The escalation of global
terrorism, crime, immorality
00:00:09.74\00:00:12.86
and natural disasters,
seems to indicate our world
00:00:12.89\00:00:15.84
is spiraling towards it's
ultimate hour with destiny.
00:00:15.87\00:00:18.79
Who, if anyone, will
survive Earth's final events?
00:00:18.93\00:00:22.05
Discover what Bible prophecy
reveals about the rapture,
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the mark of the
beast, and Armageddon.
00:00:24.93\00:00:26.98
Though shrouded in
mystery for centuries,
00:00:27.02\00:00:29.00
the book of Revelation
can be understood today.
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Peer into the future,
and see what wonderful things
00:00:33.04\00:00:35.79
God has planned for His people.
00:00:35.82\00:00:38.16
And now, Pastor Brian
McMahon presents the powerful
00:00:38.71\00:00:41.91
Bible seminar
"Revelation Speaks Hope".
00:00:41.94\00:00:46.72
The main purpose of this
seminar is to take a deeper look
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into the things of
God. So we've entitled this
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opening message "Unlocking
Revelation's mysteries."
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There are many ministers,
and multitudes of people
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that would contend that the book
of Revelation is a closed book,
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that somehow, it can't
be understood, that somehow
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it's so mysterious that
people are going to be confused
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if they read it.
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Well, we're going to find out
tonight, and I hope every night
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as we go through this
seminar, that there are certain
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principles from scripture, that
if we properly understand them,
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that it'll open up to us,
not only the book of Revelation,
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but even the entire Bible.
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Now, scripture teaches that
spiritual things are spiritually
00:01:27.97\00:01:30.81
understood. That
means that we want
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to have a mind that is in
tune with God to understand
00:01:32.92\00:01:36.23
the things of God. To
do that, I want to pause
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with you once again to ask
God's blessing on what we're
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going to study tonight.
Loving Father, what a privilege
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it is to be here in Sacramento
and in this auditorium tonight,
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but we realize that the
influence of what happens here
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can go far beyond these
walls, so we ask Father,
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that you would send the
Holy Spirit to be our teacher,
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to guide us through the various
messages that we're going
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to study, not just
tonight, but each night.
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And bless us, each
one, in Jesus' name, Amen.
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Tonight, dear friends,
as we go into this topic,
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remember that the Bible
is going to be central to us.
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Someone might wonder "why
exactly should we study it"
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"when we don't even
know if it's trustworthy?"
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Well, US News and World Report
magazine did a cover article
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a few years back
"Is the Bible True?"
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They asked that question
right up front, and then
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underneath it the
subtitle said "New discoveries"
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"offer surprising
support for key moments"
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"in the Scriptures".
So there's the question
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"is the Bible true?"
As we start the seminar
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I want to give you 7 fundamental
reasons why we know we can trust
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the Word of God.
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The first one
is: [text on screen]
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What do we mean when we
say "internal consistency"?
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Well, the Bible, though it
is looking as it appears to us,
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one book, many of you
already know that it's really
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a collection of 66
books. 66 books, 1189 chapters,
00:03:03.32\00:03:06.76
31101 verses, 783,137
words in the King James.
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So what we're seeing is that the
Bible is a collection of books
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and the Bible came to us
in this way: some 40 different
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people, under the inspiration
of God, wrote down the words
00:03:25.10\00:03:28.63
that we now call "Scripture",
living in different areas
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of the world, speaking different
language, different cultures,
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over a period
of some 1500 years.
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Do you know that
the Bible is a miracle
00:03:40.05\00:03:42.38
in and of itself?
Just the way we got it
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is miraculous. Now,
let's consider this,
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probably the most complex
and controversial subject
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in all the world is the
question "is there a God?"
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or something about
God. If you want to start
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a discussion, if you
want to start an argument,
00:04:00.98\00:04:03.55
just start talking about
God and see how fast people
00:04:03.59\00:04:05.78
have various ideas about
it. In fact, most wars have been
00:04:05.82\00:04:09.39
fought over that, and
wars today are being fought
00:04:09.42\00:04:11.30
over that; "What about God?"
00:04:11.33\00:04:13.23
It's a controversial subject,
but let's not take that subject
00:04:13.27\00:04:16.21
right now, let's put
that aside for just a moment.
00:04:16.24\00:04:18.22
Let's take, what might be
considered a far easier topic
00:04:18.26\00:04:21.31
to discuss. Let's
take the topic of food.
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Anybody here
like food, like I do?
00:04:23.17\00:04:25.13
Okay, just checking.
00:04:25.16\00:04:27.20
Let's say that I talk
about what my favorite food is,
00:04:27.71\00:04:30.72
Italian, that's what I like,
but not everyone is that way.
00:04:31.17\00:04:35.50
Some say "Oh no,
that's not my favorite,"
00:04:35.53\00:04:36.96
"mine is
Mexican, mine is salads."
00:04:36.99\00:04:39.97
Some will say "Just skip
all of that, give me dessert,"
00:04:40.01\00:04:42.06
"that's what I like."
00:04:42.09\00:04:43.25
If you took 40 people
from this audience tonight,
00:04:44.36\00:04:47.11
who basically speak the same
language, have the same culture,
00:04:47.15\00:04:49.63
living at the same time in
history, and yet if you took
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a poll among 40 people,
you would not get a harmonious
00:04:52.58\00:04:55.43
understanding of the
simple subject of food.
00:04:55.46\00:04:58.07
Isn't it more than just
interesting that God could take
00:04:58.68\00:05:02.04
40 men, living over
a period of 1500 years,
00:05:02.07\00:05:04.59
different languages,
different backgrounds,
00:05:04.62\00:05:07.07
different occupations,
and so on, and have them write
00:05:07.11\00:05:10.25
on the most controversial
of all subjects, which is God,
00:05:10.29\00:05:13.40
and have it coming
together in absolute harmony?
00:05:13.70\00:05:17.71
Isn't that a
beautiful thing. In other words,
00:05:17.94\00:05:20.29
when one Bible
writer wrote down his words
00:05:20.51\00:05:22.47
he didn't have to correct
what someone else said previous
00:05:22.51\00:05:25.00
to him, Paul didn't have to
correct John, and John didn't
00:05:25.03\00:05:27.37
have to correct Peter, and
we could go on and on and on,
00:05:27.40\00:05:29.71
but the point is that's
what we mean when we say
00:05:29.74\00:05:31.84
"internal consistency",
the Bible is a miraculous book
00:05:31.88\00:05:35.25
in and of itself.
00:05:35.28\00:05:36.58
The next point that we
have up on the screen is:
00:05:36.62\00:05:38.47
[text on screen]
00:05:38.50\00:05:39.79
All true and genuine history
corroborates what the Bible
00:05:39.83\00:05:43.28
has to say, then we
have [text on screen].
00:05:43.31\00:05:45.69
That same article that I
showed you just previously
00:05:50.43\00:05:54.18
says that there has never been
a single archeological discovery
00:05:54.22\00:05:57.78
that has ever
contradicted the Bible.
00:05:57.97\00:05:59.78
In other words, as they
dig up the remains of history,
00:05:59.82\00:06:01.79
it is simply harmonizing with
what the Bible already says.
00:06:02.79\00:06:06.17
Our next point
is [text on screen]
00:06:08.76\00:06:11.15
Some people want to
put science over here,
00:06:13.51\00:06:16.42
and they want to take the
Bible and what it says over here
00:06:16.55\00:06:19.33
and then they want to proclaim
a contradiction between the 2.
00:06:19.36\00:06:22.11
But actually, true science backs
up what the Bible has to say.
00:06:22.76\00:06:26.54
It does not
contradict what the Bible says.
00:06:26.57\00:06:28.80
Most of the great
scientists down through history
00:06:29.00\00:06:33.06
have been Bible believing people
or maybe Jews that believed
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in the Old Testament, but
there is no question about it,
00:06:37.11\00:06:41.05
science backs up what
the scriptures have to say.
00:06:41.15\00:06:44.09
The next one is
[text on screen].
00:06:44.12\00:06:45.84
What do we mean when we
say the testimony of relevancy?
00:06:46.68\00:06:48.98
There was a time in my life
when I was looking for purpose,
00:06:49.91\00:06:53.52
I was looking for
meaning in my life, I didn't
00:06:53.62\00:06:55.83
really understand
what life was all about.
00:06:55.86\00:06:58.00
I thought maybe we were
part of the big bang theory,
00:06:58.04\00:07:01.13
and I didn't know what
purpose I was even here for.
00:07:01.40\00:07:03.86
But then when I picked up
the scriptures and I began
00:07:04.02\00:07:06.44
to read that God is a mighty God
00:07:06.47\00:07:08.75
that cares for me personally,
00:07:08.79\00:07:11.00
and He understands my
needs and the Scripture can meet
00:07:11.04\00:07:14.32
those needs, and they not only
meet the needs of people today,
00:07:14.36\00:07:18.01
but they have met the
needs of people for hundreds,
00:07:18.11\00:07:20.53
and even thousands of years.
00:07:20.56\00:07:22.89
How could it be that a book
that is so ancient, could meet
00:07:23.94\00:07:28.16
the needs of a
people in a modern society?
00:07:28.19\00:07:30.14
That's what we mean when we say
"the testimony of relevancy".
00:07:30.18\00:07:32.88
The next point that we're
going to pop on the screen
00:07:33.18\00:07:34.76
is [text on screen]
00:07:34.96\00:07:36.89
The testimony of a changed life
is one of the most beautiful
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things to talk about because
I'm sure there are many of you
00:07:39.65\00:07:41.96
here tonight that can
give an amen that God changed
00:07:41.99\00:07:44.55
your life through the
reading of the Scriptures, amen?
00:07:44.59\00:07:47.12
Why do we hold this book heads
and tails over any other book?
00:07:48.25\00:07:52.39
Because it is the only
book out of the countless books
00:07:52.59\00:07:56.62
that have been written,
that can truly take a sinner
00:07:56.66\00:08:00.66
and change him
into a saint, amen?
00:08:00.69\00:08:02.83
The Bible can take an
adulterer and change him
00:08:03.01\00:08:05.60
into a faithful man, the
Bible can take a drunkard
00:08:05.63\00:08:08.15
and turn him into a sober man,
the Bible can take a cannibal
00:08:08.19\00:08:13.57
and turn him into a
civilized man, amen?
00:08:13.60\00:08:16.39
I tell you, we could go
on and on, it's the only book
00:08:16.43\00:08:18.52
in the world that could
take a thief and turn him into
00:08:18.56\00:08:20.62
an honest man.
