Participants: Ranko Stefanovic
Series Code: RCK
Program Code: RCK000017
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00:22 Welcome again to our program
00:25 that we have titled as "Revelation of the Coming King." 00:31 I just want to tell you, I'm excited from now on 00:34 because we're now moving into the so called 00:38 eschatological section of the Book of Revelation. 00:43 So far thus prophesy of the Book of Revelation 00:46 really concerned our past. 00:50 They have fulfilled the history. 00:52 And they really have a significant message telling us 00:56 that as those prophecies were fulfilled in the past, 00:59 so they will be fulfilled also in the future. 01:03 So now we're coming to another section 01:06 of the Book of Revelation. 01:08 And I'm so excited to have you again here with me. 01:12 I'm Ranko Stefanovic, Professor at the Seventh-day Adventist 01:16 Theological Seminary, Andrews University. 01:21 And I'm so glad to be here, dear viewers. 01:24 And would you open the word of God? 01:27 I know it's sometimes frustrating, 01:29 when we try to take such a complex language 01:33 and the visuals of Book of Revelation 01:35 and put a certain period of time. 01:38 But the purpose of these presentations 01:39 is not to give us answers to all those difficult texts 01:45 of the Book of Revelation, 01:47 but simply to stimulate our appetite. 01:49 So once this program is over 01:52 that you can take all those good tools 01:55 and study the Book of Revelation for yourself. 01:58 So now you'll ask a question, 02:00 what should I have to study the Book of Revelation? 02:03 First, you must have a good text book. 02:05 And I want to introduce to you 02:07 the best text book on the Book of Revelation. 02:08 I'm holding in it my hands. 02:10 It's the Bible. This is the best tool. 02:14 If you follow, follow the instructions of this book 02:18 you cannot be far away. 02:20 So I'd like to encourage you, 02:22 don't try to use your imagination 02:24 and your own ideas you try to read in the text. 02:29 We saw it when we go to the Old Testament 02:31 and also to the New Testament, 02:34 how those perplexing and sometimes confusing 02:37 text of the Book of Revelation 02:39 really become very, very and much, much clear to us. 02:45 But once this program is over, 02:49 I'd like to suggest to you I hope that most of you 02:53 have provided for yourself this commentary 02:58 titled "Revelation of Jesus Christ." 03:01 Every time I point to the pages 03:05 that we try to cover during this presentations 03:10 but just a part of that. 03:11 So once this presentation is over 03:13 please turn to the pages 385. 03:16 So pages 385 03:19 and all up to the page 407. 03:26 Okay, you'll find many more information. 03:29 You can find many more scriptural references there. 03:32 So please, let us go and study the word of God for ourselves. 03:37 But please above all, whenever you take the Bible, 03:41 we have to do it with a prayer. 03:43 We are just humans. We are our doing best. 03:46 The Holy Spirit is speaking to us. 03:51 But we need to depend on God every time 03:54 when we open the Bible. 03:56 And this is exactly what we will do today 03:58 as we are going into the word of God. 04:01 Our Heavenly Father, thank you so much, 04:06 for Your care and Your guidance. 04:09 Thank you for the Book of Revelation 04:11 in which You are teaching us, 04:13 how much You care for human beings 04:16 and how much You want to see them one day in Your kingdom. 04:20 Please give us Your Holy Spirit 04:21 as we are going now to understand, 04:25 chapter 12 of this book. 04:28 And please speak to us in the same way 04:30 You spoke to John, 04:32 when You inspired him that he write-- 04:35 to write these messages 04:36 of the Book of Revelation in the scroll. 04:39 Thank you, Father for Your help. 04:41 We pray all of this in the precious name 04:43 of our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. 04:48 Friends, we are now going 04:51 to the last major division of the Book of Revelation 04:57 that we call the eschatological section 05:00 of the Book of Revelation. 05:01 But there is something else I want to remind you. 05:05 With chapter 12, we are now trying to see 05:09 what was inscribed in that little scroll that John saw 05:14 in the hand of the angel in Revelation Chapter 10. 05:18 All those things God has revealed to us 05:21 for one simple purpose that we're not surprised 05:26 to tell us about what will happen at the time of the end. 05:30 So that we can rely on God 05:32 and to know that Jesus Christ will be with us always. 05:36 How long always? Until the very end of the age. 05:41 I'd like to remind you one more time 05:45 that we should not hold strictly to the chapter divisions 05:50 because this eschatological section 05:52 of the Book of Revelation does not begin 05:54 with Revelation 12:1. 05:57 It begins actually with chapter 11, verse 19. 06:02 That's why we did not deal with that text before. 06:07 What do we have in Revelation 11:19? 06:10 We read there John says, 06:12 "And the temple of God which is in heaven was opened, 06:19 and the Ark of his covenant appeared in his temple. 06:24 And there were flashes and lightening and sounds 06:27 and thunder and earthquake and the great hailstorm." 06:34 What is the significance of this? 06:35 Do you remember already in chapter 11 06:40 that John introduces the heavenly temple 06:44 and the altar and the worshipers? 06:49 But what we have here is now that the temple was open 06:53 and John saw clearly the Ark of the Covenant 06:58 that appeared, that was seen there in heaven 07:00 accompanied with lightning and sounds and thunder, 07:04 earthquake and the great hail. 07:06 All of these are actually the expression 07:08 in the Old Testament, signifying the theophany 07:12 or God's presence and God's coming in the judgment. 07:16 You see the fact that John saw the Ark of the Covenant, 07:20 it's significant for two reasons. 07:22 Number one, do you remember the Revelation 5? 07:27 We talked about the sealed scroll 07:30 that was symbol of God's covenant. 