Were the people in the
Bible any different to us today?
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Were ordinary
people like you and me
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What can we find out from
their lives that would help us?
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Find out with Pr. Geoff
Youlden and Rosemary Malkiewycz
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here on People Just Like Us.
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Throughout history there have
been powerful people who've been
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willing to do anything to stay
in power. But because some are
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jealous and scheming they
live without peace. They quickly
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dispose of anyone they think
could be a threat to them even
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their own family members. Their
behavior is like the one who
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rules their heart, Satan. One
such person was Herod the Great.
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A great builder, he was also
a great tyrant and schemer. Tell
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us about this man and the
power behind him, Pastor Geoff.
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Well, Rosemary, I guess
everybody's heard of Herod the
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Great because of his infamous
action in killing all the babies
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in Bethlehem.
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I certainly did because when we
went to Israel we learned a lot
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about him. He
was a great builder.
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Yeah, well there are lots of
monuments today to his ability
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to build but not his ability
of having a good character.
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That's right. Let me tell
you about some things he built
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though because that's what he's
known for by many people. He
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built Masada, the fortress
and palace of Masada. Here's a
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picture of the model of his
palace. Then there's now today
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the ruins that you get to see
of Masada. Quite a fascinating
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place. It was a wonderful place
that he built there, swimming
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pools and all sorts of
things out in the desert.
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He built Herodian. He actually
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moved a whole mountain and built
this monument to himself and
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called it after himself. He
rebuilt the temple, extended
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the temple and renovated the
temple in Jerusalem and built
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a wall around it. Here's part
of the wall today and there's a
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model of it in Jerusalem. It was
massive and he built that. This
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is the most famous part of
the wall, the wailing wall.
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That's what
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everybody knows today. He built
Caesarea by the Mediterranean
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sea. (The aqueduct). Well he
did those too, but this is the
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amphitheater at Caesarea.
You can still, go and see these
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things. And he had a hippodrome
there for chariot races. He had
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his swimming pool. He loved
swimming pools. But he built the
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aqueduct and that is still
standing today where he got
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fresh water, 40 miles, to put
fresh water in his swimming pool
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because he didn't like salt
water. He builds caldarium's,
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solariums, frigidariums,
tepidariums, where people could
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get hot and cold water treatment
He built the amphitheater, he
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built the hippodrome. He built
massive things that are still
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available for us to see 2000
years later. But he didn't have
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a good character to go with it.
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He certainly didn't and that's
what we want to talk about
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today. We do. Rosemary. It is
true that when you go to Israel
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today he stands out
as a big character but...
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It's the character
that's the problem.
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He's not a good man. No.
And killing all the babies in
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Bethlehem is an illustration
of his character. You know
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one of the things that interests
me in the Bible is the contrasts
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that we have with characters in
the Bible. I mean you take the
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characters of Cain and Abel,
the difference. In the Bible you
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know it's in juxtaposition
and it's Jacob and Esau. As you
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think about all of these
contrasts, Pharaoh and Moses.
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And how the Bible puts them
against one another. And then we
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have Elijah and Jezebel is
another illustration. John the
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Baptist and Herod Antipas. Now
he's another Herod, different to
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Herod the Great. This is the
Herod at the time of John the
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Baptist who took his head off.
Then there's Judas and John.
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You know what a contrast there
is between those two individuals
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Paul and Nero. And then we have
of course the two kings of the
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Jews. One Herod the Great that
we were talking about today and
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of course Jesus. Now you have
to admit that whatever Herod the
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Great was good at he was
certainly good at killing people
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You know, he murdered his three
sons and gave the order to kill
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his third son while he was on
his death bed of all things. He
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drowned the high priest and the
brother of his queen. Then he
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strangled his queen for which he
suffered torture and remorse for
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rest of his life.
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You know, the son-in-law
the king murdered, he actually
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drowned him, had him drowned
in one of his swimming pools.
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He had three palaces at Jericho
and one of them was where he
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killed his brother-in-law who
was the high priest. He was only
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17 years old, but he was so
handsome and regal looking that
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Herod felt like he was a threat
to his empire, that he may be
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made king because Herod wasn't
a real king in the fact of being
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born into the kingship. He was
made a king by the Romans and
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so he was afraid all the time he
was going to lose that power and
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someone else was
going to take his place.