00:08:20.65\00:08:22.02
The next on [text on screen].
00:08:24.55\00:08:26.08
Now, you've come to an
Amazing Facts prophecy seminar.
00:08:28.24\00:08:31.81
So this is the one we're going
to concentrate on the most.
00:08:31.99\00:08:35.84
When we look at prophecy
as you look at this magazine
00:08:36.17\00:08:39.53
cover up here on the
screen, what is there splashed
00:08:39.57\00:08:42.56
across the very top of
it? What does that word say?
00:08:42.60\00:08:45.25
Prophecy, that's right.
Now, if you could see the date
00:08:45.28\00:08:47.90
on that magazine, it
would say 1 November 1999.
00:08:47.93\00:08:51.52
Now let's see if we can
remember back a little way,
00:08:51.71\00:08:54.13
what was on the collective
conscience of the nation
00:08:54.16\00:08:56.55
around about November
of 1999? It was called Y2K.
00:08:56.82\00:09:02.50
People were wondering "are
we even going to live past that"
00:09:02.60\00:09:05.10
"January 1st, 2000, moment?"
and people were having their
00:09:05.14\00:09:08.65
minds drifting and pointing
over and over towards what
00:09:08.68\00:09:12.16
the future is all
about, what's going to happen.
00:09:12.19\00:09:14.24
Does the Bible have anything
to say about the future events?
00:09:14.34\00:09:17.39
People were not even
interested in Scripture before,
00:09:17.79\00:09:19.90
all of a sudden
were turning to prophecy.
00:09:19.93\00:09:22.43
It's almost as if they were
saying something is in the air,
00:09:22.91\00:09:25.61
and I'm not sure what
it is, but I want to know,
00:09:25.64\00:09:27.77
because businesses were
changing, and governments
00:09:27.80\00:09:29.86
were changing, and marriages
were changing and people's lives
00:09:29.90\00:09:32.08
were in upheaval and they
were wondering "Maybe I can"
00:09:32.11\00:09:35.03
"figure it out if I
can just know the future."
00:09:35.06\00:09:37.44
What is so sad is that many
people turned to other things,
00:09:37.48\00:09:40.52
and we'll talk about that
as well, but people are saying
00:09:40.56\00:09:43.57
there's changes in the
natural forces of the world;
00:09:44.15\00:09:48.07
floods and hurricanes
and these kinds of things.
00:09:48.77\00:09:50.98
There's changes in the
environment, why is it that
00:09:51.08\00:09:54.95
the oceans are affected,
and the land and the air,
00:09:56.04\00:09:57.98
it's all polluted, and it's
just not like it used to be.
00:09:58.02\00:10:00.49
And there's changes in the very
moral make up of the nation.
00:10:00.59\00:10:03.46
We're seeing crimes committed
that we wouldn't even have
00:10:03.50\00:10:06.30
dreamt of before, and yet it's
going on, people are wondering
00:10:06.34\00:10:09.85
"how is it all going to end?"
00:10:09.88\00:10:11.19
Is it going to end in
some kind of terrorist attack?
00:10:11.50\00:10:14.27
Is it going to be some
kind of big nuclear explosion?
00:10:14.30\00:10:17.27
Is there going to be some
kind of prophetic time clock
00:10:17.41\00:10:20.21
that's ticking and somehow
it's approaching midnight,
00:10:20.25\00:10:23.02
and God is going to
turn it off for this world,
00:10:23.05\00:10:25.24
how's it all going to end?
00:10:25.27\00:10:26.75
As a result of that,
they were wanting to know
00:10:26.88\00:10:30.23
what does Bible
prophecy have to say.
00:10:30.61\00:10:32.88
Maybe Y2K did pass with
relatively little consequence,
00:10:33.02\00:10:37.63
but still, not even just
Christians, just thinking people
00:10:37.81\00:10:41.81
are saying
something's up. They may not
00:10:41.84\00:10:44.00
be able to identify what that
something is, but they realize
00:10:44.04\00:10:46.82
something is about to
happen. As we continue tonight,
00:10:46.92\00:10:49.54
we're going to
ask 2 basic questions,
00:10:49.57\00:10:52.38
how many questions
are we going to ask? Two!
00:10:52.56\00:10:54.07
The first question
we're going to ask is this:
00:10:54.84\00:10:57.12
[text on screen]
00:10:57.15\00:10:59.62
Now, those are 2 very
basic questions that we need
00:11:06.13\00:11:07.83
to get answered.
As to the first one,
00:11:07.86\00:11:10.08
"what is prophecy?",
the New Oxford Dictionary
00:11:10.12\00:11:13.04
says this: prophecy is a
prediction of future events,
00:11:13.08\00:11:17.05
or a forecast. In
other words, basically,
00:11:17.08\00:11:19.03
predicting what's going
to happen in the future.
00:11:19.07\00:11:21.51
That's not hard to do, a lot
of people can predict things,
00:11:21.60\00:11:23.69
they may not always come
true, but at least you could
00:11:23.72\00:11:25.73
predict it. If I said
the San Francisco 49er
00:11:25.76\00:11:29.56
football team was going to
win the Super bowl this year,
00:11:29.60\00:11:31.87
that's a prediction,
right? Not very likely,
00:11:33.14\00:11:36.54
but I can say it.
It's going to be false
00:11:37.36\00:11:39.31
prediction in all likelihood,
especially if I said they're
00:11:39.35\00:11:42.11
going to win by 30 points,
but that's making a prediction.
00:11:42.15\00:11:44.88
But when God makes predictions,
they're of a different nature.
00:11:45.02\00:11:47.84
Take a look at this
next verse from Scripture,
00:11:47.87\00:11:50.27
John 14:29, look
what Jesus has to say:
00:11:50.30\00:11:53.66
[text on screen]
00:11:53.69\00:11:55.66
Can you see the certainty here?
Jesus is certain, there's no
00:12:02.69\00:12:06.01
guessing here,
there's no "perhaps" here,
00:12:06.04\00:12:08.18
Jesus says "I'm
telling you before it happens,"
00:12:08.22\00:12:12.11
"that when it does come
to pass", in other words
00:12:12.52\00:12:14.35
there is no doubt
about it, this will happen,
00:12:14.38\00:12:16.18
then you will believe.
00:12:16.45\00:12:17.78
If you had a friend who
was constantly telling you
00:12:17.82\00:12:19.78
about things that
were going to happen:
00:12:19.81\00:12:21.77
"this is going to happen,
and this, and this, and this..."
00:12:21.81\00:12:24.02
and all the things that
person ever told you happened,
00:12:24.06\00:12:26.24
would you start to have
confidence that they knew
00:12:26.38\00:12:27.83
what they were
talking about? Well sure.
00:12:27.87\00:12:29.92
Now we turn to the
scripture where Jesus says
00:12:30.06\00:12:32.03
"this is going to happen
and this, and this, and this..."
00:12:32.07\00:12:34.47
and it all comes to
pass exactly as God says it,
00:12:34.50\00:12:38.12
should we now start to have
confidence in the scripture,
00:12:38.24\00:12:40.27
that it's reliable?
00:12:40.30\00:12:41.61
Absolutely friends, absolutely.
00:12:41.65\00:12:44.70
We can come to the
Bible and know what Scripture
00:12:44.94\00:12:48.48
says is going to take place.
Now look at this next text
00:12:48.52\00:12:51.65
in Isaiah 46:9.
00:12:51.68\00:12:54.99
This is one of my favorite
texts in Scripture, and I've got
00:12:55.03\00:12:56.85
a lot of them,
00:12:56.88\00:12:58.36
the Lord is saying
through Isaiah, [text on screen]
00:12:59.81\00:13:03.68
In other times, "from ancient
times", that's the things
00:13:18.57\00:13:20.16
of the past, "the
things that are not yet done",
00:13:20.19\00:13:22.58
that's the future, so
God is telling us that He
00:13:22.62\00:13:24.90
can separate Himself
from all the other things that
00:13:24.94\00:13:27.15
are called God because He's
the only one, the only being
00:13:27.19\00:13:31.42
that can truly
tell us the future.
00:13:31.45\00:13:33.98
Now, again, there are
many that turn and ask what
00:13:34.16\00:13:37.57
exactly is prophecy
and how can we find it out?
00:13:37.61\00:13:40.99
The second question, where
can we find true and reliable
00:13:41.80\00:13:43.80
prophecy? Well,
it's no problem finding
00:13:43.83\00:13:46.72
unreliable prophecy, all
you have to do is go down to any
00:13:46.76\00:13:49.93
grocery store and go
through the checkout there,
00:13:49.96\00:13:51.93
and you can easily
see "unreliable", amen?
00:13:51.96\00:13:55.22
These kind of tabloids,
how many times have they made
00:13:55.70\00:13:57.89
predictions, how many times have
they said that things are going
00:13:57.93\00:14:00.38
to come to pass,
that never came true?
00:14:00.41\00:14:02.44
And yet, they know that if
they just keep printing it,
00:14:02.48\00:14:04.27
some people are going to buy it,
sometimes it's a lot of people.
00:14:04.31\00:14:06.95
But let's not go there,
because none of you would want
00:14:06.98\00:14:09.19
that stuff, let's go to some
of the other writings that many
00:14:09.23\00:14:11.95
people trust, even the
great religions of the world.
00:14:11.98\00:14:14.99
Now, in the
Quran, [text on screen].
00:14:15.24\00:14:17.62
In order to give prophecy,
what must a person know?
00:14:25.84\00:14:29.78
Well, they have to know
the future, so when this book
00:14:29.81\00:14:33.20
has no prophecy, what does
that tell us about the author?
00:14:33.23\00:14:36.59
The author did
not know the future.
00:14:36.62\00:14:39.03
Well, not just the Quran, what
about some of the other writings
00:14:39.07\00:14:41.62
of the world? The
writings of the Buddha,
00:14:41.65\00:14:43.62
Buddhism, [text on screen]
00:14:43.65\00:14:45.94
at least nothing on the
same level as the Scriptures.
00:14:46.07\00:14:48.62
And we could go through
the writings of Confucius,
00:14:56.59\00:14:59.18
and other people that
started religions in this world.
00:14:59.21\00:15:01.77
But fascinating enough,
when it comes to the Bible,
00:15:02.17\00:15:05.35
30% of the Scripture is
what we would call "prophecy".
