God's Word, the Bible is
full of stories of people
00:00:01.40\00:00:04.27
who claimed they
had encounters with God.
00:00:04.30\00:00:07.78
Moses at the burning
bush. Joshua outside Jericho.
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Elijah in the
cave on Mount Horeb.
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Yes, the Bible is full
of encounters with God,
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a God who knows the
end from the beginning.
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When God speaks to an
individual telling that person
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what will happen
before it happens,
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that person and
those who hear the message
00:00:31.99\00:00:34.56
are faced with a choice.
00:00:34.59\00:00:37.07
Will they listen?
Will they believe?
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Will they like
Noah, act in faith?
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The prophetic word
like any thunderstorm
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always causes a disturbance.
00:00:46.88\00:00:49.40
For it changes the
trajectory of our lives,
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as well as the
course of history.
00:00:52.55\00:00:55.11
Today, we are investigating
the Spirit of Prophecy.
00:01:48.12\00:01:52.83
These encounters with divinity
00:01:52.86\00:01:54.72
are not something
out of the ordinary.
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I believe the reason
the Bible is full of them
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is because God
actually wants us to know Him,
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to experience Him.
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Jesus believed in prophecy.
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He believed in the
foretelling of history.
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He embraced the prophetic
words of the prophet Daniel.
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He quoted from
the prophet Isaiah.
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Jesus embraced
the prophetic ministry
00:02:18.56\00:02:21.39
of John the Baptist.
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In fact, this whole
book could not be here
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without the Spirit of Prophecy.
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It was the Spirit of God
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that inspired the men and women
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with the truths and knowledge
recorded in these pages.
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Paul echoed this truth
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when he wrote
these words to Timothy.
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"All scripture is
given by inspiration"
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that is they were inspired.
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This is the spirit
of prophecy at work.
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All scripture was given by a God
who knows everything in advance.
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But this gift of
prophecy is like fire,
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a wonderful
thing, a powerful thing.
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But it needs to be understood
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and it needs to
be used properly.
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Let's join our
reporters as we investigate
00:03:08.30\00:03:10.79
this prophetic
gift of Revelation
00:03:10.82\00:03:12.71
that comes from God Himself.
00:03:12.74\00:03:16.50
Thanks, Charles.
00:03:16.53\00:03:18.26
When many people
think of prophecy,
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they may think of Nostradamus
00:03:20.68\00:03:22.37
or perhaps the
Mayan Calendar Prophecy.
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These prophecies have
been popularized in the media.
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In fact, a short trip to
the web and you can find many
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who claimed to
have a prophetic word.
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But careful
investigation reveals the Bible
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as the only source
with a perfect track record.
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And that makes perfect sense,
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if you realize who is behind
the prophecies of this book.
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The creator God,
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this God can do something
that none of us can do.
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Accurately predict the future.
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Isaiah 46:9, 10 says,
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"Remember the
former things of old,
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for I am God, and
there is none else,
00:04:04.52\00:04:07.28
I am God, and
there is none like me,
00:04:07.31\00:04:09.92
declaring the end
from the beginning,
00:04:09.95\00:04:12.69
and from ancient times
00:04:12.72\00:04:14.09
the things that
are not yet done."
00:04:14.12\00:04:16.92
Not only can He declare
the end before it even happens,
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but according to Amos 3:7,
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God wants to tell us
what is going to happen.
00:04:23.70\00:04:27.71
"Surely the Lord
God will do nothing,
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but He revealeth His secret
unto His servants the prophets."
00:04:30.25\00:04:35.58
God wants people to
know what He's up to.
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He wants folks to know
Him and that is the reason
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why God has gifted some people
with the Spirit of Prophecy.
00:04:43.11\00:04:48.41
God wants people to
see that he is interested
00:04:48.44\00:04:51.97
and involved in the details
00:04:52.00\00:04:54.37
and power plays
of earth history.
00:04:54.40\00:04:57.64
And Deuteronomy 18:18,
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Moses explains why the
prophecies of the Bible,
00:05:00.24\00:05:03.90
though spoken through humans
have proven to be so accurate.
00:05:03.93\00:05:08.61
"I will raise up a prophet
00:05:08.64\00:05:11.36
and I will put my
words in his mouth,
00:05:11.39\00:05:14.56
and he shall speak unto them
all that I shall command him."
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The Spirit of Prophecy
proves true, over and over again
00:05:19.83\00:05:24.40
because it is the Lord
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who is speaking
through the human agent.
00:05:26.29\00:05:29.25
And this phenomenon
shows up over and over again
00:05:29.28\00:05:34.01
in the
chronicles of human history.
