Let's bow our heads for prayer.
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Father in heaven, once
again we come before Your throne
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pleading for divine help.
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For we cannot trace
the meaning of Your Word
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without the aid of the
Spirit who inspired that Word
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in the first place.
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Father, signs of the
times are everywhere.
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People know that
momentous things are happening
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in this world.
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Things such as we
have never seen before.
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Things that show that
the close of probation
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and the coming of
Jesus is even at the door.
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We're thankful for
that because we look forward
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with longing for
the coming of Jesus.
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We ask, Father, that
You will bless us in our
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study this morning.
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And we thank You
for hearing our prayer,
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for we plead in the
precious name of Your
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beloved Son, Jesus Christ.
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Amen.
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I would like us to
go back in our minds
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to the time of the flood.
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The universal flood
in the days of Noah.
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In Genesis chapter 6 and
verse 5 and verses 11 and 12,
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we find a description of
the wickedness of the world
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before the flood.
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We find there in Genesis 6
and verse 5 the following words.
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Notice the expressions,
"the wickedness was great,"
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"every intent of the
thoughts of his heart
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was only evil continually."
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And then verses 11
and 12 tell us what the
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result was in society.
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Verse 11 states, "The earth
was also corrupt before God..."
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What could have led the
world to reach this condition
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in only approximately
1600 years since creation?
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Genesis chapter 6
explains the reason why.
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It tells us that the
sons of God, which represents
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the righteous, saw that the
daughters of men were beautiful.
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Which basically means
that the righteous began to
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intermingle
with the unrighteous.
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And let me tell you something.
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Very rarely is it the
case when a righteous person
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joins an unrighteous person
in marriage that the unrighteous
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person becomes righteous.
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Once in a while it will happen.
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But very seldom.
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And so it was the union of
the faithful and the unfaithful,
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the righteous
with the unrighteous,
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according to Genesis 6:1-4,
that led to the corruption
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of the world, to the
demoralization of the world.
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But God had a remnant.
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A faithful remnant.
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Small in the context of
the millions that undoubtedly
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lived in the world at that time.
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In fact, the remnant when
the flood came was compose
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of only eight people.
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Now between creation and the
flood, approximately 1656 years
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had transpired.
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How many people were living
in the world at that time?
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Men lived to be
almost a thousand years old.
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How many children can a
thousand year old man have?
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Actually 969, Methuselah.
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You know, when they
were 300 years old they were
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just teenagers.
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There was no
scarcity of resources.
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There was very
little disease, according to
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the spirit of prophecy.
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The world was in
its pristine glory.
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Very little did you
see the effects of sin.
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There must have been millions of
people living on planet earth.
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There was a faithful remnant.
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Let's read about that faithful
remnant in Genesis chapter 6
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and verse 9, and then we'll
read chapter 7 and verse 1.
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Genesis 6 verse 9 says, "This
is the genealogy of Noah..."
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And then let's
notice chapter 7 verse 1.
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So God had a small
remnant that walked with Him
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and was righteous.
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God called Noah to be
His messenger to the world.
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And God established a period,
a clearly defined period,
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of probation.
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Notice Genesis
chapter 6 and verse 3.
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Genesis chapter 6 and
verse 3 describes the period of
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probation during which
Noah preached righteousness.
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It says there...
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In other words, the door
of mercy is not going to be
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open indefinitely.
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This was the probationary period
for the antediluvian race.
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And during this period,
God called Noah to preach
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a message of righteousness.
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In fact, in 2 Peter chapter
2 and verse 5, we're told that
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Noah was a
preacher of righteousness.
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He said to the antediluvian
world, "God is a God of mercy.
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He's a God of love.
He's willing to forgive.
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But through His power, you
must straighten out your lives.
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You must live righteous lives."
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Now the message of
Noah was accompanied by the
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power of the Holy Spirit.
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Because God said, "My
Spirit shall not strive
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always with man.
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But He will
strive for 120 years."
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So the message of Noah was
a message that was accompanied
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by the power of
God's Holy Spirit.
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It was also a
message of judgment.
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His preaching was a
preaching of judgment.
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And you say, "How
do you know that?"
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You know, the word,
"strive," that is used there in
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Genesis chapter 6, "My
Spirit shall not always
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strive with men," most of
the time that this word appears
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in the Old Testament
it's the Hebrew word, "doon."
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Pretty close to doom.
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Only an "n" on the end; "doon."
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Most of the time it's
translated, "judgment."
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In other words, the Holy Spirit,
through Noah, was preaching
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a message of judgment
where people had to decide
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to be on one
side or on the other.
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In other words, his
message had the purpose of
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polarizing society.
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He preached through the
power of the Holy Spirit
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and his message was
a message of judgment,
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because it divided
the world into two groups.
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Now Noah not only preached.
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He showed that he
believed his message.
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Because we're told
in Hebrews chapter 11
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and verse 7
that he built an ark.
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Every hammer blow on the
ark was an evidence that Noah
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believed what he was preaching.
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You see, if he had only
preached, people would say,
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"And what are you
going to do about it?"
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Noah said, "I
believe what I preach.
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It's going to rain."
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And he built an ark
to prove that he believed
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what he was preaching.
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And by the way, he
was building this ark
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on dry ground.
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Now Noah's message was
contrary to historical,
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scientific, sensorial,
and rational information.
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In other words, his
message of a universal flood
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was preposterous.
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Because before the
flood it had never rained.
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The Bible tells us that
the earth was watered by
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a sort of
automatic sprinkler system.
00:10:05.65\00:10:09.38
The Bible says that a mist
would come up from the earth
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and water the earth.
00:10:13.41\00:10:14.67
You see, at creation
God placed water above
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and He placed
water below the earth.
00:10:19.57\00:10:22.26
Above so that there
would be a uniform climate.
00:10:22.92\00:10:26.06
Kind of a greenhouse.
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And below so that the
earth could be watered.
00:10:28.63\00:10:31.65
So it had never rained.
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And so Noah brings this
message that it's going to rain.
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Absurd, ridiculous.
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Who would ever think that
water could fall from heaven
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and totally flood the world?
00:10:45.10\00:10:47.13
I like to use my imagination
and think what academia
00:10:48.40\00:10:51.61
had to say about Noah's message.
00:10:51.64\00:10:53.90
Let's imagine the
Department of Natural Sciences.
00:10:55.42\00:10:59.09
I can hear the experts saying,
"It has never rained before.
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Everything has continued
as from the beginning."
00:11:05.24\00:11:08.15
As it says in 2 Peter.
00:11:08.61\00:11:10.20
"It would be unscientific
to believe that water could
00:11:10.55\00:11:14.81
fall from heaven
and fill the earth."
00:11:14.84\00:11:16.86
I like to imagine
what the theologians
00:11:19.21\00:11:21.12
must have been saying.
00:11:21.15\00:11:22.36
"God loves the world
too much to destroy it.
00:11:23.35\00:11:27.16
Besides, rain from
heaven would require a miracle,
00:11:28.34\00:11:31.19
and nature works on
the basis of natural law."
00:11:31.22\00:11:35.15
See, these were
liberal theologians.
00:11:35.35\00:11:38.38
I like to think what
the history department
00:11:40.21\00:11:42.38
of academia would say.
00:11:42.58\00:11:44.44
"There is no historical
record of any flood in the past.
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So why should we believe that
there is going to be one now?"
00:11:49.56\00:11:53.41
I like to think what the
behavioral sciences department
00:11:55.20\00:11:58.21
must have said.
