Participants:
Series Code: GPC
Program Code: GPC000004A
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00:30 Before we get started,
00:31 we want to have a word of prayer, 00:33 then we'll have a review of what we've studied so far 00:35 to give us some context, 00:37 and then we will get into new material. 00:39 So, let's just bow our heads for a word of prayer. 00:41 Father in heaven, 00:42 we come before your throne 00:44 realizing that our wisdom is not sufficient 00:47 to understand the great themes from your word, 00:50 especially prophecy. 00:51 And so we claim the promise of your presence 00:54 to help us understand. 00:56 And not only to understand but to be able to share 00:59 what we're studying here. 01:01 So we ask for the presence of your Holy Spirit 01:03 through the ministry of the angels. 01:05 We ask Lord that you will instruct us 01:08 and you will empower us 01:10 to understand these things and proclaim 01:12 into the world. 01:13 And we thank you for hearing our prayer 01:15 for we ask it in the precious name of Jesus, amen. 01:20 Well, let's do a little review of what we've studied so far. 01:24 We're studying God's great prophetic chain. 01:29 Where does a chain begin? 01:31 It begins with Babylon, 01:33 very well, 605 to 539 B.C. 01:36 What is the second kingdom? 01:39 Medo-Persia and that kingdom ruled 01:42 from 539 to 331 B.C. 01:45 Then we have a third king, what is the third kingdom. 01:49 Greece, it's the leopard, Greece. 01:51 Greece ruled from 331 B.C. to 168 B.C. 01:56 And then we have a fourth beast, 01:58 this fourth beast represents which empire? 02:01 It represents the Roman Empire. 02:03 And what happened to the Roman Empire 02:05 after a long period in which it was united? 02:09 It was what? 02:10 It was divided. 02:12 It was divided into 10 kingdoms. 02:14 The nations of Europe today 02:16 are the fruit of the division of the Roman Empire. 02:20 And that's interesting that we noticed in the news 02:23 that our Great Britain has decided 02:25 to get out of the European Union. 02:28 The prophecy of Daniel Chapter 2 says 02:30 that they will not cleave together 02:32 which is very, very interesting 02:33 even though they tried to get together, 02:35 the fact that they're so different in language 02:38 and they're so different in culture 02:39 makes it very, very difficult. 02:41 Different than the US, 02:43 the US has one language and basically one culture. 02:46 So it makes it much easier to have 02:47 50 say states in one nation. 02:50 Europe is a different story with different economies 02:53 and a different culture and different languages, 02:55 it makes it impossible for Europe to come together. 03:00 And so, we have the division of the Roman Empire 03:03 and then among the 10 divisions rises what? 03:07 A little horn. 03:09 How long does that little horn rule? 03:13 1260 years exactly. 03:18 When do the 1260 years begin? 03:21 In the year 538 A.D. 03:24 that is after Christ. 03:26 And when do the 1200 years end? 03:30 They end in the year 1798 03:34 and what happened in 1798? 03:35 Two things happen 03:37 to the little horn or the beast, 03:38 because we noticed that the little horn 03:40 and the beast represent the same power. 03:42 What happened to the little horn or the beast? 03:45 Number 1, 03:46 the system was wounded by what? 03:49 By the sword. 03:50 What does the sword represent? 03:52 It represents the civil power, that's right. 03:55 And the second thing that happen 03:57 to this beast system or the little horn 04:00 is that it was sent into what? 04:02 It was sent into captivity, 04:04 which means that it could no longer use 04:07 the civil powers of the world to accomplish its purposes. 04:11 Do you remember that? 04:12 And so, in 1798, 04:14 since 1798, the papacy has been wounded. 04:18 The papacy has been in captivity 04:21 because it has not been able to climb on the backs 04:25 of the civil rulers of the world 04:27 to impose her beliefs and to impose her practices. 04:31 So for the last two hundred years plus, 04:33 the papacy has been in inactivity. 04:36 It has been a wounded system 04:38 because the civil powers do not allow 04:40 the papacy to use them to accomplish her purposes. 04:45 Now, the question is, 04:47 does the prophetic chain continue after 1798? 04:52 Do we have anything in the Bible 04:54 about what's gonna happen after 1798. 04:58 Yes, the Bible does have information on that. 05:01 Let's go to Revelation 13:11, Revelation 13:11. 05:07 It says that, 05:09 "Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, 05:14 and he had two horns like a lamb 05:17 and he spoke like a what, he spoke like a dragon." 05:21 Now, I need to explain something, 05:23 I don't have the time in this presentation 05:26 to prove what I'm gonna say but I will, 05:30 I have a syllabus that Secrets Unsealed carries 05:34 which deals with the structural matters 05:36 of the Book of Revelation, 05:37 but when the Book of Revelation 05:39 introduces a new series 05:41 in the first verse of the series, 05:44 it contains the beginning and ending point of the series. 05:48 In other words, 05:49 when chronologically the series begins 05:51 and when chronologically the series ends. 05:53 So when it says here that this beast 05:57 from the earth has two horns like a lamb 06:00 but speaks like a dragon, 06:01 it doesn't mean that from the time it began, 06:04 it spoke like a dragon. 06:06 It simply means that at the beginning, 06:08 it had two horns like a lamb and after a period of time, 06:11 it started speaking like a dragon. 06:13 That's a very important point that we need to keep in mind. 06:16 Now, obviously this beast has a positive side 06:19 and a negative side. 06:21 The positive side of this beast is the two horns like a lamb. 06:27 The negative side of this beast is that this beast 06:30 speaks like what? 06:32 Speaks like a dragon. 06:33 You know, you can actually read Revelation 13: 11 06:36 in two different ways. 06:38 You can read it and that this beast 06:42 that rose from the earth had two horns like a lamb 06:46 and spoke like a dragon. 06:48 In other words, 06:49 while it still has the two horns, 06:50 the little lamb. 06:52 He speaks as a dragon 06:53 or it can be translated that it had two horns like lamb, 06:57 but it spoke like a dragon. 06:59 I think that the best translation is that 07:03 this beast had two horns like a lamb, 07:04 the positive side, 07:06 but in spite of having the two horns like a lamb, 07:09 it actually didn't speak like a lamb, it what? 07:12 It spoke like a dragon. 07:15 In other words, it professes one thing 07:18 but in practice it is something different. 07:21 Are you with me so far? 07:23 Now, the big question is, 07:25 what nation could be represented 07:29 by this beast that rises from the earth? 07:31 This beast that has two horns like a lamb 07:34 but speaks like a dragon. 07:36 What nation could be represented? 07:37 Well, we're gonna look at ten characteristics 07:41 that identify this beast that rises from the earth. 