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00:10 Hi, friends.
00:12 You know, the modern flags that we see 00:14 flying from the top of capital buildings 00:16 right in front of patriotic homes 00:18 really stem back from the times of battles 00:20 being fought between warring nations. 00:23 These beautifully designed and intricately colored banners 00:26 were flown high above the battlefield, 00:28 so the warring forces were able to identify amid the chaos, 00:31 and the smoke, and the fog of war 00:33 where their forces were rallied 00:35 and where they were fighting the battle. 00:36 And if you could capture your enemy's flag, 00:39 it was considered the highest honor. 00:41 I wonder if that's where we got the game "Capture the flag". 00:45 With the changes in war, 00:46 now these flags also represent 00:48 a little more of the demarcation 00:50 and identification of different nationalities. 00:53 Today the flags that represent 00:54 the different nations of the world 00:55 are very colorful and diverse. 00:57 And all of the colors 00:58 and the shapes have a specific meaning. 01:00 They're easy to distinguish and recognize from one another. 01:03 Perhaps one of the most interesting flags in the world 01:06 is the flag of the Philippines. 01:08 This is unique 01:09 because it is flown differently in times of peace 01:12 than it is in times of war. 01:14 During times of peace, 01:15 the Filipino flag that's composed 01:17 red, white, blue, and yellow 01:19 is flown with a blue side up. 01:21 But in times of war, 01:22 they flip it around and the red side is up 01:25 because there they're willing to make sacrifices 01:28 of their blood to defend the freedom of the country. 01:31 In the same way that an embassy 01:33 that is situated in a foreign country flies their flag 01:37 while still surrounded by another nation, 01:39 Christians are supposed to have the flag of God's love 01:42 flying in this fallen world. 01:44 You can read in the book, Song of Solomon 2:4, 01:47 "His banner over me is love." 01:50 Love is the flag that identifies Christians 01:52 as a unique kingdom even here in the world. 01:55 So, friend, the big question is, 01:57 how are you flying your flag? 02:06 Let's face it, it's not always easy 02:09 to understand everything you read in the Bible. 02:11 With over 700,000 words contained in 66 books, 02:15 the Bible can generate a lot of questions. 02:18 To get biblical straightforward answers, 02:20 call into Bible Answers Live, 02:22 a live nationwide call-in radio program 02:25 where you can talk to Pastor Doug Batchelor 02:27 and ask him your most difficult Bible questions. 02:29 For times and stations in your area 02:32 or to listen to answers online, visit Bal.AmazingFacts.org. 03:17 Welcome to Sabbath School Study Hour. 03:19 I am so excited that you are tuning in. 03:22 Our international family, 03:24 our family across North America, 03:26 we are so excited that you have joined us 03:28 for entire Sabbath School Study Hour, 03:30 coming to you from the Granite Bay 03:32 Seventh-day Adventist Church 03:33 currently located in Rocklin, California. 03:36 We are studying together on the end of time 03:41 and that will be our lesson today. 03:44 Lesson number 11, God's Seal or the Beast's Mark. 03:48 So stay tuned, but before we get into our lesson study, 03:51 we're going to sing. 03:52 And we want you to join us on one of our favorites. 03:56 Every week I say it's our favorites 03:57 because we truly do. 03:58 We have so many favorites 04:00 and I know that they are yours as well. 04:03 We're going to sing a song that's not in your hymnal 04:06 but the lyrics are on the big screen. 04:08 "Here I am, Lord" and I hope that you pay attention 04:11 to the words that we're singing. 04:13 Here I am, Lord. 04:14 Is it I, Lord? 04:16 Have you called me? 04:17 Are you going for a God? 04:19 I hope that you will sing with us on this beautiful song. 08:36 Thank you so much for joining us. 08:38 And before we have our lesson, 08:40 I'm going to tell you about our free offer 08:42 that we have for you. 08:43 Every week we have something that... 08:46 We've encourage you to write, call, e-mail, 08:50 and now you can text for this. 08:52 It is entitled, "The Mark of the Beast" 08:54 and it goes along with our lesson today. 08:56 And it is free, offer number 127. 09:00 All you have to do, it's very simple, 09:02 is call 866-788-3966, 09:06 which is 866-Study-More. 09:10 Or you can go to Amazing Facts' website AmazingFacts.org. 09:14 And here's the easy one, 09:16 you can text the code "SH049" to 40544. 09:22 Once again, text the code "SH049" to 40544, 09:29 and you can get The Mark of the Beast 09:30 biblical study guide. 09:32 It will answer every question 09:33 that you have ever had about the mark of the beast. 09:36 So go ahead and let us know that you want that, 09:38 and we would love to hear from you. 09:41 Father in heaven, thank you so much for the opportunity 09:44 that we have to be here to open up Your Word 09:46 and study together on this important topic 09:49 of the mark of the beast. 09:50 And I pray that You will make our hearts receptive, 09:54 that we will have listening ears, 09:56 and that You will speak to us. 09:57 We thank You so much 09:58 for our extended family around the world. 10:01 And those that are here with us, here at Granite Bay, 10:04 and be with Pastor and Dr. DeRose. 10:06 We thank You so much 10:07 that he is bringing us our lesson study. 10:09 In Jesus' name, amen. 10:12 At this time, Dr. DeRose will be bringing us our lesson. 10:19 Well, good morning to each one of you. 10:22 We are indeed continuing our study 10:25 through the lesson quarterly, 10:27 "Preparation for the End Time" 10:29 and it is indeed lesson 11, God's Seal or the Beast's Mark? 10:36 God's Seal or the Beast's Mark? 10:45 What do you share when you introduce yourself? 10:49 Someone's meeting you for the first time, 10:51 what kind of things do you reveal about yourself? 