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Well that's typical of
Herod because that's why he was
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jealous of the Babe in
Bethlehem, killed the babies.
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He was a very insecure man
even though he did all these
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buildings, very, very insecure.
And these are just a few of the
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crimes and the bloody
deeds of this evil king who was
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supposedly king of the Jews at
the time when Jesus was born in
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Bethlehem. He had an incurable
suspicion, and this is part of
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his character that I find
interesting. He trusted nobody.
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And was full of jealousy.
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How could you live like that?
I mean it would be so unhappy.
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You would wonder wouldn't
you? And finally he developed an
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incurable disease from which
he died. And when he was dying,
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Rosemary, Herod was lying in his
misery in his ivory palace down
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there at Jericho and he realized
that when people heard of his
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death they would rejoice.
You know, that would be so happy
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that finally he was dead. So
what he did, the evil, conniving
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man that he was, he gave orders
that all the representatives of
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the chief families of the land
be shut up in the hippodrome
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and at the very moment of his
death they were all to be killed
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and his reasoning was that
there would be then mourning and
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sorrow in the land.
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Yeah, throughout the country.
Isn't it good to know though
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that those who were put in
charge of that knew Herod so
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well that they didn't do it.
They didn't carry out that wish
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of his. Yes, well
so this is the man
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we're studying about today. When
the wise men came from the east
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and everybody knows the
story, and wanted to worship the
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newborn king of the Jews, he
wanted to find out about this
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baby. And when he learned that
the baby King was to be born in
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Bethlehem, as the prophet Micah
had prophesied, remember, what
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was it? 500 years before. He
asked the wise men to come back
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and tell him where he was so
that he could supposedly come
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and worship this newborn king.
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But he knew it was going to
be in Bethlehem, because that's
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what the Israelites told him,
but he just didn't know where.
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Correct. But we all know the
story. After giving to Joseph
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and Mary their gifts of gold
and frankincense and myrrh, God
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warned the wise men in a dream
not to go back and rather go
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back a different way, not
go back via Herod. When Herod
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realized of course that he'd
been deceived by the wise men,
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his cruel and criminal mind
ordered all babies under the age
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of two to be killed in Bethlehem
and the surrounding district.
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Perhaps you know we can begin
to imagine the mourning and the
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sorrow that would be taking
place in Bethlehem at this time.
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And not only that, it would
be a continual reminder to them
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that there were no male children
at least in that age group in
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Bethlehem. They were missing.
So it's not something that will
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happen and you're upset and it's
a dreadful time of mourning. It
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will continue on because there's
always a constant reminder.
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Yeah. The one child that he
wanted to kill escaped because
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Joseph and Mary had been warned
to leave Bethlehem immediately
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and go down to Egypt. And there
the child was safe from Herod's
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hands, you remember Rosemary,
as Moses was from Pharaoh 1500
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years before that. In fact,
it's interesting to read the
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statement in Matthew. I'm sure
many of our viewers will know
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the statement, some may not.
This is the book of Matthew,
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the second chapter and verse 19
where it says now when Herod was
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dead, if you were living back in
those days would be a good thing
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When Herod was dead, behold an
angel of the Lord appeared in a
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dream to Joseph in Egypt saying
arise, take the young child and
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his mother and go to the land of
Israel, for those who sought the
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young child's life are
dead. This verse, to my mind,
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illustrates the age-old struggle
that's gone on between right
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and wrong, between good and evil
between Christ and Satan, light
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and darkness. Because the
kingdom of God and the kingdom
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of Satan are continually at war
against one another and really
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the Bible stories are stories
that illustrate that war that's
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continually going on and that's
why the Bible says here when
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Herod was dead. As I said
down through the ages there are
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always some who are the Herod's,
who arise against God. But
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always the Herod's die
and the plans of God continue.
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That's a relief.
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Well it is and I've often
thought just as well we do die.
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Imagine if human beings didn't
die and the evil people who have
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done such dreadful
things down through the ages
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lives eternally.
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Mmm. They just keep on living
and as more evil people were
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born they would be fighting each
other but they would also be
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confederating together.
