Participants: John Lomacang (Host), James Rafferty
Series Code: HCL
Program Code: HCL120014
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00:01 Hello friends, grab your Bible and a friend and sit back
00:03 as we explore God's word together 00:05 on this edition of "House calls." 00:22 Welcome to "House calls" again, friends, 00:24 and thank you for being so faithful 00:26 to look for the program and wait for it. 00:28 And we hope that God has been blessing you 00:30 tremendously through our excursion 00:32 through the word of God. 00:33 My name is James... no that's not true. 00:36 His name is James. My name is John. 00:39 I wanted your name. Good, good, good. 00:41 I just took your name. 00:42 I'm John. He is James. 00:43 We're the sons of thunder 00:44 but we have been thundering the word of God together. Amen. 00:48 And good to have you here, James. 00:49 Good to be here, John. You've been here so much. 00:51 I've just taken your name. All right. 00:55 Well, I don't want-- I can still have it. 00:57 I don't want to take your name. 00:58 I think your wife treasures your name 00:59 and my wife treasures mine. 01:00 But, really good to have you in the saddle to divide-- 01:03 rightly divide the word of truth, that's important. Amen. 01:06 And so, friends, I know you've joined us 01:08 for really good time in the Lord. 01:10 And so get your Bibles, get your families. 01:13 If you're at church joining us, 01:14 we welcome you to the program. 01:16 And we always like to pray 01:18 before we do anything else though 01:19 because we have some Bible questions. 01:21 And we have a continued topic of the Three Angels messages. 01:24 We're gonna talk about them in particular. 01:27 What are those messages? 01:29 Where do they come from? 01:30 What do they mean to us today? 01:31 But before we do anything, 01:32 well, I'd like to ask James, to have a prayer for us. Amen. 01:37 Father in Heaven, again, 01:38 we just want to thank You for this opportunity. 01:40 We've got several questions, 01:41 important questions that are being asked. 01:43 We are asking for Your guidance 01:44 as we move through these questions 01:46 that we can find Bible answers, Bible verses. 01:48 We're also discussing the Three Angels messages, 01:51 Revelation 14 and this is an important topic 01:55 and we're just praying that Your Spirit 01:57 will work on our minds and our hearts in such a way 02:00 that we will open to the-- to understand the truth 02:04 that You have revealed in these messages, 02:06 the everlasting Gospel truth that forms and formulates 02:09 each one of these messages as they come to each of us. 02:12 Be with our audience. Be with us, John, myself. 02:15 Guide and direct us, as we open the word right now. 02:18 We pray in Jesus name, amen. 02:20 Amen. Thank you, James, for that. 02:23 And remember if you have any questions, 02:25 I know that, people say, 02:27 "Uh, House calls, I have a question." 02:29 If you do have a question, 02:31 here's the address to which you can send 02:32 that question housecalls@3abn.org, 02:35 that's housecalls@3abn.org. 02:38 And we download them and try to pick out which one to use. 02:42 Hopefully, your question will be addressed today. 02:44 So James, what do you have for us? 02:46 Well, a question, first question here, 02:48 has to do again with death and with resurrection. 02:53 It's coming for a different angle this time. 02:56 What happened to the people 02:57 who rose as a result of the earthquake at Jesus death? 03:02 Somehow I have the belief that they ascended to heaven 03:05 when Jesus went to heaven. 03:07 If that is so, when did their judgment take place? 03:10 I thought that judgment of the dead began in 1844. 03:14 So this is a good question. 03:15 There may be some of our viewers, John, 03:16 who are not aware of the nature of this question. 03:20 In other words, they don't even know about these people 03:23 that arose at the resurrection of Jesus Christ. 03:26 So I thought it would be good for us 03:27 to look at the context of this question. 03:29 It's in Matthew Chapter 27. Matthew Chapter 27. 03:33 It is the last few moments of the life of Jesus. 03:37 He's hanging on the cross. 03:40 And it says here in Matthew 27 beginning with verse 51 03:45 that "The temple of God 03:47 has just been rent in two from top to bottom. 03:50 Jesus has just yielded up His life with a loud voice." 03:57 And so verse 51, "And, behold, the temple-- 03:58 the veil of the temple was rent in twain in two 04:00 from top to bottom, and the earth did quake, 04:04 and the rocks rent." 04:05 The rocks were torn apart, broken apart. 04:07 Verse 52, here's the key verse, 04:10 "And the graves were opened, 04:11 and many bodies of the saints which slept arose." 04:16 I want to pause there for just a second. 04:18 Many of the bodies, the resurrection 04:21 involves bodies, people, 04:24 the bodies that were in the grave. 04:25 The bodies are there, in the sepulchres in the graves 04:28 and the resurrection involves them, 04:30 those bodies being resurrected, 04:31 reunited with the Spirit of God 04:33 and again becoming living souls. 04:36 And then it says in verse 53, 04:37 "And they came out of the graves 04:39 after His resurrection, and went into the holy city, 04:43 and appeared unto many." 04:45 Before we get into this topic, this is a very unusual story. 04:50 This is a very unusual occurrence. 04:53 Jesus Christ has just been crucified. 04:55 He's died and as He dies, there's a great earthquake. 05:00 The earth is opened in such a manner 05:03 that people come forth, bodies come forth from the graves. 05:07 Rocks are broken in half. 05:09 This is violent. This is intense. 05:11 And these people that come forth, 05:14 these dead people that come forth after His resurrection. 05:17 I think that's important. 05:19 We haven't arrived at Christ resurrection 05:21 because He's just died and He doesn't resurrect yet 05:24 until the first day of the week, Sunday morning. 05:27 But we know that when He resurrects, 05:30 He resurrects in a bodily form, and that body is glorified. 05:34 In other words, this--we're not talking here about zombies. 05:37 We're not talking here about the night of living dead. 05:39 We're talking here about people 05:41 who are appearing as resurrected 05:44 people are appearing in a form that is glorified. 05:47 They are appearing in a form like humans 05:50 but they looked good. Their bodies together. 05:52 Their smile, their appealing, Jesus Christ, 05:55 we know His resurrection, He met with His disciples. 05:57 He met with different people. 05:59 He walked to a mass along the way with disciples 06:00 and He was a person. 06:01 He was a regular person, in flesh and blood, 06:03 that's how these people are appearing. 06:05 They are appearing in a resurrected form, 06:07 taken forth from the grave and so the question 06:10 that has been asked is though what happened to them? 06:12 Well, we know the first thing 06:13 that happened to them is that they went into the city, 06:16 Jerusalem, and they began to testify. 06:19 What were they testifying of, of the resurrection. 06:21 They've been resurrected and they began to testify 06:23 and I don't know who these people were. 06:26 Doesn't say--well, that was-- 06:27 one was Elijah, one was Jeremiah. Right. 06:28 It doesn't really tell us. 06:29 But we know that they were believers. 06:31 That's why they were resurrected. 06:33 And we know that they were testifying 06:34 of the works of Christ, of the works of God. 06:37 And verifying where it happened in the death of Jesus Christ. 06:41 As a matter of fact, when you look at that, 06:43 they are also referred to as first fruits. 06:46 First fruits, when you think of the season of harvest, 06:51 the first fruits represent the entire harvest 06:55 but they are not the entire harvest. 06:57 They are just a sample of the harvest. Okay. 07:00 And I think you're gonna mention this 07:01 about leading captivity captive, 07:03 you talk about that, I want to leave that for you. 07:05 But when you read Revelation, 07:07 you find that when 07:10 the court scene is talked about, 07:14 and those who sit in Judgment of those 07:22 who will appear before the Judgment seat of Christ. 07:25 We never in earthly courts are judged 07:28 by anyone other than our peers. 07:31 And this is something that's so widely important. 07:33 So the Bible suggests in a number of ways 07:37 that these were taken to Heaven 07:41 as first fruits representing it and, 07:43 I'll leave it to you to give the scriptures there. 