Can you believe it?
00:00:02.31\00:00:05.31
Can you build your faith on it?
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The promises of
God's Word are sure!
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They do not fail!
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This book has
stood the test of time.
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Hallelujah!
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Father up in heaven,
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this morning as
we open Your Word
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we think about this wonderful
time that You're coming back.
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Where each one of us will
have the privilege of hearing
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wedding music.
Lord, we ask that we
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each may have the opportunity
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of being in Your kingdom.
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Not because, Lord,
we have done anything
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but because we've accepted You.
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Bless us as we
study Your Word now.
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Give us wisdom and
understanding we pray
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in Christ's name, Amen.
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This morning we're going to
take a look at a text in the
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Bible - a chapter in
the Bible - that you'll find
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Bible commentaries
just kind of pass it by.
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You don't hear
very many sermons on it.
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Books on the Bible
don't say much about it
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yet it is an
extremely important chapter.
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Talks about an angel
that is standing on the earth
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and on the sea.
We're going to take a look
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and see what Revelation
the 10th chapter has to say
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to us about this angel.
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We'll start with verse 1. Says:
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Now you find that when
you're studying God's Word
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that you will in
Bible prophecy come across
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angels many
places in the scripture.
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When you come across an angel
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like in
Revelation the 14th chapter
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there are three
angels. Those angels represent
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a message that's to
be given to the world.
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And so you have three angels
with three distinct messages
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the whole world is to hear.
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When you go to
Revelation the 18th chapter
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you have an angel there.
And it says the earth was
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lightened with the
glory of that angel.
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meaning that that angel
had a particular message
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the world is to hear. And
when you come to this angel
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here in
Revelation the 10th chapter
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that is standing on
the earth and on the sea
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that angel has a distinct
message that the whole world
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was to hear. That's
what he's representing.
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So let's see what the
message that this angel
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that has his right foot
upon the sea and his left foot
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upon the land and
his hand raised to heaven
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let's see what that message
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that he's
proclaiming to the world is.
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Revelation 10 verse 5:
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So he has his
hand raised to heaven.
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He's shouting out
across the whole world
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that there is to
be delay no longer.
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Now the scripture that we're
reading is the New King James
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version. I like the
old King James version
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on this particular
text much much better.
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It doesn't say that there
shall be "delay no longer. "
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The old King James
version says that "time shall be
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no longer. " In other words, he
has his hand raised to heaven.
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He's shouting out to
the whole world that time
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has run out... that
time should be no longer.
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So this angel is dealing
with the question of time.
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Watch as it continues:
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So here it says
that he is shouting out
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that it's done...
that the mystery of God
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is... what? Finished.
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Now if you pick up your
Bible and you'll look in it
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you'll find that
there are several things
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that are mentioned as mysteries.
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One of the things the
Bible refers to as a mystery
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is the mystery of iniquity.
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That's a mystery.
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You see, logically
you can't put it together.
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Why would Lucifer rebel
against God? Leave heaven
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and everything
there? Doesn't make sense.
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And I even run onto
people who are trying always
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to make an excuse for sin.
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There is no excuse for sin.
You can't... there just isn't.
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That's why it's referred
to as the mystery of iniquity.
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But it also refers
to the mystery of God.
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You see, it's also a
mystery how that the Son of God,
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Jesus Christ,
would leave heaven.
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Would leave the
side of His Father.
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Would leave the
adoration of the angels.
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Come down to this
earth to be abused of man.
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That logically does not fit.
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That's the reason it's referred
to as the mystery of God.
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It's talking about the gospel.
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And he says: "The
mystery of God is finished. "
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That means when the whole
plan of salvation is over.
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It's come to an end.
So this angel has his hand
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raised to heaven.
He's shouting out that time
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should be no longer,
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that the mystery of
God has come to an end.
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That's what he's proclaiming.
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Listen as he continues:
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So the prophet John is
told to go to this angel,
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take the little book out
of the hand of the angel.
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That little book is open please
notice in the hand of the angel.
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OK.
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Now evidently there is
something... something about
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this message this angel has
that time should be no longer,
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something about the mystery
of God should be finished,
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something that's
contained in that book,
00:13:28.35\00:13:30.27
that the scripture says
would be sweet in his mouth
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and bitter in his stomach.
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Now you find that
as you read God's Word
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and as you study it the
books of Daniel and Revelation
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go together.
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They're kind of
like a hand and a glove.
00:13:46.12\00:13:48.65
All the prophecies in the
book of Daniel are repeated
00:13:48.75\00:13:51.38
in the book of Revelation.
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And so you find that
one complements the other
00:13:52.98\00:13:55.85
as you study
them. This little book
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that is open in
the hand of the angel
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is also mentioned in Daniel...
in Daniel the 12th chapter.
00:14:02.13\00:14:06.32
Notice what it
has to say about it:
00:14:06.55\00:14:08.77
So here he's telling
Daniel: "Shut up the words;
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seal the book. " Not open.
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"Seal the book unto
the time of the end. "
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Now you understand the
difference between the time
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of the end and the end of time?
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The Bible uses both
those phrases. It talks about
00:14:38.30\00:14:40.80
the time of the end.
Talks about the end of time.
00:14:41.00\00:14:43.39
When I was a boy
oh, sometime usually
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the month of September
my father would go to town
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and he would buy a turkey.
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And he would bring it home
and he would put that turkey
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in a cage. And he
would give instructions to me
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about taking care of it.
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Make sure it was fed,
watered, cared for properly.
00:15:03.47\00:15:06.77
When my father put
that turkey in that cage
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that began the time of the end.
