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Lesson 40 |
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| We invite you to join us, as we pray: |
| Father, Here on earth, there are so many denominations claiming to have the truth, to be the Church of God. We therefore wish to get an answer to a crucial question: Where can we find Your Church? We know that Your Word won't remain silent on such an important subject as the identity of Your Church. This is why we ask You to guide us as we open Your Holy Book. May Your Spirit enlighten us and give us the courage to follow You. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. |
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Acts 2:47 |
Comments |
| The Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved. | The word «Church» comes
from the Greek word «ekklesia», which means «gathering». The Bible confirms that God indeed has a Church, a congregation, gathering together those who are saved. |
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Matthew 16:18 |
Comments |
| [Jesus said,] «And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church.» | Furthermore, Jesus didn't speak of His Churches
(plural), but rather of His Church (singular): so, somewhere there is a Church which
belongs to Him. First, let's look at the foundation of the Church. An erroneous interpretation of this verse leads many people to the conclusion that the apostle Peter is the foundation of the Church. But what does the Word of God teach about this? |
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The Two Women of Revelation |
Lesson 40 |
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Ephesians 2:20 |
Comments |
| (...) having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone. | The one and only foundation of the Church
of God is Jesus Christ. He is the only Rock on which the Church is built. |
1 Corinthians 3:11 |
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| For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. |
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Ephesians 5:23 |
Comments |
| Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. | Christ is the one and only leader of the
Church. He is the head of the Church, and the members are its body, all called to carry out different functions within it. God has never appointed anyone to represent Jesus on earth. Jesus has always been and will always be the only head of the Church. |
Colossians 1:18 |
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| [Christ] is the head of the body, the church. |
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John 10:16 |
Comments |
| [Jesus said,] «Other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.» | Although hundreds of churches claim to be the true Church of God, the Word of God is very clear: only one of them is really the Lord's Church. |
Ephesians 4:4,5 |
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| There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism. |
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John 17:17 |
Comments |
| [Jesus said,] «Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.» | Since its doctrine rests entirely on the
Word of God, the Church of God is really «the pillar and ground of
the truth». Let's now try to discover the identity of this church. |
1 Timothy 3:15 |
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| The house of God (...) is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. |
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Screen 8 |
Isaiah 54:5,6 |
Comments |
| For your Maker is your husband,
the Lord of hosts is His name; and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel; He is called
the God of the whole earth. For the Lord has called you like a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, like a youthful wife when you were refused. |
In the Bible, the people of God, His church, is often symbolized by a woman. |
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The Moment of Truth |
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Screen 9 |
2 Corinthians 11:2 |
Comments |
| For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. | When God's church is faithful to Him, it is portrayed as a pure woman, God's bride. |
Ephesians 5:25 |
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| Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for it. |
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The Moment of Truth |
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Lesson 40 |
Screen 10 |
Jeremiah 3:6,20 |
Comments |
| «Have you seen what backsliding
Israel has done? She has gone up on every high mountain and under every green tree, and
there played the harlot. (...) As a wife treacherously departs from her husband, so have you dealt treacherously with Me, O house of Israel,» says the Lord. |
On the other hand, when the church turns away from God and disobeys Him, it is then symbolized by a woman unfaithful to her husband, a harlot. |
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Screen 11 |
Revelation 17:1,4 |
Comments |
| One of the seven angels who had
