Michigan Camp Meeting 2017

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Michigan Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

Plenary

Sabbath School 1

Stephen Bohr

Church - God’s Great Week

The Marriage of the Lamb

Israel’s Guardian Angel

Revelation’s Sanctuary Message

Jesus is Coming Again

John Bradshaw

The Writing on the Wall

Friendly Fire

Occupy

Sabbath School 2

Church - Committed

Soul Winning Hour

Good Enough

Sue Gilmore

How Can You Make a Big Difference in Children’s Lives When You Teach Sabbath School in a Small Church

Father in heaven we come before your throne this evening to thank you for this beautiful day that you have given us what a privilege it is to gather as your people to fellowship together to tell what you have done in our lives to 1 another it's such a strengthening experience and Lord we thank you because we're able to learn many things at Camp Meeting as well, and praise you through song.

We ask this evening that your Holy Spirit will be with us through the ministry of the angels, that you will give us clear minds, that you will give us tender and open hearts to receive your word.

Encourage us Lord, we pray in the precious name of Jesus, Amen.

I'd like to invite you to open your Bibles with me to the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 24, and I'm going to read verses 21 and 22.

In this chapter, of course, Jesus is speaking of the signs of his coming and 1 of those signs is that there is going to be a tribulation in this world such as has never been seen in history and that's what we find described in these 2 verses I read for then there will be great tribulation such as has not been seen since the beginning of the world until this time no nor ever shall be and unless those days were shortened no flesh would be saved but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened a tribulation such as has never been seen nor will be seen the worst in the history of the world now when some Seventh-day Adventists read about the Great Tribulation they are filled with fear.

In fact I have visited places where I've heard Seventh-day Adventists say, I hope the Lord lays me to rest before that terrible time of trouble.

Also those who speak about the time of trouble many times are accused of being fear mongers of being alarmists and extremists But this evening we're going to notice that there is no reason for us to be afraid of the coming time of trouble such as has never been seen in the history of the world.

Because God's people have a guardian angel and the name of that guardian angel is Michael.

Now let's say a few things about the name Michael.

The specific name appears only 5 times in the Bible.

It appears 3 times in the Old Testament and it appears twice in the New Testament.

4 of the 5 references have already taken place.

They describe events that took place in history.

Only 1 of those references to Michael is still an event that is going to transpire in the future and that's the 1 that I want to specifically focus on this evening the 1 future reference but in order to understand the future reference we need to understand the name Michael as it has been fulfilled throughout the course of history.

Now I must mention that even though the name Michael appears only 5 times in Scripture, the person of Michael appears in other passages of Scripture but the specific name Michael is not used.

For example, Michael is also called the Prince of the Host.

He is called the Prince of Princes, the Angel of His Presence, and that Great Prince.

Now in those passages, he is not referred to specifically with the name Michael but we know by the characteristics of these passages that Michael is being referred to Now we need to examine the etymology of the word Michael, of the name Michael, the composition.

Actually the name Michael is composed of 3 Hebrew words.

And basically it means who like God and of course we add the helping verb is who is like God in other words this name is a challenge it's not a mere name it's a challenge who is like God and I would add something who is like God and who is able to make war with him because as we find the name Michael and the other passages which don't mention the specific name we find 3 common denominators number 1 Michael always appears in the context of a war or a battle with Satan.

Secondly, Michael always wins the battle.

And in the third place, when Michael wins, his people win with him.

And so we have these 3 common denominators not only in the 5 passages that use the name Michael but also in the passages were clearly Michael is being spoken of even though the specific name is not used.

So what I want us to do is to examine first of all the first 4 references that were fulfilled in the past.

Then we're going to take a look at some passages where Michael is referred to but not by the specific name and then at the end of our study we are going to take a look at the 1 reference that has to do with future events The first reference to Michael is found in Daniel chapter 10.

This chapter is rarely studied in the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

And it is a crucially important chapter in order to comprehend the next chapter, chapter 11.

Now in Daniel chapter 10 and verse 13 we find a very significant reference to Michael but in order to understand that reference to Michael we need to understand the historical context, What is taking place that led to the writing of this verse?

