02_05 Presenting…Jesus

Presenting…Jesus, opens our minds to the declarations in Scripture, as to who He is! You will be surprised!

Scripture Text: Revelation 22:14

Title: Presenting…Jesus

Presenting who Jesus is and what He is doing is the way to lead people to the Present Truth – “the hour of His Judgment is come!”

I will begin before the beginning of this world. When did Jesus become the only begotten Son of God? Did He become the only begotten Son of God when He was begotten in the womb of the virgin Mary? For the answer, turn to Psalm 40, verses 6 to 8. (read) Your Bible presents these verses as prophetic statements because of Hebrews 10, verses 5 to 7. Please turn there. (read)

“…a body thou hast prepared me.”

Jesus pre-existed according to the Word of God, didn’t He? This is most important, because only Jesus, the Son of God, could be sent to be the Saviour. As the Son of God, Jesus was given the work of being the Creator of the Earth, because only as Creator could He pay the wages of sin for every one of us, His created beings. No man, not even an angel, could be created with this capability. They could die for only 1 person! Only the Creator Himself could accomplish Redemption! We find that Jesus was the Creator in several texts: Jesus formed man with His own hands and breathed life into him. Genesis 2, v. 7.

“God, who…spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds; Who, being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person…when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.” Hebrews 1, vs.1-3.

You may also remember, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him…” and, for emphasis, “and without Him was not any thing made that was made.” John 1:1-3. “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld His glory, {His character} the glory as of the only begotten of the Father…”) John 1:14.

And so, Jesus was born, grew up, and came as the Messiah, saying, according to Mark 1:15, “the time is fulfilled: the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.” (that the Son of God had come to pay the penalty for sin in our place, as foretold so long ago in Eden – Genesis 3:15!)

“The time is fulfilled…” What time is fulfilled?

Turn to Daniel 9, vs.24, 25. (read) From the going forth of the command, to the time of the Messiah, Jesus, was to be 69 weeks, prophetic weeks, each day of it for a year, exactly 483 years to the year that Jesus said, “The time is fulfilled!”(Ezekiel 4:6 & Numbers 14:34 prove that a prophetic “day” is a literal year.) Jesus came right on time! He is the Messiah.

Prophecy from over 500 years earlier makes it certain!

But this 70 week prophecy does even more! The great 2300 day (year) prophecy of Dan.8:14 (read) is also illuminated and made sure by the 70 week prophecy.

Let’s pick up the story from Daniel 8. After hearing that the Temple would be cleansed at the end of 2300 years, Daniel misunderstood and thought the angel was referring to the earthly Sanctuary in Jerusalem instead of the heavenly Sanctuary. Daniel’s focus was on the Jewish return from exile in Babylon, maybe within his own lifetime. For it to be deferred to the end of 2300 years “blew him away” and he fainted! (Dan. 8:27)

When Babylon was taken over by the Medes and Persians, his hopes revived, and he discovered that Jeremiah the prophet, had predicted their return from exile in but 70 years, which was almost complete! (see Dan. 9:2).

So, Daniel humbles himself in sackcloth and ashes, with fasting, and prays for God to “defer not” their return. (read Dan. 9:16-19) The angel returned immediately (v.21) and would now, by the information contained in the 70 weeks prophecy, correct Daniel’s misunderstanding. He says;

“…therefore, understand the matter, and consider the vision” (of the 2300 days! – v. 23). Note the connection in verse 24. The 70 weeks would “seal up…the vision.” If the 69 prophetic weeks of years led unto Messiah in exactly 483 years, then the 2300 days, beginning at the same point, would end in 2300 years!

“Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city…” (v.24) The word for “determined upon” has the further meaning, in this context, of being “cut off from,” as the first part of, the 2300 day prophecy!

Daniel’s misunderstanding is cleared up fully in v. 25. The Jews would return to rebuild Jerusalem and the Sanctuary (Temple) completing both in “seven weeks” of the 70! (49 years) (re-read v. 25 carefully – the last part from “the street…” explains why the seven weeks are a separate part of the 69 week total unto Messiah.)

As surely as the 69 weeks (which began in 457 B.C.) was fulfilled in exactly 483 years, when Jesus took up His work as the Messiah (in the fall, 26 A.D.) the 2300 years would lead to when the heavenly Sanctuary would be “cleansed,” (1844!).

As surely as Jesus became “the Lamb of God which takes away the sins of the world” (John 1:29) He also became, at His ascension, our High Priest in the Heavenly Sanctuary, mediating His sacrificial blood on our behalf, when we repent and confess our sins unto Him in prayer. Turn first to the first letter of John, chapter 1, verse 9. (read) Now compare that with Hebrews 8, verses 1 to 5. (read)

Since His ascension, till 1844, Jesus, our High Priest, has been our Intercessor in the first room of the Sanctuary in heaven, before the veil between the two rooms, bearing our sins in His own body and atoning for them with His own blood as the Lamb of God.

