Participants:
Series Code: DPM
Program Code: DPM000015A
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00:09 I want to begin by asking you a question.
00:12 How many of you have ever been to Walmart? 00:14 Can I see your hands? 00:16 Of course, almost everybody. 00:18 Then you know that Walmart is one of those stores 00:21 that is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 00:26 and you can go in and out of that store 00:29 as much as you want. 00:31 There are no restrictions. 00:33 There are no limitations. 00:35 If you want to shop at 3 o'clock in the afternoon, 00:38 you can. 00:39 If you want to shop at 3 o'clock in the morning, 00:42 you can do it. 00:44 Nobody will stop you. 00:47 But how many of you have ever been to a Sam's Club? 00:49 Can I see your hands? 00:51 Then you know Sam's Club operates a little differently, 00:54 doesn't it? 00:55 You are not permitted free access to their warehouse. 00:59 You cannot go in and out as you please 01:02 because in order to get into that store, 01:06 what must you have? 01:08 A membership card and that card identifies you 01:13 as a member of that organization. 01:16 Without that card, 01:18 you cannot make any financial transactions 01:22 in that store. 01:25 Did you know 01:27 the Book of Revelation says something similar will happen 01:30 in the last days? 01:32 Now, Walmart and Sam's Club, 01:33 there's no sinister scheme behind that. 01:36 That's pretty innocent. 01:38 But the Book of Revelation tells us 01:40 that there will be one great final crisis 01:43 that comes upon this earth in the last days. 01:46 And in that great crisis, 01:48 it will divide this world into two groups of people. 01:53 There will be those who worship the beast 01:57 and there will be those who worship God. 02:00 On one hand, there will be those 02:02 who keep the commandments of men, 02:04 and there will be those 02:06 who follow the commandments of God. 02:09 Those who worship the beast and receive his mark 02:13 will be permitted to buy and sell, 02:16 live a normal life 02:18 and they will not be persecuted. 02:21 Those who resist the beast and choose to follow God 02:26 will not be able to buy and sell, 02:29 they will not be able to live a normal life, 02:32 and the Bible says they will face persecution. 02:37 That is a serious subject, because at that time, 02:42 the issue will be front and center. 02:45 Every living person will have to choose 02:48 if they're going to follow God or not. 02:51 At that time, 02:53 there will be no straddling the fence. 02:56 There will be no indecision. 02:59 There will be no middle ground. 03:02 Each person will have to choose. 03:05 And the Book of Revelation tells us, 03:08 the subject centers around 03:11 the idea of worship. 03:14 So with that background in mind, 03:17 when it comes to the mark of the beast, 03:18 people seem to have a lot of different ideas 03:21 and theories. 03:22 Some of them are rather wild and crazy. 03:25 Some people think, 03:26 "Is the mark of the beast 03:27 a government identification number, 03:30 like your social security card?" 03:32 Others wonder, "Well, is it the bar code 03:35 that I would find on the products 03:37 at the grocery store?" 03:39 Others think, "Well, 03:40 maybe it's the number on a credit card." 03:44 And then some people have the idea 03:46 that the number 666 will be visibly 03:49 and literally stamp upon the forehead. 03:53 Now that is highly unlikely because Revelation 03:56 as we have learned is very much a symbolic book. 04:01 When it talks about 666 being on the forehead, 04:05 the forehand is the seat of our minds. 04:08 It is where we make decisions. 04:11 That is where you and I are going to decide 04:13 whether we worship the beast or whether we worship God. 04:16 Whether we choose to follow man's law, 04:19 or whether we choose to follow God's law. 04:22 The decision happens here 04:24 and then it's carried out in a sense 04:26 in our hands in our life. 04:29 So with that background from the scriptures, 04:33 and from the Word of God, 04:35 let's go into the most popular chapter in Revelation 04:39 that talks about the mark of the beast. 04:43 Take your Bibles, 04:44 and let's go to Revelation Chapter 14. 04:48 Now, what book are we going to? 04:50 Well, that shouldn't surprise us. 04:52 What Chapter? Chapter 14. 04:54 The Bible says, 04:56 "Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, 05:02 having the everlasting gospel to preach to those 05:06 who dwell on the earth, to every nation, 05:09 tribe, tongue, and people. 05:12 Saying with a loud voice, 05:14 'Fear God and give glory to Him, 05:17 for the hour of His judgment," what? 05:20 "Has come. 05:21 And worship Him 05:23 who made the heaven and the earth, 05:26 the sea and the springs of water.'" 05:30 Now, let's stop there. 05:32 This message of the first angel 05:34 which we already studied, is telling the world 05:37 that the hour of His judgment is come, 05:39 Jesus is coming soon. 05:42 But at the end of that message, 05:45 the first angel is directing people 05:48 to worship God as the creator, 05:51 to give our allegiance 05:53 to the One who created the heavens, the earth, 05:55 the sea, and the springs of water. 05:58 So the first angel's message is worship God. 06:02 But then comes a second and a third angel. 06:07 Now we'll study 06:09 the second angel's message a little bit later. 06:11 I want you to notice what the third angel says 06:14 in this progression of messengers. 06:18 Revelation 14:9, 06:20 the Bible says, 06:22 "Then a third angel followed them, 06:25 saying with a loud voice, 06:27 'If anyone worships the beast and his image, 06:32 and receives his mark on his forehead, 06:35 or on his hand, 06:36 he himself shall also drink 06:39 of the wine of the wrath of God.'" 06:43 Now, how many of us would agree 06:44 that's a pretty serious warning, 06:45 what do you think? 06:47 That's about as strong of the language as God gives. 