Participants: Stephen Bohr
Series Code: HWIS
Program Code: HWIS000019
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00:32 Shall we bow our heads for prayer.
00:35 Our loving heavenly Father, once again we approach Your throne 00:39 this evening knowing that sinful human lips 00:46 really have no right to speak with You, 00:50 except for the fact that Jesus is our representative 00:55 and our intercessor before You. 00:58 Father, as we open Your Word today, we ask for the presence 01:02 of Your Spirit as we've done before. 01:05 We're going to study some very solemn things about 01:08 how You work in prophecy and in history. 01:15 And we crave and desire Your help. 01:20 And so we ask for the presence of Your Spirit 01:22 through the ministration of the angels. 01:25 And we thank You for hearing our prayer, 01:26 for we ask it in Jesus' name, amen. 01:33 As Jesus moved through the Sanctuary, we find that 01:40 every event of His ministry was clearly marked 01:46 in God's calendar. 01:49 When Jesus was going to begin His earthly ministry, 01:56 He was baptized at the precise time when the 02:01 70 weeks prophecy indicated He was going to be baptized. 02:05 When Jesus went to the cross, He died at the exact time 02:12 of the Passover. 02:13 And the prophecy of the 70 weeks gave the year, 02:16 the middle of the last week. 02:19 When Jesus began His intercessory ministry 02:21 in the heavenly Sanctuary on the day of Pentecost, 02:24 it was 50 days after First Fruits, 02:27 after His resurrection. 02:28 He fulfilled this prophecy precisely according to the 02:33 calendar that God had established. 02:36 We're going to notice this evening that when Jesus 02:38 began His judgment ministry in the Most Holy Place 02:43 of the heavenly Sanctuary, He also began that ministry 02:49 exactly at the time when Bible prophecy had predicted it. 02:55 Now it's interesting that each time that Jesus is going to 02:59 begin a new ministry in the Sanctuary, 03:02 His people don't really understand 03:04 what He's going to do. 03:06 We find this, for example, with John the Baptist. 03:10 Did John the Baptist really understand what Jesus 03:13 was going to do? 03:15 No. 03:16 He expected Jesus to be a ruling king. 03:21 And it came to the place where John the Baptist, 03:24 when he ended up in prison, sends a message to Jesus, 03:27 "Are you the Messiah or are we to expect another?" 03:31 He didn't understand. 03:33 We're going to notice tonight that when Jesus entered 03:36 triumphantly into Jerusalem and everybody was saying, 03:39 "Hosanna to God in the highest," and they were proclaiming 03:42 Him king, they didn't have the foggiest idea that He was 03:46 going to die on the cross less than a week later. 03:49 On the day of Pentecost, the disciples weren't really clear. 03:52 They said, "Are You going to restore the kingdom 03:54 to Israel at this time?" 03:57 And we're going to find that leading up to 1844, 04:00 the people did not understand either. 04:04 Now you say, "Why didn't Jesus just wait 04:08 until His people understood?" 04:11 The reason is very simple. 04:14 The dates in Messiah's calendar are set in stone. 04:19 They were established before Jesus came to this earth. 04:23 He had to be baptized, He had to die, 04:26 He had to begin His heavenly ministry, 04:28 and He had to begin the judgment exactly at the time 04:32 that was established in His calendar. 04:34 And so He decided to go forward even if His people 04:38 did not understand. 04:39 And He said, "I know that they're not understanding 04:43 what I'm going to do, but they will catch up later." 04:48 And so God's people are always playing catch up 04:53 when it comes to the ministry of Jesus Christ. 04:57 Now tonight we're going to compare two great events. 05:00 We're going to compare the triumphal entry of Jesus 05:03 into Jerusalem on what has come to be known as Palm Sunday, 05:08 and the great events that surround the year 1844. 05:14 So let's begin, first of all, by discussing the triumphal entry. 05:21 Now did the Bible have specific prophecies about the kind of 05:25 Messiah that Jesus was going to be? 05:28 Absolutely. 05:29 Let me just mention some of them. 05:30 We're not going to read them because we've studied them 05:32 in a previous lecture. 05:34 You remember the sacrifice of Isaac? 05:37 A ram instead of his son. 05:40 Remember the Passover? 05:43 The Passover lamb was sacrificed on the 14th of Nisan 05:47 exactly at 3 o'clock in the afternoon. 05:50 Did Jesus fulfill that precisely? 05:52 He most certainly did. 05:55 Daniel 9:26 pointed to the exact year when Jesus would die. 05:59 In the middle of the week. 06:01 The morning and evening sacrifice, Exodus 29:38-39, 06:06 pointed to Jesus. 