21 Return of the Woman
Discovering Revelation • Sermon • Submitted
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Welcome/Announcements/Opening Prayer
Question 1: You forgot to mention sugar when you talked about how to postpone your funeral!
Immediately after our talk last night, at least 3 people pointed out that I should have said something about sugar. So, here goes.
The Bible says nothing about sugar, but 104 times mentions something sweet — sweet wine, or unfermented grape juice, comes up several times as a reward that God wants to give to Israel. While Honey is mentioned 57 times, often in connected with a comparison: “________ is as sweet as honey.”
So, if you’re going to make a health case against sugar from the Bible, you’re not going to find the Bible saying, “don’t eat it.” And, God designed lots of good things that are filled with sugar — lots of super sweet fruits like dates and mangos, plus awesome things like sugar cane, sugar beets, and honey that we use to turn into sugar. So, to say sugar is a bad thing, would be biblically problematic.
HOWEVER…
Western food culture uses sugar quite a bit differently than God designed it. Between refined sugars, mass production of food, grocery stores, and ready access to any type of candy or softdrink we want, we have access to, quite literally, tons more sugar than the people in the Bible would have been dealing with.
In the Harvard Health journal they say, “Too much added sugar can be one of the greatest threats to cardiovascular disease.” The big problem is added, refined, sugar. Top sources in the American diet are soft drinks, fruit drinks, flavored yogurts, cereals, cookies, cakes, candy, and pretty much any processed food (think Ketchup, canned soups, and so much more).
In 2014 JAMA Internal Medicine published a report by Dr. Hu and his colleagues that found an association between a high-sugar diet and a greater risk of dying from heart disease. Over the course of a 15-year study, people who got 17% to 21% of their calories from added sugar had a 38% higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease compared with those who consumed 8% of their calories as added sugar.
So, it seems that with the subject of sugar, moderation is the name of the game.
Proverbs 25:16 (NKJV)
16 Have you found honey? Eat only as much as you need, Lest you be filled with it and vomit.
But the Bible does give us an important characteristic for Godly people, it’s called temperance. Temperance is a concept that can be defined as abstaining from things that are harmful, and moderating with is good. Even a good thing can be a problem if you eat too much.
Upcoming Topics
Tonight, we’re going back to Revelation 12, and we’re going to finish the story. You might remember: war broke out in heaven - the devil and his angels were removed - the woman, or the church, waited for Christ to be born - then Jesus went back to heaven, and the dragon turned his wrath against the woman, or the church.
So tonight, we’re going to ask the question: what happens next? Does the woman ever come out of hiding?
On Friday night, the “Mark of the Beast.” I know this is a subject that a lot of you have been waiting for, because this might be one of the most talked-about subjects in Bible prophecy. This is going to be another night where all your hard work is really going to pay off, because we’re going to take what we’ve learned, and use that information to unpack the rest of Revelation 13. There’s a second beast . . . and you really don’t want to miss this.
Then on Sabbath morning at 10:45, we’re going to look at a peculiar phrase that shows up several times in the Bible. Revelation 12 describes God’s last-day people as the ones “who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” And on Sabbath, we’re going to unpack that just a little bit - and in the process, we’ll look at another curious prophecy from the book of Joel - it says that in the last days, there will be dreams and visions.
Our last study will be a personal one. Saturday night we’re going to bring all of this prophecy stuff home in “The Last Night On Earth." You’ll hear a little of my story, but you’ll also get a chance to explore your story as well. Revelation was not intended to be a book for theologians—it’s a book about a relationship God wants to have with you. He’s had His hands in your life all along, and right now, I want to show you how he’s got a plan for your future. Not just the future in heaven, but the rest of your tomorrows here on earth too.
But tonight, the “Return of the Woman.”
Over the last few weeks, we have been studying some of the biggest themes in Bible prophecy, and now we have come to a point where we can step back and look at the big picture.
We have already looked at the central part of Revelation: chapters 12, 13, and 14. And the reason we spent a lot of time in those chapters is because if you get that stuff, you can go to the rest of the book and quickly figure out exactly what Bible prophecy is talking about.
Last week, we looked at Revelation 13, where a strange-looking beast crawls up out of the sea. And when we compared that beast to the little horn in Daniel chapter 7, we made a very unsettling discovery. The beast is not a communist, or an atheist, or a New Age guru. The beast is not a computer in Belgium, or a Muslim imam, or the president of the United States.
It was actually pointing the finger at the marriage of Christian church and pagan state that took place as Christianity headed into the Dark Ages. It was talking about a powerful global church that tragically found itself at odds with the Bible, even to the point of tampering with the moral law of God.
It wasn’t good news - obviously. But fortunately, it’s not the end of the story. In the pages of Bible prophecy, God reveals a very distinct plan to undo all the damage that Christians did - and that’s what we’re going to look at tonight.
Prayer
Lieutenant Hiroo Onoda of the Imperial Japanese Army was a remarkable soldier, trained in special operations - and he was VERY good at what he did. But more important than his talent was his loyalty: the army always knew they could count on him.
So one day, his commander called him into his office and said, “Lieutenant, I have a VERY special mission for you. You’re the most trustworthy man I know, and I’m hoping you find this assignment to your liking.”
“Yes, sir! Whatever it is, sir, I’ll do it!”
“Lieutenant, there’s just one very important condition. After you take this assignment, you may never surrender - under ANY circumstances. Unless you hear directly from MY LIPS that this assignment is over, you will STAY on the job. Is that clear?”
“Yes, sir, it is!”
What was the assignment? In 1944, they shipped him to an island in the Philippines, and they told him to secure it for Japan.
There was only one problem: when Hiroo Onoda got there with his tiny little team, they discovered the island was already occupied by Allied forces. He didn’t stand a chance - so he took his men into the jungle, and for the next several months, they engaged in guerrilla warfare, making life as difficult for the Allies as possible.
