(inspirational theme music)
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>>Welcome to "Sabbath School,"
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brought to you by It Is Written.
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We're glad that you
could join us again today
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for our 14th lesson.
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This is the final lesson
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in our journey through "Death,
Dying, and the Future Hope,"
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and we're going to end things
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on what I expect
will be a very high note.
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We're delighted once again
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to have our
special guest with us,
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who has been with
us now for 14 weeks,
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and that is Dr. Alberto Timm.
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He is an associate director
of the Ellen G. White Estate.
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Alberto, welcome back
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for, at least, this
journey one final time.
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>>It has been an honor
for me to join you every time
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and also for this final one.
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>>And this one
really is an optimistic one,
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or at least it ought
to be an optimistic one.
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We're looking at
"All Things New,"
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that is, the subject of
heaven, the topic of heaven,
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paradise, if you will.
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It's hard to think of a
better way to end this quarter
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than on a subject like that,
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but even when we talk
about something this positive,
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this overwhelmingly wonderful,
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you still run into
people who go, "Really?
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"Heaven seems like kind
of a pie-in-the-sky idea
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and wishful
thinking," and things like that.
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Is there really a
place like this, Alberto?
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>>I think that in human history
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you find many kinds of proposals
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or theories about heaven,
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and I like very much a old movie
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called "The Lost Horizon,"
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and you remember that one where
they speak about Shangri-La,
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the place where
people do not age, basically,
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maybe a little
bit, but not so much,
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and is a place
of harmony and joy.
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So this idea of trying to find
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a utopical place,
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where, a place of justice
and a place of righteousness
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and of happiness,
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is something that is
part of human aspiration.
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But the Bible does
not speak in such a term.
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Even Paul says we are not
basing our hope in something
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that is just utopic
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or whatever
projection, human projection,
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but something clear.
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But when it comes to heaven
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or to the afterlife,
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if you want to
call it in this way,
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you have many
different theories,
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probably as human
minds, to a certain extent,
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because each
one of us has a view
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of what happens in the future.
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But the Bible is
very clear. There is no--
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some people, about a
real paradise or real heaven,
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some people have difficulties
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because of the
mentality that they have,
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and we have been
struggling a little bit more
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from the dichotomic perspective,
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because this has
shaped our Western culture,
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and Christianity
to a large extent,
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where the material,
the concrete, the tangible
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is here. There is a
table; I can touch it.
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There is a book; I can--
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there is paper,
there is myself, and so--
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but for a Greek
philosopher, this is the world,
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the world we live in here,
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but the paradise, or
whatever you want to call it,
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is just a world of ideas.
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So some people have the notion
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that heaven is so
boring, is a place
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where you only worship
maybe on a cloud there,
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playing your harp,
something like that,
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and nothing else than this,
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so it's better even to
stay here than to go over there.
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But this is not a
picture that the Bible portrays.
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There, the life
in the world to come
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is as concrete as this one
here, except for two things.
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There is no sin,
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and time does not
destroy or corrupt things.
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So it will be always in this,
but it's as concrete as here.
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The book of
Revelation speaks of a garden,
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of a city with
walls, with people,
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and we even will
meet people over there.
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It's not something abstract,
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just a matter of souls or
ideas. No, as real as here,
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as we are talking here,
we'll be talking over there.
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>>You know, this concept
of heaven, as you mentioned,
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has different ideas that
different people have about it,
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and if you stop and
think about maybe cartoons
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that you saw when you were a
child, or something like that--
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I mean, the ones that I saw,
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so, you'd be
walking along the street,
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and a piano would
fall on your head,
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and then you would become
this little baby playing a harp,
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wearing a diaper,
sitting on a cloud.
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We get these ideas even from
the time that we're very small
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of what heaven is like,
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but they're not at all
like what heaven is like.
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And I suppose, if
we thought that heaven
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was really just about playing
harp and wearing diapers,
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we probably wouldn't want to go.
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It's not very appealing at all.
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But the biblical
picture is very appealing,
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and if we spent more
time reading our Bibles
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than watching cartoons,
we'd probably be better off.
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Some of the things that
we're going to see in heaven.
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You mentioned
briefly walls, streets.
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The Bible talks about
streets of gold, walls,
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a city that has foundations
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made of all
these precious stones--
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"Every several gate [of the
city] was [made] of one pearl"--
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and I've heard some
people quip, you know,
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"If every several gate,
if every gate of the city
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"is made of one pearl,
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can you imagine the
size of the oyster?"
