Anchor School of Theology: Prophetic Principles

All the Books of the Bible Meet and End in Revelation

Three Angels Broadcasting Network

Program transcript

Participants: Stephen Bohr

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Series Code: ASTPP

Program Code: ASTPP000028


00:15 Well, it's nice to have you back.
00:17 We have some exciting things to study in this session.
00:21 We're going to begin by taking a look at
00:24 principle number thirteen.
00:26 Seems like yesterday that we started principle number one.
00:29 But we're already on thirteen.
00:31 We have number fourteen, and then we'll be finished.
00:34 Now let's go in our syllabus to page 33.
00:38 And we're going to work through this material.
00:41 I am only going to choose a few examples from the list
00:45 that we have under point number thirteen.
00:48 Because obviously, we don't have time to cover
00:50 all of these examples.
00:53 It would take us a full week session just to
00:55 go through all of these examples.
00:57 So let's begin at the top of the page, page 33.
01:02 And the principle is that all the books of the Bible
01:05 meet and end in Revelation.
01:09 The book of Revelation is the grand finale
01:14 of the redemption story.
01:17 For example, let's take a look at Genesis 3:15
01:22 and its relationship to Revelation chapter 12.
01:26 We did a little bit of this this morning.
01:29 Do we have the same elements in Revelation chapter 12
01:33 as we have in Genesis 3:15?
01:35 Yes we do.
01:36 It is the fulfillment of Genesis 3:15.
01:39 What do we have in Genesis 3:15?
01:42 We have a woman, right?
01:44 Is there a woman in Revelation 12?
01:46 Absolutely.
01:47 Then we have a seed that the woman has in her womb.
01:52 Is that in Genesis 3:15?
01:54 Absolutely.
01:55 In the third place, we have a serpent that wants
01:57 to devour the Child.
01:59 Do we find that in Genesis 3:15?
02:02 Yes, enmity between the woman and the serpent,
02:07 and the serpent and the seed of the woman.
02:10 And then in the fourth place, we have enmity.
02:12 Is there enmity in Genesis 3:15?
02:14 Absolutely.
02:15 So the same four elements that we find in Genesis 3:15
02:19 are found in Revelation chapter 12.
02:21 In other words, Revelation chapter 12,
02:23 the first few verses is the fulfillment of Genesis 3:15.
02:28 Because there is where the dragon, or the ancient
02:31 serpent also called, attacks the Child to try and kill the Child.
02:37 But the Child escapes from his hands.
02:39 So this shows that Genesis is to be understood
02:44 in the context of the book of Revelation.
02:47 You know, another example, and we'll give more examples
02:49 as we go along, is the three angels' messages of
02:53 Revelation chapter 14.
02:55 You know, that is foreshadowed in the book of Genesis.
02:59 Before the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah,
03:03 how many angels were sent to Abraham?
03:05 Three.
03:07 And if you look at their messages, you'll find
03:11 that they're in the same order as the messages of
03:14 Revelation chapter 14.
03:16 And so, what I'm saying is that what you find in Genesis
03:20 foreshadows what you have in the book of Revelation.
03:23 Now let's go to our next paragraph.
03:25 Revelation is a Hebrew book written in Greek.
03:31 Now you say, "How's that?"
03:33 A Hebrew book.
03:34 In other words, its background is the Old Testament.
03:37 But it is written in the Greek language.
03:40 It is saturated with Old Testament allusions.
03:44 In fact, there are more than 1000, some people say 2000,
03:49 allusions to the Old Testament in the book of Revelation.
03:53 These references include words, concepts, phrases,
04:01 sentences, verses, and sometimes the thematic order of
04:07 entire chapters from the Old Testament.
04:11 It must be born in mind that the Jewish language
04:14 is spiritualized and applied to the Christian church.
04:18 We've already studied that.
04:20 Revelation is a book for the church.
04:22 That's why it begins with messages to the seven churches.
04:26 It is not for literal Israel.
04:29 Revelation keeps the same Old Testament
04:32 terminology, but gives the language a spiritual,
04:36 not a literal, significance.
04:38 Are you understanding that point?
04:40 That is, Revelation still says, "Babylon."
04:44 But we are to understand that Babylon is not that
04:47 place where Saddam Hussein use to live.
04:49 Babylon is a global system.
04:52 "Israel;" Revelation uses the name.
04:57 But we are to understand that name applies to the
05:00 Christian church, and it's worldwide.
05:03 In other words, even though the terminology
05:06 from the Old Testament is conserved,
05:09 still it is spiritualized and globalized
05:13 in the book of Revelation.
05:15 Now let's continue here.
05:17 Revelation is like a gigantic jigsaw puzzle
05:22 which has thousands of pieces.
05:25 When these pieces are properly assembled,
05:28 there is a beautiful mosaic of truth.
05:32 It is like a majestic symphony which unites the entire Bible
05:37 in a beautiful musical masterpiece.
05:41 Ellen White has said in, Acts of the Apostles, page 585,
05:46 "In the Revelation, all the books of the Bible
05:50 meet and end.
05:52 Here is the complement of the book of Daniel.
05:55 One is a prophecy; the other, a revelation."
05:59 So that's an audacious statement.
06:02 "In Revelation, all the books of the Bible meet and end."
06:06 There is no book of the Bible that is not related
06:08 somehow to the book of Revelation.
06:11 It is important to remember that the book of Revelation
06:16 sometimes takes a solitary symbol from the Old Testament
06:21 to encourage us to study the entire context
06:24 where that symbol appears.
06:26 We've dealt with that before.
06:28 Thus, if we find Elijah terminology in Revelation,
06:32 we are to study the entire story of Elijah.
06:35 If Balaam is mentioned, we must study the entire
06:39 story of Balaam.
06:42 Now we have a few examples here, preliminary examples,
06:46 about the relationship between the Bible
06:50 and the book of Revelation.
06:52 You know, really, the Bible is what you call, an inclusio.
06:58 Because you have in Genesis 1 to 3
07:02 Eden created and Eden lost.
07:06 At the end of Revelation 20 to 22,
07:09 you have Eden restored and Eden regained.
07:13 And in between, you have everything that happened
07:16 to regain what was lost.
07:19 And so Revelation 21 and 22 and Genesis 1 to 3
07:25 are thematically related.
07:27 Because both of them have Eden, both of them have a
07:30 river of life, both of them have a tree of life.
07:33 They're very intimately related.
07:36 Now what about Revelation 14 verse 7, where it says,
07:40 "Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His
07:43 judgment has come."
07:45 You know, there's a text in the Old Testament
07:48 that is very similar to this one and helps us understand
07:51 this particular verse.
07:53 It's found in the book of Ecclesiastes chapter 12
07:58 and verse 13.
