Participants: Stephen Bohr
Series Code: HWIS
Program Code: HWIS000020
|
00:29 Let's bow our heads for prayer.
00:32 Father in heaven, once again we come before Your throne 00:37 pleading for divine help. 00:41 For we cannot trace the meaning of Your Word 00:45 without the aid of the Spirit who inspired that Word 00:48 in the first place. 00:50 Father, signs of the times are everywhere. 00:56 People know that momentous things are happening 00:58 in this world. 01:00 Things such as we have never seen before. 01:03 Things that show that the close of probation 01:07 and the coming of Jesus is even at the door. 01:11 We're thankful for that because we look forward 01:14 with longing for the coming of Jesus. 01:18 We ask, Father, that You will bless us in our 01:19 study this morning. 01:21 And we thank You for hearing our prayer, 01:25 for we plead in the precious name of Your 01:29 beloved Son, Jesus Christ. 01:31 Amen. 01:35 I would like us to go back in our minds 01:39 to the time of the flood. 01:41 The universal flood in the days of Noah. 01:45 In Genesis chapter 6 and verse 5 and verses 11 and 12, 01:51 we find a description of the wickedness of the world 01:56 before the flood. 01:58 We find there in Genesis 6 and verse 5 the following words. 02:19 Notice the expressions, "the wickedness was great," 02:24 "every intent of the thoughts of his heart 02:27 was only evil continually." 02:32 And then verses 11 and 12 tell us what the 02:34 result was in society. 02:37 Verse 11 states, "The earth was also corrupt before God..." 03:01 What could have led the world to reach this condition 03:05 in only approximately 1600 years since creation? 03:12 Genesis chapter 6 explains the reason why. 03:16 It tells us that the sons of God, which represents 03:20 the righteous, saw that the daughters of men were beautiful. 03:26 Which basically means that the righteous began to 03:30 intermingle with the unrighteous. 03:35 And let me tell you something. 03:36 Very rarely is it the case when a righteous person 03:41 joins an unrighteous person in marriage that the unrighteous 03:45 person becomes righteous. 03:49 Once in a while it will happen. 03:52 But very seldom. 03:55 And so it was the union of the faithful and the unfaithful, 03:59 the righteous with the unrighteous, 04:01 according to Genesis 6:1-4, that led to the corruption 04:05 of the world, to the demoralization of the world. 04:10 But God had a remnant. 04:14 A faithful remnant. 04:16 Small in the context of the millions that undoubtedly 04:22 lived in the world at that time. 04:25 In fact, the remnant when the flood came was compose 04:29 of only eight people. 04:35 Now between creation and the flood, approximately 1656 years 04:39 had transpired. 04:42 How many people were living in the world at that time? 04:46 Men lived to be almost a thousand years old. 04:48 How many children can a thousand year old man have? 04:52 Actually 969, Methuselah. 04:56 You know, when they were 300 years old they were 04:58 just teenagers. 05:02 There was no scarcity of resources. 05:04 There was very little disease, according to 05:06 the spirit of prophecy. 05:09 The world was in its pristine glory. 05:13 Very little did you see the effects of sin. 05:17 There must have been millions of people living on planet earth. 05:21 There was a faithful remnant. 05:24 Let's read about that faithful remnant in Genesis chapter 6 05:27 and verse 9, and then we'll read chapter 7 and verse 1. 05:30 Genesis 6 verse 9 says, "This is the genealogy of Noah..." 05:44 And then let's notice chapter 7 verse 1. 05:59 So God had a small remnant that walked with Him 06:05 and was righteous. 06:08 God called Noah to be His messenger to the world. 06:13 And God established a period, a clearly defined period, 06:18 of probation. 06:20 Notice Genesis chapter 6 and verse 3. 06:24 Genesis chapter 6 and verse 3 describes the period of 06:27 probation during which Noah preached righteousness. 06:32 It says there... 06:39 In other words, the door of mercy is not going to be 06:41 open indefinitely. 06:53 This was the probationary period for the antediluvian race. 07:00 And during this period, God called Noah to preach 07:04 a message of righteousness. 07:07 In fact, in 2 Peter chapter 2 and verse 5, we're told that 07:12 Noah was a preacher of righteousness. 07:16 He said to the antediluvian world, "God is a God of mercy. 07:19 He's a God of love. He's willing to forgive. 07:22 But through His power, you must straighten out your lives. 07:26 You must live righteous lives." 07:30 Now the message of Noah was accompanied by the 07:33 power of the Holy Spirit. 07:35 Because God said, "My Spirit shall not strive 07:39 always with man. 07:41 But He will strive for 120 years." 07:44 So the message of Noah was a message that was accompanied 07:48 by the power of God's Holy Spirit. 07:52 It was also a message of judgment. 07:57 His preaching was a preaching of judgment. 08:00 And you say, "How do you know that?" 08:03 You know, the word, "strive," that is used there in 08:06 Genesis chapter 6, "My Spirit shall not always 08:08 strive with men," most of the time that this word appears 08:14 in the Old Testament it's the Hebrew word, "doon." 08:18 Pretty close to doom. 08:20 Only an "n" on the end; "doon." 08:23 Most of the time it's translated, "judgment." 