Good morning,
friends, and welcome again
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to Sabbath School Study Hour
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here at the Granite Bay
Seventh-day Adventist Church.
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As you look around,
you probably notice that
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the set is little
bit different than normal
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for our Sabbath
School Study Hour time,
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but we're doing
something special,
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connected with the
Amazing Facts training program
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called AFCOE.
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That's why you see
amazing doctrines right behind.
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But we are starting a brand
new series of studies today
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dealing with the
Book of Revelation,
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one of my favorite
books in New Testament.
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Today, we're looking at Lesson 1
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which is entitled,
"The Gospel from Patmos."
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But before we get to our lesson,
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we want to let our friends know
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about a free offer that we have
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that goes along
with our study today.
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It is entitled, "The Trinity,"
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talking about the
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
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This is our free gift
to anyone in North America.
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All you have to do
is call 866-788-3966
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and you can ask for offer 166
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and we'll be happy
to send that to you.
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Or if you're
outside of North America
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or even in North America,
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you can get a
digital copy of the book.
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All you have to do
is text the code "SH088"
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to the number 40544.
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And we'll give you a link
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and you'll be able
to download the book,
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The Trinity,
written by Pastor Doug,
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a lot of very important
information found in the book.
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Now for those of
you who might not have
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our new lesson quarterly
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dealing with
the book Revelation,
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we would encourage
you to try and obtain one
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from one of the
Adventist churches in your area,
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but you can study along with us
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even now by simply
downloading the lesson.
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You can do so
at lesson.aftv.org.
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That's lesson.aftv.org
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and you can look up Lesson 1
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on our new study in
the Book of Revelation
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and you can follow along.
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Well, before we
get to our study,
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we always like to begin by
lifting our voices in song.
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I'd like to invite our
song leaders to come forward.
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Thank you, Pastor
Ross, and Happy New Year.
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It's time to sing
like we do every week.
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So if you're at home
and you have a hymnal,
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pull it out and
join with us 452,
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What Heavenly Music.
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This is one of my
all-time favorites.
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We're gonna do all
three stances, 452.
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I am looking forward to that day
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when we can all be together
and hear that heavenly music.
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Something that I don't think
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we can even get close
to imagining on this earth.
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But there is some gorgeous music
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that I know we've all
heard and it is just a taste of
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what it would be like
on the streets of gold.
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At this time, Pastor Ross
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is going to have
our opening prayer.
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Dear Father in heaven,
we thank You once again
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that we have this opportunity
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to gather together
and open up Your Word
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and study such
an important book,
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a timely book for
this earth's history.
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And, Father, as we delve
into this prophetic book,
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the Book of Revelation,
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we ask for the Holy
Spirit to come guide us,
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not only does it present
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various powers
at the end of time,
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but more than anything else
that reveals to us a savior,
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reveals the lamb,
there amongst the beasts.
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So we ask your special blessing
upon our time this morning,
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in Jesus' name, amen.
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Amen.
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Our first lesson in
the new series today
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is going to be
brought to us by Pastor Doug.
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Book of Revelation,
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one of the most
perfect books ever written
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is gonna be our theme
now for the next 13 weeks.
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And today, we get
into our first study
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which is lesson one, of course,
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"The Gospel from Patmos."
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And we have a memory verse
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and the memory
verse is Revelation 1:3.
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If you have your Bibles,
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I'd appreciate if you'd
say it out loud with me.
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Revelation 1:3
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and this is from the
New King James Version.
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You ready?
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"Blessed is he who reads
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and those who hear the
words of this prophecy,
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and keep the things
that are written in it,
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for the time is near."
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And blessing, the book
begins with a blessing.
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You'd be surprised
how many people I've met
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that came to a
seminar for years before
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I got into official ministry.
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As a layman, I
did prophecy seminars,
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we call them
Revelation Seminars.
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Some of you remember
the Revelation Seminars.
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First ones were
written by Harry Robinson,
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and then people did lessons
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that were from Seminars
Unlimited written by Bill May.
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And I think even
Marvin Moore wrote
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a set of Revelation
Seminar lessons I used one time.
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But people were very interested.
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And all the folks
would drive around the town,
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they had a bumper sticker
it said, "Know the future,"
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you know, attend
the Revelation Seminar.
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And I'd see people creeping
in apprehensively opening night
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and I talked to
them and they go,
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our pastor said we shouldn't
study the Book of Revelation
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because there's a curse
in the Book of Revelation,
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and we don't want to be cursed.
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I said, really.
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So well, there are some curses,
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but there are a
lot of blessings.
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The Bible says
there's a blessing on those
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who read the book.
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The end of the book, it
says, there's a curse on those
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who change the
words of this prophecy.
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And so that is a little ominous.
00:08:00.81\00:08:02.31
You need to approach
the study of Revelation
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with a faithfulness
to say what it says,
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you don't want to be
twisting or altering it
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because probably one
of the most fearful curses
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in the Bible is
pronounced on those
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who distort or corrupt
or twist the Word of God.
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And so...
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But notice He says,
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there's a blessing on
those who not only read it,
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but not all
everyone can read back then,
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but they could hear
someone else read it.
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So it says, blessed are those
who read and those who hear,
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and then what was
the most important part,
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and keep.
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So if you're a reader
and a hearer of the word
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and not a doer,
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you're like that man
who looks at his face
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and like a glass and walks away,
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forget what manner of
man or woman they are.
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And so this is just going to be,
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I think, a tremendous
study in this next quarter,
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going through
this incredible book.
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Now the Book of
Revelation is mysterious.
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And we'll talk a little later
about the title of the book,
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and what it means.
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There's a lot of
symbols in the book,
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a lot of numbers.
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If you were to retitle the Book
of Revelation with a number,
00:09:08.88\00:09:12.08
what would that number be?
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666. 666.
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Some people... That's right.
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Some people would say 666,
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probably, the number seven.
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Another one is 144,000. Yeah.
00:09:26.80\00:09:29.46
The Book of Revelation
is really a book of sevens.
00:09:29.46\00:09:32.33
There are 60 times in the
book, you find the number seven.
00:09:32.33\00:09:39.07
Fifty five of those
times, it says seven,
00:09:39.07\00:09:41.44
five of them it
uses the word seventh.
00:09:41.44\00:09:43.78
But it adds up to 60 times.
00:09:43.78\00:09:45.78
Now notice,
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you've got stories
and passages in the Bible
00:09:47.42\00:09:50.79
to deal with all kinds of
different sevens about 19.
00:09:50.79\00:09:54.56
You can count them as
I go through if you want,
00:09:54.56\00:09:56.62
seven churches, seven
lampstands, seven lambs,
00:09:56.62\00:10:02.03
seven spirits, seven stars,
00:10:02.03\00:10:04.53
I just realized I don't
have enough fingers to do this,
00:10:04.53\00:10:06.47
seven horns, seven angels,
00:10:06.47\00:10:09.47
seven thunders,
seven thousand people,
00:10:09.47\00:10:12.71
seven heads, seven crowns,
00:10:12.71\00:10:16.01
seven angels, seven
plagues, seven mountains,
00:10:16.01\00:10:20.35
seven bowls, seven kings,
00:10:20.35\00:10:23.32
I may have left one out.
00:10:23.32\00:10:26.32
Yeah, seven trumpets. So
I didn't do the trumpets?
00:10:26.32\00:10:29.12
Seven trumpets.
00:10:29.12\00:10:30.16
Now there, that is 20.
00:10:30.16\00:10:32.36
So you got a lot of sevens
in the Book of Revelation.
00:10:32.36\00:10:35.20
Now I do talk about the
trumpets here in a minute.
00:10:35.20\00:10:38.30
You know, another
number appears frequently
00:10:38.30\00:10:40.20
in the Book of
Revelation, it's 12.
00:10:40.20\00:10:43.34
That's probably
the second number
00:10:43.34\00:10:45.44
that appears the highest.
00:10:45.44\00:10:46.57
Twelve is mentioned
22 times in the book.
00:10:46.57\00:10:49.64
A lot of is where it
talks about the 144,000,
00:10:49.64\00:10:52.21
12,000 from this
tribe, 12,000 from that tribe.
00:10:52.21\00:10:56.22
And, of course, the
144,000 is 12 times 12,000.
00:10:56.22\00:11:00.99
And then what does seven mean?
00:11:00.99\00:11:02.72
Now if you're going to
have a book so full of seven,
00:11:02.72\00:11:04.39
you might need to ask a little
about biblical numerology.
00:11:04.39\00:11:07.13
What does seven mean?
00:11:07.13\00:11:08.40
Is it just coincidence?
00:11:08.40\00:11:09.83
Is it just a pretty number?
00:11:09.83\00:11:11.73
Is it just because
they roll dice back then?
00:11:11.73\00:11:13.70
And that was, they were
trying to avoid snake eyes.
00:11:13.70\00:11:16.81
But what was
with the number seven?
00:11:16.81\00:11:19.94
How many days in a week?
00:11:19.94\00:11:22.14
Why?
00:11:22.14\00:11:24.95
It's God's number, it's
the perfect number of God,
00:11:24.95\00:11:28.48
and especially connected
with a perfect cycle of time.
00:11:28.48\00:11:31.99
Now the Book of
Revelation is dealing with time,
00:11:31.99\00:11:34.96
it's a prophecy,
00:11:34.96\00:11:36.09
begins by saying
the time is at hand.
00:11:36.09\00:11:39.56
It ends by saying
even so come Lord Jesus.
00:11:39.56\00:11:42.66
He comes quickly.
00:11:42.66\00:11:44.17
And so it's a book that
talks about an urgency of time,
00:11:44.17\00:11:47.27
and so you've got all
these sevens in there.
00:11:47.27\00:11:49.67
It's a perfect number.
00:11:49.67\00:11:51.54
God created the world this
perfect cycle of seven, right?
00:11:51.54\00:11:55.78
And there are
five epics of seven.
00:11:55.78\00:11:59.35
The book is sort of
divided into five sections here.
00:11:59.35\00:12:02.38
You've got the seven churches,
which is Revelation 1-3
00:12:02.38\00:12:07.36
covers the spiritual
history of the church
00:12:07.36\00:12:09.92
from the first
coming to the second coming.
00:12:09.92\00:12:13.06
You have the seven seals.
00:12:13.06\00:12:14.96
Now that's dealing
with Revelation 4-8.
00:12:14.96\00:12:18.70
That covers the
political history of the church
00:12:18.70\00:12:21.57
between the first
coming and the second coming.
00:12:21.57\00:12:24.44
Thirdly, you've
got the seven trumpets,
00:12:24.44\00:12:26.07
which is a military
history of the church
00:12:26.07\00:12:28.64
between the first
coming and the second coming.
00:12:28.64\00:12:30.71
So there's time involved.
00:12:30.71\00:12:33.38
You have and, by the
way, that's Revelation 8-11.
00:12:33.38\00:12:37.35
Then you've got
between Revelation 12
00:12:37.35\00:12:39.09
really the center of the
book where it talks about
00:12:39.09\00:12:41.29
the core of the
conflict is the seven heads
00:12:41.29\00:12:45.96
and that's Revelation 12-14.
00:12:45.96\00:12:49.10
This beast is trying
to destroy the woman.
00:12:49.10\00:12:52.00
And then when
you get to the end,
00:12:52.00\00:12:53.03
you finally have the conclusion,
00:12:53.03\00:12:54.27
the final birth pains
and that's the seven plagues,
00:12:54.27\00:12:58.47
children of Israel before
they were born as a nation.
