Hello and welcome to the 3ABN Sabbath School Panel. 00:00:30.96\00:00:33.76 Man, what a delight, what a privilege to be able to 00:00:33.80\00:00:36.33 come into your home and study the word of God together! 00:00:36.36\00:00:38.97 You know, it's just exciting, as soon as someone says 00:00:39.00\00:00:40.87 "study the word of God," and all of a sudden I 00:00:40.90\00:00:42.24 started getting a little bit excited. 00:00:42.27\00:00:43.61 I know the panel is excited about it. 00:00:43.64\00:00:45.44 We've been so excited about this quarter about 00:00:45.47\00:00:49.11 the study of Revelation. 00:00:49.14\00:00:50.81 We've covered an awful lot of things and God has been 00:00:50.88\00:00:52.88 very good to reveal and I pray 00:00:52.91\00:00:55.52 it's been a blessing to you folks. 00:00:55.55\00:00:57.32 My name is Kenny Shelton, by the way and if you don't have 00:00:57.35\00:01:01.49 the Quarterly, I always encourage you to please 00:01:01.52\00:01:03.93 get one - please get one. 00:01:03.96\00:01:05.56 It's been noted many times, you can go to the nearest 00:01:05.59\00:01:07.40 church and get one. 00:01:07.50\00:01:08.86 They are more than happy and they always carry a few extra, 00:01:08.90\00:01:11.20 so that you can have it so you can study along with us, 00:01:11.23\00:01:13.23 take notes and so on and so forth. 00:01:13.30\00:01:14.97 If you don't have one, you can simply download it at: 00:01:15.00\00:01:17.07 ABSG.Adventist.org 00:01:17.11\00:01:20.14 and you can get these free, so please get your study guide. 00:01:20.18\00:01:23.61 We want you to study with us. 00:01:23.65\00:01:24.98 We appreciate you so much coming together 00:01:25.01\00:01:27.48 to study with us. 00:01:27.52\00:01:28.85 I'd like to, right now, talk about our lesson... 00:01:28.88\00:01:31.49 get ready for it because we're going to be talking about: 00:01:31.52\00:01:33.12 "The Seven Last Plagues" 00:01:33.15\00:01:36.42 That is a big subject and it is scary to a lot of folks. 00:01:36.46\00:01:42.10 And I approach it, many times, with a little bit of 00:01:42.13\00:01:44.23 apprehension but I know God is in charge, so it's alright. 00:01:44.27\00:01:47.17 We will go on and introduce our Sabbath School Panel. 00:01:47.20\00:01:48.70 I want to praise God for our sister Jill Morikone. 00:01:48.74\00:01:50.54 Always glad to have you. 00:01:50.57\00:01:51.97 A privilege to be here, I'm excited about this study. 00:01:52.01\00:01:54.21 And who do you have next to you, is that sister Shelley Quinn? 00:01:54.24\00:01:56.54 Yes and I love the word of God and this is just exciting 00:01:56.58\00:01:59.31 to be learning from each and every one of you. That's right! 00:01:59.35\00:02:02.15 And then we have Pastor John Lomacang, a pleasure. 00:02:02.88\00:02:04.99 Always a blessing to be able to open God's word, 00:02:05.02\00:02:06.96 especially this Book! Amen! Amen! 00:02:06.99\00:02:09.52 And you have next to you Brother Ryan Day. 00:02:09.56\00:02:11.83 Amen, I'm here and I'm ready to study! 00:02:11.86\00:02:13.70 Yeah, I know you are and I mentioned before 00:02:13.73\00:02:15.43 you come in singing and praise God for that! 00:02:15.46\00:02:17.97 Well praise God, we're going to get you right in to it, 00:02:18.00\00:02:20.20 and before our lesson, I'm going to have prayer. 00:02:20.24\00:02:21.57 The importance of prayer, I'm going to ask 00:02:21.60\00:02:23.51 Pastor John if he will have it for us. 00:02:23.57\00:02:25.37 Pastor Lomacang, pray for us please. 00:02:25.41\00:02:27.24 Loving Father in Heaven... This is Your Book, the Revelation 00:02:27.28\00:02:30.51 of Your character, of Your message, of Your end-time 00:02:30.55\00:02:34.18 people, of the plan of salvation and we do pray that today, Lord. 00:02:34.22\00:02:37.05 We rely on Your Holy Spirit to take the notes that we 00:02:37.89\00:02:40.99 have jotted down under Your direction and cause them 00:02:41.02\00:02:44.63 to find fertile soil in the hearts and minds of those 00:02:44.66\00:02:47.56 watching and listening to the program. 00:02:47.60\00:02:50.10 And may the message not obscure the Person of Christ; 00:02:50.13\00:02:54.37 may You be uplifted and honored and glorified through our lives, 00:02:54.40\00:02:58.51 we ask in Jesus name... Amen, Amen! Praise the Lord! 00:02:58.54\00:03:01.84 We'll go right in just kinda for a little overview 00:03:02.68\00:03:04.81 of the Sabbath's lesson, but our memory text, 00:03:04.85\00:03:07.22 I think is amazing - it's a good foundation for us there 00:03:07.25\00:03:10.89 and found in Revelation 15:4, do you have that sister Jill? 00:03:10.92\00:03:15.79 I do... Would you like to read that please? 00:03:15.82\00:03:17.16 "Who shall not fear You, O Lord and glorify Your name? 00:03:17.23\00:03:20.30 For You alone are holy. 00:03:20.33\00:03:22.06 For all nations shall come and worship before You, 00:03:22.10\00:03:24.60 for Your judgments have been manifested." 00:03:24.63\00:03:27.30 Amen, praise the Lord! 00:03:27.34\00:03:28.67 "Who shall not fear You, O Lord and glorify Your name?" 00:03:28.70\00:03:32.74 Man, what a day we live in, we need to fear God, 00:03:32.77\00:03:35.18 give Him reverence and respect and certainly 00:03:35.21\00:03:37.35 glorify His name and we pray these lessons 00:03:37.41\00:03:39.98 will glorify His name. 00:03:40.02\00:03:41.72 Just quickly, Revelation 15:1, John said... and just 00:03:41.75\00:03:45.12 kind of condense it down a little bit. 00:03:45.15\00:03:46.49 John just simply said he saw seven angels and they had 00:03:46.52\00:03:49.36 seven last plagues in them 00:03:49.39\00:03:50.83 it's filled up the wrath of God. 00:03:50.89\00:03:52.56 So it's all going to be studied as we go down the line here 00:03:52.59\00:03:55.70 with each one who is on the panel. 00:03:55.73\00:03:57.43 But before that, it's interesting in Revelation 00:03:57.50\00:04:00.47 15:1-4, we get a glimpse of God's people. 00:04:00.54\00:04:04.97 We hear an awful lot of stuff going on but praise God, 00:04:05.01\00:04:08.14 He always gives us a glimpse of the faithful. 00:04:08.18\00:04:10.88 You know, I'm going to just kind of go over that 00:04:10.95\00:04:13.28 real quickly and you get your Bible and please read it. 00:04:13.31\00:04:16.48 It describes God's victorious people - that's good, 00:04:16.52\00:04:19.89 who had gotten the victory over the beast and certainly 00:04:19.92\00:04:22.76 the image and the mark and the number and so on, 00:04:22.79\00:04:25.99 which we'll go in through or have been going through. 00:04:26.03\00:04:28.30 So we hopefully will understand all these things, 00:04:28.33\00:04:30.53 but these are the folks that have gotten that victory 00:04:30.57\00:04:33.20 and they're singing the song of Moses. 00:04:33.23\00:04:37.17 Do you like that and that's a new song, isn't it? Amen! 00:04:37.21\00:04:40.08 The 144,000 is the only ones that will be able to 00:04:40.14\00:04:42.14 learn that song, so we can't really rehearse it right now, 00:04:42.18\00:04:45.35 but we just need to be preparing for that that we 00:04:45.38\00:04:47.28 can be a part of that. 00:04:47.32\00:04:48.65 And so we see the saints, they're standing on the sea 00:04:48.68\00:04:51.62 of glass - praise God for that! 00:04:51.65\00:04:53.96 God's people will (quickly) go through the time of trouble. 00:04:54.02\00:04:58.19 Probation will have closed and there will be no mediator. 00:04:58.23\00:05:02.03 They'll be no priests. 00:05:02.06\00:05:03.77 They'll be a people who have been perfected, 00:05:03.80\00:05:05.90 and their character has been perfected 00:05:05.93\00:05:07.27 to be the image of Jesus. 00:05:07.34\00:05:09.40 And, you know, we need to strive for that, should we not? 00:05:09.44\00:05:12.54 We should be striving to be in the image of Jesus Christ. 00:05:12.57\00:05:15.44 They are referred to, in Revelation, as the 144,000, 00:05:15.48\00:05:20.02 Revelation 14:1-5. 00:05:20.05\00:05:21.92 Sunday's lesson, as we move right along... 00:05:21.95\00:05:25.19 It says: "The Meaning of the Seven Last Plagues." 00:05:25.22\00:05:27.29 I looked at it and I said, "The meaning, that's kind of 00:05:27.36\00:05:29.62 interesting," I like to think about the events, 00:05:29.66\00:05:31.86 and can I say "cause." 00:05:31.89\00:05:34.40 ... The events, causes and meanings. 00:05:37.03\00:05:39.07 And so, let's go over just a few of these 00:05:39.10\00:05:41.30 as the panel discusses more on this and I'm not going 00:05:41.34\00:05:44.07 to get in to what they are talking about. 00:05:44.11\00:05:45.77 But I thought it would be interesting if we went in 00:05:45.81\00:05:48.01 chronological order of the events that took place 00:05:48.04\00:05:51.91 from the ascension of Christ because we need to know 00:05:51.95\00:05:55.65 where and to trace it right on down so we know 00:05:55.68\00:05:58.32 that this is going to take place. 00:05:58.35\00:06:00.52 I found 11 things and just jot them down if you will: 00:06:00.59\00:06:03.76 #1... Keep in mind from the time Christ ascended 00:06:03.79\00:06:09.46 back to heaven until 1844, Jesus ministered what? 00:06:09.50\00:06:15.37 He ministers His own blood in the apartment 00:06:15.40\00:06:18.81 of the heavenly sanctuary. That's right. 00:06:18.84\00:06:20.58 And how beautiful that is when you think about that. 00:06:20.61\00:06:22.88 Hebrews 9:12, just quickly, says... "It's by His own blood." 00:06:22.91\00:06:27.45 And He only entered once because that's all He had to do, 00:06:27.52\00:06:30.19 praise God for that. 00:06:30.22\00:06:31.62 #2... In 1844, at the close of the 2,300 days of Daniel 8:14, 00:06:31.65\00:06:38.53 Christ entered, we know, into the what? The most holy place. 