Participants: Stephen Bohr
Series Code: HWIS
Program Code: HWIS000014
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00:34 Let's seek the Lord in prayer.
00:37 Our loving, merciful, gracious, and righteous heavenly Father, 00:44 what a wonderful privilege it is to be in Your presence. 00:48 There's no other place that we would want to be 00:52 on a Sabbath morning than in Your holy house. 00:57 We thank You, Father, because You have already blessed us 01:00 with Your presence. 01:01 And now, as we open the pages of Your holy book, 01:06 we ask for the presence of Your Holy Spirit through the 01:09 ministration of the angels. 01:11 Open our minds and hearts to receive the Word. 01:15 We thank You for answering our prayer, 01:17 for we ask it in Jesus' name, amen. 01:24 The year was 1445 BC. 01:29 Israel had been delivered from bondage in Egypt. 01:35 And now they were at the foot of Mount Sinai. 01:40 And as they were there at the foot of Mount Sinai, 01:43 God told Moses to come up on the mount because God had a 01:48 special message that He wanted Moses to deliver to the people. 01:55 That message is found in Exodus chapter 19 01:59 and verses 1 through 6. 02:02 And I'm going to read those verses. 02:03 There are several very important items of information there. 02:07 Exodus 19 and verses 1 through 6. 02:11 Remember that God has just delivered Israel 02:13 from bondage in Egypt. 02:15 This is about three months later, they're at Mount Sinai. 02:18 Or in the third month, rather. 02:19 They're at Mount Sinai and God tells Moses, 02:22 "Come up, I have a message for you to give to Israel." 02:24 This is what it says. 03:01 So God is going to give the message to Moses 03:04 to give to the people. 03:05 Verse 4... 03:22 God is saying, "I took you away from Pharaoh 03:25 and I brought you to Myself. 03:27 I performed this great act of deliverance from bondage." 03:33 And then notice verse 5. 03:35 "Now therefore, if..." 03:38 This is a conditional word. 04:02 Was the election of Israel conditional, yes or no? 04:06 Absolutely, it was conditioned on their obedience 04:09 to the covenant. 04:11 Notice verse 6. 04:26 So God is saying through Moses to Israel, 04:28 "I want to make a covenant with you. 04:31 I want you to be My special people, My special treasure. 04:34 I want you to be priests to the nations. 04:36 I want you to share the gospel with the world. 04:39 Are you willing to accept the terms of the covenant, 04:42 obey My voice and be faithful to the covenant, yes or no?" 04:48 And so Moses comes down and he delivers the message to Israel. 04:52 Let's read Exodus 19:7-8 where you find the response of Israel. 04:57 Exodus 19 verses 7 and 8. 05:25 Did they agree to enter the covenant, yes or no? 05:28 Did they agree to obey God's voice and be faithful? 05:32 Absolutely. 05:33 And now notice the end of verse 8. 05:42 And now you have a covenant. 05:45 God offers the covenant on condition of obedience, 05:48 and Israel says, "All that the Lord has said, that we will do." 05:55 Now God sealed off this covenant later on after 06:00 the tabernacle was built when the Shekinah Glory of God 06:04 entered the Sanctuary to dwell among God's people. 06:09 Let's read about that in Exodus chapter 40 and verse 34. 06:13 Exodus chapter 40 and verse 34. 06:17 This is the capstone. 06:18 God and Israel have made a covenant. 06:21 Now Moses builds a tabernacle, 06:23 and God's glory comes into the tabernacle. 06:28 God is saying, "I will be your God and you will be My people." 06:34 Exodus 40 verse 34 says... 06:46 And so now the covenant was complete. 06:49 God was in their midst and Israel was His people. 06:54 Later on, God told Solomon to build a more 06:58 permanent structure for Him to dwell in. 07:02 This temple was built in the year 960, or it was 07:06 finished in the year 960 BC. 07:10 And after the temple was built, once again God sealed 07:15 His presence with Israel by coming as the Glory 07:20 into Solomon's temple. 07:22 Let's read that in 1 Kings chapter 8 and verses 10 and 11 07:27 how the glory of God came into Solomon's temple. 07:32 By the way, that's a misnomer because it was really 07:34 God's temple built by Solomon. 07:37 And so it says there in 1 Kings chapter 8... 08:01 Now it just so happens that from 1445 BC, for a period of about 08:08 800 years, Israel was continually rebellious 08:13 to God and to His covenant. 08:16 Even though God sent messenger after messenger after messenger 08:20 calling Israel to be faithful, calling them back to their 08:24 covenant that they had made with the Lord, 08:26 800 years was a history of open rebellion against the Lord. 08:32 Let's read this in 2 Chronicles chapter 36 and verses 08:37 14 through 16. 08:38 2 Chronicles chapter 36 and verses 14 through 16. 08:44 Here, the chronicler is telling the story of the 08:48 history of Israel. 08:49 And it says... 09:02 I want you to remember, "abominations" is a key word. 09:28 So did God send messages calling them to 09:32 abandon their abominations? 