HSS_2021_Q1_EP06

♪ theme music ♪

(Derek) Welcome to Hope Sabbath School,

an in-depth, interactive study

of the Word of God.

I'm so excited about this series,

Isaiah, the Gospel Prophet.

We are learning so much together,

and we're glad you're with us today,

and welcome to the team.

Take a look at the team;

there are just five people.

We're still on restriction,

but we've discovered that God

can work with many or with few.

We call this Gideon's band.

But I'm also excited

because one of our team, Christian,

is going to be teaching today.

Christian, we're excited;

this is such an important topic,

the topic, Playing God.

It's an incredible revelation

given to the prophet Isaiah,

but there is good news

because the light of the world

can dispel the darkness.

And so, we're looking forward

to a powerful study today.

We've also got a special gift for you.

If you've been with us, you already know,

but maybe you haven't written to us yet.

We've got a digital audiobook

we'd like to send called Radical Evidence.

We'd like to send you a copy.

All you have to do is write

to our regular email address,

[e-mail],

and in the subject line,

just put "Free Offer," "Free Offer."

We'll send you a link

so you can download the audiobook,

digital audiobook, Radical Evidence.

You'll learn about the prophecies
of Isaiah,

but other prophecies

from the Old Testament Scriptures

all pointing to Jesus as the true Messiah.

You'll also see some powerful stories,

or listen to them, in the audiobook

of lives today being transformed

as they learn the truth about Jesus.

So, don't forget, [e-mail],

and by the way, when you write,

share with us how God's blessing you

through this study together.

We're always happy to hear from you.

Here's one, Cheryl writes

from Papua New Guinea.

It's a long way away,

Papua New Guinea, Port Moresby,

"Every day I look forward

to hearing the Word of God."

(Team) Amen.

(Derek) "Amazing group of people

making time to share the Word of God.

I will continue to pray for this program

and give thanks to the Lord

and call upon His name."

(Team) Amen.

(Derek) The theme songs are amazing

and enjoy singing with you every time.

God bless you all.

Keep doing what you're doing.

Every time I feel low

in daily business operation,

I turn to Hope Sabbath School for comfort.

And I'm encouraged because I know

God's Word is true." Amen?

(Team) Amen.

(Derek) We want to meet you, Cheryl.

We sense that you're

an anointed woman of God.

"By the way," she says,

"it's 5:49 in the morning,

and I've been watching

Hope Sabbath School since 5 a.m."

God bless you, and God bless

all of our Hope Sabbath School members

there in Papua New Guinea.

We're so glad that you wrote to us.

Don't forget to write

for that free digital download

of the audiobook Radical Evidence.

Here's a note from a refugee camp
in Ethiopia.

"Warm greetings from an Ethiopian
refugee camp,"

writes Lam, L-A-M, Lam.

"I'm really happy to attend

Hope Sabbath School

on my mobile data internet."

He's accessing, on his phone,

Hope Sabbath School

in an Ethiopian refugee camp!

Someone say, "Hallelujah!

(Team) Hallelujah!

(Derek) I mean, isn't it amazing

what God is doing,

more than 220 countries around the world,

and that app, which you can download

onto your smartphone, Hope Channel,

you can, not only access

Hope Sabbath School,

but all of the other programs,

and even different languages,
you can access.

And that's what Lam's doing.

"I cannot imagine or describe

how much of a blessing it is to me

and my family, my local church

here in the refugee camp.

May God bless Hope Channel

and its team abundantly. Sincerely, Lam."

Well, Lam, thanks for writing.

We wouldn't have imagined, would we,

there in a refugee camp; praise God

for the media of Hope Channel.

Here's a note from a donor

in Dayton, Tennessee,

in the United States of America,

"Dear friends on Hope Sabbath School,

I love you, my brothers

and sisters, in Jesus,

as I daily worship with you at 10 a.m.

on DirecTV, channel 368.

I love to sing, pray and study the Bible.

Thanks so much; don't ever stop

Hope Sabbath School.

At one time, my donation

was 80 dollars a month,

but I've increased it

to 100 dollars a month.

Please start accepting this donation
immediately

with no stop date."

Isn't that enthusiastic?

"Very important to me to help missions

and the expenses of Hope Channel.

I'm a disabled, young senior citizen.

If we never meet on this earth,

I look forward to Heaven

when we will all come together

and praise and worship

our Lord and Savior and Friend.

I love you all."

Well, you know who you are
there in Dayton.

Thank you so much,

and thanks to all

of our donors around the world.

You know we're a donor-supported ministry.

But, that's a blessing, isn't it, to see

that kind of partnership in mission.

Here is one last note, I think...
Oh, there are two.

One short note from the United
Arab Emirates,

Chipo, who is from Zimbabwe,

in the United Arab Emirates writes,

"Thank you for such a powerful program.

Thank you for sharing your testimonies.

