I'm excited today because of the way we're working up the Pentecost to do our Sabbath Bible study, to get caught up on that. We're a little bit behind because of the various activities we've had, and I thought it would be appropriate to be able to go over and finish up Matthew's second discourse in chapter 10 of the book of Matthew.
We've been covering this now for a time, and I'm taking extra time to go over it, and I plan to do that again today. I'm going to bring out things that are implied. In Matthew 10, he's sending out the 12. At the beginning of the chapter, he mentions that when he had called his 12 disciples to him, he gave them power over unclean spirits to cast them out, to heal all kinds of sicknesses and all kinds of diseases. In the next couple verses are the names of the 12, and he called apostles. Mentioned that's the only place in Matthew that he uses the word apostle, but he does use the noun.
He does use the verb send often. Then he said in verse 5, then Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying, and he goes on down, and I'll pick that up a little later on, but he gave them instructions. This is instructions for the 12. This wasn't to the general public. It was instructions to the 12 about what they were to talk about and what they were to do. We saw there were very serious things there, but he ends it on... he talks about things like verse 22, when you'll be hated by all nations for my namesake, but he that endures to the end will be saved, and when they persecute you in the city, go into another one.
And in verse 25, it's enough for a disciple that he'd be like his teacher and a servant like his master. If they've called the master of the house of Baal's above, how much more will they call those of his household? Jesus was perfect, and they called him Baal's above. Imagine imperfect disciples with their human faults and all that.
We'd call it even worse. And he goes on down with very strong teaching. Verse 34, do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth. I did not come to bring peace for the sword for a man against his father, a daughter-in-law against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, and he goes on down and amends enemies with those of his own household. So he talks about the price.
They're going to be despised and they're going to be troubled, and yet he ends it with a very positive in chapter 10 and verse 40. He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives him who sent me. And he goes in verse 41, he who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward, and he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward.
And whoever gives one of these little ones a cup of water only, only a cup of water, in the name of a disciple, assuredly I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward. In scripture and in the diplomatic world, an ambassador represents his country, or represents who sent him, and Christ's disciples, Christ's apostles, represented Jesus Christ himself. And so the people who would respect them as his agents are respecting the one who sent him. And the one who respects Jesus is also respecting the Father who sent him. And it's a way that Christ is making this point. And I think that's pretty well understood, although I'm sure we can understand it better.
Matthew recorded Jesus referring to the prophets in other places, and righteous men. He said in Matthew 5, 10, to 12, blessed are you which are persecuted for righteousness' sake. For theirs is the king of heaven. Blessed are you when men shall revile you, persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely. For my sake, rejoice, and be exceedingly glad. For great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets which were before you.
So here he's referring to the righteous. They persecute you for righteousness' sake, and also the prophets before us. And in Matthew 13, it's in the third discourse, he said, but blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears for they hear. For assuredly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men, again, Matthew makes those two, desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it. When we get to Matthew 23, which is the fifth discourse, we'll notice that the prophets and righteous men, sorry, we refer to the prophets being persecuted five times in Matthew 23.
So, and that was, of course, just before they killed them. So Jesus' point is here. The prophets and the righteous will be persecuted, but those who show them respect will be rewarded. And he said, he who receives a prophet, the neighbor prophet, shall receive a prophet's reward. And he who receives a righteous man, the neighbor righteous man, shall receive a righteous man's reward. And he who gives one of these, little ones, only a cup of cold water, the neighbor disciple, assuredly I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward. Now, he mentioned reward, and I've emphasized this in past messages, but I think I'd go over it again to emphasize this thing of reward.
A prophet's reward, a righteous man's reward, a reward given for giving water to a little one. What exactly is that? Well, the Greek word for reward means reward. It also means do, Thayer says, do's paid for work. Wages, higher, reward, used of the fruit naturally resulting from toils and endeavors.
