Participants: Ranko Stefanovic
Series Code: RCK
Program Code: RCK000018
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00:24 Welcome again to our program.
00:27 The title is "Revelation of the Coming King." 00:31 I'm Ranko Stefanovic, 00:33 professor at Seventh-day Adventist 00:36 Theological Seminary, Andrew's University. 00:40 My area of study is New Testament, 00:46 but I'm well known for studies of the Book of Revelation. 00:49 Wherever I go people expect from me 00:51 to hear at least one sermon on that Book. 00:54 And I'm so excited to be with you here 00:56 and to present to all of you 00:59 a survey of the Book of Revelation 01:01 from chapter 1 to chapter 22. 01:04 And I'm so grateful to God for the wonderful audience. 01:08 I could not choose better audience 01:10 than I have here, yes. 01:13 And, you're still awake and you know why, 01:19 because you're realizing more and more 01:22 how difficult the Book of Revelation is. 01:25 But I'm making paradoxical statement. 01:28 On other side you can see 01:30 that actually the Book of Revelation 01:32 is not as difficult as usually people think 01:35 when you do it in the right way, 01:37 when you allow the Bible to interpret itself. 01:40 So I like to urge our viewers, as you're studying this Book, 01:46 don't take newspapers. 01:48 Sometimes we have to look into newspaper 01:49 to see the time in which we live. 01:52 But if you want to understand the Book of Revelation, 01:55 don't rely on your imagination or imagination of somebody else. 01:59 Take this Book and you'll not be far away 02:02 from the understanding of that original meaning of the text. 02:08 As you know, every time 02:11 I want to give you the pages from this tool 02:16 which is a commentary on the Book of Revelation titled, 02:19 "Revelation of Jesus Christ." 02:22 If you have provided for yourself a copy, 02:25 every time I give you the pages, so once this program is over-- 02:30 actually it will be over for you 02:32 because there in your home as a family as a group 02:34 or maybe yourself as individual 02:37 you can go and study the Book of Revelation. 02:40 There is much more to be said. 02:42 Many more spiritual references, many more information. 02:45 We're simply here touching the surface of the text. 02:49 So I would like to encourage you that 02:52 what we will cover today actually is found in two places 02:55 in the Book of-- in this commentary. 02:58 It's first from page 376 03:03 going all to 383 03:08 and also from page 03:12 409 to 421. 03:19 So from 409 to 421. 03:27 There is much more, much more to study. 03:30 But above all we need God's guidance. 03:33 We need the Holy Spirit, okay. 03:36 And God promised through Jesus Christ 03:40 that when Holy Spirit comes 03:41 He will instruct us into all the truth. 03:44 So there are some things we have really to study for ourselves 03:48 that everything what is essential to our salvation 03:50 is the Holy Spirit there to work it for us. 03:53 So I would like to invite you to bow your heads 03:57 to ask God for help as we delve into this 04:02 not easy understanding, 04:05 understandable text of the Book of Revelation. 04:08 Our Heavenly Father, 04:10 we are asking for Your presence here in our midst. 04:13 We are asking for Your good spirit to be here with us, 04:16 to guide us, as we're trying to understand 04:19 the messages of the Book of Revelation. 04:21 But above all may the Holy Spirit help us 04:24 how to apply those messages to our daily lives 04:28 to be better Christians, better husbands, better fathers, 04:32 better neighbors, better Christians, 04:35 one day we would be in that great multitude 04:38 there in the heavenly places. 04:40 Thank you, Father, for Your help 04:42 and we pray all of this in the precious name 04:45 of our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. 04:51 As you can see we are now in very, very excited studies. 04:57 I would like to remind you that in our presentations 05:02 we are left the Revelation 12:17 05:07 with that determination of Satan 05:10 who has become so enraged with angry with the women 05:16 that he went off to make a war 05:20 with the rest of the women's children. 05:24 And there is one element we just had to take 05:26 just few more minutes to reflect on, 05:28 even though we will be talking more about that later. 05:31 Those who keep the commandments of God 05:36 and hold to the testimony of Jesus. 05:42 Friends, you will understand here is 05:47 that we're talking about the final events. 05:50 We're talking about an angry enemy, okay, 05:55 who will use everything what is in his disposal 05:59 to fight against God's people at the time of the end. 06:03 But you will notice as we mention last time is 06:07 the final war and that anger of Satan 06:10 is directed not to every Christian 06:12 to all those who called themselves to be Christians. 06:17 Actually the Book of Revelation is telling us 06:20 that the object of Satan hatred 06:23 and his desire to destroy them are not all Christians 06:27 just a specific group that is characterized here 06:31 by two things, 06:33 those who keep the commandments of God 06:37 and they hold to the testimony of Jesus. 06:41 Actually in my translation they say, 06:43 who hold, in Greek it's a clear 06:47 those who have those who are in the possession 06:51 of the testimony of Jesus. 06:54 We will come in and talk more about these two characteristics 06:57 later in the Book of Revelation. 07:00 Let me just mention here is 07:04 that the Book of Revelation is talking about 07:06 not all Christians who are in the world. 07:08 Talking about whom? 07:10 The Greek word, "loipos" 07:12 which means something that is left from the whole. 07:17 So you're talking about the-- 07:19 yeah, Christians but not all Christians 07:21 only those who at the time of the end 07:24 remain faithful to God in obeying His commandments. 07:31 And we will see why this is so much important 07:33 as soon as we come here to Revelation Chapter 13. 