They would raid the warehouse and steal supplies. They destroyed bridges - they blew up a runway - they vandalized and stole equipment.
Of course, in 1945, the war suddenly ended . . . but nobody told Lieutenant Onoda. The Imperial Japanese Army forgot about him! So he kept on fighting the war, just like he always had.
And then, one day, one of his men found a pamphlet on the floor of the jungle, dropped by the Allies.
“Lieutenant Onoda, sir: this pamphlet says the war is over - that it ended on August 15, and we can go home!”
“Don’t you understand, soldier? That’s an enemy trick! If the war was actually over, my commanding officer would have told me. Now get back to work - and understand this: we will NOT surrender. We will NEVER surrender.”
So they went on fighting World War Two for weeks . . . and for MONTHS . . . and in fact, they went on fighting for almost 30 years. And one by one, for the next three decades, Onoda’s men either died, or they gave up and walked out of the jungle. And by 1972, Hiroo Onoda was the only one left.
He was the only man on the planet still fighting the Second World War.
And that’s when a Japanese college student went on a camping trip in the Philippines and discovered a man who was still fighting the war.
“Mister, I don’t think you understand: the war has been over for almost 30 years!”
Hiroo didn’t believe it: “If this war was over, my commander would have told me!”
The student was convinced that he needed to do something, so he went back to Japan, found the commanding officer - who was now working in a bookshop - and told him that he still had a soldier fighting for him down in the Philippines.
The former officer couldn’t believe it - so he got on a plane, went to find Hiroo Onoda, and in 1972, Lieutenant Onoda finally laid down his arms and surrendered.
It’s a really incredible story - and it raises an important question. Hiroo Onoda was absolutely wrong about the war: in his case, it really WAS over. But he was also right about something, and Christians really could learn something from him: you do not quit until your commander says it’s over.
You and I do not quit the struggle for truth until Jesus comes again. When HE says the war is over, when Jesus tells us that the struggle against the devil is finally finished, THAT’S when it’s over - and not a moment before.
Because sometimes, the announcement, that pamphlet on the jungle floor that says that the conflict is over, really IS a lie from the enemy. Sometimes, there really IS a voice telling you to lay down your arms before the fight is over. Sometimes, there are fallen angels telling you the fight isn’t worth it.
You and I have already seen, in the pages of Bible prophecy, that fallen angels do not want the truth of God’s Word to get out. They’ve been fighting the everlasting gospel for thousands of years. And one of their favorite tactics in our day is to simply convince people that there IS no fight for truth.
“Oh, I know - in the days of the Reformation, there was probably something to fight for - and in the early days of the church, when we had to deal with the Caesar and the Roman Empire - maybe THEN there was something to stand for - but now? Most people are getting along, and that’s the most important thing!”
There are voices today telling us that “doctrine” doesn’t matter - that beyond learning to love each other, the teachings of the Bible really aren’t all that important.
“Can’t we all just compromise and get along? Just let God sort out the truth when we all get to heaven!”
And on the surface, it sounds pretty good - because who DOESN’T want Christians to get along? But underneath the surface, it’s still the same voice that whispered in Eden: “Did God REALLY say that?”
And honestly, that’s been one of the key issues all along, ever since the human race fell into sin: can you really trust God? Does God really mean what He says?
The Bible is full of stories of people who listened to fallen angels and then compromised on truth - they decided that what God says isn’t all that specific or important. And every single time, those same people landed in disaster . . . because if you ignore what God clearly says in the pages of the Bible, you ARE headed for disaster.
“There is a way that seems right to a man,” the Bible says in Proverbs 14:12, “but its end is the way of death.”
Folks, listen to me very carefully - and I think this should be really clear after all the Bible prophecy we’ve studied together: there has never been a more important time to stand for truth than right now . . .
. . . because there’s a clear prophecy in Revelation chapter 13 that says the deadly wound the beast received is going to heal.
3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.
According to the Bible, the devil’s program has yet to come to a head. The devil’s masterpiece of deception is still coming, and this time, it spreads to the whole world. And right now, you and I are living in the moment predicted by this verse.
And here’s what’s really interesting: as the world prepares to accept the devil’s crowning act of deception, over the last few decades, there has been a strange new movement in the world of Christianity - a movement that appears to be asking us to ignore the clear teachings of the Bible and compromise on what we believe.
It’s a movement that tells us that being too serious about what the Bible teaches only divides people, and prevents a global religious revival from taking place.
It’s a worldwide movement that some people call “the ecumenical movement,” and on the surface, it looks like a pretty good thing. In fact, I’ll go as far as to say that the underlying motivation IS a good thing. This is a movement that asks the world’s Christians to be united - and THAT is a biblical principle.
When people say that Christians SHOULDN’T be divided, I have to agree - and when people say that Jesus didn’t plan for more than 30,000 different denominations, I have to agree with that, too - because the Bible teaches as much.
Listen to the words of Paul:
4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
According to the Bible, there was only supposed to BE one church! That’s all God ever wanted. And in the beginning, that’s all there was. The early Christians were united in their mission, in their belief, in their doctrines, and in their purpose.
But tonight, more than 2,000 years later, somehow, the Christian church has splintered into tens of thousands of different groups, and the world laughs at us, saying, “Which version of Christianity is the real thing?”
So you’ve got to wonder: how in the world did it happen?
Now, if you’ve been with us through this whole seminar, you already know the answer: it happened through COMPROMISE.
You remember what happened after Constantine took power: every day, Romans started joining the Christian church for all the wrong reasons. They did it because it was popular, and they did it for the benefits. But at the same time, they kept their old belief systems, so they brought in all kinds of new ideas - new ideas about death - new ideas about worship - and even a new day of worship to suit Roman tastes.
