The Midnight Cry

Three Angels Broadcasting Network

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Series Code: TMC

Program Code: TMC000004A


00:19 We use the word antichrist
00:22 and I think many times we misunderstand it.
00:26 'Cause when the Scripture speaks of the antichrist
00:29 to you and I the word anti means against.
00:35 That's what we normally think of when we use the word
00:38 anti we think of against,
00:40 but that is not the way the Scripture uses it.
00:43 When the Scripture is speaking of the antichrist
00:46 it uses it in the sense of instead of or in place of.
00:52 That's what it's talking about. When it speaks of the antichrist
00:55 it's talking about something that is in place of
00:58 or instead of. It's not talking about something
01:02 that is against. Now the word antichrist
01:06 is actually only used by the apostle John.
01:11 John is the one that uses it and it's used in I and II John.
01:16 And John starts out and says this about the antichrist
01:19 and it's only used four times.
01:21 I want you to listen carefully as we look at those four times
01:25 because they help you understand some things
01:29 about the antichrist. So please follow
01:31 as we take a look here at I John the second chapter
01:35 and verse 18:
01:47 So John said: "You've heard that the antichrist is coming. "
01:52 That's important. Let's go on and read another one.
02:01 So if you are studying that scripture
02:04 all of a sudden you see that John is talking about
02:07 two different types of antichrists.
02:09 He says there's an antichrist that is coming
02:12 and there are antichrists that are already here.
02:16 Now watch as he continues:
02:29 So John says that if a person denies the Father
02:33 he denies the Son he's an antichrist.
02:36 Now that could be anybody, right?
02:39 Sure... that could be anyone.
02:41 If he denies the Father, denies the Son,
02:44 that could apply to anyone who did that.
03:08 So John is saying here that you have heard
03:11 that the antichrist is coming
03:14 and he says the spirit of the antichrist
03:17 is already in the world.
03:20 So we're beginning to put some things together
03:22 as we take a look at what John has to say.
03:36 So when we start looking at what John had to say
03:40 we find that John talks about two types of antichrist.
03:45 Two different types of antichrist.
03:47 Those two types of antichrist are:
03:52 If a person denies Christ,
03:55 denies the Father, denies that He came in the flesh,
03:58 that person is an antichrist.
04:01 That's what the Scripture says.
04:03 But it also talks about another type of antichrist.
04:10 Now folks, if there's an antichrist that is coming
04:14 and He's already in the world
04:18 in John's day, that can't refer to a human being
04:23 'cause people don't live that long.
04:26 See, he says the spirit of that antichrist
04:29 is already started. So he says that antichrist
04:33 is coming so that can't be talking about
04:36 a person, an individual. It has to be talking about
04:40 a system or a power that the spirit of it was
04:43 already starting in John's day
04:46 and would go clear to the end of time.
04:49 So you find John is talking about two different types
04:53 of antichrists. One: an individual who denies God.
04:57 That's an antichrist. But he's talking about a power
05:01 or a system that was going to come into the world
05:04 and he said the spirit of it's already developing in my day
05:07 and it's going to go clear down to the day
05:10 when Jesus comes back.
05:12 OK. Paul... Paul talks about the antichrist.
05:17 He doesn't use the word antichrist
05:19 but he talks about it and you'll recognize it
05:21 as we look at some of the scriptures in which Paul
05:24 gave as he describes what the antichrist would do.
05:42 This is referring to the antichrist.
05:44 Said until he's revealed: the son of sin or perdition.
05:50 Till he's revealed. All right? Now watch:
06:06 So it says that this power...
06:08 And you remember I said that that word antichrist
06:12 doesn't mean opposed to
06:15 it means in place of or instead of.
06:18 And Paul's saying that this antichrist power
06:21 is going to show himself as God.
06:26 In place of God... that's what Paul is saying:
06:28 that he will oppose that. That he will presume to be God.
06:33 "showing himself that he is God... "
07:04 So it says that the things are revealed in God's Word.
07:08 God puts them there for you and I to understand
07:12 clearly... that we can see what it says.
07:14 But it says these people would not receive
07:17 the love of the truth.
07:19 In other words, they weren't willing to look at God's Word
07:22 and say: "Yes, I'll follow it. "
07:24 And God says because they would not receive
07:27 the love of the truth this is what happens.
07:39 So dear friends, it is absolutely vital tonight
07:43 that you and I be willing to accept what God's Word says.
07:49 That is essential if a person is going to grow in grace
07:52 and if God is going to lead that person... then I have to
07:55 be willing to take the Word of God
07:58 and make my stand on the Word of God
08:00 and stand there and say: "This is what I believe. "
08:04 If I'm not willing to do that, God can't lead me.