00:15:05.59\00:15:10.94
The person who caused
the Bible to be written
00:15:10.97\00:15:13.28
not only new the
past like a historian,
00:15:13.54\00:15:16.23
not only knows the present
better than a news anchor
00:15:16.27\00:15:19.18
person does, but the God who
caused the Bible to be written
00:15:19.22\00:15:23.84
knows the future, and
if God knows the future
00:15:24.14\00:15:26.76
I can trust my life to
Him, if God knows the future
00:15:26.80\00:15:30.11
I can trust my life and the
life of my family and everything
00:15:30.15\00:15:32.88
that I do. As a
predictor of the future
00:15:32.91\00:15:37.57
God has a method that is
far better than the methods
00:15:37.86\00:15:41.29
of this world. To
know that we don't have
00:15:41.32\00:15:43.66
to rely on crystal balls,
we don't have to rely séances
00:15:43.70\00:15:47.01
and tea leaf readings, and
all the modern day psychics
00:15:47.04\00:15:49.96
that write in tabloids
and all these kind of things.
00:15:50.00\00:15:52.89
To know that God looks over
this world, and He knows exactly
00:15:54.75\00:15:58.02
what's going on, He knows
exactly what's going to happen
00:15:58.05\00:16:01.51
in the future, that's a God
that I want to trust my life to.
00:16:01.54\00:16:04.97
In fact, in the
Scriptures in Amos 3:7
00:16:12.41\00:16:15.30
there's a verse that
tells us that God is very much
00:16:15.66\00:16:19.14
wanting you and I to understand
what's going on through prophecy
00:16:19.18\00:16:22.48
Amos 3:7 says: [text on screen]
00:16:22.51\00:16:25.25
So the Lord is saying
"Before I do anything of great"
00:16:30.47\00:16:32.65
"significance in the Earth, I'm
going to first tell my people"
00:16:32.69\00:16:36.89
"ahead of time through
writing it down in prophecy."
00:16:36.92\00:16:39.52
"I'm going to tell it to
the prophets, and the prophets"
00:16:39.55\00:16:42.12
"are going to make it known."
00:16:42.15\00:16:44.26
There are 2
general kinds of prophecy.
00:16:45.67\00:16:47.93
[text on screen]
00:16:47.96\00:16:50.63
Classical Prophecy is found in
most of the books of the Bible.
00:16:56.42\00:17:00.69
God writes down information
for the nation of Israel
00:17:04.17\00:17:06.77
and if we look back at
that information, we can see
00:17:06.80\00:17:09.37
good principles and
lessons for us today.
00:17:09.40\00:17:11.89
But the other kind of
prophecy, apocalyptic prophecy,
00:17:12.04\00:17:15.39
is of a different
nature. In apocalyptic prophecy
00:17:15.93\00:17:19.42
God draws back the
curtain that hides the future
00:17:19.46\00:17:22.92
and shows it to us in advance.
00:17:22.95\00:17:24.54
The word "apocalyptic"
comes from an ancient word
00:17:24.58\00:17:27.21
"apokalypsis", it means
"to reveal," or "to uncover,"
00:17:27.24\00:17:30.77
"to unveil", so God unveils
the future and shows it to us
00:17:30.80\00:17:34.30
in advance.
00:17:34.33\00:17:35.35
Out of all the books in the
Bible, 2 of them can be called
00:17:35.39\00:17:39.63
primarily apocalyptic.
One is in the Old Testament
00:17:39.66\00:17:42.81
and one is in the New Testament.
Let's turn to the book of
00:17:43.02\00:17:46.85
Matthew. Open up your Bible's to
the book of Matthew, chapter 24.
00:17:46.88\00:17:49.94
We're going to be in
the book of Matthew a lot
00:17:55.99\00:17:57.22
tomorrow night, so I'm just
going to introduce it to you
00:17:57.26\00:17:59.85
tonight.
00:17:59.88\00:18:01.41
Matthew 24:15
00:18:03.27\00:18:10.96
Here Jesus says: "When
you therefore shall see"
00:18:13.85\00:18:17.24
"the abomination of desolation
spoken of by Daniel the prophet"
00:18:17.28\00:18:23.48
"standing in the Holy
Place. Whosoever readeth"
00:18:23.51\00:18:25.89
"let him understand."
Folks, first of all,
00:18:25.92\00:18:29.41
these are the words of
Jesus, aren't they, and Jesus
00:18:29.45\00:18:31.44
is speaking to the Christians in
Jerusalem and to the disciples.
00:18:31.48\00:18:36.14
And He says when you
see these things happening,
00:18:36.17\00:18:38.96
note the
abomination of desolation,
00:18:38.99\00:18:40.79
and if you're not sure what the
abomination of desolation is,
00:18:40.83\00:18:43.70
go back and read it
in the book of Daniel.
00:18:44.00\00:18:46.62
What is so important
here is that God is telling us
00:18:46.83\00:18:50.70
2 main things. #1:
that the book of Daniel
00:18:50.73\00:18:53.59
can be understood, in other
words, apocalyptic literature
00:18:53.63\00:18:56.46
can be understood because
why would Jesus tell us to go
00:18:56.49\00:18:59.27
read about it if it
couldn't be understood?
00:18:59.30\00:19:01.13
And secondly, Jesus is telling
us that Daniel was a prophet.
00:19:01.42\00:19:06.18
Many people think
that the writings of Daniel
00:19:06.63\00:19:08.47
were so incredibly accurate,
predicting the rise and fall
00:19:08.51\00:19:11.75
of nations for hundreds of
years, that he had to write
00:19:11.78\00:19:14.95
it after the fact, or someone
had to write it after the fact,
00:19:14.99\00:19:17.55
and then they put his name
on it, but the Bible never says
00:19:17.79\00:19:20.41
"Daniel the historian",
it says "Daniel the prophet."
00:19:20.44\00:19:24.18
God told these things to
his servant, the prophet,
00:19:24.38\00:19:26.73
ahead of time,
Daniel wrote them down
00:19:26.76\00:19:28.90
and they're for us
today. So we have one book
00:19:28.94\00:19:31.03
of apocalyptic
literature in the Old Testament,
00:19:31.07\00:19:33.09
that's the book of Daniel,
would you like to take a guess
00:19:33.13\00:19:35.08
what the one in the New
Testament might be called?
00:19:35.11\00:19:37.11
Revelation, that's right.
00:19:37.51\00:19:38.95
Let's go to Revelation 1
next, and we're going to begin
00:19:38.99\00:19:44.24
reading verse 3.
00:19:44.27\00:19:49.50
What is most interesting
is that of all the books
00:19:50.39\00:19:52.38
of the Bible, the 2 books that
Jesus directly referenced us
00:19:52.42\00:19:56.75
to go read are the 2 apocalyptic
books: Daniel and Revelation.
00:19:56.79\00:20:01.09
I believe that God wants
us to understand all of it,
00:20:01.12\00:20:02.87
don't you? God
wants us to understand
00:20:02.90\00:20:05.22
as much in the Scriptures as
we can, but why is it that God
00:20:05.26\00:20:08.05
singled out these 2
books, Daniel and Revelation,
00:20:08.08\00:20:10.52
and asked us to
read it? Revelation 1:3
00:20:10.72\00:20:15.50
[text on screen]
00:20:15.53\00:20:17.50
God is telling us
that we are to read it
00:20:26.51\00:20:29.32
and we are to hear the words,
that means understand them,
00:20:29.42\00:20:32.61
and we are to keep those
things, that means obey them.
00:20:32.65\00:20:35.48
So is God making it clear
that the book of Revelation
00:20:35.52\00:20:38.32
can be understood, yes or no?
00:20:38.35\00:20:40.21
Yes, otherwise why
would He ask us to read it?
00:20:40.44\00:20:42.13
Why would he ask
us to understand it?
00:20:42.16\00:20:43.45
Why would He ask us to obey it
if it somehow was so mysterious
00:20:43.49\00:20:46.81
that it was
beyond our understanding.
00:20:46.84\00:20:48.68
So what we're looking at here
is that it's not coincidence
00:20:48.72\00:20:51.88
that God singled out the
2 apocalyptic books and said
00:20:51.91\00:20:54.13
"know what these
books have to say".
00:20:54.48\00:20:56.48
In this seminar we want to
study the Bible responsibly.
00:20:57.57\00:21:02.98
Now you say "well
why do you say that?"
00:21:03.38\00:21:05.19
Because there's a lot
of confusion surrounding
00:21:05.36\00:21:08.23
end time prophecy, or what
we call apocalyptic prophecy.
00:21:08.33\00:21:11.51
You could go to a book store,
Christian book store tonight,
00:21:11.68\00:21:14.19
maybe some of you have
done this, and you could try
00:21:14.22\00:21:16.41
to find a book about end
time events, you could pull that
00:21:16.45\00:21:18.71
book out and you could read
what that author had to say,
00:21:18.75\00:21:20.98
and then right next to
it would be another book
00:21:21.31\00:21:24.51
by an equally sincere author
that would have another view
00:21:24.55\00:21:27.54
about end time events,
and you could keep on going
00:21:27.57\00:21:29.70
for quite a number of books,
00:21:29.73\00:21:31.98
each author having a different
idea about what the end times
00:21:32.02\00:21:35.30
are all about.
00:21:35.33\00:21:36.39
But God doesn't want us
confused, He doesn't want us
00:21:36.53\00:21:39.20
all mixed up, God wants us
to make sure we understand,
00:21:39.23\00:21:41.87
and the way we do that is
to read the Bible responsibly.
00:21:42.17\00:21:47.17
You see, dear friends, I
want you to be able to know
00:21:47.28\00:21:50.92
your Bibles so well by the
time we finish this seminar
00:21:50.95\00:21:54.63
that you will know for yourself
if what I'm saying up here
00:21:54.66\00:21:58.31
is true or not true.
00:21:58.34\00:21:59.72
Because I say something up
at the front doesn't make it
00:22:00.52\00:22:03.76
say what I want it to
say; whatever I think the book
00:22:03.80\00:22:06.97
still means the same thing.
All of us here together tonight,
00:22:07.01\00:22:10.72
agreeing on something
doesn't make it mean that.
00:22:10.75\00:22:13.24
We can't change the facts
of the Bible, all we can do
00:22:13.93\00:22:16.65
is try to find out what
the facts are, even if they are
00:22:16.69\00:22:19.38
amazing facts, amen?
00:22:19.41\00:22:21.27
So we're going to
study the facts of scripture,
00:22:21.57\00:22:24.87
and by studying it, and
studying it responsibly,
00:22:25.08\00:22:30.54
we are going to turn into
some of the best Bible students
00:22:30.58\00:22:32.90
anywhere.
00:22:32.93\00:22:33.96
We're going to look at some
of the Scriptures that help us
00:22:34.00\00:22:36.32
with that.
