Shall we bow our
heads for prayer?
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Father in heaven, we thank
You for the awesome privilege of
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being here again to
study Your Holy Word.
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And as we study about the
cult of the virgin mother,
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we ask that Your Holy Spirit
will be here to guide our minds
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and our hearts into all truth.
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I not only ask for those who are
gathered here, but I also ask
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for those who are
viewing on the many television
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sets across the world.
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I ask that You will
open minds and hearts,
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and I thank You
for hearing my prayer
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for I ask it in
Jesus' name, Amen.
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I'd like to begin our study
today by turning to a verse
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which is very close to my heart.
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I'm referring to Genesis 3:15.
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So please turn
with me to Genesis 3:15.
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This is actually the
Bible in miniature form.
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And we've studied this
verse many times before,
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but now we want to look
at it from a new perspective.
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That verse says:
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That is between the
serpent and the woman.
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That is the
serpents seed and her seed.
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The seed of the woman.
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Now you notice here that
the enmity runs three ways:
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between the
serpent and the woman,
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between the seed of the serpent
and the seed of the woman,
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and between the seed of
the woman and the serpent.
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The primary enmity, however,
is between the seed of the woman
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and the serpent, because
the last part of the verse says,
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he, the seed of the woman, shall
bruise your head, the serpent's
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head, and you
shall bruise his heel.
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So the primary enmity
is between the serpent
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and the seed of the woman.
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Now there's a Greek translation
of the Old Testament which
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is known as The Septuagint,
or the version of the seventy.
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It's abbreviated, in fact
LXX, which is the number 70.
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And in this translation
something very peculiar happens.
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Even though the word seed in
this verse in Greek is sperma,
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which is neuter, it's
interesting that the pronoun
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that goes with the word seed
in the Septuagint is masculine.
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That's very unusual,
because usually the pronoun
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and the noun must agree.
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Now in Hebrew it says,
it shall bruise your head.
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In other words, because
it's a seed it is an it,
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it's not a he or a she.
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But the Septuagint
changes that to from it to he,
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even though the noun is neuter.
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And this is the only time
in the Greek Old Testament,
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in the book of Genesis,
where you find this phenomenon
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in the Septuagint.
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Interestingly enough, the Latin
Vulgate, which was translated
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by Jerome in the early
300's, was a Latin translation
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from the Greek Septuagint.
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And Jerome, instead of
translating as the Septuagint
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had it, He shall
bruise your head.
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He actually changed the pronoun
to she shall bruise your head,
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in spite of the fact that he was
translating the Old Testament
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from the Septuagint
version of the Old Testament.
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In other words, in the Vulgate
we find that it is a she,
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the woman who is going to
crush the head of the serpent,
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instead of the seed
of the woman crushing
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the head of the serpent.
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Now it's very interesting
to notice that in all of the
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genealogies of Scripture,
the job of procreation
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is attributed to men.
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You look, for example, at
the genealogy of Genesis 5
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and you'll notice a list of
ten men there in that genealogy.
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And it said there
that they begot the person
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that came after them.
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In Genesis 11 we
have another genealogy,
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or list of descendents.
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Once again it is the men
who are doing the procreating.
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You look at the
genealogy in Matthew 1,
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the genealogy of Jesus.
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Once again it is men
who are doing the begetting,
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even though four
women are mentioned,
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the men who are connected
with those women are also
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mentioned in the genealogy.
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In other words, the work
of procreation in Scripture,
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the work of
begetting is attributed to men.
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But interestingly
enough, in Genesis 3:15 we find
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an exception to the rule.
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Because we're told in this verse
not that this seed would be
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begotten by a man, but
that this seed would be
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born from a woman,
the seed of a woman.
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We seem to get the impression
that this particular seed
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is going to come into
the world born of a woman,
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without the
intervention of a man.
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That's why we're told that
the seed is born of the woman.
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Now these words were
pronounced by God to Satan.
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And when Satan
heard these words he said,
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So God is going to send
a seed, born of the woman,
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to the world that is
going to do battle with me.
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God is saying that
He's going to crush my head,
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and I am going
to bruise His heel.
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I wonder how
that's going to happen?
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We need to go to
Genesis 3:21 to understand how
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this was going to happen.
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You remember that when Adam and
Eve sinned, the first result of
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their sin is that they
discovered that they were naked.
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I don't have time to go into it,
but really before this they were
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covered with the
glorious robe of light,
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such as that which clothes God.
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In fact Psalms 104:1, 2 says
that God clothes Himself with
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light as with a garment.
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The woman, which
represents the true church
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in Revelation 12, we're told
that she's clothed with the sun.
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When Jesus was transfigured
His robes shone like the light.
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In other words, Adam and
Eve were covered with light.
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But when they sinned the
first result was that the robe
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of light left them and they
noticed that they were naked.
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And so we're told in Genesis
3:7 that they tried to cover
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their nakedness with fig leaves.
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But even after covering
their nakedness with fig leaves
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they still felt naked.
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Because God came to
the garden and He said,
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Adam and Eve, where are you?
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And Adam says,
Well, we hid in the garden
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because we were naked.
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The fact is that they
weren't naked anymore,
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because they had covered
themselves with fig leaves.
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This shows that their nakedness
was not primarily a nakedness
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of body, it was a
nakedness of soul.
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And the devil is
observing what is happening.
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He's saying, When they're
innocent, when they're holy
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in the sight of God,
when they're loyal to God
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they have a robe of light.
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They sin,
suddenly they're naked.
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The robe of light is gone.
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And then the devil sees how they
cover themselves with fig leaves
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and they're still naked.
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The devil is saying, I wonder
how they're going to be restored
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to their original condition.
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Notice Genesis
3:21. We find here:
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So the devil is watching
and he's saying, Look at what a
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peculiar way that
God clothes Adam and Eve
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and covers their nakedness.
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Animals die! He takes the skins
of the animals and He clothes
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their nakedness so that they're
no longer naked in His sight.
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The devil is thinking, Hum,
the seed is going to be born
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of a woman without
the intervention of a man.
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Is it perhaps the case that He
is also going to suffer death,
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and in this way He's going to
cover the nakedness of Adam and
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Eve and they're
going to be restored
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to their original condition?
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Now Scripture makes it very
clear that Jesus was born into
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this world through the
work of a woman without the
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intervention of a man
just like Genesis 3:15 says.
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Notice, for example, Matthew
1: 16, Matthew 1:16. It says:
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Now do you notice in this
verse that Joseph is excluded
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as the father of Jesus?
00:10:15.93\00:10:17.54
Notice once again, reading
carefully, it says that Joseph
00:10:17.57\00:10:21.76
was the husband of Mary,
and that of Mary was born whom?
00:10:21.79\00:10:27.20
Jesus, who is called the Christ.
00:10:27.23\00:10:29.97
Notice also Galatians 4:4.
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Very explicitly the apostle
Paul explains that this seed
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was going to be born
of a woman without the
00:10:38.31\00:10:41.67
intervention of a man.
00:10:41.70\00:10:43.16
And, of course, we've studied
that He was going to die.
00:10:43.19\00:10:46.42
He was going to suffer death,
and in this way the nakedness,
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the Spiritual nakedness of
man was going to be covered.
