[uplifting music]
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>>Eric Flickinger:
Welcome to "Sabbath School,"
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brought to you by It Is Written.
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We're glad to have you with us
again as we continue our journey
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through "The Great Controversy."
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Today is lesson number
12, "Earth's Closing Events,"
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a fascinating subject.
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Let's begin with prayer.
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Father, we thank You for
being with us on this journey
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and guiding us up to this point.
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We ask now that You
would bless us as we dive
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into today's subject,
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and may our study
prepare us for the times ahead.
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We thank You in
Jesus' name, amen.
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And we're grateful to
have with us once again today
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the author of this quarter's
"Sabbath School" lesson,
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international
author, speaker, evangelist,
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and friend of the
It Is Written ministry,
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Pastor Mark Finley.
Pastor Mark, welcome back.
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>>Mark Finley: Thank
you so much, Pastor Eric.
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You know, this has
been an exciting series.
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I have been so blessed
in sitting here with you
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and sharing these insights
with our It Is Written audience,
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and I know today's
lesson will be another powerful
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opportunity to share the
divine truths of God's Word
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in the light of the last days.
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>>Eric: It really
is, and we're getting
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into some real
interesting territory here.
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"Earth's Closing Events,"
the opening illustration
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that you share with
us for this week's lesson
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is a fascinating one.
Share that illustration with us.
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>>Mark: Well, let's suppose that
you have a teenage daughter,
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19 years old, who's on
her way home from college.
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As she's on her way home
for, let's say, spring break,
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it's raining, the wind is
blowing, trees are being toppled
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and coming across the
road, bridges are out,
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and you keep contacting
her on her cell phone,
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but then you sense by looking
at her on your friend finder
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that she's going on a road
that has been severely impacted
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by the storm. You
talk to a neighbor.
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The neighbor says,
"Look, she can get around that
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if she goes a different way."
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Your heart's beating faster.
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You hope that you can
get in contact with her.
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You call her. She picks up.
You say, "Look, the next right,
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"if you take it,
you can get around
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this major
devastation from the storm."
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You wait half an
hour, 45 minutes, an hour,
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and pretty soon you see those
lights coming up the driveway.
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You run to meet your
daughter. You embrace her.
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Now your heart is beating--
not with fear but with joy.
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I think that's a
good illustration,
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frankly, of how God feels.
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God sends us
messages in the Bible,
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in Daniel, Revelation to
get us home in the storm,
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and when we are--
get home, He comes,
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runs with arms wide
open to welcome us home.
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What we find in this lesson,
in "Earth's Closing Events,"
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is a message from a loving God
who wants us to get home safely
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and avoid the
pitfalls along the road.
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>>Eric: So, this
storm that you're sharing,
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this
illustration, there is a storm,
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a different type of storm,
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coming for the inhabitants
of earth for us, all of us.
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What's the nature of this storm?
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What are some of
the central events
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in this storm, this
earth's final conflict
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that we're gonna be
going into here very shortly?
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>>Mark: Let's look at
some of the central issues.
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If you're really trying
to define what are the issues
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in this storm, we go
into that in Sunday's lesson,
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titled "Loyalty
to God and His Word."
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If I had to summarize
the lessons in this storm
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of the contrast, it's
either Christ or Satan.
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There's no middle ground.
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You know, the Bible
says "He that is righteous,
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"let him be righteous still.
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He that is unrighteous,
let him be unrighteous."
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So, in other words, people
are making eternal decisions.
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So it's Christ or
Satan, it's light or darkness,
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and it's truth or
error, and I think if I were
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summarizing the entire
conflict between good and evil,
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I would say men and women
either walk the way of lies,
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of Satan, in the way
of error and falsehood,
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or they walk the
way of truth in Jesus.
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In fact, in Proverbs,
chapter 23 and verse 23,
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we have this instruction
from the wise man Solomon.
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So, why don't
you take your Bible,
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and, Pastor Eric,
would you be willing to read
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Proverbs 23, verse 23?
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>>Eric: "Buy the
truth, and do not sell it,
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also wisdom and
instruction and understanding."
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>>Mark: Notice there
are four things in the text.
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First, there is
truth, there is wisdom,
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there's instruction,
and there's understanding.
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Truth has to do
with those other three:
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wisdom,
instruction, and understanding.
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So, the Bible
says, "Buy the truth."
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How do we buy the truth?
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We don't buy it
with money, obviously.
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I think there are two
ways we buy the truth:
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first, by having an open
heart to receive God's Word;
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second, by spending the time
in searching--and diligently.
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You know, Jesus said
that the truth of God
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is like a hidden
treasure in a field.
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We search for it.
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So, first, an open heart.
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Secondly, a searching mind.
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Remember, Jesus said
through Jeremiah, in chapter 29,
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"You...seek me and find me,
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when you search for
me with all your heart."
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So, truth is
something we search for.
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Now, the
question is often asked,
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in an age of relativism,
in an age of when people say,
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"You have your
truth, I have my truth,
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and you believe your
truth; I believe my truth,"
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is truth something objective?