09:34 Absolutely. 09:36 How did they react to God's warnings? 09:39 Verse 16... 09:56 In fact, the covenant that God made with Israel 09:59 at Mount Sinai was a marriage covenant. 10:02 In other words, God married Israel. 10:06 He wanted Israel to be His wife. 10:07 You say, where does the Bible say that? 10:09 If you read the book of Ezekiel, 10:12 actually Jeremiah chapter 31 and verse 32, 10:15 God speaking about Sinai says, "I made a marriage covenant 10:21 with Israel at Mount Sinai." 10:23 And yet prophet after prophet says that Israel 10:27 played the harlot. 10:30 In other words, she had other lovers because she followed 10:33 the abominations of the nations. 10:35 Let's read one of those texts in Ezekiel chapter 16 and verse 15. 10:41 Ezekiel chapter 16 and verse 15. 10:45 Here, God is speaking to Israel and He says... 10:47 "But you trusted in your own beauty and played..." What? 10:54 "...played the harlot because of your fame 10:57 and poured out your harlotry on everyone passing by 11:03 who would have it." 11:05 And so Israel practiced the abominations of the nations. 11:09 She became a harlot. 11:10 In other words, she broke her marriage covenant. 11:15 And so the messengers or the prophets are God's lawyers, 11:20 so to speak, in divorce court. 11:22 And God is saying, "I want a divorce. 11:24 I want out of this covenant. 11:26 Because you are committing acts of abomination and harlotry 11:31 with the nations." 11:33 Finally at the end of the 800 years of constant rebellion, 11:38 God decided that He would come and He would judge His people 11:42 for their wickedness and for their abominations. 11:46 And so it was that in the year 592 BC, according to 11:50 Ezekiel chapter 1 and verse 4, God came to the Jerusalem 11:57 temple to perform a work of judgment there in the temple. 12:03 Let's read that passage that is found in Ezekiel chapter 1 12:06 and verse 4 about the coming of God to the Jerusalem temple 12:11 to judge His people for their abominations. 12:14 It says there in Ezekiel chapter 1 and verse 4... 12:38 And if you continue reading the following chapters, 12:40 you'll find that this is God. 12:42 He's coming from the north and He arrives by way of the east 12:45 and He's coming to the Jerusalem temple to perform 12:49 a work of judgment because of the abominations of Israel. 12:53 Now we don't have time to read from chapter 8, 12:56 but the chapter that really speaks about the abominations 13:01 that were being committed among God's people 13:03 is in Ezekiel chapter 8. 13:05 God shows Ezekiel an abomination that's being committed by 13:08 his own people. 13:09 And Ezekiel says, "Lord, that's terrible." 13:12 God says, "You haven't seen anything yet. 13:13 I'm going to show you a greater abomination than this." 13:16 And then God shows him a greater abomination. 13:19 And Ezekiel says, "Certainly there can't be anything 13:21 worse than this." 13:22 And God says, "You haven't seen anything yet. 13:24 I'm going to show you a greater abomination yet 13:26 that's being committed among My people." 13:29 And what is at the very top of the list 13:33 is that the very religious leaders had their backs 13:36 to the temple of God and their faces were to the east, 13:40 and they were worshipping the sun. 13:44 And because Israel was committing all of these 13:47 abominations, because they had broken their marriage covenant 13:49 with the Lord, the Lord came to the temple and He says, 13:52 "I'm going to perform a work of separation of those who are 13:56 righteous from those who are not righteous." 14:00 And that judgment is spoken of in Ezekiel chapter 9 14:03 and verses 1 through 6. 14:05 Notice what we find there in Ezekiel chapter 9 14:08 and verses 1 through 6. 14:18 The city is Jerusalem. 14:31 The battle ax is a weapon. 14:36 The man is Jesus Christ, the High Priest. 14:50 The bronze altar is in the court. 15:27 Was everybody in Jerusalem practicing these abominations? 15:31 No. 15:32 Did those faithful ones need to be separated 15:35 from the unfaithful before destruction came? 15:38 Absolutely. 15:40 And so it says in verse 4... 16:00 In other words, after the separation is made, 16:02 after the righteous are separated from the unrighteous. 16:05 This is what God came for in chapter 1, 16:08 was to judge Israel for their unfaithfulness 16:11 to the marriage covenant. 16:13 It says... 16:40 That is, at the temple the destruction would begin. 16:50 After this work of judgment was finished 16:53 of separating the righteous from the unrighteous 16:55 before destruction came, the Bible tells us 16:59 that the Shekinah Glory of God departed the temple. 17:04 Notice Ezekiel chapter 10. 17:06 This is where the Shekinah Glory that had come in chapter 1 17:10 to perform a work of judgment now is going to 17:13 leave the temple. 17:14 Ezekiel chapter 10 and verse 19 speaks about the departure 17:20 of the glory of God from the temple after He finished 17:23 the work of judgment. 