Participants: Pr. Doug Batchelor
Series Code: EG
Program Code: EG002912
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00:09 >> IT'S BEEN 2,000 YEARS SINCE THE GLORIOUS LIGHT OF THE CROSS
00:12 ILLUMINATED A WORLD VEILED IN DARKNESS AND CONFUSION ABOUT 00:15 THE CHARACTER OF GOD. 00:17 AND STILL TODAY THE GREATEST NEED OF MANKIND IS A REVELATION 00:20 OF GOD'S LOVE AS REVEALED IN THE LIFE OF CHRIST. 00:23 AMAZING FACTS PRESENTS, "THE EVERLASTING GOSPEL" 00:26 WITH PASTOR DOUG BATCHELOR COMING TO YOU EACH WEEK FROM 00:30 SACRAMENTO CENTRAL CHURCH IN SUNNY CALIFORNIA. 00:33 DISCOVER HIDDEN TREASURES IN GOD'S WORD TODAY. 00:39 >> TODAY WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT THE BATTLE OF 00:41 ARMAGEDDON, AND IT IS A TOPIC OF THEOLOGY THAT HAS BEEN 00:50 DEBATED EVER SINCE THE WORDS WERE FIRST PENNED BY 00:53 THE APOSTLE JOHN ABOUT 90 A.D. 00:57 A LOT OF MISUNDERSTANDINGS ABOUT THE WORD AND WHAT THE BATTLE IS 01:01 AND WHAT IT MEANS. 01:02 IS IT LITERAL? 01:03 IS IT SPIRITUAL? 01:04 WHAT IS THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON? 01:07 A FEW YEARS BACK, AS HIS CAREER WAS WINDING UP, GENERAL 01:12 DOUGLAS MACARTHUR WAS ADDRESSING CONGRESS AND HE MADE THIS 01:16 STATEMENT: "IF WE DON'T DEVISE SOME GREATER AND MORE EQUITABLE 01:20 MEANS OF SETTLING DISPUTES AMONG THE NATIONS, ARMAGEDDON WILL BE 01:25 AT OUR DOOR." 01:27 NOW HE SAID THAT IN THE CONTEXT OF A GENERAL WHO HAD WITNESSED 01:30 TWO WORLD WARS AND ALL THE CARNAGE CONNECTED WITH 01:34 THOSE WARS. 01:36 SO WHEN YOU HEAR A GENERAL LIKE DOUGLAS MACARTHUR SAY, "WE'VE 01:40 GOTTA FIND SOME OTHER WAY TO SETTLE OUR DISAGREEMENTS OR 01:43 ARMAGEDDON IS GOING TO BE AT OUR DOORS," IN THE MINDS OF MOST 01:46 PEOPLE THAT THEN CONJURES THE PICTURES, ARMAGEDDON IS 01:52 THE ULTIMATE WORLD WAR WITH THE UNTHINKABLE WEAPONS. 01:57 AND SO OFTEN WHEN PEOPLE THINK ABOUT THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON, 02:00 THEY'RE THINKING OF WORLD WAR III. 02:04 JUST THE IDEA OF WORLD WAR III MAKES MOST OF US SHUDDER 02:07 IF YOU'VE DONE ANY HISTORY LOOKING AT THE DEVASTATION OF 02:11 WORLD WAR I AND THE UNTHINKABLE LOSS OF LIFE AND PROPERTY 02:17 IN WORLD WAR II. 02:18 WITH THE TECHNOLOGY TODAY AND WHAT WE SEE JUST IN 02:22 THE GULF WARS AND AFGHANISTAN, WORLD WAR III, 02:28 IT IS UNTHINKABLE. 02:30 IS THAT THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON? 02:33 WELL, I'M NOT GONNA GIVE YOU THE ANSWER RIGHT AWAY. 02:36 I'M GONNA TRY AND KEEP YOU--KEEP YOU WITH ME AS LONG AS I CAN. 02:42 FIRST OF ALL, WE'RE GONNA DO A LITTLE COUNTDOWN THAT LEADS UP 02:44 TO THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON. 02:46 WHAT BEGINS THE COUNTDOWN TO ARMAGEDDON? 02:50 IF YOU READ IN REVELATION 7, THAT'S QUITE A WAYS BEFORE 02:55 CHAPTER 16 BUT REVELATION SORT OF GIVES THE FINAL DAYS 03:02 IN SEVERAL DIFFERENT PICTURES AND ONE OF THEM HERE IS 03:05 IN REVELATION 7:1. 03:07 IT SPEAKS ABOUT THE FOUR ANGELS THAT ARE HOLDING BACK THE WINDS 03:12 OF STRIFE. 03:14 "AFTER THESE THINGS I SAW FOUR ANGELS STANDING AT THE FOUR 03:18 CORNERS OF THE EARTH." 03:19 THOSE FOUR ANGELS REPRESENT THE FOUR DIRECTIONS OF THE COMPASS, 03:23 NORTH, SOUTH, EAST, AND WEST. 03:27 "HOLDING THE FOUR WINDS OF THE EARTH THAT THE WINDS SHOULD NOT 03:31 BLOW ON THE EARTH," THESE ARE THE WINDS OF STRIFE, 03:36 "OR ON THE SEA OR ANY TREE. 03:38 THEN I SAW ANOTHER ANGEL ASCENDING FROM THE EAST HAVING 03:41 THE SEAL OF THE LIVING GOD AND HE CRIED OUT--" NOTICE, 03:45 WHERE'S THAT ANGEL COME FROM? 03:46 FROM THE EAST. 03:48 "AND HE CRIED OUT WITH A LOUD VOICE TO THE FOUR ANGELS TO WHOM 03:51 IT WAS GRANTED TO HARM THE EARTH AND THE SEA." 03:54 NOTICE THESE ANGELS ARE HARMING--HOLDING BACK HARM. 03:57 THESE WINDS ARE GONNA BRING A STORM. 04:00 WINDS ON LAND, COULD BE TORNADO, WINDS ON THE WATER OR HURRICANE, 04:06 TYPHOON. 04:07 WINDS ARE OFTEN ASSOCIATED WITH STORMS, STORMS OF DESTRUCTION. 04:15 NOW THIS IS THE PERFECT STORM, ALL FOUR WINDS INVOLVED. 04:19 "DO NOT HARM THE EARTH OR THE SEA OR THE TREES TILL WE HAVE 04:24 SEALED THE SERVANT OF OUR GOD IN THEIR FOREHEADS." 04:29 RIGHT NOW, FRIENDS, WHATEVER PEACE YOU THINK WE SEE IN 04:32 THE WORLD AND COMPARED TO WHAT'S COMING, WE DO HAVE RELATIVE 04:34 PEACE. 04:36 WE'RE IN THE EYE OF THE HURRICANE, IT'S TEMPORARY. 04:40 AND THERE IS GOING TO BE A TIME OF GREAT TROUBLE THAT COMES UPON 04:44 THE EARTH. 04:46 WHEN THOSE ANGELS RELEASE THEIR GRIP, I DON'T KNOW WHEN THAT'S 04:48 GOING TO BE. 04:50 WE'VE ALREADY SEEN JUST SOME LITTLE TREMORS ECONOMICALLY 04:55 IN RECENT MONTHS OF WHAT CAN HAPPEN ON A GLOBAL SCALE. 04:59 I READ SOME REPORTS THAT SEEMED TO BE AUTHENTIC, OR CREDIBLE, 05:05 THAT THE WORLD'S WEALTH HAS BEEN REDUCED BY 45% IN 8 MONTHS OR 05:12 LESS THAN ONE YEAR ANYWAY. 05:13 YOU THINK ABOUT IT, NEVER IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD HAS THE 05:16 ECONOMY BEEN AFFECTED GLOBALLY SIMULTANEOUSLY LIKE THIS. 05:22 AND YOU'D BE AMAZED HOW MANY LETTERS WE GET IN AT AMAZING 05:24 FACTS, PEOPLE ARE ASKING, IS THIS FINANCIAL CRISIS OR THIS 05:28 MELTDOWN, IS THIS THE END? 05:30 MY ANSWER WOULD BE NO, BUT IT IS CERTAINLY A MEANS WHERE 05:34 GOVERNMENTS ARE GAINING CONTROL OVER THE BANKING SYSTEM AND THAT 05:37 FALLS IN LINE PERFECTLY WITH PROPHECY THAT TELLS US 05:41 ULTIMATELY THE GOVERNMENT IS GOING TO CONTROL BUYING AND 05:44 SELLING UNLESS THE PEOPLES OF THE WORLD COOPERATE WITH THIS 05:49 BEAST POWER THAT IS RISING RIGHT NOW IN PROMINENCE. 05:56 THEN SOMETHING'S GOING TO HAPPEN AS THESE FINAL EVENTS TRANSPIRE, 06:01 ULTIMATELY PROBATION CLOSES. 06:03 NOW I'VE JUST COVERED A LOT WITH ONE SENTENCE. 06:06 A LOT STILL HAS TO HAPPEN, IT CAN HAPPEN QUICKLY, 06:09 DON'T MISUNDERSTAND. 06:11 AND THEN THE PLAGUES FALL. 06:14 ARMAGEDDON IS IN THE CONTEXT OF PLAGUE NUMBER SIX. 06:20 JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF HOW RAPIDLY THE FINAL EVENTS CAN 06:24 TRANSPIRE, IF YOU HAD COME TO THE ISRAELITES BEFORE THEY 06:29 CROSSED THE RED SEA AND SAID, "YOU KNOW, IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS 06:33 WE'RE GONNA BE OUT OF HERE. 06:34 WE'RE GONNA BE FREE AND WE'RE GONNA BE RICH." 06:37 THE ISRAELITES WOULD HAVE SAID, "YOU'RE DREAMING. 06:39 YOU'RE CRAZY. 06:40 THERE'S NO LOTTERY HERE IN EGYPT. 06:41 WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?" 06:43 AND THEY WOULD HAVE SAID, "WELL, MOSES IS GONNA COME, PLAGUES ARE 06:48 GONNA FALL. 06:49 WE'RE GONNA BE PAID BY THE EGYPTIANS. 06:52 WE'RE GONNA CROSS THE RED SEA. 06:54 WE'RE GONNA BE FREE." 06:55 FROM THE TIME OF THEIR BONDAGE AND SLAVERY THAT HAD GONE ON FOR 06:59 HUNDREDS OF YEARS UNINTERRUPTED, WHEN MOSES FIRST WENT TO 07:02 THE PHARAOH TO THE TIME WHEN THEY CROSSED THE RED SEA, 07:07 WOULD YOU AGREE THAT THINGS HAPPENED VERY QUICKLY? 07:11 WELL, THAT'S THE WAY IT'S GONNA BE. 07:12 THERE'S GONNA BE A VERY RAPID TRANSITION OF EVENTS AND PEOPLE 07:17 ARE GONNA BECOME VERY RELIGIOUS THROUGH FEAR VERY QUICKLY. 07:21 NOW I STILL THINK WE MAY HAVE SOME MONTHS, MAYBE SOME YEARS 07:25 BEFORE THAT HAPPENS. 07:27 BUT IF YOU KNEW THAT JESUS WAS COMING IN 4 OR 5 YEARS, WOULD 07:30 YOU THINK YOU HAD A LOT OF TIME LEFT TO DO THE WORK OF TELLING 07:33 THE WORLD? 07:35 I DON'T KNOW. 07:35 I'M NOT SETTING ANY TIME, I'M JUST SAYING, IT'S GONNA HAPPEN 07:38 QUICKLY, FRIENDS. 07:40 WHEN IT DOES HAPPEN, MOST OF US WILL THINK IT WAS TOO QUICK. 07:43 BUT EVENTUALLY WHEN THE FINAL APPEAL IS MADE AND THE FINAL 07:49 PRAYER IS SAID AND THE FINAL PERSON HAS ACCEPTED CHRIST AND 07:52 THE FINAL PERSON HAS REJECTED THE OFFER, THE DOOR OF MERCY 07:57 CLOSES LIKE THE DOOR CLOSED ON THE ARK. 08:00 LIFE WENT ON FOR A LITTLE WHILE. 