Vines dictionary says, primarily wages, higher, and then generally reward. Well, we know God's Spirit is a gift, it's not a reward. And we know eternal life is a gift. The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life. So what's the reward? If it's not the Holy Spirit, that's a gift. Eternal life's a gift. What's a reward? Well, maybe it helps to remember Hebrews 11.6. It's a verse I think many of you would have memorized. He said, but without faith it's impossible to please Him. But he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
He is a rewarder, and the word there is a conjugation of the Greek word that we saw about wages, higher, it's a reward. And Jesus said, when Jesus Christ returns to the earth, He said He will bring His reward with Him. You want to look this up in Revelation 22 and verse 12. Revelation 22 and verse 12. And He said, Revelation 22 and verse 12, And behold, I am coming quickly, and my reward, same word, is with me, to give everyone according to his work.
To give everyone according to his work. Behold, I'm coming quickly, and my reward is with me. To give everyone according to his work. The reward is based on work.
Martin Luther didn't get that right. He's going to give to everyone according to his work. In 2 John, verse 8, John wrote, Look to yourselves that we do not lose the things we worked for. Look to yourselves that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward. We need to understand this. God actually said this long go through the prophet Isaiah. You might want to look at Isaiah 62. Isaiah 62 verses 10 to 12.
Isaiah 62, 10 to 12. I'll read it to you from the NIV. It's a short little paragraph in there in Isaiah.
Isaiah 62, 10 to 12, Pass through, pass through the gates. Prepare the way for the people. Build up, build up the highway. Remove the stones. Raise a banner for the nations. The Lord has made preparations to the ends of the earth. Say to the daughter of Zion, See, your Savior comes. See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him. They will be called the holy people, the redeemed of the Lord, and you will be called sought after. The city no longer deserted. See, your Savior comes. See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him, and they will be called the holy people, the redeemed of the Lord, and you will be called sought after. We must understand what this reward is about. Some of God's servants are more diligent in serving him than others. Do you remember the parable of the pounds? It's also called the parable of the minas and the new King James, the parable of the pounds. Jesus called ten of his servants and gave them each a pound or a mina, depending on which word you use, to work with. And that was an amount of money that's estimated to be about three months' wages. So you can calculate what your mina would be in dollars. About three months' wages, 25 percent of your annual salary. He said, hey, work with this. Occupy this until I come. The one who took ten and turned it into ten was given authority over ten cities.
The one who turned it into five was given authority over five cities. The one who produced no increase had his pound taken away, and it was given to the one who had ten.
In the mystery of the ages, Mr. Armstrong wrote this on page 253 and 254 of the Hardcover edition, Mystery of the Ages. In the Parable of the Pounds, Luke 19, 11-27, Jesus is pictured as the rich young ruler going to God's throne in heaven to receive the kingdom of God. He gave each in the church a pound, representing a portion of God's Holy Spirit. He gave each in the church a pound, representing a portion of God's Holy Spirit. He invested the Holy Spirit, but it must be utilized. This illustrates that we must grow in the spirit or in grace and knowledge during the Christian life. We have to keep growing. When Christ returns to the earth, having received the kingdom and being already crowned, he shall call those of the church to an accounting. The one who has multiplied the portion of the Holy Spirit, received, parenthesis, has grown and developed in grace and knowledge by ten times over, shall be rewarded by being given rule over ten cities. He who qualified by spiritual growth and development only have as much, shall reign over five cities as his reward. Remember, we shall be rewarded according to our works or spiritual growth, but salvation is a free gift. I hope we all understand that. We comprehend it. We remember Matthew in the parable of Sowers said, but he who receives seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it and indeed bears fruit and produces, some a hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirty. People grow differently, and we all have to grow as well. Each of us does. Now, Jesus ends this discourse by informing his servants, those who respect them because they were sent, will be rewarded. His prophets, who often suffered greatly in the service, often put to death, will be rewarded. Many righteous men who suffered for maintaining the truth when others turn to unrighteousness, and they too will be rewarded. Even those who showed kindness to one of his little ones, as a disciple of Christ, will be rewarded for doing so. As we saw in Hebrews 11.6, but without faith, it's impossible to please him, for he who comes to God must believe that he is and that he's a rewarder of those who diligently seek him.