00:12:58.47\00:13:00.88
They were born
out of 10 plagues.
00:13:00.88\00:13:03.95
And then they came forth
during the final plague, right?
00:13:03.95\00:13:06.82
During the final
plague, you find in Revelation,
00:13:06.82\00:13:08.85
Jesus comes and
we are delivered,
00:13:08.85\00:13:11.05
and we go to the
heavenly Canaan land.
00:13:11.05\00:13:13.72
So the book is a
book filled with parallels
00:13:13.72\00:13:16.93
between the Old
Testament and the New Testament.
00:13:16.93\00:13:19.36
I'd submit to you,
00:13:19.36\00:13:20.33
you cannot understand
the Book of Revelation
00:13:20.33\00:13:23.43
if you don't have a
pretty thorough knowledge
00:13:23.43\00:13:26.97
of the Old Testament.
00:13:26.97\00:13:28.84
There are 404 verses
in the Book of Revelation.
00:13:28.84\00:13:32.81
About 278 of the 404 verses
00:13:32.81\00:13:36.68
can be found almost
verbatim in the Old Testament.
00:13:36.68\00:13:40.42
We'll give you some
examples of that a little later.
00:13:40.42\00:13:42.82
So it's really important
to have a good background.
00:13:42.82\00:13:46.92
It's not just a
book that has plagues,
00:13:46.92\00:13:48.86
it's a book that has blessings.
00:13:48.86\00:13:49.92
I talked about the sevens.
00:13:49.92\00:13:51.43
Do you know there's
also seven beatitudes
00:13:51.43\00:13:54.50
that you find in Revelation.
00:13:54.50\00:13:56.77
They are the blessings, you get
the blessings on the churches,
00:13:56.77\00:13:59.57
and so that's in Revelation 1:3,
00:13:59.57\00:14:01.57
Revelation 14:13,
00:14:01.57\00:14:02.84
Revelation 16:15,
00:14:02.84\00:14:04.24
19:9, 20:6, 22:7, 22:14,
00:14:04.24\00:14:07.74
seven blessings in
the Book of Revelation.
00:14:07.74\00:14:10.78
There are seven
attributes of the lamb.
00:14:10.78\00:14:13.65
And that's all
found in one verse.
00:14:13.65\00:14:16.05
If you look in Revelation 5:12,
00:14:16.05\00:14:18.69
I know this is going
fast, people are wondering,
00:14:18.69\00:14:20.42
"Pastor Doug, I can't keep up."
00:14:20.42\00:14:21.96
We always post my notes
on the Amazing Facts website
00:14:21.96\00:14:26.09
under the Sabbath School tab.
00:14:26.09\00:14:29.00
And so you'll see a little thing
00:14:29.00\00:14:30.07
it says the notes,
00:14:30.07\00:14:31.13
and so either Pastor Ross or I
00:14:31.13\00:14:32.83
whatever our
notes such as they are,
00:14:32.83\00:14:34.47
I'll give you
this piece of paper
00:14:34.47\00:14:36.17
that I'm reading from,
00:14:36.17\00:14:37.44
and it's just a word
document you can download.
00:14:37.44\00:14:40.51
But if you read
in Revelation 7:12,
00:14:40.51\00:14:43.75
these beasts and angels declare,
00:14:43.75\00:14:46.18
"Saying with a loud voice,
00:14:46.18\00:14:47.42
'Worthy is the
Lamb who was slain
00:14:47.42\00:14:50.12
to receive power
and riches and wisdom,
00:14:50.12\00:14:54.72
and strength and honor
and glory and blessing!"
00:14:54.72\00:14:58.56
Seven facets.
00:14:58.56\00:15:00.96
Now Jesus is
identified as a lamb slain,
00:15:00.96\00:15:04.80
seven horns, seven eyes,
00:15:04.80\00:15:07.17
He's often
portrayed in the sevens,
00:15:07.17\00:15:09.37
you get the
seven spirits of God.
00:15:09.37\00:15:12.34
Do you look in Revelation...
00:15:12.34\00:15:13.78
No, I'm sorry,
look in Isaiah 11:2,
00:15:13.78\00:15:17.05
it identifies
seven characteristics
00:15:17.05\00:15:19.35
of the Holy Spirit
00:15:19.35\00:15:20.45
or facets of the Holy Spirit.
00:15:20.45\00:15:22.52
And so, oh, this book is...
00:15:22.52\00:15:24.39
If you're...
00:15:24.39\00:15:25.85
How many of you
are number people,
00:15:25.85\00:15:27.12
you like numbers?
00:15:27.12\00:15:28.19
You just like to
have things add up.
00:15:31.39\00:15:32.79
Does it frustrate
you if a penny is missing
00:15:32.79\00:15:34.56
from the cash
register at the end of the day?
00:15:34.56\00:15:37.47
And there's no one's
going to steal a penny,
00:15:37.47\00:15:39.47
it's usually an
accounting error.
00:15:39.47\00:15:41.50
And Karen loves to
have things add up,
00:15:41.50\00:15:43.14
and if they don't add up,
00:15:43.14\00:15:46.78
she just fixes it
until it does add up.
00:15:46.78\00:15:47.84
Yeah.
00:15:47.84\00:15:48.88
Just you know you
rob Peter and pay Paul,
00:15:48.88\00:15:50.25
there's ways to do that.
00:15:50.25\00:15:52.05
But if you're a numbers person,
00:15:52.05\00:15:54.92
you're gonna really
enjoy the Book of Revelation
00:15:54.92\00:15:57.65
because it's got
a lot of numbers.
00:15:57.65\00:15:58.72
Now I told you what does
the number seven represent?
00:15:58.72\00:16:01.69
Perfect.
00:16:01.69\00:16:02.72
So a perfect
interruption of seven is
00:16:02.72\00:16:05.23
when you cut seven in half.
00:16:05.23\00:16:07.40
And if you cut seven in
half, what number you'd get?
00:16:07.40\00:16:10.03
Three and a half.
00:16:10.03\00:16:11.10
That is a number of persecution.
00:16:11.10\00:16:13.70
It's a number that
you're going to find
00:16:13.70\00:16:15.07
through the Bible,
and it's in Revelation,
00:16:15.07\00:16:16.74
and it's listed
three different ways.
00:16:16.74\00:16:18.21
It's called 42
months, it's called 3.5 years,
00:16:18.21\00:16:23.24
and it's called 1260 days.
00:16:23.24\00:16:26.85
And that adds up
to 3.5 Jewish years.
00:16:26.85\00:16:30.89
Now Jewish year had 360 days
for its 42 months with 30 days,
00:16:30.89\00:16:35.89
1260.
00:16:35.89\00:16:38.09
How long did Jesus ministered?
00:16:38.09\00:16:40.86
Three and a half years.
00:16:40.86\00:16:42.16
And it was a time of
persecution and resistance.
00:16:42.16\00:16:46.00
What did Elijah do
during 3.5 years of famine?
00:16:46.00\00:16:49.54
Ran for his life,
fled into the wilderness.
00:16:49.54\00:16:52.61
You read in Revelation
00:16:52.61\00:16:53.64
that the woman fled
into the wilderness,
00:16:53.64\00:16:55.38
but she's fed by God.
00:16:55.38\00:16:56.78
Elijah fled into the wilderness,
00:16:56.78\00:16:58.25
but God fed him.
00:16:58.25\00:16:59.85
So all of these prophecies,
even about the future,
00:16:59.85\00:17:02.95
at least from
Revelation there in the future,
00:17:02.95\00:17:05.49
you find the key
to understanding them
00:17:05.49\00:17:07.22
by going back.
00:17:07.22\00:17:08.46
But the numbers
are very important.
00:17:08.46\00:17:11.39
We got a lot to cover here.
00:17:11.39\00:17:12.89
And I got about half of my time.
00:17:12.89\00:17:14.83
I don't know who it was
that wasted all my time.
00:17:14.83\00:17:17.87
Now let's go to
the first section here.
00:17:17.87\00:17:19.23
Well, I talked
about the five epics
00:17:19.23\00:17:21.14
that you have in Revelation
00:17:21.14\00:17:22.94
and how the book is divided up.
00:17:22.94\00:17:24.97
The title of the
book is very important.
00:17:24.97\00:17:27.48
Now do some of you have
00:17:27.48\00:17:28.61
an old King
James Version with you?
00:17:28.61\00:17:30.61
If you read at the
very top of Revelation,
00:17:30.61\00:17:32.51
what does it say?
00:17:32.51\00:17:34.02
The Revelation on Jesus Christ.
00:17:34.02\00:17:35.82
Not the first verse.
00:17:35.82\00:17:37.72
What's the title at
the top of the page?
00:17:37.72\00:17:39.82
Douglas. Does it say...
00:17:39.82\00:17:40.89
How many of you
have one that says
00:17:40.89\00:17:41.92
the Revelation of Saint John?
00:17:41.92\00:17:43.63
Okay.
00:17:43.63\00:17:44.66
All right, Steve's
got one right there.
00:17:44.66\00:17:45.73
I needed a witness.
00:17:45.73\00:17:48.36
They use the title of the book.
00:17:48.36\00:17:49.90
They call it the
Revelation of Saint John
00:17:49.90\00:17:52.13
'cause John wrote it.
00:17:52.13\00:17:53.97
He's the author of the book
00:17:53.97\00:17:55.24
and I'm not going to
steal Pastor Ross's thunder.
00:17:55.24\00:17:57.34
Next week, we'll talk
more about John's imprisonment
00:17:57.34\00:18:00.51
and the background for the book.
00:18:00.51\00:18:02.58
But is it a
revelation of Saint John?
00:18:02.58\00:18:06.15
What's the first line say?
00:18:06.15\00:18:08.12
Revelation of Jesus Christ.
00:18:08.12\00:18:10.39
And it's
interesting that people think
00:18:10.39\00:18:11.85
that the book is a sealed book.
00:18:11.85\00:18:15.06
I've met people
before, they think
00:18:15.06\00:18:16.73
there's a curse pronounced
on anyone who reads a book.
00:18:16.73\00:18:19.39
Pastor say the
book is a mystery,
00:18:19.39\00:18:20.73
we're not supposed to read it.
00:18:20.73\00:18:22.36
I've heard people
tell us, their pastor said
00:18:22.36\00:18:25.17
we're not supposed
to read Revelation.
00:18:25.17\00:18:26.53
It just confuses people.
00:18:26.53\00:18:28.14
It's the most
controversial book,
00:18:28.14\00:18:29.47
stay away from Revelation.
00:18:29.47\00:18:31.91
And some people say,
00:18:31.91\00:18:33.21
folks go crazy
reading Revelation.
00:18:33.21\00:18:35.28
I've heard some
crazy interpretations.
00:18:35.28\00:18:36.61
But I don't know that
the book made them crazy.
00:18:36.61\00:18:38.85
They were probably
crazy and they read the book
00:18:38.85\00:18:40.45
and then, but...
00:18:40.45\00:18:43.49
It says there's a blessing
on those who read the book.
00:18:43.49\00:18:47.89
And it is a Revelation of Jesus.
00:18:47.89\00:18:52.06
From beginning to end,
00:18:52.06\00:18:53.46
Jesus has more
titles in Revelation
00:18:53.46\00:18:55.43
than just about anywhere.
00:18:55.43\00:18:56.50
He's called the
First and the Last,
00:18:56.50\00:18:58.47
the Alpha and Omega,
00:18:58.47\00:18:59.83
He is the Lamb, He is Michael.