06:08 The suffering servant of Isaiah 53 verses 4 through 7 06:13 pointed to Jesus Christ. 06:14 He was going to bear our iniquities, 06:16 according to that prophecy. 06:18 Numbers 15 verses 2 and 3 speaks about a sacrifice 06:22 as a sweet aroma. 06:24 And the apostle Paul quotes that and applies that 06:26 to Jesus Christ. 06:28 There were abundant prophecies that pointed to the fact that 06:31 Jesus Christ was going to be a humble self-sacrificing 06:37 and dying Messiah. 06:39 There was no excuse for misunderstanding, 06:42 because Scripture made it clear what kind of Messiah 06:46 was going to come to this earth the first time. 06:51 Furthermore, did Jesus warn the disciples that He was 06:55 going to go to Jerusalem and He was going to die 06:58 and resurrect the third day on repeated occasions 07:00 during His ministry? 07:01 He most certainly did. 07:02 Let's notice one of those. 07:04 Matthew 16 and verse 21. 07:06 Matthew 16 verse 21. 07:08 This is happening six months before the death of Christ. 07:13 And it says there, "From that time..." 07:30 Did He make it clear? Yes. 07:32 Were the prophecies clear that He was going to come and 07:35 be humble and He was going to die? 07:38 Absolutely clear. 07:40 And yet the Jews and His own disciples 07:44 misinterpreted Bible prophecy. 07:47 Because they thought that the Messiah was going to be a 07:51 ruling king that would destroy the Romans and set up 07:54 His kingdom on earth and put the Jews at the apex 07:58 of the world. 08:02 So we find that they misunderstood 08:06 Bible prophecy. 08:08 Now let's talk a little bit about the triumphal entry 08:11 of Jesus into Jerusalem. 08:14 It's described in Matthew chapter 21 08:16 and verses 1 through 7. 08:19 The triumphal entry had a very specific purpose. 08:25 In less than a week, Jesus was going to die. 08:29 And it was important for all eyes to be riveted 08:32 upon Jesus Christ and what He was going to do in Jerusalem. 08:37 They did not understand what He was going to do. 08:40 But it was important for all eyes to be focused on Him. 08:45 And that's the reason why we have the triumphal entry 08:50 of Jesus into Jerusalem; to give publicity 08:53 to what Jesus was going to do less than a week later 08:57 by going to the cross. 09:00 Now who was it that orchestrated the triumphal entry? 09:04 Who planned it? 09:07 Jesus did. 09:08 Let's read Matthew chapter 21 and verses 1 through 7. 09:21 Who sent? 09:23 Jesus sent. 09:24 Who said go? 09:26 Jesus said go. 09:37 Who's orchestrating this event? 09:40 Jesus is planning it. 09:42 It continues saying... 09:46 He even told them what to say. 10:02 This is Zechariah 9 verse 9. 10:20 Jesus staged this event. 10:23 Jesus planned this event. 10:27 Jesus told the disciples to go. 10:30 Jesus sat on the animal. 10:32 Jesus allowed the multitudes to proclaim Him king 10:37 knowing full well that they misunderstood 10:41 what kind of king He was going to be, 10:44 and they would be profoundly disappointed 10:48 less than a week later. 10:51 How could Jesus be party to such a deception? 10:55 Imagine setting up the stage for the triumphal entry, 11:00 having them proclaim Him king, knowing full well 11:04 that they did not understand what kind of king He was 11:07 and they would be bitterly disappointed 11:10 less than a week later. 11:12 How could Jesus be party to this? 11:15 The fact is that Jesus was not to blame. 11:18 Because Bible prophecy pointed to the fact that 11:21 Jesus was going to enter upon a donkey. 11:24 It pointed to the fact that He was going to die. 11:27 And Jesus, as we have seen, warned them 11:29 that He was going to die. 11:32 So you say, "Why did Jesus stage the triumphal entry?" 11:37 Once again, it was because what He was going to do 11:39 on the cross needed to be greatly publicized. 11:44 All eyes needed to be focused on Jesus. 11:48 Because He was going to do something supremely important. 11:52 And Jesus chose a special time to die. 11:55 It was during the Passover when all males, 11:59 12 years and older, had to come from all over the empire 12:04 to Jerusalem. 12:06 So there were people, there were Jews from 12:09 all nations on the earth. 12:11 We know this because on the day of Pentecost 12:13 there were all sorts of nationalities there. 12:15 They were all Jews, but they lived in the diaspora, 12:18 or in the dispersion. 12:20 And so Jesus said, "My death will be perfect 12:25 during the Passover, because there are Jews 12:28 from all over the world. 12:29 And eventually they will go back. 12:32 And they'll tell what they saw." 12:35 In the book, Desire of Ages, page 570, 12:40 Ellen White remarks... 12:59 On page 571, she says... 13:10 What does she say? He clearly, what? 13:13 "He clearly foresaw the result." 