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John, chapter 8, verse 32,
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John 8, verse 32.
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Is truth something objective?
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Can you know truth?
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Well, here Jesus
says in John 8, verse 32,
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"You shall know the truth,
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and the truth
shall make you free."
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So, the truth can be known,
and it frees us from the errors
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and deceptions of Satan.
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Jesus said in John 17, verse 17,
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"Sanctify them
through Thy truth:
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Thy word is truth."
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So, the great controversy
between truth and error
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has to do with Satan's
lies and Jesus revealing
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His truth through His Word.
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>>Eric: So, that's
one of the big issues
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in earth's final conflict.
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We know through
studying Scripture,
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through studying prophecies
through the book of Revelation,
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Daniel, and a variety of others
that one of the big issues
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that's gonna separate
the world is the issue
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between the seal of God
and the mark of the beast.
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What about the seal of God?
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How is God going
to seal His people?
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I don't get the impression
that He's gonna engrave
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something on their foreheads.
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But what does
that seal look like?
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>>Mark: Sure.
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When you look at this conflict
between truth and error,
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it focuses in the last
days on the question of worship
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and "what is the seal of God?"
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In ancient times, seals were
used to authenticate a document.
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Seals were used to
testify of the truthfulness
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of that document.
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When you look at God's document,
His Ten Commandments written
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with His own
finger on tables of stone,
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is there any commandment that
has the ingredients of a seal?
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Biblical seals,
ancient seals often would have
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the name of the sealer,
the title of the sealer,
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and the territory of the sealer.
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So, you'd have to have the
name, the title, the territory.
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When you look at
the fourth commandment,
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it says, "Remember the
Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
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"Six days shalt thou
labour, and do all thy work:
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but the seventh day is the
Sabbath of the Lord thy God."
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So, notice:
"Remember the Sabbath....
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"Six days...the
Lord"-- that's His name;
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He's the Lord; He's sovereign--
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"made"--He is the
Creator; that's His title--
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heaven, earth,
sea-- that's His domain.
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So, the Sabbath
commandment uniquely,
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uniquely has the
ingredients of God's seal.
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Now, we are
sealed as by God's grace.
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We settle into God's truth,
and as the Holy Spirit places
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within us the resolve and the
strength to be obedient to God,
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the Sabbath is the external
manifestation of God's seal,
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but the seal has to do
with our loyalty and obedience
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to God through
keeping His commandments.
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>>Eric: So, that helps
us to understand the seal.
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When you look at the
issues of the seal of God
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and the mark of the beast,
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it says that the seal can
be received in the forehead.
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The mark of the beast can
be received in the forehead
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or in the hand.
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What's the significance
of the forehead and the hand.
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Again, I'm--I get
the impression it's not
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a literal mark or stamp
or engraving or something.
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What's the significance there?
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>>Mark: Well, you know,
that's an interesting question.
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Let's take a look at Revelation,
chapter 7, verse 1 and 2.
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Why is the seal of
God in the forehead?
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Why the mark of the beast
in the forehead or in the hand?
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Note it says "in the forehead,"
not necessarily on the
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forehead-- "in the forehead"
in the sense of forebrain.
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Take a look at
Revelation, chapter 7.
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Go ahead and
read verse 1 for us.
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>>Eric: "After these things
I saw four angels standing
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"at the four
corners of the earth,
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"holding the four
winds of the earth,
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"that the wind should
not blow on the earth,
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"on the sea, or on any tree.
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"Then I saw another
angel ascending from the east,
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"having the seal
of the living God.
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"And he cried with a loud
voice to the four angels to whom
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"it was granted to
harm the earth and the sea,
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"saying, 'Do not harm
the earth, [and] the sea,
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"'or the trees
till we have sealed
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the servants of our
God on their foreheads.'"
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>>Mark: So, the forehead
there represents the forebrain.
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It represents what is
deeply within our mind.
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So, the seal of God is
given to us by the Holy Spirit,
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we make a
commitment to follow Christ,
00:10:04.73\00:10:08.44
and that seal in our brain
is the commitment to be loyal
00:10:08.47\00:10:13.74
to Christ, manifest by
keeping God's commandments.
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Just like Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego
00:10:17.71\00:10:20.88
down on the plains of Dura,
00:10:20.92\00:10:22.68
there was a false image set up.
00:10:22.72\00:10:24.89
That image was all of gold.
00:10:24.92\00:10:27.49
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
refused to bow down to it.
00:10:27.52\00:10:31.83
A powerful world
ruler, Nebuchadnezzar,
00:10:31.86\00:10:34.46
set up a counterfeit image.
00:10:34.50\00:10:36.63
He commanded all of his servants
to come and all the population
00:10:36.67\00:10:41.50
to come to bow
down to that image.
00:10:41.54\00:10:44.81
Rather than violate
the commandments of God,
00:10:44.84\00:10:48.28
Shadrach, Meshach,
and Abednego stood.