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Do you understand
what I'm talking about?
00:15:14.16\00:15:16.65
But when Thanksgiving
Day rolled around, that was
00:15:18.93\00:15:21.65
the end of time, OK?
00:15:21.76\00:15:24.07
So he said: "Shut
up the book; seal it
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unto the time of the end. "
00:15:27.25\00:15:29.71
And when you and I
begin to study Bible prophecy
00:15:30.01\00:15:32.75
and we begin to look at the
Word of God and see what it's
00:15:32.95\00:15:35.54
talking about, you'll find that
when we're looking at prophecy
00:15:35.75\00:15:39.21
concerning the
coming of the Lord
00:15:39.41\00:15:41.45
there's one date that comes
up over and over in God's Word
00:15:41.65\00:15:45.86
that marks the beginning
of the time of the end.
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I don't care whether you're
talking about Daniel 7:25,
00:15:48.48\00:15:52.71
Daniel 12:7, or whether
you're looking at Revelation 11
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or whether you're
looking at Revelation 12
00:15:57.71\00:16:00.58
or Revelation 13... all
those chapters give you a time
00:16:00.78\00:16:06.15
and every one of them
sets the time of the end
00:16:06.29\00:16:09.95
as that of 1798 AD.
00:16:10.15\00:16:13.47
That begins the time of the end.
00:16:13.77\00:16:16.83
He said: "Shut
up the book; seal it
00:16:16.93\00:16:19.12
unto the time of the end. "
00:16:19.32\00:16:21.34
"Many shall run to and fro and
knowledge shall be increased. "
00:16:21.74\00:16:25.17
Up until 1798 AD there were
a lot of people that tried to
00:16:25.58\00:16:30.18
understand Bible prophecy
00:16:30.28\00:16:32.02
but they just
couldn't seem to get through.
00:16:32.52\00:16:35.66
And you can go back
and read their writings.
00:16:35.96\00:16:38.09
Great students of Bible prophecy
00:16:38.40\00:16:40.27
and it just seemed that they
00:16:40.47\00:16:41.95
couldn't break through.
00:16:42.05\00:16:43.72
The books of Daniel
and Revelation became known
00:16:45.55\00:16:47.91
as closed books.
00:16:48.01\00:16:49.51
Looked on a closed
books. Couldn't be understood.
00:16:50.35\00:16:53.08
But in the late 1700's
on the scene of action came
00:16:53.48\00:16:58.77
a man by the
name of Joseph Wolff.
00:16:58.98\00:17:02.20
Joseph Wolff was a Jew.
00:17:02.61\00:17:05.22
As a boy he gave
his heart to the Lord.
00:17:05.42\00:17:08.22
Went to school;
studied to be a minister.
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And when he finished the
seminary he went to Israel
00:17:11.19\00:17:15.79
and began to preach and
teach the Jewish people there.
00:17:15.99\00:17:20.51
But Joseph Wolff had a
great great burden on his heart
00:17:20.75\00:17:24.49
to understand Bible prophecy.
00:17:24.79\00:17:26.81
And so he began to
read it, understand it.
00:17:27.31\00:17:30.52
And as Joseph Wolff was studying
00:17:30.55\00:17:33.29
particularly the book of Daniel
00:17:33.69\00:17:36.14
and he came to that text
that we studied the other night
00:17:36.44\00:17:39.09
in Daniel 8:14 that
said "Unto 2,300 days
00:17:39.29\00:17:43.02
then shall the
sanctuary be cleansed. "
00:17:43.22\00:17:44.91
And he began to study that and
he got over into the 9th chapter
00:17:45.21\00:17:49.20
of Daniel and he came to that
text where Gabriel is explaining
00:17:49.61\00:17:54.33
to Daniel and said:
"Know therefore and understand
00:17:54.43\00:17:56.39
that from the going forth
of the commandment to restore
00:17:56.59\00:17:58.76
and build Jerusalem
unto Messiah the Prince
00:17:58.86\00:18:00.54
shall be seven weeks
three score and two weeks. "
00:18:00.64\00:18:02.62
And he began to take
that prophecy and he began to
00:18:02.82\00:18:05.87
trace it step by step.
00:18:05.97\00:18:08.20
And as he traced it, it brought
him to the date of 1843 AD.
00:18:08.50\00:18:13.58
There was a problem.
00:18:14.98\00:18:16.53
All the churches back
then - Baptist, Methodist,
00:18:16.93\00:18:20.64
Presbyterian,
Episcopalian, all of them -
00:18:20.84\00:18:22.70
believed that that
phrase in Daniel 8:14
00:18:23.01\00:18:26.42
that said: "Then shall
the sanctuary be cleansed"
00:18:26.62\00:18:29.08
they all believed that
that meant the cleansing of
00:18:29.38\00:18:32.00
this earth by fire.
00:18:32.20\00:18:33.67
And so when Joseph Wolff
took that prophecy and it
00:18:34.87\00:18:38.32
brought him to 1843 AD
00:18:38.43\00:18:40.31
he said: "Jesus
is coming back! "
00:18:40.51\00:18:42.37
And he began to preach
all across the Middle East
00:18:42.78\00:18:46.61
that Jesus
Christ was coming back.
00:18:46.71\00:18:48.69
And people
responded to his message
00:18:48.89\00:18:51.05
saying that Jesus was coming.
00:18:51.35\00:18:53.66
At the same time, folks,
00:18:54.51\00:18:57.00
not connected with Joseph Wolff
but living at the same time,
00:18:57.21\00:19:01.05
there's a minister over
in England by the name of
00:19:01.29\00:19:04.60
Edward Irving that's been
preaching the same prophecy.
