Hello, friends, grab your Bible
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and a friend and sit back
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as we explore
God's word together
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on this edition of House Calls.
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Hello, welcome to
the best Bible program
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anywhere in the
world at this very moment.
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If we didn't believe
that we wouldn't be here.
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And if we didn't believe that
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we wouldn't both
have the same name.
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I'm John and you're
John also, aren't you?
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I certainly am. It's
good to have you here.
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It's good to be here.
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We don't have the same last
name but we're still brothers.
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That's exactly. We are brothers
with a different mother.
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Brothers from a
different mother.
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From a different mother.
Good to have you here, John.
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Always good to have you
in the saddle. That's right.
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You know, you're
moving around quite a bit.
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You no longer in Idaho.
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You're up in--
where are you right now?
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I'm in Spokane, Washington.
Now what are you doing up there?
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Personal Ministries
Department, director there
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at Upper
Columbia Conference. Wow.
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Excited about helping
people understand the ministry
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they have on a
personal level for Christ.
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That's really good. Yeah.
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And so all this experience
in House Calls and pastoring
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and all the other good
stuff that comes along with it.
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He is not only moving up North,
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he's getting
taller. You look tall.
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I'm glad we don't do
this program standing up,
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'cause it will be
quite embarrassing.
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People tell me I'm
tall, but he is 6' 10".
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He always says 6' 9 ˝"
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but he never is
barefoot. That's right.
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Good to have you here today.
What's our topic for today?
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You know, we've got a
topic that I'm excited about,
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it's spiritual Babylon
and we'll get to that as we do
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always in the second
half hour. That's right.
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And excited about that program,
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it's something that is
affecting everybody today.
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That's right and those
of you who are tuning in,
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we thank you for doing so.
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Get your Bibles. Get you pens.
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Get your questions together.
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We'll tell you where you
can send those in a moment.
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But before we do anything
else, we're gonna have prayer.
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John, pray for
us. Let's do that.
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Father in heaven,
we thank You so much
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for this opportunity to
open Your word and to study
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and to come to know Your
plan for us personally better.
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And, Lord, even on a
greater scale to understand
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this world where we are
today and where we're headed.
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And so, Father,
we just pray that
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as we spend this time together,
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You'll send Your spirit
to guide us into all truth,
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to teach us the
things that we can know,
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and to bless us
during this time together
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in Jesus name, amen. Amen.
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Now, as you
know, we always spend
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the first half of the
program on Bible questions
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because you send us questions.
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We go to our email website,
which is technology nowadays,
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download what we can.
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And you've sent some
pretty interesting questions.
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And so, John, what's our
first question for today?
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I've got a question
from India. India? Okay.
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And let's see he is right now
in a country in the Middle East.
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So he's East
Indian but he's working
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in the Middle East. Okay.
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And he has a question in
regard to the breaking of bread.
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As you know Jesus talked
about the breaking of bread
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as He met with His
disciples in the upper room
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and He says this,
"Is it the last supper,
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which Jesus had
with His disciples
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in speaking of
the breaking of bread?
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Or is it the
breaking of God's word
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when we talk about
this as we gather together.
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If not the last supper,
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what does Jesus
words mean in Luke 22:19?
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This do in remembrance of me.
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If it means the last supper,
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do we have to
do it every Sabbath
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we get
together? Please clarify."
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As you know,
communion is something
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we do as believers
when we get together.
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And to avoid it
becoming rout or routine
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and losing its meaning,
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we don't do it every
Sabbath. That's right.
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Or every time we
get together to worship.
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We do it in response
to the command of Jesus
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who said-- who commanded us
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to do these
things until He returned.
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But He did in that upper room
talk about doing these things
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in the context
of breaking bread.
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But there is
somewhere else in the scripture
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that I think really kind of--
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it is the
introduction of this topic
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that Jesus is using
into His body being broken,
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into the wine there, the
Jews representing His blood.
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And for that let's
go to John Chapter 6.
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John Chapter 6,
and I'm gonna read here
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from verse 50--actually
start with verse 48.
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John 6 verse 48.
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"I am the bread of life."
Clear definition there isn't it?
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Jesus is the bread of life.
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Your fathers ate the manna
in the wilderness, and are dead.
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This is the bread
which comes down from heaven
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that one may eat
of it and not die.
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I am the living bread
which came down from heaven.
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If any one eats of this
bread, he will live forever.
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And the bread that I
shall give is my flesh,
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which I shall give
for the life of the world.
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The Jews therefore quarreled
among themselves, saying,
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how can this man
give us his flesh to eat?
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Then Jesus said to them,
well, so surely I say to you,
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unless you eat the
flesh of the Son of man,
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and drink his blood,
you have no life in you.
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Whoever eats My flesh
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and drinks my
blood has eternal life.
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And I will raise
him up at the last day.
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For my flesh is food indeed,
and my blood is drink indeed.
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He who eats my
flesh, and drinks my blood,
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abides in me, and I in him.
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Clearly, a very
complicated confusing subject
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because, of
course, if you follow
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the story of Christ
and the Pharisees around,
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he always--at least
they always try to confuse
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the matter by
taking him literally.
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They take, you know, a
literal approach to this.
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How can he actually tear
off His flesh and hand it to us
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to give us His flesh to eat.
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And cut His, you
know, His body open,
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drain the blood, and
give us His blood to drink.
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Well, there are
some, there is specifically
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one denomination in
the world that believes
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that communion is the
literal body of Christ
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and this is where
they're taking those words from
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and that is the
Roman Catholic Faith.
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It's called transubstantiation
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which is the
transference of the blood
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into the actual body of Christ.
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As Protestants we
don't believe that. Right.
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We believe he was
speaking figuratively
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as He did much of--
in many of the gospels.
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And specifically in
regard to the last supper,
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He gave the disciples as
he passed around the bread
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and He passed
around the Jews there.
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He gave the disciples an
example of what they should do.
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And this is in fact what
He is referring to there.
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And what it is to do
is to give them a rite,
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a ceremony where they
could draw near to Him,
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declare and show
their faith in Him
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and their trust in Him,
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so that they
would keep their focus
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on what was most important,
not the things of this world,
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not the things around
them but on Jesus Christ
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who was the source
of their salvation.
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And in fact one of the
important aspects of this
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and I'll just read this
here real quick for those,
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just to have 'cause
it's really impactful.
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Sometimes, John, we
get caught up in church,
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looking around at
others and what they are doing.
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You know, gauging their
life and where their faith is.
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If we were to spend
more time in response
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to what Jesus is saying here,
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thinking about
what Jesus has done,
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we'd realize it's not about us,
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it's about what
Jesus has done for us.
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So partaking of him what he has
the spiritual food to give us.
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He pours His spirit into us.
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He takes us and molds us
and shapes us into His image,
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remaking us, removing
the sin from our lives,
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putting righteousness--
His righteousness in us.
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And it is in partaking
of what he has to offer
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spiritually that
we become changed
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and when we become
changed in that way
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we stop looking around at
others, engaging the problems
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and the issues in
other people's lives.
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So I say, you know, maybe
when we're having problems
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in church, we need to get back
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to the focus of what
communion was all about
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and that is
keeping our eyes on Christ,
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partaking of Him,
and abiding in Him
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and not focusing
on what the problems
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are in the lives of others.
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And so in this
way-- in this respect
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the question goes back here,
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what is this referring
to the breaking of bread?
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It's coming together.
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It's experiencing this
communion rite, the ceremony.
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Keeping our focus on Jesus
and what He means to each of us.
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And the fact that
it's not about us.
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It's about Him changing us
and glorifying Him in our body
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and everything we do in
our lives. That's right.
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You know it's a very
interesting story in the Bible
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when the Bible
talks about the body
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and the blood of Christ.
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We know that our redemption
would not be possible expect
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for the broken body and
the shed blood of Christ.
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That is the covering
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of our sinful flesh
with His righteousness.
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And there is no
salvation outside of grace
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through faith alone and
the righteousness of Christ.
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He covers us with
His righteousness.
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He covers our mortal
body with His glorious body.
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He covers our sinful human
flesh with His sinless flesh.
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But there is some
comparisons the Bible gives
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and, you know, when we talk
about the breaking of bread,
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obviously, the
similarities that we find there
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because all through the Bible,
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there's bread
talked about and when Jesus
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referred to the fact
that He was the true bread
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that came down from heaven,
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He was
referring back to the food
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that the children of Israel
ate in the wilderness sojourn.
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Also breaking of
bread was something
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that the apostles did
when the New Testament
00:09:19.68\00:09:22.18
church was being
formed in Acts 2 verse 46,
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they continued
daily with one accord,
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breaking bread
from house to house.
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Not something done
on one day of a week
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but they broke bread.
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When they ate, they also
broke the physical bread of life
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and the spiritual bread of life.
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But I find there's a
great comparison here
00:09:37.63\00:09:39.43
in First Corinthians Chapter 10
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and then First
Corinthians Chapter 11
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where Paul once again addresses
the issue of communion.
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And Paul didn't have--
he had a direct experience.
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His conversion was
at the direct experience
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when he knew that he
was battling against Christ.
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When the Lord says,
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"Paul, why are you
fighting against the goads?
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Why are you kicking
against the pricks?"
00:10:01.20\00:10:03.42
He says, "Why are
you battling against me,"
00:10:03.45\00:10:05.89
and he blinded Paul and
when his eyes were restored
00:10:05.92\00:10:09.05
he was a man who
saw it differently.
00:10:09.08\00:10:11.56
But there's something--there's
some comparisons he makes
00:10:11.59\00:10:13.84
and I want to first look at
First Corinthians Chapter 10
00:10:13.87\00:10:16.45
about the spiritual the food
00:10:16.48\00:10:18.94
and the drink is
where I'm headed.
00:10:18.97\00:10:21.63
Now we know there was
no baptism into Christ
00:10:21.66\00:10:24.46
but there was
baptism nonetheless
00:10:24.49\00:10:25.86
because the Bible
talks about the same journey.
00:10:25.89\00:10:28.81
Moreover First
Corinthians 10 and verse 1,
00:10:28.84\00:10:31.85
" Moreover,
brethren, I do not want you
00:10:31.88\00:10:33.66
to be unaware or ignorant,"
as the King James Version says,
00:10:33.69\00:10:36.99
"That all our
fathers were under the cloud,
00:10:37.02\00:10:39.98
all passed through the sea.
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All were baptized into Moses
in the cloud and in the sea."
00:10:42.59\00:10:48.39
And this is the food and drink.
00:10:48.42\00:10:50.61
"All ate the
same spiritual food.
00:10:50.64\00:10:53.37
All drank the
same spiritual drink,
00:10:53.40\00:10:56.73
for they drank of
that spiritual Rock
00:10:56.76\00:10:58.93
that followed them
and that Rock was Christ."
00:10:58.96\00:11:02.19
So they had to partake of
Christ in the Old Testament
00:11:02.22\00:11:04.25
by faith and they
partake-- we partake of Christ
00:11:04.28\00:11:06.88
in the New Testament by faith.
00:11:06.91\00:11:08.71
And so this communion
service really the word commune
00:11:08.74\00:11:12.25
is a part of communion.
00:11:12.28\00:11:14.24
Communion, the
fellowship of believers
00:11:14.27\00:11:16.71
that are communing with Christ,
00:11:16.74\00:11:18.53
is really what communion is.
00:11:18.56\00:11:20.65
Which is why
Jesus says, abide in Me,
00:11:20.68\00:11:22.65
there's a communion-- Exactly.
