11. From the Close of Probation to the New Earth - Pastor Stephen Bohr - Anchor 2021

[Music] all right welcome back everyone we are not now going to enter our afternoon session i trust that you've had a good two hour break had a good lunch not too much and we are going to dedicate the next two periods which are the two periods this afternoon to finish revelation 18. we started in our second session this morning but now the two sessions in the afternoon we're going to study revelation 18 and then tomorrow morning we will be going into wedding customs because in order to understand revelation 19 1 through 10 we need to understand waiting customs from biblical times so i would encourage you to read that chapter which is the one right after the one on revelation 18 and uh that way you'll have a good picture of the distinction between the wedding and the reception and so on so let's have a word of prayer and we'll get into our study father in heaven we thank you we thank you so much that you give us life and health and strength you give us your word you just pour out your boundless blessings upon us thank you so much thank you not only for all of the things that appear to be good but we also thank you for the trials because they help build our faith we ask lord that you will be with us as we study this afternoon that we might understand the importance of revelation chapter 18 that we might take it to heart live in harmony with your will and preach this unique special message for this time this we pray and we plead in the precious and wonderful and holy name of jesus our savior amen we are going to begin on page 122 at the top of the page we left off basically there in our last session this morning uh and we need to cover at least probably 10 or 11 pages so that we're right on target to finish in the second session this afternoon so we begin at the top of page 122 this entire chapter chapter 18 is written in the literary style of a lamentation or a funeral dirge when the babylonian system collapses the multitudes will realize that their religious leaders have deceived them and they will turn on them the religious leaders encourage them to get rich and to persecute those who keep the sabbath and now we have two passages in the bible that describe this particular moment of time the first is ezekiel 7 15-19 i wish we had time to deal with the entire context of this passage i went to amazing facts just a few weeks ago and i preached a sermon titled sign and crying in jerusalem and i do the entire parallel there but now we want to look just at the aspect that has to do with the wailing there in revelation chapter 18. it says in ezekiel 7 verse 15 this is what the rich are going to do they will throw their silver into the streets and their gold will be like refuse their silver and their gold will not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the lord do you notice the wrath of the lord that's the same expression that's used in the book of revelation they will not satisfy their souls nor fill their stomachs because it became their stumbling block of iniquity as for the beauty of his ornaments he set it in majesty but they made it from from it images of their abominations their detestable things therefore i have made it like refuse to them i will give it as plunder into the hands of strangers and to the wicked of the earth and spoil and they shall defile it so they will cast their silver and their gold into the streets they're going to say what's the use of having silver and gold if we're lost the other passage is in james 5 and verses 1 to 6. and of course we probably know this passage better than the one in the book of ezekiel it says there come now you rich weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you your riches are corrupted and your garments are moth eaten your gold and silver are corroded and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire now notice what comes next you have heaped up treasure in the last days indeed the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields which you kept back by fraud cry out and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the lord of sabaoths you have lived on the earth in pleasure and luxury you have fattened your hearts as in a day of slaughter you have condemned you have murdered the just he does not resist you so notice it's talking about the oppression of the poor and needy by those who have many resources both of these passages are pointing to this specific time in history that is described in revelation chapter 18. so now let's notice the flow of chapter 18. what is the flow of chapter 18 well you notice this morning that revelation 17 verse 18 is the bridge between revelation 17 and revelation 18. notice once again that verse revelation 17 verse and the woman whom you saw is the great city so is the harlot the same as the great city yes so and the woman whom you saw is that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth so chapter 17 and 18 describe the same period of time but from different perspectives now let's take a bird's-eye view of the structure of revelation 18. this is at the top of page 123 here you have a little outline of the sequence of details in this chapter revelation 18 1-5 you have the loud cry to come out of babylon before the outpouring of the seven last plagues let me ask you is revelation chapter 18 verses 1 through 5 does that take place after the close of probation it can't what use would it be to call people out of babylon before the flags fall if the plagues have already fallen so this is clearly clearly a parenthetical