Earth’s Closing Events - 240212

SPEAKER A Hello, I'm Clive Nash. Welcome to let God speak. Weather forecasters can predict rain or fine weather or storms, but only for a short time into the future, just a few days at best. By contrast, God knows the end from the beginning. He reveals the future through his prophets in the Bible. Why does he do this? To strengthen our faith when we see prophecy fulfilled. Yes, but more importantly, to warn us of Earth's closing events so that we will be prepared so that he can guide us safely home. Our panel will soon delve into this vital topic. Well, on our panel today we have Daniel Petersen and Kaysie Vikirka. Good to have you with us today. SPEAKER B Thank you. SPEAKER A And Daniel, particularly welcome, seeing this is your first time on this panel. We look forward to your comments today. But before we begin, let's take time to pray. Our loving Father in heaven, we just want to thank you for the open scriptures that we have here in, particularly in this country, the Bible available to us. We know that in some countries of the world, it is very difficult to be a Christian and to share one's faith. But we pray that you'll bless this programme and the work of three ABN as it goes around the world. And we ask this in Jesus name. Amen. You know, Alan White once wrote, a storm is coming, relentless in its fury. Are we prepared to meet it? Kaysie, should we worry about what the future holds for us? SPEAKER B Hmm, good question. I think we can gain a lot of comfort from seeing how God has led us in the past. And the way he has shown his care can give us confidence that he will care for us in the future. And the other thing is that I think God's promises are so comprehensive in terms of their application. So no matter what happens to us, God has a promise for it and so we can trust that he will be with us. And I think probably the only thing we should be afraid of for the future is whether we will stay close to Christ, because if we go astray, then that's when we would not be in the best position. SPEAKER A Yeah, and I think you made a good point. You know, the way God's led us in the past gives us confidence to know that you'll continue to lead us. And Daniel, are there any particular books in the Bible that give us a good guide to what the future holds? SPEAKER C Yeah, I think there are two in particular. If we have a look at Daniel, chapter twelve and verse four, we read this. But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book. Until the time of the end, many shall run to and fro and knowledge shall increase. And I believe what it's saying here is the knowledge shall increase. We're going to be having a greater understanding of prophecy and its fulfillments. In the Andrews study Bible, it makes this comment, it says, daniel mentions that only two parts of his prophecy would be sealed until the time of the end. Firstly, the 1260 day prophecy of chapter twelve, verse seven and nine. And secondly, the 2300 day prophecy of chapter eight, verse 26 and 14. Both of these prophecies are featured in revelation, chapters eleven to 14, end quote. That's page 1136 of the Andrew study Bible. So, yes, I believe that the two books in particular that can be the guide for earth's closing events would be the books of Daniel in revelation. SPEAKER A Yeah, well, they're both apocalyptic poets and books, aren't they? Well, Daniel's kind of historical and apocalyptic. And in that quote that you shared there first to both of these books has been very helpful for understanding the future. But, you know, when we look around us in the world today, Kaysie, there are lots of voices calling out for us to believe in them, aren't there? Lots of isms, if you like, they say, so where can we find truth? SPEAKER B Well, absolute truth has to come from someone who's all knowing. And that, of course, is going to be God. And it's very interesting because Jesus, who is God, says, I am the way, the truth and the life. So he is making that very plain. But it also says in the Bible, in John 832, we read there that it says, and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. And just before that, in the previous verse, Jesus is saying, if you abide in my word, in other words, if you live your life in harmony with the scriptures, God's word, then we will experience what it means to know the truth. SPEAKER A Yeah. And, you know, the news that we read every day tells us that there is a conflict going on between good and evil in the world, isn't there? I'd like to read John eight, same chapter, but verse 44. And John chapter eight, verse 44 says, you are of your father, the devil, and the desires of your father. You want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. This kind of Daniel, this crystallises the fundamental issue, doesn't it? This text here? SPEAKER C Yeah. Well, we see it's really about a battle between good and evil, between Christ and Satan. This verse really I think reveals to us the nature of the adversary. He's a liar, a deceiver, a murderer. There's no truth in him. The father of lies. It keeps going on. But we read John chapter 17 and verse 17, and we see this juxtaposition. It says, jesus says, sanctify them by your truth. Your word is truth. And this is a prayer that Jesus is giving to his disciples. And I believe Jesus has the same prayer and desire for us, that we would be sanctified by his truth. And as Kaysie mentioned earlier, Jesus says he is the way, the truth and the life. So, yeah, we see that interesting dichotomy between good and evil, truth and lies. SPEAKER A Yeah, I'd like to read another text here. And that's two. Peter chapter one and verse 