Christian, you could not occupy
00:42:00.17\00:42:04.83
an office in the government.
00:42:04.86\00:42:06.37
Is that the kind of
America that you want today?
00:42:06.40\00:42:10.48
Do you want to
return to Colonial America?
00:42:10.52\00:42:12.25
That's what many
ministers want to do.
00:42:12.28\00:42:14.34
They want to return
to Colonial America,
00:42:14.37\00:42:17.23
and not to
Constitutional America,
00:42:17.26\00:42:20.27
the America of the
founding fathers, so to speak.
00:42:20.30\00:42:23.78
And so in Revelation 12
the earth helps the woman.
00:42:23.81\00:42:26.87
The United States provides
refuge for those who are
00:42:26.90\00:42:29.22
persecuted. Persecution ceases.
00:42:29.25\00:42:31.58
But Revelation 12 says that then
the dragon is enraged because
00:42:31.61\00:42:35.29
the earth helps the woman.
00:42:35.32\00:42:36.49
Does Revelation 13 say that
after this nation rises from the
00:42:36.52\00:42:40.23
earth it will
speak like a dragon?
00:42:40.26\00:42:42.04
It most certainly does!
00:42:42.07\00:42:43.41
And, by the way, listen to this.
00:42:43.44\00:42:45.47
In Revelation 12 it says that
the dragon is enraged against
00:42:45.50\00:42:48.10
the woman, because she
keeps the commandments of God,
00:42:48.13\00:42:50.52
and it has the
testimony of Jesus.
00:42:50.55\00:42:51.86
Do you know what the
devil is going to do?
00:42:51.89\00:42:53.74
He's going to try
and counteract that.
00:42:53.77\00:42:55.14
He's going to try and counteract
the commandments of God
00:42:55.17\00:42:58.28
by imposing the mark of the
beast, which is the same thing
00:42:58.31\00:43:01.93
as the change in
the law in Daniel 7.
00:43:01.96\00:43:05.25
And he's going to try
to counteract the testimony
00:43:05.28\00:43:08.65
of Jesus, the gift of prophecy,
by raising up the second beast,
00:43:08.68\00:43:12.97
which, by the way, is
called the false prophet.
00:43:13.00\00:43:17.05
So he's going to raise up a
false prophet in Protestantism
00:43:17.08\00:43:21.42
to try and counteract
the true gift of prophecy.
00:43:21.45\00:43:24.34
So you have a play
and a counter play.
00:43:24.37\00:43:26.64
During the 1,260 years the devil
says, I'm going to use this
00:43:26.67\00:43:29.38
power to change the law, and
to change the prophetic times.
00:43:29.41\00:43:32.77
God says, Oh, yeah?
00:43:32.80\00:43:33.83
At the end of this period I
will raise up a people who exalt
00:43:33.86\00:43:37.09
the law, and keep the
commandments, and they have
00:43:37.12\00:43:39.01
the testimony of Jesus
to set prophecy straight.
00:43:39.04\00:43:41.82
And the devil
says, Is that right?
00:43:41.85\00:43:43.34
I'm going to launch a
final persecution, imposing the
00:43:43.37\00:43:46.21
mark of the beast, and
also raising up a false prophet
00:43:46.24\00:43:50.05
to deceive people about
how prophecy will develop.
00:43:50.08\00:43:54.68
Lead everybody to
look to the Middle East.
00:43:54.71\00:43:58.18
Lead everybody to look to Iraq,
while the enemy grows in Rome.
00:43:58.21\00:44:04.47
And where, in the United
States, people who are sincere,
00:44:04.50\00:44:10.68
I'm not impugning their motives.
00:44:10.71\00:44:13.28
They're sincere, like
king Ahasuerus was sincere,
00:44:13.31\00:44:18.07
in the days of Esther.
00:44:18.10\00:44:19.42
People who don't understand
the issues, and think that they
00:44:19.45\00:44:24.25
need to listen to what the
religious right in this country
00:44:24.28\00:44:28.91
wants, and to
impose by law their will.
00:44:28.94\00:44:33.05
I wish I had time, more
time to speak about this.
00:44:33.08\00:44:36.07
We're entering a
very dangerous period
00:44:36.10\00:44:39.17
in the history of
the United States;
00:44:39.20\00:44:41.21
very dangerous period in
the history of this country.
