Participants: Pr. Stephen Bohr
Series Code: SMTF
Program Code: SMTF000004
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00:37 Shall we bow our heads for prayer?
00:40 Our Father in Heaven, we thank you 00:43 for the awesome privilege of living in a land 00:47 where we can open Your word freely 00:50 and hear Your voice and implement 00:53 Your council into our lives. 00:56 And, Father, we ask that as we open that word, 00:59 that Your Holy Spirit will be present here 01:02 and open minds and hearts to receive the seed of truth. 01:07 And, Father, I thank You 01:08 for hearing and for answering my prayer. 01:11 For I asketh in the precious name of Jesus. Amen. 01:17 In our study today, we are going to look 01:20 at the prophetic dimension of Matthew Chapter 24 01:25 particularly up to verse 17. 01:29 Now if you remember in our last study, 01:32 we did a historical study of this same passage. 01:37 We showed how all of these verses were fulfilled 01:41 in the destruction of Jerusalem, 01:43 the second destruction of Jerusalem in the year 70. 01:47 But you remember that this particular story 01:52 has a twofold application. 01:54 It was fulfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem 01:57 but it's going to be fulfilled again in conjunction 02:01 with the final destruction of the world. 02:03 And we know this because two questions 02:06 were asked by the disciples. 02:08 They said, "When will these things begin-- 02:10 in others words, when will not one stone be left 02:14 upon another on the temple? 02:16 And what will be the sign of your coming 02:19 and of the end of the world?" 02:21 So two questions led Jesus to provide one mingled answer. 02:28 In other words, Jesus blended what was gonna happen 02:31 in the destruction of Jerusalem 02:33 with what is going to take place 02:35 in the final destruction of the world. 02:38 Now I would like to review the sequence of events 02:41 that we studied last time. 02:43 And I'm gonna go through this quickly. 02:45 We're not going to read verses 02:47 or dwell on these things 02:48 because we studied them in our last lecture. 02:51 You remember that first of all Jesus mentions 02:55 false Christs rising and deceiving many. 03:00 Then He mentions several disasters. 03:03 He mentions famines. And He mentions persecution. 03:07 And He mentions earthquakes. 03:09 And He mentions diseases, pestilence, 03:12 wars and rumors of wars, nation rising against nation, 03:16 and kingdom against kingdom. 03:19 And we noticed in our last study that Satan 03:21 has an agenda behind all of these things. 03:23 The agenda is ultimately to blame God's people 03:28 for what was happening. 03:30 Because Matthew 24:9 immediately after talking 03:35 about the wars and rumors of wars 03:38 and all of these disasters tells us, 03:40 "Then they will seek you out and persecute you." 03:45 Then we notice that as a result of persecution, 03:48 God's people would be led to stand before magistrates 03:52 and kings to give a witness for their faith. 03:57 And we noticed that when they went before magistrates 04:01 and councils that God was going to give them 04:05 a powerful message to speak and the Holy Spirit 04:08 was going to give them words to speak 04:11 when they appeared before these great men of the earth. 04:15 Then we notice that as a result of the persecution 04:18 that the love of many would grow cold. 04:22 And many would be offended at Jesus. 04:25 And we noticed that Jesus predicted 04:27 that fathers would rise against their children 04:30 and mothers against their children 04:32 and brothers against their sisters 04:35 and friends against friends 04:37 would persecute one another. 04:38 In other words, certain family members 04:40 would apostatize from the faith and they will become 04:43 enemies of their own families. 04:46 We notice also that in this context false prophets 04:50 were going to arise in the midst of Jerusalem. 04:54 We notice, therefore, that God's people needed 04:57 a special endurance or a special patience. 05:00 So if they would not be deceived by Satan's signs, 05:04 so that they would not give up 05:06 when they were persecuted, 05:07 so that their love would not wax cold or become cold, 05:11 they needed endurance. 05:14 And then we noticed that the gospel 05:16 would be preached to the whole world and then Jesus said, 05:20 "That the end would come." 05:22 But before the end, He spoke of the abomination of desolation 05:26 that would take place and the tribulation 05:29 that would occur before His coming. 05:32 And we noticed last time that the abomination of desolation 05:36 the abomination itself was the Roman standards 05:40 that had the eagle and the sunburst 05:42 and the eagle was facing right and had arrows in its talons. 05:46 And they put these in the ground, 05:48 the Roman army is dead, and they bowed down 05:51 and they worshipped them. 05:52 They were worshipping the sun god 05:54 represented by the eagle and by the golden wreath 05:57 which was a symbol of the sun. 06:00 And we notice that when this sign was seen, 06:03 God's people saw the sign and when the Roman armies retreated, 06:07 God's people fled from the city of Jerusalem. 06:11 And those who did not see the sign, 06:13 remained in the city. 06:14 And then the Romans came and you had 06:17 the destruction of the city, in other words desolation. 06:21 So this is the abomination of desolation. 06:25 And then Jesus speaks about His people fleeing 06:27 to the mountains because persecution 06:29 is gonna take place and He says, 06:31 "That the worst period of tribulation 06:33 in the history of the world 06:35 was going to come up till that time." 06:37 And when we read the description 06:39 about the terrible trials of the city of Jerusalem, 06:43 how parents, believe it or not, would eat their children. 06:47 How they would kill one another. 06:49 How they were earthquakes and famines and diseases. 06:53 Certainly, this was a terrible period of tribulation. 06:56 But God's people fled 06:58 and they were spared the destruction. 07:01 Now this, in a nutshell, is the sequence of events 07:03 that we studied last time. 07:05 Today, we are gonna study 07:07 the end time application of this prophecy. 07:10 We're going to notice the same sequence of events. 07:14 But we're going to notice that they're gonna be 07:16 fulfilled in the end time. 07:18 Instead of with literal Jerusalem, 07:21 they are going to be fulfilled 07:23 with spiritual Jerusalem which is the church. 07:28 And instead of these things being fulfilled 07:32 with literal Israel in a small location such as Jerusalem, 07:37 these things are gonna be fulfilled 07:39 on a worldwide scale with spiritual Israel 07:43 all over the world. 