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Well it would get worse
and worse as they got older
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and older.
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But anyway God has well
cared for that. You know, when I
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first began to study the Bible
I was shocked, literally shocked
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to find out that the first
war that was ever fought was not
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down on this earth, it was
actually in heaven. And I wanted
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to read that Rosemary because
this struggle as I said, we're
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talking about Herod. This
illustrates the age-old struggle
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between good and evil. And this
is Revelation 12 and we want to
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pick up in verse 7 where it says
this and war broke out in heaven
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Imagine, it says
war broke out in Europe.
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Ah, you expect that.
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It would be terrible but it
would be terrible to send the
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shudders down your back.
But here the Bible says the
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first war began in heaven.
Michael and his angels fought
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with the dragon; and the dragon
and his angels fought. Now we're
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very clear. In verse 9 it tells
us that the Dragon is the Devil.
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So here Michael, Christ, and his
angels fought against the Devil
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who deceived one-third of the
angels. So he had quite a lot
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of angels on his side too.
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But there were still two-thirds
that were close to God remained
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loyal.
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The text goes on to say, but
they did not prevail, nor was a
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place found for them in heaven
any longer. So the great dragon
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was cast out, that serpent of
old, called the Devil and Satan,
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who deceives the whole world.
And that's what we've always got
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to remember that our world
is deceived and when we talk to
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people we've got to remember
that all of us are deceived.
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Unless we have the enlightenment
of God's word we are deceived.
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Our minds have
been interfered with.
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And that's where Paul
writes that spiritual things are
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spiritually discerned. It's only
the Holy Spirit that can give
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you the understanding, because
you're not allowing Him to help
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you, you will be
deceived by evil.
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Yes, well, we'd better remember
that the whole world is being
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deceived. He was cast to the
earth and his angels were cast
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out with him.
Verse 10 goes on to say:
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And so the Bible is very clear
here that this war began. So
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what's happening in the world
today between good and evil,
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and we see it every time you
read the newspaper or listen to
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the television or the radio,
wherever we are seeing out
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working the good versus
evil. It often appears Rosemary
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that evil seems to
triumph, doesn't it.
00:14:34.54\00:14:36.50
It seems that way, but the Bible
tells us that that's not the end
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of the story.
00:14:40.88\00:14:42.44
Now, well thankfully this verse
goes on to say in verse 13...
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Now this is where the war that
began in heaven now comes down
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to this earth and
he's persecuted the woman.
00:15:01.10\00:15:04.97
Now in Bible prophecy in
the Bible the Bible uses to word
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woman to illustrate the church
both good and bad. In fact, in
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Revelation if you read it
through there are two women
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pictured, a pure woman which
represents His pure church and a
00:15:17.18\00:15:21.22
harlot, fallen woman who
represents the fallen church. So
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there were two in contrast.
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And he persecuted the woman who
gave birth to the male child but
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the woman... The
male child being Christ.
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That's right, yes.
00:15:32.23\00:15:34.73
Now this is a reference, and we
haven't got time to go into all
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the detail now but this is the
period of what history referred
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to as the dark ages, the 1260
year period of when the medieval
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church dominated and
ruled Europe and the world.
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and that's mentioned in the book
of Daniel, the time, times and
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half a time.
00:16:07.96\00:16:10.67
In fact it's mentioned several
times, yes. So verse 15 says:
00:16:10.70\00:16:12.90
In other words, he was trying
to kill the woman and her seed.
00:16:19.41\00:16:24.11
And verse 16...
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And this is a reference, of
course, to the people who were
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like Waldenses and the Huguenots
in France and the Waldenses in
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Italy and the Albigenses
who were faithful to God through
00:16:42.96\00:16:47.17
this period and some of the most
gruesome stories that you can
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read are the attacks of this
people, this apostate church,
00:16:51.37\00:16:57.31
upon these dear people who
endeavored to be faithful to God
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It was the dragon trying to send
his flood of persecution and
00:17:01.85\00:17:08.59
death on the people of God.
00:17:08.62\00:17:10.66
Well and once again it's
illustrating the age-old problem
00:17:10.69\00:17:15.26
between good and evil. And
when we see evil going on in the
00:17:15.30\00:17:22.70
world today we've got to
recognize that this is part of
00:17:22.74\00:17:25.31
this war that's going on.