00:44:41.24\00:44:45.02
So do you see how Revelation
12 and 13 follow the same
00:44:45.05\00:44:48.30
sequence? Let me ask
you, where are we now?
00:44:48.33\00:44:51.54
The Old Testament
is past, Yes? Yeah?
00:44:51.57\00:44:58.19
When the child was born. Past?
00:44:58.22\00:45:00.77
Ten division of Rome. Past?
00:45:00.80\00:45:03.79
1,260 years. Past?
00:45:03.82\00:45:06.84
The earth
helping the woman. Past?
00:45:06.87\00:45:09.20
What is the last stage?
00:45:09.23\00:45:13.29
The dragon being what? enraged
with the woman, with the remnant
00:45:13.32\00:45:19.50
of her seed, who keep
the commandments of God,
00:45:19.53\00:45:22.73
and have the
testimony of Jesus Christ.
00:45:22.76\00:45:26.17
So where would God expect,
where would we expect God
00:45:26.20\00:45:30.08
to raise His end
time church, and when,
00:45:30.11\00:45:32.19
and what
characteristics would it have?
00:45:32.37\00:45:35.19
Very simple, the true church has
to arise in the United States,
00:45:35.22\00:45:40.98
the earth. The true church
has to arise shortly after 1798,
00:45:41.01\00:45:46.83
according to the sequence.
00:45:46.86\00:45:48.22
It has to be a church which
teaches that you're supposed
00:45:48.25\00:45:51.91
to keep all of the
commandments of God.
00:45:51.94\00:45:54.26
And it is a church that
has the true prophetic scenario
00:45:54.29\00:45:58.21
of end time events,
as reflected in the book,
00:45:58.24\00:46:01.24
The Great Controversy.
00:46:01.28\00:46:02.74
But there are other
characteristics which identify
00:46:02.77\00:46:05.88
this true church. Let's
go through them quickly.
00:46:05.91\00:46:08.73
Revelation 14 has God's
final message to the world.
00:46:08.76\00:46:14.10
It's called the
three angels' message.
00:46:14.13\00:46:17.50
It's actually one
message with three parts.
00:46:17.53\00:46:19.90
And we're going to go
through several characteristics
00:46:19.93\00:46:23.40
very quickly in Revelation
14 of this end time message.
00:46:23.43\00:46:28.01
And, by the way, this is God's
final message to the world.
00:46:28.04\00:46:30.59
You say, how do we know
that it's God's final message?
00:46:30.62\00:46:32.56
Listen, it's very simple.
00:46:32.59\00:46:33.70
Because the three
angels proclaim their messages
00:46:33.73\00:46:36.75
in Revelation 14:6-12.
00:46:36.78\00:46:39.17
That's where the three
angels' messages are found.
00:46:39.20\00:46:41.43
Immediately afterwards, in verse
14, Jesus is seen seated on a
00:46:41.46\00:46:46.61
cloud, and He has a sickle
in His hand, and He's going to
00:46:46.64\00:46:50.04
harvest the harvest of
the earth, and the grapes
00:46:50.07\00:46:52.84
of the earth. The
grapes represent the wicked,
00:46:52.87\00:46:55.18
and the harvest
represents the righteous.
00:46:55.21\00:46:58.55
So in other words, the whole
world has been divided into
00:46:58.58\00:47:02.18
two groups by the
three angels' messages.
00:47:02.21\00:47:04.53
And so this is
God's end time message.
00:47:04.56\00:47:06.90
Let me ask you, would you
expect there to be a church
00:47:06.93\00:47:10.10
which would proclaim this
triple message to the world?
00:47:10.13\00:47:13.33
Would that be the true church?
00:47:13.36\00:47:15.96
The church that is proclaiming
God's end time message
00:47:15.99\00:47:18.90
to the world? No
doubt whatsoever about it.
00:47:18.93\00:47:21.47
Notice Revelation 14:6:
00:47:21.50\00:47:24.26
Must this be a worldwide church?
00:47:32.38\00:47:34.15
Must it have a worldwide
system in order to proclaim
00:47:34.18\00:47:38.92
God's message on
a global scale? Yes.
00:47:38.95\00:47:41.97
This can't be some
local church somewhere.
00:47:42.00\00:47:44.03
It can't be some denomination
that works in only one
00:47:44.06\00:47:47.51
little area of the world.
