Prophets and Prophecy
Signs of the Second Coming • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Questions and Answers
Questions and Answers
Are the six days of creation literal consecutive 24-hour periods of time?
Genesis 1:1–2 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
•Rules of interpretation
•Take symbols symbolically
•What where is symbolic?
•Nothing
•Take it literally
Genesis 1:3–5 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.
•How is this allegorical?
•What other parts
•are allegorical?
Why do people use the word trinity to explain the Godhead if it is not found in the bible?
•The word is
•not in the Bible.
•But is the concept?
Matthew 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
•The concept of
•3 persons of the Godhead
•is shown clearly.
•3 and 1?
•mystery
•3 persons
•1 in
•character
•purpose
•unity
Did We really cover the entire book of revelation?
•Rev 1 – Introduction and Sanctuary vision
•Rev 1, 2 & 3 (seven churches) – parallel with Rev 4, 5, & 6
•Rev 4, 5, & 6 about sanctuary vision and 7 seals (seven churchs)
•Rev 7a and 14a are parallel – talk about 144,000
•Rev 7b talk other people in heaven
•Rev 8 and 9 - Seven Trumpets.
•Seven Trumpets parallel with Seven Plagues (Rev 15 and 16)
•Rev 10 and 11 – We did not study
•Rev 12 – Pure Woman vs. Dragon
•Rev 13 and 14b – Beast and Mark of Beast, 3 angles messages
•Rev 15 and 16 – Seven Plagues
•Rev 17 and 18 – Babylon
•Rev 19 – Second Coming and Marriage Supper of Lamb
•Rev 20 Millennium and Hell
•Rev 21-22 – Heaven (studying tomorrow).
•
What’s Next?
•An Indian businessman
•buy wife birthday present.
•“You only turn 44 once,”
•Not just any plane,
•60 million dollar
•luxury jet.
•office,
•a cabin with game consoles,
•music systems,
•a satellite television,
•wireless communication.
•master bedroom,
•bathroom range of showers,
•a bar with mood lighting.
•He lives Mumbai
•27 stories tall,
•staff of 600 people.
•It cost 1 billion dollars.
brother wife birthday.
1 up him
a luxury yacht
80 million dollars!
•God is big on
•giving gifts.
•When Jesus left
•and went to heaven,
•He left us a
•precious gift.
John 14:15–18 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.
•Jesus promised
• the Holy Spirit
•and how that gift
•could be received.
Luke 11:13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
•It’s that simple.
•Holy Spirit is a gift.
•Book of Revelation
•talks about spirit
•a lot.
Revelation 5:6 And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.
•This is the HS.
•Prevalent end-time theme.
•HS poured out
•in special way.
•Let’s learn more
•about the HS.
John 16:8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:
skip down
few verses
John 16:13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.
•The Spirit of God:
•guides us into the truth
•of God’s Word,
•and
•He convicts of sin,
•of righteousness,
•and of judgment.
•
•Speaks to us through
•conscience.
Matthew 12:31–32 Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.
•How can there be
•an unpardonable sin?
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
•He promises forgiveness
•if we confess..
•So how can there
•be an unpardonable sin?
•Not rocket science.
•That one is the sin
•that is not confessed…
Psalm 86:5 For You, Lord, are kind and ready to forgive, rich in faithful love to all who call on You.
•God is always
•ready and willing
•to forgive sin.
•Where does the
•problem lie?
John 5:40 And you are not willing to come to Me so that you may have life.
•Problem is with us.
•He as made,
•every provision possible
•for our forgiveness.
•If it does not happen
•it is because
•we don’t want it.
Acts 2:37–38 Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
•At baptism,
•we are giving our
•lives to God;
•we are accepting Jesus
•as our Lord and Savior.
•The Holy Spirit
•given to guide us
•on our journey.
•He helps you
•down a path of
•change and devotion.
•To clean up our
•lives and live
•according to God’s will.
•If the Spirit
•tries to convict
•But we don’t
•open the door
•to His leading.
•We can offend Him.
Ephesians 4:30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
•Notice,
•HS is one that seals
•144,000 guided by HS
•We can grieve
•the Holy Spirit.
