2000 years ago, Rome
ruled an empire stretching
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from England to
Persia. Christ beloved disciple
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John lived during those
momentous days and God took
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him behind the scenes in
symbolic vision and showed him
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the sin is to forces at
work to shake the destiny
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of the empire. In
this program, David
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explains this
fascinating Revelation.
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This is Roman Forum
and this is at the very Hat
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of the Old Roman
Empire. This is where Caesars
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Random ruled
over the vast empire.
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He found the very centered
house that Julius Caesar
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was assassinated in.
The arch of Titus in which
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has depicted the
conquest of Jerusalem mankind
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the Seven Golden
Campbell Sticks back from the
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Temple and he where
inactive the great scenes
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of Roman History. Historians
like Gibbon in his decline
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and fall of the Roman
Empire have analyzed the
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reasons for the rise and
the fall of this great empire,
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but if you really want
to know the reason behind
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it at all, you need to
tend to the Bible because
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that takes us behind
the scenes and let us know
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just what was
happening in reality.
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In Revelation chapter
12 in particular is a very
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interesting prophecy,
where it says in verses 1 to 3,
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now a great sign
appeared in heaven:
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a woman clothed with
the sun, with the moon under
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her feet, and on her head
a garland of twelve stars.
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Then being with child,
she cried out in labor and in
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pain to give birth. And
another sign appeared in
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heaven: behold, a
great, fiery red dragon having
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seven heads and ten
horns, and seven diadems
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on his heads. Now you
might say you can't make it
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a tale of that. Well the
only way to really understand
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Bible prophecy is to
allow the Bible to interpret
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its own symbols
and we can do that.
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For instance in verse
9 it tells us concerning
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this great red dragon,
the great dragon was cast
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out that serpent of old
called the Devil and Satan.
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Now I don't want you to
think that the Devil actually
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looks like this. This is
simply a symbol depicting
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his very nasty
character, but he does take us
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behind the scenes and
enable us to know what
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is going on there.
Do you remember it said
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in Revelation 12
that he had 7 heads?
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Well it explains that in
chapter 17 and in verse 9,
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the seven heads are
seven mountains on which the
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woman sits. There are also
seven kings. Five have fallen,
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one is, and the
other is not yet come.
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Now these kings or
kingdoms must refer to the
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five great kingdoms,
which oppose the people
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of God. First of all of
course they were the Egyptians,
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who cast the
Israelites into slavery,
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and then they
were the Assyrians,
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who came down like
the wolf on the fold,
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and took the 12 of 10
tribes of Israel into captivity
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then came the
Babylonians, who conquered
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Babylon and then
came the Medo Persians.
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Remember the people
of God the Jewish people
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were nearly
destroyed by the Medo Persians,
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who tried to wipe them
out in one day and then
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came the Greeks with
entire course of Euphonies,
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who persecuted the
Jewish people and then finally
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came Rome. Now, those
are the five of fallen
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Rome is and that is the
kingdom that is here referred
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to. So, here we are
talking in Revelation 12 about,
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the Dragon or the Devil
working behind the scenes
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against the people of
God. Now, what about the
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woman who is attacked
by this great red dragon?
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Well in Bible prophecy,
a woman represents a church
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or the people of God
generally. For instance in
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II Corinthians
chapter 11 and in verse 2,
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where Paul was writing
to the Christian church
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Corinth he said, for I
am jealous for you with
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Godly jealousy: for I
have betrothed you to one
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husband, that I may
present you as a chaste
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virgin to Christ.
So you see a good woman
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represents a good
church of the people of God.
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Now it tells us here in
Revelation 12 and in verse 5,
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she bore a male child,
who was to rule all nations
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with a rod of iron: and
her child was caught up to God,
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and to his throne.
Jesus Christ was destined
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to be the ruler of the universe.
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Rule all nations one day
he will come again and then
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he will be King of
Kings, Lord of Lords,
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and he will rule all
the nations of the earth.