06:50 He says, if we worship the beast, or his image, 06:55 we will drink the full wrath of God. 06:59 Now I want you to notice, 07:01 the first angel says worship God. 07:03 But the third angel says 07:05 there's going to be another group of people 07:06 who do what? 07:08 They worship the beast. 07:11 So already you see 07:12 that the mark of the beast issue 07:14 is centering around worship. 07:17 One group worships the beast. 07:19 One group chooses to worship God 07:22 as the Creator. 07:24 That's not my interpretation, that's not yours. 07:27 That comes straight from the Bible 07:29 and from Revelation alone. 07:31 Two groups who are deciding who they worship, 07:34 it's either the beast or it's the Creator. 07:38 And I want you to notice, 07:40 right after God warns us about the beast, 07:45 He then describes 07:46 what His people will be doing during that time. 07:50 Revelation 14:12, the Bible says, 07:53 "Here is the patience of the saints, 07:57 here are those who do," what? 08:00 "Keep the commandments of God 08:02 and have the faith of Jesus." 08:06 So you see Revelation is contrasting 08:08 these two groups, 08:09 while one is worshiping the beast 08:11 and following man's laws and man's commandments, 08:15 there's another group who is worshiping God 08:18 and keeping His commandments. 08:21 So just these three verses from Revelation 08:24 is showing us something very important. 08:27 Whatever the mark of the beast is, 08:30 it is something that revolves around worship, 08:34 and something that revolves around 08:36 keeping the commandments of God. 08:39 If that makes sense, can you say amen? 08:42 Did I make that up? 08:43 Did you make that up? 08:45 Did that come straight from Revelation 08:47 and Revelation alone? 08:49 See, those are two big clues. 08:51 Whatever the mark of the beast is, 08:53 it's something to do 08:54 with who you're going to worship, 08:56 and it has something to do with the commandments of God. 09:02 So with that background, 09:04 then we need to answer the question. 09:08 Who is the beast? 09:10 Because before I know what the mark of the beast is, 09:14 logic tells me I have to know who the beast is. 09:18 Now we took Friday night over an hour 09:21 to study that subject. 09:23 So if you were not here Friday night, 09:25 it may be that what I say may startle you, 09:28 so make sure that you get the handout. 09:30 But when we took an hour to study Daniel 7, 09:34 and Revelation 13, 09:36 we saw very clearly from the Bible 09:39 that it identifies papal Rome 09:42 and the Vatican City as the beast of Revelation 13, 09:47 the little horn of Daniel Chapter 7. 09:51 Now having said that, 09:53 just in case you weren't here on Friday night, 09:55 please understand. 09:57 God doesn't say that to hurt or offend anybody, 10:01 and neither do I. 10:02 God was warning His people about a power 10:06 that would rise in the Middle Ages, 10:08 a power where church and state would come together 10:12 and become a persecuting power, 10:15 a kingdom that would take the Bible away from the people 10:18 and seek to distort truth. 10:20 See, it was a power 10:22 that taught man to look to human authority 10:25 and to look to religious leaders 10:27 and the cross of Christ 10:29 and Jesus' sacrifice was completely lost sight of. 10:34 God is not condemning individual 10:36 or Catholic people today, can you say amen? 10:39 Because they had nothing to do 10:41 with what happened all the way back 10:43 in the Middle Ages. 10:44 But God is telling us 10:46 that the beast rose in those Middle Ages 10:49 and He wanted His people to know 10:51 what was going to happen, 10:53 because during that time God's saints had to choose 10:57 between following the commandments of men 11:00 and between following the commandments of God. 11:05 And see, Revelation is telling us 11:07 at some point in the great final crisis, 11:11 history will repeat itself. 11:15 And we'll get to that very shortly. 11:18 So if papal Rome is the beast, 11:22 then what in the world is the mark of the beast? 11:25 Because remember, whatever it is, 11:28 it has something to do with worship, 11:32 and something to do with the commandments of God. 11:37 I'm going to show you some papal quotes 11:40 that have the potential to absolutely change our life 11:45 and open our eyes. 11:47 Now these are some very sensitive quotes, 11:50 but I have to bring them out 11:52 so that we can gain a clear understanding 11:55 of what Revelation is referring to. 11:59 From the St. Catherine, a Catholic Church Sentinel, 12:03 Rome speaks these words, 12:06 "Perhaps the boldest thing, the most revolutionary change 12:10 the Church ever did happened in the first century. 12:14 The holy day, the Sabbath was changed 12:18 from Saturday to Sunday, 12:21 not from any directions noted in the Scriptures, 12:24 but from the churches sense of its own power." 12:29 Now we have to stop there for a minute. 12:31 Notice what Rome is telling us. 12:34 The boldest thing that was ever done 12:37 by the church, 12:38 at least the middle aged church. 12:40 The most revolutionary thing 12:42 was the changing of God's Sabbath day. 12:47 And notice they say, 12:48 it was not from any direction of Scripture, 12:53 but from the churches sense of its own power. 12:59 And then the quote goes on to say, 13:01 you're not going to believe the rest of this quote, 13:02 you're going to think that I made this up. 13:04 But really, I am simply quoting what was written. 13:07 The rest of the quote says, 13:09 "People who think 13:10 that the Scriptures should be the sole authority 13:14 should logically become Seventh-day Adventists 13:17 and keep Saturday holy." 13:20 Now, again, I didn't write that. 13:21 I'm only quoting what they themselves said. 13:24 So you notice the issue that's brought up here? 13:27 Am I willing to accept 13:30 that man's law can be placed above God's law? 13:35 Am I willing to accept a change 13:39 where the church uses its own sense of power 13:43 to override what God says? 13:46 Am I willing to accept that man's authority 13:51 can be placed above God's authority? 