Welcome friends to another edition of the Eleventh 00:00:17.61\00:00:19.70 Hour Evidence coming to you live from Battle Creek, 00:00:19.73\00:00:22.73 Michigan. I'm your host Pastor Jason Seiber 00:00:22.76\00:00:25.39 and I am so glad you're joining us right now. 00:00:25.42\00:00:27.58 We are excited about what Pastor Asscherick 00:00:27.61\00:00:30.00 has in store for us today, a message I am sure 00:00:30.03\00:00:32.69 you don't want to miss. But, before we go to 00:00:32.72\00:00:34.35 Pastor Asscherick, we have Chuck Bateman 00:00:34.38\00:00:36.29 sitting by with a special music for us. 00:00:36.32\00:00:38.83 Chuck what do you have. 00:00:38.86\00:00:39.86 This is a worship song called ''The Heart of Worship'' 00:00:41.26\00:00:43.29 Take it away. Okay. When the music fades 00:00:44.40\00:00:51.60 All is stripped away And I simply come 00:00:51.63\00:00:57.22 Longing just to bring Something that's of worth 00:00:58.80\00:01:03.28 That will bless your heart 00:01:03.31\00:01:06.96 I'll bring you more than a song 00:01:06.99\00:01:09.95 For a song in itself 00:01:09.98\00:01:12.06 Is not what you have required 00:01:12.09\00:01:15.10 You search much deeper within 00:01:15.13\00:01:18.98 Through the way things appear 00:01:19.01\00:01:21.26 You're looking into my heart 00:01:21.29\00:01:25.13 I'm coming back to the heart of worship 00:01:25.75\00:01:29.46 And it's all about You, It's all about You, Jesus 00:01:29.49\00:01:34.64 I'm sorry, Lord, for the things I've made it 00:01:34.67\00:01:38.67 When it's all about You, It's all about You, Jesus 00:01:39.05\00:01:45.59 King of endless worth No one could express 00:01:46.77\00:01:50.76 How much You deserve Though I'm weak and poor 00:01:51.08\00:01:58.06 All I have is Yours Every single breath 00:01:58.09\00:02:03.71 I'll bring You more than a song 00:02:03.74\00:02:06.60 For a song in itself Is not what You have required 00:02:06.63\00:02:12.49 You search much deeper within 00:02:13.45\00:02:16.03 Through the way things appear 00:02:16.06\00:02:18.25 You're looking into my heart 00:02:18.28\00:02:22.47 I'm coming back to the heart of worship 00:02:22.50\00:02:26.65 And it's all about You, It's all about You, Jesus 00:02:26.87\00:02:32.18 I'm sorry, Lord for the things I've made it 00:02:32.21\00:02:36.14 And it's all about You, It's all about You, Jesus 00:02:36.17\00:02:41.48 I'm coming back to the heart of worship 00:02:41.51\00:02:45.54 When it's all about You, It's all about You, Jesus 00:02:45.57\00:02:50.93 I'm sorry, Lord for the things I've made it 00:02:50.96\00:02:55.12 When it's all about You, It's all about You, Jesus 00:02:55.15\00:03:01.57 Thank you so much Chuck. What was the most 00:03:05.83\00:03:08.72 exciting day in your whole life, anybody. 00:03:08.75\00:03:11.74 I know we are on television no one wants to talk 00:03:13.49\00:03:15.32 right now. Okay, fine I'll tell you what the most 00:03:15.35\00:03:17.14 exciting day in my life was it was the day 00:03:17.17\00:03:19.85 I got married. How about that? How many people 00:03:19.88\00:03:23.02 would say that was probably one of the most 00:03:23.05\00:03:24.14 exciting days in your lives? Alright, the rest of you 00:03:24.17\00:03:26.96 are not yet married, I understand. 00:03:26.99\00:03:28.41 Well there she was, I walked around the side of that 00:03:30.23\00:03:33.45 beautiful little house that bed and breakfast 00:03:33.48\00:03:36.47 we spend our first evening in together in Nevada City 00:03:36.50\00:03:39.37 in the foothills of the Sierras in California, 00:03:39.40\00:03:44.79 and I spotted her. You remember the first time 00:03:45.92\00:03:48.33 you saw your wife wearing that beautiful 00:03:48.36\00:03:50.47 wedding dress, you remember that moment. 00:03:50.50\00:03:52.19 Wow, she was the most beautiful bride created 00:03:53.19\00:03:57.32 since Eve, I am certain of this, I apologize to all you 00:03:57.35\00:04:00.33 other brides, but I happen to know as a personal 00:04:00.36\00:04:02.98 fact that my wife was the most beautiful of them all. 00:04:03.01\00:04:06.58 And as soon as I saw her I was thinking wow 00:04:06.61\00:04:09.78 I cannot believe this lady is waiting for me. 00:04:10.45\00:04:13.27 I looked at my clothes and I said, you know, 00:04:14.28\00:04:15.75 I don't think I am really ready for this moment. 00:04:15.78\00:04:18.56 I was afraid to step out into the open, you know, 00:04:19.28\00:04:20.97 what I am talking about. Anyone else there besides 00:04:21.00\00:04:23.35 me raise your hand come on give me some support. 00:04:23.38\00:04:25.11 Alright, you know, what I am talking about. 00:04:25.45\00:04:26.87 Tim I see your hand up in the air, good for you brother, 00:04:26.90\00:04:29.48 that's exactly how I felt, and I know I never forget 00:04:29.51\00:04:33.24 what came to my mind. I said God help me never 00:04:33.27\00:04:36.95 to let this beautiful woman down. 00:04:36.98\00:04:39.24 Help me never ever to let this beautiful woman down. 00:04:40.54\00:04:43.45 I want to be faithful to her my whole life. 00:04:44.64\00:04:46.85 You know, Jesus when he took us as his bride said 00:04:48.22\00:04:51.26 I will never let you down. It's not a problem of Jesus 00:04:51.29\00:04:55.56 letting his bride down, for Jesus it's the problem 00:04:55.59\00:04:58.77 of the bride letting him down and we are his bride 00:04:58.80\00:05:01.65 you know that don't you. We are the bride of Christ, 00:05:01.68\00:05:04.46 he has adorned his Church in white raiment; 00:05:04.49\00:05:07.59 he has given us a special mission. Wouldn't it be sad 00:05:07.62\00:05:11.12 if we ended up cheating on Christ? No one have any 00:05:11.15\00:05:15.32 part of that, how about you. Today, Pastor Asscherick 00:05:15.35\00:05:18.79 has a special message about two very important women 00:05:18.82\00:05:22.13 and I hope that we'll chose to be the right one. 00:05:23.12\00:05:24.83 Amen, thank you Jason. Good morning everyone. 00:05:24.86\00:05:27.49 Good morning. Nice to be here, isn't it. Amen. 00:05:28.29\00:05:30.68 Well you can guess who won the discussion 00:05:31.14\00:05:33.50 last night about who would preach. 00:05:33.53\00:05:34.92 You see I am staying in his home, so I am at his mercy, 00:05:36.95\00:05:38.99 and he basically said in so many words if you like 00:05:39.02\00:05:42.97 to have a warm home tonight, try you will preach tomorrow. 00:05:43.00\00:05:47.09 He didn't say exactly like that, but he might 00:05:47.12\00:05:49.70 as well have. He actually said something like this, 00:05:49.73\00:05:53.41 the Lord told me that you're supposed to preach 00:05:53.44\00:05:55.42 tomorrow and he told me that he would tell you later. 00:05:55.45\00:05:58.13 You know, that's the classic line that the young man 00:06:00.94\00:06:03.53 uses to win that young lady in the youth group, 00:06:03.56\00:06:07.78 you know, he has a fancy for her and he thinks she might 00:06:07.81\00:06:10.62 be the one and so he says you know the Lord told me 00:06:10.65\00:06:13.33 you are the one I am going to marry, and he told me 00:06:13.36\00:06:15.38 he would tell you later, thank you Jason. 00:06:15.41\00:06:19.48 It's a privilege to be here this morning, I thank you for 00:06:19.51\00:06:21.91 your patience, and I just want to say from the bottom 00:06:21.94\00:06:24.73 of my heart Happy Sabbath. Amen. 00:06:24.76\00:06:26.98 Isn't it glorious to be in the Lord's house on the 00:06:27.01\00:06:29.52 Lord's Day studying from the Lord's word. Amen. 00:06:29.55\00:06:32.40 Amen. Our message this morning is entitled 00:06:32.43\00:06:34.60 Revelation's Bride. Revelation's Bride 00:06:34.63\00:06:37.75 and it will be part of the continuous series of the 00:06:37.78\00:06:40.72 Eleventh Hour Evidence. Now before we get into the 00:06:40.75\00:06:42.59 message proper though what will be our custom 00:06:42.62\00:06:44.67 to pray, so let's begin with the word of prayer. 00:06:45.45\00:06:46.42 Father in Heaven, we come to you just now and we thank 00:06:50.36\00:06:53.63 you for this glorious Sabbath morning. 00:06:53.66\00:06:56.59 Father it is warming up and the buds are preparing 00:06:57.61\00:07:00.65 to bloom and it is a beautiful time here spring. 00:07:00.68\00:07:04.13 And Father spring reminds us of that rejuvenation 00:07:05.44\00:07:08.01 and regeneration that we experience in Christ. 00:07:08.04\00:07:10.74 Please Father now as we open your word, 00:07:10.77\00:07:13.96 we pray that you will condescend to come 00:07:13.99\00:07:15.69 into this room in a person of your spirit. 00:07:15.72\00:07:17.51 You have promised that you would send a spirit of truth 00:07:18.51\00:07:20.97 to lead us into all truth and so Father we are asking you 00:07:21.00\00:07:24.72 that you will do that just now. Father, 00:07:24.75\00:07:26.88 we pray that as we try to uncover and to discover this 00:07:26.91\00:07:31.72 powerful message about the Bride of Christ. 00:07:32.42\00:07:34.62 We pray that your spirit will teach us not because 00:07:35.68\00:07:38.79 of a man, but in spite of a man. May my words today 00:07:38.82\00:07:43.16 be thy words is my prayer in Jesus name, 00:07:43.19\00:07:46.99 and everyone can say Amen. Amen. 00:07:47.81\00:07:50.20 Well let's begin by going to Revelation chapter 12, 00:07:51.35\00:07:54.34 and our message is entitled Revelation's Bride. 00:07:55.16\00:07:57.45 Revelation what chapter are we going to, 12. 00:07:57.48\00:08:00.29 Now Jason said something that's actually very powerful 00:08:01.27\00:08:03.55 and very true in his introduction. He said 00:08:03.58\00:08:06.72 the Church is the bride of Christ. Let me ask you 00:08:06.75\00:08:09.67 a question this morning, is that biblical. 00:08:09.70\00:08:11.17 I said is that's biblical. Amen. 00:08:11.20\00:08:14.40 That is biblical, isn't it? Revelation chapter 12 00:08:14.43\00:08:16.98 and beginning in verse 1 we find here John there writing 00:08:17.18\00:08:20.80 on the lonely Island of Patmos. I can imagine if you 00:08:20.83\00:08:24.55 saw this powerful vision the warmth that must have 00:08:24.58\00:08:28.39 come over his heart as he realized that he was the 00:08:28.42\00:08:30.99 member of the very bride that he was seeing in that 00:08:31.02\00:08:33.63 prophetic vision. He says in Revelation chapter 12 00:08:33.66\00:08:36.30 beginning in verse 1. Now a great sign appeared 00:08:36.33\00:08:38.75 where everyone, in Heaven a woman clothed with the sun 00:08:38.78\00:08:43.06 and the moon under her feet and on her head a 00:08:43.09\00:08:45.31 garland of twelve stars. Then she being with child cried 00:08:45.34\00:08:49.71 out in labor and in pain to give birth. Notice what this 00:08:49.74\00:08:53.83 woman is adorned with, what she is clothed with, 00:08:53.86\00:08:56.17 the sun and the moon and what else everyone, 00:08:56.20\00:08:59.21 the stars; the sun, the moon, and the stars. 