Hi and you're now with
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The Forerunner Chronicles.
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All right everybody,
I'd like to welcome you to
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another special
Forerunner Chronicle series,
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and this one is
entitled, "Rome's Revenge"
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and I assure you, in
this two-part series,
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you are going to
learn information
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that is going to astound you.
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Are you ready?
Well, let's begin.
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In the book of Revelation,
chapter 1 beginning at verse 1
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the Bible tells us, the
revelation of Jesus Christ
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which God gave unto Him,
to show unto His servants
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things which must
shortly come to pass
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and He sent and
signified it by his angel
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to give unto his servant John
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who bore record
of the Word of God
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and of the
testimony of Jesus Christ
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and of all things that he
saw, blessed is he that readeth
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and they that hear the
words of this prophecy,
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and keep those things,
which are written therein
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for the time is at hand.
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Unlike any other book in
the 66 books of the Bible,
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the book of Revelation
has a special blessing
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that God has pronounced
upon those that read the book
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those that hear the words
that are found within this book
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and keep the teachings
that are found within this book
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in their hearts continually
because the information
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that God has revealed to
us in the book of Revelation,
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is getting ready
to unfold even now.
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And in the book of Revelation,
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John bears record
of the word of God,
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the testimony of Jesus Christ
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and of all the
things that he saw.
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Now many of us know
what the Word of God is.
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I hope we know
what the Word of God is,
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because it is
so important for us
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in our Christian development,
because the Bible tells us
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in John 17:17,
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"Sanctify them through thy
truth; thy word is truth. "
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The Word of God
has been given to us
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to make us
holy, to make us pure,
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to set us aside
for God's special use,
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to give us instruction
as to how we can live
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separate from this world,
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and not according to the
prince of the power of the air
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the spirit which now worketh
in the children of disobedience:
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according to
Ephesians 2 and verse 2.
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That is the
operation of the Word of God
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in the hearts of God's people.
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And many of us know
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that John saw
many interesting things
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that he bears record of
in the book of Revelation.
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Many of those
things terrify some of us
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because we are not
familiar with the information
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that decodes the
symbols that are found
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within the book of Revelation.
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But when you become familiarized
with the information,
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the truths
within the Word of God,
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that decodes the information
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found within the
book of Revelation,
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it will become one of the
most precious books to you
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that you will ever
read within the Bible.
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But many of us,
many of us do not know
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what the testimony
of Jesus Christ is.
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Well, the Bible gives
us additional information
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as to what the
testimony of Jesus Christ is,
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in the book of Revelation,
chapter 19 and verse 10.
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We are told there,
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"And I fell at His
feet to worship Him.
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And he said unto
me, See thou do it not:
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for I am thy fellow servant,
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and of thy brethren
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that have the
testimony of Jesus: worship God:
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for the testimony of Jesus
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is the spirit of prophecy. "
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Ladies and Gentlemen, the
testimony of Jesus Christ,
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is not only the information
found within the books
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of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John,
it is the spirit of prophecy.
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God has given us
prophetic information,
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as to help us understand
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his work in
heaven for us right now
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and the things that
will go on, on planet earth
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as He is seeking
to prepare a people
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that can spend
eternity with him.
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The Bible tells
us something more,
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about Bible
prophecy, the gift of prophecy,
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in the book of 2nd
Peter chapter 1 and verse 19.
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We are told there,
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"We have also a more
sure word of prophecy;
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whereunto ye do
well that ye take heed,
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as unto a light that
shineth in a dark place,
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until the day
dawn, and the day star
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arises in our hearts:"
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you see, the more
sure word of prophecy
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is a guiding light for us
in this world of darkness.
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As a matter of fact,
when you think of a light
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that shines in the darkness,
right before the day dawns
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or right before the
sun arises in the sky,
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what light do you think of?
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I hope you say, "the moon"
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because you're right.
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Look what the Bible
tells us about the moon.
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And in connection with the
more sure word of prophecy,
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you're going to see that
God has given us something
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very important and very special,
in the book of Psalm chapter 89
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and verse 37, we are told,
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"It shall be
established forever as the moon,
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and as a faithful
witness in heaven. "
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You see, Ladies and Gentlemen,
according to the Word of God,
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the moon has been established
as a faithful witness.
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And what does a witness
do? A witness testifies.
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But now, what does
the moon testify of?