00:10:50.17\00:10:53.65
Galatians 4:4 says:
00:10:53.68\00:10:56.28
Now let me ask
you this question.
00:11:07.82\00:11:09.97
Against whom is the wrath
of Satan particularly guided?
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Is it against the
woman, or is it against the
00:11:15.87\00:11:18.97
seed of the woman?
00:11:19.00\00:11:20.45
Well, if you read the Vulgate it
would seem to indicate that the
00:11:20.48\00:11:25.12
enmity is between the
serpent and the woman,
00:11:25.15\00:11:27.46
because supposedly
the woman is going to
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crush the serpent's head.
00:11:29.46\00:11:30.87
But Scripture makes it very
clear that the target of the
00:11:30.90\00:11:35.03
devil's attacks was going to
be not the woman but the seed.
00:11:35.06\00:11:39.95
The center, in
other words, is the seed.
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You say, How do we know that?
00:11:43.27\00:11:44.40
Well, you remember the
story of Cain and Abel?
00:11:44.43\00:11:47.54
They were born; Cain
first, Abel afterwards.
00:11:47.57\00:11:50.87
And the Bible tells us, to make
a long story short, that Cain
00:11:50.90\00:11:55.73
killed his brother Abel.
00:11:55.76\00:11:57.75
You see, the devil saw
something special in Abel.
00:11:57.78\00:12:00.87
He said, Perhaps this is
the seed, or perhaps from him is
00:12:00.90\00:12:04.98
going to come "the Seed",
and so he feels the necessity
00:12:05.01\00:12:08.30
to cut the life of Abel short.
00:12:08.33\00:12:11.69
Notice that his
attack is not against Eve.
00:12:11.72\00:12:15.93
His attack is against whom?
00:12:15.96\00:12:18.19
His attack is
against Abel, the seed.
00:12:18.22\00:12:21.14
Also we notice, very
interesting, that when Abel
00:12:21.17\00:12:25.83
died we're told in Genesis 4:25
that God gave Eve another seed
00:12:25.86\00:12:33.95
in place of Abel
whom Cain had killed.
00:12:33.98\00:12:36.79
Once again the emphasis
does not fall upon the woman.
00:12:36.82\00:12:42.26
The enmity between
the devil and the woman,
00:12:42.29\00:12:44.83
the enmity is between
the devil and the seed.
00:12:44.86\00:12:48.71
The center of focus is the seed.
00:12:48.74\00:12:50.73
Notice also Revelation 12:4.
00:12:50.76\00:12:54.01
This is speaking
about the birth of Jesus.
00:12:54.04\00:12:56.49
And notice that the
woman is not the primary target
00:12:56.52\00:13:00.11
of the devil's wrath.
00:13:00.14\00:13:01.17
It is the seed of the woman.
00:13:01.20\00:13:03.41
Notice Revelation 12:4.
00:13:03.44\00:13:06.14
Speaking about this seven
headed dragon, we're told:
00:13:06.17\00:13:10.70
Notice that the enmity
isn't between the serpent
00:13:24.02\00:13:27.04
and the woman primarily.
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The serpent is not interested,
at least in the first instance,
00:13:28.66\00:13:33.61
of destroying the woman.
00:13:33.77\00:13:35.11
The serpent is interested
in destroying the seed,
00:13:35.14\00:13:38.09
because the seed
is going to give him a
00:13:38.12\00:13:40.74
death blow on his head.
00:13:40.77\00:13:42.25
Now notice this very
interesting comment in the book,
00:13:42.28\00:13:46.38
Patriarchs and
Prophets, page 66.
00:13:46.41\00:13:49.10
You know the devil
is a quick learner.
00:13:49.13\00:13:51.26
The devil knew very well what
was going to happen when he saw
00:13:51.29\00:13:55.54
that first sacrifice, and when
he heard God say that He was
00:13:55.57\00:13:59.52
going to send a
seed born of the woman.
00:13:59.55\00:14:01.74
We find this very
interesting statement:
00:14:01.77\00:14:04.11
Did the devil already know, in
the Old Testament, that he was
00:14:41.83\00:14:44.56
going to bring Jesus down
to this earth to save man?
00:14:44.59\00:14:48.05
According to this
statement, absolutely.
00:14:48.08\00:14:50.34
And we're going to
notice, as we study history,
00:14:50.37\00:14:52.57
that this is the case.
00:14:52.60\00:14:53.77
She continues saying:
00:14:53.80\00:14:55.37
And so the devil had this clear
picture in his mind as the plan
00:15:13.10\00:15:18.06
of salvation developed.
00:15:18.09\00:15:19.76
He says, The seed is going to
be born of a woman without the
00:15:19.79\00:15:24.72
intervention of a man.
00:15:24.75\00:15:26.37
Because this is not speaking
about a man begetting this Seed.
00:15:26.40\00:15:31.02
It is a woman who is bringing
the Seed into the world.
00:15:31.05\00:15:33.65
This Seed obviously is
going to live a perfect life,
00:15:33.68\00:15:37.72
and He is going to suffer
death in place of His creatures.
00:15:37.75\00:15:41.85
Obviously, He's going to be born
of a virgin, as I've mentioned.
00:15:41.88\00:15:46.59
And His Father
is going to be God.
00:15:46.62\00:15:49.44
It's not going
to be any human man.
00:15:49.47\00:15:51.74
And so the devil formed
this clear picture in his mind
00:15:51.77\00:15:55.68
about what God was planning
to do to redeem the human race.
00:15:55.71\00:16:00.44
And so the devil made up his
mind that he was going to plant
00:16:00.47\00:16:06.56
a counterfeit in every nation of
Planet Earth of this plan that
00:16:06.59\00:16:14.47
God had revealed that
He was going to implement.
00:16:14.50\00:16:17.43
Go with me to Genesis
10:8-10, Genesis 10:8-10.
00:16:17.46\00:16:24.98
This is describing the story of
the establishment of the nation
00:16:25.01\00:16:32.35
of Babylon, ancient Babylon.
00:16:32.38\00:16:34.64
And it says there:
00:16:34.67\00:16:36.21
Nimrod means
rebellion, incidentally.
00:16:38.26\00:16:41.93
In other words, the builder
of the Tower of Babel was a man
00:16:59.61\00:17:04.31
called Nimrod, rebellion.
00:17:04.34\00:17:06.95
Now I want you to
notice what happened at Babel.
00:17:06.98\00:17:10.00
You know that the
languages were confused there.
00:17:10.03\00:17:12.19
But something interesting
happened at this Tower of Babel
00:17:12.22\00:17:16.22
whose builder was this
rebellious man, Nimrod.
00:17:16.25\00:17:19.57
Notice Genesis 11:8, 9,
Genesis 11:8, 9. It says here:
00:17:19.60\00:17:27.83
Did you notice here that
every nation on Planet Earth
00:17:54.08\00:17:59.04
had its origin at Babel?
00:17:59.07\00:18:01.97
This is extremely significant,
because we're going to find
00:18:02.00\00:18:07.53
that what the devil did at
Babel, (he established this
00:18:07.56\00:18:10.55
counterfeit religion),
and through this counterfeit
00:18:10.58\00:18:13.71
religion, because these
nations went all over the earth
00:18:13.74\00:18:18.95
from Babel, they took
this counterfeit or apostate
00:18:18.98\00:18:22.20
religion to every
nation on Planet Earth.
