(uplifting theme music)
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(music ends)
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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 today
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as we begin a brand new quarter,
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13 weeks where
we're going to be looking
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at one of the most
significant messages
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or series of
messages in the entire Bible:
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three cosmic messages,
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the three angels' messages
of Revelation, chapter 14.
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And yet they
encompass, they encapsulate
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so much of
what's happening today
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and through the
rest of Scripture.
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Before we dive in
and I share with you
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who our special
guest is for this quarter,
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let's begin with prayer.
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Father, we ask
that you'll be with us
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as we study this
incredible subject.
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Give us wisdom, give us insight,
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touch our hearts,
and move us closer
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to our Savior as we study.
We ask this in Jesus' name,
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amen. >>Amen.
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>>So our guest this
quarter is Pastor Mark Finley.
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Pastor Mark, we're
glad that you could join us.
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>>This is absolutely delightful
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to be at It Is Written again.
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>>Now, you're no
stranger to It Is Written.
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You were with It Is
Written for 14 years?
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>>Just at 14 years.
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>>Fantastic, and
your journey here is--
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you've come back
around, as it were.
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>>Right. You know, we just
love the It Is Written ministry.
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It's making such a
difference, Eric, in the world.
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It is impacting tens of
thousands of lives each week.
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We're so thankful
for Elder John Bradshaw,
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yourself, and the
entire team at It Is Written
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as we see this ministry grow.
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>>Well, we've been blessed
by your ministry. Of course,
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you were with It Is
Written for a while.
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You've served as a pastor,
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an international
speaker, evangelist, author,
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you've served at
the General Conference.
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You are an assistant
to the president today
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and continuing to travel
around in a pseudo-retirement,
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as it were, and sharing
the gospel around the world.
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And we're grateful
that you could share
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these three messages with us.
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Give us a little
bit of background.
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We're looking at
three cosmic messages here.
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I know that this is a subject
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that is near and
dear to your heart.
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How did we get to hold this,
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this adult Bible
study in our hands today?
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>>The General Conference
of Seventh-day Adventists
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has been focusing on
the three angels' messages,
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Revelation, chapter 14:6-12.
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There are programs for children;
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there's TV
programs that I've done
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called "Three Cosmic Messages."
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We did those with
Three Angels Broadcasting.
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There are books
that have been written
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on the three angels' messages,
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so just a variety of
projects to focus the attention
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of the church and the
public on God's last-day message
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in the book of
Revelation for us.
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About three years ago,
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the General Conference
approached me and asked me
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if I would prepare this
series on three cosmic messages,
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the three angels' messages.
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I have a little
funny story to tell you
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about how we got the name
"Three Cosmic Messages" too,
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so don't let me forget that.
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So when you prepare the
Sabbath school study guide,
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it's a major responsibility
because Seventh-day Adventists
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around the world study
these lessons each Sabbath.
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And they're translated
into multiple languages.
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And so I prayed over
the series a great deal,
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spent a lot of time
praying that God would give me
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the right words, to
make it very succinct
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but very clear, powerful.
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You might be interested
to know that each lesson
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takes me about seven
to eight hours to write,
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not counting the time
that you put in research.
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So I would figure
for the 13 lessons,
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I have about
110-120 writing hours
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because each day is
gonna take you, the seven days,
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an hour, an hour and a
half, at least, to write it,
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not counting the research time.
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So you might have 150 hours,
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so it's a real
investment in time.
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But sensing this
responsibility, Pastor Eric,
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and sensing the sacredness of it
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and the importance of
clearly articulating it,
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it's something that
I placed priority on.
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>>So a lot of
time, a lot of effort,
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a lot of prayer, a lot
of research went into this.
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We're going to be on a
13-week journey together
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with you on this subject.
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Give us an idea
of where we're going.
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What are some things
that we're gonna touch on?
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>>Sure. But lemme tell you
a little funny story first.
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So, "Three Cosmic
Messages," how did we get that?
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You are very well aware
here in Chattanooga, Tennessee,
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of the McKee bakery. >>Yes.
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>>So one day, a group
of lay people were talking.
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And as we were
talking about titles,
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we said, "People may
not understand three angels'
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messages." And
so as we're talking,
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we were talking with Mr.
Rusty McKee of McKee bakery.
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And he said to us, "You
know, the bestselling brownies
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we have at McKee
bakery are Cosmic Brownies."
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We said, "That's it, 'cosmic'!
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It's a great word;
people are familiar with it."
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You know, conflict
between good and evil,
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conflict between
Christ and Satan,
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"Three Cosmic Messages," so
that's how we got the title.
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>>So we've got the
title from brownies.
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>>Yeah, right. (laughs)
>>I love it. That's fantastic.
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So give us an idea
of where we're going,
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these cosmic messages.
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Where are they going to take
us over the course of 13 weeks?
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>>The book of Revelation
focuses on the conflict
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between good and evil.
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It focuses on the conflict
between Christ and Satan.
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It has to do with a
cosmic conflict in the heavens.
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It's a Star Wars conflict
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between the forces of
right and the forces of wrong,
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between Christ and Satan.
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So the book of Revelation
focuses on that conflict.
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The three angels' messages
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prepare us for
the final conflict.