00:19:04.70\00:19:07.82
He has taken that same
prophecy and studied it
00:19:08.32\00:19:11.76
and it's brought him
to the date of 1843 AD.
00:19:11.96\00:19:14.52
And he has preached across
England that Jesus is coming.
00:19:14.82\00:19:17.66
He's joined by 500
other Anglican preachers
00:19:17.76\00:19:21.60
and that has swept across the
British Isles like wild fire.
00:19:21.81\00:19:25.27
You want to say
this is coincidental?
00:19:26.32\00:19:28.49
You want to tell
me this just happened?
00:19:28.79\00:19:31.32
At the same time - not
connected with Joseph Wolff,
00:19:32.37\00:19:35.22
not connected
with Edward Irving -
00:19:35.42\00:19:36.96
but living at the
same time - contemporary -
00:19:37.17\00:19:39.72
there's a Catholic priest down
in So. America by the name of
00:19:39.75\00:19:43.09
Manuel de Lacunza that's
been studying the same prophecy.
00:19:43.29\00:19:46.59
And as he is
studying those prophecies
00:19:46.89\00:19:48.93
they too have brought
him to the date of 1843 AD.
00:19:49.13\00:19:52.52
And he has written a
book called The Coming King
00:19:52.82\00:19:55.35
and it's circulated
across South America.
00:19:55.55\00:19:57.55
And thousands and thousands
of people have accepted and
00:19:57.75\00:20:00.33
believed that Jesus
is coming in 1843 AD.
00:20:00.43\00:20:03.34
At the same time
00:20:04.76\00:20:06.91
not connected to these men
but living at the same time
00:20:07.21\00:20:11.15
there's a Baptist minister
here in the United States.
00:20:11.39\00:20:14.31
His name is William Miller.
00:20:14.61\00:20:16.74
William Miller has been
pouring over those prophecies
00:20:17.92\00:20:20.60
for nine years.
00:20:20.70\00:20:22.42
He has become
absolutely convicted
00:20:22.62\00:20:24.81
that Jesus is coming in 1843 AD.
00:20:25.01\00:20:28.32
William Miller was invited
by a Congregational church up in
00:20:28.82\00:20:33.53
Boston to come and
to present his messages.
00:20:33.63\00:20:36.45
And he went up to
this little church
00:20:36.65\00:20:38.46
and there he took his
charts and all and he began to
00:20:38.76\00:20:41.44
explain the prophecy. And
he brought them all the way
00:20:41.64\00:20:44.14
down through that
prophecy coming to 1843 AD.
00:20:44.24\00:20:47.41
And he said that
Jesus is coming back.
00:20:47.61\00:20:49.73
When he finished the
young pastor of that church
00:20:50.13\00:20:53.89
by the name of Joshua V. Hines
00:20:54.09\00:20:56.29
stood up and said:
"Mr. Miller, do you believe
00:20:56.49\00:20:58.41
what you're preaching? "
00:20:58.51\00:20:59.62
And he said: "Well I wouldn't
be preaching it if I didn't
00:20:59.82\00:21:01.90
believe it. " And
that young preacher said:
00:21:02.00\00:21:03.99
"Then why don't you
do something about it? "
00:21:04.20\00:21:06.24
And under the tremendous
genius of that young minister
00:21:06.54\00:21:09.51
they began to make one
large city after another
00:21:09.71\00:21:12.20
across the United States.
00:21:12.40\00:21:13.74
They would pitch tents.
6,000- 7,000- 8,000 people
00:21:13.94\00:21:17.14
would pour out to those tents.
In fact, so many people came
00:21:17.24\00:21:20.44
that the railroad companies
would have to run railroad
00:21:20.64\00:21:22.91
tracks out to take care of the
people that came just by car.
00:21:23.01\00:21:26.22
Among the people that
came to those meetings
00:21:26.46\00:21:29.31
was a young Methodist minister
by the name of S. S. Snow.
00:21:29.61\00:21:34.13
He listened to William Miller
preach, went home that night
00:21:34.43\00:21:37.74
under great conviction.
00:21:37.84\00:21:39.29
Got his Bible; got every history
book he could get his hands on
00:21:39.49\00:21:44.72
and began to study
that prophecy in Daniel.
00:21:44.92\00:21:47.81
And he found out that that
decree given by King Artaxerxes
00:21:48.11\00:21:51.54
in 457 BC... found out that that
was given in the fall of 457 BC.
00:21:51.74\00:21:56.80
And he began to
trace it step by step.
00:21:56.83\00:21:59.02
And as he traced it it
didn't bring him to 1843 AD.
00:21:59.22\00:22:02.88
It brought him to
the fall of 1844 AD.
00:22:03.18\00:22:07.35
And S. S. Snow went
to see William Miller.
00:22:07.75\00:22:10.35
And they sat down and
they poured over that prophecy
00:22:10.55\00:22:13.18
and William Miller
could see that he was right.
00:22:13.38\00:22:15.59
They called a Bible conference.
00:22:16.96\00:22:19.20
People came in from all
over... some even from Europe.
00:22:19.60\00:22:23.57
S. S. Snow stood up
and presented that paper
00:22:23.81\00:22:26.09
and that Bible conference voted.
They voted that Jesus Christ
00:22:26.29\00:22:31.55
was coming back. They
called it The Midnight Cry.
00:22:31.75\00:22:35.87
They went out of
there electrified.