17:24 It says there, "And the cherubim lifted their wings 17:28 and mounted up from the earth in my sight. 17:32 When they went out, the wheels were beside them..." 17:36 The wheels are the wheels of God's chariot or God's throne. 17:41 And notice what it continues saying. 17:43 "..and they stood at the door of the east gate 17:47 of the Lord's house..." 17:49 That is the gate that faces the Mount of Olives, incidentally. 17:54 And it says, "..And the glory of the God of Israel 17:57 was above them." 17:58 So notice that the glory of God departs the temple 18:01 and it lingers for a few moments at the east gate of the temple 18:06 which faces the Mount of Olives. 18:09 And then the glory of the Lord departs the temple. 18:12 And I want you to notice where it goes. 18:15 Ezekiel 11:22 and 23. 18:17 This is where the Shekinah Glory departs from the eastern gate 18:21 of the temple and goes somewhere. 18:23 Remember all of this, because we're going to come back to it 18:26 later on in our study. 18:28 Notice Ezekiel chapter 11 and verses 22 and 23. 18:51 Is the glory forsaking the city now? 18:54 Absolutely. 18:55 So it says... 19:07 In other words, it lingers on the mountain. 19:14 Which mountain is that where the glory of God rests 19:18 for a little while? 19:20 It is on the Mount of Olives. 19:22 Don't forget that because that's very, very important. 19:25 In other words, the Shekinah Glory which had been in the 19:28 temple, which was a symbol of God's presence, 19:30 now moves to the east gate of the temple. 19:33 It is leaving the temple. 19:35 It lingers at the east gate, and then it moves and it stands 19:40 for a few moments upon the Mount of Olives, 19:43 the mount east of Jerusalem. 19:45 And then it takes off and it departs to heaven. 19:50 The Shekinah Glory of God has forsaken the city. 19:55 And do you know what happens to the city now? 19:59 Go with me to 2 Chronicles chapter 36 20:01 and verses 17 through 21. 20:04 The abominations led to desolation. 20:10 Are you following me? 20:11 Have you ever heard that expression, 20:12 "abomination of desolation?" 20:15 The abominations of Israel led to the desolation 20:19 of the city of Jerusalem. 20:22 Let's read about it. 20:23 It says there in 2 Chronicles 36 verse 17, 20:27 "Therefore..." Because of their wickedness. 20:43 Remember, we read this when we were talking about 20:45 the sealing in chapter 9? 20:51 It continues saying... 21:23 Was Jerusalem desolated? 21:25 Why was it desolated? 21:27 Because of their what? 21:28 Their abominations. 21:30 Because they were unfaithful to God's covenant. 21:32 Now the question is, was Jerusalem going to be 21:35 desolated forever? 21:38 Absolutely not. 21:39 Let's go to verse 20 again. 21:54 Was this captivity going to end? 21:56 Absolutely. 22:02 Those who are coming to the Sanctuary lectures 22:04 will be able to understand this a lot better, 22:06 the historical framework. 22:08 Verse 21... 22:09 "...to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah 22:13 until the land had enjoyed her Sabbaths. 22:16 As long as she lay desolate..." 22:18 There's the word, "desolate." 22:19 See, when the city was destroyed, it was desolate. 22:22 "As long as she lay desolate she kept Sabbath, 22:26 to fulfill..." How long? 22:28 "...to fulfill seventy years." 22:31 So here you have the first stage of the history of Israel. 22:35 A first stage that begins in 1445 when the covenant is made. 22:40 Israel is rebellious for a period of 800 years. 22:44 So God withdraws His Shekinah from the temple 22:46 and rests on the Mount of Olives, then leaves to heaven. 22:50 The city and the temple now are abandoned by the Shekinah. 22:55 And therefore, the abominations lead to desolation. 23:00 But we noticed that God was going to give 23:02 Israel another chance. 23:04 A second stage of Israel's history after the captivity, 23:09 after Persia came to rule after Babylon. 23:15 Now let's examine this second stage of Israel's history. 23:19 2 Chronicles chapter 36 and verses 22 and 23. 23:24 2 Chronicles 36:22-23 23:28 You see, Israel was restored to their land 23:31 after the 70 year captivity. 23:34 And they went back to re-establish their religion, 23:37 and eventually their government or the theocracy. 23:40 It says there... 24:12 This is amazing for a pagan king. 24:23 What was he commanded to do? 24:24 To build Jerusalem? No. 24:25 To build Him a what? 24:27 A house. That's very important. 24:29 We'll study that a little bit more in our next lecture. 24:42 And so about 50,000 Jews returned, after the 70 year 24:47 captivity, to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple 24:50 as Cyrus had said that they could do. 24:53 But then they ran into troubles. 24:56 You see, the Samaritans were opposed to their 24:58 rebuilding the temple. 24:59 And so for about 16 years they ceased building the temple 25:03 and they were all concerned about building their own homes 25:05 and beautifying their own homes. 25:07 You can read this in the book of Haggai. 