Well, hello and I want
to welcome every one of you
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back this
afternoon to hear Cameron--
00:01:03.98\00:01:06.84
to hear not Cameron, but who?
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Hiram Rester, minister to us.
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This is the session
that he is going to bring us
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"Elijah Has Returned."
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And I think we're all excited
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to hear him
minister on this subject.
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But I want to
welcome all of you back,
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you that are here
in Southern Illinois,
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and I always like
to welcome all of you
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that are watching
from around the world.
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Do you know that the
potential viewing audience
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I'm told for 3ABN is
close to two billion people.
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So we look here
in our auditorium
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and we praise God
for the number of people
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that God has sent
to Southern Illinois
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to our Spring Camp Meeting.
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But we have to
realize that as this program
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is going out live
all over the world
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that it's
ministering to multiple
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hundreds of thousands of people.
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You are part of a much
larger congregation of people
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that is viewing this
and we've already prayed
00:02:02.16\00:02:04.51
and our prayer is that
many souls will be touched
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and drawn to the
Lord Jesus Christ
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through the ministry of
Hiram Rester this afternoon.
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Now I want to tell
you a little about him,
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I feel like that probably
most of you know all about him
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but there maybe some in
viewing audience that doesn't.
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First of all how many of you
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are able to
listen to 3ABN Radio?
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Good.
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He has a program on 3ABN Radio,
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he's heading there
for about two years
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and it's called
"Affirming Creation."
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So those of you that are
able to listen to 3ABN Radio
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already know about his ministry.
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He's also been on
3ABN a number of times.
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He's the senior
pastor of the Springfield
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Seventh-day Adventist
Church in Springfield, Missouri.
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He's an evangelist,
he's been a church planter
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but from the time that
I've spent talking with him
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something that I see is a heart
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that's consecrated
and dedicated to God.
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So we're honored to have him
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come and minister
to us this afternoon.
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But before he comes
we have a beautiful lady
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that God has graced
the congregation here
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in Thompsonville, Illinois,
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well that is
Thompsonville, Illinois
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Seventh- day Adventist church.
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Her name is Celestine Barry
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and she's a member of our church
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and we are so pleased to
have her come this afternoon.
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And, Celestine, I
believe you're gonna minister
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"Why Have You Chosen Me?"
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Thank you so much.
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Why have You chosen me
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Out of millions Your child to be
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You know all the wrongs
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That I have done
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Oh, how could You pardon me
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Forgive my iniquities
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To save me
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give Jesus Your son
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But, Lord, help me be
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What You want me to be
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Your word
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I will strive to obey
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My life I now give
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For You I will live
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And walk by Your side
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All the way
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I am amazed to know
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That a God so
great could love me so
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Is willing and wanting
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To bless
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His love is so wonderful
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His mercy so bountiful
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I can't understand it
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I confess
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But, Lord, help me be
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What You want me to be
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Your word
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I will strive to obey
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My life I now give
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For You I will live
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And walk by Your side
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All the way
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My life I now give
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For You I will live
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And walk by Your side
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All the way
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Amen, amen. What a blessing.
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Well, Mollie was
telling stories on me there.
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Well, what do I do about that?
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You want to hear
some stories about Mollie?
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No, we better not,
okay. Let's move ahead though.
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How many of you
are having a great time
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at camp meeting
once again this year?
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What a blessing,
amen. Praise the Lord.
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I snuck away from camp meeting
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for just a
little bit this morning,
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it was sermon prep time.
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After I had read
over my notes a few times
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that is, Danny
told me where a pond was
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that I could dip a hook in
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and the Lord blessed
with 14 largemouth bass
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that are still alive,
we turned them back loose.
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And, you know, that
helped me get ready for today.
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I'm much more relaxed
00:09:04.81\00:09:06.35
and fishing is a blessing to me.
00:09:06.38\00:09:08.51
Just getting out and
being with God, you know?
00:09:08.54\00:09:11.25
What a blessing
and relaxing time
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being here, seeing people.
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I haven't seen for
years here at camp meeting,
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it's absolutely awesome.
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It's great and I know
that you're getting a blessing
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with all of these
wonderful speakers
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that have been here and
the things they've shared.
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I'm excited to
share with you again today
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and I would like to
invite you to open your Bibles
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to Malachi Chapter 4,
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Malachi Chapter 4 as we
get into our message titled
00:09:34.85\00:09:39.67
"Elijah Has Returned."
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When I was 16-years-old,
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it was the first
day of spring break
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and I had borrowed my dad's car.
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It was an exciting thing.
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I had a driver's license,
first day of spring break.
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Guess how I
started that day out.
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Bass fishing, yeah, it's true.
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It stuck with me
for quite a while now.
00:10:02.00\00:10:04.14
I went fishing that morning
and back then I kept them,
00:10:04.17\00:10:07.47
you know, I brought
them home and made sure
00:10:07.50\00:10:10.15
they were ready for me
to check on them later.
00:10:10.18\00:10:12.82
And well, I then
was going to town,
00:10:12.85\00:10:18.51
there'd been a
little bit of a rain
00:10:18.54\00:10:19.62
and my friend Chris,
00:10:19.65\00:10:20.68
we were teenagers,
he called me and said,
00:10:20.71\00:10:22.26
let's go play some
tennis in the afternoon.
00:10:22.29\00:10:23.89
I said that's great,
let's play some tennis.
00:10:23.92\00:10:26.09
And he said the
court's will be dry in a bit,
00:10:26.12\00:10:28.27
why don't you pick up a
pizza come over to my house,
00:10:28.30\00:10:30.57
we'll play some videogames
00:10:30.60\00:10:32.15
and then we'll go
play tennis this afternoon.
00:10:32.18\00:10:34.65
That sounded exciting to me
00:10:34.68\00:10:35.96
so I headed off in the little
Toyota Corolla of my dad's.
00:10:35.99\00:10:39.18
It had a little sunroof on
it and I thought it was cool,
00:10:39.21\00:10:41.57
you know, to
roll that sunroof back
00:10:41.60\00:10:43.34
and I had the music up loud,
00:10:43.37\00:10:45.59
it was country music back then--
00:10:45.62\00:10:47.87
I know, please forgive me
00:10:47.90\00:10:49.45
and I was down
in the seat relaxed
00:10:49.48\00:10:54.84
with my arm up just cruising.
00:10:54.87\00:10:59.27
I was going about, I
started around this curve
00:10:59.30\00:11:02.52
in backwoods
south of Mississippi
00:11:02.55\00:11:05.61
and as I was
going around this curve,
00:11:05.64\00:11:07.41
there's some
potholes in the curve
00:11:07.44\00:11:09.46
and so everyone kind of
just moves over automatically
00:11:09.49\00:11:11.93
to the center of the
road to miss the potholes
00:11:11.96\00:11:13.74
which is what I did.
00:11:13.77\00:11:15.58
And then I look up as
I'm adjusting the radio
00:11:15.61\00:11:17.70
trying to get the
tunes a little more livelily.
00:11:17.73\00:11:19.29
I look up
someone is out there too
00:11:19.32\00:11:21.07
in the middle of nowhere
coming from the other direction.
00:11:21.10\00:11:23.35
What are they doing out here?
It's the middle of nowhere.
00:11:23.38\00:11:26.10
Well, now I have to
choose a side of the road
00:11:26.13\00:11:27.82
and so you can't
go wrong going, right.
00:11:27.85\00:11:29.34
So I jerk it to the right,
I wasn't going all that fast,
00:11:29.37\00:11:32.39
it was a sharp curve,
I was only going 80, 85,
00:11:32.42\00:11:34.53
something like that
and I missed the car
00:11:34.56\00:11:39.09
but the car I was
in began to fishtail,
00:11:39.12\00:11:42.52
as an inexperienced
driver there and I overcorrected
00:11:42.55\00:11:46.06
when I tried to
get back onto the road.
00:11:46.09\00:11:48.99
And as the car began to fishtail
00:11:49.02\00:11:50.73
and went off the
road, hit a ditch,
00:11:50.76\00:11:52.87
I went through the
windshield head first,
00:11:52.90\00:11:57.95
hit out in front of the car
00:11:57.98\00:11:59.42
just to the right
of the electric pole.
00:11:59.45\00:12:03.41
The car went just to the left
00:12:03.44\00:12:04.81
as it flipped over
and over and over and.
00:12:04.84\00:12:08.66
Actually hitting the front yard
of my Baptist preacher's house,
00:12:08.69\00:12:12.13
the porch edge and I
come up running from the car,
00:12:12.16\00:12:15.25
I knew it was coming behind
me, I run right up on the porch,
00:12:15.28\00:12:17.95
I hear screaming inside,
someone had heard the collision
00:12:17.98\00:12:20.50
and seen the carnage
and I rang the doorbell
00:12:20.53\00:12:24.20
'cause I didn't
know what else to do.
00:12:24.23\00:12:26.30
They came out,
they got me laid down,
00:12:26.33\00:12:29.41
started putting
rags on me, you know,
00:12:29.44\00:12:31.34
I was cut up from my
knees to the top of my head
00:12:31.37\00:12:34.48
having gone through
the windshield head first
00:12:34.51\00:12:37.70
which is
typically not very healthy.
00:12:37.73\00:12:40.51
Oh, my 147
stitches from here to here,
00:12:43.28\00:12:48.68
but before they
put the stitches in,
00:12:48.71\00:12:49.91
they brought me the
phone to call my mom.
00:12:49.94\00:12:51.37
I said if you call my mom
00:12:51.40\00:12:52.43
and you'd tell her
I've had an accident,
00:12:52.46\00:12:53.84
she'll wreck getting here.
00:12:53.87\00:12:54.91
So let me call her, right?
00:12:54.94\00:12:56.66
So, mom, you know the
car's in pretty bad shape
00:12:56.69\00:12:58.78
and well, the important thing is
00:12:58.81\00:13:00.40
as you can talk,
you're gonna be okay.
00:13:00.43\00:13:01.97
And she gets
there in record time.
00:13:02.00\00:13:03.75
They take me in the ambulance
and they began to do the x-rays
00:13:03.78\00:13:07.98
and since I went through
the windshield head first,
00:13:08.01\00:13:12.00
they turned me,
they swayed my neck
00:13:12.03\00:13:14.63
right after everything it
began to kind of knit and dry
00:13:14.66\00:13:18.03
but before they you know,
00:13:18.06\00:13:19.09
they started stretching this way
00:13:19.12\00:13:20.18
and that way
taking the x rays, right.