00:10:48.31\00:10:50.95
Their standing was
the visible manifestation
00:10:50.98\00:10:54.55
of an inner commitment.
00:10:54.58\00:10:56.62
Our keeping the Sabbath
is the visible manifestation
00:10:56.65\00:11:00.89
that we've been sealed by
the Holy Spirit, that we are
00:11:00.92\00:11:04.16
totally loyal to
Christ, and that nothing
00:11:04.19\00:11:07.03
can break that loyalty.
00:11:07.10\00:11:08.36
Ellen White puts it this way.
00:11:08.40\00:11:10.00
What is the seal of God?
00:11:10.03\00:11:11.63
She says it is the
"settling into the truth,
00:11:11.67\00:11:14.97
"both [spiritually]
and [intellectually],
00:11:15.00\00:11:17.64
so [we] cannot be moved."
00:11:17.67\00:11:19.61
>>Eric: So, that
explains the forehead.
00:11:19.64\00:11:21.44
It's that choice, the
decision that we make.
00:11:21.48\00:11:24.41
What about
receiving it in the hand?
00:11:24.45\00:11:26.08
The mark of the
beast can go either
00:11:26.11\00:11:27.42
in the forehead or the
hand. What about the hand?
00:11:27.45\00:11:29.58
>>Mark: The forehead
has to do with your choice,
00:11:29.62\00:11:32.12
your intellectual conviction.
00:11:32.15\00:11:34.29
The hand has to do
with power, you know,
00:11:34.32\00:11:37.29
force, coercion.
00:11:37.33\00:11:39.73
So, God never coerces.
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"Only by love is love awakened,"
"Desire of Ages" says.
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So, God gives us
the power of choice
00:11:45.43\00:11:48.60
and therefore never forces.
00:11:48.64\00:11:51.24
The beast power either
will try to convince you
00:11:51.27\00:11:53.51
intellectually through
deception, through falsehood,
00:11:53.54\00:11:56.18
through error, or
if he can't do that,
00:11:56.21\00:11:58.41
he'll coerce
you; he'll force you.
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Mark of the beast in
the forehead: choice.
00:12:01.15\00:12:04.12
Mark of the beast in
the hand: force, coercion.
00:12:04.15\00:12:06.76
>>Eric: All right, so we
got a better understanding
00:12:06.79\00:12:08.86
of these two great issues.
00:12:08.89\00:12:11.09
If we want to dig
more deeply into this now,
00:12:11.13\00:12:14.30
where can we go to find more
evidence of what you're sharing?
00:12:14.30\00:12:18.57
>>Mark: Yes, if
you go to our book
00:12:18.60\00:12:20.34
"The War Between Good and Evil"
00:12:20.37\00:12:21.90
and you want much,
much more--more stories,
00:12:21.94\00:12:26.57
more illustrations,
more historical material,
00:12:26.61\00:12:30.68
more biblical explanation--
pick up a copy of the book
00:12:30.71\00:12:34.18
from It Is Written, and
tell them how they can get it.
00:12:34.22\00:12:37.49
>>Eric: It's very easy to get.
00:12:37.52\00:12:39.29
Just go to itiswritten.shop,
00:12:39.32\00:12:42.19
again, itiswritten.shop.
00:12:42.22\00:12:44.26
You can pick the
book up right there,
00:12:44.29\00:12:46.49
and you will find a lot
more information on what
00:12:46.53\00:12:50.40
you are hearing week by
week here in these lessons,
00:12:50.43\00:12:53.57
and if you happen to have
missed one of the lessons,
00:12:53.60\00:12:56.07
you can always go back and
watch the archived lessons,
00:12:56.10\00:12:59.14
and you're going to find
more on each of these weeks
00:12:59.17\00:13:02.11
in the companion book that
Pastor Mark was just mentioning.
00:13:02.14\00:13:05.98
Again, you can find
that at itiswritten.shop.
00:13:06.01\00:13:10.45
We're going to be coming back
in just a moment as we continue
00:13:10.49\00:13:12.95
looking at some of earth's
closing events so that we can be
00:13:12.99\00:13:16.46
prepared for what is
shortly to come upon this earth.
00:13:16.49\00:13:19.53
We're going to be back in
just a moment with more here
00:13:19.56\00:13:22.23
on "Sabbath School,"
brought to you by It Is Written.
00:13:22.26\00:13:25.57
[uplifting music]
00:13:25.60\00:13:28.60
>>Announcer: If you'd like
to deepen your understanding
00:13:30.31\00:13:31.91
of the powerful themes
brought out in this program,
00:13:31.94\00:13:34.34
we invite you
to explore the book
00:13:34.38\00:13:36.08
"The Great Controversy."
00:13:36.11\00:13:37.85
For more information, simply
text the code "GC24" to 71392.