25:10 But then Haggai and Zechariah and some other prophets arose 25:13 and they said, "Folks, let's get down to business. 25:16 Cyrus has given the decree that we can build 25:18 the house of the Lord. 25:19 Let's get with it and do it." 25:22 And so from the year 520 to the year 515, the temple was built. 25:29 And in the year 515, the temple was dedicated. 25:33 But that temple had a serious problem. 25:36 Notice Haggai chapter 2 and verses 2 and 3. 25:39 You see, the Shekinah Glory did not come into that temple 25:42 after the temple was finished. 25:44 Notice Haggai chapter 2 and verses 2 and 3. 26:05 There were some people who were still alive 26:06 who had seen Solomon's temple, or the temple built by Solomon. 26:28 In other words, compared to Solomon's temple 26:31 this house is nothing. 26:34 And yet Haggai made a promise. 26:37 A promise that the Jews to this day are still 26:39 trying to understand. 26:42 Haggai chapter 2 and verses 6 through 9. 26:46 Haggai chapter 2 verses 6 through 9. 27:05 Actually most versions translate, 27:07 "the Desire of All Nations will come." 27:09 It's not people coming to the Desire of All Nations. 27:11 It's the Desire of All Nations coming to the people. 27:15 So anyway, it says... 27:32 He's saying, "Don't worry about all the silver and gold 27:34 that you had in the first temple that 27:36 you don't have in this temple. 27:37 Notice verse 9. 27:53 The fact is, that second temple, at least outwardly, 27:55 never reached the glory that the temple built by Solomon had. 27:59 And so the Jews have never been able to explain 28:02 this particular prophecy. 28:04 Because the Shekinah, according to their way of looking at it, 28:08 never actually came into the temple. 28:12 Now let me ask you, after the captivity 28:14 did God send additional messengers to Israel 28:17 to try and woo them back to the covenant? 28:19 Absolutely. 28:21 He sent individuals such as Haggai, Zechariah, Joshua, 28:26 Zerubbabal, Ezra, Nehemiah, Malachi, 28:30 and eventually John the Baptist. 28:33 This second period of Israel's history is the period 28:37 of the 70 weeks. 28:39 After the captivity God's people come back to Jerusalem. 28:43 They rebuild the city and they rebuild the temple. 28:46 And then God says, "Now I'm going to give you 28:49 a second period of probation." 28:52 And that second period of probation is the period 28:55 of the 70 weeks. 28:56 And God sends abundant messengers to Israel 29:00 during this period. 29:03 But the question is, how did Israel react to this 29:08 second opportunity that God gave to them 29:10 during the period of the 70 weeks? 29:14 Actually when Jesus came, the Bible tells us 29:17 He came to His own, and His own received Him not. 29:22 They were oblivious to what Jesus was going to do. 29:27 In other words, they did not take advantage of 29:32 all of the additional messengers that God sent to them 29:36 during the period of the 70 weeks that they might 29:39 live up to the terms of the covenant. 29:43 And so now we come to the third stage of Israel's history. 29:46 The third stage of Israel's history is actually 29:50 when Jesus comes in the last week of the 29:54 prophecy of the 70 weeks. 29:56 You see, God gave them 483 years until the coming of the Messiah 30:00 to shape up, to get ready for the coming of the Messiah. 30:05 Were they ready when the Messiah came? 30:07 No. So then the Messiah comes. 30:09 The third stage of Israel's history. 30:12 And I want you to notice what we find in 30:15 John chapter 1 and verse 14. 30:18 Here is how the Bible explains that prophecy of Haggai 30:23 that tells us that the latter temple would have more glory 30:27 than the first temple. 30:28 Notice John 1 and verse 14. 30:43 "The Word become..." What? 30:47 "...flesh..." And what? 30:48 "...dwelt among us..." 30:51 And then it says, "...and we beheld..." What? 30:56 "...His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, 31:01 full of grace and truth." 31:03 Do you remember when God told Moses to build the temple? 31:06 He says, "Let them build Me a tabernacle that I might 31:10 dwell among them." 31:14 And then the Shekinah Glory came into that temple. 31:18 Let me ask you, who was the glory that came into this temple 31:22 that was built after the captivity? 31:25 It was Jesus Christ. 31:26 You have the common words. 31:28 In John chapter 1 verse 14 the word, actually the word, 31:33 "dwelt," is a word that means, "He tabernacled." 31:40 You know, the Jews were always bragging about 31:44 what Solomon's temple was like. 31:47 Always reminiscing about the great days, the good ole days. 31:51 In fact, in Luke chapter 12 verses 27 and 28, 31:54 Jesus said to them, "Consider the lilies how they grow. 31:57 They neither toil nor spin. 31:59 And yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory 32:03 was not arrayed like one of these." 32:06 Now in the gospel of Matthew, Jesus adds something 32:09 that is not found in Luke. 32:11 After saying, "Look at the lilies of the field; they grow. 32:14 They neither toil nor spin. 32:16 And yet I say, even Solomon in all his glory 32:18 was not arrayed like one of these." 