07:45 But you find in Revelation 07:46 when John has given a glimpse of Heaven, 07:49 remember this, angels are never called elders, 07:54 and God, the father, 07:55 son of Holy Spirit's never called an elder. 07:59 But when you look at the picture there 08:00 in Revelation 4, Revelation 4:1 speaks about, 08:03 "I saw Heaven open." 08:05 And then John has given the vision. 08:06 He says, "Around the throne," 08:09 Revelation 4:4, "Were twenty-four thrones 08:12 and on that thrones, I saw twenty-four elders sitting, 08:16 clothed in white robes 08:19 and they had crowns of gold on their heads." 08:22 In verse 10, "And the twenty-four elders 08:24 fall down before him who sit on the throne, 08:26 and worship him who lives for ever and ever 08:29 and cast their crowns before the throne." 08:33 And so you find whenever the Bible talks 08:34 about the elders, elders are always used 08:38 in reference to those who were on earth. 08:41 Humanity, elders are never used 08:43 in reference to angels or divine beings. 08:47 So the question is how did these elders get there? 08:51 And you look in the context of the Bible, 08:54 Ephesians for example, Chapter 4 and verse 8, 08:59 it's telling us that when Jesus ascended on high, 09:02 I'm just gonna read the verse here. Sure. 09:03 Ephesians 4:8, "Wherefore He said, 09:05 when He ascended up on high, 09:07 He led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men." 09:10 Now my marginal reference on this verse, 09:12 John says, He led a multitude of captives. 09:16 So what happened to those 09:18 who were resurrected after His resurrection? 09:20 Well, they went in and testified of Him 09:22 in the city of Jerusalem 09:23 and then as Jesus goes up to the Father, 09:26 He leads this multitude of captives 09:28 those who had been once captive by Satan--uh, 09:30 by the devil, by Satan, by death. 09:32 He leads them with Him and to Heaven 09:35 and then sends His Holy Spirit, 09:37 sends the gifts down unto men. 09:39 So it's very clear in the context 09:41 of the New Testament and Revelation Chapter 4 09:44 seems to indicate this also John, 09:46 that those who are resurrected after Christ's resurrection, 09:50 they're at the cross, in the context of the cross, 09:53 were taken to heaven. 09:55 They are identified in Heaven in the context 09:58 of Ephesians Chapter 4 and verse 8. 10:01 Revelation seems to indicate this also by describing them 10:05 as those who have been made kings and priests under God. 10:10 That's right. And had been redeemed 10:12 by the blood of the lamb. Right. 10:15 So Revelation Chapter 4 indicates 10:17 that these are people who've been redeemed. 10:19 These are elders who've been redeemed 10:20 that made kings and priests unto God. 10:21 And, of course, we're all, Revelation 1 tells us 10:24 we're all made kings and priests unto God. 10:25 So this is indicating that these are first fruit. 10:28 These are those who went with Christ as a, 10:34 I want to say an earnest if you will. 10:36 An earnest of what God is going to do 10:38 for the entire redeemed, all of those 10:40 who put their faith in Jesus Christ. That's right. 10:43 So today are they those who have been raised in Heaven? 10:47 Yes, but the general resurrection 10:50 hasn't taken place. 10:52 Those who came forth from their graves 10:54 to witness of the glory of the resurrection of Christ 10:57 were taken to Heaven as first fruits. 11:01 And the beauty of first fruits, 11:02 they are not called last fruits. 11:04 Because there are more to follow, 11:06 that's the saints. 11:07 And so the other question though with this, 11:08 John, I don't want to forget this, I almost did is, 11:11 so how does this relate to the Judgment? 11:13 Are there men in Heaven? You said. 11:15 Well, yeah, there are men in Heaven. 11:16 We know there is this multitude of captives. 11:18 Are there other specific people that are in Heaven? 11:21 I mentioned, I didn't know, 11:23 and I just want to clarify this, I mentioned, 11:25 well, we don't know who these were, 11:26 could be, I said Elisha. 11:28 Well, we know it's not Elisha. 11:29 We know Elisha wasn't resurrected 11:31 here with this multitude. 11:32 Maybe, it could have been Jeremiah. 11:33 Maybe, it could have been Isaiah, 11:34 but it couldn't have been Elisha. 11:36 Why couldn't it have been Elisha? 11:37 Because he was swept away in the charity. 11:38 Elisha is already in Heaven. Right. 11:40 Moses, Deut 9 tells us is in Heaven. Right. 11:43 He was taken. He was resurrected. 11:45 Enoch. And Enoch is in Heaven. 11:47 So how does that relate to the Judgment? 11:49 Well, I believe the Bible is very clear 11:51 that God sees those things that aren't as though they are. 11:55 And God through Jesus Christ has foreordained 11:58 and understands omnisciently understands 12:01 that these men have been faithful to Him 12:04 and He accounts them as faithful. 12:06 He accounts those things are, that are deserve they are, 12:09 I think that's in Romans Chapter 4. 12:11 And so what we realize here in this context 12:14 is that the Judgment that begins later, 12:17 does not exclude Gods, a mission power 12:20 and his ability to take men into Heaven, 12:23 to take people into Heaven 12:24 before that final decision is made. 12:27 And so when you look at "The judgment is set, 12:30 and the books are opened" 12:33 as you find in Daniel Chapter 7, 12:38 okay, yeah. 12:42 Once again this beautiful setting 12:44 that is given in Daniel 7. Okay. 12:47 It says in Daniel 7 in verse 13, well, verse 9, 12:53 "And I watched until thrones were put in place, 12:57 and the Ancient of Days were seated. 13:00 His garment was white as snow, 13:01 and his head and the hair of His head was like pure wool. 13:06 His throne was a fiery flame. 13:09 Its wheels were burning fire. 13:11 A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him. 13:16 At thousand thousands ministered unto him, 13:19 ten thousand times, 13:21 ten thousand stood before him. 13:23 the court was seated, and the books were opened." 13:28 In that court seating-- in that court seating, 13:30 as John continues to picture in Revelation 4 and 5, 13:34 we have those who were gonna reside as our peers. 13:39 And now the reason why it's important for them to be there, 13:42 they're not-- the judgment-- 13:44 the judgment is not for God to try to figure out 13:47 who is saved and who is lost. 13:49 He is not thinking, 13:50 "I wonder have I made the right decision?" 13:53 His character is being vindicated. 13:56 It's being vindicated by those 13:57 who witnessed the sovereign acts of God. 14:00 And so when God is vindicated, 14:02 when the Bible says, and this is something else 14:03 we're gonna talk about in just a moment. 14:04 When the Bible says "Fear God, and give glory to Him, 14:06 for the hour of His judgment has come." 14:09 You know if it were just-- 14:10 if it were just us being examined, 14:11 well, it'll be clearly concluded that, 14:13 "Hey, we're not righteous 14:14 enough of our own accord to be saved." 14:17 But the vindication comes by, God being vindicated. 14:20 His decisions being vindicated 14:22 by those who preside in the Judgment 14:24 and these who were resurrected are part of those 14:27 who'll be the jury of our own peers, to say, 14:32 "Hey, everything that He has decided 14:34 is just and true and holy." 14:35 Okay. So that's why it's so vitally important. 14:38 He took them to Heaven not just because 14:41 He wanted some first fruits and they are waiting. 14:43 I wonder when everybody else is getting up here. 14:46 But they are preparing for the final Judgments. 14:48 They are preparing for that final court seating 14:51 that Paul speaks about, I think, is in, 14:54 is it 2 Corinthians 5, verse 8 or verse 10? 14:57 Where he speaks about, "For we must all appear 14:58 before the judgment seat of Christ." 15:00 That's in Romans 14. That one is. 15:02 But Paul also talks about it in 2 Corinthians 5. 15:05 But Romans 14, "We must all appear 15:07 before the Judgment seat of Christ." Right. 15:08 Verses 10 through 12. 15:09 So when he speaks about that, we all appearing there, 15:12 we appear before there amongst our own peers, 15:15 amongst those who knows 15:17 what it means to struggle with sin, 15:19 those who knows what it means to face difficulty. 15:21 Those who know what it means to face sin 15:24 and overcome by the blood of the lamb. 15:27 So we're not gonna be facing the court setting 15:30 in the presence of angels alone 15:33 but in the presence of our own peers 15:35 who will measure the Judgments of God 15:37 and declare His sovereignty and His worthiness. 