08:27 In other words, the Holy Spirit, through Noah, was preaching 08:30 a message of judgment where people had to decide 08:33 to be on one side or on the other. 08:37 In other words, his message had the purpose of 08:40 polarizing society. 08:43 He preached through the power of the Holy Spirit 08:46 and his message was a message of judgment, 08:48 because it divided the world into two groups. 08:54 Now Noah not only preached. 08:56 He showed that he believed his message. 09:00 Because we're told in Hebrews chapter 11 09:03 and verse 7 that he built an ark. 09:07 Every hammer blow on the ark was an evidence that Noah 09:11 believed what he was preaching. 09:13 You see, if he had only preached, people would say, 09:15 "And what are you going to do about it?" 09:19 Noah said, "I believe what I preach. 09:23 It's going to rain." 09:25 And he built an ark to prove that he believed 09:28 what he was preaching. 09:31 And by the way, he was building this ark 09:34 on dry ground. 09:37 Now Noah's message was contrary to historical, 09:45 scientific, sensorial, and rational information. 09:53 In other words, his message of a universal flood 09:56 was preposterous. 09:59 Because before the flood it had never rained. 10:02 The Bible tells us that the earth was watered by 10:05 a sort of automatic sprinkler system. 10:09 The Bible says that a mist would come up from the earth 10:13 and water the earth. 10:15 You see, at creation God placed water above 10:19 and He placed water below the earth. 10:22 Above so that there would be a uniform climate. 10:26 Kind of a greenhouse. 10:28 And below so that the earth could be watered. 10:32 So it had never rained. 10:34 And so Noah brings this message that it's going to rain. 10:37 Absurd, ridiculous. 10:41 Who would ever think that water could fall from heaven 10:45 and totally flood the world? 10:48 I like to use my imagination and think what academia 10:51 had to say about Noah's message. 10:55 Let's imagine the Department of Natural Sciences. 11:00 I can hear the experts saying, "It has never rained before. 11:05 Everything has continued as from the beginning." 11:08 As it says in 2 Peter. 11:10 "It would be unscientific to believe that water could 11:14 fall from heaven and fill the earth." 11:19 I like to imagine what the theologians 11:21 must have been saying. 11:23 "God loves the world too much to destroy it. 11:28 Besides, rain from heaven would require a miracle, 11:31 and nature works on the basis of natural law." 11:35 See, these were liberal theologians. 11:40 I like to think what the history department 11:42 of academia would say. 11:44 "There is no historical record of any flood in the past. 11:49 So why should we believe that there is going to be one now?" 11:55 I like to think what the behavioral sciences department 11:58 must have said. 12:00 "Noah is suffering from an imaginary mental delusion. 12:05 He is confusing reality with fantasy. 12:09 He is mentally deranged." 12:12 I like to think what the sociology department 12:15 of that university must have said. 12:17 "We must not allow a lunatic like Noah to interrupt the 12:21 stable order of society." 12:24 Noah was probably looked upon as peculiar, sectarian, 12:28 and perhaps even as a cultist. 12:33 I like to think what the philosophers must have said. 12:36 "Noah is suffering because of an existential void in his life. 12:42 What's true for Noah is not necessarily true 12:46 for everyone else." 12:49 The bottom line is that when Noah finished his preaching, 12:53 all of the world was divided into two groups. 12:58 And there were only eight people faithful to God. 13:03 You know, that is a sobering thought. 13:07 The minority has always been with God. 13:11 The majority has not been with God. 13:14 People think that because their church is the largest church 13:18 that it has to be the true church. 13:21 Not necessarily. 13:24 Because God has always dealt with minorities 13:27 because the minority are the ones who want to accept 13:29 and follow His ways. 13:32 And so Noah preached this message 120 years. 13:37 I like to imagine what it must have been like when the 13:40 120 years of probation came to an end and Noah stood at the 13:44 door of the ark... 13:46 ...pleading with people to come in 13:51 and take refuge from the flood that was going to come. 13:55 All they did was mock and make fun of him. 14:01 So Noah and his family entered the ark. 14:05 I want you to notice what happens next. 14:08 Probation comes to a close when the door of the ark closes. 14:16 Notice Genesis chapter 7 and verse 16. 14:20 Genesis chapter 7 and verse 16. 14:22 Noah has finished preaching his message, and we're told there... 14:44 Who closed the door? 14:46 God closed the door when probation came to an end, 14:50 when preaching came to an end. 14:55 I like to read the description that Ellen White provides, 14:57 because she saw this in vision of the closing of the door. 15:02 Patriarchs And Prophets, page 98. 