00:13:20.21\00:13:23.26
They determined a
miracle, nothing was broke,
00:13:23.29\00:13:25.38
I was just all
cut up and they put me
00:13:25.41\00:13:27.79
under for seven
hours of plastic surgery
00:13:27.82\00:13:30.48
as they dug
glass out of my face.
00:13:30.51\00:13:33.95
Plastic surgery, you think
they could do better than this,
00:13:33.98\00:13:36.27
but it's what I
have to work with.
00:13:36.30\00:13:39.04
I think the
mistake that my mom made
00:13:39.07\00:13:40.90
was she gave
them a picture of what
00:13:40.93\00:13:43.34
I looked like
before the accident
00:13:43.37\00:13:45.12
instead of a picture
of what someone better
00:13:45.15\00:13:46.89
looking looked like
before the accident.
00:13:46.92\00:13:50.93
But just before I went under
for seven hours of surgery,
00:13:50.96\00:13:54.73
my dad came in, you see,
00:13:54.76\00:13:56.08
when he'd heard
I had an accident,
00:13:56.11\00:13:58.64
he ran out to get in
his car to come check on me.
00:13:58.67\00:14:03.99
It was his car I had borrowed.
00:14:04.02\00:14:06.98
That was the first day
he'd ever loan me his car
00:14:07.01\00:14:09.19
when he went to work so
he wasn't used to his car
00:14:09.22\00:14:11.21
not being in the parking
lot when he went out there.
00:14:11.24\00:14:13.17
He had to borrow
a car and come over
00:14:13.20\00:14:15.13
and my dad, he just
didn't get it right.
00:14:15.16\00:14:17.36
He just messed up a little bit.
00:14:17.39\00:14:18.83
You see there is this script
00:14:18.86\00:14:22.50
that you don't
even have to look at
00:14:22.53\00:14:23.86
to know how to follow.
00:14:23.89\00:14:25.93
That's right, the
teenager says mom, dad,
00:14:25.96\00:14:28.67
I'm sorry about the car, right.
00:14:28.70\00:14:31.63
And then the parents, I mean,
if the kid's gonna be okay,
00:14:31.66\00:14:35.76
says, that's all right,
don't worry about the car,
00:14:35.79\00:14:39.10
the important thing is
you're gonna be all right.
00:14:39.13\00:14:42.26
Mom got it right, daddy,
you know, he just missed it.
00:14:42.29\00:14:46.68
As I was getting ready to be
00:14:46.71\00:14:47.91
put under for seven
hours of plastic surgery,
00:14:47.94\00:14:50.17
he started out right,
00:14:50.20\00:14:51.23
he said don't
worry about the car now.
00:14:51.26\00:14:58.02
But we will
deal with this later.
00:14:58.05\00:15:03.65
Well, see I went off course
00:15:03.68\00:15:05.05
and it caused a severe accident.
00:15:05.08\00:15:07.27
Now I could tell
you just really quick
00:15:07.30\00:15:09.88
that accident is what
began a series of events
00:15:09.91\00:15:13.67
that caused my
family to begin to study
00:15:13.70\00:15:17.39
and we studied ourselves
from the Baptist church
00:15:17.42\00:15:20.82
to the
Seventh-day Adventist Church
00:15:20.85\00:15:22.77
as Adventist Christians now.
00:15:22.80\00:15:25.92
In fact, my dad had
to ride with someone else
00:15:25.95\00:15:28.15
to work for a
few days and he heard
00:15:28.18\00:15:30.05
a 30 second Amazing
Facts ad for a seminar
00:15:30.08\00:15:34.98
by a speaker by the
name of Brian McMahon
00:15:35.01\00:15:37.82
down on the coast
00:15:37.85\00:15:39.77
and they didn't mail flyers out
00:15:39.80\00:15:41.74
where we were so he was
riding with someone else
00:15:41.77\00:15:43.98
when he heard about it,
00:15:44.01\00:15:45.09
I had a few days
off from Piggly Wiggly
00:15:45.12\00:15:46.98
where I worked,
they still have those.
00:15:47.01\00:15:50.19
They didn't want
me with 147 stitches
00:15:50.22\00:15:52.72
from here to
here around open food
00:15:52.75\00:15:54.47
so they told me to
take a few days off
00:15:54.50\00:15:56.65
and I got to go and hear
the Amazing Facts speaker.
00:15:56.68\00:16:00.51
And I thought it was pretty good
00:16:00.54\00:16:02.24
but I didn't get to
keep going, my dad did.
00:16:02.27\00:16:04.43
And I basically learned
these are really nice people
00:16:04.46\00:16:07.23
and it seems like they
really understand the Bible
00:16:07.26\00:16:09.28
but it seems like they go
to church on the wrong day
00:16:09.31\00:16:11.49
and don't eat
anything that taste good.
00:16:11.52\00:16:13.36
So that was my impression
00:16:13.39\00:16:16.06
and so it took me a few
years of continued study.
00:16:16.09\00:16:20.43
But what happened with me
00:16:20.46\00:16:21.53
as I had gotten
off track, right.
00:16:21.56\00:16:23.51
I ran off the road and
it caused severe problems.
00:16:23.54\00:16:27.46
I had gotten off course.
00:16:27.49\00:16:30.59
Well, Israel many,
many, many years ago
00:16:30.62\00:16:34.17
had gotten off course
00:16:34.20\00:16:36.13
and God sent a mighty prophet
00:16:36.16\00:16:39.74
to try to brain
whelm back on course.
00:16:39.77\00:16:44.00
That prophet's name was Elijah.
00:16:44.03\00:16:47.33
Our message today
"Elijah Has Returned."
00:16:47.36\00:16:52.19
About 2,800 years ago
00:16:52.22\00:16:54.59
in the northern
part of Palestine,
00:16:54.62\00:16:56.94
there lived a mighty prophet
of God by the name of Elijah.
00:16:56.97\00:17:02.41
Elijah was courageous and bold.
00:17:02.44\00:17:04.89
He faced head on the
current of popular thought.
00:17:04.92\00:17:08.66
His soul was weighed down
with a burden for God's people,
00:17:08.69\00:17:14.57
they had forsaken the
Commandments of the Lord,
00:17:14.60\00:17:17.41
they had followed Baal.
00:17:17.44\00:17:20.88
And he called them back
to the true worship of God.
00:17:20.91\00:17:24.94
At this time Ahab
was the king of Israel.
00:17:24.97\00:17:27.65
He had married the wicked
princess of Phoenicia, Jezebel.
00:17:27.68\00:17:34.29
Now Jezebel had killed all of
God's prophets that she could.
00:17:34.32\00:17:37.50
She made it illegal to
worship the true God properly
00:17:37.53\00:17:40.12
upon the penalty of death.
00:17:40.15\00:17:43.19
The people were
serving God a little bit
00:17:43.22\00:17:46.02
while mixing in
much of the pagan world
00:17:46.05\00:17:48.72
around them just like we see
00:17:48.75\00:17:50.97
much of the
Christian world doing today.
00:17:51.00\00:17:55.30
Well, as you move ahead
00:17:55.33\00:17:56.93
and study the
prophecy of Elijah,
00:17:56.96\00:17:59.51
he was not popular in his day,
to those who were against God
00:17:59.54\00:18:04.58
and he was not even
popular to many of those
00:18:04.61\00:18:06.65
who professed to
be following God.
00:18:06.68\00:18:10.22
There was a death
penalty upon his head
00:18:10.25\00:18:12.30
for three and a half years,
00:18:12.33\00:18:14.70
three years and six
months for 42 months,
00:18:14.73\00:18:20.70
for some of you
that just gave you a clue
00:18:20.73\00:18:22.66
as to where we're going
00:18:22.69\00:18:26.50
and then when his
work was finished,
00:18:26.53\00:18:28.83
he was translated
directly to heaven
00:18:28.86\00:18:31.18
without ever seeing death.
00:18:31.21\00:18:33.88
And once Elijah was
translated to heaven,
00:18:33.91\00:18:36.75
the Bible is completely silent
00:18:36.78\00:18:38.94
about Elijah until you come down
00:18:38.97\00:18:42.48
to the last two
verses of the Old Testament.
00:18:42.51\00:18:47.81
And like a show that you
may have been watching years ago
00:18:47.84\00:18:51.46
and right when he
came to a climactic point
00:18:51.49\00:18:53.92
and you're thinking,
oh, oh, my, what happens.
00:18:53.95\00:18:59.21
Then it says to be
continued. That's what God did.
00:18:59.24\00:19:04.13
The last two verses
of the Old Testament
00:19:04.16\00:19:06.41
he says, by the way
Elijah is coming back, the end.
00:19:06.44\00:19:10.09
For 400 years-- what if
you've had to wait for 400 years
00:19:10.12\00:19:12.62
to see the next episode?
00:19:12.65\00:19:14.72
Oh, my.
00:19:14.75\00:19:16.36
But look here and let's read it.
00:19:16.39\00:19:18.46
Malachi 4:5, "For behold,
00:19:18.49\00:19:21.54
I will send you
Elijah the prophet
00:19:21.57\00:19:22.91
before the coming of the great
00:19:22.94\00:19:24.15
and dreadful day of the Lord,
00:19:24.18\00:19:25.82
and he shall turn the heart
of the fathers to the children,
00:19:25.85\00:19:28.23
and the heart of the
children to their fathers,
00:19:28.26\00:19:29.92
lest I come and smite
the earth with a curse."
00:19:29.95\00:19:34.08
Before the
second coming of Jesus
00:19:34.11\00:19:36.75
empowering great glory,
Elijah is going to return.
00:19:36.78\00:19:42.06
But what did God mean by
saying Elijah would return?
00:19:42.09\00:19:44.64
How would it be fulfilled?
00:19:44.67\00:19:46.75
Well, regardless of
how, the fact remains
00:19:46.78\00:19:49.73
if God said
Elijah is gonna return,
00:19:49.76\00:19:52.19
then Elijah is gonna return.
00:19:52.22\00:19:53.55
Can somebody say amen?
00:19:53.58\00:19:55.43
Amen. Yes.
00:19:55.46\00:19:56.51
But, my
friends, as we look here,
00:19:56.54\00:19:57.89
I can think of four options,
maybe you can think of a fifth,
00:19:57.92\00:20:00.25
perhaps God might
send Elijah personally.
00:20:00.28\00:20:04.04
Number two, perhaps
God might send someone
00:20:04.07\00:20:06.00
who looks like Elijah.
