¤¤¤
00:00:00.60\00:00:02.46
CC by Aberden Captioning
(800) 688-6621 www.abercap.com
00:00:03.37\00:00:07.24
¤¤¤
00:00:07.34\00:00:10.04
¤¤¤
00:00:13.48\00:00:19.48
¤¤¤
00:00:21.32\00:00:24.99
¤¤¤
00:00:28.52\00:00:30.93
Jean Ross: Good morning,
friends, and welcome again to
00:00:36.77\00:00:38.27
"Sabbath School Study Hour,"
coming to you from the Amazing
00:00:38.30\00:00:40.54
Facts Studios in
Sacramento, California.
00:00:40.57\00:00:42.90
We'd like to welcome those
who are joining us across the
00:00:42.94\00:00:45.17
country and around the world,
part of our extended online
00:00:45.21\00:00:48.61
Sabbath School class.
00:00:48.64\00:00:50.15
We'd also like to send a special
greeting to our regular Granite
00:00:50.18\00:00:53.68
Bay Church members.
00:00:53.72\00:00:55.18
We pray that you will be blessed
00:00:55.22\00:00:56.89
as we study our
lesson this morning.
00:00:56.92\00:00:59.35
We've been studying through
a great series of lessons,
00:00:59.39\00:01:01.46
talking about the
Scripture, and today
00:01:01.49\00:01:02.96
we find ourselves
on lesson number eight.
00:01:02.99\00:01:05.13
It's entitled "Creation: Genesis
as Foundation, Part 1," so we'll
00:01:05.16\00:01:09.63
be doing part one today.
00:01:09.66\00:01:11.43
Next week, we'll be
looking at part two.
00:01:11.47\00:01:13.37
But just before we get
into our lesson, we've got a few
00:01:13.40\00:01:15.94
announcements we'd
like to tell you about.
00:01:15.97\00:01:17.64
We also have a free offer.
00:01:17.67\00:01:18.91
It's entitled "Amazing Wonders
of Creation," and this is our
00:01:18.94\00:01:22.74
free gift for those
of you who are watching.
00:01:22.78\00:01:25.11
If you'd like to
receive it, just call the number
00:01:25.15\00:01:27.85
866-788-3966, and ask for Offer
Number 116, or if you'd like,
00:01:27.88\00:01:34.89
you can get a free digital copy
of the book by just texting the
00:01:34.92\00:01:38.26
code "SH142" to the number
40544, and we'll send you a
00:01:38.29\00:01:45.20
digital link, and you'll
be able to read that online.
00:01:45.23\00:01:47.50
It's entitled, again,
"Amazing Wonders of Creation."
00:01:47.54\00:01:50.61
And also, friends, if you'd like
to know of different things that
00:01:50.64\00:01:52.87
Amazing Facts is doing, sending
announcements of different
00:01:52.91\00:01:56.54
special programs
that we might have.
00:01:56.58\00:01:58.61
You can just simply text the
00:01:58.65\00:02:00.22
word "ONLINE,"
to the number 40544.
00:02:00.25\00:02:04.85
Text the word "ONLINE" to 40544,
and you'll be able to receive
00:02:04.89\00:02:08.99
these updates from time to time.
00:02:09.02\00:02:11.33
Well, before we
get to our lesson,
00:02:11.36\00:02:12.83
let's start with
a word of prayer.
00:02:12.86\00:02:14.46
Dear Father in heaven, we thank
You once again that we have the
00:02:14.46\00:02:16.50
opportunity to open up Your
Word and study a very important
00:02:16.53\00:02:19.67
subject, a foundational truth to
our belief and understanding of
00:02:19.70\00:02:23.84
who we are and why we are
here, and where we are headed.
00:02:23.87\00:02:27.21
So, Lord, we ask Your
blessing upon our time today.
00:02:27.24\00:02:29.61
Be with those who are listening,
joining us around the world,
00:02:29.64\00:02:32.25
in Jesus's name, amen.
00:02:32.28\00:02:34.18
Doug Batchelor: Amen.
00:02:34.22\00:02:35.52
Jean: Well, Pastor Doug,
earlier this week, we were
00:02:35.55\00:02:36.85
talking about this week's
lesson, and we mentioned how
00:02:36.89\00:02:39.92
important our study is today,
and, really, how exciting it is.
00:02:39.95\00:02:43.02
We're talking about Genesis as
being the foundation, of course,
00:02:43.06\00:02:46.43
the first book of the Bible,
but also the foundation of our
00:02:46.46\00:02:49.30
understanding of so
many important themes.
00:02:49.33\00:02:52.40
Doug: Yeah, they say that you
can't really be happy unless you
00:02:52.43\00:02:55.47
know where you've come from,
which defines what you're doing
00:02:55.50\00:02:59.27
here, and where you're going.
00:02:59.31\00:03:01.28
And so the beginnings, really,
it's foundational to everything.
00:03:01.31\00:03:04.95
And so this was a good lesson.
00:03:04.98\00:03:06.28
By the way, this is part one.
00:03:06.31\00:03:07.68
I think for the next two weeks,
we're going to talk about the
00:03:07.72\00:03:10.19
importance of Genesis
in studying the Bible.
00:03:10.22\00:03:13.32
And maybe we ought to
start with our memory verse.
00:03:13.36\00:03:15.82
The memory verse for
this lesson-by the way,
00:03:15.86\00:03:17.39
this is lesson number eight.
00:03:17.43\00:03:19.46
is John 1, verse 1 through 4:
"In the beginning was the Word,
00:03:19.49\00:03:24.50
and the Word was with
God, and the Word was God.
00:03:24.53\00:03:28.24
He was in the
beginning with God.
00:03:28.27\00:03:30.47
All things were made through
Him, and without Him nothing
00:03:30.51\00:03:33.64
was made that was made.
00:03:33.68\00:03:35.74
In Him was life, and the
life was the light of men."
00:03:35.78\00:03:40.18
And so, of course, Jesus
is right there at the very
00:03:40.22\00:03:42.68
beginning, in the foundations in
Genesis, and we're going to talk
00:03:42.72\00:03:46.62
about that in a minute, but
before we do, Pastor Ross, why
00:03:46.65\00:03:49.59
don't we go back and forth a
little bit, and talk about some
00:03:49.62\00:03:51.99
of the big things that matter
that are important that are
00:03:52.03\00:03:57.37
foundations that
are found in Genesis.
00:03:57.40\00:04:00.20
For example, it's in Genesis you
00:04:00.24\00:04:02.74
first find what
the meaning of work is.
00:04:02.77\00:04:06.94
Jean: That's right.
00:04:06.98\00:04:08.28
It talks about how God created
man, Adam and Eve, and had them
00:04:08.31\00:04:12.25
tend the
garden, take care of it.
00:04:12.28\00:04:14.62
Right at the very
beginning of Genesis 1:1,
00:04:14.65\00:04:17.59
you're introduced to who God is.
00:04:17.62\00:04:19.45
"In the beginning, God created."
00:04:19.49\00:04:21.76
Now, a couple things there
that I think are interesting.
00:04:21.79\00:04:23.63
First of all, God is a God
of love because He creates.
00:04:23.66\00:04:26.59
He creates beings
with freedom of choice.
00:04:26.63\00:04:28.90
He creates beings that are
able to worship and love Him.
00:04:28.93\00:04:32.50
He loves them.
00:04:32.53\00:04:33.97
We also see that God is referred
to here in a plural sense.
00:04:34.00\00:04:37.97
"In the beginning, God said,
'Let Us make man in Our image.'"
00:04:38.01\00:04:41.38
And then you read about the Holy
Spirit that was hovering on the
00:04:41.41\00:04:44.15
face of the waters at Creation,
at the beginning of Creation, so
00:04:44.18\00:04:47.42
we're introduced somewhat
to God, not all the details are
00:04:47.45\00:04:49.92
filled in, but at least we have
an idea of a being that is a
00:04:49.95\00:04:52.52
being of love, and we recognize
that there is a plurality of the
00:04:52.55\00:04:57.23
Godhead: Father, Son, the Holy
Spirit, and, of course, John
00:04:57.26\00:05:00.96
even expands that and says, "All
things are made through Jesus."
00:05:01.00\00:05:03.77
Doug: Yeah, that's right.
00:05:03.80\00:05:05.10
And then it's interesting that
not only do you find God the
00:05:05.13\00:05:08.64
Father, Son, and Spirit there
in Genesis, but when you get to
00:05:08.67\00:05:11.54
Revelation, again, it says,
"The Spirit and the bride say,
00:05:11.57\00:05:15.04
'Come,'" and so you can--you
read the last chapter of
00:05:15.08\00:05:17.75
Revelation, rather, and you
see all three, all the way, you
00:05:17.78\00:05:21.22
know, through the Bible then.
00:05:21.25\00:05:23.62
It's in Genesis that you hear
the first prophecies about the
00:05:23.65\00:05:28.09
coming of the Messiah.
00:05:28.12\00:05:29.82
It's where in Genesis 3, it's
where you find out why is there
00:05:29.86\00:05:32.86
sin in the world,
the introduction of evil.
00:05:32.89\00:05:36.63
You've got the genealogies
in the Bible that explain the
00:05:36.67\00:05:40.07
coming Messiah
through Abraham, David,
00:05:40.10\00:05:43.51
and, you know,
ultimately to Christ.
00:05:43.54\00:05:47.84
The power of the
spoken word is in Genesis.
00:05:47.88\00:05:51.01
That's where you first see that.
00:05:51.05\00:05:52.35
Jean: God says, "Let there
be," and all of the things that
00:05:52.38\00:05:54.35
God creates in that first
week, He simply speaks, and it
00:05:54.38\00:05:57.35
happens, except when
it comes to creating man.
00:05:57.39\00:06:00.36
God formed Adam out of the dust
of the ground, breathed into him
00:06:00.39\00:06:03.36
the breath of life, and
the same thing is involved
00:06:03.39\00:06:05.13
when He creates Eve.
00:06:05.16\00:06:06.46
He actually takes a rib from the
side of Adam and creates Eve.
00:06:06.49\00:06:09.56
So we see the power of the
00:06:09.60\00:06:11.13
spoken word of God in
that first Creation week.
00:06:11.17\00:06:13.97
We also discover that, in
that first few chapters of
00:06:14.00\00:06:17.21
Revelation, God created
something very good, but then
00:06:17.24\00:06:20.91
something very bad happened, so
we have the introduction, or the
00:06:20.94\00:06:23.68
origin of evil, why there is
suffering and pain in the world,
00:06:23.71\00:06:27.12
and it also points out as
to who the author is of evil.
00:06:27.15\00:06:30.15
It's not God, but
it's an adversary.
00:06:30.19\00:06:32.89
You read in Genesis chapter 3,
00:06:32.92\00:06:34.59
the devil is coming
in the form of a serpent.
00:06:34.62\00:06:37.06
So right from the very beginning
of the Bible, you have the great
00:06:37.09\00:06:40.13
controversy set up between good
and evil, between God and Satan.
00:06:40.16\00:06:44.27
Doug: Yup, absolutely, and
so, and then you even really
00:06:44.30\00:06:48.34
have the promise of restoration
00:06:48.37\00:06:50.17
because you see
what is God's ideal.
00:06:50.21\00:06:52.54
People say, "If God is good, why
is there so much suffering and
00:06:52.57\00:06:54.94
misery in the world?"
00:06:54.98\00:06:56.28
Well, it's in Genesis.
00:06:56.31\00:06:57.61
You read, in the garden, it
says, "God made everything good,
00:06:57.65\00:06:59.68
good, good, good,
very good," and so you say,
00:06:59.71\00:07:02.55
"What does God want for us?"
00:07:02.58\00:07:04.39
"Every good and perfect
gift is from God," and "God will
00:07:04.42\00:07:08.02
withhold no good thing from
those that walk up rightly."
00:07:08.06\00:07:12.26
And Jesus told the rich
young ruler, "Only God is good."
00:07:12.29\00:07:15.70
And so you see the goodness of
God and His desire to put man in
00:07:15.73\00:07:19.43
a paradise, right
there at the beginning.
00:07:19.47\00:07:21.84
Jean: Now, another one that's
kind of interesting, we don't
00:07:21.87\00:07:23.41
always think of it, but it's
an important one: the origin of
00:07:23.44\00:07:26.54
languages and the
origin of nations.
00:07:26.57\00:07:28.64
That's actually introduced
to us in the book of Genesis.