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It would have to be enormous.
But what's this city like?
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What are some things
that we will see there?
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You mentioned a few
things that we won't see there.
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Paint a word picture for us,
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a biblical word
picture, if you will.
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>>Actually, we have to
remember that John the apostle
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had to to use the
language available to his time,
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at his time, and
understandable to us,
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because I think that heaven
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is what is described in
the Bible, but much more,
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and we have just a very tiny,
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little image of it.
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But if you go to
the book of Revelation,
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you will see that it
speaks, as I mentioned before,
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of a city, a real
city, and that city has,
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is the center of the universe
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because there is God's throne,
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and God's throne
presupposes the existence
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of a place that
hosts the throne,
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and this is
God's sanctuary temple.
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Of course, we have
that passage over there.
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You remember---is it...
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You have John,
chapter 21, verse 22.
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Could you read it for us?
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>>Sure, yeah. Here it is.
This is John 21, verse 22.
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John says, "But I
saw no temple in it,
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for the Lord God Almighty
and the Lamb are its temple."
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But then, Alberto,
you've got that other text
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over in Revelation,
chapter 7, verse 15,
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that talks of this,
speaks of this great multitude
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worshiping God in His temple.
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So how do we reconcile
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these two
apparently conflicting verses?
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And you'll notice that I
use the word "apparently" there
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because, of course, there's
not going to be a conflict.
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But what's the significance
of John saying in verse 22,
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"I saw no temple in it"?
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>>Actually, it's
interesting that he did not say
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there is no temple. He says,
"I saw no temple over there
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because God is the temple."
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Actually I understand
that John was so amazed
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of what he saw that the
temple even lost its meaning
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compared with
the presence of God.
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But I like very much
what a friend once told us
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in a classroom,
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Richard Davidson.
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Because you cannot just
pick and choose from the Bible.
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You have to
harmonize these kind of things,
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and I agree with
him when he says that
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through all eternity,
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from the past to the future,
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the temple, the sanctuary
temple in heaven always existed.
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Of course, it had a beginning
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because only God
did exist forever,
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but one time it started.
But from eternity to eternity,
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the temple had the function
of a liturgical function,
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or the place where
God is being worshiped,
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worshiped by
the heavenly beings,
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by His creation, His creatures.
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But in the context of sin,
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in addition to the
liturgical function,
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the place where
God is being worshiped,
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it also assumed as
soteriological function,  or a
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place where salvation is
being offered to the world.
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So in that sense it
has a double function,
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but when salvation is
ended, the plan of salvation,
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and sin and
sinners no longer exist,
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there is no reason
for the temple to continue
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with this
soteriological function,
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but it will continue
as a place of worship.
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So I think that
this is the main point.
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And can you imagine?
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You know, the
highest point of heaven
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is to see God,
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and that is the
climax of the whole process,
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because, in reality,
you see, for instance,
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John, the Gospel
of John, verse 1--
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I mean chapter 1, verse 18--
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that says that no man saw God.
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This is in the sinful context.
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But if you go to
Revelation, chapter 22,
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verses 4 and 5, you
see that they will see Him.
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This "Him" refers to
whom? To the Father or the Son?
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Well, it's an ambiguous passage.
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We have no clear assurance
in that one what way to go,
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but we will see
God, in other words.
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But when you go to Matthew,
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chapter 5,
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Jesus even says, "Blessed are
[those who are] pure in heart,
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[because] they [will] see God."
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So He's not saying
that "they will see me."
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So I understand that it
refers really to seeing God,
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and that would
be the main point.
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Can you imagine? Some people
like to see famous people,
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and it can be a
actor, a actress,
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or some important
ruler or whatever,
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or if you go to Rome,
you want to see the pope.
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But can you imagine to see
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the Creator and
Sustainer of the universe?
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There is no greater privilege,
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but we will be also engaged
in a friendship relationship.
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Did Jesus not mention to be,
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to sit at the table with
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
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in the life to come?
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That's the case.
And so the friends--
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and in the book "Great
Controversy," Ellen White says
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that little children
who died in a early age
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will be brought to their,
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given back to the
arms of their mothers,
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friends separated
by death will join,
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never to part again,
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and we could expand
this wonderful picture.
