063: Jason Hensley - Your Word I Have Hidden in my Heart

Automatically transcribed. Accuracy is good but not perfect, and words are sometimes wrong. Trust the audio over the text.

1. 0:13

   Welcome to the good Christian talks podcast. I’m Levi and I’m Chris. Thank you so much for joining us this week on this podcast. We select one taco week to help each one of us get the Bible in our daily news feed. We post at the start of each week for you to listen.

2. 0:30

   With a short intro before hand to kind of set the stage for the talk. You’re about to hear and now let’s hear more about this week’s talk.

3. 0:44

   For this week. We’re listening to an evening program talk that was given in 2012 by Brother Jason Hensley was given at the Norfolk Ecclesia in Virginia, and it’s a evening program that he did just as a kind of a side to a larger study that he was doing for that weekend on the topic of his class is your word. I have hidden in my heart and what the topic actually is. He’s looking at the concept of Bible study taking some really practical ways to get good Bible study out of the time we spent looking at the Bible.

4. 1:14

   He talks about his four main parts about the purpose of Bible study different types kind of beat refining your study and then just general tips and tricks that Jason has come up with during his own study. And if you’ve ever had an opportunity to meet and talk to Jason, you know, he is someone who takes his Bible study really seriously and is a really good person to learn from this class is a really fun one to listen to would have been more fun to be there in person just from listening to the audio. But Jason is really good.

5. 1:42

   He’s a teacher biker. Here and you can also tell with some of the different tricks and techniques that he uses to get the audience engaged and it starts from the very beginning. He has the entire audience read the exact same passage with him at the exact same time. There’s also some group breakout sessions that just for the sake of the podcast.

6. 2:02

   I have edited out the five or so minutes of just kind of dead air as he’s walking around and everyone’s doing the activity just because it’s a group discussion, but then also there’s a The audience’s miked when they participate afterwards. So I left all that in as he asked them to brainstorm versus about why we do Bible study and then he’s getting the feedback and in kind of typical Jason style. He’s noting down everything.

7. 2:26

   They say on a whiteboard. You can kind of hear the tap tapping of him writing vigorously as he tries to keep up as you’re listening to the class. So this was one that was just a good reminder of kind of the habits that we need to form if we want to be effective Bible students and making sure that That you don’t try to bite off to too much that you can chew and staying focused on little bite-size pieces of scriptures that you can really grab your head around and understand and I know something it was pointing for me as I’m getting ready to teach an adult Sunday school and next coming month just to kind of remember to take it in small pieces. But also it’s just a good exciting way to kind of focus ourselves as the year ends looking at the upcoming year and hopefully being able to renew our studies. Gain, a little bit more knowledge of the scriptures through means like this podcast through doing the readings any way that you’re able to just to get a little bit more of God’s word into your heart.

8. 3:24

   So I was really excited to share this one. Jason’s really good friend of mine. I was excited to be able to get one of his classes up on the podcast. So I hope you enjoy it. And with that I will turn it over to brother Jason for his class your word. I have hidden in my heart.

9. 3:41

   Good evening everyone. How are you? Doing good. Okay tonight’s class. I’ve been asked to make it lighter kind of class than the Jonathan ones. So we’re not talking about Jonathan. We are talking about your word. I have hidden in my heart. It’s slightly different. So what we’re going to do just to keep us all awake keep us all going is we’re actually going to read our reading together.

10. 4:07

    Yeah, so, please turn to Second Peter chapter 1 second Peter 1 and we are going to read our reading for this class is 2nd Peter 1 verse 2. A very long we’re reading. I hope that you can handle it as a as we read this. I want you to think about. Why are we reading it?

11. 4:28

    Why did I choose this to have us read your word. I have hidden in my heart. We’re going to be talking about Bible study first second Peter chapter 1 second Peter 1 and verse 2. Okay. I know that there are different translations. You’ll just have to deal with it. Sorry. Okay, so take a deep breath.

12. 4:49

    All right on the count of three. Are you ready? We’re going to we’re going to do it remember read chapter 1 verse 2. Don’t read anything else. Okay, here we go. One two, three grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our lord. That was very good.

13. 5:08

    I like that. Okay now question for you. Why did we read that? Yeah, good. Okay besides because I told you to but it’s that is a very good reason and you should do everything I tell you to do why else did we read it? Knowledge right now. So this I think this verse is extremely helpful in just showing to us. There is something very important about knowledge of scripture.

14. 5:34

    In fact, you’ll notice that the Apostle says Grace and peace be multiplied to you through the knowledge of God. So knowledge of God brings both Grace and peace. Okay, that’s just to get your minds kind of activated get you start thinking about this what you’re going to do. Look around you I want you to be with three people.

