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00:35 Does the book of revelation
00:36 tell us anything about the Muslim faith 00:38 and the religion of Islam? 00:40 And it's a truth that the Book of Revelation 00:43 records that its author, the Apostle John, 00:45 is on record of eating a book. 00:47 And if so, why? 00:49 And what about those two mysterious 00:51 witnesses that are found 00:52 in the 11th chapter of Revelation, 00:54 they are also called prophets. 00:57 They are said to be both killed and resurrected back to life. 01:00 Are these literal prophets 01:01 or is God trying to tell us something different? 01:04 These questions and more will be answered 01:06 in this edition of the Sabbath School Study Hour. 01:09 We're so glad that you've decided to join us, 01:11 and we pray that this will be a blessing 01:13 as we continue to study 01:14 that exciting prophetic book of Revelation. 01:19 Both Granite Bay Seventh-day Adventist Church 01:21 locally here in Sacramento California 01:24 and Amazing Facts welcome you 01:26 to this particular addition 01:27 of the Sabbath School Study Hour, 01:29 as we continue to unpack 01:30 not only the questions that we just proposed 01:32 but many others as well. 01:35 But before we open with prayer, 01:36 I want to take the advantage of inviting you to call in 01:42 and find yourself getting this particular free book offer. 01:47 And the book is entitled "Pending Your Case in Court." 01:52 Pending Your Case in Court, written by Joe Crews, 01:55 you simply have to dial the number 01:57 that is on the screen here today, 01:59 which is 1866-788-3966. 02:03 Again, that is 1866-788-3966. 02:09 Now if you have a cell phone, 02:10 you'd like a digital copy of that, 02:12 you can also find yourself texting a particular quote 02:16 that you see on the screen, 02:17 which is "SH050" to 40544. 02:23 You can find yourself accessing 02:24 a free digital download copy of that particular gift. 02:28 Take advantage of that as you continue to study 02:30 on the same topic that we'll be looking at here 02:33 in Revelation as well. 02:35 Well, with that being said, 02:36 let's ask the Lord to be with us as we pray. 02:39 Father in heaven, 02:40 we want to thank You for the opportunity 02:41 to be able to come together, 02:43 want to thank You for all those who are both locally here 02:45 in the Sacramento, 02:47 Granite Bay Seventh-day Adventist Church, 02:49 as well as those who are watching online 02:50 on the different television networks. 02:52 I want to pray that You will bless 02:53 each and every one of us that You will guide us 02:56 with Your spirit as we claim that promise 02:58 that Your Spirit will guide us into all truth 03:01 as we come to Your Word with an open heart. 03:04 Please bless our teacher today as well. 03:06 In Jesus name, we pray these things. 03:08 Amen. 03:09 I'd like to introduce our teacher today, 03:11 which is Pastor John Ross, one of our local pastors. 03:14 As he teaches us, we want to pray 03:17 and wish him all of God's blessings. 03:19 God bless you, Pastor Ross. 03:24 Thank you, Pastor Shawn. 03:25 Good morning, everyone. 03:28 And welcome to Sabbath School Study Hour. 03:30 Our study through the entire quarter 03:32 has been on the Book of Revelation. 03:34 Today, we're going to be delving in, 03:35 well, probably one of the most interesting and complicated 03:39 and may even had difficult parts 03:42 of this prophetic book. 03:43 We're going to be talking about the seven trumpets. 03:45 Now if you're following along in your lesson quarterly, 03:47 we're on lesson number seven. 03:50 And it's simply entitled "The Seven Trumpets." 03:53 If you have your lesson quarterly, it's page 52. 03:56 We have a memory verse 03:57 that we find right at the top of our lesson. 04:00 It comes from Revelation chapter 10. 04:03 And I'd like to read that to you. 04:04 It's Revelation 10:7, a very important verse it says, 04:09 "But in the days of the sounding 04:10 of the seventh angel, 04:13 when is about to sound, 04:15 the mystery of God will be finished, 04:17 as He declared unto His servants the prophets." 04:20 Couple of things to note in this verse, 04:22 it's talking about the sounding of the seventh trumpet. 04:25 It says when the seventh trumpet 04:27 is about to sound, a mystery will be revealed, 04:31 a mystery that was given to the prophets. 04:34 Now the question we want to ask this morning is, 04:36 well, what is that mystery? 04:38 Who was the prophet that had that mystery? 04:40 And what does that have to do 04:41 with the sounding of the seventh trumpet? 04:43 Some very important information that we want to study today 04:46 on Sabbath afternoon in our lesson quarterly. 04:49 We have the third paragraph on the introduction section. 04:52 I'd like to read that because that sets the stage 04:55 for our study today. 04:56 The last paragraph says 04:58 the vision of the seven trumpets 04:59 shows that throughout history God already has intervened 05:02 on behalf of His oppressed people 05:04 and has judged those who harm them. 05:08 The purpose of the seven trumpets 05:10 is to show God's people 05:12 that heaven is not indifferent to their sufferings. 05:15 Now in the Book of Revelation, we have a series of sevens. 05:18 You can see if you can help me out with this. 05:20 We begin by reading about Revelation chapter 2, 3, 05:24 we have the seven what? 05:26 Seven churches. 05:27 And then if you read a little further, in chapter 6, 05:30 we have something called the seven seals. 05:33 Very good. 05:34 And then chapter 8 and 9, 05:36 we read about the seven trumpets. 05:38 The seventh trumpet, 05:39 we don't read about until Revelation chapter 11, 05:42 beginning verse 15. 05:44 We'll talk about the significance there. 05:46 But the seven churches, 05:47 the seven seals and the seven trumpets, 05:49 cover roughly the same time period. 05:51 It's the Christian era, 05:53 beginning with the first century 05:55 and then going all the way through to the time 05:57 in which we are now living. 05:59 So when you look at the seven churches, 06:00 the church of Ephesus was the church 06:02 of the first century, 06:03 the church that describes the Christian church 06:06 at the time that John wrote the Book of Revelation. 06:08 You look at the seventh church in Revelation chapter 3, 06:11 it's called the church of Laodicea, 06:13 it's spiritually lukewarm. 06:15 It really describes the condition of the church 06:18 even today. 06:19 When you look at the seven seals, 06:21 you see something similar. 06:22 The first seal represents the gospel 06:25 going forth victorious and powerful, 06:27 and then if you look at the sixth seal, 06:29 it brings you right up to the second coming of Christ. 06:33 And it's not until you get to Revelation 8:1, 06:35 we have the opening of the seventh seal, 06:39 and that's what we're going to start with today. 06:41 So if you have your Bibles, turn to Revelation chapter 8, 06:45 and we're going to start reading here, 06:47 Revelation chapter 8, 06:49 we're going to finish the seals 06:50 and then we're going to move on into the trumpets. 06:53 Revelation chapter 8 and we're going to begin in verse 1, 06:57 Revelation chapter 8, beginning then in verse 1. 07:01 It says, "When He had opened up the seventh seal, 07:03 there was silence in heaven 07:05 for about a space of half an hour." 07:09 So the seventh seal is open. 07:10 What happens just before the seventh seal opens? 