00:07:28.68\00:07:31.28
You read about it in Genesis
chapter 10 and 11, where the
00:07:31.31\00:07:34.08
people built the Tower of Babel,
and their language, God actually
00:07:34.12\00:07:37.89
brought judgment on the
tower because it was an act of
00:07:37.92\00:07:40.19
rebellion, and their
languages were all mixed up, and
00:07:40.22\00:07:43.43
eventually they broke apart, and
they moved to different areas.
00:07:43.46\00:07:45.99
So the origin of languages and
00:07:46.03\00:07:47.86
nations is even brought
to view here in Genesis.
00:07:47.93\00:07:50.27
Doug: You know, it's
probably helpful to mention,
00:07:50.30\00:07:52.33
why is this so important?
00:07:52.37\00:07:54.50
Because we're living in a
culture today that, even among
00:07:54.54\00:07:58.31
Christians, many
dismiss the first 11 chapters.
00:07:58.34\00:08:01.94
That's where you find the
Tower of Babel in Genesis.
00:08:01.98\00:08:05.61
And they say, "Well, those
00:08:05.65\00:08:06.95
were fables that
kind of give context.
00:08:06.98\00:08:08.72
They weren't literal.
00:08:08.75\00:08:10.05
They didn't
really have Adam and Eve.
00:08:10.09\00:08:11.39
He didn't really have Noah.
00:08:11.42\00:08:12.72
He didn't really
have this tower."
00:08:12.75\00:08:14.89
And the problem with that,
though, is Jesus speaks of them
00:08:14.92\00:08:19.03
as literal, and so, if you start
dismissing the first foundations
00:08:19.06\00:08:23.63
in Genesis--where is that in
Psalms where it says, "If the
00:08:23.67\00:08:26.84
foundations be destroyed," you
know, "what will the people do?"
00:08:26.87\00:08:30.47
And so the devil hits this.
00:08:30.51\00:08:32.24
You know, the
foundations were destroyed,
00:08:32.27\00:08:33.61
and then there
was war in the gates.
00:08:33.64\00:08:35.31
And so, when there's an attack
of the foundations, it just
00:08:35.34\00:08:39.05
destroys everything.
00:08:39.08\00:08:40.38
And so we're showing here the
authors of the lesson are doing
00:08:40.42\00:08:44.42
a good job demonstrating
that foundational to so many
00:08:44.45\00:08:49.42
cornerstone teachings of
Christianity and even life, you
00:08:49.46\00:08:54.46
must believe in Genesis being
literal, the first 11 chapters.
00:08:54.50\00:08:57.93
Jean: The verse you're
referring to there, Pastor Doug,
00:08:57.97\00:09:00.04
is Psalms 11, verse 3,
in case you taking notes.
00:09:00.07\00:09:02.50
It says, "If the
foundations are destroyed,
00:09:02.54\00:09:04.17
what shall the righteous do?"
00:09:04.21\00:09:05.61
And how true that is.
00:09:05.64\00:09:06.94
If your foundation of the Bible
in Genesis, so many important
00:09:06.98\00:09:10.11
themes is not there, you don't
have a right idea as to why
00:09:10.15\00:09:14.22
we're here, what
the purpose of life is.
00:09:14.25\00:09:16.18
Doug: Absolutely.
Jean: It's so important.
00:09:16.22\00:09:18.49
Pastor Doug, a couple of other
important themes are introduced.
00:09:18.52\00:09:20.99
You mentioned the promise of
a Messiah, and also, we have an
00:09:21.02\00:09:24.89
introduction here to the
covenant people, the covenant
00:09:24.93\00:09:27.40
that God makes with Abraham and
the Hebrews, but you also find a
00:09:27.40\00:09:30.40
whole lot of genealogy,
"So-and-So begat so-and-so, and
00:09:30.43\00:09:33.77
so-and-so begat so-and-so."
00:09:33.80\00:09:35.10
Why is that important in
the context of the beginnings?
00:09:35.14\00:09:39.87
Doug: You know, it was
amazing to me--I'll just tell
00:09:39.91\00:09:41.98
you on a personal
note--believing in evolution and
00:09:42.01\00:09:46.25
believing that, you know, man's
been around for--at least modern
00:09:46.28\00:09:49.25
man, who's not dragging
his knuckles, I used to think,
00:09:49.28\00:09:51.49
"Well, he's been around for
maybe 1.5 million years--" they
00:09:51.52\00:09:56.73
got varying numbers-- "and
at some point, the glint of
00:09:56.76\00:10:01.73
recognition popped into his
mind, and he stopped being an
00:10:01.76\00:10:03.90
animal, and he became man."
00:10:03.93\00:10:06.20
And--but then I read the
genealogies, and if you read in
00:10:06.23\00:10:09.30
Luke, it traces the genealogy of
Jesus all the way back to Adam.
00:10:09.34\00:10:14.28
And so I thought, "Wow," you
know, first it's tedious trying
00:10:14.31\00:10:17.25
to say the names, but when
you realize that those Bible
00:10:17.28\00:10:20.62
writers, the Jews, had
kept such careful genealogies.
00:10:20.65\00:10:22.92
They could trace the lineage of
Christ all the way back to Adam.
00:10:22.95\00:10:27.09
And in Matthew, it begins by
tracing the genealogy back to
00:10:27.12\00:10:30.73
David because Jesus
is the son of David.
00:10:30.76\00:10:33.76
And it says that "Your
descendants would be the King,
00:10:33.80\00:10:36.00
the Messiah," and so
these genealogies are really a
00:10:36.03\00:10:39.70
tremendous affirmation.
00:10:39.73\00:10:41.20
The other interesting thing
about the genealogies is, as you
00:10:41.24\00:10:44.24
read through them, you
say, "Oh, it talks about Tamar."
00:10:44.27\00:10:47.48
Well, there's a
whole story about her.
00:10:47.51\00:10:48.88
"Oh, it talks about Rahab."
00:10:48.91\00:10:50.58
Got a whole book about her."
00:10:50.61\00:10:52.35
Ruth--got a
whole book about her.
00:10:52.38\00:10:54.22
And so these characters appear
in the lineage of the Messiah,
00:10:54.25\00:10:59.55
that are telling you that God
saves all kinds of people, and,
00:10:59.59\00:11:02.96
yet they're His ancestors, and
so there's a lot you can learn
00:11:02.99\00:11:05.73
from the genealogies.
00:11:05.76\00:11:07.66
Jean: And then, of course,
the big ones that are introduced
00:11:07.66\00:11:09.73
right at the very beginning of
the book of Genesis--and we'll
00:11:09.76\00:11:12.67
be talking about this a little
later in our lesson two--are the
00:11:12.70\00:11:16.34
subjects of marriage and
the Sabbath, and man and woman.
00:11:16.37\00:11:22.24
These are some big themes
00:11:22.28\00:11:23.68
that are introduced
right at the beginning.
00:11:23.71\00:11:25.75
And Pastor Doug, it's
interesting how these important
00:11:25.78\00:11:27.78
themes are under
attack today, why?
00:11:27.82\00:11:30.75
Fundamentally the teaching
of evolution, there's no real
00:11:30.79\00:11:33.32
difference why you're here.
00:11:33.36\00:11:36.22
It's just an accident.
00:11:36.26\00:11:37.99
And these are important themes
that we need to understand,
00:11:38.03\00:11:40.00
especially in today's culture.
00:11:40.03\00:11:41.46
Doug: Absolutely, and to jump
in, if you have any questions,
00:11:41.50\00:11:43.67
we're inviting questions
from those who might be viewing.
00:11:43.70\00:11:46.57
I think the questions
come in through Facebook.
00:11:46.60\00:11:47.90
Jean: They do. They're
coming through Facebook.
00:11:47.94\00:11:49.24
And then they'll
actually e-mail it to me.
00:11:49.27\00:11:50.57
Doug: It's alive.
00:11:50.61\00:11:51.91
Jean: Yeah, so
here's our first question.
00:11:51.94\00:11:53.24
Doug: Okay.
00:11:53.27\00:11:54.61
Jean: All right, Matt is
asking, "Were angels created
00:11:54.64\00:11:56.88
before the universe
or after the universe?"
00:11:56.91\00:11:59.58
Doug: Well, I'm glad they asked.
00:11:59.61\00:12:01.95
That's actually coming
up later in the lesson,
00:12:01.98\00:12:03.45
but I'll mention it
now since you asked.
00:12:03.49\00:12:05.49
So when we're reading
Genesis, "In the beginning, God
00:12:05.52\00:12:08.46
created--" is it talking about
the beginning of all time, or is
00:12:08.49\00:12:12.09
it talking about the
beginning of our world?
00:12:12.13\00:12:15.96
And so we believe from the
context of what's in Genesis,
00:12:16.00\00:12:18.90
it's not talking
about the beginning of God.
00:12:18.93\00:12:21.57
It's talking about the beginning
of our world because the context
00:12:21.60\00:12:24.54
of everything
that's mentioned there is,
00:12:24.57\00:12:26.78
on Earth, these
things were done.
00:12:26.81\00:12:29.34
Man was done, the separation
of the days, and so forth.
00:12:29.38\00:12:32.91
And so God had creatures prior
to that, and there's this one
00:12:32.95\00:12:37.49
verse you can read in
Job 38: "Were you there--"
00:12:37.52\00:12:40.96
and this is Job 38, verse 4.
00:12:40.99\00:12:43.12
"Were you there when I laid
the foundations of the earth?
00:12:43.16\00:12:45.53
Tell me, if you
have understanding.
00:12:45.56\00:12:47.40
Who determined its
measurements? Surely you know.
00:12:47.40\00:12:50.17
Or who stretched
the line upon it?
00:12:50.20\00:12:52.13
To what were its
foundations fastened?
00:12:52.17\00:12:54.30
Or who laid its cornerstone,
when the morning stars sang
00:12:54.34\00:12:57.97
together, and all the
sons of God shouted for joy?"
00:12:58.01\00:13:01.81
So here these beings are
shouting for joy when God
00:13:01.84\00:13:06.75
creates the world, and we think
that they're either unfallen
00:13:06.78\00:13:09.48
worlds or angels, but so
I think angels did exist.
00:13:09.52\00:13:12.32
They're the ministering spirits
of God, and man was made a
00:13:12.35\00:13:15.49
little lower than the angels,
00:13:15.52\00:13:16.83
so angels must have
existed prior to man.
00:13:16.86\00:13:19.49
So we think the
angels came first.
00:13:19.53\00:13:22.33
Jean: Okay, well then that
brings us to our Sunday lesson
00:13:22.36\00:13:24.93
which is entitled
"In the Beginning."
00:13:24.97\00:13:27.50
And one of the important things
that are brought to view in our
00:13:27.54\00:13:29.64
lesson, and I think
it's something you'll want to
00:13:29.67\00:13:30.97
remember is the active
involvement or how involved
00:13:31.01\00:13:34.48
Jesus was in the Creation,
even though His name is not
00:13:34.51\00:13:37.48
specifically mentioned
there in Genesis chapter 1.
00:13:37.51\00:13:40.02
We have almost a parallel
passage of Scripture that we
00:13:40.05\00:13:43.32
find in the gospel of John,
in John chapter 1, verse 1 to 3.
00:13:43.35\00:13:46.96
Notice the
similarity in wording.
00:13:46.99\00:13:48.79
It says, "In the
beginning was the Word."
00:13:48.82\00:13:50.86
Well, Genesis says,
"In the beginning, God--"
00:13:50.89\00:13:53.13
so you see that parallel.
00:13:53.16\00:13:54.63
"The Word was with
God, and the Word was God.
00:13:54.66\00:13:57.07
He was in the beginning with
God," and then, verse 3, this
00:13:57.10\00:13:59.53
John 1, "All things were made
through Him, and without Him was
00:13:59.57\00:14:03.61
not anything
made that was made."
00:14:03.64\00:14:05.84
So here we're
introduced to Jesus,
00:14:05.87\00:14:07.54
and it says He was in
the beginning with God.
00:14:07.58\00:14:09.78
Everything was made through Him.
00:14:09.81\00:14:11.88
He is the Creator of all things.
00:14:11.91\00:14:14.22
Doug: It's interesting,
Jesus is called "the Word."
00:14:14.25\00:14:17.79
Jesus is called "the bread."
00:14:17.82\00:14:19.79
The bread is called the Word,
and so, you know, one of the
00:14:19.82\00:14:23.79
ways that Christ is identified
is "the Word became flesh and
00:14:23.83\00:14:26.83
dwelt among us."
00:14:26.86\00:14:28.53
And He is the
Word of God incarnate.
