Well, welcome again.
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This is session number 17.
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Believe it or not, time
does fly by, doesn't it?
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It's been a real
pleasure being here in Hawaii
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to produce this series.
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And the two other series
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that were
produced by other speakers.
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And today our topic
of study has two parts.
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The title is A
Judas in the Church.
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And we are going
to take part one,
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and then in our second
session, we will study part two,
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but before we do
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we want to have
a word of prayer.
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And so I invite you to
bow your heads as we pray.
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Father in heaven,
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as we study this
very important subject
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on 2 Thessalonians Chapter 2,
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we ask for the
presence of Your Holy Spirit.
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There are so many out there
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that are confused
about these prophecies.
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And You have given
a wonderful message
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to our church
to share with them.
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We ask that
through these presentations
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as they are in social
media, satellite, and television
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that You might reach
many of those sincere souls
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with the truth.
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We ask that You will bless us,
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that You will open
our minds and hearts.
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In Jesus' name we pray, amen.
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The Thessalonians had
written to the Apostle Paul,
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with a very important question.
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They knew that
those who are alive
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when Jesus comes
were going to be taken
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to heaven with Jesus.
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But they wondered
about what was happening,
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what would happen to
those who had passed away
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before the
Second Coming of Jesus.
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Evidently, they were
not aware of the doctrine
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of the resurrection of the dead.
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So they wrote to the
Apostle Paul to ask him
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what would happen with them.
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The Apostle Paul
wrote 1 Thessalonians
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to answer their question.
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And in 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17,
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the Apostle Paul,
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as we read in previous lectures,
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told them that those
who are alive and remain
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and those who died in Christ,
the dead would resurrect,
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and together, they would
be caught up in the clouds
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to meet the Lord in the air.
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Now he used an expression that
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gave the
Thessalonians the impression
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that he was gonna be alive.
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And they were gonna be
alive when Jesus comes.
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Twice in 1
Thessalonians 4:15-17.
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He said, "We who
are alive and remain."
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So the Apostle Paul had to write
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a second epistle
to them, to tell them,
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"I wasn't exactly predicting
that we were going to be alive
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when Jesus comes."
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In fact,
something needs to happen
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before Jesus comes.
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And this is why he
wrote the second letter
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to the Thessalonians to clarify
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that he was not
predicting that he
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and the
Thessalonians would be alive
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at the Second Coming of Christ.
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I wanna read 2
Thessalonians 2:1-2,
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where the Apostle
Paul offers this correction
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to their misunderstanding.
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In 2:1-2, the
Apostle Paul wrote,
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"Now, brethren,
concerning the coming,"
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the coming is the word Parousia,
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a common word for
the Second Coming,
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"concerning the coming
of our Lord Jesus Christ
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and our
gathering together to Him,
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we ask you, not to be soon
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shaken in mind or troubled,
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either by spirit,"
that might be a vision,
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"or by word,"
that is an oral report,
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"or by letter,"
a supposed letter
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from the Apostle
Paul, "as if from us,
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as though the day
of Christ had come."
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So the Apostle Paul says,
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"The day of Christ,
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the Second Coming
has not occurred yet."
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In fact, he's gonna
say that something drastic
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needs to happen
before the Parousia,
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before Jesus comes.
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And we find that in Chapter 2
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and verse 3 where he says,
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"Let no one
deceive you by any means."
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And, of course, what he means
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is don't let anybody deceive you
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to make you think that
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the coming of Jesus is imminent,
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or that Jesus has come.
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And then it continues
saying, "For that Day,"
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that is the Parousia,
the Second Coming of Jesus,
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"will not come unless the,"
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I'm reading from
the New King James,
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"the falling away comes first."
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So in other words
before Jesus can come,
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something is going to
occur, the falling away.
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Now it's important to
realize that in the Greek,
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the word apostasia,
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where we get our
word apostasy from,
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which is
translated falling away,
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has the definite article.
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This is not un-apostasy,
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this is the apostasy.
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This is a very specific apostasy
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that the Apostle Paul
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and the
Thessalonians knew about.
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So there was gonna
be not un-apostasy,
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but the apostasy
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before the
Second Coming of Christ.
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And as I mentioned,
the word that is used here
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for falling away
is the word apostasia,
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which is used to describe a boat
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that is not well anchored
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at the port and
is drifting away,
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which means that
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if it's drifting
away from the port,
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it was at the
port at some point.
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So falling away is
not a bad translation,
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but we need to understand
that it's the word apostasia.
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We're gonna see that
what the Apostle Paul
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was referring to when he said
the apostasy is the apostasy
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that is described
in Daniel Chapter 7,
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the little horn
apostasy or the beast apostasy,
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the beast of
Revelation Chapter 13.
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Now we need to discover
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what sin is because in verse 3,
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it says, "Let no one deceive you
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by any means,
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for that Day will not come
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unless the
falling away comes first,
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and the man of sin is revealed."
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So in other words,
this apostasy is marked
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and led by the man of sin.
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So we need to know what sin is
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because this is a man
who's going to defend,
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he's going to actually
say that it's okay to sin.
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So in 1 John 3:4,
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we find the
following definition of sin.
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And I'm reading
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from the New King James Version.
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"Whoever commits sin
also commits lawlessness,
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and sin is lawlessness."
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I like the King
James translation better.
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It says,
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"Sin is the
transgression of the law."
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So in other words,
this apostasy is going to be
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exhibited or manifested
by an attack on the law.
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It's going to encourage
transgression of the law.
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By the way, this
reminds us of Daniel 7:25,
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where we are told
that the little horn
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thought that it could
change the times and the law.
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So you have a common link
here between 2 Thessalonians 2
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and Daniel 7:25.
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2 Thessalonians 2 says,
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"That this man of
sin would encourage
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transgression of the law."
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And Daniel 7:25
says, "That this power
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would think that it
could change God's law."
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And then we
notice also in verse 3
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and we're studying phrase
by phrase of this verse 3.
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2 Thessalonians
2:3 once again states,
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"Let no one
deceive you by any means,
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for that Day," that
is the day of Christ
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Parousia His coming,
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"will not come
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unless the
falling away comes first,
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and the man of sin,"
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which is transgression
of the law, "is revealed."
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Now, what is the
antonym of revealed?
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What is the
opposite of revealed?
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Concealed.
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So in other words,
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the Apostle Paul is saying that,
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at this specific point of time,
this man of sin was concealed.
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But at some point in the future,
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he was going to be what?
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He was going to be revealed.
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In other words,
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during the time
of the Apostle Paul,
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this man of sin
was under the radar.
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He was concealed.
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He had not shown his head yet,
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but he was going to be revealed
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in the course of time.
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Now let's notice also the name
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that is given to
this specific individual
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that will lead this apostasy.
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It says in 2
Thessalonians 2:3, once again,
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"Let no one deceive you
by any means, for that Day,"
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that is the day
of Christ coming,
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"will not come
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unless the
falling away comes first,
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and the man of sin," once again,
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he's gonna encourage the
transgression of the law.
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He's gonna think that
he can change God's law
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is revealed which means that
when Paul wrote he's concealed.
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He's not revealed himself yet.
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And then he's given the name,
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the son of perdition.
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So the name of this apostasy
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is the son of perdition.
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So we need to determine
00:10:15.58\00:10:16.91
what the son of perdition means.
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The only other
place in the Bible
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where the name son
of perdition is used
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is with reference
to Judas Iscariot.
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Let's go to John 17:12.
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John 17:12.
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Jesus says,
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"While I was with
them in the world,
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I kept them in Your name.
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Those whom You
gave Me I have kept,
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and none of them is lost
except the son of perdition,
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that the Scripture
might be fulfilled."
00:10:53.88\00:10:57.95
Once again, the
name of this apostasy
00:10:57.99\00:11:01.46
and the apostate power
00:11:01.49\00:11:03.06
that leads it is
the son of perdition.
00:11:03.09\00:11:06.86
And the son of perdition
is given only in the Bible
00:11:06.90\00:11:10.73
to one person, and that is Judas
00:11:10.77\00:11:13.70
other than in this passage.
00:11:13.74\00:11:15.90
Now we need to understand
00:11:15.94\00:11:17.27
that in the Bible
names are important.
00:11:17.31\00:11:20.28
Names are simply not a way
00:11:20.31\00:11:21.98
of distinguishing
one person from another.
00:11:22.01\00:11:25.31
A name denotes the
character of a person
00:11:25.35\00:11:28.35
that bears the name.
00:11:28.38\00:11:30.19
I wanna read from
00:11:30.22\00:11:31.55
the
Interpreter's Bible Dictionary,
00:11:31.59\00:11:33.49
volume 3, pages 500 and 501.
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And the meaning and
importance of a name
00:11:37.59\00:11:40.16
in the Bible.
00:11:40.20\00:11:41.70
It says there, "In
Biblical thought a name
00:11:41.73\00:11:45.63
is not a mere
label of identification,
00:11:45.67\00:11:49.27
it is an expression of
the essential character
00:11:49.30\00:11:53.07
of its bearer.
00:11:53.11\00:11:54.81
A man's name
reveals his character.
00:11:54.84\00:11:58.35
Adam was able to
give names to the beasts
00:11:58.38\00:12:00.78
and birds because,
00:12:00.82\00:12:03.02
as Milton says, he
understood their nature."
00:12:03.05\00:12:08.39
So if this man of sin is
called the son of perdition,
00:12:08.42\00:12:13.29
and Judas is called
the son of perdition,
00:12:13.33\00:12:16.10
they both must have
00:12:16.13\00:12:18.57
the same basic character.
00:12:18.60\00:12:22.34
Are you with me or not?
00:12:22.37\00:12:24.44
So the question is
00:12:24.47\00:12:26.88
what kind of
character did Judas have?
00:12:26.91\00:12:30.88
We're gonna come to
that in a few moments.
00:12:30.91\00:12:33.05
But let me
mention, first of all,
00:12:33.08\00:12:35.08
a misconception that
exists in the conservative
00:12:35.12\00:12:38.55
Christian world.
