Welcome again to our program
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that we have titled
"Revelation of the Coming King."
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I'm Ranko Stefanovic,
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professor at the Seventh-day
Adventist Theological Seminary,
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Andrews University.
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And I'm so excited
to be with you here.
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The question is why.
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I hope that you who
are here and our viewers,
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they have our textbook
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for studying the
Book of Revelation.
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As you know that
each presentation
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that we have here
is a part of the series
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in which we cover--
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we try to cover the
entire Book of Revelation.
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It's impossible
to cover everything,
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but at least to get a glimpse
into those different visions
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of which the Book of
Revelation is composed and made.
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So I'd like to encourage you
to have this textbook with you.
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I'm in love with this book
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because I know through
this book God changed my life.
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And the Book of
Revelation, it had the special,
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special role in my conversion.
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When I discovered, when I found
Jesus Christ through the book.
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You understood it already that
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it was the
revelation of Jesus Christ.
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Actually I fell love in Him
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and He's the first
and last in my life.
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As you know,
that all our lectures
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are not the complete coverage
of the Book of Revelation,
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so we would
like to encourage you
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to study the Book of Revelation,
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once this presentation
is over, for yourself.
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And if you have
already provided for yourself
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the copy of this
commentary titled
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"The Revelation
of Jesus Christ,"
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I'd like to tell you that
the pages of this commentary
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that we will be dealing
together with are from page 313,
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page 313 until--sorry--
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until the page 323.
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And then we will
skip several pages,
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then we will move to page
365 to page 370, page 370. Okay.
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As every time we have done it,
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I'd like to
invite you once again
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that we ask the One
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who is the greatest expert
in the Book of Revelation.
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He knows
everything about that book
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and He can help
us, human beings,
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just to have a glimpse
into the content of this book
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and to understand how this book
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is the true
revelation of the coming king.
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Our heavenly
Father, we want to give You
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once again our deep gratitude
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and thanks for giving us
this revelation of Jesus Christ
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that is the true
gospel in which Jesus Christ
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wants to speak to us
who live in these last days,
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prior to the
second coming of our King.
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Please be with us and
give us Your Holy Spirit
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as we're trying to understand
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this difficult section
of the Book of Revelation.
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And we pray all of
this in the precious name
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of our Savior
Jesus Christ, amen.
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I believe that
so far you could see
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that we are dealing with
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the most difficult section
of the Book of Revelation.
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And I know so many times
people are taking one text
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with the Book of Revelation
and they're using rhetorics,
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"this is very difficult text."
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But if you take any serious
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commentary on the
Book of Revelation,
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you will see
that everybody agrees
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that chapters 8 to 11
of the Book of Revelation
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is probably the most
difficult section of the book.
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It's not easy to read it.
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It's not easy to
lecture on this section
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and it's not easy
really to understand
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all those symbols
that are found there.
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But praise God
through Holy Spirit
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we have given enough
insight into the section
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and I believe that the
Holy Spirit can speak to us
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through the
section of this book,
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like through any other section
of the Book of Revelation.
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So we are in the
section of Seven Trumpets.
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Let me one more
time remind you that
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what we saw in the
very beginning in chapter 8
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where the section
begins that actually
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The seven trumpets
are the divine judgments
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sent to the inhabitants
of this world as the answer
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to the prayers of God's people.
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So one more time let's
put it in different way,
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is that actually
those seven trumpets,
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as we call them,
they are a series
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of God's intervention in history
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in answer to the
prayers of His people.
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And let us be
reminded once again
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that the seven trumpets,
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they cover the same period
of history as the seven seals.
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They both begin
with the 1st century,
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the both series, they conclude
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with the second
coming of Christ.
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Not necessarily
that seven trumpets
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and the seven
seals, they cover, okay,
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its period at the same time,
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but they cover the
same historical period
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between the two coming--
the two comings of Christ.
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Let's be reminded one more time
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that actually how the
trumpets are organized.
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They go in pairs, in two.
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We saw that the
first two trumpets
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are the divine judgments
on the crucifiers of Christ
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and those who were involved
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in the persecution
of the early church,
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the first and
the second trumpet.
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Then after that we are
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going to the third
and the fourth trumpets.
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They deal-- they actually herald
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God's judgments on
the Christian church
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and the secular
world of the Middle Ages
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and the post-reformation period.
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Now this brings us to the
fifth and the sixth trumpet
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and we saw that
the fifth trumpet
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actually deals
with the secular world,
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the western world.
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After the age of enlightenment,
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it started with
the French revolution,
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their-- We saw
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that when people
rejected the Bible
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and replaced the
Bible with reason,
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use human
intellect as the normative
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for what is the
truth and what is not,
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actually gave an
opportunity for unleashing
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of the demonic forces.
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People who really
replace the religion
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with the human
intellect and the human reason,
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they replace God
with the humanity
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and what human beings can offer.
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Actually they experience
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the consequences
of their decision,
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but I hope that
you still keep in mind
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what we saw that
actually those demonic forces,
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they could not harm
those who have the seal of God.
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Those who belong to God,
those who are on God's side,
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they are
protected from the harming
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and working influences
of those demonic forces.
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Even though they have judgments,
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but we saw that those
judgments are mixed with mercy.
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It is during the
time God is still trying
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to reach the human beings,
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to touch their
hearts and to tell them,
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"wake up and come back to Me,"
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because the mercy is still
available to the human beings.
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I'd like you to
keep this in mind
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because the sixth
trumpet-- keep in mind,
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the trumpets are
running into pairs.
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The sixth trumpet actually
builds on the fifth trumpet.
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So I'd like you now to
know to turn to your Bibles
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and to chapter 9 of
the Book of Revelation,
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chapter 9 of the
Book of Revelation
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and this time we are
going to verse 13, 13, verse 13.
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We'll read the first two verses.
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"Then the sixth angel
sounded, and I heard a voice
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from the four
horns of the golden altar
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which is before God, one
saying to the sixth angel
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who had the trumpet,
'Release the four angels
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who are bound at the
great river Euphrates.'"
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We already spoke
about this last time.
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Let us just be reminded.
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So when the sixth
angel, okay, blows his trumpet,
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John hears a voice
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coming from the
golden altar of incense.
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Usually the students
of the Book of Revelation,
00:10:01.45\00:10:05.34
they overlook the small details.
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And I'd like to ask you,
what is the significance of this
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that the voice is coming
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from the golden
altar of incense?
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I'd like to bring you back
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to the beginning
of the seven trumpets.
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Do you remember in chapter 8,
00:10:23.12\00:10:26.27
when that angel who was standing
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there at the altar took
the prayers of God's people
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there from that
altar of sacrifices,
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you remember?
00:10:33.16\00:10:34.53
And he offered there before God.
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Then suddenly the judgments
in terms of the seven trumpets
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are poured out on the
inhabitants of this earth.
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So this is very, very important,
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actually
telling us that the fact
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that the sixth trumpet
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is initiated from
the altar of incense
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shows that the
prayers of God's people
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are still remembered
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and that the door of
salvation is still offer.
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Keep in mind that intercession
00:11:05.25\00:11:07.53
is still going on
there in the heavenly places.
00:11:07.56\00:11:11.26
But we come here to another
significant--significant detail.
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The voice that
coming from the golden altar
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announces and says,
"Release the four angels
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who are bound at the
great river Euphrates."
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The significant term
here is the Euphrates River.
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And I know that
usually the Bible students
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are debating about this
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and people are
going from literalism
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to the fancy
interpretation of this.
00:11:48.76\00:11:51.69
But I'd like to
suggest to you something is
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what the Old
Testament indicate was.
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If you go to the
Book of Genesis 15,
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for instance, and
the chapters that follow,
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you can recall that God
made a covenant with Abraham.
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And God promised
to Abraham telling him
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"To your descendants,
I will give this land."
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And now there is
something very interesting is
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that actually God
specified the territory,
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how the territory will stretch.
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And God says, "I will
give to your descendants
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the territory that goes
all up to the Great Sea,"
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which is Mediterranean Sea here.
00:12:33.99\00:12:35.91
And it says, "All up
to the River Euphrates."
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You see, what comes
between this Great Sea
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and the River
Euphrates is the territory
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where God's people live.