13:42 So even though He knew that people misunderstood 13:44 what kind of king He was going to be, 13:46 the timing was right but the event was wrong in their minds, 13:49 He says, "I'm going to go ahead. 13:51 It's important that everybody see what I'm going to do. 13:54 And after the events, My people will catch up." 13:59 Now folks, the triumphal entry was a very sweet experience 14:03 for those who participated in it. 14:06 Notice Matthew 21 and verses 8 through 11 14:09 where the triumphal entry is described. 14:12 It says there... 14:26 Notice that He had a lot of people following Him 14:28 in the good times. 14:45 They're quoting Psalm 118 and verse 26. 14:53 Notice that everybody had their eyes riveted upon Jesus. 15:06 Luke 19 adds some details that you don't find in Matthew. 15:09 Luke 19 verses 37 through 39. 15:12 I'm going to read that passage as well. 15:15 It says there... 15:46 Was this a joyful occasion? 15:49 Was everybody happy? 15:51 Was everybody having great expectancy that Jesus 15:55 was going to take the throne in Jerusalem 15:57 and He was going to be king? 15:59 Oh, it was a sweet experience for those who participated. 16:04 And yet Jesus knew that they did not understand 16:06 the event that was going to take place. 16:08 The timing was right, because He was going to be sacrificed 16:11 at Passover time. 16:13 But they misunderstood the event that was going to take place. 16:17 He knew that they were going to be deeply disappointed. 16:21 In Desire of Ages, page 571, we find this very interesting 16:27 comment from Ellen White as to why Jesus decided to go 16:31 forward with the triumphal entry in spite of the fact 16:33 that He knew that people misunderstood prophecy 16:36 and they were going to be disappointed. 16:38 She says this... 17:17 Are you understanding why Jesus decided to go ahead 17:20 with the triumphal entry even though He knew 17:22 they misunderstood prophecy? 17:24 It was because everybody needed to be focused 17:27 on Him and then take back what they had seen 17:31 and study the prophecies so that they could understand 17:34 what Jesus had done. 17:38 Were the disciples right about the time when this was 17:43 going to take place? 17:44 They were right about the time. 17:47 The Messiah was going to come exactly at the 17:52 middle of the last week as the fulfillment of the Passover. 17:58 But what were they wrong about? 18:01 They were wrong about the event that was going to take place 18:05 at that specific time. 18:07 The time was right. 18:10 But in their minds, the event was wrong. 18:16 I want to read John chapter 12 and verse 16. 18:20 This is a very interesting verse. 18:22 It's talking about the triumphal entry. 18:26 And I want you to notice here that we're told that the 18:30 disciples did not really understand what they 18:32 were doing at the triumphal entry. 18:35 They were participating. 18:37 They were acclaiming Jesus king. 18:40 But I want you to notice they didn't really understand. 18:42 And notice when they finally did understand. 18:45 Notice John 12 verse 16. 18:54 It's talking about the triumphal entry. 19:00 What does that mean, "When Jesus was glorified?" 19:03 When He resurrected. 19:11 This is what Ellen White has to say. 19:21 Did they understand the prophecies after the fact? 19:25 They understood the prophecies after the fact. 19:28 But they did not understand before what was going on 19:30 in the triumphal entry. 19:33 Question, was Jesus a King? 19:38 He was just on the kind of king that they expected? 19:41 I don't know whether you have noticed, 19:44 but in the gospels there's a lot of royal terminology 19:48 that is applied to Jesus in the last week of His life. 19:52 Let me just mention those. 19:54 You have the texts in your list and you can look them up 19:56 at your leisure. 19:58 Did Jesus, just a few days before His death, predict that 20:01 He was dethrone the ruler of this world? 20:05 In John 12 and verse 30 through 33, He says, 20:09 "Now is the judgment of this world; 20:10 now will the ruler of this world be cast out." 20:14 He said, "The ruler that's ruling now, he's a goner. 20:18 I'm going to take over the throne." 20:22 Did Jesus have a triumphal entry as a king? 20:25 Did He have a procession? 20:29 Absolutely, He did. 20:30 The triumphal entry. 20:31 Was Jesus anointed with oil? 20:36 Remember what Mary did? 20:39 Was a crown placed on the head of Jesus? 20:42 Yeah, it was a crown of thorns, but it was still a crown. 20:46 Did they put a purple robe on Him? 20:50 Who wore purple robes? 20:54 Kings. 20:56 Did the people render Him mock homage 20:59 by bowing to Him? 21:01 Absolutely. 