Participants:
Series Code: FGW
Program Code: FGW210048S
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00:27 Greetings and welcome to another episode
00:31 on Focus on God's Word. 00:33 My name is Danny Milenkov and I'm blessed 00:36 to be moving into this series on the story of Noah, 00:42 this incredible story that we find in the Book of Genesis, 00:45 that unpacks what the Bible has to say, 00:49 not only about the time of Noah, 00:51 but more importantly, as Jesus said, 00:54 as it was in the days of Noah, 00:56 so it will be in the days before I come. 00:58 So from wherever you are watching, 01:00 I wanna give you a big warm welcome, 01:03 and I thank God that you have chosen to join with me 01:06 as we journey through this incredible story 01:08 in the Book of Genesis. 01:09 Those who are here in our 3ABN studio 01:13 here in beautiful Lake Macquarie, 01:15 New South Wales, Australia. 01:17 I wanna give you a big warm welcome. 01:19 And this is the fifth part in this series. 01:23 And today's message follows on from the previous message 01:27 that is part four. 01:29 The title of that was Crumbling Foundation. 01:31 So this is really part two. 01:33 So I wanna encourage you 01:34 to ensure that you've watched part four 01:37 in order to have a good grasp and a good foundation 01:40 of what we'll be looking at in this particular message 01:43 and this message I've entitled 01:46 God's End Time Covenant of Love. 01:50 As I pointed out, Jesus said that the story of Noah 01:54 was especially significant for those that would be living 01:58 just before He returns, for He said in Matthew 24 02:01 and Luke 17, 02:02 as it was in the days of Noah. 02:04 And He also added Lot in Luke Chapter 17. 02:07 So it will be before the Son of Man returns. 02:11 And as I have been watching and viewing 02:14 the things that have been taking place in the world, 02:16 especially in the last couple of decades, 02:19 I am coming to the conclusion more and more 02:22 with each passing day that we are indeed living 02:25 on the verge of a stupendous crisis. 02:28 I really do believe 02:29 that the coming of Jesus is very, very near. 02:33 And this message is especially relevant and important 02:37 to those who are living 02:38 at the very close of earth's history. 02:41 So let's remind ourselves of the three key points 02:44 that come out of the story of Noah. 02:46 Firstly, we discover that the story of Noah 02:50 clearly identifies earth's final generation, 02:53 and we have discovered that we are that final generation. 02:57 Secondly, the story of Noah enables us to know 03:00 and understand how we can be ready 03:02 when the Son of Man returns. 03:04 And third and most important of all, 03:07 I would suggest is this, 03:09 that the story of Noah provides instruction 03:12 on how we can prepare others for Jesus' soon return. 03:16 Noah was a man of righteousness. 03:18 Noah was a man who not only prepared himself 03:22 and his family, 03:23 but he was also a man who was focused 03:26 on preparing the world at his time 03:30 for safety in the ark 03:33 when the flood would come. 03:34 So Noah was a man 03:36 who aimed to save the people of his day. 03:40 And so God too wants to use us in that very same way. 03:44 Now, before we plunge into this all important message, 03:46 we need to do something extremely important 03:48 before we open up God's Word and what's that? 03:51 We need to pray. 03:52 So let's pause and pray one more time. 03:54 Father in heaven, we ask and pray 03:56 that You will bless our time together in Your Word 03:59 as we open Your Holy Word Father 04:01 and unpack a little more from the story of Noah, 04:05 this incredible story that You have given us 04:07 in Holy Scripture. 04:09 We pray that Your Holy Spirit will illuminate our minds 04:11 and our hearts, in Jesus' name we pray. 04:15 Amen. 04:16 Amen. 04:17 In our last message we discovered 04:19 that at the beginning of time, 04:21 when God created this world in six 24 hour days. 04:26 The Bible uses a word in those last three days 04:30 of the seven day week, the first seven day week 04:33 that we don't find 04:34 in the first four days of creation. 04:37 And that word begins with B. 04:39 Did someone remember from our last message? 04:42 It's the word blessed, blessed. 04:44 The Bible says that God poured out His blessing 04:50 on the animals and all of nature. 04:53 He also poured out His blessing on marriage and the family. 04:58 And the Bible also says 05:00 that God poured out His blessing 05:02 on the seventh day Sabbath. 05:04 Now we took a look at the first two blessings, 05:08 the animals, marriage, and the family. 05:12 We discovered that God created a beautiful environment 05:17 where the animals could flourish. 05:19 And He created a beautiful environment 05:21 where humanity could flourish. 05:24 And we discovered that 05:26 as we drew near to the time of the flood, 05:29 the enemy came in and he destroyed 05:32 or was destroying in a process of destroying God's creation. 05:37 And people were destroying themselves. 05:38 There was no value in human life. 05:41 There was no value in animal life. 05:44 And then we also discovered in our last message, 05:47 that from the time of the flood, after the flood, 05:51 all the way to our day in particular, 05:54 sadly, the enemy has been at work. 05:57 And today we find ourselves living in a world that is, 06:01 that is being ravaged by abuse 06:04 when it comes to the environment. 06:06 Now, you know, instead of taking care 06:08 of the environment, 06:09 we find ourselves in a world where we are exploiting 06:12 the environment more and more, 06:14 and the animals and there's extinction 06:16 on a scale that we have not seen before. 06:18 A marriage and the family, let's not even go there. 06:22 Marriage and the family is being destroyed by the enemy 06:26 because he knows that is the very foundation 06:29 for a healthy and a prosperous society. 06:33 Now, when it comes to the seventh day Sabbath, 06:36 this is the third and final blessing. 06:38 And let me suggest, this is the climax 06:42 of all three of the blessings 06:44 that bring the other two together in a beautiful way. 06:48 Now, when it comes to the seventh day Sabbath, 06:52 I discovered as I read the creation account, 06:55 that this indeed is the climax of God's work 06:59 of the seventh day week. 07:01 And it has special significance for us today. 07:04 And in fact, in Genesis, notice what we have here 07:09 when it comes to how God forms and then how God feels. 