section that takes us back to probationary time and tells everyone get out of babylon before the plagues fall don't stay in there because you're going to receive the plagues so revelation 18 1-5 is the loud cry to come out of babylon before the close of probation and the outpouring of the seven last plagues then revelation 18 verses 6 through 8 describes the retribution upon babylon for her sins then revelation 18 verses 9 and 10 you have the lament of the kings of the earth when babylon falls in revelation 18 11 to a 16 you have the lament of the capitalists the they're called the great men of the earth the ceos if you please of the large corporations of the world and then in revelation 18 17 through 19 you have the lament of the employees and the travelers in revelation 18 verse 20 you have the song of rejoicing in heaven over babylon's fall and that's going to be picked up in chapter 19 verses 1 through 10. it's just a little inkling it's giving you a taste of chapter 19 verses 1 through 10. and then revelation 18 21-24 this is interesting the great city of babylon is drowned remember uh what we read from jeremiah 50 and 51 jeremiah was told take this stone that represents babylon and cast it into the depths of the euphrates river well that's what this is picking up on drowning the great city and as a result all of the activities in the city come to an end the cessation of activities that everything of everything that characterizes a city so that is the the structure or the outline that we're going to follow as we study along now let's notice the location of verses 1 to 5. i already briefly mentioned this but let's go through it revelation 18 1-5 is a parenthesis between revelation 17 and revelation 18 6-24 as we have seen revelation 17 portrays the final global apostasy of babylon and her doom revelation 18 6-19 then describes the same period but from a different perspective in between these two places you know uh babylon and what babylon does and the condemnation of babylon in between these two pictures complementary pictures each with their own emphasis you have revelation chapter 18 verses 1 to 5. and that is after chapter 17 the the angel says uh you know this is coming to babylon get out and then the rest of chapter 18 says if you don't get out this is what you're going to be singing in contrast to revelation 19 1-10 which is a song of rejoicing and happiness of those who are victorious over the beast his image and his mark it is rather obvious that this warning must be given shortly before the close of probation and the outpouring of the seven last plagues clearly verse 5 indicates that when the warning is given the plagues have not yet fallen we'll see that in a few moments here is the scenario this is a summary of the scenario revelation 17 describes the sins and condemnation of babylon revelation 18 1-5 calls god's people to come out of babylon before divine condemnation falls upon her and revelation 18 6-24 picks up on what is in chapter 17 and gives us the lamentation of those who fail to respond to the call will anyone have an excuse when they're caught in the time of trouble without any shelter no because god tells us in revelation 17 that the whole world is going to come together the harlot the daughters the kings the waters of the multitude multitudes of the world there will be this world confederacy everyone on the same page from the devil's side and god will have a small remnant in every place of the world symbolically represented as being on mount zion or in israel not literally but spiritually and so the angel of revelation chapter 18 and verses one through five that proclaims the loud cry and then the voice of jesus that says come out of her my people is telling people hey don't stay there because it might appear that the whole world is the winner and that this little remnant is going to lose don't believe it because ultimately the remnant is going to win because the king of kings is on their side get out while you can is this a message that the world needs to hear yes would you want people to stay in babylon well they're going to stay there unless they know what it is and who's going to tell them we are the ones that are going to have to tell them secrets unsealed some tv yes but each of us have to speak to the people that we know to share these things with them so let's read revelation 18 and verses one through five this is something that's happening before the close of probation after these things i saw another angel coming down from heaven having great authority and the earth was illuminated with his glory and he cried mightily with a loud voice saying babylon the great is fallen is fallen this is speaking about a moral fall by the way and has become a dwelling place of demons a prison for every foul spirit and a cage for every unclean and hated bird well that's quite a description isn't it verse 3 for all the nations have drunk of the wine what is the wine her false doctrines have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her and now there's a new element that we didn't find before and the merchants of the earth is uh is the worldwide economy the merchants are they involved in this final babylonian system yes they finance it and so it says and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury and then this is the voice of jesus the loud cry is the loud cry of an angel but verse 4 is the loud cry of jesus you say how do we know that because it says and i heard another voice from heaven saying come out of her would an angel say come out of her my people no this is jesus come out of her my people why