32:20 Then Jesus goes on to say in Matthew chapter 12 verse 42, 32:25 "Yet one greater than Solomon is here." 32:30 Speaking about Himself. 32:31 But they did not recognize it. 32:33 They did not see the glory. 32:36 Question, did Jesus teach many times there in the temple 32:41 of Jerusalem? 32:42 He most certainly did. 32:44 He was the Shekinah Glory in the temple. 32:48 In fact, let's notice in the Bible the last visit 32:52 that Jesus made to the temple. 32:55 Go with me to Luke chapter 19 and verses 37 and 38. 32:58 Now remember what we studied in the book of Ezekiel, 33:01 because we're going to come back to this. 33:02 You see, Ezekiel is talking about the first 33:05 destruction of Jerusalem. 33:06 Now we're going to talk about the second 33:08 destruction of Jerusalem and why it was destroyed. 33:10 Luke 19:37-38 33:13 Here, Jesus is descending from the Mount of Olives 33:17 and He's going to go into Jerusalem through the 33:19 golden gate, through the eastern gate. 33:21 The Shekinah is going to go into the temple for the last time. 33:25 Notice what we find in Luke 19:37-38. 33:52 Remember that Haggai said that, "I will give..." What? 33:55 "...peace in this place." 33:56 And so they're singing. 33:59 This is the triumphal entry, "Peace in heaven 34:02 and glory in the highest." 34:05 But do you know what the religious leaders did 34:08 when they saw Jesus coming in triumphantly into Jerusalem? 34:11 Luke 19:47-48 34:14 See, if it hadn't been for the religious leaders, 34:16 the people would have accepted Jesus Christ. 34:19 But the leaders were constantly working at 34:21 cross purposes with Jesus. 34:23 Luke 19:47-48 34:25 Listen, "And He was teaching daily..." Where? 34:29 "...in the temple." 34:31 The living Shekinah. 34:33 "But the chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders 34:39 of the people sought to..." What? 34:42 "...to destroy Him, and were unable to do anything; 34:45 for all the people were very attentive to hear Him." 34:48 Where was the problem, with the religious leaders 34:50 or with the people? 34:51 It was with the religious leaders. 34:53 They wanted to destroy Him. 34:55 And He was the living Shekinah teaching in the temple, 34:58 according to Scripture. 35:01 Now let's notice Matthew 21 when Jesus actually 35:03 enters the temple. 35:04 Matthew 21 verses 12 and 13. 35:07 A very important verse, or very important verses. 35:10 It says here... 35:12 Remember, He has descended from the Mount of Olives. 35:14 He has gone through the golden gate, through the eastern gate. 35:16 He has moved to the temple. 35:17 The religious leaders, they don't want 35:19 anything to do with Him. 35:20 They want to destroy Him. 35:22 And now Jesus enters the temple. 35:24 Notice verse 12... 35:29 A very important phrase. 35:31 What was the temple at that time? 35:33 It was still what? 35:34 It was still God's temple. 35:53 What did Jesus call the temple? 35:56 This was God's temple. 35:59 And He says, "This is My house." 36:06 And now listen up. 36:08 As Jesus is in the temple, He begins to teach 36:13 a series of parables. 36:14 Very interesting parables. 36:16 And do you know what He describes in these parables? 36:19 He describes the history of Israel. 36:24 The sad history of Israel as He teaches in the 36:28 court of the temple. 36:30 One of those parables, it's an active parable, that Jesus 36:33 referred to was the story of the fig tree. 36:36 Remember the cursing of the fig tree? 36:38 All of the parables of Jesus had to do with the 36:40 rebellion of Israel. 36:43 And how He was trying to woo them back. 36:46 You know, you remember Jesus saw a fig tree in the distance? 36:50 And He says to His disciples, "Hey, let's go see if we can 36:52 get some figs from that tree. 36:54 I'm hungry." 36:55 Do you know what the fig tree represented? 36:58 All scholars in harmony with the Old Testament 37:00 say that the fig tree represents Israel. 37:04 And so Jesus goes and He looks at the tree. 37:08 And the tree has all kinds of leaves, but not one fig. 37:12 And what did Jesus do with the fig tree? 37:14 He cursed the fig tree. 37:17 And the Bible tells us that after He cursed the fig tree, 37:21 it dried up by its roots. 37:23 Let's read Matthew 21 verses 18 and 19. 37:46 Was this fig tree ever going to bear fruit? 37:48 Never. 37:50 In fact, the parallel passage in Mark says that it dried up 37:54 from its roots. 37:55 What happens when a tree dries up from its roots? 37:58 That is it. 38:00 And so He says, "'Let no fruit grow on you ever again.' 38:04 Immediately the fig tree..." What? 38:06 "...the fig tree withered away." 38:11 Was probation going to close without remedy 38:15 for the nation of Israel as a result of rejecting the Messiah? 38:20 Absolutely. 38:21 This active parable clearly illustrates that God's plan 38:26 would come to an end for the literal Jewish nation, 38:29 or the Jewish theocracy. 38:31 Now in the temple Jesus taught another parable. 