00:14:28.56\00:14:31.23
We don't know anything
about what Jesus looked like.
00:14:31.27\00:14:33.57
I mean, you know, there's a lot
of paintings out there, and all
00:14:33.60\00:14:36.40
these are pretty
much artists' concepts.
00:14:36.44\00:14:38.34
What we know about
Jesus is what He said.
00:14:38.37\00:14:40.91
He changed the world by what
He said, and what He said was so
00:14:40.94\00:14:43.85
important that, even when
He rose from the dead and He
00:14:43.88\00:14:46.21
appeared to two of His
disciples, He basically blinded
00:14:46.25\00:14:49.15
their eyes or shielded them from
recognizing Him so they would
00:14:49.18\00:14:52.65
hear what He said on the
road to Emmaus because what He
00:14:52.69\00:14:55.39
said was where
the real power is.
00:14:55.42\00:14:57.63
Jean: There's power in the Word.
00:14:57.66\00:14:58.96
Doug: Yeah.
00:14:58.99\00:15:00.40
Jean: Now, in
Hebrews chapter 1, verse 1,
00:15:00.43\00:15:01.76
we kind of have a
connecting verse here.
00:15:01.80\00:15:03.50
It says, "God who at various
times and in various ways spoke
00:15:03.53\00:15:06.20
in times past to the fathers by
the prophets, has in these last
00:15:06.23\00:15:09.64
days," or recently, "spoken
to us by His Son, whom He has
00:15:09.67\00:15:13.68
appointed heir of all things--"
and here's the point, Pastor
00:15:13.71\00:15:16.04
Doug, "through whom
also He made the worlds."
00:15:16.08\00:15:18.98
So from John chapter 1, verse
1, we understand Christ is very
00:15:19.01\00:15:21.75
involved in the creation of our
Earth, but here in Hebrews 1, we
00:15:21.78\00:15:25.69
find out that Jesus was involved
not only in creating planet
00:15:25.72\00:15:28.49
Earth, but He's involved in
creating worlds, and, of course,
00:15:28.52\00:15:32.06
he uses the plural there.
00:15:32.09\00:15:33.50
Doug: Yeah, I saw an
article in "CNN Science."
00:15:33.53\00:15:36.87
This goes back, like, to 2003.
00:15:36.90\00:15:39.30
It says, "Have you ever
wanted to wish upon a star?"
00:15:39.33\00:15:41.87
We're not recommending that.
00:15:41.90\00:15:43.30
"Well, you have 700 million,
million, million to choose
00:15:43.34\00:15:47.58
from," and it says, "the
Australian National University
00:15:47.61\00:15:51.25
of Astronomers did some
calculation, and they said there
00:15:51.28\00:15:54.75
are probably as many stars--"
no, no, I said that wrong.
00:15:54.78\00:15:58.75
"There are ten times as many
stars as grains of sand in all
00:15:58.79\00:16:04.46
of the world's
beaches and deserts."
00:16:04.49\00:16:07.96
And they say, "That comes to
a seven followed by 22 zeros,
00:16:08.00\00:16:13.54
which is going to be
70 sextillion stars."
00:16:13.57\00:16:18.21
And so the Lord's got
a lot of life out there.
00:16:18.24\00:16:21.21
It's like that parable where
Jesus said, you know, "Shepherd
00:16:21.24\00:16:24.55
has 100 sheep, but one's lost.
00:16:24.58\00:16:26.95
He leaves the 99 safe in the
00:16:26.98\00:16:28.78
fold to go and look
for that one last lamb."
00:16:28.82\00:16:31.09
And Jesus left the unfallen
worlds and came to our world,
00:16:31.12\00:16:34.09
incarnate, to save man.
00:16:34.12\00:16:36.36
So there's a lot
of life out there.
00:16:36.39\00:16:38.13
Through Christ,
God made the worlds.
00:16:38.16\00:16:41.13
Jean: Now, we have a question
that's related to this subject.
00:16:41.16\00:16:44.73
Miranda is asking, "Did
the other worlds exist before
00:16:44.77\00:16:47.87
creation of the
universe or after?"
00:16:47.90\00:16:51.47
Doug: Well, if we're talking
about other worlds that had
00:16:51.51\00:16:54.28
intelligent life, you know, we
know just from our solar system,
00:16:54.31\00:16:57.78
God has some worlds that
00:16:57.81\00:16:59.95
are probably just
created for exploring.
00:17:00.05\00:17:01.68
There's no life on them.
00:17:01.72\00:17:03.28
So I think that most of the
planets and stars you see--of
00:17:03.32\00:17:07.29
course, stars are not inhabited.
00:17:07.32\00:17:09.06
They're fiery balls--are
uninhabited, but He does have
00:17:09.09\00:17:13.53
inhabited worlds out there.
00:17:13.56\00:17:16.03
And, you know, with our limited
telescopes, right now, the only
00:17:16.06\00:17:20.37
way that astronomers can tell if
a star has planets around it, is
00:17:20.40\00:17:24.87
they'll see a flicker in
the star, and that means that a
00:17:24.91\00:17:28.24
planet passed in front
of it and--at some point.
00:17:28.28\00:17:32.01
And they say that means that a
planet--they try and calculate,
00:17:32.05\00:17:34.65
well, how far from the star was
it, and is it the right distance
00:17:34.68\00:17:38.72
where it could support life?
00:17:38.75\00:17:41.02
And there are so many stars.
00:17:41.06\00:17:43.06
Now, keep in mind that
figure I gave a minute ago--
00:17:43.09\00:17:44.73
what did I say?
00:17:44.76\00:17:46.06
Seven sextillion?
00:17:46.09\00:17:47.40
That's not
talking about planets.
00:17:47.40\00:17:48.70
They're talking about stars.
00:17:48.73\00:17:50.17
That's the ones
that are like suns.
00:17:50.20\00:17:51.90
Think about how
many planets there are.
00:17:51.93\00:17:54.30
And let me read one more that
goes along with the question
00:17:54.34\00:17:56.74
that was answered, and this
is under "In the Beginning,"
00:17:56.77\00:17:59.44
Colossians 1:16, "For by him,
Christ, all things were created
00:17:59.47\00:18:04.28
that are in heaven and on
earth--" so there are things in
00:18:04.31\00:18:07.05
heaven He created-- "visible and
invisible--" there's the whole
00:18:07.08\00:18:11.02
spiritual world of angels
that are ministering spirits--
00:18:11.05\00:18:14.59
"whether thrones or dominions
or principalities or powers.
00:18:14.62\00:18:17.49
All things are created
through Him and for Him."
00:18:17.53\00:18:21.60
So now we're understanding not
just how much was created, but
00:18:21.63\00:18:24.53
why it's created.
00:18:24.57\00:18:27.10
Jean: Now related to that,
Pastor Doug, talking about God
00:18:27.14\00:18:30.21
created the worlds and, of
course, you mentioned that the
00:18:30.24\00:18:32.64
verse in Job talks about the
sons of God shouted for joy when
00:18:32.67\00:18:36.44
our world was created, so these
other inhabited worlds are out
00:18:36.48\00:18:39.91
there with intelligent beings,
but I guess one of the questions
00:18:39.95\00:18:43.39
that people have, especially
those who reject the biblical
00:18:43.42\00:18:47.02
account in Genesis,
"What is my purpose?
00:18:47.06\00:18:49.36
Why am I here?
00:18:49.39\00:18:50.69
Am I just the
result of random chance?"
00:18:50.73\00:18:53.76
Of course, you have Darwinian
evolution that really tries to
00:18:53.80\00:18:56.80
take God out of the picture,
but when you try and line up
00:18:56.83\00:19:00.30
evolution with what Genesis
says, especially in those first
00:19:00.34\00:19:03.41
two chapters,
there is a huge conflict.
00:19:03.44\00:19:05.17
You can't marry the two.
00:19:05.21\00:19:06.94
Doug: Yeah, yeah, in
Darwinian evolution, if you say,
00:19:06.98\00:19:10.65
"What is my purpose in life?"
00:19:10.68\00:19:13.15
There really is no purpose
if there's no God and there's no
00:19:13.18\00:19:16.58
ultimate goal or destiny.
00:19:16.62\00:19:18.45
You're just a
biological random accident,
00:19:18.49\00:19:20.86
and life is meaningless.
00:19:20.89\00:19:22.49
Some Darwinists will say, "Well,
your purpose is to survive.
00:19:22.52\00:19:28.46
It's called
survival of the fittest."
00:19:28.50\00:19:30.63
And that means that you take
advantage of the weaker so that
00:19:30.67\00:19:34.87
you can survive, which really is
not a very good worldview, but,
00:19:34.90\00:19:39.77
you know, some
people live that way.
00:19:39.81\00:19:41.68
And that is so counter to what
God teaches in His Word, that we
00:19:41.71\00:19:46.18
are--we exist to love and to
worship God and to love, show
00:19:46.21\00:19:49.68
His love to our
fellow creatures.
00:19:49.72\00:19:52.42
Jean: All right, we've got
00:19:52.45\00:19:53.86
Susie asking a
question, Pastor Doug.
00:19:53.89\00:19:55.56
The question is "Did Genesis say
God created Adam outside of the
00:19:55.59\00:20:00.23
garden and then
put him in the garden?"
00:20:00.26\00:20:04.83
Doug: You know, it's my
understanding that man was
00:20:04.87\00:20:07.64
probably made in the garden,
and then God introduced him to
00:20:07.67\00:20:11.41
the--what his
work was in the garden.
00:20:11.44\00:20:14.41
What are your thoughts on that?
00:20:14.44\00:20:16.11
Jean: Well, you know, again,
Genesis is not always written in
00:20:16.14\00:20:18.75
exact chronological order.
00:20:18.78\00:20:20.32
For example, you have Genesis
1, that gives you an overview of
00:20:20.35\00:20:22.78
Creation, and then you
come back in chapter 2.
00:20:22.82\00:20:25.19
Chapter 3, you've got
more details filled in.
00:20:25.22\00:20:28.16
I think God would've created the
garden and a special dwelling
00:20:28.19\00:20:31.96
place for Adam and Eve.
00:20:31.99\00:20:33.93
Was sort of their home.
00:20:33.96\00:20:35.50
Of course, they can probably
wander throughout the whole
00:20:35.53\00:20:37.73
world, you know, if they had not
sinned, and go back and forth,
00:20:37.77\00:20:41.07
in and out of the garden.
00:20:41.10\00:20:42.70
But it seems as though the
garden, the house was prepared
00:20:42.74\00:20:45.24
for them, and they were created,
and then introduced to their
00:20:45.27\00:20:49.14
environment, to their home.
00:20:49.18\00:20:50.88
So, good question.
00:20:50.91\00:20:52.48
I thank you for
asking that, Susie.
00:20:52.51\00:20:55.15
All right, then
moving on to our next day.
00:20:55.18\00:20:57.79
We have Monday, and it's
entitled "The Days of Creation."
00:20:57.82\00:21:01.72
And, again, it's emphasizing the
six literal days of Creation,
00:21:01.76\00:21:06.33
and why is this so
important for us to understand?
00:21:06.36\00:21:09.40
Doug: Well, you know, the
argument even amongst some
00:21:09.43\00:21:11.83
Christians who believe
that there's room for either
00:21:11.87\00:21:15.70
evolution--or maybe they don't
believe in evolution, but they
00:21:15.74\00:21:18.74
believe that God created
in these big epochs of time--I
00:21:18.77\00:21:23.78
remember studying--I don't know
if their beliefs have changed,
00:21:23.81\00:21:26.25
but years ago I studied with
some Jehovah Witnesses, and they
00:21:26.28\00:21:28.35
said, "Yeah, those six days
00:21:28.38\00:21:29.68
of creation are really 6,000
years," but that's not possible.
00:21:29.72\00:21:36.62
If you take the Bible the way it
reads, the word for "day" there
00:21:36.66\00:21:39.83
is the word "yom," and it means
a specific day, a literal day.
00:21:39.86\00:21:47.50
You know what?
00:21:47.54\00:21:48.84
I can't improve on what
the authors put in the lesson.
00:21:48.87\00:21:50.74
They did a great job here.
This is Frank and Michael Hasel.
00:21:50.77\00:21:54.74
"The term used in the
singular is not the plural,
00:21:54.78\00:21:57.95
meaning a single day.
00:21:57.98\00:21:59.45
Thus, the seven days of creation
are to be understood as a
00:21:59.48\00:22:03.32
complete unit of time,
introduced by the cardinal
00:22:03.35\00:22:06.59
number, 'echad,' 'one,' followed
by an ordinal number, the
00:22:06.62\00:22:10.33
second, the third, the fourth.
