The Good Laodicean - SEASONS OF THE CHURCH, PART III: SEEING THE BEACON IN THE DARKNESS

No. 63 - SEASONS OF THE CHURCH, PART III: SEEING THE BEACON IN THE DARKNESS
By: John J. Blanchard
Saturday, March 26, 2005

We want to start today’s sermon with a little story called “Your Call”. Through the pitch black night the captain sees a light dead ahead on a collision course with his ship. He sends a signal, “Change your course ten degrees east.” The light signals back, “Change yours ten degrees west.” Angry, the captain sends another message, “I am a Navy captain. Change your course, sir.” “I am a seaman, second class,” comes the reply. “Change your course, sir.” Now the captain is furious, “I am a battleship, and I am not changing course!” There is one last reply, “I am a lighthouse, your call!”

There is a lot of truth in that little story. That is truth that we can pay attention to and learn from, and that is what we are going to try to do in today’s sermon titled, “Seeing the Beacon in the Darkness”. This is the third in the series of “Seasons of the Church”.

REVIEW OF PART II
We noticed in part two, “A Witness for Every Season” that Satan fought the first ekklesia of the woman, and he lost with Jesus Christ. Matthew 4 showed us clearly how Jesus Christ defeated Satan, and He used God’s word to do it. Christ made fools of principalities and of Satan himself. He lived a perfect life, died and was resurrected. This is what gave a mortal wound to Satan’s system. Although Satan was allowed to continue for a while longer, that wound will prove to be fatal in the not-too-distant future.

Satan, as we saw, was allowed to continue fighting the woman for an additional 1,260 days or 42 lunar months. Let’s pick up that story now in Revelation chapter 12:5. “She…” (That is the woman.) “…bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne.” (This is speaking of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.) “Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days.”

That 1,260 days corresponds with the 42 months as we will see in a moment. But let’s drop down to verses 13 and 14 of Revelation 12. “Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child. But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent.” This is the same 1,260 days (42 months). For reference to the 42 months let us go to Revelation chapter 13.

Revelation 13, verse 5: “And he…” (that is the dragon) “…was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months.”

A SPIRITUAL WILDERNESS
Where was the wilderness where the woman hid where she could be nourished? And what was this nourishment? If you were to look up the term “wilderness”, you would find in the Greek it is eremos or eremoo which means a lonesome wasteland, to lay waste, a spoiled place. In other words it is a place that has been ruined. Who has ruined the earth but none other than Satan the devil!

To God the earth looks like ruination or a wasteland because when He looks upon the earth, He sees Satan His arch enemy ruling over it. He sees a world devoid of His Holy Spirit except for just a few called-out ones. He sees a world without light and a world without His truth. Therefore it is a world without form and void spiritually. It is like a roiling sea tossed to and fro by Satan the devil. That is what the earth looks like to God. That is why a lamp in somebody (a Christian, called, chosen and having received the Holy Spirit and who has the light of God) looks so bright to God on the earth! It is a special lamp to God. It is something that is glowing upon the earth as a witness to the world of where God is working.

The true Church lay hidden in a dark world, and it possessed the light. That light is the truth of God. So what was it nourished with? It was nourished with more of God’s truth. It was nourished with the strength to overcome Satan as Jesus Christ overcame Satan. It was a Church quietly working in a dark world to develop holy righteous character. It was developing those attributes that God could use to establish His government some day.

That Church went through seven cycles (or seven Church eras) spoken of in Revelation. If you were to look up the word for nourish that is what it means. It comes from the Greek word trepho and that means to go through cycles learning to overcome habits and sins, to grow in character with nourishment from another source. That is nourishment from God, essentially brought to the churches by God’s messengers, the angels. That allowed us to use the word of God with the Holy Spirit of God, leading us to determine where we are in times and season. It helps us determine what we need to do to be a witness to the entire world.

Each era worked diligently to remove spots and blemishes until it was in danger of losing its light. Then Jesus Christ had the option of visiting the Church era and moving the candlestick forward in time to the next Church era. For six Church eras (that is the 42 months as we covered in the second sermon in this series) Christ and His Church worked together as two witnesses marking off the times and seasons, being a light to the world and accomplishing a purpose within themselves to someday form the government of God. Then Satan and his influence could be removed from this earth, and God’s beautiful government could be installed.

Let us continue now in Revelation 12:15-16. “So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood. But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth.”

Satan attacked the Church and spewed a flood out after her, but the Church was being protected by God. He had made a place within the wilderness of the world where she could be safe. How did that get done? God moved mankind and directed mankind in such a way that during this 1,260 day period gradually the earth became hospitable to the Church. I will tell you how.

First God came along, and He helped mankind develop the printing press. Gutenberg developed a way to rapidly reproduce the Bible and put it in many people’s hands. From there God moved mankind to develop religious tolerance in the world. Slowly but surely religious tolerance developed until Britain and America became bastions of religious freedom. They became a place where the Church was actually protected by law! They were places where the Church could be nourished, fed and do its job in relative peace and harmony. Satan could not stamp out the Church either physically or spiritually, though he tried mightily just as he tried prior to Christ’s first coming. He was using physical systems as well to try to overcome the Church, but he was constantly attacking the Church spiritually to sin, which is the real way to defeat the Church.

After this 1,260 day period the status quo takes a frightening turn for God’s Church! We can pick that up in Revelation 12:17. “And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.”

