>>John Bradshaw:
This is It Is Written.
00:00:19.61\00:00:21.38
I'm John Bradshaw.
Thanks for joining me.
00:00:21.42\00:00:24.32
Now, here's a big question:
Is there life out there?
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There's a real fascination
with life on other planets,
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extraterrestrial life in
other parts of our universe.
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It used to be that we thought
there might be life on Mars.
00:00:36.97\00:00:39.87
Pop culture picked up
on the subject long ago.
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There have been TV programs.
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There have been pop songs.
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There have been movies
made about life out there.
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The United States government
has said that it is committed
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to sending a mission to Mars.
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We've sent probes out into
our solar system in the hope
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of learning more about
what's going on out there,
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in the hope of making important
scientific discoveries.
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Telescopes search
beyond our sky and find
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the most remarkable
images of nebula and supernova
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and distant
corners of the Milky Way.
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But so far, no life
has been found out there,
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at least nothing in
the form of flying saucers
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and little green men.
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There's no
shortage of people who claim
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that they've seen UFOs,
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convinced that
they have been visited
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by visitors from another planet.
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Strange sightings
have been reported.
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Alien encounters
have been claimed.
00:01:35.39\00:01:38.03
But it might be,
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it might be people are
looking in all the wrong places.
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Now, let me show you
what I mean as we continue
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our ongoing series,
"Great Chapters of the Bible,"
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and look at
Revelation chapter 14.
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If it's messages
from outer space you want,
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I've got something for you.
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We start in Revelation
chapter 14 and verse 6:
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"And I saw another angel
fly in the midst of heaven,
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having the everlasting gospel
to preach unto them that dwell
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on the earth,
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and to every
nation, and kindred,
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and tongue, and people."
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The Bible is God's
frontline communication
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with the human family.
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Peter wrote that "prophecy
never came by the will of man,
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but holy men of God
spoke as they were moved
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by the Holy Spirit."
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God inspired the
writing of the Bible,
00:02:28.98\00:02:31.51
and the Bible brings
to us, quite literally,
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messages from outer space.
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How far away is heaven anyway?
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In terms of its
literal location,
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it's a long way from here,
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and God communicates
with us from beyond the stars,
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from beyond our
galaxy, the Milky Way.
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God speaks to us from heaven,
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and in Revelation 14
we see heavenly messengers
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bringing to us messages
that originate with God,
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messages for the entire planet,
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messages that are
specific in time and in content
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and are designed for the world
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in the last days
of earth's history.
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Revelation chapter 14 begins
with these words, verse 1:
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"And I looked, and, lo, a
Lamb stood on the mount Sion,
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and with Him an hundred
forty and four thousand,
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having His Father's name
written in their foreheads."
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So, who are the 144,000?
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There's a lot of
discussion about this,
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but think about it
from this point of view.
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Revelation is a book
written using a lot of signs
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and symbols.
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In Revelation 14:1, you've got
a Lamb standing on a mountain
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with exactly 144,000
people who all have God's name
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written on their foreheads.
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Might be wisest to look at this
from a symbolic point of view.
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Verse 2 talks about
the voices that John heard.
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John wrote
Revelation, and, by the way,
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this is the same John as
who wrote the Gospel of John
00:03:55.23\00:03:58.47
and the three little
Johns just before Revelation.
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Verse 3 talks about the
song that the 144,000 sing.
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And it tells us that
the 144,000 "were redeemed
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from [among] the earth."
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Verse 4 says,
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"These are they which
were not defiled with women;
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for they are virgins.
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These are they which follow
the Lamb whithersoever He goeth.
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These were
redeemed from among men,
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being the firstfruits
unto God and to the Lamb."
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And verse 5 says,
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"And in their
mouth was found no guile:
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for they are without
fault before the throne of God."
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So, who are these people?
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Revelation 7 adds
some more information.
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Revelation 7 says
that the 144,000 are sealed
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with the seal of God.
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And in earth's
last great crisis,
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people will be marked with
one or the other of two things.
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The saved will be
sealed with the seal of God,
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while the lost are marked
with the mark of the beast.
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So the 144,000 are saved
and sealed with the seal of God.
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They're obedient to
God, God's servants,
00:05:01.36\00:05:03.63
saved and not lost.
00:05:03.67\00:05:05.87
Revelation 7 goes on and
says that the 144,000 are chosen
00:05:05.90\00:05:09.84
from the 12 tribes of Israel,
00:05:09.87\00:05:12.21
exactly 12,000 from
each of the 12 tribes.
00:05:12.24\00:05:15.21
So, if you want to, you
could believe that the 144,000
00:05:15.24\00:05:19.25
have to be
144,000 celibate Jews.
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Or you could choose to
look at this as a picture
00:05:23.92\00:05:26.22
of God's saved people of
any and all races down here
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in the close of time.
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What do we know
about this group?