07:39 This group, okay, that really decides 07:43 to be faithful to God in everything 07:45 what God asked them to do, 07:47 especially in His commandments, Ten Commandments, 07:50 the Decalogue that is really, 07:53 really the clear portrayed here in Revelation 13, yes. 07:57 Satan will direct his hatred, 08:01 make them the object of persecution 08:02 at the time of the end. 08:04 But the second characteristic, okay, of this remnant, 08:09 those who will remain faithful to God is 08:12 that in possession of the testimony of Jesus. 08:17 Since these expression 08:19 we will encounter again, okay, in Revelation 19. 08:24 So I will not now talk too much about that 08:27 because Revelation 19 specifies that this testimony of Jesus 08:30 is not as some Bible commentators mention 08:33 the testimony the Jesus bear-- 08:35 bore during His life, His earthly ministry. 08:39 Actually specifies that this is the testimony 08:42 of Jesus given to the inhabitants of this world 08:48 through a special group of people 08:50 that we call them the prophets. 08:53 Because Revelation 19:10 specifies 08:55 that this testimony of Jesus 08:57 is a different expression for the spirit of prophecy 09:02 which was in the first century a technical expression 09:06 for the prophetic ministry among God's people. 09:09 So he's telling us that God's people 09:11 at the time of the end will be faithful to everything 09:13 that God specified in His Decalogue, 09:18 but also they'll faithful to everything 09:20 that God will tell them and ask them to do 09:26 through those who are called 09:29 to be His prophets here on the earth. 09:32 And they will be the special possession 09:35 of prophetic gift in the midst of the time of the end. 09:37 But we'll leave that discussion 09:39 when we will come there to Revelation 19, okay. 09:43 So, this is about Satan. 09:46 He becomes so angry 09:48 and he is now going to wage that final war. 09:52 You will notice here is, 09:55 and my new American standard Bible 09:58 clarifies very nice and said in verse 17, 10:02 that Satan became enraged and he went off, 10:09 actually to wage war. 10:14 I'm like you that-- that we clearly see 10:20 what the situation is here. 10:22 Satan is angry, you remember, how many times he's frustrated? 10:27 He's a loser. He's a defeated enemy. 10:33 And Christ is the constant victor. 10:34 And he knows that he has only one chance left. 10:38 How is that chance called? 10:40 The battle of Armageddon. 10:42 What happens to the people when people are constant losers 10:48 and they finally realize that they have only one chance left? 10:52 What do they do? 10:54 See, they lose control 10:58 and they go and they make another mistake. 11:02 Unfortunately, I'm using the word "unfortunately" 11:07 that's not the case with Satan. 11:10 The Bible says he retreats. 11:16 He went off as the text said. 11:20 Let's put it in very practical term. 11:24 You see, Satan does not go immediately 11:26 into that final war, he retreats. 11:33 Why am I a constant loser? 11:36 Actually I have one student there at Andrew's University 11:39 a number of years ago. 11:42 He tried to date several girls. 11:44 He was really the person 11:46 who had seriously had to think about his family. 11:48 So he tried to approached one girl, 11:51 fail her, to next girl, lose her, lose her 11:56 and finally one day I was the chairman of the department, 11:59 he came to my office and he told me, 12:03 "What is wrong with the girls here 12:06 on the campus of Andrew's University? 12:10 Every girl rejects me. 12:11 Something is wrong with them." 12:12 I said, "Please, can you sit there on the chair?" 12:14 And then you know, you have to know 12:16 how to talk to those young people. 12:18 I said, you know. 12:19 I said, "I learn something from my own experience. 12:22 When I try to do something several times 12:24 and I always fail, I never blame others, 12:28 I have to blame myself and ask myself 12:31 what is wrong with my approach?" 12:35 I said, "Maybe you should not blame the girls 12:39 because there are so many good girls 12:41 and you see, most of them they have boyfriend. 12:45 Maybe you should ask yourself, 12:46 maybe something is wrong with your tactic 12:49 and your approach to the girls." 12:51 Oh, boy he became angry. 12:53 But I calm him down, we talked, we prayed. 12:56 Praise God. Today he's married. Amen. 13:00 So you see the same the case is with the Satan here. 13:06 He realizes that something does not work very well. 13:11 Something is wrong with his way dealing with human beings. 13:16 And there is something that fascinates me 13:17 here in the Book of Revelation. 13:18 I wasted the lot, a lot time in trying to understanding 13:23 what is going on here in this text 13:27 and I reached some fascinating conclusions on base of it. 13:30 So I would like to illustrate it here on the backboard. 13:34 You know, the biblical concept of time is linear. 13:41 It means that the time has the beginning 13:44 and the time is running towards its goal, okay. 13:47 But I would like to mark this time 13:49 in terms of the Book of Revelation 13:50 to illustrate what we have here. 13:53 So, we have Revelation 13:58 chapters 1 to 11, okay. 14:02 It's the first half of the book. 14:05 And here, we are going to Revelation 14:10 chapters 12 to 20. 14:15 You remember, we identified 14:18 this section of the Book of Revelation 14:20 as historical portraying the course of history, 14:24 okay, from the ascension of Christ 14:27 to the heavenly places, okay, until the time of the end? 14:31 So Revelation chapter 12 that we saw, 14:34 if you want really to be more precise, 14:36 it's Revelation 11:19, okay. 14:38 We have the beginning of the time of the end, 14:42 that's why we call 14:44 this section of the Book of Revelation 14:46 as eschatological. 14:48 Now please now you have to help me little bit.i 14:51 When you read the first 11 chapters 14:54 of the Book of Revelation, 14:56 so this section, what was the method 15:00 that Satan used against God's people on the earth? 15:08 I mean, from the time when Jesus ascended 15:10 there to the heavenly places until the time of the end, 15:14 what was the method or the tactic that Satan used? 15:19 It's force. 15:26 It's coercion, persecution. 15:31 If you still keep in mind that the key text 15:34 actually in the entire section 15:37 is the cry or the prayer 15:39 of those slain saints underneath the altar. 