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University SDA Church- East Lansing

The Great Controversy

David Shin

1. The Origin of Evil

Good morning, happy Sabbath So good to be with you today in the house of the Lord and wasn't that a wonderful special music I want to thank the promise bells for that Special music and do come again We enjoy having you and 1 and but welcome the parents as well that came out today.

Let's bow our heads together as we pray this morning.

Father in heaven, we thank you for this opportunity that we have to come apart from the cares of this life to worship You in spirit and in truth.

We pray that as we open Your Word that You would speak to our hearts, that You would impress our minds.

May Jesus be uplifted and Christ be seen.

Today, we begin a new five-part series of messages that we've entitled The Great Controversy.

I know I've been away for a few weeks, a couple weeks on vacation, which was much needed, by the way.

And then last weekend I was in San Antonio for some board meetings, But it's good to be back with you and I will be in the pulpit consistently all the way up till camp meeting.

We'll be doing a five-part series of messages that I'm very excited about.

And we'll be answering some very fundamental questions about the origin of evil, why a God of love, or how could a God of love allow sin and suffering, and why does God allow evil to continue so long?

And so we're going to attempt, by the grace of God, to answer some of these questions from the Word of God.

And today is part 1 in this series of messages.

And we will be looking at the book of Revelation.

And the title of the book, Revelation, implies that it is a revealing.

It is something that is to be disclosed, and there are many people in the Christian community today that assume that the book of revelation Ironically, which means to disclose is a book that is shrouded in mystery How many of you heard people say we just can't understand the book of revelation?

Well, the title itself tells you that it is something that we can understand by the grace of God, and Revelation 1, verse 3 tells us that there is a blessing for those who read and understand the book of Revelation.

Before we go on, I want to invite you to take out your study guide, which is inside your bulletin.

If you don't have 1, Daniel's there in the back, can get you a copy.

This is a brief, well, it's not exactly brief today, but it's an outline of today's presentation and it will make it easier for you to follow along in our study for today.

The book of Revelation is not written in chronological order.

I remember as a child trying to read the book of Revelation and I noticed that it did not go chronologically.

It is written in a literary structure called a chiasm.

A chiasm is simply a structure where the first part parallels the last part, the second part parallels the second to last part, the third part parallels the corollary section.

And in the center of this literary structure is chapter 12.

So when you read the book of Revelation, it's helpful to see that it's written in kind of a poetic structure that apexes in the center.

And we will proceed with our study guide today as we get some background to our passage that we are going to delve into, the book of Revelation is structured as a chiasm, a literary structure that we've seen right here.

And the center of the book of Revelation is chapter 12.

And the center of the center are verses 7 through 10, which was our scripture reading for today.

And we're going to begin by looking at our first study question today.

And in this series, it's going to be more of a study than a sermon.

So we're gonna look at some questions which outline our message for today.

Question number 1, where did the war begin?

And as our scripture reading today brought out, and war broke out where?

In heaven, Michael and his angels fought with the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought.

The Bible tells us that the conflict that we are experiencing here on earth actually broke out in heaven.

And there were 2 parties that were involved in this conflict.

Michael and his angels fought with the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought.

And so we're going to look at who these characters are before we proceed.

Michael, Mikael, literally means 1 who is like God.

And the way that you understand who Michael is, is by comparing a few passages.

Michael is mentioned a few times in the Old and New Testament, and in Jude 1 verse 9, the Bible says, yet Michael, the, what does it say?

The archangel which is chief among the angels in contending with the devil disputed with the body of Moses.

So Michael is also called the Archangel or chief among the angels.

In 1 Thessalonians 4, verse 16, the Bible says, for the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of the Archangel and the trumpet of God and the dead in Christ will rise first.

So when Jesus comes a second time, the Bible tells us that the voice of the archangel, we put it together with Jude chapter 1 verse 9, who is Michael, is the voice that we will hear and if we are dead it is the voice that will raise us from the dead.

The voice of the Archangel is going to raise the dead and that Archangel is called Michael, 1 who is like God.

When you look at another passage in John chapter 5 verse 25 through 29, the Bible also states another aspect of who will be the 1 raising the dead.

Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God.