00:11:22.68\00:11:24.76
Communion, so you have
commune, communion, community.
00:11:24.79\00:11:28.56
A community of believers
that are communing with Christ
00:11:28.59\00:11:31.16
in the service of partaking
of His body and of His blood,
00:11:31.19\00:11:35.30
simply the emblems
of His righteousness
00:11:35.33\00:11:37.44
in place of our sinfulness.
00:11:37.47\00:11:39.00
Now the other part here
that I think is really important
00:11:39.03\00:11:40.77
to recognize is, Peter's words
00:11:40.80\00:11:43.53
where he talks about
partaking of the divine nature.
00:11:43.56\00:11:46.29
That's right. Very good.
00:11:46.32\00:11:47.69
So eating the flesh of Christ,
00:11:47.72\00:11:49.64
eating and drinking His blood
00:11:49.67\00:11:51.34
is partaking
through the promises.
00:11:51.37\00:11:53.52
Peter says, in
Second Peter 1 verse 4.
00:11:53.55\00:11:57.78
Partaking of those
promises and partaking them
00:11:57.81\00:12:00.61
of the divine nature
that is the changing,
00:12:00.64\00:12:04.36
the only nature that
can change us from within,
00:12:04.39\00:12:08.19
from a divinity standpoint,
not putting divinity in us
00:12:08.22\00:12:11.02
but his character and
everything that is partaking,
00:12:11.05\00:12:15.01
whether we can
partake of that will make us--
00:12:15.04\00:12:18.95
to make the righteousness
of Christ shine through us.
00:12:18.98\00:12:22.08
Only He can provide
that, only He can give us
00:12:22.11\00:12:24.11
that kind of
spiritual nourishment,
00:12:24.14\00:12:25.75
that food that we can
then glorify Christ with.
00:12:25.78\00:12:30.11
And, you know, John,
you're opening a lot of doors.
00:12:30.14\00:12:32.07
One of the things we
have a challenge with here is
00:12:32.10\00:12:35.20
John and I we think so much
alike in so many different areas
00:12:35.23\00:12:38.55
and then the
scriptures that we hear
00:12:38.58\00:12:39.95
and I know the Holy
Spirit's at work here.
00:12:39.98\00:12:41.77
The Holy Spirit
makes it very obvious
00:12:41.80\00:12:43.33
that He's at work here
because the doors are opening
00:12:43.36\00:12:46.39
to greater understanding
as we discuss these topics.
00:12:46.42\00:12:48.78
So thank you for your questions.
00:12:48.81\00:12:50.40
And so now as you pointed out
partaking of the divine nature,
00:12:50.43\00:12:53.64
it takes me now to that
text in Colossians 1:27,
00:12:53.67\00:12:56.63
where Paul says
again, "To them God willed
00:12:56.66\00:13:00.09
to make known
what are the riches
00:13:00.12\00:13:02.08
of the glory of this
mystery among the Gentiles
00:13:02.11\00:13:05.91
which is Christ in
you." In you, real.
00:13:05.94\00:13:08.94
We drink the wine
00:13:08.97\00:13:10.34
which is a symbol of
his shed blood unfermented.
00:13:10.37\00:13:13.78
We partake of the bread without
yeast the symbol of no sin,
00:13:13.81\00:13:17.69
where it is going in us.
00:13:17.72\00:13:19.47
Once again Christ in
us the hope of glory.
00:13:19.50\00:13:22.42
So communion is broad.
00:13:22.45\00:13:24.16
It's more than just a ceremony.
00:13:24.19\00:13:25.75
It is in fact
taking of a righteousness
00:13:25.78\00:13:28.30
that we do not
naturally possess.
00:13:28.33\00:13:30.90
Now let me open
another last-- Okay, go for it.
00:13:30.93\00:13:34.51
'Cause it's now the
Holy Spirit speaking
00:13:34.54\00:13:36.38
and we think of
Jesus and His body
00:13:36.41\00:13:40.45
and His blood and
dividing the bread,
00:13:40.48\00:13:42.19
which is His body,
body broken for us.
00:13:42.22\00:13:45.31
But John once speaks of
Christ as being the word.
00:13:45.34\00:13:49.84
So the bread also
becomes the bread of life
00:13:49.87\00:13:52.32
in that He is the word of life.
00:13:52.35\00:13:54.74
So the bread often we speak
of as being the scriptures.
00:13:54.77\00:13:59.02
So when you read,
say Paul's other words,
00:13:59.05\00:14:04.21
here we go Second Timothy 2:15,
00:14:04.24\00:14:06.63
"Be diligent to present
yourself approved to God,
00:14:06.66\00:14:08.88
a worker who does
not need to be ashamed,
00:14:08.91\00:14:10.49
rightly dividing
the word of truth."
00:14:10.52\00:14:13.16
So you have a clear, I believe,
00:14:13.19\00:14:15.53
intentional
reference to the dividing
00:14:15.56\00:14:18.27
of the breaking of bread
by the dividing of truth,
00:14:18.30\00:14:21.65
here to the life of Christ.
00:14:21.68\00:14:23.17
And the fact that He
was the bread of life
00:14:23.20\00:14:24.97
but He also was the word.
00:14:25.00\00:14:26.75
So the words we
read here also feed us
00:14:26.78\00:14:29.65
with nourishment with
spiritual nourishment,
00:14:29.68\00:14:31.75
which is Christ also,
His way of changing us
00:14:31.78\00:14:35.42
and shaping us into
who He wants us to be.
00:14:35.45\00:14:37.91
So there's so much here,
00:14:37.94\00:14:40.15
you know, really
there's no simple answer
00:14:40.18\00:14:41.70
to the question, John.
00:14:41.73\00:14:43.89
Real good question from Mayo.
00:14:43.92\00:14:48.25
What is actually meant
by the breaking of bread?
00:14:48.28\00:14:50.14
That's right, so many things.
00:14:50.17\00:14:51.60
There's so many aspects to this.
00:14:51.63\00:14:53.47
And it's not just one
00:14:53.50\00:14:54.87
and similarly we find
this with the other topics.
00:14:54.90\00:14:57.11
You can't just give
one simple answer to this.
00:14:57.14\00:14:58.55
There's so much to it.
00:14:58.58\00:15:00.49
That's what I
appreciate about the scriptures.
00:15:00.52\00:15:01.94
There's so much depth.
00:15:01.97\00:15:03.46
You can start the same
subject, the same kind of topic
00:15:03.49\00:15:06.23
and still find
more treasure there.
00:15:06.26\00:15:08.29
Yeah, the Bible is more like
an artichoke than an orange.
00:15:08.32\00:15:11.03
It just continues to peel back
00:15:11.06\00:15:12.55
and when you get
to the heart of it,
00:15:12.58\00:15:13.99
you'll see that Christ
00:15:14.02\00:15:15.39
has always been a
part of a whole fruit.
00:15:15.42\00:15:20.06
Thank you for that
answer, John, really wonderful.
00:15:20.09\00:15:23.09
I have one here it
says, "Hello, brothers."
00:15:23.12\00:15:25.63
This is from
Ian in Rhode Island.
00:15:25.66\00:15:28.89
"Hello, my brothers.
00:15:28.92\00:15:30.29
I know the scriptures
only had one divine author
00:15:30.32\00:15:33.96
and therefore no contradictions.
00:15:33.99\00:15:36.55
With that in mind,
would you please help me
00:15:36.58\00:15:38.52
to see the continued
harmony between these two text?
00:15:38.55\00:15:43.30
It sure looks on the
surface like a contradiction."
00:15:43.33\00:15:47.54
I'll read first--
Second Timothy 3 verse 12 says,
00:15:47.57\00:15:50.50
"Yes, and all who
desire to live godly
00:15:50.53\00:15:53.79
in Christ Jesus
will suffer persecution."
00:15:53.82\00:15:57.25
But then the
First Peter 3 verse 13,
00:15:57.28\00:16:00.49
"And who is he who will harm you
00:16:00.52\00:16:03.39
if you become
followers of what is good."
00:16:03.42\00:16:06.81
Okay, now you
have one that says,
00:16:06.84\00:16:08.77
if you live godly, you
will suffer persecution.
00:16:08.80\00:16:11.63
And the other one
says, whose gonna harm you
00:16:11.66\00:16:13.22
if you become
followers of what is good?
00:16:13.25\00:16:16.15
So the question is that
doesn't seem contradictory.
00:16:16.18\00:16:20.31
Well, you got to
look at the two stories
00:16:20.34\00:16:21.87
and that's the whole component
of what we read in the Bible.
00:16:21.90\00:16:26.15
You know,
sometimes you read here
00:16:26.18\00:16:29.31
the goodness of one individual
00:16:29.34\00:16:33.56
and then you go
further down in the story.
00:16:33.59\00:16:36.54
Let's look at Peter
as the prime example.
00:16:36.57\00:16:38.71
Peter at one moment saying,
00:16:38.74\00:16:40.57
I'll follow you
Lord wherever you go.
00:16:40.60\00:16:42.31
And next moment, he's denying
his very connection to Christ.
00:16:42.34\00:16:47.72
And then speaks
of the same person
00:16:47.75\00:16:49.92
but he speaks of him in two
separate scenarios altogether.
00:16:49.95\00:16:53.71
What you have here
are two separate scenarios
00:16:53.74\00:16:55.98
in which one is in
the context of persecution
00:16:56.01\00:16:59.26
and the other
one is in the context
00:16:59.29\00:17:00.71
of living that Christian life.
00:17:00.74\00:17:02.70
Now in the general sense
if you are a good neighbor,
00:17:02.73\00:17:07.46
what this First Peter
3:13 is talking about,
00:17:07.49\00:17:10.26
if you are a
person who does good
00:17:10.29\00:17:12.26
because Christ
is abiding in you,
00:17:12.29\00:17:14.35
he's in essence saying,
nobody is gonna bother you
00:17:14.38\00:17:16.77
for living a good life.
00:17:16.80\00:17:18.25
That's the context of
First Peter 3 and verse 13.
00:17:18.28\00:17:21.67
If you become a
follower of what is good,
00:17:21.70\00:17:24.20
nobody is gonna bother you.
00:17:24.23\00:17:25.60
That's what he in
essence saying here.
00:17:25.63\00:17:27.42
But Second Timothy 3:13,
Second Timothy 3 verse 12
00:17:27.45\00:17:30.53
is talking about the persecution
00:17:30.56\00:17:32.35
that Paul was
presently going through
00:17:32.38\00:17:35.56
and he is writing to Timothy
who is gonna take the reigns
00:17:35.59\00:17:39.57
after Paul passes off the scene
00:17:39.60\00:17:41.51
because in the
very same scriptures
00:17:41.54\00:17:44.18
he said to Timothy
my departure is at hand.
00:17:44.21\00:17:47.14
And he did not
want persecution to
00:17:47.17\00:17:48.75
become a deterrent to
doing what is the will of God
00:17:48.78\00:17:53.45
and the call of
God on Timothy's life.
00:17:53.48\00:17:55.59
So he says, Timothy, this
is just how it's gonna be.
00:17:55.62\00:17:57.90
That's the context of
Second Timothy 3 and verse 12.
00:17:57.93\00:18:00.10
I've been persecuted so much
00:18:00.13\00:18:02.63
and he talks
about all the stripes
00:18:02.66\00:18:04.03
and the imprisonment and
the lashes and being ostracized.