10:57 I hear some of you saying, 10:58 well, your name, maybe what kind of work you do, 11:00 maybe where you live, 11:02 but typically we don't go through 11:04 the darker chapters in our life history. 11:08 We wouldn't typically say at a first meeting, 11:10 "We're glad to meet you. 11:11 My great grandmother was a prostitute, 11:14 my great grandfather was a murderer and..." 11:18 You get the picture. 11:23 Open your Bibles to Matthew 1, 11:27 some of you may already realize where I'm headed. 11:31 And we'll see how this fits in with our lesson today 11:34 because it's an unusual way to introduce a book. 11:40 Matthew 1 begins with the genealogy of Jesus. 11:45 And most of you who've looked at this genealogy 11:47 written by someone who was a publican, 11:50 someone, a member of a despised class in Jesus' day, 11:54 that's Matthew, the gospel writer. 11:56 As he writes this genealogy of Jesus, 12:00 he includes some details that many would, no doubt, 12:04 have been tempted to leave out. 12:06 But under inspiration, 12:07 listen to some of the details 12:09 that Matthew brings out in verse 3. 12:12 "Judah begot Perez and Zerah by Tamar, 12:17 Perez begot Hezron, and Hezron begot Ram. 12:20 Ram begot Amminadab, Amminadab begot Nahshon, 12:24 and Nahshon begot Salmon. 12:25 Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, 12:31 Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot David the king. 12:34 David the king begot Solomon by her 12:37 who had been the wife of Uriah." 12:40 Let's just stop there. 12:41 Did you catch over some of the names 12:43 that were mentioned in this genealogy? 12:46 And by the way, those genealogies 12:48 typically just highlighted the men. 12:51 How many of you noticed 12:52 some female names in the genealogy? 12:57 Yes, you heard... 12:59 Which ones? 13:00 Tamar first in verse 3, did you catch that? 13:03 Who was Tamar? 13:06 Yes, she was the daughter-in-law of Judah, 13:09 who disguised herself as a prostitute, 13:12 you can read the story. 13:13 And her father-in-law went into her 13:15 and had an incestuous, if you will, relationship. 13:20 And that was how... 13:22 that lineage dot was completed. 13:29 Who else is mentioned here? 13:32 Rahab, what was Rahab's profession? 13:36 She was a prostitute. 13:39 You mentioned Ruth, Ruth was a gentile, wasn't she? 13:44 Right? 13:45 You remember the story, 13:46 you say, "Well, Ruth sounds like a little bit nobler class, 13:49 but she was a member of a class 13:51 that was hated and cursed, the Moabites. 13:53 You can read about them in the Bible 13:55 and how evil they were to God's people. 13:59 And then you have this mention in verse 6, 14:02 at the end, "David the king begot Solomon by her 14:06 who had been the wife of Uriah." 14:09 Whose name is not even mentioned there? 14:11 Bathsheba. 14:13 But the way is this sounding like a peculiar genealogy? 14:17 But it's the genealogy of who? 14:20 Jesus. 14:21 Jesus coming to our world through brokenness, 14:25 through relationships tainted by sin, 14:28 through a heritage that we would say 14:31 from a human perspective, 14:32 what good can come out of it. 14:35 Now why is there a connection 14:37 between this in our lesson study 14:41 dealing with God's Seal or the Beast's Mark? 14:45 I would like to suggest to you what we've been studying about 14:48 in these last lessons 14:50 is our heritage, is our lineage. 14:54 It's not someone else. 14:55 As a Christian church, 14:56 the lineage of the Christian Church 14:59 goes through the Church of Rome, 15:01 the medieval Roman Church 15:03 that we studied about last week, right? 15:06 For 1260 years, 15:08 we read how those prophecies 15:09 were fulfilled in Daniel and Revelation, 15:12 and the medieval Roman Church, 15:14 sometimes referred to as the papacy 15:16 was persecuting God's people. 15:19 This is the lineage of the Christian Church today. 15:22 Now do some of you have trouble with that? 15:24 Is that really our lineage as Christians? 15:27 Now some of you might say, 15:28 "Well, I'm in the lineage of the Waldenses 15:32 because I'm embracing God's truth." 15:34 But I'm sharing with you the Christian heritage is this. 15:38 And as we come to Revelation 13, 15:40 we looked at it last week as well. 15:43 As we read about those two beasts 15:45 and the image to the beast into the picture 15:47 as we studied last week, this is review. 15:50 Cometh the Protestantism of America, 15:54 again our heritage. 15:56 And so instead of, as we talk about the mark of the beast 16:01 as pointing to someone else, 16:04 I believe that the Bible in the Book of Revelation 16:08 is wanting us to look very carefully 16:10 at our own selves. 16:11 Yes, yes, don't misunderstand what I'm saying. 16:16 The traditional posture that we have taken 16:18 as Seventh-day Adventist is correct. 16:21 The presentation in our free offer, 16:23 The Mark of the Beast is right on target. 16:26 But unfortunately, sometimes things in the Bible 16:30 that have painted historical personages 16:33 and future personages in a less than desirable light 16:38 have led Christians to point fingers. 16:42 I think the message today 16:43 is more necessary than ever before 16:46 because we're in a world that is very sensitive 16:48 about using religion to oppress other people. 16:52 So as we speak today about this important topic, 16:56 we are not pointing fingers 16:57 at any individual or any person 17:00 who has a certain heritage, 17:01 this is our heritage as Christians 17:04 that we're looking at. 17:06 Well, with that background, 17:08 God has been interested in something 17:12 for His people to share, 17:13 not just a heritage that's marred, 17:15 but to be infused with His heritage, 17:19 His line, and His principles. 17:23 In Sunday's lesson, we see that God is anxious 17:26 not only to invite everyone to be His, 17:30 but to seal them, 17:32 but to give them signs that demonstrate their loyalty. 