Or, as he said here in Matthew 10, verse 42, and whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of water in the name of a disciple, assuredly I say to you, in the end of it you have, I tell you the truth, he will by no means lose his reward. It's an important principle, and one that we need to keep in mind. Matthew ends the discourse in verse 11, as he does all the other four. Now it came to pass, this is Matthew 11.1, now it came to pass when Jesus had finished commanding his twelve disciples that he departed from there to teach and preach in their cities. That's how he ends the discourses in each one. Now, we finish that one, but in the remaining time, I thought I'd share something that I feel it's important that we all understand, especially like our congregation to understand this. As we saw in Matthew 10, containing the instructions Jesus gave to the twelve he was sending out to preach. As I said in verse 5, Matthew 10 and verse 5, these twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying, Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter the city of Samaritans, but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. We explained why he used that wording. And as you go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely receive, freely give. Okay. Then he ends the instructions by saying, He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives him who sent me. To receive somebody specifically sent by Jesus Christ is to receive him and the Father who sent him. Today, I'm increasingly concerned that many are showing less respect or even disrespect for Mr. Herbert Armstrong and what he taught. And I think that's a big mistake. Of course, he's a human being. He made many mistakes. He once told me after a really awkward circumstance in his life, he said, If I ever get to meet Jesus Christ, if I ever have that privilege, I know what he's going to say to me. He's going to say, Herbert, you don't know how much trouble you gave me.
He certainly had human faults, as I'm sure all God's servants do.
Every one of God's servants, obviously, we only have one perfect servant of God, and that's Jesus Christ. And fortunately, he's the head of the organization. Everybody else is less so. Nevertheless, I'm convinced it's in our best term, the long-term interest, to respect what he taught. And I'd like to help you understand why I see it that way. Remember, John quoted Jesus as saying, Most assuredly I say to you, he who receives whomever I send. Now, he makes very clear who he sends. There are people who say that they send him, whose fruits are completely disproven. But whoever he receives, whoever I send receives me, and he who receives me receives him who sent me. That's John 1320. So it's important to ask, well, did God raise up Herbert Armstrong and send him? Is that a fair question? If he did, then we all better, quote, receive him and respect what he taught. Jesus also said, this is John 1520, if you'd like to note it, that this is that first Passover, New Testament Passover, John 1520. Remember the word that I said to you, a servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. And 11 of the 12 were martyred. We think John was persecuted. You put in prison, he had a lot of trouble, but we don't know that he was martyred. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they'll keep yours also. If they kept Price's word, they'll keep the words of those he sends. That's how I understand it. Christ's apostles, such as Peter, John, and Paul, faithfully taught the truths Jesus brought from the Father. And their writings became Scripture. Mr. Armstrong said repeatedly that his writings are not Scripture. And he made that plain. And his writings are not Scripture.
Nevertheless, God did use him to teach us important truths in the Bible that we still hold. If you look at Matthew 17, where Jesus had given them a vision of him in the kingdom, and they had, in several verses there, they had a picture of the kingdom. And after six days, Matthew 17, verse 1, Jesus took Peter, James, and John, his kind of inner circle, and led them up on a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun's clothes became as white as light. Behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with them. Then Peter answered and said, Lord, it's good for us to be here. If you wish, let's make three tabernacles. I think there's some reason to believe that there was a time of a few stab-negals around that time, and he wanted to make a tabernacle. One for you, one for Moses, one for Elijah. Now, when he was still speaking, behold, a bright light overshadowed them. Suddenly a voice came from the clouds, saying, this is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear him! That's one of the messages to listen to Jesus Christ. His servants are to tell what Jesus Christ said, not what they say, to tell what Jesus Christ said. And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid. But Jesus came and touched them and said, arise, and do not be afraid. And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only. Now when it came down from the mutton, Jesus commanded them, saying, tell the vision to no man until the Son of Man is risen from the dead. Don't tell about this one until he's resurrected.