May God bless you as we share Jesus

with those around us.

May I know how I can

become a donor of Hope Sabbath School?

How can I send my donation?
God bless you."

Well, I just want to say

thank you very much.

That came as an unexpected note

from the United Arab Emirates.

You can go to hopetv.org/donate.

It's that simple, hopetv.org/donate,

but, you know, pray for us.

Someone might say, I've had
some people say,

"I don't have anything I can give."

You can give: You can give your prayers.

(Team) Amen.

(Derek) You can pray

that God would touch hearts

and that lives would be transformed.

Oh, here's one last note,

from Stuart and Davina in the UK,

"We've watched Hope Sabbath School

for many years, so long we can't remember

how we first were introduced to it,

possibly someone at church mentioned it.

But we found it to be a great source

of inspiration, especially

when it's my time to teach a class.

We've enjoyed the lively discussions,

the openness of the participants,

and the enthusiasm of the presenter."

Now, you know, we have many team teachers

because we believe God

can use us all. Amen?

(Team) Amen.

(Derek) And so, that's really exciting.

"We've been watching

over the last few months,

wondering when the social distancing
would kick in."

Well, we film six months ahead,

so you didn't see it right away,

but take a look, folks,

at the team right now, and you'll notice

that seven people are missing - right.

It's not because we fired them

or told them to go home.

We're only allowed to have five

because of the distances,

but God is able to work

even with a small group. Amen?

(Team) Amen.

(Derek) "Hopefully," Stuart
and Davina write,

"things will improve, and we can have

a full class again before too long.

Please pass on our thanks to the team."

Well, it's just so encouraging

to hear from you.

I want to thank you for sharing

how God is blessing your life.

Right now I need your help

because we're not allowed to sing

here in the studio,

but we do have a beautiful theme song.

You can download it from our website,

hopetv.org/hopess; download the MP3 file.

"Seek the Lord while He may be found,

call upon Him while He is near";
let's sing together.

♪ music ♪

(Derek) What a powerful message,

and I believe it's a timely message,

"Seek the Lord while He may be found."

And, Christian, I'm excited

about our study today

as we talk about the danger
of Playing God.

Please lead us in prayer.

(Christian) Sure, let's begin

with a word of prayer.

Our Father in Heaven, how thankful we are

for the inspiration of the Holy Scriptures

and thank You for giving us a mind

to be able to understand.

And as we begin our study today,

we pray that the Holy Spirit

would be given to us.

Anoint us, Lord, so that we can

truly and fully understand the message

of hope that You have for us today.

And we thank You, in Jesus' name. Amen.

(Derek, Team) Amen.

(Christian) So, I look at our team,

and they have their Bibles,

and I'm glad they do.

And for those who are viewing,

I hope you have your Bibles, too.

If you don't, this would be a good time

to grab your Bibles as we continue

our study on the book of Isaiah.

It's been quite a tremendous quarter
so far

as we have studied various chapters,

and now we're going to dive

into yet another one.

Now, this week, as we continue

this spiritual journey on the book
of Isaiah,

Isaiah is regarded as one

of the greatest of biblical prophets.

And, just to recap, we don't want to spend

too much time looking at previous studies,

but let's do a short recap

of the studies that we have had recently.

Now, we looked at the prophetic call

to trust in God, to trust Him

with all your heart,

and with all your soul

and with all your might.

And we also studied how we must not rely

on political maneuvers or alliances,

and there was a king

that unfortunately did just that.

What was the name of that king?

(Jason) King Ahaz.

(Christian) King Ahaz, that's right,

and we know the consequences
of his conduct.

And, for that reason, we see

that God, in His mercy, calls on prophets

to come and speak judgment

against this kind of behavior.

And so, throughout the book of Isaiah,

we find various oracles

of judgment and salvation,

messages of judgment given to us from God.

And some judgments are directed

toward God's people, okay?

Other judgments are directed

toward other nations as well.

And one in particular is Babylon.

Babylon received a judgment from God.

And I want to take us

to our first passage here today

by going to the book of Isaiah,

chapter 13, Isaiah, chapter 13.

And I'm going to ask Jason

to read to us chapter 13, verse 1,

and then let's jump over

to verses 17 to 22, Isaiah, chapter 13,

verses 1 and 17 to 22.

(Jason) Alright, and I have

the New King James Version here.

It says, Isaiah, chapter 13, verse 1:

Now, verses 17 through 22, verse 17:

(Christian) Thank you, Jason.

Wow, what a strong judgment

against the nation of Babylon.

But, what I find very interesting

is that, during Isaiah's day, Babylon

was really no threat to Judah.

In fact, during Isaiah's time,

there is little mention of Babylon, okay?

But, we come to this passage early on

in the book of Isaiah,

and Isaiah's prophecy here against Babylon

is actually a judgment

that would be fulfilled 200 years,

approximately, 200 years later.