07:45 Number 1, 07:47 this is a beast 07:49 and what do beasts represent in Bible prophecy? 07:53 In every case beast represent nations or empires. 07:59 Is the lion a nation? 08:01 Is the bear a nation? 08:02 Is the leopard a nation? 08:04 Is the dragon beast a nation? 08:06 Is the ram a nation? 08:08 Is the he goat a nation? 08:09 Absolutely. 08:11 So in this case, 08:12 this beast must represent another what, 08:16 another nation that rises now. 08:19 It's not a person, it's a nation. 08:22 Now, I want you to notice, what was stated by the, 08:25 Bible commentator Adam Clarke, you know, 08:28 he's from about a 150 years ago, 08:30 but he said something very, very true 08:34 about Revelation 13:11 08:37 and I read now, 08:38 "As a beast has already been shown 08:42 to be a symbol of a kingdom or empire, 08:47 the rising up of the second beast 08:50 must consequently represent 08:53 the rising up of another empire, 08:56 is he right? 08:57 So he says, 08:58 the other beast were empires or kingdoms 09:00 so the rising of this beast must mean 09:03 that this is another nation or another what, 09:06 or another empire. 09:07 That's characteristic number one. 09:09 It has to be a nation. 09:11 Number two, 09:13 the historical flow method that we are using 09:16 tells us when this nation was going to rise. 09:21 Let's review what we started with, 09:23 because it's important for us to understand that 09:26 the chain has several links. 09:28 Are you following me or not? 09:29 When you connect all other links, 09:31 you see the trajectory from the times of Babylon 09:33 to the very end of time without any gaps. 09:37 It's quite simple. 09:38 You know exactly where you are in the flow. 09:40 You know exactly where you are 09:42 in the sequence of the world history, 09:44 don't you? 09:45 When you can see all of the links 09:47 one after the other, 09:48 you know, how history is flowing 09:50 and how history is going to flow. 09:53 So where does this beast out rise? 09:56 When does it rise? 09:58 Well, we have the lion which is Babylon, 10:00 we have the bear, the Medes and Persians. 10:03 We have the leopard beast which is Greece. 10:05 We have the dragon beast which is Rome. 10:08 We have the 10 horns on the dragon beast 10:10 which is divided Rome, 10:12 then we have the little horn 10:14 which is the same as the Sea beast. 10:15 Remember we prove that in three different ways. 10:18 The little horn is the same as the sea beast, 10:20 and that sea beast 10:22 or little horn rules for how long? 10:24 For 1260 years, 10:27 from 538 to 1798. 10:30 But what happens in 1798? 10:33 This little horn or beast is sent into what, 10:37 into captivity and is wounded with a sword. 10:41 In other words, its period of dominion ends 10:43 in 1798 with a deadly wound and it is sent into captivity. 10:49 And then immediately after that 10:52 first beast receives a deadly wound 10:54 and is set into captivity, 10:56 you have the beast from the earth that rises. 11:00 So here is my question. 11:02 When would we expect this nation 11:05 or this empire to arise in the prophetic flow? 11:09 It would have to be after the year 11:11 or around the year what? 11:13 1798. 11:14 We have to look for a nation that rises 11:17 around the year 1798. 11:19 There's another reason why we know that this is true. 11:23 Characteristic number three, notice Revelation 13:10 and 11, 11:27 Revelation 13:10 and 11. 11:29 This is closely related to point number two. 11:32 It says speaking about that first beast 11:35 that rose from the sea representing the papacy, 11:37 the same as the little horn, 11:38 he who leads into captivity shall go into captivity. 11:44 He who kills with a sword must be killed with a sword. 11:49 Here is the patience and the faith of the saints. 11:52 So notice verse 9 and verse 10 11:57 speaks about the deadly wound 12:00 and the captivity of the beast 12:02 at the end of his period of dominion. 12:04 The very next verse, 12:05 verse 11 speaks of the beast that rises from the earth. 12:10 So do you notice when he is going to arise? 12:12 It's after the first beast is sent into captivity, 12:16 after the first beast receives its deadly wound. 12:18 Notice what it says, in verse 11, Then... 12:22 What does then indicate? 12:24 This happens and what? 12:26 And then this follows. 12:28 Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, 12:31 and he had two horns like a lamb 12:34 but he spoke like a dragon. 12:35 So around what date would you expect 12:37 this nation to arise? 12:39 It would have to be around the year what? 12:41 1798, 12:43 because we have a chain of events here. 12:45 Are you following me or not? 12:46 I mean, it's not complicated, this is not rocket science. 12:49 You don't have to have the wisdom of King Solomon. 12:52 In order to understand that you're dealing with Babylon, 12:54 Medo-Persia, Greece, the Roman Empire, 12:56 the divided Roman Empire 12:58 and then the papacy ruling 1260 years sent into captivity, 13:02 received a deadly wound, 13:04 and then at that point 13:06 this other nation rises from the earth, 13:09 and it has two horns like a lamb 13:11 and it speaks like a dragon. 13:12 Are you following me so far? 13:14 Let's notice characteristic number four. 13:17 The earth must represent a sparsely populated area. 13:22 You say why is that? 13:24 Because we already noticed that in Bible prophecy, 13:27 waters represent what? 13:30 Multitudes, nations, tongues and peoples. 13:33 So this beast does not rise where there are multitudes, 13:37 nations, tongues and peoples, 13:39 it rises from the earth. 13:40 In other words, 13:42 it is a very sparsely populated area. 13:45 Further more, 13:47 you'll notice that there are no winds involved 13:49 when this beast rises. 13:52 No winds, there are no waters, 13:55 there are no savage beasts that this beast has to concur. 13:59 He simply rises from the earth, 14:02 so he does not rise in the midst of warring 14:04 with previous nations, you know, 14:06 there is knocked out winds 14:08 and strife when this nation rises, 14:10 simply this nation rises from the earth. 14:14 I want to read a statement 14:15 that was written by Daniel J Burstyn, 14:18 who was the librarian of Congress for many years. 14:22 In 1975, he gave a series of lectures 14:25 called the Reith Lectures in London, 14:27 and this is what he stated 14:29 about the nature of the place where the United States arose. 14:33 The vacancy of North America, no that means empty right, 14:36 not very many people. 14:38 "The vacancy of North America was to prove to be 14:43 its peculiar promise to the world. 14:46 Emptiness was America's special fertility." 14:51 Not so in the old world, 14:53 the old world was very, very populated, 14:56 but what this librarian of Congress is saying 14:59 that this place was empty when it comes to people, 15:04 and that's the reason 15:05 why this beast rises from the earth 15:07 and does not rise from the waters. 