do they need to come out lest you share in her sins and lest you receive her plagues have the plagues fallen yet at this point no the warning is being given get out so that you don't receive the plagues so this is during probationary time and then it says in verse 5 4 that means because her sins have reached to heaven and god has remembered his uh her iniquities so revelation chapter 18 verses 1 through 5 is describing what adventists call the latter rain and the loud cry now let's go to the next section there's a close link this is a very important point there's a close link between the second angels message in revelation 14 verse 8 and the loud cry message of this angel in revelation chapter 18 verses one through five let's go back to revelation 14 the second angel's message revelation chapter 14 and verse 8. it says here and another angel followed in other words follow the first saying babylon is fallen is fallen that great city because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication so the second angel's message has the same basic elements as the loud cry of revelation 18 but we're going to find that the the loud cry is far more intensive with a much louder voice now the millerites proclaim the message of revelation 14 verse 8 did the millerites proclaim that babylon had fallen did multitudes come out of the apostate churches leading up to 1844 yes they came out from all from the methodist from the baptist ellen white and her family were disfellowshipped from the methodist church in other words multitudes came out when they preached the first dangerous message and it was rejected well then they gave the second angels message and people came out of those apostate religious organizations but now notice shortly before the closure of probation the second angel's message will be proclaimed once more that's revelation 18. but with global extension because the first time it was basically in the east of the united states the mill rights you know it was proclaimed you know that in general terms it was proclaimed uh you know joseph wolf and others across the world that jesus was coming soon the signs indicated it but the second angel's message as such was priest preached mostly in new england it was more of a local type thing but when this message is proclaimed once more it will be of global extension with far greater power ellen white explained the relationship between revelation 14 8 which is the second angel's message and the loud cry of revelation 18. notice this statement that she makes it's long but it is loaded with valuable information this is the bottom of page 124. when jesus began his public ministry he cleansed the temple from its sacrilegious profanation among the last acts of his ministry was the second cleansing of the temple now let me stop there just for a moment and explain what the two cleanses of the temple mean according to the spirit of prophecy the first cleansing of the sanctuary in the fulfillment began in 1844 it is cleansing the sanctuary from the sins of those who died the loud cry will be an announcement that jesus is about to cleanse the sanctuary from the sins of the living of the living saints so there will be a cleansing of the sanctuary at the end which will be the cleansing of the sins of the living like in 1844 began the cleansing of the sins of those who died in the lord now let's continue the statement so in the last work for warning of the world two distinct calls are made to the churches the second angel's message is babylon has fallen his fallen day great city because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication that's the first fulfillment and then and in the loud cry of the third angel's message a voice is heard from heaven saying come out of her my people that ye be not partakers of her sins and that you receive not of her plagues for her sins have reached unto heaven and god has remembered her iniquities that's review on harold december 6 1892. in another statement that we find in great controversy 603 and 604 which is in the chapter the final warning she writes the following this scripture revelation 18 1-5 points forward to a time when the announcement of the fall of babylon as made by the second angel of revelation 14 is to be what repeated with additional mention of the corruptions which have been entering the various organizations that constitute babylon since that message was first given in the summer of 1844 has the christian world become much more iniquitous than it was leading up to 1844 yeah because the mainline churches are accepting gay marriage and gay clergy etc i mean the the church there are scholars of the churches that are saying that the world came into existence by macro evolution that didn't happen in 1844 there's additional corruptions that have come into the christian church is this message in 1844 about the fall of babylon going to be given again on a global scale denouncing the additional sins that have entered babylon absolutely she continues a terrible condition of the religious world is here described with every rejection of the truth the minds of the people will become darker their hearts more stubborn until they are entrenched in an infidel hearty hood the word hearty hood means resolute and self-assured audacity in defiance of the warnings that god has given they will continue to trample upon one of the precepts of the decalogue until they are led to persecute those who hold it sacred that hasn't come yet but it's coming down the road christ is said at not in the contempt placed upon his word and his people as the churches accept the teachings