15:06 She expressed it this way. 15:37 Were those inside sealed? 15:39 Yes they were. 15:50 And so when the door shut, immediately it started to rain. 15:57 No, it did not. 16:02 How long passed between when the door closed 16:06 and when it began to rain? 16:09 The Bible tells us that it was a period of 16:11 seven days that went by. 16:13 Let's read it in Genesis chapter 7 and verse 10. 16:16 Genesis chapter 7 and verse 10. 16:19 It says... 16:29 In other words, between the closing of the door 16:31 and when the destruction came by the rain, 16:34 a period of seven days transpired. 16:40 How do you suppose Noah and his family felt inside the ark 16:43 during those seven days? 16:48 Day one passes; no flood. 16:49 Day two, three, four, five, six; no flood. 16:54 Do you think their faith was tested? 16:58 How do you think the people outside the ark behaved? 17:02 Do you think they became more violent and mocking 17:05 with each passing day? 17:06 See, Noah was crazy. 17:10 In fact, let me read you from Patriarch And Prophets, 17:12 page 98 and 99, about the attitude of those inside and 17:18 those outside the ark. 17:34 There's a period of testing of faith for those inside the ark. 17:46 Although the triumph was very limited and short. 18:03 And on page 99, speaking about those outside 18:06 the ark, she says... 18:21 And then immediately after, she makes this comment 18:24 about what is going to happen at the end of the world. 18:27 I'm going to get ahead of myself just a little bit. 18:29 I'm going to read her statement about how the flood event 18:33 parallels what's going to happen. 18:35 She continues saying on page 99... 18:53 What is going to happen before Jesus comes? 18:56 The door of mercy will be shut. 18:58 And then she says... 19:09 We have no idea what this world is going to be like 19:11 when it's totally under the control of Satan. 19:15 Of course, he will not have control of God's people. 19:18 You need to come to tonight's lecture. 19:21 We're going to talk about the story of Job. 19:24 God's people will suffer. 19:26 But they will not die. 19:30 And so she says, "Then divine grace will no longer 19:33 restrain the wicked and Satan will have full control of 19:35 those who have rejected mercy. 19:37 They will endeavor to destroy God's people. 19:40 But as Noah was shut into the ark, so the righteous 19:46 will be shielded by divine power." 19:51 You see, Jesus will no longer be intercessor, 19:53 but He will be protector. 19:57 Jesus is not going to forsake His people on earth 20:00 when He closes the ministration in the Sanctuary. 20:02 After all, He said, "Lo, I am with you always; 20:05 even unto the end of the world." 20:09 Exactly. 20:12 And then after seven days, suddenly the people 20:18 hear thunder and they see lightening. 20:24 And the sky starts getting dark. 20:27 And these unidentified flying objects called clouds 20:33 begin appearing on the horizon. 20:36 And suddenly, drops of rain begin falling from the sky. 20:42 I can't even imagine how their hearts must have sunk. 20:48 Noah was right. 20:51 What is historically, scientifically, sensorially 20:55 impossible is happening. 20:59 And the Bible speaks about this as a cataclysmic event 21:04 that totally demolished planet earth. 21:09 In fact, in Genesis chapter 7 and verse 11 21:13 we find the description, it says that the great fountains 21:17 of the deep were broken open. 21:21 And the windows of heaven were opened and 21:23 water, torrents of water, came from above and from below. 21:27 You know, in the New Testament, there's a normal 21:29 word for "flood." 21:32 It's the word, "potamos." 21:37 But whenever the flood in Noah's day is referred to, 21:41 a different word is used. 21:44 Only for the flood in Noah's day a special word is used in Greek. 21:48 It's the word, "kataklysmos." 21:52 What word do we get in English from "kataklysmos?" 21:56 Cataclysm. 21:59 By the way, there's a special word for the flood in the 22:01 Old Testament too that is used for the flood in Noah's day. 22:05 The word, "mabbuwl." 22:06 There are many words for "flood" in Hebrew, 22:07 but there's one special one that is used for the 22:09 flood in Noah's day. 22:10 This was a world wide catastrophe. 22:12 You know, as I looked on television at what happened 22:15 in Japan, it was surreal. 22:19 Wasn't it? 22:20 I mean, seeing that tsunami come in and just totally 22:24 take away everything. 22:26 Wow, it's like you're watching some Hollywood movie. 22:33 But that was a local tsunami and a local earthquake. 22:38 Imagine in Noah's day, it was a global compilation. 22:43 Allow me to read you, Patriarchs And Prophets, page 99. 22:47 Ellen White saw in vision what happened. 22:50 She says, "Rivers broke away from their boundaries 22:54 and overflowed the valleys. 22:56 Jets of water burst from the earth with indescribable force, 23:02 throwing massive rocks hundreds of feet into the air. 23:07 And these, in falling, buried themselves deep in the ground." 23:11 She continues saying, "As the violence of the storm increased 23:15 trees, buildings..." 