00:06:38.56\00:06:44.03 Notice this... To do what? A cleansing of the sanctuary 00:06:44.07\00:06:47.87 to get rid of sin. Praise God for that and then also 00:06:47.90\00:06:51.81 to do what? To proclaim really Revelation 14:7, for the hour 00:06:51.84\00:06:55.48 of His judgment is come. 00:06:55.51\00:06:58.55 #3... We also say, at this point in time, the "Investigative 00:06:58.58\00:07:03.95 Judgment" - also judgment began and it began before the 00:07:04.02\00:07:08.22 throne room of God. Notice this, and it began at the what? 00:07:08.26\00:07:13.09 At the house of God, 1 Peter 4:17 isn't it. 00:07:13.13\00:07:17.57 It began at the house of God, so again, we're just tracing 00:07:17.60\00:07:20.24 the events that is leading up to 00:07:20.27\00:07:21.70 the pouring out, why did God do it? 00:07:21.74\00:07:23.10 Why these main events? What's going on here? 00:07:23.14\00:07:26.47 #4... The judgment work then continues until the 00:07:26.51\00:07:29.74 sealing angel returns from the earth and his job is done. 00:07:29.78\00:07:34.62 Think about it... and we read that also in Ezekiel 9:11, 00:07:34.65\00:07:39.15 we talk about the man that comes clothed in linen and what 00:07:39.19\00:07:43.56 did he say? He said, "It's done, it's finished. I have done 00:07:43.63\00:07:47.10 what Thou has commanded me." That's right. Amen. 00:07:47.13\00:07:50.53 And that's going to happen again - think about it. 00:07:50.57\00:07:52.33 "I've done what Thou has commanded me to do." 00:07:52.37\00:07:55.14 Then what happens? So he goes to Jesus, 00:07:55.17\00:07:57.47 "I've done what You've asked me to do," and we're talking 00:07:57.51\00:07:59.84 about what? The sealing of God's people. 00:07:59.87\00:08:03.51 Done it all, they're sealed. 00:08:03.58\00:08:04.91 Okay, now what does Jesus do? 00:08:04.95\00:08:06.45 #5... Then Christ rises from the judgment throne... 00:08:06.48\00:08:11.62 and basically it says, once again, what His work is. 00:08:11.65\00:08:14.52 His work is finished! His work is done, Revelation 00:08:14.56\00:08:18.99 22:11 just simply said, "He that is unjust will be 00:08:19.03\00:08:23.97 unjust still; he that is holy will be holy still." 00:08:24.00\00:08:26.40 So that simply means probation closed; Jesus' work is done 00:08:26.43\00:08:29.07 in the sanctuary, so He stands up... something still is 00:08:29.10\00:08:32.24 getting ready to happen. 00:08:32.27\00:08:33.61 #6... I like this... every man, woman and child has had 00:08:33.68\00:08:38.91 the opportunity to hear the gospel. That's right. 00:08:38.95\00:08:42.72 They've had an opportunity to make a choice, 00:08:42.75\00:08:44.82 to make a decision for Jesus Christ or against Him... 00:08:44.85\00:08:48.76 notice - accept it and you receive the seal 00:08:48.79\00:08:51.36 of the living God; you reject it, you receive the mark 00:08:51.39\00:08:54.73 of the beast or the enemy. 00:08:54.76\00:08:57.60 #7... Christ then stands up, He has something in His hand. 00:08:57.63\00:09:02.70 Do you remember what it was He had in His hand? 00:09:02.74\00:09:04.14 He had a censer, didn't He? 00:09:04.17\00:09:05.97 And He said, He cast that censer down to the earth, 00:09:06.01\00:09:09.34 do you remember that. It had fire in it! 00:09:09.38\00:09:12.08 And so what did he do? He laid aside He priestly 00:09:12.11\00:09:14.75 robes and He passes from the temple and His work is finished. 00:09:14.78\00:09:19.45 Revelation 15:8... you've read it many times - talk about 00:09:19.49\00:09:23.66 smoke does what? Smoke fills the temple 00:09:23.69\00:09:26.16 signifying that His work is done. 00:09:26.19\00:09:28.03 #8... Before Jesus leaves the temple... remember, 00:09:28.06\00:09:32.97 keep this in mind... before He leaves the temple, 00:09:33.00\00:09:34.67 He has already stood up, He said, "Okay, it's done," 00:09:34.70\00:09:36.07 but before He leaves the temple, we realize in Revelation 15:1 00:09:36.10\00:09:39.91 and so on, the seven angels are seen standing where? 00:09:39.94\00:09:43.38 Standing before the altar and they're given the seven vials 00:09:43.45\00:09:48.28 unmingled, right? with the mercy, but no mercy there. 00:09:48.32\00:09:53.59 Unmingled, wrath of God. That almost seems foreign 00:09:53.66\00:09:58.19 in my thinking - the way I was raised and taught; you know, 00:09:58.23\00:10:01.76 the wrath of God - I see Him as love. 00:10:01.80\00:10:05.03 Could this be the justice of God? Absolutely! Yes. 00:10:05.07\00:10:08.20 Could this possibly be just God giving back what man 00:10:08.24\00:10:12.44 has asked for? 00:10:12.47\00:10:14.81 Is it possible if a person is lost, it's not because 00:10:14.84\00:10:17.68 the pastor did it or somebody else did it? 00:10:17.71\00:10:19.81 Because we made those decisions. 00:10:19.85\00:10:22.62 We chose to make those decisions. 00:10:22.65\00:10:24.39 We chose which side that we were going to certainly be on. 00:10:24.42\00:10:27.79 Now notice that in Revelation 15:1, we were talking about 00:10:27.82\00:10:30.93 unmingled wrath of God and it starts out... "And I saw 00:10:30.96\00:10:35.00 (notice this) another sign in heaven..." I saw another 00:10:35.03\00:10:39.63 sign - you say, "Another sign?" 00:10:39.67\00:10:41.00 He said, I saw another "indicator" in heaven. 00:10:41.04\00:10:44.87 I saw another "wonder" in heaven. 00:10:44.91\00:10:48.88 When Christ steps out... I hadn't really thought 00:10:48.91\00:10:51.28 about this - maybe some of you have often thought about it. 00:10:51.31\00:10:53.68 I hadn't really thought about it until I studied this lesson. 00:10:53.75\00:10:55.62 This is always good because we can learn. Amen! 00:10:55.65\00:10:57.85 It's always onward and upward, and learning and I learn 00:10:57.89\00:11:00.86 from the panel every time and I try to listen by the grace 00:11:00.89\00:11:03.32 of God and drink it in. 00:11:03.36\00:11:05.23 We pray that you're listening and you're taking notes, 00:11:05.26\00:11:07.30 and you're learning along with us here... 00:11:07.30\00:11:09.26 That when Christ stands up and He leaves the temple, 00:11:09.30\00:11:12.70 who remains? God! God remains. 00:11:12.73\00:11:17.81 God is still in control. God remains in the temple. 00:11:17.84\00:11:21.21 It's kind of interesting because if you think about it, 00:11:21.24\00:11:24.25 I read somewhere one time, it said, "The thresholds move, 00:11:25.68\00:11:29.25 they move (right?) at the voice at the voice of Him that cried 00:11:29.28\00:11:33.76 and the house was filled with smoke." 00:11:33.82\00:11:36.12 The power of Jesus getting up saying, "It's finished," 00:11:37.19\00:11:41.16 and He's moving out but as He moved out because there's still 00:11:41.20\00:11:44.97 a work to be done, God is still there. 00:11:45.00\00:11:47.27 God is still in control. 00:11:47.30\00:11:49.40 And you notice there that what happens with it... 00:11:49.44\00:11:51.87 that it says that smoke fills the temple. 00:11:51.91\00:11:57.11 No man is able to what? 00:11:57.18\00:11:58.91 No man is able to enter in because there's no 00:11:58.95\00:12:02.52 Mediator there. 00:12:02.55\00:12:03.89 No one else will ever come to Christ again. 00:12:03.92\00:12:07.72 Probation has ended for the world. 00:12:07.76\00:12:10.96 That brings tears to your eyes. 00:12:10.99\00:12:12.63 It hurts your heart to think about the time will come. 00:12:12.66\00:12:15.63 And that's why we don't want that time to come without 00:12:16.77\00:12:18.47 you, at home, making the decision because you have to 00:12:18.50\00:12:21.57 make it now because it's going to end a lot sooner 00:12:21.60\00:12:24.51 than maybe many of us even know or understand 00:12:24.54\00:12:26.44 or even believe. 00:12:26.47\00:12:28.38 The power of God was so strong still in the temple 00:12:28.41\00:12:31.75 that it was talked about in Exodus (was it 40) 00:12:31.78\00:12:34.58 where there was a cloud, the presence of God, 00:12:34.62\00:12:37.49 and it shook because He is all powerful. 00:12:37.55\00:12:41.06 So when God speaks, mountains will shake and quiver. Right? 00:12:41.09\00:12:45.29 In the temple when He moved around, it shook 00:12:45.33\00:12:48.50 and it quivered; the threshold it talks about here, moved. 00:12:48.53\00:12:51.87 Now we're thinking about, that's in Exodus 40:34-35, 00:12:51.90\00:12:57.54 you can read about that. 00:12:57.57\00:12:59.51 #11... The last point here is kind of interesting. 00:12:59.54\00:13:02.48 You have the seven angels; they're now waiting for the 00:13:02.51\00:13:06.35 command of Jesus. 00:13:06.38\00:13:07.72 So you have the seven angels; they're waiting... 00:13:07.75\00:13:09.75 They're not going to go... "Well I feel like I need to go" 00:13:09.78\00:13:12.22 like sometimes we do; we're not waiting upon God. 00:13:12.25\00:13:14.56 We just feel like we need to. 00:13:14.59\00:13:16.06 They're waiting for the command of Jesus to 00:13:16.09\00:13:19.09 pour out their vials upon the earth. 00:13:19.13\00:13:23.10 That would be the closing work in the earth, 00:13:23.13\00:13:27.04 and think about it and something big is about to happen. 00:13:27.10\00:13:30.77 Seven plagues are getting ready to be poured out, 00:13:30.81\00:13:36.58 what a time that will be. 00:13:36.61\00:13:38.75 And also, I think of that song, "What a Day That Will Be 00:13:38.78\00:13:41.48 When My Jesus I Shall See." 00:13:41.52\00:13:44.85 Keep this in mind as we study the closing work of earth 00:13:44.89\00:13:48.19 is about to begin in the pouring out of the seven last plagues. 00:13:48.22\00:13:58.07 Sister Jill... Pastor Kenny, thank you so much 00:13:58.10\00:14:01.07 for that; I love the chronology and the way that you 00:14:01.10\00:14:04.41 laid that out - I'm going to go back and study that again. 00:14:04.44\00:14:06.98 And thank you for your heart, you know... I mean that's what 00:14:07.01\00:14:10.15 when we look at this in the seven last plagues, 00:14:10.18\00:14:13.11 you're right - it can be heavy and you think, "This is kind of 00:14:13.15\00:14:16.35 the fulfillment, you know, in Revelation 14:9, 00:14:16.38\00:14:18.69 the "Third Angel's Message," and those who worship the 00:14:18.72\00:14:22.42 beast and his image, it says what they'll receive 00:14:22.46\00:14:24.46 that wrath of God and we see this wrath, as it were, 00:14:24.49\00:14:27.60 being poured out here in Revelation 16 with the 00:14:27.66\00:14:31.63 seven last plagues. 