07:12 You have Revelation chapter 7 which talks about the 144,000, 07:16 those that the seal of God in their foreheads 07:19 and you remember that chapter 7 of Revelation, 07:22 as we discussed last week, 07:24 is really an answer to the question 07:25 that's asked at the end of chapter 6. 07:28 Chapter 6 brings you up 07:30 to the opening of the sixth seal, 07:32 brings you right up to the second coming of Jesus, 07:34 and a question is asked in Revelation chapter 6. 07:37 If you look in verse 17, it says, Revelation 6:17, 07:41 "For the great day of His wrath has come 07:43 and who shall be able to stand." 07:45 So the sixth seal brings you up to the second coming of Jesus, 07:48 a question is asked who's going to be able to stand 07:51 when Jesus comes again. 07:53 That question is answered in Revelation chapter 7. 07:56 It describes a group of people that have the seal of God 07:59 in their foreheads. 08:01 Yes, they are the ones 08:02 who will stand when Jesus comes. 08:05 Then in chapter 8, we go back to finish up with the seals. 08:09 And when the seventh seal is open, verse 1, 08:11 it says "There's silence in heaven 08:13 about the space of a half an hour." 08:15 Why is there silence in heaven? 08:18 Well, that's because most of the inhabitants of heaven 08:20 have left. 08:22 Where have they gone? 08:24 Well, if you look at the sixth seal, 08:25 it talks about the second coming of Jesus. 08:27 I mean, Jesus comes the second time, 08:28 who comes with Jesus? 08:30 All the angels. 08:32 So Jesus and all the angels have left heaven, 08:35 they've come to the earth. 08:36 It's the second coming, 08:37 Jesus come to gather the righteous, 08:40 thus there is silence in heaven about the space 08:43 of a half an hour. 08:45 Now time prophecies in the Book of Revelation 08:47 are rather significant 08:49 we actually have a specific time period 08:51 given here about the space of a half an hour. 08:53 And now we need to do a little math, 08:54 it's not too complicated, but let me walk you through it. 08:58 The Bible tells us that one prophetic day 09:00 is equal to one literal year. 09:04 You get the principle? 09:05 One prophetic day is equal to one literal year. 09:07 A Hebrew year had 360 days. 09:12 So keep that number in mind. 09:14 And a day has 24 hours. 09:17 It had 24 hours back 09:18 at the time of the Old Testament, 09:20 it has 24 hours today. 09:22 So if we take a year, 360 days, 09:28 and we divide it by 24 09:30 because there's silence in heaven 09:32 about the space of a half an hour, 09:34 so we begin by dividing it by 24, 09:37 we end up with 15 days. 09:39 That would be roughly the equivalent to one hour, 09:43 about 15 days. 09:45 How long is there silence in heaven? 09:46 It says about the space of a half an hour. 09:49 So we take the 15 days and we cut it in half 09:52 and we come up roughly with about seven days. 09:56 So the Bible tells us there is silence in heaven 09:58 for about seven days when Jesus comes. 10:01 So does that means it takes seven days 10:03 to go from heaven to earth and then back to heaven. 10:07 Well, of course, Jesus and the angels, 10:09 they could be here instantaneously, 10:12 but it does give us the idea that the journey back to heaven 10:15 seems to take about seven days. 10:18 There are some things that 10:19 Jesus wants to reveal to the redeemed 10:21 on their way back to heaven. 10:23 I'm not quite sure what it is that 10:25 God wants to reveal or Christ wants to reveal to us 10:28 as we journey back to heaven. 10:30 But I'm sure as we travel those seven days 10:32 back to the golden city, 10:34 our anticipation is growing 10:37 because there is somebody waiting for us in heaven. 10:40 Who's waiting for us in heaven? 10:42 God the Father. 10:44 And Jesus is about 10:45 to introduce us face to face to his father, 10:49 that journey from Earth to heaven 10:52 about the period of seven days. 10:54 So that's the opening of the seventh seal 10:57 rather interesting. 10:58 Okay, now gears shift just a little 11:01 and we get into the trumpets. 11:04 If you look in verse 2 all the way through to verse 6 11:09 sets the stage or is the introduction 11:12 to the sounding of the seven trumpets. 11:14 Trumpets, back in Bible times, 11:15 were often used as announcements for war, 11:19 or judgment, 11:20 or calling people's attention to something, 11:23 perhaps a general assembly, a trumpet would sound. 11:26 You remember when judgment came upon Jericho, 11:28 back in the Old Testament, 11:30 there were angels that marched in front of the ark 11:32 and they sounded on silver trumpets, 11:35 they sounded actually... 11:36 they were the ram's horn trumpets. 11:37 They sounded trumpets. 11:39 They were a sign of judgment that was about to come. 11:42 So these trumpets represent certain judgments 11:45 that come upon the earth. 11:46 Now we have the introduction to that. 11:48 The point that I just want you to note, 11:49 we don't have time to read all the verses 11:51 in chapter 8 and 9, 11:53 I wish we did, 11:54 but we'd never get through chapter 10 and 11 11:56 if we did so. 11:57 So I'm just going to give you the high points. 11:59 What I want you to notice then is the imagery 12:01 of where this takes place. 12:03 Look at verse 2 and 3, 12:04 it says, "And I saw seven angels, 12:05 who stood before God, 12:07 and to them were given seven trumpets. 12:10 Then another angel, having a golden censer, 12:13 came and stood by the altar, and he was given much incense 12:17 that he should offer it 12:18 with the prayers of all the saints 12:19 upon the golden altar which is before the throne." 12:23 Now the earthly sanctuary 12:25 is a shadow of the heavenly sanctuary, 12:28 and the earthly sanctuary, 12:30 there were three articles of furniture 12:32 in the first compartment known as the holy place, 12:35 the table of showbread, the seven-branch candlestick, 12:37 and our altar of incense. 12:39 Now what John is seeing here in Revelation 12:42 is a description of the heavenly sanctuary. 12:44 Where about in the heavenly sanctuary 12:46 does John see these things taking place? 12:49 In the first compartment, 12:50 the holy, or in the most holy place, 12:52 which is the second compartment, 12:54 where do you find the altar of incense? 12:56 In the first compartment or the second? 12:58 You find it in the first compartment of the sanctuary. 13:02 So these judgments 13:03 were to take place on the earth, 13:05 the sounding of the trumpets, 13:06 the judgments take place on the earth. 13:08 They had to take place before probation closes, 13:11 before there is a transition from the first compartment 13:15 to the second compartment, that's important to note. 13:18 Incidentally, 13:19 when the seventh trumpet sounds, 13:21 that we're going to read about in Revelation chapter 11, 13:24 suddenly we see the Ark of the Covenant 13:26 in the temple of God in heaven. 13:29 Where is the Ark of the Covenant? 13:30 In the most holy place. 13:32 So between the sounding of the sixth trumpet 13:34 and the sounding of the seventh trumpet, 13:36 there is a shift of focus in the heavenly sanctuary 13:39 from the first compartment into the second compartment. 13:43 All right, put that in the back of your mind, 13:45 we'll come back to it 13:46 when we get to Revelation chapter 11, 13:48 but that's an important part to note. 13:50 Now what does this altar of incense 13:52 and the smoke that ascends from the altar represent? 13:55 Well, the Bible goes on to tell us, verse 4 says, 13:58 "The smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, 14:01 ascended before God." 14:02 So the altar of incense and the smoke represents 14:05 the prayers of the saints. 