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Well, think about it,
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every night when you see
the moon shining in the sky,
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you know that that light
that's coming from the moon,
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it's not coming
from the moon itself,
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the light that is
being emitted from the moon,
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is nothing more
than a reflection
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of the light that
comes from the sun,
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so, every night, no
matter how dark it is,
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if you can see the
moon shining in the sky,
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it testifies to the fact that
though you cannot see the sun,
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the sun is in existence
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because the moon is reflecting
the light of the sun on you.
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Did you know that the
Bible speaks of a spiritual sun?
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In the book of Revelation
chapter 22 and verse 16
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we are told there "I
Jesus have sent mine angel
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to testify these things
unto you in the churches.
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I am the root and
the offspring of David,
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I am the bright
and morning star. "
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Jesus Christ is the morning star
and the morning star is the sun.
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Then, in the book of Revelation,
chapter 1 and verse 16,
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which is a
description of Jesus Christ
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we are told there, "In
his right hand were 7 stars:
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and out of his mouth
went a sharp twoedged sword:
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and his
countenance was as the sun
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shineth in his strength. "
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Once again, Jesus
Christ is the spiritual sun
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and God has given us the
more sure word of prophecy
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the gift of prophecy,
the spirit of prophecy,
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to act like the
moon for the sun.
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Let me explain this
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a little bit more clearly.
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You see, we learned
earlier, in the book of
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2 Peter chapter 1 and verse 19,
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"We have also a more
sure word of prophecy:
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whereunto ye do
well that ye take heed,
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as unto a light that
shineth in a dark place,"
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the same way
that the moon shines
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during the darkness of the night
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"until the day dawns or
the sun arises in the sky
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and the day star
arises in our hearts. "
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Ladies and Gentlemen,
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God has given us the
more sure word of prophecy,
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the testimony of Jesus
Christ the spirit of prophecy,
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for the purpose of guiding
us during these dark hours
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of our earth's existence.
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During the time
in which it seems
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that all types of
corruption and perversity
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are taking root on
all sides we can know,
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although we
cannot see Jesus Christ,
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His presence is
still there with us.
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And He desires to give us
life, and life more abundantly.
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This is why the Bible tells us
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in Revelation 1 and verse 3,
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"Blessed is he that readeth,
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and they that hear the
words of this prophecy,
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and keep those things
which are written therein:
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for the time is at hand. "
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The blessing only comes
when we keep those things
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that are found within this book,
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when we let
these truths guide us,
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and direct us and be the
governor of all of our decisions
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because the time is at
hand, and Ladies and Gentlemen,
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how close are we to
the end of all things?
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Well you are about
to find out right now,
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as I invite you
to watch with me,
00:09:07.54\00:09:09.78
Part 1 of a special
00:09:09.81\00:09:12.15
Forerunner
Chronicles documentary
00:09:12.18\00:09:13.95
"Rome's Revenge. "
00:09:13.98\00:09:15.85
Listen, he who
doesn't remember his past,
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is doomed to repeat it,
because as a wise man once said,
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"There really is no
new thing under the sun. "
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Amongst all the
empires of antiquity,
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there is one that
stands out as noteworthy,
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because of its impact,
upon our contemporary society
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I am speaking of
the empire of Rome.
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Imperial Rome was
the first Republic,
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a form of government
that was previously unknown
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in the history of our world,
the Bible itself prophesied
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of this historical fact in
the book of Daniel chapter 7
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in speaking of the 4th beast
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which Daniel the
prophet saw in vision
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we are told in Daniel
chapter 7 and verse 19,
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"Then I would know the
truth of the fourth beast
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which was DIVERSE
from all the others"
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then in verse 23, the
Bible expounds on this
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prophetic symbol by giving
us the additional information,
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"Thus he said the fourth beast
shall be the fourth kingdom
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upon the earth which shall
be DIVERSE from all kingdoms,
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and shall devour the whole earth
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and shall tread it down
and break it in pieces. "
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In its natural succession
after the three prophetic beasts
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or three
kingdoms that preceded it,
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the first of which was a
lion with the wings of an eagle
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which stands as a prophetic
symbol of the empire of Babylon
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which fell in the year
539 BC, the pagan Roman empire
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was the fourth kingdom
from that starting point
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to ascend to global
dominance, and without contest
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it vastly deferred from
all the kingdoms before it
00:11:23.21\00:11:27.08
for with the introduction
of a never-known-before
00:11:27.12\00:11:30.89
Republican
framework for its government,
00:11:30.95\00:11:33.52
the citizens of its
dominion were given a role
00:11:33.62\00:11:37.49
in the political process,
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and as it is described in
Daniel chapter 7 and verse 23,
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as devouring the whole
earth, shredding it down
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and breaking it in
pieces so the pages of antiquity
00:11:48.60\00:11:52.61
of grief that the
merciless Roman forces
00:11:52.64\00:11:56.01
with their infamous
failings battle formation
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obliterated any
opposition to Roman supremacy.
