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Series Code: IIWC
Program Code: IIWC201640A
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01:31 >> It has stood the test of time -- God's Book, the Bible -- 01:38 still relevant in today's complex world. 01:42 ♪♪ "It Is Written," sharing 01:46 messages of hope around the world. 02:01 >> Léo Major was born January 23, 1921, to French-Canadian parents who 02:08 were living down in the States. At just a few months old, his family moved to Montréal. 02:16 Léo's childhood was fairly uneventful, yet he did not have a good relationship with his 02:21 father. So, at the age of 14, he moved in with his aunt. 02:27 Now, in an effort to still try to win the affections of his father, Léo Major joined the 02:34 Army in 1940. Eventually, he became part of the Régiment de la Chaudière. 02:42 His story is so amazing that it is almost unbelievable. Major took part in the Allied 02:49 invasion of Normandy during World War II. He captured a German vehicle 02:54 with German communication equipment and some secret German army codes. 03:00 Now, adding to his military accomplishments, Léo Major valiantly fought an elite group 03:07 of the Nazi SS. And although he lost an eye in that battle, he continued to 03:13 serve in the Régiment de la Chaudière. As if that were not enough, 03:19 Major was responsible for the capture of 93 German soldiers. However, his most heroic feat 03:29 took place in April of 1945. Now, the Canadian troops were responsible for the freeing of 03:39 the city of Zwolle in the Netherlands. The plan was quite simple. 03:44 Bomb the city until the Germans surrendered their position. Léo and his friend Willy were 03:49 sent to the city on a reconnaissance mission. Now, as they explored the area, 03:55 they realize that the barrage of bombs would not only kill the German army but would also take 04:00 the lives of many innocent civilians. So, Léo and Willy decided that 04:06 they needed to liberate the city on their own. The odds were clearly against 04:12 them. Their chances of success went from bad to worse when Léo's 04:18 friend Willy was shot and killed by the Germans. And so, motivated by anger at 04:26 his friend's death, Léo audaciously pressed on, liberating the entire city by 04:33 himself. The way he was able to accomplish such an overwhelming 04:37 task can only be described as miraculous. He captured a German driver, 04:45 then confronted a German soldier and told him that the town was surrounded by a massive Canadian 04:53 force. Then, he disappeared into the darkness. 04:56 What took place the rest of the night involved perfect timing and precision. 05:02 The remainder of the night, he dashed around the town, creating the façade, through various 05:08 explosions and gunfire, that a Canadian force was actually surrounding the city. 05:15 Amazingly, the confused German soldiers surrendered, and Léo took them back to the Allied 05:22 camp. By 4:00 a.m., he had cleared Zwolle of all remaining SS 05:29 troops. The artillery attack was called off, and, as a result, the 05:34 civilian lives were spared. Léo Major was the only Canadian to receive the 05:42 Distinguished Conduct Medal twice in separate wars. Sadly, Major died 05:49 October 12, 2008. But his story continues to be told. 05:54 If the right people would not have been in the right place at the right times, he could not 06:01 have liberated that entire city the way he did. What an incredible risk he took, 06:08 defying unbelievable odds. But the risk paid off, and many people owed their lives to him. 06:18 Now, as we've been studying the appointed time over the last several weeks, we have seen the 06:26 Bible demonstrate that God is also on a rescue mission, with a timing more calculated 06:34 and more precise than Léo Major's. God prepares to liberate his 06:40 people from a world destined for destruction. God's appointed times throughout 06:46 history have been in preparation for the ultimate, final appointed time -- the 06:51 Second Coming of Jesus. Friends, I believe that Jesus is coming for His people very soon. 06:58 He has had appointed times, not only throughout history but also throughout each of our own 07:05 personal lives. He has been intervening in your life and mine in an 07:10 all-out-ditch effort to prepare us for that day. The question remains for us -- 07:18 will we accept all that He has done, all that He is doing, and all that He will do? 07:24 Or will we reject the warnings, ignore the warnings, or just be carelessly oblivious and go on 07:32 living life as usual? Now, as we consider this sobering question, let's review 07:39 what we have studied regarding some of the appointed times we find mentioned in the Bible. 07:45 The phrase "the appointed time" is used over 35 times in the New King James version of the 07:51 Bible. When found in the Old Testament, this key phrase is based on the 07:56 Hebrew word "moed." In the New Testament, it is the Greek word "kairos." 