Episode Transcript
So glad you've joined us for Countdown Back to the Future. This presentation, the urgent Countdown to Eternity, is one of the most important in our series, as you'll see. Back in the time of the Second World War, Elie Weissel was a Jewish man living in Hungary. He wrote the book Night, a gripping account of his ordeal during the night, the Nazi Holocaust of the Jewish people. He tells us that there was a good friend of his in his village, Sziget, called Moshe the Beadle. He was sort of a religious leader in the Jewish community. And one day, because he was a foreign Jew in that part of Hungary, he was sent away out of the country. And when he went away with a number of other Jewish people, when they crossed the border into Poland, the Gestapo took hold of them, put them on cattle cars and then took them to a forest where they shot the whole lot of them. Tragic ending. To a group of people. He himself was shot in the leg, he says. And so eventually he made his way back to the village of Szeged with the Jewish people. Moshe the Beetle went around the village talking to the Jewish people, saying, listen, this is what happened. And they shot all of the Jewish people who were put on those cattle cars. And they're going to come and take you too one day, so you need to run for your life. But no one would listen to Moshe the Beetle. And finally, in 1944, the Nazis invaded Hungary themselves. And when they did, they put the Jewish people in ghettos and then they shipped them out, eventually to the death camps. Auschwitz, a horrible place to visit. I've been there a couple of times and let me tell you, it's one of the most sobering experiences that I've had. When they arrived in Auschwitz, they were immediately taken off the cattle cars and put into distinct lines. One straight to the gas chamber and the other line to work till they died or went to the gas chamber. Fortunately for Elie Wiesel, he survived the Holocaust. And there he is right there with that red circle around his head. But an horrific count. And as I thought of the story, I thought, wow, here's a man, his friend, Moshe the Beetle, who warned everybody, but no one would believe what had happened. Surely people wouldn't be that cruel that they'd just cold bloodedly shoot people. Yet it happened, but yet no one believed what he was saying. And so many perished because of it. There's actually a very important warning in this story for us today. You remember in our series, we're looking at the final battle for global control, the battle for global worship. Now, what we're going to notice is that this final battle actually occurs during God's judgment. Now, that may surprise some of us, but it takes place before Jesus returns. Let me share with you when we go to the final warning messages. Remember, there are three of them. We've seen three of them. The first angel says, the hour of God's judgment has begun. It's come. In other words, the judgment has started. It's begun. And then there comes a second angel who follows the first one in time. And this angel says, babylon has fallen. We're going to understand exactly what that message is when we look at night, Cry demonic dimensions. You mustn't miss that presentation. But then after the second comes a third angel who says, listen, don't receive the mark of the beast, because if you do, you'll receive the plagues. Now there's still time for people to make a course correction because he says, don't do it. Because if you do take the mark of the beast, if you do worship the beast and his image, then you receive the plagues. So there's still time for people to make a course correction. But then what does happens next in the story? John tells us that Jesus comes. So you notice what the Bible says here in Revelation 14. Then after the first angel, after the second, who come followed by the third, then I looked and behold a white cloud. And on the cloud one sat like the Son of man, having in his hand a sharp sickle. Now, of course in the Bible, the sickle of course is used for reaping. So this is the time when Jesus gathers his people. But I want you to notice there's a first angel who says, the judgment has begun. In the Greek that means when the angel says it, it started. This is followed as we saw by a second, and then after time a third. And then Jesus comes. So clearly in Revelation, the judgment begins before Jesus returns. Now, how can you be sure? You're probably wondering, how can you be sure that the judgment begins before Jesus returns? Well, that's a good question. And to answer that, we need to go to the Book of Daniel. Remember, we were there in previous presentations in the Book of Daniel, we notice what it says in Daniel chapter eight. You remember, we saw the 2,300 days and we didn't see. I haven't answered what. What does that mean yet? We saw what the cleansing of the sanctuary