14:07 But then in verse 5 and 6, there is a change, 14:10 an angel takes some of the fire from the altar, 14:13 he puts it in the censer, 14:14 but he does not add any incense. 14:17 He takes it 14:18 and he throws it down to the earth. 14:20 So Bible scholars are recognizing this 14:21 that the next sounding of the trumpets 14:24 are judgments that come upon the wicked. 14:27 There is no incense mingled with the fire. 14:30 It's just fire. 14:31 Fire is often a symbol of judgment 14:33 that God brings upon the wicked. 14:35 So with that as the background, 14:37 let's take a look at the first of the trumpets. 14:40 You find this in verse 7. 14:42 Revelation 8:7, it's just one verse. 14:47 It says, " The first angel sounded, 14:49 and hail and fire followed, mingled with blood, 14:54 and it was thrown to the earth. 14:55 And a third of the trees were burnt up 14:58 and all the green grass was burnt up." 15:00 Now Getting into the trumpets, 15:01 probably the most descriptive and detailed prophetic imagery 15:05 that you'll find anywhere in the book Revelation. 15:07 When we get to chapter 9, 15:09 describes into the fifth and the sixth trumpet, 15:11 talks about these locusts, 15:13 and it says that they breathe fire 15:14 and their tails are like the tails of scorpions, 15:17 and they wear crowns, 15:18 and their hair is like the hair of woman, 15:19 all kinds of very detailed descriptions it's given. 15:23 So it's a rather deep study, the seven trumpets. 15:26 But what does this first trumpet represent? 15:28 This fire been thrown into the earth. 15:31 It says it burns up the trees and the grass. 15:34 Well, a number of Bible scholars recognize this 15:36 as an act or at least prophecy concerning the judgment 15:40 and act of judgment that came upon Israel, 15:43 specifically Jerusalem, 15:45 for the role that they played in crucifying Jesus. 15:48 Notice it talks about the trees being burnt up. 15:51 You can read about this, in Luke chapter 23, 15:54 when Jesus was taken to Calvary 15:57 and he was being led by the Romans 15:59 and they were beating Jesus and pushing Jesus 16:01 and He had been carrying the cross 16:03 and He had stumbled onto the weight of the cross. 16:06 And Simon had taken the cross and was carrying it for Jesus, 16:09 and the procession made its way through Jerusalem 16:11 towards Calvary. 16:13 The Bible says in Luke chapter 23 there 16:16 that there were some women, 16:18 people of Jerusalem, that wept when they saw 16:21 what the Romans were doing to Jesus. 16:24 And Jesus stopped and He said 16:25 to these women that were weeping, 16:27 "Daughters of Jerusalem, don't weep for Me, 16:30 but weep for yourselves," 16:33 and then He goes on to say, 16:34 "If they, "meaning the Romans, 16:36 "do this when the tree is green, 16:40 what will they do when the tree is dry?" 16:44 Now that's a cryptic statement made by Jesus. 16:48 He says don't weep for Me, 16:50 but He says weep for you and your children for if they, 16:53 the Romans are doing this to Me 16:57 and to the Jews during the green tree, 17:00 what will happen during the dry? 17:02 While the green tree there 17:04 represents the probationary time 17:06 that God had given to the nation of Israel. 17:09 After the resurrection of Jesus, 17:11 remember the gospel primarily went to the Jews in Jerusalem 17:14 for the next 3.5 years, 17:16 until the stoning of Stephen in 34 AD, 17:20 which was the fulfillment of the 490 year prophecy 17:24 in Daniel chapter 9, 17:25 that probationary time period that God had given 17:28 to the Jewish leadership, the Jewish nation, 17:30 in particular, to receive the gospel 17:32 that came to an end in 34 AD 17:35 at the stoning of Stephen. 17:36 God then withdrew His protection from the city, 17:40 from Jerusalem, and what did the Romans do 17:43 in the dry tree after that probationary time period 17:47 when God's protection was withdrawn? 17:49 Well, we just need to go back and look at history. 17:51 In 70 AD, the Romans came, surrounded Jerusalem, 17:55 and there was a terrible slaughter. 17:58 As one historian put it, 17:59 he said there was so much death and destruction 18:03 at the temple that blood flowed down 18:05 the temple stairs like water. 18:07 And the inhabitants in Jerusalem were killed. 18:10 Now, of course, the Christians 18:11 who understood these words of Jesus, 18:14 especially the prophecies given in Matthew 24, 18:16 they saw the signs that Christ had given, 18:19 and they fled from Jerusalem before its final destruction. 18:23 But hearing the first trumpet, many Bible scholars 18:25 see this as a fulfillment of judgment 18:28 that came upon Jerusalem there in 70 AD. 18:32 Okay, now looking at the second trumpet. 18:34 This is verse 8. 18:36 It says, "Then the second angel sounded 18:38 and something like a great mountain 18:40 burning the fire was thrown into the sea, 18:42 and the third of the sea became as blood." 18:44 I want you to notice the parallel, 18:46 at least the imagery that we have of the trumpet 18:48 as related to the plagues. 18:50 It talks about the sea turning to blood. 18:52 Both of these are the judgments, 18:54 the plagues and the trumpets are both judgments 18:56 that come up on the earth. 18:58 Now in the Bible, in the Old Testament, 18:59 Jeremiah chapter 51, 19:01 it talks about a nation being represented 19:04 by a great mountain, even a burning mountain 19:07 or a destroying mountain which we read about 19:09 in Isaiah 51:25. 19:12 So it says this mountain is thrown into the sea. 19:15 Many Bible scholars see this as judgment 19:18 that came upon Rome 19:20 for the role that they played in crucifying Jesus. 19:23 The first trumpet is judgment that came upon Jerusalem, 19:26 the second trumpet is judgments that came upon Rome, 19:29 and they have identified this as the attack of the Vandals. 19:33 Now if you can get a picture of Europe in your mind, 19:35 you know where Italy is and where Rome is. 19:38 The Vandals migrated from the east 19:41 through what is now France down into Spain. 19:44 They crossed the Mediterranean and they went to North Africa, 19:47 at the time, controlled by the Roman Empire. 19:50 And they established a headquarters 19:52 in a place Carthage 19:54 which was on the shore of the Mediterranean. 19:57 And they organized a very powerful navy of pirate ships 20:02 that preyed against the Roman shipping. 20:06 And they went out and they destroyed 20:08 large portions of the Roman navy, 20:10 and they pillaged even the city of Rome in 445, 20:14 I believe it is, that the Vandals 20:16 actually entered into the city of Rome 20:18 and vandalized the city, 20:20 thus the name the vandals goes along with what they did. 20:24 And so some have seen in the second trumpet, 20:28 the description of judgment that comes upon Rome 20:31 for the part that they played in crucifying Jesus. 20:35 All right, then we go to the third trumpet. 20:37 You all still with me? 20:39 Just wait until we get to chapter 9. 20:41 Okay, verse 10 says, "And the third angel sounded, 20:45 and a great star fell from heaven 20:47 burning like a torch 20:48 and it fell on the third of the rivers 20:50 and the springs of water." 20:52 Now here's a big clue. 20:53 In Bible prophecy, what do stars often represent? 20:58 Angels. 20:59 We know that from Revelation 12, 21:00 we also know that from Revelation chapter 1. 21:02 Here is an angel, but it has fallen from heaven. 21:07 Can you give a name to the Angel? 21:09 What angel fell from heaven? 21:11 Lucifer. 21:12 Jesus said, "I saw Satan fall as lightning from heaven." 