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Series Code: TPP
Program Code: TPP000017A
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00:15 Well, welcome again.
00:17 This is session number 17. 00:20 Believe it or not, time does fly by, doesn't it? 00:24 It's been a real pleasure being here in Hawaii 00:26 to produce this series. 00:28 And the two other series 00:29 that were produced by other speakers. 00:32 And today our topic of study has two parts. 00:36 The title is A Judas in the Church. 00:40 And we are going to take part one, 00:45 and then in our second session, we will study part two, 00:48 but before we do 00:49 we want to have a word of prayer. 00:51 And so I invite you to bow your heads as we pray. 00:53 Father in heaven, 00:55 as we study this very important subject 00:57 on 2 Thessalonians Chapter 2, 01:00 we ask for the presence of Your Holy Spirit. 01:03 There are so many out there 01:05 that are confused about these prophecies. 01:07 And You have given a wonderful message 01:09 to our church to share with them. 01:12 We ask that through these presentations 01:15 as they are in social media, satellite, and television 01:19 that You might reach many of those sincere souls 01:21 with the truth. 01:23 We ask that You will bless us, 01:24 that You will open our minds and hearts. 01:26 In Jesus' name we pray, amen. 01:31 The Thessalonians had written to the Apostle Paul, 01:36 with a very important question. 01:38 They knew that those who are alive 01:42 when Jesus comes were going to be taken 01:45 to heaven with Jesus. 01:48 But they wondered about what was happening, 01:50 what would happen to those who had passed away 01:52 before the Second Coming of Jesus. 01:55 Evidently, they were not aware of the doctrine 01:58 of the resurrection of the dead. 02:00 So they wrote to the Apostle Paul to ask him 02:03 what would happen with them. 02:05 The Apostle Paul wrote 1 Thessalonians 02:08 to answer their question. 02:10 And in 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17, 02:15 the Apostle Paul, 02:16 as we read in previous lectures, 02:19 told them that those who are alive and remain 02:23 and those who died in Christ, the dead would resurrect, 02:27 and together, they would be caught up in the clouds 02:30 to meet the Lord in the air. 02:33 Now he used an expression that 02:35 gave the Thessalonians the impression 02:38 that he was gonna be alive. 02:41 And they were gonna be alive when Jesus comes. 02:45 Twice in 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17. 02:49 He said, "We who are alive and remain." 02:52 So the Apostle Paul had to write 02:54 a second epistle to them, to tell them, 02:57 "I wasn't exactly predicting that we were going to be alive 03:01 when Jesus comes." 03:03 In fact, something needs to happen 03:05 before Jesus comes. 03:09 And this is why he wrote the second letter 03:11 to the Thessalonians to clarify 03:13 that he was not predicting that he 03:16 and the Thessalonians would be alive 03:17 at the Second Coming of Christ. 03:19 I wanna read 2 Thessalonians 2:1-2, 03:24 where the Apostle Paul offers this correction 03:28 to their misunderstanding. 03:31 In 2:1-2, the Apostle Paul wrote, 03:35 "Now, brethren, concerning the coming," 03:38 the coming is the word Parousia, 03:40 a common word for the Second Coming, 03:43 "concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ 03:46 and our gathering together to Him, 03:49 we ask you, not to be soon 03:52 shaken in mind or troubled, 03:54 either by spirit," that might be a vision, 03:58 "or by word," that is an oral report, 04:01 "or by letter," a supposed letter 04:04 from the Apostle Paul, "as if from us, 04:07 as though the day of Christ had come." 04:11 So the Apostle Paul says, 04:12 "The day of Christ, 04:13 the Second Coming has not occurred yet." 04:16 In fact, he's gonna say that something drastic 04:20 needs to happen before the Parousia, 04:23 before Jesus comes. 04:25 And we find that in Chapter 2 04:28 and verse 3 where he says, 04:31 "Let no one deceive you by any means." 04:35 And, of course, what he means 04:36 is don't let anybody deceive you 04:38 to make you think that 04:40 the coming of Jesus is imminent, 04:42 or that Jesus has come. 04:44 And then it continues saying, "For that Day," 04:46 that is the Parousia, the Second Coming of Jesus, 04:50 "will not come unless the," 04:54 I'm reading from the New King James, 04:56 "the falling away comes first." 05:01 So in other words before Jesus can come, 05:04 something is going to occur, the falling away. 05:10 Now it's important to realize that in the Greek, 05:12 the word apostasia, 05:15 where we get our word apostasy from, 05:17 which is translated falling away, 05:20 has the definite article. 05:22 This is not un-apostasy, 05:25 this is the apostasy. 05:28 This is a very specific apostasy 05:30 that the Apostle Paul 05:32 and the Thessalonians knew about. 05:34 So there was gonna be not un-apostasy, 05:37 but the apostasy 05:39 before the Second Coming of Christ. 05:42 And as I mentioned, the word that is used here 05:44 for falling away is the word apostasia, 05:49 which is used to describe a boat 05:52 that is not well anchored 05:53 at the port and is drifting away, 05:57 which means that 05:59 if it's drifting away from the port, 06:01 it was at the port at some point. 06:04 So falling away is not a bad translation, 06:07 but we need to understand that it's the word apostasia. 06:11 We're gonna see that what the Apostle Paul 06:13 was referring to when he said the apostasy is the apostasy 06:18 that is described in Daniel Chapter 7, 06:20 the little horn apostasy or the beast apostasy, 06:24 the beast of Revelation Chapter 13. 06:27 Now we need to discover 06:30 what sin is because in verse 3, 06:34 it says, "Let no one deceive you 06:37 by any means, 06:38 for that Day will not come 06:39 unless the falling away comes first, 06:42 and the man of sin is revealed." 06:46 So in other words, this apostasy is marked 06:49 and led by the man of sin. 06:53 So we need to know what sin is 06:55 because this is a man who's going to defend, 06:59 he's going to actually say that it's okay to sin. 07:04 So in 1 John 3:4, 07:08 we find the following definition of sin. 07:10 And I'm reading 07:12 from the New King James Version. 07:14 "Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, 07:18 and sin is lawlessness." 