•How?
James 4:17 Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.
•We hurt Him
•by hearing His convictions
•yet rejecting them.
•We know the way
•He is leading
•but we say,
•NO Thanks.
(That means
(those who don’t
(know to what is right
are judged as
sinners here))
•When we get to
•the point where
•we don’t even care
•what God thinks.
•We are on our way
•to committing the
•unpardonable sin.
•Don’t take His voice
•for granted.
•Instead,
•we should
•appreciate it.
2 Timothy 1:6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands,
•Gift of God is
•Holy Spirit
•Paul says
•“fan the flame”
•“Don’t quench it”
•More on quenching…
Hebrews 2:3 how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard,
•Notice we can
•neglect salvation.
•Does not say
•reject but neglect…
•How do you neglect,
•be aware of
•but not commit.
Romans 8:14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
•If you are
•a son of God.
•You have the Spirit
•He is leading
•you are following.
•We all get
•the HS.
•Not just the lucky ones.
•Being sons is about
•listening to the leading
•of HS in your life.
Read Bible
Understand it
Say: “Alright Lord,
that’s Your will,
I want that in my life…”
•Many will be lost
•because they neglected.
•They did not prioritize
•God’s will for them.
•Good is always leading.
•Too many say,
•I don’t want to follow.
•Not now.
•God is a gentleman.
•He does not force.
•In John 3:19,
•Jesus said,
“And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light.”
•David says:
Psalm 51:11 Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
•He knows:
•cannot survive
•without Spirit.
•Again:
Romans 8:14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
•Now we know,
•what it means to
•be part of the family
•of God by the
•indwelling of the Spirit.
•I need to address
•another problematic
•Bible teaching.
•Many people teach
•you do not have
•the spirit of God
•unless you are
•performing the
•charismatic spiritual
•gifts.
•Let talk about the gifts
Romans 12:4–8 For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.
•Paul is clear
•If you are a
•follower of Jesus.
•You have spiritual gifts.
•Everyone has them.
•They are all different
•as we are different.
1 Corinthians 12:1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed.
•continue
1 Corinthians 12:4–7 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.
•All different gift.
•we all have some.
•Purpose – common good.
1 Corinthians 12:8–10 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.
•List of gifts.
•Many have been taught
•If you don’t have
•a certain gift
•you don’t have
•the Holy Spirit.
•Others,
•If you don’t have
•supernatural gift
• you don’t have spirit.
•Bible does not
•teach this.
•This list contains
•more of the
•supernatural gifts.
•Gift listed in Romans:
•prophecy
•service
•teaching
•exhortation
•generosity
•leadership
•mercy
•Ephesians list:
Ephesians 4:11–12 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,
•apostles
•prophets
•evangelists
•shepherds/teachers
•Not all are
•supernatural.
•That being said,
•other make opposite
•mistake.
•The supernatural gifts
•no longer apply.
•Not True.
•How long will
•we have these gifts?
•Read next verse:
Ephesians 4:13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,
•All gifts are present
•until 2nd coming.
Matthew 7:21–23 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
•Notice,
•People who do
•charismatic gifts
•but not saved.
•Why,
•Jesus says,
•I never knew you…?
•Then how did they???
•Could it be,
•that it was
•another power?
•Charismatic gifts
•prove nothing…
•But there has been
•lots of confusion
•about a couple
•of gifts.
Acts 2:1–4 When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
•At Pentecost
•amazing gift of HS
•then gift of tongues.
•How did it work?
Acts 2:5–7 Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans?
.... continue....
Acts 2:8–11 And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.”
•According to this:
•what is the
•gift of tongues?
•Communication in a
•language previous
•unlearned.
•In Corinth,
•there got to be a problem.
•People were using
•their gifts in way
•that were not
•helpful at church.
•Speaking in tongues
•and nobody could
•understand them…
1 Corinthians 14:1–3 Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy. For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit. On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation.
•First, best gift
•is not tongues.
•Second,
•speaking in tongues
•other languages
•is not welcomed
•if nobody can
understand it!