00:12:00.65\00:12:05.09
However, there are several
other identifiable attributes
00:12:05.12\00:12:10.26
of this former iron empire,
that are certainly worthy
00:12:10.33\00:12:14.00
of analytical
observation, one of which was
00:12:14.10\00:12:18.00
it's grossly large
number of government dependence
00:12:18.07\00:12:21.80
but before we discuss
this detestable precursor
00:12:21.84\00:12:25.51
to the decline
of the Roman Empire,
00:12:25.57\00:12:28.41
it would be more
than advantageous
00:12:28.44\00:12:31.21
for us to take a glimpse at
the yesteryears of imperial Rome
00:12:31.25\00:12:36.48
during its youthful glory.
00:12:36.52\00:12:38.79
In its formative years
the fledging Roman empire
00:12:38.82\00:12:46.26
was a society that
was basically driven
00:12:46.33\00:12:48.86
by agricultural enterprises,
sheepherders and small farmers
00:12:48.93\00:12:54.17
were the main
arteries of its economy.
00:12:54.20\00:12:57.44
However, by the
second century BC,
00:12:57.47\00:13:00.68
a major shift for the supposed
betterment of society took place
00:13:00.71\00:13:05.88
large-scale businesses began
to make their grand entrance
00:13:05.95\00:13:11.49
into Roman
civilization which in turn
00:13:11.52\00:13:14.86
spurred a massive boom in
immigrants pouring into Rome
00:13:14.89\00:13:19.76
from many lands who
were seeking to capitalize
00:13:19.79\00:13:23.53
on the apparent
economic opportunities
00:13:23.57\00:13:26.10
that Rome's rapid
industrialization could afford
00:13:26.13\00:13:29.87
and as a result... many sections
of Rome became urbanized
00:13:29.90\00:13:36.18
one of which was Italy,
00:13:36.21\00:13:38.35
all that the
ambitious heart could desire
00:13:38.38\00:13:41.82
the womb of
Mother Rome could provide
00:13:41.88\00:13:45.25
there was free enterprise,
prosperity, commerce and trade
00:13:45.29\00:13:50.59
were ever
blossoming and best of all
00:13:50.63\00:13:53.09
there was limited Government
the successful merchant
00:13:53.13\00:13:57.30
was a social celebrity.
00:13:57.33\00:13:59.33
Furthermore, Rome's
networks of communication
00:13:59.37\00:14:03.51
and roads of
travel were a catalyst
00:14:03.54\00:14:06.88
for such rapidity that
they could not be matched
00:14:06.91\00:14:10.65
until the invention of the
00:14:10.68\00:14:12.35
telegraph, the
steamship and the railroad
00:14:12.38\00:14:15.88
in the 19th century.
00:14:15.92\00:14:17.82
In reference to Roman
law in Arthur Ferrill's book,
00:14:17.85\00:14:22.06
"The Fall of the
Roman Empire" he remarks,
00:14:22.09\00:14:25.16
that the benefits
of the peace of Rome
00:14:25.19\00:14:28.13
or Pax Romana include the
development of one of man's
00:14:28.16\00:14:32.77
most impressive codes of law,
and an administrative system
00:14:32.80\00:14:37.17
that met needs of
men of varied languages,
00:14:37.21\00:14:40.54
ethnic backgrounds,
and cultural traditions.