00:22:10.36\00:22:12.09
This pattern indicates a
consecutive sequence of days,
00:22:12.13\00:22:15.66
culminating in the seventh day.
00:22:15.70\00:22:17.73
There's no indication in the use
of the terms or the narrative
00:22:17.77\00:22:21.60
form itself that there should
be any gaps in these days.
00:22:21.64\00:22:25.11
The seven days of
Creation are indeed seven days
00:22:25.14\00:22:28.18
as we delineate days today.
00:22:28.21\00:22:29.84
There are seven
literal 24-hour days."
00:22:29.88\00:22:33.28
Says, "The
evening and the morning."
00:22:33.31\00:22:35.68
And then if, you look in--says,
on the third day God makes the
00:22:35.72\00:22:39.09
vegetation, but He
doesn't make the sun, moon,
00:22:39.12\00:22:42.19
and stars until the fourth day.
00:22:42.22\00:22:43.73
So if He makes all the plants
and if you lock those plants up
00:22:43.76\00:22:46.93
in darkness for a thousand
years, or, you know, a month,
00:22:46.96\00:22:50.33
they're going to all die.
00:22:50.37\00:22:51.93
So the next day, God
then makes the light.
00:22:51.97\00:22:54.50
So they have to be literal days.
00:22:54.54\00:22:56.91
Jean: Well, Pastor Doug,
let's talk about those first six
00:22:56.94\00:22:59.14
and seven days of Creation.
00:22:59.17\00:23:01.08
The first thing God creates on
day one, he says, "Let there be
00:23:01.11\00:23:03.31
light," and it almost appears
as though the presence of God at
00:23:03.35\00:23:07.62
first brings light because
as you mentioned, on the fourth
00:23:07.65\00:23:10.89
day, you have the
sun that is created.
00:23:10.92\00:23:13.46
So the presence of God brings
light on this dark planet.
00:23:13.49\00:23:16.32
He creates the earth.
00:23:16.36\00:23:18.16
And so, day one,
He creates light.
00:23:18.19\00:23:20.43
A day two, He creates the
atmosphere, or the Bible calls
00:23:20.46\00:23:23.93
it the firmament, where He
separated the waters, and we
00:23:23.97\00:23:26.60
have the atmosphere.
00:23:26.63\00:23:27.94
Day three, God creates dry
land, and He creates vegetation.
00:23:27.97\00:23:32.34
Day four, you have the stars,
as well as the sun and the moon.
00:23:32.37\00:23:37.45
Day five, you have
birds in the firmament,
00:23:37.48\00:23:40.48
and you have fish in the sea.
00:23:40.52\00:23:43.18
And day six, you have land
animals, and you have mankind.
00:23:43.22\00:23:46.62
Now, the pattern that's
interesting in these days of
00:23:46.65\00:23:48.69
Creation, you find
God making something,
00:23:48.72\00:23:50.99
and then He fills
it with something.
00:23:51.03\00:23:52.86
For example, He created the
atmosphere, and then He fills
00:23:52.89\00:23:55.56
the atmosphere with birds.
00:23:55.60\00:23:57.57
He creates the sea, and
He fills the sea with fish.
00:23:57.60\00:24:00.54
He creates the land, and He
00:24:00.57\00:24:02.40
fills the land with
vegetation and animals.
00:24:02.44\00:24:05.14
So each of these days,
a pattern is established.
00:24:05.17\00:24:07.34
God creates
something, and then He fills it.
00:24:07.38\00:24:09.78
Doug: He populates
it. Jean: He populates it.
00:24:09.81\00:24:11.51
And when it comes to the
creation of man, you read how
00:24:11.55\00:24:14.48
that God formed Adam out of the
breath--formed Adam out of the
00:24:14.52\00:24:17.75
clay and breathed into
him the breath of life.
00:24:17.79\00:24:20.22
So, God, again, forms him and
00:24:20.26\00:24:22.42
then fills him
with the breath of life.
00:24:22.46\00:24:24.46
Adam becomes a living being.
00:24:24.49\00:24:26.29
Now, that's particularly
interesting when you get to the
00:24:26.33\00:24:28.70
seventh day
because, the seventh day,
00:24:28.73\00:24:30.83
God does not
make anything, per se.
00:24:30.87\00:24:33.40
Rather, He pauses.
00:24:33.44\00:24:35.04
He finishes His work creation.
00:24:35.07\00:24:37.04
He creates 24 hours, but then
00:24:37.07\00:24:38.87
He fills those 24
hours with blessing.
00:24:38.91\00:24:42.34
He sanctifies it. He
sets it apart for a holy use.
00:24:42.38\00:24:45.78
So God is always making
something, and then filling it.
00:24:45.81\00:24:48.62
Making something,
and then blessing it.
00:24:48.65\00:24:50.59
And, of course,
that's true for us today.
00:24:50.62\00:24:52.52
God wants us--He made us.
00:24:52.55\00:24:54.49
He wants to fill us with
His blessing, fill us with the
00:24:54.52\00:24:57.26
Spirit, just as He filled Adam
and he became a living being, so
00:24:57.29\00:25:01.13
God wants us to be
spiritually living and alive.
00:25:01.16\00:25:04.20
Doug: Yeah, and He wants us
to be filled with purpose and
00:25:04.23\00:25:08.14
activity, and one of the things
we learn from Genesis is that
00:25:08.17\00:25:12.41
there's something different
God does when He makes man.
00:25:12.44\00:25:14.51
He doesn't make
man the same way.
00:25:14.54\00:25:16.75
First of all, He doesn't make
man or woman the same way he
00:25:16.78\00:25:18.81
makes the other animals.
00:25:18.85\00:25:20.15
He speaks them into existence,
but He does something unique for
00:25:20.18\00:25:22.48
man and woman in
the way He creates them.
00:25:22.52\00:25:24.52
Because He says,
"They are made in My image,"
00:25:24.55\00:25:27.99
and then He gives them dominion.
00:25:28.02\00:25:30.46
And so man is the crowning work.
00:25:30.49\00:25:33.03
You know, there's a
place in Psalms where it says,
00:25:33.06\00:25:35.80
"Are you not gods?"
00:25:35.83\00:25:37.27
You know, man was made to be
something like the God of this
00:25:37.30\00:25:39.77
world for the creatures, and we
were given the ability, as God
00:25:39.80\00:25:43.44
creates in His image, man was
00:25:43.47\00:25:45.04
able to procreate
through love in His image.
00:25:45.07\00:25:48.64
And so there's something
in Genesis we learn about, you
00:25:48.68\00:25:52.75
know, God fills man with His
00:25:52.78\00:25:54.58
Spirit in a
different way than the animals.
00:25:54.62\00:25:57.22
He's a reflection of God.
00:25:57.25\00:25:59.92
Jean: Okay, well, that ties
into another question that we
00:25:59.95\00:26:01.59
have, Pastor Doug, and the
question is "What does it mean
00:26:01.62\00:26:03.63
that God made Adam
and Eve in His image?"
00:26:03.66\00:26:08.06
Doug: Well,
does God have a form?
00:26:08.10\00:26:10.93
Yes, the Bible describes,
you know, God as having--in many
00:26:10.97\00:26:14.07
different verses, it'll
talk about God the Father and
00:26:14.10\00:26:16.50
Son--now, the Spirit's unique,
but the Father and the Son, it's
00:26:16.54\00:26:20.51
described as them having
everything from hair, to hands,
00:26:20.54\00:26:24.35
to feet, to ears,
to mouth, to eyes.
00:26:24.38\00:26:27.92
You'll see that we were made
in form, similar to God, or we
00:26:27.95\00:26:33.89
have--there's features and
similarity with man and God,
00:26:33.92\00:26:37.49
and--but man is made in
the image of God in that the
00:26:37.53\00:26:44.23
emotions that we have, the
thoughts that we think, God
00:26:44.27\00:26:47.74
loves, Bible says, God hates.
00:26:47.77\00:26:50.51
Bible says that, you
know, God rejoices, God sings.
00:26:50.54\00:26:54.58
Says in
Zechariah, "He'll rejoice."
00:26:54.61\00:26:56.58
So many things that we naturally
have, I mean, separated from sin
00:26:56.61\00:26:59.88
or the abuse of those things, we
get these things from God, and
00:26:59.91\00:27:04.09
so we're, you know,
originally created with certain
00:27:04.12\00:27:06.45
characteristics and traits,
and then as God creates, like I
00:27:06.49\00:27:10.09
said, through love, a man
and woman in marriage procreate
00:27:10.13\00:27:14.96
in their own image.
00:27:15.00\00:27:16.93
And, you know, there's the
00:27:16.97\00:27:18.63
delight and joy that
goes along with that.
00:27:18.67\00:27:20.70
Jean: And, of course, the
Bible is clear that angels, they
00:27:20.74\00:27:22.84
don't marry, neither
are they given any marriage.
00:27:22.87\00:27:24.64
They don't procreate.
00:27:24.67\00:27:26.64
So in that sense, we're
quite different than the angels.
00:27:26.68\00:27:29.11
The angels are
also very intelligent.
00:27:29.14\00:27:31.11
They're powerful beings, but
one of the things that the devil
00:27:31.15\00:27:34.12
can't do--and I think that's why
he particularly hates mankind is
00:27:34.15\00:27:38.85
because we are able to create
in our image through children.
00:27:38.89\00:27:43.53
That's something
the angels can't do.
00:27:43.56\00:27:45.16
So that's something unique that
it seems God did for Adam and
00:27:45.19\00:27:48.56
Eve for this--for
humanity here on this earth.
00:27:48.60\00:27:50.73
Doug: And even aside from
the procreation part of it, God
00:27:50.77\00:27:53.40
created man to create.
00:27:53.44\00:27:54.87
He put them in a garden.
00:27:54.90\00:27:56.14
When He said to keep the garden,
and He gives them the world, God
00:27:56.17\00:27:59.37
wanted man to be creative with
what happened in the garden, and
00:27:59.41\00:28:03.11
maybe--you know, I always liked
to say, "Do you realize that
00:28:03.14\00:28:05.85
there were no bananas
in the garden of Eden?"
00:28:05.88\00:28:08.48
A banana is a hybrid of two
Asian fruits that are not that
00:28:08.52\00:28:11.32
exciting by themselves,
but you put them together,
00:28:11.35\00:28:13.79
and you make a wonder fruit.
00:28:13.82\00:28:15.36
And I think Adam and Eve were
probably going to be doing some
00:28:15.39\00:28:17.86
really creative things with
pollination and the creation to
00:28:17.89\00:28:22.46
make new things and shape
buildings out of training vines,
00:28:22.50\00:28:25.83
and it's all--and it's hard for
us to understand, but God made
00:28:25.87\00:28:28.57
man to be creative as God is.
00:28:28.60\00:28:30.74
Jean: That's good.
00:28:30.77\00:28:32.07
Doug: Train the
animals to do tricks.
00:28:32.11\00:28:33.41
Jean: That's right.
00:28:33.44\00:28:34.74
Doug: He had all
those animals, yeah.
00:28:34.78\00:28:36.38
Jean: All right, so we have a
couple questions that's coming.
00:28:36.41\00:28:38.15
These are great questions.
00:28:38.18\00:28:39.48
Brandon is asking, "Is
there a relationship between the
00:28:39.51\00:28:41.82
Sabbath and the millennium?
00:28:41.85\00:28:44.09
Does the week of Creation
00:28:44.12\00:28:45.62
represent a
7,000-year time line?
00:28:45.65\00:28:49.46
Doug: Yeah, well, now, we got
00:28:49.49\00:28:50.83
to be careful
when we mentioned this.
00:28:50.86\00:28:52.73
Personally, I believe
that there is a connection,
00:28:52.76\00:28:55.60
and this was the belief of
J. N. Andrews, Martin Luther,
00:28:55.63\00:29:02.20
Joseph Bates, a
lot of the founders,
00:29:02.24\00:29:06.21
E.G. White, that there's what
00:29:06.24\00:29:08.78
they call this
great millennial week
00:29:08.81\00:29:10.61
of time, where you have
approximately--and this is--I'm
00:29:10.65\00:29:13.95
very careful to say
"approximately" because you
00:29:13.98\00:29:15.72
can't use this to--you can't,
like, take Bishop Ussher's
00:29:15.75\00:29:18.69
chronology and say, "I'm going
00:29:18.72\00:29:20.09
to fix the day
for a second coming."