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Who is beyond
the River Euphrates?
00:12:49.77\00:12:53.23
The enemies of God's people.
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Those who do not--
those who do not belong,
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belong to God.
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I'd like to invite the viewers,
00:13:01.61\00:13:05.29
if you later have some time
to open the Book of Isaiah 7:20
00:13:05.32\00:13:10.19
and Jeremiah 46:10,
00:13:10.22\00:13:12.49
you will see how
the River Euphrates
00:13:12.52\00:13:15.86
is always
mentioned at the boundary,
00:13:15.89\00:13:19.02
dividing line between
God's people and their enemies.
00:13:19.05\00:13:22.95
But I'd like you
that we turn our Bibles
00:13:22.98\00:13:25.82
to the Book of Isaiah,
00:13:25.85\00:13:27.24
to the Book of Isaiah 8:7-8.
00:13:27.27\00:13:33.85
You will see whenever,
00:13:33.88\00:13:35.46
whenever on
God's people disaster
00:13:35.49\00:13:39.71
and the divine
judgments are coming on,
00:13:39.74\00:13:42.82
they're coming from
above the River Euphrates.
00:13:42.85\00:13:47.45
Okay, and so many
times those enemy nations
00:13:47.48\00:13:50.30
that are coming
from the River Euphrates,
00:13:50.33\00:13:54.16
they are described as the
overflowing waters of Euphrates,
00:13:54.19\00:14:00.07
sweeping Palestine and
destroying God's people.
00:14:00.10\00:14:03.14
Please, Isaiah 8, chapter 8,
00:14:03.17\00:14:07.68
we will read verses 7-8,
00:14:07.71\00:14:11.06
just one verse,
one Biblical text.
00:14:11.09\00:14:15.11
It says, "Now therefore, behold,
00:14:15.14\00:14:17.49
the Lord is about to
bring on them the strong
00:14:17.52\00:14:21.05
and abundant
waters of Euphrates."
00:14:21.08\00:14:24.16
Even the King of Assyria
who's coming from Mesopotamia,
00:14:24.19\00:14:28.20
because this
territory was called Mesopotamia
00:14:28.23\00:14:31.58
between Euphrates and Tigris.
00:14:31.61\00:14:34.53
Mesopotamia means
territory between the two river.
00:14:34.56\00:14:38.17
Meso, between and
Potamus means river.
00:14:38.20\00:14:40.94
Territory between--
between two rivers, okay.
00:14:40.97\00:14:44.30
And it says, "I will
bring the King of Assyria
00:14:44.33\00:14:48.08
and it will rise up
over all its channels,
00:14:48.11\00:14:51.10
and go over all its banks.
00:14:51.13\00:14:53.46
Then it will
sweep on into Judah.
00:14:53.49\00:14:55.93
It will
overflow and pass through
00:14:55.96\00:14:58.97
and reach even to the neck
and the spread of its wings
00:14:59.00\00:15:03.16
will fill the breadth
of your land of Immanuel."
00:15:03.19\00:15:06.04
You can see here one
typical Biblical text
00:15:06.07\00:15:08.83
from the Old Testament,
00:15:08.86\00:15:10.23
that telling us
really what it means
00:15:10.26\00:15:12.13
when the River Euphrates, okay,
over floods Palestine, okay.
00:15:12.16\00:15:20.01
So this is what we have here.
00:15:20.04\00:15:23.05
Now as we go, keep on reading
00:15:23.08\00:15:26.11
in the Book of
Revelation verse 15,
00:15:26.14\00:15:28.95
where it says,
"And the four angels,
00:15:28.98\00:15:31.22
who had been prepared
00:15:31.25\00:15:32.62
for the hour and day and
month and year, were released,
00:15:32.65\00:15:37.82
so that they would kill
a third of the mankind."
00:15:37.85\00:15:42.59
Boy, if this is surprise to you,
what can you say about verse 16?
00:15:42.62\00:15:48.27
"And the number of
the armies of the horsemen
00:15:48.30\00:15:51.65
was two hundred million,
and I heard the numbers."
00:15:51.68\00:15:59.64
Let's walk quickly
here through few details.
00:15:59.67\00:16:04.65
The four angels,
according to the text,
00:16:04.68\00:16:08.23
were prepared to
release demonic powers
00:16:08.26\00:16:12.81
for an hour, a
day, months and a year.
00:16:12.84\00:16:18.83
Okay, would you be with me?
00:16:18.86\00:16:21.00
If I tell you I
wanted to accomplish the task
00:16:21.03\00:16:24.45
and that task was set
00:16:24.48\00:16:26.77
for a minute, for an
hour, for a day, for months,
00:16:26.80\00:16:31.98
what is that I try
to communicate to you?
00:16:32.01\00:16:35.17
That when appointed time, okay,
00:16:35.20\00:16:39.22
when appointed point of time
00:16:39.25\00:16:41.93
was set for the
accomplishment of this task--
00:16:41.96\00:16:46.48
so we're dealing here
00:16:46.51\00:16:48.52
about a huge army
of the demonic forces.
00:16:48.55\00:16:51.02
Keep in mind
that the sixth trumpet
00:16:51.05\00:16:52.78
is built on the fifth one.
00:16:52.81\00:16:55.64
And the task of
these demonic forces
00:16:55.67\00:16:57.76
was to kill one-third of
the humanity as we will see.
00:16:57.79\00:17:02.61
By the way, if
we go to verse 18--
00:17:02.64\00:17:04.96
we'll come to the text--
00:17:04.99\00:17:07.55
we see there clearly that
it was not actually the angels
00:17:07.58\00:17:12.47
who are doing this
killing, but the demonic forces.
00:17:12.50\00:17:16.80
But the demonic
forces evidently, okay,
00:17:16.83\00:17:20.29
are not allowed to
begin the harmonal work
00:17:20.32\00:17:24.67
until the time that was
appointed to them by God.
00:17:24.70\00:17:28.28
At the sound of
the sixth trumpet,
00:17:28.31\00:17:31.08
the restraining
angels are ordered to unleash
00:17:31.11\00:17:34.61
the demonic horse to kill
one-third of the humanity.
00:17:34.64\00:17:39.88
Now there are few here--
there are few details here
00:17:39.91\00:17:43.35
that really we should look
very, very carefully, okay.
00:17:43.38\00:17:50.18
John sees a huge
army, 200 million,
00:17:50.21\00:17:57.98
okay, soldiers troops.
00:17:58.01\00:18:00.08
They appear on the scene.
00:18:00.11\00:18:04.31
And he uses here an
expression in verse 16,
00:18:04.34\00:18:08.04
"And I heard the number."
00:18:08.07\00:18:10.12
Are you familiar
with this expression,
00:18:10.15\00:18:12.19
"and I heard the number?"
00:18:12.22\00:18:16.41
Have we met
already this phrase before?
00:18:16.44\00:18:20.31
It's in chapter 7,
where we have 144,000.
00:18:20.34\00:18:24.47
It is only in chapter
7 and chapter 9, verse 16
00:18:24.50\00:18:29.06
in the entire Book of Revelation
that this phrase is used here.
00:18:29.09\00:18:33.37
But there is something more.
00:18:33.40\00:18:37.17
So the conclusion is
that there's a huge army,
00:18:37.20\00:18:40.80
200 million, stands
in contrast to 144,000
00:18:40.83\00:18:45.82
those who are
sealed, who belong to God,
00:18:45.85\00:18:48.88
those who are the last
generation of God's people
00:18:48.91\00:18:51.22
living before the
second coming of Christ.
00:18:51.25\00:18:56.08
The demonic
locusts that inflicting
00:18:56.11\00:18:59.24
human beings in
the fifth trumpet
00:18:59.27\00:19:01.69
and they were not
allowed to kill anybody.
00:19:01.72\00:19:04.88
Now we can see here the
situation completely changes.
00:19:04.91\00:19:08.85
Now they're really
killing. They do killing.
00:19:08.88\00:19:11.94
Something that did not happened
00:19:11.97\00:19:13.98
in the scene of
the fifth trumpet.
00:19:14.01\00:19:16.82
Okay, now they both kill
and inflict those who are alive.
