Salvation in Symbols and Signs

The 144,000 part 2

Three Angels Broadcasting Network

Program transcript

Participants: James Rafferty (Host), Ivor Meyers (Host), Yvonne Lewis, Jason Bradley

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Series Code: SISS

Program Code: SISS000027A


00:31 Okay we are back and we left off with a cliffhanger
00:34 Ivor was getting ready to pour out on us
00:36 and then we're going to move into more of the 144,000...
00:39 this is kind of like a Part 2... because we need a Part 2...
00:42 because this is a big subject and it's an important subject
00:45 it's a question a lot of people ask... who are the 144,000...
00:48 are these talking about literal Jews
00:50 because there are the 12 tribes there or... is this spiritual
00:53 or is it... is the number symbolic or is it literal
00:56 or how does that all... I think we get...
00:58 we've gotten a good start on it,
00:59 we've really cracked open and started to understand it
01:02 but we really need to nail this down
01:04 there's more than we can see
01:05 because there's a whole other chapter
01:06 or at least another section in chapter... chapter 14
01:09 that describes a 144,000, what about all of that?
01:12 so we need to identify all of that and bring it in
01:14 to chapter 7 here even though we're going ahead
01:16 I still think it's important to bring that in
01:18 so Yvonne, would you start us out with a word of prayer
01:20 and then we'll throw it over to Ivor.
01:21 Yvonne: Absolutely...
01:22 "Father God, thank you so very much for bringing us
01:24 together again to study your Word,
01:27 and help us to be able to understand
01:29 and apply what we've learned,
01:31 we bless your name, Lord, You are welcome in this place
01:34 in Jesus' name. Amen. "
01:35 All: "Amen... "
01:36 James: All right, Ivor, take it...
01:38 Ivor: All right... so we are in Revelation chapter 14...
01:41 James: Okay... Revelation 14...
01:42 Ivor: And we're going to take a look at verses 1 to 5
01:47 which is the second description of the 144,000
01:51 and so it said in chapter 14 and verse 1,
01:56 "And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Zion,
01:59 and with him an hundred forty and four thousand,
02:01 having his Father's name written in their foreheads. "
02:05 Just make a mental note of that...
02:07 the 144,000 have the Father's name in their foreheads
02:12 so the name of the Father would be synonymous
02:15 with the seal... okay,
02:17 and so it goes on to say,
02:20 "And I heard a voice from heaven,
02:21 as the voice of many waters,
02:23 and as the voice of a great thunder:
02:24 and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps:
02:27 And they sung as it were a new song before the throne,
02:29 and before the four beasts, and the elders:
02:31 and no man could learn that song
02:33 but the hundred and forty and four thousand,
02:35 which were redeemed from the earth.
02:38 These are they which were not defiled with women;
02:40 for they are virgins.
02:42 These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth.
02:44 These were redeemed from among men, being the... " what?
02:47 "firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.
02:49 And in their mouth was found no guile:
02:51 for they are without fault before the throne of God. "
02:53 So a couple of things we want to look at here
02:56 and one of the first things I mention
02:57 is the fact that the Bible says,
03:00 "These were they which were redeemed from the earth... "
03:04 okay, so this group... the 144,000...
03:09 according to this verse represents
03:14 those that are redeemed from the earth.
03:17 So we've got two options,
03:18 either 144,000 literal people are redeemed from the earth,
03:24 or we've got a great multitude standing before God.
03:27 Do you see what I'm saying? Yvonne: Hmmm... hmmm...
03:31 James: They're identified as a 144,000.
03:32 Ivor: Yeah, they're identified as 144,000...
03:34 either the number is literal or it's symbolic.
03:37 Ivor: So, if it's literal...
03:38 then would mean that only, right?
03:41 144,000 people would be redeemed from the earth
03:43 but we know that's not the case
03:45 because we've already seen in Revelation 7:9,
03:46 that there was a great multitude
03:49 now, let's go to Isaiah 51 verse 11
03:52 I want you to read this verse, Isaiah 51 and verse 11
03:59 and whichever one of you finds that first,
04:02 just go ahead and read that.