00:18:22.23\00:18:25.76
Now you're saying,
which counterfeit religion?
00:18:25.79\00:18:28.48
The ancient records
show that Nimrod became
00:18:28.51\00:18:32.99
a legendary figure.
00:18:33.02\00:18:34.59
In fact it was believed
back then than when Nimrod died
00:18:34.62\00:18:39.77
he went to heaven and
he became the sun god.
00:18:39.80\00:18:43.55
Now he had a wife
whose name was Semiramis.
00:18:43.58\00:18:47.32
And Semiramis was still alive
on Planet Earth after Nimrod
00:18:47.35\00:18:52.47
had gone to heaven
and became the sun god.
00:18:52.50\00:18:56.00
And it just so happens
that by a supernatural miracle
00:18:56.03\00:18:59.46
Semiramis became pregnant.
00:18:59.49\00:19:02.29
Not by the work of any
man, but she was actually
00:19:02.32\00:19:05.98
inseminated, according to their
ideas, by the sun god Nimrod.
00:19:06.01\00:19:11.04
Does this begin to
sound a little bit familiar?
00:19:11.07\00:19:15.17
You know, you have a god
in heaven and he inseminates
00:19:15.20\00:19:19.61
a virgin on earth, and of course
she had a son, and the name of
00:19:19.64\00:19:26.10
her son was Tamus.
00:19:26.13\00:19:28.63
Interestingly enough,
Tamus was born on December 25th,
00:19:28.66\00:19:32.43
according to
the ancient records.
00:19:32.46\00:19:34.67
Now when Semiramis died,
interestingly enough, she also
00:19:34.70\00:19:41.41
ascended to the heavens,
and she became the moon goddess.
00:19:41.44\00:19:45.29
In other words, after
her death she also had an
00:19:45.32\00:19:48.55
assumption to heaven.
00:19:48.58\00:19:49.81
Now you say, where in the
world did the devil get this
00:19:49.84\00:19:53.82
phenomenal idea about a god
in heaven inseminating a woman
00:19:53.85\00:19:58.98
on Earth, and a child, a
supernatural child being born
00:19:59.01\00:20:04.68
from this woman on Planet Earth,
and that the woman eventually
00:20:04.71\00:20:08.74
was assumed to heaven
and became the moon god.
00:20:08.77\00:20:12.42
Where would the devil
create such a scenario?
00:20:12.45\00:20:14.95
The fact is that the devil
knew very well the prophecy
00:20:14.98\00:20:19.60
of Genesis 3:15 where
it spoke about a woman,
00:20:19.63\00:20:24.44
obviously a virgin, that
was going to bring a child
00:20:24.47\00:20:28.32
into the world, not
through the beginning of a man,
00:20:28.35\00:20:31.38
but by a
supernatural work of God.
00:20:31.41\00:20:33.90
And interestingly enough, later
on we find in the Christian
00:20:33.93\00:20:38.24
church the idea that Jesus went
to heaven, and then His mother
00:20:38.27\00:20:44.52
later was assumed
to heaven as well.
00:20:44.55\00:20:47.86
Do you know that many nations
in antiquity had this idea of a
00:20:47.89\00:20:52.82
mother god and her child?
00:20:52.85\00:20:54.81
Let me just mention
some examples of this.
00:20:54.84\00:20:57.71
The Samarians had a
mother god called Nanna.
00:20:57.74\00:21:01.40
In Egypt the goddess was
Isis and her son was Horus.
00:21:01.43\00:21:06.72
In Canaan you have
Baal and Ashtoreth.
00:21:06.75\00:21:10.50
The Greeks had a
woman called Aphrodite.
00:21:10.53\00:21:14.05
The Etruscan's had a goddess
called Nutria, a mother god.
00:21:14.08\00:21:19.02
In Asia the mother was called
Cybele, and her son was Deoius,
00:21:19.05\00:21:24.42
or her child was Deoius.
00:21:24.45\00:21:26.10
In Rome you had Venus or
Fortuna, who was the mother.
00:21:26.13\00:21:30.42
And you had
Jupiter, who was the child.
00:21:30.45\00:21:33.50
Even in China the
mother god's name is Shing-mu,
00:21:33.53\00:21:37.72
which means Holy Mother.
00:21:37.75\00:21:39.37
And she's depicted as
having a child in her arms,
00:21:39.40\00:21:43.18
and there are rays
coming forth from her head.
00:21:43.21\00:21:47.11
In other words she has
a halo around her head.
00:21:47.14\00:21:49.72
In India you have the
goddess Indrani, and she's also
00:21:49.75\00:21:54.95
portrayed in ancient art
as having a child in her arms.
00:21:54.98\00:21:59.18
The Germans had the virgin
Hertha that they worshipped,
00:21:59.21\00:22:03.73
and her child also in her arms.
00:22:03.76\00:22:06.39
The Scandinavians had Isa,
and she also in the artwork
00:22:06.42\00:22:11.78
has a child in her hands.
00:22:11.81\00:22:13.20
The Druids had Vergo
Partitura, and worshipped her
00:22:13.23\00:22:17.90
as the mother of god officially.
00:22:17.93\00:22:20.30
And, of course,
Ephesus had Diana.
00:22:20.33\00:22:23.46
By the way, Paul had no
love for this goddess Diana.
00:22:23.49\00:22:28.07
He told exactly what
should be done in the case of a
00:22:28.10\00:22:31.67
goddess like this.
00:22:31.70\00:22:32.73
He had no idea of Christianity
blending or mixing with
00:22:32.76\00:22:36.38
this apostate religion.
00:22:36.41\00:22:37.94
Notice Acts
19:24-27, Acts 19: 24-27.
00:22:37.97\00:22:45.61
Here we find the
following description of
00:22:45.64\00:22:49.48
the religion of Diana.
00:22:49.51\00:22:50.98
Notice he made
statues of this goddess Diana.
00:23:02.75\00:23:08.12
It became a real good business.
00:23:08.15\00:23:10.35
Interesting that the apostle
Paul would have nothing to do
00:23:52.05\00:23:55.85
with this idea of an
apostate pagan goddess.
00:23:55.88\00:24:00.51
And those who worshipped Diana
knew very well the perspective
00:24:00.54\00:24:05.47
that the apostle Paul had.
00:24:05.50\00:24:06.99
Now I'd like to go for a moment
back to the Old Testament,
00:24:07.02\00:24:10.76
to God's people Israel.
00:24:10.79\00:24:13.07
Because this has something very
important to tell us about the,
00:24:13.10\00:24:18.34
how would I say?
almost veneration of Mary
00:24:18.37\00:24:23.36
in the Christian world
today, particularly in the
00:24:23.39\00:24:25.73
Roman Catholic Church.
00:24:25.76\00:24:27.20
I want you to notice what God
told Israel before they entered
00:24:27.23\00:24:30.88
the land of Canaan.
00:24:30.91\00:24:31.99
Deuteronomy 7:1-6.
00:24:32.02\00:24:35.67
Notice that God told Israel,
Don't you have any contact with
00:25:53.12\00:25:58.23
pagan nations and
with their pagan practices.