07:45 Now I want to tell you that I'm gonna read 07:46 several statements from the writings of Ellen White. 07:50 Ellen White, interestingly enough, 07:54 presents all of these things in their proper order. 07:59 And she describes the same thing happening in the end time 08:03 as happened in conjunction with the destruction of Jerusalem. 08:06 I don't think that she consciously did this. 08:09 She didn't sit down and say, 08:10 "Okay, I'm gonna write everything 08:12 about what happened in Jerusalem 08:13 and how it's parallel to the end time." 08:16 But when you read her writings, you gather that she comments 08:19 on all of these things in the same chronological sequence 08:23 as they appear in the destruction of Jerusalem. 08:27 So I'm gonna read several statements from her writings, 08:30 many of them from the book, "Desire of Ages," 08:33 others from the book, "Great controversy," 08:35 and a few from other sources. 08:38 I'd like to first of all read a statement about false Christs. 08:41 Do you remember that we read from Josephus 08:43 that many false Christs arose, many false Messiahs? 08:47 In the book, "The Desire of Ages" page 631, 08:51 Ellen White states this, "False prophets did rise, 08:56 deceiving the people, 08:58 and leading great numbers into the desert. 09:01 Magicians and sorcerers, claiming miraculous power 09:06 drew the people after them into the mountain solitudes." 09:11 And then she states this, "But this prophecy was spoken 09:15 also for the last days." 09:18 All you have to do is look out at the world 09:20 in the last 20 years and you'll see many individuals 09:24 who have arisen and claimed to be the Christ. 09:27 You know, I don't have to amplify this point. 09:29 You have for example David Koresh, 09:31 who called himself the "Sinful Messiah." 09:34 We have also before that Jim Jones, 09:37 you know, his story 900 people in his cult committed suicide. 09:41 And more recently, Jose Luis de Jesus Miranda, 09:44 maybe you haven't heard of him, he's a fellow from Puerto Rico. 09:47 And he claims to be Christ on earth. 09:50 He claims that sin doesn't exist. 09:53 And by the way, lately, he's told all of his members 09:56 to wear T-shirts with the number 666. 10:00 That's very, very interesting. 10:02 And yet, he claims to be the Christ. 10:04 So many false Christs have risen 10:07 particularly in the last 20 years. 10:10 Now what about wars, pestilence, earthquakes, and hunger? 10:16 I want to read a couple of statements 10:17 once again from Ellen White 10:19 and we don't actually even have to read 10:20 from Ellen White because you know what's been happening. 10:23 You know, you have Katrina, you have the Tsunami, 10:26 you have several humongous earthquakes 10:29 that have taken place in the last 10 years. 10:31 But allow me to read you from the book, 10:33 "Last day Events" page 24. 10:37 "In the last scenes of this earth's history war will rage. 10:44 There will be pestilence, plague, and famine. 10:49 The waters of the deep will overflow their boundaries." 10:53 That's interesting in the light of Katrina. 10:55 "Property and life will be destroyed by fire and by flood." 11:02 In the book, "The Great Controversy" 11:03 which is a phenomenal book, 11:05 everybody needs to read this book 11:06 because it describes the history of Christianity 11:10 from the destruction of Jerusalem 11:12 all the way till the end of the millennium, 11:14 we find this significant statement. 11:17 Speaking about the devil she says, 11:19 "It is his object to incite the nations 11:23 to war against one another, for he can thus divert 11:27 the minds of the people from the work of preparation 11:30 to stand in the day of God. 11:33 While appearing to the children of men 11:36 as a great physician who can heal all their maladies, 11:41 Satan will bring disease and disaster, 11:45 until populous cities are reduced to ruin and desolation." 11:49 We saw that with New Orleans 11:50 but it's gonna happen more and more frequently. 11:53 She continues saying, "Even now he is at work. 11:57 In accidents and calamities by sea and by land, 12:01 in great conflagrations," that means wars, 12:04 "in fierce tornadoes." 12:06 Huh, tornadoes, have you heard about 12:10 that recently in the Midwest of the United States? 12:13 "And terrific hailstorms, in tempests, 12:16 floods, cyclones, tidal waves, and earthquakes, 12:21 in every place and in a thousand forms, 12:24 Satan is exercising his power. 12:27 He sweeps away the ripening harvest, 12:30 and famine and distress follow. 12:33 He imparts to the air a deadly taint, 12:36 and thousands perished by pestilence. 12:39 These visitations are to become 12:42 more and more frequent and disastrous." 12:47 And then immediately after this statement, 12:50 she says basically the same thing that Jesus said. 12:52 After He speaks about the disasters, he says, 12:54 "Then they will seek you out 12:56 and they will persecute you and they will kill you." 12:58 Notice the very next sentence that she mentions. 13:01 "Great Controversy" page 590. 13:04 "And then the great deceiver will persuade men 13:09 that those who serve God are causing these evils." 13:13 That's exactly what Matthew 24 is describing. 13:17 She continues saying, "The class that have provoked 13:20 the displeasure of Heaven will charge all their troubles 13:23 upon those whose obedience to God's commandments 13:27 is a perpetual reproof to transgressors." 13:32 And then she says that God's people are going 13:34 to have to stand before magistrates 13:37 and kings to give witness for their faith 13:40 in the midst of persecution. 13:43 Notice this statement in "Testimonies for the Church," 13:45 volume 6, page 128, 129. 13:49 She's speaking to us in the last days. 13:52 "We shall have to stand before magistrates 13:56 to answer for our allegiance to the law of God, 14:01 to make known the reasons of our faith. 14:04 And the youth should understand these things." 14:08 In the book, "Fundaments of Christian Education," 14:11 page 217, she says this, 14:14 "Many will have to stand in the legislative courts, 14:18 some will have to stand before kings 14:21 and before the learned of the earth, 14:23 to answer for their faith. 14:26 Those who have only a superficial understanding 14:29 of truth will not be able clearly 14:32 to expound the Scriptures, 14:34 and give definite reasons for their faith." 14:38 However, she says that when God's people appear 14:42 before these great leaders of the world, 14:44 the Holy Spirit is going to give His people wisdom to speak. 14:50 This is what the Bible calls the final outpouring 14:53 of the Holy Spirit of God. 14:54 It's called the "Loud Cry" in the book of Revelation. 