04:05 All finding the verse...
04:08 Yvonne: "Therefore the redeemed of the Lord shall return,
04:14 and come with singing unto Zion;
04:16 and everlasting joy shall be upon their head... "
04:19 Ivor: Okay, that's good right there,
04:21 "therefore the... " who?
04:22 Yvonne: Redeemed of the Lord...
04:24 Ivor: "redeemed of the Lord shall go... " where?
04:26 Yvonne: Return...
04:27 Ivor: To where? Yvonne: Zion...
04:28 James: Mount Zion...
04:30 Ivor: With singing... Yvonne: singing...
04:31 James: Yeah... singing... that's it, right there.
04:34 Ivor: Okay, so, again, either this group is saying
04:36 only 144,000 are redeemed,
04:39 or the 144,000 represents the "redeemed of the Lord,"
04:44 so, let's just say this then,
04:45 that the 144,000 is a symbolic number for the redeemed.
04:51 James: All right... since we've said that...
04:53 we need to then identify what it means
04:55 that they have the Father's name that they're firstfruits,
04:58 that they're virgins, they have no guile,
05:01 they stand without faults
05:03 because a lot of times we can take those characteristics
05:06 and try to apply them to an elite group of people,
05:10 not everyone is going to stand without fault
05:12 before the throne of God always,
05:13 not everyone is going to be the "first fruits... "
05:15 not all the redeemed will be the "first fruits,"
05:16 not all the redeemed are going to be virgins,
05:18 not all the redeemed are going to have
05:19 the Father's name in their forehead...
05:20 it's not just the end-time people
05:22 that have the name of the Father on their forehead,
05:23 these are the questions that I receive
05:26 and the questions that I've had in relation to this subject
05:28 so let's take those down one by one,
05:30 the first one I'd like to look at is the Father's name,
05:33 you said it's synonymous...
05:34 you inferred "synonymous" with the Seal of God
05:37 and we need to do a whole
05:38 'nother program about the Seal of God in the next segment
05:41 but I agree with that...
05:42 I think that what we have in Revelation 7
05:45 is further elaborating Revelation 14,
05:47 the Seal of God is the character of God,
05:50 it's His name, that word "name" means character
05:52 it's His character and of course, God's character
05:55 is the transcript of His Law,
05:56 "The Law of God... " Matthew 22 is a Law of love
05:59 and these guys are filled with His Law...
06:01 with His character... the Ten Commandment Law...
06:04 loving God and loving our neighbor
06:06 is reflected in their foreheads, in their characters
06:10 so, the character of God... the name of God
06:12 is that only going to be on a few of the redeemed,
06:16 an elect group of redeemed or all the redeemed...
06:20 going to be having that character... that Law of God...
06:23 are all the redeemed going to be keeping the commandments of God
06:24 in heaven... so to speak,
06:26 I'd like us to look at one verse again, it's in Revelation 22,
06:30 going now to the "Eden restored"
06:33 we're going to get a picture
06:34 of what it's going to look like in Eden restored...
06:36 okay, in Eden restored we have this verse
06:39 Revelation 22 and Jason, just start reading here...
06:43 verse... start with verse 1...
06:45 and let's read all the way through verse 4.
06:47 Jason: Okay... "And he shewed me a pure river
06:49 of water of life, clear as crystal,
06:51 proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
06:53 In the midst of the street of it,
06:55 and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life,
06:59 which bare twelve manner of fruits,
07:01 and yielded her fruit every month:
07:03 and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
07:05 And there shall be no more curse:
07:08 but the throne of God and of the Lamb
07:10 shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:
07:12 And they shall see his face;
07:14 and his name shall be in their foreheads. "
07:16 James: And there's a lot here in this, first of all...
07:19 you notice this... there's some fruit there...
07:22 never tasted like this... Jason: I believe it.
07:25 James: This is going to be great.
07:27 Yvonne: Every month it yields.
07:28 James: Every month... oooh... ooooh...
07:30 and then, notice it's talking about
07:32 the throne of God and the Lamb...
07:34 "Who's going to be able to stand before the throne and the Lamb?"