08:07 That's what the Scripture says:
08:09 they would not receive the love of the truth.
08:11 THEREFORE, God sent them strong delusions
08:14 that they should believe a lie.
08:16 So tonight we want to look very carefully
08:20 as we take a look at the antichrist.
08:23 So we're going to go to the book of Daniel,
08:26 and in the book of Daniel,
08:27 Daniel outlines this whole thing for us.
08:31 Daniel has been praying
08:34 that God will help him understand
08:37 what the Word is teaching and what this 7th chapter is about.
08:41 Now folks, I want to share a principle with you tonight.
08:45 Because as we are studying these prophecies
08:48 you'll find that God uses a principle.
08:50 And that principle is simply this, like with Daniel here,
08:55 He gave Daniel the vision that you and I studied
08:58 the other night in Daniel the 2nd chapter. You remember that?
09:01 OK. And He took us step by step
09:04 so far. Then you'll find that God will back up
09:08 and start exactly at the same place again
09:12 and this time He's going to take us a little farther.
09:16 In other words, God is going to show us that
09:19 and He's going to repeat it and enlarge.
09:22 Repeat it and enlarge.
09:24 That is what God does... that's a principle
09:27 in understanding Bible prophecy.
09:29 So tonight as we take a look at this
09:31 you're going to see some of it repeated.
09:34 OK? That we talked about here on Sunday night.
09:38 You're going to see some of that repeated and then
09:40 you're going to see God enlarge it so that you and I
09:43 will understand more of it.
09:45 So as we go to Daniel watch this principle
09:48 as we continue to study God's Word.
09:51 Because when we studied Daniel the second chapter
09:54 you remember we found there to be what?
09:57 Four nations. Those four nations were?
10:06 Those four powers, folks -
10:09 I'm talking about repeat and enlarge -
10:11 those four powers are mentioned in Daniel 2,
10:16 Daniel 7, Daniel 8, and Daniel 11.
10:20 They're mentioned in those four chapters.
10:23 So God, in each case, is just simply repeating it
10:27 and enlarging it so that you and I understand
10:30 more and more of what He's talking about.
10:33 And that's what we're looking at tonight.
10:35 So... let's go to Daniel the 7th chapter
10:38 and see what Daniel saw in this vision.
10:57 So it just simply says he had a dream
10:59 and Daniel has written it down - recorded it -
11:03 so that you and I can see what he dreamed.
11:19 So Daniel is having a dream. In his dream
11:23 he is seeing the wind blowing across the water
11:27 stirring up the water. And as the wind stirs up the water
11:31 watch what happens:
11:39 So as a result, four beasts rose up out of the water
11:43 out of the sea.
11:45 Now... God simply uses symbolism.
11:49 God uses symbolism, and He tells you without any question
11:54 of a doubt exactly what that symbol is in the Bible.
11:58 So you and I don't have to be in doubt about it
12:00 God reveals it very clear.
12:02 So we have wind blowing on the water
12:05 and beasts rising up out of it.
12:08 Let's see what the Scripture tells us about those.
12:23 So the Bible tells us as clear as it can
12:26 that water represents people, nations, tongues.
12:31 So when you are studying Bible prophecy...
12:34 Listen carefully: don't apply this outside of Bible prophecy.
12:41 In other words, you might be reading when the children of
12:44 Israel crossed the Red Sea.
12:46 Don't take the Red Sea there to mean people.
12:49 When you're dealing with prophecy...
12:52 when in prophecy you come to water,
12:55 water represents people, nations, tongues.
12:58 OK... let's go on:
13:05 I'm giving you a text here to illustrate how He uses wind
13:09 or water to represent people and He uses a definite
13:13 symbolism for wind.
13:44 So here God is talking about wind,
13:47 a whirlwind, going through and it destroyed people.
13:51 In other words, wind in Bible prophecy
13:54 represents war, represents strife, represents hard times.
14:00 That's what wind represents.
14:02 So when Daniel had a vision and he saw the wind
14:06 blowing on the water he's really seeing war
14:10 and strife taking place among the people.
14:14 As the result of that, four beasts come up from the sea.
14:27 Let's take a look
14:28 and see what these four beasts looked like...
14:31 what they represent.
14:33 The first beast the Scripture says
14:36 was like a lion. Watch:
14:49 So the Scripture doesn't leave us in any doubt
14:53 as to what beasts represent. They represent kings.
14:56 They represent nations; they represent powers.
14:59 And so as a result of war and strife among the people
15:04 kingdoms rose up.
15:22 This first beast you'll find the Scripture tells us
15:26 represents the kingdom of Babylon.
15:30 This beast rose up on its two hind feet.
15:34 It says that a man's heart was given to it.
15:37 It's the only beast in the Bible that you find
15:41 a man's heart was given to it.
