- All right. Here we
are for our last session
00:00:14.48\00:00:16.91
today. Time has flown,
hasn't it? We are going
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to study in this session
the second trumpet of the
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book of Revelation,
and I'm hoping to cover the
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second trumpet in one
session. There are several
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pages that I'm going
to skip, and you need
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to read these pages
this evening. That's
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why we're letting
you out early. [laughter]
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So that as good students,
you'll read these pages.
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There's probably
about 13 or 14 pages that
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deal with a lot
of history. And so,
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we're not gonna
cover those in class 'cause
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it's written; I'll
just give you the gist
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of what those pages cover.
So, let's go to Revelation
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chapter 8 verses 8
and 9. We're on page 37 of
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our manual. Page
37, the second trumpet.
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Let's read Revelation 8:8-9.
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"Then the second
angel sounded: And something
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like a great
mountain burning with fire was
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thrown into the sea."
So, is this an asteroid
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or something? [laughter]
Well, let's let the Bible
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interpret itself.
"And something like a great
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mountain burning
was fire was thrown into
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the sea, and a third
of the sea became blood.
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And a third of the
living creatures"-other versions
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say, "the fish"-"in the sea
died, and a third of the ships
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were destroyed." So,
that is a description of the
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second trumpet. Now,
in order to understand
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the second trumpet,
we need to understand a
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very important
biblical principle. We find that
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principle in
Galatians 6 and verse 7. Very
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well-known verse; it says,
"Be not deceived. God is not
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mocked; for whatever
a man sows, that will he
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also," what?
"...that will he also reap."
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Now, this principle not
only applies to individuals.
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This principle also
applies to nations, or empires.
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Notice this
statement from Ellen White.
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This is from the
book Great Controversy
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in the chapter on
the French Revolution.
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Ellen White wrote,
"Unhappy France reaped in blood
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the harvest that she
had," what? "...that she
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had sown. Terrible were
the results of her submission
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to the controlling
power of Rome." So, the law
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of sowing and
reaping applies not only to
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individuals... Well,
an individual's soul that
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individual will
reap, but also to nations
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who sow and also
reap what they sowed. Now,
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let's notice some
biblical examples of this. God
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used Assyria-we're
at the foot of page 37.
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God used Assyria as His
instrument to punish His
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apostate people,
Israel. And then, He punished
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Assyria for treading
down His people. So, Assyria
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persecuted God's
people. And so after Assyria
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persecuted God's
people, then Assyria suffered
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what she had caused
God's people to suffer.
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Let's notice these verses
that we find in Isaiah 10:5-6
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and verse 12. "Woe to
Assyria, the rod of my
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anger and the
staff in whose hand is my
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indignation. I will
send him against an ungodly
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nation"-speaking about
Israel-"and against the
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people of my wrath. I
will give him charge to
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seize the spoil, to
take the prey, and to tread
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them down like the mire of
the streets." It's speaking
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about what Assyria is
gonna do to Israel. But
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now, notice verse
12. [text on-screen]
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So, are you seeing
the principle? Assyria
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sowed persecution,
and what did it reap? It
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reaped the result
of what it had sown.
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The same is true
of Nebuchadnezzar's
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Babylon. Notice Jeremiah
27:6-7. Jeremiah 27:6-7.
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"And now, I have given
all these lands," including
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Israel, "into the
hand of Nebuchadnezzar, the
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king of Babylon, My servant;
and the beasts of the field
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I have also given to him.
So all nations shall serve
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him and his son and his
son's son, until the time
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of his land comes; and then,
many nations and great kings
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shall make him serve
them." Are you catching the
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picture? So, all
nations serve Nebuchadnezzar;
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God says, "At the end,
these nations are gonna
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come and make Nebuchadnezzar
serve them." Nebuchadnezzar
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was God's servant to
punish apostate Israel.
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And then, God punished
Nebuchadnezzar for treading
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down His people. Jeremiah
chapters 50 and 51 describe
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how God punished Babylon
for oppressing His people.
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These are very important
verses that we're gonna
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notice now. Jeremiah
50 and 51 describe what
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happened to Babylon as a
result of Babylon oppressing
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God's people. It
says there in verse 11...
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Actually, it's
verse 14: [text on-screen]
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So, there's the oppression of
God's people. [reads verse 18]
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So, there's the principle
again. Babylon oppressed
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God's people;
therefore, God rose nations that
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came and destroyed Babylon.
Jeremiah 51 also describes
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this same phenomenon.
It says, beginning in
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verse 24... [text on-screen]
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So, Babylon will oppress
Zion, so now God is going
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to do the same
with Chaldea. Verse 34.
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So, this is the
principle. Whatsoever a nation
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or an empire sows, that
also will that nation what?
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Reap. Is that true of
the first trumpet, as well?
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What did the
Jewish nation sow? Well,
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the Jewish nation had
Jesus slain, and persecuted
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the followers of God's
people. So what happened?
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God used the Romans
to punish those who were
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oppressing Christ and
His people. Now, let's
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ask the question:
who destroyed Jerusalem
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the first time? In
the year 586, by the way,
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it was. Was it God?
Was it Nebuchadnezzar? Or
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did Israel destroy
itself? Well, the answer is yes.
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[laughter] Let's
notice what the Bible says.
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Daniel chapter 9 and
verse 14 says that God
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destroyed Jerusalem. It
says there... [text on-screen]
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So who brought all
this disaster on Israel? Why
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were they taken
captive for 70 years? It says,
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"The Lord has brought
it upon us." So, God did
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it. But the Bible also
says that Nebuchadnezzar
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did it. Notice 2 Chronicles
36:17-19. It says that
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Nebuchadnezzar did it.
Let's read. [on-screen text]
00:10:07.54\00:10:12.34
So, who is it that destroyed
Jerusalem the first time?
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Nebuchadnezzar and the
armies of the Chaldeans!
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But we just read that
it was God. Now, is it
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possible that Israel
itself destroyed itself?
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[chuckles] Well,
let's notice Daniel 9:11,
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and then verses 14
and 15. [text on-screen]
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So who brought the
destruction upon the
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city? Israel! Verse
14. [text on-screen]
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So, who destroyed Jerusalem
the first time? Was it God?
00:12:05.75\00:12:11.26
Yes. Was it Nebuchadnezzar?
Yes. Was it Israel itself?
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Yes! Because of the
sinfulness of Israel,
00:12:18.13\00:12:21.00
they brought upon themselves
the Babylonians whom God
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used to punish them for
their apostasy. Now, what
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about the second destruction
of Jerusalem in the year
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70-between the
year 66 and the year 70?
00:12:33.92\00:12:37.19
Well, we're going to
the section now on page
00:12:37.25\00:12:39.99
40, the second destruction
of Jerusalem. Daniel 9:26,
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which we studied in
the Sabbath school lesson
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just this last
Sabbath, states that the people
00:12:49.66\00:12:52.97
of the Prince destroyed
Jerusalem the second time
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in the year A.D. 70.
So, who destroyed the
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city of Jerusalem?
The people of the Prince.
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Now, who is the Prince
of Daniel 9? The Prince in
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Daniel 9 is
Christ! All throughout the
00:13:08.48\00:13:11.62
book of Daniel, when
the word 'prince' is used,
00:13:11.72\00:13:13.86
it applies to Christ;
never applies to a human
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being. He is the great
prince who stands watch
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over the children of
your people. He is the
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Prince of Princes
in Daniel chapter 8.