07:36 was the question asked in Revelation 6... okay...
07:39 Jason: There's an answer in Psalm chapter 1.
07:41 James: There's an answer in Psalm chapter 1.
07:43 Jason: Let's go there real quick.
07:44 James: You go there while we finish...
07:45 I'll finish this thought,
07:47 and then it says, that His servants serve Him
07:49 and that was the picture of the great multitude,
07:51 they're the ones that serve Him and night in the temple
07:53 in other words, only with the redeemed,
07:55 only the great multitude, only the 144,000
07:59 actually go into the temple, the lost, the wicked...
08:02 none of those... no one can go into that temple
08:04 unless they've been redeemed...
08:06 unless they're a part of the 144,000...
08:08 Ivor: If you're not a part of the 144,000
08:10 you can't go into the temple.
08:11 James: Exactly... Yvonne: Hmmm...
08:13 James: You can't go in... but yet... the great multitude
08:15 served Him in the temple day and night.
08:16 Yvonne: So angels... then...
08:19 James: No, we're talking about in relation with the redeemed
08:21 from the earth. Yvonne: Oh, okay, okay...
08:22 James: Yeah... yeah... the angels...
08:24 we know they're in there, God's in there,
08:26 all the unfallen... they're in there...
08:27 but we're talking... the context now is...
08:29 Eden restored... who from the earth
08:32 is going to be able to go in that temple?
08:33 Is it just going to be an elect group... lasting...
08:36 or is it going to be the redeemed?
08:37 All the redeemed... are they going to go into that temple?
08:39 And then, notice what it says here, it goes on to say,
08:42 "And we shall see His face
08:45 and His name shall be in our foreheads. "
08:47 Yvonne: In... James: Yes... "in... "
08:50 Yvonne: The difference with this... these verses
08:52 in Revelation and the verse in Ezekiel that we just read
08:56 of was it Isaiah? Where we just read,
08:59 it's going to be on the forehead... that mark...
09:02 James: Yeah, the Mark... you're talking about Ezekiel 9.
09:05 Yvonne: Ezekiel 9... but... but this is "in" the forehead...
09:09 James: Yeah.
09:10 Yvonne: meaning cognition... what we know...
09:13 James: Right... our character, how we're reflected, et cetera,
09:16 now what Ezekiel's doing, the emphasis that Ezekiel has
09:19 is he is emphasizing protection
09:22 from the "slaughtering" weapons,
09:25 so he's emphasizing that on
09:27 because the mark has to be seen by the slaughtering angels,
09:29 it's symbolic, you understand.
09:30 Yvonne: Kind of like the Passover...
09:31 James: Yeah, yeah... Yvonne: Right, ah ha...
09:33 James: But the inference is the same...
09:34 it is God's character that we are settled into
09:37 or sealed into, so that we we're protected from those four winds
09:40 when they're let loose. Yvonne: Hmmm...
09:42 James: How many people in eternity?
09:43 How many of the redeemed
09:45 are going to have His name on their forehead?
09:46 Ivor: All of them... so what we're saying then is that
09:49 the 144,000 is a representation of the great multitude
09:53 but the great multitude are the redeemed
09:55 from all ages. James: Right.
09:57 Ivor: So the great multitude would cover
09:59 those crying under the altar
10:00 from Abel on down to that time period
10:04 and those who under the sixth seal
10:07 would be ultimately given white robes as well...
10:11 James: Right, because they're going to go through what the...
10:13 the great... the... Yvonne: Tribulation...
10:14 James: Tribulation.
10:16 Ivor: Absolutely, absolutely, so the redeemed...
10:18 let's say this way...
10:19 "the 144,000 is the symbolic name for God's church...
10:23 God's redeemed... the saved... throughout all ages"
10:27 and I want to demonstrate that there's a...
10:30 I want to take you to three... or two verses in the Scripture
10:34 the first is the one that we actually covered
10:36 in a previous study
10:38 and there was the parable that you shared, James,
10:41 about the sower and the seed and the four different grounds
10:44 and we saw that Christ was the one sowing the seed
10:47 and that you have these four different grounds
10:50 and the fourth ground was the good ground.