15:10 Let's go to characteristic number five. 15:12 Did you notice that it tells us here, 15:15 that this beast rises from the earth. 15:19 Now, that word rises is very interesting, 15:21 it could be translated, sprouted from the earth. 15:25 In other words, in 1798, 15:27 it had not reached its full size, 15:29 it was just sprouting in 1798. 15:33 You say, well, how do you know that? 15:35 Well, the same word for rising is used in Matthew 13:7, 15:41 it's speaking to the Parable of the Sower, 15:43 and I want you to notice what Jesus had to say. 15:47 And some of the seed fell among thorns 15:52 and the thorns what, 15:54 sprang up and choked them, see. 15:57 So in 1798, 15:59 this nation had not reached the apex of its power, 16:02 the climax of its power, 16:03 it was just sprouting or rising from the earth 16:07 at that specific date. 16:09 Later on it was gonna grow into a huge empire. 16:14 Now, notice once again, 16:16 what this historian had to say 16:19 about the rise of the United States. 16:22 This is G.A Townsend in his book 16:24 The New World Compared with the Old. 16:28 He states the history of the United States 16:31 was separated by a beneficent Providence 16:34 from the wild and cruel history of the rest of the continent. 16:38 You know, the Spaniards, 16:39 they were very cruel in colonizing 16:41 Latin America for example. 16:43 So this historian is saying, 16:45 the history of the United States was different 16:47 than the rest of the continent, 16:49 and then he uses this terminology 16:51 which is very interesting, 16:53 and like a what, 16:56 a silent seed we what, 17:00 we grew into an empire. 17:03 And this is a secular historian. 17:05 He doesn't have the foggiest idea 17:07 that he is making a comment on Revelation 13:11. 17:11 So in 1798, 17:13 this nation had not reached the fullness of its power, 17:16 this nation was just what, it was just sprouting. 17:21 Now, another important characteristic, 17:23 this would be characteristic number six. 17:26 I already mention that the first four beasts rose 17:29 from the sea. 17:31 Now, the first two beasts of Daniel 7 are powers 17:35 that ruled in Asia. 17:39 You know that Babylon, 17:41 and you know that Medo-Persia are Asian powers. 17:44 The next two beasts 17:46 which is the leopard and the dragon beast 17:49 are European powers. 17:53 Isn't that right, Greece and Rome? 17:55 Do you notice that really 17:57 we are moving from east to west? 18:00 Prophecy moves from east to west 18:02 because Christianity move from east to west. 18:06 So when Christianity moves, 18:08 prophecy moves along with a Christians 18:10 if you follow me. 18:12 And so, it's interesting to notice then 18:14 that this nation could not rise in Asia 18:19 and could not rise in Europe, 18:21 because if this nation had risen in Europe or Asia, 18:25 it would say that it rose from the sea, 18:27 from the waters 18:29 because those other beasts rose from the waters. 18:31 But because it doesn't say that it rises from the waters, 18:34 it must mean, 18:35 it doesn't rise in Asia or in Europe. 18:37 Are you with me or not? 18:38 Because the Asian and European powers 18:40 were the ones that rose from the sea. 18:42 So if this one rose in one of those two continents, 18:45 it would say that this beast rose from what? 18:48 From the sea or from the waters. 18:50 Now, another interesting characteristic, 18:53 this is characteristic number seven. 18:55 This territory provided refuge for God's people 18:59 that were persecuted during the 1260 years. 19:02 We don't have a lot of time 19:04 to get into all of these details, 19:06 but I'm just gonna briefly tell you the story. 19:08 Revelation 12 has many of the same elements 19:11 as Revelation 13. 19:14 There it speaks about a dragon 19:16 that persecutes the women 19:18 which represents the saints or God's people, 19:21 persecutes the saints, 19:22 it says in one verse, 19:25 time times and the dividing of time, 19:27 that connects with Daniel 7. 19:29 And a little later on it says, 19:31 the women fled to the wilderness 19:33 for 1260 days. 19:35 So by going to Revelation 12, you know, 19:38 that the time, times dividing of time 19:40 and the 1260 days are the same time period, 19:43 because in the chapter 19:45 the persecution of God's faithful people 19:47 represented by a pure woman is spoken of as taking place 19:51 during 1260 years, 19:52 but if you read verse 16, it says there that 19:56 when the woman was being persecuted, 19:59 the earth helped the woman 20:02 and swallowed up the waters of persecution. 20:07 So they're speaking about the territory that provided refuge 20:10 for God's persecuted people. 20:12 Let me ask you, 20:13 when persecution was hot in Europe, 20:16 where did people flee 20:19 to find freedom of worship 20:22 and to live in harmony 20:23 with the dictates of their conscience. 20:25 This is simply history. 20:26 They fled from Europe and they came where, 20:29 to the earth, 20:30 to the United States of America. 20:32 So when it says that this beast rises from the earth, 20:34 it means that the nation is arising in the territory. 20:38 Where as in Revelation 12, when it says, 20:41 that the earth helped the woman, 20:43 the United States did not exist yet, 20:45 but territory existed because the colonial period, 20:48 the United States didn't exist. 20:49 They were colonies of England. 20:51 Are you with me or not? 20:52 And so in Revelation 12, it says, 20:54 the earth came to the rescue, 20:56 the territory of the Untied States, 20:57 and then later on the beast rises from the earth. 21:01 That's when the nation of the United States rises 21:03 in this territory. 21:05 Are you with me or not? 21:06 So the territory of the United States 21:09 provided refuge for God's persecuted people. 21:13 Now, let's go to characteristic number eight. 21:16 Later in the history of this nation, 21:18 according to Revelation 13, 21:22 it would become a world wide super power. 21:26 It would be a super power economically, 21:29 because it says in Revelation 13, 21:31 that it would forbid to buy and sell on a global level. 21:36 It must have a dominion of the economy 21:39 in order to do this. 21:40 It would be a super power militarily, 21:43 because it will be able to enforce 21:46 the mark of the beast on pain of death 21:49 world wide whoever does not received the mark of the beast. 21:54 And it must also be a world power politically, 21:57 because it will lead all nations of the world 22:01 to worship the first beast. 22:03 So even though it begins like a little, 22:07 little plant from a seed, 22:09 later on it takes on huge gigantic proportions. 22:15 It becomes a world super power economically, 22:19 militarily and politically. 22:22 Incidentally, I have a little description here 22:25 of the population of the United States. 22:29 From the year 1701, 22:31 this is towards the later end of the colonial period. 22:35 In all of the Untied States there were 260,000 population. 22:40 In 1776, 22:42 when the declaration of Independence was ratified, 22:46 it had to grown to 2.8 million. 