00:11:58.24\00:11:59.76
"Noah is suffering from
an imaginary mental delusion.
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He is confusing
reality with fantasy.
00:12:05.69\00:12:09.47
He is mentally deranged."
00:12:09.50\00:12:11.74
I like to think what
the sociology department
00:12:12.99\00:12:15.78
of that
university must have said.
00:12:15.81\00:12:17.92
"We must not allow a lunatic
like Noah to interrupt the
00:12:17.95\00:12:21.12
stable order of society."
00:12:21.15\00:12:23.05
Noah was probably looked
upon as peculiar, sectarian,
00:12:24.63\00:12:28.94
and perhaps even as a cultist.
00:12:28.97\00:12:31.55
I like to think what the
philosophers must have said.
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"Noah is suffering because of
an existential void in his life.
00:12:36.40\00:12:40.76
What's true for Noah
is not necessarily true
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for everyone else."
00:12:46.10\00:12:47.51
The bottom line is that when
Noah finished his preaching,
00:12:49.20\00:12:52.97
all of the world was
divided into two groups.
00:12:53.91\00:12:57.31
And there were only
eight people faithful to God.
00:12:58.50\00:13:02.18
You know, that is
a sobering thought.
00:13:03.49\00:13:05.95
The minority has
always been with God.
00:13:07.41\00:13:09.90
The majority has
not been with God.
00:13:11.13\00:13:13.31
People think that because their
church is the largest church
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that it has to
be the true church.
00:13:18.57\00:13:20.94
Not necessarily.
00:13:21.90\00:13:23.32
Because God has
always dealt with minorities
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because the minority are
the ones who want to accept
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and follow His ways.
00:13:29.79\00:13:31.24
And so Noah preached
this message 120 years.
00:13:32.80\00:13:36.27
I like to imagine what it
must have been like when the
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120 years of probation came
to an end and Noah stood at the
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door of the ark...
00:13:44.39\00:13:45.57
...pleading with
people to come in
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and take refuge from the
flood that was going to come.
00:13:51.25\00:13:54.18
All they did was
mock and make fun of him.
00:13:55.37\00:13:59.92
So Noah and his
family entered the ark.
00:14:01.46\00:14:04.51
I want you to
notice what happens next.
00:14:05.74\00:14:08.05
Probation comes to a close
when the door of the ark closes.
00:14:08.08\00:14:15.34
Notice Genesis
chapter 7 and verse 16.
00:14:16.36\00:14:19.59
Genesis chapter 7 and verse 16.
00:14:20.17\00:14:22.33
Noah has finished preaching his
message, and we're told there...
00:14:22.36\00:14:25.48
Who closed the door?
00:14:44.70\00:14:45.88
God closed the door when
probation came to an end,
00:14:46.92\00:14:50.57
when preaching came to an end.
00:14:50.98\00:14:53.34
I like to read the description
that Ellen White provides,
00:14:55.14\00:14:57.80
because she saw this in vision
of the closing of the door.
00:14:57.83\00:15:02.29
Patriarchs And
Prophets, page 98.
00:15:02.95\00:15:05.36
She expressed it this way.
00:15:06.78\00:15:08.35
Were those inside sealed?
00:15:37.07\00:15:38.98
Yes they were.
00:15:39.39\00:15:40.64
And so when the door shut,
immediately it started to rain.
00:15:50.71\00:15:55.88
No, it did not.
00:15:57.97\00:16:00.33
How long passed
between when the door closed
00:16:02.79\00:16:06.26
and when it began to rain?
00:16:06.80\00:16:08.50
The Bible tells us
that it was a period of
00:16:09.48\00:16:11.85
seven days that went by.
00:16:11.88\00:16:13.64
Let's read it in
Genesis chapter 7 and verse 10.
00:16:13.67\00:16:16.73
Genesis chapter 7 and verse 10.
00:16:16.95\00:16:19.29
It says...
00:16:19.68\00:16:20.71
In other words,
between the closing of the door
00:16:29.09\00:16:31.38
and when the
destruction came by the rain,
00:16:31.41\00:16:34.27
a period of
seven days transpired.
00:16:34.30\00:16:37.88
How do you suppose Noah and
his family felt inside the ark
00:16:40.60\00:16:43.78
during those seven days?
00:16:43.81\00:16:46.05
Day one passes; no flood.
00:16:48.43\00:16:49.88
Day two, three,
four, five, six; no flood.
00:16:49.91\00:16:53.59
Do you think
their faith was tested?
00:16:54.95\00:16:56.80
How do you think the
people outside the ark behaved?
00:16:58.59\00:17:01.83
Do you think they
became more violent and mocking
00:17:02.81\00:17:05.29
with each passing day?
00:17:05.32\00:17:06.88
See, Noah was crazy.
00:17:06.98\00:17:08.97
In fact, let me read you
from Patriarch And Prophets,
00:17:10.19\00:17:12.93
page 98 and 99, about the
attitude of those inside and
00:17:12.96\00:17:18.42
those outside the ark.
00:17:18.45\00:17:19.99
There's a period of testing of
faith for those inside the ark.
00:17:34.13\00:17:37.78
Although the triumph
was very limited and short.
00:17:46.24\00:17:49.06
And on page 99,
speaking about those outside
00:18:03.29\00:18:06.20
the ark, she says...
00:18:06.23\00:18:07.26
And then immediately
after, she makes this comment
00:18:21.49\00:18:24.37
about what is going to
happen at the end of the world.
00:18:24.77\00:18:27.67
I'm going to get ahead
of myself just a little bit.
00:18:27.70\00:18:29.73
I'm going to read her statement
about how the flood event
00:18:29.76\00:18:33.18
parallels
what's going to happen.
00:18:33.21\00:18:35.20
She continues
saying on page 99...
00:18:35.84\00:18:38.39
What is going to
happen before Jesus comes?
00:18:53.85\00:18:55.74
The door of mercy will be shut.
00:18:56.55\00:18:58.53
And then she says...
00:18:58.56\00:18:59.59
We have no idea what
this world is going to be like
00:19:09.22\00:19:11.70
when it's totally
under the control of Satan.
00:19:11.73\00:19:14.02
Of course, he will not
have control of God's people.
00:19:15.27\00:19:17.82
You need to come
to tonight's lecture.
00:19:18.33\00:19:20.62
We're going to talk
about the story of Job.
00:19:21.11\00:19:23.08
God's people will suffer.
00:19:24.64\00:19:26.26
But they will not die.
00:19:26.71\00:19:28.60
And so she says, "Then
divine grace will no longer
00:19:30.36\00:19:33.17
restrain the wicked and
Satan will have full control of
00:19:33.20\00:19:35.52
those who have rejected mercy.
00:19:35.55\00:19:36.98
They will endeavor
to destroy God's people.
00:19:37.18\00:19:39.86
But as Noah was shut
into the ark, so the righteous
00:19:40.72\00:19:46.21
will be shielded
by divine power."
00:19:46.31\00:19:49.41
You see, Jesus will
no longer be intercessor,
00:19:51.35\00:19:53.88
but He will be protector.
00:19:53.91\00:19:56.20
Jesus is not going to
forsake His people on earth
00:19:57.19\00:20:00.24
when He closes the
ministration in the Sanctuary.
00:20:00.27\00:20:02.70
After all, He said,
"Lo, I am with you always;
00:20:02.90\00:20:05.89
even unto the end of the world."