00:14:31.67\00:14:33.30 Verse 1, I have actually the first five plagues, 00:14:33.34\00:14:36.87 so we're going to move very quickly through them, 00:14:36.91\00:14:38.81 and everyone else will take the other ones slower, 00:14:38.84\00:14:42.08 but mine are quick! 00:14:42.11\00:14:43.81 Revelation 16:1... "I heard a loud voice from the temple 00:14:43.85\00:14:47.02 saying to the seven angels, "Go and pour out the bowls 00:14:47.08\00:14:51.42 of the wrath of God on the earth." 00:14:51.45\00:14:54.52 Now remember a few lessons ago we studied the seven trumpets. 00:14:54.56\00:14:58.06 The seven trumpets are God's judgments 00:14:58.09\00:15:00.63 throughout the Christian Age. 00:15:00.66\00:15:01.96 They only affect a third of the population. 00:15:02.00\00:15:04.37 They are executed while the gospel is still being preached, 00:15:04.40\00:15:07.77 and while there is still an intercessor in the heavenly 00:15:07.80\00:15:11.71 sanctuary - they are redemptive. 00:15:11.74\00:15:14.08 God's purpose in them is to bring people back to repentance. 00:15:14.11\00:15:16.28 These seven last plagues; these judgments of 00:15:17.15\00:15:20.22 God are the justices you said of God at the end of time 00:15:20.25\00:15:24.29 are executed, as you said, after the proclamation of the gospel 00:15:24.32\00:15:28.19 when there is no more intercessor. 00:15:28.22\00:15:31.26 And they're poured out on those people who have deliberately 00:15:31.29\00:15:34.46 hardened their hearts against God and as we'll see in the 00:15:34.46\00:15:38.70 fourth and fifth plague, it makes them even harder. 00:15:38.73\00:15:41.74 They turn even more against God. 00:15:41.77\00:15:44.64 So let's look at the first plague... oh before we say that, 00:15:44.67\00:15:47.44 there are similarities between the seven last plagues 00:15:47.48\00:15:50.71 and the plagues in Egypt, but right before the Israelites 00:15:50.75\00:15:55.28 were granted deliverance and started their journey toward 00:15:55.32\00:15:58.32 the promised land. 00:15:58.35\00:15:59.69 In Egypt, the Israelites were spared and the Egyptians 00:15:59.72\00:16:02.46 were affected - not entirely, but for a great portion of them. 00:16:02.49\00:16:06.19 For the last days, the righteous are spared and the 00:16:06.23\00:16:09.26 wicked are affected. 00:16:09.30\00:16:11.63 In Egypt the plagues only served to harden Pharaoh's 00:16:11.67\00:16:14.54 heart and his rebellion against God. 00:16:14.57\00:16:17.84 The seven last plagues only served to harden the 00:16:17.87\00:16:20.58 rebellion of the wicked's heart against God. 00:16:20.61\00:16:24.31 You know, you can have the same circumstance, maybe the death 00:16:24.35\00:16:27.32 of a spouse or a child or go through a divorce - something 00:16:27.35\00:16:30.89 major and traumatic and significant and it will affect 00:16:30.92\00:16:34.82 two people differently... because it can be the same 00:16:34.86\00:16:38.43 circumstance but it's how we respond to that. 00:16:38.46\00:16:42.10 So you think that the sun melts ice, but yet it hardens clay... 00:16:42.13\00:16:47.44 And the sun is the same in both circumstances, 00:16:47.50\00:16:51.01 it's the response of the substance; so in this case, 00:16:51.04\00:16:54.14 the wicked heart becomes hard and even harder. 00:16:54.18\00:16:57.68 So let's read the first plague. 00:16:57.71\00:16:59.61 Revelation 16:2... "So the first went and poured out his bowl 00:16:59.65\00:17:03.82 upon the earth, and a foul and loathsome sore came upon 00:17:03.85\00:17:08.26 the men who had the mark of the beast, 00:17:08.29\00:17:09.79 and those who worshipped his image." 00:17:09.82\00:17:11.26 So this plague is specifically poured out on those who 00:17:11.29\00:17:14.86 had the mark of the beast and who worshipped 00:17:14.93\00:17:17.17 his image. 00:17:17.20\00:17:18.53 Those are the recipients of this plague. 00:17:18.57\00:17:21.07 Now the word for "sore," this would compare to 00:17:21.10\00:17:23.00 the sixth plague in Egypt. 00:17:23.04\00:17:24.74 It's actually the same root word and in Egypt it was 00:17:24.77\00:17:28.51 called the "boils," is what they received was boils. 00:17:28.54\00:17:31.68 It means a wound, a sore, an ulcer... 00:17:31.71\00:17:33.92 some people say it indicates leprosy. 00:17:33.95\00:17:36.08 Whatever it is, but this is a sore, the first one. 00:17:36.12\00:17:39.65 The second plague, Revelation 16:3... "The second angel 00:17:39.69\00:17:43.93 poured out his bowl on the sea, and it became blood as of a 00:17:43.96\00:17:48.10 dead man; and every living creature in the sea died." 00:17:48.13\00:17:53.34 Now this reminds us of which plague in the plagues of Egypt? 00:17:53.40\00:17:56.27 Number 1, right? It reminds us of plague #1, 00:17:56.30\00:18:00.21 and it also compares to maybe trumpet number 2 because 00:18:00.24\00:18:03.28 there's some of that symbolism in trumpet number 2 as well. 00:18:03.31\00:18:07.65 So the third plague, we're moving quickly... 00:18:07.68\00:18:09.78 Revelation 16:4-7... "Then the third angel poured out his bowl 00:18:09.82\00:18:15.29 on the rivers and springs of water and they became blood." 00:18:15.32\00:18:17.73 Now this is the same thing, but instead of the sea, this is 00:18:17.76\00:18:21.16 the fresh springs of water, as it were. 00:18:21.20\00:18:25.23 "And I heard the angel of the waters saying, "You are 00:18:25.27\00:18:29.14 righteous, O Lord, the One who is and who was and who is 00:18:29.17\00:18:33.24 to be, because You have judged these things. 00:18:33.27\00:18:37.45 For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets and you 00:18:37.48\00:18:41.88 have given them blood to drink, for it is their just due." 00:18:41.92\00:18:46.35 You know, we often focus on the mercy of God which is 00:18:46.42\00:18:51.19 evident, clearly evident, all throughout the word of God. 00:18:51.23\00:18:54.83 You see the long-suffering nature of 00:18:54.83\00:18:57.80 God and of His character. 00:18:57.83\00:19:00.27 He's not willing that any should perish, but that all should 00:19:00.30\00:19:03.34 come to repentance. 00:19:03.37\00:19:04.71 In fact, sometimes we almost see the mercy of God 00:19:04.74\00:19:07.54 so much that you wonder where is the justice, you know? 00:19:07.61\00:19:10.18 David wondered that in Psalm 73, God where is 00:19:10.21\00:19:13.11 Your justice? Why are the wicked prospering? 00:19:13.15\00:19:16.05 I think of the fifth seal and the saints who were slain, 00:19:16.08\00:19:20.62 and they said, "God, how long?" 00:19:20.69\00:19:23.12 You know, their blood cries out to God, as it were, 00:19:23.16\00:19:25.63 from the ground - When are You going to bring justice? 00:19:25.66\00:19:29.50 We ask God "Where is justice?" 00:19:29.53\00:19:32.20 Here we see the justice of God... 00:19:32.23\00:19:34.54 The wicked had shed the blood of the prophets, 00:19:34.57\00:19:37.31 now they get to drink blood. 00:19:37.34\00:19:40.58 It's almost like, "Here's what you did," and the 00:19:40.61\00:19:43.35 consequence almost fits what the transgressions were. 00:19:43.38\00:19:47.15 This is justice unmixed with mercy. 00:19:47.22\00:19:50.79 The justice of God is perfect. 00:19:50.82\00:19:53.46 All the decisions of every person, at this point, 00:19:53.49\00:19:56.73 have been made. 00:19:56.76\00:19:58.93 Now we see verse 8, the fourth plague. 00:19:58.96\00:20:01.96 "Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, 00:20:02.00\00:20:05.53 and power was given to him to scorch men with fire." 00:20:05.57\00:20:09.60 This is a contrast to the fourth trumpet because in the first 00:20:09.64\00:20:13.07 trumpet, the sun's intensity is lessened, but here it's 00:20:13.11\00:20:16.14 strengthened and the word for "scorched" literally means 00:20:16.18\00:20:20.22 "to burn up," so scorch meant to burn up with fire. 00:20:20.28\00:20:24.62 And men were scorched with great heat, and they 00:20:24.65\00:20:26.72 blasphemed the name of God who had power over these 00:20:26.76\00:20:31.46 plagues; and they did not repent." 00:20:31.49\00:20:34.73 The word "repent" there means "to change one's purpose." 00:20:34.73\00:20:38.17 They did not change their purpose. 00:20:38.20\00:20:39.97 "And they did not repent and they did not give Him glory." 00:20:40.00\00:20:44.71 This is the opposite... we see the response of the wicked 00:20:44.74\00:20:48.28 in the middle of the seven trumpets in Revelation 11:13. 00:20:48.31\00:20:51.71 It says, "... The rest were afraid and they 00:20:51.75\00:20:54.28 gave glory to God." 00:20:54.32\00:20:55.78 In other words, that judgment of God led them 00:20:55.85\00:20:58.95 to repentance but in this case, it leads to cursing of God, 00:20:58.99\00:21:03.66 and not even changing their course. 00:21:03.73\00:21:06.83 I just can't even imagine the heart of God and the pain 00:21:06.90\00:21:10.73 this would cause. 00:21:10.77\00:21:12.10 I remember one time getting something I deserved when I 00:21:12.13\00:21:15.37 was young - a spanking from my mom; and I remember, 00:21:15.40\00:21:18.14 I was all mad and upset about it and all of that... 00:21:18.17\00:21:20.84 And I remember her saying, "Jillie, this really hurts me." 00:21:20.88\00:21:24.21 And I thought, "Whatever! That did not hurt you," because 00:21:24.25\00:21:26.88 you know... but yet as you mature and you grow and you 00:21:26.92\00:21:31.65 realize, actually justice causes pain. Amen! 00:21:31.69\00:21:34.56 And so this hurts the heart of God. 00:21:34.59\00:21:36.42 The fifth plague, Revelation 16:10-11... 