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Series Code: RAD
Program Code: RAD170009A
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00:01 What does the future hold?
00:02 Where can we find certainty in a world of uncertainty? 00:05 The book of Revelation provides helpful answers for today, 00:09 tomorrow, and forever. 00:11 Join Mark Finley, author and world renowned speaker 00:15 on a journey into the future with 00:21 The book of Revelation is a book of hope. 00:24 It's a book that provides light in the darkness of our world. 00:28 It's a book that provides certainty 00:31 at a time of uncertainty. 00:33 It's a book that provides assurance for the future. 00:37 In this presentation we're focusing on the judgment; 00:41 Revelation's Final Judgment. 00:43 And you'll discover that the judgment is really good news, 00:48 and not bad news at all. 00:49 Let's pray as we go into our topic. 00:51 Father in Heaven, thank You for the book of Revelation that 00:55 casts light on the road ahead. 00:57 Thank You that judgment in Revelation is good news for 01:01 the people of God, and not bad news. 01:04 Guide us in our study, and make this truth plain to us, 01:09 for we pray it in Jesus' name, Amen. Our topic is 01:17 In the book of Revelation 14:7, a message to go to the end 01:23 of the earth, is carried by three angels in midheaven. 01:27 That first angel says, 01:30 Fear God... That's not be afraid of God but that's 01:33 reverence or respect God. 01:35 In awe obey Him. Give glory to Him in everything you do, 01:39 whether you eat or drink. 01:45 Now notice what our text says. 01:47 Our text does not say the hour of God's judgment will come. 01:51 It does not give us a future tense for that judgment. 01:55 It rather focuses on a present tense judgment. 01:59 The text says that the sands in the hour glass of 02:03 time are running out. That 02:07 This is no longer business as usual, 02:10 no longer pleasures as usual, but rather an urgent end time 02:15 message calling men and women everywhere to be prepared 02:19 to be ready for the coming of Christ. 02:22 When we look at the book of Revelation, 02:24 we find in the Old Testament a companion book. 02:28 That companion book is the book of Daniel. 02:31 And Daniel provides for us the keys to unlock 02:35 the book of Revelation. 02:37 Let's go and notice the comparison 02:41 between these two books. 02:51 of the judgment. So do you see the difference? 02:54 Revelation gives you the broad strokes. 02:57 Revelation speaks of this judgment at end time. 03:01 It gives you the specifics of that judgment. 03:03 It doesn't talk about the where of the judgment very much, some. 03:07 And it certainly does not talk about the when of the judgment. 03:11 Revelation 14:7 says the hour of God's judgment has come, 03:14 but it doesn't tell us when that judgment begins. 03:19 Revelation 22:12 points out that there is a judgment before 03:25 the coming of Jesus. It says, 03:33 So judgment is all through the book of Revelation. 03:36 If Jesus is coming to give out the rewards, then certainly 03:42 there must be a judgment previous to His return 03:46 to determine who receives what reward when He comes. 03:50 Judgment is all through the book of Revelation. 03:55 Jesus talks about judgment in Matthew 16:27. 04:09 So when Jesus comes He comes to give out the rewards, 04:14 but there must be a judgment previous to His coming 04:19 to determine who receives what reward when He comes. 04:23 Revelation 20:12 points out again the idea of judgment. 04:35 Another book was opened, which is the book of life. 04:39 The Scripture goes on. 04:49 So Scripture teaches, and particularly the book of 04:53 Revelation, that all humanity is moving to one glorious 04:59 climatic event: the second coming of Christ. 05:02 It teaches that before Jesus comes the entire world will 05:09 face judgment to determine who receives what 05:13 reward when Christ comes. 05:15 Now that really leads us to a question. 05:18 Why would God have a judgment? 05:19 Doesn't God already know our hearts? 05:22 Doesn't God already understand the issues of our life? 05:27 Doesn't God know everything? 05:29 Why would He need a judgment? 05:31 The judgment is not primarily for God. 05:33 There is a great controversy in the universe. 05:37 Lucifer, a fallen angel, a being of dazzling brightness, 05:41 has made some charges against the government of God. 05:45 In fact Lucifer said that God was unfair and unjust. 06:00 So God is on trial before the universe. 06:04 The Bible says in Revelation 14:7, The hour of 06:09 His judgment has come. 06:11 So God is on trial before the universe. 06:14 His character has been maligned by Satan. 06:17 It has been defamed by a fallen angel. 06:21 And Lucifer said God is unfair, God is unjust. 06:24 What does the judgment reveal? 06:26 The judgment reveals the goodness of God, 06:28 the greatness of God. 06:30 You know, even in this life people say, This is not fair. 06:34 This is unjust. Look what happened to me. 06:39 It's not fair that a child suffers of Aids because of what 06:45 their parents have done. 06:46 It's not fair that children are born into poverty. 06:50 It is not fair that a shooter enters into a church and 06:55 kills innocent people. 06:57 It is not fair that a wife is beaten by her drunken husband. 07:01 Life is not fair. It's very true, life is not fair. 07:07 But yet, in the final judgment, God will set all things right. 