Finally it says in verse 17 here
00:17:25.34\00:17:34.15
that the dragon was enraged.
Now that word really means very
00:17:34.18\00:17:41.22
angry. Your jugular. You know if
you talk to someone and they get
00:17:41.26\00:17:43.73
really angry their jugular sort
of sticks out and their face
00:17:43.76\00:17:46.33
goes red. That's what the
word enraged means. And with
00:17:46.36\00:17:49.66
the woman, or the church, and
went to make war with the rest
00:17:49.70\00:17:52.33
of her offspring, who keep
the commandments of God and the
00:17:52.37\00:17:57.77
testimony of Jesus. So
God identifies his true
00:17:57.81\00:18:00.81
people as in the days right
through they were faithful to
00:18:00.84\00:18:05.95
Jesus and faithful to His
commandments. In fact in verse
00:18:05.98\00:18:14.36
12 of the same chapter, this
is Revelation 12:12 it says,
00:18:14.39\00:18:17.63
Therefor rejoice, O heavens,
and you who dwell in them! Which
00:18:17.66\00:18:23.30
would indicate that there's more
inhabitants in the universe than
00:18:23.33\00:18:27.87
merely our world because
the rest of them were taught
00:18:27.90\00:18:31.44
Therefore rejoice, O heavens,
(plural) and you who dwell in
00:18:31.47\00:18:36.04
them. Why? Woe to the
inhabitants of the earth and the
00:18:36.08\00:18:39.88
sea! For the devil has come
down to you, having great wrath,
00:18:39.91\00:18:43.25
because he know that
he has but a short time.
00:18:43.28\00:18:45.82
Really the only logical
explanation that I think that
00:18:45.85\00:18:49.19
I think that you can give to the
situation that we're living in
00:18:49.22\00:18:54.26
the world today, I mean.
You tune into the television and
00:18:54.30\00:18:58.27
radio, newspaper and it's
the biggest tornado, the most
00:18:58.30\00:19:01.87
destructive cyclone, the worst
floods, (and fires) and the
00:19:01.90\00:19:08.61
most terrible fires. In
other words these adjectives are
00:19:08.64\00:19:10.85
continually being used
to describe events that are
00:19:10.88\00:19:14.58
happening today in the very
days that we live and describing
00:19:14.62\00:19:20.46
events that have never happened
like that from the fir...Earth
00:19:20.49\00:19:23.49
quakes. There's always been
earth quakes, but there's never
00:19:23.53\00:19:25.96
been an earth quake like
we are experiencing today.
00:19:25.99\00:19:28.06
And there's never been as many.
(Correct) That's the point,
00:19:28.10\00:19:31.67
there's never been as many but
there's also never been as huge
00:19:31.70\00:19:36.24
earth quakes (and destructive).
00:19:36.27\00:19:39.21
Yes. And so as we read here
the Bible is saying as the devil
00:19:39.24\00:19:43.71
realizes that time is coming to
an end and that Jesus, you know,
00:19:43.75\00:19:48.52
is about to return, with a fury
of desperation he tries to take
00:19:48.55\00:19:57.59
as many people, kill as many
people and destroy their lives
00:19:57.63\00:20:00.40
as he possibly can.
00:20:00.43\00:20:01.76
Because in doing so he gets
people to not want to know God.
00:20:01.80\00:20:05.60
When destruction and things come
up many people say where is God?
00:20:05.63\00:20:10.27
He must not exist. So if he can
bring these things upon people
00:20:10.31\00:20:15.24
he makes them
unready for Jesus' return.
00:20:15.28\00:20:17.18
Yes there's a statement
over here in the book of Job too
00:20:17.21\00:20:24.79
Rosemary I think is very
interesting on this very point.
00:20:24.82\00:20:28.12
Job 38. That's an interesting
chapter actually. If you haven't
00:20:28.16\00:20:33.70
read Job 38 I'd like to
encourage you to do it. It
answers some of these
00:20:33.73\00:20:38.23
questions.
00:20:38.27\00:20:39.60
God says to Job, where were you
when I laid the foundations of
00:20:39.63\00:20:41.57
of the earth? And so forth.