of spiritualism the restraint upon imposed upon the carnal heart is removed and the profession of religion will become a cloak to conceal the basis iniquity a belief in spiritual manifestations that means spiritualism by the way opens the door to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils and thus the influence of evil angels will be felt in the churches that's what we have to face in proclaiming this message that we've been studying here so to speak the loud cry is the second angel's message on steroids now maybe that's not the way we should express it but you understand you understand the expression right notice the following comparison between the second angel's message in revelation 14 verse 8 and the loud cry in revelation 18 1-4 notice this chart in revelation 14 verse 8 an angel proclaims the message oh in chapter 18 it is what a mighty angel that proclaims the message in revelation 14 verse 8 there's no mention of a loud voice hope in chapter 18 the angel cries mightily with a loud voice you know a loud voice is already mighty but it wants to underline mightily with a loud voice that's why it's a loud cry folks why did babylon fall in revelation 14 verse 8 she made all nations drink and in revelation chapter 18 she fell because she gave wine to the nations those are parable uh parallel in revelation 14 8 there's no call to come out of babylon in revelation 18 there's a call to come out before the falling of the plagues in revelation 14 8 there's no mention of demons in babylon but in revelation chapter 18 babylon is the habitation of demons in revelation 14 8 there's no mention of kings and merchants in revelation chapter 18 you have the mention of kings and merchants in revelation 14 8 there's no mention of sins being piled up to heaven that means that the cup is full but in revelation 18 it says her sins have filled the cup and in revelation 14 verse 8 there's no mention of god's punishment on babylon but in revelation 18 it's god mentions what the punishment will be upon babylon is revelation 18 an intensification of the second angel's message yes because of all these characteristics that the text itself gives us so these verses are speaking about a great revival among god's people a powerful revival through the power that falls the latter rain power and when the latter rain power falls god's people will get down to business and they will proclaim this loud cry do you think satan knows that this event is around the corner and it's going to take place do you think the devil knows that there's going to be a great revival among god's people of course he does so what is he going to do before it comes he's going to introduce a counterfeit you know usually the counterfeit comes after the genuine usually not always you know the the bible says that the sabbath is god's original day of rest it's the genuine and the devil of course later on he introduces a counterfeit sunday but in this case satan is going to try and preempt the true revival by introducing a false one and i believe that we're seeing that in the churches today not only in the churches outside our church but inside our own denomination if you don't believe it read the book worship at satan's throne that i wrote that is a chilling uh description of what is happening within the old remnant church this is still god's remnant church i want to make that clear this is still god's church with all sorts of problems in it and the shaking of course is going to take care of those problems and the shaking doesn't mean that you know the good people leave and the bad people say actually it's all of the people who are not committed to christ will eventually leave and then god will have like in the days of gideon he'll have his 300. amen now no by the way the story of uh gideon i have a sermon that's a typological story you know it points forward to this time so let's read about the counterfeit and the genuine according to revelation 13 verse 13 and the spirit of prophecy there will be a great counterfeit revival just before the outpouring of the latter rain and the loud cry this is a long passage but it is loaded with valuable information ellen white wrote in great controversy 390 notwithstanding the spiritual darkness and alienation from god that exists in the churches that constitute babylon the great now let's what ellen white says the great body of christ true followers is still to be found in their communion most of god's true children are outside the the seventh-day adventist church that's what she's saying she continues there are many of these who have never seen the special truths for this time what does it mean what does she mean when she says the special truths for this time what do we call that present truth exactly she continues not a few are dissatisfied with their present condition and are longing for clearer light they look in vain for the image of christ in the churches with which they are connected as these bodies depart further and further from the truth and ally themselves more closely with the world the difference between the two classes will widen and it will finally result in separation the time will come when those who love god supremely can no longer remain in connection with such as our lovers of pleasures more than lovers of god having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof revelation 18 points to the time when as a result of rejecting the threefold warning of revelation 14 6-12 the church will have had the church reached this in 1844 yet no not yet not yet but here yes by rejecting the warning the church will have fully reached the