00:22:36.74\00:22:38.81
They said: "Jesus is coming! "
00:22:38.91\00:22:40.46
They told everybody they
met that Jesus was coming.
00:22:40.77\00:22:43.43
They got down on their knees.
They confessed their sins.
00:22:43.63\00:22:46.47
It was something they
believed with all their hearts.
00:22:46.67\00:22:49.21
It was in their
mouths as sweet as honey.
00:22:49.51\00:22:53.54
"Time shall be no longer. "
00:22:55.13\00:22:56.91
"The mystery of
God is finished. "
00:22:57.21\00:23:01.10
October 22, 1844, came...
the date that they had set
00:23:03.26\00:23:08.56
for the coming of Jesus.
00:23:08.76\00:23:10.10
They went out to meet Him.
00:23:10.41\00:23:12.04
Some went out
and stood in fields.
00:23:13.10\00:23:15.28
Some sat in their
homes as William Miller did.
00:23:15.68\00:23:18.33
All day long they waited.
00:23:18.63\00:23:20.51
Sun set... Jesus didn't come.
00:23:21.71\00:23:24.47
They encouraged one another
and said: "Oh, He'll come
00:23:24.67\00:23:27.13
at midnight. " And on
into the night they waited
00:23:27.23\00:23:29.79
and midnight came and passed
00:23:29.89\00:23:31.47
until the sun came
up the next morning.
00:23:31.67\00:23:33.95
And that that had been in
their mouths as sweet as honey
00:23:34.35\00:23:37.96
became bitter in their stomachs.
00:23:38.27\00:23:42.01
They had longed for it, looked
for it, but Jesus hadn't come.
00:23:42.21\00:23:46.86
Now let me tell
you something, friends:
00:23:47.16\00:23:49.18
if you're intellectually honest,
00:23:49.38\00:23:52.16
you can take that
prophecy in Daniel 8 and 9
00:23:53.02\00:23:56.06
and it'll take you
to the Fall of 1844 AD
00:23:56.26\00:23:59.34
every last time.
Oh, they were wrong.
00:23:59.54\00:24:03.00
They were wrong because
that prophecy's talking about
00:24:04.17\00:24:07.52
Jesus coming before His
Father to begin the judgment.
00:24:07.72\00:24:11.97
And they thought it was talking
about the second coming, but
00:24:12.37\00:24:14.63
the point I'm trying to make
today is it was prophesied in
00:24:14.83\00:24:18.19
God's Word that they would be
disappointed. It was prophesied
00:24:18.29\00:24:21.43
that it would be preached.
00:24:21.53\00:24:22.88
That's the point
I'm trying to make.
00:24:23.58\00:24:25.17
Yes, it was
preached. They misunderstood it
00:24:25.29\00:24:29.35
but God said they
would misunderstand it.
00:24:29.55\00:24:31.91
And they were prepared and
looking for the coming of Jesus.
00:24:32.21\00:24:34.94
It was in their
mouths as sweet as honey.
00:24:35.24\00:24:37.56
There were certain prophecies
that had to be preached
00:24:37.66\00:24:41.28
before Jesus could come.
00:24:41.48\00:24:43.17
For instance, those
that I mentioned to you.
00:24:43.47\00:24:45.55
But I want you to look at the
last verse of the 10th chapter
00:24:45.85\00:24:50.60
of Revelation because I
read to you all the verses
00:24:50.80\00:24:54.60
but the 10th
one... but the 11th one.
00:24:54.70\00:24:57.37
Let me read it to you:
00:24:57.60\00:24:58.88
Thou must
prophesy again about what?
00:25:13.16\00:25:15.90
Huh? About what?
00:25:18.67\00:25:21.09
Time shall be no more?
00:25:22.23\00:25:24.39
The mystery of God
should be finished?
00:25:24.59\00:25:26.41
"Thou must prophesy again. "
00:25:26.71\00:25:29.08
Who? Who must prophesy again?
00:25:29.38\00:25:33.82
You. You. You're
the ones who are living
00:25:35.35\00:25:39.83
down here at
the time of the end.
00:25:39.93\00:25:41.54
You're the one that God
has laid that message on.
00:25:41.95\00:25:44.85
You and I are the ones
that need to be proclaiming
00:25:46.27\00:25:48.68
that Jesus is coming back.
00:25:48.78\00:25:50.25
"Thou must prophesy again! "
00:25:50.55\00:25:53.47
in preparing the world for
the coming of Jesus Christ.
00:25:53.67\00:25:57.04
No, He didn't come because those
three angels in Revelation 14
00:25:58.06\00:26:01.88
have a special message
the whole world is to hear.
00:26:02.08\00:26:04.72
That's the message. First
angel is to tell people that
00:26:14.30\00:26:16.94
salvation is available
for every man, every woman,
00:26:17.04\00:26:20.25
every child.
00:26:20.45\00:26:21.66
And you and I talked
about that the other night.
00:26:27.86\00:26:30.02
That we're living during
the hour of God's judgment.
00:26:30.32\00:26:33.06
It doesn't say: "The hour
of God's judgment is coming. "
00:26:33.26\00:26:36.98
It says: "The hour of
God's judgment has come. "
00:26:37.28\00:26:41.17
Going on up in heaven right now.
00:26:41.48\00:26:43.82
Secondly, it says:
00:26:44.12\00:26:45.89
And dear friend, we're going
to be talking about Babylon.
00:26:59.54\00:27:01.78
We're going to be talking
about the fall of Babylon.