00:12:38.59\00:12:40.16
And that is that the
Antichrist is going to be
00:12:40.19\00:12:43.12
one specific wicked individual
00:12:43.16\00:12:46.29
who will rebuild
the Jewish temple,
00:12:46.33\00:12:49.00
reign in the temple
for three and a half years,
00:12:49.03\00:12:52.33
openly defy God,
blaspheming his name,
00:12:52.37\00:12:56.97
and persecute the Jews.
00:12:57.01\00:13:00.41
And the reason
why they believe that
00:13:00.44\00:13:02.54
the man of sin
represents this nasty individual
00:13:02.58\00:13:07.92
who will arise after
the rapture of the church
00:13:07.95\00:13:11.45
is because the singular
00:13:11.49\00:13:14.46
is use the man of sin.
00:13:14.49\00:13:17.49
So they say this has
to be an individual man
00:13:17.53\00:13:20.00
because he's
called the man of sin.
00:13:20.03\00:13:23.16
However, we need to
remember a few things.
00:13:23.20\00:13:27.14
And that is that
clearly the little horn
00:13:27.17\00:13:30.81
is the same as the beast.
00:13:30.84\00:13:32.17
We've already shown that.
00:13:32.21\00:13:33.94
And in prophecy, a
beast does not represent
00:13:33.98\00:13:38.15
an individual except in
the case of Nebuchadnezzar,
00:13:38.18\00:13:41.18
which is in the
historical section of Daniel,
00:13:41.22\00:13:44.25
not the prophetic
section of Daniel.
00:13:44.29\00:13:46.45
So in prophecy,
beasts always represent
00:13:46.49\00:13:49.69
kingdoms not individuals.
00:13:49.72\00:13:53.03
And so we would
assume that the little horn
00:13:53.06\00:13:55.66
which is the same as
the beast of Revelation 13
00:13:55.70\00:13:58.67
represents not an individual
00:13:58.70\00:14:00.87
but represents a
system in other words.
00:14:00.90\00:14:05.47
Secondly, we are
told that this man of sin,
00:14:05.51\00:14:09.54
which is the same
00:14:09.58\00:14:10.91
as the little
horn and the beast,
00:14:10.95\00:14:12.28
and by the way,
00:14:12.31\00:14:13.65
there's no argument
in the Christian world.
00:14:13.68\00:14:15.02
They say the
little horn, the beast,
00:14:15.05\00:14:16.48
and the man of sin
represent the same power.
00:14:16.52\00:14:19.12
So whether it's an
Adventist or non-Adventist,
00:14:19.15\00:14:21.42
they say all three of
those represent the same power.
00:14:21.46\00:14:26.70
Now the little
horn and the beast rule
00:14:26.73\00:14:29.56
for a certain period of time.
00:14:29.60\00:14:30.93
How long does
the little horn rule?
00:14:30.97\00:14:33.70
Time times and
the dividing of time,
00:14:33.74\00:14:35.60
how long is that?
00:14:35.64\00:14:37.01
1260 years.
00:14:37.04\00:14:39.77
How long is 42 months?
00:14:39.81\00:14:41.64
1260 years.
00:14:41.68\00:14:43.41
Do you know of an individual
who has lived 1260 years?
00:14:43.45\00:14:48.18
Absolutely not.
00:14:48.22\00:14:49.78
It has to be a
system because no individual
00:14:49.82\00:14:53.15
other than probably Moses
or Elijah have lived that long.
00:14:53.19\00:14:57.96
Furthermore, the Bible tells us
00:14:57.99\00:15:00.53
that the man of sin
was already wanting to show
00:15:00.56\00:15:03.97
his head in the days of Paul.
00:15:04.00\00:15:06.77
But the man of sin is gonna be
destroyed at the Second Coming.
00:15:06.80\00:15:10.87
And so this must be a
system that was about to rise
00:15:10.91\00:15:13.71
in the days of Paul,
00:15:13.74\00:15:15.08
and will exist
until it's destroyed
00:15:15.11\00:15:17.45
when Jesus comes.
00:15:17.48\00:15:18.81
Are you with me or not?
00:15:18.85\00:15:20.25
Furthermore, it's interesting
to notice that the expression,
00:15:20.28\00:15:24.35
the man of sin, which
is masculine singular,
00:15:24.39\00:15:28.72
would seem to
indicate an individual,
00:15:28.76\00:15:31.53
but in the Bible,
the masculine singular
00:15:31.56\00:15:36.26
many times indicates a
succession of individuals
00:15:36.30\00:15:39.90
and not an individual.
00:15:39.93\00:15:41.27
Let me give you three examples.
00:15:41.30\00:15:43.20
Hebrews 9:7,
00:15:43.24\00:15:44.77
we're not gonna
read these verses.
00:15:44.81\00:15:46.14
We don't have time,
00:15:46.17\00:15:47.51
we have so much
material to cover.
00:15:47.54\00:15:48.88
I hope I'm able
to have enough time
00:15:48.91\00:15:50.71
to cover
everything that we have to do.
00:15:50.75\00:15:52.75
But in Hebrews 9:7,
it speaks of the priest,
00:15:52.78\00:15:57.05
masculine singular,
but you read the text
00:15:57.09\00:16:00.52
is referring to
all of the priesthood
00:16:00.56\00:16:02.99
in the Old Testament.
00:16:03.02\00:16:04.56
You'll find in 1 Samuel
8:11 that it speaks of the king.
00:16:04.59\00:16:10.30
But once again,
you'll read the verse
00:16:10.33\00:16:12.60
in its context,
it's referring to
00:16:12.63\00:16:14.44
all of the
succession of kings in Israel.
00:16:14.47\00:16:18.27
The Apostle Paul
in 2 Timothy 3:17
00:16:18.31\00:16:22.41
says that we should
study the Scriptures,
00:16:22.44\00:16:24.75
"That the man of God
might develop perfection."
00:16:24.78\00:16:28.38
Well, that's not speaking
about an individual man,
00:16:28.42\00:16:31.35
it's speaking
about all of the men.
00:16:31.39\00:16:33.69
Are you with me or not?
00:16:33.72\00:16:35.06
So just because he's
called the man of sin
00:16:35.09\00:16:38.19
does not necessarily mean
that it's a specific individual
00:16:38.23\00:16:41.96
for the reasons
that I've mentioned.
00:16:42.00\00:16:44.43
Now Dave Hunt, whom I mentioned
00:16:44.47\00:16:46.30
in a previous lecture,
00:16:46.33\00:16:48.10
had a correct
view of the Antichrist,
00:16:48.14\00:16:50.61
but he
identified the wrong person.
00:16:50.64\00:16:53.41
He believed that it
was a nasty individual
00:16:53.44\00:16:56.64
after the rapture of the
church at the end of the age,
00:16:56.68\00:16:59.45
but notice his description
which really tells us
00:16:59.48\00:17:02.48
what the Antichrist is like.
00:17:02.52\00:17:05.42
In his Book Global
Peace, pages 7-8, he wrote,
00:17:05.45\00:17:08.82
"While the Greek prefix
'anti' generally means 'against'
00:17:08.86\00:17:13.96
or 'opposed to,' it
can also mean 'in place of'
00:17:14.00\00:17:18.47
or 'a substitute for.'
00:17:18.50\00:17:21.37
The Antichrist will
embody both meanings.
00:17:21.40\00:17:24.97
He will oppose Christ
while pretending to be Christ.
00:17:25.01\00:17:29.74
Instead of a frontal
assault against Christianity,
00:17:29.78\00:17:33.08
the evil one will
pervert the church
00:17:33.11\00:17:35.35
from within by
posing as its founder.
00:17:35.38\00:17:38.85
He will cunningly
misrepresent Christ
00:17:38.89\00:17:41.96
while pretending to be Christ.
00:17:41.99\00:17:44.53
And right here is
where the plot thickens.
00:17:44.56\00:17:47.40
If the Antichrist will
indeed pretend to be Christ,
00:17:47.43\00:17:50.97
then his followers
must be Christians!"
00:17:51.00\00:17:54.67
Interesting description.
00:17:54.70\00:17:56.84
Does that fit the
Roman Catholic papacy
00:17:56.87\00:17:59.64
like glove in hand?
00:17:59.67\00:18:02.44
Now it's
interesting the word Antichrist
00:18:02.48\00:18:05.15
in Greek is antichristos.
00:18:05.18\00:18:08.12
It means
basically the same thing
00:18:08.15\00:18:10.82
as Vicar of Christ.
00:18:10.85\00:18:13.56
You say how's that?
00:18:13.59\00:18:15.06
Antichrist means,
00:18:15.09\00:18:16.86
he who occupies
the place of Christ.
00:18:16.89\00:18:20.80
What does Vicar of Christ mean?
00:18:20.83\00:18:23.13
It means one who
occupies the place of Christ
00:18:23.16\00:18:27.14
except
antichristos is Greek, whereas,
00:18:27.17\00:18:30.67
the expression
Vicarius Christi is in Latin.
00:18:30.71\00:18:35.31
Incidentally,
00:18:35.34\00:18:36.75
the expression
Vicarius Filii Dei,
00:18:36.78\00:18:40.15
Vicar of the Son of God
means basically the same thing
00:18:40.18\00:18:43.89
as antichristos because it means
00:18:43.92\00:18:47.82
he who takes the
place of the Son of God,
00:18:47.86\00:18:51.39
and that's exactly what 2
Thessalonians is describing.
00:18:51.43\00:18:55.56
Incidentally, in classical Greek
00:18:55.60\00:18:59.47
the word Anti-Basileus.
00:18:59.50\00:19:03.04
The word Basileus means king.
00:19:03.07\00:19:05.97
Anti-Basileus means the person
00:19:06.01\00:19:09.18
who occupies the
place of the king.
00:19:09.21\00:19:12.78
We have the word Antipas.
00:19:12.81\00:19:15.28
Have you ever
heard of Herod Antipas?
00:19:15.32\00:19:18.19
Well, the word Antipas means
00:19:18.22\00:19:21.19
he who takes the
place of the Father.