00:21:36.46\00:21:40.16 "The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the 00:21:40.20\00:21:44.23 beast and his kingdom became full of darkness and they 00:21:44.27\00:21:47.97 gnawed their tongues because of the pain. 00:21:48.00\00:21:50.07 This is similar to plague number nine with 00:21:50.14\00:21:51.67 that darkness in Egypt. 00:21:51.71\00:21:53.81 They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pain 00:21:53.84\00:21:57.41 and their sores... and what's that word? 00:21:57.48\00:21:59.55 They did not repent of their deeds. 00:21:59.58\00:22:04.29 Revelation 13:2 says... "The dragon (which we know is Satan) 00:22:04.32\00:22:08.92 gave the sea beast (the papacy) his power, his throne and 00:22:08.96\00:22:13.29 great authority. 00:22:13.33\00:22:14.93 Satan gave the sea beast his throne and authority. 00:22:14.93\00:22:17.63 This shows that the judgments of God reach all the way 00:22:17.67\00:22:21.54 to the beast and to Satan's authority himself. 00:22:21.57\00:22:26.24 The plagues are undermining, as it were, the beast's 00:22:26.27\00:22:29.28 authority and control over the earth and we'll look at that 00:22:29.31\00:22:32.05 further as we get into the rest of the plagues. 00:22:32.08\00:22:35.02 But what's the condition of the righteous in the midst of the 00:22:35.05\00:22:38.25 pouring out of the seven last plagues? 00:22:38.29\00:22:40.36 The promise is sure... Isaiah 33:16... "Bread shall be given 00:22:40.42\00:22:44.29 him, his water shall be sure." 00:22:44.33\00:22:47.03 Isaiah 41:17... "When the poor and needy seek water, 00:22:47.10\00:22:51.10 and there is none and their tongue fails for thirst, 00:22:51.13\00:22:53.87 I, the Lord, will hear them; I, the God of Israel 00:22:53.90\00:22:57.57 will not forsake them." 00:22:57.61\00:22:59.04 Psalm 121:5-7... "The Lord is thy keeper; the Lord is thy 00:22:59.07\00:23:03.18 shade upon thy right hand. 00:23:03.21\00:23:04.68 The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. 00:23:04.71\00:23:08.68 The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil; He shall 00:23:08.72\00:23:10.89 preserve thy soul." 00:23:10.92\00:23:12.42 So quickly... three take-aways. 00:23:12.45\00:23:14.29 #1... Justice may seem delayed, but it will come. 00:23:14.32\00:23:19.03 Maybe not when we ask for it or when we want it, 00:23:19.06\00:23:21.46 but it will come at the right time. 00:23:21.50\00:23:23.77 #2... God uses mercy to draw people to repentance and He 00:23:23.83\00:23:28.54 woos us with love. 00:23:28.57\00:23:30.27 If that fails, He tries judgment mixed with mercy, 00:23:30.31\00:23:33.27 like with the trumpets. 00:23:33.34\00:23:34.68 But if we still refuse Him, even the harshest judgment 00:23:34.71\00:23:38.55 will fail to bring repentance... that's what we see here 00:23:38.58\00:23:42.12 with the seven last plagues. 00:23:42.15\00:23:43.85 And finally #3... Now is the day of salvation, now is the 00:23:43.89\00:23:47.79 opportunity and the time to make the choice for 00:23:47.82\00:23:51.89 the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen! Amen! That's right! 00:23:51.93\00:23:55.10 Well, we're going to take a short break right now, 00:23:55.13\00:23:57.03 but there's a lot more to come, stay with us. 00:23:57.10\00:23:59.23 See you in just a moment. 00:23:59.27\00:24:00.67 Ever wish you could watch a 3ABN Sabbath School Panel 00:24:07.68\00:24:10.55 again or share it on Facebook Instagram or Twitter? 00:24:10.58\00:24:14.25 Well, you can! By visiting 3ABN Sabbath School Panel.com 00:24:14.32\00:24:19.12 A clean design makes it easy 00:24:19.15\00:24:21.62 to find the program you're looking for. 00:24:21.66\00:24:23.66 There are also links to the Adult Bible Study Guides 00:24:23.73\00:24:27.30 so you can follow along. 00:24:27.40\00:24:28.86 Sharing is easy, just click "share," and choose your 00:24:28.90\00:24:32.07 favorite social media. 00:24:32.10\00:24:33.50 Share a link, save a life, for eternity! 00:24:33.54\00:24:37.61 And welcome back to 3ABN Sabbath School Panel. 00:24:39.84\00:24:42.78 We're going to go right quickly to sister Shelley Quinn. 00:24:42.81\00:24:44.75 And we're going to dive right into the sixth plague 00:24:44.78\00:24:47.28 "Drying Up the Euphrates River" 00:24:47.32\00:24:50.29 I just want to point out one thing... 00:24:50.35\00:24:52.19 The seven last trumpets and the seven bowls are the 00:24:52.22\00:24:55.29 seven last plagues parallel 00:24:55.32\00:24:57.73 each other topically but not chronologically, 00:24:57.76\00:25:02.43 they don't happen during the same time. 00:25:02.46\00:25:04.73 The seven trumpets were redemptive in nature 00:25:04.77\00:25:10.84 and they were poured out to cause people to repent, 00:25:10.91\00:25:15.51 and they lasted over a relatively long period of time. 00:25:15.54\00:25:20.62 But the seven last plagues, God knows that everybody 00:25:20.65\00:25:24.09 has made up their mind, not one person is going to 00:25:24.12\00:25:26.22 change their mind which is obvious 00:25:26.25\00:25:27.89 as you went through these. 00:25:27.92\00:25:29.29 And so everybody's eternal destiny has been sealed, 00:25:29.32\00:25:34.63 and this is it. 00:25:34.66\00:25:36.10 So intercession is over and the wicked are going to face 00:25:37.13\00:25:40.90 love's justice - God's wrath against the wicked, 00:25:40.94\00:25:46.94 and it will be poured out unmixed with mercy. 00:25:46.98\00:25:50.41 ... But in a very short duration, I wanted to add. 00:25:50.45\00:25:53.72 So the first four bowls were literal; the last three 00:25:53.78\00:25:57.35 shift from nature to spiritual in effect. 00:25:57.39\00:26:02.82 And the sixth bowl, the sixth final plague 00:26:02.86\00:26:07.13 introduces the consummation of earth's history and it 00:26:07.13\00:26:10.77 takes us right down to the preparation for that final 00:26:10.80\00:26:14.27 battle between Christ and His faithful followers, 00:26:14.30\00:26:18.47 and Satan and the worshippers of the beast. 00:26:18.51\00:26:21.28 So, let's look at Revelation 16:12... "Then the sixth angel 00:26:21.31\00:26:28.12 poured out his bowl on the great River Euphrates, 00:26:28.15\00:26:31.42 and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings 00:26:31.45\00:26:36.19 from the east might be prepared." 00:26:36.22\00:26:39.23 As we always do, we're going to look to the Old Testament 00:26:39.26\00:26:43.00 for meaning of these symbols. 00:26:43.03\00:26:45.83 Drying up the waters in the Old Testament symbolizes 00:26:45.87\00:26:50.27 a mighty action of God on behalf of His people. 00:26:50.31\00:26:53.84 Think about the Red Sea... or it symbolizes the preparation 00:26:53.88\00:27:00.35 to the gathering of God's people, 00:27:00.38\00:27:01.92 bringing them back to their land. 00:27:01.95\00:27:07.49 So let's look at Isaiah 51:10-11. 00:27:07.52\00:27:12.89 Isaiah 51:10-11 says... "Are You not the one who dried up 00:27:12.93\00:27:18.90 the sea, the waters of the great deep; that made the 00:27:18.93\00:27:21.94 depths of the sea a road for the redeemed to cross over? 00:27:21.97\00:27:25.74 So the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to 00:27:25.77\00:27:28.71 Zion with singing, with everlasting joy on their 00:27:28.74\00:27:33.25 head; they shall obtain joy and gladness and sorrow 00:27:33.28\00:27:37.62 and sighing shall flee away." 00:27:37.65\00:27:40.29 Now in the Old Testament, the Euphrates River was 00:27:40.36\00:27:45.86 often referred to as "The Great River," this was a 00:27:45.89\00:27:50.73 boundary that separated God's people from their enemies. 00:27:50.77\00:27:53.07 So let's look at Jeremiah 51, we were in Isaiah 51 weren't we? 00:27:53.60\00:27:59.01 Jeremiah 51:12-13, (many waters is a term that's also used 00:27:59.04\00:28:07.68 for the Euphrates). So he says, "... What He spoke against 00:28:07.72\00:28:11.95 the inhabitants of Babylon, O you who dwell by many 00:28:11.99\00:28:18.33 waters (this is the Euphrates), abundant in treasures, 00:28:18.36\00:28:22.40 your end has come, the measure of your covetousness." 00:28:22.43\00:28:26.94 The Euphrates River flowed through the ancient City of 00:28:26.97\00:28:33.11 Babylon and it was critical to their survival. 00:28:33.14\00:28:37.45 It nurtured their crops and it provided water for the 00:28:37.48\00:28:40.92 inhabitants of the city. 00:28:40.95\00:28:42.28 Babylon could not survive without the Euphrates. 00:28:42.32\00:28:46.76 So there's this remarkable prophecy in Isaiah 44:27-28. 00:28:46.79\00:28:53.53 To me, this is something that truly shows God's word, 00:28:53.60\00:28:56.93 His prophecies are not of man, but inspired by His Holy Spirit. 00:28:56.97\00:29:02.87 In this prophecy, Isaiah 44:27, God is going to call out the 00:29:02.90\00:29:09.58 name of a man who isn't even born yet. 00:29:09.61\00:29:12.31 This is 150 years before his time and the man is Cyrus, 00:29:12.35\00:29:16.58 so listen to what he says. 00:29:16.62\00:29:17.95 "Who says to the deep, be dry and I will dry up your 00:29:17.99\00:29:22.36 rivers; who says of Cyrus, He is My shepherd, 00:29:22.39\00:29:27.40 he shall perform all My pleasure, saying to 00:29:27.46\00:29:31.23 Jerusalem, "You shall be built, and to the temple, 00:29:31.27\00:29:34.40 your foundation shall be laid." 00:29:34.44\00:29:36.40 In short, what happened is Cyrus overthrew Babylon, 00:29:36.44\00:29:41.28 and we're going to look at that in just a moment. 00:29:41.31\00:29:43.45 But he is the one who ended up liberating God's people. 00:29:43.48\00:29:47.78 Now in Jeremiah 51:36-37, we see another prophecy about 00:29:47.82\00:29:54.26 Babylon... "Therefore thus says the Lord: "Behold, I will plead 00:29:54.29\00:29:59.49 your case and take vengeance for you. 00:29:59.53\00:30:01.76 I will dry up her sea and make her springs dry. 00:30:01.80\00:30:05.97 Babylon shall become a heap, a dwelling place for jackals, 00:30:06.00\00:30:10.27 an astonishment, and a hissing without an inhabitant." 