15:39 Okay, one other thing then connected with this question, 15:41 same person, also to what spirits 15:44 did Jesus preach in the lower parts of the earth? 15:48 Who were they? What was or will be their fate? 15:53 And he's talking here about 1 Peter Chapter 3 and verse 19. 15:58 1 Peter 3:19. I think, John, 16:01 that these are some of the most 16:02 misunderstood verses in the Bible. 16:05 Now I remember when I was doing 16:07 a series of meetings in Pakistan, 16:09 we were speaking to a number 16:10 of ministers from different denominations. 16:12 I was doing a whole series 16:13 on the Book of Revelation, Daniel Revelation. 16:16 And we had, we were there, 16:17 I was there several times 16:18 and this was the culmination of a series of meetings 16:21 and there was a pastor that was there, 16:22 I believe he was a Methodist 16:24 and he was very eager to embrace the Adventist message. 16:29 He had heard. He had listened. 16:30 We have gone through the whole series 16:32 and he wanted to become an Adventist minister 16:33 but he had one question, one question alone. 16:36 And so he brought his Bible 16:38 and his Bible was written in Urdu, 16:41 which was the language of Pakistan. Yes. 16:43 Urdu. So he brought his Bible 16:44 and he read the 1 Peter Chapter 3. 16:47 Now I'm gonna read these verses but I just want to tell you 16:49 what his Bible said as we read these verses. 16:52 Yeah, we are going to start here 16:53 in verse 18 to get the context, 16:57 "For Christ also has once suffered for sins, 17:00 the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, 17:04 being put to death in the flesh, 17:06 but quickened by the Spirit." 17:08 Capitalized since he is talking about the Holy Spirit. 17:11 "By which," again context, 17:14 "the Holy Spirit by which he went 17:16 and preached unto the spirits in prison." 17:20 Verse 19, now verse 20, 17:22 "Which sometime were disobedient, 17:23 when once the longsuffering of God 17:25 waited in the days of Noah, 17:27 while the ark was a preparing, 17:30 wherein few, that is, 17:31 eight souls were saved by water." 17:33 Now, this verse is talking about the Holy Spirit 17:38 that quickened Christ and also through 17:41 whom Christ God preached to spirits, 17:45 that is to people who were imprisoned, 17:48 this earth is a prison house 17:50 and God has continually preached 17:52 and shared the Gospel through His Holy Spirit, 17:54 of the lamb, of Jesus Christ, 17:56 to prisoners of this prison house. 17:58 For example, he did it, verse 20, 18:00 "In the times of Noah, 18:02 when many were disobedient 18:03 and Noah waited for a long time while the ark was preparing." 18:07 It was longsuffering. 18:08 So Noah is preaching through the Spirit of Christ 18:10 and all through the Old Testament, 18:12 the Spirit of Christ has been preaching 18:14 the message that same Spirit 18:15 that resurrected Jesus from the death. 18:17 But here's the catch, in his Bible, 18:19 in this pastor's Bible, the verse here actually said, 18:23 verse 19 said, "By which he went 18:25 and preached in purgatory." 18:28 The word purgatory was in that-- 18:29 All right. Who's Bible was that? 18:30 The Urdu translation said 18:31 that is purgatory, that says purgatory. 18:33 Now purgatory, if you don't know 18:35 is supposed to be this place. 18:36 It's not biblically involved 18:37 but it's supposed to be this place of transition. 18:40 You're not in heaven. You're not hell. 18:41 'Cause you're not good enough to go to heaven. 18:42 You're not bad enough to go to hell. You're purgatory. 18:44 I know this because I was raised in a catholic home 18:46 and I understood this teaching. 18:48 And whenever I went to confession, 18:49 I was praying, and lighting candles hoping 18:52 that I would be in purgatory. 18:53 And I wanted to go right to heaven. 18:55 I didn't want to go to purgatory. 18:56 And so he-- this pastor was telling me, 18:57 this is teaching that this is purgatory. 18:59 I said no, no, no, this is not 19:00 what the verse is actually teaching. That's right. 19:02 When Jesus died, He experienced 19:04 the same thing that we experience. 19:06 He had not ascended to heaven, even after the resurrection. 19:08 He told that to Mary Magdalene. 19:10 He said, "I have not ascended to the Father." 19:12 And so Jesus Christ was in the grave 19:14 where there's no knowledge. 19:16 There's no understanding, etcetera. 19:17 Jesus Christ was there experiencing 19:19 that at death and so-- but it was by His Spirit. 19:23 It was by the Spirit of Christ that He was resurrected. 19:26 And that same Spirit in times past had preached to them, 19:29 to prisoners in this prison house of sin and death 19:33 who were sometimes disobedient. Right. 19:35 And the power, and that's the beautiful thing here, 19:37 but the Spirit is the focus of this verse. 19:40 The Spirit is the focus of this verse. 19:42 The Spirit was the one who, 19:44 in former times, preached this message. 19:47 You may remember the passage, 19:49 just before the flood, Genesis 6:3, 19:51 "When the Lord said, 19:52 My spirit shall not always strive with man." 19:57 Very important passage. 19:58 That's the-- that is what connects 20:00 this verse to the work of the Spirit. 20:03 The same Spirit that resurrected Christ, 20:05 the power there, is the same Spirit through which 20:08 those who were formerly disobedient, 20:11 those who had lost their estate 20:13 and if you look at the verse again here. 20:14 It says, it begins by which in the King James Version, 20:18 by whom in the New King James version. 20:20 This says, "Being put to death in the flesh 20:23 but made alive by the Spirit." 20:25 By whom, by which the Spirit is the one that went 20:29 and preached to the spirits those who were in prison. 20:34 And this speaks of those who were spiritually dead, 20:37 not ethereal floating entities 20:40 that were just locked into a chamber, 20:42 purgatory for that matter. 20:43 Two verses on this, John, 20:45 the one you brought out, vital. 20:47 Genesis 6 verse 3? Right. 20:48 Vital words. You have that? 20:50 Yes, I just read that. Okay. 20:51 "And the lord says, My Spirit shall not always 20:53 strive with men, for he is indeed flesh, 20:55 yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years." 20:58 So that verse clearly indicates the connection with, 21:01 well, like you said with 1 Peter 4 or 1 Peter 3. 21:04 The other one that I think is very important for us 21:06 to understand is found in Revelation 18. 21:09 Okay, let's look at that. 21:10 In Revelation 18, you'll say, well, why is that important? 21:12 Because you just identified 21:13 and I just identified this earth as a prison house. 21:17 Now there's another one in the New Testament, 21:18 in the Gospel, but I'm not sure where it is. 21:20 I think it's in Luke where Jesus says, 21:22 "I have come to release the prisoners from prison." 21:26 But this one says, Revelation 18, 21:29 "That an angel, verse 1, is going to come down 21:31 and fill the earth with the glory of God. 21:34 And this angel cries mightily with a loud voice 21:36 saying Babylon is fallen, is fallen, 21:38 that great city and it has become, 21:42 Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen 21:44 and has become the habitation of devils, 21:45 the hold of every Spirit, a cage or a prison." 21:49 The New American Standard says, 21:50 "The prison of every clean-- unclean and hateful bird." 21:54 In others words, the Bible is identifying 21:56 this world as a prison house. 21:57 Babylon is a representative of this world, a great city. 22:01 This world filled with its merchandise and its sin, 22:03 and in the context of Revelation 18, 22:05 this world filled with people 22:07 who have been taking captive by Satan 22:09 and many of us are captive to sin, 22:12 captive to habits of sin and vice 22:14 and so God wants to release us from this prison house. 22:17 And He's been preaching to His Spirit in this prison house. 22:20 And finally this prison house 22:22 is going to fall completely decimated. 22:24 And God is wanting to bring the captives 22:26 out of this prison house. 