condition foretold by the second angel that is babylon has fallen it's fallen and the people of god still in babylon will be called upon to separate from her communion this message is the last that will ever be given to the world so you want to know what the last message for the world is revelation 18 1-5 there will be no messages for the world after that she continues this message is the last that will ever be given to the world and it will accomplish its work when those that believed not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness shall be left to receive strong delusion and to believe a lie then the light of truth will shine upon all whose hearts are open to receive it and all the children of the lord that remain in babylon will heal the heed the call come out of her my people isn't that a beautiful portrait praise the lord you know she says that multitudes will leave the remnant church but their places will be taken there will be no vacancies left multitudes will come into the church now satan knows that this is going to happen how does he know by reading revelation 18. you think the devil did don't think the devil reads bible prophecy are you kidding me he reads bible prophecy and then he tells people he gives people a false concept of bible prophecy he said i got him fooled notice how ellen white describes this apostasy this false revival notwithstanding the widespread declension of faith in piety there are true followers of christ in these churches before the visitation of god's judgments upon the earth that's before the close of probation there will be among the people of the lord such a revival of primitive godliness as has not been witnessed since apostolic times are we longing for those days the spirit and power of god will be poured out upon his children at that time many will separate themselves from those churches in which the love of this world has supplanted love for god and his word many both of ministers and people will gladly accept those great truths which god has caused to be proclaimed at this time to prepare a people for the lord's second coming now here comes satan's rule the enemy of souls desires to hinder this work and before the time for such a movement shall come in other words before the genuine revival and the loud cry he will endeavor to prevent it by introducing what a counterfeit in those churches which he can bring under his deceptive power he will make it appear that god's special blessing is poured out there will be manifest what is thought to be great religious interest multitudes will exalt that god is working marvelously for them when the work is that of another spirit under a religious guise what is it guys it's a disguise right under a religious guise satan will seek to extend his influence over where over the christian world and you remember we talked about fire falling from heaven i believe this is the time when fire literal fire will fall from heaven and they'll use that to say this is a new pentecost you know the holy spirit is being poured out just like on the day of pentecost where they saw tongues of fire fire is falling from heaven this proves that our movement is genuine our movement is true and so at the bottom of page 127 is the statement i read before in the q a satan will work through his agents who have departed from the faith to bring fire down from heaven in the sight of men now i'm going to skip the next page because i i included that in the q a session let's go to page 129 and we'll begin there where it says verse by verse study of revelation chapter 18. so let's go to the comments on verse 1. after these things i saw another angel coming down from heaven having great authority and the earth was illuminated with his glory now there are several things that we need to say about this verse first of all the word power here it's translated power it's really great authority you see um in greek there are two words that the king james version translates power the word dunamis where we get the word dynamite from and the word exousia which means authority like jesus says all authority has been given to me in heaven and in earth the word here is that this angel descends from heaven having great authority and the word great is mega so you could say mega authority this is the loud cry of the third angel also known as the fourth angel in the darkest period of history god will reveal the greatest light of history and that light is the truth about god's glorious character of love love as revealed in his law notice what we find in the next quote in the next quotation the three angels messages are to be combined giving their threefold light to the world in the revelation john says i saw another angel come down from heaven having great power and the earth was lightened with his glory this represents the giving of the last and threefold message of warning to the world so the loud cry is not simply a repetition of the second angel's message the loud cry is putting jumper cables on all three messages but of course the part that has to do with the second angel's message is with the power of the message the invitation is given for people to what to get out to come out notice what we find in the seventh evidence bible commentary volume 7 page 983 once at the end this is an ellen white statement the prophecies in the 18th of revelation will soon be fulfilled during the proclamation of the third angel's message another angel is to come down from heaven having great power and the earth is to be lightened with his glory the spirit of the lord will so graciously bless consecrated human instrumentalities