07:21 I like the King James translation better. 07:23 It says, 07:24 "Sin is the transgression of the law." 07:28 So in other words, this apostasy is going to be 07:31 exhibited or manifested by an attack on the law. 07:35 It's going to encourage transgression of the law. 07:40 By the way, this reminds us of Daniel 7:25, 07:46 where we are told that the little horn 07:48 thought that it could change the times and the law. 07:54 So you have a common link here between 2 Thessalonians 2 07:58 and Daniel 7:25. 08:00 2 Thessalonians 2 says, 08:02 "That this man of sin would encourage 08:06 transgression of the law." 08:08 And Daniel 7:25 says, "That this power 08:11 would think that it could change God's law." 08:17 And then we notice also in verse 3 08:19 and we're studying phrase by phrase of this verse 3. 08:23 2 Thessalonians 2:3 once again states, 08:27 "Let no one deceive you by any means, 08:29 for that Day," that is the day of Christ 08:31 Parousia His coming, 08:33 "will not come 08:34 unless the falling away comes first, 08:37 and the man of sin," 08:38 which is transgression of the law, "is revealed." 08:43 Now, what is the antonym of revealed? 08:46 What is the opposite of revealed? 08:49 Concealed. 08:50 So in other words, 08:52 the Apostle Paul is saying that, 08:54 at this specific point of time, this man of sin was concealed. 09:00 But at some point in the future, 09:02 he was going to be what? 09:04 He was going to be revealed. 09:05 In other words, 09:07 during the time of the Apostle Paul, 09:09 this man of sin was under the radar. 09:13 He was concealed. 09:15 He had not shown his head yet, 09:19 but he was going to be revealed 09:22 in the course of time. 09:25 Now let's notice also the name 09:28 that is given to this specific individual 09:32 that will lead this apostasy. 09:34 It says in 2 Thessalonians 2:3, once again, 09:39 "Let no one deceive you by any means, for that Day," 09:43 that is the day of Christ coming, 09:45 "will not come 09:46 unless the falling away comes first, 09:48 and the man of sin," once again, 09:52 he's gonna encourage the transgression of the law. 09:54 He's gonna think that he can change God's law 09:57 is revealed which means that when Paul wrote he's concealed. 10:01 He's not revealed himself yet. 10:02 And then he's given the name, 10:04 the son of perdition. 10:09 So the name of this apostasy 10:12 is the son of perdition. 10:15 So we need to determine 10:16 what the son of perdition means. 10:19 The only other place in the Bible 10:23 where the name son of perdition is used 10:27 is with reference to Judas Iscariot. 10:31 Let's go to John 17:12. 10:34 John 17:12. 10:38 Jesus says, 10:40 "While I was with them in the world, 10:42 I kept them in Your name. 10:45 Those whom You gave Me I have kept, 10:48 and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, 10:53 that the Scripture might be fulfilled." 10:57 Once again, the name of this apostasy 11:01 and the apostate power 11:03 that leads it is the son of perdition. 11:06 And the son of perdition is given only in the Bible 11:10 to one person, and that is Judas 11:13 other than in this passage. 11:15 Now we need to understand 11:17 that in the Bible names are important. 11:20 Names are simply not a way 11:22 of distinguishing one person from another. 11:25 A name denotes the character of a person 11:28 that bears the name. 11:30 I wanna read from 11:31 the Interpreter's Bible Dictionary, 11:33 volume 3, pages 500 and 501. 11:37 And the meaning and importance of a name 11:40 in the Bible. 11:41 It says there, "In Biblical thought a name 11:45 is not a mere label of identification, 11:49 it is an expression of the essential character 11:53 of its bearer. 11:54 A man's name reveals his character. 11:58 Adam was able to give names to the beasts 12:00 and birds because, 12:03 as Milton says, he understood their nature." 12:08 So if this man of sin is called the son of perdition, 12:13 and Judas is called the son of perdition, 12:16 they both must have 12:18 the same basic character. 12:22 Are you with me or not? 12:24 So the question is 12:26 what kind of character did Judas have? 12:30 We're gonna come to that in a few moments. 12:33 But let me mention, first of all, 12:35 a misconception that exists in the conservative 12:38 Christian world. 12:40 And that is that the Antichrist is going to be 12:43 one specific wicked individual 12:46 who will rebuild the Jewish temple, 12:49 reign in the temple for three and a half years, 12:52 openly defy God, blaspheming his name, 12:57 and persecute the Jews. 13:00 And the reason why they believe that 13:02 the man of sin represents this nasty individual 13:07 who will arise after the rapture of the church 13:11 is because the singular 13:14 is use the man of sin. 13:17 So they say this has to be an individual man 13:20 because he's called the man of sin. 13:23 However, we need to remember a few things. 13:27 And that is that clearly the little horn 13:30 is the same as the beast. 13:32 We've already shown that. 13:33 And in prophecy, a beast does not represent 13:38 an individual except in the case of Nebuchadnezzar, 13:41 which is in the historical section of Daniel, 13:44 not the prophetic section of Daniel. 13:46 So in prophecy, beasts always represent 13:49 kingdoms not individuals. 13:53 And so we would assume that the little horn 13:55 which is the same as the beast of Revelation 13 13:58 represents not an individual 14:00 but represents a system in other words. 14:05 Secondly, we are told that this man of sin, 14:09 which is the same 14:10 as the little horn and the beast, 14:12 and by the way, 14:13 there's no argument in the Christian world. 14:15 They say the little horn, the beast, 14:16 and the man of sin represent the same power. 14:19 So whether it's an Adventist or non-Adventist, 14:21 they say all three of those represent the same power. 14:26 Now the little horn and the beast rule 14:29 for a certain period of time. 14:30 How long does the little horn rule? 14:33 Time times and the dividing of time, 14:35 how long is that? 14:37 1260 years. 14:39 How long is 42 months? 14:41 1260 years. 14:43 Do you know of an individual who has lived 1260 years? 14:48 Absolutely not. 14:49 It has to be a system because no individual 14:53 other than probably Moses or Elijah have lived that long. 14:57 Furthermore, the Bible tells us 15:00 that the man of sin was already wanting to show 15:04 his head in the days of Paul. 15:06 But the man of sin is gonna be destroyed at the Second Coming. 