00:18:04.06\00:18:07.91
He says, so don't let this
be a--don't let this prevent you
00:18:07.94\00:18:11.69
from spreading the gospel
because who ever lives godly
00:18:11.72\00:18:15.06
is gonna suffer persecution.
00:18:15.09\00:18:16.46
That's the context of the story.
00:18:16.49\00:18:17.89
So look at the
stories in the full picture.
00:18:17.92\00:18:20.39
One is simply saying
if you're a good neighbor,
00:18:20.42\00:18:22.60
if you live the right
life, if you do what is good,
00:18:22.63\00:18:24.86
nobody is gonna bother
you. And that's in essence true.
00:18:24.89\00:18:27.87
People don't bother individuals
00:18:27.90\00:18:29.27
that are doing good
things for the most part.
00:18:29.30\00:18:31.91
However, because
of the sinful world
00:18:31.94\00:18:33.36
sometimes bad
things-- on many levels,
00:18:33.39\00:18:36.51
bad things do
happen to good people.
00:18:36.54\00:18:39.46
And that's simply
what the context of--
00:18:39.49\00:18:41.02
not contradicting
but simply talking about
00:18:41.05\00:18:42.64
two separate settings.
00:18:42.67\00:18:44.53
And the reality of
it is as Jesus said,
00:18:44.56\00:18:47.14
if they do these
things speaking of himself,
00:18:47.17\00:18:49.73
if they do these things
that is persecute the green tree
00:18:49.76\00:18:53.61
that Jesus represents,
what will they do to the tree
00:18:53.64\00:18:56.10
that doesn't bear
fruit that represents us?
00:18:56.13\00:18:59.22
So that's-- simply the context
00:18:59.25\00:19:01.44
of both of these
stories are different.
00:19:01.47\00:19:03.39
But the Christian
will at some point
00:19:03.42\00:19:05.43
or the other be
persecuted in one way,
00:19:05.46\00:19:08.61
like today for example,
00:19:08.64\00:19:10.01
John, let's look at the
context of the modern world
00:19:10.04\00:19:11.58
today in which we live.
00:19:11.61\00:19:13.18
It seems like when the
Christian takes a stand,
00:19:13.21\00:19:16.34
if a Christian
says, I don't believe
00:19:16.37\00:19:18.32
in whatever the political issue
00:19:18.35\00:19:22.08
is it seems as
though in the world,
00:19:22.11\00:19:24.74
the Christian is the one
that's marked and derided
00:19:24.77\00:19:28.37
and persecuted
and looked down on
00:19:28.40\00:19:30.35
because they take a moral stand.
00:19:30.38\00:19:33.00
In a very immoral society,
00:19:33.03\00:19:34.62
the Christian seems to be
the one that's out of step.
00:19:34.65\00:19:37.17
So they do to some degree become
the object of persecution.
00:19:37.20\00:19:41.32
However, in the
community of believers
00:19:41.35\00:19:43.43
that same Christian goes
home to his own neighborhood
00:19:43.46\00:19:45.81
or her
neighborhood and they continue
00:19:45.84\00:19:47.73
to keep their lawn well,
00:19:47.76\00:19:49.45
be kind to the neighbors,
nothing is gonna happen to them.
00:19:49.48\00:19:53.02
But simply the
object of standing
00:19:53.05\00:19:55.49
for Christ will
bring about persecution.
00:19:55.52\00:19:58.24
But living a godly
life on a day by day basis
00:19:58.27\00:20:01.12
will cause you to live a
life that is a good life.
00:20:01.15\00:20:04.25
That's where the church
was headed in that day of Paul.
00:20:04.28\00:20:06.97
Anyway it was headed
toward a very difficult
00:20:07.00\00:20:09.91
time of
persecution. That's right.
00:20:09.94\00:20:11.31
Pagan Rome was
really living a heavy degree
00:20:11.34\00:20:13.77
of not just
insult and verbal abuse
00:20:13.80\00:20:19.31
but it began to be very shortly
00:20:19.34\00:20:21.20
right around Paul's
time, a little after that
00:20:21.23\00:20:23.04
heavy physical to the
point where Christians
00:20:23.07\00:20:26.55
were murdered by the hundreds
00:20:26.58\00:20:27.95
in the Coliseum
and other things.
00:20:27.98\00:20:29.47
So Paul was helping
the church understand
00:20:29.50\00:20:32.30
that together we will
experience this kind of thing
00:20:32.33\00:20:34.72
as we live for Christ.
00:20:34.75\00:20:36.33
But individually, John, I think
you'd a very good application
00:20:36.36\00:20:39.29
made there when
you live right for God,
00:20:39.32\00:20:41.04
when you live a good life,
00:20:41.07\00:20:42.63
people just,
they'll leave you alone.
00:20:42.66\00:20:44.18
They won't bother you.
00:20:44.21\00:20:45.58
They'll see you in fact as
someone that's very upright
00:20:45.61\00:20:46.98
and they can
trust. That's right.
00:20:47.01\00:20:48.58
And Christians have a
very beautiful place to stand.
00:20:48.61\00:20:52.57
Christianity yes,
the ultimate benefit
00:20:52.60\00:20:56.23
of Christianity is eternal life.
00:20:56.26\00:20:58.11
But the world has
been a continual benefactor
00:20:58.14\00:21:02.14
from Christians
being in this world.
00:21:02.17\00:21:04.49
People that are moral,
people that are loving kind,
00:21:04.52\00:21:07.72
compassionate people that
believe in service to others.
00:21:07.76\00:21:10.88
People that believe in
bearing one another's burdens
00:21:10.91\00:21:13.66
at least that's what
a Christian should be.
00:21:13.69\00:21:15.99
And, yes,
there's a great benefit
00:21:16.02\00:21:18.43
to living a Christian life.
00:21:18.46\00:21:19.83
Truly, there's a lot of peace.
00:21:19.86\00:21:21.23
Great peace have
they that love the law
00:21:21.26\00:21:22.65
and nothing shall
cause them to stumble
00:21:22.68\00:21:24.37
and nothing shall offend them.
00:21:24.40\00:21:26.28
And--but, you know, ultimately
it will come to the place
00:21:26.31\00:21:30.42
where it did in the
past, persecution will arise
00:21:30.45\00:21:32.88
because the world will
get so out of step with Christ
00:21:32.91\00:21:35.42
that they'll want to eradicate
all who tend to live a life
00:21:35.45\00:21:41.06
that speaks against the
road that they've have chosen.
00:21:41.09\00:21:44.87
And you
mentioned something, John.
00:21:44.90\00:21:46.27
It's really interesting
that you brought that up
00:21:46.30\00:21:47.67
because in the days of
Paul they'll were between
00:21:47.70\00:21:50.04
the Church of Ephesus
and the Church of Smyrna.
00:21:50.07\00:21:52.76
And when you look at Revelation,
00:21:52.79\00:21:54.16
the Church of Ephesus is
the church that the first love,
00:21:54.19\00:21:57.01
the most glorious time
of the church just budding.
00:21:57.04\00:22:00.28
They began to vein under
the severity of persecution.
00:22:00.31\00:22:03.76
They began to
lose their first love.
00:22:03.79\00:22:06.08
And then they got to
Smyrna where it says,
00:22:06.11\00:22:08.06
I know your works
tribulation and poverty
00:22:08.09\00:22:11.90
and so tribulation began
to come in as Roman Emperor
00:22:11.93\00:22:15.36
Diocletian from 303 to
313 A.D began to persecute
00:22:15.39\00:22:19.62
and slaughter Christians
that refused to step in line
00:22:19.65\00:22:22.50
with what Rome had
established as the norm. Yeah.
00:22:22.53\00:22:25.52
That's what happened today.
00:22:25.55\00:22:26.92
There's a norm that the
Christian doesn't accept
00:22:26.95\00:22:28.59
and in the
political arena of today,
00:22:28.62\00:22:30.46
you know, with all these
issues that are coming up
00:22:30.49\00:22:31.94
in political
circles, the Christian
00:22:31.97\00:22:33.77
doesn't buy into
it and they become
00:22:33.80\00:22:35.63
an object of derision and
mockery. That's all right.
00:22:35.66\00:22:41.07
The retirement plan
is out of this world.
00:22:41.10\00:22:43.75
What do you have? What
more do you have for us?
00:22:43.78\00:22:45.15
I've got another question here.
00:22:45.18\00:22:46.55
It's in regard
to Daniel Chapter 2
00:22:46.58\00:22:49.69
and the image that the king,
00:22:49.72\00:22:52.66
King
Nebuchadnezzar dreamed about.
00:22:52.69\00:22:55.58
It says in the interpretation
of Daniel 2 verses 31 to 45
00:22:55.61\00:22:59.37
the image of the head of
globe, breast in arms of silver,
00:22:59.40\00:23:03.19
his belly in size of
brass, his legs of iron,
00:23:03.22\00:23:06.11
his feet of iron and clay.
00:23:06.14\00:23:07.75
And then talks about, you know,
defines the different kingdoms,
00:23:07.78\00:23:10.87
the head is the one
king representing Babylon,
00:23:10.90\00:23:13.74
the arms were the
two kingdoms Medo-Persia,
00:23:13.77\00:23:16.50
the belly are--and thighs
are one kingdom of Greece.
00:23:16.53\00:23:20.66
Two legs of iron it
says, one kingdom Rome,
00:23:20.69\00:23:23.84
feet of iron and clay being
ten kingdoms and pointing out
00:23:23.87\00:23:27.18
specifically that they
were ten toes to those feet.
00:23:27.21\00:23:30.79
If the head equals one kingdom,
the arms represent two kingdoms,
00:23:30.82\00:23:34.68
belly one kingdom,
then why are two legs
00:23:34.71\00:23:38.36
represented as one kingdom?
00:23:38.39\00:23:40.91
And the ten toes
represented as ten kingdoms?
00:23:40.94\00:23:44.77
This seems inconsistent to me.
00:23:44.80\00:23:47.80
And then anyway just kind
of, how do we answer this?
00:23:47.83\00:23:52.33
It seems to be
another one of those apparent
00:23:52.36\00:23:54.14
contradictions or
problems with scripture.
00:23:54.17\00:23:56.98
Well, there is something
that is being mingled here
00:23:57.01\00:23:59.83
on this prophecy.
00:23:59.86\00:24:01.23
We know that Daniel 2 and
Daniel 7 really go together.
00:24:01.26\00:24:06.04
They help to
paint a very detailed
00:24:06.07\00:24:07.55
picture of these kingdoms.
00:24:07.58\00:24:10.33
What is
represented by the medals
00:24:10.36\00:24:11.99
of the various parts of
that image are represented
00:24:12.02\00:24:15.47
again by various
or different beasts
00:24:15.50\00:24:17.59
in Daniel
Chapter 7. That's right.
00:24:17.62\00:24:20.20
You don't find
in Daniel Chapter 2,
00:24:20.23\00:24:22.40
I can't, so maybe you
can help me find that,
00:24:22.43\00:24:25.52
that they were ten toes.
00:24:25.55\00:24:27.07
Now we know there were ten toes
00:24:27.10\00:24:28.47
'cause people have ten toes.
00:24:28.50\00:24:30.18
But it just says
that they were toes
00:24:30.21\00:24:32.26
just like it says
that they were legs.
00:24:32.29\00:24:35.12
We don't find two
legs. Right. Ten toes.