00:22:36.35\00:22:37.32
Look with me at
1 Thessalonians 5.
00:22:37.33\00:22:40.59
1 Thessalonians 5:21
says this: [text on screen]
00:22:40.63\00:22:45.09
So we've proven
something true from Scripture
00:22:51.31\00:22:53.75
what does God ask us
to do? Hold on to it.
00:22:53.79\00:22:56.24
Don't let it go,
consider it precious.
00:22:56.28\00:22:58.66
Do you know, dear
friends, that in days past,
00:22:58.70\00:23:01.76
I'm going back a number of
years now, before the Bible
00:23:02.00\00:23:04.50
was printed so that
everyone could have one,
00:23:04.53\00:23:07.15
people considered every
page of Scripture precious.
00:23:07.50\00:23:11.08
Any verse that they could
gleam and get their eyes upon
00:23:11.11\00:23:14.66
was considered valuable,
but today, because the Bible
00:23:14.76\00:23:18.03
is so abundant, it's so
common, people have treated it
00:23:18.06\00:23:21.30
in an entirely different manner.
00:23:21.33\00:23:22.94
The Bible makes it
clear that the devil is out
00:23:23.88\00:23:28.18
to deceive us, and
the devil doesn't care
00:23:28.21\00:23:31.12
how many Bibles we
own, the devil doesn't care
00:23:31.16\00:23:34.20
how many Bibles lay on
the shelf in our houses,
00:23:34.23\00:23:37.20
the devil only cares if the
word of God gets in our heart.
00:23:37.24\00:23:40.34
"Thy word have I hid in my
heart that I might not sin"
00:23:40.38\00:23:43.45
"against Thee." So
the devil doesn't want
00:23:43.48\00:23:45.33
us to read, he
doesn't care if you own it,
00:23:45.36\00:23:47.14
he says "just don't read
it", but we're going to read it
00:23:47.18\00:23:49.78
and we're going to get a
lot of good information from it.
00:23:49.81\00:23:52.38
Not everything that is
good is easy to hold on to
00:23:52.69\00:23:56.20
because sometimes we're
believing something that
00:23:56.24\00:23:59.72
we've grown up
with, that is not good.
00:23:59.75\00:24:01.78
You see, in order to
hold on to what is good,
00:24:01.82\00:24:04.40
if I'm holding something
in my hand that is not good,
00:24:04.44\00:24:06.37
what must I first do?
Be willing to let it go.
00:24:06.41\00:24:09.14
When we read the stories of
the Bible, the Bible teaches
00:24:09.56\00:24:11.48
that in many ways. The
prodigal son that left home
00:24:11.51\00:24:14.12
and went into riotous
living, and pleasure seeking,
00:24:14.16\00:24:16.74
he had to be
willing to give that up
00:24:17.04\00:24:18.92
if he wanted to come
back to a Godly home,
00:24:18.96\00:24:20.91
and he was willing to
do that. So in many ways,
00:24:21.12\00:24:24.16
we must be willing to give
up something that is not good
00:24:24.62\00:24:28.05
in order for God to give
us something that is good.
00:24:28.08\00:24:30.07
In John 7:17 Jesus says
this to us: [text on screen]
00:24:30.59\00:24:36.01
So what Jesus is telling us
here is if you're willing to do
00:24:43.69\00:24:46.74
the will of God, you will
know what teaching is true
00:24:46.77\00:24:49.71
and what teaching is not true.
What Jesus is telling us here is
00:24:49.75\00:24:53.30
you will know the
truth if you're willing
00:24:53.70\00:24:56.54
to follow the
truth. Very, very simple.
00:24:56.58\00:24:59.35
Some people have
already made up their minds
00:24:59.39\00:25:00.70
on what they want to
believe and then it's like
00:25:00.74\00:25:03.01
what ever the Bible says is of
no consequence because they're
00:25:03.05\00:25:05.22
already dead set on
what they want to believe.
00:25:05.25\00:25:06.98
Well, if the person has
already made up their mind
00:25:07.02\00:25:08.68
what they want to believe,
then why study the Bible at all?
00:25:08.72\00:25:11.40
What that person's really
saying is "I've already made up"
00:25:11.70\00:25:13.76
"my mind, so what the Bible
says really doesn't matter."
00:25:13.80\00:25:15.83
That's a person that will never
learn truth as God wants us
00:25:16.40\00:25:19.22
to know it.
00:25:19.25\00:25:20.42
In this seminar it's
near impossible for me to
00:25:20.70\00:25:24.63
preach something, or
share something, that everybody
00:25:25.14\00:25:27.48
is going to be in
perfect agreement on,
00:25:27.51\00:25:29.44
but that's really
not my responsibility.
00:25:29.47\00:25:31.33
My responsibility is to
lead out in a Bible study
00:25:31.37\00:25:34.28
that helps us to know
truth, and it's the Holy Spirits
00:25:34.32\00:25:37.11
work to bring us into
harmony, and bring conviction
00:25:37.15\00:25:39.91
to our mind and help
us to want to follow it.
00:25:39.94\00:25:41.77
You see, dear friends, in
heaven we're not going to have
00:25:41.93\00:25:44.53
one group of Christians in
one corner, and another group
00:25:44.56\00:25:46.92
of Christians over in another
corner, and another group
00:25:46.96\00:25:49.25
of Christians somewhere else,
all believing different things,
00:25:49.29\00:25:52.02
and holding on to it, that's
not going to be heaven, amen?
00:25:52.06\00:25:54.76
What must we do?
Friends, if we want to be
00:25:55.46\00:25:57.98
in harmony there, we must first
be willing to open our minds
00:25:58.02\00:26:01.77
to let God teach us here,
and come into harmony with what
00:26:02.23\00:26:05.82
the Bible says, and that
will naturally bring us together
00:26:05.86\00:26:09.42
to prepare us
for the next world.
00:26:09.45\00:26:11.09
I'm looking forward to that.
00:26:11.12\00:26:12.30
There's a lot of people
that say "Oh, it doesn't"
00:26:12.34\00:26:14.80
"really matter what truth
is." They'll tell you that truth
00:26:14.84\00:26:18.66
isn't that important,
so don't bother seeking it
00:26:18.69\00:26:20.80
with such earnestness, and yet
the Bible says just the opposite
00:26:20.84\00:26:23.87
1 Peter 3:15 says
this, and this, by the way,
00:26:24.25\00:26:27.38
was the first verse I
ever memorized in all the Bible
00:26:27.42\00:26:30.46
and I just like to say
that because it's a good one,
00:26:30.49\00:26:33.50
1 Peter 3:15
says: [text on screen]
00:26:33.53\00:26:35.81
So does the Bible want us
to be able to give an answer
00:26:48.44\00:26:50.29
for what we believe,
yes or no? Yes it does.
00:26:50.32\00:26:53.09
Why is that so important?
Because what we believe
00:26:53.13\00:26:57.12
moulds us into what
we are, isn't that true?
00:26:57.15\00:27:00.78
You see, wrong teaching
results in wrong thinking,
00:27:00.88\00:27:05.45
wrong thinking
results in wrong actions,
00:27:05.48\00:27:07.46
wrong actions forms a wrong
character, and a wrong character
00:27:07.50\00:27:10.56
results in a ruined life,
both for here and for eternity.
00:27:10.60\00:27:13.70
It's so important to be
taught right, so we live right.
00:27:13.74\00:27:16.81
The Bible is telling us here,
that we must learn how to live.
00:27:16.93\00:27:20.38
So this seminar is
starting out helping us to learn
00:27:20.41\00:27:25.37
how to study the Bible.
We go to 2 Timothy 3:16.
00:27:25.41\00:27:30.34
It tells us that
[text on screen].
00:27:30.54\00:27:33.56
According to Scripture, or
according to the Bible text,
00:27:45.93\00:27:50.24
how much scripture
is inspired by God?
00:27:50.27\00:27:52.36
All Scripture's inspired by God.
00:27:52.62\00:27:54.36
People will come up to
me and they'll say this,
00:27:54.40\00:27:56.48
they'll say "Pastor
McMahon, I only believe"
00:27:56.58\00:27:58.42
"in the Old
Testament." Or they'll say
00:27:58.45\00:27:59.89
"Pastor McMahon, I only
believe in the New Testament."
00:27:59.93\00:28:01.93
or "I only believe in
the Gospels", well according
00:28:01.97\00:28:03.94
to what I read,
it's all inspired, right?
00:28:03.97\00:28:06.68
There are some that
divide the Bible this way,
00:28:08.14\00:28:10.82
and they say the Old
Testament is old scripture,
00:28:10.86\00:28:13.47
so it's no good, and the
New Testament is new scripture
00:28:13.51\00:28:15.73
so that's ok. To the Bible,
00:28:15.76\00:28:17.50
and Bible writers,
there's no such thing
00:28:17.54\00:28:18.99
as old scripture, new scripture,
scripture is scripture.
00:28:19.02\00:28:21.68
The Old Testament is
revealed more fully in the New,
00:28:21.71\00:28:24.30
and the New is concealed in
types and shadows in the Old.
00:28:24.34\00:28:26.82
But again, to the
Bible, and the Bible writers,
00:28:26.85\00:28:28.80
it's all inspired of God, amen?
00:28:28.83\00:28:31.72
The Bible does speak of an
Old Covenant and a New Covenant,
00:28:32.30\00:28:34.71
but many people make
the mistake of equating that
00:28:34.74\00:28:36.61
with old
scripture, new scripture.
00:28:36.64\00:28:38.07
We'll get into it later
on, what the old covenant,
00:28:38.11\00:28:39.68
new covenant
meaning. So I don't want to be
00:28:39.71\00:28:41.96
an Old Testament Christian,
and I don't want to just be
00:28:42.00\00:28:44.80
a New Testament Christian, I
want to be a Bible Christian.
00:28:44.83\00:28:47.60
Because the Bible says the
all scripture's inspired by God
00:28:47.88\00:28:50.78
and it is [profitable?].
When Paul wrote down those
00:28:50.81\00:28:54.08
words, all there
was the Old Testament.
00:28:54.11\00:28:56.36
Those are the
scriptures that Jesus had.
00:28:56.50\00:28:58.30
So how can we
understand the Bible correctly?
00:28:59.23\00:29:03.42
[text on screen]
00:29:03.45\00:29:05.91
Well, let's go to the book
of Revelation for a moment.
00:29:06.22\00:29:08.54
In the book of Revelation,
it has [text on screen]
00:29:08.73\00:29:13.03
Now why is that so important?