00:13:22.80\00:13:25.67
So, the "Prince" in
Daniel 9 is Christ! Now, if the
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Prince in Daniel 9:26
is Jesus, then who must
00:13:29.57\00:13:34.28
the people of the
Prince be? Who are the people
00:13:34.38\00:13:38.45
of the Prince? The
Jewish nation! Right?
00:13:38.51\00:13:42.02
The Jewish nation.
Now, the critical question,
00:13:42.12\00:13:46.42
then, is this: did
the Jews destroy their own
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city and sanctuary?
Because it says the people
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of the Prince destroyed
the city. So in other words,
00:13:52.79\00:13:56.10
the Jews destroyed
their own city. You say, "No,
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that didn't happen, did
it?" Well, let's pursue this.
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At first sight, the
idea seems absurd and
00:14:01.67\00:14:05.21
preposterous! After
all, the Jews did not destroy
00:14:05.31\00:14:07.91
their own city and sanctuary,
did they? Did not Titus
00:14:08.01\00:14:11.55
and the Romans destroy
the city and the temple?
00:14:11.65\00:14:14.42
Well, yes. But let's
pursue this in the light
00:14:15.55\00:14:18.09
of the first
destruction of Jerusalem by the
00:14:18.19\00:14:20.86
Babylonians. The parable
of the wedding in Matthew
00:14:20.96\00:14:24.09
22:1-14 explains
clearly who destroyed Jerusalem
00:14:24.16\00:14:29.73
the second time. Similarly,
the parable of the vineyard
00:14:30.27\00:14:34.87
workers in Matthew 21:33-46
also tells us who brought
00:14:34.94\00:14:40.24
destruction upon the
city. You see, in the
00:14:40.28\00:14:43.31
parable of Matthew
22 as we noticed in our
00:14:43.38\00:14:45.51
last session, God
the Father sent servants
00:14:45.58\00:14:48.52
to Israel to invite
them to the marriage of His
00:14:48.58\00:14:52.19
Son-that is, to
the marriage of Jesus.
00:14:52.25\00:14:54.76
The first stage of
the parable represents
00:14:55.19\00:14:57.53
the Old Testament
period. Then, God sends prophets
00:14:57.59\00:15:01.86
after the Old Testament
period after Jesus dies
00:15:01.93\00:15:07.27
on the cross. And
what do they do with the
00:15:07.34\00:15:10.14
second group of
messengers that are sent? We're
00:15:10.21\00:15:13.14
told in verse 4 and
5, and verse 6, that they
00:15:13.21\00:15:18.28
rejected the second invitation
on the part of Peter and
00:15:18.31\00:15:23.12
Paul and many others,
and therefore what happened
00:15:23.18\00:15:26.42
with the king? We read
this in our last session.
00:15:26.49\00:15:29.42
The king got angry,
and he sent his armies...
00:15:29.49\00:15:33.80
Who would the
armies be? The Romans-Titus
00:15:33.86\00:15:38.13
and the Romans-to
destroy what? To destroy the
00:15:38.23\00:15:41.10
city and the temple. So,
notice it says in verse 7:
00:15:41.17\00:15:45.57
"But when the king,"
that's God the Father,
00:15:45.64\00:15:47.84
"heard thereof, he was
wroth; and he sent forth
00:15:47.88\00:15:51.31
his armies," that
is Titus and the Roman
00:15:51.35\00:15:53.58
armies, "and
destroyed those murderers and
00:15:53.65\00:15:56.69
burned up their city."
So, who is it that destroyed
00:15:56.79\00:16:01.66
Jerusalem the second
time? Was it God? Yes.
00:16:01.72\00:16:09.10
Was it Titus and
the Roman armies? Yes,
00:16:09.46\00:16:13.13
but who ultimately
was to blame? The people
00:16:13.20\00:16:16.60
themselves were to blame.
Notice Ellen White's comment
00:16:16.71\00:16:19.91
here in Great Controversy
page 35 and 36. "The Jews
00:16:19.97\00:16:25.41
had forged their
own," what? "...their own
00:16:25.48\00:16:29.78
fetters. They had
filled for themselves the
00:16:29.85\00:16:33.99
cup of vengeance. In
the utter destruction
00:16:34.06\00:16:37.43
that befell them as
a nation and in all the
00:16:37.49\00:16:41.63
woes that followed them
in their dispersion, they
00:16:41.66\00:16:44.60
were but reaping
the harvest which their
00:16:44.67\00:16:47.67
own hands had sown.
Says the prophet, 'O
00:16:47.74\00:16:51.64
Israel, thou hast
destroyed thyself, for thou hast
00:16:51.67\00:16:57.28
fallen by thine
iniquity.' Their sufferings are
00:16:57.35\00:17:01.28
often represented as a
punishment visited upon
00:17:01.32\00:17:03.99
them by the direct decree
of God. It is thus that the
00:17:04.05\00:17:07.86
Great Deceiver seeks
to conceal his own work.
00:17:07.92\00:17:11.56
By stubborn rejection
of divine love and mercy,
00:17:12.03\00:17:15.46
the Jews had caused
the protection of God to be
00:17:15.83\00:17:19.00
withdrawn from them,
and Satan was permitted
00:17:19.07\00:17:22.34
to rule them
according to his will." Are you
00:17:22.40\00:17:26.98
understanding the principle
here? "Whatsoever a nation
00:17:27.04\00:17:30.51
sows, that will a nation
also," what? "...also reap."
00:17:30.58\00:17:36.42
Now, you say, "What
does this have to do with the
00:17:36.89\00:17:40.39
second trumpet?" Now
we're gonna get into the
00:17:40.46\00:17:42.49
nitty-gritty of how
this principle applies to the
00:17:42.56\00:17:45.66
second trumpet. We have
a burning mountain in the
00:17:45.73\00:17:50.13
second trumpet, and
this burning mountain is
00:17:50.20\00:17:53.34
cast into the sea. Now,
what do mountains represent
00:17:53.40\00:17:57.77
in Scripture? In Scripture,
mountains represent kingdoms.
00:17:57.81\00:18:03.01
Remember in Daniel
chapter 2, the stone hits the
00:18:05.08\00:18:08.32
feet of the image, and
then you have a great mountain
00:18:08.38\00:18:11.32
that grows that covers
the whole earth? That's
00:18:11.35\00:18:14.16
the eternal kingdom,
according to the interpretation
00:18:14.19\00:18:15.82
of this particular
vision that Daniel received.
00:18:15.86\00:18:21.06
Well, actually, Nebuchadnezzar
received it, but Daniel
00:18:21.83\00:18:24.70
also received it and
then interpreted it to
00:18:24.73\00:18:26.87
the king! So, the
fall of a kingdom... The
00:18:26.94\00:18:31.87
falling of a
mountain must represent the
00:18:31.94\00:18:33.58
falling of a
kingdom. By the way, in Isaiah
00:18:33.64\00:18:36.51
14:13, God's kingdom
in heaven is represented
00:18:36.58\00:18:40.55
by a mountain, as
well. You remember Lucifer-
00:18:40.58\00:18:42.68
he said, "I will ascend
to the Mount of God"? And
00:18:43.22\00:18:46.35
he said, "I'll overthrow
God, and I'll become the
00:18:46.42\00:18:49.36
ruler"? So, once again
the mountain represents
00:18:49.42\00:18:52.13
God's kingdom. In Psalm
48 and verse 1, it speaks
00:18:52.19\00:18:56.63
about God's throne
being in Zion-on Mount Zion.
00:18:56.70\00:19:01.30
So, Mount Zion is
the sea of God's kingdom.