00:20:05.92\00:20:09.86
Exactly.
00:20:09.89\00:20:10.92
And then after seven
days, suddenly the people
00:20:12.27\00:20:17.68
hear thunder and
they see lightening.
00:20:18.68\00:20:24.03
And the sky starts getting dark.
00:20:24.06\00:20:26.49
And these unidentified
flying objects called clouds
00:20:27.33\00:20:31.98
begin appearing on the horizon.
00:20:33.73\00:20:35.93
And suddenly, drops of
rain begin falling from the sky.
00:20:36.69\00:20:40.59
I can't even imagine how
their hearts must have sunk.
00:20:42.74\00:20:46.99
Noah was right.
00:20:48.89\00:20:50.84
What is historically,
scientifically, sensorially
00:20:51.95\00:20:55.57
impossible is happening.
00:20:55.99\00:20:59.17
And the Bible speaks about
this as a cataclysmic event
00:20:59.99\00:21:04.25
that totally
demolished planet earth.
00:21:04.28\00:21:08.08
In fact, in Genesis
chapter 7 and verse 11
00:21:09.33\00:21:12.24
we find the description, it
says that the great fountains
00:21:13.86\00:21:17.54
of the deep were broken open.
00:21:17.57\00:21:19.83
And the windows of
heaven were opened and
00:21:21.01\00:21:23.71
water, torrents of water,
came from above and from below.
00:21:23.74\00:21:27.04
You know, in the New
Testament, there's a normal
00:21:27.07\00:21:29.76
word for "flood."
00:21:29.79\00:21:31.25
It's the word, "potamos."
00:21:32.55\00:21:36.86
But whenever the flood in
Noah's day is referred to,
00:21:37.86\00:21:41.30
a different word is used.
00:21:41.86\00:21:43.43
Only for the flood in Noah's day
a special word is used in Greek.
00:21:44.16\00:21:48.27
It's the word, "kataklysmos."
00:21:48.30\00:21:51.08
What word do we get in
English from "kataklysmos?"
00:21:52.02\00:21:55.68
Cataclysm.
00:21:56.30\00:21:57.94
By the way, there's a special
word for the flood in the
00:21:59.48\00:22:01.47
Old Testament too that is used
for the flood in Noah's day.
00:22:01.50\00:22:05.08
The word, "mabbuwl."
00:22:05.11\00:22:06.14
There are many words
for "flood" in Hebrew,
00:22:06.17\00:22:07.72
but there's one special
one that is used for the
00:22:07.75\00:22:09.47
flood in Noah's day.
00:22:09.50\00:22:10.53
This was a world
wide catastrophe.
00:22:10.56\00:22:12.91
You know, as I looked on
television at what happened
00:22:12.94\00:22:15.53
in Japan, it was surreal.
00:22:15.56\00:22:19.12
Wasn't it?
00:22:19.15\00:22:20.24
I mean, seeing that
tsunami come in and just totally
00:22:20.93\00:22:24.29
take away everything.
00:22:24.32\00:22:25.47
Wow, it's like you're
watching some Hollywood movie.
00:22:26.29\00:22:30.36
But that was a local
tsunami and a local earthquake.
00:22:33.06\00:22:37.09
Imagine in Noah's day,
it was a global compilation.
00:22:38.29\00:22:42.66
Allow me to read you, Patriarchs
And Prophets, page 99.
00:22:43.63\00:22:46.53
Ellen White saw in
vision what happened.
00:22:47.68\00:22:49.82
She says, "Rivers broke
away from their boundaries
00:22:50.36\00:22:53.50
and overflowed the valleys.
00:22:54.00\00:22:56.01
Jets of water burst from the
earth with indescribable force,
00:22:56.64\00:23:02.28
throwing massive rocks
hundreds of feet into the air.
00:23:02.62\00:23:06.63
And these, in falling, buried
themselves deep in the ground."
00:23:07.30\00:23:10.83
She continues saying, "As the
violence of the storm increased
00:23:11.75\00:23:14.92
trees, buildings..."
00:23:15.12\00:23:16.42
You can almost see this
illustrated in the tsunami
00:23:16.45\00:23:19.98
on a local level.
00:23:20.01\00:23:21.19
She says, "...trees, buildings,
rocks, and earth were hurled
00:23:21.22\00:23:25.83
in every direction.
00:23:25.86\00:23:27.01
The terror of men and
beast was beyond description.
00:23:27.78\00:23:30.79
Above the roar of the
tempest was heard the wailing
00:23:30.82\00:23:35.17
of a people that had
despised the authority of God."
00:23:35.44\00:23:40.07
And then the Bible tells
us that the earth returned
00:23:42.73\00:23:45.19
to the condition it was
in before creation week.
00:23:45.22\00:23:49.30
Filled with water,
dark, and no living inhabitant
00:23:50.81\00:23:57.97
upon the earth.
00:23:58.47\00:23:59.79
Some people ask, "What happened
with Satan during the flood?"
00:24:01.97\00:24:05.11
He was getting wet.
00:24:06.61\00:24:08.07
Patriarchs And
Prophets, page 99.
00:24:10.81\00:24:13.02
Did he lose all
of his power base?
00:24:13.05\00:24:15.14
What is the devil's power base?
00:24:16.47\00:24:18.26
His people.
00:24:18.91\00:24:20.22
Did he lose all of his people?
00:24:21.11\00:24:22.98
All of his people died.
00:24:23.78\00:24:25.59
He lost his power base.
00:24:26.20\00:24:27.92
Page 99 of Patriarchs
And Prophets, Ellen White,
00:24:29.37\00:24:31.93
who saw this in vision, said...
00:24:31.96\00:24:33.77
What kind of cataclysm it
must have been that the devil
00:24:45.62\00:24:49.81
actually feared
for his own existence.
00:24:50.01\00:24:52.50
You know, there's one
other time that the devil is
00:24:54.02\00:24:55.90
going to be in a
situation like that.
00:24:55.93\00:24:57.81
And that is
during the millennium.
00:24:57.84\00:24:59.60
Jeremiah said that the earth
will be without form and void.
00:25:01.48\00:25:04.80
And he beheld no man on earth.
00:25:05.90\00:25:07.98
Once again, the devil
will be bound to planet earth
00:25:08.81\00:25:11.79
in a chaotic and
disorderly state.
00:25:11.82\00:25:14.98
Now let's notice what Jesus
had to say about the flood.
00:25:16.75\00:25:19.98
Matthew 24:37-39.
00:25:20.63\00:25:22.70
You see, what we've studied
so far is really a type or
00:25:22.73\00:25:26.38
an illustration of what's going
to happen at the end of time.
00:25:26.41\00:25:28.69
Jesus Himself said so.
00:25:28.72\00:25:30.68
Matthew 24 verse 37, and
we'll read through verse 39.
00:25:31.12\00:25:35.28
It says here...
00:25:36.39\00:25:37.42
Now notice a very
important little temporal word,
00:25:53.56\00:25:56.23
a time word.
00:25:56.26\00:25:57.41
They were doing this "until..."
00:25:58.26\00:26:01.47
"...until..." Again a
temporal word, a time word.
00:26:12.52\00:26:16.00
Did Jesus see a parallel between
what happened at the flood and
00:26:25.01\00:26:27.52
what will happen in relationship
to His second coming?
00:26:27.55\00:26:29.88
Absolutely.
00:26:30.43\00:26:31.46
Now did you notice that the
word, "until," is used twice?