means. It comes from this text here in Daniel 8:14. For 2,300 days, then the sanctuary will be cleansed. Meaning as we saw Last presentation, God's judgment will begin. That's what that phrase, the cleansing of the sanctuary means. So what's Daniel saying? He's saying after a 2, 300 day period, then God's judgment begins. That's clear from the text and from what we saw in our last presentation. Now, suddenly Gabriel appears at that point. And I want you to notice what Gabriel says to Daniel. He says, the vision of the evenings and the mornings, that's the 2,300 days which was told. It's true. Therefore, seal up the vision, for it refers to many days in the future. It's coming a long time into the future. Well, the question is, how many days in the future is it going to take place that this thing takes, occurs, how long? Well, notice what Gabriel actually says. He says, understand, Son of Man, that the vision refers to the time of the end. Very clearly. It's much greater than 2,300 literal days, because 2,300 literal days is about, oh, I don't know, six, six and a half years, thereabouts. But this is going to take us to the time of the end. So clearly from Daniel's time and so on, that's a lot more than six and a half to seven years. No, in other words, what the Bible is saying is this. The 2,300 prophetic days are symbolic of 2,300 literal years because it's going to take us to the time of the end. Now, you recall in previous presentations we've noticed this principle from the Bible that in Bible prophecy, one prophetic day represents one literal year in time. We've seen that from the example of the prophet Ezekiel, who was a contemporary of Daniel in Babylon. Remember, Ezekiel is told to lie on his side and do some street drama. I've laid on you a day for each year. For every day you do this, Ezekiel represents a year in literal time. So now we can see what's going on. 2,300 days means 2,300 years. And then the judgment begins. Now you can imagine Daniel thinking, why so long before God acts? And isn't that the way sometimes it happens for you and I, it it seems God sits on his hands. Sometimes we want a healing, we need something urgently. But God seems to do nothing, at least in the immediate. And God has reasons and it's always best to leave it with him. But why so long is the question. Notice what Daniel happened next to Daniel. I, Daniel fainted and I was sick for days. I was astonished by the vision. That's the vision of the 2300. But no one understood it, even himself. He didn't understand it. When we go to the next chapter in the Book of Daniel, chapter nine, we see Daniel is praying about Israel's sin. Israel's sin. And the reason is the reason for Jerusalem's destruction and the destruction of the temple by the Babylonians. So he's praying to God, God, we've sinned, we've done wrong. We've turned away from your commandments, we've not listened to your prophets. God forgive us, God help us. And then suddenly, there it is again. Gabriel appears straight from heaven. The same Gabriel who was with him in the previous chapter. But notice what Gabriel says to the prophet Daniel which connects these two chapters together very clearly. Here the Bible says, oh, Daniel, this is Gabriel talking. Oh, Daniel, I have now come forth to give you skill, to understand. Therefore consider the matter and understand the vision. Daniel, you didn't understand it when I was with you last time, right? Well, now I've come back to help you understand the vision. And he launches straight into time, the exact issue that he didn't understand in the previous chapter. So now he comes to the time factor. Notice what Gabriel says to Daniel. 70 weeks are determined. Now that word determined there in the Hebrew means cut off, like amputate are cut off or severed for your people, for your holy city. Now cut off from what? What are they severed from? What are they chopped off from? Well, of course, the 2,300 days which is or years which they've been talking about, which he's come to help him understand. So he's saying that period, the 70 weeks, which is 490 years. We saw this before in a previous presentation, you'll recall, and we're going to review some of it again, but we're going to go even further this time, take it much further. So a little bit of revision is good for us, but let's continue. So he says the 70 weeks that in the red, the 490 years is cut off from the 2,300 years. All right, now cut off for who? Or cut off? Who's it apply to? In other words, notice he says, listen, the 70 weeks are determined or cut off or severed for your people and for your holy city. Now of course, what's Daniel's people and his holy city? Who are they? Well, of course it applies to Israel, that's the people, and Jerusalem, that's the city. So this 490 year period, which is 70 weeks times 7 days, 490 days, day for a year, that's how? We