00:19:21.22\00:19:24.99
Anti in place of, pater father.
00:19:25.03\00:19:28.83
So it doesn't mean he
who against the Father.
00:19:28.86\00:19:30.77
It means one
00:19:30.80\00:19:32.13
who takes the
place of the father.
00:19:32.17\00:19:34.27
We have the word antitype.
00:19:34.30\00:19:36.30
Have you ever
heard the word antitype
00:19:36.34\00:19:38.27
that means that
00:19:38.31\00:19:39.64
which takes the
place of the type.
00:19:39.67\00:19:41.68
The lamb is the type and
the Jesus is the antitype,
00:19:41.71\00:19:46.21
he takes the place of the type.
00:19:46.25\00:19:48.78
And then we also
have the word antilutron,
00:19:48.82\00:19:51.35
which means that
00:19:51.39\00:19:52.72
Jesus came to
die in place of many.
00:19:52.75\00:19:56.46
So Antichrist
does not mean somebody
00:19:56.49\00:19:59.19
who rises with fists
up in the air saying that
00:19:59.23\00:20:03.40
God doesn't exist and
blaspheme in the name of God.
00:20:03.43\00:20:07.97
The word means
someone who claims
00:20:08.00\00:20:10.94
to occupy the
place of Jesus Christ.
00:20:10.97\00:20:15.51
Now this means that the
Antichrist is not going to
00:20:15.54\00:20:19.41
openly attack Christianity.
00:20:19.45\00:20:22.58
He is going to act
in the place of Christ,
00:20:22.62\00:20:26.55
claiming to be the
representative of Christ.
00:20:26.59\00:20:29.92
You know, it's interesting that
00:20:29.96\00:20:33.46
Judas has a
character very similar
00:20:33.50\00:20:37.23
to the character
of this man of sin
00:20:37.27\00:20:40.20
of 2 Thessalonians Chapter 2.
00:20:40.24\00:20:43.51
I wanna read a
statement that we find
00:20:43.54\00:20:45.64
from Great
Controversy, page 234 and 235.
00:20:45.67\00:20:49.34
You know that the
present pope that is in Rome,
00:20:49.38\00:20:52.71
Francis I
00:20:52.75\00:20:54.08
is the first
Jesuit pope in history.
00:20:54.12\00:20:57.49
I wanna read you the description
00:20:57.52\00:20:58.89
that Ellen White gives
of the papacy, you know,
00:20:58.92\00:21:02.69
is the pope an individual
who openly opposes Christ?
00:21:02.72\00:21:07.56
Does he oppose Christ?
00:21:07.60\00:21:09.36
Or does he claim to
be a follower of Christ?
00:21:09.40\00:21:12.40
He claims to be a
follower of Christ.
00:21:12.43\00:21:14.14
Does he claim to occupy
00:21:14.17\00:21:15.80
the position of Christ on earth?
00:21:15.84\00:21:17.77
Yes, he does.
00:21:17.81\00:21:19.14
Does he claim to
occupy the position of Christ
00:21:19.17\00:21:21.61
in leading
Christians on planet earth?
00:21:21.64\00:21:24.05
Absolutely.
00:21:24.08\00:21:25.48
Now notice what Ellen White
had to say about the Jesuits.
00:21:25.51\00:21:28.62
"When appearing as
members of their order,
00:21:28.65\00:21:31.45
they wore a garb of sanctity,
00:21:31.49\00:21:35.49
visiting prisons and hospitals,
00:21:35.52\00:21:38.73
ministering to
the sick and the poor,
00:21:38.76\00:21:41.90
professing to have
renounced the world,
00:21:41.93\00:21:44.57
and bearing the
sacred name of Jesus,
00:21:44.60\00:21:47.60
who went about doing good.
00:21:47.64\00:21:49.84
But under this
blameless exterior
00:21:49.87\00:21:53.11
the most criminal
00:21:53.14\00:21:54.48
and deadly
purposes were concealed."
00:21:54.51\00:21:58.18
That's the
picture of the Antichrist.
00:21:58.21\00:22:00.88
Ellen White also described
in Great Controversy, page 571,
00:22:00.92\00:22:05.95
the policy of papal Rome.
00:22:05.99\00:22:08.82
It's a short statement.
00:22:08.86\00:22:10.19
I've read it before.
00:22:10.23\00:22:11.79
I quote, "It is
part of her policy,"
00:22:11.83\00:22:15.53
that is the papacy's
policy, "to assume the character
00:22:15.56\00:22:19.60
which will best
accomplish her purpose,
00:22:19.63\00:22:22.87
but beneath the variable
appearance of the chameleon."
00:22:22.90\00:22:27.21
Do you have
chameleons here in Hawaii,
00:22:27.24\00:22:29.28
you have chameleons?
00:22:29.31\00:22:31.01
What's the interesting
characteristic of a chameleon?
00:22:31.05\00:22:34.18
It changes colors
depending where it's at, right?
00:22:34.22\00:22:37.55
I grew up in South America,
00:22:37.59\00:22:38.92
they have chameleons down there.
00:22:38.95\00:22:40.29
So she says,
00:22:40.32\00:22:41.66
"But beneath the
variable appearance
00:22:41.69\00:22:43.76
of the chameleon she conceals
00:22:43.79\00:22:46.43
the invariable
venom of the serpent."
00:22:46.46\00:22:51.43
That is the
picture of Antichrist,
00:22:51.47\00:22:53.30
not a blasphemous individual
who raises his fist and says,
00:22:53.34\00:22:56.84
"God, you don't exist."
00:22:56.87\00:22:58.44
No, no, no, the
devil is much more
00:22:58.47\00:23:00.94
deceptive than that.
00:23:00.98\00:23:03.78
Now you notice
that the Antichrist
00:23:03.81\00:23:07.08
and Judas bear the same name.
00:23:07.12\00:23:11.22
So let's study the
character of Judas to see
00:23:11.25\00:23:15.72
if we can discover
00:23:15.76\00:23:17.16
what the character
of the Antichrist is.
00:23:17.19\00:23:21.13
The first thing that
we wanna notice about
00:23:21.16\00:23:23.23
Judas Iscariot is that
he was a shrewd politician,
00:23:23.26\00:23:27.97
and a sharp businessman
who carried the money bank
00:23:28.00\00:23:32.31
and craved the praise of people.
00:23:32.34\00:23:36.58
I wanna read you some statements
00:23:36.61\00:23:37.95
from the Spirit of Prophecy.
00:23:37.98\00:23:39.68
First, in the Book
Education, page 93.
00:23:39.71\00:23:42.98
She's speaking about Judas,
00:23:43.02\00:23:44.39
"He had come more into contact
with the world than they,"
00:23:44.42\00:23:48.36
that is them, the
disciples, "he was a man,"
00:23:48.39\00:23:51.23
this is according
to his own estimation,
00:23:51.26\00:23:52.96
"he was a man of good address,
00:23:52.99\00:23:55.33
of discernment
and executive ability,
00:23:55.36\00:23:59.17
and, having a high estimate
of his own qualifications,
00:23:59.20\00:24:03.47
he had led the disciples to
hold him in the same regard.
00:24:03.51\00:24:07.81
But the methods he
desired to introduce
00:24:07.84\00:24:10.05
into Christ's
work were based upon
00:24:10.08\00:24:12.55
worldly principles
and were controlled by
00:24:12.58\00:24:15.88
worldly policy."
00:24:15.92\00:24:17.85
Would you say
that that would be true
00:24:17.89\00:24:19.29
of the way that
the Vatican operates?
00:24:19.32\00:24:21.52
Absolutely.
00:24:21.56\00:24:23.39
In Bible Commentary,
volume 5, pages 1101 and 1102,
00:24:23.43\00:24:29.26
Ellen White further
describes what Judas was like.
00:24:29.30\00:24:32.23
But Judas was a speculator.
00:24:32.27\00:24:34.84
He thought that he could manage
00:24:34.87\00:24:36.20
the finances of the church,
00:24:36.24\00:24:38.21
and by his sharpness
in business get gain.
00:24:38.24\00:24:42.38
He was divided in heart.
00:24:42.41\00:24:44.41
He loved the
praise of the world.
00:24:44.45\00:24:47.22
He refused to give
up the world for Christ.
00:24:47.25\00:24:51.05
He never committed his
eternal interest to Christ.
00:24:51.09\00:24:54.62
He had a superficial religion,
00:24:54.66\00:24:57.66
and therefore he
speculated upon his Master
00:24:57.69\00:25:00.40
and betrayed Him to the priests
00:25:00.43\00:25:02.46
being fully
persuaded that Christ
00:25:02.50\00:25:04.20
would not allow
Himself to be taken.
00:25:04.23\00:25:07.10
Judas was a religious fraud.
00:25:07.14\00:25:10.34
He held up a high
standard for others,
00:25:10.37\00:25:13.14
but he himself utterly failed
to reach the Bible standard.
00:25:13.17\00:25:17.15
He did not bring the religion
of Christ into his life.
00:25:17.18\00:25:21.12
What an interesting description.
00:25:21.15\00:25:23.08
Finally, in Desire of Ages,
page 717, Ellen White wrote,
00:25:23.12\00:25:28.22
"Judas summed up
all the disciples,
00:25:28.26\00:25:31.49
and flattered
himself that the church
00:25:31.53\00:25:34.43
would often be
brought into perplexity
00:25:34.46\00:25:37.63
and embarrassment if it were not
00:25:37.67\00:25:40.34
for his ability as a manager.
00:25:40.37\00:25:43.87
Judas regarded
himself as a capable one,
00:25:43.91\00:25:47.58
who could not be overreached.
00:25:47.61\00:25:49.84
In his own estimation he
was an honor to the cause,
00:25:49.88\00:25:54.22
and as such he
always represented himself."
00:25:54.25\00:25:58.62
So that's the first picture
00:25:58.65\00:25:59.99
that we get of the
character of Judas.
00:26:00.02\00:26:02.62
Now Judas also
coveted an earthly kingdom.