07:32 Do you know that that scroll 07:34 at the coronation of this last king, 07:36 a copy was stored there at the Ark of Covenant? 07:41 When the king wanted to consult, 07:43 he had to go there to get it from the priest 07:46 and to find out about his rule. 07:49 So it points to us the fact that the Ark of the Covenant 07:52 was seen now that we have the revelation of that scroll 07:55 at least that little scroll or part of the scroll 07:59 that John saw in Revelation Chapter 10. 08:02 So, boy, this is very exciting. 08:04 This is the section of the Book of Revelation that concerns us. 08:08 It is through this section that God is actually telling us, 08:11 this is what will happen in the future. 08:14 So that you can rely on me. 08:16 You should not be surprised. 08:19 But there is actually another very important reason. 08:24 The fact, please can you be with me? 08:27 The fact that the temple was seen open, 08:30 so open that the Ark of the Covenant was seen. 08:36 Are you with me? 08:38 I should really point that John was able to see 08:41 into the most Holy Place there of the heavenly sanctuary. 08:46 By the way, it telling us 08:50 that what we have now from Revelation 12: 1 08:54 all up to the end of the book. 08:57 All those final events are given 08:59 in the context of Christ ministry 09:02 not any longer in the Holy Place. 09:04 Now in the context of what's going on there, 09:07 Christ's ministry in the most holy place 09:09 of the heavenly sanctuary. 09:12 So the first 11 chapters are related to Jesus ministry 09:17 in the Holy Place as our priest. 09:19 Are you still with me? 09:20 But now we are entering into the description 09:25 of the final events of the Book of Revelation 09:27 and those final events are given 09:30 in the context of Christ ministry 09:32 there in the most Holy Place. 09:36 Okay, that is in the Book of Revelation 09:39 defined as we mentioned already in our last presentation, 09:42 as the pre-advent judgment. 09:45 That's why at the beginning of Revelation Chapter 11 09:49 that prophesying that is given to the church through John, 09:54 you remember that? 09:55 Is actually it's given in the context of the measuring 09:59 of the heavenly temple and the altar and the worshippers 10:03 which is actually a reference to the pre-advent judgment. 10:07 Oh, friends, this is a great news for us 10:11 because if you go to the Old Testament, 10:14 the Ark of the Covenant always signified the presence of God. 10:18 Do you remember on one occasion 10:20 when the Ark of the Covenant was stolen 10:22 from the people of Israel? 10:23 How great mourning and lamentation was among people 10:26 because they lost the presence of God. 10:29 Actually even a son of the high priest fell down-- 10:34 no, actually his wife died there as delivering baby 10:38 they named the baby the glory departed from Israel. 10:42 Actually, the appearance of that Ark of the Covenant 10:45 is very significant to telling us now our Savior 10:48 and the high priest is there in the Holy Place-- 10:52 in the most holy place. 10:54 He is interceding on behalf of us. 10:56 The final events are scary. 10:59 They are bizarre. 11:02 Sometimes, they're frightening. 11:04 But His promise is "Don't be afraid, 11:07 I will be with you to sustain you. 11:11 I'll be with you always until the very end of the age." 11:16 Friends, if you take Revelation 11:19, 11:21 out of the Book of Revelation and you will see also. 11:24 If you take Revelation Chapter 12, 11:26 out of the book, 11:27 the Book of Revelation becomes nothing else, 11:30 but another Nostradamus book, a fortune telling book. 11:35 Telling us about something that will happen 11:36 with the future without providing any hope for us. 11:39 But it's actually Revelation 11:19 and chapter 12. 11:44 That makes the Book of Revelation 11:46 not just revelation of the final events-- 11:49 it makes this book to be the revelation of Jesus Christ. 11:52 Well, I'm excited now so please I'd like now to invite you 11:55 that you go with me 11:57 and let's go now to Revelation Chapter 12. 12:00 But keep chapter 11 verses 19 in mind. 12:04 Can you do it for me? Okay, okay. 12:07 Now I have surprise to you. 12:10 As I stated to you that we will go to Revelation Chapter 12, 12:13 what did you expect that I will read? 12:16 Verse 1, unfortunately, I've disappointed you 12:19 because if you really want to start reading Revelation 12. 12:23 You begin with verse 17 12:25 because this is the key text of this chapter. 12:28 Are you with me? 12:30 Let's go to Revelation 12:17. 12:36 Now on the page that I introduced to you, 12:38 what are the pages? 12:41 Okay, let me go back its page 385, 385. 12:47 Yeah, this is the beginning of the chapter 12. 12:50 You'll find there verse 17, okay. 12:54 How does the text begin? 12:58 No, you missed the most important word. 13:00 It says actually the Greek word Kai simply means end. 13:05 But you know the same word 13:08 sometimes can have different concepts. 13:10 It really means 'then' or 'so' as I have in my Bible. 13:18 "The dragon was enraged with the woman, 13:22 and he went off to make war with the rest of her children, 13:27 who keep the commandments of God 13:30 and hold to the testimony of Jesus." 13:32 Please let's look clear in this text. 13:35 You have to help me. 13:36 What are the elements and the entities 13:40 that are found in this text? 13:41 Number one, what do you have? 13:42 The dragon. Then we have a woman. 13:48 Then we have the war. 13:53 Then we have the remnants of the woman's children. 13:57 And then those who keep the commandments of God 13:59 and they hold to the testimony of Jesus. 14:03 What do you have here in this text? 14:06 Sister, can I ask you one question. 14:08 I can be angry with you or you can be angry with me. 14:11 And we will not talk. 14:14 But if I do this and try to beat you, 14:17 would you agree with me that I'm really angry? Yes. 14:21 You see here in verse 17, 14:23 there is one entity that is introduced 14:25 by the name of the dragon. 