14:58 Notice in the book, "Manuscript Releases," 15:00 volume 8, 187 what she says about the moment 15:05 when God's people will have to appear 15:07 before the magistrates of the world. 15:09 She says this, "Those who receive Christ 15:12 as a personal Savior will stand 15:15 the test of trial in these last days. 15:18 The Lord Jesus will give the disciples 15:21 a tongue and wisdom," 15:23 notice she's quoting almost Matthew 24. 15:26 "The Lord Jesus will give the disciples a tongue and wisdom 15:30 that their adversaries can neither gainsay nor resist." 15:36 Those are the exact words from the gospel of Luke. 15:39 "Those who could not by reasoning 15:42 overcome Satanic delusions, 15:44 will bear an affirmative testimony 15:46 that will baffle supposedly learned men." 15:50 Imagine that God's people appearing 15:51 before the great men of the world 15:53 and baffling them with their arguments. 15:55 That's exactly what the disciples did 15:57 when they were persecuted. 15:59 She's continues saying, "Words will come from the lips 16:02 of the unlearned with such convincing power 16:06 and wisdom that conversions will be made to the truth. 16:11 Thousands will be converted under their testimony." 16:16 Interesting that she's following the same sequence of events 16:20 that we have in Matthew Chapter 24. 16:22 But instead of being just a handful of Christians 16:25 in the literal city of Jerusalem, 16:27 she's talking about the church of God, 16:30 the remnant church on a worldwide scale 16:33 that is proclaiming God's message to the world. 16:36 By the way, do you remember 16:38 that when they appeared before magistrates 16:40 and kings and persecution came 16:42 that according to Matthew 24, many were going to be offended 16:47 in their connection with Jesus 16:49 and they were going to forsake their walk with the Lord? 16:54 That's what Matthew Chapter 24 says. 16:56 Now notice this statement 16:58 from the "Great Controversy," page 608. 17:02 "As the storm approaches, a large class 17:06 who have professed faith in the third angel's message, 17:10 but have not been sanctified 17:12 through obedience to the truth, 17:15 abandon their position and join the ranks of the opposition." 17:20 What are they going to do? 17:22 "Abandon their position 17:24 and join the ranks of the opposition. 17:27 Men of talent and pleasing address, 17:31 who once rejoiced in the truth, 17:33 employ their powers to deceive and mislead souls. 17:38 They become the most bitter enemies 17:41 of their former brethren." 17:42 Is that said in Matthew Chapter 24? 17:44 It most certainly is. 17:46 "When Sabbath keepers are brought before the courts 17:49 to answer for their faith," see once again 17:51 the idea of being brought before courts 17:53 to answer for their faith. 17:55 "These apostates are the most efficient agents of Satan 18:00 to misrepresent and accuse them, 18:03 and by false reports and insinuations 18:06 to stir up the rulers against them." 18:11 Now what about friends and family 18:13 turning against their friends and their family? 18:17 Notice this interesting statement 18:18 in "Last Day Events," pages 150, 151. 18:23 "Friends will prove themselves treacherous 18:29 and will betray us. 18:31 Relatives, deceived by the enemy, 18:35 will think they do God service in opposing us 18:39 and putting forth the utmost efforts 18:42 to bring us into hard places, hoping we will deny our faith." 18:48 And in the book, "Prophets and Kings," 18:49 page 588, we find these words. 18:53 "Those who are true to God will be menaced, 18:57 denounced, proscribed. 19:00 They will be-- and now she quotes, 19:02 "They will be 'betrayed both by parents, 19:05 and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends,' 19:09 even unto death." Luke 21:16. 19:14 You see there's nothing new under the sun. 19:17 Matthew Chapter 24 makes it very clear 19:19 that this chapter has a double application. 19:22 It applies to the events that led up 19:24 to the destruction of Jerusalem. 19:26 But it also applies to the events 19:28 that will lead up to the final destruction of the world. 19:31 And what happened with Jerusalem 19:33 during the period of the Roman siege 19:35 becomes a symbol of what is gonna happen 19:38 at the end of time when the world 19:41 is suffocated by false doctrine 19:44 and by satanic deceptions and by terrible persecutions. 19:49 Now you remember that in Matthew Chapter 24 it said, 19:53 "That because of the increase of iniquity, 19:56 the love of many would grow cold," interesting. 20:01 It must mean that at one time they love the Lord, right? 20:04 If their love is going to grow cold, 20:07 they must have had hot love before. 20:09 Now notice this statement 20:11 from "Last Day Events," page 173. 20:15 "There will be a shaking of the sieve. 20:18 The chaff must in time be separated from the wheat. 20:23 Because iniquity abounds, the love of many waxes cold. 20:29 It is the very time when the genuine will be the strongest." 20:35 In another very significant statement 20:37 in the devotional book, "Lift Him Up," 20:39 page 310, we find these words. 20:43 "The Lord Jesus, on the Mount of Olives," 20:46 notice she's going back to Matthew 24. 20:48 "The Lord Jesus, on the Mount of Olives, 20:50 plainly stated that 'because iniquity shall abound, 20:55 the love of many shall wax cold."' 20:59 Who is Jesus talking about when He says, 21:01 "The love of many will wax cold?" 21:04 Is she talking about the world links 21:05 or is she talking about professed Christians? 21:08 Notice what she continues saying, 21:10 "He" that is Jesus "speaks of a class 21:15 who have fallen from a high state of spirituality." 21:20 So did they have a high state of spirituality? 21:23 Yes. She says, "He speaks of a class 21:26 who have fallen from a high state of spirituality. 21:29 Let such utterances as these come home with solemn, 21:34 searching power to our hearts. 21:36 Where is the fervor," she asks. 21:39 "The devotion to God that corresponds 21:41 to the greatness of the truth which we claim to believe? 21:45 The love of the world, the love of some darling sin, 21:49 has weaned the heart from the love of prayer 21:53 and of meditation on sacred things. 21:56 A formal round of religious services is kept up, 22:00 but where is the love of Jesus?" 22:03 She says, "Spirituality is dying." 22:09 Do you think she is describing pretty accurately 22:11 what's happening in the Christian world today? 22:14 You know, you look at the divorce rate 22:16 in the Christian world it's practically 22:19 identical to what it is in the church. 