08:02 THOSE ON THE OUTSIDE WERE PERMANENTLY LOST. 08:05 THOSE ON THE INSIDE WERE PERMANENTLY SAVED. 08:07 PROBATION CLOSED. 08:09 NO MORE GRACE. 08:10 THAT'S WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN, PROBATION WILL CLOSE. 08:13 AND WHEN THAT HAPPENS, DANIEL 12:1, "MICHAEL STANDS UP 08:18 THAT GREAT PRINCE WHO STANDS OVER THE SONS OF YOUR PEOPLE." 08:22 AND WHEN MICHAEL STANDS UP THAT MEANS HE'S NOT HEARING CASES 08:25 ANYMORE, THE JUDGMENT IS OVER. 08:27 "AND THERE'LL BE A TIME OF TROUBLE SUCH AS NEVER BEEN SINCE 08:31 THERE WAS A NATION EVEN TO THAT SAME TIME." 08:33 HE GOES ON TO SAY THEN THERE IS A RESURRECTION, AND THAT'S THE 08:37 END OF THE WORLD, GREAT TIME OF TROUBLE. 08:39 BUT PROBATION CLOSES, THEN YOU'VE GOT THIS GREAT TIME 08:42 OF TROUBLE. 08:44 YOU CAN ALSO READ IN REVELATION 22:11, 08:47 THERE'S A DECLARATION MADE WHEN PROBATION CLOSES. 08:50 "HE THAT IS UNJUST, IS UNJUST STILL. 08:54 LET HIM BE UNJUST STILL. 08:55 HE THAT IS FILTHY, LET HIM BE FILTHY STILL. 08:57 HE THAT IS RIGHTEOUS, LET HIM BE RIGHTEOUS STILL. 08:59 HE THAT IS HOLY, LET HIM BE HOLY STILL." 09:03 THIS IS THE POINT WHERE THERE'S A GREAT GULF FIXED, AS JESUS 09:06 SAID, THERE'S NO CHANGING TEAMS ANYMORE. 09:10 RIGHT NOW IF THE WICKED MAN FORSAKES HIS WAY AND DOES THAT 09:12 WHICH IS RIGHT, ALL OF HIS SINS WILL BE FORGIVEN. 09:16 THEY'LL NOT BE MENTIONED. 09:17 HE WILL LIVE, EZEKIEL TELLS US. 09:19 BUT IF THE RIGHTEOUS MAN TURNS FROM HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS AND DOES 09:22 THAT WHICH IS WICKED, ALL OF HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS WILL BE FORGOTTEN. 09:25 IN HIS SIN THAT HE'S COMMITTED, HE WILL SURELY DIE. 09:28 AGAIN, EZEKIEL 18. 09:30 AND SO PEOPLE CAN CHANGE TEAMS RIGHT NOW. 09:33 BUT A TIME IS GONNA COME WHEN THE DOOR OF MERCY'S GONNA BE 09:37 CLOSED. 09:37 ONE GROUP IS GONNA BE SEALED IN THEIR SALVATION, AND I'LL, IN 09:40 ANOTHER SERMON, TALK MORE ABOUT THE SEAL OF GOD. 09:44 THE FOUNDATION FOR THE SEAL OF GOD IS THE HOLY SPIRIT. 09:47 THE FOUNDATION FOR THE MARK OF THE BEAST IS THE SPIRIT OF 09:50 ANTICHRIST OR THE DEVIL, BUT YOU ALREADY KNEW THAT. 09:55 THOSE WHO ARE SEALED WITH THE SPIRIT OF GOD AND SURRENDERED TO 10:00 THE LAW OF GOD ARE GONNA BE PERMANENTLY SAVED, AND THEY'LL 10:05 BE ANOTHER GROUP WHO AGREED TO WEIGH THE SPIRIT OF GOD. 10:08 THEY'VE COMMITTED THE UNPARDONABLE SIN AND THEY'LL BE 10:11 PERMANENTLY LOST. 10:13 THE GREAT SHAKING TAKES EVERYBODY WHO HAS BEEN LIVING ON 10:18 THE FENCE. 10:19 THEY'VE BEEN TRYING TO LIVE IN THIS NEUTRAL TERRITORY OF I'M 10:22 NOT WITH CHRIST AND I'M NOT AGAINST HIM BUT EVENTS ARE GONNA 10:25 SHAKE THEM WHERE THERE WILL BE NOBODY ON THE FENCE. 10:29 ALL THAT ARE SAVED ARE SAVED, ALL THAT ARE LOST ARE LOST AND 10:32 THAT'S WHY YOU DON'T WANT TO STAY ON THE FENCE BECAUSE WHEN 10:35 THE SHAKING COMES, I THINK MOST OF THOSE ON THE FENCE ARE GONNA 10:38 FALL ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE ISSUES. 10:41 AND THERE ARE SOME IN THE CHURCH NOW, MAYBE BEEN THERE FOR 10:43 GENERATIONS, AND WE'RE SORT OF NOMINAL CHRISTIANS. 10:47 WHEN PERSECUTION COMES AND SHAKING HAPPENS, WE'RE GONNA 10:50 JUMP RIGHT OUT. 10:51 WE'RE GONNA GO WITH THE POPULAR TRENDS. 10:53 WE'RE FOLLOWING THE WORLD NOW, WE'RE PREPARING OURSELVES TO 10:55 FOLLOW THE WORLD THEN. 10:57 AND THEN THERE ARE SOME IN THE WORLD WHO ARE LOOKING FOR 10:59 THE TRUTH AND WHEN THAT SHAKING HAPPENS, THEY'RE GONNA TAKE 11:02 THEIR STAND. 11:03 THEY'RE GONNA COME INTO THE CHURCH. 11:05 SO THERE'S GONNA BE A LITTLE BIT OF CHANGING SIDES DURING THAT 11:09 TIME. 11:11 THEN ONCE PROBATION CLOSES, THEN AS THE GREAT, GREAT TIME OF 11:15 TROUBLE THAT IS SYNONYMOUS WITH THE SEVEN LAST PLAGUES. 11:20 SEVEN OF THESE PLAGUES MIRROR TEN OF THE PLAGUES IN EGYPT. 11:25 NOW IT'S INTERESTING WHY TEN PLAGUES IN ANCIENT EGYPT 11:28 BEFORE THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL WERE DELIVERED. 11:30 SEVEN PLAGUES IN THE WORLD BEFORE WE'RE DELIVERED BY 11:33 OUR MOSES WHO'S JESUS. 11:36 WELL, DURING THE TEN PLAGUES THAT FELL ON EGYPT, DURING 11:38 THE FIRST THREE PLAGUES, IT SEEMS LIKE THE ISRAELITES 11:41 ALSO STRUGGLED THROUGH THOSE FIRST THREE PLAGUES. 11:44 THE MAGICIANS WERE ABLE TO IMITATE THOSE FIRST THREE 11:47 PLAGUES BUT DURING THOSE SEVEN LAST PLAGUES OF THE FIRST TEN OF 11:51 THE TEN THAT FELL ON EGYPT, GOD PROTECTED HIS PEOPLE THROUGH 11:56 THOSE SEVEN PLAGUES. 11:57 THOSE SEVEN PLAGUE THAT ARE COMING, ALL THESE PEOPLE THAT 12:00 BELIEVE IN THE SECRET RAPTURE ARE SO AFRAID OF THE 12:02 TRIBULATION. 12:02 THEY SAY, "WE WANT TO GET RAPTURED OUT BEFORE 12:04 THE TRIBULATION." 12:04 I SAY I DON'T REALLY CARE BECAUSE GOD PROMISES IN HIS WORD 12:07 TO PRESERVE HIS PEOPLE THROUGH THE PLAGUES, RIGHT? 12:10 SO WE DON'T NEED TO BE AFRAID OF THAT. 12:12 MY FEAR, AS WE APPROACH THE LAST DAYS, IS NOT THE NOISOME SORES 12:16 OR THE BLOOD IN THE WATER. 12:18 MY FEAR IS I DIDN'T WANT TO BE ON THE WRONG TEAM WHEN THAT 12:21 HAPPENS. 12:23 I WANT TO BE--IF YOU'RE SAVED, HE PROMISES TO PRESERVE YOU 12:27 DURING THAT TIME AND I'LL GO BACK TO THAT THOUGHT. 12:30 SO VERY QUICKLY, I'M GOING TO OVERVIEW WHAT THE SEVEN LAST 12:34 PLAGUES ARE. 12:35 AGAIN THIS IS A WHOLE SERMON BY ITSELF, BUT TODAY WE'RE FOCUSING 12:37 ON ARMAGEDDON. 12:40 AND DON'T FORGET, THOSE PLAGUES CAME ON EGYPT JUST BEFORE 12:44 THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL WERE DELIVERED FROM THEIR BONDAGE 12:47 AND BEGAN THEIR JOURNEY TO THE PROMISED LAND. 12:50 THE SEVEN LAST PLAGUES COME ON OUR WORLD JUST BEFORE WE ARE 12:53 DELIVERED FROM THIS, THE BONDAGE OF SIN IN THE WORLD, THIS WHOLE 12:57 CREATION THAT GROANS AND TRAVAILS AND WE BEGIN OUR 12:59 JOURNEY TO THE PROMISED LAND. 13:01 THE MANSIONS HE HAS PREPARED, AMEN? 13:04 PLAGUE NUMBER ONE IS A NOISOME OR LOATHSOME SORE ON THOSE WHO 13:10 RECEIVE THE MARK OF THE BEAST. 13:12 YOU NEED TO KNOW WHAT THE MARK OF THE BEAST IS AND WHO 13:14 THE BEAST IS. 13:15 PLAGUE NUMBER TWO, THE SEA, THE SALTY WATERS BECOME AS BLOOD 13:21 OF A DEAD MAN, PUTRID BLOOD. 13:24 A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE THEORIES ABOUT WHAT THAT IS. 13:26 PLAGUE NUMBER THREE, THE RIVERS AND WATERS, THE FRESH WATER 13:30 SOURCES BECOME AS BLOOD. 13:33 YOU REMEMBER THE WATERS TURN TO BLOOD IN EGYPT. 13:35 PLAGUE NUMBER FOUR, MEN ARE SCORCHED WITH GREAT HEAT. 13:40 THE ULTIMATE GLOBAL WARNING AT THAT POINT. 13:45 PLAGUE NUMBER FIVE, THE BEAST KINGDOM IS FULL OF DARKNESS. 13:50 WAS DARKNESS ONE OF THE PLAGUES ON ANCIENT EGYPT? 13:55 PLAGUE NUMBER SIX, THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON. 13:57 WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT IN THE MESSAGE. 13:59 PLAGUE NUMBER SEVEN, THIS IS GREAT EARTHQUAKE, GREAT HAIL 14:02 AND ULTIMATELY THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST. 14:05 WHEN YOU GO THROUGH REVELATION, BY THE WAY, YOU'VE GOT YOUR 14:08 SEVEN CHURCHES. 14:11 LAST CHURCH, JESUS SAYS HE STANDS AT THE DOOR AND KNOCKS 14:14 AS THE COMING OF CHRIST. 14:15 YOU'VE GOT YOUR SEVEN SEALS. 14:17 THE LAST SEAL, CHRIST COMES. 14:19 YOU'VE GOT THE SEVEN PLAGUES AND THE LAST PLAGUE IS THE COMING OF 14:23 CHRIST, SO IN THE END OF ALL THE SEVENS, EVEN IF IT'S THE SEVEN 14:26 TRUMPETS IN REVELATION, THEY ALL CULMINATE WITH THE GREAT 14:30 DELIVERANCE IN JESUS' COMING, RIGHT? 14:33 SO HE IS THE FINAL CHAPTER IN ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT SYMBOLS 14:37 AND STORIES THAT YOU FIND IN REVELATION. 14:40 NOW, WHEN WE READ ABOUT THE SEVEN PLAGUES, SOMETHING THAT 14:43 YOU'LL BE HAPPY TO KNOW, THEY'RE NOT UNIVERSAL. 