14:28 That becomes so enraged, with whom? 14:31 With the woman, so much enraged 14:35 that he this entity by name of dragon, okay, 14:39 decides to wage the war to beat the woman, 14:43 to kill them, to persecute them that hatred is so much. 14:46 Now there is a question, why is the dragon so much angry? 14:52 I just want to tell you verse 17 14:54 actually it's so called spring text. 14:57 It's the conclusion of chapter 12. 14:59 That's why the word 'so' or 'then' is so much important. 15:03 But at the same time, introduces what comes after. 15:06 Telling us in chapter 17, 15:08 how actually the dragon is preparing himself 15:11 from that final war. 15:13 So now let's go to chapter 12, I just want to tell you. 15:17 If you ask me, what is my favorite sermon 15:19 that I like to preach? 15:20 Revelation 12 from the Book of Revelation 15:23 is actually Revelation 12. 15:25 It's a great encouragement. 15:27 Actually, it changed my relationship with Christ 15:29 after understanding of this, 15:31 made me to have a right perspective of the final events. 15:34 So I'd like now to invite you, to go with me for a journey. 15:38 Please I'll not even hold my Bible in front of myself 15:43 because I know this chapter from my heart. 15:49 Actually, how does the chapter begins? 15:52 "And a great sign appeared there in heaven." 15:55 Do you remember the word sign that we encountered 15:57 at the beginning of the Book of Revelation? 15:59 Do you remember the word the samino, sama? 16:03 By the way, here it's not sama. 16:05 It's samino which is new term. 16:07 It's simply means a sign. 16:08 It means something marvelous. 16:10 It's a symbol that John sees there in the heaven. 16:14 What is the symbol about? It is a woman. 16:18 And this woman is beautiful. 16:22 "It's clothed with the sun, 16:25 and the moon under her feet, 16:28 and on her head a crown of twelve stars." 16:35 But there is something else with regard to this woman. 16:38 She said she was a pregnant with a child, 16:42 but there is one step further there. 16:46 Not only that she is pregnant she is a labor. 16:50 She cried out being in labor in pain to give a birth. 16:57 What is this vision all about? 17:00 Keep in mind we're looking into the content 17:02 of that little scroll of Revelation Chapter 10. 17:04 God wants something to tell us. 17:08 So whenever in the Book of Revelation 17:10 you have the word 'samion.' 17:13 It's another way of saying 17:16 watch out something important is going to happen. 17:20 So who is this woman, who is this woman? 17:24 So many times I hear preachers, 17:27 when they preach on the Book of Revelation, 17:30 and they make statement, 17:32 pure and faithful woman in the Bible 17:36 always stands as a symbol for God's people. 17:41 We need corrections. 17:43 I hope we'll stay friends after this. 17:46 The woman in the Bible whether faithful or unfaithful 17:50 it's always a symbol for God's people. 17:53 Those who are not God's people, 17:54 they are never in the Bible referred to as a woman. 17:56 They're always as beasts. 17:59 The water trying to flood Palestine. 18:02 There are mountains, but never a woman. 18:05 In the Old Testament, when Israel is faithful to God, 18:10 she is a pure and faithful woman. 18:12 When Israel is in apostasy serving idols, 18:16 keep in mind they're still God's people. 18:19 They're always referred to in terms of a prostitute. 18:22 Probably, the best allegorical and symbolical 18:26 Book of the Old Testament, talking about that, 18:29 is the Book of Hosea. 18:32 Telling us that even if that woman was a prostitute, 18:39 she was still a subject of God's love. 18:42 So the woman is always a regular symbol for the Old Testament. 18:48 And I want to introduce one topic. 18:50 We have here a pure woman faithful to God. 18:54 You'll notice she is rest in the Son, 18:56 which is in the Book of Revelation, 18:58 a regular symbol for Jesus Christ. 19:02 But she is standing on the moon. 19:03 You see, moon does not have its own light. 19:07 It reflects the sun. 19:09 It's a best description what Old Testament was all about. 19:13 And the sacrificial system is. 19:14 That woman does not reject the Old Testament. 19:18 I'm speaking to many Christians who believe 19:20 that only the New Testament should be read. 19:22 That Jesus did away with the Old Testament. 19:25 No, this woman God's people they stand firmly on the moon. 19:30 Are you still with me? Yes. 19:31 But they have the crown. 19:34 Stephanos crown made of twelve stars, number 12. 19:40 In the Bible regularly, 19:43 it's actually the symbol of the church 19:45 especially in the Book of Revelation. 19:47 Twelve tribes of Israel, 19:49 we saw that in the Revelation Chapter 7 19:51 and twelve apostles, symbol of the Old Testament 19:55 and the symbol of the New Testament, okay. 19:58 Keep in mind when you go to Revelation Chapter 17, 20:03 we have another woman there introduced, who is that woman? 20:07 Well, I don't want to stimulate your appetite. 20:10 I'd like to suggest to you 20:11 that the woman of Revelation Chapter 12 20:13 and woman of Revelation Chapter 17, 20:15 its one and the same woman. 20:19 That woman that was originally faithful to Christ, 20:22 at the time of the end, will turn into the prostitute woman. 20:26 It become a tool in the hands of Satan. 20:30 To pull the whole world into that final deception. 20:33 That's why the time of the end, Satan is not angry, 20:36 Satan is not going to fight the war with a woman. 20:39 He is going to fight the war with the remnant of the woman, 20:42 those who remain faithful to God. 20:43 Why, because that woman that Christian church 20:46 will side with Satan in the final events. 20:48 This is very important to keep in mind 20:50 as we are studying the Book of Revelation. 20:52 But more about that we will see 20:54 when we come to Revelation Chapter 17. 20:57 So what we're talking here about? 20:59 Evidently in the Revelation 12, 21:02 this woman stands a symbol for God's people, 21:05 both of the Old and New Testament. 21:07 But in the first few verses of the Book of Revelation, 21:11 she is the symbol of God's Old Testament people of Israel. 