22:48 In 1800, it had grown to 5,236,000. 22:54 Just a hundred years later, in 1900, 22:57 it had grown from 5,000,000 to 76,212,000. 23:03 In 1950, just 50 years later, 23:06 the United States had grown to a 151,325,000 23:11 and the last census figure, in 2016, 23:15 the United States had a population of over 23:17 340,000, 000 populations. 23:22 Has the United States become a gigantic world super power? 23:26 It most certainly has. 23:28 Even though it began like a little seed 23:30 sprouting up from the earth, it became a world super power. 23:35 Now, let's notice characteristic number nine, 23:38 where as the beast of Daniel 7 ruled in succession, 23:44 the previous beast disappears, right, 23:46 like the bear finishes off the lion, correct, 23:49 and the leopard finishes off the bear, 23:52 and the dragon finishes off the leopard. 23:54 So the kingdom that is conquered 23:57 doesn't rule anymore. 23:59 But this beast from the earth is different, 24:01 because this beast 24:03 from the earth is actually coexistent 24:06 with the beast that received the deadly wound. 24:09 And we're gonna find 24:10 that it is actually going to help 24:13 the first beast recover its freedom 24:16 and recover from its deadly wound. 24:19 Are you following me or not? 24:21 So the second beast is a lot younger than the first beast, 24:25 and in a certain sense 24:27 they're going to exist together, 24:29 and the second beast is gonna help the first beast 24:32 recover its freedom from captivity 24:35 and recover from its deadly wound. 24:38 And then characteristic number 10. 24:41 While the land beast has two lamb like horns, 24:45 it will end up speaking like a dragon. 24:48 So we need to ask the question, 24:50 who is the dragon 24:52 and what are the lamb like horns? 24:55 See characteristic number 10, 24:56 we need to identify the dragon 24:58 and we need to identify also the two horns like a lamb. 25:04 Now, let's talk first of all about the dragon. 25:07 Let's read Revelation 13:11 once again, 25:10 "Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, 25:15 and he had two horns like a lamb 25:18 and spoke like a dragon." 25:21 Now, let's deal first of all with the fact that this beast 25:25 speaks like a dragon. 25:26 Let me ask you what does the dragon represent? 25:31 Well, I give you half credit for that. 25:34 I heard the answer Satan, 25:36 and it certainly represent Satan, 25:38 but there is a very important point 25:40 that I don't like you to miss. 25:43 And that is that the dragon represents 25:46 Satan working through Rome. 25:51 Satan works through Rome. 25:53 You say, how is that? 25:55 Well, let's talk first of all about the Roman Empire. 25:59 In Revelation 12, 26:01 we find the dragon standing next to the woman 26:03 to devour the child as soon as the child was born. 26:07 So who stood next to the woman to try and kill the child? 26:11 Was it the devil with pitchfork in hand, 26:13 and horns coming out of his head and a tail, 26:15 obviously the devil doesn't look like that, 26:17 but that's the way people usually portray him 26:19 and think of him. 26:20 Did the devil stand personally their next to Mary 26:22 to try and kill Jesus? 26:24 No. 26:25 How did the devil seek to slay Christ? 26:28 He influenced the Roman ruler Herod, 26:33 his earthly instrument so to speak to try 26:38 and finish off Jesus Christ when he was born. 26:40 So the dragon in this 26:41 first instance represents Satan, 26:43 but it represents Satan working through what, 26:47 working through the Roman Empire. 26:49 Now, what about during the 1260 years? 26:53 Here's where things get very interesting. 26:56 If you read Daniel 7, 26:57 it says the little horn persecuted 26:59 the saints of the Most High. 27:01 And the little horn represents what power? 27:03 Rome. 27:05 Which Rome? 27:06 Papal Rome, very good. 27:08 The little horn 27:09 or the beast represents papal Rome, 27:10 but when you go to Revelation 12, 27:12 it says that the dragon persecuted the woman 27:16 when she fled to the wilderness. 27:18 Now, wait a minute, 27:20 is it the little horn or is it that the dragon 27:22 that's persecuting the woman and the saints. 27:25 If the dragon in Revelation 12 is Satan, 27:28 but Daniel 7 tells us 27:31 that Satan works through the little horn 27:33 or through the beast. 27:34 Are you with me? 27:36 In other words, he is working through Rome, 27:38 because the little horn and the beast represents what? 27:41 Represents Rome. 27:42 So did Rome try to slay the man child? 27:45 Yes. 27:47 Did Rome try to annihilate God's Church? 27:49 Yes. 27:51 Papal Rome, Satan working through papal Rome. 27:53 So let me ask you when it says 27:54 that this beast has two horns 27:56 like a lamb, but speaks like a dragon, 27:58 it must mean that this beast not only speaks like Satan, 28:03 but it will speak like Rome. 28:08 You didn't get that? 28:09 Did you get that? 28:11 Because in Revelation 12, 13 28:14 the dragon represents Satan working through Rome. 28:19 It was Satan working through Rome 28:21 that try to slay the man child. 28:23 It was Satan working through Rome 28:25 who tried to destroy the church 28:27 during the 1260 years. 28:29 And it will be Satan working through Rome 28:31 with the help of the United States, 28:33 we're gonna notice 28:34 that will lead to the final persecution of God's people. 28:37 So when it says that it speaks like a dragon, 28:39 it is speaking like the devil who is speaking through Rome. 28:44 Are you understanding this point? 28:46 Crucially important. 28:47 Now, the interesting thing is that 28:51 this second beast becomes an ally of the first beast. 28:56 You know, all of the other beasts, 28:59 you know, they finished off the beast 29:00 before them, you know. 29:02 The bear fought with the lion, 29:04 finished him off. 29:05 You know, he had even three ribs in his mouth. 29:08 And then, you know, 29:09 the leopard comes 29:10 and the leopard finishes off the bear. 29:12 And then this dragon beast comes 29:14 and he finishes off the leopard. 29:16 In other words, the first four kingdoms, 29:18 they're fighting against the previous kingdom 29:21 but with this beast, it's different. 29:23 With this beast that rises from the earth, 29:25 it seems like its destiny is to help 29:29 the first beast recover its power. 29:32 Let me go to Revelation 13, 29:34 and you'll see this very, very clearly. 29:36 By the way we know that this is true 29:38 because this nation is gonna speak like a dragon. 29:41 It's gonna speak like what, 29:43 like Rome, that's right. 29:44 So that's one of the characteristics, 29:45 this nation is gonna speak like Rome. 29:47 But there are other reasons why we know this. 29:50 Notice Revelation 13:12, 29:56 it's speaking about this beast from the earth 29:59 and it says there, 30:01 "And he exercises all of the authority of" whom, 30:06 of the first beast. 30:07 So who is behind this beast ruling? 30:10 It's the first beast. 30:11 This beast from the earth exercises 30:13 all of the authority of the first beast, 30:17 and it says in his presence. 