00:30:10.31\00:30:14.41 And what God tells His prophets, He brings to pass. Amen? Yes. 00:30:14.44\00:30:18.21 So according to the historian, Herodotus, Cyrus and the 00:30:18.25\00:30:24.65 Persian Army - when they came to Babylon and they found 00:30:24.69\00:30:30.03 out that the walls were too strong and that Babylon 00:30:30.09\00:30:35.00 had probably supplies for many years inside, 00:30:35.03\00:30:39.30 what they did is... they captured Babylon by drying 00:30:39.33\00:30:43.17 up the Euphrates River. 00:30:43.20\00:30:45.21 What he did was, he sent out a section of his soldiers; 00:30:45.24\00:30:48.91 they diverted the river and then they entered the city 00:30:48.94\00:30:54.38 underneath the gates on a dry riverbed. 00:30:54.42\00:30:58.42 And they conquered Babylon on the night that Belshazzar 00:30:58.45\00:31:03.63 and his officials were having a feast - a drunken orgy really. 00:31:03.66\00:31:08.80 And they brought the implements, the tools, 00:31:08.83\00:31:12.77 utilities from the Holy Place and they were profaning 00:31:12.80\00:31:17.57 God's Holy items. 00:31:17.61\00:31:20.34 So later, Cyrus is the one who issued the decree that allowed 00:31:20.38\00:31:24.35 Israel to return to their homeland and rebuild 00:31:24.38\00:31:27.58 Jerusalem and the temple. 00:31:27.62\00:31:29.58 So the sixth plague reflects the capture of ancient Babylon 00:31:29.62\00:31:34.22 by Cyrus the Persian and this is echoing the judgment of 00:31:34.26\00:31:39.29 God on Babylon. 00:31:39.33\00:31:40.66 So let's read that again because John is using a real 00:31:40.70\00:31:45.53 historical scene to symbolically portray God's final 00:31:45.57\00:31:50.37 judgment on end-time Babylon. 00:31:50.44\00:31:52.41 He says, "The sixth angel poured out his bowl on 00:31:52.44\00:31:55.41 the great river Euphrates and its water was dried up; 00:31:55.44\00:31:59.55 so that the way of the kings from 00:31:59.58\00:32:01.55 the east might be prepared." 00:32:01.58\00:32:03.39 Now if we look at Revelation 17, we know that Babylon must be 00:32:03.42\00:32:08.19 understood symbolically, let's read that 17:1... 00:32:08.22\00:32:11.16 It says, "One of the seven angels who had the seven 00:32:11.19\00:32:14.30 bowls came and talked with me (these are the seven 00:32:14.36\00:32:16.73 final plagues), and he said, "Come, I will show you 00:32:16.77\00:32:20.24 the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters 00:32:20.30\00:32:24.71 (and what was many waters? It was another term 00:32:24.74\00:32:26.98 for Euphrates)... So we see in verse 15 he says... "The waters 00:32:27.04\00:32:33.05 which you saw where the harlot sits are peoples, multitudes, 00:32:33.08\00:32:37.25 nations and tongues." 00:32:37.29\00:32:39.09 So the waters upon which end time Babylon sits represents 00:32:39.12\00:32:44.63 the people who support it. 00:32:44.66\00:32:46.39 So what's going to happen... the worldwide civil, secular 00:32:46.43\00:32:51.40 and political powers that are behind the system of Babylon, 00:32:51.43\00:32:55.67 they're looking to Babylon to protect them from these 00:32:55.70\00:32:58.31 plagues and they see all of these final plagues 00:32:58.34\00:33:02.88 come and they realize that Babylon can't even protect 00:33:02.91\00:33:06.82 herself, so they retract their support of Babylon 00:33:06.85\00:33:13.02 and they actually end up attacking Babylon. 00:33:13.05\00:33:15.52 Let's look at Revelation 17:16.. it says... "The ten horns 00:33:15.56\00:33:20.80 which you saw on the beast, these will hate the harlot, 00:33:20.83\00:33:24.87 (these are the ones who were supporting the harlot) 00:33:24.90\00:33:27.97 and they will hate the harlot and make her desolate 00:33:28.00\00:33:31.54 and naked; eat her flesh and burn her with fire." 00:33:31.57\00:33:35.64 So the very political and secular powers that enabled 00:33:35.68\00:33:40.08 the Babylon to dominate the world, become disillusioned 00:33:40.12\00:33:45.12 by Babylon - they suddenly withdraw their support 00:33:45.15\00:33:49.36 from her and there is a great antagonism, a great hostility 00:33:49.39\00:33:55.00 that is built up in them and her passionate lovers 00:33:55.03\00:33:58.57 become now hostile haters and they burn her with fire. 00:33:58.60\00:34:03.84 Did you know that was a form of punishment; we find this 00:34:03.91\00:34:06.91 in Leviticus 21:9... To be burned with fire was a 00:34:06.98\00:34:12.01 form of punishment that was reserved for the daughter of 00:34:12.05\00:34:16.02 the high priest if she was caught in prostitution. 00:34:16.05\00:34:19.69 Wow, boy - how about that for symbolism. 00:34:19.72\00:34:22.49 But still their hearts remained hard against God and His people 00:34:22.52\00:34:28.60 and they become fertile soil for the final deception. 00:34:28.66\00:34:32.83 Symbolically when the Euphrates is dried up, 00:34:32.87\00:34:38.64 it is to prepare the way for Christ and His heavenly host, 00:34:38.67\00:34:42.58 the kings of the east, just as the literal Babylon 00:34:42.61\00:34:47.02 was dried up to prepare the way for Cyrus. Amen! 00:34:47.08\00:34:51.79 Thank you Shelley, I tell you, it's impossible to cover these 00:34:51.82\00:34:56.12 without each of them covering each other. That's right! 00:34:56.16\00:34:59.39 Because the picture is so huge, it's like walking into a 00:34:59.43\00:35:04.10 museum and there's a 10 floor tapestry and each one of us 00:35:04.63\00:35:07.44 has to describe what we're looking at, so thank you 00:35:07.47\00:35:11.11 for laying the foundation. Amen! 00:35:11.14\00:35:12.47 We're now on Wednesday: "Satan's Last Great Deception." 00:35:12.51\00:35:15.88 You know, what I like about it 00:35:15.91\00:35:17.35 is the word "last," after that - that's it! 00:35:17.38\00:35:19.58 There are no more deceptions after that, 00:35:19.61\00:35:21.75 and it takes us to Revelation 16. 00:35:21.78\00:35:24.42 Now what I want to do out of the chronology that we have 00:35:24.45\00:35:27.69 established here as the cadence, I want to show 00:35:27.72\00:35:30.36 what the attitude is going to be when the judgments of 00:35:30.43\00:35:34.86 God are being poured out on Babylon. 00:35:34.93\00:35:38.93 When the judgments of God are being poured out because 00:35:38.97\00:35:40.80 in Revelation 17, the scene was set that all these 00:35:40.84\00:35:43.97 nations, the 10 kings that haven't received a kingdom yet, 00:35:44.01\00:35:47.54 they give their strength and authority and support to the 00:35:47.58\00:35:50.35 beast for one hour 00:35:50.41\00:35:52.05 They figured, "Okay, well this is the best place to be 00:35:52.08\00:35:53.98 since she appears to be so great and so strong 00:35:54.02\00:35:56.95 riding over the authority of many multitudes and nations 00:35:56.99\00:35:59.59 and tongues since she has the golden cup and since she 00:35:59.62\00:36:03.22 looks to be the authority of the hour, let's go ahead 00:36:03.26\00:36:05.33 and support her, but when the plagues begin to fall, 00:36:05.36\00:36:08.56 there's a different attitude altogether. That's right. 00:36:08.60\00:36:10.57 Let's look at Revelation 18 real quickly, then I'm going to 00:36:10.60\00:36:13.54 dive into this. 00:36:13.57\00:36:15.40 Revelation 18:9-11, it says, "And the kings of the earth 00:36:15.44\00:36:22.11 who committed fornication and lived luxuriously with her 00:36:22.14\00:36:26.92 will weep and lament for her. 00:36:26.95\00:36:28.85 ... Say, wait a minute! That's interesting! 00:36:28.88\00:36:30.89 When they see the smoke of her burning, standing at a 00:36:31.92\00:36:36.09 distance for fear of her torment saying, "Alas, 00:36:36.12\00:36:38.66 alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! 00:36:38.69\00:36:44.57 For in one hour your judgment has come. 00:36:44.60\00:36:47.77 And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her 00:36:47.80\00:36:51.97 for no one buys their merchandise anymore." 00:36:52.01\00:36:54.68 In other words, the word there "buy" is significant; 00:36:54.71\00:36:57.61 we're not accepting what you're giving to us, 00:36:57.65\00:37:00.68 but now it's too late because these very merchants 00:37:00.75\00:37:03.42 that were made drunk and deceived by her now see 00:37:03.45\00:37:05.95 their collective faith - that's what the weeping is all about. 00:37:05.99\00:37:10.76 "There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." 00:37:10.79\00:37:12.13 The weeping is not just for her, but what she has done to them. 00:37:12.16\00:37:16.67 But now they're saying without any resolution... 00:37:16.70\00:37:18.83 to turn it around - we're not accepting what you say 00:37:18.87\00:37:21.10 any longer, but it's too late. 00:37:21.14\00:37:23.24 Let's keep going... And it talks about all the 00:37:23.27\00:37:25.57 different merchandise but I'll go ahead, verse 14... 00:37:25.61\00:37:30.15 "And the fruit that your soul has longed for, 00:37:30.18\00:37:33.75 has gone from you, and all the things which are rich 00:37:33.82\00:37:36.79 and splendid, have gone from you, and you shall 00:37:36.82\00:37:39.82 find them no more at all." 00:37:39.85\00:37:41.89 All that Babylon offered, all those spiritual lies; 00:37:41.92\00:37:44.99 all those false doctrines; all those deceptive methods 00:37:45.03\00:37:48.63 of worship - all of a sudden she is finally unmasked. 00:37:48.66\00:37:52.20 The woman that was to be, and I want to add this in... 00:37:52.23\00:37:55.50 When John, in Revelation 17, sees her, he's taken into 00:37:55.54\00:38:01.01 the wilderness and the Bible says he's shocked, 00:38:01.04\00:38:05.38 he's shocked because this is not the woman he saw 00:38:05.41\00:38:08.52 go into the wilderness. 