00:27:01.88\00:27:03.77
We're going to be finding out
what's involved in that second
00:27:03.87\00:27:06.65
angel's message
and a third angel.
00:27:06.75\00:27:08.76
And here in a few days we're
going to be looking at the beast
00:27:24.73\00:27:27.66
and its image and its mark and
we're going to be finding out
00:27:27.77\00:27:30.25
exactly what's involved in that.
00:27:30.35\00:27:32.04
And all that is
part - put it down -
00:27:32.24\00:27:35.07
all that is part of
getting ready for the coming of
00:27:35.27\00:27:38.64
Jesus Christ. So
you need to be here
00:27:38.74\00:27:41.73
as we study those
great, great prophecies.
00:27:42.13\00:27:44.64
They're extremely important
00:27:44.84\00:27:46.62
and you and I know
what they're talking about.
00:27:46.92\00:27:48.99
The problem is: when
you start talking about
00:27:49.29\00:27:52.99
the coming of Jesus,
people get edgy and get scared
00:27:53.03\00:27:58.12
and they say: "Oh Bro.
Cox, don't you know there's
00:27:58.32\00:28:00.69
a text in the Bible that
says 'no one knows the day
00:28:00.80\00:28:03.18
nor the hour. ' "
00:28:03.28\00:28:04.34
Well yes. That's
found in Matthew 24:36.
00:28:04.47\00:28:07.14
This is the way it reads:
00:28:07.44\00:28:08.87
Yes, but the problem is
that there's another text
00:28:15.13\00:28:19.34
in that same chapter
that few people seem to pay
00:28:19.45\00:28:22.71
any attention to.
And that text says this:
00:28:22.81\00:28:25.50
Now this morning I
don't know the day,
00:28:43.51\00:28:46.05
I don't know the hour of
the coming of Jesus Christ.
00:28:46.25\00:28:49.18
I'm not going to try
to tell you that, friend.
00:28:49.38\00:28:51.44
But I am going to do everything
in my power to help you know
00:28:51.75\00:28:54.52
it's near... even at the door.
00:28:54.62\00:28:57.69
I am going to do that.
00:28:57.99\00:28:59.37
What bothers me is I
talk to Christian people,
00:28:59.88\00:29:03.68
people that love
the Lord, and they say:
00:29:04.08\00:29:07.12
"Oh, we don't know
when Jesus is coming.
00:29:07.32\00:29:09.25
Why He's going to come
back as a thief in the night.
00:29:09.45\00:29:13.88
We don't know when
Jesus is going to come back. "
00:29:14.18\00:29:17.02
Well, let me tell you something.
00:29:17.42\00:29:20.42
You can write this down in
your little book if you want to.
00:29:20.82\00:29:23.49
if Jesus comes back
as a thief in the night
00:29:23.79\00:29:27.05
to you, you're lost.
00:29:27.25\00:29:29.04
OK? Just put it down.
00:29:31.28\00:29:33.79
If He comes back as a
thief in the night to you,
00:29:33.99\00:29:36.00
you're lost. At least
that's what the scripture says.
00:29:36.20\00:29:38.78
Listen:
00:29:38.98\00:29:40.13
Paul said: "I shouldn't have
to write to you about this. "
00:29:48.50\00:29:50.56
People say: "See right there? "
00:29:56.90\00:29:58.45
The problem is they
quit reading right there.
00:29:58.65\00:30:00.43
Now listen, folks:
00:30:10.03\00:30:11.57
No, dear friend, Jesus is not
coming as a thief in the night
00:30:29.19\00:30:32.84
to you or to me or to
those that love the Lord.
00:30:33.04\00:30:36.00
He's coming as a thief
in the night to the wicked
00:30:36.30\00:30:38.71
but not to the righteous.
00:30:39.11\00:30:40.86
So you and I need to be
watching. We need to be waiting
00:30:41.16\00:30:43.98
for the coming of the Lord.
00:30:44.18\00:30:45.33
You see, some people
think that God doesn't know
00:30:45.63\00:30:48.61
what he's doing. But
as I read the scripture
00:30:48.71\00:30:53.30
God has always done
everything according to a plan.
00:30:53.50\00:30:56.34
Everything has
gone off perfect. Listen
00:30:56.64\00:30:59.73
concerning the birth of Jesus:
00:31:00.03\00:31:02.07
He was born exactly on time.
00:31:09.73\00:31:11.91
You remember when He
turned the water into wine
00:31:12.21\00:31:15.74
there at the wedding at Cana?
00:31:15.84\00:31:17.20
And His mother you remember
had asked Him to do something
00:31:17.40\00:31:19.56
about it. You
remember His response to her?
00:31:19.59\00:31:22.46
He said... Jesus said to her:
00:31:23.32\00:31:25.01
He said: "You're rushing me.
00:31:31.10\00:31:32.43
You're moving
Me ahead of time. "
00:31:32.53\00:31:34.10
His ministry went
off like clockwork.
00:31:36.34\00:31:38.38
He died exactly on
time. John 19 verse 30:
00:31:38.68\00:31:43.11
And he died exactly on time.
00:31:47.79\00:31:49.92
And you'd better put it down:
00:31:50.12\00:31:51.44
He's coming
back exactly on time.
00:31:51.54\00:31:54.55
There's a text in the
Bible that I find people read
00:31:57.97\00:32:01.88
that many times
they take out of context.
00:32:02.08\00:32:04.24
I'd like for you
to look at it with me.
00:32:04.65\00:32:06.61
It's found in Peter... the book
of Peter: II Peter the third
00:32:06.81\00:32:10.38
chapter. I'm going to
start with verse 3. And it says:
00:32:10.48\00:32:13.38
So they're scoffing
about the coming of Jesus.