00:13:37.88\00:13:43.45
This book delves into
critical end-time themes,
00:13:43.49\00:13:45.42
offering profound
insights into historical events,
00:13:45.45\00:13:48.66
Bible prophecy, and
spiritual preparation
00:13:48.69\00:13:51.13
essential for
today's unique challenges.
00:13:51.16\00:13:54.23
Discover how "The
Great Controversy"
00:13:54.30\00:13:55.56
can illuminate your path
in these uncertain times.
00:13:55.60\00:13:58.97
>>John Bradshaw:
Welcome to "Line Upon Line,"
00:13:59.90\00:14:01.57
brought to you by It Is Written.
00:14:01.60\00:14:03.81
¤¤¤
00:14:03.84\00:14:06.14
"If the atonement was
complete at the cross,
00:14:06.17\00:14:09.34
"then what is Christ
doing in the most holy place
00:14:09.38\00:14:13.72
of the heavenly sanctuary?"
00:14:13.75\00:14:16.25
¤¤¤
00:14:16.28\00:14:17.59
"Does the soul leave the body
once the heart stops beating
00:14:17.62\00:14:23.66
or before?"
00:14:23.69\00:14:25.53
¤¤¤
00:14:25.56\00:14:26.86
>>Wes Peppers: Yeah, it's a--
it's very simply the combination
00:14:26.90\00:14:29.70
of the body and
the breath of life.
00:14:29.73\00:14:31.40
>>John: How do
you know it does not?
00:14:31.43\00:14:32.73
Because it sounds like it
does. >>Wes: It sounds like it.
00:14:32.77\00:14:35.07
Sometimes the Bible
will say certain things,
00:14:35.10\00:14:37.37
and it sounds like it's
saying something, but when you
00:14:37.41\00:14:39.44
compare that to
the rest of the Bible,
00:14:39.47\00:14:41.94
you find it's
really not doing that.
00:14:41.98\00:14:43.68
>>John: And, you
know, it's good to have
00:14:43.71\00:14:45.31
curious questions
about some of these things,
00:14:45.35\00:14:46.98
but at times
we're just not told.
00:14:47.02\00:14:49.22
More "Line Upon
Line" in a moment,
00:14:49.25\00:14:50.72
brought to you by It Is Written.
00:14:50.75\00:14:53.42
¤¤¤
00:14:53.46\00:14:57.79
[uplifting music]
00:15:00.33\00:15:04.93
>>Eric: Welcome
back to "Sabbath School,"
00:15:04.97\00:15:06.43
brought to you by It Is Written.
00:15:06.47\00:15:08.10
We're looking at
"Earth's Closing Events."
00:15:08.14\00:15:10.81
Pastor Mark,
if--can you summarize for us
00:15:10.84\00:15:13.61
some of the things
that we can expect to see
00:15:13.64\00:15:16.28
in the closing
events of earth's history?
00:15:16.31\00:15:19.35
>>Mark: If you look, Pastor
Eric, at the overall picture
00:15:19.38\00:15:22.85
of the Bible and you
take the big picture,
00:15:22.88\00:15:25.79
we're entering into
a time of uncertainty.
00:15:25.82\00:15:28.62
In fact, we have entered
into that time of uncertainty.
00:15:28.66\00:15:31.86
According to Jesus' predictions,
00:15:31.89\00:15:33.63
there will be wars
and rumors of wars,
00:15:33.66\00:15:36.00
there will be
famines and earthquakes,
00:15:36.03\00:15:37.47
there'll be fires and floods,
and during that period of time,
00:15:37.50\00:15:41.64
we'll see rising
crime and violence
00:15:41.67\00:15:43.64
and, really,
instability in society.
00:15:43.67\00:15:47.28
In the context of that,
the world will be looking
00:15:47.31\00:15:51.28
for a leader to
rise, to bring solutions
00:15:51.31\00:15:53.62
to the world's problems,
problems that seem overwhelming,
00:15:53.65\00:15:56.95
conflict between
nations, and hunger and strife
00:15:56.99\00:16:01.36
in the streets.
00:16:01.39\00:16:02.69
As the world looks
to that, earthly leaders
00:16:02.72\00:16:06.56
will begin to fail.
00:16:06.59\00:16:07.96
They have begun to fail already,
but one religious political
00:16:07.96\00:16:11.10
leader out of Rome
will rise to the top.
00:16:11.13\00:16:13.74
He will attempt to bring
00:16:13.77\00:16:15.44
the world
together with world peace.
00:16:15.47\00:16:18.94
As that occurs, one day
will be set aside for peace,
00:16:18.97\00:16:26.11
for social purposes, for
family, for worship of God,
00:16:26.15\00:16:31.75
and God's people will
not be able to go along
00:16:31.79\00:16:35.29
with that common
day of rest and worship.
00:16:35.32\00:16:38.69
They will stand fast and
true, not for the Sunday,
00:16:38.73\00:16:43.60
the day of the sun that
has come into the church
00:16:43.63\00:16:46.27
through paganism, but
rather they will stand fast
00:16:46.30\00:16:49.90
for Jesus in
keeping His true Sabbath
00:16:49.94\00:16:54.04
as Creator of heaven and earth.