15. 5:54

    And I have five minutes to do this. Okay, get a group of three. If you if you can’t do three you can do to if you can’t do that you can do for you know, it’s okay. It just I don’t want to see like groups of like 25 or something. All right, that’s not okay, but go ahead groups of like three or four ish.

16. 6:14

    And what you’re going to do is I want you to come up with this first point up here. What is the purpose or the importance of Bible study? Why do you do it? So what’s the what’s the purpose of Bible study? Right? Like why are we why are we doing it? So that’s what I want you to talk about. Why does it matter?

17. 6:34

    You know, why do we care? So do that? And here’s the other thing there is no good at all and just being like Oh, well, I think it’s good because of this know you got to have a verse. Okay, that’s the catch. You got to have a verse to support why it’s important right? Otherwise, it’s just a while I think. Important because I’m awesome, right and that’s not you can’t say that because that’s not good. Okay, so you got to have a verse to back it up. Okay.

18. 7:03

    Are you ready? All right. Here we go. Go ahead and stop. All right, by the way, this is our outline for tonight. We have four things that I’m going to try and cover we’re going to look first at the purpose of Bible study what you’re doing now different types narrowing down your study and then tips for it. Our goal is to really try and take Bible study from being something that can be kind of intense and scary to making it a little bit more manageable a little more organized Okay, so What did you guys come up with?

19. 7:36

    What are some reasons for Bible study? I’m supposed to hand this to you when you when you say something. Yeah. Are you ready? Okay, here you go increases our knowledge. All right, very nice. So it increases our knowledge and you got a verse for that. Yes prophets 1014. Okay, why is people store up knowledge but the mouth that the foolish is near destruction. All right, very nice.

20. 7:57

    So why is people store up knowledge? Okay. That’s a good one. I like that. This is a little bit scary. Okay. so you got that was Proverbs 10:14, right so increases knowledge Okay Proverbs 1014. Alright, what else have we got? Okay, yeah.

21. 8:27

    Some 119 verses 105 and 107. All right, and it says Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. I’m Afflicted very much quicker Me O Lord according unto Thy word. So we use it for a guide and a light nice as well as strengthen time of trouble.

22. 8:49

    So a guide and light also strength great. That sounds like pretty important things I’d say that sounds good. Okay, and that was Psalm 119

23. 9:01

    verses 107 105 105 107 107 hundred and five hundred and seven. That’s a lot of verses. Okay any yet? Yeah. Over here. Sorry. I see our ways are not his ways turn this up real quick. for We Are I’m a wicked and Mark 7 21 through 23. That’s a good one for from within out of the heart of man.

24. 9:40

    Come evil thoughts sexual immorality theft murder adultery coveting wickedness deceit sensuality Envy slander Pride foolishness. All these evil things come from within and they defile a person. I’m always sorry. It’s okay. And therefore we need to search out what God says and for that we have Isaiah 55 verses 6 through 9. Whoa to versus all right.

25. 10:14

    Seek the Lord while he may be found call upon him while he is near let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts. Let him return to the Lord and He will have mercy on him and our God for he will abundantly pardon for my thoughts are not your thoughts nor are your ways my ways says the Lord for as the heavens are higher than the earth. So are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

26. 10:39

    That’s right. Okay, so basically because God’s thoughts are so much greater than ours. We got to fill our mind with his very nice. Okay. Alright had a say told you I’d give it to you. Mine is also from Psalm 119 and through the word were able to be cleansed verse 9 of Psalm 119 says wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way by taking heed unto their unto according to Thy Word.

27. 11:11

    Okay, that was Psalm 119. What was the verse again? Thank you. Okay, great. And let’s just do two more. Okay, we’re here. To teach second Timothy 3:16. All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable 15 to and that from childhood. You have known the holy scriptures which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith, which is in Christ Jesus and 16.

28. 11:44

    All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousness. Okay, very nice. Thank you. Alright, so we got to teach okay here. I’ll give it to you guys ever hear. All right, this is our last one. Sorry guys up there. We felt we chose Hosea 6 and 6 for I desire mercy and not sacrifice and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings. All right, so are our theme there is God wants us to know more than to sacrifice and covering up what we’ve done awesome.

29. 12:28

    God wants us to know right so know him. I see a six six. Okay. Awesome. Now I think as you can see and what what you can kind of take out of this is Bible studies important. I can turn this off by pushing the bottom, right? Look at that. All right. That was cool.

30. 12:59

    Okay, so we can see the Bible study is pretty important. It’s something that we want to do and that’s what I really want us to start this on just to get into our minds Bible study is its well not even just important. It’s essential right? God says that the why is will increase their knowledge and that we have to know him.