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They prepare us for
the overwhelming events
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that are coming upon our world.
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So we will go through
the messages of Christ
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in Revelation, chapter 14
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and look at why these
messages are so important,
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so significant in
preparing a people
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for the coming of Jesus.
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>>Very good. Well,
let's dive into it.
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We are on lesson number one.
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The title of lesson number one
is "Jesus Wins--Satan Loses."
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Now, that, of course,
is good news for all of us.
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We wanna find out how
Jesus wins and how Satan loses.
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But it's
interesting, Pastor Mark,
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that you start lesson
number one not in Revelation 14,
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where we find the
three angels' messages,
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but you start at
two chapters earlier
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in Revelation,
chapter 12. Why begin there?
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>>Chapter 12 is really the hinge
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upon which the entire
book of Revelation turns.
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In Revelation, chapter 1,
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you have an introduction
of the eternal Christ.
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He is eternal,
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He's our Savior, our Redeemer,
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and He is our High
Priest and coming King.
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You find that in Revelation 1.
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Then there are
three sequences of seven.
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You have the seven
churches, the seven seals,
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the seven trumpets. That leads
up to Revelation, chapter 12,
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which then catapults you
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into the great
controversy and end-day events.
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So Revelation 12
introduces you to the chapters
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that will follow the mark
of the beast in chapter 13,
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the three angels'
messages in chapter 14,
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the seven last
plagues in chapter 15 and 16,
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and the woman in
scarlet and the beast
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in Revelation 17 and 18,
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and then the
coming of Christ in 19
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and the new
heavens and the new earth.
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So Revelation 12
is a pivotal chapter.
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Understanding Revelation 12,
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you get the broader
view, the larger view
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of the controversy
between good and evil.
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And that's why we started
there, to give us that context.
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>>So the theme kind of changes
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when you get to Revelation
12. The focus changes.
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What do we find
in Revelation 12?
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What is that
content that sets it apart,
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that makes it
different from chapters 1-11?
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Now we begin this new journey.
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What makes it a
new journey there?
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>>The neat thing
about Revelation 12
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is you have four episodes.
You have the first episode,
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and I like to look
at it as like vignettes,
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as if I'm watching a
video, and I see scene one,
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scene two, scene
three, scene four.
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The uniqueness
about Revelation 12
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is that it takes you
down through the ages
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in this conflict
between good and evil.
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It starts with Lucifer's
rebellion against God in heaven;
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he's cast out. Time goes on.
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Lucifer then attacks
Christ when He's born on earth,
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tries to destroy
Him. Time goes on.
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There's a period of
the Middle or Dark Ages
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where Satan tries to
destroy the followers of Christ.
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And then it catapults you
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right into the last
days of earth's history
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where the dragon,
Satan, tries to destroy
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God's last-day
people, the remnant.
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And it's from that vantage point
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that we then go into
the beast from the sea
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and the beast from the
earth in Revelation, chapter 13
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that tries to
destroy God's people.
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We go into the message
that prepares God's people.
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So you have that
Revelation, chapter 12:17,
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which shows you
Satan's attempt on the remnant.
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And then the
rest of the book shows
00:09:13.92\00:09:15.45
how he has tried
to destroy the remnant
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and how they've stood loyal
and faithful and true to Christ.
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>>So you have
four episodes here,
00:09:20.46\00:09:22.82
as you mentioned, in
Revelation, chapter 12.
00:09:22.82\00:09:25.69
We've got a general
idea of where that's going,
00:09:25.69\00:09:28.16
but dig us into
that a little bit more.
00:09:28.16\00:09:30.50
We're talking about
Jesus winning and Satan losing.
00:09:30.50\00:09:33.84
Revelation 12
brings that all together.
00:09:33.84\00:09:36.24
Help us unpack
that a little bit.
00:09:36.24\00:09:37.51
>>Sure, let's just
actually go to our Bibles
00:09:37.51\00:09:40.21
and look at
Revelation, chapter 12.
00:09:40.21\00:09:42.01
We're gonna start there in
Revelation 12 with verse 7.
00:09:42.01\00:09:46.18
So this is the
first great episode.
00:09:46.18\00:09:49.42
Revelation 12, verse 7
says, "War broke out in heaven:
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"Michael and his
angels fought with the dragon;
00:09:53.49\00:09:56.32
and the dragon and
his angels fought."
00:09:56.32\00:09:58.86
Now, notice now, Pastor
Eric, the next few verse,
00:09:58.86\00:10:03.30
the next verse in chapter 8.
00:10:03.30\00:10:05.90
And let's also
look at chapter 9.
00:10:05.90\00:10:07.54
Why don't you
read verse 8 and 9?
00:10:07.54\00:10:08.94
>>It says, "But
they did not prevail,
00:10:08.94\00:10:10.71
"nor was a place found
for them in heaven any longer.
00:10:10.71\00:10:13.91
"So the great
dragon was cast out,
00:10:13.91\00:10:15.88
"that serpent of old,
called the Devil and Satan,
00:10:15.88\00:10:18.75
"who deceives the whole
world; he was cast to the earth,
00:10:18.75\00:10:21.92
and his angels
were cast out with him."