The rest of her offspring means the end of the line, the remnant, the tail end of the Church eras, which is the Laodicean Era. He is so enraged by that point, knowing he has a very short time, that he throws everything he can at the Church to try to defeat and stop it. He does this for a very good reason as we will see as we go through the sermon. If you read in Revelation chapter 13, the frightening and the sad thing is he is allowed to overcome the Church. He gains the victory over the Church!

Read in Revelation 13:5-10. Patience here means the endurance to bear. The Church in the last era must bear a tremendous attack by Satan who is actually allowed to overcome the Church for a short time! This will, of course, accomplish something for God, but it is very difficult for the people who followed the 42 months or the 1,260 days and lived into the last Church era. It is the Church era we are a part of. It is very, very difficult because Satan gains victory over the Church. In essence, it is because Jesus Christ no longer has the time to advance the candlestick forward to another Church era. We have reached the end of the line for the Church. We have reached the climax of God’s plan before He actually sends Jesus Christ back to the earth and institutes the Millennium.

THE DARK AGES OF THE CHURCH
What goes on in this period of darkness? It is like the dark ages of the Church at the very end of time! We are going to peer into that darkness today with the light of God’s word. We are going to use a principle outlined in God’s word. As a matter of fact, let us turn right now to Isaiah chapter 28:9. Jesus Christ, speaking of our time today says, “‘Whom will he teach knowledge? And whom will he make to understand the message? Those just weaned from milk? Those just drawn from the breasts? For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little.’”

At the end of time Jesus Christ has a message to send to the Church. It is outlined in Revelation, but it is not understood until the end. He wants to give that message, but He says who can I give it to? Can I give it to just babes in the Church? Babes in the Church would be people who do not have the knowledge and the training to understand precept upon precept, line upon line. For there is much to learn. That is part of the miracle, brethren, for he who has an ear to hear, because there is help from God to understand His beautiful thoughts (His mind) here at the end of the age.

Continue in Isaiah 28:11 we are told, “For with stammering lips and another tongue he will speak to this people, to whom He said, ‘This is the rest with which you may cause the weary to rest.’ And, ‘This is the refreshing’; yet they would not hear.” So just as the Millennium is about to dawn and Jesus Christ is about to return, God has a message for the Church and He says there is no one there to receive it! It is another tongue. It is with stammering lips.

This term “another tongue” comes from the Hebrew lashown and leshonah which means figuratively a speech with a fork of flame and a cove of water. So this is a speech discerned by the Holy Spirit. This is a speech and a message that is given by God through His Holy Spirit through living water and is used by the two witnesses as a flame of fire to convict others. They can then teach and spread the good news of the gospel of the kingdom of God. This is what God is talking about. I have this message. Whom am I going to give it to? No one wants to hear it! Just as the time of refreshing is approaching, I cannot give this to My Church until I clean it up.

WHY THE CHURCH IS OVERCOME
That is the purpose of why Satan is allowed to overcome the Church. It is to get the Church to take itself seriously and the message seriously. Then it can study and allow God to work with it as it overcomes its spots and blemishes. God can then go forcefully ahead with this message to, indeed, the whole world that the Millennium is about ready to start! That is a snapshot. We are going to talk more about that today and more in the final sermon in this series.

We want to make sure that we have an ear to hear and that we understand the times of refreshing are about to come. We have to have an open mind to God’s thinking, His language, His beautiful thoughts. His thoughts are so high above ours it is as the sky is above the earth! His mind is so powerful and so strong. With His help, we can understand. Those who want to be a witness in these last times and want to help need to open up their mind and let God come in and feed them the nourishment that He has. Then we can move forward and be the witness He wants.

Let’s now cross reference the end of this 42-month period in scripture (the end of the 1,260 days) so we can determine without a doubt that we have just passed that time. We are into a new season for the Church. Let us look at Revelation chapter 3 which is the previous era (the Philadelphia Era) and what God told them.

Revelation 3, verse 7: “‘And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, “These things says, He who is holy, He who is true, ‘He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens’: I know your works. See I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.”’”

God says I know you have a little strength so I am going to help you. I have to get this job done! He tells the Philadelphia Era that you will go through an open door. He provided that open door through Mr. Herbert Armstrong. He gave Mr. Armstrong enough truth and enough knowledge that he could powerfully proclaim the gospel of God. He gave him the wherewithal physically to get it done and the people to back him up to do it. This was a witness to the entire world spoken of in Matthew 24:14.

THE SIGN OF CHRIST’S COMING
Turn to Matthew 24:14 where it speaks of the one sign that Jesus Christ gave His apostles back there when they were asking what will be the sign of Your second coming? Jesus Christ said it will not be wars and rumors of wars. It will not be famines and earthquakes and pestilences. It is going to be this sign. Verse 14: “‘And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.’”

That is a marker! That is a place to take note of. When this is done and gets accomplished, that is a serious way marker along the path toward Jesus Christ installing His perfect government. We passed that point in about 1978 or 1979! Mr. Armstrong had his heart attack in 1977 and died and then was given a new lease on life by God. He knew that the gospel had been taken to the entire world! He said so, and he wondered why Christ did not return. As a matter of fact, I want to quote about this from his own autobiography volume II, page 238.

This is quoting Mr. Armstrong: “I have been called merely to proclaim Christ’s message as a witness. I am not sent to force conversion on the world, but to be a witness of the TRUTH, made plain to those willing to receive it. And, of course I realized that unwilling minds can shut the door from allowing it to enter.”

So this very powerful sign and powerful wonder for mankind to witness and for the Church to take note of was a beacon and a way marker of where we are in time! If you will notice how important it is for the Church to understand this, look what follows in Matthew 24:15-16. After you see the gospel preached as a witness to the world: “‘Therefore when you see the “abomination of desolation,” spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place’ (whoever reads, let him understand), ‘then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.’”

ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION
After we see this way marker at the end of the age that the gospel has gone to the world as a witness, an event takes place that we need to realize and take note of in our minds. That event is the abomination of desolation in the holy place. This would mark a time to flee in the last days. Let’s continue to cross reference this point in time by turning back to Daniel chapter 9. Daniel talks about this abomination of desolation in a couple of places.

Daniel 9, verse 26: “‘And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself…’” (that is when Jesus Christ died for all mankind) “‘…and the people of the prince who is to come…’” (that is Satan) “‘…shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, and till the end of the war desolations are determined. Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; but in the middle of the week he shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, even until the consummation, which is determined, is poured out on the desolate.’”

What we are seeing here is Jesus Christ would die for all mankind. After that the prince would send people to destroy the city of God (physical Jerusalem). He would cause the abomination of desolation of the physical sanctuary of God. The physical temple back there in Jerusalem was surrounded by Titus of Rome and destroyed. From that time forward (it says until the consummation of all things) abominations will continue to take place and it will continue to be desolate. Until this very day there are no offerings getting offered there! The temple is no longer in existence except one portion of it called the Wailing Wall. It has never resumed its glory nor its place in history, for it had no need actually. There was no need of that because Jesus Christ had died and replaced that system. But the physical abominations continue to this day. The Jewish people and all Israel were scattered throughout the world until this very time, awaiting the Messiah.

Now, if you would, go to Daniel chapter 11 where we see this point spoken of here once again. Daniel 11, verse 31: “‘And forces shall be mustered by him, and they shall defile the sanctuary fortress; then they shall take away the daily sacrifices, and place there the abomination of desolation.’” Here the abomination of desolation is spoken of once again, but we have to realize there is something very serious here. We have to understand what abomination of desolation is being spoken of, because there have been a number of them.

The first abomination of desolation we talked about in Daniel 9 was specifically referring to the fall of the physical temple in Jerusalem when it was surrounded by Titus. When Daniel wrote these words (his book), scripture tells us that only one abomination out of three that physical Israel would endure had taken place. Only one. In 586 B.C. the first abomination of desolation took place when Babylon conquered Jerusalem, destroyed God’s temple and desecrated the temple. They abominated and desolated God’s people. Daniel was actually a captive from that war. He was a captive taken back to Babylon. There he wrote. At that time when he wrote there were two more physical abominations yet to take place after Daniel died. One was when Greece under Antiochus Epiphanes sacked the temple once again and desecrated it in 167 B.C. The third and final time that we have already briefly mentioned was in 70 A.D. Titus of Rome surrounded Jerusalem, destroyed the city, destroyed and desecrated the temple, killed many of the Jews that were present and scattered the rest all around, abominating and desolating God’s temple.

So we see in Daniel there are three physical abominations of desolation. One he was actually a part of as a captive. There were two more to follow him. Both of those took place and affected the physical congregation of God. This was the first ekklesia. All three of these events were physical. Let’s wrap our mind around that point and make it clear. They all involved warfare. They all involved the city and the temple being overwhelmed by an enemy. They all involved desolation of the people, which means to make desolate. Many people died. Many were scattered and taken captive. Lastly, the temple, the sanctuary and the altars were desecrated. When the temple was desecrated, pagan deities were put on it. Pig’s blood was offered on the altar. It was just made a mockery of God’s system. That happened three times in a physical sense. But Jesus Christ said after the gospel of the kingdom is preached, this is going to happen again.

Obviously now the second ekklesia would experience an abomination of desolation. As a matter of fact, there is a little bit of an overlap, because Jesus Christ died before Titus sacked Jerusalem. So the Christians (the followers of Christ with the Holy Spirit) were there to witness that physical abomination of desolation. That was their way marker to flee physically! That is the point we are looking for. That is where the 42 months began. That is where the 1,260 days began. It began when they (our predecessors in the Church) fled Jerusalem into that wilderness that we talked about. Physical Israel went down for the last time to suffer this desolation until the consummation of all things. That is why to this day the temple has not been rebuilt. That physical temple will not be rebuilt! All people waiting for that to happen as a way marker for Christ’s return are looking at the wrong signs and wonders!

We now have to start looking at spiritual fulfillments of the abomination of desolation, because the Church has now become a spiritual entity. As we talked in the second sermon, the physical congregation (the first ekklesia, the first Church group of God, the nation of Israel) which was a physical nation, made a physical promise or covenant with God and a physical agreement. Making that physical agreement gave them the right to some physical promises. But God also said if you disobey Me, I will send physical corrections to you. Everything was physical. It was a physical nation. It was a physical covenant. It was physical promises and physical correction.

After Christ’s first coming there was another ekklesia. The woman goes into a spiritual phase of work in which the Holy Spirit is received by the people. Once they make an agreement and once they have been called and agree with God, they make a spiritual covenant with God which entitles them to spiritual promises. It also means they must give themselves to be part of the body of Christ. They must be part of His flesh and bone and part of His temple, His sanctuary and His altar. Each person who receives the Holy Spirit becomes an altar to God. They become a living sacrifice. That is what we looked at in the second sermon of this series. This is spiritual.

Therefore, the abomination of desolation that takes place at the end of the age must be spiritual as well. Jesus Christ told us in Matthew 24 that waiting for physical signs is very dangerous, because you are looking for the wrong things. Jesus Christ’s return comes without ocular evidence. It is without things that you can see with the human eye. It comes with spiritual signs and wonders. It comes with spiritual way markers along the path in the history of the Church that show us where we are in times and seasons.