22:23 You look at the problem of pornography, 22:26 is just as much a problem in the church 22:28 as it is outside the church. 22:30 You look for the issue of entertainment. 22:33 Christians entertain themselves with the same things 22:36 that the world entertains themselves with. 22:38 And yet, you know, people go to church. 22:40 They continue their round of ceremonies 22:42 but they look like they're alive to use the words of revelation 22:47 but they're actually dead in their spiritual experience. 22:52 Now you remember that in Matthew Chapter 24 Jesus says, 22:54 "You're gonna need patience when all of these things come." 22:57 In fact, He says, "We need patience for three reasons. 23:00 Number one, because of the deceptions of Satan. 23:02 Number two, because of the persecution. 23:04 And number three, because there's a tendency 23:07 for the love to wax cold." 23:09 So Jesus says, "You need to have patience." 23:11 And by the way the word, "patience" 23:13 there should better be translated endurance. 23:16 It's that Greek word "Hupomone." 23:19 It's different than the word that is translated 23:21 long suffering in the King James Version. 23:23 It's referring rather to being perseverant 23:28 in the face of tremendous trials. 23:31 And then you'll notice that Jesus speaks 23:34 about a final preaching of the gospel. 23:36 Now I want you to notice three elements 23:38 that Jesus mentions when He speaks 23:40 about the gospel going to all of the world back then. 23:44 Matthew 24: 14, "And this gospel of the kingdom 23:50 will be preached in all the world." 23:52 Now notice you have the gospel, 23:54 it's gonna be preached where? 23:56 "In all the world as a witness to all nations." 24:00 And then what? "And then the end will come." 24:02 I want you to notice three elements here. 24:04 "The gospel preached to all nations, 24:07 and then the end comes." 24:09 Does the Book of Revelation have something 24:11 very similar to this in the end time? 24:14 Notice Revelation 14: 6, 7. Revelation 14: 6, 7. 24:21 "Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, 24:26 having the everlasting," what? Same word. 24:28 "The everlasting gospel to preach to those 24:31 who dwell on the earth, to every nation, 24:33 tribe, tongue, and people." 24:35 Is that the same thing that we found in Matthew 24:38 that it's going to go to all of the world? Yes. 24:40 But now I want you to notice that in Revelation, 24:43 you have something that explains what this gospel is verse 7. 24:50 "Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, 24:53 and give glory to Him, 24:55 for the hour of His judgment has come." 24:57 And now notice. 24:59 "And worship Him who made heaven, 25:01 and earth, the sea, and the springs of water." 25:05 What does this gospel call people to do? 25:07 It calls people to fear God, to give glory to God 25:12 because we're in the judgment 25:14 and to worship the what? 25:17 To worship the creator. Now let me ask you, 25:19 what is the sign of the creator according to scripture? 25:24 According to the Bible, God established a sign 25:26 at the very beginning to remind us of the creator 25:29 and that sign was His Holy Sabbath. 25:33 So when the gospel is preached to the whole world, 25:36 it's preached in the context of bringing honor 25:39 to the creator by keeping 25:41 His holy Sabbath in honor of Him. 25:44 And then if you continue reading the Three Angles' Messages, 25:47 later on you'll find Jesus sitting on a cloud 25:50 and He has a sickle in His hand and He's returning to the earth. 25:53 The end has come when the Three Angles' Messages 25:57 are proclaimed to the world. 26:00 I want to read a statement that we find 26:01 in "Desire of Ages," page 633. 26:05 "In the prophecy of Jerusalem's destruction Christ said, 26:10 'Because iniquity shall abound, 26:12 the love of many shall wax cold. 26:15 But he that shall endure unto the end, 26:18 the same shall be saved. 26:20 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached 26:22 in all the world for a witness unto all nations, 26:25 and then shall the end come."' 26:27 She's quoting Matthew 24 and then she says this, 26:30 "This prophecy will again be fulfilled. 26:34 The abounding iniquity of that day 26:37 finds its counterpart in this generation. 26:41 So with the prediction in regard 26:43 to the preaching of the gospel. 26:45 Before the fall of Jerusalem, Paul, 26:48 writing by the Holy Spirit, declared 26:50 that the gospel was preached to 'every creature 26:53 which is under heaven.' So now" 26:56 she says, "before the coming of the Son of man, 26:58 the everlasting gospel is to be preached 27:02 'to every nation, kindred, and tongue, and people."' 27:07 So let me ask you, is the sequence of events 27:09 in the end time going to be the same 27:12 as the sequence of events 27:13 that led to the destruction of Jerusalem? Absolutely. 27:18 It is like a carbon copy except that in the end time, 27:22 these things are going to be fulfilled 27:24 not in a little region of the Middle East 27:27 but they're going to be fulfilled on a worldwide scale. 27:31 They're not gonna be fulfilled with literal Israel 27:33 who claim to be God's people 27:34 but they're gonna fulfilled with the Christian church 27:38 on a global scale. 27:40 Now we need to dedicate the rest of our time 27:43 together to talk about 27:44 the abomination of desolation in prophecy. 27:49 Now let me review what the abomination 27:52 was before the destruction of Jerusalem. 27:54 You remember that the Roman standards had an eagle. 27:58 The eagle was facing right. 28:00 There was a golden wreath around the eagle representing the sun. 28:06 And when the Roman armies came, they put these standards 28:10 in the ground and they worshipped their standards. 28:14 In this case, they were 28:15 worshipping the sun god, Mithras. 28:19 Now you say how in the world 28:21 could this be fulfilled in the end time? 28:23 I'm gonna share with you some very remarkable things 28:26 now about the United States of America. 28:31 I don't know if you have a $1 bill, 28:32 but if you have a $1 bill, you can take it out 28:35 and I am going to review some very interesting things 28:38 that we find on our $1 bill. 28:41 I don't know whether you've taken the time to really 28:43 take a look at what we have on the obverse 28:46 and on the reverse side. 28:48 And by the way after all of you have your $1 bill out, 28:51 we'll call the deacons forward and we'll pickup an offering. 28:55 This was actually a way for me to trick you 28:57 into getting an offering tonight. 28:59 No, I'm just kidding. Now I want you to notice 29:03 the $1 bill if you have one, you're gonna understand 29:06 a lot better what I'm gonna talk about. 