have 490. This 490 year period is cut off for the Jewish people and their city, Jerusalem, a period of time for them. And then when is the starting date? Because if we knew the starting date, we could find the when the judgment begins, right? That'd be very clear. So when is the starting date? Well, you'll recall from our previous presentation, Gabriel told Daniel, when that happens, know therefore and understand, continues Gabriel, that from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem, from the time when the command is given to fix up Jerusalem, which has been destroyed by the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar, from that time, then that's the starting point. So when was the command given? Well, we've already seen it, remember? It tells us very clearly in the book of Ezra, now, Ezra records the Jewish people's return from Babylon to Jerusalem. And in this book he tells us when the decree was given notice. In the seventh year of King Artaxerxes, I issue a decree says Artaxerxes Very clearly, we're told it's his seventh year. Now we know when the seventh year of Artaxerxes was. We have the understanding of the Persian kings, and we know it was the year 4, 57 B.C. this was when the seventh year of Artaxerxes was. And this is when he issues the decree that they can restore Jerusalem. So we have our starting date, 457 B.C. and we just need to add to 2,300 years now, and we'll come to when the Judgment begins. So let's do it. 457 plus 2,300. All you need to do is take 4, 5, 7 from 2,300 and you'll arrive in 1844. It's just that clear. Now you say, shouldn't it be 1843? No, because there's no zero year between 1 BC and 1 AD you have to add one. That's why it's 1844. All right, so that's when the Judgment begins, According to Gabriel, 2,000 years ago. 2,500 years ago, he tells Daniel. All right. Now, thinking about this. The Judgment began right then, in 1844. Now think about that for a moment. It means the Judgment is occurring right now because Jesus hasn't yet come. Right. When he comes, it finishes. But it's on now. Now I think you'll begin to understand why there's a tremendous global urgency in that first angel's message. What's going on? Notice what it says in that text. I saw another angel. Let's Just pause there for a moment. In the book of Revelation, angels are flying in every direction. Angels are very active. And you know why? Because of this verse, Time is running out for our planet. Time is running out for you and me. The Bible says, I saw another angel flying. He's in a hurry. He's not standing there like some angels are. This one is flying. There's no time to lose. He's in the midst of heaven, meaning very prominently, everybody must know about this. He's in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth, saying with a loud voice, in the Greek, that's the word megaphone, from which we get the word megaphone, a very loud voice. Everybody must hear this message. The hour of his judgment has come. Not will come. It has come. It's begun. You see, my friend, it means that we are in the countdown to eternity, the countdown to the end. That's why there's an urgent voice here from this angel shouting to the planet, listen. Time is running out. Soon Jesus will come. Now, I can almost hear you asking the question, how can you be sure about that? How can you be sure? Most people don't even have heard this before. Well, that doesn't make it not real. Many people don't believe many things in this book, but it doesn't make it real. Many people don't even think there's a God. But. But that doesn't mean there's no God. So how can we be sure that in 1844 the judgment begins? And more importantly, how can you and I be ready? Because that judgment is on right now. What if the judgment came to your name today? Now, we don't like to talk about that. We don't like to think about that. But if there's a judgment going on, it could come to your name. And how would it be for you and me? Well, thank God, in this prophecy, we can know how to be ready. It's one of the great good news things about this amazing prophecy. Okay, so the judgment begins. And the reason we can be sure is this first part. The 70 weeks or the 490 years. This part tells us two things. It tells us, number one, that we can be sure and we can be ready. That's the good news about this 70 week period. So let's go now back to Daniel, chapter nine. And we want to see what Gabriel had to say to Daniel to help him with those two things. Are you sure the judgment began in 1844? Yeah, let me show you. Says Gabriel and how can you be ready? Let me show you again, says Gabriel. So let's go back there. Remember, Daniel is praying about Israel's sin and Jerusalem's destruction, Jerusalem's judgment. Back then they were destroyed because of a sin problem. And Daniel's praying about that and how God can help them. Now let's notice when Gabriel appears again what he says. Let's pick it up again. We're going to go back, we're going to revise and move on. Gabriel says 70 weeks are cut off for your people and your holy city. So there's that. 70 weeks or for Israel and Jerusalem, Daniel's people, Daniel's City. 70 weeks. 