00:08:59.85\00:09:01.44 These are the three things that God ordained 00:09:01.47\00:09:04.50 in the creation week, Genesis 1 to bring light to a 00:09:04.53\00:09:08.04 dark planet. When John saw there that woman in 00:09:08.07\00:09:11.49 Revelation 12 in my minds eye, I see John remembering 00:09:11.52\00:09:14.99 Isaiah chapter 60 verses 1 and 2, 'Arise and shine for 00:09:15.02\00:09:18.49 that light has come, and the glory of the Lord is 00:09:18.52\00:09:20.96 risen upon, the whole darkness covers the earth and grows 00:09:20.99\00:09:24.20 darkness the people, but the Lord shall arise upon 00:09:24.23\00:09:26.42 the and his glory shall be seen upon the. 00:09:26.45\00:09:29.70 God here depicts his Beautiful bride transcendent 00:09:29.73\00:09:34.24 and iridescent in her glory bringing light to a dying 00:09:34.27\00:09:38.45 and darkened world, can you say amen. 00:09:38.48\00:09:40.97 Amen. Now in both the old and the New Testament 00:09:41.00\00:09:44.00 it is common for God to refer to his church in a prophetic 00:09:44.03\00:09:48.01 context or symbolic context as a woman. 00:09:48.04\00:09:51.09 We have that in the Old Testament as well as in the 00:09:51.57\00:09:53.31 New Testament, and so it is very biblical and very 00:09:53.34\00:09:55.52 theologically sound for us to affirm that this woman 00:09:55.55\00:09:59.01 that John sees here in this eschatological 00:09:59.04\00:10:01.24 prophecy is none other than the true Church of Christ. 00:10:01.27\00:10:06.15 I want to say that again, the true Church of Christ, 00:10:06.18\00:10:10.43 what church, the true church. Now something 00:10:10.46\00:10:14.14 very interesting happens right here within the context 00:10:14.17\00:10:16.43 of the Book of Revelation and if we go just 5 chapters 00:10:16.46\00:10:19.02 forward, we come to Revelation chapter 17. 00:10:19.05\00:10:21.19 Go with me now to Revelation chapter 17, 00:10:21.22\00:10:23.82 we have seen that first vision of that beautiful woman, 00:10:23.85\00:10:26.99 and now we will know that there is a second, 00:10:27.02\00:10:30.05 a second woman that appears. 00:10:30.96\00:10:32.39 I am in Revelation chapter 17, Then one of the angels 00:10:32.42\00:10:36.14 who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, 00:10:36.17\00:10:38.38 saying to me, "Come, I will show you the judgment 00:10:38.41\00:10:41.11 of the great harlot, the great what everyone, 00:10:41.14\00:10:43.32 harlot or hoer. Friends that is not a pretty word, 00:10:44.33\00:10:48.09 it's even a difficult word to say, the word means 00:10:48.12\00:10:50.87 a prostitute, somebody who has had multiplied lovers, 00:10:50.90\00:10:55.14 who has not been faithful. And notice what it says 00:10:55.17\00:10:58.51 here Come, I will show you the judgment of the 00:10:58.54\00:11:00.83 great harlot who sits on many waters, 00:11:00.86\00:11:02.84 with whom the kings, notice the plural, the kings of the 00:11:02.87\00:11:05.34 earth have committed fornication, fornication is 00:11:05.37\00:11:07.96 sexual immorality, in this context its spiritual 00:11:07.99\00:11:11.33 immorality. And the inhabitants of the earth 00:11:11.36\00:11:13.71 have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication, 00:11:13.74\00:11:16.50 there it is again. So he carried me away in the Spirit 00:11:16.53\00:11:18.86 into a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet 00:11:18.89\00:11:21.57 beast which was full of the names of blasphemy, 00:11:21.60\00:11:24.42 having seven heads and ten horns. The woman was 00:11:24.45\00:11:26.38 arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold 00:11:26.41\00:11:28.76 and precious stones and pearls having in her hand 00:11:28.79\00:11:32.06 a golden cup full of abominations and the 00:11:32.09\00:11:34.43 filthiness, here this again, of her fornication, 00:11:34.46\00:11:36.73 notice that emphasis there fornication, fornication, 00:11:36.76\00:11:39.38 fornication. What John is emphasizing in equivocal 00:11:39.41\00:11:42.73 language is that this woman is unfaithful, this woman 00:11:42.76\00:11:46.46 is what everyone. Now let's put what we have 00:11:46.49\00:11:48.83 already learned together with that salient deduction. 00:11:48.86\00:11:51.68 Listen carefully what does a woman represent 00:11:51.71\00:11:54.02 in Bible prophecy, a church. Now if we have a faithful 00:11:54.05\00:11:57.38 woman in Revelation chapter 12 that what would 00:11:57.41\00:11:59.09 represent a faithful church, and here we have an 00:11:59.12\00:12:01.78 unfaithful woman, that would represent an unfaithful 00:12:01.81\00:12:05.23 church. Now notice as he goes on here in verse 5, 00:12:05.26\00:12:07.89 "And on her forehead was a name written mystery, 00:12:07.92\00:12:10.77 Babylon the great, mother of harlots and of the 00:12:11.25\00:12:13.87 abominations of the earth. I saw the woman, 00:12:13.90\00:12:16.11 drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood 00:12:16.14\00:12:19.81 of the martyrs of Jesus, and when I saw her I 00:12:19.84\00:12:21.95 marveled with great amazement". Verse 7, "But the 00:12:21.98\00:12:25.30 angel said to me, why did you marvel? I will tell you the 00:12:25.33\00:12:28.14 mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carries 00:12:28.17\00:12:30.57 her which has seven heads and ten horns. 00:12:30.60\00:12:33.12 Now let's ask a few questions here, how many women 00:12:34.09\00:12:36.18 have we been exposed to already this morning in 00:12:36.21\00:12:38.45 Revelation, at least how many women have we been 00:12:38.48\00:12:40.69 exposed too. No you missed it, at least four, 00:12:40.72\00:12:44.60 now why do I say four. Notice verse 5 again, 00:12:44.63\00:12:47.42 when describing this woman it says mystery Babylon 00:12:47.80\00:12:51.45 the great, the other of harlots. 00:12:51.48\00:12:55.08 Now if you have harlots, you put S on the end in the 00:12:55.11\00:12:57.68 English language, that means we are dealing with a 00:12:57.71\00:12:59.31 plural or a multiplicity, that's right. 00:12:59.34\00:13:01.79 So if she has harlot daughters, we have at least 00:13:01.82\00:13:04.74 how many, at least two, and then we have the mother 00:13:04.77\00:13:07.78 and then we have the faithful. Are you with me now, 00:13:07.81\00:13:09.92 yes or no. Now, I believe the language that John 00:13:09.95\00:13:12.60 is using here communicates that it is not just two, 00:13:12.63\00:13:14.40 but it must be at least that. He sees multiplied 00:13:14.43\00:13:17.42 daughters, numerous daughters of this mother. 00:13:17.45\00:13:20.43 So, we've already been introduced now in Revelation 00:13:20.46\00:13:22.73 chapter 12 and 17 to at least four different women. 00:13:22.76\00:13:26.14 Now this raises a significant question, how many 00:13:27.44\00:13:29.58 brides that Jesus have. Is Jesus a polygamist 00:13:29.61\00:13:34.59 or is Jesus going to marry one bride, how many 00:13:35.54\00:13:37.99 will he marry, one bride. Well let's try and put this 00:13:38.02\00:13:40.32 into the context here. Mystery Babylon the great 00:13:40.35\00:13:43.94 the mother of Harlots and of the abominations 00:13:43.97\00:13:45.99 of the earth, contrasted with that beautiful chased 00:13:46.02\00:13:49.11 woman that we saw in Revelation chapter 12. 00:13:49.14\00:13:51.14 Now how can this be, if Jesus is going to only marry one, 00:13:51.17\00:13:55.32 and he establish just one, how can it be that we 00:13:55.35\00:13:58.49 come to Revelation we find not one but two, 00:13:58.52\00:14:01.12 three, four, five, and innumerable number of brides. 00:14:01.15\00:14:04.63 Go with me in your Bible then to Matthew chapter 16. 00:14:06.09\00:14:08.35 Let's see if we can set a context for this. 00:14:08.38\00:14:10.31 Matthew chapter 16, we will come back to Revelation, 00:14:11.10\00:14:13.18 but let's go now to the first book of the New Testament 00:14:13.21\00:14:15.95 from the last book to the first book of the 00:14:15.98\00:14:17.55 New Testament. I am in Matthew chapter 16, 00:14:17.58\00:14:20.20 Matthew what chapter 16. And a byproduct of our 00:14:20.23\00:14:23.80 message tonight will answer this very important 00:14:23.83\00:14:26.98 question that many people are asking, may non-Christians 00:14:27.01\00:14:29.42 even are asking, and that is why are there so many 00:14:29.45\00:14:31.68 different Christian denominations that would be a 00:14:31.71\00:14:34.02 byproduct of our message, and you will see why that 00:14:34.05\00:14:36.97 is the case from the biblical perspective, and not just 00:14:37.00\00:14:40.07 ecclesiological perspective. So we are now in Mathew 00:14:40.10\00:14:43.22 chapter 16, and I am quoting beginning in verse 18, 00:14:43.25\00:14:46.80 let's begin there. Jesus is speaking to Peter actual 00:14:46.83\00:14:49.88 that's back up, let's pick it up in verse 13. 00:14:49.91\00:14:51.63 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi 00:14:51.66\00:14:53.95 he has his disciple saying "Who do men say that the Son 00:14:53.98\00:14:56.87 of Man is?" Jesus is taking a public opinion survey. 00:14:56.90\00:14:59.33 Verse 14, so they said, "Some say John the Baptist, 00:14:59.36\00:15:02.41 and some Elijah, and others Jeremiah 00:15:02.44\00:15:04.62 or one of the prophets. Jesus was satisfied that they had 00:15:04.65\00:15:06.73 given him an accurate representation of the public 00:15:06.76\00:15:08.50 opinion and so he asks now a more pointed question 00:15:08.53\00:15:10.95 in verse 15. He said to them, "But who do you say 00:15:10.98\00:15:14.96 that I am?" who do what everyone. You say that I am, 00:15:14.99\00:15:18.11 verse 16, Simon Peter speaks up on behalf of the rest, 00:15:18.14\00:15:20.32 and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." 00:15:20.35\00:15:24.68 Was that the right answer by the way yes or no? 00:15:24.71\00:15:26.46 Notice verse 17, Jesus answered and said to him, 00:15:27.28\00:15:28.68 "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. 