10:53 James: Yes, Matthew 13...
10:54 Ivor: Matthew 13... and those who received the seed
10:57 or the Word... right, bring forth much fruit,
11:01 okay, so... so... we compare that parable
11:05 with the four horses of Revelation...
11:09 that's the four seals
11:10 and we saw that the rider on the white horse
11:13 which represents the Word of God
11:15 represents the going forth of the Word of God
11:19 in order to prepare a people to stand.
11:22 James: Right... Ivor: Okay... Yvonne: Hmmm...
11:23 Ivor: Now, in that parable the end result was much fruit,
11:27 much fruit... the Word brings forth much fruit.
11:31 What do we see the 144,000 being called in Revelation 14?
11:36 Yvonne: First fruits...
11:38 Ivor: They are called the first fruits...
11:39 they are the end product of the Word of God going forth
11:42 now I'm going to show you something that's really amazing,
11:44 so, go with me to Revelation 14 and I want you to notice this,
11:47 while you're turning there,
11:50 I want to share with you just a little bit
11:53 about this concept of first fruits,
11:56 in the Book of Jeremiah 2 verse 3 the Bible says that
12:02 Israel was "holiness unto the Lord
12:04 and the firstfruits of his increase:
12:06 all that devour him shall offend;
12:08 evil shall come upon them... "
12:10 all right, so Israel is here called the "firstfruits"
12:12 but what are the firstfruits about?
12:15 Really just to summarize, in the Old Testament...
12:17 the first fruits were...
12:20 were the offering that were to be brought into the temple,
12:23 James: Okay... Ivor: Now...
12:25 you know some people have this concept...
12:26 James: Give them to God. Ivor: Yeah, give them to God...
12:28 some people have this concept of second fruit
12:30 but let me assure you that
12:31 in the Bible there's no real concept of "second fruits"
12:34 it's just the fact that
12:35 the second fruits were allowed to be consumed
12:38 by the people. James: For temporal needs.
12:40 Ivor: Yeah, but the first fruits were taken into the temple...
12:43 the second fruits consumed. Yvonne: Hmmm...
12:46 Ivor: The second fruits... consumed.
12:49 James: We're talking about second death now
12:50 we're talking about "consumed... "
12:52 perish... lost... Yvonne: Ahh...
12:53 Ivor: So watch this...
12:54 James: what's preserved is what goes into the temple
12:56 and what's lost... is what stays out.
12:58 Ivor: So the first fruits go into the temple
13:00 now, notice Revelation 14, Revelation 14 again...
13:03 we see the description verses 1 through 5,
13:06 we just read it, notice verse 4 though
13:09 latter part of verse 4, it says,
13:11 "These were redeemed from among men,
13:13 being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. "
13:16 Right, this means these are they that go into the temple
13:20 now, all of a sudden verse 6 switches...
13:24 it's like you have a whole new picture...
13:25 you have the preaching of the three angels' messages, right?
13:27 James: Yes, "And I saw...
13:29 Ivor: "And I saw the first angel...
13:30 another angel fly in the midst of heaven,
13:32 having the everlasting gospel"
13:33 now why is it doing this? I want you to notice this.
13:35 James: White horse rider right there.
13:36 Ivor: Yeah, you got the white horse rider...
13:38 the everlasting gospel so then you got
13:40 the first angel's message, the second angel's message,
13:43 the third angel's message.
13:44 James: I get where you're going, I get where you're going.
13:46 Ivor: now watch this...
13:47 Yvonne: Ha ha ha ha ha... come on now, come on now.
13:50 James: If you can't do this, I can finish it up for you...
13:52 Yvonne: I love it, I love it.
13:54 James: I can finish it up for you.
13:55 Yvonne: This is good... oh, I'm getting chills.
13:58 Ivor: I know we're running out of time
13:59 but I just got to tell you in two minutes...
14:00 James: We're not running out of time... what do you mean
14:02 we're running out of time?
14:03 we've got all year long to do this.
14:04 Ivor: So watch this.
14:06 James: We're in verse 14 now.