00:38:08.55\00:38:10.02 The woman he saw go into the wilderness in Revelation 12, 00:38:10.82\00:38:13.89 he is now taken by the angel into the wilderness to see a 00:38:13.92\00:38:17.19 woman, but he sees her now sitting on a scarlet beast, 00:38:17.26\00:38:20.03 and he's shocked! "I'm shocked at what I see," which means 00:38:20.06\00:38:23.30 the church that was protected by God, put into the wilderness 00:38:23.37\00:38:26.84 during the Dark Ages was corrupted by Rome during 00:38:26.87\00:38:29.54 the Dark Ages. 00:38:29.57\00:38:31.14 That's why the Lord had to raise up a remnant. 00:38:31.17\00:38:34.58 You know, Isaiah 58:12... "They that shall be of thee, 00:38:34.61\00:38:40.45 shall build up the old waste places; they shall raise up 00:38:40.52\00:38:43.62 the foundations of many generations. 00:38:43.69\00:38:45.32 They shall be called the repairers of the breach, 00:38:45.35\00:38:47.56 the restorer of paths to dwell in." 00:38:47.59\00:38:49.29 So God had to raise up a people to repair and to restore, 00:38:49.32\00:38:51.59 to rebuild and to reform because it had been broken down 00:38:51.63\00:38:55.36 during the Dark Ages. 00:38:55.40\00:38:56.73 So each of the components were being restored and the only 00:38:56.77\00:38:59.87 power resisting that was the long established institution 00:38:59.90\00:39:03.44 of Babylon - this false system of worship 00:39:03.47\00:39:06.34 But what I want to point out, I'll go back to Revelation 18 00:39:06.37\00:39:09.01 here, look at this, verse 17, it says... "For in one hour 00:39:09.04\00:39:13.85 such great riches came to nothing." 00:39:13.88\00:39:17.45 And verse 18... And speaking about "And they cried out 00:39:17.52\00:39:20.49 when they saw the smoke of her burning saying, 00:39:20.52\00:39:22.89 "What is like this great city?" 00:39:22.92\00:39:25.23 Prior to that, in Revelation 13, "Who is like? Who could make 00:39:25.26\00:39:29.80 war with you? Now what is like this? 00:39:29.83\00:39:31.67 So the boastfulness is a parody to the destruction 00:39:31.70\00:39:38.24 that comes - it's a comparison. 00:39:38.27\00:39:40.78 You thought you were great? Then you get great destruction. 00:39:40.81\00:39:43.35 You were boastful - then you cannot boast 00:39:43.38\00:39:45.58 about your destruction. Right. 00:39:45.61\00:39:46.95 Equal judgment. 00:39:47.02\00:39:48.35 And then it says in verse 19, "And they threw dust on their 00:39:48.38\00:39:51.22 heads, (a symbol of mourning) and cried out, weeping 00:39:51.25\00:39:54.09 and wailing, and saying, "Alas, alas, that great city 00:39:54.16\00:39:56.49 in which all who had ships on the sea became rich by her 00:39:56.52\00:40:00.30 wealth! For in one hour she is made desolate." 00:40:00.33\00:40:04.17 And so you see, it goes in verse 23, "And the light of the 00:40:04.23\00:40:08.64 lamp shall not shine in you anymore. 00:40:08.67\00:40:12.67 And the voice of the bridegroom shall not be heard in you 00:40:12.71\00:40:15.78 anymore for your merchants were the great men of the earth 00:40:15.81\00:40:21.18 for by your sorceries all nations were deceived." 00:40:21.22\00:40:24.52 Now when it says the lamp and the voice... 00:40:24.55\00:40:28.22 The lamp was shining as long as the call to come out of 00:40:28.26\00:40:32.73 Babylon was being given. Yes. 00:40:32.76\00:40:35.06 The voice of the bridegroom was heard through the call 00:40:35.10\00:40:38.63 to come out of Babylon but now that God's people are 00:40:38.67\00:40:44.31 no longer there, she is receiving her judgments. 00:40:44.34\00:40:46.61 So the light is not going to shine anymore there. 00:40:46.64\00:40:48.84 So here's my point... If you're in a church where 00:40:48.88\00:40:50.88 the doctrines are false, the light is shining 00:40:50.91\00:40:52.78 for you to come out. That's right. 00:40:52.81\00:40:54.85 If you're where the pastor tells you the commandments 00:40:54.88\00:40:58.15 were nailed to the cross and the Sabbath doesn't matter, 00:40:58.19\00:41:00.26 you gotta come out of Babylon while you have 00:41:00.29\00:41:02.29 an opportunity because one day the light is not going to 00:41:02.32\00:41:04.49 shine anymore and the voice of the bridegroom is 00:41:04.53\00:41:06.80 not going to heard anymore... That's right. 00:41:06.83\00:41:08.53 And then you're going to be in this category - weeping and 00:41:08.56\00:41:10.73 wailing wondering how you ended up there. 00:41:10.77\00:41:12.93 So going back quickly... to Revelation 16, 00:41:15.54\00:41:20.08 we see now these three unclean spirits. 00:41:20.14\00:41:22.91 When the River Euphrates dries up, thank you for that, Shelley, 00:41:22.94\00:41:27.95 we see that the support system completely dries up, 00:41:27.98\00:41:31.32 but just before the support system completely dries up, 00:41:31.35\00:41:34.59 as it's drying up, Satan has one last push. 00:41:34.62\00:41:37.69 He knows he's losing his support, so his last push 00:41:37.73\00:41:41.23 is to activate three unclean spirits - these demonic 00:41:41.26\00:41:44.60 forces to go to the kings of the earth and he's going to 00:41:44.63\00:41:47.07 pull together all the forces of spiritualism and paganism. 00:41:47.10\00:41:50.84 He's going to pull together out of the mouth of the beast 00:41:50.87\00:41:52.77 all the forces under the reign of Catholicism; 00:41:52.81\00:41:57.48 he's going to pull out of the mouth of the false prophet 00:41:57.51\00:42:02.68 all the forces of Protestantism that have 00:42:02.72\00:42:06.25 apostasized - he's pulling them all together to 00:42:06.29\00:42:09.02 gather them for this final battle, that's what's happening. 00:42:09.06\00:42:12.79 But what I want to point out... we know about spiritualism; 00:42:12.83\00:42:15.80 we know about Catholicism - we have said that in Catholicism 00:42:15.83\00:42:19.50 itself has admitted to many changes that are gifted 00:42:19.53\00:42:22.44 to Protestantism, but I want to hit one very quickly 00:42:22.47\00:42:25.77 about the false prophet. 00:42:25.81\00:42:27.34 Why are they called "false prophets?" 00:42:27.38\00:42:29.78 Look at Matthew 7:15, one of the reasons and I'll give you 00:42:29.81\00:42:33.28 three quick reasons... One is they are called "false prophets" 00:42:33.31\00:42:36.85 because they don't look like false prophets. 00:42:36.89\00:42:41.26 That's their camouflage. 00:42:41.29\00:42:43.79 Matthew 7:15... "Beware of false prophets who come to you 00:42:43.83\00:42:46.56 in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are 00:42:46.59\00:42:48.90 ravenous wolves." 00:42:48.93\00:42:50.33 2 Corinthians 11:13-14, they don't look the part, 00:42:50.40\00:42:53.37 they look like sheep! 00:42:53.40\00:42:55.10 Here's another one, "For such a false apostle deceitful 00:42:55.14\00:42:59.41 workers transforming themselves into apostles of Christ, 00:42:59.44\00:43:03.14 and no wonder, for Satan himself transforms himself 00:43:03.18\00:43:07.62 into an angel of light." 00:43:07.65\00:43:09.45 And it says, in the next verse, "Therefore it is no great 00:43:09.48\00:43:12.72 thing if his ministers also appear as ministers of 00:43:12.75\00:43:15.52 righteousness whose end shall be according to their works." 00:43:15.56\00:43:18.56 So don't ever take anybody for eye-value, take it for 00:43:18.59\00:43:23.73 word value! Amen, Amen! 00:43:23.77\00:43:25.53 Don't test them by the garments 00:43:25.57\00:43:27.80 of the ecclesiastical Benedictum, 00:43:27.84\00:43:29.87 thank you Pastor C.A. Laughter 00:43:29.90\00:43:32.57 Don't let that garb fool you, it's sheep's clothing! 00:43:32.61\00:43:37.31 LISTEN to what they say which is... 00:43:37.35\00:43:39.41 You cannot tell them by what they look like, 00:43:39.45\00:43:41.58 but you have to tell them by what they say. 00:43:41.62\00:43:43.15 2 Peter 2:1... "But there were also false prophets 00:43:45.82\00:43:50.09 among the people, even as there will be false teachers 00:43:50.13\00:43:52.69 among you who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, 00:43:52.73\00:43:57.67 even denying the Lord who brought them and bring 00:43:57.70\00:44:00.27 on themselves swift destruction." 00:44:00.34\00:44:02.57 Isaiah 8:20... "To the law and to the testimony, if they 00:44:02.60\00:44:05.31 speak not according to this word, it's because there is 00:44:05.34\00:44:07.98 no light in them." 00:44:08.01\00:44:09.34 The light in Babylon will go out because there's no 00:44:09.38\00:44:11.41 light in those who left. Amen! 00:44:11.45\00:44:13.31 The other one... Why is Satan particularly angry with 00:44:13.35\00:44:16.89 the woman who keeps the commandments of God? 00:44:16.92\00:44:19.62 Because he knows that in full allegiance to God, 00:44:19.65\00:44:22.36 he is no match for them! That right. 00:44:22.39\00:44:25.53 So he wants to come after them. 00:44:25.56\00:44:27.40 That's why the Bible says... Acts 20:29-30... 00:44:27.50\00:44:32.50 "For I know this, after My departure savage wolves 00:44:32.53\00:44:35.94 will come in among you, not sparing the flock. 00:44:35.97\00:44:38.71 Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking 00:44:38.74\00:44:41.48 perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves." 00:44:41.51\00:44:44.58 I've got to take just a few seconds here and just wrap this. 00:44:45.45\00:44:48.28 EVEN... I'm going to say this... even Adventists have to be 00:44:48.32\00:44:52.12 careful because Satan is particularly coming after 00:44:52.15\00:44:55.76 our church bringing in destructive heresies. 00:44:55.79\00:45:00.63 Pastors are falling, members are being led away to 00:45:00.66\00:45:03.50 give allegiance to people that tell lies - that were once 00:45:03.57\00:45:07.64 among us - look what Peter says... he said, "Also from 00:45:07.67\00:45:10.34 among yourselves - men will rise up speaking perverse 00:45:10.41\00:45:13.14 things and now all these offshoot movements are 00:45:13.17\00:45:15.61 starting because they're drawing away disciples after themselves. 00:45:15.64\00:45:18.95 So be very, very careful. 00:45:18.98\00:45:20.62 Let the light of God's word be your guide. 