00:20:06.03\00:20:07.79
Number three, a
highly doubt these
00:20:07.82\00:20:10.07
but these last couple but maybe
00:20:10.10\00:20:12.28
Elijah be
reincarnated into someone else
00:20:12.31\00:20:15.87
some have suggested.
00:20:15.90\00:20:17.68
Fourthly,
perhaps Elijah's message
00:20:17.71\00:20:20.38
might need to be repeated
00:20:20.41\00:20:21.72
and the
repeating of that message
00:20:21.75\00:20:23.52
would serve the
function of Elijah's return.
00:20:23.55\00:20:26.54
Regardless of which option
00:20:26.57\00:20:27.61
we discovered to
be the truth though,
00:20:27.64\00:20:29.31
the fact remains the
prophecy will be fulfilled.
00:20:29.34\00:20:33.00
Now Elijah's mentioned
28 times in the four gospels
00:20:33.03\00:20:37.43
and he's mentioned 30 times
00:20:37.46\00:20:39.76
in the entirety
of the New Testament
00:20:39.79\00:20:42.01
and there's one studies those
verses from the Word of God,
00:20:42.04\00:20:46.83
you come face to
face with a startling fact
00:20:46.86\00:20:51.21
and that is that the
prophecy of the return of Elijah
00:20:51.24\00:20:55.00
has a dual fulfillment.
00:20:55.03\00:20:56.72
That is it has a
double fulfillment.
00:20:56.75\00:20:59.66
It has how many fulfillments?
Two fulfillments, that's right.
00:20:59.69\00:21:04.08
As we look here, go with
me to Matthew Chapter 17,
00:21:04.11\00:21:07.84
Matthew Chapter 17
as we dig into this
00:21:07.87\00:21:10.10
amazing prophecy
from the Word of God,
00:21:10.13\00:21:12.76
we look here in Matthew 17:10.
00:21:12.79\00:21:15.82
"And his disciples asked Him"
00:21:15.85\00:21:17.44
The disciples of
Jesus asked Jesus,
00:21:17.47\00:21:19.73
"saying, why then say
the scribes that Elias,
00:21:19.76\00:21:22.68
Elijah, must first come?
00:21:22.71\00:21:24.71
And Jesus answered
and said unto them, Elias,
00:21:24.74\00:21:27.90
Elijah, truly shall first
come, and restore all things.
00:21:27.93\00:21:30.37
But I say unto you,
that Elijah is come already,
00:21:30.40\00:21:32.46
and they knew him
not, but have done unto him
00:21:32.49\00:21:34.25
whatsoever they listed.
00:21:34.28\00:21:37.10
Likewise shall
also the Son of man,
00:21:37.13\00:21:38.92
Jesus, suffer of them.
00:21:38.95\00:21:40.76
Then the disciples understood
00:21:40.79\00:21:42.57
that he spake unto them of" who?
00:21:42.60\00:21:46.46
"John the Baptist."
00:21:46.49\00:21:47.52
So you go and ask
Jesus, who is Elijah?
00:21:47.55\00:21:50.91
And He refers to
who? John the Baptist.
00:21:50.94\00:21:55.11
Well, let's ask John about it
00:21:55.14\00:21:56.94
as it's recorded right
here in the gospel of John,
00:21:56.97\00:22:00.73
not written by John the Baptist
00:22:00.76\00:22:02.30
but written by the apostle John,
00:22:02.33\00:22:04.92
John the Beloved,
John the Revelator.
00:22:04.95\00:22:07.20
That's right, John 1:19
00:22:07.23\00:22:10.47
and we find the
question being asked here
00:22:10.50\00:22:12.59
of John the Baptist
right here in the Word of God,
00:22:12.62\00:22:15.16
in the Bible today
we see it crystal clear.
00:22:15.19\00:22:18.22
We look here in 1
John, not in 1 John,
00:22:18.25\00:22:21.71
the gospel of
John 1:19 and it says,
00:22:21.74\00:22:26.47
"And this is the record of John,
00:22:26.50\00:22:28.09
when the Jews sent
priests and Levites
00:22:28.12\00:22:29.67
from Jerusalem to
ask him, who art thou?
00:22:29.70\00:22:32.27
And he
confessed, and denied not,
00:22:32.30\00:22:33.75
but confessed, I
am not the Christ.
00:22:33.78\00:22:37.65
And they asked him, what then?
00:22:37.68\00:22:39.21
Art thou" who? "Elias?"
00:22:39.24\00:22:42.59
Or you Elijah? What did he say?
00:22:42.62\00:22:47.06
"No.
00:22:47.09\00:22:50.40
Then they said
unto him, who art thou?
00:22:50.43\00:22:51.91
That we may give an
answer to them that sent us."
00:22:51.94\00:22:54.36
Let's reread it.
00:22:54.39\00:22:55.42
"They asked him, what then?
00:22:55.45\00:22:56.48
Art thou Elias?
He saith, I am not.
00:22:56.51\00:22:58.80
Art thou that
prophet? He answered, no.
00:22:58.83\00:23:01.11
Then they said
unto him, who art thou?
00:23:01.14\00:23:03.80
That we may give an
answer to them that sent us.
00:23:03.83\00:23:05.67
What sayest thou of thyself?
00:23:05.70\00:23:07.73
He said, I am the voice of
one crying in the wilderness,
00:23:07.76\00:23:10.17
make straight
the way of the Lord,
00:23:10.20\00:23:11.52
as said the prophet Esaias."
00:23:11.55\00:23:13.89
Or Isaiah.
00:23:13.92\00:23:15.45
And so Jesus, you
ask Him who's Elijah
00:23:15.48\00:23:19.38
and he refers to
John the Baptist.
00:23:19.41\00:23:21.24
You go to John the Baptist,
00:23:21.27\00:23:22.71
you straight up ask
him, are you Elijah?
00:23:22.74\00:23:25.90
And he says, I am not.
00:23:25.93\00:23:29.56
We've stumbled upon
one of those seemingly
00:23:29.59\00:23:31.45
apparent
contradictions in scripture
00:23:31.48\00:23:33.09
but there's no
contradiction there whatsoever.
00:23:33.12\00:23:35.30
As serious Bible students
00:23:35.33\00:23:36.55
we know what to do
right away, do we not?
00:23:36.58\00:23:38.56
And that is to look at
more verses on the topic
00:23:38.59\00:23:40.88
and let the Word
of God make it clear.
00:23:40.91\00:23:43.17
In this case we
only need one more verse.
00:23:43.20\00:23:45.71
Go with me to Luke Chapter 1.
00:23:45.74\00:23:47.40
Luke Chapter 1 as we look here
together today Luke Chapter 1.
00:23:47.43\00:23:52.66
And in Luke Chapter 1,
we're gonna start in verse 13,
00:23:52.69\00:23:55.65
Luke 1:13 today here it is.
00:23:55.68\00:23:58.75
Luke 1:13, "But the angel said
unto him, fear not, Zacharias,"
00:23:58.78\00:24:03.73
this is the father
of John the Baptist.
00:24:03.76\00:24:06.47
"For thy prayer is heard,
00:24:06.50\00:24:08.05
and thy wife
Elisabeth shall bear thee a son,
00:24:08.08\00:24:11.44
and thou shalt
call his name" what?
00:24:11.47\00:24:15.40
"John.
00:24:15.43\00:24:16.46
And thou shalt
have joy and gladness,
00:24:16.49\00:24:19.55
and many shall
rejoice at his birth.
00:24:19.58\00:24:23.49
For he shall be great
in the sight of the Lord,
00:24:23.52\00:24:25.21
and shall drink
neither wine nor strong drink,
00:24:25.24\00:24:27.10
and he shall be
filled with the Holy Ghost,
00:24:27.13\00:24:29.18
even from his mother's womb.
00:24:29.21\00:24:31.91
And many of the
children of Israel
00:24:31.94\00:24:34.12
shall he turn to
the Lord their God."
00:24:34.15\00:24:38.11
Remember he said he will turn
00:24:38.14\00:24:39.55
the hearts of the
fathers to the children
00:24:39.58\00:24:41.12
and the children
to their fathers.
00:24:41.15\00:24:42.44
He is going to turn
the hearts of Israel
00:24:42.47\00:24:44.94
to the Lord their God.
00:24:44.97\00:24:46.43
"And he" this is
John the Baptist,
00:24:46.46\00:24:49.30
"shall go before
Him," Messiah Jesus Christ,
00:24:49.33\00:24:53.00
"in the spirit
and power of" who?
00:24:53.03\00:24:57.38
"Elias or Elijah
to turn the hearts
00:24:57.41\00:24:59.81
of the fathers to the children,
00:24:59.84\00:25:01.00
and the disobedient to
the wisdom of the just,
00:25:01.03\00:25:03.53
to make ready a people
prepared for the Lord."
00:25:03.56\00:25:09.64
And so it's clear.
00:25:09.67\00:25:11.24
John the Baptist was
not the same man as Elijah.
00:25:11.27\00:25:15.04
He did not, it
doesn't say look like Elijah.
00:25:15.07\00:25:19.04
He was Elijah reincarnated,
he came with the same message.
00:25:19.07\00:25:26.37
He would come in the
spirit and power of Elijah
00:25:26.40\00:25:30.85
and so we have our answer.
00:25:30.88\00:25:33.30
My friends, you are looking
for the message of Elijah.
00:25:33.33\00:25:37.05
Now as we talk
about this, remember John
00:25:37.08\00:25:39.36
when he was asked who he was,
00:25:39.39\00:25:40.55
he said I'm a voice.
00:25:40.58\00:25:42.53
What is the function of a voice?
00:25:42.56\00:25:45.08
To communicate, yes or no?
00:25:45.11\00:25:47.83
He said my
identity is not important,
00:25:47.86\00:25:50.01
it's my message
that is important.
00:25:50.04\00:25:53.39
As Christians, my friends,
00:25:53.42\00:25:54.64
we each in our own
heart must come to the point
00:25:54.67\00:25:57.88
that self is not
important but it's the message
00:25:57.91\00:26:00.90
that points to
Jesus that's important.
00:26:00.93\00:26:03.51
Amen.
00:26:03.54\00:26:04.57
John the Baptist had that down,
00:26:04.60\00:26:06.16
praise God, and
he said I'm a voice.
00:26:06.19\00:26:10.21
Well, as we move into this,
00:26:10.24\00:26:11.53
we're gonna talk about
the prophecy of Elijah.
00:26:11.56\00:26:13.99
We're gonna look back at Elijah,
00:26:14.02\00:26:16.02
the original prophet.