00:47:47.54\00:47:48.66
It has to be a church which
has the capacity to preach the
00:47:48.69\00:47:53.59
gospel to every
nation on planet Earth.
00:47:53.62\00:47:56.68
It must be a worldwide church.
00:47:56.71\00:47:58.75
Notice verse 7.
It says in verse 7:
00:47:58.78\00:48:01.80
I wish I had
time to refer to that.
00:48:05.56\00:48:07.33
Fear God means to
keep His commandments.
00:48:07.36\00:48:10.99
In the Old Testament, time and
again, as well as in the New,
00:48:11.02\00:48:14.40
when the expression: fear
God, is used, it is linked with
00:48:14.43\00:48:17.68
keeping God's law, with
keeping God's commandments.
00:48:17.71\00:48:21.04
So this first angel
is saying, Fear God,
00:48:21.07\00:48:23.55
that is keep His commandments.
00:48:23.58\00:48:25.78
Give glory to Him for the
hour of His judgment will come.
00:48:25.81\00:48:31.26
Thank you, thank you.
00:48:31.29\00:48:33.25
The hour of His
judgment has come, or is come.
00:48:33.28\00:48:37.08
Let me ask you, will the true
church teach that we are now
00:48:37.11\00:48:40.33
living in the
judgment? Absolutely!
00:48:40.36\00:48:43.17
So you have to look for a church
who teaches that we are now
00:48:43.20\00:48:46.18
living in the judgment;
the judgment of the righteous,
00:48:46.21\00:48:49.70
which God is separating the
righteous from the unrighteous,
00:48:49.73\00:48:52.80
because when He
comes, He's going to take the
00:48:52.83\00:48:54.77
righteous to heaven, so
He has to separate them first
00:48:54.80\00:48:57.90
in order to take
them home when He comes.
00:48:57.93\00:49:00.98
The hour of His
judgment has come.
00:49:01.01\00:49:04.05
And, by the way, along with
the doctrine of the judgment
00:49:04.08\00:49:07.03
this church has to
teach that the dead are dead.
00:49:07.06\00:49:09.55
You say, why is this?
00:49:11.24\00:49:12.27
Well, it's actually very simple.
00:49:12.30\00:49:14.02
You don't have to be
king Solomon to figure it out.
00:49:14.05\00:49:16.82
If God celebrates the judgment
at a certain point in time,
00:49:16.85\00:49:22.15
then people didn't go to hell
or to heaven when they died.
00:49:22.18\00:49:25.85
Because if they went to
heaven or hell when they died,
00:49:25.89\00:49:29.55
they already were judged.
00:49:29.58\00:49:31.05
Are you
understanding what I am saying?
00:49:31.08\00:49:33.00
So implicit here is the idea
that the true church will teach
00:49:33.03\00:49:37.70
that we are in the
judgment, and therefore the dead
00:49:37.74\00:49:41.47
know not anything.
00:49:41.51\00:49:43.78
And, by the way, the first angel
continues saying, And worship
00:49:43.81\00:49:47.95
Him who made the
heaven, the earth, the sea,
00:49:47.98\00:49:51.38
and the springs of water.
00:49:51.41\00:49:52.69
That is a quotation that comes
from the fourth commandment
00:49:52.73\00:49:56.30
of the law of God.
00:49:56.33\00:49:57.71
This church will call people
to keep God's Holy Sabbath.
00:49:57.74\00:50:01.92
They will
proclaim it to the world;
00:50:01.95\00:50:05.29
to every nation,
kindred, tongue, and people.
00:50:05.32\00:50:08.52
Notice the second
angel's message, verse 8:
00:50:08.55\00:50:12.00
What will the remnant church do?
00:50:23.06\00:50:24.59
They will call God's
people to come out of where?
00:50:24.62\00:50:28.11
To come out of Babylon.
00:50:28.14\00:50:30.12
By the way, do you
know what Babylon is?
00:50:30.15\00:50:32.61
Revelation 16, I'll
just mention the verse.
00:50:32.65\00:50:35.11
Revelation 16:13 says
that Babylon has three parts:
00:50:35.14\00:50:40.08
the dragon, which we've
already seen represents Satan,
00:50:40.11\00:50:44.34
but it represents the political
powers of the world that Satan
00:50:44.37\00:50:47.12
uses; the civil powers
joining the religious power.