When Daniel wrote, only the first abomination of desolation had taken place, and it was that of Babylon. Following that would come two more physical abominations of desolation. At the end of the age, one final spiritual abomination of desolation would take place. That means when we read Daniel’s prophecy, we have to remember there were still two physical ones to come and one spiritual one, and those prophecies are all wrapped up in his words. Both sets of prophecies are in his words. This is what has confused people all along in the course of time. They keep attributing to the physical fulfillment that which would occur to the spiritual time of God’s Church. They keep looking for physical manifestations of it to happen again, and it is not going to happen that way. Yet when we read those prophecies, we can see there is Antiochus Epiphanes spoken of here and then Rome spoken of there. We take that and apply it to the last days, and we get goofed up.

We have to keep in our mind that Daniel was writing two sets of prophecies: one for ancient Israel (Judah) and one for the people of God at the end of the age. One is physical, and one is spiritual. Our amazing God, in all His power and might and mental ability, has a plan to deliver both physical Israel and spiritual Israel! The ancient promises will be fulfilled, and the spiritual promises of the second ekklesia will be fulfilled!

When the Messiah returns, physical Israel once again will regain its prominence. Once again Jerusalem will become a physical capital of the earth and will show the world how to keep God’s holy days. It will show how to observe physically a proper worship of God. But at the same time there will be spiritual promises fulfilled by God that He made to the second ekklesia. Only God in all His power, might and glory could come up with such a plan. We think it is complicated enough just to fulfill the physical. Once we understood there is a spiritual side to God’s plan, that is awesome as well. It is even more awesome. They converge at the end of time where He brings all of the promises to fulfillment for both groups. We live in an awesome time indeed! It is wonderful to be able to understand these things.

When Christ warned of the abomination of desolation, only two had occurred. In Christ’s day and age when He was walking the earth He knew that Babylon had already attacked Jerusalem, and He knew Antiochus Epiphanes had already attacked Jerusalem. But He told the apostles you are going to see all of these stones thrown down in your lifetime in another abomination of desolation. When you see it, you flee, which is exactly what happened in 70 A.D.

When Jerusalem got surrounded by armies, the apostles, their descendants and their followers knew they had to get out of there! They fled to the physical mountains. Now that means that prophecy in Matthew 24 was fulfilled once already, but it has yet to be fulfilled spiritually after the gospel is preached as witness to the world. There is another abomination of desolation. There is another fleeing to take place at the end of the age. In other words, at the start of the 1,260 days the Church flees. At the end of the 1,260 days, the Church is overcome by Satan. Then there is another abomination of desolation, and the Church flees spiritually.

SATAN’S GOAL
One thing to note, in all of these abominations of desolation and all of these destructions there is one being responsible. Satan is responsible, and he is the driving force behind every one of them. His intent has always been the same: stop God, stop God’s plan from coming to fruition, and stop God’s people from inheriting the promises. Because when they do, he is finished, and he knows that. When Jesus Christ defeated him back at His resurrection at the end of His perfect life, he received a mortal wound and he knew it! Now his whole goal is to extend his time and season to get as much time of freedom as he possibly can. That is his goal. That is his motive.

Let us turn back to Genesis chapter 3. This curse and this hatred between the Church (the woman) and Satan goes all the way back to the Garden of Eden. Genesis 3, verse 14: “So the Lord God said to the serpent: ‘Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all cattle, and more than every beast of the field; on your belly you shall go, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.’”

Here we can see from that point forward there is going to be enmity between the woman carrying the seed of Jesus Christ and Satan. We have spoken of this before. The woman is carrying the truth of God. All the way through to Revelation that woman is shown as working in travail to give birth to Jesus Christ. We saw that in Revelation 12:5-6. Once Jesus Christ is born, then the woman flees into the wilderness for the spiritual version of its work to accomplish what God needs to do to literally get rid of Satan and his government forever. So this enmity is very old.

Enmity means hatred, opposition and hostility. Satan hates God. There is hatred between God’s people and Satan. There is an opposition that goes from the beginning of time for man (that is Adam) all the way up until Christ’s second coming. Let us turn now to Romans chapter 8, just to speak of this enmity a little bit.

Romans 8, verse 5: “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.”

Here Paul is explaining very clearly to the Romans that once someone is called, you are at enmity between Satan and his system, and he is at enmity with you. There is no middle ground. No peace can be made. It is war! It is a spiritual war where Satan tries to overcome the Holy Spirit within us and shut off the fruits of the Spirit, rendering us useless to God. That is the war we are enduring.

For seven cycles of the Church, the point is to overcome our habits and sins and to overcome Satan with the blood of the Lamb. We do that by striving to develop holy righteous character. Whenever we fall, we go back to the blood of Christ and get washed clean. This is the principle that the Church must use. It is the system we must use in exchange for the physical system of physical sacrifices that ancient Israel had. They would go back to the temple and get cleaned up by the death of animals by the blood of sacrifice. We now have Jesus Christ’s perfect sacrifice, but we must use it and work to overcome Satan. Then we can gain the victory.

Satan and his principalities are the real enemies. We know from Ephesians chapter 6:10-12 that we fight wicked spirits in high places (in heavenly places). We have read it many times, and we do not need to turn there. Those are the principalities we face. Those are the principalities we fight against. We fight against the human instruments he is forced to use.