00:05:32.86\00:05:33.83
We know that they're saved.
00:05:33.86\00:05:35.20
We know they don't
receive the mark of the beast.
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We know they do
receive the seal of God,
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because Revelation 14
describes the saved as keeping
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"the commandments of God."
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They are saved; we know
they're obedient to God.
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They follow the
Lamb; they follow Jesus.
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They are
completely given to Him.
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And that's the
explanation for the Lamb.
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They're not following a
woolly lamb around a mountain.
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The 144,000 appear to
be the saved who survive
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earth's final crisis and
are victorious over the beast
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and his image, saved when
Jesus returns to the earth.
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Keep in mind that Revelation
14 starts with the words,
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"And I looked," indicating it
follows on from Revelation 13,
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which says,
starting in verse 15,
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"And he had power to give life
unto the image of the beast,
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that the image of the
beast should both speak,
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and cause that as
many as would not worship
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the image of the
beast should be killed.
00:06:30.32\00:06:33.29
And he causeth all, both
small and great, rich and poor,
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free and bond, to receive
a mark in their right hand,
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or in their foreheads:
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and that no man might buy or
sell, save he that had the mark,
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or the name of the beast,
or the number of his name.
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Here is wisdom.
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Let him that hath understanding
count the number of the beast:
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for it is the number of a man;
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and his number is six
hundred threescore and six."
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¤[soft music]¤
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Revelation 13 is a picture
00:07:05.05\00:07:07.29
of earth's great
final spiritual crisis,
00:07:07.32\00:07:11.83
a time of persecution and
trouble for the people of God
00:07:11.86\00:07:14.20
as evil finally has
its way in the world,
00:07:14.20\00:07:17.30
as sin and rebellion
against God come to a head.
00:07:17.33\00:07:20.50
Revelation 14 opens
with a picture of those
00:07:20.54\00:07:23.04
who are faithful to
God, who are victorious,
00:07:23.07\00:07:26.11
who sing a song of victory,
just as Moses and his people did
00:07:26.14\00:07:29.44
after Pharaoh was defeated
and they were delivered.
00:07:29.48\00:07:32.68
The beginning of
Revelation chapter 14
00:07:32.71\00:07:34.42
is where God sees you,
triumphant, victorious, saved,
00:07:34.45\00:07:39.82
a conqueror, through
faith in Jesus Christ.
00:07:39.85\00:07:43.32
Imagine what it would take to
be part of the group of people
00:07:43.36\00:07:46.03
who are saved in
earth's last days.
00:07:46.06\00:07:48.16
Well, I'll tell you:
00:07:48.20\00:07:49.30
It'll take the
presence of Jesus in your life,
00:07:49.33\00:07:52.33
a heart that is
given over to God,
00:07:52.37\00:07:54.74
a life that is lived for
God's glory and not your own.
00:07:54.77\00:08:00.14
Think of that
with me for a moment:
00:08:00.18\00:08:01.84
Living for your own glory--
00:08:01.88\00:08:04.28
how futile is that?
00:08:04.31\00:08:06.05
While there's nothing
wrong with having the blessings
00:08:06.08\00:08:07.92
of this world, if
that's what you're living for,
00:08:07.95\00:08:11.09
it'll be a curse to you
and not a blessing to you.
00:08:11.12\00:08:14.86
Imagine having the
best of this world,
00:08:14.89\00:08:16.36
but not having Jesus,
00:08:16.39\00:08:18.13
or living for yourself
without reference to God.
00:08:18.16\00:08:22.56
You can please
yourself for a while,
00:08:22.60\00:08:24.80
but when it really
matters, you'll have nothing.
00:08:24.83\00:08:28.30
But God offers you everything.
00:08:28.34\00:08:30.74
And you can have the
best that God has to offer,
00:08:30.77\00:08:33.24
if you'll open
up your heart to God
00:08:33.27\00:08:34.84
and receive
Jesus as your Savior,
00:08:34.88\00:08:37.28
if you'll receive the new
heart God wants you to have.
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Not because you deserve it,
00:08:40.45\00:08:42.28
but because God
wants you to have it,
00:08:42.32\00:08:44.75
and you can accept it.
00:08:44.79\00:08:46.79
Can you do that?
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I think you can.
00:08:48.56\00:08:49.76
In a moment, the message
that produces God's saved people
00:08:49.79\00:08:54.93
in earth's last days.
00:08:54.93\00:08:56.40
I'll be right back.
00:08:56.43\00:08:57.97
¤[music]¤
00:08:58.00\00:09:04.07
>>Announcer 1: Many
consider the book of Revelation
00:09:06.84\00:09:08.81
to be irrelevant
in the modern world,
00:09:08.84\00:09:10.85
but nothing could be
farther from the truth.