00:19:01.70\00:19:05.54
And by the way, in
Revelation chapter 17,
00:19:06.27\00:19:08.28
you have a dragon
beast that has seven heads,
00:19:08.64\00:19:12.21
which are also identified
as seven mountains. And
00:19:12.55\00:19:16.15
what do those
seven mountains or heads
00:19:16.18\00:19:17.55
represent? They represent
seven successive kingdoms
00:19:17.59\00:19:20.92
beginning with Babylon
and ending, finally, with
00:19:21.29\00:19:24.43
the papacy, using the
United States to accomplish her
00:19:24.49\00:19:28.06
purposes. So, a
mountain represents a what? A
00:19:28.16\00:19:33.27
mountain represents
a kingdom. Now, where
00:19:33.34\00:19:37.61
does this language come
from: "a burning mountain
00:19:37.71\00:19:40.78
that is cast into
the sea"? We have to go
00:19:40.81\00:19:44.28
back to the Old
Testament to understand it. So,
00:19:44.35\00:19:47.35
let's go back to
Jeremiah chapter 50, which is
00:19:47.42\00:19:50.49
speaking about the punishment
that God was going to meet
00:19:50.55\00:19:53.66
out upon literal
Babylon, because Babylon had
00:19:53.72\00:19:57.83
persecuted His people
and led them into captivity.
00:19:57.89\00:20:01.23
Jeremiah 50, and
we'll read verse 3, verse 9,
00:20:01.70\00:20:05.63
verse 10, verses 41
and 42. Actually, it would
00:20:05.73\00:20:09.04
be nice to read the entire
chapter, 50 and 51, because
00:20:09.14\00:20:13.41
it's describing the
punishment upon Babylon. By the
00:20:13.51\00:20:16.75
way, this destruction
comes from the north,
00:20:16.85\00:20:18.68
and it is like the
waves of the sea drowning this
00:20:19.15\00:20:23.42
kingdom. Let's read
these verses. [text on-screen]
00:20:23.49\00:20:30.53
Now, let's go to Jeremiah
51 and verse 25. Remember,
00:21:49.80\00:21:54.71
Jeremiah 50 and 51 are
describing the destruction
00:21:54.81\00:21:58.98
of Babylon for Babylon
oppressing and persecuting
00:21:59.08\00:22:02.38
God's people. Now,
what is Babylon compared to
00:22:02.48\00:22:05.89
in Jeremiah 51 and verse
25? This is the key verse
00:22:05.99\00:22:10.63
to understand the second
trumpet. Here, the prophet
00:22:10.73\00:22:14.66
Jeremiah compares
the kingdom of Babylon to
00:22:14.80\00:22:18.03
a destroying what? To
a destroying mountain.
00:22:18.13\00:22:22.54
Eventually, this
destroying mountain became what
00:22:23.00\00:22:25.61
kind of a mountain?
A burning mountain. And
00:22:25.71\00:22:29.84
this burning mountain
was cast where? Was cast into
00:22:29.94\00:22:33.15
the sea. Any relationship
with the second trumpet?
00:22:33.21\00:22:36.79
Absolutely. You have
a burning mountain, cast
00:22:37.32\00:22:41.19
into the sea. Now, here
is the key verse: Jeremiah
00:22:41.29\00:22:45.66
51:25. "And I will
repay Babylon and all the
00:22:45.76\00:22:50.40
inhabitants of Chaldea."
Why is God gonna do this?
00:22:50.50\00:22:54.64
Why is Chaldea or
Babylon gonna be punished by
00:22:55.60\00:22:58.04
the Lord? Well, "For all
the evil they have done,"
00:22:58.14\00:23:02.18
where? In Zion. "In
your sight," says the Lord.
00:23:02.28\00:23:05.48
"Behold, I am against
you." How does He refer
00:23:06.11\00:23:09.65
to Babylon? "O destroying,"
what? [text on-screen]
00:23:09.75\00:23:15.32
Is this the source
for the terminology on
00:23:27.14\00:23:29.67
the second trumpet?
Absolutely. So, does the
00:23:29.77\00:23:33.01
second trumpet have
any relationship with
00:23:33.07\00:23:36.75
Babylon? Yes or no?
It has a relationship to
00:23:37.25\00:23:41.85
Babylon-but you say,
"Wait a minute. If the
00:23:41.95\00:23:44.19
second trumpet is after
the destruction of Jerusalem,
00:23:44.29\00:23:46.62
how can we be
talking about Babylon?" Well,
00:23:46.69\00:23:49.72
let's continue to
pursue this. Let's interpret
00:23:49.82\00:23:52.29
what "the sea" means.
We've noticed that the
00:23:52.39\00:23:54.73
burning mountain that is
cast into the sea represents
00:23:54.83\00:23:57.73
what? It represents
Babylon!-what's going
00:23:57.83\00:24:01.90
to happen to
Babylon. But what does the sea
00:24:02.00\00:24:04.67
that the burning
mountain is cast into represent?
00:24:04.77\00:24:08.41
Well, let's read
several verses. Jeremiah 51:42.
00:24:09.18\00:24:14.82
So is the burning mountain
cast into the sea? Absolutely.
00:24:24.29\00:24:27.86
Now the question
is, what does the sea
00:24:28.20\00:24:30.00
represent? Well,
let's go to Isaiah 27 and
00:24:31.03\00:24:34.14
verses 12-14. We're
allowing the Bible to
00:24:34.24\00:24:37.27
interpret itself. Isaiah
27:12. "Woe to the multitude
00:24:37.37\00:24:44.11
of many," what?
"...many people..." And what are
00:24:44.25\00:24:48.48
the people compared to?
"...who make a noise like
00:24:48.58\00:24:51.39
the roar of the
seas, and to the rushing of
00:24:51.52\00:24:56.59
nations that make a
rushing like the rushing
00:24:56.73\00:25:00.70
of many waters."
So, what do the mighty
00:25:00.80\00:25:04.73
waters represent? They
represent the rushing of
00:25:04.83\00:25:08.50
nations. What does the
roar of the seas represent?
00:25:08.64\00:25:12.54
The multitude of many
people. So what was gonna
00:25:12.94\00:25:15.51
happen to Babylon?
She would be burnt up as a
00:25:15.64\00:25:20.88
kingdom; she will be
cast into the sea, which means
00:25:20.98\00:25:23.52
that the nations
would come against her and
00:25:23.62\00:25:25.52
they would drown Babylon.
Let's continue: verse 13.
00:25:25.62\00:25:29.62
"The nations will rush
like the rushing of many
00:25:29.76\00:25:33.46
waters; but God will
rebuke them." That means He'll
00:25:33.56\00:25:37.17
dry them up, by the
way. "And they will flee far
00:25:37.27\00:25:40.24
away, and be chased like
the chaff of the mountains
00:25:40.34\00:25:42.80
before the wind, like a
rolling thing before the
00:25:42.90\00:25:45.41
whirlwind. Then
behold at eventide, trouble.
00:25:45.47\00:25:49.71
And before the
morning, he is no more. This is
00:25:50.15\00:25:53.15
the portion..." Now,
here comes the reason why
00:25:53.21\00:25:55.02
the mountain is a burning
mountain and is cast into
00:25:55.08\00:25:58.85
the seas, which represents
multitudes of nations that
00:25:58.95\00:26:02.12
come against her: "This is the
portion of," whom? "...of those
00:26:02.16\00:26:06.16
who plunder us, and the
lot of those who rob us."
