You notice that the title
for this particular study is
00:00:30.19\00:00:33.70
"Congress Shall Make No Law."
00:00:33.73\00:00:36.73
Before, we get into our study
00:00:36.77\00:00:38.10
we do want to
have a word of prayer
00:00:38.13\00:00:40.00
and then after
the word of prayer,
00:00:40.04\00:00:41.60
I am going to do a
review of the prophetic chain
00:00:41.64\00:00:44.31
that we have studied so far.
00:00:44.34\00:00:45.94
So, let's bow
our heads for prayer.
00:00:45.97\00:00:48.51
Father in heaven,
00:00:48.54\00:00:49.94
we thank you so much
00:00:49.98\00:00:51.31
for revealing to us
the end from the beginning.
00:00:51.35\00:00:54.88
We are so thankful that
00:00:54.92\00:00:56.62
we don't live in a
time of uncertainty
00:00:56.65\00:01:00.26
where we don't know
where things are leading.
00:01:00.29\00:01:03.02
You've said in your word
00:01:03.06\00:01:04.63
how history would develop
and how history will end.
00:01:04.66\00:01:07.90
And we know that it
will be a glorious end
00:01:07.93\00:01:09.93
for those who love you.
00:01:09.96\00:01:11.53
So I ask Father
that you will inspire us
00:01:11.57\00:01:14.67
through a study
of Bible prophecy,
00:01:14.70\00:01:16.04
and that you will help us
00:01:16.07\00:01:17.41
to remain faithful
to you no matter what.
00:01:17.44\00:01:20.01
We thank you
Father for your presence
00:01:20.04\00:01:22.14
and we ask this in the
precious name of Jesus.
00:01:22.18\00:01:24.65
Amen.
00:01:24.68\00:01:27.22
Well, let's review
the prophetic chain
00:01:27.25\00:01:29.15
that we've been studying.
00:01:29.18\00:01:31.29
The prophetic chain
begins with which kingdom?
00:01:31.32\00:01:34.62
Babylon, very well.
00:01:34.66\00:01:36.42
Then you have a second kingdom
00:01:36.46\00:01:37.96
which is Medo-Persia,
00:01:37.99\00:01:40.10
then you have a
third kingdom Greece,
00:01:40.13\00:01:43.03
then you have a fourth kingdom,
00:01:43.06\00:01:44.97
the Roman Empire,
00:01:45.00\00:01:46.33
and then what happens
with the Roman Empire?
00:01:46.37\00:01:48.47
The Roman Empire is divided.
00:01:48.50\00:01:50.21
In other words, this
fourth beast sprouts 10 horns,
00:01:50.24\00:01:52.81
the empire is divided.
00:01:52.84\00:01:54.74
Then among the
10 horns rises what?
00:01:54.78\00:01:57.51
The little horn.
00:01:57.55\00:01:58.88
Is that also a Rome?
00:01:58.91\00:02:00.62
Yes, which Rome?
00:02:00.65\00:02:02.48
It is papal Rome, and
it rose from 538 till 1798.
00:02:02.52\00:02:08.32
What happens in 1798
00:02:08.36\00:02:10.16
with the little
horn of the beast?
00:02:10.19\00:02:12.29
It receives the deadly wound
and it is sent into captivity.
00:02:12.33\00:02:17.03
Because it can no longer use
the civil powers of the world.
00:02:17.07\00:02:20.60
Now, when this
first beast falls in 1798,
00:02:20.64\00:02:25.54
immediately after
rises another beast,
00:02:25.57\00:02:29.38
remember that from the earth.
00:02:29.41\00:02:31.78
And we identify that
beast as which nation?
00:02:31.81\00:02:35.62
The United States of America.
00:02:35.65\00:02:37.59
And we identify the
two horns like a lamb
00:02:37.62\00:02:41.02
as the two
kingdoms that are recognized
00:02:41.06\00:02:43.89
in this one nation,
00:02:43.93\00:02:45.26
and what are those two kingdoms
00:02:45.29\00:02:46.76
that are
recognized in this country,
00:02:46.80\00:02:49.50
the United States of America?
00:02:49.53\00:02:51.17
The kingdom of the church
and the kingdom of the state.
00:02:51.20\00:02:54.94
The church has its
sword, the word of God,
00:02:54.97\00:02:57.74
and the state has its sword
00:02:57.77\00:03:00.04
with which it can
punish violations of civil law.
00:03:00.08\00:03:03.51
Now, as I mentioned
00:03:03.55\00:03:05.05
at the close of our
last study together,
00:03:05.08\00:03:07.65
we're going to now look
00:03:07.68\00:03:09.42
at the origins of the
United States of America.
00:03:09.45\00:03:13.52
And we're going to see
00:03:13.56\00:03:14.89
if the founding
fathers had this idea
00:03:14.92\00:03:17.39
of the United
States being different
00:03:17.43\00:03:19.89
than the history
that we find in Europe
00:03:19.93\00:03:22.43
during the 1260 years.
00:03:22.46\00:03:24.43
We're gonna try and see
if the two horns like a lamb
00:03:24.47\00:03:27.90
represent
separation of church and state,
00:03:27.94\00:03:30.97
civil and religious liberty
00:03:31.01\00:03:33.07
like we studied in our
last lecture from the Bible.
00:03:33.11\00:03:36.21
But I want you to
notice once again that
00:03:36.24\00:03:38.78
we are following
a chain of events.
00:03:38.81\00:03:40.98
Can you follow the
trajectory of Bible prophecy?
00:03:41.02\00:03:43.39
Is it actually quite simple?
00:03:43.42\00:03:45.55
Sure, you can go from Babylon,
00:03:45.59\00:03:48.36
Medo-Persia,
Greece, the Roman Empire,
00:03:48.39\00:03:50.86
the Roman Empire is
divided into 10 kingdoms.
00:03:50.89\00:03:53.13
Then the papacy rules
for 1260 years till 1798
00:03:53.16\00:03:57.47
and around 1798
another nation rises
00:03:57.50\00:04:00.90
who upholds these two principles
00:04:00.94\00:04:03.47
which are civil
and religious liberty,
00:04:03.51\00:04:06.07
which depends on the idea
00:04:06.11\00:04:07.78
of the separation
of church and state.
00:04:07.81\00:04:11.61
Are you with me?
00:04:11.65\00:04:13.31
And then we're gonna find
that after a period of time,
00:04:13.35\00:04:16.08
this very nation is
going to restore freedom,
00:04:16.12\00:04:20.76
and it's going to help the wound
00:04:20.79\00:04:22.82
of the first beast to heal.
00:04:22.86\00:04:24.59
Now, we haven't
come to that point yet,
00:04:24.63\00:04:26.29
but that's the
last link in the chain
00:04:26.33\00:04:29.20
before the greatest event of all
00:04:29.23\00:04:31.80
which is the
second coming of Jesus
00:04:31.83\00:04:33.77
in power and glory.
00:04:33.80\00:04:36.04
Now, let's go to our material.
00:04:36.07\00:04:37.71
There is a syllabus
for this particular series
00:04:37.74\00:04:41.18
and those who are
watching the live streaming
00:04:41.21\00:04:43.88
and those who are
will see this on YouTube.
00:04:43.91\00:04:47.62
And those who will get the DVDs,
00:04:47.65\00:04:48.98
you want to get
the syllabus as well,
00:04:49.02\00:04:51.05
because you'll be
able to follow along
00:04:51.09\00:04:52.95
all of the quotations
and so on in the syllabus.
00:04:52.99\00:04:56.73
The constitutional
fathers knew four things.
00:04:56.76\00:05:01.36
When I talk about the
constitutional fathers,
00:05:01.40\00:05:03.06
I'm talking about the
founders of the United States,
00:05:03.10\00:05:06.53
people like George
Washington, Thomas Jefferson,
00:05:06.57\00:05:08.57
James Madison, John Adams,
00:05:08.60\00:05:10.31
Benjamin Franklin etcetera.
00:05:10.34\00:05:12.77
They knew four things,
we know from their writings.
00:05:12.81\00:05:15.58
Number one,
00:05:15.61\00:05:16.95
they knew that the
apostate Jewish church
00:05:16.98\00:05:19.85
had influenced the
Roman state to kill Christ.
00:05:19.88\00:05:24.79
They knew the union
of the apostate church
00:05:24.82\00:05:27.06
with the civil power of Rome
00:05:27.09\00:05:29.62
that is with Pontius
Pilate to slay Christ.
00:05:29.66\00:05:32.89
They also knew
that in the early church
00:05:32.93\00:05:35.60
as it's told in the
story of the Book of Acts,
00:05:35.63\00:05:38.87
that the Jewish church,
00:05:38.90\00:05:41.17
the same apostate church
00:05:41.20\00:05:42.54
that influence the
state to destroy Christ.
00:05:42.57\00:05:45.34
They knew that that church
00:05:45.37\00:05:46.71
continued appealing
to the Roman emperors
00:05:46.74\00:05:49.61
to persecute and rulers
00:05:49.64\00:05:51.58
to persecute the
disciples or the apostles
00:05:51.61\00:05:55.22
who were preaching God's message
00:05:55.25\00:05:57.12
after the ascension of Christ.
00:05:57.15\00:05:59.15
They also know the
history of the church
00:05:59.19\00:06:02.96
during the Dark Ages,
during the 1260 years.
00:06:02.99\00:06:06.93
The founding fathers
describe quite frequently,
00:06:06.96\00:06:10.63
for example, the inquisition.
00:06:10.67\00:06:12.47
They knew that persecution
had come during the 1260 years
00:06:12.50\00:06:16.10
because the church
had linked with the state
00:06:16.14\00:06:19.71
and it has gotten the
state to persecute those
00:06:19.74\00:06:22.61
who did not agree
with its doctrines,
00:06:22.64\00:06:24.78
and its practices.
00:06:24.81\00:06:26.51
They also know the
history of the colonial period
00:06:26.55\00:06:29.02
of the United States
00:06:29.05\00:06:30.39
which begins
officially in the year 1620,
00:06:30.42\00:06:32.89
when the pilgrims
came to the United States,
00:06:32.92\00:06:35.66
but actually there
was no United States,
00:06:35.69\00:06:37.16
but they came to the
territory of the United States.
00:06:37.19\00:06:39.93
They came seeking
religious liberty,
00:06:39.96\00:06:41.96
and then once they had it,
00:06:42.00\00:06:44.13
they denied it to anybody
00:06:44.17\00:06:45.93
who did not agree with them,
00:06:45.97\00:06:47.54
anybody that did not
belong to the established church
00:06:47.57\00:06:50.17
which was the Puritan Church,
00:06:50.21\00:06:52.24
a branch of the Anglican Church.
00:06:52.27\00:06:54.14
And so the founding fathers knew
00:06:54.18\00:06:56.64
about the colonial period.
00:06:56.68\00:06:58.11
They knew that in
the colonial period
00:06:58.15\00:06:59.48
if you didn't go
to church on Sunday,
00:06:59.51\00:07:02.08
you could be fined
00:07:02.12\00:07:03.49
and you could be
thrown into prison.
00:07:03.52\00:07:05.25
At least, three of the colonies
00:07:05.29\00:07:07.32
there was a death
decree against those
00:07:07.36\00:07:08.99
who did not
attend church on Sunday,
00:07:09.02\00:07:10.86
because they believe
Sunday was a day of rest.
00:07:10.89\00:07:12.99
You could not occupy a position
in the civil government,
00:07:13.03\00:07:16.36
if you did not belong
to the established church.