07:13 And He will reveal that in the midst of the unfairness of life, 07:18 in the midst of the heartache of life, in the midst of the 07:21 disappoint of life, He was there. 07:25 So that's what the judgment is all about. 07:28 It's about this cosmic conflict between good and evil. 07:31 It's about this struggle between Christ and Satan. 07:35 And the judgment reveals the justice, the righteousness, 07:39 and the goodness of God. 07:47 The major theme of Revelation is about the goodness of God, 07:51 the greatness of God. 07:53 And in Revelation, you remember those four words that are the 07:56 theme of the book of Revelation? 07:59 Jesus wins and Satan loses. 08:01 The theme of Revelation is Christ the victorious Lamb, 08:06 Christ the triumphant king who triumphs over the principalities 08:11 and powers of hell. 08:12 His name will be exalted. 08:15 His plan will be exalted. 08:19 His people will triumph, and He will be exonerated 08:22 before the whole universe. 08:36 So the judgment reveals that God's love has reached out to 08:42 every single human being on a planet called earth. 08:49 The book of Revelation shares the details of the judgment. 08:54 The book of Daniel reveals this cosmic judgment occurring 08:59 in the far reaches of the universe, in the inner courts 09:03 of Heaven, in the sanctuary above. 09:20 Thrones are put in place, movable thrones are established 09:25 in that Most Holy Place of Heaven's sanctuary. 09:30 Talking about the Father, it says, 09:51 Imagine this scene. 09:53 Let your mind grasp it. 09:56 Ten thousand times ten thousand gather in Heaven's courts. 10:02 The whole universe is there present at this 10:06 universal cosmic judgment. 10:08 God is on trial, and God reveals in that test before the whole 10:15 universe that He's done everything He can 10:18 to save every human being. 10:20 God reveals that there's nothing more that He could do 10:24 to save human beings. 10:26 God's love is on display. 10:29 God's character is on trial. 10:31 And in the judgment the whole universe gathers. 10:39 Could it be that we are living in the judgment hour? 10:44 Could it be that heaven's court has gathered? 10:48 Could it be that the books are opened and the court is set? 10:52 If that is true, if Revelation and Daniel combined, 10:56 these two great prophetic books, teach us that we're living 11:00 in the judgment hour, then that drives us to our knees. 11:04 It drives us to faith in Christ, and to commit 11:09 ourselves totally to Him. 11:11 The Bible talks about the fact that before Jesus comes, 11:15 and we've mentioned it, that when He comes 11:17 He'd give out His rewards. 11:18 So before He comes there must be this universal judgment. 11:22 In Daniel 8:14 we have the timing of that judgment. 11:28 Daniel 7 reveals the judgment would take place in Heaven. 11:32 Daniel 7 doesn't say anything about the 11:34 timing of the judgment. 11:36 Daniel 8:14 describes the timing of that judgment. 11:47 Now notice, there's a time period and there is an event. 11:51 The time period: Unto two thousand three hundred days. 11:56 The event: And then shall the sanctuary be cleansed. 12:01 But you say, That seems rather strange. 12:04 What is this cleansing of the sanctuary? 12:07 What does the cleansing of the sanctuary mean? 12:09 What is the cleansing of the sanctuary all about? 12:12 How does that relate to the judgment? 12:15 And what about these twenty-three hundred days? 12:18 Twenty-three hundred days from Daniel's time certainly wouldn't 12:22 take us down to the time of the end. 12:24 So let's try to explore the answer to some 12:27 of those questions. First 12:32 In Exodus 25:8 the Bible takes us back to the building of a 12:39 sanctuary in the wilderness. It says, 12:45 There was an earthly sanctuary built in Old Testament times. 12:51 That earthly sanctuary was a scale model of the great 12:55 sanctuary in Heaven. 12:57 The earthly sanctuary revealed the varying phases 13:02 of the plan of salvation. 13:04 In the earthly sanctuary we are able to understand Jesus' work 13:10 as sacrifice, Jesus' work as priest, 13:13 and also the final judgment. 13:15 So when the Bible says, Unto two thousand three hundred days, 13:18 then shall the sanctuary be cleansed, it's necessary to 13:22 understand the working of the Old Testament sanctuary, 13:25 and what cleansing meant there, so we will understand this 13:31 cleansing of the sanctuary, or this judgment at end time. 13:35 When you come to the sanctuary in the Old Testament, 13:38 it was really divided into three parts. 13:41 There was an outer court. 13:43 It was to that outer court that sinners 13:46 brought their sacrifices. 13:47 Once the sacrifice was slain in the outer court, 13:51 the priest entered in to the holy place of the sanctuary, 13:55 and sprinkled the blood before the veil. 13:57 Behind that veil was the most holy place, where the law 14:02 of God was enshrined. 14:03 Let's walk through that sanctuary. 14:06 Let's suppose that here's a sinner. 14:08 This sinner has gotten in an argument. 14:11 This sinner has become one who has stolen from a friend. 14:17 This sinner has become one who's been critical in the camp. 14:21 The Holy Spirit convicts him. 14:23 Recognizing his sin he must come with an offering. 14:26 The offering could be a lamb without spot or blemish. 