Hello, friends, and
welcome to 3ABN Worship Hour.
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We are so thrilled
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that you are joining
us again for another hour
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in which we can
worship the Lord,
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indeed, as the Bible
tells us in spirit and in truth.
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And there's no doubt in
my mind that we are indeed
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going to have the Holy Spirit
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working through us
on our hearts and minds
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as we present a very
special message today.
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And, of course, the
truth of God's Word,
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I hope will penetrate
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each and every
one of our hearts,
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because this is an
hour that we can reflect,
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that we can be with Jesus,
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that we can be
together with each other,
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open the Word of God
and allow it to speak to us.
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Again, I want to thank
you for joining us today
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and you know what?
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We're going to get
right into our message
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in just a moment
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that I've entitled
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"Beast Mode 2.0."
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That's right, Beast Mode 2.0,
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and this is actually
going to be a two-part series.
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As I was
preparing for this message,
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the Lord had laid
so much on my heart
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and I had so much information.
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I thought there's no way
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I'm going to be
able to get through this
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in just one sermon.
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So, we're going to
have a two-part series.
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We're going to
do part one today,
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and then at a future time,
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given the
opportunity, Lord willing,
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we're going to
do part two, again,
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Beast Mode 2.0.
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And I'm going to
explain that in just a moment
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as to that title.
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But before we go any further,
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we should always invite
the Holy Spirit to be with us
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and for Jesus Christ
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to open our
heart, our mind, our eyes
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for His Word today.
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So let's do that right now.
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Father in heaven,
Lord, You are so wonderful,
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and we want to praise You, Lord,
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as we are gathered
together to worship You
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all around the world,
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Lord, as this
message is reaching homes
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all over the globe.
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Lord, we know You
are with Your people,
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and today as we open Your Word
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and we consider a very
time sensitive message,
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a message that
is most definitely
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for such a time as this.
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Lord, we pray that
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Your Holy Spirit
will cover us, fill us
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to open our eyes, give
us the spiritual hearing,
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the spiritual mental perception
to be able to understand
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and to rightly
divide Your word of truth.
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Lord, we thank You
for this opportunity
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that we still
have to worship You
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and to preach the
gospel before the world,
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because we know that
You have promised us that
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when this gospel
goes to all the world,
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then the end will come.
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We know we are fast
approaching that time.
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And so, Father,
prepare the soil of our hearts.
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And right now may you draw us
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to the uplifted
Savior Jesus Christ.
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We ask in Jesus' name.
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Amen, amen.
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Beast Mode 2.0 Strange title.
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I liked strange titles
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because strange titles
often get the attention, right?
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And it gets you to thinking.
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Hmm, I wonder why
it's entitled that.
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I actually, I have to
give a little bit of credit
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to one of my brothers in Christ,
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friends in ministry,
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Pastor Ivor Myers, he's
a wonderful dear brother,
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and I love him so much.
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I love his ministry.
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And he actually for over
the past three or four years
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has presented the concept of,
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you know, these,
you know, this beast,
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this prophetic beast
in Daniel and Revelation
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going beast mode.
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More
specifically, the United States
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as they have entered
full on beast mode, right?
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And so, I
actually did some research.
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He didn't actually entitled
any of his messages that,
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but I have to say he
certainly inspired me
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because I myself
have for a few years now,
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when talking
about Bible prophecy,
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when talking about those beasts,
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I've often kind of jokingly,
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but yet on purpose
said, you know what?
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We have entered as a
nation full on beast mode.
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And so that kind of
sparked and inspired
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the title of this
sermon, Beast Mode 2.0,
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and you'll see
what it means by that
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as we get through our series
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and progress
through this message,
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but you have often heard
it said that we study history,
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we learn
history, we teach history
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because we want to learn
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from the mistakes
of the past, right?
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We don't want to be making
those mistakes over again.
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We learn from the past
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so that we don't
repeat those mistakes.
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And in this message,
we're going to see that
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even though we
often hear that saying,
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and even though
we often try to live
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according to that
particular expression,
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we know that the truth is
as we study Bible prophecy
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and we come to learn the
times that we're living in
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that indeed some of us
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have not actually
learned from the past.
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And that is true for the stages
that we see in Bible prophecy,
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as well as what we are
seeing manifest itself today,
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as far as the nation
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of the United States of America.
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Now, many people
don't believe that
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the United States of America
is mentioned in Bible prophecy,
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but we're going to see
that that's not the case
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that the United
States of America
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is indeed
mentioned in Bible prophecy.
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And so, we're
going to be grounded
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to taking you on a journey.
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We're going to, we're
going to journey together
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as we move
through the scriptures.
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And we're going to approach
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these last
scriptures in prophecy.
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Revelation Chapter 13,
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where it speaks about
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this second beast that
comes up out of the earth.
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And you know what?
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The reason why
I'm kind of locking in
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on this particular topic
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that we are looking into
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and
investigating this beast mode
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that the United States
of America has entered,
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is any of us who
have paid attention
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to the last few months
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and what has transpired
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in the United States of America.
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There's no doubt
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that Bible
prophecy reveals to us
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that America
would take on a change.
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In fact, kind of as a subtitle
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or a subheading of this message,
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Beast Mode 2.0,
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I would even say a subheading
or a subtitle could be
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the spiritual decline and fall
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of the United States of America.
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I'm going to take us
through that journey,
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but in order for us
to get to the talking
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about the actual
nation of America
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and its
spiritual decline and fall.
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We're going to
first need to go back
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and learn a
little bit from history,
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because there are a
couple of other major nations
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that are mentioned in scripture
that I believe very much
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teach us a little bit about
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why America takes on
the progressive movement
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and the progressive occurrences
that it does in Bible prophecy.
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Of course, the two
nations that I'm speaking about
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is none other than
Israel, the nation of Israel,
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as well as the nation of Rome.
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So Israel, Rome,
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and the United
States of America,
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those three
nations play a significant,
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a very significant
role in Bible prophecy.
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And so we're
going to be gravitating
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toward the United States.
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But first, I would like
to take you on a journey.
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Let's go back and
study a little bit
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on what the Bible teaches us
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in reference to some significant
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historical occurrences
tied to the nation of Israel.
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Now I think it can
be said very clearly
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as we studied the Bible
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that the bulk of
the Old Testament story,
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if we were to simply talk
about or try to tell someone
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of the story of
the Old Testament.
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We would see that
it's really all about
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God's relationship
with this nation of Israel.
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God wanted to be
the King of Israel.
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He wanted Israel to
be His chosen people,
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His chosen nation
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to take the gospel to
the rest of the world.
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He wanted them to
be His beacon of light
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to all of this
dark world around them.
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And we see kind of
an expression of this
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in Isaiah 49:3 and 6.
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Notice what the Bible
says, Isaiah 49:3 and 6,
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The Bible says.
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It says,
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"And He said to me,
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'You are My servant O Israel,
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in whom I will be glorified.
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It is too small a thing
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that You should be My servant
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to raise up the tribes of Jacob,
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and to restore the
preserved ones of Israel,
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I will also give
You as a light, "
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there it is,
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"a light to the Gentiles,
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that you should be My salvation
to the ends of the earth."
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Now you might be asking,
why are we talking about Israel
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if this message Beast Mode 2.0
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is all about the
United States of America
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and its current state
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and future state
in Bible prophecy?
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Well, I believe
that the United States
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as we will see the
track that it has taken,
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the choices it has made
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the state in
which it has fallen.
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We will see that it takes
on very much a similar course
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that of Israel and Rome.
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And I believe there's
something that we can learn
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from the
previous nations before,
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as we got ourselves
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into this study
of the United States.
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We see very clearly
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that Israel was supposed
to be a beacon of light.
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God had chosen them
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to basically turn the
world right side up, right?
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He wanted them to be
His champions of the world
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and bringing this gospel
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and reflecting the
character to all of the world.
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And so, we see that
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God made a covenant with Israel,
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a special agreement.
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He says, look, if
you want to be My people
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and I indeed want
you to be My people,
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but in order for
you to be My people,
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we need to cover a few things.
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We need a, you
need to understand
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what I'm about
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and you need to represent
Me rightfully before the world.
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And so in Exodus Chapter 19,
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we see that God had formerly
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after they had,
after the nation of Israel
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had been in more than 400
years of bondage in Egypt,
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he makes that special
covenant agreement with them
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in which he says
there in Exodus 19:5-6.
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Notice what the
Bible says, Exodus 19:5-6.
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It says,
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"Now therefore, if you
will indeed obey My voice
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and keep My covenant,
00:10:02.13\00:10:03.90
then you shall be a
special treasure to Me
00:10:03.93\00:10:06.70
above all people, for
all the earth is mine.
00:10:06.74\00:10:10.91
And you shall be to
me a kingdom of priests
00:10:10.94\00:10:14.11
and a holy nation."
00:10:14.14\00:10:16.95
So just reflecting on
the previous two texts,
00:10:16.98\00:10:19.45
Isaiah 49 and Exodus Chapter 19,
00:10:19.48\00:10:22.18
it's very clear
that God's intended plan
00:10:22.22\00:10:25.39
was for the nation of Israel
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to shine the
light of the love of God
00:10:27.79\00:10:30.39
to the rest of the world.
00:10:30.43\00:10:31.99
To represent God
in such a powerful way
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that the Gentiles and
the nations around them
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would see the
wonderful character
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of the people of Israel,
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which we know ultimately
was the character of God
00:10:42.24\00:10:44.84
and see how God
had prospered them,
00:10:44.87\00:10:47.18
see how God had blessed them,
00:10:47.21\00:10:48.74
so that the rest of
the nations of the world,
00:10:48.78\00:10:50.58
the heathen nations
of the world would see
00:10:50.61\00:10:53.11
that the one true God
00:10:53.15\00:10:54.48
was the God of Jacob,
and Isaac, and Abraham,
00:10:54.52\00:10:57.09
and the God of the Israelites.
00:10:57.12\00:10:59.02
And so that was
God's plan for them.
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But, of course, we know that
00:11:01.19\00:11:03.66
that kind of
changed a little bit.
00:11:03.69\00:11:05.36
In fact, there's a
few things in scripture,
00:11:05.39\00:11:07.10
few instances in scripture,
00:11:07.13\00:11:08.53
where we find that
there was a major transition
00:11:08.56\00:11:12.30
in the history or in the
course of Israel's history.
00:11:12.33\00:11:16.27
One of those is one that
you don't hear often about,
00:11:16.30\00:11:18.87
and I want to highlight today
00:11:18.91\00:11:20.24
for the purpose of this message.
