Participants: Stephen Bohr
Series Code: HWIS
Program Code: HWIS000018
|
00:32 Let's pray.
00:34 Once again, heavenly Father, Thank You for blessing us 00:37 with Your presence. 00:39 Thank You for Your Word. 00:41 We live in a world were everything seems to be 00:44 spinning out of control. 00:46 But we Thank You that we can build upon the solid Rock 00:50 of Your Holy Word to know what has happened, 00:53 what is happening, and what soon will take place 00:57 on this earth. 00:59 We ask for Your guidance as we open Your holy book today. 01:02 Send Your Holy Spirit through the ministration of the angels 01:05 to make things clear to our minds and to open our hearts. 01:10 And we thank You for hearing our prayer, 01:12 for we ask it in Jesus' name, amen. 01:17 Israel had just crossed the Red Sea. 01:24 And they had sung the song of Moses, in Exodus chapter 15. 01:30 And then they arrived in the desert to a place where 01:34 God wanted to test their willingness to obey 01:38 His holy law. 01:41 Go with me in your Bibles to Exodus chapter 16 and verse 4, 01:46 and let's take a look at what that test was. 01:50 Exodus 16 and verse 4. 02:10 Why were they to do this? 02:12 Notice... 02:15 Is this a test for Israel? 02:17 Yes. 02:27 In other words, the purpose of this test is to see if 02:29 Israel is willing to obey, what? 02:33 God's holy law. 02:36 It is a test. 02:38 And so the Bible tells us that God rained what is known as 02:43 manna from heaven. 02:45 Now the word, "manna," simply means, "what is it." 02:50 Because when the manna fell to the earth, 02:53 the Israelites came out, they had never seen this before, 02:56 and so they started saying, "Manna, manna." 03:00 In other words, "What is it? What is it?" 03:03 And it was actually bread that God had rained from heaven. 03:09 Now God told the Israelites to go out and gather 03:13 the manna six days a week. 03:17 Every day they were suppose to gather manna 03:20 except for the Sabbath. 03:21 We start to catch a glimpse of the fact that God is 03:25 testing them regarding what? 03:27 Regarding the observance of the seventh day Sabbath. 03:31 This is before God gave the Ten Commandments 03:34 on Mount Sinai. 03:36 God is testing their willingness to keep His holy Sabbath. 03:41 And the Bible tells us that some of the Israelites 03:43 went out to pick up manna on the Sabbath and they found none. 03:47 And notice Exodus 16 and verse 28 03:51 the words that we find where God is speaking to the Israelites 03:57 that have gone out to look for manna and they have found none. 04:01 Here God says, "How long do you refuse to keep My..." What? 04:08 "...My commandments and My laws?" 04:12 Interesting. 04:13 God had not yet revealed His commandments or His laws. 04:16 That comes in Exodus 20. 04:19 So it must be that the Sabbath existed before God 04:22 gave it at Mount Sinai. 04:24 Are you understanding what I'm saying? 04:25 Because God says, "How long do you refuse to keep 04:29 My commandments and My laws?" 04:30 And this particular commandment had to do with not picking up 04:35 manna when? 04:36 On the Sabbath. 04:37 It was a command, in other words, to observe 04:40 God's holy Sabbath. 04:42 Now it becomes obvious that God wanted to teach a profound 04:46 lesson through the manna. 04:48 And we know this because after God gave manna to Israel, 04:53 He commanded the Israelites to take some of the manna 04:58 and put it in a golden pot and place it inside 05:02 the ark of the covenant. 05:04 This must have been very, very important because there were 05:08 only three things that were in the ark of the covenant, 05:10 we're going to notice. 05:11 There was, first of all, the tables of the law; 05:13 the Ten Commandments. 05:14 Secondly, Aaron's rod that budded. 05:17 And in the third place, a golden pot of manna. 05:20 Let's read about that pot of manna. 05:23 Exodus 16 and verses 32 through 34. 05:36 An omer is about half a gallon. 06:08 Remember what the Testimony is, the tables of the Testimony? 06:11 We talked about that last evening. 06:17 Now I want to read a passage from Hebrews chapter 9 06:20 where it clearly tells us that the pot of manna 06:23 and Aaron's rod and the Ten Commandments 06:25 were inside the ark of the covenant. 06:27 Notice Hebrews chapter 9, and we'll read verses 1 through 5. 06:32 It says there... 06:55 Which apartment is that? 06:57 That is the Holy Place. 07:00 And then it continues saying in verse 3... 07:09 Actually, a better translation is, the Holy of Holies. 07:20 And now notice what was in the ark of the covenant. 07:45 So question, was the manna in the ark of the covenant? 07:49 Yes it was. 07:50 Was Aaron's rod in the ark of the covenant? 07:53 Yes, we'll talk about Aaron's rod later on in this series. 07:57 The Ten Commandments, of course, were found 08:00 inside the ark of the covenant. 08:02 But now we have a little problem. 08:05 It just so happens that Hebrews is describing the tabernacle 08:10 that was built in the desert. 08:13 But what about Solomon's temple? 08:16 Was the pot of manna and was Aaron's rod 08:20 in the temple that Solomon built? 08:24 This is where we have a problem. 08:26 Go with me to 1 Kings chapter 8 and verse 9. 08:29 1 Kings chapter 8 and verse 9. 08:32 It's speaking here about the ark of the covenant. 08:35 And notice a very interesting detail. 08:38 It says there, "Nothing was in the ark except 08:44 the two tables of stone which Moses put there at Horeb, 08:49 when the Lord made a covenant with the children of Israel 08:53 when they came out of the land of Egypt." 08:56 So in the temple built by Solomon, what was the 08:59 only thing that was found inside the ark of the covenant? 