00:26:06.26\00:26:11.97
Are you seeing the principle
that we started the lesson
00:26:12.07\00:26:14.27
with? Why was
Babylon punished? Babylon was
00:26:14.37\00:26:19.34
punished because of
what Babylon did with God's
00:26:19.44\00:26:21.88
people. Why is
end-time Babylon- I'll get ahead
00:26:21.94\00:26:24.55
of myself. Why is end-time
Babylon gonna be punished?
00:26:24.65\00:26:27.15
Is it only because
the end-time Babylon was
00:26:27.22\00:26:30.35
idolatrous and they
believed the wrong things?
00:26:30.42\00:26:33.72
No! What is the main
reason? The harlot is
00:26:34.12\00:26:36.76
filled with the
blood of the saints and the
00:26:36.89\00:26:39.93
martyrs of Jesus! Babylon
has persecuted God's people;
00:26:40.00\00:26:43.33
therefore, the punishment
is gonna fall upon Babylon.
00:26:43.37\00:26:47.04
Let's read a few
other verses that describe
00:26:47.14\00:26:49.37
the meaning of the
waters. Isaiah 60 and verse 5.
00:26:49.47\00:26:53.88
"Then you shall see
and become radiant, and
00:26:55.31\00:26:58.11
your heart shall swell
with joy," and now notice the
00:26:58.21\00:27:01.98
synonymous parallelism,
"because the abundance
00:27:02.05\00:27:05.05
of the sea shall be
turned to you." What does "the
00:27:05.19\00:27:08.86
abundance of the sea be
turned to you"- what does
00:27:08.96\00:27:11.39
that mean? The second
part of the verse explains.
00:27:11.53\00:27:13.80
"The wealth of the Gentiles"...
Better translation is, "The
00:27:14.20\00:27:18.10
nations that go?
shall come to you." So, the
00:27:18.20\00:27:21.90
Gentiles are the
nations represented by the
00:27:21.97\00:27:24.94
abundance of the sea.
The book of Revelation
00:27:25.04\00:27:28.48
itself tells us in Revelation
17:15. "Then he said to me,
00:27:28.54\00:27:32.68
'The waters which you
saw, where the harlot sits, are
00:27:33.48\00:27:37.19
peoples, multitudes,
nations, and tongues."
00:27:37.29\00:27:40.56
What was gonna happen
then with Babylon? The
00:27:40.62\00:27:43.36
burning mountain that was
cast into the sea-it means
00:27:43.46\00:27:46.39
that this nation was gonna
fall like a burning mountain,
00:27:46.49\00:27:52.00
like a kingdom
falling into the sea, and the
00:27:52.10\00:27:54.64
sea was going to
what? The sea was going to
00:27:54.77\00:27:57.77
drown this nation. Notice
there are gonna be multitudes
00:27:57.91\00:28:02.48
of nations that would come
against it. Notice Jeremiah
00:28:02.61\00:28:06.31
51:60-64. [text on-screen]
00:28:06.41\00:28:11.35
So in other words, God,
You've spoken that You're
00:28:34.64\00:28:36.51
gonna totally annihilate
Babylon. Now, notice the
00:28:36.61\00:28:39.38
symbolism that is used
to represent this. Verse
00:28:39.48\00:28:42.65
63, "Now it shall be,
when you shall have finished
00:28:42.75\00:28:48.72
reading this book,"
which is talking about Jeremiah
00:28:48.79\00:28:50.93
50 and 51, the destruction
of Babylon, "that you shall
00:28:51.06\00:28:57.50
tie a stone to it,"
this oracle against Babylon,
00:28:57.57\00:29:02.94
and what was he commanded
to do? "And throw it out into,"
00:29:03.37\00:29:08.31
where? Into the
Euphrates. What did that mean?
00:29:08.41\00:29:12.15
[text on-screen]
00:29:12.28\00:29:17.22
So are you catching
the picture? Babylon is the
00:29:27.36\00:29:30.57
great mountain.
Babylon oppressed God's people.
00:29:30.67\00:29:34.50
Therefore, Babylon is
like a burning mountain
00:29:35.80\00:29:38.71
that God is gonna cast
into the seas; the seas
00:29:38.81\00:29:41.18
represent
multitudes of nations that will
00:29:41.31\00:29:43.58
come against her and
plunder her. That's the
00:29:43.71\00:29:48.52
picture that we have here.
Now, what is the time frame
00:29:48.62\00:29:53.12
of the burning mountain?
This is an important point.
00:29:53.22\00:29:56.16
Since the days of Daniel...
We're at page 44. Since
00:29:56.29\00:30:01.03
the days of Daniel,
how many kingdoms have
00:30:01.16\00:30:04.27
arisen? Four major kingdoms.
What are they? Babylon,
00:30:04.33\00:30:10.51
Medo-Persia, Greece,
and Rome. What was the power
00:30:11.07\00:30:16.24
that ruled in the
days when John wrote the
00:30:16.34\00:30:18.71
book of Revelation?
It was the Roman Empire,
00:30:18.81\00:30:22.38
the fourth of the
beasts. Now, had literal Babylon
00:30:22.48\00:30:26.62
already fallen at this
point? Had the prophecy of
00:30:26.72\00:30:30.63
Jeremiah been fulfilled?
"Like a burning mountain,
00:30:30.73\00:30:33.50
God cast it into the sea;"
the nations came and totally
00:30:33.63\00:30:36.97
got rid of Babylon...
Had that already taken place?
00:30:37.07\00:30:39.53
Absolutely! So now
notice, we're studying the time
00:30:39.97\00:30:41.90
frame. Literal Babylon
had already fallen when John
00:30:42.00\00:30:45.91
saw his vision of
the trumpets. Therefore,
00:30:46.01\00:30:48.61
the mountain of the
second trumpet cannot refer to
00:30:49.84\00:30:52.71
the fall of what? Of
literal Old Testament
00:30:52.85\00:30:56.69
Babylon. The language
is used, but it can't refer
00:30:56.82\00:31:01.66
to the original,
literal Babylon. Are you
00:31:01.72\00:31:04.79
understanding the
point? The critical question is
00:31:04.86\00:31:07.73
this: which kingdom
destroyed Jerusalem.
00:31:07.83\00:31:11.10
What trumpet is that,
the kingdoms that destroyed
00:31:12.47\00:31:14.67
Jerusalem? The Romans...
So, is God gonna punish
00:31:14.77\00:31:18.87
them for punishing God's
people. [Yes.] Absolutely!
00:31:18.97\00:31:21.74
So, which kingdom destroyed
Jerusalem, desolated God's
00:31:22.24\00:31:26.41
people, and then, in
turn, suffered the punishment
00:31:26.51\00:31:29.45
of God? The only answer
is what? The Roman Empire.
00:31:29.55\00:31:35.42
In Revelation 17, we
see a dragon beast that
00:31:36.06\00:31:40.03
has seven heads.
However, the heads are actually
00:31:40.13\00:31:43.53
seven what? Seven mountains!
Each of these heads are
00:31:43.63\00:31:47.97
mountains, [representing]
a kingdom that ruled,
00:31:48.07\00:31:50.14
beginning with
Babylon. The burning mountain
00:31:50.27\00:31:53.21
that was cast into
the sea at the sounding
00:31:53.31\00:31:56.08
of the seventh trumpet
was the fourth of those
00:31:56.14\00:31:59.15
mountains, or heads,
of Revelation 17-namely,
00:31:59.25\00:32:02.55
the Roman Empire.
Now, here's a big question.