00:16:54.08\00:16:56.85
The attack that Satan
will bring is on worship.
00:16:56.88\00:17:00.65
God's people will be faithful.
00:17:00.68\00:17:02.58
The Bible says
in Revelation 14:12,
00:17:02.62\00:17:04.52
"Here are they that
keep the commandments of God,
00:17:04.55\00:17:06.52
and [have] the faith of Jesus."
00:17:06.55\00:17:09.02
Every human being will
be brought to a decision:
00:17:09.06\00:17:12.63
those to serve Christ fully,
those to serve the evil one;
00:17:12.66\00:17:17.50
those on the side of truth,
00:17:17.53\00:17:20.00
those that are on
the side of error.
00:17:20.04\00:17:21.54
And in this central
contrast over worship,
00:17:21.57\00:17:24.64
the Sabbath will be
the external manifestation
00:17:24.67\00:17:27.18
of faithfulness to God.
00:17:27.21\00:17:28.78
The Holy Spirit
will seal God's people.
00:17:28.81\00:17:31.35
They'll settle into the
truth. They can't be moved.
00:17:31.38\00:17:33.95
At the same time, the
power of God will be poured out
00:17:33.98\00:17:38.35
upon His people, and they'll
go to the ends of the earth
00:17:38.39\00:17:40.96
preaching the gospel.
00:17:40.99\00:17:42.29
So, what can we expect
to see in the last days?
00:17:42.32\00:17:44.53
A genuine revival
of Holy Spirit power,
00:17:44.56\00:17:47.13
a false revival
of demonic power.
00:17:47.20\00:17:50.57
We can see the
working of God from above,
00:17:50.60\00:17:53.17
the working of
Satan from beneath.
00:17:53.20\00:17:55.10
It's gonna be an exciting time,
but yet God's people will stand
00:17:55.14\00:17:58.57
loyally for truth, they'll
be filled with His Spirit,
00:17:58.61\00:18:01.24
and go out to share
the gospel with the world.
00:18:01.28\00:18:03.58
>>Eric: This will be an
opportunity for God's people
00:18:03.61\00:18:05.45
to look back on
the way He has led them
00:18:05.48\00:18:07.28
in the past and trust
that He's going to lead them
00:18:07.32\00:18:10.05
through the trials ahead.
00:18:10.09\00:18:11.85
There's also a
couple of phrases,
00:18:11.89\00:18:14.42
or terms, that we come across
sometimes in last-day history,
00:18:14.46\00:18:19.73
or the events that are
shortly coming on the earth.
00:18:19.76\00:18:22.90
That's the early
rain and the latter rain.
00:18:22.93\00:18:25.90
What are--what do
these two terms mean?
00:18:25.93\00:18:27.94
Where do they come from, and why
are they important for us today?
00:18:27.97\00:18:30.71
What do they mean to us?
>>Mark: They're biblical terms.
00:18:30.74\00:18:33.64
Let's look at Joel,
chapter 2, verse 21-24,
00:18:33.68\00:18:40.75
Joel, chapter 2, verse 21-24,
00:18:40.78\00:18:47.26
and go ahead and
read those verses.
00:18:47.29\00:18:51.03
>>Eric: "Fear not, O
land; be glad and rejoice,
00:18:51.06\00:18:53.86
"for the Lord has
done marvelous things!
00:18:53.90\00:18:56.33
"Do not be afraid,
you beasts of the field;
00:18:56.36\00:18:58.80
"for the open
pastures are springing up,
00:18:58.83\00:19:01.00
"and the tree bears its fruit;
the fig tree and the vine yield
00:19:01.04\00:19:04.37
"their strength. Be glad
then, you children of Zion,
00:19:04.41\00:19:07.71
"and rejoice in
the Lord your God;
00:19:07.74\00:19:09.54
"for He has given you
the former rain faithfully,
00:19:09.58\00:19:12.91
"and He will cause the
rain to come down for you--
00:19:12.95\00:19:15.82
the former rain, and the
latter rain in the first month."
00:19:15.85\00:19:20.06
>>Mark: Notice
there are two expressions:
00:19:20.09\00:19:22.62
former and latter rain.
00:19:22.66\00:19:23.96
They come from the
agricultural cycle of Israel.
00:19:23.99\00:19:27.10
The former rain
came, gentle showers,
00:19:27.13\00:19:30.40
to germinate the
seed that was planted.
00:19:30.43\00:19:32.97
The latter rain came to
bring the seed to fruition,
00:19:33.00\00:19:37.54
or to harvest.
00:19:37.57\00:19:38.94
So, Joel uses that term to
describe the rain of the Spirit,
00:19:38.97\00:19:45.05
the outpouring of the Spirit.
00:19:45.08\00:19:46.61
We find this, too, in
Zechariah, chapter 10, verse 1.
00:19:46.65\00:19:51.59
>>Eric: "Ask the Lord for rain
in the time of the latter rain.