15:42 "How long, O Holy God, will you not vindicate us 15:48 and judge those who dwell on the earth?" 15:49 You remember the expression those who dwell on the earth 15:52 is always the reference to the wicked 15:54 or gentiles or the nations 15:55 those who are the enemies of God. 15:57 You see, friends, 15:59 this is what Satan was doing during the historical period. 16:04 Can we put it in more practical terms? 16:07 God's people they try to have the place for to worship 16:10 and Satan was destroying that, so God's people that have-- 16:12 based on Revelation 12 to go to the desert there 16:16 in those places to worship God. 16:19 What about the Bibles? 16:22 They have to copy by their hands 16:24 and those Bible's were destroyed, 16:26 were destroyed by the enemies. 16:29 But the God's people were doing that faithfully, 16:31 reading the-- talking about God. 16:36 Persecution actually the blood of martyrs 16:39 was the seed for new converts to come. 16:42 Satan could not destroy God's people during that time. 16:44 And that's why we on base Revelation 12, 16:48 Satan was a constant loser here. 16:50 He couldn't do harm God's people. 16:54 But there is something very interesting is 16:57 that's fascinates me. 16:58 Now if we come here 17:00 suddenly Satan changes his tactic and method. 17:05 Persecution is not any longer his main tactic. 17:10 Any idea what tactic now Satan is using? 17:15 Actually there is one word 17:18 that is really constantly used in the Book of Revelation 17:21 and it's the word "to deceive." 17:29 It's not deception the word I don't know 17:31 in the word deception 17:32 is use in the Book of Revelation at all, 17:34 it's the word "to deceive." 17:37 Please I have one surprise for you. 17:40 This is what makes me-- the word "to deceive" 17:45 it's used only once 17:48 in the first half of the Book of Revelation, 17:50 but it's never with reference to Satan. 17:53 It's always used with reference to the woman Jezebel 17:59 in the message to the church in Thyatira. 18:04 Do you remember that? 18:05 It just used about the woman Jezebel 18:08 deceiving God's people. 18:10 But with the reference to Satan's method 18:13 against God and His people 18:15 it's not almost used at all here, 18:18 just one exception. 18:20 But when you come to Revelation Chapter 12 18:24 or to Chapter 20-- 18:25 why did they put Chapter 20 and not 22? 18:27 Because in Chapter 20 Satan is destroyed. 18:31 Actually this is the technical term 18:36 in the Book of Revelation for Satan's end time activities. 18:41 But you'll notice something else. 18:43 It is right before the second coming of Christ. 18:47 That this method of Satan, 18:50 the deception is actually combined with persecution 18:54 that all those who do not receive 18:56 the Mark of the beast they have to be killed, 18:58 remember that. 18:59 But it is at the very time of the end 19:02 right prior to the second coming of Christ. 19:05 But all the preparation that Satan readies, 19:08 all the preparation for the final battle, 19:10 all the activities of Satan 19:13 are portrayed in the terms of deception. 19:17 Wow, what are we talking here about? 19:21 Let me put it in very practical terms. 19:24 It made me to think about my character, my Christianity. 19:28 Satan was here persecuting God's people, 19:35 but the number increased. 19:37 What about here? 19:40 I'd like to ask the viewers 19:42 if you live in any Christian country, 19:44 I know that there is persecution in many countries of the world. 19:46 I talk about Christian countries. 19:48 Are you persecuted? 19:50 No, if somebody harms you because of your religion 19:53 you can take that person to the court 19:55 and protect yourself. 19:56 Unfortunately we don't have a growth of Christians of today. 20:00 Less and less people are going to the church. 20:03 Look something else. 20:05 Here Satan was destroying the Christian buildings. 20:08 What about here? 20:10 We have Cathedrals today. 20:14 I'm talking about beauties of the church, 20:16 very specific churches. 20:18 What is the problem? 20:19 That we never had as many empty seats 20:21 in the churches as we have today. 20:24 And we have it is usually with gray hair. 20:27 And please I have freedom to say, 20:28 because I have grey here. 20:31 We don't have young people there. 20:33 What about here? 20:36 People had to sell a lot 20:39 and to have a lot of money to provide a copy of the Bible, 20:44 secretly copied during the night, 20:46 but they studied the Bible, 20:47 they knew the-- people don't have copies, 20:49 but they could recite the all passages, 20:52 all books of the Bible from their memory. 20:56 What about here? 21:01 When students at Andrews University 21:04 come to me they say 21:05 I need the copy of the Bible, I don't have money. 21:07 I said, "Do you have 25 cents?" "Yes." 21:10 "Go to garage sale you will find 21:11 as many Bibles as you want for 25 cents." 21:14 But what is the problem? 21:15 We today have so many books about the Bible, 21:17 the library of Andrews University 21:18 has 300,000 books on the Bible and the religion. 21:25 What is the problem today that people never read Bible 21:28 so little as they do today. 21:30 And I know that, because I taught college students there. 21:35 That sometimes we take something for granted. 21:37 Those young people they have hard time 21:40 to know that from the Bible. 21:41 See, this is what we're talking about, 21:43 but the problem is that today people can proudly say, 21:47 "I am a Christian." 21:50 Friends, we are dealing 21:52 with something that is very interesting 21:55 and important one to understand. 21:58 At the time of the end Satan tactic was not to say 22:02 "Do you believe in God? 22:03 If you stop believing in God I will persecute you." No. 22:06 He just says believe in God. 22:09 He will not ask you "Do have a Bible in your house, 22:11 have 1,000 copies in your house, 22:13 build your entire house made of the copies of the Bible? 22:16 That's not the problem. 22:18 But he keep us so busy 22:20 that you don't have time to read the Bible. 