00:10:21.92\00:10:24.05
>>So here is a cosmic
conflict between good and evil,
00:10:24.05\00:10:26.99
between the forces of
good, the force of evil,
00:10:26.99\00:10:28.96
between Christ and Satan.
And here in this conflict,
00:10:28.96\00:10:32.59
we're gonna notice
something that happens.
00:10:32.59\00:10:34.83
Every angel has
to make a decision,
00:10:34.83\00:10:36.83
similar to the final conflict
00:10:36.83\00:10:38.80
when every human
being on Planet Earth
00:10:38.80\00:10:40.50
has to make a decision.
00:10:40.50\00:10:41.74
And it says that
Satan does not prevail;
00:10:41.74\00:10:45.81
he's cast out of heaven.
So in episode number one,
00:10:45.81\00:10:48.91
Jesus wins; Satan loses.
00:10:48.91\00:10:51.48
We come down the stream of
time, and we come here now,
00:10:51.48\00:10:56.45
let's go back to Revelation 12,
00:10:57.35\00:11:00.36
and we, again,
00:11:00.36\00:11:02.72
read about this dragon
who is cast out of heaven,
00:11:02.72\00:11:07.76
and we get
another picture of him
00:11:08.83\00:11:10.07
in chapter 12,
verse 3, 4, and 5.
00:11:10.07\00:11:14.74
Go ahead,
pastor, and read those.
00:11:14.74\00:11:16.04
>>Sure, verse 3 says, "And
another sign appeared in heaven:
00:11:16.04\00:11:19.04
"behold, a
great, fiery red dragon
00:11:19.04\00:11:21.34
"having seven
heads and ten horns,
00:11:21.34\00:11:23.45
"and seven diadems on his heads.
00:11:23.45\00:11:25.78
"His tail drew a
third of the stars of heaven
00:11:25.78\00:11:28.08
"and threw them to the earth.
00:11:28.08\00:11:29.68
"And the dragon
stood before the woman
00:11:29.68\00:11:31.59
"who was ready to give birth,
00:11:31.59\00:11:32.99
"to devour her Child
as soon as it was born.
00:11:32.99\00:11:35.89
"She bore a male
Child who was to rule
00:11:35.89\00:11:38.16
"all nations with a rod of iron.
00:11:38.16\00:11:40.50
And her Child was caught
up to God and His throne."
00:11:40.50\00:11:43.30
>>So here's scene number two.
00:11:43.30\00:11:45.70
In scene number two, Satan,
who has been cast out of heaven,
00:11:45.70\00:11:50.54
focuses on destroying Jesus.
00:11:50.54\00:11:53.44
A decree is passed that
all male children under 2
00:11:53.44\00:11:56.38
should be killed or annihilated.
00:11:56.38\00:11:58.65
Scripture says that the woman
00:11:59.58\00:12:02.62
bears a male
Child, obviously Christ,
00:12:02.62\00:12:05.42
who is "to rule all nations
with [the] rod of iron....
00:12:05.42\00:12:08.56
Her child [is] caught
up to God and His throne."
00:12:08.56\00:12:12.29
Jesus wins; Satan loses.
00:12:12.29\00:12:14.36
He faces Satan's
temptation, and He overcomes.
00:12:14.36\00:12:18.23
He is eventually crucified.
00:12:18.23\00:12:21.04
His death provides
salvation for all mankind.
00:12:21.04\00:12:23.97
And then He rises. So
that's the second episode.
00:12:23.97\00:12:28.31
Third episode we find here
00:12:28.31\00:12:31.45
is in this next verse, verse 6.
00:12:31.45\00:12:34.75
>>Verse 6 says, "Then the
woman fled into the wilderness,
00:12:34.75\00:12:38.25
"where she has a
place prepared by God,
00:12:38.25\00:12:40.46
"that they should feed her there
00:12:40.46\00:12:41.99
one thousand two
hundred and sixty days."
00:12:41.99\00:12:44.66
>>Then the woman, the church,
flees into the wilderness--
00:12:44.66\00:12:47.96
the long period of Dark Ages,
00:12:47.96\00:12:50.17
this 1,260 days
in Bible prophecy;
00:12:50.17\00:12:53.77
one prophetic day
is a literal year,
00:12:53.77\00:12:57.94
Ezekiel 4, verse 6,
00:12:57.94\00:12:59.54
and Numbers
14:32 and through 34.
00:12:59.54\00:13:04.15
So you have here the idea
00:13:04.15\00:13:06.68
of the woman
fleeing into the wilderness,
00:13:06.68\00:13:08.22
but I'm interested
in this expression;
00:13:08.22\00:13:09.72
it says, "She has a
place prepared by God."
00:13:09.72\00:13:13.49
In the trials of life,
in the heartaches of life,
00:13:13.49\00:13:16.93
difficulties, God always
has a place prepared for us.
00:13:16.93\00:13:19.83
>>Amen to that.
00:13:19.83\00:13:21.06
So we've looked at
three of these vignettes.
00:13:21.06\00:13:23.10
We've still got one more to go.
00:13:23.10\00:13:24.93
We're gonna take a
quick break, but before we do,
00:13:24.93\00:13:27.74
we have a companion
book that's available
00:13:27.74\00:13:30.01
to this quarter's
Sabbath school lesson.