08:02 It is literally translated a set time or a determined time, a fixed time, an appointed sign, 08:10 or a decisive moment -- all under the auspices of an appointed time in the purpose of 08:18 God or in the meeting of God. Throughout the Bible, we read about God's appointed times, His 08:26 decisive moments in history, when He determined to bring about His purpose -- the 08:33 appointed time when the angels would return to Sarah, and she would be with child, 08:38 the appointed time in which the children of Israel would leave Egypt, the appointed time in 08:43 which God called upon the children of Israel to wait upon the Lord, the appointed time for 08:51 the exile out of Babylon, the appointed time for the birth of Christ, the appointed time for 08:57 the baptism of Jesus, the appointed time for the death of Jesus, and the appointed time 09:04 of Jesus' return. Throughout the Scriptures, God has appointed times to bring 09:11 about His ultimate purpose, and I don't want you to miss this. The more fully the end is in 09:18 sight, the more important it is for us to understand the imminent nature of the appointed 09:27 time of Jesus' return and to respond to those appointed moments in our life. 09:34 Too often, mankind puts off God's appointed times. This is seen most classically in 09:41 Acts 24:25. In this verse, Paul is giving the good news of the Gospel to 09:47 Felix. Felix responded to the appeal of the Gospel by telling Paul, "Go 09:53 away for now. When I have a convenient time, I will call you." 09:59 You see, God's appointed time does not necessarily work at our time of convenience. 10:06 God is more concerned about our eternal salvation than our current, temporary convenience. 10:15 Think back over the course of your experience in life. It is overwhelming, frankly, as 10:21 I consider my own story. There were appointed times where had I not been open to God and 10:27 His leading, I'm quite certain that I wouldn't be here today. Sometimes, these appointed times 10:33 are uncomfortable. It was predicted that at an appointed time, because of the 10:39 enormity of Israel's sins, the Babylonians were going to come and take the children of Israel 10:45 captive. If we could ask the ancient children of Israel, I'm sure 10:49 they would tell us that it wasn't comfortable to be taken captive to Babylon. 10:55 But what we must understand is that event, in the most uncomfortable of moments, God 11:02 was for them. And in our uncomfortable moments, God is for us. 11:10 While in the peace and security of Jerusalem, God's people kept rejecting him. 11:16 God's ultimate purpose in taking them to Babylon was to save them. 11:21 Unfortunately, some people think that God is doing all He can do to keep people out of Heaven. 11:29 However, the Bible, this book, is clear that God has done and is doing and will do everything 11:37 He can to reach your heart and save you for eternity. So, how can we be certain that 11:48 Jesus is coming back soon? Does God reveal to us when that appointed time will take place? 11:55 Let's go to a book and even a chapter that we have studied before -- Daniel chapter 8. 12:04 In Daniel chapter 8, we find an amazing fulfillment of prophecy that is against all odds. 12:11 Yet it promises certain salvation. The beginning of 12:16 Daniel chapter 8 finds Daniel in a vision. This vision took place near the 12:20 end of the reign of King Belshazzar, which was also the end of the Babylonian 12:26 empire. Now, Daniel 8:3 begins to describe this very vision. 12:36 Again, Daniel chapter 8, beginning at verse 3. 14:16 By now, Daniel had been a captive in Babylon for most of his life, and he was not 14:23 unfamiliar with visions. When Daniel saw this vision of the ram and the goat, he would 14:29 have recalled an earlier vision he saw. Now, if we turn back a few 14:33 chapters, we are reminded that Daniel was shown a vision in Daniel chapter 2 that was 14:39 originally shown to King Nebuchadnezzar. Now, let's take a minute to 14:46 review that vision. What is it that Daniel saw in the vision of Daniel 2? 14:52 He saw an image made of metals, with the highest-valued metal at the top and the lowest-valued 14:58 metal at the bottom. The weakest metal was at the top, while the strongest metal 15:04 was at the bottom. Daniel was shown the future of world empires. 15:10 We look back on history and are able to see how incredibly accurate this vision was. 15:17 The head of gold represented Babylon. The chest and arms of silver 15:21 represented Medo-Persia. The midsection of brass or bronze symbolized Greece. 15:26 And the legs of iron were a symbol of Rome, while the feet of iron mixed with clay 15:32 represented divided Rome. And what we see in Daniel chapter 2 is a pattern 15:38 that establishes a pattern to interpret all end-time prophecies. 