When God Intervenes

The title of the sermon today is When God Intervenes. Have you ever meditated on the times that God has intervened in the course of the universe and events here on earth? Now, there are many times that God intervenes in our lives that we're not aware of. You can read about that in Job 33-34. I think it is. Or oftentimes, an angel helps us out of a tight situation and we're not even aware of it. Many times, God's ministering servants help us. But what we're talking about here today are major interventions in the history of the universe that has changed the course of the universe and humankind. So today, we're going to present a summary of the history of the universe. You could read thousands of books and never understand the truths we shall present here today. According to the scriptures, God and the Word have always existed. They are eternal with no end, no beginning. So before anything was created that we know about, what we call the physical universe or the spiritual realm or the physical realm of animals and humans, God existed. Look at Psalm 90 in verse 7. In Psalm 90 in verse 7.

Psalm 90 verse 7.

Well, that's not the right verse.

The verse I'm looking for says that God is from everlasting to everlasting. Now let's go to Hebrews chapter 7 in verse 1, which shows specifically here of Jesus Christ, his eternity without father, without mother, without end or beginning of days. In Hebrews chapter 7 and verse 1, for this Melchizedek king of Salem, and so Melchizedek was a type of Christ, priest of the Most High God who met Abraham, returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of the first being by interpretation king of righteousness. Well, no earthly person would be king of righteousness. There's not been an earthly person who could claim that title. And after that king of Salem, Salem means peace. Which king would be the king of peace, not Vladimir Putin or anybody else? Which is king of peace without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made unto the son of God, abides a priest continually. So God the Father and Jesus Christ have existed in eternity, no beginning and no end. Scientists estimate the earth to be some four or more. I think I've seen estimates up to 14 billion years old, four to 14 billion years old. At some point in eternity past, God intervened and created all things through the Word, the one who became Jesus Christ. So we turn back to the Gospel of John and chapter one, and we'll see this, how that God through Christ created everything it was. So but keep in mind that at one point the physical universe, much less human beings, existed. John 1-1, in the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him, and without him was not anything made. As clear as it can be, there are other scriptures we could turn to that God through Christ created the universe and also created the earth.

The creation of earth and then the creation of humankind set in motion the plan and purpose of God. In Revelation 4 and verse 11, I want to highlight this scripture because you can look at it and say, what in the world does that mean?

In Revelation 4, John is given a vision of the throne of God where he is caught up and he envisioned, sees the throne of God and one sitting on this throne and all the splendor that accompanies it. And then we look in verse 11 of chapter 4, you are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power, for you have created all things and for your, and the Greek word here means will, for your will, to bring your will, your plan, to fruition. And I don't know why they created it and why they translated it pleasure here, for your will they are and were created. In other words, to fulfill the will of God, the physical universe, and everything therein was to fulfill the word of God. So there is more here. In Ephesians chapter 1 and verse 9, we'll see that this same word is translated as will of God. Ephesians chapter 1 will start in verse 9.

In Ephesians 1 and verse 9, having made known unto us the mystery of his will, the same word that is translated pleasure in Revelation 4.11 in the Greek, the lemma, according to the good pleasure or his good will, which he has purposed in himself, that in the dispensation of the fullest of times, let's talk a moment about dispensation. Dispensation means the Greek is economia. It means the administration or a period of time of testing.

We are currently, if you look across the page, probably it is in my Bible, chapter 3, verse 1, for this cause, I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God. At the current time, we are in what is known as the dispensation of grace or the church age, which is given me to you. And Paul explains later in that chapter how the Gentiles are grafted in to that body of Christ.

There have been seven basic dispensations, one innocence and the garden of Eden, Adam, and evil created in an innocent state. Then they chose for themselves human conscience. They let their conscience be their guide instead of God. Then we have, after the flood, a human government was vested in Noah and human government still goes on today.

And, of course, the one, the number two, the dispensation of the conscience of man, man making his own decisions, goes on till this day. And then you have the patriarchal age, which God called out Abraham, and then promised him that from his seed all the nations of the earth would be blessed. All of this is very important in understanding, which we'll read a little bit more about in just a moment in verse 10 here. So God called out Abraham. He passed the blessing on to, in the promise on to Isaac, his son, and Isaac, passed it on to Jacob.