00:19:16.85\00:19:21.46
Before we draw
similar-- line of similarities
00:19:24.53\00:19:28.74
between chapter 9 and chapter 7,
00:19:28.77\00:19:32.15
we would like to
see just in few moments
00:19:32.18\00:19:35.19
the way how John
describes these demonic forces.
00:19:35.22\00:19:39.86
You'll notice
here as you will hear
00:19:39.89\00:19:42.32
through the text from verse 17
00:19:42.35\00:19:45.97
that actually John has a hard--
00:19:46.00\00:19:49.99
a hard time to
describe these forces.
00:19:50.02\00:19:54.67
The language is lacking, okay.
00:19:54.70\00:19:57.97
He has a trouble
to describe them.
00:19:58.00\00:20:00.83
And please I'm going
here through my notes
00:20:00.86\00:20:04.03
instead to the text
just to summarize it here.
00:20:04.06\00:20:06.90
He says that the
riders on the horses have
00:20:06.93\00:20:09.69
a fiery red, smoky blue
and yellow breastplates,
00:20:09.72\00:20:15.59
the reflection of the
fire, smoke, and sulfur
00:20:15.62\00:20:20.32
emanating from
the horse's mouth.
00:20:20.35\00:20:23.23
This is very unusual picture
00:20:23.26\00:20:26.85
because the appearance of
these horses is very terrifying.
00:20:26.88\00:20:31.74
The purpose of this
vision is to communicate
00:20:31.77\00:20:34.21
to the readers of
the Book of Revelation
00:20:34.24\00:20:36.20
something very,
very significance.
00:20:36.23\00:20:40.72
The heads of these-- of
the horses of this army,
00:20:40.75\00:20:44.97
it's like of lions.
00:20:45.00\00:20:48.08
And out of their mouth
comes fire, smoke, and sulfur
00:20:48.11\00:20:51.87
by which they kill
human beings in vast numbers.
00:20:51.90\00:20:57.45
Let's stop here for a moment.
00:20:57.48\00:20:58.87
If we go to the Old Testament,
00:20:58.90\00:21:02.37
we will find that the
fire, smoke, and sulfur
00:21:02.40\00:21:09.15
are usually a means of
executing the divine judgments.
00:21:09.18\00:21:17.10
There are many
Biblical texts pointing to that.
00:21:17.13\00:21:19.47
I would like you to turn
to the Book of Ezekiel 38:22.
00:21:19.50\00:21:24.73
The Book of
Ezekiel 38, chapter 38,
00:21:24.76\00:21:29.14
just that we see
00:21:29.17\00:21:31.08
how in the Old Testament
language provides for us
00:21:31.11\00:21:35.88
the key for the understanding
00:21:35.91\00:21:37.47
of what John saw
here in the vision.
00:21:37.50\00:21:39.96
So Ezekiel 38:22, okay.
00:21:39.99\00:21:45.65
It says, "With
pestilence and with blood
00:21:45.68\00:21:50.14
I will enter into
the judgment with him.
00:21:50.17\00:21:53.19
And I will rain on
him and on his troops
00:21:53.22\00:21:56.22
and on the many
peoples who are with him,
00:21:56.25\00:21:58.64
torrential
rain, with hailstones,
00:21:58.67\00:22:01.33
fire and brimstone,"
which is sulfur, okay.
00:22:01.36\00:22:04.44
The same we can find--
00:22:04.47\00:22:05.84
let's go another text
00:22:05.87\00:22:07.24
which is Psalm 11:6.
00:22:07.27\00:22:14.55
Psalm 11, we read verse 6,
00:22:14.58\00:22:20.23
"Upon the wicked
He will rain snares.
00:22:20.26\00:22:24.62
Fire and
brimstone and burning wind
00:22:24.65\00:22:27.87
will be the
portion of their cup."
00:22:27.90\00:22:30.08
It is just few text
which explain to us,
00:22:30.11\00:22:34.77
telling us that the combination
of these elements are
00:22:34.80\00:22:38.34
fire, smoke, and sulfur
points to God's judgment.
00:22:38.37\00:22:42.84
May I ask you one question?
00:22:42.87\00:22:44.47
When we talk about this,
00:22:44.50\00:22:46.94
of God's divine
judgments falling on the wicked
00:22:46.97\00:22:51.91
described in terms
of these three elements,
00:22:51.94\00:22:55.75
what the scene
suddenly comes to your mind
00:22:55.78\00:22:57.30
from the Old Testament?
00:22:57.33\00:22:59.56
Yeah, you're right if
you're thinking about that.
00:22:59.59\00:23:01.20
It's the destruction
of Sodom and Gomorrah.
00:23:01.23\00:23:06.19
These are just
insight, here in my commentary
00:23:06.22\00:23:09.51
you have many more texts and
you can study more for yourself.
00:23:09.54\00:23:14.35
By telling us that here in
the scene of the sixth trumpet,
00:23:14.38\00:23:18.71
we are dealing with
the divine judgments,
00:23:18.74\00:23:22.43
but only to
describe this judgment,
00:23:22.46\00:23:24.67
the inspiration uses
00:23:24.70\00:23:26.23
the language of
the Old Testament
00:23:26.26\00:23:28.60
or the execution of
the divine judgments
00:23:28.63\00:23:30.71
on the wicked in
the Old Testament times.
00:23:30.74\00:23:34.32
There is something more
00:23:34.35\00:23:36.13
that actually we
learn here from these texts.
00:23:36.16\00:23:40.01
John is telling us--
00:23:40.04\00:23:41.41
let me go back to
the Book of Revelation,
00:23:41.44\00:23:46.14
if you go to verse
19, we read, it says,
00:23:46.17\00:23:49.08
"That the power of the horses."
00:23:49.11\00:23:50.91
So chapter 9, verse 19,
00:23:50.94\00:23:53.45
"That the power of the horses
00:23:53.48\00:23:55.38
is in their mouth
and in their tails,
00:23:55.41\00:23:58.98
for their tails are
like serpents and have heads,
00:23:59.01\00:24:03.17
and with them they do harm.
00:24:03.20\00:24:06.28
And the rest of the mankind
00:24:06.31\00:24:07.91
who were not
killed by these plagues
00:24:07.94\00:24:10.03
did not repent of
the work of their hands,
00:24:10.06\00:24:12.83
so as not to worship demons,
00:24:12.86\00:24:14.90
and the idols of gold
and of silver and of brass
00:24:14.93\00:24:18.75
and of stones and of wood,
00:24:18.78\00:24:20.70
which can neither
see nor hear nor walk.
00:24:20.73\00:24:23.56
They did not
repent of their murderers,
00:24:23.59\00:24:25.70
not of their sorceries,
not of their immorality,
00:24:25.73\00:24:28.85
not of their thefts."
00:24:28.88\00:24:30.86
We're another difficult passage
of the Book of Revelation.
00:24:30.89\00:24:38.28
Pay attention to one
element that we have here.
00:24:38.31\00:24:41.95
It says, "That the
power of the horses
00:24:41.98\00:24:45.31
is in their mouth
and in their tails."
00:24:45.34\00:24:51.16
Does something
come to your mind?
00:24:51.19\00:24:52.58
Do you remember
in the fifth trumpet
00:24:52.61\00:24:55.76
the tails are mentioned
00:24:55.79\00:24:58.34
and the power of
the demonic forces
00:24:58.37\00:25:00.17
in the fifth
trumpet was in the tails?
00:25:00.20\00:25:03.96
Let me remind you one more time
00:25:03.99\00:25:05.36
what we read in Isaiah 9:14-15,
00:25:05.39\00:25:08.40
that actually
provide the clue to us,
00:25:08.43\00:25:10.10
telling us what symbol
of the tails is all about.
00:25:10.13\00:25:14.88
Actually, Isaiah
uses the expression tails
00:25:14.91\00:25:18.26
with reference to false prophets
00:25:18.29\00:25:21.95
who are
replacing the word of God
00:25:21.98\00:25:24.01
for their
inventions and for the lie
00:25:24.04\00:25:26.30
that they try to preach people.