09:02 Only, it says here, the what? 09:06 The tablets of stone which Moses put there at Horeb. 09:11 So immediately the question comes, what happened to 09:14 the pot of manna and what happened to Aaron's rod 09:17 in between the time of the wilderness tabernacle 09:20 and the time of the temple that was built by Solomon? 09:25 Is it just perhaps the case that maybe one of them is wrong? 09:28 Maybe it's simply the book of Hebrews is wrong 09:30 when it says that the manna and Aaron's rod was in the 09:34 ark of the covenant? 09:35 And then later, you know, in 1 Kings it says that it wasn't 09:38 in the ark of the covenant. 09:40 That there's this discrepancy or contradiction in the Bible? 09:43 No. 09:44 We don't accept the idea that there are 09:46 contradictions in the Bible. 09:48 And so the question is, how do you reconcile 09:50 what was in the ark in the tabernacle in the wilderness 09:54 and what was in the ark of the temple that Solomon built? 10:00 I want to present a quotation from Ellen White. 10:02 Because she resolves this apparent problem. 10:06 Notice Early Writings, page 32. 10:08 This is very, very interesting. 10:10 And there's Bible backing for what she says. 10:12 I'm going to provide that in a few moments. 10:15 God took her in vision to the heavenly temple 10:20 in the holy city, the New Jerusalem. 10:22 And notice what she says. 10:24 "In the holiest I saw an ark; 10:28 on the top and sides of it was purest gold. 10:33 On each end of the ark was a lovely cherub, 10:36 with its wings spread out over it. 10:40 Their faces were turned toward each other, 10:43 and they looked downward. 10:46 Between the angels was a golden censer. 10:50 Above the ark, where the angels stood, was an exceeding 10:55 bright glory that appeared like a throne where God dwelt." 10:59 That's the Shekinah, by the way. 11:01 Then she says, "Jesus stood by the ark, and as the 11:06 saints' prayers came up to Him, the incense in the censer 11:11 would smoke, and He would offer up their prayers with the 11:15 smoke of the incense to His Father." 11:18 And then here comes the portion of the quotation 11:20 which is very interesting. 11:21 She says, "In the ark was the golden pot of manna, 11:27 Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of stone 11:33 which folded together like a book." 11:36 What happened with the pot of manna 11:39 and Aaron's rod that budded? 11:41 It was what? 11:43 It was transported to the heavenly Sanctuary. 11:45 Because you can only have one Aaron's rod that budded. 11:50 Because if you have in heaven one that is not Aaron's rod 11:53 that budded, then it's not going to be Aaron's rod. 11:55 Right? 11:56 It was Aaron's rod that budded. 11:58 Interestingly enough, the book of Revelation 12:01 strongly hints that the manna is in heaven, 12:05 because in Revelation 2 verse 17, we're told 12:09 that when Jesus comes He will take us to heaven 12:12 and He will feed us with the hidden manna. 12:16 And where is the manna hidden? 12:18 It is hidden in the ark of the covenant. 12:23 So the pot of manna is in heaven, 12:26 and Aaron's rod that budded is in heaven now. 12:28 Somewhere in between the tabernacle in the wilderness 12:32 and the temple built by Solomon, these things were placed 12:36 in the heavenly Sanctuary. 12:39 But now we need to ask the question, 12:41 what lesson did God want to teach through the manna? 12:46 What vitally important lesson would make it so significant 12:50 that the manna would be placed inside the ark of the covenant 12:54 with the Ten Commandments? 12:57 Let's examine this by going to the gospel of John chapter 5 13:03 and verse 39, and we'll read verse 40, 13:06 and then we'll jump down to verses 45 through 46. 13:11 John 5:39-40 and 45-46. 13:16 Here, Jesus is speaking to a group of Jews, 13:18 and notice what He says. 13:23 Which Scriptures was He referring to? 13:25 It had to be the Old Testament Scriptures 13:27 because at this point when Jesus is on earth, 13:30 the New Testament has not been written yet. 13:32 So it's the Old Testament Scriptures. 13:46 So the question is, to whom do the writings of Moses point? 13:49 To whom do the Scriptures point? 13:52 They point to Jesus. 13:55 Now let's go to verse 40. 13:57 Jesus says... 14:04 "You go to the Scriptures because you want eternal life. 14:06 You think there's eternal life in them. 14:07 And yet, you don't want to come to Me. 14:09 Those Scriptures point to Me, 14:11 that you might have eternal life." 14:13 Then notice verse 45. 14:15 "Do not think that I shall accuse you..." 14:24 And now comes the key portion of the verse. 14:36 About whom did Moses write? 14:38 He wrote about Jesus. 14:41 To whom do the Scriptures give testimony? 14:43 They give testimony to Jesus. 14:46 In other words, the writings of Moses are centered 14:49 in Jesus Christ. 14:51 Now we want to study one particular verse. 14:53 And we're going to study other verses in relationship to it, 14:57 but there's one particular verse that I want us 14:59 to take a look at. 15:00 Deuteronomy chapter 8 and verse 3. 15:03 One verse from the writings of Moses. 15:05 Deuteronomy chapter 8 and verse 3. 15:09 Here, God is speaking about when He gave the manna 15:12 and the reason why He gave the manna. 15:15 Remember, the manna lesson is significant. 15:18 It's a test for Israel to see whether they were going to 15:20 keep God's Sabbath or not. 15:23 And it was so important that God placed a pot of manna 15:25 in the ark of the covenant. 15:27 And it's in heaven right now. 15:29 It must be tremendously significant. 15:31 Now notice Deuteronomy 8 and verse 3. 