30:19 You know, most modern versions 30:21 translate that expression 30:22 in his presence is on his behalf. 30:26 There is a perfectly proper translation. 30:28 In other words, 30:30 what it's saying is that this beast from the earth 30:32 exercises all the authority of the first beast 30:35 on its behalf and now notice what it continue saying, 30:38 "and causes the earth and those who dwell in it 30:41 to worship what, to worship the first beast." 30:45 Is everything that this beast is doing 30:47 with reference to the first beast 30:48 to restore its power? 30:50 Absolutely. 30:51 Notice Revelation 13:14, 30:53 this beast will actually 30:55 make an image of the first beast, 30:56 and it's not a literal image, 30:58 it's symbolic. 31:01 It says in Revelation 13:14, 31:03 "And he that is the land beast 31:05 deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs 31:09 which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, 31:12 telling those who dwell on the earth 31:14 to make an image to the beast 31:16 who was wounded by the sword and lived." 31:18 So what does this beast from the earth do? 31:20 He makes an image of what? 31:22 Of the first beast. 31:24 Not only that, notice Revelation 13:16, 31:29 speaking about the second beast 31:30 it says "He causes all, 31:31 both small and great, rich and poor, 31:34 free and slave, 31:35 to receive a mark on their right hand 31:38 or on their foreheads." 31:40 Whose mark is this? 31:41 It's the mark of the beast. 31:43 Did you catch everything here? 31:46 What is the destiny of the second beast? 31:49 Everything he does is with reference to what? 31:52 To restore freedom and to restore the sword 31:56 to the first beast. 31:57 Let me review. 31:59 First of all, he speaks like a dragon, Rome. 32:01 Secondly, 32:03 exercises all the authority of the first beast. 32:06 Everything he does is on behalf of the first beast. 32:09 He makes everybody worship the first beast. 32:12 He makes an image of the first beast, 32:14 and he imposes the mark of the first beast. 32:17 The destiny of this nation that is spoken of here 32:20 is to restore the sword 32:23 and to give freedom to the system 32:26 that was sent into captivity 32:28 and that was wounded with the sword 32:30 in the year 1798. 32:32 Is this clear to you? 32:33 This is biblical. 32:35 We're studying the Bible here. 32:37 You know, we're not speculating like 32:39 so many Christians today, you know. 32:40 I was here in a non-Adventist pastor 32:43 who was saying, you know, that this, 32:45 the antichrist is gonna rise in the Middle East 32:47 and he is gonna sit in the literal Jewish Temple, 32:50 and he is gonna build this great big statue, 32:52 and this big statue, 32:53 this image is actually gonna be able to talk. 32:57 You know, everybody is gonna worship this statue 32:59 and this antichrist is gonna put a great big tattoo 33:02 on the forehead or on the right hand, 33:04 literalizing everything. 33:06 But we are dealing here with what? 33:08 We're dealing with symbols. 33:10 You have to allow the Bible to interpret the symbols. 33:12 We're not dealing with a literal tattoo. 33:15 Whoever has your mind has you. 33:18 In other words, 33:20 so the forehead means your mind. 33:22 The image is not a literal image, 33:25 it simply means that in this country 33:27 an image of what the papacy was in the past 33:30 is gonna be in the future 33:31 helped by this nation. 33:32 And what characterize the papacy in the past? 33:35 It joined what? 33:36 Church and state. 33:38 So an image of the papacy is that 33:41 the United States is going to join what? 33:44 Church and state. 33:46 That's an image of what the papacy was. 33:48 So it's not a literal image, it is a symbolic image. 33:54 So we discussed what the dragon represents 33:56 and what this beast from the earth is going to do. 33:59 Now, we need to talk about 34:00 the two horns like a lamb. 34:06 Let's go in our Bibles to Daniel 8: 3. 34:10 See the Bible explains itself, folks. 34:14 We don't have to go to Bible commentaries 34:16 to understand the Bible. 34:18 Bible commentaries are helpful, 34:19 I don't have anything against Bible commentaries, 34:22 but Bible commentaries are comments of human beings. 34:25 Uninspired human beings on the Bible. 34:28 It's better for us to go directly to the Bible 34:30 and study it for ourselves 34:32 and reach conclusions based on our study. 34:34 So these two horns like a lamb, 34:38 we need to understand 34:39 what those two horns like a lamb represent. 34:41 The question is what do they represent? 34:43 Revelation 13 doesn't tell you, 34:46 and so what do you do? 34:48 You say, well, did the Holy Spirit 34:49 place in some other place of the Bible 34:53 a verse that will help us understand 34:55 what the two horns like a lamb represents, 34:57 because the Holy Spirit superintended 35:00 the composition of the Bible. 35:01 The Holy Spirit put everything in the Bible 35:03 that we need to understand every verse of the Bible. 35:06 So if Revelation 13:11 does not tell us 35:09 what the two horns like a lamb are, 35:11 then we go to other verses of the Bible 35:13 that perhaps are parallel and help us understand. 35:15 Are you following the principle? 35:17 Now, the closest parallel 35:19 to Revelation 13:11 is found in Daniel 8:3. 35:25 It says, "Then I lifted my eyes and saw, 35:29 and there, standing 35:31 beside the river, was a what? 35:34 Ram, how many beasts here, 35:36 in this verse, one, right, just a ram, one ram," 35:39 was a Ram which had two what? 35:42 Horns. 35:43 Also here we have a beast with two horns 35:45 which had two horns and the two horns were high, 35:50 but one was higher than the other, 35:54 and the higher one came up last. 35:57 So you have one beast and this beast has two horns. 36:01 Do you have in Revelation 13:11, 36:03 do you have one beast that has two horns? 36:05 Yes, so do you think maybe 36:07 Daniel 8:3 might help us understand Revelation 13:11? 36:11 Obviously, yes. 36:13 Now, what does this mean, this ram, 36:17 who is one beast that has two horns? 36:21 Well, we don't have to guess 36:23 because Daniel 8:20 tells us 36:26 what this beast, 36:28 this ram with two horns represents. 36:30 It says, "The ram which you saw, 36:33 having the two horns they are the kings" 36:36 or the kingdoms we might say, 36:39 remember that kings and kingdoms 36:40 is interchangeable, 36:41 we've already studied this. 36:43 So they are the kingdoms of what? 36:46 Media and Persia. 36:47 So we have one nation 36:49 and this one nation is composed of two kingdoms. 36:54 One nation, two what? 36:56 Two kingdoms. 36:57 So the question is might 36:59 the beast of Revelation 13:11 37:00 be one nation 37:02 that is composed of two kingdoms. 37:05 Yes, but now, 37:08 I want you to notice something very interesting. 37:10 The horns on the head 37:13 of this beast of Revelation 13:11 37:15 are two horns like a lamb. 37:19 In Revelation invariably 37:21 the lamb is a symbol of Jesus Christ. 