21:03 Did they put something in His right hand? 21:05 A king's scepter in the right hand? 21:09 Was a reed placed in the right hand of Jesus? 21:12 And when they did, they bowed before Him and said, 21:14 "This is the king." 21:16 Did Pilate introduce Jesus as the king? 21:19 He said, "Behold, your king." 21:22 Was there a mock procession to the place 21:24 where Jesus was crowned? 21:30 Yes, there was a procession. The Via Dolorosa. 21:34 Was a royal inscription placed on top of the cross? 21:40 "Jesus of Nazareth. The King of the Jews." 21:42 Was Jesus a King? 21:44 You better believe He was a King. 21:47 Not a King of the kingdom of glory, 21:49 but a King of the kingdom of grace. 21:53 In other words, He was going to be suffering Messiah first 21:56 and then glorious reigning Messiah at His second coming. 22:00 But He was still a King. 22:01 But they misunderstood what kind of king He was going to be. 22:07 And the interesting thing is that Jesus was fulfilling 22:10 by His death He was fulfilling the prophecy 22:15 of the 70 weeks that the Messiah would die 22:19 in the middle of the week. 22:21 So you can imagine the excitement of the people 22:24 when they see Jesus coming in on this donkey 22:28 and He's allowing them to say, "Hosanna in the highest 22:32 to the King." 22:34 They're saying, "Our hopes are finally going to be fulfilled. 22:39 Messiah is going to take over the throne and He's going to 22:41 reign in Jerusalem." 22:44 Less than a week later, most of those who were 22:50 praising Him when He came into Jerusalem 22:52 at the triumphal entry were crying out, "Crucify Him." 22:59 Most of those who had joined the movement 23:01 by excitement forsook the movement. 23:05 And only a small remnant was left. 23:10 And that small remnant had to hide in the upper room. 23:17 You see, in the good times everybody was on 23:22 the side of Jesus. 23:25 But when prophecy was not fulfilled according to their 23:28 expectations, the multitudes forsook Jesus, 23:35 and His followers were decimated. 23:38 In other words, the sweet experience of 23:43 the triumphal entry quickly turned bitter. 23:49 In fact, let's read that in Luke 23 and verse 27. 23:53 Luke 23 and verse 27. 23:57 We find a change in mood less than a week later. 24:02 Before, they were rejoicing. 24:04 And they were happy. 24:06 But now notice, less than a week later, it says... 24:23 Was the sweet experience now a bitter experience? 24:26 Absolutely. 24:29 Was it Christ's fault? 24:31 No. 24:33 We can sense the disappointment in the voice of Mary Magdalene 24:38 when the two angels appeared to her in the garden 24:42 on resurrection morning. 24:46 And they asked her, "Why are you weeping?" 24:50 See, a week earlier she was with the multitude 24:53 who proclaimed Jesus king. 24:55 The angel said, "Why are you weeping?" 24:58 Notice... 25:08 She was oblivious to the idea of the resurrection. 25:12 She thought that somebody had taken the body. 25:15 And she's weeping. 25:17 We can sense the disappointment in the two disciples that 25:20 were on the road to Emmaus. 25:23 In Luke chapter 24 and verse 21, one of them says to Jesus... 25:34 "We thought He was the Redeemer." 25:36 Was Jesus the Redeemer? 25:38 Just not the kind of Redeemer they were expecting. 25:42 They were expecting a literal king who would redeem them 25:45 from their literal enemies. 25:50 Now let me ask you this. 25:53 How did the church of that day and age react 25:58 to the triumphal entry? 26:03 The religious leaders, they just said, "Oh, wonderful. 26:06 This is the Messiah." 26:10 To the contrary. 26:12 The religious leaders were furious. 26:15 The churches of that day and age were furious. 26:20 Let's read from Matthew chapter 21 verses 15 and 16. 26:25 Matthew 12:15-16. 26:27 Who should have been proclaiming Jesus as King 26:29 as He came into Jerusalem? 26:31 Oh the scribes and the Pharisees, 26:33 the religious leaders, should have embraced Him. 26:35 But notice who was the one, or who were the ones, 26:39 that actually proclaimed Jesus King. 26:42 It says in Matthew 21:15-16... 27:01 Who are proclaiming Him? 27:03 Ignorant disciples and children. 27:07 How did the religious leaders react? 27:08 They were what? Indignant. 27:27 What instruments were chosen to proclaim Jesus as King? 27:32 Not the great religious leaders of the churches of the day. 27:36 Children. 27:38 Infants. 27:40 And ignorant disciples. 27:43 Less than a week later, the Jewish Sanhedrin 27:47 sentenced Jesus to death. 27:51 On the cross, we're told in Matthew 27:41, 27:55 that the scribes, the chief priests, and the elders 27:58 mocked Him and reviled Him. 28:02 You see, the religious establishment 28:04 was hardened in rebellion. 28:05 The church of that day and age was rebellious 28:08 and fell into apostasy. 