What do the mysterious images of
Daniel and Revelation mean? When
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will the antichrist appear and
make his final move? How can I
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be ready for the final events
of earth's history? You'll be
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amazed and encouraged by what
the Bible reveals. Join us as
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Pastor Brian McMahon
leads out in Prophecy Unsealed.
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Hello and welcome everyone to
Prophecy Unsealed. We're so glad
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again, you're joining us here.
Our topic today is Armageddon
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and the Seven Last Plagues. Now
Armageddon is found only once in
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the Bible. It's found in the
book of Revelation and people
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wonder what exactly is that
event all about? Is it some kind
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of battle between Russia and the
United States, between the east
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and the west. We're going
to find out tonight. The term
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itself is a very mysterious term
too many and they really don't
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understand the bigger picture.
So we're going to study the
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bigger picture tonight and find
out what exactly this subject
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really entails. True Christians
I believe friends should be the
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most hopeful, happy people
on the face of the earth. Do you
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believe that? And many times we
know, Christians know, that no
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matter how bad the world gets
that there's a solution to all
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these problems and that of
course is Jesus' coming. But
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many Christians will say well
Jesus may come today or Jesus
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may come tomorrow, so you need
to be ready. Now for the Bible
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student, we know that that is
not true. Because we know there
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are certain things in scripture
that must take place between
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where we are now in the stream
of time and the coming of Jesus.
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They will be fulfilled, and
knowing what those things are
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can help us be better ready for
Jesus' coming. Now, having said
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that, we should live as if Jesus
was coming today, shouldn't we,
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right? We should live our lives
as if we were to die today, the
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next thing we would know is the
resurrection and Jesus' coming.
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So, we need to be sure we're
ready by how we live. God's last
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day message found here in
Revelation 14, starting in verse
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And I saw another angel fly
in the midst of heaven having
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the everlasting gospel to preach
unto them that dwell on the
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earth, and to every nation, and
kindred, and tongue, and people,
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saying with a loud voice, Fear
God, and give glory to him, for
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the hour of his judgment has
come So here we have a message.
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It's going to go to all
nations before Jesus comes back,
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pleading with them to accept the
Lord as the Creator and it says
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saying with a loud voice, Fear
God and give glory to him for
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the hour of his judgment is
come. We took this up in a
previous session of
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our Prophecy Unsealed seminar.
When could it be said that the
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hour of his judgment has come.
At the end of the 2300-day/year
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Prophecy and it ended in what
year friends? In 1844 absolutely
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And it's telling us to worship
him that made the heaven and
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earth, the sea and the fountains
of waters. What do we call the
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one who made heaven and earth,
the sea and the fountains of
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waters? The one that made all
things is called the what? The
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Creator, sure. So we're living
in a time when God is asking us
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to worship him as the Creator
and what is the sign that he
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left us to remember him by
as the Creator. He gave us the
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what? The Sabbath, right.
So would there be a class who
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honors God and keeps his
commandments, including the
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Bible Sabbath. And then
there are those that reject the
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commandments of God, and they
receive the mark of the beast.
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Revelation 14 verse 9: And
the third angel followed them,
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saying with a loud voice, If any
man worship the beast and his
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image and receive his mark
in his forehead, or in his hand,
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the same shall drink of the wine
of the wrath of God. So what do
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we have here in a quick review.
We've got two classes of people
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two groups. One group was
worshipping God as the Creator
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The other one is rejecting
God as the Creator and they're
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worshipping the beast power. Now
it's interesting to note that
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when people do not follow God
most of the time, they do not
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just reject God, but they start
persecuting the people of God.
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It's almost as if they
can't stand the fact that others
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would be faithful when they are
not. And God, of course, takes
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not of that. His church is the
apple of his eye, and when they
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persecute his people, God
is going to go and do a special
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work for his church. Two classes
again: Ones that are worshipping
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the Creator and ones that
are worshipping or following the
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beast. The entire issue of the
great controversy centers around
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the issue of worship. What will
we do on the subject of worship?
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Where will we be
faithful? Where will we give our
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allegiance? Psalm 119 verse 126
says: It is time for thee, Lord,
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to work: for they have made void
thy law. When the law of God is
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voided in a legislative manner
the resulting penalty coming
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upon those who continue to obey
God and be true to God, then God
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is going to work in an amazing
way for his people. He'll work
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in an amazing way for his people
Back to Revelation 14 here for
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just a moment. Notice it says
that the wicked receive the wine
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of the wrath of God. What is
this wine of the wrath of God
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that we can receive. We go to
Revelation 15 to get an answer
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to that. Verse 1: And I saw
another sign in heaven, great
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and marvellous, seven angels
having the seven last plagues;
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for in them is filled up
the wrath of God. So what is the
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wrath of God according to
this scripture? The seven last
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plagues. Now here's the question
that comes to us. Will we be
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here and be alive on earth
during those seven last plagues
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or will Jesus come, as many
teach, and snatch his church out
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of the world, so they don't have
to be present during that time.
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Many teach that. We'll all
we have to do friends to get an
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answer to that is say how has
God worked down through time?
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What has been the pattern that
God has for his people. We see
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here in Revelation 16 verse 15
this text. We're going to look
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at this in more detail tonight
but we go all the way to verse
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15. It says: Behold, I come
as a thief. Blessed is he that
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watches, and keeps his garments,
lest he walk naked, and they see
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his shame. Now don't miss
this friends. This is after six
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plagues have been poured out.
What sense would it make for
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Jesus to say after six plagues,
that's a lot of tribulation,
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Behold, I am coming as a thief,
if he'd already come as a thief
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before the plagues to snatch his
church away. It wouldn't make
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any sense. Now truth is logical.
He would not say to his church
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Hold on, keep the faith,
I'm almost there, right, if he'd
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already come for his church.
So, let's go back to the time of
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Noah. If in the flood of
Noah he was going to snatch his
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church off the earth wouldn't
we know about it, right? Did he
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snatch Noah away so that Noah
didn't have to face it? No. He
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took the family of Noah, and he
put them inside an ark of safety
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and during the time of the
tribulation all around them, God
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guarded faithfully over that
family and kept them protected.
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So, the earth was destroyed, but
Noah was not raptured away. We
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come down to the time of Daniel
and of course in the time of
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Daniel, we have three Hebrew
faithful men who went into a
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fiery furnace. God could have
raptured them away. He could
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have taken them away from
that tribulation. But no, he was
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honored by the fact that
his servants went into the fiery
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furnace and God delivered them
in that tribulation. In fact, it
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says that when they came out of
that furnace friends that there
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wasn't even a hair of their head
singed or the smell of smoke
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upon their clothes. Can God
deliver completely? Oh I mean
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God is showing us that story so
we can see there's nothing too
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great for God. And of course,
we know the story of Daniel. He
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went into the lions' den. God
could have raptured Daniel away
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and not face that time of trial.
But no, he allowed his servant
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to go into the lions and he
delivered him amongst the lions.
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Once again, God allows his
servants to go into tribulation
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but God is glorified by
delivering them in the midst of
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that tribulation. Here is the
Psalm of David, Psalm 23, the
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shepherd's psalm. Does he say:
Yeah, though I get raptured out
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of the valley of the shadow
of death? Is that what he said?
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No. Yeah, though I walk what?
Through the valley of the shadow
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of death, he says, I will fear
no evil: Why? For thou art with
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me; thy rod and they staff they
comfort me. God is going to be
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with his people. David knew it.
He says, God, as long as you're
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with me, there's no way that I
can't go. In fact, Jesus himself
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said in John 17 verse 15 before
he went to the cross. He said:
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I pray not that thou shouldest
take them out of the world, but
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thou shouldest keep them from
the evil. So it wasn't Jesus
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prayer that he's going to
rapture us away somewhere where
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we don't have to face any kind
of end time trial but rather
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that he's going to allow
his people to be present, but he
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will protect them during
the final tribulation. We'll see
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that tonight. Let's go back to
this expression here, and we're
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talking tonight about the great
final tribulation period, but it
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says the seven what kind
of plagues? Last plagues. Were
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there any plagues before these
plagues in the Bible? Yes there
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were and where were those
plagues? In Egypt. And how many
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plagues were there in Egypt?
Ten right? Ten plagues in Egypt,
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seven last plagues at the end
of time. What is the connection
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there? Well, let's go take a
look at this verse right here.
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First Corinthians 10 verse 11:
Now all these things happened
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unto them for examples...that
means an example...and they're
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written for our admonition, upon
whom the ends of the world are
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come. Now the word admonition,
that's kind of a big word that
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simply means our learning or our
instruction. What was written
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or what happened way back in the
time of ancient Israel was there
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written down for our learning
and we can be instructed by it.
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So what happened to Israel then
is a scale model. It says that
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they went through certain trials
certain circumstances and what
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they went through, we can learn
from that. So we have to ask
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ourself this question. What
happened to ancient Israel. Well
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back in the time of Egypt,
they were enslaved there weren't
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they? And just as people today
are enslaved in sin. But they
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were commanded to work on
the Sabbath. And God is going to
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deliver his people, so what
did he do? He started to rain
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plagues down on Egypt. Were
they present there during those
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plagues? Yes, they were. They
were present there. Now after
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the third plague God said I'm
going to separate out the land
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of Goshen. No more will any
plagues fall where these people
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are. The last seven of
the 10 fell only on the wicked
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Egyptians. This is a promise to
us. This is an encouragement to
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us that when God pours out
the seven last plagues their not
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going to poured out
indiscriminately upon the whole
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land where his people are going
to suffer along with them. The
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seven last plagues are going
to fall only on the wicked. But
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when they fell on Egypt back
then, the 10 plagues did, of
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course, Pharaoh for a time
decided that he was distracted
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and he said, Oh no, we got
to let these people go. But did
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Pharaoh leave it at that? No.
He chased after them eventually
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with his army. He wanted to
wipe them out. Evil is like that
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right? They can't just be
content. They have to wipe out
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the righteous. So then Israel's
going toward the Red Sea.
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They've got the Red Sea in front
of them. They can't go forward.
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They've got Pharaoh's army
behind them, they can't go back.
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God allows his people to
get into dark circumstances
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sometimes, doesn't he? Do you
ever wonder why is that? I think
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the answer to that is that
when God brings a deliverance we
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won't take credit for ourself.