00:12:20.44\00:12:24.87
>>It's a beautiful
picture that God gives us
00:12:24.87\00:12:27.01
of a future hope, and the
good news is that future hope
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is getting less and
less future day by day
00:12:30.95\00:12:33.78
because we're getting closer
and closer to Jesus' return
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and the realization of heaven,
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what God has prepared for us.
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It's something that
you don't wanna miss.
00:12:42.39\00:12:44.63
If you have been
encouraged this quarter,
00:12:44.63\00:12:46.83
and yet you have
been perhaps a little lax
00:12:46.83\00:12:51.07
in studying more, you
don't have much more time,
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but you've got a
little bit more time
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to pick up the companion
book to this quarter's lesson.
00:12:56.71\00:12:59.51
That is the book "On Death,
Dying, and the Future Hope"
00:12:59.51\00:13:02.28
by author Alberto Timm,
00:13:02.28\00:13:04.28
who we've been delighted to
have with us for 14 weeks now,
00:13:04.28\00:13:08.08
leading us through this study.
00:13:08.08\00:13:09.58
You can pick this book up,
00:13:09.58\00:13:10.72
the companion book,
at itiswritten.shop.
00:13:10.72\00:13:14.32
Again, itiswritten.shop,
00:13:14.32\00:13:16.19
"On Death, Dying, and the
Future Hope" by Alberto Timm.
00:13:16.19\00:13:19.53
It will be a blessing to you
00:13:19.53\00:13:20.93
and add even more to your
already encouraging study.
00:13:20.93\00:13:25.13
We're going to be back
in just a minute or two
00:13:25.13\00:13:26.90
as we continue our
study on "All Things New."
00:13:26.90\00:13:30.24
We'll be right back.
00:13:30.24\00:13:31.71
(inspirational theme
music swells and ends)
00:13:31.71\00:13:34.34
(cheerful piano music)
00:13:35.68\00:13:36.98
>>[Announcer] This
season on "Conversations."
00:13:36.98\00:13:39.65
>>Many times I think
I know what God wants
00:13:39.65\00:13:43.18
or doesn't want me to do,
00:13:43.18\00:13:44.62
and many times,
it's the opposite.
00:13:44.62\00:13:47.36
>>I was looking next to the car,
00:13:47.36\00:13:49.96
and there's this
family with a little ugly car,
00:13:49.96\00:13:52.69
you know, I would never
have, but I saw the family.
00:13:52.69\00:13:55.50
They're so happy;
they're laughing and giggling.
00:13:55.50\00:13:57.97
I said, "Lord, this
is... That's what I want."
00:13:57.97\00:14:00.77
>>Jesus just had
this warm, loving feeling
00:14:00.77\00:14:04.07
that I just couldn't describe,
00:14:04.07\00:14:05.44
and I wanted it more
than anything in this world,
00:14:05.44\00:14:07.94
and I knew He was the answer.
00:14:07.94\00:14:09.81
I don't know how I knew; I
just knew He was the answer.
00:14:09.81\00:14:13.98
>>Amen, amen.
00:14:13.98\00:14:14.92
She is Gayle Haberkam.
00:14:14.92\00:14:16.58
His name is Dr. George Guthrie.
00:14:16.58\00:14:18.82
She once was a
practitioner of Santeria.
00:14:18.82\00:14:22.92
I'm John Bradshaw, and
this is our conversation.
00:14:22.92\00:14:26.23
(gentle piano music)
00:14:26.23\00:14:27.30
>>[Announcer] Season
4 of "Conversations,"
00:14:27.30\00:14:29.13
coming to itiswritten.tv
starting January 1st.
00:14:29.13\00:14:33.03
(inspirational theme music)
00:14:36.57\00:14:39.21
>>[Eric] Welcome
back to "Sabbath School,"
00:14:41.08\00:14:42.51
brought to you by It Is Written.
00:14:42.51\00:14:44.91
Well, we have now
reached the very last segment
00:14:44.91\00:14:48.22
of the very last
lesson of the last quarter
00:14:48.22\00:14:53.15
of 2022. So, we are at the end,
00:14:53.15\00:14:56.76
which might sound negative,
00:14:56.76\00:14:59.59
but we're talking about
a really positive subject.
00:14:59.59\00:15:02.00
So, Alberto, let's kind
of bring things together
00:15:02.00\00:15:05.23
in these last few
minutes that we have together.
00:15:05.23\00:15:10.17
God is...
00:15:10.17\00:15:11.91
God has a plan
for dealing with sin.