00:05:34.04\00:05:37.09
At this point, we need to notice
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a very important
teaching of Jesus.
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Our friend and
Savior made it clear
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that along with true prophets,
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there would
arise false prophets.
00:05:45.84\00:05:48.60
This would not be just a little
problem that might crop up.
00:05:48.63\00:05:53.35
Jesus told us there
would be many false prophets
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and they would deceive many.
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In fact, three times in
the Book of Matthew alone,
00:05:59.35\00:06:03.76
Jesus warned us
to be on our guard
00:06:03.79\00:06:05.62
against these counterfeits.
00:06:05.65\00:06:08.10
"Beware of false prophets,"
Jesus warned us in Mathew 7:15,
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"which come to you
in sheep's clothing,
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but inwardly they
are ravening wolves."
00:06:14.60\00:06:18.32
False prophets don't have
your best interest at heart.
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So how can you tell
the difference between
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a true prophet of
God and a false one?
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Levi is standing by
with a biblical answer.
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The first test of a true prophet
can be found in Isaiah 8:20,
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"To the law and
to the testimony,
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if they speak not
according to this word,
00:06:38.93\00:06:41.63
it is because there
is no light in them".
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If I want to know how
long in inches, I get a ruler.
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This then becomes the standard
by which, I measure an inch.
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The Bible with its laws
and testimonies is our ruler,
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the standard by which we measure
00:06:57.55\00:06:59.68
new revelations for
truthfulness and integrity.
00:06:59.71\00:07:04.23
While conflicting
doctrines and theories abound,
00:07:04.26\00:07:07.00
the Law of God is
the one unerring rule
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by which all opinions, doctrines
and theories are to be tested.
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And let me share one reason
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this is important
by way of example,
00:07:17.18\00:07:19.88
Jim Jones was a
college educated pastor
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who built up a 900
member interracial church.
00:07:22.74\00:07:26.93
But at some point along the way
00:07:26.96\00:07:28.90
he became more
important in his own eyes.
00:07:28.93\00:07:31.63
It's reported
that at one service,
00:07:31.66\00:07:33.66
he threw the Bible on the
floor and stamped on it saying,
00:07:33.69\00:07:36.74
"The problem is that
people are reading this book
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instead of, listening to me."
00:07:39.33\00:07:41.67
This is the Jim Jones
who led over 900 people
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in a mass suicide in
Guyana, after assassinating
00:07:45.16\00:07:48.51
Congressman Ryan
and some reporters.
00:07:48.54\00:07:51.73
Of course, every false prophet
00:07:51.76\00:07:53.60
doesn't necessarily lead
people to an early demise,
00:07:53.63\00:07:57.14
but rest assured that anyone
who claims to speak for God
00:07:57.17\00:08:01.70
will never dismiss God's Word.
00:08:01.73\00:08:05.23
And this brings
us to the second test
00:08:05.26\00:08:07.16
of the true prophet
found in 1 John 4:2,
00:08:07.19\00:08:10.46
"Hereby know ye
the Spirit of God,
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every spirit that confesseth
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that Jesus Christ is
come in the flesh is of God."
00:08:15.20\00:08:20.79
Anyone claming to
speak for God will affirm
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that Jesus came as
a man in the flesh.
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Yes, He was
Immanuel, "God with us."
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Yes, He is the
Christ, the anointed one,
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but He was also fully human.
00:08:34.85\00:08:37.10
He came as a man
walked in our flesh,
00:08:37.13\00:08:39.82
knew what it was
like to be tempted.
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And thus, He can encourage us,
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guide us and
strengthen us in our human flesh
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and to live
righteous and obedient lives.
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Yet another test
of a true prophet
00:08:51.60\00:08:53.55
is found in Matthew 7:20,
00:08:53.58\00:08:56.04
Jesus said,
"Wherefore by their fruits
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ye shall know them."
00:08:59.71\00:09:01.57
All who join
themselves to Christ
00:09:01.60\00:09:04.00
will develop a godly character
that is what is meant by fruits.
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God's true spokesperson
will exhibit the fruit,
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the character of godliness,
temperance, patience, kindness,
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love, and
charity in their lives.
00:09:18.71\00:09:21.30
Thus, their example will
point others to the truth
00:09:21.33\00:09:25.68
as it's found in Jesus.
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You can't counterfeit truth.
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There is one more test
of a true prophet, Levi
00:09:31.20\00:09:33.41
that we need to
look at critically.
