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Ouachita Hills Academy

Eugene Prewitt

Revelation Class: OHA

Intercession

Why So Many Years of Papal Supremacy

Yesterday we studied the idea of Christ administration in the heavenly sanctuary. Today we're going to study about the conclusion of that administration. Revelation chapter eight, and we're looking at about verse five, verse five, and the angel took the sensor and filled it with fire off the altar and cast it into the earth and there were voices and thunderings and lightnings and an earthquake. The picture is that you have here the altar, it has on it a bed of coals. These coals are taken into a sensor. Then the sensor is thrown to the earth and the idea is that the coals are gonna be scattered all over the earth. Throwing the sensor to earth is a very interesting idea because in the verse before, this is the sensor that's being used to mix the prayers of God's people with the righteousness of Jesus. That is that there's a picture here. This sensor is part of what we call the intercession, the intersection of Jesus. It represents it. When this sensor is thrown to the earth, then there's no more sensor in the sanctuary. If there's no sensor in the sanctuary, then there is no intercession going on. What I wanna do this morning is show you a number of other passages that are relevant to this picture and and teach you something that way. Turn your Bibles to Isaiah chapter six. Isaiah six is one of the most preached about chapters in scripture and one of the least understood chapters in scripture. Isaiah chapter six, we're looking at verse three. Thank you, And one cried into another. That is one angel and said, holy, holy, holy. As the Lord of host, the whole earth is full of his glory. This passage is so helpful to Adventist. Why is it helpful to Adventist? Because in verse one, it describes the throne of God and where is that throne found in verse one? Do you see it in your Bible where Yeah, it's high lifted up and where's it at? What building? The thrones in the temple. That might seem like such a fundamental or kind of like peripheral idea, but this idea that God's throne is in his temple is very much an Adventist idea that there really is a temple in heaven, for example, and that God reigns from his temple in heaven. That's where his throne is. But in verse three, we have a picture. It says about the earth, that the whole earth, this is the earth in our little drawing up here, the whole earth is full of his glory. Notice for a minute, the tenses, what tenses does it use to describe? Is it the whole earth was full, the whole earth will be full or whole earth is full. It says is right. The whole earth is full of his glory. In fact, this is the reason that the angels are saying, holy, holy, holy, the earth is full of his glory. Notice verse five, excuse me, verse four. And the post of the door moved at the voice of him that cried and the house was filled with smoke. We talk about the house, but the house we're talking about is the temple in heaven. What's happening here is that the posts of the door are shaking when this, when this voice is crying out. And then what happens inside this temple? Verse four, what happens inside the temple? That's right. It fills with smoke. Keep a finger or a piece of paper or your little red ribbon here in Isaiah six. We're gonna come back to it several times, but turn right now to Revelation 15. Revelation chapter 15. We're going to read in verse eight. This is the introduction to the seven last plagues. They begin in the very next verse, and the temple was filled with what it say with smoke from the glory of God and from his power. And no man was able to enter into the temple till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled. When does this temple fill with smoke? It's during the seven last plagues. What does that smoke represent? It represents that whatever was going on inside this temple before, it's not going on now. There's no activity inside the temple during what period of time? During the seven last plagues, the symbol looks very, very similar to what we saw over here when the sensor is thrown down, like there's no more activity inside the temple. Turn back to Isaiah chapter six, Isaiah six, and we're looking at verse five then said, I, woe is me. For I am undone because I am a man of unclean lips and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips for my eyes have seen the king, the Lord of host dear during this time while the house is filled with smoke during this time when the earth is full of the glory of God, the experience that Isaiah describes for himself is one of feeling very unworthy. We describe this kind of feeling in Adventism as the time of Jacob's trouble. You can read about that in Jeremiah chapter 30 to 31. What is the time of Jacob's trouble? It's the time in the future when the intercession in the heavenly sanctuary has ended when in figure the house is full of smoke, when the earth is full of the glory of God. But when God's people are keenly aware of their unworthiness, What are you asking? Ms. Richards? You're not Ms. Richards. Sorry, go ahead. What Time trouble? Jeremiah 30 through 31. That's the two chapters where you can read more about this time in Jacob's trouble. If you wanna do your own research, I don't know if you'll ever end up studying at a time in Jacob's trouble, but the summary of what happens in the future time is that if you are faithful, the idea will be in your mind that your case is about hopeless. You won't be able to think of any particular sin that you've done, but you'll have the sense that your whole life has been pretty, pretty rotten and that idea will be crushing. You'll feel like there's not much hope for you. That was the experience of Isaiah here. Look at verse six then flew one of the saf unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar. The picture's kind of odd, the the altars hot. So you use tongs to grab the coals, but what does he put the coals in? He puts them in his hand. It's not real, very comfortable picture, but it doesn't seem to bother the angel. The the angel has coals in his hand And he had laid it. That is the coal upon my mouth and said, low. This has touched your lips and your iniquity is taken away