00:09:10.88\00:09:13.15
Our free offer,
"Revelation Today,"
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will help you understand
the important messages
00:09:15.38\00:09:17.75
given in Revelation and why
it's more relevant to us today
00:09:17.79\00:09:20.86
than ever before.
00:09:20.89\00:09:21.89
To receive your free copy,
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call 800-253-3000
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Call 800-253-3000
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or visit iiwoffer.com.
00:09:33.67\00:09:36.34
>>John Bradshaw: Thanks for
joining me on It Is Written.
00:09:37.37\00:09:39.67
We're looking at another
great chapter of the Bible,
00:09:39.71\00:09:42.44
this time Revelation 14.
00:09:42.48\00:09:44.91
Revelation is considered a
last-days book of the Bible
00:09:44.95\00:09:47.92
because it speaks to many
of the issues and the events
00:09:47.95\00:09:50.29
of earth's final days.
00:09:50.32\00:09:51.95
And keep this in mind
about the book of Revelation:
00:09:51.99\00:09:54.42
John wrote it using a
lot of signs and symbols.
00:09:54.46\00:09:58.26
He wanted his readers to
understand what he was writing,
00:09:58.29\00:10:01.40
so he chose his
symbols carefully.
00:10:01.43\00:10:04.47
If you have a, a code, let's
call it, you need to have a key,
00:10:04.50\00:10:08.90
a way for the people
who are reading the code
00:10:08.94\00:10:10.81
to decipher that
code and get the message
00:10:10.84\00:10:13.74
you actually want them to get.
00:10:13.78\00:10:15.41
In World War II,
Germany used something called
00:10:15.44\00:10:18.21
an Enigma machine
to encrypt messages.
00:10:18.25\00:10:21.22
It was effective.
00:10:21.25\00:10:23.25
Cracking the Enigma code
became essential to the Allies.
00:10:23.28\00:10:26.65
In the 1930s, work was
done by Polish intelligence
00:10:26.69\00:10:30.23
to understand the
mystery of Enigma.
00:10:30.26\00:10:32.76
During World War
II, a British group
00:10:32.79\00:10:35.33
that included
mathematician Alan Turing
00:10:35.36\00:10:37.57
finally cracked Enigma,
which many say shortened the war
00:10:37.60\00:10:41.74
by as much as four years
00:10:41.77\00:10:43.24
and saved
potentially millions of lives.
00:10:43.27\00:10:46.34
It's important to be
able to figure out the code.
00:10:46.37\00:10:49.61
John wrote
Revelation using a sort of code,
00:10:49.64\00:10:52.15
using signs and symbols.
00:10:52.18\00:10:54.42
No, it's not that the entire
book is written like that,
00:10:54.45\00:10:57.29
but a lot of it is.
00:10:57.32\00:10:58.85
Now, how do we crack the code?
00:10:58.89\00:11:01.92
Well, the code used by
John is really pretty simple.
00:11:01.96\00:11:06.56
John used the Old Testament
to source his signs and symbols,
00:11:06.59\00:11:10.80
and we see that
in Revelation 14.
00:11:10.83\00:11:12.97
We're going to
see that very soon.
00:11:13.00\00:11:14.77
But let's pick up in
Revelation 14 in verse 6:
00:11:14.80\00:11:17.71
"And I saw another angel
[flying] in the midst of heaven,
00:11:17.74\00:11:20.84
having the everlasting gospel
to preach unto them that dwell
00:11:20.88\00:11:24.11
on the earth, and to
every nation, and kindred,
00:11:24.15\00:11:27.65
and tongue, and people."
00:11:27.68\00:11:29.45
An angel. Why is that?
00:11:29.48\00:11:31.52
The Greek word is
"angelos," a "messenger."
00:11:31.55\00:11:34.86
This is a messenger sent
by God. Again, it's symbolic.
00:11:34.89\00:11:37.33
There won't be an actual
angel flying up in the sky
00:11:37.36\00:11:40.26
calling to people
below on the earth.
00:11:40.30\00:11:42.60
This represents a message
going to the ends of the world,
00:11:42.63\00:11:46.00
a message for everyone to hear.
00:11:46.03\00:11:48.07
This is God's last-day message,
00:11:48.10\00:11:50.81
the gospel message the
world must hear, will hear
00:11:50.84\00:11:54.84
before everything is
done here on Planet Earth.
00:11:54.88\00:11:57.75
So, see how important this is?
00:11:57.78\00:11:59.38
A messenger, up where
you can't miss the messenger,
00:11:59.41\00:12:02.65
taking the message
to everyone everywhere.
00:12:02.68\00:12:05.42
Verse 7:
00:12:05.45\00:12:06.89
"Saying with a loud voice, 'Fear
God, and give glory to Him;
00:12:06.92\00:12:10.83
for the hour of
His judgment is come:
00:12:10.86\00:12:13.09
and worship Him that
made heaven, and earth,
00:12:13.13\00:12:15.40
and the sea, and the
fountains of waters.'"