22:28 Right. His mission is to release 22:31 all those who have been held, 22:33 who've been bound by sin 22:35 and thus you see when the apostles 22:38 were released from prison, 22:39 He was continually reiterating the mission of Christ. Amen. 22:42 So yes, but now let me just wind this up. 22:46 Was there a sermon that Jesus preached when he died? No. 22:50 Were there those waiting for Jesus to die 22:52 to get the final Gospel message in this prison 22:55 under the ground somewhere? No. 22:57 That's what's being taught, 22:59 but that is not supported by the scripture. 23:01 He's simply saying those in Noah's day 23:04 and you have to keep in mind, 23:05 God does not condemn those who are not judged. 23:09 It is appointed in a man once to die 23:11 and after that the Judgment. 23:13 Now they did die. 23:14 The flood came and took them all away. 23:16 Now you don't get a second chance. 23:18 And this is second chance theology. 23:20 That's the problem with this verse. 23:22 That's the problem with the way the verse is used. 23:23 People are teaching second chance theology. 23:26 So this is kind of like a rapture for the dead, 23:30 so to speak, a secret rapture. 23:31 In other words, if I don't make it the first time, 23:33 so I've been waiting for a long time here for this sermon 23:36 that I never heard and all of a sudden, 23:37 Jesus comes and said, "Hey, guys, I'm here. I just died. 23:40 I came down to preach a sermon to you." 23:41 I'm trying not to be cynical, 23:43 but this is what actually if you think about it, 23:45 "I'm down here to preach you a sermon. 23:46 Now what you didn't hear before the flood, 23:48 here's the part you didn't get." 23:50 Okay, got it now. This isn't ethereal. 23:55 This is spiritualistic in a great sense. 23:58 That they're those waiting to hear this Gospel 24:00 that cannot hear the Gospel until the death of Jesus. 24:03 And here's-- this is--this verse 24:04 Luke Chapter 3 brings this altogether. 24:06 Luke Chapter 4, I really like this. I found those verses. 24:09 Notice this verse 18 Luke Chapter 4. Okay. 24:12 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me." See by the Spirit. 24:16 I was thinking Luke 4:16 but-- That's it, that's it. 24:19 Yes, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me 24:21 because he has anointed me 24:23 to preach the Gospel to the poor. 24:25 He has sent me to heal the broken hearted, 24:27 to preach deliverance to the captives 24:31 and recovering of sight to the blind, 24:32 to set at liberty those that are bruised, 24:34 to preach the acceptable year of the Lord." 24:37 So the prisoners, the captives, 24:39 here's another connecting verse. 24:40 Luke Chapter 4 verse 18, very clear that Jesus Christ 24:44 is releasing the prisoners through the Spirit. 24:46 And that same spirit has continued to work 24:48 through the Old Testament, 24:49 all the way back to the days of Noah. 24:51 The same Spirit was striving with man 24:53 to release him from that at this captivity. 24:55 Right and so when they rejected the Spirit of God 24:57 and now that probation was cut off, then the Judgment came. 25:00 No more second chance theology. 25:02 Very short one here, why is it that your church does not use, 25:06 the prayer language of tongues? 25:07 Jenny from New York. Okay, let's go to Romans 6. 25:12 We're gonna try-- You said this was a short one. 25:14 Is that what you said? Did I--did I? 25:17 Yeah. I prefaced it by saying that. 25:19 We're gonna try to make it short. A short question. 25:21 Short question but not a short answer. No. 25:24 Let's begin to work with this one a little bit. 25:26 First of all, when you look at the Old Testament 25:28 and this is something I like to lay the foundation for, 25:31 I had a conversation with a person over the phone once, 25:34 and he said now what about the prayer language of tongues? 25:36 I mean, don't we need a prayer language 25:38 and I said, well, now what's the purpose of that? 25:40 They said first to be able to talk to God and secondly, 25:42 so that Satan can't understand what you're saying. 25:46 And I thought, and they said that's what happened 25:50 when the Spirit of God is poured out on you. 25:52 I said, okay now, let's start 25:54 with some of the obvious participants in scripture 25:58 that we know were imbued and endowed by the Spirit of God. 26:02 Let's start with Elijah. 26:03 Did Elijah speak in tongues? Oh, no. 26:07 Well, now let's go to somebody 26:09 who followed him, his predecessor-- 26:11 Double portion. The double portion. 26:13 Did Elisha speak with tongues when he prayed? 26:16 Oh, no. Well, what about Isaiah and Jeremiah. 26:19 And I went through all the name, no. 26:22 When did the tongues get first mentioned? 26:25 Now did the disciples receive the Holy Spirit? 26:27 Yes, the Lord briefed on them 26:29 before the Day of Pentecostal says 26:31 receive ye the Holy Spirit. 26:33 They received him before the Day of Pentecost. 26:35 Did they speak with tongues yet? No. 26:38 So what's the first recorded use of tongues? 26:41 The Day of Pentecost. And what happened then? 26:43 So let me throw it you. And I'll come back on it. 26:45 Well, I just think that's very interesting, John. 26:46 I've never--I never recognized that connection before. 26:49 That is really, really significant. 26:51 I'll tell you why because as you're leading 26:53 to Acts Chapter 2, there was a reason. 26:56 There was a purpose for the gift of tongues 26:58 in Acts Chapter 2. Right. 27:00 There was a situation and a circumstance 27:02 that warranted this gift, this special gift, 27:05 the special anointing of the Holy Spirit. 27:06 And that's what the Holy Spirit does. 27:08 Whatever situation is, we may feel like, 27:10 oh, I can't, you know, 27:11 witness for Jesus and I can't say a word for Jesus. 27:14 But that has nothing to do with it. 27:15 We make ourselves available. 27:17 We become open vessels. We connect with God. 27:19 We get--allow the Holy Spirit to get into our hearts 27:21 and then He gives the gifts. That's right. 27:23 And so the disciples have this gift 27:25 that is given to them, why? 27:26 Because in Jerusalem at the time of the Pentecost, 27:29 at the time of the Passover, 27:31 there were a multitude of Jews from every different nation 27:35 under Heaven all over the place. 27:37 And many of these Jews spoke different languages. 27:39 Many of these Jews had forgotten 27:40 their language of their fathers. 27:42 Did not know, were not instructed 27:43 the language of their fathers. 27:45 And so the disciples when they're communicating 27:47 with all of these thousands. 27:50 And we know that, you know there were thousands baptized 27:53 as a result of Peter's communication. 27:55 When the disciples communicate, they're unreaded men. 27:57 They're unlearned men. 27:58 They don't know how to communicate 28:00 in these different languages. 28:01 And there aren't, you know, a dozen translators 28:03 ready to pop up and do all the translating. 28:05 So God gives them the gift of tongues 28:08 which in the Greek is "The Gift of languages." That's right. 28:12 And one of the things that sometimes 28:15 we have, I wanna just do 28:18 a contrast here between the two translations. 28:21 You have, you have the phrase, 28:26 the word used in the King James Version in Acts 2, 28:29 "Unknown tongue." Yes. 28:32 And when you look at this, 28:34 let's go to Acts Chapter 2 very quickly here. 28:36 Want you to see something here. 28:39 'Cause when you read the Bible, 28:41 and Acts Chapter 2, when the Day of Pentecost verse 1, 28:49 "When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, 28:50 they were all in one accord in one place. 28:52 Suddenly there came a sound from heaven 28:54 as of a rushing mighty wind. 28:55 It filled the whole house where they were sitting. 28:57 Then there appeared to them divided tongues as of fire, 29:02 and one sat upon each of them. 29:05 And they were filled with the Holy Spirit, 29:08 and began to speak with other tongues, 29:11 as the Spirit gave them utterance." 29:15 Now--and then when you go down to 1 Corinthians 14 29:18 and you begin to see Chapter 12, 13 and 14, 29:21 those three passages, those three Chapters 29:23 deals with the issues of these various gifts. 29:26 Chapter 12 of 1 Corinthians deal with all the gifts 29:30 and it says the Spirit gives the gift of whomever 29:32 he sees has need, who has, 29:34 he will severally as he will the Bible says. 29:37 So what you have to catch here is the Spirit 29:39 is the one who decides what gift you need. 29:43 You don't decide what gift you want. Right. 29:46 That's what the Day of Pentecost 29:47 was so vitally important. 29:48 What they need and I don't know if you caught that, 29:50 James said these men were not men of letters. 