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And he of course was
the child that was caught
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up to God unto his
throne, after his crucifixion
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and burial he rose from
the dead and was carried
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up into the highest
Heavens and so he is the child
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referred to here the
woman is the Church or the
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people of God into
whose midst he was born.
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Now it says in verse
13, when the dragon saw that
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he had been cast to
the earth, he persecuted
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the woman, who gave
birth to the male child.
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You see when Jesus
was caught up to God unto
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his throne the Devil
could no longer tempt him,
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annoy him or persecute
him, and so the Devil now turns
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his attention on the
woman, all that people of God.
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And we are told in
verse 6, then the woman
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fled into the wilderness,
where she has a place
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prepared by God,
that they should feed her
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there a 1260 days. And
so the church was obliged
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to flee into the wilderness
that doesn't necessarily
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mean a sandy desert.
It's simply means some
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uninhabited place and that
is where the people of God,
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where obliged to flee
from the persecution of if
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you please not pagans,
but rather fellow Christians.
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And so they were
obliged to flee to the mountains
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of Northern
Italy and other places,
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where they could
escape from this persecution
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and the Bible says that
they were to be in hiding
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there in refuge take
refuge there for one 1260 days.
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Now in prophetic time, we
notice that there is a period
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of 360 days, so one
time would be 360 days
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that's 12
months of 30 days each,
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the Jewish calendar was
a Lunar Calendar actually
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about 29 and a half
days in prophetic time.
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It's apparently usually
worked out as 360 times or
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two times would be
720 days and half a time
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oh here we are, half
is what I should put there
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and that would be half
of the 360 as 180 add it
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all up and we have
a period of 1260 days.
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Now just in case you
think, I'm fixing the figures,
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it specifically tells us
here. In Revelation 12:6,
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the woman fled
into the wilderness,
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where she has a place
repaired by God that they
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should feed her there 1260 days.
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Now in Ezekiel chapter
4 and in verse 6 we are
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told a day in
prophecy represents a year.
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So here is a period of
1260 years, it commenced when
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the Papal power became
a political stronghold.
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Now you see it always
was a religious church,
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but in the year 538,
the Emperor Justinian placed
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his armies at the
disposal of the Pope of Rome
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to destroy 3 nations,
which had opposed the Papal
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teaching. The Vandals
in North Africa and the
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Helvetians in
Switzerland and the Ostrogoths
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in Italy and they
were liquidated by the
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Roman Armies at the
order of the Pope of Rome.
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So, here is a period
of 1260 years adding this
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together will
come to 1798 A.D. Now
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instantly this is the
same period referred to in
00:09:15.49\00:09:18.33
Daniel chapter 7 concerning
the same power, where it
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all so speaks
about a time, times,
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and the dividing of time.
Alright, now what happened
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in 1798, it was in that
year that Napoleon Bonaparte
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sent his armies on to
General Bonaparte down
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to Rome. They
occupied the Rome occupied
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the Vatican and took
the Pope prisoner and exalt
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him to France and he
died there the following year.
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It looked as though the
Papal power was finished
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of course we know it
wasn't. And so, here is a
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period of 1260 years
during which there were
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to be long centuries
of terrible persecution
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against the true
people of God. So, the true
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Christians were to seek
refuge in the wilderness,
00:10:01.16\00:10:05.24
in the uninhabited places
of the earth and in places
00:10:05.27\00:10:08.40
where they could
escape from their persecutors
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and in particular, I
think this refers to the people
00:10:10.97\00:10:15.41
who lived in Northern
Italy escaping from Papal
00:10:15.44\00:10:18.44
persecution. They
were called the Waldenses
00:10:18.47\00:10:20.61
and they lived in what
is known as the Waldensian
00:10:20.64\00:10:23.41
Mountains, it's a
rugged place and a visit there
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certainly make you
feel that you are in the
00:10:28.66\00:10:30.74
uninhabited places of
the world and here they
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sort refuge, they
were sometimes hounded
00:10:33.94\00:10:36.97
and were oblige
to worshipping caves
00:10:37.00\00:10:40.23
and in valleys, where
nobody lived and sometimes
00:10:40.26\00:10:45.79
the persecutors did
catch up with them and then
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they mercilessly
put them to death,
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but these courageous
people witness for God.