16, where Peter says, we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we know, known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. Now, Peter makes a good point here. I think that he actually saw Jesus. You know, he knew. Is seeing always the absolute answer to knowing whether something's right or wrong? What do you think, Kaysie? SPEAKER B I think it's not always. It can be considered evidence, but it's not really considered proof because the human perspective is quite limited. You have to have much more knowledge, really, of everything that's happening to really be able to give something truthful. And that's where we find something very interesting in second, Peter 119 21, which says, and so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to take heed as a light that shines in a dark place until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Knowing this, first, that no prophecy of scripture is of any private interpretation. For prophecy never came by the will of man. But holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. And I think the important thing about this is that prophecy is whilst it is dealing with real events, it's something that's coming from God's perspective, not a human perspective. And because he knows all things, he is able to give a very truthful account. And that's why we can trust prophecy so much more. SPEAKER A Yeah, more sure. It's an interesting expression, isn't it? More sure than what we see with our eyes. After all, if you go to see a magician on a show, you're not necessarily believing what you're seeing, are you? This is true because, you know, seeing can be deceptive. But when we've got the objective word of truth in the Bible, we can't be deceived by that. You know, Peter wrote that prophecy is light shining in a dark place, and that's what the Bible is to us. I'd like to read psalm 119, a very familiar verse here in verse 105, psalm 100 and 9100. And five says, your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. So, Daniel, is the Bible going to be like a tape measure, as it were, a rule or a guide or a standard by which we can evaluate truth and error in the last days? SPEAKER C Yeah, I think if we can take the example of, of the reformers, say, look at Martin Luther. One of his major goals was to actually translate the Bible into the common vernacular of the people. And when he was reading, he was reading the scriptures, he was enlightened, and he wanted everyone else to be able to see that same truth that he saw, not just for the clergy, but for everyone. In the great controversy, we see an important principle. It says, none but those who have fortified the mind with the truths of the Bible will stand through the last great conflict. Are our feet planted on the rock of God's immutable word? That's page 594 of great controversy. So I think this really outlines the importance of spending regular time in God's word, in God's truth. SPEAKER A Yeah. Now, Kaysie, the prophetic messages of the Bible tell us that testing times are ahead of us, and it's all over the issue of worship. Worship. So how can we as christians pass this test? SPEAKER B Very good question. And the Bible does give us some clues as to what we can make sure of in our own lives. The first verse with some clues is in revelation 1412, which says, here is the patience of the saints. Here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. So there's three elements in this verse. There's, first of all, patience, and then there's keeping the commandments of God and also keeping a faith in Jesus. And so all of these are kind of like measures of endurance, qualities that we need to have inbuilt into our lives in order for us to be able to proceed through the testing times ahead. But there is another thing as well. And if we skip over to Ephesians, Ephesians, chapter four and verse 30, it says something very interesting. It says, and do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption, and suggesting there that sealing is obviously something important for us to experience in order to then proceed through to the day of redemption. So when Christ comes and all of that sort of thing. So this sealing, which we receive through the Holy Spirit in our lives, is also something that we need to have. And I think there's one other thing also. This is something that we can find as an example from history, where people, especially rulers and dignitaries, they would seal important documents or procedures with their own signet ring, if you will. And it kind of just basically signified that they had their authority or protection over that particular thing. And we find an example in Daniel 616 17 which says, the king gave the command and they brought Daniel and cast him into the den of lions. But the king spoke, saying to Daniel, your God, whom ye serve continually, he will deliver you. Then a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signets of his lords, that the purpose concerning Daniel might not be changed. So if God is placing his seal in our lives, it means he has established, established us as his own, essentially. So this is an important thing. SPEAKER A Okay. Yeah. There's another principle, too, Daniel and Kaysie. That's in Isaiah, chapter eight and verse 16, where it says, simply, bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples. So as God has his seal in the law, it says here in this text, that is in the ten Commandments. So, Daniel, do you see elements of the seal of God in the ten Commandments or in the fourth commandment particularly? SPEAKER C Yeah, I think we do. If we have a look at Exodus chapter 31 and verse 16, it says