00:24:35.15\00:24:39.85
So in Daniel 2
specifically we're talking about
00:24:39.88\00:24:43.01
legs and feet, okay.
00:24:43.04\00:24:46.15
You don't really get to
specifics about these things
00:24:46.18\00:24:48.98
until you get to Daniel 7.
00:24:49.01\00:24:51.30
Daniel 7 speaks of legs
00:24:51.33\00:24:53.23
and in fact again doesn't
say two legs, it just says legs.
00:24:53.26\00:24:57.23
And then you
get to the ten horns
00:24:57.26\00:25:00.13
that were on the kingdom.
00:25:00.16\00:25:01.53
So that's where you
start getting the ten
00:25:01.56\00:25:03.06
and I think we
have over the years,
00:25:03.09\00:25:04.74
John, put the ten horns
00:25:04.77\00:25:07.40
ten with the
toes being ten. Right.
00:25:07.43\00:25:10.38
And we would
commonly refer to the feet
00:25:10.41\00:25:12.66
that have ten toes as
being the ten kingdoms. Right.
00:25:12.69\00:25:15.34
It's kind of--it
matches, it fits very well.
00:25:15.37\00:25:18.16
And I don't have a problem
with that interpretation at all.
00:25:18.19\00:25:20.55
But the Bible isn't
telling us two legs.
00:25:20.58\00:25:23.48
It's simply saying legs.
00:25:23.51\00:25:24.98
Now we know there are two
because everybody has two legs.
00:25:25.01\00:25:28.90
This image was clearly
an image of a man. Okay?
00:25:28.93\00:25:32.38
So don't look so
carefully for the minutia
00:25:32.41\00:25:36.59
in trying to get every
interpretation for everything
00:25:36.62\00:25:38.92
unless it's
specifically saying something
00:25:38.95\00:25:41.87
that it wants you to
have an interpretation for.
00:25:41.90\00:25:44.33
So if you can find two legs,
00:25:44.36\00:25:47.04
then I would say
the argument is true.
00:25:47.07\00:25:48.99
We need to find two
aspects of the kingdom of Rome
00:25:49.02\00:25:51.40
but you don't.
These are legs of iron.
00:25:51.43\00:25:53.44
Rome is one
kingdom clearly in Daniel 7
00:25:53.47\00:25:56.95
and the ten horns
represent the ten aspects
00:25:56.98\00:25:59.93
that that kingdom divided into
00:25:59.96\00:26:02.64
during the fall
of the Roman Empire.
00:26:02.67\00:26:04.29
So anyway that's
the way I see it.
00:26:04.32\00:26:06.13
It sounds like
maybe there might be
00:26:06.16\00:26:08.44
a little issue there
but there absolutely is not.
00:26:08.47\00:26:11.28
That's right.
Bible is consistent.
00:26:11.31\00:26:12.99
And, you know, when
these visions were given,
00:26:13.02\00:26:14.75
you know, you find first of
all Nebuchadnezzar has given
00:26:14.78\00:26:18.45
the overall view because
God has spoken to Nebuchadnezzar
00:26:18.48\00:26:21.77
directly about his
kingdom in Daniel Chapter 2.
00:26:21.80\00:26:24.79
Nebuchadnezzar has this dream.
00:26:24.82\00:26:26.99
Daniel interprets the
dream because God gives him
00:26:27.02\00:26:29.35
understanding of the vision.
And makes it very, very clear.
00:26:29.38\00:26:31.87
and the primary
focus of Daniel 2
00:26:31.90\00:26:34.38
is saying to Nebuchadnezzar,
00:26:34.41\00:26:35.78
your kingdom is not
gonna be around all the time.
00:26:35.81\00:26:38.26
There's gonna be a progression
of kingdoms on the earth,
00:26:38.29\00:26:40.50
major kingdoms, Babylon
is yours the head of gold.
00:26:40.53\00:26:44.42
And, as you know,
the story Nebuchadnezzar
00:26:44.45\00:26:45.86
desired to live a much longer
and keep his existing kingdom
00:26:45.89\00:26:49.02
permanently at the top
of the realm of authority
00:26:49.05\00:26:52.45
but after that
was a silver kingdom
00:26:52.48\00:26:54.68
then a bronze kingdom.
00:26:54.71\00:26:56.18
And, you know, if
that were the only passes
00:26:56.21\00:26:58.38
but when you read Daniel
7, you go to Daniel 8 also,
00:26:58.41\00:27:01.74
you also Daniel 6 are the books
00:27:01.77\00:27:03.45
that begin to
identify the components.
00:27:03.48\00:27:05.69
So when you say arms, you know,
00:27:05.72\00:27:08.00
the arms, it talks
about the two kingdoms.
00:27:08.03\00:27:13.11
Medo-Persia, Medo and
Persia. Medes and Persians.
00:27:13.14\00:27:17.71
So it talks about them
in the context of the two.
00:27:17.74\00:27:19.83
That's exactly how
00:27:19.86\00:27:21.23
the progression
of history unfolds.
00:27:21.26\00:27:23.25
So you clearly
see that the one thing
00:27:23.28\00:27:25.23
that shows you
there's a progression here
00:27:25.26\00:27:27.15
is because when
the image is given
00:27:27.18\00:27:29.61
with the legs of iron
and feet of iron and clay,
00:27:29.64\00:27:32.95
you have ten toes,
00:27:32.98\00:27:35.01
you also have ten
horns which are ten kings,
00:27:35.04\00:27:37.83
showing the
progression in Daniel 7
00:27:37.86\00:27:42.04
is there's now a
removal of some of these horns
00:27:42.07\00:27:45.90
and a little horn comes into it.
00:27:45.93\00:27:47.87
So you don't have the image
00:27:47.90\00:27:49.27
of eventually
seven toes. You see.
00:27:49.30\00:27:52.66
So there's once again
showing the progression
00:27:52.69\00:27:54.65
as it is in your--
00:27:54.68\00:27:56.05
this is what I'm
showing you Nebuchadnezzar
00:27:56.08\00:27:57.83
and I'm gonna show
Daniel this vision again
00:27:57.86\00:27:59.58
with the progression as it
continues to unfold in history.
00:27:59.61\00:28:02.22
And Daniel follows a
repeat and enlarged-- Exactly.
00:28:02.25\00:28:07.24
Perspective of prophecy here.
00:28:07.27\00:28:09.18
So what you read in Daniel
2 is gonna be further detailed
00:28:09.21\00:28:13.29
in Daniel 7 and in
Daniel 8, and Daniel 9,
00:28:13.32\00:28:16.73
and you get all
the progression here,
00:28:16.76\00:28:18.13
the repeating and the
enlarging of that prophecy,
00:28:18.16\00:28:20.17
prophecy that occurs
from just after Daniel's time
00:28:20.20\00:28:23.34
all the way down to the
end of time. That's right.
00:28:23.37\00:28:25.23
And so remembering
that also helps to see that,
00:28:25.26\00:28:28.08
you know, you're not
covering the same aspects.
00:28:28.11\00:28:30.26
It's a broader
perspective initially Daniel 2.
00:28:30.29\00:28:32.31
And then you're getting
more detailed as you along.
00:28:32.34\00:28:34.73
And what's so
wonderful about that
00:28:34.76\00:28:36.13
is because you don't
need to know all the things
00:28:36.16\00:28:37.53
that don't pertain to your day.
00:28:37.56\00:28:38.93
The Lord says that in
essence to Nebuchadnezzar,
00:28:38.96\00:28:41.20
I want to find a way to save you
00:28:41.23\00:28:42.90
and your pride right
now is the big issue.
00:28:42.93\00:28:44.34
That was the
whole thing within you.
00:28:44.37\00:28:45.74
You're gold and you think
a whole lot about yourself
00:28:45.77\00:28:48.18
and I got to work
with you and bring you down
00:28:48.21\00:28:49.93
to where you need to be
00:28:49.96\00:28:51.33
and eventually if
you listen to my voice
00:28:51.36\00:28:53.12
and the last words of that king
00:28:53.15\00:28:54.84
was he extolled and
exalted the God of heaven.
00:28:54.87\00:28:57.32
So I believe that Nebuchadnezzar
was eventually saved.
00:28:57.35\00:29:00.66
He will be in the
kingdom of the saved.
00:29:00.69\00:29:02.34
But then even as
Daniel got more understanding
00:29:02.37\00:29:05.05
of the visions of
what God had given to him,
00:29:05.08\00:29:07.17
he wanted to know more.
00:29:07.20\00:29:08.87
But God said,
"It's not for your day.
00:29:08.90\00:29:10.87
Just write it down, seal it up
00:29:10.90\00:29:13.10
and at the time of the end
more understanding will come."
00:29:13.13\00:29:16.66
And that's exactly how
prophecy is a continually
00:29:16.69\00:29:19.29
unfolding
artichoke of understanding,
00:29:19.32\00:29:22.60
just the top
leaves for Daniel's day,
00:29:22.63\00:29:24.64
the heart of it for our day.
00:29:24.67\00:29:26.60
Anyway I think we've
covered our time for questions.
00:29:26.63\00:29:28.80
We'll cover some
more in upcoming programs.
00:29:28.83\00:29:30.44
However, if you
have any questions
00:29:30.47\00:29:32.21
you like to send to us,
00:29:32.24\00:29:33.61
any comments you
like to email us,
00:29:33.64\00:29:35.01
send them to
housecalls@3abn.org,
00:29:35.04\00:29:38.27
that's housecalls@3abn.org.
00:29:38.30\00:29:41.01
And we surely
appreciate everything you do
00:29:41.04\00:29:43.87
to keep this
program going and growing.
00:29:43.90\00:29:46.78
And if you don't have
email, some people don't,
00:29:46.81\00:29:50.22
you can send good
old stamp and an envelop
00:29:50.25\00:29:53.08
to PO Box 220, West
Frankfort, Illinois, 62896,
00:29:53.11\00:29:57.71
attention House
Calls, thank you so much.
00:29:57.74\00:30:01.05
Now, John, lead in to our
study for today okay, Babylon.
00:30:01.08\00:30:04.92
Big, huge,
massive-- Spiritual Babylon.
00:30:04.95\00:30:06.93
Yes, huge massive topic.
00:30:06.96\00:30:09.98
You know, I
think, we will talk--
00:30:10.01\00:30:11.59
we'll start with
Revelation 17. Okay.
00:30:11.62\00:30:14.32
Because clearly that's
where Babylon is mentioned
00:30:14.35\00:30:16.73
in the context of
last day prophecy.
00:30:16.76\00:30:19.41
That's right. Of
end time prophecy.
00:30:19.44\00:30:21.19
What we see is a parallel rising
00:30:21.22\00:30:22.90
to oppose the
saints of the end of time.
00:30:22.93\00:30:24.65
We'll start there and then
we start to unfold it's meaning
00:30:24.68\00:30:28.55
through other parts of scripture
00:30:28.58\00:30:29.95
because I think it's one of
the most distorted perspectives
00:30:29.98\00:30:33.83
that even within Christianity
itself that must be clarified
00:30:33.86\00:30:39.30
if we're gonna
understand prophecy correctly.
00:30:39.33\00:30:41.21
Who does
spiritual Babylon represent?
00:30:41.24\00:30:43.52
And there are so
many different views
00:30:43.55\00:30:45.35
and it's hard to
even put them on one paper
00:30:45.38\00:30:49.52
how many different
views there are of that.