00:13:30.01\00:13:31.64
It's called
"Three Cosmic Messages."
00:13:31.64\00:13:33.21
Of course, you're
the author of this,
00:13:33.21\00:13:34.38
as well as the study guide.
00:13:34.38\00:13:36.28
For somebody who's
considering whether
00:13:37.38\00:13:38.71
they ought to pick up
the companion book or not,
00:13:38.71\00:13:41.62
what would they find
in this companion book
00:13:41.62\00:13:44.62
that would add more to
their study of the quarterly
00:13:44.62\00:13:48.49
of the Sabbath school lesson?
00:13:48.49\00:13:49.59
>>Sure.
00:13:49.59\00:13:50.39
One of the reasons, Pastor Eric,
00:13:50.39\00:13:52.43
for the companion book is that
00:13:52.43\00:13:55.33
when an author does research
00:13:55.33\00:13:57.90
and spends literally tens
of hours on that research,
00:13:57.90\00:14:02.67
there's so much
more than you can put
00:14:02.67\00:14:04.31
in the Sabbath school
lessons. So, Pacific Press,
00:14:04.31\00:14:07.71
the publisher of the
Sabbath school companion books,
00:14:07.71\00:14:12.78
always publishes a book that
gives you additional resources.
00:14:14.12\00:14:17.32
So if you're interested
in the book of Revelation,
00:14:17.32\00:14:19.85
if you want to
have a deeper view
00:14:19.85\00:14:21.92
of the three angels' messages,
00:14:21.92\00:14:24.09
if you want
stories and illustrations
00:14:24.09\00:14:26.59
that illustrate these lessons,
00:14:26.59\00:14:29.30
if you really desire to
understand the meaning of the
00:14:29.30\00:14:33.20
text, where we
break down the text
00:14:33.20\00:14:34.77
and look at the meaning of
words and background of words,
00:14:34.77\00:14:37.64
if you are a
layperson, a pastor,
00:14:37.64\00:14:41.28
this will enrich
your life immensely.
00:14:41.28\00:14:44.78
>>So that is
"Three Cosmic Messages,"
00:14:44.78\00:14:46.98
the companion book to this
quarter's Sabbath school lesson.
00:14:46.98\00:14:50.12
You can find a copy of
this at itiswritten.shop.
00:14:50.12\00:14:53.56
Again, that's itiswritten.shop,
00:14:53.56\00:14:55.72
the companion book
to this quarter's study,
00:14:55.72\00:14:57.93
and it is called
"Three Cosmic Messages,"
00:14:57.93\00:15:00.70
of course, by
Pastor Mark Finley.
00:15:00.70\00:15:02.66
We're going to
take a quick break,
00:15:02.66\00:15:04.00
and when we come back,
we're going to be looking
00:15:04.00\00:15:05.70
at the last of
those four vignettes.
00:15:05.70\00:15:08.00
And then we're going to dig
more deeply into Revelation 12
00:15:08.00\00:15:11.47
and see how it
connects with Revelation 14.
00:15:11.47\00:15:14.11
We'll be right back.
00:15:14.11\00:15:15.48
(uplifting theme
music swells and ends)
00:15:15.48\00:15:18.15
>>[John Bradshaw] It's
everywhere, adorning churches,
00:15:19.41\00:15:22.45
adorning people.
00:15:22.45\00:15:24.19
There's a season every
year commemorating the cross.
00:15:24.19\00:15:28.19
But beyond eggs and
rabbits, there's a power,
00:15:28.19\00:15:31.39
the power of a sacrifice,
the power of the love of God.
00:15:31.39\00:15:35.66
Be sure you see "At the Cross"
00:15:35.66\00:15:38.67
and learn about the single event
00:15:38.67\00:15:40.47
that changed the
course of history,
00:15:40.47\00:15:42.94
the event that can
change your life forever.
00:15:42.94\00:15:46.57
Predicted by prophets and
foretold by Jesus Himself,
00:15:46.57\00:15:50.25
what happened at the cross
00:15:50.25\00:15:51.91
was a demonstration of
God's love like no other.
00:15:51.91\00:15:55.58
Humanity's fall into
sin in the Garden of Eden
00:15:55.58\00:15:58.35
brought upon Adam and
Eve and their descendants
00:15:58.35\00:16:01.26
inescapable consequences.
00:16:01.26\00:16:03.53
But into that
turmoil stepped Jesus,
00:16:03.53\00:16:05.56
promising the
planet a way of escape.
00:16:05.56\00:16:08.96
Don't miss "At the Cross,"
00:16:08.96\00:16:11.77
brought to you
by It Is Written TV.
00:16:11.77\00:16:15.27
You know that at It Is Written,
00:16:16.57\00:16:18.01
we are serious about
studying the Word of God
00:16:18.01\00:16:20.38
and we encourage you
to be serious as well.
00:16:20.38\00:16:23.14
Well, here's what you do
00:16:23.14\00:16:24.18
if you want to dig
deeper into God's Word.
00:16:24.18\00:16:26.28
Go to itiswritten.study
00:16:26.28\00:16:28.48
for the It Is Written
Bible Study Guides online,
00:16:28.48\00:16:31.45
25 in-depth Bible
studies that will take you
00:16:31.45\00:16:33.99
through the major
teachings of the Bible.