00:32:03.18\00:32:06.79
Someone might wonder
whether it is legitimate
00:32:07.29\00:32:10.09
to take biblical terminology
that describes literal
00:32:10.49\00:32:14.16
Babylon and apply
it symbolically to the
00:32:14.26\00:32:17.83
Roman Empire. The answer
is yes, for several reasons.
00:32:17.93\00:32:22.00
Reason #1: we need to
take a look at the Apocrypha.
00:32:23.34\00:32:28.74
Do you know that at
the time, when John wrote
00:32:28.81\00:32:31.35
the book of
Revelation, people believed that
00:32:31.41\00:32:34.65
Rome was a new Babylon?
They linked ancient Babylon
00:32:34.78\00:32:40.96
with Rome. Notice this
work in the intertestamental
00:32:41.06\00:32:46.13
period, the Sibylline Oracles,
lines 158 to 161... Very
00:32:46.19\00:32:51.57
similar to what we just
read. "Then shall come a
00:32:51.67\00:32:55.04
great star from heaven
into the divine sea, and
00:32:55.14\00:32:59.87
shall burn up the deep
sea and Babylon itself."
00:32:59.97\00:33:03.61
But where is this Babylon
that the Sibylline Oracles
00:33:04.05\00:33:07.45
are talking about?
And the land of what? "Of
00:33:07.52\00:33:11.79
Italy on whose
account many faithful saints
00:33:11.89\00:33:14.96
of the Hebrews have
perished, and the true
00:33:15.02\00:33:18.26
people." Are you
catching the picture? So what
00:33:18.33\00:33:21.50
is the new Babylon, according
to the Sibylline Oracles?
00:33:21.56\00:33:24.10
It's in Italy-it's
Rome. Notice, also, from the
00:33:25.10\00:33:30.64
Apocrypha work, 2
Baruch 67:7-8. And by the way,
00:33:30.71\00:33:36.14
I'm not saying that
these books are inspired,
00:33:36.21\00:33:38.88
but they are of great
historical interest, aren't
00:33:39.88\00:33:42.48
they? So, notice
what 2 Baruch chapter 67
00:33:42.58\00:33:46.92
verses 6 and 7 says,
"But the king of Babylon
00:33:47.02\00:33:50.43
will arise, who has
now destroyed Zion, and he
00:33:50.93\00:33:55.83
will boast over the
people, and he will speak great
00:33:55.96\00:33:59.40
things in his heart in
the presence of the Most
00:33:59.50\00:34:02.00
High. But he also shall
fall at last." Now, when
00:34:02.14\00:34:08.68
the anonymous author
wrote the book of 2 Baruch,
00:34:08.74\00:34:13.05
literal Babylon had already
fallen. But 2 Baruch is talking
00:34:13.15\00:34:18.02
about, "The king of Babylon
will arise," that destroyed
00:34:18.12\00:34:20.56
Zion. So it must not
refer to literal Babylon;
00:34:20.66\00:34:24.36
it has to refer to
another Babylon! Now, here comes
00:34:24.43\00:34:28.13
another interesting
evidence. 1 Peter 5:13,
00:34:28.23\00:34:32.10
a very enigmatic
verse. It's at the conclusion
00:34:32.53\00:34:37.27
of the book that Peter
wrote, the First Epistle
00:34:37.34\00:34:40.48
of Peter. He's
referring to somebody who lives
00:34:40.58\00:34:45.08
in Babylon. "She who is
in Babylon," here, Peter
00:34:45.18\00:34:50.69
is writing, "elect together
with you, greets you, and
00:34:50.75\00:34:55.39
so does Mark my son."
So whom Peter is writing
00:34:55.49\00:35:00.06
to, he's saying, "She
who is in Babylon sends
00:35:00.13\00:35:05.60
her greetings, and also
Mark sends his greetings,
00:35:05.70\00:35:10.21
as well." Now, let's
pursue that particular
00:35:10.31\00:35:14.21
verse. Many scholars
believe that Babylon in
00:35:14.28\00:35:18.48
this text is a
cryptic reference to Rome,
00:35:18.55\00:35:22.15
to the Roman Empire,
and I believe that there
00:35:22.28\00:35:25.42
is persuasive contextual
evidence that this is so.
00:35:25.49\00:35:28.42
God appointed Peter
as His messenger to whom?
00:35:29.62\00:35:33.03
To the Jews, and Paul
to the Gentiles, by the
00:35:34.43\00:35:37.07
way. Peter wrote his
first epistle toward the
00:35:37.13\00:35:40.40
close of his life,
or towards the end of
00:35:40.50\00:35:43.77
his life, and we know
that at the end of his
00:35:43.91\00:35:47.31
life, he was in Rome
because he was martyred
00:35:47.41\00:35:50.08
by Nero. Are you with
me or not? Now, it hardly
00:35:50.18\00:35:55.28
makes sense for Peter
to write from Rome and
00:35:55.42\00:35:59.79
send greetings to
other people who lived in
00:35:59.89\00:36:03.09
Babylon. It would
be like me saying, if I
00:36:03.19\00:36:08.10
live in Fresno,
"Greetings from the members in
00:36:08.20\00:36:10.73
Patagonia." [laughs]
That wouldn't make much
00:36:10.83\00:36:15.50
sense, would it?
The people that you're
00:36:15.64\00:36:18.21
sending greetings from
are actually people that
00:36:18.27\00:36:22.28
live where you
live. Are you following me
00:36:22.38\00:36:23.91
or not? So, it
hardly makes sense for Peter
00:36:24.01\00:36:27.95
to write from Rome and
send greetings to other
00:36:28.05\00:36:30.55
people who lived in
Babylon. The words, "She who is
00:36:30.65\00:36:35.06
in Babylon greets you,
and so does Mark, my son,"
00:36:35.16\00:36:38.43
makes no sense unless
the greeters were in the
00:36:38.89\00:36:41.63
same place as
Peter! Why would Peter, who
00:36:41.73\00:36:45.37
was in Rome, send greetings
from people living in literal
00:36:45.43\00:36:48.87
Babylon, 2,754 miles
away? There is no evidence that
00:36:48.97\00:36:55.71
Peter ever was in literal
Babylon. Mark was certainly
00:36:55.78\00:37:00.88
in the same place as
Peter! Thus, the word 'Babylon'
00:37:00.95\00:37:04.15
must be a cryptic reference
to Rome. We must remember
00:37:04.25\00:37:08.16
that the book of Revelation
refers to Rome as Babylon!
00:37:08.26\00:37:13.63
Doesn't the book of Revelation
refer to Rome as Babylon?
00:37:14.20\00:37:16.77
Absolutely. Both
pagan and papal Rome. Now,
00:37:17.23\00:37:20.50
let's pursue this a
little bit further. Nero died
00:37:20.60\00:37:23.91
in the year 68, and
Nero martyred Peter. So,
00:37:24.01\00:37:28.84
Peter must have
died sometime before what
00:37:28.94\00:37:31.28
year? Before the
year 68, unless Nero
00:37:31.38\00:37:35.12
martyred him after
Nero had died...which is not
00:37:35.18\00:37:37.55
likely. Most scholars
date the First Epistle
00:37:37.65\00:37:40.62
of Peter sometime
between A.D. 64 and 68. Ellen
00:37:40.72\00:37:46.03
White confirms that late
in life, Peter ministered
00:37:46.13\00:37:50.67
in Rome and that Nero
martyred him. Let's read
00:37:50.77\00:37:54.30
this statement. It's from
the book Acts of the Apostles,
00:37:54.37\00:37:59.04
page 537. "In the providence
of God, Peter was permitted
00:37:59.14\00:38:04.91
to close his ministry,"
where? "...in Rome, where his
00:38:05.01\00:38:10.02
imprisonment was
ordered by the emperor, Nero,
00:38:10.15\00:38:13.76
about the time of
Paul's final arrest. Thus, the
00:38:14.16\00:38:18.23
two veteran
apostles who for many years
00:38:18.33\00:38:21.10
had been widely separated
in their labors were to bear
00:38:21.93\00:38:25.63
their last witness
for Christ in the world's
00:38:25.73\00:38:29.54
metropolis and upon its
soil to shed their blood
00:38:29.64\00:38:33.04
as the seed of a
vast harvest of saints and
00:38:33.11\00:38:36.11
martyrs." So, where
was Peter at the end of his
00:38:36.21\00:38:38.61
life? He was in Rome,
and he sends greetings
00:38:38.71\00:38:44.35
from where? Babylon!