When I think about that,

I can't help but wonder

how is it possible, I mean, really,

for Isaiah to make this prophecy

long before Babylon became
a super power

and before they took

the people of Judah into captivity?

How is it that Isaiah

could declare these things? Stephanie?

(Stephanie) He was anointed.

The Holy Spirit was leading him,

and God was guiding him

as he was writing these things down.

And it makes me think of a verse

in Isaiah 46, actually two verses,

verses 9 and 10; can I read that?

(Christian) Please read...

(Stephanie) Would that be okay?

(Christian) Isaiah, chapter 46?

(Stephanie) And verses 9 and 10, yes.
I'll be reading

from the King James Version:

And I think a friend of mine often says,

"Just let God be God."

And that's truly...That's who He is.

He's God; He knows

the end from the beginning,

and He was leading.

(Christian) He knows the end

from the beginning, yes.

(Derek) I think we have two choices,
like Stephanie said.

The liberal scholars will say,

"Well, this this must have been written
after it happened

and supposedly predicting it."

For example, the prophecy of Jesus

about the fall of Jerusalem,

they say, "Well, Matthew must actually

have been written after 70 A.D.

because how would they know

what was going to happen 40 years,

almost 40 years later?"

So, we have a choice to make.

Either they're all lying to us,

and it's all fabricated,

or there is a God in Heaven
who can reveal

things that have not yet happened,
with prophets.

I think that's a key issue

in the book of Isaiah.

(Christian) Absolutely,
and not just Isaiah,

but other prophets of God spoke of God

being the one true God.

And what made Him so distinct?

That He knew the end from the beginning.

Is there another verse that comes to mind

where another prophet affirms

what Isaiah has done?

Does another verse come to mind?

(Travis) Amos, chapter 3, verse 7?

(Christian) Okay, would you

read that for us, Travis?

Amos, chapter 3, verse 7,

what does that say about God's ability

to foresee the future?

(Travis) And I'll be reading

from the New King James Version:

(Christian) Is that a God you can trust?

(Jason) Yes.

(Christian) I mean, isn't that a God

that we can approach

and believe that, you know,

I can give my life to a God

who is not going to be a God

who catches me off guard?

He is not a God

who is going to lead me into the unknown

and then leave me there

to figure things out.

He is a God who says, "I will

reveal to you things to come,

so you don't have to be afraid."

And so, Isaiah, indeed, is inspired

by the Holy Spirit

and given the ability

to write these prophecies

because God is a God who knows

the end from the beginning. Yes.

(Derek) I met an Orthodox Muslim

who became a follower of Jesus

who was startled by this prophecy,

"How could it be?"

That would be like saying a great city

like Rome would be desolate
and never inhabited.

They always rebuilt the cities
that God devastated.

But Babylon, no, it was fulfilled

exactly as you said, [predicted] 200 years

before it even happened,

and that's caused many people,

when they look with an open mind
at the Scriptures,

to say, "There is a God

who knows the future."

(Christian) Amen. So, in 587 B.C.,

Babylon comes and utterly destroys
Jerusalem,

and Judah is taken captive

until about 539 B.C.

And this was when Babylon
was conquered itself.

Now, what prophet comes to mind

who wrote in detail

about the conquest of Babylon?

Does a prophet come to mind

who received a vision from God

that Babylon would not last forever.

Now, King Nebuchadnezzar would have

never admitted that his kingdom

would ever come to an end,
but God did.

What prophet comes to mind?

(Team) Daniel.

(Christian) Daniel, that's right.

What chapter in Daniel speaks specifically

about the overthrow of the kingdom
of Babylon?

(Travis) Well, there are actually two,

Daniel, chapter 2 and Daniel, chapter 5.

(Christian) Daniel, chapter 2 and 5,
that's true, twice.

In fact, one could say that Daniel 2

is the prophecy itself that foresaw

the fall of Babylon,

and in Daniel, chapter 5,

we see its fulfillment.

Daniel, chapter 5, that's right.

(Derek) But even the handwriting

on the wall is still a prophecy.

It will be fulfilled a few hours later,

but I don't think the people in Babylon

believed it would be fulfilled, you know?

But just before that day's over

and that night is over, Belshazzar's dead.

(Christian) Unbelievable.

(Derek) So, you know,

whether it's 200 years before
or 4 hours before,

it's still a God who knows the future.

(Christian) And that's interesting

you should say that,

because in Daniel 5, verse 1,

it mentions specifically that Darius

was planning a great party that night.

Boy, it was going to be a long night...

(Derek) Belshazzar, you mean.

(Christian) Belshazzar, that's right.

Thank you, you're keeping me
in line here,

keeping me in line.

Belshazzar was planning

a party that night,

but then, as you said, within hours
Babylon is overtaken.

Jason, I saw your hand go up.