15:10 And so this must be a system that was about to rise 15:13 in the days of Paul, 15:15 and will exist until it's destroyed 15:17 when Jesus comes. 15:18 Are you with me or not? 15:20 Furthermore, it's interesting to notice that the expression, 15:24 the man of sin, which is masculine singular, 15:28 would seem to indicate an individual, 15:31 but in the Bible, the masculine singular 15:36 many times indicates a succession of individuals 15:39 and not an individual. 15:41 Let me give you three examples. 15:43 Hebrews 9:7, 15:44 we're not gonna read these verses. 15:46 We don't have time, 15:47 we have so much material to cover. 15:48 I hope I'm able to have enough time 15:50 to cover everything that we have to do. 15:52 But in Hebrews 9:7, it speaks of the priest, 15:57 masculine singular, but you read the text 16:00 is referring to all of the priesthood 16:03 in the Old Testament. 16:04 You'll find in 1 Samuel 8:11 that it speaks of the king. 16:10 But once again, you'll read the verse 16:12 in its context, it's referring to 16:14 all of the succession of kings in Israel. 16:18 The Apostle Paul in 2 Timothy 3:17 16:22 says that we should study the Scriptures, 16:24 "That the man of God might develop perfection." 16:28 Well, that's not speaking about an individual man, 16:31 it's speaking about all of the men. 16:33 Are you with me or not? 16:35 So just because he's called the man of sin 16:38 does not necessarily mean that it's a specific individual 16:42 for the reasons that I've mentioned. 16:44 Now Dave Hunt, whom I mentioned 16:46 in a previous lecture, 16:48 had a correct view of the Antichrist, 16:50 but he identified the wrong person. 16:53 He believed that it was a nasty individual 16:56 after the rapture of the church at the end of the age, 16:59 but notice his description which really tells us 17:02 what the Antichrist is like. 17:05 In his Book Global Peace, pages 7-8, he wrote, 17:08 "While the Greek prefix 'anti' generally means 'against' 17:14 or 'opposed to,' it can also mean 'in place of' 17:18 or 'a substitute for.' 17:21 The Antichrist will embody both meanings. 17:25 He will oppose Christ while pretending to be Christ. 17:29 Instead of a frontal assault against Christianity, 17:33 the evil one will pervert the church 17:35 from within by posing as its founder. 17:38 He will cunningly misrepresent Christ 17:41 while pretending to be Christ. 17:44 And right here is where the plot thickens. 17:47 If the Antichrist will indeed pretend to be Christ, 17:51 then his followers must be Christians!" 17:54 Interesting description. 17:56 Does that fit the Roman Catholic papacy 17:59 like glove in hand? 18:02 Now it's interesting the word Antichrist 18:05 in Greek is antichristos. 18:08 It means basically the same thing 18:10 as Vicar of Christ. 18:13 You say how's that? 18:15 Antichrist means, 18:16 he who occupies the place of Christ. 18:20 What does Vicar of Christ mean? 18:23 It means one who occupies the place of Christ 18:27 except antichristos is Greek, whereas, 18:30 the expression Vicarius Christi is in Latin. 18:35 Incidentally, 18:36 the expression Vicarius Filii Dei, 18:40 Vicar of the Son of God means basically the same thing 18:43 as antichristos because it means 18:47 he who takes the place of the Son of God, 18:51 and that's exactly what 2 Thessalonians is describing. 18:55 Incidentally, in classical Greek 18:59 the word Anti-Basileus. 19:03 The word Basileus means king. 19:06 Anti-Basileus means the person 19:09 who occupies the place of the king. 19:12 We have the word Antipas. 19:15 Have you ever heard of Herod Antipas? 19:18 Well, the word Antipas means 19:21 he who takes the place of the Father. 19:25 Anti in place of, pater father. 19:28 So it doesn't mean he who against the Father. 19:30 It means one 19:32 who takes the place of the father. 19:34 We have the word antitype. 19:36 Have you ever heard the word antitype 19:38 that means that 19:39 which takes the place of the type. 19:41 The lamb is the type and the Jesus is the antitype, 19:46 he takes the place of the type. 19:48 And then we also have the word antilutron, 19:51 which means that 19:52 Jesus came to die in place of many. 19:56 So Antichrist does not mean somebody 19:59 who rises with fists up in the air saying that 20:03 God doesn't exist and blaspheme in the name of God. 20:08 The word means someone who claims 20:10 to occupy the place of Jesus Christ. 20:15 Now this means that the Antichrist is not going to 20:19 openly attack Christianity. 20:22 He is going to act in the place of Christ, 20:26 claiming to be the representative of Christ. 20:29 You know, it's interesting that 20:33 Judas has a character very similar 20:37 to the character of this man of sin 20:40 of 2 Thessalonians Chapter 2. 20:43 I wanna read a statement that we find 20:45 from Great Controversy, page 234 and 235. 20:49 You know that the present pope that is in Rome, 20:52 Francis I 20:54 is the first Jesuit pope in history. 20:57 I wanna read you the description 20:58 that Ellen White gives of the papacy, you know, 21:02 is the pope an individual who openly opposes Christ? 21:07 Does he oppose Christ? 21:09 Or does he claim to be a follower of Christ? 21:12 He claims to be a follower of Christ. 21:14 Does he claim to occupy 21:15 the position of Christ on earth? 21:17 Yes, he does. 21:19 Does he claim to occupy the position of Christ 21:21 in leading Christians on planet earth? 21:24 Absolutely. 21:25 Now notice what Ellen White had to say about the Jesuits. 21:28 "When appearing as members of their order, 21:31 they wore a garb of sanctity, 21:35 visiting prisons and hospitals, 21:38 ministering to the sick and the poor, 21:41 professing to have renounced the world, 21:44 and bearing the sacred name of Jesus, 21:47 who went about doing good. 21:49 But under this blameless exterior 21:53 the most criminal 21:54 and deadly purposes were concealed." 21:58 That's the picture of the Antichrist. 22:00 Ellen White also described in Great Controversy, page 571, 22:05 the policy of papal Rome. 22:08 It's a short statement. 22:10 I've read it before. 22:11 I quote, "It is part of her policy," 22:15 that is the papacy's policy, "to assume the character 22:19 which will best accomplish her purpose, 22:22 but beneath the variable appearance of the chameleon." 