13:54 And you notice what's in the center of this issue? 13:58 It's the Sabbath. 14:00 The true Sabbath of the Bible. 14:03 Remember what Revelation said? 14:05 The mark of the beast issue has to do with worship, 14:09 and it has to do with, what? 14:12 The commandments of God. 14:15 The Sabbath touches both of them. 14:18 It has to do with worshiping God as the Creator, 14:21 and it's found in the very heart 14:25 of God's law. 14:27 And the power, 14:28 which Revelation identifies as the beast 14:32 is the very power that claims to have changed the Sabbath 14:37 and change God's law. 14:40 Now, brothers and sisters, 14:41 that may be a hard pill to swallow, 14:43 I understand, 14:45 but it ought to waken us up 14:47 and help us to see the Sabbath in a very different light. 14:53 In the Catholic Record, September 1, 1923, 14:58 this was written, 15:00 and the phrase just shocked me. 15:03 Rome writes, "Sunday is our," what? 15:08 "Mark of authority." And then notice. 15:11 That's not my choice of words. 15:13 That's Rome's words. 15:15 It's interesting the phrase that is used, 15:18 "Sunday is our mark of authority. 15:22 The church is above the Bible, 15:25 and this transference of Sabbath observance 15:28 is proof of this fact." 15:31 Now, let's stop and pause here for a second. 15:35 What Rome is saying is this. 15:38 Sunday worship shows 15:40 that we have power and authority 15:43 over the Christian world. 15:45 You see, the church is above the Bible. 15:48 And this is proven 15:49 because almost every other Protestant church 15:53 ignores what the Bible says about the Sabbath, 15:56 and goes right along with Rome and with the beast's authority. 16:01 And as a result, that's why they are saying, 16:04 "See, Sunday is our mark. 16:06 Sunday is proof 16:07 that we have religious authority around the world." 16:10 Because even though Sunday is found nowhere in the Bible, 16:15 even though it comes from trying to change God's law, 16:19 almost all the religious Christian world 16:24 follows it, 16:26 almost all the religious world ignores what the Bible says, 16:31 ignores God's law 16:33 and goes along with the authority 16:36 of the beast. 16:39 See, Revelation wasn't joking. 16:42 When John wrote, 16:44 all the world wonders after 16:48 and follows the beast. 16:52 If we were to paraphrase what Rome is saying here, 16:56 we could say this, 16:58 "The papacy claims 17:00 that the change of the Sabbath was her act. 17:03 This act of her power 17:06 and authority in religious matters 17:08 because much of the Christian world 17:11 honors Rome Sunday 17:12 and ignores the Bible Sabbath." 17:17 Do you start to see the issue? 17:20 The Sabbath is God's mark of authority. 17:24 It's God's seal. 17:27 It points to Him as the Creator of the world, 17:30 the highest authority in the universe. 17:33 But Rome says, 17:36 "Sunday is our mark of authority. 17:39 It's our mark that has been put above the Bible, 17:43 that has been put above God's law 17:45 and because the rest of the Christian world 17:47 goes right along with it, 17:50 it is our mark of authority." 17:55 Folks, that ought to really get our attention. 17:59 If Rome is the beast, 18:01 what is the one issue that has to do with worship, 18:07 that has to do with the commandments of God, 18:10 where the religious world ignores what the Bible says 18:14 and does what the beast says? 18:19 See the idea that antichrist is one man 18:22 who rise at the end of time, 18:26 that was invented by Rome in the Middle Ages, 18:29 so that the real issue could be covered up. 18:33 See, this is why some people 18:35 don't want to study the Book of Revelation. 18:37 And if I may dare to be so honest, 18:39 this is why sometimes we prefer popular theories 18:42 that we find written in novels, 18:45 or movies, or a series of books, 18:47 because it covers up what the real issue is, 18:50 worship and the commandments of God. 18:54 I mean, Revelation clearly said two groups, 18:57 you're going to worship the beast 18:58 or you're going to worship the Creator. 19:00 It's either man's law or it's God's law. 19:04 The Sabbath touches both of those issues. 19:12 Remember, we read in Daniel 7:25, 19:15 that the little horn would think to change 19:18 God's times and God's laws. 19:22 And even Daniel 8:12 said that 19:25 he would cast the truth down to the ground, 19:28 and he did all this and he prospered. 19:34 Now realize that it's shocking, it's eye opening 19:36 when you first put the prophecies of Revelation 19:40 together with papal quotes, 19:44 and what's happened in history. 19:47 Now, it's true that we can ask the question, 19:51 "Pastor Dave, does it really matter? 19:54 I mean, the Sabbath and Sunday, 19:57 I mean, it's just two different days on the surface. 20:00 Who really cares?" 20:03 I want to do an illustration for you 20:05 that I hope will bring this into a different light 20:09 'cause this is a heavy subject. 20:11 So we're going to have some fun doing the illustration. 20:14 Is that okay? 20:15 I want you to pretend something. 20:18 Over here I have something in the pulpit. 20:20 What do you know? 20:21 Oh, dear, I have three different washcloths. 20:25 What am I going to do with that? 20:28 Well, as I get them out, I notice, what color is this? 20:32 You know what? 20:34 I'm a crazy sort of person. 20:35 I just do not like the color red. 20:38 It's just too bold. It's too vivid. 20:41 I don't know who ever invented this color, 20:43 but I do not like it. 20:45 And to show my disgust for the color red, 20:47 I'm just going to throw it down on the ground. 20:49 I'm going to step on it and trample upon it, 20:51 and I'm going to kick it off the stage. 20:54 Does that bother anybody? 20:56 Oh, you think I'm a little weird, 20:57 but it doesn't bother you. 20:59 That's good. But you know what? 21:01 Red is not the only color I don't like. 21:05 Over here is another one. 21:08 What color is this? White. 21:10 You know what? 21:12 I don't like white. 21:13 This is like the most boring color ever invented. 