that men women and children will open their lips in praise and thanksgiving filling the earth with the knowledge of god and with unsurpassed glory as the waters cover the sea you remember when moses was at the top of mount sinai and he had communion with the lord what happened when he came down from the mount his face was glowing his face was shining what was the glory on his face the glory in his face was the glory that rub rubbed off from the lord because he had communion with the lord and the same is going to happen with god's people in fact ellen white describes in the chapter the final warning she says that god's servants with faces lighted up will go everywhere on the earth to see share the loud cry message because they want to see people saved they're going to show that there's no conflict between the law of god and the love of god there is actually harmony in between the law and love you know the christian world these days wants to talk about love without the law and you can't do that because the law is a law of love it describes perfect interpersonal relationships if you love your parents you're going to respect them if you love your neighbor you're not going to kill him if you love your neighbor you're not going to go to bed with his wife if you love your neighbor you're not going to steal what belongs to your neighbor if you love your neighbor you're not going to ruin ruin his or her reputation if you love your neighbor you're not going to covet what belongs to them if you love the lord you're not going to have other gods if you love the lord you're not going to make idols that degrade your concept of god by creating god in man's image that was that's what an image is it's creating god in man's image if you love god you're going to respect his name if you love god you want to go you're going to want to stand spend 24 hours with jesus on sabbath so the law is not restricted the law is not a yoke of bondage like the christian world many times teaches the law is a law of love it protects our relationship with god and our relationship with our fellow human beings in christ object lessons page 415 ellen white wrote the last rays of merciful light the last message of mercy to be given to the world is a revelation of his character of love the children of god are to manifest his glory in their own life and character they are to reveal what the grace of god has done for them and probably some of you have heard this illustration jesus said i am the light of the world but he also said you are the light of the world now wait a minute who's the light of the world is it jesus or is it or is it his people he was speaking to his disciples there appears to be a contradiction there's no contradiction you go out some night clear night in fresno you see that full beautiful silver moon in the sky you look and you had somebody's with you say isn't that a beautiful moon out there tonight look at how bright it is and so you're extolling the moon you're glorifying the moon but you really what you really need to say is isn't the sun beautiful tonight because the moon has no light it receives from the sun and then it gives to the earth jesus is the light of the world he is the sun we are moons and if we're not reflecting the light it's because we have no connection with the light are you following the illustration that's what this is saying we will reveal the character of love and how do we how do we form that character how do we get that character how did moses have the glory in his face he had communion with the lord he had an intimate relation face-to-face relationship with the lord notice this beautiful statement in the devotional book by ellen white sons and daughters of god by beholding christ by talking of him by beholding the loveliness of his character we become changed how do we become changed by beholding christ where do we behold him some mystical experience yoga no people think that they think that that you know fellowship with christ means some mystical connection with him we gain a picture of christ from this book from the bible by meditating on scripture in a tranquil place a quiet place we read a passage from scripture and then we allow our mind to expand upon it and we are changed into the same image you know i had a student in uh in colombia he was the best student that i ever had he would come to class he was the first one in class and he would take out his notebook he would take out his bible he had his pen in hand from the time that the class started till the class ended he was had his eyes glued on the instructor three years i had him as a student in all the classes that i taught and so several years later i was preaching in a certain location and a woman came up to me after i preached my sermon and she says do you know pastor so and so by the way he teaches at southwestern adventist university now this student says do you know this this individual i said oh yeah i know him well and she looked at me she says you preached just like him and so after that we invited him to our studio to do a series and you know there was no audience there so i decided i would sit at the feet of my student and watch him preach and it was like i was watching myself why because by beholding we are what by beholding we are changed that's a psychological principle it's a law of life that we are changed into the image of what we see that's the reason why the world is so violent because people are are feeding themselves movies and television and and even the news you know they everything is bad everything is shootings and this and that and the other