BATTLE BY PROXIES
You will remember the curse back in Genesis 3 that he must lick the dust. In essence, Satan has to fight through human beings. Up until now, he has been forced to fight through human beings. It is the curse he is under. He had to try to defeat God through mankind just as God defeated him through mankind by sending His only Son, Jesus Christ to the earth. But the government of God has many positions. Jesus Christ is continuing to fight through His body (the Church, the body of Christ) so He can fill these positions with people of moral character. They will be those who have overcome Satan by allowing Him to work in them.

This battle has been fought by proxies, you might say, on both sides. Satan uses people of the world to stop God. God and Jesus Christ use people called out of the world and given a little bit of the Holy Spirit to fight Satan. They are both fighting through mankind. One is fighting through the body of Christ and the other through the worldly system he has installed.

That is why the dragon was ready to destroy Christ at His birth. How? The dragon was not standing there when Mary gave birth to Christ. Herod’s soldiers were there. How did Christ die on the cross? Was the dragon (Satan) driving the nails through His hands? No, it was Roman soldiers once again. How did Jesus Christ get betrayed to the Romans? He was betrayed by some of His own people, some traitors, who betrayed Him. God was using Jesus Christ, a Man, and Satan was using human beings to stop God. We can see how that works. That is the curse that Satan has. He has to stop God through mankind.

Satan has already fought in heaven. We saw that in Revelation 12, and he was cast down. He lost his position of authority at the throne of God in heaven, and he was cast out by the angels. If you remember, they said now woe to the earth! We got rid of this angel, and now he is your problem! We will help you all we can to defeat him, but it requires the blood of the Lamb and a willingness of a certain few to receive the Holy Spirit. These few are called-out ones who are a witness of God. They will overcome Satan by using the blood of the Lamb and fighting to grow in holy righteous character.

The physical way in which Satan uses proxies is described in Daniel chapter 10. Please turn there. Daniel is praying, and he receives a message from an angel. Daniel 10, verse 10: “Suddenly, a hand touched me, which made me tremble on my knees and on the palms of my hands. And he said to me, ‘O Daniel, man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you.’ While he was speaking this word to me, I stood trembling. Then he said to me, ‘Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia.’”

This angel is saying I have been involved in spiritual warfare for three weeks to bring this message to you! Do not feel God was delaying in sending it to you. He loves you. You are beloved in heaven for your humility, your love of the truth and for your studying. You are beloved, and I had to fight my way through a prince over the nation you are in right now. It is the prince over Persia. That prince, of course, is a wicked demon. So this angel had to receive help from Michael to fight his way through this prince of Persia and some spiritual kings who assisted him in resisting this angel of God.

Continue this story in Daniel 10 by reading verses 14-21. The angels were bringing messages to Daniel on how to understand scripture and, indeed, to write more scripture and some prophecies. He says you are beloved in heaven, but every time I come here to deliver messages from God, I have to fight through the demons and the principalities that hold this earth hostage. It is hard work! I have to fight my way back to heaven through the prince of Persia again, and when we come back, another physical kingdom on earth will have been established. It will be the physical kingdom of Greece with its princes (spiritual demons) over it. Those demons will have to be fought so I can pass through in order to bring you messages.

We are getting a behind-the-scenes look at spiritual warfare. We see how Satan is over this earth as principalities in the heavens. We see how he has the earth divided up into these principalities physically, and through a series of kingdoms on the earth they are doing his bidding. That is what was happening to the Romans who put Jesus Christ to death. It was simply a physical kingdom being moved by Satan to do his will.

This whole system is outlined in Daniel 2 in the dream of the image of Nebuchadnezzar. Turn to Daniel chapter 2, and we will read a part of this story. You will remember Nebuchadnezzar had a dream of a great image and he was terrified by it. Read Daniel 2:31-36.

Daniel fulfilled the kings request of telling him what the dream was without anyone telling him, other than God’s angels. Then he went on to bring the interpretation to King Nebuchadnezzar.

Read Daniel 2:37-40. Daniel was outlining history in advance to King Nebuchadnezzar saying we are starting with you, the King of Babylon! After that we will go through a series of kingdoms. Next would follow Persia, that Daniel served under, and that is why the angel had to fight through the prince of Persia to bring him a message. Then it would be followed by the Greek Empire and then the Roman Empire. It is an outline of history right up until the 1,260. Then things take a different turn as the Church flees into the wilderness. Satan continues to use human nations, but he is now involved in much more than a physical war. He is involved in spiritual warfare.

As much as physical nations and false religions try to attack the Church, they could not defeat it. You cannot defeat the body of Christ with guns, bombs, bullets, arrows or any form of torture. This is not what’s going to defeat God’s Church. You must defeat God’s Church spiritually, and Satan knows that. So his tactics changed. He kept attacking the Church in a physical way and a spiritual way for 1,260 days. Those are six cycles of the Church or 42 months.

We have noticed in the second sermon how each Church era is given from its Unleavened Bread to its visitation by Christ in the night. It is like spring to fall, from the spring holy days to a visit from Christ like Trumpets. Each one is given seven months to work on its problems. This happened six times for a total of 42 months. That we outlined all in the second sermon in this series.

Now we want to look at Satan’s principalities as pictured as mountains. Turn, if you would, to Ezekiel chapter 35. We see a remarkable prophecy here about Satan’s governmental system as a form of mountains. Read Ezekiel 35:1-9.