So what is "Babylon"?
00:38:45.95\00:38:51.29
Babylon is Rome,
the pagan Roman Empire.
00:38:52.06\00:38:55.06
Is this making
sense? Now, unfortunately,
00:38:55.96\00:38:59.60
we don't have time to
cover everything in these
00:38:59.73\00:39:01.50
study notes. So, your homework
for this afternoon after
00:39:01.60\00:39:09.04
the class, because we
end the class at 4 o'clock...
00:39:09.14\00:39:11.91
Say, when we have a Q&A
then till 4:15, and then let's
00:39:12.51\00:39:16.38
say it takes you 15 or
20 minutes to get home,
00:39:16.52\00:39:18.69
you still have basically
from 5 in the afternoon till
00:39:18.79\00:39:22.42
your bedtime to read
these pages. It's only pages
00:39:22.56\00:39:29.00
46-61. Let me just share
with you the gist of what
00:39:29.13\00:39:35.10
we find in these
pages. First of all- and it's
00:39:35.17\00:39:40.04
fascinating. It's fascinating
to read this. What these
00:39:40.14\00:39:44.71
pages prove is that
there is a link between ancient
00:39:44.81\00:39:52.12
Babylon and the
religion of ancient Babylon that
00:39:52.22\00:39:57.23
was transferred to Pergamum
in Asia Minor. Are you catching
00:39:57.33\00:40:03.80
the picture? In other
words, the religion of
00:40:03.87\00:40:07.90
Babylon was transferred
from Babylon to Asia Minor-
00:40:08.00\00:40:13.71
to Pergamum, specifically.
There's historical evidence
00:40:13.78\00:40:17.48
that then, the
religion that was transferred
00:40:18.18\00:40:21.82
from Babylon to
Pergamum was then transferred to
00:40:21.88\00:40:25.49
Rome-particularly, the
worship of the sun god,
00:40:26.05\00:40:31.33
Mithra. So, there's a
link; the link between
00:40:31.39\00:40:36.20
ancient Babylon and
pagan Rome is Pergamum.
00:40:36.26\00:40:40.74
Literal Pergamum. But
here comes something very
00:40:41.20\00:40:44.64
interesting: there
is also a link between
00:40:44.71\00:40:48.04
pagan Rome and
papal Rome, via Pergamum,
00:40:48.08\00:40:53.08
as well. You say,
how is that? Third church
00:40:53.11\00:40:57.62
of Revelation...Pergamum.
What period is that?
00:40:57.69\00:41:00.92
The church of Pergamum is
the period of Constantine.
00:41:02.06\00:41:05.26
Is that the period
of transition between
00:41:06.49\00:41:08.86
pagan Rome and papal
Rome? Yes! From 303, or 313-
00:41:08.90\00:41:15.10
depending on which
event you wanna choose-till
00:41:15.17\00:41:18.54
the year 538. Now, the
transition is being made
00:41:18.61\00:41:22.24
between pagan Rome and
papal Rome! The culture
00:41:22.31\00:41:25.55
and the practices
and the religion of pagan
00:41:25.61\00:41:30.95
Rome is being transferred
via the church of Pergamum
00:41:31.02\00:41:34.49
to papal Rome! Are
you with me? So, is there
00:41:34.62\00:41:38.96
an unbroken chain between
ancient Babylon, Pergamum
00:41:39.09\00:41:44.73
(Asia Minor), pagan
Rome, and then via the church
00:41:44.83\00:41:49.57
of Pergamum to
papal Rome? Absolutely.
00:41:49.70\00:41:53.48
So, that's the
reason why pagan Rome is
00:41:53.54\00:41:55.28
called Babylon!
That's the reason why papal
00:41:55.38\00:41:59.65
Rome is also called
what? Babylon! Does Ellen White
00:41:59.75\00:42:04.59
in Great Controversy
constantly refer to the
00:42:04.69\00:42:06.82
papacy as Rome? [No...]
Does she refer to the papacy as
00:42:06.92\00:42:10.49
Babylon? Absolutely!
So, there's an unbroken
00:42:11.49\00:42:14.66
link, and here you
have the fascinating story
00:42:14.73\00:42:16.93
in 13 or 14 pages,
documented from historians
00:42:17.03\00:42:21.20
on how the ancient religion
of Babylon was transferred
00:42:21.30\00:42:25.94
to Asia Minor, Pergamum
more specifically; Pergamum
00:42:26.07\00:42:30.75
transferred its
religion, the god of Mithra, to
00:42:30.88\00:42:34.65
pagan Rome; pagan Rome
via the church of Pergamum
00:42:34.72\00:42:39.15
to papal Rome. Now,
we want to go to page 62.
00:42:39.25\00:42:46.26
Page 62, because we
still have some symbols that
00:42:46.83\00:42:50.03
we need to interpret
here in the second trumpet.
00:42:50.17\00:42:53.34
So, let's go back
to Revelation 8:8-9
00:42:53.44\00:42:56.50
and read, once again,
the description that is
00:42:56.60\00:42:58.77
given of the
second trumpet. "Then, the
00:42:58.91\00:43:01.61
second angel
sounded, and something like a
00:43:01.71\00:43:04.51
great burning mountain,
with fire, was thrown into,"
00:43:04.61\00:43:09.75
what? "...into the sea." What
00:43:09.88\00:43:12.05
does the great
burning mountain represent?
00:43:12.15\00:43:14.26
What was the great
burning mountain in
00:43:15.39\00:43:17.23
the Old Testament?
Literal Babylon. What is the
00:43:17.33\00:43:21.16
great burning
mountain in the second trumpet?
00:43:21.23\00:43:23.63
It can't be literal
Babylon, because this is after
00:43:24.50\00:43:27.00
Christ ascended to heaven!
It's after the destruction
00:43:27.07\00:43:29.50
of Jerusalem. So, it
has to be a different
00:43:29.57\00:43:32.31
kind of Babylon.
So, this great burning
00:43:32.37\00:43:35.28
mountain-not that
the burning of a mountain
00:43:35.34\00:43:37.18
means that it's
being destroyed-it's cast
00:43:37.25\00:43:39.71
or thrown into the
sea. What does the sea
00:43:39.75\00:43:42.55
represent? It represents
the barbarian invasions.