14:48 WHEN IT SAYS MEN ARE SCORCHED WITH GREAT HEAT, DO YOU THINK 14:52 THAT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THE SOUTH POLE ARE GONNA BE COOLER 14:56 THAN THE ONES AT THE EQUATOR? 14:57 PROBABLY. 14:59 SO THERE'S A DIFFERENCE IN INTENSITY OF THESE DIFFERENT 15:04 PLAGUES, AND BY THE WAY, THEY COME PRETTY QUICKLY. 15:07 HOW LONG DO YOU THINK THE SEVEN LAST PLAGUES WILL BE? 15:11 I DON'T KNOW BUT I HAVE A THEORY, IT'S JUST 15:13 PASTOR DOUG'S THEORY. 15:14 HOW LONG DID IT TAKE FOR THE SEVEN PLAGUES OR THE TEN PLAGUES 15:17 TO FALL ON EGYPT? 15:19 WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY BUT IT WAS A MATTER OF WEEKS WHEN YOU READ 15:22 THE ACCOUNT THERE FROM WHEN MOSES FIRST WENT TO PHARAOH 15:26 UNTIL THEY CROSSED THE RED SEA, MATTER OF WEEKS, YOU AGREE? 15:31 THE PLAGUES HAD FELL ON JOB. 15:33 HOW LONG DO YOU THINK THAT TOOK? 15:37 AGAIN, IT SEEMS THEY CAME IN RAPID SUCCESSION BUT IT WAS JUST 15:40 A MATTER OF WEEKS THROUGH HIS WHOLE SUFFERING UNTIL HE WAS 15:42 HEALED. 15:44 AND WHEN I READ IN DANIEL 12, I ALWAYS THOUGHT IT WAS 15:49 INTERESTING THAT BETWEEN THE 1290 DAYS, I BELIEVE THAT'S 15:56 HISTORIC BUT I ALSO THINK THERE MIGHT BE A FUTURE FULFILLMENT, 15:59 AND THE 1335 DAYS. 16:02 SOME OF YOU RIGHT NOW DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. 16:04 THAT'S BECAUSE YOU'RE STILL JUST ON THE MILK OF THE WORD. 16:06 THIS IS FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE THE MEAT OF THE WORD. 16:08 THERE'S A 45-DAY DIFFERENCE, 45 DAYS. 16:15 I THINK THAT'S INTERESTING BECAUSE IF A DAY EQUALS A YEAR 16:19 IN PROPHECY, WHEN BABYLON FALLS, WHICH IS DURING THE TIME OF 16:24 THE PLAGUES, IT FALLS IN THREE SECTIONS. 16:27 IN THREE TIMES IT SAYS ONE HOUR FINANCIAL RUIN, ONE HOUR 16:30 SPIRITUAL RUIN, ONE HOUR ECO--PHYSICAL RUIN. 16:35 I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT IT IS RIGHT NOW. 16:37 BUT THREE TIMES IT SAYS FOR ONE HOUR, ONE HOUR, ONE HOUR. 16:40 IF A DAY EQUALS A YEAR IN PROPHECY, AN HOUR'S 15 DAYS, 16:44 24 HOURS IN A DAY, 1/24, 360 DAYS IN A JEWISH YEAR. 16:51 IT'D BE 15 DAYS. 16:52 THREE TIMES FIFTEEN IS WHAT? 16:54 FORTY-FIVE. 16:56 AND SO I DON'T KNOW IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, IT SEEMS TO FALL IN 17:00 LINE WITH ABOUT THE TIMEFRAME. 17:02 THE BIBLE SAYS, "FOR ALL OF HER PLAGUES COME IN 1 DAY." 17:06 IT DOESN'T MEAN IT TAKES A DAY, IT MEANS WITHIN 1 YEAR IT ALL 17:08 HAPPENS. 17:09 THAT'S WHY I SAID THE FINAL EVENTS ARE RAPID. 17:12 SO WITHIN A FEW WEEKS. 17:14 AND ANOTHER INTERESTING STATEMENT FROM THE BOOK 17:16 "GREAT CONTROVERSY," "THESE PLAGUES ARE NOT 17:20 UNIVERSAL," SPEAKING OF THE SEVEN LAST PLAGUES, 17:23 "OR THE INHABITANTS OF THE EARTH WOULD BE WHOLLY CUT OFF." 17:26 DOESN'T JESUS SAY IF THOSE DAYS ARE NOT SHORTENED, NO FLESH 17:29 WOULD BE SAVED BUT FOR THE ELECT'S SAKE, IT WILL BE 17:33 SHORTENED. 17:34 "THESE PLAGUES ARE NOT UNIVERSAL OR THE INHABITANTS OF THE EARTH 17:37 WOULD BE WHOLLY CUT OFF. 17:38 YET THEY WILL BE THE MOST AWFUL SCOURGES THAT HAVE EVER BEEN 17:41 KNOWN TO MORTALS." 17:43 USUALLY THE JUDGMENTS OF GOD ARE MITIGATED BY THE INTERCESSION 17:46 AND MERCY OF JESUS. 17:48 "BUT IN THE FINAL JUDGMENT, WRATH IS POURED OUT UNMIXED 17:51 WITH MERCY." 17:52 AGAIN THAT'S "GREAT CONTROVERSY" 628. 17:55 PEOPLE WILL BE DESPERATE DURING THAT TIME. 17:59 NOW THERE IS A SMALL TIME OF TROUBLE BEFORE THE PLAGUES FALL, 18:04 AND WE'RE LIVING ON THE BORDERS OF THAT IN THE CLOSE OF 18:07 PROBATION, SO AGAIN, ANOTHER MESSAGE. 18:11 I OUGHT TO DO A WHOLE SERIES ON THIS, BUT I JUST BECAME VERY 18:14 INTERESTED WITH THE SUBJECT OF ARMAGEDDON. 18:17 SO NOW IF WE'RE GONNA STUDY ARMAGEDDON, YOU'VE GOTTA OPEN 18:19 YOUR BIBLE TO REVELATION 16. 18:23 WE JUST HEARD THIS IN OUR MEMORY VERSE. 18:25 REVELATION 16:12, WE'RE GONNA TAKE THIS VERSE BY VERSE. 18:32 "AND THE SIXTH ANGEL POURED OUT HIS BOWL--" WE GOT ANOTHER ANGEL 18:43 HERE WITH A LOUD VOICE. 18:45 "AND THE SIXTH ANGEL POURED OUT HIS BOWL ON THE GREAT RIVER 18:50 EUPHRATES AND THE WATER WAS DRIED UP." 18:53 THESE BOWLS, THESE VIALS ARE THE PLAGUES THAT FALL. 18:56 "AND THE WATER WAS DRIED UP SO THE WAY OF THE KINGS OF THE EAST 18:59 MIGHT BE PREPARED." 19:01 ALL RIGHT, FIRST LET'S TALK ABOUT THE EUPHRATES RIVER. 19:05 NOW A LOT OF PEOPLE WHEN THEY READ THIS ABOUT THE BATTLE OF 19:08 ARMAGEDDON, THEY BELIEVE THAT IT'S GONNA HAPPEN IN 19:11 THE VICINITY OF EUPHRATES. 19:13 AND YOU KNOW I CAN'T BLAME 'EM FOR WONDERING ABOUT THAT 19:15 BECAUSE, HAVE YOU NOTICED A LOT OF INTERNATIONAL NEWS FOCUSING 19:19 ON IRAQ IN AT LEAST THE LAST 10 YEARS. 19:23 AND WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT ALL THAT'S HAPPENED OVER THE COURSE 19:25 OF BIBLE HISTORY WITH THE KINGDOMS OF NINEVEH AND BABYLON 19:30 AND PERSIA AND THE SUMERIANS IN THE REGION OF MESOPOTAMIA, 19:35 SO MANY OF THESE KINGDOMS ALL REVOLVED AROUND 19:38 THE EUPHRATES RIVER. 19:40 WELL, THE EUPHRATES IS ONE OF THE GREAT RIVERS OF THE WORLD. 19:43 IT REACHES ALL THE WAY FROM UP THERE IN TURKEY AND IT GOES 19:45 THROUGH SYRIA INTO IRAQ AND OFF INTO THE OCEAN. 19:49 AND IT BASICALLY IS A LIFELINE FOR THOSE COUNTRIES, AND THERE'S 19:54 A LOT OF INTENSE SIMMERING ANGER AMONG THOSE COUNTRIES BECAUSE UP 20:04 IN TURKEY, THEY'RE DAMMING OFF THE EUPHRATES RIVER. 20:07 THERE'S USING MORE AND MORE OF THE WATER, LESS AND LESS IS 20:09 MAKING IT DOWNSTREAM TO SYRIA WHERE THEY'RE BUILDING DAMS FOR 20:11 POWER AND TAKING THE WATER FOR IRRIGATION AND LESS AND LESS IS 20:15 MAKING IT DOWN TO IRAQ. 20:17 THAT THEN IS USING THEIR CLOUT AND THEIR OIL TO PUNISH THESE 20:21 COUNTRIES. 20:22 AND THERE'S JUST A LOT OF FIGHTING OVER THE WATER FROM 20:27 THE EUPHRATES BECAUSE THAT IS THE RIVER. 20:29 NOW IN IRAQ, THEY'VE ALSO GOT THE TIGRIS BUT IT'S THE MAIN 20:32 RIVER. 20:33 MATTER OF FACT, THE WORD "EUPHRATES" MEANS FRUITFUL. 20:36 THE BIBLE SPEAKS OF THE EUPHRATES WHEN GOD SAID TO 20:39 ABRAHAM, "I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU ALL OF THE PROMISED LAND FROM 20:43 THE GREAT SEA, MEDITERRANEAN, TO THE GREAT RIVER, 20:47 EVEN THE EUPHRATES." 20:49 IT'S SPOKEN OF AS THE GREAT RIVER. 20:51 AND BY THE WAY, WHEN SOLOMON WAS KING, FINALLY GOD FULFILLED 20:53 THAT PROMISE. 20:54 SOLOMON HAD PEOPLE PAYING TRIBUTE ALL THE WAY FROM EGYPT, 20:57 THE MEDITERRANEAN TO THE GREAT RIVER EUPHRATES. 21:01 SO EUPHRATES RIVER REPRESENTED A BORDER. 21:04 BY THE WAY, YOU KNOW WHAT A HEBREW IS? 21:06 THE WORD "HEBREW" NEAR AS THEY CAN TELL MEANS ONE WHO CROSSED 21:09 OVER, ONE WHO CROSSED OVER. 21:12 AND WHEN ABRAHAM LEFT UR AND HE CROSSED OVER THE EUPHRATES, 21:16 IT WAS A GREAT BORDER. 21:17 HE LEFT THE COUNTRY OF HIS NATIVITY. 21:19 HE HAD FAITH TO CROSS OVER, AND SO THEY WERE KNOWN AS THE PEOPLE 21:23 THAT CROSSED OVER BECAUSE THEY CROSSED OVER THE EUPHRATES. 21:26 SO THERE'S A LOT I CAN SAY ABOUT THAT IN HISTORY, BUT I 21:29 PERSONALLY DON'T THINK IT'S TALKING SPECIFICALLY ABOUT 21:32 THE LITERAL RIVER. 21:34 I'LL TELL YOU IT GOT MY ATTENTION A FEW YEARS AGO, I WAS 21:38 IN GUAM AND I STOPPED AT THE CHURCH HAS A CLINIC THERE, AND I 21:44 WAS GONNA GO VISIT WITH ONE OF THE CHURCH LEADERS WHO WAS 21:46 MEETING ME THERE. 21:48 AND WHILE I WAS IN THE WAITING ROOM, THEY HAD MAGAZINES, 21:50 AS THEY OFTEN DO IN DOCTORS' OFFICES AND THEY HAD "NEWSWEEK." 21:53 NOW "NEWSWEEK" IN NORTH AMERICA IS DIFFERENT FROM "NEWSWEEK" 21:57 INTERNATIONAL. 21:58 "NEWSWEEK" IS AN INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINE. 21:59 THEY ALWAYS DO THE NORTH AMERICAN VERSION OF IT 22:02 A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY BECAUSE WE SORT OF LIVE IN OUR OWN WORLD. 