00:30:49.55\00:30:51.39
But if we stick to some
very basic important principles,
00:30:51.42\00:30:54.39
we will be able to unfold
and see what spiritual Babylon
00:30:54.42\00:30:56.86
can represent or does represent.
00:30:56.89\00:30:58.59
And what it cannot represent
00:30:58.62\00:31:00.68
because of the basic rules
of prophetic interpretation
00:31:00.71\00:31:04.87
and how the Bible
interprets itself.
00:31:04.90\00:31:06.56
Yeah, this is a
great topic, you know why,
00:31:06.59\00:31:08.22
because a lot of people in
their communities of faith,
00:31:08.25\00:31:11.22
those churches
that really don't make
00:31:11.25\00:31:13.40
a great emphasis in Revelation,
00:31:13.43\00:31:15.05
who don't talk very
much about Revelation.
00:31:15.08\00:31:17.05
When you don't
understand this particular book,
00:31:17.08\00:31:19.44
Babylon can mean
all kinds of things
00:31:19.47\00:31:21.50
and it takes on a shadow
of what it really could mean
00:31:21.53\00:31:25.48
when the substance is
really contained in the Bible.
00:31:25.51\00:31:28.23
The Bible says a lot.
00:31:28.26\00:31:29.63
You don't have to
guess about Revelation.
00:31:29.66\00:31:31.27
You don't have to guess
about what Babylon means.
00:31:31.30\00:31:33.04
And so to understand
the last part of the picture
00:31:33.07\00:31:37.04
that Revelation 17
gives us beautifully
00:31:37.07\00:31:39.35
and then Revelation 18 shows us
00:31:39.38\00:31:41.18
it's a dissolution
and it's crumbling.
00:31:41.21\00:31:43.94
We've got to go
through the Bible.
00:31:43.97\00:31:45.74
I'm glad, John, would you
like to start with verse 1
00:31:45.77\00:31:48.55
and just built on that?
00:31:48.58\00:31:49.95
Let's just start with--
let's read verse 1 through 6.
00:31:49.98\00:31:53.06
And we'll go through that, okay.
00:31:53.09\00:31:54.52
And then we'll-- we
won't necessarily break down
00:31:54.55\00:31:57.31
each aspect of that
but then we'll start
00:31:57.34\00:31:58.71
to unfold spiritual Babylon.
00:31:58.74\00:32:00.11
So you see where
it comes into play.
00:32:00.14\00:32:01.51
I'll go ahead
and read it for you.
00:32:01.54\00:32:02.91
Sure, go for it.
00:32:02.94\00:32:04.31
"Then one of the seven
angels who had the seven bowls
00:32:04.34\00:32:08.61
came and talked
with me, saying to me,
00:32:08.64\00:32:10.48
Come, I will show you
00:32:10.51\00:32:12.21
the judgment of the great harlot
00:32:12.24\00:32:13.74
who sits on many waters.
00:32:13.77\00:32:15.84
With whom the kings of the
earth committed fornication,
00:32:15.87\00:32:19.11
and the inhabitants of
the earth were made drunk
00:32:19.14\00:32:21.36
with the wine
of her fornication.
00:32:21.39\00:32:23.32
So he carried me
away in the Spirit
00:32:23.35\00:32:25.72
into the wilderness.
00:32:25.75\00:32:27.59
And I saw a woman
sitting on a scarlet beast
00:32:27.62\00:32:30.24
which was full of
names of blasphemy,
00:32:30.27\00:32:32.66
having seven
heads and ten horns.
00:32:32.69\00:32:35.16
The woman was arrayed
in purple and scarlet,
00:32:35.19\00:32:38.04
and adorned with gold and
precious stones and pearls,
00:32:38.07\00:32:41.01
having in her hand a
golden cup full of abominations
00:32:41.04\00:32:43.87
and the filthiness
of her fornication.
00:32:43.90\00:32:46.30
And on her head
was a name written,
00:32:46.33\00:32:48.68
mystery, Babylon the great,
00:32:48.71\00:32:51.48
the mother of harlots
00:32:51.51\00:32:52.95
and the
abominations of the earth.
00:32:52.98\00:32:54.94
I saw the woman drunk
with the blood of the saints
00:32:54.97\00:32:58.05
and with the blood
of the martyrs of Jesus.
00:32:58.08\00:33:00.78
And when I saw her, I
marveled with great amazement.
00:33:00.81\00:33:04.53
Wow. There's so much here.
00:33:04.56\00:33:06.97
And we probably
should spend some time
00:33:07.00\00:33:09.39
on different aspects of this.
00:33:09.42\00:33:11.40
But, I think, maybe let's--
00:33:11.43\00:33:13.37
before we break that down,
00:33:13.40\00:33:14.77
let's get the concept of
Babylon kind of out there
00:33:14.80\00:33:18.46
really let's understand Babylon
00:33:18.49\00:33:20.22
and what it's
referring to first. All right.
00:33:20.25\00:33:22.61
And for that I think
we've got to go back to Genesis
00:33:22.64\00:33:24.93
to see where Babylon
began from the very beginning.
00:33:24.96\00:33:29.80
As we are doing that, John,
00:33:29.83\00:33:31.59
gohead and see
if we can get some--
00:33:31.62\00:33:33.10
a launching point there. Okay.
00:33:33.13\00:33:35.50
With the Tower of Babel
and we know where we're going.
00:33:35.53\00:33:38.15
But let me just say this
00:33:38.18\00:33:41.28
there are two kinds of
interpretation of prophecy.
00:33:41.31\00:33:44.82
There's what the Bible refers
to as a private interpretation.
00:33:44.85\00:33:48.97
Let me give you an example
of a private interpretation
00:33:49.00\00:33:51.74
and it doesn't paint
that in a good light.
00:33:51.77\00:33:53.30
Basically,
private interpretation
00:33:53.33\00:33:56.31
is an interpretation that
is done without scripture.
00:33:56.34\00:33:59.02
It's an interpretation
that when you read something
00:33:59.05\00:34:02.26
like we just read
your next step might be
00:34:02.29\00:34:05.52
to go to the newspapers or
to go to some history books
00:34:05.55\00:34:08.92
and find maybe
what kind of entity
00:34:08.95\00:34:11.96
or what kind of thing might
fit the description of Babylon
00:34:11.99\00:34:15.36
and then you start
saying, "Well, I believe,
00:34:15.39\00:34:16.99
it pertains to this or, I
believe, it pertains to this."
00:34:17.02\00:34:19.44
And then you get
lots of opinions.
00:34:19.47\00:34:21.86
Those are
private interpretations.
00:34:21.89\00:34:23.79
What would not be a
private interpretation or--
00:34:23.82\00:34:26.53
instead would be a
biblical interpretation
00:34:26.56\00:34:28.77
would be to allow the
Bible to interpret itself.
00:34:28.80\00:34:31.92
What does the Bible say
00:34:31.95\00:34:33.57
that the characteristics
of Babylon represent?
00:34:33.60\00:34:36.61
So once we define those
characteristics of Babylon,
00:34:36.64\00:34:40.02
we define the
fact that it is a woman
00:34:40.05\00:34:43.18
and find out what
a woman represents
00:34:43.21\00:34:45.54
and do our
homework in that regard.
00:34:45.57\00:34:47.51
Then we can start to see a
list of what Babylon could be
00:34:47.54\00:34:51.76
and it'll help us
find and determine
00:34:51.79\00:34:54.46
eventually then
what it actually is.
00:34:54.49\00:34:56.57
But the Bible is
driving the process.
00:34:56.60\00:34:58.77
So that's what
we're gonna do now.
00:34:58.80\00:35:00.17
Right because
you have to go back--
00:35:00.20\00:35:02.57
okay, contain yourself.
00:35:02.60\00:35:05.24
This is a beautiful unfolding
of the Bible's understanding.
00:35:05.27\00:35:10.47
We are living in the
days of spiritual Babylon.
00:35:10.50\00:35:13.61
I want to just say that
00:35:13.64\00:35:15.01
and then I'm going to
get on that diving board
00:35:15.04\00:35:17.77
and I'm gonna just spring myself
00:35:17.80\00:35:19.67
all the way back to
the formation of Babylon.
00:35:19.70\00:35:23.25
After the flood, God
made a promise to Noah
00:35:23.28\00:35:27.71
and all of the
inhabitants of the earth,
00:35:27.74\00:35:29.76
He would never ever destroy
the world by a flood again.
00:35:29.79\00:35:33.31
But for whatever reason
distrust continued to reign
00:35:33.34\00:35:36.98
in the hearts of those
who came out of the ark
00:35:37.01\00:35:38.93
Ham, Shem and Japheth.
00:35:38.96\00:35:41.12
They had
children and this distrust
00:35:41.15\00:35:44.52
continued to
manifest itself in--
00:35:44.55\00:35:47.57
well, if God doesn't save us
00:35:47.60\00:35:50.80
the next time
this flood happens,
00:35:50.83\00:35:52.90
we've got to find our
own means of salvation.
00:35:52.93\00:35:55.64
We've got to build
something tall enough
00:35:55.67\00:35:59.19
that when the flood
comes, we'll be so high up,
00:35:59.22\00:36:02.23
we'll be beyond the reach
00:36:02.26\00:36:03.63
of destroying
waters of the flood.
00:36:03.66\00:36:06.11
So they decided.
00:36:06.14\00:36:07.58
And let me just go
ahead and give you this
00:36:07.61\00:36:09.10
in Genesis 10,
starting with verse 6,
00:36:09.13\00:36:13.10
"The sons of Ham were Cush,
Mizraim, Phut, and Canaan."
00:36:13.13\00:36:16.26
Goes down the list and
it continues in verse 8
00:36:16.29\00:36:19.79
"Cush begat
Nimrod, and he began to be
00:36:19.82\00:36:22.46
a mighty one of the earth."
00:36:22.49\00:36:25.37
And verse 10
says-- and verse 11 says,
00:36:25.40\00:36:27.51
He was a mighty
hunter before the Lord.
00:36:27.54\00:36:30.54
Therefore, it is said,
00:36:30.57\00:36:31.97
like Nimrod the mighty
hunter before the Lord.
00:36:32.00\00:36:35.86
And the beginning of
his kingdom was Babel.
00:36:35.89\00:36:39.44
So when you think
of the word Babel--
00:36:39.47\00:36:42.49
it's actually said Babel.
That's really the Babylon.
00:36:42.52\00:36:46.91
We don't say Babalon but
it's actually the word Babel
00:36:46.94\00:36:49.88
and if you think of Babel,
00:36:49.91\00:36:51.28
when you follow the original
word it's what babies do.
00:36:51.31\00:36:54.46
You don't know
what they're saying.
00:36:54.49\00:36:57.46
It's Babel, what is he saying?
00:36:57.49\00:37:00.37
And when people talk too
long, when people talk too fast,
00:37:00.40\00:37:03.34
he's just
babbling. He's just babbling.
00:37:03.37\00:37:05.21
You know, and the Bible
says avoid vain babbling,
00:37:05.24\00:37:08.56
that means, you
know, when people say
00:37:08.59\00:37:10.56
What you say, that say,
00:37:10.59\00:37:11.96
blah-blah-blah,
blah-blah-blah, babbling.
00:37:11.99\00:37:14.00
So what's happening
one of the first symbols
00:37:14.03\00:37:16.45
of the introduction of
Babalon or Babylon is Babel.
00:37:16.48\00:37:21.55
What actually happened
now? Let's go to Chapter 11.
00:37:21.58\00:37:24.80
For a direct connection,
the word Babylon is Babel.