(Jason) Yes, because I think

this is kind of fascinating,

as Derek was referencing,

that God's prophecies can come true

whether it's hundreds of years
or it's hours,

and it's neat here because Daniel

is another prophet of God,

kind of like Isaiah,

that God is working through.

God has these prophets.

You know, as Travis read there in Amos,

God is not going to do anything

unless He reveals these secrets
to His servants.

In this case, it's interesting

because at first He actually reveals...

Well, He shows the king

the handwriting on the wall.

The king doesn't know it, though,

so he actually has to go to God's prophet,

the one who God has revealed

what's going to happen.

So, sometimes God will give us messages

we may not fully understand,

which is why we need

to be connected with God,

because the people who are
connected with God,

His prophets, the ones working
through Him,

they will be able to know

what's going to happen.

(Christian) Amen. Yes, Travis.

(Travis) So, I agree with that,

and I agree with Derek,

that I see the love of God here

because He's giving a prophecy

through Isaiah, then through Daniel

in Daniel, chapter 2,

and then again in Daniel 5

with the handwriting on the wall.

What a merciful God

that keeps relentlessly letting them know

what is going to happen.

And then, as you had mentioned, Derek,

he thought it must have been a joke,

and we read about this earlier,

there was a prophecy in the story of Lot,

that his sons-in-law, future sons-in-law,

thought it was going to be a joke,

but it's not a joke.

God's Word is...I mean, when He says

something's going to happen,

it's going to happen.

And it just makes me think, you know,

when God says something

that's going to happen, in the Bible,

we can really take this seriously.

(Derek) Amen.

(Christian) And, Travis, you

brought up a really good point,

how there were multiple revelations

of this event, okay?

And it's interesting to me

that in Daniel, chapter 5, verse 22,

it mentions just that.

It says, "But you his son, Belshazzar,

have not humbled your heart,

although you knew all this."

"You knew all this."

If Belshazzar had truly humbled himself

and just tuned his mind

to meditate on and ponder

the prophecies that had been told,

not once, not just twice,

but now three times,

maybe the outcome would have been
a little different.

But instead, judgment comes upon Babylon,

and, of course, Medo-Persia comes

and overtakes Babylon in a single night.

What an amazing, amazing revelation

of God's ability to foresee

the end from the beginning -

relying on God's Word.

When I think about prophecy,

I can't help but to realize that prophecy

is one of those things

that can really give me confidence

in a God that I can trust.

You know, there's such an attack

on the character of God

leading people to conclude,

"Can I trust God?"

or, "Can I trust Him with my life?"

But doesn't prophecy have a way

to be able to present to us a God

that we can trust and not be afraid?

And when you think about prophecy,

you know, we're all here Bible students,

can you think of the time when you came

to be convicted that Bible prophecy is,

indeed, a reliable revelation from God?

And how did that impact

your spiritual journey with God,

or your spiritual growth with God?

Did that make a significant difference?
Billy.

(Billy) So, going back to Daniel,

I was comparing the prophecy of Daniel

in the days that were given about Babylon

and then Medes and Persians,

so I said, "Okay, that's nice.

Let me check out the internet."

So, I went on the internet, Wikipedia,

and I'm looking at the dates,

and I said, "Wait, that is so accurate,"

because it's telling of the kingdoms
that will happen,

and what got me was

there was a prophecy, I think,

about the ten kingdoms

that would succeed Rome,

and I said, "Wow, that's very interesting.

Let me go online,"

And, indeed, I'm finding out

these ten kingdoms and the relationship
between them,

and I think that further convicted me

that this is real; this is real.

(Christian) Amen.

(Derek) What convicted me, Christian,

was the story in Luke 24 of Jesus

giving a Bible study to two disciples,

and it says their hearts

burned within them, you know.

And I thought, "If Jesus

has such confidence in the Scriptures,

and the prophecies particularly

that pointed to Him as Messiah,

I need to have confidence, too,"

because Jesus healed the sick,

He cast out the demons,

He was the Son of God,

and He trusted that Word of God.

In fact, He said, "Man

shall not live by bread alone
but every word..."

So, to me, His unshakable confidence
in the Scriptures,

including the prophecies,

was the thing that really impacted me
the most.

(Christian) Amen. And, let's take a moment

to maybe share a specific prophecy

that has impacted your life

in a significant way.

Can you think of a particular prophecy

that just opened up your eyes

in such a way that you truly felt

fire in your bones, you know,

because your faith was rekindled

when you studied that prophecy?

Does any prophecy come to mind? Yes, Liza.

(Liza) I think about Matthew 24,

and this is Jesus' prophecy
of the end time,

and He gets very specific

on the kind of world

that we'll be living in.

We're living in that world right now.

And so, when we see these things
that are unstable,

and when we see things falling apart,

Jesus prophesied that, and so we need

to not be disturbed or anxious
about these things.