23:16 You can almost see this illustrated in the tsunami 23:20 on a local level. 23:21 She says, "...trees, buildings, rocks, and earth were hurled 23:25 in every direction. 23:27 The terror of men and beast was beyond description. 23:30 Above the roar of the tempest was heard the wailing 23:35 of a people that had despised the authority of God." 23:42 And then the Bible tells us that the earth returned 23:45 to the condition it was in before creation week. 23:50 Filled with water, dark, and no living inhabitant 23:58 upon the earth. 24:01 Some people ask, "What happened with Satan during the flood?" 24:06 He was getting wet. 24:10 Patriarchs And Prophets, page 99. 24:13 Did he lose all of his power base? 24:16 What is the devil's power base? 24:18 His people. 24:21 Did he lose all of his people? 24:23 All of his people died. 24:26 He lost his power base. 24:29 Page 99 of Patriarchs And Prophets, Ellen White, 24:31 who saw this in vision, said... 24:45 What kind of cataclysm it must have been that the devil 24:50 actually feared for his own existence. 24:54 You know, there's one other time that the devil is 24:55 going to be in a situation like that. 24:57 And that is during the millennium. 25:01 Jeremiah said that the earth will be without form and void. 25:05 And he beheld no man on earth. 25:08 Once again, the devil will be bound to planet earth 25:11 in a chaotic and disorderly state. 25:16 Now let's notice what Jesus had to say about the flood. 25:20 Matthew 24:37-39. 25:22 You see, what we've studied so far is really a type or 25:26 an illustration of what's going to happen at the end of time. 25:28 Jesus Himself said so. 25:31 Matthew 24 verse 37, and we'll read through verse 39. 25:36 It says here... 25:53 Now notice a very important little temporal word, 25:56 a time word. 25:58 They were doing this "until..." 26:12 "...until..." Again a temporal word, a time word. 26:25 Did Jesus see a parallel between what happened at the flood and 26:27 what will happen in relationship to His second coming? 26:30 Absolutely. 26:31 Now did you notice that the word, "until," is used twice? 26:35 The first "until" marks the moment when they enter the ark. 26:38 "Until Noah entered the ark." 26:41 The second "until" marks when it began to what? 26:44 When it began to rain. 26:45 "They did not know until the flood came 26:48 and took them all away." 26:49 How much time was there in between those two "until"? 26:53 Seven days. 26:56 Is that correct? 26:57 We already studied it. 26:58 Seven days between the first "until" and the second "until." 27:02 Did you notice that it says that they did not know something 27:05 during those seven days? 27:07 They did not know until the flood came. 27:10 Now the question is, what didn't they know until the flood came? 27:15 They did not know that they were what? 27:19 They did not know that they were lost. 27:22 Let me ask you this, when were the wicked lost? 27:27 When the door closed or when it started to rain? 27:31 When the door closed. 27:33 Did the door close before it started to rain? 27:37 Yes. 27:38 Was there a period of tribulation for those 27:40 who were inside the ark during those seven days? 27:43 Was it a time of triumph for those outside of the ark? 27:46 Absolutely. 27:47 Those outside, they did not even know that they were lost 27:52 during that period. 27:54 Until the flood came and took them all away. 27:57 So will the coming of the Son of Man be. 28:02 Is it just possible that probation is going to close 28:04 before Jesus comes? 28:07 Absolutely. 28:09 Now, we're studying this series on the Sanctuary. 28:14 We've taken a look at the flood, we've taken a look at 28:16 Matthew chapter 24. 28:18 But now we want to see that this whole idea of 28:21 probation closing and then destruction coming 28:24 actually needs to be understood within the context of 28:28 the Sanctuary. 28:30 And to find that context we must go to the book of Revelation. 28:34 Go with me to Revelation chapter 14 verses 6 and 7. 28:41 Revelation chapter 14 and verses 6 and 7. 28:45 Does God have an end time message for the world 28:47 like He had a message in the days of Noah? 28:50 Absolutely. 28:51 It's found in Revelation 14 verses 6 and 7. 28:54 You know that passage. 28:55 You have it memorized, don't you. 28:59 Three angels messages given to the world. 29:02 First angel's message says, "Fear God, give glory to Him, 29:07 for the hour of His..." What? 29:09 "...of His judgment has come. 29:12 And worship Him who made the heavens, the earth, 29:15 the seas, and the fountains of waters." 29:18 So does God have a message to the world that the world 29:21 needs to fear God and give glory to God 29:24 because the hour of God's judgment has come? 29:27 Absolutely. 29:29 Is this God's final message to the world? 29:32 Yes, because immediately after the three angels messages 29:35 Jesus is seen seated on a cloud and He has a sickle 29:38 in His hand and He's coming back to the earth. 29:41 Will this message be accompanied by the power of the Holy Spirit? 29:44 Absolutely. 29:45 You say, "How do we know that?" 29:47 Very simple. 