00:09:33.44\00:09:35.25
It's found in Jeremiah 28:9,
00:09:35.28\00:09:38.21
"When the word of the
prophet shall come to pass,
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then shall the prophet be known,
00:09:41.14\00:09:42.93
that the Lord
hath truly sent him."
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Makes sense, if what's
predicted doesn't happen,
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then God didn't
send the messenger.
00:09:49.43\00:09:51.98
For example, Noah
told the antediluvians
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the whole world
would be destroyed.
00:09:54.67\00:09:57.02
It came to pass
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and now we think of
Noah as a true prophet.
00:09:58.45\00:10:01.51
Daniel told King Nebuchadnezzar
that his kingdom would not last,
00:10:01.54\00:10:04.91
that it would be
followed by three world kingdoms
00:10:04.94\00:10:07.51
and then be
divided into many kingdoms,
00:10:07.54\00:10:09.69
partly strong and partly
weak, never to be united again.
00:10:09.72\00:10:13.87
Once more
history faithful records
00:10:13.90\00:10:16.21
that God's
prophetic word to Daniel
00:10:16.24\00:10:18.01
was absolutely
true and accurate.
00:10:18.04\00:10:21.41
By contrast psychics or prophets
00:10:21.44\00:10:23.75
so-called have a
very poor track record.
00:10:23.78\00:10:27.67
There is one exception to the
rule of prophecy coming to pass.
00:10:27.70\00:10:31.32
Some of God's
predictions are conditional.
00:10:31.35\00:10:33.65
That is He'll do X,
if condition A is met.
00:10:33.68\00:10:37.20
Like the one found
in 1 Chronicles 28:9,
00:10:37.23\00:10:40.56
"If you seek Him, He
will be found by you,
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but if you forsake Him, He
will cast you off forever."
00:10:43.66\00:10:48.29
If this, then that a
conditional prophecy.
00:10:48.32\00:10:52.56
However, sometimes
00:10:52.59\00:10:53.96
the conditions of a
prediction are not stated,
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but understood because
of some overarching truth.
00:10:56.09\00:10:59.86
For example, a
dominating truth of the Bible
00:10:59.89\00:11:02.39
found in 1 John
4:8 is, "God is love."
00:11:02.42\00:11:06.90
As a result of that love,
00:11:06.93\00:11:08.30
He shows great
mercy and forgiveness.
00:11:08.33\00:11:12.01
"The Lord is longsuffering
and of great mercy,
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forgiving iniquity
and transgression."
00:11:16.11\00:11:19.57
This is what
happened in the Book of Jonah.
00:11:19.60\00:11:21.79
God told him to go to Nineveh
00:11:21.82\00:11:23.43
and cry against
it with the words
00:11:23.46\00:11:25.13
that He would put in His mouth.
00:11:25.16\00:11:27.05
"And he cried, and
said, in just forty days,
00:11:27.08\00:11:29.70
Nineveh' shall be overthrown."
00:11:29.73\00:11:32.78
Now the people in
Nineveh chose to repent saying,
00:11:32.81\00:11:36.24
"Who can tell if God
will turn and repent,
00:11:36.27\00:11:38.48
and turn away
from his fierce anger,
00:11:38.51\00:11:40.72
that we perish not?"
00:11:40.75\00:11:43.07
God did repent
and let them live,
00:11:43.10\00:11:46.74
but this troubled Jonah
00:11:46.77\00:11:48.16
because he thought this
would change his credibility.
00:11:48.19\00:11:51.39
He told God that this was why
he didn't want to go to Nineveh
00:11:51.42\00:11:54.06
in the first place
because God might forgive
00:11:54.09\00:11:57.22
and then he would be
seen as a false prophet.
00:11:57.25\00:11:59.99
But Jonah
wasn't a false prophet.
00:12:00.02\00:12:02.50
He just served a loving God.
00:12:02.53\00:12:06.37
Good news, indeed,
Andrea. But the choice is ours.
00:12:06.40\00:12:11.40
We can take the
one thing we possess
00:12:11.43\00:12:14.10
choice and embrace the words,
00:12:14.13\00:12:16.84
God sends us through
His chosen messengers.
00:12:16.87\00:12:20.32
Through the prophetic gift,
00:12:20.35\00:12:21.92
we can open ourselves to the God
who actually cares about us--
00:12:21.95\00:12:26.82
our pain, our fears,
our joys, and our hopes.
00:12:26.85\00:12:32.84
At this point, of
our study we need to make
00:12:32.87\00:12:35.19
an important change in our focus
00:12:35.22\00:12:37.55
because the Bible has a
very interesting prophecy
00:12:37.58\00:12:40.83
that actually
impacts our lives today.