21:17 It is out of Israel that Messiah was to come. 21:21 You see, the symbol of a woman 21:24 that was a pregnant to deliver a son, 21:26 it's a clearer reference to Genesis 3:15. 21:31 The promise that God made that out of the woman, 21:35 the promised Savior will come, 21:38 who will trample off the head of the serpent 21:42 and finally He will provide salvation for the lost humanity. 21:47 So we're talking about God's people 21:49 of the Old Testament times-- that is labor. 21:52 Because it is out of God's Old Testament people 21:55 that the Messiah was supposed to come. 22:00 By the way, if you really want to go 22:02 to the Book of Revelation 19:7-8 22:06 really portrays God's people as a beautiful woman 22:10 that is ready for that long awaited 22:16 reunion with Christ 22:18 which is portrayed in terms of the wedding supper of the lamb. 22:23 Now the text moves on. 22:25 It's in verse 3, we read. 22:29 But there is another samayon. 22:32 Another sign that appeared there in heaven. 22:35 Did you see that? 22:38 In the first sign, we have a beauty, 22:41 but in the second we have the beast. 22:43 So really Revelation 12 22:44 can be can be titled as the beauty and beast. 22:48 Okay, you like it. 22:50 Okay, it's says, 22:52 "Behold a great dragon having seven heads and ten horns 22:58 and on his heads were seven diadems 23:01 and his tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven 23:05 and threw them to the earth. 23:07 And the dragons stood before the woman. 23:09 Who was about to give a birth so that when she gave birth. 23:14 He might devour her child." 23:18 Who is now the next entity that is introduced? 23:24 It's entity that is seen by John 23:30 in the symbol of the dragon. 23:32 Okay, by the way, if you go to the Old Testament 23:35 and you go ancient near Eastern literature. 23:41 You will see the seven headed monster 23:43 was a well known symbol among them. 23:45 When you go to the Old Testament, 23:49 the seven headed monster its frequent image 23:53 presented by the prophets, 23:55 representing the enemies of God's people. 23:58 You see its mythological figure. 24:00 But it is used actually for Satan, 24:03 who stood behind of all those enemy nations and kingdoms, 24:10 who were trying to destroy God's people of the Old Testament. 24:15 Okay, if you go to the same chapter Revelation 12, 24:21 okay, verse 9. 24:23 We don't need really to wonder too much around. 24:27 We have a clear, clear denotification of the dragon. 24:32 It's telling us in verse 9 that this 24:35 "Great dragon that was actually the serpent of all." 24:39 Hey, when you use the expression serpent of all, 24:42 what does it comes to your mind? 24:43 John is telling to tell us go to the Garden of Eden. 24:47 If you want to understand who is this dragon? 24:50 Who is called the devil as Satan, 24:52 who deceives the whole world. 24:56 So we don't need really to wonder too much. 24:58 We know who this dragon is. It's Satan himself. 25:03 But there is a question, 25:06 why is Satan here represented as the dragon. 25:09 We know that he is a cherub. He's the angel. 25:15 He's not friends with two horns and half goat, 25:19 as people represent him. 25:21 Believe me, he's much more beautiful than we can imagine. 25:24 But why is John presenting him here as the dragon? 25:29 If you put here an angel, 25:30 oh, boy, you'll run there to give him a hug. 25:32 But you have a dragon, what would you do? 25:35 You'd run away. 25:36 You see the fact that Satan is here presented as the dragon, 25:41 the purpose of the Book of Revelation 25:43 to tell us is that we have to take this heavenly being, 25:48 we have to take him seriously. 25:50 Because he will be all the cause of the preclusion 25:54 and all those evil and wickedness 25:56 and persecution of the final events 26:00 that he will cause down to this earth. 26:04 He will use all kind of wickedness and deception 26:06 as we will see later. 26:08 So the Book of Revelation is telling us take Satan seriously. 26:14 Friends, in the Book of Revelation, 26:18 Satan is the real enemy. 26:21 According to the Book of Revelation 26:22 in Isaiah Chapter 14 and Book of Ezekiel Chapter 8, 26:25 he was a beautiful angel who was cast out from heaven. 26:30 He is now confined to the earth, we will talk more about that. 26:35 But he is a real person. 26:37 He is the arch enemy of the God and His people. 26:39 He is not a kind of imaginative figure. 26:44 In the Book of Revelation, he is a real enemy 26:49 and his existence is taken for granted. 26:52 He stands behind all the evil that transpires the earth. 26:57 In Revelation, here in the Book of Revelation 26:59 he is waiting for the Messiah to be born. 27:02 So when Messiah is born he wants to destroy Him. 27:09 I want now to do something very interesting. 27:11 I know, usually we do not do it, 27:13 when we study the Book of Revelation. 27:14 Have you ever thought how long Satan was waiting 27:21 for the Messiah to be born? 27:25 Just to be safe. 27:27 At least from Genesis 3:15-- Yes. 27:33 With every male child that was born 27:37 Satan saw possibility that it was the Messiah. 27:41 Have you ever waited for something for a long time? 27:47 Have you ever waited for something? I did. 27:53 Counting every possibility 27:56 finally, my patience would go up. 28:03 How long has Satan been waiting for Messiah to come? 28:05 We have to understand. 28:07 What is the purpose of Revelation Chapter 12? 28:09 And now the Messiah is born, what happens the next? 28:12 The next text, what does it say? 28:16 It says verse 5, the Messiah was born, 28:20 but the child was caught up to God and to His throne. 28:25 You see it's not the purpose of Revelation 12 28:27 to describe the life of Jesus. 28:29 It's simply telling us Satan had been waiting 28:32 for a long time for thousand, thousand years 28:35 for the Messiah to be born. 28:36 Messiah is born. Why is he waiting? 28:37 To destroy him and the Messiah is born, what happens next? 28:42 When Satan saw the opportunity to destroy Him, 28:44 the Messiah is taken there to heaven. 28:46 How does Satan feel at that moment? 