We'll give glory only to God
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because the only way they could
be delivered is if God delivered
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them and that way we'll say God
it's all of you. And he opened
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up the Red Sea and his church
went through the sea, and they
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were delivered and the
same miracle that delivered his
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people brought destruction upon
the wicked. Now we can learn
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from all that, and we're going
to see that God has end-time
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lessons for us in the
plagues. We're going to start in
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Revelation 16 and in verse
1. Here it says: And I heard a
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great voice out of the temple
saying to the seven angels, Go
your ways, and pour
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out the vials of the wrath
of God upon the earth. And the
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first went, and poured out his
vial upon the earth; and there
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fell a noisome and grievous sore
upon the men which had the mark
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of the beast, and upon them
which worshipped his image. This
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terrible sore comes over the
whole body here a large swelling
00:12:21.14\00:12:25.37
boil of some kind afflicting
the body. God does nothing by
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coincidence, right? Why would
the Lord choose in the first
00:12:28.91\00:12:31.88
plague to give the wicked a
physical punishment. We just
00:12:31.91\00:12:35.82
have to say to ourself what
did the wicked try to do to the
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righteous when they tried to
coerce them to take the mark of
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the beast? Let's go back and
find out. Revelation 13 verse 15
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It says: He had power to give
life unto the image of the beast
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that the image of the beast
should both speak, and cause
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that as many as would not
worship the image of the beast
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should be killed. So they came
to those who were wanting to be
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faithful to God, and they said
unless you take the mark of the
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beast or the image of the beast
we will physically punish you.
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Now God wasn't sleeping when
that took place. He understood
00:13:04.75\00:13:08.38
what they were doing, and
he says Okay, you want to put a
00:13:08.42\00:13:12.62
physical punishment upon my
people, you will be the one to
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get a physical punishment in
the first plague. The sores that
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come are an affliction of a
physical pain because they tried
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to put that same thing upon his
people. Why is it that some will
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take the mark of the
beast because they don't want to
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suffer any physical affliction
for Jesus' sake, right? Their
00:13:30.34\00:13:34.74
faith is such that as soon
as they get threatened with
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anything physical they say no,
no, I don't want that. The great
00:13:37.18\00:13:39.48
lesson in the first plague
is this friends. All physical
00:13:39.51\00:13:43.89
security is found only in Jesus.
Don't trust in man to deliver
00:13:43.92\00:13:48.69
you in that day. In fact, let's
go a little bit deeper into it
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shall we. Romans 12 and verse
1. I beseech you therefore,
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brethren by the mercies of God,
that you present your bodies a
00:13:54.26\00:13:59.13
living sacrifice, holy,
acceptable unto God, which is
00:13:59.17\00:14:02.64
your reasonable service. Which
means your expected service.
00:14:02.67\00:14:07.34
Have you done this friends? Have
you gone to the Lord and said
00:14:07.38\00:14:09.48
Lord, this physical body belongs
to you. I'm giving you all my
00:14:09.51\00:14:12.71
eating habits, I'm giving you
my drinking habits, any smoking
00:14:12.75\00:14:16.38
habit, any drug habit. I'm
giving this physical body to
00:14:16.42\00:14:18.75
you. I want to be your temple.
I want your Holy Spirit to
00:14:18.79\00:14:23.59
reign in my body and folks,
unless we do this, unless we
00:14:23.63\00:14:26.76
make a complete surrender
now we will not make a surrender
00:14:26.80\00:14:30.70
then. Because when they
threaten people physically a
00:14:30.73\00:14:33.20
lot of people are going to say
we have already given this body
00:14:33.23\00:14:36.20
over to the Lord, right? We've
already given it to you, God.
00:14:36.24\00:14:38.64
And though they may threaten
to take our life, our physical
00:14:38.67\00:14:41.94
life, our eternal life is safe
in heaven. So they've already
00:14:41.98\00:14:46.88
made that surrender. But then
there are those that say no, we
00:14:46.92\00:14:48.82
want these vices, we want
these things. I want to hold
00:14:48.85\00:14:51.39
onto these things. And Jesus
said, He that is faithful in
00:14:51.42\00:14:54.02
little will be faithful also
in much. If we're not faithful
00:14:54.06\00:14:56.09
in little and we don't
make any kind of physical denial
00:14:56.12\00:14:59.66
to the body, now we will
not make it then. So when the
00:14:59.69\00:15:02.80
crisis comes, they sell out
cheap. Right? They say no, no,
00:15:02.83\00:15:07.47
I don't want to have any
kind of affliction whatsoever.
00:15:07.50\00:15:12.01
Those who make a commitment
to Jesus, now physically, you'll
00:15:12.04\00:15:15.08
be able to make a commitment
then. So the plagues in
00:15:15.11\00:15:18.78
essence, folks, they are
appeals ahead of time to make
00:15:18.81\00:15:21.88
a surrender to God. Let's go
take a look at this next text
00:15:21.92\00:15:26.05
here. Revelation 16 verse
3 now: And the second angel
00:15:26.09\00:15:29.99
poured out his vial upon
the sea, and it became as the
00:15:30.03\00:15:32.26
blood of a dead man: and
every living soul...that means
00:15:32.29\00:15:36.70
creature...died in the sea.
Notice, it doesn't just become
00:15:36.73\00:15:39.70
blood, it becomes as the blood
of a dead man, a coagulated
00:15:39.73\00:15:43.41
mess. Now, can you
imagine friends if anything even
00:15:43.44\00:15:46.01
remotely like this took place
the sea is the great venue of
00:15:46.04\00:15:50.68
commerce isn't it. I mean,
the grain ship is moved by the
00:15:50.71\00:15:53.31
sea. The oil ship is moved
by the sea. Most of the world's
00:15:53.35\00:15:56.35
commerce moves by the sea. If
the sea became as the blood of
00:15:56.38\00:16:00.59
a dead man, a coagulated mess,
it would become impassable by
00:16:00.62\00:16:04.89
ships. And the world's economy
would collapse overnight. And
00:16:04.93\00:16:09.93
if it collapsed overnight
friends, there's no buying and
00:16:09.96\00:16:15.07
selling. Why would God do
that? Why would God put that
00:16:15.10\00:16:19.87
kind of plague? Nothing is
done by coincidence. Let's go
00:16:19.91\00:16:23.85
back. Revelation 13 verse
16. When they try to enforce the
00:16:23.88\00:16:27.02
mark, what did they say to the
righteous: And he causeth all,
00:16:27.05\00:16:28.62
both small and great, rich
and poor, free and bond, to
00:16:28.65\00:16:31.35
receive a mark in their right
hand, or in their foreheads:
00:16:31.39\00:16:34.19
and that no man might what?
Buy or sell, save he that had
00:16:34.22\00:16:38.39
the mark, or the name of
the beast. So those who tried to
00:16:38.43\00:16:42.60
enforce the mark, said, Unless
you take the mark of the beast
00:16:42.63\00:16:46.63
you won't be able to buy and
sell. They're going to say we
00:16:46.67\00:16:49.97
have control over the commerce,
we have control over the
00:16:50.01\00:16:52.91
banking system, we have
control over the finances and
00:16:52.94\00:16:55.64
we can control what you
do. And God says, All right. If
00:16:55.68\00:17:01.05
that's the case when
the second plague comes
00:17:01.08\00:17:03.75
Revelation 18 says the merchants
of the earth, they wail over the
00:17:03.79\00:17:07.19
loss of their ships and their
merchandise and the very thing
00:17:07.22\00:17:10.93
they said they could provide,
mainly financial security,
00:17:10.99\00:17:14.66
they can't provide it at
all, right? And they're the ones
00:17:14.70\00:17:20.54
wanting. And there'll be
people folks that are going to
00:17:20.57\00:17:22.74
say, Well, we've got to go
along with the mark, right?
00:17:22.77\00:17:24.97
We've got bills to pay. We've
got that mortgage. We've got
00:17:25.01\00:17:26.74
these other kinds of payments.
We need to be able to buy and
00:17:26.78\00:17:29.84
sell. And because they haven't
built the faith, now that it
00:17:29.88\00:17:34.65
takes to know that God is
going to provide, there again
00:17:34.68\00:17:37.49
they're just going to go right
out and they're going to say
00:17:37.52\00:17:39.79
no, nope, they're going to
compromise during that time.
00:17:39.82\00:17:43.69
Remember this, friends.
Weak character will always side
00:17:43.73\00:17:49.23
with the multitude in a
crisis. Can I say that again?
00:17:49.26\00:17:53.50
Weak character will always
side with the multitude in a
00:17:53.54\00:17:57.87
crisis. When the whole
economic bottom falls out, the
00:17:57.91\00:18:02.18
very thing they said they
could accomplish by giving
00:18:02.21\00:18:04.08
financial security, they can't
accomplish it at all. But what
00:18:04.11\00:18:07.18
about God's people? How are
they going to be? Isaiah 33,
00:18:07.22\00:18:11.62
love this promise, verse 14:
The sinners in Zion are afraid;
00:18:11.65\00:18:14.52
fearfulness has surprised the
hypocrites. Who among us shall
00:18:14.56\00:18:16.73
dwell with the devouring fire?
who among us shall dwell with
00:18:16.76\00:18:20.13
the everlasting burnings? A
way of saying who is going to
00:18:20.16\00:18:22.63
survive the crisis and be able
to live in the presence of God?
00:18:22.66\00:18:24.73
It goes on: He that
walketh righteously, and speaks
00:18:24.77\00:18:28.34
uprightly; he that despises
the bane of oppressions, that
00:18:28.37\00:18:31.37
shaketh his hands from holding
of bribes, that stoppeth his
00:18:31.41\00:18:33.17
ears from hearing of blood,
shuts his eyes from seeing of
00:18:33.21\00:18:36.21
evil. In other words, that
this person is an honest person,
00:18:36.24\00:18:39.75
integrity of their heart.
It says he shall dwell on high:
00:18:39.78\00:18:42.62
his place of defence shall
be the munitions of rocks: bread
00:18:42.65\00:18:45.62
shall be given him; his waters
shall be what friends? Sure.
00:18:45.65\00:18:49.72
What a promise. As the world
is facing disaster, God says our
00:18:49.76\00:18:53.50
bread and our water will be
sure. Just as he fed Elijah,
00:18:53.53\00:18:57.17
his servant, by putting food
in the mouth of birds, right?