31. 13:18

    All right, he wants us to know. So in order to know we have to study it’s a guide for us it brings. A strength our ways and themselves aren’t even right right. We’re going to go off and do things that are wrong. The word will cleanse us and we also can be taught by it. We can be corrected.

32. 13:35

    So Bible studies huge. It’s essential in the life of a Believer. The next question is how do you do it? I think a number of us at least for me. One of the big things was well. I really want to do Bible study and I really think it’s good. But then you sit down and you start to say, okay.

33. 13:53

    Well, I’m going to study and you say I’m going to study Psalms and you sit down and you start reading and you read to like Psalm 50 and you’re like I’m tired. I thought that was too much Bible studies hard. I’m gonna go play football or something and like yeah, and that’s that’s kind of how it ends up and then you get hurt when you play football and then your said, okay.

34. 14:18

    So what I want to talk about is I I want to break it down a little bit. So it’s easier. So what we’re going to look at is the different kinds of study that you can do. Now. I like to say that there’s six six different types of study. There’s more than that, but there’s generally six that I tend to think about now, I’ll write them down.

35. 14:40

    Well, actually, let me ask you what are some of the different types of study we can do and I’ll write those down now if it’s not one of mine, I might not write it down. It’s not because I don’t like you but it’s because you found some cooler stuff than me. Okay. Yes the character study. Hey, good job.

36. 15:00

    Okay character study. Okay, and rather than just tell you what these are I’m going to try and give you examples of them. Yeah Ty repetition study. What is that? Very nice. Okay. Yeah, we’re going to talk about that. I call it something else. But yes. Yeah Matthew Bible Echoes, very nice. Yeah, so I would put that into one of these one major ones that we’re going to look at.

37. 15:36

    Yeah, that’s definitely something to follow for. Sure. Yeah, Rebecca. Somatic study. Okay. Oh, well look at it. Yeah, Matt a word study. Okay, very nice. Now I’m going to be honest with you. I’m sorry for those of you guys who like word studies. I really don’t. Okay. Yes, Jason. A book study very nice. Okay, so we got four.

38. 16:16

    We only need two more. These ones are a little harder the other two. Maybe I’ll just tell them to you. Yeah. Whoa, you got it. Check that out. Okay prophetic study. He did get it. You know what though? I’m sorry. I actually call it a prophecy study. So you kind of got like half. Okay.

39. 16:44

    Alright now we know there’s one more. Yeah. That’s a good one. I didn’t think about that either. Sorry, but that is good historical study. I’ll just tell it to you guys. I I normally say first principle study because though it could fit into under like a thematic one or a word study its kind of in its own category.

40. 17:07

    I feel like my first principal study. So this is how I like to break it down. Yes, I am a teacher. It’s true and I spelled first wrong. Okay.

41. 17:29

    All right. There we go. So I like to break it down into six clearly. Like there are other ways of breaking it down and there’s more kinds of ways that you could look at it. But I find this to be helpful when you’re going to sit down and do a study. I think it’s important and helpful to say which one of these six do I want to do right?

42. 17:44

    That’s kind of your first step. So what I want to do now is I’m going to give you an example of a few of them and I want you to try and guess what it is. What kind of study it is. All right. All right are your Bibles closed? Well, they should be muslim.

43. 18:00

    Okay, here is here’s what we’re going to do. Have your Bibles closed? Bible is closed. And now please tell me what is the first word in the book of James? Very good. All right. Good job, James. Okay. All right, please tell me what is the first word in the book of Galatians? Call home Paul. Very good.

44. 18:31

    Good job, James. Okay. All right. What’s the first word in the book of Ephesians? Paul very good. Okay. What’s the first word in the book of let’s mix it up Jude Jude very good. Okay. What about the first word in the book of First Peter? Peter hey, do you guys see a theme? Perhaps?

45. 18:54

    Okay. Now this is a hard question. What’s the first word in the book of Hebrews? Hey that was supposed to be hard. Good job. You got it. Okay, so I think that’s really interesting. One of the things that you’ll notice when you start to go through almost all of the New Testament Epistles, they all begin with their author. Yeah, Peter James Jude all of Paul’s Epistles. And Hebrew starts with God and I think the point of it what the writer to the Hebrews is trying to do if you look at it. Let’s just go there Hebrews chapter 1 if you look at it, what you will see is that there’s no introduction at all. Hebrews 1 verse 1 it immediately jumps straight into what the writer wants to say.