28:10 They even tried to hide the story of the 28:13 resurrection of Jesus. 28:14 They said, "Oh no, that's a story that the disciples 28:16 have invented to save face." 28:21 The disciples had to hide from the wrath of the Jews 28:25 in the upper room. 28:27 In other words, the church of that day and the 28:30 religious leaders fell into apostasy. 28:35 Because they did not follow Jesus to the court, 28:40 they did not follow Jesus to the camp, 28:44 they were unable to understand what Jesus was going to do 28:47 in the Holy Place of the Sanctuary. 28:51 Now after the disappointment, how did Jesus explain 28:58 why they had been disappointed? 29:02 He explained it by leading them to the Scriptures. 29:08 In other words, He led them to study the prophecies. 29:11 He explained the prophecies that they had not understood. 29:15 Notice Luke 24 verses 25 through 27. 29:19 He's speaking to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. 29:22 Luke 24:25-27. 29:44 What method did Jesus use to explain the disappointment? 29:48 He took them to Bible prophecy and explained the prophecies 29:51 they had misunderstood. 29:52 And they said, "Wow." 29:54 You say, "How do we know they said, 'Wow'?" 29:58 Notice the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. 30:00 Luke 24 and verse 32. 30:03 After Jesus opened the Scriptures and explained 30:06 Moses and the prophets and the Scriptures, 30:09 we find there in Luke 24 verse 32 one of the disciples 30:12 on the road to Emmaus says to the other... 30:27 Did they restudy Bible prophecy 30:30 with divine enlightenment? 30:32 They most certainly did. 30:35 Notice Luke 24 verses 33 to 35. 30:38 The two disciples on the road to Emmaus then returned 30:41 to Jerusalem. 30:42 And they're going to talk to the disciples 30:46 who are gathered in the upper room. 30:48 It says there in Luke 24 verse 33... 31:09 Because they saw His hands with the scars of the nails. 31:18 A little bit later on, Jesus arrives to the upper room 31:20 where the two disciples arrived and told the disciples that 31:24 Jesus had resurrected. 31:26 And now Jesus speaks to the disciples. 31:29 How did Jesus explain the disappointment to His disciples? 31:33 Luke 24 and verses 44 to 49. 31:38 Luke 24:44-49. 32:00 What method did Jesus use to explain the disappointment 32:03 to the disciples? 32:05 The Scriptures. 32:06 The prophecies that they had misunderstood. 32:10 And it continues saying... 32:45 So after the disappointment, they restudied Bible prophecy. 32:49 And they discovered where their mistake had been. 32:51 They said, "Man, our heart was burning within us 32:53 as He opened the Scriptures. 32:55 Now we understand that He was going to be a King 32:57 of the kingdom of grace. 33:00 He was going to die to get back the position that Adam lost 33:04 when He allowed himself to be conquered by the devil. 33:08 Now we understand what kind of King Jesus was going to be." 33:15 And as a result, the Christian church was established. 33:24 How many of those who had acclaimed Jesus 33:27 as the Messiah and as the King, how many of those were left? 33:35 The whole multitude was left? 33:38 No. 33:39 A very small remnant. 33:44 They became the nucleus of the church that Jesus Christ 33:49 now was going to use to take the message to the world; 33:53 the Christian church. 33:57 What happened to the church that had been God's church 33:59 up to that point? 34:02 It became what? 34:04 It became apostate. 34:07 And as we studied in the prophecy of the 70 weeks, 34:10 eventually it was, what? 34:13 That church was rejected. 34:16 And God chose the Christian church to fulfill His 34:19 mission to the world. 34:22 So question, did the Christian church begin with 34:26 a great disappointment? 34:30 Yes or no? 34:32 So how can the Christian church be the true church 34:35 if it began with a disappointment? 34:39 They misunderstood prophecy. 34:41 Right? 34:44 They didn't understand what they were preaching. 34:48 Their joy was turned to sorrow. 34:51 And after the disappointment they studied prophecy and said, 34:53 "Oh, now we know where we were wrong. 34:57 We were wrong about the kind of Messiah, but we were 34:59 right about the timing." 35:03 Now I'd like us to go for a few minutes to what happened 35:07 leading up to the year 1844. 35:09 Because there is a striking parallel between what happened 35:14 in relationship to the triumphal entry and what happened in 1844. 35:21 Were there biblical prophecies that pointed to the 35:23 beginning of the judgment in 1844? 35:28 Yes or no? 35:30 Remember Daniel 7? 35:34 Lion, bear, leopard, dragon, ten horns, 35:39 little horn for 1260 days. 35:41 And then the Father, the Ancient of Days, goes in. 35:47 He sits and the judgment begins. 