Because if people have been
00:29:20.32\00:29:23.37
taught to throw out the Old
Testament and then they find out
00:29:23.41\00:29:26.43
that 270 of those 404
verses are referenced from
00:29:26.46\00:29:29.77
the Old Testament, can you
begin to see why they might not
00:29:29.81\00:29:31.87
understand the
book of Revelation?
00:29:31.90\00:29:33.72
Because when you read something
in the book of Revelation,
00:29:33.76\00:29:36.63
immediately you should ask
yourself the question "where
00:29:36.66\00:29:39.45
else" "in the Bible have I read
this?" and go back to that spot
00:29:39.49\00:29:42.11
and read what it has to
say and then see why the book
00:29:42.14\00:29:44.73
of Revelation
brings it back into view.
00:29:44.76\00:29:47.09
So, if you throw out the Old
Testament then you're certainly
00:29:47.13\00:29:50.04
not going to
understand the New Testament.
00:29:50.07\00:29:52.32
The reason there are so many
problems in Bible interpretation
00:29:52.83\00:29:56.41
is they haven't
followed the Bible's own lessons
00:29:56.44\00:29:58.43
of how it is to be understood.
00:29:58.46\00:30:00.05
In 2 Peter 1:19
we're told [text on screen]
00:30:00.09\00:30:05.77
So God is telling us
prophecy is here that we listen
00:30:09.50\00:30:12.27
and take heed to it, and then
it goes on: [text on screen]
00:30:12.31\00:30:15.78
Now, if you were out in
the forest, you would certainly
00:30:16.74\00:30:18.75
want a light to guide your
way, and we are in a spiritually
00:30:18.79\00:30:20.77
dark world, aren't we?
00:30:20.80\00:30:21.90
We need the light of Bible
prophecy to show us the way.
00:30:21.94\00:30:25.06
It goes on in
verse 20 [text on screen]
00:30:25.26\00:30:27.65
So what Peter's
saying here folks, is this:
00:30:33.07\00:30:35.44
when he says "know this first",
he says put this on the top
00:30:35.54\00:30:39.79
level of
priority, he's prioritizing.
00:30:39.82\00:30:43.10
So what should we know first?
No prophecy of the scriptures
00:30:43.14\00:30:47.58
should have any
private interpretation.
00:30:47.61\00:30:48.64
What's a private interpretation?
00:30:48.67\00:30:50.64
A private interpretation is
if a person came out and said
00:30:50.68\00:30:54.16
"Well, this is what I
think." "This is my idea."
00:30:54.26\00:30:56.93
"This is how I think the
end time is going to happen."
00:30:58.41\00:31:00.05
"This is what I
think the anti-Christ is."
00:31:00.08\00:31:01.87
If I'm going to go into that,
that's a private interpretation,
00:31:01.91\00:31:05.01
and of course, chances are most
of the time people are wrong.
00:31:05.22\00:31:08.09
But when we go to the
Bible and we follow the Bible's
00:31:08.63\00:31:11.26
lessons, we won't get a private
interpretation, let me show
00:31:11.30\00:31:13.96
you what I mean by
that. In Revelation there are
00:31:13.99\00:31:18.06
2 Biblical keys. The
first one is: [text on screen].
00:31:18.10\00:31:22.14
I'll come back to
that. And the second one is:
00:31:28.04\00:31:30.23
[text on screen]
00:31:30.26\00:31:32.11
Now let's take this first
one, that the book of Revelation
00:31:36.97\00:31:39.76
rests upon the Old Testament.
Revelation was written
00:31:39.79\00:31:44.39
some 600 years
after the book of Daniel.
00:31:44.63\00:31:47.28
So when John wrote down
the words that we now call
00:31:47.46\00:31:50.24
Revelation, it was
already understood that people
00:31:50.28\00:31:52.99
who read that book should
be familiar with what Daniel
00:31:53.03\00:31:55.63
wrote down so many years before.
It sort of works like this:
00:31:55.67\00:31:59.30
if you went into college and
you tried studying trigonometry,
00:32:00.06\00:32:03.88
but you hadn't taken basic
arithmetic yet, would you do
00:32:03.91\00:32:06.15
very well? You see,
trigonometry is a hard
00:32:06.18\00:32:08.86
subject, but it can be
understood, but it's understood
00:32:08.90\00:32:11.71
by knowing basic principles
that lead up to that subject.
00:32:11.75\00:32:14.53
In the same way, Revelation
can be sometimes mysterious
00:32:14.60\00:32:17.61
because it has symbols in it,
but it can also be understood
00:32:17.65\00:32:20.63
if we understand the
basic principles and lessons
00:32:20.66\00:32:22.65
that lead up to
it. So that's why
00:32:22.68\00:32:24.68
we're going to take some
time in places other than
00:32:24.72\00:32:26.87
Revelation, so that
when we come to Revelation,
00:32:26.91\00:32:28.68
we don't have to guess
at anything, we've already
00:32:28.71\00:32:31.06
learned them, it's the
keys of interpretation to it.
00:32:31.10\00:32:33.42
In 1 Corinthians 2:13
we're told [text on screen]
00:32:33.91\00:32:38.37
Now look at the lesson
here [reads underlined text]
00:32:43.20\00:32:46.17
So in other words,
when one thing is written
00:32:48.57\00:32:50.78
in one part of the
Bible, we're told to compare it
00:32:50.82\00:32:53.30
with another part of the
Bible; compare spiritual things
00:32:53.50\00:32:55.53
with spiritual. Let's go back
00:32:55.56\00:32:56.82
into the Old Testament for a
moment and let's learn a lesson.
00:32:56.86\00:32:59.73
If you have been sleeping
up to this point, I pray
00:33:00.27\00:33:01.92
that you haven't been, but
if you have, it'll have been
00:33:01.96\00:33:04.63
worth coming tonight if
you get this one key principle
00:33:04.66\00:33:07.30
of interpretation.
00:33:07.33\00:33:09.21
The key to
interpreting prophecy,
00:33:09.51\00:33:11.71
the key to understanding
the book of Revelation
00:33:11.75\00:33:13.43
and other parts
of the Bible is this:
00:33:13.46\00:33:16.03
Let the Bible interpret itself.
00:33:16.28\00:33:18.86
Now that is so basic
that many people overlook it
00:33:18.90\00:33:21.66
and they go off and ask
other opinions of other people,
00:33:21.70\00:33:24.67
and pastors, and rabbis,
and ministers, and other places,
00:33:24.71\00:33:27.18
and they say "what do you
think?", and the Bible says
00:33:27.21\00:33:30.00
"no, don't go there. Let
the Bible interpret itself."
00:33:30.04\00:33:33.19
So let's go back and take
a look into the Old Testament
00:33:33.22\00:33:36.08
and let's see where this
principle is really found.
00:33:36.12\00:33:40.70
In the book of Isaiah
28:9, we see this lesson.
00:33:40.73\00:33:45.28
It says: [text on screen]
00:33:45.53\00:33:47.57
In other words, we
want to understand doctrine,
00:33:51.69\00:33:54.07
that is teaching,
we want knowledge.
00:33:54.10\00:33:56.17
So how are we going
to understand knowledge?
00:33:56.21\00:33:57.65
It says [text on screen].
00:33:57.68\00:33:59.24
That's the same as
saying "Bible instruction"
00:34:00.02\00:34:01.65
"upon Bible instruction"
[starts reading text on screen]
00:34:01.69\00:34:04.14
So what we're learning here
is, in order to be spiritually
00:34:08.17\00:34:11.49
weaned we must take the Bible
00:34:11.52\00:34:16.75
and open up our minds
and be willing to compare
00:34:16.92\00:34:20.59
here a little, there a
little, what this author
00:34:20.99\00:34:22.69
had to say with what
that author had to say.
00:34:22.72\00:34:24.35
In other said, find out
what Jesus said, but find out
00:34:24.39\00:34:26.01
what Paul said.
Find out what Daniel,
00:34:26.04\00:34:27.48
and Ezekiel, and
Jeremiah, and Isaiah had to say.
00:34:27.52\00:34:29.94
And find out what Peter and
the other New Testament writers
00:34:29.98\00:34:32.45
had to say, and put it
all together, comparing verse
00:34:32.48\00:34:35.19
with verse, line upon line,
and then you get a very well
00:34:35.22\00:34:37.90
rounded picture of
what the Bible is saying.
00:34:37.93\00:34:39.93
Many people insist on
taking 1 verse of the Bible
00:34:39.97\00:34:42.74
and they camp on that 1 verse,
they ignore what all the other
00:34:42.78\00:34:46.09
verses of the Bible have
to say that might give them
00:34:46.12\00:34:47.95
a better picture of what that
verse means, they simply say:
00:34:47.99\00:34:51.53
"no, I'll just stay right
here." That'd be like the farmer
00:34:51.56\00:34:54.87
that goes out and he puts 1
fence post out in the field,
00:34:54.90\00:34:58.18
then maybe he takes a
break for some reason.
00:34:58.38\00:35:00.03
So some person comes by and
says "I think he's going to run"
00:35:00.07\00:35:01.89
"the fence this way."
But some person at this angle
00:35:01.92\00:35:03.76
sees it and says "No, I think
he's going to run the fence"
00:35:03.80\00:35:05.29
"that way." We don't really know
00:35:05.32\00:35:06.55
because there's only 1
fence post, like 1 verse,
00:35:06.59\00:35:09.85
but then the farmer comes
back and he puts in a another
00:35:09.89\00:35:11.91
fence post, and another,
and another, and pretty soon
00:35:11.94\00:35:13.93
it's clear what way
that fence line is running.
00:35:13.96\00:35:17.01
In the same way, every
time you get another Bible verse
00:35:17.05\00:35:19.40
it become very clear
which way we are to go
00:35:19.43\00:35:22.46
with understanding on that
topic, so keep that in mind,
00:35:22.50\00:35:26.47
not just tonight, but
as we go through the rest
00:35:26.98\00:35:29.40
of these nights.
00:35:29.43\00:35:30.94
Do you understand what
I'm saying dear friends?
00:35:31.16\00:35:33.11
Because the
scriptures can not be broken.
00:35:33.67\00:35:35.81
When Jesus said that the
scriptures can't be broken,
00:35:35.85\00:35:37.63
that means the Bible harmonizes,
the Bible does not contradict
00:35:37.67\00:35:40.90
itself.
00:35:40.93\00:35:42.88
In 2 Timothy 2:15 we
read "Study to show thyself"
00:35:43.23\00:35:47.40
"approved unto God, a
workman that needeth not"
00:35:47.44\00:35:51.54
"to be ashamed, rightly
dividing the word of truth."