00:45:20.65\00:45:22.72 Don't ever become enamored by a man. Amen, Amen! 00:45:22.75\00:45:25.95 If it doesn't match up to God's word, stay in the ship! 00:45:25.99\00:45:31.69 Praise the Lord! 00:45:31.73\00:45:33.13 In fact, I'm going to feed off that great energy, hopefully! 00:45:33.16\00:45:36.36 Okay, go for it! Because that's a powerful 00:45:36.40\00:45:37.97 point that you made there about the deceptions. 00:45:38.00\00:45:39.60 In fact, that's continue to continue over into our 00:45:39.63\00:45:41.50 conversation about the Battle of Armageddon. 00:45:41.54\00:45:43.91 In fact, this is Thursday's lesson entitled: 00:45:43.97\00:45:46.54 "Gathering for the Battle of Armageddon" 00:45:46.64\00:45:49.14 And so I'm actually going to re-read Revelation 16, 00:45:49.18\00:45:54.45 the sixth plague and I'm not going to read the whole thing, 00:45:54.48\00:45:59.59 but I just want to start in verse 13 and read downward 00:45:59.62\00:46:02.42 just to set the context. 00:46:02.46\00:46:03.79 It says, "And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs 00:46:03.86\00:46:06.23 coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth 00:46:06.26\00:46:08.30 of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 00:46:08.33\00:46:10.87 For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out 00:46:10.90\00:46:13.74 to the kings of the earth and the whole world to gather 00:46:13.77\00:46:16.27 them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty." 00:46:16.30\00:46:20.91 And it goes on to say, "Behold I am coming quickly as a thief." 00:46:20.98\00:46:23.55 (these are the words of Christ) Blessed is he who watches, 00:46:23.58\00:46:26.41 and keeps his garments lest he 00:46:26.45\00:46:27.95 walk naked and they see his shame." 00:46:27.98\00:46:29.95 And this is my key verse, verse 16... 00:46:29.98\00:46:31.75 "And they gathered them together into a place 00:46:31.79\00:46:33.86 called in the Hebrew tongue, of course, Armageddon." 00:46:33.89\00:46:37.89 Now notice the little portion there... "And they gathered 00:46:37.93\00:46:41.50 them," this is kind of feeding off what you just said. 00:46:41.53\00:46:43.53 "Who are they?" WHO is gathering? 00:46:43.57\00:46:46.07 It goes right back to what we just read, 00:46:46.10\00:46:47.70 "And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs 00:46:47.74\00:46:50.37 coming out of the mouth these are the spirits of 00:46:50.41\00:46:52.47 demons performing signs which go to all the kings 00:46:52.51\00:46:54.51 of the earth and the whole world." 00:46:54.54\00:46:55.98 So these are the unclean spirits. 00:46:56.01\00:46:57.55 This is Satan's final attempt and I'm just going to go ahead 00:46:57.61\00:47:01.72 and say this because he knows that the River Euphrates 00:47:02.08\00:47:04.52 is dried up - this is demonic possession; 00:47:04.55\00:47:07.09 this is a mass demonic possession on the side of 00:47:07.12\00:47:10.96 those people who have completely rejected God's word. 00:47:10.99\00:47:13.93 They've completely rejected God in every sense of the word, 00:47:13.96\00:47:17.17 and so He is preparing his forces to launch a total 00:47:17.20\00:47:21.97 onslaught against God's remnant. That's right. 00:47:22.00\00:47:23.71 This is what's interesting because... 00:47:24.31\00:47:26.14 I've gotten questions about this a lot. 00:47:26.17\00:47:27.98 There is an apostate movement that teaches that, of course, 00:47:28.01\00:47:32.55 with this secret, silent rapture, this pre-tribulation 00:47:32.58\00:47:37.29 rapture as it's taught amongst the Christian world today... 00:47:37.32\00:47:40.36 that God's people are going to be raptured up out of here, 00:47:40.39\00:47:43.29 before all of this happens, we have to remember that back 00:47:43.32\00:47:45.49 in the Book of Psalms, we are told that the righteous are 00:47:45.53\00:47:48.90 going to behold the judgment of the wicked. 00:47:48.93\00:47:51.27 That they will be there, but they will have a special 00:47:51.30\00:47:53.70 hedge of protection around them. 00:47:53.74\00:47:55.07 So you read through these six plagues and you think 00:47:55.10\00:47:56.50 to yourself, "Wow, how is God's people going to live 00:47:56.54\00:47:59.31 through the scorching and the burning and the boils, 00:47:59.34\00:48:02.01 and all the stuff that going on, the Bible says that God 00:48:02.04\00:48:05.61 is going to put His angels' protection. 00:48:05.65\00:48:07.48 He will provide their bread, He will provide their water. 00:48:07.55\00:48:09.78 God is going to provide that for them. 00:48:09.82\00:48:12.52 So the righteous are seen... Satan knows where God's 00:48:12.55\00:48:15.79 people are and they're like a thorn in his flesh. 00:48:15.82\00:48:18.59 He is gathering together... you know, Satan is a psychopath. 00:48:18.63\00:48:22.30 He is an intelligent psychopath. 00:48:22.33\00:48:24.50 You know, psychopaths can be intelligent. Sure! 00:48:24.53\00:48:27.44 But nonetheless, he knows his end because the word of God 00:48:27.47\00:48:31.14 has said, but he's going to go out as much as he can 00:48:31.17\00:48:33.78 believing that he can still win. 00:48:33.81\00:48:35.81 And so now, he's gathering all of these evil forces 00:48:35.84\00:48:38.88 together - this demonic possession as he's sending 00:48:38.91\00:48:41.78 out these evil demonic spirits to overcome and possess 00:48:41.82\00:48:44.85 the minds and the hearts of the people who have 00:48:44.89\00:48:46.69 rejected the true Holy Spirit of God before this, 00:48:46.76\00:48:49.79 and now they are preparing to launch a total onslaught 00:48:49.82\00:48:52.36 amongst God's people. 00:48:52.39\00:48:53.73 Now some people will teach out there that this is a 00:48:53.80\00:48:56.93 literal war that Christ and His people and all the angels 00:48:56.97\00:49:00.90 are going to come together at this certain little valley 00:49:00.97\00:49:03.47 somewhere in the Middle East, 00:49:03.54\00:49:04.87 against Satan and his evil forces and there's going 00:49:04.91\00:49:07.11 to be this horrible war and then they misquote 00:49:07.14\00:49:09.98 and misrepresent verses from the Revelation 14, I think it's 00:49:10.01\00:49:12.78 verse 20 where it talks about the winepress and the blood 00:49:12.81\00:49:16.75 coming up to the horses' bridle. 00:49:16.82\00:49:18.92 I mean, I've heard that taught all my life, but I just want to 00:49:18.95\00:49:21.42 confirm, my friends - that while there may be some literal 00:49:21.46\00:49:24.96 elements to this battle; while there may be 00:49:24.99\00:49:26.63 some little physical elements to this battle, 00:49:26.66\00:49:28.63 this is a spiritual war. 00:49:28.66\00:49:30.67 Now I want to confirm that right now. 00:49:30.70\00:49:32.20 First of all, let's consider the word "Armageddon," 00:49:32.23\00:49:34.40 because we have little time to do this and I want to 00:49:34.44\00:49:36.37 jump in it as soon as I can. 00:49:36.40\00:49:37.94 Armageddon, of course, we are told here that it comes from the 00:49:37.97\00:49:40.68 Hebrew tongue, so when you look at the Hebrew word 00:49:40.71\00:49:43.21 "Armageddon," it is a combination of two Hebrew words 00:49:43.24\00:49:46.48 which is "har and "mow'ed" and when you put these two 00:49:46.51\00:49:49.42 concepts together, "har" obviously means "mountain," 00:49:49.45\00:49:52.32 "mow'ed" is "mount or place of congregation." 00:49:52.35\00:49:55.26 And so when you put this together, Armageddon 00:49:55.29\00:49:56.83 simply means "Mountain of Congregation." 00:49:56.86\00:49:59.63 Now, the panel can correct me if I'm wrong here, 00:49:59.66\00:50:01.90 but of my studies and of my understanding, 00:50:01.93\00:50:04.57 I'm only aware of one other place in Scripture where this 00:50:04.60\00:50:07.90 Armageddon concept is used in Scripture and it's actually 00:50:07.94\00:50:11.77 found in the description from God to Satan about Satan 00:50:11.81\00:50:16.04 himself, his plans, his thoughts. 00:50:16.08\00:50:18.31 Notice what it says in Isaiah 14:12-14... 00:50:18.35\00:50:21.88 "How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, 00:50:21.92\00:50:23.95 son of the morning! How are though cut down 00:50:23.99\00:50:26.02 to the ground, who did weaken the nations! 00:50:26.05\00:50:28.52 For you have said in your heart, I will ascend into 00:50:28.56\00:50:32.03 heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; 00:50:32.06\00:50:34.36 (get this) I will also sit on the (har mow'ed) 00:50:34.36\00:50:38.57 on the mount of congregation, 00:50:38.60\00:50:41.34 on the farthest sides of the north." 00:50:41.37\00:50:43.10 Now it's interesting because this mountain, this Armageddon 00:50:43.14\00:50:46.44 mountain, it's actually an association - the Mount of 00:50:46.47\00:50:48.81 Congregation, biblically, is an association with a mountain 00:50:48.84\00:50:52.21 known as "Megiddo." 00:50:52.25\00:50:53.58 Okay, this is where people get this Megiddo Valley or the 00:50:53.65\00:50:56.55 Valley of Megiddo where they actually think, over in the 00:50:56.62\00:50:58.92 Middle East where there's been lots of battles, this is a 00:50:58.95\00:51:01.22 historical place where lots of spiritual warfare and holy wars 00:51:01.26\00:51:05.59 have been fought for land and power 00:51:05.63\00:51:07.30 and all that stuff in the Middle East. 00:51:07.30\00:51:08.86 Now on this Mount of Megiddo, there is a fortress city 00:51:08.90\00:51:12.27 located in the Valley of Jezreel and this is located at the foot, 00:51:12.30\00:51:16.17 (get this) of Mount Carmel. 00:51:16.20\00:51:18.84 So if you go locate Mount Carmel, in a valley over the 00:51:18.87\00:51:21.24 ridge, in the valley, there is a place called, 00:51:21.28\00:51:23.51 "Mount of Megiddo." 00:51:23.55\00:51:24.88 It's a famous historical place of battle. 