00:16:33.99\00:16:36.36
You'll be blessed, and
it's something you'll want
00:16:36.36\00:16:38.49
to tell others about as well:
00:16:38.49\00:16:40.33
itiswritten.study.
00:16:40.33\00:16:41.66
Go further: itiswritten.study.
00:16:41.66\00:16:44.33
(uplifting theme music)
00:16:45.50\00:16:48.17
>>[Eric] Welcome
back to "Sabbath School,"
00:16:49.74\00:16:51.21
brought to you by It Is Written.
00:16:51.21\00:16:53.27
We are on a journey through
00:16:53.27\00:16:55.94
the three cosmic messages
of Revelation, chapter 14.
00:16:57.35\00:17:00.32
And we're looking especially
right now at chapter 12.
00:17:00.32\00:17:03.82
And we've been going through
a series of four vignettes
00:17:03.82\00:17:06.99
that you mentioned are described
in Revelation, chapter 12.
00:17:06.99\00:17:10.86
Before we get to
that fourth one--
00:17:10.86\00:17:12.59
we've covered three of them--
00:17:12.59\00:17:13.70
but before we get
to that fourth one,
00:17:13.70\00:17:15.80
the Bible makes very plain
00:17:15.80\00:17:16.83
that there is a
great conflict coming.
00:17:16.83\00:17:19.20
We can maybe see
elements of it now,
00:17:19.20\00:17:22.34
hints of it right now, but
we're certainly not there yet.
00:17:22.34\00:17:25.11
There is a great conflict coming
00:17:25.11\00:17:27.04
that many people alive today
are probably going to face.
00:17:28.44\00:17:31.18
What kind of hope,
what kind of counsel,
00:17:32.68\00:17:35.12
what kind of practical things
can we learn from the past,
00:17:35.12\00:17:38.89
from what people have
gone through in the past
00:17:38.89\00:17:41.02
that might
prepare us for some events
00:17:41.02\00:17:43.69
that are very
shortly to come on the earth?
00:17:43.69\00:17:45.29
>>Revelation 12 is
our chapter. (chuckles)
00:17:45.29\00:17:48.00
It is just remarkable.
00:17:48.00\00:17:50.00
It not only presents
this historical overview
00:17:50.00\00:17:52.73
but these practical hints.
00:17:52.73\00:17:54.70
First, notice that
Satan was cast out of heaven.
00:17:54.70\00:17:58.01
He did not prevail.
Jesus won; Satan lost.
00:17:58.01\00:18:02.11
Secondly, Christ was victorious
over Satan in His life.
00:18:02.11\00:18:06.78
He triumphed over the
principalities and powers of
00:18:06.78\00:18:09.88
hell. Again, Jesus won; Satan
lost. But notice a couple things
00:18:09.88\00:18:14.62
I think that are
very, very helpful.
00:18:14.62\00:18:16.96
If you look at
Revelation, chapter 12,
00:18:16.96\00:18:20.86
and you read verse 10,
00:18:21.66\00:18:23.83
through 10 and 11 and 12.
00:18:23.83\00:18:27.74
Go ahead and
read 10, 11, and 12.
00:18:27.74\00:18:29.47
They're really
helpful, very practical.
00:18:29.47\00:18:31.51
>>Verse 10 says,
"Then I heard a loud voice
00:18:31.51\00:18:33.78
"saying in heaven, 'Now
salvation, and strength,
00:18:33.78\00:18:36.71
"'and the kingdom of our God,
00:18:36.71\00:18:38.15
"'and the power of
His Christ have come,
00:18:38.15\00:18:40.62
"'for the
accuser of our brethren,
00:18:40.62\00:18:42.38
"'who accused them
before our God day and night,
00:18:42.38\00:18:44.92
"'has been cast down.
00:18:44.92\00:18:46.59
"'And they overcame him
by the blood of the Lamb
00:18:46.59\00:18:48.96
"'and by the word
of their testimony,
00:18:48.96\00:18:50.89
"'and they did not love
their lives to the death.
00:18:50.89\00:18:54.10
"'Therefore rejoice, O heavens,
00:18:54.10\00:18:55.83
"'and you who dwell in them!
00:18:55.83\00:18:57.20
"'Woe to the inhabitants
of the earth and the sea!
00:18:57.20\00:19:00.07
"'For the devil has come
down to you, having great wrath,
00:19:00.07\00:19:03.20
because he knows that
he has a short time.'"
00:19:03.20\00:19:06.21
>>Well, let's
unpack those, pastor.
00:19:06.21\00:19:08.01
>>There's a lot
there. >>There really is.
00:19:08.01\00:19:10.11
Verse 10, it says he hears
a loud voice saying in heaven,
00:19:10.11\00:19:15.18
"Salvation, strength,
and the kingdom of our God,
00:19:16.55\00:19:18.19
and the power of
His Christ have come."
00:19:18.19\00:19:20.59
So this is
speaking about the coming
00:19:20.59\00:19:24.79
of Jesus Christ. When
Christ comes, salvation comes.
00:19:24.79\00:19:29.10
We are saved by
the grace of Christ.