22:27 Do you have chameleons here in Hawaii, 22:29 you have chameleons? 22:31 What's the interesting characteristic of a chameleon? 22:34 It changes colors depending where it's at, right? 22:37 I grew up in South America, 22:38 they have chameleons down there. 22:40 So she says, 22:41 "But beneath the variable appearance 22:43 of the chameleon she conceals 22:46 the invariable venom of the serpent." 22:51 That is the picture of Antichrist, 22:53 not a blasphemous individual who raises his fist and says, 22:56 "God, you don't exist." 22:58 No, no, no, the devil is much more 23:00 deceptive than that. 23:03 Now you notice that the Antichrist 23:07 and Judas bear the same name. 23:11 So let's study the character of Judas to see 23:15 if we can discover 23:17 what the character of the Antichrist is. 23:21 The first thing that we wanna notice about 23:23 Judas Iscariot is that he was a shrewd politician, 23:28 and a sharp businessman who carried the money bank 23:32 and craved the praise of people. 23:36 I wanna read you some statements 23:37 from the Spirit of Prophecy. 23:39 First, in the Book Education, page 93. 23:43 She's speaking about Judas, 23:44 "He had come more into contact with the world than they," 23:48 that is them, the disciples, "he was a man," 23:51 this is according to his own estimation, 23:52 "he was a man of good address, 23:55 of discernment and executive ability, 23:59 and, having a high estimate of his own qualifications, 24:03 he had led the disciples to hold him in the same regard. 24:07 But the methods he desired to introduce 24:10 into Christ's work were based upon 24:12 worldly principles and were controlled by 24:15 worldly policy." 24:17 Would you say that that would be true 24:19 of the way that the Vatican operates? 24:21 Absolutely. 24:23 In Bible Commentary, volume 5, pages 1101 and 1102, 24:29 Ellen White further describes what Judas was like. 24:32 But Judas was a speculator. 24:34 He thought that he could manage 24:36 the finances of the church, 24:38 and by his sharpness in business get gain. 24:42 He was divided in heart. 24:44 He loved the praise of the world. 24:47 He refused to give up the world for Christ. 24:51 He never committed his eternal interest to Christ. 24:54 He had a superficial religion, 24:57 and therefore he speculated upon his Master 25:00 and betrayed Him to the priests 25:02 being fully persuaded that Christ 25:04 would not allow Himself to be taken. 25:07 Judas was a religious fraud. 25:10 He held up a high standard for others, 25:13 but he himself utterly failed to reach the Bible standard. 25:17 He did not bring the religion of Christ into his life. 25:21 What an interesting description. 25:23 Finally, in Desire of Ages, page 717, Ellen White wrote, 25:28 "Judas summed up all the disciples, 25:31 and flattered himself that the church 25:34 would often be brought into perplexity 25:37 and embarrassment if it were not 25:40 for his ability as a manager. 25:43 Judas regarded himself as a capable one, 25:47 who could not be overreached. 25:49 In his own estimation he was an honor to the cause, 25:54 and as such he always represented himself." 25:58 So that's the first picture 26:00 that we get of the character of Judas. 26:02 Now Judas also coveted an earthly kingdom. 26:06 He wasn't thinking, you know, 26:08 about the spiritual kingdom that Jesus wanted to establish. 26:11 No, no, he wanted an earthly kingdom, 26:14 where the Romans would be destroyed. 26:16 And Jesus would take over the reins of civil power. 26:21 In John 6:15, 26:24 we have the feeding of the 5000. 26:28 After Jesus fed the 5000, 26:30 the multitude wanted to take Jesus 26:32 and make him king. 26:34 Let's read John 6:15. 26:37 And then we're gonna look at 26:38 who's the ringleader of this was. 26:40 It says, "Therefore when Jesus perceived 26:43 that they were about to come and take Him by force 26:47 and make him king, He departed again 26:50 to the mountain by Himself alone." 26:53 Now who came up with the idea, 26:55 who spearheaded this idea of taking Jesus 26:58 and make Him a political king. 27:01 It was Judas. 27:02 Desire of Ages, page 718 and 719, 27:06 Ellen White wrote, 27:07 "Judas was first to take advantage 27:10 of the enthusiasm 27:12 excited by the miracle of the loaves. 27:15 It was he who set on foot the project to take Christ 27:20 by force and make Him king. 27:23 His hopes were high. 27:25 His disappointment was bitter." 27:29 In another statement, that we find in Desire of Ages, 27:32 718 and 719 Ellen White wrote, 27:36 "Notwithstanding the Savior's own teaching, 27:39 Judas was continually advancing the idea 27:43 that Christ would reign as king in Jerusalem. 27:46 At the feeding of the five thousand 27:48 he tried to bring this about." 27:51 And when Jesus washed the feet of the disciples 27:54 in the upper room, that was the straw 27:57 that broke the camel's back. 27:59 In Desire of Ages, 645, Ellen White describes 28:02 how Judas when Jesus washed the feet 28:04 of the disciples thought 28:06 this cannot be the king of Israel. 28:08 Humbled Himself to wash the feet 28:09 of His own disciples, He can't be the Messiah. 28:13 Notice Desire of Ages, page 645, 28:16 "If Jesus could so humbled Himself, 28:19 he thought, He could not be Israel's king. 28:23 All hope of worldly honor 28:25 in a temporal kingdom was destroyed. 28:29 Judas was satisfied that there was nothing to be gained 28:32 by following Christ. 28:34 After seeing Him degrade Himself, as he thought, 28:38 he was confirmed in his purpose to disown Him, 28:42 and confess himself deceived. 28:44 He was possessed by a demon, 28:46 and he resolved to complete the work 28:49 he had agreed to do in betraying his Lord." 28:53 So he wanted a temporal kingdom. 28:55 Let me ask you, does the papacy want 28:57 a temporal kingdom, a political kingdom on earth? 29:01 Let me ask you this. 29:02 How many times have you heard 29:03 Francis I talk about 29:05 the Second Coming of Jesus Christ? 29:07 Never. 29:09 Because the goal of the papacy is not a kingdom 29:12 established supernaturally by Jesus, 29:14 but to take over 29:15 the political powers of the world 29:17 to establish the theocracy 29:19 that they had during the 1260 years. 