Jacob to the 12 tribes. The 12 tribes became the nation of Israel. And then Israel entered into the law covenant, that dispensation of the old covenant. And now, after Christ came, we are in the dispensation of grace, or the dispensation of the church age. Now we return to Ephesians 1.10. We'll start at the beginning. That is in the dispensation of the fullness of times.

That's the seventh administration. So we have innocence, human conscience, we have human government, patriarchal age, the old covenant. Now we're in the period of grace, the church age, and the seventh dispensation, the fullness of times, the completeness of the plan and purpose of God is given right here. You may have read over a million times. That in the dispensation of the fullness of times, he might gather together in one all things in Christ, which are in heaven and which are in earth, even in him.

So in that dispensation, Christ will be over everything except the Father. And we won't turn to 1 Corinthians 15 that talks about that exception, that Christ will be in subjection to the Father, in whom we also have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things after the counsel of his will.

The purpose and plan of God, to bring that to fruition, he created the universe. In addition to that, God created the spiritual realm, the angelic realm. The angelic realm was created probably after some of the universe was created, but I don't know that for sure. It might have been created before any of the physical universe because you look at Job chapter 38 and you'll see here that when God suspended the earth out in space, and of course there are all kind of physical laws that govern that, and the gravity of the moon, and many other things that allow the earth to be tilted at an angle of 23.5 degrees or so, and the earth is revolving every 24 hours, then it is rotating around the sun in our solar system every 365 and a fourth days.

And of course you have evolutionists who would argue that this all happened by chance. I'm not getting into that. It's ridiculous. But anyhow, in Job 38, then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said, Who is he that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? So where is Job 38? 2.

No, 38.3. Gird up now your loins like a man, for I will demand of you and answer you me. Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if you understand, who has laid the measure thereof, if you know, or who has stretched the line upon it? Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? Or who laid the cornerstone thereof? When the morning stars and the morning stars have to do with the angels, when the angels sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy. You see, the angels are created beings. So we look at Hebrews chapter 1. In Hebrews chapter 1, we will see the purpose of angels, and it ties in, of course, everything today ties in with Ephesians 1.10 to bring to fruition the plan and purpose of God. In Hebrews chapter 1 in verse 13, Hebrews 1.13. I take up a lot of time turning to scriptures, but that's what we like to do.

In Hebrews 1.13, but to which the angel said, he at any time said on my right hand. Well, he never did. He never promised angels are created beings. They are not born into the family of God. We are born in the family of God because we are begotten of the Spirit of God, and then at the resurrection born into the family of God until I make your enemies your footstool. Are they not all? Here's the purpose of angels, ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be the heirs of salvation.

So God in the Word created the universe to bring verse 10 of Ephesians 1 to fruition to bring it to pass so that we could become begotten and born children in the family and kingdom of God. In fact, before, as we have noticed, he has created this angelic realm to help us make it into the kingdom. They are created beings and they will never be on the same plane that we are on. So in the first few minutes here on the last day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread in 2022, we have through the scriptures summarized the plan and purpose of God. He created the universe. He created the angelic realm. He created all things through Jesus Christ. We'll get into the specifics of that a little more. So in the first few minutes here, we have summarized a plan and purpose of God and that is to bring sons and daughters to glory in his family. It is to complete his will. See, God is love and love that is not shared is self-love. The Bible doesn't speak highly of self-love. Love is an outgoing concern and God wanted to share. He in the Word wanted to share with humankind his essential being. That is to become a spirit being.