00:26:02.66\00:26:06.86
He wasn't thinking, you know,
00:26:06.90\00:26:08.33
about the spiritual kingdom
that Jesus wanted to establish.
00:26:08.36\00:26:11.50
No, no, he wanted
an earthly kingdom,
00:26:11.53\00:26:14.24
where the Romans
would be destroyed.
00:26:14.27\00:26:16.30
And Jesus would take
over the reins of civil power.
00:26:16.34\00:26:21.71
In John 6:15,
00:26:21.74\00:26:24.91
we have the feeding of the 5000.
00:26:24.95\00:26:28.05
After Jesus fed the 5000,
00:26:28.08\00:26:30.19
the multitude
wanted to take Jesus
00:26:30.22\00:26:32.39
and make him king.
00:26:32.42\00:26:34.36
Let's read John 6:15.
00:26:34.39\00:26:37.23
And then we're gonna look at
00:26:37.26\00:26:38.59
who's the
ringleader of this was.
00:26:38.63\00:26:40.26
It says, "Therefore
when Jesus perceived
00:26:40.30\00:26:43.40
that they were about to
come and take Him by force
00:26:43.43\00:26:47.14
and make him
king, He departed again
00:26:47.17\00:26:50.24
to the mountain
by Himself alone."
00:26:50.27\00:26:53.21
Now who came up with the idea,
00:26:53.24\00:26:55.34
who spearheaded
this idea of taking Jesus
00:26:55.38\00:26:58.41
and make Him a political king.
00:26:58.45\00:27:01.32
It was Judas.
00:27:01.35\00:27:02.82
Desire of Ages,
page 718 and 719,
00:27:02.85\00:27:06.12
Ellen White wrote,
00:27:06.15\00:27:07.49
"Judas was first
to take advantage
00:27:07.52\00:27:10.76
of the enthusiasm
00:27:10.79\00:27:12.13
excited by the
miracle of the loaves.
00:27:12.16\00:27:15.06
It was he who set on foot
the project to take Christ
00:27:15.10\00:27:20.30
by force and make Him king.
00:27:20.34\00:27:23.04
His hopes were high.
00:27:23.07\00:27:25.34
His disappointment was bitter."
00:27:25.37\00:27:29.01
In another statement,
that we find in Desire of Ages,
00:27:29.04\00:27:32.35
718 and 719 Ellen White wrote,
00:27:32.38\00:27:36.15
"Notwithstanding the
Savior's own teaching,
00:27:36.18\00:27:39.05
Judas was
continually advancing the idea
00:27:39.09\00:27:42.99
that Christ would
reign as king in Jerusalem.
00:27:43.02\00:27:46.56
At the feeding
of the five thousand
00:27:46.59\00:27:48.16
he tried to bring this about."
00:27:48.20\00:27:51.20
And when Jesus washed
the feet of the disciples
00:27:51.23\00:27:54.67
in the upper
room, that was the straw
00:27:54.70\00:27:57.54
that broke the camel's back.
00:27:57.57\00:27:59.41
In Desire of Ages,
645, Ellen White describes
00:27:59.44\00:28:02.54
how Judas when
Jesus washed the feet
00:28:02.58\00:28:04.41
of the disciples thought
00:28:04.45\00:28:06.01
this cannot be
the king of Israel.
00:28:06.05\00:28:08.02
Humbled Himself to wash the feet
00:28:08.05\00:28:09.95
of His own disciples,
He can't be the Messiah.
00:28:09.98\00:28:13.66
Notice Desire of Ages, page 645,
00:28:13.69\00:28:16.96
"If Jesus could
so humbled Himself,
00:28:16.99\00:28:19.76
he thought, He could
not be Israel's king.
00:28:19.79\00:28:23.53
All hope of worldly honor
00:28:23.57\00:28:25.93
in a temporal
kingdom was destroyed.
00:28:25.97\00:28:29.60
Judas was satisfied that
there was nothing to be gained
00:28:29.64\00:28:32.87
by following Christ.
00:28:32.91\00:28:34.81
After seeing Him
degrade Himself, as he thought,
00:28:34.84\00:28:38.65
he was confirmed in
his purpose to disown Him,
00:28:38.68\00:28:42.08
and confess himself deceived.
00:28:42.12\00:28:44.55
He was possessed by a demon,
00:28:44.59\00:28:46.96
and he resolved
to complete the work
00:28:46.99\00:28:49.36
he had agreed to do
in betraying his Lord."
00:28:49.39\00:28:53.83
So he wanted a temporal kingdom.
00:28:53.86\00:28:55.56
Let me ask you,
does the papacy want
00:28:55.60\00:28:57.47
a temporal kingdom, a
political kingdom on earth?
00:28:57.50\00:29:01.07
Let me ask you this.
00:29:01.10\00:29:02.44
How many times have you heard
00:29:02.47\00:29:03.84
Francis I talk about
00:29:03.87\00:29:05.51
the Second
Coming of Jesus Christ?
00:29:05.54\00:29:07.88
Never.
00:29:07.91\00:29:09.58
Because the goal of
the papacy is not a kingdom
00:29:09.61\00:29:11.98
established
supernaturally by Jesus,
00:29:12.01\00:29:14.32
but to take over
00:29:14.35\00:29:15.68
the political
powers of the world
00:29:15.72\00:29:17.42
to establish the theocracy
00:29:17.45\00:29:19.32
that they had
during the 1260 years.
00:29:19.35\00:29:22.32
The church dominating the state,
00:29:22.36\00:29:25.29
dominating society,
00:29:25.33\00:29:26.86
that's the Roman Catholic ideal,
00:29:26.90\00:29:28.73
all the time
00:29:28.76\00:29:30.67
since the days of St. Augustine,
00:29:30.70\00:29:33.44
so you would not expect
the papacy to tell people
00:29:33.47\00:29:36.34
that we have this blessed hope,
00:29:36.37\00:29:38.21
the glorious Second
Coming of Jesus Christ.
00:29:38.24\00:29:41.04
Judas also coveted money
00:29:41.08\00:29:44.15
and feigned a love for the poor.
00:29:44.18\00:29:48.42
Does Francis I talk a
lot about helping the poor.
00:29:48.45\00:29:53.25
Does he visit
hospitals, the sick, and so on?
00:29:53.29\00:29:55.76
He was like, "This is wonderful.
00:29:55.79\00:29:57.69
This is the most wonderful thing
00:29:57.73\00:29:59.69
since peanut
butter was invented."
00:29:59.73\00:30:02.10
I'm being sarcastic in
case you didn't notice.
00:30:02.13\00:30:05.03
Notice Matthew 8:19-21,
00:30:05.07\00:30:08.04
Matthew 8:19-21.
00:30:08.07\00:30:12.67
When Jesus first met
Judas, He did not call Judas.
00:30:12.71\00:30:17.61
Judas offered his services.
00:30:17.65\00:30:19.85
And I want you to notice
the story in Matthew 8:19-21.
00:30:19.88\00:30:24.05
"There was a certain scribe
came to him and said to Him,
00:30:24.09\00:30:28.49
'Teacher, I will
follow you, wherever You go.'
00:30:28.52\00:30:33.13
And Jesus said to
him, 'Foxes have holes
00:30:33.16\00:30:35.63
and birds of the air have nests,
00:30:35.66\00:30:38.20
but the Son of Man has
nowhere to lay His head."
00:30:38.23\00:30:40.40
If you're thinking
that you're gonna join me
00:30:40.44\00:30:42.30
because you're gonna
have political power,
00:30:42.34\00:30:44.51
and you're gonna
have money, think again.
00:30:44.54\00:30:48.38
John 12:4-6.
00:30:48.41\00:30:50.65
John 12:4-6.
00:30:50.68\00:30:52.08
Once again, we see that
Judas coveted political power.
00:30:52.11\00:30:56.28
It says here and then he feigned
00:30:56.32\00:30:58.22
a love for the poor.
00:30:58.25\00:30:59.85
"But one of His disciples,
Judas Iscariot, Simon's son,
00:30:59.89\00:31:03.89
who would betray him
said," this is when the woman,
00:31:03.93\00:31:08.00
you know,
anointed the feet of Jesus
00:31:08.03\00:31:10.13
with that precious perfume.
00:31:10.17\00:31:13.13
"Why was this fragrant oil
00:31:13.17\00:31:15.70
not sold for
three hundred denarii
00:31:15.74\00:31:19.61
and given to the poor?"
00:31:19.64\00:31:22.58
See, he really cared
for the poor, didn't he?
00:31:22.61\00:31:25.48
Verse 6, "This he said,
not that he cared for the poor,
00:31:25.51\00:31:30.69
but because he was a
thief, and had the money box,
00:31:30.72\00:31:34.49
and he used it to
take what was put in it."
00:31:34.52\00:31:38.83
In Luke 22:3-6, we noticed that
00:31:38.86\00:31:42.66
Judas sold Jesus for money.
00:31:42.70\00:31:45.07
He was money hungry.
00:31:45.10\00:31:46.47
Let me ask you,
00:31:46.50\00:31:47.84
is that true of
the papacy as well,
00:31:47.87\00:31:49.60
they feign love for the poor
00:31:49.64\00:31:51.31
and they fleece
people from their money?
00:31:51.34\00:31:53.91
Absolutely.
00:31:53.94\00:31:55.28
Luke 22:3-6, "Then
Satan entered Judas,
00:31:55.31\00:31:59.78
surnamed Iscariot,
00:31:59.81\00:32:01.35
who was numbered
among the twelve.
00:32:01.38\00:32:03.52
So he went his way and conferred
00:32:03.55\00:32:05.95
with the chief
priests and captains,
00:32:05.99\00:32:07.76
how he might betray Him to them.
00:32:07.79\00:32:10.16
And they were glad, and
agreed to give him money.
00:32:10.19\00:32:13.50
So he promised
and sought opportunity
00:32:13.53\00:32:15.70
to betray Him to them
00:32:15.73\00:32:17.30
in the absence
of the multitude."
00:32:17.33\00:32:20.87
Ellen White in Desire of Ages,
page 716 wrote the following.