15:44 Nations -- Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome, and the division of Rome -- and then the 15:50 Second Coming. Now, at a later time, Daniel received a second vision, which 15:56 is recorded in Daniel chapter 7, where he's now shown four beasts. 16:02 These beasts were strange-looking beasts, with wings and multiple heads. 16:07 But, once again, Daniel was shown the same outline of history -- Babylon, Medo-Persia, 16:13 Greece, Rome, the division of Rome, and the Second Coming. However, in this vision, there 16:20 is a scene that is added. A court was seated, and there was a judgment that took place 16:26 in between the fourth beast and the Son of Man coming in the clouds of Heaven. 16:34 So, seeing a repeated pattern with more details added is a literary technique used in 16:42 Hebrew to repeat and enlarge on an idea or a concept. An excellent example of this is 16:49 found in the Book of Psalms, Psalm 51. David wrote these words... 17:03 You see, David is actually saying the same thing twice and expanding on its meaning. 17:08 "Create in me a clean heart." Well, what does that look like? By renewing a "right spirit 17:15 within me." And so, the repeating and enlarging of Daniel 2 and 17:19 Daniel 7 is where God gives the outline and then, in the second vision, fills in some of the 17:26 details. And now, here in Daniel chapter 8, as we will see 17:31 momentarily, he fills in further details. So, let's continue reading the 17:38 vision of Daniel chapter 8, beginning in verse 13. 18:12 Now, this prophecy follows a very simple outline. Two beasts, the ram and the 18:18 goat, a large horn, four horns that come up out of the goat, a little horn that comes up out of 18:26 one of the four winds, that horn growing up and taking on a manlike characteristic that 18:32 seems to be religious in connotation, and then the 2,300-day prophecy. 18:42 So, what does this all mean? We don't need to guess. Daniel had been earlier shown 18:48 the same general outline in Daniel 2 and Daniel 7 -- nations, judgment, then the 18:55 Second Coming. We would then expect the same here in Daniel chapter 8, but 19:01 Daniel did wonder what it meant, and the angel Gabriel was sent to him to help him understand 19:07 the vision. In verse 17 and onward, we read the explanation that Gabriel 19:12 gave to Daniel. 20:13 Now, friends, we've studied this prophecy before in a previous episode. 20:19 You can go to our YouTube channel... 20:26 And there, you can look at the series 20:29 "Philosophy's Achilles Heel." That will help you walk through 20:32 the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation in greater detail. 20:36 If you don't have access to the Internet, just call one of our 20:40 operators and order that DVD set. Daniel chapter 8 follows the 20:47 same pattern of the earlier prophecies of Daniel. However, Babylon is not 20:52 mentioned in this prophecy. That is because Babylon was fading off the scene. 20:58 It was being weakened and being attacked by Medo-Persia and really was no longer pertinent 21:03 to the history of the world. So, this prophecy starts with Medo-Persia. 21:08 The ram, as the prophecy indicates, is Medo-Persia, while the goat is Greece. 21:14 The notable horn was the first king of Greece, and who was that? 21:18 Of course, that was Alexander the Great. Then, that horn broke, 21:23 predicting the death of Alexander. The four horns that came up 21:29 represented the four divisions of Greece. This division occurred because 21:34 as Alexander laid on his deathbed and he was asked, "Who will be the next king? 21:39 Who shall inherit the kingdom?" Alexander answered, "He who is strongest." 21:47 The history of Greece is defined by those four divisions of Greece, led by Ptolemy, 21:53 Cassander, Lysimachus, and Seleucus fighting one another, trying to figure out who in fact 22:00 was strongest. However, out of one of the four winds of Heaven, in the West, in 22:09 the western Greek empire, a new republic began to form. And in one of the most unlikely 22:16 moments of history, this little republic, which had been greatly influenced by Hellenistic 22:22 thinking, destroyed the Greek empire and developed into the strongest empire ever in the 22:29 history of the Earth. The pagan Roman empire further developed the known world and 22:35 transformed society. But, over time, pagan Rome took on a decidedly religious element 22:43 when the Roman emperors gave way to papal Roman rule. However, tucked away in verse 19 22:51 is something that I had not noticed until I recently restudied this passage. 