21:16 There's nothing about it that strikes the imagination, 21:19 and to show my disgust for the color white, 21:21 I'm throwing it on the ground. 21:23 I'm going to step on it and tramp on in front of you, 21:26 and I'm going to kick it off the stage. 21:29 Does that bother anybody? 21:30 Okay, you still think I'm weird, 21:32 but it doesn't bother you. 21:34 Do you know what? 21:35 There's another color I don't like. 21:38 What color is this? Blue. 21:40 Blue. 21:41 I don't like this one either. 21:43 I don't know why man invents such ugly colors. 21:47 And to show you how much I detest blue, 21:50 I'm going to throw it on the ground, 21:51 I'm going to tramp on it, 21:53 step on it in front of you, kick it off the ground. 21:57 Do you still love me? 21:59 You may not understand, 22:00 well, if he wants to step on cloth, 22:01 that's fine with me, 22:03 but that doesn't outrage anybody. 22:05 I can't help it 22:06 that I do not like red, 22:09 or white, or blue. 22:13 They're just not colors 22:17 that make me feel very good. 22:23 Red, 22:25 white, 22:28 and blue. 22:31 Would that bother you? Yeah. 22:34 Now notice I didn't let it touch the ground. 22:35 Can you say amen? 22:37 I didn't step on it. This was just an illustration. 22:40 I'm thankful to be an American. 22:42 We may have problems, 22:43 but there's still no other country in the world 22:45 that I would rather live. 22:47 But here's the point. 22:49 I just spent the last few minutes 22:51 stepping all over red, white and blue on those cloths 22:55 and you said nothing. 22:57 But when I turned to the American flag, 23:00 the very same colors, 23:03 I got a reaction out of the audience. 23:05 Now you tell me, what's the difference? 23:10 It's what they represent. 23:14 Washcloths represent nothing. 23:18 The American flag does. 23:21 This represents life, liberty, freedom 23:25 and the pursuit of happiness. 23:27 Can you say amen? 23:28 This represents men and women who have laid down their lives 23:32 for religious and political freedom. 23:35 What's the difference? 23:36 It's what's behind each of these things, 23:39 not what's on the surface. 23:40 Their colors were exactly the same, 23:42 but you did not like it 23:44 when I acted like I would step on this one. 23:48 The same thing is true 23:50 with a Sabbath and Sunday issue. 23:54 On the surface, 23:55 it might just seem like it's about two days. 23:59 But the deeper issue is, 24:02 Sabbath is God's mark of authority. 24:08 Sunday is the beast mark of authority. 24:12 Sabbath is about upholding the commandments of God. 24:17 Sunday is about honoring the commandments of men. 24:22 The Sabbath is about acknowledging God 24:25 as the highest authority in this world. 24:29 Sunday is about acknowledging man's authority. 24:34 When you understand the issues, 24:38 it makes a difference. 24:42 And that's why Revelation brings it out. 24:45 It's about worship, 24:46 it's about the commandments of God, 24:49 and it's about whose authority 24:51 that we are going to follow. 24:56 Now you may say, "Pastor Dave, 24:59 this really bothers me." 25:01 And I can understand that. 25:03 You may say, "Much of my life I've been honoring Sunday. 25:06 I didn't know about the Bible Sabbath, 25:09 am I lost? 25:10 Is God angry with me?" 25:13 No, my friends. 25:15 God expects us to live up to the light that we know. 25:20 In the past, you may not have known that light. 25:23 But that's why God brings us to a study of His Word. 25:27 That's why sometimes He brings us 25:28 to seminars like these, 25:30 so that we can open the scriptures 25:32 and we see truth. 25:33 We see light that we didn't know before. 25:35 God doesn't blame you 25:37 if you didn't have that light in the past. 25:39 But now that you have the light, 25:41 Jesus says, "When you see the light, 25:44 walk in the light, 25:45 when you know the truth, live the truth." 25:48 Can you say amen? Amen. 25:49 Remember what James 4:17 says, 25:52 "To him who knows the good he should do and doesn't do it, 25:55 to him it is sin." 25:58 If he knows the good he should do, 26:00 you didn't know in the past, but we know now. 26:04 God wants to give us a blessing. 26:07 You know, sometimes people ask me, 26:10 and it's a very sincere question. 26:13 And they say, "Pastor Dave, 26:17 what about all those people in the past 26:20 that didn't know about Sabbath from centuries ago. 26:26 And sometimes that even comes close to home. 26:30 What about my parents? 26:32 My grandparents? 26:34 Are you saying they're lost?" 26:37 Certainly not. 26:39 It goes back to the issue. 26:41 God wants us to live up to what we do know. 26:44 Back in the Middle Ages, 26:46 people like Jan Hus and Martin Luther, 26:48 they may not have known about the Sabbath. 26:50 See, in the Dark Ages, you notice something about God. 26:55 He never reveals truth all at once. 26:57 Did you know that? 26:58 He always reveals it one step at a time. 27:02 Jan Hus, people like Martin Luther, 27:04 they weren't ready for the Sabbath yet. 27:06 They were still having to teach 27:08 that the Bible is the highest authority 27:10 and not the church, until that could be settled 27:13 they couldn't go to anything else. 27:15 See, if God would give us all the truth, 27:19 all at the same time, 27:21 we would not be able to handle it. 27:23 Like last night, when I got up in the middle of the night, 27:25 probably 3 o'clock in the morning. 27:27 You go to the bathroom 27:28 and you try to walk across your pitch black bedroom, 27:32 and you go into the bathroom 27:34 and all of a sudden you turn on those bright lights, 27:35 what happens? 27:37 You're blind and you recoil back from it. 27:40 You know, you're like, "Oh, man, I can't stand that." 27:42 It takes a while. 27:44 That's the way it is sometimes with truth. 27:48 Jesus said to His disciples, 27:50 "There are many things I have yet to tell you. 27:53 But you are not yet able to bear them all." 27:57 He reveals truth one step at a time. 28:00 We're going to see that a little bit later 28:01 in the seminar. 