17:37 So the first sign that we're going to look at 17:39 is actually one that was highlighted 17:41 in the Old Testament times 17:43 and it comes to us in a rich, rich heritage. 17:47 Turn in your Bibles to Genesis 16 17:51 as we pick up the storyline. 17:53 I'm turning to Genesis 16, 17:54 this is, of course, the story of Abraham, 17:58 the father of the faithful. 17:59 So again, we're speaking about our heritage. 18:06 Now in Genesis 16, 18:09 we read that there was a problem that Abraham had. 18:13 Now, you say, to just jump in here might be unfair 18:17 and I know these stories are often so familiar, 18:20 but if we were to take the story of Abraham 18:23 from the beginning, we'd start in Genesis 12. 18:27 And in Genesis 12, 18:28 the Lord has this promise that He gives Abraham. 18:31 So let's start there just to make sure 18:33 we're all in the same page. 18:35 Genesis 12:1, 18:38 God speaks, He says, "Get out of your country," 18:41 speaking to Abraham, 18:43 "leave your family, leave your father's house. 18:46 Go to a land that I'll show you, 18:48 I will make you a great nation, 18:49 I will bless you and make your name great. 18:53 You shall be a blessing, 18:54 I will bless those who bless you, 18:56 and I will curse him who curses you, 18:58 and in you all families of the earth shall be blessed." 19:03 Now here's the question, 19:05 God was promising to make of Abraham a great nation, 19:08 of course, he is referred to as Abram here, 19:12 but how many are in Abram's line 19:15 at this point in the story? 19:17 How many children does Abram have? 19:20 He has none. 19:21 And as the story plays out, 19:22 Abram begins to get more and more worried 19:25 about his lack of lineage. 19:28 When we come to chapter 15, Abraham is clearly struggling, 19:33 and so in chapter 15, 19:35 God again comes to Abraham in a vision 19:38 and He says, "Don't be afraid, Abram." 19:41 When do you say to someone "Don't be afraid?" 19:45 When they're afraid, that's right. 19:46 Don't be afraid, Abram's afraid. 19:48 He's afraid of what? 19:49 Listen what God says, "I am your shield, 19:52 I'm your exceeding great reward. 19:54 But Abrams says," he reveals what his fear is. 19:57 He says, "Lord God, what will You give me, 20:01 seeing I go childless 20:04 and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus." 20:07 So he's looking to one of his servants, 20:08 his chief servant, he's saying, 20:10 this is who's going to have to inherit my line. 20:12 Lord, but You promised 20:13 You'd make of me a great nation. 20:18 What does God say? 20:19 Verse 4, "This one shall not be your heir, 20:22 but one who will come from your own body 20:25 shall be your heir." 20:27 And so God keeps repeating this promise 20:30 of an abundant heritage to Abraham. 20:34 Well by the time we come to chapter 16, 20:36 Abraham's really getting worried. 20:38 Now by the way, I should mention, 20:41 one of the key texts in the Bible is Genesis 15:6. 20:46 It is one of the key text in the Bible 20:48 repeated again in the New Testament 20:50 because in Genesis 15:6, 20:53 it says, Abram did what? 20:55 He believed God, 20:56 he believed in the Lord, he trusted God, 20:59 and God counted it to him for righteousness. 21:03 So we speak about righteousness by faith, 21:06 trusting in God that He'll fulfill His promises. 21:09 And really we're getting at the essence of this issue 21:13 of God's seal versus the mark of the beast. 21:15 We're seeing it here in Abraham story 21:17 even though we may not be seeing it clearly just yet. 21:21 When we come to Genesis 16, 21:26 what does Abraham do? 21:30 You know the story, 21:32 Abram still has no children, 21:33 his wife, Sarah, sees there's no children, 21:37 she actually suggest to Abram in 16:2, 21:42 "See now, the Lord has restrained me 21:44 from bearing children. 21:45 Please, go to my maid, 21:47 perhaps I shall obtain children by her." 21:51 Now is this crazy? 21:54 I mean it sounds crazy, doesn't it, to us today? 21:57 But the thing is Sarah believes the promise. 22:00 She believes that Abraham will have children of his own, 22:03 from his own seed, 22:04 and she says, "Well, I can't do it." 22:07 She's not really trusting the Lord either, is she? 22:09 And so they take matters into their own hands, 22:12 and Abraham does have a child, Ishmael. 22:17 Now we're in chapter 17. 22:19 That was all background for where we're headed. 22:23 Abram, now 99 years old, 22:28 and again God appears to him. 22:30 "He says I am Almighty God, 22:32 walk before Me and be blameless. 22:35 And I will make My covenant between Me and you, 22:38 and will multiply your seed exceedingly." 22:41 And as the story plays out, 22:44 God speaks of an everlasting covenant. 22:49 And that covenant will be given not through Ishmael, 22:56 but through a seed that will be born miraculously, 23:00 a child born to Abraham and to Sarah. 23:07 And in this context, in this context, 23:11 God says in Genesis 17:10, 23:15 "This is My covenant which you shall keep 23:18 between Me and you and your descendants after you. 23:23 Every male child among you shall be circumcised, 23:28 and you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, 23:32 and it shall be a sign of the covenant 23:35 between Me and you." 23:38 We're going to have one of our members share 23:41 a verse in just a moment from Romans 4. 23:46 But before we do, I want you to pick up the significance 23:50 of what's happening here. 23:52 What has Abraham just done in chapter 16? 23:56 What has he shown his trust was in? 24:01 His trust was in his flesh, right? 24:04 In himself. 24:06 Abraham trusted in his flesh, 24:08 Sarah trusted in Abraham's flesh. 24:12 And now, what is God asking them to do? 24:16 The sign of the covenant becomes 24:18 a cutting off of the flesh. 24:22 Now you might say, 24:23 "Well, this is being a little bit too graphic." 24:26 But we need to turn in our Bibles 24:28 to Romans, Romans 4. 24:32 We have someone who'll be 24:33 reading that for us, momentarily. 24:36 Romans 4:11 and 12. 