Welcome back.
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We're on a roll here.
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This is actually
presentation number 15.
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Number 15 of 20.
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The title of our
study at this moment
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is going to be The
Three Comings of Jesus.
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You saying, what?
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Three comings? Are you kidding?
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I thought there
were two comings.
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Let me just warn you
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that what we're gonna
study is nothing revolutionary
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where you're gonna say,
wow, I didn't know that before.
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We're gonna take
a look at, you know,
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the number of times that
Jesus came to this earth,
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went back to
heaven, comes to the earth,
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goes back to heaven and
comes back to the earth.
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So, I'm sure that
you've already heard
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most of what
we're gonna present,
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but I would like
you to see the structure
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because it's
important to understand this
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considering the subject
that we're dealing with.
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So, before we begin,
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we want to have
a word of prayer.
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And then, we'll
get into our study.
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Father in heaven, we thank You
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for being able to
gather together once again.
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We ask for the
presence of Your Holy Spirit
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as we open Your Word.
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Help us to understand
the great truths concerning
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The Three Comings of Jesus.
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We thank You for hearing us,
for we ask it in Jesus' name.
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Amen.
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The Bible refers to
Three Comings of Jesus.
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We want to speak first of all
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about the First Coming of Jesus,
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and why He came the
first time to this earth?
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Let's turn in our
Bibles to John 6:38.
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John 6:38.
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Here we're told clearly
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that Jesus when He
came to this earth,
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He came from heaven.
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Now, we could
take that for granted,
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but it's good to read a
verse that tells us that.
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John 6:38.
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Here Jesus is
speaking and He says,
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"For I have come
down from heaven,
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not to do My own will,
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but the will of
Him who sent Me."
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So where did Jesus come
from at His first coming?
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He came from
heaven to this earth.
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Now the question is,
what did He come for?
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Well, He came
for several reasons
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but for two reasons, primarily.
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He came to live a perfect life.
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And He came to die for our sins.
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You see if Jesus had
not lived a perfect life,
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His sacrifice would
not have been accepted.
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His life is just as
important as His death.
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Because I have a sinful life
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and I need the life of Jesus
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to stand in the
place of my life,
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and because of
my sins, I must die,
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but I need to have His death
stand in place of my death.
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So His life has to
stand in place of my life,
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and His death has the
stand in place of my death.
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Are you with me?
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Those are the two main
reasons why Jesus came.
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Let's read it in
1 Peter 1:18 and 19.
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1 Peter 1:18 and19.
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Here the Apostle Peter wrote,
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"Knowing that
you were not redeemed
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with corruptible
things, like silver or gold,
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from your aimless conduct
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received by
tradition from your fathers,
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but you were redeemed
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with the
precious blood of Christ."
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Would Jesus have had to die
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in order to have the
precious blood of Christ?
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Of course, so that's
speaking about His death.
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"But with the
precious blood of Christ,"
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and now comes the second point,
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"as of a lamb,"
what kind of lamb?
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"Without blemish
and without spot."
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Now, in the Old Testament,
when a lamb was sacrificed,
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the priest had to make sure
that the lamb had no defect.
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So the aspect of the
lamb that has no defect
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represents the
perfect life of Christ,
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whereas the
sacrifice of the lamb
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represents the death of Christ.
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Jesus came to live in our place,
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and He came to die in our place.
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And when we have faith in Jesus,
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when we trust in His
life and in His death,
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Jesus takes His
life and takes His death,
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and places these to our account,
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and we are looked upon
as if we had never sinned
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because God sees
us in Him, not in us.
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But for this, Jesus
had to come to this world
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to live a perfect life
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and to suffer
death for our sins.
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Is this clear?
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Now, after Jesus
finished His mission on earth,
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He returned to heaven,
to the heavenly sanctuary.
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Notice John 16:28.
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John 16:28.
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After He lived His perfect
life and suffered death for sin,
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He lived for us and died for us
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so that we could
claim His life and His death
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personally and individually.
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We're told in John
16:28, here Jesus is speaking,
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"I came forth from the Father
and have come into the world.
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Again, I leave the
world and go to the Father."
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So He came from the
Father, and He says,
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I'm going to
return to the Father.
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Notice also John 13:33 and 36.
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John 13, we'll read verse 33,
and then we'll go to verse 36.
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Here Jesus is
gathered with His disciples,
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and He tells us
that His disciples,
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"I'm gonna leave."
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And Peter says,
"Where are you going?"
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Let's read about it.
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"Little children,
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I shall be with you
a little while longer.
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You will seek Me, and
as I said to the Jews,
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'Where I am
going, you cannot come,'
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so now I say to you.
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Simon Peter said to Him,
'Lord, where are You going?'"
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So Peter, who
appeared to be the spokesman
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for the disciples
says, "'Where are you going?'
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Jesus answered him,
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'Where I am going,
you cannot follow Me now,
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but you shall
follow Me afterwards.'"
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So you see here that Jesus says,
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"I'm going to heaven."
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And Peter says, "I
want to go with you."
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Jesus says, "No,
you'll follow Me afterwards."
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Now, why did Jesus go to heaven?
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Let's go to John 14,
the very next chapter,
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John 14:1 and 2.
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John 14:1 and 2.
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Very well-known verses.
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"Let not your heart be troubled,
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you believe in
God, believe also in Me.
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In my Father's
house are many mansions,
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if it were not so,
I would have told you.
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I go," to what?
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"I go to prepare
a place for you."
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So why did Jesus
go back to heaven?
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To prepare a place for us?
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So after Jesus
lived His perfect life
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and suffered death for our sins,
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He left the world and
returned to His Father
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in the holy place of
the heavenly sanctuary.
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Now, why did Jesus go
to the heavenly sanctuary?
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Why did He return to His Father?
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Well, yes, to
prepare a place for us.
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But what does it mean for
Jesus to prepare a place for us?
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Well, let me tell
you what it doesn't mean.
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It doesn't mean
that Jesus went to heaven
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to work in the
contracting business.
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Sorry, Mark.
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Jesus did not go to heaven
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to be a
contractor to build mansions.
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Because the text in
John 14 says us very clearly
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that in my house
are many mansions.
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They were there when Jesus said.
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Jesus does not need 2,000
years to build houses for us,
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because He can speak
and the houses are there.
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He says, once again, He says,
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"I go to
prepare a place for you.
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In my house are many mansions."
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When He goes to
prepare the place,
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it doesn't mean
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that He's going
now to plant trees
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and make everything
real beautiful for us.
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No, there's something deeper,
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I believe He's gonna
make a beautiful place for us.
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And He's gonna
have nice houses for us.
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But there's a more profound
and important emphasis here,
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and you say
what is the emphasis?
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He went to heaven for
three primary reasons.
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Number one, to feed His church
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represented by the
showbread in the holy place.
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He went to
heaven to supply the oil
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of the Holy
Spirit to His church,
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so that His church
could proclaim the gospel.
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That's the
candlestick in the holy place.
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And He went to heaven
to intercede for those
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who come to Him in prayer
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that is represented
by the altar of incense
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in the holy place.
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You see, Jesus went to heaven
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to perform the
work of the holy place.
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Now, here's the
interesting point.
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The Book of John
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describes the
earthly work of Jesus
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and His ascension to heaven.
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The Book of Revelation describes
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the work that Jesus
does after He gets to heaven.
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By the way, both of those books
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were written by
the same individual,
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not inspired by
the same individual,
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written by the same
individual, the Apostle John.
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So John gives us the
earthly ministry of Christ
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and His ascension.
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And the Book of Revelation
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gives us the
work that Jesus does
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once He gets to heaven,
the work in the holy place.
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And if you read carefully
in the Book of Revelation,
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you'll notice that
in the seven churches,
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Jesus is at the candlesticks.
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In the series of the seals,
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He's at the
table of the showbread.
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And in the
series of the trumpets,
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He's at the altar of incense.
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So Revelation is describing
the heavenly work of Jesus,
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why Jesus went to
heaven to perform a work.
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In other words,
Revelation describes
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how He prepares
the place for us.
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Now, also, Jesus said that
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He was gonna
leave the Holy Spirit
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here on earth as
His representative.
00:10:47.51\00:10:50.35
So as Jesus
prepares the place in heaven,
00:10:50.38\00:10:53.65
by His heavenly work,
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at the same time
through the Holy Spirit,
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He prepares His
earthly people for the place.
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So in other words in
heaven, He prepares the place.
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And on earth He prepares
the people for the place.
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And the Holy Spirit is the one
00:11:09.20\00:11:10.90
that prepares the
people for the place.
00:11:10.93\00:11:13.10
And the description of
the work of the Holy Spirit
00:11:13.13\00:11:15.57
is found in John 14:14-16.
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Incidentally,
the Book of Hebrews
00:11:20.74\00:11:23.81
also describes
the work of heaven
00:11:23.85\00:11:26.72
in the sanctuary after
His ascension in heaven.
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The whole purpose
of the Book of Hebrews
00:11:29.98\00:11:32.09
is to tell us about the work
00:11:32.12\00:11:34.16
that Jesus performs in
heaven since His ascension.
00:11:34.19\00:11:37.73
So basically,
if you want to know
00:11:37.76\00:11:39.23
what Jesus has
been doing in heaven
00:11:39.26\00:11:40.93
for the last 2,000 years plus,
00:11:40.96\00:11:43.63
all you have to do is
go to the Book of Hebrews
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where the heavenly
work of Jesus is described,
00:11:46.37\00:11:48.90
and then go to
the Book of Revelation
00:11:48.94\00:11:51.11
where the heavenly work
of Jesus is also described.
00:11:51.14\00:11:55.24
Now let's take a closer look
00:11:55.28\00:11:56.98
at the holy
place of the sanctuary.
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Let's see what
Jesus does for His church,
00:11:59.31\00:12:02.75
how Jesus
prepares a place in heaven
00:12:02.78\00:12:05.25
for His church
at the candlesticks,
00:12:05.29\00:12:08.09
and at the table of showbread,
00:12:08.12\00:12:09.99
and at the altar of incense.
00:12:10.03\00:12:12.56
First of all, Jesus
at the candlesticks.
00:12:12.59\00:12:16.06
How does Jesus prepare a
place in heaven for His people?
00:12:16.10\00:12:19.03
By the work He does
at the candlesticks.
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Leviticus 24:1-4 tells us
something very interesting
00:12:21.84\00:12:26.94
about the seven
candlesticks in the sanctuary.
00:12:26.98\00:12:30.05
It says there.