08:00 And you're going to notice immediately the similarity.
08:05 Here, the wise man Solomon says this.
08:08 "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:
08:12 Fear God and keep His commandments,
08:17 for this is man's all.
08:20 For God will bring every work into..." What?
08:24 "...into judgment."
08:25 And then it says, "...and every secret thing,
08:27 whether it be good or whether it be evil."
08:30 Is there any relationship between that verse
08:32 and Revelation 14 verses 6 and 7?
08:35 Of course.
08:37 Revelation 14 says, "Fear God, give glory to Him,
08:42 for the hour of His judgment is come."
08:45 Ecclesiastes says, "Fear God and keep His commandments,
08:50 because God is going to bring every work into judgment."
08:53 And so, we know where the terminology comes from
08:57 in Revelation 14 verse 6 and verse 7.
09:00 A source would be Ecclesiastes chapter 12 and verse 13.
09:06 Now notice Revelation chapter 7 and verse 1.
09:09 Revelation chapter 7 and verse 1.
09:12 Here we find an interesting description that includes
09:17 an interesting symbol.
09:18 It says there in Revelation 7 and verse 1,
09:21 "After these things I saw four angels standing
09:24 at the four corners of the earth,
09:25 holding the four winds of the earth,
09:28 that the wind should not blow on the earth,
09:30 on the sea, or on any..." What?
09:34 "...or on any tree."
09:36 So the question is, is the wind here literal wind?
09:42 Are we dealing with literal wind?
09:45 No, we're not dealing with literal wind.
09:47 Is the sea literal?
09:50 No.
09:51 Are the trees literal?
09:53 No.
09:54 We have to find out what trees represent.
09:57 We have to find out what the sea represents.
10:00 And we have to understand what the earth represents.
10:03 Does the book of Revelation explain those symbols?
10:06 Yes it does.
10:08 There's a beast that rises from the sea.
10:10 There's a beast that rises from the earth.
10:12 And what is meant by trees?
10:14 We go to other text in the Old Testament
10:17 to find out what is meant by a tree, symbolically.
10:21 Now, let's examine this by going to a couple of text,
10:27 and then we'll read a statement from the spirit of prophecy.
10:30 Go with me to Psalm 92 and verses 12 through 14.
10:35 Psalm 92 and verses 12 through 14.
10:39 And you're going to notice here what is symbolized
10:42 by a tree, specifically.
10:45 Once again, Psalm 92 and verses 12 through 14.
10:50 It says here, "The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree,
10:57 he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
11:00 Those who are planted in the house of the Lord
11:03 shall flourish in the courts of our God.
11:07 They shall still bear fruit in old age;
11:10 they shall be fresh and flourishing,
11:12 to declare that the Lord is upright;
11:15 He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him."
11:20 So what is represented by a tree here in Psalm 92?
11:25 It represents the righteous who flourish like a tree.
11:29 We also read earlier in this course Psalm 1 where it
11:34 speaks about a tree planted next to rivers of waters.
11:38 And the tree does not wither, it bears its fruit in season.
11:41 So when you find this in Revelation chapter 7 verse 1,
11:45 are you going to try and find some literal tree somewhere
11:49 that this applies to?
11:50 Of course not.
11:52 Are you going to find some literal sea?
11:53 Well is this the Pacific, the Atlantic,
11:55 or is it the Mediterranean?
11:57 No, it's not talking about that.
11:59 What about the earth?
12:01 Well, the earth represents the new world.
12:04 The sea represents the old world.
12:05 The trees represent God's people.
12:09 Now notice this statement from Ellen White
12:12 that we find in, Patriarchs and Prophets, page 450.
12:16 Patriarchs and Prophets, 450.
12:19 She says, "Above all other trees the cedar of Lebanon,"
12:23 which is mentioned here in Psalm 92,
12:25 "is distinguished for its strength, its firmness,
12:29 its undecaying vigor; and this is used as a symbol
12:35 of those whose life is 'hid with Christ in God.'
12:38 Says the Scripture, 'The righteous...shall
12:41 grow like a cedar.'
12:43 The divine hand has exalted the cedar as king over the forest.
12:48 'The fir trees were not like his boughs, and the chestnut trees
12:52 were not like his branches;'
12:54 nor any tree in the garden of God.
12:57 The cedar is repeatedly employed as an emblem of royalty,
13:02 and it is used in Scripture to represent the righteous
13:07 shows how Heaven regards those who do the will of God."
13:13 And so we know what the cedar represents in Scripture,
13:17 what a tree represents in Scripture.
13:19 Now some people have literalized the trumpets.
13:22 And they try to find a place where, you know,
13:25 the wind doesn't blow on the trees.
13:27 And they try to literalize it also in the series on the seals.
13:31 And it's useless to do that.
13:33 Because we have noticed that in the study of prophecy,
13:36 you're not dealing with literal things.
13:38 You're dealing with symbols.
13:40 And so if you're going to be consistent,
13:42 you have to interpret the symbols all the way through.
13:45 In the churches, in the seals, in the trumpets, etc.
13:48 Is that point clear?
13:49 Very, very important.
13:51 Now what I want to do is take a few additional examples
13:55 from the list that you have beginning on page 34.
13:58 And I'm going to pick and choose here.
14:01 And we're going to go through them and I'm just going to
14:03 mention a few ideas about each of these symbols
14:07 that come from elsewhere in Scripture.
14:10 The first one I want us to notice is
14:12 Revelation 14 verse 20.
14:15 That's a little ways down on page 34 of your syllabus.
14:19 You see that, Revelation 14 verse 20?
14:22 Now it speaks there of the winepress.
14:26 The winepress.
14:28 So what does the winepress represent?
14:32 The winepress represents the wicked.
14:34 Now there's a text that we did not read
14:37 from the Old Testament.
14:39 And so we want to read it now in the context of the winepress.
14:43 Go with me to Isaiah 63 and verses 1 through 5.
14:48 Isaiah 63 verses 1 through 5.
14:51 Do you remember that we mentioned in our previous class
14:55 that Jesus comes clothed with a garment dipped in blood
15:00 because He's coming to trample the winepress, right?
15:03 He's coming to trample the wicked.
15:05 Now notice Isaiah 63 and verses 1 through 5.
15:10 "Who is this who comes from Edom,
15:13 with dyed garments from Bozrah,
15:17 this One who is glorious in His apparel,
15:20 traveling in the greatness of His strength?
15:23 'I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save.'"
15:27 And now notice the question.
15:29 "Why is Your apparel red..."
15:32 Is the apparel of Jesus red in Revelation 19?
15:35 Yes.
15:37 "Why is Your apparel red,
15:38 and Your garments like one who treads in the winepress?"