00:11:20.28\00:11:22.31
I want to take us
back to 1 Samuel Chapter 8.
00:11:22.34\00:11:25.68
Now, just to kind
of set the context
00:11:25.71\00:11:27.32
of what's happening
here in 1 Samuel Chapter 8,
00:11:27.35\00:11:30.42
God had very clearly,
00:11:30.45\00:11:32.72
he's been on this
journey obviously with Israel
00:11:32.75\00:11:35.26
and they're struggling,
but he's not forsaking them.
00:11:35.29\00:11:38.06
He still has compassion on them.
00:11:38.09\00:11:39.93
He still wants
them to be His people,
00:11:39.96\00:11:42.26
but there comes a moment
00:11:42.30\00:11:43.63
in which God
basically establishes
00:11:43.67\00:11:45.20
these judges over Israel.
00:11:45.23\00:11:47.17
They were
basically representatives,
00:11:47.20\00:11:48.64
overseers of the nation,
00:11:48.67\00:11:50.51
judges on behalf
of God for the people,
00:11:50.54\00:11:53.27
but God was
still to be their King.
00:11:53.31\00:11:55.94
It was not the plan
of the Lord for any man
00:11:55.98\00:11:59.38
to rule over the
nation of Israel as a king,
00:11:59.41\00:12:02.42
but God Himself
would be their King.
00:12:02.45\00:12:04.39
That was the ultimate
plan that God had for Israel.
00:12:04.42\00:12:07.52
But, of course,
the course of Israel
00:12:07.56\00:12:10.39
transitions and
changes dramatically
00:12:10.43\00:12:13.40
in the eighth
chapter of 1 Samuel.
00:12:13.43\00:12:16.16
Notice what the Bible
says in the first few verses,
00:12:16.20\00:12:19.03
this is verses 1
and 2 of 1 Samuel.
00:12:19.07\00:12:21.37
The Bible says,
00:12:21.40\00:12:22.74
"Now it came to pass
00:12:22.77\00:12:24.11
when Samuel was old
00:12:24.14\00:12:25.47
that he made his
sons judges over Israel.
00:12:25.51\00:12:29.11
The name of his
firstborn was Joel,
00:12:29.14\00:12:31.45
and the name of
the second, Abijah,
00:12:31.48\00:12:33.98
they were judges in Beersheba."
00:12:34.02\00:12:37.05
And then verse 3, notice this,
00:12:37.09\00:12:38.85
"But his sons did
not walk in his ways,
00:12:38.89\00:12:42.39
they turned aside
after dishonest gain,
00:12:42.42\00:12:46.43
took bribes and
perverted justice."
00:12:46.46\00:12:50.23
Now, the reason why we
start in that particular,
00:12:50.27\00:12:52.63
those particular texts
00:12:52.67\00:12:54.00
is because one could
argue that perhaps maybe
00:12:54.04\00:12:57.01
similar to the situation
with Eli, a previous judge
00:12:57.04\00:13:00.48
and his bad sons,
00:13:00.51\00:13:02.34
we see that
Samuel was a good man,
00:13:02.38\00:13:03.95
but yet here, you know,
00:13:03.98\00:13:05.55
he really didn't
have a hold of his sons.
00:13:05.58\00:13:06.92
His sons were more
made judges of Israel.
00:13:06.95\00:13:09.82
They were given
significant leadership roles,
00:13:09.85\00:13:12.49
but they did not do
00:13:12.52\00:13:13.86
what was right in
the sight of the Lord.
00:13:13.89\00:13:15.22
And so perhaps it can be made...
00:13:15.26\00:13:16.89
The point can be made
that the nation of Israel,
00:13:16.93\00:13:18.99
the elders of Israel
basically decided that,
00:13:19.03\00:13:21.43
you know what, we need,
and we need new leadership.
00:13:21.46\00:13:23.50
We need a new
change in leadership.
00:13:23.53\00:13:26.23
But the request that they make
00:13:26.27\00:13:29.64
indeed would launch
Israel into a state of sin
00:13:29.67\00:13:32.97
and would forever change
and alter their course forever.
00:13:33.01\00:13:37.18
Notice what the
Bible continues to say,
00:13:37.21\00:13:38.91
of course, we're
starting at verse 4
00:13:38.95\00:13:41.15
of 1 Samuel Chapter 8.
00:13:41.18\00:13:42.52
Notice what it says.
00:13:42.55\00:13:43.89
It says,
00:13:43.92\00:13:45.25
"Then all the elders of
Israel gathered together
00:13:45.29\00:13:46.62
and came to Samuel at Ramah,
00:13:46.65\00:13:48.92
and said to him,
00:13:48.96\00:13:50.29
'Look, you are old,
00:13:50.33\00:13:51.99
and your sons do
not walk in your ways.
00:13:52.03\00:13:54.83
Now make us a king to
judge us like all the nations.'"
00:13:54.86\00:14:01.20
But the king...
00:14:01.24\00:14:02.57
No, excuse me,
00:14:02.60\00:14:03.94
but the thing displeased Samuel,
00:14:03.97\00:14:05.71
when they said, give
us a king to judge us.
00:14:05.74\00:14:09.14
"So Samuel prayed to the Lord.
00:14:09.18\00:14:11.38
And the Lord said to Samuel,
00:14:11.41\00:14:14.05
'Heed the voice of the people
in all that they say to you,
00:14:14.08\00:14:18.39
for they have not rejected
you, but they have rejected Me,
00:14:18.42\00:14:23.16
that I should
not reign over them.
00:14:23.19\00:14:26.49
According to all the works
00:14:26.53\00:14:28.16
which they have
done since the day
00:14:28.20\00:14:29.96
that I brought
them out of Egypt,
00:14:30.00\00:14:32.23
even to this day
00:14:32.27\00:14:34.30
with which they have forsaken Me
00:14:34.34\00:14:36.81
and served other gods,
00:14:36.84\00:14:38.94
so they are doing to you also.
00:14:38.97\00:14:42.14
Now therefore, heed their voice.
00:14:42.18\00:14:45.21
However, you shall
solemnly forewarn them,
00:14:45.25\00:14:48.42
and show them the
behavior of the king,
00:14:48.45\00:14:50.95
who will reign over them."
00:14:50.99\00:14:53.19
So let's just
pause there for a moment
00:14:53.22\00:14:54.59
and just make the
point and clarify,
00:14:54.62\00:14:56.32
what has just happened?
00:14:56.36\00:14:58.29
The elders of Israel
come to Samuel the prophet,
00:14:58.33\00:15:01.60
and they say to him,
00:15:01.63\00:15:03.00
we don't want
00:15:03.03\00:15:04.73
to have a leader
like you and your sons
00:15:04.77\00:15:07.20
and the judges anymore.
00:15:07.24\00:15:08.87
We want our own king.
00:15:08.90\00:15:10.54
We wanted man to be elected king
00:15:10.57\00:15:13.48
and to rule over us.
00:15:13.51\00:15:15.34
And, of course,
Samuel didn't like this
00:15:15.38\00:15:17.11
because he knew it that
man, he prays to the Lord.
00:15:17.15\00:15:19.05
He says, Lord, what do I do?
00:15:19.08\00:15:20.42
And God says, you know what?
00:15:20.45\00:15:21.78
Give them what they want
00:15:21.82\00:15:23.15
because ultimately
00:15:23.18\00:15:24.52
they're not
necessarily rejecting you,
00:15:24.55\00:15:26.52
they're rejecting Me.
00:15:26.55\00:15:28.02
My friends, this is significant.
00:15:28.06\00:15:29.92
This is really,
really significant
00:15:29.96\00:15:31.46
because we know ultimately
the children of Israel
00:15:31.49\00:15:34.96
because of their apostasies,
then worshiping other gods
00:15:35.00\00:15:37.90
and not keeping the
commandments of the Lord
00:15:37.93\00:15:39.73
and obeying the Lord in love.
00:15:39.77\00:15:41.14
We know that that was
the ultimate course they took
00:15:41.17\00:15:43.61
that brought
them to their demise.
00:15:43.64\00:15:45.41
But I'm going to
submit to you today
00:15:45.44\00:15:47.04
that this is one of those
00:15:47.08\00:15:48.41
significant
transitions in their history.
00:15:48.44\00:15:50.78
One of the things
00:15:50.81\00:15:52.15
that would launch them on a path
00:15:52.18\00:15:53.58
that would forever
change them forever and ever.
00:15:53.62\00:15:56.72
Of course, what am I saying
00:15:56.75\00:15:58.92
just what we're looking at here.
00:15:58.95\00:16:01.06
They're rejecting
the Lord as their leader.
00:16:01.09\00:16:05.89
They're rejecting
God as their King.
00:16:05.93\00:16:08.46
Essentially what
they're saying is,
00:16:08.50\00:16:10.60
as a nation,
00:16:10.63\00:16:11.97
among other
nations in the world,
00:16:12.00\00:16:14.30
we don't want God to
rule over us anymore.
00:16:14.34\00:16:16.94
We want a man to rule over us.
00:16:16.97\00:16:19.14
We want a man to be our king.
00:16:19.17\00:16:21.54
We want a man to
lead us and guide us.
00:16:21.58\00:16:23.65
And we want to
have elected officials
00:16:23.68\00:16:25.41
of our own choosing
and our own devising.
00:16:25.45\00:16:27.88
And we want these
men to rule over us,
00:16:27.92\00:16:30.05
like all of the other nations.
00:16:30.09\00:16:31.82
Did you catch that in the text?
00:16:31.85\00:16:33.59
They said, we want to be like
the other nations around us.
00:16:33.62\00:16:37.59
Of course, these
are the heathen nations
00:16:37.63\00:16:39.83
that God had sent
them into the world
00:16:39.86\00:16:41.53
that he'd raised them up
00:16:41.56\00:16:42.90
for the purpose of
witnessing to and now,
00:16:42.93\00:16:44.87
instead of the church
00:16:44.90\00:16:46.33
affecting the
world in a positive way,
00:16:46.37\00:16:48.57
the world has affected
them in a negative way.
00:16:48.60\00:16:51.17
And they're wanting to
reflect that of the system
00:16:51.21\00:16:53.94
of the world.
00:16:53.98\00:16:55.31
And so they say, we
don't want God as King anymore.
00:16:55.34\00:16:57.61
We want our own manly king.
00:16:57.65\00:17:00.45
And so God
says, give it to them,
00:17:00.48\00:17:03.02
but remind them
00:17:03.05\00:17:04.39
of what it is
they're going to go through
00:17:04.42\00:17:05.85
if they take this path.