00:19:51.62\00:19:55.19
"The Lord will
make flashing clouds;
00:19:55.22\00:19:57.29
"He will give
them showers of rain,
00:19:57.33\00:19:59.09
grass in the
field for everyone."
00:19:59.13\00:20:01.33
>>Mark: You know, you
can ask the Lord for rain
00:20:01.36\00:20:03.20
in the time of the latter rain.
00:20:03.23\00:20:04.77
We're living in
the time when God wants
00:20:04.80\00:20:06.60
to pour out His Spirit.
00:20:06.63\00:20:07.94
He wants the harvest
to be--that--to be ripe.
00:20:07.97\00:20:12.64
So, when you look
at these expressions,
00:20:12.67\00:20:15.08
"early and latter
rain," we can think about,
00:20:15.11\00:20:16.91
for example, at Pentecost
the Holy Spirit was poured out.
00:20:16.95\00:20:20.48
We might call
that the early rain.
00:20:20.52\00:20:22.35
The Christian
church was launched then.
00:20:22.38\00:20:25.65
When you look at the disciples,
they were committed to Christ,
00:20:25.69\00:20:29.59
filled with the Holy Spirit,
went out to preach the gospel,
00:20:29.62\00:20:32.79
3,000 were baptized on the
day of Pentecost in Acts 2,
00:20:32.83\00:20:35.90
another multiple thousands
in Acts 4 are baptized,
00:20:35.93\00:20:40.90
and you go through the
book of Acts and you see
00:20:40.94\00:20:43.47
tens of
thousands coming to Christ.
00:20:43.51\00:20:45.44
That's under the
influence of the Holy Spirit,
00:20:45.47\00:20:47.41
under the
influence of the early rain.
00:20:47.44\00:20:50.08
The latter rain
will be more abundant
00:20:50.11\00:20:52.85
than the early rain.
00:20:52.88\00:20:54.82
God's people, filled
with the Holy Spirit,
00:20:54.85\00:20:58.25
moved by the gospel,
transformed by grace,
00:20:58.29\00:21:03.36
totally committed to
Christ, will go out to preach
00:21:03.39\00:21:06.76
the Word of God powerfully
because the Holy Spirit
00:21:06.80\00:21:10.07
has been working in the world.
00:21:10.10\00:21:12.00
So, the terms
"early and latter rain,"
00:21:12.03\00:21:14.20
we find this again
in the book of James,
00:21:14.24\00:21:17.71
and you go over
to James, chapter 5,
00:21:17.74\00:21:21.48
and we find this expression
00:21:21.51\00:21:24.61
of "the early
and the latter rain."
00:21:24.65\00:21:28.65
You can find it
here, for example,
00:21:28.68\00:21:31.49
in--let's start with James 5,
00:21:31.52\00:21:35.52
and let's start
with verse 7 and verse 8.
00:21:35.56\00:21:41.20
Go ahead, Pastor Eric.
00:21:41.23\00:21:42.83
>>Eric: "Therefore
be patient, brethren,
00:21:42.86\00:21:44.47
"until the coming of the Lord.
00:21:44.50\00:21:46.23
"See how the farmer
waits for the precious fruit
00:21:46.27\00:21:48.67
"of the earth, waiting
patiently for until it receives
00:21:48.70\00:21:52.01
"the early and latter rain.
00:21:52.04\00:21:54.41
"You also be patient.
Establish your hearts,
00:21:54.44\00:21:57.68
for the coming of
the Lord is at hand."
00:21:57.71\00:21:59.88
>>Mark: Notice
that the expression
00:21:59.91\00:22:01.42
of "early and latter rain" are
linked to the coming of Jesus.
00:22:01.45\00:22:04.52
Early rain
is--took place at Pentecost.
00:22:04.55\00:22:08.59
Latter rain takes
place at the end of time.
00:22:08.62\00:22:11.73
Early rain to generate the
seed. Latter rain to ripen it.
00:22:11.76\00:22:15.16
Now, we can also talk
about the early and latter rain
00:22:15.20\00:22:17.40
in our personal experience.
00:22:17.43\00:22:19.40
The early rain of
the Spirit, personally,
00:22:19.43\00:22:21.77
is the ministry of the
Holy Spirit in our hearts
00:22:21.80\00:22:25.01
and minds to bring
us to Christian growth,
00:22:25.04\00:22:27.34
to bring us to
Christian maturity.
00:22:27.38\00:22:29.78
The early rain is
the convicting power
00:22:29.81\00:22:32.11
of the Spirit that
convicts us of sin.
00:22:32.15\00:22:34.18
The early rain has to
do with God leading us
00:22:34.22\00:22:35.95
into the truth of His Word.
00:22:35.98\00:22:37.75
The early rain
has to do with God,
00:22:37.79\00:22:39.42
through His Holy
Spirit, sealing us.