15:44 Aah.
15:45 Does it help to use the Old Testament?
15:47 Absolutely.
15:49 Here comes the answer.
15:50 "I have trodden the winepress alone;
15:54 and from the peoples, no one was with Me.
15:57 For I have trodden them in My anger,
16:00 and trampled them in My fury;
16:03 their blood is sprinkled upon My garments,
16:07 and I have stained all My robes."
16:10 So when Jesus is portrayed in Revelation 19
16:13 as His garments dipped in blood, it's because
16:16 He's trampled upon what?
16:17 He's trampled upon the winepress.
16:19 Now we're not to understand this as something mean spirited.
16:22 You know, Jesus is just going to come
16:24 and He's going to stomp on the wicked. No.
16:26 It needs to be understood in the context
16:28 of the covenant, once again.
16:30 Those who have made a covenant relationship with Jesus Christ,
16:33 in the crisis will be protected.
16:35 Those who have chosen to be independent of Jesus Christ
16:38 have chosen destruction.
16:40 They have not chosen salvation.
16:42 And so this passage from Isaiah 63 helps us interpret
16:47 Revelation 19 that speaks about the winepress.
16:50 The blood in which Jesus comes stained is not
16:54 His own saving blood.
16:56 It is what?
16:57 It is the blood of the enemies of His kingdom.
17:01 Now notice the next symbol here in the list.
17:04 Revelation 14 verse 8.
17:06 Babylon.
17:08 Where would you have to go to interpret Babylon?
17:11 Well, you go to a concordance.
17:13 And what does the concordance help you do?
17:16 Where is the first place that you find the word, "Babylon?"
17:20 In Genesis 11.
17:21 Would you have to study the entire story of Genesis 11
17:25 in order to make sense out of what Babylon is?
17:27 Of course, yeah.
17:28 Genesis 11 is invaluable in interpreting what Babylon is.
17:33 That's where the name begins.
17:34 It means, confusion.
17:36 He called the name of that place what?
17:38 Babel. Or confusion.
17:40 And the builder of Babel was a man named Nimrod.
17:44 His name means, rebellion.
17:47 Does that start to portray a picture?
17:49 What did Nimrod want to do?
17:51 You read, Patriarchs and Prophets.
17:53 He wanted to establish a global empire independent of God.
17:59 Is that the idea in these last days of earth's history?
18:02 It's called, globalism.
18:05 It's the idea of the whole world coming together
18:08 and eliminating wars and establishing a universal
18:11 capital from which the whole world will be ruled or governed.
18:16 That's nothing new in Revelation.
18:18 When you go to Genesis 11, the pattern becomes
18:21 absolutely clear.
18:24 So in order to understand Babylon, we have to go
18:26 back to Genesis 11.
18:28 Where else do we have to go?
18:29 Well, we have to go also to Nebuchadnezzar's Babylon, right?
18:33 We have to go, for example, to Daniel chapter 5.
18:36 In Daniel chapter 5, you remember that Belshazzar
18:39 was celebrating this banquet.
18:41 The enemy had the city surrounded.
18:43 And Babylon was sitting on the river Euphrates.
18:46 And he's celebrating this party because he feels
18:49 that Babylon is invincible because it sits on this river.
18:52 And there's plenty of water.
18:53 It can produce agricultural products because
18:58 they can irrigate with the river.
18:59 And they have these three huge walls that surround the city.
19:02 They have gates that go to the bottom of the river.
19:05 The city is absolutely invincible.
19:07 But the interesting thing is that Cyrus
19:10 comes from the north and from the east.
19:14 And he dries up the river Euphrates.
19:17 And they had left the gates open that night,
19:19 according to the Greek historians.
19:22 And so Cyrus went through the dry riverbed,
19:27 and the city of Babylon fell.
19:28 Does that help us understand Revelation 17?
19:31 Of course. And 16 as well.
19:34 The drying up of the Euphrates is the signal
19:36 that Babylon is going to fall.
19:38 And so in Revelation, we have the same terminology.
19:42 But you're not dealing with literal things,
19:44 you are dealing with symbols.
19:47 What does Babylon represent?
19:50 It's a harlot system. The harlot is Babylon.
19:53 Is it a global system?
19:56 Yes, she's seated on many waters.
19:58 What are the many waters?
20:00 Multitudes, nations, tongues, and peoples.
20:03 They are spiritual waters.
20:04 She is a spiritual harlot. She is a spiritual city.
20:08 Now what is the drying up of the Euphrates?
20:11 If the Euphrates represents multitudes, nations,
20:13 tongues, and peoples, and that marked the end
20:17 of Old Testament Babylon, literal Babylon,
20:19 it must be that at some point the multitudes, nations,
20:22 tongues, and peoples are going to withdraw their support.
20:25 They're going to dry up on the harlot.
20:28 Are you with me?
20:29 So is it helpful to go to Genesis 11 and to go to
20:33 Daniel chapter 5 and Jeremiah 50 and 51?
20:36 It's indispensible.
20:38 There's no way you can understand
20:39 Babylon in Revelation unless you understand
20:42 Babylon in Genesis, Jeremiah 50 and 51,
20:46 Daniel 5, and other places where it appears.
20:50 Revelation 3 verse 7 is an interesting text.
20:53 Just a little bit further down.
20:55 Revelation 3 verse 7.
20:57 It speaks about the key of David.
21:02 And the key of David is going to be used to open a door
21:09 before the church of Philadelphia.
21:11 Do you know which period of church history Philadelphia is?
21:15 It's the Millerite movement.
21:17 That's Philadelphia.
21:19 In the flow of church history.
21:21 And so, before Philadelphia is placed, what?
21:25 An open door.
21:27 And the door is opened with a key.
21:29 And it says there that no one can shut one door
21:34 that is open, and nobody can open a door that was shut.
21:39 Now the question is, which is the door that is open
21:43 before the church of Philadelphia?
21:46 It has to be the door to the Most Holy Place.
21:49 Because in the Sanctuary there were three doors.
21:52 There was the door that led from the camp to the court.
21:55 There was the door that led from the court to the Holy Place.
21:59 And there was the door that led from the Holy to the Most Holy.
22:03 Now could this door in Revelation 3 verse 7
22:06 be the door that leads from the camp to the court?
22:10 No, when did Jesus enter that door?
22:13 He entered that door when He came to die on the cross, right?
22:21 Now, is that the period of the sixth church?
22:24 Are you kidding?
22:25 The sixth church is towards the end of church history.
22:28 So it can't be the first door.
22:30 How about the second door, the door between the
22:33 court and the Holy Place?
22:35 That can't be either.
22:36 When did Jesus enter that door?
22:38 He entered that door when He ascended to heaven
22:41 to begin His intercession.