00:32:20.90\00:32:25.14
"Judas had naturally
a strong love for money,
00:32:25.17\00:32:29.74
but he had not always
been corrupt enough to do
00:32:29.78\00:32:32.38
such a deed as this."
00:32:32.41\00:32:33.75
That is to sell Jesus for money.
00:32:33.78\00:32:35.82
"He had fostered the
evil spirit of avarice
00:32:35.85\00:32:39.59
until it had become the
ruling motive of his life.
00:32:39.62\00:32:43.12
The love of mammon
00:32:43.16\00:32:45.39
overbalanced
his love for Christ.
00:32:45.43\00:32:48.33
Through becoming
the slave of one vice
00:32:48.36\00:32:51.13
he gave himself to Satan,
00:32:51.17\00:32:52.97
to be driven to
any lengths in sin."
00:32:53.00\00:32:57.24
In fact, you know,
something interesting
00:32:57.27\00:33:00.18
Judas became the Vicar of Satan.
00:33:00.21\00:33:04.61
Really?
00:33:04.65\00:33:06.05
The representative
of Satan, an individual
00:33:06.08\00:33:09.48
who claimed to
be faithful to Jesus
00:33:09.52\00:33:11.72
and be fighting for
Jesus and be loyal to Jesus.
00:33:11.75\00:33:15.22
Notice John 6:70-71.
00:33:15.26\00:33:18.39
After the feeding
of the five thousand,
00:33:18.43\00:33:21.30
when Judas was the ringleader
00:33:21.33\00:33:23.13
and trying to force
Jesus to become king,
00:33:23.16\00:33:25.33
at the end of the chapter
we find who was the ringleader?
00:33:25.37\00:33:28.70
It says in John
6:70-71, "Jesus answered them,
00:33:28.74\00:33:33.68
'Did I not
choose you, the twelve,
00:33:33.71\00:33:36.28
and one of you is a devil?
00:33:36.31\00:33:39.18
He spoke of Judas
Iscariot, the son of Simon.
00:33:39.21\00:33:42.78
for it was he
who would betray Him,
00:33:42.82\00:33:45.82
being one of the twelve."
00:33:45.85\00:33:48.96
And yet Judas,
even though Jesus said,
00:33:48.99\00:33:52.89
"He is a devil."
00:33:52.93\00:33:55.33
And actually
we're gonna notice that
00:33:55.36\00:33:56.70
he became demon possessed
at the end of his life.
00:33:56.73\00:34:00.20
He claimed to serve
Christ and be loyal to Christ,
00:34:00.24\00:34:04.67
he feigned support,
and yet at the same time,
00:34:04.71\00:34:07.78
he was secretly
undermining Jesus.
00:34:07.81\00:34:12.01
Notice John 13:2,
00:34:12.05\00:34:15.15
"And supper being ended,
00:34:15.18\00:34:17.19
the devil having already put it
00:34:17.22\00:34:19.55
into the heart
of Judas Iscariot,
00:34:19.59\00:34:21.46
Simon's son to betray Him."
00:34:21.49\00:34:23.93
Notice John 13:27.
00:34:23.96\00:34:27.10
"Now after the piece of bread,"
00:34:27.13\00:34:28.60
notice, after Jesus
gives Judas a piece of bread,
00:34:28.63\00:34:31.87
and he says,
00:34:31.90\00:34:33.23
"to whom I'm giving
this piece of bread,
00:34:33.27\00:34:34.60
he's the betrayer."
00:34:34.64\00:34:35.97
It says, "Now
after the piece of bread,
00:34:36.00\00:34:38.07
Satan entered him.
00:34:38.11\00:34:41.04
Then Jesus said to him,
"What you do, do quickly."
00:34:41.08\00:34:45.08
It's interesting to
read Ellen White's remark
00:34:45.11\00:34:47.42
about Satan entering him.
00:34:47.45\00:34:49.75
In Desire of Ages, page 295.
00:34:49.78\00:34:52.55
She wrote, "Judas
became a representative
00:34:52.59\00:34:56.83
of the enemy of Christ."
00:34:56.86\00:34:59.73
He became the vicar,
which is what the word
00:34:59.76\00:35:03.80
vicar means representative.
00:35:03.83\00:35:05.73
He was not the
representative of Jesus.
00:35:05.77\00:35:08.14
He was the
representative of the evil one,
00:35:08.17\00:35:12.04
of the enemy of Christ.
00:35:12.07\00:35:14.54
And yet, Judas' hypocrisy
00:35:14.58\00:35:18.31
fooled even the disciples.
00:35:18.35\00:35:21.25
He worked
underground by subterfuge.
00:35:21.28\00:35:25.35
He did not reveal
his true character.
00:35:25.39\00:35:28.16
He was concealed.
00:35:28.19\00:35:29.86
He worked at cross purposes
00:35:29.89\00:35:31.79
with Jesus
claiming to support Him,
00:35:31.83\00:35:35.03
but underneath he was working to
00:35:35.06\00:35:37.60
undermine the
authority of Christ.
00:35:37.63\00:35:40.30
He had the
appearance of a chameleon.
00:35:40.34\00:35:43.47
He did not openly
war against Jesus.
00:35:43.51\00:35:47.11
But Ellen White tells
us in Education, page 92
00:35:47.14\00:35:51.41
that He manifested
a continuous, sacred,
00:35:51.45\00:35:55.88
and subtle
antagonism towards Christ.
00:35:55.92\00:35:59.79
In the Book of
Sanctified Life, page 59,
00:35:59.82\00:36:03.43
Ellen White wrote,
00:36:03.46\00:36:04.83
"Judas possessed a
form of godliness,"
00:36:04.86\00:36:07.26
see all the forms were there.
00:36:07.30\00:36:08.66
He appeared to be religious,
00:36:08.70\00:36:10.03
he appeared to be a
supporter of Christ.
00:36:10.07\00:36:11.90
"Judas possessed
a form of godliness,
00:36:11.93\00:36:14.70
while his character was
more satanic than divine.
00:36:14.74\00:36:19.27
He professed to be
a disciple of Christ,
00:36:19.31\00:36:21.88
but in his words
and works, denied Him."
00:36:21.91\00:36:27.15
You know, it's very interesting
00:36:27.18\00:36:29.75
that when the
disciples and Jesus were sitting
00:36:29.78\00:36:32.79
there at the
table in the upper room,
00:36:32.82\00:36:35.86
Ellen White tells us
that Judas was sitting
00:36:35.89\00:36:38.36
to the left side of Christ.
00:36:38.39\00:36:40.86
That's significant.
00:36:40.90\00:36:42.56
Because in the
Bible, frequently,
00:36:42.60\00:36:44.90
the left side is the
side of God's disfavor.
00:36:44.93\00:36:50.14
Where did Jesus place the goats?
00:36:50.17\00:36:53.21
On the left side, right?
00:36:53.24\00:36:55.48
On the left side.
00:36:55.51\00:36:56.85
By the way, in Spanish,
00:36:56.88\00:36:58.75
the left side is
called siniestra.
00:36:58.78\00:37:02.58
In English, the
word is sinister.
00:37:02.62\00:37:05.82
The left side is
the sinister side.
00:37:05.85\00:37:07.92
Do you know
what's an sinister means?
00:37:07.96\00:37:11.46
Also, I don't know if
this happens in English,
00:37:11.49\00:37:14.00
we say that he got
up on the wrong foot.
00:37:14.03\00:37:16.30
Hispanic say he got
up on the left foot.
00:37:16.33\00:37:20.00
And so and so the left
in the Bible frequently
00:37:20.04\00:37:22.50
means the side
of God's disfavor.
00:37:22.54\00:37:24.41
On the other hand, on
the right side of Jesus
00:37:24.44\00:37:26.91
was the beloved disciple John,
00:37:26.94\00:37:29.61
who in the
course of time reflected
00:37:29.64\00:37:31.51
the character of Jesus Christ.
00:37:31.55\00:37:33.92
In Desire of Ages,
644, Ellen White wrote,
00:37:33.95\00:37:37.29
"Judas pressed next to
Christ on the left side,
00:37:37.32\00:37:40.96
John was on the right.
00:37:40.99\00:37:42.72
If there was a highest place,
00:37:42.76\00:37:44.86
Judas was determined to have it,
00:37:44.89\00:37:46.80
and that place was thought to be
00:37:46.83\00:37:48.86
next to Christ.
00:37:48.90\00:37:50.43
And Judas was a traitor."
00:37:50.47\00:37:53.77
In Matthew 26:25,
00:37:53.80\00:37:56.30
we find that
Judas had the disciples,
00:37:56.34\00:37:58.67
the very disciples
deceived till the very end,
00:37:58.71\00:38:01.44
he had the first
church members deceived
00:38:01.48\00:38:02.94
till the very end.
00:38:02.98\00:38:04.31
They thought
that he was an asset
00:38:04.35\00:38:05.81
to the work of God.
00:38:05.85\00:38:07.35
Notice Matthew 26:25.
00:38:07.38\00:38:11.45
This is when Jesus says,
00:38:11.49\00:38:12.82
"One of the disciples
is going to betray me.
00:38:12.85\00:38:14.89
One of you?"
00:38:14.92\00:38:16.26
Oh, each one of
them says, "Is it I?
00:38:16.29\00:38:19.46
Is it I?"
00:38:19.49\00:38:21.10
Notice what Judas said,
Matthew 26:25, "Then Judas,
00:38:21.13\00:38:24.67
who was betraying
Him, answered and said,
00:38:24.70\00:38:27.27
'Rabbi, is it I?'
00:38:27.30\00:38:30.24
He said to him,
'You have said it.'
00:38:30.27\00:38:32.24
" And even then, the
disciples didn't realize
00:38:32.27\00:38:34.81
what Jesus was saying?
00:38:34.84\00:38:37.18
Notice John 13:26-29,
00:38:37.21\00:38:41.22
"He had a form of godliness,
00:38:41.25\00:38:43.28
and he deceived
his own colleagues."