00:25:58.26\00:26:00.78
Don't have anything to do with
their altars, with their icons,
00:26:00.81\00:26:04.84
with their ceremonies.
00:26:04.87\00:26:06.22
Remain totally
separated from them.
00:26:06.25\00:26:09.17
And yet Israel did not listen
to the counsel of the Lord.
00:26:09.20\00:26:13.78
Notice Judges 10:6,
Judges 10:6. It says:
00:26:13.81\00:26:20.86
So notice that instead of
remaining separate from these
00:26:45.97\00:26:49.88
pagan nations, and
from their practices,
00:26:49.91\00:26:52.42
and from their images, and from
their altars, they mixed and
00:26:52.45\00:26:56.41
they blended with these nations.
00:26:56.44\00:26:58.41
Now we might ask the
question at this point,
00:26:58.44\00:27:01.79
before we continue
looking at the story of Israel,
00:27:01.82\00:27:04.18
Would God give the same counsel
to His Christian church today?
00:27:04.21\00:27:09.74
Would He allow the Christian
church to adopt practices from
00:27:09.90\00:27:15.20
pagan nations, and altars from
pagan nations, and icons from
00:27:15.23\00:27:20.28
pagan nations, and ceremonies,
and rites, from pagan nations?
00:27:20.31\00:27:25.03
Absolutely not! If God
said to Israel, Remain separate.
00:27:25.06\00:27:29.84
Do not adopt anything
that has to do with them.
00:27:29.87\00:27:32.75
God would give the same
counsel to the Christian church.
00:27:32.78\00:27:36.50
He would not give the Christian
church the opportunity of
00:27:36.53\00:27:40.17
baptizing pagan practices,
and adopting them into
00:27:40.20\00:27:45.04
the Christian church.
00:27:45.07\00:27:46.22
Things became
really terrible in Israel.
00:27:46.25\00:27:49.93
Notice Ezekiel 8:6, 14,
Ezekiel 8, and I want to read
00:27:49.96\00:27:57.95
verse 6 and also
verse 14. It says here:
00:27:57.98\00:28:02.60
And now notice verse 16.
00:28:23.06\00:28:24.70
Do you remember we
spoke about Tammuz?
00:28:37.69\00:28:40.67
Tammuz was the son, the
supernatural son of Nimrod.
00:28:40.71\00:28:44.40
Israel at this point is
actually lamenting Tammuz.
00:28:44.43\00:28:50.26
And, by the way, what's
happening here is that it was
00:28:50.29\00:28:53.08
believed that, and this is
by the way astronomically true,
00:28:53.11\00:28:57.95
in December the days
get shorter, and shorter,
00:28:57.98\00:29:00.87
and shorter. They believed
that that meant that Tammuz was
00:29:00.90\00:29:03.41
drying, and dying, and dying.
00:29:03.44\00:29:04.66
And then on December
25 the days become longer.
00:29:04.69\00:29:07.90
And so now he was suddenly
resurrecting from the dead.
00:29:07.93\00:29:11.54
And so we find here that they're
actually practicing one of the
00:29:11.57\00:29:16.87
rites and ceremonies
that was established by Nimrod
00:29:16.90\00:29:20.40
way back in Babylon.
00:29:20.43\00:29:22.16
Now notice also Jeremiah
7:18, 19, another one of these
00:29:22.19\00:29:28.11
deplorable practices that Israel
had that they adopted from
00:29:28.14\00:29:32.03
the pagan nations.
00:29:32.06\00:29:33.12
It says there in Jeremiah 7:18,
00:29:33.15\00:29:37.60
Notice that they were
worshipping, according to this,
00:30:08.46\00:30:11.96
the queen of heaven.
00:30:11.99\00:30:14.22
I want you to remember
that specific terminology.
00:30:14.25\00:30:17.94
They were
worshipping the queen of heaven.
00:30:17.97\00:30:19.88
By the way, they
did it through silver.
00:30:19.91\00:30:23.47
Gold was used to
worship the sun god,
00:30:23.50\00:30:27.00
because the sun is yellow.
00:30:27.03\00:30:28.31
Silver was used to
depict the moon goddess,
00:30:28.34\00:30:31.72
because it is the color of the
moon; which the moon is white,
00:30:31.75\00:30:35.60
or silver. And so
Israel here is making cakes
00:30:35.63\00:30:39.67
to the queen of heaven.
00:30:39.70\00:30:40.73
They're worshipping
the queen of heaven.
00:30:40.76\00:30:44.22
They're bowing before her.
00:30:44.25\00:30:46.44
They've adopted the
pagan practices of the
00:30:46.47\00:30:49.17
surrounding nations.
00:30:49.20\00:30:50.33
For this reason God decided
that He needed to send Israel
00:30:50.36\00:30:56.47
into captivity
for seventy years.
00:30:56.50\00:30:59.31
And so king Nebuchadnezzar
came in the year 605
00:30:59.34\00:31:02.70
and he overcame Jerusalem.
00:31:02.73\00:31:06.35
There were three captivities.
00:31:06.38\00:31:07.73
Jerusalem was destroyed, and
God's people were taken captive
00:31:07.76\00:31:12.76
to Babylon for a
period of seventy years.
00:31:12.79\00:31:15.29
In Babylon they were
cured of their idolatry.
00:31:15.32\00:31:20.40
In other words, they made up
their minds that they were not
00:31:20.43\00:31:22.74
going to worship
idols ever again.
00:31:22.77\00:31:25.03
They were not
going to worship Tammuz.
00:31:25.06\00:31:26.84
They were not going to
worship the queen of heaven.
00:31:26.87\00:31:28.88
They were not going
to make cakes to her.
00:31:28.91\00:31:30.90
They were not going to
pour out drink offerings
00:31:30.93\00:31:33.37
to the pagan gods.
00:31:33.40\00:31:34.43
They were going to be
faithful to God in not
00:31:34.46\00:31:36.77
practicing idolatry.
00:31:36.80\00:31:38.77
Now the question is, how could
the devil continue proliferating
00:31:38.80\00:31:43.66
this apostate religion that
began in Babel, if the children
00:31:43.69\00:31:47.67
of Israel had decided that
they would remain separate from
00:31:47.70\00:31:51.60
the practices of the surrounding
pagan nations; if they had
00:31:51.63\00:31:55.46
isolated themselves
from these pagan nations?
00:31:55.49\00:31:58.42
Well, let me give you a
little bit of history about what
00:31:58.45\00:32:01.62
happened after the Babylonian
captivity, when Israel had been
00:32:01.65\00:32:05.20
cured once and for all from
this idolatry, from adopting
00:32:05.23\00:32:09.74
the pagan practices of
the surrounding nations.
00:32:09.77\00:32:12.63
Go with me to Ezra 1:2, 3.
00:32:12.66\00:32:16.80
It's speaking here
about Cyrus, king of Persia.
00:32:16.83\00:32:20.76
He's the one that came, by
the way, and conquered Babylon
00:32:20.79\00:32:23.92
along with Durias
the Mede. It says there:
00:32:23.95\00:32:27.47
I find it rather remarkable
that Cyrus, this king of
00:33:00.20\00:33:04.89
the Medo Persian empire would
actually say, God has told me
00:33:04.92\00:33:09.55
to build Him a
temple in Jerusalem.