1 Corinthians 14:9–11 So with yourselves, if with your tongue you utter speech that is not intelligible, how will anyone know what is said? For you will be speaking into the air. There are doubtless many different languages in the world, and none is without meaning, but if I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be a foreigner to the speaker and the speaker a foreigner to me.
•Don’t be speaking
•gibberish that
•nobody understands.
•Don’t come speaking
•a different language
•from the world
•just to show off.
•Gives solution
•to the problem.
1 Corinthians 14:13 Therefore, one who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret.
•If you speak in
•a different language
•Make sure you at least
•have an interpreter.
•Or you are
•blessing nobody.
•Tongues is not
•only special gift.
•According to Paul,
•not most important.
•Tongues is speaking
•in other languages…
•not gibberish.
•If you speak in
•other languages
•at church.
•Rules:
•One at a time
•with an interpreter.
•Don’t sound like
•confusion at church
•like BABYLON…
Before we leave
topic of
spiritual gifts.
One more thing
to highlight.
Ephesians 4:13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,
•All gifts are present
•in the body
•until 2nd coming.
•One that has become.
•Gift to be feared
•Prophecy.
•Paul said,
•don’t seek for
•gift of tongues
•but the gift of
•prophecy.
•What is it?
•How can we
•related to it today?
•If all gifts continue.
•This one does too.
•That means
•there should be
•prophets in the body.
•Matt 24
•Jesus giving signs
Matthew 24:29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
•Sings of last days.
•Quoting from Joel
Joel 2:30–31 “And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.
•Jesus quoted this.
•Said it is signs
•last days.
•Read 2 verse before.
Joel 2:28–29 “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit.
•What else happens
•in the last days?
•Gift of prophecy
•comes into focus.
•Tomorrow night
we study
•about Remnant
•God’s last-day church.
Revelation 12:17 Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And he stood on the sand of the sea.
This is about
people of last day
don’t receive
mark of beast.
Two characteristics:
•Keep commandments
•Testimony of Jesus
•What is that?
Revelation 19:10 Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God.” For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
•testimony of Jesus
•= spirit of prophecy
•What is
•“the testimony of Jesus?”
•How do we identify
•this “gift of prophecy?”
•You can’t just be
•a prophet because you
•call yourself one.
•Not long ago
•I went to visit
•a nice lady.
•Said she was
•a prophet.
•Asked who she knew
•No answer…
•Pastor said so???
•Matt 24
•Jesus gives warning
•Don’t be deceived
•5 times…
•What type of
•deceptions?
Matthew 24:11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray.
•Some say,
•not prophets outside
•of the Bible.
•Bible does not teach that.
•Just teaches to be
•very careful.
•I’ll be honest
•when I hear somebody
•is a prophet
•I think…
•Oh, no…
•not another one…
•Majority are false
•prophets…
•Satan’s plan…
•make so many false
•prophets.
•You can’t fine the
•true one…
Again:
1 Corinthians 12:28 And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues.
•Prophets
•one of the gifts.
•Whether we like
•it or not.
•There is a true
•and there is a
•counterfeit.
•How could we
•tell them apart?
•Test of the prophet
•Test #1
Jeremiah 28:9 As for the prophet who prophesies peace, when the word of that prophet comes to pass, then it will be known that the Lord has truly sent the prophet.”
•Must be accurate.
•What is said
•must come true.
•Test #2
Deuteronomy 13:1–3 “If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or wonder that he tells you comes to pass, and if he says, ‘Let us go after other gods,’ which you have not known, ‘and let us serve them,’ you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams. For the Lord your God is testing you, to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
•Deuteronomy 13:1-3
•makes clear
•gift of prophecy must
•be in harmony with Bible.
•Example:
•If Bible teaches
•Sabbath is Saturday.
•But prophet teaches
•it is Sunday…
•False prophet.
• That begin to
narrow field
rather quickly.
Next test.
Matthew 7:15–16 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles?
•The prophets life
•must be in harmony
•with the teaching
•of the Bible.
•Next
•The genuine
•gift of prophecy
•will uphold
•the law of God.
•How do we
•know that?
•Because it says:
Isaiah 8:20 To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.
•It seems to be
•in fashion today
•to get rid of
•10 commandments.