Christ forewarned us, and as believers

we need to be firm in the faith

and the prophecies that God
speaks about us.

(Christian) Amen. And what a prophecy

to be studying in these days.

As we see the world

just completely in chaos,

we come to Matthew 24, and the mere fact

that Jesus saw this coming,

and He said, "Watch and pray,"

we are able to draw near to the future

with a sense of confidence,

knowing what to expect,

and that just ignites

a renewed faith in God. Yes.

(Travis) So, for me, it's
a personal prophecy.

You know, there are prophecies
about kingdoms,

but Paul wrote in the Philippians,

in Philippians 1:6, that He promised,

that God promises to finish

the work He started in us.

And as a Christian

who falls occasionally and makes mistakes,

I think, "He said Babylon would fall,

and it did, but He also said He

would finish the work

that He started in me."

(Christian) Amen.

(Travis) And it's not a joke.

(Derek) Praise God.

(Travis) I can rest in the fact

that, if I lean on Jesus,

stay close to Him,

I may not be perfect now,

but I won't look back...

The Apostle Paul said, "I don't look back,

I keep looking ahead."

And I just rest in Jesus,

and He will finish that work.

So, that's been a lifesaver for me.

(Christian) Powerful. Yes, Stephanie.

(Stephanie) Somewhat along those
same lines,

I think it builds...

Seeing the fulfillment of prophecy

has built faith in me

to trust God regardless,

and especially when I see
something different.

And that is something that is...

That's what we have to do now

and in the time ahead.

We have to be able to say,

"You know what, I don't see

the fulfillment of God's promise

that He has guaranteed in His Word,

but I know He guaranteed it,

and I can trust Him."

(Christian) Amen. And when we

take matters into our own hands, okay,

then that's when life

gets even more complicated

because we're departing from a God

who already has the future in His hands.

And, like you said, we can trust Him.

We can trust Him.

You know, one prophecy that made

an impact in my life

is actually found in Isaiah, chapter 14.

I'd like us to go to Isaiah, chapter 14.

Isaiah, chapter 14, it made an impact

in my life if only because it exposes

the enemy of God.

You know, when you think

about your journey of faith, okay,

wouldn't you agree

that your journey of faith can

actually gain strength when you are aware

of the tactics of the enemy?

When you know how the enemy will attack,

when you know the character of the enemy,

it places you on ground

which can actually prove

to be a wonderful thing.

Now, Isaiah, chapter 14, verses 12 to 15,

has a few verses there

that actually give us an insight

on the character of Lucifer.

Now, we know something about Lucifer.

Before we go to the passage,

what do we know about Lucifer -
who was Lucifer?

Who would like to be able to just give us

a snapshot of this Lucifer?

Who was Lucifer, Jason?

(Jason) So, Lucifer was one

of the head angels, if you will,

that was in the throne room of God,

and he was there literally right next

to Jesus, the Son of God.

He was a created being;

he was still an angel,

but he was very close to God,

and he was in charge of leading
all the angels.

And he had a lot of special talents;

he was very good at music;

he was very good with his words,

and God had really blessed him,

which, that's great; there were
also some problems, though.

I don't know how far you want me to go,

but he had some pride issues

that became problematic later on.

(Christian) Okay, so you're right.

He was a created being, an angel.

Of course, we could

even then call him a fallen angel

because he would go from an exalted place,

a covering cherub, to a fallen state.

And here in Isaiah, Isaiah, chapter 14,

verses 12 to 15, we find a description

of what was going on in his mind.

So, let's take a look at this passage,

and, Billy, could you read that for us?

Isaiah, chapter 14, verses 12 to 15.

What was going on inside Lucifer's mind?

(Billy) I'll be reading

from the New King James Version:

(Christian) So, here's a fallen angel
who is coveting.

What is he coveting?

What is he hungry for?

What is he thirsty for?

(Stephanie) Power, position.

(Christian) Power, position,

but not just any power

or just any position,

but whose power and whose position?

(Jason) God. He literally wants to be God.

(Christian) He is coveting God's authority

or God's position, okay,

and so here we see in Isaiah

a contrast of sorts

because Isaiah refers to Lucifer

as the son of the morning.

But we also know that Christ Himself

is known as the bright morning star.

And so, we begin to see a contrast

between this fallen angel

and the Messiah King. Yes.

(Derek) The difference is,

that created angel, while he was faithful,

the light which shone from his presence

was a reflection of the Son of God,

because after he rebels,

Jesus never calls him Lucifer.

(Christian) Prince of Darkness.

(Derek) He's called the Prince
of Darkness;

he's called Satan, which means
"the Opposer,"

and diabolos or devil, Jesus calls him,

which is the Accuser,

and that Old Serpent, right?

So, all of the light

that he thought was his

was gone when he separated himself

from the glory of God.

(Christian) Wow, wow, wow,

what a powerful insight.