07:13 I'm gonna give you this little graph, 07:17 I guess you could call it, 07:19 this information graph that I picked up 07:21 out of my Andrews Study Bible. 07:23 And you can see there on your screen that on day one, 07:27 God creates light. 07:29 And on day four, God fills that light with the sun, 07:33 the moon and the stars. 07:34 On day two, God forms the firmament. 07:37 That is the sky and the seas. 07:40 And on day five, God fills the sky with the birds 07:45 and God fills the sea with the fish. 07:48 On day six, God creates dry land and vegetation. 07:53 And on day three, did I say, I'm not sure 07:56 if I said day three, on day three, 07:57 He created dry land and vegetation and on day six 08:00 He filled that with land animals and human beings. 08:05 But we know that in a week we have how many days? 08:08 We have seven days. 08:10 So what did God create on the seventh day? 08:14 He actually didn't create anything. 08:15 The Bible says He rested. 08:17 He blessed the day, He rested and He sanctified it. 08:21 So what did God fill 08:23 that seventh day that He formed? 08:26 He filled it with His blessing. 08:29 He filled it with His presence. 08:31 He filled it with His joy. 08:33 He filled it with His delight. 08:34 And so the seventh day, 08:37 according to the Genesis creation account 08:40 is the very climax. 08:41 It's the bullseye if you like. 08:43 The bullseye of creation. 08:45 And we looked at that in a previous presentation 08:47 where we discovered there is a bullseye 08:49 in the story of Noah that God remembered Noah 08:53 and that's in Genesis 8:1. 08:55 And so the Sabbath is God's bullseye. 08:59 So as I have been reading through the story of Noah, 09:04 I was asking myself this question, 09:06 Lord, at the beginning of time, 09:10 You created blessings 09:13 for the animals and all of nature. 09:15 You created a blessing for marriage and the family. 09:19 You also created a blessing for those that would enter 09:22 into your rest each and every Sabbath day. 09:26 And we discovered that after the flood, 09:28 God blessed all of the animals and He blessed all of nature. 09:34 After the flood, God blessed marriage and the family 09:38 and in both situations with the animals 09:40 and with marriage and the family God said, 09:41 be fruitful and multiply using the same language 09:44 that we find in the Genesis creation account, 09:47 be fruitful and multiply. 09:48 And so I was asking myself, 09:50 Lord, what about the seventh day Sabbath? 09:53 Where is the seventh day Sabbath? 09:54 Did you after the flood 09:58 reestablish and reinstate the seventh day Sabbath 10:03 that You gave at creation 10:05 that would continue all the way through to the end of time? 10:08 Is it there in the story? 10:10 And I couldn't find it to begin with. 10:12 And so I'm looking and I'm praying, 10:14 and I'm looking and I'm praying, 10:15 and I'm reading and I'm reading, 10:17 and all of a sudden God in His mercy and in His grace 10:22 showed me the seventh day Sabbath 10:28 post flood, after the flood. 10:31 Wow! 10:32 And I was just so blessed. 10:35 And so what I'm gonna share with you in this message. 10:38 I have not read in any book 10:40 or have not heard in any sermon, 10:43 but it is simply through the inspiration 10:45 that God has given me. 10:46 So I give God all the credit, 10:48 all the glory and all the thanks 10:49 for what He has shared with me, 10:52 that I today have the privilege of sharing with you. 10:56 So wherever you are watching, you are going to be blessed 11:00 in what we're going to unpack, 11:01 because we are going to discover together 11:05 that the Sabbath blessing is embedded 11:10 in the story of Noah and it's especially relevant 11:14 for those who will be living at the end of time. 11:19 Where is the Sabbath blessing embedded? 11:21 In one word? 11:22 And that word is beginning with C, 11:25 that word is the word covenant, covenant. 11:28 We discover in the Book of Genesis 11:31 that the word covenant is first used. 11:34 Once God uses the word before the flood, 11:38 and seven times after the flood. 11:41 Seven being God's number, 11:43 seven being the number of perfection, 11:45 seven being the day of the Sabbath. 11:48 And that's very significant in and of itself. 11:51 But before we take a look at where this word appears, 11:54 and we're gonna take a look at all eight references 11:57 to the covenant in the story of Noah. 12:00 Before we do that, let's just take a look at 12:03 what the word covenant means. 12:06 Now the word covenant, it means alliance, 12:10 solemn pledge or a binding agreement. 12:14 That's what the word covenant means according to Scripture. 12:17 Now, covenants in Scripture were made 12:21 between God and human beings, 12:22 as well as between human beings. 12:27 So when it comes to the covenant 12:29 that is made between individuals, 12:32 okay, covenant between men. 12:35 And I mean that in a generic sense. 12:38 According to Scripture, it's a friendship alliance, 12:41 an agreement, a pledge, a treaty, a marriage alliance, 12:45 and we call it, you know, the marital covenant, 12:48 monarch with subjects 12:50 through a constitution or ordinance. 12:53 So that's the covenant between individuals. 12:56 Now what about the covenant between God and man? 13:00 Well, the covenant between God and man 13:03 signifies a divine alliance of friendship with ordinances, 13:08 signs or pledges. 13:10 Notice those words, signs or pledges. 13:13 So that's what we have in Scripture. 13:16 And that's what we have in ancient time's covenants. 13:20 They have come down to us from the beginning of time. 13:24 Now in the Andrews Study Bible that I have, 13:27 there is an interesting summary of the covenant 13:32 that God makes with individuals. 13:34 And I think this is a beautiful summary 13:35 that really captures the very heart of the covenant 13:39 that God initiates and makes with human beings. 13:43 Notice these words from the Andrew Study Bible. 13:46 "God's covenant with humanity is unilateral. 13:50 That is He's taking the initiative. 13:53 There are conditions and requirements, 13:55 but it is God's grace. 13:57 Notice, it is God's grace 13:58 that is foundational to the covenant, 14:01 with humanity responding by what? 14:04 Faith and obedience. 14:07 So that is the covenant in a nutshell. 14:10 God pours out His grace 14:13 upon an individual or upon the world. 14:17 That's the Sabbath, that's all of God's blessings. 14:21 They come in a covenant form 14:24 and then He invites us to respond to His covenant 14:29 through faith and through obedience. 14:33 So let's take a look at this word, covenant. 