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Fred R. Coulter—December 7, 2019
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{announcements left out of transcript; approximately 3.1 minutes}
Greetings, everyone! Welcome to Sabbath services!
Today we're going to cover some things in the news, some are questions and so forth. But this raises an interesting question about the statue of Molech that is going to be on display in a museum in Rome, and I wonder how close to the Vatican that will be? Remember what Solomon wrote in Ecc. 1; There is nothing new under the sun. That which has been, will be!
Deut. 16 mentions the three seasons. It first of all talks about the Feast of Unleavened Bread (vs 1-8). Then it talks about counting for Pentecost and then the Feast of Tabernacles, which includes the Last Great Day.
Think about what happens that these Feasts depict? Harvest, which pictures the resurrection! Christ was resurrected during Unleavened Bread. The saints are going to be resurrected on Pentecost. What's going to happened during the Millennium? People are going to enter into the Kingdom of God! Tabernacles and Last Great Day pictures the resurrection.
All three of these Feasts have the ultimate depiction of the resurrections of God. Paul writes of this, not quite exactly in the same way, but it covers it.
1-Corinthians 15:20: "But now Christ has been raised from the dead; He has become the Firstfruit of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order…" (vs 20-23). What is the order?
- first resurrection
- during the Millennium
- the Last Great Day, picturing those who never had a chance for salvation
- the incorrigible wicked
It covers all, those are the orders!
"…Christ the Firstfruit; then those who are Christ's at His coming" (v 23).
This is a very interesting verse, because there are those who say that you go to heaven; how are they going to contradict this verse? Those who are Christ's are not going to be raised until He comes!
News Items/Articles/Reports:
World Leader of The Salvation Army General Brian Peddle Meets His Holiness Pope Francis {https://www.salvationarmy.org/ihq/news/inr081119}
I wonder what that's going to lead to?
Pope Francis Declares that Christian Fundamentalists Are "A Scourge" {https://grandmageri422.me/2019/12/04/pope-francis-declares-that-christian-fundamentalists-are-a-scourge/}
That includes us and all the Protestants!
Beware of the fundamentalist groups: everyone has his own. In Argentina too there is a little fundamentalist corner. And let us try, with fraternity, to go forward. Fundamentalism is a scourge and all religions have some kind of fundamentalist first cousin there, which forms a group.
So, we're all lumped in with terrorists! The pope is saying this! Again, there's nothing new under the sun. That's which has been, will be!
Back to the nonsense of modern 'PC' (political correctness):
British Court in Transgender Case, Bible Belief is "Incompatible with Human Dignity" {https://www.dailywire.com/news/british-court-in-transgender-case-bible-belief-is-incompatible-with-human-dignity}
That's how far they're going! This poor doctor did not want to call and obvious man with a beard—because this man was deluded into thinking that he was a woman—so they fired him. That's how the world is going!
ACLU Sues to Make Sure that Unborn Babies Can be Dismembered piece by piece in Cruel Inhumane Abortions
{https://dcdirtylaundry.com/the-aclu-sues-to-make-sure-unborn-babies-can-be-dismembered-piece-by-piece-in-cruel-inhumane-abortions/}
That's what they do, especially in the first and second trimester; they destroy them as they are aborting them. It's quite a hideous thing, indeed!
Did you see where this young woman got up and said, 'The only way we can avoid global arming and save the world is that we have to start eating the babies'?
We think that that's out there and that's crazy. But every crazy thing starts out that way. So, it's going to get more and more. Then there's the company that buys the baby parts that Planned Parenthood wants to pull apart.
Who is our latest evangelist in the political realm? Mayor Pete Buddig! Do you know what he says about abortion? That a baby is not a child or a person until it takes it's first breath!
Why is that wrong? The Spirit gives the child life before it's born, so it's living! How does the baby get oxygen though it can't breathe in the womb? From the mother's blood through the placenta! So, the baby is, in fact, partaking of the breath of life through the mother.
But his evangelism is going to turn a lot of people on to a lot of bad things. Think of it! Here he is a homosexual who is married to a man, and he's the woman. That's crazy! He brings his husband to some of the rallies, and all of the people are cheering! When it says Sodom and Gomorrah in the Bible, you know that's true! You know very well that that is true!
Addendum to question about the Father coming the earth during the Millennium {sermon: Daniel/Revelation Prophecies Being Fulfilled}
Let's look at one of those Scriptures where those who say that the Father is coming to the earth for the Millennium. The Bible does not support that in any way, and neither does Dan. 7.