00:26:16.05\00:26:17.67
To keep it simple today
00:26:17.70\00:26:18.74
we're gonna call
him Elijah number one,
00:26:18.77\00:26:22.68
then we're gonna
have John the Baptist,
00:26:22.71\00:26:25.34
we're gonna call
him Elijah number two,
00:26:25.37\00:26:28.29
all right,
there's logic here, good.
00:26:28.32\00:26:30.74
And ultimately we're looking
00:26:30.77\00:26:33.02
for the
fulfillment of this prophecy
00:26:33.05\00:26:35.22
and in this
prophecy it's amazing to note
00:26:35.25\00:26:38.76
that it says the ultimate
fulfillment of Elijah's message
00:26:38.79\00:26:41.88
is just before the great
and dreadful day of the Lord.
00:26:41.91\00:26:44.57
Not the first coming of Christ,
00:26:44.60\00:26:46.26
but just before the
second coming of Jesus, right.
00:26:46.29\00:26:52.09
And so we are
looking for Elijah number...
00:26:52.12\00:26:56.69
Three. Three, that's right.
00:26:56.72\00:26:59.38
Elijah, my friends, has returned
00:26:59.41\00:27:02.28
but I ask you,
have you seen him yet?
00:27:02.31\00:27:06.44
You say, oh, I don't know
if I've seen him yet or not.
00:27:06.47\00:27:09.89
My friends, what if I
said that you may have seen him
00:27:09.92\00:27:12.88
when you've
looked in the mirror.
00:27:12.91\00:27:17.05
Are you to give
the message of Elijah
00:27:17.08\00:27:20.31
in this world today, yes or no?
00:27:20.34\00:27:22.60
Yes. Yes, you are.
00:27:22.63\00:27:24.04
Remember you are not looking
00:27:24.07\00:27:25.22
for the return
of the same person,
00:27:25.25\00:27:28.28
you are looking for the return
of the spirit and the power.
00:27:28.31\00:27:31.51
You are looking for the
return of the message of Elijah.
00:27:31.54\00:27:36.47
And I'm here to
tell you, my friends,
00:27:36.50\00:27:38.05
that to this
lost and dying world,
00:27:38.08\00:27:40.29
God has sent the
message of Elijah.
00:27:40.32\00:27:43.95
Let's dig into this
and begin to unpack it.
00:27:43.98\00:27:46.48
First off, I
want to share with you
00:27:46.51\00:27:48.53
that Elijah himself is
used very uniquely in Scripture.
00:27:48.56\00:27:55.01
Some of you may have
studied and read how the Hosea,
00:27:55.04\00:27:58.48
the relationship
between Hosea and his wife
00:27:58.51\00:28:00.80
as God told him
to go marry a harlot
00:28:00.83\00:28:02.63
was to
represent the relationship
00:28:02.66\00:28:04.65
between God and Israel
00:28:04.68\00:28:05.99
who was
unfaithful to him, right.
00:28:06.02\00:28:09.55
Well, Hosea lived
out a literal prophecy
00:28:09.58\00:28:13.05
that represented something
00:28:13.08\00:28:14.24
that would take
place with God's people.
00:28:14.27\00:28:16.74
Did you know
although it's not as overt,
00:28:16.77\00:28:19.43
that it necessarily
just jump out at you
00:28:19.46\00:28:21.53
the first time
you read about Elijah,
00:28:21.56\00:28:23.72
that Elijah in some
respects did the same thing
00:28:23.75\00:28:27.67
and that his life
would actually represent
00:28:27.70\00:28:31.31
and play out what
would happen to God's people.
00:28:31.34\00:28:34.50
Oh, it's true. There
are some symbols here.
00:28:34.53\00:28:37.56
Don't miss this fact.
00:28:37.59\00:28:39.11
Elijah was in the
wilderness hiding from Jezebel
00:28:39.14\00:28:42.69
for three years and
six months, 42 months.
00:28:42.72\00:28:46.07
We're gonna look
at that in Revelation
00:28:46.10\00:28:47.54
in just a moment and
when Elijah's message
00:28:47.57\00:28:50.15
and mission were
complete on earth,
00:28:50.18\00:28:52.34
he went directly to heaven
00:28:52.37\00:28:53.86
without ever
seeing death, yes or no?
00:28:53.89\00:28:56.40
As will happen
with the Christians
00:28:56.43\00:28:58.80
who are still
alive when Jesus comes.
00:28:58.83\00:29:02.53
With this in mind let's
go to the Book of Revelation.
00:29:02.56\00:29:05.97
We're gonna look at
some of the symbols first
00:29:06.00\00:29:07.48
before we jump right into
the literal story of Elijah.
00:29:07.51\00:29:10.02
Now, look here Revelation 2:20.
00:29:10.05\00:29:13.02
Looking at the
clock I need to move ahead
00:29:13.05\00:29:14.68
a little more
quickly for you today
00:29:14.71\00:29:16.15
so Revelation Chapter 2:20-23.
00:29:16.18\00:29:21.05
It says, "Nevertheless I
have a few things against thee,
00:29:21.08\00:29:23.10
because thou
sufferest that woman Jezebel,
00:29:23.13\00:29:24.90
which calleth herself
a prophetess, to teach
00:29:24.93\00:29:27.25
and to seduce my
servants to commit fornication,
00:29:27.28\00:29:28.99
and to eat things
sacrificed unto idols.
00:29:29.02\00:29:30.71
And I gave her space to
repent of her fornication,
00:29:30.74\00:29:32.43
and she repented not.
00:29:32.46\00:29:33.51
Behold, I will
cast her into a bed,
00:29:33.54\00:29:35.25
and them that commit adultery
00:29:35.28\00:29:36.37
with her into great tribulation,
00:29:36.40\00:29:37.82
except they
repent of their deeds.
00:29:37.85\00:29:39.28
And I will kill her
children with death,
00:29:39.31\00:29:40.95
and all the churches shall know
00:29:40.98\00:29:42.01
that I am he which searcheth
the reins and the hearts,
00:29:42.04\00:29:43.97
and will give
unto every one of you
00:29:44.00\00:29:45.59
according to your works."
00:29:45.62\00:29:48.11
Notice Jezebel,
the original Jezebel
00:29:48.14\00:29:50.82
in the Bible had
died long before.
00:29:50.85\00:29:53.06
This is a prophetic symbol.
00:29:53.09\00:29:54.63
This is a woman
in Bible prophecy.
00:29:54.66\00:29:56.39
What is a woman
in Bible prophecy?
00:29:56.42\00:29:58.32
A church. A church.
00:29:58.35\00:29:59.39
This is a corrupt woman
00:29:59.42\00:30:00.66
so this would represent a church
00:30:00.69\00:30:02.03
with corrupt teachings.
00:30:02.06\00:30:03.41
This is over the time
of Thyatira, my friends,
00:30:03.44\00:30:06.36
which if you
study the seven churches
00:30:06.39\00:30:07.99
is the time of the Dark Ages,
00:30:08.02\00:30:10.49
a corrupt woman that would rule
00:30:10.52\00:30:12.03
over God's people
during the middle ages.
00:30:12.06\00:30:14.66
That's what you're
reading about here,
00:30:14.69\00:30:16.18
Jezebel, when we go
to the story of Elijah,
00:30:16.21\00:30:18.81
is a symbol of that same power
00:30:18.84\00:30:21.85
that's also represented
by a woman in Revelation 17,
00:30:21.88\00:30:25.38
Revelation's great Harlot,
who also has children there,
00:30:25.41\00:30:28.91
she's the mother of harlots
00:30:28.94\00:30:30.20
and commits
fornication there as well.
00:30:30.23\00:30:33.23
Now with this in mind,
00:30:33.26\00:30:35.25
I would like to have
you turn with me here
00:30:35.28\00:30:37.42
for just a moment and
look at another verse.
00:30:37.45\00:30:40.29
As we look here together
00:30:40.32\00:30:41.51
go with me to
Revelation Chapter 12.
00:30:41.54\00:30:43.41
Historically
Jezebel of Revelation
00:30:43.44\00:30:46.00
persecuted God's people.
00:30:46.03\00:30:49.02
And it's happened already,
00:30:49.05\00:30:50.38
it will happen again
according to Bible prophecy.
00:30:50.41\00:30:53.48
Now we look here in
Revelation Chapter 12,
00:30:53.51\00:30:56.81
Revelation 12:6.
00:30:56.84\00:30:58.99
It says "And the woman
fled into the wilderness,
00:30:59.02\00:31:00.95
into a place, where
she hath prepared of God,
00:31:00.98\00:31:04.21
that they should feed her there
00:31:04.24\00:31:05.27
a thousand two
hundred and threescore days."
00:31:05.30\00:31:06.87
1,260 days.
00:31:06.90\00:31:08.90
Repetition and enlargement,
00:31:08.93\00:31:10.16
it's repeated again in verse
14 with a fair terminology.
00:31:10.19\00:31:12.91
"And to the woman were given
two wings of a great eagle,
00:31:12.94\00:31:15.01
that she might fly into
the wilderness, into her place,
00:31:15.04\00:31:16.82
where she is
nourished for a time,"
00:31:16.85\00:31:18.20
That's a year of
times, that's plural,
00:31:18.23\00:31:19.65
that's two
years, "and half a time"
00:31:19.68\00:31:21.65
that's half a year,
"from the face of the serpent."
00:31:21.68\00:31:23.86
That is three and a
half years or 42 months
00:31:23.89\00:31:27.07
which on a biblical calendar
was 1,260, how many days?
00:31:27.10\00:31:31.21
How many days?
00:31:31.24\00:31:32.27
Yes, and then of
course we saw in prophecy,
00:31:32.30\00:31:34.69
I have seen that Numbers 14:34,
00:31:34.72\00:31:36.91
Ezekiel 4:6 a day
in prophecy is a year
00:31:36.94\00:31:39.86
but we're just talking about
days right now, 1,260 days.
00:31:39.89\00:31:42.17
You say what
does this have to do?
00:31:42.20\00:31:43.23
I thought you
were telling me Elijah,
00:31:43.26\00:31:44.29
Elijah has returned,
why are we sitting here,
00:31:44.32\00:31:46.28
why are we looking at this?
00:31:46.31\00:31:47.42
Go with me to the
Book of James Chapter 5
00:31:47.45\00:31:49.68
and then we're going into
the story of Elijah, I promise.