The history is absolutely clear: old pagan belief systems began to invade the church, and as a result, the church began to splinter - and those who wanted to stick with the Bible ended up getting pushed to the margins. And over time, it happened again and again, and there were more and more splinterings.
But according to the Bible, a fragmented church was never God’s original plan. Just listen to the words of Jesus . . .
This is Jesus, speaking directly to His Father:
John 17:20–21 (NKJV)
20 “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; 21 that they all may be one, as You,
Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.
Did you catch the original desire of Jesus? He wanted His followers to present a united front to the world. But we’ve got to admit: today, the world really isn’t getting THAT message from Christians - because we AREN’T united. We AREN’T one church.
The Bible is clear: God’s original plan was ONE CHURCH - and that’s still what God wants today . . . but not through compromise. It was compromise that led to the problem in the first place.
So how does God want His people to become united? On the truth - on the Word of God! When people walk through the doors of the church, they should expect to hear biblical truth from the pulpit. Just listen to what Paul says the church is SUPPOSED to be . . .
It’s supposed to be:
1 Timothy 3:15 (NKJV)
the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
It was compromise that led to the downfall of organized Christianity in the first place, and in the words of Jesus: it’s the truth that’s going to set us free! Pay attention to Jesus’ plan for unity, found in that same prayer we read just a minute ago:
“Sanctify them by Your TRUTH,” Jesus says. In other words, set them apart for a holy purpose. “Sanctify them by Your truth - Your WORD is truth.”
If you and I are honest with the Word of God - if we’re courageous enough to actually DO what it says - if we’re willing to stand for what we KNOW is right in these last days - then God absolutely WILL bring us together.
I guarantee it!
Just look at Revelation chapter 14. God’s last-day people come together with a common purpose - and a common mission - and a common message. They can be found standing on Mount Zion with the Lamb of God, and they preach a very distinct message to the world:
Revelation 14:7 (AV)
Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven,
and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
This is the final movement of God’s people. They have one final, united message for the planet, right before Jesus comes: fear God, and give glory to Him - pay attention, because the judgment hour has already begun - and worship the One who made - the Creator God.
It’s the final movement of God, and ultimately, it’s the only place you’re going to find God’s people. This is where everybody who follows the Lamb ends up. But unfortunately, there IS an alternative - another movement with a plan for global unity . . .
In Revelation chapter 13, the dragon also pushes for a worldwide, unified movement. The Bible says, very clearly, that “all the world wonders after the beast.”
So in the very end, you have two groups, and only two. You have God pulling all of His people together in a worldwide movement with a distinctive message - and you have the devil doing the same thing.
And the big difference? The devil doesn’t use the truth. Instead, he pulls his people together using things like force, and compromise, and personal ambition, and deception, and man-made religion. He builds HIS movement on everything and anything BUT the truth.
But the important thing to notice? You really only have two alternatives. Before Jesus comes, everybody lines up on one side or the other. Either you’re with the dragon in Revelation 13, or you’re with the Lamb in Revelation 14. Those are the only choices you have.
And I don’t know about you - but I want to be with the Lamb of God! Listen to the Bible’s description of those people:
Revelation 14:4–5 (NKJV)
These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb.
5 And in their mouth was found no deceit, for they are without fault before the throne of God.
This is the movement of truth. There are no lies, there is no deceit.
And the question you and I should be asking is: “Where in the world can we find these people?” If the whole world lines up behind the beast, and THIS is the only alternative, then I want to know where to find THESE people . . .
. . . because, folks, this is not just some nebulous concept. This is not just a loose identification - a generic way of talking about all true believers. This is a very cohesive and organized movement. These people know each other, and they cooperate with each other.
And I know: in the 21st century, talking about organized religion has kind of fallen on hard times: everybody hates organized religion, and I understand why. Over the centuries, organized religion has done some pretty horrible things.
But if you read the New Testament carefully, you’ll see that God’s church has ALWAYS been structured. It’s always been organized. And it only makes sense, because the alternative to organized religion is DISORGANIZED religion, and disorganized religion can’t possibly achieve the global mission Jesus gave His church.
If you read the New Testament, you’ll see that God’s work has always been carefully structured - it’s always been God’s people working together in harmony, with everybody using their gifts together to get the work finished. There’s just no such thing as lone-ranger Christianity!
So now that you and I are living right up against the edge of eternity - now that our planet has clearly moved into the final phase of history - you and I should be asking ourselves: where in the world is THIS movement? These people? How can we find them?
The answer is found in Revelation chapter 12 . . .
We’ve been here before, but I want you to read it again:
Revelation 12:1–2 (NKJV)
1 Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet,
and on her head a garland of twelve stars. 2 Then being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth.
Now you tell me: a woman represents what? God’s people, or the church. And who is this child that God’s people were waiting for? It’s Jesus. As the scene opens in Revelation chapter 12, the woman has been waiting for Jesus from the moment Adam and Eve were removed from the Garden - from the moment God gave us the very first prophecy in the Bible . . .
Remember what God says to the serpent?
15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.”
You know, I’m guessing that the devil felt pretty triumphant right after he convinced Adam and Eve to listen to him - it was the FIRST time he managed to deceive the whole world.
“Look what I’ve done! God wouldn’t give me a kingdom in heaven, but I’m going to have one here! I just made the whole human race turn its back on God!”
And then he hears God speak these words: “Satan, Messiah is coming to destroy you. The Seed of the woman will crush your head.”
That made him panic, and he went to work on the whole human race.
And now we’re going to review.
The devil saw that Abel was waiting for the Lamb of God - he had faith in the promise of God - so he whispers jealous thoughts into the ear of Cain, and Abel is murdered by his own brother.