00:14:40.58\00:14:43.91
The poet Virgil
was not far from wrong
00:14:43.95\00:14:47.18
in claiming that his
nation ruled the world
00:14:47.22\00:14:49.92
in peace and justice,
00:14:49.95\00:14:52.25
in addition to this most
enviable system of justice
00:14:52.29\00:14:56.62
the political military
might of the Roman Empire
00:14:56.69\00:15:00.96
was
unquestionably the most dominant
00:15:01.00\00:15:04.27
of the Mediterranean
and Europe but nonetheless
00:15:04.30\00:15:08.00
as it is the portion and plight
00:15:08.04\00:15:10.64
of all things that
are temporal in nature
00:15:10.71\00:15:14.18
the magnificent
glory of the Roman Empire
00:15:14.21\00:15:17.58
came to an end.
00:15:17.65\00:15:19.75
"Bur how," may you ask
"did such a thing happened?"
00:15:19.78\00:15:22.85
Well the answer is simplistic,
however, nonetheless shocking,
00:15:22.88\00:15:27.79
history shows that the
decline of the Roman Empire
00:15:27.82\00:15:32.66
was due to a major change
00:15:32.69\00:15:35.36
in the principles
of the Roman people.
00:15:35.40\00:15:38.07
Most notable was the
radical shift in their ideas
00:15:38.10\00:15:42.90
concerning their
source of personal income
00:15:42.94\00:15:46.34
and personal responsibility.
00:15:46.37\00:15:49.11
In its golden years,
00:15:49.14\00:15:50.85
the average Roman
Citizen was independent,
00:15:50.91\00:15:54.28
as farmers and herders
00:15:54.32\00:15:56.38
each individual
looked to themselves
00:15:56.42\00:15:58.92
as their source of livelihood.
00:15:58.95\00:16:01.16
They ate what they
produced and they profited
00:16:01.19\00:16:04.73
from what they could obtain
00:16:04.76\00:16:06.39
from their own industrious
efforts in the marketplace
00:16:06.43\00:16:10.50
and collectively the
industrious citizens of Rome
00:16:10.57\00:16:14.57
were the stable foundation
of their Country's economy.
00:16:14.60\00:16:19.24
But interestingly
enough, as time progressed,
00:16:19.27\00:16:23.45
the descendants of the once
industrious Roman patriarchs,
00:16:23.48\00:16:27.78
found a new
viable source of income,
00:16:27.82\00:16:31.09
and that source of
income was the State.
00:16:31.12\00:16:34.29
The Republic of Rome
was the first Government
00:16:34.32\00:16:38.19
in the history of the nations
to institute the Welfare System.
00:16:38.23\00:16:43.26
Emperor Aurelian
changing the old practice
00:16:43.33\00:16:47.40
of giving the citizens wheat
00:16:47.44\00:16:48.90
so that they could
bake their own bread
00:16:48.94\00:16:51.51
provided the Welfare recipients
of the Roman Government
00:16:51.54\00:16:55.11
with baked bread,
00:16:55.14\00:16:57.01
and not only did the Government
provide its welfare dependents,
00:16:57.05\00:17:00.55
with baked bread... but
pork, olive oil and salt
00:17:00.58\00:17:04.85
were also included in
their Welfare Grab Bag.
00:17:04.89\00:17:09.16
Furthermore, Emperor Aurelian
in a landmark declaration
00:17:09.19\00:17:14.83
in AD 274 declared
that the children of parents
00:17:14.93\00:17:19.97
that received Welfare
benefits, were entitled by Right
00:17:20.04\00:17:24.24
to receive
Government benefits as well,
00:17:24.31\00:17:27.38
making these Welfare
recipients Government Dependents
00:17:27.41\00:17:32.08
from the cradle to the grave.
00:17:32.11\00:17:34.62
But the question arises as to
why would the Government of Rome
00:17:34.65\00:17:40.06
do such a thing.
00:17:40.09\00:17:41.52
Well, the answer to
this question is sad
00:17:41.56\00:17:45.06
but nevertheless it's factual.
00:17:45.09\00:17:48.00
In their desire to maintain
control, but more importantly,
00:17:48.03\00:17:53.30
to invest more power
into the Roman Republic
00:17:53.34\00:17:57.51
than the Framework of the
00:17:57.57\00:17:59.31
Republic-style
Government afforded
00:17:59.34\00:18:01.24
that Heads of State
sought to subtly strip the
00:18:01.28\00:18:05.75
Roman Citizens of their power
within the political process
00:18:05.78\00:18:10.05
which they naturally maintained
00:18:10.12\00:18:12.32
as a result of their
industrious lifestyles
00:18:12.35\00:18:16.42
that made them independent.