29:48 After the three angels messages, the Bible tells us that the 29:53 harvest of the earth is ripe and the grapes of the earth 29:55 are ripe immediately afterwards. 29:58 What was it in the Bible that ripened the harvest? 30:03 The latter rain. 30:05 And what does the latter rain represent? 30:08 It represents the Holy Spirit. 30:12 So is this message accompanied by the power of the Holy Spirit 30:15 and matures the world into two groups? 30:19 Yes. 30:20 You have those who have the seal of God, 30:23 and those who receive what? 30:25 The mark of the beast, as a result of the message. 30:28 The world will be divided into two groups. 30:33 So is the end time message a message of judgment? 30:36 Yes. 30:37 Is it a global message? 30:39 Absolutely. 30:40 Is it accompanied by the power of the Holy Spirit? 30:44 Yes. 30:48 What will happen when the message has been proclaimed? 30:54 The door of mercy will close. 30:57 Can we now come in faith to the heavenly Sanctuary, 31:00 and in repentance and in faith, confessing our sins? 31:04 Can we have the assurance that Jesus receives our sins 31:06 and He cleanses us from all unrighteousness? 31:09 Do we have that assurance today? 31:10 Is Jesus ministering as High Priest in the Sanctuary? 31:13 We've studied this, right? 31:14 Is the day coming when He's not going to minister 31:16 as the High Priest anymore? 31:19 Revelation 15, the very next chapter after the message. 31:24 Revelation 15, and let's read beginning at verse 5. 31:28 Revelation 15 verse 5. 31:31 Intercession is going to close. 31:32 Now we're in a Sanctuary context. 31:35 It says there in Revelation 15 verse 5... 31:41 We've already identified the temple as the Most Holy Place. 31:43 The word, "naos," in Revelation means, the Most Holy Place. 31:53 The tabernacle is the total structure. 31:55 The temple is the Most Holy Place. 32:02 You say, "Oh well, the Sanctuary is opened. 32:04 So everybody can come in and be saved." 32:06 No, no, the purpose of opening the Sanctuary here 32:09 is not to let people in, but to let the plague angels out. 32:15 Notice what it continues saying, verse 6. 32:18 The temple, once again, is the Most Holy Place. 32:40 The temple, once again the same word, "naos;" Most Holy Place. 33:00 Is the ministration in the Most Holy Place going to 33:02 come to an end? 33:03 It is. 33:04 Are people going to be able to enter there and bring their sins 33:07 to Jesus for forgiveness and cleansing? 33:11 No. 33:12 The Bible tells us that a time is coming when we 33:14 will not be able to enter. 33:16 The temple will be opened in order for the angels to come out 33:21 and pour out God's wrath like He did at the time of the flood. 33:27 You know it's interesting, immediately after 33:28 speaking about the closing of the ministration 33:33 here in Revelation 15, do you know what you find in the 33:35 very next chapter, chapter 16? 33:37 You find the plagues and the tribulation. 33:41 Are you with me? 33:44 You have seven plagues. 33:46 That's before the coming of Jesus. 33:48 The temple ministry closes, seven plagues. 33:51 There's a period... 33:53 ...before Jesus comes. 33:56 Finally when you get to chapter 19 of Revelation, 33:59 there you have the second coming of Jesus. 34:01 The Bible tells us that He's seated on a white horse. 34:04 And the armies of heaven are with Him. 34:07 And He's coming to pick up His people. 34:09 That's the second coming. 34:12 And so Revelation has this pattern: the proclamation 34:15 of the message, Revelation 14; 34:17 the closing of the ministration in the Sanctuary in chapter 15; 34:22 the period of tribulation and the plagues, chapter 16; 34:25 and the arrival of Jesus Christ at His second coming 34:27 after the tribulation in chapter 19. 34:33 So is there going to be a period between the close of probation 34:35 and the coming of Jesus? 34:38 Absolutely. 34:40 You know, most Christians think that they can prepare for the 34:42 coming of Jesus until they see Jesus in the clouds, 34:44 and they say, "Oh Lord, I'm Yours." 34:49 But if you're not prepared for the close of probation, 34:51 you will not be prepared for the second coming of Jesus. 34:53 We need to prepare for the close of probation. 34:56 And no one knows the day or the hour when it will close. 35:00 Go with me to Revelation chapter 22 where this idea 35:03 is flushed out, where this idea is developed; 35:06 this idea of the close of probation, in the context of 35:10 the Sanctuary, before Jesus comes. 35:12 Revelation chapter 22. 35:14 There are three ideas that I want us to notice here 35:16 in Revelation chapter 22 verse 10. 35:22 It's speaking about the book of Revelation. 35:26 It says there in verse 10, "And he said to me..." 35:29 The angel is speaking to John. 35:38 What does that mean, "Don't seal the words of the 35:40 prophecy of this book?" 35:42 Can a message still come from the book and still be understood 35:45 if it's not sealed? 35:47 Sure. 35:48 So in other words, don't seal the book. 35:50 Don't close the book. 35:52 Because a message needs to come from the book. 35:55 Can people be saved while the book is still 35:58 imparting its message? 