00:12:15.43\00:12:19.00
First thing you notice: The
angel speaks with a loud voice.
00:12:19.03\00:12:21.77
In the Greek, a "mega" "phoné,"
a megaphone, "a loud voice."
00:12:21.80\00:12:27.08
So this indicates the
message must be heard.
00:12:27.11\00:12:30.81
It is important.
00:12:30.85\00:12:33.68
I grew up near a
railroad track, a busy one.
00:12:33.72\00:12:36.72
And as kids, we used
to play on the tracks,
00:12:36.75\00:12:38.69
you know, as kids do.
00:12:38.72\00:12:41.39
Across from where we lived,
the track was long and straight,
00:12:41.42\00:12:44.49
and, of course, you could
hear the train coming from about
00:12:44.53\00:12:46.43
a mile away, because it
would sound its warning device
00:12:46.46\00:12:48.93
before it crossed the
bridge over the river.
00:12:48.96\00:12:51.07
You could hear it
rumbling over that bridge.
00:12:51.10\00:12:53.57
But one day my brother,
knowing a train was coming,
00:12:53.60\00:12:56.54
saw me on the track and noticed
I wasn't moving to safety.
00:12:56.57\00:13:01.31
The train was
still a good way off,
00:13:01.34\00:13:02.68
but my brother could see me
here and the train down there.
00:13:02.71\00:13:06.68
And he was concerned.
00:13:06.72\00:13:08.02
So what did he do?
00:13:08.05\00:13:09.28
He spoke to me in a loud voice.
00:13:09.32\00:13:12.12
Okay, he shouted to me,
00:13:12.15\00:13:13.82
"John, get off the track!
John, there's a train coming!"
00:13:13.86\00:13:17.96
Of course, I couldn't hear
him; there was a train coming.
00:13:17.99\00:13:21.66
Well, I got off the
tracks in plenty of time,
00:13:21.70\00:13:23.67
although the train
driver might disagree with that.
00:13:23.70\00:13:26.43
Found out later from my
mother that my brother had been
00:13:26.47\00:13:28.80
concerned enough
about me to raise his voice.
00:13:28.84\00:13:32.67
The angel calls with a, with a
raised voice, with a loud voice.
00:13:32.71\00:13:35.74
No, no, not
shouting, but calling to us,
00:13:35.78\00:13:39.58
because this is important.
00:13:39.61\00:13:41.78
God wants us to be saved.
00:13:41.82\00:13:44.55
"Fear God, and
give glory to Him."
00:13:44.59\00:13:47.76
No, no, not terror.
00:13:47.79\00:13:49.79
But we're to live in
relation to God with respect,
00:13:49.82\00:13:52.09
with, with awe, with reverence,
00:13:52.13\00:13:54.66
maybe even a
little old-fashioned fear
00:13:54.73\00:13:56.70
when you consider
the sinfulness of sin
00:13:56.73\00:13:58.67
and the ultimate
fate of the wicked.
00:13:58.70\00:14:01.30
But this is a call to love God,
00:14:01.34\00:14:03.07
to surrender to
God, to give God glory.
00:14:03.10\00:14:06.74
There's a question we want to
ask ourselves from time to time,
00:14:06.78\00:14:10.08
maybe even often:
00:14:10.11\00:14:11.88
Does my life glorify God?
00:14:11.91\00:14:15.18
Is what I'm doing
going to bring glory to God?
00:14:15.22\00:14:18.29
How will this decision
glorify the God of heaven?
00:14:18.32\00:14:22.42
You don't want to
live for yourself,
00:14:22.46\00:14:24.79
but for the glory of the God
whose Son Jesus died for you.
00:14:24.83\00:14:29.70
And God ramps it up when
He says we are to fear Him
00:14:29.73\00:14:32.13
and give Him glory because "the
hour of His judgment is come."
00:14:32.17\00:14:36.74
Later in Revelation, you read
this really interesting verse,
00:14:36.77\00:14:39.74
chapter 22 and verse 11:
00:14:39.77\00:14:43.58
"He that is unjust,
let him be unjust still:
00:14:43.61\00:14:47.25
and he which is filthy,
let him be filthy still:
00:14:47.28\00:14:49.92
and he that is righteous,
let him be righteous still:
00:14:49.95\00:14:52.25
and he that is holy,
let him be holy still."
00:14:52.29\00:14:55.89
And then Jesus says,
00:14:55.92\00:14:57.33
"And, behold, I come quickly;
and my reward is with me,
00:14:57.36\00:15:01.26
to give every man
according as his work shall be."
00:15:01.30\00:15:04.47
Yes, God is going
to judge the world.
00:15:04.50\00:15:07.57
Knowing there's a
judgment going on in heaven
00:15:07.60\00:15:09.90
ought to sober us up a little.
00:15:09.94\00:15:12.47
We shouldn't go on
without reference to God.
