THE GREAT CONTROVERSY SERMON SERIES
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After Jesus rose from the dead, He gave to His disciples the task of carrying the gospel to the world. In the first years, paganism saw in Christianity a great threat. Pagans persecuted the Christians. This was seen in the first three centuries.
The unseen leader of this persecution was Satan. We see an example of this in the following verse:
Revelation 12:3-4 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. 4 His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born.
Who is the dragon? Who is the woman? Who is the child? Alright, when Jesus was born who tried to kill Him? The Roman king Herod tried to kill Jesus but the Bible shows us that the dragon was behind the events.
Beginning with the Emperor Nero, pagan Rome’s persecution of Christianity continued in different degrees for three centuries. But Satan could not destroy Christianity through persecution. Just the opposite, it grew. Then Satan changed his tactics. Satan joined the church. In this way he saw better progress in destroying Christianity. Satan degraded the church by inculcating the church with pagan principles. Beginning with Constantine the Great’s Edict of Milan in 313, people who were not dedicated to Christ began to join the church for their own prestige or profit. Worship became ceremonial. Personal piety decreased and people calloused themselves against the influence of the Holy Spirit. Satan was working through the church to spoil Christianity.
About two centuries later in the year 538 the emperor Justinian sent the general Belesarius and drove the Arian Ostrogoths from the city of Rome. Final there was no king in Rome. The papacy could exercise both religious and civil authority without hindrance. Thus 538 the papacy began its dominion in Europe.
The papacy became strong and embraced wrong teachings. Those who opposed her were persecuted. Satan waged war against the Bible and everyone who declared its teachings. But in the following verse we see that in this period, the woman who represents the true believers, fled from the papacy.
Revelation 12:6 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.
This 1260 day period represents the period of the papacy’s dominance of Europe. People like the Waldensians escaped from the papacy and went to the mountains. There in spirit and truth they worshipped God. The Waldensians secretly copied the Bible by hand and went all over Europe sharing it. In Ireland Columba and his friends spread God’s truths, in England Wycliffe translated the Bible into English and opposed the errors of the papacy. The papacy tried desperately to take his life. People like Hus and Jerome appeared and preached the truth and the papacy had them killed. Martin Luther brought reform to its greatest level. The German princes saved the Reformation by taking sides with it. In Switzerland, Zwingli, In France Lefevre, Calvin and Berquin, In Holland Menno Simons, in Scandinavia Tausen and later in England Tyndale worked for the Lord. Millions of people were tortured and executed in a vicious manner for their faith.
In the Middle Ages, the Bible and Bible knowledge were offered to the countries of Europe. The struggle between truth and error continued for centuries. In the end, in one country, darkness was chosen over light and its people knowingly rejected truth. The people who rejected God’s Holy Spirit were surrendered into Satan’s hand. Permission was granted once again for evil to come to maturity.
I said “once again” because you remember that Jerusalem, by rejecting Christ, fell into Satan’s hands and the results were horrible.
In the period of the papacy, the Bible was suppressed. The Bible describes this period with this prophecy:
Revelation 11:2-11 "But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months. 3 "And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth." 4 These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth. 5 And if anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. And if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner. 6 These have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire. 7 When they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them. 8 And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. 9 Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations will see their dead bodies three-and-a-half days, and not allow their dead bodies to be put into graves. 10 And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth. 11 Now after the three-and-a-half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them.
The 42 months and the 1260 day periods are the same. In predictive symbolic prophecy every month is 30 days. 42 x 30 is 1260 days. Every day represents a year. Thus the papacy’s supremacy would continue from 538 until 1798. In 1798 a French general took the pope captive. From that time forward, the papacy has not been able to wield its power as before.
Before going further, lets confirm that the holy city mentioned here is the church. First of all, the Jerusalem that is in Palestine was destroyed in AD 70. From 640 to 1917, except for the period of the Crusaders, in general, Jerusalem has been in Muslim hands. In 1948 Jerusalem passed into Jewish hands. These time periods, (42 months and 1260 day/years) do nat match up with Jerusalem’s being occupied by non-Jews. But the periods exactly match the time of God’s people being persecuted by the papacy.
Galatians 4:26 but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all.
In the New Testament, those that believe in Jesus are Israel, not physical Jews. The heavenly Jerusalem represents the believers.
If we compare the comments that Jesus made in Matthew 24 with the one recorded in Luke 21 we will see that the following two verses are in parallel with each other.