22:25 And the Bible says that this is actually provide the avenue 22:28 of the temptation of Satan who will deceive the whole world 22:33 thinking actually that they serve God. 22:35 They will just have the form of Godliness. 22:39 But what is the problem with the people is 22:43 that they will not have practical experience 22:46 with the power of the Gospel work in their personal lives. 22:51 You may really want to understand-- 22:54 we really want to understand 22:57 what Revelation 13 is all about 23:03 and what Satan will be doing at the time of the end. 23:06 There is another text in the Bible, it's unique. 23:09 And these are the only two text in the New Testament 23:13 that must be studied parallel, 23:16 because they are talking about the same Satan, 23:20 about the same tactic, and the same activates 23:22 that he will do at the time of the end. 23:23 It's 2 Thessalonians Chapter 2. 23:29 It's 2 Thessalonians Chapter 2. 23:34 If you read the entire Chapter it talks about great apostasy 23:38 in the Christian church 23:42 that actually the began the dark middle ages. 23:45 This is not our focus of study. 23:48 And then Apostle Paul moves to the time of the end 23:52 describing the same what we find in the Revelation Chapter 13. 23:56 And then he said, verse 8. 24:01 So 2 Thessalonians 2:8, 24:04 "Then the lawless one will be revealed, 24:06 whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth 24:10 and bring to an end 24:11 by the appearance of His coming." 24:13 Keep in mind we are talking about 24:15 the time of the second coming of Christ. 24:17 Says, "That is the one who is coming is in accord 24:21 with the activity of Satan, 24:23 with all power and signs and false wonders, 24:27 and with all deception and wickedness 24:29 for those who perish, 24:31 because they did not receive the love of the truth 24:33 so as to be saved. 24:36 For this reason God will send upon them 24:38 a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, 24:42 in order that they also may be judged 24:45 who did not believe the truth, 24:47 but took pleasure in wickedness." 24:52 You will notice here 24:54 that Apostle Paul is using the same concept, 24:59 the same expressions and describing the same way 25:04 Satan's end time activities 25:07 before the second coming of Christ 25:12 telling us actually, 25:13 and these are the two texts are in agreement, 25:16 that Satan's end time activities will be characterized 25:19 by the great deception. 25:20 And says that all those who did not love the truth 25:23 they will be deceived. 25:25 Boy, this is something to take very seriously. 25:28 And I'd like to invite our readers 25:30 to study the Book of Revelation for themselves 25:33 because the Book of Revelation is not given to us 25:35 simply to go and to point fingers to others. 25:39 Of course there is a room and there is place for that. 25:42 We have to understand what is on the other side, 25:44 what Satan will be doing. 25:46 But the purpose of the Book of Revelation 25:48 is not to put fingers to others, 25:50 try to identify other Christians what they are doing etcetera. 25:53 Actually the purpose of the Book of Revelation 25:54 is with them pointing fingers to others 25:57 three fingers are pointing to me 25:58 and to ask me how much do I love the truth. 26:03 So to be ready and not to be surprised 26:05 when those final events will take place, deception. 26:08 What these that that Satan will do at the time of the end? 26:14 What is that that the way how he will actually deceive? 26:18 There is another word really 26:20 that explains this deception is the word "counterfeit." 26:25 And the viewers I really would like to invite you now-- 26:29 the time does not allow us-- 26:30 but I will just summarize here in few sentences. 26:33 Please, I would like to invite you 26:34 that you see for yourself 26:36 from page 376 26:39 to page 382. 26:46 It's one of the best way to see about that literary strategy 26:52 that the Book of Revelation is using to describe Satan 26:55 and his end time activities. 26:59 Okay, let's do it now. 27:03 The purpose of Satan is not to take the God 27:08 from the people, okay. 27:12 It's rather to counterfeit God. 27:18 Let me suggest something to you. 27:21 You see when we are studying these 27:23 first 11 Chapters of the Book of Revelation 27:27 if you really want to provide the title of deception, 27:29 the first 11 Chapters of the Book of Revelation, 27:31 you can put it "The Trinity in Action." 27:36 When you begin the Book of Revelation Chapter 1:4-6 27:40 we have the trinity introduces himself, 27:43 we have the one who was, who is and who is to come 27:46 the seven Spirits of God, we looked into the text 27:49 and you have Jesus Christ, the trinity is introduced. 27:52 Do you remember when we talk about 27:53 the enthronement of Christ in Revelation 4 and 5? 27:56 We have God the Father sitting on the throne. 27:58 You have the Lamb representing Jesus Christ 28:01 and you have the Holy Spirit who is sent down to the earth. 28:04 Really the first 11 Chapters 28:06 you have here the trinity in action. 28:09 It's about the Godhead, the trinity of the Godhead 28:13 working on behalf of the salvation of human beings. 28:17 But when you move to these eschatological section 28:20 of the Book of Revelation 28:22 then you'll notice something else. 28:24 Actually that title suddenly changes, 28:27 it's the "Counterfeit Trinity in Action." 28:31 Now you'll ask yourself a question 28:34 "What do you mean with that?" 28:36 Well, let's follow in this way. 28:40 If Satan retreats and he is preparing himself 28:46 for that final war, he decides not to enter 28:50 into that final war by himself alone. 28:55 Actually he chooses two associates 29:00 and you will notice in the Revelation Chapter 13 29:03 two Satan's allies or associates are named as the beast 29:09 coming out of the sea 29:12 and the beast coming out of the earth. 29:17 Okay, so now you have to be with me. 29:19 If you have the Satan 29:21 and you have that first beast coming out of the sea 29:24 and the second beast coming out of the earth, 29:26 how many they are? 29:29 They are three. 