Daniel 7:13: "I saw visions in the night and, behold, One like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven…" That is the return of Jesus Christ! This also could be His ascent going to be accepted by the Father!
"…and came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him" (v 7). That has to be His ascent on the first day of the week, the Wave Sheaf Offering Day when He went to the Father!
Verse 14: "And dominion and glory was given to Him, and a kingdom, that all people, nations and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom that which shall not be destroyed. I, Daniel, was distressed in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head alarmed me. And I came near to one of those who stood by and asked him the truth concerning all this. So, he told me and made me know the interpretation of the things. 'These great beasts, which are four, are four kings that shall arise out of the earth…. [a king and a kingdom can be synonymous] …But the saints of the Most High shall receive the Kingdom and possess the Kingdom forever, even forever and ever'" (vs 14-18).
Verse 19: "Then I desired to know the truth concerning the fourth beast, which was different from all the others, exceedingly dreadful, whose teeth were of iron and his nails of brass; who devoured, broke in pieces, and stamped the rest with his feet; and of the ten horns that were on his head, and of the other horn which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth speaking very boastful things, whose appearance was greater than his fellows" (vs 19-20).
This has got to be the papacy, which in the end run is going to have all religions back home with Rome.
Verse 21: "I watched, and that same horn made war with the saints and overcame them, until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the Most High. And the time came that the saints possessed the Kingdom." Does it say the Most High came to the earth? No it doesn't!
Verse 23: "Thus he said, 'The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be different from all the other kingdoms and shall devour the whole earth, and shall trample it and break it in pieces…. [tie in with Rev. 13 & 17 combined] …And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise…. [we covered the chart on that] …And another shall arise after them. And he shall be different from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. And he shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and think to change the set times and the laws. And they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and one-half time'" (vs 23-25). Again, it doesn't show the Most High coming to the earth!
Then it says, v 27: "…And all kingdoms shall serve and obey Him."
We have a very interesting thing in Heb. 2, which says that Christ is going to come before the Father and say, 'Behold, the children You have given Me.' That's everyone in the first resurrection! When the saints are resurrected, where will they be? On the Sea of Glass!
Revelation 15:2: "And I saw a sea of glass mingled with fire, and those who had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, standing on the Sea of Glass, having the lyres of God"—stringed instruments!
Verse 3: And they were singing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, 'Great and awesome are Your works, Lord God Almighty; righteous and true are Your ways, King of the saints.' Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You only are Holy; and all the nations shall come and worship before You, for Your judgments have been revealed.' And after these things I looked, and behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened" (vs 3-5).
- If that is opened, is this where the Father is going to look and see all the resurrected saints on the Sea of Glass?
- Will the Most High come to a point just above the Sea of Glass and see all of His children?
Very possible, because the temple or tabernacle was opened. It doesn't say that they saw God. Then after they received the seven vials
Verse 8: "And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from His power; and no one was able to enter inside the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled."
Again, maybe God the Father comes down that close to the earth, because it's going to be a formal ceremony with God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the saints. We're going to receive a new name, what we're going to do, what our assignments will be; all of that will take place on the Sea of Glass. But nowhere do we find God the Father on the earth!
- Isn't the wedding going to take place on the Sea of Glass?
- And the wedding feast?
- Who is going to conduct the wedding?
- Did the husband ever conduct the wedding? No!
- Who do you suppose will conduct the wedding?
- Don't you think that the Father would be the One Who would perform the wedding?
Then He does have to come close enough so that we can see Him, He can see Christ and all of those in the first resurrection! There's going to be the wedding feast, but not everybody in the first resurrection is going to be part of the Bride.
Revelation 19:9: "And he said to me, 'Write: Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb.'…." We have the parable in Matt. 22 about the wedding feast being ready and people were called to it!
The 144,000:
There are two groups of 144,000 in the book of Revelation—Rev. 7 & 14. We are going to see that those are two different groups.
One of the things that this tells us is that the 144,000 are from the 12 tribes of Israel. Other prophecies show that Israel will be in captivity because of their sins. Let's see a prophecy of what God is going to do, and then we will get a timeframe from this, as well. The things that are going to happen at the end is going to happen to all the ten tribes, plus Judah, and then Benjamin and Levi as well.
