Diapositiva 1

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THE GIFT OF PROPHECY AND GODS REMNANT CHURCH
Lesson 4 for the 24th of January, 2009
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This week, were going to study Revelation 12
vision, and the relation between it and the
remnant church. So we have to interpret and to
clarify the symbols of this vision (the woman,
the dragon, the male child, etc.)
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This chapter has three well-differentiated parts
First part In verses 1-6 we find the vision of a
woman who gives birth to the male child and is
attacked by the dragon. Second part In verses
7-14 we find the same events, but focusing the
subject on the action of the dragon. This part
ends in the same prophetic time as the first
part. Appendix Verses 15-17 go beyond the two
parts they describe the action of the dragon
after the 1,260 days or a time, and times, and
half a time. The remnant shows up.
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FIRST PART
SECOND PART
Now a great sign appeared in heaven a woman
clothed with the sun, with the moon under her
feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars.
Then being with child, she cried out in labour
and in pain to give birth. And another sign
appeared in heaven behold, a great fiery red
dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and
seven diadems on his heads His tail drew the
third of the stars of heaven, and threw them to
the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman
who was ready to give birth, to devour her child
as soon as it was born. She 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. 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(vs. 1-6)
And war broke out in heaven Michael and his
angels fought with the dragon and the dragon and
his angels fought but they did not prevail, nor
was a place found for them in heaven any longer.
So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of
old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the
whole world he was cast to the earth, and his
angels were cast out with him. Then I heard a
loud voice saying in heaven, "Now salvation, and
strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the
power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of
our brethren, who accused them before our God day
and night, has been cast down. And they overcame
him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of
their testimony, and they did not love their
lives to the death. Therefore rejoice, O heavens,
and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants
of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come
down to you, having great wrath, because he knows
that he has a short time. Now when the dragon saw
that he had been thrown down 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 (vs. 7-14)
APPENDIX
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. 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 (vs. 15-17)
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SYMBOLS IN THE VISION
The woman
She is GODS CHURCH, made up by true believers
through history (Isaiah, 54 5-6 2 Corinthians,
11 2) Shes clothed with the sun, which is
Christ (Malachi, 4 2 Revelation, 1 16) She
wears a crown of victory(Revelation, 2 10) She
wears twelve stars, which represent Gods people
in the Old Pact (12 tribes) and in the New Pact
(12 apostles)
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SYMBOLS IN THE VISION
The woman
In verse 1, she represents Gods people, who
waited eagerly the coming of the Messiah, with
their feet consolidated on Sanctuarys sacrifice
system, which was copy and shadow of Christs
work, as the moon reflects suns light (Hebrews,
8 5) In verses 6 and 14, she represents the
pursued church.
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SYMBOLS IN THE VISION
The male child
Hes clearly Jesus, the promised Messiah, who
ascended to heaven (verse 5) and who was
glorified (verse 10)
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SYMBOLS IN THE VISION
The dragon
As it is explained here, hes Satan (vs. 9) who
drew the third part of the angels after his
rebellion (vs. 4), who was cast out of heaven
(vs. 8) and who was exiled in earth after
Christs glorification (vs. 10-13)
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SYMBOLS IN THE VISION
The wilderness and the water
The water represents peoples, multitudes,
nations, and tongues (Revelation, 17 15)and
the flood represents an invasion (Daniel, 9
26) Satan inundated the true church with
non-converted people, corrupting it and causing a
persecution against those who embraced the
truth. True believers had to hide in the
wilderness (places with few people), as Waldenses
and other groups of believers did.
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LETS PUT THE TWO PARTS TOGETHER
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Theres a war in heaven and Satan and his angels
are thrown out.
And war broke out in heaven Michael and his
angels fought with the dragon and the dragon and
his angels fought but they did not prevail, nor
was a place found for them in heaven any longer
(vs. 7-8)
His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and
threw them to the earth (vs. 4)
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LETS PUT THE TWO PARTS TOGETHER
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Jesus is born in the heart of the church and is
taken by God to heaven, where Hes glorified. In
that moment, Satan is permanently exiled to the
Earth, and he has no more access to heaven (Job,
1 6)