14:29 Rulers might bring a bullock. 14:31 Poor people might bring a grain offering. 14:33 But an offering must be brought. 14:36 You might say, a grain offering, no blood. 14:37 Well, there was a morning and evening sacrifice in which blood 14:41 was shed in the sanctuary for people that were too poor 14:45 to have an animal sacrifice. 14:46 You see, the sanctuary system provided 14:49 salvation for all humanity. 14:51 And so the lamb was brought by the sinner. 14:54 The sinner places his hands over the head of the lamb, 14:58 and then the sinners guilt, as he confessed his sin, 15:02 or her the sin, was symbolically transferred to the perfect lamb. 15:07 So the person, for example, has stolen something. 15:10 Of course, he must return that which he has stolen. 15:13 But the sinner places his hands over the head of the lamb, 15:16 says, Dear Jesus, I've stolen. 15:18 Dear Jesus, I've been selfish. 15:20 Dear Jesus, I've been greedy. 15:22 Dear Jesus, forgive me, O Father. 15:24 Sin is transferred via guilt to that lamb. 15:30 And as it is, the lamb then must be slain, 15:33 but the sinner slays the lamb. 15:34 Sin is so bad that it causes the death of its victim. 15:39 Our sin is so bad that it causes the death of Jesus Christ. 15:43 When we come with the burden of sin, when we come with the 15:47 guilt of sin, when we come with the shame of sin, 15:49 when we come condemned, and we confess our sins, 15:52 the Bible says, If we confess our sins, He is faithful 15:56 and just to do what? To do what everybody? 15:58 To forgive our sins. 16:00 Just as the sinner came with a burden, confessed their sin over 16:05 the head of the lamb, and the guilt was transferred to the 16:07 lamb, so our guilt is transferred to our lamb, Jesus. 16:11 The priest then would take the blood of that sacrifice, 16:15 some of the sacrifice would be burned 16:17 at the altar in the court. 16:18 The priest would wash his hands, take the blood into the 16:22 holy place, sprinkle that blood before the veil. 16:26 So all year sin is being transferred into the sanctuary. 16:31 The sinner confesses his sin over the head of the lamb. 16:34 The guilt is transferred to the lamb. 16:37 The blood is shed. The record of the sin is in the blood. 16:40 The blood goes into the sanctuary, and it's sprinkled 16:45 before the veil, before the law of God, in that most holy place. 16:49 It's sprinkled before the veil, between the 16:52 holy, and the most holy. 16:54 Sin is transferred into the sanctuary, representing that 16:59 Jesus offers the merits of His blood in Heaven on our behalf. 17:04 We come burdened, we come filled with guilt and shame. 17:07 We confess our sin, and as we do, 17:10 it's transferred through the cross and by the blood. 17:13 Jesus, our high priest, takes it to the heavenly sanctuary. 17:17 And He says before the universe, This man, this woman, 17:20 this child is one of Mine. 17:22 Their sins are forgiven. 17:23 And He intercedes for us there. 17:26 He intercedes for us before that law that was broken. 17:31 He intercedes for us there in heaven before the very 17:37 throne of the living God. 17:40 Once a year, in the Jewish sanctuary, there was something 17:45 called the Day of Atonement. 17:48 All of Israel gathered around the camp. 17:50 It was a day of judgment. 17:53 It was the day of the cleansing of the sanctuary. 17:56 All year sin had been transferred in, 17:58 but now sin would be taken from the sanctuary. 18:02 Two goats would be chosen. 18:03 One was called the Lord's goat, the other the scapegoat; 18:08 the Lord's goat and the scapegoat. 18:11 We find there in that service, the service known as the 18:17 cleansing of the sanctuary. 18:20 Blood was shed of the one goat. 18:23 No guilt, no shame, no condemnation could be atoned 18:30 for without the blood of Christ. 18:33 The high priest brought that blood now once a year, 18:37 not simply into the holy place, but into the most holy place; 18:40 sprinkled it before the very throne of God, 18:44 then left the sanctuary and put all of the guilt, all the shame, 18:51 on that scapegoat, Satan, that would forever be separated 18:56 from the people of God. 18:58 Now when the high priest entered the most holy place, 19:01 in this special work on the Day of Atonement, this special work 19:04 called the cleansing of the sanctuary, 19:05 all of Israel gathered around. 19:07 They opened their hearts, they prayed, they sought God. 19:12 So what was the cleansing of the sanctuary in ancient Israel? 19:15 It was a day of judgment, because any Israelite that did 19:19 not confess their sin would be cut off from Israel. 19:26 Every Israelite had to be sure that their life 19:29 was right with God. 19:30 Every Israelite had to fall on their knees in repentance. 19:34 This was the Day of Judgment. 19:36 This was the Day of Atonement. 19:38 This was Yon Kippur. 19:41 This was indeed a day of the cleansing of the sanctuary. 19:46 So in the sanctuary services, there were really two services. 19:49 There was the daily service; lambs are slain, 19:53 blood is transferred from the sinner through the blood, 19:58 or sin is transferred rather from the sinner to the lamb, 20:03 through the blood into the sanctuary. 20:05 Once a year, in the yearly service, the high priest enters 20:10 the most holy place, cleansing of the sanctuary. 