3ABN Spring Camp Meeting 2013: Showers of Blessings

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Three Angels Broadcasting Network (3ABN)

Stephen Bohr

The King, the Mother, and the Daughter

For those of you who are from the East Coast, this is the graveyard shift.

I'm actually pretty glad that they put me at this time because I'm on Pacific time, which means that right now you know I'm I'm just starting the evening in California so it's a real blessing to be able to speak at this time of the day I know that for some of you it probably is a struggle because for some of you it's already be 10 o'clock beyond 10 o'clock but I hope that we're able to concentrate we're going to continue our study on Elijah in scripture but before we do we want to once again draw close to the Lord's throne in prayer never should scripture be opened without prayer so I invite you to bow your heads with me Father in heaven we thank you for the many blessings that we have received here at this 3ABN camp meeting.

And Father we're anticipating a great celebration this weekend.

We ask that you will pour out your spirit upon this place.

That lives will be transformed and changed through the power of Jesus we ask that as we open your holy word that book that you inspired through your spirit that this evening you will open minds and hearts that we might understand your will and that we might be willing to receive it.

We thank you father for the privilege of approaching your throne in prayer, your awesome throne.

We just ask that you will answer our prayer because we come to you boldly in the name of Jesus.

In this series we have been talking about Elijah basically up till now we have studied the Elijah of the Middle Ages and the Elijah of the Old Testament, the historical Elijah.

As I've mentioned there are actually 4 Elijah's in scripture.

The first Elijah is the Old Testament Elijah, he's the historical person.

The second Elijah is what I call the prophetic Elijah and that's the 1 that we are going to speak about this evening the third Elijah I have called the ecclesiastical Elijah that is the Elijah of the Middle Ages the Elijah of the period of papal supremacy and the last Elijah is the apocalyptic Elijah or the end time Elijah Now we've noticed that we have a governing principle when we study the Elijahs the first 2 of the Elijahs are literal individuals and their enemies are literal individuals but when you get to the church age and the end time the individuals in the story of Elijah become symbolic of worldwide movements or worldwide systems in other words we're no longer dealing with specific individuals we're dealing with typology the individuals become types or symbols of worldwide movements and worldwide systems now in our study We have noticed that the main protagonists of the Elijah story are first of all a king.

In other words, the king has no moral backbone to make decisions.

The second person is a harlot woman in the case of the historic Elijah it is Jezebel strong-willed, determined, knows what she wants and uses the king, the political power to accomplish her purposes Then we also noticed in the Old Testament story that Jezebel had prophets, false prophets, through whom she extended her counterfeit religion.

They ate at her table, which means that they did the bidding of Jezebel.

And we notice that this threefold union actually controlled and manipulated the people of Israel so there was an apostasy among the majority of God's people and only a small remnant remained And of course God called Elijah to denounce this system, to denounce these 3 powers that had brought apostasy into Israel and to try and bring Israel back to the straight and narrow, back to their creator, back to their God.

Now there's another principle that we need to take into account as we begin our study of the prophetic Elijah.

And that is that the Old Testament Elijah and the prophetic Elijah that we're going to study this evening have details that overlap and 1 Elijah has details that the other Elijah does not have and when we study the end time Elijah we have to take material from the Old Testament Elijah and also from the New Testament Elijah or the prophetic Elijah and put all of the details together because they all come together in the fulfillment of the end time Elijah let me just give you an illustration of what I mean in Revelation chapter 13 we have the beast Now we know that the beast represents the Roman Catholic system but in Revelation 13 we also have a false prophet.

It's the beast that rises from the earth with 2 horns like a lamb this beast is called the false prophet.

This beast is really the false prophet of the first beast, because the false prophet leads everyone to worship the first beast, makes an image of the first beast, and imposes the mark of the first beast in other words the false prophet is the false prophet of the beast because the false prophet does everything that the beast wants now when you come to Revelation 17 the symbolism is different but the meaning is the same.

In Revelation 17 you don't have a beast and you don't have the false prophet that persecute God's people.

In Revelation 17 you have different symbolism but with the same meaning.

In Revelation 17 instead of the beast you have a harlot woman instead of the false prophets you have the daughters of the harlot because she's the mother and instead of the dragon that you find in Revelation chapter 12 and 13 you have the kings of the earth with whom the harlot fornicates and she controls these daughters or the false prophets so in other words when you put Revelation 13 and Revelation 17 together you have basically the same meaning but different symbols are used.

Now the Old Testament ends in expectancy, do you know that the Old Testament is really an open book?