00:18:57.20\00:19:01.80
And delivering it over to
him. Is God original? Is God
00:19:01.84\00:19:04.27
creative? It's amazing,
you know. You know, just as he
00:19:04.31\00:19:07.88
rained mana from heaven down for
40 years to the Israelites, God
00:19:07.91\00:19:10.95
has many inventive ways to feed
his people during that time.
00:19:10.98\00:19:14.32
He says our bread and our water
are going to be sure. Now I
00:19:14.35\00:19:17.65
I don't think during that time
he's going to give us doughnuts
00:19:17.69\00:19:20.09
and ice cream, Amen? I don't
think that's probably going to
00:19:20.12\00:19:24.09
be that way. But we do know
it's going to be enough. I do
00:19:24.13\00:19:27.60
know this, friends: Whatever God
gives us in that time, it will
00:19:27.63\00:19:30.87
be exactly what we need. Would
you agree? Absolutely. It may
00:19:30.90\00:19:34.37
not be three meals a day,
but it will be exactly what we
00:19:34.40\00:19:37.24
need. It goes on. It says:
Thine eyes shall see the king
00:19:37.27\00:19:39.81
in his beauty: They shall
behold the land that is very
00:19:39.84\00:19:42.44
far off. So, those again that
hold on and trust God. God will
00:19:42.48\00:19:46.75
feed his people. He fed his
people of Israel in the desert.
00:19:46.78\00:19:49.88
He'll feed us now. The plagues
again are appeals to give our
00:19:49.92\00:19:52.89
heart to him a second time.
Surrender your body to him.
00:19:52.92\00:19:55.69
Surrender your finances to him.
Verse 4 of Revelation 16: And
00:19:55.72\00:19:59.66
the third angel poured out
his vial upon the rivers and
00:19:59.69\00:20:01.93
fountains of waters; and they
became blood. Verse 5: And I
00:20:01.96\00:20:05.90
heard the angel of the waters
say, Thou art righteous, O
00:20:05.93\00:20:07.27
Lord, which art, and wast,
and shall be, because thou has
00:20:07.30\00:20:11.17
judged thus. Why would God
choose to now turn the fresh
00:20:11.21\00:20:15.31
water to blood. Can you
imagine what that would be?
00:20:15.34\00:20:18.25
How terrible, you know,
it would be for someone to go
00:20:18.28\00:20:21.62
into their house, maybe their
kitchen. They turn on the tap
00:20:21.65\00:20:24.02
and blood comes out. And they
think, Oh my! But you see God
00:20:24.05\00:20:27.59
has a purpose for this. He
goes on, and he tells us. Why
00:20:27.62\00:20:31.16
would he turn drinking water
to blood? It says in verse 6:
00:20:31.19\00:20:34.60
But they have shed the blood
of saints and prophets, and
00:20:34.63\00:20:36.77
thou hast given them blood
to drink; for they are worthy.
00:20:36.80\00:20:40.30
You have to say no matter
what squeeze is put on me from
00:20:40.34\00:20:44.01
friends or anything else, my
eyes are on Jesus. My heart is
00:20:44.04\00:20:47.01
with him. Jeremiah 12 and
verse 5: If thou hast run with
00:20:47.04\00:20:49.94
the footmen, and they have
wearied thee, then how canst
00:20:49.98\00:20:51.41
thou contend with horses?
and if in the land of peace,
00:20:51.45\00:20:54.42
wherein thou trusted, they
wearied thee, then how wilt
00:20:54.45\00:20:56.79
thou do in the swelling of
Jordan? What is the prophet?
00:20:56.82\00:20:58.79
saying? He's saying if you're
racing against the footmen and
00:20:58.82\00:21:00.56
you're getting tired, what
are you going to do when you get
00:21:00.59\00:21:03.36
to race against the horses?
Right? Jeremiah is saying if
00:21:03.39\00:21:05.43
live in a time of peace,
it's difficult for you to take a
00:21:05.46\00:21:08.26
stand for God, what are
you going to do when the crisis
00:21:08.30\00:21:10.83
breaks? That's what he's
really saying there. So, if we
00:21:10.87\00:21:16.14
can't be true to God in a time
of peace and prosperity, what
00:21:16.17\00:21:19.17
are we going to do when the
trials come? You know people
00:21:19.21\00:21:22.28
come to this seminar, friends
and when they do, they'll say
00:21:22.31\00:21:24.65
boy, things are going okay and
I wanted to start keeping the
00:21:24.68\00:21:27.88
Sabbath and I wanted to
start, you know, getting my diet
00:21:27.92\00:21:30.45
under control, and these kinds
of things and then all of a
00:21:30.49\00:21:31.85
sudden I've got all these
people giving me a hard time
00:21:31.89\00:21:34.49
and persecuting me, and my
friends don't want me. Friends
00:21:34.52\00:21:37.53
I want you to know that God
puts us through the laboratory
00:21:37.56\00:21:40.36
of human experience, and he
does it so we build muscles of
00:21:40.40\00:21:43.77
faith, right? He wants
us to build strong spiritual
00:21:43.80\00:21:45.93
muscles. If everything went
great all the time, we would
00:21:45.97\00:21:48.64
not get strong as Christians.
If we never had any kind of
00:21:48.67\00:21:51.31
opposition, you wouldn't
learn how to stand up to that
00:21:51.34\00:21:54.71
opposition. If you were going
to go to the Olympics and pick
00:21:54.74\00:21:58.85
any category of sport, it
doesn't really matter, let's
00:21:58.88\00:22:02.52
just say weight lifting.
If you knew that you were
00:22:02.55\00:22:04.95
going to have to press
500 pounds above your head in
00:22:04.99\00:22:07.26
order to have any kind of
chance during that competition,
00:22:07.29\00:22:09.82
when are you actually going
to start training? The week
00:22:09.86\00:22:13.60
before? Right? No. These
athletes start years before,
00:22:13.63\00:22:17.77
right? They know that test is
coming. They know what they're
00:22:17.80\00:22:20.67
going to have to go through
and they start a long time
00:22:20.70\00:22:23.41
off. And so it is, friends. God
puts us through the laboratory
00:22:23.44\00:22:25.77
of human experience, so we
build the strong muscles of
00:22:25.81\00:22:28.54
faith, because we know he
knows that the trial is going
00:22:28.58\00:22:31.78
to come and he wants us to
stay true to God in that time.
00:22:31.81\00:22:35.75
Maybe you've learned
some things right here in this
00:22:35.78\00:22:38.85
seminar that have caused you
to make some decisions in your
00:22:38.89\00:22:41.36
life that at times it's going
to cause some economic trial,
00:22:41.39\00:22:44.99
right? You want to keep the
Sabbath and you may have had
00:22:45.03\00:22:49.10
to sacrifice a job at the
beginning to do that. But the
00:22:49.13\00:22:51.97
Bible says I've never seen
the righteous forsaken nor his
00:22:52.00\00:22:54.27
seed begging bread. Amen.
That's Psalm 37:25. I claimed
00:22:54.30\00:22:57.54
that for my own life when I
went through that trial. But
00:22:57.57\00:23:00.71
these are little tests that
God gives us now so we can lift
00:23:00.74\00:23:03.28
the barbells of faith and make
strong spiritual muscles. Back
00:23:03.31\00:23:06.05
to Revelation 16, verse 7:
And I heard another out of the
00:23:06.08\00:23:08.82
altar say, Even so, Lord
God Almighty, true and righteous
00:23:08.85\00:23:11.82
are thy judgments. Verse
8. And the fourth angel poured
00:23:11.85\00:23:15.46
out his vial upon the sun;
and power was given unto him to
00:23:15.49\00:23:18.23
scorch men with fire. And men
were scorched with great heat,
00:23:18.26\00:23:22.36
and blasphemed the name
of God, which had power over
00:23:22.40\00:23:24.47
these plagues: and they
repented not to give him
00:23:24.50\00:23:27.17
glory. So, what significance
would that plague have right
00:23:27.24\00:23:30.64
there? Well, we go back to the
time of ancient Egypt and back
00:23:30.67\00:23:34.54
in the time of ancient
Egypt when God poured 10 plagues
00:23:34.58\00:23:37.15
down upon that land a lot
of the things he plagued them
00:23:37.18\00:23:40.62
with were things that
they worshipped, right? They
00:23:40.65\00:23:43.05
worshipped the Nile, and he put
a plague upon the Nile, so it
00:23:43.08\00:23:45.32
turned to blood, and it smelled
horrible, too. They worshipped
00:23:45.35\00:23:48.32
insects. He plagued them with
insects. They worshipped the
00:23:48.36\00:23:50.99
sun. He put a plague upon the
sun. I'm not saying that they
00:23:51.03\00:23:52.93
worshipped everything
that he plagued them with. But
00:23:52.96\00:23:56.23
certainly God...Egypt was
attacked at the time of the
00:23:56.26\00:23:58.83
plagues with things that
they put their trust in. And God
00:23:58.87\00:24:01.24
was saying don't put your
trust in those things, right?
00:24:01.27\00:24:04.17
Paul says in Romans, they
put...they started to worship
00:24:04.21\00:24:06.84
the creation rather than the
Creator. So, nevertheless now
00:24:06.88\00:24:11.21
we have a plague upon the sun
in the latter time of earth's
00:24:11.25\00:24:17.02
history. Do you know the
sun has always had a very, very
00:24:17.05\00:24:20.69
prominent part in false
worship? From the time of
00:24:20.72\00:24:22.49
Nimrod all the way down
through time, right to our very
00:24:22.52\00:24:25.49
day. And there are people
in lands all across this world,
00:24:25.53\00:24:28.63
sometimes it's subtle and
sometimes it's more noticeable
00:24:28.66\00:24:31.77
but they give honor to the
sun. And God in the last days
00:24:31.80\00:24:35.24
of earth's history is
shining the full spotlight of
00:24:35.27\00:24:38.31
scripture down in our
generation and he's saying,
00:24:38.34\00:24:40.41
No! He's saying give glory to
him who made heaven and earth.