So what we have just explained through the scriptures, creation of the angelic realm, the creation of the universe, the suspending of the earth out there in space, the purpose of angels, the purpose of human beings to be born in the family of God. Of course, there are hundreds of details that we could go on and on with and presenting the entire purpose and plan of God, but that is in a nutshell an overview in 10 minutes or so. At the appointed time, we'll begin to fill in some of the details now. At the appointed time, remember I gave a sermon several weeks ago titled, The Appointed Time. At the appointed time, God created male and female in His own likeness and set them in a perfect environment, and He being the perfect teacher taught them. But they were seduced by the Prince of the rebellious angels, Satan, and they sinned. As the Apostle Paul reveals in Revelation chapter 12 that His tale, that great dragon drew a third part of the angels, God knew that the first humans would sin and be in need of a redeemer. How do I know that? Well, we'll read the scripture in a moment. To buy them back from sin and death. So that introduces Jesus Christ, who is our Passover, who willingly gave His life as a sacrifice for sin. The scripture I'm looking for says, speaking of Jesus Christ, who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world. Let's notice this in 1 Peter 1 and verse 20. In 1 Peter chapter 1 and verse 20, who verily was foreordained, speaking of Jesus Christ, and foreordained means to know, Proganosko means to know beforehand, for who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world. Now we read about the foundations of the world. We read that the angels, morning stars, the sons of God, shouted for joy when the foundations of the world were formed by the one who became Jesus Christ. So here we see that before the foundations of the world, who verily was foreordained, known beforehand, but was manifest in these last times for you, who by Him do believe in God, that is through Christ, that raised Him up from the dead. The Father raised Jesus from the dead and gave Him glory that your faith and hope might be in God.

And in Revelation 13 and verse 8 it says, and the Lamb of God who slain from the foundation of the world.

So we know from death that God knew the first humans would sin. After Adam and Eve sinned, God intervened and cast them out of the garden of Eden to fend for themselves. You'll earn your bread by the sweat of the brow, it says, and tilling the soil. But in so doing, in casting them out, God promised them a Redeemer. But nonetheless, you know that for God to see Adam and Eve depart from the garden of Eden, and the one who became Jesus Christ the Word, that must have been a very grievous time. To see these two beings, they must have been the most perfectly created beings of all beings cast out of the garden.

So I believe God was grieved when Adam and Eve packed up their fig leaves. That's all they had to pick up. They packed up their fig leaves and left the garden of Eden cut off from the tree of life until the Redeemer appeared. Of course, hopefully Adam and Eve will be in the Second Resurrection. Genesis 3.15 tells us that God in the fullness of time would bring forth a Redeemer.

So humankind would once again have access to the Holy Spirit represented by the Tree of Life. So let's look at Genesis 3.15 where this is the first of the Messianic promises that a Redeemer would come on the scene and as we are observing a piece of unleavened bread, he would be our Passover and he would represent sincerity and truth. In Genesis 3.15, and I will put enmity between you and the woman, between your seed and her seed, it shall bruise your head and you shall bruise his heel. So eventually Jesus Christ is going to put Satan away.

Now after Adam and Eve were created and then sent and cast out of the Garden of Eden, some 1600-plus years according to biblical genealogical records, God had to intervene again because the wickedness of man was so great upon the earth that he couldn't take it anymore. And of course, I think we are approaching that once again. So now let's look at Genesis 6. We'll see another great intervention.

Remember the title, When God Intervenes. When God intervenes when he created the angelic realm, when he created the physical universe, when he created human beings, when he created Jesus Christ, didn't strike that, didn't create Jesus Christ, when Jesus Christ was made flesh and dwelt among us. Of course, the Jehovah's Witnesses teach that Jesus Christ is a created being, that Michael, the archangel, became Jesus Christ, so that's not correct. So in Genesis 6 in verse 1, And it came to pass when men began to multiply in the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, that the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were fair, and they took them wives of all which they chose. And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh, yet his day shall be a hundred and twenty. So apparently, God raised up Noah, and Noah lived some 600 years plus, more than 600 years. But God raised up Noah, and he preached to them for 120 years. There were giants in the earth in those days. Also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bear children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old men of renown. And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented God. That word in the Hebrew means it made him sorrowful, not that he had to repent of any sin, for it made God sorry that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, and the creeping thing in the files of the air, for it repents me that I have made them. So once again, God is brought to grief because of the wickedness that was extent on the earth during that time. And according to Bible genealogical records, it was about 1650 years. And of course, that has been open for debate. Now, there's an interesting factor here that Seldom mentioned. If we go now to 1 Peter 3 18, in 1 Peter 3 18, it's better to reply, depend on memory than notes. In verse Peter 3 and verse 18, it says, So here's something that happened while Noah was preparing the arachan preaching.