00:22:39.45\00:22:42.29
The Bible says in
the book of Ephesians,
00:22:42.32\00:22:44.46
"Grieve not the Holy Spirit...,
00:22:44.49\00:22:45.96
whereby [you] are sealed
[to] the day of redemption."
00:22:45.99\00:22:48.80
So, it's the Holy Spirit that
creates within us this seal.
00:22:48.83\00:22:52.47
What is the latter rain?
00:22:52.50\00:22:53.80
What's the
purpose of the latter rain
00:22:53.84\00:22:55.27
in the individual life?
00:22:55.30\00:22:57.17
First, it is to empower
and strengthen us so that
00:22:57.21\00:23:01.91
we're able to go
through the time of trouble.
00:23:01.94\00:23:03.95
Secondly, it is to empower us so
that we can proclaim the gospel
00:23:03.98\00:23:09.02
to the ends of the earth
and participate with Christ
00:23:09.05\00:23:12.52
in the finishing of His work.
00:23:12.55\00:23:14.39
>>Eric: So, that helps us
understand the early rain--
00:23:14.42\00:23:16.83
or the former
rain-- and the latter rain.
00:23:16.86\00:23:19.16
What about the loud cry?
00:23:19.19\00:23:20.60
That's another term that
we frequently hear going along
00:23:20.63\00:23:23.23
with last-day
events. What is the loud cry?
00:23:23.26\00:23:25.73
>>Mark: Well, we find
that in Revelation, chapter 18.
00:23:25.77\00:23:29.14
So, Revelation, chapter 18,
00:23:29.17\00:23:32.64
and if you will
read verse 1 and 2 and 3.
00:23:32.67\00:23:38.38
>>Eric: "After these
things I saw another angel
00:23:38.41\00:23:40.88
"coming down from
heaven, having great authority,
00:23:40.92\00:23:43.39
"and the earth was
illuminated with his glory.
00:23:43.42\00:23:46.65
"And he cried
mightily with a loud voice,
00:23:46.69\00:23:48.59
"saying, 'Babylon
the great is fallen,
00:23:48.62\00:23:50.53
"'is fallen, and has become
a dwelling place of demons,
00:23:50.56\00:23:53.73
"'a prison for every
foul spirit, and a cage
00:23:53.76\00:23:56.77
"'for every
unclean and hated bird!
00:23:56.80\00:23:59.23
"For all...nations have
drunk of the wine of the wrath
00:23:59.27\00:24:01.87
"of her fornication, the kings
of the earth have committed
00:24:01.90\00:24:04.71
"fornication with her,
and the merchants of the earth
00:24:04.74\00:24:07.38
"have become rich
through the abundance
00:24:07.41\00:24:09.18
of her luxury.'"
00:24:09.21\00:24:10.35
>>Mark: We get the
expression "the latter rain"
00:24:10.38\00:24:12.68
from Revelation 18, verse 2.
00:24:12.71\00:24:15.85
The earth is lightened,
lightened with the glory of God
00:24:15.88\00:24:18.45
in verse 1.
00:24:18.49\00:24:19.79
In verse 2 the angel cries
mightily with a loud voice.
00:24:19.82\00:24:25.03
So, this is the loud cry.
00:24:25.06\00:24:26.83
He cries mightily,
"Babylon is fallen, is fallen!"
00:24:26.86\00:24:29.46
So, here is God's
final appeal pictured
00:24:29.50\00:24:33.00
as a loud cry to
call men and women
00:24:33.03\00:24:35.57
out of spiritual Babylon,
00:24:35.60\00:24:37.34
spiritual error,
spiritual falsehood to truth,
00:24:37.37\00:24:40.54
but look at verse 3:
00:24:40.58\00:24:42.21
"All nations have drunk
of the wine of the wrath
00:24:42.24\00:24:45.28
of her fornication."
00:24:45.31\00:24:46.55
Fornication is an illicit union.
Wine represents false doctrine.
00:24:46.58\00:24:50.92
All nations have accepted
00:24:50.95\00:24:53.15
the false doctrine of
the beast power and Babylon.
00:24:53.19\00:24:57.69
And then it has
this triple unity:
00:24:57.73\00:24:59.69
"The kings of the earth
have committed fornication
00:24:59.73\00:25:02.36
with her."
00:25:02.40\00:25:03.80
So, you have the
kings of the earth,
00:25:03.83\00:25:05.27
the political rulers
uniting with the false church,
00:25:05.30\00:25:10.07
"and the merchants of
the earth [have become]
00:25:10.11\00:25:12.37
rich through the
abundance of her delicacies."
00:25:12.41\00:25:14.71
So, here you have a
political, a religious,
00:25:14.74\00:25:17.75
and an economic union, but
God makes His final appeal,
00:25:17.78\00:25:22.18
and as He does, people
are called out of Babylon,
00:25:22.22\00:25:26.42
out of this falsehood.
00:25:26.45\00:25:28.09
There is a paragraph in
Thursday's lesson that says
00:25:28.12\00:25:34.30
"filled with the
power of the Spirit,"
00:25:34.36\00:25:36.90
and let's look at
this, Thursday's lesson.