00:26:31.80\00:26:34.43
The first "until" marks the
moment when they enter the ark.
00:26:35.94\00:26:38.42
"Until Noah entered the ark."
00:26:38.45\00:26:41.26
The second "until"
marks when it began to what?
00:26:41.29\00:26:43.95
When it began to rain.
00:26:44.66\00:26:45.79
"They did not know
until the flood came
00:26:45.82\00:26:48.15
and took them all away."
00:26:48.18\00:26:49.26
How much time was there
in between those two "until"?
00:26:49.29\00:26:52.75
Seven days.
00:26:53.63\00:26:54.89
Is that correct?
00:26:56.40\00:26:57.43
We already studied it.
00:26:57.59\00:26:58.62
Seven days between the first
"until" and the second "until."
00:26:58.65\00:27:02.13
Did you notice that it says
that they did not know something
00:27:02.16\00:27:05.77
during those seven days?
00:27:05.80\00:27:07.27
They did not know
until the flood came.
00:27:07.90\00:27:10.94
Now the question is, what didn't
they know until the flood came?
00:27:10.97\00:27:13.96
They did not know
that they were what?
00:27:15.93\00:27:18.17
They did not know
that they were lost.
00:27:19.05\00:27:21.06
Let me ask you this,
when were the wicked lost?
00:27:22.75\00:27:25.77
When the door closed or
when it started to rain?
00:27:27.31\00:27:30.58
When the door closed.
00:27:31.50\00:27:33.05
Did the door close
before it started to rain?
00:27:33.66\00:27:36.60
Yes.
00:27:37.10\00:27:38.13
Was there a period
of tribulation for those
00:27:38.33\00:27:40.60
who were inside the ark
during those seven days?
00:27:40.63\00:27:43.03
Was it a time of triumph
for those outside of the ark?
00:27:43.46\00:27:46.52
Absolutely.
00:27:46.55\00:27:47.58
Those outside, they did not
even know that they were lost
00:27:47.61\00:27:51.46
during that period.
00:27:52.23\00:27:53.70
Until the flood came
and took them all away.
00:27:54.32\00:27:57.65
So will the coming
of the Son of Man be.
00:27:57.68\00:28:01.31
Is it just possible that
probation is going to close
00:28:02.02\00:28:04.96
before Jesus comes?
00:28:04.99\00:28:07.08
Absolutely.
00:28:07.76\00:28:08.91
Now, we're studying
this series on the Sanctuary.
00:28:09.93\00:28:12.71
We've taken a look at the
flood, we've taken a look at
00:28:14.46\00:28:16.74
Matthew chapter 24.
00:28:16.77\00:28:18.07
But now we want to see
that this whole idea of
00:28:18.17\00:28:21.19
probation closing and
then destruction coming
00:28:21.22\00:28:24.07
actually needs to be
understood within the context of
00:28:24.43\00:28:27.98
the Sanctuary.
00:28:28.01\00:28:29.46
And to find that context we must
go to the book of Revelation.
00:28:30.04\00:28:33.75
Go with me to Revelation
chapter 14 verses 6 and 7.
00:28:34.18\00:28:39.80
Revelation chapter
14 and verses 6 and 7.
00:28:41.10\00:28:44.87
Does God have an end
time message for the world
00:28:45.39\00:28:47.91
like He had a
message in the days of Noah?
00:28:47.94\00:28:50.29
Absolutely.
00:28:50.61\00:28:51.65
It's found in
Revelation 14 verses 6 and 7.
00:28:51.68\00:28:54.56
You know that passage.
00:28:54.59\00:28:55.72
You have it
memorized, don't you.
00:28:55.75\00:28:57.57
Three angels
messages given to the world.
00:28:59.30\00:29:01.72
First angel's message says,
"Fear God, give glory to Him,
00:29:02.19\00:29:07.42
for the hour of His..." What?
00:29:07.45\00:29:09.60
"...of His judgment has come.
00:29:09.91\00:29:12.11
And worship Him who
made the heavens, the earth,
00:29:12.38\00:29:15.35
the seas, and the
fountains of waters."
00:29:15.38\00:29:18.25
So does God have a message
to the world that the world
00:29:18.92\00:29:21.65
needs to fear God
and give glory to God
00:29:21.68\00:29:24.20
because the hour of
God's judgment has come?
00:29:24.23\00:29:26.84
Absolutely.
00:29:27.39\00:29:28.58
Is this God's final
message to the world?
00:29:29.19\00:29:31.49
Yes, because immediately
after the three angels messages
00:29:32.03\00:29:34.55
Jesus is seen seated on
a cloud and He has a sickle
00:29:35.14\00:29:37.99
in His hand and He's
coming back to the earth.
00:29:38.02\00:29:40.18
Will this message be accompanied
by the power of the Holy Spirit?
00:29:41.33\00:29:44.24
Absolutely.
00:29:44.75\00:29:45.78
You say, "How do we know that?"
00:29:45.81\00:29:47.03
Very simple.
00:29:47.61\00:29:48.70
After the three angels messages,
the Bible tells us that the
00:29:48.73\00:29:53.11
harvest of the earth is
ripe and the grapes of the earth
00:29:53.14\00:29:55.92
are ripe immediately afterwards.
00:29:55.95\00:29:58.13
What was it in the Bible
that ripened the harvest?
00:29:58.77\00:30:02.07
The latter rain.
00:30:03.44\00:30:04.64
And what does the
latter rain represent?
00:30:05.32\00:30:07.81
It represents the Holy Spirit.
00:30:08.67\00:30:11.41
So is this message accompanied
by the power of the Holy Spirit
00:30:12.43\00:30:15.93
and matures the
world into two groups?
00:30:15.96\00:30:18.52
Yes.
00:30:19.04\00:30:20.13
You have those who
have the seal of God,
00:30:20.73\00:30:23.06
and those who receive what?
00:30:23.09\00:30:24.63
The mark of the beast,
as a result of the message.
00:30:25.05\00:30:27.76
The world will be
divided into two groups.
00:30:28.32\00:30:32.68
So is the end time
message a message of judgment?
00:30:33.56\00:30:36.20
Yes.
00:30:36.47\00:30:37.50
Is it a global message?
00:30:37.68\00:30:39.38
Absolutely.
00:30:39.52\00:30:40.71
Is it accompanied by the
power of the Holy Spirit?
00:30:40.74\00:30:43.62
Yes.
00:30:44.07\00:30:45.29
What will happen when the
message has been proclaimed?
00:30:48.05\00:30:51.06
The door of mercy will close.
00:30:54.65\00:30:56.40
Can we now come in faith
to the heavenly Sanctuary,
00:30:57.02\00:31:00.81
and in repentance and in
faith, confessing our sins?
00:31:00.84\00:31:04.21
Can we have the assurance
that Jesus receives our sins
00:31:04.24\00:31:06.77
and He cleanses us
from all unrighteousness?
00:31:06.97\00:31:09.22
Do we have that assurance today?
00:31:09.33\00:31:10.76
Is Jesus ministering as
High Priest in the Sanctuary?
00:31:10.79\00:31:12.99
We've studied this, right?
00:31:13.02\00:31:14.25
Is the day coming when
He's not going to minister
00:31:14.98\00:31:16.84
as the High Priest anymore?
00:31:16.87\00:31:18.39
Revelation 15, the very
next chapter after the message.
00:31:19.37\00:31:23.63
Revelation 15, and let's
read beginning at verse 5.
00:31:24.13\00:31:28.54
Revelation 15 verse 5.