28:03 And so people in the past they may not have known. 28:06 My parents, my grandparents, 28:08 they may have been doing the best they could 28:10 living up to the truth that they were aware of. 28:13 And God honors and understands that. 28:17 But when we know the truth, 28:20 God wants us to follow that truth 28:23 and to be able to receive its blessings. 28:27 Now, the next question we sometimes have is, 28:31 "Pastor, 28:33 there are so few people that know about the Sabbath. 28:37 I mean, the majority know nothing about it. 28:41 I mean, they love God but Sunday's in their life, 28:44 they don't realize the deep issues behind it. 28:47 How are they going to know about it?" 28:50 Two ways. 28:52 You know what the first way is? 28:54 You. 28:57 The first way is you and I, 28:59 because we have an opportunity to witness and to share 29:03 these beautiful truths with other people. 29:06 Can you say amen? Amen. 29:08 The second way is through Bible prophecy. 29:12 You say, "What do you mean?" 29:14 Remember, 29:17 Revelation told us 29:19 that in the last great crisis, 29:25 the mark of the beast issue is about worship 29:28 and the commandments of God. 29:30 If Rome is the beast 29:33 and the mark of the beast is Sunday worship 29:36 and authority. 29:38 That means that in that final crisis, 29:41 the Sabbath Sunday issue is going to take center stage, 29:47 that the issue between man's law and God's law 29:51 will no longer be something 29:53 that is obscure in a dark alley somewhere. 29:56 It will be right there in the forefront 29:59 because right Revelation says at that time, 30:01 everyone is going to have to make a decision. 30:07 I want to transition now and take you 30:10 to one of the most powerful prophecies 30:14 in the Book of Revelation. 30:17 I want us to go back to Revelation 13. 30:21 Turn there in your Bibles, Revelation 13:11. 30:27 Now we've been in Revelation 13. 30:30 The first part of this chapter, verses 1 through 10, 30:34 tells us about the first beast, which we know to be Rome. 30:39 But in the second half of that chapter, 30:44 Revelation says a second beast rises 30:48 and partners with the first beast. 30:53 And so the question it brings to our mind is, 30:57 "Does the Bible mention 30:59 the United States anywhere in prophecy?" 31:04 See, God doesn't mention every nation 31:06 that's ever existed. 31:08 He only mentions those nations 31:10 that have played a significant role in His plan 31:13 or have dramatically affected His people throughout history. 31:16 That's why He mentions, you know, Babylon, 31:19 He symbolizes Medo-Persia, and Greece, and Rome, 31:22 and Assyria, and things like that. 31:25 But if the United States is one of the dominant players 31:28 in the end times, 31:30 is it mentioned or symbolized anywhere in Bible prophecy? 31:35 Wouldn't it be strange 31:37 for God to raise up a powerful nation 31:40 that has freedom and democracy, 31:43 and never mentioned it in end time prophecy? 31:48 Let's start reading in Revelation 13 31:51 and try to figure out 31:52 who or what is this second beast? 31:57 The Bible says, 32:00 "Then I saw another beast 32:03 coming up out of the earth, 32:06 and he had two horns like a," what? 32:09 "Lamb, but spoke like a dragon. 32:13 And he exercises 32:15 all the authority of the first beast 32:17 in his presence, 32:18 and causes the earth 32:20 and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, 32:24 whose deadly wound was healed. 32:26 He performs great signs, 32:28 so that he even makes fire come down from heaven 32:32 on the earth in the sight of men. 32:34 And he deceives those 32:35 who dwell on the earth by those signs 32:38 which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, 32:41 telling those who dwell on the earth to make a," what? 32:46 "Image to the beast 32:47 who was wounded by the sword and lived." 32:51 Verse 15, 32:52 "He was granted power to give breath 32:55 to the image of the beast, 32:57 that the image of the beast should both speak 33:00 and cause as many as would not worship 33:03 the image of the beast to be," what? 33:06 "Killed. 33:07 And he causes all," now notice that word, 33:10 "he causes all, both small and great, 33:14 rich and poor, free and slave, 33:18 to receive a mark on their right hand 33:21 or on their foreheads, 33:23 and that no one may buy or sell, 33:25 except one who has the mark or the name of the beast 33:31 or the number of his name." 33:35 That's quite a description, isn't it? 33:38 It's almost a little scary. 33:40 Let's put a little summary on the screen 33:43 as to what the activities of this second beast is. 33:47 First, a second beast rises to power, 33:50 and Revelation says, will be like a lamb. 33:53 This beast will eventually speak like a dragon, 33:57 and will do something 33:59 that causes people to follow the first beast, 34:01 which we know to be Rome. 34:03 The second beast will set up an image to the first beast 34:07 and make that image speak, 34:09 and it will force people to worship the image 34:12 and those who do receive a mark. 34:16 You say, "Wow!" 34:18 So what does all that mean? 34:21 Let's go back now. 34:24 And let's look at it verse by verse, 34:27 and point by point. 34:29 Verse 11, said, and John describes, 34:32 "Then I saw a beast coming up out of the earth." 34:38 So the first question we need to answer is, 34:41 what does a beast represent in Bible prophecy? 34:46 And see, we've already studied that, 34:48 we already know a beast represents a kingdom, 34:52 not a person. 34:53 We saw that in Daniel, we saw that in Revelation. 34:56 So whatever the second beast is, 34:58 it is a nation or a kingdom that's rising to power. 35:02 If that makes sense, can you say amen? 35:04 So we know that much. 35:06 But then the question comes, well, 35:08 where does this power arise? 35:12 Well, there's a few clues. 35:14 If you go back to verse 1, 35:16 when it talks about the first beast, 35:19 could you tell me 35:21 where does the first beast rise up out of? 35:26 The sea or the waters, 35:27 that's the first beast symbolizing Rome. 35:30 What did we learn that seas or waters represent 35:34 in biblical prophecy? 