15:35 Moses is describing this episode of Israel's history. 15:48 Now why did God give the manna? 15:50 You know, most of the time I ask that question, 15:52 people say, "Well, because the people were in the desert 15:54 and they needed food to eat." 15:55 But that's not the main reason why God gave the manna. 15:58 Notice the reason that is clearly expressed here. 16:24 What did the manna represent? 16:27 The manna represented the word of God. 16:32 Because He said, "Man will not live by bread alone, 16:35 but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God." 16:39 In other words, the manna represented God's word. 16:44 The Bible makes it clear that the manna was 16:46 more than physical food. 16:48 Go with me to 1 Corinthians chapter 10 16:50 and let's read verses 1 to 4 where the apostle Paul is 16:54 reminiscing about some of the experiences 16:56 of Israel's history. 16:58 1 Corinthians chapter 10 and verses 1 to 4. 17:02 The manna was not primarily physical food, 17:05 although it did provide physical nourishment. 17:07 But that's not the main reason why God gave the manna. 17:10 He gave it to show Israel that man lives by every word 17:13 that proceeds out of the mouth of God. 17:16 Now let's notice 1 Corinthians 10 verse 1. 17:43 That's the water that came from the rock. 17:55 Was the manna symbolic? 17:58 Did it have a spiritual lesson? 17:59 Yes. 18:01 Was the water that came from the rock symbolic? 18:04 Did it represent something beyond literal H2O? 18:08 Absolutely. 18:09 Was the literal rock a symbol of the much more 18:12 profound spiritual truth? 18:14 Absolutely. 18:16 So we know that the manna represents the word of God, 18:19 and it's spiritual food. 18:20 But the question is, who is the word of God? 18:24 Go with me to John chapter 1 verse 1, and then we'll 18:28 go down to verse 14. 18:29 John chapter 1 verse 1, and then we'll go down to verse 14. 18:35 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, 18:41 and the Word was God." 18:45 And then it says in verse 14, the first part of the verse, 18:48 "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us." 18:53 Who is the Word? 18:55 The Word is Jesus Christ. 18:57 So what did the manna represent? 18:59 The manna represented Jesus. 19:04 Let me prove it to you with a clear text 19:06 from the gospel of John. 19:08 John 6 verses 48 through 50. 19:11 John 6:48-50. 19:13 Spiritually speaking, the manna represented Jesus Christ. 19:16 Because Jesus Christ is the Word of God. 19:18 He's the speech of God the Father. 19:20 He reveals God the Father. 19:22 He teaches what God the Father told Him to say. 19:26 Notice John 6:48-50. 19:29 Here, Jesus is speaking and He says... 19:47 So what did the manna represent? 19:49 The manna represented the Word of God. 19:52 And the Word of God is whom? 19:54 The Word of God is Jesus. 19:58 But let's become a little bit more specific. 20:01 Not only did the manna represent Jesus generally, 20:06 but there was something specific about Jesus 20:09 that was represented by the manna. 20:11 Some aspect of Jesus that was represented by the manna. 20:15 Let's go to John 6 verse 51, the very next verse. 20:20 Jesus says here, "I am the living bread..." 20:40 What does the manna specifically represent about Jesus? 20:44 It represents His what? 20:47 It represents His flesh. 20:49 Did you catch that point? 20:50 So the manna represents the Word of God. 20:54 The Word of God represents Jesus. 20:57 But specifically, what does the manna represent 20:59 concerning Jesus? 21:01 It represents His what? 21:03 His flesh. 21:05 Don't forget that. 21:06 That's key for everything that we're going to study. 21:08 The manna represented His flesh. 21:11 Now let's go to Exodus 16 and verses 19 and 20. 21:16 See, we have to go back to the Old Testament 21:17 to the manna episode. 21:19 Because Jesus is speaking about the manna. 21:21 So what better place to discover what He wants to teach 21:24 than by going back to the manna episode in the Old Testament. 21:28 Notice Exodus 16 verses 19 and 20. 21:33 How many days was the manna suppose to be picked up? 21:36 It was suppose to be picked up six days. 21:39 Which was the only day in which the manna 21:41 was not to be picked up? 21:43 It was not to be picked up on the Sabbath. 21:45 Now what happened if somebody picked up manna on Wednesday 21:48 and saved it for Thursday. 21:51 Or any other day other than the Sabbath? 21:54 Let's read about it. 21:56 Exodus 16:19-20. 22:08 In other words, they didn't pay any attention to Moses. 22:14 And now two things happened with the manna. 22:16 Which represents what? 22:18 The flesh of Jesus. Don't forget that. 22:20 Two things happened with the manna. 22:22 It was picked up on, not Friday for Sabbath, 22:25 but some other day, which is not identified here. 22:28 And so it says... 22:37 Was this ordinary bread? 22:40 If you go to the grocery store and you buy a loaf of bread 22:44 and you don't open it today, you open it tomorrow, 22:47 when you open the package tomorrow it has worms, right? 22:49 And stinks. 22:50 No. 22:52 Well let's suppose that you leave it in the 22:53 package for a week. 22:55 And you don't open the package until a week from now. 22:59 When you open the package, you say, "Whew, this stinks. 23:02 And it's full of worms." 23:03 No. Absolutely not. 23:06 Let me ask you, what is it that breeds worms and stinks? 23:12 It is dead what? 23:14 Dead decomposing flesh. 23:18 Am I right? 23:19 Absolutely. 23:21 But now notice what happened when the manna was picked up 23:24 on Friday for Sabbath. 23:26 Exodus 16 and verses 23 and 24. 23:31 What does the manna represent? 