The book of Revelation describes a vicious attack upon God’s remnant people. However, God provided essential protective principles in the midst of that attack. How does this apply to the modern-day remnant and what will you do?

Hartland Winter Convocation 2017: Restoring the Paths

<p>The book of Revelation describes a vicious attack upon God’s remnant people. However, God provided essential protective principles in the midst of that attack. How does this apply to the modern-day remnant and what will you do?</p>

<p>Free sharing permitted under the Creative Commons <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/">BY-NC-ND 3.0 (US)</a> license.</p>

Hartland Institute of Health and Education

Chris Holland

The Remnant Reviled

Heavenly Father, as we have gathered here and as we spend this moment in study, open our eyes that we might see.

And fill us with your spirit that we might act is our prayer in Jesus name Amen.

His name was Shoki Yokoi born in Saori, Japan in 1915.

He was an apprentice tailor as a young man and then in 1941 he was conscripted into the Japanese Imperial Army, World War II.

He served the Japanese Imperial Army in the 29th Infantry Division in Manchukuo.

In 1943, however, he was transferred to the 38th Regiment in the Mariana Islands and there he arrived in Guam in February of 1943.

As the Japanese attempted to keep and retain possession of Guam, the American troops arrived and in 1944 they retook Guam.

And while they captured most soldiers, they did not capture 10.

Shaki Yokoy was 1 of those 9 soldiers who was not captured.

They went into the jungles of Guam and there they began to hide and survive, believing that the war had continued on.

For 8 years, they traveled through the jungles eating small animals, utilizing the produce and the natural means to survive upon.

By that time many had died but Shakyoki continued on.

Somehow, someway in 1952 he became aware that the Americans had won the war.

He chose not to surrender because in his mindset, he said this, it is to a Japanese soldier a disgrace of being captured alive.

And so even though the war had ended, even though he knew in 1952 the war was over, for the next 20 years, Shoki Yaakoi continued to survive in the jungles of Guam, fending and fighting for his own survival.

It wasn't until 1972 that 2 local people saw Shoki Yokoi there in the jungles.

They thought that he was simply a villager.

But when Yokoi saw them, He thought he was in danger.

And so they brought him out of the jungle.

You see, for 28 years, he was faithful to his call as a soldier of the Japanese Imperial Army.

And even though it appeared as if all was lost, even though the loss had been certain, Shaki Yokoi was faithful to His call.

And in these last days, God is calling upon His faithful people, the remnant, to join Him in His mission of finishing the work on this earth.

But unlike Shaki Yochoi, who knew that his army had been defeated, you see, we have the book that tells us the end of the story.

Wouldn't you like to play a game when you're playing a game, knowing in advance that you're going to win?

But you see, the Great controversy is no game.

And God is calling upon His faithful remnant to be that last day army that takes the Gospel to the ends of the earth that then the end would come.

We have nothing to fear for the future except as we shall forget the way The Lord has led us and His teaching in our past history, lest we forget.

Is it possible that we have forgotten that we are the unique, the distinct people called upon by God in these last days.

Once again, let us turn to Revelation 12.

Last night, we talked about how the Bible says there was war in heaven.

The perfect angel Lucifer, who God had made, He had made him as the covering cherub.

This Lucifer became jealous in his own heart, believed he could govern the universe better than God, and so Satan first attacks the character of God.

Then Satan is cast down to the earth, and he attacks the church of God on the earth.

Then he attacks the Son of God on the earth.

And then in verse 17, he turns his attention to this faithful group called the Remnant.

The attack on the Remnant was so severe that it had to retreat.

It retreated into a wilderness experience in which they could learn to depend on every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.

And in the same way, God is calling us in these last days that we might learn to depend upon God and His Word.

It is interesting to note as you study history, during the first 5 centuries, The dragon's attack on the faithful church came mainly through the persecuting power of Rome.

However, if you study church history and see the tactical battle plan of the devil in his attempt to persecute the church, What we would find is that his tactical plan was an utter failure.

The second century church father, Tertullian, wrote this, "'The blood of martyrs is the seed of the church.'" You see, despite the fearful attacks of the devil, the church exploded in growth.

That small group of 120 that gathered in the upper room had now exploded to the utter ends of the Roman Empire.

It would seem that the tactical battle plan of the devil was utterly failing.

We read this morning, but let's just read it again.

Revelation chapter 12 and verse 17, going into chapter 13.

And the dragon was wroth with the woman and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

And I stood upon the sand of the seed, and I saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having 7 heads and 10 horns, and upon his horns 10 crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.

And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard.

His feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion.

And the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority." We're reading these 2 passages together because what happens too often when we study these things is we get caught up in the nuances of words and verses, and we lose sight of the story.

You see, when John wrote the book of Revelation, he did not write it with chapters and verses.

In fact, the joke amongst most historians is that the man who did chapter and verse division sometime around the 13th and 14th century was riding in a carriage on a very bumpy road.

And at random, he picked those verses and chapters.

It is merely a joke of historians, but the serious part of this is that sometimes we get so, so focused on the tree that we lose sight of the forest.

You see, the Bible says that the dragon was wrath.

The original says that he was wrathful and furious.

Well, we must remember, you see, the devil, his entire mission is destruction.

His entire mission is 1 in which it is of temptation.

There in the Garden of Eden, Satan tempted Adam and Eve and then usurped their dominion over the earth, which is why the New Testament calls the devil the prince of the power of the air.

The devil had taken the dominion of Adam.

But when Jesus Christ came to the earth, He changed everything.

He conquered the devil on the cross, stealing from him that dominion.

Now, he was on borrowed time, and now he has an even bigger problem to deal with.

Not only does he have to deal with the resurrected Son of God and the power of the Holy Spirit, but he has to deal with a church that was spreading the good news of the Gospel and the nature of the true Kingdom of God, and so he was full of wrath against the remnant, because the remnant was regaining that which had been stolen by the devil.

And so the advancement of God's kingdom made him furious and the Bible says that he brought war.

The word is as plain as it can be understood.

But here's the interesting thing that we miss often as we gloss over this verse.

But if you go to the original language, that word went, in its most literal translation, should be translated depart, go away, gone away, to discontinue or to go off.

Now I want you to sink in for a moment as we contemplate these words.

If you're going to make war with someone, what would be your normal action?

But the Bible says that the devil was angry, he was wroth with the woman, and he went away to make war.

What's the very next thing that comes after verse 17?

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The Remnant Reviled

Transcript

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1h 2m

Plenary

Salvation to the Uttermost

1h 2m

GYC SE 2012 Seminar: Leadership

Ministry of Attendance

43m

A Moment of Destiny

56m

A Sure Foundation

31m

There is Hope

Called Out to Stand Out

1h

History and Heroes - Those That Stand: Part 3

1h 6m

The Big Questions (Evening Meetings)

10. The Reformation Will Not Be Televised

2h 6m

Who Is My Neighbor?

55m

Babylon, America, and Bible Prophecy

19 Mark of the Beast

1h 13m

Plenaries with Norman McNulty

The Mystery of God Finished

48m

Sound Doctrine