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They were named
after Peter Waldo,
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their leader who dare to
stand up against the might
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of Rome and he left this
very interesting monument
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or rather this
monument has been made to him
00:11:04.09\00:11:06.26
the statue of Peter Waldo
up there in the Waldensian
00:11:06.29\00:11:08.98
Mountains and there is
also a very interesting
00:11:09.01\00:11:13.47
pillar, it's a
natural pillar actually,
00:11:14.31\00:11:15.47
but down at the bottom
there is a verse from the
00:11:15.50\00:11:18.47
Bible and it says there
it quotes actually from this
00:11:18.50\00:11:22.47
very prophecy in Revelation
chapter 12 and in verse 13
00:11:22.50\00:11:27.49
where it says "And they
overcame him by the blood
00:11:28.34\00:11:31.14
of the Lamb, and by the
word of their testimony;
00:11:31.17\00:11:33.27
and they did not loved
their lives to the death."
00:11:33.30\00:11:35.78
There in verse 11 it
tells us that they were willing
00:11:36.90\00:11:39.38
to lay down their lives
and that's the inscription
00:11:39.41\00:11:42.01
that is found at the
bottom of this pillar,
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and so these Waldensian
people faithfully witness
00:11:44.94\00:11:48.53
for God. Now we are
told here in Revelation 12
00:11:48.56\00:11:52.36
and verse 15, the
serpent spewed water out of his
00:11:52.39\00:11:56.27
mouth like a
flood after the woman.
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In Psalm 18 and
verse 4 it speaks of floods
00:11:59.16\00:12:02.56
of ungodly men, and
these people were hounded
00:12:02.59\00:12:06.04
by people who had a lot
of so called Christianity,
00:12:06.07\00:12:10.17
but not much really
true hard religion and they
00:12:10.20\00:12:13.97
were ought to kill
these Waldenses, but it says,
00:12:14.00\00:12:17.14
that the earth helped
the woman and the earth
00:12:17.17\00:12:21.60
opened its mouth and
swallowed up the flood which
00:12:21.63\00:12:24.01
the dragon had
spewed out of his mouth time
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and again, when they are
obliged to flee and their
00:12:25.95\00:12:28.89
persecutors where
hot on their heels.
00:12:28.92\00:12:30.50
It just seems that
the mists of the mountains
00:12:30.53\00:12:32.96
roll down and swallow them
up just exactly as the Bible
00:12:32.99\00:12:36.62
prophecy says. This
building is known as the
00:12:36.65\00:12:39.97
Castle of Sant'Angelo.
It's a very old building
00:12:40.00\00:12:42.91
and at one stage it was
occupied by the popes as
00:12:42.94\00:12:46.50
residence. It was a place,
where people were imprisoned
00:12:46.53\00:12:52.13
for their faith and
tunnels underneath where their
00:12:52.79\00:12:56.73
bodies were washed
out into tunnel when they
00:12:56.76\00:12:58.35
are died. Today, it is
a museum and inside there
00:12:58.38\00:13:02.54
is some interesting relics
from the era of persecution.
00:13:02.57\00:13:05.61
I'm sure you've all heard
of the Spanish inquisition.
00:13:06.97\00:13:09.13
Well some of the
torture methods that were used
00:13:10.01\00:13:11.94
there were really
quite sophisticated.
00:13:11.97\00:13:13.96
For instance, in the
ornament museum in London,
00:13:13.99\00:13:17.13
where I'm at the present
time, there is this torture
00:13:17.16\00:13:19.99
chair, just have a
look at it will you.