00:15:28.71\00:15:30.45 For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, 00:15:30.48\00:15:32.43 but my Father who is in Heaven." Verse 18,''And I also 00:15:32.46\00:15:34.70 say to you, that you are Peter, you are what everyone, 00:15:34.73\00:15:38.49 Peter, and now the word there is Petros, 00:15:39.44\00:15:41.04 you are Petros and the word means little rolling stone 00:15:42.22\00:15:46.18 or a pebble or what word everyone, a pebble, 00:15:46.21\00:15:49.64 you are Petros, you are a little pebble, but notice 00:15:49.67\00:15:52.63 what he goes on to say. And on this rock, 00:15:52.66\00:15:54.79 now the word here rendered rock in the Greek language 00:15:54.82\00:15:58.23 is Petro, Petro. Jesus is actually using a very powerful 00:15:58.26\00:16:02.46 play on words. He says you are answering correctly 00:16:02.49\00:16:04.84 Simon Peter, and I'm saying to you that you are Petros, 00:16:04.87\00:16:07.59 little rolling stone, little pebble, but upon this Petro 00:16:07.62\00:16:10.97 large, monolithic, unmovable rock. I notice what, 00:16:11.00\00:16:16.69 he will do, we'll build my, what's the next word church. 00:16:16.72\00:16:21.56 Now you will notice that the world church there 00:16:23.04\00:16:24.44 is in the singular, it is in what everyone, singular. 00:16:24.47\00:16:28.35 I will build my church, and the gates of hell will 00:16:28.38\00:16:30.18 not prevail against it. Quick question here according 00:16:30.21\00:16:33.84 to Jesus own words how many churches did he established 00:16:33.87\00:16:38.60 on that Petro. How many everyone? One, 00:16:38.63\00:16:41.82 so if we could have asked Jesus if we could have 00:16:42.76\00:16:44.46 transported ourselves back to ancient Palestine 00:16:44.49\00:16:47.22 and said Jesus how many churches will you build on a 00:16:47.25\00:16:50.93 foundation of the Petro, he would say I have established 00:16:50.96\00:16:54.73 my church, my what everyone, church in the singular. Well 00:16:54.76\00:16:59.61 now this raises significant theological paradoxes 00:17:00.52\00:17:03.65 and questions for us because if Jesus establishes 00:17:03.68\00:17:05.98 a single church in the first book of the New Testament, 00:17:06.01\00:17:08.11 and then we come to the last book of the New Testament, 00:17:08.14\00:17:09.99 we don't have a church, but we have multiple churches 00:17:10.02\00:17:13.17 symbolized by women, this raises an important question. 00:17:13.20\00:17:16.15 Where did all of these women come from, 00:17:16.18\00:17:18.29 you are with me now yes or no. Amen. 00:17:19.13\00:17:20.39 Now let's notice another one and this is in the writings 00:17:20.42\00:17:22.65 of Paul, Book of Ephesians, the book of what everyone, 00:17:22.68\00:17:25.88 Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 00:17:25.91\00:17:29.47 you will find it right there. You'll have Romans 1 and 2 00:17:29.50\00:17:32.32 Corinthians, and Galatians, Ephesians. Ephesians 00:17:32.35\00:17:34.19 chapter 5, Ephesians chapter 5, and the Apostle Paul 00:17:34.22\00:17:39.44 here draws out some very sublime parallels between 00:17:39.47\00:17:43.00 the relationship that a man and a woman have 00:17:43.03\00:17:45.03 in the martial confines and the relationship the 00:17:45.06\00:17:47.84 Christ has with his church. Notice that with me in 00:17:47.87\00:17:50.20 Ephesians chapter 5 and we will pick it up in verse 2 00:17:50.23\00:17:52.71 Wives submit yourselves to your own husbands 00:17:52.74\00:17:55.08 in verse 22, Wives submit yourselves to your own 00:17:55.11\00:17:57.96 husbands as to the Lord. For the husband he is the head 00:17:57.99\00:18:00.52 of the wife, as also Christ is the head of what, church. 00:18:00.55\00:18:04.31 Notice there in the singular, he is the head of the church 00:18:04.34\00:18:07.21 that is the singular definite article the, 00:18:07.79\00:18:09.84 not the church is. That he is the head of the church, 00:18:09.87\00:18:13.35 and he is the savior of the body, therefore just as notice 00:18:13.38\00:18:15.84 it again, the church is subject to Christ, 00:18:15.87\00:18:18.21 so let wife be subject to their husband in everything. 00:18:18.24\00:18:20.17 Husbands love their wives just as Christ also loved 00:18:20.92\00:18:23.18 what are the next two words, the church, 00:18:23.21\00:18:25.54 and gave himself for her that he might sanctify her, 00:18:25.57\00:18:29.66 notice not them. Sanctify and cleanse her with the 00:18:29.69\00:18:33.30 washing of water by the word that he might present her 00:18:33.33\00:18:35.48 to himself, a glorious church not having spot or wrinkle 00:18:35.51\00:18:38.72 or any such thing but that she should be holy and 00:18:38.75\00:18:41.36 without blemish. Jump down to verse 31, 00:18:41.39\00:18:44.50 For this reason, shall a man leave his father and mother 00:18:45.00\00:18:46.94 and the two should be joined to his wife, 00:18:46.97\00:18:48.73 and two should become one flesh, he is quoting from 00:18:48.76\00:18:50.56 Genesis 2. Then in verse 32 he draws this very 00:18:50.59\00:18:53.13 powerful and salient conclusion. 00:18:53.16\00:18:54.83 "This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ 00:18:55.21\00:18:59.19 and what, the church. There is no escaping it friends 00:18:59.22\00:19:02.78 that the Apostle Paul in Ephesians chapter 5, 00:19:02.81\00:19:04.60 in breaking down this relationship between a man 00:19:04.63\00:19:07.53 and woman as a microcosm of the relationship between 00:19:07.56\00:19:10.70 Christ and his church, he refers to it consistently and 00:19:10.73\00:19:13.82 repeatedly as the church, the church, the church, 00:19:13.85\00:19:16.44 the church, the church in the singular, in what everyone, 00:19:16.47\00:19:19.94 in the singular. Friends Jesus is not a polygamist. Amen. 00:19:20.68\00:19:24.32 In the same way that one man has one wife, 00:19:24.35\00:19:28.07 so too Christ as the second Adam will have one bride, 00:19:28.60\00:19:33.48 Amen. Amen. So, we are on the same page. 00:19:34.08\00:19:35.97 Yet this raises a significant questions about where 00:19:36.66\00:19:38.60 did these other woman come from in the Book of 00:19:38.63\00:19:40.76 Revelation. How can it be that these other women 00:19:40.79\00:19:43.29 come? Well notice that she was referred to as mystery 00:19:43.32\00:19:46.42 Babylon the Great, that word Babylon is pregnant 00:19:46.45\00:19:50.05 with significance, so we need to understand it. 00:19:50.08\00:19:51.83 Go with me now to Genesis chapter 11, first book Bible. 00:19:51.86\00:19:55.45 Genesis in the 11 chapter, let's see if we can wrap 00:19:56.37\00:19:59.52 our fingers around this idea of Babylon. 00:19:59.55\00:20:01.92 Going to Genesis chapter 11, we are going to begin 00:20:02.68\00:20:04.72 in verse 1, Genesis chapter 11 in verse 1. 00:20:04.75\00:20:07.81 I am going to read through this passage quickly 00:20:09.43\00:20:10.84 to set the context, so be sure you are following 00:20:10.87\00:20:12.63 along beginning in verse 1 of Genesis 11. 00:20:12.66\00:20:14.56 Now the whole earth had one language, and one speech. 00:20:15.03\00:20:17.09 And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, 00:20:17.12\00:20:19.46 that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; 00:20:19.49\00:20:21.49 and they dwelt there. Then they said to one another, 00:20:21.52\00:20:23.75 come let us make bricks, and bake them thoroughly. 00:20:23.78\00:20:26.57 They had brick for stone and they had asphalt 00:20:26.98\00:20:28.89 for mortar. And they said, come let us build ourselves 00:20:28.92\00:20:31.94 a city, let us build a city for who everyone, 00:20:31.97\00:20:34.57 ourselves, and a tower, whose top is in the heavens. 00:20:34.60\00:20:38.38 Notice that, they wanted to build the tower that 00:20:38.82\00:20:40.55 would reach into heaven itself. Let us make a name 00:20:40.58\00:20:43.13 for ourselves, thus we will be scattered abroad 00:20:43.16\00:20:44.73 over the face of the whole earth in verse 5. 00:20:44.76\00:20:46.65 But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, 00:20:46.68\00:20:49.32 which the sons of men build, and the Lord said 00:20:49.35\00:20:51.33 indeed the people are one, and they have all one 00:20:51.36\00:20:53.57 language, and this is what they began to do. 00:20:53.60\00:20:55.49 Now nothing that they propose to do will be 00:20:55.52\00:20:57.86 withheld from them. Verse 7, Come, let us go down, let 00:20:57.89\00:21:00.29 us confuse their what, let us confuse their language, 00:21:00.32\00:21:05.87 and they may not understand one another's speech. 00:21:05.90\00:21:07.89 So the Lord scattered them abroad from over the face 00:21:07.92\00:21:09.79 of the whole earth, and they seized building the city. 00:21:09.82\00:21:12.42 Now notice verse 9, verse 9 is sort of the theological 00:21:12.45\00:21:14.96 conclusion from verses 1 through 8. 00:21:14.99\00:21:17.50 Verse 9 says, therefore its name is called what, 00:21:17.53\00:21:20.94 Babel or Babbel; therefore its name is called 00:21:20.97\00:21:21.94 Babel because the Lord, what's the next word, 00:21:24.74\00:21:25.71 confused the language of all the earth and from there 00:21:27.59\00:21:32.56 the Lord scatter them abroad over the face 00:21:32.59\00:21:34.28 of all the earth. When the Bible uses Revelation 00:21:34.31\00:21:37.16 chapter 17, this phrase Babylon the Great, 00:21:37.19\00:21:40.18 this is a direct referent to that original place where 00:21:40.21\00:21:44.77 we find Babel or Babylon, and that's in Genesis 00:21:44.80\00:21:47.14 chapter 11. The flood was history, the flood was 00:21:47.17\00:21:50.19 what everyone history. And God had said to the 00:21:50.22\00:21:52.62 people go disperse yourselves, go out and 00:21:52.65\00:21:54.92 replenish the earth and subdue it much the same 00:21:54.95\00:21:57.58 way that he has said to Adam in the Garden of Eden. 00:21:57.61\00:21:59.30 But instead of going out and dispersing themselves 00:21:59.33\00:22:01.59 they decided to come to a central locality 00:22:01.62\00:22:04.21 and to make for themselves a city, to make what 00:22:04.24\00:22:07.76 everyone, for themselves and this city would 00:22:07.79\00:22:10.86 have a tower, a tower so tall, so robust, 00:22:10.89\00:22:14.22 so architecturally perfect with specificity and 00:22:14.25\00:22:18.10 exactitude that it would reach all the way up into 00:22:18.13\00:22:20.94 the highest of the high heavens. 00:22:20.97\00:22:22.30 Now some theologians have commented on 00:22:22.33\00:22:23.98 commentators that the reason that we are going 00:22:24.01\00:22:25.88 to build this high tower was because they 00:22:25.91\00:22:28.04 distrusted the word of God about the flood. 00:22:28.07\00:22:30.42 He had said I will never again destroy the earth 00:22:30.87\00:22:32.90 with a flood. Now there is an important point there. 00:22:32.93\00:22:35.68 He did not say he would never again destroy 00:22:35.71\00:22:37.79 the earth, what he said is I will never again destroy 00:22:37.82\00:22:40.73 the earth what with a flood, and so the idea that 00:22:40.76\00:22:44.15 some commentators have, and I think its accurate 00:22:44.18\00:22:45.99 is that they were going to build this thing so tall 00:22:46.02\00:22:48.81 that it would actually be outside of the reaches 00:22:48.84\00:22:51.59 of the flood should one come again. 