00:25:26.33\00:25:30.80
So while in the fifth trumpet,
the tails of the demonic forces
00:25:30.83\00:25:36.94
inflict the plague on
the inhabitants of the people
00:25:36.97\00:25:40.89
that people suffering
anguish to the point of death.
00:25:40.92\00:25:46.12
We see that here
in the sixth trumpet,
00:25:46.15\00:25:50.13
the harm is not really with
the tails, it's with the mouth.
00:25:50.16\00:25:53.90
And the mouth, they're killing
the inhabitants of this world.
00:25:56.94\00:26:02.72
Now there is a question.
00:26:02.75\00:26:05.02
What does the mouth
stand as the symbol of?
00:26:05.05\00:26:09.41
By the way, we
really do not need now
00:26:09.44\00:26:13.80
to go to the Old Testament
00:26:13.83\00:26:17.10
because there is one
text that really parallels
00:26:17.13\00:26:21.88
the scene of the sixth trumpet.
00:26:21.91\00:26:23.73
It's Revelation chapter 16.
00:26:23.76\00:26:25.50
And I would like
you, if you can turn
00:26:25.53\00:26:27.45
with me to
Revelation chapter 16,
00:26:27.48\00:26:30.91
where we have the
mouth as the weaponry, okay,
00:26:30.94\00:26:36.65
of those who are against God
00:26:39.55\00:26:42.02
and His people in
the final conflict
00:26:42.05\00:26:44.20
before the
second coming of Christ.
00:26:44.23\00:26:47.36
It's Revelation
chapter 16 from verse 13.
00:26:47.39\00:26:52.21
It says, "And I saw, coming
out of the mouth of the dragon
00:26:52.24\00:26:58.19
and out of the
mouth of the beast
00:26:58.22\00:27:01.33
and out of the mouth
of the false prophet,
00:27:01.36\00:27:04.49
three unclean
spirits like frogs.
00:27:04.52\00:27:07.89
For they are spirits of
demons performing signs,
00:27:07.92\00:27:11.28
which go out to the
kings of the whole world
00:27:11.31\00:27:14.72
to gather them together
00:27:14.75\00:27:16.62
for the war of the great
day of God the Almighty."
00:27:16.65\00:27:23.20
Do you see that here?
00:27:23.23\00:27:25.23
If you compare Revelation
chapter 9 with chapter 16,
00:27:28.57\00:27:34.57
you can see here
the strong parallels.
00:27:34.60\00:27:37.81
The two texts they
talk about the same events,
00:27:37.84\00:27:41.04
which we called, according
to the Book of Revelation,
00:27:41.07\00:27:43.52
the preparation for
the battle of Armageddon.
00:27:43.55\00:27:48.82
I would like us to
have little bit closer look
00:27:52.12\00:27:58.16
into the two texts together
with Revelation chapter 7
00:27:58.19\00:28:01.94
because I'd like to
make very clear statement
00:28:01.97\00:28:05.35
that the key to
the understanding
00:28:05.38\00:28:08.03
of the sixth trumpet
finds in the connection--
00:28:08.06\00:28:11.31
connecting this text
with Revelation chapter 7
00:28:11.34\00:28:15.09
and the Revelation chapter 17.
00:28:15.12\00:28:16.86
If you put the three
texts and parallel them,
00:28:16.89\00:28:21.30
put them there together,
00:28:21.33\00:28:22.90
you can see the common concept.
00:28:22.93\00:28:25.47
You can see many
parallels in terminology
00:28:25.50\00:28:28.68
and expressions that
are used. Not only that.
00:28:28.71\00:28:32.75
Can I ask you one question?
00:28:35.95\00:28:38.63
We saw that the sixth trumpet
deals with the time of the end,
00:28:38.66\00:28:42.71
prior to the
second coming of Christ.
00:28:42.74\00:28:44.36
Do I need to remind you
that Revelation chapter 7
00:28:44.39\00:28:47.20
deals with the same period?
00:28:47.23\00:28:50.59
When God's people--
when God's people are sealed,
00:28:50.62\00:28:53.59
when you go to chapter 16,
00:28:53.62\00:28:55.15
the text that we just read
deals with the same time period
00:28:55.18\00:28:59.48
with the preparation for
the battle of Armageddon.
00:28:59.51\00:29:01.64
So the three texts,
they must be put together.
00:29:01.67\00:29:04.31
Unfortunately, the
time does not allow us to go
00:29:04.34\00:29:07.40
and to analyze all
these three texts in details
00:29:07.43\00:29:10.71
and to draw all
those numerous parallels
00:29:10.74\00:29:13.02
between the three texts.
00:29:13.05\00:29:14.42
But these three texts
they must be put together.
00:29:14.45\00:29:19.01
When you compare
these three texts,
00:29:19.04\00:29:21.14
when you put them together,
00:29:21.17\00:29:22.63
you can see how many common
elements are found between them
00:29:22.66\00:29:27.79
which actually
leads the conclusion
00:29:27.82\00:29:30.25
that the sixth
trumpet really deals
00:29:30.28\00:29:32.70
with the preparation for
the battle of Armageddon.
00:29:32.73\00:29:37.26
We have in Revelation
9, we have four angels,
00:29:37.29\00:29:44.14
who are now supposed to
release those demonic forces.
00:29:44.17\00:29:48.74
I don't know what
comes to your mind,
00:29:48.77\00:29:51.99
but if you go to
Revelation chapter 7,
00:29:52.02\00:29:53.90
we have four angels.
00:29:53.93\00:29:55.30
What are they doing there?
00:29:55.33\00:29:57.34
You remember they're holding
back those winds not to blow.
00:29:57.37\00:30:01.58
But now we have
here is that those angels
00:30:01.61\00:30:04.71
are commanded to
unleash those winds.
00:30:04.74\00:30:07.79
Now we do not
have here the winds,
00:30:07.82\00:30:09.40
we have the demonic forces.
00:30:09.43\00:30:10.80
Are you still with me?
00:30:10.83\00:30:12.53
The-- but he's telling us
00:30:12.56\00:30:15.84
that actually the
weaponry, the power,
00:30:15.87\00:30:20.65
and the authority
of these demonic forces
00:30:20.68\00:30:23.58
is in their mouth.
00:30:23.61\00:30:25.01
What they're doing?
00:30:25.04\00:30:26.41
Telling us, friends,
that the final events
00:30:26.44\00:30:30.16
is not about the military
00:30:30.19\00:30:31.85
and literal battle
there in Middle East.
00:30:31.88\00:30:34.68
Unfortunately,
many dear Christians
00:30:34.71\00:30:36.96
that I know and I highly
respect actually mistakenly--
00:30:36.99\00:30:40.64
mistakenly understand
and try to interpret here
00:30:40.67\00:30:44.50
these texts of the
Book of Revelation.
00:30:44.53\00:30:47.25
The final events
is not the military,
00:30:47.28\00:30:52.94
it's a battle for
the minds of people.
00:30:52.97\00:30:56.59
You see, friends, if we
connect the sixth trumpet
00:30:56.62\00:31:02.26
with the previous one,
with the fifth trumpet,
00:31:02.29\00:31:04.17
you remember what we saw,
that the people rejected God.
00:31:04.20\00:31:07.96
They replaced God with
the atheistic teaching,
00:31:07.99\00:31:11.85
with human
reasoning and people suffered
00:31:11.88\00:31:14.25
those consequences in
the post-enlightened period.
00:31:14.28\00:31:17.74
But now we have here
00:31:17.77\00:31:19.14
even the deepening
of that end time crisis
00:31:19.17\00:31:23.70
when people who
really will experience
00:31:23.73\00:31:27.52
and please allow me to say,
00:31:27.55\00:31:28.92
people are actually
experiencing the consequences
00:31:28.95\00:31:34.08
of distancing
themselves from God,
00:31:34.11\00:31:36.16
rejecting God, and one
side replacing God with atheism
00:31:36.19\00:31:41.58
and human
teaching, human intentions
00:31:44.60\00:31:48.77
and explanations to
the other side of people
00:31:48.80\00:31:52.37
who are simply taking really
generally of emotions replacing,
00:31:52.40\00:31:59.35
taking it to replace the
clear teaching of the gospel
00:31:59.38\00:32:03.35
and the message of Jesus Christ
00:32:03.38\00:32:05.59
that touches the hearts of
people and the minds of people,
00:32:05.62\00:32:09.19
in order to
communicate that message
00:32:09.22\00:32:11.84
who actually we
as human beings are
00:32:11.87\00:32:14.77
and what God
wants to happen in us.