00:18:16.46\00:18:18.53
Therefore, to make them into
surrendering their independence,
00:18:18.59\00:18:23.97
they offered them the
securities and basic necessities
00:18:24.00\00:18:28.24
that they previously
00:18:28.27\00:18:29.80
had to rely on their
individual industries to obtain,
00:18:29.84\00:18:33.71
thereby, turning a
once-independent civilization
00:18:33.78\00:18:39.51
into a sick ward
of Welfare Dependents.
00:18:39.55\00:18:43.62
And as the people became
more dependent on the State,
00:18:43.69\00:18:48.02
the State became more
independent of the people
00:18:48.06\00:18:52.19
and although
Rome, until its demise,
00:18:52.23\00:18:55.93
retained the name of a Republic,
00:18:55.96\00:18:58.23
it was evident to even the
most unlearned man of Society
00:18:58.27\00:19:03.27
that the beauty of Rome
00:19:03.30\00:19:05.14
had degenerated
into an imperial tyranny.
00:19:05.17\00:19:09.61
Once the independent citizens
became dependents of the State,
00:19:09.64\00:19:14.55
the Head of the
Roman Republic knew
00:19:14.58\00:19:17.95
that they would have the power
to do whatever they wanted,
00:19:17.99\00:19:21.72
because as the old adage says,
00:19:21.76\00:19:24.56
"You don't bite the
hand that feeds you. "
00:19:24.59\00:19:28.43
And lastly, as an
extra precautionary measure,
00:19:28.46\00:19:32.13
to ensure that they
wouldn't have to deal with any
00:19:32.17\00:19:35.80
undesirable
uprisings of the people,
00:19:35.87\00:19:38.54
the Government
provided the citizens of Rome,
00:19:38.57\00:19:42.01
with an
abundance of entertainment.
00:19:42.08\00:19:45.35
They called this,
"Bread and Circus. "
00:19:45.38\00:19:48.15
In other words,
00:19:48.22\00:19:49.55
"Keep the people fed, and
keep their minds preoccupied
00:19:49.58\00:19:53.09
with entertainment, and
the Government can get away
00:19:53.12\00:19:56.83
with anything it wants. "
00:19:56.86\00:19:58.49
Now, the million dollar question
is, how does this apply to you?
00:19:58.56\00:20:04.23
Well, if you live within
the United States of America,
00:20:04.27\00:20:07.64
it has
everything to do with you.
00:20:07.70\00:20:10.91
You see, the Bible tells us
00:20:10.94\00:20:13.64
in the book of Ecclesiastes
chapter 1 and verse 10,
00:20:13.68\00:20:17.21
"Is there any thing
whereof it may be said,
00:20:17.25\00:20:20.28
See this is new?
00:20:20.32\00:20:21.68
it hath been
already of old time,
00:20:21.72\00:20:24.19
which was before us"
00:20:24.25\00:20:25.75
then, in Ecclesiastes
chapter 3 and verse 15,
00:20:25.79\00:20:30.39
the Bible goes on to say,
"That which hath been is now;
00:20:30.43\00:20:34.60
And that which is to
be hath already been;
00:20:34.63\00:20:38.00
and God requireth
00:20:38.03\00:20:39.60
that which is past. "
00:20:39.63\00:20:41.44
Simply put, the events
that took place in the past,
00:20:41.54\00:20:45.41
are taking place in
our present-day Society.
00:20:45.44\00:20:48.54
And the events that are going
to take place in the future,
00:20:48.61\00:20:51.91
hath in
principle, at the very least,
00:20:51.95\00:20:54.68
taken place in the past.
00:20:54.72\00:20:56.62
And God wants us to be
knowledgeable of world history
00:20:56.65\00:21:00.66
so that we can better understand
why certain activities
00:21:00.69\00:21:04.63
are taking place
in our world today
00:21:04.66\00:21:07.86
and what will be
the inevitable results
00:21:07.86\00:21:11.00
we are going to reap from these
actions in the near future.
00:21:11.03\00:21:15.94
Because, remember,
00:21:15.97\00:21:17.31
there really isn't
anything new under the sun.
00:21:17.37\00:21:21.18
In the Bible, in
the book of Revelation
00:21:21.21\00:21:24.41
the Roman Empire
is actually identified
00:21:24.45\00:21:27.62
under a very terrifying symbol.