00:18:59.83\00:19:03.74
He is the one
riding on the white horse.
00:19:03.74\00:19:05.57
I mean, you see Jesus all
the way from cover to cover
00:19:05.57\00:19:08.84
in the Book of Revelation.
00:19:08.84\00:19:10.01
It is a revelation of Christ.
00:19:10.01\00:19:12.01
You will know Jesus better
00:19:12.01\00:19:14.12
as you read the
Book of Revelation.
00:19:14.12\00:19:15.92
Now the word revelation
00:19:15.92\00:19:17.19
comes from the
Greek word apocalypses.
00:19:17.19\00:19:20.62
And you recognize that,
of course, as apocalypse.
00:19:20.62\00:19:24.63
And if I told you
that the weathermen said
00:19:24.63\00:19:27.00
there's an apocalypse coming,
00:19:27.00\00:19:29.53
what would you think?
00:19:29.53\00:19:32.20
That was gonna be terrible.
00:19:32.20\00:19:33.70
I mean, you got some
ominous weather about to happen.
00:19:33.70\00:19:37.04
But the word apocalypse
didn't used to mean that,
00:19:37.04\00:19:39.07
it means that now
because of the spin,
00:19:39.07\00:19:41.64
people have put on
the name of Revelation
00:19:41.64\00:19:44.91
because
Revelation does talk about,
00:19:44.91\00:19:47.65
you know,
locusts, head creatures,
00:19:47.65\00:19:49.98
and fire and plagues,
00:19:49.98\00:19:52.02
and people being
scorched with great heat,
00:19:52.02\00:19:53.96
noisome soars in,
00:19:53.96\00:19:55.59
and fire coming
down from heaven.
00:19:55.59\00:19:57.23
And people, when they say,
I'm reading the apocalypse,
00:19:57.23\00:20:00.66
they always think
of terrible things.
00:20:00.66\00:20:02.10
How many of you have
heard of the Four Horsemen
00:20:02.10\00:20:03.60
of the Apocalypse?
00:20:03.60\00:20:05.63
That's actually just the
first four of the seven seals.
00:20:05.63\00:20:09.27
But the fourth
horseman is a rider of death.
00:20:09.27\00:20:13.64
They forget that there's
one on a white horse too,
00:20:13.64\00:20:15.54
he's good.
00:20:15.54\00:20:17.01
But the book has come...
00:20:17.01\00:20:18.28
The name
apocalypse has come to seem
00:20:18.28\00:20:20.55
very foreboding and ominous,
00:20:20.55\00:20:23.39
but the word means
unveiling or revealing.
00:20:23.39\00:20:27.82
And so it's really a good thing.
00:20:27.82\00:20:28.92
It's like, you know,
sometimes words take on
00:20:28.92\00:20:31.76
different meanings.
00:20:31.76\00:20:35.46
I think we all
know that years ago
00:20:35.46\00:20:38.17
if you said, I'm happy and gay,
00:20:38.17\00:20:40.07
it had a whole different meaning
00:20:40.07\00:20:41.27
that it has today, right?
00:20:41.27\00:20:42.70
Those words sort of change
with the culture and over time.
00:20:42.70\00:20:46.21
Well, the word
apocalypse means an uncovering,
00:20:46.21\00:20:48.61
it's a revealing.
00:20:48.61\00:20:49.78
It's not a book that Jesus
doesn't want us to understand.
00:20:49.78\00:20:52.78
He wants us to understand,
00:20:52.78\00:20:54.32
He pronounces a
blessing on those who read.
00:20:54.32\00:20:56.35
Now when it just
says read, doesn't mean
00:20:56.35\00:20:57.75
you just sit here
and you read it once.
00:20:57.75\00:20:59.92
Dr. Leslie Hardinge used to say,
00:20:59.92\00:21:01.42
if you want to understand
the Book of Revelation,
00:21:01.42\00:21:03.26
you'll start understanding
it after you read it 50 times.
00:21:03.26\00:21:08.06
He said, as you read it,
and that means you read it,
00:21:08.06\00:21:11.37
and you read it, and you listen.
00:21:11.37\00:21:14.47
The Bible is a book,
00:21:14.47\00:21:15.54
it just gets deeper
as you go through it.
00:21:15.54\00:21:17.61
And as you read in connection
with the Old Testament stories,
00:21:17.61\00:21:20.98
you can keep saying, aha,
00:21:20.98\00:21:23.81
that's like that
other story in the Bible.
00:21:23.81\00:21:25.55
These words come
from that chapter.
00:21:25.55\00:21:28.35
And it begins to
make more and more sense.
00:21:28.35\00:21:31.19
You read, for instance,
the very end of Revelation,
00:21:31.19\00:21:34.86
Revelation 22:16, "I,
Jesus, have sent My angel
00:21:34.86\00:21:39.93
to testify to you
these things in the church.
00:21:39.93\00:21:42.83
I am the Root and
the Offspring of David,
00:21:42.83\00:21:44.77
the Bright and Morning Star."
00:21:44.77\00:21:46.50
Told you, He's got
many names in Revelation.
00:21:46.50\00:21:49.50
Have you run into people
before they argue and fight
00:21:49.50\00:21:51.74
over the proper way
to pronounce God's name?
00:21:51.74\00:21:55.24
And they've even
retranslated some Bibles
00:21:55.24\00:21:57.68
because they say they don't
translate God's name correctly.
00:21:57.68\00:22:01.55
And if you can't say
God's name in Hebrew,
00:22:01.55\00:22:03.89
they say God is not
going to hear your prayer.
00:22:03.89\00:22:07.12
It's not what the Bible teaches,
00:22:07.12\00:22:08.82
Bible teaches, God
has got many names.
00:22:08.82\00:22:11.83
He's Wonderful, Counselor,
Mighty God, Everlasting Father,
00:22:11.83\00:22:15.16
the Bread of Life, the
I Am, the Good Shepherd,
00:22:15.16\00:22:17.23
the Living Water, the Door,
00:22:17.23\00:22:20.07
the Bright and Morning
Star, the Fairest of 10,000.
00:22:20.07\00:22:22.80
How many names does
Jesus have in the Bible?
00:22:22.80\00:22:25.37
I've got a list somewhere.
00:22:25.37\00:22:26.94
It's, you know,
probably 30 different names.
00:22:26.94\00:22:31.08
So that's a really
uninformed Bible teaching.
00:22:31.08\00:22:35.92
But He's telling us it is
something He wants us to know.
00:22:35.92\00:22:38.85
The book is about
Jesus from cover to cover,
00:22:38.85\00:22:41.36
that's why I said Revelation
1 all the way to Revelation 22,
00:22:41.36\00:22:44.86
it is revealed,
00:22:44.86\00:22:46.83
He's not wanting
to hide it from us.
00:22:46.83\00:22:48.16
In a moment, I'm gonna
have somebody here read a verse,
00:22:48.16\00:22:50.53
you're going to be
reading Daniel 2:22.
00:22:50.53\00:22:53.00
While you get ready for
that, I'm going to read a verse.
00:22:53.00\00:22:55.84
Deuteronomy 29:29,
00:22:55.84\00:22:58.24
"The secret things
belong to the Lord our God,
00:22:58.24\00:23:01.91
but those things
that are revealed
00:23:01.91\00:23:04.61
belong to us and
our children forever..."
00:23:04.61\00:23:06.68
So is revelation
something revealed?
00:23:06.68\00:23:09.65
It belongs to us.
00:23:09.65\00:23:11.49
He wants us to understand it.
00:23:11.49\00:23:13.36
And He said, if you
want to understand it,
00:23:13.36\00:23:14.96
what's the promise?
00:23:14.96\00:23:15.99
Seek and I'm going
to hide it from you.
00:23:15.99\00:23:20.33
God is gonna blindfold
us as we try to understand.
00:23:20.33\00:23:22.53
He wants us to understand.
That's why he wrote it.
00:23:22.53\00:23:25.63
He promises, this
is something revealed.
00:23:25.63\00:23:28.30
Amos 3:7,
00:23:28.30\00:23:30.21
"Surely the Lord
God does nothing,
00:23:30.21\00:23:32.04
unless He reveals His secret
to His servants the prophets."
00:23:32.04\00:23:34.91
That's a very important verse.
00:23:34.91\00:23:36.58
That means
whenever God is going to do
00:23:36.58\00:23:38.18
something
significant in history,
00:23:38.18\00:23:39.81
He will raise up a
prophet or prophetess
00:23:39.81\00:23:41.65
to help prepare people.
00:23:41.65\00:23:43.95
Before the flood,
00:23:43.95\00:23:45.35
did God get a
prophet to warn people?
00:23:45.35\00:23:47.59
Would you say the
flood was significant?
00:23:47.59\00:23:50.39
The whole world is
going to be destroyed.
00:23:50.39\00:23:52.53
Now before the Exodus,
did God raised up a prophet?
00:23:52.53\00:23:55.36
What was his name? Moses.
00:23:55.36\00:23:57.27
And the other one was
Noah, right, before the flood.
00:23:57.27\00:24:01.37
Before the captivity
and conquering by Babylon,
00:24:01.37\00:24:03.91
did God raised up prophets?
00:24:03.91\00:24:06.34
Yeah, He had
Jeremiah and Isaiah.
00:24:06.34\00:24:09.34
Before fire
comes down from heaven
00:24:09.34\00:24:12.08
and the people are
saved from Baal worship,
00:24:12.08\00:24:13.98
did God raised up Elijah,
00:24:13.98\00:24:16.89
one of the greatest prophets.
00:24:16.89\00:24:17.95
Before the Son of
Man came the first time,
00:24:17.95\00:24:20.66
did God raised up a
prophet, John the Baptist.
00:24:20.66\00:24:23.46
Does it make sense to you that
00:24:23.46\00:24:24.56
before the Lord
comes the second time,
00:24:24.56\00:24:26.43
He'd have the gift of prophecy?
00:24:26.43\00:24:29.10
He does.
00:24:29.10\00:24:30.23
And at least one prophet,
00:24:30.23\00:24:31.30
I think He
raised was Ellen White,
00:24:31.30\00:24:33.80
doesn't mean it's
the last because it says
00:24:33.80\00:24:35.97
it'll come to
pass in the last days,
00:24:35.97\00:24:37.37
I will pour out My
Spirit on all flesh
00:24:37.37\00:24:40.08
and your sons and your
daughters will prophesy.
00:24:40.08\00:24:43.75
Dream, dream, see visions.
00:24:43.75\00:24:45.15
And so, I don't think
God has retracted His promise
00:24:45.15\00:24:48.62
for the gifts of the
spirit to His church.
00:24:48.62\00:24:50.75
So it's something He
wants us to understand.
00:24:50.75\00:24:52.59
Please read for us your verse.
00:24:52.59\00:24:56.06
Daniel 2:22,
00:24:56.06\00:24:58.36
"He reveals deep
and secret things,
00:24:58.36\00:25:00.83
He knows what
is in the darkness,
00:25:00.83\00:25:03.26
and light dwells with Him."
00:25:03.26\00:25:05.13
Amen.
00:25:05.13\00:25:06.23
You'll see
several times in the Bible
00:25:06.23\00:25:07.64
where God gives
them a serious dream
00:25:07.64\00:25:10.64
to some monarch
00:25:10.64\00:25:13.11
and they don't
know what it means,
00:25:13.11\00:25:15.44
and finally they
need to call a Jew.