Please read with me the first letter of Peter, chapter 2, verse 24. (read) I want you to see something. Jesus was acting as our High Priest even before His crucifixion. Jesus bore our sins in His own body, after the decision was made that fateful night at Gethsemane! He bore our sins when He atoned for them by the sprinkling of His own blood before the veil.

How? The veil of the Old Testament Temple (Sanctuary) symbolized the veil of darkness that settled over the cross, put there by the Father Himself, so that Jesus could substitute His blood for ours! We ourselves should have each been upon that cross, paying the penalty for our sins!

Since His ascension, Jesus has, as in the earthly Temple example, applied His atoning blood, with His intercessory prayer for us, as we repent of sins and turn to Him asking forgiveness and cleansing.

(Cleansing is accomplished as we receive His Spirit into our lives. We must put Him on the throne in our mind and refuse to sin against Him, by the power of His Spirit, which has already wrought total overcoming in Jesus! However, if we put self back onto the throne in our mind, we are power-less to keep from sinning!)

But let’s not forget the end of the 2300 years of Daniel 8:14. (read) The 2300 years ended in 1844, made certain by the events of Jesus’ first coming as Messiah. In 1843, as you would expect God to cause to happen, there was indeed a world-wide Great Religious Awakening. All the Christian world thought that 1844 would be the year that Jesus would come again and cleanse the world by fire! But was it the date of the Second Advent of Jesus in power and great glory? The whole Christian world thought so in 1844. But it would lead to what the Bible says it would lead to, not men’s expectations.

“Unto 2300 days, then shall the Sanctuary be cleansed.” Reference to a Bible Concordance, using the key-word “cleanse,” leads us to Leviticus 16 – the description of the “cleansing” of the earthly, example Sanctuary, thus explaining the cleansing of the real one in Heaven!

What is this “cleansing?” It is the cleansing of the Sanctuary of the record of sins transferred there and dealt with by the atoning blood of Jesus. The example Sanctuary shows us that this is accomplished in a Judgment Day, wherein the books of record in Heaven are opened and the sins of the people are assessed to see if their repentance for sin was real: their repentance had to be followed by reform and sanctification (choosing to refuse to sin) during their probation (remaining life).

The same truth applies to us today! Let’s wrap together Daniel 7, verses 9 and 10, with Leviticus 16. First, Daniel 7, verses 9 and 10. (read) The books are the books of record (for the court) of each person’s deeds who looked to the Heavenly Sanctuary and our High Priest, Jesus, for atonement for their sins. Now, Leviticus 16:30: the focus of the ceremony:

“For on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that you may be clean from all your sins before the Lord.”

So when, according to Daniel, does the Judgment begin? At the end of the 2300 days …1844 and beyond, including right now!

When the 69 weeks was fulfilled, Jesus came preaching, saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.” Mark 1:15. But the Jews failed to accept the Son of God as their King-Saviour. They failed to confirm the Covenant. They murdered the Son of God and refused to repent. Therefore, the gospel went to the Gentiles, till the time of the Gentile Christian Church would be fulfilled. That time reached to 1844. Then the Judgment hour began! The Gentile Christian Church was Judged – but found fallen!

Turn to Revelation, chapter 14, verses 6 and 7(a). (read) “…the hour of His Judgment is come!” It is long since time that we go, saying, “The time in Daniel 8:14 is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God (the Son of God) is at hand: repent, and believe the Everlasting Gospel (that Jesus has paid for our sins in our place, and offered us His Spirit to live within us!) and worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters…” the Creator! That’s Jesus, our Creator, Saviour, High Priest, and Lord (King) of our lives; IF we receive Him!

Jesus made a Covenant with Israel, which they finally and irrevocably broke. So, Jesus made a new Covenant with spiritual Israel, the Christian Church.

Let’s see it in Hebrews chapter 8. Turn there please. Hebrews 8, verses 6 to 10. (read) Do you see that the Covenant Jesus made in the Lord’s Supper, writes His Law in our hearts? “If you love Me, keep My Commandments.” John 14:15. Animal sacrifices failed to cause this. But Jesus, lifted up on a cruel cross, for me, has accomplished causing me to love Jesus. That is the secret to His power over sin in my life. Because I love my Creator God, who left all heaven to come to die that cruel death for sin, my sin, I can love Jesus more than sin! I don’t want to sin, any sin, anymore! And I am being cleansed by the blood of the Lamb! I have not yet achieved, but I press toward that mark. Is that your experience? Friend, if that is not yet your experience, won’t you look upon Jesus, on that cruel cross, lifted up before you? Won’t you look and live?