00:21:27.65\00:21:30.09
In Revelation
chapter 12 and verse 3,
00:21:30.15\00:21:33.05
we are told, "And there appeared
another wonder in heaven;
00:21:33.09\00:21:36.93
and behold a great, red
dragon having seven heads
00:21:36.99\00:21:40.66
and ten horns, and
seven crowns upon his heads.
00:21:40.70\00:21:44.33
And his tail drew the third
part of the stars of heaven,
00:21:44.37\00:21:48.54
and did cast them to the earth:
00:21:48.57\00:21:50.84
and the dragon
stood before the woman
00:21:50.87\00:21:53.51
to devour her child
00:21:53.54\00:21:55.38
as soon as it was born. "
00:21:55.41\00:21:57.91
Now this dragon here
00:21:57.95\00:21:59.85
in Revelation
chapter 12 verses 3 and 4
00:21:59.88\00:22:03.59
primarily stands
as a symbol of Satan.
00:22:03.62\00:22:06.96
We are told in Revelation
chapter 12 and verse 9
00:22:06.99\00:22:10.03
which says, "And the
great dragon was cast out,
00:22:10.06\00:22:13.23
that old serpent,
called the Devil and Satan,
00:22:13.26\00:22:16.36
which deceiveth the whole world:
00:22:16.40\00:22:18.23
he was cast out into the earth,
00:22:18.27\00:22:20.10
and his angels were
cast out with him. "
00:22:20.14\00:22:22.77
However, as we look closely,
there is some information
00:22:22.80\00:22:26.74
contained within Revelation
chapter 12 and verse 4
00:22:26.78\00:22:30.65
that tips us off to the fact
that the symbol of the dragon
00:22:30.71\00:22:35.22
is used here secondarily
to identify the activities
00:22:35.25\00:22:39.49
of the pagan Roman Empire.
00:22:39.52\00:22:41.32
At the end of Revelation
chapter 12 and verse 4,
00:22:41.36\00:22:44.69
we are told,
00:22:44.73\00:22:46.06
"And the dragon
stood before the woman
00:22:46.09\00:22:48.60
to devour her child
as soon as it was born. "
00:22:48.63\00:22:53.30
And then verse 5 goes on to say,
00:22:53.37\00:22:56.04
"And she brought
forth a man child,
00:22:56.10\00:22:58.74
who was to rule all
nations with a rod of iron:
00:22:58.77\00:23:02.61
and her child was
caught up unto God,
00:23:02.64\00:23:05.68
and to his throne. "
00:23:05.75\00:23:07.12
This man child "who was to rule
all nations with a rod of iron,
00:23:07.15\00:23:12.39
and was caught up unto
God, and to his throne,"
00:23:12.42\00:23:15.56
is none other than
the messiah, Jesus Christ.
00:23:15.59\00:23:18.63
We know this for a certainty
because the Bible tells us
00:23:18.66\00:23:22.90
in Psalm chapter 2
verses 7 through 9,
00:23:22.93\00:23:26.37
"I will declare the decree:
the Lord hath said unto me,
00:23:26.40\00:23:30.51
Thou art my Son; this
day have I begotten thee. "
00:23:30.57\00:23:34.58
"Ask of me, and
I shall give thee
00:23:34.61\00:23:37.11
the heathen for
thine inheritance,
00:23:37.15\00:23:39.58
and the uttermost parts of
the earth for thy possession. "
00:23:39.61\00:23:43.49
"Thou shalt break
them with a rod of iron;
00:23:43.55\00:23:47.52
thou shalt dash them in
pieces like a potter's vessel. "
00:23:47.56\00:23:51.86
According to these verses,
00:23:51.89\00:23:54.03
the only begotten
son of God, Jesus Christ,
00:23:54.10\00:23:57.83
is the one who shall
rule with a rod of iron.
00:23:57.87\00:24:01.54
Then, in the book of
Hebrews chapter 12 and verse 2,
00:24:01.57\00:24:06.44
we are told,
00:24:06.47\00:24:07.81
"Looking unto Jesus the author
and finisher of our faith;
00:24:07.84\00:24:11.78
who for the joy that was set
before him endured the cross,
00:24:11.81\00:24:15.92
despising the
shame, and is set down
00:24:15.95\00:24:19.05
at the right hand
of the throne of God. "
00:24:19.09\00:24:21.09
It is evident from these verses
00:24:21.12\00:24:23.93
that the
man-child that is spoken of
00:24:23.96\00:24:26.70
in Revelation
chapter 12 verses 3 and 4,
00:24:26.73\00:24:29.40
is no more than a symbol
of the messiah, Jesus Christ.