00:13:20.02\00:13:21.84
The victim was
fastened in there,
00:13:22.92\00:13:25.15
his head was fastened
in that contraction there,
00:13:26.00\00:13:28.98
this thing was
screwed up to hold his mouth
00:13:29.01\00:13:32.38
open and there was a clip
that was forced onto his nose,
00:13:32.41\00:13:36.71
on the side are these
screws which has screw right
00:13:37.21\00:13:40.05
into the ears. And you
can imagine just what agony
00:13:40.08\00:13:43.32
that would produce,
these are the just some
00:13:43.35\00:13:45.19
of the tortures that
were used during the Spanish
00:13:45.22\00:13:47.95
Inquisition and other
places of persecution during
00:13:47.98\00:13:52.47
the period of the back
ages. Then came the great
00:13:52.50\00:14:01.06
protestant reformation.
Men like Martin Luther
00:14:01.09\00:14:04.70
in Germany; John Wesley in
England in fact just at the
00:14:04.73\00:14:08.62
moment I'm standing in
front of Wesley's church
00:14:08.65\00:14:11.17
and Wesley's statue here
underneath that is written
00:14:11.20\00:14:15.41
the world is my
parish. What a great man he was
00:14:15.44\00:14:19.54
and there was
John Knox in Scotland,
00:14:19.57\00:14:22.11
great man of God, but
I think the protestant
00:14:23.09\00:14:26.31
reformation
needed to go further.
00:14:26.34\00:14:28.42
You see in the very last
verse of this fascinating
00:14:29.09\00:14:31.87
prophecy of Revelation
chapter 12 bringing us right
00:14:31.90\00:14:34.26
down to the end of
time. It says and the dragon
00:14:34.29\00:14:37.83
was enraged with the
woman now that means that
00:14:37.86\00:14:40.25
the Devil was really
angry with the Church of God
00:14:40.28\00:14:43.34
and he went to make war
with the rest of her offspring
00:14:44.14\00:14:46.93
or the remnant of her offspring.
00:14:46.96\00:14:48.97
Now let's write
down at the end of time,
00:14:49.00\00:14:51.01
the end of the
churches experience,
00:14:51.04\00:14:52.78
and we are told
who these people are,
00:14:52.81\00:14:55.58
who keep the
Commandments of God.
00:14:55.61\00:14:58.35
Now they distinguish by
the fact that they keep the
00:14:58.56\00:15:00.83
Commandments of
God. Well the traditional
00:15:00.86\00:15:03.21
protestant church as
always profess to keep
00:15:03.24\00:15:05.83
the Ten Commandments.
But this is speaking
00:15:05.86\00:15:09.52
about the church that
not only professes too,
00:15:09.55\00:15:11.92
but actually keeps not
some of them not nine of them,
00:15:11.95\00:15:15.70
but the whole ten and
that would include the
00:15:15.73\00:15:18.20
Seventh-Day Sabbath. And
I consider that this must
00:15:18.23\00:15:22.03
refer to the Seventh
Day Adventist Church,
00:15:22.06\00:15:25.20
which not only
professes but actually observes
00:15:26.57\00:15:29.00
all the Commandments
including the Seventh-Day.
00:15:29.03\00:15:32.22
Now the Adventist
church sprang up in the year
00:15:32.98\00:15:35.42
1844 and it observed
the Seventh Day Sabbath
00:15:35.45\00:15:40.15
from then on. Seventh
Day Adventist had small
00:15:40.18\00:15:43.74
beginnings, but
today they have a worldwide
00:15:43.77\00:15:45.82
membership that
extends everywhere,
00:15:45.85\00:15:48.01
and they worship in churches
large churches like this
00:15:48.96\00:15:51.50
or little humble churches
in countries and villages.
00:15:51.53\00:15:55.12
They also operate in a
very extensive educational
00:15:55.98\00:15:58.46
and medical work
all over the world.
00:15:58.49\00:16:00.21
I'm on the campus
of Andrews University,
00:16:01.85\00:16:04.15
which is an
educational institution operated
00:16:04.18\00:16:07.19
known by Seventh Day
Adventist in Michigan
00:16:07.22\00:16:10.15
in the United States of
America. It's quite large
00:16:10.18\00:16:12.65
university that has
over 3000 students enrolled
00:16:12.68\00:16:15.76
here and they come
from 80 different countries
00:16:15.79\00:16:18.38
around the world or
more, which means that it is,
00:16:18.41\00:16:20.97
the most, one of the
most Cosmopolitan Education
00:16:21.00\00:16:23.97
Institutions in the
United States of America.