00:37:24.83\00:37:28.80
The word Babylon
in the Bible is Babel.
00:37:28.83\00:37:30.71
Exactly and what the people--
00:37:30.74\00:37:32.11
and when you see
here in Chapter 11
00:37:32.14\00:37:35.08
you'll see one of the
first signs of Babylon
00:37:35.11\00:37:37.42
as they just kept
babbling on Babylon.
00:37:37.45\00:37:42.08
And-- but let's
just look at that.
00:37:42.11\00:37:43.48
That's not necessarily
context but you'll see
00:37:43.51\00:37:46.49
that's one of the
first things that happened
00:37:46.52\00:37:48.19
in the formation of
this tower of distrust.
00:37:48.22\00:37:51.98
And it's the first piece
00:37:52.01\00:37:53.91
in the creation of
this nation of Babylon.
00:37:53.94\00:37:57.29
That's right. That's right.
00:37:57.32\00:37:58.69
It's the ancient
seed of Babylon is Babel
00:37:58.72\00:38:01.82
and what happened at
the tower of Babel, Okay?
00:38:01.85\00:38:03.66
So, yes, it represents
confusion and babbling on
00:38:03.69\00:38:06.32
and things like that but
it is the first inception,
00:38:06.35\00:38:08.71
the beginning of Babylon,
00:38:08.74\00:38:10.63
which became Neo-Babylon
in Nebuchadnezzar's day.
00:38:10.66\00:38:13.63
You want to read Chapter 11?
00:38:13.66\00:38:15.03
Since I just was
kind of leading into--
00:38:15.06\00:38:16.55
Yeah, I'm happy too.
You want me to start with 1?
00:38:16.58\00:38:19.33
"Now the whole earth had
one language and one speech.
00:38:19.36\00:38:22.65
And it came to pass, as
they journeyed from the east,
00:38:22.68\00:38:26.24
that they found a
plain in the land of Shinar,
00:38:26.27\00:38:28.89
and they dwelt there.
00:38:28.92\00:38:31.07
Then they said to one another,
00:38:31.10\00:38:33.40
"Come, let us make bricks
and bake them thoroughly."
00:38:33.43\00:38:36.29
They had brick for stone,
00:38:36.32\00:38:38.14
and they had asphalt for mortar.
00:38:38.17\00:38:40.16
And they said, "Come, let
us build ourselves a city,
00:38:40.19\00:38:43.75
and a tower whose
top is in the heavens.
00:38:43.78\00:38:46.45
Let us make a
name for ourselves,
00:38:46.48\00:38:49.03
lest we be scattered abroad
00:38:49.06\00:38:50.45
over the face of
the whole earth."
00:38:50.48\00:38:52.47
I want to pause there. Right.
00:38:52.50\00:38:54.47
Because the first
thing we notice here is that,
00:38:54.50\00:38:57.57
what you were saying there,
00:38:57.60\00:38:58.97
John, that mankind
is taking the initiative
00:38:59.00\00:39:01.32
to build for
themselves-- That's right.
00:39:01.35\00:39:03.37
To do for themselves not to rely
00:39:03.40\00:39:05.88
and trust on what God
wanted to do for them.
00:39:05.91\00:39:08.71
So it says, let us
build ourselves a city
00:39:08.74\00:39:11.76
and then it says let us
make a name for ourselves.
00:39:11.79\00:39:16.03
That name is Babel.
That's right. Confusion.
00:39:16.06\00:39:21.19
You'll find at
the root of everything
00:39:21.22\00:39:22.87
that has to connect to Babylon,
00:39:22.90\00:39:24.38
there is our own.
It's not Christ's.
00:39:24.41\00:39:28.02
It's not what He gives us
but it's our own. Isaiah 4:1.
00:39:28.05\00:39:31.41
We will eat our own
bread, wear our own apparel.
00:39:31.44\00:39:35.09
Only let us be
called by Your name
00:39:35.12\00:39:37.55
to take away our reproach.
00:39:37.58\00:39:39.69
See we don't want everything.
We just want your name.
00:39:39.72\00:39:42.42
And one of the first symbols
of Babylon today you'll find is
00:39:42.45\00:39:46.30
we have to keep
in mind they came out
00:39:46.33\00:39:48.52
from among a people that
were saved through the flood.
00:39:48.55\00:39:51.64
So one of the
first things you have
00:39:51.67\00:39:53.67
to keep in mind is Babylon,
00:39:53.70\00:39:56.13
the reason why it's
confusion is because
00:39:56.16\00:39:58.52
when people looked at
what happened after the flood,
00:39:58.55\00:40:01.39
they're saying
this is confusing.
00:40:01.42\00:40:04.55
Isn't that the son of the one
00:40:04.58\00:40:06.57
that was just
saved through the flood?
00:40:06.60\00:40:08.85
Isn't that the one,
isn't that the son of one
00:40:08.88\00:40:11.05
that God just saved?
00:40:11.08\00:40:12.52
And so there's a
confusion that exists there.
00:40:12.55\00:40:15.13
His city is a
place of confusion.
00:40:15.16\00:40:16.82
But the reason why confusion
is so much connected to Babylon
00:40:16.85\00:40:20.24
is what's gonna happen next.
00:40:20.27\00:40:21.81
Okay, you want to
continue the story?
00:40:21.84\00:40:23.21
Yeah, and I want to
add this one aspect,
00:40:23.24\00:40:25.01
if you think about
the third commandment
00:40:25.04\00:40:26.41
taking the name of the
Lord in vain-- That's right.
00:40:26.44\00:40:28.77
You have that very thing is
take away our reproach Lord,
00:40:28.80\00:40:32.07
but let us use your name.
00:40:32.10\00:40:34.46
Or that the name
takes away our reproach
00:40:34.49\00:40:36.76
for being what we are.
00:40:36.79\00:40:38.24
That is what the third
commandment is addressing.
00:40:38.27\00:40:40.76
It's not just cursing. No.
00:40:40.79\00:40:42.34
It's one that
takes upon the name
00:40:42.37\00:40:43.87
of himself or herself Christian
00:40:43.90\00:40:46.22
and then lives entirely
opposite to the life of Christ
00:40:46.25\00:40:49.88
in what he would and
the way he would live.
00:40:49.91\00:40:52.45
And so anyway so
this is all the pieces.
00:40:52.48\00:40:55.08
This is the initial part
to understanding Babylon.
00:40:55.11\00:40:57.59
It is very important.
00:40:57.62\00:40:58.99
We're looking for a
people who don't mind
00:40:59.02\00:41:01.76
the name of Christ but
they don't want to live
00:41:01.79\00:41:04.70
and really be in
all aspects like Christ.
00:41:04.73\00:41:07.07
Right, but this is the
Lego pieces of Babylon.
00:41:07.10\00:41:09.06
We'll see the
formation of the city
00:41:09.09\00:41:10.50
when it comes to
foration but go ahead.
00:41:10.53\00:41:12.33
Okay verse 5, is that we're at?
00:41:12.36\00:41:14.95
Yeah, "But the Lord came down
to see the city and the tower
00:41:14.98\00:41:18.90
which the sons of men had built.
00:41:18.93\00:41:20.77
And the Lord said,
"Indeed the people are one
00:41:20.80\00:41:23.10
and they all have one language,
00:41:23.13\00:41:25.56
and this is what
they began to do.
00:41:25.59\00:41:28.12
Now nothing that they propose
00:41:28.15\00:41:29.89
to do will be
withheld from them.
00:41:29.92\00:41:32.54
Come, let us go down and
there confuse their language,
00:41:32.57\00:41:37.10
that they may not
understand one another's speech.
00:41:37.13\00:41:39.71
So the Lord scattered
them abroad from there
00:41:39.74\00:41:42.85
over the face
of the whole earth,
00:41:42.88\00:41:44.25
and they ceased
building the city.
00:41:44.28\00:41:46.33
Therefore, its
name is called Babel,
00:41:46.36\00:41:48.74
because there the Lord confused
the language of all the earth,
00:41:48.77\00:41:52.08
and from there the
Lord scattered them
00:41:52.11\00:41:54.23
abroad over the
face of all the earth."
00:41:54.26\00:41:56.46
So one of the first signs,
00:41:56.49\00:41:58.33
if you're
listening to that you'll see.
00:41:58.36\00:42:00.38
Wow! That's interesting,
00:42:00.41\00:42:01.82
one of the first check marks
in the formation of Babylon
00:42:01.85\00:42:08.10
is the confusion of languages.
00:42:08.13\00:42:11.81
That's what came out
of the distrust of God.
00:42:11.84\00:42:14.30
That's what came out of building
00:42:14.33\00:42:15.70
ones own
platform of righteousness.
00:42:15.73\00:42:18.16
Ones own
foundation of salvation,
00:42:18.19\00:42:20.60
not from God,
but what did he do?
00:42:20.63\00:42:23.70
Confused the languages.
00:42:23.73\00:42:26.23
Now does that still exist today?
00:42:26.26\00:42:28.24
If you look at
spiritual Babylon,
00:42:28.27\00:42:31.15
the reason why we
use the word spiritual
00:42:31.18\00:42:32.75
is because
Babylon had its inroads.
00:42:32.78\00:42:34.93
It affected the people of God.
00:42:34.96\00:42:36.57
As we continue
unfolding the story,
00:42:36.60\00:42:38.66
we're gonna see
the effect of Babylon
00:42:38.69\00:42:41.10
on the people of God.
00:42:41.13\00:42:42.50
And so we're gonna go to
some of the major components
00:42:42.53\00:42:45.24
and when you look at what
00:42:45.27\00:42:46.98
the Bible leads
us into right here,
00:42:47.01\00:42:48.61
I want to go to
the Book of Daniel
00:42:48.64\00:42:51.60
because we see Babylon here.
00:42:51.63\00:42:53.51
Babylon is a great
and powerful kingdom
00:42:53.54\00:42:55.78
that reigns in the earth.
00:42:55.81\00:42:57.18
And matter of fact,
if you follow history,
00:42:57.21\00:42:58.73
it's the greatest
city in antiquity.
00:42:58.76\00:43:01.02
There was no city ever like it.
00:43:01.05\00:43:02.46
That's why Revelation
when it comes down to it says,
00:43:02.49\00:43:04.68
that great city
because she made all nations.
00:43:04.71\00:43:08.92
Babylon had a position that when
00:43:08.95\00:43:11.12
Babylon's leadership
spoke, all nations listened.
00:43:11.15\00:43:13.94
So you wanna dive
into the Book of Daniel.
00:43:13.97\00:43:16.58
We're going through
some of the prophets
00:43:16.61\00:43:18.89
but we're gonna go
to the Book of Daniel.
00:43:18.92\00:43:20.45
Anything, John, as
we're turning there?
00:43:20.48\00:43:21.98
No. It's good.
00:43:22.01\00:43:23.38
Let's go to
Daniel. Let's go to Daniel.
00:43:23.41\00:43:24.78
And Daniel is the
place where we look next.
00:43:24.81\00:43:30.03
Now I think Daniel 4 gives
us a little bit of a concept
00:43:30.06\00:43:33.76
of how Daniel was
built, how Babylon was built.
00:43:33.79\00:43:37.09
One of the things I want to
connect first that we follow
00:43:37.12\00:43:39.48
because remember
we read in Genesis now
00:43:39.51\00:43:42.56
the house of
Shinar, the land of Shinar.