28:52 There is one nice English word 28:53 that really perfect to describe him, 'frustrated.' 28:58 There is another word a loser. 29:03 Filled with frustration, 29:05 can you imagine waiting for so long time? 29:07 We have to keep in mind, 29:09 what the purpose of Revelation 12 is all about? 29:12 Okay, let's move to the next section. 29:16 There is a next scene in the vision. 29:19 It says "And there was war in heaven, 29:22 Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. 29:27 The dragon and his angels waged war, 29:30 and they were not strong enough, 29:32 and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven. 29:36 And the great dragon was thrown down, 29:38 the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, 29:41 who deceives the whole world. 29:43 He was thrown down to the earth. 29:45 And his angels were thrown down with him." 29:50 Please let's keep on reading, the next 3 verses. 29:55 Then, what does it mean 'then.' 29:59 After Satan was cast out from heaven. 30:01 Please can you keep this detail in mind? 30:04 I heard a loud voice in heaven saying. 30:07 "Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God 30:11 and the authority of his Christ have come. 30:14 For the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down. 30:19 He, who accuses them before our God day and night. 30:24 And they overcame him because of the blood of the lamb. 30:29 And because of the word of the testimony 30:32 and they did not love their life. 30:34 Even when faced with death. 30:37 For this reason rejoice, 30:38 oh, heavens and you who dwell in them. 30:41 Woe to the earth and the sea 30:43 because the devil has come down to you having great wrath, 30:48 knowing that he has only a short time." 30:51 Let's take few minutes to look here into this text. 30:55 You'll notice that Jesus, 30:59 the child was taken there to heaven. 31:02 Satan is frustrated and angry 31:05 and the next scene is that there is a war there in heaven. 31:09 There are two sides. 31:10 They are introduced, the dragon and his angels 31:14 and Michael and his angels. 31:17 By the way, in my commentary you can find 31:19 many more references to study for yourself. 31:22 I have all those references there 31:24 because in the Bible the name Michael 31:27 which actually it's Hebrew it means 31:29 Michal simply means who like God. 31:34 Actually, it's most likely. 31:36 One of the titles of Jesus Christ, 31:39 both in the Old and the New Testament. 31:42 In Daniel 10:13, Michael is called the chief, a prince. 31:49 It's the same Michael even though he is not mentioned 31:52 by name in Joshua 5: 13, 15 31:55 when he appeared to Joshua there at the destruction of Jericho. 32:00 So we have here Jesus Christ, okay, under the name Michael. 32:05 Actually, He is engaged in a war with Satan and his angels. 32:11 As a result, Satan loses the war 32:14 and he's cast out from heaven. 32:16 But we have one question here to address. 32:21 I hope, I would say, friend, with my viewers. 32:25 The question is when did this war take place? 32:33 There are two possibilities. 32:37 When we read the Bible, 32:39 Ezekiel Chapter 28 and Isaiah Chapter 14, 32:44 when Lucifer in the beginning rebelled against God, 32:47 there was war there in heaven. 32:49 Okay, as a result of that 32:52 Lucifer was cast out from heaven, 32:55 with reference to his dwelling place. 32:58 What is another possibility? 33:00 By the way, if we open, okay, John 12: 31. 33:07 Before His death on the cross, Jesus made a statement now, 33:13 "Judgment is upon this world. 33:15 Now the ruler of this world he will be cast out." 33:17 Jesus announced that Satan will be cast out from heaven. 33:21 So another possibility is that 33:25 this event could take place little bit later. 33:28 It means after the death of Jesus on the cross. 33:31 I'd like you to consider several things here. 33:34 Okay, and then you can make your own conclusions. 33:38 What happened after Satan was cast out from heaven? 33:42 Let's read in verse 10. 33:43 We read in verse 10 33:45 that there was a kind of singing anthems there in heaven. 33:48 It says chapter 12 verse 10. 33:51 "Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God 33:55 and the authority of his Christ have come." 33:57 Please would you tell me? 34:00 When Lucifer originally was cast out from heaven, 34:03 did the heavens start singing? 34:05 Now the kingdom of God has come. 34:07 And the kingdom of Jesus Christ. 34:10 Oh, friends, the all heaven was taken in gloomy lamentation 34:14 because what happened there. 34:16 Second thing is we are reading the same verse 10. 34:19 They said, "The accuser of our brothers 34:23 has been cast down, the one who accuses them 34:26 before our God day and night." 34:29 Lucifer could not accuse human beings at the beginning. 34:32 Because the human beings were not created yet. 34:37 By the way, if you go to the Old Testament, 34:39 the Book of Zachariah, 34:41 we see Satan accusing Joshua before God. 34:46 In the Book of Job, accusing Job there before God. 34:50 But there is something more. 34:52 We read in verse 12 that having been expelled from heaven 34:56 Satan realizes that he has a short time. 34:59 Did Lucifer realize that he got short time 35:01 when he was originally cast out from heaven? 35:04 No, actually Satan realized that he had short time 35:07 after the death of Jesus, on the cross. 35:10 He knew that his days are counted. 35:12 But not only that, if you read in verse 13, 35:17 you will notice something very interesting is. 35:19 It says "When the dragon saw 35:22 that he was thrown down to the earth. 35:26 He persecuted the woman 35:28 who gave birth to the male child." 35:33 Are you with me? 35:35 How long did Satan persecute the woman? 35:39 After for 1260 days. 35:42 Did it happened at the beginning 35:44 when Lucifer rebelled against God? 35:47 No, it happened after the cross. 35:50 It says clearly when he was cast out from heaven. 35:53 He started persecuting the woman who gave birth to the child. 35:58 It couldn't happen before it would happen earlier. 