00:16:24.00\00:16:26.23
The courses offered here
are not only on Theology,
00:16:26.26\00:16:30.39
but on the
sciences, arts, on education,
00:16:31.24\00:16:35.13
business lines you name
it was a good educational
00:16:35.16\00:16:39.25
program here. Not only
the Seventh Day Adventist
00:16:39.28\00:16:42.95
operates this university,
there are some 80 colleges
00:16:42.98\00:16:47.09
and universities
around the world operated by
00:16:47.12\00:16:49.13
Adventists and some
800 secondary educational
00:16:49.16\00:16:53.73
institutions and 4000
primary educational schools.
00:16:53.76\00:16:58.86
And that means that
Seventh Day Adventists
00:16:58.89\00:17:01.90
operate the most
extensive educational system
00:17:01.93\00:17:05.14
of any protestant
denomination in the world.
00:17:05.17\00:17:07.65
I'm standing in front of
Sydney Adventist Hospital
00:17:09.41\00:17:11.50
in Australia. This is
one of more than 50 such well
00:17:11.53\00:17:16.10
equipped hospitals
that are owned and operated
00:17:16.13\00:17:17.90
by Seventh Day
Adventists around the world.
00:17:17.93\00:17:20.02
And this particular
hospital is very well equipped.
00:17:20.95\00:17:23.39
For instance, it has
as cancer unit for caring
00:17:24.13\00:17:26.96
for patients not
only with chemotherapy,
00:17:26.99\00:17:28.96
but also with radium
treatments. It does open heart
00:17:28.99\00:17:32.49
surgery here, has an
excellent department of
00:17:32.52\00:17:35.46
physiotherapy and also
hydrotherapy and are those
00:17:35.49\00:17:39.20
good treatments that
hot and cold water that make
00:17:39.23\00:17:41.70
you feel so good
afterwards and there is also a
00:17:41.73\00:17:46.91
blood transfusion facility here.
00:17:46.94\00:17:49.20
Now Jehovah's
witnesses don't believe in blood
00:17:49.23\00:17:52.49
transfusions. Well
Seventh Day Adventist do and
00:17:52.71\00:17:55.45
often it's a life saver
of course the blood needs
00:17:55.48\00:17:58.50
to be well screened and tested,
00:17:58.53\00:18:00.84
but often it can save
lives and so this is a church
00:18:01.34\00:18:04.77
that is doing things
and going places and after
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all let's what we
should expect you now,
00:18:08.40\00:18:09.88
because in Revelation 14 and
in verse 6 there is later day
00:18:09.91\00:18:13.98
prophecy that says,
And I saw another angel fly
00:18:14.01\00:18:17.67
in the midst of heaven,
having the everlasting Gospel
00:18:17.70\00:18:20.63
to preach unto them
that dwell on the earth,
00:18:20.66\00:18:22.44
and to every nation,
and kindred, and tongue,
00:18:22.47\00:18:25.94
and people,. Well
Seventh Day Adventist feel a
00:18:25.97\00:18:29.15
responsibility to the whole
world and we feel that there
00:18:29.18\00:18:32.19
is a prophecy
symbolizing the work that we
00:18:32.22\00:18:35.00
doing. So, it's a
good church to belong too.
00:18:35.03\00:18:38.21
The rise and growth
of the Adventist church
00:18:39.96\00:18:41.80
in the world is one of
the greatest miracles of
00:18:41.83\00:18:43.96
modern mission. When
the church first came into
00:18:43.99\00:18:47.08
existence, there were
hand full of believers.
00:18:47.11\00:18:49.42
Now the Adventist
church is the most wide spread
00:18:50.03\00:18:52.93
single protestant
denomination in the whole
00:18:52.96\00:18:55.57
world, solidly planted in
over 190 counties in the world.