Why? It’s because Abel had faith. He offered lambs, which told the world, “I believe that Jesus is coming.” He was living a life that sharply contrasted with the compromised life of Cain, who said, “I’ll just have my own religion. I know what God is asking for, but that doesn’t exactly suit me, so I’ll just change it up. I’ll tweak it to suit my own tastes!”
And of course, the devil knew that if Abel lived, Messiah would come. So he had the faithful brother murdered. He used force, which is one of his two favorite tools. (He really only has two: force and deception!)
So Abel is dead, and the problem is solved. The world falls more and more into the devil’s camp, so that by the time you come down to Noah . . .
. . . there’s almost nobody left on God’s side. The world has become such a wicked place that the Bible says (in Genesis 6:5) “every intent” of the human heart “was only evil continually.” It got so bad, so wicked, that the Bible says God was sorry He ever made us in the first place.
But then the eyes of God began to search the planet, looking for a faithful remnant - people whose hearts were NOT compromised. And the Bible says He found Noah - a man of faith, willing to stand on truth.
And you know something? At every juncture in human history, God has ALWAYS found a remnant people - people whose wildest dream is to stand on the mountain with the Lamb of God. And in these last days, God’s still looking, and the Bible says He’s going to find them: people who will not compromise.
And it makes me wonder: who will God find in this room tonight?
If you read the Bible carefully, you’ll see that Noah preached a “last-day” message to his generation - a final warning that time would not last forever. For 120 years, he told the world the Flood was coming . . . and they laughed. They mocked him.
“Rain? Really: water from the sky? A flood? You’ve got to be kidding! Noah, you’re taking this religion stuff way too seriously.”
. . . And then when the heavens opened, and the water table began to rise, the laughter stopped - but it was too late.
And I’ve got to tell you: today, people are laughing at the idea that Jesus will come again - and they will mock you for believing it - but there will be a moment when the laughter stops - when the skies break open, and the Son of Man appears “with all the holy angels.”
Listen to me carefully tonight: God has always had a faithful remnant: a group that will not be swayed by the lies of the devil - a group that will not compromise. It happened in Noah’s day, and it will happen again.
That’s what happened in the days of Noah: God used a faithful family to keep His promise alive.
So the devil tried again. He stirred up rebellion at the tower of Babel, which, of course, led to the birth of Babylon: the kingdom of religious compromise.
And now the devil was laughing, because Babylon was VERY influential. It appealed to the sinful human heart. It was a designer religion that offered whatever you needed to soothe your guilty conscience. And the city grew, and grew, and grew . . . until it became Babylon the Great, the mother of all abominations.
And now it looked like the devil was winning - but again, the eyes of God searched the hearts of the human race, and He asked one simple question: “Do I have anybody left? Is there still a faithful remnant?”
And the answer was YES: there was a Chaldean man named Abraham, and God called him out of Babylon.
“Abraham, you have GOT to leave this place and go somewhere else!” And the Bible says that Abraham went. In fact, the Bible says that Abraham didn’t even know exactly where he was going. Would the land be good for farming? Would he be able to make a living? Would the new place be any good for his family?
He had no idea - he just had a heart to follow God.
“Abraham, I want you to get out of Babylon. I need you to stand for truth, and I need you to help Me get the world ready for Messiah to come.”
That’s the same thing God is asking from you tonight. According to Revelation 18:4, God is STILL calling people out of Babylon: “Come out of her, my people . . . ”
And the question for you and me is whether or not we’re willing to do it!
Listen carefully to the final warning God gives us in Revelation 18:
Revelation 18:1 (AV)
1 And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power;
and the earth was lightened with his glory.
Notice, once again: this is a GLOBAL message - it lights up the whole world.
Revelation 18:2–4 (AV)
2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils,
and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.
3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication
with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.
4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her,
my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
Do you see what this is saying? In the last days, God’s people are IN Babylon, and they need to come out . . . because God’s people will not compromise.
God’s people will stand for truth and follow Jesus - just like Abraham. And you already know what set Abraham apart from everybody else - he was willing to obey God:
5 because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.”
Exactly the same thing happens in the last days. In Revelation chapter 14, God’s people “have the faith of Jesus,” and they “keep the commandments of God.”
As it turns out, God has always been looking for the same thing: people who love Him enough to do what He asks. People who are unwilling to compromise and willing to take a stand on the truth.
So God took Abraham and raised up an entire nation - the people of Israel - who would keep His commandments and prepare the world for Jesus to come. Listen carefully to what God expected from the nation of Israel:
1 “Therefore you shall love the Lord your God, and keep His charge, His statutes, His judgments, and His commandments always.
God expected Abraham’s children to be like Abraham. He expected them to have the same heart - and just look at where God placed Israel on the map:
He put them at the crossroads of the ancient world - the best place on earth to spread the message. If you went from just about anywhere to just about anywhere else, you had to travel right through the land of Israel. People from all over the planet could see the Temple, and the sacrifices - and they could ask what it meant. They could hear about the prophecies, and they could learn that God is love, and that He has an astonishing solution for a world lost in sin.
Back in the days of Israel, God’s people had the job of preparing the world for Jesus to come - JUST LIKE God’s people in the last days!
And the devil saw, very clearly, what God was doing - and he tried to destroy it. He had the Israelites compromise with Babylonian religion. He had them worship Baal. He had them offer their children to pagan idols.
And he led the people of Abraham to disobey God.
Listen carefully to what Nehemiah says was the reason Israel had to go into captivity:
16 “But they and our fathers acted proudly, Hardened their necks, And did not heed Your commandments.
This is what it boils down to: Israel was breaking God’s commandments. The book of Jeremiah tells us they even refused to keep the Sabbath. So God allowed Nebuchadnezzar to come and sack the Temple and burn the city. It’s as if God was saying, “If you don’t want Me - if you’d rather have Babylon - I’m not going to stand in the way. I’m not going to FORCE you to be My people!”