00:24:40.44\00:24:43.85
the sea and all that in them
is. And yet there'll be those
00:24:43.88\00:24:46.98
that insist on holding onto
the day of the sun for their
00:24:47.02\00:24:50.49
worship. When God
shines the understanding of his
00:24:50.52\00:24:53.32
commandment on our generation,
and again, past generations
00:24:53.36\00:24:55.82
didn't always have this
understanding. But today we
00:24:55.86\00:24:58.06
have the Bibles, we have it
in our own language. We have the
00:24:58.09\00:25:02.00
opportunity to look at it and
to see what it says, and when
00:25:02.03\00:25:03.93
people insist on holding onto
the first day of the week when
00:25:03.97\00:25:06.84
they know it's tradition
and it was given originally to
00:25:06.87\00:25:11.37
give honor to the sun God, and
they say no I'm going to hold
00:25:11.41\00:25:14.74
onto it. It's as if God
finally, says you want the sun?
00:25:14.78\00:25:18.08
You want to give honour to the
sun instead of me? He says all
00:25:18.11\00:25:21.62
right, it's the sun
you'll have. And he turns up the
00:25:21.65\00:25:24.05
heat. And this is why he
does this friends. God said unto
00:25:24.09\00:25:30.09
his people, I will put my
laws into their hearts, in their
00:25:30.13\00:25:31.79
minds will I write them.
You know back in the days of
00:25:31.83\00:25:34.86
ancient Egypt, they called
the sun God Ra. In the days of
00:25:34.90\00:25:37.83
Babylon, they called it Bel
Marduk. And the Romans, they
00:25:37.87\00:25:40.50
worshipped the sun god as well
and back here, Ezekiel 8 verse
00:25:40.54\00:25:44.01
16, we see a group of people.
Their faces were toward the
00:25:44.04\00:25:46.07
east, and they worshipped the
sun. This is common. And what
00:25:46.11\00:25:49.18
did God say here in Ezekiel
20 and verse 7? Cast ye away
00:25:49.21\00:25:51.91
every man the abominations
of his eyes, and defile not
00:25:51.95\00:25:54.55
yourselves with the idols
of Egypt. Ezekiel 20 verse 12:
00:25:54.58\00:25:57.19
Moreover, also...which means
in addition to this...I gave
00:25:57.22\00:26:00.76
them my Sabbaths, to be a
sign between me and them. The
00:26:00.79\00:26:03.79
Sabbath was a special
sign between God and his people
00:26:03.83\00:26:06.23
that they might know that I
am the Lord that sanctify them.
00:26:06.26\00:26:09.43
And yet there are still
some that say No. And so if God
00:26:09.46\00:26:15.50
says if you're wedded to the
day of the sun, you've passed
00:26:15.54\00:26:18.34
laws in honour of the day of
the sun, so I will give you the
00:26:18.37\00:26:22.58
sun. Well, what does this
teach us? All true worship has
00:26:22.61\00:26:29.48
to be centered in the Creator.
Right? All true worship is
00:26:29.52\00:26:34.22
found only in Jesus. Back
to Revelation 16 verse 10: And
00:26:34.26\00:26:38.09
the fifth angel poured out
his vial upon the seat of the
00:26:38.13\00:26:40.13
beast, and his kingdom
was full of darkness, and they
00:26:40.16\00:26:42.53
gnawed their tongues for
pain, and blasphemed the God of
00:26:42.56\00:26:45.67
heaven because of their pains
and their sores, and repented
00:26:45.70\00:26:47.44
not of their deeds. Now
here's where things really get
00:26:47.47\00:26:50.47
fascinating. Darkness has
been poured on the seat of the
00:26:50.51\00:26:52.61
beast, right? Men and
women have been deceived into
00:26:52.64\00:26:56.41
following the traditions of
that power. They've looked to
00:26:56.44\00:26:59.71
the beast, they've looked to
the papacy, for light and for
00:26:59.75\00:27:04.15
worship and now in the place
when they looked for worship
00:27:04.19\00:27:07.86
and instructions, what do
they see? Nothing but darkness,
00:27:07.89\00:27:11.69
right? Nothing but darkness.
The darkness that is there
00:27:11.73\00:27:15.70
physically represents the
spiritual darkness that they
00:27:15.73\00:27:18.70
have been spreading for
hundreds and hundreds of years.
00:27:18.73\00:27:21.80
And so he takes this institution
called the papacy, and he puts
00:27:21.84\00:27:26.27
a plague especially upon
it. That dense darkness, oh
00:27:26.31\00:27:30.65
friends, it's going to be
horrible when that takes place.
00:27:30.68\00:27:33.28
You do not want to be part
of that kingdom when that takes
00:27:33.31\00:27:36.28
place. People who have been
looking at that institution for
00:27:36.32\00:27:42.82
years and years and years,
then they finally see they've
00:27:42.86\00:27:46.06
been looking in the wrong
direction, right? God says:
00:27:46.09\00:27:50.87
Thy word is a lamp unto my
feet and a what? Light unto my
00:27:50.90\00:27:53.97
path. It's a dangerous thing
when God sheds his light upon
00:27:54.00\00:27:57.97
our path not to walk in it.
When God sheds that light in
00:27:58.01\00:28:01.21
our path, he's saying I'm
giving you a privilege to have
00:28:01.24\00:28:03.58
truth and walk in that truth.
You know, Jesus said that in
00:28:03.61\00:28:07.92
John, didn't he? John 12.
He says walk while the light is
00:28:07.95\00:28:10.59
with you lest that light turn
to darkness. Back to Amos 8.
00:28:10.62\00:28:13.86
Did you know a famine is
coming friends: Behold the
00:28:13.89\00:28:15.99
days come, saith the Lord God,
that I will send a famine in
00:28:16.02\00:28:17.96
the land, not a famine of
bread, nor a thirst for water,
00:28:17.99\00:28:20.66
but of hearing the what? Words
of the Lord. Verse 12: And they
00:28:20.70\00:28:25.53
shall wander from sea to sea,
and from the north, even to the
00:28:25.57\00:28:26.94
East, they shall run to
and for to seek the word of the
00:28:26.97\00:28:29.27
Lord, and shall not find it.
A famine of indifference. They
00:28:29.30\00:28:34.51
could have known, they could
have understood. They had the
00:28:34.54\00:28:38.91
opportunity to learn when
God's word was available, but
00:28:38.95\00:28:40.82
they turned from the teachings
of the Bible to the traditions
00:28:40.85\00:28:44.49
of men. And now, when this verse
takes place at the time that
00:28:44.52\00:28:49.52
it occurs, we have two classes
Of people who have developed.
00:28:49.56\00:28:52.46
And the two classes are these:
Those who fully accepted the
00:28:52.49\00:28:55.56
Word of God with their heart,
and those that accepted the
00:28:55.60\00:28:58.60
word of man. Those that
accepted the Word of God
00:28:58.63\00:29:01.67
accepted the true commandments
of God. Those that accepted
00:29:01.70\00:29:04.21
the word of man, they will
accept the traditions of man
00:29:04.24\00:29:06.07
in place of it. Those that
accept the commandments of God
00:29:06.11\00:29:08.74
will accept God's true
Sabbath and his seal of his
00:29:08.78\00:29:12.55
whole law in our hearts. Those
that accept the traditions of
00:29:12.58\00:29:15.85
man, they will insist
on rebelling against that,
00:29:15.88\00:29:18.42
and they'll receive
the mark of the beast.
00:29:18.45\00:29:20.92
And the Bible says they'll
00:29:20.96\00:29:22.32
wander to and fro from
the North to the east. They're
00:29:22.36\00:29:24.56
going to say, Oh, what is
the truth. They'll be too late
00:29:24.59\00:29:27.06
during that time. What a
tragedy it would be to come
00:29:27.10\00:29:30.67
Right up to that time, and
say what is truth, but it's too
00:29:30.70\00:29:35.74
late. When they could have
known. When we have Bibles by
00:29:35.77\00:29:39.44
the millions and opportunity
galore. But they put it off
00:29:39.47\00:29:43.04
and they put it off, and
they put it off until finally
00:29:43.08\00:29:48.58
probation closed. Back in the
days of Noah, there was a time
00:29:48.62\00:29:54.82
before the flood, when
Noah built the ark, I mean, the
00:29:54.86\00:29:58.69
ramp was there, the door
was there. Everything was there
00:29:58.73\00:30:02.26
for people to get in. Noah was
still preaching. Probation was
00:30:02.30\00:30:07.50
open. But finally, the food
was all in, and the animals had
00:30:07.54\00:30:12.41
gotten in, and Noah was
preaching his last sermon, and
00:30:12.44\00:30:15.54
he says you know my family's
getting in. Is there anybody
00:30:15.58\00:30:19.45
else? Nobody moved. And Noah
said, Well, I'm getting in, and
00:30:19.48\00:30:25.65
he walked up that ramp
and some hand from heaven came
00:30:25.69\00:30:28.79
down and closed that massive
door, and when that door closed
00:30:28.82\00:30:33.19
those that were in were in
and those that were out were out
00:30:33.23\00:30:35.50
and there was no changing
sides. That was it. Probation
00:30:35.53\00:30:38.83
closed for the time of those
people. Now, those of you who
00:30:38.87\00:30:43.44
know your Bibles, help me
out here. When the door of that
00:30:43.47\00:30:47.48
ark shut did the rains come
that day? No, they didn't. You
00:30:47.51\00:30:51.08
know this. So the rains
came how many days later? Seven
00:30:51.11\00:30:54.08
days later. So Noah was safe
and his family was safe under
00:30:54.12\00:30:57.45
the protective care of God.
Probation had closed, but the
00:30:57.49\00:31:01.09
rain had not come, the
destruction had not come yet,
00:31:01.12\00:31:03.59
but they had to go through
seven days, I'm sure, of trial
00:31:03.63\00:31:08.56
and mocking. Can you imagine
all of those people? The sun
00:31:08.60\00:31:10.60
still shining, no clouds
yet and they're banging on the
00:31:10.63\00:31:13.30
side of that ark, saying Noah
you terrible fool, right? Come
00:31:13.34\00:31:16.44
on out of there. But they
stayed. They trusted God, and
00:31:16.47\00:31:21.54
God finally brought their
deliverance. So Noah entered
00:31:21.58\00:31:25.71
that ark under the protection
of God and God now puts his
00:31:25.75\00:31:28.68
people in an ark of protection
so to speak. He's got his
00:31:28.72\00:31:32.05
angels all around them
protecting them, as you read
00:31:32.09\00:31:35.82
in Psalm 91. And now it is not
seven days they go through, but
00:31:35.86\00:31:39.06
seven last plagues they go
through before finally Jesus
00:31:39.09\00:31:43.20
comes. But we go back to
Revelation 16 verse 12. And it
00:31:43.23\00:31:47.10
says: And the sixth angel
poured out his vial upon the
00:31:47.14\00:31:48.97
great river Euphrates, and
the water thereof was dried up,
00:31:49.00\00:31:51.87
that the way of the kings
of the east might be prepared.