00:17:05.89\00:17:07.96
And so we pick up
in that same passage,
00:17:07.99\00:17:10.06
of course, 1 Samuel Chapter
8, beginning with verse 10.
00:17:10.09\00:17:13.53
Notice what the Bible says.
00:17:13.56\00:17:15.03
It says,
00:17:15.06\00:17:16.40
"So Samuel told all the
words of the Lord to the people
00:17:16.43\00:17:18.77
who ask him for a king.
00:17:18.80\00:17:21.30
And he said,
00:17:21.34\00:17:22.77
'This will be the
behavior of the king
00:17:22.80\00:17:25.24
who will reign over you:
00:17:25.27\00:17:27.81
He will take your
sons and appoint them
00:17:27.84\00:17:30.95
for his own chariots
and to be his horsemen,
00:17:30.98\00:17:34.72
and some will run
before his chariots.'
00:17:34.75\00:17:38.45
He will appoint captains
00:17:38.49\00:17:40.32
over his thousands and
captains over his fifties,
00:17:40.36\00:17:44.89
will set some to plow his ground
00:17:44.93\00:17:46.96
and reap his harvest,
00:17:47.00\00:17:48.96
and some to make
his weapons of war
00:17:49.00\00:17:51.47
and equipment for his chariots.
00:17:51.50\00:17:54.80
He will take your daughters
00:17:54.84\00:17:56.54
to be perfumers,
cooks, and bakers.
00:17:56.57\00:18:00.51
And he will take
the best of your fields,
00:18:00.54\00:18:03.21
your vineyards,
and your olive groves,
00:18:03.24\00:18:05.81
and give them to his servants.
00:18:05.85\00:18:08.58
He will take a
tenth of your grain
00:18:08.62\00:18:10.95
and your vintage,
00:18:10.99\00:18:12.32
and give it to his
officers and servants.
00:18:12.35\00:18:15.52
And he will take
your male servants,
00:18:15.56\00:18:16.93
your female servants,
00:18:16.96\00:18:18.29
your finest young
men and your donkeys,
00:18:18.33\00:18:20.36
and put them to his work.
00:18:20.40\00:18:23.20
He will take a
tenth of your sheep
00:18:23.23\00:18:25.33
and you will be his servants.
00:18:25.37\00:18:27.20
And you will cry out in that day
00:18:27.24\00:18:29.14
because of your king
00:18:29.17\00:18:30.84
whom you have
chosen for yourselves,
00:18:30.87\00:18:33.17
and the Lord will not
hear you in that day."
00:18:33.21\00:18:37.01
Let's just pause
there and take this in.
00:18:37.05\00:18:38.98
So he's basically
lining and he's gonna,
00:18:39.01\00:18:40.58
let me tell you
00:18:40.62\00:18:41.95
the course
that's going to happen.
00:18:41.98\00:18:43.65
If you decide that you
want a man rule over you,
00:18:43.69\00:18:46.35
rather than God.
00:18:46.39\00:18:47.72
He's going to manipulate you.
00:18:47.76\00:18:49.59
He's going to steal from you.
He's going to take from you.
00:18:49.62\00:18:52.73
He's going to
take from your families
00:18:52.76\00:18:54.26
and from your resources
00:18:54.30\00:18:55.63
and all that is yours
that God has blessed you with
00:18:55.66\00:18:58.47
and given to you,
00:18:58.50\00:18:59.97
he's going to manipulate you.
00:19:00.00\00:19:01.97
He's going to think,
he's going to steal from you.
00:19:02.00\00:19:04.41
He's going to
wreak havoc upon you.
00:19:04.44\00:19:06.61
Are you sure this is the
course that you want to take
00:19:06.64\00:19:08.94
because this is
the heart of the man,
00:19:08.98\00:19:10.95
not of the Lord?
00:19:10.98\00:19:13.42
And what was the
response of the people?
00:19:13.45\00:19:15.98
Notice verse 19 of
1 Samuel Chapter 8,
00:19:16.02\00:19:19.25
it says,
00:19:19.29\00:19:20.62
"Nevertheless the people refuse
to obey the voice of Samuel,
00:19:20.66\00:19:26.49
and the response,"
00:19:26.53\00:19:27.86
here it is,
00:19:27.90\00:19:29.23
"and they said,
00:19:29.26\00:19:30.60
'No, but we will
have a king over us,
00:19:30.63\00:19:35.80
that we also may be
like all the nations
00:19:35.84\00:19:40.98
and that our king may judge us
00:19:41.01\00:19:43.55
and go out before us
and fight our battles."
00:19:43.58\00:19:49.78
This is huge.
00:19:49.82\00:19:52.45
So in doing this,
Israel would never be the same.
00:19:52.49\00:19:57.09
If you read the
rest of the story
00:19:57.13\00:20:00.13
about the nation of Israel,
00:20:00.16\00:20:02.33
from this point forward,
00:20:02.36\00:20:04.10
you see them kind of start
out what may be appears to be.
00:20:04.13\00:20:08.40
They're still struggling right
00:20:08.44\00:20:09.77
in with the
leadership of Saul and David
00:20:09.80\00:20:12.24
and most people would consider
King David, a good man, right?
00:20:12.27\00:20:14.71
King David was a good king,
probably the only good king,
00:20:14.74\00:20:17.78
really good king that
they had in their early stages.
00:20:17.81\00:20:21.28
But nonetheless,
00:20:21.32\00:20:22.65
this began the
spiritual and physical decline
00:20:22.68\00:20:27.59
and fall of the nation of Israel
00:20:27.62\00:20:30.99
when they ultimately
rejected God as their King.
00:20:31.03\00:20:34.60
And they would rather
have a man to rule over them.
00:20:34.63\00:20:39.40
When they pushed God out,
00:20:39.43\00:20:40.87
they offered
into their own house,
00:20:40.90\00:20:44.17
into their own camps,
00:20:44.21\00:20:45.77
into their own
empire, their own kingdom
00:20:45.81\00:20:48.08
for the devil to set up camp
00:20:48.11\00:20:50.08
and to have his way with
them in more ways than one.
00:20:50.11\00:20:53.35
The history reveals
the sad decline of Israel
00:20:53.38\00:20:57.15
from this point forward.
00:20:57.19\00:20:59.65
And you know, it
was never God's plan
00:20:59.69\00:21:03.39
for the nation of
Israel to be divided.
00:21:03.43\00:21:05.99
But if you study the
history of the Old Testament
00:21:06.03\00:21:08.36
and you ultimately look
at the course that they take,
00:21:08.40\00:21:11.13
they ultimately end up dividing.
00:21:11.17\00:21:13.03
In fact, not too
long after King David,
00:21:13.07\00:21:15.60
because probably under David
00:21:15.64\00:21:16.97
and, of course, Solomon his son,
00:21:17.01\00:21:18.97
Israel prospered the greatest,
00:21:19.01\00:21:21.04
but even in the latter
stages of Solomon's reign,
00:21:21.08\00:21:24.98
Solomon made
some very bad choices.
00:21:25.01\00:21:26.88
And, of course, his son Rehoboam
00:21:26.92\00:21:28.98
would take the
kingdom up on his death.
00:21:29.02\00:21:33.05
And ultimately we see
that from Rehoboam own word,
00:21:33.09\00:21:36.62
the kingdom becomes divided.
00:21:36.66\00:21:38.63
Of course, we know
into the Northern kingdom
00:21:38.66\00:21:40.90
and the Southern kingdom,
00:21:40.93\00:21:42.26
10 tribes to the North,
two tribes to the South,
00:21:42.30\00:21:45.27
Israel in the
North, Judah in the South,
00:21:45.30\00:21:47.84
this was never God's plan
for Israel to remain divided.
00:21:47.87\00:21:52.01
In fact, if you
consider both the unified
00:21:52.04\00:21:54.98
and divided stages of Israel,
00:21:55.01\00:21:57.15
there were about 42 kings
00:21:57.18\00:22:00.48
that served within
the nation of Israel,
00:22:00.52\00:22:02.98
Northern and
Southern kingdoms, 42 kings.
00:22:03.02\00:22:05.75
But get this,
only seven of the 42,
00:22:05.79\00:22:09.66
the Bible says did right
in the sight of the Lord.
00:22:09.69\00:22:13.53
That should tell us something.
00:22:13.56\00:22:15.86
In fact, you read
the story over and over,
00:22:15.90\00:22:17.80
go read 1 Kings and 2 Kings,
1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles,
00:22:17.83\00:22:21.67
parts of Jeremiah, and
Ezekiel, and even into Daniel,
00:22:21.70\00:22:24.81
we see that the
ultimate course that took
00:22:24.84\00:22:27.61
was because these men
00:22:27.64\00:22:29.24
whom Israel had
chose to rule over them,
00:22:29.28\00:22:31.61
launched them
inevitably in a course
00:22:31.65\00:22:34.22
away from the
Lord, not to the Lord.
00:22:34.25\00:22:36.42
Now where there some good kings?
00:22:36.45\00:22:37.79
I just mentioned it.
00:22:37.82\00:22:39.15
Seven of them, the
Bible says actually did right
00:22:39.19\00:22:40.52
in the sight of the Lord,
00:22:40.56\00:22:41.89
but that seven out of 42.
00:22:41.92\00:22:44.26
So we see that God
knew what was best.
00:22:44.29\00:22:46.29
He knew that if they
chose man as their king,
00:22:46.33\00:22:49.66
that this was going
to be the inevitable end
00:22:49.70\00:22:52.93
in the decline and
fall of this nation.
00:22:52.97\00:22:55.40
Of course, we know that
00:22:55.44\00:22:56.77
a few of these
kings started out okay,
00:22:56.81\00:22:58.27
but ended up
forsaking the way of the Lord.
00:22:58.31\00:23:01.38
And, of course,
the vast majority
00:23:01.41\00:23:02.81
of the kings of
Judah and Israel,
00:23:02.84\00:23:04.65
the Bible
describes as doing evil
00:23:04.68\00:23:07.45
in the sight of the Lord.
00:23:07.48\00:23:10.09
And, of course, all of this
00:23:10.12\00:23:12.59
would bring the
divided kingdom to its demise.
00:23:12.62\00:23:17.13
The Northern kingdom
would fall to the Assyrians
00:23:17.16\00:23:20.80
and we know the history
of the Southern kingdom.
00:23:20.83\00:23:23.03
For more than 840 years,
00:23:23.06\00:23:25.37
the nation of Israel
had rejected the Lord.