00:07:16.40\00:07:19.20
And only ministers that
belong to the established church
00:07:19.23\00:07:23.71
could be
remunerated for their efforts
00:07:23.74\00:07:25.87
because people gave their,
00:07:25.91\00:07:27.31
basically gave their
tithes to the government,
00:07:27.34\00:07:29.21
the government
paid to ministers.
00:07:29.24\00:07:30.58
But the only
ministers that were paid
00:07:30.61\00:07:32.28
were the ones that belong
to the established church.
00:07:32.31\00:07:34.62
So if you were not a minister
of an established church,
00:07:34.65\00:07:37.19
you would have to find
another means of sustenance.
00:07:37.22\00:07:40.32
In other words, in
the colonial period,
00:07:40.36\00:07:42.09
the founding fathers knew that
00:07:42.12\00:07:44.19
there had been a
union of church and state,
00:07:44.23\00:07:46.03
and the result had been
persecution against those
00:07:46.06\00:07:49.00
who were not in
harmony with this arrangement.
00:07:49.03\00:07:52.30
So we need to understand
00:07:52.33\00:07:53.67
the founding
documents of the United States
00:07:53.70\00:07:55.70
within this historical context.
00:07:55.74\00:07:58.17
The United States was
not established in a vacuum.
00:07:58.21\00:08:00.81
In other words,
00:08:00.84\00:08:02.18
it doesn't simply
appear with its principles
00:08:02.21\00:08:04.81
on the scene all of a sudden.
00:08:04.85\00:08:06.41
It is a reaction to
the colonial period,
00:08:06.45\00:08:09.58
the 1260 years
00:08:09.62\00:08:11.39
and the persecution
against the apostles and Christ
00:08:11.42\00:08:14.32
by uniting church and state.
00:08:14.36\00:08:15.86
We have to understand
that historical context
00:08:15.89\00:08:18.23
in order to comprehend
the style of government
00:08:18.26\00:08:21.16
that was
established in the Untied States
00:08:21.20\00:08:23.37
by the founding fathers.
00:08:23.40\00:08:24.87
And so it was that in 1776
00:08:24.90\00:08:29.20
the Declaration of Independence
00:08:29.24\00:08:31.64
of the United States was signed,
00:08:31.67\00:08:33.74
and among other things,
00:08:33.78\00:08:35.28
it stated that human
beings are guaranteed
00:08:35.31\00:08:39.41
certain inalienable rights.
00:08:39.45\00:08:41.48
That means rights that God gives
00:08:41.52\00:08:42.85
and nobody can
take away from you.
00:08:42.88\00:08:45.29
Certain inalienable rights
00:08:45.32\00:08:46.82
which are among those
rights are life, liberty,
00:08:46.86\00:08:52.16
and the pursuit of happiness.
00:08:52.19\00:08:54.33
In 1787,
00:08:54.36\00:08:55.70
the Constitution of the
United States was ratified,
00:08:55.73\00:08:58.40
and the basic idea,
00:08:58.43\00:09:00.04
the constitution is a
government of the people,
00:09:00.07\00:09:03.41
by the people,
and for the people.
00:09:03.44\00:09:06.37
In other words, the
people governed themselves
00:09:06.41\00:09:08.38
through the
election of representatives
00:09:08.41\00:09:11.71
by themselves.
00:09:11.75\00:09:13.82
And then in 1791 the
Bill of Rights was ratified
00:09:13.85\00:09:18.75
which are the
first 10 amendments
00:09:18.79\00:09:20.69
to the
constitution of United States.
00:09:20.72\00:09:23.22
And the Bill of
Rights among other things
00:09:23.26\00:09:25.49
guarantees full civil
and religious liberty.
00:09:25.53\00:09:31.37
It's interesting to note
that this three documents,
00:09:31.40\00:09:34.10
the Declaration of Independence,
00:09:34.14\00:09:35.47
the Constitution,
and the Bill of Rights.
00:09:35.50\00:09:37.31
were ratified immediately before
00:09:37.34\00:09:40.41
the beast
received its deadly wound.
00:09:40.44\00:09:42.28
In other words,
00:09:42.31\00:09:43.65
when the beast
was about to receive
00:09:43.68\00:09:45.01
its deadly wound,
00:09:45.05\00:09:46.38
the next power coming on
to the world scene was rising.
00:09:46.41\00:09:49.45
Isn't that interesting in
the light of what we studied
00:09:49.48\00:09:52.15
from Revelation
Chapter 13 where it says that,
00:09:52.19\00:09:55.02
"The beast
receives the deadly wound
00:09:55.06\00:09:56.99
and then I saw another
beast rising from the earth."
00:09:57.03\00:10:00.60
So we know that the beast
00:10:00.63\00:10:02.23
that rises from the earth
rises around the year 1798.
00:10:02.26\00:10:07.50
Now, in this new
nation there was a basic idea
00:10:07.54\00:10:11.64
and that is that
00:10:11.67\00:10:13.58
there are two
legitimate kingdoms
00:10:13.61\00:10:16.38
that could exist
00:10:16.41\00:10:17.75
in the United States of America.
00:10:17.78\00:10:19.88
One was the church,
00:10:19.91\00:10:21.68
and the other one was the state.
00:10:21.72\00:10:24.55
The church would
have its spiritual sword,
00:10:24.59\00:10:27.26
which is the Bible.
00:10:27.29\00:10:28.72
And the state would
have the civil sword
00:10:28.76\00:10:31.23
with which it could
punish violations of civil law.
00:10:31.26\00:10:35.50
These two principles upon
00:10:35.53\00:10:38.13
which this
nation was established
00:10:38.17\00:10:40.37
are called republicanism.
00:10:40.40\00:10:43.34
And that has nothing to
do with the Republican Party
00:10:43.37\00:10:45.87
by the way.
00:10:45.91\00:10:47.31
It's a republic.
00:10:47.34\00:10:48.81
In other words,
00:10:48.84\00:10:50.18
it's a republican
style of government,
00:10:50.21\00:10:52.18
basically means a
representative civil government
00:10:52.21\00:10:55.75
with a civil sword.
00:10:55.78\00:10:57.95
And then you have Protestantism
00:10:57.99\00:11:00.16
which is a representative
religious government
00:11:00.19\00:11:02.96
with the religious sword.
00:11:02.99\00:11:05.73
During the Middle Ages,
00:11:05.76\00:11:08.10
in all civil
matters the king ruled.
00:11:08.13\00:11:11.30
If the king said, jump.
00:11:11.33\00:11:14.34
You could only say, how high,
00:11:14.37\00:11:16.97
because all of the power flowed
00:11:17.01\00:11:18.81
from the king downward.
00:11:18.84\00:11:20.28
The king had the last word
00:11:20.31\00:11:21.98
and what the king ordered
people did in civil affairs.
00:11:22.01\00:11:25.88
In religious affairs,
00:11:25.91\00:11:27.55
the pope was the one
who had the last words.
00:11:27.58\00:11:30.39
If the pope said
jump, you better say
00:11:30.42\00:11:32.89
how high do you want me to jump.
00:11:32.92\00:11:34.76
Because anything
having to do with religion,
00:11:34.79\00:11:37.33
when the pope spoke
or the papacy spoke,
00:11:37.36\00:11:39.79
people were expected
00:11:39.83\00:11:41.86
to obey blindly
in religious matters
00:11:41.90\00:11:45.33
even if it conflicted
00:11:45.37\00:11:46.87
with their
individual conscience.
00:11:46.90\00:11:49.74
In other words, all of the power
00:11:49.77\00:11:51.57
during the period of 1260
years flowed from top to bottom.
00:11:51.61\00:11:56.85
From the king down to the people
00:11:56.88\00:11:59.38
and from the pope
down to the people as well.
00:11:59.41\00:12:02.68
The founding fathers
of the United States said,
00:12:02.72\00:12:04.95
we're going to establish a
different kind of government.
00:12:04.99\00:12:09.39
There I used the word
00:12:09.42\00:12:11.13
a revolutionary
type of government.
00:12:11.16\00:12:14.70
A government that goes
against all of the conventions
00:12:14.73\00:12:17.33
that had been tried in the past,
00:12:17.37\00:12:19.50
a government where the power
00:12:19.53\00:12:21.20
does not flow from top to bottom
00:12:21.24\00:12:24.27
but where the power
flows from bottom to top.
00:12:24.31\00:12:28.21
Where instead of a king
00:12:28.24\00:12:29.98
telling people what
to do in civil matters,
00:12:30.01\00:12:32.21
and a pope telling people
00:12:32.25\00:12:33.72
what to do in religious matters,
00:12:33.75\00:12:35.88
the people can decide
by electing representatives
00:12:35.92\00:12:40.06
what they are going to believe,
00:12:40.09\00:12:42.29
what they are going to practice
00:12:42.32\00:12:43.76
so that they can
govern themselves.
00:12:43.79\00:12:46.23
Are you
understating the difference?
00:12:46.26\00:12:47.86
So the founding
fathers were trying
00:12:47.90\00:12:50.07
a revolutionary experiment
that had not been tried before,
00:12:50.10\00:12:53.94
because in previous empires,
00:12:53.97\00:12:55.80
the king was the one
who ruled in civil matters,
00:12:55.84\00:12:59.11
and the pope was the one
who ruled in religions matters.
00:12:59.14\00:13:03.24
So the founding fathers said,
00:13:03.28\00:13:04.71
no, what we're gonna do,
00:13:04.75\00:13:06.21
there are going to be
two kingdoms in this nation.
00:13:06.25\00:13:09.22
There's gonna be the church,
00:13:09.25\00:13:10.79
and there is
going to be the state.
00:13:10.82\00:13:12.69
And both of these kingdoms
are going to be separate
00:13:12.72\00:13:15.62
from one another,
00:13:15.66\00:13:16.99
and they are going to be
based on the idea of freedom.
00:13:17.03\00:13:22.50
Freedom of religion and
freedom in civil matters.
00:13:22.53\00:13:27.17
Ellen White who
wrote this classic book
00:13:27.20\00:13:30.94
Great Controversy.
00:13:30.97\00:13:32.74
On page 442,
00:13:32.77\00:13:34.48
and I must say
Ellen White was born
00:13:34.51\00:13:36.48
only 29 years
after the deadly wound.
00:13:36.51\00:13:39.21
So she was very close
00:13:39.25\00:13:40.62
to the time of the deadly wound.
00:13:40.65\00:13:42.25
She wrote this about the
ideas that the founders had.
00:13:42.28\00:13:46.69
"The founders of the nation
00:13:46.72\00:13:49.69
wisely sought to guard
00:13:49.72\00:13:53.83
against the
employment of secular power
00:13:53.86\00:13:57.60
on the part of the church,
00:13:57.63\00:14:00.10
with its inevitable
result, which is what,
00:14:00.14\00:14:03.61
intolerance and persecution."
00:14:03.64\00:14:06.27
So what did the founding fathers
00:14:06.31\00:14:08.01
want to keep away from?
00:14:08.04\00:14:09.88
They wanted to keep
away from the church
00:14:09.91\00:14:11.88
being able to use the state.
00:14:11.91\00:14:14.28
And when that happens
00:14:14.32\00:14:15.65
what is t he result
according to what she says,
00:14:15.68\00:14:18.05
the result is what?
00:14:18.09\00:14:20.92
Intolerance and persecution.
00:14:20.96\00:14:24.09
If you don't believe that
the union of church and state
00:14:24.13\00:14:26.33
leads to
persecution and intolerance,
00:14:26.36\00:14:28.93
all you have to go
is to Muslim countries.