00:31:51.91\00:31:54.34
And I saw three unclean.
spirits like frogs come out of
00:31:54.38\00:31:57.15
out of the mouth of the
dragon, and out of the mouth
00:31:57.18\00:31:58.51
of the beast, and out of
the mouth of the false prophet.
00:31:58.55\00:32:00.78
For they are the spirits
of devils, working miracles,
00:32:00.82\00:32:03.05
which go forth unto the kings
of the earth and of the whole
00:32:03.08\00:32:05.45
world, to gather them to
the battle of that great day of
00:32:05.49\00:32:08.26
God Almighty. Behold, I come
as a thief. Blessed is he that
00:32:08.29\00:32:13.60
watches and keeps his
garments, lest he walk naked,
00:32:13.63\00:32:16.13
and they see his shame. And
he gathered them together into a
00:32:16.16\00:32:19.27
place called in the Hebrew
tongue Armageddon. Have you
00:32:19.30\00:32:22.00
ever wondered how to make
sense out of that passage?
00:32:22.07\00:32:24.74
What is so amazing to me
is that with so many people
00:32:24.91\00:32:29.04
trying to say they want to
know what Revelation is, they
00:32:29.08\00:32:32.95
take those four verses and
they apply them in an overly
00:32:32.98\00:32:36.85
literal manner to the
actual drying up of the actual,
00:32:36.89\00:32:40.16
excuse me, the literal River
Euphrates. In the book Late
00:32:40.19\00:32:43.39
Great Planet Earth, the author
there says that there's this
00:32:43.43\00:32:46.96
River Euphrates, that's
over there, and he says that
00:32:47.00\00:32:51.03
there's a 200-million-man army
in China, and they're going to
00:32:51.07\00:32:53.37
march over into Israel,
but they got to wait for the
00:32:53.40\00:32:56.04
Euphrates River to dry up and
then China can go on the move.
00:32:56.07\00:32:59.27
I guess someone failed to
tell him that China is a nuclear
00:32:59.31\00:33:04.68
power. They've got jets.
They've got aeroplanes. They've
00:33:04.71\00:33:08.05
got technology. I think China
could get over a river, don't
00:33:08.08\00:33:10.69
you? You see, when you take it
in an overly literal sense, it
00:33:10.72\00:33:15.46
doesn't make sense. So, if
United States can fly its army
00:33:15.49\00:33:20.40
halfway around the world
to the gulf when it wants to,
00:33:20.43\00:33:22.43
China could build a bridge,
right? And they're built much
00:33:22.46\00:33:25.70
better than that. So, it
doesn't make sense when you
00:33:25.73\00:33:29.40
just apply it in a literal
way. So let me share with you,
00:33:29.44\00:33:31.04
time doesn't allow me to
go into great detail here, but
00:33:31.07\00:33:33.51
let me share with you how
prophecy works here. Many of
00:33:33.54\00:33:37.35
the events that are in the Old
Testament are fulfilled in the
00:33:37.38\00:33:41.55
Old Testament in a literal and
local basis to literal Israel,
00:33:41.58\00:33:45.39
God's people then are
fulfilled again in the New
00:33:45.42\00:33:49.69
Testament to a different
Israel, spiritual Israel, in a
00:33:49.72\00:33:55.16
worldwide sense at the end
of time. So let me give you some
00:33:55.20\00:33:58.47
examples here. Ancient
Israel on the left and spiritual
00:33:58.50\00:34:01.60
Israel, God's church, on
the right. Ancient Israel is
00:34:01.64\00:34:06.01
persecuted by literal Babylon,
Jeremiah 50:33,34; but spiritual
00:34:06.04\00:34:10.01
Israel, his church, is
also persecuted by a type of
00:34:10.05\00:34:12.35
Babylon, a spiritual Babylon,
Revelation 17:6. Ancient
00:34:12.38\00:34:15.98
Israel is forced to worship a
00:34:16.02\00:34:17.35
real, literal image in Daniel
3:13, but the church is also
00:34:17.39\00:34:19.82
forced to worship a type
of image in Revelation 13:15.
00:34:19.85\00:34:25.16
Ancient Babylon was called
Babylon the Great, Daniel 4:30;
00:34:25.19\00:34:28.83
but there's another Babylon the
Great in Revelation 17 verse 5,
00:34:28.86\00:34:31.17
a spiritual one. Ancient
Babylon sat on the many waters,
00:34:31.20\00:34:35.27
Jeremiah 51:13,14; and there's
another Babylon sitting on the
00:34:35.30\00:34:38.94
waters, Revelation 17:1.
Ancient Israel is rescued by
00:34:38.97\00:34:42.34
the drying up on the Euphrates,
Isaiah 44:27,28; and yet the
00:34:42.38\00:34:46.45
church is also rescued by a
type of drying up on the river
00:34:46.48\00:34:48.78
in Revelation 16:12.
Ancient Israel was called out of
00:34:48.82\00:34:52.79
literal Babylon there in
Jeremiah 51:6-8; and there's
00:34:52.82\00:34:57.09
another calling out of Babylon,
Revelation 18:4. We'll look at
00:34:57.13\00:34:59.59
that on a future session.
The Rescuer of ancient Israel is
00:34:59.63\00:35:03.70
called "the anointed." It was
Cyrus the Great in Isaiah 45:1;
00:35:03.73\00:35:07.10
but there's another Rescuer
of Israel called "the anointed."
00:35:07.14\00:35:09.07
That's Jesus in Daniel 9:24,
and both of them are said to
00:35:09.10\00:35:12.24
come from the east. Cyrus in
Isaiah 42:1,25; and of course,
00:35:12.27\00:35:16.95
Jesus will come from the
east in Matthew 24 and verse 27.
00:35:16.98\00:35:20.12
It's an amazing parallel
between what happened to
00:35:20.15\00:35:23.59
ancient Israel and what happens
to spiritual Israel in the book
00:35:23.62\00:35:27.02
of Revelation. There are other
astonishing parallels here,
00:35:27.06\00:35:29.59
but that's enough just to
get the point across here.
00:35:29.62\00:35:31.23
John sees three unclean spirits
coming out. The fact that
00:35:31.26\00:35:35.16
they're unclean shows that
they're demonic spirits, right?
00:35:35.20\00:35:39.10
Demonic power, and they're
working miracles, so it's
00:35:39.13\00:35:43.74
miracle-working power through
demonic spirits. It's shows
00:35:43.77\00:35:46.64
you who's associated with
it. And the prophecy says to us
00:35:46.68\00:35:50.25
that the River Euphrates is
going to dry up. So Revelation
00:35:50.28\00:35:54.92
then, with amazing accuracy
applies the dusty history of
00:35:54.95\00:36:01.96
the Old Testament to the
New Testament time and there's
00:36:01.99\00:36:05.26
going to be another type
of Babylon and another type of
00:36:05.29\00:36:08.83
of deliverance and another
type of Israel and another
00:36:08.86\00:36:14.14
type of Euphrates and
another drying up on the River
00:36:14.17\00:36:15.90
Euphrates. Striking here what
Revelation does. So let's take
00:36:15.94\00:36:19.67
a look at what happened here.
The Greek historian Herodotus
00:36:19.71\00:36:24.31
describes the overthrow of
ancient Babylon. Here we have
00:36:24.35\00:36:27.25
an artist's conception of
what the city might have looked
00:36:27.28\00:36:29.62
like. And Cyrus led his forces
by Darius the Mede, and they
00:36:29.65\00:36:34.79
came upon these mighty walls
of Babylon. Babylon sat there
00:36:34.82\00:36:40.00
thinking they're secure because
their walls were so high and
00:36:40.03\00:36:42.10
so thick an army could not
penetrate them. They had an
00:36:42.13\00:36:44.97
enormous amount of food stocked
up inside. They had the fresh
00:36:45.00\00:36:49.10
water Euphrates runs through
it so they had the drinking
00:36:49.14\00:36:51.41
water that they needed. So,
they thought nobody can come
00:36:51.44\00:36:53.81
against us. So the forces
of Persia and the Medes come
00:36:53.84\00:36:56.58
again. They look at those
walls. They say no, we're not
00:36:56.61\00:36:59.58
not going to attack it
that way. And they set their
00:36:59.61\00:37:00.95
engineering corps to work
and according to the historian
00:37:00.98\00:37:04.69
they were able to divert
the water away from its normal
00:37:04.72\00:37:07.42
channel, and when the water
level dropped. What was going
00:37:07.46\00:37:10.46
on inside of Babylon? They were
having a drunken party, right?
00:37:10.49\00:37:13.56
They thought nobody can touch
us. We're safe here of any kind
00:37:13.60\00:37:19.57
siege an army could put
around this city. So they have a
00:37:19.60\00:37:23.77
drunken party inside. They
think they're safe. And now
00:37:23.81\00:37:28.38
when the river level drops, the
armies go through that lowered
00:37:28.41\00:37:31.95
water, and they go underneath
the inner river gate and
00:37:31.98\00:37:34.38
rather than being years
and years-long siege mighty
00:37:34.42\00:37:37.55
Babylon fell in one night,
one night. So again Revelation
00:37:37.59\00:37:44.13
picks up on this with what we
call stunning apocalyptic force
00:37:44.16\00:37:46.83
and it's saying there's
going to be another drying up,
00:37:46.86\00:37:51.00
Revelation 14 verse 8 says
there's going to be another
00:37:51.03\00:37:53.74
Babylon that's going to fall.
Now this is, of course, not
00:37:53.77\00:37:56.71
talking about ancient
Babylon, but a different kind of
00:37:56.74\00:37:59.37
Babylon. Back to Revelation
16 for a moment, verse 14: For
00:37:59.41\00:38:04.25
they are the spirits of devils,
working miracles, which go
00:38:04.28\00:38:07.12
forth unto the kings of the
earth and of the whole world.