35:48 And then Jesus comes on the clouds of heaven 35:51 to the Ancient of Days. 35:55 Does that give us the approximate timing 35:56 when the judgment was going to begin? 35:59 It was going to begin after 1798. 36:02 You know where the Millerites committed their mistake? 36:06 They read this passage from Daniel chapter 7, 36:10 but they didn't notice carefully that the Bible says 36:14 that Jesus, when He came on the clouds of heaven, 36:17 He didn't come to the earth. 36:20 He went on the clouds of heaven to the Ancient of Days in heaven 36:24 to begin the judgment. 36:26 They didn't understand that. 36:28 And so the Millerites, those who preached the message about 1844, 36:34 they taught that Jesus was going to come in 1844 36:39 and He was going to establish His kingdom here. 36:42 He was going to destroy the world with fire, 36:45 cleanse the world with fire. 36:46 Which they believed the world was the Sanctuary. 36:48 Even though the Bible doesn't say that the earth 36:50 is the Sanctuary. 36:51 God was going to cleanse the earth with fire, 36:55 and then Jesus was going to establish His 36:56 everlasting kingdom here. 36:59 You see, they misinterpreted the prophecy of Daniel chapter 7. 37:05 Let me ask you, was there also a prophecy in 37:07 Daniel chapter 8 and verse 14 that gave the exact time 37:10 when the judgment was going to begin? 37:12 Remember we studied the prophecy, "Unto 2300 days 37:16 and the Sanctuary shall be cleansed." 37:20 Incidentally, the Bible also gives the month and the day 37:23 when that judgment was going to begin. 37:27 Because the cleansing of the Sanctuary took place 37:29 on the Day of Atonement. 37:31 And the Bible gives us the month and the day 37:33 for the Day of Atonement. 37:35 It's found in Leviticus 23 verses 26 and 27. 37:49 So taking the prophecy of the 2300 days, 37:52 they arrived at the year 1844. 37:55 And taking the sequence in the Hebrew feasts, 38:00 they discovered the day and they discovered the month. 38:04 Which in 1844, the day and the month was October 22, 1844. 38:13 We also took a look at Revelation 14:6-7. 38:16 "The hour of His judgment has come." 38:20 And that's after you have, once again, in Revelation 13 38:23 you have the lion, the bear, the leopard, the ten horns 38:27 and then you have the beast that rules 42 months. 38:31 And then after that, the hour of His judgment has come. 38:34 So you had abundant prophecies that pointed to the fact 38:37 that the judgment was going to begin in heaven, 38:41 and it was going to begin after 1798, 38:44 specifically in 1844. 38:47 And it was going to begin, obviously, before 38:51 the close of probation. 38:53 There were prophecies that indicated that. 38:56 And so leading up to the year 1844, a great religious 39:00 movement arose in the United States of America primarily. 39:05 Although there were individuals who preached 39:07 in other countries as well. 39:10 This was an interdenominational and intercontinental movement 39:14 which has come to be known as the 39:15 Great Second Advent Awakening. 39:18 Those who preached the message taught that Jesus was 39:21 going to come, first of all, in 1843. 39:24 They noticed that they had committed 39:26 a chronological mistake. 39:27 And then they adjusted it to October 22, 1844. 39:33 Thousands of people embraced this message. 39:38 It's believed that over 50,000 just in New England 39:42 were actually proclaiming this message. 39:44 The most famous of those, of course, is William Miller. 39:49 And they studied the prophecies. 39:52 "Unto 2300 days, the Sanctuary shall be cleansed." 39:54 William Miller said, "The Sanctuary that's 39:56 going to be cleanse is the earth with fire. 39:58 Jesus is going to come and He's going to cleanse the earth 40:01 and He's going to establish His kingdom forever and ever." 40:05 Was he wrong about the event? 40:08 Yes. 40:09 Was he right about the time? 40:11 He was right about the time. 40:13 He was just wrong about the event. 40:15 And all of those who were preaching were wrong 40:18 about the event. 40:20 Do you think God knew that they were wrong about the event? 40:24 So why did He have them preach it? 40:30 Because it was necessary to attract everyone's attention 40:35 to something that was going to happen on that date. 40:39 And Jesus knew that there was going to be a disappointment. 40:43 But He says, "I'm going to go forward with My calendar. 40:47 Because it's in My messianic calendar that I have to 40:50 begin the judgment on that date. 40:53 I know that those who are preaching the message 40:55 misunderstand the event that's going to take place, 40:57 but I'm going to go forward anyway. 