23:34 The flesh of Jesus. Very well. 23:36 Exodus 16:23-24. 23:48 Notice, not the Sabbath to the Jews. 23:50 A holy Sabbath to the Lord. 23:54 That is, on Friday. 24:06 And now notice, very interesting. 24:08 It says... 24:17 You know, I did a word search of the word, "stink." 24:22 You remember the story of Lazarus? 24:24 You know, when Jesus said, "Take away the stone." 24:27 What did the people say? 24:28 "Lord, he stinketh." 24:31 To use good ole King James language. 24:34 "He stinketh, Lord." 24:36 It's a corpse that stinks. 24:38 Right? 24:39 And it's a corpse that breeds worms. 24:43 And so when the manna was picked up on Friday, 24:46 and saved for the Sabbath, it was as fresh on Sabbath 24:50 as it had been on Friday. 24:53 Now what was God trying to teach? 24:56 We need to go to the gospels to understand 24:59 the interpretation of what God was trying to teach. 25:03 Let's take a look at the last three declarations 25:05 of Jesus on the cross. 25:08 Matthew 27 verse 46 has the fifth declaration 25:13 of Jesus Christ on the cross before His death. 25:16 Matthew 27 verse 46. 25:18 And listen carefully to what it says. 25:20 It says, "And about the ninth hour..." 25:23 Was it the ninth hour yet? 25:25 No, it was about the ninth hour. 25:39 Now that's the fifth declaration on the cross. 25:41 Now let's go to number six. 25:42 John 19 and verse 30. John 19 and verse 30. 25:47 It says there... 26:00 But you know, Matthew and John don't give the whole story. 26:05 Because there was a declaration that was given before this one. 26:07 It's just not recorded in the gospel of John. 26:10 You say, "What declaration is that?" 26:12 Go with me to Luke 23 verse 46. 26:14 This was the last declaration of Jesus on the cross 26:17 after He said, "It is finished." 26:20 Notice Luke 23 and verse 46. 26:37 So when Jesus said, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me," 26:41 it was about the ninth hour. 26:44 Probably shortly after that, He said, "It is finished." 26:50 And then exactly at the ninth hour, He said, 26:53 "Father, into Your hands I commend My spirit." 26:57 And you say, "How do you know that it was exactly 26:59 at the ninth hour?" 27:00 Do you know what time the ninth hour is? 27:03 It's three o'clock in the afternoon. 27:05 So you say, "No. Well you know, the ninth hour? 27:08 That's three o'clock. How can it be three o'clock?" 27:10 Well, because the Jews, they reckon hour number one at 27:14 six o'clock in the morning. 27:16 And hour number twelve was at sunset. 27:18 And so hour number nine was at three o'clock in the afternoon. 27:22 I want you to notice Exodus chapter 12 and verse 6. 27:25 I'm going to show you when Jesus died exactly and specifically. 27:29 Exodus 12 and verse 6. 27:31 It's speaking about the death of the Passover lamb. 27:34 You remember we talked about the death of the Passover lamb? 27:37 When was it suppose to be sacrificed? 27:39 On the 14th day of Nisan. Right? 27:41 The month of Nisan, the first month of the religious year 27:44 of the Jews. 27:46 And at what time was it sacrificed? 27:49 It was sacrificed... 27:50 Notice Exodus chapter 12 and verse 6, it gives us the hour. 27:59 That's the month of Nisan. 28:06 When? At twilight. 28:10 Now that's not a good translation. 28:13 Other versions say, "at evening." 28:16 But literally in the Hebrew language, in which this verse 28:20 was written, it says, "between the two evenings." 28:26 In other words, it doesn't say twilight 28:28 and it doesn't say evening. 28:29 It says literally, "between the two evenings." 28:33 And you say, "What is this, 'between the 28:35 two evenings,' thing?" 28:37 Well let me explain it. 28:39 Among the Jews, the first evening was when the sun 28:44 reached its zenith and began its descent in the afternoon hours. 28:50 The second evening is actually when the sun set. 28:55 Are you understanding me? 28:57 I'm going to read you a statement from a commentary. 28:58 I looked at several commentaries. 29:00 They all agree on this. 29:01 So when the sun reached it's zenith at noon, 29:05 that was the first evening because the sun 29:08 now was beginning the afternoon hours. 29:10 It was beginning its descent. 29:12 The second evening was when the sun set. 29:15 Incidentally, in Spanish we say, 29:20 "Las orlas de la mañana. 29:23 E las orlas de la tarde." 29:26 The afternoon. 29:28 And so we need to understand that the two evenings 29:32 are noon and six o'clock. 29:35 Let me read to you from the commentary by 29:37 Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown... 29:39 This is not a Seventh-day Adventist commentary. 29:41 ...on Exodus 12 verse 6. 29:43 "'Between the two evenings' is a phrase denoting the 29:48 part of the day between the declining and the setting sun, 29:54 or between noon and sunset." 30:00 So what time did Jesus die? 30:02 He died at the ninth hour. 30:05 Which is exactly between when? 30:08 The sixth hour, which would be noon, 30:11 and the twelfth hour, which would be sunset. 30:14 Jesus died at the ninth hour exactly at 30:18 three o'clock in the afternoon. 30:20 Are you following me or not? 30:22 Very, very important. 30:24 In other words, Jesus said, "Into Your hands 30:27 I commend My spirit." 30:28 And it was exactly at three o'clock. 30:30 And at that moment, the temple veil rent in two. 30:34 There was an earthquake. 30:35 And the lamb escaped from the hands of the priest. 30:40 Now let me ask you, when Jesus said, "It is finished," 30:43 "Into Your hands I commend My spirit," 30:45 had He made perfect provision for salvation? 