00:18:56.44\00:19:00.36
What are the reasons
for the particular spread
00:19:01.55\00:19:03.73
and its success? Firstly,
the people who are involved
00:19:03.76\00:19:07.68
in the Adventist
Mission have a powerful vision,
00:19:07.71\00:19:10.05
they doesn't mean of
course that the Adventist
00:19:10.08\00:19:12.55
believe that we are the
only ones, who are instruments
00:19:12.58\00:19:15.36
in the hands of God
to accomplish his kingdom
00:19:15.39\00:19:17.87
to the country.
Adventists hold to an inclusive
00:19:17.90\00:19:21.55
understanding of
mission between we do recognize
00:19:21.58\00:19:24.59
other instruments and
channels of God's grace,
00:19:24.62\00:19:27.07
but we cannot leave to
others what God and his mercy
00:19:27.41\00:19:30.40
has specifically
entrusted to this church.
00:19:30.43\00:19:33.00
Second, an hallmark
of the Adventist Mission
00:19:34.02\00:19:36.25
is its Universalism,
not only heavy penetrated
00:19:36.28\00:19:40.12
now over 190 countries in
the world and this beautiful
00:19:40.15\00:19:44.08
message being
proclaimed in over 700 languages
00:19:44.11\00:19:48.34
in the world, but the
message doesn't stop also
00:19:48.37\00:19:51.20
at cultural boundaries
or boundaries of politics.
00:19:51.23\00:19:54.03
One of most fascinating
aspects of the Adventist
00:19:54.76\00:19:56.82
Mission is that they
have churches planted into
00:19:56.85\00:19:59.65
communist world, the
world behind the iron curtain
00:19:59.68\00:20:02.46
into Buddhist world,
in the Islamic world, into
00:20:02.49\00:20:05.43
big cities, into rural areas,
and stone age to gain stem
00:20:05.46\00:20:08.74
and that universalism
of course create certain
00:20:09.79\00:20:12.16
difficulties and tensions,
but one-third aspect of the
00:20:12.19\00:20:15.51
Adventist Mission is that
it has kept in spite of this
00:20:15.54\00:20:18.32
a tremendous unity. A
unity, which is not only
00:20:18.35\00:20:21.79
stimulated by a
particular world organization
00:20:21.82\00:20:24.53
with this headquarters
into different continents
00:20:24.56\00:20:28.37
of the world, but it's
the unity of the spirit,
00:20:28.40\00:20:30.93
unity of the one
God and the one belief.
00:20:30.96\00:20:33.38
One striking aspects; however,
00:20:34.76\00:20:36.03
is this that Adventist
Mission is characterized
00:20:36.06\00:20:39.74
by a comprehensiveness
that is unique among
00:20:39.77\00:20:43.36
the missionary bodies
in the world today and that
00:20:43.39\00:20:45.97
comprehensiveness
goes back to two sources
00:20:46.00\00:20:48.01
in the first place
to the Bible itself.
00:20:48.04\00:20:50.99
Adventists believe that
men as a hold is a unity,
00:20:51.02\00:20:55.08
so is life and
therefore when you approach man
00:20:55.83\00:20:58.41
and life they ought to
be approached holistically,
00:20:58.44\00:21:01.24
comprehensively, and
that means an Adventist
00:21:01.90\00:21:04.24
mission from the very
beginning has not only be
00:21:04.27\00:21:06.23
concerned about people
salvation the relationship
00:21:06.26\00:21:09.11
with God, sin, but
also with how they live,
00:21:09.14\00:21:12.89
what they shall eat and
what they shall not eat.
00:21:12.92\00:21:15.14
Concerned about their
education,about their health,
00:21:15.17\00:21:18.44
so the Adventist
church from the very beginning
00:21:18.47\00:21:20.83
has begun programs in
agricultural development,
00:21:20.86\00:21:23.83
in school systems, in
many areas in the world
00:21:23.86\00:21:27.16
that there is the
first where we started in the
00:21:27.19\00:21:28.77
hospital system and
the reason is of course
00:21:28.80\00:21:31.25
this holistic
view of man and life.