00:25:15.44\00:25:17.95
And the Jew explains the dream.
00:25:17.95\00:25:19.28
You know the story
of Joseph in Egypt.
00:25:19.28\00:25:21.58
Now God didn't give this dream
to just keep everybody guessing
00:25:21.58\00:25:24.42
and have it just fade away.
00:25:24.42\00:25:25.65
He gave it so that
it could be understand,
00:25:25.65\00:25:27.86
but they needed to go to a Jew
00:25:27.86\00:25:29.32
because the Jews,
they wrote the Bible,
00:25:29.32\00:25:31.06
it represents the Word of God.
00:25:31.06\00:25:33.40
And Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar
has at least two dreams,
00:25:33.40\00:25:36.53
he can't understand, his
wise men can't understand,
00:25:36.53\00:25:38.60
God wants him to understand.
00:25:38.60\00:25:40.24
And finally,
when they turn to God,
00:25:40.24\00:25:42.40
Joseph said to
Pharaoh, God has the answer.
00:25:42.40\00:25:44.84
Daniel said to Nebuchadnezzar,
God has the answer.
00:25:44.84\00:25:47.68
They wanted them
to know who to turn to
00:25:47.68\00:25:50.28
for an
understanding of the future,
00:25:50.28\00:25:52.88
and it was revealed.
00:25:52.88\00:25:54.22
That's what Daniel saying here.
00:25:54.22\00:25:55.88
You look in Proverbs 3:32.
00:25:55.88\00:25:59.95
"For the perverse person
is an abomination to the Lord,
00:25:59.95\00:26:02.62
but His secret
counsel is with the upright."
00:26:02.62\00:26:06.13
God did not reveal the secrets
to the wise men of Pharaoh
00:26:06.13\00:26:10.30
or the wise men
of Nebuchadnezzar,
00:26:10.30\00:26:12.37
but he did reveal
the secret to his people.
00:26:12.37\00:26:16.10
And so what's one of the
keys to understanding prophecy?
00:26:16.10\00:26:20.84
Blessed are those
who read here and keep,
00:26:20.84\00:26:22.71
we need to have
the Lord in our hearts,
00:26:22.71\00:26:25.71
spiritual things are
spiritually discerned.
00:26:25.71\00:26:28.98
And we need to
have the Holy Spirit
00:26:28.98\00:26:31.09
to understand these mysteries.
00:26:31.09\00:26:32.39
Say amen. Amen.
00:26:32.39\00:26:34.46
Matthew 13,
00:26:34.46\00:26:36.79
"Jesus answered
and said to them,"
00:26:36.79\00:26:38.09
this is verse 11,
00:26:38.09\00:26:39.59
"because it has
been given to you
00:26:39.59\00:26:41.33
to know the mysteries
of the kingdom of heaven,
00:26:41.33\00:26:44.90
but to them it
has not been given."
00:26:44.90\00:26:46.74
His people that
are consecrated to him,
00:26:46.74\00:26:49.24
if they study and
they seek for truth,
00:26:49.24\00:26:51.91
He will reveal these things,
00:26:51.91\00:26:54.08
but there are some
people who do not understand.
00:26:54.08\00:26:56.61
You can read in
Matthew 13, Christ said,
00:26:56.61\00:26:58.98
that's few verses later.
00:26:58.98\00:27:01.82
In verse 15,
00:27:01.82\00:27:03.52
"For the heart of
this people has grown dull.
00:27:03.52\00:27:05.52
Their ears are hard of
hearing, their eyes have closed,
00:27:05.52\00:27:09.32
lest they should
see with their eyes
00:27:09.32\00:27:10.96
and hear with their ears,
00:27:10.96\00:27:12.39
lest they should understand
with their hearts and turn,
00:27:12.39\00:27:15.20
so that I should heal them.
00:27:15.20\00:27:16.90
But blessed are
your eyes for they see,
00:27:16.90\00:27:19.77
and your ears for they hear.
00:27:19.77\00:27:21.50
For assuredly, I say to you
00:27:21.50\00:27:22.64
many prophets and
righteous men have desired
00:27:22.64\00:27:24.57
to see what you
see, and did not see it,
00:27:24.57\00:27:26.64
and hear what you
hear, and did not hear it."
00:27:26.64\00:27:29.14
Now, if God is
going to give a generation
00:27:29.14\00:27:30.81
the ability to
understand Revelation,
00:27:30.81\00:27:34.08
why would not it
be this generation
00:27:34.08\00:27:37.35
upon whom the ends
of the world have come?
00:27:37.35\00:27:39.65
Here we are, if we're
not going to understand it,
00:27:39.65\00:27:41.49
nobody's going to understand it.
00:27:41.49\00:27:42.99
He wants us to know
what these things mean
00:27:42.99\00:27:44.66
to prepare the
world for His coming.
00:27:44.66\00:27:46.13
He said,
"Behold, I come quickly."
00:27:46.13\00:27:48.06
Amen?
00:27:48.06\00:27:49.70
In the book
Testimonies to Ministers,
00:27:49.70\00:27:52.60
Ellen White writes in page 118,
00:27:52.60\00:27:55.80
"Let Daniel speak,
let the revelation speak,
00:27:55.80\00:27:59.81
tell what truth is
00:27:59.81\00:28:01.71
but whatever phase of
the subject is presented,
00:28:01.71\00:28:03.95
uplift Jesus at
the center of all hope,
00:28:03.95\00:28:07.35
the Root and the
Offspring of David,
00:28:07.35\00:28:09.42
the Bright and the Morning Star,
00:28:09.42\00:28:10.92
just reiterates,
00:28:10.92\00:28:11.99
Christ must be kept
the center of the book.
00:28:11.99\00:28:14.06
It is ultimately a
revelation of Jesus Himself.
00:28:14.06\00:28:17.69
All right, so the next section,
00:28:17.69\00:28:18.69
what is the purpose of
the Book of Revelation?
00:28:18.69\00:28:21.13
Now you know what I'm
doing in my study today,
00:28:21.13\00:28:23.10
this is an introduction,
00:28:23.10\00:28:25.07
my comments are
dealing with verse 1-8,
00:28:25.07\00:28:28.57
and that's about it.
00:28:28.57\00:28:30.57
So if you look under
the purpose of the book,
00:28:30.57\00:28:32.94
and someone here in a minute
is going to read John 14:29.
00:28:32.94\00:28:36.91
Revelation 1:1,
00:28:36.91\00:28:37.95
"The revelation of Jesus Christ,
00:28:37.95\00:28:40.35
which God gave Him
to show His servants
00:28:40.35\00:28:44.62
things which must
shortly take place."
00:28:44.62\00:28:47.49
Now that tells you right there
00:28:47.49\00:28:48.72
that the
beginning of the fulfillment
00:28:48.72\00:28:52.19
of the prophecies of
Revelation was imminent.
00:28:52.19\00:28:56.33
Now before I go any farther
00:28:56.33\00:28:57.50
and I'm sure
that between myself,
00:28:57.50\00:29:00.60
Pastor Ross, Pastor Brummund,
and others that may teach,
00:29:00.60\00:29:02.64
there will be some
repetition which is good.
00:29:02.64\00:29:06.01
When you approach Revelation,
00:29:06.01\00:29:07.38
there are three principal views.
00:29:07.38\00:29:10.95
You got past, present, future.
00:29:10.95\00:29:14.18
You've got one that is
called the preterist view.
00:29:14.18\00:29:18.35
Just think of the word pre.
00:29:18.35\00:29:20.66
They think that all of
Revelation was fulfilled
00:29:20.66\00:29:24.59
by the time the
apostles died, first 100 years.
00:29:24.59\00:29:28.13
They think Nero
was the antichrist.
00:29:28.13\00:29:30.73
And then they've got
kind of a creative way
00:29:30.73\00:29:32.43
to try to make that work.
00:29:32.43\00:29:34.87
I don't think
it's very effective,
00:29:34.87\00:29:37.07
because there's a
lot of revelation like
00:29:37.07\00:29:38.41
when it talks about Jesus coming
00:29:38.41\00:29:39.57
that clearly hasn't happened.
00:29:39.57\00:29:41.58
And so I don't accept
00:29:41.58\00:29:43.98
but that's not a
very popular view.
00:29:43.98\00:29:46.38
Then you've got a popular
view and it's a new view,
00:29:46.38\00:29:50.45
it's called the futurist view
00:29:50.45\00:29:52.82
and they say that from
Revelation Chapter 4 onward,
00:29:52.82\00:29:56.76
the Revelation 4 says
"They heard a voice behind me
00:29:56.76\00:29:59.59
and there's a trumpet
and says, 'Come up here.'"
00:29:59.59\00:30:01.83
And John is kind of
taken up and shown this vision,
00:30:01.83\00:30:04.23
they say all of that
is from the rapture on.
00:30:04.23\00:30:08.84
So they say everything
from Chapter 4 in Revelation
00:30:08.84\00:30:12.01
is still future.
00:30:12.01\00:30:13.81
Well, that I would
respectfully disagree with,
00:30:13.81\00:30:16.34
and that is a
relatively new view
00:30:16.34\00:30:18.35
that was actually
developed by two Jesuit priests,
00:30:18.35\00:30:21.65
Francisco Ribera
being one of them.
00:30:21.65\00:30:25.19
And it was later
adopted by Scofield
00:30:25.19\00:30:28.62
and he put it in
his Scofield Bible
00:30:28.62\00:30:30.89
that was picked up
by then Hal Lindsey,
00:30:30.89\00:30:32.49
who put it in the book,
The Late, Great Planet Earth,
00:30:32.49\00:30:34.30
when he foretold the
end of the world, 1988,
00:30:34.30\00:30:37.17
and none of that happened.
00:30:37.17\00:30:39.33
But it took hold
the secret rapture,
00:30:39.33\00:30:41.44
futuristic view to
hold at that point,
00:30:41.44\00:30:43.67
and they never let go of it.
00:30:43.67\00:30:45.71
Then you got the view,
00:30:45.71\00:30:46.78
that was the
view of the reformers,
00:30:46.78\00:30:48.28
which is called
the historicist view.
00:30:48.28\00:30:49.84
And that means
Revelation really is a panorama
00:30:49.84\00:30:52.81
that covers the
history of the church
00:30:52.81\00:30:54.45
between the first coming.
00:30:54.45\00:30:56.45
Jesus said,
"The time is at hand,
00:30:56.45\00:30:57.82
it starts now
till the second coming,
00:30:57.82\00:31:01.19
you get to the end of the book
and all things are restored.
00:31:01.19\00:31:04.36
And so Revelation is for
God's people in every age.
00:31:04.36\00:31:08.16
And every lesson for
every age is for every person.
00:31:08.16\00:31:13.47
The seven messages
to the seven churches
00:31:13.47\00:31:15.40
are not just to those
particular churches in history,
00:31:15.40\00:31:18.47
but every
individual sort of goes through
00:31:18.47\00:31:20.98
sometimes phases
of Ephesus, Smyrna,
00:31:20.98\00:31:24.18
Philadelphia,
Laodicea, Sardis, so forth.
00:31:24.18\00:31:28.32
Persons first
converted, they're Ephesus,
00:31:28.32\00:31:32.02
and they get
persecuted by their families.
00:31:32.02\00:31:33.66
Smyrna, they joined a church.
00:31:33.66\00:31:35.19
Philadelphia, brotherly love.