00:32:14.80\00:32:18.12
Simply replacing it
with religion of emotions,
00:32:18.15\00:32:22.01
nothing else and taking
from the hearts of people
00:32:22.04\00:32:26.09
that clear gospel
message that is based
00:32:26.12\00:32:29.61
really on that
loving God and His attempt
00:32:29.64\00:32:34.52
to bring the human
beings to themselves.
00:32:34.55\00:32:39.41
So the sixth
trumpet really brings us
00:32:39.44\00:32:41.38
to that very,
very time of the end.
00:32:41.41\00:32:44.73
He's telling us
about the preparation
00:32:44.76\00:32:47.95
for the battle of Armageddon,
00:32:47.98\00:32:50.69
as God by sending to the
inhabitants of this world
00:32:50.72\00:32:54.43
His everlasting gospel,
00:32:54.46\00:32:56.96
which is in
Revelation chapter 14 portrayed.
00:32:56.99\00:33:00.46
We will come to that text
as the three angel messages,
00:33:00.49\00:33:03.74
where God is calling people
to fear Him and to worship Him,
00:33:03.77\00:33:09.76
God who created
the heaven and earth
00:33:09.79\00:33:12.94
and everything
that is in the universe.
00:33:12.97\00:33:18.08
As God is sending
His message to the people
00:33:18.11\00:33:20.23
to telling them not to
trust the human institutions
00:33:20.26\00:33:24.09
and what human beings have
done in order to replace God
00:33:24.12\00:33:27.34
and to take God from the
hearts and minds of the people,
00:33:27.37\00:33:31.22
at the same
time-- at the same time
00:33:31.25\00:33:33.17
because of people
there by rejecting God
00:33:33.20\00:33:35.90
and rejecting the gospel,
00:33:35.93\00:33:37.90
it gives a good
occasion for the demonic forces,
00:33:37.93\00:33:41.15
who are coming
while the fifth trumpet
00:33:41.18\00:33:43.26
only tormenting people, but
here leading people to despair,
00:33:43.29\00:33:48.62
killing people, and depriving
them of that gospel message
00:33:48.65\00:33:53.66
and that eternal kingdom.
00:33:53.69\00:33:57.08
Yes, according to the Bible,
00:33:57.11\00:34:02.81
what people have decided,
00:34:02.84\00:34:06.09
people reap the
consequences of the decisions.
00:34:06.12\00:34:11.27
But praise God, this is not
00:34:11.30\00:34:13.49
the main message of
the Book of Revelation.
00:34:13.52\00:34:16.59
Fortunately,
wherever I go, I find people
00:34:16.62\00:34:19.09
who read the sixth trumpet
and everything they read,
00:34:19.12\00:34:21.58
everything they try to find is,
how many people will be killed.
00:34:21.61\00:34:24.55
Friends, the Book of
Revelation is not about killing.
00:34:24.58\00:34:27.56
Yeah, it is there, whether
physical or spiritual killing,
00:34:27.59\00:34:34.01
that's not the point here.
00:34:34.04\00:34:36.11
But the main point is that God
even wants to save those people
00:34:36.14\00:34:42.57
and that's why He's sending
to them His everlasting gospel
00:34:42.60\00:34:46.44
as we will see when we reach
there Revelation chapter 14.
00:34:46.47\00:34:51.35
Unfortunately, I would like that
00:34:51.38\00:34:54.13
this vision has different
ending than it is here.
00:34:54.16\00:34:58.55
What is the
conclusion of this vision?
00:34:58.58\00:35:03.34
Sorry, let's go back to
Revelation chapter--it says,
00:35:03.37\00:35:07.74
"And the rest of the mankind
00:35:07.77\00:35:10.52
who were not
killed by these plagues,
00:35:10.55\00:35:13.55
did not repent of
the works of their hands,
00:35:13.58\00:35:17.23
so as not to worship
demons, and the idols of gold,
00:35:17.26\00:35:21.64
and of silver, and of brass,
and of stones, and of wood,
00:35:21.67\00:35:25.42
which can neither
see, nor hear, nor walk.
00:35:25.45\00:35:28.39
They did not
repent of the murderers,
00:35:28.42\00:35:30.70
not of their sorceries,
00:35:30.73\00:35:32.43
nor their morality,
not of their faith."
00:35:32.46\00:35:35.03
If you go to
Revelation chapter 21, 22,
00:35:35.06\00:35:38.38
you will see that all
the sins that are listed here
00:35:38.41\00:35:41.36
characterize those
people who would not be able
00:35:41.39\00:35:43.98
to enter New Jerusalem,
00:35:44.01\00:35:48.77
as the modern world
has made so many idols
00:35:48.80\00:35:54.05
and man made
religion that replace God,
00:35:54.08\00:35:57.31
and actually to God
00:35:57.34\00:35:59.65
and the gospel
message from the hearts.
00:35:59.68\00:36:02.81
The message of the sixth
trumpet is the warning message
00:36:02.84\00:36:05.65
to telling people that
their only hope is in God.
00:36:05.68\00:36:08.97
That's actually the purpose
00:36:09.00\00:36:10.37
of the three angel
messages of chapter 14.
00:36:10.40\00:36:13.13
God is sending His
message, calling people back,
00:36:13.16\00:36:17.31
telling them
that their only hope
00:36:17.34\00:36:19.93
is in God and in the gospel.
00:36:19.96\00:36:23.27
Unfortunately, the
conclusion of this message,
00:36:23.30\00:36:25.67
how many people will
respond to that call of God?
00:36:25.70\00:36:31.62
Not too many. Not
too many, unfortunately.
00:36:31.65\00:36:36.59
But praise God, as we will
see in our next presentation
00:36:36.62\00:36:43.85
during this time God
will have His people. Amen.
00:36:43.88\00:36:49.87
Unfortunately, they
will not be the majority.
00:36:49.90\00:36:53.35
They will be the minority,
but God will have His people
00:36:53.38\00:36:58.57
who will choose God,
00:36:58.60\00:37:00.52
put God and give
Him the place number one
00:37:00.55\00:37:04.95
in their hearts
and in their lives.
00:37:04.98\00:37:07.66
And this is actually
00:37:07.69\00:37:09.06
what Revelation
chapters 10 and 11 is all about,
00:37:09.09\00:37:14.30
because you will notice here
00:37:14.33\00:37:15.70
something, something
very, very interesting.
00:37:15.73\00:37:17.63
Please, can you
look there in the text?
00:37:17.66\00:37:20.26
So far we cover
the sixth trumpet.
00:37:20.29\00:37:23.59
Okay, okay, are you with me?
00:37:23.62\00:37:25.00
The first angel
sounded the trumpet.
00:37:28.11\00:37:32.41
The second
angel, the third angel,
00:37:32.44\00:37:36.68
the fourth
angel, the fifth angel,
00:37:36.71\00:37:40.41
the sixth angel, what do
you expect now next? What is it?
00:37:40.44\00:37:46.04
You'll now notice in
chapter 10, then in chapter 11,
00:37:46.07\00:37:50.92
there is no seventh angel.
00:37:50.95\00:37:52.82
We have to wait until
chapter 11, chapter 11:15.
00:37:52.85\00:38:00.69
There is an inter load inserted
00:38:00.72\00:38:03.43
between the sixth
and the seventh trumpet.
00:38:03.46\00:38:06.32
But in order to
bring the trumpet series
00:38:06.35\00:38:10.43
to its conclusion I'd
like to suggest to you
00:38:10.46\00:38:12.99
that we move to
the seventh trumpet.
00:38:13.02\00:38:17.46
In our next two presentations
we will try to understand
00:38:17.49\00:38:21.37
what we have in these
inter load in chapter 7:11.
00:38:21.40\00:38:24.53
Do you agree with me?
00:38:24.56\00:38:25.93
Let's bring seven
trumpets to its conclusion.
00:38:25.96\00:38:28.76
So please, can you go
to chapter 11:15? Okay.