And honestly? The same thing is true tonight: if you don’t want the kingdom of God, He’s not going to force you in. If you don’t want to be among His last-day remnant people, He’s not going to force that, either.
So Israel went into Babylonian captivity for more than a generation, and then they came out . . . that is to say, SOME of them did. After seventy years, some people decided they LIKED Babylon, so they stayed. They never came back home.
But a remnant of God’s people DID come back.
Micah 5:7 (NKJV)
7 Then the remnant of Jacob Shall be in the midst of many peoples, Like dew from the Lord, Like showers on the grass...
God raised up another remnant people, and He placed them in the midst of many peoples, back in the center of the world. And the devil saw what God was doing, and he didn’t like it one little bit. So he attacked God’s people AGAIN.
But this time, instead of convincing God’s people to worship pagan idols, he went in the opposite direction. This time, he made them such sticklers for their religion that they started to miss the point. This time, he developed a number of hard-nosed religious sects, like the Pharisees, who considered themselves the keepers and policemen of the faith.
This time, God’s people didn’t exactly BREAK His law - instead, they went so far overboard that they actually perverted it . . .
Instead of encouraging compromise, they added so much tradition to the moral law that you could barely recognize it. The law used to be a reflection of the loving character of God, but now it was buried under so much tradition that people couldn’t see God anymore.
In fact, tradition became the most important thing. The religious rulers of the day invented more than 600 extra regulations to make sure nobody even came CLOSE to breaking the law. On Sabbath, you couldn’t wipe the mud off your sandal on the corner of your house, because that would be stuccoing your home.
Nobody was technically BREAKING the Sabbath, but there were so many added rules and regulations that people began to resent it. And it’s at this point that Jesus came in person and He began to set the record straight. The very God who SPOKE the Ten Commandments at Sinai came in person to show us what God is really like.
And listen carefully to what He said:
9 He said to them, “All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.
And I know: it’s easy to pick on the Pharisees, because they seem like this anonymous group that lived a very long time ago . . . but our generation has done the same thing: we have ALSO replaced God’s commandments with human tradition! It’s nothing new.
Our generation is just as guilty as theirs - but God always has a faithful remnant. And in Jesus’ day, He had 12 disciples - people who came from every walk of life - people who were willing to follow the Lamb wherever He went - and that little group of disciples managed to take the truth to the whole world.
Do you know what the Bible calls that tiny little New Testament church? It calls them a REMNANT - the same word God used for Israel:
Romans 11:5 (NKJV)
5 Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace.
At every critical juncture in human history, God has always had a remnant. It’s a concept you find woven all the way through Bible prophecy, and today, in these final moments before Jesus comes, God still has a remnant.
And of course, the devil saw what was happening, and he tried to stop the early Christians:
13 Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child.
The devil failed to stop Jesus - in fact, he can’t even get to Jesus anymore - so he hits the church with everything he’s got.
He brought down the wrath of the pagan Roman Empire on God’s people. He tossed Christians to the lions. He burned them at the stake. He used death - and torture - and force - and out of 12 original disciples, only one of them died of natural causes.
Peter was captured and tossed into the Mamertine prison in the city of Rome. And after he lived a horrible existence in a dark, damp cell underground, they finally led him out of the city to put him to death on a cross.
But history tells us: when Peter saw the cross, he was absolutely horrified - not because he was afraid to die, but because he thought the cross was too GOOD for him.
“Oh, please! Don’t kill me like THAT! That’s the way Jesus died, and I don’t deserve that! Please, do something else.”
So they gave him what he wanted . . . and they crucified him upside down.
Paul was arrested and also brought to the city of Rome. And they couldn’t crucify Paul, because he was a Roman citizen - so they cut off his head just outside the city, at the end of this road, where the Abbey of the Three Fountains stands today.
James was thrown off a building and had his head smashed in with a club. Thomas was impaled on a spear in India. Andrew was crucified on an X-shaped cross up in the British Isles.
Every one of the disciples died a martyr’s death, except for John. And they TRIED with John, too - but God preserved him so that you and I would have the book of Revelation.
The devil tried to stomp out the church. He did everything he could to silence the voice of God’s church - but he failed, because in every chapter of salvation history, God has always had a faithful remnant.
And the big question right now is whether or not YOU will be a part of God’s last-day remnant. That’s the decision you’re faced with. In fact, that’s the whole reason you are here, right now. None of this is an accident - that’s not the way God works. God has called you, because as His eyes have searched the final generation, He’s seen your heart, and He’s hoping you’ll say yes.
That first-century remnant, the early Christian church, quickly became a mighty force across the whole Roman Empire - and the devil was failing, so he quickly hatched another plan . . .
When persecuting the church didn’t work, he tried something else. If you can’t beat them . . . JOIN THEM. The devil moved right into the Christian church so he could change it from the inside out.
Suddenly, the Roman emperor supposedly “converts” and the persecution comes to a grinding halt. And beginning in the heart of the empire, in the city of Rome, the church begins to compromise - and thanks to the influence of the emperor, that particular version of Christianity becomes the most influential force on earth.
And we should have seen it coming, because it was all predicted in Daniel 7 and Revelation 13.
Over time, as the Roman version of Christianity grew, they began to force the rest of the world to do things THEIR way - and just a few years after his supposed conversion, Constantine passed a law that made the observance of Sunday (the first day of the week) mandatory for Christians.
“On the venerable Day of the Sun, let the magistrates and people residing in the cities rest, and let all the workshops be closed.”
This is THREE HUNDRED YEARS after Christ - and in 364, at the Council of Laodicea, the church followed Constantine’s lead and made Sunday observance mandatory for everybody.