24:39 "And he received the sign of circumcision, 24:43 a seal of the righteousness of the faith 24:48 which he had while still uncircumcised, 24:52 that he might be the father of all those who believe, 24:57 though they are uncircumcised, 25:00 that righteousness might be imputed to them also, 25:05 and the father of circumcision 25:08 to those who not only are of the circumcision, 25:12 but who also walk in the steps of the faith 25:16 which our father Abraham had while still uncircumcised." 25:23 Thank you. 25:24 Do you catch the picture here? 25:27 Abraham was righteous by faith in Genesis 15, right? 25:32 And we get to Genesis 17, now God is asking him a sign, 25:37 God is sealing him, it's a seal, 25:40 it's a sign of what? 25:43 Of righteousness by faith. 25:47 Do you catch this? 25:48 It's a sign that he's trusting God, 25:51 he's cutting off his flesh, 25:53 he's saying, "I'm not trusting in what I can do, 25:55 I'm trusting in God's promise." 25:58 And so God gives this beautiful sign, it really is. 26:03 It's a seal as the Apostle Paul put it of what? 26:08 A seal of the righteousness by faith. 26:12 And I'd like to suggest to you 26:13 the essence of God's seal 26:15 always includes this element of trusting in Him 26:19 and righteousness by faith. 26:22 Somehow trying to find our righteousness 26:24 by what we do, but righteousness by what? 26:28 By trusting a God who calls us righteous 26:33 in the midst of our sinfulness, right? 26:40 So we can come to God just as we are. 26:41 He's not content to leave us in sin, right? 26:46 But he sealed Abraham before Abraham was 26:50 perfectly for the child that even been born. 26:52 It was a sign of Abraham's trust in the Father. 26:58 So we see this seal, 27:00 but what's crazy about this outward seal 27:02 is what happened to it. 27:04 What was the history of the Jewish nation? 27:08 By the time we come to the Book of Galatians, 27:10 turn there, the Jews had so perverted this sign, 27:15 this seal of cutting off of the flesh, 27:17 of not depending on the flesh and trusting in God, 27:20 but they began to trust in the sign... 27:24 But it was a sign that they didn't trust in their flesh. 27:26 Does that make any sense at all? 27:30 You say, "You just said that way too quickly, 27:32 how could it make sense to anybody." 27:34 Did you catch it? 27:36 God was saying "You're cutting off the flesh, 27:38 you're not trusting in the flesh, 27:39 it's a sign of righteousness by faith." 27:41 And the Jews are going around saying we are good 27:44 because we are the circumcised, 27:46 we're God's people, 27:47 we are trusting in our flesh in so many words. 27:50 Look with me at Galatians. 27:51 It had gotten so bad, 27:53 the church had become so polarized, 27:54 the early church, and some were thinking 27:58 they had to be circumcised to be saved. 28:01 Paul put it this way, in Galatians 5:2, 28:07 "Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, 28:13 Christ will profit you nothing." 28:17 Now wait a minute, how could that happen? 28:20 How could circumcision go 28:21 from a sign or a seal of righteousness by faith 28:25 to a sign that someone was not trusting in God? 28:30 Yes, because of tradition. 28:31 And because of the misinterpretation 28:33 of the good thing that God had given. 28:35 Now this is really crazy when you think about it. 28:38 God gives a seal or a sign of righteousness by faith 28:41 and His people can pervert it into a sign 28:47 that becomes identified 28:48 with showing our own righteousness by our works. 28:54 Now this is a sobering thought as we continue this study 28:58 because this theme does not stop, 29:02 as we continue to look at this topic of sealing. 29:06 Sunday's lesson doesn't stop with that seal 29:09 because in the New Testament there is another seal, 29:11 another sign that takes the place 29:14 of circumcision if you will. 29:16 Circumcision is set aside as the sign of the covenant, 29:19 as a sign of righteousness by faith 29:21 and in its place is the sign of baptism. 29:25 Turn in your Bible to another of Paul's letters, 29:27 this time we're going to Romans. 29:30 And again, we want to catch this, 29:32 the significance of baptism in Romans 6, Romans 6. 29:43 There are number of passages 29:44 that are mentioned in the lesson study 29:47 but let's highlight this one in particular, 29:52 Roman 6, 29:53 we could begin, well, I'll begin with verse 1, 29:57 we probably should, 29:58 just in case you've misunderstood anything 30:00 I've said to this point. 30:02 Romans 6:1 begins with the question, 30:04 "What shall we say then? 30:05 Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?" 30:11 So by speaking about grace and righteousness by faith, 30:14 we're not setting aside God's law. 30:16 In fact, Paul makes it quite emphatic here. 30:18 He says, he's not condoning sin, 30:22 his answer to that rhetorical question, 30:24 "Shall we continue in sin that grace may be abound?" 30:27 Verse 2, "Certainly not! 30:29 How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? 30:33 And then he speaks about this sign 30:35 or this seal now of baptism. 30:38 "Or do you not know that as many of us 30:41 as were baptized into Christ Jesus 30:43 were baptized into His death? 30:46 Therefore we were buried with Him 30:47 through baptism into death, 30:49 that just as Christ was raised from the dead 30:52 by the glory of the Father, 30:54 even so we also should walk in newness of life." 30:59 So you get the picture here. 31:01 So now our sign of dying to self of identifying 31:05 with Christ's death is baptism. 31:09 So we go into the watery grave in baptism. 31:12 We're fully immersed, we die 31:14 and then we are resurrected up, right? 31:16 That beautiful symbolism. 31:19 And by the way, if you haven't 31:20 been baptized with Bible baptism, 31:23 this is a reminder that this is something 31:26 that God has put His approval on. 31:28 And be sure to talk with one of the elders 31:31 or one of the pastors here 31:33 because this is something that God asks of His people. 