29:22 The church dominating the state, 29:25 dominating society, 29:26 that's the Roman Catholic ideal, 29:28 all the time 29:30 since the days of St. Augustine, 29:33 so you would not expect the papacy to tell people 29:36 that we have this blessed hope, 29:38 the glorious Second Coming of Jesus Christ. 29:41 Judas also coveted money 29:44 and feigned a love for the poor. 29:48 Does Francis I talk a lot about helping the poor. 29:53 Does he visit hospitals, the sick, and so on? 29:55 He was like, "This is wonderful. 29:57 This is the most wonderful thing 29:59 since peanut butter was invented." 30:02 I'm being sarcastic in case you didn't notice. 30:05 Notice Matthew 8:19-21, 30:08 Matthew 8:19-21. 30:12 When Jesus first met Judas, He did not call Judas. 30:17 Judas offered his services. 30:19 And I want you to notice the story in Matthew 8:19-21. 30:24 "There was a certain scribe came to him and said to Him, 30:28 'Teacher, I will follow you, wherever You go.' 30:33 And Jesus said to him, 'Foxes have holes 30:35 and birds of the air have nests, 30:38 but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head." 30:40 If you're thinking that you're gonna join me 30:42 because you're gonna have political power, 30:44 and you're gonna have money, think again. 30:48 John 12:4-6. 30:50 John 12:4-6. 30:52 Once again, we see that Judas coveted political power. 30:56 It says here and then he feigned 30:58 a love for the poor. 30:59 "But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, 31:03 who would betray him said," this is when the woman, 31:08 you know, anointed the feet of Jesus 31:10 with that precious perfume. 31:13 "Why was this fragrant oil 31:15 not sold for three hundred denarii 31:19 and given to the poor?" 31:22 See, he really cared for the poor, didn't he? 31:25 Verse 6, "This he said, not that he cared for the poor, 31:30 but because he was a thief, and had the money box, 31:34 and he used it to take what was put in it." 31:38 In Luke 22:3-6, we noticed that 31:42 Judas sold Jesus for money. 31:45 He was money hungry. 31:46 Let me ask you, 31:47 is that true of the papacy as well, 31:49 they feign love for the poor 31:51 and they fleece people from their money? 31:53 Absolutely. 31:55 Luke 22:3-6, "Then Satan entered Judas, 31:59 surnamed Iscariot, 32:01 who was numbered among the twelve. 32:03 So he went his way and conferred 32:05 with the chief priests and captains, 32:07 how he might betray Him to them. 32:10 And they were glad, and agreed to give him money. 32:13 So he promised and sought opportunity 32:15 to betray Him to them 32:17 in the absence of the multitude." 32:20 Ellen White in Desire of Ages, page 716 wrote the following. 32:25 "Judas had naturally a strong love for money, 32:29 but he had not always been corrupt enough to do 32:32 such a deed as this." 32:33 That is to sell Jesus for money. 32:35 "He had fostered the evil spirit of avarice 32:39 until it had become the ruling motive of his life. 32:43 The love of mammon 32:45 overbalanced his love for Christ. 32:48 Through becoming the slave of one vice 32:51 he gave himself to Satan, 32:53 to be driven to any lengths in sin." 32:57 In fact, you know, something interesting 33:00 Judas became the Vicar of Satan. 33:04 Really? 33:06 The representative of Satan, an individual 33:09 who claimed to be faithful to Jesus 33:11 and be fighting for Jesus and be loyal to Jesus. 33:15 Notice John 6:70-71. 33:18 After the feeding of the five thousand, 33:21 when Judas was the ringleader 33:23 and trying to force Jesus to become king, 33:25 at the end of the chapter we find who was the ringleader? 33:28 It says in John 6:70-71, "Jesus answered them, 33:33 'Did I not choose you, the twelve, 33:36 and one of you is a devil? 33:39 He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. 33:42 for it was he who would betray Him, 33:45 being one of the twelve." 33:48 And yet Judas, even though Jesus said, 33:52 "He is a devil." 33:55 And actually we're gonna notice that 33:56 he became demon possessed at the end of his life. 34:00 He claimed to serve Christ and be loyal to Christ, 34:04 he feigned support, and yet at the same time, 34:07 he was secretly undermining Jesus. 34:12 Notice John 13:2, 34:15 "And supper being ended, 34:17 the devil having already put it 34:19 into the heart of Judas Iscariot, 34:21 Simon's son to betray Him." 34:23 Notice John 13:27. 34:27 "Now after the piece of bread," 34:28 notice, after Jesus gives Judas a piece of bread, 34:31 and he says, 34:33 "to whom I'm giving this piece of bread, 34:34 he's the betrayer." 34:36 It says, "Now after the piece of bread, 34:38 Satan entered him. 34:41 Then Jesus said to him, "What you do, do quickly." 34:45 It's interesting to read Ellen White's remark 34:47 about Satan entering him. 34:49 In Desire of Ages, page 295. 34:52 She wrote, "Judas became a representative 34:56 of the enemy of Christ." 34:59 He became the vicar, which is what the word 35:03 vicar means representative. 35:05 He was not the representative of Jesus. 35:08 He was the representative of the evil one, 35:12 of the enemy of Christ. 35:14 And yet, Judas' hypocrisy 35:18 fooled even the disciples. 35:21 He worked underground by subterfuge. 35:25 He did not reveal his true character. 35:28 He was concealed. 35:29 He worked at cross purposes 35:31 with Jesus claiming to support Him, 35:35 but underneath he was working to 35:37 undermine the authority of Christ. 35:40 He had the appearance of a chameleon. 35:43 He did not openly war against Jesus. 35:47 But Ellen White tells us in Education, page 92 35:51 that He manifested a continuous, sacred, 35:55 and subtle antagonism towards Christ. 35:59 In the Book of Sanctified Life, page 59, 36:03 Ellen White wrote, 36:04 "Judas possessed a form of godliness," 36:07 see all the forms were there. 36:08 He appeared to be religious, 36:10 he appeared to be a supporter of Christ. 36:11 "Judas possessed a form of godliness, 36:14 while his character was more satanic than divine. 36:19 He professed to be a disciple of Christ, 36:21 but in his words and works, denied Him." 36:27 You know, it's very interesting 36:29 that when the disciples and Jesus were sitting 36:32 there at the table in the upper room, 36:35 Ellen White tells us that Judas was sitting 36:38 to the left side of Christ. 36:40 That's significant. 36:42 Because in the Bible, frequently, 36:44 the left side is the side of God's disfavor. 