37:23 It's used 29 times, 37:25 the word Lamb in the Book of Revelation. 37:27 Every time it's a reference to Christ. 37:30 So these two horns like a lamb 37:32 must be the two kingdoms 37:34 that Jesus the Lamb recognized. 37:37 Are you following me or not? 37:39 So the question is, 37:40 what are the two kingdoms that Jesus, 37:42 the Lamb of God recognize? 37:44 Did Jesus recognize 37:45 the legitimate existence of two kingdoms in one nation? 37:50 Yes, He did. 37:52 You say where is that in the Bible? 37:54 Let's go to Matthew 22:19, 21, 37:59 Matthew 22:19, 21. 38:03 This is why, 38:04 when they ask Jesus 38:06 whether it was proper to pay taxes to Caesar. 38:09 It says there, Jesus says to them, 38:11 "Show me the tax money." 38:14 So they brought Him a denarius. 38:16 And he said to them, 38:18 "Whose image and inscription is this?" 38:19 In other words, 38:21 whose face and whose name is on this coin. 38:23 They said to Him, "Caesar's." 38:26 And he said to them, 38:27 "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, 38:33 and to God the things that are God's." 38:37 How many kingdoms did Jesus, the Lamb of God recognized? 38:40 He recognized two kingdoms. 38:42 The kingdom of God and the kingdom of Caesar, 38:45 or the civil power and the religious power. 38:47 Now, let me ask you 38:49 what is Christ kingdom spiritually speaking on earth? 38:52 It is the church. 38:55 You say where do we find that in the Bible? 38:57 Jesus said to Peter, 38:59 you are Peter and up on this rock 39:02 I will build my church. 39:04 He wasn't saying Peter was a rock. 39:06 He was saying, you are Peter, petros, 39:09 little pebble, you are pebble, 39:11 but upon this rock, 39:13 I will build my church and then he says, 39:15 and I will give you the keys to the kingdom. 39:18 So what is the church? 39:20 The church is the kingdom, right? 39:22 The church is Christ's spiritual kingdom on earth. 39:27 But is there also another kingdom 39:28 which is the civil power. 39:30 Yes, Jesus said therefore give the Caesar 39:33 what is Caesar's and to God that which is God's. 39:35 Now, let me give you an example, 39:37 so that you can understand 39:38 the separation of these two powers. 39:42 Do we have an obligation with God financially? 39:48 What is the financial obligation 39:50 we have towards God? 39:51 It's called the tithe, right? 39:54 Do we have an obligation when it comes to Caesar? 39:56 Yes. 39:57 What is it? 39:59 We don't like it, but it's taxes, right? 40:01 So do we have a financial obligation to God 40:03 and to His church? 40:05 Yes. 40:06 Do we have a financial obligation to Caesar 40:08 or to the state? 40:09 Yes, see. 40:10 So we are recognizing that there is a church 40:12 and there is a state, there is two kingdoms. 40:14 Now, we have a financial obligation 40:16 to one and to the other. 40:18 Now let me ask you, 40:19 would it be proper for the state 40:22 to say to the church, 40:23 hey, we're 18 trillion dollars in debt, 40:26 would you give us some of your money. 40:29 Would that be proper? 40:30 No, on the other hand, 40:32 would it be proper for the church to say, 40:34 you know, we are having really a lot of trouble 40:37 balancing our budget. 40:38 Would you please give us some of Caesar's money 40:41 to help the church, that would be improper. 40:44 Because Jesus said, 40:45 we're supposed to render to Caesar 40:47 what is Caesar's and to God that which is God's. 40:50 So in the Roman Empire 40:51 where there two kingdoms, yes or no? 40:53 Yes. 40:54 In the Roman Empire, 40:55 there was the kingdom of Caesar 40:58 and there was a kingdom of God which was the church. 41:01 Incidentally, you remember that that Pilate 41:05 when Jesus was in His chambers, 41:07 Pilate said don't you know that 41:09 I could release you if I wanted to. 41:12 Jesus said, you could never release me 41:14 unless the power was given you from above. 41:17 So was Jesus recognizing 41:19 that Pilate had a legitimate existence of the ruler 41:21 and that God had given him the ability to rule there? 41:24 Absolutely. 41:25 And Pilate understood it better than the Jews. 41:28 Because you know, 41:30 when the Jews wanted to condemn Jesus, 41:33 Pilate said, hey, you know, 41:34 he hasn't violated any laws of Rome. 41:36 Judge Him according to your law. 41:38 So Pilate recognized two laws. 41:40 The law of God and his law. 41:42 He says he hasn't violated any of my laws. 41:44 You say He violated the church laws, well, 41:46 that's your problem, not mine. 41:49 So did Jesus recognized the existence, 41:52 the legitimate existence of two kingdoms? 41:54 Absolutely. 41:55 Do you know what the Jews wanted? 41:57 The Jews wanted Jesus 41:58 to take over the secular kingdom. 42:00 They wanted Jesus to take over the secular kingdom 42:03 to enforce the religious laws of the Jewish nation. 42:08 And Jesus said no, Caesar will rule as Caesar, 42:13 and the church will function as a church. 42:15 Never do you find Jesus using the Roman government 42:18 to further His objectives. 42:21 Never do you find the early church, 42:23 you read the Book of Acts. 42:25 You never find in the Book of Acts 42:27 that the apostles are appealing to Rome, 42:30 for Rome to help them in the preaching of the gospel 42:33 or punishing people that don't agree with their message. 42:36 But if you read the Book of Acts, 42:37 you'll find time and time again 42:40 that the Jews are appealing to the Roman magistrates 42:42 to punish the Christians. 42:44 They were doing the same thing 42:46 that the apostate church did with Jesus Christ. 42:49 They were appealing to the power of the state 42:52 to persecute the apostles like they did with Jesus. 42:55 Are you following me or not? 42:56 So, in other words, 42:58 church and state are the two kingdoms 42:59 and they are not to be together, 43:01 they are to be what? 43:03 Separate, function separately. 43:06 One nation, two kingdoms, 43:08 the church and the state. 43:10 Notice John 18:36, 43:16 here Jesus is in Pilate's private chambers 43:19 and Pilate has asked Jesus, 43:22 you know, "Are You really a king?" 43:24 And notice what Jesus answered. 43:26 "My kingdom is not of this world." 43:30 So how many kingdoms 43:32 did Jesus recognized then there? 43:33 Two, 43:35 His and the kingdom of the world. 43:37 He says "If My kingdom were of this world, 43:41 My servants would what, would fight, 43:43 they would use the sword, 43:46 so that I should not be delivered to the Jews, 43:48 but now My kingdom is not what? 43:52 My kingdom is not from here." 43:56 Did the Jews constantly want Jesus 43:58 to take over the reigns of the civil government 44:00 to impose the Jewish religion? 44:02 Absolutely. 44:03 Did Jesus accept? 44:05 He refused. 44:06 In fact from the time 44:07 that the devil attempted on the Mount of Temptation, 44:09 you remember the devil offered Him 44:10 all of the kings of the world, 44:12 kingdoms of the world, Jesus said no. 44:15 He rejected them 44:17 but you know what's interesting. 