40:59 And after the fact, they will understand." 41:04 How could God be party in such a deception? 41:08 It wasn't a deception. 41:10 The prophecies were clear. 41:13 The problem was with their misconception. 41:17 Now allow me to read you some statements. 41:19 These were written by Ellen White. 41:21 By the way, Ellen White participated in that movement. 41:23 So what I'm going to read now is the account of an eye witness. 41:29 She experienced this what she's describing. 41:34 In the book, Christian Experience and Teachings 41:36 of Mrs. Ellen G. White, page 50, she says this. 42:07 Was it a joyful experience thinking that Jesus 42:09 was going to come October 22, 1844? 42:13 Absolutely. 42:14 Did God know that they were going to be 42:15 bitterly disappointed because of a misconception 42:18 of Bible prophecy? 42:19 He most certainly did. 42:21 In the book, Early Writings, page 229, Ellen White says this. 42:39 She says in Great Controversy page 400 and page 401... 42:48 Today, we call it a tsunami. 43:04 Yet October 22, 1844 came and went. 43:12 And Jesus didn't come. 43:15 Now who did God choose to proclaim this message 43:18 leading up to 1844? 43:20 The great preachers of the day and age? 43:24 Nope. 43:26 Farmers, a farmer... 43:29 ...who was also a soldier in the Revolutionary War. 43:34 William Miller. 43:39 I want you to notice what William Miller had to say. 43:43 Because he, you know, he studied prophecy. 43:45 He knew that what he was teaching was the truth. 43:48 But he wondered, "What if I'm wrong?" 43:53 Notice what he says in his book, Apology and Defense, page 13. 44:26 October 23, 1844 came. 44:30 And Jesus didn't come. 44:33 And the joyful experience was turned into bitterness. 44:40 In fact, Revelation prophesied this event. 44:43 In Revelation chapter 10 we find the experience of a little book. 44:46 That little book is the part of Daniel that deals with 44:49 the 2300 day prophecy. 44:51 We don't have time to get into that right now. 44:53 If you're interested, I can send you my notes on that 44:57 proving that this book, this little book, 45:00 is the portion of Daniel that has to do with the 2300 days. 45:03 It's the message of the judgment. 45:07 And interestingly enough, John is told, "Eat the book." 45:12 And John eats the book. 45:15 What does that mean, he eats the book? 45:18 He's assimilating what? 45:20 The message. 45:21 Read Ezekiel chapter 3 verses 1 to 3. 45:23 There it's clear. 45:24 He's assimilating the message. 45:26 And what is this message like in his mouth? 45:30 Oh, in his mouth it is sweet as honey. 45:35 The message of the judgment was sweet as honey. 45:37 But when it got to his belly, what happened? 45:40 Oh, it became bitter. 45:45 Is that what happened at the triumphal entry? 45:48 A sweet experience turned bitter after the aftermath? 45:51 Absolutely. 45:53 Allow me to read you a statement by Hiram Edson. 45:56 He was one of those who preached this message. 46:00 And this will bring tears to your eyes. 46:02 This is the day after the disappointment. 48:13 These were people who loved the Lord. 48:17 They left their potatoes in the field without harvesting them. 48:21 Because they believed Jesus was coming. 48:24 They invested all of their resources to publish magazines 48:28 and books announcing the coming of Jesus October 22, 1844. 48:33 They took of their own money to pay debts of fellow believers 48:37 so that when Jesus would come they would not be indebted. 48:40 They prayed all night. 48:43 They studied Scripture all night. 48:45 They confessed their faults one to another 48:47 and made things right. 48:50 These were spiritual people. 48:53 But their hopes were dashed, 48:55 because they misunderstood prophecy. 48:57 Allow me to read you another statement. 48:59 This is by Washington Morse. 49:02 Another one of those who participated in this movement. 49:05 He says... 49:48 Elder Himes was one of the pioneers. 50:10 Are you catching the picture? 50:12 Did the disciples feel the same way? 50:15 They sure did. 50:17 William Miller, himself, said this after the disappointment. 50:49 Is that what happened to the disciples? 50:53 Absolutely. 50:55 How did the religious world of that day and age 50:59 receive the message of the Millerites? 51:03 The answer is that all of the mainline churches of that day 51:07 rejected the message of the Millerites and expelled them 51:10 from their churches. 51:12 In fact, in 1842 Ellen White and all of her family 51:17 were disfellowshiped from the Methodist church 51:20 simply for attending a tent meeting that was 51:23 held by William Miller. 51:26 Multitudes of believers were cast out of the churches 51:29 and rejected by the ministers. 