35:36 Multitudes of people. 35:37 Remember we got that from Revelation 7:15, 35:40 where the Bible says, 35:42 "The waters which you saw are peoples, 35:45 multitude, nations and tongues." 35:48 By the way, that's Revelation 17:15, 35:49 not 7:15. 35:51 The waters' is multitudes of people. 35:54 So that first beast, Rome, 35:56 rises up in a populated area of the world. 36:01 But it says the second beast rises out of where in verse 11, 36:06 will you tell me? 36:07 Out of the earth. 36:09 That is the very opposite of waters. 36:12 So if waters represent populated areas, 36:16 what do you think earth would represent? 36:20 Sparsely populated area. 36:22 In other words, this new beast that comes up out of the earth 36:27 represents a nation that will rise to power 36:31 in a sparsely populated area, 36:34 an area where there is not many people. 36:38 That's a big clue 36:41 thus far. 36:44 What it's telling us, 36:45 this is not the rise of an already established nation. 36:50 This is the rise to power of a new nation 36:56 in a new part of the world 36:58 where there's not many people. 37:03 Are you putting the concepts together? 37:07 Let's keep going. 37:10 When does this power or nation rise? 37:14 Clearly, Revelation is telling us 37:17 that the second beast rises 37:19 after the first beast loses its power. 37:23 If you read Revelation 13 37:25 and you go to verse 9 or verse 10, 37:28 it talks about 37:30 how the first beast would go into captivity. 37:33 At that point, 37:35 the second beast begins to rise. 37:38 Well, we've already learned 37:39 that if the first beast is Rome, 37:42 Revelation said they would rule for 42 months or 1260 years. 37:48 History tells us 37:50 the papal government was abolished in what year, 37:52 can you tell me from the screen? 37:55 1798. 37:56 From 538 to 1798 37:59 church and state were united in a persecuting power. 38:03 And in the French Revolution, 38:05 Napoleon abolished the papal government, 38:08 took the pope of that time off the throne 38:11 where he died in exile. 38:12 That happened in 1798. 38:14 The first beast goes into captivity. 38:18 If the second beast is rising around that time, 38:22 that means this new nation, 38:25 in an unpopulated part of the world, 38:29 will be rising to power and dominance 38:32 somewhere around 1798 38:36 when the first beast goes into captivity. 38:40 If you're with me so far, can you say amen? 38:44 Let's keep going. 38:45 How does this power arise? 38:47 How does this second beast come to power? 38:51 Well, notice, 38:53 Revelation 13:11 said 38:55 that this beast has two horns like a, what? 38:59 Lamb. 39:00 Now how many of you have ever lived or been on a farm, 39:02 can I see your hands? 39:03 Then you tell me, 39:05 what is the nature or character of a lamb? 39:10 Yeah, they're docile. They are gentle creatures. 39:13 They are not like a goat who if you turn your back on them, 39:17 they are liable to butt you and be aggressive. 39:20 A lamb is gentle. 39:23 This new nation in the beginning 39:27 is described as being gentle as a lamb. 39:33 I want you to keep that in mind. 39:36 Revelation 13 also tells us, 39:38 there were no crowns 39:39 on the horns of this second beast. 39:42 You say, well, why is that significant? 39:45 When we studied about the first beast 39:47 in Revelation 13, Rome, 39:50 it had 10 horns and there were crowns 39:52 on each of those horns. 39:55 Crowns indicate kingly authority, 39:59 kingly monarchy, 40:01 power centered in either one or just a few people. 40:06 The second beast, 40:08 this new nation doesn't have any crowns. 40:14 That tells us 40:16 the absence of crowns indicates freedom 40:20 that it's going to be a different form of government. 40:22 It's not going to be kingly authority, 40:25 but there will be a sense of freedom 40:27 and democracy not centered in just a few people. 40:32 There's something different about this new nation. 40:36 So this is what we've learned so far. 40:38 This second lamb like beast arises around 1798, 40:44 arises in a relatively unpopulated area of the world. 40:48 It has no crowns on its horns indicating freedom, 40:52 no kingly monarchy. 40:54 It would be a young or a new nation 40:57 and it would rise to a position of worldwide power 41:02 and influence. 41:03 Now let me ask you all five of those points, 41:06 did they come from the Bible and the Bible alone, yes or no? 41:09 They did. 41:11 And the truth is there is only one nation 41:14 that fits every one of those points. 41:19 It is the United States of America. 41:24 See, this nation was part of God's great plan. 41:28 I want you to think about this. 41:31 In 1798, 41:33 as the period of persecution was ending, 41:37 as Roman domination came to a close, 41:41 God used this nation to be formed in the new world 41:46 that would offer religious and political freedom to all. 41:51 It would have a constitution 41:53 that guaranteed the separation of church and state. 41:57 It guaranteed religious liberty that people could worship 42:01 according to the dictates of their own conscience. 42:05 To you and I, that's old news. 42:08 But back around 1798, 42:10 as this nation was gaining power, 42:13 they had just come out of 1260 years 42:16 of papal persecution. 42:19 And as a result, people flocked to America. 42:24 See, God used this nation to offer freedom. 42:29 Because you see, part of God's plan 42:32 is He wanted to restore Bible truth again. 42:36 And it's really hard to do that 42:38 when church and state are united, 42:42 and there is a persecuting power 42:44 dominating the world. 42:47 So God used the United States to offer freedom, 42:51 to be an example to the world 42:53 of what religious liberty should be like. 42:57 I want to show you the poem 42:58 that is written at the base of the Statue of Liberty. 43:02 How many people have ever been to the Statue of Liberty, 43:04 could I see your hands? 