21:15 So here is an angel coming 21:17 or has been kicked out from heaven, 21:19 he falls to the earth, he's burning like a torch... 21:22 he almost gives the idea of an asteroid 21:24 of some kind coming towards the earth. 21:26 "It fell on the rivers and the springs of water." 21:29 Notice that the second trumpet sounds, 21:32 there is a burning mountain that falls in the sea, 21:34 the third trumpet sounds, and there is this burning star 21:37 that falls on the rivers and the springs of water. 21:40 What's the difference 21:41 between the sea and rivers and springs? 21:44 Well, of course, rivers and springs, 21:46 that's fresh water, that gives life, 21:49 whereas the sea could represent multitudes, 21:51 and nations, and kindreds and tongues, Revelation 17:15. 21:54 So here we have this false angel 21:58 bringing error or lies 22:00 and diluting the truth of God's Word. 22:04 So we see falsehood coming into the church. 22:07 Again, many scholars recognize this as during the dark ages, 22:11 Satan after the legalization of Christianity in 3:13 22:15 and a Constantine bringing into Christiandom, 22:17 a number of errors 22:19 and pagan rituals and practices, 22:21 even to the point where those 22:22 who are wanting to be faithful to the Word of God, 22:25 during this time period, 22:26 suffered persecution from religious leaders 22:30 in the church. 22:31 So the truth of God was corrupted 22:33 and that leads you into, what we know as, the dark ages, 22:37 a time of persecution that came upon those 22:40 who wanted to be true to God's Word. 22:42 Verse 11 gives the name for the star, 22:44 it's called Wormwood. 22:46 Wormwood is a bitter herb back in Bible times. 22:49 It represents a poisoning of the truth of God's Word. 22:53 Some have also seen in this, 22:55 another one of those barbarian tribes the Huns 22:57 under the leadership of Attila the Hun 22:59 that brought havoc to the Western Rome 23:03 and the attacks by the Huns. 23:06 Then we find in verse 12, "The fourth angel sounded, 23:10 and a third of the sun was struck, 23:12 and a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, 23:15 so that a third of them were darkened." 23:18 Now we have three symbols found here in verse 12, 23:21 the sun, the moon, and the stars. 23:24 In Bible prophecy, 23:26 what does the sun often represent? 23:29 Represents Jesus. 23:30 The Bible tells us that, "The sun," S-U-N, 23:32 "of righteousness shall arise with healing in his wings." 23:36 So a third of the sun is darkened, 23:39 and the third of the moon... 23:41 what does the moon represent in Bible prophecy? 23:43 In Revelation chapter 12, 23:45 you have a picture of a woman clothed with the sun, 23:49 she's clothed in the righteousness of Jesus, 23:51 she's standing upon the moon. 23:53 Where does the moon get its light? 23:56 It gets its light from the sun. 23:58 It reflects the light of the sun. 24:00 Where do we get 24:01 the clearest reflection of Jesus today? 24:05 In His Word, right? 24:07 In His Word. 24:08 What is the church to be founded upon? 24:11 The Word of God. 24:13 So when it says a third of the sun was darkened, 24:15 a third of the moon was dark, and a third of the stars, 24:18 who are the 12 stars representing 24:21 that make up the crown of the woman 24:23 in Revelation chapter 12 24:25 that's clothed with the sun and standing upon the moon? 24:28 Twelve is the number 24:29 often associated with the church. 24:31 In the Old Testament, it's the 12 tribes. 24:33 But in the New Testament, it represents the 12 apostles, 24:35 the teaching of the apostles. 24:38 So a number of scholars have seen in this trumpet 24:40 a description of the dark ages where the truth of who Jesus is 24:44 and what His ministry is for us 24:46 in the heavenly sanctuary 24:48 was darkened from the minds of people. 24:51 The truth of God's word was darkened, 24:53 Bibles were chained to the walls of monasteries 24:56 and the common people couldn't read the Bible. 24:58 They didn't have the Bible in their own language. 25:01 It was even against the law to possess 25:03 even a page of the Bible, and the teachings, 25:07 the gospel of salvation by faith 25:09 or by grace through faith delivered by the apostles 25:12 was hidden from the minds of people. 25:15 And so they see 25:16 in this sounding of the trumpet, 25:18 this fourth trumpet, the dark ages, 25:21 which parallels will be seen with the seals 25:23 and also parallels what we studied 25:25 so far with the churches. 25:27 So in quick summary of what we've looked at so far, 25:31 the first sounding of the trumpet 25:33 represents judgment that came upon Rome in 70 AD. 25:36 The second trumpet, 25:38 a burning mountain can represent judgment 25:41 that came upon Rome by the vandals 25:43 between 428 AD and 468 AD, 25:47 the falling of the star represents 25:49 a compromising of the truth after Christianity 25:52 was legalized in 313 AD and onwards, 25:56 as well as the attacks of the Huns, 25:59 highlighted in 451AD, with their attacks upon Rome. 26:04 And the sun, moon, and stars darkened 26:07 represents the Middle Ages or the dark ages 26:10 where the truth of God's Word of Jesus, 26:12 the teaching of the apostles was hidden from the minds 26:15 and the eyes of the people. 26:17 So that's the first four trumpets. 26:21 Are you all together? 26:23 All right, hope you got your seatbelt fastened 26:25 because now we're going to chapter 9. 26:28 We're going to be looking 26:29 at two of the most detailed description 26:30 of the trumpets in Revelation 9:1 26:36 is where we have the sounding of the next trumpet, 26:38 the fifth and then we have the sixth trumpet 26:43 sounding in verse 13. 26:45 So we're not going to be 26:46 able to read through all of this. 26:47 We just won't have enough time. 26:48 But let me hopefully give you enough 26:49 so that you can study this further on your own 26:52 about these various trumpets. 26:54 Starting in verse 1, Revelation 9, 26:57 beginning verse 1, 26:59 it says "And the fifth angel sounded, 27:01 and I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth." 27:04 Oh, wait a minute, 27:05 we've just read about a star falling from heaven. 27:07 Who does that star represent? 27:10 Represents Lucifer, 27:11 represents the devil bringing something to the earth. 27:14 So here again, we have a star fallen from heaven. 27:17 And it says, the last part of verse 1, 27:19 "To him, it was given a key to the bottomless pit." 27:22 We're going to talk more about the bottomless pit 27:24 when we get to Revelation chapter 20, 27:25 but it represents the domain of Satan, 27:28 it represents emptiness or desolation 27:31 or just Satan's control, 27:34 Satan's kingdom, Satan's power. 27:36 Now the star fallen from heaven, 27:38 we've already identified as being Satan, 27:40 the fact that he has a key and he let something 27:43 loose from the bottomless pit. 27:45 Some have seen in this that God has allowed Satan 27:48 to release something upon the earth 27:51 as the sounding of the trumpet, 27:52 and we'll find out what that is in just a minute. 27:55 If you look at verse 2, 27:56 it says "And he opened the bottomless pit 27:57 and smoke arose out of the pit 28:00 like the smoke of a great furnace." 28:03 Now smoke in Bible prophecy can represent 28:05 more than one thing. 28:07 Early in the beginning of chapter 8, 28:09 smoke was offered with the incense 28:12 representing the prayers of the saints, 28:15 but smoke can also represent error or lies, deception. 28:20 You can read about that in the Old Testament, 28:22 Isaiah 9:18, 28:23 talks about wickedness and describes it as smoke. 