00:19:29.10\00:19:31.30
Satan can tempt us, he
can try to discourage us,
00:19:31.30\00:19:35.30
but salvation
has come in Christ.
00:19:35.30\00:19:37.71
Strength has come in Christ.
00:19:37.71\00:19:40.64
Everything we need to
overcome the powers of evil,
00:19:41.94\00:19:46.28
we find in Christ.
There is strength in Christ;
00:19:46.28\00:19:49.48
there is power in Christ;
there is victory in Christ.
00:19:49.48\00:19:52.55
"Now salvation, and strength,
and the kingdom of our God"--
00:19:52.55\00:19:55.26
what does it mean,
"the kingdom of our God"?
00:19:55.26\00:19:56.93
Jesus said, "The
kingdom of God is within you."
00:19:56.93\00:19:59.33
When we look at Christ,
00:19:59.33\00:20:00.46
we see the principles
of the kingdom of God:
00:20:00.46\00:20:02.76
love, joy, peace, longsuffering.
00:20:02.76\00:20:04.87
So what this text
is saying is that,
00:20:04.87\00:20:07.94
although you live in
a world of wickedness
00:20:07.94\00:20:09.70
and sin and rebellion,
00:20:09.70\00:20:11.04
in your heart, you can
still have God's kingdom.
00:20:11.04\00:20:13.58
In your heart, you
can still be at peace
00:20:13.58\00:20:15.61
and filled with joy.
00:20:15.61\00:20:16.91
Then it says, "And the
power of...Christ has come,
00:20:16.91\00:20:20.02
"for the
accuser of our brethren,
00:20:20.02\00:20:22.25
"who accused
them...day and night
00:20:22.25\00:20:24.82
[before our God and
night], has been cast down."
00:20:24.82\00:20:26.19
Incidentally, I don't wanna
be a accuser of the brethren.
00:20:26.19\00:20:27.56
(chuckles) I don't wanna
be critical of other people.
00:20:27.56\00:20:29.72
I may see the
faults of other people,
00:20:29.72\00:20:32.03
but when you begin
to criticize others,
00:20:32.03\00:20:34.93
you then become
one of Satan's allies.
00:20:34.93\00:20:38.80
I don't wanna be a Satan's
ally. But that be what it may,
00:20:38.80\00:20:42.47
we look here at
the passage; it says,
00:20:42.47\00:20:44.87
"The power of
His Christ has come,
00:20:44.87\00:20:47.58
because the accuser of
the brethren is cast down."
00:20:47.58\00:20:50.11
If Christ had such power
to cast Satan out of heaven,
00:20:50.11\00:20:53.92
He has equal power to
cast him out of my life.
00:20:53.92\00:20:56.55
So these are
very practical things.
00:20:56.55\00:20:58.19
The first principle we know
00:20:58.19\00:20:59.85
is that in Christ
there is salvation,
00:20:59.85\00:21:01.69
there is power,
there is strength,
00:21:01.69\00:21:03.06
and there is the kingdom
of God coming into my heart.
00:21:03.06\00:21:05.73
Then it tells you in verse 11,
00:21:05.73\00:21:07.30
"They overcame him by
the blood of the Lamb."
00:21:07.30\00:21:10.57
Notice it doesn't say
they hoped to overcome,
00:21:10.57\00:21:13.64
they were
struggling to overcome.
00:21:13.64\00:21:15.80
If we fully
understand the sacrifice
00:21:15.80\00:21:18.51
of Christ on the cross for us,
00:21:18.51\00:21:19.94
love is the greatest
motivator. We go to the cross--
00:21:19.94\00:21:22.91
we find that the
Christ who loves us most
00:21:22.91\00:21:27.12
gave His life for us,
bearing the condemnation,
00:21:27.12\00:21:30.55
the shame, and the
guilt of sin on the cross.
00:21:30.55\00:21:32.45
It says, "They overcame
him by the blood of the Lamb,
00:21:32.45\00:21:34.42
...by the word
of their testimony."
00:21:34.42\00:21:36.29
There are some people that
say, "Oh, life is so tough.
00:21:36.29\00:21:39.23
"Oh man, I got so
many problems in my life.
00:21:39.23\00:21:42.66
"I got financial problems.
I got problems with my kids.
00:21:42.66\00:21:45.07
"I got problems in
my-- I got so many problems.
00:21:45.07\00:21:46.84
I got problems in the church."
00:21:46.84\00:21:48.30
They're so problem-focused
that a dark cloud is over them.
00:21:48.30\00:21:52.44
"They overcame him
by the blood of the Lamb
00:21:52.44\00:21:54.14
and by the word
of their testimony."
00:21:54.14\00:21:55.74
We speak out God's goodness;
we speak out God's grace;
00:21:55.74\00:21:59.41
we speak out God's power.
If you want faith, talk faith.
00:21:59.41\00:22:03.18
If you want
courage, talk courage.
00:22:03.18\00:22:05.52
If you want joy, talk joy.
00:22:05.52\00:22:07.72
We not only reflect
what's in our heart,
00:22:07.72\00:22:11.19
but the words that we
speak impact ourselves,
00:22:11.19\00:22:14.60
not only others.
00:22:14.60\00:22:15.96
So, "They overcame him
by the blood of the Lamb."