43:05 Okay, I've never had the privilege to go there, 43:08 but this poem is on its base and I'm quoting, 43:12 "Keep ancient lands your storied pomp!' 43:15 Cries she with silent lips. 43:17 'Give me your tired, your poor, 43:20 your huddled masses yearning to breathe free. 43:23 The wretched refuse of your teeming shore, 43:26 send these, the homeless tempest-tost to me, 43:30 I lift my lamp beside the golden door!" 43:35 America was part of God's plan. 43:39 People could worship in freedom, 43:43 and they could follow the Bible and the Bible alone, 43:46 if they chose to. 43:48 No legislation of religion. 43:51 One could follow their convictions in freedom 43:55 and without persecution. 43:57 You see, God definitely blessed America. 44:02 Amen. 44:04 But you know, 44:07 there's a part of this prophecy that bothers me. 44:12 Because the prophecy says, it will not always be this way. 44:17 Remember what it said in verse 11? 44:20 "Then I saw a beast coming up out of the earth, 44:25 and he had two horns like a lamb 44:29 and he spoke like a," what? 44:32 "Dragon." 44:34 The prophecy is telling us 44:36 that something is going to change 44:38 in the character of the second beast. 44:42 That something is going to change 44:44 in the character of America. 44:47 Because the beast goes from being lamb like 44:52 to being dragon like. 44:55 That somewhere along the way, 44:58 Revelation is giving us the hint 45:01 that there may not always be religious liberty, 45:06 that there may not always be the freedom 45:08 that we have now. 45:11 And if we're honest, 45:13 we can already see some of those things 45:15 starting to take place in this country 45:19 in the last few years, 45:21 as certain personal freedoms 45:23 are slowly being taken away. 45:28 The second beast will speak like a dragon, it says. 45:32 The prophecy goes on to say, 45:34 "And he exercises 45:36 all the authority of the first beast 45:39 in his presence, 45:40 and he causes the earth 45:42 and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, 45:45 whose deadly wound was healed." 45:49 Oh, wait a minute, little time out here. 45:52 It says the second beast becomes like the first beast, 45:57 causes people to worship the first beast. 46:00 See, Revelation is telling us 46:03 that this second beast will begin to exercise 46:06 the authority of papal Rome. 46:10 How did papal Rome get their authority? 46:13 Through a combination of church and state. 46:18 There was no religious liberty. 46:24 And the Bible is hinting 46:27 that's going to happen again. 46:30 Because when church and state unite, 46:33 freedom of conscience is gone, 46:36 religious liberty is gone, 46:39 and the minority are always, 46:42 always persecuted. 46:46 That's what happened in papal Rome. 46:49 The Bible says that's what will eventually happen 46:52 with the second beast, 46:54 who begins to speak like a dragon 46:58 and act like the first beast. 47:01 I have to admit, 47:04 it's a little unsettling to think about, 47:06 isn't it? 47:08 Prophecy goes on. 47:11 See, we may wonder and say to ourselves, 47:14 "No way, this could never happen in America." 47:18 A hundred years ago, 47:19 people would laugh at this prophecy and say, 47:21 "There's no way that's what it can mean. 47:23 It's impossible." 47:26 What if we're honest? 47:29 In the last 20 to 30 years, 47:33 it's become a lot more possible. 47:36 I want you to notice what William Rehnquist, 47:38 the chief justice, or one of the chief justices 47:41 of the Supreme Court said. 47:43 He said, "The wall of separation 47:45 between church and state is a metaphor based on," what? 47:50 "Bad history." 47:53 One of the Supreme Court justices is saying 47:56 that the separation of church and state should not be, 47:59 it's a bad thing based on bad history. 48:05 In the St. Louis Dispatch, 20 some years ago, 48:08 when they were talking about the Bill of Rights, 48:10 this article was written, 48:13 "As the second century of the Bill of Rights 48:16 draws to a close, 48:18 the Supreme Court is redefining 48:21 what religious liberty will mean in the third century. 48:26 Broadly, the court's new approach 48:29 helps conventional religions 48:31 while hurting unconventional ones." 48:34 Did you catch that? 48:36 The Supreme Court is redefining 48:39 what religious liberty will be. 48:44 See, this isn't as farfetched as we sometimes may think. 48:47 Do you know that right now in this country, 48:50 there are people calling for the constitution 48:53 to be changed. 48:56 There are religious groups strongly advocating 48:59 that the separation of church and state should be broken down 49:03 and that religion should be legislated, 49:06 so that this country can come back to God? 49:10 Organizations like the Christian Coalition, 49:13 Religious Right, 49:15 and famous preachers like Pat Robertson, 49:18 and all want to see that happen. 49:21 The prophecy goes on to say in Revelation 13:14, 49:25 "Telling those who dwell on the earth 49:28 to make an image to the beast 49:30 who was wounded by the sword and lived." 49:33 That's talking about the first beast, Rome. 49:35 It goes on and says, 49:37 "He was granted power 49:38 to give breath to the image of the beast, 49:41 that the image of the beast should both speak 49:44 and cause as many as would not worship 49:47 the image of the beast to be killed." 49:51 Let's pause here a second. 49:54 The second beast will make an image to the first beast. 49:59 America will make an image 50:04 to Rome. 50:07 Symbolically speaking, well, what does that mean? 50:10 An image is a likeness of something. 50:14 You know, the Bible says that in the beginning, 50:15 we were created in the image of God, 50:17 we were to have some characteristics of God 50:20 before sin entered. 50:22 The second beast will become 50:25 or even make an image of the first beast, 50:28 a likeness of Rome. 50:31 In other words, America 50:34 will begin to look like Rome, 50:37 that church and state will unite and begin 50:41 to enforce religious practices. 