38:34 It's the parable of the vinedressers. 38:36 And I want you to see the three stages of 38:38 Israel's history in this parable. 38:40 Go with me to Matthew chapter 21 and verses 33 through 43. 38:44 Matthew 21 verses 33 through 43. 38:48 And I'm going to interpret this parable as we go along. 38:55 The land owner is God the Father. 38:58 The vineyard is the city of Jerusalem. 39:03 The hedge is the law. 39:07 The winepress and tower is the temple. 39:11 Who are the vinedressers? 39:13 Israel. 39:22 Notice this is the first group of servants. 39:24 How many stages does Israel's history have? 39:27 It has three. Notice... 39:32 The servants are like Isaiah, Jeremiah. 39:35 The prophets that came before the exile. 39:50 So you say, "That's it." 39:51 No, that's not it. There's a second stage. 39:56 This is after the captivity. 39:59 And that's people like Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, 40:02 John the Baptist, etc. 40:04 So he sent other servants. 40:14 Does this have a sense of finality to it? 40:16 That this is it? Absolutely. 40:21 Who is the son? 40:22 Jesus. 40:41 Cast him out of where? 40:42 Jerusalem. Jesus died outside Jerusalem. 40:50 Jesus asks the question, "What will he do 40:53 to those vinedressers?" 40:54 They are oblivious to what Jesus is talking about. 40:57 But they're going to condemn themselves. 40:59 Verse 41... 41:23 And then notice what Jesus says. 41:25 As a result of killing the son, He says... 41:40 What is that nation that bears the fruits thereof? 41:44 It is the Gentiles. 41:46 The word, "nation," there is the word, "ethne." 41:50 Generally in the New Testament when Israel is 41:52 spoken of it's, "laos." 41:54 That's God's people. 41:55 But this is the word, "ethne," where we get our word, 41:57 "ethnic," from. 42:00 In other words, Jesus is saying, "Because you did not respond 42:03 to the first call, you didn't respond to the second call, 42:07 and you actually destroyed the Son in the third call, 42:10 last of all," He said, "that's it. 42:13 I'm going to give My vineyard to others who will produce 42:17 the fruit thereof." 42:18 And the message was going to go to the Gentiles. 42:21 Do you know there's another parable that 42:23 Jesus taught in the temple. 42:24 It's similar to this one. 42:25 It's found in Matthew 22 and verses 1 through 14. 42:29 You know, when I did "The Robe" series at 3ABN, 42:32 I preached a whole sermon on Matthew 22:1-14. 42:36 It's a fascinating parable. 42:37 It gives the same idea. 42:39 There it says that messengers were sent out to invite 42:42 a people to the wedding. 42:45 And they said, "No, thanks." 42:47 So then the fatted calf is prepared, which refers to the 42:52 death of Jesus Christ. 42:54 And they reject the call again. 42:57 And so the message is given, "Now you go to the highways 43:01 and to the byways and compel everyone you can to come in." 43:05 That's the call to the Gentiles. 43:08 In other words, another parable that Jesus taught 43:11 in the temple deals with the fact that the kingdom would be 43:15 taken from the Jewish nation, from the Jewish theocracy, 43:18 and it would be given to the Gentiles. 43:20 Let's go to Matthew 23:29-33. 43:23 Jesus is still in the temple. 43:25 And now He's coming to the last remarks that He's going to make 43:28 in the temple before leaving. 43:29 Notice Matthew chapter 23 and verses 29 to 33. 43:34 These are the woes on the religious leaders; 43:37 on the scribes and on the Pharisees. 43:39 It says there... 43:55 Of course, they're planning on killing Jesus. 44:00 And He continues saying... 44:12 What does that mean, "Fill up the measure?" 44:14 The cup is going to be what? Full. 44:17 Do you know what that means? 44:19 It simply means that their iniquity is complete. 44:22 Remember in Genesis chapter 15 verse 16, it says that 44:27 the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full. 44:29 So they couldn't enter the Promised Land because 44:31 they had not sinned their day of grace away. 44:34 By the way, in Revelation chapter 16 it speaks about 44:37 seven last plagues, and the cups have the fullness 44:41 of the wrath of God. 44:42 That means that they are unmixed with what? 44:44 With mercy. 44:46 And then Jesus says in verse 33, "Serpents..." 44:49 Wow. 44:51 "...brood of vipers. 44:53 How can you escape the condemnation of hell?" 44:57 But you know what's interesting? 44:59 Even though this is happening a couple of days before the 45:02 death of Jesus, there were still three and a half years probation 45:06 that Jesus was going to give to the Jewish nation 45:08 even after He was crucified. 45:10 Because the 70 weeks don't end when Jesus was crucified. 45:13 The 70 weeks end in the year 34. 45:16 Three and a half years later. 45:17 So even after they kill Jesus, Jesus said, "I'm going to 45:21 send you more messengers." 45:23 You might call this a fourth stage of the history of Israel, 45:25 although really it's part of the third because it's 45:27 part of the 70 weeks. 