00:22:15.96\00:22:18.37
Christ died for me;
Christ lives for me;
00:22:18.37\00:22:20.87
Christ's power is mine.
00:22:20.87\00:22:22.40
I should be the most joyful,
happy person in the world.
00:22:22.40\00:22:25.51
And it says, "They loved
not their lives to death."
00:22:25.51\00:22:28.34
In other words, they
gave their lives in service.
00:22:28.34\00:22:30.45
So here's the key of
overcoming: coming to the cross,
00:22:30.45\00:22:33.92
finding His grace,
His mercy, His goodness,
00:22:33.92\00:22:36.15
speaking out joy
to encourage others,
00:22:36.15\00:22:39.02
and giving my life
in sacrificial service.
00:22:39.02\00:22:41.36
>>So those are things
that we can very much do today,
00:22:41.36\00:22:44.13
can be an
integral part of our lives.
00:22:44.13\00:22:46.73
We simply have to
choose to live that life
00:22:46.73\00:22:50.23
with His power
and for His glory.
00:22:50.23\00:22:54.07
So that kind of
leads us into, I think,
00:22:54.07\00:22:56.40
our fourth vignette, as it were.
00:22:56.40\00:22:59.44
Where do we go from there?
00:22:59.44\00:23:01.08
>>Yeah, so we've seen that
Satan was cast out of heaven.
00:23:01.08\00:23:05.61
We've seen that Satan
tried to destroy Jesus
00:23:05.61\00:23:08.38
and he was unsuccessful.
00:23:08.38\00:23:10.52
He tried to destroy God's
people in the Middle Ages,
00:23:10.52\00:23:12.99
persecution, fierce persecution,
00:23:12.99\00:23:15.16
many martyred, but
the church still grew.
00:23:15.16\00:23:17.39
Even in the Dark Ages,
00:23:17.39\00:23:18.53
there were those
that were faithful to God.
00:23:18.53\00:23:20.60
Although you don't have a
lot of numerical church growth,
00:23:20.60\00:23:23.03
you do have spiritual growth
in the hearts of those few,
00:23:23.03\00:23:25.93
what we'd call the remnant.
00:23:25.93\00:23:27.67
In Revelation,
chapter 12, verse 17,
00:23:27.67\00:23:31.07
it comes down to the
last verse in the chapter,
00:23:31.07\00:23:34.41
the dragon, which the
Bible has identified as Satan,
00:23:34.41\00:23:38.88
was enraged with the woman.
00:23:38.88\00:23:41.15
In Bible prophecy,
a pure, chaste woman
00:23:41.15\00:23:45.29
represents the true church.
00:23:45.29\00:23:47.59
Jeremiah 6, verse 2 says,
00:23:48.86\00:23:50.63
"I have likened
the daughter of Zion"--
00:23:50.63\00:23:52.79
which is the
church, ancient Israel--
00:23:52.79\00:23:54.96
"to a pure and delicate woman."
00:23:54.96\00:23:57.43
In Ephesians, chapter 5, it
talks about the bride of Christ.
00:23:57.43\00:24:02.17
So in the book of
Revelation, a pure, chaste woman
00:24:02.17\00:24:05.57
is united to her
true Lover, Jesus Christ.
00:24:05.57\00:24:08.71
A harlot woman is united
to the kings of the earth
00:24:08.71\00:24:13.01
and commits spiritual
fornication with them.
00:24:13.01\00:24:16.18
So it says, "The dragon
was enraged with the woman,
00:24:17.52\00:24:20.32
...[goes] to make war with
the rest of her offspring"--
00:24:20.32\00:24:23.73
now, the King James
version says "the remnant"--
00:24:23.73\00:24:26.29
"who keep the
commandments of God
00:24:26.29\00:24:28.00
and have the
testimony of Jesus."
00:24:28.00\00:24:30.20
So we have a
description in Revelation 12:17
00:24:30.20\00:24:34.84
of God's final end-time people.
00:24:34.84\00:24:37.74
They have, they keep
the commandments of God.
00:24:37.74\00:24:41.71
They are faithful, and they
have the testimony of Jesus.
00:24:41.71\00:24:44.38
What's this testimony of Jesus?
00:24:44.38\00:24:46.61
Well, Revelation 19, verse
10 helps us to understand that.
00:24:46.61\00:24:51.69
Revelation 19, verse 10,
00:24:52.35\00:24:53.49
and why don't you
read that, pastor?
00:24:53.49\00:24:55.62
>>It says, "And I fell
at his feet to worship him.
00:24:55.62\00:24:58.33
But he"--that is,
the angel--"said to me,
00:24:58.33\00:25:00.73
"'See that you do not do that!
00:25:00.73\00:25:02.66
"'I am your fellow
servant, and of your brethren
00:25:02.66\00:25:04.90
"'who have the
testimony of Jesus. Worship God!
00:25:04.90\00:25:08.24
For the testimony of Jesus
is the spirit of prophecy.'"
00:25:08.24\00:25:11.54
>>So we find here a definition
of the testimony of Jesus,
00:25:11.54\00:25:15.44
which is the prophetic gift
speaking through the prophets.