00:29:20.12\00:29:22.02
But you do see that there's this
epic where you have the age of
00:29:22.06\00:29:25.76
the patriarchs for 2,000 years,
from Adam to Abraham, then
00:29:25.79\00:29:30.23
you've got approximately 2,000
years from Abraham to Christ,
00:29:30.27\00:29:35.40
who's the second Adam, and
then you will probably have
00:29:35.44\00:29:38.84
approximately 2,000 years from
00:29:38.87\00:29:40.74
Christ's first
coming to the Second Coming.
00:29:40.78\00:29:43.55
We don't know when that is.
00:29:43.58\00:29:45.31
You know, it could be later.
00:29:45.35\00:29:46.82
You have all those parables that
say there seems to be a delay.
00:29:46.85\00:29:49.82
Doesn't say how long
that delay is but that
00:29:49.85\00:29:52.02
"While the bridegroom tarried."
00:29:52.05\00:29:54.66
Moses goes up the mountain,
and it says, "He tarries."
00:29:54.69\00:29:57.59
If that evil servant says,
"My Lord delays his coming."
00:29:57.63\00:30:00.13
And there's a lot of stories
00:30:00.16\00:30:01.46
that seem to think
it could be delayed.
00:30:01.50\00:30:02.90
Other places, it says He'll
cut it short in righteousness.
00:30:02.93\00:30:05.20
So we don't know what the time
is, but then it says that we
00:30:05.23\00:30:09.37
live and reign with
Christ for a thousand years.
00:30:09.40\00:30:12.21
So you do seem to see a pattern,
anyway, that there'll be this
00:30:12.24\00:30:16.38
millennial week, but don't take
that and try to then peg a date
00:30:16.41\00:30:19.28
for the Second Coming.
00:30:19.31\00:30:20.62
Jean: I know.
00:30:20.65\00:30:21.95
All right, well, that's a great
thought and needs study there.
00:30:21.98\00:30:24.72
Well, Pastor Doug, Tuesday, He's
talking about the Sabbath and
00:30:24.75\00:30:27.49
Creation, or in Creation, and,
of course, today, there's no
00:30:27.52\00:30:31.23
surprise that the seventh-day
00:30:31.26\00:30:32.76
Sabbath is
definitely under attack.
00:30:32.79\00:30:34.30
Doug: Yeah.
00:30:34.36\00:30:35.63
Jean: There's two
institutions that come to us
00:30:35.66\00:30:37.03
before sin ever
entered the world.
00:30:37.07\00:30:39.07
You've got the seventh-day
Sabbath or you've got marriage
00:30:39.10\00:30:41.30
first, and then you got
the seventh-day Sabbath.
00:30:41.34\00:30:43.67
Now, talking about the Sabbath
though, we've noticed that
00:30:43.71\00:30:45.91
there's even some
changes in the calendar.
00:30:45.94\00:30:48.84
They have what
they call the workweek.
00:30:48.88\00:30:51.28
And the workweek, the first day
of the week is on Monday, and
00:30:51.31\00:30:54.42
the last day of
the week is on Sunday.
00:30:54.45\00:30:56.95
Doug: These governments
that have changed calendars.
00:30:56.99\00:30:58.29
Jean: Governments that have
00:30:58.32\00:30:59.62
tried to change
the days of the week.
00:30:59.65\00:31:01.29
And then something
very interesting that you've
00:31:01.32\00:31:03.86
mentioned before, Pastor
Doug, and that is "The Papal
00:31:03.89\00:31:05.93
Encyclical" on climate change
and how it's been emphasized in
00:31:05.96\00:31:11.20
having a day of rest.
00:31:11.23\00:31:12.90
Doug: Yeah, and the Pope in
this 2015 encyclical, he made a
00:31:12.93\00:31:15.84
very subtle transition.
00:31:15.87\00:31:17.77
He talks about the importance
of the Jewish sabbath on the
00:31:17.81\00:31:20.58
seventh day, and then
he brings in the Eucharist,
00:31:20.61\00:31:23.45
which was Sunday.
00:31:23.48\00:31:25.65
And you'd be surprised how many
people, when I talked about the
00:31:25.68\00:31:28.22
Sabbath, say, "Oh, yeah, I
go to church every Sabbath."
00:31:28.25\00:31:30.65
So it's the seventh day.
00:31:30.69\00:31:32.02
Say, "Yeah, I go on the seventh
day, Sunday, seventh day."
00:31:32.05\00:31:34.36
And there's a lot
of confusion on that.
00:31:34.39\00:31:36.39
But you and I did a program
a little more than a week ago
00:31:36.42\00:31:39.49
where we said that, you know,
in the midst of this global
00:31:39.53\00:31:43.03
shutdown that we hope it's going
to be evaporating soon, that a
00:31:43.06\00:31:47.50
lot of people are saying,
00:31:47.54\00:31:49.27
"Maybe, look at
all the people resting.
00:31:49.30\00:31:51.64
The environment
is getting better.
00:31:51.67\00:31:53.17
It seems like the
air is a little cleaner.
00:31:53.21\00:31:54.78
People are, you
know, resting at home.
00:31:54.81\00:31:56.31
Water is cleaner.
Animals seem to be enjoying it.
00:31:56.34\00:31:59.75
Maybe we should start
remembering to keep a Sabbath
00:31:59.78\00:32:02.55
once a week for
the environment."
00:32:02.58\00:32:04.95
Others, churches are saying,
00:32:04.99\00:32:06.29
"We've been
neglecting the Sabbath.
00:32:06.32\00:32:07.66
We ought to start doing it."
00:32:07.69\00:32:09.02
And I could just--I think
we listed about 15 different
00:32:09.06\00:32:12.03
national sources that are
mentioning a Sabbath day in
00:32:12.06\00:32:16.40
connection with the shutdown,
so it is an interesting time.
00:32:16.43\00:32:20.30
Jean: And then, of course,
the next part of our lesson is
00:32:20.34\00:32:22.04
talking about Jesus and
the Sabbath, and we can always
00:32:22.07\00:32:24.17
follow the example
that Jesus gives us.
00:32:24.21\00:32:26.78
And in Mark chapter 2, verse
27, Jesus said, speaking of the
00:32:26.81\00:32:30.38
Sabbath, "The
Sabbath was made for man,
00:32:30.41\00:32:32.88
and not man for the Sabbath."
00:32:32.91\00:32:34.65
Well, of course, mankind was
00:32:34.68\00:32:36.02
made on the
sixth day of the week.
00:32:36.05\00:32:38.02
Adam and Eve were
created on Friday.
00:32:38.05\00:32:40.39
The first full day that Adam
and Eve had was a day of rest.
00:32:40.42\00:32:44.39
You know, it's interesting,
Pastor Doug, you see, God works
00:32:44.43\00:32:47.36
for six days, and then
He rests on the seventh day.
00:32:47.40\00:32:50.40
Adam and Eve are created on the
sixth day, the first full day
00:32:50.43\00:32:54.14
they rest, and
then they work for six.
00:32:54.17\00:32:56.57
So it's the reverse.
00:32:56.60\00:32:57.91
God worked for six,
He rests on the seventh.
00:32:57.94\00:33:00.08
Mankind rests for one day,
and then they work for six days.
00:33:00.11\00:33:03.58
And so the Sabbath is a
memorial of God's creative work.
00:33:03.61\00:33:07.15
It is a time for us to reflect
upon His goodness and a time for
00:33:07.18\00:33:10.35
us to interact with His
creation, time for us to
00:33:10.39\00:33:14.36
fellowship in
special communion with God.
00:33:14.39\00:33:17.79
Doug: Yeah, and so the
Sabbath because--and God says,
00:33:17.83\00:33:20.30
you know, "I gave the children
of Israel the Sabbath day.
00:33:20.33\00:33:23.33
It's a memorial or a sign unto
00:33:23.37\00:33:24.70
them that I'm the
Lord that made them."
00:33:24.73\00:33:26.77
He's a creator.
00:33:26.80\00:33:28.30
And this is also a
reminder that--what else did He
00:33:28.34\00:33:29.87
do to the Sabbath?
00:33:29.90\00:33:31.21
He sanctified it.
00:33:31.24\00:33:32.81
He says that it's also a
sign of His sanctifying power.
00:33:32.84\00:33:36.78
So everyone out there that needs
a new heart created in them or
00:33:36.81\00:33:39.91
if we need sanctification,
00:33:39.95\00:33:41.78
Sabbath is always
a reminder of that.
00:33:41.82\00:33:43.99
And one more thing, the Sabbath,
00:33:44.02\00:33:46.39
it's a reminder that
there were literal days.
00:33:46.42\00:33:48.36
When they go through the
wilderness, God rains bread down
00:33:48.39\00:33:51.03
from heaven six days a week, and
then there's none on the seventh
00:33:51.06\00:33:54.36
day, reminding them that these
were six literal 24-hour days,
00:33:54.36\00:33:59.73
otherwise, they would starve
00:33:59.77\00:34:01.14
if they went a
thousand years without bread.
00:34:01.17\00:34:03.00
Jean: And, of course, we also
know that the Sabbath was not
00:34:03.04\00:34:04.74
just made for the Jew.
00:34:04.77\00:34:06.14
It says there in Genesis chapter
2--well, Jesus actually referred
00:34:06.17\00:34:09.08
to it also in Mark chapter
2, the Sabbath is made for man.
00:34:09.11\00:34:12.48
Well, when it says, "man,"
it's talking about "mankind."
00:34:12.51\00:34:15.58
Adam and Eve were the very
first people that celebrated the
00:34:15.62\00:34:19.82
Sabbath, and they weren't Jews.
00:34:19.85\00:34:21.69
This is long before
the time of Abraham.
00:34:21.72\00:34:23.86
And when it says, "The
Sabbath day is made for man," or
00:34:23.89\00:34:25.79
mankind, that
means is for everyone.
00:34:25.83\00:34:27.60
Doesn't matter what your
nationality or what your family
00:34:27.66\00:34:30.27
connection might be.
00:34:30.30\00:34:31.63
And then we also find the
Sabbath an important theme, even
00:34:31.67\00:34:34.57
in the last book of the Bible.
00:34:34.60\00:34:36.30
In Revelation chapter 14, verse
7, you have the first angel's
00:34:36.34\00:34:40.04
message, Revelation 14:7,
"saying with a loud voice, 'Fear
00:34:40.08\00:34:43.88
God and give Him glory, for the
hour of His judgment has come,
00:34:43.91\00:34:46.88
and worship Him that made the
heavens, the earth, the sea, and
00:34:46.92\00:34:50.52
the springs of water.'"
00:34:50.55\00:34:51.89
So the last book of the Bible is
00:34:51.92\00:34:53.22
calling us back to
worship the Creator.
00:34:53.25\00:34:56.02
Doug: Yeah, and
it's not changed.
00:34:56.06\00:34:58.06
The word Jesus uses there in
Greek when he says, "The Sabbath
00:34:58.09\00:35:00.96
was made for man," is
"anthropos," from where we get
00:35:00.96\00:35:03.57
the word "anthropology."
00:35:03.60\00:35:04.97
It's the study of man.
00:35:05.00\00:35:06.53
And so it's
talking about mankind.
00:35:06.57\00:35:08.34
The Sabbath--Jesus do not need
00:35:08.37\00:35:11.37
rest any more or
less than other races.
00:35:11.41\00:35:13.98
I mean, the spiritual rest, the
worship, the sanctification, the
00:35:14.01\00:35:18.18
blessings, that's meant
for--universally, for everyone.
00:35:18.21\00:35:21.05
So it is in the middle of God's
law, the longest of the Ten
00:35:21.08\00:35:24.32
Commandments, and even in the
Ten Commandments, it points back
00:35:24.35\00:35:27.46
to Creation as its origin.
00:35:27.49\00:35:29.82
Jean: And then, specifically,
Pastor Doug, talking about the
00:35:29.86\00:35:32.29
Sabbath--you can find this
in Genesis chapter 2, verse
00:35:32.33\00:35:34.50
3--notice the three things
00:35:34.56\00:35:36.56
God does in the
creation of the Sabbath.
00:35:36.60\00:35:39.10
It says, "Then God
blessed the seventh day.
00:35:39.13\00:35:42.44
He sanctified the seventh day,
00:35:42.47\00:35:45.11
and He rested on
the seventh day."
00:35:45.14\00:35:47.61
What's the significance of those
00:35:47.64\00:35:48.98
three things that God
did to make the Sabbath?