22:42 So it can't be the second door.
22:44 So how many doors does that leave?
22:46 It only leaves one.
22:47 The door to the Most Holy Place.
22:49 So you know that the church of Philadelphia,
22:54 Revelation 3 verse 7, deals with the Most Holy Place message.
22:58 And if you want more on this, you've got to get my book,
23:01 Worship at Satan's Throne, where I deal with
23:04 Revelation 3 verse 7.
23:05 It's an eye opening book.
23:06 It's very, very important for what's happening in the
23:09 Adventist church right now in the area of worship and music,
23:14 and all of these things that are happening in the church.
23:17 We already noticed that Revelation 20:1-3
23:21 that speaks about the millennium,
23:23 we need to go to several passages in the Old Testament.
23:26 We have to go to Leviticus 16, don't we?
23:29 The scapegoat ceremony?
23:30 We have to do back to Jeremiah chapter 4, right?
23:33 Where it says that Jeremiah heard the sound of the trumpet,
23:36 then he saw war.
23:38 And then he says, "I looked at the earth and it was
23:40 without form and void."
23:41 You have to go back there.
23:43 You have to go back to Isaiah 24 where it speaks about
23:45 the earth being empty and being waste.
23:48 And so you have to go back to these Old Testament
23:52 context in order to fully understand the meaning
23:55 of the millennium in the book of Revelation.
23:58 Now what about Gog and Magog?
24:00 Revelation chapter 20 verses 8 and 9.
24:03 Folks, Gog and Magog are the central theme
24:07 of Ezekiel 38 and 39.
24:10 Now I wish we had time to go into those two chapters.
24:14 Because they foreshadow what we find
24:16 in the book of Revelation.
24:17 Do you know, most Futurists these days
24:20 believe that Gog and Magog represents Russia
24:25 that is going to come against the Holy Land.
24:28 That's what they believe.
24:29 But the interesting thing is, when you go to the book of
24:32 Revelation, it says that Gog and Magog comes from the
24:37 four corners of the earth.
24:40 It globalizes Gog and Magog.
24:43 And lo and behold, Gog and Magog is not Russia
24:46 before the thousand years.
24:48 Gog and Magog are spoken of after the thousand years.
24:52 And so, if you go back to the root prophecy,
24:56 you are protected from making big mistakes
24:59 in your interpretation of Bible prophecy.
25:01 Notice a little bit further down,
25:03 Revelation 13 verse 18.
25:05 Remember the number of the beast is 666?
25:09 Now let's go in our Bibles to 1 Kings chapter 10 and verse 14.
25:14 1 Kings chapter 10 and verse 14.
25:19 And notice something very interesting that we find
25:22 in this particular verse.
25:25 It's speaking about Solomon,
25:27 and the great wealth of Solomon.
25:31 It says there, "The weight of gold that came to Solomon yearly
25:38 was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold."
25:44 And then if you keep on reading the following verses,
25:48 and chapter 11 the first few verses,
25:51 you're going to find that Solomon comes to depend
25:56 on his riches and he fornicates with women from other nations.
26:02 Is that true of the power whose number is 666
26:06 in the book of Revelation?
26:07 It's the same context, folks.
26:09 So does it help to study the apostasy of Solomon
26:14 in order to understand the end time apostasy
26:16 within the church?
26:17 It most certainly does.
26:19 And so we need to go to where the number 666 is found.
26:24 And incidentally, we also, during our class,
26:27 spoke about Daniel 3 and verse 1.
26:30 Remember the dimensions of the image?
26:33 60 by 6, and the total is 360.
26:38 And the summary number of 360, you know,
26:43 if you add 1 through 36, the total is what?
26:47 666. We spoke about that.
26:50 Now what about Revelation 12 and verse 9?
26:52 A little bit further down.
26:54 The ancient serpent.
26:56 Why do you suppose it's called, the ancient serpent?
27:00 What is it hinting at?
27:03 It's saying, "Hey, if you want to understand this serpent here,
27:06 you have to go back to Genesis."
27:08 That's why it's called, the ancient serpent.
27:10 In other words, to understand Revelation chapter 12,
27:13 the devil in chapter 12, you have to go back
27:16 and understand the way that he worked in the book of Genesis.
27:20 You know, Revelation 14 verses 14 to 20,
27:23 we didn't have time to study this particular prophecy
27:26 in detail, but that totally comes from Joel 2 and Joel 3.
27:30 The idea of the winepress outside the city,
27:34 the nations gathering to destroy Jerusalem,
27:37 and God rebuking the nations.
27:39 Everything is there in the book of Joel, Joel 2 and Joel 3.
27:43 Revelation 12 verse 14, the eagle's wings.
27:47 You know, if you go to the Old Testament,
27:49 you're going to find that it represents God's salvation.
27:52 God rescuing His people from slavery.
27:55 Notice Exodus, let's read that, Exodus chapter 19 and verse 4.
28:00 Exodus 19 and verse 4.
28:03 God is speaking about what He did for Israel
28:06 when He took them out of Egypt.
28:07 He says, "You have seen what I did to the Egyptians,
28:10 how I bore you on..." What?
28:13 "...on eagles' wings..."
28:15 In other words, "I took you away from Pharaoh."
28:18 "...and brought you to Myself."
28:21 So in other words, He rescued Israel from slavery,
28:24 from slavery to Pharaoh, and he brought him to Himself.
28:29 Now Revelation 13:1-10, which is the next to the last item
28:33 that we have here, it comes from Daniel chapter 7, right?
28:37 Because the beast rules for 42 months,
28:40 it commits blasphemy, it persecutes the saints
28:43 of the Most High.
28:45 Identical things that the little horn did in chapter 7.
28:47 So we know that the beast is the same as the little horn
28:50 when you go back to the root prophecy in Daniel chapter 7.
28:54 You know, the two olive trees in Revelation 11 verse 4.
28:58 Very clearly, they come from Zechariah chapter 4
29:01 verses 1 to 6.
29:02 So if you want to understand the two olive trees
29:05 in Revelation 11, you have to go back to the root prophecy
29:08 which is found in Zechariah chapter 4
29:11 and verses 1 through 6.
29:14 Where do we get the little book episode of Revelation chapter 10
29:20 that we studied in our class yesterday?
29:23 Well, this idea of eating a book and having it be
29:27 sweet in the mouth and the need to proclaim the
29:29 contents of the book is found in Ezekiel 3.
29:33 Let's go there just for a moment.
29:34 We read it yesterday, but let's take a look at it again.
29:37 Ezekiel chapter 3 and verses 1 through 4.
29:41 Immediately you're going to see the connection.
29:43 It says there in verse 1, "Moreover He said to me,
29:47 'Son of man, eat what you find;
29:49 eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.'"