Because it ends in expectancy something is missing from the Old Testament people anticipate someone who is going to come in the future notice Malachi chapter 4 and verses 5 and 6 Malachi chapter 4 verses 5 and 6 here is a promise that is made in the last book of the Bible the last 2 verses of the Old Testament specifically.

Behold I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.

And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the hearts of the children to their fathers lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.

And so the Old Testament ends with God promising that He is going to send Elijah before the great and terrible day of the Lord.

The Old Testament ends with anticipation of a coming Elijah, a new Elijah if you please.

Now the New Testament clearly identifies this Elijah go with me to Luke chapter 1 and verses 16 and 17 here the angel Gabriel appears to Zacharias the father of John the Baptist and I want you to notice what the angel Gabriel says to Zacharias chapter 1 of Luke verses 16 and 17 speaking about his son that will be born John the Baptist and he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God.

Is he sent to the pagans and the secular people?

Once again we are told here that his mission is to those who profess to be God's people because it says he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God and then it says he that is John the Baptist will also go before him that is with Jesus before Jesus in the spirit and power of whom?

John the Baptist will come in the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just to make ready a people prepared for the Lord and so in the New Testament we have John the Baptist identified as Elijah now this is not the only text that identifies John the Baptist as Elijah in the New Testament.

Go with me to Matthew chapter 17 and verses 10 through 13.

This is immediately after the transfiguration.

And I want you to notice that there's a question that the disciples ask Jesus.

Once again Matthew 17 verse 10 to 13 it says here and his disciples asked him saying why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first if you're the Messiah we haven't seen Elijah come Jesus answered and said to them indeed Elijah is coming first and will what?

Ah Elijah is not an innovator he does not bring new light Elijah restores and brings people back to the message and so it continues saying Jesus answered and said to them indeed Elijah is coming first and will restore all things but I say to you that Elijah has come already and they did not know him, but did to him whatever they wished.

Likewise the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands.

Then the disciples understood that he spoke to them of John the Baptist.

So this is the second text in the New Testament that identifies John the Baptist as the New Testament Elijah or what I call the prophetic Elijah.

There's a third passage in the New Testament in the Gospels that identify John as Elijah Matthew chapter 11 verses 11 to 14 Matthew 11 verses 11 through 14 here we find Jesus speaking once again about John the Baptist and this is what he says, Assuredly I say to you among those born of women there has not risen 1 greater than John the Baptist but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he and from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence and the violent take it by force for all the prophets and the law prophesied until John and verse 14 says and if you are willing to receive it he is Elijah who is to come.

Does scripture clearly identify the New Testament Elijah?

Yes in fact when John the Baptist appeared many actually believed that he was Elijah and the reason why is because John the Baptist lived in the wilderness like Elijah.

He called Israel to repentance like Elijah, He rebuked a king like Elijah, and He called Israel back to the Lord their God.

In fact we're told in the gospel of Matthew now John himself was clothed in camel's hair with a leather belt around his waist and his food was locusts and wild honey people said this is just like Elijah John the Baptist is the New Testament Elijah and why did God raise up John the Baptist?

Let's notice several texts to see what his mission was The mission of the Old Testament Elijah was to restore.

It was to bring Israel back to the Lord their God.

It was a message to the church of that day and age.

It had gone away from the Lord and so Elijah comes and he preaches if you wish to the church and says come back to the Lord.

Luke chapter 1 and verse 16 which we already read tells us and he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God notice he's turning the children of Israel to the Lord their God I thought the children of Israel already had God as their Lord obviously they were in apostasy And in verse 17 we are told he will also go before him that is John the Baptist will go before Jesus in the spirit and power of Elijah and then it explains to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.

The role of Elijah is to prepare a people for the arrival of the Lord and you know what?

The Old Testament Elijah prepared the way for a great reformation that was brought by his successor Elijah and so we find John the Baptist preparing the way for a people to accept the 1 who would come after him who would bring a great reformation Jesus Christ the Messiah.

In Matthew chapter 11 verse 10 which we already read once again we find the purpose of God raising John the Baptist as the New Testament Elijah it says there, for this is he of whom it is written behold I sent my messenger before your face who will prepare your way before you?

In other words his purpose is to bring people back to the Lord their God so that they're prepared for the coming of the Lord.

In Luke chapter 3 verses 4 and 5 we find once again a description of the role and purpose of this Elijah.