MOUNT SEIR
What is this Mount Seir? If you were to read to the end of that chapter, you would see God continues to outline the desolations of Satan’s mountain. The ones who come and go from Satan’s principalities in the heavens are his demons. God says I will defeat you with blood and with the sword of God. The sword of God is the Bible. As God converts the earth, which indeed He will, and the Millennium takes hold on the earth, Satan’s power will be totally diminished by the blood of men. He will be defeated, and his mountains are going to come crashing down!

If you were to look up Mount Seir and define it in the Hebrew, you would find it means a hairy goat, evil, a he goat or the devil. It is also the word saiyr: a storm that causes humanity to shiver in fear. Satan and the nations that he has moved with his horrible influences to do evil have caused humanity to shiver in fear. Even God’s Church itself has shivered in fear. Although we should not have a spirit of fear, sometimes even we become afraid because of the shaking of Satan’s nations and the fear of their coming.

Isaiah chapter 14 talks about Satan’s defeat in a little bit of a different way. If you turn back to Isaiah 14 you will find here that over this mountain range called Seir is his capital city Babylon. Isaiah 14, verse 3: “It shall come to pass in the day the Lord gives you rest from your sorrow, and from your fear and the hard bondage in which you were made to serve, that you will take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say: ‘How the oppressor has ceased, the golden city ceased!’” We are told in verse 5 how God will destroy the wicked.

Now we are going to tie this city of Babylon (a physical city) to a spiritual Babylon in the sky resting on Mount Seir. It is of a spiritual mountain range that Satan has for his government. Drop down to Isaiah 14:12. “‘How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: “I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north…”’”

Satan wanted to rise into heaven and take God’s throne and His authority. When that did not work, he wanted to sit on the mount of the congregation. That is the woman! That is the congregation of God both in the Old Testament and the New Testament (the first ekklesia and the second ekklesia).

Isaiah 14, verse 14. “‘I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’ Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the Pit.”

He wanted to be like God. He wanted to take over all authority and be God of the universe if he could. But he was defeated and kicked out of heaven. Satan then had to try and take control of the woman. That is what he was trying to do when he tempted Jesus Christ in Matthew chapter 4.

Now, if you would, let us turn to Isaiah chapter 2 and see how God tells us His government is also like a mountain. We saw that in Daniel 2 where a rock cut out without human hands destroyed the image and grew into a mountain. That is referred to here in Isaiah chapter 2:1-4 speaking of that rest that is to come (the Millennium). Read Isaiah 2:1-4.

MOUNT ZION
God’s mountain is a peaceful mountain with a city upon it that is called Jerusalem which is also the city of peace. That is what Jerusalem means. In the last sermon we looked at Hebrews chapter 12 because this Mount Zion and this city Jerusalem and the temple of God are spoken of there in their spiritual form. Turn if you would to Hebrews chapter 12. Read Hebrews 12:18-24.

This is the mountain that people were called to for 1,260 days (until the end of the period of Satan’s attack, the first six eras of the Church). It was a spiritual mountain with a spiritual city on it, the City of Peace (Jerusalem). That Mount Zion means the hill of Jerusalem in the New Testament, the Church militant and triumphant.

We find in the last era the Church is not so triumphant for a while. We are in that dark period right now where the Church is in a weakened state and has been overcome by Satan. But that is for a short time. God will fulfill His promises and His city will take its rightful place.

If you were to define Zion in the Old Testament, you would see it is called a mountain of Jerusalem, a permanent capital in its sense of conspicuousness, a monumental or guiding pillar, a sign or a way mark. The term Zion is very comparable to the term natsach which means a goal or a bright object in the distance, splendor and truthfulness.

A BEACON
Mount Zion is the mountain upon which Jerusalem sits, the capital of God’s mountain range that will be over the earth once it has replaced Satan’s. It will become a bright object in the distance, a guiding pillar for all the world to see and to come to. That is where we get the title for today’s sermon and that story about “Your Call” the light house. Because the Church of God should be a light, a beacon, to the entire world. Right now it has gone dark for a short period of time. God promises that light will come back and glow brighter than ever. It will be a miracle how He attains that promise and fulfills it.

We are, in essence, looking here in scripture at where the Church is headed. We are headed toward the Millennium and toward a time of peace. We want to take the whole world toward that time of peace as well and dwell underneath the government of God that will have replaced Satan’s mountains. At this point in time, God still has to fight and get through Satan’s principalities and demons to send messages to His people. The demons will be eliminated. Those mountains will fall and God’s mountains will rise.

Turn, if you would now, to Isaiah chapter 9. We will see that this really is a government. Isaiah 9 says that this mountain of God will be a government that will fill the whole earth. Isaiah 9, verse 6: “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.”

It is by a great miracle that the dragon, Satan, and his principalities will be cast down and the nations no longer influenced by his spiritual flood, so to speak. They will no longer be underneath the sway of him, tossed to and fro like a roiling sea. They will no longer be a wasteland.

A DIFFERENT ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION
Satan is the dragon depicted as having many heads, which are that nations that he has been using in a campaign to stop the advance of God’s government. It is a campaign against God and His Church where he wanted to prevent the woman from getting her promises. God has foiled every physical attack by Satan until the very end. A different form of attack occurs, and God will foil that attack as well. But it is dramatically different. It is a different sort of abomination of desolation, and we need spiritual vision to see it for what it is. Then we can mark off when it happened and be prepared to fight it. This is the purpose of these sermons. They can help us see with spiritual vision (spiritual powers of observation) and understand where we are in the times and seasons of God’s plan.