00:38:28.79\00:38:35.11
Let's see about
the seventh trumpet.
00:38:35.14\00:38:36.51
"Then the seventh angel sounded.
00:38:40.20\00:38:43.15
And there were loud
voices in heaven saying"--
00:38:43.18\00:38:46.78
okay, can you help me?
00:38:46.81\00:38:49.21
What time period historically
does the sixth trumpet portray?
00:38:49.24\00:38:55.09
The time prior to the
second coming of Christ,
00:38:55.12\00:38:57.41
the preparation for
the battle Armageddon.
00:38:57.44\00:38:59.42
Can we say the time in
which we exactly live today?
00:38:59.45\00:39:03.34
We live today in the
time of the sixth trumpet.
00:39:03.37\00:39:07.38
So the seventh trumpet, it
must come after that period.
00:39:07.41\00:39:13.11
It brings us to the
very second coming of Christ.
00:39:13.14\00:39:16.36
So please keep this in mind.
00:39:16.39\00:39:18.71
"So the seventh angel sounded.
00:39:18.74\00:39:21.17
And there were loud
voices in heaven saying,
00:39:21.20\00:39:24.07
'The kingdom of
the world has become
00:39:24.10\00:39:27.41
the kingdom of our
Lord and of His Christ,
00:39:27.44\00:39:31.27
and He will reign
forever and ever.'
00:39:31.30\00:39:35.02
And the twenty-four
elders who sit on their thrones
00:39:35.05\00:39:38.83
before God fell on their faces
00:39:38.86\00:39:43.02
and worshiped God saying,
00:39:46.73\00:39:49.71
'We give You thanks, O Lord God,
00:39:49.74\00:39:51.78
the Almighty, who are, who were,
00:39:51.81\00:39:56.42
because You have
taken Your great power
00:39:56.45\00:39:59.75
and have begun to reign.'"
00:39:59.78\00:40:02.70
Did you notice here
one element in verse 17?
00:40:02.73\00:40:05.16
Let me go back, let me go back.
00:40:05.19\00:40:07.71
It says, "We give You
thanks." Are you there?
00:40:07.74\00:40:11.85
"We give You thanks, O Lord God,
00:40:11.88\00:40:13.54
the Almighty,
who are and who were,
00:40:13.57\00:40:19.25
because You have
taken Your great power
00:40:19.28\00:40:21.30
and have begun to reign."
00:40:21.33\00:40:22.70
Did you notice here
something very unusual?
00:40:22.73\00:40:26.69
Did you notice before,
in the Book of Revelation,
00:40:26.72\00:40:29.81
how does God identifies Himself?
00:40:29.84\00:40:33.14
The One who was, who
is and who is to come.
00:40:33.17\00:40:39.23
What do we have
here in this text?
00:40:39.26\00:40:42.45
God who is, who
was-- what is lacking here?
00:40:42.48\00:40:46.68
What is missing here?
00:40:46.71\00:40:48.08
He is coming. Why?
00:40:48.11\00:40:50.25
Because He has come already.
00:40:50.28\00:40:53.61
You see the
seventh trumpet brings us
00:40:53.64\00:40:56.46
to the very, very moment of
the second coming of Christ.
00:40:56.49\00:41:01.40
And you can see here, you can
see here in this text it says,
00:41:01.43\00:41:04.98
verse 15, "That the
kingdom of the world has become
00:41:05.01\00:41:10.29
the kingdom of our
Lord and of His Christ,
00:41:10.32\00:41:15.55
and He will reign
forever and ever."
00:41:15.58\00:41:18.58
Let's go to verse 17, verse 17.
00:41:18.61\00:41:22.02
"We give You thanks, O Lord God,
00:41:22.05\00:41:24.30
the Almighty,
who are and who were,
00:41:24.33\00:41:26.25
because You have
taken Your great power
00:41:26.28\00:41:30.45
and have begun to reign."
00:41:30.48\00:41:32.78
Did you notice here?
00:41:32.81\00:41:34.96
Evidently, the seventh trumpet
00:41:34.99\00:41:38.60
is probably the
easiest to interpret.
00:41:38.63\00:41:42.00
Finally, I can say it
with little bit easy attempt
00:41:42.03\00:41:48.79
to going to see what all
these elements are all about.
00:41:48.82\00:41:52.80
So the sounding of the
seventh trumpet signals
00:41:52.83\00:41:55.69
the conclusion of
this earth history.
00:41:55.72\00:41:58.64
The proclamation of
the gospel is complete
00:41:58.67\00:42:01.69
and the case of
every person is decided.
00:42:01.72\00:42:05.65
And now the voice from
heaven makes declaration
00:42:05.68\00:42:09.36
of the ultimate establishment
of God's kingdom on the earth.
00:42:09.39\00:42:14.79
This rebellious
planet that has been
00:42:14.82\00:42:18.35
under dominion of Satan
for many thousand of years
00:42:18.38\00:42:23.80
will finally come back
under God's dominion and roll.
00:42:23.83\00:42:27.72
And I don't know what
suddenly comes to your mind,
00:42:27.75\00:42:30.44
but to my mind
comes that famous text
00:42:30.47\00:42:33.89
from the Book of Daniel 2:24.
00:42:33.92\00:42:38.02
You know this text,
"That in days of those kings
00:42:38.05\00:42:43.02
the God of heaven
will set up a kingdom
00:42:43.05\00:42:45.96
which will never be destroyed.
00:42:45.99\00:42:48.42
And that kingdom will not
be left for another people,
00:42:48.45\00:42:52.30
it will crush and put an
end to all these kingdoms,
00:42:52.33\00:42:56.86
but it will
itself endure forever."
00:42:56.89\00:42:59.12
Yeah, finally we have the
fulfillment of this prophecy
00:42:59.15\00:43:02.03
from the Book of
Daniel chapter 2.
00:43:02.06\00:43:06.65
Let us be reminded of
something that we talked before.
00:43:06.68\00:43:10.22
It was after His
death on the cross
00:43:10.25\00:43:12.41
and His subsequent
ascension to heaven
00:43:12.44\00:43:15.37
that Christ was
recognized as the co-ruler
00:43:15.40\00:43:18.20
with the Father
over the universe.
00:43:18.23\00:43:21.76
Satan was kicked out from heaven
00:43:21.79\00:43:26.88
and Christ was proclaimed to
be the true ruler of the earth.
00:43:26.91\00:43:34.70
Christ has become the
ruler of our universe. Amen.
00:43:34.73\00:43:38.59
But not yet over
the planet earth.
00:43:38.62\00:43:43.55
This rebellious world
00:43:43.58\00:43:46.86
is still under Satan's dominion.
00:43:46.89\00:43:53.03
We saw in Revelation chapter 5,
00:43:53.06\00:43:56.69
that Jesus at
the Day of Pentecost,
00:43:56.72\00:44:00.90
He started His rule as
the co-ruler with the Father
00:44:00.93\00:44:05.22
there at the Day of Pentecost.
00:44:05.25\00:44:06.62
You remember? We
talked about that.
00:44:06.65\00:44:08.74
And according to Apostle Paul
in 1 Corinthians chapter 15,
00:44:08.77\00:44:13.50
it was at that occasion,
00:44:13.53\00:44:15.99
at that atonement
on the Day of Pentecost
00:44:16.02\00:44:18.61
that the Father has put
all the enemies under His feet.
00:44:18.64\00:44:25.25
However, not yet.
00:44:25.28\00:44:27.83
According to the same
text, 1 Corinthians chapter 15,
00:44:27.86\00:44:31.13
Paul is telling us
that Christ has to reign
00:44:31.16\00:44:34.47
in the midst of His enemies.
00:44:34.50\00:44:37.64
This rebellious
planet is still rebellious.
00:44:37.67\00:44:42.06
But the time is coming,
according to Apostle Paul,
00:44:42.09\00:44:47.35
when finally God will
00:44:47.38\00:44:52.55
put into Jesus' hands
00:44:52.58\00:44:56.09
all the kingdoms of this earth
00:44:56.12\00:45:00.49
and then finally all the rule
00:45:00.52\00:45:02.95
and all the power
antagonistic to God
00:45:02.98\00:45:06.38
finally will be
subjected to Jesus Christ.