Hosea 5:10: "The rulers of Judah were like those who move a border; I will pour out My wrath upon them like water. Ephraim… [the ten tribes] …is crushed and broken in judgment because he willingly walked after vanity. Therefore, I am as a moth to Ephraim, and to the house of Judah as rottenness. When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah saw his wound, then Ephraim went to the Assyrian and sent to King Contentious…. [the Beast Power] …Yet, he could not heal you nor cure you of your wound, for I will be to Ephraim as a lion, and as a strong lion to the house of Judah. I, even I, will tear and go away. I will take away, and none shall rescue him. I will go; I will return to My place until they confess their guilt and seek My face; in their affliction they will seek Me earnestly" (vs 10-15).
Hosea 6:1: "Come and let us return to the LORD, for He has torn, and He will heal us; He has smitten, and He will bind us up."
As we read v 2, remember that a day in prophecy is in fulfillment one year. Verse 2: "After two days…"—two years! So this shows that we're two years into the tribulation. After means completed.
"…He will revive us; in the third day He will raise us up, and we shall live in His sight" (v 2). That begins with the 144,000!
- How long is the Tribulation? 3-1/2 years!
- If two years has been fulfilled, how much time is left? 1-1/2 years!
Revelation 6:12: "And when He opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as the hair of sackcloth, and the moon became as blood; and the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree casts its untimely figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind. Then the heaven departed like a scroll that is being rolled up…" (vs 12-14).
Speculation: Could this be on Pentecost? Or just a little before Pentecost? We don't know, but if two years… there you go, that puts it right about Pentecost.
Verse 15: "And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the powerful men, and every bondman, and every free man hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains; and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, 'Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him Who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb'" (vs 15-16).
Christ has a throne, and He's going to bring the wrath of God. This will be the beginning of the Day of the Lord, because the Tribulation against Israel was to last two years and in the third year He would raise them up. Then it gets even worse after that when it goes to the rest of the world.
Verse 17: "Because the great day of His wrath has come…" Because a day in prophecy is a years:
- What about that six-month period?
- What did it say happened with the earthquake because of the heavens being rolled back like a scroll?
There's going to be a lot of work to clean up so they can get up and start fighting again! So, there is this pause. What is this pause? (Rev. 7).
Verse 17: "Because the great day of His wrath…"—a year; at first many believe that it is Christ.
Verse 16: "…'Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him Who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb."
Later Satan is going to deceive them into believing that they are aliens from outer space. If this is Pentecost, then what happens in Rev. 7, and how long that takes, we don't know.
Revelation 7:1: "And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth…" The earth is not square, but wherever the four corners are, that's where they are!
"…holding back the four winds of the earth, so that the wind might not blow on the earth, or on the sea, or on any tree. Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the seal of the living God; and he cried out with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to damage the earth and the sea, saying, 'Do not damage the earth, or the sea, or the trees until we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads'" (vs 1-3).
- Since these are servants of God, are these people converted?
or
- Is this telling us what they are doing after they are raised from the dead?
- Where do we have God calling someone His servant who was not converted?
I have said that this sealing is the conversion, but yet, they're called the servants of God before they are sealed. Is that a declaration of what they will be after they are sealed, or because they have been specially called and they're already marked out as servants? Yet, converted shortly after that? That's what it would have to be!
Where do we find that the unconverted have been called the servants of God? Nebuchadnezzar! In Daniel he is called three times 'My servant, Nebuchadnezzar!' He wasn't converted but he was God's servant.
What does it say in Rom. 13 of those civil servants—police, etc.? They are the servants of God! For what? That doesn't mean that they're converted just because they're called the servants of God, they're there because God has given that power to the civil governments in order that there can be some kind of order among the nations without lawlessness ravaging everything.
Look at what is happening in Mexico right now with all the lawlessness. I forget from what year it is, but not too long ago, over 200,000 murders in Mexico. Look at it today, lawless as it can be.
In Isaiah 41 & 44 Israel is called the servant of God. There was Cyrus who was the son of Ahasuerus and Esther. But he wasn't converted and was called a servant of God. Israel was called the servant of God.
- How does God take care of the nations today?
- Does He have hands off and they just do whatever they want to do?
- How does He run the world?
Above the people you have angels and demons; below them you have leaders like Cyrus, and whoever the leader of the country is.
- What does God say concerning all nations?
- Does He keep track of what's going on? Yes, He does! He's got seven eyes going around looking for those who are seeking God!
Remember that when you read in the book of Daniel that Gabriel had to go help Michael fight, because he was warring against the prince of Persia, which had to be the demon who was trying to take over Persia. God had it so that Cyrus would be the one who would come and conquer Babylon. After He did that, He put Darius in as the king of Babylon. Through that, God is judging the nations, whether they do good or evil.