20:13 Sin then is brought from the sanctuary, placed on the origin 20:17 of evil, the scapegoat, who's separated from 20:20 God's people forever. 20:21 One day Satan, the one who's responsible for sin, 20:26 will take the consequences of sin and be destroyed forever, 20:31 and ever, and ever, just like that scapegoat was brought out 20:34 into the wilderness. The Bible says, 20:42 What is the cleansing of the sanctuary at the end of time? 20:46 It is the final judgment that condemns Satan, 20:50 and condemns sin forever and ever. 21:03 But, you say, wait a minute, the twenty-three hundred days, 21:07 twenty-three hundred literal days, 21:08 is little more than six years. 21:10 That doesn't take us down to the end of time. 21:13 And doesn't the angel Gabriel, in Daniel 8 say to Daniel, 21:17 Daniel, I'll help you to understand the vision. 21:20 It will apply to the time of the end. 21:22 He does. Daniel 8:16, Daniel 8:27, the vision would apply 21:27 to the time of the end. 21:28 What then, is the sense of this twenty-three hundred days? 21:34 These are prophetic symbols. 21:37 Let's look at them. 21:40 This is one of the most amazing, this is one of the most 21:45 incredible, this is one of the most remarkable prophecies in 21:49 all the Bible, because it shares the exact date that 21:53 Christ would be baptized. 21:55 It shares the exact date Christ would be crucified. 21:59 It shares the exact date that the gospel would go from the 22:02 Jews, including the Jews, of course, to the Gentiles. 22:05 And it shares when God's judgment 22:07 would begin at end time. 22:09 It is a remarkable prophecy. 22:11 It's mathematically precise. 22:13 It's minutely accurate. 22:15 Let's journey together. 22:18 The angel Gabriel, in Daniel 8:16, 17 says, 22:24 What was Gabriel's task? to make Daniel understand the vision. 22:29 At the end of chapter 8, and verse 27 and onward, 22:33 Daniel faints, and he does not understand the vision. 22:37 The Scripture says, 22:52 So the vision of the 2300 days, the vision of the cleansing 22:57 of the sanctuary, does not apply to Daniel's time. 23:01 What time does it apply to again? the time of the end. 23:05 It would take us down to end time. 23:09 Now 2300 literal days does not take us down to end time. 23:14 Ezekiel was a contemporary of Daniel. 23:17 And Ezekiel says in, 23:24 In Bible prophecy, one prophetic day represents one literal year. 23:44 Now somebody says, How do you know the 23:47 day-year principle applies? 23:50 How do you know that one prophetic day equals one literal 23:55 year, in this prophecy that says unto 2300 days, then shall the 24:00 sanctuary be cleansed? 24:01 How do you know the day-year principle applies? 24:03 Two ways: first the angel Gabriel doesn't make mistakes. 24:06 And he says the prophecy would take us down to 24:09 the time of the end. 24:10 Obviously, 2300 days from Daniel's time would just take 24:14 you down a few years, not even to the days of Media and Persia 24:19 that overcame Babylon. 24:21 So really when you begin to look at this whole prophecy, 24:26 you begin to understand that 2300 days doesn't even take you 24:32 out of the Persian period. 24:34 Secondly, have you ever heard the saying, If the shoe fits, 24:39 what is it? If the shoe fits, you're right! 24:41 If the shoe fits, wear it! 24:43 When you apply the day-year principle, one prophetic day 24:47 equaling a literal year, when you apply that principle, 24:50 everything in the prophecy fits minutely. 24:53 Everything in the prophecy fits exactly. 24:56 We see the exact time of Christ's coming in His baptism. 25:00 The exact time of the crucifixion of Christ. 25:03 The exact time the gospel would go to the Gentiles. 25:07 So the angel Gabriel comes back and he explains this 25:10 prophecy to Daniel. 25:12 He says, Daniel, I've come to give you 25:14 understanding of the vision. 25:22 You see the word determined there? 25:24 It's an interesting Hebrew word. 25:25 The Old Testament, of course, was written in Hebrew. 25:27 And it's the word karath, and it means cut off. 25:30 Seventh weeks are cut off from what? the 2300 days, 25:35 or the 2300 years, so seventy weeks are cut off. 25:39 Who are they cut off for? for your city and your people. 25:48 Of the 2300 years, 70 weeks are cut off from that period. 25:56 They are the first part of that period. 25:59 Notice how it's put. 26:08 So if you look at 70 prophetic weeks, and you need to figure 26:14 out how many days are in those prophetic weeks so you can 26:17 figure out how many years that is? 26:19 How many days in a week? 26:22 I knew this was a good group! 26:23 How many days in a week? seven. 26:25 Alright. So if I've got 7 days in a week, and I want to 26:29 figure out how many days in 70 prophetic weeks, 26:32 that's 490 days; 7 x 0 is 0, 7 x 7 are 49. 26:36 490 prophetic days equal what? 26:40 If one prophetic day equals a year, that's 490 years. 26:45 So you have a 2300 year prophecy, and the first part of 26:49 that prophecy, 70 weeks, 490 days, or 490 literal years, 26:55 is cut off for that. 27:12 That part relates to Daniel's people. 27:16 Along this timeline we're going to see the exact day for the 27:20 exact time for the baptism of Christ, the exact time for the 27:24 crucifixion of Christ, the exact time for the gospel 27:28 to go to the Gentiles. 