00:22:51.62\00:22:53.64 In other words friends, they were going to work by 00:22:53.67\00:22:56.62 the sweat of their brow, and by the ingenuity 00:22:56.65\00:22:58.96 of their minds, and they were going to save themselves. 00:22:58.99\00:23:02.55 You are with me now, yes or no. Amen. 00:23:02.58\00:23:05.00 So what we find here Babylon symbolizing in its 00:23:05.03\00:23:08.19 original usage and scripture is two things. 00:23:08.22\00:23:11.53 Number one it is a center of confusion and number two 00:23:11.56\00:23:15.58 it is a tribute to the works and edifices and artifice 00:23:15.61\00:23:19.07 of man, you understand. Number one, a center of 00:23:19.10\00:23:22.75 confusion, number two, a tribute to man. 00:23:22.78\00:23:25.75 Now go with me to new Babylon in the Book of Daniel, 00:23:26.33\00:23:28.83 Daniel chapter 4. Daniel chapter 4, 00:23:28.86\00:23:32.58 we find a man by the name of Nebuchadnezzar, 00:23:32.61\00:23:34.73 what's his name everyone, Nebuchadnezzar, 00:23:34.76\00:23:37.09 and you are probably familiar with Nebuchadnezzar 00:23:37.12\00:23:38.09 from Daniel chapter 2. Now I wish we had time 00:23:38.10\00:23:41.28 to go into all of the details of Daniel chapter 4 00:23:41.31\00:23:43.51 because there is a sublime prophecy here that 00:23:43.54\00:23:46.68 talks about Nebuchadnezzar and his downfall. 00:23:46.71\00:23:49.24 He was stricken with the disease for seven years 00:23:49.27\00:23:51.10 called lycanthropy insanity. He went out, 00:23:51.13\00:23:53.30 he ate grass, and at the end of that time, 00:23:53.33\00:23:55.76 he praised the Lord Jesus Christ, because God had 00:23:55.79\00:23:58.17 humbled him utterly. Notice why he needed to be 00:23:58.20\00:24:01.15 humble though I am picking it up in verse 29. 00:24:01.18\00:24:04.43 At the end of the twelve months, he was walking 00:24:04.46\00:24:06.36 about in the royal palace of Babylon that's 00:24:06.39\00:24:08.34 Nebuchadnezzar. Now verse 30, ''The king spoke 00:24:08.37\00:24:11.14 saying, and the picture I have here in my mind 00:24:11.17\00:24:12.95 is Nebuchadnezzar sort of walking out on to one 00:24:12.98\00:24:15.03 of his verandas looking out of the palatial and 00:24:15.06\00:24:18.42 ostentatious display of ancient Babylon, 00:24:18.45\00:24:21.08 which contained one of the seven wonders of the 00:24:21.11\00:24:23.24 world namely the Great Hanging Gardens, 00:24:23.27\00:24:24.64 and he is looking at this glory. 00:24:24.67\00:24:26.42 He is looking at the golden city, that's what 00:24:26.45\00:24:28.90 I say he referred to as he says this in verse 30. 00:24:28.93\00:24:31.24 Is not this great Babylon that I have build for 00:24:31.27\00:24:36.35 a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honor 00:24:36.38\00:24:40.72 of my majesty. Friends Nebuchadnezzar's 00:24:40.75\00:24:45.02 buttons were bursting, as he looked out over his 00:24:45.05\00:24:47.75 palatial kingdom, he was saying this is Babylon; 00:24:47.78\00:24:50.81 I have built it for my majesty and for my glory. 00:24:50.84\00:24:55.37 So, Babylon here comes to symbolize neo Babylon 00:24:55.40\00:24:58.09 a tribute to man, his excellence, his majesty, 00:24:58.12\00:25:02.05 his expertise edifice and artifice. Are we together 00:25:02.08\00:25:05.30 now, yes or no. Now when the Bible didn't refer 00:25:05.33\00:25:07.74 in Revelation chapter 17 to this woman as mystery, 00:25:07.77\00:25:10.31 Babylon the Great, it's communicating several 00:25:10.34\00:25:13.95 very powerful, biblical theological points. 00:25:13.98\00:25:17.10 Now let us continue as we move now into the meat 00:25:18.20\00:25:22.26 of this message. Babylon then would symbolize 00:25:22.29\00:25:24.78 a man made system of religion. When it says there 00:25:24.81\00:25:28.80 mystery Babylon the Great, it's a man made 00:25:28.83\00:25:32.01 system of religion, a religion that glorifies man 00:25:32.04\00:25:35.00 and in which man saves himself doesn't need 00:25:35.03\00:25:38.78 the grace of Jesus so much. We will work our way 00:25:38.81\00:25:41.80 as they were going to work their way to the top 00:25:41.83\00:25:43.28 of that ancient tower. Now notice this incredible 00:25:43.31\00:25:46.19 statement here on the screen, go with me. 00:25:46.22\00:25:49.38 This has taken from Wharey's church history. 00:25:49.41\00:25:52.66 It says Christianity had now become popular, 00:25:52.69\00:25:55.46 this is in the fourth century, a man by the name 00:25:55.49\00:25:57.45 of Constantine, what was his name, Constantine, 00:25:57.48\00:26:00.40 the first Roman emperor to profess Christianity, 00:26:00.43\00:26:02.59 and he says Christianity had now become popular 00:26:02.62\00:26:05.21 and a large proportion, perhaps a large majority 00:26:05.24\00:26:07.91 of those who embraced it, only assumed 00:26:07.94\00:26:10.51 though what, the name. They are as much heathen 00:26:10.54\00:26:13.40 as they were before. Error and corruption now 00:26:13.43\00:26:15.58 came in upon the Church like a flood. 00:26:15.61\00:26:18.80 What is Wharey describing here chiefly this. 00:26:19.51\00:26:22.11 Remember that when Jesus established his single 00:26:23.62\00:26:26.14 church, is what everyone, single church. 00:26:26.17\00:26:28.87 Did that church grow rapidly? I said did that church 00:26:28.90\00:26:32.92 grow rapidly you need to go read the book of Acts 00:26:33.13\00:26:34.16 if you say no friends. On the first day of Pentecost 00:26:34.19\00:26:36.86 how many were baptized 00:26:36.89\00:26:40.83 and then the Bible says just shortly thereafter four 00:26:40.86\00:26:43.31 thousand were baptized, and then five thousand 00:26:43.34\00:26:45.07 were baptized, and the church was growing 00:26:45.10\00:26:46.57 so fast exponentially they just stopped counting. 00:26:46.60\00:26:49.49 The church was growing rapidly exponentially 00:26:50.63\00:26:53.36 and as the church grew faster and faster, 00:26:53.39\00:26:55.48 and faster, the Apostle Paul and others 00:26:55.51\00:26:57.89 could look down to the quarters of time, 00:26:57.92\00:26:59.88 and they could see that this rapid growth was not 00:26:59.91\00:27:01.97 always going to be a positive thing. 00:27:02.00\00:27:04.08 And let me just make a salient comment here. 00:27:04.11\00:27:06.13 Friends, the fastest growing church is not necessarily 00:27:06.16\00:27:09.08 God's church. Now there is nothing wrong with 00:27:09.11\00:27:11.89 fast growth, amen. Amen. But I remind you that a 00:27:11.92\00:27:14.24 cancer grows very, very rapidly. 00:27:14.27\00:27:16.88 The repetity of growth is not itself an evidence 00:27:16.91\00:27:20.64 that it is God's church, amen. Now in the first 00:27:20.67\00:27:23.80 century, there is no question it was God's church, 00:27:23.83\00:27:25.52 and it was growing rapidly under the power 00:27:25.55\00:27:27.44 of the apostolic preaching, but into the second 00:27:27.47\00:27:30.02 and especially the third and fourth centuries 00:27:30.05\00:27:31.97 as the number of adherence was increasing this 00:27:32.00\00:27:35.50 little minuscule sective Judaism actually swept 00:27:35.53\00:27:39.70 the ancient Greco Roman world, and it came to the 00:27:39.73\00:27:42.37 place where it was a preeminent religious force 00:27:42.40\00:27:44.43 in the known world, and Constantine actually 00:27:44.46\00:27:47.86 profess Christianity. Now I think it's almost impossible 00:27:47.89\00:27:51.92 for us to appreciate this. Imagine this little 00:27:51.95\00:27:55.08 religion, this little sect, this obscure sective 00:27:55.11\00:27:57.85 Judaism growing so fast, so rapidly in the days before 00:27:57.88\00:28:01.44 CNN, before fax machines, before e-mail 00:28:01.47\00:28:04.49 growing so rapidly that within three short centuries 00:28:04.52\00:28:08.06 it would be the preeminent religious force 00:28:08.09\00:28:10.29 in the ancient Greco Roman world. 00:28:10.32\00:28:11.75 Friends that's fast growth, and when Constantine 00:28:11.78\00:28:14.97 looked out over his empire, he saw that it was 00:28:15.00\00:28:17.41 divided roughly half for the sake of illustration 00:28:17.44\00:28:20.07 into Pagans and into Christians, and they were 00:28:20.10\00:28:22.56 constantly battling one another, 00:28:22.59\00:28:24.29 warring with one another, and Constantine thought 00:28:24.32\00:28:26.31 to himself, how can I bring unity and homogeneity 00:28:26.34\00:28:29.09 to my empire. And he came up with a brilliant 00:28:29.12\00:28:31.78 political scheme. Now I say that I believe was a 00:28:31.81\00:28:34.20 political scheme, historians still debate to this 00:28:34.23\00:28:36.04 day whether or not Constantine profession 00:28:36.07\00:28:38.07 of Christianity was authentic or simply a politically 00:28:38.10\00:28:41.13 motivated move. I believe it was politically 00:28:41.16\00:28:42.88 motivated move. And this is what he saw. 00:28:42.91\00:28:45.21 He saw that if he simply, if he himself profess 00:28:45.24\00:28:49.14 Christianity and could bring them together even 00:28:49.17\00:28:52.36 though they have the same name, 00:28:52.39\00:28:54.07 but they could retain their old identity, 00:28:54.10\00:28:56.94 he could unify his nation, his kingdom under 00:28:56.97\00:29:01.29 a nominal, under what word, nominal Christianity. 00:29:01.32\00:29:05.80 Now I want to go back to that slide there. 00:29:06.60\00:29:07.88 Notice it here, it says Christianity had now become 00:29:07.91\00:29:10.13 popular, and a large proportion, 00:29:10.16\00:29:11.69 perhaps a large majority of those who embraced it, 00:29:11.72\00:29:13.72 only assumed what, assumed the what, 00:29:13.75\00:29:15.98 name, now think about that, I just said it was 00:29:16.01\00:29:19.72 nominal Christianity. What is the root word of 00:29:19.75\00:29:22.47 nominal, that's exactly right, when you say you 00:29:22.50\00:29:25.15 are a nominal Christian? You are saying you 00:29:25.18\00:29:26.94 are Christian in name only. And so Constantine 00:29:26.97\00:29:30.88 in his brilliant stroke of political experience 00:29:30.91\00:29:34.14 he united his empire under the banner of Christianity, 00:29:34.17\00:29:39.77 but friends here is the point, it's not as though 00:29:39.80\00:29:42.34 all those Pagans become converted or even 00:29:42.37\00:29:43.81 Constantine himself became converted, 00:29:43.84\00:29:45.52 but they simply adopted the name Christian, 00:29:45.55\00:29:48.38 and retained their former Pagan identity. 