15:43 And the reason a man's heart was given to it
15:45 was because of the conversion of King Nebuchadnezzar.
15:49 That he accepted the Lord... gave his heart to Him.
15:52 So a man's heart was given to that beast.
15:55 But this represents the kingdom of Babylon.
16:07 I told you that Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon,
16:10 was one of the greatest generals the world has ever known.
16:13 Never lost a battle.
16:14 And he had taken the city of Babylon and lavished
16:17 everything that he could upon it.
16:20 It was referred to as "the golden kingdom. "
16:23 And I read to you on Sunday night how Nebuchadnezzar
16:26 wanted that kingdom never to end.
16:30 OK... never to come to an end.
16:34 But God said that isn't what would happen.
16:37 You remember Nebuchadnezzar's grandson,
16:42 Belshazzar, didn't follow the Lord.
16:46 One night they were having a great party
16:50 and they had called and had the golden vessels
16:53 they had taken from the temple in Jerusalem
16:55 they had them brought it and they were drinking out of those.
16:58 They were drinking wine out of them
17:00 and celebrating to pagan gods.
17:02 And while they were doing that
17:04 all of a sudden a bloodless hand began to write on the wall.
17:12 Belshazzar called in all of his wise men.
17:16 Said: "Tell me what it's saying. "
17:18 As a matter of fact, it scared him so bad it says
17:20 that his knees "knocked" is what the Scripture says.
17:24 But nobody could interpret it.
17:26 Nobody could tell Belshazzar what it meant
17:29 until the queen, his mother,
17:33 said to him: "Oh, there's a man in your kingdom
17:37 by the name of Daniel who can tell you what it means. "
17:41 They called in Daniel. He's now 90 years old.
17:47 They asked him what it meant.
17:49 And Daniel interpreted it, and this is what it said, folks:
18:02 The words written on the wall
18:04 were MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.
18:08 Mene: your kingdom is numbered,
18:12 found wanting... terrible words.
18:16 TEKEL:
18:23 Peres: your kingdom has been...
18:31 And I told you that Cyrus was right there
18:35 at the command of the Lord.
18:37 So the Scripture made it very clear
18:39 that that kingdom of Babylon was going to fall to the
18:42 Medes and Persians. That's exactly what happened
18:45 because it goes on in Scripture and says this:
19:01 So now we have a second beast coming on the scene of action.
19:04 It's represented as a bear.
19:06 And the Scripture tells us clearly that Medo-Persia would
19:10 overthrow Babylon. How does the bear represent it?
19:14 Well, I told you the other night
19:17 that this was a coalition of two powers.
19:19 The Medes and the Persians came together.
19:21 The Persians were stronger than the Medes.
19:23 That's why the Scripture says this bear raised itself up
19:27 on one side: because the Persians were stronger
19:31 than the Medes. But also it says this bear
19:34 has three ribs in its mouth.
19:37 Those three ribs represented the three countries
19:40 that Medo-Persia overthrew. Those three countries
19:43 were Babylon, Egypt, and Lydia.
19:47 Those are the ones that Medo-Persia overthrew.
19:50 Under the leadership of Cyrus they overthrew Babylon.
19:55 And I told you that in the book of Isaiah
20:02 it spoke of Cyrus.
20:05 Isaiah the 45th chapter verse 1
20:08 it called Cyrus by name
20:11 150 years before he was born.
20:18 Now if you don't believe this Book is inspired
20:21 you tell me how that happens when God will call a person
20:25 by name. In fact, I can read from the Scripture
20:31 where God said to Jeremiah, He said: "I knew you
20:33 while you were still in the womb. "
20:37 God knows the end from the beginning.
20:41 Called Cyrus by name. Not only called him by name...
20:44 said exactly how he would overthrow the city of Babylon.
20:48 And he did it just exactly as God described.
21:01 So all of a sudden we have the 3rd beast coming on the scene
21:04 of action. And this beast rep- resented the kingdom of Greece.
21:09 Greece. This beast like a leopard
21:14 had four wings on its back like a bird.
21:22 Under the leadership of Alexander the Great
21:25 Greece overthrew Medo-Persia
21:30 in 331 BC.
21:34 Alexander the Great faced Darius of the Medes and Persians
21:40 on the plains of Arbela.
21:44 Darius had one million men.
21:47 Alexander the Great had 40,000
21:50 and Alexander the Great overthrew them.
21:55 That's why this beast has four wings on its back.
21:59 Because when he overthrew Darius, the Medes and Persians,
22:02 Alexander the Great took his army and they began to march
22:06 and they took every country they came to.
22:08 He marched his army for 7 years without ever going back home
22:13 and wept because there was nothing else to conquer.
22:19 Reaching the borders of India
22:22 his men refuse to go any farther and they head back.