27:29 We're going to discover, too, the time for heaven's cleansing 27:33 of the sanctuary, the time for earth's final judgment, 27:36 the time of an amazing prophecy that would go to the ends of 27:41 the earth to prepare a people for the coming 27:43 of the Lord Jesus Christ. 27:45 Now when does this prophecy start? 27:48 Unless we can figure out when these 490 years start, 27:52 we won't be able at all to discover the events 27:57 along the timeline. 27:59 We have a clear text in 28:04 What does the Bible say? It says what? 28:06 Know and what else? know and understand. 28:10 When the angel Gabriel, through the inspiration of God says, 28:14 Know it and understand it. 28:15 Do you think it's important to know it? 28:17 Do you think it's important to understand it? 28:19 What does the Bible say? 28:27 unto Messiah the Prince, shall be seven weeks, 28:31 and threescore and two weeks... 28:33 Know therefore and understand from the going forth of the 28:36 command to rebuild Jerusalem... 28:38 So in Daniel's day Babylon had been overthrown by Medo Persia. 28:44 When would this command go forth to restore 28:50 and build Jerusalem? 28:52 Jerusalem was in ruins. 28:53 The Babylonians had destroyed the city of Jerusalem. 28:58 Nebuchadnezzar came down in three attacks 29:01 and overthrew that city. 29:03 Daniel's city was in ruins. 29:06 Daniel's people were in captivity. 29:08 The Persians overthrew the Babylonians, and the Persian 29:13 king, Artaxerxes, would sign a decree allowing the Israelites 29:17 to go back and worship. 29:20 If we can discover when that decree took place, 29:24 remember our text, Know therefore and understand 29:26 from the decree to restore and build Jerusalem, 29:29 unto Messiah the Prince... 29:31 So if we can understand when that decree went forth, 29:35 then we will be able to know when the prophecy begins. 29:39 The angel said, Know it, understand it, 29:46 Who's Messiah the Prince? Jesus Christ. 29:52 What's 7 and 62 weeks? 69 weeks. 29:55 So from the day that the command goes forth to restore 29:58 and build Jerusalem unto the Messiah, 30:00 shall be 69 prophetic weeks. 30:04 How much are 69 prophetic weeks? 30:07 7 x 9 are 63, 7 x 6 are 42, carry my 6 and that's 48, 30:13 that's 483 years. So of the 490 years that relate to the Jews, 30:21 the first 483 of these years take you from the decree 30:26 to restore and build Jerusalem unto the Messiah. 30:28 When did that decree go forth? 30:29 No question about it; Ezra tells us. 30:32 In Ezra, 7th chapter, he says that the decree went forth 30:37 in the year of Artaxerxes, and it pinpoints the very 30:41 exact year: 457 B.C. 30:45 So here's what Scripture teaches. 30:47 From 457 B.C., 483 years forward on the timeline will 30:53 take you to the coming of the Messiah. 30:56 There are two parts to the prophecy. 30:58 The first 70 weeks, 490 years, the last 1810 years: 31:06 490 and 1810 equal 2300 prophetic 31:11 days, or literal years. 31:13 The entire prophecy would begin when everybody? 31:16 When the angel said, Know therefore and understand 31:20 from the command to restore and build Jerusalem until what? 31:24 Messiah the Prince shall be 7 weeks, 3 score and 2 weeks, 31:29 or 69 prophetic weeks. 31:33 69 prophetic weeks are 483 years. 31:36 So let's suppose I'm back here on the timeline. 31:39 The decree goes forth in 457, and I've got to go forward on 31:43 that timeline 483 years until I come to Messiah the Prince. 31:50 Now what does the word Messiah mean? 31:53 The word Messiah means "The Anointed One. " 31:57 When was Jesus anointed by the Holy Spirit? at His baptism. 32:02 So this prophecy then should take us from 457 B.C., 32:07 it should take us down the timeline 483 years until the 32:13 baptism of Jesus Christ. 32:15 When was Christ's baptism? 32:18 Can we be certain of when that baptism was? 32:22 If you go 483 years in this timeline, 32:26 it will take you to 27 A.D. 32:28 Now somebody says, How do you figure that out? 32:31 Very simple. Let's suppose that I was back in 457 B.C., 32:37 and let's suppose I had to walk forward only 32:41 457 years, or paces. 32:43 457, if I'm only going forward 457, what year 32:48 would that take me to? 32:49 You say, 0, but there's no 0 year. 32:51 It goes from 1 B.C. to 1 A.D. 32:54 So 457 forward on the timeline would take me to 1 A.D. 32:59 But I'm not going 457, I'm going how many? 483. 33:04 I'm going 69 prophetic weeks, 483 prophetic days, 33:09 or 483 years. Well, I need to go not 457, 33:14 but I need to go 26 more that takes me exactly to 27 A.D. 33:20 What happened in 27 A.D.? 33:30 What year was this? Do we know? 33:36 So what year is that? 27 A.D. 33:39 Christ comes, the decree goes forth in the fall of 457 33:44 to rebuild Jerusalem. 33:46 483 years later takes me to the fall of 27 A.D. 33:53 And what happens then? 33:54 Christ is baptized exactly like the Bible predicted. 33:59 Jesus is the Messiah who came on time. 34:03 Now after His baptism it says, After the 62 weeks Messiah, 34:09 the anointed One baptized, shall be cut off... 34:12 What do you think cut off means? 34:14 It means, of course, crucified. 34:17 So the Bible predicted that Jesus, after His baptism, 34:21 would be crucified. 34:28 What does it mean that Christ will confirm the covenant? 34:31 You know, I've heard some people say that, 34:34 Oh, this refers to the anti-Christ. 34:36 He's going to confirm the covenant; going to conform a 34:38 covenant with the Jews. 34:40 Isn't it just like the Devil to take an amazing prophecy 34:44 on the death of Christ, that confirms beyond a shadow of a 34:49 doubt that Christ is the Messiah, and turn it around 34:52 to the anti-Christ? 