00:12:40.86\00:12:44.48
Check it out in Joel 2,
00:12:44.51\00:12:46.92
"And it shall
come to pass afterward
00:12:46.95\00:12:48.58
that I will pour out
my spirit upon all flesh,
00:12:48.61\00:12:52.13
and your sons and your
daughters shall prophesy,
00:12:52.16\00:12:55.15
your old men shall dream dreams,
00:12:55.18\00:12:57.30
your young men
shall see visions.
00:12:57.33\00:12:59.93
And also upon the
servants and upon the handmaids
00:12:59.96\00:13:03.31
in those days will
I pour out my spirit."
00:13:03.34\00:13:06.91
When the Apostle Peter
quoted this verse in Acts 2:17,
00:13:06.94\00:13:11.02
he said it this way,
"And it shall come to pass
00:13:11.05\00:13:14.44
in the last days, saith God,
00:13:14.47\00:13:17.13
I will pour out of
my spirit upon all flesh
00:13:17.16\00:13:20.37
and your sons and your
daughters shall prophesy."
00:13:20.40\00:13:25.03
So here is the prophecy.
00:13:25.06\00:13:26.94
In the last days,
God has every intention
00:13:26.97\00:13:29.66
of pouring out His Spirit
of Prophecy on lots of people,
00:13:29.69\00:13:33.63
on our sons, on our daughters
00:13:33.66\00:13:36.98
and even on the
nobodies, the servants.
00:13:37.01\00:13:39.89
In fact, Jesus told John
in Revelation 12:17 and 19:10,
00:13:39.92\00:13:45.31
that one of the identifying
marks of His remnant people
00:13:45.34\00:13:48.46
was the Spirit of Prophecy
00:13:48.49\00:13:50.19
that would be
poured out on many people.
00:13:50.22\00:13:53.36
And there is one more
absolutely profound insight
00:13:53.39\00:13:56.03
about the modern manifestations
of the Spirit of Prophecy,
00:13:56.06\00:13:59.53
we can glean from
the pages of sacred read.
00:13:59.56\00:14:03.19
Let's join Carl
for this crucial point.
00:14:03.22\00:14:06.93
Thanks, Charles.
00:14:06.96\00:14:08.35
From my study,
I glean an insight
00:14:08.38\00:14:10.69
that directly
impacts my understanding
00:14:10.72\00:14:13.33
regarding modern manifestations
of the Spirit of Prophecy.
00:14:13.36\00:14:18.06
I've discovered
that biblical prophecies
00:14:18.09\00:14:20.79
repetitively come
with the following pattern.
00:14:20.82\00:14:24.87
There is the one
who makes the prophecy
00:14:24.90\00:14:27.54
and at the time
of the fulfillment,
00:14:27.57\00:14:30.09
God puts another
prophet on the ground
00:14:30.12\00:14:32.73
that point's people back
to the author of the prophecy
00:14:32.76\00:14:36.28
and its present fulfillment.
00:14:36.31\00:14:39.34
Let me illustrate, in Genesis 5,
00:14:39.37\00:14:42.47
the patriarch Enoch prophesied
00:14:42.50\00:14:44.91
through the naming
of his son Methuselah.
00:14:44.94\00:14:48.66
According to the exhaustive
dictionary of Bible names,
00:14:48.69\00:14:52.15
his name means "when he
is dead it shall be sent."
00:14:52.18\00:14:57.38
Friend, 849 years
later, the prophet Noah,
00:14:57.41\00:15:01.39
the grandson of Methuselah
00:15:01.42\00:15:03.23
announced there
would be a flood.
00:15:03.26\00:15:05.93
And the year that
Methuselah died, the flood came.
00:15:05.96\00:15:10.51
Thus, the name Methuselah.
00:15:10.54\00:15:13.45
When he is dead
it shall be sent.
00:15:13.48\00:15:16.86
Enoch makes the
prophecy and the prophet Noah
00:15:16.89\00:15:19.88
is on the ground, at
the time of its fulfillment.
00:15:19.91\00:15:23.16
Abraham is told by
God in Genesis 15, 13, 14,
00:15:23.19\00:15:27.33
that his descendants would
be in a country not their own
00:15:27.36\00:15:30.54
and would be
afflicted 400 years,
00:15:30.57\00:15:33.38
but then they would come
out with great substance.
00:15:33.41\00:15:37.76
And at the time of
fulfillment, the prophet Moses
00:15:37.79\00:15:40.71
shows up in Egypt where God's
people are being afflicted,
00:15:40.74\00:15:44.25
tasked with slave labor.