and we reflect what we watch and what we listen to and so allan white says by beholding christ by talking of him by beholding the loveliness of his character we become changed change from glory to glory in others the more we behold the more we're changed and what is glory asks ellen white character and he becomes changed from character to character thus we see that there is a work of purification that goes on by beholding jesus and so we when we spend time with jesus the world will see it they'll say this person is different but not because the person is different but because jesus transformed and changed the person into his image now let's go to verse 2 and he cried mightily with a loud voice saying babylon the great is fallen is fallen and has become the dwelling place of demons a prison for every foul spirit and a cage for every unclean and hated bird is that quite a contrast between that and the world is filled with god's glory it's a stark contrast now verse 2 contains three parallel expressions they mean the same thing but in different words a dwelling place of what of demons another way of saying it is a prison for every false spirit and in case you missed what a dwelling place of demons and prison for every false spirit means it is a cage for every unclean and hated bird and we'll come back to the birds in just a few moments on the next page the twofold repetition of the expression is fallen doesn't say babylon is fallen it says babylon is fallen is fallen it means that babylon is really fallen because when the bible repeats something it's because god wants to confirm it and make it sure like in the two dreams that god gave pharaoh you remember the two dreams and basically they meant the same thing but they were expressed in different terminology in hebrew poetry this is what is called synonymous parallelism at this point just before the close of probation babylon will have experienced an irreversible moral fall that is beyond repair she will have been totally possessed by forces of evil in other words there is no longer any remedy she's totally filled for with cancer from top to bottom revelation 18 verse 2 is a confirmation of revelation 16 and verse 13 where the text describes a babylonian trilogy speaking with the authority of what remember the three evil spirits like frogs that come out of the mouth of the dragon the beast and the false prophet that's pointing to the time when the threefold union is totally dominated by wicked evil forces in the invisible world and of course these demons are gathering everyone in the world that will allow it onto the side of satan well while god through the three angels message is gathering his faithful people on his side and so the question is which side do you want to be on i would hope that it'll be god's side you know the beast will say hey i'll let you live if you receive the mark of the beast and to a certain point that's true you know you won't be killed but god says if you're killed i'll resurrect you and you will live forever what kind of choice is that i choose the second of course now let's go to the top of the page ellen white describes there will be a universal bond of union one great harmony a confederacy of satan's forces is she also using synonymous parallelism she most certainly is the hateful birds here are not sparrows they are birds of prey this is the same as saying that the multitudes and the kings are going to eat up the religious powers the birds are symbolic this is clearly indicated in revelation 19 17 where the same greek word refers to the fowl of the air not the birds that are in the trees the fowl of the air like like for example california condors what are they they are scavengers and they prey upon those who deceived them the word cage is translated prison elsewhere in the book of in the new testament so really when it says cage for every bird it's because birds are in cages but really the word is prison in the greek language ellen white described the condition of the religious world during this period she and i read this before a terrible condition of the religious world is here described with every rejection of truth the minds of the people will become darker their hearts more stubborn until they are entrenched in infidel hardy hood in defiance of the warnings which god has given they will continue to trample upon one of the precepts of the decalogue and of course he who violates one violates them all until they are led to persecute those who hold it sacred ellen white also describes in the next quotation this particular period this one is found in reviewing herald december 13 1892 after the true truth has been proclaimed as a witness to all nations every conceivable power of evil will be set in operation and the minds will be confused by many voices saying lo here is christ lo he is there this is the truth i have a message from god he has sent me with great light is what they're going to say then there will be a removing of the landmarks who would that be removing the landmarks listen you can't remove what wasn't set up before what are the landmarks seventh-day adventists have the landmarks right illinois constantly uses the word to refer to the truths the distinctive truths that the seventh-day adventist church holds and so she's saying there will be a removing of the landmarks and an attempt to tear down the pillars of our faith in another place in great controversy says that great individuals intellectuals in the church will forsake the church and they will become the greatest enemies of god faithful people she continues a more decided effort will be made