As we said earlier, there is one final abomination of desolation that was yet remaining after Titus. There would be one abomination of desolation taking place after the 1,260 day period when the Church fled into the wilderness. It would take place after the gospel of the kingdom is preached as we saw in Matthew 24:14-15. That is when Christ warned that a spiritual abomination would take place, and we need to be able to see it. That is why He said it takes wisdom to see this.

When the Church fled it took a certain amount of wisdom to know what was happening, but it was physical. You could see the armies! You could see the devastation. You could see the danger and run. The second time around takes tremendous wisdom to see. It is actually far more dangerous to God’s people! We want to peer into that darkness with God’s light shining even more brightly. We want the word of God, His truth shining more brightly so that we can see where we are in time.

Turn, if you would, to Revelation chapter 13 once again. We have read this already but we are going to just refresh our minds. Revelation 13, verse 6: “Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them.” This is something Satan was allowed to do for a very good reason.

We will cross reference that with II Thessalonians chapter 2, verse 3: “Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition…” Here we are being told by Paul that Jesus Christ will not return until this happens. He told the people of his day do not worry. This has to happen first. A falling away must occur when the son of perdition is revealed.

Continuing in verse 4: “…who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.”

We saw from Isaiah 14 and from Ezekiel 35 it is Satan with an ancient hatred who wanted to take God’s throne. No human being could ever have attained access to God’s throne in heaven or the power to overcome God’s Church. It is impossible.

This is Satan the devil, and he is being revealed for what he is. He does use human instruments, but he is the one who sits on the congregation of God (in the temple of God). He is the one who wants to take God’s position from Him. If you wanted to prove that he is called the son of God, you can go back to Job and other places where he is called a son of God. Because everything that came from God (all life that comes from Him) has received life from Him. God and Jesus Christ are the only ones with life inherent.

If you would, turn back to Daniel chapter 7. We are going to look at Satan’s motive. I have told you before, but we will see the spiritual evidence here. Daniel 7, verse 21: “‘I was watching; and the same horn was making war against the saints, and prevailing against them, until the Ancient of Days came…’” Daniel is being privy here in a vision to watching a war between the saints and this power that this demon has (Satan), who they are calling a dragon. Satan was prevailing against the saints in this war until the Ancient of Days came.

Continuing in verse 22: “‘…and a judgment was made in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came for the saints to possess the kingdom.’” We see there will be victory for God’s Church! We all want to be part of that victory.

Continue reading Daniel 7:23-27. Obviously we are talking about the very end of the age when the Millennium is instituted, God’s government and His kingdom is set up and given to the saints who will rule along with Jesus Christ. But this war does some horrible things at the very end. Sometimes we confuse the spiritual fulfillment of these verses with the physical.

Yes, false religion and physical nations were used to try to stop God’s people in the past. Yes, we know that. We also know that our enemies are not human beings. They are wicked spirits (spiritual principalities) in high places. They are our enemies. We do not need to fear physical kings. Yes, they tried to change times and days. People have accused other church groups of moving the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday. Yes, that occurred. The Romans were a part of it and some other church groups were a part of it, but that is not what can ultimately defeat God’s people. Satan wants to change times and seasons for himself. Remember he wants to extend his reign, which is why he blasphemes and attacks God, His name and His saints. He wants to extend his reign, which is what we are told here. He is seeking to change times and law. He wants to be the law giver, and he wants to change the seasons so that he can continue to reign.

Turn, if you would, to Daniel chapter 12. We will see that the saints were given into his hands for times, time and half a time. This is referred to here. This is why Daniel is a wealth of information, but we have to understand he is writing spiritual prophecies and physical prophecies as well. Read Daniel 12:5-7.

We saw that the people will be given over to this power of Satan. He will be speaking pompous words and influencing the Church for times, time and half a time. This is spoken of in another place in the Bible too. Keep your finger in Daniel chapter 12. We are going to go to Revelation 11.

Revelation 11, verse 3: “‘And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.’” The two witness are working together, the sun and the moon. That is Jesus Christ and the Church working together for 1,260 days.

Then drop down to verse 7: “When they finish their testimony…” (at the end of the 1,260 days) “…the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them.” We saw that in Revelation chapter 13.

Revelation 11, verse 8: “And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations will see their dead bodies three-and-a-half days, and not allow their dead bodies to be put into graves. And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.”

If you remember, the demons would tell Jesus Christ just before He cast them out why are you tormenting us before the time? They said this because He is one of the two witnesses and had the power to cast them out. Those who have His Holy Spirit working within them (the body of Christ) also have that power and torment the demons. It is these demons here who dwell over the earth. They dwell on the earth with their mountains (their principalities) ruling. The people of the world do not bury the Church because it is a spiritual overcoming of the Church at the end.

Jesus Christ was put to death physically, and He was resurrected. His became the blood that we use and the perfect life that we claim to inherit the promise but also to get cleaned up. It is when we no longer are using that properly that the Church goes down. It is a spiritual defeat for the Church and not physical. So the bodies are not buried this time. But Satan is uproariously happy for he has descended upon the Church, and he sits in the temple of God showing himself that he is God. He has overcome the saints for a short time, but this will prove to be his literal undoing. He will be undone by this whole event. God knew this was going to happen, and He provided for this in His plan. The Church will get to its feet. The Church will get cleaned up and get itself ready at the very end, so that Christ has a complete bride to marry. How this is done is a miracle that will see more of in the last sermon.

Go back now to Daniel chapter 12. Hope you kept your finger there. We are going to continue reading about this point in time. We will bring them together and cross reference in all of these places. Daniel 12, verse 8: “Although I heard, I did not understand. Then I said, ‘My lord, what shall be the end of these things?’ and he said, ‘Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. Many shall be purified, made white, and refined, but the wicked shall do wickedly and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand.’”