00:12:30.08\00:12:31.58
"Then the Lord
spoke to Moses saying:
00:12:31.61\00:12:34.38
Command the children of Israel
00:12:34.42\00:12:35.88
that they bring to you pure oil,
00:12:35.92\00:12:38.45
pressed olives for the light,
to make the lamps burn," how?
00:12:38.49\00:12:44.39
"Continually.
00:12:44.43\00:12:46.19
Outside the veil
of the Testimony,
00:12:46.23\00:12:48.10
in the tabernacle of meeting,
00:12:48.13\00:12:50.10
Aaron," who, by the
way, is the high priest,
00:12:50.13\00:12:52.67
"Aaron shall be in charge of
it from evening until morning
00:12:52.70\00:12:56.91
before the Lord continually,
00:12:56.94\00:12:59.77
it shall be a statute
forever in your generations.
00:12:59.81\00:13:03.18
He shall be in
charge of the lamps
00:13:03.21\00:13:06.05
on the pure gold
lampstand before the Lord,"
00:13:06.08\00:13:10.39
third time the word is
mentioned, "continually."
00:13:10.42\00:13:13.96
Now what does the oil
and the lamps represent?
00:13:13.99\00:13:17.99
It represents the Holy Spirit.
00:13:18.03\00:13:20.23
Who makes sure that the
lamps of the heavenly sanctuary
00:13:20.26\00:13:23.87
never go out that they
have a constant supply of oil?
00:13:23.90\00:13:27.60
Jesus.
00:13:27.64\00:13:29.10
Does Jesus supply sufficient oil
00:13:29.14\00:13:31.87
to the church on earth,
00:13:31.91\00:13:33.31
for the church to shed its light
00:13:33.34\00:13:36.04
and give the
message to the world
00:13:36.08\00:13:37.85
through the power
of the Holy Spirit?
00:13:37.88\00:13:39.81
Yes. Absolutely.
00:13:39.85\00:13:41.68
So what Jesus does
at the candlesticks
00:13:41.72\00:13:44.52
is He makes sure that
there's an abundance of the oil
00:13:44.55\00:13:48.16
which represents the Holy Spirit
00:13:48.19\00:13:50.09
that He can give to His church
00:13:50.13\00:13:51.99
so that His church can
shine the message to the world.
00:13:52.03\00:13:57.03
Incidentally, in
the Book of Revelation,
00:13:57.07\00:13:59.13
you have the seven candlesticks,
00:13:59.17\00:14:00.50
don't you?
00:14:00.54\00:14:01.87
What do the seven
candlesticks represent?
00:14:01.90\00:14:04.31
They represent
the seven churches.
00:14:04.34\00:14:07.04
But the seven churches in
Asia, the literal seven churches
00:14:07.08\00:14:10.68
represent seven
periods of church history.
00:14:10.71\00:14:13.85
In other words,
Jesus during church history
00:14:13.88\00:14:16.52
is walking in the midst
of the history of His church,
00:14:16.55\00:14:19.85
making sure that the church
always has a supply of oil,
00:14:19.89\00:14:24.09
and that the light of the church
00:14:24.13\00:14:25.83
will never go out.
00:14:25.86\00:14:27.43
In that way,
00:14:27.46\00:14:28.80
He is preparing
His church on earth
00:14:28.83\00:14:31.07
by making sure
that the candlesticks
00:14:31.10\00:14:34.14
are always shining.
00:14:34.17\00:14:35.50
And let me say,
00:14:35.54\00:14:36.87
there were a couple
of periods of the church
00:14:36.91\00:14:38.24
when it looked like
the light was flickering
00:14:38.27\00:14:40.24
and about to go out.
00:14:40.28\00:14:42.11
We have a period of the church
that is called the Dark Ages,
00:14:42.14\00:14:46.21
because it appeared like there
00:14:46.25\00:14:47.78
was not gonna be sufficient oil,
00:14:47.82\00:14:49.62
the light was gonna go out,
00:14:49.65\00:14:51.25
but because Jesus was
in the midst of His church,
00:14:51.29\00:14:54.69
and He supplied the
oil, the Holy Spirit,
00:14:54.72\00:14:57.66
the light of the
church has never gone out.
00:14:57.69\00:15:01.56
In the book Acts of
the Apostles, page 586,
00:15:01.60\00:15:05.80
Ellen White makes
this beautiful statement
00:15:05.83\00:15:07.77
about what it
means that Jesus walks
00:15:07.80\00:15:10.01
in the midst of
the seven candlesticks
00:15:10.04\00:15:12.84
making sure that the
supply of oil is there,
00:15:12.87\00:15:15.21
just like Aaron had to make sure
00:15:15.24\00:15:17.21
that the lamp always had
oil so that it would shine.
00:15:17.25\00:15:21.18
I quote, "Christ is
spoken of as walking
00:15:21.22\00:15:24.75
in the midst of the
golden candlesticks.
00:15:24.79\00:15:28.89
Thus is symbolized His
relation to the churches.
00:15:28.92\00:15:32.83
He is in constant
communication with His people.
00:15:32.86\00:15:36.30
He knows their true state.
00:15:36.33\00:15:38.37
He observes their order,
their piety and their devotion.
00:15:38.40\00:15:42.57
Although He is
high priest and mediator
00:15:42.60\00:15:45.11
in the sanctuary above,
00:15:45.14\00:15:46.74
yet He is representative
as walking up and down
00:15:46.78\00:15:49.71
in the midst of
His churches on earth.
00:15:49.74\00:15:52.88
With untiring wakefulness
and unremitting vigilance,
00:15:52.91\00:15:57.25
He watches to see
00:15:57.29\00:15:58.62
whether the light
of any of His sentinels
00:15:58.65\00:16:00.69
is burning dim or going out.
00:16:00.72\00:16:03.22
If the candlesticks
were left to mere human care,
00:16:03.26\00:16:06.09
the flickering fame
would languish and die,
00:16:06.13\00:16:09.86
but He is the true
watchman in the Lord's house,
00:16:09.90\00:16:13.03
the true warden
of the temple courts.
00:16:13.07\00:16:16.07
His continued care
and sustaining grace
00:16:16.10\00:16:20.08
are the source
of life and light."
00:16:20.11\00:16:23.88
Isn't that a
beautiful statement?
00:16:23.91\00:16:25.88
So Jesus in heaven makes sure
00:16:25.91\00:16:28.05
that the seven
candlesticks in heaven
00:16:28.08\00:16:30.09
have enough oil and
the light never goes out.
00:16:30.12\00:16:32.45
But that represents the fact
00:16:32.49\00:16:33.96
that Jesus always gives an
abundance of the Holy Spirit
00:16:33.99\00:16:36.79
to His church on earth,
00:16:36.83\00:16:38.16
so they can preach the gospel
00:16:38.19\00:16:39.53
and prepare
people to go to heaven.
00:16:39.56\00:16:42.10
In that way, Jesus is preparing
a place for His people.
00:16:42.13\00:16:46.37
Notice what we find
in John 15:26 and 27.
00:16:46.40\00:16:50.84
Here Jesus tells us
why He went to heaven.
00:16:50.87\00:16:53.48
It's to give His
church the Holy Spirit.
00:16:53.51\00:16:55.98
It says, "But
when the Helper comes,
00:16:56.01\00:16:58.15
who I shall send to
you from the Father,
00:16:58.18\00:17:00.65
the Spirit of Truth
00:17:00.68\00:17:02.02
who posts
proceeds from the Father,
00:17:02.05\00:17:04.15
He will testify of me.
00:17:04.19\00:17:06.32
And you also will bear witness
00:17:06.35\00:17:08.36
because you have been
with Me from the beginning."
00:17:08.39\00:17:12.09
Now, if I was gonna ask you,
who is the light of the world,
00:17:12.13\00:17:16.06
what would you say?
00:17:16.10\00:17:19.80
Is Jesus the light of the world?
00:17:19.83\00:17:21.34
Yes.
00:17:21.37\00:17:23.10
Are we the light of the world?
00:17:23.14\00:17:24.87
Yes.
00:17:24.91\00:17:26.24
The church is the
light of the world.
00:17:26.27\00:17:28.04
That's the candlestick.
00:17:28.08\00:17:29.41
How do we become
the light of the world?
00:17:29.44\00:17:31.21
What do we need in
order to give light?
00:17:31.25\00:17:34.15
We need the oil of
the Holy Spirit, right?
00:17:34.18\00:17:36.85
Now here's the important point.
00:17:36.89\00:17:39.05
You go outside on a clear night
00:17:39.09\00:17:41.72
and you see this
beautiful full moon.
00:17:41.76\00:17:44.96
And you look at
the full moon, you say,
00:17:44.99\00:17:46.43
"Oh, how beautiful
the moon is tonight."
00:17:46.46\00:17:50.97
That's a half truth.
00:17:51.00\00:17:53.37
The moon has no light.
00:17:53.40\00:17:56.24
Where does the light come
from that lights the moon?
00:17:56.27\00:18:00.78
From the sun.
00:18:00.81\00:18:02.14
So you have to say
00:18:02.18\00:18:03.51
how beautiful
the sun is tonight.
00:18:03.55\00:18:05.88
You see Jesus said, "I
am the light of the world."
00:18:05.91\00:18:08.45
But He also said,
00:18:08.48\00:18:09.82
"Ye are the light of the world."
00:18:09.85\00:18:11.19
He is the sun and
we are to be moons."
00:18:11.22\00:18:15.59
In other words,
00:18:15.62\00:18:16.96
Jesus makes sure that
the light of the church
00:18:16.99\00:18:18.73
never goes out as the
gospel's being preached,
00:18:18.76\00:18:21.30
so that everyone will hear it.
00:18:21.33\00:18:23.57
In that way, Jesus
is preparing a place
00:18:23.60\00:18:26.84
for us in heaven at
the seven candlesticks.
00:18:26.87\00:18:30.91
What about the work of
Jesus at the table of showbread?
00:18:30.94\00:18:34.44
What does bread
represent in the Bible?
00:18:34.48\00:18:37.45
Bread
represents the Word of God.
00:18:37.48\00:18:40.78
Man shall not
live by bread alone,
00:18:40.82\00:18:43.55
but by every word that
proceeds from the mouth of God.
00:18:43.59\00:18:47.16
How does Jesus
prepare His church for heaven?
00:18:47.19\00:18:50.43
What does He do?
00:18:50.46\00:18:51.83
He feeds them with His Word,
00:18:51.86\00:18:54.40
so that they
don't die of hunger.