29:53 They didn't have education behind their name. 29:54 They didn't come from the University 29:56 of this and University of that. 29:57 They didn't have a degree 29:58 in this language and that language. 29:59 Right. God said, "I've got a job for you to do." 30:02 And as He always does, He says the Spirit of God, 30:06 when the Spirit is poured out on you, Acts 1:8, 30:10 "you shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost 30:12 has come upon you and you shall be witnesses, 30:15 Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria 30:16 and the outer most parts of the earth." 30:18 But these men were all Galileans and somebody said, 30:21 "Wait a minute! These guys are from Galilee. 30:24 How is it that we hear them speak in our language? 30:26 The wonderful works of God. 30:28 So my brother or my sister, there is no prayer language. 30:34 It's just simply pray, the simplicity. 30:37 When Jesus taught His disciples to pray, 30:39 He didn't say pray in tongues. 30:42 He said pray after this manner. 30:44 You know, John, I really think this is important 30:46 because Acts Chapter 2 lays the foundation 30:49 for what we understand the gift of tongues to be. 30:51 Right. And when you read this, verse 5 for example, 30:55 "And there were dwelling in Jerusalem, devout men, 30:57 out of every nation under heaven." "And when" 31:00 verse 6, "And when this was noised abroad, 31:02 the multitude came together, and they were confounded, 31:04 because every man heard them speak in his own language." 31:10 Okay, when the gift of tongues is poured out, 31:13 not only where the disciples speaking in other languages 31:16 but the people who heard them understood 31:19 what they were saying in their language. 31:22 This is the original pure gift of tongues poured out 31:26 upon the disciples at the Day of Pentecost 31:29 that led to thousands being baptized. 31:31 When you get to the Church of Corinth, 31:33 guess what's happened by then? 31:35 The Church of Corinth, 1 Corinthians, 31:37 now you have to contrast the two books, 31:39 1 Corinthians and 2 Corinthians. 31:40 1 Corinthians, in 1 Corinthians, 31:43 that book is a book of rebuke, 31:45 exhortation, correction, chastening, 31:48 the Church of Corinth has become selfish. 31:51 They become greedy. They become carnal. 31:53 They're hoarding the gifts. That's right. 31:55 They've perverted the gifts. 31:56 They're gluttons at the Lord's supper they're, 31:59 following different people and saying, I like Apollos. 32:01 I like Cephas. I like Paul. 32:03 There are numerous problems taking place there 32:06 and Paul is trying to correct these problems. That's right. 32:08 He is not encouraging them in the way 32:11 that they're manifesting the gifts and using the gifts. 32:13 He's trying to correct them. 32:14 He's trying to bring them back to the Apostolic manifestation 32:19 that is here in Acts Chapter 2. 32:21 And later as it's manifested again, 32:24 he's trying to help them to understand 32:25 that the gift was given. 32:27 And this is what he says. It's kind of rebuke. 32:28 He says, you know what? 32:30 The gifts were given for edification, 32:31 that'll edify the body. 32:33 So number one, if you have the gift of tongues 32:36 and there's no one to interpret, just be quiet. 32:38 Number two, if the gift is manifested, 32:40 just one or two, maybe three at the most 32:43 but not a bunch of people all at one time. 32:45 Exactly. 32:46 Okay, so number one, make sure there's an interpreter... 32:47 Number two, make sure it's not everyone. 32:50 And number three, you know, 32:52 if you've got the gift and no one can interpret, 32:55 you're just talking to God. And that's not edifying anyone. 32:57 Right and this is why it's so vitally important. 33:00 What's being told nowadays 33:01 is people are being told in the move-- 33:02 in the Glossolalia movement that this is evidence 33:05 that you're filled by the Holy Spirit. 33:07 That's not evidence. 33:08 The evidence of you being filled by the Holy Spirit 33:11 are the fruits of the Spirit, love, joy, peace, 33:14 long suffering, gentleness, meekness, patience. 33:16 He says by their fruits, you'll know them 33:18 not by their gifts you'll know them. 33:20 That's vitally--you have to keep that connected together. 33:22 Yes. By their fruits they're being known. 33:24 Not by their gifts they're being known. 33:26 Because people can wrongfully display gifts and abilities 33:31 but they don't have the fruit. 33:33 The fruit of the Spirit is what the Lord comes to bring out. 33:36 Trees, you know, the fruit on the tree becomes the gift 33:38 eventually but the fruit is what is connected you-- 33:42 connecting you to the tree. 33:43 I'm the vine, you're the branch. 33:44 Well, how do I know that? 33:45 God is love, then You are a loving person. 33:48 God is patient and kind. 33:49 You're a patient and kind person. 33:51 That's how I know that the Spirit of God 33:53 is working in your life. 33:54 But something else that is really amazing 33:56 and these are little small differences, 33:59 minor differences between the translations. 34:01 When you read the King James Version, 34:02 you find the word "unknown" inserted 34:05 and you find the word "unknown" 34:06 in 1 Corinthians 14 inserted quite often 34:09 but you'll notice that it is italicized 34:11 which means it's not a part of the original language. 34:14 It's not a part of the original manuscript. 34:16 But when you look at the New King James Version, 34:18 one of the reasons I use both is the word 34:20 "unknown" is omitted. It's taken out. 34:23 Because it was not a part of the original language. 34:25 If you read it without the original language, 34:26 you'd discover there was no unknown tongue. Right. 34:29 There was simply a tongue. Yes. 34:30 That was only considered "unknown" 34:32 because the person listening to you was English 34:35 and you're speaking in German. 34:37 So the word "unknown" was simply to emphasize the fact 34:40 that it was important that you do not use a language 34:44 that the listener cannot understand. 34:46 But all through the New King James Version, 34:48 like for example, 1 Corinthians 14 verse 2. 34:51 Read 1 Corinthians 14 verse 2. 34:52 I'm right there, I'm right there. 34:53 Read it. Okay. 34:54 "For he that speaks in an unknown tongue, 34:56 really in a tongue, a language, 34:58 speaks not unto men, but unto God, 34:59 for no man understands him, 35:01 howbeit in the spirit he speaks mysteries." 35:04 Okay. So when you read it in New Kings, 35:07 "For he who speaks in a tongue 35:09 does not speak to men but to God, 35:10 for no one understands him, 35:12 however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries" 35:15 and it says in verse 4, "He who speaks in a tongue 35:18 edifies himself, but he who prophesies, 35:20 edifies the Church." 35:22 And in this multi-port city, in this port city 35:26 where many languages were there, 35:28 there was a battle between what language to use 35:30 among the congregation of worship services. 35:34 And Paul says, "Wait aminute, wait a minute" 35:36 and he began this whole discourse by saying, 35:39 "I thank God that I speak with more tongues than all of you." 35:44 Was he saying I speak with more mysterious languages? 35:48 No. No, Paul was an educated man. 35:51 He said, "I could communicate to the Romans, 35:53 to the Hebrews, to the Parthians, to the Elamites. 35:56 I can communicate because that's my skill, 35:58 my ability, I'm educated. 36:01 But, you guys don't have as many gifts as I have. 36:04 You don't have that ability." 36:05 So instead of bringing confusion 36:07 where people don't understand, 36:09 its better that you speak five words. 36:13 In verse 19, read 1 Corinthians 14 verse 19. 36:15 Oh, I love this because the whole context 36:17 of this is in contrast to love. 36:19 Love doesn't flaunt itself. Doesn't edify itself. 36:21 Doesn't build itself up. 36:23 So as he's contrasting here in Chapter 14, 36:26 he says, you know, you can desire spiritual gifts, 36:28 but I'd rather you prophecy 36:29 because when you speak it in this language, 36:32 only God understands what you're saying. 36:34 Maybe you have, you know, 36:36 a manifestation of the Spirit 36:37 and maybe you are able to speak 36:38 in these different languages, 36:39 but only God understands what you're saying. 36:41 But you're here to edify the body. 36:43 So I'd rather have you prophecy 36:44 but "He that prophesies speaks unto edification." 