00:15:44.28\00:15:46.81
Moses announces
their deliverance
00:15:46.84\00:15:49.18
and they leave
Egypt with great wealth.
00:15:49.21\00:15:53.41
In Jeremiah 29:10, he
prophesied that Israel would be
00:15:53.44\00:15:57.56
in Babylonian
captivity for 70 years
00:15:57.59\00:16:00.76
and 70 years later
God put the prophet Daniel
00:16:00.79\00:16:03.78
on the ground to
call attention to
00:16:03.81\00:16:06.27
and to aid in the
prophetic fulfillment.
00:16:06.30\00:16:10.01
In Daniel 9:25, we discover
a 70 prophetic week prophecy
00:16:10.04\00:16:15.52
that will lead to the Messiah.
00:16:15.55\00:16:17.81
Then in Mark 1, we
find that right on time,
00:16:17.84\00:16:20.97
the forerunner of the Messiah,
00:16:21.00\00:16:23.12
John the Baptist
appears announcing
00:16:23.15\00:16:25.84
the time is
fulfilled. The Messiah has come.
00:16:25.87\00:16:30.12
So many patterns so little time.
00:16:30.15\00:16:33.28
But we must look at
one more and Daniel 8:14,
00:16:33.31\00:16:37.42
we have the longest
time prophecy in the Bible
00:16:37.45\00:16:39.87
that began in 457
BC and ended in 1844.
00:16:39.90\00:16:45.97
We have a clear
pattern in a consistent God.
00:16:46.00\00:16:49.49
So a modern prophet would
need to show up around 1844
00:16:49.52\00:16:53.66
to announce the fulfillment
of Daniel's prophecy.
00:16:53.69\00:16:57.30
What does history reveal?
00:16:57.33\00:16:59.31
During this time, there
were scores of movements
00:16:59.34\00:17:02.57
that captivated the
attention of many people.
00:17:02.60\00:17:06.53
Joseph Smith who
started Mormonism,
00:17:06.56\00:17:09.62
or Siyyid Ali
Muhammed who founded Babism,
00:17:09.65\00:17:13.08
and its
successor the Baha'i Faith.
00:17:13.11\00:17:15.81
There was the
spiritualist movement
00:17:15.84\00:17:17.97
the launch of Jehovah witnesses,
00:17:18.00\00:17:20.72
scientology and
the New Age Movement.
00:17:20.75\00:17:25.57
It was in 1844
that Marx's published
00:17:25.60\00:17:28.58
the communist manifesto
00:17:28.61\00:17:31.07
and Darwin set forth
the origin of species,
00:17:31.10\00:17:34.88
but none of these
movements point us back
00:17:34.91\00:17:37.66
to Daniel's prophecy.
00:17:37.69\00:17:40.01
None of them
announce the fulfillment
00:17:40.04\00:17:41.86
of Daniel's prophetic timeline,
00:17:41.89\00:17:44.59
the longest time
prophecy in the Bible.
00:17:44.62\00:17:48.97
So I'd like us to consider
another possible candidate,
00:17:49.00\00:17:53.75
Ellen G. White.
00:17:53.78\00:17:57.59
With the many
movements and prophets
00:17:57.62\00:18:00.15
which arose around the time
Daniel's prophecy was to end.
00:18:00.18\00:18:03.54
How can we know
who is the true prophet
00:18:03.57\00:18:06.14
sent to usher in the fulfillment
of the 2300 prophetic day
00:18:06.17\00:18:09.60
or literal year of prophecy?
00:18:09.63\00:18:12.24
Now I believe, the
answer is very simple
00:18:12.27\00:18:14.22
because there is only
one prophet that fits,
00:18:14.25\00:18:18.02
Ellen G. White.
00:18:18.05\00:18:19.57
And precisely on time,
she had her first vision
00:18:19.60\00:18:23.04
in the year 1844
and from that time
00:18:23.07\00:18:25.74
until she died in 1915,
00:18:25.77\00:18:28.58
she continued to
preach by word and pen,
00:18:28.61\00:18:31.99
the fulfillment of
the 2300 year prophecy,
00:18:32.02\00:18:34.67
along with many other
wonderful Bible truths.
00:18:34.70\00:18:38.12
Out of this
truth filled movement,
00:18:38.15\00:18:40.02
arose the
Seventh-day Adventist Church
00:18:40.05\00:18:42.65
that has
continued to carry forward
00:18:42.68\00:18:44.63
this message to the present day.