22:25 Alexander the Great now is suffering.
22:28 He's suffering from epilepsy.
22:31 He's suffering from drunkenness.
22:33 They have arrived back, folks,
22:36 to the city of Babylon.
22:40 Alexander the Great is lying on a table in that very
22:44 banquet hall where the hand had written
22:47 MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.
22:49 Lying on a table there dying
22:52 and he called in his generals
22:56 and his generals have asked him
22:57 to who he's going to give the kingdom.
23:00 And he said: "When I die
23:02 I'll give my kingdom to the strongest. "
23:06 And when he died his kingdom was given to his four generals.
23:11 That's why that beast has four heads:
23:15 'cause it represented his four generals
23:18 that the kingdom was given to.
23:39 The fourth power that comes on the scene of action
23:44 is the kingdom of pagan Rome.
23:46 Pagan Rome overthrew Greece in 168 BC
23:52 lasting longer than any other kingdom.
24:04 OK. Pagan Rome went from 168 BC to 476 AD.
24:10 As I told you the other night
24:12 Rome was the one who brought civilization to the world.
24:17 It opened up the waterways and opened up the roadways
24:20 and people could travel where they had never been able to
24:22 before. Rome was the power that was ruling at the time
24:26 Jesus was born.
24:29 It was the decree of Caesar Augustus that sent Joseph
24:33 and Mary to Bethlehem to pay their taxes.
24:36 You remember Rome was the one that was ruling
24:38 at the time Jesus died.
24:41 For you remember, He was tried in a Roman court
24:47 by Pilate.
24:50 Rome ruled to 476 AD.
24:55 Now you were with me the other night on Sunday night
24:58 as we went through this, and this is the part I was
25:01 talking to you about repeating.
25:03 You see, God repeats and enlarges.
25:06 You remember I told you as we went down through that
25:09 image we came to the ten toes.
25:11 Watch because this beast has ten horns.
25:26 All right, those you remember I told you were the Germanic
25:29 tribes that came down on the Roman Empire
25:32 and broke it to pieces. They were such tribes as
25:36 the Anglo-Saxons, the Franks, the Heruli,
25:38 the Vandals, the Ostrogoths...
25:39 and they broke the Roman Empire into ten different parts.
25:45 OK. That is the same
25:48 as the ten toes on the image of Daniel 2.
25:53 Now we're going to begin to enlarge, OK?
25:58 Those 10 tribes became the nations of Western Europe
26:03 such as the Alemanni, the Franks, the Visigoths...
26:19 The Heruli, the Vandals, and the Ostrogoths
26:21 are now extinct, and I'll tell you why tonight.
26:24 What happened to them.
26:26 Now folks, the other night I read you a text
26:29 in Revelation the 17th chapter
26:30 where it says these ten kings have received no kingdom as yet.
26:35 But they will receive authority for one hour with the beast.
26:38 And several of you have come up and said
26:40 "You didn't say anything about that. "
26:42 No I didn't... because we're coming to that.
26:45 We're going to trace it right on down
26:47 and we're going to see how all that fits together.
26:50 We'll come to that and talk specifically how that all
26:53 fits together. OK... but these ten tribes
26:57 became the nations of Western Europe today.
27:09 We're enlarging now, folks...
27:26 All right.
27:28 So tonight we want to identify this little horn
27:32 the Scripture identifies as that of the antichrist.
27:35 Before I go on I want to take just a moment
27:39 and tell you that the Bible and history
27:43 does certain things.
27:45 One of the things that's unique about the Bible
27:48 is when the Bible talks about individuals
27:51 or it talks about nations or powers
27:54 it tells both the bad and good.
27:57 You know, sometimes in history they have tainted and told only
28:02 the good. Scripture doesn't do that; it tells bad and good.
28:06 So tonight as we identify this little horn
28:09 you've got to understand that we are talking about
28:12 a power; we're talking about a system;
28:16 we are not talking about people.
28:19 Please do not take what I say and apply it
28:22 to an individual. That would be wrong!
28:25 That would be just as wrong as could be.
28:28 Let me illustrate what I mean.
28:32 I'm a citizen of the United States of America.
28:35 Glad to be one!
28:36 Sometimes the United States government
28:39 does some things that I don't agree with.
28:43 Maybe they never do anything you don't agree with
28:45 but sometimes they do things I don't agree with.
28:48 If they do something that you or I don't agree with,
28:52 does that make all the people in the US bad people?
28:55 Huh? No.
28:58 So when I'm talking about this system tonight
29:01 don't take it and apply it to individuals
29:04 because that isn't the way it's to be applied.
29:06 We are talking about history;
29:08 we're talking about something that happened in the past
29:12 as we come on down through time.
