WEBVTT
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In 1882, philosopher
Friedrich Nietzsche
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famously declared
“God is dead.”
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Today, more than 140 years later, some might argue
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“The Church is dead.”
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Or... at least churches
are dying.
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And who could blame
them for thinking that?
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Look around.
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In the Western world,
church attendance is
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plummeting.
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Society is changing.
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Biblical morality
is being ridiculed.
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And a sense of shared
values seems to be
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evaporating before
our very eyes.
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The news feeds
reflect this trend...
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and not just in America.
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Here are some recent
headlines:
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“Losing My Religion: How the UK is leaving the Church
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and gaining conspiracy theories”.
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“How Canada’s religious makeup has shifted over the
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past 20 years”.
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“Is Christianity
dying in Australia?
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Here’s how to redeem it
from the bottom up”.
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For many of us, these
headlines might resonate.
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In cities and towns all
over the Western world,
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church attendance is down.
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More churches are closing
each year in the United
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States than are
opening--in some years by
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a margin of almost 1,500.
01:12.439 --> 01:15.842
And some predict that 1/3
of Canada’s churches may
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close in the coming years.
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So what does the future
hold for modern
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Christianity in our
Western nations?
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Will it die
out altogether?
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There are answers.
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All we have to do is open
our Bible to find them.
01:31.424 --> 01:33.860
And along the way, we
might even uncover some
01:33.927 --> 01:36.863
surprising things about
this topic you’ve not
01:36.930 --> 01:38.465
heard before.
01:38.531 --> 01:40.333
So let’s explore that
together, today on
01:40.400 --> 01:41.868
Tomorrow’s World.
01:41.935 --> 01:43.736
And later in the program,
we’ll give you an
01:43.803 --> 01:46.239
opportunity to order
today’s free offer,
01:46.306 --> 01:49.042
“Restoring Original
Christianity.”
01:49.108 --> 01:53.313
So, let’s dive right in and find the answers to this question:
01:53.379 --> 01:55.615
“Are Churches Dying?”
01:55.682 --> 01:56.983
I’ll be right back.
01:57.050 --> 02:03.590
♪
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Welcome to Tomorrow’s
World, where we help you
02:05.925 --> 02:08.528
make sense of your world
through the pages of the
02:08.595 --> 02:09.596
Bible.
02:09.662 --> 02:13.299
Look at traditional
American churches today.
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As secularism makes
massive inroads, it’s
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clear churches
are in decline.
02:18.705 --> 02:22.108
In October of 2019, The
Pew Research Center
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ran an article entitled,
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“In the U.S., Decline of Christianity Continues
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at Rapid Pace.”
02:29.549 --> 02:31.584
Here’s what the article noted:
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“In 2018 and 2019, 65% of American adults describe
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themselves as Christians when asked about their religion,
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down 12 percentage points over the past decade.
02:43.363 --> 02:44.764
Meanwhile, the religiously
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unaffiliated share of the
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population, consisting of
people who describe their
02:49.669 --> 02:52.939
religious identity as
atheist, agnostic or
02:53.006 --> 02:57.110
‘nothing in particular,’
now stands at 26% up
02:57.176 --> 03:00.813
from 17% in 2009.
03:00.880 --> 03:04.117
In real numbers that
shift represents tens of
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millions of people.
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That’s a huge change in
the American religious
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landscape, in
just ten years.
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So what will the nation
look like after
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a few more decades?
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Here’s one estimate,
again by
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the Pew Research Center:
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“The Center estimates that in 2020, about 64% of
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Americans, including children, were Christian.
03:26.739 --> 03:29.976
People who are religiously
unaffiliated, sometimes
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called religious “nones,”
accounted for 30%....
03:33.713 --> 03:36.649
[T]he projections show
Christians of all ages
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shrinking from 64% to
between a little more than
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half and just above
one-third of all
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Americans by 2070.”
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Churches in America are on a downward trend.
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But again, it’s not just happening in the U. S. only.
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The trajectory is the same
in other western nations.
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Consider this report
from Australia, from The
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Canberra Times,
on June 28, 2022:
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“The Christian churches in Australia currently find
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themselves in a perfect storm.
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The recently released data
from the 2021 census makes
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the reality clear.
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The future of Christianity
in Australia will be
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as a minority.
04:19.158 --> 04:22.028
Just 44 percent of
Australians now identify
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as Christians, down from
52 percent at the
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2016 census.”
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Again, an astonishing drop, in a short period of time,
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in Australia.
04:32.905 --> 04:34.974
What about
England and Wales?
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In a 2021 census taken
there, for the first time
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ever those who identify
as Christians were a
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minority, down from 59.3%
around 2012, to 46.2% in 2022.
04:50.356 --> 04:53.359
This is in a nation where
the reigning king has as
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one of his official
titles, Defender of the Faith.