45:28 You say, "Where does Jesus say that?" 45:30 Matthew 23 verses 34 to 36. 45:33 Matthew 23 verses 34 through 36. 45:47 The prophet was Stephen, we're going to notice. 45:49 The wise men; the seven deacons are called wise men. 45:53 In other words, He sends additional messengers 45:55 after the crucifixion of Jesus. 45:57 "Some of them..." This is future, notice. 46:03 See, this is future from that point. 46:09 Like they did with Peter and John in Acts chapter 2 and 3. 46:15 Who was it that persecuted from city to city? 46:18 Saul of Tarsus. And now notice... 46:20 "Because you treat these messengers, these last 46:23 messengers, in this way," notice that the cup is full. 46:26 Verse 35... 46:44 Is this the end of the Hebrew theocracy? 46:48 Absolutely. 46:50 Now, Jesus finishes His remarks to the scribes and Pharisees. 46:54 And I want you to notice what happens. 46:56 Matthew 23 verses 37 and 38. 47:09 We notice that He tried to woo them in the Old Testament twice; 47:14 before the captivity, after the captivity. 47:25 And now notice carefully. 47:26 What was the temple when Jesus entered the temple 47:29 for the final time as the Shekinah Glory? 47:32 It was the temple of God and Jesus called it what? 47:35 "My house." 47:36 But now notice the change. Verse 38... 47:44 Did we see that word in the Old testament? 47:47 We most certainly did. 47:48 And what did their abominations lead to? 47:51 To what? 47:52 To desolation. 47:53 By the way, do you know where Jesus went 47:55 after He left the temple? 47:56 He went to the same place that the Shekinah went 47:59 after the Shekinah left the temple in Ezekiel's time. 48:04 Is this all coincidence? 48:06 No, it's not coincidence at all. 48:08 Notice Matthew 24 and verse 1. 48:10 Matthew 24 verse 1. It says... 48:16 Why was the temple desolate? 48:19 Because the Shekinah was no longer there. 48:29 And then Jesus speaks about the destruction of Jerusalem. 48:33 Why was Jerusalem destroyed? 48:36 Because they rejected Jesus. 48:38 Let's read it in Matthew 24 verses 2 and 3. 48:42 "And Jesus said to them..." 48:52 "Now as He sat..." Where? 48:54 Oh, the Shekinah is on the Mount of Olives now. 48:56 He has forsaken the temple. And so it says... 49:09 And then Jesus begins giving His sermon, His famous sermon, 49:14 on the Mount of Olives. 49:15 And I want you to notice what Jesus predicted. 49:18 We'll only read Matthew chapter 24 and verse 15. 49:21 Listen carefully. 49:23 The two key words that we find in the prophecy of the 70 weeks 49:26 is contained here in Matthew 24 and verse 15. 49:30 And then Luke 21 explains what this means. 49:32 Notice what Jesus says. 49:41 Are those words that we found in the Old Testament? 49:43 Yes. 49:47 And if you're thinking this has nothing to do with Daniel, 49:49 Jesus says, "spoken of by Daniel the prophet." 49:56 What Jesus was referring to was the Roman armies had 50:00 surrounded the city of Jerusalem. 50:01 They had placed their standard, which had an eagle, 50:04 in the ground and they were worshipping their standards. 50:09 And the interesting thing is that God had told His people, 50:11 if you continue reading there in Matthew 24, 50:14 God has told His people, "When you see this sign, 50:17 the abomination of desolation, make sure you flee the city 50:20 so that you're not destroyed when the city is destroyed." 50:23 Was there a work of separation that took place 50:25 before the city was destroyed? 50:27 Absolutely. 50:28 Not one Christian, we're told in Great Controversy, 50:32 perished in the destruction of Jerusalem. 50:34 Because they had been separated before the destruction came, 50:37 just like happened in the Old Testament. 50:40 Now what does this mean, "When you see the 50:42 abomination of desolation?" 50:44 It's actually the Roman armies that surrounded Jerusalem. 50:46 You say, "How do we know that?" 50:48 Luke 21 and verse 20. 50:50 Luke chapter 21 and verse 20. 50:52 Here, Jesus teaches the same thing but He uses 50:55 different words. 50:56 In Matthew, He said, "When you see the abomination 50:59 of desolation," but now notice what He says. 51:14 What were those armies that surrounded Jerusalem 51:16 that gave the signal to those who were inside 51:18 that they needed to flee in order not to be destroyed? 51:22 It was the Roman armies. 51:23 You say, "How could they flee if they had the city surrounded?" 51:26 Well, Josephus tells us that for some unexplained reason... 51:29 We know what it was. It was God's providence. 51:31 The Roman armies suddenly left. 51:34 And the Jews inside the city, they said, "Hey, this is the 51:36 signal that God is with us." 51:38 And they went after the Romans. 51:39 And the Romans suffered many loses. 51:42 Do you know what the Christians did when the Romans departed? 51:46 They all escaped to the mountains of Judea, 51:48 just like Jesus said. 51:50 And then the Romans came back. 51:52 And they destroyed the city and they destroyed the temple. 51:55 Are you following what we're studying this morning? 