00:14:28.96\00:14:32.93
There the church
and the state are one.
00:14:32.97\00:14:36.81
Let me ask you this.
00:14:36.84\00:14:38.67
If the church and the
state are joined together,
00:14:38.71\00:14:42.54
will you lose both
civil and religious liberties?
00:14:42.58\00:14:46.28
Yes, you will,
00:14:46.31\00:14:48.02
because if you do not
agree with the religion,
00:14:48.05\00:14:52.15
you will be killed
00:14:52.19\00:14:53.52
and the greatest civil
right you have is life.
00:14:53.56\00:14:56.26
Are you with me?
00:14:56.29\00:14:57.63
So they are linked together.
00:14:57.66\00:14:59.46
In other words,
00:14:59.49\00:15:00.83
if you don't believe
in full religious liberty,
00:15:00.86\00:15:02.90
and full civil liberty,
00:15:02.93\00:15:04.77
church and state
separate from one another.
00:15:04.80\00:15:07.70
The end result is gonna be
00:15:07.74\00:15:09.44
as Ellen White says
intolerance and what?
00:15:09.47\00:15:12.54
And persecution.
00:15:12.57\00:15:14.44
In this way the founding fathers
00:15:14.48\00:15:16.14
rejected the view of
the Roman Catholic Church.
00:15:16.18\00:15:19.58
Their view that the
church can use the state
00:15:19.61\00:15:22.75
to force people into
believing and practicing
00:15:22.78\00:15:26.05
what the church
believes and practices.
00:15:26.09\00:15:29.46
So now what we want
to do is take a look
00:15:29.49\00:15:32.66
at the writings of
some of the founding fathers
00:15:32.69\00:15:35.76
of the United States
to see if they believed
00:15:35.80\00:15:39.00
in the idea of the
separation of church and state.
00:15:39.03\00:15:41.97
The church
functioning as church,
00:15:42.00\00:15:43.97
and the state
functioning as state,
00:15:44.01\00:15:46.14
and thus guaranteeing
00:15:46.17\00:15:47.64
full civil and
religious liberty.
00:15:47.68\00:15:50.58
Let's begin with
Mr. Liberty himself,
00:15:50.61\00:15:55.68
George Washington.
00:15:55.72\00:15:57.42
George
Washington is an individual
00:15:57.45\00:16:01.46
that stands out for
three primary reasons.
00:16:01.49\00:16:04.93
Number one,
00:16:04.96\00:16:06.29
he was the
liberator of the United States
00:16:06.33\00:16:08.96
from British rule.
00:16:09.00\00:16:10.93
Number two,
00:16:10.97\00:16:12.30
he was the first
president of the United States,
00:16:12.33\00:16:15.17
of the nation of
the United States.
00:16:15.20\00:16:17.21
And number three,
00:16:17.24\00:16:18.57
he presided over the
Constitutional Convention
00:16:18.61\00:16:22.04
that drafted and implemented
00:16:22.08\00:16:24.68
and ratify the constitutional
of the United States.
00:16:24.71\00:16:27.52
So I would say
00:16:27.55\00:16:28.88
that he would be a
very important individual
00:16:28.92\00:16:31.35
in the history,
00:16:31.39\00:16:32.72
of the original
history of the United States.
00:16:32.75\00:16:35.46
Now, the Baptist
delegation of Virginia
00:16:35.49\00:16:39.06
wrote a letter
to George Washington
00:16:39.09\00:16:41.93
on August 8, 1779.
00:16:41.96\00:16:45.77
And they congratulated
him for being the president,
00:16:45.80\00:16:50.71
for being elected
president of United States,
00:16:50.74\00:16:53.27
and they asked him
00:16:53.31\00:16:56.08
if the constitution
that was ratified in 1787
00:16:56.11\00:17:00.48
guaranteed full
civil and religious liberty
00:17:00.52\00:17:03.25
if it didn't
have a Bill of Rights.
00:17:03.28\00:17:05.15
See the Bill of Rights
had not yet been implemented,
00:17:05.19\00:17:07.72
the first 10
amendments to the constitution.
00:17:07.76\00:17:10.03
So Washington wrote back to them
00:17:10.06\00:17:13.63
reassuring the Baptists
that they didn't have to worry,
00:17:13.66\00:17:16.87
that the constitution guaranteed
00:17:16.90\00:17:19.27
full civil and religious liberty
00:17:19.30\00:17:21.20
without necessarily
having a Bill of Rights.
00:17:21.24\00:17:25.27
And I want to read to you
00:17:25.31\00:17:26.74
what George Washington said
00:17:26.78\00:17:29.41
about this idea
of the constitution
00:17:29.44\00:17:35.08
not having a Bill of Rights,
00:17:35.12\00:17:36.79
and the
constitution guaranteeing civil
00:17:36.82\00:17:39.02
and religious liberty
00:17:39.05\00:17:40.39
in spite of not
having a Bill of Rights.
00:17:40.42\00:17:42.19
And I read now
from George Washington.
00:17:42.22\00:17:45.69
He stated this,
00:17:45.73\00:17:47.70
"If I could have entertained
the slightest apprehension
00:17:47.73\00:17:53.00
that the Constitution
framed by the convention
00:17:53.03\00:17:56.17
where I had the honor to preside
00:17:56.20\00:17:58.74
might possibly
endanger the religious rights
00:17:58.77\00:18:02.44
of any ecclesiastical society,
00:18:02.48\00:18:05.48
certainly I would never
have placed my signature on it,
00:18:05.51\00:18:10.09
and if I could now conceive
that the general government,
00:18:10.12\00:18:13.02
general government is
the federal government,
00:18:13.05\00:18:14.72
that's the way they
called it back then,
00:18:14.76\00:18:16.56
so and if I could now conceive
00:18:16.59\00:18:18.93
that the general government
might ever be so administered
00:18:18.96\00:18:22.36
as to render the
liberty of conscience insecure.
00:18:22.40\00:18:26.00
I beg you will be persuaded
00:18:26.03\00:18:28.24
that no one
would be more zealous
00:18:28.27\00:18:30.71
than myself to establish
00:18:30.74\00:18:32.47
effectual barriers
against the horrors
00:18:32.51\00:18:35.34
of spiritual tyranny
00:18:35.38\00:18:37.05
and every species of
religious persecution.
00:18:37.08\00:18:40.28
For, you doubtless remember,
00:18:40.32\00:18:42.85
I have often expressed
my sentiment that any man,
00:18:42.88\00:18:46.69
conducting himself
as a good citizen..."
00:18:46.72\00:18:49.86
What kingdom does
that have to do with?
00:18:49.89\00:18:51.99
The civil power.
00:18:52.03\00:18:53.46
"Conducting
himself as a good citizen
00:18:53.50\00:18:56.06
and being
accountable to God alone
00:18:56.10\00:18:58.00
for his religious opinions..."
00:18:58.03\00:18:59.97
What kingdom does
that have to do with?
00:19:00.00\00:19:02.00
The religious
kingdom, or the church kingdom,
00:19:02.04\00:19:04.84
"ought to be what,
00:19:04.87\00:19:06.51
protected in
worshiping the Deity
00:19:06.54\00:19:09.24
according to the
dictates of his own conscience."
00:19:09.28\00:19:12.51
Did George Washington believe
that there were two kingdoms?
00:19:12.55\00:19:16.48
He most certainly did.
00:19:16.52\00:19:17.85
Did he believe that
you can be a good citizen
00:19:17.89\00:19:20.62
and also you should be protected
00:19:20.66\00:19:22.62
in your religious liberty?
00:19:22.66\00:19:24.13
Absolutely.
00:19:24.16\00:19:25.79
Now let's notice what
Benjamin Franklin had to say,
00:19:25.83\00:19:28.43
and I'm just choosing a
sprinkling of the writings
00:19:28.46\00:19:31.13
of the founding
fathers of the United States.
00:19:31.17\00:19:33.27
There are many
more that I could read.
00:19:33.30\00:19:34.80
In fact I have a syllabus
00:19:34.84\00:19:36.27
that is available
from Secrets Unsealed
00:19:36.30\00:19:38.17
where I have about
15 pages of quotations
00:19:38.21\00:19:40.98
from the founding fathers.
00:19:41.01\00:19:42.34
I've only chosen a few of them.
00:19:42.38\00:19:44.01
Benjamin Franklin
had a sense of humor,
00:19:44.05\00:19:46.51
he wrote this,
00:19:46.55\00:19:47.88
"When religion is good,
00:19:47.92\00:19:50.25
I conceive that it
will support itself,
00:19:50.29\00:19:53.32
and when it does
not support itself,
00:19:53.36\00:19:55.92
and God does not
take care to support it,
00:19:55.96\00:19:59.29
so that its
professors are obliged
00:19:59.33\00:20:01.76
to call for the
help of the civil powers,
00:20:01.80\00:20:05.10
'tis a sign, I apprehend
of it being a bad one."
00:20:05.13\00:20:09.80
Are you
understanding what he is saying?
00:20:09.84\00:20:12.01
He's saying that the church
00:20:12.04\00:20:13.44
should not appeal to
the power of the what?
00:20:13.48\00:20:15.78
Of the state.
00:20:15.81\00:20:17.15
Is this separation
of church and state?
00:20:17.18\00:20:19.11
Did Benjamin Franklin believe
00:20:19.15\00:20:20.68
in the separation
of church and state?
00:20:20.72\00:20:22.95
Now you're saying,
00:20:22.98\00:20:24.32
where the founding
fathers inimical to religion?
00:20:24.35\00:20:27.92
Where they enemies of religion?
00:20:27.96\00:20:29.49
No, they said the only thing
00:20:29.52\00:20:31.56
that the federal
government can do is protect
00:20:31.59\00:20:34.23
every one's right to
practice their religion
00:20:34.26\00:20:37.43
without state interference.
00:20:37.47\00:20:40.34
That's the only thing
00:20:40.37\00:20:41.70
that the federal government
can do with regards to religion
00:20:41.74\00:20:44.24
is protect everyone's right
00:20:44.27\00:20:46.24
to practice
their religion freely
00:20:46.27\00:20:48.21
without the
intervention of the civil power.
00:20:48.24\00:20:51.98
Now, let's notice
00:20:52.01\00:20:53.42
what Thomas
Jefferson had to say.
00:20:53.45\00:20:56.15
I went to the
Jefferson Memorial many times
00:20:56.18\00:20:58.62
in Washington DC.
00:20:58.65\00:20:59.99
It's one of my
favorite places to visit.
00:21:00.02\00:21:02.92
It's this great big
mausoleum type structure
00:21:02.96\00:21:07.13
with white marble.
00:21:07.16\00:21:08.73
And some of the famous
sayings of Thomas Jefferson
00:21:08.76\00:21:12.43
are written on the
walls on the white marble.
00:21:12.47\00:21:14.27
And one day I sat down
and I wrote with my own hand
00:21:14.30\00:21:17.61
one of those quotations,
00:21:17.64\00:21:19.14
the quotation I
am going to read now,
00:21:19.17\00:21:20.98
I did not get out of a book,
00:21:21.01\00:21:22.51
I sat down and I
wrote it myself there
00:21:22.54\00:21:25.45
at the Jefferson Memorial.
00:21:25.48\00:21:28.02
I want you to notice
what he said about religion
00:21:28.05\00:21:32.19
and the civil power,
00:21:32.22\00:21:34.26
"Almighty God hath
created the mind free,
00:21:34.29\00:21:39.33
all attempts to influence it
00:21:39.36\00:21:42.63
by temporal
punishments or burdens
00:21:42.66\00:21:45.63
are a departure from
the plan of the holy author
00:21:45.67\00:21:48.60
of our religion."