22:05 MATTER OF FACT, IF YOU EVER CHECKED NEWS ON THE INTERNET, IF 22:10 YOU REALLY WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON, YOU BETTER GO TO BBC 22:12 OR SOMETHING BECAUSE IF YOU'RE JUST LISTENING TO CNN NORTH 22:16 AMERICA, IT'S LIKE WE LIVE IN OUR OWN WORLD. 22:18 WE'RE PREOCCUPIED WITH WHAT THE MOVIE STARS ARE DOING, OUR OWN 22:20 LITTLE MINIMAL PROBLEMS. 22:21 IF YOU REALLY WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE WORLD, 22:23 YOU BETTER CHECK SOME OF THESE INTERNATIONAL AGENCIES OR AT 22:26 LEAST CLICK ON INTERNATIONAL NEWS. 22:28 SO THIS IS THE INTERNATIONAL VERSION OF "NEWSWEEK," 22:31 AND I OPENED IT UP. 22:32 BY THE WAY, I WAS NOT ALLOWED TO TAKE THAT COPY BECAUSE IT WASN'T 22:38 MINE AND I WAS IN GUAM. 22:41 BUT I DID LOOK IT UP ON THE INTERNET AND IT'S 22:43 FEBRUARY 12, 1990, PAGE 24-25. 22:46 THE TITLE ARTICLE. 22:47 THIS IS A COVER ARTICLE THAT GOT MY ATTENTION, 22:49 "WHEN RIVERS RUN DRY." 22:52 AND IN THE ARTICLE THEY TALK ABOUT HOW THE EUPHRATES RIVER 22:55 IS DRYING UP. 22:56 SO EVEN IF YOU BELIEVE IT'S SPIRITUAL, AS I DO, I THINK GOD 23:04 SOMETIMES GIVES US A LITTLE BIT OF A LITERAL FULFILLMENT JUST TO 23:07 GET OUR ATTENTION. 23:09 AND IT IS TRUE THAT THEY ARE TAKING MORE AND MORE WATER OUT 23:14 OF THE EUPHRATES. 23:14 THEY'RE USING IT FOR ELECTRICITY AND IRRIGATION AND THE RIVER 23:17 ITSELF IS GOING DOWN, DOWN, DOWN. 23:22 I THOUGHT THAT WAS INTERESTING. 23:24 BUT THE EUPHRATES RIVER REALLY REPRESENTS THE LIFELINE TO 23:29 THE BEAST. 23:30 IN THE SAME WAY THAT THE EUPHRATES RIVER IS WHAT 23:33 IRRIGATED ANCIENT BABYLON AND WHEN IT DRIED UP THE BABYLON 23:38 FELL, THE LIFELINE FOR MODERN BABYLON DRIES UP AND THAT 23:42 SIGNALS THE KINGS OF THE EAST WILL COME. 23:45 NOW THAT'S OUR NEXT SUBJECT. 23:46 IT SAYS, "TO MAKE THE WAY FOR THE KINGS OF THE EAST." 23:48 WHENEVER I READ THAT AUTOMATICALLY MY MIND GOES BACK 23:50 TO WHEN CHRIST WAS BORN. 23:52 WHEN HE CAME THE FIRST TIME, IT'S INTERESTING THAT THESE 23:57 MAGI, THESE KINGS, THESE LEADERS, PATRIARCHS FROM 24:02 THE EAST CAME. 24:03 "NOW AFTER JESUS WAS BORN IN BETHLEHEM OF JUDEA IN THE DAYS 24:06 OF HEROD THE KING, BEHOLD WISE MEN FROM THE EAST CAME TO 24:11 JERUSALEM." 24:12 YOU'VE HEARD THE SONG BEFORE "WE THREE KINGS OF ORIENT ARE." 24:16 THAT'S BECAUSE IN THE ORIGINAL WORD, THEY WERE SOME SORT OF 24:18 PATRIARCHS, MAGI LEADERS, CHIEFTAINS. 24:22 THESE WERE MEN OF HONOR THAT CAME FROM THE EAST, 24:25 AND THEY COULD HAVE BEEN. 24:27 SOME OF THE HEBREWS THAT HAD BEEN LEFT IN BABYLON, THEY COULD 24:32 HAVE BEEN READING THE PROPHECIES OF BALAAM THAT SAID A STAR WOULD 24:34 ARISE OUT OF JACOB, WE DON'T KNOW. 24:36 BUT THAT'S ONE THING I WANT IN YOUR MIND WHEN IT SAYS, 24:38 "KINGS OF THE EAST." 24:39 THE OTHER THING IS FROM THE EAST REPRESENTS WHERE THE GLORY OF 24:43 GOD, THE POWER OF GOD COMES FROM. 24:46 IT DOESN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE SUN RISING IN THE EAST. 24:49 EZEKIEL 43:1, "AFTERWARD HE BROUGHT ME TO THE GATE THAT 24:54 FACES TOWARDS THE EAST AND BEHOLD, THE GLORY OF THE GOD OF 24:59 ISRAEL CAME FROM THE WAY OF THE EAST. 25:02 AND HIS VOICE WAS LIKE THE SOUND OF MANY WATERS AND THE EARTH 25:04 SHONE WITH HIS GLORY." 25:07 WHEN KING NEBUCHADNEZZAR CAME, HE HAD TO CROSS THE EUPHRATES 25:12 AND HE CAME FROM THE EAST AND HE DID ONE OF TWO THINGS 25:15 WITH THE ISRAELITES. 25:17 THEY WERE EITHER DESTROYED OR THEY WERE SPARED, FAVORED AND 25:20 TAKEN BACK TO A GOLDEN KINGDOM. 25:22 ISN'T THAT INTERESTING? 25:23 WHEN NEBUCHADNEZZAR CAME, HE WAS THE KING OF THAT GOLDEN EMPIRE. 25:27 ONE OF TWO THINGS HAPPENED TO THE CHURCH WHEN HE CAME. 25:30 THEY WERE EITHER JUDGED AND PUNISHED OR SPARED LIKE DANIEL, 25:34 SHADRACH, MESHACH AND ABEDNEGO, TAKEN BACK TO A GOLDEN KINGDOM. 25:38 THAT'S EVEN A FIGURE OF WHAT CHRIST IS GONNA DO WHEN HE COMES 25:40 TO THIS WORLD. 25:41 BUT HE CROSSED THE EUPHRATES. 25:42 MATTHEW 24, JESUS SPEAKING OF THE SECOND COMING, "FOR AS 25:46 LIGHTNING COMES FROM THE--" WHAT? 25:49 EAST. 25:50 LIGHTNING DOESN'T ALWAYS COME FROM THE EAST, BUT WHEN THE 25:52 SECOND COMING IS TAKING PLACE, HE SPEAKS OF IT AS COMING FROM 25:55 THE EAST AND FLASHING TO THE WEST SO THE COMING OF THE SON OF 25:59 MAN WILL BE. 26:00 SO THESE KINGS OF THE EAST, IT'S SPEAKING ABOUT THE COMING 26:05 OF THE LORD. 26:06 NOW YOU'VE GOT TO KNOW YOUR BIBLE HISTORY TO UNDERSTAND 26:10 REVELATION. 26:11 YOU'VE HEARD ME SAY BEFORE, SOME HAVEN'T HEARD IT SO I'LL REPEAT 26:14 IT, THERE ARE ABOUT 404 VERSES IN REVELATION. 26:19 OUT OF THOSE 404 VERSES, 278 CAN BE FOUND ALMOST WORD FOR WORD 26:25 SOMEWHERE ELSE IN THE BIBLE IN A STORY. 26:27 SO YOU NEED TO KNOW YOUR HISTORY AND YOUR BIBLE STORIES FOR THIS 26:30 TO ALL MAKE SENSE. 26:32 THERE IS A PIECE OF HISTORY THAT IS NOT LITERALLY IN THE BIBLE, 26:36 BUT IT'S IN THE ANCIENT WRITINGS AND IN THE HISTORY OF THE BIBLE 26:41 THAT WHEN THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL WERE IN BABYLON, JUST BEFORE 26:45 BABYLON FELL TO THE PERSIANS, THERE WERE TWO KINGS OF 26:49 THE EAST, CYRUS AND DARIUS, OR DARIUS, IT'S PRONOUNCED 26:55 BOTH WAYS. 26:56 AND THEY CAME, CYRUS THE GREAT, THEY CAME TO CONQUER BABYLON. 27:03 THEY HAD CONQUERED ALL OF THE TERRITORY OF BABYLON, 27:05 NOW NEBUCHADNEZZAR IS DEAD. 27:07 HIS GRANDSON BELTESHAZZAR'S HAVING A FEAST. 27:10 HE WAS SORT A SPOILED JET-SETTER HAVING A BIG PARTY IN 27:15 THE KINGDOM. 27:17 THEY WEREN'T WORRIED ABOUT THE MEDES AND THE PERSIANS, 27:19 THESE TWO KINGS FROM THE EAST. 27:21 MATTER OF FACT, I WANT TO GO TO THE NEXT PICTURE REAL QUICK 27:23 HERE, SHERYL. 27:24 SHOW THAT PICTURE OF THE MAP, AND SEE THAT MEDIA AND PERSIA? 27:28 SEE BABYLON, MEDIA AND PERSIA WERE TWO KINGDOMS TO THE EAST OF 27:32 BABYLON. 27:34 OKAY, GOT THAT? 27:35 NOW GO BACK TO THE PICTURE OF CYRUS AGAIN, SHERYL. 27:37 I WANT YOU TO PUT THAT BACK UP ON THE SCREEN. 27:40 YOU SEE THE CITY OF BABYLON, HOW THE EUPHRATES RIVER WENT 27:43 UNDER THE WALL? 27:45 WHEN CYRUS WAS LOOKING FOR A WAY TO CONQUER THE CITY, THERE'S NO 27:49 WAY TO GET THROUGH THE WALLS OF BABYLON--WERE MASSIVE. 27:53 THEY HAD CONFIDENCE IN THEIR WALLS THAT IT COULD KEEP 27:55 HIM OUT. 27:56 INTERESTING THING IS CYRUS HAS MENTIONED BY NAME THAT GOD 28:00 WAS GONNA CHOOSE HIM. 28:02 HE'S LIKE A TYPE OF CHRIST IN THAT HE'S CALLED THE ANOINTED. 28:06 "THUS SAYS THE LORD," THIS IS ISAIAH 45:1, "THUS SAYS THE LORD 28:10 TO HIS ANOINTED, TO CYRUS WHOSE RIGHT HAND I HAVE HELD." 28:15 THAT MEANS I'M GONNA HELP YOU TO LET MY PEOPLE GO, TO DELIVER 28:18 THEM. 28:19 "TO SUBDUE NATIONS BEFORE HIM, TO LOOSE THE ARMOR OF KINGS, TO 28:23 OPEN BEFORE HIM THE DOUBLE DOORS SO THE GATES WILL NOT BE SHUT." 28:27 WHEN HE KNEW HE COULDN'T GET OVER THE WALLS, HE SAID, "WELL, 28:30 WHAT'S MY OTHER OPTION? 28:31 I CAN'T GO THROUGH THE WALLS, MAYBE I CAN GO UNDER THE WALLS." 28:34 THE EUPHRATES RIVER RAN UNDER THE WALLS OF BABYLON, BUT IT RAN 28:37 RIGHT UP TO WALL LEVEL AND IT IRRIGATED THE CITY. 28:41 IT WAS THE LIFELINE TO THE CITY. 28:42 THEY HAD FOOD STORED. 28:44 THE HISTORIAN HERODOTUS SAYS THAT THEY HAD FOOD STORED FOR 28:47 20 YEARS AND PLUS THE WATER THAT CAME IN THE CITY, THEY COULD 28:52 WITHSTAND ANY SIEGE THAT WOULD COME. 28:54 THE ARMIES WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR TROOPS LONG 28:56 ENOUGH AND SO THAT'S WHY THE KING TO MOCK THE PERSIANS 29:00 AND THE MEDES THAT WERE CAMPED OUTSIDE, THEY HAD A PARTY. 29:03 YOU READ ABOUT THIS IN THE BIBLE. 29:04 THEY HAD THIS GREAT FEAST AND THAT'S WHEN THEY SAW 29:07 THE HANDWRITING ON THE WALL. 29:09 CYRUS AND DARIUS WERE RIGHT OUTSIDE THE WALLS AT THAT TIME 29:13 AND THEY SAID, "OH, WE'RE NOT AFRAID. 