14:37 We're gonna go to the first time that is used. 14:40 And immediately prior to the flood, 14:44 this is what God says to Noah. 14:46 If you have your Bibles, feel free to turn with me 14:49 as we take a look at these words. 14:52 In Genesis 6:17-19. 14:57 Genesis 6:17-19, here the first time 15:03 we have that term covenant mentioned in all of Scripture. 15:07 Verse 17, God speaking to Noah, He says, "And behold, 15:12 I Myself am bringing floodwaters on the earth, 15:16 to destroy from under heaven all flesh 15:18 in which is the breath of life, 15:20 everything that is on the earth shall die." 15:23 But God goes on, 15:25 "I will establish My covenant with you, 15:28 and you shall go into the ark, 15:30 you, your sons, your wife, and your sons' wives with you. 15:34 And of every living thing of all flesh 15:36 you shall bring two of every sort into the ark, 15:38 to keep them alive with you, 15:40 they shall be male and female." 15:43 So here we have 15:45 the first mention of the word covenant. 15:48 God says to Noah, I'm making a covenant with you 15:53 and with all of the animals. 15:55 With you and your family and all of the animals, 15:58 and I am going to spare you. 16:00 I am going to save you and all those, 16:03 all those that want to join you. 16:04 This was an open invitation. 16:06 God wasn't only concerned about Noah and his family, 16:11 that is Noah and his wife 16:12 and his three sons and their wives, 16:14 eight individuals in total. 16:16 God wanted to save the entire world. 16:18 Now you may be thinking, Danny, timeout, timeout, timeout. 16:23 How many years of history have gone by 16:25 since the days of Adam and Eve? 16:28 Over 1500 years, 16:31 how on earth can God fit 16:35 that many people over 1500 years 16:38 when people are living almost a thousand years, 16:41 how on earth can God fit them all in one boat 16:45 that is 450 feet wide, 16:48 70, sorry, 450 feet long I should say, 16:52 75 feet wide and 45 feet high, 16:57 three story boat. 16:59 How on earth is He gonna fit the entire world population 17:03 in a boat that size? 17:05 And that's a good question. 17:06 And thank you for asking that if you were thinking that. 17:09 How on earth is God gonna do it? 17:12 Well, the truth is, God did not need to send a flood. 17:17 You're thinking what? 17:18 What do you mean God did not need to send a flood? 17:20 He said, I'm gonna send a flood. 17:23 God's didn't want to send a flood. 17:27 There was no other choice that God had. 17:30 God's plan was to save human beings. 17:34 God's plan was to spare the human race from a flood. 17:38 God's plan was to avert the flood. 17:43 And you may thinking, what do you mean? 17:45 Well, let's remind ourselves of the story of Jonah, 17:49 the story of Jonah many years beyond the time of the flood. 17:53 Where God said to Jonah, go 17:55 and tell the people of Nineveh in 40 days, 17:58 I'm going to wipe off this city from the face of the earth. 18:01 I'm gonna bring down fire and it's gonna be gone. 18:04 And what did the people of Nineveh do 18:06 during the time of Jonah? 18:08 They repented, they repented 18:11 and did God spare that city with 120,000 people 18:16 with 120,000 adults, I should say, 18:19 plus children, plus cattle, plus everything the Bible says. 18:22 Yes, God spared that city. 18:25 God is in the business of saving and sparing, 18:29 not destroying. 18:32 And so God would have averted the flood 18:35 if the people would have repented, 18:37 He would have had another plan in place. 18:41 So how does Noah respond 18:47 to God's covenant promise? 18:49 How does Noah respond to God's covenant promise? 18:53 We continue reading. 18:54 In Genesis 6:22, we read these words, 18:59 in Genesis 6:22, "Thus Noah did, 19:03 according to all that God commanded him, so he did." 19:08 Notice, Noah here expresses, you know, genuine faith 19:13 and obedience and trust. 19:17 And the Bible says in Genesis 7:16, 19:21 "So those that entered male and female of all flesh, 19:24 went in as God had commanded him, 19:26 and the Lord shut him in." 19:29 The Lord sealed, Noah. 19:32 The Lord preserved his life. 19:34 The Lord kept him safe. 19:38 In Genesis 8:1, we discovered in a previous message 19:43 that this is the very heart of the Noah story. 19:46 This story that's in the form of a chiasm, 19:49 okay, with a bullseye is right at the very center. 19:53 And we read these words, "Then God remembered Noah, 19:56 and every living thing, 19:58 and all the animals that were with him in the ark. 20:02 God remembered Noah, 20:05 who, with whom He established His covenant. 20:08 The two go hand together, a hand in hand together. 20:12 Throughout Scripture, 20:14 when God establishes His covenant, 20:18 He remembers His people and He blesses them. 20:22 Can you say amen? 20:24 When God establishes His covenant, 20:28 He remembers His people 20:30 and He blesses them and He preserves them 20:32 and He shuts them in to His presence. 20:37 He shuts them in and He protects them 20:42 and He places them in His loving care. 20:44 So how does Noah respond to God's covenant 20:49 of grace and deliverance? 20:52 After the flood, the flood has come and gone. 20:57 And now Noah responds in this way. 21:02 Genesis 8:20, we read, 21:06 "Then Noah built an altar to the Lord, 21:08 and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird, 21:11 and offered burnt offerings on the altar." 21:15 This is what Noah does. 21:16 The very first thing that he does 21:18 after he exits the ark, 21:20 after God has preserved his life 21:22 and the life of his family and all the animals. 21:25 And by the way, they were in lockdown 21:26 for over a year. 21:28 And I say, you and I, 21:29 we complain about lockdown today, 21:32 but they were in lockdown, 21:33 serious lockdown for over one year 21:35 they were in the ark 21:37 according to the biblical record. 21:40 Now, Noah recognized 21:42 that it wasn't his engineering skills 21:45 that saved the day, 21:47 because this storm that was beyond 21:49 what you and I can comprehend could only be averted. 21:54 Death could only be averted 21:56 if God's angels protected this ark, 22:01 this boat. 22:03 And that's exactly what God did. 22:05 Through His angels, He protected this ark. 22:09 There's a beautiful insight that we're reading Patriarchs 22:12 and Prophets of what Noah has done after the flood, 22:17 how he has expressed his love, his faithfulness, 22:20 his thankfulness to God. 22:21 Notice these words from Patriarchs and Prophets 22:24 written by Ellen White. 