34:53 In the New Testament the anti-Christ never makes a 34:56 covenant with anybody. 34:57 Who is it that makes the covenant? It's Jesus Christ. 35:00 Now look at the prophecy. 35:01 The decree would go forth in 457 B.C. 35:04 We go forth 483 years on the timeline. 35:08 Christ is baptized on time. 35:10 There are 490 years that relate to the Jews. 35:13 483 take you down to A.D. 27. 35:16 There are 7 years left in the prophecy, or 1 prophetic week, 35:21 or 7 prophetic days, or 7 years. 35:25 Then the Bible says 35:34 Who would confirm that covenant? 35:36 Jesus Christ would confirm it when He shed His blood 35:40 on Calvary's cross. 35:42 In the middle of the week; that's in the middle of those 35:44 last seven years, He shall, He, the Messiah, the One that's 35:48 going to confirm the covenant, shall bring an end to 35:51 sacrifice and offering. 35:52 So it would be Christ in the middle of that last prophetic 35:56 week that would shed His blood for all humanity. 36:01 What would take place then? 36:03 Look, if you have one prophetic week left, down to 27 A.D., 36:10 and if you have something that takes place in the middle of 36:13 that last prophetic week... 36:15 What's half 7? What's half 7? 36:17 You got it! It's not so complicated. 36:19 Half 7 is 31/2. So if 483 years take me to the fall of 27 A.D., 36:27 and I have 31/2 more years till the middle of that last 36:32 prophetic week, 31/2 from the fall of 27 with 3 years from 36:36 the fall of 27 would take me to the fall of 30. 36:39 But if I have six more months it takes me to the spring of 31. 36:42 Jesus Christ, the Messiah, at 33 years old, died exactly 36:49 in the spring of the year, 31 A.D., amazing prophecy that 36:55 predicts the exact time of Christ's death. 36:58 He died on the Passover in the spring of 31 A.D. 37:03 The prophecies of the book of Daniel, combined with 37:07 Revelation, are remarkably incredible. 37:13 The Christ that is more than a good man. 37:15 The Christ that's more than an ethical teacher. 37:18 The Christ that's more than a moral philosopher. 37:20 The Christ who would come. 37:22 He was baptized on time. 37:24 He shed His blood on time, He, Christ, the Passover Lamb. 37:30 And that's why Paul said, Christ our Passover 37:32 is sacrificed for us. 37:34 He, Matthew 26:28, Who would confirm the covenant? 37:48 Christ establishes a new covenant. 37:51 Men and women are saved by His blood of the new covenant. 37:56 They are saved through His grace of that new covenant. 38:00 Men and women in the Old Testament were saved by the 38:04 Christ that was to come. 38:07 They were not saved by works. 38:08 We are saved by the Christ that has come. 38:12 What's the difference between the old and new covenant? 38:14 In the old covenant our Jewish race said, Everything the 38:20 Lord said, we will do. 38:22 We will keep the law. 38:23 In the new covenant Jesus says, I have kept the law for you. 38:27 My perfect life can atone for your imperfection. 38:30 Come to Me and find My grace and my mercy. 38:33 This is the blood of the new covenant. 38:34 But all this was predicted in Daniel 9, that the Messiah 38:38 would come, that the Messiah would be cut off. 38:41 He would sacrifice His life exactly in the spring of 38:45 31 A.D., as the Passover Lamb for us. 38:52 Have you noticed the many passages in the New Testament 38:56 that speak about the timing of Christ's baptism, 38:59 the timing of Christ's death? Notice 39:07 What's that talking about? 39:09 Jesus was born on time. 39:11 Jesus was baptized on time. 39:13 Jesus was crucified on time. 39:14 Gospel going to the Gentiles on time. 39:17 When the fullness of time is come, God sent forth His Son. 39:21 Jesus is baptized. Mark 1:15, He says, The time is fulfilled. 39:29 There's a divine timetable. 39:31 Jesus is crucified on time. The Bible says, 39:37 At the right time, Romans 5:6. 39:40 All of this predicted in the prophecies of Daniel. 39:44 All of this predicted hundreds of years in advance. 39:47 Is it not incredible? 39:50 Is it not amazing? Is it not mind boggling that over 600 39:58 years in advance Daniel predicts, in his prophecies, 40:04 the death of Christ? 40:07 He predicts these events in the life of Christ, 40:12 and the timing of these events. 40:14 The Bible is no common book, and Jesus is no common man. 40:19 This book is inspired by the Living God. 40:23 Every page speaks of the wisdom of God. 40:27 Every page speaks of the grace of God. 40:31 Every page speaks of the power of the Living God. 40:38 Notice what Daniel said. 40:39 He shall bring sacrifice and offering to cease. 40:46 When Christ died on the cross, the veil in the 40:49 temple was rent in two. 40:50 The lambs were no longer to be sacrificed as Passover lamb, 40:55 because Jesus, our Passover, died for us. 41:03 Christ ascended to heaven on time. 41:07 Now notice, there'd be 31/2 years left in the prophecy. 41:11 The decree goes forth to restore and rebuild Jerusalem in 457. 41:15 483 years later, A.D. 27 Christ is baptized on time. 41:23 31/2 years after that, in A.D. 31, the cross of Christ. 41:30 Jesus dies. So here you find Christ baptized right as the 41:37 Bible said, A.D. 27. 41:39 Christ crucified exactly as the Bible says, A.D. 31. 