00:29:48.41\00:29:52.23 Now the church absolutely loved it. The church hierarchy 00:29:53.20\00:29:55.81 at this time was becoming so corrupt, they loved it, 00:29:55.84\00:29:57.68 they said wow look at all the Pagans that we are 00:29:57.71\00:29:59.58 winning, look at all of the Pagans that were coming 00:29:59.61\00:30:01.70 to church. The problem was they were not one 00:30:01.73\00:30:03.74 to Christ they were simply going to a locality 00:30:03.77\00:30:06.36 namely a Church. And friends, there is some 00:30:06.39\00:30:09.54 serious lessons for us to learn here today. 00:30:09.57\00:30:12.04 When you go there on stage and you put 00:30:12.07\00:30:14.85 a rock band on the stage or you go, and you put 00:30:14.88\00:30:17.68 a movie or some sort of ridiculous Christian drama, 00:30:17.71\00:30:20.16 you do these things, and people come. 00:30:20.19\00:30:22.29 All people come, and they flood these so called 00:30:22.32\00:30:24.85 mega churches, friends I am not impressed 00:30:24.88\00:30:26.38 with this. Friends all is that communicating 00:30:26.41\00:30:29.20 is that people are going to see the very things 00:30:29.23\00:30:31.02 they loved when they were unconverted, 00:30:31.05\00:30:33.27 you just brought into the church. 00:30:33.30\00:30:34.48 So all of these people fled into the church, 00:30:34.51\00:30:36.53 but they are going or not because of the Christ, 00:30:36.56\00:30:38.59 but because of the entertainment 00:30:38.62\00:30:40.04 and recreation value. Friends let this be a lesson to us, 00:30:40.07\00:30:43.56 putting Paganism into the church to win Pagans 00:30:43.59\00:30:46.40 does not convert the Pagans, it only degrades 00:30:46.43\00:30:48.66 the church. Amen. Now a salient lesson from history 00:30:48.69\00:30:53.63 let us continue. Notice here on the screen. 00:30:53.66\00:30:56.10 Babylon was also a center of image worship, 00:30:56.13\00:30:58.75 the center of image worship. In fact there are 00:30:58.78\00:31:02.04 many statues in Vatican today and scattered 00:31:02.07\00:31:04.98 throughout the Greco Roman world, 00:31:05.01\00:31:07.13 the ancient Greco Roman world there are statues 00:31:07.16\00:31:09.45 of Mary and Jesus. For example this statue here, 00:31:09.48\00:31:12.95 this is Mary and Jesus. The problem is, 00:31:12.98\00:31:15.72 is that many of those statues friends listen 00:31:15.75\00:31:18.64 very carefully are older than Mary and the incarnate 00:31:18.67\00:31:22.24 Jesus. You understand what I am saying. 00:31:22.27\00:31:24.80 Those statues already existed and they were 00:31:25.58\00:31:28.07 monument and edifices and artifices to the glory 00:31:28.10\00:31:31.77 of some other Pagan God. Yet when the church 00:31:31.80\00:31:36.06 now became Christian they simply took, 00:31:36.09\00:31:38.28 I mean after all they didn't want to throw away 00:31:38.31\00:31:39.54 these nice statues, they are so pretty, 00:31:39.57\00:31:41.00 and they are so nice, and look at how the, 00:31:41.03\00:31:42.46 you know sculpture did such a nice job, 00:31:42.49\00:31:44.61 and so they renamed the statues, what everyone, 00:31:44.64\00:31:47.65 rename them, and now they became Christian 00:31:47.68\00:31:50.27 statues. Yet friends many of these statues of Jesus 00:31:50.30\00:31:54.14 and statues of Mary are actually dated to one 00:31:54.17\00:31:57.13 hundred, two hundred, three hundred, 00:31:57.16\00:31:58.56 four hundred years before Mary. 00:31:58.59\00:32:01.02 Are you understanding, yes or no. So it was simply 00:32:01.05\00:32:04.02 adopting and adding and making nominal things 00:32:04.05\00:32:07.87 that were already there, adding on to Paganism. 00:32:07.90\00:32:11.36 Notice this incredible quotation, we are told by 00:32:11.76\00:32:13.62 Eusebius, one of the ancient historians, 00:32:13.65\00:32:15.50 that Constantine, in order to recommend the new religion. 00:32:15.53\00:32:18.96 Now what do you think that new religion would be, 00:32:19.69\00:32:21.28 that's Christianity, to the heathen, 00:32:21.31\00:32:23.55 transferred into it all the outward ornaments 00:32:23.58\00:32:26.42 to which they had been accustomed in their own 00:32:26.45\00:32:28.08 religion. Do you see what's going on there? 00:32:28.11\00:32:29.65 Notice the next part, the use of temples, 00:32:30.38\00:32:32.12 those dedicated to particular saints, incense, 00:32:32.15\00:32:34.85 candles, holy water, processions, 00:32:34.88\00:32:36.55 the ring in marriage, turning to the east, 00:32:36.58\00:32:38.51 images at a later date, that are icons or idols, 00:32:38.54\00:32:41.15 all are what's the next word, pagan origin and 00:32:41.18\00:32:44.95 sanctified by their adoption into the church, 00:32:44.98\00:32:48.87 Cardinal John Henry Neuman. You see what's taking 00:32:48.90\00:32:50.62 place here, Constantine professes Christianity, 00:32:50.65\00:32:53.53 but what's happening is that all of this paganism 00:32:53.56\00:32:57.12 idolatry and heathenism simply comes into the 00:32:57.15\00:32:59.34 church, it's baptized and we now call it Christian. 00:32:59.37\00:33:02.38 Let me give you a good example how we do this 00:33:02.95\00:33:04.26 in modern times. We say this is Christian Rock n Roll. 00:33:04.29\00:33:07.60 Friends this is oxymoronic. Christian Rock n Roll 00:33:09.28\00:33:11.97 is like Christian marijuana. It doesn't exist. 00:33:12.00\00:33:16.32 See I could say oh you know after the service you 00:33:17.57\00:33:19.16 know what did you and I go out back and smoke 00:33:19.19\00:33:21.09 a little Christian marijuana, and you say what 00:33:21.12\00:33:23.76 Christian marijuana. Pastor Asscherick what 00:33:23.79\00:33:25.21 you are talking about. No, I protest, I'd say no, 00:33:25.24\00:33:27.00 no, no the fellow that owns the fields down in 00:33:27.03\00:33:29.47 South America, he is a Christian and all of workers 00:33:29.50\00:33:31.91 are Christian, and they pray over the fields. 00:33:31.94\00:33:33.37 This is Christian marijuana. Would you settle for that? 00:33:33.40\00:33:35.51 No. What if I said oh I've got some nice books 00:33:35.91\00:33:37.95 in my house, I like you to come over and look at them, 00:33:37.98\00:33:39.45 there are Christian pornographic books? 00:33:39.48\00:33:41.28 You are comfortable with that, yes or no. No. 00:33:42.49\00:33:43.94 You are not comfortable at all friends. 00:33:43.97\00:33:45.10 Simply taking the prefix Christian and adding 00:33:45.13\00:33:48.11 it to something doesn't make it sanctified, amen. 00:33:48.32\00:33:50.67 Amen. And so Christian Rock n Roll is no more 00:33:50.70\00:33:53.95 Christian than Rock n Roll itself is Christian. Amen. 00:33:54.15\00:33:56.54 Christian movies, Christian drama, all of these friends, 00:33:57.28\00:33:59.70 no, no, no, no, what's happening is that the church 00:33:59.73\00:34:02.33 is bending under the pressure of what you've got it, 00:34:02.36\00:34:06.68 bending under the pressure of Heathenism, 00:34:06.71\00:34:08.84 bending under the pressure of Paganism, 00:34:08.87\00:34:10.53 and accommodating those things instead of preaching 00:34:10.56\00:34:13.31 strongly against those things, amen. Amen. 00:34:13.34\00:34:15.67 So, then Constantine begins to say hey bring it all them, 00:34:17.52\00:34:19.92 bring in, bring the rivals in, bring all that in, just come 00:34:19.95\00:34:22.69 on into the church, we can all get along and so they 00:34:22.72\00:34:25.29 became Christians, but they were only Christians 00:34:25.32\00:34:27.29 in name. Amen, so far so good. Now this is a quick 00:34:27.32\00:34:31.07 lesson in church history. Babylon is also the center 00:34:31.10\00:34:32.93 of false teachings about death. It has always been. 00:34:32.96\00:34:35.52 This concept, this platonic concept, the 00:34:35.55\00:34:37.85 Greek concept, the Egyptian concept of anthropological 00:34:37.88\00:34:41.23 dualism, you say what are all those syllabus all about. 00:34:41.26\00:34:43.29 Arthropos man, anthropological man dualism is two, 00:34:43.32\00:34:47.20 that's what Plato thoughts, Aristotle thoughts, 00:34:48.28\00:34:49.64 Socrates thoughts, Xenophon thought that man 00:34:49.67\00:34:51.69 was material in his outward being, 00:34:51.72\00:34:54.28 but inward his soul was immortal, his soul was what 00:34:55.02\00:34:58.06 word did I say. Does the Bible teach us all this 00:34:58.09\00:35:00.43 immortal, no, no, no, the says that God will give us 00:35:00.46\00:35:03.74 Bible immortality if we accept the Lord Jesus Christ 00:35:03.77\00:35:05.76 as our savior, amen. Amen. And he gives us 00:35:05.79\00:35:07.57 mortality according to 1 Corinthians 15, 00:35:07.60\00:35:09.36 at the last trump I give resurrection. 00:35:09.39\00:35:11.59 You are not naturally immortal, amen. Amen. 00:35:12.66\00:35:15.06 God said there in Eden Garden, and the day 00:35:15.09\00:35:16.34 that we listed up, four words though shalt surely die, 00:35:16.37\00:35:19.11 in other words you are mortal. Now Satan protest 00:35:19.14\00:35:21.76 and he said no, no, no, God got this wrong 00:35:21.79\00:35:23.57 and the data that we receive was five words, 00:35:23.60\00:35:25.02 though shalt not surely die. God said you are mortal, 00:35:25.05\00:35:28.55 Satan said you are immortal. So friends this pagan 00:35:28.58\00:35:33.02 idea of anthropological dualism that man has an 00:35:33.05\00:35:35.97 outward body that is temporal and an inward 00:35:36.00\00:35:39.08 soul that is eternal, this is pagan, 00:35:39.11\00:35:41.22 this is what word. Pagan. 00:35:41.25\00:35:43.08 And the Egyptians believe that, and that's why 00:35:43.11\00:35:44.68 they have those great big pyramids, and they would 00:35:44.71\00:35:46.54 bury their furrows with grain, and horses, 00:35:46.57\00:35:49.73 and boats, and paintings, and gold because they 00:35:49.76\00:35:52.78 believe that their furrow was going to after death 00:35:52.81\00:35:54.94 sail over the Great River Styx, and then he would 00:35:54.97\00:35:57.98 go to the next life, and they were giving him 00:35:58.01\00:35:59.50 a head start in the next life. 00:35:59.53\00:36:00.80 You're understanding now. But the Bible says 00:36:00.83\00:36:03.84 the dead know not anything and the dead don't 00:36:03.87\00:36:08.06 praise the Lord, amen. Amen. Brothers and sisters, 00:36:08.09\00:36:11.78 Babylon all pagan societies have been deceived 00:36:11.81\00:36:15.77 about the natural immortality of the soul and 00:36:15.80\00:36:18.89 it all originated right there in Babylon, 00:36:18.92\00:36:22.06 in where everyone, in Babylon. Notice this from the 00:36:22.09\00:36:25.18 Watchman, April 1940, the pagan doctrine 00:36:25.21\00:36:27.66 of the immortality of the human soul crept 00:36:27.69\00:36:29.01 into the back door of the church in the early 00:36:29.04\00:36:31.56 centuries, notice the pagan doctrine of the 00:36:31.59\00:36:35.57 immortality of the soul. Babylon is also historically 00:36:35.60\00:36:38.85 been the center of sun worship and I quote you now 00:36:38.88\00:36:41.70 this remarkable quotation from the worship 00:36:41.73\00:36:44.23 of nature by James Brazer, volume 1, page 529. 