00:51:24.91\00:51:27.32 Now this is where battles have been fought and probably 00:51:27.38\00:51:32.29 the most famous battle that most people probably 00:51:32.32\00:51:35.19 will remember that was fought on top of Mount Carmel, 00:51:35.22\00:51:37.86 and this whole conversation of Armageddon gets me to think 00:51:37.89\00:51:40.40 about the showdown of the gods, I guess you could say 00:51:40.46\00:51:43.20 on top of Mount Carmel during the days of Elijah, 00:51:43.23\00:51:45.47 we're talking about, of course, 1 Kings 18 where Ahab 00:51:45.50\00:51:50.24 and Jezebel have launched Israel into this great apostasy, 00:51:50.27\00:51:53.91 and eventually we have a showdown where 00:51:53.94\00:51:56.38 Elijah, he challenges Ahab. 00:51:56.41\00:51:59.01 He said, "You gather up all of your prophets of Baal, 00:51:59.05\00:52:02.42 and have them to meet me on top of Mount Carmel, 00:52:02.45\00:52:04.62 and we'll determine who the true God is - who it is that truly 00:52:04.65\00:52:07.56 deserves to be worshipped and, as you know the story 00:52:07.59\00:52:09.92 very well, that single day, after a very embarrassing 00:52:09.96\00:52:13.80 part on the sides of the false gods, 00:52:13.83\00:52:16.20 the true God rained fire from heaven. 00:52:16.23\00:52:18.53 He showed His power and the Bible tells us in 1 Kings 18, 00:52:18.57\00:52:22.74 that on that day, 850 prophets lost their life, false prophets 00:52:22.77\00:52:27.28 because it was 850 false prophets 00:52:27.34\00:52:29.74 against one true prophet. 00:52:29.78\00:52:31.75 It's kind of a little bit of an imagery, a look into the future. 00:52:31.78\00:52:34.95 My friends, you better believe that there's going to be 00:52:34.98\00:52:36.89 many, many, many more false prophets than there will be 00:52:36.95\00:52:39.59 true prophets but God does have His people, 00:52:39.62\00:52:42.02 always remember that! That's right! 00:52:42.06\00:52:43.63 Satan has gathered his people at this point; 00:52:43.69\00:52:47.36 he has gathered his people one final time to unite 00:52:47.40\00:52:50.50 in eradicating God's remnant. 00:52:50.53\00:52:52.93 So how is the devil able to do this? 00:52:52.97\00:52:55.00 Of course, we know by deception. 00:52:55.04\00:52:57.54 I just want to add a few Scriptures here 00:52:57.57\00:52:58.97 in the little time I have. 00:52:59.01\00:53:00.41 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10, how is Satan able to gather 00:53:00.48\00:53:04.41 his forces? We've kind of already have an insight to this, 00:53:04.45\00:53:07.35 but it says here in 2 Thessalonians 2:9... 00:53:07.42\00:53:10.79 "The coming of the lawless one is according to working of who? 00:53:10.82\00:53:13.86 Satan! with all (here it is) power, signs and lying 00:53:13.89\00:53:18.59 wonders and with all unrighteous deception among 00:53:18.63\00:53:20.90 those who perish. 00:53:20.93\00:53:22.23 And of course, we just read, multiple times, Revelation 16, 00:53:22.26\00:53:25.10 about the unclean frogs are the spirits coming out of the mouth. 00:53:25.13\00:53:28.40 Of course, these are spirits of demons performing miracles. 00:53:28.44\00:53:31.27 You know, God doesn't gain our worship, our respect, 00:53:31.31\00:53:36.51 and our commitment by force. 00:53:36.54\00:53:38.35 That's right! That's the one thing that 00:53:38.68\00:53:40.08 separates the true God from false gods. 00:53:40.12\00:53:42.15 Is that you can see here, Satan is trying to gain victory 00:53:42.18\00:53:45.35 by force - Jesus doesn't gain victory by force. 00:53:45.39\00:53:48.09 He is a loving God and He is only going to 00:53:48.12\00:53:50.03 allow it according to your free will. 00:53:50.09\00:53:52.43 He wants you to choose to follow Him. 00:53:52.46\00:53:54.63 He's not going to force you. 00:53:54.66\00:53:56.00 And, of course, we have a little bit of insight... 00:53:56.03\00:53:57.60 You know, this battle, the Battle of Armageddon 00:53:57.63\00:54:00.24 would probably turn into a literal battle, 00:54:00.27\00:54:03.51 a literal onslaught on God's people if Jesus 00:54:03.54\00:54:06.04 didn't cut the day short. 00:54:06.07\00:54:07.64 In fact, we have insight to that in Matthew 24. 00:54:07.68\00:54:09.74 "Just as in the great tribulation in the Middle Ages, 00:54:09.78\00:54:12.31 if God did not put an end to the papacy's reign momentarily, 00:54:12.35\00:54:16.25 no flesh would have been saved. 00:54:16.28\00:54:18.55 The Bible tells it here, Matthew 24:22... "And unless 00:54:18.59\00:54:21.26 those days were shortened, no flesh would have been 00:54:21.29\00:54:23.02 saved for the elect's sake, those days will be shortened." 00:54:23.06\00:54:26.33 And that's why we see within the context of the seventh 00:54:26.36\00:54:29.50 plague, and you can read that, verses 17 onward, 00:54:29.53\00:54:35.87 we see that within the context of the seventh plague, 00:54:35.90\00:54:38.61 in harmony with Revelation 19 which I'm sure we'll talk about, 00:54:38.64\00:54:42.38 you see Jesus, the heaven's split, the trumpet has sounded, 00:54:42.41\00:54:47.38 Jesus comes back with all of the heavenly forces on a 00:54:47.42\00:54:50.65 white horse to put an end to Satan's deception; 00:54:50.69\00:54:54.16 to put an end to this final battle! 00:54:54.22\00:54:56.59 I could just imagine that song ... IT IS FINISHED, THE BATTLE 00:54:56.62\00:55:01.33 IS OVER! I love that song! 00:55:01.36\00:55:03.70 I could just imagine Jesus just coming out of the clouds 00:55:03.77\00:55:06.00 and saying... "No Satan," that is it! 00:55:06.03\00:55:08.50 I want to leave you with this, Zephaniah 3:8... "Therefore 00:55:08.54\00:55:12.04 wait for Me, says the Lord, until the day I rise up 00:55:12.07\00:55:15.51 for plunder. My determination is to gather the nations 00:55:15.54\00:55:18.88 to My assembly for kingdoms; to HIS assembly for kingdoms, 00:55:18.91\00:55:22.58 to pour on them My indignation, all My fierce anger; 00:55:22.62\00:55:26.02 all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of My jealousy." 00:55:26.05\00:55:29.69 He is a jealous God, but a righteous, jealousy because 00:55:29.72\00:55:33.16 He is worthy - HE is the only One worthy of praise, 00:55:33.19\00:55:37.57 glory, honor and power! Amen, Amen! Amen! 00:55:37.60\00:55:41.44 Praise the Lord! Yeah, wonderful! 00:55:41.47\00:55:43.47 We'll have him come back for the rest of the story. 00:55:43.51\00:55:46.07 There is a lot, isn't there? 00:55:46.11\00:55:48.24 There's a lot, a lot of information that has been given. 00:55:48.28\00:55:50.71 Good information by the power of the Holy Spirit. 00:55:50.75\00:55:53.15 And I know each one of you have studied hard and asked for the 00:55:53.18\00:55:55.98 Holy Spirit to heed and guide and direct and in the 00:55:56.02\00:55:58.99 little time we have, as we always do, we want to go 00:55:59.02\00:56:01.99 around because there are other thoughts sometimes that come 00:56:02.02\00:56:04.16 after you get done and so we'll start with sister Jill here. 00:56:04.19\00:56:07.13 Maybe a thought has come into your mind 00:56:07.23\00:56:08.53 you'd like to enlighten us with. 00:56:08.56\00:56:09.90 I think of Revelation 6:17, just before the second coming 00:56:09.93\00:56:13.57 of Christ and people are saying, "The great day of His wrath 00:56:13.64\00:56:16.47 has come and who shall be able to stand?" 00:56:16.50\00:56:18.54 Proverbs 18:10, "The Lord is a strong tower. The righteous 00:56:18.57\00:56:22.34 run into it and are saved." Amen! 00:56:22.38\00:56:25.75 I'm just thinking, you know, how many people 00:56:25.78\00:56:28.52 don't know these truths? 00:56:28.55\00:56:29.95 I have someone who emails me quite frequently who is 00:56:29.98\00:56:33.96 obviously been taught from a preterist viewpoint. 00:56:33.99\00:56:37.33 We need to learn and to share. 00:56:37.36\00:56:41.50 So when you were talking about downloading this, 00:56:41.53\00:56:44.57 you may want to download an extra copy or give somebody else 00:56:44.60\00:56:48.94 that link - let them study too because God's people are 00:56:48.97\00:56:53.24 going to be protected in the end but other peoples lives 00:56:53.27\00:56:58.55 may be ending before these times come... so 00:56:58.58\00:57:02.15 we need to share. That's right! 00:57:02.18\00:57:03.52 When the judgments of God are falling, Revelation 15:3, 00:57:03.55\00:57:07.49 "Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty, 00:57:07.52\00:57:11.06 just and true are Your ways." 00:57:11.09\00:57:13.16 He will always be declared as a just God. Amen! Amen! 00:57:13.19\00:57:16.60 You know, we are told that these final times, these final 00:57:17.47\00:57:22.10 moments in prophecy are going to be swift ones and I 00:57:22.14\00:57:25.34 just want to encourage the viewers at home 00:57:25.37\00:57:27.78 surrender now while you have a chance. Amen! 00:57:27.81\00:57:29.81 Because sometimes we think that we're going to have all 00:57:29.84\00:57:32.08 this time to figure it out and we'll know when that time 00:57:32.11\00:57:35.15 of probation is going to close, but give your heart to Jesus 00:57:35.18\00:57:38.12 now while you can - today is the day of salvation! 00:57:38.15\00:57:41.09 Amen! Praise the Lord. 00:57:41.12\00:57:42.46 My thoughts go back to, as what we discussed here 00:57:42.49\00:57:45.06 about the temple of God was filled with smoke 00:57:45.09\00:57:47.23 from the glory, so that just simply tells me that the day 00:57:47.30\00:57:50.17 is coming and I believe that it's quickly and that 00:57:50.23\00:57:52.10 probation is going to close. 00:57:52.13\00:57:53.50 All the things that we talked about here... 00:57:53.54\00:57:54.87 the plagues are going to fall. 00:57:54.90\00:57:56.24 Our decision for Christ must be made now while there is time. 00:57:56.27\00:57:59.67 Many of you are making that decision right now. 00:58:00.61\00:58:02.31 Praise God for that. Keep your eyes on Him. 00:58:02.34\00:58:04.45 We look forward to seeing you next time. 00:58:04.48\00:58:07.55