46. 19:47

    Hebrews 1 verse 1 starts by saying God who at sundry times and in divers manners and I think the point that is being that the author is trying to convey to us is the author of this book is God. He doesn’t say I pondered his but he starts by saying God because what you’re going to see in this book written to the Hebrews is this is a message which is extremely important to their salvation and and they’re in dire need of hearing it. And so this man has come and he says it’s not about who I am. It’s not about my reputation or anything like that. It is about what God has said and so if you just skim through the beginning of the book of Hebrews what you’ll find is chapter one has like seven or eight quotes in it. And it’s almost all scripture.

47. 20:36

    And that’s what this book does. It’s very interesting. It’s just one chunk of scripture after another after another after another because God is the author now, we’re gonna spend a little more time on this because I’d like to say I’d like to try and explain to you who I think the author is because clearly God is the author but somebody physically wrote it now, huh come back to Hebrews chapter 13. And just take a look at this Hebrews 13. One of the things that I find very intriguing about this book, so we’re not told who the author is, but the author actually expected his readers to know who he was. So it’s not like it’s some hidden thing that we’re never supposed to be able to figure out but the author writes as though they knew him.

48. 21:21

    So you’ll see here Hebrews chapter 13 verse 19 says but I beseech you the rather to do this and the context there’s Verse 18 where he says to pray for us. So he says I’m beseeching you to pray for us that I may be restored to you the sooner now, can you imagine how remarkably weird that would be if you got a letter in the mail that wasn’t signed by anybody? And they said please pray for me so that I can come and visit you soon.

49. 21:50

    You’d be like whoa, who is this? You know, that would not be a very good thing. So I put to you this author expected them to know. Oh, you know who I am. I want you to pray for me so that I can be released from prison soon and come and see you.

50. 22:07

    Okay now because we can tell then that the people that it was written to we’re supposed to know who he was. I think we can actually figure out who the author was based off the letter right? I mean they had to be able to do it somehow and here’s what you can figure out if you start to go through if you look at Hebrews chapter 2 the Apostle writes. It’s a verses 3 and 4 I believe.

51. 22:30

    All right, you guys are turning there. I’ll go there to you’ve forced me. Okay Hebrews 2 Hebrews 2 and verse 3 this the Apostle who’s writing here rights as though he’s not one of the 12. Hebrews 2 and verse 3 says how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation, which at first began to be spoken by the Lord?

52. 22:56

    And was confirmed unto us by them that heard him. So he’s talking about the gospel. He says the gospel was at first preached by the Lord and then preach To Us by those who heard him. So he puts himself in the category of those who were preached to by the apostles. So this is somebody who wasn’t one of the 12 and I think you can in fact validity date that if you go back to Hebrews 13 now, you don’t have to go there for this one Hebrews 13. It’s a verse 17 and also for seven Hebrews 13 verse 7 and verse 17 the Apostle says obey them that have the rule over you and he says this twice as the like the people weren’t doing it.

53. 23:37

    So he says obey them that have the rule over you and if you search through the letter you can figure out this was probably written to the Jerusalem Ecclesia. Any ideas who were the rulers of the Jerusalem Ecclesia? Yeah, the apostles most of them. So again, that would be a little bit strange. If one of the Apostles wrote a letter to his own congregation and said obey them who have the rule over you listen to me right now.

54. 24:00

    Yeah, but I don’t think would work very well so we know that this probably isn’t one of the 12 apostles in addition to that. We know later on from what he says in Chapter 13 that this person’s probably in Italy he ends the letter by saying they have Italy salute you we know that he’s in prison and he also speaks about Timothy our brother who he’s with So we know a few things we know he’s not one of the 12 we know that he’s a good friend of Timothy. We know he’s in prison and that he also is probably in Italy now.

55. 24:33

    I think those all Point fairly strongly to the Apostle Paul but far and above what I actually what I would advise you to do, we’re not going to do this tonight because we don’t have time what I would advise you to do though is to Read through Galatians 4 in Romans 9 and see the way that the Apostle Paul reasons there and read through Hebrews 7 and see how the writer of the Hebrews reasons and you’ll see that the logic that they use and just almost the obscurity of their points just corresponds beautifully Galatians chapter 4 of the Apostles talking to those who want to follow the law.

56. 25:07

    He says if you really want to follow the law, let me tell you a story and he starts talking about Hagar and Sarah, right? Okay, if I was going to try and Two people that you don’t follow the law anymore. I would not be like, okay. I’m going to tell you a story. So let’s talk about the story.

57. 25:21

    I would say look, here’s a verse and another verse another verse and Paul doesn’t do that. He says let’s look at the story look at it a little further and he goes deeper in it. Same thing happens in Romans 9. He says, let me tell you a story same thing happens in Hebrews 7 So I would put to you.