00:36:44.26\00:36:47.02 In ancient Babylonia the sun was worshipped 00:36:47.05\00:36:49.17 from immemorial antiquity, and those many syllabus 00:36:49.20\00:36:53.20 mean from a long time ago, you are with me. 00:36:53.23\00:36:56.06 What was worshipped everyone, 00:36:56.09\00:36:58.07 the sun was worshipped. Go with me in your Bible 00:36:59.20\00:37:00.70 quickly to Ezekiel chapter 8. You are in the Book 00:37:00.73\00:37:03.41 of Daniel it should be close to that, 00:37:03.44\00:37:04.79 so we go to Ezekiel, chapter 8 just before that. 00:37:04.82\00:37:07.17 Now Ezekiel Chapter 8, the ancient nation of Israel 00:37:08.16\00:37:11.51 was in apostasy that is to say they had fallen away 00:37:11.54\00:37:14.76 from God. And so God gives Ezekiel a tour, 00:37:14.79\00:37:18.25 what word, a tour, and in this tour, it's really 00:37:18.99\00:37:21.92 got to be unique tour, it's not on a plane friends 00:37:21.95\00:37:24.17 or on a boat or a ship or a car. God takes Ezekiel 00:37:24.20\00:37:27.12 the prophet by a lock of his hair, can you imagine 00:37:27.15\00:37:30.41 ladies, picks him up by the lock of his hair and drags 00:37:30.44\00:37:33.29 him around and shows him do you see that Ezekiel, 00:37:33.32\00:37:36.26 do you see that Ezekiel, do you see that Ezekiel, 00:37:36.29\00:37:38.51 he gave him a tour of the apostasies and failures, 00:37:38.54\00:37:41.94 and paganisms of ancient Israel. 00:37:41.97\00:37:44.54 I'll let you read through this very quickly, 00:37:45.19\00:37:46.28 Ezekiel chapter 8 beginning in verse 1 "And it came 00:37:46.31\00:37:48.23 to pass in the sixth year, in the sixth month, 00:37:48.26\00:37:49.65 in the fifth day of the month, as I sat in my house 00:37:49.68\00:37:51.85 with the elders of Judah sitting before me that 00:37:51.88\00:37:53.49 the hand of the Lord fell upon me there and then 00:37:53.52\00:37:54.90 I looked and there was a lightness of the appearance 00:37:54.93\00:37:56.81 of fire, from the appearance of his waist and 00:37:56.84\00:37:58.96 downward fire, and from his waist and upward 00:37:58.99\00:38:00.52 like the appearance of brightness like the color 00:38:00.55\00:38:02.49 of amber." Here he is seeing God, he stretched out 00:38:02.52\00:38:04.72 in the form of a hand and he took me by lock of 00:38:04.75\00:38:06.53 my hair, and the spirit lifted me up between 00:38:06.56\00:38:08.79 earth and heaven and brought me into the visions 00:38:08.82\00:38:10.55 of God to Jerusalem to the door of the North gate 00:38:10.58\00:38:13.16 of inner court, where the seat of image of jealousy 00:38:13.19\00:38:16.32 which provokes to jealousy was, and behold the 00:38:16.35\00:38:18.79 glory of the God of Israel was there like the vision 00:38:18.82\00:38:21.23 that I saw in the plane and he said to me son 00:38:21.26\00:38:22.77 of man lift up your eyes now toward the North, 00:38:22.80\00:38:25.67 so I lifted up my eyes towards the North and there 00:38:25.70\00:38:27.44 North of the altar gate right in the sanctuary 00:38:27.47\00:38:30.34 of God friends. Was the image of jealousy in the 00:38:30.37\00:38:33.53 entrance, for the more he said to me son of man 00:38:33.56\00:38:35.44 do you see what they are doing here, 00:38:35.47\00:38:37.56 the great abominations of the house of Israel 00:38:37.59\00:38:39.27 commits here to make me go far away from my 00:38:39.30\00:38:41.28 sanctuary, turn again and you will see greater 00:38:41.31\00:38:44.64 abominations. So they brought me to the door 00:38:44.67\00:38:46.42 of the court, and when I look there was a hole 00:38:46.45\00:38:48.07 in the wall, and then he said son of man dig into 00:38:48.10\00:38:50.44 the wall and when I dug into the wall there 00:38:50.47\00:38:52.77 was a door, and he said to me go in, 00:38:52.80\00:38:54.20 and see the wicked abominations which they are 00:38:54.23\00:38:56.94 doing here. So, I went in and saw there every 00:38:56.97\00:38:59.11 sort of creeping thing, abominate beast and all 00:38:59.14\00:39:01.33 the isles of the house of Israel portrayed all around 00:39:01.36\00:39:03.62 the walls, and they stood before them seventy men 00:39:03.65\00:39:07.16 of the elders of Israel and in their midst stood Jaazaniah 00:39:07.19\00:39:10.92 the son of Shaphan, each had a center in his hand, 00:39:10.95\00:39:13.84 and a thick cloud of incense went up. 00:39:13.87\00:39:16.22 Then he said to me son of man have you seen 00:39:16.99\00:39:18.65 what the elders of the house of Israel do in the dark 00:39:18.68\00:39:20.59 every man in the room are his idols for they 00:39:20.62\00:39:22.97 say the Lord does not see us, and the Lord 00:39:23.00\00:39:25.36 has forsaken his land. Verse 13, and he said to me 00:39:25.39\00:39:28.37 turn again, and you will see greater abominations 00:39:28.40\00:39:31.39 that they are doing, so they brought me to the door 00:39:31.42\00:39:33.42 of the North gate of the Lord's house, 00:39:33.45\00:39:35.28 and to my dismay Ezekiel says woman were sitting 00:39:35.31\00:39:38.95 there weeping for Tamur. Tamur was a God of 00:39:38.98\00:39:42.46 fertility and the God of agriculture and here 00:39:42.49\00:39:45.63 they are the people of God weeping for Tamur. 00:39:45.66\00:39:48.01 Then he said to me if you see this son of man turn 00:39:48.04\00:39:50.73 again and you will see greater abominations than these, 00:39:50.76\00:39:53.43 now he takes him to the place, where he sees 00:39:53.46\00:39:55.28 the climax, the pinnacle, the cheapest abomination to 00:39:55.31\00:39:58.64 God. Verse 16, so he brought me into the inner court 00:39:58.67\00:40:02.04 of the Lord's house, and there at the door 00:40:02.07\00:40:03.64 of the temple of the Lord between the porch 00:40:03.67\00:40:04.82 and the altar were about 25 men with their back 00:40:04.85\00:40:07.54 toward to what everyone, the temple of the Lord 00:40:07.57\00:40:10.49 and their faces toward which direction, 00:40:10.52\00:40:12.57 the East and they were worshiping the sun towards 00:40:12.60\00:40:16.99 the East. Friends on this remarkable journey as God is 00:40:17.02\00:40:21.96 giving Ezekiel that tour of apostasy, 00:40:21.99\00:40:24.71 that tour of failure falling and foible he shows 00:40:24.74\00:40:28.08 and this one you will actually see greater, 00:40:28.11\00:40:29.33 this one you will see greater, this one you will 00:40:29.36\00:40:30.82 see greater, and then he takes him into the constant 00:40:30.85\00:40:32.90 abomination, the worship of the sun in house of God. 00:40:32.93\00:40:36.82 Amen. God created the sun. Friends the sun 00:40:36.85\00:40:40.59 is a little spec of dust in the great universe. 00:40:40.62\00:40:43.38 There are ten billion galaxies and approximately 00:40:43.41\00:40:45.36 ten billion stars, stars in each galaxy. 00:40:45.39\00:40:48.05 So the sun to worship is like worshiping 00:40:48.08\00:40:50.15 a piece of sand friends and this is an utter abomination 00:40:50.18\00:40:53.66 to God, who created for our blessing, 00:40:53.69\00:40:55.02 for our warmth, and for our atmosphere 00:40:55.05\00:40:57.42 and to worship it is effrontery to the great God 00:40:57.45\00:41:00.57 of Israel. Now you say what it has to do with Babylon, 00:41:00.60\00:41:04.07 I don't understand. Friends Babylon has historically 00:41:04.10\00:41:06.43 been center of sun worship, the center of what did 00:41:06.46\00:41:09.55 I say, sun worship. I notice this incredible quotation, 00:41:09.58\00:41:12.79 not from a member of my church friends. 00:41:12.82\00:41:15.29 But this is taken from the man who wrote the Baptist 00:41:15.32\00:41:18.08 manual, Dr. Edward T. Hiscox, he says "What a pity 00:41:18.11\00:41:22.02 that it [Sunday], what word is that everyone, 00:41:22.05\00:41:24.98 Sunday and notice the two words there the just 00:41:25.01\00:41:27.48 to position Sunday. What a pity that it Sunday 00:41:27.51\00:41:32.15 comes branded with the mark of paganism, 00:41:32.18\00:41:34.23 and christened with the name of the sun God, 00:41:34.26\00:41:37.09 then adopted and sanctioned by the papal apostasy, 00:41:37.12\00:41:40.63 and bequeathed as a sacred legacy to Protestantism. 00:41:40.66\00:41:45.19 Do you see what he is saying, yes or no. 00:41:45.22\00:41:46.39 He is saying that paganism adopted the dear solace 00:41:47.30\00:41:50.51 that is to the day of the sun that was the day 00:41:50.54\00:41:54.31 that Constantine had worshipped on as a pagan. 00:41:54.34\00:41:56.49 That's the day that all of the pagans worshipped 00:41:57.18\00:41:58.96 on the venerable day of the sun and one of those 00:41:58.99\00:42:03.35 compromises and counterfeits that 00:42:03.38\00:42:05.59 Constantine made with paganism was that in addition 00:42:05.62\00:42:08.97 to bringing in all of their idols, in their teachings 00:42:09.00\00:42:11.17 and their jewelry and every kind of thing they 00:42:11.20\00:42:13.35 also adopted the pagan day of worship, 00:42:13.38\00:42:16.88 pagan what word did I say, day of worship, 00:42:17.59\00:42:19.37 I wish I had time to go in, but I'll give you a 30 second 00:42:19.40\00:42:21.29 history lesson. Up to this point the Christians 00:42:21.32\00:42:23.73 were religio ilicita, religio what ilicita illegal religion. 00:42:23.76\00:42:29.06 And in the Roman eyes they were put together 00:42:29.64\00:42:32.64 or cordoned together with the Jews, 00:42:32.67\00:42:35.08 and so to the eyes of the Romans the Jews and the 00:42:35.11\00:42:37.44 Christians were basically one and the same, 00:42:37.47\00:42:38.82 different sex of the same religion. Now Judaism 00:42:38.85\00:42:42.01 was religio ilicita as well, and constantly under the 00:42:42.04\00:42:45.01 persecution of the Roman authority. 00:42:45.04\00:42:47.08 Now the Christians wanted to disassociate or to distance 00:42:47.11\00:42:51.74 themselves from the Jews, from who everyone. 