And his disciples asked him, and saying, why then do the scribes say that Elijah must first come? And Jesus answered and said to them, uh, uh, 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 about to suffer at their hands. Then they understood that he spoke of John the Baptist. John the Baptist did come before Jesus Christ. But he was going to, he said there was, Elijah will come first and restore all things. The Church was going to lose things after 70 AD when it was scattered and off the scene, and they were going to lose the truths that they had in the New Testament times. And I believe at the end of the age, God sent, raised up Mr. Armstrong to restore those things. I don't see anybody else to consider. Now, if you can point me to somebody else who did restore all things to the Church, let me know. But right now, I don't see anybody. In his sermon on December 17, 1983, Mr. Armstrong listed 18 truths that had been restored to the Church during his leadership. The list begins with the true gospel of the kingdom of God. The Church of God did not know the gospel. They didn't know what the good news was, believe it or not. They knew Christ was coming back, but it's more than that. It's that we can have eternal life with Him forever.
And we didn't understand the purpose of God, to share eternal life with His family, and also that God's Master Plan is revealed through the Holy Days. I learned the gospel from Herbert Armstrong. I also learned what salvation is from Him, and through HWA, God reveals that the Holy Days are to be kept. I learned to understand God's plan to have Jesus Christ to reign over the earth for a thousand years, after which He would suffer salvation. He would offer salvation to everyone who ever lived. I learned that through Mr. Armstrong.
So God had to show those things to Mr. Armstrong and many more. And let me show you one thing, too, I think you'll find interesting. Let's go to Revelation 17, from Matthew 17 to Revelation 17. And I remember the first time I began to dawned on me, I forget when that was, but I find this really fascinating.
Revelation 17 is the scarlet woman and the scarlet beast. And verse 7, he says, But the angel said to me, Why do you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and ten horns. The beast that was, that you saw was and is not, and will ascend out of the abyss, where the bottom is pit, and go into perdition. And those who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose names are not written in the book of life, from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was and is not, and yet is. Here is the mind which has wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. And we covered that in the past years. Verse 10, There are also seven kings, five are fallen, one is, and the other is not yet come. And when he comes, he must continue a short time. There are seven kings, five are fallen. That tells you they're consecutive. Five are gone, one is, the seventh one is yet to come. They're consecutive. Now, when does that take place? One is. It was in the days of the sixth that John was pushed forward. He wasn't pushed forward to the seventh one, he was pushed forward to the sixth one. And it was is. So John was taken forward to the sixth revival of the Roman Empire, which we understand was the rise of Germany and Italy in World War II. Mussolini came to power, head of the Italian government, in 1922. Hitler came to power in 1933.
In August 1934, the Plain Truth magazine had a lead article written by Herbert Armstrong, Who is the Beast of Revelation? The article included a chart of the seven revivals. Remember that chart that we used to have? It's virtually the same as we know it today, except more of the emphasis was on Italy at that time, because that's what was going on, and then Hitler and Mussolini joined together. That was during the time of the sixth game. The one John was told is.
Benito Mussolini invaded Ethiopia in 1935 and 1936. Hitler invaded Czechoslovakia, and that began the Second World War in March 1939. The World War began then. It's interesting that five years before, in August 1934, he said, here's the beast. It is.
I found it fascinating. He wrote that five years before Hitler invaded Czechoslovakia. To me, it's no coincidence, again, to explain the Beast of Revelation during the time of the sixth revival of the Roman Empire, written by the woman that says in verse 6, drunk with the blood of the saints. Now, that king no longer is.
Six are fallen now. If our understanding is correct, I think it is. And we're waiting for the seventh.
Did he come up that all by himself? I don't see how it's possible. About ten years ago, we began going through the book of Revelation on a Sabbath Bible study, and I covered the book of Revelation. We ended it in November 2007, believe it or not. Look at Revelation 5. Revelation 5.
Revelation 5. Now, you know Revelation 1 and 2 and 3 are the messages to the churches. And in chapter 4, a relatively short chapter, John is taken to a heavenly scene. And in chapter 5, he says, So he saw this.
Who can open the seal?