58. 25:37

    It’s the Apostle Paul. Okay, and of that now what kind of study was there? mmm Whoa, look at this. Yeah. I think it’s a book study. That’s that was a book a study of the book of Hebrews kind of who wrote Hebrews. I can see how that would sound like a character study. But yeah, the idea was that was a book study. So a book study is where you take a book of the Bible and you say all right.

59. 26:03

    I want to learn about this book. So that was the beginning of a book study of Hebrews. Okay. Are you ready for another? All right, try and guess what? This one is. Are you ready? Come with me to second Samuel chapter 1 and no, this is not a study of Jonathan. Hahaha, sorry, okay second Samuel chapter one now. You’ll notice something extremely interesting about David when he became king when David starts to become king. He does things.

60. 26:41

    That we wouldn’t really expect. And actually I changed my mind don’t go to 2nd Samuel 1 come over to second Samuel 5. That’s better. Okay, when David becomes king, he does things that we wouldn’t initially expect. What is According to second Samuel chapter 5 David’s made King. What’s the first thing he does?

61. 27:06

    It would be in for six. He goes to battle where he takes Jerusalem now isn’t that intriguing if you were made a king or a queen your made a king or queen over Israel? What would be the first thing you do? Right. I mean I would think you know, you kind of build your Palace or like you make your throne nice or you make sure that you have a good hold over the land or something David like the dust hasn’t even settled from him being crowned you gets the On his head and he’s like, thanks now go to Jerusalem. It’s it’s like an immediate thing. We’re told he’s crowned and verse 6 the king and his men went to Jerusalem.

62. 27:50

    There’s like no. No pause. No break. There’s something intent about David. I’m going to Jerusalem and what we’re going to see that kind of characterizes David in the beginning of his Reign. Is this desire to fulfill the promises of God. It’s really cool. So David has this fervent desire to fulfill God’s promises.

63. 28:08

    So he says we’re going to Jerusalem now, how long have you been thinking about that? question for you Yeah. Seven and a half years, very good. I think he definitely had I agree with that, but I think even even longer. Yeah, since he killed Goliath. Yeah, so check this out second Samuel or sorry first Samuel 17.

64. 28:33

    This this is probably this would have been another Star Story second Samuel 17. So you recall from what we talked about in class number three David went up to Goliath. And what did he say to him? I’m going to cut off your head right says I’m going to cut off your head doesn’t have a sword but that’s what he’s gonna do. So he does kills Goliath takes his sword cuts off his What’s he do with the head?

65. 28:59

    Yeah, he likes sticks it on a pole. Right and we read in 1st Samuel 17 verse 54 David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem. Now just think about that right make this story a little bit real here David cuts off this massive head and he like sticks it on a pole and he’s like, yeah, let’s go.

66. 29:18

    So he takes his head and he goes to Jerusalem and he puts it outside the gate and he’s like ha and then he walks away right like what a funny thing to do, but that’s because David was thinking Jerusalem is the city of God. I’m going to take it when I become king.

67. 29:36

    And so from that point his mind has been thinking Jerusalem Jerusalem Jerusalem. It’s been on the Promises of God as soon as he becomes king as soon as he’s Crown. That’s what he does now back to second Samuel chapter five. So David takes Jerusalem after he takes Jerusalem he goes and he has different battles with the Philistines and then after that he goes on and he does another thing so he’s had these battles with the Philistines. He’s taken Jerusalem and now he’s going to fulfill another promise of God second Samuel chapter 6. What does he do?

68. 30:10

    It brings the artifact now another question. How long is David been thinking about that? Because I put to you. He’s been thinking about it a long time just like he was with Goliath. Any ideas this one’s harder. I’m sorry. That’s not very nice to ask. Yeah.

69. 30:29

    Whoa. Yeah, good job. I agree. Okay, so check it out Psalm 132. All right Psalm 132 So, this is David and he’s going to write about when he was thinking about the arc.

70. 30:54

    Psalm 132 we read in verse 4 I will not sleep give sleep to mine eyes or Slumber to mine eyelids until I find out a place for the Lord and habitation for the Mighty God of Jacob now clearly David wasn’t thinking of a place to make God live, right? He was the ark was God’s presence for the people and so he says I want to find a place for the ark and I will not sleep until I find that place. Now look at what he says in verse 6 Lo we heard of it at Ephrata?

71. 31:29

    We found it in the fields of the wood. Now you may recall from our first class the Philistines stole the ark and first Samuel chapter 7, we’re told that they bring it back. Do you remember the city that they brought it to? It was cured Jeff. Jairam. Now. I know this is an obscure question.