For Christ also had once suffered for sins, the jest for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened, made alive in the spirit. The Father raised him from the dead, as we read from 1 Peter. Chapter 1. By whom also, by the Spirit, also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison.

After Satan's rebellion, many of the angels were cast down and became demons, and they were placed in a condition of restraint, Tartaroo.

So he went and preached to the spirits in prison, which sometimes were disobedient, when once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the arachas were preparing, were in few, that his eight souls were saved by water.

So apparently, at that time when Christ went and preached to them, when Noah was preparing the arachas, additional restraints were placed upon the demons. Of course, we know that Christ encountered many demons during his ministry. We don't hear much about demons today, but they are extant, and they are everywhere, and they're looking for someone to influence or to inhabit.

So the flood came upon the earth after Noah's preaching, and those eight souls were saved. But after the flood, one of Noah's grandsons rose up and began to build the Tower of Babel. See, there's always someone who wants to have the preeminence, and so Nimrod rose up, one of Noah's grandsons, and began to build the Tower of Babel in rebellion against God's command to be fruitful, multiply, replenish the earth, and for them to go to their various inheritances. Now, in Genesis 10, you'll find the Table of Nations, and there it lists the Table of Nations and their various inheritances. And it is also during that period of time that a lot of geologic work took place, in which God, as it says, divided the earth more during that period of time. It'll say that in Genesis chapter 10.

Upon God's intervention at the Tower of Babel, see, at the Tower of Babel, God had to intervene. They were building a tower to look to, some say, trying to reach into heaven. I don't think that was a purpose. I think it was a landmark for them to look to in defiance of God to say, here is the true God. And the evil Babylonian system began to be developed. And that great Babylonian system has plagued humankind from the days of Nimrod to the present day.

Of course, basically the Tower of Babel has been restored, where all nations are gathered together, and even language is not a barrier anymore, because you can have almost instant translation from any language. And the language of the earth at the present time, and the language of business, 70% of all business is conducted in English. So basically, the language of the earth in today's world is English. You will notice that as this war in Ukraine rages and they enter be various foreign leaders, that they can speak at least broken English and some fluid English.

After this event, God called out Abraham and promised Abraham and Sarah that from their seed would come one through whom all nations would be blessed. Not just Israel, but all nations. We look at that promise. We're in Genesis, so just turn it forward a few pages to 12.3.

I heard a sermon this week, which this person was doing a Bible study covering Ezekiel 36, and the restoration that is going to take place after the millennium. But he made it pre-millennial, as if what is happening in Israel today is that final restoration. Now, there is a type of restoration going on in Israel, which would be necessary for prophecies to be fulfilled, as we understand them, that is, to restore temple worship, to build a temple and restore temple worship, offer sacrifice because we know that the abomination of desolation is set up after the daily sacrifice has been ended.

So in Genesis 12 and verse 3, and I will bless them that bless you, curse him that curses you, and in you shall all families of the earth be blessed. So far, that has not been fulfilled in the ultimate sense. Now, we can talk about the birthright promises passed on to Ephraim and Manasseh in the physical sense, but in the spiritual sense, that has not been fulfilled. We'll read in just a moment the fulfillment. So the promises were passed on to Isaac and Jacob, who was named, renamed, Israel. Jacob had 12 sons, which became the 12 tribes, which became the nation of Israel. His son Joseph, that's one of Jacob's sons, Joseph, whom he favored, was sold into slavery by his brothers and wound up eventually second in command in Egypt. We know the story of Joseph interpreting the dream of the Pharaoh. Based on intervention from God, God really was the one who interpreted the dream in the seven plentiful years and the seven lean years, and how the lives of the seed of Abraham were spared. After Joseph died, a hostile Pharaoh eventually arose and Israel went into captivity.

Here we have another great intervention that set in motion why we're here today.

God called out Moses and Aaron to go before Pharaoh and beseech him to let my people go, that they could go worship me and offer sacrifice. I'm not going to turn to those scriptures, but they're there.