00:35:51.58\00:35:56.15
In other words, there is a
right way to interpret the Bible
00:35:56.19\00:35:58.57
and there is a wrong
way to interpret the Bible.
00:35:58.60\00:36:01.02
The wrong way is to say "this
is what I think it's saying"
00:36:01.38\00:36:03.50
"and I'm not going to
change my mind no matter what."
00:36:03.53\00:36:05.54
The right way is to say "what
does the Bible have to say?"
00:36:05.71\00:36:08.01
and "I'm going to
search every verse I can"
00:36:08.04\00:36:10.21
"and let God
direct my thinking."
00:36:10.24\00:36:12.58
What do you say? Amen?
00:36:12.61\00:36:14.13
Okay.
00:36:14.41\00:36:15.85
Now let me give
you a couple example of
00:36:16.13\00:36:19.87
how this works.
The book of Revelation
00:36:20.46\00:36:22.43
rests upon the Old Testament.
Example 1: in ancient Israel
00:36:22.80\00:36:28.75
you can't, but help see the
fact, that the whole economy
00:36:33.01\00:36:37.52
of the ancient Israelites
was based upon the sacrificial
00:36:37.56\00:36:42.04
system. And at the very center
00:36:42.07\00:36:44.52
of the sacrificial system
there was the animal sacrifice,
00:36:44.56\00:36:48.38
usually a lamb.
Now, as you come down
00:36:48.41\00:36:53.27
through time, many
people have missed this
00:36:53.31\00:36:56.25
because they've been
told to skip over the books
00:36:56.29\00:36:58.81
of Exodus, Leviticus,
Deuteronomy and so on,
00:36:58.84\00:37:01.29
they've been told "just speed
read by that because it really"
00:37:01.33\00:37:03.55
"doesn't have
significance for us."
00:37:03.58\00:37:05.15
But then you come down to
the time of the New Testament
00:37:05.61\00:37:08.59
and there is John the
Baptist up to his waist in water
00:37:08.62\00:37:11.57
in the Jordan
River, and out of the crowd
00:37:11.60\00:37:13.59
walks a man towards him,
and John, under the inspiration
00:37:13.63\00:37:16.60
of the Holy Spirit,
cries out and he says
00:37:16.63\00:37:19.30
[text on screen]
00:37:19.33\00:37:21.37
Now, when John
cried out those words:
00:37:24.81\00:37:27.71
"behold the lamb", was he
looking at a literal lamb?
00:37:27.75\00:37:30.93
Yes or no? No!
00:37:30.96\00:37:32.90
But to his audience, to his
hearers who heard those words,
00:37:33.19\00:37:37.18
what would they think?
They would see a lamb sacrifice.
00:37:37.21\00:37:41.17
In the book of Revelation
the word "lamb" is used 26 times
00:37:41.42\00:37:46.95
to refer to Jesus Christ.
00:37:47.23\00:37:48.89
Now that might not be
that impressive to you
00:37:48.93\00:37:51.30
until you understand that
the word "lamb" is only used
00:37:51.34\00:37:54.82
in the New Testament 31
times, so 26 of the 31 times
00:37:54.85\00:37:58.30
are found in
Revelation, actually, there's 27
00:37:58.33\00:38:00.57
in Revelation, but 26
refer directly to Jesus.
00:38:00.61\00:38:02.82
The other one I'll
tell you about another time.
00:38:03.08\00:38:04.64
So if we lose out on the
Old Testament and we lose out
00:38:05.96\00:38:09.62
on the meaning of the lamb
then when we come to Revelation
00:38:09.65\00:38:13.28
and we see Jesus called
the Lamb over and over again,
00:38:13.31\00:38:16.57
we're going to miss the meaning
of what Revelation's pointing
00:38:16.61\00:38:18.62
us to. In the book of Daniel,
00:38:18.65\00:38:21.12
again, apocalyptic literature,
in Daniel 7, I want you to
00:38:21.16\00:38:24.74
turn to Daniel 7
right now if you can,
00:38:24.77\00:38:27.65
in Daniel 7 we see 4 beasts
coming up out of the water.
00:38:27.80\00:38:31.65
We see a lion, a bear, a
leopard and we see a 4th beast
00:38:31.82\00:38:37.91
with 10 horns. So
we see these things
00:38:37.94\00:38:40.27
in the book of Daniel coming up.
00:38:40.30\00:38:42.50
So as the prophet sees these
things, he writes them down
00:38:42.71\00:38:45.06
in Daniel 7.
00:38:45.09\00:38:46.62
When we come over to
Revelation 13, what do we see
00:38:46.90\00:38:52.18
in Revelation 13?
Well, we see beast
00:38:52.21\00:38:54.62
coming up, out of the
water and there he has
00:38:54.66\00:38:56.42
the body of the
leopard, the feet of the bear
00:38:56.45\00:38:58.18
and the mouth of
the lion and 10 horns.
00:38:58.21\00:39:00.75
So where do you
suppose he got that from?
00:39:00.79\00:39:03.26
Well of course, God
showed it to him in vision,
00:39:03.30\00:39:05.06
but where have
we seen it before?
00:39:05.09\00:39:06.07
Well, we saw it there
in the book of Daniel.
00:39:06.11\00:39:08.06
So any Bible student that wants
to know "what is this all about"
00:39:08.10\00:39:11.40
this particular beast
that it's talking about here,
00:39:11.43\00:39:13.64
would immediately think
"I've to go to back to Daniel"
00:39:13.67\00:39:15.85
"I've seen that
before." So going back to Daniel
00:39:15.95\00:39:18.87
there we see it and we
read about it and we can
00:39:18.97\00:39:21.12
more clearly understand
what Revelation has to say.
00:39:21.15\00:39:23.23
So let's go take a look here,
Daniel 7, if you would turn
00:39:23.27\00:39:25.53
there please.
00:39:25.56\00:39:27.43
Daniel 7:2.
00:39:27.71\00:39:38.36
It says "Daniel spake and said,
I saw in my vision by night,"
00:39:38.97\00:39:42.30
"and, behold, the
four winds of the heaven"
00:39:42.33\00:39:44.65
"strove upon the
great sea." Now verse 3:
00:39:44.68\00:39:46.97
"And four great
beasts came up from the sea,"
00:39:47.31\00:39:51.18
- that's what we
read over in Revelation -
00:39:51.21\00:39:55.01
"diverse one from another."
So now, Daniel is looking
00:39:55.05\00:39:58.43
and he see's these
beasts coming up out of the seas
00:39:58.83\00:40:03.62
and we have to ask
ourselves the question
00:40:03.65\00:40:05.37
"what does a beast
represent in Bible prophecy?"
00:40:05.41\00:40:09.83
What does it represent?
00:40:09.86\00:40:11.00
Well, we don't have to guess
at it, this is the marvelous
00:40:11.04\00:40:13.62
thing about Bible prophecy,
the Bible interprets itself.
00:40:13.66\00:40:16.21
Where do we get the answer?
We get it right in the book
00:40:16.88\00:40:18.54
of Daniel, right in
the same chapter, verse 17.
00:40:18.57\00:40:21.90
Daniel 7:17.
00:40:21.93\00:40:23.83
It says [text on screen]
00:40:23.87\00:40:25.71
So that's not so
difficult, right?
00:40:32.29\00:40:33.68
It says the beast
is representing a king,
00:40:33.72\00:40:35.56
but to get broader understanding
of it we go down to verse 23.
00:40:35.60\00:40:38.67
In verse 23 we're told the
4th beast shall be the 4th what?
00:40:39.12\00:40:43.86
Kingdom upon the earth.
00:40:43.96\00:40:45.10
So a beast represents a king and
the kingdom that comes with it.
00:40:45.14\00:40:47.80
That's not so difficult, is
it? So what we're seeing here
00:40:47.83\00:40:50.55
is we're going to see
a beast in Revelation 13,
00:40:50.58\00:40:53.30
Daniel gave us the
key to unlock that mystery
00:40:53.65\00:40:56.32
and told us that the
beast represents a kingdom,
00:40:56.35\00:40:58.95
but if we'd stayed there
in Revelation and we didn't go
00:40:58.99\00:41:00.92
to other parts of the
Bible, we'd never learn that.
00:41:00.95\00:41:02.85
That's not so new, that a
beast represents a kingdom,
00:41:03.05\00:41:04.95
we do that today.
We've got a bear representing
00:41:04.98\00:41:07.67
Russia, and we've got a
dragon representing China,
00:41:07.70\00:41:10.34
and we, of course, got the
wonderful, great eagle that
00:41:10.37\00:41:12.94
represents the US, and we use
animals to represent nations;
00:41:12.98\00:41:17.80
I originate up in the
great white north of Canada,
00:41:18.20\00:41:20.19
what's Canada's?
00:41:20.22\00:41:22.82
Nah, it's not a Maple leaf.
00:41:23.70\00:41:25.90
I knew it! I knew it!
00:41:26.04\00:41:28.18
I know where you get that
from, don't misunderstand me,
00:41:28.29\00:41:30.27
I know why you say
Maple leaf, but we're talking
00:41:30.30\00:41:32.10
animals
tonight, what's Canada's?
00:41:32.13\00:41:34.89
Oh I heard someone say it.
It usually takes a Canadian
00:41:36.10\00:41:38.02
to know it, it's a beaver.
00:41:38.05\00:41:40.64
Not quite as
majestic... [audience laughs]
00:41:40.97\00:41:44.76
but he's an industrious fellow,
so we're happy to have him.
00:41:45.04\00:41:48.78
The point being, friends,
that we, today, use creatures
00:41:49.60\00:41:54.47
to represent
nations, just as the Bible did
00:41:54.50\00:41:57.76
so many years ago. So
that's a Biblical key.
00:41:57.79\00:42:01.02
It's very simple, to
make sense out of Revelation
00:42:02.69\00:42:05.10
we go back into the Old
Testament and there we get keys
00:42:05.14\00:42:08.62
to unlock what
Revelation is talking about.
00:42:08.65\00:42:11.21
Now let's get the
second key: [text on screen]
00:42:11.36\00:42:15.77
Go back to Revelation
with me, if you would, please.
00:42:21.81\00:42:23.43
Revelation 1. Have
you heard that old saying
00:42:23.46\00:42:25.75
"You can't see the
forest for the trees"?
00:42:25.79\00:42:28.05
Well, what does
that really mean?