00:15:12.51\00:15:14.78
We really don't want to
play fast and loose with sin,
00:15:14.81\00:15:17.21
to be casual about faith in God.
00:15:17.25\00:15:20.15
King Belshazzar in
Babylon was told that he was
00:15:20.18\00:15:22.82
"weighed in the
balances, and found wanting."
00:15:22.85\00:15:26.49
How would you be found?
00:15:27.49\00:15:29.59
And then God says to us
in Revelation 14, verse 7:
00:15:29.62\00:15:32.59
"And worship Him that
made heaven, and earth,
00:15:32.63\00:15:35.63
and the sea, and the
fountains of waters."
00:15:35.66\00:15:38.80
That's a call to
worship the Creator.
00:15:38.83\00:15:41.44
In Revelation 13,
people are called,
00:15:41.47\00:15:43.17
in fact, forced, to
worship the creature.
00:15:43.20\00:15:47.61
In an age of relativism
and skepticism and atheism,
00:15:47.64\00:15:52.01
the final call to the world is
to worship God as the Creator.
00:15:52.05\00:15:57.12
And the active agent at
Creation was, of course, Jesus.
00:15:57.15\00:16:01.06
John chapter 1, written by the
same person as wrote Revelation,
00:16:01.09\00:16:04.23
starts like this:
00:16:04.26\00:16:05.43
"In the beginning was the
Word, and the Word was with God,
00:16:05.46\00:16:08.90
and the Word was God.
00:16:08.93\00:16:10.43
The same was in
the beginning with God.
00:16:10.47\00:16:13.34
All things were made by Him;
00:16:13.37\00:16:15.14
and without Him was not
any thing made that was made."
00:16:15.17\00:16:19.14
So the everlasting
gospel in Revelation 14 includes
00:16:19.17\00:16:22.21
a very direct call to
recognize Jesus as Creator,
00:16:22.24\00:16:26.58
and, therefore, to
recognize creation as God's work
00:16:26.61\00:16:29.58
in the world and in our lives.
00:16:29.62\00:16:32.89
Well, then John
writes about Babylon
00:16:32.92\00:16:35.99
and the mark of the beast.
00:16:36.02\00:16:39.23
So what's that all about?
00:16:39.26\00:16:41.26
I'll have that and
more in just a moment.
00:16:41.30\00:16:44.37
¤[music]¤
00:16:44.40\00:16:50.41
>>Announcer 1: Many
consider the book of Revelation
00:16:53.58\00:16:55.51
to be irrelevant
in the modern world,
00:16:55.54\00:16:57.51
but nothing could be
farther from the truth.
00:16:57.55\00:16:59.78
Our free offer,
"Revelation Today,"
00:16:59.81\00:17:02.12
will help you understand
the important messages
00:17:02.15\00:17:04.55
given in Revelation and why
it's more relevant to us today
00:17:04.59\00:17:07.62
than ever before.
00:17:07.66\00:17:08.66
To receive your free copy,
00:17:08.69\00:17:10.26
call 800-253-3000
00:17:10.29\00:17:13.06
or visit us
online at iiwoffer.com.
00:17:13.09\00:17:16.03
Get "Revelation Today."
00:17:16.06\00:17:17.57
Call 800-253-3000
00:17:17.60\00:17:20.40
or visit iiwoffer.com.
00:17:20.44\00:17:23.20
>>John Bradshaw: When
God created the earth,
00:17:24.21\00:17:26.34
He designed
three unique systems:
00:17:26.37\00:17:29.31
the land, the
water, and the air.
00:17:29.34\00:17:34.35
These systems
functioned in perfect unity,
00:17:34.38\00:17:37.45
and everything in them
benefited everything else.
00:17:37.49\00:17:40.46
But if you look
at the world now,
00:17:40.49\00:17:43.22
you'll see that each of
these systems is in significant
00:17:43.26\00:17:46.49
and accelerating decline.
00:17:46.53\00:17:50.07
Join me for
"Earth's Rapid Decline,"
00:17:50.10\00:17:53.07
part 4 of It Is Written
series "Prequel of the Bible."
00:17:53.10\00:17:57.61
The whole planet groans
under the weight of sin.
00:17:57.64\00:18:01.48
The Bible says that "the earth
will grow old like a garment."
00:18:01.51\00:18:05.98
We'll explore what
this means for us today
00:18:06.01\00:18:08.58
and what it
means for the future.
00:18:08.62\00:18:11.02
Don't miss
"Earth's Rapid Decline,"
00:18:11.05\00:18:14.59
part 4 of our 5-part
series, "Prequel of the Bible,"
00:18:14.62\00:18:18.93
brought to you
by It Is Written TV.
00:18:18.96\00:18:21.83
>>John Bradshaw: Thanks for
joining me on It Is Written.