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Think about that.
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The political
ramifications for this new
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cultural shift
are staggering.
05:05.371 --> 05:08.474
Canada has been on the
cutting edge of woke
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culture in recent years.
05:09.976 --> 05:12.645
And not surprisingly, the
number of church-goers
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there has taken
a massive hit.
05:15.281 --> 05:19.819
In 2001, 77% of the
population identified as
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Christian.
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But by 2021, that had
dropped to only 53%.
05:25.992 --> 05:27.960
What’s behind this shift?
05:28.027 --> 05:29.495
Why is it happening?
05:29.562 --> 05:32.065
Many have tried to
answer the question.
05:32.131 --> 05:34.867
And certainly, one factor that
has quickened the pace of
05:34.934 --> 05:39.539
falling church attendance
was the COVID-19 pandemic.
05:39.605 --> 05:42.875
Almost overnight
businesses, government
05:42.942 --> 05:45.878
buildings, restaurants,
gyms, movie theaters and
05:45.945 --> 05:49.015
yes, even churches--were
shut down.
05:49.082 --> 05:51.617
People were told to
worship from home.
05:51.684 --> 05:54.087
And technology
made it possible.
05:54.153 --> 05:56.355
Many churches streamed
their services.
05:56.422 --> 05:59.158
And for a short-term
crisis, this certainly
05:59.225 --> 06:02.361
kept people at least
somewhat connected.
06:02.428 --> 06:04.731
But fast forward
to the present.
06:04.797 --> 06:08.301
For many, the temporary
emergency measure has
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become a long-term
condition.
06:11.537 --> 06:14.207
For those on the fringes,
it’s become easier to
06:14.273 --> 06:16.142
simply drift away.
06:16.209 --> 06:17.977
Others have discovered
they can be a church
06:18.044 --> 06:20.713
member in the comfort and
privacy of their own home,
06:20.780 --> 06:23.583
without ever having
to attend a service.
06:23.649 --> 06:27.086
The advent of online
worship has fundamentally
06:27.153 --> 06:30.590
changed how many people
look at going to church.
06:30.656 --> 06:32.892
The online
experience has undoubtedly
06:32.959 --> 06:35.828
been a blessing for
churchgoers who are
06:35.895 --> 06:38.931
infirmed or otherwise
can’t physically attend
06:38.998 --> 06:40.333
in person.
06:40.399 --> 06:43.436
But for those who choose
to be disconnected from an
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actual group...
06:44.670 --> 06:47.140
that’s a disturbing
trend in itself.
06:47.206 --> 06:51.210
In how many ways are we
as a society becoming more
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disengaged and more
disconnected from each
06:54.213 --> 06:57.784
other as each
week goes by?
06:57.850 --> 07:00.086
We’ve discussed where
we are as a culture, our
07:00.153 --> 07:01.721
present situation.
07:01.788 --> 07:03.356
But where is it heading?
07:03.422 --> 07:06.359
What does the future hold
for the churches in the
07:06.425 --> 07:07.827
western world?
07:07.894 --> 07:10.830
And more importantly, what
does Jesus Christ think
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about all this?
07:12.165 --> 07:16.769
After all, He’s the Head
of the Church, isn’t He?
07:16.836 --> 07:18.004
We’ll answer those
questions in the
07:18.070 --> 07:19.172
next segment.
07:19.238 --> 07:22.275
But first, let me offer
you our free study guide,
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“Restoring Original
Christianity.”
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You see, it’s not just about
plummeting church
07:27.079 --> 07:29.148
attendance that we
should be concerned.
07:29.215 --> 07:31.684
There’s something much
more fundamentally wrong
07:31.751 --> 07:33.719
with the churches
of our day.
07:33.786 --> 07:36.255
And there is a strong and
urgent warning for our
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generation.
07:37.757 --> 07:39.158
And it will show you from
the pages of your
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own Bible.
07:40.459 --> 07:43.095
There is a real Satan the
devil who is the
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“prince of the power of the air”
07:45.364 --> 07:48.134
and has “deceived
the whole world.”
07:48.201 --> 07:50.736
And that includes the majority of the so-called
07:50.803 --> 07:52.138
Christian world.
07:52.205 --> 07:53.372
So don’t be deceived.
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Read your Bible.
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This study
guide will help.
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It’s called “Restoring
Original Christianity.”
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So, order now by calling
the number on your screen,
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or go to
TWTV.org/Original.
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Or you can write to one
of our regional addresses.
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For today’s free
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Or go to...
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Ten inspiring issues
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and modern culture will
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Call today and join
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Or go to...
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In the last segment we saw
that churches are losing
09:14.020 --> 09:16.322
members all over
the western world.
09:16.389 --> 09:19.425
Some say Christianity
is dying.