28:27 So here, this fallen angel unlocks 28:30 or releases wickedness or lies upon the earth. 28:35 They come from the bottomless pit 28:37 from his kingdom, his domain. 28:39 And as a result of that, if you read on in verse 2, 28:41 it says, "The sun and the air were darkened 28:44 because of the smoke of the pit." 28:46 The smoke represents errors and lies. 28:48 What does the sun represent? 28:51 Jesus. 28:52 What does the air represent? 28:56 Sometimes, in Bible prophecy, 28:57 air is a symbol of the Holy Spirit. 28:59 Remember on Pentecost and the upper Rome, 29:03 where the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples 29:04 in tongues of fire, 29:05 it says there was sound of a mighty rushing wind. 29:09 So there was something released by the devil 29:12 that misrepresented 29:13 who Jesus is and misrepresented the work of the Holy Spirit. 29:19 The Holy Spirit is the one that brings conviction. 29:22 The Holy Spirit brings the new birth experience. 29:25 The Holy Spirit 29:26 is the third person of the Godhead. 29:28 So there was something around this time 29:30 that was to be released upon the earth 29:33 that took something away from Christ 29:35 and His ministry and also clouded 29:37 the work of the Holy Spirit. 29:38 Now many Bible scholars, not just recent scholars 29:41 but those that they back all the way 29:43 to the time of Martin Luther and the Reformers recognize 29:47 that in this fifth and sixth trumpet 29:50 was the rise and the expansion of Islam. 29:53 The first trumpet is the rise of Islam 29:56 during the time of Muhammad. 29:58 And I'd like to read to you 29:59 just a little bit of the background 30:01 as to how Islam arose. 30:04 It says, "Muhammad was born in 570 AD, " 30:06 that's the time period, "in the Arabian city of Mecca. 30:10 His mother was Aminah, who was a Christian," interesting. 30:15 "But she died when he was six years old, 30:17 and he was brought up under the care of his uncle. 30:20 He later worked as a merchant and a shepherd 30:22 and was first married at the age of 25. 30:25 This content with life in Mecca, 30:27 he retreated to a cave in the surrounding 30:29 mountains of Medina for reflection. 30:32 According to Islamic beliefs, it was here at the age of 40, 30:36 in the month of Ramadan, 30:38 where he received the first of many visions. 30:42 Three years after this, Muhammad started proclaiming 30:45 these revelations 30:46 that he had received in the cave publicly. 30:49 Muhammad gained few followers early on 30:51 and was met with hostility from the inhabitants of Mecca. 30:56 He finally moved with his few followers 31:00 to Medina in 622 AD. 31:04 In Medina, Muhammad united the conflicting tribes, 31:08 and after eight years of fighting 31:09 with the Meccan tribes, 31:11 he conquered Mecca without bloodshed. 31:14 In 632, Muhammad fell ill and died. 31:18 When he was born, 31:19 Arabia was a collection of quarrelsome tribes. 31:23 When he died, it was a single nation 31:25 prepared to rapidly expand its borders 31:28 and strengthen its religion. 31:31 So this fifth trumpet has been identified 31:34 as the rise of Islam during the time of Muhammad 31:37 and shortly after his death, 31:38 primarily centered around Arabia. 31:41 So before Muhammad was born, 31:43 Arabia consisted of different tribes 31:46 and they fought amongst themselves, 31:47 there was a whole lot of different beliefs 31:49 and different deities that have been worshipped, 31:52 Muhammad was able to pull these various tribes together 31:55 and bring them all united in this belief, 31:58 this religion that he had helped establish, 32:02 and that's the rise of Islam. 32:04 Part of the belief, Mohammed and others, 32:06 was that religion was to be enforced 32:10 using military strength, 32:12 and Mohammed did lead armies on many occasions 32:15 and enforced those that he conquered 32:17 to become Muslims 32:19 and to adopt these various beliefs. 32:21 Now right there, we see a conflict 32:23 with true Christianity or true belief. 32:26 Did Jesus ever force anybody to worship him? 32:30 Of course not. 32:32 The exercise of force 32:33 is concrete to the nature of God, 32:35 and God can't accept worship that is forced. 32:38 Only worship that comes from a heart of love 32:41 is accepted to God, 32:42 so if somebody forces you to worship a certain way, 32:45 you can know for sure that that is not true worship. 32:48 That is a false worship that is been enforced 32:51 by the prince of this world. 32:53 And then it goes to describing great detail. 32:56 Rise of this movement goes all the way 32:59 through talking about the description 33:02 of what the horses looked like 33:03 that they we use for battle in the mighty army 33:05 that went up conquering and so on. 33:08 And that brings you all the way down to verse 12. 33:10 And again, we don't have time 33:11 to look at all the details here, 33:12 but hopefully, you can read through that again 33:14 this afternoon. 33:15 Verse 12 says, "One woe is past. 33:17 Behold, still two woes are coming." 33:20 Then we go to verse 13, 33:22 and we have the sounding of the sixth angel. 33:25 Verse 16 says, "And I heard the voice 33:28 from the four horns of the golden altar, 33:32 which are before God." 33:33 Were about... 33:34 Are we in the heavenly sanctuary, 33:36 we're still in the first compartment, 33:38 it's just talking about the golden altar 33:40 that is the altar of incense. 33:42 We haven't yet moved into the Most Holy place. 33:44 Verse 14 says, "Saying to the sixth angel 33:47 who had the trumpet release the four angels 33:49 who are bound on the great river Euphrates." 33:52 Now just to give you a little background 33:54 of what we're talking about here, this trumpet, 33:56 the sixth trumpet has been identified 33:58 as the expansion of Islam under the Ottoman Empire 34:01 or the Ottoman Turks, 34:03 talks about four angels that are bound 34:05 on the river Euphrates. 34:07 These four angels have been identified 34:09 as symbolizing the four Sultans of the Ottoman Empire 34:14 or of Turkey. 34:15 That capitals of which was in Baghdad, Damascus, 34:18 Aleppo, and Iconium, 34:20 they were converted to Islam and they use their military 34:23 to expand Islam as far as they could. 34:27 Of course, as you know, based on history, 34:29 they were able to conquer turkey, 34:31 what is present day Turkey to expand all the way down 34:34 into parts of India, 34:36 as far over to the east as a number of different West 34:40 or Eastern European nations that fell under the control 34:44 of the Turkish Empire, the Ottoman Empire. 34:47 And that's what's being described 34:48 here under the sixth angel. 34:49 Now there is an interesting time period that's given, 34:52 and you find this in verse 15, and I'm going to read it, 34:55 it says, "The four angels 34:57 who had been prepared for an hour..." 34:59 This is Revelation Chapter 9:15, 35:02 "They were prepared for an hour, a day, 35:06 a month and a year, 35:09 and then they were released to kill a third of mankind." 35:12 Now again, we have prophetic time. 35:14 So what does this mean? 35:15 It says they were to be released. 35:18 There was a time period for a year. 35:21 There are 360 days in Hebrew year, 35:23 so that would literally represent 35:25 360 literal years a month. 35:29 There were 30 days in a Hebrew month. 35:31 So that would be 30 years a day. 35:34 That would be one year. 35:36 And it says an hour that would be about 15 days. 35:41 As we've already studied. 