00:50:47.15\00:50:51.04
The dragon, the beast,...
00:50:51.07\00:50:53.92
What does the beast represent?
00:50:53.95\00:50:55.23
We've studied this before.
00:50:55.26\00:50:56.29
It represents the
Roman Catholic Papacy,
00:50:56.32\00:50:58.63
not individual Catholics.
00:50:58.66\00:51:01.23
Most of God's true people
are within the Catholic Church.
00:51:01.26\00:51:04.19
That does not make the
Catholic Church the true church.
00:51:04.23\00:51:07.16
Actually, during the 1,260
years, the Roman Catholic Church
00:51:07.19\00:51:13.82
persecuted. Are you
following me or not?
00:51:13.85\00:51:18.40
It was the
persecutor, not the persecuted.
00:51:18.44\00:51:22.96
And so I want you to notice
here that you have the dragon,
00:51:22.99\00:51:27.65
you have the beast, and
you have the false prophet.
00:51:27.68\00:51:30.42
What does the
false prophet represent?
00:51:30.45\00:51:32.10
It represents apostate
Protestantism as it is found
00:51:32.13\00:51:35.62
primarily where? in the
United States of America,
00:51:35.65\00:51:38.94
which is going to join the
beast to enforce by law what?
00:51:38.98\00:51:44.39
the mark of the beast.
00:51:44.42\00:51:46.45
So is the true church going to
call God's true children out of
00:51:46.48\00:51:50.90
these three powers?
00:51:50.93\00:51:52.25
Out of secularism, so to speak?
00:51:52.28\00:51:54.80
Out of the Papal system,
out of apostate Protestantism,
00:51:54.84\00:52:00.26
to join God's remnant church.
00:52:00.29\00:52:02.52
Absolutely, according to
Bible prophecy, this is exactly
00:52:02.55\00:52:06.53
what was going to happen.
00:52:06.56\00:52:07.59
And then the third angel's
message warns about the beast,
00:52:07.62\00:52:12.37
his image, and about
receiving the mark of the beast.
00:52:12.40\00:52:17.02
If you want to know what the
true church is, you have to find
00:52:17.06\00:52:19.83
the church that is
talking to you about the beast,
00:52:19.86\00:52:22.83
about the image of the beast,
and that is talking to you about
00:52:22.87\00:52:26.59
the mark of the beast.
00:52:26.62\00:52:27.74
And we've already identified
the mark of the beast as that
00:52:27.78\00:52:31.83
mark that the Roman Catholic
Papacy says that it has,
00:52:31.87\00:52:34.76
and that is that it
has changed God's law,
00:52:34.79\00:52:37.27
in their mind at
least, from Sabbath to Sunday.
00:52:37.30\00:52:40.26
And they say, this is the mark
of our power, because only God
00:52:40.29\00:52:45.56
could change His Holy Law.
00:52:45.60\00:52:47.52
And so it has to be a system
that warns people, a religious
00:52:47.55\00:52:53.24
organization, the church
which warns people about these
00:52:53.28\00:52:58.96
apostate powers. And folks,
I know it is not politically
00:52:58.99\00:53:02.69
correct to do this.
00:53:02.72\00:53:03.77
But it's not a time for
political correctness when
00:53:03.80\00:53:07.74
people's spiritual lives
and eternal destiny is in play.
00:53:07.78\00:53:13.75
We need to speak out,
not because we hate people,
00:53:13.78\00:53:17.91
we love people in
all of these systems.
00:53:17.94\00:53:20.31
And that's why God
calls them out incidentally.
00:53:20.34\00:53:23.08
In Revelation 18:4 God
says, Come out of her my people.
00:53:23.11\00:53:28.34
Come out of Babylon, my people.
00:53:28.37\00:53:30.16
Isn't it marvelous that
God has people in Babylon?
00:53:30.19\00:53:32.87
Would He ever call
them out if He didn't have
00:53:32.90\00:53:34.39
people in Babylon?
00:53:34.42\00:53:35.45
Most of His
people are in Babylon.
00:53:35.48\00:53:38.17
And let me tell you something,
Adventists, do you know that
00:53:38.21\00:53:42.05
the Bible teaches that most of
those who are in the Adventist
00:53:42.08\00:53:45.89
Church will eventually leave?