to exalt the false sabbath and to cast contempt upon god himself by supplanting the day he has blessed and sanctified this false sabbath is to be enforced by an oppressive law satan and his angels are wide awake and intensive intensely active working with energy and perseverant perseverance through human instrumentalities to bring about his purpose of obliterating from the minds of men the knowledge of god but here's the good news but while satan works with his lying wonders the time will be fulfilled foretold in the revelation and the mighty angel that shall lighten the earth with his glory will proclaim the fall of babylon and call upon god's people to forsake her now what will the messengers be like the ones that are going to proclaim the loud cry ellen white says that god will use few great men notice this stirring statement in great controversy 606 and 607 as the time comes for it to be given with the greatest power this is the loud cry the lord will work through what humble instruments leading the minds of those who consecrate themselves to his service the laborers will be qualified rather by the unction of his spirit than by the training of literary institutions it's not going to be the formal education it's going to be the education given by the holy spirit men of faith and prayer will be constrained to go forth with holy zeal declaring the words that god gives them the sins of babylon will be laid open the fearful results of enforcing the observances of the church by civil authority the inroads of spiritualism the stealthy but rapid progress of the papal power all will be unmasked by these solemn stirrings the people will be warnings the people will be stirred thousands upon thousands will listen who have never heard words like these in amazement they hear the testimony that babylon is the church fallen because of her errors and sins because of her rejection of the truth sent to her from heaven as the people go to their former teachers that is this the people in babylon go to their former teachers with the eager inquiry are these things so the ministers present fables prophesy smooth things to soothe their fears and quiet the awakened conscience but since many refuse to be satisfied with the mere authority of men and demand a plane thus saith the lord the popular ministry like the pharisees of old filled with anger as their authority is questioned will denounce the message as of satan that's the unpardonable sin right he who attributes the work of god to the devil that's the unpardonable sin so once again um the popular ministry like the pharisees of old filled with anger as their authority is questioned will denounce the message as of satan and stir up the sin-loving multitudes to revile and persecute those who proclaim it all of this is what we have to look forward to but won't it be a privilege to live during this time you know i hear some adventists say wow the trial ahead that's really rough could be really difficult i certainly hope the lord lays me to rest before then but can you imagine what a privilege it's going to be folks for us to proclaim god's message in the midst of the greatest opposition in the history of the world preach the most powerful message that has ever been preached in history let us not ask the lord to lay us to rest before that time let us ask the lord to empower us to proclaim the message at that time if we are alive because it will be a glorious privilege imagine the multitudes of people that will come out of babylon and be saved in the kingdom as a result of the message it's going to be a fantastic time to live and i believe that as we look at everything that's happening in the world this is going to take place very soon so let's do verse 3 and then we will take our q a session verse 3 says for all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury that is babylon's luxury the word merchants in verse 3 literally means one who is on a journey in greek it means one who is on a journey you say now how what does that have to do with merchants well let's notice the concept comes from ezekiel 27 in fact ezekiel 27 is in the background of uh revelation chapter 18 where the merchants of tyre which is a city on the edge of the mediterranean where lebanon is today traveled in ships to sell their wares we must link the merchants of babylon this is an important point with revelation 13 verse 15 where we are told that babylon forbade god's faithful people to buy and sell so is babylon going going to be in control of the world commerce yes they're going to forbid to buy and sell is it going to cost them dearly yes because then they're not going to be able to sell their stuff that's in other words that they receive the same punishment that they made it out on god's people god's faithful people will not be able to buy or sell unless they worship the image of the beast they will not but god will still sustain them by giving them food and by giving them water the same is not going to happen with babylon babylon will not be able to sell her wares commerce will come to an end at the end of verse 3 the word that is translated luxury is actually dunamis which should be translated power in other words the power of babylon resided in her what in her economic clout now she is going to lose her power because she will no longer be able to sell her merchandise so chapter 18 is adding a picture to this tumultuous period in history where god will intervene [Music] [Music] you

Channel: secretsunsealed

Views: 345

Rating: 5 out of 5

Keywords:

Id: AHYBgPSaBC8

Length: 58min 30sec (3510 seconds)

Published: Thu Sep 16 2021