00:25:15.44\00:25:19.68
You find something
very similar to that
00:25:19.68\00:25:21.82
also in Revelation, chapter 22,
00:25:21.82\00:25:24.59
where John falls at
the feet of the angel
00:25:25.92\00:25:30.26
that's revealing truth to him.
00:25:30.26\00:25:31.69
And look at
Revelation 22, verse 8 and 9.
00:25:31.69\00:25:34.40
>>"Now I, John, saw
and heard these things.
00:25:35.46\00:25:38.03
"And when I heard and saw,
00:25:38.03\00:25:39.37
"I fell down to worship
before the feet of the angel
00:25:39.37\00:25:42.04
"who showed me these things.
00:25:42.04\00:25:43.81
"Then he said to me,
'See that you do not do that.
00:25:43.81\00:25:46.37
"'For I am your fellow servant,
00:25:46.37\00:25:47.88
"'and of your
brethren the prophets,
00:25:47.88\00:25:49.88
"'and of those who
keep the words of this book.
00:25:49.88\00:25:52.28
Worship God.'"
00:25:52.28\00:25:53.38
>>So notice, "I am
your fellow servant,
00:25:53.38\00:25:57.09
of your brethren the prophets."
00:25:57.09\00:25:58.92
So what is the
testimony of Jesus?
00:25:58.92\00:26:00.82
The testimony of Jesus
is the gift of prophecy
00:26:00.82\00:26:03.99
that beats in the
breast of every prophet.
00:26:03.99\00:26:07.50
It is the testimony,
00:26:07.50\00:26:08.63
it is Jesus'
testimony through that prophet.
00:26:08.63\00:26:11.37
So Revelation 12:17
says that God would raise up
00:26:11.37\00:26:15.00
an end-time people,
a prophetic movement
00:26:15.00\00:26:18.71
that would be faithful to
the teachings of Scripture.
00:26:18.71\00:26:21.34
It would be a Christ-centered,
00:26:21.34\00:26:22.88
biblically-based,
truth-proclaiming movement
00:26:22.88\00:26:27.88
that would be characterized
by two unique features:
00:26:27.88\00:26:31.15
Its love for
Christ would lead them
00:26:31.15\00:26:33.19
to keep the commandments of God,
00:26:33.19\00:26:34.86
including the Bible Sabbath;
00:26:34.86\00:26:36.49
and it would be guided
by the gift of prophecy.
00:26:36.49\00:26:38.36
Satan would hate that movement
00:26:38.36\00:26:41.00
and therefore
attempt to destroy it,
00:26:41.00\00:26:44.00
Revelation 13,
the mark of the beast.
00:26:44.00\00:26:46.13
So God would have
an end-time message
00:26:46.13\00:26:48.37
to prepare the world
00:26:48.37\00:26:50.91
to be part of
His end-time movement
00:26:50.91\00:26:53.94
to get a people ready
for the coming of Jesus.
00:26:53.94\00:26:55.98
>>And that's what we're spending
00:26:55.98\00:26:57.01
the next 12 weeks looking at,
00:26:57.01\00:26:59.35
looking at these
three cosmic messages,
00:26:59.35\00:27:01.72
this incredible
overarching message
00:27:01.72\00:27:04.22
that God has for
this time, for His people
00:27:04.22\00:27:08.02
to prepare a remnant
00:27:08.02\00:27:10.19
to be ready to meet
Jesus when He comes.
00:27:10.19\00:27:12.99
And the good news is
00:27:12.99\00:27:14.83
we've got 12 more
weeks to dig into this.
00:27:14.83\00:27:16.93
So if not everything
makes sense right now,
00:27:16.93\00:27:19.10
if you've got some
questions right now,
00:27:19.10\00:27:21.04
you are in the right place
00:27:21.04\00:27:23.24
because we are going to
be delving into this in great
00:27:23.24\00:27:26.84
detail over the
course of the next 12 weeks.
00:27:26.84\00:27:30.18
This message, this series
of messages is for our day.
00:27:30.18\00:27:34.68
If you were to take your finger
00:27:34.68\00:27:36.69
and put it in a
portion of the Bible
00:27:36.69\00:27:38.55
that specifically
applies to our day,
00:27:38.55\00:27:41.09
it would be right in the
heart of Revelation, chapter 14.
00:27:41.09\00:27:44.03
And, Pastor Mark,
we're delighted that
00:27:44.03\00:27:45.43
you're going to be
guiding and directing us
00:27:45.43\00:27:47.20
through this journey
into "Three Cosmic Messages."
00:27:47.20\00:27:51.40
And we are
delighted that you're going
00:27:51.40\00:27:52.80
to be joining us as well.
00:27:52.80\00:27:54.70
So make sure that you
have the Bible study guide,
00:27:54.70\00:27:57.44
make sure that you
have the companion book,
00:27:57.44\00:27:59.17
and make sure that you
come back again next week
00:27:59.17\00:28:01.61
to join us for week
number two, lesson number two,
00:28:01.61\00:28:04.55
as we look at
"Three Cosmic Messages."
00:28:04.55\00:28:07.45
God bless you,
we'll see you next time.
00:28:07.45\00:28:09.42
(uplifting theme music)
00:28:09.42\00:28:12.02
(music ends)
00:28:27.37\00:28:29.44