•That is not the
•words of a
•true prophet.
•5th Test
•Found in Church
Ephesians 4:11–12 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,
•Prophets are not on
•late-night talk shows
•and in the tabloids
•We need to keep in mind
•why God even gives
•the gift of prophecy.
•To build up
•the Church.
Amos 3:7 “For the Lord God does nothing without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets.
•God said
•His remnant in last-days
•would have
•gift of prophecy.
•So how did God place
•gift of prophecy
•in the remnant?
•And He placed His hand
•on the heart of a
•17-year-young woman,
•He gave to her
•very special gift,
•the gift of prophecy.
•Through this young lady,
•God shared great wisdom
•with the church and world
•for more than 70 years.
•Today there are
•more than 100 books
•written or compiled
•from this lady.
•no other female author
•in the history of literature
•translated into more languages
•than this woman
•What she shared
•with others about Christ
•and His word
•has changed lives
•around the world.
•And the church that
•she helped to establish,
•is in more countries
•than any other
•Protestant church
in the world.
•Her book Steps to Christ
• is the best book I know of
•outside of the Bible
•to help people establish
•a relationship with God
•and grow up with God.
•Wrote on so many
•different topics.
•One is health
•At a time when doctors
•were prescribing tobacco,
•she said
•“Tobacco is a slow, insidious, but most malignant poison,”
•decades and decades
•ahead of the surgeon general.
•One nutritionist from
•Cornell University,
•a Dr. Clive McKay, said:
“Whatever may be the religious belief of a reader, he or she cannot help but gain much guidance in a better and healthier way of life from reading the major works of Ellen G. White.
Every modern specialist in nutrition whose life is dedicated to human welfare must be impressed … by the writings and leadership of Ellen G White.””
•The gift of prophecy
•is not like having
•another Bible.
•It’s not a replacement
•for the Bible.
•No one would say,
•“Oh, it’s like another
book of the Bible.”
•The Bible is to be
•the sole rule of our faith
•and practice,
•but the gift of prophecy
•was blessed by God
•to point us towards the
•Bible and to point us to Jesus,
•our hope in
earth’s last days.
I want to encourage you,
test the prophet.
Only way to do that.
Is to read it.
•Back to our topic
•HS and unpardonable sin.
•In Matt
•Jesus talks about
•unpardonable sin.
•What is the context?
•Who is he talking to?
•Just had just don miracle.
Matthew 12:23–24 And all the people were amazed, and said, “Can this be the Son of David?” But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.”
•Jesus is warning
•Pharisee not to
•commit unpardonable sin.
•Why because they
•were calling
•light darkness
•and darkness light.
•They got to the point.
•They called God –Satan
•and Satan – God.
•That is the unpardonable sin.
•When God speaks…
•HS leads…
•And we say,
•I don’t know
•I don’t think
•that is God.
Jesus is coming
soon and we don’t
have time to waste
with uncertainties.
Must study and grow
test and know.
and apply.
•Acts 24
•Paul witness to
•politician named Felix.
Acts 24:24–25 After some days Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, and he sent for Paul and heard him speak about faith in Christ Jesus. And as he reasoned about righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment, Felix was alarmed and said, “Go away for the present. When I get an opportunity I will summon you.”
•Whatever Paul said,
•it must not have been
•very convenient.
•Must not have been
•easy to do.
•He says,
•go away,
•I’ll call you back.
•To our knowledge
•he never did.
•For Felix
•“not good time…”
•Holy Spirit
•does not make
•mistakes…
•2 Chapter later
•Paul witnesses to
•another politician.
Acts 26:27–28 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you do believe.” Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You almost persuade me to become a Christian.”
•“Almost" – one of the
•most tragic words in the Bible.
•He heard it,
•he was convicted,
•he knew it,
•he got it,
•he understood it,
•he had the opportunity.
•He would not surrender.
•To God.
•Tonight,
•God is asking you.
•Surrender.
•Let Him lead.
•Submit to HS.
•Submit to Bible.
•If it is truth.
•It will set you free.
Appeal?
Altar Call?
or Book?
Closing Song
Closing Song
Closing Prayer
Closing Prayer
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