29:09 Allow me to say something about 29:12 what is on the obverse side or the front side 29:15 of what is known as the Great Seal of the United States. 29:19 Before we look at the specific symbols 29:22 that we have on the $1bill, I'm gonna tell you a little bit 29:24 about the history of how this seal came into existence. 29:29 By the way, the two circles are the front side 29:31 and the back side of the Great Seal. 29:34 The Great Seal or the state of arms of the United States 29:37 is the official emblem of our country. 29:41 It is placed on all judicial, legislative, 29:44 and executive proclamations. 29:47 It certifies and authenticates 29:50 all official acts of the United States Government. 29:54 And it is to be found as an official seal 29:56 on all of the laws and statutes of the United States. 30:02 Now this seal was created very early 30:06 in the history of our Republic. 30:07 In fact, on July 4, 1776, 30:10 the very day of the declaration of independence, 30:13 a committee of three men got together 30:15 to decide what seal to create 30:19 representing the authority of the United States. 30:22 The committee was composed of Benjamin Franklin, 30:25 Thomas Jefferson, and John Adams. 30:28 And, of course, you know, Benjamin Franklin 30:32 being the loving guy, that he was, 30:33 he wanted a turkey to represent the United States. 30:35 I'm glad that the others didn't listen to him. 30:38 But anyway, after this first meeting, 30:41 everything was tabled. 30:42 They didn't make a decision. 30:44 After three additional committee meetings, 30:47 finally, the seal that we have on our $1 bill 30:50 was adopted on June 28, 1872. 30:55 So this seal is not a recent innovation. 30:58 It goes back to the very routes 31:00 of the history of the United States. 31:03 Now let's take a look at what the obverse side 31:07 of the seal contains, 31:08 the obverse side means the front side. 31:11 You'll notice that the front side has an eagle, right? 31:16 Which direction is the eagle facing? 31:19 He's facing right. How are his wings? 31:24 They are outstretched. 31:26 What is above the head of the eagle? 31:30 A sunburst, the sun breaking through the clouds. 31:35 And what does the eagle have in his talon? Arrows. 31:41 Now does this sound very similar to the eagles of Rome? 31:47 It's almost identical to the eagles of Rome. 31:50 Then you say, why would the United States 31:52 adopt the eagle and the sunburst as its symbol? 31:57 Very significant that it's a sunburst, 31:59 an eagle and a sunburst. 32:01 And by the way, in the Bible, the eagle and the sun 32:04 are very closely related even in the Bible. 32:07 In Malachi 4:1 it speaks about 32:09 "The sun of righteousness will rise in with healing in its" 32:13 what? "With healing in its wings." 32:15 Notice the words of Whitney Smith, 32:18 who is an expert on world flags, 32:20 what he says about the eagle and the sun as an emblem. 32:26 He says, "In a large number of lands 32:29 the sun is associated not so much with independence 32:33 but with the promises it brings in the 'dawn of a new day.'" 32:38 It's interesting that after 32:40 the constitutional convention in 1787, 32:43 a special chair was prepared for George Washington 32:47 to sit in there and you can actually see the chair. 32:50 It's called the "Rising Sun Chair." 32:53 And on the back rest, at the very top, 32:56 you have this sun and you don't really know 32:58 whether it's rising or whether it's setting. 33:01 Benjamin Franklin who was present there 33:03 said this as he looked at this sun. 33:07 He said, "I have often looked at that sun 33:10 behind the president without being able to tell 33:14 whether it was rising or setting. 33:17 But now at length I have the happiness to know 33:20 that it is a rising and not a setting sun." 33:24 Because the constitutional convention had been successful, 33:27 he says, there's nothing but peace and prosperity 33:31 ahead for this new nation. 33:35 Interesting that Ellen White in the book "Great Controversy," 33:38 Page 588 and 589, says that "In the end time, 33:43 the religious world will believe 33:45 that by the imposition of the day of the sun, 33:48 this will bring a new day 33:51 of peace and prosperity to the world. 33:54 Some people might say, "Well, Pastor Bohr, 33:56 but that's a coincidence, 33:57 that's a stretch to say that the seal, 33:59 the Great Seal of the United States, 34:01 is related to the standards of the Romans. 34:05 How can you make that connection?" 34:07 Well, the fact is that it's not coincidental. 34:11 Even though Rome and the United States 34:13 are separated in time, in culture, 34:16 in language, and in religion, we know for a fact, 34:20 that there is a definite connection 34:22 between the Roman standard 34:23 and the Great Seal of the United States. 34:26 And we know this for three reasons. 34:28 Number one, we already notice that Matthew 24 34:31 has a twofold application. 34:33 It applies to the Roman standards 34:36 when Jerusalem was gonna be destroyed 34:38 and it must have also an end time application. 34:42 Secondly, we're gonna notice that the United States 34:44 itself says that it got this symbol from Rome. 34:48 And, finally, we're gonna notice that Ellen White confirms 34:52 what we find from the testimony of the United States itself 34:55 and from the testimony of Matthew Chapter 24 34:58 that this emblem that the United States adopted 35:02 she borrowed directly from Rome. 35:05 Allow me to read you a statement from Whitney Smith 35:09 who is an expert on world flags. 35:12 In fact, he wrote in his book 35:13 "Flags through the Ages and Across the World" 35:16 page 314, this is what he says, 35:18 "The neo-classical spirit of America 35:22 at the end of the eighteenth century 35:25 looked to the ancient Roman Republic 35:28 for many symbols." What did the United States do? 35:32 It looked to the ancient Roman Republic 35:34 for many symbols, including 35:38 the name of the Upper Chamber of Congress." 35:43 Which by the way is the Senate. 35:44 Where does that name come from? 35:46 Rome. He continues saying, 35:49 "In Rome the eagle began as a republican symbol. 35:55 Hence Americans chose their native bald eagle 35:59 for the National Arms in 1782." 36:02 What Whitney Smith is saying 36:04 is that the founders of this country 36:07 when they establish the seal, 36:09 they were directly borrowing from the eagle 36:12 that was on the standards that the Rome legions had. 36:17 Now let's take a look at the reverse side of the Great Seal. 36:21 That's the other circle that you have on the $1 bill. 36:24 You'll notice that on the other side, 36:26 you have what is called a Saqqarat. 