00:38:43.32\00:38:46.22
We find in John
13:26, "Jesus answered,
00:38:46.25\00:38:50.56
'It is he to whom I
shall give a piece of bread
00:38:50.59\00:38:53.93
when I have dipped it.'
00:38:53.96\00:38:55.30
" In other words, to whoever
I give the piece of bread,
00:38:55.33\00:38:57.47
disciples you can know
that he's the betrayer.
00:38:57.50\00:39:00.70
Notice, "And
having dipped the bread,
00:39:00.74\00:39:03.64
He gave it to Judas
Iscariot, the son of Simon."
00:39:03.67\00:39:07.14
He would have thought
that the disciples gonna say,
00:39:07.18\00:39:08.84
he's the one.
00:39:08.88\00:39:10.21
No.
00:39:10.25\00:39:11.58
"Now after the piece of
bread, Satan entered him.
00:39:11.61\00:39:15.58
Then Jesus said to him,
'What you do, do quickly.'
00:39:15.62\00:39:19.29
" Ellen White says that
the disciples thought that
00:39:19.32\00:39:21.16
Jesus was sending
Judas on an errand.
00:39:21.19\00:39:24.99
Verse 28, "But
no one at the table
00:39:25.03\00:39:27.96
knew for what
reason He said this to him.
00:39:28.00\00:39:31.00
For some thought,
00:39:31.03\00:39:32.37
because Judas had the money box,
00:39:32.40\00:39:33.97
that Jesus had said to him,
00:39:34.00\00:39:35.50
'Buy those things
we need for the feast,'
00:39:35.54\00:39:37.64
or that he should give
something to the poor."
00:39:37.67\00:39:40.34
They totally missed the point.
00:39:40.38\00:39:42.21
He had his fellow leaders
00:39:42.24\00:39:45.31
deceived till the very end.
00:39:45.35\00:39:47.95
By the way, how
did Judas betray Jesus?
00:39:47.98\00:39:51.49
With a kiss.
00:39:51.52\00:39:54.82
What worse way
could you have betrayed
00:39:54.86\00:39:56.96
the master than with the kiss?
00:39:56.99\00:40:00.10
We find in Luke 22:47-48.
00:40:00.13\00:40:04.13
"And while He
was still speaking,
00:40:04.17\00:40:06.50
behold, a multitude,
00:40:06.53\00:40:08.90
and he who was called
Judas, one of the twelve,
00:40:08.94\00:40:11.81
went before them
and drew near to Jesus
00:40:11.84\00:40:14.84
to kiss Him.
00:40:14.88\00:40:16.21
But Jesus said to him, 'Judas,
00:40:16.24\00:40:18.01
are you betraying the
Son of Man with a kiss?'
00:40:18.05\00:40:22.28
" You all know
00:40:22.32\00:40:23.65
what eventually
happened with Judas.
00:40:23.69\00:40:25.49
He is called
the son of perdition
00:40:25.52\00:40:28.06
because his final
end was perdition.
00:40:28.09\00:40:32.13
He was lost.
00:40:32.16\00:40:33.60
Notice Matthew 27:3-5.
00:40:33.63\00:40:36.67
"Then Judas, His betrayer,
00:40:36.70\00:40:38.93
seeing that He
had been condemned,
00:40:38.97\00:40:41.04
was remorseful and brought back
00:40:41.07\00:40:43.20
the thirty pieces of silver
00:40:43.24\00:40:44.77
to the chief priests and elders,
00:40:44.81\00:40:46.27
saying, 'I have sinned by
00:40:46.31\00:40:47.64
betraying innocent blood.'
00:40:47.68\00:40:49.71
And they said,
'What is that to us?
00:40:49.74\00:40:51.81
You see to it!'
00:40:51.85\00:40:53.18
Then he threw down
00:40:53.21\00:40:54.55
the pieces of
silver in the temple
00:40:54.58\00:40:55.95
and departed, and
went and hanged himself."
00:40:55.98\00:41:00.29
By the way,
00:41:00.32\00:41:01.89
it was not the
intention of Judas
00:41:01.92\00:41:03.83
to betray Jesus so that
Jesus would be crucified.
00:41:03.86\00:41:07.43
He was hoping to
put Jesus under pressure
00:41:07.46\00:41:10.20
so that Jesus
would release Himself
00:41:10.23\00:41:12.30
and he would take the throne.
00:41:12.33\00:41:14.07
He would destroy those
who were oppressing him.
00:41:14.10\00:41:16.50
But his plan backfired.
00:41:16.54\00:41:18.34
And that's why
he hanged himself.
00:41:18.37\00:41:20.51
You know, if he was
expecting Jesus to die
00:41:20.54\00:41:22.88
when he saw that
they were killing Jesus,
00:41:22.91\00:41:24.95
he would have said,
"Oh, good, my plan worked."
00:41:24.98\00:41:27.32
But when it's playing backfired,
00:41:27.35\00:41:30.05
he went and he hanged himself.
00:41:30.09\00:41:31.59
And by the way, the
Book of Acts seems to have
00:41:31.62\00:41:35.42
a different perspective
00:41:35.46\00:41:36.86
of what happened
to Judas at the end.
00:41:36.89\00:41:38.83
It says that he fell a distance
00:41:38.86\00:41:40.66
and his belly exploded
and his innards came out.
00:41:40.70\00:41:43.73
And so some scholars
or liberal scholars say,
00:41:43.77\00:41:46.43
"See, the Bible
contradicts itself
00:41:46.47\00:41:48.37
because one place it
says that he hanged himself
00:41:48.40\00:41:50.37
and the other place it says
00:41:50.41\00:41:51.74
that he fell a distance
and his belly split open."
00:41:51.77\00:41:53.74
Well, Ellen White
explains it very clearly.
00:41:53.78\00:41:55.78
She says,
"Judas was the heaviest
00:41:55.81\00:41:57.71
of all of the disciples.
00:41:57.75\00:42:00.72
There was a branch
hanging over a ledge,
00:42:00.75\00:42:03.05
he put the rope
around the branch
00:42:03.08\00:42:05.52
and because he was very heavy,
00:42:05.55\00:42:08.12
the branch broke.
00:42:08.16\00:42:10.96
The rope that held
him to the branch broke,
00:42:10.99\00:42:13.60
and he fell a long distance
and his belly split open.
00:42:13.63\00:42:17.60
He committed suicide."
00:42:17.63\00:42:19.40
But, you know, he
expected to hang himself.
00:42:19.43\00:42:22.37
But in the process
of hanging himself,
00:42:22.40\00:42:24.24
he felled at distance
00:42:24.27\00:42:25.61
and that's what happened to him.
00:42:25.64\00:42:26.98
So let's review the
characteristics of Judas,
00:42:27.01\00:42:30.41
a shrewd politician,
and a sharp administrator,
00:42:30.45\00:42:34.48
coveted political
power, and desired Christ
00:42:34.52\00:42:37.85
to set up an earthly
kingdom, was covetous of money
00:42:37.89\00:42:41.46
and earthly display,
00:42:41.49\00:42:43.39
feigned an
interest for the poor,
00:42:43.43\00:42:47.13
he became the
representative of Satan.
00:42:47.16\00:42:50.53
His hypocrisy
deceived even those
00:42:50.57\00:42:53.07
who were part of
the inner circle.
00:42:53.10\00:42:55.47
He betrayed Jesus with a kiss
00:42:55.50\00:42:57.57
even though he
professed to be His follower.
00:42:57.61\00:43:01.24
He was an enemy from the inside
who feigned love for Jesus.
00:43:01.28\00:43:06.65
That is the characteristic
of the Antichrist.
00:43:06.68\00:43:11.05
Now let's go back
to 2 Thessalonians 2:4.
00:43:11.09\00:43:14.92
We took quite a long time
00:43:14.96\00:43:16.73
to discuss the
character of Judas.
00:43:16.76\00:43:19.46
Now let's notice
another expression.
00:43:19.49\00:43:21.90
It says in 2 Thessalonians 2:4,
00:43:21.93\00:43:26.43
that the Antichrist
that this man of sin
00:43:26.47\00:43:29.27
would oppose Christ.
00:43:29.30\00:43:32.21
Let's read the
last part of verse 4,
00:43:32.24\00:43:34.91
"Who opposes and exalts himself
00:43:34.94\00:43:38.65
above all that is called
God or that is worshipped."
00:43:38.68\00:43:43.22
So it says here that
he opposes everything
00:43:43.25\00:43:45.95
that's called God.
00:43:45.99\00:43:47.32
And therefore futurists
say, "See he's opposed to God."
00:43:47.36\00:43:50.83
So he can be
somebody who claims to be
00:43:50.86\00:43:53.43
faithful to Jesus
because he openly opposes God.
00:43:53.46\00:43:56.83
Well, the fact is,
folks, that the opposition
00:43:56.87\00:44:00.97
of the man of sin
against Christ is not overt,
00:44:01.00\00:44:04.74
it is covert.
00:44:04.77\00:44:07.51
What do you mean?
00:44:07.54\00:44:09.24
Let me ask you.
00:44:09.28\00:44:10.78
Did Saul of Tarsus
00:44:10.81\00:44:12.68
claim to be serving God?
00:44:12.71\00:44:17.09
Yes.
00:44:17.12\00:44:18.62
Did he persecute the
church, thinking that
00:44:18.65\00:44:21.52
he was serving God and
he was doing God's will?
00:44:21.56\00:44:24.79
Absolutely.
00:44:24.83\00:44:26.16
But was he opposing God?
00:44:26.19\00:44:28.46
He claimed to be supporting God,
00:44:28.50\00:44:31.33
but by his actions he was what?
00:44:31.37\00:44:33.67
He was opposing God, not openly.
00:44:33.70\00:44:37.14
Let me ask you this.
00:44:37.17\00:44:38.51
Did Jesus say that
00:44:38.54\00:44:42.74
after His departure,
00:44:42.78\00:44:44.71
many would kill His
followers thinking that
00:44:44.75\00:44:47.02
they were doing God a service.
00:44:47.05\00:44:48.78
Notice John 16:2.