00:24:29.43\00:24:33.50
and this means that it was Jesus
that the dragon tried to devour
00:24:33.54\00:24:39.31
as soon as He was
born here on planet earth.
00:24:39.34\00:24:42.91
However, there is no
account found in the Bible
00:24:42.98\00:24:46.55
of Satan as a
literal great red dragon,
00:24:46.61\00:24:50.05
having 7 heads and 10 horns
00:24:50.09\00:24:52.09
attacking Baby Jesus
at the time of His birth.
00:24:52.12\00:24:55.56
However, we can read in the
book of Matthew the 2nd chapter
00:24:55.59\00:25:00.76
that Herod who was the
ruler of the Roman Empire
00:25:00.83\00:25:04.90
at the time of
the birth of Jesus,
00:25:04.97\00:25:06.84
seeking to murder
Jesus as soon as He was born.
00:25:06.87\00:25:10.91
We are told in the
book of Matthew, chapter 2,
00:25:10.94\00:25:14.84
"Now when Jesus was
born in Bethlehem of Judaea,
00:25:14.88\00:25:18.78
in the days of Herod the king,
00:25:18.81\00:25:20.82
behold, there came wise
men from the east to Jerusalem,
00:25:20.85\00:25:24.89
Saying, 'where is he
that is born King of the Jews?
00:25:24.92\00:25:28.96
for we have seen
his star in the east,
00:25:28.99\00:25:31.79
and are come to worship him. '"
00:25:31.83\00:25:34.20
Verses 7 and 8 of
that same chapter, tell us,
00:25:34.20\00:25:38.40
"Then Herod, when he had
privily called the wise men,
00:25:38.43\00:25:42.10
enquired of them diligently
what time the star appeared.
00:25:42.14\00:25:45.71
And he sent them to
Bethlehem, and said,
00:25:45.74\00:25:49.01
'Go and search
diligently for the young child;
00:25:49.04\00:25:52.61
and when ye have found
him, bring me word again,
00:25:52.65\00:25:56.18
that I may come and
worship him also. '"
00:25:56.22\00:25:59.95
Then, in Matthew chapter 2 and
verse 12, the Bible tells us,
00:26:00.09\00:26:05.39
"And being
warned of God in a dream
00:26:05.43\00:26:08.06
that they should
not return to Herod,
00:26:08.10\00:26:10.50
they departed into their
own country another way. "
00:26:10.57\00:26:14.24
And finally, in verse
16 of Matthew chapter 2,
00:26:14.27\00:26:18.74
we are told, "Then Herod,
when he saw that he was mocked
00:26:18.77\00:26:23.11
of the wise men,
was exceeding wroth,
00:26:23.14\00:26:26.51
and sent forth,
00:26:26.55\00:26:27.88
to slay all the
children that were in Bethlehem,
00:26:27.92\00:26:31.65
and in all the coasts thereof,
from two years old and under,
00:26:31.69\00:26:36.32
according to the time
which he had diligently enquired
00:26:36.36\00:26:40.70
of the wise men. "
00:26:40.73\00:26:42.03
As you can see, it
was not Satan himself
00:26:42.06\00:26:45.97
but it was the
pagan Roman Empire
00:26:46.00\00:26:49.90
that was used by
Satan as his puppet
00:26:49.97\00:26:53.78
to attempt to destroy
the life of the messiah,
00:26:53.84\00:26:57.61
which brings us to our point,
00:26:57.65\00:27:00.18
the dragon is
secondarily used as a symbol
00:27:00.25\00:27:04.49
in Revelation chapter 12
to represent the activities
00:27:04.52\00:27:08.92
of the pagan Republic of Rome.
00:27:08.96\00:27:11.23
Now, you may be wondering
00:27:11.26\00:27:14.10
what all of this has to do with
the United States of America.
00:27:14.13\00:27:17.67
Well, if you are,
pay close attention
00:27:17.70\00:27:20.94
because you are
about to find out.
00:27:20.97\00:27:24.21