00:31:49.71\00:31:52.81
Go me with to James Chapter
5, if you're looking for that,
00:31:52.84\00:31:55.29
you'll get there
by going Revelation,
00:31:55.32\00:31:56.56
Jude, 3, 2, 1 John, 2 Peter,
00:31:56.59\00:31:58.92
and then James, right
after the Book of Hebrews
00:31:58.95\00:32:01.64
coming from the
other direction, okay.
00:32:01.67\00:32:03.36
We want to give
you time to find it,
00:32:03.39\00:32:04.44
we'll see it here together
00:32:04.47\00:32:05.58
and we read it
here in the Word of God.
00:32:05.61\00:32:07.42
And we see it in the Bible
today it says in James 5:17,
00:32:07.45\00:32:13.28
it says,
Elijah, "Elias," Elijah,
00:32:13.31\00:32:17.56
"was a man subject to
like passions as we are,
00:32:17.59\00:32:20.92
and he prayed earnestly
that it might not rain,
00:32:20.95\00:32:23.57
and it rained not on the earth
by the space of three years
00:32:23.60\00:32:28.11
and" how long?
00:32:28.14\00:32:31.10
"Three and a half years."
00:32:31.13\00:32:32.61
That's 42
months, yes or no? Yes.
00:32:32.64\00:32:35.56
Now Jezebel is used as a symbol
00:32:35.59\00:32:38.53
of the persecuting
church in Revelation
00:32:38.56\00:32:42.40
and Elijah was
literally in the wilderness
00:32:42.43\00:32:45.43
for the same amount of time
00:32:45.46\00:32:47.02
the church will go
into the wilderness
00:32:47.05\00:32:49.33
in the Book of Revelation.
00:32:49.36\00:32:50.75
Time, time and dividing of time.
00:32:50.78\00:32:52.57
Time, time and half a
time, 1,260 days, 42 months.
00:32:52.60\00:32:57.72
Now as we delve
into the story of Elijah,
00:32:57.75\00:33:01.14
you've seen what the
two major players here
00:33:01.17\00:33:03.89
literally represent to us.
00:33:03.92\00:33:05.59
Elijah represents
God's faithful people
00:33:05.62\00:33:07.80
throughout the New Testament
00:33:07.83\00:33:09.92
and Jezebel
represents the persecuting
00:33:09.95\00:33:12.89
corrupt church of Revelation.
00:33:12.92\00:33:16.21
Now let's go to
1 Kings Chapter 18
00:33:16.24\00:33:18.60
and have some fun
getting into the Word of God.
00:33:18.63\00:33:20.89
Let's go here together.
00:33:20.92\00:33:22.48
1 Kings Chapter 18, we
look at it in the Word,
00:33:22.51\00:33:25.82
we're gonna start in verse 17.
00:33:25.85\00:33:27.72
1 Kings 18:17,
"And it came to pass,
00:33:27.75\00:33:32.56
when Ahab saw Elijah,
that Ahab said unto him,
00:33:32.59\00:33:36.63
Art thou he that
troubleth Israel?"
00:33:36.66\00:33:39.27
Now why would he be asking
him if he's troubled Israel?
00:33:39.30\00:33:41.67
You see here's what happened.
00:33:41.70\00:33:43.02
God told Elijah
to go tell King Ahab
00:33:43.05\00:33:45.46
that it's not gonna rain
for three and a half years.
00:33:45.49\00:33:47.42
He didn't say
stay, he just said go.
00:33:47.45\00:33:51.16
And so what did he do?
00:33:51.19\00:33:52.22
He went marching into
the throne room of King Ahab.
00:33:52.25\00:33:55.16
King, it's not gonna rain
for three and a half years.
00:33:55.19\00:33:58.38
Then you know
what he did? He left.
00:33:58.41\00:34:01.54
You see you should always listen
00:34:01.57\00:34:02.62
to exactly what God says.
00:34:02.65\00:34:03.75
God didn't say go
and stay, He said go.
00:34:03.78\00:34:08.87
So what did Elijah do?
00:34:08.90\00:34:10.39
He left, he
probably figured a good run
00:34:10.42\00:34:12.41
is better than a bad stand,
at least that's what I figure.
00:34:12.44\00:34:15.25
Now if God says stand, we stand
00:34:15.28\00:34:16.74
but God didn't say stand, right.
00:34:16.77\00:34:17.93
And He said deliver the message,
00:34:17.96\00:34:19.10
he got out of there.
00:34:19.13\00:34:20.21
They looked for
him for three years
00:34:20.24\00:34:21.85
and six months
trying to kill him
00:34:21.88\00:34:23.97
and then when
that time period's up,
00:34:24.00\00:34:26.16
Elijah confronts King Ahab.
00:34:26.19\00:34:29.12
And Ahab says are you the
one who's troubling Israel.
00:34:29.15\00:34:32.43
Now Elijah was no panzi.
00:34:32.46\00:34:36.84
He said no, "I have
not troubled Israel."
00:34:36.87\00:34:41.03
Verse 18, "but thou, but
you, and thy father's house,
00:34:41.06\00:34:44.87
in that ye have forsaken
the commandments of the Lord,
00:34:44.90\00:34:48.41
and hast followed Baalim."
00:34:48.44\00:34:51.89
Notice the one who was keeping
00:34:51.92\00:34:53.20
God's commandments was
blamed for the trouble going on.
00:34:53.23\00:34:57.04
We'll develop
that one possibly later
00:34:57.07\00:35:00.21
but let's move ahead.
00:35:00.24\00:35:02.37
Now the union of
Ahab to Jezebel represents
00:35:02.40\00:35:06.87
the last day union or fusion
00:35:06.90\00:35:09.03
or amalgamation of not
only Christianity with paganism
00:35:09.06\00:35:13.21
but the union of
church and state.
00:35:13.24\00:35:18.19
Now we move ahead
and we see it clearly.
00:35:18.22\00:35:21.43
It says here in verse 19,
00:35:21.46\00:35:23.44
"Now therefore
send, and gather to me
00:35:23.47\00:35:25.02
all Israel unto Mount Carmel,
00:35:25.05\00:35:26.62
and the prophets of
Baal four hundred and fifty,
00:35:26.65\00:35:28.60
and the prophets of
the groves four hundred,
00:35:28.63\00:35:30.71
which eat at Jezebel's table.
00:35:30.74\00:35:32.50
So Ahab sent
unto all the people,
00:35:32.53\00:35:34.97
all the children of Israel,
00:35:35.00\00:35:36.04
and gathered the prophets
together unto Mount Carmel."
00:35:36.07\00:35:39.78
Now history tells
us that Mount Carmel
00:35:39.81\00:35:42.23
was a center for sun
worship for the Egyptians,
00:35:42.26\00:35:45.02
the Phoenicians, the Canaanites,
00:35:45.05\00:35:46.51
the Greeks and the Romans,
00:35:46.54\00:35:48.02
they all
considered it a sacred place
00:35:48.05\00:35:50.08
for the worship of
the sun as you in God.
00:35:50.11\00:35:55.37
But Elijah was not
afraid of their god,
00:35:55.40\00:35:57.73
he happened to know
a little known secret
00:35:57.76\00:36:00.45
and that is that one with
God constitutes a majority.
00:36:00.48\00:36:05.35
Amen. That's right.
00:36:05.38\00:36:08.43
And so he went up there,
00:36:08.46\00:36:10.23
one man against
850 false prophets,
00:36:10.26\00:36:13.24
that's right,
450 prophets of Baal
00:36:13.27\00:36:15.90
and 400 prophets of the grove.
00:36:15.93\00:36:20.03
Now we read on here,
00:36:20.06\00:36:21.71
they were worshiping
the prophets of the grove,
00:36:21.74\00:36:23.89
Canaanite goddess, okay?
00:36:23.92\00:36:25.87
And they were
still worshippers of Baal
00:36:25.90\00:36:28.21
but they did it a
little differently
00:36:28.24\00:36:29.70
and that they were
dedicated to the goddess,
00:36:29.73\00:36:31.89
okay, a futility.
00:36:31.92\00:36:32.95
Now verse 20,
00:36:32.98\00:36:34.01
"So Ahab sent unto all
the children of Israel,
00:36:34.04\00:36:36.02
and gathered the prophets
together unto Mount Carmel.
00:36:36.05\00:36:39.32
And Elijah came
to all the people,
00:36:39.35\00:36:41.36
and he said, how long
halt ye between two opinions?
00:36:41.39\00:36:45.20
If the Lord be God, follow
him, if Baal, then follow him.
00:36:45.23\00:36:48.40
And the people
answered him not a word."
00:36:48.43\00:36:52.48
Now let's think about
that for just a moment.
00:36:52.51\00:36:56.02
As we look here at
this, this is very intriguing.
00:36:56.05\00:36:59.55
They answered him not a word.
00:36:59.58\00:37:03.35
Sometimes God confronts people
with the message of truth,
00:37:03.38\00:37:06.70
calling them to
Jesus their Lord and Savior
00:37:06.73\00:37:09.36
to make decisions and
to put away false teachings
00:37:09.39\00:37:12.54
and false
practices, wrong practices
00:37:12.57\00:37:15.24
and when they
look at the decision,
00:37:15.27\00:37:19.93
they are halting
between two opinions
00:37:19.96\00:37:22.15
and they don't
have a thing to say,
00:37:22.18\00:37:23.53
they're just frozen.
00:37:23.56\00:37:26.84
That's what was happening here.
00:37:26.87\00:37:28.67
But notice God, the true God
00:37:28.70\00:37:31.26
is different from the false god,
00:37:31.29\00:37:33.67
the sun god Baal,
the prophets of Baal
00:37:33.70\00:37:37.63
and Jezebel had
been killing those
00:37:37.66\00:37:39.95
who were faithful
to God, yes or no?
00:37:39.98\00:37:42.23
Yes.
00:37:42.26\00:37:43.68
The prophets of Baal, they said,
00:37:43.71\00:37:44.89
you know, Baal is cruel,
00:37:44.92\00:37:46.92
he is mean, he is
rigid, he is harsh
00:37:46.95\00:37:49.64
and they were
just acting the way
00:37:49.67\00:37:52.15
they thought their god was.
00:37:52.18\00:37:56.26
But what just God
do, He is longsuffering.
00:37:56.29\00:37:58.53
All this time Elijah's
been hiding in the wilderness.
00:37:58.56\00:38:02.25
From Jezebel, God has
been laboring with His people,
00:38:02.28\00:38:06.96
He is longsuffering, He
is loving, He is merciful.