00:23:25.40\00:23:28.54
It was approximately 1446 BC
00:23:28.57\00:23:31.64
when God had
delivered the tablets of stone
00:23:31.67\00:23:34.18
containing the Ten Commandments.
00:23:34.21\00:23:35.98
And also during this time
00:23:36.01\00:23:37.45
that God had made this
special covenant agreement
00:23:37.48\00:23:40.08
with the nation of Israel
00:23:40.12\00:23:41.65
to become His
beautiful chosen people,
00:23:41.68\00:23:43.89
His beacon of light,
00:23:43.92\00:23:45.25
His royal priesthood
for the rest of the world,
00:23:45.29\00:23:48.12
but 840 years of
rebellion followed
00:23:48.16\00:23:51.26
until the final,
00:23:51.29\00:23:53.36
and you know,
00:23:53.40\00:23:54.73
the Southern kingdom,
the final kingdom, Judah
00:23:54.76\00:23:56.56
would fall to Babylon.
00:23:56.60\00:23:58.60
And, of course, it's interesting
00:23:58.63\00:23:59.97
because Babylon would conduct
a seven year siege on Jerusalem
00:24:00.00\00:24:05.11
between the
years 612 BC and 605 BC
00:24:05.14\00:24:09.84
ultimately claiming
lives of so many people.
00:24:09.88\00:24:13.15
And it resulted in
the complete destruction
00:24:13.18\00:24:15.48
of Jerusalem
00:24:15.52\00:24:16.85
and 70 years of
Babylonian slavery and captivity
00:24:16.89\00:24:22.12
of the Jewish people.
00:24:22.16\00:24:25.09
This was not God's fault.
00:24:25.13\00:24:28.10
This was not
because of the Lord,
00:24:28.13\00:24:30.43
the Lord allowed it,
00:24:30.47\00:24:31.80
but it was not His plan
00:24:31.83\00:24:33.17
for the nation of
Israel to take this course.
00:24:33.20\00:24:35.34
Then we see ultimately that
God had compassion on Israel.
00:24:35.37\00:24:40.68
He did give
them a second chance.
00:24:40.71\00:24:44.05
Upon the
completion of the 70 years
00:24:44.08\00:24:46.01
of Babylonian captivity,
00:24:46.05\00:24:47.38
God had
compassion on them once more
00:24:47.42\00:24:49.08
and He says, I want
you to be My people.
00:24:49.12\00:24:52.25
And so I'm gonna give
you a second opportunity.
00:24:52.29\00:24:55.39
And we find the specifications
00:24:55.42\00:24:58.43
of this probationary time period
00:24:58.46\00:25:00.70
and what the
nation of Israel must do
00:25:00.73\00:25:03.13
in order to
reclaim God's trust in them
00:25:03.16\00:25:05.93
to be His holy people.
00:25:05.97\00:25:08.00
And, of course, we find
the specifications of this
00:25:08.04\00:25:10.01
in Daniel 9:24.
00:25:10.04\00:25:12.44
We know this as
00:25:12.47\00:25:13.81
the specifications
of the 70 weeks prophecy
00:25:13.84\00:25:16.91
found in Daniel Chapter 9.
00:25:16.95\00:25:18.55
Daniel 9:24.
00:25:18.58\00:25:19.91
Notice what it says?
00:25:19.95\00:25:21.28
It says, "Seventy weeks
are determined for your people
00:25:21.32\00:25:23.08
and for your holy city,
00:25:23.12\00:25:25.15
to finish the transgression,
to make an end of sins,
00:25:25.19\00:25:28.39
to make
reconciliation for iniquity,
00:25:28.42\00:25:30.86
to bring in
everlasting righteousness,
00:25:30.89\00:25:33.50
to seal up vision and prophecy,
00:25:33.53\00:25:36.40
and to anoint the Most Holy."
00:25:36.43\00:25:39.60
My friends, all of this,
00:25:39.63\00:25:42.47
yes, God was telling
the nation of Israel,
00:25:42.50\00:25:45.07
this must be completed.
00:25:45.11\00:25:46.44
You must adhere to
these specifications,
00:25:46.47\00:25:49.61
these conditions
00:25:49.64\00:25:50.98
in order for you
to regain my trust
00:25:51.01\00:25:52.61
and being my
special chosen people
00:25:52.65\00:25:54.58
before the world.
00:25:54.62\00:25:55.95
But what's amazing is
00:25:55.98\00:25:57.35
this all could
only be accomplished
00:25:57.39\00:25:59.82
within the context of Israel
00:25:59.85\00:26:02.16
receiving the coming Messiah.
00:26:02.19\00:26:05.76
If you study the
70 weeks prophecy,
00:26:05.79\00:26:07.30
then you know that
00:26:07.33\00:26:08.66
it really is all
about Jesus Christ,
00:26:08.70\00:26:10.87
the arrival of
Jesus Christ as Messiah.
00:26:10.90\00:26:13.97
So their final and ultimate test
00:26:14.00\00:26:15.97
is that they had to
receive the Son of God,
00:26:16.00\00:26:21.81
whom they had rejected.
00:26:21.84\00:26:23.95
God whom they had said,
00:26:23.98\00:26:25.31
no, we don't want You
to be our King anymore.
00:26:25.35\00:26:27.88
We want our own manly king.
00:26:27.92\00:26:30.05
We want to choose a man
from our ranks to rule over us.
00:26:30.09\00:26:33.36
But now God is saying, the
only way this can ever work
00:26:33.39\00:26:35.89
is if you receive Me again.
00:26:35.92\00:26:38.73
I'm going to send My Son.
00:26:38.76\00:26:40.16
I'm going to send you
00:26:40.20\00:26:41.63
the King of the
universe, the Messiah,
00:26:41.66\00:26:44.13
He's going to come redeem you.
00:26:44.17\00:26:45.77
He's going to come and
save you from your sins.
00:26:45.80\00:26:47.90
And if you
receive Him as your King,
00:26:47.94\00:26:50.67
then we can be
brought again once more
00:26:50.71\00:26:53.07
back into holy
covenant relationship
00:26:53.11\00:26:55.28
and this can work properly.
00:26:55.31\00:26:57.51
But did that happen?
00:26:57.55\00:26:59.48
We know the story too well.
00:26:59.51\00:27:02.92
Jesus shows up,
00:27:02.95\00:27:04.72
and He has three and a half
incredible years of ministry.
00:27:04.75\00:27:08.69
But those three and a half years
00:27:08.72\00:27:10.93
were not so easy years,
00:27:10.96\00:27:13.60
because while He did
positively affect many people
00:27:13.63\00:27:17.43
and yes, His
ministry would indeed go on
00:27:17.47\00:27:20.00
to change the world forever.
00:27:20.04\00:27:22.77
We know that in that last week
as He's approaching the cross,
00:27:22.80\00:27:27.64
the cross is
just right before Him.
00:27:27.68\00:27:30.55
Matthew 23:37
00:27:30.58\00:27:32.75
reflects the attitude
00:27:32.78\00:27:34.45
and the feelings of Christ Jesus
00:27:34.48\00:27:36.28
toward the nation of
Israel as He says these words.
00:27:36.32\00:27:39.52
This is Matthew 23:37,
00:27:39.55\00:27:42.49
he says,
00:27:42.52\00:27:43.86
"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem,
00:27:43.89\00:27:46.36
the one who kills the prophets
00:27:46.39\00:27:48.56
and stones those
who are sent to her!
00:27:48.60\00:27:52.73
How often I wanted to
gather your children together
00:27:52.77\00:27:57.04
as a hen gathers her
chicks under her wings,
00:27:57.07\00:28:00.24
but you were not willing!
00:28:00.28\00:28:03.24
See!
00:28:03.28\00:28:04.61
Your house is
left to you desolate."
00:28:04.65\00:28:10.12
And so we see there
00:28:10.15\00:28:11.49
that Christ is pouring
His heart out to this nation.
00:28:11.52\00:28:13.89
Once more, they
did not receive God.
00:28:13.92\00:28:17.66
They did not receive
the one whom God had sent.
00:28:17.69\00:28:21.56
They did not want
God to be their King.
00:28:21.60\00:28:23.57
They did not receive the Messiah
00:28:23.60\00:28:25.60
that would come and redeem them
00:28:25.63\00:28:27.07
and save them from the world.
00:28:27.10\00:28:29.54
In fact, Jesus would proclaim
00:28:29.57\00:28:32.14
a judgment upon Israel
00:28:32.17\00:28:34.61
because of its
constant rejection
00:28:34.64\00:28:38.51
of Jesus.
00:28:38.55\00:28:39.91
Notice Luke 21:20-21.
00:28:39.95\00:28:45.25
Luke 21.
00:28:45.29\00:28:46.62
Notice what he says,
00:28:46.65\00:28:47.99
"When you see
Jerusalem surrounded by armies,
00:28:48.02\00:28:52.13
then know that its
desolation is near.
00:28:52.16\00:28:55.10
Then let those who are in
Judea flee to the mountains,
00:28:55.13\00:28:57.67
let those who are in
the midst of her depart,
00:28:57.70\00:29:01.40
and let not those
00:29:01.44\00:29:02.77
who are in the
country enter her.
00:29:02.80\00:29:04.61
For these are the
days of vengeance,
00:29:04.64\00:29:07.28
that all things
which are written
00:29:07.31\00:29:09.81
may be fulfilled."
00:29:09.84\00:29:11.38
Verse 23,
00:29:11.41\00:29:12.75
"But woe to
those who are pregnant
00:29:12.78\00:29:15.98
and to those who are
nursing babies in those days!
00:29:16.02\00:29:18.82
For there will be
great distress in the land
00:29:18.85\00:29:21.36
and wrath upon his people."
00:29:21.39\00:29:24.46
And, of course, we know that
00:29:24.49\00:29:27.20
Jesus was
foretelling some 39 years later
00:29:27.23\00:29:31.57
when in 70 AD,
00:29:31.60\00:29:33.87
the nation of Israel
00:29:33.90\00:29:35.24
because of its
constant rejection
00:29:35.27\00:29:37.94
of the King of the universe,
00:29:37.97\00:29:40.38
the nation of Israel would
fall in a seven-year siege.
00:29:40.41\00:29:46.78
Get that,
00:29:46.82\00:29:48.15
a seven-year
Roman siege this time
00:29:48.18\00:29:51.65
because they fell
to the Babylonians
00:29:51.69\00:29:53.66
who were once
back in Daniel's day,
00:29:53.69\00:29:56.36
the champions of the world.
00:29:56.39\00:29:58.86
But now we are in
the first century AD
00:29:58.89\00:30:02.43
and Rome are now the
champions of the world.