29:31 You see if you take many Bible commentators, 29:37 you will see how many Bible commentators 29:39 they know-- 29:41 And they said we have here the unholy trinity. 29:48 We have a three, triune association here that are made. 29:55 Actually the entire intention the Book of Revelation 29:58 to tell us that the time of the end, 30:01 according to 2 Thessalonians Chapter 2, 30:03 Satan want to be like God, to be worship like God. 30:08 By the way, this is always been his desire. 30:11 That's why he rebelled against God. 30:12 At the time of the end he would like to be worshipped God, 30:15 but he would like to be worshipped 30:16 because people do not see Satan. 30:18 So his attempt would be to be worshiped 30:20 through that first beast. 30:22 When people worship the beast actually they worship the Satan. 30:26 But there is another entity that actually helps 30:29 the realization of Satan's plan. 30:32 We will talk more about that, because the first beast 30:36 it's nothing without the second beast. 30:38 Now you would say, "Oh, boy, is this really 30:43 in the Book of Revelation?" 30:45 Boy, I see the time flies so fast, 30:47 so please allow me if you have this commentary, 30:50 I put it here I just want to go quickly on page 377. 30:54 You can see here on this table number 2 is. 30:57 How actually Satan is portrayed in the book. 31:01 He is really portrayed as the one who wants to take 31:04 place of God, God the Father, okay. 31:07 He is function, he is the leader, okay. 31:10 I try to save some time. 31:12 Now if you move to page 378, we are talking about 31:17 the first beast, the beast coming out of the sea. 31:22 Let's see just a language how this beast is portrayed. 31:25 The sea beast comes from water to begin his activity 31:29 in the same way Jesus came out of the water 31:31 to begin His ministry. 31:34 The sea beast resembles the dragon 31:36 has the same number of heads, 31:37 the same number of horns like the dragon. 31:41 This is exactly what Jesus said, 31:43 "The one who sees Me, he sees the Father," okay. 31:47 The sea beast has 10 diadems but Jesus has many diadems. 31:52 The sea beast has 10 horns upon his heads, 31:55 the Lamb is portrayed with the seven horns. 31:58 The Sea beast receives power, throne, and authority 32:01 from the dragon in the same way 32:03 as Jesus receives power, throne, and authority from the Father. 32:07 How long is the period of the activity of this beast? 32:11 42 months. How long is the 42 months? 32:14 3 1/2 years. 32:16 Friends, we are not talking here about 32:17 historical fulfillment, okay. 32:18 We're talking about literary strategy 32:21 is the same Jesus ministry was 3 1/2 years. 32:25 The sea beast was slain actually in Greek 32:27 is the same expression that is used 32:29 for the slain lamb of Revelation Chapter 5. 32:33 But Jesus was resurrected after His death. 32:38 So the beast is resurrected, 32:39 because the mortal wound is healed. 32:42 And after that the beast receives universal authority 32:46 over the earth after the healing of the mortal wound 32:49 and Jesus said "All the authority 32:51 has been given to Me in heaven and on the earth." 32:54 And the sea beast who is like the beast 32:57 corresponds to who is like God the name Michael. 33:00 But we will come in our next presentation 33:04 and you will see that actually we read in chapter 13 33:09 that actually it's the dragon who gives to these beast 33:15 his throne and authority. 33:17 And you take so many commentators they are really 33:20 notice and they said this is the enthronement. 33:22 You see if you make certain person giving him 33:25 the throne and authority this is the enthronement 33:28 and they say this is the counterfeit 33:30 of the enthronement of Christ in Revelation Chapter 5. 33:33 And I'd like to stop here. 33:35 You can see that how the activities of this beast 33:38 is portrayed after the activities of Jesus Christ. 33:41 This beast are really try to take the place 33:44 of Jesus Christ in the world. 33:46 Okay, we will see that historical fulfillment 33:48 of this is who is actually this beast. 33:50 But keep that in mind everything is about imitating 33:54 Jesus Christ and taking His place as a means of salvation. 33:59 And then we come to the second beast, 34:02 the second beast, the earth beast. 34:04 It says, it's called the false prophet 34:07 deceiving people, it's the counterfeit 34:10 to the spirit of truth guiding people to salvation. 34:14 The earth beast is lamb-like as the Holy Spirit is Christ-like. 34:19 The earth beast exercises all the authority of the sea beast 34:23 as the Holy Spirit exercises all the authority of Christ. 34:27 The earth beast directs worship to the sea beast 34:31 as the Holy Spirit directs worship to Christ. 34:34 The earth beast performs great signs. 34:37 If you go to the book of Acts is the Holy Spirit 34:40 who performs great signs. 34:42 It says that the earth beast brings fire down from heaven. 34:47 So many commentators they notice it that 34:49 we have here the counterfeit of day of Pentecost 34:52 when the fire came Holy Spirit came in fire the disciples. 34:56 The earth beast gives life and breath to the beast image 34:59 in the same way as the Holy Spirit 35:01 gives life and breath of life. 35:04 The earth beast applies the mark on the hand, 35:07 on the forehead in the same way 35:09 as the Holy Spirit applies the seal on the forehead 35:12 etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. 35:13 I'd like to invite you whenever I make presentation 35:15 people send emails to me. 35:17 They said how many more those detail I found. 35:20 Yeah, that's the purpose. Please study for yourself. 35:23 But there is something very interesting is, 35:25 is this just a coincidence that Satan is portrayed 35:31 after description of God the Father, 35:33 that the first beast is portrayed 35:36 in the same language as Jesus is portrayed 35:38 in Revelation and the entire New Testament, 35:41 and that second beast is portrayed by using 35:43 the language of the Holy Spirit? 35:46 You see, friends, we are dealing something here, 35:48 we are dealing about that the great deception 35:50 when Satan with his two associates 35:53 want to take place of God in this world. 