00:18:54.43\00:18:56.63
So they don't die spiritually.
00:18:56.67\00:18:58.63
He gives us the Bible.
00:18:58.67\00:19:01.70
By the way, is the Holy Spirit
involved also with the Bible?
00:19:01.74\00:19:06.17
The sword of the
Spirit is the Word of God.
00:19:06.21\00:19:10.75
And so the spirit is involved
in giving oil to the church.
00:19:10.78\00:19:14.58
The Holy Spirit is involved
in giving bread to the church,
00:19:14.62\00:19:18.85
so that the church
will not die spiritually.
00:19:18.89\00:19:23.16
What about the
golden altar of incense?
00:19:23.19\00:19:27.46
What is the purpose of Jesus
at the golden altar of incense?
00:19:27.50\00:19:31.40
Well, at the
golden altar of incense,
00:19:31.43\00:19:33.77
Jesus intercedes for
the sins of His people.
00:19:33.80\00:19:38.11
You see Jesus died
for every single person
00:19:38.14\00:19:40.74
who has ever lived in
the history of the world.
00:19:40.78\00:19:43.35
Jesus lived for every person
that has every drawn breath
00:19:43.38\00:19:46.92
in the history of the world,
00:19:46.95\00:19:48.28
but that doesn't mean
00:19:48.32\00:19:49.65
that everybody
is gonna be saved.
00:19:49.68\00:19:51.22
Because the most famous
verse in the Bible says,
00:19:51.25\00:19:53.09
"For God so loved the world..."
00:19:53.12\00:19:55.02
That's everybody that He
gave His only begotten Son
00:19:55.06\00:19:57.53
that whosoever believes in Him
00:19:57.56\00:20:00.50
should not perish but
have everlasting life.
00:20:00.53\00:20:02.66
You have to
claim what Jesus did.
00:20:02.70\00:20:06.63
By repentance and
by faith in Christ,
00:20:06.67\00:20:10.21
we must say, "Jesus,
I'm a miserable sinner.
00:20:10.24\00:20:13.68
I have not lived a holy life.
00:20:13.71\00:20:15.68
I deserve Your wrath.
00:20:15.71\00:20:17.41
But Jesus, I know that You live
the life that I should live,
00:20:17.45\00:20:20.48
I know that You died
the death that I should die.
00:20:20.52\00:20:23.12
Jesus, I'm sorry for my sins,
take Your life and Your death
00:20:23.15\00:20:27.16
and put them to my account."
00:20:27.19\00:20:29.42
And when I come
to Jesus in prayer,
00:20:29.46\00:20:31.09
and I ask Him to do that,
00:20:31.13\00:20:32.76
He puts His life and
His death on my account.
00:20:32.79\00:20:35.70
And He looks upon me
as if I had never sinned,
00:20:35.73\00:20:38.80
but I have to claim it
personally and individually.
00:20:38.83\00:20:43.37
And that's what
Jesus does in heaven.
00:20:43.41\00:20:45.37
He receives the prayers,
00:20:45.41\00:20:47.08
the repentant
prayers of His saints.
00:20:47.11\00:20:49.91
Notice Luke 1:8-10,
we're still talking here
00:20:49.94\00:20:53.82
about the golden
altar of incense.
00:20:53.85\00:20:56.02
Luke 1:8-10.
00:20:56.05\00:20:59.95
This is speaking
about the service
00:20:59.99\00:21:02.02
in the temple of Zacharias,
00:21:02.06\00:21:04.46
the Father of John the Baptist,
00:21:04.49\00:21:06.93
and that he is going to
offer incense in the sanctuary.
00:21:06.96\00:21:10.40
And this is a very,
very important passage.
00:21:10.43\00:21:12.87
It says there in Luke 1:8.
00:21:12.90\00:21:15.74
"So it was, that while
he," that is Zacharias,
00:21:15.77\00:21:19.27
"was serving as
priest before God
00:21:19.31\00:21:21.41
in the order of his division,
00:21:21.44\00:21:22.91
according to the
custom of the priesthood,
00:21:22.94\00:21:25.31
his lot fell to burn incense
00:21:25.35\00:21:28.32
when he went into
the temple of the Lord."
00:21:28.35\00:21:30.35
So here's
Zacharias in the sanctuary,
00:21:30.39\00:21:32.75
the holy place,
burning incense to the Lord.
00:21:32.79\00:21:36.62
And what are the
people doing outside?
00:21:36.66\00:21:38.13
Well, he's burning the incense.
00:21:38.16\00:21:40.06
Verse 10,
00:21:40.10\00:21:41.43
"And the whole
multitude of the people
00:21:41.46\00:21:43.00
was praying outside
at the hour of incense."
00:21:43.03\00:21:47.67
So they're praying
00:21:47.70\00:21:50.11
and Zacharias is
offering the incense.
00:21:50.14\00:21:53.71
Now prayer is not the incense.
00:21:53.74\00:21:56.51
The prayers are
mingled with the incense.
00:21:56.54\00:21:59.78
Go with me to
Revelation 8:3 and 4.
00:21:59.81\00:22:03.39
Revelation 8:3 and 4.
00:22:03.42\00:22:06.19
It says, "Then another
angel having a golden censer
00:22:06.22\00:22:09.39
came and stood at the altar,"
00:22:09.42\00:22:11.69
he was given much
incense that he should offer it,
00:22:11.73\00:22:14.80
listen carefully now,
00:22:14.83\00:22:16.36
"with the prayers
of all the saints."
00:22:16.40\00:22:19.27
What is this angel given?
00:22:19.30\00:22:20.67
What? Much what?
00:22:20.70\00:22:22.30
Incense, so that
he could do what?
00:22:22.34\00:22:25.67
So that he should offer it
with the prayers of the saints?
00:22:25.71\00:22:30.51
Does the incense
represent prayer?
00:22:30.55\00:22:33.42
No, it is
mingled with the prayers.
00:22:33.45\00:22:36.55
It continues saying
here in Revelation 8:3 and 4,
00:22:36.58\00:22:42.22
"That he should
offer it with the prayers
00:22:42.26\00:22:44.59
of all the saints
upon the golden altar,
00:22:44.63\00:22:46.80
which was before the throne."
00:22:46.83\00:22:48.16
This is the work of
Jesus at the altar of incense.
00:22:48.20\00:22:51.63
Verse 4, "And the
smoke of the incense,
00:22:51.67\00:22:55.97
with the prayers of the saints,
00:22:56.00\00:22:58.01
ascended before God
from the angel's hand."
00:22:58.04\00:23:01.94
So this incense technically
does not represent prayer,
00:23:01.98\00:23:05.75
it is mingled with the prayers.
00:23:05.78\00:23:08.38
Now what does the
incense represent?
00:23:08.42\00:23:10.09
Here's a beautiful
statement from Ellen White
00:23:10.12\00:23:12.45
in the devotional book
In Heavenly Places, page 69.
00:23:12.49\00:23:15.99
She wrote, "Christ
has pledged Himself
00:23:16.02\00:23:20.13
to be our substitute and surety,
00:23:20.16\00:23:24.30
and He neglects no one."
00:23:24.33\00:23:26.60
So what has Jesus
pledged Himself to do,
00:23:26.63\00:23:28.30
to be a what?
00:23:28.34\00:23:29.80
Our substitute.
00:23:29.84\00:23:31.17
That means He takes our place
and our surety, our guarantee,
00:23:31.21\00:23:35.94
and He neglects no one.
00:23:35.98\00:23:38.75
And this is beautiful.
00:23:38.78\00:23:40.28
"There is an inexhaustible
fund of perfect obedience
00:23:40.32\00:23:44.65
accruing from His obedience."
00:23:44.69\00:23:47.42
So because when Jesus obeyed,
00:23:47.46\00:23:49.52
He established an
inexhaustible fund.
00:23:49.56\00:23:52.86
And then she writes,
00:23:52.89\00:23:54.53
"In heaven, His merits,
00:23:54.56\00:23:57.47
His self denial
and self-sacrifice,
00:23:57.50\00:24:02.20
are treasured up as incense
00:24:02.24\00:24:05.31
to be offered up with
the prayers of His people.
00:24:05.34\00:24:09.38
As the sinner's sincere,
00:24:09.41\00:24:11.38
humble prayers
ascend to the throne of God,
00:24:11.41\00:24:15.15
Christ mingles them
with the merits of His life
00:24:15.18\00:24:18.95
of perfect obedience.
00:24:18.99\00:24:20.59
Our prayers are made
fragrant by this incense."
00:24:20.62\00:24:24.73
Isn't that a
beautiful statement?
00:24:24.76\00:24:27.40
So Jesus prepares
the place in heaven,
00:24:27.43\00:24:29.90
because now we can
send our sins to be covered
00:24:29.93\00:24:32.63
by the blood in heaven,
00:24:32.67\00:24:34.50
so that His life and
His death can count for us.
00:24:34.54\00:24:38.11
By the way, does the Holy Spirit
00:24:38.14\00:24:39.51
have anything to do with this?
00:24:39.54\00:24:43.21
Is the Holy Spirit
related to us giving light?
00:24:43.24\00:24:46.18
He's the oil.
00:24:46.21\00:24:48.62
Is there any relationship
between the Holy Spirit
00:24:48.65\00:24:51.09
and the Word of God?
00:24:51.12\00:24:52.65
The sword of the
Spirit is the Word of God.
00:24:52.69\00:24:54.56
Who helps us pray?
00:24:54.59\00:24:58.09
Romans 8:26 and 27.
00:24:58.13\00:25:00.66
That's why Jesus
sent the Holy Spirit.
00:25:00.70\00:25:02.10
Listen, folks,
Jesus sent the Holy Spirit
00:25:02.13\00:25:05.57
so that His people
could prepare for the place
00:25:05.60\00:25:08.27
while Jesus prepares the place.
00:25:08.30\00:25:11.81
Are you following me or not?
00:25:11.84\00:25:13.68
Now notice Romans 8:26 and 27.
00:25:13.71\00:25:16.95
"Likewise the Spirit
also helps in our weakness.
00:25:16.98\00:25:21.58
For we do not know
what we should pray
00:25:21.62\00:25:24.42
for as we ought,
00:25:24.45\00:25:27.52
but the Spirit Himself
makes intercession for us
00:25:27.56\00:25:32.69
with groanings
which cannot be uttered."
00:25:32.73\00:25:36.00
So who helps us
in our prayer life
00:25:36.03\00:25:39.20
to pray what we
really need to pray?