And those who hear will live, do not marvel at this, for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice." So when you put these 3 verses together, it's logical and reasonable to conclude that Michael, the archangel, is none other than Jesus Christ himself Michael is Jesus Christ and when you look in the Old Testament you will notice that there are several instances where the Bible says the angel of the Lord in Joseph chapter 13 Manoah and his wife who were to have Samson are visited by an angel.

And I want you to notice the dialogue between the angel of God and Manoah and his wife.

And God listened to the voice of Manoah, and the angel of God came to the woman again as she was sitting in the field.

Then the woman ran in haste and told her husband and said to him, Look, The man who came to me the other day has just now appeared to me.

And when he came to the man, he said to him, are you the man who spoke to this woman?

Remember in the New Testament, Jesus said before Abraham was, I am, and the Jews took up stones to stone him?

Because that was a reference to the Old Testament where God was telling Moses his name and he said, I am that I am.

And Jesus was alluding, not just alluding, but saying that he was none other than God himself.

So he says, I am, but not only this, in verse 17 through 18, that Manoah said to the angel of the Lord, what is your name?

That when your words come to pass, we may honor you.

And the angel of the Lord said to him, why do you ask my name seeing that it is wonderful?

Isaiah chapter 9, verse 6, For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.

We have Another clue in this, verses 21 and 22, when the angel of the Lord appeared no more to Manoah and his wife, then Manoah knew that he was the angel of the Lord and Manoah said to his wife, we shall surely die because we have seen God.

Who was it that appeared to Manoah and his wife?

And I believe that Jesus took on the form of an angel and his name was Michael, Michael, 1 who is like God.

And so this war is between Michael, Jesus, and his angels against the dragon and his angels And who is the dragon?

You can see the answer to this in Revelation chapter 12 verse 9.

So the dragon was cast out, 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 so this controversy began in heaven and it was between Michael Jesus and his angels and the dragon and his angels there was an insurrection There was a rebellion in heaven and this rebellion was so deep that the devil was able to get some of the angels, the Bible tells us one-third of the angels, to join in this rebellion.

Which leads us to our next question, where did Satan come from?

Some people say, hey, perhaps God created the devil.

The Bible tells us the answer to this in Ezekiel chapter 28 verses 14 through 15.

It goes all the way back to the beginning when Lucifer was created.

You walked back and forth in the mist of the fiery stones.

You were perfect in all your ways from the day you were created till iniquity was found in you.

God created a perfect being, and he was the angel that stood closest to God.

As we look at the Ark of the Covenant, you'll notice that there are 2 angels standing right in the presence of God.

Lucifer was that angel, and he was perfect in the day that he was created until iniquity was found in him.

And in Isaiah chapter 14 verses 12 through 14 tells us the name of this angel that later became known as the devil and Satan.

Oh, Lucifer, son of the morning, for you have said in your heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the most high.

And this is how Lucifer became later on known as the devil.

2. Behind the Curtain

He wrote another book called A Trip Into the Supernatural after he wrote that book.

And Roger Morneau tells his testimony of how he came out of spiritualism and became a Seventh-day Adventist Christian.

He tells some harrowing accounts of some of the experiences that he had.

And in 1 of his stories, he talks about how he was giving a Bible study after he became a Christian to another individual.

And he says that in that moment that the curtain was lifted between the visible and the invisible.

And while he was giving the Bible study to this certain gentleman, he said that behind the man that was receiving the Bible study, he saw another being that was standing behind him.

This was not a human being, a supernatural being.

And it seemed that as Roger would relay the contents of the Holy Scripture that this supernatural being would try to influence and counteract the Bible study that was taking place.

At a certain moment, Roger says that the being and him had eye contact and the supernatural being was startled recognizing that he was now visible to Roger.

After a moment he kind of shrugged it off and continued to try to influence the Bible study.

The Bible tells us that we wrestle not against flesh and blood, amen, but against principalities, against powers of darkness, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

And there is, believe it or not, an invisible reality around us that we cannot see.

There are evil angels, there are righteous angels that are all around us and I think that if all of us were able to see the great controversy being played out right before our very eyes, it would drive us to our knees.