And, you know, this leads me

to a question, though,

a question that is quite intriguing to me:

why would Isaiah embed this prophecy,

this prophetic revelation, about Lucifer

right in the smack middle

of a prophecy against judgment

on the enemies of God's people?

I mean, it seems like...

What's his intention here?

What's going on, Travis?

(Travis) I think God is giving us

a glimpse of the heart

of the kings of Babylon.

(Christian) Wow, okay.

(Travis) He's giving us...I remember,

I'm studying Daniel, and when Daniel

(chapter 2) tells the king that, "You've

been given this prophecy

so your heart would be revealed."

And so here we're given

a glimpse of Lucifer so we can see

that the hearts kind of align

with Lucifer's - it's all selfish.

First Corinthians, chapter 13,

I think in verse 5 it says

that love does not seek its own.

So, it's this self-seeking thing,

and love is others-centered,

and that's God, the character of God.

Others, He's always worried about others.

And now, here are these kings and Lucifer

all worried about trying

to exalt themselves, kind of like

the Tower of Babel, "Let us

make a name for ourselves."

And so, we're getting a glimpse here

into what these kingdoms
were looking like

and how their leaders were leading.

(Christian) Wow, because these leaders
that are leading,

there is a long list of leaders

that were prideful, arrogant, right?

And what I hear you say, Travis,

is that, as we look at this lineage

of kings that were

rebellious and prideful,

that this prophecy actually, while it

exposes the mind of Satan,

it actually reveals the very nature
of sin,

which is found in each one of us

when we depart from a relationship,

an abiding relationship with Christ.

What we see here described as Lucifer

is in fact the very nature of sin,

which seeks to exalt itself

and wants to be like God or wants

to be in control of my own life.
Yes, Stephanie?

(Stephanie) Christian, I think

it's a warning; it's a warning call, too.

And it's so the heart of God,

that we see that thread throughout.

It's a warning: Don't go down that path.

Do not follow what has happened before,

and so many others

have fallen as a result.

(Christian) Wow. Yes.

(Derek) I think it's a message

of warning for our day

when people don't even believe

that the adversary exists.

But Paul says, "We don't wrestle

against flesh and blood,

but against principalities and powers

in the heavenly realms."

So, these are supernatural forces

that have rebelled against God.

And what I see in this prophecy,

and again with Jesus

in the wilderness and so on,

this is a real being that rebelled.

And if we read Revelation,

other angels rebelled with him,

so this is confederation of evil.

I'm so thankful for the Bible

because it tells me

that God's Kingdom is victorious.

But it is a real battle.

(Christian) Amen. Absolutely.

He's actually pulling back the curtains

and exposing the unseen realm,

which is very much, very much alive
and well today.

Yes, Liza, you had your hand up?

(Liza) Absolutely, what Pastor said.

Everything that we see here in the natural

is a reflection of the supernatural.

And that's why he's showing us

a picture of worldly events,

but he's saying, "They're spiritual,"

as Pastor Derek said,

these spiritual forces are trying

to establish themselves upon the earth,

and so we have to be careful.

As was said, we're not wrestling

against flesh and blood,

or one kingdom against another;

it's God's holiness and all

these evil beings that are trying

to bring themselves upon the earth.

And so, we need to be guarded,

and I think that's where we're going here,

about being careful and not putting

our trust in what we

may not understand fully.

(Christian) Yes. So, Isaiah, chapter 14,

gives us an inside look

into the mind of Lucifer.

Is there another prophet

and another passage that adds

additional information about what was

going on with Lucifer.

What were his motives?

What was he trying to get to?

Does another passage in the Old Testament

come to mind? Yes, Jason?

(Jason) So, I think of Ezekiel,
another prophet.

Would I be able to go ahead and read?
Ezekiel, chapter 28?

(Christian) Take us to Ezekiel,
chapter 28.

Why don't you read verses 13 to 15?

(Jason) Alright, I've got

the New King James Version here,

and it says, Ezekiel 28, verses 13 to 15:

(Christian) You know what grabs
my attention?

Just three words: You were created.

We're dealing with a created being,

a created being that wanted

to be like the Most High,

when you take the passage there
from Isaiah.

So, think about this.

Here's a created being

who wants to be like the Most High,

created being, or creature,

wanting to be like the Most High.

Is that beginning to ring a bell?

Does it sound awfully familiar

to a conversation that happened
in the beginning?

We have a woman; what's her name?

(Team) Eve.

(Christian) Eve, created by God,

and Satan, Lucifer, now Satan

in the form of a serpent,

comes to this created being

and whispers into her ear,

"You can be like God."

Do you see how Lucifer's character,

his motives, have not changed one iota?

They have not changed at all.

He continues to reveal his true character,

which is to cause us to distrust God,

to look towards ourselves and convince us

that we can manage

our life just fine without God,

that, "You can do just fine.