29:15 So look at it very clear because the Scripture is
29:18 very clear. I'm going to give you 8 points
29:22 that the Scripture gives to identify this power.
29:25 I want to say something else about that.
29:29 If you can take these 8 points
29:33 and make them fit any other power on the face of the earth,
29:38 please tell me. I'll listen to everything you have to say.
29:43 I have never been able to get it to fit any other power.
29:49 What I will tell you is don't do to me like one man did.
29:53 Came up to me after the meeting was over and he said:
29:55 "Well I disagree with you. "
29:57 And I said: "Well that's OK...
29:59 You can disagree with me. "
30:01 He said: "Well I just don't see it that way at all. "
30:04 And I said: "Tell me... how do you see it? "
30:07 "Oh, " he said, "I don't know what it means.
30:08 I just disagree with you. "
30:10 You know, I hope that you will be open enough
30:13 that you'll take God's Word and open it up and look and see
30:17 and study it if you don't know what it means.
30:19 Study it until you do have some conviction about it!
30:23 THAT is important.
30:24 OK, let's see if it will iden- tify this little horn for us
30:28 'cause that's what we want to take a look at
30:30 is this little horn that's coming up among those ten.
30:35 All right... number one:
30:48 That's the first point.
30:55 I'm reading... this is the Scripture, folks.
30:57 This is Daniel 7:24-25 and that's what I'm reading.
31:01 I've just broken it up and given you the points
31:04 that God uses to identify it.
31:31 Those are the 8 points that God gives you and me
31:34 to identify without any question of a doubt
31:37 who this little horn is.
31:39 So now we're going to go back and take it step by step
31:42 and watch how Scripture and history bears out
31:46 exactly what God says.
31:59 Rise from what kingdom?
32:01 Well, this represents the fourth beast.
32:04 This fourth beast. The fourth beast was who?
32:08 Pagan Rome.
32:10 So there's no use you going over into Asia
32:13 and start looking for the little horn.
32:16 There's no use you going to the United States
32:18 and start trying to find the little horn there.
32:20 There's no use of you going over into Africa
32:23 trying to find the little horn there.
32:25 It had to come out of that kingdom which was Pagan Rome
32:30 so that little horn has to arise out of that kingdom.
32:34 You with me?
32:35 That's the first point.
32:37 Second point:
32:52 So the Scripture tells us secondly
32:54 that this little horn was going to come up what?
32:58 "Among them. "
33:00 So it makes it very clear that it had to rise out of Pagan Rome
33:04 but it had to come up among the ten horns.
33:07 That's where it had to come up.
33:09 Had to come up in Western Europe.
33:12 It brings it right down to the location.
33:15 It tells you it had to arise in Western Europe.
33:19 OK... let's go to the third point:
33:24 These ten kings which we just talked about
33:28 and it said it came up... Let me make one other point:
33:32 It says it "came up after them. "
33:35 Those ten kings came into existence in 476 AD.
33:40 When it says the little horn had to come up after them
33:43 that means he had to come into existence after 476 AD.
33:48 And that little horn came into existence in 538 AD.
33:54 So it fulfills it.
33:55 It came up in the Pagan Rome Empire;
33:58 it came up among the ten horns;
34:01 and it came up "after them. " OK?
34:07 What happened? What took place?
34:13 As these Germanic tribes moved down on the Roman Empire
34:18 they broke it apart. There's a Roman emperor
34:23 that's trying to hold his kingdom together.
34:26 His name is Justinian.
34:29 Justinian is fighting these Goths
34:33 trying to hold them back.
34:34 His general Belisarius is fighting them.
34:37 In the city of Rome, folks,
34:40 in the city of Rome the Bishop of Rome,
34:44 the Bishop of Rome... his name is Silverius.
34:48 Silverius is a godly man.
34:51 He's a man that loves the Lord.
34:53 He's a man that loves the people.
34:55 He tries to serve the people.
34:57 And Silverius has refused to have anything to do with
35:01 the war between Justinian and the Goths.
35:04 Since he is the Bishop of Rome
35:07 he has control of the city of Rome.
35:09 And any time the army of Belisarius got close to the
35:14 city of Rome he had all the gates of the city of Rome shut
35:18 and refused to let them in.
35:19 If the Goths got close, he shut the gates
35:22 and refused to let them in.
35:25 Well, the Goths had backed Justinian's army
35:30 clear to the walls of the city of Rome.
35:34 Silverius has had all the gates shut.
35:39 It looks like Justinian's army is going to be wiped out.
35:45 So Belisarius has sent a note to Justinian saying
35:48 "Do something for us or we're going to be wiped out. "
35:54 Justinian went to his wife.
35:56 Justinian's wife was a Christian.
35:59 She happened to be a friend of the Bishop.