00:25:39.23\00:25:42.14
We can't come up with it.
00:25:42.17\00:25:43.51
It's the Holy
Spirit that helps us.
00:25:43.54\00:25:46.21
And so when
Jesus goes to heaven,
00:25:46.24\00:25:48.38
He goes there by His
work in the holy place
00:25:48.41\00:25:51.38
to prepare a place for us
00:25:51.41\00:25:52.81
and He sends the Holy Spirit
to prepare us for the place
00:25:52.85\00:25:57.52
by shedding His light,
00:25:57.55\00:26:00.22
by having the oil
of the Holy Spirit,
00:26:00.26\00:26:02.29
by feeding on His holy word,
00:26:02.32\00:26:04.99
and becoming strong spiritually,
00:26:05.03\00:26:07.26
and by sending our sins
to Jesus mingled our sins
00:26:07.30\00:26:12.17
with the incense of
His beautiful merits,
00:26:12.20\00:26:15.10
so that we can receive
forgiveness for our sins.
00:26:15.14\00:26:20.11
Now there's another sense
00:26:20.14\00:26:22.81
in which Jesus
prepares the place for us.
00:26:22.84\00:26:27.78
And that is when He
moves into the Most Holy Place
00:26:27.82\00:26:30.89
of the heavenly sanctuary.
00:26:30.92\00:26:32.92
You see, before Jesus can come,
00:26:32.95\00:26:34.86
He has to
perform a work of what?
00:26:34.89\00:26:38.06
Of judgment.
00:26:38.09\00:26:39.89
He has to examine the
cases of every single person
00:26:39.93\00:26:44.47
in the world that claimed Jesus
00:26:44.50\00:26:47.64
as Savior and Lord.
00:26:47.67\00:26:50.91
And you say, why
does He need to do that?
00:26:50.94\00:26:53.51
Because there are true believers
00:26:53.54\00:26:55.64
and counterfeit believers.
00:26:55.68\00:26:58.68
And in the
judgment, the purpose is
00:26:58.71\00:27:00.72
to bring up the
names of everyone
00:27:00.75\00:27:02.42
who claimed to follow Jesus,
00:27:02.45\00:27:04.45
to see if their
profession is true or not.
00:27:04.49\00:27:07.79
Let me ask you in the
church are there genuine
00:27:07.82\00:27:10.99
and counterfeit virgins?
00:27:11.03\00:27:14.00
In the church is
there wheat and also tares?
00:27:14.03\00:27:18.50
In the church are
there good fish and bad fish?
00:27:18.53\00:27:22.47
In the church are there people
who have the form of godliness,
00:27:22.50\00:27:25.97
but don't have the
power of godliness?
00:27:26.01\00:27:28.98
In the church are people
00:27:29.01\00:27:30.35
who claim to have a
right to be in the church,
00:27:30.38\00:27:32.28
but don't have that
garment in the parable
00:27:32.31\00:27:35.22
that Jesus gave in Matthew 22?
00:27:35.25\00:27:37.25
Absolutely.
00:27:37.29\00:27:38.62
In the church are there
people who say, "Lord, Lord,"
00:27:38.65\00:27:42.42
and Jesus is gonna
say, "I never knew you."
00:27:42.46\00:27:45.93
That's the
purpose of the judgment
00:27:45.96\00:27:47.40
to see if
repentance was genuine or not.
00:27:47.43\00:27:50.63
And the
genuineness of repentance
00:27:50.67\00:27:52.63
is shown by our works.
00:27:52.67\00:27:56.00
That's why we are
saved by grace through faith.
00:27:56.04\00:28:00.14
But we will be judged by works,
00:28:00.18\00:28:02.08
because our works
show if our faith was real.
00:28:02.11\00:28:06.61
And if you read Hebrews 11,
00:28:06.65\00:28:08.98
you'll find that all of
the heroes of Hebrews 11
00:28:09.02\00:28:12.79
are doing something.
00:28:12.82\00:28:15.02
They're not believing something,
00:28:15.06\00:28:16.59
they're doing something.
00:28:16.62\00:28:18.39
God says, "Noah,
build me an ark."
00:28:18.43\00:28:21.16
Noah says, "Give me the hammers,
00:28:21.20\00:28:23.30
and the nails, and the wood."
00:28:23.33\00:28:26.07
God says to Abraham, "Go out."
00:28:26.10\00:28:29.54
Abraham says to
Sarah, "Pack up."
00:28:29.57\00:28:33.88
Abel offers a sacrifice.
00:28:33.91\00:28:36.68
And by the way, even Sarah,
00:28:36.71\00:28:38.31
it says that when she
was old, she had Isaac,
00:28:38.35\00:28:42.92
but Abraham and her had to act
00:28:42.95\00:28:44.69
because they had to
have sexual relations.
00:28:44.72\00:28:48.39
Are you with me?
00:28:48.42\00:28:49.96
So faith is not a mental
word, faith is an action word.
00:28:49.99\00:28:55.63
It shows, your work
show if your faith is real.
00:28:55.66\00:28:59.43
And so when Jesus opens the book
00:28:59.47\00:29:02.00
to see who truly
followed Him and who didn't,
00:29:02.04\00:29:06.37
the purpose of
examining the works
00:29:06.41\00:29:08.21
is to see if the
faith was real or not.
00:29:08.24\00:29:13.55
So does Jesus have to perform
00:29:13.58\00:29:14.92
that work of
judgment before He comes?
00:29:14.95\00:29:17.62
Of course, He does.
00:29:17.65\00:29:19.12
Because when He
comes, He's gonna take
00:29:19.15\00:29:21.12
His faithful people to heaven.
00:29:21.16\00:29:23.53
So does He have to determine
00:29:23.56\00:29:24.89
who He can take before He comes?
00:29:24.93\00:29:28.00
Are you understanding me?
00:29:28.03\00:29:29.60
Yeah.
00:29:29.63\00:29:30.97
Jesus has to, first of all,
00:29:31.00\00:29:32.33
reveal who He has a
right to bring up there
00:29:32.37\00:29:35.34
in the judgment,
00:29:35.37\00:29:36.81
and then when He
comes, He'll pick them all up,
00:29:36.84\00:29:39.44
and He'll take them to heaven.
00:29:39.47\00:29:41.41
By the way, this
judgment is mentioned,
00:29:41.44\00:29:43.11
I won't read the
verses because time flies.
00:29:43.14\00:29:46.45
Revelation 14:6 and 7
00:29:46.48\00:29:49.28
says that we should
preach the everlasting gospel
00:29:49.32\00:29:52.35
to every nation,
kindred, tongue and people.
00:29:52.39\00:29:54.49
And part of that messages is
00:29:54.52\00:29:55.86
the hour of His
judgment has come.
00:29:55.89\00:30:00.06
Also Revelation 11:19,
00:30:00.10\00:30:02.36
the temple of God, the the naós,
00:30:02.40\00:30:05.13
the temple of God, the
Most Holy Place is open
00:30:05.17\00:30:07.67
and the ark of
His covenant is seen.
00:30:07.70\00:30:09.34
Now the judgment
is going to begin.
00:30:09.37\00:30:11.81
Revelation
Chapter 10 also refers
00:30:11.84\00:30:14.14
to this pre-Advent
investigative judgment.
00:30:14.18\00:30:18.35
So Jesus performs
His work in heaven,
00:30:18.38\00:30:23.59
in the holy place,
00:30:23.62\00:30:25.55
and in the Most Holy
Place to prepare a place.
00:30:25.59\00:30:30.03
Could Jesus return again
without performing His work
00:30:30.06\00:30:33.33
in the holy and
most holy places?
00:30:33.36\00:30:36.06
Absolutely not.
00:30:36.10\00:30:37.80
And if you read
Hebrews and Revelation,
00:30:37.83\00:30:41.64
you'll find there the work
that Jesus is doing in heaven
00:30:41.67\00:30:45.87
to prepare the place.
00:30:45.91\00:30:48.11
And in John 14-16,
00:30:48.14\00:30:50.38
you'll find that He
sends the Holy Spirit
00:30:50.41\00:30:52.71
to prepare the
people for the place.
00:30:52.75\00:30:55.25
Incidentally,
Ellen White tells us
00:30:55.28\00:30:57.85
that while Jesus is
cleansing the sanctuary
00:30:57.89\00:31:00.16
from the sins of His people,
00:31:00.19\00:31:02.02
His people should be cleansing
00:31:02.06\00:31:03.49
the sanctuary of
the soul from sin.
00:31:03.53\00:31:06.29
So there's a parallel work
on earth among God's people
00:31:06.33\00:31:10.37
that parallels what
Jesus does in heaven.
00:31:10.40\00:31:13.07
As He prepares heaven,
00:31:13.10\00:31:15.60
we are to prepare
on earth for heaven.
00:31:15.64\00:31:19.84
Now when the judgment concludes,
00:31:19.87\00:31:22.58
Jesus will
pronounce those awesome words
00:31:22.61\00:31:24.81
in Revelation 22:11.
00:31:24.85\00:31:29.22
He who is filthy,
let him be filthy still.
00:31:29.25\00:31:33.99
He who is the unrighteous,
let him be unrighteous still.
00:31:34.02\00:31:38.23
He who is holy,
let him be holy still.
00:31:38.26\00:31:41.43
He who is righteous,
let him be righteous still.
00:31:41.46\00:31:44.83
There's a finality to that.
00:31:44.87\00:31:46.77
That means that
probation is closed.
00:31:46.80\00:31:49.04
Every case is
decided for life or death.
00:31:49.07\00:31:52.57
Just like happened
when the door closed
00:31:52.61\00:31:54.51
in the days of Noah.
00:31:54.54\00:31:56.28
You see probation
closed before the destruction
00:31:56.31\00:31:59.31
and the people didn't
know that they were lost.
00:31:59.35\00:32:02.22
So as soon as the last person
who professed Jesus is judged,
00:32:02.25\00:32:07.92
probation closes,
and then God's wrath
00:32:07.96\00:32:12.89
is poured out in
the seven last plagues.
00:32:12.93\00:32:16.73
And the great tribulation
00:32:16.77\00:32:18.30
such as never has
been seen will take place.
00:32:18.33\00:32:23.84
You know when probation closes,
00:32:23.87\00:32:26.47
not only will the place
in heaven be prepared for us,
00:32:26.51\00:32:29.98
but God's people will
be prepared for the place.
00:32:30.01\00:32:33.52
Notice Ephesians 5:25-27.