72. 31:50

    Does anybody know does anybody happen to know what cure Jetty remains? Ah, there you go. Yeah. So David says so David says we found it in the fields of the wood. That’s Carriage at zero. He’s talking about the arc here and what he says specifically is we found it in the field of the wood and verse 6, we heard of it at Ephrata.

73. 32:14

    What’s Ephrata? Bethlehem it’s another name for Bethlehem. If you look it up you get out your concordance and you look up effort to you’ll find out that that’s another name for Bethlehem. So David is saying I’ve heard about this and I have been thinking about it since I was in Bethlehem, that’s how long David has desired. To bring the ark to where it’s supposed to go. So he realizes it needs to go in Jerusalem. He goes and he takes Jerusalem and he brings the ark back. Okay, we won’t look at a whole lot more on that. But I just suffice it to say that David has the promises of God just going through his head and just kind of swirling around thinking what can I do?

74. 32:52

    What can I do? And he does that in the beginning of his Reign and it’s just it’s awesome. He goes he goes on in a second Samuel chapter 8 and 9 and he takes a whole bunch of different countries to fulfill the land the territory Was promised to Abraham from the Euphrates to the border of Egypt and he goes and he takes all those Nations.

75. 33:10

    But anyway, it’s just it’s interesting Promises of God on David’s mind. Okay? What kind of study was that character study? Here you go. Okay hard to miss that one. That was good. Okay, I’ll do I’ll just do one more. Okay, so we got character we got we got book. Are you ready for this one?

76. 33:31

    All right. Here we go. Daniel chapter 2 come with me to Daniel. Oh, I guess that one makes it obvious. Doesn’t it? Ha ha ha. Okay. Oh, well, we’ll go there. Anyway, Daniel, too. All right, Daniel to somebody tell me what Daniel chapter 2 is about. Dreams. Yes, what what happens in the dream? What was that?

77. 33:58

    Okay image that’s right. So you have an image and image has how many parts in this image? Five that’s right. Five parts head of okay, belly or arms of and belly of very good. All right iron. I switched it on you. Did you like that? Okay, and then feet of iron and Clay, okay, so that’s the image now.

78. 34:25

    Generally this is understood and I believe that this is correct as talking about the head is what nation Babylon then you have medo-persia. Then you have Greece Rome. And finally you see the feet. You see mostly United Europe. You see the church that kind of thing. Okay, so that’s generally how it’s understood.

79. 34:47

    However, what’s Advanced a lot of times and I put to you that I don’t agree with this. Is that this is a picture of world empires of the Empire’s that would exist throughout the world until the coming of Christ when he comes and smashes the image. I don’t think that’s true. Now, please don’t feel uncomfortable.

80. 35:07

    That’s not supposed to make you feel not to make you feel scared. Let me explain what I mean. One of the one of the reasons that this interpretation had that people started to criticize this is because You ask well, what about the Mongol Empire? And that was the largest contiguous land Empire. That’s ever existed.

81. 35:27

    Where’s where was that world Empire right or what about the British Empire? Which owned does anybody know how much the world controlled? Yeah, it was it was about yeah, I was huge. That was the biggest empire in all of history. It was a quarter of the world. Isn’t that nuts? Yeah. Yeah, the French had a big Empire to so I mean, it’s it’s you you look at it. And you say well, I can’t really be World Empires. So some people have gone on to say well then it’s the Empire’s that have ruled over Jerusalem.

82. 35:54

    That’s not true. Either. The reason why is yeah British Empire? They ruled Jerusalem the other the other reason is you look at the Ottoman Empire a lot of the Islamic Empires the opposite the humid. Have you say those those those aren’t there either and so what I put to you, this is a picture of it’s Babylon Persia Greece Rome and church.

83. 36:18

    I think that’s definitely what it is. But I put to you that what it is is it’s not World Empires but it is the nation’s that will continue the thinking of Babylon from the beginning to the end until Christ comes. Yeah, I know that might sound kind of strange that’s actually not new John Thomas Road and help an exposition of Daniel.

84. 36:37

    I wish I came up with something that cool but I didn’t he actually made it even cooler when he wrote it. He called it like the Babylon the babylonish system and then he went on and he said like the Babel opers in system the Babel aggression system everything at Babylon in front of it, but the but anyway, so that’s kind of the idea.

85. 36:56

    It’s Babylon from the beginning to the end now, I want to I want to try and prove to you why I think that So if you’ll bear with me here Daniel chapter 2 there’s two reasons. There’s the context of the dream context is huge. There’s the context to the dream and then there is also other the the proof of other scriptures. So we’re going to try and and fly through here Daniel chapter 2 verse 29, this is Daniel now explaining the dream to the king and here’s what he says.