00:32:28.49\00:32:31.49
This chapter, folks, is
talking about the end of time.
00:32:31.79\00:32:35.29
It's talking about the
coming of Jesus Christ.
00:32:35.49\00:32:37.25
So he said the earth back
then was destroyed by water.
00:32:51.99\00:32:54.62
All right?
00:32:55.02\00:32:56.55
Now listen carefully because
Peter's going to come to our
00:32:56.85\00:32:59.39
day, the time in
which you and I are living.
00:32:59.49\00:33:02.07
Verse 7:
00:33:02.27\00:33:03.35
I don't have time to go
into that this morning, folks.
00:33:15.01\00:33:17.41
But let me ask you something:
00:33:17.61\00:33:19.05
the fuel that we use out here...
you know, the gas and the oil...
00:33:19.25\00:33:23.65
what is that called? What
kind of fuel is it called?
00:33:23.85\00:33:28.23
It's called fossil fuel.
00:33:28.63\00:33:31.73
Are you with me?
00:33:32.03\00:33:33.61
Put there by the flood.
00:33:33.92\00:33:35.58
The same fuel that will
burn the earth at the close.
00:33:35.78\00:33:39.51
Put it down.
00:33:40.79\00:33:42.16
Now Peter is saying
"Concerning the coming of Jesus"
00:33:51.04\00:33:54.12
Peter is saying when it comes
to the coming of Jesus Christ
00:34:04.15\00:34:06.55
don't forget that one
day is as a thousand years,
00:34:06.76\00:34:09.40
a thousand years as a day.
00:34:09.50\00:34:10.74
And people say to me: "Oh
that just means that God's
00:34:10.94\00:34:13.09
not concerned with
time. " No it doesn't.
00:34:13.19\00:34:15.14
In fact, it means
just the opposite.
00:34:15.54\00:34:17.81
Listen to the next verse:
00:34:18.12\00:34:19.24
What is the Lord trying
to tell you and tell me?
00:34:31.75\00:34:35.83
Why did he say one
day is as a thousand years
00:34:36.14\00:34:39.84
and a thousand years as a day?
00:34:40.04\00:34:41.31
Well let me ask you
some questions today.
00:34:41.71\00:34:44.07
How do we go about
00:34:45.16\00:34:50.78
getting a year? How
do we establish that?
00:34:50.98\00:34:54.13
How do we get 365 days a year?
00:34:55.39\00:34:57.86
Yeah, we get it from the
earth's orbit around the sun.
00:34:59.19\00:35:01.80
How do we
establish 30 days in a month?
00:35:02.63\00:35:05.17
The moon...
orbit around the earth.
00:35:07.37\00:35:09.53
How do we establish that
there are 24 hours in a day?
00:35:09.93\00:35:13.30
Earth's rotation on its axis.
00:35:16.31\00:35:18.13
OK... you tell me. Now
you tell me this morning:
00:35:18.23\00:35:21.23
what heavenly body -
00:35:21.63\00:35:25.02
sun, moon, stars, earth -
00:35:25.22\00:35:28.49
what heavenly body
gives us the seven-day week?
00:35:28.69\00:35:32.23
What happened? Come on.
00:35:36.32\00:35:39.47
I don't know what the
evolutionist does with that.
00:35:40.63\00:35:43.04
Only place you get a 7-day
week is right here, friends.
00:35:44.23\00:35:46.88
God gave the seven-day week.
00:35:47.83\00:35:49.91
Now, what does that have to
do with what I'm talking about?
00:35:50.11\00:35:51.91
If you pick up the
Bible and begin to study it,
00:35:52.21\00:35:54.06
you find in prophecy
the number seven is used
00:35:54.26\00:35:56.08
over and over and over.
00:35:56.19\00:35:57.57
God... In Revelation
the number seven is used
00:35:57.78\00:35:59.87
over 50 times. God
talks about seven seals,
00:35:59.97\00:36:03.16
seven woes, seven
spirits, seven plagues,
00:36:03.26\00:36:05.10
seven trumpets. I
could go on and on.
00:36:05.30\00:36:07.16
That number seven
indicates completeness.
00:36:07.46\00:36:10.24
That's what it stands for.
00:36:11.23\00:36:12.68
All right...
now watch carefully:
00:36:12.98\00:36:16.01
the Bible divides
time into seven parts.
00:36:16.21\00:36:19.56
How it divides it.
00:36:19.86\00:36:21.69
Genesis 5 says there's
00:36:21.99\00:36:24.11
ten generations from Adam
00:36:24.21\00:36:29.15
to the flood.
00:36:29.35\00:36:30.68
Genesis 11 says
there's ten generations
00:36:30.88\00:36:33.65
from the flood to Abraham.
00:36:33.85\00:36:36.63
Matthew 1:17 says
there's fourteen generations
00:36:37.27\00:36:41.30
from Abraham to David.
00:36:41.50\00:36:43.82
It continues in
Matthew 1:17 and says there's
00:36:44.23\00:36:47.42
fourteen generations
from David to the captivity.
00:36:47.63\00:36:50.74
And then it says that there's
00:36:50.94\00:36:52.43
fourteen generations
from the captivity to Christ.
00:36:52.53\00:36:55.04
OK... that's 5 periods of time.
00:36:56.51\00:36:59.30
Then the Bible tells
us in Revelation 2 and 3
00:36:59.60\00:37:02.17
that you and I are living in
00:37:02.38\00:37:03.75
the time of the Holy Spirit -
00:37:03.85\00:37:05.16
the dispensation
of the Holy Spirit.