41:44 Now there are 31/2 years left in the prophecy of the 490 years 41:50 that relate to the Jews. 41:51 And 31/2 years from the spring of A.D. 31 take us down 41:57 to the fall of A.D. 34. 42:04 What happened then? 42:06 What happened in 34 A.D.? 42:09 In 34 A.D., exactly on time, exactly like the Bible 42:17 predicted, Stephen gives that amazing speech. 42:23 He stands there before the Jewish high priest, 42:27 and Jewish leaders, and Stephen opens his heart and 42:31 shares about the Messiah. 42:33 The high priest is stunned. 42:36 And they begin to see that the Jewish leadership is being 42:41 charged with the crucifixion of Christ, and rejecting Jesus. 42:46 And as that is taking place among those Jewish high priests, 42:52 they begin throwing stones to kill Stephen. 42:55 Three things happen in A.D. 34. 43:08 The gospel then, from that point forward, includes not only Jews, 43:13 and it does, most of the early church were Jewish, 43:15 but it includes now Gentiles. 43:19 The gospel goes now to the world. 43:22 By the grace of Christ, Jew and Gentile are 43:26 becoming Christians. 43:27 490 year prophecy that relates to the Jewish people. 43:34 Every event along the timeline of that prophecy 43:39 was indeed fulfilled. 43:50 Jerusalem. So Part 1 of the prophecy relates to the Jews. 43:57 From 457 B.C. God gave them mercy. 44:01 God gave them grace. 44:03 God gave them salvation down to A.D. 34. 44:07 You see isn't it fascinating that even after the Jewish 44:11 nation, through their priests, turned their back on the gospel, 44:17 and on Jesus... Now remember what we said, 44:20 it was not the Jewish people. 44:22 Many of them accepted the Messiah. 44:23 It was Jewish leadership, Jewish priests. 44:26 But even after the crucifixion of Christ, for 31/2 years, 44:33 31/2 years God reached out in mercy, God reach out in grace. 44:39 It wasn't until 34 A.D. that Jesus turned to bring the gospel 44:45 to the Gentiles, along with the Jews. 44:48 Isn't God merciful? 44:50 Isn't God gracious? 44:52 Isn't God amazingly good? 44:55 But notice Part 2. 490 years of the 2300 are determined. 45:00 Remember they are cut off. 45:02 Take us down to A.D. 34. 45:04 There's 1810 years left. 45:06 1810 would take more. 45:09 After A.D. 34 would take us down to the judgment, 45:13 take us down to the cleansing of heaven's sanctuary, 45:17 take us down to the time when the gospel would go 45:20 to the ends of the earth, and the warning message would go 45:23 forth: Get ready! Christ is about ready to come! 45:26 If you take A.D. 34, add 1810, it takes you 45:29 down to the year 1844. 45:32 What does that mean, we are living in the judgment hour? 45:35 It's no longer time as usual. 45:37 No longer business as usual. 45:39 Since 1844 God has been sending His warning message 45:45 to the ends of the earth. 45:46 Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of 45:49 His judgment has come. 45:50 Somebody says, But wait a minute, that's well over 160 45:56 some odd years ago! 45:58 How could we be living in the judgment hour for all that time? 46:01 Remember, Noah preached for 120 years. 46:04 The population base was much smaller then than it is now. 46:08 With God, if you look at the great stream of millenniums 46:11 of human history, if you look at that great stream of time, 46:16 160 some odd years is a small slice when you look at all the 46:22 years of human history. 46:23 God gives ample time for all of the whole human race. 46:27 So what's going on now? 46:29 First in heaven, heaven's final judgment is taking place. 46:33 Thousands times ten thousands are gathered around the throne 46:36 of God from throughout all of the universe, 46:39 and there God's character is being revealed as 46:41 righteous and true. 46:43 Before the universe God is showing that He's done 46:45 everything He could to save every human being, 46:48 every person that has died in ages past, 46:51 cases examined meticulously to show God's grace, 46:54 and God's goodness; that He could not do anything else 46:57 to save one human being. 46:59 And while at that same time that is happening, 47:01 a message is to go to the ends of the earth. 47:10 Then shall the judgment take place. 47:12 God is inviting men and women everywhere to gather 47:15 around that sanctuary. 47:17 God is inviting men and women everywhere to open their hearts 47:20 in repentance; to be sure that their hearts are right with God. 47:30 Since 1844 the destinies of the entire human race 47:33 are now to be settled. 47:35 Revelation 14:7, Scripture says, Fear God, respect God, 47:40 bow in reverential awe and praise before God, 47:44 and live lives of Godly obedience through His grace. 47:46 Give glory to Him in what you eat, what you drink, 47:49 and everything you do. 47:51 Why? For the hour of His judgment. 47:53 What does it say? has come. 47:55 We are living now in that judgment hour. 47:59 Now is the time to be on our knees. 48:02 Now is the time to be seeking God. 48:04 Now is the time to open our hearts before God. 48:08 Now is the time to say, Jesus, everything is yours. 48:12 I give my life and everything I have, 48:16 totally, absolutely to You. 48:18 Do you hear God tugging at your heart? 48:23 Do you sense that not only are we facing a society with signs 48:29 in the world: famines, earthquakes, terrorist attacks, 48:35 the threat of nuclear war, natural disasters 48:39 on every hand, waning morality? 