86. 37:23

    This is what prompted the dream to Nebuchadnezzar Daniel 2 verse 29 as for the O King thy thoughts came into though. My mind upon thy bed and here’s the important part. What should come to pass Hereafter. Now, I doubt that Nebuchadnezzar was sitting there and thinking wow, what world Empires are going to come after me.

87. 37:44

    That’s probably not his thought but I think what he was thinking is what’s going to happen to Babylon. Does that make more sense? What’s going to happen to Babylon? What will happen to my Empire and God gives him a vision showing. Well when you are Empire is gone. The Persians are going to be the new Babylonians.

88. 38:04

    The Persians are gone. The Greeks are going to be the new Babylonians from the top to the bottom. It’s Babylon. Now that might sound weird to say, okay. Well, how could the Persians be Babylon? Right and it’s interesting. We actually read it today in the reading in Ezra chapter 5. It’s verse 13 you notice that scripture actually calls Cyrus the king of Babylon and it’s just it’s an awesome golden thread to just follow throughout scripture, but all the time basically this power that God hates that has always opposed to him is called Babylon. Throughout scripture and it just comes up everywhere even like in random places like Jericho.

89. 38:41

    What does a confined he finds a babylonish garment? Like what in Jericho, you know at its God just kind of like reminding you. Hey, don’t forget about Babylon right there the bad guys and it is it shows up from the beginning to the end. Now, let me just prove this a little bit further if you come to Daniel chapter 7, you have another Vision what’s in Daniel 7 Beasts.

90. 39:04

    Okay. What’s the first Beast? It’s a lion, right? Okay good. First piece is a lion. I think you find that in verse 4. Yeah lion verse 4 now that represents Babylon. This vision is a parallel Vision with chapter 2, right? So you have a lion how many heads does it have? One head.

91. 39:25

    Okay. Good. How many horns? Does it have a might sound weird zero? Okay one head zero horns. Okay. Keep that in mind. All right. Now next Beast is what? Yeah, they’re okay good. So you got lion bear. How many heads does the bear have one? Okay. This might sound silly but it actually this is going somewhere.

92. 39:46

    The bear has one one head how many horns zero? Okay. So now we have a total of two heads, right? Okay. What comes next? leopard how many heads Three four. Yes foreheads. Okay, how many horns? Zero good. Okay. So total of six heads so far and 0 horns. Okay, next Beast. What is it? Great and terrible do you have yeah it is. Do you do you mind if I call it a dragon? Good?

93. 40:20

    Okay, so I think it’s probably dragonish. Alright, so we have this great and terrible dragonish type Beast how many heads Seven seven one. There we go. One head big difference. Okay one head. How many horns ten? Okay. Now put everything together. How many heads do we have total? Seven heads? How many horns ten horns? Okay now come with me to Revelation 13 Hahaha, yes, if you’re waiting for your seven-headed Beast, here it is. Okay Revelation 13.

94. 40:58

    So we’ve just gone through Daniel 7 and we’ve seen that in this parallel vision. We have four beasts which match up with those four medals and what comes later we didn’t look at this part. But what comes after that is a little horn a little horn matches up with the feet and the image the fifth phase of this babylonish system.

95. 41:17

    Okay Revelation 13, look at what we have. I just I think that this is awesome scripture is amazing in the way that it connects things. Okay Revelation 13 verse 1 says and I stood upon the sand of the sea and saw a beast rise up out of the sea having look at that. Seven heads and ten horns.

96. 41:36

    Oh, does that sound familiar interesting seven heads and ten horns and upon his horns ten crowns and upon his heads the name of blasphemy and the Beast which I saw was like unto a leopard and his feet were as the feet of a bear and his mouth as the mouth of a lion and the dragon gave him his power.

97. 42:00

    It’s almost like somebody took Daniel chapter 7 and said, Hey, these beasts are kind of cool. Let’s see what happens if we mix them together, right and and just put them all together. And this is what came out. So you have a beast that that has a mouth and it has feet like a bear a body like a leopard and power like a dragon and it has seven heads and ten horns.

98. 42:19

    It’s like a combination of all those Empires now when an Empire takes over another what happens to the Empire’s culture that it took over. It mixes it absorbs it more or less, right? That’s why we have such a huge Greek influence because the Greek Empire was taken over by the Romans. Then Romans were taken over by a bunch of different people and it just kind of spread their culture did okay. So what we see here now in Revelation 13 is I put to you the fifth phase of the image in which those four beasts have passed and a new empires here the seven-headed 10 horned beast, which has a Specks of all the different Empires from before aspects from Babylon Persia Greece and Rome and now we’re looking at a new Empire aka the church. Okay.