00:31:35.19\00:31:36.79
Then they've been in
the church for a while,
00:31:36.79\00:31:38.16
Laodicea.
00:31:38.16\00:31:40.13
And so it's for every Christian,
00:31:40.13\00:31:43.37
but it really does cover
the panorama of church history.
00:31:43.37\00:31:47.17
And so we'll be
sharing in this series,
00:31:47.17\00:31:50.37
this historicist view.
00:31:50.37\00:31:52.47
All right, so the main purpose
of the book is redemption.
00:31:52.47\00:31:56.08
Now read for me
please, John 14:29.
00:31:56.08\00:31:59.41
John 14:29, "
00:31:59.41\00:32:01.72
And now I have told
you before it comes,
00:32:01.72\00:32:04.02
that when it does come to pass,
00:32:04.02\00:32:05.72
you may believe."
00:32:05.72\00:32:07.22
All right, so God
gives us prophecy,
00:32:07.22\00:32:09.16
so we will know how to
invest in the stock market,
00:32:09.16\00:32:12.69
or how to pick lotto numbers,
00:32:12.69\00:32:15.73
or how to plant our crops.
00:32:15.73\00:32:18.47
Well, there was a place where
God gave prophecy to Joseph
00:32:18.47\00:32:21.20
to tell them how to
plant his crops, right?
00:32:21.20\00:32:24.84
But typically, prophecy is best
understood looking backwards.
00:32:24.84\00:32:30.38
God does not give us prophecy
00:32:30.38\00:32:32.58
so that we can
say the end is coming,
00:32:32.58\00:32:33.98
let's go run for the hills,
let's dig a hole, let's hide.
00:32:33.98\00:32:37.35
He gives us prophecy so that
00:32:37.35\00:32:38.85
when the prophecies
come true, our faith grows.
00:32:38.85\00:32:41.92
"Hey, God saw this all coming."
00:32:41.92\00:32:44.33
Prophecy is typically best
understood looking backwards.
00:32:44.33\00:32:48.90
Now some of the
prophets, they can look ahead
00:32:48.90\00:32:51.13
and tell you exactly
what's going to happen.
00:32:51.13\00:32:52.40
If you believe them,
you'll benefit from that.
00:32:52.40\00:32:54.67
But, you know, most of my
faith comes from the prophecies
00:32:54.67\00:32:57.44
that have been fulfilled.
00:32:57.44\00:33:00.21
My faith is strengthened that
all things are in God's hands.
00:33:00.21\00:33:03.55
I realized God is
never in heaven worried,
00:33:03.55\00:33:05.95
He knows exactly
what's going to happen,
00:33:05.95\00:33:08.05
that gives me peace
that my life is in His hands.
00:33:08.05\00:33:11.29
He knows what's coming,
that what He said will happen.
00:33:11.29\00:33:16.42
And so when I look at
00:33:16.42\00:33:17.46
how God works in the prophecies,
00:33:17.46\00:33:18.96
it's redemptive.
00:33:18.96\00:33:20.03
Prophecy is
principally redemptive.
00:33:20.03\00:33:22.90
The Book of Revelation
is a book of salvation.
00:33:22.90\00:33:25.73
It's a gospel book.
00:33:25.73\00:33:27.14
It is not a
prognostication book.
00:33:27.14\00:33:29.94
It is not a big
book of fortune cookies.
00:33:29.94\00:33:33.17
It's a book of salvation.
00:33:33.17\00:33:35.28
There is a lot of
prophecy in there that came true
00:33:35.28\00:33:37.58
but don't think of prophecy as
00:33:37.58\00:33:39.08
"I've got an inside
track on what's coming."
00:33:39.08\00:33:42.62
Prophecy is there so
that as we preach prophecy,
00:33:42.62\00:33:45.09
people say, "Wow,
God knows all things."
00:33:45.09\00:33:49.72
And He wins in the end.
00:33:49.72\00:33:52.96
That's one of the
wonderful thing about Revelation
00:33:52.96\00:33:56.80
is that...
00:33:56.80\00:33:58.53
The final chapter
tells us you know who wins.
00:33:58.53\00:34:02.50
And that really
says a lot right there.
00:34:02.50\00:34:04.67
John 13:19, Jesus said,
00:34:04.67\00:34:06.41
"Now I tell you
before it comes to pass,
00:34:06.41\00:34:08.48
that when it does come to pass,
00:34:08.48\00:34:10.38
you might believe that I am He."
00:34:10.38\00:34:12.58
Why does He tell us?
00:34:12.58\00:34:13.88
That we might
believe that He is the one.
00:34:13.88\00:34:17.65
Prophecy is to help us
recognize Jesus is the one.
00:34:17.65\00:34:20.16
Look at John 16:4,
00:34:20.16\00:34:22.56
"But these things I told
you that when the time comes,
00:34:22.56\00:34:24.86
you might remember
that I told you of them."
00:34:24.86\00:34:28.03
God wants us to have more
faith, and prophecy does that.
00:34:28.03\00:34:31.63
Isaiah 46:9,
00:34:31.63\00:34:34.54
"Remember the
former things of old,
00:34:34.54\00:34:37.14
For I am God, and
there is no other,
00:34:37.14\00:34:39.07
I am God, and
there is none like Me,
00:34:39.07\00:34:41.18
declaring the end
from the beginning,
00:34:41.18\00:34:44.51
And from ancient times
things that are not yet done,
00:34:44.51\00:34:48.08
saying, 'My counsel will stand,
00:34:48.08\00:34:50.32
and I will do all My pleasure.'"
00:34:50.32\00:34:52.79
The prophecies in
the Bible are telling us
00:34:52.79\00:34:55.29
that God sees all things.
00:34:55.29\00:34:58.53
So one of the
principal purposes of the book
00:34:58.53\00:35:01.06
is to tell us that
00:35:01.06\00:35:02.83
Christ is coming,
but He's coming soon.
00:35:02.83\00:35:05.63
Chapter 1, these things
must shortly take place,
00:35:05.63\00:35:08.94
that means imminently.
00:35:08.94\00:35:11.24
Revelation 22,
"Surely I come quickly."
00:35:11.24\00:35:15.24
Everybody in every
age can read Revelation
00:35:15.24\00:35:18.61
and know that some
part of it applies to them,
00:35:18.61\00:35:21.38
their age in which they live.
00:35:21.38\00:35:24.75
And you might
say Revelation begins
00:35:24.75\00:35:28.26
where the
gospel ends with Jesus.
00:35:28.26\00:35:30.79
Gospels ends with Jesus,
Revelation begins with Jesus.
00:35:30.79\00:35:34.10
It's talking
about His resurrection,
00:35:34.10\00:35:36.40
and His ascension to heaven,
00:35:36.40\00:35:38.30
the primary purpose of this
00:35:38.30\00:35:40.17
is to remind us
that God is in control.
00:35:40.17\00:35:42.34
Now here's one of the
most important sections,
00:35:42.34\00:35:44.41
it's talking about the
symbolic language of Revelation.
00:35:44.41\00:35:48.01
Touched on that a little bit,
00:35:48.01\00:35:49.08
but I'm going to
give you some examples.
00:35:49.08\00:35:52.48
If you look in
Revelation 1:1, it says,
00:35:52.48\00:35:56.25
"He sent and He signified it
00:35:56.25\00:35:58.89
by His angel to
His servant, John."
00:35:58.89\00:36:02.39
That says a
revelation of Jesus Christ,
00:36:02.39\00:36:04.09
which God gave him,
00:36:04.09\00:36:06.33
and He sends and He signifies,
what does signify mean?
00:36:06.33\00:36:11.10
Signify means to sign-ify.
00:36:11.10\00:36:15.24
It actually means
He gives it in symbols.
00:36:15.24\00:36:20.44
And the Book of Revelation
is filled with symbols.
00:36:20.44\00:36:25.01
For example,
00:36:25.01\00:36:26.45
if you look in Revelation 17:1,
00:36:26.45\00:36:31.22
"Then I stood on
the sand of the sea,
00:36:31.22\00:36:33.49
and I saw a beast
rising up out of the sea,
00:36:33.49\00:36:36.52
having seven heads and
ten horns on his heads,
00:36:36.52\00:36:40.00
and ten crowns on his
heads, and a blasphemous name."
00:36:40.00\00:36:44.30
Beast with seven
heads and ten horns.
00:36:44.30\00:36:48.24
People will say,
"That's what happens
00:36:48.24\00:36:49.57
when you don't use
organic fertilizer,
00:36:49.57\00:36:52.84
you know, it just affects
the animals in the last days."
00:36:52.84\00:36:56.54
So there's people who
think those kind of creatures
00:36:56.54\00:36:57.95
are going to be
roaming the earth,
00:36:57.95\00:36:59.25
it's all because of what
we've done to the environment.
00:36:59.25\00:37:01.32
I think it's a symbol.
00:37:01.32\00:37:03.99
What does that mean?
00:37:03.99\00:37:05.89
You go to Daniel 7.
00:37:05.89\00:37:08.82
In the first year... Verse 1.
00:37:08.82\00:37:10.66
"In the first year of
Belshazzar king of Babylon,
00:37:10.66\00:37:12.79
Daniel had a dream and visions
of his head while on his bed."
00:37:12.79\00:37:15.33
So it's a vision.
00:37:15.33\00:37:16.80
"He wrote down the
dream telling the main facts.
00:37:16.80\00:37:19.67
Daniel spoke and
said, 'In my dream by night
00:37:19.67\00:37:22.07
I saw four winds of heaven
stirring on the great sea.'"
00:37:22.07\00:37:26.51
But here we just
read in Revelation,
00:37:26.51\00:37:27.81
I stood in the sand of the sea,
00:37:27.81\00:37:28.91
these beasts
rising up out of the sea.
00:37:28.91\00:37:30.88
And Daniel says, these
beasts raised up out of the sea.
00:37:30.88\00:37:33.35
"Four great beasts
come up out of the sea,
00:37:33.35\00:37:35.75
each different from the other."
00:37:35.75\00:37:36.79
And he talks
about one like a lion,
00:37:36.79\00:37:39.15
one like a bear,
one like a leopard.
00:37:39.15\00:37:41.06
You look in Revelation 13,
it talks about, like a lion,
00:37:41.06\00:37:43.73
like a bear, like a leopard,
00:37:43.73\00:37:45.66
but the beast in Daniel
is, these beasts are kingdoms.
00:37:45.66\00:37:49.83
So by going here a
little and there a little,
00:37:49.83\00:37:51.80
comparing
scripture with scripture,
00:37:51.80\00:37:54.44
pretty soon it all
starts to come together
00:37:54.44\00:37:56.40
what it's dealing with.
00:37:56.40\00:37:59.94
For example, if
you read in Revelation,
00:37:59.94\00:38:04.81
you'll see in Chapter 4.
00:38:04.81\00:38:06.88
If you got your Bibles,
00:38:06.88\00:38:07.95
you might turn to
Revelation Chapter 4,
00:38:07.95\00:38:09.42
and you look in verse 4.
00:38:09.42\00:38:12.15
No, yeah, go to
Revelation 4:7 actually.
00:38:12.15\00:38:15.46
It talks about these creatures
around the throne of God.
00:38:15.46\00:38:18.49
"First creature's like a lion,
00:38:18.49\00:38:20.40
the second living
creature's like a calf,
00:38:20.40\00:38:22.93
third living creature
had the face of a man,
00:38:22.93\00:38:25.67
fourth creature was
like a flying eagle."