36:29 A Saqqarat is an unfinished pyramid. 36:32 And above the pyramid, 36:34 you have what is called the eye of providence. 36:37 And what is circling the eye of providence? 36:42 It is actually the rays of what? 36:45 The rays of the sun. 36:47 And by the way, you'll notice 36:48 that the pyramid has thirteen Strada. 36:52 Thirteen is a very significant number 36:55 in the world of the occult. 36:57 In fact, it's a Masonic symbol. 37:00 And the idea of the unfinished pyramid is the idea, 37:03 you know, the Freemasons begin 37:06 actually in the times of Solomon, 37:08 they claim to come into existence at the time of Solomon 37:12 when Solomon's temple was built. 37:14 And so the unfinished pyramid is actually a Masonic symbol. 37:17 The eye of providence is actually the eye of Lucifer. 37:22 I don't have time to get into that. 37:23 And the rays of the sun are coming 37:26 from the eye providence. 37:30 Now it's interesting that Henry Wallace 37:33 who was vice president under Franklin Roosevelt 37:36 suggested that the Great Seal be placed on a coin. 37:40 But Roosevelt said, "No, we shouldn't place it on a coin. 37:45 We should place it on the $1 bill." 37:47 And by the way, Henry Wallace and Franklin Roosevelt 37:52 were both Thirty-Second Degree Masons. 37:54 In case you didn't know that. 37:56 And it's interesting that from 1935 on, 38:01 this emblem was actually placed on the $1 bill 38:05 instead of placing it on a coin. 38:07 Now you'll notice another connection with Rome 38:10 between this seal and what we find 38:13 with the ancient Roman Empire. 38:14 Have you noticed the three inscriptions on the seal? 38:19 You have three inscriptions and what language are they in? 38:23 Why aren't they in English? 38:24 This is the United States of America. 38:27 They're all in Latin. You have Novus Ordo Seclorum 38:31 which means a new world order incidentally. 38:33 You thought that George Bush, 38:35 the first George Bush coined that one? 38:37 No, it's on our Great Seal. 38:40 The second one is Annuit Coeptis, 38:42 which means "He has favored our undertaking." 38:45 And the third is E Pluribus Unum, 38:47 out of the many one. 38:50 Let me ask you, which Empire of Antiquity 38:52 had Latin as its language? Rome. 38:55 Also, under the pyramid, 38:57 is the date 1776 in Roman numerals? 39:02 How many of you have ever visited Washington, D.C.? 39:05 What kind of architecture do you have in Washington, D.C.? 39:09 It's Roman architecture. 39:12 And it's filled with monuments just like Ancient Rome 39:17 was filled with monuments. 39:19 Many of the inscriptions on the monuments are in Latin 39:22 and dates are placed with Roman numerals. 39:26 Interestingly enough, the upper chamber of congress 39:30 is called the senate. 39:31 And those who serve in there are called senators. 39:35 Where does that come from? It comes from Rome. 39:38 In fact, do you know 39:40 that in the early history of the United States Republic, 39:43 they didn't wanna call the armed forces, armies? 39:47 It was distasteful to call them armies. 39:49 And so early they called them legions. 39:53 Do you know that originally 39:55 the armies of the United States were called legions? 39:56 By the way, we still have 39:58 the American legion that comes from this? 40:00 Where did they get that terminology from, legions, 40:04 the armies of the United States? 40:05 They got it from Rome. 40:07 By the way, in the early constitutional period 40:10 of the history of the United States, 40:12 many flags were made that were very interesting. 40:16 In fact, there was one flag that was never made. 40:18 Allow me to tell you first of all about that one. 40:20 General Knoxx suggested that a flag be made 40:24 with a life-sized eagle on it. 40:27 And it would be called the standard of the legion. 40:30 The flag was never made but a few years later in 1791, 40:35 a flag was made which was similar to the one 40:37 which General Knoxx suggested that should be made. 40:40 The name of that flag in 1791 was the Standard of the Eagle. 40:47 Now was that interesting or what? 40:48 The standard of the eagle. 40:51 Believe it or not, I have pictures of this. 40:53 On this flag, there is an eagle. 40:55 He's facing right. He has arrows in his talons. 40:59 His wings are outspread 41:02 and there is a huge sunburst above his head. 41:07 There are dozens of flags 41:09 in the early constitutional period of the United States 41:12 that have this phenomenon. 41:15 You say, "Well, Pastor Bohr, 41:17 okay, there is this connection between the Roman standard 41:22 and The Great Seal of the United States." 41:26 What does that have to say-- 41:27 have to do with the fulfillment of prophecy? 41:30 Allow me to go through it as quickly as I can. 41:34 There is a direct transmission of apostate religion 41:41 from ancient Babylon 41:45 to the United States of America today. 41:49 And I want to go through that. 41:50 By the way, this is all documented historically. 41:53 If anybody is interested in the specific documentation, 41:56 I can share it with you. 41:59 You see, in ancient Babylon, 42:00 the God that was worshipped was the sun god. 42:02 His name was Marduk. 42:03 In fact, the image that Nebuchadnezzar 42:05 raised up was made all of gold. 42:07 The ancients called gold the dew of the sun. 42:10 In another words, when everybody there 42:13 bowed before the image of Nebuchadnezzar, 42:14 they were bowing before the sun god Marduk. 42:18 Now when Babylon fell on the night 42:21 that Belteshazzar was killed, 42:24 Babylon came under the leadership of Medo-Persia. 42:28 And there were several of the Priests of Babylon 42:31 who remained in Babylon, 42:33 but several kings of the Persian kingdom 42:36 were unhappy with this religion 42:38 that Babylon had because it was polytheistic. 42:40 In other words, they believed in many Gods. 42:42 The Persians believed only in one good God. 42:45 And so two of the kings, Darius and Xerxes 42:50 massacred these religious leaders of Babylon 42:53 and they fled, they all fled, 42:55 the ones that were remaining, 42:56 to the city of Pergamum in Asia Minor. 43:00 Now you say why is that significant 43:02 that they fled to Pergamum in Asia Minor? 43:05 For the simple reason that in the year 63 BC, 43:09 the great Roman General Pompey 43:11 led a military campaign to Asia Minor to Pergamum. 43:16 And while he was in Pergamum, 43:18 he adopted the eagle 43:20 as the official emblem of the Roman armies. 43:24 And he also adopted the god that was worshipped there 43:28 which was the God Mithras, the sun god. 43:31 But that sun god Mithras actually came from Babylon 43:35 when the priests fled to Pergamum, 43:37 so that they would not be slaughtered. 