30:48 Did He have a perfect life to offer to everyone who comes 30:51 to Him in repentance to take the place of your sinful life? 30:54 Absolutely. 30:55 Had He died the death that everyone should die, 30:58 that if I come to Him in faith and in repentance, 31:01 and I confess my sins, He'll take His death 31:04 and place it to my account as if it was my death? 31:06 Absolutely. 31:07 Jesus, when He said, "It is finished," 31:09 "Into Your hands I commend My spirit," 31:11 He had made perfect provision for salvation. 31:15 Now Jesus died at three o'clock in the afternoon, 31:17 but listen up. 31:19 After the death of the lamb, the lamb had to be prepared. 31:23 Because after sunset, the Jews partook of 31:28 the Feast of Unleavened Bread. 31:33 So for three hours in the afternoon, from three o'clock 31:36 until sunset, what they did was they roasted the lamb whole. 31:41 They cleaned it up and they prepared it and they roasted it. 31:44 And then after sundown, they ate the lamb 31:48 along with unleavened bread, and also with bitter herbs. 31:53 Now let me ask you, when Jesus died at three o'clock in the 31:56 afternoon, was it necessary to prepare the body of Jesus? 32:01 Just look at everything that had to happen between three 32:04 and shortly before sundown. 32:06 They had to ask Pilate for the body of Jesus; 32:12 Joseph of Arimathea. 32:14 They had to take Him down from the cross. 32:16 They had to clean His body. 32:19 They had to embalm Him and wrap Him in linen. 32:23 They had to transport Him to the place where He was 32:26 going to be buried. 32:27 They had to bury Him. 32:29 And they had to roll the stone in front of the tomb. 32:32 Would that take five minutes to do all of that? 32:35 Of course not. 32:36 Actually, this is the preparation of Jesus 32:39 to be buried. 32:40 The unleavened bread represents the body of Jesus, 32:44 because leaven represents sin. 32:46 And in Jesus there was no sin. 32:50 Now let's take a look at the sequence of days 32:53 so that we can understand a little bit better 32:55 what is happening here. 32:56 Was Jesus buried before sundown on Friday? 33:01 Yes, you remember that they felt an urgency. 33:03 They said, "We have to hurry. 33:06 We've got to get Him off of the cross. 33:07 Because He has to be buried before sundown." 33:11 And so Jesus, right before sundown, He was placed 33:14 in the tomb. 33:15 Now let's look at the Biblical sequence of days. 33:18 Go with me to Luke chapter 23 and verse 54, 33:22 and we'll read through verse 56. 33:24 Luke 23 verses 54 through 56. 33:28 I want you to see the sequence. 33:30 It's speaking about the day of His death, first of all. 33:33 "That day was the Preparation..." 33:38 Was the Sabbath there yet? 33:41 No, the Sabbath was what? 33:42 Was near when Jesus died. 33:46 Verse 55... 33:56 So His body is laid in the tomb. 33:58 What day? 34:01 Friday. 34:02 Which is which day of the week? 34:05 Day number six. 34:07 Very well. 34:08 And then notice 56... 34:20 Which commandment? 34:22 The fourth commandment of God's holy law. 34:24 They rested the Sabbath according to the commandment. 34:28 Now let me ask you this. 34:30 How do you think the rest of the women was? 34:34 Was it a joyful rest? 34:37 Was it a happy and just bubbly rest? 34:41 Absolutely not. 34:43 It was not really rest. 34:44 It was restlessness. 34:48 They were filled with grief. 34:50 And with sorrow. 34:52 That Sabbath must have been a miserable Sabbath to live. 34:57 If they had understood what the manna represented, 35:00 would it have been very, very different? 35:03 They would have said, "Our Master is resting in the tomb 35:08 from His works of redemption. 35:12 And we need to rest with Him in what He has done. 35:17 And tomorrow, He's going to resurrect." 35:21 What would that Sabbath had been like if they had believed 35:24 what Jesus said that He was going to Jerusalem, 35:26 and He was going to be killed, and He was going to 35:28 resurrect the third day? 35:29 What would that Sabbath have been like? 35:32 They would have understood that Jesus was resting in the tomb 35:35 from His works of redemption, like He rested on the 35:38 seventh day from His works of creation. 35:41 And they would have said, "Our Master has accomplished 35:43 salvation for us. 35:45 How wonderful He is." 35:46 They would have enjoyed the Sabbath of rest. 35:49 But they did not understand. 35:52 They came to understand later. 35:54 Allow me to read you a statement from Ellen White. 35:56 This is found in an article that she wrote titled, 36:01 "The Man of Sorrows" February 24, 1898. 36:05 Listen how she connects creation and redemption. 36:15 And the she quotes Scripture. 36:30 And then she comments... 36:48 What was God's plan? 36:50 That the work of Christ should be what? 36:52 Completed on a Friday. 36:54 And now listen carefully. 37:20 So what was Jesus doing while the women rested? 37:24 Jesus was also what? Resting. 37:26 On which day of the week? 37:28 The seventh day. 37:30 Which day did Jesus rest after He accomplished 37:32 His work of creation? 37:33 The seventh day. 37:34 You see, Jesus is the Creator, according to the Bible. 37:38 John 1 and verse 3 says, "All things were made through Him. 37:43 And without Him was not anything made that was made." 37:45 Jesus is the Creator in Genesis. 37:48 And after He finished His work of Creation, He rested. 37:51 And after He finished His work of redemption, He rested 37:54 on the seventh day Sabbath. 37:56 And then which day did Jesus resurrect? 38:00 The Bible says He resurrected on the first day of the week. 38:02 Which would be our Sunday. 38:04 Do you have the sequence of days clear? 38:07 He died what day? 38:09 Day number six, Friday. 