00:38:25.67\00:38:28.67
Okay, just pause
right there and go.
00:38:28.67\00:38:31.07
What does that mean?
00:38:31.07\00:38:32.64
Well, if you're
reading your Old Testament,
00:38:32.64\00:38:34.21
you will read Ezekiel
where it says in 1:10,
00:38:34.21\00:38:37.58
"As for the
likeness of their faces,
00:38:37.58\00:38:39.28
these four creatures,
00:38:39.28\00:38:40.65
each had the face of a man,
00:38:40.65\00:38:43.08
and the forehead,
the face of a lion,
00:38:43.08\00:38:45.42
face of an ox, that's a calf,
00:38:45.42\00:38:48.19
and the face of an eagle."
00:38:48.19\00:38:50.19
That's not coincidence.
00:38:50.19\00:38:51.29
I mean, when you think of
00:38:51.29\00:38:52.36
the thousands of
different kinds of animals
00:38:52.36\00:38:54.10
that both Ezekiel and Revelation
00:38:54.10\00:38:56.30
get the same four
animals on their creatures.
00:38:56.30\00:38:59.50
They're seeing the
same thing, aren't they?
00:38:59.50\00:39:01.97
And you start
saying, "What does that mean?
00:39:01.97\00:39:03.07
Well, let's keep
reading in Revelation."
00:39:03.07\00:39:05.71
Back to Chapter 4 in Revelation,
00:39:05.71\00:39:07.21
you read verse 8,
00:39:07.21\00:39:08.44
"The four living
creatures, each have six wings,
00:39:08.44\00:39:11.61
and they were full of
eyes around and within.
00:39:11.61\00:39:13.98
They do not rest
day or night saying,
00:39:13.98\00:39:15.78
'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord,
God Almighty who is to come.'"
00:39:15.78\00:39:21.09
What does that mean?
00:39:21.09\00:39:22.46
Well, you go to Isaiah 6.
00:39:22.46\00:39:25.59
It says, "Above
it stood seraphim,
00:39:25.59\00:39:27.13
each had six wings."
00:39:27.13\00:39:28.16
Didn't we just
read that in Revelation?
00:39:28.16\00:39:31.00
"With two he covered his face,
00:39:31.00\00:39:32.33
with two they
covered their feet,
00:39:32.33\00:39:33.54
with two he fly.
00:39:33.54\00:39:34.94
And one cries
like another and says,
00:39:34.94\00:39:36.40
'Holy, holy, holy
is the Lord of hosts,
00:39:36.40\00:39:38.54
The whole earth is
full of His glory!'"
00:39:38.54\00:39:40.68
You know, one of
the incredible things
00:39:40.68\00:39:41.81
about
Revelation, when I read it,
00:39:41.81\00:39:42.94
I get little goose bumps
00:39:42.94\00:39:44.78
because I know I
am reading something
00:39:44.78\00:39:47.98
a human could not write.
00:39:47.98\00:39:51.22
Because I know
the Bible pretty well.
00:39:51.22\00:39:53.99
And John,
00:39:53.99\00:39:56.96
a 90 year old fisherman
00:39:56.96\00:40:00.20
to write a cohesive
vision that draws in a way
00:40:00.20\00:40:06.84
where it actually makes
sense and comes together,
00:40:06.84\00:40:09.54
pictures like a kaleidoscope
of the whole Old Testament
00:40:09.54\00:40:14.74
could never concoct this.
00:40:14.74\00:40:16.31
A man could never dream it up.
00:40:16.31\00:40:18.81
The whole Book of Revelation
00:40:18.81\00:40:20.82
is a beautiful composite
of the story of salvation
00:40:20.82\00:40:25.22
drawn from books all
through the Old Testament,
00:40:25.22\00:40:28.39
yet it makes sense
when you get to Revelation
00:40:28.39\00:40:31.06
and you look at
the life of Jesus.
00:40:31.06\00:40:32.99
And then it also
at the same time,
00:40:32.99\00:40:35.70
not only is it
all pulled together,
00:40:35.70\00:40:37.23
it then shows in the
way it's put together
00:40:37.23\00:40:40.84
the prophecy of history
00:40:40.84\00:40:42.70
from Jesus' time
to His second coming.
00:40:42.70\00:40:45.47
By drawing all these snippets
00:40:45.47\00:40:47.28
from all of
these other prophets,
00:40:47.28\00:40:49.34
now there are four other
00:40:49.34\00:40:51.65
primary apocalyptic
prophets in the Old Testament.
00:40:51.65\00:40:55.32
To understand Revelation,
00:40:55.32\00:40:56.65
you should understand
or at least be reading
00:40:56.65\00:40:59.19
Daniel, Ezekiel,
Zachariah, what's the fourth?
00:40:59.19\00:41:05.83
I'm forgetting.
00:41:05.83\00:41:07.60
Isaiah.
00:41:07.60\00:41:09.26
And...
00:41:09.26\00:41:10.33
Yeah, Isaiah also
has some apocalyptic,
00:41:10.33\00:41:12.17
"hey, you know,
there's a couple of others.
00:41:12.17\00:41:14.44
Job, yeah has
some, and you find...
00:41:14.44\00:41:17.47
You got grasshoppers in
Job, grasshoppers in Revelation.
00:41:17.47\00:41:20.41
I mean you look at the,
even the minor prophets,
00:41:20.41\00:41:22.84
you're going to see
it's just taking you through
00:41:22.84\00:41:25.88
that everywhere from Genesis,
00:41:25.88\00:41:28.08
Revelation touches on
Genesis all the way to Malachi.
00:41:28.08\00:41:31.15
It is the most incredible
book in the Bible by far.
00:41:31.15\00:41:34.42
So you see how
it's full of symbols.
00:41:34.42\00:41:37.76
And it's all
telling us about Jesus.
00:41:37.76\00:41:40.63
In Revelation, it
talks about who God is,
00:41:40.63\00:41:42.96
talks about the Godhead.
00:41:42.96\00:41:44.03
Notice, you even
find the Trinity.
00:41:44.03\00:41:45.97
Someone's going to
read for me in just a moment
00:41:45.97\00:41:47.67
2 Corinthians 13.
00:41:47.67\00:41:50.41
I'll read Revelation 1:4-5.
00:41:50.41\00:41:53.14
"John, to the seven
churches, which are in Asia,
00:41:53.14\00:41:56.08
grace to you, and peace
00:41:56.08\00:41:58.05
from He who is, and
from He who is to come,
00:41:58.05\00:42:01.02
and from the seven spirits
that are before His throne,
00:42:01.02\00:42:04.35
and from Jesus Christ,"
00:42:04.35\00:42:06.45
Right there,
notice what you've got.
00:42:06.45\00:42:08.59
It says, from He
who sits on the throne,
00:42:08.59\00:42:10.53
from the seven
spirits, from Jesus Christ.
00:42:10.53\00:42:12.66
"The faithful witness
are firstborn from the dead.
00:42:12.66\00:42:15.13
The ruler of the
kings of the earth,"
00:42:15.13\00:42:16.87
he's called the
King of kings in Daniel.
00:42:16.87\00:42:19.03
"To him who loved us
00:42:19.03\00:42:20.04
and washed us from our
sins in His own blood."
00:42:20.04\00:42:22.70
So what's the central message?
00:42:22.70\00:42:24.74
God loves you,
00:42:24.74\00:42:26.17
He washes you from
your sins in His blood.
00:42:26.17\00:42:29.91
You see, it's a book
of the gospel, isn't it?
00:42:29.91\00:42:33.25
But yet here you've got
a picture of the Godhead.
00:42:33.25\00:42:36.35
Go ahead, want to
read that next verse?
00:42:36.35\00:42:38.79
2 Corinthians 13:14,
00:42:38.79\00:42:41.29
"The grace of the
Lord Jesus Christ,
00:42:41.29\00:42:43.73
and the love of God,
00:42:43.73\00:42:45.29
and the
fellowship of the Holy Spirit
00:42:45.29\00:42:47.20
to be with you all."
00:42:47.20\00:42:49.26
You know, I've got a
list of about 24 verses.
00:42:49.26\00:42:52.70
I did a book on
the Trinity recently,
00:42:52.70\00:42:55.04
and I put in a list
of 24 verses in the Bible
00:42:55.04\00:42:58.17
where you see it's either
in one or two verses together
00:42:58.17\00:43:01.81
all three members of the Godhead
00:43:01.81\00:43:04.35
that are mentioned.
00:43:04.35\00:43:05.88
And it's
something that, you know,
00:43:05.88\00:43:07.65
it took years for
people to better understand
00:43:07.65\00:43:10.09
how this one God is composed
of three unique persons,
00:43:10.09\00:43:14.59
but it is the one
God we call the Godhead.
00:43:14.59\00:43:17.33
God, the Father,
soul of the world,
00:43:17.33\00:43:18.86
He sent God the Son,
00:43:18.86\00:43:20.10
and God the Son died
and ascended to heaven,
00:43:20.10\00:43:22.20
He said, "I will
send God the Spirit."
00:43:22.20\00:43:24.13
And even in Genesis,
00:43:24.13\00:43:27.07
"The Spirit of God moved
on the face of the water."
00:43:27.07\00:43:29.37
Then you get to Revelation,
00:43:29.37\00:43:31.31
it says, "The Spirit
and the bride say, 'Come."
00:43:31.31\00:43:33.94
So all through the
Book of Revelation,
00:43:33.94\00:43:35.61
you're going to
find the Father, the Son,
00:43:35.61\00:43:37.91
and the Spirit are mentioned
not just in chapter one,
00:43:37.91\00:43:41.45
but several times
throughout the book.
00:43:41.45\00:43:42.72
So it gives us a picture of God.
00:43:42.72\00:43:45.69
And you can look
also 1 Peter 1:2,
00:43:45.69\00:43:48.39
"According to the foreknowledge
00:43:48.39\00:43:49.49
of God, the Father,
00:43:49.49\00:43:50.86
by the
sanctifying work of the Spirit
00:43:50.86\00:43:52.86
to obey Jesus Christ."
00:43:52.86\00:43:54.03
So these are just some
of the many verses you see
00:43:54.03\00:43:56.53
that give us a
picture of the same Godhead
00:43:56.53\00:43:58.97
that then appears in Revelation.
00:43:58.97\00:44:01.20
Now finally,
00:44:01.20\00:44:02.54
what is the
keynote of Revelation?
00:44:02.54\00:44:05.91
What is the central
figure of Revelation?
00:44:05.91\00:44:09.64
Revelation 1:7,
00:44:09.64\00:44:12.01
"Behold, He is
coming with the clouds,"
00:44:12.01\00:44:14.68
right here at the beginning.
00:44:14.68\00:44:16.48
And I told you, my
mission this morning
00:44:16.48\00:44:18.15
is just verses 1,
Chapter 1 through verse 8.
00:44:18.15\00:44:21.92
It says in 1:7, 8.
00:44:21.92\00:44:24.23
"He is coming with the clouds
and every eye will see Him.
00:44:24.23\00:44:28.06
They who pierced Him,
00:44:28.06\00:44:30.20
and all the tribes of the earth
will mourn because of Him."
00:44:30.20\00:44:33.70
Now how are the
ones who pierced Jesus
00:44:33.70\00:44:35.54
going to see Him when He comes?
00:44:35.54\00:44:39.37
Is everybody, all the
wicked going to be raised
00:44:39.37\00:44:42.91
when He comes?