22:57 The angel visitor says something that is absolutely critical to our understanding of the 23:03 appointed time of Jesus' return. In verse 19, this is what it says... 23:24 This is critical. My dear friends, we are going to look at something that is 23:29 absolutely essential in understanding Daniel chapter 8. There are some teachers of Bible 23:37 prophecy and preachers who try to place Daniel 8:19 squarely in the past. 23:43 But when God gave this to Daniel, he placed it squarely in our future. 23:48 The Scripture clearly says, "I'm making known to you what shall happen in the latter time." 23:56 But not just any latter time -- the latter time of indignation, for at the appointed time, the 24:02 end shall be. Now, some of the key questions that we need to understand -- 24:07 what is this latter time of indignation? And when is the end? 24:17 As the German troops were occupying their city, the citizens of Zwolle may have 24:22 wondered if they were going to get caught in the crosshairs and be destroyed in the Allied 24:28 attempt to save them from the Germans. Does life sometimes feel like 24:34 that to you? Is there turmoil or a never-ending rat race taking 24:38 over your life? Have you ever asked God to step in and do something, only to 24:44 find that things actually went from bad to worse? Does God see the injustice of 24:49 your world? Is he indifferent to your cares and your burdens? 24:54 While you may not see how liberation is possible, next week, we will learn why the 25:02 latter time of indignation and the appointed time of the end is your ticket to freedom and 25:10 joy. In God's own perfect timing, He risked everything to save you. 25:18 He is not slack concerning His promise as some count slackness, but He is long-suffering toward 25:25 us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. 25:32 God wants you to be ready for the appointed time. Why don't you today accept the 25:39 gift of salvation that He offers? Heavenly Father, we are so 25:48 thankful that as we consider, sometimes even wonder, whether You are intervening in our 25:57 lives, that we have the promise of Your word, which tells us clearly that You are for us. 26:03 And because You are for us, no one can be against us. Today, we entrust our lives to 26:09 You. We thank You, that the appointed time of Jesus' soon return is 26:14 coming. And we ask that You help us to prepare, that we would be ready 26:20 for that day. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. 26:26 Friends, Léo Major conquered an entire German battalion on his own. 26:34 God is doing something far more. He is conquering the principalities and powers of the 26:42 air, the demonic forces. They were conquered at the cross. 26:48 And now God is conquering their attack on your life. The story of the Bible, the 26:55 story of the Book of Revelation, the story of Daniel is that God wins, Christ wins, and Satan 27:03 loses. In that great cosmic conflict, the great battle between good 27:08 and evil, God is calling upon you to place your trust and your faith in Him. 27:15 As we place our faith, as we place our trust in the Father, He will care for us. 27:23 He will watch over us. He will lead us. And he will guide us. 27:30 Now, in Daniel chapter 8 that we studied today, we see that there is a time of the end coming. 27:38 And at the appointed time, Jesus will come. The question is, how can we 27:44 prepare for that day? What can we look forward to? Today for the offer, I want to 27:50 offer you a book I wrote with all of that in mind. That book is called 27:54 "Hope for a Helpless Planet." In the pages, you will find signs of the return of Jesus, 28:02 how Jesus will return, and then, most importantly, chapters on how to prepare for that day. 28:10 You won't want to miss out on this book. Here's the information you need 28:14 to receive today's offer. >> To request today's offer, 28:19 just log on to www.ItIsWrittenCanada.ca. 28:23 If you prefer, you may call toll-free at 1-888-CALL-IIW. >> Dear friend, the appointed 28:32 time is the topic for the ages. It is the hope we have of the soon return of Jesus, the only 28:40 event and the only person in history that will bring an end to all of the turmoil that's 28:48 happening on this Earth -- terrorism, school shootings, shootings at malls, bombings, 28:56 all of it frightening. But we have hope, and that hope is that Jesus is coming soon, 29:03 and He'll bring all of that to an end. 29:06 Friend, I want to encourage you to go to our website, 29:09 www.ItIsWrittenCanada.ca. There you'll find resources to 29:14 help you grow in your spiritual life. 29:18 I also want to encourage you to go to our Facebook. 29:21 You can follow us there at ItIsWrittenCanada. 29:25 You can follow me, Pastor Holland, and keep up with 29:28 me in my travels and my preaching schedule. Dear friend, I thank you so much 29:34 for watching. I want to ask you to join us again next week. 29:38 Until then, remember, it is written, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word 29:45 that proceeds from the mouth of God." 29:51 ♪♪ ♪♪ 30:11 ♪♪ |
Revised 2018-01-23