00:37:05.36\00:37:06.62
That's the 6th period of time.
00:37:06.72\00:37:08.36
And then the Bible talks about
00:37:08.56\00:37:10.09
a seventh period of time in:
00:37:10.29\00:37:12.22
Talks about a thousand years
00:37:17.00\00:37:19.81
that we've studied. OK?
00:37:20.01\00:37:21.76
Studied last night.
00:37:21.97\00:37:23.61
A thousand years.
00:37:45.48\00:37:47.85
Seven periods of time.
00:37:48.15\00:37:49.96
Are you gettin' the picture?
00:37:51.49\00:37:53.35
That seventh period, folks,
00:37:54.54\00:37:56.21
is the 1,000
years of the millennium.
00:37:56.41\00:37:58.86
We have come
through 6,000 years of time.
00:37:59.27\00:38:03.31
Now watch carefully
because the Bible speaks
00:38:03.51\00:38:05.74
of rest. Pastor Melashenko
talked to you about rest.
00:38:05.95\00:38:11.06
Listen carefully
what it promises you:
00:38:11.36\00:38:14.11
Every 7th year they had
to let the land lie desolate.
00:38:26.39\00:38:29.86
It was to rest.
00:38:30.16\00:38:32.24
OK... follow:
00:38:32.44\00:38:33.62
Let me ask you something:
as we studied the millennium
00:38:43.78\00:38:45.78
last night, the land
was going to be what?
00:38:45.98\00:38:48.27
Desolate.
00:38:48.47\00:38:50.09
OK, that's a
promise that God has given.
00:38:56.07\00:38:58.58
You remember the
children of Israel?
00:38:58.88\00:39:00.49
Remember what
happened with them?
00:39:00.69\00:39:02.08
This is what it says
in II Chronicles 36:21.
00:39:02.18\00:39:05.32
Now you know why the children
of Israel were in captivity for
00:39:19.90\00:39:22.41
70 years. Because the land had
to lie desolate for 70 years.
00:39:22.51\00:39:26.55
Do you think we have done
any better in letting the land
00:39:26.85\00:39:29.58
rest than the Jewish people did?
00:39:29.78\00:39:31.52
Huh?
00:39:31.72\00:39:33.25
Well let me ask you,
dear friends: if we haven't
00:39:33.55\00:39:35.81
and we've gone 6,000 years
00:39:36.01\00:39:37.98
then how long would
the land have to rest?
00:39:38.19\00:39:40.33
A thousand years.
00:39:41.89\00:39:43.23
Are you with me?
That's where it is.
00:39:43.53\00:39:46.19
You see the whole land
is absolutely desolate.
00:40:17.57\00:40:20.50
"For thus saith the
Lord: 'The whole land shall be
00:40:20.80\00:40:23.47
desolate... yet I'll
not make a full end. ' "
00:40:23.77\00:40:27.48
So when it comes to
the coming of Jesus Christ
00:40:27.58\00:40:29.68
you can consider this...
00:40:30.81\00:40:33.06
we find it just
simply tells us this:
00:40:34.09\00:40:36.38
That from creation to Abraham
00:40:36.78\00:40:40.35
was... You have any idea?
00:40:40.55\00:40:43.50
Why would He pick Abraham?
00:40:46.25\00:40:48.78
Because it's when God
took the Jewish people...
00:40:49.08\00:40:51.90
took Abraham and said:
"I'm going to make a special
00:40:52.10\00:40:54.28
nation out of you to take
the gospel to the world. "
00:40:54.38\00:40:56.88
We're told that it is
00:40:57.48\00:40:59.71
from Abraham to Jesus...
00:41:00.78\00:41:04.48
Have any idea?
00:41:04.68\00:41:06.83
Where do we
find ourselves today?
00:41:10.04\00:41:12.65
From Jesus to our
day has been 2,000 years.
00:41:13.15\00:41:18.85
And it says "the land is
going to keep its Sabbaths. "
00:41:19.15\00:41:24.18
It's going to
rest for 1,000 years.
00:41:24.58\00:41:28.00
The Sabbath always
takes place, friends,
00:41:28.40\00:41:31.38
on the seventh. Now, are
you going to tell me today
00:41:31.58\00:41:36.00
that God's going to pass up
His coming... this 7,000th year,
00:41:36.30\00:41:41.92
this millennium...
00:41:42.13\00:41:43.46
and go 6,000 more years into
eternity before Jesus comes?
00:41:43.49\00:41:46.76
All I'm trying to get
across to you this morning:
00:41:49.67\00:41:51.89
I don't know the
day, I don't know the hour
00:41:52.19\00:41:55.36
but let me tell you
something, dear friends,
00:41:55.56\00:41:57.57
I know it's near.
00:41:57.77\00:41:58.93
It can't be far off.
00:41:59.23\00:42:01.17
All the prophecies in
this book point to it.
00:42:01.47\00:42:04.31
You and I are down to the end
00:42:04.61\00:42:07.39
when Jesus Christ
is going to come back.
00:42:07.59\00:42:09.95
Matthew 24... it says:
00:42:10.05\00:42:13.35
That meant they were
going on about their business
00:42:26.80\00:42:28.81
not concerned. More
concerned with making a living.
00:42:29.01\00:42:34.53
More concerned with life
00:42:34.73\00:42:36.08
than they were about
the coming of the Lord.
00:42:36.28\00:42:38.81
What does it say?