00:44:42.91\00:44:43.98
Or is that the
second resurrection?
00:44:43.98\00:44:45.85
Where do we learn about
the second resurrection?
00:44:45.85\00:44:48.15
Revelation 20 tells us the most.
00:44:48.15\00:44:50.12
"The rest of the dead do
not live till the second,
00:44:50.12\00:44:52.89
till the thousand
years are finished.
00:44:52.89\00:44:55.12
Blessed and holy is He that has
00:44:55.12\00:44:56.32
part in the first resurrection."
00:44:56.32\00:44:58.33
So how do those who pierced
Him see Him when He comes?
00:44:58.33\00:45:02.40
There's a special resurrection.
00:45:02.40\00:45:03.73
And you can also see
in Daniel Chapter 12.
00:45:03.73\00:45:07.50
It says, at that
time, Michael will stand up,
00:45:07.50\00:45:09.87
the great prince that stands
00:45:09.87\00:45:11.21
for the children of your people.
00:45:11.21\00:45:12.41
There'll be a time of trouble
such as there never has been
00:45:12.41\00:45:14.58
since there was a
nation even to the same time.
00:45:14.58\00:45:17.08
And at that time that
people will be delivered,
00:45:17.08\00:45:19.18
everyone that is
written in the book,
00:45:19.18\00:45:22.15
and many of them that
sleep in the dust of the earth
00:45:22.15\00:45:24.29
will awake, resurrection,
some to everlasting life,
00:45:24.29\00:45:27.66
some to shame and
everlasting contempt.
00:45:27.66\00:45:30.46
So when He comes,
some are raised to shame.
00:45:30.46\00:45:33.60
They also who pierced Him.
00:45:33.60\00:45:35.93
So there's a
special resurrection
00:45:35.93\00:45:37.57
of those who were accessories
00:45:37.57\00:45:39.83
or complicit of the crucifixion
and they mock trial of Christ,
00:45:39.83\00:45:45.14
and He's going to come in glory,
00:45:45.14\00:45:46.21
and they're going to see that.
00:45:46.21\00:45:49.41
Woe on them.
00:45:49.41\00:45:51.78
And then you look
in Daniel Chapter 7,
00:45:51.78\00:45:54.72
you've also got
the central key focus
00:45:54.72\00:45:57.02
here in Revelation.
00:45:57.02\00:45:59.42
"I was watching
in the night visions
00:45:59.42\00:46:01.32
and behold one
like the Son of Man
00:46:01.32\00:46:03.79
coming with the
clouds of heaven,
00:46:03.79\00:46:05.83
and he came to
the ancient of days."
00:46:05.83\00:46:07.50
Do we only find
Jesus in the New Testament?
00:46:07.50\00:46:11.43
Or do we find
Jesus in the prophecies
00:46:11.43\00:46:13.17
of the Old Testament?
00:46:13.17\00:46:15.40
Who is the Son of Man
00:46:15.40\00:46:17.14
that comes to
the ancient of days?
00:46:17.14\00:46:21.11
Well, let's read
about what it says here.
00:46:21.11\00:46:23.95
"They brought the Son of man,
He came to the ancient of days,
00:46:23.95\00:46:26.61
they brought
Him near before Him,
00:46:26.61\00:46:27.78
then to Him was given dominion,
00:46:27.78\00:46:30.19
and glory, and the kingdom,
00:46:30.19\00:46:32.09
and all peoples, nations,
and languages should serve Him.
00:46:32.09\00:46:35.39
His dominion is an
everlasting dominion."
00:46:35.39\00:46:38.26
You know, the
central theme of Daniel
00:46:38.26\00:46:39.79
is God's kingdom will win.
00:46:39.79\00:46:41.73
Daniel starts by
God's people in captivity,
00:46:41.73\00:46:45.23
but it reminds
us through the book
00:46:45.23\00:46:47.20
that these
captivities are temporary,
00:46:47.20\00:46:49.14
God's kingdom will
ultimately fill the earth.
00:46:49.14\00:46:51.81
And it says Jesus is
going to be the King.
00:46:51.81\00:46:53.91
It's not talking
about the ancient of days,
00:46:53.91\00:46:55.58
the God, the Father,
talking about God the Son.
00:46:55.58\00:46:57.91
And in Daniel when it says,
00:46:57.91\00:46:59.61
Nebuchadnezzar
stands up and he says,
00:46:59.61\00:47:01.48
"I threw three
men in that furnace,
00:47:01.48\00:47:04.19
but now I see four
alive and walking around,
00:47:04.19\00:47:06.39
the ropes are burned,
00:47:06.39\00:47:07.72
and the form of the
fourth is like Son of God."
00:47:07.72\00:47:11.53
So even in the prophecies,
in the Old Testament,
00:47:11.53\00:47:14.20
do we see Jesus appearing?
00:47:14.20\00:47:17.13
So one of the central
message is, of course,
00:47:17.13\00:47:19.33
and the keynote of Revelation
00:47:19.33\00:47:21.20
is, "Behold, I
am coming quickly."
00:47:21.20\00:47:23.30
And you go all the way
to the end of the book.
00:47:23.30\00:47:25.61
And the final part of Revelation
00:47:25.61\00:47:27.91
is be jeweled with a prayer
00:47:27.91\00:47:30.45
where John says,
"Even so, come, Lord Jesus."
00:47:30.45\00:47:34.42
And you know,
00:47:34.42\00:47:35.52
that's the cry of a man
who's writing from bondage.
00:47:35.52\00:47:39.35
He's a prisoner,
00:47:39.35\00:47:41.16
and it's like the
children of Israel,
00:47:41.16\00:47:42.42
praying there in
Egypt for the deliverance,
00:47:42.42\00:47:44.79
they cried unto the
Lord for deliverance,
00:47:44.79\00:47:47.50
and the God sent the
plagues, it got really bad,
00:47:47.50\00:47:49.93
and then it got really good
00:47:49.93\00:47:51.63
when they entered
the Promised Land.
00:47:51.63\00:47:53.03
And we are going to have
00:47:53.03\00:47:54.10
something similar in the future.
00:47:54.10\00:47:55.74
Time of trouble
they went through,
00:47:55.74\00:47:57.54
time of trouble the
early church went through,
00:47:57.54\00:47:59.84
and there's gonna
be a great tribulation
00:47:59.84\00:48:01.31
at the end of time,
00:48:01.31\00:48:02.58
and then Jesus is going to come.
00:48:02.58\00:48:04.05
Amen? Amen.
00:48:04.05\00:48:05.08
And so we need to pray,
even so come, Lord Jesus.
00:48:05.08\00:48:08.25
I'm really
excited about our study
00:48:08.25\00:48:09.72
together in
Revelation in the next...
00:48:09.72\00:48:12.39
Well, I guess we
got 12 more weeks left.
00:48:12.39\00:48:13.96
I want to remind those
00:48:13.96\00:48:14.99
who may be
missed at the beginning,
00:48:14.99\00:48:16.62
we're glad
you're studying with us,
00:48:16.62\00:48:17.99
but we have a free offer.
00:48:17.99\00:48:19.33
And we do talk about the Godhead
00:48:19.33\00:48:20.66
in our study this morning.
00:48:20.66\00:48:22.00
We have a book called
"The Trinity, Is It Biblical?"
00:48:22.00\00:48:25.23
Offer number 166,
00:48:25.23\00:48:27.37
and you can text "SH088."
00:48:27.37\00:48:31.27
You can download
it right now to 40544,
00:48:31.27\00:48:34.54
you want to download it
or you can call 866-788-3966,
00:48:34.54\00:48:39.68
we'll send that to you for free,
00:48:39.68\00:48:41.35
give you some additional study.
00:48:41.35\00:48:43.05
Matter of fact,
00:48:43.05\00:48:44.62
you know, I think I can
just make a fiat decision
00:48:44.62\00:48:46.92
here and say,
00:48:46.92\00:48:47.99
we have a new book,
it's expanded on the Trinity,
00:48:47.99\00:48:50.73
we'll share that with
you if you ask for it.
00:48:50.73\00:48:53.73
And it's called
00:48:53.73\00:48:54.76
"The Trinity, One God or Three?"
00:48:54.76\00:48:57.33
And, but, if you call,
we'll send you either one.
00:48:57.33\00:49:00.20
Did you learn anything today?
00:49:00.20\00:49:02.20
Good. Praise the Lord.
00:49:02.20\00:49:03.30
I sure enjoyed this study,
00:49:03.30\00:49:04.84
and we're looking
forward to studying
00:49:04.84\00:49:06.37
His Word with
you again next week.
00:49:06.37\00:49:08.21
Don't forget to request
00:49:09.84\00:49:11.01
today's life
changing free resource.
00:49:11.01\00:49:13.48
Not only can you receive
this free gift in the mail,
00:49:13.48\00:49:15.68
you can download a digital copy
00:49:15.68\00:49:17.05
straight to your
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00:49:17.05\00:49:19.52
To get your digital
copy of today's free gift,
00:49:19.52\00:49:22.22
simply text the
keyword on your screen to 40544
00:49:22.22\00:49:26.33
or visit the web
address shown on your screen.
00:49:26.33\00:49:29.10
And be sure to select
the digital download option
00:49:29.10\00:49:31.53
on the request page.
00:49:31.53\00:49:32.77
It's now easier
than ever for you
00:49:32.77\00:49:34.67
to study God's
Word with Amazing Facts
00:49:34.67\00:49:37.27
wherever and whenever you want,
00:49:37.27\00:49:39.27
and most important
to hare it with others.
00:49:39.27\00:49:41.88
Hello, friends.
00:49:51.89\00:49:53.05
We all know, a marathon
00:49:53.05\00:49:54.19
is one of the
longest and hardest races
00:49:54.19\00:49:55.96
a person can run.
00:49:55.96\00:49:57.43
But did you hear
about the Ultramarathon
00:49:57.43\00:49:59.63
they used to have in Australia?
00:49:59.63\00:50:01.66
It was 544 miles
from Melbourne to Sydney.
00:50:01.66\00:50:05.43
It attracted as many as
150 world class athletes.
00:50:05.43\00:50:09.37
But then something happened
that no one would ever forget.
00:50:09.37\00:50:11.84
In 1983, a
61-year-old potato farmer
00:50:11.84\00:50:15.81
named Cliff Young
decided to enter the race.
00:50:15.81\00:50:18.71
People were very amused
00:50:18.71\00:50:19.78
because he had
on rubber galoshes
00:50:19.78\00:50:21.68
over his boots.
00:50:21.68\00:50:22.95
And when the race began
and all the runners took off,
00:50:22.95\00:50:25.75
sure enough, old Cliff
00:50:25.75\00:50:26.82
was left behind
shuffling along very slowly,
00:50:26.82\00:50:30.16
but he was
shuffling very persistently.
00:50:30.16\00:50:32.83
Normally, during
this seven-day race,
00:50:32.83\00:50:35.10
the runners would go
about 18 hours running
00:50:35.10\00:50:37.60
and then they'd
sleep for six hours.
00:50:37.60\00:50:39.70
But nobody ever told Cliff that.
00:50:39.70\00:50:42.04
When the other
runners stopped to rest
00:50:42.04\00:50:43.81
during the night,
Cliff just kept on running.
00:50:43.81\00:50:46.74
Some people were afraid
00:50:46.74\00:50:47.81
old Cliff was going
to have a heart attack,
00:50:47.81\00:50:49.71
and they were asking
the race organizers to show
00:50:49.71\00:50:51.48
mercy and stop
the crazy old man.