00:38:06.99\00:38:11.69
As a Christian you're probably
gonna act like most of the time
00:38:11.72\00:38:15.05
the way you relate to people
00:38:15.08\00:38:16.28
what you think your God is like.
00:38:16.31\00:38:18.48
If you think God is
rigid and mean and cruel,
00:38:18.51\00:38:22.19
then you're gonna
treat other people at home
00:38:22.22\00:38:23.78
and at church that way.
00:38:23.81\00:38:26.59
Therefore if
you don't understand
00:38:26.62\00:38:27.91
the loving character of God,
00:38:27.94\00:38:29.59
it's important that
you get that together
00:38:29.62\00:38:31.26
because you're misrepresenting
God if you don't see it.
00:38:31.29\00:38:34.53
But if you believe that
God is loving and merciful
00:38:34.56\00:38:37.00
and He is calling you to Him
00:38:37.03\00:38:38.92
because He loves you
with an undying love.
00:38:38.95\00:38:41.89
And He loves you so much
00:38:41.92\00:38:43.13
that He would
rather lay down His life
00:38:43.16\00:38:45.80
even if it would mean
losing eternity Himself
00:38:45.83\00:38:50.29
than enjoy heaven without you.
00:38:50.32\00:38:53.79
That's my God,
that's the one that I serve.
00:38:53.82\00:38:56.30
I look forward to
spending all eternity with Him
00:38:56.33\00:38:58.74
and that's what heaven's about,
it's about being with Jesus.
00:38:58.77\00:39:01.53
That's the longsuffering,
loving awesome God we serve
00:39:01.56\00:39:05.56
and I am drawn to serve Him
00:39:05.59\00:39:07.48
because I love Him,
not because I have to.
00:39:07.51\00:39:11.76
Now as we dig into
this, we see here verse 22,
00:39:11.79\00:39:14.84
"Then said
Elijah unto the people,
00:39:14.87\00:39:16.65
I, even I only,
remain a prophet of the Lord,
00:39:16.68\00:39:18.45
but Baal's prophets are
four hundred and fifty men."
00:39:18.48\00:39:20.82
Later we learned they're 7,000
00:39:20.85\00:39:22.37
that have not
bowed their knee to Baal
00:39:22.40\00:39:23.78
but you know what
the point of this is,
00:39:23.81\00:39:25.34
it's very simple,
00:39:25.37\00:39:26.40
in the last days
there is one truth.
00:39:26.43\00:39:31.31
What is that truth?
00:39:31.34\00:39:32.37
My friends, the
truth, it's very simple.
00:39:32.40\00:39:34.92
Jesus, I am the way, thou what?
00:39:34.95\00:39:37.67
Truth and the life.
00:39:37.70\00:39:38.87
Well, the word of
God, the Bible, John 17:17,
00:39:38.90\00:39:42.19
"Sanctify them
through thy truth,
00:39:42.22\00:39:43.58
thy word is the truth,"
00:39:43.61\00:39:46.54
And God's law-- Psalms 119:142,
00:39:46.57\00:39:50.08
"Thy righteousness is an
everlasting righteousness,
00:39:50.11\00:39:52.37
and all thy law is the" what?
00:39:52.40\00:39:55.23
"Truth."
00:39:55.26\00:39:56.31
My friends, when
you read one Bible,
00:39:56.34\00:39:59.20
one set of Ten Commandments
00:39:59.23\00:40:00.59
and you worship one
savior that leads you in unity
00:40:00.62\00:40:04.47
to the truth of the Word of God.
00:40:04.50\00:40:07.07
That's right my friends,
as we dig into this he said
00:40:07.10\00:40:11.02
I only remain a
prophet into the Lord.
00:40:11.05\00:40:13.31
There's just a hint there
of something for us to see.
00:40:13.34\00:40:16.07
Now verse 23 "Let them
therefore give us two bullocks,
00:40:16.10\00:40:19.92
and let them choose one
bullock for themselves."
00:40:19.95\00:40:22.01
So they each took a calf
and then they would call on God
00:40:22.04\00:40:27.30
and the God did
answer by fire let him be God
00:40:27.33\00:40:30.43
and the people they
said it's well spoken
00:40:30.46\00:40:32.83
if you read on
down in the narrative
00:40:32.86\00:40:34.59
or skipping down to save
a little bit of time here.
00:40:34.62\00:40:37.50
It says here in verse 26
00:40:37.53\00:40:40.89
"And they took the
bullock which was given them,"
00:40:40.92\00:40:42.68
the prophets of Baal
"and they dressed it,
00:40:42.71\00:40:44.40
and called on the name of Baal
from morning even until noon,
00:40:44.43\00:40:46.97
saying, O Baal, hear us."
00:40:47.00\00:40:54.87
I'm just trying
to read it right.
00:40:54.90\00:40:57.59
"But there was no
voice, nor any that answered.
00:40:57.62\00:41:00.89
And they leaped upon
the altar that was made."
00:41:00.92\00:41:05.36
Did you get this?
00:41:05.39\00:41:06.99
Now folks, I'm trying to get
you to go there in your mind,
00:41:07.02\00:41:09.94
use your imagination
just a little bit here today.
00:41:09.97\00:41:12.26
You're on top of the
mountain all Israel is gathered
00:41:12.29\00:41:14.65
and you've got
850 false prophets,
00:41:14.68\00:41:17.66
450 prophets of Baal,
400 prophets of the Grove
00:41:17.69\00:41:21.08
and they say what
"oh, Baal, hear us"
00:41:21.11\00:41:26.52
and they're leaping
and they're jumping around
00:41:26.55\00:41:29.54
you know "wow, wow."
00:41:29.57\00:41:32.05
You'd say you're
acting up. No, I'm not acting.
00:41:32.08\00:41:34.76
I'm trying to
get you to see that.
00:41:34.79\00:41:36.14
You're not seeing it yet 850
00:41:36.17\00:41:40.69
sweaty screaming men
before the days of daily baths
00:41:40.72\00:41:48.29
and deodorant
850 smelly, sweaty,
00:41:48.32\00:41:54.50
screaming
prophets, false prophets.
00:41:54.53\00:42:02.48
Well, verse 27 "And
it came to pass at noon,
00:42:02.51\00:42:05.34
that Elijah mocked
them, and said, Cry aloud,
00:42:05.37\00:42:07.10
for he is a God,
either he is talking,
00:42:07.13\00:42:08.38
or he is pursuing,
or he is in a journey,
00:42:08.41\00:42:10.09
or peradventure he
sleepeth, and must be awaked."
00:42:10.12\00:42:13.01
Your God's taking a nap
or your God's on vacation.
00:42:13.04\00:42:18.00
So God told Elijah
to go stay there all day
00:42:18.03\00:42:20.04
but he didn't say be
bored and he didn't have CNN,
00:42:20.07\00:42:22.50
or Fox News, or
nothing and so what does he do?
00:42:22.53\00:42:25.20
He kind of stirs
it up a little bit.
00:42:25.23\00:42:28.27
Verse 28 "And they cried
aloud, and cut themselves
00:42:28.30\00:42:31.09
after their manner
with knives and lancets,
00:42:31.12\00:42:33.07
till the blood
gushed out upon them."
00:42:33.10\00:42:35.54
They cried how? Aloud.
00:42:35.57\00:42:38.66
Now you've got 850 bloody,
00:42:38.69\00:42:43.38
sweaty, screaming men.
00:42:43.41\00:42:48.09
Are you with me? Are you there?
00:42:48.12\00:42:51.47
Are you alive today? Yes.
00:42:51.50\00:42:53.69
Check this, this is amazing.
00:42:53.72\00:42:57.85
Notice they shed their
own blood to please their god.
00:42:57.88\00:43:02.59
Look at the
difference between the god
00:43:02.62\00:43:05.69
these false prophets
worshiped and the true God.
00:43:05.72\00:43:11.66
My friends, I was asked by a man
00:43:11.69\00:43:13.35
at the gym the other day
00:43:13.38\00:43:14.41
what's different
about your church?
00:43:14.44\00:43:15.82
And I usually would
just say well, Seventh-day
00:43:15.85\00:43:18.74
and the Sabbath and
Adventist, Jesus is coming soon.
00:43:18.77\00:43:21.92
I decided to have
a little bit of fun.
00:43:21.95\00:43:23.58
I said well, what's
different about my church
00:43:23.61\00:43:25.49
is what we
believe about who God is
00:43:25.52\00:43:28.41
and then I stopped
00:43:28.44\00:43:31.36
and he sat there
five minutes in the sauna
00:43:31.39\00:43:35.77
and he was shifting
his weight he was bated
00:43:35.80\00:43:38.48
and he was trying not to ask.
00:43:38.51\00:43:39.96
He finally said
"okay, I have to ask.
00:43:39.99\00:43:42.41
What do you mean that what
is different about your church
00:43:42.44\00:43:44.98
is what you
believe about who God is?"
00:43:45.01\00:43:48.50
And I said "we believe
God is a lot more awesome,
00:43:48.53\00:43:51.02
and a lot more
loving and a lot more kind
00:43:51.05\00:43:53.25
than a lot of
other churches believe."
00:43:53.28\00:43:54.88
Amen. That's what we believe.
00:43:54.91\00:43:56.70
And then I
began with Seventh-day
00:43:56.73\00:43:58.99
and the Sabbath
and what creation
00:43:59.02\00:44:00.67
as supposed to
theistic evolution says about
00:44:00.70\00:44:02.99
who God is all
the way to Adventist
00:44:03.02\00:44:05.22
and Him coming soon
just said it all straight
00:44:05.25\00:44:07.65
and said it all
right and throughout
00:44:07.68\00:44:10.27
the ceaseless ages of eternity.
00:44:10.30\00:44:11.80
He would never take
away your freedom of choice
00:44:11.83\00:44:13.74
or my freedom of choice
00:44:13.77\00:44:15.21
but He's doing it in such a way
00:44:15.24\00:44:16.42
that sin will
never rise up again.
00:44:16.45\00:44:18.74
Amen.
00:44:18.77\00:44:21.08
He said, I hadn't
been a religious fellow,
00:44:21.11\00:44:22.67
but my wife is and I
like the sound of that
00:44:22.70\00:44:25.06
I might come see you
one Saturday morning.
00:44:25.09\00:44:26.95
I know where you're at
and hadn't seen him yet
00:44:26.98\00:44:28.62
but we're hoping
to see him sometime.