43:40 The interesting thing is that Rome 43:43 then adopted this apostate religion 43:46 that was transferred from Babylon to Pergamum. 43:50 Now the early church fathers, 43:52 and when I talk about the early church fathers, I'm talking 43:54 about the second and third century of the Christian Church, 43:58 began to celebrate Sunday in honor of the resurrection. 44:03 In fact, they celebrated sunrise services 44:07 in honor of the resurrection. 44:10 Now in the fourth century, 44:11 a man by the name of Constantine 44:13 the great was a worshipper of Mithras. 44:16 He called this god Deus Sol Invictus 44:20 which is the invincible sun. 44:24 And he noticed that Christians celebrated 44:27 early Sunday morning services 44:29 in honor of the resurrection of their God. 44:31 And he said, "You know, 44:32 we could kill two birds with one stone here. 44:34 You know, we could have the Romans honor 44:38 the first day of the week 44:40 because of their god Mithras 44:42 and we could have the Christians honor their God 44:45 because he resurrected on the first day of the week. 44:48 And in this way, we can unite the Roman Empire." 44:52 In other words, Constantine was a shrewd politician 44:55 and he saw in this observance of the day of the sun 45:00 a way of uniting the empire. 45:02 And so in the year 321 AD, Constantine gave a Sunday Law, 45:09 and in that Sunday Law, 45:11 he said that everyone was supposed to rest 45:14 on the venerable day of the sun. 45:19 Now that was mainly a civil observance. 45:21 But later on in the council of Constantinople in 381, 45:26 we find a definite decree given by the emperor 45:30 that Sunday was to be kept 45:32 as a day of rest, religiously speaking. 45:36 Now interestingly enough, the day of the sun 45:39 was then picked up by the Roman Catholic papacy. 45:43 It was continued throughout the middle ages. 45:45 In fact, the Bible speaks about this 45:47 when it says that the little horn 45:49 thought that he could change what? 45:50 That he could change the times and the law. 45:54 In other words it was imbibed 45:55 from ancient Rome via Constantine. 45:59 By the way, it's the church of Pergamum also in Revelation 46:03 that is the transitional church spiritually speaking. 46:06 And so was transferred to the papacy 46:08 and in the 16th century, 46:10 Protestants were born from the Catholic Church. 46:14 And they felt that this custom of keeping the day of the sun 46:18 was too entrenched in Christianity 46:21 to be able to change it. 46:22 There were so many reformers 46:24 that believed that the Sabbath was the day 46:25 that you're supposed to keep. 46:27 But it was so entrenched in Christianity, that they believed 46:30 that it would be impossible to change it. 46:31 And so Protestantism continued the practice 46:35 of keeping Sunday in honor of the resurrection of Christ 46:39 instead of keeping the Holy Sabbath. 46:43 So what I'm saying is that this practice of sun worship 46:50 or worshipping on the day of the sun 46:52 was transferred from Babylon to Pergamum to Rome 46:57 through Constantine to papal Rome 46:59 and then it was transferred to Protestantism. 47:02 And by the way, when the Puritans 47:04 came to the United States, 47:06 they brought this practice to the United States of America 47:10 and they actually imposed Sunday. 47:12 They are known as blue laws in Colonial America 47:16 because they have brought this from Europe. 47:20 Now what I'm saying is that in the end time, 47:23 this country represented by the eagle and the sun, 47:27 that acquired its emblems from ancient Rome 47:32 is going to repudiate its constitution 47:36 and is going to impose a National Sunday Law. 47:40 And you say, Pastor Bohr, 47:42 what you're saying is absolutely ridiculous. 47:45 Well, if you think it's so ridiculous, 47:47 I invite you to come to our next lecture 47:50 because do you know that in 1888 47:53 in these United States of America, 47:56 a National Sunday Law was almost enacted? 48:00 Did you know that people went to jail 48:04 and people were punished with fines 48:07 in different places of the United States 48:09 because they did not observe the day of the sun 48:12 as the day of worship in the United States? 48:16 And many of the things that happened around 1888 48:19 are happening in the Protestant world today 48:21 particularly among conservative Protestants. 48:24 So don't think that this is just something wild. 48:26 You know, this could never happen. 48:28 This is the land of the free and the home of the brave, 48:31 everything is gonna be fine. 48:33 This has been attempted once before 48:35 and it is going to be attempted once again. 48:41 Now allow me to read you some interesting statements 48:43 from Ellen White on this point. 48:45 Are you seeing the connection between the eagle and the sun 48:48 and ancient Rome and the United States 48:50 and the day of the sun etcetera? 48:52 Notice in the Book "Maranatha" page 179 48:55 this remarkable statement. 48:58 When the land, speaking of the United States. 49:01 "When the land which the Lord provided 49:03 as an asylum for His people, 49:05 that they might worship Him 49:07 according to the dictates of their own consciences, 49:10 the land over which for long years 49:13 the shield of Omnipotence has been spread," 49:17 see this country, God has had his shield 49:19 of Omnipotence upon this country. 49:22 "The land which God has favored 49:24 by making it the depository of the pure religion of Christ-- 49:28 when that land shall through its legislators, 49:33 abjure" that is abandon, 49:35 "the principles of Protestantism, 49:37 and give countenance to Romish apostasy 49:41 in tampering with God's law-- 49:43 it is then that the final work 49:46 of the man of sin will be revealed. 49:49 Protestants will throw their whole influence 49:52 and strength on the side of the Papacy, 49:55 by a national act" what is a national act? 49:59 It has to be done by whom? 50:01 By congress, that's right. 50:02 "By a national act enforcing the false Sabbath," 50:05 see there is where you have the standards with the eagle 50:08 and the sun and by the way this law will be sealed 50:11 with this Great Seal of the United States. 50:14 She says "By a national act enforcing the false Sabbath, 50:17 they will give life and vigor to the corrupt faith of Rome, 50:21 reviving her tyranny and oppression of conscience. 50:25 Then it will be time for God to work in mighty power 50:29 for the vindication of His truth." 50:32 In another statement "Testimonies for the Church" 50:34 Volume 5 page 451 she says this 50:38 "By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy 50:42 in violation of the law of God, 50:45 our nation will disconnect herself 50:47 fully from righteousness." 