00:43:42.62\00:43:45.95
Nations, many from
the north of the empire,
00:43:46.52\00:43:49.32
that came and carved
up the empire; totally put
00:43:49.39\00:43:54.70
the Roman Empire
into disarray-ruined the
00:43:54.76\00:43:57.90
commercial lines of
Rome and destroyed everything
00:43:57.93\00:44:03.47
that they could find
in their way. But then
00:44:03.54\00:44:07.14
we have also, it says,
"And a third of the sea
00:44:07.21\00:44:10.85
became blood." Another [version]
says, "Great bloodshed as
00:44:10.88\00:44:14.25
a result of the
fall of this kingdom, and
00:44:14.28\00:44:16.52
a third of the
living creatures"-better
00:44:16.65\00:44:19.19
translation is, "the
fish in the sea"-"died." So,
00:44:19.29\00:44:23.93
the question is, what
do the fish represent?
00:44:24.06\00:44:26.49
Well, the sea represents
the nations-the multitude
00:44:27.16\00:44:30.07
of nations. The fish
live in the sea; they
00:44:30.17\00:44:34.20
live in those nations.
What do the fish represent?
00:44:34.34\00:44:37.14
Well, they represent
the people that lived
00:44:37.61\00:44:39.57
in those empires. You
say, "Well, where do we
00:44:39.71\00:44:43.01
find that in the
Bible?" Notice Habakkuk 1 verses
00:44:43.14\00:44:46.48
14 and 15. Habakkuk 1:14-15.
"Why do you make men like
00:44:46.61\00:44:54.16
fish of the sea?" So
what do fish represent?
00:44:54.26\00:44:59.46
Men! "Like creeping
things that have no ruler over
00:45:00.53\00:45:04.77
them, they take up
all of them with a hook.
00:45:04.87\00:45:10.07
They catch them in
their net and gather them in
00:45:10.41\00:45:13.74
their dragnet." What are
they gathering up in their
00:45:13.84\00:45:15.71
dragnet? [Fish.] No,
not fish; men. [laughs]
00:45:15.84\00:45:19.91
Yes, fish, that represent
men. Notice Ecclesiastes
00:45:20.02\00:45:23.72
9:12. "For man also
does not know his time, like
00:45:23.82\00:45:30.13
fish taken in a cruel
net, like birds caught
00:45:30.19\00:45:34.20
in a snare, so the
sons of man are snared in
00:45:34.30\00:45:37.07
an evil time when it
falls suddenly upon them."
00:45:37.17\00:45:40.94
Also, Ezekiel
29:3-4. What principle are we
00:45:41.80\00:45:45.84
applying here? In the
second trumpet, are you
00:45:45.94\00:45:50.05
supposed to find a
literal mountain, a
00:45:50.15\00:45:51.91
literal asteroid that's
falling into the sea somewhere?
00:45:52.01\00:45:54.78
And that the sea is
swallowing up the mountain?
00:45:56.48\00:45:59.45
And a third of the literal
fish are dying? No! We're
00:46:00.89\00:46:04.86
dealing with symbols. We
apply the same principles
00:46:04.93\00:46:07.96
to the trumpets that we
apply to all of the other
00:46:08.06\00:46:11.23
places in Scripture.
Does that make sense?
00:46:11.33\00:46:12.93
Now, notice Ezekiel
29:3-4. [text on-screen]
00:46:13.87\00:46:19.37
See, Pharaoh lived in the
rivers. [continues reading]
00:46:29.75\00:46:33.36
Which means that the
fish are gonna die, too,
00:46:59.58\00:47:01.25
if they're sticking to
his scales. Now, another
00:47:01.38\00:47:04.32
interesting text is
one that we know very well:
00:47:04.42\00:47:06.92
Matthew 4:19 when
Jesus called His disciples to
00:47:07.29\00:47:10.99
be what? Fishers of men.
It says in Matthew [4:18],
00:47:11.09\00:47:17.77
"And Jesus walking by
the Sea of Galilee saw
00:47:17.90\00:47:20.37
two brothers. Simon called
Peter and Andrew his brother,
00:47:20.47\00:47:24.61
casting a net into the
sea, for they were fishermen."
00:47:25.07\00:47:29.64
By the way, when you
look up this- when you
00:47:31.71\00:47:34.52
put "fishermen", when you're
typing it out, it underlines
00:47:34.62\00:47:37.89
in red. You're not supposed to
use 'fishermen'; you're supposed
00:47:38.02\00:47:40.72
to use 'anglers',
because 'fishermen' uses the
00:47:40.82\00:47:45.66
word 'men' in a
politically-correct world.
00:47:45.76\00:47:49.36
But anyway, I'm gonna
use 'fishermen' because
00:47:50.23\00:47:52.50
I'm using the New
King James Version. So, it
00:47:52.60\00:47:54.90
says, "And Jesus
walking by the Sea of Galilee
00:47:55.00\00:47:57.04
saw two brothers.
Simon called Peter and Andrew
00:47:57.14\00:47:59.81
his brother casting
a net into the sea, for
00:47:59.94\00:48:02.04
they were fishermen.
Then He said to them,
00:48:02.18\00:48:04.71
'Follow Me, and I will
make you fishers of men.'"
00:48:04.85\00:48:09.32
So, in this verse,
what does the sea represent?
00:48:09.72\00:48:13.72
The sea represents the world.
What do the fish represent?
00:48:14.46\00:48:19.03
The fish represent the
individuals that live in
00:48:19.76\00:48:23.40
the world. Who do
the fishermen represent?
00:48:23.50\00:48:26.94
The fishermen represent
believers, right? What does
00:48:27.57\00:48:32.27
the boat
represent? The church! And how
00:48:32.41\00:48:36.78
do you get the fish
into the church? By casting
00:48:36.88\00:48:39.31
the net. That's
preaching the gospel! And then,
00:48:39.41\00:48:42.98
in the parable of the
fish in Matthew chapter
00:48:43.08\00:48:47.26
13, it says that after
the fish are in the boat,
00:48:47.32\00:48:50.63
then you take the
boat to the shore and you
00:48:50.73\00:48:53.33
separate the good
fish from the bad fish.
00:48:53.46\00:48:55.80
In other words, the
good members from the bad
00:48:55.93\00:48:58.63
members in the
church. So, what do the fish
00:48:58.73\00:49:02.37
represent? They represent
human beings. What happened
00:49:02.47\00:49:07.58
with the Roman
Empire when the barbarians
00:49:07.64\00:49:10.15
invaded? A large
portion of the people who lived
00:49:10.25\00:49:15.72
in the empire, what happened?
They were slain, and the
00:49:15.82\00:49:18.89
waters were turned
into what? Blood! Because
00:49:18.99\00:49:22.26
of the invasion of
these barbarian tribes. Now,
00:49:22.36\00:49:28.46
what about the ships?
Ships are mentioned here.
00:49:28.53\00:49:31.53
So, are we supposed to
look at a certain place
00:49:32.03\00:49:33.87
where a third of the
ships were destroyed?
00:49:33.97\00:49:37.71
No! We need to
understand what the word 'ships'
00:49:37.81\00:49:40.64
symbolically means.
Now, the key texts are found
00:49:40.74\00:49:44.65
in Ezekiel and Revelation.
Ezekiel 27:9, 25, and 29
00:49:44.75\00:49:50.79
tells us that the
ships represent trading and
00:49:50.89\00:49:54.72
commercial prosperity.
By the way, the stock
00:49:54.82\00:50:00.76
market is going
deeply south. When I took my
00:50:00.86\00:50:05.90
break, it was 1,400
points down. So, you know...
00:50:06.00\00:50:12.34
The ships here represent,
basically, the economy
00:50:15.04\00:50:17.75
of Rome. Was Rome a
very prosperous nation? Did
00:50:18.88\00:50:23.59
it have a very
strong economy? Of course it
00:50:23.72\00:50:25.99
did. But what
happened when the barbarians
00:50:26.05\00:50:28.72
invaded? The nation was
thrown up into disarray.