When you love Jesus, you will keep His Commandments. You will be sanctified!

Read John 14:15-26.

Now: turn to Exodus 31, verses 13 to 18. (read).

The Sabbath is the sign of the Covenant. It was then, and is now, because Jesus is the Creator. “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” “For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them.” Exodus 20:8, 11.

That is the 4th Commandment: and it is the focal point of Revelation 14, verse 7…”the hour of His Judgment is come! Worship Him that made heaven and earth and the sea!”

Then, Jesus says in verse 8 of Revelation 14, through the figure of the second angel’s message, that the Gentile Christian Church is fallen. Not even just once, but twice! Where is it: a Christian Church identified as in Babylon? Turn to the first letter of Peter, chapter 5, verse 13. (read) This letter was written from Rome, and Peter refers to the church at Rome as the church in Babylon! (compare Rev.18, verse 10, with Rev.17, vs. 1, 9, and 18, 19).

The original Christian church, which prophecy and history show devolved into the Papal Church at Rome, fell into false worship: worship of the Pagan (inspired by ancient Babylon) deity, the Sun-god. This false worship finally caused the “deadly wound” to the Papal form of the church, in 1798, when Berthier, a general of Napoleon’s army, took the Pope prisoner and stripped him of his kingdom and his power to persecute true Christians. (read Rev.13:3)

The Papal Catholic Church has continued in the same sin, since its healing of the deadly wound, and the rebuilding of its power throughout the world. But by 1844, the prophecy now refers also to all of the Christian Church, now including the Protestant daughter churches. All of the Christian Church has fallen, since 1844, continuing in the same sin of false worship as caused the deadly wound to the Papal Church in 1798. (read Rev.17:1-6 – Note: “Mother of Harlots”) After 1844, Babylon and her daughters, which had become the very image (likeness) of their mother church, rejected the Sabbath truth, and accepted the false Sabbath, Sun-day worship, which Papal Rome put in place of the true Sabbath. Sunday is not the Sabbath! The mark of Papal Rome’s power is that it has thought to change this focal point of God’s Law! How do we know? God’s Word foretold it!

Turn to Daniel 7 again, verse 25. (read to “laws”). That is talking about God’s Laws, and God’s prophetic times! In the hour of God’s Judgment, since 1844, every person is to repent of breaking God’s Laws and believe the gospel, the good news that you can be forgiven the sins that are past (Romans 3:25) and that you can keep the Commandments of God, all of them, by looking to Jesus our Creator, who became the Lamb of God, lifted up upon the cross: Jesus, who ascended as our High Priest-Intercessor, to the heavenly Sanctuary: Jesus, whom we can learn to love more than sin!

Since 1844, those who have received the true Sabbath, and come out of Babylon, to worship the Creator God, have rejected false worship and can stand in the Judgment if they remain firm to the end!

False worship is worship of Rome’s man of sin (see Second Thessalonians 2, vs. 3 and 4), by keeping his commandment to keep Sunday holy, in place of the Sabbath of Jesus, instituted at Creation! People who have rejected the Sabbath truth, from 1844 till now, have instead received the “mark” of the “beast!”

Return to Revelation 14, verses 9 to 11.

This is the greatest warning in the Bible: the 3rd Angel’s Message. (read) Those who will not receive of the wrath of God, will fulfill verse 12! (read) God’s remnant, the left-over part of His true Christian Church, will keep God’s Commandments and “have the faith of Jesus,” which is faith in the Scriptures!

Turn back a little to Rev.12, verse 17. (read) Here again the remnant are identified. They are found in the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Here are they that keep the Commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ, which reveals Babylon, and it’s “mark,” and it’s “image” (idols of Mary)!

Now, in the closing scenes of earth’s history, another angel, another messenger, is emphasizing the messages of the second and third angels. (read Rev.18:1-5).

So, ours are all four angel’s messages. We are to proclaim the true, Everlasting Gospel – that the love we can have in us for Jesus will cause us to be able to keep His Commandments, including worshipping Him, our Creator, by keeping His Sabbath holy! We are to proclaim the Judgment hour: reveal the sin that the Christian Church has fallen into: (false worship) and, show how to be saved from the wrath to come. (“Come out of Babylon, My people!”) Will you learn these four Messages, so you can serve Jesus, in this final conflict? Jesus, and Father-God lament, “My people [believers or not] are being destroyed for lack of Knowledge!” (Hosea 4:6)

Friends, by teaching who Jesus is, and what He is doing, we can lead our hearers to the Present Truth – the four angel’s messages! When Jesus returns in the Second Advent, will you be found on His side in the conflict between truth and error, good, and evil?

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