00:38:07.15\00:38:08.95
So, what do the demons do?
They go forth to the rulers of
00:38:08.98\00:38:13.89
the world, false miracles are
worked, the rulers are deceived
00:38:13.92\00:38:18.29
into thinking that God is with
these false miracles, so they
00:38:18.33\00:38:22.43
give their allegiance unto the
beast power, who is associated
00:38:22.46\00:38:27.54
with these miracles. And
once they do that, friends, they
00:38:27.57\00:38:32.34
have given their allegiance
over to a combination church/
00:38:32.37\00:38:37.08
state system here. And what
is the result of that? We've
00:38:37.11\00:38:40.42
already taken up in our
seminar, but God's people will
00:38:40.45\00:38:43.45
again be oppressed. The
spiritual Babylonians, those
00:38:43.49\00:38:46.25
who have united together in
what we call apostate religion,
00:38:46.29\00:38:51.09
false doctrine, religion,
they oppress God's people. The
00:38:51.13\00:38:55.43
Bible says Babylon is fallen,
is fallen. I'll give you a
00:38:55.46\00:38:56.80
quick review here if you
weren't here just the other
00:38:56.83\00:38:58.50
night, if you think this is
good. In this book, The Keys of
00:38:58.53\00:39:01.87
this Blood, the insider Jesuit
Malachi Martin writes on the
00:39:01.90\00:39:05.57
goals of the papacy, and he
says, and this is going back
00:39:05.61\00:39:08.64
to the time of John Paul
II, But the next popes just
00:39:08.68\00:39:11.85
further the agenda of previous
popes, but they say: John
00:39:11.88\00:39:15.58
Paul's goal is a geopolitical
structure for the society of
00:39:15.62\00:39:16.99
nations designed and
maintained according to the
00:39:17.02\00:39:18.92
ethical plans and doctrinal
outlines of Christianity as
00:39:18.95\00:39:21.69
taught and propagated,
propagated means to spread
00:39:21.72\00:39:25.06
abroad, by the Roman Pontiff
as the earthly vicar of Christ.
00:39:25.09\00:39:27.96
So, they're saying that the
goal of the papacy is to have
00:39:28.00\00:39:31.77
a worldwide structure that's
designed to maintain according
00:39:31.80\00:39:34.74
to the ethics and teachings of
the papacy. Then a more recent
00:39:34.77\00:39:39.07
Pope said: Pope Benedict XVI
today called for the reforming
00:39:39.11\00:39:43.08
of the United Nations,
establishing a true world
00:39:43.11\00:39:45.35
political authority...same
idea...with real teeth...
00:39:45.38\00:39:50.49
meaning they can enforce
what they desire...to manage the
00:39:50.52\00:39:51.85
global economy with God-
centered ethics. He said it
00:39:51.89\00:39:54.92
would need to be universally
recognized...all the nations...
00:39:54.96\00:40:00.23
and be invested with the
effective power. In other words,
00:40:00.26\00:40:02.00
they can do as they desire
to do. And here, 2011, it says:
00:40:02.03\00:40:08.34
The Vatican called for
the a global authority on the
00:40:08.37\00:40:10.41
economy. The Vatican called
on Monday for the establishment
00:40:10.44\00:40:12.67
of a global public authority
and a central world bank to
00:40:12.71\00:40:16.24
rule over financial institutions
that have become outdated and
00:40:16.28\00:40:19.01
often ineffective in dealing
fairly with crises. What are
00:40:19.05\00:40:22.78
banks controlling? The buying
and the what? The selling,
00:40:22.82\00:40:24.75
sure. He said:
00:40:24.79\00:40:26.96
Of course, this transformation
will be made at the cost of a
00:40:26.99\00:40:29.09
gradual, balanced transfer of
a part of each nation's powers
00:40:29.12\00:40:32.89
to a world authority and to
regional authorities, but this
00:40:32.93\00:40:35.76
is necessary. What world
authority is he talking about?
00:40:35.80\00:40:38.10
Of course, he's talking
about the Vatican. What does
00:40:38.13\00:40:41.57
Revelation say about it? He
says: These have one mind...
00:40:41.60\00:40:46.84
The nations, the rulers,
the kings have one mind. That
00:40:46.88\00:40:49.54
means they have one purpose...
They give their power and
00:40:49.58\00:40:51.71
strength unto the what? The
beast. So they're giving their
00:40:51.75\00:40:55.92
allegiance over because they
see the miracles worked, they
00:40:55.95\00:40:57.89
believe that God is leading
this power and they're deceived
00:40:57.92\00:41:00.42
by it, and so they say okay
we'll support you. Revelation
00:41:00.46\00:41:04.89
said it this way in Revelation
13 verse 7: and power was
00:41:04.93\00:41:08.86
given him over all kindreds,
and tongues, and nations.
00:41:08.90\00:41:12.07
They're deceived by the means
of those miracles which he had
00:41:12.10\00:41:15.40
power to do in the sight of
the beast saying to them that
00:41:15.44\00:41:18.31
dwell on the earth...So,
they're going to say to those
00:41:18.34\00:41:21.34
because of these miracles, this
is the path that they're going
00:41:21.38\00:41:24.78
to take. Now we go back to
Revelation 17. Revelation 17
00:41:24.81\00:41:28.38
is really a magnification
of the events of Revelation 13,
00:41:28.42\00:41:30.32
the latter events. Verse 14, it
says: These shall make war with
00:41:30.35\00:41:34.82
the Lamb, and the Lamb shall
overcome them: for he is Lord
00:41:34.86\00:41:38.96
of lords, and King of kings:
and they that are with him are
00:41:38.99\00:41:41.56
called, and chosen and faithful.
Isn't it good to know who's
00:41:41.60\00:41:44.47
going to win the battle ahead
of time? The Bible's saying
00:41:44.50\00:41:47.97
that Jesus is going to win.
And again, that's good to know
00:41:48.00\00:41:51.27
because we can win with him,
right? We just have to make sure
00:41:51.31\00:41:54.61
we're on the right side in
all of this. So, when earthly
00:41:54.64\00:41:58.41
governments are going to make
war with the Lamb, Jesus is in
00:41:58.45\00:42:02.82
heaven. So, how are they
going to make war with the
00:42:02.85\00:42:04.62
Lamb when Jesus is in heaven?
Jesus says, you touch my people,
00:42:04.65\00:42:08.09
you touch the apple of my eye.
You touch the church, it's as
00:42:08.12\00:42:13.40
if you're warring against Jesus
himself. So these verses in
00:42:13.43\00:42:17.50
Revelation 13 and Revelation
17, they're describing to us a
00:42:17.53\00:42:19.97
short and apparent victory
for the beast, right? False
00:42:20.00\00:42:26.27
religion is supported by
the people. They come against
00:42:26.31\00:42:29.41
God's people, and then verse
15 says, we just read verse 13
00:42:29.44\00:42:34.28
and 14. Verse 15 says: And
the waters which thou sawest,
00:42:34.32\00:42:37.82
where the whore sitteth,
are peoples, and multitudes, and
00:42:37.85\00:42:40.26
nations, and tongues. When you
first read it in that context
00:42:40.29\00:42:43.93
it almost seems out of place.
He's talking about warring and
00:42:43.96\00:42:48.46
oppressing and kings and horns
and all these things, and all
00:42:48.50\00:42:50.57
of a sudden, he talks
about what water represents. It
00:42:50.60\00:42:53.67
seems at first a little
out of place, but actually it's
00:42:53.70\00:42:56.50
perfectly placed, and we expect
it would be. In the midst of
00:42:56.54\00:43:01.01
it all God tells us about
the waters and what the waters
00:43:01.04\00:43:04.78
represent. Well, let's go
find out again. What was taking
00:43:04.81\00:43:08.05
place previous to this? In
Revelation 17 verse 1, he says:
00:43:08.08\00:43:11.09
Come hither, and I will
show thee the judgment of the
00:43:11.12\00:43:12.55
great whore...that is that
big false system of religion...
00:43:12.59\00:43:16.29
that sits upon many what?
Waters. So she's sitting on
00:43:16.32\00:43:20.20
a multitude of people that are
giving her support. The reason
00:43:20.23\00:43:25.97
she's buoyed up into the
position she has is because
00:43:26.00\00:43:27.87
the multitudes of people are
deceived into giving this power
00:43:27.90\00:43:32.54
their allegiance. So that's
why she's pictured as sitting
00:43:32.57\00:43:35.04
upon it. And then when we're
told that the waters represent
00:43:35.08\00:43:37.75
these multitudes of people,
it looks for a short time like
00:43:37.78\00:43:41.12
evil is going to triumph.
They're told that by forming
00:43:41.15\00:43:46.92
this union it's going to
solve the world's problems. In
00:43:46.96\00:43:50.06
order to do that, we need to
pass laws. So let's just pass
00:43:50.09\00:43:52.83
this law and legislate Sunday.
We've gone through this in a
00:43:52.86\00:43:56.40
previous session, haven't we?
They're going to say if all of
00:43:56.43\00:43:59.23
the churches just unite
together, and the state is
00:43:59.27\00:44:01.84
approving of it, everybody's
going to worship on the first
00:44:01.87\00:44:03.77
day of the week, and if we do
that then God will come and heal
00:44:03.81\00:44:07.14
our land, right? God will bless
and bring peace where we've
00:44:07.18\00:44:10.05
had such chaos. And what does
it tell us in Revelation 16:12?
00:44:10.08\00:44:14.55
And the sixth angel poured out
his vial upon the great river
00:44:14.58\00:44:17.05
Euphrates, and the water
thereof is going to do what?
00:44:17.09\00:44:20.16
Dry up. What is it telling us?
It's telling us the support of
00:44:20.19\00:44:24.99
Babylon is going to dissipate.
Why did it dissipate? What was
00:44:25.03\00:44:31.33
the previous plague.
The previous plague was when
00:44:31.37\00:44:34.94
darkness fell upon the seat of
the beast. They've been giving
00:44:34.97\00:44:38.17
the beast their support.