00:42:28.30\00:42:29.88
What that's saying is a person
can be up so close to a tree
00:42:29.92\00:42:34.22
and examining all the details of
a tree, that they miss the fact
00:42:34.26\00:42:37.18
that beyond that tree there's
a great and wonderful forest.
00:42:37.21\00:42:39.73
Well, sometimes people do
the same thing with the book
00:42:39.76\00:42:41.42
of Revelation.
They're so caught up
00:42:41.45\00:42:43.73
in certain details about the
book, that they miss the central
00:42:43.77\00:42:46.74
figure of the book,
Let's go to Revelation 1:1.
00:42:46.77\00:42:50.69
It says [text on screen]
00:42:51.59\00:42:53.60
Are you one of
His servants tonight?
00:42:57.86\00:42:59.77
Then God gave
this to show unto you.
00:42:59.81\00:43:01.54
He gave it that
you might know it.
00:43:01.58\00:43:03.28
It goes on [text on screen]
00:43:03.31\00:43:05.30
So the Revelation,
folks, is about Jesus.
00:43:10.44\00:43:13.25
People say "isn't the Revelation
about beasts and creatures"
00:43:13.29\00:43:15.97
"and that mysterious number,
666. Isn't it about Armageddon?"
00:43:16.01\00:43:18.66
"Isn't it about that
dragon that's listed there,"
00:43:18.69\00:43:20.74
"and that beast that's
found in Revelation 13?"
00:43:20.77\00:43:22.75
Sure, those things are there,
but that's now what Revelation's
00:43:22.79\00:43:25.24
really all about.
00:43:25.27\00:43:26.43
Those things are brought
to view, we're going to study
00:43:26.47\00:43:28.01
and we're going
to learn about them.
00:43:28.04\00:43:29.20
But the Revelation is central,
it's about Jesus Christ, amen?
00:43:29.24\00:43:33.37
Jesus is the central
figure, Jesus is the one.
00:43:33.67\00:43:36.61
It's as if the Father, God,
is saying "I want to give you"
00:43:36.65\00:43:40.23
"a picture of my son,
and to give you a picture"
00:43:40.26\00:43:42.73
"of my son, I want you to
read this book and hear it,"
00:43:42.77\00:43:46.40
"understand it and
obey it." At this time,
00:43:46.43\00:43:50.43
I want to share with you
that Revelation in it's entirety
00:43:51.19\00:43:56.12
is all about Jesus. In
other words, you open up
00:43:56.15\00:43:59.83
the book of Revelation,
it's talking about Jesus being
00:43:59.87\00:44:01.93
the Alpha and the
Omega, He's the Almighty.
00:44:01.96\00:44:03.97
It opens up, talking about
Jesus as the Omnipotent One.
00:44:04.01\00:44:06.97
Revelation 2 and 3, it
talks about the message
00:44:07.00\00:44:09.31
of the 7 churches. Jesus
is caring for His church,
00:44:09.34\00:44:11.58
Jesus is giving information
and guidance to His people.
00:44:11.62\00:44:14.59
In Revelation chapter 4
and 5 we see Jesus as the Lamb,
00:44:14.62\00:44:17.08
the central figure there,
He's the one on the throne
00:44:17.11\00:44:19.50
surrounded by 24 elders, He's
the one worthy to be praised.
00:44:19.54\00:44:22.20
In Revelation 6 and 7 we
see the seals, and the emphasis
00:44:22.23\00:44:25.27
isn't so much on the seals,
but the emphasis is on the One
00:44:25.31\00:44:28.32
who is worthy to
unlock the seals?
00:44:28.35\00:44:30.42
In Revelation 8 and 9 we see
that judgments are coming down
00:44:30.46\00:44:33.29
from the throne in heaven,
of course, Jesus is there.
00:44:33.32\00:44:35.35
In Revelation 10 we see
this mighty figure coming down.
00:44:35.45\00:44:38.44
He puts one foot on the
sea and one on the land,
00:44:38.47\00:44:40.60
he raises his hand
in a mighty message.
00:44:41.59\00:44:43.93
If you look closely at this
messenger, he closely resembles
00:44:43.97\00:44:47.08
the description of
Jesus in Revelation 1.
00:44:47.48\00:44:49.88
And then in Revelation 11 we see
2 witnesses that we don't have
00:44:49.95\00:44:52.75
time tonight to go into the
background of these 2 witnesses,
00:44:52.78\00:44:55.55
but nevertheless, what do
you suppose those 2 witnesses
00:44:55.58\00:44:57.83
were witnessing about?
00:44:57.86\00:44:59.28
They're witnessing
about the gospel of Jesus.
00:44:59.32\00:45:02.13
In Revelation 11:15 we
see one of the most beautiful
00:45:02.17\00:45:06.12
verses, which Handle
used to incorporate into his
00:45:06.42\00:45:11.53
magnificent work "The Messiah".
In Revelation 11:15 it says
00:45:11.57\00:45:15.93
[text on screen]
00:45:15.96\00:45:17.61
In other words, again,
Jesus is there in that chapter.
00:45:20.74\00:45:23.74
In Revelation 12 we see the
overview, the great controversy
00:45:23.78\00:45:26.59
between good and
evil. Jesus being persecuted
00:45:26.62\00:45:29.87
by the devil in
the form of the dragon,
00:45:29.90\00:45:32.17
and He escapes his grasp
and the devil turns his wrath
00:45:32.21\00:45:34.48
upon the church. Jesus
there, in Revelation 12.
00:45:34.51\00:45:37.26
In Revelation 13 we see 2 beasts
coming up, one from the sea
00:45:37.30\00:45:40.41
and one from the land.
Now what do you suppose
00:45:40.44\00:45:42.21
these beasts
even come to view for?
00:45:42.24\00:45:44.46
Well, they're come to view
because they are trying to usurp
00:45:44.50\00:45:46.93
authority that
belongs only to Jesus.
00:45:46.96\00:45:49.89
So God is warning us
against these powers,
00:45:49.93\00:45:52.04
and we're going to
study them in the seminar.
00:45:52.07\00:45:55.59
In Revelation 14 we
see a fantastic overview
00:45:55.62\00:45:59.07
of Jesus and the 144,000.
If you're wondering what
00:45:59.11\00:46:01.56
the 144,000 are, don't
worry, we've got more time in
00:46:01.60\00:46:04.02
the seminar than
tonight, that's for sure.
00:46:04.05\00:46:06.31
In Revelation 14 we
see a message going out
00:46:06.78\00:46:09.08
to all the world, to every
nation, every kindred tongue
00:46:09.12\00:46:11.26
and people, and again,
it's the message of Jesus.
00:46:11.29\00:46:13.47
And then it follows in
the last part of the chapter
00:46:13.50\00:46:15.95
with the second coming of
Jesus and that's our subject
00:46:15.99\00:46:18.20
for tomorrow night, I sure
hope you're going to be here.
00:46:18.24\00:46:20.42
In Revelation 15 we
see the close of probation.
00:46:20.45\00:46:23.18
In Revelation 16 we see
the plagues being poured out,
00:46:23.22\00:46:25.73
we have a whole
night just on that.
00:46:25.76\00:46:27.23
In Revelation 17 we see this
harlot woman and God is showing
00:46:27.27\00:46:32.60
us how Jesus is getting
the victory over these powers,
00:46:32.63\00:46:35.13
over the beast,
over the false prophet,
00:46:35.16\00:46:37.01
over the harlot woman,
over Babylon in Revelation 18.
00:46:37.05\00:46:40.77
So all of these false
systems, Jesus is the victor,
00:46:40.80\00:46:44.49
and Revelation's
pointing that out to us.
00:46:44.52\00:46:46.09
Then in Revelation 19 we see
the second coming in wonderful
00:46:46.13\00:46:50.42
imagery, Jesus
riding a white stallion.
00:46:50.45\00:46:52.33
In ancient times, when a general
won a war, he would often
00:46:52.37\00:46:55.74
mount white stallion and
ride across the battle field,
00:46:55.78\00:46:59.12
indicating that he
had had the victory.
00:46:59.15\00:47:00.86
So Jesus is shown to us
in scripture, in prophecy,
00:47:00.90\00:47:03.71
as coming on a white horse.
And then, Jesus has one more
00:47:03.75\00:47:07.62
victory, and that's
over the devil himself.
00:47:07.65\00:47:10.00
In Revelation 20, which is going
to be our subject next week,
00:47:10.04\00:47:13.49
we see Jesus getting the
victory over Satan himself
00:47:13.52\00:47:18.26
and putting him into
his final punishment,
00:47:18.29\00:47:20.40
which we'll cover
also in the seminar.
00:47:20.44\00:47:22.48
So Revelation gives
us a wonderful overview,
00:47:22.52\00:47:24.61
even as we come down
to the final 2 chapters,
00:47:24.64\00:47:27.60
Revelation 21 and 22:
God is restoring all things
00:47:27.63\00:47:30.56
unto His people.
00:47:30.59\00:47:31.74
In a magnificent way,
it's showing us that Jesus
00:47:31.78\00:47:34.95
is going to be with His
people for all eternity.
00:47:34.99\00:47:38.93
So the overview, folks,
is a fantastic demonstration
00:47:38.96\00:47:42.87
of the character and the
work and the caring and loving
00:47:43.25\00:47:48.41
character of
Jesus, all for his people.
00:47:49.03\00:47:51.49
That's why we're going
to spend so much time in it,
00:47:51.76\00:47:53.30
because Jesus is revealed
through the pages of scripture
00:47:53.34\00:47:56.87
and the book of Revelation.
In Revelation, as it ends
00:47:56.91\00:48:00.41
in chapter 21, it
gives us a beautiful view
00:48:00.44\00:48:03.58
of the kingdom to
come. Yes, it's true,
00:48:03.61\00:48:06.68
Jesus is the center of the book
of Revelation, but as God winds
00:48:06.72\00:48:09.76
up that book, it tells
us in Revelation that God
00:48:09.79\00:48:13.75
is going to restore
all things to His people.
00:48:13.79\00:48:17.72
In Revelation 22:7 we're
told this: [text on screen]
00:48:19.47\00:48:24.29
So we're told in the last
book of the Bible, in the last
00:48:29.64\00:48:32.53
chapter of the Bible
that Jesus is going to come.
00:48:32.56\00:48:36.88
Then, right after
that, Revelation 22:12 says
00:48:36.91\00:48:41.20
[text on screen]
00:48:41.23\00:48:43.63
Once again in Revelation
22:20 [text on screen]
00:48:46.83\00:48:50.43
So the Bible is giving us a
very clear message as we end
00:48:56.61\00:49:00.24
the book of Revelation, and that
is that Jesus is coming quickly.