00:33:09.58\00:33:12.64
Now the question is, How did
he know that God was telling him
00:33:12.67\00:33:16.11
to build Him a
temple in Jerusalem?
00:33:16.14\00:33:17.75
Well, the fact is that the
name of Cyrus had been given in
00:33:17.78\00:33:23.46
Bible prophecy over a
hundred years before he was
00:33:23.49\00:33:26.19
born, in Isaiah 45:1.
00:33:26.72\00:33:28.64
And it's very likely that
when Cyrus dried up the river
00:33:28.67\00:33:33.02
Euphrates and entered into the
city of Babylon he met Daniel
00:33:33.05\00:33:37.19
there, because Daniel
was in the banquet room.
00:33:37.22\00:33:39.91
And Daniel probably opened the
scroll of the prophet Isaiah,
00:33:39.94\00:33:44.39
and said, I've
been waiting for you.
00:33:44.42\00:33:46.58
Your name has been prophesied.
00:33:46.61\00:33:49.73
One hundred years before
you were born, God says that you
00:33:49.76\00:33:53.85
are going to be a shepherd.
00:33:53.88\00:33:55.11
You are going to be the
deliverer of His people.
00:33:55.14\00:33:58.27
And so, undoubtedly Cyrus,
seeing this providential sign
00:33:58.30\00:34:03.96
said, I must
fulfill the will of God.
00:34:03.99\00:34:06.76
And you know what's interesting,
there are two individuals,
00:34:06.79\00:34:10.48
two ancient kings,
which became monotheistic.
00:34:10.51\00:34:14.18
In other words they came
to the point of believing
00:34:14.21\00:34:15.91
that there was
only one true God.
00:34:15.94\00:34:17.53
One of them was Tutankhamun.
00:34:17.56\00:34:20.55
And I believe that
has to do with the Exodus.
00:34:20.58\00:34:24.65
And the other king
was Durias, and Cyrus,
00:34:24.68\00:34:28.60
and the Persian rulers.
00:34:28.63\00:34:30.46
In fact they established a new
religion called Zoroastrianism,
00:34:30.49\00:34:35.97
where you had a good
god, and you had a evil god
00:34:36.00\00:34:39.45
in constant conflict or
controversy; very similar to the
00:34:39.48\00:34:43.88
idea that we find of
the conflict between God and
00:34:43.91\00:34:46.75
Satan in Scripture.
00:34:46.78\00:34:48.23
And they believed
in only one true God.
00:34:48.26\00:34:50.68
Where do you suppose
that Durias and Cyrus
00:34:50.71\00:34:53.89
got that idea from?
00:34:53.92\00:34:55.32
It must have been from
Daniel, and from the Hebrews.
00:34:55.35\00:34:59.16
Now interestingly enough,
in Babylon there remained
00:34:59.19\00:35:03.63
some pagan priests that
had proliferated the religion
00:35:03.66\00:35:09.07
of Babylon; those Chaldeans
as they're called in Daniel 2.
00:35:09.10\00:35:13.10
And Durias I, who is not
the same Durias the Mede, in the
00:35:13.13\00:35:17.67
year 520 he said, I'm not
going to put up with these pagan
00:35:17.70\00:35:21.56
priests in Babylon.
00:35:21.59\00:35:22.65
And so what he did, he
massacred these pagan priests.
00:35:22.68\00:35:26.22
And the ones who were able
to survive actually fled to the
00:35:26.25\00:35:31.25
city of Pergamum in Asia Minor.
00:35:31.28\00:35:34.26
In the year 482 king
Xerxes did the same thing.
00:35:34.29\00:35:39.72
There were still some
priests left over in Babylon,
00:35:39.75\00:35:42.25
and so he once again
massacred these pagan priests
00:35:42.28\00:35:45.65
of the Babylonian type, not the
priesthood of the Zoroastrian
00:35:45.68\00:35:49.20
religion, but the priesthood
of the Babylonian religion.
00:35:49.23\00:35:52.13
And once again these
priests fled to Asia Minor
00:35:52.16\00:35:56.09
to the city of Pergamum.
00:35:56.12\00:35:58.76
By the way, you can read this
fascinating story in the book,
00:35:58.79\00:36:03.41
The Mysteries of Mithra, written
by a Roman Catholic scholar
00:36:03.44\00:36:07.44
whose name is Franz Cumont.
00:36:07.47\00:36:09.68
He's also written
several other books on religions
00:36:09.71\00:36:14.18
in Asia Minor, and
in the Roman empire.
00:36:14.21\00:36:16.93
Interestingly enough,
these pagan priests that went to
00:36:16.96\00:36:21.28
Pergamum rooted their religious,
their Polytheistic religious
00:36:21.31\00:36:26.19
ideas in Pergamum.
00:36:26.22\00:36:28.65
In this way the pagan
polytheistic religion of Babylon
00:36:28.68\00:36:33.29
was transferred to Pergamum.
00:36:33.32\00:36:36.16
And you say, Why
is this important?
00:36:36.19\00:36:37.91
It's very important for the
reason that according to Virgil,
00:36:37.94\00:36:42.90
the Latin poet, and
other Roman writers like Homer,
00:36:42.93\00:36:47.89
they say that Roman civilization
and religion was an import
00:36:47.92\00:36:54.55
from Asia Minor,
specifically from Pergamum.
00:36:54.58\00:36:58.64
You can read it in this
book that I made reference to.
00:36:58.67\00:37:01.62
Interesting that the religion of
ancient Babylon went to Pergamum
00:37:01.65\00:37:07.13
and from Pergamum it was
imported into Pagan Rome.
00:37:07.16\00:37:12.00
In other words, it became the
official religion of pagan Rome.
00:37:12.03\00:37:16.38
Perhaps this is the reason why
in 1 Peter 5:13, if you go with
00:37:16.41\00:37:22.98
me there, 1 Peter
5:13, Rome is called Babylon.
00:37:23.01\00:37:29.67
Notice it says there:
00:37:29.70\00:37:31.97
Most scholars believe that
this is a reference to Rome.
00:37:41.70\00:37:45.92
In other words Rome is
being called Babylon. Why?
00:37:45.95\00:37:49.92
Because the religion of
Babylon was transported from
00:37:49.95\00:37:54.08
ancient Babylon, from
the Babylon of Nebuchadnezzar
00:37:54.11\00:37:57.15
to Pergamum, and
from Pergamum, or through
00:37:57.18\00:38:00.73
Pergamum into pagan Rome.
00:38:00.76\00:38:03.62
But now we must
go one step further.
00:38:03.65\00:38:06.63
And I must go quickly here.
00:38:06.66\00:38:09.11
I don't have time to go into
all of the ramifications of this
00:38:09.14\00:38:12.21
prophecy, so I'm
only going to describe it.
00:38:12.24\00:38:14.34
In Revelation 13 we
have a composite beast.
00:38:14.37\00:38:19.15
This beast has the
characteristics of a lion,
00:38:19.18\00:38:22.64
a bear, a leopard,
and a dragon beast.
00:38:22.67\00:38:29.14
And the dragon
beast has ten horns.