50:49 Is that what happened to Israel when Jerusalem was destroyed? 50:52 Did they disconnect themselves fully from righteousness? Yes. 50:56 She continues saying "When Protestantism 50:59 shall stretch her hand across the gulf 51:01 to grasp the hand of the Roman power, 51:04 when she shall reach over the abyss 51:06 to clasp hands with spiritualism, 51:09 when, under the influence of this threefold union, 51:12 our country shall repudiate 51:15 every principle of its Constitution 51:17 as a Protestant and republican government, 51:20 and shall make provision for the propagation 51:23 of papal falsehoods and delusions, 51:26 then we may know that the time has come 51:28 for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near. 51:32 And now notice the comparison she makes. 51:36 "As the approach of the Roman armies 51:39 was a sign to the disciples 51:42 of the impending destruction of Jerusalem, 51:44 so may this apostasy." 51:47 She's speaking about the day of the sun, the day of worship. 51:50 "So may this apostasy be a sign to us 51:54 that the limit of God's forbearance is reached, 51:57 that the measure of our nation's iniquity is full, 52:00 and that the angel of mercy 52:01 is about to take her flight, never to return." 52:04 You remember, when Jesus left the temple said 52:07 "Your house is left unto you desolate." 52:10 She says "The people of God will then be plunged 52:12 into those scenes of affliction and distress 52:15 which the prophets have described 52:17 as the time of Jacob's trouble." 52:18 Notice that immediately after 52:20 she speaks about this Sunday Law, 52:23 the day of the sun imposed by law in the United States 52:26 following the example of Rome, 52:28 where it was gotten from, 52:30 she speaks about the time of trouble. 52:31 Have you ever read in Matthew Chapter 24 52:33 immediately after it speaks 52:34 about the abomination of desolation, 52:36 it says, "Then those who are in Judea what? 52:39 Flee to the mountains, now comes the tribulations 52:42 such as never has been seen." 52:44 Now I wanna read one other statement 52:45 "Testimonies for the Church" Volume 5 pages 464 and 465. 52:51 This is a very significant one. 52:54 She says "The time is not far distant, 52:56 when, like the early disciples, 52:59 we shall be forced to seek a refuge 53:01 in desolate and solitary places. 53:04 As the siege of Jerusalem by the Roman armies 53:09 was the signal for flight to the Judean Christians, 53:13 so the assumption of power on the part of our nation 53:18 in the decree enforcing the papal Sabbath 53:21 will be a warning to us." 53:22 Do you see the connection that she's making here? 53:25 The siege by the Roman armies represents what? 53:29 It represents the moment where the United States 53:32 shall enforce the papal Sabbath which is the day of the what? 53:35 The day of the sun. 53:37 Then she says "It will then be time to leave the large cities, 53:41 preparatory to leaving the smaller ones 53:44 for retired homes in secluded places among the mountains." 53:50 And thus national apostasy will need to national ruin. 53:54 Notice "Last Day Events" page 133. 53:57 She says "The people of the United States 53:59 have been a favored people, 54:02 but when they restrict religious liberty, 54:05 surrender Protestantism, and give countenance to popery," 54:10 that's a term that was used 54:11 for the papacy in her day and age. 54:15 "The measure of their guilt of the United Sates 54:19 will be full, and the "national apostasy" 54:24 will be registered in the books of heaven." 54:27 "Last Day Events" 133 and 134, 54:30 she says "When our nation, in its legislative councils, 54:34 shall enact laws to bind the consciences of men 54:38 in regard to their religious privileges, 54:41 enforcing Sunday observance, 54:43 and bringing oppressive power to bear 54:46 against those who keep the seventh-day Sabbath, 54:48 the law of God will, to all intents 54:51 and purposes be made void in our land, 54:55 and national apostasy will be followed by national ruin." 54:59 That's another way of saying 55:01 abomination will be followed by what? 55:04 By desolation. 55:05 Let me ask you God's people who flee, 55:07 which day are they gonna be keeping? 55:10 Pray that your flight might not be 55:14 in the winter or on the what? 55:17 Or on the Sabbath Day. 55:18 Interesting, that back then 55:21 God's people who fled were keeping the Sabbath. 55:24 How about in the end time, 55:25 what day are God's people gonna be keeping? 55:27 The Sabbath. 55:29 And then like Matthew 24 describes this time of trouble 55:33 such as never was since there was a nation. 55:35 And it said, Jesus says, 55:37 "There that if these days are not cut short, 55:39 no flesh would be left alive." 55:41 Allow me to read you one final statement 55:43 "Great Controversy" page 614, 55:45 where Ellen White describes 55:47 what the world is gonna be like after probation closes. 55:50 She says, "When He leaves the sanctuary, 55:52 darkness covers the inhabitants of the earth. 55:55 In that fearful time the righteous must live 55:58 in the sight of a holy God without a mediator. 56:01 The restraint which has been upon the wicked is removed, 56:05 and Satan has entire control of the finally impenitent." 56:09 That's what happened in Jerusalem. 56:12 God withdrew His presence. 56:14 And Jerusalem she says that the people became satanic. 56:17 She continues saying, "God's long-suffering has ended. 56:21 The world has rejected His mercy, 56:23 despised His love, and trampled upon His law. 56:27 The wicked have passed the boundary of their probation, 56:30 the Spirit of God, persistently resisted, 56:34 has been at last withdrawn. 56:36 Unsheltered by divine grace," 56:39 that's quite an expression "unsheltered by divine grace, 56:42 they have no protection from the wicked one. 56:45 Satan will then plunge the inhabitants of the earth 56:48 into one great, final trouble. 56:52 As the angels of God cease to hold 56:54 in check the fierce winds of human passion, 56:57 all the elements of strife will be let loose. 57:02 The whole world will be involved in a ruin more terrible 57:07 than that which came upon Jerusalem of old." 57:12 Do you see how she's comparing what's gonna happen at the end 57:14 with what happened to Jerusalem of old? 57:17 That's why, folks, we need to make a decision 57:19 that we're going to obey the Lord, 57:20 all of the law of the Lord because we love Him, 57:23 including the Sabbath. 57:24 That's why He calls the end time 57:26 generation to worship the Creator. |
Revised 2014-12-17