00:44:28.65\00:44:30.47
Now check this out,
we move ahead verse 29
00:44:30.50\00:44:35.08
"It came to pass,
when midday was past,
00:44:35.11\00:44:36.58
and they prophesied
until the time of the offering
00:44:36.61\00:44:38.88
of the evening sacrifice,
00:44:38.91\00:44:40.23
that there was neither
voice, nor any to answer,
00:44:40.26\00:44:42.14
nor any that regarded."
00:44:42.17\00:44:43.53
And verse 30 Elijah repaired
00:44:43.56\00:44:45.37
the altar of the
Lord that's broken down.
00:44:45.40\00:44:47.20
What do you at an
altar? You worship.
00:44:47.23\00:44:49.12
Notice Elijah's message always
restores true worship, okay.
00:44:49.15\00:44:55.31
Now, then he put
the wood in order
00:44:55.34\00:44:58.33
and he prepared the sacrifice,
00:44:58.36\00:45:00.56
the sacrifice
points forward to Jesus.
00:45:00.59\00:45:04.03
That's right, you see
Jesus all in this prophecy
00:45:04.06\00:45:07.43
the loving
character of God is here
00:45:07.46\00:45:09.69
dripping from every page.
00:45:09.72\00:45:11.67
We see it he said now pour
four barrels of water over it.
00:45:11.70\00:45:16.06
Is that generally the
Boy Scout youth you use?
00:45:16.09\00:45:19.59
You know what Boy
Scout youth says, right.
00:45:19.62\00:45:21.97
You know some
fire started liquid
00:45:22.00\00:45:23.38
you know like
when you grill in--
00:45:23.41\00:45:25.01
Boy Scout youth,
maybe some diesel
00:45:25.04\00:45:26.48
don't use gasoline not to
blow up in face literally, okay.
00:45:26.51\00:45:31.39
Four barrels water, he said
00:45:31.42\00:45:32.54
do it the second time,
they did it the second time.
00:45:32.57\00:45:33.95
Do it the third did,
they did the third time.
00:45:33.98\00:45:35.44
Twelve barrels of
water, 12 stones for the altar,
00:45:35.47\00:45:38.98
12 barrels of water.
00:45:39.01\00:45:40.45
We are lively stones, yes or no?
00:45:40.48\00:45:42.76
Water represents cleansing.
00:45:42.79\00:45:44.79
They're some perhaps some
illusions here to the 144,000
00:45:44.82\00:45:48.04
if you see this as
not only a literally story
00:45:48.07\00:45:50.93
but having prophetic value.
00:45:50.96\00:45:53.10
I do not have
time to fully develop
00:45:53.13\00:45:55.16
that thought right
now but let's look here.
00:45:55.19\00:45:58.31
Then it says verse 37
"Hear me, O Lord, hear me,
00:45:58.34\00:46:01.69
that this people may know
that thou art the Lord God,
00:46:01.72\00:46:03.86
and that thou hast
turned their heart back again."
00:46:03.89\00:46:06.64
Remember when it
said Elijah was gonna come
00:46:06.67\00:46:08.35
and he's gonna turn the hearts
of the people back to God.
00:46:08.38\00:46:11.16
That's what Elijah's message
the key portion of it is.
00:46:11.19\00:46:16.22
"And when all the people saw it,
00:46:16.25\00:46:17.46
they fell on their
faces and they said,
00:46:17.49\00:46:18.78
The Lord, he is the God,
the Lord, he is the God."
00:46:18.81\00:46:22.06
And that's verse 39.
00:46:22.09\00:46:24.42
My friends, let's look
at the couple of parallels
00:46:24.45\00:46:25.94
very quickly here
00:46:25.97\00:46:27.10
and then we'll go into
some final important points.
00:46:27.13\00:46:29.88
You have Jezebel, which
is used as a prophetic symbol
00:46:29.91\00:46:33.12
a woman in Bible
prophecy as a church.
00:46:33.15\00:46:35.42
You see Jezebel's role
as a prosecuting power here,
00:46:35.45\00:46:38.26
okay.
00:46:38.29\00:46:39.32
And you see her ultimate end.
00:46:39.35\00:46:42.29
Oh, incidentally at
the hand of her own people
00:46:42.32\00:46:45.01
just as you find
after plague, after plague,
00:46:45.04\00:46:47.09
after plague is poured
out that the waters dry up
00:46:47.12\00:46:50.90
that ultimately
Jezebel in Revelation
00:46:50.93\00:46:52.86
meets an end at the
hands of her own people
00:46:52.89\00:46:55.31
who turn against her, okay.
00:46:55.34\00:46:58.21
Three years and six
months, you see that right,
00:46:58.24\00:47:00.55
Elijah in the
wilderness as the church
00:47:00.58\00:47:02.65
would be in the wilderness
for three years and six months.
00:47:02.68\00:47:06.39
Famine, there was a
famine for 1,260 days.
00:47:06.42\00:47:09.52
My friends, and
the days of Elijah
00:47:09.55\00:47:11.45
and while the church
was in the wilderness
00:47:11.48\00:47:13.54
there was a famine
of the Word of God.
00:47:13.57\00:47:16.55
Ahab's marriage to
Jezebel a symbol of the union
00:47:16.58\00:47:19.68
or fusion or
amalgamation of Christianity
00:47:19.71\00:47:22.36
and paganism as
well as church and state.
00:47:22.39\00:47:28.14
The showdown on Mount Carmel,
00:47:28.17\00:47:29.90
I believe it represents
the Protestant Reformation
00:47:29.93\00:47:32.41
and the finishing of
the Protestant Reformation
00:47:32.44\00:47:34.66
because I don't
believe it's done yet.
00:47:34.69\00:47:38.11
I believe we're still
Protestants by God's grace.
00:47:38.14\00:47:44.02
The prophets of
Baal shed their own blood
00:47:44.05\00:47:46.30
to please their
God's salvation by works.
00:47:46.33\00:47:49.79
The 12 stones
and the 12 barrels,
00:47:49.82\00:47:52.09
I believe you find a cleansing
00:47:52.12\00:47:53.54
and a
purification of God's people.
00:47:53.57\00:47:56.51
The fire that falls my friends,
00:47:56.54\00:47:58.70
we're waiting for the
fire of the Holy Spirit to fall
00:47:58.73\00:48:01.72
for the later rain to
go forth in power and glory
00:48:01.75\00:48:07.11
and I believe the
drops of rain are beginning
00:48:07.14\00:48:08.97
to fall
incidentally along with the fire
00:48:09.00\00:48:11.24
actually came a rain right
after the fire in this case.
00:48:11.27\00:48:15.75
Remember he went and
prayed seven times for rain.
00:48:15.78\00:48:21.41
Seven times, seven completion
00:48:21.44\00:48:22.99
when all of God's
people are seeking
00:48:23.02\00:48:24.87
and pleading for God's
spirit to be poured out,
00:48:24.90\00:48:27.06
it will be poured out.
00:48:27.09\00:48:28.91
That last time a servant said,
00:48:28.94\00:48:30.37
I see a cloud about half
the size of a man's hand.
00:48:30.40\00:48:35.19
Oh, wow, and he said
get up it's about to rain
00:48:35.22\00:48:39.04
and he runs and the
rain begins to fall.
00:48:39.07\00:48:44.00
My friends,
00:48:44.03\00:48:45.75
although it was a
challenge of faith for Elijah,
00:48:45.78\00:48:49.58
do not miss this point,
00:48:49.61\00:48:51.42
Elijah fled
Jezebel the second time.
00:48:51.45\00:48:56.15
The church has went into
the wilderness for 1,260 days
00:48:56.18\00:48:58.88
already has come forth
00:48:58.91\00:49:01.76
but once again
there will be a time
00:49:01.79\00:49:03.41
to flee to the
mountains and rocks
00:49:03.44\00:49:04.87
and a time of
tribulation, yes or no?
00:49:04.90\00:49:07.28
Elijah fled
Jezebel the second time,
00:49:07.31\00:49:10.71
its there don't miss it.
00:49:10.74\00:49:12.71
Then my friends,
Elijah when his work was done
00:49:12.74\00:49:16.37
was translated to heaven
without ever seeing death
00:49:16.40\00:49:21.05
and those of us alive to see
00:49:21.08\00:49:22.68
Jesus come that had
been faithful to Him
00:49:22.71\00:49:25.43
and given our
hearts and lives to Him
00:49:25.46\00:49:27.74
we like Elijah will
be translated to heaven
00:49:27.77\00:49:30.27
without ever seeing death.
00:49:30.30\00:49:31.81
Amen. Praise the God.
00:49:31.84\00:49:34.11
And looking for
Elijah number three,
00:49:34.14\00:49:35.64
you're looking
for the same message.
00:49:35.67\00:49:36.98
What was he saying?
00:49:37.01\00:49:38.05
Elijah said, you forsaking
the commandments of the Lord
00:49:38.08\00:49:40.63
and has followed Baalim.
00:49:40.66\00:49:43.85
Don't miss this point
00:49:43.88\00:49:45.13
and the days of
Elijah number one
00:49:45.16\00:49:47.15
and Elijah number
two all of God's people
00:49:47.18\00:49:49.34
lived in an area
roughly 30 miles wide
00:49:49.37\00:49:51.52
by 90 miles long
called the land of Israel
00:49:51.55\00:49:54.32
and one man
could take the message
00:49:54.35\00:49:56.08
to all of those people.
00:49:56.11\00:49:57.74
In fact, the old
circuit riding preachers
00:49:57.77\00:49:59.66
in the early time
of the United States
00:49:59.69\00:50:03.03
they would cover
two or three counties
00:50:03.06\00:50:05.07
or four counties
00:50:05.10\00:50:06.17
which is easily 30 miles wide
by 90 miles long, yes or no?
00:50:06.20\00:50:10.75
But we live in a prophetic
time where the gospel message
00:50:10.78\00:50:13.94
is gonna go to
every nation and kindred
00:50:13.97\00:50:16.86
and tongue and people.
00:50:16.89\00:50:18.56
It's going to take an army.
00:50:18.59\00:50:20.44
It's gonna take a movement
to preach Elijah's message
00:50:20.47\00:50:23.64
and thankfully
today that movement
00:50:23.67\00:50:25.32
is almost 20
million strong and growing
00:50:25.35\00:50:28.05
fulfilling every
criteria of Elijah number three.
00:50:28.08\00:50:31.18
And that movement my friends,
is the Adventist church,
00:50:31.21\00:50:33.69
the Seventh-day
Adventist Church.
00:50:33.72\00:50:35.85
Amen.