the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying to me, «Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters.» (...) The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication. |
The Word of God portrays such an unfaithful church, symbolized by a harlot richly adorned. |
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Screen 12 |
Revelation 17:1-3 |
Comments |
| I will show you the judgment of
the great harlot who sits on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth committed
fornication (...). And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. |
In our previous lessons, we have seen that a beast
symbolizes a kingdom, a political power. Here, we see a harlot sitting on a beast. Therefore, this represents a power combining the church (the woman) and the state (the beast), in other words, a religio-political power. |
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Matthew 22:21 |
Comments |
| Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's. | However, Jesus has always commanded that the church
and state be kept separate. And He was absolutely right, since history reports that the union between religion and politics has always resulted in horrible persecutions. |
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The Moment of Truth |
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Revelation 17:5,6 |
Comments |
| And on her forehead a name was
written: Mystery, Babylon the great, the mother of harlots and of the abominations of the
earth. And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints and (...) of the martyrs of Jesus. |
This unfaithful Church gave birth to daughters, that
is, other churches which do not obey the teachings of God's Word, but rather the
traditions of their «Mother Church». Moreover, during its reign, this Church has persecuted God's faithful people. Now, if you have studied the lesson entitled «The Beast of Revelation», you have certainly recognized this Church. |
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Revelation 17:9,18 |
Comments |
| The seven heads are seven
mountains on which the woman sits. (...) The woman whom you saw is that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth. |
The great harlot symbolizes the Papacy, the Church of
Rome (in fact, Rome is known as «the City of Seven Hills»). This wealthy religio-political power persecuted millions of Christians during the Middle Ages, and gave birth to several churches which, without being fully aware of it, follow its traditions rather than the Word of God. |
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Screen 16 |
Revelation 12:1 |
Comments |
| 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. | The book of Revelation also portrays a second woman. Unlike the first woman, this one is described as being pure. |
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The Moment of Truth |
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Revelation 12:6,13,14 |
Comments |
| 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. (...) 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. |
During the 1260 years of the Papacy's reign, this pure and faithful Church has undergone attacks from Satan, symbolized by the dragon. |
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Revelation 12:17 |
Comments |
| 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 Bible teaches us that, in the last days, the
Church of God will subsist as a remnant. The rest of the woman's offspring, the remnant Church, has the following characteristics: it keeps the commandments of God, and has the testimony of Jesus Christ. We must now discover the identity of this remnant. |
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Revelation 12:14,17 |
Comments |
| 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. (...) And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring. |
God's Church, symbolized by the rest of the woman's
offspring, appeared after the 1260-year reign of the Papacy, that is, after 1798. For more details, we invite you to review the lesson entitled «The Beast of Revelation». |
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Revelation 12:15,16 |
Comments |
| 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. |
Persecuted in Europe, a populous place
symbolized by the flood, the woman was helped by the earth, that is, a land which was then
sparsely populated: the New World. So, the remnant Church appeared in America after 1798. |
Revelation 17:15 |
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| The waters which you saw (...) are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues. |
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Screen 21 |
Revelation 12:17 |
Comments |
| 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 remnant church believes in salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, and keeps all the commandments of God, including the fourth one which requires the observance of the seventh day as day of rest. |
Revelation 14:12 |
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| Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. |
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Screen 22 |
Isaiah 58:12-14 |
Comments |
| Those from among you shall build