00:30:02.46\00:30:06.53
And so God said,
00:30:06.57\00:30:07.90
if you're not
going to receive Me
00:30:07.94\00:30:09.67
as the only true God,
00:30:09.70\00:30:12.27
then I will let you
fall once again to a nation,
00:30:12.31\00:30:16.85
the nation that you
so much want to be like.
00:30:16.88\00:30:19.58
I will let you
fall to the nation
00:30:19.61\00:30:21.08
who serves all
of the false gods.
00:30:21.12\00:30:23.25
And so in 70AD,
00:30:23.28\00:30:24.62
Jerusalem did fall
to the Roman armies.
00:30:24.65\00:30:28.22
Now I mentioned that Rome,
00:30:28.26\00:30:30.29
I mentioned earlier in this,
00:30:30.33\00:30:31.66
that Rome plays a major
role in the ultimate outcome
00:30:31.69\00:30:34.96
and bringing about
00:30:35.00\00:30:36.67
of the nation of
the United States.
00:30:36.70\00:30:40.20
We're going to come back
and tie this all together soon,
00:30:40.24\00:30:42.94
but I want you to
continue to follow this track.
00:30:42.97\00:30:45.31
We see how much it
impacted the nation of Israel
00:30:45.34\00:30:50.05
to reject God as their King
00:30:50.08\00:30:52.11
and to want to be like
00:30:52.15\00:30:53.68
all of the other
nations around them
00:30:53.72\00:30:55.72
in allowing man
to be their leader,
00:30:55.75\00:30:58.59
allowing themselves to serve men
00:30:58.62\00:31:00.62
and to walk
after the ways of man
00:31:00.66\00:31:03.53
and the world rather
than the ways of the Lord.
00:31:03.56\00:31:06.70
So now, we find
ourselves in a time
00:31:06.73\00:31:09.86
in which Bible
prophecy has already specified
00:31:09.90\00:31:12.43
and made it clear
00:31:12.47\00:31:13.80
that the next
champions of the world
00:31:13.84\00:31:15.60
in the successions
00:31:15.64\00:31:16.97
of the great
nations of this planet,
00:31:17.01\00:31:18.91
Rome will play a
significant role.
00:31:18.94\00:31:21.54
The very nation that
would come and destroy Jerusalem
00:31:21.58\00:31:26.15
and its
precious temple in 70 AD.
00:31:26.18\00:31:29.05
Now, we see over a span of time,
00:31:29.08\00:31:31.52
a rather large, significant time
00:31:31.55\00:31:34.06
in which now Rome
plays a significant role
00:31:34.09\00:31:37.86
in Bible prophecy
00:31:37.89\00:31:39.29
and the outcome
and the ultimate end
00:31:39.33\00:31:42.23
of Bible prophecy as well.
00:31:42.26\00:31:43.97
Now, just to reference this,
00:31:44.00\00:31:45.33
I don't want to spend
too much time on this,
00:31:45.37\00:31:47.07
but it definitely is
going to help set us up
00:31:47.10\00:31:49.17
for the end of this presentation
00:31:49.20\00:31:50.74
and also provide us
some clear understanding
00:31:50.77\00:31:53.44
for when we will
get ready for part two.
00:31:53.48\00:31:55.88
But we see there
in Daniel Chapter 2
00:31:55.91\00:31:58.75
as well as Daniel Chapter 7,
00:31:58.78\00:32:01.35
God has already specified,
00:32:01.38\00:32:03.12
as he knows the
end from the beginning,
00:32:03.15\00:32:04.85
he knew who these
nations were going to be
00:32:04.89\00:32:07.36
that would rise up in the world
00:32:07.39\00:32:09.22
and play a
significant role in the outcome
00:32:09.26\00:32:11.79
and in the
transitions of nations.
00:32:11.83\00:32:14.00
And we see that that's
none other than Babylon,
00:32:14.03\00:32:16.36
Medo-Persia, Greece.
00:32:16.40\00:32:18.00
And, of course, we
see Rome there in the end
00:32:18.03\00:32:21.14
playing the major role,
00:32:21.17\00:32:22.87
but I want to specify
to you something clear
00:32:22.90\00:32:25.21
from the Word of God
00:32:25.24\00:32:26.68
that I believe we're
going to see repeated
00:32:26.71\00:32:29.71
in some type of imagery
within the very character
00:32:29.74\00:32:34.42
and very nature
00:32:34.45\00:32:35.78
of the United States
of America as a nation,
00:32:35.82\00:32:38.19
something that's worth noting.
00:32:38.22\00:32:39.79
And I want to
bring that out right now.
00:32:39.82\00:32:41.49
Speaking about the fourth
beast of Daniel Chapter 7,
00:32:41.52\00:32:45.16
of course, if you've
never studied this before,
00:32:45.19\00:32:47.20
and you're watching
this for the first time,
00:32:47.23\00:32:48.80
I would encourage
you to do some research
00:32:48.83\00:32:51.57
on Daniel Chapter
2, the four metals
00:32:51.60\00:32:54.40
and Daniel Chapter
7, the four beasts,
00:32:54.44\00:32:56.40
of course, they all represent
the same four world empires,
00:32:56.44\00:33:00.04
Babylon,
Medo-Persia Greece and Rome.
00:33:00.08\00:33:02.84
So we're talking about
00:33:02.88\00:33:04.21
that fourth beast
of Daniel Chapter 7,
00:33:04.25\00:33:05.81
that fourth kingdom
00:33:05.85\00:33:07.18
that's represented by the iron
of Daniel Chapter 2, it's Rome.
00:33:07.22\00:33:11.32
And there's no
mistake in that it's Rome,
00:33:11.35\00:33:13.76
but notice the details
that Daniel gives about Rome.
00:33:13.79\00:33:17.39
We're going to see much
of these details repeated
00:33:17.43\00:33:20.23
when we get to
Revelation Chapter 13,
00:33:20.26\00:33:22.50
and we start to look
00:33:22.53\00:33:23.87
into the
spiritual decline and fall
00:33:23.90\00:33:25.93
of the United States of America.
00:33:25.97\00:33:28.40
Daniel 7:7,
00:33:28.44\00:33:30.67
notice what
Daniel sees in his vision
00:33:30.71\00:33:32.67
about this fourth Roman beast.
00:33:32.71\00:33:35.51
He says,
00:33:35.54\00:33:36.88
"After this I saw
in the night vision,
00:33:36.91\00:33:39.68
and behold, a fourth beast,
00:33:39.71\00:33:42.08
dreadful and
terrible, exceedingly strong.
00:33:42.12\00:33:45.85
It had huge iron teeth,
00:33:45.89\00:33:48.99
it was devouring,
breaking in pieces,
00:33:49.02\00:33:50.99
and trampling the
residue with its feet.
00:33:51.03\00:33:53.29
It was different
from all the beasts
00:33:53.33\00:33:55.56
that were before it,
00:33:55.60\00:33:56.93
and it had ten horns."
00:33:56.97\00:33:59.20
Okay. So let's
pause there for a moment.
00:33:59.23\00:34:01.04
We're going to get
into the little horn
00:34:01.07\00:34:03.00
in just a moment,
00:34:03.04\00:34:04.37
but I just want to
make this very clear
00:34:04.41\00:34:05.81
that it was different
from all of the nations before.
00:34:05.84\00:34:08.81
We're going to highlight
that in just a moment again
00:34:08.84\00:34:11.05
for the sake of
this presentation.
00:34:11.08\00:34:12.58
But I just want
to highlight the fact
00:34:12.61\00:34:14.15
that this fourth
beast of Daniel Chapter 7
00:34:14.18\00:34:17.42
is none other than Rome.
00:34:17.45\00:34:18.79
And, of course, it
has the iron teeth.
00:34:18.82\00:34:20.59
Remember the
iron legs of Daniel 2,
00:34:20.62\00:34:22.72
iron teeth in this beast.
00:34:22.76\00:34:24.39
It has the 10 horns
00:34:24.43\00:34:25.76
which represent 10
individual divided kingdoms
00:34:25.79\00:34:29.20
just as on the feet of Daniel 2,
00:34:29.23\00:34:31.27
there were the 10 toes
00:34:31.30\00:34:32.73
that represented the 10
different divisional kingdoms
00:34:32.77\00:34:35.47
within the Roman
Empire and Roman influence.
00:34:35.50\00:34:38.91
Now I'm saying all
of this to say that
00:34:38.94\00:34:41.68
when you get to
this little horn,
00:34:41.71\00:34:43.14
notice what's
happening in this little horn.
00:34:43.18\00:34:44.98
Daniel 7:8,
00:34:45.01\00:34:47.15
and we're going to
come back to verse 7.
00:34:47.18\00:34:48.68
So notice verse 8, though.
00:34:48.72\00:34:50.05
It says, "I was
considering the horns
00:34:50.09\00:34:51.49
and there was
another little horn,
00:34:51.52\00:34:53.56
a little one,
coming up among them,
00:34:53.59\00:34:55.79
before whom three
of the first horns
00:34:55.82\00:34:57.96
were plucked out by the roots.
00:34:57.99\00:35:00.00
And they're in this horn,
00:35:00.03\00:35:01.66
were the eyes
like the eyes of a man,
00:35:01.70\00:35:03.50
and a mouth
speaking pompous words,
00:35:03.53\00:35:05.60
it was devouring,
00:35:05.63\00:35:06.97
notice verse...
00:35:07.00\00:35:08.34
Notice Daniel 7, again 7:7.
00:35:08.37\00:35:09.70
"It was devouring
and breaking in pieces
00:35:09.74\00:35:11.57
and trampling the
residue with its feet."
00:35:11.61\00:35:14.21
But notice this
word I highlight here.
00:35:14.24\00:35:15.58
He says,
00:35:15.61\00:35:16.95
"It was different
from all the other beasts
00:35:16.98\00:35:19.41
that were before it
and that it had ten horns."
00:35:19.45\00:35:21.88
So notice this,
00:35:21.92\00:35:23.25
it's a different
00:35:23.28\00:35:24.62
from every other
nation before it,
00:35:24.65\00:35:26.32
it's got this little horn,
00:35:26.35\00:35:27.69
which we know that little horn
00:35:27.72\00:35:29.06
to be none other than
00:35:29.09\00:35:30.43
the Antichrist
of Bible prophecy,
00:35:30.46\00:35:32.13
this religio-political movement
00:35:32.16\00:35:35.10
that this beast
ultimately becomes.