36:50 Where did Jesus place the goats? 36:53 On the left side, right? 36:55 On the left side. 36:56 By the way, in Spanish, 36:58 the left side is called siniestra. 37:02 In English, the word is sinister. 37:05 The left side is the sinister side. 37:07 Do you know what's an sinister means? 37:11 Also, I don't know if this happens in English, 37:14 we say that he got up on the wrong foot. 37:16 Hispanic say he got up on the left foot. 37:20 And so and so the left in the Bible frequently 37:22 means the side of God's disfavor. 37:24 On the other hand, on the right side of Jesus 37:26 was the beloved disciple John, 37:29 who in the course of time reflected 37:31 the character of Jesus Christ. 37:33 In Desire of Ages, 644, Ellen White wrote, 37:37 "Judas pressed next to Christ on the left side, 37:40 John was on the right. 37:42 If there was a highest place, 37:44 Judas was determined to have it, 37:46 and that place was thought to be 37:48 next to Christ. 37:50 And Judas was a traitor." 37:53 In Matthew 26:25, 37:56 we find that Judas had the disciples, 37:58 the very disciples deceived till the very end, 38:01 he had the first church members deceived 38:02 till the very end. 38:04 They thought that he was an asset 38:05 to the work of God. 38:07 Notice Matthew 26:25. 38:11 This is when Jesus says, 38:12 "One of the disciples is going to betray me. 38:14 One of you?" 38:16 Oh, each one of them says, "Is it I? 38:19 Is it I?" 38:21 Notice what Judas said, Matthew 26:25, "Then Judas, 38:24 who was betraying Him, answered and said, 38:27 'Rabbi, is it I?' 38:30 He said to him, 'You have said it.' 38:32 " And even then, the disciples didn't realize 38:34 what Jesus was saying? 38:37 Notice John 13:26-29, 38:41 "He had a form of godliness, 38:43 and he deceived his own colleagues." 38:46 We find in John 13:26, "Jesus answered, 38:50 'It is he to whom I shall give a piece of bread 38:53 when I have dipped it.' 38:55 " In other words, to whoever I give the piece of bread, 38:57 disciples you can know that he's the betrayer. 39:00 Notice, "And having dipped the bread, 39:03 He gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon." 39:07 He would have thought that the disciples gonna say, 39:08 he's the one. 39:10 No. 39:11 "Now after the piece of bread, Satan entered him. 39:15 Then Jesus said to him, 'What you do, do quickly.' 39:19 " Ellen White says that the disciples thought that 39:21 Jesus was sending Judas on an errand. 39:25 Verse 28, "But no one at the table 39:28 knew for what reason He said this to him. 39:31 For some thought, 39:32 because Judas had the money box, 39:34 that Jesus had said to him, 39:35 'Buy those things we need for the feast,' 39:37 or that he should give something to the poor." 39:40 They totally missed the point. 39:42 He had his fellow leaders 39:45 deceived till the very end. 39:47 By the way, how did Judas betray Jesus? 39:51 With a kiss. 39:54 What worse way could you have betrayed 39:56 the master than with the kiss? 40:00 We find in Luke 22:47-48. 40:04 "And while He was still speaking, 40:06 behold, a multitude, 40:08 and he who was called Judas, one of the twelve, 40:11 went before them and drew near to Jesus 40:14 to kiss Him. 40:16 But Jesus said to him, 'Judas, 40:18 are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?' 40:22 " You all know 40:23 what eventually happened with Judas. 40:25 He is called the son of perdition 40:28 because his final end was perdition. 40:32 He was lost. 40:33 Notice Matthew 27:3-5. 40:36 "Then Judas, His betrayer, 40:38 seeing that He had been condemned, 40:41 was remorseful and brought back 40:43 the thirty pieces of silver 40:44 to the chief priests and elders, 40:46 saying, 'I have sinned by 40:47 betraying innocent blood.' 40:49 And they said, 'What is that to us? 40:51 You see to it!' 40:53 Then he threw down 40:54 the pieces of silver in the temple 40:55 and departed, and went and hanged himself." 41:00 By the way, 41:01 it was not the intention of Judas 41:03 to betray Jesus so that Jesus would be crucified. 41:07 He was hoping to put Jesus under pressure 41:10 so that Jesus would release Himself 41:12 and he would take the throne. 41:14 He would destroy those who were oppressing him. 41:16 But his plan backfired. 41:18 And that's why he hanged himself. 41:20 You know, if he was expecting Jesus to die 41:22 when he saw that they were killing Jesus, 41:24 he would have said, "Oh, good, my plan worked." 41:27 But when it's playing backfired, 41:30 he went and he hanged himself. 41:31 And by the way, the Book of Acts seems to have 41:35 a different perspective 41:36 of what happened to Judas at the end. 41:38 It says that he fell a distance 41:40 and his belly exploded and his innards came out. 41:43 And so some scholars or liberal scholars say, 41:46 "See, the Bible contradicts itself 41:48 because one place it says that he hanged himself 41:50 and the other place it says 41:51 that he fell a distance and his belly split open." 41:53 Well, Ellen White explains it very clearly. 41:55 She says, "Judas was the heaviest 41:57 of all of the disciples. 42:00 There was a branch hanging over a ledge, 42:03 he put the rope around the branch 42:05 and because he was very heavy, 42:08 the branch broke. 42:10 The rope that held him to the branch broke, 42:13 and he fell a long distance and his belly split open. 42:17 He committed suicide." 42:19 But, you know, he expected to hang himself. 42:22 But in the process of hanging himself, 42:24 he felled at distance 42:25 and that's what happened to him. 42:27 So let's review the characteristics of Judas, 42:30 a shrewd politician, and a sharp administrator, 42:34 coveted political power, and desired Christ 42:37 to set up an earthly kingdom, was covetous of money 42:41 and earthly display, 42:43 feigned an interest for the poor, 42:47 he became the representative of Satan. 42:50 His hypocrisy deceived even those 42:53 who were part of the inner circle. 42:55 He betrayed Jesus with a kiss 42:57 even though he professed to be His follower. 43:01 He was an enemy from the inside who feigned love for Jesus. 43:06 That is the characteristic of the Antichrist. 43:11 Now let's go back to 2 Thessalonians 2:4. 43:14 We took quite a long time 43:16 to discuss the character of Judas. 43:19 Now let's notice another expression. 43:21 It says in 2 Thessalonians 2:4, 43:26 that the Antichrist that this man of sin 43:29 would oppose Christ. 