They've been giving the beast
00:44:38.21\00:44:40.41
their allegiance and now
all of a sudden, when they think
00:44:40.44\00:44:43.21
things are going to get better,
they don't get better, they get
00:44:43.24\00:44:47.72
worse. The plagues start
falling one, two, three, four,
00:44:47.75\00:44:50.69
the fifth plague falls, and it
falls right on the seat of the
00:44:50.72\00:44:54.62
beast. And they now are
looking to that, and what do
00:44:54.66\00:44:56.76
they see? Nothing but darkness
and then finally it dawns on
00:44:56.79\00:45:01.23
them; Oh, we're on the wrong
side! But it's too late as you
00:45:01.26\00:45:09.54
say. They're lost. The plagues
are falling. Out of the sixth
00:45:09.57\00:45:14.51
plague, God is going to dry up
this water. What that means is
00:45:14.54\00:45:15.91
he turns the hearts of
the people right at the last
00:45:15.94\00:45:19.81
against the powers that they
previously supported. And the
00:45:19.85\00:45:25.75
River Euphrates dries up.
Mystery Babylon trusted in her
00:45:25.79\00:45:31.49
Euphrates just as ancient
Babylon trusted in the literal
00:45:31.53\00:45:35.90
Euphrates and they found
out that they could not last. So
00:45:35.93\00:45:40.64
at the moment when millions and
millions of people around the
00:45:40.67\00:45:44.51
world are suddenly enlightened
to the hypocrisy of these
00:45:44.54\00:45:47.18
religious leaders, right,
they see through what was once a
00:45:47.21\00:45:51.45
veil, and now they understand
their misplaced support for a
00:45:51.48\00:45:54.32
false system. That support
vanishes and once again, Babylon
00:45:54.35\00:46:01.26
will be plagued indeed. What
this whole section tells us,
00:46:01.29\00:46:05.66
friends, is that the world
is eventually going to recognize
00:46:05.69\00:46:09.10
false religion for what it
is. They don't know. But in that
00:46:09.13\00:46:13.40
time they're going to be angry
let me tell you. Angry at all
00:46:13.44\00:46:15.07
the lies they've been told.
Angry at the lies of theologians
00:46:15.10\00:46:18.47
and religious leaders have
told them to pacify them, saying
00:46:18.51\00:46:22.34
you don't have to worry about
God's law. It's been changed.
00:46:22.38\00:46:24.65
It's been done away with.
God doesn't care. He's not that
00:46:24.68\00:46:27.88
particular. And all of these
lies that they tell them to try
00:46:27.92\00:46:30.39
to show them that they don't
need to honour the commandments
00:46:30.42\00:46:32.35
and especially that fourth one.
Right? And now what they once
00:46:32.39\00:46:39.19
loved and even worshipped they
hate because they're lost and
00:46:39.23\00:46:42.76
they're suffering the effects
of the plague. Verse 16 of
00:46:42.80\00:46:45.87
Revelation 17: And the ten
horns which thou sawest upon
00:46:45.90\00:46:48.57
the beast, these shall hate the
whore,...this false system...and
00:46:48.60\00:46:51.54
shall make her desolate and
naked, and shall eat her flesh,
00:46:51.57\00:46:53.88
and burn her with fire. Now
they come at her with all their
00:46:53.91\00:46:57.78
fury because they realize how
deceived they've been. For God
00:46:57.81\00:47:00.82
has put in their hearts to
fulfil his will and to agree
00:47:00.85\00:47:03.02
to give their kingdom unto
the beast, so the words of God
00:47:03.05\00:47:07.19
shall be fulfilled. And that
woman which thou sawest is that
00:47:07.22\00:47:10.49
great city which reigns over
the king of the earth. Satan's
00:47:10.53\00:47:14.53
last act is to wipe out the
righteous. Just like Pharaoh
00:47:14.56\00:47:19.13
in his last gasp effort came
against Israel. He says, let's
00:47:19.17\00:47:23.44
get our armies together. Let's
go, let's just wipe them out,
00:47:23.47\00:47:26.94
right. In the same way,
evil at the end, time will do
00:47:26.98\00:47:30.58
something similar. The wicked
are bent on destroying God's
00:47:30.61\00:47:33.68
people. And in the last moments
of time, what do we read? It
00:47:33.72\00:47:36.15
says: He gathered them together
into a place called in the
00:47:36.18\00:47:38.45
Hebrew tongue Armageddon.
Now this word Armageddon is very
00:47:38.49\00:47:41.99
interesting, and people look
at that, and they say oh, I know
00:47:42.02\00:47:43.69
what that's about. That's a
battle over in the middle east
00:47:43.73\00:47:46.09
right? And that has to do with
oil fields over there, right?
00:47:46.13\00:47:50.27
No friends. What would a battle
over in the middle east over
00:47:50.30\00:47:55.30
oil fields have to do with your
salvation and mine? Nothing,
00:47:55.34\00:47:59.17
right? Nothing at all. So, why
does Satan try so hard to get
00:47:59.21\00:48:03.75
people to think that the battle
is all over there? Because they
00:48:03.78\00:48:08.22
miss then what the reality
is in our preparation. God isn't
00:48:08.25\00:48:12.72
interested, friends, about
battles over oil fields. The
00:48:12.75\00:48:16.26
battle of Armageddon is about
the forces of evil mobilizing
00:48:16.29\00:48:19.29
against the forces of good.
All of us here are going to be
00:48:19.33\00:48:22.86
involved if we live long enough.
We'll be involved in the battle
00:48:22.90\00:48:24.60
of Armageddon because the
forces of Christ, the armies of
00:48:24.63\00:48:28.10
Christ against the armies of
Satan and both sides are going
00:48:28.14\00:48:30.81
to be involved, and Satan
is focusing people today on the
00:48:30.84\00:48:34.54
wrong events, right? He's
trying to get them to think, oh
00:48:34.58\00:48:36.64
it's all over there. We don't
need to be worried about that.
00:48:36.68\00:48:39.58
By leading people to think
it's all over in the middle east
00:48:39.61\00:48:41.95
I've been over in the middle
east, where the plane of Megiddo
00:48:41.98\00:48:44.45
is. It's not that big. I don't
even know if you could get all
00:48:44.49\00:48:46.39
the armies of the United States
in that, let alone the armies of
00:48:46.42\00:48:48.56
the world. But Bible
prophecy always focuses on God's
00:48:48.59\00:48:53.93
covenant people, right? In the
Old Testament, it was the nation
00:48:53.96\00:48:56.06
of Israel. In the New Testament
it's his church. But scripture
00:48:56.10\00:49:00.87
is not concerned with military
battles. It's concerned with
00:49:00.90\00:49:02.64
God's people. That's the focus
of the final battle. So it's
00:49:02.67\00:49:06.94
not nation versus nation,
it's man versus God, good versus
00:49:06.98\00:49:10.85
evil, truth versus error.
Revelation 12 verse 17 says:
00:49:10.88\00:49:13.92
The dragon was wroth with the
woman, he went to make, what?
00:49:13.95\00:49:17.12
War with the remnant...Satan
is at war against God's people.
00:49:17.15\00:49:22.42
So, Armageddon is Satan's last
attempt to destroy the remnant
00:49:22.46\00:49:26.06
people of God, just as Pharaoh
had a last attempt to try to
00:49:26.09\00:49:29.70
destroy ancient Israel. Why do
we know that Armageddon is not
00:49:29.73\00:49:33.13
just a battle over there in the
Middle East, that so many people
00:49:33.17\00:49:35.10
write about today, so many
pastors preach about today.
00:49:35.14\00:49:37.14
Well, it says in Revelation
16 in the very chapter, it says
00:49:37.17\00:49:41.68
the battle involves the kings
of the earth and of the whole
00:49:41.71\00:49:44.31
world. So right then, we
know it's not just local.
00:49:44.35\00:49:49.08
Revelation's focus is on temple
in heaven, not on some rebuilt
00:49:49.12\00:49:52.62
Jewish temple on earth, as
people are being told. Number
00:49:52.65\00:49:56.52
The effects of Armageddon
are global, so far beyond the
00:49:56.56\00:49:59.26
middle east. Number 4:
We are to keep our robes of
00:49:59.29\00:50:01.96
righteousness. That's the
key issue! Loyalty to God,
00:50:02.00\00:50:04.43
commitment to our Lord,
King Jesus. And the armies of
00:50:04.47\00:50:08.97
heaven are warring against
Satan and Mystery Babylon.
00:50:09.00\00:50:12.84
So, it's true religion and false
religion, just as it was in the
00:50:12.87\00:50:14.84
days of Elijah, right? Elijah
went up on Mt. Carmel and said,
00:50:14.88\00:50:18.91
Who's on the Lord's side,
right? It's the same today.
00:50:18.95\00:50:20.98
The Lord will have that
same battle. And then verse 15:
00:50:21.02\00:50:24.29
Behold, I come as a thief.
Blessed is he that watches,
00:50:24.32\00:50:26.02
and keeps his garments. So
there again, Armageddon is a
00:50:26.05\00:50:29.12
battle for our minds. It's a
battle for our allegiance. It's
00:50:29.16\00:50:31.93
a battle for our worship.
Basically, it's a battle over
00:50:31.96\00:50:35.03
us. Right? In the last days,
Satan sends out his forces. It
00:50:35.06\00:50:39.93
looks dark, it looks really
dark. Did it look dark for
00:50:39.97\00:50:45.01
Israel when they came
right up against the Red Sea and
00:50:45.04\00:50:47.11
Pharaoh's army was coming in
from behind. It looked like,
boy, this is going to wipe
00:50:47.14\00:50:50.25
us out. Well, during that time,
during these final days, the
00:50:50.28\00:50:55.55
righteous have not accumulated
weapons of war. They don't have
00:50:55.58\00:50:58.19
the big machinery, they don't
have the jets, they don't have
00:50:58.22\00:51:00.79
the tanks. They don't have
all of the modern weaponry that
00:51:00.82\00:51:03.46
worldly powers have. So what
do they have? They've got one
00:51:03.49\00:51:08.90
mighty weapon, and that is their
spiritual relationship with God.
00:51:08.93\00:51:13.13
And because of that, they don't
need any of this worldly armour.
00:51:13.17\00:51:17.31
Right? They've got their
own armor. What is the armour
00:51:17.34\00:51:19.71
according to Ephesians 6? It's
truth, it is righteousness, it
00:51:19.74\00:51:23.51
is the gospel of peace, it is
faith, it is salvation, it's the
00:51:23.55\00:51:26.45
word of God, it is prayer. These
wonderful things taken together
00:51:26.48\00:51:28.85
is the armour that we have
on because of what God give us.