00:35:35.13\00:35:37.83
Now, you heard me say
religio-political movement.
00:35:37.87\00:35:41.84
You see once Rome was
just a civil governing power,
00:35:41.87\00:35:45.97
but now it has
taken on a change.
00:35:46.01\00:35:47.41
That's why Daniel said he
saw that it was different.
00:35:47.44\00:35:50.75
There was something different
about this fourth beast
00:35:50.78\00:35:53.45
with this little
horn leading out.
00:35:53.48\00:35:56.25
It's different than
00:35:56.28\00:35:57.62
all the other nations before it.
00:35:57.65\00:35:58.99
Now this reminds me
00:35:59.02\00:36:00.52
of what Daniel sees
in Daniel Chapter 2,
00:36:00.56\00:36:04.13
because by the time
Daniel goes down these legs,
00:36:04.16\00:36:06.70
its iron legs,
iron legs, iron legs.
00:36:06.73\00:36:09.23
Then he gets to the feet.
00:36:09.26\00:36:10.67
And what does he see?
00:36:10.70\00:36:12.33
He sees feet
00:36:12.37\00:36:14.04
that is made up
of iron and clay.
00:36:14.07\00:36:17.17
In other words,
00:36:17.21\00:36:18.54
this does the Roman influence
continue into the feet?
00:36:18.57\00:36:22.14
Yes, it does.
00:36:22.18\00:36:23.51
You see the iron
there very clearly,
00:36:23.55\00:36:25.88
but now it's different
than what it was before.
00:36:25.91\00:36:29.05
Just as Daniel saw
00:36:29.08\00:36:30.42
that it was different than
00:36:30.45\00:36:31.79
all the other nations before it.
00:36:31.82\00:36:33.56
What is the difference?
00:36:33.59\00:36:34.92
What has happened to Rome
that makes it so different?
00:36:34.96\00:36:36.83
This is key.
00:36:36.86\00:36:38.19
This is huge
00:36:38.23\00:36:39.56
because you're going to see this
00:36:39.59\00:36:40.93
come back up
00:36:40.96\00:36:42.30
in the second
beast of Revelation 13.
00:36:42.33\00:36:43.90
You see the iron
represents the civil government.
00:36:43.93\00:36:48.67
We're talking about
the governing power,
00:36:48.70\00:36:51.14
the power, the
governing might of Rome,
00:36:51.17\00:36:54.58
but the clay
represents the church
00:36:54.61\00:36:57.91
and you can go read
this in Jeremiah 18:5,
00:36:57.95\00:37:00.98
as well as Isaiah 64:8.
00:37:01.02\00:37:03.55
The clay represents the church.
00:37:03.59\00:37:06.52
So what happens when
you take the government
00:37:06.55\00:37:10.83
and you amalgamate
that with the church?
00:37:10.86\00:37:14.76
You have a church state union.
00:37:14.80\00:37:19.23
You have the amalgamation
of church and state.
00:37:19.27\00:37:22.40
So why did Daniel
say in Daniel 7:7,
00:37:22.44\00:37:25.61
that this was different than
all the other nations before?
00:37:25.64\00:37:28.64
Because none of
the other nations
00:37:28.68\00:37:30.01
was a
religio-political amalgamation
00:37:30.05\00:37:32.35
of church and state.
00:37:32.38\00:37:33.72
It did not
dominate. It did not conquer.
00:37:33.75\00:37:35.98
It did not rule
00:37:36.02\00:37:37.55
as a religio-political movement.
00:37:37.59\00:37:39.95
It was just simply a nation
00:37:39.99\00:37:41.92
with a powerful military
00:37:41.96\00:37:43.43
and the might of its government,
00:37:43.46\00:37:45.19
trying to conquer the new world.
00:37:45.23\00:37:46.80
But this new Roman culture,
00:37:46.83\00:37:50.13
this new Roman
system is no longer
00:37:50.17\00:37:53.80
just a political system,
00:37:53.84\00:37:56.34
but it's also a
religious system.
00:37:56.37\00:37:58.77
And so there,
00:37:58.81\00:38:00.14
we see that for
more than 1,260 years,
00:38:00.18\00:38:06.88
we see
00:38:06.92\00:38:08.55
that this religio
political system of Rome
00:38:08.58\00:38:11.79
would dominate.
00:38:11.82\00:38:13.19
Of course, we're talking about
00:38:13.22\00:38:14.82
the 42 prophetic months
00:38:14.86\00:38:16.76
mentioned in Revelation 13,
00:38:16.79\00:38:18.69
the time, times
and a half of time
00:38:18.73\00:38:20.36
mentioned in Daniel 7.
00:38:20.40\00:38:21.83
Also the time,
times and a half of time
00:38:21.86\00:38:23.67
mentioned in Revelation 12.
00:38:23.70\00:38:26.27
This is the same significant
prophetic time period.
00:38:26.30\00:38:29.40
We're talking about a nation
00:38:29.44\00:38:31.57
that would rule
for 1, 260 years.
00:38:31.61\00:38:37.91
And how would they do it?
00:38:37.95\00:38:39.28
From 538 AD to 1798 AD,
00:38:39.31\00:38:43.95
they would do it
as an amalgamation
00:38:43.99\00:38:47.49
of church and state.
00:38:47.52\00:38:48.99
The church and the
government would come together
00:38:49.02\00:38:52.63
and they would
oppress everyone around them
00:38:52.66\00:38:55.60
in the name of God.
00:38:55.63\00:38:59.03
Had never been done before,
00:38:59.07\00:39:00.90
before the papal Roman system.
00:39:00.94\00:39:06.04
Of course, we know this
00:39:06.07\00:39:07.41
amalgamation of
church and state,
00:39:07.44\00:39:08.81
as I just mentioned,
00:39:08.84\00:39:10.18
is none other than the
Roman papal church state.
00:39:10.21\00:39:14.35
They were the supreme rulers
00:39:14.38\00:39:15.72
through what is
known as the Dark Ages,
00:39:15.75\00:39:18.09
the Medieval Times.
00:39:18.12\00:39:19.92
And as we
specified on the screen,
00:39:19.95\00:39:21.29
just a moment ago,
00:39:21.32\00:39:22.66
for 1,260 years, 538
AD, they became supreme
00:39:22.69\00:39:26.96
and they ruled the
Roman papal church state
00:39:27.00\00:39:29.86
manipulated the kingly
powers and the earthly powers
00:39:29.90\00:39:33.40
to get what they wanted
00:39:33.44\00:39:34.77
and to dominate the
known world at the time.
00:39:34.80\00:39:37.57
That's why when
Daniel saw that beast,
00:39:37.61\00:39:38.94
he said it's different.
00:39:38.97\00:39:40.41
There's something
different about it
00:39:40.44\00:39:43.28
because the little
horn is that its head
00:39:43.31\00:39:46.82
it's speaking for it.
00:39:46.85\00:39:48.62
It's reacting for
it, it's commanding it.
00:39:48.65\00:39:51.75
And so it's interesting that
00:39:51.79\00:39:54.96
when you read
about this little horn,
00:39:54.99\00:39:57.29
this church state system.
00:39:57.33\00:40:00.10
Notice what Daniel
7:21 and 25 has to say.
00:40:00.13\00:40:03.97
He says,
00:40:04.00\00:40:05.33
"I was watching, and
the same horn made war, "
00:40:05.37\00:40:07.30
notice,
00:40:07.34\00:40:08.67
"it was making
war against the saints
00:40:08.70\00:40:10.97
and prevailing against them."
00:40:11.01\00:40:13.04
And then verse 25 says,
00:40:13.07\00:40:14.41
"He shall speak pompous
words against the Most High.
00:40:14.44\00:40:17.08
And he shall persecute
the saints of the Most High."
00:40:17.11\00:40:20.82
This religio-political
system enforcing religion,
00:40:23.92\00:40:28.72
dominating the known world
through the power of religion,
00:40:28.76\00:40:33.06
reached the point
in when it started
00:40:33.09\00:40:36.53
persecuting the
saints, God's people.
00:40:36.56\00:40:41.00
In fact, we see it
again in Revelation 17:6
00:40:41.04\00:40:44.17
same system,
00:40:44.21\00:40:45.54
just to pick it a
little differently.
00:40:45.57\00:40:47.11
Revelation 17:6, it says,
00:40:47.14\00:40:49.28
"I saw the woman
00:40:49.31\00:40:50.65
drunken with the
blood of the saints
00:40:50.68\00:40:52.18
and with the blood of
the martyrs of Jesus?"
00:40:52.21\00:40:56.08
My friends,
00:40:56.12\00:40:58.15
for 1,260 years,
00:40:58.19\00:41:01.12
that same
religio-political system
00:41:01.16\00:41:03.49
has now by the power
of the devil by the way,
00:41:03.53\00:41:06.16
the devil is
working through this system
00:41:06.19\00:41:08.53
and it is reaching out
00:41:08.56\00:41:09.90
and trying to
crush out God's people
00:41:09.93\00:41:13.80
who keep the commandments of God
00:41:13.84\00:41:15.60
and have the testimony of Jesus.
00:41:15.64\00:41:18.34
But what's powerful is that
the situation changes somewhat.
00:41:18.37\00:41:24.45
By the time you get
to Revelation chapter 12,
00:41:24.48\00:41:26.78
because it's clear
that the dragon, the devil
00:41:26.82\00:41:29.12
is after the woman.
00:41:29.15\00:41:30.49
And we know what a woman
in Bible prophecy represents.
00:41:30.52\00:41:33.32
A woman in Bible
prophecy represents a church.
00:41:33.36\00:41:36.42
So the devil is
after God's church,
00:41:36.46\00:41:38.46
he's after this
true religious movement
00:41:38.49\00:41:42.36
that God is going to
use to change the world,
00:41:42.40\00:41:46.53
but he reaches
out to persecute her
00:41:46.57\00:41:48.17
and notice what
Revelation 12:13-14 say.
00:41:48.20\00:41:52.34
It says,
00:41:52.37\00:41:53.71
"Now when the dragon persecuted,
00:41:53.74\00:41:55.98
the woman who gave
birth to the male child."
00:41:56.01\00:41:59.75
It says,
00:41:59.78\00:42:01.12
"But the woman
was given two wings
00:42:01.15\00:42:03.32
of a great eagle
00:42:03.35\00:42:04.95
that she might fly
into the wilderness
00:42:04.99\00:42:07.19
to her place,
00:42:07.22\00:42:08.56
where she is nourished
00:42:08.59\00:42:10.16
for a time and
times and half a time,
00:42:10.19\00:42:14.70
from the
presence of the serpent."