It was said of Nebuchadnezzar that 'he rules in the kingdoms of men'—Daniel said it first and then Nebuchadnezzar said it later—and 'he sets up over them the basest of men.'
Let's see how God always works. Do you think that during WWII that America especially, Britain secondarily, were servants—along with even Russia, as bad as Russia was—to get rid of Hitler? Yes! Because we won the war!
Jeremiah 18:1—this goes on all the time, we will see: :The Word, which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, 'Arise and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause you to hear My words.' Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he was working at his wheel. And the vessel that he made of clay was ruined in the hand of the potter; so he made it again into another vessel…" (vs 1-4).
Who is the potter? God is! Individually, we are the clay! He made us physically; is that not going to come to an end? So, what is the other part of it? A spirit body and spirit mind, which God will form for us!
Verse 5: "Then the Word of the LORD came to me, saying, 'O house of Israel, can I not do with you even as this potter?' says the LORD. 'Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hands, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel'" (vs 5-6).
When God wants something done, He will get it done through His angels, through changing leaders, through however means He will do it. Now here's what's going on at all times, because He changes from Israel to other kingdoms and nations:
Verse 7: "If at any time I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck it up and to pull it down, and to destroy it."
Did that not happen in WWII? In Europe? In Asia? Yes, indeed!
Someone wrote me a letter and said, 'I disagree with you with independent free moral agency.' Why then do we have IF? Why does God say 'choose'? if we were robots He wouldn't have to do that, it would be automatic.
Verse 8: "If that nation, against whom I have spoken, will turn from their evil…" The only nation ever to repent in the history of the Bible, was the nation of Assyria through the city of Nineveh (book of Jonah). The only nation!
"…the I will repent of the evil that I thought to do to them. And if at any time I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build it and to plant it" (vs 8-9). Keep your eyes on China!
Look at it today with America. There's quite a bit going on to turn from abortion, getting laws that they can't get an abortion if there's a heartbeat. There are quite a few going to outlawing abortion altogether. With the amount of birth control that's available to people today, there should not be any abortions at all.
Maybe if things turn out for the good with this coming election, God is giving us a little space of time as a nation, and that will benefit mostly the Churches of God to give them a chance to preach the Gospel and bring a warning message. That's just right here in America. But what about China? He has been building up China, and China is going to be built up! But maybe it will have a little setback.
Verse 10: "If it does evil in My sight, that it not obey My voice, then I will repent of the good with which I said I would do them good." Maybe there's going to be a setback for China for a while!
All things that God is going to do is going to be giving an opportunity to preach the Gospel. God is looking at all nations and all people all the time.
Revelation 7:3: "…we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads." Tie in with:
Ephesians 1:13"…after believing, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise"—which is the earnest of our inheritance! Receiving the Spirit is being sealed.
Even though they are called the servants of God they were not yet sealed. This probably ties in with Ezek. 9 about those who 'sigh and cry for the sins' and so forth.
Revelation 7:3: "Saying, 'Do not damage the earth, or the sea, or the trees until we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.' And I heard the number of those who were sealed: one hundred forty-four thousand, sealed out of every tribe of the children of Israel" (vs 3-4)—then it lists all of them!
That's a special calling! God has it numbered down to the very person. How God is going to do that, I don't know. But think of this: if you're in captivity, think about how ministers are going around baptizing and laying hands on and praying for the Holy Spirit. None!
This is why the angel does the job; it couldn't be done any other way. Then there's the great innumerable multitude that no one could number,
Verse 9: "After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude, which no one was able to number, out of every nation and tribe and people and language…" What does it say of these?
Verse 13: "And one of the elders answered and said to me, 'These who are clothed with white robes, who are they, and where did they come from?' Then I said to him, 'Sir, you know.' And he said to me, 'They are the ones who have come out of the Great Tribulation; and they have washed their robes, and have made their robes white in the blood of the Lamb. For this reason, they are before the Throne of God and serve Him day and night in His temple; and the One Who sits on the throne shall dwell among them'" (vs 13-15).
When do they get there? They don't get there until the resurrection, because they only come there when Christ returns!
Some people look at that and say that they went right to heaven. That's why you have to know and understand the main guideposts as all of these things come along.