But here in Job 38:11, it says:
00:20:41.60\00:20:46.91
In other words, we can be
encouraged by the fact that the
00:20:56.12\00:20:59.55
devil does not have absolute
power and God... this boundary
00:20:59.59\00:21:06.06
just like, you know, the story
of Job himself where the Lord
00:21:06.09\00:21:09.10
said you can do anything to
Job but you can't take his life.
00:21:09.13\00:21:12.43
And the devil tried everything
he could to try to discourage
00:21:12.47\00:21:17.14
Job, but Job was faithful and
I think that once again as he
00:21:17.17\00:21:21.84
points out, thus far you may
come but no further, the text
00:21:21.88\00:21:27.62
says. He says
that for everything on
00:21:27.65\00:21:28.98
this earth; situations that
we are living in even the water
00:21:29.02\00:21:32.39
coming on the earth. It can't
come farther than what God will
00:21:32.42\00:21:36.16
allow.
00:21:36.19\00:21:37.53
Yes. And then we see how, you
know, we've been talking about
00:21:37.56\00:21:41.13
the cosmos and the universe, the
fight that began in heaven, then
00:21:41.16\00:21:46.84
the world fight, but also
there's a fight going on inside
00:21:46.87\00:21:50.24
every person's heart. That's
right. And it says here... then
00:21:50.27\00:21:55.84
we see how the devil brings this
very real battle into everyone's
00:21:55.88\00:22:00.62
life. We've all been inside
of us. A part of our nature that
00:22:00.65\00:22:07.16
is like Herod's. You know, we're
talking about Herod. Because
00:22:07.19\00:22:10.99
what evil Herod did is not just
unique to Herod. No that's right
00:22:11.03\00:22:16.87
We all have that part of
our nature. It may not be as
00:22:16.90\00:22:19.53
developed thankfully as Herod's
was, but nevertheless we all
00:22:19.57\00:22:24.07
have a part of us that responds
to evil. These evils in the
00:22:24.11\00:22:32.11
world appeal to people. That's
why when it comes to getting
00:22:32.15\00:22:35.78
people to attend sports
and things that are not of
00:22:35.82\00:22:40.92
really eternal consequence,
you have no problems.
00:22:40.96\00:22:43.73
It's very easy for us as human
beings because we're in the
00:22:43.76\00:22:49.76
great controversy, the devil
has taken control of this human
00:22:49.80\00:22:53.37
heart through Adam and Eve
giving in to his temptation.
00:22:53.40\00:22:57.51
It's very easy for us to have
jealousy, to have envy, to have
00:22:57.54\00:23:04.58
malice towards people and
bitterness, and all those nasty
00:23:04.61\00:23:08.38
characteristics because that's
what the devil wants us to have
00:23:08.42\00:23:13.56
and that's his nature. Whereas
because Christ came, because
00:23:13.59\00:23:19.09
Jesus came and died for us
He has actually given us the
00:23:19.13\00:23:21.70
opportunity to be set free
from that and to regain God's
00:23:21.73\00:23:26.67
character which Adam and Eve
had at the beginning. And that's
00:23:26.70\00:23:30.44
what God wants for us all.
He wants us to have the victory
00:23:30.47\00:23:32.87
over our evil character through
the indwelling of the Holy
00:23:32.91\00:23:37.91
Spirit. And we can have that.
But as we are in this world
00:23:37.95\00:23:42.02
we allow the devil to have that
control. It's only through God
00:23:42.05\00:23:47.96
that we can have
any victory over that.
00:23:47.99\00:23:50.33
You know, I like that text in
Philippians chapter 4 and verse
00:23:50.36\00:23:54.93
8 where it says: Finally
brethren, whatever things are
00:23:54.96\00:24:01.27
true, you know, whatever things
are noble, whatever things are
00:24:01.30\00:24:07.11
just, whatever things are pure,
whatever things are lovely,
00:24:07.14\00:24:11.98
whatever things are of good
report, if there's any virtue
00:24:12.01\00:24:14.82
and if there's any praise,
Paul tells us to think on these
00:24:14.85\00:24:20.19
things. And the more we think
about the very things that you
00:24:20.22\00:24:24.39
were talking about, the evil,
the carnal, the negative, the
00:24:24.43\00:24:29.93
more we become like it. All
of us have a bias that way. It's
00:24:29.96\00:24:34.90
easy to go that way. But God
doesn't want us to dwell upon
00:24:34.94\00:24:40.78
those things. But if we think
about the pure, the good, the
00:24:40.81\00:24:45.98
wholesome then
we become like that.