99. 43:11

    Well you’ll never guess what this Empire is called in chapter 17. Come on over to chapter 17 and let’s look at verse 5. Actually, I should I should clarify this a little bit. This is the same Beast a Chapter 13, by the way, same pieces chapter 13. We find that out 17 verse 3 says so he carried me away in the spirit Into the Wilderness and I saw a woman sit upon a Scarlet coloured Beast full of names of blasphemy.

100. 43:37

     And here it is having seven heads and ten horns. Same Beast. Now, look at what it’s called verse 5 And upon her forehead was a name written mystery Babylon the great from the top to the bottom of the image. You have Babylon. We’re specifically told in Daniel chapter 2. The head of gold is Babylon and now we come to the feet the fifth phase.

101. 44:00

     We followed it through Daniel 7 Revelation 13 now chapter 17 and it’s called Babylon Daniel choose image is not a picture of world Empires. It’s a picture of Babylon. The empires of Babylon and specifically the Empire’s that would carry on Babylons thinking of a corrupting Doctrine and hatred of God’s people and so you can actually follow that through all the different Empires there in that image in which the Babylonians hated the Jews they went in they took them over destroyed the temple we read about that today.

102. 44:29

     In fact, the Persians instituted a huge genocide in which all the Jews are supposed to be killed in one day thankfully through God’s intervention they weren’t but that was what the Persians were going to do. Then you have the Greeks who under Antiochus epiphanes went and burned a pig on the altar of the temple just cuz he thought it was funny.

103. 44:48

     And then set up a statue of Zeus in the temple. Then you have the Romans 8070 came and destroyed Jerusalem and then you have the then you have the church which has throughout the centuries persecuted and killed juice. I can talk to you about that later. But anyway, that’s that’s that what kind of study was that prophetic study? Yes.

104. 45:11

     That’s right. Okay. So those are just a few examples of different types of study when you start to do Bible study. Down and figure out what kind of study do I want to do? Right? That’s the first thing because if you if you sit down and you’re like, wow, you know what we just read Ezra 5 and the readings that’s an awesome chapter.

105. 45:28

     I’m going to study Ezra five and then you sit down the next day and you’re reading acts and you say wow, we just read acts. That was awesome, too. I wonder if SR5 an axe connect and I’m going to study those two at the same time and that’s not a good way of approaching it figure out.

106. 45:42

     OK I want to do a character study. Now narrow it down. I want to do a character study. Who do you? To study who’s a good person to study. Jonathan Joseph, let’s do Joseph because he said he Jonathan’s day. Okay Joseph now narrow it down even further. What do you want to study about Joseph?

107. 45:58

     Early life when he was Prince later when his brothers came. Because if you just said Joseph you’re looking at like 25 chapters in Genesis, right? And you’re you’re going to be like, oh goodness. This is going to take me like forever and you’re going to start and I almost guarantee you this you’re going to start and do like three chapters and be like, wow, that was a lot and then you’re going to go do something else. So figure out figure out something smaller something smaller to do what what aspect of Joseph is cool. What aspect of Joseph is exciting to study? What was that?

108. 46:37

     Yeah, yeah. So the slavery in Egypt, is that what you said? Yeah, so check that out. So what would that be? That’s like genesis. What is that like 3940 something like that. So just study those chapters. I just say okay. I’m going to study Joseph being taken to Egypt and read those chapters over and over and over get every christadelphians book.

109. 47:01

     You can that touches on Joseph in Egypt and read those sections and take notes on them. And that’s that’s what I recommend get it into something small and then you finish that and you finished in like two weeks or something and then you say wow. That was cool. You know, I finished now, I’ll move on to Joseph when he’s in prison. And now just study that and then you finish that in a couple of weeks and you move on you say now I’m going to study Joseph when he’s ruler and just break it into something small so you can do it and once you do that, then you’re good to kind of move on but that that really is one of the big Keys figure out what kind of study you’re going to do break it down into something smaller and then get it done.

110. 47:52

     Thank you for listening to the good Christian talks podcast, Please Subscribe for new episodes and leave a review and apple podcast or whatever service you are listening from to help people find the show when they search for it. If you enjoyed this talk share it on social media. So other people can find it to for show notes and links to the talk that you just listen to visit our show page at anchor dot f m / G CT T we want to encourage everyone to share their thoughts from the talk this week on Facebook or Instagram where we are at good christadelphians talks or on Twitter where we are at GCT underscore podcast, if you know of a great talk, we want to know about it to send a suggestion to good Christie delphian talks at gmail.com or message us on any of our social media platforms. Thank you for listening.

111. 48:38

     God bless and talk to you next week.