38:11 He rested in the tomb which day? 38:14 On the Sabbath He rested in the tomb. 38:16 And He resurrected which day. 38:18 He resurrected on the first day of the week, on Sunday. 38:22 Now you say, "Where did we leave the manna?" 38:26 Well, let's go back to the manna episode, 38:28 because we want to see what great lesson God wanted 38:30 to teach through the manna. 38:31 Now let's review. 38:33 What did the manna represent? 38:35 The Word of God. 38:37 What is the Word of God? 38:40 Jesus. 38:41 But what specific aspect of Jesus did the manna represent? 38:45 His flesh. 38:46 Let's read it again, John 6 and verse 51. 38:49 John 6:51. 38:52 Here, Jesus says... 39:10 Now as Jesus rested in the tomb, He was the living manna, right? 39:15 The manna represented His what? 39:17 His flesh. 39:19 The flesh of Jesus rested in the tomb. 39:21 Now here's my question, what would have happened 39:23 with a normal body that was buried on Friday? 39:28 It would begin the process of what? 39:31 Of decomposing. 39:33 And eventually it would breed worms, and it would what? 39:37 And it would stink. 39:39 Did that happen with the body of Jesus? 39:42 What is it that happened with the manna when it was 39:45 picked up on Friday for Sabbath? 39:46 It was just as fresh on Sabbath as it had been on Friday. 39:51 And the manna represents the flesh of Jesus. 39:54 Was the flesh of Jesus, all day Sabbath, 39:57 as fresh as when He was placed in the tomb on Friday? 40:00 I'm going to prove it from the Bible. 40:02 God is teaching here the observance of the Sabbath 40:05 in honor of redemption. 40:08 Notice what we find in Acts chapter 2 40:11 and verses 25 through 27. 40:14 Acts chapter 2 and verse... 40:16 Actually, let's go first of all to the Messianic prophecy. 40:19 And then we'll go to Acts 2. 40:20 The prophecy that is found in Acts 2 is in 40:23 Psalm 16 verses 8 through 10. 40:25 I want to read the prophecy first. 40:28 It says here in Psalm 16 and verses 8 through 10... 40:42 And I'm reading from the NIV because it's a 40:43 better translation. 40:48 Here, Jesus is speaking prophetically a thousand years 40:51 before He's actually born. 40:53 He's telling His experience, what is going to happen. 40:56 Now notice what He says... 41:02 "Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; 41:04 my body..." 41:05 Actually, that is not a good translation. 41:07 There's a word for, "body," in Greek. 41:09 It's the word, "soma." 41:11 This is the same word, "flesh," that is used in 41:14 John 6 and verse 51. 41:15 It's the word, "sarx." 41:17 The NIV mistranslates that word. 41:19 So really it is, "Therefore my heart is glad and my 41:22 tongue rejoices; my flesh also will rest secure..." 41:28 What does Jesus say about His flesh? 41:30 His flesh will what? 41:32 His flesh will rest secure. 41:34 Where is it going to rest? 41:36 In the tomb. 41:38 You say, how do we know that? 41:39 Well, let's read the next verse. 41:41 "Because you will not abandon me to..." What? 41:47 "...to the grave, nor will you let your holy one see..." What? 41:53 "...see decay." 41:56 To whom did Psalm 16 point? 41:59 It pointed to the flesh of Jesus Christ. 42:02 Did the body of Jesus Christ decompose in the grave? 42:07 It did not. 42:08 Because Jesus was the living manna. 42:14 Are you following me? 42:16 Now let's go to Acts chapter 2 verses 29 to 33. 42:19 And once again, I'm reading in the NIV. 42:22 Here, Peter is preaching on the day of Pentecost. 42:25 And He's going to explain Psalm 16 verses 8 through 10. 42:29 Because you might say, "Well, how do you know that 42:32 Psalm 16 is talking about Jesus?" 42:34 Well Peter says so, inspired by God's Holy Spirit. 42:37 Notice Acts 2 and let's begin reading at verse 29. 42:42 And we'll go through verse 33. 42:45 Peter says here, "Brothers, I can tell you confidently 42:50 that the patriarch David died and was buried, 42:54 and his tomb is here to this day." 42:57 In other words, this psalm was not talking about David. 42:59 Because his tomb is here and he's dead. 43:02 Notice verse 30. 43:05 "But he was a prophet..." 43:06 David was a prophet. 43:28 Once again, it should be the word, "flesh." 43:40 "Exalted to the right hand of God, He has received 43:42 from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out 43:46 what you now see and hear." 43:49 Isn't this a magnificent Bible prophecy? 43:52 It was prophesying that Jesus, the manna, would die on Friday, 43:59 on Sabbath He would remain in the tomb all day, 44:02 and His body, like the manna, would not begin the process 44:07 of breeding worms and stinking. 44:10 Because He was what the manna represented. 44:15 In other words, this is not only telling us that we 44:17 keep the Sabbath. 44:19 It's telling us that Jesus kept the Sabbath 44:22 by resting in the tomb on the Sabbath. 44:24 And those who were outside also should have been resting, 44:28 understanding fully what Jesus was doing. 44:31 He should have been resting inside while they rested outside 44:34 understanding what Jesus had accomplished. 44:39 Now we need to ask the question, why did Jesus 44:43 resurrect on Sunday? 44:46 You know, Christians today, they say, "Jesus resurrected 44:50 on Sunday because He wanted Christians to know that 44:53 Sunday is holy. 44:56 And that we're suppose to go to church on Sunday. 45:00 And we're suppose to honor Jesus by celebrating 45:03 the day of the resurrection." 45:04 You know, even Pope John Paul II in his pastoral letter, 45:08 Dias Domini, he tried to impress people by the 45:13 number of things that Jesus did on Sunday. 45:16 Let me give you a list of them. 45:18 He resurrected on Sunday. 