00:42:39.21\00:42:40.63
I hope that will
not be said of you -
00:42:53.48\00:42:55.59
I hope it will
not be said of me -
00:42:55.89\00:42:57.69
that we did not know.
00:42:57.89\00:42:59.66
You and I are to be
watching and waiting,
00:42:59.86\00:43:03.78
looking, preparing for
the coming of Jesus Christ.
00:43:03.98\00:43:08.45
That you and I should
be ready for that day.
00:43:08.86\00:43:12.18
Do you really want Jesus,
00:43:16.25\00:43:21.41
your Lord, to appear?
00:43:21.61\00:43:26.55
Do you long for
00:43:26.95\00:43:29.91
your Savior's return?
00:43:30.22\00:43:36.13
Your lips praise His name...
00:43:37.99\00:43:43.98
does your life
00:43:44.38\00:43:46.66
show the same?
00:43:46.76\00:43:51.97
Do you really
00:43:52.47\00:43:56.52
want Jesus
00:43:56.82\00:44:00.57
to come?
00:44:00.87\00:44:06.78
This morning I
would like to invite
00:44:10.04\00:44:13.20
those here this
morning, those of you who
00:44:14.29\00:44:17.48
would like to give
your heart to Jesus Christ,
00:44:17.68\00:44:20.00
accept Him as
your personal Savior,
00:44:20.30\00:44:22.45
I'm going to ask you to
step out of where you're seated
00:44:22.85\00:44:26.98
and make your way to
the front this morning.
00:44:27.29\00:44:29.25
If you have given
your heart to Christ
00:44:29.55\00:44:31.70
and you would like to
follow Him in baptism,
00:44:32.00\00:44:34.37
I'd like to invite you
also to take that step.
00:44:34.77\00:44:38.33
Come forward this morning.
00:44:38.63\00:44:40.09
Or if you have
learned things in God's Word,
00:44:40.39\00:44:43.11
things that you have not
understood such as the Sabbath,
00:44:44.32\00:44:46.82
and so forth, and you
would like by faith to step out
00:44:47.02\00:44:49.49
and keep those things,
I'm going to ask you also
00:44:49.69\00:44:52.18
to come as we pray.
00:44:52.28\00:44:54.16
I'd just like to invite you
to step out and make your way
00:44:54.47\00:44:56.99
right to the front this morning.
00:44:57.19\00:44:58.63
Won't you come?
00:44:58.73\00:44:59.80
Men and women are coming today.
Won't you make that decision?
00:45:41.13\00:45:44.05
If you need to give
your heart to Jesus Christ
00:45:44.35\00:45:47.30
this morning, won't you do that?
00:45:47.50\00:45:48.92
Preparation for His
coming. That's the only way
00:45:49.23\00:45:51.14
I know to get ready.
00:45:51.24\00:45:52.57
If you'd like to
follow the Lord in baptism,
00:45:52.77\00:45:54.99
make that decision. Come.
00:45:55.29\00:45:57.29
Or if you would like to say:
"Listen, I've learned truths
00:45:57.79\00:46:00.63
that I've never known before
and I'm going to follow them. "
00:46:00.83\00:46:03.18
Make that decision. Men and
women are coming. Won't you?
00:46:03.38\00:46:07.23
I want to take just a
moment to let the Holy Spirit
00:46:38.52\00:46:40.97
do its work.
00:46:41.27\00:46:42.80
To those of you who
are watching by television
00:46:43.10\00:46:45.68
I would like to just
simply invite you also
00:46:45.98\00:46:49.04
at this time to take that step
00:46:49.45\00:46:51.37
and give your
heart to Jesus Christ.
00:46:51.57\00:46:53.62
If you've given your heart
to Him and you haven't followed
00:46:54.12\00:46:56.67
Him in baptism, won't
you make that decision today?
00:46:56.77\00:46:59.08
Or some of these things
that we've been learning
00:47:00.18\00:47:02.13
in God's Word in
preparation for His coming,
00:47:02.23\00:47:04.72
some of the great truths
of God's Word, won't you make
00:47:05.02\00:47:07.71
that decision to follow? To
walk in accordance with that?
00:47:07.81\00:47:11.32
We're living in serious times.
00:47:13.11\00:47:14.82
Jesus is coming back.
00:47:15.23\00:47:17.08
We want each of us
to be ready to meet Him,
00:47:17.38\00:47:21.98
prepared for His coming.
00:47:22.28\00:47:24.30
We'll take just a moment to let
the Holy Spirit speak to each
00:47:24.70\00:47:27.55
heart. As He does, won't
you just step out of your seat
00:47:27.65\00:47:31.52
or stand wherever you're seated?
00:47:31.72\00:47:34.06
Give the Holy Spirit an oppor-
tunity to speak to your heart.
00:47:34.36\00:47:38.05
Heavenly Father,
00:47:55.15\00:47:56.26
this morning as we have seen
that surely we're down to the
00:47:56.56\00:48:00.58
end, the time when Jesus
is going to be coming back,
00:48:00.78\00:48:04.83
we ask that each
one of us here today
00:48:05.95\00:48:08.58
may make a full
surrender of our heart to You.
00:48:09.85\00:48:12.79
That by faith we
might reach out and accept
00:48:13.29\00:48:18.07
Your gift of life eternal.
00:48:18.37\00:48:20.77
Lord, we pray that each one
of us may have the privilege
00:48:22.07\00:48:27.04
of being among those
that will go with You
00:48:27.24\00:48:31.78
and be with You in Your kingdom.
00:48:32.08\00:48:34.30