51:31 The ministers wanted nothing to do with this message. 51:35 Is there anything new under the sun? 51:38 The same thing happened back at the triumphal entry 51:40 with the religious leaders. 51:43 Ellen White, in Early Writings, page 234, 51:46 describes the opposition of the religious leaders. 51:49 She says... 52:01 Did that happen with Jesus? 52:03 Absolutely. 52:30 In another quotation that we find in, Christian Experience 52:32 and Teachings of Ellen White, page 52, she says, 52:35 "The orthodox churches..." 52:36 Which means, the mainline churches of that day and age. 52:39 "The orthodox churches used every means to prevent 52:42 the belief in Christ's soon coming from spreading. 52:46 No liberty was granted in their meetings to those who dare 52:49 mention a hope of the soon coming of Christ. 52:52 Professed lovers of Jesus scornfully rejected the tidings 52:57 that He whom they claimed as their best Friend 53:00 was soon to visit them. 53:03 They were excited and angered against those who proclaimed 53:06 the news of His coming, and who rejoiced that they should 53:10 speedily behold Him in His glory." 53:14 In 1844, the religious world fell because they did not 53:19 follow Jesus into the Most Holy Place. 53:22 Just like the Jewish nation fell because they failed 53:25 to follow Jesus into the Holy Place. 53:28 In other words, as Judaism became apostate 53:31 the religious world became apostate because they 53:35 refused to enter with Jesus into the Most Holy Place. 53:40 In fact, in volume 4 of, The Spirit of Prophecy, page 232, 53:45 Ellen White says... 53:46 And remember she belonged to this movement. 53:47 "When the churches spurned the counsel of God by rejecting 53:51 the Advent message, the Lord rejected them. 53:56 The first angel was followed by a second, proclaiming, 54:00 'Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, 54:03 because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath 54:08 of her fornication.'" 54:10 The question is, how was the disappointment explained? 54:14 The great disappointment of 1844, how did those who 54:17 remained, the faithful remnant, how did they 54:20 understand what truly had happened? 54:23 The explanation of their disappointment? 54:27 Let me read you a statement. 54:28 This is Hiram Edson who was one of those who belonged 54:33 to this movement. 54:35 The day after the disappointment October 23, 1844, 54:38 he was going across a field and he was going to 54:41 try and comfort some of the people who were disappointed. 54:44 And notice what he says. 55:27 And after he had this momentary intuition 55:31 where he saw Jesus, not returning to the earth, 55:33 but going into the Most Holy Place of the heavenly Sanctuary, 55:36 he shared this with the other believers. 55:38 And do you know what they did? 55:39 They gathered in study groups. 55:42 They said, "We need to study this out." 55:44 And they went to Scripture and they studied many of the 55:47 prophecies they had looked at before. 55:49 And they said, "How didn't we catch it that the Son of Man 55:52 was going on the clouds to the Ancient of Days? 55:55 How didn't we understand in Luke chapter 12 55:58 that the wedding is not when Jesus comes here, 56:01 but the wedding takes place in heaven. 56:02 He returns from the wedding to pick up His people. 56:06 How didn't we understand that the Sanctuary is not the earth? 56:09 Any place in the Bible, no place in the Bible 56:12 says that the Sanctuary is the earth. 56:13 How didn't we understand the book of Hebrews 56:16 where it says that Jesus now serves 56:19 in the Sanctuary in heaven?" 56:21 They said, "How did we miss this?" 56:25 And this small remnant formed the nucleus 56:30 of what today is the Seventh-day Adventist Church. 56:33 And you know what's interesting? 56:35 Shortly after 1844, when they entered the Most Holy Place 56:38 with Christ, they suddenly started discovering 56:42 all of the distinctive truths of the Adventist Church. 56:44 They discovered that the law of God was not nailed to the cross, 56:47 because it's in the Most Holy Place. 56:50 They discovered that the Sabbath is still binding, 56:52 because it's in God's law. 56:55 They discovered that the judgment means that 56:58 Jesus is cleansing the heavenly Sanctuary. 57:02 They also discovered that the dead are dead. 57:06 You say, "How did they discover that?" 57:07 It's very simple. 57:09 If Jesus began to judge people on a certain date, 57:13 October 22, 1844, then they didn't go to heaven or to hell 57:17 when they died. 57:19 So they said, "The dead must be in the grave 57:21 waiting the resurrection of Jesus." 57:23 And thus the Seventh-day Adventist Church 57:25 was established in harmony with Bible prophecy. |
Revised 2014-12-17