29:15 CITY, 15 MILES ON EACH SIDE, OH, THEY CAN'T GET IN HERE. 29:18 IT'S AN IMPENETRABLE FORTRESS." 29:22 WELL, THE STORY GOES, ACCORDING TO HERODOTUS OR HERODOTUS, 29:29 THE GREEK HISTORIAN, ONE OF THE PRIZE HORSES OF CYRUS 29:36 DROWNED IN THE EUPHRATES. 29:38 IT GOT SPIRITED. 29:39 IT JUMPED OFF IN THE WATER, IT DROWNED. 29:41 HE WAS SO ANGRY, HE SAID, "I'M GONNA CONQUER THIS RIVER" 29:43 'CAUSE THE BABYLONIANS WORSHIPED IT AS A GOD. 29:46 AND HE HAD HIS MEN DIG SOME DITCHES AND DIVERT THE RIVER SO 29:50 IT WENT DOWN AND YOU COULD FORD IT AT THIGH LEVEL. 29:53 WELL, THAT HAD HAPPENED EARLIER IN HIS CONQUEST OF BABYLON. 29:57 WHEN HE GOT TO THE WALLS OF BABYLON HE THOUGHT, "HEY, 29:58 I'VE ALREADY PROVED I CAN TAME THIS RIVER." 30:00 HE HAD SORT OF THIS TANTRUM WHEN HIS HORSE DROWNED AND HE HAD 30:03 DIVERTED THE RIVER. 30:05 DON'T ASK ME WHY A KING WOULD DO THAT BUT MAYBE THE LORD INSPIRED 30:06 HIM. 30:08 AND HE SAID, "HEY, THERE'S A DRY LAKE BED OFF HERE. 30:11 I'LL GET ALL MY SOLDIERS TO DIG A CANAL." 30:15 THEY DUG THIS CANAL AND AT THE RIGHT MOMENT AFTER THE SUN 30:18 WENT DOWN WHEN THEY HEARD HIM PARTYING IN THE CITY, THEY BROKE 30:20 THE LAST BARRIER, THE WATER THEN STARTED FLOODING FROM WHERE IT 30:25 WOULD NORMALLY GO INTO THIS DRY LAKE BED AND THE WATER LEVEL 30:30 BEGAN TO DROP AND NO ONE IN THE CITY NOTICED. 30:33 WELL, THERE WERE STILL INNER WALLS THAT SEPARATED THE CANAL, 30:37 THE RIVER EUPHRATES WHERE IT RAN THROUGH BABYLON, FROM THE MAIN 30:40 ENTRANCE TO THE CITY. 30:41 BUT BECAUSE THERE WAS NOTHING BUT THE RIVER RUNNING THROUGH 30:44 AND IT WAS ALL SEALED OFF AND THEY KNEW THEY DIDN'T HAVE SCUBA 30:46 GEAR BACK THEN, THEY WEREN'T WORRIED ABOUT THE ARMY. 30:49 THEY LEFT THE GATES OPEN. 30:51 THEY WERE HAVING A FESTIVAL IN THE CITY. 30:53 AND BY THE WAY, EVEN IN MY NOTES, THE HISTORIAN MENTIONS 30:57 THIS. 31:00 OH, I LEFT IT OUT OF MY NOTES. 31:04 I DID, SORRY. 31:05 YOU CAN READ UP HERODOTUS FOR YOURSELF. 31:07 HE SAYS THEY WERE HAVING A FESTIVAL IN THE CITY, THEY WERE 31:09 DRUNK AND THEY LEFT THE GATES OPEN. 31:11 THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT IT SAYS WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN HERE. 31:13 IT SAYS, "TO OPEN BEFORE HIM THE DOUBLE DOORS, THE MAIN GATES 31:16 OF THE CITY WERE LEFT OPEN." 31:18 THAT'S WHY IN ONE NIGHT, BABYLON FELL. 31:21 THE KINGS OF THE EAST WERE THE MEDES AND THE PERSIANS 31:23 THAT CAME. 31:24 THE EUPHRATES RIVER DRIED UP. 31:25 WHAT HAPPENED WHEN THE PERSIANS TOOK CONTROL? 31:28 THEY ISSUED A DECREE, THE 70 YEARS OF CAPTIVITY WAS OVER, 31:31 THE PEOPLE COULD GO BACK TO THE PROMISED LAND. 31:34 WHEN THE EUPHRATES DRIED UP, BABYLON FELL, THE PEOPLE COULD 31:38 GO BACK TO THE PROMISED LAND. 31:39 IN THE LAST DAYS, DO WE HAVE A MODERN BABYLON? 31:43 IT'S A SPIRITUAL BABYLON, RIGHT? 31:46 DO WE HAVE A SPIRITUAL ISRAEL? 31:48 BUT DON'T YOU KNOW IF YOU'RE CHRIST'S, 31:50 YOU ARE ABRAHAM'S SEED. 31:51 SO MANY WILL COME FROM THE EAST AND THE WEST AND SIT DOWN WITH 31:55 ABRAHAM, ISAAC, AND JACOB. 31:57 IF YOU BELONG TO JESUS, YOU ARE ABRAHAM'S SEED. 31:59 SPIRITUAL ISRAEL. 32:01 SPIRITUAL BABYLON, SPIRITUAL ISRAEL, SPIRITUAL EUPHRATES, 32:04 FRIENDS. 32:05 NOW THIS SOMETIMES CAUSES PEOPLE TO STUMBLE BECAUSE WHEN YOU'RE 32:09 GOING THROUGH THE PLAGUES, IS IT GONNA LITERALLY BE A SORE? 32:14 YEAH. 32:15 LITERAL BLOOD? 32:17 WAS IT LITERAL BLOOD IN EGYPT, THE RIVER? 32:19 WELL, AT LEAST LITERALLY RED. 32:21 I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS LITERALLY BLOOD. 32:25 OCEANS OF BLOOD, LITERALLY SCORCHED WITH GREAT HEAT, 32:28 LITERAL DARKNESS. 32:29 THE OTHER PLAGUES ARE VERY REAL PLAGUES AND NOW WHEN WE TALK 32:31 ABOUT SPIRITUAL EUPHRATES, HERE'S THE KEY TO UNDERSTAND THE 32:36 DISTINCTION, ALL OF THE TERMS AND THE NUMBERS IN REVELATION 32:41 ARE QUITE LITERAL UNLESS YOU GET TO A NAME. 32:45 WHENEVER YOU HEAR A NAME IN REVELATION, YOU HAVE TO APPLY 32:48 THE SPIRITUAL EQUIVALENT FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY, 32:51 YOU GET THAT? 32:52 LET ME GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE. 32:53 IN THE MESSAGE TO THE SEVEN CHURCHES, OUT OF THE BLUE 32:56 IT TALKS ABOUT BALAAM. 32:58 WAS THERE SOME GUY NAMED BALAAM IN THOSE SEVEN CHURCHES OF ASIA? 33:02 NO, IT IS A JEWISH NAME OR A MESOPOTAMIAN NAME. 33:06 THERE'S NOBODY THERE, BUT THE REVELATOR, THE LORD WANTED US TO 33:11 LOOK BACK AT THE STORY OF BALAAM TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WAS HAPPENING 33:14 IN THAT CHURCH. 33:15 THEN THEY'RE TALKING ON AND THEY TALK ABOUT JEZEBEL. 33:18 WELL, THAT WAS AN ANCIENT JEWISH QUEEN. 33:21 SHE WASN'T EVEN JEWISH, SHE WAS A PAGAN QUEEN OVER ISRAEL. 33:24 DO YOU THINK THERE WAS A LITERAL MEMBER OF ONE OF THE SEVEN 33:27 CHURCHES NAMED JEZEBEL? 33:29 NO. 33:30 IT'S A NAME. 33:31 REVELATION WHEN IT SAYS MICHAEL, WE KNOW THAT'S A SPIRITUAL NAME. 33:35 WHEN IT SAYS DRAGON, THAT'S A SPIRITUAL NAME FOR THE DEVIL. 33:39 IS THE DEVIL REALLY A REPTILE? 33:42 ALL RIGHT, SO WHENEVER YOU HEAR A NAME IN REVELATION, THERE'S A 33:44 KEY AND THAT'S TRUE ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE BOOK, FRIENDS. 33:48 THESE NAMES, WHEN IT TALKS ABOUT SPIRITUALLY CALLED SODOM 33:51 AND EGYPT. 33:52 THOSE WERE SPIRITUAL NAMES FOR THE NATION OF FRANCE. 33:55 YOU SEE WHAT I'M SAYING? 33:56 SO WHEN IT MENTIONS EUPHRATES, IT MEANS THE SPIRITUAL 33:58 EQUIVALENT. 33:59 ITS LIFELINE IS GONNA BE DRIED UP. 34:01 AND YOU READ IN REVELATION 18 ABOUT BABYLON FALLING, OKAY? 34:04 SO I HOPE--THAT MAKES SENSE TO ME, I HOPE IT MAKES SENSE 34:06 TO YOU. 34:08 LET'S GO ON AND READ REVELATION 16:13 NOW. 34:12 "AND I SAW THREE UNCLEAN SPIRITS LIKE FROGS COME OUT OF THE MOUTH 34:19 OF THE DRAGON, OUT OF THE MOUTH OF THE BEAST AND OUT OF THE 34:23 MOUTH OF THE FALSE PROPHET." 34:25 WELL, BEFORE I GET TO WHO THOSE THREE CHARACTERS ARE, LET'S TALK 34:28 ABOUT FROGS. 34:31 HOW MANY FROGS? 34:32 THREE UNCLEAN SPIRITS LIKE FROGS. 34:36 NOW, DO WE FIND FROGS IN EGYPT AMONG THE PLAGUES? 34:41 A LOT OF PARALLELS THAT YOU'RE GONNA SEE. 34:43 WHEN YOU THINK OF FROGS, WHAT COMES TO YOUR MIND? 34:48 FIRST OF ALL, HAS ANYONE HERE EVER BEEN BITTEN BY A FROG? 34:52 OH, COME ON, NOW. 34:54 THEY MAY HAVE, THEY MAY HAVE NAPPED DOWN ON YOU, BUT FROGS 34:57 HAVE NO TEETH. 34:59 I REMEMBER ONE TIME I WENT TO MAKE A SALES DELIVERY AND THIS 35:02 GUY HAD THIS GERMAN SHEPHERD THAT RAN OUT AND BIT ME ON 35:05 THE LEG. 35:06 I SAID, "YOUR DOG JUST BIT ME." 35:08 AND HE SAID, "THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE." 35:09 I SAID, "HE JUST BIT ME." 35:10 HE SAYS, "MY DOG HAS NO TEETH." 35:13 AND SURE ENOUGH I REALIZED IT DIDN'T REALLY HURT ME, SCARED ME 35:16 HALF TO DEATH. 35:18 HE HAD A TOOTHLESS DOG. 35:21 BUT FROGS, THEIR REAL DANGER IS THEIR TONGUE. 35:27 THE OTHER THING WE NOTICE IS JUST WHEN YOU THINK YOU'RE GONNA 35:29 GRAB THEM, THEY LEAP, THEY JUMP FROM PLACE TO PLACE AND THEY'RE 35:33 SLIPPERY. 35:38 THESE FROGS, IT REPRESENTS, AND IT COMES OUT OF WHAT? 35:42 IT DOESN'T COME OUT OF THE EYE OR THE EAR, IT COMES OUT OF 35:44 THE MOUTH. 35:44 IT MEANS IT'S A MESSAGE. 35:46 GOD'S MESSAGES ARE SYMBOLIZED BY ANGELS FLYING IN THE MIDST OF 35:48 HEAVEN. 35:49 THE DEVIL'S MESSAGES, FROGS BECAUSE THEY'RE REPTILES. 35:55 THEY'RE LIKE TADPOLES AND THEY'RE SLIPPERY AND IT'S 35:58 A MESSAGE WHERE THEY GET YOU WITH THEIR WORDS. 36:02 HOW DID THE DEVIL GET EVE? 36:03 HE STUCK OUT THAT STICKY TONGUE OF HIS AND HE TRAPPED HER. 36:07 AND SO IT'S SYMBOLIC WITH THESE FROGS. 36:11 THEN IT SAYS COMES OUT OF THE MOUTH OF THE BEAST, OUT OF THE 36:17 MOUTH OF THE DRAGON AND THEN OUT OF THE MOUTH OF THE FALSE 36:21 PROPHET. 