00:18:24.37\00:18:26.94
We're continuing our series,
"Great Chapters of the Bible,"
00:18:26.97\00:18:30.84
looking this
time at Revelation 14.
00:18:30.87\00:18:34.01
It includes what John refers
to as "the everlasting gospel,"
00:18:34.04\00:18:38.35
the final gospel
message to go to the world.
00:18:38.38\00:18:41.82
And in verse 8, we see the
message of the second angel:
00:18:41.85\00:18:46.39
"And there followed
another angel, saying,
00:18:46.42\00:18:48.82
'Babylon is fallen, is
fallen, that great city,
00:18:48.86\00:18:52.76
because she made
all nations drink
00:18:52.79\00:18:54.73
of the wine of the
wrath of her fornication.'"
00:18:54.73\00:18:57.33
Geographically speaking,
Babylon was located in Iraq,
00:18:57.37\00:19:00.94
60 or 70 miles in a straight
line from Iraq's modern capital,
00:19:00.97\00:19:05.07
Baghdad.
00:19:05.11\00:19:06.34
The Babylonian Empire fell that
night more than 2,000 years ago
00:19:06.37\00:19:10.15
when the writing was
on the wall for its king.
00:19:10.18\00:19:13.42
who happened to be the grandson
00:19:13.45\00:19:14.75
of the mighty
King Nebuchadnezzar.
00:19:14.78\00:19:16.82
God stated that the city
would never be inhabited again.
00:19:16.85\00:19:20.69
So why is John saying, after the
fact, that Babylon is fallen?
00:19:20.72\00:19:25.43
Now, remember how
he wrote Revelation,
00:19:25.46\00:19:28.06
using the Old Testament
as the key to unlock the code
00:19:28.10\00:19:32.53
he employed in Revelation.
00:19:32.57\00:19:35.04
What was Babylon
in the Old Testament?
00:19:35.07\00:19:37.94
Babylon was a
center of false worship,
00:19:37.97\00:19:40.68
of opposition to
God and to the gospel.
00:19:40.71\00:19:44.15
The prophet Isaiah
describes Satan as being
00:19:44.18\00:19:46.78
the invisible king of
Babylon in Isaiah chapter 14.
00:19:46.82\00:19:50.62
So Babylon was symbolic of the
dark side and the great battle
00:19:51.12\00:19:54.42
between light and
dark, between good and evil,
00:19:54.46\00:19:56.99
between Christ and Satan.
00:19:57.03\00:19:59.46
In fact, Peter referred to
Rome in 1 Peter 5 as Babylon,
00:19:59.49\00:20:04.50
the great power that
worked against the church.
00:20:04.53\00:20:08.24
Late in earth's history,
God again refers to the systems,
00:20:08.27\00:20:12.07
especially the
religious systems,
00:20:12.11\00:20:14.24
working against the
truth of the Bible, as Babylon,
00:20:14.28\00:20:17.81
and He says that
Babylon is fallen.
00:20:17.85\00:20:19.75
She made all nations confused,
00:20:19.78\00:20:22.42
drunk with her false teachings
and her sinful influence.
00:20:22.45\00:20:26.35
Later in Revelation,
in chapter 18, God says,
00:20:26.39\00:20:29.06
"Come out of her, my people,
lest you share in her sins,
00:20:29.09\00:20:32.59
and lest you
receive of her plagues."
00:20:32.63\00:20:34.93
God evidently will have people
00:20:34.93\00:20:37.03
in the last days
of earth's history
00:20:37.07\00:20:38.70
who love Him and
desire to follow Him,
00:20:38.73\00:20:41.74
but they're caught up
in spiritual confusion.
00:20:41.77\00:20:45.21
The Towel of Babel
in the book of Genesis,
00:20:45.24\00:20:47.31
that's where God confused
the languages of the people
00:20:47.34\00:20:50.41
of the world.
00:20:50.45\00:20:51.51
That word "Babel"
means "confusion,"
00:20:51.55\00:20:54.32
and Babylon
represents spiritual confusion.
00:20:54.35\00:20:57.59
We want to be sure
we're following the truth
00:20:57.62\00:20:59.49
of God's Word.
00:20:59.52\00:21:00.49
It's important.
00:21:00.52\00:21:02.19
Confusion,
falsehood, false teaching--
00:21:02.22\00:21:05.03
they're deadly, and they lead
you away from faith in Christ.
00:21:05.06\00:21:09.56
Then the third angel
comes with this message,
00:21:09.60\00:21:12.03
starting in verse 9:
00:21:12.07\00:21:14.10
"If any man worship
the beast and his image,
00:21:14.14\00:21:16.67
and receive his mark in
his forehead, or in his hand,
00:21:16.71\00:21:19.91
the same shall drink of
the wine of the wrath of God,
00:21:19.94\00:21:24.41
which is poured
out without mixture
00:21:24.45\00:21:26.85
into the cup of
His indignation."