44:19 In the fourth and fifth century, 44:21 the devil offered those same kingdoms 44:23 to the pope and the pope accepted them. 44:25 That's why he is the antichrist, 44:27 because he accepted 44:29 the rulership of the kingdoms of this world, 44:31 where as Jesus rejected 44:33 the rulership over the kingdoms of this world. 44:36 You remember for example, 44:39 when Jesus wanted to go 44:40 through the Samaritan villages on His way, 44:42 His last trip to Jerusalem. 44:44 And He asked for permission to go through these villages 44:47 and the Samaritan said no, 44:49 we don't want You to go through our villages. 44:51 And Jesus had two disciples, the Sons of Thunder, 44:54 James and John, 44:55 and they were indignant, and they said, 44:58 they said the Jesus, you know 44:59 Jesus, how dare they say that, 45:01 do You want us to call fire from heaven to burn them up. 45:06 You want us to use first 45:07 because they don't agree with your kingdom, 45:10 they don't accept you as the Messiah. 45:12 Jesus said, you don't know what spirit you are of. 45:15 You remember also when Jesus fed the 5,000, 45:18 they wanted to take Him 45:19 and they wanted to make Him king, 45:21 remember. 45:22 The Jews constantly wanted to make Him king. 45:24 You even remember 45:25 when Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane, 45:27 and they came to arrest Him 45:29 that Peter took out his sword, 45:31 interesting that he took out his sword 45:34 and he took a swipe at the high priest servant 45:37 and cut off his ear. 45:40 I don't think he was aiming at his ear. 45:42 He was aiming to cut off his head but he missed, 45:44 he was a fisherman and not a soldier. 45:47 But anyway he cut off his ear. 45:49 And what did Jesus say? 45:50 Well done Peter, 45:52 thank you for defending my kingdom Peter, 45:54 and he said to the other disciples, 45:55 you cowards, why don't you chip in too, 45:58 take your swords out. 45:59 Is that what Jesus said? 46:01 No. 46:02 Jesus said something very similar to 46:04 what we find in Revelation 13: 9, 10. 46:06 Jesus says put away that sword 46:08 because whoever kills with a sword 46:10 will be killed with a sword. 46:14 Is that sound like Revelation 13:9 and 10? 46:17 And Peter was supposedly the first pope, 46:21 and Jesus said no, 46:23 you cannot use the sword to defend my kingdom. 46:28 So why did Jesus come then? 46:30 He recognized the legitimate existence of two kingdoms, 46:33 the civil power to preserve the civil order 46:36 and the church to preach the gospel to the world. 46:39 By the way each of them has their own sword, right? 46:42 What is the sword of the church? 46:45 The Bible. 46:46 And how does the church use that sword? 46:49 I'm using it tonight. 46:51 How does a church use the sword? 46:53 By preaching, that's right. 46:56 Does the state have a sword? 46:57 Yes. 46:59 How does the state use a sword? 47:01 To punish everyone who violates civil law, right? 47:05 But is it legitimate for the civil power 47:07 to punish religious offences? 47:09 No, because that's the realm of the church, 47:11 that belongs to God. 47:13 So they have to be what? 47:15 Separate, not together, 47:17 so what I'm saying is that this beast 47:21 that has two horns like a lamb, 47:22 it means that it's gonna be one nation 47:24 because it's one beast, 47:25 but it's gonna recognize the legitimate existence 47:27 in that nation of two kingdoms, 47:29 the church and the what? 47:31 The church and the state. 47:34 Now, the question is, why did Jesus come? 47:37 Let's go to Luke 17:20, 21, 47:39 Luke 17:20, 21, it says, 47:45 "Now when He was asked by the Pharisees 47:48 when the kingdom of God would come, 47:51 He answered them and said, 47:53 "The kingdom of God does not come with observation..." 47:56 What that means is 47:57 it's an external display of power, 47:59 okay. 48:00 The word observation means 48:02 with an external display of power. 48:04 Jesus is saying the kingdom does not come by an external, 48:07 its display of power, 48:09 "nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See there! 48:14 For indeed, 48:15 the kingdom of God is what, within you. 48:19 Let me ask you. 48:21 What is the best way to transform society 48:24 and to have a righteous and pious society? 48:28 It's by passing laws in congress. 48:32 Is that the way that you change society? 48:35 No. 48:36 You do it by implanting the principles 48:38 of Christ's kingdom of the church 48:40 in the human heart. 48:42 And then when people change, society changes. 48:47 When the law is written in the heart, 48:48 Caesar's laws don't have any jurisdiction over people 48:52 because they're obedient to Caesar's laws. 48:54 Are you with me? 48:56 But the problem is these days, you know, 48:58 people think that the way to eliminate terrorism is by, 49:02 you know, by bombing the terrorists and, you know, 49:06 the way to do away with crime in society 49:10 is to build more prisons, and you know, 49:13 the way to get rid of these shootings 49:15 is to confiscate guns, you know, 49:17 but all of this external measures 49:20 that really don't transform society at all. 49:24 And Protestantism has dropped the ball. 49:27 Because Protestantism today, 49:28 they preach so long that we're not under law 49:30 but we're under grace, then Christian say, 49:32 we can watch the movies what the world watches, 49:34 and we can entertain ourselves like the world, 49:36 we can eat the word, 49:38 and we can dance like the world, 49:39 we can everything like the world, 49:40 and we can have our cake and we can eat it to. 49:43 Protestantism has lost its power 49:45 to transform lives 49:46 because people are concerned about, 49:48 evangelists are concerned about the bottom line, 49:51 you know, gift to my ministry, 49:53 psychological self help and other things. 49:56 When really it is Christ Jesus living in the human heart, 50:00 with a law written in the human heart 50:02 that would transform society. 50:05 Now, let me end by reading a statement 50:07 from the book the Desire of Ages, 50:09 this classic book, 50:10 the Desire of Ages 509 and 510. 50:14 And she's commented on these verses 50:17 that we read from Luke 17:20 and 21. 50:20 "The kingdom of God comes not with outward show. 50:24 The gospel of the grace of God, 50:28 with its spirit of self-abnegation, 50:30 can never be in harmony with the spirit of the world. 50:33 The two principles are antagonistic." 50:37 And then she quotes the Bible, 50:38 "The natural man receiveth 50:40 not the things of the Spirit of God: 50:41 for they are foolishness unto him: 50:43 neither can he know them, 50:45 because they are spiritually discerned." 50:48 And then she comments this, 50:50 "But today in the religious world 50:53 there are multitudes who, as they believe, 50:58 are working for the establishment 51:00 of the kingdom of Christ 51:01 as an earthly and temporal dominion." 51:05 By the way the pope is doing that. 51:08 How many of you have heard Francis I 51:10 ever referred to the second coming of Christ 51:12 as a great hope of the earth. 