Luke 21:24 "And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
Matthew 24:21 "For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 "And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened.
The Protestant Reformation would shorten the persecuting power of the papacy. Shortly before 1798 the persecution ceased. These last verses are certainly not talking about the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70 because Jesus said:
Matthew 24:29 " Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
The sun was not darkened in 70 AD but on May 19, 1780. That is, the persecution would cease before 1798 and then the sun would be darkened. And it happened like that.
Now let’s return to our prophecy in Revelation:
Revelation 11:2-4 "But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months. 3 "And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth." 4 These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth.
Who are these two witnesses? Who would prophecy in sackcloth for 1260 years? What are these two witnesses and the olive tree and the candlestick?
Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.
These two witnesses are the Old and New Testament which comprise the Bible. Both the Old and New Testaments witness to God’s law and the plan of salvation in Jesus. The Old Testament sacrificial system points to the sacrifice of Jesus made for all people. The Old Testament predictive prophecies point to Jesus’ ministry. During the period that the papacy proscribed the Bible, symbolically the witness was made in sackcloth.
Revelation 11:5-6 And if anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. And if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner. 6 These have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire.
The Bible contains God’s promises for those who obey His law and curses for those who rebel. These days some people do not hesitate to put down the Bible. They will not be held innocent and will be judged. This warning includes those who deny the validity of the Bible, it importance and laws.
Revelation 11:7-11 When they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them. 8 And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. 9 Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations will see their dead bodies three-and-a-half days, and not allow their dead bodies to be put into graves. 10 And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth. 11 Now after the three-and-a-half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them.
The expression, “When the time of their testimony finishes,” as the Greek says, “whenever they finish their testimony,” points toward 1798. The beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit is not the papacy, it is a new satanic vehicle. A city is mentioned. The Bible, symbolically would be killed. What is this?
In France, during the French Revolution, a war was waged against the Bible. A civilized people, in its parliament, denied the existence of God and later gathered up Bibles and burned them. Next time we will look more closely at these prophecies. Next time we will see what the results are of proscribing the Bible and denying God. The French Revolution is an awful witness to the world of the result of rejecting the Bible and God. In Vikipedi, we find this quotation used: It was a turning point in Europe and the Western World.
As we investigate this prophecy we will see how the Bible predicts the future and how you can trust the Bible as a source of truth.
Don’t miss it!
The unseen leader of this persecution was Satan. We see an example of this in the following verse:
Revelation 12:3-4 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. 4 His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born.
Who is the dragon? Who is the woman? Who is the child? Alright, when Jesus was born who tried to kill Him? The Roman king Herod tried to kill Jesus but the Bible shows us that the dragon was behind the events.
Beginning with the Emperor Nero, pagan Rome’s persecution of Christianity continued in different degrees for three centuries. But Satan could not destroy Christianity through persecution. Just the opposite, it grew. Then Satan changed his tactics. Satan joined the church. In this way he saw better progress in destroying Christianity. Satan degraded the church by inculcating the church with pagan principles. Beginning with Constantine the Great’s Edict of Milan in 313, people who were not dedicated to Christ began to join the church for their own prestige or profit. Worship became ceremonial. Personal piety decreased and people calloused themselves against the influence of the Holy Spirit. Satan was working through the church to spoil Christianity.
About two centuries later in the year 538 the emperor Justinian sent the general Belesarius and drove the Arian Ostrogoths from the city of Rome. Final there was no king in Rome. The papacy could exercise both religious and civil authority without hindrance. Thus 538 the papacy began its dominion in Europe.
The papacy became strong and embraced wrong teachings. Those who opposed her were persecuted. Satan waged war against the Bible and everyone who declared its teachings. But in the following verse we see that in this period, the woman who represents the true believers, fled from the papacy.
Revelation 12:6 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.
This 1260 day period represents the period of the papacy’s dominance of Europe. People like the Waldensians escaped from the papacy and went to the mountains. There in spirit and truth they worshipped God. The Waldensians secretly copied the Bible by hand and went all over Europe sharing it. In Ireland Columba and his friends spread God’s truths, in England Wycliffe translated the Bible into English and opposed the errors of the papacy. The papacy tried desperately to take his life. People like Hus and Jerome appeared and preached the truth and the papacy had them killed. Martin Luther brought reform to its greatest level. The German princes saved the Reformation by taking sides with it. In Switzerland, Zwingli, In France Lefevre, Calvin and Berquin, In Holland Menno Simons, in Scandinavia Tausen and later in England Tyndale worked for the Lord. Millions of people were tortured and executed in a vicious manner for their faith.