00:25:36.93\00:25:39.60
And I'll read two paragraphs,
and I'd like you to read
00:25:39.63\00:25:41.60
the last one, "servants of God,"
but I'll read the first two.
00:25:41.64\00:25:44.37
"Filled with the
power of the Holy Spirit,
00:25:44.41\00:25:46.47
"going forth with the
authority of the living Christ
00:25:46.51\00:25:49.44
"who in His life
and death triumphed
00:25:49.48\00:25:51.35
"over the principalities
and powers of hell,
00:25:51.38\00:25:53.65
"the New Testament church
00:25:53.68\00:25:54.98
"lightened the earth
with the glory of God.
00:25:55.02\00:25:57.69
"In a few short years,
the disciples proclaimed
00:25:57.72\00:26:00.69
the gospel to the
then-known world."
00:26:00.72\00:26:02.89
Next paragraph:
"At the end time,
00:26:02.92\00:26:05.43
"the Holy Spirit will be poured
out in unprecedented power,
00:26:05.46\00:26:08.96
"and the gospel will be
00:26:09.00\00:26:10.47
"spread rapidly to
the ends of the earth.
00:26:10.50\00:26:12.80
"Thousands will be
converted in a day,
00:26:12.83\00:26:15.47
"and God's grace and truth
will impact the entire planet.
00:26:15.50\00:26:18.94
"In this way, the world
will be warned and the gospel,
00:26:18.97\00:26:23.04
and the hope it offers,
will be spread worldwide."
00:26:23.08\00:26:25.71
Just read the next paragraph.
00:26:25.75\00:26:28.02
>>Eric: "The great work
of the gospel is not to close
00:26:28.05\00:26:30.49
"with less manifestation
of the power of God
00:26:30.52\00:26:33.05
"than marked its opening.
00:26:33.09\00:26:34.39
"The prophecies which were
fulfilled in the outpouring
00:26:34.42\00:26:37.06
"of the former rain at
the opening of the gospel
00:26:37.09\00:26:39.79
"are again to be fulfilled
00:26:39.83\00:26:41.43
in the latter
rain at its close."
00:26:41.46\00:26:43.60
>>Mark: The
prophecies will come true.
00:26:43.63\00:26:46.20
The earth will be
lightened with the glory of God.
00:26:46.23\00:26:49.24
Every human being
will make their final,
00:26:49.27\00:26:52.41
irrevocable decision.
00:26:52.44\00:26:54.48
Friend, where do you
stand with Christ right now?
00:26:54.51\00:26:58.98
Where do you stand in
the light of eternity?
00:26:59.01\00:27:03.95
Are there hidden
sins in your life?
00:27:03.99\00:27:06.89
Are there things
you're holding back from God?
00:27:06.92\00:27:10.43
Why not right now
open your heart to God?
00:27:10.46\00:27:13.36
Maybe you once
walked with God's people,
00:27:13.40\00:27:15.60
you drifted away, and
you're watching this broadcast.
00:27:15.63\00:27:18.77
Christ is appealing
to you in these last days
00:27:18.80\00:27:21.10
of earth's history to make
your decision to come back,
00:27:21.14\00:27:23.24
maybe to be rebaptized.
00:27:23.27\00:27:25.11
Maybe you've never
been baptized before,
00:27:25.14\00:27:27.51
you've never
walked through the Word,
00:27:27.54\00:27:28.51
never joined with God's people.
00:27:28.54\00:27:30.51
This is your hour.
This is your moment.
00:27:30.55\00:27:33.58
Christ is making a direct appeal
00:27:33.62\00:27:36.02
to your heart just now.
00:27:36.05\00:27:37.92
You can be part of
something big and great for God.
00:27:37.95\00:27:41.16
You can have a new
peace in your life,
00:27:41.19\00:27:42.49
a new joy in your soul.
00:27:42.52\00:27:43.99
Open your heart to Jesus
00:27:44.03\00:27:45.36
and make that
decision right now.
00:27:45.39\00:27:47.50
>>Eric: Pastor Mark,
thank you for leading us through
00:27:47.56\00:27:50.37
this week's lesson and
helping us to see the importance
00:27:50.40\00:27:53.70
of all the things
that we've learned.
00:27:53.74\00:27:55.44
We wanna thank you
for joining us, too.
00:27:55.47\00:27:57.77
We invite you to be
with us again next week
00:27:57.81\00:28:00.14
for the final study, where
we're going to be taking a look
00:28:00.18\00:28:03.65
at the end of "The
Great Controversy."
00:28:03.68\00:28:06.15
We'll see you next time
here on "Sabbath School,"
00:28:06.18\00:28:08.52
brought to you by It Is Written.
00:28:08.55\00:28:10.52
[uplifting music]
00:28:10.55\00:28:14.56
[Captions provided by Aberdeen
Captioning www.abercap.com]
00:28:26.97\00:28:41.98