43:32 Let's read the last part of verse 4, 43:34 "Who opposes and exalts himself 43:38 above all that is called God or that is worshipped." 43:43 So it says here that he opposes everything 43:45 that's called God. 43:47 And therefore futurists say, "See he's opposed to God." 43:50 So he can be somebody who claims to be 43:53 faithful to Jesus because he openly opposes God. 43:56 Well, the fact is, folks, that the opposition 44:01 of the man of sin against Christ is not overt, 44:04 it is covert. 44:07 What do you mean? 44:09 Let me ask you. 44:10 Did Saul of Tarsus 44:12 claim to be serving God? 44:17 Yes. 44:18 Did he persecute the church, thinking that 44:21 he was serving God and he was doing God's will? 44:24 Absolutely. 44:26 But was he opposing God? 44:28 He claimed to be supporting God, 44:31 but by his actions he was what? 44:33 He was opposing God, not openly. 44:37 Let me ask you this. 44:38 Did Jesus say that 44:42 after His departure, 44:44 many would kill His followers thinking that 44:47 they were doing God a service. 44:48 Notice John 16:2. 44:51 John 16:2, Jesus says to His disciples, 44:54 "They will put you out of the synagogues, 44:56 yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you 45:00 will think that he offers God service." 45:02 In other words, they will oppose God 45:05 while they think that they're doing what? 45:07 That they're doing the will of God 45:08 and supporting God. 45:10 Incidentally, you remember the experience of Gamaliel. 45:13 You know the Sanhedrin said, "Let's kill Peter and John." 45:18 And the wise Gamaliel says now, "Whoa! 45:21 Hold on for a minute. 45:23 Let's think about this." 45:24 Let's read Acts 5:38-39. 45:28 Acts 5:38-39. 45:30 Let me ask you if they killed Peter and John, 45:32 would they have been opposing God? 45:35 Absolutely. 45:36 Did they think that they were supporting God 45:39 by laying the plan to kill Peter and John? 45:42 Absolutely. 45:43 But they were opposing God, 45:44 even though they claimed to be supporting him. 45:46 Notice Acts 5:38-39. 45:50 It says, "And now I say to you," 45:52 this is Gamaliel, "keep away from these men 45:56 and let them alone, for if this plan 46:00 or this work is of men, it will come to nothing, 46:03 but if it is a God, you cannot overthrow it, 46:06 lest you even be found to," what? 46:10 "To fight against God." 46:11 Would they ever have admitted that 46:13 they were fighting against God? 46:15 Were they? 46:17 Yes, they were fighting against God. 46:19 But they claimed at the same time to serve God. 46:22 Was Judas fighting against Christ, 46:24 claiming to serve Christ? 46:26 He most certainly was. 46:28 Ellen White in Great Controversy, 46:29 page 495 describes how Judas worked, 46:35 "Working with mysterious secrecy, 46:39 and for a time concealing his real purpose 46:43 under an appearance of reverence for God." 46:48 Isn't that an interesting description? 46:51 Once again, working with mysterious secrecy, 46:53 and for time concealing his real purpose 46:56 under an appearance of reverence for God. 46:59 Claiming to support God, but at the same time 47:03 working at cross purposes with Christ. 47:06 Now, this man of sin has another characteristic. 47:09 Let's go back to 2 Thessalonians 2:4, 47:13 "Who opposes and exalts himself 47:15 above all that is called God 47:17 or that is worship, so that he," he what? 47:22 "Sits as God," where does he sit? 47:26 "In the temple of God, 47:28 showing himself 47:30 that he is God." 47:35 So where does this individual sit? 47:37 Where does the man of sin sit? 47:39 He sits in the temple of God. 47:43 And so futurists say, "Clear as day." 47:47 He sits in the temple of God, 47:49 the Jewish temple is the temple of God. 47:52 So this must mean that a third Jewish temple 47:55 is going to be built and the Antichrist is gonna sit 47:58 in that temple after the church has been rapture to heaven, 48:02 but that is simply not true 48:07 because we need to let Paul interpret Paul. 48:12 We need to know 48:14 what Paul meant by the temple of God, 48:17 what the temple of God is? 48:19 Now let me review something that we've studied before. 48:23 When Jesus entered the temple after His triumphal entry, 48:28 how did Jesus refer to the temple? 48:31 My house, let's read it. 48:33 Matthew 21:12-13. 48:36 "Then Jesus went to the temple of God 48:38 and drove out all those who bought 48:40 and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables 48:43 of the money changers 48:45 and the seats of those who sold doves. 48:47 And He said to them, 'It is written, 48:50 'My house shall be called a house of prayer,' 48:52 but you have made it a 'den of thieves.' 48:55 " So it's called the temple of God 48:58 when Jesus goes in and then Jesus says, 49:00 "This is My house when He's in there teaching." 49:04 But what happens when Jesus leaves the temple 49:06 for the last time? 49:08 We've read this before, Matthew 23:38, Jesus said, 49:13 "Your house, not my house, not God's temple. 49:18 Your house is left on to you desolate. 49:21 Then he went to the Mount of Olives, 49:22 sat there and spoke 49:24 of the destruction of the temple 49:26 and the destruction of Jerusalem, 49:28 because they did not know the hour of their visitation." 49:32 Are you with me? 49:34 Now, the Apostle Paul never uses the word temple 49:40 to refer to the literal Jewish temple. 49:43 In fact, in all the epistles in the New Testament, 49:49 that the literal Jewish temple is never called naos, 49:54 which is the word temple here. 49:56 There's another temple for the Jewish temple, 49:58 the word heron. 50:00 In the Book of Acts, 50:01 when the Jewish temple is spoken up, 50:05 the word that Paul uses and not the one 50:06 that's used there is the word heron 50:10 when it refers to the Jewish temple. 50:11 But every time that 50:13 the Apostle Paul refers to the temple, 50:15 he uses naos and he clearly tells us 50:19 that it refers to the spiritual temple, 50:23 the Christian church. 50:24 So should we have Paul interpret Paul, 50:29 should we let Paul explain what the temple is, 50:32 rather than futurists? 50:34 I think that would be a good procedure. 50:37 So what does the Apostle Paul say about the temple? 50:40 Ephesians 2:19-22. 50:43 Ephesians 2:19-22. 50:47 Here the Apostle Paul is speaking to the Gentiles, 50:51 the Ephesian church. 