35:57 Nothing new, huh? 35:58 This is actually the description of Satan 36:00 in the Book of Revelation. 36:02 Now there is a question. 36:04 What is God doing during that time or those times? 36:12 And Satan by means of deception is preparing the world 36:16 for that great battle of Armageddon. 36:19 Actually God is trying to reach the human beings 36:22 by sending His everlasting gospel that is portrayed 36:25 in the terms of the three angel's messages. 36:29 By the way if you go to Revelation 16:13, 14 36:35 we see that during the same period 36:37 of the preparation for the battle of Armageddon. 36:39 Revelation 16:13, 14, John sees that coming out 36:44 of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, 36:48 out of the mouth of the false prophet 36:50 which is actually the second beast 36:51 as we mentioned, coming three unclean spirit 36:54 which are actually demons deceiving all those people 36:58 to be engaged in the war against God. 37:01 Who are demons? The fallen angels. 37:05 You see as God is sending His angels with His message, 37:09 what is Satan doing? 37:11 During the same time Satan sending his message 37:14 with his angels to the inhabitants of the world 37:16 which is actually the antithesis to three angel messages. 37:20 All those who accept that gospel and the message 37:22 of those angels they are sealed, they receive the seal of God. 37:27 God marks, He seals His own people. 37:31 What is Satan doing with those who accept 37:34 his deceptive message and inhabit this world? 37:37 He is giving, making, putting His seal upon them 37:40 which is in the Book of Revelation 37:42 called the mark of the beast. 37:45 And not only that, all those who are sealed to God 37:49 has promised to them that heavenly Jerusalem, 37:55 New Jerusalem in the book of Revelation 37:57 It's God's answer and God's solution 38:01 to all that human problems that they have. 38:06 You'll notice when you read the book of Hebrews, 38:09 Abraham waited for that city, Isaac waited for that city, 38:13 all those they died in faith that one day 38:17 they will have a place in that city. 38:19 What is Satan doing during that time? 38:22 He is offering to the inhabitants of this world 38:25 he has the city which is called the city of Babylon. 38:31 Babylon is Satan's solution of all these problem to unite 38:36 all the people of this earth together. 38:38 By the way, I don't have time for that, 38:41 but please from page 381-- do you see that 38:44 how much you have page 381, 382 do you see 38:47 how many parallels are between the two cities. 38:50 By the way, it's the same language 38:51 it was-- just quickly it says, 38:54 "Babylon, one of the seven angels 38:56 who had seven bowls came and spoke with me 38:59 saying 'come here I will show you the great prostitute 39:02 with whom the kings of the earth 39:04 have committed fornication.' 39:05 He carried me way in the spirit into wilderness 39:08 I saw the great city Babylon--'" etcetera. 39:10 Let's go the Jerusalem to the following column. 39:13 "One of the seven angels who had seven bowls 39:15 full of the seven last plagues came and spoke with me saying 39:19 'come I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.' 39:23 He carried me away in the Spirit to great and high mount 39:26 showed me the holy city Jerusalem--'"etcetera. 39:28 Go to the rest. 39:30 It's the same language used, 39:31 because Babylon in the Book of Revelation 39:34 is used as the counterfeit to New Jerusalem. 39:38 And may I ask you a question? 39:41 Which of the two cities is more attractive to the people? 39:49 I'd like you to think about that. 39:51 Friends, we are dealing about deception. 39:55 The deception, according to Apostle Paul 39:57 in 2 Thessalonians Chapter 2, will be so great 40:04 that only those who really love the truth, 40:09 not who claim to have the truth, 40:13 those who truly love the truth 40:17 will not be deceived 40:21 because deception will be so great. 40:24 Satan doesn't care if you are called Protestant 40:29 or Adventist or Baptist or whatever your name, 40:33 he doesn't care how you call yourself. 40:37 There is only one thing that he endeavors is 40:41 that you do not love the truth. 40:44 It's not that you read about the truth that this and that. 40:48 So the call of the Book of Revelation is 40:51 as we are waiting for the time 40:53 of the end to come to ask ourselves today a question 40:57 "Do I really love the truth?" 41:02 But probably we have a word of clarification. 41:05 What does it mean to love the truth? 41:08 Because in the New Testament 41:09 the truth is Jesus Christ Himself 41:11 and everything what He says 41:13 and everything what He has given to us. 41:15 It means that we love Jesus Christ 41:18 with all of our heart, with all of our soul. 41:20 That we want to learn everything what He taught us 41:23 and what He is teaching us, everything what He is telling us 41:26 that's actually what the book of Revelation is all about. 41:29 Revelation 1:3, "Blessed is the one who reads, 41:33 blessed are those who listening, but blessed are those who keep 41:37 the words of the prophecy because the time is near." 41:40 See the Book of Revelation is given to us 41:43 to make us will be better Christians, 41:45 to be more faithful to God, 41:48 to love the truth, to fall in love with God. 41:52 And then nobody nothing, the power that are present 41:58 and the power in the future will not be able to separate us 42:01 from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus. 42:04 This is actually the purpose of this book. 42:08 This is the nature of Satan temptation. 42:10 And, friends, once we understand 42:14 what is going on here in Revelation Chapter 13, 42:20 if we understand really 42:21 what is behind of all this Satan's activities, 42:25 now we can go much faster through this Chapter. 42:30 Please I'd like to encourage you, 42:32 because you cannot take all those different tools 42:35 and now you can study the subject for yourself. 42:37 But it's very important to understand what is the issue, 42:39 what is at stake there in the final crisis. 