the old waste places; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; and you
shall be called the Repairer of the Breach, the Restorer of Streets to Dwell In. If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on My holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy day of the Lord honorable, and shall honor Him, not doing your own ways, nor finding your own pleasure, nor speaking your own words, then you shall delight yourself in the Lord; and I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth, and feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father. |
Moreover, the Word of God foretold that the remnant church would rediscover the Sabbath, which has its origins in Creation, thus raising up «the foundations of many generations». |
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Revelation 14:6 |
Comments |
| Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth - to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people. | The remnant Church is a worldwide movement,
proclaiming God's message throughout the whole world. And what is this message? |
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The Moment of Truth |
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Lesson 40 |
Screen 24 |
Revelation 14:7-10 |
Comments |
| Fear God and give glory to Him,
for the hour of His judgment has come (...). Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. (...) If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God. |
The coming of God's judgment, the fall of Babylon, and the warning against worshipping the beast and receiving his mark, is the triple message which the remnant church must proclaim throughout the world. |
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The Moment of Truth |
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Screen 25 |
Revelation 12:17 |
Comments |
| 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 remnant church also has the testimony
of Jesus Christ, which is the spirit of prophecy. As we have seen in our lesson entitled «Modern Prophets», God has given the gift of prophecy to His church, not only to predict the future, but especially to uplift the members of His church, to improve them, to help them grow in unity and knowledge. |
Revelation 19:10 |
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| The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. |
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The Moment of Truth |
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Lesson 40 |
Screen 26 |
Luke 11:9 |
Comments |
| [Jesus said,] «Seek, and you will find.» | A serious study of all Christian churches will reveal
that only one presents all the characteristics of the remnant Church: the Seventh-day
Adventist Church. Founded in the United States in 1863, this Church has in the year 2000 more than 10 million members, in 205 countries out of 230, representing at least 725 languages and 1000 dialects. It believes in salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, keeps all the commandments of God, and proclaims the triple message of Revelation 14. |
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The Moment of Truth |
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Lesson 40 |
Screen 27 |
John 10:16 |
Comments |
| [Jesus said,] «Other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.» | The Seventh-day Adventist Church does not teach that only its members will be saved, but rather that there are many sincere believers in every church, and that those believers, when they discover the truth clearly revealed in the Word of God, will join God's remnant Church. |
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The Moment of Truth |
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Lesson 40 |
Screen 28 |
Genesis 19:12,13 |
Comments |
| Then the men said to Lot, «Have you anyone else here? Son-in-law, your sons, your daughters, and whomever you have in the city - take them out of this place! For we will destroy this place, because the outcry against them has grown great before the face of the Lord.» |
God warned Lot before destroying Sodom. He does likewise today. |
Luke 17:28,30 |
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| Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot, (...) even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed. |
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The Moment of Truth |
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Lesson 40 |
Screen 29 |
Revelation 18:2,4 |
Comments |
| Babylon the great is fallen, is
fallen, and has become a habitation of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage
for every unclean and hated bird! (...) Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. |
Here is God's solemn call to each one of us today. He urges us to come out of Babylon, that is, out of all the churches unfaithful to His will, and to join His people, the remnant church, the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Will we respond to His call? |
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The Moment of Truth |
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Lesson 40 |
Screen 30 |
| Let us pray together: |