36:00 Absolutely. 36:02 So in verse 10, probation is open. 36:04 Because it says, "Do not seal the words of the 36:07 prophecy of this book." 36:08 But then it says, "For the time is at hand." 36:10 The question is, what time is at hand." 36:12 The next verse tells us what time is at hand. 36:17 Is there a time coming, folks, when the book of Revelation 36:22 will no longer impart a saving message? 36:26 Absolutely. 36:27 Where everybody's case will have been decided based on 36:30 how they react to what we find in the book of Revelation? 36:33 Absolutely. 36:34 This is the reason, we're going to read it in a moment, 36:35 this is the reason why God pronounces a tremendous 36:39 blessing and a terrible curse upon those who do not 36:42 handle the book of Revelation properly. 36:46 It's a serious matter to preach on Revelation. 36:50 It's a dangerous thing to add or take away. 36:54 In fact, Revelation chapter 22 verses 18 and 19 says... 37:23 Is it important to understand the book of Revelation properly? 37:26 Absolutely. 37:27 Now it's not easy. 37:29 It's not like reading Reader's Digest. 37:33 It requires effort, taxing effort, time, prayer. 37:40 So you find in verse 10 a message is coming 37:42 from Revelation; beware, don't add or don't take away. 37:45 Because it's a saving message. 37:47 But is there a time coming when no longer will you 37:51 be able to hear a message from this book? 37:53 The book will be sealed up, so to speak. 37:55 Yes, notice verse 11. 37:57 Revelation 22 verse 11. 37:59 The previous verse has said the time is at hand. 38:01 Don't seal the book, the time is at hand. 38:03 What time? 38:04 The time is spoken of in verse 11. 38:06 It says... 38:13 Does that sound pretty definitive? 38:32 Are all cases decided at this point? 38:36 Will the filthy still be filthy? 38:37 Will the holy still be holy? 38:39 Will the righteous still be righteous? 38:41 Absolutely. 38:43 By the way, these words, "holy," "filthy," have to be understood 38:50 within the context of the Sanctuary. 38:52 This is Sanctuary terminology. 38:56 How do you get clean, spiritually speaking? 39:02 You have to take... 39:03 You have to come in repentance and confession to Jesus, 39:07 and you have to trust in His merits so that He will 39:10 forgive you and cleanse you. 39:11 Right? 39:13 Can we do that today? 39:15 Can we come to Jesus with our sins repentant, 39:18 confessing our sin, and trusting in His merits, and say, 39:20 "Jesus, please forgive me." 39:22 Will Jesus cleanse those sins? 39:25 Will Jesus forgive those sins? 39:27 He most certainly will. 39:29 But the time is coming when we won't be able 39:32 to do that anymore. 39:34 Where the declaration will be made, "He who is filthy 39:37 is going to continue being filthy. 39:40 And he who is unrighteous will continue to be unrighteous." 39:45 All cases will have been decided. 39:47 And this happens before Jesus comes. 39:49 You say, "How do we know that it happens before Jesus comes?" 39:52 Because verse 12 tells us that after this declaration is made, 39:59 then Jesus comes to give His reward. 40:04 Notice verse 12 of Revelation 22. 40:14 Did He already decide what the reward was before He came? 40:18 Yes, because He brings the reward. 40:32 So there's a sequence here. 40:33 There's a message coming from the book. 40:35 Don't seal the book. 40:36 Don't add or take away. 40:37 It's a life saving message. 40:41 But the time is coming when the filthy will be filthy 40:44 and the righteous will be righteous. 40:46 And then Jesus will come to give His what? 40:49 His reward. 40:50 The sequence is clear and it's connected with the Sanctuary. 40:53 Because the Sanctuary cleansed people 40:55 so that they would not be filthy. 40:58 Are you understanding what I'm saying? 41:01 By the way, there are two cleansings. 41:03 One cleansing is the individual cleansing when I come 41:06 in repentance to Jesus Christ and say, 41:07 "Lord, please forgive my sins." 41:09 Jesus forgives me and cleanses me. 41:13 But that sin enters the Sanctuary covered by the 41:16 blood of Jesus. 41:18 And when my case comes up in the judgment... 41:20 We're going to study this in the last few lectures 41:22 of this series. 41:24 When my name comes up in the judgment, 41:26 because we all will appear before the judgment seat of 41:29 Christ, the devil will be there to say, 41:31 "Hey, Pastor Bohr did this and this and this and this. 41:34 He's a sinner, he belongs to me." 41:35 And Jesus is going to say, "I don't deny that Pastor Bohr 41:38 did this and this and this. 41:39 But there's one thing which you forgot. 41:41 And that is, all those sins entered the Sanctuary 41:44 by My blood. 41:46 They are forgiven sins." 41:48 The sins that enter the Sanctuary are forgiven sins. 41:52 And in the judgment, it's God's purpose to 41:54 shut the devil's mouth. 41:57 Don't miss tonight's lecture. 42:00 It's going to be good. 42:01 I can hardly wait. 42:05 Now let's talk a little bit about the coming of the thief. 42:13 You know, the coming of the thief needs to be 42:14 understood in two way. 42:17 First of all, when the thief comes. 