36:23 NOW WE'VE GOT ANOTHER WHOLE MESSAGE ON WHO THE BEAST IS, 36:26 THAT HAS NOT CHANGED. 36:28 MOST PROTESTANTS BELIEVE THAT BEAST IS THE APOSTATE 36:32 CHRISTIANITY WITH ITS HEADQUARTERS IN ROME. 36:35 AND BY THE WAY, I'M NOT THE FIRST ONE WHO SAYS THAT. 36:39 THIS IS WHAT YOU FIND IN ALL THE GREAT PROTESTANT COMMENTATORS 36:42 GOING FROM LUTHER, JOHN HUSS BACK TO THE FIRST ONES, I 36:46 SUPPOSE, THE WALDENSES AND HERE'S A QUOTE FROM JOHN GILL. 36:51 THIS IS THE FIRST GREAT BAPTIST THEOLOGIAN, THE BIBLE 36:54 COMMENTATOR. 36:56 "THE SAME SPIRITS THAT ARE THERE SAID TO GO FORTH THAT GATHER 36:59 THE KINGS TOGETHER. 37:00 THESE WILL GATHER THEM TOGETHER WILL PERSUADE THE PAPAL PAGAN 37:05 AND MOHAMMED EMPOWERS." 37:07 I THOUGHT, THAT WAS INTERESTING. 37:09 "THAT REMAINS OF THEM IN THE SEVERAL PARTS OF THE WORLD THAT 37:12 JOIN TOGETHER AND MAKE ONE EFFORT TO THE REVIVING OF THEIR 37:15 DECLINING ALMOST RUIN INTEREST IN AN ATTACK ON THE PEOPLE 37:18 OF GOD." 37:18 BUT HE LUMPS THE THREE TOGETHER AS THE PAGAN, PAGANISM IN THE 37:22 WORLD, PAGAN AND MOHAMMEDAN. 37:25 NOW YOU KNOW A GROWING NUMBER OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN WONDERING ABOUT 37:28 THE INFLUENCE OF ISLAM. 37:31 AND BY THE WAY IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, MATTHEW HENRY THOUGHT 37:35 SOMETHING VERY SIMILAR TO THAT IN HIS COMMENTARY. 37:38 I'M TELLING YOU WHAT'S OUT THERE NOW, YOU GOT ME? 37:40 I'M NOT TELLING WHAT I BELIEVE, I'M TELLING WHAT'S OUT THERE, 37:42 BUT I AM TRYING TO GET YOU TO THINK FOR YOURSELF. 37:45 YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE, THE SACRED STATEMENT OF ISLAM IS THERE'S 37:51 NO GOD BUT ALLAH AND MOHAMMED IS HIS PROPHET. 37:55 AND IT'S HARD TO DENY THE EXPLOSIVE GROWTH OF ISLAM. 38:00 SOME HAVE WONDERED IF ONE REASON THAT POPE BENEDICT CAME TO 38:03 THE U.S., WAS IT LAST YEAR, WAS BECAUSE IN EUROPE, THEIR FORMER 38:10 BEACHHEAD, THEIR FORMER BASE OF POWER, THEY USED TO HOLD SWAY 38:16 THERE BUT YOU KNOW WHAT'S GROWING THERE IS ISLAM. 38:18 WHAT'S SHRINKING THERE IS CHRISTIANITY, CATHOLICISM 38:21 AND PROTESTANTISM. 38:22 AND HE'S LOOKING ACROSS THE OCEAN AND SEEING THE ONLY NATION 38:26 LEFT THAT REALLY IS A STRONGHOLD OF ACTIVE CHRISTIANITY IS NORTH 38:30 AMERICA, AND HE'S REACHING ACROSS. 38:35 I HEARD THAT BECAUSE THEY'RE REALLY THREATENED BY THE GROWTH 38:37 OF ISLAM THAT IT'S REALLY A THREAT TO THEIR FAITH. 38:40 IN READING ADAM CLARK'S COMMENTARY, SPEAKING ABOUT WHO 38:44 THESE THREE POWERS ARE, AND WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THIS, 38:47 ACTUALLY I'M READING JOHN WESLEY NOW. 38:51 "THE DEVIL REPRESENTS THE SECULAR POWER OF ANTICHRIST 38:54 AND THE ECCLESIASTICAL POWER. 38:57 THE DRAGON FIGHTS CHIEFLY AGAINST GOD. 39:00 THE BEAST FIGHTS AGAINST CHRIST, THE FALSE PROPHET AGAINST 39:03 THE SPIRIT." 39:04 I AGREE WITH THAT. 39:06 IN THE DRAGON, THE BEAST, AND THE FALSE PROPHET, YOU'VE 39:09 GOT BASICALLY--YOU EVER PLAY BASKETBALL? 39:13 AND IF YOU'RE PLAYING 3, 6 MEN, YOU PLAY 3 ON 3. 39:17 IF YOU ONLY GOT 6 PEOPLE THAT ARE PLAYING, YOU PLAY MAN 39:19 ON MAN. 39:20 WELL, WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THIS FINAL BATTLE IS YOU'VE GOT 39:23 A COUNTERFEIT TRINITY, THAT COUNTERFEIT TRINITY ON EARTH IS 39:28 THE BEAST, THE DRAGON AND THE FALSE PROPHET. 39:31 NOW HERE'S WHERE I LAND ON THIS, THE BOOK "GREAT CONTROVERSY" 39:36 PAGE 588, "PROTESTANTS IN THE UNITED STATES WILL BE FOREMOST 39:41 AND STRETCHING THEIR HAND ACROSS THE GULF TO CLASP THE HAND OF 39:45 SPIRITUALISM. 39:47 THEY WILL REACH OVER THE ABYSS TO CLASP THE HAND WITH 39:50 THE ROMAN POWER," THE ORTHODOX CHURCHES AND THE ROMAN CATHOLIC 39:52 CHURCH, "AND UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF THIS THREE-FOLD UNION," 39:57 THE BEAST, THE DRAGON, THE FALSE PROPHET. 40:00 "THIS COUNTRY WILL FOLLOW IN THE STEPS OF ROME TRAMPLING 40:03 THE RIGHTS OF CONSCIENCE." 40:04 SO YOU'VE GOT APOSTATE PROTESTANTISM, APOSTATE 40:09 CATHOLICISM AND A SPIRITUALISM THAT IS COUNTERFEITING OR 40:15 MASQUERADING AS CHRISTIANITY. 40:18 SOME HAVE WONDERED IF THE CHARISMATIC MOVEMENT, WHERE YOU 40:21 HAVE THIS SORT OF COUNTERFEIT HOLY SPIRIT IS THE FULFILLMENT 40:24 OF THAT. 40:25 THAT SPIRITISM IS GOING TO TEACH THAT YOU CAN CONSULT THE DEAD. 40:31 YOU KNOW, IT STRUCK ME TODAY, THIS MORNING FOR THE FIRST TIME 40:32 I MADE THE CONNECTION. 40:34 JUST BEFORE ISRAEL LOST A BATTLE, THIS TREMENDOUS BATTLE 40:41 BETWEEN ISRAEL AND JUST BEFORE DAVID TOOK THE THRONE, 40:45 THERE WAS A GREAT BATTLE FOUGHT. 40:47 THAT'S WHEN DAVID SAID, "OH, HOW THE MIGHTY HAVE FALLEN." 40:51 KING SAUL AND HIS SONS WERE ALL KILLED. 40:54 SAUL CONSULTED A WITCH. 40:58 HE GOT INVOLVED IN SPIRITUALISM. 41:00 HERE'S A JEWISH KING. 41:02 HE'S A CHURCH MEMBER AND HE'S GOING TO A WITCH TO GET 41:05 INFORMATION, AND HE DIES IN BATTLE THE NEXT DAY. 41:08 AND HE CAN'T HELP BUT WONDER IF THAT'S GONNA, 41:11 THAT'S SPIRITUALISM. 41:12 I MEAN AREN'T THERE CHRISTIANS NOW THAT BELIEVE THAT YOU DIE 41:14 AND GO RIGHT TO HEAVEN OR HELL AND YOU CAN COMMUNICATE 41:16 WITH THE DEAD? 41:18 AND IF SOMEONE POPS UP AND THEY SAYS, "OH, I'M THE APOSTLE PAUL 41:21 OR I'M MARTIN LUTHER" WHOEVER THEY WANT TO BE. 41:25 AND THEY SAY, "I'VE GOT A MESSAGE FOR YOU," 41:26 AND IT CONTRADICTS THE MESSAGE OF THE BIBLE. 41:28 THAT'S WHAT THE WITCH DID FOR KING SAUL. 41:30 THOSE PEOPLE ARE DOOMED IN THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON. 41:33 THEY GET INVOLVED IN SPIRITUALISM. 41:35 AND THESE DEVILS, THESE SPIRITS, THESE POWERS, THE BEAST, 41:40 THE DRAGON, THE FALSE PROPHET. 41:44 WELL, I WANT TO READ VERSE 14, SORRY, REVELATION 16:14, 41:47 "THEY'RE THE SPIRITS OF DEMONS PERFORMING SIGNS, WONDERS, 41:53 WHICH GO OUT TO THE KINGS OF THE EARTH, THE GOVERNMENTS, 41:56 THE WORLD LEADERS AND THE WHOLE WORLD TO GATHER THEM TO 41:59 THE BATTLE OF THE GREAT DAY OF GOD ALMIGHTY." 42:02 NOW THESE ARE SOME VERY IMPORTANT VERSES TO CONSIDER. 42:06 REVELATION 13:13-14 SPEAKING OF THE BEAST POWER, "HE PERFORMS 42:13 GREAT SIGNS SO THAT HE EVEN MAKES FIRE COME DOWN FROM HEAVEN 42:17 ON THE EARTH IN THE SIGHT OF MEN AND DECEIVES THOSE WHO DWELL ON 42:20 THE EARTH BY THE MEANS OF THOSE SIGNS THAT HE'S GRANTED TO DO 42:23 IN THE SIGHT OF THE BEAST." 42:26 THERE'S LYING WONDERS, IT TELLS US ABOUT. 42:31 2 THESSALONIANS 2:8-11, "THEN THAT WICKED ONE WILL BE REVEALED 42:36 WHOM THE LORD WILL CONSUME WITH THE SPIRIT OF HIS MOUTH," 42:40 SPEAKING OF THE ANTICHRIST POWER, "AND WILL DESTROY WITH 42:43 THE BRIGHTNESS OF HIS COMING. 42:45 EVEN HIM WHO'S COMING IS AFTER THE WORKING OF SATAN WITH 42:49 ALL POWER AND SIGNS AND LYING WONDERS." 42:54 ALL KINDS OF POWERS AND SIGNS AND, ARE THEY TRUE WONDERS? 42:57 ARE THEY WONDERS CALCULATED TO DECEIVE? 43:00 THE DEVIL WHO DECEIVES THE WHOLE WORLD, THEY'RE LYING WONDERS. 43:04 THERE'S GONNA BE COUNTERFEIT MIRACLES, THAT'S WHY OUR FAITH 43:06 NEEDS TO BE ROOTED, AND WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY? 43:09 NOT WHAT GREAT MIRACLE HAS HAPPENED THAT'S ON THE NEWS 43:12 ALL OVER THE WORLD OR SOME COUNTERFEIT CHRIST THAT MAY 43:16 APPEAR DOING WONDERS, MAYBE EVEN BRINGING FIRE DOWN FROM HEAVEN 43:21 LIKE ELIJAH PRAYED AND FIRE CAME DOWN AND OBVIOUSLY IF MOSES 43:25 PRAYS AND FIRE COMES DOWN ON THE ALTAR, AND HERE THIS FALSE 43:30 CHRIST, HE PRAYS AND FIRE SEEMS TO COME DOWN, IT MUST BE TRUE. 43:37 FIRE COMING DOWN IN ACTS 2 REPRESENTED THE HOLY SPIRIT. 43:41 THEY WERE ALL BAPTIZED WITH TONGUES OF FIRE. 43:44 THIS WOULD BE A COUNTERFEIT BAPTISM OF THE SPIRIT, 43:47 COUNTERFEIT POWER. 