00:51:28.88\00:51:32.09
But we have a relationship with
him that gives it to us. The
00:51:32.12\00:51:35.12
wicked are about ready to
destroy, and in Job 38 and verse
00:51:35.16\00:51:39.49
22, it says this to us: Hast
thou entered into the treasures
00:51:39.53\00:51:42.50
of the snow? or hast thou seen
the treasures of the hail, which
00:51:42.53\00:51:47.07
I have reserved against the
time of trouble, against the day
00:51:47.10\00:51:48.94
of battle and war. What is
the Lord saying to Job. Job have
00:51:48.97\00:51:52.77
you not seen my weaponry. Have
you not seen the hail that I'm
00:51:52.81\00:51:56.98
holding back, I'm reserving it.
He says I'm holding it there,
00:51:57.01\00:51:59.01
I'm reserving till the day
of battle and war. So God's got
00:51:59.05\00:52:03.65
his weaponry doesn't, he?
He's got it held back. Now he's
00:52:03.69\00:52:05.85
going to let it go. Verse
17: And the seventh angel poured
00:52:05.89\00:52:09.22
out his vial into the air; and
there came a voice out of the
00:52:09.26\00:52:11.39
temple of heaven, from the
throne, saying, It is done. So,
00:52:11.43\00:52:15.00
notice again, the focus is not
a rebuilt temple on earth, but a
00:52:15.03\00:52:18.80
temple in heaven. Verse
18: And there were voices, and
00:52:18.83\00:52:21.90
thunders, and lightnings; and
there was a great earthquake,
00:52:21.94\00:52:23.27
such as was not since men were
upon the earth, so mighty an
00:52:23.30\00:52:25.87
earthquake, and so great. And
the great city was divided into
00:52:25.91\00:52:29.34
three parts, and the cities
of the nations fell, and great
00:52:29.38\00:52:31.81
Babylon came in remembrance
before God, to give unto her
00:52:31.85\00:52:34.82
the cup of the wine of the
fierceness of his wrath. Verse
00:52:34.85\00:52:38.32
And every island fled
away, and the mountains were not
00:52:38.35\00:52:40.62
found. Can you imagine an
earthquake that would bring
00:52:40.66\00:52:42.12
that about? We haven't seen
anything yet, friends, like to
00:52:42.16\00:52:46.56
this earthquake. And there fell
upon men a great...here it is...
00:52:46.59\00:52:49.26
hail out of heaven...He said
to Job: Job, I've got it there,
00:52:49.30\00:52:52.73
I'm reserving it. Now God let's
it go...every stone about the
00:52:52.77\00:52:56.37
weight of a talent: and men
blasphemed God because of the
00:52:56.40\00:52:58.97
plague of the hail, for the
plague thereof was exceeding
00:52:59.01\00:53:00.91
great. The earth begins to
shake and tremble. The greatest
00:53:00.94\00:53:03.98
earthquake ever comes. Mountains
and islands are moved out of
00:53:04.01\00:53:06.15
their places. It says, the hail
comes down. Now the weight of
00:53:06.18\00:53:10.25
a talent, that's disputed.
Some say 70 pounds, some say 100
00:53:10.29\00:53:13.72
pounds. I don't care if it's
70 pounds or 100, that's big
00:53:13.76\00:53:16.09
hail, right? Ha, ha. I've seen
what golf ball size hail can
00:53:16.12\00:53:21.00
do to a car, right? It can
demolish a car. Can you imagine
00:53:21.03\00:53:24.57
blocks of ice, 70 pounds coming
down? There'd be nothing left.
00:53:24.60\00:53:27.24
No wonder it says all the cities
are broken down at the time of
00:53:27.27\00:53:31.67
Jesus' coming. Lightning shines
in the east, even to the west.
00:53:31.71\00:53:33.68
There appears a cloud in the
distance. It gets brighter and
00:53:33.71\00:53:36.75
brighter. Jesus is coming. A
King of kings. He's returning
00:53:36.78\00:53:39.68
with the armies of heaven,
right? When Christ descends in
00:53:39.71\00:53:45.15
that day, he's going to
deliver the true Israel from the
00:53:45.19\00:53:50.39
clutches of Babylon. And
which Israel? According to the
00:53:50.43\00:53:58.93
thematic genius of Revelation,
and it is written in an absolute
00:53:58.97\00:54:02.37
genius way, it has to be the
Israel, that is the Israel of
00:54:02.40\00:54:06.44
God. That is Galatians 6:16.
So, the Israel of God is the
00:54:06.47\00:54:13.72
Israel that have their hearts
and minds centered in Christ.
00:54:13.75\00:54:15.12
He is the Saviour, he is the
true Lord, he is the Creator and
00:54:15.15\00:54:20.69
they've allowed Christ to write
his new covenant law in their
00:54:20.72\00:54:24.29
hearts and in their minds
and because of that, their real
00:54:24.33\00:54:28.50
home, their true home is not the
earthly Jerusalem, but the New
00:54:28.53\00:54:32.03
Jerusalem, and that's where
they'll be taken. So Revelation
00:54:32.07\00:54:36.40
let's go through it in a
summary way, shall we? Let's
00:54:36.44\00:54:41.24
put it all together. Jesus'
final end-time message will be
00:54:41.28\00:54:45.11
proclaimed. Millions will
respond to it, and there will be
00:54:45.15\00:54:48.72
many millions that will reject
it. Religion and state are going
00:54:48.75\00:54:52.22
to unite at a time of incredible
crisis. The mark of the beast
00:54:52.25\00:54:55.62
during that time of church and
state uniting will be enforced.
00:54:55.66\00:54:58.99
An economic boycott and death
decree will be passed into law
00:54:59.03\00:55:02.53
trying to force those that
want to be faithful to Jesus to
00:55:02.56\00:55:05.53
compromise their faith. God's
people during that time will
00:55:05.57\00:55:09.70
face large persecution. Every
human being during that time
00:55:09.74\00:55:12.34
will have an opportunity to
accept or reject God's love and
00:55:12.37\00:55:15.11
God's truth, his commandments.
Human probation eventually will
00:55:15.14\00:55:19.21
close, and everyone has
made their choice, and no one is
00:55:19.25\00:55:22.52
changing sides. Their minds
are sealed one way or the other
00:55:22.55\00:55:25.19
with the seal of God or the
mark of the beast. Probation
00:55:25.22\00:55:28.96
closes a second time, the first
time in Noah's day, the second
00:55:28.99\00:55:32.03
time before Jesus comes back.
God will pour out the seven
00:55:32.06\00:55:34.66
last plagues during that time of
tribulation. And then when the
00:55:34.70\00:55:38.20
plagues are ending. God returns
in a blaze of glory as King of
00:55:38.23\00:55:42.54
kings. And folks, I want to
be ready during that time, don't
00:55:42.57\00:55:45.27
you. I want to be one of those
who looks up when Jesus comes
00:55:45.31\00:55:50.05
and says, Lo, this is our God
and we have waited for him and
00:55:50.08\00:55:53.88
he will save us. This is the
Lord, we have waited for him,
00:55:53.92\00:55:57.92
we will be glad and rejoice in
his salvation. I want to be one
00:55:57.95\00:56:01.99
of those that when Jesus comes
in 1 Thessalonians chapter 4
00:56:02.02\00:56:04.69
that look up with glory and
say Oh, this is it. This is the
00:56:04.73\00:56:10.10
event. The Lord himself
will descend from heaven with a
00:56:10.13\00:56:12.17
shout, with the voice of the
archangel, and with the trump
00:56:12.20\00:56:14.10
of God: and the dead in Christ
will rise first: Then we which
00:56:14.14\00:56:17.31
are alive and remain shall be
caught up together with them in
00:56:17.34\00:56:18.94
the clouds, to meet the Lord
in the air: and so shall we ever
00:56:18.97\00:56:23.45
be with the Lord. The first
plague: All physical security
00:56:23.48\00:56:28.98
is found only in Christ.
The second and third plague, all
00:56:29.02\00:56:31.55
economic security is found only
in Christ. The fourth and fifth
00:56:31.59\00:56:35.36
plague, all religious security
is found only in Christ. The
00:56:35.39\00:56:38.89
sixth and seventh plague, our
final deliverance is found and
00:56:38.93\00:56:42.56
our eternal security is found
only in Christ. You know why
00:56:42.60\00:56:49.24
Satan wants so badly to promote
these falsehoods? You know, it's
00:56:49.27\00:56:53.07
all over in the middle east.
You're going to be raptured
00:56:53.11\00:56:55.78
away, all of that. He promotes
that friends, so we miss the
00:56:55.81\00:56:59.41
real preparation. The real
preparation is Bible study.
00:56:59.45\00:57:03.82
The real preparation is prayer
life. The real preparation is
00:57:03.85\00:57:06.89
sharing the gospel with those
who do not know him. To think
00:57:06.92\00:57:09.99
the battle is anywhere else is
a smooth deception, but because
00:57:10.03\00:57:15.36
the carnal nature is such that
people will sit back and think
00:57:15.40\00:57:17.37
ah, well, if I have another
chance after Jesus takes the
00:57:17.40\00:57:19.93
church away, I'll just kick it
into gear then, right? I'll get
00:57:19.97\00:57:23.10
my spiritual life in gear
then. And they miss it, friends.
00:57:23.14\00:57:26.64
They'll miss it. How can we be
ready? Well, two things; Jesus
00:57:26.68\00:57:32.61
said he that is faithful in
little will be faithful also in
00:57:32.65\00:57:35.92
much. You don't have to
fear this time at all, folks. We
00:57:35.95\00:57:39.25
don't have to fear it at
all. Take our little hand, so to
00:57:39.29\00:57:43.02
speak. Put it in the great big
hand of the Lord. Hold on with
00:57:43.06\00:57:48.70
all of your spiritual weight
and never let go of Jesus. Amen.
00:57:48.73\00:57:51.47
If you do that, friends, the
plagues are coming. The mark of
00:57:51.50\00:57:53.77
the beast is coming, all of
that is coming, but when we are
00:57:53.80\00:57:56.97
faithful to God, God
will take care of us.
00:57:57.01\00:58:01.94
¤ ¤
00:58:01.98\00:58:22.86