50:54 And in verse 19, he states, "Now therefore, 50:58 you are no longer strangers and foreigners, 51:02 but fellow citizens with the saints 51:04 and members of the household of God," he's saying, 51:07 "You weren't Gentiles anymore. 51:10 You're not outcast anymore." 51:11 He says you are now because you've accepted Christ 51:14 according to the context. 51:15 "You're not strangers and foreigners anymore, 51:17 you're fellow citizens with the saints 51:20 and members of the household of God." 51:21 And then in verse 20, he states, 51:24 "Having been built on the foundation 51:27 of the apostles and prophets." 51:29 Let me ask you, is the foundation 51:32 composed of literal stones? 51:36 Is the foundation of the temple literal stones? 51:38 No, the foundations are people. 51:42 Apostles would be New Testament, 51:43 prophets would be Old Testament. 51:46 In other words, the temple, the church is built 51:49 on the writings of the Old and New Testament. 51:52 It continues saying, each building 51:54 has to have a cornerstone as well. 51:56 And so it says, "Having been built 51:57 on the foundation of apostles and prophets, 52:00 Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone." 52:03 Is Jesus, a literal stone? 52:07 Is this stone, the stone to the third temple 52:10 that's gonna be rebuilt supposedly? 52:12 Of course, not. 52:13 Christ is a spiritual stone. 52:16 The stones, the foundation stones 52:18 are spiritual stones. 52:21 Continue saying in verse 20, "Having been built 52:23 on the foundation of the apostles 52:25 and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself 52:27 being the chief cornerstone." 52:29 And now it speaks about those who are built 52:31 on the foundations. 52:32 It says, "In whom the whole building," 52:35 Oh, so this is a building, what kind of building, 52:38 literal building or spiritual building? 52:40 Spiritual building with spiritual foundations, 52:43 it says, "In whom the whole building, 52:45 being fitted together, grows into a holy," what? 52:50 Same word as 2 Thessalonians too. 52:52 "Grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 52:56 in whom you also are being built together 52:58 for a dwelling place of God in the spirit." 53:01 So what is the Shekhinah of a spiritual temple? 53:04 The Holy Spirit. 53:06 Are you following me or not? 53:09 So Paul, every time that the Apostle Paul 53:11 refers to the word naos temple, 53:13 it is a spiritual temple, 53:15 whether it be the temple of your body, 53:17 or whether it be the temple of the church, 53:20 you know, the text that says, 53:21 "Do you not know that your body is the temple 53:24 of the Holy Spirit? 53:26 That God will destroy those who destroy the temple of God, 53:29 which is your body temple. 53:32 So let's let Paul tell us what the temple of God is. 53:36 The temple of God is not what some third temple, 53:40 Jewish temple in the Middle East, 53:42 then it's gonna be built over there by the Antichrist. 53:46 He's gonna literally sit there, he's gonna raise up 53:48 a big statue of himself, and he's gonna tell everybody 53:51 to bow before the statue to render him homage, 53:54 and you're gonna put a big tattoo on the forehead 53:57 of the right hand. 53:59 That literalism does not fit the way 54:03 in which we interpret prophecy. 54:04 Prophecy speaks in symbols. 54:08 And the Apostle Paul says the temple is symbolic 54:11 and represents the spiritual church. 54:15 You know, it's no coincidence. 54:19 The Pope Benedict the XVI 54:24 at the conclusion 54:25 of the week for Christian unity 54:28 in St. Paul's Cathedral 54:31 outside the wall in the Vatican, 54:35 for a celebration 54:37 he sat on a great white throne. 54:41 And on each side of the throne, there was a cherub. 54:49 Why is that significant? 54:52 That he would sit on a white throne 54:56 and on each side of the throne, 54:59 there is the cherub. 55:02 For the simple reason that in Psalm 80:1, 55:06 we are told that it is Yahweh. 55:10 It is Jehovah as it is mispronounced, 55:13 it is Jehovah who sits between the cherubim, 55:20 not even a deceptive counterfeit. 55:25 But because people don't read the Bible, 55:27 they don't understand the symbolism 55:30 of what he's trying to say, by sitting on a white throne 55:34 with a cherub on each side. 55:36 He's saying, 55:38 "I am usurping the possession of the one 55:41 who sits between the cherubim." 55:45 That's what Antichrist is like. 55:48 Antichrist rules in a system that claims to be Christian, 55:53 that claims to represent Christ just like Judas, 55:57 but it's covetous for power for an earthly kingdom, 56:01 for money and so on. 56:04 Now we need to end this session 56:06 by going to 2 Thessalonians 2:5. 56:10 The Apostle Paul is now very surprised 56:13 because he had already told the Thessalonians these things. 56:18 Notice 2 Thessalonians 2:5. 56:22 The Apostle Paul says to them, "Do you not remember 56:26 that when I was still with you 56:29 I told you these things?" 56:32 I told you this. 56:34 How is that they have forgotten so soon with? 56:38 Why do I have to write you and explain to you 56:41 that Jesus isn't gonna come 56:43 until the apostasy takes place first. 56:45 Incidentally, what is an apostasy? 56:50 You cannot be an apostate unless at some point 56:54 you embrace the truth. 57:00 What do we mean when we speak about 57:01 somebody apostatizing from the church? 57:06 Did they have to belong to the church 57:09 before they apostatized? 57:11 Absolutely. 57:13 So when it speaks here about the man of sin, 57:15 bring it on apostasy. 57:17 It must mean 57:19 that originally the church was pure. 57:22 And this system what? 57:24 Apostatized against the Lord. 57:27 And sadly, somebody like Hal Lindsey says, 57:32 "Well, you know, apostasy, that's not a good translation, 57:36 falling away, that's not a good translation. 57:38 It's the taking away in the rapture 57:41 when Jesus comes." 57:43 But the word in Greek is apostasia. 57:46 It's speaking about a tremendous apostasy 57:49 in the Christian world. 57:50 And we can see it. 57:52 It's in Rome, with the leader there. 57:56 But the world can't see it 57:58 because they're looking in the wrong place. 57:59 They're looking to the Middle East 58:00 because futurism has blinded the eyes 58:04 of a conservative Christian world 58:06 and we need to let them know that. |
Revised 2019-12-02