51:13 Never, 51:15 because the papacy's view is that the papacy 51:19 will take over the dominion of the world 51:22 by influencing and dominating 51:26 the political powers of the world 51:27 to bring heaven on earth. 51:30 That is the view of the Roman Catholic Church. 51:32 It's not that super natural second coming of Christ 51:34 in power and glory 51:36 to destroy all kingdoms 51:37 and set up a kingdom that it shall never be destroyed. 51:39 That does not appear in the theology of the papacy. 51:42 And John Paul II, 51:45 virtually nothing on the second coming of Jesus Christ, 51:49 because that's the objective of the papacy 51:51 is to establish a kingdom on this earth 51:53 under its iron fist rule. 51:57 She continues writing, 51:58 "They desire to make our Lord 52:00 the ruler of the kingdoms of this world, 52:02 the ruler in its courts and camps, 52:05 its legislative halls, 52:07 its palaces and market places. 52:10 They expect Him to rule through legal enactments, 52:13 in other words, through laws, 52:14 enforced by human authority. 52:17 Since Christ is not now here in person, 52:20 they themselves will undertake to act in His stead, 52:24 to execute the laws of His kingdom. 52:26 The establishment of such a kingdom 52:29 is what the Jews desired in the days of Christ. 52:32 They would have receive Jesus, 52:34 had He been willing to establish 52:36 a temporal dominion, 52:38 to enforce what they regarded as the laws of God, 52:41 and to make them the expositors of His will 52:44 and his agents of His authority. 52:46 But He said, 52:48 "My kingdom is not of this world. 52:50 He would not accept the earthly throne." 52:53 Isn't this a magnificent statement? 52:55 She continues writing, 52:56 "The government under 52:58 which Jesus lived was corrupt and oppressive, 53:00 on every hand were crying abuses, 53:03 extortion, intolerance, and grinding cruelty. 53:07 Yet the Savior attempted no civil reforms." 53:10 Do you find Jesus ever speaking 53:11 or making civil reforms in Rome? 53:14 None. 53:15 "He attacked no national abuses, 53:18 nor condemned the national enemies. 53:21 He did not interfere with the authority 53:23 or administration of those in power. 53:26 He who was our example kept aloof 53:29 from earthly governments." 53:31 Now, what was the reason why he kept aloof 53:33 from earthly governments? 53:35 She explains, 53:36 "Not because He was indifferent to the woes of men, 53:40 but because the remedy 53:42 did not lie in merely human and external measures. 53:47 To be efficient, 53:48 the cure must reach men individually, 53:52 and must regenerate the heart." 53:55 Isn't that a powerful statement? 53:58 And Protestantism has lost its perspective 54:01 that really Christ needs to be in man, 54:05 the hope of glory. 54:06 Christ needs to live in the human heart 54:08 and then you'll have exemplary citizens. 54:12 Now, we're almost at the end of our study 54:16 and I want to kind of introduce 54:20 what we're gonna study in our next lecture 54:22 which will be tomorrow afternoon. 54:26 We've studied from this prophecy 54:29 that this beast arises from the earth is a nation 54:34 that was composed is going to be 54:37 composed of two kingdoms, 54:38 is that clear? 54:39 The kingdom of the church and the kingdom of the state. 54:42 Now, what we need to do in our next lecture is to discover 54:46 if the founders of the United States 54:49 in their writings recognized 54:53 the legitimate existence of two kingdoms in one nation. 54:56 And so in our next study together, 54:58 we are going to go into history. 55:01 I'm going to go to the founding fathers 55:03 of the United States, 55:05 George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, 55:08 Benjamin Franklin, 55:09 John Adams, 55:11 James Madison, 55:13 the constitutional fathers of the United States. 55:16 And we're going to examine in their writings, 55:19 if they taught repeatedly 55:23 that the Untied States was gonna have 55:26 in one nation two kingdoms, 55:28 the church and the State, 55:30 each functioning within its own sphere 55:34 neither one interfering with the other 55:36 and thus guaranteeing full civil 55:39 and religious liberty. 55:40 If we can find that 55:42 the founders of the United States 55:43 wrote repeatedly and we're gonna find that, 55:46 that the United States was gonna be different 55:48 than what it had been during the 1260 years 55:51 that this was gonna be one nation 55:53 that would recognize 55:54 the legitimate existence of the church and of the state 55:57 and they're supposed to be separate, not together, 56:00 and that they guaranteed 56:01 full civil and religious liberty, 56:04 then we can see in history 56:06 the fulfillment of the characteristics of this beast. 56:10 Are you following me or not? 56:12 So in our next lecture, we're gonna look at history 56:13 to see if history squares 56:15 with what we've studied from the Bible this evening. 56:18 And I believe that you're going to be amazed 56:21 as we examine the writings 56:23 of the founding fathers of the United States, 56:26 they were writing in a specific context. 56:28 They knew what had happened to Jesus 56:30 when the apostate Jewish Church 56:32 used the Roman State to finish off Christ 56:35 because they write about it in their works. 56:39 They also knew what happened to the apostles 56:43 in the Book of Acts. 56:45 When the Jews appealed to the Roman State 56:47 to persecute the apostles who were preaching the gospel. 56:50 They also know the history of the United States 56:53 in the colonial period. 56:54 Do you know in the colonial period 56:56 there was a union of church and state 56:58 and people who didn't go to church on Sunday 57:00 were punished? 57:01 The state would punish them. 57:03 You had to be a member 57:04 of the established church of the colony 57:06 in order to occupy political office, 57:10 and the tithes were paid to the government, 57:12 the government paid the ministers, 57:14 but only the ministers of the established church 57:16 in the colonial period. 57:18 People were persecuted 57:19 when they did not agree with the established church. 57:21 They brought their bad habits from Europe. 57:23 We're gonna study about that. 57:25 See, they came looking for freedom 57:27 and when they got here, 57:28 they took it away from everybody else 57:29 because it's hard to get over bad habits. 57:32 And finally they knew the history 57:35 of the Roman Catholic papacy during the 1260 years. 57:37 They consistently write about 57:39 the inquisition and the persecutions 57:41 when the church used the state 57:43 to impose its beliefs and its practices, 57:45 and they said, in this country 57:47 that we're establishing is going to be different. 57:49 There is gonna be the church and the state 57:52 and they will both be able to function freely 57:54 without one interfering with the other. 57:57 So don't miss the next exciting episode. |
Revised 2016-10-17