00:21:26.88\00:21:28.82
And so on.
00:21:28.85\00:21:30.29
It's a serious message.
00:21:30.32\00:21:32.55
Again, what is John getting at?
00:21:32.59\00:21:35.29
Revelation builds especially
on top of the book of Daniel.
00:21:35.32\00:21:39.93
A lot of the
prophetic symbols John uses
00:21:39.96\00:21:42.13
he borrows right from Daniel.
00:21:42.16\00:21:44.70
And if we follow
that line of thinking,
00:21:44.73\00:21:46.20
we can
understand what a beast is.
00:21:46.23\00:21:49.20
This is how Daniel described it.
00:21:49.24\00:21:51.14
He had a vision in which he
saw "four great beasts [come] up
00:21:51.17\00:21:55.28
from the sea,
diverse one from another."
00:21:55.31\00:21:58.38
That's Daniel 7, verse 3.
00:21:58.41\00:22:00.15
He described them as
being like a lion, then a bear,
00:22:00.18\00:22:03.18
then a leopard, and then
something he had difficulty
00:22:03.22\00:22:06.29
explaining, and God
explains to him what he saw.
00:22:06.32\00:22:09.22
Daniel 7:17,
00:22:09.26\00:22:11.23
"These great
beasts, which are four,
00:22:11.26\00:22:14.20
are four kings, which
shall arise out of the earth."
00:22:14.23\00:22:17.63
Verse 23:
00:22:17.67\00:22:18.83
"The fourth beast shall be
the fourth kingdom upon earth."
00:22:18.87\00:22:24.07
So when John
wrote about a beast,
00:22:24.11\00:22:26.68
if we're being consistent
with how we interpret prophecy,
00:22:26.71\00:22:29.91
we'll see this
beast as being a kingdom,
00:22:29.94\00:22:33.55
clearly a kingdom with
great power and influence
00:22:33.58\00:22:36.02
throughout the world.
00:22:36.05\00:22:37.42
Many people today would say that
that beast is an individual.
00:22:37.45\00:22:40.99
Several hundred years ago,
00:22:41.02\00:22:42.42
the leaders of the
Protestant Reformation
00:22:42.46\00:22:44.33
saw it as the medieval church,
00:22:44.36\00:22:46.96
the church of Rome, which
was so powerful and influential
00:22:47.00\00:22:50.73
and which persecuted
God's people ruthlessly
00:22:50.77\00:22:54.34
and mercilessly.
00:22:54.37\00:22:56.30
John goes on to warn us against
receiving the mark of the beast
00:22:56.34\00:23:00.04
in our hand or forehead.
00:23:00.08\00:23:02.18
Now, think about this.
00:23:02.21\00:23:03.04
Your forehead
represents your mind.
00:23:03.08\00:23:05.01
Right behind your forehead is
the frontal lobe of your brain,
00:23:05.05\00:23:08.85
where you make decisions.
00:23:08.88\00:23:11.25
And there'll be people
who have made up their mind;
00:23:11.29\00:23:13.15
they have decided they're
going to worship the beast.
00:23:13.19\00:23:16.29
They will go against God's Word.
00:23:16.32\00:23:19.13
There will be
others who don't believe
00:23:19.16\00:23:20.96
that they should do
that, but they do it anyway.
00:23:21.00\00:23:23.63
By their actions they support
false worship and rebellion
00:23:23.67\00:23:26.70
against God.
00:23:26.74\00:23:28.00
They'll receive the mark
of the beast in their hand.
00:23:28.04\00:23:30.94
I'd like you to
know more about this.
00:23:30.97\00:23:32.47
There's a lot more
detail about this in my book,
00:23:32.51\00:23:35.08
"Revelation Today."
00:23:35.11\00:23:36.14
I'd like you to get it.
00:23:36.18\00:23:37.18
It's today's free offer.
00:23:37.21\00:23:39.18
It will speak to you about the
beast and the mark of the beast
00:23:39.21\00:23:42.05
in the forehead and the
hand, the identity of the beast.
00:23:42.08\00:23:45.59
Be sure that you
get this free offer,
00:23:45.62\00:23:48.26
"Revelation Today."
00:23:48.29\00:23:50.46
I want you to see the solution
00:23:50.49\00:23:51.93
to all of these problems
in Revelation chapter 14,
00:23:51.96\00:23:55.23
the great crisis
of earth's last days.
00:23:55.26\00:23:58.33
Revelation 14:12 says,
00:23:58.37\00:24:00.47
"Here is the
patience of the saints:
00:24:00.50\00:24:03.20
here are they that keep
the commandments of God,
00:24:03.24\00:24:05.84
and the faith of Jesus."