00:45:06.41\00:45:10.18
But that day is
still in the future.
00:45:10.21\00:45:12.65
We are waiting for the day
00:45:12.68\00:45:14.05
and here the vision
of the seventh trumpet,
00:45:14.08\00:45:18.71
that long awaited
day finally has come
00:45:18.74\00:45:23.50
and Jesus began to reign
with a great, great power
00:45:23.53\00:45:29.72
and the great authority.
00:45:29.75\00:45:32.84
Yeah, the
seventh trumpet brings us
00:45:32.87\00:45:36.46
to the very time of the
second coming of Christ.
00:45:36.49\00:45:41.18
But you will notice
that the Book of Revelation
00:45:41.21\00:45:44.00
does not conclude
with this section.
00:45:44.03\00:45:47.58
It just concludes one section,
but brings us to the last one
00:45:47.61\00:45:53.18
which is the eschatological one,
00:45:53.21\00:45:54.99
bring us really to
the time of the end.
00:45:55.02\00:45:58.38
And I'd like you some--
00:45:58.41\00:46:01.11
if you can go
with me to verse 18,
00:46:01.14\00:46:04.22
because at this point verse
18 is very, very important.
00:46:04.25\00:46:09.55
Keep in mind Revelation
7 brings us to the end,
00:46:09.58\00:46:12.80
but the end is not yet, okay.
00:46:12.83\00:46:16.51
Verse 18, "And the
nations were enraged.
00:46:16.54\00:46:21.88
And your wrath came,
00:46:21.91\00:46:24.81
and the time came for
the dead to be judged,
00:46:24.84\00:46:28.85
and the time to reward
Your servants the prophets
00:46:28.88\00:46:32.79
and the saints and
those who fear Your name,
00:46:32.82\00:46:36.78
the small and the great,
00:46:36.81\00:46:39.00
and to destroy those
who destroy the earth."
00:46:39.03\00:46:44.47
In this text that
we have just read,
00:46:44.50\00:46:47.83
actually we have the
outline of what last 11 chapters
00:46:47.86\00:46:52.52
of the Book of
Revelation are all about.
00:46:52.55\00:46:54.68
Chapter 11, verse
18, in a nutshell,
00:46:57.75\00:47:03.46
give us the entire content
00:47:03.49\00:47:05.44
of the last 11 chapters
of the Book of Revelation.
00:47:05.47\00:47:07.61
Are you still with me?
00:47:07.64\00:47:09.28
So if you really want to
learn what the last 11 chapters
00:47:09.31\00:47:12.31
of the Book of
Revelation are all about,
00:47:12.34\00:47:14.46
just read verse 18 of chapter--
let me put it this way.
00:47:14.49\00:47:19.42
What is the first--it says,
"The nations were enraged."
00:47:19.45\00:47:24.55
Okay, why are
the nations enraged?
00:47:24.58\00:47:29.58
We will see very, very
soon that in chapter 12:17,
00:47:29.61\00:47:34.61
Satan becomes enraged.
00:47:34.64\00:47:38.54
Then he associates
himself with the two beasts
00:47:38.57\00:47:42.03
that represent
us political powers,
00:47:42.06\00:47:45.54
gathering all the
nations of the earth
00:47:45.57\00:47:48.31
for themselves
who become enraged.
00:47:48.34\00:47:50.45
Why? Against God and His people.
00:47:50.48\00:47:54.01
So really these
nations were enraged.
00:47:54.04\00:47:56.89
The background of
this text is in Psalms 2.
00:47:56.92\00:48:00.35
Actually it's
elaborated in chapter 13,
00:48:00.38\00:48:04.89
then going also
chapters 14, 15, and 16,
00:48:04.92\00:48:09.32
telling us about the
nations that are enraged,
00:48:09.35\00:48:12.20
in that anger enraged
they're preparing themselves
00:48:12.23\00:48:14.63
for the battle of Armageddon.
00:48:14.66\00:48:17.00
Then it says, "Your wrath came."
00:48:17.03\00:48:21.57
Where do we have that
the wrath of God has come?
00:48:21.60\00:48:25.35
If you go to Revelation 15:1,
00:48:25.38\00:48:30.70
so chapters 15 and 16 we read,
00:48:30.73\00:48:33.42
"Then I saw
another sign in heaven."
00:48:33.45\00:48:35.89
Chapter 15:1,
"Great and marvelous,
00:48:35.92\00:48:39.35
seven angels who
had seven plagues,
00:48:39.38\00:48:42.03
which are the last,
00:48:42.06\00:48:43.43
because in them the
wrath of God is finished."
00:48:43.46\00:48:47.29
Here it says,
"Your wrath has come."
00:48:47.32\00:48:49.85
You see the seven last
plagues are the expression
00:48:49.88\00:48:52.90
of the wrath of God
upon the rebellious humanity
00:48:52.93\00:48:57.23
who have sided with Satan,
00:48:57.26\00:48:59.58
have received the
image of the beast
00:48:59.61\00:49:03.03
and they are eager
to destroy God's people.
00:49:03.06\00:49:05.76
You see that, we have now
00:49:05.79\00:49:07.56
the content of
chapters 15 and 16.
00:49:07.59\00:49:09.75
And now it says, "That the
time for the dead to be judged."
00:49:09.78\00:49:15.12
Where do we have
the judgment over dead?
00:49:15.15\00:49:18.60
Of course, Revelation chapter
20, after the millennium.
00:49:18.63\00:49:22.49
But keep in mind that
the judgment has two aspects.
00:49:22.52\00:49:27.31
It has the
positive and has a negative.
00:49:27.34\00:49:31.95
In chapter 19, God's
faithful people are vindicated.
00:49:31.98\00:49:38.97
They are judged
rightly before God
00:49:39.00\00:49:41.49
and now the Kingdom
of God that portrayed
00:49:41.52\00:49:45.69
as the bride waiting
for the bridegroom to come.
00:49:45.72\00:49:50.12
It's the wedding
supper, supper of the Lamb.
00:49:50.15\00:49:53.58
But then we have the negative
aspect of that judgment.
00:49:53.61\00:49:57.49
And which is
the negative aspect?
00:49:57.52\00:49:59.21
Is to destroy the
destroyers of the earth.
00:49:59.24\00:50:05.24
Please allow me, we
have few minutes left.
00:50:05.27\00:50:09.08
And now I'd like just to take
this remaining portion of time--
00:50:09.11\00:50:13.40
this few minutes that are left
00:50:13.43\00:50:15.22
just a little
bit with this phrase,
00:50:15.25\00:50:17.72
"to destroy the
destroyers of the earth."
00:50:17.75\00:50:20.79
And I just want to show to you
00:50:20.82\00:50:22.85
how it's so easy
that we take one phrase
00:50:22.88\00:50:26.34
from the Book of Revelation
00:50:26.37\00:50:27.82
or one text with
the Book of Revelation
00:50:27.85\00:50:29.77
and read all kind of different
ideas that we have there.
00:50:29.80\00:50:35.67
For many people
Revelation 11:19,
00:50:35.70\00:50:39.01
"The destroyers--to destroy
the destroyers of the earth,"
00:50:39.04\00:50:42.38
that this text refer to
the ecological concerns,
00:50:42.41\00:50:47.30
the earth being
destroyed by modern technology.
00:50:47.33\00:50:51.49
You probably heard
about that interpretation
00:50:51.52\00:50:55.22
and I just want
to tell you, friends,
00:50:55.25\00:50:57.14
the Book of Revelation is
not about modern technology.
00:50:57.17\00:51:00.21
The Book of
Revelation is not about ecology
00:51:00.24\00:51:03.33
and our modern
concerns today that we have.
00:51:03.36\00:51:06.78
Of course, we as Christians we
have to care about environment.
00:51:06.81\00:51:10.82
We have, but the Book of
Revelation is not about ecology.
00:51:10.85\00:51:14.34
It's about the
plan of salvation.
00:51:14.37\00:51:16.40
It's about the conclusion
of this great controversy
00:51:16.43\00:51:19.96
between God and Satan
00:51:19.99\00:51:23.65
and finally the establishment
of God's eternal kingdom. Amen.