09:19.492 --> 09:20.726
Is it?
09:20.793 --> 09:22.194
Will it?
09:22.261 --> 09:25.197
Does the Bible say
anything about that?
09:25.264 --> 09:28.567
First, let’s get Christ’s
own words about the Church
09:28.634 --> 09:29.835
that He built.
09:29.902 --> 09:33.639
In Matthew 16:18 Jesus
said this...
09:33.706 --> 09:36.575
“I will build My church,
and the gates of
09:36.642 --> 09:39.178
Hades shall not prevail
against it.”
09:39.245 --> 09:43.115
The word “Hades” just means the unseen place of the dead.
09:43.182 --> 09:44.483
A pit or a grave.
09:44.550 --> 09:47.019
So, this statement means that
Christ’s Church, His
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Church, would
never die out.
09:48.688 --> 09:51.324
The grave would not
consume His Church.
09:51.390 --> 09:54.727
There would always be
someone, somewhere who was
09:54.794 --> 09:57.096
a living, breathing and
faithful disciple of
09:57.163 --> 10:00.366
Christ, all the way
up to His return.
10:00.433 --> 10:03.869
Notice further,
in Matthew 28:18,
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“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
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Go therefore and make
disciples of all
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the nations...
10:11.677 --> 10:13.879
teaching them to observe
all things that I have
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commanded you; and lo, I
am with you always, even
10:17.316 --> 10:19.719
to the end of the age.”
10:19.785 --> 10:22.488
Will Christ’s Church die out?
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No way.
10:23.990 --> 10:27.193
What this passage tells
us, again, is that Jesus
10:27.259 --> 10:30.596
Christ will be personally
involved in directing His
10:30.663 --> 10:33.766
Church, right up
until His return.
10:33.833 --> 10:36.669
Notice one more passage
that shows this, in
10:36.736 --> 10:38.838
Matthew 24:14...
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“And this gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in
10:41.974 --> 10:44.977
all the world as a witness to all the nations,
10:45.044 --> 10:47.713
and then the
end will come.”
10:47.780 --> 10:49.749
Christ’s church will not die.
10:49.815 --> 10:51.984
We don’t have to be
concerned about that.
10:52.051 --> 10:54.387
But there is something
that we should be
10:54.453 --> 10:55.721
concerned about.
10:55.788 --> 10:58.524
You see, Bible prophecy
predicts not just the
10:58.591 --> 11:01.027
presence of one church
that calls itself
11:01.093 --> 11:04.263
Christian, but two,
in the end-times.
11:04.330 --> 11:06.365
Now, you might say,
“that’s no big deal, there
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are hundreds and even
thousands of Christian
11:08.701 --> 11:09.869
denominations.”
11:09.935 --> 11:11.537
And that’s true.
11:11.604 --> 11:14.040
In fact, according to the
International Bulletin of
11:14.106 --> 11:19.745
Missionary Research, as
of 2014 there were 45,000
11:19.812 --> 11:22.748
denominations that
identify as Christian
11:22.815 --> 11:24.583
around the world.
11:24.650 --> 11:27.286
But when the Bible
describes the church, it
11:27.353 --> 11:29.922
doesn’t list
45,000 groups.
11:29.989 --> 11:32.591
It lists two.
11:32.658 --> 11:34.527
It breaks down all the
different churches that
11:34.593 --> 11:37.997
have multiplied through
the centuries into two
11:38.064 --> 11:39.365
groups.
11:39.432 --> 11:42.268
And the future of those
two groups is foretold in
11:42.334 --> 11:44.036
the Book of Revelation.
11:44.103 --> 11:47.573
The Book of Revelation
is full of symbols.
11:47.640 --> 11:51.510
Floods represent armies
and horns represent kings
11:51.577 --> 11:53.079
or kingdoms.
11:53.145 --> 11:56.649
And the Book of Revelation
uses women to represent
11:56.715 --> 11:57.883
churches.
11:57.950 --> 12:01.053
What we find is there
are two distinct women
12:01.120 --> 12:02.988
identified in the book.
12:03.055 --> 12:04.690
Let’s look at one of them.
12:04.757 --> 12:09.728
We find a description of
her in Revelation 17:1...
12:09.795 --> 12:12.031
“Then one of the seven
angels who had the seven
12:12.098 --> 12:15.634
bowls came and talked with
me, saying to me ‘Come, I
12:15.701 --> 12:18.170
will show you the judgment
of the great harlot who
12:18.237 --> 12:21.273
sits on many waters, with
whom the kings of the
12:21.340 --> 12:23.709
earth committed
fornication, and the
12:23.776 --> 12:25.945
inhabitants of the earth
were made drunk with the
12:26.011 --> 12:29.482
wine of her fornication.’