Nine plagues came upon Egypt and yet Pharaoh would not let Israel go. After Pharaoh refused to let Israel go, after those terrible nine plagues, God instituted the Old Testament Passover. So God intervened. He instructed Moses as to what the people were to do in killing the lambs, sprinkling their door close with the blood. So when God passed through the land on the night of the 14th, their firstborn would be spared. And God did pass through the land of Egypt and struck dead the firstborn of both human beings and beasts, where no blood was sprinkled on the doorpost of their homes. So that's where he gets his name. I will pass over those homes where the blood is sprinkled on the doorpost.

There is no record that God did not see the blood on every dwelling of the Israelites. There's no record that says any of the Israelites were killed. Would to God that would be the case today, where the blood is sprinkled on every heart of every descendant of Abraham and also the whole world.

Now this event, this Passover, changed Pharaoh's mind. And he summoned Moses and Aaron to leave Egypt, and they left Egypt with a high hand the following night. On the night of the 15th, the beginning, the first holy day in the feast of Unleavened Bread, after journeying six days, they came to the Red Sea with the mountains on either side of them and Pharaoh's army in hot pursuit behind them. According to Jewish tradition, the next day was the last day of the feast of Unleavened Bread. In other words, according to Jewish tradition, Israel crossed the Red Sea, which was their baptism. We can read that in 1 Corinthians 10. On the last day of the feast of Unleavened Bread, you would think, having seen all that they had seen, and being delivered in so many different ways already, that they would have learned their lesson. But no, like Nimrod and like so many today, the habitual disregard of the pleadings of God went unheeded, and their hearts became hardened. God is trying Israel. At that point, he's trying Israel. Today, judgment is on the house of God.

At this point, God is trying that nation, ancient Israel, to the ultimate degree. The Red Sea is in front of them, the mountains on their left and right, Pharaoh behind them. They have only one hope, and that is for God to deliver them. God speaks to Moses and instructs him on what he should do, and Moses speaks to the people. So let's notice that in Exodus 14, we'll begin in verse 8. Exodus 14, verse 8. We'll note here in this first verse, in verse 8, that it is God who hardens the heart of Pharaoh. There comes a point in time where people can say, a more convenient day, I'm going to put this off, and they harden their heart, and they go another step away from God, and another step, and another step, and finally, there is no way back.

God, at times, hardens the heart of rulers, and at times, he softens their heart, like with Cyrus. He intervened with Cyrus, king of Persia, to let Judah go from captivity in Babylon back to the Holy Land to build the second temple.

So, in Exodus 14, I've got to get there. In Exodus 14, verse 8. In Exodus 14, verse 8, And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel, and the children of Israel went out with a high hand. But the Egyptians pursued after them all the horses, chariots, of Pharaoh, and horsemen. His army overtook them in camping by the sea beside Pahoroth and beside Baal Zephon. And so, they were hemmed in, and there was no way out. And so, what did they do? Oh, they complained. They murmured. They blamed Moses. He brought us out here to die. We could have died in Egypt. Weren't there graves? They sang that song a lot of times.

So, we continue here with this in verse 19.

And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel. Now, this word, angel, is malak, and it referred to a human being or a spirit being. In this case, it is referring to the spirit being the word who became Jesus Christ. He was the one who led them, even through the Red Sea, as you should see, S-E-E, clearly. And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them, and the pillar of the cloud went before their face and stood behind them. And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel, and it was a cloud and darkness to them. But it gave light by night to those so that the one came not near the other all the night. And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong wind, east wind, all that night, and made the sea dry land and the waters were divided.

So here we see the mighty work and power of God. Now note verse 27. So Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea after Israel had crossed to dry land, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared and the Egyptians fled against it, and the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. Now verse 31. And Israel saw that great work which the Lord did upon the Egyptians, and the people feared the eternal about three days.

So they went three days journey into the wilderness, and they murmured, why? Because there was no water. God took care of that. And the people feared the eternal and believed the eternal and his servant. Now here's what I just love this passage because we'll see it once again in Revelation. Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the Lord, and spoke saying, I will sing unto the Lord, for he had triumphed gloriously the horse and his rider, and he had and hath he thrown into the sea. The Lord is my strength and song. He has become my salvation, my deliverance. He is my God. I will prepare him a habitation. I will repair him a dwelling place. So one of the first things that God asked them to do was to build him a sanctuary. And much of the book of Exodus, the rest of the book, is taken up with the building of that sanctuary, the tabernacle.