00:24:05.87\00:24:08.14
When you purpose in your
heart to surrender to God
00:24:08.18\00:24:11.08
and obey Him, when you
choose to yield your life to Him
00:24:11.11\00:24:15.82
and to allow His Spirit to lead
you in paths of faithfulness,
00:24:15.85\00:24:19.52
you don't receive
the mark of the beast.
00:24:19.55\00:24:21.82
You'd instead be
sealed with the seal of God.
00:24:21.86\00:24:25.53
God is looking for
people who will be more than
00:24:25.56\00:24:27.76
cultural Christians,
who'll do more than simply name
00:24:27.76\00:24:31.67
the name of Jesus,
00:24:31.70\00:24:33.23
who will actually
surrender their lives to God
00:24:33.27\00:24:37.01
and allow His will to be done,
00:24:37.04\00:24:38.64
regardless of the
cost or the consequences.
00:24:38.67\00:24:42.04
Are you facing that
sort of decision right now?
00:24:42.08\00:24:44.61
Should I be faithful?
00:24:44.65\00:24:46.21
Or should I compromise?
00:24:46.25\00:24:48.05
Should I surrender
my whole life to Jesus?
00:24:48.08\00:24:50.35
For some people,
the stakes are high,
00:24:50.39\00:24:52.72
because you're concerned
about your spouse, your family,
00:24:52.75\00:24:55.32
your employer, your
friends, your family history.
00:24:55.36\00:24:59.03
But you can know
that God is faithful.
00:24:59.06\00:25:02.23
A decision for God is
always the right decision.
00:25:02.26\00:25:06.50
Revelation 14 concludes
with a picture of a harvest:
00:25:06.53\00:25:10.44
The saved are reaped;
the lost, they're lost.
00:25:10.47\00:25:15.78
And you can decide right now
00:25:15.81\00:25:17.88
where you want to
be in that picture:
00:25:17.91\00:25:20.18
saved with Jesus, or...
00:25:20.22\00:25:23.92
come on, there's really
no option, really, is there?
00:25:23.95\00:25:26.89
Jesus died for you.
Jesus is coming back for you.
00:25:26.92\00:25:29.42
Heaven awaits you.
00:25:29.46\00:25:31.86
You choose Jesus, remembering
that God has chosen you,
00:25:31.89\00:25:36.53
and eternity is yours.
00:25:36.56\00:25:38.73
¤[upbeat music]¤
00:25:40.04\00:25:42.00
>>Announcer 2: Planning
for your financial future
00:25:42.04\00:25:43.74
is a vital aspect of
Christian stewardship.
00:25:43.77\00:25:47.68
For this reason, It Is
Written is pleased to offer
00:25:47.71\00:25:50.41
free planned giving
and estate services.
00:25:50.45\00:25:53.28
For information on
how we can help you,
00:25:53.31\00:25:55.65
please call 800-992-2219.
00:25:55.68\00:26:00.36
Call today
00:26:00.39\00:26:01.22
or visit our
website, hislegacy.com.
00:26:01.26\00:26:04.76
Call 800-992-2219.
00:26:04.79\00:26:09.00
>>John Bradshaw: Thank you for
remembering that It Is Written
00:26:10.00\00:26:11.97
exists because of the kindness
of people just like you.
00:26:12.00\00:26:15.40
To support this international
life-changing ministry,
00:26:15.44\00:26:18.54
please call us
now at 800-253-3000.
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You can send your
tax-deductible gift
00:26:22.78\00:26:24.21
to the address on your screen,
00:26:24.25\00:26:25.78
or you can visit us
online at itiswritten.com.
00:26:25.81\00:26:29.58
Thank you for your prayers
and for your financial support.
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Our number
again is 800-253-3000,
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or you can visit us
online at itiswritten.com.
00:26:36.69\00:26:39.69
>>John Bradshaw: Let me pray
with you. Let me pray for you,
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right now.
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Our Father in heaven,
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I want to thank You for
this great chapter of the Bible,
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Revelation 14,
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a call to us in
earth's last days,
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a call to faithfulness,
00:26:52.91\00:26:55.34
a call to commitment,
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a call to...surrender.
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There is coming soon a
time when the entire world
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will be arrayed against
the faithful people of God
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and arrayed against the
wonderful truths of Your Word.
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We want to stand then.
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Friend, do you want to
stand in that day? Yes, you do.
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How?
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Through faith in Jesus.
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So, Lord, take our
hearts; make them Yours.
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Friend, would you yield
your heart to Jesus now?
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Knowing that He wants
to come into your life
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and live His life in you.
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Lord, do that, please.
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And we would pray with John,
who wrote the book of Revelation
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and said, "Even
so, come, Lord Jesus."
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Keep us now and forever,
we pray, in Jesus' name.
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Amen.
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Thanks so much for joining me.
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I'm looking forward to
seeing you again next time.
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Until then, remember:
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"Man shall not
live by bread alone,
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but by every word that
proceeds from the mouth of God."
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¤[theme music]¤
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