00:51:23.68\00:51:29.41
So what is the
meaning of the phrase,
00:51:29.44\00:51:31.45
"to destroy the
destroyers of the earth?"
00:51:31.48\00:51:34.43
Please unfortunately,
I'd like to do something,
00:51:34.46\00:51:39.17
but I'm not able to do it here.
00:51:39.20\00:51:41.06
I simply would
like to refer to you
00:51:41.09\00:51:43.37
and the text will
appear there on the screen,
00:51:43.40\00:51:47.61
at least the reference there.
00:51:47.64\00:51:50.30
I want to show to you
how it's important to allow
00:51:50.33\00:51:53.05
the Bible interpret itself.
00:51:53.08\00:51:56.72
The first
background to the phrase,
00:51:56.75\00:51:59.14
"to destroy those
who destroy the earth,"
00:51:59.17\00:52:03.45
it's found in the Book
of Genesis 6:12 and 14.
00:52:03.48\00:52:09.95
If you have in front of yourself
00:52:12.81\00:52:15.22
the English
translation of the Bible,
00:52:15.25\00:52:16.98
any English translation version,
00:52:17.01\00:52:19.93
it will not be of
great help to you.
00:52:19.96\00:52:23.15
But let me put it how it
looked both in Hebrew Bible.
00:52:23.18\00:52:28.04
The Bible of the Old
Testament was written in Hebrew.
00:52:28.07\00:52:30.49
And how it looks into the Hebrew
translation of the Hebrew Bible
00:52:30.52\00:52:35.17
into the Septuagint in Greek.
00:52:35.20\00:52:37.33
Both are the same and
it looks like this way.
00:52:37.36\00:52:39.97
Please let me now paraphrase it.
00:52:40.00\00:52:41.50
It says, "God saw from
heaven how every flesh on earth
00:52:41.53\00:52:48.28
was destroying the earth."
00:52:48.31\00:52:50.81
In our English
translation it says,
00:52:50.84\00:52:52.67
"They were
corrupting the earth."
00:52:52.70\00:52:55.49
Actually it's the same Hebrew
and also Greek word is used.
00:52:55.52\00:52:59.62
They say, "God saw
how the Antediluvians
00:52:59.65\00:53:03.56
were destroying the earth."
00:53:03.59\00:53:05.43
And God says, "Because
they're destroying the earth,
00:53:05.46\00:53:09.15
I am going to
destroy them from the earth."
00:53:09.18\00:53:13.93
How were those
people destroying the earth?
00:53:13.96\00:53:16.31
With
immorality, with corruption,
00:53:16.34\00:53:19.91
distorting that
image of God there.
00:53:19.94\00:53:24.00
But there is another
text also in the Bible
00:53:24.03\00:53:27.15
that somehow sheds a
light to the meaning of that.
00:53:27.18\00:53:31.30
It's Jeremiah 51:25.
00:53:31.33\00:53:35.30
So Jeremiah 51:25,
00:53:35.33\00:53:39.75
there the prophet identifies
00:53:39.78\00:53:44.20
the historical
Babylon-- historical Babylon,
00:53:44.23\00:53:47.09
the arch enemy of God's people
00:53:47.12\00:53:49.51
in the Old Testament
as destroying mountain.
00:53:49.54\00:53:54.11
Now again in
Hebrew and in Greek, okay,
00:53:54.14\00:53:56.94
who destroys the
whole earth and God says,
00:53:56.97\00:54:00.76
"I am coming against
you, you destroying mountain,
00:54:00.79\00:54:05.59
and I will destroy
you from the earth." Amen.
00:54:05.62\00:54:10.89
So tell me, when we have here
as that in that final judgment,
00:54:10.92\00:54:17.36
just before God
establishes His kingdom
00:54:17.39\00:54:20.15
God will destroy
destroyers of the earth,
00:54:20.18\00:54:23.54
who are those who
are destroying the earth?
00:54:23.57\00:54:25.95
You see this is not
simply about ecology.
00:54:25.98\00:54:28.22
Of course, ecology comes
as the result of everything
00:54:28.25\00:54:31.51
what people are doing
on the face of the earth.
00:54:31.54\00:54:34.57
Actually it's about
the end time Babylon.
00:54:34.60\00:54:38.84
The Babylon is
destroying the earth
00:54:38.87\00:54:42.30
by those corrupting influences,
by rejecting the gospel,
00:54:42.33\00:54:47.24
turning the hearts and the
minds people away from God,
00:54:47.27\00:54:52.85
and God is now
coming to destroy Babylon
00:54:52.88\00:54:57.09
because the Babylon
was destroying the earth.
00:54:57.12\00:55:00.59
You see how it's
important that we take the Bible
00:55:00.62\00:55:05.20
and to allow the
Bible to interpret itself.
00:55:05.23\00:55:08.12
Now in conclusion let's go--
00:55:08.15\00:55:10.34
that you'll see how
actually the Book of Revelation
00:55:10.37\00:55:13.11
explain to us what is destroying
of the earth is all about.
00:55:13.14\00:55:16.91
It's Revelation
19:2, Revelation 19:2.
00:55:16.94\00:55:22.25
Revelation 19:2. Are you there?
00:55:22.28\00:55:27.84
It's the conclusion of
the battle of Armageddon.
00:55:27.87\00:55:31.64
You remember we just mentioned,
00:55:31.67\00:55:33.04
it's about those
judgments of God,
00:55:33.07\00:55:35.20
positive judgments on His
people and negative judgments
00:55:35.23\00:55:38.46
on the enemies of God's people.
00:55:38.49\00:55:40.12
So Revelation 19:1 and 2,
00:55:40.15\00:55:44.85
"And after these things I heard
something like a loud voice
00:55:44.88\00:55:49.41
of a great
multitude in heaven saying,
00:55:49.44\00:55:52.57
'Hallelujah! Salvation and glory
and power belong to our God.'"
00:55:52.60\00:55:57.25
Please pay attention now,
00:55:57.28\00:55:58.65
"Because His judgments
are true and righteous,
00:55:58.68\00:56:01.24
for He has
judged the great harlot
00:56:01.27\00:56:04.08
who was destroying the
earth with her immorality,
00:56:04.11\00:56:08.53
and He has avenged the
blood of His servants and her."
00:56:08.56\00:56:12.21
Who was the entity that was
destroying actually the earth?
00:56:12.24\00:56:16.86
You see that it's the
great prostitute Babylon
00:56:16.89\00:56:19.68
that we will
meet and discuss about
00:56:19.71\00:56:23.54
and to deal with when we
come to Revelation chapter 17.
00:56:23.57\00:56:27.95
It's Babylon, it's Babylon
00:56:27.98\00:56:31.76
is the entity in
the Book of Revelation
00:56:31.79\00:56:33.88
that destroys the earth.
00:56:33.91\00:56:35.34
If you go to Revelation 18:5,
00:56:35.37\00:56:38.50
we have the destruction
of the earth by Babylon.
00:56:38.53\00:56:40.86
It says, "For her sins
have piled up as high as heaven,
00:56:40.89\00:56:45.42
and God has
remembered her iniquities."
00:56:45.45\00:56:49.83
It's about the Babylon.
00:56:49.86\00:56:51.23
It's Babylon that
destroys the earth.
00:56:51.26\00:56:53.79
Yes, it is with
the seventh trumpet,
00:56:53.82\00:56:58.25
finally the
prayers of God's people,
00:56:58.28\00:57:03.37
they are at the
altar, beneath the altar,
00:57:03.40\00:57:06.96
calling upon God and
asking for the vengeance
00:57:06.99\00:57:09.83
and vindication
finally will be answered.
00:57:09.86\00:57:14.86
This is all what we can
say about the seventh trumpet.
00:57:14.89\00:57:18.89
Yes, we have a wonderful God.
00:57:18.92\00:57:21.78
People are reaping the
consequences of the decision,
00:57:21.81\00:57:25.01
but God still want to
save human beings. He saved me.
00:57:25.04\00:57:29.06
And, dear viewers, He wants
also to save each one of us.
00:57:29.09\00:57:33.57
May God be with you, amen.
00:57:33.60\00:57:35.56