43:48 THERE'LL BE COUNTERFEIT SIGNS AND WONDERS, THAT'S WHY WE'VE 43:53 GOTTA GO BY WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY? 43:55 JOEL 3:2, "I WILL GATHER ALL NATIONS AND BRING THEM DOWN TO 44:00 THE VALLEY OF JEHOSHAPHAT, AND I'LL ENTER INTO JUDGMENT 44:05 THERE WITH THEM ON ACCOUNT OF MY PEOPLE, MY HERITAGE ISRAEL WHOM 44:08 THEY HAVE SCATTERED AMONG THE NATIONS. 44:11 THEY'VE ALSO DIVIDED UP MY LAND." 44:13 NOW THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON IS NOT A BATTLE, AS MACARTHUR WAS 44:17 SUGGESTING BETWEEN THE NUCLEAR POWERS OF THE WORLD, BETWEEN 44:22 RUSSIA AND CHINA AND THE UNITED STATES AND IRAN AND WHOEVER ELSE 44:26 IS OUT THERE, AND PAKISTAN AND INDIA AND EVERYBODY JUST KIND OF 44:29 ALL BLOWING OURSELVES UP, ALL THE ARMIES OF THE WORLD 44:34 BEING MOBILIZED AND GATHERING. 44:36 OH, I REMEMBER ONE TIME, I WAS--MY SECOND TRIP TO ISRAEL, 44:40 I WENT WITH A GROUP OF MINISTERS FROM ALL DIFFERENT FAITHS. 44:43 AND ONE OF THE PLACES THEY TOOK US WAS TO THIS MOUNTAIN, 44:46 MOUNT MEGIDDO ABOVE THE VALLEY OF JEZREEL, AND DIFFERENT 44:50 PASTORS TOOK THEIR TURNS DOING DEVOTIONALS AS WE CAME TO 44:55 DIFFERENT PLACES. 44:56 THEY NEVER DID ASK ME TO DO A DEVOTIONAL. 44:58 THEY KNEW I WAS A SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST. 45:01 OH, I REALLY WANTED TO DO SOME THOUGH. 45:03 AND I REMEMBER HE STOOD THERE AND HE POINTED AT THIS VALLEY 45:06 THAT YOU COULDN'T EVEN TURN AROUND A 747 IN THIS VALLEY, 45:10 POINTED TO THIS VALLEY SAID, "ALL THE ARMIES OF CHINA AND ALL 45:13 THE ARMIES OF RUSSIA AND ALL THE ARMIES OF THE U.S. 45:15 AND THE WORLD WILL GATHER IN THIS VALLEY AGAINST ISRAEL." 45:17 AND I'M LOOKING, I'M GOING, I LOOKED AT A METHODIST PASTOR WHO 45:20 SORT OF AGREED WITH ME AND WE SAID, YOU CAN'T FIT ALL OF 45:24 THE CHINESE ARMY IN THIS VALLEY. 45:27 THEN HE GOES ON HOW THE BLOOD'S GONNA REACH UP TO THE BRIDLES 45:31 AND IT'S JUST SUCH A FANTASTIC STORY. 45:35 I MEAN IT JUST, IT'S NO WONDER SOME PEOPLE DON'T BELIEVE 45:37 THE BIBLE WHEN YOU HEAR IT INTERPRETED THAT WAY. 45:41 THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON IS NOT A BATTLE THAT'S GONNA TAKE PLACE 45:44 IN A LITTLE BITTY VALLEY OVER THERE IN ISRAEL. 45:47 IT IS THE GREAT BATTLE IN THE LAST DAYS BETWEEN--THE BATTLES 45:50 OF REVELATION ARE TALKING ABOUT CHRIST AND SATAN. 45:53 IT'S NOT A BATTLE TALKING ABOUT IRAN, PAKISTAN, INDIA, 45:58 THESE LITTLE NATIONS. 45:59 IT'S DEALING WITH THOSE WHO FOLLOW GOD, THE GREAT 46:02 CONTROVERSY AND THOSE WHO FOLLOW THE DEVIL. 46:05 ARMAGEDDON IS THE FINAL MOBILIZATION OF THE POWERS 46:09 AND ARMIES OF THE WORLD TO EXTERMINATE GOD'S PEOPLE LIKE 46:13 THEY DID WITH JEHOSHAPHAT. 46:15 BUT WHEN THAT TIME COMES, THE TABLES ARE TURNED. 46:19 IT LOOKS HOPELESS, BUT GOD FIGHTS FOR HIS PEOPLE. 46:23 NOW I'LL SAY MORE ABOUT THAT IN JUST A MINUTE. 46:26 WE HAVEN'T EVEN GOTTEN TO THE WORD ARMAGEDDON YET. 46:28 GO WITH ME NOW TO REVELATION 16:15, "BEHOLD I AM 46:35 COMING AS A THIEF. 46:37 BLESSED IS HE WHO WATCHES AND KEEPS HIS GARMENTS, LEST HE WALK 46:41 NAKED AND THEY SEE HIS SHAME." 46:43 CHRIST IS ISSUING A WARNING FOR YOU AND FOR ME AND FOR 46:46 THE CHURCH IN THE LAST DAYS. 46:47 HE SAID, "I'M COMING SOON, IT WILL BE A SURPRISED. 46:49 DON'T GET LAZY BECAUSE YOU THINK YOU'VE GOT TIME AND START TO 46:55 BESMIRCH YOUR GARMENTS, YOUR WEDDING GARMENT. 46:58 KEEP THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST ON YOU BECAUSE OTHERWISE YOU'LL 47:03 BE CAUGHT UNPREPARED." 47:05 NOW MANY PEOPLE THINK COMING LIKE A THIEF, THAT'S A SECRET 47:07 RAPTURE. 47:08 THAT JUST MEANS IT'S A SURPRISE WHEN JESUS COMES AS A THIEF, 47:11 IT TELLS YOU HOW THAT HAPPENS. 47:13 THE WHOLE 2 PETER 3:10, I BELIEVE. 47:18 "THE DAY OF THE LORD WILL COME AS A THIEF IN THE NIGHT IN WHICH 47:20 THE HEAVENS WILL PASS AWAY WITH A GREAT NOISE AND THE ELEMENTS 47:24 WILL MELT WITH FERVENT HEAT. 47:26 BOTH THE EARTH AND THE WORKS THAT ARE IN IT ARE BURNED UP." 47:29 WHEN THE LORD COMES AS A THIEF, DOES THE LIFE GO ON FOR 7 MORE 47:32 YEARS OF TRIBULATION, OR IS THAT THE END OF THE TRIBULATION? 47:35 WHEN THE LORD COMES AS A THIEF, THAT'S IT. 47:39 1 THESSALONIANS 5:2, "FOR YOU YOURSELVES KNOW PERFECTLY THAT 47:43 THE DAY OF THE LORD WILL SO COME AS A THIEF IN THE NIGHT FOR WHEN 47:46 THEY SAY PEACE AND SAFETY, THEN SUDDEN DESTRUCTION COMES UPON 47:50 THEM AS LABOR PAINS UPON A PREGNANT WOMAN AND THEY SHALL 47:53 NOT ESCAPE. 47:55 BUT BRETHREN, YOU ARE NOT IN DARKNESS THAT THAT DAY SHOULD 47:59 OVERTAKE YOU AS A THIEF." 48:01 GOD DOES NOT WANT YOU TO BE CAUGHT LIKE A THIEF. 48:04 HE WANTS YOU TO BE AWAKE. 48:05 HE WANTS YOU TO BE READY AND ALERT WHEN IT HAPPENS. 48:08 HE'S GIVING YOU WARNINGS IN HIS WORD AND SO WE SHOULD BE 48:12 WATCHING. 48:14 REVELATION 3:3 JESUS SAID, "REMEMBER THEREFORE HOW YOU'VE 48:17 RECEIVED AND HEARD. 48:19 HOLDFAST AND REPENT. 48:20 THEREFORE IF YOU WILL NOT WATCH, I'LL COME UPON YOU AS A THIEF." 48:24 MEANING IF YOU DO WATCH, YOU WON'T BE SURPRISED WHEN 48:26 IT HAPPENS. 48:28 SO WE'VE GOTTA BE WATCHING, THAT'S WHY I'M PREACHING 48:30 A MESSAGE LIKE THIS, GIVING YOU ADVANCED WARNING SO WE CAN BE 48:33 READY WHEN IT HAPPENS. 48:36 "IF YOU DON'T WATCH, I'LL COME AS A THIEF AND YOU'LL NOT KNOW 48:38 WHAT HOUR I WILL COME." 48:40 IF YOU DO WATCH, IT'S IMPLIED YOU WILL KNOW WHEN HE'S COMING. 48:44 NO MAN WILL KNOW THE DAY AND THE HOUR, BUT YOU'LL KNOW. 48:47 REVELATION 16:16, "AND THEY GATHERED THEM TOGETHER TO 48:53 A PLACE CALLED IN THE HEBREW TONGUE ARMAGEDDON." 48:57 NOW HERE IS THE REAL CONUNDRUM, YOU CAN'T COMPARE THIS WORD 49:01 REALLY WITH ANOTHER USE OF THE WORD IN THE BIBLE 'CAUSE IT'S 49:04 THE ONLY TIME THE WORD APPEARS IN GREEK LITERATURE ANYWHERE. 49:08 AT LEAST THEY HAVEN'T FOUND ANYTHING YET, AND IT DOESN'T 49:11 REALLY APPEAR AS THIS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT. 49:13 HERE YOU'VE GOT A JEWISH WRITER, JOHN, HE'S AN OLD MAN. 49:18 HE MOSTLY SPEAKS ARAMAIC. 49:20 HE'S IN PRISON BY THE ROMANS, A LATIN COUNTRY ON A ROMAN ISLAND. 49:25 AND WHEN HE WROTE IT OUT, THE BEST THEY CAN FIGURE IT HAS 49:28 SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE VALLEY OF MEGIDDO. 49:31 HAR MEANS HILL OF MEGIDDO AND SO BUT THAT WAS REALLY 49:36 EITHER MOUNT TABOR. 49:37 IT'S A CONFUSING PHRASE AND EVERYONE TRIES TO POINT ON A MAP 49:41 WHERE IS THIS BATTLE. 49:42 THEY'RE GATHERED TO THIS PLACE CALLED ARMAGEDDON. 49:45 NOW WHAT DID I TELL YOU ABOUT NAMES IN THE BIBLE? 49:47 ARE THE NAMES LITERAL OR SPIRITUAL? 49:51 THEY'RE SPIRITUAL AND SYMBOLIC SO WHEN YOU READ ARMAGEDDON, 49:54 YOU'VE GOT TO KNOW WHERE IN THE BIBLE DOES THIS POINT? 49:57 IF IT'S TALKING ABOUT THE VALLEY OF MEGIDDO, THAT'S FINE. 50:01 THERE ARE THREE STORIES IN THE BIBLE THAT HELP US UNDERSTAND 50:05 THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON. 50:08 JUDGES 4, GIVE IT TO YOU QUICKLY, YOU CAN READ IT WHEN 50:11 YOU GO HOME AND 5. 50:13 CHILDREN OF ISRAEL HAD WANDERED FROM GOD, THEY WERE OPPRESSED 50:15 FOR 20 YEARS BY PAGAN COUNTRY. 50:18 THE CANAANITES AND FINALLY GOD ROSE UP A PROPHETESS BY THE NAME 50:24 OF DEBORAH. 50:26 DEBORAH CALLED FOR BARAK. 50:28 HE SAID GATHER ALL THE PEOPLE TOGETHER AT MOUNT TABOR AND THEY 50:31 FOUGHT WITH THE GENERAL NAMED SISERA. 50:35 THEY HAD 900 IRON CHARIOTS. 50:37 IT'S LIKE 900 ABRAM TANKS TODAY. 50:41 THEY HAD A MASSIVE ARMY. 50:42 THERE WAS NO WAY THAT THEY COULD DEFEAT 'EM. 50:43 THEY HAD BEEN OPPRESSED FOR YEARS. 50:45 ALL OF THE ISRAELITES HAVE IS, YOU KNOW, GARDEN SHOVELS 50:49 AND THINGS TO FIGHT WITH, PRUNING HOOKS. 50:51 AND SHE SAYS, "GOD'S GONNA BE WITH YOU." 50:54 HE SAID, "IF YOU GO WITH ME, I'LL GO." 50:55 SHE SAID, "I'LL GO WITH YOU, BUT YOU'RE NOT GONNA GET THE CREDIT. 