00:44:48.82\00:44:51.19
John 16:2, Jesus
says to His disciples,
00:44:51.22\00:44:54.46
"They will put you
out of the synagogues,
00:44:54.49\00:44:56.69
yes, the time is
coming that whoever kills you
00:44:56.73\00:45:00.50
will think that he
offers God service."
00:45:00.53\00:45:02.53
In other words,
they will oppose God
00:45:02.56\00:45:05.00
while they think
that they're doing what?
00:45:05.03\00:45:07.14
That they're
doing the will of God
00:45:07.17\00:45:08.50
and supporting God.
00:45:08.54\00:45:10.04
Incidentally, you remember
the experience of Gamaliel.
00:45:10.07\00:45:13.74
You know the Sanhedrin said,
"Let's kill Peter and John."
00:45:13.78\00:45:18.28
And the wise
Gamaliel says now, "Whoa!
00:45:18.31\00:45:21.58
Hold on for a minute.
00:45:21.62\00:45:23.18
Let's think about this."
00:45:23.22\00:45:24.89
Let's read Acts 5:38-39.
00:45:24.92\00:45:28.02
Acts 5:38-39.
00:45:28.06\00:45:30.03
Let me ask you if
they killed Peter and John,
00:45:30.06\00:45:32.89
would they have
been opposing God?
00:45:32.93\00:45:35.40
Absolutely.
00:45:35.43\00:45:36.77
Did they think that
they were supporting God
00:45:36.80\00:45:39.00
by laying the plan
to kill Peter and John?
00:45:39.03\00:45:42.10
Absolutely.
00:45:42.14\00:45:43.47
But they were opposing God,
00:45:43.51\00:45:44.84
even though they
claimed to be supporting him.
00:45:44.87\00:45:46.74
Notice Acts 5:38-39.
00:45:46.78\00:45:50.05
It says, "And now I say to you,"
00:45:50.08\00:45:52.95
this is Gamaliel,
"keep away from these men
00:45:52.98\00:45:56.82
and let them
alone, for if this plan
00:45:56.85\00:46:00.02
or this work is of men,
it will come to nothing,
00:46:00.06\00:46:03.22
but if it is a God,
you cannot overthrow it,
00:46:03.26\00:46:06.63
lest you even
be found to," what?
00:46:06.66\00:46:10.20
"To fight against God."
00:46:10.23\00:46:11.83
Would they ever
have admitted that
00:46:11.87\00:46:13.34
they were fighting against God?
00:46:13.37\00:46:15.64
Were they?
00:46:15.67\00:46:17.07
Yes, they were
fighting against God.
00:46:17.11\00:46:19.44
But they claimed at
the same time to serve God.
00:46:19.47\00:46:22.18
Was Judas
fighting against Christ,
00:46:22.21\00:46:24.58
claiming to serve Christ?
00:46:24.61\00:46:26.78
He most certainly was.
00:46:26.82\00:46:28.38
Ellen White in
Great Controversy,
00:46:28.42\00:46:29.88
page 495
describes how Judas worked,
00:46:29.92\00:46:35.29
"Working with
mysterious secrecy,
00:46:35.32\00:46:39.23
and for a time
concealing his real purpose
00:46:39.26\00:46:43.80
under an appearance
of reverence for God."
00:46:43.83\00:46:48.54
Isn't that an
interesting description?
00:46:48.57\00:46:51.01
Once again, working
with mysterious secrecy,
00:46:51.04\00:46:53.78
and for time
concealing his real purpose
00:46:53.81\00:46:56.34
under an appearance
of reverence for God.
00:46:56.38\00:46:59.45
Claiming to support
God, but at the same time
00:46:59.48\00:47:02.98
working at cross
purposes with Christ.
00:47:03.02\00:47:06.35
Now, this man of sin
has another characteristic.
00:47:06.39\00:47:09.46
Let's go back to
2 Thessalonians 2:4,
00:47:09.49\00:47:13.60
"Who opposes and exalts himself
00:47:13.63\00:47:15.66
above all that is called God
00:47:15.70\00:47:17.60
or that is worship,
so that he," he what?
00:47:17.63\00:47:22.54
"Sits as God,"
where does he sit?
00:47:22.57\00:47:26.78
"In the temple of God,
00:47:26.81\00:47:28.81
showing himself
00:47:28.84\00:47:30.85
that he is God."
00:47:30.88\00:47:34.98
So where does
this individual sit?
00:47:35.02\00:47:37.49
Where does the man of sin sit?
00:47:37.52\00:47:39.52
He sits in the temple of God.
00:47:39.55\00:47:43.29
And so futurists
say, "Clear as day."
00:47:43.32\00:47:47.46
He sits in the temple of God,
00:47:47.50\00:47:49.60
the Jewish temple
is the temple of God.
00:47:49.63\00:47:52.57
So this must mean
that a third Jewish temple
00:47:52.60\00:47:55.34
is going to be built and
the Antichrist is gonna sit
00:47:55.37\00:47:58.67
in that temple after the church
has been rapture to heaven,
00:47:58.71\00:48:02.88
but that is simply not true
00:48:02.91\00:48:07.92
because we need to
let Paul interpret Paul.
00:48:07.95\00:48:12.75
We need to know
00:48:12.79\00:48:14.12
what Paul meant
by the temple of God,
00:48:14.16\00:48:17.63
what the temple of God is?
00:48:17.66\00:48:19.89
Now let me review something
that we've studied before.
00:48:19.93\00:48:23.53
When Jesus entered the temple
after His triumphal entry,
00:48:23.57\00:48:28.04
how did Jesus
refer to the temple?
00:48:28.07\00:48:30.97
My house, let's read it.
00:48:31.01\00:48:33.41
Matthew 21:12-13.
00:48:33.44\00:48:36.04
"Then Jesus went
to the temple of God
00:48:36.08\00:48:38.81
and drove out
all those who bought
00:48:38.85\00:48:40.88
and sold in the temple,
and overturned the tables
00:48:40.92\00:48:43.72
of the money changers
00:48:43.75\00:48:45.09
and the seats of
those who sold doves.
00:48:45.12\00:48:47.52
And He said to
them, 'It is written,
00:48:47.56\00:48:50.03
'My house shall be
called a house of prayer,'
00:48:50.06\00:48:52.93
but you have made
it a 'den of thieves.'
00:48:52.96\00:48:55.03
" So it's called
the temple of God
00:48:55.06\00:48:58.03
when Jesus goes in
and then Jesus says,
00:48:58.07\00:49:00.57
"This is My house when
He's in there teaching."
00:49:00.60\00:49:04.44
But what happens when
Jesus leaves the temple
00:49:04.47\00:49:06.78
for the last time?
00:49:06.81\00:49:08.61
We've read this before,
Matthew 23:38, Jesus said,
00:49:08.64\00:49:13.01
"Your house, not my
house, not God's temple.
00:49:13.05\00:49:18.02
Your house is left
on to you desolate.
00:49:18.05\00:49:21.12
Then he went to
the Mount of Olives,
00:49:21.16\00:49:22.86
sat there and spoke
00:49:22.89\00:49:24.66
of the destruction of the temple
00:49:24.69\00:49:26.39
and the
destruction of Jerusalem,
00:49:26.43\00:49:28.06
because they did not know
the hour of their visitation."
00:49:28.10\00:49:32.63
Are you with me?
00:49:32.67\00:49:34.37
Now, the Apostle Paul
never uses the word temple
00:49:34.40\00:49:40.34
to refer to the
literal Jewish temple.
00:49:40.38\00:49:43.81
In fact, in all the
epistles in the New Testament,
00:49:43.85\00:49:49.28
that the literal Jewish
temple is never called naos,
00:49:49.32\00:49:54.42
which is the word temple here.
00:49:54.46\00:49:55.99
There's another
temple for the Jewish temple,
00:49:56.02\00:49:58.29
the word heron.
00:49:58.33\00:50:00.43
In the Book of Acts,
00:50:00.46\00:50:01.86
when the Jewish
temple is spoken up,
00:50:01.90\00:50:05.07
the word that Paul
uses and not the one
00:50:05.10\00:50:06.84
that's used
there is the word heron
00:50:06.87\00:50:10.01
when it refers to
the Jewish temple.
00:50:10.04\00:50:11.91
But every time that
00:50:11.94\00:50:13.27
the Apostle Paul
refers to the temple,
00:50:13.31\00:50:15.68
he uses naos and
he clearly tells us
00:50:15.71\00:50:19.61
that it refers to
the spiritual temple,
00:50:19.65\00:50:23.39
the Christian church.
00:50:23.42\00:50:24.95
So should we have
Paul interpret Paul,
00:50:24.99\00:50:29.42
should we let Paul
explain what the temple is,
00:50:29.46\00:50:32.36
rather than futurists?
00:50:32.39\00:50:34.46
I think that would
be a good procedure.
00:50:34.50\00:50:37.23
So what does the Apostle
Paul say about the temple?
00:50:37.27\00:50:40.10
Ephesians 2:19-22.
00:50:40.14\00:50:43.24
Ephesians 2:19-22.
00:50:43.27\00:50:47.84
Here the Apostle Paul is
speaking to the Gentiles,
00:50:47.88\00:50:51.95
the Ephesian church.
00:50:51.98\00:50:53.98
And in verse 19, he
states, "Now therefore,
00:50:54.02\00:50:58.65
you are no longer
strangers and foreigners,
00:50:58.69\00:51:01.99
but fellow
citizens with the saints
00:51:02.02\00:51:04.86
and members of the
household of God," he's saying,
00:51:04.89\00:51:07.60
"You weren't Gentiles anymore.
00:51:07.63\00:51:10.20
You're not outcast anymore."
00:51:10.23\00:51:11.80
He says you are now
because you've accepted Christ
00:51:11.83\00:51:14.44
according to the context.
00:51:14.47\00:51:15.80
"You're not strangers
and foreigners anymore,
00:51:15.84\00:51:17.77
you're fellow
citizens with the saints
00:51:17.81\00:51:20.11
and members of
the household of God."