00:53:45.92\00:53:47.90
But the Adventist Church
will not see any decrease,
00:53:49.96\00:53:54.03
because the places of those who
left will be taken by those who
00:53:54.07\00:54:00.17
come in from all of
these religious systems
00:54:00.20\00:54:02.79
to embrace the truth of God.
00:54:02.82\00:54:06.18
So we've noticed
several characteristics
00:54:06.21\00:54:09.39
of the remnant church.
00:54:09.42\00:54:10.45
I'll tell you, there's
only one church in the world
00:54:10.48\00:54:11.89
that fits these specifications.
00:54:11.93\00:54:14.12
What are the specifications?
00:54:14.15\00:54:16.61
Well, let's review them.
00:54:16.64\00:54:18.72
First of all it must be a church
of the same stock of the church
00:54:18.76\00:54:23.63
of all ages. It must be
built upon the teachings of
00:54:23.66\00:54:26.41
the apostles, and the
prophets; all the New Testament.
00:54:26.44\00:54:29.58
It must be in harmony with
the true church in all ages.
00:54:29.62\00:54:34.41
2. It must reappear after
the fall of the Papacy in 1798.
00:54:34.44\00:54:39.19
3. It must arise
where the earth is.
00:54:39.23\00:54:43.48
In the United States of America.
00:54:43.51\00:54:45.45
4. It must keep the commandments
of God; all of them.
00:54:45.49\00:54:50.97
It must have in its
midst the gift of prophecy;
00:54:51.00\00:54:55.09
the Spirit of Prophecy.
00:54:55.12\00:54:56.60
6. It must be a
global, worldwide church.
00:54:56.63\00:55:01.75
7. It must preach
that we are now in the hour
00:55:01.78\00:55:06.33
of God's judgment.
00:55:06.36\00:55:07.73
It must preach
God's Holy Sabbath.
00:55:07.76\00:55:11.09
Are you following me?
00:55:11.12\00:55:13.45
Are you starting to
catch a picture here?
00:55:13.48\00:55:15.28
It must call God's true children
out of these apostate religious
00:55:15.31\00:55:18.98
systems, and it must have
as its foundation the pillar
00:55:19.01\00:55:25.19
of the truth that we
find in God's Holy Word.
00:55:25.22\00:55:29.56
Now some people might
be wondering, Pastor Bohr,
00:55:29.60\00:55:33.35
is it really important
that I join the church?
00:55:33.39\00:55:37.94
Yes, it is. Let me
tell you why in closing.
00:55:37.97\00:55:42.48
Go with me to
Acts 2:41, Acts 2:41.
00:55:42.51\00:55:49.73
Here it's speaking about
the harvest of souls that came
00:55:49.76\00:55:54.30
on the day of Pentecost.
00:55:54.33\00:55:55.84
It says in
chapter 2 and verse 41:
00:55:55.87\00:55:58.23
What happened with
those who received the word?
00:56:03.52\00:56:06.58
They were what?
They were baptized.
00:56:06.61\00:56:09.43
What does that mean?
00:56:16.46\00:56:17.81
When they were baptized
3,000 souls were added to them.
00:56:17.84\00:56:21.51
Go with me to verse 47. It says:
00:56:21.54\00:56:24.16
What does it
mean, added to them?
00:56:34.79\00:56:36.42
It means to be
added to the what?
00:56:36.45\00:56:38.25
It means to be
added to the church.
00:56:38.28\00:56:40.45
And baptism means two things.
00:56:40.48\00:56:42.24
It means joining Christ, and
it also means joining His body,
00:56:42.27\00:56:46.36
which is the church.
00:56:46.40\00:56:47.43
Colossians 1:18 says that the
body of Christ is the church.
00:56:47.46\00:56:52.83
And in 1 Corinthians 12:13,
we're told that it's through
00:56:52.87\00:56:57.27
baptism that we join
the body of Jesus Christ.
00:56:57.30\00:57:01.50
What a wonderful privilege
it is to belong to God's remnant
00:57:01.53\00:57:04.67
church in these last
times, to proclaim His message
00:57:04.70\00:57:07.76
to the world, to prepare
a people for the glorious
00:57:07.79\00:57:11.40
second coming of Jesus
Christ in power and in glory.
00:57:11.43\00:57:15.04