00:49:00.28\00:49:04.24
He's coming quickly,
00:49:04.39\00:49:06.54
"surely" He says
"I come quickly."
00:49:06.58\00:49:08.38
I tell you friends, as
we end this first night
00:49:08.42\00:49:11.70
we want to know that we're
on the right side in the great
00:49:14.81\00:49:18.00
battle, amen?
00:49:18.03\00:49:19.50
I want to be a citizen of
the kingdom to come, don't you?
00:49:19.99\00:49:22.84
I want to be a citizen
of God's kingdom that He's
00:49:22.87\00:49:25.14
going to set up, and
set up very very shortly.
00:49:25.18\00:49:27.42
I want to be a citizen of the
kingdom that is soon to reign
00:49:28.16\00:49:32.30
over all the
kingdoms of this world.
00:49:32.33\00:49:34.22
We don't know how much
time is left, the Bible says
00:49:34.26\00:49:37.71
that He's coming soon.
The scripture tells us that no
00:49:37.74\00:49:41.16
man knows that hour,
only the Father in heaven.
00:49:41.19\00:49:44.68
So yes, we don't know
the exact day, we don't know
00:49:44.78\00:49:47.32
the exact hour, but when
you look at all the tragedies
00:49:47.35\00:49:49.86
of this world, when you
look at all the heartache
00:49:49.89\00:49:52.20
that comes, and people's lives
being thrown in great upheaval.
00:49:52.24\00:49:56.26
Isn't it good to know
that there's a God in heaven
00:49:56.29\00:49:58.15
that looks out over all?
00:49:58.18\00:49:59.71
Isn't it good to know
that God has not abandoned this
00:49:59.75\00:50:02.35
world to just run on
itself, that Jesus is soon
00:50:02.38\00:50:04.71
going to step into
the affairs of this world,
00:50:04.74\00:50:07.04
and make things
right. As He does,
00:50:07.07\00:50:09.90
He's going to set up a
kingdom that is going to reign
00:50:09.94\00:50:11.35
over all these kingdoms,
and I want to be a part
00:50:11.38\00:50:13.47
of that kingdom
and I know you do too.
00:50:13.50\00:50:15.13
It's meant to give us hope
that better things are coming.
00:50:20.15\00:50:24.11
Hope in a new
kingdom, hope in a new society,
00:50:24.14\00:50:27.79
hope in a new leader, other
than what these world leaders,
00:50:27.83\00:50:30.91
hope in Jesus' soon
coming. There's lot of heartache
00:50:30.94\00:50:34.59
in this world, isn't there?
A lot of tears are being shed,
00:50:34.63\00:50:38.04
but you know one day those
tears are going to go away.
00:50:38.27\00:50:40.63
Scripture tells us that
God is going to wipe away
00:50:41.04\00:50:42.93
all those tears.
00:50:42.96\00:50:43.93
Revelation 21:4, it
says [text on screen]
00:50:43.94\00:50:46.10
Aren't you looking
forward to that day?
00:50:51.31\00:50:53.27
[continues to read text]
00:50:53.69\00:50:55.55
Now just incase we weren't
going to trust the Bible,
00:50:58.73\00:51:01.53
the Lord gives us one
more assurance before He closes
00:51:01.57\00:51:04.34
the scripture that
we can trust the Bible.
00:51:04.37\00:51:06.49
Revelation 21:5, it
says: [text on screen]
00:51:06.53\00:51:08.62
The enemies of the
Bible have tried to put it
00:51:19.47\00:51:23.05
away for
centuries and centuries.
00:51:25.35\00:51:28.49
The blood of martyrs
has stained its pages.
00:51:29.09\00:51:31.54
Critics have condemned
it, skeptics have denied it,
00:51:32.07\00:51:37.24
but the Bible's
triumphed through it all.
00:51:38.00\00:51:40.54
Why? Because the
book belongs to God
00:51:40.57\00:51:43.39
and God jealously
guards what is His, amen?
00:51:43.56\00:51:46.99
In fact, Jesus Himself
gave a prophecy about scripture.
00:51:47.03\00:51:50.15
It says in Matthew
24:35 [text on screen]
00:51:50.38\00:51:54.57
The Old Testament
tells of a Saviour to come.
00:51:57.76\00:52:00.44
The New Testament says
"Thank God the Saviour has come"
00:52:00.69\00:52:03.97
and both the Old and
the New Testament says
00:52:04.14\00:52:06.39
"The Saviour will come
again." Oh, I tell you,
00:52:06.69\00:52:09.15
I'm looking forward to
that time dear friends.
00:52:09.19\00:52:11.62
The devil's not
pleased with you being here.
00:52:12.41\00:52:14.80
I think you probably knew
that, but the angels of heaven
00:52:14.90\00:52:17.44
sing when you
come, did you know that?
00:52:17.47\00:52:19.42
Because they're happy that
you have chosen to take the time
00:52:19.66\00:52:21.71
to come to this kind of
place. I know that you could be
00:52:21.74\00:52:23.76
in many places tonight,
you could be out ordering
00:52:23.79\00:52:26.24
pizza in some eating
establishment, you could be home
00:52:26.28\00:52:28.70
watching TV, or doing
a number of other things,
00:52:28.73\00:52:31.23
but you chose to
come to a Bible study.
00:52:31.31\00:52:33.53
You chose to want to
get ready for heaven, amen?
00:52:34.64\00:52:37.33
The second coming of
Jesus, exactly how is it going
00:52:38.33\00:52:41.12
to take place?
00:52:41.15\00:52:42.67
That's our subject for tomorrow.
00:52:42.71\00:52:44.61
I hope that you will
come and be here and learn
00:52:45.10\00:52:47.62
how exactly will God
return His Son to this world?
00:52:47.89\00:52:50.76
That's so important.
There are so many different
00:52:50.80\00:52:53.48
things being taught
today about the second coming,
00:52:53.52\00:52:56.17
but when we study the
Bible, I will promise you this:
00:52:56.39\00:52:58.43
when you come tomorrow night
you will get verse after verse,
00:52:58.47\00:53:01.72
text after text, when
you leave here tomorrow night
00:53:01.75\00:53:04.13
there will be absolutely
no doubt about how Jesus
00:53:04.17\00:53:06.52
will return. And
thinking about that return
00:53:06.55\00:53:09.37
and how we need to love Jesus
more and more each and every day
00:53:09.41\00:53:12.67
Greg is going to come and sing
for us one more time tonight.
00:53:12.71\00:53:15.94
Just the time I feel
00:53:39.11\00:53:43.98
that I've been
caught in the mire of self,
00:53:44.32\00:53:49.53
And just the
time I feel my mind's
00:53:51.01\00:53:56.81
been bought by worldly wealth.
00:53:57.08\00:54:02.01
That's when the breeze
begins to blow, and I know
00:54:02.47\00:54:10.47
the Spirit's call.
00:54:11.00\00:54:14.26
And all my worldly wanderings
just melt into His love.
00:54:14.57\00:54:26.94
Oh, I want to know you
more deep within my soul,
00:54:27.24\00:54:34.14
I want to know You,
Oh, I want to know You.
00:54:34.17\00:54:39.73
To feel Your heart
and know Your mind,
00:54:39.76\00:54:44.37
looking in Your
eyes stirs up within me
00:54:44.41\00:54:48.99
cries that say I
want to know You.
00:54:49.19\00:54:55.00
Oh, I want to know You more.
00:54:55.81\00:55:03.00
When my daily deeds
00:55:06.41\00:55:10.75
ordinarily lose life and song.
00:55:11.31\00:55:17.54
My heart begins to bleed
00:55:17.91\00:55:21.65
and sensitivity to Him is gone.
00:55:22.61\00:55:29.13
I've run the race,
but I set my own pace
00:55:29.53\00:55:34.36
and face a shattered soul.
00:55:34.56\00:55:40.49
Now the gentle arms of Jesus
00:55:41.06\00:55:46.36
fill my hunger to be whole.
00:55:46.58\00:55:53.21
Oh, I want to know You more.
00:55:53.66\00:55:58.20
Deep within my
soul I want to know You,
00:55:58.46\00:56:02.49
Oh, I want to know You.
00:56:03.15\00:56:05.81
To feel Your heart
and know Your mind,
00:56:05.85\00:56:10.28
looking in Your
eyes stirs up within me
00:56:10.31\00:56:14.71
cries that say I
want to know You.
00:56:15.08\00:56:21.08
Oh, I want to know You.
00:56:21.38\00:56:24.42
And I would give my final breath
00:56:24.46\00:56:29.02
to know You in Your
death and resurrection.
00:56:29.06\00:56:33.40
Oh, I want to know You more.
00:56:34.03\00:56:39.68
Oh, I want to know
You, to know You more.
00:56:40.31\00:56:49.09
Oh, I want to know You more.
00:56:52.37\00:57:00.55
[Audience claps]
00:57:10.62\00:57:13.12
Are you glad you came tonight?
00:57:18.54\00:57:20.30
How many of you are thankful
for the good book that God
00:57:20.34\00:57:22.12
sent us, amen?
00:57:22.15\00:57:24.01
God bless you all.
Let's pray as we close.
00:57:24.83\00:57:27.43
Loving Father in
heaven, we're thankful
00:57:28.02\00:57:30.62
that You send the
Holy Spirit here tonight
00:57:30.65\00:57:33.22
to bring back to our
understanding things that were
00:57:34.08\00:57:37.40
written so long ago.
And Father, each one of us
00:57:37.44\00:57:40.73
longs for joy in our life,
rest in peace from our labors
00:57:41.23\00:57:46.30
and the hope of eternal
life. Continue Father, to meet
00:57:47.34\00:57:50.84
with us here, continue,
Lord, to be our Great Teacher,
00:57:50.87\00:57:54.34
we pray. And help us to hunger
00:57:54.37\00:57:56.42
and thirst to know You
more. May the words of that song
00:57:56.46\00:57:59.13
be fulfilled as we
meet night by night,
00:57:59.16\00:58:01.37
that we will be
drawing closer to You, Lord,
00:58:01.41\00:58:03.44
and we leave here
that much closer to heaven
00:58:03.47\00:58:05.43
as we follow heaven's pathway.
We thank you, dear Lord,
00:58:05.47\00:58:09.01
for this time. We
pray you bring us back
00:58:09.04\00:58:11.60
tomorrow night with
energy, with open minds,
00:58:11.64\00:58:14.13
willingness to study, in
Jesus' wonderful name, Amen.
00:58:14.17\00:58:18.43