70 weeks for what? What's supposed to happen during this time? Well, notice what Gabriel says. We haven't really looked at this at the up to this point, but notice what Gabriel says. 70 weeks are cut off for your people and your holy city to finish the transgression. Now that word, transgression means their rebellion, your rebellion against God to make an end of sin. That word means victory over sin and forgiveness for sin. That's what that phrase means, to make reconciliation, to bring God and people back together again. That's the idea of that word, reconciliation. To bring us back to God because iniquity has separated us from God. So to make reconciliation for iniquity. And he says to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up the vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy. So notice what Daniel is being told by Gabriel. The purpose of the 70 weeks, says Gabriel, is this. Number one, to end rebellion against God, to break our rebel hearts. Number two, to forgive us and to give us victory over wrong or sin. Number three, we read to reconcile us to God, to bring us back, to give us peace with God. And finally he says to justify that means to declare us righteous before God and to transform us. In other words, that's what a person is, right with God. Now, this makes you ready for the judgment and me ready for the judgment. If you have that, then you're ready for the judgment. If your name should come up. Well, how does that happen? How did those things come to you and I? Well, thank God, Gabriel continued. Notice what Gabriel said. Know therefore and understand that from the going forth of the command to restore build Jerusalem unto the Messiah, you see, the Messiah or the Christ, he is the solution. He's the one that's going to make all that happen, bring those things to you. Well then the question is, when would he come? When would the Messiah come so that he could help Us with all of that. Well, Gabriel continues, know therefore and understand that from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem unto the Messiah, There shall be 7 weeks and 62 weeks. Now we saw this bit in a previous presentation, but let's review. So there we are, 70 weeks for Israel and Jerusalem. He says seven plus 62. Seven plus 62 in maths is what? 69 weeks. So we have a 69 week period that will take us, he says, take us from the command to restore and build Jerusalem unto the Messiah's coming, the Christ. So when, when would that command be given? We saw it a moment ago, but let's review it again. In the seventh year of King Artaxerxes, he says, I issue a decree. There it is. We have the starting date, 4, 5, 7 BC as we saw a moment ago. So all we need to do 4, 5, 7 plus 69 weeks will take us to the Messiah. But remember, 69 weeks is just over a year not going to take us to the Messiah from 4, 5, 7. But let's do the sums. 69 times 7 days a week will bring us to 483 prophetic days. Well, you've got to remember we have a principle in Bible prophecy. As we've seen before, one prophetic day represents one literal year. And we just went through that principle there from Ezekiel. So we just now add 483 years, 457plus the 483. Now we're going to get to the Messiah, aren't we? 483 years. Let's do the sums. 4, 5, 7 plus 483 years will take us to 27 A.D. that brings us to the time of the Messiah, 27 AD. So now the question becomes, what happened in 27 A.D. well, the Bible is very clear when we go to the Book of Luke. Luke of course was a medical physician, but a very accurate historian and he gives a lot of details in his books, the Book of Luke and the Book of Acts. Sometimes we pass over the details. We think, who cares about those bits and pieces, but they actually help anchor us in history. Notice what it says in the Book of Luke. Now, in the 15th year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized. And while he prayed, the heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon him. And you remember, a voice came, this is my beloved Son. Now Luke also tells us what happened when the Holy Spirit came on Jesus. The Bible says in The Book of Acts. God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit. Notice that word anointed. It's a very important word. You see, the word Mashiach or Messiah means the anointed one. When the Holy Spirit came on him. The word Christos or Christ, that means the anointed one as well. So what we see is this. Now in the 15th year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Jesus also was baptized. The Holy Spirit came on him. He was anointed with the Spirit