00:38:29.17\00:38:31.87
And then we're told that
that dragon beast with ten horns
00:38:31.90\00:38:36.55
gives his throne, his authority,
and his power to this beast.
00:38:36.58\00:38:42.77
In other words, the dragon
gives his power to this beast,
00:38:42.80\00:38:45.77
to this composite beast.
00:38:45.80\00:38:47.14
Now the question is, what does
this composite beast represent?
00:38:47.17\00:38:51.95
Actually, it's very simple.
00:38:51.98\00:38:53.50
The lion represents Babylon.
00:38:53.53\00:38:55.94
The bear represents Medo Persia.
00:38:55.97\00:38:59.09
The leopard represents Greece.
00:38:59.12\00:39:01.64
The dragon beast is Rome,
because the dragon beast in
00:39:01.67\00:39:05.09
Revelation 12 tried to kill the
child when the child was born.
00:39:05.12\00:39:08.48
So the dragon beast is Rome.
00:39:08.51\00:39:10.55
And then Rome was
divided into ten kingdoms.
00:39:10.58\00:39:13.60
Those are the ten
horns in the year 476.
00:39:13.63\00:39:16.97
And then it says that this
dragon beast with ten horns
00:39:17.00\00:39:21.34
gives his seat, his
power, and his authority
00:39:21.37\00:39:25.31
to this composite beast.
00:39:25.34\00:39:27.79
In other words, after the Roman
empire would arise a power that
00:39:27.82\00:39:32.92
would receive the seat, and the
authority that existed in pagan
00:39:32.95\00:39:37.00
Rome, along with its
civilization, and its religion.
00:39:37.03\00:39:40.71
The question is, which was this
power which arose after pagan
00:39:40.74\00:39:47.57
Rome that
proliferated the religion of the
00:39:47.60\00:39:50.92
ancient Roman empire that
Rome received from Pergamum,
00:39:50.95\00:39:54.66
and that Pergamum received
from Babylon in unbroken chain.
00:39:54.69\00:39:59.14
Folks, I wish I could
say otherwise, but it was the
00:39:59.17\00:40:02.73
Roman Catholic Papacy.
00:40:02.76\00:40:04.03
Even writers of the Roman
Catholic Church, scholars,
00:40:04.06\00:40:08.37
for example, like Cardinal
Gibbons, very clearly say that
00:40:08.40\00:40:13.45
most of the practices and
beliefs of the Roman Catholic
00:40:13.48\00:40:17.47
Church were imported from
paganism: Sunday, the idea of
00:40:17.50\00:40:23.63
nuns, vestal virgins, the idea
of incense, the idea of icons,
00:40:23.66\00:40:30.68
the idea of
idols in the churches.
00:40:30.71\00:40:33.85
In fact I don't know whether
you're aware, but there in the
00:40:33.88\00:40:36.76
Vatican you have in
Saint Peters Cathedral,
00:40:36.79\00:40:41.46
you have an image of Jupiter.
00:40:41.49\00:40:44.23
You say, No, it's not
of Jupiter, it's of Peter.
00:40:44.26\00:40:47.05
Yes, it was of
Jupiter, and they adopt it,
00:40:47.08\00:40:49.70
and they converted
Jupiter into Peter.
00:40:49.73\00:40:51.51
I mean the Roman Catholic
Church doesn't hide this.
00:40:51.54\00:40:54.47
They actually
acquired their religion,
00:40:54.50\00:40:57.42
and their organizational
structure, and their political
00:40:57.45\00:41:01.72
structure from ancient Rome.
00:41:01.75\00:41:04.76
And Rome had received it
from Pergamum, and Pergamum had
00:41:04.79\00:41:08.13
received it from Babylon.
00:41:08.16\00:41:09.78
Now, I find it very interesting
that Pergamum is also involved
00:41:09.81\00:41:16.29
in the transfer from
pagan Rome to Papal Rome.
00:41:16.32\00:41:20.22
Go with me to
Revelation 2:13, 14.
00:41:20.25\00:41:25.17
This is going to get
more and more fascinating.
00:41:25.20\00:41:27.26
By the way, as you're
looking for Revelation 2:13, 14,
00:41:27.29\00:41:31.57
allow me to tell you
something about the seven
00:41:31.60\00:41:33.31
churches of Revelation.
00:41:33.34\00:41:34.40
The seven churches,
according to most scholars,
00:41:34.43\00:41:37.65
represent seven periods of the
history of the Christian church
00:41:37.68\00:41:40.92
from apostolic times
till the end of time.
00:41:40.95\00:41:43.72
Most scholars that I have
read believe that the church of
00:41:43.75\00:41:47.47
Ephesus represents
the apostolic church.
00:41:47.50\00:41:49.70
The church that went out
conquering and to conquer;
00:41:49.73\00:41:51.89
that set the world on fire
with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
00:41:51.92\00:41:55.77
The second church,
the church of Smyrna,
00:41:55.80\00:41:57.72
is the persecuted church.
00:41:57.75\00:41:59.37
There's a lot of death
language connected with
00:41:59.40\00:42:01.50
the church of Smyrna.
00:42:01.53\00:42:02.74
And, in fact, most scholars
believe that it represents
00:42:02.77\00:42:06.50
the period of the church
under the period of the Roman
00:42:06.53\00:42:09.69
emperors, the early
Roman emperors who persecuted
00:42:09.72\00:42:12.70
Christians, and threw them to
the lions, and made them fight
00:42:12.73\00:42:15.87
with animals in the coliseum,
and with gladiators, etc.
00:42:15.90\00:42:19.37
And so Smyrna is
the persecuted church.
00:42:19.40\00:42:22.89
It's where the devil
tried to destroy the growth
00:42:22.92\00:42:26.02
of the church by persecution.
00:42:26.05\00:42:28.34
But the devil soon discovered
that instead of stomping out
00:42:28.37\00:42:32.99
the church by persecution,
the church grew all the more.
00:42:33.02\00:42:36.64
And so he had to
use a different method.
00:42:36.67\00:42:39.25
And so now you
enter the third church.
00:42:39.28\00:42:41.45
The third church
is called Pergamum.
00:42:41.48\00:42:44.45
Interesting! Now
lets read about Pergamum.
00:42:44.48\00:42:48.10
Revelation 2:12-14, And to the
angel of the church in Pergamus
00:42:48.13\00:42:53.50
write, these things says he who
has the sharp two edged sword.
00:42:53.53\00:42:58.00
Remember that this
dragon beast gave his throne
00:43:05.23\00:43:10.56
to this next beast?
00:43:10.59\00:43:12.03
It continues saying:
00:43:12.06\00:43:13.67
But now notice verse 14:
00:43:26.50\00:43:28.26
Notice that the problem
with the church of Pergamum
00:43:48.36\00:43:51.46
is that Balaam is
there influencing the church.
00:43:51.49\00:43:55.47
Now in order to understand why
this is important we have to go
00:43:55.50\00:43:58.43
back to the story of
Balaam in Numbers 22 to 24.
00:43:58.46\00:44:02.73
Lets notice Numbers 22:12.
00:44:02.76\00:44:06.31
It just so happens that Balak
wants Balaam to curse Israel.