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There is something unique in Rev. 14. We will see that there's a difference between the 144,000 in Rev. 14 and the 144,000 in Rev. 7. Rev. 7 clearly identifies the 12 tribes of Israel, and the great innumerable multitude.
Revelation 14:1: "And I looked, and I beheld the Lamb standing on Mount Sion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father's name written on their foreheads." You don't have that in Rev. 7!
Verse 2: "Then I heard a voice from heaven, like the sound of many waters, and like the sound of great thunder; and I heard the sound of lyre players playing their lyres. And they were singing a new song before the throne, and before the four living creatures and the elders. And no one was able to learn the song except the hundred and forty-four thousand, who were redeemed from the earth" (vs 2-3).
That's an interesting phrase! This doesn't give us any time period; no time period. Whereas, Rev. 7 it's right there right after two years of the Tribulation. They're redeemed from the earth.
Verse 4: "These are the ones who were not defiled with women…" Who is the worst woman of all? Babylon the Great! This has to refer to churches.
"…for they are virgins…" (v 4). None in Rev. 7 are called virgins! What does this mean? That the 144,000 here never had a problem with apostasy at all! They always believe God and kept the commandments of God.
"…they are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. They were purchased from among men as firstfruits to God and to the Lamb" (v 4). Not the firstfruits, but as firstfruits!
Verse 5: "And no guile wasfound in their mouths; for they are blameless before the throne of God."
Can we determine something from this if we examine the seven churches in Rev. 2 & 3?
Church of Ephesus: Revelation 2:4: "Nevertheless, I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Therefore, remember from where you have fallen, and repent… [of sin] …and do the first works; for if you do not, I will come to you quickly; and I will remove your lampstand out of its place unless you repent" (vs 4-5).
You would have to say that those in this group of the Church could not be called virgins, because they left their first love.
- What did they do?
- Where did they go?
- How did this come about?
We don't know, but it's probably adding things in. remember that one of the things that John wrote in 1-John 5, 'Little children, flee idols.' Why would he says that? Because some were bringing in idols! We could conclude that of the 144,000 in Rev. 14, perhaps very few came out of the Church of Ephesus.
Church of Smyrna: Verse 9: "'I know your works and tribulation and poverty (but you are rich), and the blasphemy of those who declare themselves to be Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear any of the things that you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, that you may be tried; and you shall have tribulation ten days. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you a crown of life" (vs 9-10). Not one bit of correction! He didn't tell them to repent.
Church of Pergamos: Verse 14: "But I have a few things against you because you have there those who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit fornication." If you commit fornication, you're not a virgin! So, they had those sins.
Verse 15: "Moreover, you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate."
So, they had quite a few problems here: idols, wrongly taking the Passover, because the Eucharist of the Catholic Church is called the Sacrifice of the Mass!
They literally, in what they do, are saying that Christ is crucified again, because you get His blood and flesh right through eating the bread and drinking the wine, if the priest allows you to do it! Some priests drink so much that they're almost drunk when they're done.
Verse 16: "Repent! For if you do not repent, I will come to you quickly, and will make war against them with the sword of My mouth."
They were so bad that Christ had to fight against them! That's quite a thing when you consider it. We can conclude that those at Pergamos could not be considered virgins.
Church of Thyatira: Verse 20: "But I have a few things against you, because you allow the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce My servants into committing fornication and eating things sacrificed to idols…. [sin] …And I gave her time to repent of her fornication, but she did not repent" (vs 20-21). This has to be talking about the Catholic Church!
It's interesting that the Council of Trent was setup by the Catholics to try and combat the rising insurgency of the Protestants. They actually had some Catholics factions of that Council who said, 'We ought to go by Scriptures only.'
There was the opportunity to repent, but what happened? Just like what is written in Rome's Challenge to the Protestants: Cardinal Gibbon said that they concluded, 'Since the Protestants kept Sunday, and Sunday was a Catholic institution or tradition, therefore, they were not keeping Scriptures only.' They were following tradition and Scripture! 'So, we will keep our traditions and follow Scripture.'
But the way they follow Scripture is very little! So, you can't say that those in Thyatira were virgins.
Verse 21: "And I gave her time to repent of her fornication, but she did not repent. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their works" (vs 20-21).
What eventually happened to the Catholic Church? In Europe it was very powerful in getting into the 1000-1400s and began eroding in the 1500s by the Protestants!
How did God eventually take care of the Catholic Church? Garibaldi and the armies of Italy in the 1870s revolted against the Catholic Church, because all of the areas of Italy were broken down into provinces that were run by the Catholic Church. So, he took all of them away and made the Catholics and the popes stay in the Vatican.