36:47 And then in verse 4, 36:49 "He that speaks in an unknown tongue edifies himself." 36:52 Paul, the very context he is telling us here 36:54 the gifts aren't given to edify yourself. 36:55 The gift is given to edify the body, 36:57 "But he that prophesies, edifies the church." 36:59 "I would rather you all spake with tongues." 37:02 Excuse me, "I would rather, 37:04 I would that you all spoke with tongues, 37:05 but rather that you prophesied, 37:07 for greater is he that prophesies 37:09 that he that speaks with tongues, except." 37:13 I wanna read that again, slow down, 37:14 "I would rather that you all spake with tongues-- 37:17 I would that you all spake with tongues 37:19 but rather that you prophesied, 37:21 for greater is he that prophesied 37:23 that he that speaks with tongues, except he interpret 37:27 and that the church may receive edifying." 37:29 Now just want to point out this point right here, John. 37:33 Paul is saying here the only reason 37:35 you should speak with tongues is to edify the church. Right. 37:39 The only reason you should speak 37:40 with tongues is to edify the church. 37:43 The gift of tongues is not given for you to speak to God 37:46 in some unknown language for your own advocate. 37:48 You just have to find yourself. 37:49 The context of 1 Corinthians, 1 Corinthians 12, 37:52 13 and 14 is telling us not that this is right 37:56 It's telling us this is wrong. 37:57 I don't want you doing this. 37:58 Love doesn't edify itself. Love edifies others. 38:01 And this is a most powerful point, 38:03 I want to read verse 22 because this is something 38:05 that completely trumps the idea 38:08 that Christians need to speak in tongues. 38:12 "Wherefore tongues are for a sign, 38:17 not to them that believe." 38:21 Now wait a minute. That's the biggest place 38:23 where it's emphasized that among those who believe. 38:27 But to the unbeliever, why to the one who doesn't believe? 38:32 Because they will know, wait a minute, 38:34 wait a minute, is that Peter, the Galilean, 38:38 wait a minute, wait a minute, 38:39 when they see that Peter is able to do something 38:42 that they know he's not naturally gifted with, 38:44 they will be convinced of the work of the Spirit of God 38:48 in his life and then that believer-- 38:49 that nonbeliever becomes a believer. 38:53 Believers don't need evidence, the sign, 38:56 the tongue--the gift of tongues was a sign 39:00 for those who didn't believe. 39:01 It's kind of like when we get into ourselves. 39:03 We get into our little church groups and we're all about, 39:06 I have got this gift. I have got that gift. 39:07 And we're all--and we're not doing evangelism. 39:09 We're not doing outreach. We're just all into ourselves. 39:12 That's your--that's your verse. This is my verse-- 39:14 But let me finish the verse because 39:15 there's a second half to it. All right. 39:16 But we have to keep this mind 39:18 because here's the key if you go to-- 39:20 if you say to a non-believer, 39:24 if James who speaks English is standing on the corner 39:27 and he's speaking in a language, 39:29 somebody says, "Isn't that the guy that lives, 39:31 you know, like, I've seen him in the store a lot, 39:34 but I've never heard him speak in, what language is that?" 39:37 And somebody says, "I'm from Germany. 39:39 He's speaking in German." 39:41 And then when this whole manifestation is done, 39:42 somebody says, "Why were you speaking in German?" 39:46 And the lady who is German heard that message 39:48 and God communicated to her. 39:49 That very moment something 39:51 that God knew she needed to hear. 39:53 And people all of a sudden, who were not believers say, 39:56 "Wow, that's powerful and I heard he was a Christian. 40:00 And, I guess, there's something about this Christianity. 40:02 Maybe, I need to look into that because 40:03 I know that he doesn't speak that language. 40:05 That's not--I've never had that experience with him. 40:08 He is American, one language." 40:11 He speaks English only. 40:13 Right, but now look at the rest of that verse, verse 22, 40:16 "but prophesying is not for unbelievers 40:19 but for those who believe." Why? 40:22 You don't preach, when they got together 40:24 in their worship services, 40:26 they were preaching the Gospel to the believers. 40:29 It wouldn't benefit a person who didn't believe. 40:32 You first have to make them 40:33 a believer then to preach to them. 40:35 That was the Corinthian experience here. 40:37 So but the world has a backward though, 40:39 all Christian churches has a backward, 40:40 they're saying tongues are for believers 40:43 when tongues are not assigned for believers. 40:46 In fact, Paul says, and this is my verse, 40:48 I mean when I say my verse-- Sure I got you. 40:50 This really--it really clicks in my mind right here. Okay? 40:53 How do we make this practical? What is the bottom line? 40:55 What is Paul trying to communicate here? 40:57 Yes, John, he's trying to communicate that, 40:59 "Hey, tongues are actually for unbelievers not for believers." 41:03 Oh, here right there, then this verse, verse 19, 41:07 "Yet in the Church I would rather 41:09 speak five words with my understanding." That's right. 41:13 Hello, how are you today? 41:17 Paul says I'd rather you say to someone, 41:19 hello, how are you today? 41:20 "Five words of my understanding 41:22 and that my voice might teach others also, 41:26 than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue." 41:30 It became self edified. 41:32 It became this self exalting spirit 41:35 that was in the Church in Corinth 41:36 and Paul says it'd be better 41:37 just ask someone how they're doing? 41:39 Than to go on out there and just start gobbling 41:41 all this--this unknown language 41:42 that they don't even comprehend or understand. 41:44 Now, John, the question was this. 41:46 I just wanted to get back to this 41:47 and make even more practical. 41:49 The question was how come the Spirit of tongues 41:52 or the Spirit of languages or this gift of the Spirit 41:54 is not manifested in the church? 41:56 And the answer is in Romans. And the answer is, it is. 42:01 I remember sitting in a meeting 42:03 and I was sitting next to a person, a doctor, 42:06 who was from another country 42:08 and they were listening to the meeting 42:10 and the person next to him was translating the meeting. 42:14 And I knew the speaker, of course, 42:15 I knew these people also that's why 42:16 I was sitting next to them. 42:17 And the translator is translating, 42:18 translator is translating, 42:19 at about halfway through the meeting, 42:21 this doctor said don't translate 42:23 anymore in their language. 42:26 Don't translate anymore, I can understand. 42:28 And that person sat through the rest of that meeting 42:30 comprehending everything the speaker was saying. 42:32 Oh, yeah. And after it was over, their face was flesh red. 42:36 They couldn't believe it. And I was just amazed. 42:39 I said, "Really, you understood that?" 42:40 "Yes, I understood every word he was saying, 42:42 I understood that." 42:43 That is a manifestation of the gift of tongues. 42:46 That is the manifestation of the gift of languages. 42:48 It's not just-- it's not just someone 42:49 that speaks the language necessarily 42:51 but it's also someone that can-- 42:53 you can hear in your own language 42:55 what the person is saying. 42:57 It's a gift that is given in order to perceive 43:00 not only to speak in a way that is understanding the Gospel. 43:05 And that's wonderful. 43:06 The Lord, but He manifests those things 43:08 when the time is right and when the circumstances demand it. 43:12 Not as a sign that I'm saved. Yes. 43:14 That's so vitally, that's out of the context though, 43:16 but is not a saved sign. 43:17 And it's not a sign of self edification, self exaltation. 43:20 Definitely not. And lastly, 43:24 the question the person asked was why is it-- 43:26 why does your church not use the prayer language of tongues? 43:29 Okay. Okay, Romans 8 verse 26 to 28, 43:32 we're gonna end on that one. 43:33 We know verse 28 is, we know all things 43:36 work together to get to them, 43:37 that love of God and those who are called 43:38 according to his purpose, that's verse 28. 43:40 Romans 8 verse 26, and it says, 43:43 "Likewise the Spirit also helps or helpeth 43:47 our infirmities or our weakness. 43:50 For we know not what we should pray for." 43:53 We don't how to pray as we ought. 