00:42:51.77\00:42:54.32 And so they began hey, hey we are not them, 00:42:54.35\00:42:56.91 we are not like them, you can persecute them, 00:42:56.94\00:42:59.17 but we are totally different, and in beginning to make 00:42:59.20\00:43:01.50 that transition as they came closer and closer 00:43:01.53\00:43:03.67 and closer to paganism. Constantine became more 00:43:03.70\00:43:06.49 and more comfortable with Christianity and Judaism 00:43:06.52\00:43:09.21 remain religio ilicita while compromise Christianity 00:43:09.24\00:43:12.91 became religio licita, legal religion. And one of the 00:43:12.94\00:43:18.19 cheapest things that cause the ancient church 00:43:18.22\00:43:20.63 to disassociate themselves from Judaism was the 00:43:20.66\00:43:23.52 adoption, the rejection first of all of the Seventh Day 00:43:23.55\00:43:26.49 Sabbath, pointing to God as creator and the adoption 00:43:26.52\00:43:29.32 of the venerable day of the sun, the pagan day 00:43:29.35\00:43:31.93 of worship. Brothers and sisters think about the 00:43:31.96\00:43:34.98 significance of that. Even to this day and I want 00:43:35.01\00:43:38.16 to go and record of saying this countless thousands, 00:43:38.19\00:43:40.65 millions of good heart, what word did I say, 00:43:42.37\00:43:44.83 and many of them better Christians than you and I, 00:43:46.65\00:43:48.32 amen. In the vast majority of the world of Christendom 00:43:48.35\00:43:54.45 are at this very moment many of them the vast 00:43:54.48\00:43:56.75 majority of them unknowingly paying tribute and 00:43:56.78\00:43:59.74 homogen honor to the sun God instead of the son 00:43:59.77\00:44:02.39 of God. Amen. Now friends that's heavy, 00:44:02.42\00:44:05.68 the significance of that is incredible. 00:44:06.31\00:44:08.50 But we see now in John Revelation 17 refers to her 00:44:09.48\00:44:11.70 as Babylon the Great, Babylon the Great. 00:44:11.73\00:44:15.17 Well let us then continue as we go now to Revelation 00:44:15.20\00:44:18.77 chapter 17, we are going to identify end time Babylon. 00:44:18.80\00:44:21.82 Let's do that together, Revelation chapter 17. 00:44:21.85\00:44:24.23 We ask the question who is this, it's actually very easy 00:44:24.26\00:44:27.19 to deduce from scripture. Revelation chapter 17 00:44:27.22\00:44:30.76 we have set the background and now we can give 00:44:30.79\00:44:32.81 the identifying marks. Very quickly here by the way 00:44:32.84\00:44:36.67 in, in end time Bible prophecy, a woman symbolizes 00:44:40.77\00:44:43.49 a church and a B symbolizes a king or kingdom or a nation. 00:44:43.52\00:44:48.09 So what do you here in Revelation 17. 00:44:48.12\00:44:50.23 You have a woman sitting on a beast, 00:44:50.81\00:44:54.99 you have a woman sitting on what, beast, now fill in the 00:44:55.02\00:44:56.86 blanks friends. A woman is a church, 00:44:56.89\00:44:58.19 a beast is a nation. You have a church in control 00:44:58.22\00:45:01.71 of a nation, you have a church in state union, 00:45:01.74\00:45:05.03 you are with me, yes or no, this cemetery is easy 00:45:05.06\00:45:07.92 to understand. So, who then is this woman in Revelation 00:45:07.95\00:45:10.66 chapter 17? Let's put the identifying characteristics 00:45:10.69\00:45:12.74 upon the screen. Number one she is church, amen. 00:45:12.77\00:45:15.78 No question about, she sits in the area of many nations, 00:45:15.81\00:45:19.40 she sits on many waters, as Revelation 17:15 says 00:45:19.43\00:45:21.76 those waters are nations or people, 00:45:21.79\00:45:23.73 multitude nations and languages. She is a city, 00:45:23.76\00:45:26.60 she is a city. Number four, she rules over kings, 00:45:26.63\00:45:29.49 she has committed fornication with kings. 00:45:29.52\00:45:30.90 Number five, she sits on the city of seven mountains 00:45:30.93\00:45:33.22 or hills, that's later Revelation 17, 00:45:33.25\00:45:35.09 and her official colors are purple and scarlet, 00:45:35.12\00:45:37.51 purple and what everyone, scarlet. 00:45:37.54\00:45:39.62 I want to show you something that is absolute 00:45:39.65\00:45:41.05 incredible, and I need you to move rapidly with me. 00:45:41.08\00:45:43.30 Take your little fancy notes keep it here or a pen, 00:45:43.33\00:45:47.26 put it right in Revelation chapter 17, 00:45:47.29\00:45:48.57 and go with me hastily to Exodus 28, 00:45:48.60\00:45:50.99 Exodus what everyone, 28. Exodus chapter 28 00:45:52.17\00:45:56.18 and I am reading in verse 5, Exodus chapter 28, 00:45:56.21\00:45:58.85 what verse 5. God here is describing the clothes 00:45:58.88\00:46:02.95 that Aaron and his sons will wear, 00:46:02.98\00:46:05.07 the clothes that who will wear, Aaron and his sons. 00:46:05.66\00:46:07.45 Who is Aaron? He was the high priest, 00:46:07.48\00:46:09.73 not just the priest, he was the high priest. 00:46:09.76\00:46:11.45 Now notice this Exodus chapter 28 00:46:11.48\00:46:13.12 beginning in verse 5, "And they shall take the gold, 00:46:13.15\00:46:15.28 blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine linen." 00:46:15.31\00:46:18.51 Notice those color again please and they shall take 00:46:19.44\00:46:21.36 the gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, 00:46:21.39\00:46:24.05 and the fine linen, sound familiar yes or no, 00:46:24.08\00:46:25.66 what's missing. What's missing in the woman of 00:46:25.69\00:46:29.19 Revelation 17 that we see here blue. 00:46:29.22\00:46:31.87 Notice the woman in Revelation 17, 00:46:32.47\00:46:33.68 she wears purple and scarlet and gold, 00:46:33.71\00:46:35.77 yet God here years before giving directions 00:46:35.80\00:46:39.47 to Aaron and to the priest on how their garments 00:46:39.50\00:46:42.84 would be decorated. He said you will have purple, 00:46:42.87\00:46:44.71 you will have gold, you will have scarlet, and blue, 00:46:44.74\00:46:47.49 and what everyone, blue, notice in verse 6, 00:46:47.52\00:46:50.37 and they shall make out of gold, purple, 00:46:50.40\00:46:52.32 blue and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen artistically 00:46:52.35\00:46:56.36 worked, and you can read all of the Exodus 00:46:56.39\00:46:57.63 chapter 28 blue, blue, blue comes up in the garments 00:46:57.66\00:47:01.06 of the high priest. Go with me now to chapter 15, 00:47:01.09\00:47:04.27 what is that blue symbolize, what does that blue mean, 00:47:04.30\00:47:06.87 what's all it about. We go to numbers chapter 15, 00:47:06.90\00:47:10.68 numbers what chapter 15, and I am reading in verse 00:47:12.43\00:47:15.18 38, number chapter 15 and verse 38. 00:47:15.21\00:47:19.12 Actually pick it up in verse 37 numbers 15:37, 00:47:19.15\00:47:21.53 put your seatbelts on friends, number chapter 15 00:47:21.56\00:47:24.40 in verse 37, Again the Lord spoke to Moses 00:47:24.43\00:47:26.49 saying speak to the children of Israel. 00:47:26.52\00:47:28.56 Tell them to make tassels on the corners of their 00:47:28.59\00:47:31.25 garments throughout their generations, 00:47:31.28\00:47:33.35 and to put a blue thread in the tassels of the corners. 00:47:33.38\00:47:36.14 What color thread, blue thread. 00:47:36.17\00:47:38.21 Now God tells us in the very next verse, verse 39, 00:47:38.24\00:47:41.15 why they would have to put blue thread, 00:47:41.18\00:47:43.06 are you ready for this, watch this. 00:47:43.09\00:47:44.59 And you shall have the tassel, that you may look 00:47:45.42\00:47:47.21 upon it and remember all the what, 00:47:47.24\00:47:50.12 the commandments of the Lord and do them, 00:47:51.16\00:47:53.22 and that you may not follow the harlotry, 00:47:53.25\00:47:56.36 you may not follow what everyone, 00:47:57.66\00:47:58.70 the harlotry to which your own heart and your own 00:47:58.73\00:48:01.92 eyes are inclined, that you may remember 00:48:01.95\00:48:03.71 and do all My commandments, and be holy for your God. 00:48:03.74\00:48:05.97 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out 00:48:06.00\00:48:07.96 of the land of Egypt, to be your God: 00:48:07.99\00:48:09.58 I am the Lord your God. You see what he is saying, 00:48:09.61\00:48:12.59 you take that tassel of blue and you put that 00:48:12.62\00:48:15.46 blue on, so you can do two things, 00:48:15.49\00:48:17.36 number one you can remember the commandments 00:48:17.39\00:48:18.98 of the Lord, and you won't go new king James 00:48:19.01\00:48:21.65 harlotry, king James says a whoring, 00:48:21.68\00:48:23.89 you won't go on a whoring after the other nations 00:48:23.92\00:48:27.32 and their Gods. Now notice this in Revelation 00:48:27.35\00:48:30.40 chapter 17, notice with me now as we go back, 00:48:30.43\00:48:32.49 you kept your pen there. So you are already 00:48:32.52\00:48:34.39 Revelation chapter 17, and I am reading in verse 4, 00:48:35.44\00:48:37.57 And the woman was raid in purple and scarlet, 00:48:38.12\00:48:40.08 and adorn with gold, and precious stones and pearls, 00:48:40.11\00:48:42.21 having in her hand a golden cup, 00:48:42.24\00:48:43.36 filled with abominations and the filthiness of her 00:48:43.39\00:48:44.93 fornication. Tell me about this woman. 00:48:44.96\00:48:46.72 She is wearing all the colors of the high priest, 00:48:46.75\00:48:50.09 except blue. She is purporting to be the priest of God, 00:48:52.24\00:48:57.46 you with me. Amen. I have already talked about 00:48:57.49\00:49:00.18 the three offices of Jesus, prophet, 00:49:00.21\00:49:01.62 priest and king, one who speaks for God, 00:49:01.65\00:49:03.18 one who ministers for God, one who rules for God. 00:49:03.21\00:49:05.20 This woman purports to be the priest of God yet there 00:49:05.23\00:49:09.58 is something conspicuously absent in her attire, 00:49:09.61\00:49:13.26 its blue, why not the blue because the blue friends 00:49:13.29\00:49:17.10 symbolizes that she would be keeping God's commandments, 00:49:17.13\00:49:19.89 and not going a whoring after the other nations 00:49:19.92\00:49:22.66 and so what's absent in this woman is, 00:49:22.69\00:49:24.29 she looks like a high priest, she acts like a high priest, 00:49:24.32\00:49:25.86 she pretends to be the very people of God, 00:49:27.50\00:49:28.88 the very church of God on earth, 00:49:28.91\00:49:30.15 but the commandments are missing, amen, 00:49:30.18\00:49:32.39 you understanding, its powerful, 00:49:33.54\00:49:35.02 absolutely powerful. So her official colors are purple 00:49:36.48\00:49:39.95 and scarlet. Notice as we put three more identifying 00:49:39.98\00:49:41.86 characteristics up. The Bible says she is a rich church, 00:49:41.89\00:49:44.48 she must be rich. All of those adornments and the 00:49:44.51\00:49:47.69 accoutrement she has she is a persecuting church. 00:49:47.72\00:49:49.80 The Bible goes so far to say she is drunk with the blood 00:49:49.83\00:49:52.35 of the saints, that's a persecuting church, 00:49:52.38\00:49:54.55 and it also says on her head was named blasphemous. 00:49:55.27\00:49:58.55 We have already talked about the three tier 00:49:59.36\00:50:00.76 definition of blasphemy, number one to claim to be 00:50:00.96\00:50:01.96 able to figure sins. Number two to claim to be God 00:50:01.99\00:50:03.79 on earth, and number three to persecute the 00:50:03.82\00:50:05.25 people of God in the name of God. Now friends 00:50:05.28\00:50:08.42 if you put those nine characteristics together it is 00:50:08.45\00:50:10.68 elementary to deduce we are talking about. 