From that time until Mussolini, the pope never left the Vatican. No repentance! That's how God came against them. It was not until Mussolini where they had the Treaty of Lateran when Mussolini recognized the pope that the pope was able to travel outside the Vatican area.
Verse 23: "And I will kill her children with death…" That's exactly what happened when Garibaldi took over all of the Catholic Church and all of their territories in Italy!
"…and all the churches shall know that I am He Who searches the reins and hearts; and I will give to each of you according to your works. But to you I say, and to the rest who are in Thyatira, as many as do not have this doctrine, and who have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak…" (vs 23-24).
So, Thyatira was one of the best and one of the worst. You can't say that those of Thyatira were virgins.
Church of Sardis: Revelation 3:1: "…I know your works, and that you have a name as if you are alive, but are dead." They don't keep the doctrines the way that they should and are about to die.
Verse 5—if you keep the few things remaining, "…I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels."
Church of Philadelphia: Verse 10: "Because you have kept the Word of My patience, I also will keep you from the time of temptation, which is about to come upon the whole world to try those who dwell on the earth." They're not told to repent here either.
Church of Laodicea: They're told to repent!
So, out of the seven churches, only two were what you would call virgins!
Speculation: Do those who fall into that category the ones of the 144, 000 in Rev. 14? Will they actually be the Bride of Christ? Remember, when the Corinthians were sinning, Paul said, 'Behold, I want to present you as a chaste virgin to Christ!
Well the Corinthians can't because they've had all their sins.
- Do you think that Christ would marry a non-virgin?
- Will those of the 144,000 be the Bride of Christ and all the rest of us are the guests? Don't know!
I tell you how I first thought of it: I performed a wedding in Fairfield and it went well. Then we had the wedding supper. It was very interesting and everybody was sitting around talking and having a good time. Then the band struck up the music and the bride and groom danced. I thought to myself, all the rest of us out here are guests. I wondered if that's the way it's going to be with Christ and the Bride? Don't know!
That's just speculation, but it may be true! It may be true in degree, but Who's going to make that choice? God the Father and Jesus Christ!
Wouldn't Abraham and David be part of the Bride of Christ? I don't think so, I think they will be at a higher level! Much higher!
How would you separate the guests and the Bride from Christ's time until today? God knows! He has to make the decision; it's not up to us!
But we can that those of Rev. 14 are distinctly different from those of Rev. 7. In looking at that, since they're called virgins… If they weren't called that, you wouldn't suspect that they would only be the Bride of Christ! But since it says that they are, and we read Rev. 2 & 3, and we only find two churches that we can classify as virgins, then there may be something to it. We don't know!
It's two-fold down through the centuries and at the end-time as well. We don't know exactly how all of that is going to work. That's the only distinction that we can make here with this.
The Unpardonable Sin:
A lot of people feel sometimes that they have committed the unpardonable sin and they're really grievously upset and worrying about their salvation. Let's see what Christ said about the unpardonable sin.
It's very interesting with what Jesus says here; Matthew 12:30: "The one who is not with Me is against Me…" In another place He says that 'the one who is for Me is not against Me.'
That's those in the world who are carnal and not called, but are for God and not against Him, they're just in the world.
"…and the one who does not gather with Me scatters. Because of this, I say to you, every sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven to men except the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit; that shall not be forgiven to men" (vs 30-31). Why? Who sends the Spirit? God the Father and Jesus Christ!
We have the begettal to be the son or daughter of God, and we have the Holy Spirit to develop the mind of Christ! So, those are the two aspects of it.
- What happens when someone commits the unpardonable sin?
- Would they be grievous and repenting? No!
Verse 32: "And whoever speaks a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him…"
- What did Jesus say when He was up on the cross? Father, forgiven them for they know not what they do!
- How treacherous were they? As treacherous as could be!
"…but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this age nor in the coming age" (v 32). There you find the second resurrection! There are two parts to the second resurrection:
- those who have not committed the unpardonable sin
- those who have
Those who have committed the unpardonable sin will go into the Lake of Fire. Those who have not will have an opportunity for salvation. What kind of attitude does someone have who commits the unpardonable sin? They will:
- be hateful toward God
- reject the Holy Spirit of God
- reject the Word of God
- be set in their ways and bitter in animosity toward God and will not repent
Remember the DVD message called The Delusion of Drugs. There's a family trying to redeem a son, and the relatives were there, too. They pleaded with him, 'Please, won't you come back. Please!' He said no! 'Please, we'll help you.' No! No! No! and he got up and walked out.