and your sin purged. Let me just ask the question from Isaiah six. When these calls are scattered on the earth, what does that represent? In Isaiah six, it represents a message coming from heaven that is to let God's faithful people who are feeling so unworthy know that they are forgiven, their sin has been purged, their iniquity is history. And that is going to happen during those seven last plagues. After this time of Jacob's trouble. God's people are gonna look radiant and happy and glad for what's coming. It's a solemn picture. You can read about it in early writings, page 2 79 to 2 81. It describes there how those who have chosen the runway will come up to us and they will beg for us to pray for them. And it says there that the last tier will have been shed for guilty sinners, the last agonizing prayer offered. And we will say, we're sorry, we have nothing for you. Why? This is when it's too late. There's nothing going on in the sanctuary. No men can enter there because the sanctuary is full of smoke. There's no intercession going on there. The sensor has been thrown to the earth. Yeah, that's the picture. The verse peel, preach out from Isaiah six is verse eight. It's that question, who will go for us? And what does Isaiah say here Am I send me, we usually preach that verse and don't preach any further from this chapter. Have looked to see what, what message he sent with Look, look at verse nine. And he said, go and tell this people hear ye indeed and understand not and see indeed, but don't perceive, make the heart of this people fat and make their ears heavy and shut their eyes unless they see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and convert and be healed. Is there any mercy in those two verses? Look at verse 11 then said, aye Lord, how long? And he answered Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant and the houses without man and the land be utterly desolate and the Lord have removed men far away and there will be a great forsaken in the midst of the land. In summary, Isaiah six is a picture of the close of human probation and it describes how God's people are going to feel then, how they're going to be realized that they have been forgiven and how at that point that the world is gonna be coming to them for help and what's gonna be their message for the world. It's gonna be hopelessness. You're gonna hear, you're gonna see, but you're not gonna understand, you're not gonna be converted, you're not gonna be healed. And the question is, how long do we have to, is that gonna be the message we have for the world? And the answer is how long until the earth is empty of humans until the cities don't have anyone in them and those that have been saved have been removed far away from the, what did it say been moved far away from the land they've been taken off the earth. Turns me your Bibles to Ezekiel chapter 10. Ezekiel 10 is largely the same picture as Isaiah six. Have you in this class already studied Ezekiel nine? Did you study that in connection with Revelation seven when you studied about the seal of God? Did you ever get to Ezekiel nine? I'm seeing a several nos and a bunch of blank stares. So how many of you know what's in Ezekiel nine? Can I see your hands? Like know something that's in Ezekiel nine? That's zero hands. All right, so we have to start in Ezekiel nine then Ezekiel chapter nine, and we're going to look at verse two. And behold, six men came from the way of the higher gate, which lies toward the north. And every man, a slaughterer weapon in his hand, one among them was clothed with linen, with a writer's incor by his side, and they went in and stood beside the brazen altar. You get the picture of this sanctuary here and now you have out here seven men and you have one of them that has a writer's incor that represents a writer's incor. What do the rest of them have? Slaughter weapons. It doesn't mention what kind of slaughter weapons in particular they have verse three and the glory of the Lord. The glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the chair where upon he was to the threshold of the house and he called to the man clothed with lenn linen, which had the writer's ink horn by his side. So here is the glory of God in the most holy place and it rises and comes to the door and stops right about here. This Is the glory of God. Verse four. And the Lord said unto him, go through the midst of the city through the midst of Jerusalem and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof, this particular man is told, go through the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of the man who are really upset about the sins in the church. That should remind you something of what you learned in Revelation seven. What'd you see there? You saw that there was an angel that was going to serve God's servants serve, gonna seal God's servants in the forehead, verse five. And to the others, he said in my hearing, go after him through the city and smite, let not your I spare. Neither have you pity. Notice verse six in particular, slay utterly old and young, both maids and little children and women, but come not near any man upon whom is the mark and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men, which were before the house. In short, in Ezekiel nine, which is just before Ezekiel 10, you have a picture of the ceiling experience where God says that here's my church, the church who's, who's the church composed of an Ezekiel nine. It's men, it's women, it's also maids and young men and even little children Who receives the seal of God in this picture. What'd you say? It's those who sigh and cry for, for the abominations in the church. This is the good news. If anyone can be killed, then anyone can be sealed. And you're not too young to sigh and cry after the abominations that are done in the land. Infants or small children are not too young to do that. That's who receives the seal and what happenss to those that don't receive the seal, they're slaughtered. Every one of them, old and young little ones. Ezekiel nine is a picture of this process. When the intercession ends, when the house fills with smoke, when there's no more mercy, then God's judgments break forth upon the inhabitants of the world. Look at chapter 10 verse one, the end of chapter