22:26 And she writes these words, 22:28 "In the joy of their release 22:30 Noah did not forget Him by whose gracious care 22:33 they had been preserved. 22:35 His first act, notice, 22:37 his very first act after leaving the ark 22:41 was to build an altar and offer 22:43 from every kind of clean beast and fowl a sacrifice, 22:47 thus manifesting his gratitude to God 22:49 for deliverance and his faith in Christ, 22:52 the great sacrifice. 22:55 Here was a lesson for all succeeding generations. 22:58 Noah had come forth upon a desolate earth, 23:01 but before preparing a house for himself, 23:04 he built an altar to God. 23:07 His stock of cattle was small, 23:09 and had been preserved at great expense, 23:11 yet he cheerfully gave a part to the Lord 23:15 as an acknowledgement that all was His." 23:19 Notice, as far as Noah was concerned, 23:23 his first act was to show forth his devotion, 23:27 his love toward God. 23:29 And although he only had a small flock, 23:33 he only had seven pairs of all the clean animals. 23:37 And they were the only animals 23:39 that were appropriate for being, 23:41 for sacrifice to God. 23:44 And even though he only had a little, 23:47 he still gave of his very best, 23:51 and he gave to God first. 23:54 That reminds me of the words of Jesus in Matthew 6:33, 23:58 where Jesus said, seek ye first what? 24:01 The kingdom of God and his what? 24:04 Righteousness, 24:05 and all these other things shall be added unto you. 24:07 And Noah was a man of righteousness 24:10 who preached a message of righteousness, 24:13 who sought first God's kingdom, 24:15 the things of God's kingdom and his righteousness. 24:18 And that's a lesson for all of us 24:20 to put God first in all things. 24:22 And if we put God first in all things, 24:24 He has promised to do what? 24:27 To bless us, to bless us. God will never let you down. 24:31 And so how does God respond to Noah's act 24:34 of sacrifice and devotion? 24:36 Notice what we continue to read in Genesis verse, 24:40 in Genesis 8:21-22. 24:43 We read these words, 24:45 "And the Lord smelled a soothing aroma. 24:49 Then the Lord said in His heart, 24:51 'I will never again curse the ground for man's sake, 24:53 although the imagination of man's heart 24:57 is evil from his youth, 24:59 nor will I again destroy 25:01 every living thing as I have done." 25:03 Instead God makes a promise, 25:05 "While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, 25:08 cold and heat, winter and summer, 25:11 and day and night shall not cease." 25:17 God makes a promise to Noah, to his family 25:20 and to the entire world 25:23 that for the rest of human history, 25:26 until the coming of Jesus, they will never, 25:29 ever again be a worldwide flood, 25:34 never again, a worldwide flood. 25:37 So now you may be thinking, Danny, 25:40 that's very interesting and that's insightful. 25:45 But, Danny, where is this link? 25:48 Where is this link between the covenant 25:54 that God made with Noah and all creation 25:58 and the seventh day? 26:00 Where is this link? 26:02 Where is this link? 26:06 And now we're going to unpack 26:10 and explore this beautiful insight 26:15 that God gave to me that, 26:18 that brings together God's covenant 26:22 of love with Noah after the flood. 26:26 And God's Sabbath from creation to all of humanity 26:31 for the rest of human history 26:32 and into eternity as we will discover. 26:36 So now we're gonna continue reading. 26:39 We're gonna continue reading 26:42 the answer to this question, 26:45 and we're gonna discover the next seven times 26:48 the word covenant is used and what seven once again? 26:53 It's God's number. 26:55 It's God's number of perfection. 26:57 All the way through Scripture, 26:59 seven is God's number of perfection. 27:01 And this seven, 27:03 I believe also is another indicator 27:05 that God here is trying to send us a message, 27:08 trying to send us back to creation, 27:10 back to the Sabbath of creation. 27:12 Notice these words. 27:15 Verse 8. 27:16 We'll begin in verse 8 of Chapter 9, Genesis 9:8, 27:20 "Then God spoke to Noah and to his sons 27:22 and with him saying. 27:24 'And as for Me, behold, 27:26 I establish My covenant with you 27:28 and with your descendants after you, 27:30 and with every living creature that is with you: the birds, 27:33 the cattle, and every beast of the earth with you, 27:36 all that go out of the ark, every beast of the earth. 27:40 Thus, I establish My covenant with you: 27:43 Never again shall all flesh be cut off 27:46 by the waters of the flood, 27:48 never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth." 27:52 Now, before we continue, 27:54 I wanna encourage you to take note of the words 27:57 that I have highlighted in the following verses 28:00 from verses 12 to 17, 28:02 we're gonna come back to those 28:03 because they are very significant. 28:05 We continue reading, verse 12, "And God said: 28:09 'This is the sign of the covenant 28:11 which I make between Me and you, 28:13 and every living creature that is with you, 28:16 for perpetual generations.'" 28:18 That word perpetual means everlasting, without end. 28:22 So this is continuous. 28:24 That's what perpetual means. 28:26 "I set My rainbow in the cloud, 28:28 and it shall be for the sign of the covenant 28:31 between Me and the earth. 28:33 It shall be, when I bring a cloud over the earth, 28:36 that the rainbow shall be seen in the cloud, 28:39 and I will remember my covenant, 28:41 which is between Me and you, 28:43 and every living creature of all flesh, 28:46 the waters shall never again 28:48 become a flood to destroy all flesh. 28:50 The rainbow shall be in the cloud, 28:52 and I will look on it to remember 28:55 the everlasting covenant 28:57 between God and every living creature 28:59 of all flesh that is on the earth." 29:01 In verse 17, "And God said to Noah, ' 29:04 This is the sign of the covenant, 29:07 which I have established between Me and all flesh 29:10 that is on the earth." 29:12 Wow. 29:15 So what do we have here? 29:17 We have here the rainbow, 29:22 the rainbow that God placed in the heavens as a sign, 29:28 a continual sign until the end of time. 29:32 And we have a picture of the rainbow somewhere. 29:33 There we go. 29:34 There's a beautiful picture of the rainbow. 29:37 This rainbow is a sign 29:40 that there will never again be a worldwide flood. 29:43 Is this rainbow clear? 29:46 Is it visible? 