00:50:28.82\00:50:33.19
It was a disaster. Notice
Ezekiel 27:9. [text on-screen]
00:50:33.73\00:50:42.37
So what do the ships
represent? They represent
00:51:17.97\00:51:20.38
commercial
prosperity. But what happened
00:51:20.48\00:51:23.11
when the barbarians
invaded the Roman Empire?
00:51:23.21\00:51:25.48
Everything fell apart!
Everything was in disarray.
00:51:25.91\00:51:29.18
Revelation 18 speaks
about the fall of end-time
00:51:30.35\00:51:32.65
Babylon in the following words,
verses 17-19. [text on-screen]
00:51:32.75\00:51:42.40
Interesting they
have the mention of "smoke
00:51:52.47\00:51:54.01
of her burning," Babylon
in the light of Jeremiah 51.
00:51:54.11\00:51:57.08
[continues reading text]
00:51:57.18\00:52:00.72
Are you catching
the picture? So, what is
00:52:22.04\00:52:24.91
represented by the
second trumpet? Well, let's go
00:52:25.01\00:52:28.94
to the bottom of
page 63 as we near the end
00:52:29.04\00:52:32.98
of this study. At the
sounding of the second
00:52:33.11\00:52:36.65
trumpet, instead of temporal
prosperity, the barbarians
00:52:36.75\00:52:41.52
invaded the Roman
Empire, destroyed the routes of
00:52:41.66\00:52:45.93
commerce, and decimated
the prosperity of Rome.
00:52:45.99\00:52:50.60
The judgment of the second
trumpet brought the collapse
00:52:51.03\00:52:53.90
of the entire social
and economic system of the
00:52:54.90\00:52:58.27
Roman Empire. The barbarians
invaded the empire between
00:52:58.37\00:53:03.08
378 and 476 A.D. In 378
A.D., the Visigoths wiped
00:53:03.14\00:53:10.39
out an entire Roman army,
including the Roman emperor,
00:53:10.49\00:53:14.42
Valens. In 410, the
same tribes, the Visigoths
00:53:14.52\00:53:18.76
ravaged Rome-the
first time that anyone had
00:53:19.63\00:53:22.90
done so in a period of
800 years. In 455 A.D.,
00:53:23.00\00:53:28.54
the Vandals-well
named, by the way-ransacked
00:53:28.64\00:53:32.37
Rome for a second
time. They vandalized the
00:53:32.47\00:53:36.21
city for two
weeks, systematically and
00:53:36.28\00:53:38.81
persistently looting everything
of value they could lay
00:53:38.91\00:53:43.28
their hands on. So,
the entire economic system
00:53:43.39\00:53:45.72
is belly up! They carried
off to Carthage the solid
00:53:45.82\00:53:49.96
gold seven-branch
lampstand, the very one that, in
00:53:50.06\00:53:54.03
70 A.D., Titus had
carried off to Rome from the
00:53:54.16\00:53:58.17
temple in Jerusalem.
Genseric, the leader of the
00:53:58.27\00:54:01.80
Vandals was a human
predator. They're not
00:54:01.90\00:54:05.11
called Vandals for
any old reason. They were
00:54:05.21\00:54:08.91
truly- they lived
up to the name. They
00:54:09.74\00:54:12.71
were vandals. They
vandalized the Roman
00:54:12.85\00:54:14.88
Empire. Now,
here's the key point. The
00:54:14.98\00:54:19.42
Roman Empire persecuted
the Jews. And who else
00:54:19.52\00:54:24.13
did they
persecute? They persecuted the
00:54:24.23\00:54:26.90
Christians, such as
Ignatius and Polycarp, as well
00:54:27.00\00:54:33.40
as heretical
Christians such as the Aryans.
00:54:33.47\00:54:37.17
Therefore, when the
second trumpet blew,
00:54:38.24\00:54:40.48
what did God do? God
came in judgment against
00:54:40.94\00:54:45.01
Rome. Are you catching
the principle? Whatsoever
00:54:45.08\00:54:49.02
Rome sowed by persecuting
God's people, Rome now
00:54:49.15\00:54:53.05
will what? Rome
will reap. Remember that
00:54:53.15\00:54:57.63
we studied the reason
why the trumpets blow?
00:54:57.73\00:55:00.33
They are partial
judgments of God upon nations or
00:55:00.80\00:55:04.97
systems that have
oppressed and persecuted God's
00:55:05.10\00:55:08.20
people. The
barbarians destroyed the routes
00:55:09.27\00:55:12.01
of commerce,
decimated the cities, and sacked
00:55:12.11\00:55:15.61
Rome so that Rome became
practically a ghost town.
00:55:15.71\00:55:20.62
And incidentally,
if you study about the
00:55:21.45\00:55:23.28
second church, the
church of Smyrna, it's very
00:55:23.39\00:55:27.19
interesting. You have
in the church of Smyrna
00:55:27.32\00:55:30.33
an abundance of
death language. This is the
00:55:30.43\00:55:34.46
persecuted church
by the Roman emperors.
00:55:34.56\00:55:37.07
Let's just notice
there, very quickly-towards
00:55:37.70\00:55:40.14
the end of our
study- Revelation chapter 2.
00:55:40.27\00:55:43.51
Revelation chapter 2.
What it says about the
00:55:43.94\00:55:47.48
church of Smyrna. It
says there in verse 8,
00:55:47.58\00:55:52.78
"And to the angel of
the church in Smyrna write,
00:55:53.21\00:55:55.22
'These things says the
First and the Last, who
00:55:55.28\00:55:57.05
was dead and came to
life"... [text on-screen]
00:55:57.19\00:56:03.32
This is very interesting.
The persecution lasted
00:56:18.57\00:56:23.04
from 303 to 313 (I
won't get into that now).
00:56:23.14\00:56:26.72
[continues reading text]
00:56:27.12\00:56:30.69
By the way, do you
know what the name Smyrna
00:56:42.76\00:56:44.27
means? The name Smyrna
means "bittersweet myrrh".
00:56:44.37\00:56:48.07
And do you know
what myrrh was used for
00:56:49.07\00:56:50.51
in the Roman Empire?
It was used to embalm
00:56:50.61\00:56:53.44
the dead. So, is the
second church a church
00:56:53.54\00:56:57.25
that suffered tribulation
and persecution and prison
00:56:58.08\00:57:02.65
and much death?
Yes! But what does Jesus
00:57:04.29\00:57:06.76
say to them? "Don't fear
suffering the first death.
00:57:06.86\00:57:11.59
Not a problem! You, if
you're faithful, will not
00:57:12.06\00:57:16.06
suffer second death."
So basically, the second
00:57:16.16\00:57:19.87
trumpet is because the
Roman Empire persecuted
00:57:19.93\00:57:24.51
the Christians,
killed them right and left,
00:57:24.61\00:57:27.51
so now God uses the
barbarians to come against
00:57:27.98\00:57:32.31
the Roman Empire for
what the Roman Empire did to
00:57:32.41\00:57:35.92
God's people. Is this
clear? [Yes!] Now, we need
00:57:36.02\00:57:41.32
to study about the
third trumpet! But our time
00:57:41.42\00:57:44.06
is up. [laughter]
So don't miss the next
00:57:44.16\00:57:46.66
exciting episode
tomorrow morning where we will
00:57:46.76\00:57:50.00
study the third trumpet,
the period when apostasy
00:57:50.10\00:57:54.04
entered the Christian church.
00:57:54.10\00:57:58.27