nine, which is just the verse right above here is where the ceiling is finished. What does the man with the incor say? I have done as you have commanded me. Notice everyone's been sealed. Chapter 10 verse one. Then I looked and behold, in the firmament that was above the head of the Cher Aum, there appeared over them as it were a sapphire stone as the appearance of a throne. So right here over the chair of bums that are on either side of the mercy seat high above them appears a A throne. What color? Sapphire? I dunno if you know what color sapphire is. What? It's blue here. Appears a blue throne, like a blue stone high and lifted up above the Cher aum. And that's what shows up as soon as the ceiling is done. Verse two. And he spoken to the man clothed with linen and said, go in between the wheels, even under the cherub and fill your hand with what does it say with coals of fire from between the cherone and scatter them over the city. Here, probation has closed, the ceiling is finished, and Ezekiel is instructed to come here to the altar, fill his hand with coals and scatter them all over the city. It's the same picture we saw in Isaiah six, the same one we saw in Revelation eight. Look at verse Three. Now, the cherone stood on the right side of the house when the man went in and the cloud filled the, what does it say? The cloud filled the inner court. Then the glory of the Lord went up from the Cher Ofum and stood over the threshold of the house, and the house was filled with the cloud and the court was full of the brightness of the Lord's glory. If you tied the sanctuary, the court is out here. What does the courtyard represent? It represents the earth. That's why you have in the courtyard the the altar. Jesus is our intercessor in the heavenly sanctuary. But where did he make the sacrifice that was on earth? Where do we confess our sins that's on earth? On earth is represented by the court. And here you have that the smoke fills the sanctuary and what fills the court At the same time, it says the glory of God. The glory of God fills the court and the earth is filled. I mean, the earth is filled at the glory of God and the sanctuary is filled with smoke. Listen, is this the same picture we saw in Isaiah six? It's the same picture. Everything the throne lifted up, the smoke and the coals and the city being touched with them. And the threshold, it's the same picture, just two different prophets describing it. Turn your Bibles to Revelation chapter 18, revelation 18, and we're looking at verse one. And after these things, I saw another angel come down from heaven having great power, and what it say, the earth was lighted with his glory. This is that last message to the world, verse two. And he cried mightily by the strong voice saying, Balin, the greatest fallen is fallen. This is the picture of the same period of time. I guess the elements are complex, but between Ezekiel, or excuse me, revelation 18, and we could have looked at Revelation seven, but I, Hmm, that's kind of funny. We could have looked at Revelation seven, but I know you've already looked at that. I wanted to show you that Revelation seven is the same as Ezekiel nine. With all these things written up here, it can all be put together in a simple way or a simple course of events described. And we looked at Revelation 15. What happens if we put all the chapters together? The first thing that happens is that God's throne appears. The next thing that happens is that the, well, there's several things that happen simultaneously, but we can just give them in a random order. The house fills with smoke. What does that represent? No more intercessions. What else happens? The sensor or the coals are thrown down. That also means no more intercession, but it means something else. The coals have the purpose of cleansing and they're thrown to the earth. God's people, their sins have been blotted out at this time. God's people on earth represent his character, and the earth is described as being full of the glory of God. And there's a message to the world. And at that point, the message to the world is a message of hopelessness. And how long is that message of hopelessness preached? It's until the seven plagues are passed. Who escapes the seven plagues? It's those that sigh and cry for the abominations that are in the church. Does anyone have any questions about this process, about what we've studi about this morning? So I'm gonna ask you some quiz questions. This isn't to write on a quiz, I'm just talking to you. What would be the thing to be doing now in view of what's coming later? Do these passages give any hints of something to be doing now? Yeah. Okay. Because there is a time coming when there's no more intercession. So the thing to be doing is to get the word out because we don't wanna be giving that message to people that we know. I mean, if there's a message that says There's no more hope for you, Mr. Donahue, I don't wanna give. I don't wanna give that message to you. So now is the time to preach. Yeah, that's true. Yeah. A sign crime. That's what's very apparent. This is a time to be concerned about what's going on around us. It's a time to be sad about the spiritual declension of our neighbors and our acquaintances, and who's angry with them? No, but sad. Yes. This is what we do in preparation to receive the seal of God. And very apparently, this is the time to put away our sins. Because when that time comes, we want our sins to be blotted out. Why would God give? So we didn't look at all of them. Why would he give so many pictures about this hopeless time? It is because we wanna see enough about it. To be motivated to get ready. Has the question ever occurred to you? Why doesn't Jesus just come as soon as probation ends? Why doesn't he come just right then when probation is over? The answer is that this story is important to the great controversy. It's important for the angels that we're gonna join in heaven to look down and see that when we think that our case is hopeless, that we're still gonna do the right thing.

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Intercession

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Intercession

Why So Many Years of Papal Supremacy

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