29:53 So he's suppose to eat it, and then what?
29:56 Speak the message.
29:58 "So I opened my mouth, and He caused me to eat that scroll.
30:02 And He said to me, 'Son of man, feed your belly,
30:05 and fill your stomach with this scroll that I give you.'
30:08 So I ate, and it was in my mouth like..." What?
30:11 "...like honey in sweetness.
30:13 Then He said to me, 'Son of man, go to the house of Israel
30:17 and speak with My words to them.'"
30:19 So what does it mean to eat the scroll?
30:21 It means you assimilate the message,
30:23 and then what do you do?
30:24 And then you go and you speak the message to others.
30:28 That helps us understand the context
30:30 of Revelation chapter 10.
30:32 Now what about the two-edged sword that comes out of
30:35 the mouth of the one who is seated on the white horse?
30:39 Well, let's go in our Bibles to Hebrews chapter 4
30:42 verses 12 and 13.
30:44 Hebrews chapter 4 verses 12 and 13
30:47 gives us what this means.
30:49 See, if you go to Revelation 19, you're going to imagine that
30:52 when Jesus comes, He's seated on a white horse
30:55 and He has a great big sword coming out of His mouth.
30:57 Well, this is symbolic language.
31:00 The horse represents He's coming as a King, as a conqueror.
31:03 And the sword is symbolic.
31:05 What does the sword symbolize?
31:07 Notice what we find in Hebrews 4 verses 12 and 13.
31:12 "For the word of God is living and powerful,
31:19 and sharper than any two-edged sword..."
31:22 So what is it when Jesus comes that comes out of His mouth?
31:25 His what?
31:27 His sharp word, is what's coming out.
31:30 "...piercing even to the division of soul and spirit,
31:33 and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of
31:36 the thoughts and intents of the heart.
31:39 And there is no creature hidden from His sight,
31:42 but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him
31:45 to whom we must give an account."
31:48 So do you see how important it is to go to other text
31:53 in the Bible to understand what the sword represents?
31:56 Now a little bit further down on page 35,
31:59 the Book of Life.
32:01 What does the Book of Life contain?
32:04 Folks, the Book of Life contains names.
32:07 The books contain the record of the life.
32:11 Now, the Book contains names, and those names are placed there
32:16 as people accept Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
32:20 In other words, when a person is baptized, their name
32:23 in chronological order is placed in the Book of Life.
32:28 And then later on, their life is examined in the judgment.
32:31 And if it is seen that that persons acceptance of Christ
32:35 was sincere and true, then their name is left
32:39 in the Book of Life.
32:40 So in other words, names are written in the Book of Life
32:44 chronologically according to when people accept
32:47 Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
32:49 That helps us understand why Ellen White says
32:52 that the judgment in 1844 began with those who first
32:56 lived upon the earth.
32:58 It's not in alphabetical order.
33:00 Praise the Lord for that.
33:01 You know, it's in chronological order.
33:05 Let me ask you, did Adam repent of his sin?
33:09 Of course he did.
33:10 Did he receive Christ as his Savior?
33:12 Yes, he sacrificed a lamb indicating that he repented
33:15 of his sin and he recognized that the Messiah was going to
33:18 save him from his sin.
33:19 And so he was the first one written in the Book of Life.
33:23 Are you following me or not?
33:25 So it is names that are written in the Book of Life.
33:28 And you have several text there.
33:30 You remember Daniel 12 verse 1.
33:32 Who are the ones who are going to be delivered
33:34 from the end time tribulation?
33:36 "Your people shall be delivered, everyone who is found
33:39 written in the Book," whose name is in the Book.
33:42 Isaiah 4 verses 2 and 3 has the same thing.
33:46 You remember when Moses, this is Exodus 32 verse 32,
33:50 when Moses interceded for Israel, he said,
33:52 "If you can't save this people, erase me from Your Book.
33:56 Eradicate me from Your Book.
33:58 Take my name out."
33:59 You know, Philippians 4 verse 3, the apostle Paul mentions
34:03 several of his fellow laborers whose names are written
34:06 in the book of Life.
34:08 So in other words, the Book of Life contains names.
34:11 And as you examine all of these text on the Book of Life,
34:15 you'll be able to gain a complete picture of what
34:18 is involved in the Book of Life.
34:22 Now we'll take maybe one or two more,
34:25 and then we need to move on.
34:26 Revelation chapter 12 and verse 7.
34:30 Michael.
34:32 Are there any other text in Scripture
34:34 that refer to Michael?
34:36 Absolutely.
34:37 Would it be helpful to go to those?
34:39 Incidentally, you know something very interesting?
34:41 The name Michael always appears in the context of Jesus
34:45 being in conflict with the devil.
34:49 Always.
34:51 And the name means, who is like God.
34:55 His name is a challenge.
34:58 And so, when Jesus is in controversy with the devil,
35:02 He says, "I am Michael, who is like God."
35:06 And of course, what can the devil answer?
35:09 He can't answer anything.
35:10 Because he knows that no one is like God.
35:13 So it's a beautiful name that is a challenge.
35:16 Now, let's just go to two more.
35:19 One is Revelation 13 verse 14 where it speaks about
35:23 the image, whoever doesn't worship the image
35:25 that was raised by the beast should be killed.
35:27 Where do we need to go to understand that?
35:30 We have to go to Daniel 3.
35:32 Because that's the background.
35:33 Is Babylon the power in Daniel 3?
35:36 Yes. Is Babylon the power in Revelation 13?
35:39 Yes.
35:40 The power in Revelation 13, is that a beast?
35:43 Yes.
35:44 In Daniel 3, was Nebuchadnezzar a beast for a while?
35:47 Absolutely.
35:48 Did Nebuchadnezzar command everyone to worship the image?
35:51 Is that true of Revelation 13?
35:53 Whoever didn't worship the image should be killed.
35:56 Absolutely.
35:57 So you know that in order to understand Revelation 13,
36:00 you have to go back to the historical root story
36:04 that we find in the Old Testament.
36:06 Now the final one that I want to take a look at
36:08 is about the half hour of silence.
36:12 Have you ever heard about that time,
36:13 Revelation chapter 8 and verse 1?
36:15 It's actually the seventh seal of Revelation.
36:20 Now, what is represented by this almost half an hour of silence?
36:25 It says, "about half an hour."
36:27 It doesn't say half hour. It says, "about half an hour."
36:30 What is represented by that?
36:32 You know, does it really represent the entire period
36:36 of the second coming of Christ from the time that Jesus
36:38 leaves heaven till the time that He arrives?
36:40 You know, I use to believe that until I started studying
36:43 this more carefully.
36:45 And I found this statement from the spirit of prophecy
36:47 that is very, very helpful.