00:31:28.86\00:31:30.84
Intercession is going to close.
00:31:31.26\00:31:32.69
Now we're in a
Sanctuary context.
00:31:32.72\00:31:34.85
It says there in
Revelation 15 verse 5...
00:31:35.38\00:31:38.66
We've already identified the
temple as the Most Holy Place.
00:31:41.00\00:31:43.61
The word, "naos," in Revelation
means, the Most Holy Place.
00:31:43.64\00:31:47.27
The tabernacle is
the total structure.
00:31:53.66\00:31:55.37
The temple is
the Most Holy Place.
00:31:55.68\00:31:59.06
You say, "Oh well,
the Sanctuary is opened.
00:32:02.45\00:32:04.53
So everybody can
come in and be saved."
00:32:04.56\00:32:06.24
No, no, the purpose of
opening the Sanctuary here
00:32:06.27\00:32:08.74
is not to let people in, but
to let the plague angels out.
00:32:09.00\00:32:12.68
Notice what it
continues saying, verse 6.
00:32:15.14\00:32:17.19
The temple, once
again, is the Most Holy Place.
00:32:18.72\00:32:20.42
The temple, once again the same
word, "naos;" Most Holy Place.
00:32:40.31\00:32:43.67
Is the ministration in
the Most Holy Place going to
00:33:00.21\00:33:02.25
come to an end?
00:33:02.28\00:33:03.44
It is.
00:33:03.64\00:33:04.73
Are people going to be able to
enter there and bring their sins
00:33:04.76\00:33:07.80
to Jesus for
forgiveness and cleansing?
00:33:07.83\00:33:10.98
No.
00:33:11.01\00:33:12.08
The Bible tells us that
a time is coming when we
00:33:12.80\00:33:14.77
will not be able to enter.
00:33:14.80\00:33:16.14
The temple will be opened in
order for the angels to come out
00:33:16.47\00:33:20.33
and pour out God's wrath like
He did at the time of the flood.
00:33:21.06\00:33:24.77
You know it's
interesting, immediately after
00:33:27.09\00:33:28.85
speaking about the
closing of the ministration
00:33:28.88\00:33:33.33
here in Revelation 15, do
you know what you find in the
00:33:33.36\00:33:35.66
very next chapter, chapter 16?
00:33:35.69\00:33:37.47
You find the
plagues and the tribulation.
00:33:37.68\00:33:40.07
Are you with me?
00:33:41.94\00:33:42.97
You have seven plagues.
00:33:44.80\00:33:46.01
That's before
the coming of Jesus.
00:33:46.04\00:33:47.64
The temple ministry
closes, seven plagues.
00:33:48.57\00:33:51.22
There's a period...
00:33:51.25\00:33:52.36
...before Jesus comes.
00:33:53.89\00:33:55.69
Finally when you get to
chapter 19 of Revelation,
00:33:56.62\00:33:59.09
there you have the
second coming of Jesus.
00:33:59.12\00:34:00.79
The Bible tells us that
He's seated on a white horse.
00:34:01.17\00:34:03.82
And the armies of
heaven are with Him.
00:34:04.85\00:34:07.66
And He's coming to
pick up His people.
00:34:07.97\00:34:09.84
That's the second coming.
00:34:09.87\00:34:11.07
And so Revelation has
this pattern: the proclamation
00:34:12.23\00:34:15.23
of the message, Revelation 14;
00:34:15.26\00:34:17.06
the closing of the ministration
in the Sanctuary in chapter 15;
00:34:17.09\00:34:20.99
the period of tribulation
and the plagues, chapter 16;
00:34:22.16\00:34:25.18
and the arrival of Jesus
Christ at His second coming
00:34:25.21\00:34:27.74
after the
tribulation in chapter 19.
00:34:27.77\00:34:31.01
So is there going to be a period
between the close of probation
00:34:33.01\00:34:35.48
and the coming of Jesus?
00:34:35.51\00:34:36.63
Absolutely.
00:34:38.10\00:34:39.20
You know, most Christians think
that they can prepare for the
00:34:40.17\00:34:42.30
coming of Jesus until
they see Jesus in the clouds,
00:34:42.33\00:34:44.62
and they say,
"Oh Lord, I'm Yours."
00:34:44.65\00:34:46.56
But if you're not prepared
for the close of probation,
00:34:49.14\00:34:51.27
you will not be prepared
for the second coming of Jesus.
00:34:51.30\00:34:53.56
We need to prepare for
the close of probation.
00:34:53.59\00:34:56.10
And no one knows the day or
the hour when it will close.
00:34:56.50\00:35:00.09
Go with me to Revelation
chapter 22 where this idea
00:35:00.37\00:35:03.19
is flushed out, where
this idea is developed;
00:35:03.22\00:35:06.71
this idea of the close of
probation, in the context of
00:35:06.74\00:35:10.60
the Sanctuary,
before Jesus comes.
00:35:10.63\00:35:12.52
Revelation chapter 22.
00:35:12.55\00:35:14.11
There are three ideas
that I want us to notice here
00:35:14.76\00:35:16.87
in Revelation
chapter 22 verse 10.
00:35:16.90\00:35:21.11
It's speaking about
the book of Revelation.
00:35:22.34\00:35:24.27
It says there in verse
10, "And he said to me..."
00:35:26.93\00:35:29.40
The angel is speaking to John.
00:35:29.43\00:35:31.00
What does that mean,
"Don't seal the words of the
00:35:38.56\00:35:40.24
prophecy of this book?"
00:35:40.27\00:35:41.48
Can a message still come from
the book and still be understood
00:35:42.44\00:35:45.66
if it's not sealed?
00:35:45.69\00:35:46.75
Sure.
00:35:47.27\00:35:48.30
So in other words,
don't seal the book.
00:35:48.98\00:35:50.46
Don't close the book.
00:35:50.49\00:35:51.72
Because a message
needs to come from the book.
00:35:52.18\00:35:54.91
Can people be saved
while the book is still
00:35:55.61\00:35:58.59
imparting its message?
00:35:58.62\00:36:00.01
Absolutely.
00:36:00.31\00:36:01.41
So in verse 10,
probation is open.
00:36:02.09\00:36:04.26
Because it says, "Do
not seal the words of the
00:36:04.99\00:36:07.09
prophecy of this book."
00:36:07.12\00:36:08.15
But then it says,
"For the time is at hand."
00:36:08.18\00:36:10.64
The question is,
what time is at hand."
00:36:10.67\00:36:12.85
The next verse tells
us what time is at hand.
00:36:12.88\00:36:15.54
Is there a time coming, folks,
when the book of Revelation
00:36:17.23\00:36:22.22
will no longer
impart a saving message?
00:36:22.65\00:36:25.22
Absolutely.
00:36:26.18\00:36:27.22
Where everybody's case
will have been decided based on
00:36:27.25\00:36:30.42
how they react to what we
find in the book of Revelation?
00:36:30.45\00:36:33.09
Absolutely.
00:36:33.12\00:36:34.15
This is the reason, we're
going to read it in a moment,
00:36:34.18\00:36:35.96
this is the reason why
God pronounces a tremendous
00:36:35.99\00:36:39.62
blessing and a terrible
curse upon those who do not
00:36:39.65\00:36:42.51
handle the book of
Revelation properly.
00:36:42.54\00:36:44.66
It's a serious matter
to preach on Revelation.
00:36:46.36\00:36:48.87
It's a dangerous
thing to add or take away.