00:24:46.01\00:24:48.05
They have found through science
now that has an impact on our
00:24:48.08\00:24:52.52
minds and on our whole being
to change us. If we think on
00:24:52.55\00:24:58.43
those good things it can change
our bad attitudes into good
00:24:58.46\00:25:03.16
ones. I have two verses that I
really find very important to me
00:25:03.20\00:25:08.30
in my life. And it's Ephesians
chapter 4 verses 31 and 32. So
00:25:08.34\00:25:16.14
well go from 31 and 32. So
Ephesians 4:31-32. And it says:
00:25:16.18\00:25:22.38
Let all bitterness, wrath, anger
clamor, and evil speaking be put
00:25:22.42\00:25:31.89
away from you, with all malice.
And be ye kind one to another,
00:25:31.93\00:25:36.26
tenderhearted, forgiving one
another just as God in Christ
00:25:36.30\00:25:40.74
also forgave you. So this
is basically what you were just
00:25:40.77\00:25:44.37
saying, think on these
good things as Paul writes in
00:25:44.41\00:25:49.01
Philippians, here in Ephesians
he's saying the same thing but
00:25:49.04\00:25:52.31
in a different way. Leave
all those negative things behind
00:25:52.35\00:25:55.35
all those evil traits of
character and let God put
00:25:55.38\00:25:59.99
those good things in you.
00:26:00.02\00:26:01.49
Yes, you know that statement,
be kind to one another. You know
00:26:01.52\00:26:07.93
in families and in life how much
better it would be if we were
00:26:07.96\00:26:14.14
kind to one another.
It would be a happy place.
00:26:14.17\00:26:15.50
Well it would be. Forgiving one
another. Of course, you know,
00:26:15.54\00:26:21.28
all of us do the wrong
things and sometimes people
00:26:21.31\00:26:24.95
misinterpret what we're doing.
They put an interpretation
00:26:24.98\00:26:29.98
which is not
00:26:30.02\00:26:31.35
correct, but formulate
an attitude and these things
00:26:31.39\00:26:37.93
develop. But God tells us that
He pointed out, Rosemary, by His
00:26:37.96\00:26:41.50
grace and through His power God
can give us victory over sin and
00:26:41.53\00:26:46.43
over malice and over
being critical and over those
00:26:46.47\00:26:50.81
attributes that make bitterness
and anger and clamor and evil
00:26:50.84\00:26:57.38
speaking. All of those things
we can get victory over. I think
00:26:57.41\00:27:02.45
that's the exciting thing about
it. The Gospel isn't that really
00:27:02.48\00:27:07.02
when you think about it. The
Gospel is not just a feeling you
00:27:07.06\00:27:10.73
know that we're Christians and
it's a theory. No, no, no, no,
00:27:10.76\00:27:13.40
It's a living experience.
00:27:13.43\00:27:14.76
The Gospel changes lives. If
it doesn't change your life, you
00:27:14.80\00:27:18.93
haven't really got the Gospel.
00:27:18.97\00:27:22.00
That's the good news. That's the
exciting news. As we summarize
00:27:22.04\00:27:27.84
Rosemary, God doesn't want
us to have the nature of Herod.
00:27:27.88\00:27:31.18
That's right. He wants us to
have the nature of Christ and
00:27:31.21\00:27:35.38
He promises that two-thirds of
the angels on His side and the
00:27:35.42\00:27:38.59
Holy Spirit and the Godhead,
that we can live a life of
00:27:38.62\00:27:42.09
victory and overcoming.
00:27:42.12\00:27:43.93
That's right. So I hope
that in today's lesson, today's
00:27:43.96\00:27:48.06
stories that you have learnt
that God wants to change you
00:27:48.10\00:27:51.47
See you next time.
00:27:51.50\00:28:28.34