You be your own judge.

You determine what's right

and what's wrong on your own.

You don't need God

to tell you those things."

And Satan is referred to as a murderer,
a liar.

Do you know what passage in the Gospels

we find where Jesus referred

to Satan as a liar?

Can you think of a passage

that comes to mind?

(Stephanie) John 8:44.

(Christian) John 8:44, Stephanie,
would you read that for us?

Why don't we go to it, John 8:44,

and here Jesus describes Satan.

And listen as Stephanie reads

at how Jesus seems to just really focus in

on one predominant characteristic
of Satan,

and what is that?

(Stephanie) The King James Version says:

(Christian) Do you notice
that common theme?

He's called a liar;

there is no truth in him;

Satan is a deceiver. Yes, Billy.

(Billy) So, it's interesting

because sometimes I think,

especially in our world today,

we try to justify lying,

and I guess it begs the question,

should we draw a line

between truth and lie?

The reason why is because I know

some people who would say,

well, there is nothing wrong

with a white lie,

and it's coming from people

who should know better.

But there is that justification

that, yes, little lies should be okay,

and that's the culture

that we live in today,

so am I correct in understanding

that, based on that, anybody who lies

is a follower of Satan?

Or, is there a distinction

between, should we be quick

to judge people who lie and say

that you are of your father, the devil,

or should we give them a free pass?

So, it's a question, I guess
for the class.

(Christian) That's an excellent question.

Yes, some insight, yes, Travis.

(Travis) I'm sitting here listening,

and I'm really thankful

for the Holy Spirit.

I'm thankful because I remember, even now

sometimes I'll say something

that, you know, that might not be true,

without even intention,

and that little voice

in the back of my head, "Travis,
that wasn't right."

And I'm able either to correct it

or ask for forgiveness.

And so, I'm sitting here thinking,

I'm so thankful for God

who sends His Spirit to remind us,

"Hey," to keep getting us back

onto that narrow path

because the path is wide

that leads to destruction.

And Satan is doing anything

to get us on that path.

So, God's got to exit off that path many,

"Just get back on path,"

and that's the Holy Spirit

to keep whispering in our ear,

"Stay on track, stay on track."

(Christian) Yes, because it was Jesus

who said, "I am the way, the truth..."

(Christian, Team) "...and the life."

(Christian) And now He calls Satan,

he is a liar, the father of lies.

And so, going back to Billy's question,

when I think about our journey,

and our trust in God,

there are going to be times when we feel

that we must find ourselves

out of this difficult situation,

and we're sometimes tempted,
the greater good,

because we don't want to find ourselves

in this dangerous, life-threatening
situation.

I must get myself out of this situation,

and we're tempted to justify

a mistruth or something

that would bring us out of that.

But you know what I've discovered, Billy,

in my own personal life, and I'm sure

in many of your lives as well,

that when we trust God,

we come to a place in our life

when we can say, "You know, God,

I don't know what is happening,

and I don't know where this is going,

but I will trust in You and put

my full confidence in You
and not compromise.

And I will leave the consequences to You."

Because sometimes we're wanting

to manipulate the circumstances,

and that's when compromise takes place.

But if we're true to the Word of God,

He is the way, the truth and the life,

I think we can trust God with consequences

no matter what comes our way.

You know, and when I think

about the Great Controversy,

I think about this intense battle

between good and evil, yes,

God and Satan, of course,

but when you really think about it,

the essence of the Great Controversy

is between truth and deception,

truth and lies, and the battlefield
is the mind.

And I wonder, does anyone want to share

maybe an experience where Satan

attacked you with the intention

to cause you to believe one of his lies?

You know, lies about yourself,

lies about God, lies about others.

Can anyone think of a story

that comes to mind, a testimony

of an intense attack from the enemy,

the father of lies?

Anyone have a story they'd like to share?

(Derek) I have a short one, Christian.

Someone, a teacher I greatly respected,

walked away from the church,

and at first I was in a great crisis,

I think a temptation of the enemy:

Do I still belong here,

with this person leaving?

I'm so thankful that the Spirit of God

said, "I didn't call you

to follow that person;

you're called to follow Jesus."

And we need that, what Travis is saying,

we need the Holy Spirit.

Didn't Jesus say the Holy Spirit

will lead you into all truth?

And Jesus is full of grace and truth;

He is the truth, as you said.

But I think you're right.

I think sometimes it catches us unawares,
this temptation,

and we have to cry out to God

to ask the Holy Spirit to lead us

away from that alluring deception

and lead us in the way of truth.

(Christian) And I can testify

that, as I look back in my life,

and I think, I recall the times

that the enemy has shown himself

to be powerful in my life,

you know what I've discovered?

That in those moments, there was a lie

that I had come to believe,

concluding that the only power

that the enemy can have in our lives

is the power of the lie!