29:48 Yes. Is it an outward sign? 29:50 Yes. 29:52 You remember earlier, we discovered 29:53 that when God makes a covenant with human beings 29:57 or with all of humanity, 30:00 He will often place a sign or a symbol, an outward sign, 30:05 or a symbol to help individuals 30:08 know that this is the covenant that God has initiated 30:11 and made out of His grace. 30:13 Now, when we take a look at God's rainbow, 30:15 notice some of the words that come out of the text. 30:19 I've got them up there on the screen for you. 30:21 God's rainbow. It's a sign. 30:25 It's God's covenant. 30:28 It's an everlasting covenant 30:30 to perpetual generations, to all generations. 30:35 And finally God remembers and blesses the whole world. 30:39 So that is what we have here in the Noah story. 30:42 So now let's take a look at the Sabbath. 30:44 All right, the Sabbath. 30:45 I was asking myself, can we find the same elements 30:50 from the Noah story concerning the rainbow sign? 30:55 Can we find them in the Sabbath? 30:57 So I decided to do a little bit of investigation, 31:02 a little bit of biblical investigation. 31:05 And so I looked at putting some pieces together 31:08 and now we are going to take a look at God's masterpiece, 31:12 how He brings all these pieces together. 31:14 Notice these two key passages, the one in Exodus 20 31:18 and the other one in Exodus 31. 31:20 And we're gonna begin with Exodus Chapter 20, 31:23 where God gives the Ten Commandments 31:26 and there in the heart of the Ten Commandments 31:28 and we find the fourth commandment, 31:30 the one concerning the Sabbath. 31:31 Exodus 20:8. 31:34 God says, "Remember the Sabbath day 31:37 to keep it holy, 31:39 six days you shall labor and do all your work, 31:42 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord. 31:44 Your God. 31:46 In it you shall do no work, you, nor your son, 31:48 nor your daughter, nor your male servant, 31:50 nor your female servant, nor your cattle, 31:53 nor your stranger who is within your gates. 31:55 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, 31:58 the sea, and all that is in them 32:01 and rested the seventh day. 32:02 Therefore, the Lord did what? 32:04 He blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. 32:09 Now, before we go any further, 32:11 I'd love to just park myself and spend a whole bunch of time 32:15 on this commandment. 32:16 But if you would have noticed the word and the language, 32:18 I wanna encourage you to read 32:20 and reread this commandment again, 32:22 for you discover that the Sabbath is a blessing, 32:25 not only to mankind, but the Sabbath is a blessing 32:28 to all the animals that God has created. 32:31 And it's a blessing to all of nature. 32:34 The land is to rest. 32:36 The environment is to rest, animals, humans, 32:40 we are all to rest with God. 32:42 So God said the Sabbath day, 32:44 the Sabbath day in a beautiful way 32:47 is what God intended at the very beginning of time 32:50 when there was no sin in this world. 32:52 When there was complete harmony between animals and nature, 32:57 and humans and God, when there was perfect harmony. 33:01 The Sabbath is a taste each week 33:04 of how we can enjoy that beautiful harmony 33:06 and that perfect harmony with God. 33:08 Now let's continue reading 33:11 the second passage in Exodus 31. 33:15 We read these words, 33:17 "Speak also to the children of Israel saying: 33:19 'Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, 33:21 for it is a sign between Me and you 33:24 throughout your generations, 33:26 that you may know that I'm the Lord who sanctifies you. 33:30 You shall keep the Sabbath, 33:32 therefore, for it is holy to you. 33:33 Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death, 33:36 for whoever does any work on it, 33:38 that person shall be cut off from among His people. 33:42 Work shall be done for six days, 33:43 but the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, 33:46 holy to the Lord. 33:47 Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day, 33:49 he shall surely be put to death. 33:52 Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, 33:55 to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations 33:57 as a perpetual covenant or an everlasting covenant." 34:00 And verse 17, 34:01 "It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever, 34:05 for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, 34:08 and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed." 34:11 So what do we have here in these two Sabbath passages? 34:14 Notice this list, and we have it up there on the screen. 34:17 God's Sabbath is a sign. 34:19 God's Sabbath is God's covenant to all of humanity. 34:23 God's Sabbath is the everlasting covenant. 34:26 God's Sabbath is for perpetual 34:28 generations for all generations. 34:30 And God's Sabbath 34:33 is God remembering and blessing the whole world. 34:36 So let's put these two together. 34:39 Here we have God's rainbow and God's Sabbath. 34:42 And when you go down the list, 34:43 guess what you have? 34:45 You have identical blessings 34:50 from God associated with the rainbow, 34:53 as well as with the Sabbath. 34:56 So to put it simply and purely 34:59 God's Sabbath at the end of time is indeed 35:04 a symbol of the rainbow in the days of Noah 35:07 and all the way to today. 35:09 And it's interesting that the Sabbath is embedded 35:13 in the story of Noah in Noah's actual name. 35:17 Noah, his name means rest. 35:21 It means rest. 35:23 And so we've got the Sabbath embedded in Noah's very name. 35:27 Jesus comes along in Mark 2:27, 35:30 and this is what He says, 35:31 "And He said to them, 35:33 'The Sabbath was made for,'" who? 35:35 "For man and not man for the Sabbath.'" 35:37 The word man there is the word anthropos. 35:40 It's where we get our word anthropology, 35:44 which is a study of humanity. 35:46 The Sabbath was made for man, 35:48 just like the rainbow is a sign to all of humanity, 35:52 to all generations until Jesus comes 35:54 that there will never ever be a flood again. 35:56 The Sabbath is a sign 35:59 all the way through from creation to the end of time. 36:02 And beyond that God's covenant 36:05 of love remains with His people. 36:07 His blessing is to be poured out on the entire world. 36:11 It's an outward sign. 36:13 God's end time rainbow is the Sabbath. 36:17 It absolutely is. 36:18 There is no other way to bypass that, 36:21 it's in the story of Noah. 36:22 After the flood, 36:24 we have that third blessing that He showcased. 36:27 In Deuteronomy 4:13, 36:29 we read these words and they are fascinating 36:31 concerning God's commandments. 36:34 It says, "So He declared to you 36:37 His covenant which He commanded you to perform, 36:40 the Ten Commandments, 36:41 and He wrote them on two tablets of stone." 