Now you’ve got to ask yourself: why would they need a law enforcing Sunday three hundred years after Christ? It’s because Bible-based Christians were still keeping the Sabbath. They knew what the Bible said, and the Bible never mentions a change.
It’s shortly after this that the Dark Ages begin - it’s less than two hundred years, and the little horn’s 1,260 years begin - and now life is very difficult for people who want to live by the Word of God. And suddenly, you have two women: two very different churches.
On the one hand, you’ve got the pure woman - the one who waited for Messiah to come - but then Bible prophecy predicted another one, and she is VERY different:
Revelation 17:3 (AV)
...and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
Look at the description carefully. This is the beast of Revelation 13, but now there’s a woman sitting on its back. And what is a woman? It’s a church - and this is a CHURCH that’s committing blasphemy! And if you remember what blasphemy is, it’s claiming to have the authority of God Himself.
Revelation 17:4–5 (AV)
4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls,
having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and
filthiness of her fornication: 5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT,
THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
Now let this sink in for just a minute: this is a woman . . . so this is a church . . . and the Bible calls THIS church Babylon - the mother of harlots. And of course, that means that this mother church has lots of daughters who follow her example.
And now the Bible makes it absolutely clear who this impure woman really is:
9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.
Now there is no doubt: tell me, does this world have a church that sits on seven hills? Yes, it does.
Revelation 17:18 says, “The woman . . . is that great CITY which reigns over the kings of the earth.”
Is there a church in this world - and a city - that sits on seven hills? Yes, there is. Just in case there was any lingering doubt, Revelation 17 makes it abundantly clear. There is only one church that sits on seven hills, and that is the church of Rome.
In fact, in 1 Peter 5, all scholars are absolutely clear that Peter is talking about the city of Rome, but he calls it “Babylon.” There is no mistaking what the Bible is talking about. There is an impure woman who rises to global prominence - and the Bible says that she has all kinds of impure daughters - spin-offs, if you will.
And of course, the question we should be asking is: what happens to the PURE woman? Where does SHE go?
The Bible gives the answer:
Revelation 12:6 (NKJV)
6 Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God,
that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days.
How long does the pure woman hide in the wilderness? 1,260 days - and that’s exactly the same amount of time that the beast power controls the Western Roman Empire. It’s a time, times, and half a time - 42 months - 1,260 days.
And during that time, God’s people have to disappear into the wilderness - they have to go into hiding. So where did they go?
Some of them hid in the mountains of Northern Italy, like the faithful Waldenses, who paid for their faith with their lives.
Some of them hid on the British Isles - like Patrick of Ireland and Columba, who continued to keep the biblical Sabbath all their lives.
Some of them were hidden in North Africa, like Christian groups in Ethiopia who continued to keep the biblical Sabbath for 1500 years, when the armies of Rome finally marched through the area and discovered them.
Bible prophecy said there would be two women - an impure woman on the throne of the Western Roman Empire - and a pure woman who had to go into hiding.
But I want you to notice something important: there ARE only two. Those are all the options that exist: just TWO.
So let me ask you something else: if there are only two options - two different women - then where did we get all these different denominations that exist today?
It happened as the church started to come back out of the Dark Ages. Over time, God began to wake us up, and bring us back to the clear teachings of His Word.
In the 1300s, He raised up John Wycliffe, who translated the Bible into the common language of the people, so that everybody could have access to the Word of God.
In the 1400s, God raised up a brave preacher by the name of Jan Hus who publicly taught that the Bible ought to be the rule of faith for the Christian - instead of the word of a human religious authority.
In the early 1500s, a German monk by the name of Martin Luther is crawling up Pilate’s staircase in the city of Rome, trying to deal with his personal sin and guilt - when suddenly Romans 1:17 flashes through his mind: “The just shall live by faith!”
And that’s when he realized: you can’t BUY heaven, because Jesus has already died in your place and purchased it for you! So he nails his 95 Theses to the church door in Wittenberg, and he launches a revolution of faith that is still with us to this day.
In the 1600s, a preacher by the name of Roger Williams becomes convinced that people need the freedom to live according to the dictates of their conscience - they need to be free to answer to God for their faith, and not another human being - so he starts a new colony on Rhode Island which becomes the first to break away from the British Crown.
And he also learns from the faith of early English Baptists, and he starts to baptize people the way that Jesus was baptized: by immersion.
And speaking of the English Baptists, they also made another remarkable discovery when they turned to the pages of the Bible in the 1600s: the Sabbath isn’t Sunday; it’s the seventh day of the week.
One by one, beginning in the heart of the Dark Ages, God begins waking up different people and turning on the lights.
In the 1700s, John Wesley begins to emphasize that it’s not enough to SAY Jesus is Lord; if you really believe in Jesus, then the world should be able to SEE what you believe by the way that you live!
God began to wake us up, bit by bit. He began turning up the lights as fast as we could handle it. The book of Proverbs says (4:18), “But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.”
But over time, a problem began to emerge: people began to focus on prominent personalities instead of the Word of God. After each reformer died, some of their followers failed to move forward - and so the followers of Hus became the Hussites. The followers of Luther became Lutherans. The followers of John Calvin became the Reformed church.
But what God wanted was a COMPLETE restoration. He was pushing forward to complete unity, based on truth - because He was getting the world ready for a very special moment. By the time you get down to the 1700s, the Dark Ages are just about over - the 1,260 days are about to end.
In February of 1798, the French general Berthier marches into the city of Rome, seizes the lands of the Church, and takes the pope captive. Then, suddenly, in the 1790s, a humble shoe cobbler by the name of William Carey launches a worldwide missionary movement.
Then in 1802, the Bible societies were suddenly born, and the Bible went from being in 67 languages to more than 2,000, almost overnight.