00:43:42.59\00:43:46.19
But now what you're gonna see
00:43:46.22\00:43:47.59
to connect it
because people will say,
00:43:47.62\00:43:48.99
well, what does that
have to do with Babylon?
00:43:49.02\00:43:50.71
Well, you're gonna see
this very same word come up
00:43:50.74\00:43:53.24
again as we enter
into the Book of Daniel.
00:43:53.27\00:43:56.61
Daniel Chapter 1,
but then you'll see
00:43:56.64\00:43:59.01
the formation of the
name started with Babel
00:43:59.04\00:44:01.59
but now it's in
full city Babylon
00:44:01.62\00:44:03.73
and you'll still
see in the same location
00:44:03.76\00:44:06.32
there was the land of Shinar
00:44:06.35\00:44:08.39
but now notice
what the Bible says
00:44:08.42\00:44:10.06
in verse 1 and 2
of Daniel Chapter 1.
00:44:10.09\00:44:12.98
"In the third year of the reign
of Jehoiakim, king of Judah,
00:44:13.01\00:44:16.75
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon,
00:44:16.78\00:44:19.59
came to
Jerusalem and besieged it.
00:44:19.62\00:44:22.24
And the Lord gave Jehoiakim,
king of Judah into his hands,
00:44:22.27\00:44:27.46
with some of the
articles of the house of God,
00:44:27.49\00:44:31.20
which he carried
into the land of Shinar
00:44:31.23\00:44:34.68
to the house of his god
and he brought the articles
00:44:34.71\00:44:38.73
into the treasury
house of his god."
00:44:38.76\00:44:41.47
There is Shinar. In
Genesis, the land of Shinar.
00:44:41.50\00:44:44.72
Now once again you
see the land of Shinar,
00:44:44.75\00:44:48.23
where the house of
their god's were located.
00:44:48.26\00:44:50.90
So it's connecting
you to the tower of Babel,
00:44:50.93\00:44:53.25
the city of Babylon. Right.
00:44:53.28\00:44:55.27
Same location.
Same location, exactly.
00:44:55.30\00:44:57.79
But the other thing you
wanna also deduce from this
00:44:57.82\00:45:02.74
is the fact that and
this you cannot miss this,
00:45:02.77\00:45:05.36
this is so powerful.
00:45:05.39\00:45:07.49
Understanding this
next point is gonna show you
00:45:07.52\00:45:09.57
why there's a message
in Revelation 18 verse 1-4.
00:45:09.60\00:45:12.13
The message there and
we'll just touch on this
00:45:12.16\00:45:14.29
and reiterate this later on
00:45:14.32\00:45:15.69
when we build
the story completely.
00:45:15.72\00:45:17.09
There's a message
there that simply says this,
00:45:17.12\00:45:19.16
speaking about
Babylon before it fell,
00:45:19.19\00:45:22.04
come out of her my people.
00:45:22.07\00:45:25.40
The Bible is
gonna show you here,
00:45:25.43\00:45:27.53
what's one of the first
things that happened here.
00:45:27.56\00:45:29.69
The king of
Babylon went to Jerusalem,
00:45:29.72\00:45:32.39
the city of peace and
took God's people captive,
00:45:32.42\00:45:36.75
in other words into slavery,
into the land of Babylon.
00:45:36.78\00:45:42.09
Now the reason
why they went there
00:45:42.12\00:45:43.60
is not because God
wanted them to go there
00:45:43.63\00:45:46.12
but because of the way
they began to practice.
00:45:46.15\00:45:49.49
The Lord was in essence saying,
00:45:49.52\00:45:50.90
you can't live like Babylonians
in the city of Jerusalem.
00:45:50.93\00:45:54.93
If you're gonna live like
Babylonians in disobedience,
00:45:54.96\00:45:57.47
you can live in the
land of disobedience
00:45:57.50\00:45:59.87
not in the land of peace
00:45:59.90\00:46:01.28
that represents
the holy place of God.
00:46:01.31\00:46:03.56
So we took them out of Jerusalem
00:46:03.59\00:46:06.12
to the land of
Babylon and what did he do?
00:46:06.15\00:46:09.80
They were taken captive.
00:46:09.83\00:46:11.43
Third thing I think,
00:46:11.46\00:46:12.83
third thing is
Babylon is a place
00:46:12.86\00:46:14.95
where the people of
God are being held captive.
00:46:14.98\00:46:17.12
Spiritual Babylon
is a place of captivity
00:46:17.15\00:46:19.90
for the true people of God.
00:46:19.93\00:46:21.30
Let's explain, John,
here the spiritual Babylon,
00:46:21.33\00:46:23.69
we've used it
several times. Right.
00:46:23.72\00:46:25.78
Literal Babylon would be what
we're reading about in Daniel.
00:46:25.81\00:46:28.63
That started with a
tower of Babel in Genesis
00:46:28.66\00:46:31.74
that is literal Babylon
and actual city that exist.
00:46:31.77\00:46:35.13
We refer to Babylon in
Revelation as spiritual Babylon
00:46:35.16\00:46:39.82
because it was the
name given to a woman.
00:46:39.85\00:46:44.59
So it's not a city. Right.
00:46:44.62\00:46:46.89
Okay, this is an
important thing to remember
00:46:46.92\00:46:48.75
because many people are
looking for actual Babylon.
00:46:48.78\00:46:51.08
There was this whole
era about 12 years ago,
00:46:51.11\00:46:55.09
especially it rose up in as Iraq
00:46:55.12\00:46:59.25
became a real enemy of the U.S.
00:46:59.28\00:47:02.15
and as we invaded
Iraq for the first time
00:47:02.18\00:47:05.83
and then later on another
time and people were thinking,
00:47:05.86\00:47:10.10
"Okay, now look,
Babylon is gonna rise
00:47:10.13\00:47:12.27
because that's where
the actual literal city
00:47:12.30\00:47:14.17
that it represents is
based, that's where it was."
00:47:14.20\00:47:18.05
So we're gonna see Iraq is
now the focus of this prophecy.
00:47:18.08\00:47:22.20
And we saw a
whole bunch of teachings
00:47:22.23\00:47:23.85
come out as a result of that.
00:47:23.88\00:47:26.11
But that is
private interpretation
00:47:26.14\00:47:28.14
because the Bible in the
Book of Revelation is saying
00:47:28.17\00:47:30.08
that the Babylon
the great is a woman.
00:47:30.11\00:47:35.27
It's the name given to
the woman who has children,
00:47:35.30\00:47:38.81
who has daughters,
and they are harlots.
00:47:38.84\00:47:41.97
So there're some
definitions being given here
00:47:42.00\00:47:44.30
in regard to Babylon
in the Book of Revelation
00:47:44.33\00:47:46.35
that are not representing a city
00:47:46.38\00:47:48.98
which is why we're calling it
00:47:49.01\00:47:50.38
spiritual Babylon
not literal Babylon.
00:47:50.41\00:47:53.01
What you have to do
when you're studying prophecy
00:47:53.04\00:47:56.14
is you look at the New
Testament and what it represents
00:47:56.17\00:47:59.76
say in Revelation and
you go back to the literal
00:47:59.79\00:48:01.99
meaning of that to
understand spiritually
00:48:02.02\00:48:04.18
what it represents. Right.
00:48:04.21\00:48:05.58
So what is literal
in the Old Testament
00:48:05.61\00:48:07.38
becomes your spiritual
application in the New Testament
00:48:07.41\00:48:10.54
and this is the principle
that we're following here
00:48:10.57\00:48:13.26
in Revelation Chapter 17. Right.
00:48:13.29\00:48:16.03
So that's to give you
00:48:16.06\00:48:17.43
a definition of
spiritual Babylon,
00:48:17.46\00:48:18.83
not a total definition
just as to where we are going,
00:48:18.86\00:48:21.43
why we're using that term.
00:48:21.46\00:48:22.96
And when you think about that,
taking that to the next level,
00:48:22.99\00:48:26.83
when you think
about what the Lord says
00:48:26.86\00:48:29.39
about Babylon this actual city.
00:48:29.42\00:48:31.50
It was a place
that was destroyed
00:48:31.53\00:48:34.98
and it was not inhabited again.
It was not inhabited again.
00:48:35.01\00:48:38.95
As matter of fact, Isaiah 13:19
says it very carefully here.
00:48:38.98\00:48:42.69
Isaiah 13:19 says, And
Babylon, the glory of kingdoms,
00:48:42.72\00:48:49.79
the beauty of
the Chaldeans' pride,
00:48:49.82\00:48:53.20
will be as when God
overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah."
00:48:53.23\00:48:58.07
And it talks about how it
will be a place of jackals,
00:48:58.10\00:49:01.40
and the snakes and the
scorpions will be there
00:49:01.43\00:49:05.05
it will never be built up again.
00:49:05.08\00:49:06.70
So when people try to
apply Babylon to Iraq,
00:49:06.73\00:49:09.69
it's not the same thing
00:49:09.72\00:49:11.09
because the Babylon
that God brought down
00:49:11.12\00:49:13.26
was never ever
rebuilt again. That's right.
00:49:13.29\00:49:16.01
It was the kingdom
that had only a certain
00:49:16.04\00:49:17.81
determined period of time
and will pass of the scene
00:49:17.84\00:49:21.51
and never will
be restored again.
00:49:21.54\00:49:23.87
As when God
overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah,
00:49:23.90\00:49:27.29
does not exist again today.
00:49:27.32\00:49:28.97
Nor can it just
simply apply to Iraq?
00:49:29.00\00:49:30.64
No, It cannot.
00:49:30.67\00:49:32.04
Because it
doesn't apply to a nation.
00:49:32.07\00:49:33.44
It is represented by a woman.
00:49:33.47\00:49:35.41
And you know what--and,
John, just a build off of that,
00:49:35.44\00:49:38.44
that's why it's so
important to understand
00:49:38.47\00:49:39.84
the principle of interpretation.
00:49:39.87\00:49:41.30
When you follow the historicist
principle of interpretation
00:49:41.33\00:49:44.28
you don't find Babylon existing
00:49:44.31\00:49:45.92
in the last days
again in the literal sense.
00:49:45.95\00:49:48.42
You have to say,
00:49:48.45\00:49:49.82
hey, now that literal
Babylon is past off the scene,
00:49:49.85\00:49:52.29
this has to be a
spiritual application
00:49:52.32\00:49:54.35
or more specifically
a prophetic application
00:49:54.38\00:49:57.80
which has the
spiritual connection to it.
00:49:57.83\00:49:59.83
Right. So we're in Daniel one,
00:50:00.14\00:50:02.55
and we established
the second aspect of it.
00:50:02.59\00:50:05.93
The thing-Daniel
becomes the place
00:50:05.96\00:50:07.60
where the people of
God are held captive,
00:50:07.64\00:50:09.69
as is in the
case here in Daniel.
00:50:09.72\00:50:11.95
Daniel and Hananiah,
Mishael, and Azariah,
00:50:11.99\00:50:14.85
which are also known
as Shadrach, Meshach,
00:50:14.89\00:50:17.72
and Abednego are
taken as prisoners.
00:50:17.75\00:50:20.03
And also the third
thing about Babylon
00:50:20.06\00:50:22.27
you'll find if you read Daniel
Chapter 1, Babylon is the place
00:50:22.31\00:50:25.94
where the people
of God are defiled
00:50:25.97\00:50:27.76
because the king tried
to defile them with his meat
00:50:27.80\00:50:31.12
and his food,
and his drink. Right.