00:35:49.01\00:35:52.75
Doug: Well, I always remember
hearing that this is something
00:35:52.78\00:35:57.45
that designates it as unique.
00:35:57.49\00:36:00.09
He doesn't--I mean, He calls the
days good when He creates, but
00:36:00.12\00:36:04.29
when He gets to
the Sabbath, God,
00:36:04.33\00:36:06.90
did He rest because He's tired?
00:36:06.93\00:36:09.33
The Bible says, "He
never slumbers or sleeps."
00:36:09.36\00:36:11.57
Jesus said, "My Father works
here, and too I work," meaning,
00:36:11.60\00:36:14.04
you know, God sustains
things, 24 hours a day,
00:36:14.07\00:36:16.34
seven days a week.
00:36:16.37\00:36:18.57
But the word "rest" there
is--it's basically when you
00:36:18.61\00:36:21.18
finish doing something,
you sit back, and you go,
00:36:21.21\00:36:23.58
"That's really neat, you know?"
00:36:23.61\00:36:25.11
And you revel in it.
00:36:25.15\00:36:26.82
You enjoy
something that you've made.
00:36:26.85\00:36:30.02
And so, you know, God wants
to revel in His creation of man.
00:36:30.05\00:36:34.96
He wants to rejoice in
His relationship with us.
00:36:34.99\00:36:38.93
It's kind of like a
parent rocking a baby.
00:36:38.96\00:36:42.06
They could be resting, but
they're really enjoying looking
00:36:42.10\00:36:44.43
down into that face.
00:36:44.47\00:36:46.47
And so He rested, He blessed
it, He set it aside as a day.
00:36:46.50\00:36:51.71
He Didn't bless it for Him.
00:36:51.74\00:36:53.71
He blessed to be
a blessing for us.
00:36:53.74\00:36:56.01
That's why it says God made man
first, then He makes the Sabbath
00:36:56.04\00:36:59.15
to be a blessing to man."
00:36:59.18\00:37:00.62
He doesn't make man to exist to
serve the Sabbath, which is what
00:37:00.65\00:37:03.42
was happening in Christ's day.
00:37:03.45\00:37:05.02
The Pharisees were acting like
00:37:05.05\00:37:06.52
the purpose of man
was to keep the Sabbath.
00:37:06.55\00:37:08.82
And they made all these man-made
rules about the Sabbath, and God
00:37:08.86\00:37:11.39
said, "No, no, God, made
man, and He made the Sabbath
00:37:11.43\00:37:14.66
to be a blessing to man.
00:37:14.73\00:37:16.03
It is a law, but we're
to be blessed in keeping it.
00:37:16.06\00:37:19.40
Jean: You know, what's also
interesting is that we find God
00:37:19.43\00:37:22.10
blessing the Sabbath, and
God also blesses marriage.
00:37:22.14\00:37:25.94
Now, of course, people today
wouldn't say that marriage was
00:37:25.97\00:37:28.48
just for the Jews or just for
one nation, but marriage is, of
00:37:28.51\00:37:32.11
course, for all mankind.
00:37:32.15\00:37:33.48
Well, the same word used to
bless mankind is also used to
00:37:33.52\00:37:38.22
bless the Sabbath.
00:37:38.25\00:37:39.69
Therefore, the Sabbath,
like marriage, is for everyone.
00:37:39.72\00:37:42.66
So, "sanctify," of course, means
"to set apart for a holy use."
00:37:42.69\00:37:46.80
Use the illustration of somebody
that's done something, and they
00:37:46.83\00:37:49.16
rest in satisfaction
of the work finished.
00:37:49.20\00:37:51.60
I think of it as an artist who
paints a beautiful picture when
00:37:51.63\00:37:54.94
everything's just perfect.
00:37:54.97\00:37:56.67
The last thing he does is
sign his name on the bottom.
00:37:56.71\00:37:59.47
So the Sabbath, God signs His
name on his creative work, and
00:37:59.51\00:38:03.45
it's a time for us to reflect
00:38:03.48\00:38:04.81
upon Him as the one
who made all things.
00:38:04.85\00:38:07.98
That brings us
to our next subject.
00:38:08.02\00:38:10.02
We need to move right along,
and a very important subject:
00:38:10.05\00:38:12.85
Creation and marriage.
00:38:12.89\00:38:14.79
Not only is the seventh-day
Sabbath under attack--you know,
00:38:14.82\00:38:17.76
this institution
that came before sin,
00:38:17.79\00:38:20.06
marriage is also under attack.
00:38:20.10\00:38:22.13
Doug: Yeah, and, you know,
you don't even know how to say
00:38:22.16\00:38:26.63
it because it's become so
omnipresent in our world today,
00:38:26.67\00:38:32.44
this attitude that people are
supposed to have about marriage
00:38:32.47\00:38:36.95
as sort of being, you know,
whatever you want it to be, and
00:38:36.98\00:38:40.25
even a person's gender.
00:38:40.28\00:38:44.72
I'm stumbling for words because
I just grew up in the day where,
00:38:44.75\00:38:49.06
you know, people said that
"Girls were sugar and spice and
00:38:49.09\00:38:51.93
everything nice, and boys were
dogs and snails and puppy dog
00:38:51.96\00:38:55.96
tails," and people just accepted
there was a difference, and we
00:38:56.00\00:38:59.27
would celebrate those
differences, and it goes all the
00:38:59.30\00:39:01.54
way back to Genesis that
God created them different with
00:39:01.57\00:39:04.54
different roles, and it's part
of His plan, and it is a good
00:39:04.57\00:39:07.38
thing, but now we're in a
culture where everybody sort of
00:39:07.41\00:39:10.95
begins--it's like we're being
bombarded by the culture, with
00:39:10.98\00:39:14.78
everything from the
styles to the attitudes and the
00:39:14.82\00:39:17.22
entertainment for people to
second-guess what their gender
00:39:17.25\00:39:20.42
is, where every chromosome
in your body really tells you
00:39:20.46\00:39:24.06
that--Genesis tells you that.
00:39:24.09\00:39:27.40
And so, yeah, it's just, if you
had said 25 years ago that the
00:39:27.46\00:39:32.83
day was coming where men would
be marrying men, and women would
00:39:32.87\00:39:38.14
be marrying women, and calling
it legitimate when it's so clear
00:39:38.17\00:39:42.21
from the Bible that men are
to marry women, and that's the
00:39:42.24\00:39:45.41
arrangement for procreation--I
mean, it's what you call--in our
00:39:45.45\00:39:49.48
Constitution,
they're called--certain
00:39:49.52\00:39:50.95
truths are self-evident.
00:39:50.99\00:39:52.72
It is a self-evident truth.
00:39:52.75\00:39:54.59
And I think you were saying
just before we went on the air,
00:39:54.62\00:39:57.33
you're talking
about marriage and, oh,
00:39:57.36\00:40:01.93
"Honor your
father and your mother."
00:40:01.96\00:40:03.26
Jean: That's right.
00:40:03.30\00:40:04.60
You've got the fifth
commandment, and you've got the
00:40:04.63\00:40:05.93
seventh commandment.
00:40:05.97\00:40:07.27
Of course, seventh commandment,
"Thou shalt not commit
00:40:07.30\00:40:09.00
adultery," and that commandment
has been left in the past, or
00:40:09.04\00:40:13.01
society, they don't pay
too much attention to that.
00:40:13.04\00:40:15.04
But the fifth commandment is
kind of interesting where God
00:40:15.08\00:40:17.55
says, "Honor your father and
your mother that your days might
00:40:17.58\00:40:21.42
be long upon the land which the
Lord thy God has given thee."
00:40:21.45\00:40:23.45
Well, if you're living in a home
with two fathers or two mothers,
00:40:23.49\00:40:29.52
how do you honor your father and
your mother if you're growing up
00:40:29.56\00:40:32.53
in that type of society?
00:40:32.56\00:40:33.96
So we see, once again, the
devil's attempt to not only
00:40:34.00\00:40:36.87
destroy the fourth commandment,
the Sabbath commandment, but
00:40:36.90\00:40:39.47
even the fifth commandment,
and, of course, even today,
00:40:39.50\00:40:42.77
it's looked down on.
00:40:42.80\00:40:44.11
Doug: Seventh commandment
and the tenth commandment, "You
00:40:44.14\00:40:46.04
shall not covet
your neighbor's spouse."
00:40:46.07\00:40:48.44
It says, "wife," there, and the
commandments were addressed to
00:40:48.48\00:40:50.91
the men, "Don't covet your
neighbor's wife," and so all
00:40:50.95\00:40:53.48
through the commandments,
there's this very clear
00:40:53.52\00:40:55.22
distinction that's given.
00:40:55.25\00:40:57.09
Jean: Right, and the devil
is trying to destroy that, so,
00:40:57.12\00:40:59.25
yeah, it's not a surprise
that we find society in shambles
00:40:59.29\00:41:03.09
today if you destroy the very
foundational unit of society,
00:41:03.12\00:41:07.30
which is the family, father,
mother, children, and you
00:41:07.30\00:41:10.77
reinterpret--first of all,
the children get to decide what
00:41:10.80\00:41:14.00
gender they want to
be, which is amazing to me.
00:41:14.04\00:41:16.44
Even before a child is in its
teen years, it gets to decide
00:41:16.47\00:41:19.91
"if I want to be a boy or
a girl," and then you get to
00:41:19.94\00:41:23.28
decide if you want to
marry a man or a woman--it's
00:41:23.31\00:41:26.72
just going against everything--
00:41:26.75\00:41:28.05
Doug: Or two men and two women.
00:41:28.08\00:41:29.38
Jean: That's right.
Doug: And God made one--
00:41:29.42\00:41:30.72
Jean: Going against everything.
00:41:30.75\00:41:32.05
Doug: He made
one Eve for one Adam.
00:41:32.09\00:41:33.39
Jean: Right.
00:41:33.42\00:41:34.72
Doug: And I think someone
asked Benjamin Franklin, one
00:41:34.76\00:41:37.29
time, they said, "You can't show
me a Scripture that says a man
00:41:37.33\00:41:39.66
can't have more than one wife."
00:41:39.69\00:41:41.56
And Franklin said, "No
man can serve two masters."
00:41:41.60\00:41:43.47
Jean: That's good.
00:41:43.50\00:41:44.80
Doug: So the original plan was
00:41:44.83\00:41:46.13
very clearly one man, one woman.
00:41:46.17\00:41:48.67
Jean: All right, we have a
question that's come in, and the
00:41:48.70\00:41:50.24
question is "Why didn't God
destroy Lucifer and his angels
00:41:50.27\00:41:54.94
as soon as they sinned?"
00:41:54.98\00:41:58.21
Doug: Yeah, well, if God
had done that--see, Lucifer was
00:41:58.25\00:42:01.65
casting terrible aspersions on
God's character, saying, "God is
00:42:01.68\00:42:04.39
cruel and
vindictive, and He's a tyrant,
00:42:04.42\00:42:06.82
and He's forcing
us to keep His laws."
00:42:06.86\00:42:08.92
And if God had vaporized Lucifer
right at that point, it would've
00:42:08.96\00:42:13.03
made Lucifer's
charges look valid.
00:42:13.06\00:42:16.43
And instead of the other
creatures serving God from love,
00:42:16.46\00:42:19.13
they would be
serving Him out of fear,
00:42:19.17\00:42:21.40
and that's not what God wanted.
00:42:21.44\00:42:23.57
And so Lucifer knew that.
He knew the character of God.
00:42:23.61\00:42:25.94
He knew that God was
long-suffering and patient.
00:42:25.97\00:42:28.88
And so God, He said, "I'm going
00:42:28.91\00:42:30.61
to have to let Lucifer
play out his government."
00:42:30.65\00:42:34.35
And when people here on earth
said they'd listen to the devil
00:42:34.38\00:42:37.42
instead of God, he used this
world as the staging ground to
00:42:37.45\00:42:41.82
play out his government,
and you can see what happened.
00:42:41.86\00:42:44.29
Jean: We have a
question from John,
00:42:44.33\00:42:45.63
relating to the
question of marriage.
00:42:45.66\00:42:46.96
He says, "When was
divorce introduced in the Bible,
00:42:47.00\00:42:50.13
and what is
God's counsel on that?"
00:42:50.17\00:42:53.13
Doug: Well, and this may be
a rhetorical question because
00:42:53.17\00:42:57.57
Jesus is very clear.