50:57 THE CREDIT'S GONNA GO TO A WOMAN." 51:00 NOT ONLY DID THE CREDIT GO TO A WOMAN, DEBORAH, BUT THE CREDIT 51:03 WENT TO ANOTHER WOMAN NAMED JAEL BECAUSE WHEN THE ISRAELITES TOOK 51:06 ON THE CANAANITES IN THE VALLEY OF MEGIDDO, THEY WERE CONQUERED. 51:13 THEY WERE ROUTED. 51:14 AND AS THEY FLED, THEIR CHARIOTS GOT STUCK IN THE MIRE. 51:16 IT HAD RAINED EVIDENTLY AND SISERA GOT OFF AND HE FLED 51:19 AND HE FOUND A TENT OF THE KANANITES WHICH WERE SORT OF 51:24 A NEUTRAL PEOPLE. 51:25 AND HE SAID, "LOOK, YOU KNOW YOU'RE NOT AN ISRAELITE. 51:27 YOU'RE NOT ONE OF US, BUT WILL YOU SHOW ME SANCTUARY, HIDE ME." 51:30 SO THE GENERAL HIDES UNDERNEATH THIS RUG AND SHE ENDS UP 51:34 PIERCING HIS EAR WHILE HE SLEPT EXCEPT SHE WENT A LITTLE TOO FAR 51:40 AND KILLED HIM. 51:42 AND HE--SO SHE GOT CREDIT FOR DESTROYING THE ARMY. 51:46 THEN YOU'VE GOT THE STORY OF GIDEON, NOW THIS IS ESPECIALLY 51:52 INTERESTING WHEN YOU STUDY THE WORD OF ARMAGEDDON. 51:57 THEY WERE COMPLETELY OUTNUMBERED. 51:59 ANOTHER BATTLE IN THE VALLEY OF MEGIDDO. 52:01 WHEN YOU READ IN JUDGES 7:2, SEVERAL TIMES IT SAYS GOD 52:09 SPOKE TO GIDEON AND IT'S YEHOVAH AMAR GID'OWN. 52:14 YOU GOT THAT? 52:16 SPOKE TO GIDEON, AND THAT'S VERY SIMILAR TO THE WORD 52:21 "ARMAGEDDON." 52:23 NOW IN THE STORY OF GIDEON, YOU'VE GOT THE SAME THING YOU 52:25 HAVE IN REVELATION. 52:26 THERE WAS A THREE-FOLD POWER, THE MIDIANITES, THE AMALEKITES, 52:31 THE PEOPLE OF THE EAST GATHERED AGAINST GOD'S PEOPLE 52:34 AND OPPRESSED THEM. 52:35 ALL GIDEON HAD WAS 300 MEN, AGAIN, 3. 52:39 HE DIVIDED THEM INTO THREE COMPANIES. 52:41 THEY WERE ALL GIVEN THREE THINGS, GIVEN A TRUMPET, GIVEN 52:45 A PITCHER AND THEY HAD A SWORD. 52:47 ALL SYMBOLS OF THE WORD. 52:49 LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE, LIFT UP YOUR VOICE LIKE A TRUMPET, 52:51 THE WORD OF GOD IS SHARPER THAN A TWO-EDGED SWORD. 52:54 AND AT THE RIGHT MOMENT, THEY BROKE THE PITCHERS, THE LIGHT 52:56 SHINED, THEY BLEW THE TRUMPET, THEY WAVED THEIR SWORDS AND THEY 52:59 SHOUTED. 53:00 NOW WHAT DID THE ENEMY DO? 53:01 THEY WOKE UP IN DISARRAY AND CONFUSION CONFOUNDED BY 53:05 THE NOISE, THE BLARING TRUMPETS. 53:07 THEY SAW THE LIGHTS AROUND THE HILL. 53:08 THEY THOUGHT THERE WAS THIS VAST ARMY, AND THEY ALL TURNED ON 53:12 EACH OTHER AND SELF-DESTRUCTED. 53:16 THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS IN THE END. 53:19 GOD FIGHTS FOR US FROM HEAVEN IN THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON. 53:24 THE BIBLE TELLS US CHRIST COMES. 53:26 MATTER OF FACT, THAT'S THE SEVENTH PLAGUE IS JESUS COMING. 53:37 FINAL THING, FRIENDS, I JUST WANT TO GO BACK TO REVELATION. 53:41 I'M JUST GONNA READ IT TO YOU SO I CAN TIE OFF THIS, 53:43 THIS SEVENTH BOWL. 53:45 I READ ABOUT WHAT ARMAGEDDON MEANS. 53:48 ARMAGEDDON IS TALKING ABOUT--OH, YOU KNOW I KNEW I WAS FORGETTING 53:51 SOMETHING. 53:52 THERE'S A THIRD STORY ABOUT ARMAGEDDON. 53:54 THE FAVORITE YOUNG KING, HE WAS IN HIS 30s RIGHT ABOUT THE AGE 53:58 OF CHRIST NAMED JOSIAH. 54:02 HE DIES IN THE VALLEY OF MEGIDDO DEFENDING GOD'S PEOPLE. 54:08 AND SO WHENEVER YOU SAY THE VALLEY OF MEGIDDO TO 54:12 THE ISRAELITES, IT TALKS ABOUT A KING THEY LOVED WHO 54:14 SACRIFICED HIMSELF. 54:17 YOU WITH ME? 54:18 IT TALKS ABOUT BATTLES THAT ARE WON WHEN GOD FOUGHT FOR THEM IN 54:22 A MIRACULOUS WAY. 54:23 AND SO WHEN IT SAYS THEY'RE GATHERED TOGETHER LIKE 54:26 THE VALLEY OF JEHOSHAPHAT, THE VALLEY OF MEGIDDO, IT LOOKS 54:29 HOPELESS, IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE GOING TO BE DESTROYED BUT AT THE 54:32 LAST MINUTE, GOD FIGHTS FOR US, AMEN? 54:35 ALL THE FORCES OF THE WORLD ARE GONNA BE GATHERED AGAINST THOSE 54:38 WHO KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD AND HAVE THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS 54:41 IN THE LAST DAYS. 54:42 THAT IS THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON. 54:45 AND JUST WHEN THEY'RE GETTING READY TO LAUNCH THE BATTLE 54:46 AGAINST US, THE REAL FORCES COME FROM OVER THE HILL. 54:50 YOU EVER SEEN THESE STORIES BEFORE WHERE, YOU KNOW, IT LOOKS 54:53 LIKE THIS LITTLE TROOP IS COMPLETELY OUTNUMBERED AND 54:56 THEY'RE SURROUNDED AND IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S ALL OVER. 54:59 AND ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU HEAR IN THE DISTANCE, A TRUMPET... 55:04 AND THE CALVARY COMES RIDING OVER THE HILL JUST LIKE A WAVE, 55:08 AND THEY COME TO THE RESCUE AND THAT'S WHAT IT'S GONNA BE LIKE. 55:11 IT'S GONNA BE THE GREAT RESCUE. 55:12 AND YOU KNOW WHO'S GONNA BE LEADING THAT CALVARY 55:14 FROM HEAVEN? 55:16 JESUS IS GONNA COME RIDING. 55:18 THAT'S WHEN HE COMES RIDING ON THE WHITE HORSE WEARING HIS RED 55:20 GARMENT SAYING THE WORD OF GOD WITH A SWORD COMING OUT OF HIS 55:23 MOUTH AND HE COMES TO DELIVER HIS PEOPLE. 55:27 AND THAT'S WHEN THE WICKED FLEE FROM HIS PRESENCE AND RUN AND 55:29 CALL FOR THE ROCKS AND MOUNTAINS TO FALL ON THEM. 55:32 SO I SAID I WAS GONNA READ TO YOU THE SEVENTH PLAGUE. 55:36 VERSE 17, "THE SEVENTH ANGEL POURED OUT HIS BOWL INTO THE AIR 55:40 AND A LOUD VOICE CAME OUT OF THE TEMPLE OF HEAVEN FROM THE THRONE 55:44 SAYING, 'IT IS DONE.'" THAT'S WHAT JESUS SAID ON 55:47 THE CROSS. 55:48 "AND THERE WERE NOISES AND THUNDERINGS AND LIGHTNINGS AND 55:52 THERE WAS A GREAT EARTHQUAKE, SUCH A MIGHTY EARTHQUAKE AND SO 55:56 GREAT THAT NO RICHTER SCALE COULD MEASURE IT." 55:59 I THREW THAT IN. 56:00 AND IT SAYS, "NEVER OCCURRED SINCE MEN WERE ON THE EARTH." 56:04 THAT GREAT CITY WAS DIVIDED IN THREE PARTS JUST LIKE THE FORCES 56:08 IN THE STORY OF GIDEON. 56:10 "AND GREAT BABYLON WAS REMEMBERED BEFORE GOD." 56:13 IS THAT LITERAL OR SPIRITUAL BABYLON THERE? 56:16 SPIRITUAL BABYLON, YEAH. 56:17 "TO GIVE UP THE CUP OF THE WINE OF THE FIERCENESS OF HIS WRATH. 56:21 THEN EVERY ISLAND FLED AWAY AND THE MOUNTAINS WERE NOT FOUND." 56:25 SO IF YOU'RE PART OF THE COUNTRY LIVING CLASS, DON'T MOVE TO 56:27 KAUAI. 56:30 "AND GREAT HAIL FROM HEAVEN FELL UPON MEN, EVERY HAILSTONE ABOUT 56:35 THE WEIGHT OF A TALENT, 75 POUNDS." 56:38 AND THEN BLASPHEME GOD BECAUSE THE PLAGUE OF HAIL WAS 56:41 VERY GREAT. 56:41 THIS IS THE FINAL HAIL IT TALKS ABOUT, THE COMING OF CHRIST 56:44 WHERE JESUS COMES AND RAPTURES UP. 56:45 I DON'T MEAN TO USE THAT WORD "RAPTURE" LIKE IN SECRET 56:48 RAPTURE, BUT THEY'RE CAUGHT UP TO MEET HIM IN THE AIR AND THIS 56:52 IS THE SECOND COMING. 56:53 SO THIS IS WHAT WE'VE GOT BEFORE US, I BELIEVE, FRIENDS. 56:57 WE NEED TO CONTINUE STUDYING THESE THINGS. 56:59 BELIEVE ME, I'M NOT THE LAST WORD. 57:00 I KNOW I DON'T UNDERSTAND IT ALL, BUT I WANT YOU TO 57:03 UNDERSTAND WHAT I THINK I DO UNDERSTAND AND TO BE PREPARED. 57:07 ONE THING I WANT YOU TO KNOW IS IN SPITE OF WHAT'S COMING, YOU 57:10 DON'T HAVE TO BE AFRAID. 57:11 DON'T HAVE TO BE AFRAID OF THE PLAGUES. 57:13 GOD MAKES A PROMISE IN HIS WORD. 57:15 YOU'VE READ THIS BEFORE. 57:17 WE'VE READ IT TO YOU IN RECENT WEEKS. 57:22 PSALM 91:9-10, "BECAUSE YOU'VE MADE THE LORD, WHO IS MY REFUGE, 57:31 EVEN THE MOST HIGH, YOUR DWELLING PLACE, NO EVIL WILL 57:34 BEFALL YOU, NEITHER SHALL ANY PLAGUE COME NEAR YOUR DWELLING." 57:39 NOTICE REVELATION 15:2, "AND I SAW SOMETHING LIKE A 57:45 SEA OF GLASS MINGLED WITH FIRE. 57:47 AND THOSE WHO HAVE THE VICTORY OVER THE BEAST, OVER HIS IMAGE 57:52 AND OVER THE MARK AND NUMBER OF HIS NAME STANDING ON THE SEA OF 57:56 GLASS HAVING HARPS." 57:58 SOMEONE'S GONNA BE ON THAT SEA OF GLASS WHO ESCAPES 58:01 THE PLAGUES, THAT CAN BE YOU. 58:04 I WANT TO BE ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE, DON'T YOU? 58:09 [MUSIC] |
Revised 2015-02-05