36:49 Let's go to Revelation chapter 6
36:54 and let's read verses 14 through 17.
36:58 Revelation chapter 6 and verses 14 through 17.
37:04 This is describing the second coming.
37:06 It says, "Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is
37:09 rolled up, and every mountain and island was
37:12 moved out of its place.
37:14 And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men,
37:16 the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man,
37:20 hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains,
37:23 and said to the mountains and rocks, 'Fall on us
37:26 and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne
37:30 and from the wrath of the Lamb.
37:32 For the great day of His wrath has come,
37:34 and who is able to stand?'"
37:38 So you notice that it ends with a question.
37:41 "Who is able to stand?"
37:43 Now the question is, who are able to stand?
37:46 Well, you need to go to the next chapter.
37:49 What does the next chapter contain?
37:51 It contains the 144,000 being sealed.
37:54 Are those the ones who are going to be alive when Jesus comes?
37:57 Will they be able to stand?
38:00 Absolutely.
38:02 Now I want to read you this statement from,
38:04 Great Controversy, 641.
38:05 Notice where Ellen White locates this period of silence.
38:12 I'm reading from, Great Controversy, page 641.
38:15 "Before His presence, 'all faces are turned into paleness;'
38:22 upon the rejecters of God's mercy falls the
38:26 terror of eternal despair.
38:29 'The heart melteth, and the knees smite together,'
38:32 'and the faces of them all gather blackness.'"
38:36 Now listen carefully.
38:38 "The righteous cry with trembling,
38:41 'Who shall be able to stand?'"
38:46 Did you catch that? "Who shall be able..."
38:48 Is that the question that appears
38:49 at the end of Revelation 6?
38:51 Yes. "Who shall be able to stand?"
38:53 And now notice.
38:57 "The righteous cry with trembling,
38:59 'Who shall be able to stand?'
39:01 The angels' song is hushed, and there is a period
39:04 of awful silence."
39:09 What is the seventh seal?
39:12 A period of silence in heaven.
39:15 This is the period of silence.
39:18 And then notice, "The angels' song is hushed, and there is
39:22 a period of awful silence."
39:25 A period.
39:26 How much would that period be?
39:28 About a half hour.
39:29 Because the next seal is the seventh seal.
39:32 See?
39:34 The question is asked in the sixth seal,
39:36 "Who shall be able to stand."
39:38 The seventh seal is silence.
39:41 So here you have the people crying out,
39:43 "Who shall be able to stand?"
39:45 And the next seal is silence.
39:48 So it continues saying, "Then the righteous are lighted up..."
39:53 Excuse me, "Then the voice of Jesus is heard, saying,
39:55 'My grace is sufficient for you.'
39:58 The faces of the righteous are lighted up,
40:00 and joy fills every heart.
40:02 And the angels strike a note higher, and sing again,
40:06 as they draw still nearer to the earth."
40:10 So the question is, is it helpful for us
40:14 to go to other passages in Scripture
40:17 in order to understand what we find in the book of Revelation?
40:21 It is extremely important.
40:24 It is vitally important to do so.
40:27 And you have many other examples in your syllabus.
40:30 I just gave you a little sampling.
40:31 Now I want to give you an example that is
40:34 a little bit larger.
40:36 And that is the twenty-four elders.
40:40 And what we're going to do now is we're going to transition,
40:43 we're going to transition into our next principle.
40:46 And that is, how do we use the writings of Ellen White
40:51 in relationship to our study of Bible prophecy?
40:55 Now at the top of the page, the handout that you have,
40:59 there are some suggestions as to how to search for
41:03 prophetic fulfillments in the commentary that Ellen White
41:06 gives of those prophetic fulfillments.
41:09 Point number one, look in the Ellen White Scripture index
41:15 to see if she has any comments on that particular verse
41:18 or passage that you are studying.
41:21 You know that there's a CD-ROM right?
41:23 And there's a place where you can click where it says,
41:26 Scripture References.
41:28 And you can find there a list of the verses
41:33 that Ellen White has quotations on.
41:35 So you want to do that.
41:37 After you've searched for verses that Ellen White
41:40 might have used in her writings, then you do a word search...
41:45 Not a text search, but a word search.
41:48 ...to see if she alludes to the language of the particular
41:52 verse or passage that you are studying.
41:54 So first you do the text, and then you look and see,
41:58 you know, you can punch in several words,
42:00 to see if she uses those combinations of words.
42:04 The next point.
42:06 If she does not quote the particular verses you are
42:08 studying, check and see if she quotes any verses
42:12 in the surrounding context of the verses or passage.
42:17 In other words, if she doesn't quote the verse,
42:19 you look at if she quotes verses that come before or after
42:23 the passage that you're studying.
42:25 Because if she quotes the verses that come before or after,
42:29 you might be able to find the context.
42:32 And we're going to see that when we take a look at
42:34 Daniel 11 tomorrow.
42:36 Finally, look for thematic parallels between the
42:41 Bible passage and Ellen White's writings.
42:43 In other words, look at the sequence of events
42:46 to see if the sequence that Ellen White presents
42:49 is similar to the sequence that we find in the passage
42:53 that you are studying.
42:55 Now let's take the twenty-four elders as an example.
42:59 How many times does Ellen White mention
43:02 twenty-four elders in her writings?
43:06 Zero.
43:10 So if you punch in, "twenty-four elders,"
43:12 in the writings of Ellen White, you will find nothing.
43:16 So the conclusion is, Ellen White had nothing to say
43:19 about the twenty-four elders.
43:23 If you made that conclusion, you would be wrong.
43:25 And you would be missing out on something great.
43:29 Because Ellen White does have some very clear comments
43:32 on the twenty-four elders.
43:34 But you're not suppose to look only for twenty-four elders.
43:37 You're suppose to go to the Scripture index
43:39 to see if any of the verses in the surrounding context
43:43 are quoted by Ellen White.
43:44 Not the ones that say, "twenty-four elders,"
43:46 but the verses that surround that.
43:49 And then you're suppose to go and see if you can find
43:52 some of the terminology that you find in
43:58 the context of the elders to see if Ellen White
44:00 uses that terminology.
44:02 And then look at the structure, the sequence of what
44:06 the Bible says about the twenty-four elders,
44:08 to see if Ellen White has a similar sequence.
44:10 Are you following me?
44:12 Now, you have in your material what I believe to be
44:17 Ellen White's clear interpretation of
44:19 who the twenty-four elders are.
44:21 The traditional view in the Adventist church
44:23 is that the twenty-four elders represent those who resurrected
44:26 with Christ, and they were taken to heaven with Christ
44:30 as the firstfruits of the great harvest of souls that would
44:34 come forth from the grave when Jesus comes for the second time.