In the Middle Ages, the Bible and Bible knowledge were offered to the countries of Europe. The struggle between truth and error continued for centuries. In the end, in one country, darkness was chosen over light and its people knowingly rejected truth. The people who rejected God’s Holy Spirit were surrendered into Satan’s hand. Permission was granted once again for evil to come to maturity.
I said “once again” because you remember that Jerusalem, by rejecting Christ, fell into Satan’s hands and the results were horrible.
In the period of the papacy, the Bible was suppressed. The Bible describes this period with this prophecy:
Revelation 11:2-11 "But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months. 3 "And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth." 4 These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth. 5 And if anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. And if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner. 6 These have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire. 7 When they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them. 8 And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. 9 Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations will see their dead bodies three-and-a-half days, and not allow their dead bodies to be put into graves. 10 And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth. 11 Now after the three-and-a-half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them.
The 42 months and the 1260 day periods are the same. In predictive symbolic prophecy every month is 30 days. 42 x 30 is 1260 days. Every day represents a year. Thus the papacy’s supremacy would continue from 538 until 1798. In 1798 a French general took the pope captive. From that time forward, the papacy has not been able to wield its power as before.
Before going further, lets confirm that the holy city mentioned here is the church. First of all, the Jerusalem that is in Palestine was destroyed in AD 70. From 640 to 1917, except for the period of the Crusaders, in general, Jerusalem has been in Muslim hands. In 1948 Jerusalem passed into Jewish hands. These time periods, (42 months and 1260 day/years) do nat match up with Jerusalem’s being occupied by non-Jews. But the periods exactly match the time of God’s people being persecuted by the papacy.
Galatians 4:26 but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all.
In the New Testament, those that believe in Jesus are Israel, not physical Jews. The heavenly Jerusalem represents the believers.
If we compare the comments that Jesus made in Matthew 24 with the one recorded in Luke 21 we will see that the following two verses are in parallel with each other.
Luke 21:24 "And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
Matthew 24:21 "For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 "And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened.
The Protestant Reformation would shorten the persecuting power of the papacy. Shortly before 1798 the persecution ceased. These last verses are certainly not talking about the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70 because Jesus said:
Matthew 24:29 " Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
The sun was not darkened in 70 AD but on May 19, 1780. That is, the persecution would cease before 1798 and then the sun would be darkened. And it happened like that.
Now let’s return to our prophecy in Revelation:
Revelation 11:2-4 "But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months. 3 "And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth." 4 These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth.
Who are these two witnesses? Who would prophecy in sackcloth for 1260 years? What are these two witnesses and the olive tree and the candlestick?
Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.
These two witnesses are the Old and New Testament which comprise the Bible. Both the Old and New Testaments witness to God’s law and the plan of salvation in Jesus. The Old Testament sacrificial system points to the sacrifice of Jesus made for all people. The Old Testament predictive prophecies point to Jesus’ ministry. During the period that the papacy proscribed the Bible, symbolically the witness was made in sackcloth.
Revelation 11:5-6 And if anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. And if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner. 6 These have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire.
The Bible contains God’s promises for those who obey His law and curses for those who rebel. These days some people do not hesitate to put down the Bible. They will not be held innocent and will be judged. This warning includes those who deny the validity of the Bible, it importance and laws.
Revelation 11:7-11 When they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them. 8 And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. 9 Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations will see their dead bodies three-and-a-half days, and not allow their dead bodies to be put into graves. 10 And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth. 11 Now after the three-and-a-half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them.
The expression, “When the time of their testimony finishes,” as the Greek says, “whenever they finish their testimony,” points toward 1798. The beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit is not the papacy, it is a new satanic vehicle. A city is mentioned. The Bible, symbolically would be killed. What is this?
In France, during the French Revolution, a war was waged against the Bible. A civilized people, in its parliament, denied the existence of God and later gathered up Bibles and burned them. Next time we will look more closely at these prophecies. Next time we will see what the results are of proscribing the Bible and denying God. The French Revolution is an awful witness to the world of the result of rejecting the Bible and God. In Vikipedi, we find this quotation used: It was a turning point in Europe and the Western World.
As we investigate this prophecy we will see how the Bible predicts the future and how you can trust the Bible as a source of truth.
Don’t miss it!