We're told there in Luke 3 verses 4 and 5 as it is written in the books in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet saying the voice of 1 crying in the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord make his path straight every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill brought low the crooked places shall be made straight and the rough ways smooth and all flesh shall see the salvation of God now what is meant by these expressions every valley every mountain crooked places rough ways etc what is meant by that I love the description of this that is given by Ellen White in the book The Desire of Ages, page 135.

You know, you didn't have paved highways like we do today.

And because of the weather, you know, holes would develop and little hills would develop in the road and the road had to be kept cleared.

She describes in Desire of Ages page 135, anciently when a king journeyed through the less frequented parts of his dominion A company of men was sent ahead of the royal chariot to level the steep places and to fill up the hollows that the king might travel in safety and without hindrance.

This custom is employed by the Prophet to illustrate the work of the gospel in the book God's Amazing Grace page 249 Ellen White explains what what this symbolically means you know filling in the holes in the highway and leveling out the rough places.

She explains the work of reformation here brought to view by John.

The purging of heart and mind and soul is 1 that is needed by many who today profess to have the faith of Christ wrong practices that have been indulged in need to be put away the crooked paths need to be made straight and the rough places smooth The mountains and hills of self-esteem and pride need to be brought low.

There is need of bringing forth fruits, meat for repentance when the work is done in the experience of God's believing people.

All flesh, she says, will see the salvation of the Lord.

So basically it speaks about being converted and the life that comes from a converted heart.

The life will be made straight, the holes will be filled in, pride will be abased that's the work that John the Baptist was to perform in preparation for the arrival of the Messiah and that it's the preparation that we must have for the coming of the Messiah the second time in power and glory in Matthew chapter 17 and verse 11 once again we're told that John the Baptist was called to restore all things it says there Jesus answered and said to them indeed Elijah is coming first and will restore all things.

Elijah did not bring new truths and new doctrines.

His purpose was to bring God's people back to where they had gone astray from.

Matthew chapter 3 verses 1 to 3 we have a description of the message of John the Baptist it says in those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand for this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah saying the voice of 1 crying in the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord make his path straight in other words Elijah is calling God's own people to repentance let me ask you, did Elijah restore the true gospel?

Do you remember that in the Old Testament Elijah built the altar of the Lord that had been broken down he reestablished the sacrificial system that represented the sacrifice of Christ.

How did John the Baptist introduce Jesus?

You know John chapter 1 and verse 29 it says the next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said what?

Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

And so John the Baptist is attracting the attention of God's people to the Lamb of God just like Elijah in the Old Testament rebuilt the altar with 12 stones and at the hour of the evening sacrifice placed the victims upon the altar John the Baptist is fulfilling the same role as the Old Testament Elijah let me ask you did John the Baptist preach God's law yes he did do you know that John the Baptist was killed because he upheld the seventh commandment because he said and we're going to study this in a few moments, he said to Herodias and to the king, you have an illicit sexual relationship.

And it landed him in prison and made him eventually lose his head John the Baptist preached the commandments of God and incidentally even though the Bible doesn't mention John the Baptist saying this specifically, one of the things that the Jews had done is they had totally distorted the meaning of the seventh day Sabbath.

The Sabbath, listen carefully, the Sabbath that was kept by the Jews in Christ's day was a counterfeit Sabbath because it was created by man.

It was a Sabbath that was created by them loaded down with all sorts of traditions, with all sorts of customs.

The only difference between the days of Christ and the end time is that the controversy in the days of Christ was having to do with the wrong way.

Whereas at the end of time it will be the wrong day.

You see the people in the days of Christ were worshiping themselves they were not worshiping the Creator the Sabbath had become an end in itself God called the New Testament Elijah John the Baptist to say folks behold the Lamb of God who takes this away the sin of the world he calls John the Baptist to lift high the gospel but the law as well and to call people not only to repentance but to produce fruit in their lives the fruit of the Spirit.

In Matthew chapter 3 verse 8 and verse 10 we find a clear reference to the fruit of the life that comes from repentance and accepting the Messiah it says there in Matthew chapter 3 verse 8 therefore John the Baptist is preaching therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance and do not think to say to yourselves we have Abraham as our father in other words they're really arrogant they say we're we belong to the right church to the true church for I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones and even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is what is cut down and thrown into the fire.

Did John the Baptist preach a message of judgment?

Did the Old Testament Elijah preach a message of judgment?

He said, listen folks, you can't limp between 2 opinions.

If the Lord is God, you're gonna follow him and if Baal is God follow him, in other words his message was a message of separation of the righteous from the wicked, did John the Baptist preach a message of judgment?

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The King, the Mother, and the Daughter

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