00:51:20.14\00:51:21.94
And then in verse 20, he states,
00:51:21.98\00:51:24.18
"Having been
built on the foundation
00:51:24.21\00:51:27.68
of the apostles and prophets."
00:51:27.72\00:51:29.25
Let me ask you,
is the foundation
00:51:29.28\00:51:32.85
composed of literal stones?
00:51:32.89\00:51:36.12
Is the foundation of
the temple literal stones?
00:51:36.16\00:51:38.56
No, the foundations are people.
00:51:38.59\00:51:42.20
Apostles would be New Testament,
00:51:42.23\00:51:43.93
prophets would be Old Testament.
00:51:43.97\00:51:46.03
In other words, the
temple, the church is built
00:51:46.07\00:51:49.04
on the writings of
the Old and New Testament.
00:51:49.07\00:51:52.07
It continues
saying, each building
00:51:52.11\00:51:54.41
has to have a
cornerstone as well.
00:51:54.44\00:51:56.41
And so it says,
"Having been built
00:51:56.44\00:51:57.85
on the foundation of
apostles and prophets,
00:51:57.88\00:52:00.48
Jesus Christ Himself
being the chief cornerstone."
00:52:00.52\00:52:03.65
Is Jesus, a literal stone?
00:52:03.69\00:52:07.26
Is this stone, the
stone to the third temple
00:52:07.29\00:52:10.23
that's gonna be
rebuilt supposedly?
00:52:10.26\00:52:12.06
Of course, not.
00:52:12.09\00:52:13.60
Christ is a spiritual stone.
00:52:13.63\00:52:16.60
The stones, the
foundation stones
00:52:16.63\00:52:18.87
are spiritual stones.
00:52:18.90\00:52:21.34
Continue saying in
verse 20, "Having been built
00:52:21.37\00:52:23.91
on the
foundation of the apostles
00:52:23.94\00:52:25.44
and prophets,
Jesus Christ Himself
00:52:25.47\00:52:27.51
being the chief cornerstone."
00:52:27.54\00:52:29.41
And now it speaks
about those who are built
00:52:29.44\00:52:31.41
on the foundations.
00:52:31.45\00:52:32.78
It says, "In whom
the whole building,"
00:52:32.81\00:52:35.92
Oh, so this is a
building, what kind of building,
00:52:35.95\00:52:38.35
literal building
or spiritual building?
00:52:38.39\00:52:40.76
Spiritual building
with spiritual foundations,
00:52:40.79\00:52:42.99
it says, "In whom
the whole building,
00:52:43.02\00:52:45.89
being fitted together,
grows into a holy," what?
00:52:45.93\00:52:50.17
Same word as 2
Thessalonians too.
00:52:50.20\00:52:52.73
"Grows into a holy
temple in the Lord,
00:52:52.77\00:52:55.97
in whom you also
are being built together
00:52:56.00\00:52:58.91
for a dwelling place
of God in the spirit."
00:52:58.94\00:53:01.51
So what is the
Shekhinah of a spiritual temple?
00:53:01.54\00:53:04.81
The Holy Spirit.
00:53:04.85\00:53:06.92
Are you following me or not?
00:53:06.95\00:53:09.28
So Paul, every time
that the Apostle Paul
00:53:09.32\00:53:11.82
refers to the word naos temple,
00:53:11.85\00:53:13.76
it is a spiritual temple,
00:53:13.79\00:53:15.12
whether it be the
temple of your body,
00:53:15.16\00:53:17.66
or whether it be the
temple of the church,
00:53:17.69\00:53:20.36
you know, the text that says,
00:53:20.40\00:53:21.86
"Do you not know that
your body is the temple
00:53:21.90\00:53:24.63
of the Holy Spirit?
00:53:24.67\00:53:26.37
That God will destroy those
who destroy the temple of God,
00:53:26.40\00:53:29.50
which is your body temple.
00:53:29.54\00:53:32.61
So let's let Paul tell us
what the temple of God is.
00:53:32.64\00:53:35.98
The temple of God is
not what some third temple,
00:53:36.01\00:53:40.22
Jewish temple
in the Middle East,
00:53:40.25\00:53:42.08
then it's gonna be built
over there by the Antichrist.
00:53:42.12\00:53:46.02
He's gonna literally sit
there, he's gonna raise up
00:53:46.05\00:53:48.52
a big statue of himself,
and he's gonna tell everybody
00:53:48.56\00:53:51.49
to bow before the
statue to render him homage,
00:53:51.53\00:53:54.40
and you're gonna put a
big tattoo on the forehead
00:53:54.43\00:53:57.03
of the right hand.
00:53:57.07\00:53:59.77
That literalism
does not fit the way
00:53:59.80\00:54:03.14
in which we interpret prophecy.
00:54:03.17\00:54:04.77
Prophecy speaks in symbols.
00:54:04.81\00:54:08.44
And the Apostle Paul
says the temple is symbolic
00:54:08.48\00:54:11.91
and represents
the spiritual church.
00:54:11.95\00:54:15.48
You know, it's no coincidence.
00:54:15.52\00:54:19.29
The Pope Benedict the XVI
00:54:19.32\00:54:24.03
at the conclusion
00:54:24.06\00:54:25.39
of the week for Christian unity
00:54:25.43\00:54:28.56
in St. Paul's Cathedral
00:54:28.60\00:54:31.80
outside the wall in the Vatican,
00:54:31.83\00:54:35.94
for a celebration
00:54:35.97\00:54:37.31
he sat on a great white throne.
00:54:37.34\00:54:41.94
And on each side of the
throne, there was a cherub.
00:54:41.98\00:54:46.01
Why is that significant?
00:54:49.62\00:54:52.65
That he would
sit on a white throne
00:54:52.69\00:54:56.22
and on each side of the throne,
00:54:56.26\00:54:59.36
there is the cherub.
00:54:59.39\00:55:02.06
For the simple
reason that in Psalm 80:1,
00:55:02.10\00:55:06.00
we are told that it is Yahweh.
00:55:06.03\00:55:10.44
It is Jehovah as
it is mispronounced,
00:55:10.47\00:55:13.68
it is Jehovah who
sits between the cherubim,
00:55:13.71\00:55:17.61
not even a
deceptive counterfeit.
00:55:20.68\00:55:25.05
But because people
don't read the Bible,
00:55:25.09\00:55:27.72
they don't
understand the symbolism
00:55:27.76\00:55:30.09
of what he's trying to say,
by sitting on a white throne
00:55:30.13\00:55:34.43
with a cherub on each side.
00:55:34.46\00:55:36.43
He's saying,
00:55:36.46\00:55:38.27
"I am usurping the
possession of the one
00:55:38.30\00:55:41.74
who sits between the cherubim."
00:55:41.77\00:55:45.94
That's what Antichrist is like.
00:55:45.97\00:55:48.58
Antichrist rules in a system
that claims to be Christian,
00:55:48.61\00:55:53.58
that claims to represent
Christ just like Judas,
00:55:53.62\00:55:57.25
but it's covetous for
power for an earthly kingdom,
00:55:57.29\00:56:01.26
for money and so on.
00:56:01.29\00:56:04.86
Now we need to end this session
00:56:04.89\00:56:06.53
by going to 2 Thessalonians 2:5.
00:56:06.56\00:56:10.13
The Apostle Paul
is now very surprised
00:56:10.17\00:56:13.40
because he had already told
the Thessalonians these things.
00:56:13.44\00:56:18.57
Notice 2 Thessalonians 2:5.
00:56:18.61\00:56:22.24
The Apostle Paul says to
them, "Do you not remember
00:56:22.28\00:56:26.41
that when I was still with you
00:56:26.45\00:56:29.22
I told you these things?"
00:56:29.25\00:56:32.49
I told you this.
00:56:32.52\00:56:34.52
How is that they have
forgotten so soon with?
00:56:34.56\00:56:38.33
Why do I have to
write you and explain to you
00:56:38.36\00:56:41.16
that Jesus isn't gonna come
00:56:41.20\00:56:43.13
until the
apostasy takes place first.
00:56:43.16\00:56:45.73
Incidentally,
what is an apostasy?
00:56:45.77\00:56:50.87
You cannot be an
apostate unless at some point
00:56:50.91\00:56:54.78
you embrace the truth.
00:56:54.81\00:57:00.32
What do we mean
when we speak about
00:57:00.35\00:57:01.82
somebody
apostatizing from the church?
00:57:01.85\00:57:06.59
Did they have to
belong to the church
00:57:06.62\00:57:09.16
before they apostatized?
00:57:09.19\00:57:11.33
Absolutely.
00:57:11.36\00:57:13.33
So when it speaks
here about the man of sin,
00:57:13.36\00:57:15.90
bring it on apostasy.
00:57:15.93\00:57:17.73
It must mean
00:57:17.77\00:57:19.10
that originally
the church was pure.
00:57:19.13\00:57:22.57
And this system what?
00:57:22.60\00:57:24.61
Apostatized against the Lord.
00:57:24.64\00:57:27.51
And sadly, somebody
like Hal Lindsey says,
00:57:27.54\00:57:32.38
"Well, you know, apostasy,
that's not a good translation,
00:57:32.41\00:57:36.15
falling away, that's
not a good translation.
00:57:36.18\00:57:38.82
It's the taking
away in the rapture
00:57:38.85\00:57:40.99
when Jesus comes."
00:57:41.02\00:57:43.53
But the word in
Greek is apostasia.
00:57:43.56\00:57:46.93
It's speaking about
a tremendous apostasy
00:57:46.96\00:57:49.26
in the Christian world.
00:57:49.30\00:57:50.63
And we can see it.
00:57:50.67\00:57:52.37
It's in Rome,
with the leader there.
00:57:52.40\00:57:56.60
But the world can't see it
00:57:56.64\00:57:57.97
because they're
looking in the wrong place.
00:57:58.01\00:57:59.34
They're looking
to the Middle East
00:57:59.37\00:58:00.78
because futurism
has blinded the eyes
00:58:00.81\00:58:04.85
of a
conservative Christian world
00:58:04.88\00:58:06.72
and we need to
let them know that.
00:58:06.75\00:58:09.48