00:21:48.64\00:21:51.07
Does he already believe
00:21:51.11\00:21:52.44
in the separation of
church and state there?
00:21:52.47\00:21:54.61
He says yes.
00:21:54.64\00:21:55.98
You can't, the
secular power cannot
00:21:56.01\00:21:59.21
by punishment or burdens
00:21:59.25\00:22:01.35
get people to
follow a certain belief.
00:22:01.38\00:22:05.35
That's a
departure of God's plan,
00:22:05.39\00:22:07.36
it's what he is saying.
00:22:07.39\00:22:09.22
He continues writing,
00:22:09.26\00:22:10.63
"No man shall be
compelled to frequent or support
00:22:10.66\00:22:15.16
any religious
worship or ministry
00:22:15.20\00:22:17.30
or shall otherwise suffer
00:22:17.33\00:22:18.80
on account of his
religious opinions or belief.
00:22:18.83\00:22:21.77
But all men shall
be free to profess
00:22:21.80\00:22:25.81
and by argument to maintain,
00:22:25.84\00:22:28.34
their opinions in
matters of religion.
00:22:28.38\00:22:30.88
I know but one
code of morality for men
00:22:30.91\00:22:34.92
whether acting
singly or collectively."
00:22:34.95\00:22:38.55
Did, Thomas Jefferson believed
00:22:38.59\00:22:40.62
that the civil
power had no right
00:22:40.66\00:22:42.36
to impose burdens or
punishments on people
00:22:42.39\00:22:45.23
because of their
religious convictions.
00:22:45.26\00:22:47.10
Yes, so did he believe
00:22:47.13\00:22:48.86
in the separation
of church and state?
00:22:48.90\00:22:50.97
He most certainly did.
00:22:51.00\00:22:53.50
Jefferson also
wrote the following.
00:22:53.54\00:22:57.47
This is almost a
humorist statement that he made.
00:22:57.51\00:23:00.34
''The legitimate
powers of government
00:23:00.38\00:23:02.41
extend to such acts only
as are injurious to others.'
00:23:02.44\00:23:08.62
' Does the state have
the right to punish someone
00:23:08.65\00:23:10.69
who steals from somebody else?
00:23:10.72\00:23:13.29
Does it have the
right to punish someone
00:23:13.32\00:23:14.69
who kills somebody else?
00:23:14.72\00:23:17.06
Does it have the
right to punish someone
00:23:17.09\00:23:19.56
who ruins the
reputation of somebody else?
00:23:19.59\00:23:23.26
Does it have the
right to punish children
00:23:23.30\00:23:24.83
who abuse their parents?
00:23:24.87\00:23:26.50
Yes.
00:23:26.53\00:23:27.87
those are acts,
00:23:27.90\00:23:29.24
that's a civil
government can punish,
00:23:29.27\00:23:31.51
but notice what he says,
00:23:31.54\00:23:32.94
"The legitimate
powers of government
00:23:32.97\00:23:34.44
extend to such acts only
as are injurious to others."
00:23:34.48\00:23:38.01
And then he says this,
00:23:38.05\00:23:39.41
''It does me no injury
for my neighbor to say that
00:23:39.45\00:23:42.25
there are twenty
gods, or no gods.
00:23:42.28\00:23:44.45
It neither picks my
pocket nor breaks my leg.'
00:23:44.49\00:23:50.13
' Are you
understanding what he is saying?
00:23:50.16\00:23:52.16
Now, he also wrote in 1782,
00:23:52.19\00:23:55.33
"It is error alone
00:23:55.36\00:23:57.77
which needs the
support of government.
00:23:57.80\00:24:00.77
Truth can stand by itself.
00:24:00.80\00:24:04.77
Did he believe in the
separation of a truth,
00:24:04.81\00:24:08.48
religious truth and government?
00:24:08.51\00:24:10.51
He most certainly did.
00:24:10.55\00:24:12.91
He also understood
the dangers of the clergy
00:24:12.95\00:24:15.78
getting involved in
the political system.
00:24:15.82\00:24:19.32
Notice this next two statements
that we find here, he says,
00:24:19.35\00:24:24.26
''The clergy,
00:24:24.29\00:24:26.06
by getting themselves
established by law..."
00:24:26.09\00:24:28.83
See, they're involved
in the political system.
00:24:28.86\00:24:32.40
''And engrafted into
the machine of government,
00:24:32.43\00:24:37.14
have been a very
formidable engine
00:24:37.17\00:24:41.11
against the civil and
religious rights of man.'
00:24:41.14\00:24:45.65
' Did Thomas
Jefferson understand
00:24:45.68\00:24:47.05
the dangers of
uniting church and state?
00:24:47.08\00:24:49.98
You better
believe he did, he says,
00:24:50.02\00:24:52.25
you can see it that
00:24:52.29\00:24:54.06
when a priesthood gets involved,
00:24:54.09\00:24:56.66
engrafted into the government,
00:24:56.69\00:24:58.59
the result is a loss of
civil and religious liberties.
00:24:58.63\00:25:03.47
He also said this and
this is very interesting.
00:25:03.50\00:25:06.77
"History, I believe,
00:25:06.80\00:25:09.00
furnishes no example
of a priest-ridden people
00:25:09.04\00:25:13.88
maintaining a
free civil government."
00:25:13.91\00:25:17.35
Isn't that a powerful statement?
00:25:17.38\00:25:19.58
One more statement.
00:25:19.61\00:25:21.25
This was in 1814,
00:25:21.28\00:25:23.45
he said, ''In every
country and in every age,
00:25:23.49\00:25:26.89
the priest has
been hostile to liberty.
00:25:26.92\00:25:30.09
He is always in
alliance with the despot,
00:25:30.13\00:25:33.80
abetting his abuses in return
for protection to his own."
00:25:33.83\00:25:40.04
Thomas Jefferson knew
very well what happened
00:25:40.07\00:25:43.41
when the church was
able to use the state,
00:25:43.44\00:25:46.34
and he said, in this
country it will not be that way.
00:25:46.37\00:25:50.05
We are going to
establish a different government
00:25:50.08\00:25:53.18
where the civil government
governs in civil matters
00:25:53.21\00:25:57.49
and the church deals
with religious matters,
00:25:57.52\00:26:00.09
and every man and
woman are free to worship God
00:26:00.12\00:26:03.96
according to the dictates
of their own conscience.
00:26:03.99\00:26:07.76
Now, The Danbury Baptist
Association of Connecticut
00:26:07.80\00:26:12.50
wrote President Thomas Jefferson
00:26:12.53\00:26:15.30
on October 7, 1801
00:26:15.34\00:26:18.04
to complain that their
rights were being infringed
00:26:18.07\00:26:22.21
by their state legislature,
their religious rights.
00:26:22.24\00:26:25.61
And this is part of the letter
00:26:25.65\00:26:27.15
that they wrote
to Thomas Jefferson.
00:26:27.18\00:26:30.25
"What religious
privileges we enjoy
00:26:30.29\00:26:33.76
as a minor part of the State..."
00:26:33.79\00:26:35.82
In other words, they
were a minority in the state.
00:26:35.86\00:26:38.56
''We enjoy as favors granted,
and not as inalienable rights.'
00:26:38.59\00:26:43.57
' Now this government is saying,
00:26:43.60\00:26:44.93
well, we grant
you religious freedom,
00:26:44.97\00:26:47.20
but religious
freedom is a divine right,
00:26:47.24\00:26:50.64
it cannot be...
00:26:50.67\00:26:52.01
Religious liberty cannot
be granted by the government,
00:26:52.04\00:26:54.94
because it's something
that God has given man,
00:26:54.98\00:26:57.65
it's an inalienable
right, but they're complaining,
00:26:57.68\00:27:00.32
they're saying, you know,
00:27:00.35\00:27:01.68
what happens is
the state is saying
00:27:01.72\00:27:03.55
we'll grant you these rights.
00:27:03.59\00:27:04.92
They're saying, no,
00:27:04.95\00:27:06.29
the state can't
grant us these rights.
00:27:06.32\00:27:08.16
They are inalienable
right, so once again,
00:27:08.19\00:27:11.19
''What religious
privileges we enjoy
00:27:11.23\00:27:14.30
as a minor part of the state,
we enjoy as favors granted,
00:27:14.33\00:27:17.43
and not as inalienable rights:
00:27:17.47\00:27:19.83
and these favors we receive
00:27:19.87\00:27:21.70
at the expense of such
degrading acknowledgments,
00:27:21.74\00:27:25.21
as are inconsistent
with the rights of freemen.''
00:27:25.24\00:27:30.25
Now, on January,
00:27:30.28\00:27:32.68
the month of January of 1802,
00:27:32.71\00:27:34.62
Thomas Jefferson
answered their letter
00:27:34.65\00:27:37.65
and he explained very clearly
00:27:37.69\00:27:40.46
his understanding
of the first amendment
00:27:40.49\00:27:43.53
to the constitution
of the United States,
00:27:43.56\00:27:45.79
and this is where the
wall metaphor comes from.
00:27:45.83\00:27:48.56
Have you heard of
the wall metaphor,
00:27:48.60\00:27:50.13
the wall of separation?
00:27:50.17\00:27:51.63
Well, let's read this statement
00:27:51.67\00:27:53.00
so you can see what
Thomas Jefferson said.
00:27:53.03\00:27:56.50
"Believing with you,
00:27:56.54\00:27:58.04
that is with
the Danbury Baptist,
00:27:58.07\00:28:00.58
that religion is a
matter which lies solely
00:28:00.61\00:28:04.68
that is only
between man and his God,
00:28:04.71\00:28:08.25
that he owes
account to none other
00:28:08.28\00:28:10.55
for his faith or his worship,
00:28:10.59\00:28:12.89
that the legitimate
powers of government reach what,
00:28:12.92\00:28:16.89
actions only, and not opinions,
00:28:16.93\00:28:20.06
I contemplate with
sovereign reverence
00:28:20.10\00:28:23.47
that act of the
whole American people
00:28:23.50\00:28:25.63
which declared
that their legislature
00:28:25.67\00:28:28.14
should make no law
00:28:28.17\00:28:30.44
respecting an
establishment of religion,
00:28:30.47\00:28:33.04
or prohibiting the
free exercise thereof''
00:28:33.07\00:28:36.91
and then he explains,
00:28:36.95\00:28:38.45
by the way he is
quoting the first amendment,
00:28:38.48\00:28:40.62
then he says,
"Thus building what,
00:28:40.65\00:28:43.39
a wall of separation
between Church and State."
00:28:43.42\00:28:49.16
Did Thomas
Jefferson believe that
00:28:49.19\00:28:51.26
the church should
function as church
00:28:51.29\00:28:52.73
and the state as
state separately?
00:28:52.76\00:28:55.43
He most certainly did.
00:28:55.46\00:28:56.80
All of the founding
fathers believe this,
00:28:56.83\00:28:59.90
and that's why I
dedicated this whole lecture
00:28:59.93\00:29:02.60
to show that the
two horns like a lamb
00:29:02.64\00:29:05.07
are corroborated by the history,
00:29:05.11\00:29:07.94
the original history
of the United States.
00:29:07.98\00:29:10.31
Now, let's talk a
little bit about James Madison.
00:29:10.35\00:29:14.42
James Madison is called
the father of the constitution.