35:43 We're talking about a total time period here 35:45 of 391 years and 15 days. 35:50 Now the significance of this time prophecy 35:52 was really brought to view in the early 1800s 35:56 when these prophecies were being studied. 35:58 There was a Millerite preacher, 36:00 was a contemporary of William Miller. 36:02 Of course, William Miller was talking about time prophecy 36:05 and studying the book of Daniel. 36:07 And based upon his study of Revelation chapter 9, 36:10 he came to the conclusion based on this time period 36:13 that the Ottoman Empire or the Turkish Empire 36:16 would eventually surrender to the Christian nations 36:19 of Western Europe, 36:21 and he gave a specific time based on this time prophecy. 36:25 Let me read it to you. 36:26 It says, "The significance of this time period 36:28 was brought to view when Josiah Litch, 36:30 a Millerite preacher predicted 36:31 that based on the time prophecy, 36:34 the Turkish Empire would submit 36:36 to the nations of Western Europe, 36:38 and he gave the date on August the 11, 1840. 36:42 Now this was this prediction was made before August 1840. 36:48 His prediction was perfectly fulfilled. 36:51 Yes, indeed, on August 11, 1840, 36:54 the Turkish Empire did surrender. 36:57 The Ottoman Empire did surrender 36:58 to the Western nations of Europe, 37:01 thus validating this time prophecy prediction. 37:04 So based on a study thus far, 37:06 we find ourselves up to around the early 1800s, 37:10 1840 to be exact, based on this time prophecy. 37:14 Then the rest of chapter 9, 37:15 and we don't have time to go into all of that, 37:17 again is a description of the various armies 37:20 and the conquest of the Ottoman Empire 37:22 expanding the influence of Islam 37:25 all the way up to 1840. 37:27 Now we have a pause in the sounding of the trumpets 37:31 and something else is dealt with in Revelation chapter 10. 37:35 But before we get to Revelation chapter 10 37:37 and this is a good part coming along here, 37:39 let me just remind you of what we've learned so far 37:42 in our study of the Book of Revelation. 37:43 You remember when we studied the seals, 37:46 we look from seal one to seal six 37:49 which came to the end of chapter 6. 37:51 Then there was a pause in the sequence of the seals. 37:54 A question was answered in Revelation chapter 7 37:57 "The great day of His wrath is common, 37:59 who shall be able to stand?" 38:00 The answer is given, the 144,000, 38:03 those have the seal of God in their foreheads. 38:05 And then in chapter 8, verse 1, we go back to finish the seals. 38:10 And we have this seventh seal that is open. 38:13 We see a similar thing when it comes to the trumpets. 38:15 We have trumpet one, two, three, four, five, and six, 38:19 then there is a pause, additional information is given 38:22 in Revelation chapter 10, 38:24 and in the first half of Revelation chapter 11. 38:27 And then we go back 38:29 to the sounding of the trumpets, 38:30 and we find the seventh trumpet sounding in Revelation 11:15. 38:35 So the time period 38:36 between the sixth and the seventh trumpet 38:38 is around 1840 based on the time prophecy 38:42 that we looked at when the Ottoman Empire 38:43 would surrender to the nations of Western Europe. 38:45 So that's roughly the timeframe that we're talking about. 38:48 Now we go to Revelation chapter 10. 38:51 Revelation chapter 10 is a very interesting passage 38:55 not too hard to understand, but let me read verse 1, 38:59 "I saw still another mighty angel 39:02 coming down from heaven, 39:03 clothed with a cloud and a rainbow was on his head. 39:07 And his face was like the sun, 39:08 and his feet like pillars of fire." 39:11 If you look at the description of this heavenly messenger, 39:13 the word angel means messenger, 39:16 you find a very similar description given here 39:18 to the description of Jesus that you find 39:20 in Revelation chapter 1. 39:22 It says his face is as the sun, who does the sun represent? 39:26 Jesus. 39:27 There is a rainbow upon his head. 39:29 Verse 2 says, "And he had a little book 39:32 that was open in his hand, 39:34 and he set his right foot upon the sea 39:37 and his left foot upon the land." 39:39 What does the angel have in his hand? 39:42 Is it a big book? It's a little book. 39:45 Is the book sealed or is it unsealed? 39:49 It's unsealed. Why? Because it's open. 39:51 All of these are important clues 39:53 as to the identity of what this book is. 39:55 Where did he put his one foot? On the sea. 39:59 Where did he put his other foot? 40:01 What does the sea represent in Bible prophecy? 40:03 Revelation 17:15. 40:05 Represents multitudes, and nations, 40:07 and kindreds, and tongues. 40:09 From a prophetic perspective, 40:10 it represents a densely populated Europe, 40:14 the land would represent a sparsely populated area. 40:19 What land was coming around or at least being discovered 40:24 and been settled around late 1700s, early 1800s? 40:29 It was the United States of America. 40:31 And by the way, 40:32 many of the first settlers that came to the United States 40:34 came for religious freedom, they were Christians. 40:38 And so here is a message that has to go to all the world 40:41 somewhere around 1840, 40:43 this message is something to do with a little prophetic book 40:46 that was once sealed, but now it is unsealed. 40:49 This message is to be preached 40:51 not only in densely populated Europe 40:53 but it is also to be preached in sparsely populated America 40:57 at the time. 40:59 These are all clues as to what's being described. 41:01 Now look at verse 3, 41:04 "And he cried with a loud voice is when a lion roars." 41:06 By the way, who is the voice of a lion? 41:09 Jesus is said to be the lion of the tribe of Judah. 41:12 "As when a lion roars and he cried out 41:14 and seven thunders uttered their voices. 41:17 Now when the seven thunders uttered their voices, 41:19 I was about to write, but I heard a voice from heaven 41:22 saying to me, 'Seal up the things 41:24 that the seven thunders uttered and do not write them.' " 41:29 And then verse five, "The angel that I saw, 41:32 standing upon the sea and upon the land, 41:34 raised his hand towards heaven." 41:36 He's making a solemn oath, and verse six 41:40 "And swore by him who lives forever and ever 41:43 who created the heavens and the things 41:45 that are there in the earth, 41:46 and the things that are there in the sea, 41:48 and the things that are there in 41:50 that there should be time or delay no longer." 41:54 Notice the phrase, 41:55 the one who made the heavens 41:56 and the things that are there in the earth 41:58 and the things that are there in the sea 42:00 and the things that are there in, 42:01 that's parallel to the first angel's message, 42:04 that says, "Fear God giving glory worship Him 42:08 that made the heavens and the things 42:10 that are there in the earth, 42:11 and the things that are there in the sea, 42:13 and the things that are there in the fountains of water." 42:16 So here, we have a parallel to the first angel's message 42:19 as relates to Revelation chapter 10, 42:22 and keep that also in the back of your mind. 42:24 All right, then what does he say? 42:27 Verse 10, notice this. 42:30 "But in the days of the sounding 42:32 of the seventh angel, 42:34 when he's about to sound, 42:35 the mystery of God will be finished as He's declared 42:39 unto His servants the prophets." 42:41 Now we've already looked at the sixth trumpet, 42:43 and we looked at the time period 42:44 that brings you up to 1840. 42:46 Now this angel with the little book 42:48 that's open in his hand says, 42:49 "When the seventh trumpet is about to sound, 42:52 the mystery of God will be revealed 42:55 that which was declared to the servants the prophets." 