00:42:57.61\00:42:59.17
He said, In the beginning, God
made them male and female," so
00:42:59.21\00:43:01.98
God--Jesus endorses that they
00:43:02.01\00:43:04.01
were made male and
female from the beginning.
00:43:04.05\00:43:06.35
"A man is to leave his father
and mother and cleave unto his
00:43:06.38\00:43:08.58
wife, and the two
become one flesh."
00:43:08.62\00:43:10.92
And then Christ said that it was
because of the hardness of our
00:43:10.95\00:43:14.69
hearts that God allowed Moses
to have laws regarding divorce.
00:43:14.72\00:43:19.43
Now, Moses introduced several
laws that were not part of God's
00:43:19.46\00:43:22.53
will, just because of the
hardness of people's hearts.
00:43:22.56\00:43:25.60
The original diet
is given in Genesis.
00:43:25.63\00:43:27.97
Moses said in his writings that,
you know, there's a provision
00:43:28.00\00:43:30.44
made for eating certain clean
00:43:30.47\00:43:32.14
meats because of the
hardness of our arteries.
00:43:32.17\00:43:34.64
It wasn't God's original plan.
00:43:34.68\00:43:36.98
And Moses made laws
about slavery, not because God
00:43:37.01\00:43:41.08
endorsed slavery, but he wanted
to make sure, since people were
00:43:41.12\00:43:43.79
doing it in their stubbornness,
that slaves were not mistreated.
00:43:43.82\00:43:48.66
And people were abandoning their
wives, and God said, "Look, if
00:43:48.69\00:43:53.26
that's happening, these
need to be the criteria."
00:43:53.29\00:43:55.63
And so all of that was because
of the hardness of heart.
00:43:55.66\00:43:58.20
It was not His original plan.
00:43:58.23\00:43:59.53
Jean: Not His original purpose.
00:43:59.57\00:44:00.94
Well, that brings us then
to Thursday's lesson, which is
00:44:00.97\00:44:03.07
entitled "Creation,
the Fall, and the Cross."
00:44:03.10\00:44:05.34
Here we have good news in the
midst of, you know, the terrible
00:44:05.37\00:44:08.51
decisions made by Adam and Eve.
00:44:08.54\00:44:10.45
We find hope and encouragement.
00:44:10.48\00:44:12.18
Of course, in the very
beginning, Genesis chapter 1,
00:44:12.21\00:44:14.32
verse 31, it says, "Then God saw
everything that He had made, and
00:44:14.35\00:44:17.85
indeed it was very good."
00:44:17.89\00:44:20.76
So the Bible begins with
"very good," but then something
00:44:20.79\00:44:24.53
happens, and it becomes very
bad, and that, of course, is
00:44:24.56\00:44:27.86
Genesis chapter 3, where
we have the fall of mankind.
00:44:27.93\00:44:31.83
Doug: Yeah, the devil,
wanting to hide his true
00:44:31.87\00:44:35.80
intentions, he takes possession
00:44:35.84\00:44:38.07
of a very
beautiful hypnotic creature.
00:44:38.11\00:44:40.61
It says it was one of the more
subtle of all the creatures that
00:44:40.64\00:44:42.94
God had made, and it's probably
00:44:42.98\00:44:45.31
one of your favorite
creatures if I'm not mistaken.
00:44:45.35\00:44:48.35
Jean: That's why
I don't like snakes.
00:44:48.38\00:44:50.42
Doug: And through the medium
of the serpent, you know, he
00:44:50.45\00:44:54.56
deceived humanity into trusting
the word of the serpent instead
00:44:54.59\00:44:59.03
of the Word of God.
00:44:59.06\00:45:00.43
God had said, "Do not
eat it. You will die."
00:45:00.46\00:45:02.40
The devil said,
"You will not die."
00:45:02.43\00:45:03.73
They had to make a decision.
00:45:03.77\00:45:05.07
And, by the way, first question
00:45:05.10\00:45:06.40
in the Bible is
doubting God's Word.
00:45:06.43\00:45:08.67
The devil says, "Has God said?"
00:45:08.70\00:45:11.71
And with doubting God's Word and
not having faith in God's Word,
00:45:11.74\00:45:16.04
all the sin and misery
has come into our world.
00:45:16.08\00:45:18.51
The solution is to trust God's
Word, have faith in God's Word,
00:45:18.55\00:45:22.22
and that's where
we find salvation.
00:45:22.25\00:45:24.85
But, you know, and then I always
think it's interesting, in
00:45:24.89\00:45:28.22
Genesis, you've got man created
in the garden, and everything is
00:45:28.26\00:45:30.76
good and beautiful, and then
through sin, the paradise and
00:45:30.79\00:45:34.93
the tree of life is lost.
00:45:34.96\00:45:36.56
There's a
serpent, there's a woman.
00:45:36.60\00:45:38.40
You get to Revelation,
and you've got the woman,
00:45:38.43\00:45:40.50
you've got the serpent.
00:45:40.54\00:45:41.84
The last three chapters talk
about the destruction of the
00:45:41.87\00:45:43.94
serpent, the restoration of
paradise and the tree of life,
00:45:43.97\00:45:48.18
and it talks
about the great wedding.
00:45:48.21\00:45:50.51
There's a wedding in Genesis,
and you get the wedding supper
00:45:50.55\00:45:53.18
of the Lamb there in the
last chapters of Genesis.
00:45:53.21\00:45:55.32
So it's basically how to get
back to the garden is what you
00:45:55.35\00:45:58.55
find in the Bible
between Genesis Revelation.
00:45:58.59\00:46:01.16
Jean: Now, it's very
interesting, Pastor Doug.
00:46:01.19\00:46:02.96
In just a few minutes that
we have left here, you mentioned
00:46:02.99\00:46:04.83
earlier that the way marriage
occurred right in Genesis is God
00:46:04.86\00:46:09.56
caused a deep sleep to come upon
Adam, opened up his side, took
00:46:09.60\00:46:13.54
out a rib, and with the
rib, He made the bride of Adam,
00:46:13.57\00:46:18.44
of course, is Eve.
00:46:18.47\00:46:19.77
Now, there is a typology
there for Christ and the church.
00:46:19.81\00:46:22.98
Doug: Yeah, and it's
interesting that Adam is put to
00:46:23.01\00:46:26.35
sleep on the sixth day, which
is the day he's created, and you
00:46:26.38\00:46:31.22
could say his bride
comes from his side.
00:46:31.25\00:46:33.72
Well, you have Jesus, who on the
sixth day of the week, Friday,
00:46:33.76\00:46:37.36
He says, "It is
finished." He goes to sleep.
00:46:37.39\00:46:39.96
A Roman soldier
pierces His side.
00:46:40.00\00:46:41.73
From His side comes that flow of
water and blood, and the church
00:46:41.76\00:46:46.10
is born, you might
say, at that point.
00:46:46.13\00:46:48.50
Jean: Yeah, it's a beautiful
analogy, and, of course, you
00:46:48.54\00:46:50.57
spoke about the marriage
supper of the Lamb at the end.
00:46:50.61\00:46:52.64
Pastor Doug, a real quick
question here that's come in.
00:46:52.67\00:46:55.51
The question is "I've been
wondering why did Jesus have to
00:46:55.54\00:46:59.88
wait 4,000 years to come instead
00:46:59.91\00:47:03.22
of coming right
after Adam and Eve sinned?"
00:47:03.25\00:47:05.95
Doug: Well, Bible tells us,
in the fullness of time, the
00:47:05.99\00:47:09.96
conditions of the world really
needed to be ripe, and by the
00:47:09.99\00:47:13.29
time of Christ, you know, the
00:47:13.33\00:47:15.20
Romans were ruling
much of the civilized world.
00:47:15.23\00:47:17.20
They had a common language.
00:47:17.23\00:47:19.50
There was a road system for
the dispersion of the Gospel.
00:47:19.53\00:47:23.44
Humanity had also kind of
00:47:23.47\00:47:25.64
reached its lowest
dregs at that time.
00:47:25.67\00:47:28.08
There were more slaves in the
00:47:28.11\00:47:29.48
Roman Empire than
there were free people.
00:47:29.51\00:47:31.25
And so it was just the time
when the world was ripe for the
00:47:31.28\00:47:35.68
Messiah to come, and then
God needed to leave some time to
00:47:35.72\00:47:38.45
then spread that message.
00:47:38.49\00:47:40.12
So for the first 4,000
years they were saved by looking
00:47:40.16\00:47:43.02
forward to the cross in faith,
the sacrifice of the lambs.
00:47:43.06\00:47:46.73
Jesus comes.
00:47:46.76\00:47:48.03
John the Baptist says,
"This is the Lamb of God."
00:47:48.06\00:47:50.40
Now we're saved by looking back
to the cross, trusting in the
00:47:50.43\00:47:53.44
blood of the Lamb.
00:47:53.47\00:47:55.47
Jean: 1 Corinthians chapter
15, verse 45, says, "And so it
00:47:55.50\00:47:58.74
is written, the first
Adam became a living being.
00:47:58.77\00:48:02.54
The last Adam becomes
a life-giving spirit."
00:48:02.58\00:48:05.61
The first Adam would be
Adam, the one made there at the
00:48:05.65\00:48:08.28
beginning of time.
00:48:08.32\00:48:09.62
The last Adam would
be a reference to Jesus.
00:48:09.65\00:48:12.29
Through Christ,
we are recreated.
00:48:12.32\00:48:14.96
Through Christ,
we have eternal life.
00:48:14.99\00:48:17.23
Through Adam, because of his
sin, we have death, but through
00:48:17.26\00:48:20.30
Christ, we have life.
00:48:20.33\00:48:22.13
Doug: Amen, and, of course,
00:48:22.16\00:48:24.20
it's in Genesis we see
death came because of sin.
00:48:24.23\00:48:27.34
"The wages for sin are death,"
but the promise is "The gift of
00:48:27.37\00:48:30.64
God is eternal life."
00:48:30.67\00:48:32.84
Pastor Ross, in the few moments
we have before we go off the
00:48:32.87\00:48:35.21
air, if some joined us a little
late, maybe you could mention
00:48:35.24\00:48:37.55
our free offer for today.
00:48:37.58\00:48:38.91
Jean: Beautiful little book,
talking about the "Wonders of
00:48:38.95\00:48:41.85
Creation," and if
you'd like to receive this,
00:48:41.88\00:48:43.79
just ask for Offer Number 116.
00:48:43.82\00:48:46.25
The number is 866-788-3966, or
you can get a digital download
00:48:46.29\00:48:51.73
by texting the code
"SH142," to the number 40544.
00:48:51.76\00:48:58.47
male announcer:
Don't forget to request
00:49:00.27\00:49:01.57
today's life-
changing free resource.
00:49:01.60\00:49:03.84
Not only can you receive this
free gift in the mail, you can
00:49:03.87\00:49:06.21
download a digital copy straight
00:49:06.24\00:49:07.74
to your computer
or mobile device.
00:49:07.78\00:49:09.91
To get your digital copy of
today's free gift, simply text
00:49:09.94\00:49:13.21
the keyword on your screen to
40544, or visit the web address
00:49:13.25\00:49:17.99
shown on your screen,
and be sure to select the
00:49:18.02\00:49:20.89
digital-download
option on the request page.
00:49:20.92\00:49:23.49
It's now easier than ever
for you to study God's Word with
00:49:23.53\00:49:26.86
Amazing Facts wherever and
whenever you want and, most
00:49:26.90\00:49:30.40
important, to
share it with others.
00:49:30.43\00:49:32.60
announcer: Amazing
Facts changed lives.
00:49:37.47\00:49:40.44
¤¤¤
00:49:40.48\00:49:42.51
Diamond Garcia: Hi, my name
is Diamond Garcia, and I am from
00:49:45.65\00:49:47.68
the beautiful islands of Hawaii.
00:49:47.72\00:49:49.68
I was raised in a very
00:49:49.72\00:49:52.15
dysfunctional
family, like most families.
00:49:52.19\00:49:55.12
Being in that environment,
I would lie, cheat, steal, rob
00:49:55.16\00:49:58.86
houses, cheat in school and
tests, and lying to teachers and
00:49:58.89\00:50:03.33
getting into fights,
and all kinds of stuff.
00:50:03.37\00:50:07.14
One day, I was asked to take
this little box of something,
00:50:07.17\00:50:10.77
and I had to walk down the road
and give it to someone, and they
00:50:10.81\00:50:13.74
would give me money, and I would
walk back home, and I later
00:50:13.78\00:50:15.78
realized I was dealing drugs.