31:37 You say, "Wait a minute, if He asked something of us, 31:39 if He asked circumcision of them in the Old Testament, 31:41 then surely it's some work that must save us." 31:45 No, Jesus is complete. 31:49 Paul wrote, "You are complete in Him." 31:53 It's not in our lineage that we trust, 31:55 it's not in the signs that we embrace, 31:58 although God uses those, 32:00 it's in trusting a loving Father. 32:04 Have you thought about it that way? 32:06 So think about it. 32:08 Are there people that will be in the kingdom 32:10 that have never had water baptism? 32:15 You know, Jesus went through every step 32:17 the sinner needed to do. 32:18 And not only was Jesus setting the example there 32:21 at the Jordan when John baptized Him. 32:23 I believe that Jesus was providing 32:25 a sufficient record that can be assumed by anyone 32:32 who is in a situation where they can't be baptized. 32:36 Maybe in an unusual prison setting, 32:38 or maybe on a cross like that thief who died beside Jesus. 32:43 No opportunity to be baptized, was there? 32:46 But Jesus did what? 32:47 He gave him the assurance of salvation. 32:49 Why? 32:51 Because he trusted in Him. 32:54 So God has used signs of the covenant 32:57 throughout history. 32:58 But there are other signs 33:01 that mark people into whose they are. 33:05 We're going to have a scripture reading 33:06 from the Book of Revelation in just a moment 33:08 from Revelation 13:16 and 17. 33:12 But before we go there, just a reminder, 33:15 we've been looking at a drama 33:16 as the Book of Revelation has been playing out. 33:19 And by the way, lest we miss something, 33:21 lest we miss something, some of you think, 33:24 I've been taking liberty with saying 33:27 the heritage of some of these powers, 33:30 and Romans 13 is a heritage we all need to own. 33:35 But turn your Bibles to Revelation 3. 33:38 Those of you who have studied the Book of Revelation 33:40 realize that among the parallel prophecies, 33:43 time prophecies in the Bible 33:46 are the prophecies of the seven churches, 33:48 which, by the way, are actually literal messages 33:50 to seven literal churches in John's day, 33:52 but there are also prophetic 33:54 descriptions of ages of church history. 33:58 And if you study out the seals, 34:00 it parallels this very precisely. 34:03 And as you read through Revelation 2-3, 34:06 in these letters to the seven churches, 34:07 when we come to the seventh church. 34:11 Bible scholars for decades have realized, 34:13 this refers to the last Christian Church era 34:18 when we come to that last or the seventh church 34:21 which is known as the Church of Laodicea. 34:24 So go with me there to Revelation 3:14. 34:30 It says, "These things says the Amen, 34:32 the Faithful and the True Witness, 34:34 the Beginning of the creation of God." 34:38 These are all descriptors of Jesus 34:40 who was revealed to John 1. 34:43 And here is the words of Jesus, verse 15, "I know your works, 34:47 that you are neither cold nor hot. 34:48 Oh, I could wish you were cold or hot. 34:51 So then, because you are lukewarm, 34:53 and neither cold nor hot, 34:54 I will vomit you out of My mouth. 34:57 Because you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, 34:59 and have need of nothing', 35:00 and do not know that you are wretched, 35:02 miserable, poor, blind, and naked, 35:05 I counsel you to buy of Me gold refined in the fire, 35:08 that you may be rich, and white garments, 35:10 that you may be clothed, 35:12 that the shame of your nakedness 35:13 may not be revealed, 35:15 and anoint your eyes with eye salve, 35:18 that you may see. 35:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten." 35:23 And then what is the message? 35:24 What is the summary of that message to the end time church? 35:30 "Be zealous and repent." 35:34 So basically as we read through the Book of Revelation, 35:36 it's not we're putting down a group of people, 35:39 or a church, or a church system 35:42 that we're putting these people down anyone connected with it, 35:45 and we're supposed to walk proudly 35:47 because we have the seal of God 35:48 as we'll look at a little bit later. 35:51 Another of God's seals, 35:54 but it's realizing that we all need to examine ourselves. 35:58 The book is the revelation of what? 36:01 Of Jesus. 36:03 It's not a revelation of how good His people are, 36:05 it's a revelation of how good Jesus is. 36:08 And the ones who stand complete 36:10 will see are the ones who stand complete 36:12 because they are hidden in Jesus, 36:16 hidden in Jesus. 36:18 Revelation 13 brings into focus... 36:23 Just one of the places that brings into focus 36:26 the mark that Satan, 36:29 if you will, has in Satan's kingdom. 36:32 We have someone who's going to read for us 36:33 Revelation 13:16 and 17. 36:38 "And He causes all, 36:39 both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, 36:44 to receive a mark on their right hand 36:46 or on their foreheads, 36:48 and that no one may buy or sell except one 36:51 who has the mark or the name of the beast, 36:54 or the number of his name." 36:56 So again, this is a bit of review 36:58 but it's critical for today's topic. 37:00 We looked last week at the identity of the beast. 37:03 And we saw that it... 37:05 That first beast power in Revelation 13 37:08 applies with particular force to the medieval Roman church, 37:13 sometimes referred to as the institution of the papacy, 37:16 and it's rightly been pointed out, 37:18 and we've tried to allude to this already 37:20 that this is not speaking about individuals in that church, 37:24 it's not speaking about any individual pope, 37:26 it's speaking about a system that Pastor John 37:29 so clearly portrayed last week is a system 37:34 that historically has set itself 37:36 in opposition to God's principles. 37:39 It is really a system, if you will, 37:44 that has trusted in its own judgment, 37:47 in its own flesh, right? 