Today we are continuing in our series of messages called The Great Controversy and in our Scripture reading today, we are given a glimpse for a brief moment in which the curtain between the visible and the invisible is taken back, and you're able to see a conversation between Satan and God.

This is the only place, I believe, in the Holy Scriptures where we're able to see this type of dialogue between God and Satan that is not on planet Earth.

So, I want to invite you to turn with me in your Bibles to the book of Job, Job 1, 6-12.

And we want to pick up as this dialogue begins in another place in another time.

Genesis, not Genesis, but the book of Job was written before the book of Genesis.

Now, there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came among them." Scholars believe that this was a kind of United Nations meeting in the universe.

Sons of God are representatives from these other places in the far reaches of God's creation.

And Satan, notice, comes as a representative of planet Earth.

Adam was the original representative, but after the fall, he forfeited that title.

And even in the New Testament, you'll notice that Jesus refers to Satan as the prince of this world.

And in verse 7, you have almost kind of a greeting, an initial part, some niceties are exchanged, as it were, in verse 7, And the Lord said to Satan, from where do you come?

So Satan answered the Lord and said, from going to and fro on the earth and from walking back and forth on it.

Then the Lord said to Satan, have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, blameless and upright man, 1 who fears God and shuns evil?

So Satan answered the Lord and said, Does Job fear God for nothing?

Have you not made a hedge around him, around his household, around all that he has on every side?

You have blessed the work of his hands and his possessions have increased in the land.

Now stretch out your hand and touch all that he has and he will surely curse you to your face.

And the Lord said to Satan, behold, all that he has is in your power.

So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.

You're able to see some of the nuances in the great controversy as you study these passages.

And I want to invite you at this time to take out your study guide, which is in your bulletin.

And if you don't have 1, raise your hand.

Daniel Jean-Francois is in the back, and we'll get you a study guide.

This is a brief outline of today's presentation.

It's a study guide, and I want to begin with asking some elementary questions about this dialogue, which we have just read.

Who were present at this special meeting before God?

Verse 6, now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them." So there are 3 parties that are present at this meeting, 3 constituents as it were, the Lord, Satan, and the sons of God.

And you will notice that the person on trial in this dialogue is not Job.

As you look at some of the implications and some of the nuances of Satan's argument, the person that is really being grilled is God.

And we'll get into that a little bit later.

So this dialogue is taking place between God and Satan, and the universe is watching this dialogue.

The book of Corinthians tells us that we are made a spectacle before men and angels.

So the universe is watching this exchange between God and Satan, before the sons of God is this interesting and fascinating dialogue.

Here we get to the crux of a central issue in the great controversy.

God immediately, after exchanging some of the niceties, after saying, hey, where have you come from?

And then he says, from going to and fro on the planet, Job is immediately brought up by God.

He says, hey, Have you considered my servant Job?

That there is none like him on the earth, and you can fill out your study guide.

I wanted to highlight this word, blameless.

I looked up the word blameless in a thesaurus, and it has some things like irreproachable, impeccable, righteous.

So there's something about Job's life, his blameless life, that validates or vindicates God's side.

He says, look, he lives a blameless and upright life by the grace of God, 1 who fears God and shuns evil.

Moving on very quickly to our next question.

What did Satan claim was Job's motive in faithfulness?

So Satan answered the Lord and said, does Job fear God for nothing?

Have you not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side?

You have blessed the work of his hands and his possessions and have increased in the land, but now stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse you to your face." The implication is, the only reason why Job, or anyone for that matter, would serve you is not because of who you are, but because of the benefits that you bring.

The insinuation given by Satan is that, look, if you take away all of the accoutrements, all of the luxuries, all of the benefits, then Job will have no reason to serve you.

Because God's character is not such that is worth serving.

And the Lord said to Satan, behold, all that he has is in your hand.

Only do not lay a hand on this person, so Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.

Job, needless to say, is oblivious to this conversation.

He has no idea that this quote deal has been struck.

And the next few verses are astonishing in the rapid succession of loss that Job undertakes.

And you'll notice a phrase that is repeated over and over again.

And I have the words on the screen because I looked it up in the New Living Translation.

Now, it's not my favorite translation, but sometimes some of these modern translations give us a little bit more of a bite to them.

And this was no exception, the New Living Translation.