If he can convince me of his lie,

then he brings me under his control,

and ground is given to the enemy

when we believe his lies.

And so that is why the study of God's Word

and Dr. Morris here

with Hope Sabbath School,

that's what this is all about,

you know, being able to dig deep

into the Word of God

so that we can be grounded in truth,
so we can be...

(Derek) Grounded in Jesus.

(Christian) ...grounded in Jesus

who is the way, the truth and the life.

So, you know, Ephesians, chapter 6,

comes to mind when I think
about application.

Let's apply the Scriptures here

for a moment in Ephesians,

chapter 6, verses 10 to 18.

In fact, we're not going to take

the time to read it,

but in that passage there

in Ephesians, chapter 6,

we find a special gift

given to the Christian as a protection

against this enemy, this father of lies.

And what is that protection given to us

there in Ephesians, chapter 6,
what is it called?

(Christian, Team) The armor of God.

(Christian) And I want to encourage

our viewers to take time

to go to Ephesians, chapter 6,

and study this out,

because truly there is a lot to learn.

But with the moment that we have left,

I'd like us to do a full circle.

You know, we started with Babylon

as a nation that was being judged by God.

And now, as we come back to Revelation,

the prophetic book of the New Testament,

we discover that Babylon

is mentioned once again.

Now, it's interesting to me

that, in Revelation, there are 100,

or, rather, 404 verses.

If you're viewing at home,

you want to take time to count,

you let us know if I'm off by one or two,

but I read 404 verses.

Out of those 404 verses, 278 verses

are a reference or an illusion,
direct or indirect,

to the Old Testament,

and that includes the mention of Babylon.

It's mentioned in Revelation, chapter 17.

So, I'd like for us to take a moment

to go to Revelation, chapter 17,

and here we find a description

of a persecuting power

that is also given the name "Babylon."

Revelation, chapter 17, verses 1 to 6,

Travis, could you read that for us?

(Travis) Sure, and I'll be reading

from the New King James Version:

(Christian) Wow, so in the Old Testament,

no doubt we have literal Babylon.

We see this nation

that overtakes Jerusalem, a nation

that is overtaken by Medes and Persians.

It's a literal nation, right?

But here in this passage in Revelation,

and you can correct me if I'm wrong,

but this doesn't sound like a description

of a literal nation named Babylon,

but rather a spiritual perspective
or context.

How would you explain that?

Why is Babylon mentioned once again,

apparently in an end-time scenario?

Why the use of Babylon once again?

Is there something significant

about the name "Babylon"

that we might be able to make sense

out of this particular context
in Revelation?

What do you think? Billy?

(Billy) I guess just a simple comparison

is the spirit behind Babylon

in Isaiah versus this one.

It ties into Lucifer,

that there is a common denominator

for all of them, that there is

an evil spirit behind them.

And you can easily see a comparison

between how bad they were

in the book of Isaiah and this one, too,

because they carried the same...

Even though it's like
different time frames

and they may not be

the exact same kingdoms,

but the spirits are very similar,

the hatred for God's people,

the hatred for truth

and exalting pride and also lies.

It's the same thing

that we're seeing in the end times.

(Christian) Okay, with all
those characteristics,

it obviously leads to spiritual confusion.

And so, here we have a scenario

where there is spiritual confusion
on Earth.

And you know what?

When I look at the prophecies of Isaiah,

when I look at the context of Babylon

and compare it to spiritual Babylon
there in Revelation,

I see a call there in Revelation,

chapter 18, that calls us

to come out of her,

a reference to spiritual Babylon.

But a reference, an invitation

to come to the One who says,

"I am the way, the truth, and the life."

And I think of Jesus' call when He said,

"Come unto Me, come unto Me,

and I will give you rest."

So, our prayer is that God's call

will be a call that invites you

to come to Him, to trust Him,

because He can be trusted.

(Derek) Amen. Thank you, Christian.

And thank you for joining us

for Hope Sabbath School today.

I am moved to say, "Jesus,

lead me in Your truth by the Holy Spirit.

Lead me in Your truth."

No room for deception

when we're following the Holy Spirit

leading us in the way of Jesus.

Are you desiring that in your heart, too?

But, you know, it's more

than that, isn't it?

That God could help us

to help people around us

who are still in confusion

to find the truth as it is in Jesus.

Let's pray that we can

also be witnesses for Jesus today.

Father in Heaven, thank You

for this challenging message,

for exposing, not only the deception,

but pointing us to the truth, Jesus,

who is the truth, full of grace and truth.

And I thank You for the Holy Spirit

who will lead us into the truth
as it is in Jesus.

We trust in Jesus, our Savior, today,

and we thank You.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

(Team) Amen.

(Derek) I'm so thankful for Jesus today,
aren't you?

In the midst of all of the confusion,

accept Him, let the Spirit lead you.

And then go out and share His truth

with those around you.

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