this, therefore, the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. So we see it's this seal or a covenant that's kept. And then if we go to the Ten Commandments that we're familiar with, in Exodus 20, it reads this, verse 18 to verse eight to eleven, it says, remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days you shall labour and do all your work. But the 7th day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work, you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor the stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them and rested on the 7th day. Therefore, the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. And I think what we see in that commandment is first we see the one who owns the seal, that is the Lord thy God. Then we see that he has a title, that he is actually the creator and then we have his domain of rule or his reign, which is the heaven, the earth, the sea and all that is in them. If we go over to revelation 1217, we read this also, and the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of gods and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. So I think it's so important here. We see we have the commandments in the Old Testament, and the dragon makes war against those who keep the. The commandments of God. And of course, this includes the Sabbath commandment. So we actually see a link between Exodus and revelation. Revelation, it's really about worship. Who will you choose to worship? Whose commandments? SPEAKER A I'd like to just pursue this idea of the seal a little more by looking also in the book of Revelation in chapter seven and verses two and three, revelation seven, beginning at verse two, says, then I saw another angel ascending from the east having the seal of the living God. You notice that he has the seal. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom was granted harm the earth and the sea, saying, do not harm the earth, the sea or the trees till we have sealed the servants of God on their foreheads. Kaysie, this seal on the forehead, is it a literal seal, do you think? SPEAKER B I don't think it's a literal seal. I mean, it's symbolic of something that is very real. But it's interesting. When we read in revelation 14 one, it talks about there being a number of people standing on Mount Zion with the lamb, and it says that there was 144,000 of them having his father's name written on their foreheads. And so it's kind of like the forehead is the front of the head. Right. So right behind there, in terms of your anatomy as well, where we do our reasoning exactly, it's the frontal lobe. Right. So it's kind of suggesting that right in the forefront of our minds, we have made a decision to be on God's side, and God is influencing our life. And there is a counterfeit to that, and that is in the previous chapter in revelation 1316 and 17. It says, he causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads that no. 1 may buy or sell, except one who has the mark or the name of the beast or the number of his name. So again, we've got the forehead in there. So if you're choosing this other pathway, it's shown there. But the other thing where it says, is the mark on the right hand. That's kind of suggesting that you may not have the choice to do something, but you're doing it anyway because you're being forced. And so this is the alternative pathway, following Satan's side of things versus following Christ's side. Yeah. So it's basically, it's a symbol of something very real. SPEAKER A Yeah. You know, I've seen, you know, people that I see news broadcasts, you know, about someone who's been attending a pop concert, you know, and it's as though the people are kind of worshipping, you know, the person who's performing there. And it seems to me that the wanting to worship is kind of inbuilt into human nature, isn't it? We worship either good or bad. We worship a person or we worship God. So what form of worship, Daniel, what form does God require in the last days? SPEAKER C Yeah, I think you're spot on when you say about, you know, we have this in built desire to worship. If we read in revelation, chapter 14, verse seven, we have a beautiful verse here that says, saying with a loud voice, fear God and give glory to him for the hour of his judgement has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water. And I think this is a beautiful image. We're called to worship God, the one true God. And we see this Old Testament example of Israel. They're called to worship Yahweh, but instead they keep turning to other gods. They keep neglecting and rejecting, rebelling against the. The one true God of Israel. Just like with the shema hear, o Israel, yahweh, our God, yahweh is one. And. Yes. So it's about this difference between, are you going to worship the one true God or is there some other God you're worshipping, whether it be someone else or a different God, is it some object or is it money or are you worshipping yourself? Yeah. SPEAKER A And the hebrew nation were very much influenced by what was happening around them, wasn't it? SPEAKER C That's right. SPEAKER A They called upon their baals or, you know, whatever, and it's kind of infected Israel, didn't it? SPEAKER C I think that's a good warning for us today as well. Yeah. When it comes to revelation 14 seven, I think it's a matter of choose you this day, whom will you serve? SPEAKER A Yeah. So Kaysie, what's the alternative form of worship in the book of revelation? You already touched on this one. SPEAKER B Yeah. It goes on in chapter 14, about the same issue. In verse nine, it says a third angel followed saying with a loud voice, if anyone worships the