| Heavenly Father, After having taught us all these truths, more valuable than pure gold, You have shown us where we can find Your Church, which keeps all Your commandments and has the faith of Jesus. Please give us the courage we need to come out of Babylon, and join Your Church, while there is still time to do so. May we be efficient and humble instruments in Your hands, so that Your message of salvation may be proclaimed throughout the whole world, and so that we may be one body and one Church. In the precious name of Jesus Christ our Savior we pray. Amen. |
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The test of Lesson 40 is waiting for you!Source of the Pictures of this Lesson |
| Screen 1: Picture collection «ClickArt 65,000» by Broderbund, CD #4, RELCR143.JPG. Screen 2: REMMEY, Paul. In: «The Bible Story, volume 10» (MAXWELL, Arthur S.), p.58. Used by permission. Copyright ©1957, 1985 by Review and Herald® Publishing Association, USA. All Rights Reserved. Screen 3: ZINGARO, Charles. In: «The Bible Story, volume 10» (MAXWELL, Arthur S.), p.153. Used by permission. Copyright ©1957, 1985 by Review and Herald® Publishing Association, USA. All Rights Reserved. Screen 4: ANDERSON, Harry. In: «L'Espoir de l'Humanité, volume 2» (Ellen G. White), front cover. Used by permission. Copyright ©1962, 1989 by Review and Herald® Publishing Association, USA. All Rights Reserved. Screen 5: SEDLACK, Andrew. In: «The Bible Story, volume 9» (MAXWELL, Arthur S.), p.186. Picture edited by Cyberspace Ministry. Used by permission. Copyright ©1957, 1985 by Review and Herald® Publishing Association, USA. All Rights Reserved. Screen 6: STEEL, John. In: «La Sentinelle» magazine (April 1993), Pacific Press Publishing Association, p.5. Screen 7: In: «Adventist Review» (November 1996), p.9. Screen 8: BATONI, Pompeo (1708-1787). «Hagar in the Desert», Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica, Rome. In: «The Art of Angels» (LOXTON, Howard), Regency House Publishing Limited, 1995, p.43. Picture edited by Cyberspace Ministry. Screen 9: In: «La Révélation - le grand dénouement est proche», New York, Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, 1988, p.277. Screen 10: Image from SuperStock. In: «Who's Who in the Bible», Publications International Ltd., 1995, p.182. Screen 11: MANISCALCO, Joe. In: «Images from the Bible and Sacred History CD», Chosen Works, MLI Software, JM258.BMP. Screen 12: MANISCALCO, Joe. In: «Images from the Bible and Sacred History CD», Chosen Works, MLI Software, JM246.BMP. Screen 13: In: «The Watchtower» magazine (August 1, 1985), Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, p.1. Screen 14: In: «La Révélation - le grand dénouement est proche», New York, Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, 1988, p.245. Composite picture by Cyberspace Ministry. Screen 15: In: «La Révélation - le grand dénouement est proche», New York, Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, 1988, p.242. Screen 16: BISHOP, Tom. «Woman of Revelation 12». In: «New Pictoral Aid For Bible Study» (BREADEN, Frank), Australian Division of Seventh-Day Adventists, 1970, chart #40. Screen 17: ANDERSON, Harry. In: «Bible Readings for the Home», p.262. Used by permission. Copyright ©1980 by Review and Herald® Publishing Association, USA. All Rights Reserved. Screen 18: TERRY, Will. In: «Signs of the Times» magazine (January 1999), Pacific Press Publishing Association, p.10. Screen 19: «Prayer aboard the Mayflower». In: WHITE, Ellen G., «The (New, Illustrated) Great Controversy», Laymen for Religious Liberty Inc., 1990. p.432-87. Screen 20: STEEL, John. In: «The Triumph of God's Love, volume 1» (WHITE, Ellen G.), Pacific Press Publishing Association and Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1950, p.342. Screen 21: STEEL, John. In: «The Triumph of God's Love, volume 2» (WHITE, Ellen G.), Pacific Press Publishing Association and Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1950, p.398. Screen 22: In: «Revelation Seminars», Seminars Unlimited, 1986, lesson #10 («Le Sceau de Dieu In l'Apocalypse»), p.3. Screen 23: Advertisement for «Amazing Facts - Millenium of Prophecy». In: «Adventist Review» (October 1999), p.23. Picture edited by Cyberspace Ministry. Screen 24: MANISCALCO, Joe. In: «Images from the Bible and Sacred History CD», Chosen Works, MLI Software, JM234.BMP. Screen 25: In: «Prophecy Seminars», Seminars Unlimited, 1989, Daniel lesson #28 («Daniel and the Gift of Prophecy»), p.5. Screen 26: In: «Questionnaire Adulte de l'Ecole du Sabbat», Pacific Press Publishing Association, Fourth Quarter, 1999, front cover. Screen 27: LEASON, Percy. In: «Votre Bible et Vous» (MAXWELL, Arthur S.), p.95. Used by permission. Copyright ©1959, 1987 by Review and Herald® Publishing Association, USA. All Rights Reserved. Screen 28: RUDEEN, Herbert. In: «The Bible Story, volume 1» (MAXWELL, Arthur S.), p.164. Used by permission. Copyright ©1953, 1981 by Review and Herald® Publishing Association, USA. All Rights Reserved. Screen 29: In: «Revelation Seminars», Seminars Unlimited, 1986, lesson #16 («Le Pays du Recommencement»), p.1. Screen 30: Picture collection «ClickArt 65,000» by Broderbund, CD #4, NATOT449.JPG. |
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The
Two Women of Revelation