42:42 It's not about the name. 42:45 It's about my faithfulness to God. 42:48 Now please would you turn with me 42:52 to Revelation Chapter 13, okay. 42:57 It says--depends which Bible translation you have. 43:02 It says, "And the dragon stood" 43:04 I have my New American "On the sand of the seashore." 43:08 The King James Bible make a statement 43:13 that actually it was John who stood on the seashore. 43:18 Unfortunately that version of the text 43:23 comes several centuries later, okay, 43:28 after the time in the Book of Revelation was written. 43:31 Evidently the scribes they mistakenly, 43:33 in Greek it's so similar, just change one letter 43:37 and it change it from he stood to I stood. 43:40 Actually all the early manuscripts 43:42 what they have here is, they read actually about Satan 43:46 who stands there on the sea. Why? 43:48 Because he is there 43:50 to call out of the sea his first associate. 43:55 And this first associate is actually called a beast. 43:59 "John sees a beast coming up out of the sea." 44:04 Now you have to understand what you have here in Chapter. 44:07 One more time where is this beast coming from? 44:11 Out of the sea. 44:13 So if you have the beast coming out of the sea, 44:17 what is the first thing that John sees? 44:21 First he sees the horns, 44:22 because the horns are the first one 44:25 appearing out of the water, okay. 44:28 Then the heads, then the rest of the beast. 44:31 So John is portraying the beast in the way 44:34 how the beast is coming out of the water 44:37 not in the order of the significance 44:39 of the members of the body, okay, of this beast. 44:44 And it says "That this beast has ten horns and seven heads. 44:49 And on his horns were ten diadems. 44:52 And of his heads were blasphemous names." 44:55 Let's stop here for a while. 44:57 The beast, what is the beast? 44:59 We already explained it before that the beast in the prophecies 45:03 of the Book of Revelation is a regular symbol 45:07 in Jewish apocalyptics the same. 45:09 A regular symbol for a political power. 45:12 Okay, for a kingdom, for a political powers. 45:16 So we're dealing here with the power 45:18 coming out of the sea. 45:20 By the way you will notice 45:22 that in the book of Daniel Chapter 7, 45:23 Daniel see four beasts are coming out of the sea. 45:28 So the beast stands here as the symbol 45:31 for the restless human condition of the human society, okay. 45:38 So it is out of those human societies 45:40 John sees a political power 45:42 appear on the scene is been called by the Satan, okay. 45:46 And this power has ten horns and seven heads. 45:51 Actually the key to the understanding 45:55 of what we have here is the book of Daniel Chapter 7. 46:02 Both Daniel and the Book of Revelation 46:04 they refer to the same entity that is here and says, 46:10 that this beast has ten horns, okay, 46:14 and on horns were ten diadems, 46:17 but on the heads were blasphemous names. 46:21 "And the beast which I saw was like a leopard, 46:25 and his feet were like those of a bear, 46:28 and his mouth like the mouth of a lion, 46:31 and the dragon gave him the power 46:34 and his throne and the great authority." 46:40 Just for the sake of clear, to understand what is going on, 46:45 I would like that you turn with me 46:47 to the Book of Daniel Chapter 7. 46:49 Please, the book of Daniel Chapter 7 46:52 and we're reading from verses 23 to 25. 46:58 And you can see how there are strong parallels 47:02 between the Book of Revelation and the Book of Daniel, okay. 47:06 Daniel saw-- we would have to read 47:09 evidently the entire Chapter, but it is impossible for us, 47:14 because John saw those four beast coming 47:17 and now we have the interpretation 47:20 and says verse 23 47:22 "The fourth beast which will be a fourth kingdom on the earth, 47:26 which will be different from all the other kingdoms 47:29 will devour the whole earth and tread it down and crush it. 47:35 And for the ten horns, out of his kingdom 47:37 ten kings will arise, another will arise after them, 47:42 and he will be different from the previous ones 47:45 and will subdue three kings. 47:47 He will speak out against the Most High 47:50 and wear down the saints of the Highest One, 47:53 and he will intend to make alterations 47:56 in times and in the law, 47:58 and they will be given into his hand 48:00 for a time, times, and half a time." 48:04 I would like you to pay special attention 48:06 to this time element "A time, times and half a time." 48:10 However when you come to the Book of Revelation 48:13 you will see that the same kind element is mention 48:17 in verse 5 of Revelation 13, but this time we have 42 months. 48:21 We saw already that it is the same time period, 48:24 but about the time period we will have more to say 48:29 in our next presentation. 48:32 So let us try to see what we are going on-- 48:35 what we see here in Chapter 13, what's going on here. 48:38 In Chapter 7 of Daniel, 48:41 Daniel saw four beast, okay, Four beast. 48:48 He portrayed those three those beast, okay, 48:55 as the bear, okay. 48:59 Actually it's the lion, as the bear and the leopard. 49:03 But you'll notice that these beast here 49:05 in Revelation Chapter 13 it's a composite beast, 49:09 it has all the characteristics 49:11 of those beast of Daniel Chapter 7. 49:13 But there is something else. Keep in mind one more time. 49:17 In Daniel the first beast was lion, okay. 49:21 Then the next one was the bear and the next one was leopard. 49:26 Actually that stood as the symbol for Babylon, 49:31 Medo-Persia and Greece. 49:34 But there was also the fourth beast, 49:36 very strange, very terrifying 49:39 that stood as the symbol for Rome. 49:41 But you will notice here in the Revelation 13 49:45 that John reversed the orders of this beast. 49:50 He puts the lion, okay, 49:52 the last even though 49:54 in Daniel lion was the first one, why? 49:58 Because to show us 50:00 that this beast is actually the fourth one, 50:02 but it's also the successor of which one-- 50:08 leopard beast which was actually Greece, 50:11 successor also of a bear that was Medo-Persia 50:16 and also the successor of Babylon 50:18 that represented by Lion. Are you still with me. 50:21 He puts it in the reverse order and to tell us 50:24 if you really want to understand who this beast is, 50:27 is the equivalent to that fourth beast 50:29 of Daniel Chapter 7. Why? 50:31 Because in Daniel Chapter 7 we have that beast, 50:35 but that beast is not too much a focus of Daniel 7, 50:38 it's what was on that beast. Daniel saw those ten horns. 