00:42:14.73\00:42:17.73
It says,
00:42:17.77\00:42:19.10
"So the serpent
spewed water out of his mouth
00:42:19.13\00:42:22.64
like a flood after the woman,
00:42:22.67\00:42:25.77
that he might cause her
00:42:25.81\00:42:27.58
to be carried
away by the flood."
00:42:27.61\00:42:30.65
But then notice
verse 16, this is powerful.
00:42:30.68\00:42:33.25
It says, "But the earth..."
00:42:33.28\00:42:35.08
Okay, don't miss this point.
00:42:35.12\00:42:36.75
"But the earth helped the woman
and the earth opened its mouth
00:42:36.79\00:42:42.29
and swallowed up the flood
00:42:42.32\00:42:43.73
which the dragon had
spewed out of his mouth."
00:42:43.76\00:42:47.90
What is this talking about?
00:42:47.93\00:42:49.86
This is talking about
the end of that 1798 period
00:42:49.90\00:42:55.17
around the end of those years
00:42:55.20\00:42:57.37
when there was
so much persecution
00:42:57.41\00:42:59.77
being poured out upon the people
00:42:59.81\00:43:01.21
of Western Europe, Asia Minor,
00:43:01.24\00:43:03.28
parts of the Middle East
and parts of Northern Africa,
00:43:03.31\00:43:05.85
all in that Northern,
00:43:05.88\00:43:08.42
that region that was ruled
00:43:08.45\00:43:10.35
by the empire
of papal supremacy.
00:43:10.39\00:43:16.86
Through all of the persecutions,
00:43:16.89\00:43:21.50
the inquisitions
00:43:21.53\00:43:23.23
that was driving
people out of the land.
00:43:23.26\00:43:25.03
Eventually
00:43:25.07\00:43:27.57
some of those people made a trip
00:43:27.60\00:43:30.01
across the Atlantic.
00:43:30.04\00:43:32.27
They looked for a new
world away from the seas.
00:43:32.31\00:43:37.88
You see the sea
in Bible prophecy
00:43:37.91\00:43:40.42
according to Revelation 17:15
00:43:40.45\00:43:43.25
represents multitudes of people,
00:43:43.28\00:43:46.15
mass populations.
00:43:46.19\00:43:48.59
So these people who
are being persecuted
00:43:48.62\00:43:50.86
by this religio-political,
00:43:50.89\00:43:53.29
you know, church and
state amalgamated system,
00:43:53.33\00:43:56.50
they wanted away from it.
00:43:56.53\00:43:57.87
They wanted to get away from it.
00:43:57.90\00:43:59.97
And so they took that
trip across the Atlantic
00:44:00.00\00:44:03.20
and they found the new world.
00:44:03.24\00:44:07.14
It said here that the
earth opened its mouth.
00:44:07.18\00:44:11.05
Of course, we
know this to represent
00:44:11.08\00:44:13.68
a sparsely
populated area, the earth,
00:44:13.72\00:44:17.62
they found a new place
that was not as populated,
00:44:17.65\00:44:21.32
that had very
little civilization.
00:44:21.36\00:44:23.39
So that they could
flee Roman persecution.
00:44:23.43\00:44:26.59
They could flee
church state persecution.
00:44:26.63\00:44:31.77
And so it's interesting.
00:44:31.80\00:44:34.04
And, by the time you
get to Revelation 13,
00:44:34.07\00:44:36.64
there are two beasts
presented in Revelation 13.
00:44:36.67\00:44:40.58
The first beast,
there's no doubt who that is.
00:44:40.61\00:44:43.04
And in the second
presentation, the part two,
00:44:43.08\00:44:45.58
we're going to
talk a little bit about
00:44:45.61\00:44:47.45
the identifications
of that first beast,
00:44:47.48\00:44:49.18
but there's no doubt that
00:44:49.22\00:44:50.55
that first beast is indeed
that religio-political system,
00:44:50.59\00:44:54.26
that Roman papal
church state system.
00:44:54.29\00:44:56.73
But remember
Revelation 13 says that
00:44:56.76\00:44:59.39
that first beast
receives a deadly wound.
00:44:59.43\00:45:02.66
And it just so happens
00:45:02.70\00:45:04.03
to be that as that deadly wound
00:45:04.07\00:45:06.17
is given around 1798,
00:45:06.20\00:45:11.47
there's a second
beast in Revelation 13:11,
00:45:11.51\00:45:17.05
that is coming
up out of the earth.
00:45:17.08\00:45:20.65
Notice what
Revelation 13:11 says.
00:45:20.68\00:45:23.22
It says,
00:45:23.25\00:45:24.59
"Then I saw another beast
coming up out of the earth."
00:45:24.62\00:45:30.56
That's the same earth,
00:45:30.59\00:45:33.26
that opened its
mouth to receive the woman
00:45:33.29\00:45:35.26
who was persecuted.
00:45:35.30\00:45:36.90
"Coming up out of the earth,
00:45:36.93\00:45:38.30
and he had two horns like a lamb
00:45:38.33\00:45:42.80
yet it spoke like a dragon."
00:45:42.84\00:45:47.48
Now, my friends,
00:45:47.51\00:45:49.31
we're gonna spent a
significant time in part two,
00:45:49.34\00:45:51.45
looking at the identifications
00:45:51.48\00:45:53.31
and confirming
the identifications
00:45:53.35\00:45:55.02
of this second beast.
00:45:55.05\00:45:56.42
But there's no doubt in my mind
00:45:56.45\00:45:57.79
that if you do a
responsible research,
00:45:57.82\00:46:02.09
an intentional research,
00:46:02.12\00:46:03.96
an honest research on
who the second beast is,
00:46:03.99\00:46:09.16
it can only fit one nation.
00:46:09.20\00:46:12.27
Now let's be reminded,
00:46:12.30\00:46:13.64
a beast in Bible
prophecy according to Daniel 7
00:46:13.67\00:46:16.77
is a nation, a
significant empire,
00:46:16.81\00:46:19.37
a world dominant power.
00:46:19.41\00:46:22.28
And we know that around 1798,
00:46:22.31\00:46:24.45
there was a significant world
00:46:24.48\00:46:26.85
dominant power that
was arising to influence.
00:46:26.88\00:46:32.02
And, of course,
this is none other than
00:46:32.05\00:46:34.16
the United States of America,
00:46:34.19\00:46:38.06
the land of the free,
the home of the brave.
00:46:38.09\00:46:42.63
Now, I just, for
the sake of time,
00:46:42.66\00:46:44.17
because we're coming down
to our last few minutes here.
00:46:44.20\00:46:46.10
I just want to highlight
00:46:46.13\00:46:47.47
just a few of
those identifications
00:46:47.50\00:46:49.20
so that you know
where I'm coming from.
00:46:49.24\00:46:50.87
We're talking about the
United States of America.
00:46:50.91\00:46:54.51
So if you look at some
of these identifications.
00:46:54.54\00:46:56.61
Number one,
00:46:56.64\00:46:57.98
you'll notice
that it's coming up
00:46:58.01\00:46:59.35
out of the earth.
00:46:59.38\00:47:00.72
If the sea,
00:47:00.75\00:47:02.08
according to Revelation 17:15
00:47:02.12\00:47:03.45
represents a
mass populated area,
00:47:03.49\00:47:05.92
then the earth in contrast
00:47:05.95\00:47:07.92
would represent a
sparsely populated area.
00:47:07.96\00:47:10.39
Does the United States
00:47:10.43\00:47:11.76
or did the
United States of America
00:47:11.79\00:47:13.40
unlike all of
the nations of Europe
00:47:13.43\00:47:15.33
rise up out of a
sparsely populated area,
00:47:15.36\00:47:18.23
therefore coming
up from the earth?
00:47:18.27\00:47:20.27
Absolutely.
00:47:20.30\00:47:21.64
It's the only
nation that has done that.
00:47:21.67\00:47:23.51
Notice the second point.
00:47:23.54\00:47:24.91
Notice the
timing of this arrival,
00:47:24.94\00:47:27.41
the arising to power,
00:47:27.44\00:47:28.78
the arising and the
rising up of influence,
00:47:28.81\00:47:31.55
the United States of America.
00:47:31.58\00:47:32.95
As the first beast
Rome is going down in 1798,
00:47:32.98\00:47:37.12
what other nation in history
around 1798 is coming up?
00:47:37.15\00:47:40.96
It's only that
00:47:40.99\00:47:42.32
of the United States of America.
00:47:42.36\00:47:44.59
The third point
we see very clearly.
00:47:44.63\00:47:47.70
The first beast had horns
00:47:47.73\00:47:49.76
and it had crowns
up on those horns,
00:47:49.80\00:47:51.83
10 horns, crowns
up on those 10 horns.
00:47:51.87\00:47:54.64
Those crowns
represent kingly monarchs,
00:47:54.67\00:47:57.67
kingly and queenly monarchs,
00:47:57.71\00:47:59.24
which they were
ruled by kings and queens.
00:47:59.27\00:48:01.34
But notice this second
beast while it has two horns,
00:48:01.38\00:48:03.95
it has no crowns
up on those horns.
00:48:03.98\00:48:07.02
And so therefore,
00:48:07.05\00:48:08.38
did the United States start out
00:48:08.42\00:48:09.88
or has it ever been
ruled by a king or a queen?
00:48:09.92\00:48:12.69
No, it has not.
00:48:12.72\00:48:14.06
Check, check, check, check.
00:48:14.09\00:48:15.42
It fits the bill.
00:48:15.46\00:48:16.83
Notice number four, horns.
00:48:16.86\00:48:19.89
These horns would
represent two powers
00:48:19.93\00:48:21.96
on which it was
established in its early stages.
00:48:22.00\00:48:25.43
What does this mean?
00:48:25.47\00:48:26.94
Let's go to the
Great Controversy,
00:48:26.97\00:48:28.30
page 441.
00:48:28.34\00:48:29.67
It says,
00:48:29.70\00:48:31.04
"And he had two
horns like a lamb."
00:48:31.07\00:48:32.44
And the lamb, notice,
00:48:32.47\00:48:33.81
the lamb-like horns
indicate youthful innocence
00:48:33.84\00:48:36.44
and gentleness
00:48:36.48\00:48:37.81
fitly representing
00:48:37.85\00:48:39.18
the character of
the United States
00:48:39.21\00:48:40.55
when presented to the
prophet as coming up in 1798.
00:48:40.58\00:48:45.02
And then notice again,
Spirit of Prophecy volume four,
00:48:45.05\00:48:48.56
page 277.