37:53 There is in contrast to that seal 37:59 that sign of allegiance to the beast 38:02 that is a sign of allegiance to God. 38:05 And in the end times, 38:07 what is highlighted in the Book of Revelation 38:09 is not circumcision, that's been set aside, 38:13 baptism, although it's still reinforced 38:15 in the New Testament that is not the identifiable seal 38:19 that is especially highlighted in the Book of Revelation. 38:24 We want to look at a very interesting verse, 38:27 and someone has this scripture for us as well. 38:30 Because we're going to find that there is an internal seal 38:33 as well as an external seal. 38:36 And both of these go hand in hand. 38:39 That internal seal again 38:40 is described very clearly 38:42 in the writings of the Apostle Paul 38:44 in his letter to the church of Ephesus. 38:47 Someone's going to read for us in just a moment from Ephesus, 38:50 the letter to the Ephesians 1:13 and 14. 38:55 Ephesians 1:13 and 14, 38:58 "In Him you also trusted, 39:01 after you heard the word of truth, 39:03 the gospel of your salvation, in whom also, having believed, 39:07 you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 39:10 who is the guarantee of our inheritance 39:12 until the redemption of the purchased possession, 39:15 to the praise of His glory." 39:18 So the Book of Ephesians 39:20 is writing again to a polarized church. 39:24 In case, if you gonna go back in history, 39:26 by the way, Ephesus is the first church 39:29 mentioned in the Book of Revelation. 39:31 It is one of those seven churches identified. 39:33 So it being what we would call "Turkey" today. 39:36 And as Paul was writing to this Christian Church, 39:39 there was a lot of tension between Jews and Gentiles. 39:43 So in the Book of Ephesians, 39:44 Paul is speaking of how Christ makes us all one, 39:47 we're all one in Him. 39:48 And some of the most beautiful expressions of salvation 39:52 are found in Ephesians 2, 39:55 about God, who is rich in mercy, 39:59 not looking to us for what we've done. 40:01 Well, look at there, Ephesians 2:4. 40:04 Let's just read some of these verses. 40:06 Ephesians 2:4, "God, who is rich in mercy, 40:10 because of His great love with which He loved us, 40:13 even when we were dead in trespasses." 40:16 So was our situation. 40:18 Our lineage and our own behavior condemns us, okay? 40:21 We have nothing to boast in. 40:23 But God is what? 40:25 Rich in mercy. 40:27 Now many people aspire to have wealth in our culture, right? 40:32 But how many people really aspire to be rich in the things 40:35 that are of most value. 40:38 How many of you aspire to be rich in mercy? 40:42 Rich in mercy, 40:43 this is the characteristic of our Father. 40:46 He is rich in mercy, 40:47 and it says, "His great love wherewith He loved us, 40:52 even when we were dead in trespasses." 40:56 So how do you feel today? 40:58 Are you seeing yourself dead in trespasses? 41:00 Do you see your sin before you? 41:02 The Bible often paints that picture to us. 41:06 And it's not to drive us into the dirt, 41:08 it's to help us realize that we have a loving Father 41:11 who forgives all of us who have trespassed great light. 41:16 Isn't that good news? 41:18 And so, Paul here in this letter 41:19 is establishing our faith, he's establishing it on Jesus. 41:24 "He made us alive," I'm continuing Ephesians 2:5, 41:28 "We're made alive together with Christ. 41:29 He's raised us up together, 41:31 He's made us sit together 41:32 in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 41:34 that in the ages to come 41:36 He might show the exceeding riches of His grace 41:39 and His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 41:41 For by grace you have been saved through faith, 41:44 and that not of yourselves, 41:45 it is the gift of God, not of works, 41:48 lest anyone should boast." 41:50 But Paul doesn't stop there. 41:52 Many Christian would like to stop right there 41:54 but he continues in verse 10, 41:56 "For we are His workmanship, 41:58 created in Christ Jesus for good works, 42:01 which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." 42:05 So coming back to Ephesians 1 that we just heard read. 42:09 In Ephesians 1, God speaks of a redeemed people 42:13 that are sealed internally and they are sealed how? 42:18 With the Holy Spirit of promise. 42:22 How can we live the kind of 42:23 lives that God wants us to live? 42:26 It said, we just read it. 42:27 We're called in Jesus to good works. 42:30 We're not saved by our works, 42:32 but we're called to live in harmony 42:35 with God's loving principles. 42:37 What's the longest chapter in the Bible? 42:41 Psalm 119, that's right. 42:43 What does Psalm 119 all about? 42:46 It's the psalmist rejoicing in how much he loves the law. 42:50 Now it's true, the law points to our need for a savior. 42:54 The law drives us to Jesus. 42:56 But once we're there, the law has not ceased. 43:00 It's another important purpose 43:02 and that is revealing God's character. 43:05 We see in the law, God's loving character. 43:08 We see what it looks like to love God with all our heart, 43:12 mind, and soul, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. 43:14 And so it should come as no surprise 43:16 as we're looking at this topic 43:18 from this perspective that the seal of God 43:21 as identified in the Book of Revelation 43:24 is a surprising one to some Christians. 43:27 So go back with me to Revelation 13, 43:31 we just read, not long ago, 43:33 from Revelation 13 about the mark or the seal of a power 43:37 that sets itself in opposition to God and His people. 43:41 But now we come to Revelation 14. 43:44 And someone, in just a moment, is going to read 43:46 how just right after this mark of the beast is described, 43:52 we have the mark or the seal of God referred to. 43:56 So Revelation 14:1. 44:03 "Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, 44:08 and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, 44:11 having His Father's name written on their foreheads." 