If you haven't watched that first segment, that is something! That shows you as close as you can get to the unpardonable sin. Absolutely no thought of repentance.
How bad can a person get into and still repent and receive forgiveness from God. What are two classic ones from the Old Testament? Manasseh! Look at what he did! He became king when he was very young, and things were already very corrupt.
2-Chronicles 33:1: "Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem."
You can be thankful that we have Presidents that can only be in office eight years.
Verse 2: "But he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, like the abominations of the heathen whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel, for he built again the high places, which Hezekiah his father had broken down, and he reared up altars for Baalim, and made groves, and worshiped all the host of heaven, and served them. And he built altars in the house of the LORD, of which the LORD had said, 'In Jerusalem shall My name be forever'" (vs 2-4). Manasseh was really going at it!
Verse 5: "And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD. And he caused his sons to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom. He also observed times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and with wizards. He did much evil in the sight of the LORD to provoke Him to anger. And he set a carved image, the idol, which he had made, in the house of God, of which God had said to David and to Solomon his son, 'In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen before all the tribes of Israel, I will put My name forever. Nor will I any more remove the foot of Israel from out of the land, which I have set apart for your fathers—if only they will take heed to do all that I have commanded them, according to the whole law and the statutes and the ordinances by the hand of Moses'" (vs 5-8). That's quite a thing that he was doing!
Verse 9: "But Manasseh led astray Judah and the people of Jerusalem, and caused them to do worse than the nations whom the LORD had destroyed before the children of Israel. And the LORD spoke to Manasseh and to His people, but they would not listen" (vs 9-10). He spoke through Jeremiah!
Verse 11: "Wherefore, the LORD brought upon them the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh with hooks and bound him with chains and carried him to Babylon." Because Assyria ruled Babylon at that time!
Verse 12: "And when he was in affliction, he sought the LORD his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. And he prayed to Him, and He was entreated of him and heard his prayer, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD is God" (vs 12-13).
So, here we have a situation where this deep repentance was forgiven. The rest of the story is that he cleaned up the area around the temple and got rid of all the sacrifices to the other gods and so forth.
How many times was he repenting during that time of his repentance? It couldn't be just one prayer! It would have to be really abhorring himself!'
Look at what Job had to go through before he abhorred himself! In a way he did worse than Manasseh, because he did everything that God said, but he took the credit for it all! He was, in his rebellion against God and in iniquity Job was worshipping himself instead of God! He even thought that he was on par with God, because he wanted to have a judge come and declare Job's righteousness to God and settle the matter.
In a way—though Manasseh was more evil in what he was doing—Job was worse because Job had all the Truth, and yet, took the credit to himself instead giving all credit to God.
I'm sure that it was quite a spell that he was repenting, confessing and everything like that. It wasn't just a one time prayer, 'O Lord, forgive me.' You can't just have one small prayer and everything is forgiven. Read Psa. 51; you abhor yourself, you abhor your sins. You see that you have sinned against God greatly. That the only thing in you is nothing but sin! Then there will be forgiveness!
A little correction: Jeremiah wasn't calling Manasseh to repentance, that was before, because Jeremiah started in the 12th or 13th year of Josiah.
Matthew 12:32: "And whoever speaks a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this age nor in the coming age. Either make the tree good…" (vs 32-33). What is that likened to? Repentance!
"…and the fruit good, or make the tree corrupt and its fruit corrupt; for a tree is known by its fruit" (v 33). If it's corrupt and unredeemable, that's the unpardonable sin. There's no way out of that!
It's just like in the segment on Delusion of Drugs, there was not talking to this man to get him to stop drugs, to quit doing what he was doing. He said no to his mother, father, his aunt and sister. Then he got up and walked out.
Another example of the unpardonable sin is Satan the devil. He has not and will not repent. His ultimate goal is always to be like God, the Most High. He won't repent.
Those who have never been converted, it's possible that some will refuse to repent. But the unpardonable sin in Heb. 6 talks about those who have repented, receive the Holy Spirit and then quit!
Hebrews 6:4: "For it is impossible… [Greek means there is no power possible] …for those who were once enlightened, and who personally obtained the heavenly gift, and became partakers of the Holy Spirit." The heavenly gift is forgiveness, the gift of grace!