00:32:33.55\00:32:37.35
Ephesians 5:25-27,
00:32:37.39\00:32:41.62
"Husbands, love your wives,
00:32:41.66\00:32:44.79
just as Christ
also loved the church
00:32:44.83\00:32:47.46
and gave Himself for her."
00:32:47.50\00:32:50.10
Why did Jesus
give Himself for her,
00:32:50.13\00:32:52.23
"that He might," what?
00:32:52.27\00:32:55.24
"Sanctify and cleanse her
00:32:55.27\00:32:58.81
with the washing of
the water by the word."
00:32:58.84\00:33:02.24
The water
represents the Holy Spirit.
00:33:02.28\00:33:03.98
The word, He uses
the word to cleanse us
00:33:04.01\00:33:06.45
with the washing of the water
by the word with what purpose?
00:33:06.48\00:33:09.98
"That He might
present her to Himself,"
00:33:10.02\00:33:12.75
what kind of a church?
00:33:12.79\00:33:14.12
"A glorious church,
00:33:14.16\00:33:15.96
not having spot or
wrinkle or any such thing,
00:33:15.99\00:33:20.23
but that she should be
holy and without blemish."
00:33:20.26\00:33:23.97
That will be the
condition of the remnant church
00:33:24.00\00:33:27.67
when probation closes.
00:33:27.70\00:33:29.80
Revelation 19:7 and 8
also describes the moment
00:33:29.84\00:33:33.78
when God's
people will be prepared.
00:33:33.81\00:33:35.91
Revelation 19:7 and 8,
00:33:35.94\00:33:38.18
"Let us be glad and
rejoice and give him glory
00:33:38.21\00:33:41.88
for the marriage
of the lamb has come."
00:33:41.92\00:33:45.02
And His wife has
made herself ready.
00:33:45.05\00:33:50.86
"And to her," that is His wife,
00:33:50.89\00:33:52.93
"it was granted to be
arrayed in fine linen,
00:33:52.96\00:33:55.33
clean and bright,
for the fine linen
00:33:55.36\00:33:58.47
is the righteous
acts of the saints."
00:33:58.50\00:34:02.20
In other words, God's people
00:34:02.24\00:34:03.71
will be living
a life without sin
00:34:03.74\00:34:06.27
during the time of trouble,
00:34:06.31\00:34:07.68
not even in thought, in thought.
00:34:07.71\00:34:09.84
And some people
don't like that idea.
00:34:09.88\00:34:11.35
They say, "Oh, you believe
in last generation theology."
00:34:11.38\00:34:15.22
They say, "Oh, you
know, you actually believe
00:34:15.25\00:34:17.79
that you can stop
sinning before Jesus comes."
00:34:17.82\00:34:20.69
They say, "No, no,
no, we're gonna be saved
00:34:20.72\00:34:22.42
until Jesus comes
because the flesh is weak."
00:34:22.46\00:34:27.76
Do you know what
you're really saying
00:34:27.80\00:34:29.13
when you're
saying the flesh is weak?
00:34:29.16\00:34:30.83
What you're really
saying is that God isn't strong.
00:34:30.87\00:34:36.60
Because what you're saying
is that your flesh is so strong
00:34:36.64\00:34:42.84
that even Jesus can't
give you the victory over it.
00:34:42.88\00:34:47.68
You know, that
text in the Bible,
00:34:47.72\00:34:49.05
it says I can do
most things through Christ
00:34:49.08\00:34:50.62
who strengthens me, right?
00:34:50.65\00:34:54.82
I can do some things
00:34:54.86\00:34:56.56
through Christ
who strengthens me.
00:34:56.59\00:34:58.59
I can do all
things except overcome sin
00:34:58.63\00:35:01.63
through Christ
who strengthens me.
00:35:01.66\00:35:03.00
No.
00:35:03.03\00:35:04.37
Paul says, "I can do all things
00:35:04.40\00:35:06.74
through Christ
who strengthens me."
00:35:06.77\00:35:08.90
The glory is for
Christ, not for us.
00:35:08.94\00:35:11.64
And by the way,
the most perfect people
00:35:11.67\00:35:14.11
are the ones that
feel most imperfect.
00:35:14.14\00:35:18.25
The least perfect
people are the ones
00:35:18.28\00:35:20.02
that consider
themselves perfect.
00:35:20.05\00:35:22.65
And that's one of the
problems in the church.
00:35:22.68\00:35:25.52
One of the problems in
the church is that those
00:35:25.55\00:35:27.32
who consider
themselves holier than others,
00:35:27.36\00:35:30.36
they're like the Pharisees.
00:35:30.39\00:35:31.73
They're always
comparing their holiness
00:35:31.76\00:35:33.63
with the holiness of others.
00:35:33.66\00:35:35.00
Listen, if I compare my holiness
00:35:35.03\00:35:36.63
with that of
others, I look pretty good.
00:35:36.67\00:35:39.70
But when I compare my
holiness with the Lord,
00:35:39.73\00:35:43.10
I say with
Isaiah, "I am I'm done."
00:35:43.14\00:35:47.21
Depart from me,
for I am a sinful man.
00:35:47.24\00:35:51.58
When we really
contemplate Jesus,
00:35:51.61\00:35:53.82
He is pure and clean.
00:35:53.85\00:35:55.88
As we see ourselves
for what we really are.
00:35:55.92\00:36:00.06
So then after the judgment ends,
00:36:00.09\00:36:02.86
and God's people are ready,
00:36:02.89\00:36:04.66
now comes the Great Tribulation.
00:36:04.69\00:36:07.76
Will God's people be
here during the tribulation?
00:36:07.80\00:36:10.50
Or will they be rapture away?
00:36:10.53\00:36:12.77
Futurists say that
they're gonna be rapture away,
00:36:12.80\00:36:15.50
because they're
not appointed to wrath.
00:36:15.54\00:36:17.84
Well, the fact is, it's true.
00:36:17.87\00:36:19.54
God's people are
not appointed to wrath.
00:36:19.57\00:36:21.38
The seven last
plagues are not gonna fall
00:36:21.41\00:36:22.84
on God's people.
00:36:22.88\00:36:24.81
The seven last plagues are
for the wicked, for Babylon.
00:36:24.85\00:36:27.88
But God's people will be here,
00:36:27.92\00:36:29.72
they will be
shielded by divine power.
00:36:29.75\00:36:32.59
Michael will stand up,
00:36:32.62\00:36:34.96
the great
prince who stands watch
00:36:34.99\00:36:37.73
over the children of His people.
00:36:37.76\00:36:39.66
And there will be
a time of trouble.
00:36:39.69\00:36:41.03
Yes.
00:36:41.06\00:36:42.40
But at the end of
the time of trouble,
00:36:42.43\00:36:43.77
God's people will
be delivered everyone
00:36:43.80\00:36:46.43
who is found
written in the book.
00:36:46.47\00:36:49.24
By the way, when
were they written
00:36:49.27\00:36:50.61
in the book?
00:36:50.64\00:36:52.11
In the previous judgment.
00:36:52.14\00:36:54.61
Now let's read some verses
about the Great Tribulation.
00:36:54.64\00:36:58.41
John 16:28.
00:36:58.45\00:37:00.55
Jesus says, "I have
many things to say to you,
00:37:00.58\00:37:02.55
but you cannot bear them now.
00:37:02.58\00:37:04.49
However, when He, the
Spirit of truth, has come,
00:37:04.52\00:37:07.59
He will guide
you into all truth,
00:37:07.62\00:37:09.86
for He will not
speak of His own authority,
00:37:09.89\00:37:11.99
but whatever He
hears He will speak,
00:37:12.03\00:37:14.10
and He will tell
you things to come."
00:37:14.13\00:37:17.07
By the way, the things to
come that the Holy Spirit tells
00:37:17.10\00:37:19.80
on what we find in
the Book of Revelation.
00:37:19.83\00:37:22.37
And in the Book of Revelation,
00:37:22.40\00:37:24.14
you have a description of
the severe time of trouble
00:37:24.17\00:37:27.88
that was going to ensue.
00:37:27.91\00:37:30.15
In John 16:33.
00:37:30.18\00:37:33.28
Jesus said, "These
things I have spoken to you,
00:37:33.31\00:37:36.02
that in Me you may have peace.
00:37:36.05\00:37:38.15
In the world you
will have tribulation,
00:37:38.19\00:37:40.32
but be of good cheer I
have overcome the world."
00:37:40.36\00:37:42.89
And in Matthew 24,
00:37:42.92\00:37:44.63
he says that this is gonna
be the worst time of trouble
00:37:44.66\00:37:47.23
in the history of the world.
00:37:47.26\00:37:48.80
And he says that,
00:37:48.83\00:37:50.40
if it wasn't for the
fact that God cut it short,
00:37:50.43\00:37:55.40
no flesh will be left.
00:37:55.44\00:37:57.47
That's how terrible this
period of trouble is gonna be.
00:37:57.51\00:37:59.84
It's gonna be like
Daniel in the lions' den.
00:37:59.87\00:38:03.01
It's gonna be like
the three young men
00:38:03.04\00:38:05.11
in the fiery furnace.
00:38:05.15\00:38:07.05
It's gonna be
like the experience
00:38:07.08\00:38:08.78
that Job went through.
00:38:08.82\00:38:11.45
It's gonna be the worst time
in the history of the world.
00:38:11.49\00:38:14.62
Ellen White says that
during the Great Tribulation,
00:38:14.66\00:38:19.33
Satan will have full control
of the finally impenitent.
00:38:19.36\00:38:23.67
Can you imagine a world
where Satan has full control
00:38:23.70\00:38:27.14
of every weakened
person on planet earth?
00:38:27.17\00:38:29.90
If it wasn't for the fact
that Jesus is gonna be there
00:38:29.94\00:38:32.51
protecting His
people, nobody would survive.
00:38:32.54\00:38:36.34
But at the end
of the tribulation,
00:38:36.38\00:38:38.51
God's people will be delivered
by the Second Coming of Jesus.
00:38:38.55\00:38:44.12
You say, you mean to say
00:38:44.15\00:38:45.55
all of this was just
after the First Coming.
00:38:45.59\00:38:50.09
He went to heaven
to do all of this.
00:38:50.13\00:38:52.36
And He's doing
all of this on earth.
00:38:52.39\00:38:55.03
Yes, the Second and
Third Comings are shorter.
00:38:55.06\00:39:00.44
Notice John 14:1-3.