00:36:50.81\00:36:53.24
In fact, Revelation chapter
22 verses 18 and 19 says...
00:36:54.88\00:36:58.90
Is it important to understand
the book of Revelation properly?
00:37:23.45\00:37:26.30
Absolutely.
00:37:26.77\00:37:27.80
Now it's not easy.
00:37:27.83\00:37:29.26
It's not like
reading Reader's Digest.
00:37:29.36\00:37:32.06
It requires effort,
taxing effort, time, prayer.
00:37:33.44\00:37:37.47
So you find in verse
10 a message is coming
00:37:40.77\00:37:42.90
from Revelation; beware,
don't add or don't take away.
00:37:42.93\00:37:45.56
Because it's a saving message.
00:37:45.59\00:37:47.41
But is there a time
coming when no longer will you
00:37:47.44\00:37:51.55
be able to hear a
message from this book?
00:37:51.58\00:37:53.34
The book will be
sealed up, so to speak.
00:37:53.37\00:37:55.46
Yes, notice verse 11.
00:37:55.84\00:37:57.43
Revelation 22 verse 11.
00:37:57.46\00:37:59.06
The previous verse has
said the time is at hand.
00:37:59.67\00:38:01.73
Don't seal the
book, the time is at hand.
00:38:01.76\00:38:03.57
What time?
00:38:03.60\00:38:04.63
The time is
spoken of in verse 11.
00:38:04.66\00:38:06.33
It says...
00:38:06.36\00:38:07.39
Does that sound
pretty definitive?
00:38:13.38\00:38:15.27
Are all cases
decided at this point?
00:38:32.29\00:38:35.51
Will the filthy still be filthy?
00:38:36.01\00:38:37.65
Will the holy still be holy?
00:38:37.75\00:38:39.38
Will the righteous
still be righteous?
00:38:39.81\00:38:41.58
Absolutely.
00:38:41.61\00:38:42.67
By the way, these words, "holy,"
"filthy," have to be understood
00:38:43.28\00:38:50.68
within the
context of the Sanctuary.
00:38:50.71\00:38:52.91
This is Sanctuary terminology.
00:38:52.94\00:38:55.10
How do you get
clean, spiritually speaking?
00:38:56.70\00:39:00.36
You have to take...
00:39:02.18\00:39:03.43
You have to come in repentance
and confession to Jesus,
00:39:03.46\00:39:07.32
and you have to trust in
His merits so that He will
00:39:07.82\00:39:10.31
forgive you and cleanse you.
00:39:10.34\00:39:11.64
Right?
00:39:11.67\00:39:12.89
Can we do that today?
00:39:13.38\00:39:14.97
Can we come to Jesus
with our sins repentant,
00:39:15.32\00:39:18.40
confessing our sin, and
trusting in His merits, and say,
00:39:18.43\00:39:20.56
"Jesus, please forgive me."
00:39:20.76\00:39:22.50
Will Jesus cleanse those sins?
00:39:22.53\00:39:25.58
Will Jesus forgive those sins?
00:39:25.61\00:39:27.40
He most certainly will.
00:39:27.43\00:39:28.55
But the time is
coming when we won't be able
00:39:29.67\00:39:32.41
to do that anymore.
00:39:32.44\00:39:33.70
Where the declaration
will be made, "He who is filthy
00:39:34.81\00:39:37.40
is going to
continue being filthy.
00:39:37.43\00:39:38.82
And he who is unrighteous will
continue to be unrighteous."
00:39:40.97\00:39:44.33
All cases will
have been decided.
00:39:45.27\00:39:47.14
And this happens
before Jesus comes.
00:39:47.24\00:39:49.44
You say, "How do we know that
it happens before Jesus comes?"
00:39:49.47\00:39:52.22
Because verse 12 tells us that
after this declaration is made,
00:39:52.68\00:39:59.33
then Jesus comes
to give His reward.
00:39:59.36\00:40:02.26
Notice verse 12
of Revelation 22.
00:40:04.42\00:40:07.84
Did He already decide what
the reward was before He came?
00:40:14.32\00:40:17.93
Yes, because He
brings the reward.
00:40:18.83\00:40:20.86
So there's a sequence here.
00:40:32.39\00:40:33.57
There's a message
coming from the book.
00:40:33.60\00:40:35.00
Don't seal the book.
00:40:35.03\00:40:36.32
Don't add or take away.
00:40:36.73\00:40:37.90
It's a life saving message.
00:40:37.93\00:40:40.64
But the time is coming
when the filthy will be filthy
00:40:41.94\00:40:44.86
and the righteous
will be righteous.
00:40:44.89\00:40:46.41
And then Jesus will
come to give His what?
00:40:46.44\00:40:49.46
His reward.
00:40:49.50\00:40:50.53
The sequence is clear and it's
connected with the Sanctuary.
00:40:50.56\00:40:53.11
Because the
Sanctuary cleansed people
00:40:53.14\00:40:55.68
so that they
would not be filthy.
00:40:55.71\00:40:57.66
Are you
understanding what I'm saying?
00:40:58.90\00:41:00.33
By the way, there
are two cleansings.
00:41:01.82\00:41:03.33
One cleansing is the
individual cleansing when I come
00:41:03.36\00:41:05.99
in repentance to
Jesus Christ and say,
00:41:06.02\00:41:07.66
"Lord, please forgive my sins."
00:41:07.69\00:41:09.31
Jesus forgives
me and cleanses me.
00:41:09.49\00:41:13.22
But that sin enters the
Sanctuary covered by the
00:41:13.95\00:41:16.38
blood of Jesus.
00:41:16.41\00:41:17.70
And when my case
comes up in the judgment...
00:41:18.41\00:41:20.26
We're going to study
this in the last few lectures
00:41:20.29\00:41:22.82
of this series.
00:41:22.85\00:41:24.67
When my name comes
up in the judgment,
00:41:24.98\00:41:26.71
because we all will appear
before the judgment seat of
00:41:26.74\00:41:29.16
Christ, the devil
will be there to say,
00:41:29.19\00:41:31.39
"Hey, Pastor Bohr did this
and this and this and this.
00:41:31.42\00:41:34.12
He's a sinner,
he belongs to me."
00:41:34.15\00:41:35.61
And Jesus is going to say,
"I don't deny that Pastor Bohr
00:41:35.64\00:41:38.69
did this and this and this.
00:41:38.72\00:41:39.83
But there's one
thing which you forgot.
00:41:39.86\00:41:41.54
And that is, all those
sins entered the Sanctuary
00:41:41.57\00:41:44.57
by My blood.
00:41:44.60\00:41:45.73
They are forgiven sins."
00:41:46.75\00:41:48.32
The sins that enter the
Sanctuary are forgiven sins.
00:41:48.35\00:41:50.74
And in the judgment,
it's God's purpose to
00:41:52.08\00:41:54.36
shut the devil's mouth.
00:41:54.39\00:41:55.90
Don't miss tonight's lecture.
00:41:57.12\00:41:58.53
It's going to be good.
00:42:00.02\00:42:01.42
I can hardly wait.
00:42:01.85\00:42:03.08
Now let's talk a little bit
about the coming of the thief.
00:42:05.95\00:42:08.76
You know, the coming
of the thief needs to be
00:42:13.07\00:42:14.64
understood in two way.
00:42:14.67\00:42:16.01
First of all,
when the thief comes.
00:42:17.03\00:42:19.59
And secondly, when you discover
that the thief has come.