14:07 Ivor: Verse 14... "And I looked, and behold a white cloud,
14:10 and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man,
14:13 having on his head a golden crown,
14:15 and in his hand... " what?
14:17 Yvonne and Ivor: "a sharp sickle... "
14:18 Yvonne: For the first fruits. Ivor: Yes...
14:21 "And another angel came out of the temple,
14:24 crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud,
14:26 Thrust in thy sickle, and reap:
14:28 for the time is come for thee to reap;
14:31 for the... " Yvonne: "harvest... "
14:33 Ivor: "of the earth is ripe. " Right?
14:35 Yvonne: Hmmm... hmmm...
14:37 Ivor: Right? So the Bible says,
14:38 "he that sat on the cloud thrust his sickle on the earth;
14:40 and the earth was reaped. "
14:41 Now, "another angel came out of the temple
14:44 which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle.
14:46 And another angel came out from the altar,
14:49 which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry
14:52 to him that had the sharp sickle, saying,
14:54 Thrust in thy sharp sickle,
14:56 and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth,
14:58 for her grapes are fully ripe.
14:59 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth,
15:02 and gathered the vine of the earth,"
15:04 and cast it where...?
15:05 "into the great winepress of the wrath of God. "
15:08 So the first fruits... right...
15:13 are they that are seen in the temple
15:16 standing on Mount Zion.
15:17 The "Second Fruits... "
15:19 James: And they're reaped by the Son of God
15:20 when He comes at the second coming.
15:22 Ivor: Absolutely, the second fruits are left upon the earth
15:26 to be consumed...
15:27 James: Right, by the wrath of God.
15:28 Ivor: So, here's the question,
15:30 who is a part of the first fruits?
15:34 All the redeemed...
15:37 James: This is now...
15:38 this is really good, I got to jump right in here,
15:40 this is why Jesus said in John chapter 3,
15:43 "Except ye be born again,
15:45 you cannot see the kingdom of God"
15:47 you cannot enter into the kingdom of God...
15:49 why? because look at James, just back a few pages here,
15:52 I want you to get your verse in Psalm one...
15:55 if you go there, look at James...
15:56 this is really... this is really powerful
15:59 in its connection with what Ivor said,
16:02 James chapter one and read for us, Yvonne, read for us,
16:06 because, we still got Jason holding on in Psalm one,
16:10 read for us in James chapter 1, read for us verse 18...
16:14 Yvonne: "Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth,
16:18 that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. "
16:22 James: What are we to be? Firstfruits...
16:25 now, in order to be a "firstfruits,"
16:27 according to James 1:18,
16:29 what do we have to experience to be a firstfruit?
16:31 Yvonne: Be born again...
16:33 James: Be born again...
16:34 "Of his own will begat he us with... " what?
16:35 the word of truth, the 12 Shewbread...
16:38 the Table of Shewbread... twelve... okay...
16:42 Jesus says, "Unless you're born again,
16:44 you cannot see the kingdom of heaven,
16:47 only the 144,000 go into the temple,
16:50 only the 144,000...
16:51 because they're the first fruits...
16:53 what does it mean "they're the firstfruits?"
16:54 They've been born again,
16:56 only those who are born again are going to win...
16:58 they're the only ones that can stand...
17:00 okay... get us that verse...
17:03 Jason: Psalm chapter 1 verse 5 says,
17:06 "Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment,
17:09 nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. "
17:12 So, when it says,
17:13 "only the 144,000 are going to the temple... "
17:16 and in Revelation 7, he sees the great multitude
17:19 that no man can number and John is asked by the elder,
17:22 "Who are these?" And he says, "I don't know... "
17:24 and he says... the elder says...
17:25 "Well, these are they that come out of the great tribulation
17:28 they've washed their robes in the blood of the lamb
17:29 and made them white and they serve God
17:31 'in His temple... '"
17:35 see, the redeemed only...
17:38 the 144,000 only because they're the firstfruits
17:40 because they've been born again
17:41 because they have been eating the Word of God.
17:43 Ivor: Hmmm... hmmm...
17:45 Yvonne: Now, the... the... passage you just quoted...