00:39:00.47\00:39:03.57
After He prepares the place,
He promised to do something.
00:39:03.61\00:39:06.21
Once again,
00:39:06.24\00:39:07.58
"Let not your heart be troubled,
00:39:07.61\00:39:09.11
you believe in
God, believe also in Me.
00:39:09.14\00:39:11.48
In My Father's
house are many mansions,
00:39:11.51\00:39:13.82
if it were not so,
I would have told you.
00:39:13.85\00:39:16.52
I go to prepare a place for you.
00:39:16.55\00:39:18.55
And if I go to
prepare a place for you,"
00:39:18.59\00:39:21.49
what is He gonna do
after He's prepared the place?
00:39:21.52\00:39:23.56
"I will come again."
00:39:23.59\00:39:26.56
What coming is
that? The Second Coming.
00:39:26.59\00:39:29.70
"I will come again,
and receive you to myself,
00:39:29.73\00:39:34.57
that where I am,
there you may be also."
00:39:34.60\00:39:40.51
By the way, the
only verse in the Bible
00:39:40.54\00:39:42.08
that refers to His
coming as the second
00:39:42.11\00:39:44.81
is in Hebrews 9:27 and 28.
00:39:44.85\00:39:47.75
Hebrews 9:27 and 28.
00:39:47.78\00:39:49.88
Obviously, the
concept of the Second Coming
00:39:49.92\00:39:52.15
is in the New Testament,
00:39:52.19\00:39:53.52
but the only text that
actually uses the word second
00:39:53.56\00:39:55.66
is in Hebrews 9:27 and 28.
00:39:55.69\00:39:58.39
It says, "And as it is appointed
00:39:58.43\00:40:02.16
for men to die once,
00:40:02.20\00:40:04.10
but after this the judgment,
00:40:04.13\00:40:06.33
so Christ was offered
once to bear the sins of many,
00:40:06.37\00:40:09.84
to those who
eagerly wait for Him
00:40:09.87\00:40:13.01
He will appear a second time,
00:40:13.04\00:40:16.14
apart from sin, for salvation."
00:40:16.18\00:40:20.12
So is there gonna be a
Second Coming of Jesus?
00:40:20.15\00:40:23.79
Absolutely.
00:40:23.82\00:40:25.19
Jesus is going to
return for His people
00:40:25.22\00:40:28.22
to take them to
His Father's house.
00:40:28.26\00:40:32.03
Known as 1
Thessalonians 4:15-17.
00:40:32.06\00:40:36.80
This is the famous
resurrection passage.
00:40:36.83\00:40:39.23
It's read at every
funeral I've ever attended.
00:40:39.27\00:40:42.44
"For this we say to you
by the word of the Lord,
00:40:42.47\00:40:45.04
that we who are alive and remain
00:40:45.07\00:40:46.47
until the coming of the Lord
00:40:46.51\00:40:47.84
will by no means
precede those who are asleep.
00:40:47.88\00:40:50.41
For the Lord Himself
will descend from heaven
00:40:50.45\00:40:52.21
with a shout, with
the voice of an archangel,
00:40:52.25\00:40:54.52
with the trumpet of God.
00:40:54.55\00:40:56.05
And the dead in
Christ will rise first.
00:40:56.08\00:40:58.49
Then we who are alive and remain
00:40:58.52\00:41:00.89
shall be caught up..."
00:41:00.92\00:41:02.26
Jesus is not
coming all the way down.
00:41:02.29\00:41:04.16
It's his second coming,
but He doesn't touch the earth.
00:41:04.19\00:41:06.96
It says, "Those who
are alive and remain
00:41:07.00\00:41:10.13
shall be caught up
together with them,"
00:41:10.17\00:41:12.00
that is with those
who died and resurrected,
00:41:12.03\00:41:14.00
"in the clouds to
meet the Lord in the air.
00:41:14.04\00:41:17.01
And thus we shall
always be with the Lord."
00:41:17.04\00:41:19.81
So He's not
coming all the way down,
00:41:19.84\00:41:21.18
we're gonna be caught up,
00:41:21.21\00:41:22.54
because He's
gonna take us where?
00:41:22.58\00:41:24.61
To His Father's house.
00:41:24.65\00:41:26.65
He said to Peter,
00:41:26.68\00:41:28.02
"You can't follow Me now,
but you will follow Me later."
00:41:28.05\00:41:31.95
Notice 1
Thessalonians 5:1 and 2.
00:41:31.99\00:41:34.66
And by the way,
this is important
00:41:34.69\00:41:36.02
because those who
believe in the rapture,
00:41:36.06\00:41:37.73
they say Jesus is
gonna come seven years
00:41:37.76\00:41:39.89
before His glorious coming,
00:41:39.93\00:41:41.40
and He's gonna
rapture the church
00:41:41.43\00:41:43.33
secretly to heaven,
then seven years later,
00:41:43.37\00:41:45.70
He's gonna come
with His glorious coming,
00:41:45.73\00:41:48.14
and He's going to
establish His kingdom
00:41:48.17\00:41:49.60
here on earth for 1,000 years.
00:41:49.64\00:41:52.21
That's false prophecy.
00:41:52.24\00:41:53.94
And we're gonna see
that it's very dangerous.
00:41:53.98\00:41:56.48
1 Thessalonians 5:1 and 2,
00:41:56.51\00:41:58.41
"Now brethren
concerning the coming
00:41:58.45\00:42:00.18
of our Lord Jesus
Christ, and our..."
00:42:00.22\00:42:03.65
Now listen to this,
00:42:03.69\00:42:05.02
and are
gathering together to Him.
00:42:05.05\00:42:08.62
He is not gathered to
us, we are gathered to Him.
00:42:08.66\00:42:13.33
We asked you not to
be soon shaken in mind
00:42:13.36\00:42:15.56
or troubled either by spirit,
or by word, or by letter,
00:42:15.60\00:42:18.70
as if from us as though
the day of Christ had come.
00:42:18.73\00:42:24.54
Notice Matthew 24:31.
00:42:24.57\00:42:27.34
Matthew 24:31.
00:42:27.38\00:42:31.31
And He will send...
00:42:31.35\00:42:32.68
Now listen carefully,
00:42:32.71\00:42:34.18
"He will send His angels
00:42:34.22\00:42:37.25
with a great sound of a trumpet,
00:42:37.29\00:42:39.29
and they will
gather together His elect
00:42:39.32\00:42:41.96
from the four winds..."
00:42:41.99\00:42:44.13
Jesus doesn't
come all the way down
00:42:44.16\00:42:45.56
to gather His elect.
00:42:45.59\00:42:46.93
When He's in the air He what?
00:42:46.96\00:42:48.76
He sends His angels
to gather His elect.
00:42:48.80\00:42:51.80
It says, "From the four winds,
00:42:51.83\00:42:54.20
from one end of
heaven to the other."
00:42:54.24\00:42:56.64
And then He takes His
people to the Father's house.
00:42:56.67\00:43:02.04
So He's going
back to heaven again.
00:43:02.08\00:43:05.31
Right?
00:43:05.35\00:43:06.68
Came down from
heaven, went back to heaven,
00:43:06.72\00:43:10.29
comes down from
heaven, goes back to heaven.
00:43:10.32\00:43:14.79
What are we gonna do in heaven?
00:43:14.82\00:43:17.33
You know, people say,
00:43:17.36\00:43:18.69
"Oh, I want to live
eternally with Jesus in heaven."
00:43:18.73\00:43:21.26
No, you're not.
00:43:21.30\00:43:25.93
You're not gonna live
eternally with Jesus in heaven.
00:43:25.97\00:43:29.77
You're gonna live
thousand 1,000 years
00:43:29.80\00:43:31.14
with Jesus in heaven.
00:43:31.17\00:43:33.24
And then you're
gonna live eternally
00:43:33.27\00:43:34.61
with Him on earth
00:43:34.64\00:43:36.48
because the Bible says
00:43:36.51\00:43:37.85
the meek will inherit the earth.
00:43:37.88\00:43:39.95
What are God's
people gonna do in heaven
00:43:39.98\00:43:41.45
during the 1,000 years?
00:43:41.48\00:43:44.25
In the Father's house?
00:43:44.29\00:43:46.69
Well, let's
read Revelation 20:4.
00:43:46.72\00:43:49.79
Who was left behind,
by the way, on earth?
00:43:49.82\00:43:53.23
Satan, His
angels and the wicked.
00:43:53.26\00:43:55.83
Do we get all dead, right?
00:43:55.86\00:43:57.47
They're in the millennium.
00:43:57.50\00:43:59.20
God's people
are in heaven alive.
00:43:59.23\00:44:01.57
On earth, Satan and his angels
00:44:01.60\00:44:03.61
bound to the
earth in a living state,
00:44:03.64\00:44:05.47
the wicked are
dead on the earth.
00:44:05.51\00:44:08.74
So what are God's
people gonna do in heaven?
00:44:08.78\00:44:12.11
It's gonna be a
working vacation.
00:44:12.15\00:44:15.68
Revelation 20:4.
00:44:15.72\00:44:17.55
"I saw thrones,
and they sat on them,
00:44:17.59\00:44:20.16
and judgment was
committed to them."
00:44:20.19\00:44:23.79
What are God's people gonna do?
00:44:23.83\00:44:26.29
They're going to judge.
00:44:26.33\00:44:29.76
But immediately you say,
no, wait a minute, judge.
00:44:29.80\00:44:32.40
They're gonna judge?
What are they gonna judge?
00:44:32.43\00:44:35.30
Or they're gonna
judge the righteous.
00:44:35.34\00:44:37.31
Oh, the righteous are in heaven.
00:44:37.34\00:44:38.67
Are they gonna
judge the faithful angels?
00:44:38.71\00:44:41.08
Angels don't need a judgment.
00:44:41.11\00:44:42.44
So who are the only
ones left to be judged?
00:44:42.48\00:44:45.38
Satan, his angels and the wicked
00:44:45.41\00:44:47.92
who have been
left here on earth.
00:44:47.95\00:44:51.55
Are you with me?
00:44:51.59\00:44:53.36
Now let's go to
Revelation 20:12.
00:44:53.39\00:44:58.33
This is the millennial judgment.
00:44:58.36\00:45:00.10
Remember, judgment was committed
00:45:00.13\00:45:03.06
to God's faithful
people during the 1,000 years.
00:45:03.10\00:45:06.17
Now notice Revelation 20:12,
it says, "And I saw the dead,
00:45:06.20\00:45:11.51
small and great,
standing before God..."