00:18:44.66\00:18:47.62
Now if Ellen
White is not the prophet
00:18:47.65\00:18:50.06
who was sent to announce
00:18:50.09\00:18:51.46
the fulfillment
of the 2300 years
00:18:51.49\00:18:53.51
and the
cleansing in the sanctuary
00:18:53.54\00:18:55.76
and soon coming of
the Messiah, then who is?
00:18:55.79\00:18:59.48
If you don't
choose her, then who?
00:18:59.51\00:19:02.45
And throughout
history God has been faithful
00:19:02.48\00:19:04.99
to raise up prophets
at the open and close
00:19:05.02\00:19:08.11
of every major event,
relating to His people.
00:19:08.14\00:19:11.32
And the most
recent being Ellen White
00:19:11.35\00:19:13.19
at the close of
the 2300 year prophecy,
00:19:13.22\00:19:15.99
but don't take my word for it.
00:19:16.02\00:19:17.63
Let's go back
and compare her life
00:19:17.66\00:19:20.48
with the biblical
tests of a true prophet.
00:19:20.51\00:19:23.76
We learned that a true prophet
00:19:23.79\00:19:25.63
will never
contradict the Word of God.
00:19:25.66\00:19:28.84
Mrs. White uplifts the
Bible and all her writings
00:19:28.87\00:19:31.58
with words like this,
"Cling to your Bible as it reads
00:19:31.61\00:19:35.38
and stop your criticism
in regard to its validity
00:19:35.41\00:19:38.66
and obey the Word, and
not one of you will be lost."
00:19:38.69\00:19:43.46
Jeremiah 28:9 tells us that,
00:19:43.49\00:19:45.63
what a prophet
predicts must come to pass.
00:19:45.66\00:19:49.50
Here's one of Mrs.
White's prophecies,
00:19:49.53\00:19:52.07
in 1902 she warned that
San Francisco and Oakland
00:19:52.10\00:19:55.50
would be visited by the Lord
00:19:55.53\00:19:57.10
because they were becoming
like Sodom and Gomorrah.
00:19:57.13\00:20:00.06
In 1906 the terrifying
rumble of an earthquake
00:20:00.09\00:20:03.48
shattered the early morning
silence of April 18 at 5:15 AM.
00:20:03.51\00:20:08.67
The San Francisco
quake lasted only 28 seconds
00:20:08.70\00:20:12.16
but caused the 2nd
worst natural disaster
00:20:12.19\00:20:15.09
in the nation's
history with loss of life
00:20:15.12\00:20:17.44
between 3,000 to 6,000.
00:20:17.47\00:20:20.70
Modern analysis estimates
00:20:20.73\00:20:22.30
it registered 8.25
on the Richter scale.
00:20:22.33\00:20:26.76
The next biblical test was
found in 1 John 4:2 which says,
00:20:26.79\00:20:30.60
"Anyone claiming to
speak for God will affirm
00:20:30.63\00:20:33.90
that Jesus came as
a man, in the flesh."
00:20:33.93\00:20:37.39
Does Ellen
White take that stand?
00:20:37.42\00:20:39.74
Most certainly.
00:20:39.77\00:20:41.14
And she writes "Having
taken our fallen nature
00:20:41.17\00:20:44.25
Christ showed
what it might become,
00:20:44.28\00:20:47.06
by accepting the ample
provision He has made for it,
00:20:47.09\00:20:50.93
and by becoming
partaker of the divine nature."
00:20:50.96\00:20:55.39
And finally "A true prophet will
keep the commandments of God."
00:20:55.42\00:21:00.31
And what did she
teach about obedience?
00:21:00.34\00:21:02.76
"Profession of religion
which though in itself good
00:21:02.79\00:21:06.68
is too often unaccompanied
by saving faith in Jesus
00:21:06.71\00:21:10.49
or living obedience to
the commandments of God."
00:21:10.52\00:21:15.00
Ellen White embraced all ten
00:21:15.03\00:21:16.82
of God's commandments
including the fourth.
00:21:16.85\00:21:19.71
And so check,
check, check and check,
00:21:19.74\00:21:23.05
she passes a biblical test.
00:21:23.08\00:21:25.87
Very fascinating, Levi.
00:21:25.90\00:21:27.79
Thanks to the biblical tests
and the patterns of prophecies
00:21:27.82\00:21:30.71
beginning and ending
with a living prophet
00:21:30.74\00:21:33.41
sent by God to guide His people.
00:21:33.44\00:21:35.88
We can be sure
Ellen White was one
00:21:35.91\00:21:37.69
to whom God gifted
the Spirit of Prophecy.