36:45 God's Ten Commandments are described as His covenant. 36:50 And it's interesting 36:52 when we take a look at where the Ten Commandments 36:54 were stored, they were stored in a box called the what? 36:57 The Ark of the Covenant. 37:00 The Ark of the Covenant. 37:03 And inside the Ark of the Covenant, of course, 37:06 are the Ten Commandments that God wrote 37:08 with His own finger on two tablets of stone. 37:12 So the question is, 37:13 will God have faithful people at the end of time 37:19 that respond to His grace 37:21 and enter into a covenant of love with Him? 37:24 Will God have such a people at the end of time? 37:27 The answer is yes, 37:29 yes. 37:30 Revelation 12:17 tells us, 37:32 "And the dragon," and that's the symbol of Satan, 37:35 "was enraged with the woman," 37:36 that is God's end time people, 37:38 God's end time church, 37:39 "and he went to make war with the rest or the remnant 37:42 of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God 37:44 and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." 37:48 Will there be a people on planet earth 37:49 at the end of time like Noah who are faithful to God, 37:54 who keep His commandments not to be saved, 37:56 but because they have been saved 37:57 because of a love relationship they have with God? 38:00 Yes, there will be. 38:01 For Jesus said, as it was in the days of who? 38:05 Noah, so it will be when I come. 38:08 And why does... 38:10 Why does the enemy, 38:12 the dragon hate God's people who keep His commandments? 38:15 The answer is simple 38:17 because Jesus said in John 14:15, 38:20 "If you love Me, keep My commandments." 38:23 And the enemy does not want anyone 38:26 showing genuine love 38:28 to God their Creator. 38:32 Noah walked with God. He was a righteous man. 38:34 God will have such a people on planet earth 38:37 that will share God's final message of love to the world. 38:41 The three angels' messages are God's final message 38:45 of love to the world. 38:47 This is it. 38:48 These three messages of love that God shares with the world 38:53 one final time before He sends His Son Jesus 38:57 will prepare the world for the coming of Jesus. 38:59 They found in Revelation Chapter 14 39:02 and in Revelation 14, before we take a look 39:05 at that first angel's message. 39:06 In Revelation 14, 39:08 we have the first part verses 1 to 5 39:10 that describes the character 39:12 of God's end time people, the character. 39:15 They walk with God, 39:16 they follow the Lamb wherever He goes, just like Noah. 39:19 The message that they share, the three angels' messages, 39:23 and then the reward that God has for them. 39:26 The same as in the days of Noah, 39:29 a righteous man who preached a message for his time 39:32 to prepare a people for the coming storm. 39:35 And then there was the reward 39:36 that God had for Noah and his family. 39:39 Have a look at how the first angel's message begins. 39:43 In verses 6 and 7, we read these words of Revelation 14. 39:47 John writes, "Then I saw another angel flying 39:50 in the midst of heaven, having the," 39:51 what kind of gospel? 39:53 "The everlasting gospel to preach 39:54 to those who dwell on the earth, 39:56 to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people." 39:57 And before we go any further, 39:59 we are reminded of the words of Jesus 40:02 who said in Matthew 24:14, 40:04 "And this gospel of the kingdom will go," how far? 40:08 "To all the world as a witness to all the nations, 40:11 and then the end will come." 40:12 This is the gospel that Jesus said 40:15 must go to the whole world before He returns. 40:18 This is the gospel in an end time context. 40:21 And it's called the everlasting gospel, 40:25 just like the covenant that God made 40:28 between Noah and his family. 40:31 And the world is called the everlasting covenant. 40:35 And the Sabbath is referred to as the everlasting covenant 40:39 for all generations. 40:40 So to the gospel which means good news. 40:42 That's what the word gospel means, 40:43 good news, is for all generations, 40:46 for all time. 40:47 We continue reading this first angel's message, 40:50 saying with a loud voice, that word there loud 40:53 and voice are the Greek words megaphone. 40:55 Megaphone. 40:56 This is a megaphone voice 40:58 that needs to go to the whole world. 40:59 "Fear God and give glory to Him, 41:01 for the hour of His judgment has come," 41:04 and notice these next words from the angel, 41:06 "and worship Him who made heaven and earth, 41:09 the sea and the springs of water." 41:11 Notice here is a call to the world to worship. 41:17 He who made heaven and earth, 41:19 the sea and the springs of water 41:20 to worship the Creator. 41:22 These words are taken out of the Ten Commandments. 41:25 These words are taken out of the fourth commandment. 41:28 It's almost a direct quote 41:31 of the fourth commandment that God gave. 41:34 And so here we have God's final appeal to the world. 41:39 And in fact, in this very commandment, 41:42 we have God's seal. 41:44 God's seal is to be found in the Sabbath commandment 41:48 at the end of time, just like Noah 41:50 was sealed or as the scripture say he was shut in by God. 41:54 So to God's end time people who are sealed by God's love, 41:59 by God's covenant of grace that we find in the Sabbath 42:03 at the end of time, will also be sealed. 42:06 Now notice before we take a look at that a little more, 42:10 we discover the seal, the seal, 42:15 a typical seal in ancient times as well as today. 42:19 And I'll illustrate that for you in a moment 42:21 contain three key elements. 42:23 And here they are, the name of the person 42:25 giving the seal, their title, 42:27 and then finally their authority. 42:29 We have that all in the Sabbath. 42:32 God's name, His title, He's the Creator 42:35 and His authority is over heaven and earth, 42:38 the sea and the springs of water. 42:40 Amen? 42:41 Now we find these three elements of a seal 42:44 on our coins. 42:46 Here I have a $1 coin, 42:49 kindly donated to me by my good friend Lindy. 42:54 I'm not sure if she wants it back, 42:55 but I think she might. 42:57 But here on this $1 coin, we have a seal. 43:00 This authenticates this $1 coin as genuine 43:05 and as authentic Australian currency. 43:08 Now you might not be able to see it 43:09 from where you are, 43:11 but just take a look at an Australian coin 43:13 and you'll discover on the Australian coin, 43:15 we have the queen and her, 43:17 we have the queen's image on that coin 43:20 and we have her name Elizabeth II, 43:24 there's her name. 43:25 We have a title, signifying a crown. 