And of course, that's where God dwells. So after today, we'll be on a 50-day journey to Pentecost. And Pentecost is the day where God sent the Holy Spirit. And today, we are that temple. We are the sanctuary of the Holy Spirit. I will prepare him a habitation, my Father's God, and I will exalt him.

So as I mentioned earlier, their faith lasted about three days, and they murmured. Now we go to, I mentioned this scripture, 1 Corinthians 10. 1 Corinthians 10 and verse 1.

Because here, the Apostle Paul says that their crossing of the Red Sea on the last day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread was their Red Sea. What's the title of the sermon? When God intervenes, when God intervenes, big things happen on the world scene. Now sometimes, as we noted, God intervenes in small ways that you're not aware of. In 1 Corinthians 10, verse 1. And moreover, brethren, I would not that you should be ignorant how that all our fathers were under the cloud and all passed through the sea, and were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and did all eat the same spiritual meat, and did all drink the same spiritual drink, for they drank of that spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ. And we just read the verse where that he became their rear guard as they crossed the Red Sea. In Exodus 14, verse 27.

So having had so many miracles performed, it seemed like that there would be no way that Israel could fail. They had sung the victory song of Moses. They were on a high, but it didn't last long, as we have noted twice. As we shall see later, the called-out ones will once again sing the victory song of Moses when God delivers them at the end of this age. On the way to the promised land, God had to intervene many times. After reaching the promised land, God wanted Israel to look to him as their God and King, and to live by faith. And he would raise up different tribes at various times, as you note in Judges chapter 1, to fight their battles. But Israel disobeyed, so God would raise up a judge and deliver them. And during the days of the Judge Samuel, the people demanded a king. So God permitted them to choose a king, and they chose Saul. He was a handsome lad. He was tall. He was strong. But he rebelled and disobeyed God, and he was removed. And God chose David from his seed. From the seed of David, and David was from the seed of Abraham, came the Messiah. And one of the titles of the Messiah is the son of David. So after the death of David's son, Solomon, Israel was divided into two kingdoms. The northern kingdom, the ten tribes to the north under Jeroboam, and Judah to the south under Solomon's son, Rehoboam. Israel's sins became so great, that is, the northern kingdom, so that the Assyrians, and God raised up the Assyrians to do this. God stirred up the Assyrians to the point that they took Israel captive, 721-718 BC, and they were never restored into the land of promise. Of course, many escaped and came back to Judah, and that kind of thing, and some escaped initially. About 120 years later, God stirred up the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar, and he took the southern kingdom captive, and he destroyed the temple, 604-586. God restored Judah, along with many representatives from the northern kingdom, back into the Promised Land.

After God stirred up the mind of Cyrus, the Persian king, to issue a decree to let them come back. So for about 500 years, at times, Judah was an independent country, but most of the time they were a vassal state of the various empires that arose and appeared during that time. Babylon, Alexander the Great, Medo-Persia, and when Christ was born, Rome.

In Circa 4 BC, when time was full, a great intervention took place. The birth of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. He was the forgotten Son of God. He was both human and divine. Forward now to Galatians 4 in verse 1.

Galatians 4 in verse 1.

Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, differs nothing from a servant, though he be Lord of all, but is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. The time appointed of the father. Christ said, when they asked him, when will you restore the kingdom? He said, I don't know. It's in my father's hand. Even so, when we were children, we were in bondage under the elements of the world. One of these days, I'll give a sermon under the elements.

But when the fullness of the time was come, when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law to redeem them, that were under the law that we might receive the sonship.

The sonship as sons. Why are we sons and not adopted? I've covered it many times. That we have the very essence of God in us. We have, if you want to use a human analogy, his DNA. And so we are begotten sons and daughters of God.

He is, that is, Jesus Christ is the promised seed that we read about in Genesis 12.3. So we go back to chapter 3 and verse 14.