So you have an explosion of Bible printing - and an explosion of worldwide missionary work - and then - suddenly - all over the world - for the first time in centuries - people became absolutely fascinated with the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation.
And that matches Bible prophecy perfectly, because in Daniel 12:4, as Daniel was wrapping up the book, God told him to seal it up until the time of the end, when knowledge would suddenly increase.
It’s absolutely stunning. Suddenly, in the 1800s, you had the birth of the worldwide Second Advent movement - a movement where Christians from all over the planet - in more than 50 separate movements - suddenly started preaching the soon return of Christ.
And here in North America, the movement was led by a Baptist preacher by the name of William Miller. Today, people make fun of him because he made a fundamental mistake: he confused something he read in Bible prophecy and put a date on the Second Coming of Christ. That was obviously a mistake, but I’ve looked at his work, and I’ve noticed something interesting: it was a very sincere mistake - the kind of mistake that only a genuine Bible student could make. He wasn’t preaching for money, or to attract attention to himself - he was trying to warn the world that Jesus is coming soon.
As the Christian world moved through the 1700s and the 1800s - they could plainly see that something was up. They heard about the huge earthquake in Lisbon in 1755 - they saw the dark day of 1780 - they saw the unbelievable falling of the stars in 1833 - and they KNEW that something was up.
They could see: all the prophecies of the Bible were starting to pull together, and then something amazing began to happen. Christians from almost every walk of life started meeting together to study the Bible. And do you know what they found? If you come to the Bible with an honest heart - if you read the WHOLE BOOK - you’re going to get what Jesus wanted: unity in the body of Christ.
And out of those studies - out of the interest in Bible prophecy - a last-day movement of God was suddenly re-born - right on time - exactly as described in the book of Revelation:
Revelation 12:17 (AV)
17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed,
which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
At the end of time, before Jesus comes, the woman comes back out of the wilderness. There’s still a remnant - a group of faithful men and women who are unwilling to compromise on the Word of God. They have the testimony of Jesus, and they keep the commandments of God.
So of course, I want to know: where can I find those people? How can I know who they are?
The Bible makes it really easy, because it’s just so clear:
Listen to this description, because it’s almost the same as the one we just read:
12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
Who are these last-day people of God? The Bible says they “keep the commandments of God” - and that means all of them. Not two of them, not nine of them, but ALL TEN. And then it says they “have the faith of Jesus” - just like Noah - just like Abraham - just like Elijah - just like Israel - just like the New Testament church.
The Bible is absolutely clear: in the last days, God has a specific people who are united on Bible truth - and they keep the commandments of God, and they have the faith of Jesus.
In Revelation 12, it says “they have the TESTIMONY of Jesus.” And what does that mean? Revelation 19 spells it out:
Revelation 19:10 (NKJV)
For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”
If you compare this with Revelation 22, you discover that the people who have the testimony of Jesus are the “prophets.” And the Bible says - in no uncertain terms - that in the last days, all of the gifts of the Spirit come back, including the gift of prophecy:
Joel 2:28 (NKJV)
28 “And it shall come to pass afterward That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy...
One of the clear marks of God’s last-day remnant people is that the prophetic gift shows up in the church. Of course, you want to be really careful with that, because the Bible is the ONLY rule of faith for the Christian, and Jesus clearly warned against false prophets in the last days - but this is absolutely something you should expect to find among God’s people in the last days.
God’s people keep the commandments of God and
they have the testimony of Jesus.
What else do we know?
We also know they are a global movement with a very special message. How do we know that?
The Bible tells us exactly what they preach!
Revelation 14:6 (NKJV)
6 Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who
dwell on the earth—to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people—
This is a worldwide movement with a very specific message. Listen to what they share with the world:
Revelation 14:7 (NKJV)
7 saying with a loud voice, “Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come;
and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.”
Listen to me very carefully tonight: at this very moment, there is already a group of Christians, all over the world, preaching that the judgment hour is already here - and they are pretty much the only ones doing it.
And by no coincidence at all, that same group is preaching, “Worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of waters.” It’s the wording of the fourth commandment, and it’s a call to worship the Creator the way He asks.
And if you found one group preaching both those things, that would be amazing enough - but there’s more:
Revelation 14:8–10 (NKJV)
8 And another angel followed, 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.”
9 Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image,
and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God...
Who are these people? Can you find anybody on this planet preaching THIS message, right now? The answer is YES - and its description is so precise that there’s no room for misidentification:
This body of believers, this church, has to be worldwide in scope, preaching to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people.
They have to preach, not that the judgment is COMING, but that it’s already here.
They have to keep the commandments of God and
call the world to worship God as Creator.
They have to be calling the world out of Babylon, and
warning the world to beware of the beast.
Now look at that very carefully, because in all the history of planet earth, there is only one group that matches every point - one movement that fits the prophetic description exactly. Look all over the earth, and you will only find one match.
In the 1800s, after all the prophetic signs started to fall into place - after the Dark Ages suddenly came to a close - something amazing happened. All of those people who were studying Bible prophecy together - all of those people who agreed to toss aside tradition and live only by the teachings of the Bible - they began to form a global movement.
Follow me very carefully. Tonight, that movement is one of only two unified Christian movements that have gone absolutely worldwide. Look all over the world, and you will find only two.
One of them is an exact match for Revelation chapter 13, and that’s the worldwide Roman Catholic Church. As we have already seen, it’s the only thing that matches every identifying point exactly.
The other unified movement? It happens to be an exact match for Revelation 14 - right now, it’s busy taking Revelation 14’s Three Angels’ Messages to every country on the planet. Who are they?
It’s the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
And the Seventh-day Adventist Church is NOT just another denomination - not even close. It’s something much more profound. Right now, it’s the fastest-growing Christian movement in America - and around the world, more than 3,000 believers are joining its ranks EVERY SINGLE DAY.