00:15:11.91\00:15:14.81
He has a plan for
dealing with death.
00:15:14.81\00:15:17.78
The adversary, if we
want to go back 14 weeks,
00:15:17.78\00:15:20.78
the adversary had his own
plan. Satan had his own plan,
00:15:20.78\00:15:24.45
and he's had, well,
several thousand years
00:15:24.45\00:15:26.82
to work out his plan,
00:15:26.82\00:15:28.32
and I think we probably all
agree it hasn't gone real well.
00:15:28.32\00:15:32.59
But how does God's plan
differ from the devil's plan?
00:15:32.59\00:15:37.00
What's the beauty of
seeing the character of God
00:15:37.00\00:15:40.64
triumph in all of this?
00:15:40.64\00:15:43.37
>>Actually, the
history of sin and death
00:15:45.01\00:15:49.68
is an ongoing history
00:15:49.68\00:15:52.21
since the Fall until the end.
00:15:52.21\00:15:55.58
So I like this definition
of history as a process.
00:15:55.58\00:16:00.69
It started with human beings
00:16:01.49\00:16:05.66
departing from
God, forsaking God,
00:16:05.66\00:16:10.10
and it will end; it's
a process that will end
00:16:10.10\00:16:14.50
with the future
re-encounter of man with God.
00:16:14.50\00:16:19.11
And in between this,
00:16:19.11\00:16:20.98
we have the great
monument of God's love,
00:16:20.98\00:16:24.28
the altar of His love.
00:16:24.28\00:16:25.78
Actually, that's the cross,
00:16:25.78\00:16:27.82
that assures us
the plan of salvation,
00:16:27.82\00:16:31.89
and that one really
reviews the plan of Satan,
00:16:31.89\00:16:36.06
his selfishness, a
plan built on selfishness,
00:16:36.06\00:16:41.10
and the other one is
a plan built in love,
00:16:42.20\00:16:46.13
God's love.
00:16:46.87\00:16:48.24
So it's amazing, because
as mysterious as evil begun,
00:16:48.24\00:16:53.27
and we have no explanation,
00:16:53.27\00:16:55.54
we can have no reason
to explain how it started,
00:16:55.54\00:16:59.61
we know what the Bible
says, but it is a mystery.
00:16:59.61\00:17:03.82
We can say who and
and how it started,
00:17:03.82\00:17:08.16
but the reason behind this
is something unexplainable,
00:17:08.16\00:17:11.93
but as mysterious also
is the plan of salvation,
00:17:11.93\00:17:16.06
because humankind, human beings
00:17:16.06\00:17:19.73
were condemned to death,
00:17:19.73\00:17:22.84
and God finds a way,
really, to solve the problem,
00:17:22.84\00:17:27.91
of condemning sin and
justifying the sinner,
00:17:29.04\00:17:33.08
and this is
something amazing, because
00:17:33.08\00:17:35.35
usually either you condemn
sin and sinners together,
00:17:35.35\00:17:39.82
or you save them
together, excusing sin.
00:17:39.82\00:17:44.03
But God was able to
separate them, saying,
00:17:44.03\00:17:47.40
"Well, sin remains sinful
00:17:47.40\00:17:50.37
and is something
antagonic of my plan."
00:17:50.37\00:17:54.27
But at the same time,
00:17:54.27\00:17:55.67
He is willing and able
00:17:55.67\00:18:00.04
to save sinners, and this
is really the amazing thing
00:18:00.04\00:18:04.45
that ends with
the final picture,
00:18:04.45\00:18:08.18
the glorious
eradication of sin and sinners,
00:18:08.18\00:18:12.99
and those who accept
God's plan of salvation
00:18:12.99\00:18:15.82
will really rejoice
with Him throughout eternity.
00:18:15.82\00:18:20.30
>>So there's an incredible
picture of what is to come,
00:18:21.63\00:18:24.17
and it's not too far distant,
00:18:24.17\00:18:26.47
but the reality
is we are still here.
00:18:26.47\00:18:30.04
Right now we're still living
in this, in the parentheses,
00:18:30.04\00:18:34.58
when sin exists on this planet,
00:18:35.38\00:18:38.68
and if you think about
this from a cosmic perspective,
00:18:38.68\00:18:42.52
an eternity perspective,
00:18:42.52\00:18:44.82
there's been eternity in
the past where there was no sin,
00:18:44.82\00:18:47.72
and there's going to
be eternity in the future
00:18:47.72\00:18:49.36
where there isn't,
00:18:49.36\00:18:50.73
but there's this tiny little
blip in time where sin exists,
00:18:50.73\00:18:54.50
and we happen to be on that
singular planet where it exists
00:18:54.50\00:18:58.80
during the time when it exists.