00:50:31.15\00:50:32.88
So in essence
there's the food and the meat
00:50:32.92\00:50:34.64
and the way of life in
Babylon is not in harmony
00:50:34.68\00:50:37.70
with the way of
life in Jerusalem. Right.
00:50:37.73\00:50:39.95
Completely out of harmony. Yeah.
00:50:39.98\00:50:41.84
Okay. Anything else
you want to point up
00:50:41.88\00:50:43.58
before we go to
the third application?
00:50:43.61\00:50:45.24
No, let's go to the
third application. Let's shift.
00:50:45.28\00:50:47.61
Okay, now what I
also want to point out
00:50:47.64\00:50:51.36
is the fall of
literal Babylon. All right?
00:50:51.39\00:50:54.44
We're going to the
major prophecies here.
00:50:54.47\00:50:58.44
Because now when
Nebuchadnezzar died,
00:50:58.48\00:51:01.28
this wonderful
city was taken over
00:51:01.32\00:51:04.05
by his grandson Belteshazzar,
and he was the young man
00:51:04.09\00:51:11.05
who didn't understand and trust,
all that was communicated to him
00:51:11.09\00:51:17.37
by the life of his grandfather.
00:51:17.40\00:51:19.48
The Bible uses the word
father, but it was not father.
00:51:19.52\00:51:23.15
It was primarily grandfather.
00:51:23.18\00:51:25.21
And the night that this-I said
Belteshazzar, I mean, Belshazzar
00:51:25.25\00:51:28.84
because Belshazzar was
Daniel's Babylonia name.
00:51:28.87\00:51:32.68
When you go to Daniel Chapter 5,
00:51:32.71\00:51:35.39
you'll find as
Daniel 1 pointed out,
00:51:35.43\00:51:37.92
some of the
golden vessels of God
00:51:37.96\00:51:40.52
were brought into
the land of Shinar
00:51:40.55\00:51:43.08
in the house of his god.
00:51:43.11\00:51:44.96
So they had
these golden vessels,
00:51:45.00\00:51:46.37
which were
primarily holy unto the Lord,
00:51:46.40\00:51:49.26
use for holy
ceremonies in Jerusalem.
00:51:49.29\00:51:52.10
As the story goes on
just before Babylon falls,
00:51:52.14\00:51:55.02
you find that
Belshazzar has a feast
00:51:55.05\00:51:58.53
and he invites
about 10,000 guests.
00:51:58.57\00:52:01.98
And the atmosphere is
so frenzied that he decides
00:52:02.02\00:52:06.27
that he's gonna step
over the line and do what God
00:52:06.31\00:52:10.53
does not allow anyone to do.
00:52:10.56\00:52:13.36
Okay, so what can we
conclude out of that?
00:52:13.40\00:52:16.45
Out of the story here,
what other aspect can we find,
00:52:16.49\00:52:19.22
John, about
Babylon in its way of life?
00:52:19.25\00:52:21.93
Well, it says in
verse 3 of Daniel 5,
00:52:21.96\00:52:24.57
"They brought the gold
vessels that had been taken
00:52:24.61\00:52:26.81
from the temple
of the house of God
00:52:26.84\00:52:28.98
which had been in Jerusalem,
and the king and his lords,
00:52:29.02\00:52:31.35
his wives, and his
concubines drank from them.
00:52:31.38\00:52:33.77
They drank wine, and
they praised the gods
00:52:33.81\00:52:36.13
of gold and silver, bronze
and iron, wood and stone."
00:52:36.17\00:52:39.49
They took the things of
God and they began to use them
00:52:39.53\00:52:42.82
in their own ceremonies,
00:52:42.85\00:52:44.22
in their own
pagan forms of worship.
00:52:44.25\00:52:46.09
And so what you
have here is a mingling
00:52:46.13\00:52:48.12
of paganism with the things
00:52:48.15\00:52:50.23
that represent
the God of heaven.
00:52:50.27\00:52:51.81
That's right. And so
Babylon and part of its downfall
00:52:51.85\00:52:56.13
was the fact that it did that.
00:52:56.16\00:52:58.39
It didn't consider the sacred
things of God as being sacred.
00:52:58.43\00:53:01.03
That's right. It
didn't consider the things,
00:53:01.06\00:53:03.21
the clean things that God
represented as being clean
00:53:03.25\00:53:05.92
but everything was
clean, everything goes.
00:53:05.95\00:53:09.16
And so you find
within this spiritual Babylon
00:53:09.20\00:53:12.38
now not just
what we said earlier
00:53:12.41\00:53:14.63
them taking on the
name of God to take away
00:53:14.67\00:53:16.73
their reproach or to
have the system of confusing,
00:53:16.77\00:53:20.82
confused languages
using words and things
00:53:20.85\00:53:23.35
that creates
confusión and I would call
00:53:23.38\00:53:25.81
that a reference to
more of confusing teachings.
00:53:25.85\00:53:28.10
That's right. Here you're
having the vessels themselves.
00:53:28.14\00:53:31.80
The things that
appeared to be God,
00:53:31.83\00:53:33.23
it looks like the temple
things that are-should be used
00:53:33.27\00:53:36.60
in the worship
of God but instead
00:53:36.63\00:53:38.00
it's being worshiped-or used
in the worship of pagan forms
00:53:38.03\00:53:41.22
of idolatry and other things.
00:53:41.25\00:53:43.68
So these are the
various aspects we're finding
00:53:43.72\00:53:46.87
that were part of
Babylon in its downfall.
00:53:46.90\00:53:49.98
And spiritual Babylon has
those very same aspects today.
00:53:50.02\00:53:52.99
That's right. And
so that's the part
00:53:53.02\00:53:54.52
that we're finding here,
a mingling of God's system,
00:53:54.56\00:53:59.06
His things, His
teachings- His holy things.
00:53:59.09\00:54:02.39
His holy things
with very pagan things,
00:54:02.42\00:54:05.65
Idol worship and other things
that had come into the church.
00:54:05.69\00:54:08.94
We know shortly
after the first century,
00:54:08.97\00:54:11.97
two centuries
after Christ ascensión.
00:54:12.01\00:54:14.94
And in fact Paul
referred to many of those things
00:54:14.98\00:54:18.32
has already that
inequity, already had begun
00:54:18.35\00:54:20.35
to take place during his days.
00:54:20.38\00:54:21.75
So anyway, so we're
starting to kind of unfold
00:54:21.78\00:54:24.09
here and I think
in the next program
00:54:24.12\00:54:25.49
when we get to a point
where we'll be able to show
00:54:25.52\00:54:28.17
what we're talking about here
00:54:28.20\00:54:29.72
in regard to spiritual Babylon.
00:54:29.76\00:54:31.21
But we're already seeing the
elements of it here right now.
00:54:31.25\00:54:34.13
One of the ones
that-one of the huge ones
00:54:34.16\00:54:35.67
that I'd jumped over
and I want to go back
00:54:35.71\00:54:38.20
to very, very
quickly, is in Daniel Chapter 3
00:54:38.24\00:54:40.70
because this is
a huge one today.
00:54:40.73\00:54:42.85
Now just to put it in context,
Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael,
00:54:42.89\00:54:48.68
and Azariah they would
not consciously worship
00:54:48.71\00:54:51.68
any of the Babylonian gods.
00:54:51.71\00:54:53.08
As a matter of fact,
they were quite a few run-ins.
00:54:53.11\00:54:55.40
But this one that's
talked about in Daniel Chapter 3
00:54:55.44\00:54:57.89
is one that's most significant
because when Nebuchadnezzar
00:54:57.93\00:55:01.28
made a valiant attempt
to immortalize his kingdom,
00:55:01.31\00:55:04.09
he built an image of gold,
90 feet high and 9 feet wide.
00:55:04.13\00:55:11.98
And he said that
he wanted all nations,
00:55:12.01\00:55:14.72
all representatives
of all nations gather
00:55:14.76\00:55:17.40
there in the plain of
Dura to bow down and worship.
00:55:17.44\00:55:22.04
But it was really
interesting, John,
00:55:22.07\00:55:24.38
how he wanted to
attempt this worship.
00:55:24.42\00:55:26.66
He used music to cause
people to worship a false god.
00:55:26.70\00:55:33.34
He used music to introduce
a false sense of worship.
00:55:33.37\00:55:39.94
A false method of worship to
people that would not worship.
00:55:39.98\00:55:45.03
So he said well,
when the music is played
00:55:45.06\00:55:48.12
and you'll find
this in Daniel Chapter 3.
00:55:48.15\00:55:51.14
Daniel Chapter 3 verse 5,
"At the time you hear the sound
00:55:51.18\00:55:56.53
of the horn, the flute,
the psaltery, the symphony
00:55:56.56\00:56:00.22
with all kinds of
music, you shall fall down,
00:56:00.25\00:56:03.21
worship the golden image
00:56:03.24\00:56:04.91
that King
Nebuchadnezzar has set up."
00:56:04.95\00:56:07.23
Now what you have to get
here is King Nebuchadnezzar
00:56:07.27\00:56:09.71
was not a religious man.
00:56:09.74\00:56:11.38
He was a political
leader with religion.
00:56:11.42\00:56:14.21
So it's a
religio-political system,
00:56:14.24\00:56:16.80
driven to force
worship that does not belong
00:56:16.84\00:56:22.21
to the images
that they established.
00:56:22.25\00:56:24.06
So the other thing that comes
out in Babylon, you'll see this.
00:56:24.09\00:56:26.86
Babylon has a
false system of worship.
00:56:26.90\00:56:29.49
Babylon has an image of worship
that represents the god's
00:56:29.52\00:56:33.83
that are connected to
that particular image.
00:56:33.86\00:56:36.09
And then the other
thing we have to keep in mind
00:56:36.13\00:56:39.45
through much of the
music incorporated nowadays,
00:56:39.48\00:56:42.49
there's a worship that
has entered the church,
00:56:42.52\00:56:45.45
that does not connect us to
the worship of the true God.
00:56:45.49\00:56:48.69
So we have to be very,
very careful with the way
00:56:48.73\00:56:50.35
that music is
being used sometimes,
00:56:50.38\00:56:52.45
to lead people to
worship a false god.
00:56:52.49\00:56:54.12
I think next
time we're gonna start
00:56:54.15\00:56:56.25
transitioning
into who this woman is.
00:56:56.28\00:56:58.25
It is the big key
part that helps us
00:56:58.29\00:57:00.19
understand today
what spiritual Babylon is.
00:57:00.23\00:57:03.21
And then it will
start to make sense
00:57:03.25\00:57:04.62
why we're referring to worship
and music and other things
00:57:04.65\00:57:08.70
that are happening
within spiritual Babylon
00:57:08.73\00:57:11.70
and what that
actually represents today.
00:57:11.73\00:57:14.66
What is it? That's right.
00:57:14.69\00:57:16.06
And so we'll get to that.
00:57:16.09\00:57:17.46
Yeah, three sons
00:57:17.49\00:57:19.08
in the beginning
Ham, Shem and Japheth,
00:57:19.12\00:57:21.08
three Hebrews
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego
00:57:21.12\00:57:25.22
and three messages
of the Three Angels.
00:57:25.25\00:57:27.28
We'll comeback and
continue this on another program
00:57:27.32\00:57:29.81
but until we see you
again, may the Lord bless
00:57:29.85\00:57:31.82
your life as you walk with Him.
00:57:31.85\00:57:34.07