51:57 It's vital for what we're going to study 51:59 in our next two lectures. 52:00 Now notice Luke chapter 19 verses 41 to 44. 52:04 Luke 19 verses 41 through 44. 52:09 This is at the triumphal entry. 52:36 This is the desolation of Jerusalem. 52:55 Who had made that visitation? 52:58 Jesus Christ. 52:59 Now let me make something very clear. 53:02 God loves the Jews. 53:06 Even Jews who are unbelieving, God loves them. 53:08 He loves everyone in this world. 53:11 When we talk this way in harmony with Scripture, 53:14 we're not saying that we should be anti-Jewish. 53:17 There are many individuals within Judaism that are sincere. 53:20 They love the Lord. 53:21 Many of them are becoming Messianic Jews. 53:24 But we're talking about the end of the Jewish theocracy. 53:29 As God's nation. 53:31 Not all of the individuals within that nation. 53:34 Is that clear? 53:35 There are many sincere individuals within that nation. 53:38 Just like there are many sincere individuals 53:40 within the Roman Catholic and the Protestant churches 53:43 that keep the wrong day of the week. 53:45 And that's why in Revelation God says to His people, 53:47 "Come out of her, My people." 53:50 So let's review the three stages of Israel's history. 53:53 The first stage is the first 800 years. 53:56 From Mount Sinai to the captivity. 54:00 After that, God says 70 weeks more; 490 years. 54:06 Did they shape up? 54:08 No. 54:09 When Jesus came, they were oblivious 54:11 to what His mission was. 54:13 And so Jesus is sent. 54:15 This is the last opportunity. 54:16 Last of all, He sends His Son as the last resort. 54:21 And what do they do? 54:22 Instead of accepting the Son, they arise to destroy Him. 54:30 And what happens to the Jewish theocracy? 54:32 The Jewish theocracy comes to an end. 54:35 And now the gospel is to be preached by whom? 54:39 By the Gentiles to the world. 54:43 Now allow me to read you a statement near the close 54:46 of our presentation from Great Controversy pages 22 and 23. 54:49 We need to bring this to our day, to our time. 54:54 Ellen White here says, "The great sin of the Jews 54:56 was their rejection of Christ. 54:59 The great sin of the Christian world would be their rejection 55:02 of the law of God, the foundation of His government 55:05 in heaven and in earth." 55:07 What was the great sin of the Jews? 55:08 The rejection of whom? Of Christ. 55:10 What will be the rejection of the Christian world? 55:13 God's law. 55:14 You say, "Well, they're two different sins." 55:15 No, they're not. 55:17 You see, the law of God is a reflection 55:19 of the character of Christ. 55:21 It is a written description of Christ in His character. 55:25 So if you crucify the law, who are you really crucifying? 55:29 You're crucifying Jesus Christ. 55:31 Because the law is a reflection of Him. 55:33 Now I find it very interesting that in the Christian 55:37 church today, in churches today, you hear statements such as, 55:40 "The law was nailed to the cross." 55:42 "No one can keep it." 55:43 "It was for the Jews." 55:45 "We're not under law, but under grace." 55:47 "We're not under the letter, but under the spirit." 55:49 "Only believe and ye shall be saved." 55:52 You hear that from the pulpit. 55:54 But in the political arena, you hear a different tune. 55:58 You hear evangelicals saying, "Now folks, we need to get 56:03 the government to establish laws that preserve 56:07 the sacredness of marriage and the sacredness of life. 56:13 And we need to have the government 56:15 give anti-pornography laws. 56:17 And we need to post the Ten Commandments in our courtrooms." 56:21 I thought they were nailed to the cross. 56:25 This is double speak. 56:26 This is talking out of both sides of your mouth. 56:29 How can you say in the church, "You can't keep the law," 56:32 "You're not under law, you're under grace," 56:34 "It was for the Jews," 56:35 and then turn right around and say, 56:37 "Caesar, put the Ten Commandments in your courtrooms 56:41 and straighten out what we've made a mess of." 56:44 You see, people have listened to their preachers and they've 56:46 come to believe what their preachers say. 56:48 Their preachers say, "Oh, nobody can keep the law. 56:50 God doesn't expect you to keep the law. 56:51 You're saved by grace." 56:53 And so Christians say, "Good, I'll go out and live it up. 56:56 And I'll have my cake and I will eat it too." 57:00 Are you understanding me? 57:02 So the sin of the Jews is no greater than the 57:04 sin of the Christian world today. 57:05 And the destruction of Jerusalem has a two-fold fulfillment. 57:08 The disciples asked Jesus two questions. 57:10 When will these things be, the destruction of Jerusalem; 57:13 and what will be the sign of Your coming 57:14 and the end of the world? 57:15 What happened with the Jewish nation will happen with the 57:18 Christian world at the end of time as well. 57:21 Did you understand what we studied this morning? 57:23 A foundation for what we will study in our next two lectures. |
Revised 2014-12-17