36:03 And he pled with her to ask the Bishop to
36:07 raise the gates to the city of Rome
36:09 to let his army in
36:11 and shut the gates and keep the Goths out
36:13 and save his army.
36:15 She went to Silverius and pled with him
36:19 and out of respect for her
36:22 he raised the gates of the city of Rome,
36:25 let the army in, shut the gates,
36:28 and kept the Goths out.
36:29 But Justinian and Belisarius had already agreed
36:36 that if they got inside the city of Rome
36:39 they would banish the Bishop.
36:42 Why? Justian sees his kingdom falling apart
36:47 and he thinks that since he can't control it
36:51 politically maybe he could control it religiously.
36:57 And so he banishes Silverius
37:00 and he takes and puts Vigilius on the seat of the Bishop.
37:05 It's his puppet and he thinks that
37:07 through him he can control it.
37:10 That's why history says:
37:20 That comes from The History of the Christian Church vol. 3.
37:23 That's exactly what happened.
37:26 Now that had great great influence.
37:32 It had great should I say effect
37:36 upon the whole kingdom. And we'll talk about that
37:39 later on, but remember the date: 538 AD.
37:43 All right... next point:
37:48 Now I told you, Justinian
37:51 felt that he couldn't control his kingdom any longer
37:54 politically so he thought maybe he could control it
37:57 religiously. So with Vigilius taking the seat
38:01 of the Bishop and working under Justinian
38:03 all of a sudden you find the kingdom changing
38:07 and you find union of church and state.
38:10 No longer is it just a political power;
38:13 it is a religio-political power.
38:17 Church and state have come together.
38:20 That is why the Scripture says it is different.
38:23 Different than it has been.
38:28 This is from the history book called The Rise of the Medieval
38:31 Church by Alexander Fleck.
38:34 And listen carefully. It's a very very important
38:39 statement in history. This tells you what happened.
38:46 Now folks, let me explain something:
38:49 Justianian, when he put Vigilius on the seat
38:55 of the Bishop... he never intended
38:58 Vigilius to be anything other than the docile
39:02 head of the dept. of religion. That's all he intended
39:05 for him to be. But history says
39:08 that the Bishop of Rome seized the scepter
39:12 and stepped to the seat of Caesar.
39:15 And this is what it says happened. Watch:
39:44 All of a sudden he found himself
39:46 not just the head of the church...
39:49 he finds himself the head of the government!
40:09 So all of a sudden you find the power that had been
40:13 in the state all of a sudden now
40:15 the religious head has.
40:18 And so you find union of church and state
40:23 taking place. It's a different power
40:25 than it has been before.
40:36 Thus it changes.
40:46 When these Germanic people -
40:48 the Goths, the Anglo-Saxons, the Franks, the Heruli,
40:51 the Vandals - when they moved down on the Roman Empire...
40:55 moved down and began to run over the Roman Empire,
41:00 the Christian people that lived in the Roman Empire
41:03 remembered the Commission that Christ had given to the
41:06 Christians and He told them they were to preach the gospel
41:08 in Jerusalem, Samaria, and to where?
41:10 To the ends of the earth.
41:12 So when they went out
41:14 they found these Germanic people with open hearts.
41:18 They found people who were willing to accept the gospel
41:21 and they preached Jesus Christ to these Anglo-Saxons,
41:25 these Franks, the Heruli, the Vandals
41:27 and these people accepted Christianity.
41:31 That is the reason, folks, Western Europe is Christian
41:35 to this day. OK?
41:38 But among those powers that accepted Christianity
41:43 there were three tribes...
41:46 these three tribes: the Visigoths, Heruli,
41:51 and Vandals... When they went in and preached to these
41:55 these people taught a belief to these people
42:00 that was called Arianism.
42:02 Arianism says that Jesus Christ was a good man.
42:05 Says He was a prophet,
42:08 but it says He was not divine.
42:12 Teaches that He wasn't divine.
42:15 Those 3 tribes accepted that.
42:18 That was very offense to Justinian, to Vigilius
42:24 and those of the church. And since it had become a state
42:28 as well as just a church
42:31 they sent out their army and they had
42:34 those three tribes wiped out.
42:38 Now folks, if you don't believe what I'm telling you tonight,
42:42 I invite you to go to the library and check me out.
42:46 Listen: the descendants of the Alemanni are the Germans.
42:50 The descendants of the Franks are the French.
42:53 The descendants of the Anglo-Saxons are the English.
42:58 You cannot find any descendant for the Visigoths,
43:02 the Heruli, and the Vandals.
43:04 The Bible says that he would pull them up
43:07 by the roots, and that's exactly what took place
43:12 just as the Scripture said it would.