00:21:37.72\00:21:41.16
This prophetic gift
led to a life of travel
00:21:41.19\00:21:43.37
for Ellen White
and her husband James.
00:21:43.40\00:21:45.57
But for seven years,
they made Battle Creek,
00:21:45.60\00:21:47.96
Michigan their home base,
00:21:47.99\00:21:49.60
living in this
home on Wood Street.
00:21:49.63\00:21:52.25
Just inside the upstairs windows
is the room where Ellen White
00:21:52.28\00:21:55.61
received many of
her visions and dreams.
00:21:55.64\00:21:58.35
When I was first
introduced to the idea
00:21:58.38\00:22:00.28
that Ellen White was a prophet,
00:22:00.31\00:22:02.18
it seemed a little weird.
00:22:02.21\00:22:04.03
Honestly, my attitude was
00:22:04.06\00:22:06.14
"Hey, we've got the
Bible. That's enough."
00:22:06.17\00:22:09.79
But when I
understood God's pattern
00:22:09.82\00:22:11.88
and when I compared her
life to the biblical tests.
00:22:11.91\00:22:15.09
I was compelled to
take a second look.
00:22:15.12\00:22:17.78
And when I did, I
was pleasantly surprised.
00:22:17.81\00:22:20.96
I didn't find a
woman on an ego trip,
00:22:20.99\00:22:23.35
using her prophetic status
00:22:23.38\00:22:24.76
to excuse her
lapses and character.
00:22:24.79\00:22:28.10
I discovered a
young woman, a teenager
00:22:28.13\00:22:31.12
who was pushed by
the Spirit of Prophecy
00:22:31.15\00:22:33.76
into a lifetime of
selfless service for others.
00:22:33.79\00:22:37.72
And she didn't
try to seek attention,
00:22:37.75\00:22:39.89
but kept pointing others
00:22:39.92\00:22:41.29
to the light of
God's word, the Bible.
00:22:41.32\00:22:45.11
Listen to this
humble self evaluation,
00:22:45.14\00:22:48.24
"Little heed is
given to the Bible,
00:22:48.27\00:22:50.55
and the Lord has
given a lesser light
00:22:50.58\00:22:52.69
to lead men and women
to the greater light."
00:22:52.72\00:22:56.27
Here Mrs. White
states that it is
00:22:56.30\00:22:58.17
because the Bible
has not been studied
00:22:58.20\00:23:00.47
and delved into us as it should,
00:23:00.50\00:23:02.67
that God sent a
lesser light to bring people
00:23:02.70\00:23:05.38
back to the greater
light, or the Bible.
00:23:05.41\00:23:09.08
Her desire was to lift up Christ
00:23:09.11\00:23:11.54
and, "Oh, how she did."
00:23:11.57\00:23:13.97
In the precious
books, "Steps to Christ,"
00:23:14.00\00:23:16.22
"The Desire of Ages" and
"Christ's Object Lessons"
00:23:16.25\00:23:19.11
I have gotten such a
revelation and experienced
00:23:19.14\00:23:22.26
such an encounter with Jesus
as a Savior and as a friend.
00:23:22.29\00:23:26.19
Her writings have
made me dig deeper
00:23:26.22\00:23:28.58
and look more
critically at the Bible.
00:23:28.61\00:23:31.45
Some have erroneously thought
and I used to be one of them,
00:23:31.48\00:23:35.40
if the Bible is the greater
light just skip Mrs. White
00:23:35.43\00:23:38.45
and go directly to the source.
00:23:38.48\00:23:40.59
But this attitude misses
the point for two reasons.
00:23:40.62\00:23:44.06
One, God sends a
Spirit of Prophecy.
00:23:44.09\00:23:47.29
He tells us they will
be a marked manifestation
00:23:47.32\00:23:49.48
of the prophetic
gift in the last days.
00:23:49.51\00:23:52.77
The second reason this
attitude misses the point
00:23:52.80\00:23:55.55
is God has
something more to say.
00:23:55.58\00:23:58.03
Israel had the Bible, but
God still sent John the Baptist.
00:23:58.06\00:24:02.26
Likewise, His remnant
people have the Bible.
00:24:02.29\00:24:05.56
But He still sent Ellen White.
00:24:05.59\00:24:08.29
Because of her writings,
the Seventh-day Adventist Church
00:24:08.32\00:24:10.84
operates the largest
00:24:10.87\00:24:12.24
Protestant parochial
school system in the world.