48:42 Not only are signs taking place all around us, but something is 48:48 going on in Heaven. 48:49 God's character is being revealed before 48:52 the whole universe. 48:54 You see, when Christ died on the cross, He revealed before 48:59 awaiting world, and a watching universe His love. 49:02 There's nothing that can demonstrate God's love anymore 49:06 magnificent than the cross. 49:08 But now in Heaven, in the judgment, in the cosmic conflict 49:13 between good and evil, and Christ and Satan, 49:16 Jesus reveals just how that love is manifest in every life. 49:24 Jesus reveals how He has done everything He could 49:29 to save every human being. 49:31 A number of years ago Friedrich Wilhelm Hershel was a young 49:39 soldier fighting in the war in Germany. 49:45 There was a tremendous battle that was taking place as the 49:48 Germans were beating back the invading forces. 49:52 And as they were, Hershel saw the bloodshed. 49:57 He listened to the sound of cannon, and this young soldier 50:02 could not take it any longer, and so he deserted the Army. 50:07 He knew that desertion meant death, and so he fled. 50:14 He fled to England, and he changed his name from 50:18 Friedrich Wilhelm Hershel, to William Hershel. 50:21 Now the name William Hershel may be familiar to you. 50:24 He became a brilliant scientist. 50:27 And there, through his telescope, 50:30 discovered a new planet. 50:32 All of England was astir with this brilliant scientist who had 50:39 discovered a new planet. 50:41 He was summoned to the king. 50:43 Now one thing that William Hershel knew, that others did 50:48 not know, the king's grandfather was in charge of the Army 50:53 that William Hershel had deserted from in Germany. 50:58 And so William Hershel is summoned before the king. 51:03 He doesn't know why he's summoned. 51:05 He's sitting in the room waiting to see the king, 51:08 and he's waiting again, and again, and again, 51:11 for time elapses, time goes by, and finally a servant comes 51:16 out with an envelope. 51:17 And William Hershel says, The king knew 51:21 that I deserted the Army. 51:23 The king's grandfather has told him that I was a deserter 51:27 at the most critical time in battle. 51:29 I know that this envelope is a statement, a declaration that 51:35 I'll be executed tomorrow. 51:36 His hands were trembling, knees were knocking, beads of sweat 51:40 stood out on his forehead, his stomach was in knots. 51:43 And then he was handed the envelope. 51:46 He took the envelope and opened it. 51:49 And as he did he saw these words: The king has 51:55 pardoned William Hershel. 51:58 What joy flooded his soul! 52:00 Our king, too, has pardoned us. 52:02 We deserve death, but Jesus says, 52:18 We, like William Hershel, deserve death, 52:22 but Christ Himself is the propitiation. 52:35 We are living in the judgment hour. 52:38 And Jesus reaches out to you. 52:41 You and I can't pass the judgment alone. 52:44 If we appear before the judgment bar of God in our own 52:49 righteousness, there is no hope for us. 52:53 Just condemned will be written after our names. 52:58 But if we appear there in Jesus, and by Jesus, and through Jesus, 53:03 our Savior is our judge, our defense attorney is our judge, 53:12 and Jesus has never lost a case yet. 53:16 He's waiting for you to open your heart to Him right now 53:21 as Tim sings, The Savior is Waiting. 53:32 The Savior is waiting to enter your heart. 53:39 Why don't you let Him come in? 53:46 There's nothing in this world to keep you apart. 53:54 What is your answer to Him? 54:03 Time after time He has waited before, 54:11 and now He is waiting again, to see if you're willing to 54:22 to open the door. Oh how He wants to come in. 54:38 If you'll take one step toward the Savior my friend, 54:45 you'll find His arms open wide. 54:52 Receive Him and all of your darkness will end. 54:59 Within your heart He'll abide. 55:07 For time after time He has waited before, 55:15 and now He is waiting again, to see if you're willing 55:27 to open the door. Oh how He wants to come in. 55:45 Are you willing, my friend? 55:48 Willing to open your heart's door to this Christ? 55:52 Willing to say, Jesus, when I look in my own heart 55:57 I only see selfishness. 56:01 I only see greed. I only see the blackness of sin. 56:07 I tremble at the thought of the judgment. 56:10 I tremble at the thought of my sins being exposed before the 56:15 universe, and before God and angels who are so holy. 56:19 My friend, your sins need not be exposed there. 56:22 They can be covered by the blood of Christ. 56:26 They can be blotted out of that record. 56:29 Would you like to say, Jesus, I'm coming to You, 56:34 opening my heart to You, asking You right now to hold me in Your 56:43 arms, to save me in Your kingdom. 56:46 Let's pray together. 56:48 Father in Heaven, thank You that as we study in this series, 56:52 Revelation's Ancient Discoveries, we find in the 56:55 book of Revelation a Christ, a Christ who covers our sins 57:00 through His blood, a Christ who blots out our sins through 57:04 His power, a Christ that will represent us in eternities 57:08 courts in the final judgment. 57:10 Father, just now we surrender our lives to You. 57:15 In Jesus name, Amen. 57:17 Thank you for joining us for Revelation's 57:20 Ancient Discoveries. 57:22 We'll see you next time, and God bless you. |
Revised 2018-04-09