00:48:48.59\00:48:50.66
It says there,
00:48:50.69\00:48:52.03
"And the lamb-like horns,
00:48:52.06\00:48:53.43
emblem of
innocence and gentleness,
00:48:53.46\00:48:55.50
well represent
00:48:55.53\00:48:56.87
the character of our government,
00:48:56.90\00:48:58.50
as expressed in its
two fundamental principles,
00:48:58.53\00:49:01.90
Republicanism
and Protestantism."
00:49:01.94\00:49:05.71
So those two horns
00:49:05.74\00:49:07.08
fit the character of this beast,
00:49:07.11\00:49:09.31
it's not ruled by kings.
00:49:09.34\00:49:11.21
It came up from the earth.
00:49:11.25\00:49:12.71
It comes up around the same time
00:49:12.75\00:49:14.12
that the first beast is falling.
00:49:14.15\00:49:15.52
It's fitting it all, my friends,
00:49:15.55\00:49:17.29
but then notice number five,
00:49:17.32\00:49:20.39
it eventually
speaks as a dragon.
00:49:20.42\00:49:26.39
It starts out as a lamb,
but it speaks as a dragon.
00:49:26.43\00:49:32.47
I wonder if there's any thing
00:49:32.50\00:49:35.00
perhaps in connection
with the history of Israel,
00:49:35.04\00:49:40.08
in connection with the course
00:49:40.11\00:49:42.21
in which Rome took
00:49:42.24\00:49:45.21
that we can connect
to the second beast.
00:49:45.25\00:49:48.18
Why does it start out lamb-like,
00:49:48.22\00:49:51.12
but yet end up
speaking like a dragon
00:49:51.15\00:49:54.32
or talking about the
spiritual decline and fall
00:49:54.36\00:49:57.79
of one of the
greatest nations ever,
00:49:57.83\00:49:59.49
the United States of America.
00:49:59.53\00:50:01.33
We're living in times
00:50:01.36\00:50:02.70
we need to know
this, my friends.
00:50:02.73\00:50:05.03
And I wanna appeal to you today
00:50:05.07\00:50:06.63
as we're preparing to hear a
beautiful song by my brother,
00:50:06.67\00:50:08.84
Tim, pardon.
00:50:08.87\00:50:10.41
We need to focus our
attention more than anything
00:50:10.44\00:50:13.38
on the King who allows
these nations to exist.
00:50:13.41\00:50:18.41
We're going to
set up for part two,
00:50:18.45\00:50:20.45
but I'm going to
come back in a moment
00:50:20.48\00:50:21.88
and share with you
some final thoughts.
00:50:21.92\00:50:23.69
Until then, let's listen to Tim.
00:50:23.72\00:50:25.52
I have searched to find
00:50:31.19\00:50:34.93
The meaning of this life
00:50:34.96\00:50:38.63
Something that would fill
00:50:38.67\00:50:41.34
My empty soul
00:50:41.37\00:50:46.51
Some believe a lie
00:50:46.54\00:50:49.98
Choose darkness over light
00:50:50.01\00:50:54.12
But I will stand
00:50:54.15\00:50:56.28
And let the whole world know
00:50:56.32\00:51:01.69
I choose Jesus
00:51:01.72\00:51:06.63
I choose Jesus
00:51:06.66\00:51:11.27
The One who first chose me
00:51:11.30\00:51:16.77
I stand unashamed
00:51:23.14\00:51:26.75
Trusting in one Name
00:51:26.78\00:51:30.62
'Cause I have seen the cross
00:51:30.65\00:51:33.29
And I believe
00:51:33.32\00:51:37.33
This choice comes at a cost
00:51:37.36\00:51:40.80
All other things are lost
00:51:40.83\00:51:44.63
No other love
could mean so much to me
00:51:44.67\00:51:51.17
For I choose Jesus
00:51:51.21\00:51:55.64
I choose Jesus
00:51:55.68\00:51:59.55
The One who first loved me
00:51:59.58\00:52:06.32
I choose Jesus
00:52:06.35\00:52:09.92
I choose Jesus
00:52:09.96\00:52:14.23
For now to eternity
00:52:14.26\00:52:21.04
I choose Jesus
00:52:21.07\00:52:25.01
I choose Jesus
00:52:25.04\00:52:30.65
The One who first chose me
00:52:30.68\00:52:36.82
Praise the Lord.
00:52:47.06\00:52:49.90
Man,
00:52:49.93\00:52:51.27
do you choose Jesus?
00:52:54.07\00:52:55.40
God chose Israel.
00:53:03.85\00:53:05.18
He wanted them to be His people,
00:53:08.38\00:53:09.92
but in the end they
didn't choose as a nation.
00:53:13.39\00:53:16.79
They didn't choose Jesus.
00:53:16.83\00:53:18.16
You could say the
reason they didn't choose Jesus
00:53:22.46\00:53:26.27
is because they
went full beast mode.
00:53:26.30\00:53:30.31
Not a good thing.
00:53:30.34\00:53:31.67
The nation of Rome
00:53:35.34\00:53:39.01
plays a huge part
00:53:39.05\00:53:42.22
in the events of Bible prophecy,
00:53:42.25\00:53:46.69
and eventually
00:53:46.72\00:53:48.42
the devil raises
up this institution
00:53:48.46\00:53:50.46
to appear to the world
as a Christian institution
00:53:50.49\00:53:56.36
when in reality,
00:53:56.40\00:53:59.30
it went full
beast mode on the world,
00:53:59.33\00:54:03.51
the Dark Ages.
00:54:03.54\00:54:07.04
It's a perfect example of that.
00:54:07.08\00:54:08.41
Here we are now
00:54:11.85\00:54:13.82
talking about
what most considered
00:54:13.85\00:54:15.85
to be the greatest nation ever,
00:54:15.88\00:54:19.52
the land of the free,
00:54:19.55\00:54:21.22
the home of the brave.
00:54:21.26\00:54:23.43
I'll be the first to
tell you, I'm a patriot.
00:54:23.46\00:54:25.36
I love my country.
00:54:25.39\00:54:28.03
I love being a
citizen of the United States,
00:54:28.06\00:54:34.37
but I'm also not blind.
00:54:34.40\00:54:37.04
I'm not blind to the fact
00:54:37.07\00:54:38.41
that God's word has spoken
00:54:38.44\00:54:42.24
that even though
many believe that
00:54:42.28\00:54:44.61
this is a Christian nation
00:54:44.65\00:54:47.15
founded upon
Christian principles.
00:54:47.18\00:54:50.32
And it certainly does have
its lamb-like characteristics,
00:54:50.35\00:54:55.29
Bible prophecy
tells us a different story
00:54:55.32\00:54:57.69
that it will speak as a dragon.
00:54:57.73\00:55:03.37
If you consider
Revelation 13:12,
00:55:03.40\00:55:08.10
notice what it tells us.
00:55:08.14\00:55:10.54
Speaking of the second beast
00:55:10.57\00:55:12.07
United States, it says,
00:55:12.11\00:55:13.44
"And he
exercises all the authority
00:55:13.48\00:55:15.78
of the first beast
00:55:15.81\00:55:17.15
in his presence,
00:55:17.18\00:55:18.51
and causes the earth
and those who dwell in it
00:55:18.55\00:55:21.05
to worship the first beast,
00:55:21.08\00:55:24.95
whose deadly wound was healed."
00:55:24.99\00:55:28.79
My friends, this
sets us up for part two,
00:55:28.82\00:55:32.49
but you know what?
00:55:32.53\00:55:34.56
Part two doesn't even matter
00:55:34.60\00:55:39.53
if you don't sense the
leading and guiding power
00:55:39.57\00:55:41.70
of the Holy
Spirit upon your heart.
00:55:41.74\00:55:44.57
Part two's going to be awesome.
00:55:44.61\00:55:45.94
It's going to be powerful
00:55:45.97\00:55:47.31
because we're going to
reveal a lot of awesome things,
00:55:47.34\00:55:48.68
incredible things
00:55:48.71\00:55:50.38
about the times
that we're living in,
00:55:50.41\00:55:51.75
the nation of the United States
00:55:51.78\00:55:54.12
and the course
that it will take.
00:55:54.15\00:55:56.82
And, my friends,
at the end of the day,
00:55:56.85\00:56:00.66
we have to learn from the past
00:56:00.69\00:56:02.52
and realize that
00:56:02.56\00:56:04.56
turning a blind eye to Christ,
00:56:04.59\00:56:07.23
desiring the world over God
00:56:07.26\00:56:10.37
never led anyone anywhere good.
00:56:10.40\00:56:12.17
Don't allow yourself
00:56:15.17\00:56:17.94
to be caught up in
the state of beast mode,
00:56:17.97\00:56:24.01
but allow yourself
00:56:24.05\00:56:26.08
to be transformed
by the Lamb of God
00:56:26.11\00:56:30.45
who takes away
the sin of the world.
00:56:30.49\00:56:33.25
You see, that's
ultimately what cost Israel,
00:56:33.29\00:56:37.93
what caused Rome its fall.
00:56:37.96\00:56:40.30
And as we will see ultimately
00:56:40.33\00:56:42.76
why this great nation
will end the way that it will.
00:56:42.80\00:56:48.20
God has a people.
00:56:48.24\00:56:50.31
Are you a part of that people?
00:56:50.34\00:56:52.57
Do you know Jesus today
00:56:52.61\00:56:54.78
because Jesus is
calling out to you.
00:56:54.81\00:56:56.14
And He's saying,
00:56:56.18\00:56:57.51
"Choose this day,
whom you will serve."
00:56:57.55\00:57:00.25
It's so simple.
00:57:00.28\00:57:01.78
It's not a
trivial or hard thing.
00:57:01.82\00:57:04.15
You just simply ask the
Lord into your heart right now.
00:57:04.19\00:57:07.72
Let's do that as we close.
00:57:07.76\00:57:09.16
Father in heaven,
00:57:09.19\00:57:11.16
cleanse us, Lord,
forgive us our sins.
00:57:11.19\00:57:15.33
Come into us,
Lord, and transform us,
00:57:15.36\00:57:17.67
lead us to Jesus now,
00:57:17.70\00:57:20.14
that we may be more
like Him in these last days,
00:57:20.17\00:57:23.91
preparing for the
soon coming of Jesus.
00:57:23.94\00:57:27.08
That's our prayer.
00:57:27.11\00:57:28.74
And we ask it in
Jesus' holy name.
00:57:28.78\00:57:32.08
Amen. Amen.
00:57:32.11\00:57:33.98