43:57 "But the Spirit himself maketh intercession 44:01 or makes intercession for us." 44:03 And get this, this is the unknown tongue, 44:06 the Spirit uses an unknown tongue, 44:09 "With groanings which cannot be uttered." 44:13 In other words, I can't do it. 44:15 James can't do it but the Spirit does it. 44:18 Now he who searches the hearts knows 44:20 what the mind of the Spirit is, 44:23 because he makes intercession for the saints 44:25 according to the will of God. 44:26 So the Spirit now, brings it before Christ, 44:29 Christ now intercedes on our behalf. 44:31 But the Spirit communicates in a way that we cannot. 44:34 So it is not necessary for you to try 44:37 to figure out a language to communicate. 44:39 That's what the Spirit does. He is the one communicating. 44:42 He is the one bringing it before Christ. 44:44 Christ bringing it before the Father, 44:46 the one mediator between God and man. 44:47 You're talking about our personal prayer life. 44:49 In our prayer life. 44:50 Because that phrase there, which cannot be uttered is key. 44:52 'Cause that word uttered means unspeakable. Exactly. 44:55 He is the one that's speaking in unspeakable language. 44:57 That's right. Yeah. 44:59 We can't do it. We are incapable 45:01 and God has not given us that right. 45:03 Well, God has not given us that ability 45:05 because this is a spiritual ability. 45:08 It's a divine ability which we are very human in that, 45:11 in many particulars. Wow. 45:13 We've covered that in pretty good detail 45:15 but simply it was a short question. Short question. 45:17 Not short answer. I think we're gonna segue right now. 45:22 Have we already segued? Yeah, I think we already did. 45:25 No, that's our last question, is it? That's it. 45:27 Well, thank you for your questions. 45:28 We need to get into our-- We took a lot of time today. 45:30 We need to get into our subject. 45:31 We're gonna hit this very, very quickly today. 45:33 But thank you for your questions. 45:35 If you have anymore questions you want to send to us, 45:37 you can send those to housecalls@3abn.org. 45:40 That's housecalls@3abn.org. 45:42 As you can tell, we're firing on all 12 cylinders. 45:46 That's providing we're on Mercedes Benz. 45:48 We're in Christ. We're Mercedes Benzes. 45:51 James, let's catapult into the three aspects. 45:55 What are the three messages of the three angels? 45:58 Let's talk about that. Revelation Chapter 14, 46:00 that's where we left of, Revelation 14 46:02 introduces the three angels messages 46:04 with the everlasting Gospel. 46:05 That is the phrase that molds and fashions 46:08 and directs us in understanding 46:10 what the three angel messages are. 46:12 And so everything needs to be understood 46:13 in the context of the everlasting Gospel. 46:15 The everlasting Gospel is good news. 46:18 It's the everlasting good news. 46:19 It's the salvation that has been provided 46:21 for the entire world in Jesus Christ 46:23 from the very foundation of the world. 46:25 At Revelation 13, it tells us, 46:27 "Jesus is the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." 46:30 So Revelation 14 verse 6 is proclaiming a message 46:35 that is to every nation, kinder, tongue, 46:37 and people of good news 46:39 that Jesus Christ is the Savior of all men. 46:42 From beginning to end, He is your Savior 46:44 and He is my Savior and that informs 46:46 the rest of the message, to fear God, 46:49 put our trust in God, and to reveal Him, 46:51 and as we glory to Him, trust in Him, 46:53 and His righteousness and be saved by grace 46:57 through faith for it the hour of His Judgment is come. 47:00 The hour when we're going to be vindicated 47:03 by our defense lawyer, 47:04 by our advocate Jesus Christ from the accusations of Satan. 47:07 So that we don't have to judge one another anymore. 47:09 We don't have to become critical 47:10 or judgmental of others. 47:12 We don't have to pretend to be followers of Christ 47:14 but not really be followers of Christ and worship Him, 47:17 who made heaven, and earth, and the seas 47:18 and the fountains of waters. 47:20 I don't know how much we want to get into that part there? 47:23 I think it's important to touch on the fact 47:25 that the worship that is important then, 47:27 you know, John 4 verse 23, it says, 47:29 for the hour is coming in the which, sorry, 47:31 it says, "For the hour has come, that the true--" 47:33 And now is. And now is "that the true worshipper 47:37 must worship the Father in Spirit and in truth, 47:41 for the Father seeketh such to worship him." 47:43 So worship is a key aspect of this Judgment, 47:47 our message or the Three Angels messages. 47:49 It's not just worship the way you want to and in the society 47:52 that we have nowadays, more specifically, 47:53 the religious world, people just worship any or how, 47:57 everything that, you know 47:58 if we include the name Jesus in it or God in it, 48:01 all of a sudden, it has been rubberstamped 48:03 without examining the content that is acceptable to worship. 48:06 The Lord is saying, "I want to take you back to worship 48:09 as I established it from the very beginning. 48:12 Not just worship, in the ethereal sense, 48:16 but even the day that I've established 48:20 as a day of honoring." 48:21 Now remember this, we worship the Lord everyday. 48:24 But He says, "Wait a minute, 48:25 I've got the special sign 48:26 that I've established from the very beginning 48:29 that has been ignored throughout the centuries, 48:30 throughout the millennia. 48:32 And I'm calling people back to that." 48:33 In fact, yeah, you connect it, 48:35 because there is a direct connection 48:37 between 48:38 and the fourth commandment of the Old Testament. 48:42 In Revelation 14:7 there's a call to worship Him 48:45 who made heaven, and earth, 48:46 and the seas and the fountains of waters. 48:49 Now look at this in contrast with the fourth commandment. 48:52 Now we're going right here to Exodus Chapter 20. 48:56 I'm going to look in Exodus Chapter 20 at verse 11. 49:00 Exodus Chapter 20 and look at verse 11. 49:04 The context of it is to remember 49:05 the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 49:06 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work. 49:08 But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God. 49:10 Then verse 11, "For in six days the Lord 49:12 made heaven and earth, and the sea, 49:16 and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day, 49:19 wherefore the Lord blessed 49:20 the Sabbath day, and hallowed it." 49:22 Now we're also making a connection, in Exodus 20. 49:25 We're making a connection back to Genesis Chapter 2. 49:29 That's right. But before we go there, 49:30 I want you to see the parallel that's found here 49:33 between Revelation 14 verse 7 and Exodus 20, 49:37 "Worship Him who made heaven, and earth, and the seas, 49:39 and the fountains of waters. 49:40 For in six days the Lord made 49:42 heaven and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is, 49:44 and rested on the seventh day." Right. 49:45 There's a direct connection 49:47 that's taking place here between the two. 49:49 You have a direct quote now, 49:51 why is God calling us back? 49:53 Here's the reason, there's a lot of confusion in there. 49:55 I was raised in a catholic home. 49:57 I became a born again Christian. 49:58 I was going to a Cabot Chapel Church. 49:59 I was going to Pentecostal Church. My sister came around. 50:02 She starts telling me about going to church on Saturday. 50:03 I'm thinking what? Saturday, what do you mean Saturday? 50:06 She says that's what the Bible teaches. 50:08 I don't know that story. 50:09 I said I have no idea that the Bible 50:11 teaches we to go to church on Saturday. 50:12 In fact, I think that's kind of strange 50:14 that you go to church on Saturday. 50:16 What was I at that point? Confused. 50:18 Right. I was confused. 50:19 See, Babylon represents spiritual confusion 50:23 and I was spiritually confused. 50:24 In fact, I was sure that the Bible taught 50:27 we should go to Church on Sunday 50:28 and so I went to my Bible. I went to my pastor. 50:29 I began to study the Bible, looking for the text 50:31 'cause I was trying to get my sister 50:32 out of this Seventh-day Adventist church, okay? Okay. 50:36 She was studying when. She hadn't joined yet. 50:38 And so I figured I got time to get her out of this 50:40 before she actually gets baptized and joins this church. 50:42 But I was confused. Now I thought she was confused. 