00:18:58.80\00:19:01.37
How do we get through this time
00:19:01.37\00:19:06.11
to make sure that we
can experience the eternity
00:19:06.11\00:19:09.28
that is yet to come?
00:19:09.28\00:19:11.31
What are some
things that we can do
00:19:11.31\00:19:12.75
to make sure
we're on the right side,
00:19:12.75\00:19:14.25
to make sure we make it through,
00:19:14.25\00:19:15.38
to make sure that
we are among the saved
00:19:15.38\00:19:18.25
so that we don't
end up losing out
00:19:18.25\00:19:20.02
on all of that wonderfulness
because of this short time
00:19:20.02\00:19:24.56
and poor decisions
that we might make?
00:19:24.56\00:19:26.86
>>Well, we have a tendency,
00:19:27.86\00:19:29.30
a human tendency, to blame
other ones of whatever we want.
00:19:29.30\00:19:34.37
One of those is to blame Eve,
00:19:35.17\00:19:38.04
Adam and Eve, for the Fall.
00:19:38.04\00:19:41.38
Well, this is
something that we can blame,
00:19:41.38\00:19:44.25
but we cannot
change it. It happened.
00:19:44.25\00:19:46.98
It should have happened?
No, it was their decision.
00:19:46.98\00:19:51.02
But I like very much an analogy
00:19:51.02\00:19:54.92
where people say
that every human mind
00:19:54.92\00:19:58.49
is a garden of
Eden in miniature.
00:19:58.49\00:20:02.16
The same decisions that Adam
and Eve had to take over there,
00:20:02.16\00:20:07.00
we have to take
also in our own realm.
00:20:07.00\00:20:11.91
So in other words,
00:20:11.91\00:20:13.71
every day we have to
choose to follow God's plan
00:20:13.71\00:20:18.61
or our own plan,
00:20:18.61\00:20:20.62
and this makes
all the difference.
00:20:21.72\00:20:24.05
The only assurance that we have
00:20:24.05\00:20:26.39
is that we are grounded in God,
00:20:26.39\00:20:29.52
I mean, trusting God
and following His Word,
00:20:29.52\00:20:32.86
and this is the reason
00:20:32.86\00:20:33.90
why we have been
studying this subject,
00:20:33.90\00:20:36.16
because this is not
just a matter of opinion,
00:20:36.16\00:20:40.07
of point of view.
00:20:40.07\00:20:41.90
It's a matter of life and
death, because some people say,
00:20:41.90\00:20:45.84
"Well, Jesus saves
me, and that's enough."
00:20:45.84\00:20:49.51
It would be the
same thing as saying,
00:20:49.51\00:20:51.38
"I love very much my
wife, but I hate her ideas."
00:20:51.38\00:20:55.38
We cannot go live
together if this is the case.
00:20:55.38\00:20:59.15
And so people today want
to accept God or Christ--
00:20:59.15\00:21:03.69
better saying, a
Savior--but not as Lord.
00:21:03.69\00:21:08.73
They want revival
but not reformation.
00:21:09.83\00:21:12.63
But really, what we have to do,
00:21:12.63\00:21:14.57
if I love God,
whatever He says is meaningful
00:21:14.57\00:21:19.07
in my case, and my appeal
would really be that we should,
00:21:19.07\00:21:23.91
this topic, we
should not just end here.
00:21:23.91\00:21:27.48
"Well, now I know
enough of the subject."
00:21:27.48\00:21:30.79
No, we have to
continue studying it
00:21:30.79\00:21:33.56
because God's Word
is for our benefit.
00:21:33.56\00:21:38.09
You know, when
you go to the doctor
00:21:38.09\00:21:40.90
and he prescribes
some kind of medicine,
00:21:40.90\00:21:43.87
you don't choose what you
want to use in the sense where
00:21:43.87\00:21:47.34
I want to have the
most tasteful medicine,
00:21:47.34\00:21:51.37
the one that I like the most.