42:20 And secondly, when you discover that the thief has come. 42:27 Imagine an individual who has locked the doors to the house 42:35 since time immemorial. 42:37 It's December; cold, windy. 42:42 And you're under the covers nice and warm. 42:45 And you remember, "I forgot to lock the door. 42:50 Oh I hate to get up. 42:51 But the thief hasn't come for 20 years. 42:54 He's not going to come tonight." 42:57 And so you stay under the covers. 42:58 And while you're sleeping, the thief comes. 43:05 Do you know he's come? 43:07 You don't know it, but he comes. 43:11 And he steals your money. 43:17 He steals your video camera. 43:23 He steals everything that's valuable. 43:27 You get up in the morning. 43:30 And when you get up in the morning, you discover 43:32 that your television is gone. 43:33 Hallelujah. 43:38 "What happened to my TV?" 43:41 And then you notice that all these other things are missing. 43:45 The thief came and you didn't know it. 43:48 Until you woke up in the morning. 43:52 So will also the coming of the Son of Man be. 43:57 Because the close of probation catches everyone like 44:00 the coming of a thief. 44:03 And people will not know that Jesus has closed the 44:06 door of probation until He's coming on the clouds. 44:10 But at that time it is too late. 44:13 You say, "Is it biblical to believe that probation closes 44:16 before destruction comes?" 44:17 Let me give you... 44:18 This is the pattern of the Bible. 44:20 Let me ask you, did the door of probation close for the 44:22 Jewish nation before the city was destroyed? 44:25 It was closed in the year 34 and it was destroyed in the year 70. 44:29 Did the door of probation close for Babylon 44:32 before Babylon was destroyed? 44:34 Remember the handwriting on the wall 44:36 that expressed doom, and then it was destroyed? 44:39 Sodom and Gomorrah; was the door of probation closed 44:41 for them before the destruction came? 44:43 Yes, remember the angels. 44:45 They took Lot and they pulled him in, 44:47 and they shut the door. 44:49 At that moment, the door was shut for Sodom and Gomorrah. 44:52 Did the door close before the first destruction of Jerusalem? 44:57 Was there a sealing that went on, dividing the righteous 45:00 from the unrighteous, and then destruction came? 45:03 Absolutely. 45:05 So this is a pattern in the Bible. 45:08 That, first of all, there's a judgment. 45:10 Judgment sentence is pronounced. 45:12 And then the execution of the sentence takes place... 45:16 ...later. 45:19 Let me share with you an experience. 45:23 I lived many years in Columbia. 45:26 My wife is from Columbia. 45:29 On November 13, 1985, the city of Armero... 45:37 ...was buried by an avalanche of mud... 45:41 ...due to the explosion of the volcano, Nevado del Ruiz. 45:47 You see, the people in the city, they didn't believe that 45:50 they were ever in danger, because there's a river that 45:54 runs on the western side of the city. 45:56 And they felt that if ever that volcano exploded, 46:00 that the lava would go down the river bed. 46:04 But what they didn't realize is that there was a huge boulder 46:08 that blocked the river bed and diverted the mud 46:15 right to where the city was. 46:17 I was there, actually, about three years ago 46:19 and visited this place. 46:21 They still have that huge rock there 46:24 that blocked the river. 46:26 22,000 people that night died and were buried under the mud. 46:37 I read an article in the newspaper, one of the 46:39 Columbia newspapers; El Espectadore. 46:42 It was written by the local, Rodríguez Calderón. 46:47 And what he said in that article showed that all these people 46:51 could have survived. 46:54 Because they had abundant signs that a disaster was imminent. 46:59 Let me share some of those signs with you. 47:01 Eleven months before the disaster, the mountain 47:03 had begun spewing out smoke. 47:07 The fluffy snow at the top of the mountain turned into 47:11 a sheet of ice because of the heat. 47:14 The water level of the rivers daily increased more and more. 47:20 The cloud of ash and gases of the first day reached 47:24 15 feet in height. 47:25 The second day was 750 feet. 47:28 And the day of the eruption, the cloud of smoke and ash 47:32 had reached 16,000 feet. 47:35 On September 11, a couple of months before, 47:39 the earth started shaking... 47:42 ...on the scale of 3 on the Richter scale. 47:45 The people testified, those few who survived, 47:47 testified that they could hear the mountain rumbling within. 47:52 The government had to close the access roads because of 47:55 constant mudslides that made it impossible 48:00 to get up to the mountain peak. 48:03 People said they couldn't keep their houses clean 48:07 because there was constant ash all over their furniture. 48:09 They could smell sulfur in the air. 48:13 And those who survived said that the evening of the disaster, 48:16 there was this torrential rain around 9 o'clock in the evening, 48:21 and a supernatural darkness. 48:24 Were there plenty of signs that the disaster was imminent? 48:28 Absolutely. 48:30 And yet 22,000 people, including 120 of 124 48:36 Seventh-day Adventists, were buried by the avalanche of mud. 48:42 The question is, could this have been averted? 