17:50 sounds as though they've been through the great tribulation
17:53 because they... so... how does that...?
17:57 James: Let's go back now to another verse...
18:01 Ivor: As you're going there let me mention this,
18:05 if I were to say to you, "the church has experienced
18:08 martyrdom... " would that be... would that be true?
18:11 Yvonne: Yes. Ivor: If I were to say to you
18:13 "the church is going to go through the time of trouble,"
18:15 would that be true? Yvonne: Yes...
18:17 Ivor: Yes, both can't... in other words...
18:19 the only way that both of those things could be true,
18:22 is if we look at different parts
18:24 and different errors of the church,
18:26 in other words... James: And see it as a body...
18:28 Ivor: And see it as a body...
18:30 right, so, there are those who would have died
18:34 and been resurrected... right...
18:36 and who receive the seal of God...
18:38 who have the white robes,
18:39 remember the martyrs under the altar
18:41 they are given white robes so they're a part of this group
18:45 there will be those who are alive and will not taste death,
18:49 when Christ comes again, they are part of the redeemed
18:53 part of the 144,000... right,
18:56 but as we're looking at this evidence
18:58 we're seeing that, you know,
19:00 God doesn't have... you know, it's like this...
19:03 God doesn't have like, 144,000 favorite people
19:05 like super duper, "I like these...
19:08 but then... the rest of you... yeah, you know...
19:11 you... you're the great multitude... "
19:13 and I'll tell you... I think there a danger
19:17 in that... when we have the mentality that
19:20 "yeah, you know, I got to be part of that 144,000
19:23 that's a literal number... "man, that's a small group of people,"
19:25 so, I, in my mind have to make a whole lot of people
19:30 wrong in the stuff that they're doing
19:32 if I want to be a part of the 144,000... "
19:34 Yvonne: Hmmm... James: It's a Peter mentality...
19:35 Ivor: That's right... so now...
19:36 James: "They'll forsake you but I won't... "
19:38 we're getting ready for the fall we're ready for the fall...
19:40 Ivor: Man! the whole church is going crazy
19:42 but man! if it were not for me and my buddy, here,
19:45 ooooh! what would happen to the church of God?
19:47 James: Yeah... Yvonne: Ah ha...
19:49 Ivor: So, in essence... the 144,000 is a small number
19:53 compared to those that will be lost...
19:55 James: It still is...
19:56 Ivor: It still is small... the great multitude...
19:58 even though it's a great multitude,
20:00 it's a small number compared to those that are going to be lost,
20:02 so yeah... you still have to strive
20:05 to be a part of the 144,000... I'm not saying,
20:08 "Oh yeah, the road is broad, don't worry about it, man!
20:11 great multitude... you're going to make it... "
20:12 no, no, no... it would be...
20:14 I hope this doesn't sound discouraging but
20:17 if the number were just 144,000...
20:19 it would be as difficult still, you know what I'm saying,
20:22 its difficulty is not in the size of the group
20:24 it's in, "Am I able to overcome my sin,
20:27 am I able to overcome the... am I able to conquer
20:31 as that white horse has... " you know...
20:33 the rider on the white horse...
20:35 James: Can I give Jesus the reins,
20:36 can I give Jesus the reins? Ivor: Absolutely. Yvonne: Hmmm.
20:38 James: Now, two illustrations I want to give,
20:40 I work with Light Bearers Ministry,
20:41 we have printed 165 million pieces of literature
20:47 in the last 25 years... Yvonne: Wow!
20:48 James: And I haven't printed any of them...
20:51 but we've done it why? because we...
20:56 means Light Bearers...we got a printer, we got a folder
20:59 we got guys who work in the Publishing House
21:01 that's what they do... but we... see... we...
21:03 I use that word "we" 3abn...
21:05 3abn Dare to Dream, 3bn Latino,
21:07 3abn Parent Channel, 3abn Kids Time,
21:09 3abn... we... are a body so...
21:11 we... the 144,000... well, they are part of us,
21:16 it's kind of like a football team
21:17 every year... a football team wins the Super Bowl
21:20 and there are some players on that team
21:23 that never played a minute of football...