36:02 Are you now confused? Okay, let's explain it. 36:08 Let's put it in clear way. 36:11 At the beginning, when Lucifer according to Isaiah Chapter 14, 36:18 Ezekiel Chapter 28 rebelled against God. 36:22 Satan could not stand there in the heavenly places any longer. 36:25 According to the Bible, he was cast out from heaven 36:28 with regard to his dwelling place. 36:31 According to the Bible, he came, he deceived, 36:35 the first human pair Adam and Eve 36:38 and this earth became his kingdom. 36:44 You see Adam was supposed to have 36:45 the dominion over the earth. 36:47 Satan by deceiving Adam, 36:49 he stole it from him as a supreme. 36:53 He made the human beings, the subjects of his kingdom. 36:56 By the way, it's very interesting is 36:59 when you open the Bible there are number of texts, 37:02 now are very clear to us. 37:05 In Luke 4:6, if you remember those temptations, 37:11 three temptations of Jesus 37:13 at the beginning of His ministry, 37:14 when the devil tempted Jesus. 37:18 According to Luke 4: 6, the devil said to Jesus. 37:22 Luke 4:6, "I will give you all this dominion 37:27 and its glory for it has been handed over to me 37:31 and I give it to whomever I wish." 37:35 What did Jesus say to him? 37:36 Oh, you liar it has never been given to him, no. 37:39 Sometimes the Father of lies sometimes says the truth. 37:44 Really this world was his kingdom. 37:46 By the way, John 12:31, 37:51 the same gospel, chapter 14 verse 30 37:55 and chapter 16, verse 11, 37:57 three times Jesus calls Satan, the ruler Greek word Arhavas 38:03 which means ruler of this world. 38:05 This earth was his kingdom. 38:07 But keep in mind even though, 38:10 Lucifer was cast out from heaven. 38:13 He still headed the access there to the heavenly places. 38:17 You see he could not dwell there 38:19 in the heavenly places any longer, 38:21 but he had access there, why? 38:24 Probably, the Book of Job is instructing to us. 38:29 We don't know how. 38:30 Please we will learn it one day, 38:31 when we get there before the throne of God. 38:35 But evidently at certain point of time, sort of integrity, 38:39 the representatives of the worlds in the universe, 38:44 they show themselves there 38:46 at the heavenly parliament there. 38:48 It's the best way how I can explain it. 38:51 Evidently, they are there to provide the report to God, 38:54 about the situation on different planets. 38:58 So you have the representer. 38:59 Who was supposed to represent the planet earth before God? 39:03 Adam, but now who is representing 39:05 the planet earth, according to the book. 39:07 It's Satan because he is coming from his kingdom. 39:11 You remember that. And God asks Satan. 39:14 Where are you coming from? What did he say? 39:16 I'm coming from my territory 39:19 and you remember the conversation 39:22 that God had with Lucifer about Job. 39:25 Yeah, the Book of Zachariah is telling us 39:28 that he had regular access there to the heavenly places. 39:32 He represented the planet earth. 39:34 But, friends, now allow me 39:37 because they keep in mind the time that is here. 39:40 In my commentary on number of pages there, 39:44 four or five pages you have everything details. 39:46 You have all scriptural references. 39:49 I want somehow by using a story to represent to you 39:53 what on the base of all evidences 39:55 that we have in the Bible, what actually happened there? 40:00 Do you remember when we're 40:02 in chapter 5 of the Book of Revelation. 40:06 We understood that after Jesus ascension 40:11 there to the heavenly places. 40:14 There in the throne room of the heavenly temple. 40:17 There was an enthronement ceremony. 40:21 What happened there at the enthronement ceremony? 40:24 You remember it was on the cross of Calvary 40:27 that Jesus defeated Satan. 40:31 Actually, He crushed the head of the serpent 40:34 according to the promise 40:35 that God made to Adam in Genesis 3:15. 40:40 Satan was defeated there on the cross. 40:42 Now there in the heavenly throne room, 40:47 do you remember that? 40:48 When you read chapter 12, 40:51 there is accountable number of the heavenly beings 40:54 there in the heavenly throne room. 40:57 They are there, you remember, we talked. 40:58 They are there in the great expectations. 41:02 They were there to attend one very important event. 41:04 What was that event? 41:06 When the father there had to make transference 41:10 of rulership over the planet earth 41:12 from Satan upon to His son. 41:16 We talk about that as enthronement of Jesus Christ. 41:20 Now I would like, now that you use your imagination 41:23 sometimes we have to use 41:25 in order to describe something from the Bible is. 41:28 Satan is present there. 41:30 He represents the planet earth there. 41:33 And now he is watching 41:35 as the father makes a public declaration 41:38 that from now on, there is only one 41:41 a sole ruler over the planet earth. 41:44 And it is His son. 41:46 It is at that moment, according to Revelation 3:21 41:49 that Jesus Christ sat at the right hand of the Father 41:53 there on the heavenly throne. 41:55 Now may I ask you one question? 41:57 As Satan is standing there and watching this, 42:00 how did he react? 42:05 I tell always my audience please forgive me. 42:08 He was sitting there and says that's okay. 42:12 I'm not the ruler any longer. 42:14 No, friends, he stood up into an open revolt 42:20 there in the heavenly throne room. 42:22 Shouting with an angry voice you do not have right to do it. 42:27 The human beings voluntarily surrendered themselves to me. 42:32 I'm chosen by them to be their ruler. 42:35 You do not have right to do it. 42:37 This is the kind of war that Satan was doing. 42:39 When talking about the swords and guns and pistols. 42:43 We're not talking about that. 42:44 We're talking about the verbal war. 42:47 At that moment, the father had to stand up and to say, 42:51 Satan get out from the heavenly places. 42:57 You don't have nobody to represent here any longer. 43:01 From now on my son will represent the planet earth. 43:06 This is the gospel message. 