00:29:14.45\00:29:18.02
He is the brains
00:29:18.05\00:29:19.45
behind the
constitution in other words.
00:29:19.49\00:29:21.96
Let's read a few
statements from James Madison,
00:29:21.99\00:29:26.16
he wrote this,
00:29:26.19\00:29:28.23
''There is not a shadow of right
00:29:28.26\00:29:31.23
in the general government,
00:29:31.27\00:29:32.83
remember it's a
federal government,
00:29:32.87\00:29:34.20
the general government to
intermeddle with religion."
00:29:34.24\00:29:38.07
Did he believe that
the federal government
00:29:38.11\00:29:39.54
could get involve in religion?
00:29:39.57\00:29:41.18
No, no, no.
00:29:41.21\00:29:42.54
He says,
00:29:42.58\00:29:43.91
"There is not a
shadow of light or right
00:29:43.95\00:29:46.41
in the general government
to intermeddle with religion.
00:29:46.45\00:29:49.22
Its least interference
with it, that is with religion,
00:29:49.25\00:29:53.59
would be a most
flagrant usurpation.
00:29:53.62\00:29:56.66
I can appeal to my
uniform conduct on this subject
00:29:56.69\00:29:59.69
that I have warmly
supported religious freedom.'
00:29:59.73\00:30:03.57
' Did he believe
in the separation
00:30:03.60\00:30:04.93
of church and state?
00:30:04.97\00:30:06.30
He most certainly did.
00:30:06.33\00:30:07.94
In 1822, this
is very interesting
00:30:07.97\00:30:11.77
because the United States
00:30:11.81\00:30:13.38
was established
in 1776, 1787, 1791.
00:30:13.41\00:30:18.78
This is about 30 some years
00:30:18.81\00:30:21.08
after the
experiment had been tried.
00:30:21.12\00:30:24.52
And so James Madison
now writes about lessons
00:30:24.55\00:30:28.92
that the United
States is teaching the world.
00:30:28.96\00:30:31.59
Notice what he wrote,
00:30:31.63\00:30:33.63
''We are teaching
the world the great truth
00:30:33.66\00:30:37.70
that Governments to better
00:30:37.73\00:30:39.57
without Kings and
Nobles than with them.'
00:30:39.60\00:30:42.27
' In other words,
00:30:42.30\00:30:43.64
a republic is a better idea
00:30:43.67\00:30:45.34
is what he's
saying than a monarchy.
00:30:45.37\00:30:48.31
And then he says,
00:30:48.34\00:30:49.68
''The merit will be doubled
00:30:49.71\00:30:52.55
by the other lesson
00:30:52.58\00:30:53.92
that religion
flourishes in greater purity,
00:30:53.95\00:30:57.49
without than with
the aid of Government.'
00:30:57.52\00:31:02.46
' Isn't that a
telling statement?
00:31:02.49\00:31:04.03
So interesting.
00:31:04.06\00:31:05.89
Sometimes I ask people
00:31:05.93\00:31:07.90
to how many
kingdoms do you belong.
00:31:07.93\00:31:10.67
Well, you know, I was
born in the United States
00:31:10.70\00:31:13.94
so I am a citizen
of the United States,
00:31:13.97\00:31:17.37
but I was baptized a
Seventh-day Adventist.
00:31:17.41\00:31:19.74
So I am also a citizen
of the heavenly kingdom.
00:31:19.77\00:31:23.11
I live in one nation
00:31:23.14\00:31:25.21
but I'm citizen of two kingdoms
00:31:25.25\00:31:27.68
in the United States,
00:31:27.72\00:31:29.88
each separate from the other.
00:31:29.92\00:31:31.65
In other words,
00:31:31.69\00:31:33.02
the federal
government cannot interfere
00:31:33.05\00:31:34.56
with my religious convictions
00:31:34.59\00:31:36.89
and the church
should not be involved
00:31:36.93\00:31:39.89
in trying to use the state
00:31:39.93\00:31:42.30
to violate people's
religious convictions
00:31:42.33\00:31:45.13
because the state has
its legitimate existence
00:31:45.17\00:31:48.24
and the church also has
its legitimate existence.
00:31:48.27\00:31:53.91
Now, let's talk a little
bit about the first amendment
00:31:53.94\00:31:56.08
to the constitution
of the United States.
00:31:56.11\00:31:59.01
Some Christians today,
00:31:59.05\00:32:01.55
many of them will say, well,
00:32:01.58\00:32:03.72
the expression separation of
church and state is not found
00:32:03.75\00:32:08.36
anywhere in the constitution.
00:32:08.39\00:32:11.49
And that's true,
00:32:11.53\00:32:12.96
if your looking for the phrase
00:32:12.99\00:32:14.43
separation of church and
state in the constitution,
00:32:14.46\00:32:17.47
you are not gonna find
it because it's not there.
00:32:17.50\00:32:20.37
But the concept of the
separation of church and state
00:32:20.40\00:32:25.37
is in the constitution
00:32:25.41\00:32:27.24
in the first amendment
to the constitution in fact.
00:32:27.28\00:32:31.38
Let's read the first
amendment to the constitution.
00:32:31.41\00:32:34.48
By the way in this amendment
00:32:34.52\00:32:36.45
is where you find the
two horns like a lamb.
00:32:36.48\00:32:39.29
Because this amendment
guarantees religious liberty
00:32:39.32\00:32:42.76
and civil liberty,
and separates the two.
00:32:42.79\00:32:46.70
Let's notice the
first amendment, Congress.
00:32:46.73\00:32:51.63
What does Congress do?
00:32:51.67\00:32:54.77
It writes the laws, right.
00:32:54.80\00:32:57.04
Congress shall make no law...
00:32:57.07\00:33:00.24
Now what part of no
law don't you understand.
00:33:00.28\00:33:02.98
Congress shall make no law,
00:33:03.01\00:33:05.08
respecting an
establishment of religion.
00:33:05.11\00:33:09.28
Notice that it doesn't say that
00:33:09.32\00:33:10.65
Congress can't make a
law that establishes a church
00:33:10.69\00:33:13.12
above other churches.
00:33:13.15\00:33:14.52
Or they establishes
00:33:14.56\00:33:15.96
one religion
above another religion,
00:33:15.99\00:33:18.19
that's the way many Christians
today are interpreting.
00:33:18.23\00:33:20.20
They'll say, well,
the founding fathers
00:33:20.23\00:33:22.20
when they say that Congress
shall not make, you know,
00:33:22.23\00:33:25.07
Congress shall not make any law
00:33:25.10\00:33:27.17
that establishes religion,
00:33:27.20\00:33:29.00
they were really meaning
00:33:29.04\00:33:30.37
that the United
States could not establish
00:33:30.41\00:33:32.81
one church above another,
or one religion above another,
00:33:32.84\00:33:36.31
but the federal government
can benefit all churches alike.
00:33:36.34\00:33:40.05
That's the argument,
00:33:40.08\00:33:41.45
but the fact is
that the word religion
00:33:41.48\00:33:43.65
does not have a
definite article,
00:33:43.69\00:33:45.42
it doesn't say
church, it says religion.
00:33:45.45\00:33:47.06
It doesn't say a
religion, it says religion.
00:33:47.09\00:33:50.06
Are you following me,
00:33:50.09\00:33:51.76
so it says
Congress shall make no law
00:33:51.79\00:33:54.36
respecting an establishment
00:33:54.40\00:33:56.36
of religion or
prohibiting the what?
00:33:56.40\00:34:00.67
The free exercise thereof.
00:34:00.70\00:34:02.67
What does this mean?
00:34:02.70\00:34:04.04
It means that
Congress can't make any law
00:34:04.07\00:34:05.67
that establishes any
religious observance.
00:34:05.71\00:34:09.48
And it means that
it cannot make any laws
00:34:09.51\00:34:12.21
that forbid you from
practicing your religion.
00:34:12.25\00:34:14.38
It cannot establish
any religions observance
00:34:14.42\00:34:16.79
and it cannot forbid you
00:34:16.82\00:34:19.02
from practicing
freely your religion.
00:34:19.05\00:34:22.32
And you say, well,
what's the difference.
00:34:22.36\00:34:24.49
In the Bible, we
find two examples
00:34:24.53\00:34:26.36
of the first two
clauses of the first amendment.
00:34:26.39\00:34:30.63
In Daniel Chapter 3,
00:34:30.67\00:34:32.00
when Nebuchadnezzar
raised the golden image,
00:34:32.03\00:34:34.20
was he establishing a
religious observance by law.
00:34:34.24\00:34:37.71
Was the civil power establishing
00:34:37.74\00:34:39.17
a religious observance?
00:34:39.21\00:34:40.54
Absolutely, it was.
00:34:40.58\00:34:42.34
Was that
legitimate or illegitimate?
00:34:42.38\00:34:44.78
It was legitimate.
00:34:44.81\00:34:46.15
The civil power
cannot enforce religion,
00:34:46.18\00:34:47.82
cannot establish religion.
00:34:47.85\00:34:49.38
What came as a result
of establishing religion?
00:34:49.42\00:34:52.69
Persecution, right?
00:34:52.72\00:34:54.99
In Daniel 6 we
have also another story
00:34:55.02\00:34:57.99
that illustrates the
free exercise clause.
00:34:58.03\00:35:00.66
You see in Daniel Chapter 6
00:35:00.70\00:35:02.03
the issue is not that the
King Darius is establishing
00:35:02.06\00:35:05.53
a religious observance,
00:35:05.57\00:35:06.90
he is forbidding
people from praying.
00:35:06.94\00:35:10.04
He is forbidding the
free exercise of religion.
00:35:10.07\00:35:13.27
And when he forbade the
free exercise of religion,
00:35:13.31\00:35:15.48
what was the result?
00:35:15.51\00:35:17.15
Persecution.
00:35:17.18\00:35:19.01
So Daniel 3, and Daniel 6
00:35:19.05\00:35:20.85
illustrate the first two clauses
00:35:20.88\00:35:22.38
to the first amendment.
00:35:22.42\00:35:24.09
When the government establishes
00:35:24.12\00:35:25.52
a religious
observance, persecution.
00:35:25.55\00:35:28.32
When the government or congress,
00:35:28.36\00:35:31.63
the government through Congress
00:35:31.66\00:35:33.26
forbids the free
exercise of religions,
00:35:33.29\00:35:35.80
the result is what?
00:35:35.83\00:35:37.17
Persecution.
00:35:37.20\00:35:38.53
The founding fathers knew this.
00:35:38.57\00:35:39.90
And therefore
the founding fathers
00:35:39.93\00:35:41.27
put in this first amendment
00:35:41.30\00:35:43.10
that Congress
could not make any law
00:35:43.14\00:35:45.04
establishing any
religious observance.
00:35:45.07\00:35:47.38
And it could not forbid
00:35:47.41\00:35:49.54
people's right to
exercises their religion freely
00:35:49.58\00:35:53.58
without the
interference of government.
00:35:53.62\00:35:56.52
Now, the third clause
of the first amendment
00:35:56.55\00:35:59.05
guarantees civil rights.
00:35:59.09\00:36:00.42
So here you have the
two horns like a lamb,
00:36:00.46\00:36:03.22
religious liberty and what?
00:36:03.26\00:36:05.69
Civil liberty.
00:36:05.73\00:36:07.06
Notice what the last part
of the first amendment says,
00:36:07.10\00:36:09.53
"Or abridging the
freedom of speech..."
00:36:09.56\00:36:13.20
Is that a civil
right, freedom of speeches,
00:36:13.23\00:36:15.87
is that a civil right?