43:28 She's wearing a crown on her head. 43:29 She's the queen. 43:31 And then we have her authority 43:32 and her authority is over Australia, 43:35 which is part of the Commonwealth. 43:36 So here we have a seal. 43:38 I have a seal when I sign off and you might be thinking, 43:41 Danny, you're not the queen. 43:43 The last time I checked, you are not the queen. 43:46 How can you have a seal? 43:47 You're not really all that important. 43:49 That's true. I'm not that important. 43:50 But I have a seal. 43:51 When I signed my letters, 43:53 I sign Danny Milenkov, minister, that's my title. 43:59 Name first, title minister 44:01 Hillview Seventh-day Adventist Church. 44:03 That's the authority that I have as the pastor 44:06 of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, 44:07 those three elements, I have that. 44:10 The prime minister has that, the president has that 44:12 many of you have that, that are watching. 44:14 So that is God's seal. 44:17 God's seal. 44:18 Now we find God's seal in the Book of Revelation. 44:21 Notice what it says in Revelation 7:3-4. 44:26 Just before God pours out the seven last plagues. 44:30 After the close of probation, 44:32 these words are spoken by God to the angel. 44:35 "Do not harm the earth, 44:36 the sea or the trees till we have," what? 44:39 "Sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads." 44:42 In verse 4, 44:43 "And I heard the number of those who were sealed. 44:45 One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes 44:48 of the children of Israel were sealed." 44:51 Now in Revelation 14:1, 44:54 we have these words. 44:57 John writes, "Then I looked, 44:58 and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, 45:00 and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand," 45:02 so this is that same group that we read of in Revelation 7 45:05 that are sealed, "having his Father's name 45:08 written on their foreheads." 45:09 Now God's end time people will have God's seal 45:14 that will have the Father's name. 45:15 God's seal and the Father's name are synonymous. 45:18 They appear in these two scriptures. 45:21 Now what's a name represent in scripture? 45:24 Character, character. 45:26 God's people at the end of time 45:29 are sealed by God because they have chosen 45:33 His character like Noah who chose the character of God. 45:38 The Bible says He walked with God. 45:40 He was a righteous man. 45:41 He was a just man. 45:43 He was a man filled with integrity. 45:45 He was blameless. 45:47 He was a man who followed the commandments of God, 45:50 a man who preached a message of righteousness by faith. 45:54 A man who loved God with all His heart, 45:57 soul, strength and mind, and God will have such a people 46:00 on planet earth, just like Noah. 46:03 Individuals who have chosen by the grace of God 46:08 to give their hearts and lives completely over to Him. 46:12 So at the end of time, God's Sabbath 46:15 is the outward symbol. 46:17 Just like the rainbow 46:19 was the outward symbol after the flood, 46:21 God's Sabbath at the end of time is the outward symbol 46:25 that you and I have chosen to walk with God, 46:29 that we have given our hearts and lives to God. 46:31 We have entered into that final end time covenant with Him. 46:35 Now, what is so significant 46:38 regarding a seal, 46:41 having the seal of God 46:43 or the Father's name on your forehead? 46:45 2 Timothy 2:19. 46:47 Notice these words, 46:49 the Apostle Paul writes, "Nevertheless, 46:51 the solid foundation of God stands having this seal: 46:54 The Lord knows those who are His 46:56 and let everyone who names the name of Christ 46:59 depart from iniquity." 47:02 The seal is significant in that those who are sealed 47:07 are known by God. 47:09 God knows those who are His 47:12 and let everyone who has been sealed by God depart from what? 47:17 Iniquity. 47:18 And iniquity is sin, 47:20 and sin is lawlessness 47:22 according to 1 John 3:4. 47:26 Dwight Nelson, Pastor Dwight Nelson in his devotional, 47:30 the chosen, he unpacks 47:33 the significance of a seal 47:35 by giving these five all important points 47:38 that I'd love for you to see. 47:42 First the seal, it's proof of ownership. 47:46 Secondly, it's proof of authenticity, 47:50 proof of approval, proof of irreversibility, 47:53 such as king Darius' seal placed on the tomb, 47:59 sorry, on the, yeah, on Daniel's, 48:03 where he was placed in den, the den of lions 48:06 and Jesus turned that was sealed. 48:08 And I love this last one, proof of likeness 48:10 that is ancient kings used cylindrical seals 48:13 to roll their likeness on to the soft wax, 48:15 so that all who would later see the seal would recognize 48:19 the likeness of the king. 48:24 God's seal. 48:26 God's seal is His likeness, 48:31 His character imprinted on the character 48:36 of His children that have chosen 48:38 to enter into His covenant of love. 48:41 Does that make sense? Yes or no? 48:43 And we find that at the end of time 48:46 in God's blessed Sabbath day. 48:50 That is why Satan is hell bent 48:53 on destroying the Sabbath. 48:56 That is why the Sabbath issue will be the final issue 49:00 at the end of time, 49:01 because it's an issue of worship. 49:03 It's an issue of allegiance. 49:04 It's who you give your heart and life to. 49:07 Is it the Creator? 49:09 Is it your Redeemer? 49:10 Is it the One who sustains you day by day? 49:13 Or is it the one whose 49:17 name is evil with a capital D, 49:19 the devil who only seeks to steal, kill, and destroy. 49:22 There are only two options at the end of time. 49:24 In fact, Revelation very clearly says 49:27 that we will either have the seal of God 49:29 and be saved and be spared from the seven last plagues 49:33 that will come upon this earth, or sadly, 49:36 we will experience those seven last plagues. 49:38 And we will have the mark of the beast. 49:40 There's only two seals at the end of time, 49:43 the seal of God, the saved, 49:45 or the mark of the beast and the loss. 49:47 Now you may be thinking 49:48 what's the mark of the beast, Danny? 49:50 Well, we don't have time to unpack that today, 49:52 but in a previous message, in a previous series 49:55 entitled End Time Apocalypse, 49:57 I looked at that subject of the seal of God 50:00 and the mark of the beast and we unpack that. 50:01 So you'll need to talk to 3ABN, 50:03 and I'm sure they will be able to assist you 50:05 and help you with that. 50:09 God's seal at the end of time 50:13 is His Sabbath. 