00:45:11.54\00:45:14.64
How can dead
people stand before God?
00:45:14.68\00:45:17.98
Says, "I saw the
dead, small and great,
00:45:18.01\00:45:20.45
standing before God,
and books were opened."
00:45:20.48\00:45:23.12
How do the dead
stand before God,
00:45:23.15\00:45:24.79
the wicked dead?
00:45:24.82\00:45:26.15
How do they stand before God?
00:45:26.19\00:45:29.22
Through the books,
00:45:29.26\00:45:31.63
through the
record in their books.
00:45:31.66\00:45:32.99
They're not there
personally, they're dead,
00:45:33.03\00:45:34.83
but they're standing before God
00:45:34.86\00:45:36.36
by the records
that are in the books.
00:45:36.40\00:45:39.60
And then it continue saying,
"And another book was opened,
00:45:39.63\00:45:42.67
which is the Book of Life.
00:45:42.70\00:45:44.11
And the dead..."
00:45:44.14\00:45:45.47
Notice, that
they're not alive up there
00:45:45.51\00:45:47.01
standing before
God's judgment bar.
00:45:47.04\00:45:48.88
It says, "And
the dead were judged
00:45:48.91\00:45:50.91
according to their
works, by the things
00:45:50.95\00:45:53.15
which were
written in the books."
00:45:53.18\00:45:55.58
So what are we going to
examine during the 1,000 years,
00:45:55.62\00:45:58.99
those who go to heaven?
00:45:59.02\00:46:00.36
I'm planning on being there.
00:46:00.39\00:46:02.32
What are we gonna do?
00:46:02.36\00:46:04.53
We're gonna open the books
00:46:04.56\00:46:05.89
and look at the
records of the dead.
00:46:05.93\00:46:08.16
They will stand before God
00:46:08.20\00:46:09.86
through the record of their life
00:46:09.90\00:46:11.33
because God keeps a
biography in heaven.
00:46:11.37\00:46:14.57
That's what
He's going to examine
00:46:14.60\00:46:16.97
in the pre-Advent judgment
00:46:17.01\00:46:18.37
and during the
millennial judgment as well.
00:46:18.41\00:46:22.81
Now, let's read Revelation 20:5.
00:46:22.84\00:46:29.28
"The wicked will
be judged in heaven.
00:46:29.32\00:46:33.25
Satan and His
angels will be judged
00:46:33.29\00:46:35.06
by the righteous in heaven,
00:46:35.09\00:46:36.76
judgment was committed to them.
00:46:36.79\00:46:39.19
And after this
judgment is finished,
00:46:39.23\00:46:42.50
then Jesus will
return to the earth
00:46:42.53\00:46:45.83
in His Third Coming.
00:46:45.87\00:46:48.87
This time He will
come with all His people."
00:46:48.90\00:46:54.34
Are you with me or not?
00:46:54.38\00:46:56.51
You say, well, where
does the Bible say that?
00:46:56.54\00:46:58.85
Go with me to
Zachariah 14:4 and 5.
00:46:58.88\00:47:02.62
Zachariah 14:4 and 5.
00:47:02.65\00:47:05.32
By the way, what
condition will the world be in
00:47:05.35\00:47:07.52
during the 1,000 years?
00:47:07.56\00:47:10.53
This will be a beautiful
garden place to live, right?
00:47:10.56\00:47:13.80
We're gonna
study the millennium,
00:47:13.83\00:47:15.16
that's our next subject
of study is the millennium.
00:47:15.20\00:47:17.73
This place will
be uninhabitable.
00:47:17.77\00:47:21.67
No one could live here,
except Satan and his angels,
00:47:21.70\00:47:24.97
but no human
being could live here.
00:47:25.01\00:47:27.94
So that idea that Christ
00:47:27.98\00:47:29.31
is gonna come through this world
00:47:29.34\00:47:30.68
and He's gonna
reign for 1,000 years,
00:47:30.71\00:47:32.81
and there's gonna
be a beautiful place
00:47:32.85\00:47:34.72
and He's gonna rule
people with a rod of iron.
00:47:34.75\00:47:36.38
They're gonna be here
00:47:36.42\00:47:37.75
in their mortal state and so on.
00:47:37.79\00:47:39.42
That's a fabrication.
00:47:39.45\00:47:41.62
It's not true.
00:47:41.66\00:47:43.39
God's people will be in
heaven during the millennium,
00:47:43.43\00:47:46.39
performing a work of judgment
and reigning with Christ.
00:47:46.43\00:47:50.27
The wicked will all be dead.
00:47:50.30\00:47:52.73
Revelation 20:5 says
00:47:52.77\00:47:54.47
that the rest of the
dead did not live again
00:47:54.50\00:47:57.04
until the 1,000
years were finished.
00:47:57.07\00:48:00.21
Now let's explain it this way
so that you can understand it.
00:48:00.24\00:48:04.38
Everybody in this world
00:48:04.41\00:48:07.52
when they were
born from their mother,
00:48:07.55\00:48:10.75
live their first life,
right, for the first time.
00:48:10.79\00:48:16.02
Now let's take a
righteous person.
00:48:16.06\00:48:17.69
If the righteous person
dies, then it's his first death.
00:48:17.73\00:48:22.43
Right?
00:48:22.46\00:48:24.10
When Jesus
resurrects the righteous person,
00:48:24.13\00:48:27.77
that person will
not suffer second death,
00:48:27.80\00:48:30.17
he will live forever.
00:48:30.21\00:48:32.81
But let's take a wicked person,
00:48:32.84\00:48:35.41
a wicked person that is lost
00:48:35.44\00:48:38.11
dies before Jesus comes.
00:48:38.15\00:48:40.42
All will die before Jesus comes.
00:48:40.45\00:48:43.45
They live their first life.
00:48:43.49\00:48:46.02
They died either
before Jesus came,
00:48:46.05\00:48:49.96
or at the coming of Jesus.
00:48:49.99\00:48:51.33
That's their first death.
00:48:51.36\00:48:53.19
After the 1,000
years they live again,
00:48:53.23\00:48:56.77
and then they will suffer what?
00:48:56.80\00:48:59.03
Second death.
00:48:59.07\00:49:01.10
You cannot suffer second death
00:49:01.14\00:49:02.67
unless you suffer the first one.
00:49:02.70\00:49:05.11
And first death is
before the millennium.
00:49:05.14\00:49:08.01
Second death takes place
00:49:08.04\00:49:09.38
after the judgment
00:49:09.41\00:49:10.75
during the millennium.
00:49:10.78\00:49:12.38
It's very simple.
00:49:12.41\00:49:14.98
Now Zachariah
14:4 and 5 describes
00:49:15.02\00:49:17.29
the Third Coming of Jesus
00:49:17.32\00:49:18.65
after 1,000 years
with all of His people
00:49:18.69\00:49:20.49
back to the earth again.
00:49:20.52\00:49:22.16
It says, "And in
that day His feet
00:49:22.19\00:49:24.66
will stand on
the Mount of Olives,
00:49:24.69\00:49:27.03
which faces
Jerusalem on the east.
00:49:27.06\00:49:29.53
And the Mount of
Olives shall be split in two,
00:49:29.56\00:49:31.33
from east to west,
making a very large valley,
00:49:31.37\00:49:34.50
half of the mountain
shall move toward the north
00:49:34.54\00:49:36.44
and half of it toward the south.
00:49:36.47\00:49:38.61
Then you shall flee
through My mountain valley,
00:49:38.64\00:49:42.08
for the mountain
valley shall reach to Azal.
00:49:42.11\00:49:45.11
Yes, you shall flee as
you fled from the earthquake
00:49:45.15\00:49:48.38
in the days of
Uzziah king of Judah.
00:49:48.42\00:49:51.25
Thus the Lord my God will come,
00:49:51.29\00:49:54.42
and all the saints with You."
00:49:54.46\00:49:58.29
The Lord is gonna come.
00:49:58.33\00:49:59.66
Are His feet gonna
touch the earth at this point?
00:49:59.69\00:50:02.06
Yes, His feet are gonna
rest on the Mount of Olives
00:50:02.10\00:50:04.77
and it is gonna split open.
00:50:04.80\00:50:07.10
The purpose of the space
00:50:07.14\00:50:09.00
is to allow the
holy city to descend
00:50:09.04\00:50:11.47
in that open space.
00:50:11.51\00:50:13.31
And when He
returns and His feet,
00:50:13.34\00:50:15.94
split them out of our lives,
00:50:15.98\00:50:17.31
we are told that He
comes with all of His saints,
00:50:17.35\00:50:21.28
which means that
they must have gone
00:50:21.32\00:50:22.95
to heaven with Him
00:50:22.98\00:50:24.35
before He came the third time.
00:50:24.39\00:50:28.29
Are you with me?
00:50:28.32\00:50:30.53
And then I want you to notice
00:50:30.56\00:50:33.09
Revelation 21:2.
00:50:33.13\00:50:35.83
"And I John saw the
holy city, New Jerusalem,
00:50:35.86\00:50:39.20
coming down from
God out of heaven,
00:50:39.23\00:50:41.34
prepared as a bride
adorned for her husband."
00:50:41.37\00:50:45.17
The New Jerusalem,
the dwelling place of God,
00:50:45.21\00:50:47.61
the Father's
house is gonna come down
00:50:47.64\00:50:50.38
with Jesus and rest there,
00:50:50.41\00:50:52.78
where the Mount of
Olives was split into.
00:50:52.81\00:50:57.25
There will be no third
return to heaven for Jesus.
00:50:57.29\00:51:03.06
Jesus will come to live
with His people here, forever.
00:51:03.09\00:51:09.00
God's capital of the universe
00:51:09.03\00:51:11.23
will be
transferred to planet earth.
00:51:11.27\00:51:13.44
Imagine the
privilege of having the capital
00:51:13.47\00:51:17.07
of the whole
universe here on planet earth.
00:51:17.11\00:51:22.71
Wow.
00:51:22.74\00:51:24.08
In the midst of
the almost infinite,
00:51:24.11\00:51:27.85
you know, universe of God,
00:51:27.88\00:51:30.19
to know that this little world
00:51:30.22\00:51:32.42
will be the center of
the government of God,
00:51:32.45\00:51:34.62
what a privilege.
00:51:34.66\00:51:36.52
Don't miss it.
00:51:36.56\00:51:40.53
"I John saw the
holy city, New Jerusalem,
00:51:40.56\00:51:42.63
coming down from
God out of heaven,
00:51:42.66\00:51:44.63
prepared as a bride
adorned for her husband."