00:36:15.90\00:36:17.24
Yes, or of the press,
is that a civil right?
00:36:17.27\00:36:21.14
Yes, it is.
00:36:21.18\00:36:22.78
Or the right of the
people to peaceably assemble,
00:36:22.81\00:36:25.85
is that a civil right?
00:36:25.88\00:36:29.08
Yes, and to
petition the government
00:36:29.12\00:36:31.85
for a redress up grievances.
00:36:31.89\00:36:33.46
Can you ask the
government to do justice?
00:36:33.49\00:36:36.02
Yes, you can.
00:36:36.06\00:36:37.39
The last clause of
the first amendment
00:36:37.43\00:36:39.89
deals with civil rights.
00:36:39.93\00:36:41.53
The first two
clauses deal with what?
00:36:41.56\00:36:44.10
With religious rights.
00:36:44.13\00:36:45.50
In other words,
00:36:45.53\00:36:46.87
the first amendment to
the constitution clearly
00:36:46.90\00:36:48.87
establishes the distinction
00:36:48.90\00:36:50.71
between religion
and the civil power.
00:36:50.74\00:36:54.64
Are you
understanding what I am saying?
00:36:54.68\00:36:57.48
Now, let's talk a little bit
00:36:57.51\00:37:00.82
about the Supreme
Court of the United States.
00:37:00.85\00:37:04.09
The Seventh-day
Adventist Church believes
00:37:04.12\00:37:05.82
and in our next two lectures
00:37:05.85\00:37:07.19
we're gonna
discuss this more fully.
00:37:07.22\00:37:09.56
And we're gonna
prove it from the Bible.
00:37:09.59\00:37:11.46
The Seventh-day
Adventist Church believes
00:37:11.49\00:37:13.36
that the United
States will ultimately,
00:37:13.40\00:37:15.46
Congress will ultimately write
00:37:15.50\00:37:18.07
a law mandating the
observance of Sunday
00:37:18.10\00:37:21.44
as the day of rest.
00:37:21.47\00:37:23.67
And eventually we
will reach the point
00:37:23.71\00:37:26.14
where Congress will write a law
00:37:26.17\00:37:28.11
that will forbid the
observance of the Sabbath
00:37:28.14\00:37:30.68
as the day of rest.
00:37:30.71\00:37:32.35
And some people say,
00:37:32.38\00:37:33.72
oh, that could never happen
00:37:33.75\00:37:35.08
in this United States of America
00:37:35.12\00:37:37.99
because the
first amendment says,
00:37:38.02\00:37:39.65
Congress shall not make any law
00:37:39.69\00:37:41.69
that establishes religion
00:37:41.72\00:37:43.53
nor any law that
forbids the free exercise.
00:37:43.56\00:37:45.96
So, if Congress wrote a law
00:37:45.99\00:37:48.10
that everybody
has to keep Sunday,
00:37:48.13\00:37:49.66
would that be a violation
of the first amendment,
00:37:49.70\00:37:51.60
would that be
establishing religion?
00:37:51.63\00:37:53.50
Even a kindergartener
could understand that.
00:37:53.54\00:37:57.21
If the government should forbid,
00:37:57.24\00:37:58.71
if the Congress
should make a law forbidding
00:37:58.74\00:38:00.78
you to keep the Sabbath,
00:38:00.81\00:38:02.21
would that be a
violation of the second clause,
00:38:02.24\00:38:04.71
free exercise to keep
the day that you want?
00:38:04.75\00:38:07.72
Of course, it would.
00:38:07.75\00:38:09.08
Any person, any rational
person will understand that.
00:38:09.12\00:38:12.45
And so you say,
00:38:12.49\00:38:13.82
how is that
possible the United States
00:38:13.86\00:38:15.46
through its Congress
00:38:15.49\00:38:16.89
would write a law
establishing religion
00:38:16.93\00:38:19.13
and forbidding the
free exercise thereof
00:38:19.16\00:38:21.30
when it has guaranteed
civil and religious liberty.
00:38:21.33\00:38:24.13
Well, let me ask you,
00:38:24.17\00:38:25.50
how is that
possible that a beast
00:38:25.53\00:38:26.87
that has two horns like
a lamb talks like a dragon.
00:38:26.90\00:38:30.61
It's a contradictory nation.
00:38:30.64\00:38:32.57
In other words,
00:38:32.61\00:38:33.94
it's going to
contradict its profession,
00:38:33.98\00:38:37.15
in action it is
gonna do totally opposite
00:38:37.18\00:38:40.35
of what it professes in
its founding principles.
00:38:40.38\00:38:44.85
Now you say, how
is that possible,
00:38:44.89\00:38:46.22
the United States
would ever write a law
00:38:46.25\00:38:49.72
that would violate
00:38:49.76\00:38:51.36
the first amendment
to the constitution?
00:38:51.39\00:38:53.90
Well, in order to understand
how this might happen,
00:38:53.93\00:38:56.63
we must take a look
00:38:56.67\00:38:58.80
at the style of
government of the United States.
00:38:58.83\00:39:02.40
The United States like
00:39:02.44\00:39:03.77
many other nations
has three branches.
00:39:03.81\00:39:07.48
The first branch of course
is the legislative branch.
00:39:07.51\00:39:11.75
The legislative branch
writes and passes laws.
00:39:11.78\00:39:16.08
Then you have
the executive branch,
00:39:16.12\00:39:19.22
the executive branch,
00:39:19.25\00:39:20.62
the president and
all of the individuals
00:39:20.66\00:39:23.66
that work with him are
the ones that are required
00:39:23.69\00:39:28.33
to enforce the laws
that are written by Congress.
00:39:28.36\00:39:32.23
And then you have
the judicial branch,
00:39:32.27\00:39:34.74
primarily the Supreme
Court that interprets the laws
00:39:34.77\00:39:38.11
to determine whether those
laws are constitutional or not.
00:39:38.14\00:39:42.71
In other words,
00:39:42.74\00:39:44.08
the purpose of
the judicial branch,
00:39:44.11\00:39:45.45
the Supreme Court is to decide
00:39:45.48\00:39:48.12
if a law that's been written
00:39:48.15\00:39:49.68
by Congress is
constitutional or not.
00:39:49.72\00:39:53.56
Now, if I were to ask you
00:39:53.59\00:39:55.12
which is the most powerful
branch of the government
00:39:55.16\00:39:58.43
in the United States,
00:39:58.46\00:40:00.10
what would you answer?
00:40:00.13\00:40:02.06
Well, many people say, well,
00:40:02.10\00:40:03.80
they'd say it
would be the Congress
00:40:03.83\00:40:05.53
'cause they write the laws.
00:40:05.57\00:40:06.97
Others would say, well,
you know, be the president,
00:40:07.00\00:40:09.07
because the president is
required to enforce the laws.
00:40:09.10\00:40:12.47
But really the most
powerful branch of government
00:40:12.51\00:40:15.54
is the judicial branch
primarily the Supreme Court.
00:40:15.58\00:40:20.98
Now do you know
how the Supreme Court
00:40:21.02\00:40:22.45
of the United
States is composed today.
00:40:22.48\00:40:25.25
You know, the Supreme
Court has nine justices
00:40:25.29\00:40:27.89
but only have eight
because Antonin Scalia died
00:40:27.92\00:40:30.99
and they haven't
elected, you know,
00:40:31.03\00:40:32.36
this big fight,
00:40:32.39\00:40:33.73
and by the way this is the most
00:40:33.76\00:40:35.10
important part
of the next election
00:40:35.13\00:40:36.77
I believe is
whoever wins will appoint
00:40:36.80\00:40:40.27
probably three
Supreme Court justices,
00:40:40.30\00:40:43.07
because Ginsburg, and Breyer,
and Kennedy are up in years
00:40:43.10\00:40:47.24
and so the next
president probably
00:40:47.28\00:40:50.25
if the president
is there for two terms
00:40:50.28\00:40:54.18
is probably gonna elect
three Supreme Court justices
00:40:54.22\00:40:57.29
which will totally
transform the court.
00:40:57.32\00:41:02.12
So anyway I'm not making a
political speech or anything,
00:41:02.16\00:41:04.66
I'm just saying that
it's extremely important
00:41:04.69\00:41:06.83
how the Supreme
Court is composed.
00:41:06.86\00:41:09.86
The United States is
called a Protestant nation,
00:41:09.90\00:41:11.73
but there is not one
Protestant on the Supreme Court.
00:41:11.77\00:41:15.80
There are five Roman Catholics
00:41:15.84\00:41:17.61
and three Jews on
the Supreme Court.
00:41:17.64\00:41:20.94
And Antonin Scalia
was a Roman Catholic,
00:41:20.98\00:41:22.94
so when he was alive,
there were five Roman Catholics
00:41:22.98\00:41:26.05
and three Jews in a country
00:41:26.08\00:41:28.15
that says that it is Protestant.
00:41:28.18\00:41:30.29
Not one protestant
on the Supreme Court.
00:41:30.32\00:41:34.19
Now you say,
how do you know that
00:41:34.22\00:41:35.62
the Supreme Court is the most
powerful branch of government?
00:41:35.66\00:41:38.73
Let me give you a
couple of examples.
00:41:38.76\00:41:41.33
Do you remember the election
in the year 2000 in Florida,
00:41:41.36\00:41:45.30
the hanging chads,
00:41:45.33\00:41:47.07
remember they were
looking at the cards
00:41:47.10\00:41:48.70
in the light to see
which chad they had punched
00:41:48.74\00:41:51.97
to see if they voted for
Elgar or for George Bush.
00:41:52.01\00:41:55.18
Remember that?
00:41:55.21\00:41:56.71
You know for several weeks
00:41:56.75\00:41:58.35
we didn't know who
had won the election.
00:41:58.38\00:42:00.62
It would go from
one lawyer to another,
00:42:00.65\00:42:02.62
would go from one court of
law to another court of law,
00:42:02.65\00:42:05.15
then to higher court of law,
00:42:05.19\00:42:06.52
finally the case
went to the Supreme Court.
00:42:06.55\00:42:10.96
And the Supreme Court said,
00:42:10.99\00:42:12.59
"George Bush won the
election in Florida."
00:42:12.63\00:42:17.83
So basically the Supreme
Court elected the president
00:42:17.87\00:42:20.74
of the United States of America.
00:42:20.77\00:42:24.44
Let me give
another example, June 26,
00:42:24.47\00:42:30.15
that's the anniversary tomorrow,
00:42:30.18\00:42:31.51
it's my birthday, June 26.
00:42:31.55\00:42:36.08
On June 26 of last year,
00:42:36.12\00:42:38.65
the Supreme Court stated
that gay marriage is something
00:42:38.69\00:42:44.49
that is going to be legal
00:42:44.53\00:42:48.13
all across the
United States of America.
00:42:48.16\00:42:51.90
Who can contest that?
00:42:51.93\00:42:53.97
Who can question that
decision of the Supreme Court?
00:42:54.00\00:42:57.17
What court can you appeal it to?
00:42:57.21\00:42:59.67
You can't
appeal it to any court.
00:42:59.71\00:43:01.88
So when the Supreme
Court says the case was taken,
00:43:01.91\00:43:04.88
gay marriage is something
that is a right guaranteed
00:43:04.91\00:43:09.08
in all 50 states,
there is no court of appeal.
00:43:09.12\00:43:12.75
That is what is going to happen.
00:43:12.79\00:43:17.99
So let me ask you this.