44:38 As I've studied, I've discovered that, really, that is not
44:42 the correct interpretation.
44:45 And you're going to notice here the reason why.
44:49 In the last three pages of, The Desire of Ages,
44:52 pages 833-835, Ellen White describes the expectancy
44:58 of the heavenly beings as they anticipate
45:00 the ascension of Jesus.
45:02 In other words, she's commenting on Revelation 4.
45:05 There's a throne there.
45:07 There's one seated on the throne.
45:09 There's a rainbow over the throne.
45:12 Present there are four living creatures.
45:15 Present there are twenty-four elders.
45:18 And before the throne are the seven lamps of fire,
45:21 representing the Holy Spirit.
45:22 If you read the biblical passage, those are the
45:25 beings that are present there in Revelation 4.
45:28 But in Revelation 4, Jesus isn't there.
45:33 And the angelic hosts are not there.
45:35 And so you ask the question, you say,
45:37 "Why in Revelation 4 do you have the living creatures,
45:41 you have the twenty-four elders, you have a symbol for the
45:44 Holy Spirit, you have the Father sitting on the throne,
45:46 but Jesus isn't there and the angels aren't there.
45:49 And the reason is very simple.
45:51 A group of angels have gone to the gates of the city
45:55 to anticipate the arrival of Christ,
45:57 and other angels have come to earth to pick Him up.
46:01 And so in chapter 4, they're preparing the heavenly
46:03 throne room for the arrival of Jesus.
46:06 That's why Jesus isn't there.
46:09 And that's why the angelic hosts are not there.
46:11 Because some of them are there at the entrance to the city,
46:15 and then there are others who came to pick Jesus up
46:19 to take Him to heaven.
46:20 Was Jesus caught up in a cloud when He went to heaven?
46:23 He most certainly was.
46:24 Now, let's continue here.
46:26 They're anticipating the arrival of Jesus in heaven.
46:29 Now I'm going to read the statement from, Desire of Ages.
46:32 It's a long statement.
46:34 And I've added explanations in brackets.
46:38 Those are my words, not Ellen White's words.
46:41 Listen to what she says.
46:44 "All heaven was waiting to welcome the Saviour
46:47 to the celestial courts.
46:48 As He ascended, He led the way,
46:52 and the multitude of captives..."
46:56 So Jesus is ascending, and the captives are
46:58 coming with Him, right?
47:00 But the problem is, in Revelation chapter 4
47:03 the twenty-four elders were already there
47:04 before Jesus got there.
47:08 Are you with me?
47:11 Now she continues saying, "All heaven was waiting
47:13 to welcome the Saviour to the celestial courts.
47:16 As He ascended, He led the way,
47:19 and the multitude of captives set free at His
47:22 resurrection followed.
47:24 The heavenly host, with shouts and acclamations of praise
47:27 and celestial song, attended the joyous train."
47:30 So is the heavenly host with Him?
47:32 Absolutely.
47:33 "As they drew near to the city of God,
47:35 the challenge is given by the escorting angels,
47:38 'Lift up your heads, O ye gates;
47:39 and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors;
47:42 and the King of glory shall come in.'
47:44 Joyfully the waiting sentinels respond..."
47:47 See, there's some inside too, right?
47:49 "...the waiting sentinels inside respond,
47:52 'Who is this King of glory?'
47:54 This they say, not because they know not who He is,
47:57 but because they would hear the answer of exalted praise,
48:00 'The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle!
48:02 Lift up your heads, O ye gates;
48:04 Even lift them up, ye everlasting doors;
48:07 And the King of glory shall come in.'
48:09 Again is heard the challenge, 'Who is this King of glory?'
48:12 For the angels never weary of hearing His name exalted.
48:16 The escorting angels make reply,
48:18 'The Lord of hosts; He is the King of glory.'
48:22 Then the portals of the city of God are opened wide,
48:25 and the angelic throng sweep through the gates amid
48:30 a burst of rapturous music."
48:33 And now notice, this is very interesting.
48:36 "There is the throne..."
48:40 Is there a throne in Revelation 4?
48:42 Revelation 4:2.
48:43 "...and around it the rainbow of promise."
48:47 Does Revelation 4 have a rainbow over the throne?
48:49 Revelation 4 verse 3.
48:51 "There are cherubim and seraphim."
48:56 Do you know, Revelation mentions the seraphim.
48:58 Because it says that the angels have six wings.
49:02 So, "There are cherubim and seraphim."
49:05 And then she uses three parallel phrases.
49:08 She uses three parallel phrases.
49:11 And some people have said, "Well, these are each
49:13 a different group."
49:14 But they're not.
49:16 They're the same group described in three different ways.
49:18 She says, "The commanders of the angel hosts, the sons of God,
49:23 the representatives of the unfallen worlds, are assembled."
49:27 Who would those be?
49:29 The twenty-four elders.
49:31 Because already she's spoken about the throne.
49:35 And of course, there's One sitting on the throne.
49:37 She's spoken about the cherubim and seraphim.
49:39 Those are the four living creatures, clearly.
49:42 So what is the only group that remains to be identified?
49:46 The twenty-four elders.
49:48 So she's saying that the twenty-four elders are the
49:50 commanders of the angel hosts, the sons of God,
49:53 the representatives of the unfallen worlds.
49:57 Then she explains.
49:58 "The heavenly council before which Lucifer had accused
50:01 God and His Son, the representatives of those
50:03 sinless realms over which Satan had thought to establish
50:07 his dominion, all are there to..." What?
50:10 "...to welcome the Redeemer.
50:12 They are eager to celebrate His triumph
50:14 and to glorify their King."
50:18 Now notice.
50:19 By the way, does Jesus present Himself in chapter 5?
50:24 How does He present Himself?
50:26 As the Lamb as though He had been slain.
50:30 Are the angels there too?
50:32 Ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands.
50:36 They were missing in chapter 4, but they are there in chapter 5.
50:39 Why are they in chapter 5?
50:42 Because they ascended with Jesus.
50:44 Now notice.
50:45 "But He waves them back.
50:47 Not yet.
50:48 He cannot now receive the coronet of glory
50:51 and the royal robe.
50:52 He enters into the presence of His Father."
50:55 Ah, we know who's the one seated on the throne now.
50:58 "He enters into the presence of His Father.
51:01 He points to His wounded head, the pierced side,
51:04 the marred feet;
51:05 He lifts His hands, bearing the print of the nails."
51:07 How is he presenting Himself?
51:08 As a Lamb as though it had been slain.
51:12 That's the terminology in Revelation.
51:14 It's not Ellen White's terminology.
51:16 Is she commenting on Revelation 4 and 5?
51:18 She most certainly is.