00:50:51.48\00:50:53.78
But he would have none of it.
00:50:53.78\00:50:55.45
Each day, he was
gaining on the pack
00:50:55.45\00:50:57.85
because when they were sleeping,
00:50:57.85\00:50:59.45
he was plodding along.
00:50:59.45\00:51:01.69
During the last
night of the race,
00:51:01.69\00:51:03.32
Cliff passed all of
these world class athletes.
00:51:03.32\00:51:06.96
Not only was Cliff able to run
00:51:06.96\00:51:08.63
that 544 mile
race without dying,
00:51:08.63\00:51:11.83
he won beating all the
other racers by nine hours,
00:51:11.83\00:51:15.04
breaking the record,
00:51:15.04\00:51:16.14
and becoming a
national hero in process.
00:51:16.14\00:51:19.01
What's really
amazing is when they told him
00:51:19.01\00:51:20.71
that he had won
the $10,000 prize,
00:51:20.71\00:51:22.98
he looked confused
00:51:22.98\00:51:24.05
and said he didn't
know there was a prize,
00:51:24.05\00:51:25.68
and he decided to share
it with the other runners.
00:51:25.68\00:51:28.72
When asked how he was
able to run all night long,
00:51:28.72\00:51:31.42
Cliff respond that
he grew up on a farm
00:51:31.42\00:51:33.39
where they had about
2,000 herd of cattle,
00:51:33.39\00:51:35.32
and because he
couldn't afford horses,
00:51:35.32\00:51:37.06
he used to have to
round them up on foot
00:51:37.06\00:51:38.86
sometimes running two
and three days nonstop.
00:51:38.86\00:51:41.60
So throughout the race,
00:51:41.60\00:51:43.03
he just imagined he
was chasing after the cows
00:51:43.03\00:51:45.47
and trying to outrun a storm.
00:51:45.47\00:51:47.94
Old Cliff's secret
was to keep on running
00:51:47.94\00:51:50.14
while others were sleeping.
00:51:50.14\00:51:52.14
You know, the Bible tells us
00:51:52.14\00:51:53.21
that the race is not
necessarily to the swift,
00:51:53.21\00:51:56.41
something like Aesop's parable
of the tortoise and the hare.
00:51:56.41\00:51:59.71
The tortoise just
kept on plodding along.
00:51:59.71\00:52:02.38
That's why Jesus
tells us in Matthew 24:13,
00:52:02.38\00:52:05.42
"He that endures unto the end,
00:52:05.42\00:52:07.52
the same will be saved."
00:52:07.52\00:52:09.02
Now you might slip
and fall during the race.
00:52:09.02\00:52:11.53
You might even get
off to a bad start.
00:52:11.53\00:52:13.53
But in the
Christian race that we run,
00:52:13.53\00:52:15.60
the main thing is
you want to finish well.
00:52:15.60\00:52:17.87
Keep on running,
friends, and don't give up.
00:52:17.87\00:52:19.60
Let's face it,
00:52:29.34\00:52:30.45
it's not always easy
00:52:30.45\00:52:31.75
to understand everything
you read in the Bible.
00:52:31.75\00:52:34.35
With over 700,000
words contained in 66 books,
00:52:34.35\00:52:38.12
the Bible can
generate a lot of questions.
00:52:38.12\00:52:40.66
To get biblical
straightforward answers,
00:52:40.66\00:52:43.02
call into Bible Answers Live,
00:52:43.02\00:52:44.83
a live nationwide
call-in radio program
00:52:44.83\00:52:47.50
where you can talk
to Pastor Doug Batchelor
00:52:47.50\00:52:49.83
and ask him your most
difficult Bible questions.
00:52:49.83\00:52:52.30
For times and
stations in your area
00:52:52.30\00:52:54.50
or to listen to answers online,
00:52:54.50\00:52:56.47
visit Bal.AmazingFacts.org.
00:52:56.47\00:52:59.84
Amazing Facts changed lives.
00:53:09.15\00:53:11.95
I'd have to say that I
had a wonderful childhood.
00:53:18.19\00:53:20.63
Growing up, I went
to a private school
00:53:20.63\00:53:23.20
up until the seventh
grade till junior high.
00:53:23.20\00:53:25.90
I believe it was at
that point in junior high
00:53:25.90\00:53:28.70
that my life began to change.
00:53:28.70\00:53:32.11
Going from a Christian education
00:53:32.11\00:53:33.54
and to a public
school was a big difference.
00:53:33.54\00:53:36.95
There was a lot
of secular influence,
00:53:36.95\00:53:40.15
a peer pressure.
00:53:40.15\00:53:42.35
And for me, it was the music.
00:53:42.35\00:53:44.45
I started listening
to heavy metal music.
00:53:44.45\00:53:46.55
Every concert that
would come to town,
00:53:46.55\00:53:47.99
I was there that had
a profound effect on me.
00:53:47.99\00:53:51.46
I started using marijuana
probably at the age of 14,
00:53:51.46\00:53:57.30
I started drinking,
using a lot of cocaine.
00:53:57.30\00:54:00.17
And that led to methamphetamine,
00:54:00.17\00:54:01.64
and that
completely changed my life.
00:54:01.64\00:54:04.94
I dropped out of high school
00:54:04.94\00:54:06.64
my sophomore
year and went to work.
00:54:06.64\00:54:10.55
I would get off of work,
00:54:10.55\00:54:12.01
and we'd go into the bar until
two o'clock in the morning,
00:54:12.01\00:54:14.28
I get back up at five,
00:54:14.28\00:54:15.68
and I'd go back again,
00:54:15.68\00:54:17.55
six, seven days a week.
00:54:17.55\00:54:18.72
At the age of 20,
00:54:22.66\00:54:24.19
I lost my dad to a heart attack.
00:54:24.19\00:54:27.30
I didn't know how
to handle the loss.
00:54:27.30\00:54:29.76
So I tried to mask my
pain with alcohol and drugs.
00:54:29.76\00:54:33.54
I got three DUIs in
one year, was arrested.
00:54:33.54\00:54:37.54
They gave me a
year in the county jail.
00:54:37.54\00:54:40.94
And the moment I got out,
00:54:40.94\00:54:42.64
I went back to
doing the same thing,
00:54:42.64\00:54:44.41
hanging with the same
people, the same crowd.
00:54:44.41\00:54:47.15
I was involved in a
hit-and-run motorcycle accident,
00:54:47.15\00:54:49.95
and I was charged
with a felony DUI,
00:54:49.95\00:54:52.29
even though at the
time of the accident,
00:54:52.29\00:54:53.79
I was not under the influence.
00:54:53.79\00:54:55.19
I still had
methamphetamine in my system.
00:54:55.19\00:54:57.99
At my sentencing day,
00:54:57.99\00:55:00.20
I left the
courtroom, I didn't come back.
00:55:00.20\00:55:03.37
And that left me
with felony warrant.
00:55:03.37\00:55:06.53
And I'd fallen
asleep being in a park,
00:55:06.53\00:55:09.20
and I woke up to a park
ranger knocking on my window.
00:55:09.20\00:55:13.51
I knew I was wound up,
00:55:13.51\00:55:14.81
and I knew that I was not going
00:55:14.81\00:55:16.85
to just turn myself in.
00:55:16.85\00:55:19.28
I turned to him
and I made the comment,
00:55:19.28\00:55:21.38
"Not today," and I took off,
00:55:21.38\00:55:24.09
and led five
different intricacies
00:55:24.09\00:55:26.22
on about a 35 minute chase.
00:55:26.22\00:55:28.26
And I realized at that point
that I wasn't going to get away
00:55:28.26\00:55:31.56
and that this
was going to end up
00:55:31.56\00:55:32.89
either me killing
somebody or myself.
00:55:32.89\00:55:37.10
And so I made a
decision to pull over.
00:55:37.10\00:55:39.27
At that point,
everything that I had, I lost.
00:55:39.27\00:55:43.00
I was sentenced to
two years in state prison,
00:55:43.00\00:55:46.37
and it was there
that God got a hold of me.
00:55:46.37\00:55:51.95
And that was through
Amazing Facts Ministries.
00:55:51.95\00:55:55.05
I remember listening on my radio
00:55:55.05\00:55:57.29
to Pastor Doug Batchelor.
00:55:57.29\00:55:59.29
I wanted to get
to know the Bible,
00:55:59.29\00:56:00.62
I wanted to know God.
00:56:00.62\00:56:02.62
And so my aunt Marylyn sent me
the Amazing Facts study guides.
00:56:02.62\00:56:08.93
And it was there
00:56:08.93\00:56:11.07
that my
relationship with Christ began.
00:56:11.07\00:56:15.70
I had called home,
00:56:15.70\00:56:17.11
and I knew my
mother wasn't doing well,
00:56:17.11\00:56:20.51
but I didn't
realize that she had cancer.
00:56:20.51\00:56:24.71
She had about a 30% chance
00:56:24.71\00:56:29.65
of making it
through her surgery.
00:56:29.65\00:56:31.49
She had told the doctors
00:56:31.49\00:56:32.52
that she was not
going to have chemo,
00:56:32.52\00:56:34.06
and she was not
gonna have radiation,
00:56:34.06\00:56:35.12
that if her God
was going to save her,
00:56:35.12\00:56:36.96
then He would save her.
00:56:36.96\00:56:39.56
I remember hanging up the phone,
00:56:39.56\00:56:41.93
that I thought was
my last conversation
00:56:41.93\00:56:44.23
with my mom.
00:56:44.23\00:56:47.00
I turned around, I
got down on my knees,
00:56:47.00\00:56:50.31
and I prayed to God.
00:56:50.31\00:56:51.97
I said, "God, if You're
there, please save my mother.
00:56:51.97\00:56:56.24
Wherever You lead me in life,
whatever You want me to do,
00:56:56.24\00:57:00.12
I am Yours."
00:57:00.12\00:57:01.62
And I had a
feeling of such peace
00:57:01.62\00:57:05.79
that I knew that my
mother was going to be okay,
00:57:05.79\00:57:09.19
and that my life
was going to change.
00:57:09.19\00:57:12.09
There are no words
00:57:12.09\00:57:13.06
that I can adequately
express to Amazing Facts
00:57:13.06\00:57:15.93
and Pastor Doug to say thank you
00:57:15.93\00:57:18.47
to all those people
who support the ministry.
00:57:18.47\00:57:20.77
I am a product of your support.
00:57:20.77\00:57:23.61
My life has changed
because of this ministry.
00:57:23.61\00:57:28.01
And I thank you from
the bottom of my heart.
00:57:28.01\00:57:30.71
Can't get enough
Amazing Facts Bible Study?
00:57:43.46\00:57:46.43
You don't have to
wait until next week
00:57:46.43\00:57:48.16
to enjoy more
truth-filled programming.
00:57:48.16\00:57:50.77
Visit the Amazing Facts
media library at aftv.org.
00:57:50.77\00:57:55.87
At aftv.org,
00:57:55.87\00:57:58.11
you can enjoy video
and audio presentations
00:57:58.11\00:58:00.91
as well as printed
material all free of charge,
00:58:00.91\00:58:04.05
24 hours a day,
00:58:04.05\00:58:05.45
7 days a week
right from your computer
00:58:05.45\00:58:07.75
or mobile device.
00:58:07.75\00:58:09.08
Visit aftv.org.
00:58:09.08\00:58:11.55