00:50:15.81\00:50:19.85
Growing up in that environment,
I thought that, you know, being
00:50:19.88\00:50:22.72
an adult was a life of drinking
and smoking and partying, and
00:50:22.75\00:50:25.79
that's just what adults did.
00:50:25.82\00:50:29.46
When I looked at my family
and saw the world that they were
00:50:29.49\00:50:32.03
going down, getting arrested,
getting beaten up, coming home
00:50:32.06\00:50:35.76
drunk and puking
all over the floor,
00:50:35.80\00:50:37.80
I just didn't
want that for myself.
00:50:37.83\00:50:41.64
Growing up, I had a grandma who
was baptized as a Christian in
00:50:41.67\00:50:45.07
her 20s, but then she wasn't
a real practicing Christian.
00:50:45.11\00:50:48.84
And so, one day, I was at her
house, and there was a box of
00:50:48.88\00:50:51.51
various books, and I went to the
bottom of that box and found a
00:50:51.55\00:50:54.82
book called "The Great
Controversy," and I picked it
00:50:54.85\00:50:57.62
up, and I said, "This is
interesting," and I opened to
00:50:57.65\00:51:00.82
the first page of that book, and
it said, "If thou hadst known--"
00:51:00.86\00:51:05.43
I had no clue what it meant.
And so I said, "You know what?
00:51:05.46\00:51:07.93
Forget this." I
put the book down.
00:51:07.96\00:51:10.03
I just walked
away. I did my thing.
00:51:10.07\00:51:11.93
But then something
told me, "You know,
00:51:11.97\00:51:13.47
Diamond, go back to that book."
00:51:13.50\00:51:15.44
And so I went back to the book,
picked it up, went to the last
00:51:15.47\00:51:18.71
two chapters, and I read it.
00:51:18.74\00:51:21.74
And I said to my grandmother, I
said, "What church is this from?
00:51:21.78\00:51:25.05
I want to go to that church."
00:51:25.08\00:51:26.45
So she brought me down to the
local church, and then I walk in
00:51:26.48\00:51:29.12
from the back door,
and the piano is off key,
00:51:29.15\00:51:31.99
people were off key.
00:51:32.02\00:51:33.39
It's like, "Man,
this is really kind of--
00:51:33.42\00:51:35.96
I don't want to be here."
00:51:35.99\00:51:38.53
And I got to the front of
the church, and I sat down.
00:51:38.56\00:51:40.40
I was listening to the
sermon and the whole service.
00:51:40.43\00:51:42.53
It was so boring to me.
00:51:42.56\00:51:44.33
But then someone gives me this
set of DVDs, and it was called
00:51:44.37\00:51:48.24
"The Prophecy Code."
00:51:48.27\00:51:51.17
It was through watching Doug
Batchelor explain the truths
00:51:51.21\00:51:54.31
found in the Bible that really
brought me to Christ and brought
00:51:54.34\00:51:57.31
me to realize
that, you know what?
00:51:57.35\00:51:58.98
There is a life
better than my family's life.
00:51:59.01\00:52:03.45
My second week at
church on Sabbath,
00:52:03.49\00:52:05.42
there was one person there.
00:52:05.45\00:52:07.49
He basically told me,
"Hey, Diamond, do you want
00:52:07.52\00:52:09.52
to make some money?"
00:52:09.56\00:52:10.86
And I said, "Sure." I
said, "What do you do?"
00:52:10.89\00:52:13.16
He says, "Well,
I'm a call porter.
00:52:13.19\00:52:14.93
We go door-to-door, and
we sell Christian books."
00:52:14.96\00:52:17.20
I said, "Oh, okay,
well, that sounds interesting.
00:52:17.23\00:52:20.34
I do want to
make some money too."
00:52:20.37\00:52:21.87
And so he said, "Okay, well,
why don't you come with me?"
00:52:21.90\00:52:24.84
We drove out to the
neighborhood, parked the car,
00:52:24.87\00:52:27.71
and that night,
it was just raining.
00:52:27.74\00:52:29.38
It was pouring and pouring.
00:52:29.41\00:52:30.81
It could not stop
raining. He prayed.
00:52:30.85\00:52:33.31
He said, "God, this
is Diamond's first night.
00:52:33.35\00:52:35.22
If it's your will, stop the rain
so we can go knocking on doors."
00:52:35.25\00:52:38.62
And as soon as he said,
"Amen," the rain just stopped.
00:52:38.65\00:52:41.49
I was just thinking in my head,
00:52:41.52\00:52:43.66
"Is this guy a
prophet, or what?"
00:52:43.69\00:52:45.19
I mean, he just prayed and
asked God, and it happened.
00:52:45.23\00:52:49.30
And so I was so happy.
00:52:49.33\00:52:51.30
I grabbed the books, and I went
to the first door, and the first
00:52:51.33\00:52:53.23
door I went to, the
person gave me 50 bucks.
00:52:53.27\00:52:56.24
That night was actually a
big night for me because it was
00:52:56.27\00:52:58.84
where I saw God's power work
in stopping the rain, and people
00:52:58.87\00:53:03.11
were actually
giving me lots of money.
00:53:03.14\00:53:05.31
I then became a call porter or
canvasser, and I'd save money to
00:53:05.35\00:53:08.05
pay for my way through academy,
and when my church began to see
00:53:08.08\00:53:12.32
how God was using me, they
immediately recognized that it
00:53:12.35\00:53:15.86
was God's Spirit moving, and
they put me, you know, preaching
00:53:15.89\00:53:18.59
and teaching,
and sharing my faith.
00:53:18.63\00:53:20.96
I've been engaged in ministry
for the past six to seven years
00:53:21.00\00:53:23.47
now, and God has taken me
all over the world on multiple
00:53:23.50\00:53:26.37
continents, sharing my testimony
how God has brought me out of
00:53:26.40\00:53:29.77
darkness into His marvelous
light, which is total contrast
00:53:29.80\00:53:33.58
as to how I was before and now.
00:53:33.61\00:53:35.14
You know, it's a total contrast.
00:53:35.18\00:53:38.35
My name is Diamond, and
00:53:38.38\00:53:39.81
Amazing Facts has
helped to change my life.
00:53:39.85\00:53:42.75
¤¤¤
00:53:44.95\00:53:46.76
¤¤¤
00:53:55.06\00:53:59.30
Doug: Among the people living
in the tropics for thousands of
00:54:03.14\00:54:05.57
years, the coconut has
been a virtual tree of life.
00:54:05.61\00:54:09.48
The people use it
for food, for clothing,
00:54:09.51\00:54:12.05
for water, for tools, for soap.
00:54:12.08\00:54:15.12
It does just about everything.
00:54:15.15\00:54:17.65
The coconut has also
saved a lot of lives.
00:54:17.69\00:54:21.66
During World War II, pilots that
were shot down or sailors that
00:54:21.69\00:54:25.03
were stranded on Pacific
Islands, they lived for many
00:54:25.06\00:54:27.50
months on nothing other than the
00:54:27.50\00:54:29.63
coconut trees that
were on their islands.
00:54:29.66\00:54:31.93
Yes, sir, the
coconut is a tree of life.
00:54:31.97\00:54:35.44
One of the amazing things about
the coconut is they're designed
00:54:35.47\00:54:38.27
so they're actually
able to float across oceans.
00:54:38.31\00:54:41.54
Coconuts can go thousands
of miles after many months, be
00:54:41.58\00:54:44.61
washed up on some deserted,
sandy beach, then they take
00:54:44.65\00:54:49.35
root, sprout, come to life,
and they'll develop a whole new
00:54:49.38\00:54:53.29
ecosystem, holding islands
in place through a hurricane.
00:54:53.32\00:54:56.99
When the ancient Polynesian
travelers crossing oceans saw an
00:54:57.03\00:55:00.66
island with coconut
trees, they knew there was hope.
00:55:00.70\00:55:03.93
It's amazing how, in virtually
no time at all, those living on
00:55:03.97\00:55:07.27
Pacific Islands know how to make
baskets and all kinds of tools
00:55:07.30\00:55:11.27
from the leaves
of the coconut tree.
00:55:11.31\00:55:13.88
¤¤¤
00:55:13.91\00:55:15.24
Doug: The coconuts even serve
different purposes at different
00:55:16.14\00:55:18.35
times in their development.
00:55:18.38\00:55:20.05
The younger green coconut,
they're full of water, and
00:55:20.08\00:55:22.42
that'll keep you alive.
00:55:22.45\00:55:24.25
Mm, You can even make
your utensils from the coconut.
00:55:24.29\00:55:28.49
My spoon is part of
the green shell, and here,
00:55:28.52\00:55:33.13
this is the coconut jelly.
00:55:33.16\00:55:34.93
Makes good for breakfast.
00:55:34.93\00:55:36.70
¤¤¤
00:55:37.20\00:55:38.53
Doug: The more mature
coconuts, that's where you get
00:55:38.93\00:55:40.67
the meat, but you want to make
sure that they're not bad, and
00:55:40.70\00:55:43.27
the way you test this is
you can hear the water inside.
00:55:43.30\00:55:45.97
Hey, bring that mic over here.
00:55:46.01\00:55:48.54
Can you hear it?
That's a good one.
00:55:48.58\00:55:50.88
How about we take a bite?
00:55:50.91\00:55:52.55
Now, that makes a meal that
will really fill you up, and it
00:55:52.58\00:55:55.05
cleans your
teeth at the same time.
00:55:55.08\00:55:59.65
Throughout the Bible, Jesus uses
a number of metaphors to remind
00:55:59.69\00:56:03.12
us that everything we
need to survive comes from Him.
00:56:03.16\00:56:06.29
He says that
He's the living water.
00:56:06.33\00:56:08.40
Jesus tells us He
is the bread of life.
00:56:08.43\00:56:10.97
His robe covers us
with righteousness.
00:56:11.00\00:56:13.80
He is our good
shepherd that protects us.
00:56:13.84\00:56:16.34
Jesus is the living vine through
00:56:16.37\00:56:18.04
which we get our
life and our nourishment.
00:56:18.07\00:56:20.64
You might say Jesus is like the
coconut tree, a tree of life.
00:56:20.68\00:56:25.05
You know, the first few verses
in the Bible tell that God
00:56:25.08\00:56:27.85
provided a tree of life for man
so he could live forever, but
00:56:27.88\00:56:31.52
because of sin, man was
separated from that tree and
00:56:31.55\00:56:34.09
from the garden, but through
trusting in Jesus and trusting
00:56:34.12\00:56:37.23
in His sacrifice on the cross,
we once again will have access
00:56:37.26\00:56:40.70
to the tree of life and have
00:56:40.73\00:56:42.43
eternal life with
Him in the kingdom.
00:56:42.46\00:56:44.53
But this is all made possible
because we trust in Jesus, who
00:56:44.57\00:56:47.67
is the real tree of life.
00:56:47.70\00:56:49.64
Jesus said, "Unless you eat
My flesh and drink My blood,
00:56:49.67\00:56:52.14
you have no life in you."
00:56:52.17\00:56:53.71
But when we accept Christ as our
sacrifice and we allow Him to
00:56:53.74\00:56:56.91
cleanse us and fill us with His
Spirit, we become new creatures,
00:56:56.95\00:57:00.22
and we can be with Him in
sharing the gift of everlasting
00:57:00.25\00:57:02.85
life with others.
00:57:02.88\00:57:04.89
Matter of fact, we could do that
right now by tossing a coconut
00:57:04.92\00:57:07.46
out and praying that it
lands on a deserted beach.
00:57:07.49\00:57:10.26
¤¤¤
00:57:10.83\00:57:17.93
¤¤¤
00:57:25.57\00:57:27.41
announcer: Can't get enough
Amazing Facts Bible study?
00:57:29.38\00:57:32.21
You don't have to wait
until next week to enjoy more
00:57:32.25\00:57:35.15
truth-filled programming.
00:57:35.18\00:57:37.25
Watch "Amazing Facts Television"
by visiting AFTV.org.
00:57:37.29\00:57:43.02
At AFTV.org, you can view
"Amazing Facts" programming 24
00:57:43.06\00:57:47.93
hours a day, seven days a week,
00:57:47.96\00:57:49.90
right from your
computer or mobile device.
00:57:49.93\00:57:52.63
Why wait a week?
00:57:52.67\00:57:53.97
Visit AFTV.org. It's that easy.
00:57:54.00\00:57:57.97
¤¤¤
00:58:01.18\00:58:08.82
¤¤¤
00:58:13.89\00:58:19.63
¤¤¤
00:58:21.33\00:58:28.40