45:20 He appeared to two of His followers on the 45:22 road to Emmaus on Sunday. 45:24 He appeared to His disciples on Sunday night. 45:28 He appeared to them again the next Sunday. 45:30 The Holy Spirit was poured out on Sunday. 45:32 The first proclamation of the gospel took place on Sunday. 45:35 The first baptisms took place on Sunday. 45:38 So he gives this long list and he says, "See, it's because 45:41 God wants us now to keep Sunday." 45:44 But in the light of what we've studied, 45:46 we now notice that Jesus resurrected on Sunday, 45:49 not because Sunday is important, but because the day before 45:53 Sunday is important. 45:55 You see, Jesus had to rest in the tomb, which day? 45:59 The Sabbath. 46:00 So which day would He resurrect? 46:02 Duh. 46:04 Sorry for the expression. 46:06 But if He has to fulfill the manna episode, 46:08 and He has to rest in the tomb on the Sabbath day 46:12 according to the commandment, well which day would you 46:15 expect Him to resurrect? 46:16 On Sunday. 46:17 But it's not because Sunday is holy, 46:19 but because Sabbath is holy. 46:23 Are you with me? 46:24 And isn't it interesting that during holy week, 46:27 oh Christians, they love to talk about Palm Sunday, and 46:31 Ash Wednesday, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, 46:35 Resurrection Sunday. 46:36 Who says anything about the Sabbath? 46:38 Nothing. 46:40 Because the devil has made it his utmost objective 46:43 to obliterate the Sabbath. 46:45 Because the Sabbath points to Jesus as our Creator 46:48 and as our Redeemer. 46:50 And when we rest on the Sabbath, we're resting because He made us 46:54 and we're resting because He redeemed us from sin. 47:00 You know, Christians sometimes present objectionable arguments. 47:05 They use psychological arguments. 47:06 They say, "You know, I keep Sunday because 47:09 Sunday was a happy day. 47:11 See, the disciples were sad on Sabbath 47:13 but they were happy on Sunday." 47:16 And Christians who don't study their Bibles, 47:18 they swallow it hook, line, sinker, fisherman's pole, 47:22 fisherman and boat. 47:25 They swallow everything and they believe it 47:28 because they don't study the Bible for themselves. 47:32 Let me ask you, should Sabbath have been a sad day? 47:37 Had Jesus warned the disciples that He was going to 47:39 go to Jerusalem, He was going to die, 47:41 and He was going to resurrect on the third day? 47:43 Of course. 47:44 Was it the intention of Jesus that the Sabbath 47:46 be a joyful day of expectation? 47:49 Absolutely. 47:50 Furthermore, and this is even more devastating, 47:52 Sunday night the day of the resurrection, the disciples 47:57 didn't even believe that Jesus had resurrected. 47:59 You can see that in the gospels. 48:01 So how could they be happy all day Sunday 48:03 if they didn't even believe He had resurrected? 48:06 You see, the argument falls on its face. 48:08 But people who don't study their Bibles, 48:10 and listen to what their preachers say, 48:13 they say, "Oh, this sounds wonderful. 48:15 We're suppose to keep Sunday because Jesus said 48:17 we're suppose to keep Sunday." 48:19 But it is not so. 48:22 Now, do you know that the Sabbath not only points 48:24 backwards to Creation. 48:26 It not only points to Jesus our Redeemer now. 48:30 But the Sabbath also has a prophetic dimension. 48:34 The Sabbath will be kept in the earth made new... 48:39 ...in the future... 48:41 ...when God creates again new heavens and new earth. 48:46 Go with me to Isaiah 66 verses 22 and 23. 48:50 Isaiah 66:22-23. 48:55 Here, it makes it very clear that in the kingdom come 48:59 on the new earth, we will keep God's holy Sabbath 49:04 in commemoration of the creation of the new heavens 49:08 and the new earth. 49:09 It says here... 49:28 Now don't be confused by that "New Moon" thing. 49:30 The New Moon marked the beginning of the month. 49:33 It's the word that is translated, "month," 49:35 in the Old Testament. 49:37 So in Spanish, for example, it says, "De mes en mes." 49:41 Because the New Moon marked the beginning of the month. 49:43 And so really what it's saying is, "And it shall come to pass 49:47 that from month to month..." 49:50 "...and from one Sunday to another..." 49:53 Oh, thank you. You're still with me. 49:55 "...and from one..." What? 49:57 "...one Sabbath to another..." 49:59 "...all the Jews shall come..." 50:02 No. Do you have flesh? 50:06 You're not ghosts. 50:08 It says, "'All flesh shall come to worship before Me,' 50:13 says the Lord." 50:16 What day will be kept in honor of the creation of the 50:18 new heavens and the new earth? 50:20 God's holy Sabbath. 50:22 Now you say, "Why are we going to go from month to month? 50:25 We know from Sabbath to Sabbath, because that's 50:27 God's rest day to commemorate the new creation. 50:30 But why from month to month?" 50:34 Revelation 22 verses 1 and 2 has the answer. 50:36 Revelation 22 and verses 1 and 2. 50:40 It says here... 50:42 Here, John is speaking about what he saw in vision. 50:56 Actually, a better translation is, "the square;" 51:00 "In the middle of its street." 51:02 You know, people, when they say, "I'm going to walk 51:03 the streets of gold;" no you're not. 51:07 It doesn't say in the Bible, "streets of gold." 51:09 It says, "street." 51:12 Which in the light of what we've studied on the 70 weeks, 51:14 it's really the town square. 51:16 So anyway, it says... 51:24 Notice, one tree. 51:25 You say, "How's that? 51:27 On either side of the river, and it's one tree?" 51:30 Ellen white explains it beautifully. 51:32 She says that there's one trunk on one side 51:35 and one trunk on the other, and they meet in the middle 51:37 over the river. 