51:20 Now notice.
51:21 She continues saying, "He points to the tokens of His triumph;
51:25 He presents to God the wave sheaf, those raised with Him
51:29 as representatives of that great multitude who shall come forth
51:31 from the grave at His second coming.
51:35 He approaches the Father..."
51:38 That's the one who is seated on the throne.
51:39 "...with whom there is joy over one sinner that repents;
51:42 who rejoices over one with singing.
51:44 Before the foundations of the earth were laid,
51:46 the Father and the Son had united in a covenant
51:48 to redeem man if he should be overcome by Satan.
51:52 This pledge Christ has fulfilled."
51:55 Well, we need to go up a little bit.
51:57 "They had clasped Their hands in a solemn pledge
51:59 that Christ should become the surety for the human race.
52:03 This pledge Christ has fulfilled.
52:05 When upon the cross He cried out, 'It is finished,'
52:07 He addressed the Father.
52:08 The compact had been fully carried out.
52:11 Now He declares, 'Father, it is finished.
52:13 I have done Thy will, O My God.
52:15 I have completed the work of redemption.
52:17 If Thy justice is satisfied, "I will that they also,
52:21 whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am."'"
52:26 So Jesus is saying, "I need to know if My sacrifice
52:28 is sufficient to bring My people home."
52:31 "The voice of God is heard proclaiming
52:33 that justice is satisfied.
52:35 Satan is vanquished.
52:36 Christ's toiling, struggling ones on earth
52:39 are 'accepted in the Beloved.'
52:41 Before the heavenly angels..."
52:43 Now notice.
52:44 "Before the heavenly angels and the representatives
52:47 of the unfallen worlds..."
52:49 Are they two different groups?
52:50 Absolutely.
52:52 "...they are declared justified.
52:54 Where He is, there His church shall be.
52:57 'Mercy and truth are met together;
52:58 righteousness and peace have kissed each other.'
53:01 The Father's arms encircle His Son, and the word is given,
53:04 'Let all the angels of God worship Him.'"
53:06 And now you say, "How do you know that...
53:09 How did you find this out?"
53:10 Because Ellen White quotes verses that come afterwards.
53:16 She quotes Revelation 5:12-13.
53:20 And so if she quotes Revelation 5:12-13,
53:23 then I need to read what comes before.
53:27 Are you understanding?
53:30 "With joy unutterable, rulers and principalities and powers
53:33 acknowledge the supremacy of the Prince of life.
53:36 The angel host prostrate themselves before Him,
53:39 while the glad shout fills all the courts of heaven,
53:41 'Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power,
53:44 and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor,
53:46 and glory, and blessing.'
53:47 Revelation 5 verse 12.
53:49 Songs of triumph mingle with the music from angel harps,
53:53 till heaven seems to overflow with joy and praise.
53:56 Love has conquered. The lost is found.
53:58 Heaven rings with voices in lofty strains proclaiming,
54:01 'Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power,
54:05 be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne,
54:07 and unto the Lamb forever and ever.'
54:09 Revelation 5 and verse 13."
54:14 So are we on the right track?
54:15 She does quote verses.
54:17 She doesn't say, "Twenty-four elders,"
54:20 but she quotes verses.
54:21 And you can work your way backwards
54:24 to find out how she understood the twenty-four elders.
54:28 Now some people say, "Oh Pastor Bohr,
54:31 but you're wrong, because the expression,
54:33 'sons of God,' 'representatives of the unfallen worlds,'
54:37 and, 'the commanders of the angel host,'
54:40 those are three different groups."
54:42 No they're not.
54:43 That is a common way of Ellen White expressing things.
54:47 Emphasizing the same thing three times.
54:49 Let me give you here three examples.
54:53 In the middle of the page, Christian Service, page 42.
54:57 "Revival signifies a renewal of spiritual life,
55:02 a quickening of the powers of mind and heart,
55:06 a resurrection from spiritual death."
55:08 Are those three phrases the same thing?
55:11 Yes they are.
55:12 Notice another one.
55:14 3 Selected Messages, page 392.
55:16 She says, "There will be a universal bond of union,
55:20 one great harmony,
55:21 a confederacy of Satan's forces."
55:24 Is that the same thing in different words?
55:26 Absolutely.
55:28 And then we have in, Desire of Ages, page 530,
55:30 she says, "In Christ is life;
55:33 original, unborrowed, underived."
55:36 It is a common way of Ellen White writing.
55:39 So you're not dealing with three separate groups.
55:41 You are dealing with one specific group.
55:45 So the question is, who are the twenty-four elders?
55:47 Does Ellen White have anything to say about the
55:49 twenty-four elders?
55:51 Yes she does.
55:53 Would you know it if you looked for the expression?
55:56 No.
55:58 Would you know it if you looked for verses where the
56:00 twenty-four elders appear?
56:01 No, you wouldn't know it.
56:02 And so you say, "Well, Ellen White doesn't have anything
56:06 to say about the twenty-four elders."
56:07 Yes she does.
56:09 What you do is you look if she quotes any verses
56:12 either before or after.
56:13 And then you work your way backwards
56:16 or you work your way forwards.
56:18 Because she's using those text in context.
56:21 And you know that what comes before
56:23 is connected with that quote.
56:25 Are you with me?
56:27 And we're going to find this time and again
56:29 in the writings of Ellen G. White
56:31 where she doesn't seem to refer to anything.
56:34 Like, for example, tomorrow afternoon we're going to
56:36 talk about Daniel 11:40-45.
56:40 Not once does Ellen White quote those verses.
56:42 She doesn't even use the language from those verses.
56:45 And so people say, "Ellen White had nothing to say
56:48 about Daniel 11:40-45."
56:50 But you know what's interesting?
56:51 She does have something to say about
56:53 Daniel chapter 12 and verse 1.
56:55 The very next verse.
56:57 And so we're going to work our way backwards.
57:00 And we're going to see that with the reference point of
57:02 Daniel 12 verse 1, we can find in her writings
57:06 what she had to say about what comes before
57:09 Daniel chapter 12 and verse 1.
57:11 We're going to do the same thing in our next session together
57:14 when we study about the battle of Armageddon.
57:17 You see, she doesn't use in, Great Controversy,
57:20 the word, "Armageddon."
57:22 So some people say, you know, "Ellen White didn't have
57:23 anything to say in Revelation about Armageddon."
57:26 Don't fool yourself.
57:28 She had a lot to say about Armageddon.
57:30 But she just doesn't use the word.
57:32 Don't necessarily look for the word.
57:34 Don't necessarily look for the text.
57:36 Look for the structure.
57:38 Look for where she quotes surrounding verses
57:41 and uses similar terminology.


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Revised 2015-08-25