I'm going to give you a little bit of historical background.

From the year 605 to 536 BC, as we know, Israel was captive, more specifically Judah was captive in Babylon.

Jeremiah had prophesied that they were going to be captive for a period of 70 years.

Shortly before the 70 years came to an end, in the year 539 BC, Babylon received a deadly wound.

In other words, Babylon fell and God's people of course were delivered from Babylon.

In the year 536, exactly 70 years after Daniel and his friends had been taken captive to Babylon which is described in Daniel chapter 1 we find that Cyrus who was king of Persia gave the decree releasing God's people to go back to their land to rebuild the temple and so basically you have 605 to 536 the period of the captivity 539 BC Babylon falls and then 536 BC Cyrus gives his decree authorizing the Jews to go back to their land to rebuild the temple.

Now Daniel chapter 10 is describing events that take place in the year 535 BC.

This is a year, perhaps a year plus, after Cyrus has given his decree.

Now it just so happens that when the Jews returned to their land to rebuild the temple they met all kinds of opposition at first the Samaritans feigned an interest in the project of the rebuilding of the temple but then when Ezra rebuffed them they became very tough opposers of the project of rebuilding the temple for a while the Samaritans were able to influence the minds of the kings of Persia to halt the building project.

In fact, during the period of Cambyses, who comes after Cyrus, the decree that had been given by Cyrus was actually suspended for a period because the Samaritans influenced the kings of Persia to revoke the decree that had been given by Cyrus.

Well it just so happens that finally the Samaritans wrote a letter to King Darius it's not Darius the Mede it's Darius the Persian and they said could you search in the annals of Medo-Persia to find out if there ever was a decree giving these rebels the right to rebuild their temple.

And so King Darius went and he checked in the annals of Medo-Persia and he discovered the decree that had been given by Cyrus.

And so in the year 520 BC, Darius gave a new decree reinforcing the decree that had been given by Cyrus, authorizing the Jews to build the temple and in 5 years Israel had rebuilt the temple which they finished in the year 515.

So in other words during this time there was great turmoil from the time that they returned to the land to rebuild the temple there was severe opposition to the project with this in mind now we can understand the first reference to Michael in Daniel chapter 10 and verse 13 You see there was something that was happening behind the scenes.

You see what was happening in the visible world, the opposition by the Samaritans, was only a visible manifestation of something that was happening in the invisible world.

It says there in Daniel 10 verse 13 and Gabriel is speaking here but the prince of the kingdom of Persia who is identified in the spirit of prophecy as Satan but the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me, that is Gabriel, 21 days.

And behold, Michael, 1 of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia.

And so we find this battle, Gabriel and Michael struggling with the minds of the kings of Persia, whereas the prince of Persia, Satan is struggling to influence the minds of the kings of Persia so that they will not favor the Jews.

Michael and Gabriel, because the decrees were given and the temple was finished the second reference to Michael is found also in chapter 10 chapter 10 and verse 21 Here we find the fact that the battle did not end with the Persian kings.

You see the battle was going to continue because other decrees needed to be given.

There needed to be a decree by King Aderserxes.

There needed to be a decree by King Aderserxes, there needed to be a decree in the days of Nehemiah to rebuild the walls and so this battle was going to continue and that's what we find in Daniel chapter 10 and verse 21.

Then he that is Gabriel said to Daniel do you know why I have come to you and now I must return to fight with the prince of Persia see he's saying the battle that began in the year 535 now I have to go back and I have to continue struggling with the minds of the kings of Persia and then he says and when I have gone forth indeed the prince of Greece will come but I will tell you what is noted in the scripture of truth no 1 upholds me against these except Michael your prince question were all of the decrees given in time absolutely was the temple rebuilt it was was the decree of our deserts is given for the Jews to reestablish the religious and political order yes was the decree given to rebuild the walls absolutely so who won this battle for the minds of the kings of Persia Michael along with Gabriel won this battle because the decrees were given right on time so you have a struggle Michael wins in the struggle and the people of Michael win along with him.