Verse 5: "And who have tasted the good Word of God, and the powers of the world to come, if they have fallen away… [to apostatize] …to renew them again unto repentance…" (vs 5-6)—nothing will get to them!
That depends on free choice. Will they repent? If they repent then they haven't committed the unpardonable sin!
Manasseh probably came as close as anyone to committing the unpardonable sin, but he repented. But here it is that there's no way "…to renew them again unto repentance…" Look at Cain; he did not repent! It showed he didn't repent. He said, 'Am I my brother's keeper?' He didn't fall down on his knees and say, 'O Lord, I killed him; I got angry.' Esau didn't repent of selling his birthright. But he wasn't converted. Here we're talking about converted people.
"…seeing that they are crucifying the Son of God for themselves, and are publicly holding Him in contempt" (v 6). The attitude is complete incalcitrant and contemptuous attitude toward God!
Verse 7: "For the ground that soaks up rain coming often upon it, and also produces useful plants for those for whom it is tilled, receives a blessing from God. But that which brings forth thorns and thistles is rejected and near to being cursed, the end of which is for burning" (vs 7-8)—which is the Lake of Fire! That's the attitude of the unpardonable sin. There's no way to bring them to repentance:
- no remorse
- no feeling
- no nothing
Just hard-hearted, incalcitrant against God, against the Father, holding God in contempt, Christ in contempt and rejecting everything of God.
How many people will be that way? Don't know! But I know of one man who may have come mighty, mighty close to it. But I have no idea. That's why God judges the heart; He knows. There's no way that we can even determine if someone has or not, because God alone knows!
Verse 9: "But, although we speak these things, beloved, we are persuaded of better things concerning you, even the fruits that accompany salvation. For God is not unrighteous to forget your work, and the labor of love by which you have showed honor to His name, in that you have served the saints and are continuing to serve them. But we earnestly desire that every one of you be demonstrating the same diligence, unto the full assurance of the hope until the end; so that you do not become lazy, but that you be imitators of those who through faith and steadfast endurance inherit the promises" (vs 9-12). Then Paul goes back talking about Abraham!
Those are the odds and ends that I wanted to cover today. I would like to, in January, do a series in Galatians, because Galatians is one of the most difficult books in the New Testament, especially the way it's translated in the King James. It has led many people to believe that you don't have to keep the Law and that it has been abolished. But it actually teaches the opposite!
Scriptural References:
- 1-Corinthians 15:20-23
- Daniel 7:13-25, 27
- Revelation 15:2-5, 8
- Revelation 19:9
- Hosea 5:10-15
- Hosea 6:1-2
- Revelation 6:12-17
- Revelation 7:3
- Jeremiah 18:1-10
- Revelation 7:3
- Ephesians 1:13
- Revelation 7:3-4, 9, 13-15
- Revelation 14:1-5
- Revelation 2:4-5, 9-10, 14-16, 20-24
- Revelation 3:1, 5, 10
- Matthew 12:30-32
- 2 Chronicles 33:1-13
- Matthew 12:32-33
- Hebrews 6:4-12
Scriptures referenced, not quoted:
- Ecclesiastes 1
- Deuteronomy 16:1-8
- Revelation 13; 17
- Hebrews 2
- Matthew 22
- Romans 13
- Isaiah 41; 44
- Ezekiel 9
- 1 John 5
- Psalm 51
Also referenced:
Articles:
- World Leader of The Salvation Army General Brian Peddle Meets His Holiness Pope Francis {https://www.salvationarmy.org/ihq/news/inr081119}
- Pope Francis Declares that Christian Fundamentalists Are "A Scourge" {https://grandmageri422.me/2019/12/04/pope-francis-declares-that-christian-fundamentalists-are-a-scourge/}
- British Court in Transgender Case, Bible Belief is "Incompatible with Human Dignity" {https://www.dailywire.com/news/british-court-in-transgender-case-bible-belief-is-incompatible-with-human-dignity}
- ACLU Sues to Make Sure that Unborn Babies Can be Dismembered piece by piece in Cruel Inhumane Abortions
{https://dcdirtylaundry.com/the-aclu-sues-to-make-sure-unborn-babies-can-be-dismembered-piece-by-piece-in-cruel-inhumane-abortions/}
- Sermon: Daniel/Revelation Prophecies Being Fulfilled
- Booklet: Rome's Challenge to the Protestants by Cardinal Gibbon
- DVD: Delusion of Drugs
FRC:bo
Transcribed: 12/12/19
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