21:25 but they still get a ring because they're part of the team
21:28 they're part of the team. Yvonne: Hmmm... I got you...
21:30 when you go to heaven, you're not there
21:33 because you are part of the final generation
21:36 that met with the final test and overcame,
21:38 you're there because of the blood of the Lamb,
21:41 the thief on the cross in heaven is there
21:44 because of the blood of the Lamb,
21:45 if the thief on the cross
21:46 would have been able to come down from that cross,
21:48 if the thief on the cross
21:49 would have lived in the final generation,
21:51 guess what? By the blood of the Lamb,
21:52 he would have been part of that group
21:54 and doing what that group's going to do,
21:55 so we are privileged
21:57 to live where we live and to do what we do
21:58 but we're not saved any differently
22:00 than any other generation was saved,
22:01 you see, every generation...
22:03 here we are in Acts chapter 14 and verse 22,
22:06 every generation has come through great tribulation
22:08 it says here, "Confirming the souls... "
22:10 Acts 14:22... "Confirming the souls of the disciples,
22:14 and exhorting them to continue in the faith,
22:16 that we must through much tribulation
22:19 enter into the kingdom of God. "
22:21 That was the question you asked...
22:22 you asked the question. Yvonne: Right...
22:24 James: But it looks like we've come to the great tribulation,
22:25 oh there's a great tribulation and then Jesus says,
22:28 "The Dark Ages was a great tribulation
22:29 such as never was or ever will be... "
22:31 and then Paul says, in the early Apostolic Age,
22:34 we've got to come through much tribulation
22:37 to enter into the Kingdom of God, you see,
22:39 and what is the greatest enemy that we need to overcome?
22:43 What is the greatest thing that gives us the most tribulation?
22:46 Ivor: Self...
22:47 James: Yeah, Martin Luther said it that way.
22:48 He said, "You know what?
22:50 I fear self more than I fear the Pope and all his Bishops. "
22:52 Yvonne: Hmmm...
22:54 James: "That's the great enemy," so... so the principle is there,
22:57 when we get to the Book of Revelation,
22:59 sometimes you want to, again, selfishly take it for us
23:02 and we don't want to spread it out and understand that,
23:05 "Hey, all of God's people that are dedicated to Him,
23:08 born again, going through tribulation
23:10 overcoming self, making that surrender
23:12 by the blood of the Lamb, so the principles...
23:15 the characteristics here apply
23:17 in every generation. Yvonne: Hmmm...
23:19 James: Every generation... when we get to Revelation 15
23:21 it's going to be a little bit more challenging
23:22 because it's... it doesn't say that there are a 144,000
23:25 but it does say that they sing the song of Moses and the Lamb
23:27 here's what it says, it says,
23:29 "they overcome the beast his mark, his image
23:33 and the number of his name," and we say,
23:35 "Wait a minute... that can't be
23:37 all the generations of people
23:39 because that's an end-time issue right there... "
23:42 well, wait a minute, what beast do they overcome?
23:44 They overcome the Revelation 13 beast
23:47 and the Revelation 13 beast has a feet like a bear
23:50 and a body like a leopard and mouth like a lion
23:52 and that will seek authority from a dragon,
23:55 the Revelation 13 beast is a composite
23:57 of Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome,
23:59 Daniel had to overcome that beast, yes,
24:01 Daniel had to overcome that beast,
24:03 all of God's people have had to overcome the dragon,
24:07 Adam and Eve were taken out by the dragon,
24:10 you see, so the Mark of the Beast issue
24:13 is an issue that's gone on for complete...
24:16 ever since Satan wanted to
24:18 sit in the sides of the north. Ivor: Yeah.
24:20 James: And the redeemed are those
24:22 who are following the lamb wherever He goes
24:24 in every generation,
24:25 whether they're looking forward or looking back.
24:27 Ivor: I wanted to mention this, the Bible tells about
24:29 how they sing the song of Moses
24:32 and of the Lamb
24:33 so, that would be a good thing to do,
24:35 like, where was the song of Moses,
24:38 when was the song of Moses sung?
