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Advent HOPE Sabbath School

David DeRose

End Time Health Ministry

Well, it's good to be back with you again this afternoon.

I can see that many of you have gotten some sustenance physically as well, at least that's the appearance.

And it's just great to be back studying the Lord's Word together.

This morning we were looking at the priesthood and the implications that that has for each 1 of us.

We want this afternoon to really ask a question, is an understanding of the priesthood truly relevant and especially relevant as far as our end time ministry as believers at this time in Earth's history.

We are going to look at that question in some detail together.

I gave you a little bit of foreshadowing of this earlier today and we're going to look first at the book of Revelation because the book of Revelation actually gives us a glimpse into the fact that God was highlighting this priestly role in the life of believers in this closing book of the New Testament.

Here in Revelation chapter 1 we read these words from the pen of John, Jesus Christ loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever.

That's, of course, the new revised standard version.

Many of you say, well I like it better where it says kings and priests.

Well either way you render it, 1 thing is clear, that God was seeing his people as a priesthood, as a body of priests.

Later in the book of Revelation we're reading about the Millennium and Revelation chapter 20 verse 6 we have this amazing blessing.

Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection.

The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.

In light of what we were studying this morning, how many of you have ever thought about priests in the millennium?

Why would we need priests during the millennium?

Okay, they're doing a work of judgment you say and the priest 1 of the roles of the priest was it was a work of judgment that may be a significant part of that role But I can't help but wonder you know, let's just put it this way We're talking about the multifaceted roles of the priesthood.

For those, I see some new faces, so let me try to bring you up to speed.

And maybe I only see new faces because there were more of you here this morning and I didn't recognize all of you.

But We talked about how all believers are called to share in this priestly role, and I pointed out to you that that priestly role includes what 3 things?

Teaching, preaching, and healing, at a minimum.

It was not an exhaustive study, but we looked at those dimensions and we saw how not only were those characteristics of Christ's ministry, they were also characteristics of every commissioning service that Jesus gave.

If we were to take the time today, and we will not do it, we could look at gifts of the Holy Spirit given to the church, and we would find that those 3 aspects of priestly ministry are included among the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

So preaching, teaching, and healing, these fundamental gifts.

And now we're looking at this passage in Revelation.

Remember, the whole purpose of the priesthood, though, its ultimate purpose was to point to Jesus.

Now we have this body of believers in the Millennium that are identified as priests.

This is not inspiration, it's just a question.

Is it possible that there will be a priestly ministry that will be needed, a healing ministry that will be needed in the millennium?

Well, my reading of inspiration is that every tear is not wiped away until the new earth is reestablished on this earth.

I'm sure there will be many tears during the millennium.

Now, just to understand, I mean, this is just my imagination here, but give me a reality check.

This is gonna be more interactive this afternoon.

Is it possible that we may be seated at a long table and Jesus may be serving us?

And as we're looking at the food, we're just looking at this delicious, vegan banquet spread out before us.

But we notice the person across from us at the table or next to us is kind of looking a bit quizzically at the food as if maybe something is missing.

And maybe, you know, some of you are saying, no, that's impossible.

Everyone's going to know it's the total vegan fair there, whatever their background is.

They're getting prepared here on this earth.

Well, I don't know how many Christians really have that vision.

And maybe, is it possible that there's going to be some ministry even around the table where you're going to share your testimony about what a blessing it was to follow God's health counsel.

Don't worry, there's nothing missing here that is really in your best interest not to be here.

I just wonder, I wonder about this priestly role that's pointed out in Revelation 20.

And you say, without speculating, at a minimum, it involves a work of judgment, But it may be more than that.

And if it's true that there is some work of ministry yet in the millennium, it's amazing to think about this fact that your greatest period of ministry will not be here on this earth.

But your capacity to minister in eternity will be shaped by decisions you make here.

Now again, that's not inspiration, but it's just something to challenge you with, and if you have some sobering comments for me afterward, I'd be happy to hear those.

And I said it will be more interactive, but this is probably not the subject that we want to be interactive on.

Let's go to Daniel chapter 12, because we're talking about end times and about health ministry and its role in the last days and in the end time church.

Not only is the book of Revelation an end time book, but all of you know that the book of Daniel is an end time book.

It's very clear as you read Chapter 12 of Daniel, these words often quoted by students of the book of Daniel about how the book was sealed until when?

The book of Daniel having special relevance for the last days.

And those who've studied the book of Daniel realize that Daniel is really divided into basically 2 portions.

1 of those portions are the prophetic portions of the book and that gives us these amazing detailed prophecies, pinpointing, for example, the date of Christ's baptism, pinpointing the beginning of the judgment, I mean, amazing prophetic glimpses in the book of Daniel.

But there's another portion of the book of Daniel and those are historical portions and they are equally well suited for us as we anticipate the soon return of Jesus because these portions of the book, these historical or narrative portions, are actually showing us the kind of character that we need.

And much of that is exemplified in the life of Daniel.

As we look at Daniel, I would like to submit to you that Daniel is a priest.

And I told you, I'm not trying to get you to believe that he was really a Levite.

Daniel was actually, though, a priest in the way he lived his life, and it's a priest with special significance, I believe, to the time in which we live.

In Daniel chapter 9, we see Daniel engaged in that great priestly function of intercession.

It says, I set my face unto the Lord God to seek by prayer and supplications with fasting and sackcloth and ashes, and I prayed unto the Lord my God and made my confession.

We have sinned, we've committed iniquity and have done wickedly and have rebelled even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments.

We see in Daniel this parallel with Jesus, for here is a man of whom the scripture records no fault, and yet he's identifying himself with his sinful brothers and sisters.

I'm not saying Daniel was sinless, but you understand the imagery there, and Daniel is interceding as 1 of us, if you will.

But if you look at the book of Daniel, it unravels these other dimensions of the priesthood as we look at Daniel's life.

First of all, there is this picture of health ministry, And in Daniel chapter 1, I think most of you are well acquainted with how Daniel is willing to make a life-or-death stand for something that few Seventh-day Adventists would take a life-or-death stand for today, I believe.

And that's not a commendation of us, is it?

Ellen White, in writing about Daniel's experience, says that many would think Daniel too particular to have made the stand that he did.

We're speaking about the priesthood revealing Jesus, and I don't know how it is with you, but we tend to gravitate, when we think of representing Jesus, to the gentler characteristics of Jesus.

His love, his acceptance, his compassion, all of these things are true.

But Jesus also had a sterner side, did he not?

And it was no less loving to see Jesus cleansing the temple or calling the scribes and Pharisees whitewashed sepulchers.

Was that a lack of love that led him to call them that?

Those of you that are getting inspired to call me some choice names this afternoon.

When did Jesus start working with the leadership as far as opening their mind to the significance of his ministry.

That's right, when he was 12 years old, gently trying to lead them to the truths of Scripture through questions, disarming questions.

It was over 20 years later when Jesus' sternest statements were made.

Now I'm not saying that you should temper your enthusiasm if the Lord has given you a message that is an uncomfortable 1 to deliver, but I would tell you this, be very, very careful.

If you think the Lord has given you a message of stern rebuke, make sure it is indeed a message from the Lord, okay?

Because we've seen many people injured and many of those who give the messages no longer walking with the people of God.

It's pretty embarrassing when you tell someone that God has given you a very stern message and then you realize it really wasn't God's message at all.

Look at the sanctuary context of Daniel chapter 1.

So Daniel is a priest, and priests find their role in the sanctuary, they're reflecting Jesus.

It says, Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank.

Therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself." There's a word that recurs in this passage, and that word is defile.

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End Time Health Ministry

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