00:43:18.03\00:43:19.36
If the Supreme Court is
willing to redefine marriage,
00:43:19.39\00:43:22.93
contrary to the
Bible definition,
00:43:22.96\00:43:25.57
you don't think
that the Supreme Court
00:43:25.60\00:43:27.04
will be willing to
redefine the day of worship.
00:43:27.07\00:43:30.34
Of course it would.
00:43:30.37\00:43:32.27
It will be a time
of national emergency.
00:43:32.31\00:43:35.58
It will be a time
of great difficulty.
00:43:35.61\00:43:38.68
And you know,
there are trying times
00:43:38.71\00:43:40.45
that are gonna come
to this country, folks.
00:43:40.48\00:43:42.95
People don't
have the foggiest idea
00:43:42.98\00:43:44.79
what is gonna happen,
00:43:44.82\00:43:46.15
there is gonna be
an economic meltdown,
00:43:46.19\00:43:47.92
there is gonna be
more terrorist attacks,
00:43:47.96\00:43:49.96
there is gonna be more
so called natural disasters.
00:43:49.99\00:43:53.29
And it's not due
to climate change
00:43:53.33\00:43:56.90
and all of these
reasons that are being given,
00:43:56.93\00:43:58.90
the fact is that God
is withdrawing His spirit
00:43:58.93\00:44:02.27
from this country
00:44:02.30\00:44:03.91
because this country
had said we don't want God,
00:44:03.94\00:44:06.88
we don't want His word,
00:44:06.91\00:44:08.88
we don't want you in our life
is what this country had said.
00:44:08.91\00:44:12.75
And so God says,
you don't want me,
00:44:12.78\00:44:14.62
I am not gonna
force myself on you
00:44:14.65\00:44:16.65
and he removes
himself from those
00:44:16.69\00:44:19.45
who have rejected and said that
00:44:19.49\00:44:21.26
they don't want
him in their lives.
00:44:21.29\00:44:24.73
And human beings
can be very cruel
00:44:24.76\00:44:27.86
when they're devoid
of the Spirit of God.
00:44:27.90\00:44:30.63
And of course after
the close of probation,
00:44:30.67\00:44:33.70
Ellen White
describes this world,
00:44:33.74\00:44:35.17
she says that there
is a scene of strife
00:44:35.20\00:44:37.21
such as no pen can picture.
00:44:37.24\00:44:39.94
We can't.
00:44:39.97\00:44:41.31
Can you imagine what
the world is gonna be like
00:44:41.34\00:44:43.75
with Satan in total control
of the finally impenitent,
00:44:43.78\00:44:47.15
he won't be in
control of God's people,
00:44:47.18\00:44:49.35
but he will be in control of all
00:44:49.38\00:44:51.55
of the wicked in the world.
00:44:51.59\00:44:54.12
We haven't seen anything
yet compared to what is coming.
00:44:54.16\00:44:57.56
And the world, even
the Protestant world,
00:44:57.59\00:44:59.59
you know, they say,
00:44:59.63\00:45:00.96
well, it's the Muslims
and it's the terrorists
00:45:01.00\00:45:02.76
and you know,
they blame everything.
00:45:02.80\00:45:05.23
It's climate change,
00:45:05.27\00:45:07.27
and they applauded
the pope, they say wow,
00:45:07.30\00:45:09.77
the pope he's got
his spring, you know.
00:45:09.80\00:45:11.24
We need to emphasize the poor,
00:45:11.27\00:45:13.11
and we need to
emphasize the family,
00:45:13.14\00:45:15.34
and we need to
emphasize climate change.
00:45:15.38\00:45:17.48
He's got it right,
00:45:17.51\00:45:20.12
and they don't realize
00:45:20.15\00:45:21.48
that the reason why
everything is going downhill
00:45:21.52\00:45:23.69
is because God is withdrawing
his spirit from the earth.
00:45:23.72\00:45:27.39
He is releasing
the winds of strife.
00:45:27.42\00:45:30.43
That's what's really
happening in this nation.
00:45:30.46\00:45:32.39
This nation if it
was to return to God,
00:45:32.43\00:45:35.23
it would have to return
to what God says in his word.
00:45:35.26\00:45:39.87
Now, I'm not talking
against people, you know,
00:45:39.90\00:45:42.20
if people want to live a
gay life style, you know,
00:45:42.24\00:45:45.34
I believe the government should
give them that civil liberty,
00:45:45.37\00:45:48.71
but the government
does not have any right
00:45:48.74\00:45:50.75
to redefine marriage
00:45:50.78\00:45:53.15
because the
Bible defines marriage
00:45:53.18\00:45:55.42
as between a man and a woman.
00:45:55.45\00:45:57.52
If gay people want
to have civil unions,
00:45:57.55\00:46:00.66
and I think they
should get a tax breaks
00:46:00.69\00:46:03.76
just like people who are married
00:46:03.79\00:46:05.29
but God has define marriage
as between a man and woman.
00:46:05.33\00:46:09.23
And how is that a man
00:46:09.26\00:46:10.87
or the Supreme Court
would redefine marriage.
00:46:10.90\00:46:13.80
And you don't think
that the United States
00:46:13.84\00:46:16.00
through its Congress
would also be able to redefine
00:46:16.04\00:46:20.24
the meaning of
God's day of worship.
00:46:20.28\00:46:24.58
You say, well, Pastor
Bohr, how is that possible.
00:46:24.61\00:46:26.98
In the United States of America,
00:46:27.02\00:46:28.68
the land of the free
00:46:28.72\00:46:30.69
and the home of the brave
00:46:30.72\00:46:33.02
something like
that could happen.
00:46:33.05\00:46:35.16
Listen, the
beast of Revelation 13,
00:46:35.19\00:46:39.36
it says it has
two horns like a lamb,
00:46:39.39\00:46:43.16
but it speaks like a dragon.
00:46:43.20\00:46:44.57
Listen carefully,
00:46:44.60\00:46:45.93
it doesn't say that
the two horns are broken
00:46:45.97\00:46:47.97
and then it
speaks like a dragon.
00:46:48.00\00:46:50.01
It speaks like a dragon
00:46:50.04\00:46:51.47
while it still
has the two horns.
00:46:51.51\00:46:53.34
In other words,
00:46:53.38\00:46:54.71
this nation is not gonna get
00:46:54.74\00:46:56.08
rid of the first
amendment to the constitution.
00:46:56.11\00:46:58.61
It's gonna say we still
uphold the first amendment
00:46:58.65\00:47:02.02
but what is gonna happen
is that unconstitutional laws
00:47:02.05\00:47:06.69
would be declare constitutional.
00:47:06.72\00:47:09.49
Are you with me?
00:47:09.52\00:47:11.03
And that's why we need to defend
00:47:11.06\00:47:13.60
the constitution
of the United States
00:47:13.63\00:47:15.46
as it was given originally.
00:47:15.50\00:47:18.00
The founding fathers believed
00:47:18.03\00:47:19.70
in the separation
of church and state.
00:47:19.73\00:47:22.94
They believe
that the civil power
00:47:22.97\00:47:24.64
could not make any law
having to do with religion,
00:47:24.67\00:47:27.94
either enforcing
any religious observance
00:47:27.98\00:47:30.81
or forbidding
the right of people
00:47:30.85\00:47:33.25
to practice their religion.
00:47:33.28\00:47:34.62
Am I making myself clear?
00:47:34.65\00:47:36.85
Now, let me talk to
you here about John Adams
00:47:36.89\00:47:40.06
and the Treaty of Tripoli.
00:47:40.09\00:47:43.02
You say what is that,
the Treaty of Tripoli,
00:47:43.06\00:47:45.63
what in the
world could that mean?
00:47:45.66\00:47:47.90
Well, on June 10, 1797
00:47:47.93\00:47:50.77
one year before
the deadly wound,
00:47:50.80\00:47:52.67
actually less than year
before the deadly wound.
00:47:52.70\00:47:57.64
John Adams signed into law
00:47:57.67\00:48:00.68
what is know as
the Treaty of Tripoli.
00:48:00.71\00:48:04.15
And I'm gonna
read only the one line
00:48:04.18\00:48:07.42
that we find in this treaty
00:48:07.45\00:48:08.92
which is
significant to our discussion.
00:48:08.95\00:48:11.79
"The government
of the United States
00:48:11.82\00:48:15.36
is not in any sense
00:48:15.39\00:48:18.49
founded upon the
Christian religion."
00:48:18.53\00:48:22.56
The government of the
United States is not, what,
00:48:22.60\00:48:28.44
in any sense founded
upon the Christian religion.
00:48:28.47\00:48:32.57
This Treaty of
Tripoli has really bothered
00:48:32.61\00:48:35.68
a lot of evangelicals
and conservative Protestants
00:48:35.71\00:48:37.85
in the United States.
00:48:37.88\00:48:39.58
Because they want to say
00:48:39.61\00:48:40.95
the foundation
of the United States
00:48:40.98\00:48:42.62
is a Judeo-Christian foundation.
00:48:42.65\00:48:46.72
But the fact is the
founding fathers knew
00:48:46.76\00:48:48.66
that if the
United States was founded
00:48:48.69\00:48:50.89
on the Christian religion
that would be unconstitutional
00:48:50.93\00:48:54.70
because they would be
establishing religion,
00:48:54.73\00:48:56.56
would it not?
00:48:56.60\00:48:58.23
It would be
establishing religion
00:48:58.27\00:48:59.90
to say that the
United States is established
00:48:59.93\00:49:02.67
upon the Christian
religion, they knew that.
00:49:02.70\00:49:05.67
Incidentally this
treaty in May of 1797
00:49:05.71\00:49:10.58
right before John
Adams signed into law,
00:49:10.61\00:49:14.25
it was read before the senate.
00:49:14.28\00:49:18.89
A written copy was
given to every senator.
00:49:18.92\00:49:23.16
It was approved unanimously
00:49:23.19\00:49:25.86
by the senate
without one dissenting vote.
00:49:25.89\00:49:28.73
It was published in
the great newspapers
00:49:28.76\00:49:30.90
of Philadelphia and New York,
00:49:30.93\00:49:33.00
those were the
big cities back then.
00:49:33.03\00:49:35.37
There was not a
whimper of protest from anyone.
00:49:35.40\00:49:38.84
No letter from
anyone protesting,
00:49:38.87\00:49:41.11
what do you mean
00:49:41.14\00:49:42.48
the United States is not founded
00:49:42.51\00:49:44.91
on the Christian religion.
00:49:44.95\00:49:46.28
The fact is that the
United State was a nation
00:49:46.31\00:49:49.38
composed by a
majority of Christians,
00:49:49.42\00:49:53.09
but it is not a
Christian nation,
00:49:53.12\00:49:55.39
it's not founded on Christianity
00:49:55.42\00:49:57.16
because it was...
00:49:57.19\00:49:58.53
if it was
founded on Christianity
00:49:58.56\00:50:00.03
that would be unconstitutional,
00:50:00.06\00:50:02.00
because the government
cannot establish any religion.
00:50:02.03\00:50:04.97
Are you with me or not?
00:50:05.00\00:50:06.47
So the founding fathers
knew what they were doing.
00:50:06.50\00:50:11.07
Ellen White who
was born only 29 years
00:50:11.11\00:50:15.64
after the deadly wound
00:50:15.68\00:50:17.71
wrote in 1888 about
the secret of the power
00:50:17.75\00:50:22.98
and prosperity of the
United States of America.
00:50:23.02\00:50:26.99
Listen to what she wrote,
00:50:27.02\00:50:29.89
''Among the Christians exiles
00:50:29.92\00:50:32.59
who first fled to
America and sought an asylum..."