Well, let's read 13. Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law. What is the curse of the law? Well, the wages of sin is death. I would not have known sin unless the law had said thou shall not do whatever it is. Being made a curse for us, for it is written, cursed is everyone that hangs on a tree. So Christ was crucified on the stake. He died for our sins. That the blessings of Abraham might come on the nations, all nations, through Jesus Christ. That we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. Brethren, I speak after the manner of men, though it be but a man's covenant, but if it be confirmed, no man dissolves or adds thereto. Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He said, not as two seeds, as of many, but as of one, and to that seed which is Christ. Now verse 25.

But after that faith came, we are no longer under the schoolmaster, for you are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus, whereas many of you, as have been baptized under Christ, have put on Christ. You see, Israel was baptized in the Red Sea as we read from 1 Corinthians 10. That was their baptism. It didn't do them a lot of good.

That mark, though, their final demarcation from Egypt, they were free of Egypt. They were across the Red Sea. See, after baptism, we have been freed by the blood of Christ and the washing of the water, the blood, from our sins. That's our demarcation from the old into the new, and we're raised in newness of life.

For as many of you have been baptized under Christ have put on Christ. You heard about new creation in the special music, God's master plan. There's neither June or Greek. There's neither bond or free. There's neither male or female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus, and if you be Christ, then are you Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise.

Jesus Christ was crucified for the sins of the world, making it possible for every person who ever lived to repent of their sins, to exercise faith in the sacrifice of Christ, be baptized and receive the Holy Spirit, and have dwelling within them the very essence of God. As begotten sons and daughters, we are now the children of God, awaiting the crossing of the greatest red sea in the plan of God. That is to be transformed from a mortal, human, air-breathing being into a divine, eternal spirit being on the God plane of existence. You can read every theology book you want to read. You can read all the great philosophers. They will not teach you that because they don't understand it.

Before the end of this age, God is going to mightily intervene in the course of the universe, and He will eventually heal humanity. The sixth seal... See, we're at... we'll quit by 1230.

We got a late start. We had an overzealous song leader.

Revelation chapter 6. Revelation 6, 12.

And I beheld when He had opened the sixth seal, and lo, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became His blood. The stars of heaven fell into the earth, the demonic powers, even as a fig tree cast its untimely figs when it is shaken of a mighty wind.

And so the sixth seal introduces the seven trumpet plagues, and the seven trumpet plagues are divided into the seven vials. The seventh trumpet plague is divided into seven vials of wrath.

So the sixth seal introduces the day of the Lord, the sealing of the 144,000, the trumpet plagues, the resurrection of seven vials of wrath, and the destruction of Babylon. And the great mystery of the ages, when the seventh angel begins to sound, look at Revelation 10 and verse 4. Revelation 10 verse 4.

Actually, I want verse 7. Revelation 10 and 7. But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, the voice of the seventh angel, I'll try to make more out of it or less. This is what it says.

But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when it shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished. How a mortal human being can become a spirit being, as he is declared to his servants the prophets. And we have talked about that, and we have shown from eternity in eternity how God created the angelic realm, the physical realm, created human beings in his own image. They sinned, they were cast out, the Messiah came on the scene, and the forerunner of our salvation has gone through this process that we will be going through at the resurrection. Look at Revelation 1.5, back a few pages.

And from Jesus Christ, who is a faithful witness and the first born of the dead, the first born of the dead. How did he become that? He was resurrected. And the prince of the kings of the earth and him that loved us and watched us from our sins. We will be resurrected, and thereby crossing the greatest gulf, the gulf between mortality and immortality. And after we have crossed that gulf, look at Revelation 15.1. So important, remember the victory song of Moses in Exodus 15. So this is Revelation 15. And I saw another sign in heaven, a great and marvelous seven angels having the seven last plagues, for in them is filled up the wrath of God. And I saw, as it were, a sea of glass mingled with fire, and then that had gotten the victory over the beast, over his image, over his mark, and over the number of his name. Stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God, and they sing. What do they sing? They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvelous are your works, Lord God Almighty, and true are they, you King of Kings and King of Saints. So who shall not fear you, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you only are holy, and for all nations shall come and worship before you, for your judgments are made manifest. So, brethren, that is a brief history of the universe from beginning to end. Of course, the universe doesn't end. The universe doesn't end.

But that brings us up to the beginning of the millennial age, and we'll hear more about that later on.