and that's why he's called Jesus Christ. Jesus Messiah. Now remember what Luke said? It was the 15th year of Tiberius Caesar. And we know that that year was 27 A.D. because we know the understanding of the Roman times and the Caesars. So Messiah appears exactly as predicted in 27 A.D. now think of it. Back in around 530 B.C. gabriel came down to Daniel and said, daniel, I want to tell you something. The Messiah is going to appear in 27 A.D. we give the very date. Then when we get down there, Luke records for us the very year, the 15th year of Tiberius Caesar, which is 27 A.D. that's why he's now called Jesus Christ. Not just Jesus of Nazareth, but Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ, the Messiah. And that's why Jesus said after his baptism these vital words. What was it? The time is fulfilled. What time? Daniel's time. I've arrived on time. I am the Messiah. In other words, I am God in in human flesh. Because that's what it meant to be the Messiah to Jewish people. He was claiming to be God in human flesh. Well, we've seen that before, but now what about the rest of this prophecy? We need to press on. How would Messiah solve the sin problem? It's all very well to notice that he came on time, was baptized on time, but how is he going to solve the human sin problem so that we can face the judgment with confidence and not be afraid of judgment. Well, let's continue. The Bible says how he would prepare us for judgment as we continue this prophecy. Notice what the Bible says after the 62 weeks. In other words, after the 69 weeks, because there were seven before the 62. Remember, after the 62 weeks, Messiah shall be cut off. That means killed, but not for himself. So there we have seven weeks. We've told we saw before then the 62 weeks. And after the 62 weeks, which is after 69 weeks, then Messiah will be killed. Messiah will be executed. So after 69 weeks, meaning after 483 years. Because we've seen that that's what 69 weeks means 69 times seven and a day for a year, Messiah will be killed. Notice what the Bible says. Gabriel is talking 2500 years ago, 500 years before Jesus has even come. But in the middle of the week, he shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. What's he saying here? He's saying this. Listen, remember, there's 70 weeks and we've had 69 of them. So how many would be left? Well, of course, just one week is left. Now remember, in Bible prophecy, one day represents one year. So one week, seven days or seven years. So then in the middle of that time period, he says Messiah will be killed. So let's put it up here. Here we have our last week. Seven years, seven days a day for a year, seven years in the middle. So between 27 and 34 A.D. that's the middle point. That would be 31 A.D. and what was to happen in 31 A.D? well, we just saw it. But in the middle of the week, he shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. Now, what on earth does that mean? Sacrifices and offerings to end? How do we understand this? What's this referring to? Well, you will recall that in a previous presentation we talked about sacrifices and offerings. And here we see how and why they were to end in this very prophecy. How come? And why? Now, if you've heard the story of Jesus crucifixion, you will recall that when Jesus died, something mysterious happened in the temple. Remember what Matthew says took place and Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit and died. Remember, Jesus said, it is finished. Father, into your hands I commit my spirit. I commit my life. He died then. At that time, when he died, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. Now, why was the temple veil torn in two from top to bottom? Notice. From top to bottom, as if some sort of an unseen angel has ripped the curtain. That is the curtain that separates the most holy place where the Ark of the covenant was. We saw from where the priest worked every day. In the other part of the temple, that curtain that separated it was torn in two from top to bottom. Why is that? Well, because Messiah is God's lamb. Jesus is the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. All the other animal sacrifices in those temples that we saw, all of those animal sacrifices pointed to the fact that one day the Messiah would come and be killed for us, not for himself. Daniel heard. So there's no need any longer for these animal sacrifices and these earthly Priests, because they were just like a drama, an audio visual, visual display of what Messiah would do to solve the sin problem. So when the real sacrifice, the only sacrifice that can take away sin had occurred, there's no need for the animal sacrifices. All of those you see ended at the cross. That's what was finished at the cross, the animal sacrifices. No need for these things anymore. So let's notice what we see now. 70 weeks or the 490 years that refer to Israel and Jerusalem. Very precise, incredibly precise when you think about it. Right on time Jesus was baptized. 