00:24:12.27\00:24:16.34
Because of her
prophetic insights
00:24:16.37\00:24:18.65
guided by the
Spirit of Prophecy,
00:24:18.68\00:24:20.82
Seventh-day
Adventists are all stars
00:24:20.85\00:24:22.96
of Longevity producing a
high number of centenarians,
00:24:22.99\00:24:26.42
according to the November
2005 National Geographic.
00:24:26.45\00:24:30.30
Ellen White's insights
regarding our physical wellbeing
00:24:30.33\00:24:33.58
are a boon to those who
desire a long and healthy life.
00:24:33.61\00:24:37.93
The question we
should be asking is,
00:24:37.96\00:24:40.03
are we going to listen
to what God has to say?
00:24:40.06\00:24:44.38
Good question, Andrea.
00:24:44.41\00:24:46.38
You know, so much of
religion today is just a form.
00:24:46.41\00:24:50.00
We go through the emotions
of saying the Lord's Prayer,
00:24:50.03\00:24:53.11
making the sign of the cross,
00:24:53.14\00:24:54.73
attending Holy Communion
or visiting holy sites.
00:24:54.76\00:24:59.15
But what God is
most interested in?
00:24:59.18\00:25:01.33
What He most longs for?
00:25:01.36\00:25:03.29
Can be found in
this doctrinal statement
00:25:03.32\00:25:05.89
by Jesus Himself in John 17:3,
00:25:05.92\00:25:10.07
"And this is life eternal,
00:25:10.10\00:25:12.41
that they might know
thee the only true God,
00:25:12.44\00:25:16.12
and Jesus Christ,
whom thou hast sent."
00:25:16.15\00:25:19.76
Jesus came here
to help us know God.
00:25:19.79\00:25:23.67
We're not talking about
knowing some simple fact
00:25:23.70\00:25:26.72
like who is the current
President of the United States?
00:25:26.75\00:25:30.01
We are talking about
knowing the president,
00:25:30.04\00:25:33.19
being invited
to the White House,
00:25:33.22\00:25:34.88
having the first family over
to your house for a barbeque.
00:25:34.91\00:25:38.98
The word know that
Jesus used here is, 'ginosko.'
00:25:39.01\00:25:43.53
It means, of course,
to know, to understand,
00:25:43.56\00:25:46.40
to perceive or have
knowledge, but it means more.
00:25:46.43\00:25:51.17
It means to know all
the way to your feelings.
00:25:51.20\00:25:54.80
In fact, this word 'ginosko'
00:25:54.83\00:25:56.97
is a Jewish idiom
for marital intimacy.
00:25:57.00\00:26:02.52
We're talking
about really knowing God
00:26:02.55\00:26:06.25
in a spiritually
intimate and committed way.
00:26:06.28\00:26:10.98
This is the
experience that a prophet has
00:26:11.01\00:26:13.47
when God communes with them,
face to face as with a friend.
00:26:13.50\00:26:18.29
And if you had such an
encounter with divinity,
00:26:18.32\00:26:21.22
it would be so easy
to think of yourself
00:26:21.25\00:26:23.82
as special, above others.
00:26:23.85\00:26:26.40
But Ellen White
taught that this experience,
00:26:26.43\00:26:28.92
this personal
encounter is something
00:26:28.95\00:26:31.17
God is willing to do
with anyone, with everyone.
00:26:31.20\00:26:35.39
The prophet in the
Psalms was David encountered God
00:26:35.42\00:26:38.75
and through
David God calls to us,
00:26:38.78\00:26:42.30
"Be still, and
know that I am God,
00:26:42.33\00:26:46.65
I will be exalted
among the heathen.
00:26:46.68\00:26:48.95
I will be exalted in the earth."
00:26:48.98\00:26:51.91
When we take the
time to be still,
00:26:51.94\00:26:54.52
to listen to God
through the Bible
00:26:54.55\00:26:56.32
or through other manifestations
of the Spirit of Prophecy
00:26:56.35\00:26:59.51
such as God
revealed in Ellen G. White.
00:26:59.54\00:27:02.65
We will encounter
Him through this gift.
00:27:02.68\00:27:06.72
God fully intents
to lead His people
00:27:06.75\00:27:09.38
all the way into His kingdom.
00:27:09.41\00:27:12.17
I hope you enjoyed
today's Bible study
00:28:11.94\00:28:14.06
regarding this
special gift of God
00:28:14.09\00:28:16.08
to His remnant church,
the Spirit of Prophecy.
00:28:16.11\00:28:20.11
As a special
edition to this study,
00:28:20.14\00:28:22.57
we visited the widest state
in Silver Springs, Maryland.
00:28:22.60\00:28:25.62
Check out that
short interview at QLP.tv.
00:28:25.65\00:28:29.46