50:16 God's seal at the end of time 50:18 brings all of God's Edenic blessings 50:23 together in the Sabbath, 50:27 all of them, every single one of them. 50:32 Now, the rainbow and the Sabbath. 50:36 I wanna share with you, as we seek to land 50:40 our eternal signs of God's everlasting grace. 50:44 Let me repeat that. 50:45 The rainbow and the Sabbath 50:48 are eternal signs of God's everlasting, 50:52 covenant of grace. 50:53 We started in Genesis. 50:55 We're gonna conclude in the Book of Revelation, 50:59 and in the Book of Isaiah 51:01 to see how these two outward signs 51:04 of God's everlasting covenant to the human race, 51:08 the Sabbath, 51:12 as well as the rainbow 51:14 come together in a beautiful way. 51:17 The word rainbow appears six times in all of Scripture, 51:22 three times in the story of Noah, 51:24 once in the Book of Ezekiel Chapter 1 51:28 and the other two times are in the Book of Revelation, 51:30 in Revelation Chapter 4 and Revelation Chapter 10. 51:33 Let's go to Revelation Chapter 4. 51:36 Revelation 4:2-3. We read these words. 51:39 John writes, "Immediately 51:41 I was in the Spirit and behold, 51:43 a throne set in heaven, and One set on the throne. 51:47 And he who sat there was like a jasper 51:50 and a sardius stone in appearance," 51:53 speaking of God. 51:54 And there was a what around the throne? 51:57 "A rainbow around the throne in the appearance 52:01 like an emerald." 52:02 So what do we have in heaven that John sees? 52:05 He sees God's throne and he sees a rainbow 52:11 that surrounds God's throne. 52:13 Have we got that together? 52:15 We're together on that, 52:16 'cause let's now go to Revelation Chapter 10, 52:19 Revelation 10:1. 52:21 Notice these words, John, once again, writing, 52:23 "I saw still another mighty angel coming down from heaven, 52:27 clothed with a cloud." 52:29 And a rainbow was where? 52:32 "On his head, his face was like the sun 52:34 and his feet like pillars of fire." 52:37 Now this mighty angel. Who is this mighty angel? 52:39 Is this a normal angel that God has created? 52:42 Even one of his most glorious angels 52:44 that He has created? No. 52:45 The description here that John gives 52:47 is of none other than the Lord, Jesus Christ. 52:50 This is Jesus Christ who is being described here. 52:54 So in Revelation Chapter 4, 52:56 we have God's throne surrounded by a rainbow. 53:00 And here we have Jesus Christ Himself. 53:05 He has a rainbow over his head. 53:10 Have we got that? 53:12 Now have a look 53:16 at what Isaiah has to say 53:19 about what we will be doing 53:22 from one Sabbath to another after sin has been eradicated 53:26 from this world, from this universe, 53:28 when the sin virus is gone. 53:31 Notice these words from Isaiah 66:22-23. 53:36 He writes, "For as the new heavens and the new earth, 53:40 which I will make shall remain before Me, says the Lord." 53:43 So God is speaking here to Isaiah. 53:46 "So shall your descendants and your name remain. 53:49 We continue reading, 53:50 "And it shall come to pass 53:52 that from one new moon to another, 53:54 and from one," what? 53:57 "Sabbath to another, 53:58 all flesh shall come to worship before Me says the Lord." 54:02 Wow! Did you get that? 54:05 Did you get that? Did that sink in? 54:08 My dear friends that are watching, 54:09 I hope and pray that sunk in. 54:11 Let me just repeat what we just read 54:13 from the Book of Revelation and the Book of Isaiah. 54:16 In Revelation, we have a description 54:18 of God's throne and the Lord Jesus Christ, 54:21 who sits at the right hand of the Father on His throne. 54:25 And we have a rainbow that encircles the throne 54:29 of God, and we have a rainbow that encircles Jesus Christ, 54:34 and then God's people at the end of time 54:38 after the sin virus has been eradicated from this world, 54:43 and God creates a new heaven and a new earth 54:45 according to what He tells us in the Book of Isaiah, 54:47 we as redeemed as those 54:50 that have been sealed by God's love, 54:52 as those that have entered into God's love. 54:54 We will come from one Sabbath to another for all eternity, 54:59 and we will worship before God 55:01 and His throne that is surrounded by a what? 55:05 By a rainbow. 55:07 The rainbow will be an outward symbol forever more. 55:11 Every time we come to worship 55:13 our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ 55:15 from one Sabbath to another. 55:18 So the rainbow and the Sabbath, 55:21 they come together each and every week 55:24 as the people of God come to worship and praise Him 55:28 and thank Him for not only creating them, 55:31 but also for redeeming them from sin 55:35 through the sacrifice of Jesus and ultimately by saving them 55:40 on an earth made new. 55:42 So my question is, 55:45 are you willing to be part of God's 55:47 everlasting kingdom of love? 55:49 Are you willing to be part of that group 55:51 that will come from one Sabbath to another to worship 55:53 the Creator God? 55:55 Today, Jesus is knocking on the door of your heart 55:58 and my heart. 55:59 Wherever you are, 56:01 Jesus is knocking on the door of your heart and Jesus, 56:04 these are His words in Revelation, 56:07 where He says, "Behold, 56:09 I stand at the door and knock. 56:12 If anyone hears My voice and opens the door 56:14 will come into him and dine with him, and he with Me." 56:18 Jesus is knocking on the door of your heart and my heart 56:23 and your heart, our collective hearts, Jesus wants to come in. 56:28 He wants us to be part of His everlasting kingdom, 56:32 where there'll only be love, joy, peace, 56:36 and happiness forever more. 56:39 Don't you wanna be part of that kingdom? 56:41 In Noah's day, the invitation was come in to the ark. 56:45 At the end of time, Jesus has His hands outstretched, 56:48 those nail scarred hands, and He says, come, come, come. 56:52 Why don't you come? Why don't you come? 56:54 Is that your desire to come? 56:56 Let's pray. 56:57 Father in heaven, we thank You for the invitation to come. 57:00 We thank You that You stand at the door of our hearts 57:03 and knock, and you want to come in. 57:05 Thank You that You have promised a new world 57:08 where there'll be no more sin suffering and sorrow, 57:10 where from one Sabbath to another 57:12 we will gather together as Your children 57:14 around Your throne of eternal grace, 57:17 surrounded by the rainbow, 57:19 the covenant of promise 57:21 to worship You forever, Lord. 57:23 We can't wait for that day. 57:24 Bless us, we pray in Jesus' name. 57:27 And everybody said amen and amen. 57:30 God bless. |
Revised 2021-06-27