27 AD Right on time Jesus was crucified. 31 AD what is the 34 AD? Well, if you've read the Book of Acts, you'll have read that on one occasion, Stephen, one of the close followers of Jesus, was stoned to death. Holding the coats of those who were throwing the rocks was a man by the name of Saul, who was a persecutor of Christians. In fact, when Saul heard what Stephen said, and this is what Stephen said as he's being killed with those rocks pounding into his head. I see heaven open and the Son of man standing at the right hand of God. You imagine Paul, he thinks Jesus is dead. Now Stephen says, I see him, he's alive. Paul could not erase that idea out of his head from what Stephen had said. And to go against the promptings of the Holy Spirit who was convicting him, he began to really persecute Christians. Dragging them from their homes to putting them in dungeons, taking them to be killed. He's on the road to Damascus, you recall? And on the road to Damascus one day to kill some more people, to imprison some more people, more Christians, Jesus meets him on the road. Why are you persecuting me? You remember the story. Well, Paul becomes the great missionary to the non Jewish people. This time period of this 70 weeks or 490 years set apart for God's people, Israel has come to an end. And now we must bring the good news to the non Jewish people as well. And God's people take this to the non Jewish people. That brings us to the end of the 490 years. Well, so what? So what that this is all precise? That 530 years before Jesus even came, it was predicted the very year that he would start his ministry, the very year he would die, the very year this time period would end, so that gentiles could become the people of God. So what? Well here's the so what? Number one judgment does begin. There is no question because of this first bit, that means there's no question that the judgment began in 1844. You see, 1844 could not be right if the 70 weeks or the 490 years was wrong. But the 490 years was spot on, right? Because Jesus came on time and died on time. That means the end bit has to be right. So that's what the first so what is. There's no question that there's a judgment going on right now while we're watching, while I'm speaking. But it means, secondly, all of this is absolutely true for you and me. Every part of it. All of that is true for you and me. We can have our broken our rebel hearts. Broken our hearts that sometimes before we meet God, we hate God. You know, you may not believe in God, but He believes in you. You may hate God, but He loves you. When we come to Calvary, we realize how much God loves us and our rebel hearts are broken. It also means when we come to accept Jesus, we are forgiven. Our sins are all wiped away. And not only that, we have power over sin. Sin no longer is the reigning force in our life. There's victory over over sin. Jesus has power to break the addictions we saw. He has power to help us. If we have a temper that's out of control, he can give us new lives. Thirdly, it means we are reconciled to God. You are the child of God, a child of the King. What a tremendous thought that is. And it's because Jesus died and we accept him. So we are reconciled to God, we have peace with God. Let me tell you, when a person comes to Christ and accepts Jesus, a tremendous peace comes into life because they know they are the children of God. And what's the last one? He justifies us and transforms us. That word justify we saw means that God treats us as if we never sinned. He declares us right even though we fall and stumble and make mistakes. He declares us right because we have Christ's righteousness. But not only that, he transforms us. When a person is transformed, that's important because the judgment we saw is going to examine what our words, our deeds, even our thoughts. So when a person comes to Christ, the evidence that they belong to God is seen in their life. The unloving become lovely, the impure become pure. The dishonest become honest. When we have Jesus in our life, we're not only forgiven, we're not only declared righteous before God, but we are being changed into his image. And God looks at us, this is my child. See, they believe in me. Look how it's gradually transforming them. But we're accepted on the basis of Christ perfect righteousness because our lives are imperfect. Even now. We have faults, we make mistakes, but because we have Christ, God accepts us on the basis of Christ's perfect righteousness in the judgment. So all of that is absolutely true. It's not a fairy tale, it's not a myth, it's not a legend, it's not a hopey thing. All of those things are true. But for a person who puts their life in the hand of Jesus, who accepts what Christ did