00:21:51.37\00:21:53.51
No, you have to take the one
00:21:53.51\00:21:55.61
that maybe is not
the most tasteful,
00:21:55.61\00:21:57.48
but the one that
you need to have.
00:21:57.48\00:22:00.28
And so God created us.
00:22:00.28\00:22:02.75
He established this whole
plan of salvation, as such,
00:22:02.75\00:22:07.82
to undermine, so
to say, Satan's plan
00:22:08.92\00:22:13.09
and lead us to triumph with Him.
00:22:13.90\00:22:17.03
So in this case,
who else can tell us
00:22:17.03\00:22:21.00
what we should do
in order to accept
00:22:21.00\00:22:25.11
and to live this
plan of salvation
00:22:25.11\00:22:27.44
and really be saved
throughout eternity?
00:22:27.44\00:22:30.25
Only God. Whatever
else is just human opinion.
00:22:30.25\00:22:34.18
>>And I think that's a
valuable point to take away,
00:22:35.48\00:22:38.62
is that there are lots of ideas,
00:22:38.62\00:22:40.79
lots of theories
floating around out there,
00:22:40.79\00:22:43.79
inside Christianity,
even, on this very subject,
00:22:43.79\00:22:47.30
but the only one
that really matters
00:22:47.30\00:22:49.10
is what God has to say about it
00:22:49.10\00:22:51.17
because the rest of it
ends up just being fables,
00:22:51.17\00:22:53.54
and we end up believing them
00:22:53.54\00:22:55.34
and ending up making
some of the same mistakes
00:22:55.34\00:22:57.57
that Eve made.
00:22:57.57\00:23:00.08
Alberto, for all
intents and purposes,
00:23:00.08\00:23:02.08
our study of this subject is
kind of coming to a close here,
00:23:02.08\00:23:07.15
and you've encouraged us
00:23:07.82\00:23:09.22
to not just accept
that the study is over,
00:23:09.22\00:23:13.69
but to continue studying.
00:23:13.69\00:23:16.19
Why is this so important?
You've already touched on it,
00:23:17.93\00:23:21.56
but I want to give you
an opportunity to just,
00:23:21.56\00:23:23.83
to bring this point together.
00:23:23.83\00:23:25.20
Why is this such
an important subject
00:23:25.20\00:23:28.37
that it merits continued study,
00:23:28.37\00:23:31.51
that it's worth our while
00:23:31.51\00:23:33.27
to continue digging into this
subject and related subjects?
00:23:33.27\00:23:38.35
What's the importance?
00:23:39.01\00:23:40.22
>>Well, I would not like
to overemphasize the case,
00:23:41.58\00:23:44.15
because I wrote the
Sabbath school quarterly
00:23:44.15\00:23:47.92
and the
companion book and so on,
00:23:47.92\00:23:50.03
because there is a
tendency of each single author
00:23:50.03\00:23:53.86
to consider what
he did like a child,
00:23:53.86\00:23:56.77
and something very important,
00:23:56.77\00:23:58.20
but this subject
I did not choose.
00:23:58.20\00:24:00.80
I was asked to write on it.
00:24:00.80\00:24:03.37
I think it's
crucial for one reason,
00:24:03.37\00:24:06.41
and you touched a
little bit on this matter.
00:24:06.41\00:24:08.61
Our world in this, what we
understand to be the last days,
00:24:08.61\00:24:13.68
has been taken over by
all kinds of immortalists,
00:24:15.02\00:24:18.52
mystical,
spiritualistic experiences,
00:24:18.52\00:24:22.59
I mean, publications,
videos, and whatever you want.
00:24:22.59\00:24:27.50
There are even, there is even
a website where you can go--
00:24:27.50\00:24:31.53
and I would not share
the the website, definitely,
00:24:31.53\00:24:33.97
and I have not
accessed it, either--
00:24:33.97\00:24:35.64
but you can send
messages to your foreparent,
00:24:35.64\00:24:40.18
foreparents or ancestors
that died and receive messages.
00:24:40.18\00:24:44.68
Then the next stage, you
can talk to them by audio,
00:24:44.68\00:24:48.68
and the next one,
you can even see them.
00:24:48.68\00:24:52.55
And if the Bible is
trustworthy, as I say,
00:24:52.55\00:24:56.52
the last days will be,
00:24:56.52\00:24:58.09
there will be many
different deceptions,
00:24:58.09\00:25:01.90
and even the devil will
appear, and demons and so on,
00:25:01.90\00:25:06.90
because they know
that their time is limited,
00:25:06.90\00:25:09.54
and shortly they
will have an end.