43:07 Friends, Revelation 5 is not only about Jesus 43:11 who became our king. 43:12 He became also our priest 43:14 because from the cross Jesus is representing us 43:18 there in the heavenly sanctuary. 43:21 He is our advocate. 43:22 He is the one representing us. 43:25 It is, friends, at that moment 43:27 that Satan was cast out from heaven. 43:31 This time not with the reference to his dwelling position 43:39 from the cross on Satan does not have any access 43:43 to the heavenly places any longer. 43:46 By the way, now you understand 43:48 as we're talking about the fifth and sixth trumpet, 43:51 why always and regularly in the New Testament, 43:54 Satan and the demons are cast out into the abyss. 44:00 The abyss actually becomes we talked about that 44:03 as a prison for Satan demons. 44:07 It means that Satan cannot, 44:09 you see, you cannot leave the prison. 44:10 You have to stay there. 44:12 So it means that from the cross on, 44:13 Satan and the demons they cannot leave 44:15 the planet earth any longer. 44:17 They have nobody to represent there in heavenly places. 44:20 So Satan is here. What a message? 44:27 Now let me ask you something. 44:29 Sister, Shelley can I put you on the spot. 44:31 We have here friendly relationships etcetera. 44:33 Can you I tell you please, Sister Shelley, 44:35 get up and go out of this room? 44:39 I don't want you to sit here. 44:41 I can't stand your presence how would you feel? Angry. 44:45 Can you imagine humiliated in front of everybody? 44:48 Can you imagine Satan? 44:50 Keep in mind, for how many million years 44:52 Satan had been there in the heavenly places there? 44:56 Adored by the heavenly beings. 44:58 Now he humiliated had to leave the heavenly places there. 45:03 How does he feel? 45:06 Frustrated, loser. 45:12 Are you still with me? 45:14 Now you have to understand in the light what we just stated. 45:17 You have to read verse 13 45:21 and when the dragon saw 45:23 that he was thrown down to the earth. 45:26 Can you see that? 45:28 He persecuted the woman 45:30 who gave birth to the male child. 45:34 What happens to the person? 45:36 When the person is at work there, 45:40 he doesn't like his boss. 45:42 He doesn't like his coworkers there. 45:45 They go against his nerves. 45:47 But he has to always smile to be nice 45:51 because he has to keep his job. 45:54 He is always friendly always smiling. 45:57 Who pays for that smile? 46:00 Later, when he comes home the dog comes to greet him. 46:08 His wife comes to him to give him kiss. 46:10 He's tired-- leave me in peace. 46:12 Children come to give him hug. Why that? 46:15 Who is paying for all his nice smile 46:19 and positive attitude there to work, 46:21 those who are weaker from him? 46:23 See this is what you have here. 46:25 Satan cannot harm Christ any longer. 46:29 But there is somebody on this earth. 46:33 Who is the most precious object of Jesus love? 46:36 He's representing the church there in the heavenly places. 46:41 His people there, they are down to this earth. 46:45 Satan knows that he cannot do any more harm 46:50 to the prince of heaven. 46:53 But that those who belong to him, 46:55 they are in this world 46:57 and that's why now he wants to insult them, 47:00 to harm them, to persecute them. 47:04 In the most possible way because what he does to them, 47:08 he does to him. Amen. 47:10 And I would like to invite the viewers to think seriously, 47:15 I believe that I belong to the special group 47:19 of that faithful people of God. 47:22 Those faithful people of God are not perfect. 47:26 We're reminded that the group, you can call them the church. 47:31 You can call them the community believers. 47:33 You can call them the followers of Jesus Christ. 47:36 Unperfect and 47:37 filled with wickedness of the character etcetera, 47:42 but we are reminded. 47:44 That still that group 47:47 is the precious object of Jesus love. 47:51 He loves them. 47:53 And any effort to harm that group 47:59 whatever way you're trying to do. 48:02 It means to have a business with him. Amen. 48:05 Because that group belongs to him. 48:07 It means to side with the Satan and dear viewer, 48:11 this is a very serious call to us. 48:15 To know how to relate to those 48:17 whom Jesus loves so much, to perfect. 48:21 There are so many things to improve in our lives, 48:24 but we belong to Jesus Christ. 48:27 This is actually what Satan is doing. 48:30 And he's there persecuting the woman for how much time. 48:35 For how much time? 48:36 You'll over and over again, we have now a time, 48:43 two times and half a time. 48:45 By the way, we'll talk more about this period 48:48 in our next presentation. 48:50 Again we're coming to the same period of the two witnesses. 48:52 Do you remember that? 48:54 The period of the trembling of the holy city. 48:57 It's a dark middle ages during which 48:59 Satan try to destroy the church by means of persecution, okay. 49:06 It's a long period. 49:09 When this church is the object of Satan's hatred 49:13 and what he is trying to do to harm God's people. 49:18 However, he does not succeed. 49:21 Friends, we're talking about the period, 49:23 according to the historical records, 49:25 about fifty million Christians were killed 49:33 and suffered martyrdom during this period. 49:36 It was the period of severe persecution by Satan, 49:39 but Satan could not destroy. 49:40 As one writer said 49:44 that the blood of the martyrs was to seed, 49:47 where many more people became the followers of Jesus Christ. 49:52 But now at the end of this prophetic period, 49:54 there is something else that happens and what is that. 49:57 It says in verse 15 49:58 "That the serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth, 50:05 after the woman so that he might cause her 50:09 to be swept away with the flood." 50:12 At the end of this prophetic period 50:15 water in the Bible can mean two things. 50:18 False teachings or can mean 50:21 the enemy people were coming against God's people. 50:25 Which one of the two is present here? 50:27 I believe both. 50:29 Satan sent a flood of persecution 50:33 and flood of distorted doctrinal teachings against church, 50:36 trying to destroy the church 50:38 at the end of this prophetic period. 