50:43 And out of the horns in Daniel 7 as we read it 50:47 he saw another very small horn. 50:50 By the way, it was not so small. 50:53 At the beginning it was small, but it says that this horn grew 50:57 and became much greater and larger than all other horns. 51:03 So it's not really the little horn, 51:05 it's a big horn. 51:07 And that horn control all other horns 51:09 and persecuted God's people 51:11 and try even to rebel against God 51:15 and to take place of God, and replace God in this world. 51:20 So, friends, what are we talking here about? 51:23 We're talking here about a political entity, 51:25 according to Revelation Chapter 13, 51:28 that is already identified in the Book of Daniel Chapter 7. 51:34 But there is something else. 51:36 You will notice the difference between Daniel Chapter 7 51:40 and the Revelation Chapter 13. 51:42 In Daniel we don't have any royal crowns. 51:47 But Revelation 13 you will notice that those horns 51:52 they have the royal crowns. 51:53 By the way the horns, those ten horns 51:56 they stand as the symbol of the divided Rome, 51:59 okay, of the divided Rome. 52:01 But you will notice that this horns 52:04 they wear the royal crowns to telling us 52:07 that they are actually taking the power. 52:09 It means that they are coming after the demise, 52:12 after the fall of the Roman Empire. 52:14 Are you still with me? 52:16 They're already claiming the political power. 52:20 You're dealing with the kingdoms after a Rome 52:23 that are actually claiming the rule, okay. 52:27 They're taking political place in this world. 52:29 It is among them, okay, among them that actually 52:33 this beast appears and trying to establish 52:37 his authority over those this political power. 52:41 So dealing really here with a political entity, okay. 52:47 I would like you that you'll notice 52:48 a special literal strategy here of the Book of Revelation. 52:53 And this is very important to understand, 52:55 okay, what the concept that we have here. 52:58 So you have Revelation Chapter 13:1-4. 53:05 These verses really describe the beast, 53:08 telling us what the beast is. 53:11 But then when you come to verses 5 to 8 53:16 then we have the activities of the beast. 53:22 So first we want here to understand 53:24 actually who is this beast 53:27 and we learn something that these beast 53:29 appears on the scene after the fall of Rome, 53:34 during the divided Rome, after the Roman Empire. 53:38 But John is telling us something else about this beast. 53:40 It says that actually this is the dragon 53:43 that delegates the power and the thronw to this beast. 53:46 This beast is the representative of Satan in this world, 53:50 acts in the all power and authority of Satan. 53:54 But then there is something else. 53:56 In verse 3 we read that one of the heads 54:02 of the beast was a slain. 54:06 Okay, let me ask you 54:10 if the beast, the head of the beast, 54:15 receives that mortal wound what happens to the beast? 54:22 And the beast is killed. 54:23 Please we will talk more about that. 54:26 And please I just want this is just introduction 54:30 to what we will discuss and talk more. 54:34 It says the beast was killed but then John noticed something. 54:39 He is telling us that this mortal wound 54:43 actually was healed again. 54:47 And the whole world was amazed and followed after the beast. 54:52 And they worshiped the dragon. 54:53 You see, when people worship the beast 54:55 actually they worship the dragon, okay. 54:56 They worship the dragon 54:58 because he gave his authority to the beast. 55:02 "And they worshiped the beast saying, 55:05 'who is like the beast, 55:06 and who is able to wage war with him?'" 55:12 Oh, boy, as you can see here in Chapter 13, 55:15 we have many details 55:17 that really we have to study and to understand more. 55:20 And I trust you that once this presentation is over 55:24 that you will engage more 55:26 and in much deeper way that you studied Chapter 13. 55:29 We would like simple here to set the framework 55:32 of what is the issue there in the final crisis. 55:35 But we must answer one question then. 55:37 Who is this beast? Who is this beast? 55:41 Evidently this beast is a political authority 55:45 no question about that, the beast, okay. 55:49 Second thing is, what we learn here is 55:54 that this beast claim to be the successor 55:59 of those word empires 56:01 that were before him according to the book of Daniel. 56:05 It has to come after Babylon, 56:07 after Medo-Persia, and after Greece, 56:11 and has to come after the Roman Empire 56:13 is the true successor, okay, of the Roman Empire. 56:18 We saw that this beast is very active, 56:22 because of the horns of this beast 56:25 they claim to have a royal crowns. 56:29 By the way when we come to Revelation Chapter 17 56:32 we will see that the head of the beast 56:36 actually represented the word empires 56:37 that appear in history through which Satan worked 56:42 to fight against God and His plans for this world. 56:47 The empire is that Satan always used 56:48 to persecute to God's people. 56:50 When we come to Revelation 17 56:51 we'll come to more and study about that. 56:56 But there is only one entity, okay, that was very prominent 57:03 in the western world of Western Europe, 57:05 okay, that dominate the Christian world 57:09 after the fall of the Roman Empire. 57:12 Even though this entity is introduced here 57:15 as the political entity, I'd like to invite you 57:19 to join us in our next meeting, 57:20 because we will see that suddenly 57:23 the description of this beast 57:24 from the political turns to the religious one. 57:27 So I'd like to invite you to study the Bible for yourself, 57:30 to invite you to join us for our next presentation 57:33 to see what this at the stake in the final crisis. |
Revised 2014-12-17