00:50:32.63\00:50:38.60
Why did they come
here an asylum from what?
00:50:38.63\00:50:41.74
''From royal oppression...'
00:50:41.77\00:50:44.27
' That is to do
with the king, right.
00:50:44.31\00:50:46.24
They were fleeing the style
of government that had kings.
00:50:46.27\00:50:49.71
''And priestly intolerance...'
00:50:49.74\00:50:54.38
' Was there also intolerance
on the part of the church?
00:50:54.42\00:50:57.15
Absolutely because the
church had a pope, see.
00:50:57.19\00:50:59.42
So they were fleeing
from the idea of having a king
00:50:59.45\00:51:01.76
in civil matters and a
pope in religious matters.
00:51:01.79\00:51:05.36
She says, "Were many
00:51:05.39\00:51:06.80
who determined to
establish a government
00:51:06.83\00:51:09.56
upon the broad
foundation of what,
00:51:09.60\00:51:12.43
civil and religious liberty.
00:51:12.47\00:51:15.00
Their views found place
00:51:15.04\00:51:16.67
in the
Declaration of Independence,
00:51:16.71\00:51:18.97
which sets forth the great truth
00:51:19.01\00:51:21.34
that all men are created equal
00:51:21.38\00:51:26.45
and endowed with the
inalienable right to life,
00:51:26.48\00:51:29.42
liberty,
00:51:29.45\00:51:30.79
and the pursuit of happiness.
00:51:30.82\00:51:32.45
And the constitution
guarantees to the people
00:51:32.49\00:51:35.32
the right of self-government,
00:51:35.36\00:51:37.33
providing that representatives
00:51:37.36\00:51:39.26
elected by the popular vote
00:51:39.29\00:51:41.33
shall enact laws
and administer the laws.
00:51:41.36\00:51:45.57
Freedom of religious
faith, first amendment right,
00:51:45.60\00:51:50.31
freedom of religious
faith was also granted,
00:51:50.34\00:51:54.28
and every man being
permitted to worship God
00:51:54.31\00:51:58.41
according to the
dictates of his conscience.
00:51:58.45\00:52:01.55
Republicanism which is basically
00:52:01.58\00:52:03.52
a state without the king,
00:52:03.55\00:52:05.12
and Protestantism, a
church without a pope,
00:52:05.15\00:52:08.69
became the fundamental
principles of the nation."
00:52:08.72\00:52:13.03
And now notice
this ominous statement.
00:52:13.06\00:52:15.76
"These principles are
the secret of its power
00:52:15.80\00:52:20.67
and prosperity.''
00:52:20.70\00:52:24.37
Have you ever
read those statements
00:52:24.41\00:52:25.81
where Ellen White says that
when the Sunday Law is proposed
00:52:25.84\00:52:28.94
that will lead to
national apostasy,
00:52:28.98\00:52:31.51
and national apostasy
will lead to national ruin,
00:52:31.55\00:52:36.82
that's what she is describing.
00:52:36.85\00:52:40.26
You know, the people
says Unites States is so great
00:52:40.29\00:52:42.76
because it has greater
armies, bigger territory,
00:52:42.79\00:52:45.03
more people, more money,
00:52:45.06\00:52:46.66
all of those are side issues,
00:52:46.70\00:52:48.53
the secret of the
power and prosperity
00:52:48.56\00:52:51.63
of the United States
00:52:51.67\00:52:53.00
are these two principles upon
which the nation was founded.
00:52:53.03\00:52:57.61
If the nation someday
should join church and state,
00:52:57.64\00:53:01.28
if someday the United States
00:53:01.31\00:53:05.65
should allow the church to
control the civil government
00:53:05.68\00:53:09.58
to persecute
those who do not agree
00:53:09.62\00:53:11.85
with the general
ideas of religion.
00:53:11.89\00:53:15.16
The United States
would be repudiating
00:53:15.19\00:53:17.99
the two horns like a lamb
00:53:18.03\00:53:20.33
and would begin
speaking like a dragon,
00:53:20.36\00:53:25.07
and that would bring forth
00:53:25.10\00:53:28.37
the retribution of
God against this country
00:53:28.40\00:53:31.81
that was
established by God's providence.
00:53:31.84\00:53:34.78
This country was
raised in God's providence.
00:53:34.81\00:53:37.35
Praise the Lord
that for 200 years
00:53:37.38\00:53:39.41
this country has
abided by its principles,
00:53:39.45\00:53:41.48
it's been possible to proclaim
00:53:41.52\00:53:43.28
present truth to the whole world
00:53:43.32\00:53:45.05
from this nation
00:53:45.09\00:53:46.72
because it has
abided by its principles.
00:53:46.76\00:53:49.02
It almost makes me
want to cry to think
00:53:49.06\00:53:52.06
what's going to
happen to this nation
00:53:52.09\00:53:53.63
according to what
Bible prophecy has to say.
00:53:53.66\00:53:59.03
Now you look at
what's happening today,
00:53:59.07\00:54:00.60
it seems like to state
has power over the church,
00:54:00.64\00:54:07.24
you know, like
State Bill 1146, you know,
00:54:07.28\00:54:09.61
the state is gonna dictate
to religious universities.
00:54:09.64\00:54:12.85
You know you have to
go by the LGBT agenda
00:54:12.88\00:54:15.92
or else you gonna lose support.
00:54:15.95\00:54:20.26
So it appears that the state
00:54:20.29\00:54:21.89
is interfering
more with the church
00:54:21.92\00:54:24.39
than the church with the state,
00:54:24.43\00:54:25.89
but prophecy tells us
that, that is gonna change.
00:54:25.93\00:54:29.66
Eventually what's gonna happen
00:54:29.70\00:54:31.03
is you're gonna have the image
00:54:31.07\00:54:32.40
of what happen
during the Middle Ages.
00:54:32.43\00:54:34.40
The church is going
to control the state.
00:54:34.44\00:54:39.11
And the church is gonna dictate
to the state religious laws,
00:54:39.14\00:54:43.55
and those who do not abide
00:54:43.58\00:54:45.35
by those religious
laws will be persecuted.
00:54:45.38\00:54:50.09
So let me ask you then.
00:54:50.12\00:54:52.09
Do the founding fathers
of the United States agree
00:54:52.12\00:54:56.22
with what Bible
prophecy has to say?
00:54:56.26\00:54:59.83
Did they believe
in two principles?
00:54:59.86\00:55:03.13
Did they believe in
the idea of civil liberty
00:55:03.16\00:55:06.07
which by the way means
00:55:06.10\00:55:07.94
that you believe
in a civil government?
00:55:07.97\00:55:09.84
Did they believe
in religious liberty
00:55:09.87\00:55:12.11
which has to do with the church?
00:55:12.14\00:55:14.88
Did they believe
that both of these things
00:55:14.91\00:55:17.11
must remain separate
in order for there to be
00:55:17.15\00:55:20.12
full civil and
religious liberty?
00:55:20.15\00:55:22.62
We have examine their writings,
00:55:22.65\00:55:24.39
their writings corroborate
00:55:24.42\00:55:26.29
our
interpretation of the prophecy
00:55:26.32\00:55:28.26
of Revelation Chapter 13.
00:55:28.29\00:55:30.76
Have you
understood what we studied?
00:55:30.79\00:55:32.99
So where are we in
the prophetic chain?
00:55:33.03\00:55:36.06
Well, let's review again.
00:55:36.10\00:55:37.63
My wife says
you review too much.
00:55:37.67\00:55:41.04
You repeat too much,
00:55:41.07\00:55:42.40
and I tell my wife, listen,
00:55:42.44\00:55:43.77
how do you,
00:55:43.81\00:55:45.14
how does a parrot learn to talk.
00:55:45.17\00:55:47.94
You repeat, and repeat,
00:55:47.98\00:55:49.44
and repeat to the parrot
00:55:49.48\00:55:50.98
and the parrot learns to say it.
00:55:51.01\00:55:52.91
So you've got to repeat.
00:55:52.95\00:55:54.68
So let's
examine the chain again.
00:55:54.72\00:55:58.72
Where does the chain begin?
00:55:58.75\00:56:00.96
Babylon, then Medo-Persia,
00:56:00.99\00:56:03.06
then Greece,
then the Roman Empire.
00:56:03.09\00:56:06.53
What happens to
the Roman Empire?
00:56:06.56\00:56:08.40
It's divided into 10 kingdoms.
00:56:08.43\00:56:10.27
Then the papacy
rules for how long?
00:56:10.30\00:56:13.17
1260 years.
00:56:13.20\00:56:15.50
What happens at
the end of 1260 years?
00:56:15.54\00:56:18.74
The papacy receives the
deadly wound with the sword,
00:56:18.77\00:56:21.11
the state turn against it
00:56:21.14\00:56:22.98
and the papacy
is sent into what?
00:56:23.01\00:56:25.21
Captivity,
00:56:25.25\00:56:26.58
because it can no longer use
00:56:26.61\00:56:27.98
the civil powers of the world
to accomplish its purposes.
00:56:28.02\00:56:31.55
When the papacy falls,
00:56:31.59\00:56:33.42
this other beast
rises from the earth,
00:56:33.46\00:56:35.46
the United States of America
with the two horns like a lamb.
00:56:35.49\00:56:39.29
In other words,
00:56:39.33\00:56:40.66
it guarantees full
civil and religious liberty
00:56:40.70\00:56:42.96
by the idea of the
separation of church and state.
00:56:43.00\00:56:46.74
Where are we in
the prophetic chain?
00:56:46.77\00:56:50.57
What is the next event
in the prophetic chain?
00:56:50.61\00:56:53.34
The next event in the
prophetic chain is that
00:56:53.38\00:56:55.78
this beast from the earth
00:56:55.81\00:56:57.25
that has two horns like a lamb
00:56:57.28\00:56:59.41
will end up
speaking like a dragon.
00:56:59.45\00:57:03.82
We are at the very
final end of the chain,
00:57:03.85\00:57:08.89
at the final link
00:57:08.92\00:57:10.76
and United States
will speak like a dragon
00:57:10.79\00:57:13.26
because it will help
the beast recover its power.
00:57:13.29\00:57:17.93
Remember what we said,
00:57:17.97\00:57:19.30
it will tell everyone
to worship the first beast,
00:57:19.33\00:57:21.54
to make an image
of the first beast,
00:57:21.57\00:57:23.10
to enforce the
mark of the first beast,
00:57:23.14\00:57:24.97
It will do everything
on behalf first beast.
00:57:25.01\00:57:27.31
It will exercise the
authority of the first beast.
00:57:27.34\00:57:29.54
In other words, the
United States will restore
00:57:29.58\00:57:32.75
the idea of
uniting church and state
00:57:32.78\00:57:35.48
that existed with the papacy
in the civil powers of Europe
00:57:35.52\00:57:39.99
during the 1260 years.
00:57:40.02\00:57:43.99
Now, don't miss the
next couple of lectures,
00:57:44.03\00:57:47.06
because we're going to
unpack this a little bit more.
00:57:47.10\00:57:49.66
We're gonna talk
about the mark of the beast.
00:57:49.70\00:57:51.67
We're gonna talk about
the change in God's law
00:57:51.70\00:57:53.94
as the defining
issue at the end of time.
00:57:53.97\00:57:57.31
So don't miss for
anything in the world
00:57:57.34\00:58:00.31
the next exciting
episode in this series.
00:58:00.34\00:58:03.58