00:25:09.54\00:25:11.47
So they are
trying to do their best.
00:25:11.47\00:25:14.48
The bookstores, the
movies, the internet
00:25:15.61\00:25:20.22
is filled of this kind
of concepts of reincarnation
00:25:20.22\00:25:24.79
and near-death experiences.
00:25:24.79\00:25:27.56
I think that this is the time,
00:25:27.56\00:25:29.09
if you believe and
trust in the Bible,
00:25:29.09\00:25:31.19
really not only to
study and to share it,
00:25:31.19\00:25:35.43
but also to do your best
00:25:35.43\00:25:37.63
in order to really
make God's Word prevail
00:25:37.63\00:25:41.80
and the teachings of the Bible
00:25:41.80\00:25:43.61
on this absolutely crucial topic
00:25:43.61\00:25:47.64
that we have covered so far.
00:25:47.64\00:25:50.11
So I think that our
task is just beginning,
00:25:50.11\00:25:54.55
is not end. so you
have concepts; you have
00:25:54.55\00:25:58.95
understanding. Why
don't you share it?
00:25:58.95\00:26:00.36
>>I think that sharing
is very, very important,
00:26:01.46\00:26:03.36
because as you mentioned,
00:26:03.36\00:26:04.69
the proverbial deck is
stacked against humanity.
00:26:04.69\00:26:07.50
There's a lot of
influences out there
00:26:07.50\00:26:10.20
leading people in
the wrong direction,
00:26:10.20\00:26:12.67
but the good news is,
00:26:12.67\00:26:13.74
if God is with us,
who can be against us?
00:26:13.74\00:26:16.64
If He's on our side,
if He wants us to prevail,
00:26:16.64\00:26:19.11
if He wants us to
inherit eternal life,
00:26:19.11\00:26:21.68
if He wants us to
experience all things new
00:26:21.68\00:26:25.55
and to live in
a time and a place
00:26:25.55\00:26:28.52
where there is no more sorrow,
no more sin, no more death,
00:26:28.52\00:26:31.59
no more dying, no more
deception, no more destruction,
00:26:31.59\00:26:35.66
that time is in
the very near future,
00:26:35.66\00:26:37.76
and it's a reality that
you can indeed experience.
00:26:37.76\00:26:41.83
Alberto, I want to
thank you once again
00:26:41.83\00:26:43.90
for spending this time with us,
00:26:43.90\00:26:46.67
for allowing God to use
you to write this lesson.
00:26:46.67\00:26:50.77
It has indeed been a privilege,
00:26:50.77\00:26:52.84
and I trust it's been
a joy for you as well.
00:26:52.84\00:26:55.41
>>Yes, definitely so,
the joy to be with you,
00:26:55.41\00:26:59.18
and also to share these
ideas, and let's do our best.
00:26:59.18\00:27:04.25
The devil has so many people,
so many spokespeople for him.
00:27:05.65\00:27:08.62
Why he could not use
you and me for his cause?
00:27:08.62\00:27:13.43
>>God wants to do exactly
that. He wants to use you
00:27:13.43\00:27:16.67
to share His light, His
life in a darkened world,
00:27:16.67\00:27:21.64
and one of the best
ways that we can do that
00:27:21.64\00:27:24.17
is to help people understand
the hope that there is.
00:27:24.17\00:27:27.71
It's been said that
there are two things
00:27:27.71\00:27:29.04
that people experience
and no one can can avoid:
00:27:29.04\00:27:31.71
death and taxes.
00:27:31.71\00:27:33.28
We can't help you with
taxes, but here with death,
00:27:33.28\00:27:36.02
there's a lot of
hope that there is indeed.
00:27:36.02\00:27:38.49
And so we trust and
pray that God will bless you
00:27:38.49\00:27:40.62
as you continue your
study on this subject
00:27:40.62\00:27:42.96
and you share the hope in
Jesus that's also found here.
00:27:42.96\00:27:46.16
God bless you, and
we'll see you next week
00:27:46.16\00:27:48.20
with a brand new
quarter on "Sabbath School,"
00:27:48.20\00:27:50.50
brought to you by It Is Written.
00:27:50.50\00:27:52.83
(inspirational theme music)
00:27:52.83\00:27:56.57
(music ends)
00:28:25.80\00:28:28.47