00:21:31.28\00:21:34.28
Second is that it goes
back to the founder of the
00:21:35.49\00:21:38.48
Adventist mission
namely Mrs. Ellen G. White,
00:21:38.51\00:21:41.62
who from the very
beginning has always stressed
00:21:41.65\00:21:44.91
that Adventist
mission must be comprehensive.
00:21:44.94\00:21:47.81
The result is not only
that millions of people have
00:21:49.14\00:21:52.56
found a new way of
life, a new meaning in life,
00:21:52.59\00:21:54.97
a new sense and direction
in their life, conversion,
00:21:55.00\00:21:58.08
salvation with all
the joy and the peace that
00:21:58.11\00:22:01.05
it brings into person's
life, but also society at large
00:22:01.08\00:22:04.35
has been strongly
influenced by whatever the
00:22:04.38\00:22:07.29
Adventist church
has planted its mission.
00:22:07.32\00:22:09.05
In some areas in the
world for instance laws became
00:22:10.01\00:22:13.65
changed even the
constitution became change
00:22:13.68\00:22:15.87
as a result of the
Adventist work. In other areas,
00:22:15.90\00:22:19.02
a new work ethic for
instance began to develop.
00:22:19.05\00:22:21.77
Whole countries,
whole Island communities
00:22:21.80\00:22:23.95
from the south
Pacific through the Caribbean
00:22:23.98\00:22:25.76
have found a new economic
basis of their life because
00:22:26.36\00:22:29.84
Adventist taught
them how to behave,
00:22:29.87\00:22:32.19
how to live and
accept a new lifestyle.
00:22:32.22\00:22:35.11
Adventist whatever
they worked had influenced
00:22:36.44\00:22:38.32
society a new
agrarian in economic reforms.
00:22:38.35\00:22:42.68
One of the most exciting
events that is coming out of
00:22:42.71\00:22:45.84
Northern Ghana for instance
is that where is in most
00:22:45.87\00:22:49.11
areas in the world
people are drifting out of the
00:22:49.14\00:22:52.29
rural areas into the
big city, where they crowd
00:22:52.32\00:22:55.87
into the slum
areas in the world.
00:22:55.90\00:22:57.90
Adventists have had a
great concerned about it
00:22:57.93\00:23:00.78
and it started here in
agricultural development
00:23:00.81\00:23:03.37
program. The result
was that instead of leaving
00:23:03.40\00:23:06.13
the area, the rural areas
as they did before now the
00:23:06.16\00:23:09.40
people stay there.
They have founded the new
00:23:09.43\00:23:11.62
income there. The
government of Ghana
00:23:11.65\00:23:13.43
is so excited about it
that they had made a study
00:23:13.46\00:23:16.52
on the effects of this
mission and they discovered
00:23:16.55\00:23:18.89
not only that people
found a new joy and a new
00:23:18.92\00:23:21.50
happiness in life, but
in particular that people
00:23:21.53\00:23:24.53
found a new economic
existence in Northern
00:23:24.56\00:23:28.12
Ghana which prevented
1000s and 1000s of people
00:23:28.15\00:23:31.53
from flocking into the
slum areas of the big cities
00:23:31.56\00:23:34.51
like anywhere else in the world.