00:50:35.88\00:50:36.92
Raised by God of
movement of destiny
00:50:36.95\00:50:39.88
and we're calling
Seventh-day Adventist
00:50:39.91\00:50:41.68
an all Christians back
to the true worship of God.
00:50:41.71\00:50:44.04
And yes, I've said
Seventh-day Adventist too,
00:50:44.07\00:50:46.57
because there are
some Seventh-day Adventist
00:50:46.60\00:50:48.23
that aren't worshipping
God according to the way
00:50:48.26\00:50:50.57
they know, they need to.
00:50:50.60\00:50:51.98
They aren't being
faithful in following the Lord
00:50:52.01\00:50:54.57
and walking with
Jesus step by step.
00:50:54.60\00:50:57.29
And we're living in
the last days my friends,
00:50:57.32\00:50:59.73
we'll soon be with the Lord
00:50:59.76\00:51:01.59
and this prophecy is
being fulfilled very rapidly.
00:51:01.62\00:51:04.20
I have 10 points
for you to consider.
00:51:04.23\00:51:07.11
Number one,
Elijah's message comes
00:51:07.14\00:51:10.20
at a time of great
religious apostasy.
00:51:10.23\00:51:14.47
There was great
religious apostasy
00:51:14.50\00:51:15.97
in the days of
Elijah number one.
00:51:16.00\00:51:18.17
What about when
Elijah number two,
00:51:18.20\00:51:19.46
John the Baptist came along
was there religious apostasy?
00:51:19.49\00:51:22.53
Was Jesus at all pleased with
the outward form of religion?
00:51:22.56\00:51:26.39
They knew what to
eat and they what to wear
00:51:26.42\00:51:28.65
but they didn't
have their hearts, right.
00:51:28.68\00:51:30.78
Yeah, oh, ho, my
friends, we ought to know
00:51:33.88\00:51:37.30
what to eat and we ought to know
00:51:37.33\00:51:38.37
what to wear but it ought to be
00:51:38.40\00:51:39.54
because our hearts are right.
00:51:39.57\00:51:40.76
Amen.
00:51:40.79\00:51:41.82
That's right, praise the God.
00:51:41.85\00:51:43.49
Number two, Elijah's
message comes at a time
00:51:43.52\00:51:46.07
when many worship services
are loud and full of commotion.
00:51:46.10\00:51:51.40
Now they're not
all that way today
00:51:51.43\00:51:53.13
but there's enough to
see the parallel, yes or no?
00:51:53.16\00:51:55.16
Yes.
00:51:55.19\00:51:56.22
My dad was talking to a
fellow that told him man,
00:51:56.25\00:51:58.24
we were at church
and we got to singing
00:51:58.27\00:52:02.15
because that's the
way they say it down
00:52:02.18\00:52:03.36
where I'm from, singing
and now the Holy Spirit fell
00:52:03.39\00:52:08.57
and we started jumping pews.
00:52:08.60\00:52:10.30
They would jump pews
at this particular church
00:52:10.33\00:52:12.71
and one fellow jumped the pew
00:52:12.74\00:52:14.12
and went almost all
the way across the room
00:52:14.15\00:52:15.77
and hit this elderly lady,
00:52:15.80\00:52:16.98
knocked her down
and broke her arm.
00:52:17.01\00:52:18.47
Man, that was a
powerful church service.
00:52:18.50\00:52:22.50
My dad said well, you ought
to come go to church with me.
00:52:22.53\00:52:24.59
He was inviting dad to church
00:52:24.62\00:52:26.18
that's why actually you ought
to come go to church with me
00:52:26.21\00:52:28.04
I'll introduce you to one
00:52:28.07\00:52:29.10
that will set you down fully
clothing in your right mind.
00:52:29.13\00:52:35.24
Number three, Elijah's
message stands in the minority.
00:52:35.27\00:52:43.14
The majority
follow a fault system.
00:52:43.17\00:52:47.57
Number four, Elijah's message
00:52:47.60\00:52:49.49
is directed to the
professed people of God.
00:52:49.52\00:52:54.54
Seventh-day
Adventist Christians,
00:52:54.57\00:52:56.14
let me speak to
you for a moment.
00:52:56.17\00:52:58.00
We hear this
idea out there today
00:52:58.03\00:52:59.96
that we just need to
preach to the un-churched.
00:52:59.99\00:53:02.27
Let me tell you,
00:53:02.30\00:53:03.33
God passionately
loves the un-churched.
00:53:03.36\00:53:05.62
We should be
preaching to the un-churched.
00:53:05.65\00:53:08.13
But the call out of Babylon
00:53:08.16\00:53:10.32
is a call to away from
any religious confusion
00:53:10.35\00:53:13.96
that exist out there even among
the popular churches of today.
00:53:13.99\00:53:18.62
And if you my friends,
00:53:18.65\00:53:20.30
turn your back on
issuing that call,
00:53:20.33\00:53:23.93
you've turned away
from Elijah's message.
00:53:23.96\00:53:26.08
Elijah's message was directed
to the professed people of God
00:53:26.11\00:53:30.45
who had forsaken the
commandments of the Lord,
00:53:30.48\00:53:33.85
that's right.
00:53:33.88\00:53:35.43
Number five,
Elijah's message proclaims
00:53:35.46\00:53:38.70
that the majority of
God's people have done
00:53:38.73\00:53:40.87
just that
forsaking God's commandments.
00:53:40.90\00:53:43.21
Number six,
Elijah's message would be
00:53:43.24\00:53:45.64
unrecognized by most
of the religious world.
00:53:45.67\00:53:49.39
John the Baptist preached
and they cut off his head
00:53:49.42\00:53:51.72
and even the 12
disciples were asking Jesus,
00:53:51.75\00:53:53.72
when is Elijah coming
00:53:53.75\00:53:57.00
unrecognized by
most of religious world.
00:53:57.03\00:54:00.27
Number seven, Elijah's message
00:54:00.30\00:54:02.37
preaches righteousness by faith.
00:54:02.40\00:54:04.91
Coming to Jesus
and being forgiven
00:54:04.94\00:54:06.77
just as you are or
as the prophets of Baal
00:54:06.80\00:54:09.96
shed their own
blood to please god
00:54:09.99\00:54:11.96
indicative of salvation
by works, that's right.
00:54:11.99\00:54:17.43
Number eight, the
people of Elijah's message
00:54:17.46\00:54:20.93
are blamed for the
trouble in the world.
00:54:20.96\00:54:22.64
I wish I had time to
develop that now, but I don't.
00:54:22.67\00:54:25.69
Number nine,
Elijah's message proclaims
00:54:25.72\00:54:29.38
that the coming of
the Lord is at hand.
00:54:29.41\00:54:34.33
Jesus is coming soon.
00:54:34.36\00:54:36.59
It's time to get
ready for Jesus to come.
00:54:36.62\00:54:42.13
Are you doing that?
00:54:42.16\00:54:44.64
Are you spending
time with Jesus everyday?
00:54:44.67\00:54:49.05
Are you walking with Him?
00:54:49.08\00:54:51.27
Do you get up and
have time with Him
00:54:51.30\00:54:53.15
before life
gets hectic everyday?
00:54:53.18\00:54:57.00
Are you falling in
love with Jesus anew?
00:54:57.03\00:55:00.97
I mean, it's one
thing to study doctrines.
00:55:01.00\00:55:02.98
I study them
every day my friends,
00:55:03.01\00:55:05.25
but I've come to
realize we don't need to use
00:55:05.28\00:55:08.30
Jesus to teach the doctrines,
00:55:08.33\00:55:11.59
we need to use the
doctrines to teach Jesus.
00:55:11.62\00:55:15.53
Growing closer to our
Savior, uplifting Him higher
00:55:15.56\00:55:20.32
and yet higher and higher still.
00:55:20.35\00:55:24.03
Our Savior will be lifted up.
00:55:24.06\00:55:26.86
In fact, in
Revelation Chapter 18,
00:55:26.89\00:55:29.86
look there with
me for just a moment.
00:55:29.89\00:55:32.00
Revelation
Chapter 18 we see it here,
00:55:32.03\00:55:35.81
Revelation
18:1, Revelation 18:1,
00:55:35.84\00:55:42.66
and we'll look at it
together very quickly.
00:55:42.69\00:55:45.04
Revelation 18:1 it
says "And after these things
00:55:45.07\00:55:49.87
I saw another angel
come down from heaven,
00:55:49.90\00:55:52.32
having great power,
00:55:52.35\00:55:53.60
and the earth was
lightened with his glory."
00:55:53.63\00:55:56.22
Just like the
three angels messages,
00:55:56.25\00:55:58.06
this loud cry
of the third angel,
00:55:58.09\00:55:59.85
this fourth angel some might say
00:55:59.88\00:56:02.65
this repeating of the
second angel's message verse 2
00:56:02.68\00:56:05.84
when it says, Babylon
is falling my friends,
00:56:05.87\00:56:09.25
this angel represents a movement
00:56:09.28\00:56:11.03
among God's people and it says
00:56:11.06\00:56:14.25
that the earth will be
lightened with His glory.
00:56:14.28\00:56:16.12
When Moses asked to
see and in Exodus 33
00:56:16.15\00:56:19.39
I believe it is
the glory of God.
00:56:19.42\00:56:21.77
God calls His
goodness, His mercy, His love,
00:56:21.80\00:56:25.00
His character to
pass before Moses.
00:56:25.03\00:56:27.98
My friends, we're
gonna take these truths
00:56:28.01\00:56:30.56
that we've been preaching
in the three angels message
00:56:30.59\00:56:33.06
and we're gonna lift
them up to exalt the glory
00:56:33.09\00:56:35.98
and the love of God,
the character of Jesus
00:56:36.01\00:56:38.53
and the earth will be
lightened with His glory.
00:56:38.56\00:56:40.60
And Babylon will fall verse
2 Babylon fallen, is fallen,
00:56:40.63\00:56:44.18
but my friends,
00:56:44.21\00:56:45.43
not because we
bash other people better
00:56:45.46\00:56:49.07
than we have in the past
00:56:49.10\00:56:52.16
but because they see
Jesus uplifted in the truth
00:56:52.19\00:56:56.25
and the false
doctrines appear destitute.
00:56:56.28\00:56:59.39
And lastly my friends,
00:56:59.42\00:57:01.16
Elijah's message
calls for a decision.
00:57:01.19\00:57:05.83
Now the decision is yours,
00:57:05.86\00:57:08.61
will you make Jesus the
Lord and Savior of your life?
00:57:08.64\00:57:13.07
Thank you for your time.
00:57:13.10\00:57:15.14