Now the third reference to Michael in scripture is found in the New Testament in Jude 9 And I guess we could say Jude 1 verse 9, but Jude only has 1 chapter, so we only mentioned the verse.

Let me give you a little bit of historical background.

We should always study the historical background of text before we actually study the texts.

It just so happens that when you read the story of the death of Moses, there are 2 unusual details about his death in Deuteronomy 34.

Number 1, we are told that God buried Moses.

You can read it there in Deuteronomy 34, 5, and 6.

He's the only person in the Bible that I know of where God buried him.

And the second interesting detail is that nobody knew where his tomb was, which is unusual among the Jews because they mark the tombs of their heroes.

Abraham was buried in the cave of Machpelah, you can still visit what is believed to be the tomb of David in Jerusalem, the Jews mark the tombs of their heroes but when it comes to Moses there's no reference whatsoever to where Moses was buried and then lo and behold about 1, 500 years later ballpark you find Moses coming down to talk to Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration.

So the only conclusion we can reach is that at some point Moses must have been what?

He must have been resurrected and he must have gone come from heaven because it says that they came down from glory now the book of Jude describes a battle that took place when Michael came to resurrect Moses I read that verse yet Michael the archangel now we discover that Michael is the what the archangel don't forget that we have Michael the archangel in contending with the devil see there you have a battle again when he disputed about the body of Moses dared not bring against him a reviling accusation but said the Lord rebuke you what was Michael struggling with Satan over the body of Moses do you think that Michael fights for dead corpses of course not what had Michael come to do He had come to resurrect Moses and Ellen White describes that Satan was there contesting the right of Michael to resurrect Moses.

And of course, Michael, who is Jesus by the way, he says to Satan, yes, but Moses repented and he accepted me as his savior.

And the devil says, yeah, but you haven't shed your blood yet you can't legally take him and Jesus says yeah but but I'm going to shed my blood you can take it to the bank and so I'm going to take him with me let me ask you, who won this battle?

You see in the battle Michael always wins and when Michael wins his people win as well.

The fourth reference to Michael is found in Revelation 12, verses 7-12, that is the fourth specific reference to his name.

Revelation 12, and we're going to notice verses 7 through 12.

Michael and his angels so now we gather the idea that Michael is the commander of what?

Michael and his angels fought with the dragon, see here you have conflict again, fought with the dragon and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, that is the devil and his angels, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer.

That serpent of old called the devil and Satan who deceives the whole world, he was cast to the earth and his angels were cast out with him.

Now I'm going to say something that might be surprising to some but this passage in context is not really referring primarily to the original casting out of Satan from heaven Ellen White does use it that way.

It does strongly hint that there was an original casting out but this passage has to do primarily with the casting out of Satan at the cross of Calvary.

I want you to go with me to John chapter 12 and we'll read verses 31 to 33 you see Satan was cast out at the cross as the representative of this world before that as you know from the book of Job Satan could go to the heavenly council representing planet earth but when Jesus conquered the devil when Jesus said it is finished on the cross Satan was cast out of heaven as the representative now Jesus represents this world the second Adam because he recovered what the first Adam lost now notice what we find in John chapter 12 verse 31 to 33 Jesus this is shortly before the death of Jesus now is the judgment of this world now the ruler of this world will be what will be cast out and what was Jesus referring to when he said the ruler of this world is going to be cast out verse 32 and and I if I am lifted up from the earth will draw all peoples to myself this he said signifying by what death he would die what is it that cast out 7 Satan as the representative of this world?

The devil no longer represented planet earth.

And Ellen White adds that when the heavenly hosts saw the way that Satan treated Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross every little itsy bit of sympathy they might have had with Satan was totally destroyed he was cast out in the sympathies of the heavenly beings.

Now, I want you to notice how this passage continues because it becomes very clear that this is talking about the casting out at the cross.

It's just said that he was cast out, and it says in verse 10, then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven this is after he's cast out right now salvation and strength and the kingdom of our God and the power of his Christ have come for the accuser of our brethren who accused them before our God day and night has been cast down.

Let me ask you, when Satan was cast down originally from heaven, were there any brethren to accuse?

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Israel’s Guardian Angel

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