50:46 But when the Gospel is preached 50:48 which includes or incorporates this call to worship God 50:51 who made heaven, earth, seas and fountains of waters, 50:53 when you go back to the Bible 50:55 and see what the Bible says about God creating 50:58 heavens, earth, seas and fountains of waters. 50:59 When you recognize the fourth commandment, 51:01 it says that He created and then rested on the Sabbath 51:04 and blessed and sanctify and then you go back to Genesis 51:06 and find that to be so, the confusion falls. 51:10 Babylon falls, the confusion falls. 51:12 I was very clear in my mind. 51:14 If I'm going to follow the Bible, not my church, 51:16 not my pastor, not my tradition, 51:18 not what people say, not the reasons they give. 51:20 But if I'm gonna follow the clear word of God, 51:23 then I'm going to start keeping the Seventh-day Sabbath. 51:26 I was amazed. But that is what I've just given you 51:29 a practical demonstration of what 51:31 these texts are actually saying. 51:32 When the Gospel is preached, that calls us to worship God 51:35 who made heaven, earth, seas and the fountains of waters, 51:37 the confusion about what day we should worship him falls. 51:39 Falls. And you know in 1 Corinthians 51:42 and the text there in 1 Corinthians Chapter 14, 51:44 "For God is not the author of confusion." 51:47 Right. Babylon, confusion. 51:48 So you have to ask yourself the question, 51:50 then who is the author of confusion? Well, Satan is? 51:53 So there are sincere Christians 51:54 who have given a bill, a bill of goods 51:57 that are not really good goods, 51:58 bad goods, bill of bads and God is saying, 52:01 "At this hour, I wanna clear up all the things 52:03 that have been, that have been a point 52:05 of misconstruing the everlasting Gospel." 52:08 They are those who love Me 52:09 that need to come out of darkness 52:10 into His marvelous light and that's where 52:12 we transition to the second message. 52:14 Because when it says Babylon is fallen, 52:16 is fallen, you know Babylon has substituted 52:19 the day of worship for the true day of worship. Yes. 52:23 Babylon has been a place where the Sun God 52:27 had been worshipped for many, many, 52:29 many, many, hundreds of years. 52:31 And so that's why the Lord uses the phrase Babylon. 52:35 It's a great and glorious and mighty city 52:37 from all external evidences. 52:38 It looks like it's impregnable but the Lord has seen 52:41 there's a weakness in Babylon. 52:42 It has defiled the same thing that Belshazzar did. 52:47 He poured wine into the vessels of the Lord. 52:50 He defiled the vessels of the Lord 52:53 and the vessels of God, many of His precious sayings 52:55 have been defiled by imbibing the wine of Babylon. 52:59 See that's all instituted in this message. 53:01 So those who've been drunken by the wine of Babylon, 53:04 and, James, one of the things 53:05 I bring out here and we're talking fast. 53:07 I'm talking like a New York speed right now. All right. 53:09 One of the reasons why we talk 53:10 about this is because wine inebriates. 53:13 It's hard to get a person who's been in Babylon 53:15 spiritually for so long to see something very, very clear 53:18 because wine or alcohol, 53:21 it messes with the persons, their equilibrium. 53:25 So their beliefs are off kilter. 53:29 Their skew of the scripture is skewed 53:32 or their vision of the scripture is skewed. 53:33 Everything is off kilter. 53:35 And then when the message of God comes in, 53:37 this marvelous light is like shining a light 53:39 on the crack of a house that has been wrongly lined up, 53:43 and the person now I see it. 53:45 The light of God's glory, the message 53:47 that He has given to us, gives us 53:49 the visibility now like you had trying 53:52 to come out of this darkness. 53:53 You were trying to pull your sister into darkness 53:56 and she said no, it's time to come out of darkness, 53:57 and here you're proclaiming the good news of Gospel. 54:00 But here's the point I'm going to make, 54:01 Babylon has fallen, has fallen. 54:03 Babylon has fallen once, already in the eyes of God. 54:07 When the time comes for the greatest, 54:09 Babylon will be fallen in the eyes of man. Okay. 54:12 Is fallen, is fallen in the eyes of God already. 54:15 Babylon has already fallen. 54:16 But God has gonna reveal Babylon for what it really is. 54:19 A fallen message, a fallen system of worship, 54:22 a fallen day chosen to honor God. 54:25 God is not honored when you 54:26 connect His name to the wrong day. 54:28 Although we worship Him everyday, 54:30 He only blessed one, He can't bless another one. 54:33 You know, I like that connection you made 54:34 to the Old Testament's story of Babylon 54:37 and Chapter 5 of Daniel. 54:39 And I also wanted to connect it to Chapter 4 54:42 and Chapter 3 and Chapter 2. 54:44 Babylon is used in Revelation 14 54:46 because Babylon was a kingdom that God revealed truth to. 54:52 In Nebuchadnezzar Chapter 2, 54:53 Nebuchadnezzar was the first king of Babylon-- 54:56 It is Daniel chapter 2. Excuse me, Daniel Chapter 2. 54:58 I was gonna say Nebuchadnezzar chapter 4. 55:00 Daniel Chapter 2, 55:01 Nebuchadnezzar was the first person 55:03 to attend a Daniel seminar. 55:04 Hey, I like that. He sat on the front row. 55:06 He listened every night. 55:07 I mean, he listened to the whole vision. 55:09 And he said your God is the God of gods. 55:11 But in Daniel 3, he took the truth of the vision 55:14 that God had given him of this image of gold, 55:16 and silver, and brass, and iron. 55:18 And he changed it all to gold. Right. 55:20 So Babylon represents a system 55:23 that takes the truth that God reveals but changes it. 55:26 Part of it is still there. The image is still there. 55:28 That's right. But part of it's been changed. 55:30 Now, does God help people in Babylon? 55:32 Daniel chapter 4, God was after Nebuchadnezzar. 55:36 Nebuchadnezzar was a man 55:38 who God wanted in His kingdom 55:40 and Nebuchadnezzar is going 55:41 to be saved in the kingdom of God. 55:42 Praise the lord. And so Babylon is not just a system 55:45 that changes the truth, reverse the truth, 55:47 takes the wine, fornicates that wine, 55:49 the teaching of the Gospel is fornicated 55:50 the wine, the blood of Christ, 55:51 representing salvation is fornicated, converted. 55:54 But God has people in Babylon. 55:56 And He wants to call them out of Babylon 55:57 and the way that Babylon falls 55:59 is by preaching the Gospel. 56:01 That's right. Babylon-- 56:02 Yeah, when the Gospel is preached, Babylon falls. 56:05 That's why these messages are given in order. 56:07 First message, everlasting Gospel, 56:09 second message, Babylon's falling. 56:11 That's right. You cannot bring Babylon down 56:13 by trying to identify Babylon. 56:14 You have to bring Babylon down by identifying 56:16 the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 56:18 The preaching of the Gospel brings the walls down. 56:20 When the trumpet is blown, 56:21 like it was in the day of Jericho, the walls came down. 56:25 And so you see clearly, 56:26 lift up your voice as a trumpet, 56:27 show my people there transgression 56:29 and the House of Jacob there are sins. 56:31 When the everlasting Gospel is proclaimed, 56:33 people see the light and they come out, 56:35 come out of her, my people, speaking about Babylon, 56:38 come out of her, my people, 56:39 the earth lightened with the glory of God, the Gospel. 56:43 Amen. Rahab was in the city of Jericho. 56:45 And Rahab trusted in that red cloth 56:49 which is the symbol of the righteousness of Christ. 56:51 You know, He's going to come with the white robe 56:52 dipped in blood and she was saved 56:54 and her household was saved 56:55 because they put their faith in the God of heaven. 56:58 That's right. And we're not gonna talk 56:59 about the mark of the Beast today 57:00 because the mark of the Beast 57:01 is a whole another topic altogether. 57:03 That's all encompassing. 57:05 You don't want to tap it and run away 57:07 because it's a message that encompasses 57:10 a lot more than people even imagine. 57:12 We can't do it in 20 seconds. 57:13 You can't do it in 20 seconds 57:15 and if we try it, we'll actually be stumped. 57:17 So let's end the program by saying this, 57:19 if you study the Gospel of Christ, 57:21 you'll see the vision of Christ. Amen. 57:24 You'll see the truth of God's word 57:25 and one thing you will discover, 57:27 when the light of God is glorified in your life 57:30 then you'll see Christ as He wants to be seen. 57:33 God bless you until we see you again. Amen. |
Revised 2014-12-17