In fact, 80 percent of people in the Seventh-day Adventist Church come from some other walk of life - they were born outside the church. The vast majority of Seventh-day Adventists did not grow up in a Seventh-day Adventist home. And right now, this remarkable movement has something like 80 times as many global missionaries as any other movement - not twice as many - not three times as many - but EIGHTY TIMES.
It is a global movement of Christians who come from every walk of life, and they’re determined that they WILL be unified on the Word of God alone. And they happen to keep the commandments of God, and they happen to be preaching the EXACT message of Revelation 14.
That’s it - there are only two global movements. And those two movements just happen to be an exact match for prophecy. That is NOT a coincidence!
One is a woman built on compromise - and the other is a woman standing on Bible truth.
One of them carries the message of Revelation 13, and the other carries the message of Revelation 14.
That is not a coincidence. And let me assure you: you are not here by accident. As we’ve been studying together, you have sensed it: God arranged for you to be here. He made it happen - and that’s because you are being asked to come out and be part of God’s last-day remnant church.
God brought you here on purpose, because He saw the desires of your heart - He saw how much you wanted something more - and He brought you to this very moment. God has a worldwide plan for unity - a plan to finish the work and get the world ready for Jesus to come - and right now, He just knocked on your door.
As you and I have been meeting here, there are thousands and thousands of people all over this planet hearing exactly the same thing. This message is literally going to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people at breakneck speed.
And at this moment, God is asking you to become part of it. No more divisions, no more tradition - just Bible-believing Christians working together in perfect unity to prepare the world for Jesus to come.
Some generation was going to see this - it just happens to be US. This is the unity God was waiting for, and you are the person He’s asking right now.
There’s not a chance that you came here by accident.
4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
This is the voice of God to you right now. His eyes have searched through the earth one last time, and He has looked for people with honest hearts. People with the conviction to follow the Lamb wherever He goes - people who are unwilling to compromise. And at this moment, God is asking YOU.
Some years ago, a young preacher in Zimbabwe went into town to share the gospel of Jesus, and the local villagers told him he could never come back. “If you come here again,” they told him, “we will kill you.”
So he went home, and thought about it. And the longer he thought about it, the more he realized: “I can’t stop preaching Jesus.” So he went into town one more time. (Pause.)
. . . His friends found his body on the streets. They went back to his home to pack up his personal effects, and they found this letter on his desk. Let me read it to you:
I’m part of the fellowship of the unashamed. I have the Holy Spirit power. The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I’m a disciple of His. I won’t look back, let up, slow down,
back away or be still. My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, my future is secure. I’m finished and done with low living, sight walking, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, wordly talking, cheap giving, and
dwarfed goals. I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotion, plaudits, or popularity. I don’t have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded or rewarded. I now live by faith, lean in
His presence, walk by patience, am uplifted by prayer, and I labor with power. My face is set, my step is fast, my gaol is heaven, my road is narrow, my way rough: my companions are few, my Guide reliable, my mission
clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded or delayed. I will not be a coward in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of the enemy, pander at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.
I won’t give up, shut up, let up, until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, preached up for the cause of Christ. I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till all know, and work till He stops me.
And when He comes for his own, He will have no problem recognizing me: my banner will be clear!”
Now: what about you? Is your banner clear? Are you going to respond to the call of Christ and become part of His last-day remnant church? You know that you are not here by accident - some of you even prayed before you came here - “Lord, where are you? How can I have more of You in my life? How can I know that You’re real?”
And then God answered your prayer and brought you here. So let me ask you: how are you going to respond?
Tonight, I am going to give you an opportunity to take your place in the last-day remnant church - the Revelation 14 movement that is taking the world by storm. People call it the Seventh-day Adventist Church, but it’s not really just another denomination - it’s a prophetic movement, the only thing in the world that has ever matched what the Bible said we should be looking for at the end of time.
Tonight, please take this card and look at it with me. The first option says, “I choose to use the Bible only as my guide to the truth.” There shouldn’t be anybody in this room who doesn’t put a checkmark there. When the world is full of so many conflicting voices, there is one place you can safely take a stand, and that’s on the Word of God.
For thousands of years, the devil has been asking us, “Did God really say that?” - and tonight, if you believe that God really DID say it, then go ahead and check that box.
The second option: “I choose to become part of God’s last-day remnant movement.” If there’s one thing that’s very clear in Bible prophecy, it’s that at the end, before Jesus comes, there are only two choices. One of them is Revelation 13, with the dragon - and the other is Revelation 14, with the Lamb.
Tonight, there IS a worldwide movement preaching the Three Angels’ Messages of Revelation 14 - it’s an exact match - the Seventh-day Adventist Church - and you have been called for this moment. It’s not just another church, but a global movement of believers from every walk of life.
Tonight, if you can see it - if you know that God has called you here - if your heart is calling you to stand on the mountain of God with the Lamb, then check that box - and I’ll be glad to talk to you.
The third option: if you still haven’t been baptized the way Jesus was - if you’d like to make plans to follow Jesus into the water - then check that box.
And fourthly, I know that we’ve talked about a lot of things over the last few weeks, and some of you may have questions. If that’s you, then check the last box. Or maybe you have a special concern - something you’d like to pray about - go ahead and check that final box. If I haven’t gotten to you yet, I’ll try to make it to your house tomorrow or Friday.
Then write your name on the card, so I can read it, and I can pray for you, and then we’re going to collect it and pray together.
Collect cards, bring the cards to the front, and pray. You might invite people to come up and join you, even after the cards are collected. Pray to thank God for what He is doing in each person’s life, and that He loves us enough to call us into His work before Jesus comes.
Thanks for coming, folks: and remember, Friday night’s subject is the Mark of the Beast.
We’ll see you there. Good night, and God bless!