on Calvary's cross, their rebel hearts are broken, they are forgiven and they have a new power in their life, a power over sin. They are reconciled to God and they are declared righteous before God. And their lives are being transformed day by day. I love the way that Jesus put it this way. Now I have told you before it comes that when it does come to pass, you may believe. What's he saying? I give you predictions, I tell you things before they even happen. So that when they do happen, you will believe. You will put your trust in me. Now this great prophecy that we've looked at, I don't expect you to remember this, but I do expect you to say, wow, what a God, how amazing. And the reason God tells us all these bits and pieces is so that when it happens, we will put our trust in this Jesus. We will know that all of this is absolutely yours. Now you don't have to wait to prove to God that by doing some penances or long pilgrimages, we just come to Christ just as we are. I love the way it was with that thief on the cross. If you and I, like him, throw ourself on Christ. All of those things belong to you and me. What an amazing God this is. What incredible love that God has for you and I, that just by throwing ourself on Christ, these things, things are ours. I remember in my own life, my life was out of control a bit. I was a 19 year old medical student studying to be a doctor. And for the first time in my life I began to wonder, is there a God out there? Is there anybody out there? Or is this just wishful thinking that may be there's a God? As I studied archaeology, I realized that this book is not a bunch of fairy tales. No way. So many things that are spoken of in this book, actually archeology has brought to light that this is true. And then when I looked at the prophecies and there's scores of prophecies in this book, I realized that there must be a God to make these predictions, that it comes out right every other time, every time. There's got to be a divine mind behind it. So I could see there was a God. But then, you know, I didn't know how a person could get right with God. I thought it was about what we do, the good things we do. Yet the Bible says no. For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone could boast. But here was I trying to make myself right with God. I thought if I pray a lot, I. I thought if I read this Bible a lot, somehow I'll be right with God. I thought if I do good things to people, this would make me right with God. I even thought if I give more money, this would make me right with God. I even went on the streets of Perth every Saturday night to talk about Jesus to people and sing songs to people, hoping that by doing these things I'd be right with God. But you know what I found? I found it was like a mirage on the outback. You know what it's like? You drive along a road and it looks like water on the road, but you never get there. It's always beyond you. And that's what I found. Even though I was trying to be right with God, all these good things that I would do, I was never getting to God. I never sensed I was forgiven. I never had the assurance of eternal life. I had none of that. I knew if my name came up in the judgment, I'd be lost. I wouldn't make it because of stuff in my life, even though I wanted to do the right thing. And then one day I went to a meeting and someone said some words that just tremendously changed my life. He said, you know, 2,000 years ago, Jesus died on the cross for every person. Why are some of us carrying a load of guilt when he's already taken it? 2000 years ago doesn't make any sense. And suddenly it hit me. God, I've tried so hard. I failed so miserably. I have no sense of peace or joy. I need Jesus. This is not working the way I'm doing it. It's as if Jesus was standing on a cliff and I was on another cliff. And there's about a meter between them, and I had to throw myself across the cliff. But when it's a thousand meters down, that meter seems to stretch further. But remember, as I'm thinking in my head there, Lord, I can't do Anything more? It's not working. Jesus said, just throw yourself on me. Just jump across. I thought, well, what if it doesn't work? But then a voice said, it's not working the way you're doing it, is it? You're miserable. You have no happiness, you have no joy. You have no peace. And so I said, oh, God, I give up. Jesus, catch me. Do you know the moment I, as it were, threw myself across to Christ? I knew my sins were forgiven, every one of them. I knew if I died, I'm ready to meet God. I knew if I get killed by a truck, I'm ready. I'm ready for Jesus to come. God gave me power over some of the stuff that. That I couldn't get the victory over. There's power in the blood of Jesus. There's victory in Christ. There's new life in Jesus. And I just wanted to tell the world. And that's why I'm sharing these