beast in his image and receives his mark in his forehead or his hand, then we have the consequences coming. It says, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of his indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the lamb. And it continues. But the thing that's very interesting is in the previous verse, in chapter 13, it said, there will be consequences if you don't go along with worshipping the beast, but there will also be consequences if you do go. They just come from a different source. This one. If you follow the beast, you get the consequences that come from God. And whilst it says forever in there, it doesn't mean forever infinitely. It just means until such a time as that purpose is accomplished, that's what the forever means from a hebrew perspective. So basically, the other thing of note in this verse is that where it says right at the start, if anyone worships the beast, so it's applying to everyone who hears this message that it's a choice for them to make. So it's very much an individual matter how we choose to respond to this warning. SPEAKER A Now, Daniel, you referred to the first angel's message about God as the creator. Does that remind you of the fourth commandment of the ten commandments? SPEAKER C Yeah, it does. We see, it's, you have the fourth commandment. And it says, for in six days, God created the heavens and the earth, and he rested on the 7th day. Revelation 1317 gives us some more insight into what Kaysie was saying, and that no. 1 may buy or sell, except one who has the mark or the name of the beast or the number of his name. So here we see is really what some of those societal consequences are that will be imposed upon those who have the seal, which is those who keep the commandments of God. They don't have the mark that comes from the beasts. Rather, they have the seal of God. SPEAKER A Yeah, I'm just thinking about one of the minor prophets in the old Testament, and that's the prophet Joel. And Joel. Chapter two gives us some insights into new Testament times as well as our day, Joel 223 and 24, where it says, and rejoice in the Lord your God, for he has given you the former rain faithfully, and he will cause the rain to come down for you, the former rain and the latter rain in the first month. And then verse 24 says, the threshing floors shall be full of wheat, and the vats shall overflow with new wine and so on. So how does this play out in the early christian church, Daniel? SPEAKER C Yes, so what we're looking at here is the initial output of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost after Jesus ascension into heaven. In acts chapter two, verse one and four, we read this. It says, when the day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues as of fire, and one sat upon each of them, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues as the spirit gave them utterance. So it's through this special outpouring of the Holy Spirit that we really see the proliferation of the early church. And I don't think we would see Christianity as we have today, and I'm certain we wouldn't if it weren't for the work of the Holy Spirit in spreading the gospel. And then we can read, we see also in acts 241 that 3000 people were baptised as a result of Peter's sermon. And man, that's something that I think it really shows the evidence of the Holy Spirit there. That's not something that just happens. And moreover, you have pilgrims coming from all different places coming to Jerusalem during Pentecost. And it couldn't have been better timed that you have the disciples speaking in other tongues and people being witness to this, going back to their homes all across the region and then spreading the. SPEAKER A Gospel to other people back home with them. SPEAKER C Yeah, that's right. SPEAKER A Yeah. And it seems as though persecution really didn't stop the christian church, did it, from growing. You know, the gospel story is sometimes told as a tale of two cities. A bit of reference to Charles Dickens books about London and Paris. And it's been a tale, Babylon and Jerusalem, you know, in the New Testament and the Old. And it is our choice as to which group we want to belong to, isn't it? Do we follow Babylon, which represents evil, or do we follow the jew Jerusalem, which represents good? Are we part of God's kingdom and part of his new Jerusalem, as we read in the Book of Revelation? Yeah. It's good to have you with us today. Daniel and Kaysie, thank you very much for your comments. Thank you. My guest today was Daniel Petersen and Kaysie Vokurka. And I'm Clive Nash. You know, just before Jesus makes his promised return to this earth, there is to be a mighty outpouring of holy spirit power today. It may seem unlikely that the billions of people on this planet will hear the gospel message, but it will happen. Thousands will come to Jesus in a day. The final movements will be rapid. As the Old Testament prophet Joel said, the Holy Spirit will be poured out young and old. Men and women will have dreams and visions and prophesy. This gives me hope. What about you, friend? We're glad you joined us today on let God speak. If you were blessed by this programme, why not tell your friends? Remember, all past programmes plus teachers notes are available on our website, 3abnaustralia.org.au. Email us if you wish on [email protected]. Join us again next time and until then, may God bless you. SPEAKER B You have been listening to let God speak, a production of 3ABN Australia television. To catch up on past programmes, please visit 3abnaustralia.org.au. Call us in Australia on 02 4973 3456. Or email [email protected]. we'd love to hear from you.