43:16 "He shall speak pompous words against the Most High. "
43:19 Now folks, you remember as we studied what Paul said
43:22 there in Corinthians, he said that this power would
43:26 put himself in the place of God.
43:28 That's what it said: he would show himself
43:30 to be God... that's what he said.
43:32 So I want to share with you just some things.
43:34 You have to judge it for yourself.
43:36 Again, I am not talking about people.
43:39 I'm talking about a power; I'm talking about a system.
43:49 They don't belong to anybody else but God,
43:52 and it says it would "speak pompous words. "
43:55 Let's look at what those two things are.
44:18 It says that the priest has the power to forgive sins.
44:21 Do you remember the other night
44:23 when I studied with you and when Jesus told that paralytic
44:27 "your sins are forgiven. " Do you remember what the
44:29 Pharisees said? They said: "Blasphemy!
44:33 Only God can forgive sins. "
44:37 You'll find that taught in Scripture.
44:40 Says here the priest can forgive sins.
44:44 Secondly:
45:01 Let me read you one other.
45:20 And so when it says he would speak great words
45:23 or pompous words, as far as I'm trying to tell you is
45:26 history has borne that out that he's done just that.
45:33 Now folks, I want to try to make something clear
45:36 because this doesn't apply just to this power.
45:39 Any time... If you want to go and get your history books,
45:42 you want to go to the library and you want to read and study
45:45 you'll find that any time in history
45:48 that a church - I don't care what church it is -
45:52 has taken state power...
45:55 any time a church has taken on state power
45:59 it's persecuted. I don't care whether you're talking about
46:03 Lutherans, whether you're talking about Baptists,
46:05 whether you're talking about Roman Catholic...
46:07 I don't care what you're talking about
46:09 when that church has assumed state power
46:12 it has persecuted. A church is not capable
46:16 of handling state power
46:18 and it should never be placed in the hands of the church.
46:22 Why? Because a church, I don't care what church it is,
46:26 they believe what they believe to be the truth.
46:31 And if you don't believe like they do,
46:35 then they're going to persecute.
46:38 That has always happened.
46:40 So what I'm reading to you tonight, don't be shocked at.
46:44 You don't understand, you want to read it,
46:46 then go to the library. I'll name some books
46:48 for you. You can read Fox's Book of Martyrs
46:50 or you can read Short Short Stories of the Reformation.
46:53 Or you can read The History of the Reformation by d'Aubigné
46:56 or you can read Here I Stand by Bainton
46:59 or you can read The History of Europe by Quabbin
47:01 and they will all tell you what I am sharing with you tonight.
47:06 All you have to do is read about the Massacre of St. Bartholomew
47:09 where they slew 60,000 Huguenots one Sunday morning.
47:13 Or read about the persecution of the Waldensian people.
47:31 You find that shocking? You must understand
47:35 she has existed longer than any other institution.
47:38 OK?
47:45 So when it says that this power would persecute
47:47 the saints of the Most High all I'm trying to do tonight is
47:51 to tell you that she has fulfilled that.
48:06 Now God is very very accurate in what He does.
48:11 He tells you exactly how to count time in prophecy.
48:15 Watch carefully as He tells you how to do this.
48:18 It say that this power would think to change what?
48:22 Times and laws.
48:25 Now if all these other points we're talking about
48:27 have fallen true... this should fall true.
48:29 So has it changed that of law?
48:33 OK... listen: this is a statement
48:36 taken from history and it says the Pope has power...
48:48 That's a statement... that's what they say:
48:50 that they can change it.
48:52 Have they changed it?
48:54 Well let me read to you from their own catechism
48:57 'cause this is what we're talking about: changing law.
49:01 Listen... this is what they've done.
49:02 You take the 10 Commandments. If you read in the catechism
49:06 you'll find they did away with the second commandment.
49:08 You won't find it in the catechism.
49:10 You find it in the Scripture but not in the catechism.
49:13 If you take a look at the fourth commandment
49:16 they shortened the 4th command- ment from 94 words to 8 words.
49:21 Literally just shortened it that much: 94 words to 8 words.
49:33 So you find when it talks about they would change the law
49:36 of God they have changed the law of God.
49:39 Now folks, again I am talking about a power,
49:42 I am talking about a system in the past.
49:45 I am not talking about individuals.
49:47 There are many many individuals
49:49 within this particular fellow- ship or this particular belief
49:53 that are sincere Christian people.
49:56 And if you take what I'm saying tonight
49:58 and you apply it to an individual,
50:01 you are doing the wrong thing.
50:03 OK?
50:05 So please understand what I'm saying.
50:09 Secondly, the Scripture helps you and I,
50:14 and from tonight on, folks, you ought to be able to
50:16 study prophecy and apply time and see how God uses it
50:21 for God tells us exactly how to count time.