00:44:06.34\00:44:10.85
It says:
00:44:10.88\00:44:12.33
God says to Balaam, You can't
curse Israel. They're blessed.
00:44:19.46\00:44:22.47
The question is,
Why was Israel blessed?
00:44:22.50\00:44:25.54
Notice Numbers 23:21-23:
00:44:25.57\00:44:30.27
This is Balaam speaking.
00:44:34.81\00:44:37.15
You see, Israel was in a proper
relationship with the Lord,
00:45:10.66\00:45:14.24
and therefore the devil
could not destroy Israel
00:45:14.27\00:45:18.01
through
persecution, through warfare.
00:45:18.04\00:45:20.68
But the devil soon discovers
that there's a better way
00:45:20.71\00:45:24.56
to destroy Israel.
00:45:24.59\00:45:25.62
You see, just like the
early church grew phenomenally,
00:45:25.65\00:45:29.44
the devil tried to destroy
the church by persecution,
00:45:29.47\00:45:32.00
but he couldn't because
the church was in a good
00:45:32.03\00:45:34.23
relationship with the Lord.
00:45:34.26\00:45:36.55
Now the devil says, I
have to implement plan B.
00:45:36.58\00:45:39.99
And what was that plan B?
00:45:40.02\00:45:42.07
Plan B was if you cannot
fight them, or destroy them from
00:45:42.10\00:45:46.49
outside, then infiltrate
them with the practices,
00:45:46.52\00:45:51.48
with the pagan
practices of the nations,
00:45:51.51\00:45:53.55
and then they will be destroyed.
00:45:53.58\00:45:56.07
Notice Numbers
31:16 on how Balaam
00:45:56.10\00:46:01.03
was successful in his endeavor.
00:46:01.06\00:46:04.32
It says there in Numbers 31:16:
00:46:04.35\00:46:07.29
The women of Moab.
00:46:09.99\00:46:11.25
And so what the devil did was
to use Balaam to entice Israel
00:46:25.79\00:46:31.70
to adopt the practices of
the Moabites to follow their
00:46:31.73\00:46:36.34
idolatrous practices,
their worship practices,
00:46:36.37\00:46:40.24
and as a result they broke
their covenant with the Lord,
00:46:40.27\00:46:43.40
and there was great decimation
among the people of God.
00:46:43.43\00:46:47.77
The same thing happened in the
early church when Ephesus went
00:46:47.80\00:46:52.40
out conquering and to
conquer the early church,
00:46:52.43\00:46:54.95
the apostolic church.
00:46:54.98\00:46:56.25
It grew phenomenally.
00:46:56.28\00:46:57.53
The devil says, I
have to destroy this church
00:46:57.56\00:47:00.13
because it's winning
subjects for Jesus Christ.
00:47:00.16\00:47:03.09
And so now comes
the church of Smyrna;
00:47:03.12\00:47:06.42
the church that is persecuted.
00:47:06.45\00:47:08.20
But the more
the devil persecutes
00:47:08.23\00:47:09.94
the more the church grows.
00:47:09.97\00:47:11.39
And so the devil says,
I have to do something.
00:47:11.42\00:47:13.37
And so you enter
the church of Pergamum
00:47:13.40\00:47:16.53
where Balaam is influencing.
00:47:16.56\00:47:18.57
And what the devil does through
an emperor called Constantine;
00:47:18.60\00:47:23.25
he introduces into Christianity
idolatrous practices
00:47:23.28\00:47:28.99
of the Roman empire.
00:47:29.02\00:47:30.42
You know, even Constantine
the Great, he claimed to be a
00:47:30.45\00:47:36.62
Christian, but he
actually worshipped the sun god,
00:47:36.65\00:47:39.40
Dies Sol Invictus,
the Invincible God.
00:47:39.43\00:47:41.94
He actually had coins printed
that said to The Invincible God,
00:47:41.97\00:47:45.77
and it had a sun on it.
00:47:45.80\00:47:47.51
In other words, Constantine
was a sun worshipper.
00:47:47.54\00:47:50.13
He was only converted
nominally to Christianity.
00:47:50.16\00:47:52.78
And all of these ideas
from pagan Rome were transferred
00:47:52.81\00:47:57.43
via Pergamum into the
Roman Catholic Church.
00:47:57.46\00:48:02.46
And many scholars in the Roman
Catholic Church today admit
00:48:02.49\00:48:05.84
that many of the practices that
now exist in the church actually
00:48:05.87\00:48:10.29
were imported directly
from the religions of the
00:48:10.32\00:48:14.53
pagan Roman empire.
00:48:14.56\00:48:15.59
Among those things
that we're going to study,
00:48:15.62\00:48:18.57
which were imported into
the Christian church was the
00:48:18.60\00:48:22.86
veneration of the virgin mother.
00:48:22.89\00:48:25.43
That which had originated
all the way back at the
00:48:25.46\00:48:29.45
tower of Babel, which
was transferred from Babel to
00:48:29.48\00:48:33.81
Nebuchadnezzar's Babylon.
00:48:33.84\00:48:35.12
Because Nebuchadnezzar
actually boasted that he was
00:48:35.15\00:48:38.41
re-establishing the
kingdom which existed at Babel.
00:48:38.44\00:48:42.64
And then it was
transferred from the Babylon of
00:48:42.67\00:48:45.56
Nebuchadnezzar to Pergamum
through the apostate priesthood.
00:48:45.59\00:48:49.81
From the city of Pergamum
it was transferred to Rome.
00:48:49.84\00:48:55.39
And through the church of
Pergamum it was transferred
00:48:55.42\00:48:59.65
from pagan Rome to
Papal Rome in unbroken chain.
00:48:59.68\00:49:05.35
Now in our next study together
we're going to take a look at
00:49:05.38\00:49:09.99
a topic which I have chosen to
title, Mary the Rival of Jesus.
00:49:10.02\00:49:16.29
You say, How in the world
could you title a lecture,
00:49:16.32\00:49:19.90
Mary the Rival of Jesus?
00:49:19.93\00:49:21.93
We're going to see how all of
these ideas that originated back
00:49:21.96\00:49:27.20
with Nimrod, and Semiramis,
and Tamuz, that were transferred
00:49:27.23\00:49:32.29
to Babylon of Nebuchadnezzar,
and then transferred to Rome,
00:49:32.32\00:49:37.44
and then transferred to
the Roman Catholic Church,
00:49:37.47\00:49:40.03
have proliferated today
in the Christian church.
00:49:40.06\00:49:43.26
And we're going to see how
the mother is venerated to such
00:49:43.29\00:49:48.35
a great degree that the
child is practically placed
00:49:48.38\00:49:53.49
on a second plain.
00:49:53.52\00:49:55.19
Now I would like you to notice
in Revelation 12:1 that God is
00:49:55.22\00:50:01.97
going to have a true church
in the end time; a church that
00:50:02.00\00:50:06.15
upholds the truth of God as
it's found in Holy Scripture.
00:50:06.18\00:50:10.79
This woman is depicted
as clothed with the sun,
00:50:10.82\00:50:14.85
and standing on the moon.
00:50:14.88\00:50:16.14
Notice Revelation 12:1. It says:
00:50:16.17\00:50:19.52
Now we're going to find that the
Roman Catholic Church believes
00:50:32.00\00:50:35.96
that this woman
actually is symbolic of Mary.