So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent
of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives
the whole world he was cast to the earth, and
his angels were cast out with him. Then I heard a
loud voice saying in heaven, "Now salvation, and
strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the
power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of
our brethren, who accused them before our God day
and night, has been cast down Therefore
rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them!
Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea!
For the devil has come down to you, having great
wrath, because he knows that he has a short time
(vs. 9-10, 12)
And the dragon stood before the woman who was
ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon
as it was born. She 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 (vs.
4-5)
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LETS PUT THE TWO PARTS TOGETHER
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Satan tries to destroy Gods church in a period
of 1,260 years. The wilderness helps the woman.
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 (vs. 6)
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 (vs. 13-14)
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1,260 DAYS
This persecution period appears in Daniel and in
Revelation in different terms
One thousand two hundred and sixty
days Revelation, 11 3 Revelation, 12 6.
A time and times and half a time Daniel, 7 25
Daniel, 12 7 Revelation, 12 14.
Forty two months Revelation, 11 2 Revelation,
13 5.
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1,260 DAYS
They are prophetic periods, so we have to use
prophetic arithmetic One day 1 year (Numbers,
14 34 Ezekiel, 4 6) One month 30 days 30
years One year 360 days 360 years
One thousand two hundred and sixty days ? 1,260
years 1,260 days 1,260 years
A time and times and half a time ? 1,260 years 1
2 ½ 3 ½ times 3 ½ years Time year, from
Aramaic iddan, that in the LXX version is
translated as year (Daniel, 4 16)Times 2
years. The Aramaic term for times means two
times. 3 ½ years x 360 days 1,260 days 1,260
years
Forty two months ? 1,260 years 42 months x 30
days 1,260 days 1,260 years
3½ years 42 months 1.260 days/years
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1,260 DAYS
Year 538
Year 1798
Its the domination period of the apostate
Church, which persecuted cruelly to anyone who
objected its teachings. It used civil power.
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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. 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 (Revelation, 12 15-17)
APPENDIX THE REMNANT
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The woman (Gods church) is helped by the earth
(not the wilderness), which prevented the flood
of false believers and persecution from
destroying her. This happened in 1620, when
Pilgrim Fathers came to America in the
Mayflower ship. They could worship God with
freedom of conscience in the new world.
APPENDIX THE REMNANT
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APPENDIX THE REMNANT
Therefore, 178 years before the persecution end
would come, it was shortened.
The persecution of the church did not continue
throughout the entire period of the 1260 years.
God in mercy to His people cut short the time of
their fiery trial. In foretelling the "great
tribulation" to befall the church, the Saviour
said "Except those days should be shortened,
there should no flesh be saved but for the
elect's sake those days shall be shortened." (S.
Matthew 24 22). Through the influence of the
Reformation the persecution was brought to an end
prior to 1798 E.G.W. (The Great Controversy,
chapter 15, page 266)
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Satan shows his anger against part of Gods
church the rest of her offspring (vs. 17)Who
are they?What characteristics do they have?
APPENDIX THE REMNANT

• They emerge starting from 1798.
• In the earth that helped the woman America.
• They keep the commandments of God.
• They have the testimony of Jesus Christ, which is
  the spirit of prophecy(Revelation, 19 10)

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APPENDIX THE REMNANT
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The Adventist Church showed up in history in the
first half of the 19th century, few years after
1798.
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The Adventist Church was born in North America,
spreading throughout the world from there.
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The Adventist Church teaches to keep all the
commandments of Gods law.
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The Adventist Church admits the gift of prophecy
in Ellen Gould White. Likewise, it admits that a
great gift of prophecy will show in the heart of
the church as a sign of the End Time (Joel, 2 28)
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God's remnant people, standing before the world
as reformers, are to show that the law of God is
the foundation of all enduring reform and that
the Sabbath of the fourth commandment is to stand
as a memorial of creation, a constant reminder of
the power of God. In clear, distinct lines they
are to present the necessity of obedience to all
the precepts of the Decalogue. Constrained by the
love of Christ, they are to co-operate with Him
in building up the waste places. They are to be
repairers of the breach, restorers of paths to
dwell in
E.G.W. (Conflict and Courage, September 20)
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