42:58 Now the little book that's open in the hand of the angel 43:00 is none other than the little Book of Daniel. 43:03 Book of Daniel is a little prophetic book. 43:05 It was sealed, but it is now unsealed. 43:08 You're reading Daniel chapter 12, 43:10 where Daniel gets the message. 43:11 "Seal the book until the time of the end. 43:13 Many shall run to and fro 43:15 and knowledge shall be increased." 43:16 The Book of Daniel had a mysterious time prophecy 43:19 that was not understood 43:21 until the sounding of the seventh trumpet. 43:25 Now you might be wondering what is this seventh trumpet. 43:27 Let's quickly go to that. 43:28 Revelation 11:15, Revelation 11:15, 43:32 it says, "Then the seventh angel sounded, 43:34 and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, 43:37 'The kingdoms of this world 43:38 had become the kingdoms of our Lord 43:39 and of His Christ, 43:40 and He shall reign forever and ever.' 43:43 And the 24 elders that sat before God 43:45 on their throne 43:46 fell on their faces worshiping God, 43:47 saying this, 'We give you thanks, 43:49 O Lord God Almighty, 43:51 the one who is who was and who is to come 43:53 because you have taken your great power and reigned.' " 43:56 Notice verse 18, what's happening on the earth, 44:00 "The nations were angry, your wrath has come, 44:04 the time of the dead that they should be judged..." 44:07 Notice there is a pre-Advent judgment being described, 44:11 "And that you should reward your servants 44:13 the prophets and the saints." 44:15 When are the servants of God and the prophets 44:17 and the saints to be rewarded? 44:20 When Jesus comes the second time, 44:22 so this brings you right up to the second coming of Jesus. 44:25 Then it says, "And all those who fear your name, 44:27 small and great, 44:29 and you should destroy those who destroy the earth." 44:31 When are the wicked destroyed? 44:34 At the second coming of Christ. 44:35 So the sounding of the seventh trumpet 44:37 brings you right up to the second coming of Jesus. 44:40 Just a little bit before that, 44:41 there is a special time of judgment, 44:43 we call that the pre-Advent judgment. 44:45 The nations are angry, there is a time of judgment. 44:48 The plagues eventually are poured out. 44:50 Notice verse 19, 44:52 at the sounding of the seventh trumpet, 44:53 "Then the temple of God was open in heaven." 44:56 This is when the seventh trumpet sounds, 44:58 "And the Ark of the Covenant was seen in His temple." 45:03 Now where is the Ark of the Covenant? 45:04 In the Holy or the Most Holy Place? 45:06 It is in the Most Holy place. 45:08 You remember that under the sounding 45:10 of the sixth trumpet, 45:11 we're still in the first compartment. 45:14 But when the seventh trumpet begins to sound, 45:16 suddenly we're in the Most Holy place 45:19 because we can see the Ark of the Covenant. 45:21 So there is a shift in the ministry of Jesus 45:23 from the first compartment ministry 45:25 into the second compartment ministry 45:27 or the Most Holy place ministry. 45:30 Now let me finish up chapter 10 before we run out of time. 45:33 Verse 8, John then hears a book I'll summarize it. 45:36 He hears a voice speaking to him 45:39 and the voice tells him to take the little book 45:40 and eat it up. 45:41 It's sweet in his mouth, but bitter in his stomach. 45:45 So John does just that, he takes the book he eats it, 45:47 it's sweet in his mouth but bitter in his stomach. 45:50 And then after that experience, verse 11, "And he said unto me, 45:53 'You must prophesy again, about before many people, 45:58 nations, tongues, and kings.' " 46:00 What does it mean to eat the book? 46:02 To eat the book means to receive it, to study it, 46:04 to make it your own. 46:06 And Jesus said 46:07 "Thy words were found, and I did eat them." 46:09 Well, Jeremiah 15:16 says, "Thy words were found, 46:12 and I did eat them, and they were onto me the joy 46:15 and the rejoicing of my heart." 46:17 To eat the book means to study the words of Scripture, 46:19 to make it your own. 46:21 Jesus said, "Except you 46:22 eat my flesh and drink my blood, 46:23 you have no life in you." 46:24 And the disciples said, "Lord, this is a hard thing. 46:26 What does this mean?" 46:27 Jesus said, "The flesh profits nothing, 46:29 the words I speak to you, they're spirit, they are power, 46:32 they are life." 46:34 So to eat the book means to study the book, 46:35 to make it your own. 46:37 It was sweet in the mouth, meaning based upon their study 46:39 of this little prophetic Old Testament book, 46:42 the Book of Daniel the book that was once sealed, 46:44 but now it's unsealed, 46:46 they came to a certain conclusion 46:48 that was sweet and wonderful. 46:50 But when they didn't experience 46:51 what they thought was to happen, 46:54 they were bitterly disappointed. 46:56 Now John here in Revelation chapter 10 46:59 plays the part of the early Advent believers, 47:01 the Millerite believers, 47:03 who based upon their study, the Book of Daniel, 47:06 came to Daniel 8:14 that spoke about 2,300 days, 47:10 then the sanctuary shall be cleansed. 47:13 They did their math, and they counted, 47:15 and they looked in Daniel chapter 9, 47:17 and they realized that this 2, 300-year time period end 47:21 or would end in 1844. 47:25 They looked at Daniel 8:14, and it said, 47:27 "The sanctuary shall be cleansed." 47:28 Well, they thought, the sanctuary was the earth. 47:31 And the cleansing of the Earth would occur 47:33 at the second coming of Christ. 47:35 Christ was to cleanse the earth with fire, 47:37 they didn't realize 47:38 that there is a special cleansing work 47:40 that Jesus does in the heavenly sanctuary 47:42 in the Most Holy place just before probation closes, 47:46 nevertheless, based upon their study, 47:48 and Daniel 8:14 in particular, 47:50 they reached the conclusion that Jesus was soon to come. 47:53 While when Jesus didn't come as they had expected, 47:56 they experienced a very bitter disappointment. 48:00 And many of those early Advent believers 48:02 went back to the Bible and they started studying 48:05 and searching even more to find out 48:07 where they had gone wrong. 48:09 Then it was that they began to realize 48:11 that they had missed a very important truth, 48:14 the truth of the high priestly ministry of Jesus 48:16 in the heavenly sanctuary, 48:18 as well as the special work of cleansing 48:20 that Jesus wants to do in the hearts 48:22 and the lives of his people, 48:23 a work of cleansing that occurs 48:25 in the heavenly sanctuary in the earth, 48:27 in the church on the earth, a work of cleansing, 48:30 a work of judgment that occurs just before probation closes. 48:34 Then they came to that understanding and then they... 48:36 Read the last verse, "He said to me, 48:38 'You must prophesy again.' " 48:41 Suddenly they began to realize 48:42 that their work wasn't finished. 48:45 Their work had scarcely begun. 48:47 And from that early beginning, 48:50 rose up a great worldwide movement 48:53 of which we're part, 48:55 whose mission it is to proclaim to every nation, 48:58 kindred, tongue, and people, the three angels' messages. 49:03 "Fear God, give Him glory, 49:05 the hour of His judgment has come." 49:10 Now there is no other explanation 49:13 other than the one that I gave you 49:15 of Revelation chapter 10 that makes sense. 