00:50:35.99\00:50:40.09
But the fact is for reasons that
we studied in our first lecture,
00:50:40.12\00:50:44.63
this woman actually is
a representation of the
00:50:44.66\00:50:49.72
Old Testament church and
the New Testament church.
00:50:49.75\00:50:52.68
In other words, Jesus
was born from the woman.
00:50:52.71\00:50:55.94
Yes, He was born from
the Old Testament church.
00:50:55.97\00:50:59.26
And then later on the
woman flees to the wilderness.
00:50:59.29\00:51:02.26
That means that the church
in the New Testament period
00:51:02.29\00:51:05.24
flees to the wilderness when
she's persecuted by the serpent.
00:51:05.27\00:51:09.15
In other words, God is going to
have, according to this verse,
00:51:09.18\00:51:13.18
a true church which will
bring the Messiah into the world
00:51:13.21\00:51:16.94
and this true church, after
the Messiah is caught up to God
00:51:16.97\00:51:21.19
into His throne, is going to
be persecuted by the serpent,
00:51:21.22\00:51:26.05
is going to be persecuted by
the dragon to try and destroy
00:51:26.08\00:51:29.42
her, because she
upholds the truth of God.
00:51:29.45\00:51:32.52
But do you know that in
Revelation the apostate religion
00:51:32.55\00:51:37.09
is also represented by a woman?
00:51:37.12\00:51:39.39
Notice Revelation
17:1-6, Revelation 17:1-6.
00:51:39.42\00:51:47.88
This will be our
final passage in our study.
00:51:47.91\00:51:50.78
By the way, if a pure
woman represents a pure church,
00:52:06.81\00:52:10.84
a harlot must represent a what?
must represent a fallen church.
00:52:10.87\00:52:16.82
Notice that she's
seated on many waters.
00:52:16.85\00:52:19.68
Verse 15 explains that the many
waters represent multitudes,
00:52:19.71\00:52:24.30
nations, tongues, and peoples.
00:52:24.33\00:52:26.29
So this is an apostate system of
religion that sits, or governs
00:52:26.32\00:52:30.73
on nations, tongues,
multitudes, and peoples.
00:52:30.76\00:52:33.85
And now notice verse 2.
00:52:33.88\00:52:35.94
Notice that she's
involved in the political
00:52:39.75\00:52:42.28
systems of the world.
00:52:42.31\00:52:43.34
She fornicates with the kings
of the earth according to this.
00:52:43.37\00:52:47.56
By the way, the wine
represents false teachings.
00:52:53.04\00:52:56.07
It represents false doctrines.
00:52:56.10\00:52:58.62
In fact a little later on
in this passage we're going to
00:52:58.65\00:53:01.63
notice that it
represents her abominations.
00:53:01.66\00:53:04.24
If you want to look up in
Scripture the word abominations
00:53:04.27\00:53:07.24
in a concordance, you'll find
that abominations are composed
00:53:07.27\00:53:10.83
of many things: worshipping the
sun, thinking that you can eat
00:53:10.86\00:53:14.56
unclean foods, thinking that
you can be saved in violation of
00:53:14.59\00:53:20.05
the law of God, and
many other things as well.
00:53:20.08\00:53:24.10
So notice that she gives
the wine; she makes the nations
00:53:24.13\00:53:28.11
drunk with the wine of her
fornication. Notice verse 3:
00:53:28.14\00:53:32.22
And notice how
this woman is arrayed.
00:53:46.04\00:53:48.17
Interesting colors,
right? purple and scarlet.
00:53:51.35\00:53:55.06
Notice that this is a system
that majors in gold, and silver,
00:54:01.00\00:54:05.69
and precious stones, and pearls.
00:54:05.72\00:54:08.23
And she's clothed in
purple and scarlet. And it says:
00:54:08.26\00:54:13.64
By the way, fornication means
that you are married to Jesus,
00:54:22.18\00:54:27.29
but at the same time
you're married with paganism.
00:54:27.32\00:54:29.89
In other words you're adopting
pagan practices into the church
00:54:29.92\00:54:34.18
like ancient Israel did.
00:54:34.21\00:54:36.20
Let me ask you, why
would God rebuke ancient Israel
00:54:36.24\00:54:39.42
for adopting pagan practices,
and He would not rebuke the
00:54:39.45\00:54:42.59
Christian church for
importing pagan practices?
00:54:42.63\00:54:45.16
Would you expect God to keep
the Christian church just as
00:54:45.19\00:54:49.12
pure as He wanted to keep
ancient Israel? Of course.
00:54:49.16\00:54:52.87
It continues saying in
verse 5... Notice her name.
00:54:52.91\00:54:56.58
What is this system of
apostate religion called?
00:55:06.21\00:55:09.25
Babylon, interestingly enough.
00:55:09.28\00:55:12.21
And then you'll notice that
this is a persecuting power.
00:55:18.32\00:55:21.40
She persecutes those that
don't agree with her teachings.
00:55:21.43\00:55:24.38
It says in verse 6:
00:55:24.42\00:55:25.54
Now I would like to
read one final text.
00:55:37.17\00:55:40.37
I know I said that
this was the last one,
00:55:40.40\00:55:42.21
but I need to read one more
before we draw this to a close.
00:55:42.24\00:55:48.20
Jeremiah 51:7, 8. We began
with Babylon and we said that
00:55:48.24\00:55:54.15
these teachings of paganism
were transferred from Babel to
00:55:54.18\00:56:00.01
the Babylon of Nebuchadnezzar,
to Rome through Pergamum,
00:56:00.04\00:56:04.85
and then to papal Rome
through the church of Pergamum.
00:56:04.88\00:56:09.77
In other words, Babylon
is found all the way through.
00:56:09.80\00:56:14.05
These ideas come from antiquity.
00:56:14.08\00:56:17.03
You know, sometimes I've
wondered why so many religions
00:56:17.07\00:56:19.96
in the world, for
example, use a rosary.
00:56:19.99\00:56:22.40
It's not only in the
Roman Catholic Church
00:56:22.44\00:56:24.82
that a rosary is used.
00:56:24.85\00:56:26.96
Muslims use rosaries.
00:56:26.99\00:56:29.21
Hindus use rosaries.
00:56:29.25\00:56:31.40
You know that what
I'm saying is true.
00:56:31.43\00:56:33.35
Where would they all get
the idea of saying prayers
00:56:33.39\00:56:36.76
and using beads
for their prayers?
00:56:36.80\00:56:38.93
It's because all of
these practices ultimately
00:56:38.96\00:56:42.72
come from one source.
00:56:42.76\00:56:44.36
They ultimately come from where?
from Babylon, which is Satan's
00:56:44.39\00:56:49.46
apostate system of religion.
00:56:49.50\00:56:51.88
Notice Jeremiah 51:7, 8.
00:56:51.92\00:56:54.27
And notice what she did.
00:56:59.48\00:57:01.12
So we need to beware of
the religion of Babylon.
00:57:12.50\00:57:17.88
And God actually
says in Revelation 18,
00:57:17.91\00:57:21.01
Come out of her my people.
00:57:21.05\00:57:24.43