48:47 And why wasn't it? 48:50 Do you know the reason why people decided to stay? 48:54 Because they chose to believe the testimony of the experts. 49:00 Let me give you some other details that appeared 49:02 in this article. 49:04 The town priest, Edgar Efren Torres, 49:09 came over the radio at 7 pm and told the people, 49:12 "There's no reason to panic. Please keep calm." 49:16 The civil defense of Columbia sent out a message 49:19 by radio also saying, "There is no reason to be concerned." 49:26 The bishop of the town, Augusto Osorio, 49:30 even came out and warned against fanatics who were 49:32 making it appear like a major disaster was imminent. 49:37 The mayor of the town said, "Don't worry," 49:40 and then skipped town. 49:45 The governor of the state of Tolima later said, 49:50 "The disaster could not have been predicted in advance." 49:55 Columbian scientists, Jaime Viegas Velásquez, 49:57 affirmed, "This volcano is not going to erupt. 50:00 Nothing is going to happen. 50:01 Beware of speculations and exaggerations." 50:06 The Secretary of Mines, Evan du Escobar, 50:10 asserted, "Nothing will happen." 50:12 Even United States geologist, Darryl Hurd, 50:16 said, "It is very unlikely that the cities could be buried 50:21 by rocks, lava, or mud." 50:24 And the regional emergency committee, that very evening, 50:27 sent out a message that said, "Don't expect your 50:29 windows to shatter. 50:31 Don't expect darkness. 50:32 Don't expect lava to run down the mountain. 50:36 Don't expect large layers of ash." 50:39 Among other things. 50:41 In fact, they said, "Go out and enjoy the spectacular scene." 50:48 The people did not know that the door had closed 50:55 until destruction came and took them all away. 50:59 Because instead of paying attention to the signs, 51:03 they listened to the experts. 51:06 Just like happened before the flood. 51:09 I'd like to end by reading a passage from Ellen White 51:12 that applies directly to us. 51:17 This is a rather lengthy passage. 51:18 It's found in volume 2 of the Testimonies, pages 190 and 191. 51:22 Now let's bring it home to us. 51:25 She says this... 51:30 And now she's going to quote Mark 13:33-37. 51:35 She's going to quote Scripture. 52:01 And then she's going to comment on this passage. 52:03 Because, you know, you read this where it says, 52:05 "Lest coming suddenly He find you sleeping." 52:08 You say, "Oh, that's the second coming." 52:09 It's not the second coming of Jesus. 52:13 It's the coming of the thief by surprise. 52:16 Listen to what she comments. 52:29 See, the coming here is when we are what? 52:33 Sleeping, not when we wake up and say, "Uh ho." 52:36 Too late. 52:39 Now notice what she says. 53:15 "He that is unjust, let him be unjust still; 53:17 and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still; 53:20 and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still; 53:22 and he that is holy, let him be holy still." 53:25 Somebody once asked me, "You know, where does Ellen White 53:28 get the idea that Jesus is going to change His garments 53:31 from His priestly garments to His royal kingly robes? 53:37 And I knew that he was being, this was an Adventist, 53:39 he was being kind of... 53:42 I want to say he was opposed to Ellen White's comment. 53:44 He was making fun of it. 53:46 And so I said to him, "You know, if you just use 53:50 a little bit of the brain that God gave you, 53:54 it wouldn't be too difficult to reach the conclusion." 53:57 He said, "What do you mean?" 53:58 I said, "Well, what function is Jesus fulfilling 54:01 in the Sanctuary today?" 54:03 "Well, He's High Priest." 54:05 "So how is He clothed?" 54:08 "Well, as a High Priest, of course." 54:11 I said, "And when He returns again, how is He clothed?" 54:14 Revelation 19 says that He's clothed as King of kings, 54:18 and Lord of lords. 54:19 So sometime before He comes clothed as King of kings, 54:23 He must have changed. 54:26 It's that simple. 54:29 She continues saying, now listen to what she says to us... 54:46 Notice the word she uses, "To those who have neglected..." 55:17 "...neglected..." 55:18 Notice again, it's not, "rejected." 55:20 "Those who have neglected..." 55:30 Notice, "weary." 55:40 Do you long for His appearing? 55:43 She says, "They longed not for His appearing." 56:13 They forgot about their church budget. 56:44 So what is the message of Jesus? 56:46 After He spoke about His coming, the closing of the door and 56:49 His coming, He said we need to watch. 56:53 We need to pray. 56:56 We need to be ready. 56:58 We need to be faithful in using the gifts that He has given us. 57:01 All of the parables He gives afterwards tell us 57:04 what we need to do in the light of the fact that 57:06 probation will close. 57:10 Christians who are teaching that we're going to be raptured 57:12 all over the world before the tribulation will be found 57:15 in the tribulation without any shelter or any preparation. 57:20 And among that group will be many Adventists 57:24 who lost anxiety over His coming. |
Revised 2014-12-17