00:42:20.61\00:42:23.91
Imagine an individual who has
locked the doors to the house
00:42:27.19\00:42:33.42
since time immemorial.
00:42:35.67\00:42:37.39
It's December; cold, windy.
00:42:37.94\00:42:40.84
And you're under the
covers nice and warm.
00:42:42.00\00:42:45.46
And you remember, "I
forgot to lock the door.
00:42:45.97\00:42:48.77
Oh I hate to get up.
00:42:50.91\00:42:51.94
But the thief
hasn't come for 20 years.
00:42:51.97\00:42:53.98
He's not going to come tonight."
00:42:54.60\00:42:55.76
And so you stay
under the covers.
00:42:57.38\00:42:58.84
And while you're
sleeping, the thief comes.
00:42:58.87\00:43:03.14
Do you know he's come?
00:43:05.05\00:43:06.24
You don't know it, but he comes.
00:43:07.57\00:43:09.88
And he steals your money.
00:43:11.90\00:43:15.46
He steals your video camera.
00:43:17.25\00:43:22.50
He steals
everything that's valuable.
00:43:23.27\00:43:26.46
You get up in the morning.
00:43:27.91\00:43:29.22
And when you get up in
the morning, you discover
00:43:30.63\00:43:32.26
that your television is gone.
00:43:32.29\00:43:33.73
Hallelujah.
00:43:33.76\00:43:34.79
"What happened to my TV?"
00:43:38.38\00:43:40.16
And then you notice that all
these other things are missing.
00:43:41.83\00:43:44.35
The thief came and
you didn't know it.
00:43:45.76\00:43:47.85
Until you woke
up in the morning.
00:43:48.64\00:43:51.45
So will also the
coming of the Son of Man be.
00:43:52.98\00:43:55.70
Because the close of
probation catches everyone like
00:43:57.17\00:44:00.45
the coming of a thief.
00:44:00.48\00:44:02.08
And people will not know
that Jesus has closed the
00:44:03.09\00:44:06.40
door of probation until
He's coming on the clouds.
00:44:06.43\00:44:09.43
But at that time it is too late.
00:44:10.16\00:44:12.11
You say, "Is it biblical to
believe that probation closes
00:44:13.40\00:44:16.18
before destruction comes?"
00:44:16.21\00:44:17.67
Let me give you...
00:44:17.70\00:44:18.73
This is the
pattern of the Bible.
00:44:18.76\00:44:20.23
Let me ask you, did the
door of probation close for the
00:44:20.40\00:44:22.61
Jewish nation before
the city was destroyed?
00:44:22.64\00:44:24.54
It was closed in the year 34 and
it was destroyed in the year 70.
00:44:25.84\00:44:28.76
Did the door of
probation close for Babylon
00:44:29.70\00:44:32.56
before Babylon was destroyed?
00:44:32.59\00:44:34.41
Remember the
handwriting on the wall
00:44:34.44\00:44:36.07
that expressed doom,
and then it was destroyed?
00:44:36.10\00:44:38.77
Sodom and Gomorrah; was
the door of probation closed
00:44:39.42\00:44:41.77
for them before
the destruction came?
00:44:41.80\00:44:43.30
Yes, remember the angels.
00:44:43.33\00:44:45.02
They took Lot and
they pulled him in,
00:44:45.05\00:44:47.17
and they shut the door.
00:44:47.20\00:44:48.48
At that moment, the door
was shut for Sodom and Gomorrah.
00:44:49.02\00:44:51.63
Did the door close before the
first destruction of Jerusalem?
00:44:52.85\00:44:57.42
Was there a sealing that
went on, dividing the righteous
00:44:57.69\00:45:00.41
from the unrighteous,
and then destruction came?
00:45:00.44\00:45:02.61
Absolutely.
00:45:03.02\00:45:04.14
So this is a
pattern in the Bible.
00:45:05.59\00:45:07.42
That, first of
all, there's a judgment.
00:45:08.80\00:45:10.72
Judgment sentence is pronounced.
00:45:10.75\00:45:12.66
And then the execution of
the sentence takes place...
00:45:12.69\00:45:15.28
...later.
00:45:16.16\00:45:17.19
Let me share with
you an experience.
00:45:19.70\00:45:21.62
I lived many years in Columbia.
00:45:23.97\00:45:26.10
My wife is from Columbia.
00:45:26.13\00:45:28.09
On November 13,
1985, the city of Armero...
00:45:29.65\00:45:34.85
...was buried by
an avalanche of mud...
00:45:37.38\00:45:40.07
...due to the explosion of
the volcano, Nevado del Ruiz.
00:45:41.14\00:45:46.08
You see, the people in the
city, they didn't believe that
00:45:47.93\00:45:50.38
they were ever in danger,
because there's a river that
00:45:50.41\00:45:54.84
runs on the
western side of the city.
00:45:54.87\00:45:56.87
And they felt that if
ever that volcano exploded,
00:45:56.90\00:46:00.60
that the lava would
go down the river bed.
00:46:00.80\00:46:03.10
But what they didn't realize
is that there was a huge boulder
00:46:04.10\00:46:08.80
that blocked the river
bed and diverted the mud
00:46:08.83\00:46:15.38
right to where the city was.
00:46:15.58\00:46:17.43
I was there,
actually, about three years ago
00:46:17.63\00:46:19.78
and visited this place.
00:46:19.81\00:46:21.30
They still have
that huge rock there
00:46:21.58\00:46:23.73
that blocked the river.
00:46:24.17\00:46:25.41
22,000 people that night died
and were buried under the mud.
00:46:26.48\00:46:34.42
I read an article in
the newspaper, one of the
00:46:37.02\00:46:39.22
Columbia
newspapers; El Espectadore.
00:46:39.25\00:46:42.35
It was written by the
local, Rodríguez Calderón.
00:46:42.38\00:46:45.27
And what he said in that article
showed that all these people
00:46:47.71\00:46:51.40
could have survived.
00:46:51.43\00:46:52.95
Because they had abundant signs
that a disaster was imminent.
00:46:54.51\00:46:59.94
Let me share some of
those signs with you.
00:46:59.97\00:47:01.54
Eleven months before
the disaster, the mountain
00:47:01.57\00:47:03.88
had begun spewing out smoke.
00:47:03.91\00:47:05.97
The fluffy snow at the top
of the mountain turned into
00:47:07.16\00:47:11.41
a sheet of ice
because of the heat.
00:47:11.44\00:47:13.62
The water level of the rivers
daily increased more and more.
00:47:14.70\00:47:19.64
The cloud of ash and
gases of the first day reached
00:47:20.94\00:47:24.23
15 feet in height.
00:47:24.26\00:47:25.75
The second day was 750 feet.
00:47:25.78\00:47:28.07
And the day of the eruption,
the cloud of smoke and ash
00:47:28.10\00:47:32.27
had reached 16,000 feet.
00:47:32.30\00:47:34.38
On September 11, a
couple of months before,
00:47:35.73\00:47:38.88
the earth started shaking...
00:47:39.58\00:47:41.33
...on the scale of 3
on the Richter scale.
00:47:42.14\00:47:44.63
The people testified,
those few who survived,
00:47:45.58\00:47:47.91
testified that they could hear
the mountain rumbling within.
00:47:47.94\00:47:51.00
The government had to close
the access roads because of
00:47:52.63\00:47:55.42
constant mudslides
that made it impossible
00:47:55.45\00:48:00.10
to get up to the mountain peak.