24:40 James: The horse and it's rider had been thrown into the sea...
24:41 Ivor: So, guess what? the song of Moses...
24:45 it was sung after they had crossed the Red Sea
24:48 and got on the other side of the Red Sea
24:52 the only ones that...
24:54 James: And the black horse and the red horse and the pale horse
24:55 had been taken out.
24:56 Ivor:... that was taken out...
24:58 the only ones that could sing that song,
24:59 were those who made it across the Red Sea...
25:01 James: Yes... yeah.
25:03 Ivor: Right, so, Moses... he... he comes to Egypt,
25:08 delivers his people out of captivity,
25:10 parts the Red Sea...
25:11 they cross over to the other side
25:13 by the blood of the lamb, by His sacrifice
25:16 and then they sing the song, so guess what?
25:19 that is a shadow of...
25:22 because Jesus is the end-time Moses
25:25 who has gone away
25:27 but He's going to come back to deliver His people,
25:30 right, just like Moses went away and he comes back...
25:32 so Jesus is coming back and guess what?
25:33 He's going to part the sky and everyone that crosses over...
25:39 the only ones that cross over and gets to the other side
25:44 will be the ones who can sing the song of Moses
25:47 now... and the Lamb... Yvonne: Hmmm...
25:49 James: It's a beautiful picture. Yvonne: Wow! Yes.
25:52 Ivor: It's all the redeemed, it's all who cross over.
25:55 James: Yeah, we know when He parts the sky
25:57 resurrection takes place so this question,
26:00 "who's going to be able to stand?"
26:01 is answered by a multitude that is in heaven,
26:04 well, who's in heaven, who is there?
26:06 All the resurrected are there
26:07 as well as those translated without sin,
26:09 so that's why the picture... when John hears the number,
26:12 when he sees the picture, the picture takes us
26:14 to this heavenly place rather than this earthly place
26:18 in Revelation 14 it's the same thing
26:20 they're on Mount Zion,
26:22 it's a heavenly place rather than an earthly place,
26:24 well, who's going to be in the heavenly place? The 144,000...
26:26 "Oh! the 144,000... who are they?"
26:28 Well, they are virgins,
26:31 that's what we're going to get to next,
26:33 we don't have time to get to that right now
26:34 but we need to cover virgins without fault,
26:36 no guile in their mouths,
26:37 we need to cover those principles
26:39 because just like the firstfruits,
26:40 just like the name... sometimes we apply that to an elite group
26:44 and we need to see how the Bible applies it.
26:46 Yvonne: Yes.
26:47 James: The Bible applied virgins
26:49 to more than just this end-time elite group of people,
26:52 so that's what we'll pick up as we continue in Part 3
26:55 actually, we might not call it Part 3,
26:57 we might call it the Seal of God because we got to...
26:58 we got to really get into the Seal of God.
27:00 Ivor: Yeah, I think it's important
27:01 that we need to realize that all the redeemed are elite.
27:05 James: Yes... yes...
27:07 Ivor: That's it... I mean, yes there's...
27:09 there's going to be an end-time generation
27:12 that goes through things that none other have experienced
27:15 but they all... in other words...
27:18 as a body... this is the elite that overcome the dragon
27:22 and overcome these issues so that's what we need to consider.
27:24 Yvonne: Hmmm... hmmm...
27:26 James: Amen... Jason, close us out with prayer would you Bro?
27:27 Jason: Sure... "Dear Heavenly Father,
27:29 thank you so much for another blessed study
27:31 help us to internalize everything that we're learning
27:34 and to be able to share it with others
27:36 and put it in a form that they may understand as well,
27:39 please be with us on our next study
27:43 and be with the Viewers that are watching
27:45 and help them to retain the information
27:48 and be able to repeat it as well,
27:49 in Jesus' name we pray, amen. "
27:50 All: "Amen... amen... "
27:52 James: So we want to tell Viewers
27:53 to get a hold of us through what?
27:55 Jason: They can send an e-mail to: sss@3abn. org
27:58 that's sss as in Salvation in Symbols and Signs.
28:02 James: Amen...


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Revised 2016-09-20