51:39 So there's no contradiction. 51:41 And so it says, "...was the tree of life which bore 51:44 twelve fruits..." 51:45 Now listen carefully. 51:55 How frequently does the tree of life produce its fruit? 51:58 Every month. 51:59 Which means that we are going to go to partake of the 52:03 tree of life every, what? 52:04 Every month. 52:06 You read the messages to the churches, God says that 52:08 He's going to give us to eat from the tree of life. 52:11 So we're going to go to eat. 52:12 But it produces its fruit every month. 52:14 And so now we know why we're going to go monthly. 52:16 And we're also going to go, what? 52:19 We are also going to go weekly to commemorate 52:22 the creation of the new heavens and of the new earth. 52:26 But somebody says, "Pastor, are you sure that we're going to 52:29 go and worship before the Lord on Sabbath? 52:32 Isn't it true that there's not going to be any sun or moon? 52:35 So if there's no sun or moon, how can there be days? 52:40 How can there be months?" 52:41 Well the problem is, people don't read the Bible carefully. 52:45 Let's go to that text, Revelation 21 verse 23. 52:48 Revelation 21 and verse 23. 52:51 See, we've got to read carefully. 52:53 The Bible doesn't say that there's not going to be 52:55 any sun or moon. 52:56 Listen to what it says, "The city..." 53:01 Not the new earth. 53:03 "The city had no need of the sun or of the moon..." 53:09 Does it say that there's not going to be any sun or moon? 53:12 No, it says the city had no need of sun or moon. 53:17 "...to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. 53:20 And the Lamb is its light." 53:23 Let me give you an illustration so you can understand. 53:25 Supposing that at midday in July in Fresno, 53:29 I'm walking down the street and I have a flashlight in my hand. 53:33 The flashlight is on and I'm shining the flashlight 53:35 on the ground. 53:39 Is the light shining? 53:41 Of course it's shining. 53:42 Somebody comes up to me and says, "Are you crazy?" 53:47 "Well, what do you mean crazy? 53:49 This flashlight has light, right?" 53:50 He says, "Where? I don't see it." 53:52 Because you can't see it on the ground. 53:54 Why? 53:55 Because the glory of the sun is so bright that 53:57 it is as if the flashlight sheds no light. 54:01 In other words, the glory of God is going to be so bright 54:05 that the sun and the moon will be eclipsed. 54:07 Read Isaiah 24 verse 23 where it says that the 54:11 sun and the moon are going to be ashamed 54:13 before the glory of God. 54:16 Now allow me to mention one thing in closing. 54:19 In the Most Holy Place of the Sanctuary, 54:23 God put the ark of the covenant. 54:26 And the Sabbath commandment was highlighted 54:30 in the ark of the covenant. 54:32 You know, Ellen White had a vision where she saw 54:34 the law of God in heaven. 54:35 And she says that there was a halo of light that shown around 54:39 the Sabbath commandment. 54:41 And some Adventists say, "Well, where did she get that from? 54:44 Where is that in the Bible?" 54:45 I'll tell you where it is. 54:47 The Sabbath is highlighted. 54:49 What was inside the ark of the covenant? 54:53 The Ten Commandments. 54:54 Is the Sabbath in the Ten Commandments? 54:56 It most certainly is. 54:57 It's the fourth commandment. 54:58 But did God give something additional that He put inside 55:01 the ark of the covenant to highlight the Sabbath, 55:05 and to underline that it is a test, 55:07 and it is extremely important? 55:09 Yes. What did He place there? 55:11 The manna. 55:13 Highlights and underlines the Sabbath. 55:15 And God is saying, "If you don't get it from the 55:17 Ten Commandments, get it from the manna." 55:22 Let's read Deuteronomy 10 verses 1 and 2, 55:25 and verse 5 in closing. 55:27 It says, "At that time the Lord said to me..." 55:31 He's speaking to Moses. 55:49 "Then I turned and came down from the mountain 55:51 and put the tablets in the ark..." 55:58 Now listen to what I'm going to say. 56:01 We're going to talk in our next lecture about 56:03 what happened in 1844. 56:06 There was a great disappointment in 1844. 56:09 When Jesus entered the Most Holy Place, 56:11 people were oblivious to what Jesus really was going to do. 56:14 They didn't understand. 56:16 Just like what happened in the triumphal entry, 56:19 the people did not understand. 56:21 Later on, they studied Scripture and they understood 56:24 that the date was correct, but the event that was 56:27 going to take place on that date was incorrect. 56:32 After the great disappointment, the founders of the 56:35 Seventh-day Adventist Church went back to the Bible 56:40 and they started studying Scripture. 56:42 And they discovered that Jesus had entered the 56:44 Most Holy Place of the Sanctuary. 56:45 And you know, one after another they started discovering 56:49 the distinctive truths of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. 56:52 They discovered that the law is in the heavenly Sanctuary. 56:55 Which means that the law is still binding. 56:58 And they said, "But if in heaven there's the Ten Commandments, 57:00 there's also the fourth commandment among the ten. 57:04 So the Sabbath is binding." 57:07 They looked at Aaron's rod which budded by a miracle of God. 57:10 Life from that which was dead. 57:12 They said, "Life is only in Christ, not in 57:14 some immortal soul." 57:17 They discovered the idea of the judgment. 57:19 The distinctive truths of the Seventh-day Adventist Church 57:21 were discovered when they entered the Most Holy Place 57:25 of the heavenly Sanctuary. |
Revised 2014-12-17