presentations, because Jesus has changed my life and he can do the same for any of us, no matter where we are in life. This is because of Calvary. What a tremendous thing. If you throw yourself on Christ, you're ready for the judgment. You're ready to face Almighty God, because there's no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. It happened here in Auschwitz, this horrible death camp of the Nazis. The Nazis made life miserable for the Jewish people. The more miserable they could make it, the happier the Nazis were. So sometimes they'd get them up in the middle of the night, you know, two, three in the morning. They've been working like dogs during the day, like slaves. And they wake them up in the middle of the night to have a parade in the snow. Remember, this is Poland. We're talking -10, -20. They don't have good shoes on their feet. They've got bits of rag. And they can stand there for an hour or so in the freezing cold. Well, one night the commandant calls them out, and as they're there on the parade ground, he says, someone stole a shovel or something. Ten men will die. Life was cheap in Auschwitz. Ten are going to die. So he started to read the names of the 10 people he was going to call out. And they were not names, they were numbers. That's all you were in a Nazi concentration camp, a number. And he begins to call out the numbers, comes to one number, and there's a groan from a man in the group of people that are there in the area of the concentration camp where they're having this roll call. And he says, her commandant no, sir, please not me. Please not me. I have a wife. I have children. How will they survive without me? Please, her, commandant, not me. But he continues to read the numbers, going through the list of 10. Suddenly, there's a stirring among the prisoners there on the parade ground. And he walks out of line and comes right up to the commandant and says, sir, commandant, I have a request. He says, sir, I have no wife. I have no children. I am a Roman Catholic priest. Maximilian Colby is my name. I have a request, sir. Could I take the place of Francis Kodjaniji, the man who cried out, sir, please not me. Can I take his place? The commandant didn't know what to do. How could he respond? He never heard such a request. Put his head down for a moment, then came up again and said, request granted, and continued to read the numbers. They led Maximilian Kolbe, the priest, away. You can visit his cell today. I've been there two or three times. And you will see where this man died of a horrific death some 30 days later. Used to be on the walls there. Said Jesus was here. Well, of course, Jesus literally wasn't here, but he acted like Jesus acted for us. He took what we should have ourselves. You and I should be in the place of Francis Cajanezic. He was the one that was called out. But Maximilian Kolbe took his place. And you know, my friends, that's the grace of God. That's the love of God. That's what makes you and I ready. You see, because Jesus took your place in the judgment. That's why Jesus said, now is the judgment of this world. Now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men to me. He didn't mean that. This is the final judgment. He's saying that I am being judged for you. So that when the final judgment comes, if you have me, you've taken me. You've accepted me. I've taken your place. I've taken your condemnation. When you claim me, you have my righteousness that gets you through the judgment. You are accepted, and you are transformed, and you are changed. Oh, thank God, my friend, that this is for real. And the prophecy actually tells us this is not a myth. This is not a legend. Your rebel heart can be broken. You can have forgiveness. You can have victory over sin. You can be reconciled to God right now. You can be justified before God, meaning God declares you as. As not having sin because you have Christ, and his righteousness stands in place of yours, and your life can be transformed. Little by little, day by day into the image of Jesus. All because you have Jesus. Let's pray together. Father, we thank youk that at such a time as this when there's a judgment going on, there is a way, there is a good news. And thank youk that the angel who told us about the judgment has come also had the everlasting gospel which we've talked about. Jesus is the gospel and we want to put our life in his hand. Lord, as people are listening and watching this presentation may right now they say Jesus here is my life. Take me now. Thank you for accepting us in Jesus name. Amen. Well, we're glad you were with us in this COUNTDOWN Back TO the Future presentation. Don't miss our next presentation when we'll be looking at Conquerors of the Night. What a tremendous thing, life at its best. We look forward to seeing you in that presentation of our COUNTDOWN Back to the Future series.