00:23:34.54\00:23:35.80
Other organizations
like aid organizations who
00:23:37.66\00:23:40.54
have been watching
Adventist mission both in its
00:23:40.57\00:23:43.29
influence on individuals
as well as in society
00:23:43.32\00:23:45.90
at large now pouring
literally millions of dollars
00:23:45.93\00:23:49.68
into the Adventist churches
mission with the request
00:23:49.71\00:23:52.80
to continue this
particular work not only for the
00:23:52.83\00:23:55.40
benefit of individuals
or to establish a particular
00:23:55.43\00:23:58.02
religion, but in
particularly because they have
00:23:58.05\00:24:00.41
seen what good and
what effect it has had on
00:24:00.44\00:24:03.31
society at large. And
one of the new developments
00:24:03.34\00:24:07.04
in Adventist mission
therefore is a movement,
00:24:07.07\00:24:10.21
which we called ADRA
Adventist Development
00:24:10.24\00:24:12.98
and Relief Agency. The
millions of dollars are being
00:24:13.01\00:24:16.65
spent here in
agricultural development and
00:24:16.68\00:24:18.96
industrial development
not just to be competing
00:24:18.99\00:24:21.94
with industries or
with nation building,
00:24:21.97\00:24:24.56
but rather to help the
people in their holistic
00:24:24.59\00:24:27.84
understanding of
themselves and of life to find
00:24:27.87\00:24:30.78
a better living as a whole.
00:24:30.81\00:24:32.20
Now the important thing
is that here is a church
00:24:32.86\00:24:34.94
that not only
believes in Jesus Christ as the
00:24:34.97\00:24:38.01
savior from sin, but
who shows their faith in
00:24:38.04\00:24:41.28
Christ by obedience
to the Ten Commandments
00:24:41.31\00:24:44.07
including the
Seventh Day Sabbath.
00:24:44.10\00:24:46.46
And that's the way it
should be you know because
00:24:46.49\00:24:49.10
in Revelation 14 and
in verse 12, it says,
00:24:49.13\00:24:52.98
here are they that
keep the commandments
00:24:53.01\00:24:56.17
of God and have
the faith of Jesus.
00:24:56.20\00:24:59.25
You wouldn't like to
be among those people
00:24:59.28\00:25:02.06
that God points to
and says here they are,
00:25:02.09\00:25:04.39
here are those that
keep the Commandments
00:25:04.42\00:25:06.36
of God and have
the faith of Jesus.
00:25:06.39\00:25:08.47
Now there are some
people who might say,
00:25:09.54\00:25:10.77
well yes that would
be good, but you know its
00:25:10.80\00:25:13.89
bit hard to change, a
lot of sacrifice involved.
00:25:13.92\00:25:17.60
I don't think there is
really. There is not a lot
00:25:18.63\00:25:20.68
of sacrifice
involved in following truth,
00:25:20.71\00:25:22.95
but on this question
of sacrifice, you know,
00:25:23.95\00:25:25.90
while I was in
Jerusalem I purchased a crown
00:25:26.66\00:25:29.68
of thorns and the Bible
tells us that when Jesus Christ
00:25:29.71\00:25:34.36
was crucified the
soldiers plated the crown
00:25:34.39\00:25:37.49
of thorns and put it
on his head, I don't think
00:25:37.52\00:25:41.45
they just sat it
there like crushed it down
00:25:41.48\00:25:43.62
and these points of
poisonous bob on the end
00:25:43.65\00:25:47.76
of them, you know,
and it must have been very
00:25:47.79\00:25:50.65
painful that's the
sacrifice that Jesus Christ made
00:25:50.68\00:25:53.66
for us, so that we
could have eternal life.
00:25:53.69\00:25:56.12
Remember the
sacrifices the Waldenses made,
00:25:56.90\00:25:59.36
they shed their
blood for their faith.
00:26:00.16\00:26:01.64
So if you're talking
of that sacrifice really,
00:26:02.70\00:26:04.38
what God is asking us to
do today is not very much
00:26:04.41\00:26:08.43
and it will be great to
be numbered among those,
00:26:08.46\00:26:11.14
who keep the commandments of God
00:26:11.17\00:26:13.57
and have the
faith of Jesus Christ.
00:26:13.60\00:26:16.03
In our next program, we
will be leaving the Island
00:26:17.32\00:26:19.77
of Patmos in the
Mediterranean for the
00:26:19.80\00:26:22.19
United States of
America. There David will
00:26:22.22\00:26:25.28
be discussing the meaning
of the mark of the beast.
00:26:25.31\00:26:28.51