Then the angel backs up past those three and a half days in which the two witnesses are down. He backs up past when the Church is overcome, and he says here is how you mark off the time.

Verse 11: “‘And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days. Blessed is he who waits, and comes to the one thousand three hundred and thirty-five days. But you, go your way till the end; for you shall rest, and will arise to your inheritance at the end of the days.’”

1290TH DAY
There is a lot of information here because we know the two witnesses work for 1,260 days successfully hidden in the wilderness. This says the abomination of desolation is set up at the 1,290th day. So Laodicea had a chance to work for one month to get rid of its spots and blemishes before the abomination of desolation was set up. Then the abomination of desolation was set up when the Church was overcome. It was overcome when the Church started spewing out Satan’s line because he was sitting in the temple of God showing himself that he is God. At that point, the Church started teaching what? Can we find this place in time? Certainly we can! That is when false worship entered the Church in the form of the trinity and a false view of God. Then we actually started as a Church preaching that. That was the abomination of desolation, and many people knew something horrible had happened. That was about 1993 or 1994. That is when the Church really broke a part with people fleeing in every direction, not realizing they were fleeing the abomination of desolation! But that is what was occurring.

If you were to use that timeline that Daniel just showed us right here, you would see from the 1,290th day until the Millennium (which is the 1,335th day) there is a period of 75 days unaccounted for. Let’s see if we can make sense out of this.

1335TH DAY
If you take the 1,335th day and back up to the times and seasons that God’s festivals portray, we can come up with an accurate assessment of where we are in time. We can get very close to the season! If the Millennium (the rest) and the inheritance that Daniel is going to receive is at the 1,335th day, back up ten days and you come to the Day of Atonement. The Day of Atonement is when Satan is locked away and the earth does not have him to deal with. They can then be converted and taught in preparation for the Millennium. If you back up five more days, you come to the Feast of Trumpets which portrays Christ’s coming. That is when He will come to Laodicea. He came to each of the previous six Church eras in the night.

He will come as a thief in the night this time but with a great display of power as lightning flashing from the east to the west. When He comes, that will be at the 1,320th day, which would be the Feast of Trumpets. We have one month left unaccounted for: from the 1,290th to the 1,320th. We are in that period now, brethren! We just worked from both ends to the middle and we see where we are.

We are in a month-long period of darkness where the moon has grown increasingly darker. We have been fleeing the abomination of desolation every which way we could to get away from it until there is no place left to run. We know that somewhere in this point in time, the tree will begin to bud. God’s fig tree will begin to bud! The truth (the language) that God wanted to use to teach the Church about how He was going to work things out at the end time would become understood to those with an ear to hear. We saw that in Isaiah 28.

A TIME AND A SEASON TO UNDERSTAND
Now we can understand we are in a dark period in the Church’s history, but it is going to come to an end. God guarantees that we will win, but will we be on the winning team is the question. Each individual needs to trim their wicks, understand God’s truth and bring hope to the world like a beacon. This is a time and a season to understand, brethren.

Let us go back to Jeremiah chapter 23. God fulfills His promises in due time, and He always comes through. God speaks of the time we are in now right here. Jeremiah 23, verse 16: “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you. They make you worthless; they speak a vision of their own heart, not from the mouth of the Lord. They continually say to those who despise Me, “The Lord has said, ‘You shall have peace’” and to everyone who walks according to the dictates of his own heart, they say, “No evil shall come upon you.”’”

This we are hearing throughout the branches or the broken off segments of God’s Church. They each are saying stick with this little group, and no harm will befall you; you will be in the place of safety; we are going to the place of safety; the rest of the world can go to hell in a hand basket, but we are going to be okay. God says I hate that preaching. We are to be living sacrifices, brethren. We should be laying our lives down for the world, and be a beacon to them. We should be showing them where God is working and be a witness to them. We should be showing them that God is about to bring peace to the world.

Continuing reading in Jeremiah 23, verse 18: “For who has stood in the counsel of the Lord, and has perceived and heard His word? Who has marked His word and heard it? Behold, a whirlwind of the Lord has gone forth in fury, a violent whirlwind! It will fall violently on the head of the wicked. The anger of the Lord will not turn back until He has executed and performed the thoughts of His heart. In the latter days you will understand it perfectly.”

What has happened to the Church was spiritual correction to get the Church to be refined and purified as Daniel 12 told us. We need to get cleaned up and take our calling for the serious matter that it is. We need to begin to get ready by getting rid of the spots and blemishes That will allow God the Father to send His Son, Jesus Christ, to marry His bride. Then He can usher in a wonderful Millennium for the entire world. It is the time and season to understand. It is the time and season to trim our wicks. It is the time to use God’s word correctly, preaching the true signs and wonders and not scare people to death with the false signs and wonders. It is a time and season to preach the truth to a helpless world who desperately needs what we have to give. It is now a time to join Christ in this battle and be a beacon within the Church to say to the rest of our brethren, “Switch your course before it’s too late. Alter your course before it cannot be undone!” It is time to tell the world the light is about to glow brightly for all people, so that they can come and see and be near the mountain of God. It will be a time in which the city of God, that city on a hill, will be very bright for the whole world. It will be a brightness that it needs so desperately.

In the next sermon we will discuss how to get on to our feet as the body of Christ. We will talk about how to once again effectively wage war with our arch enemy, Satan. It is “your call” if you want to come and have a beacon shine for you.