00:51:44.67\00:51:47.50
And then, in Revelation 20:13,
00:51:47.54\00:51:50.21
we have the
resurrection of the wicked dead.
00:51:50.24\00:51:52.77
Remember that
the dead were judged
00:51:52.81\00:51:55.48
by what was
written in the books.
00:51:55.51\00:51:57.41
In the very next verse
00:51:57.45\00:51:59.31
it refers to the resurrection
of them after the 1,000 years.
00:51:59.35\00:52:03.42
You say, really? Let's read.
00:52:03.45\00:52:05.62
"The sea gave up
the dead who are in it,
00:52:05.65\00:52:10.53
and death and Hades
00:52:10.56\00:52:11.89
delivered up the
dead who are in them."
00:52:11.93\00:52:13.90
What does it
mean here when it says
00:52:13.93\00:52:15.26
that the sea gave up the dead,
00:52:15.30\00:52:17.17
and death and Hades
delivered up the dead?
00:52:17.20\00:52:19.93
It means that the
dead are going to, what?
00:52:19.97\00:52:22.64
Resurrect.
00:52:22.67\00:52:24.14
And by the way,
00:52:24.17\00:52:25.51
do you know that even the wicked
00:52:25.54\00:52:26.88
are gonna be
able to see the record
00:52:26.91\00:52:28.24
of their lives
after the millennium?
00:52:28.28\00:52:29.61
There's gonna be a post
millennial judgment too.
00:52:29.64\00:52:32.25
God will not destroy the
wicked until they are convinced
00:52:32.28\00:52:35.25
that God acted
right in their case.
00:52:35.28\00:52:37.29
We'll study this more
fully in our next presentation.
00:52:37.32\00:52:40.46
So after the
millennium, above the city,
00:52:40.49\00:52:42.59
they will see the
record of their lives.
00:52:42.62\00:52:44.26
There will be another
investigative judgment.
00:52:44.29\00:52:47.16
And when all of
them see their cases,
00:52:47.20\00:52:49.16
they will say righteous
and true are your ways, oh God.
00:52:49.20\00:52:53.34
You're right. We're wrong.
00:52:53.37\00:52:59.44
So it says,
00:52:59.47\00:53:00.81
"The sea gave up
the dead who were in it.
00:53:00.84\00:53:03.04
Death and Hades
delivered up the dead
00:53:03.08\00:53:05.18
who were in them.
00:53:05.21\00:53:06.55
And they were judged, each one
00:53:06.58\00:53:07.92
according to his works."
00:53:07.95\00:53:10.95
Then when the judgment finishes,
00:53:10.99\00:53:12.39
they'll say, we
don't deserve heaven.
00:53:12.42\00:53:16.36
We don't deserve
to live in this city.
00:53:16.39\00:53:19.89
And I wish I had time.
00:53:19.93\00:53:21.26
You know, we
probably covered this
00:53:21.30\00:53:22.63
in our next subject.
00:53:22.66\00:53:24.70
That is the wicked
00:53:24.73\00:53:26.07
are gonna surround the holy city
00:53:26.10\00:53:28.14
with the intention
of attacking the city,
00:53:28.17\00:53:29.80
but they never
attacked the city.
00:53:29.84\00:53:32.84
They end up attacking Satan.
00:53:32.87\00:53:35.44
When they see the
history of salvation,
00:53:35.48\00:53:37.01
they see the
sacrifice of Christ,
00:53:37.05\00:53:38.71
when they see how they
had opportunity to be saved
00:53:38.75\00:53:41.18
and they rejected
those opportunities.
00:53:41.22\00:53:44.12
They're not gonna
attack the holy city,
00:53:44.15\00:53:45.95
they're gonna end up
according to Ezekiel 28,
00:53:45.99\00:53:48.02
attacking Satan and his angels.
00:53:48.06\00:53:52.76
Only then can God destroy sin
and sinners because only then
00:53:52.79\00:53:56.43
is the whole universe in harmony
00:53:56.46\00:53:58.63
because even the
wicked have recognized.
00:53:58.67\00:54:01.54
And by the way,
Satan will kneel and say,
00:54:01.57\00:54:03.61
"Just and true are Your ways."
00:54:03.64\00:54:06.37
And so the whole
universe will be in harmony,
00:54:06.41\00:54:08.24
recognizing that God is right.
00:54:08.28\00:54:10.88
God is just, and
God gave opportunities,
00:54:10.91\00:54:13.31
and God is loving.
00:54:13.35\00:54:15.72
And then, after this
00:54:15.75\00:54:18.49
in Revelation 21:1.
00:54:18.52\00:54:23.16
It says, "Now I saw a new heaven
00:54:23.19\00:54:27.80
and a new earth,
00:54:27.83\00:54:29.90
for the first
heaven and the first earth
00:54:29.93\00:54:32.50
had passed away.
00:54:32.53\00:54:34.24
Also, there was no more sea."
00:54:34.27\00:54:38.44
And then you can
read in verse 4, it says,
00:54:38.47\00:54:40.54
"God will wipe away
every tear from their eyes,
00:54:40.58\00:54:46.18
there will be no more sorrow,
00:54:46.21\00:54:49.08
there will be no more pain,
00:54:49.12\00:54:51.92
and there will
be no more death."
00:54:51.95\00:54:54.86
God's people will
live eternally with Jesus
00:54:54.89\00:54:59.83
on the earth made new.
00:54:59.86\00:55:02.93
Jesus made two
promises to His people.
00:55:02.96\00:55:06.77
He said, "In My Father's
house are many mansions,
00:55:06.80\00:55:10.81
and I am gonna take
you to my Father's house."
00:55:10.84\00:55:14.41
He fulfills that by
taking His people to heaven
00:55:14.44\00:55:17.01
for 1,000 years.
00:55:17.05\00:55:19.48
But He also gave
another promise and that is,
00:55:19.51\00:55:21.88
the meek will inherit the earth.
00:55:21.92\00:55:25.19
And that promise
Jesus will fulfill
00:55:25.22\00:55:27.66
when the New Jerusalem descends,
00:55:27.69\00:55:29.69
and He makes this the
capital of the universe,
00:55:29.72\00:55:32.73
the meek will inherit the earth.
00:55:32.76\00:55:35.90
It's totally different
than what futurists believe.
00:55:35.93\00:55:38.80
Futurists believe
that the way in which Jesus
00:55:38.83\00:55:41.60
is gonna fulfill both promises
00:55:41.64\00:55:44.84
is that He's gonna
rapture the church away
00:55:44.87\00:55:47.01
to heaven for seven years.
00:55:47.04\00:55:50.45
That way, Jesus
fulfills the first promise
00:55:50.48\00:55:53.01
to take His people to heaven.
00:55:53.05\00:55:55.18
And then after the seven years,
00:55:55.22\00:55:56.72
after the Jews have gone
00:55:56.75\00:55:58.09
through the
tribulation, the antichrist,
00:55:58.12\00:55:59.95
literal antichrist
has rebuilt the temple.
00:55:59.99\00:56:01.89
He's made a
covenant with the Jews.
00:56:01.92\00:56:03.39
He's established a
10 Nation Federation.
00:56:03.43\00:56:05.79
And He's ruled for
three and half years,
00:56:05.83\00:56:07.53
and He's persecuted the Jews,
00:56:07.56\00:56:08.90
and He's done all
these things in the future.
00:56:08.93\00:56:10.80
See, it has nothing
to do with the papacy
00:56:10.83\00:56:12.33
and apostate Protestantism.
00:56:12.37\00:56:13.70
Of course, it
has everything to do
00:56:13.74\00:56:15.07
with the future of
those churches in heaven.
00:56:15.10\00:56:17.07
So we don't even have
to study these prophecies,
00:56:17.11\00:56:19.71
because they don't apply to us.
00:56:19.74\00:56:22.14
Then after this
period of seven years,
00:56:22.18\00:56:24.85
Jesus will descend with those
00:56:24.88\00:56:27.28
who took to
heaven at the rapture,
00:56:27.32\00:56:30.19
and He will come to this earth.
00:56:30.22\00:56:32.32
and for 1,000 years
00:56:32.35\00:56:34.09
He will be here with His people,
00:56:34.12\00:56:36.86
and they will be
living in their mortal state.
00:56:36.89\00:56:40.06
Now, one thing which futurists
have not been able to find
00:56:40.10\00:56:44.47
where they clearly
express what they believe, is,
00:56:44.50\00:56:48.04
you know, how in the world
00:56:48.07\00:56:50.97
are people gonna be
able to live on this earth
00:56:51.01\00:56:53.27
during the 1,000 years,
00:56:53.31\00:56:55.41
with the
description that the Bible does
00:56:55.44\00:56:57.51
of the millennium.
00:56:57.55\00:56:59.61
And how do they say that
Jesus is gonna reign here
00:56:59.65\00:57:02.18
and this is gonna be a paradise.
00:57:02.22\00:57:04.25
It simply does not
fit the description
00:57:04.29\00:57:06.96
that the Bible gives.
00:57:06.99\00:57:08.72
The Bible tells
us that this earth
00:57:08.76\00:57:10.56
is gonna be
without form and void,
00:57:10.59\00:57:12.79
and in darkness,
00:57:12.83\00:57:14.16
the plagues will have decimated
everything on this earth.
00:57:14.20\00:57:16.97
It will be
inhospitable, uninhabitable.
00:57:17.00\00:57:21.50
It's only after the 1,000 years
00:57:21.54\00:57:24.77
when the
judgment has taken place
00:57:24.81\00:57:27.41
that God will make a
new heavens and a new earth,
00:57:27.44\00:57:31.08
in which, as
Peter said in 2 Peter,
00:57:31.11\00:57:34.62
"In which righteousness dwells."
00:57:34.65\00:57:38.12
And then, sin will
be finished forever.
00:57:38.15\00:57:40.96
The wounds on the hands and feet
00:57:40.99\00:57:43.49
and side and brow of Jesus
00:57:43.53\00:57:47.13
will remind us
of the price of sin.
00:57:47.16\00:57:51.10
And the whole
universe will be vaccinated
00:57:51.13\00:57:53.77
against sin forever and ever,
00:57:53.80\00:57:55.60
because what
person in his right mind
00:57:55.64\00:57:57.71
would ever want to
experiment with sin ever again.
00:57:57.74\00:58:01.81
Let's just make plans
that we will be there.
00:58:01.84\00:58:05.28