44:16 So there is something in Revelation 13:16, 44:19 it's on the foreheads of those who are identified 44:24 with the beast powers. 44:27 And there is something on the forehead 44:29 of those who are identified with God. 44:32 What is this on the forehead 44:34 of those who have trusted in Jesus? 44:39 What's on their foreheads? 44:44 Well, it's a sealing, it's the name. 44:47 You see it there, Revelation 14:1, 44:50 "The Father's name is on their foreheads." 44:54 Now turn your Bibles to Exodus 34 44:57 just to remind you of something, 44:58 God's name is synonymous with His character. 45:02 When we speak about the name of God, 45:04 we're speaking about God's character. 45:06 The righteous are sealed with God's character. 45:10 Exodus 34, 45:14 you know that Moses was longing for a revelation, 45:17 a fuller revelation of God. 45:21 He asked God to see him. 45:27 In Exodus 34:5, Exodus 34:5, 45:30 we read this, "Now the Lord descended in the cloud 45:33 and stood with him," with Moses there, 45:35 "and proclaimed," what? 45:38 "The name of the Lord." 45:40 So God is now going to proclaim... 45:42 Is He going to just say, "Jehovah, Jehovah, Jehovah," 45:46 is that what we're going to hear? 45:47 He's going to proclaim the name of the Lord, 45:49 what are we going to hear? 45:51 Look what it says, verse 6, 45:53 "The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, 'The Lord,'" 45:55 yes, there is that holy name of God, 45:57 Jehovah or Yahweh. 46:00 "The Lord God," continues "merciful and gracious, 46:05 long suffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, 46:08 keeping mercy for thousands, 46:10 forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, 46:14 by no means clearing the guilty, 46:16 visiting the iniquities of the fathers upon the children 46:18 and the children's children 46:20 to the third and fourth generation." 46:21 Now we like the first part of it, 46:22 we say it's a beautiful character, 46:24 loving, merciful, kind, 46:26 but, by the way, 46:28 do we appreciate the character of someone 46:31 who overlooks atrocities, 46:34 someone who overlooks things that harm us. 46:38 God is going to purify the planet. 46:42 And those that cling to sin 46:43 will lovingly be put out of their misery 46:49 before the conclusion of all time. 46:54 What is the seal of God? 46:56 It's God's character 46:57 and it's especially represented, 46:58 it's especially embodied in God's law. 47:01 And Wednesday and Thursday's lesson, 47:03 Thursday in particular, 47:04 it speaks of the Sabbath as a seal. 47:08 By the way, I don't know if you picked up on it, 47:10 but when we read that message 47:12 to the last church in Revelation 3, 47:16 how was one of the ways that Jesus was identified? 47:19 Did you pick up on it? 47:21 It says, "He's the beginning of the creation of God. 47:24 He is the source of creation." 47:26 So the Laodicean Church, the end time church, 47:29 has a revelation of Jesus as creator. 47:33 Look now with me... 47:36 at... 47:41 Exodus 20. 47:43 If we just want to remind ourselves of something 47:45 that is basically pointed to 47:49 as we look at God's end time seal. 47:53 Exodus 20, they are familiar words 47:57 but as we read in the heart of the commandment, 47:59 God's special sign, the Sabbath, 48:05 it says there in verse 11, 48:07 "For in six days, the Lord made 48:09 the heavens and the earth, the sea, 48:13 and all that in them is, 48:16 and He rested the seventh day. 48:18 Therefore the Lord blessed 48:21 the Sabbath day and hallowed it." 48:25 Now think about this for a minute. 48:27 Think about this for a minute. 48:30 As we come to the Book of Revelation, 48:32 as we've been looking at God's end time people, 48:34 the people that trust Him fully, 48:37 that have absolute confidence in the Father, 48:41 one of the things they're doing 48:42 is they're representing God's character. 48:45 And as we read about 48:47 the seal of God in multiple places, 48:50 by the way, you could look back 48:52 as far as Revelation 7, you'd see a seal there. 48:56 A sealing work is taking place in Revelation 7. 49:01 As you read on, you read about a sealing work taking place 49:05 in Revelation 14, we just looked at it. 49:10 In contrast to those who receive the mark of the beast, 49:14 as that third angel's message is given, 49:17 we read in Revelation 14:12, 49:20 "Here is the patience of the saints, 49:24 here are those who do," what? 49:26 "Keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus." 49:39 We're called to worship the Creator in the last days 49:42 and the sign of the Creator's authority is the Sabbath. 49:47 God is wanting to place His seal on our foreheads 49:50 that is basically in our minds. 49:53 You read about a mark of the beast on the hand 49:55 and on the forehead... 49:56 By the way, and we'll mention this again 49:59 just before we finish, this study, 50:01 the mark of the beast that we have is the free offer 50:04 goes into great detail in all these things. 50:06 If you're wondering how to connect all the dots, 50:09 but the point is simply this, 50:12 whether we accept this seal 50:16 of uniting with the beast power, 50:18 the powers that are in opposition, 50:20 if you will, to God. 50:23 And the hand in the Bible is a symbol of our works, 50:27 to mind our thoughts whether we're deceived 50:31 and go along with the end time powers 50:34 in opposition to God, 50:35 or whether we act in harmony with those powers 50:39 for fear of economic boycott 50:43 or life itself. 50:46 We bear the mark of the authority 50:51 of the earthly powers that trust in themselves. 50:56 "Do God's will." 50:59 In contrast, we have a choice, will we bear God's seal? 51:03 Will we allow His Holy Spirit 51:05 to put His character in our lives 51:08 and to embrace His law, 51:10 which is His character represented. 