49:18 If you go to your evangelical friends, 49:20 and you ask them, 49:21 "What is Revelation chapter 10 all about, 49:22 this eating of the book?" 49:24 they won't have a clue. 49:26 There is only one prophetic movement 49:29 that matches the description 49:31 and the experience that we find in Revelation chapter 10 49:34 that is the early Advent movement 49:36 or the Millerite movement. 49:38 Revelation chapter 10 is very important for us 49:40 as Adventists to recognize what our mission is, 49:43 what is it that God has given us 49:45 to take to the whole world. 49:48 And also, the context that we find 49:49 in Revelation chapter 11, 49:50 we don't have time to get into the two witnesses, hopefully, 49:53 you can study a little bit further bio on yourself, 49:56 but the context of the two witnesses 49:58 you find in verse 1, 50:00 it's still in the context of judgment. 50:02 I was given a read, and I was to measure those 50:04 that worship in the temple. 50:05 So we're in this time of judgment 50:08 that takes place just before Jesus comes. 50:12 Well, as I look at the clock, 50:13 I can see that we are out of time 50:15 for our lesson today. 50:16 That was an ambitious project to try and cover the trumpets 50:19 Revelation chapter 10 and even a little bit of 11 50:22 all in 50 minutes. 50:23 But hopefully, I've been able to give you 50:25 just an overview of these very important truths. 50:29 I'd like to thank those who joined us today, 50:31 and I hope that you'll join us again next week 50:33 as we continue our study in the Book of Revelation. 50:38 Don't forget to request 50:39 today's life-changing free resource. 50:41 Not only can you receive this free gift in the mail, 50:43 you can download a digital copy straight to your computer 50:46 or mobile device. 50:47 To get your digital copy of today's free gift, 50:50 simply text the keyword on your screen 50:52 to 40544 50:54 or visit the web address shown on your screen. 50:57 And be sure to select the digital download option 50:59 on the request page. 51:01 It's now easier than ever for you 51:02 to study God's Word with Amazing Facts 51:05 wherever and whenever you want 51:07 and, most important, to share it with others 51:21 We're here on the beautiful coast 51:23 of the island of Puerto Rico. 51:25 And if you were to travel east about 2000 miles, of course, 51:28 you'd be out in the middle of the ocean. 51:30 But you'd also be in the middle of a mystical sea 51:32 called the Sargasso Sea. 51:34 It gets its name 51:35 because of this common ground seaweed 51:38 that can be found floating in vast mass. 51:42 The area of the Sargasso Sea is about 700 miles wide 51:46 and 2, 000 miles long. 51:48 Now the seaweed itself is fascinating stuff. 51:51 It was first observed 51:52 and called gulfweed by Christopher Columbus. 51:54 It gets the name Sargassum from the Portuguese. 51:57 Some people use it as herbal remedies. 51:59 But out in the middle of the Sargasso Sea, 52:01 the water is some of the bluest in the world, 52:04 it's there you can see 200 feet deep in places. 52:07 It also has a great biodiversity and ecosystem 52:10 that surrounds the Saragoss Sea. 52:13 For years, scientists wondered where the American 52:15 and the Atlantic eels were breeding. 52:17 They knew the adult eel swam down the rivers out 52:20 into the Atlantic, 52:21 but they never could find the place 52:22 where they reproduced. 52:23 Finally, they discovered it was out 52:25 in the middle of the Sargasso Sea. 52:27 So it's a fascinating place. 52:29 But if you are an Ancient sailor, 52:31 you did not want to get stuck there. 52:35 Being caught in the doldrums was extremely difficult 52:38 for the ancient sailors. 52:40 Of course, their boats were driven by wind and sail, 52:43 and they were caught in the vast mass of the seaweed 52:46 that would wrap around the rudder, 52:47 barnacles would begin to grow. 52:49 It's an area that is notorious for light and baffling winds, 52:52 and so they make no progress. 52:54 They get stuck, 52:56 the men would become extremely dispirited. 52:58 Sometimes violence and even insanity 53:00 would break out as people were trapped in the doldrums. 53:04 Well, friends, perhaps sometimes you feel 53:06 that you're trapped in the doldrums, 53:08 you've gone through episodes of depression. 53:10 You feel like you're going in circles. 53:12 Life seems stifling. 53:14 You know, the Bible offers good news. 53:16 There is a way out. 53:17 Bible talks about a famous character 53:19 that was trapped in a cycle of depression. 53:22 He was low as you could be. 53:24 Matter of fact, 53:25 he even had seaweed wrapped around his head, 53:26 his name was Jonah. 53:28 But God gave him a way of escape. 53:30 In Jonah 2:3 through 7, 53:33 we read, "For you cast me into the depths, 53:36 into the heart of the seas, and the floods surrounded me. 53:40 All of Your billows and Your waves passed over me. 53:43 Then I said, 'I have been cast out of Your sight, 53:46 yet I will look again towards Your holy temple. 53:49 The waters surrounded me even to my soul. 53:52 The deep closed around me. 53:54 Weeds were wrapped around my head. 53:56 I went down to the moorings of the mountains, 53:59 the earth with its bars closed behind me forever, 54:02 yet you've brought my life up from the pit, O Lord, my God. 54:06 When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the Lord, 54:10 and my prayer went up to You, into your holy temple.' " 54:14 You know, friends, the way that Jonah 54:15 got out of these discouraging circumstances, 54:18 he turned to God, and he prayed. 54:20 And if God could hear Jonah's prayer, 54:22 just think about it, 54:23 he was as far away from God as anybody could be. 54:25 He was in the belly of a sea monster 54:27 in the bottom of the ocean, in the dark, 54:29 yet he turned to God, and God heard his prayer. 54:32 You know, these ancient sailors, 54:33 when they were trapped 54:34 on the deck of the ship for weeks, 54:36 stuck in the doldrums discouraged, 54:38 sometimes they would have a prayer meeting 54:40 and pray that God would send a breeze 54:42 that would set them free and get their boats moving. 54:45 They turned to God in prayer, 54:46 and often miracles would happen, 54:48 and the wind would flutter in the sails 54:50 and bring them out of their seaweed prison. 54:53 Friends, maybe you have been stuck in the doldrums, 54:55 maybe you've been caught in a cycle of depression. 54:58 If God can do it for Jonah, 54:59 if He can do it for the ancient sailors, 55:01 He can do it for you. 55:02 Turn to the Lord in prayer. 55:04 Trust His spirit to blow through your soul 55:06 and to set you free. 55:58 "The Holy Spirit came down. 55:59 This is what God wants you to experience. 56:02 You come to Christ, your sins are washed away, 56:05 you become a new creature. 56:06 It's a brand new beginning again 56:08 and praying and wishing you have a new start." 56:12 "For I was hungry 56:13 and you gave Me something to eat, 56:16 and as much as you do it one of the least of these, 56:20 my brethren, you did it to Me." 57:28 "How many of you wish you could get a new start? 57:30 I'd like to live my life over knowing what I know now. 57:32 I don't want to start over and just make same mistakes. 57:35 I want to have my memories 57:36 so I don't make the same mistakes. 57:38 But you do get a new beginning, you become a new creature, 57:41 that feeling of all your sins being washed away 57:43 because God promised us it. 57:45 Isn't that a wonderful concept, friends? 57:47 "I was thirsty, 57:51 and you gave Me drink, 57:57 in as much as you did it 57:58 to one of the least of these, my brethren, 58:02 you did it to Me." |
Revised 2019-02-11