50:40 But praise God, friends, revelation is not about Satan. 50:43 It's about God listen to what we have here is. 50:48 Verse 16, there is another word 50:51 "But the earth helped the woman, 50:56 and the earth opened its mouth 50:58 and drank up the river 51:00 which the dragon poured out of his mouth." 51:04 This is very, very important here friends. 51:08 What happened at the end of this prophetic period? 51:14 As Satan made that great push to finally destroy the church, 51:22 a new entity is introduced here in this scene. 51:24 How is that entity called here? 51:26 Greek agaay from which the word geology comes. 51:31 Friendly earth or land, 51:32 keep in mind that in Greek they have just one word. 51:35 Gay, that we translate either as earth or the land, okay. 51:41 A friendly territory appears. 51:44 And this territory swallows that water and protects the woman. 51:51 So please how would you describe this earth? 51:55 How would you describe this earth? 51:56 As very friendly to the church. 52:00 Friends, it fits nicely historically, 52:03 at the end of this prophetic period 52:06 when Christianity was almost destroyed in Europe. 52:10 A new territory was discovered in which faithful Christians 52:16 ran to save their lives 52:19 and to establish a state without the king 52:22 and without the Pope. 52:24 To stick to faithfully to the teachings of the Bible 52:28 and the territory fits historically 52:31 to the United States of America. 52:34 For this territory that God saved the Christian church, 52:38 after the medieval period. 52:40 And I like just to stop here for a while. 52:44 We're talking about the territory 52:46 through which God saved the Christian church. 52:48 Are you with me? 52:51 But please just wait. 52:53 Very soon, we'll come back to this territory 52:56 because according to Revelation Chapter 13, 53:00 it is out of that territory, a new political power will come, 53:05 as the second beast with two little horn of a lamb. 53:10 Lamb is the symbol of Jesus Christ. 53:13 Very friendly to the church, 53:15 but actually this territory will at the time of the end, 53:20 become the final battle field 53:23 between Christ and Satan, 53:26 leading to the events of the second coming of Christ. 53:29 So here we have a new entity that's introduced. 53:31 That's very important for the later development 53:34 of the final events, there in the Book of Revelation. Okay? 53:39 So now I would like to ask you one question. 53:43 Satan is loser again. 53:47 It adds to the new frustration. 53:49 By the way, dear viewers, 53:52 if you ever decide to preach a sermon, 53:54 on Revelation Chapter 12 as usually I do. 53:57 I have only one title for Revelation 12, 54:00 Satan is a defeated enemy. Amen. 54:05 You see, in the light of everything 54:07 that we have been talking so far 54:09 now what follows. It's verse 17. 54:14 It says "So that dragon was enraged with the woman, 54:18 and he went off to make war with the rest of her children, 54:22 those who keep the commandments of God 54:25 and hold to the testimony of Jesus." 54:26 Now I ask you the question, at the very beginning, 54:29 you remember that? 54:30 Why is Satan so angry 54:34 that he decides to go to wage the war? 54:36 He has only one chance 54:37 and that chance is called the battle of Armageddon. 54:40 Why is he so angry? 54:43 You see, you have to go through 54:45 Revelation Chapter 12 to understand it 54:47 because he is a constant loser. 54:50 Christ is a constant victor. 54:55 Satan has been constantly defeated 54:57 and he knows that he has only one chance, 55:00 that's the battle of Armageddon. 55:02 This is what we would like to understand 55:03 in the rest of the Book of Revelation. 55:05 Please let me bring out discussion to the conclusion, 55:09 so many times my faithful, brothers, sisters 55:11 they ask me about casting out Satan from heaven. They ask. 55:15 Does Ellen White talk 55:17 about Satan being cast out from heaven after the cross? 55:21 Yes, she talks. 55:23 She talks about his original casting out from heaven, 55:26 but in the Seventh-day Adventist Bible commentary 55:29 volume 7 pages 973 to 974, 55:34 she makes the following statement. 55:35 Please can you be with me, she said, 55:37 "The casting down of Satan as an accuser of the brethren." 55:42 Revelation 12 "was accomplished by the great work of Christ 55:48 in giving up his life." 55:51 She makes very clear 55:52 when the event of Revelation Chapter 12 took place. 55:57 Please in bringing this discussion to the conclusion is 56:01 we'll talk more about the conclusion of this chapter. 56:05 We know that we're waiting for those final events. 56:08 As we already stated so many times they're bizarre, 56:11 they're frightened, they are not pleasant to think about. 56:16 Unfortunately, the Christians who are so much obsessed 56:19 about the work of Satan and the final events. 56:23 And please allow me 56:24 I would like to read another quote from Ellen White. 56:27 And it's found in the book "Desire of Ages" 56:30 page 493 and she said, the following, 56:35 "The Christians who think and speak altogether too much 56:39 about the power of Satan. 56:41 They think of the adversary. 56:43 They pray about him. 56:46 They talk about him 56:48 and he looms up greater and greater in their imagination. 56:52 It is true that Satan is a powerful being. 56:55 But thank God we have a mighty savior, 56:58 who cast out the evil one from heaven. 57:01 Satan is pleased when we magnify his power. 57:05 Why not talk about Jesus? 57:07 Why not magnify His power and His love?" 57:10 I see people who specialize themselves 57:12 in the activity of Satan. 57:14 Friends, I would like to invite you 57:16 as the readers to be specialist in the love of Jesus Christ, 57:20 to experience about that love. 57:22 To search about that love for ourselves. 57:25 Talk about Jesus Christ 57:27 because He is the one who will be with us always 57:31 until the very end of the age. |
Revised 2014-12-17