51:13 And especially, in the heart of the law 51:16 is the seventh day Sabbath, 51:17 it is our sign that we are His. 51:21 Now lest again, coming back to that opening imagery, 51:25 lest we somehow think, this is a reason 51:27 to be proud that we are keeping the Sabbath, 51:30 that we're here on church on the seventh day, 51:34 on Saturday, lest we are proud of ourselves 51:39 if we trust in our Sabbath keeping, 51:42 we're just as lost as the Jews 51:45 who trusted in their circumcision. 51:47 Our trust is where? 51:49 Our trust is in Jesus. 51:51 And we keep the Sabbath as a sign of our loyalty 51:55 to the loving Savior who saved us. 51:57 Do you see how that comes through? 51:59 God's last day message calls for His people 52:02 to come out of Babylon. 52:05 We're entrusted to give that message to a world, 52:08 many of whom don't understand, 52:09 many wonderful Christians 52:11 don't realize this special end time sign. 52:14 Do you want to learn more about it? 52:16 Our closing offer goes into much more detail 52:20 than we've been able to touch on here. 52:21 And if you're disappointed with what I didn't cover, 52:24 get this special offer, The Mark of the Beast. 52:27 It is offer 127, 52:29 you can get it by calling our toll free number, 52:32 that's 866-788-3966, 52:37 simply, 866-Study-More 52:40 or you can text the code "SH049". 52:46 And you would text that to the number 40544. 52:51 So text "SH049" to 40544, 52:55 and we can get you an electronic copy 52:58 of the Amazing Facts Study Guide 53:00 entitled The Mark of the Beast. 53:03 Well, thank you for joining us today. 53:04 By God's grace, we'll be back again together 53:07 next week studying more about the end time. 53:09 I invite you to join us then. 53:13 Can't get enough Amazing Facts Bible Study? 53:16 You don't have to wait until next week 53:18 to enjoy more truth filled programming. 53:20 Visit the Amazing Facts media library at AFTV.org. 53:25 At AFTV.org, 53:28 you can enjoy video and audio presentations 53:30 as well as printed material all free of charge, 53:33 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 53:36 right from your computer or mobile device, 53:38 visit AFTV.org. 54:26 The Holy Spirit came up. 54:27 This is the part I want you to experience. 54:30 If you come to Christ, your sins are washed away, 54:32 you become a new creature. 54:34 There's a land of beginning again. 54:35 And how many of you wish you can get wisdom. 54:39 "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat. 54:44 Inasmuch as you'd do it to one of the least of these, 54:47 my brethren, you did it to me." 55:08 We're here in Ponce, Puerto Rico, in an iguana park, 55:12 surrounded by big lizards or small dinosaurs, 55:15 depends on how you look at it. 55:17 These magnificent creatures 55:18 are found mostly in Mexico, 55:20 Central America and South America, 55:22 and the Caribbean Islands. 55:23 Here's a few amazing facts about iguanas. 55:26 Iguanas come in a great spectrum of colors. 55:29 They can be brown, green, blue, 55:32 and their skin will often work 55:34 as camouflage allowing them to hide in the jungle. 55:37 They're social creatures who like to eat together. 55:39 And what's really interesting, even though they look fierce, 55:42 iguanas are vegan vegetarians. 55:45 They're regarded as popular pets, 55:47 though if they're not cared for, 55:48 they can actually just stop eating 55:50 and wilt themselves to die. 55:52 Typically, iguanas just lay eggs 55:54 and they abandon their offspring. 55:55 So those little iguanas have to fend for themselves 55:58 from the time they're born. 56:00 If they're attacked, they'll fight with their tail, 56:03 either punching or whipping their opponent. 56:05 It's interesting to see a dog running for mercy 56:08 after being whipped by an iguana. 56:12 Also, to ensure a fast escape, 56:14 they can detach their tail and later grow another one. 56:18 Iguanas generally like to live around water, 56:20 and they can swim away escaping from predators. 56:23 Green iguanas in particular are excellent swimmers. 56:26 They have the ability to inflate themselves 56:29 and swim incredible distances. 56:31 This is one way they've been able to populate 56:33 the different islands of the Caribbean. 56:36 What's incredible is these creatures have lungs 56:39 where they are able to hold their breath 56:40 for up to 28 minutes, 56:42 putting even a crocodile to shame. 56:46 They also know how to compensate 56:47 for when things get hot or cold. 56:49 They can regulate their body temperature 56:51 using the loose flaps of skin 56:53 they have under their throats 56:54 and under their legs. 56:57 You might even say an iguana has ESP 56:59 because God made them with sort of a third eye 57:01 on top of their head. 57:03 They can't really see with it, 57:04 but it's a photoreceptor that helps them 57:07 to regulate their body's circadian rhythms. 57:10 You know, in the same way that God made iguanas, 57:12 where they're some of the toughest creatures 57:14 in God's natural kingdom, 57:16 Christians need to learn 57:17 to be resilient in the spiritual realm. 57:19 Through God's grace, 57:20 we can learn to be great survivors. 57:22 Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:8 and 9, 57:26 "We are hard pressed on every side, 57:28 yet not crushed, we are perplexed, 57:30 but not in despair, persecuted, 57:32 but not forsaken, struck down, 57:34 but not destroyed." 57:37 I think, friends, we all know sometimes life can be tough. 57:40 We feel like we're being beaten, pressed on every side, 57:43 sometimes it's health problems, relationship problems, 57:47 financial reverses, 57:48 but in the same way God made the iguana resilient. 57:51 God can help you to bounce back. 57:53 Jesus said that through His help, 57:55 we can be overcomers, and we are able to endure. 57:58 If you turn to Him 57:59 and ask Him for His help and His Spirit, 58:01 He will recreate you 58:03 and make you even tougher than an iguana. 58:05 Why don't you like to ask Him now? |
Revised 2018-06-11