50:24 Ezekiel 4 verse 6 says:
50:31 So when you're studying Bible prophecy
50:34 a day will simply represent one year.
50:38 That's what a day will represent.
50:40 Let's look at another text:
50:55 So here again God said: "I will give you a day
50:58 to represent a year. "
51:00 So when we look at this particular prophecy
51:03 we find that God talks about that they would be given
51:07 into his hand for a time, times, and a half a time.
51:11 Now in the Bible a time represents one year.
51:14 OK? Since a day represents a year
51:19 if you pick up your Bible and you begin to study it,
51:22 you'll find there are 360 days in a Biblical year.
51:27 If you need help with that, go to Genesis the 5th chapter
51:30 where it talks about Noah and the flood.
51:32 It'll tell you very clear there are 360 days
51:35 in a Biblical year. OK?
51:37 So if I've got one time that's 360 days.
51:41 Times means two years...
51:43 that's 720.
51:44 And a dividing of time or a half a time
51:47 represents a half a year which is 180.
51:50 If you add those together, that gives you 1,260 days
51:55 and each day represents one year.
51:58 OK?
52:00 Now let's see what happens.
52:02 I told you the papal power - this little horn -
52:06 came into being in what year?
52:10 538 AD... that's when Vigilius ascended the throne.
52:13 538 AD. If I add 1,260 years
52:20 to 538 AD it takes me to when?
52:25 Takes you to 1798 AD.
52:28 Now folks, something very very important
52:33 happened in 1798 AD.
52:37 I mean extremely important happened in 1798 AD.
52:42 But that's as far as I'm going to take you tonight.
52:46 If you want to know what happened in 1798 AD,
52:48 you've gotta be here Friday night.
52:51 OK?
52:53 And I can assure you it's very important
52:55 that you know what happened in 1798 AD.
52:57 But I want you to watch as we put together
53:01 what we've learned, and I want to take you just a step
53:04 farther because there's some fantastic things, folks,
53:07 that you need to apply here as we look at it tonight.
53:12 As we take a look at Scripture
53:16 and we're trying to see where we are,
53:18 God here in the book of Daniel, folks,
53:22 He is stressing... He is stressing over and over
53:26 some points that you and I must understand
53:29 so that we'll be ready for His coming.
53:32 And He's telling you: "I'm telling you these things
53:35 before it happens. "
53:44 God's saying: "Listen, I want you to know this
53:46 so you'll believe. " So watch carefully tonight,
53:49 dear friend. Please watch
53:51 because you're going to see where we are
53:54 and what God has to say. Listen:
53:59 We found the head of gold on the image represented who?
54:04 Babylon. The lion tonight represented? Babylon.
54:11 The arms and breast of silver represented Medo-Persia.
54:16 The bear represented Medo-Persia.
54:21 The belly and thighs of bronze
54:25 represented Greece.
54:27 The leopard beast represented Greece.
54:31 The legs of iron represented pagan Rome.
54:35 The dragon represented pagan Rome.
54:39 Then from there you remember we went to the ten toes.
54:43 And the ten toes were those ten Germanic tribes.
54:46 And in Daniel 7 the ten horns on that beast
54:50 represented the ten Germanic tribes.
54:52 All that was repeat for you tonight.
54:54 But then we went to this little horn
54:58 which represented the papal power
55:01 that came into existence.
55:03 OK... we enlarged on that.
55:06 So now you've seen another power taking us
55:09 clear down to 1798 AD.
55:13 And it says that his kingdom would go to 1798 AD.
55:17 Now watch what the 7th chapter of Daniel does.
55:23 When it talks about this little horn, OK? We're talking about
55:27 the little horn - the papal power -
55:29 you'll find that little horn is mentioned in:
55:46 All those talk about the little horn.
55:50 Scripture says that when that little horn comes to an end
55:56 the judgment begins.
55:59 Watch:
56:01 Talks about the judgment and you'll find that
56:05 in Daniel 7 verses 9 to 12. You with me?
56:23 So the Bible says that when this little horn
56:26 comes to an end, the judgment is going to take place.
56:30 And then the Bible says that when the judgment
56:34 ends you know what it says is going to happen?
56:36 Says God's going to set up His kingdom.
56:39 Watch:
56:43 Daniel 7:13-14 talks about God setting up His kingdom.
56:58 So when you take a look at the 7th chapter of Daniel
57:02 it takes all those things and lines them up
57:05 for you and I, and this is simply what it's telling us:
57:26 Are you getting an idea of where we are in the stream of time?
57:30 Hmm? Are you beginning to get the picture?
57:33 Scripture puts it all together so that you and I can know
57:36 exactly where we are in the stream of time.
57:39 We're right down at the end when Jesus is going to come back.


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Revised 2019-03-12