00:48:00.50\00:48:02.89
People said they
couldn't keep their houses clean
00:48:03.88\00:48:06.46
because there was constant
ash all over their furniture.
00:48:07.17\00:48:09.89
They could smell
sulfur in the air.
00:48:09.92\00:48:12.24
And those who survived said that
the evening of the disaster,
00:48:13.56\00:48:16.80
there was this torrential rain
around 9 o'clock in the evening,
00:48:16.83\00:48:20.86
and a supernatural darkness.
00:48:21.04\00:48:23.24
Were there plenty of signs
that the disaster was imminent?
00:48:24.76\00:48:27.54
Absolutely.
00:48:28.48\00:48:29.78
And yet 22,000
people, including 120 of 124
00:48:30.36\00:48:36.05
Seventh-day Adventists, were
buried by the avalanche of mud.
00:48:36.08\00:48:40.97
The question is, could
this have been averted?
00:48:42.46\00:48:47.08
And why wasn't it?
00:48:47.79\00:48:49.65
Do you know the reason
why people decided to stay?
00:48:50.79\00:48:53.31
Because they chose to believe
the testimony of the experts.
00:48:54.15\00:48:57.41
Let me give you some
other details that appeared
00:49:00.15\00:49:02.90
in this article.
00:49:02.93\00:49:04.04
The town priest,
Edgar Efren Torres,
00:49:04.95\00:49:08.72
came over the radio at
7 pm and told the people,
00:49:09.30\00:49:12.60
"There's no reason to
panic. Please keep calm."
00:49:12.63\00:49:15.51
The civil defense of
Columbia sent out a message
00:49:16.72\00:49:19.65
by radio also saying, "There
is no reason to be concerned."
00:49:19.68\00:49:24.49
The bishop of the
town, Augusto Osorio,
00:49:26.17\00:49:29.22
even came out and warned
against fanatics who were
00:49:30.25\00:49:32.78
making it appear like a
major disaster was imminent.
00:49:32.81\00:49:36.19
The mayor of the
town said, "Don't worry,"
00:49:37.56\00:49:40.00
and then skipped town.
00:49:40.03\00:49:41.70
The governor of the
state of Tolima later said,
00:49:45.98\00:49:50.44
"The disaster could not
have been predicted in advance."
00:49:50.47\00:49:53.57
Columbian scientists,
Jaime Viegas Velásquez,
00:49:55.07\00:49:57.69
affirmed, "This
volcano is not going to erupt.
00:49:57.72\00:50:00.25
Nothing is going to happen.
00:50:00.28\00:50:01.74
Beware of
speculations and exaggerations."
00:50:01.77\00:50:04.97
The Secretary of
Mines, Evan du Escobar,
00:50:06.07\00:50:10.32
asserted, "Nothing will happen."
00:50:10.35\00:50:11.94
Even United States
geologist, Darryl Hurd,
00:50:12.73\00:50:16.05
said, "It is very unlikely
that the cities could be buried
00:50:16.80\00:50:20.99
by rocks, lava, or mud."
00:50:21.02\00:50:23.25
And the regional emergency
committee, that very evening,
00:50:24.49\00:50:27.70
sent out a message that
said, "Don't expect your
00:50:27.73\00:50:29.85
windows to shatter.
00:50:29.88\00:50:31.06
Don't expect darkness.
00:50:31.09\00:50:32.59
Don't expect lava to
run down the mountain.
00:50:32.62\00:50:36.83
Don't expect
large layers of ash."
00:50:36.86\00:50:39.89
Among other things.
00:50:39.92\00:50:40.95
In fact, they said, "Go out and
enjoy the spectacular scene."
00:50:41.00\00:50:45.09
The people did not know
that the door had closed
00:50:48.69\00:50:54.03
until destruction came
and took them all away.
00:50:55.25\00:50:58.52
Because instead of
paying attention to the signs,
00:50:59.85\00:51:02.68
they listened to the experts.
00:51:03.59\00:51:05.59
Just like
happened before the flood.
00:51:06.27\00:51:08.41
I'd like to end by reading
a passage from Ellen White
00:51:09.74\00:51:12.62
that applies directly to us.
00:51:12.65\00:51:15.24
This is a
rather lengthy passage.
00:51:17.08\00:51:18.71
It's found in volume 2 of the
Testimonies, pages 190 and 191.
00:51:18.74\00:51:22.50
Now let's bring it home to us.
00:51:22.53\00:51:24.44
She says this...
00:51:25.93\00:51:27.28
And now she's going
to quote Mark 13:33-37.
00:51:30.63\00:51:34.66
She's going to quote Scripture.
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And then she's going to
comment on this passage.
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Because, you know, you
read this where it says,
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"Lest coming suddenly
He find you sleeping."
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You say, "Oh,
that's the second coming."
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It's not the
second coming of Jesus.
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It's the coming of
the thief by surprise.
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Listen to what she comments.
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See, the coming
here is when we are what?
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Sleeping, not when we
wake up and say, "Uh ho."
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Too late.
00:52:36.32\00:52:37.35
Now notice what she says.
00:52:39.21\00:52:40.69
"He that is unjust,
let him be unjust still;
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and he which is filthy,
let him be filthy still;
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and he that is righteous,
let him be righteous still;
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and he that is holy,
let him be holy still."
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Somebody once asked me, "You
know, where does Ellen White
00:53:25.85\00:53:28.25
get the idea that Jesus is
going to change His garments
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from His priestly garments
to His royal kingly robes?
00:53:31.51\00:53:35.84
And I knew that he was
being, this was an Adventist,
00:53:37.00\00:53:39.24
he was being kind of...
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I want to say he was opposed
to Ellen White's comment.
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He was making fun of it.
00:53:44.74\00:53:45.94
And so I said to him,
"You know, if you just use
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a little bit of the
brain that God gave you,
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it wouldn't be too difficult
to reach the conclusion."
00:53:54.19\00:53:56.97
He said, "What do you mean?"
00:53:57.00\00:53:58.08
I said, "Well, what
function is Jesus fulfilling
00:53:58.72\00:54:01.35
in the Sanctuary today?"
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"Well, He's High Priest."
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"So how is He clothed?"
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"Well, as a High
Priest, of course."
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I said, "And when He returns
again, how is He clothed?"
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Revelation 19 says that
He's clothed as King of kings,
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and Lord of lords.
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So sometime before He
comes clothed as King of kings,
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He must have changed.
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It's that simple.
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She continues saying, now
listen to what she says to us...
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Notice the word she uses,
"To those who have neglected..."
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"...neglected..."
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Notice again,
it's not, "rejected."
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"Those who have neglected..."
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Notice, "weary."
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Do you long for His appearing?
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She says, "They longed
not for His appearing."
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They forgot about
their church budget.
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So what is the message of Jesus?
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After He spoke about His coming,
the closing of the door and
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His coming, He
said we need to watch.
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We need to pray.
00:56:53.59\00:56:55.29
We need to be ready.
00:56:56.31\00:56:57.74
We need to be faithful in using
the gifts that He has given us.
00:56:58.86\00:57:01.55
All of the parables He
gives afterwards tell us
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what we need to do in
the light of the fact that
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probation will close.
00:57:06.76\00:57:08.37
Christians who are teaching
that we're going to be raptured
00:57:10.58\00:57:12.62
all over the world before
the tribulation will be found
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in the tribulation without
any shelter or any preparation.
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And among that group
will be many Adventists
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who lost
anxiety over His coming.
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