And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look at it. No one. No human. Not even in heaven or on the earth was able to open the scroll and to look at it. So I went much because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll or to look at it. But one of the elders said to me, Do not weep. Behold, the lion of the tribe of Judah. The root of David has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals. And the rest of the book of Revelation is explaining him opening those seals one after the other after the other. That's what the book of Revelation is about. So during that study, when we went over it, I explained each of those seals in detail. Now, where did I learn to what those seals meant? Where did I learn that? I had to learn it from a guy named Armstrong.
And where did he learn it?
There's only one source. There's only one who's worthy to open it.
And it was Armstrong recognizing faults, shortcomings, who taught me to look in Matthew 24 for the keys where Jesus Christ himself unlocks the seals. You put those two together and it's perfect match and it ties up completely. There's only one source. If you understand those seals, and I hope you do, the ultimate source of opening them is Jesus Christ and no other person or individual. The only one that can open it is Jesus Christ.
The individuals are unimportant by comparison. You know, the regular broadcast of the World Tomorrow Program began in January 1934. That's during the days when it was just building up and the plain truths began the next month. From those humble beginnings in 1934, God did amazing things.
As I mentioned, it was August 34 that the article, Explain the Beast, was first published. Under Mr. Armstrong's leadership, humanly, but much more under Jesus Christ, the Church grew from nothing to a publishing work with the plain truths sent to multiple millions of subscribers all around the globe. The World Tomorrow broadcast was heard here and internationally for over 50 years. The Good News magazine was published for tens of thousands of members. It was a member's magazine. In number of the books, booklets, and a multi-course correspondence course were all sent out free of charge all over the earth. And for 50 years, the most famous statement, he had two famous statements. The most famous one to me is, Don't Believe Me, Believe Your Bible. I heard that over and over again. The other one was, Blow the Dust Off Your Bible. He's still got you reading the Bible. Not himself. Not his words. We had congregations in every major U.S. city and most major cities in the western world. Officers were established around the world, and I can tell you they worked together harmoniously, and they worked together very well. We had three colleges producing workers for the harvest, and then they had various difficulties, and they're all closed now. The annual income in the 80s approached 130 million dollars. The Sabbath, the Holy Days, the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, the identity of the children of Israel, the truth about the immortal soul, the truth about the Trinity, the truth about the spirit man, about becoming kings and priests. Many other doctrines were proclaimed all over the earth. Such proclamation of the true Gospel, as I understand it, has not happened since 70 AD.
It was a church off from the side. It was in the wilderness, and it didn't... it never died out, but it wasn't prominent. And those are the fruits I think we all, maybe some of us didn't, but most all of us did, witnessed. And Mr. Armstrong repeatedly said he didn't accomplish the work. And if anyone said, Mr. Armstrong, you built something really special here, he jumped on them, asked Dave Rowan's face. He found out the hard way.
If you say he did it, because he knew he didn't, he knew he didn't. He know he couldn't have accomplished all that. Surely only God can produce such fruit. So, in sending out the 12, if you go back to Matthew 10, Matthew 10, and this time this will be between 14 and 15. Matthew 10, he was sending to the ones he sent. And this is before he raised up Paul.
They didn't know anything about Paul here.
And he says in Matthew 10, verse 14, whoever will not receive you or hear your words when you depart from that house or city, shake the dust from your feet, surely I say to you, you'll be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city. And then he ended it by saying, verse 40, and he who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives him who sent me. He who receives a prophet. Now, he was sending apostles, but he's talking about prophets, too. He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward, and he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward. And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, surely I say to you, shall by no means lose his reward. It's important that we understand that. Jesus Christ expects those he sends to be respected. None of them were perfect. David blunders usually. Made many, many mistakes. But still, we respect David, and we respect those he's called Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Jacob sure had his problems. So, as I mentioned, I think it's in our long-term best interest to recognize and respect the teaching God presented to us and restored to the Church through, but not because of, but through Mr. Armstrong. I thought in the section of Matthew 10 that'd be a good thing to break out. We're going to finish a little early today.