I want to read to you what happens in verse 13 as Satan unleashes his fury upon this poor, unsuspecting individual named Job after this conversation.

1 day when Job's sons and daughters were feasting at the oldest brother's house, a messenger arrived at Job's home with the news, your oxen were plowing with the donkeys." It's been a short night, friends.

Your oxen were plowing with the donkeys, feeding beside them.

When the Sabians raided us, they stole all the animals and killed all the farmhands, And I am the only 1 who has escaped to tell you.

1 servant is freed or allowed to live to bear this news to Job.

So as this individual is finishing his sentence of this tragic loss, another messenger arrives with the news, the fire of God has fallen from heaven and burned up your sheep and all the shepherds.

3. The Lamb and the Law

It was the early 1950s during the Korean War.

My grandparents were north of the 38th parallel and my mom was born during that time.

I have a map here on the screen of the famous MacArthur push up toward the northern part of the Korean Peninsula.

Some of you in this room may remember the Korean War.

And you'll remember that the Chinese were concerned that MacArthur was going to push north further into China, and it was during this time that my mother And my grandparents were in the northern part, north of the 38th parallel, which at the time was occupied by the allies, and my mother got sick.

She had a symptom that was not able to be treated in the place that they were at and so Call it a miracle or I believe that it was God's divine providence that through a series of connections my grandparents were able to connect with the U.S.

Army and go to the south, southern part of the Korean Peninsula.

The Chinese came by the thousands and pushed the allies all the way back down toward the south and eventually the 38th parallel was locked no 1 is able to go north or south and my grandparents never went back to their home again.

I think back, I would not exist because my parents met in America.

My mom would be in North Korea right now, who knows if she would be alive.

And this is part of the casualties or the collateral damage, I guess you could say, of being born in a war zone.

To this day, the 30th parallel is the most militarized area on planet Earth.

You and I have all been born into a war zone.

And if you want to understand why we experience so much suffering, so much heartache, so much sin on planet earth.

It is because we are all, not by choice, but all of us have been born into the midst of a great controversy between Christ and Satan.

And we study this in our first presentation, Revelation 12, verse 7.

And you remember from our first study we studied that Michael Mikhail means 1 who is like God and we came to the conclusion by a Bible study that Michael is none other than Jesus Christ and this war was not a Physical war that's not the way it started now.

I believe that there were dynamics of a physical war But if you look at the war word war there in the Greek it comes from the Greek word Palaimos where we get the word polemic.

It was a war of ideology Satan Lucifer claimed that he had a better way and he attacked the government of God, he attacked the character of God, And the point of controversy came to be, remember from our first presentation, the law of God.

The law of God became the central issue in the controversy between Christ and Satan.

Great Controversy 583, from the very beginning of the great controversy in heaven.

It has been Satan's purpose to overthrow the law of God.

It was to accomplish this that he entered upon his rebellion against the creator.

And though he was cast out of heaven, he continued the same warfare on earth.

The controversy centered on the law of God.

I have another quotation here, Signs of the Times, August 27, 1902.

In this controversy, much was to be involved.

Vast interests were at stake before the inhabitants of the heavenly universe were to be answered the questions and noticed the nuances of these questions is God's law imperfect in need of amendment or abrogation or as or is it immutable is God's government in need of change or is it stable Satan sought to make it appear that he was working for the liberty of the universe, he was determined to make his argument so varied, so deceptive, so insidious, that everyone would be convinced that God's law was tyrannical.

This was the central issue in the great controversy between Christ and Satan.

And you'll have to remember that never before had anyone known of sin.

Never before had there been an argument like this before presented in regards to God's government.

And God allowed Satan to work out his principles.

This was a very difficult decision, and you and I have been caught in the midst of this.

And we want to pause for a moment and discuss why the law of God was so central to the great controversy between Christ and Satan.

You remember back in the Old Testament, the law of God was written on stone, not on paper, not written by man, but by God's own finger onto tablets of stone and the location of this tablets or these tablets was to be in the Ark of the Covenant.

We'll come back to that in a moment, but the very foundation of God's government was the law of God.

In our first presentation we said that God is love, amen?

We're also told in the Bible that God's law is love.

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