50:46 Let me show you a quote from Pat Robertson, 50:49 who wrote a book advocating "The New World Order." 50:53 In his book he writes, 50:56 "The next obligation 50:58 that a citizen of God's world order owes is to himself. 51:02 'Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy' is a command 51:07 for the personal benefit of each citizen. 51:10 Higher civilizations rise when people can rest 51:14 and draw inspiration from God. 51:17 Laws in America that mandated a day of rest," 51:21 he's speaking about Sunday laws, 51:23 "have been nullified 51:25 as a violation of the separation 51:28 of church and state," 51:30 and then notice what he says, 51:32 "as an outright insult to God 51:36 and His plan." 51:38 Now did you catch that? 51:40 He is saying the fact 51:42 that the Sunday laws had been nullified in some places 51:47 because it violates 51:49 the separation of church and state. 51:50 He says that's an outright insult to God. 51:55 Because what many religious leaders are advocating today 52:00 is to do away with separation of church and state 52:03 and have Sunday laws that bring people back to God. 52:09 See, why would religious leaders want to do that? 52:13 Because they're scared. 52:15 They see what's happening in this world and this country. 52:19 So do you and I. 52:21 The social problems, the drugs, the immorality, 52:24 the uncertainty, rising crime, natural disasters, 52:29 society falling apart, things like 9/11. 52:33 They see how religion has been taken away from this country. 52:37 God has been taken out of the schools, 52:40 and many are saying all the horrors 52:42 that are happening to this country, 52:44 all those problems, God's curses upon America, 52:48 because they have turned away from God's law. 52:51 They've turned away from His principles. 52:54 They're no longer the Christian nation 52:56 they once were 52:58 when they were formed in the beginning. 52:59 That's what many religious leaders are saying. 53:02 And so in order to bring revival to America 53:08 and in order to bring America back to God, 53:11 they are suggesting Sunday laws. 53:15 And the only way that can happen 53:17 is if the separation of church and state 53:21 is broken down. 53:24 Now, I think we can all agree. 53:26 Does this country need revival, yes or no? 53:29 Indeed it does. 53:31 These problems exist. 53:33 Indeed we have turned away from our Christian principles. 53:38 But, folks, we have to understand, 53:41 you cannot legislate revival. 53:46 Revival doesn't start in the Halls of the Senate. 53:50 Revival doesn't start 53:52 in the House of Representatives. 53:54 Spiritual revival doesn't come from the White House, 53:58 or the Supreme Court, or even the United Nations. 54:02 God tells us where true revival comes from. 54:07 2 Chronicles 7:14, the Bible says, 54:10 "If My people 54:12 who are called by My name will humble themselves, 54:16 and pray and seek My face, 54:19 and turn from their wicked ways, 54:22 then I will hear from heaven 54:24 and will forgive their sin and heal their land." 54:30 Where does true revival start? 54:33 It starts right here, in your heart and in mine. 54:38 It can't be forced. 54:40 It can't be coerced. 54:42 It can't be legislated. 54:44 God never works that way. 54:47 We should never reach for revival 54:49 at the cost of freedom and religious liberty 54:52 'cause God has never done so. 54:55 True revival is when I get on my knees. 55:00 True revival is when I surrender my heart to God 55:03 and I read His Word and I pray 55:06 and I choose to follow Him above everything else. 55:10 And whatever separates me from God, 55:12 I say, "Lord Jesus, take it away." 55:14 God says, when we do that, 55:16 He will forgive our sin, 55:18 and He will heal our land. 55:23 See, doing it through Sunday laws 55:27 is actually playing right into the hand of the beast, 55:31 bringing church and state together, 55:34 trying to legislate morality. 55:37 And when that happens, the man will have to choose 55:41 between the Sunday of the beast 55:45 or the Sabbath of the Lord. 55:49 See, that's what happened with Rome. 55:52 Constantine created one of the first Sunday laws 55:55 in those early centuries. 55:58 "On the venerable Day of the Sun 56:00 let the magistrates and people residing in the cities rest, 56:04 let all the shops be closed." 56:07 And even all the way back then people had to choose, 56:10 whose authority they're going to follow, 56:13 man's authority 56:16 or God's authority? 56:19 Revelation says when it happens here, 56:23 in the future, 56:25 the final issue will center around worship. 56:30 It will center around the commandments of God. 56:34 And the Sabbath touches both. 56:36 It's about worship. 56:38 It's about God's law. 56:41 It's about whose authority am I going to follow. 56:47 That's why in Revelation 14:12, 56:49 after God talks about the three angels, 56:53 God says, 56:54 "Here are the patience of the saints, 56:59 here are they who keep the commandments of God 57:03 and have the faith of Jesus." 57:07 'Cause they're worshiping 57:08 the Creator of heaven and earth. 57:10 They've chosen not to follow the authority of the beast. 57:16 I know it's a tough message, 57:19 but that's the underlying issue. 57:22 God's mark of authority is the Sabbath. 57:26 Rome's mark is the Sunday. 57:31 So where does that leave me and you? 57:35 And, brothers and sisters, in the last days, 57:37 God will again 57:39 invite His people to take a stand. 57:43 And that might mean standing in the minority. 57:48 It might mean 57:50 even standing alone. 57:55 The prospect of standing alone is a scary thing. 58:00 But you know, when you follow Jesus, 58:03 you're never alone. 58:05 Because Jesus says, "Lo, I am with you always, 58:10 even to the end of the age." 58:13 See, when you stand with Jesus, you have peace in your heart. 58:18 When you stand with Jesus, 58:19 you have the assurance that you're on the right side. 58:23 When you stand with Jesus, 58:25 you can have the confidence 58:26 that His presence is always with you. |
Revised 2019-09-30