00:50:10.71\00:50:12.78 We are talking about the mother church, 00:50:12.81\00:50:15.62 what two words did I say, and the Bible comes 00:50:16.31\00:50:18.17 right out says that, doesn't it say that in verse 5 00:50:18.20\00:50:21.71 the mother of harlots. So this would be the mother 00:50:21.74\00:50:24.49 church, and who is the mother church friends. 00:50:24.52\00:50:26.45 It's the Roman church, it's what church, 00:50:26.48\00:50:28.96 it's a Roman church, the Roman church state. 00:50:29.87\00:50:32.67 Now notice what happens here, it says in verse 5, 00:50:33.82\00:50:36.06 "On her forehead a name was written, a mystery, 00:50:36.09\00:50:38.31 Babylon the Great, the mother of Harlots." 00:50:38.34\00:50:40.03 So this mother the Roman church state also has 00:50:41.70\00:50:45.20 by the way you know she is a church state because 00:50:45.23\00:50:47.25 she is sitting on a beast, you are with me. Amen. 00:50:47.28\00:50:51.05 Notice that she has offspring, she has daughters. 00:50:51.32\00:50:54.29 Now have you ever heard somebody say he is a chip 00:50:54.32\00:50:56.81 off the old block, you heard somebody say that before, 00:50:56.84\00:50:59.69 what does it mean. Looks exactly like, looks sort of 00:51:00.28\00:51:06.82 like, you can tell there is a relation, you are with, 00:51:06.85\00:51:09.25 yeah look similar enough, I can tell people say about 00:51:10.24\00:51:12.25 my son all the time, because he is just you know chaos, 00:51:12.28\00:51:14.52 he is running around, he is everywhere, he is here, 00:51:14.55\00:51:16.13 he is there you know, is just filled with energy, 00:51:16.16\00:51:18.36 and he is gone right, oh he is the chip of the old block. 00:51:18.39\00:51:24.37 Now what we are saying is not that he is, 00:51:25.21\00:51:26.89 not that Landon is exactly like me, 00:51:26.92\00:51:29.19 but that he is similar to me, there are similarities 00:51:29.22\00:51:33.49 in appearance, character, actions, etc. 00:51:33.52\00:51:35.42 You are with me. Amen. So when the Bible says 00:51:35.45\00:51:37.57 that the mother has harlots, she has daughters, 00:51:37.60\00:51:41.17 churches that are not exactly like her, 00:51:41.20\00:51:44.60 but are close in many respects. Now let's answer 00:51:44.63\00:51:48.94 the question, where did all these different denominations 00:51:48.97\00:51:50.36 come from its easy. You have the mother there and 00:51:50.39\00:51:53.48 after the false information in the name by the name 00:51:54.27\00:51:55.72 of Martin Luther what was his name. 00:51:55.75\00:51:57.02 Martin Luther came out and he stood there and he said, 00:51:57.05\00:52:00.60 the just shall live by faith, and he nailed those 00:52:00.63\00:52:03.83 ninety fives thesis to the door at Wittenberg. 00:52:03.86\00:52:05.69 And friends Martin Luther came out and even 00:52:05.72\00:52:07.45 in the days of Martin Luther people would call 00:52:07.48\00:52:08.90 themselves Lutherans and he protested against that. 00:52:08.93\00:52:11.20 Don't call yourselves Lutherans. 00:52:11.23\00:52:13.15 He didn't like that, he had aftermath Luther's death 00:52:13.18\00:52:15.68 instead of advancing and carrying the banner of truth 00:52:15.71\00:52:17.86 still further and further into the future, 00:52:17.89\00:52:19.87 many people set up their camp around Martin Luther 00:52:19.90\00:52:22.06 and they said, if Luther believed it, 00:52:22.09\00:52:23.47 we believed it, but here is a kicker Luther had much 00:52:24.15\00:52:26.49 truth but not all the truth, you with me. 00:52:26.52\00:52:28.61 And so after a little while another man came out, 00:52:29.43\00:52:30.96 his name was John Calvin and he emphasized the 00:52:30.99\00:52:33.00 sovereignty of God, the Calvinist the Presbyterians 00:52:33.03\00:52:35.66 and he didn't like people calling themselves Calvinists, 00:52:35.69\00:52:38.20 but they set their bands up around Calvin and they 00:52:38.23\00:52:40.28 said we are Calvinists, we are Presbyterians, 00:52:40.31\00:52:41.96 we are the reformed church. They came out a 00:52:41.99\00:52:43.75 little further, but they still clung to many of the 00:52:43.78\00:52:46.67 residual elements of Romanism, and then another 00:52:46.70\00:52:49.97 man John Charles Wesley two of my spiritual heroes, 00:52:50.00\00:52:52.25 came out still a little further and they emphasize 00:52:52.28\00:52:54.42 holiness and sanctification, and they set up their 00:52:54.45\00:52:58.23 banner there, they come further up, 00:52:58.26\00:52:59.60 yet people would not press on further into, 00:53:00.47\00:53:02.37 further into the truth and into the future, 00:53:02.40\00:53:04.29 and they set up their banner around Wesleyans 00:53:04.32\00:53:05.98 and they said we are Methodists, 00:53:06.01\00:53:07.29 we are Wesleyans. And then two another man by 00:53:07.32\00:53:10.06 the name of Roger Williams, one of the founders 00:53:10.09\00:53:11.53 of Baptist church they came out a little further, 00:53:11.56\00:53:13.52 they said we must baptize by immersion 00:53:13.55\00:53:14.88 not this you know ridiculous sprinkling stuff, 00:53:14.91\00:53:17.65 it doesn't symbolize anything. So they came out 00:53:17.68\00:53:19.64 just a little bit further, and they said we are the 00:53:19.67\00:53:21.42 Baptists, what they who are. Now each of these 00:53:21.45\00:53:24.36 entities and we could go still further, the Lutherans, 00:53:24.39\00:53:27.05 the Calvinists, the Wesleyans, and the Baptists 00:53:27.08\00:53:29.34 and on into the future each of them have some 00:53:29.37\00:53:32.33 truth, amen. Some more than others, 00:53:32.36\00:53:35.84 and some of them have a significant amount of 00:53:35.87\00:53:37.33 biblical truth, but they still retained vestiges 00:53:37.36\00:53:41.37 and residues of Rome. And so the Bible says 00:53:41.40\00:53:46.42 at the end of the time all of these daughters 00:53:46.45\00:53:49.12 will be lumped together with the mother, 00:53:49.15\00:53:51.69 their daughters of the mother, 00:53:52.29\00:53:54.97 you are with me now. But God have already 00:53:55.66\00:53:57.29 at the end of the time who will come not part 00:53:57.32\00:53:59.26 the way out, not most the way out, not 99 percent out, 00:53:59.29\00:54:02.29 but all the way out of residual Romanism, amen. 00:54:02.32\00:54:06.97 This will be God's true people; this is God's true 00:54:07.18\00:54:09.68 church in Revelation chapter 12. 00:54:09.71\00:54:11.05 Notice this incredible statement here. 00:54:12.13\00:54:13.23 This is from the Washington Post, November 1, 1999, 00:54:14.01\00:54:16.03 Lutherans and Catholics unite to heal 482-year-old 00:54:16.59\00:54:19.44 division. Notice the language friends, 00:54:19.47\00:54:20.93 the Washington Post, Lutherans and Catholics 00:54:20.96\00:54:24.51 coming together, oh we don't have so much, 00:54:24.54\00:54:26.36 after all we only came out little ways and may be 00:54:26.39\00:54:28.47 that was all the misunderstanding and they 00:54:28.50\00:54:30.21 are wanting to go back, wanted to go what words 00:54:30.24\00:54:33.13 did I say back friends. And many of the churches 00:54:33.16\00:54:35.46 are going back and that's exactly how the Church 00:54:35.49\00:54:37.09 of Rome refers to them as a wandering, 00:54:37.12\00:54:39.44 wayfaring daughters, coming back now to momma, 00:54:39.47\00:54:43.58 you are understanding. Amen. Dear friends I want 00:54:43.61\00:54:46.20 you to notice something absolutely remarkable, 00:54:46.23\00:54:47.71 here is another one, this is, we don't have up 00:54:47.74\00:54:50.34 there it's fine, go with me quickly to Revelation 00:54:50.37\00:54:52.36 chapter 14, Revelation chapter 14, we have learned, 00:54:52.39\00:54:56.09 we are not to be, I want you to notice what God 00:54:56.12\00:55:00.99 tells us to be Revelation chapter 14, 00:55:01.02\00:55:02.89 and I am reading in verse 12, what verse 12, 00:55:02.92\00:55:05.36 "Here is the patience of the saints: 00:55:05.39\00:55:07.15 here are those who keep the commandments of God, 00:55:07.81\00:55:09.83 so they retain the blue, and what else do you have 00:55:09.86\00:55:12.97 the faith of Jesus." The commandments of God 00:55:13.00\00:55:15.98 and faith of Jesus. Go with me quickly to Revelation 00:55:16.01\00:55:17.85 18 and I am reading in verse 1, revelation chapter 00:55:17.88\00:55:20.47 18 in verse 1, "And after this things, 00:55:20.50\00:55:22.41 I saw another angel coming down from heaven 00:55:22.44\00:55:23.87 having great authority and the earth was illuminated 00:55:23.90\00:55:26.41 with his glory and he cried mildly with the loud voice 00:55:26.44\00:55:28.32 saying Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, 00:55:28.35\00:55:30.23 and has become a dwelling place of demons, 00:55:30.26\00:55:32.42 prison for every foul spirit, and a cage of every 00:55:32.45\00:55:34.72 unclean and hated bird! For all nations have drunk 00:55:34.75\00:55:36.91 of the wine of the wrath of her fornication? 00:55:36.94\00:55:38.40 The kings of the earth have committed fornication 00:55:38.43\00:55:40.31 with her, and the merchants of the earth have become 00:55:40.34\00:55:42.33 rich through the abundance of her delicacy 00:55:42.36\00:55:43.75 and notice this verse, one of the most powerful 00:55:43.78\00:55:45.67 verses in the Bible especially the Book of Revelation, 00:55:45.70\00:55:47.47 and I heard another voice from heaven saying, 00:55:47.50\00:55:49.28 "Come out of her, what are the next two words, 00:55:49.69\00:55:51.14 my people." God has his people in those communions 00:55:51.17\00:55:56.72 and he calls them out. He says don't stay there, 00:55:56.75\00:55:59.64 come out of my people not part of the way out, 00:56:01.09\00:56:03.31 not most of the way out, come all the way out 00:56:03.34\00:56:05.28 of the mother, all the way out of the daughters, 00:56:05.31\00:56:07.53 and we come out, we go through the exit door, 00:56:07.56\00:56:09.99 but where is the entrance door. Here are those who 00:56:10.02\00:56:13.91 keep the commandments of God and have the testimony 00:56:13.94\00:56:16.49 of Jesus. Here are they to cling to the commandments 00:56:16.52\00:56:18.74 of God, and have the faith of Jesus. Friends we 00:56:18.77\00:56:20.75 come out of Romanism, and into a Bible believing, 00:56:20.78\00:56:23.70 spirit filled, commandment keeping church, amen. Amen. 00:56:24.23\00:56:28.81 That's where I want to be, how about you. 00:56:28.84\00:56:29.96 Amen. Amen. That's Christ's true bride. 00:56:29.99\00:56:33.35