So he carried me away in
12:29.548 --> 12:31.851
the spirit into
the wilderness.
12:31.917 --> 12:35.254
And I saw a woman sitting
on a scarlet beast which
12:35.321 --> 12:38.557
was full of names of
blasphemy, having seven
12:38.624 --> 12:41.293
heads and ten horns.”
12:41.360 --> 12:44.597
This is one of the women identified in Revelation.
12:44.663 --> 12:47.666
But it’s a harlot woman,
committing fornication,
12:47.733 --> 12:51.337
making inhabitants of the
earth drunk with spiritual
12:51.403 --> 12:52.471
error.
12:52.538 --> 12:54.540
And she is riding
on a beast.
12:54.607 --> 12:57.409
In other words, she is
a politically powerful
12:57.476 --> 13:00.212
church, directing the
actions of a corrupt
13:00.279 --> 13:02.047
government or kingdom.
13:02.114 --> 13:04.383
Going on in verse 4:
13:04.450 --> 13:08.087
“The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and
13:08.154 --> 13:09.388
adorned with gold and
13:09.455 --> 13:12.291
precious stones and
pearls, having in her hand
13:12.358 --> 13:15.194
a golden cup full of
abominations and the
13:15.261 --> 13:17.163
filthiness of
her fornication.
13:17.229 --> 13:20.666
And on her forehead a
name was written: MYSTERY,
13:20.733 --> 13:23.736
BABYLON THE GREAT, THE
MOTHER OF HARLOTS and of
13:23.802 --> 13:25.871
the abominations
of the earth.
13:25.938 --> 13:28.307
I saw the woman, drunk
with the blood of the
13:28.374 --> 13:30.676
saints, and with the
blood of the martyrs of
13:30.743 --> 13:32.378
Jesus....”
13:32.444 --> 13:35.314
John describes this
woman, or church, as being
13:35.381 --> 13:37.216
fabulously rich.
13:37.283 --> 13:39.351
She also has
harlot daughters...
13:39.418 --> 13:41.820
other churches that
essentially teach the same
13:41.887 --> 13:44.690
thing, but have
spun off from her.
13:44.757 --> 13:47.893
He also notes she is also
responsible for putting to
13:47.960 --> 13:51.864
death true and faithful
followers of Christ.
13:51.931 --> 13:54.366
The Book of Revelation
shows this church will
13:54.433 --> 13:57.770
exercise great power for
a period of time, but then
13:57.836 --> 14:00.172
its demise will be sudden.
14:00.239 --> 14:02.274
Notice verse 15...
14:02.341 --> 14:05.411
“Then he said to me,
‘The waters which you saw,
14:05.477 --> 14:07.346
where the harlot sits,
are peoples,
14:07.413 --> 14:09.715
multitudes, nations,
and tongues.
14:09.782 --> 14:12.451
And the ten horns which
you saw on the beast,
14:12.518 --> 14:15.221
these will hate the
harlot, make her desolate
14:15.287 --> 14:19.124
and naked, eat her flesh
and burn her with fire.
14:19.191 --> 14:21.727
For God has put it into
their hearts to fulfill
14:21.794 --> 14:25.030
His purpose, to be of one
mind, and to give their
14:25.097 --> 14:27.933
kingdom to the beast,
until the words of God are
14:28.000 --> 14:29.068
fulfilled.
14:29.134 --> 14:32.538
And the woman whom you saw
is that great city which
14:32.605 --> 14:35.107
reigns over the kings of
the earth.”
14:35.174 --> 14:38.510
This powerful church--symbolically a woman--will
14:38.577 --> 14:42.248
in the end be devoured by the
beast power she rode.
14:42.314 --> 14:45.718
And we're warned to not
be a part of this system.
14:45.784 --> 14:49.121
Notice this in
Revelation 18:4,
14:49.188 --> 14:52.291
“And I heard another voice from heaven saying,
14:52.358 --> 14:54.660
‘Come out of her, my people,
14:54.727 --> 14:56.795
lest you share
in her sins, and lest you
14:56.862 --> 14:58.430
receive of her plagues.
14:58.497 --> 15:01.567
For her sins have reached
to heaven, and God has
15:01.634 --> 15:04.169
remembered her
iniquities.”
15:04.236 --> 15:06.105
So, should we be
worried about
15:06.171 --> 15:08.641
declining church
attendance today?
15:08.707 --> 15:11.710
Well, there is a much
more urgent concern.
15:11.777 --> 15:14.780
That is, that we don’t
fall prey to a false
15:14.847 --> 15:18.317
church that is not
Christ’s church at all, no
15:18.384 --> 15:21.186
matter how good it
looks on the outside.
15:21.253 --> 15:24.189
Notice more detail about
this woman, this church,
15:24.256 --> 15:27.526
in Revelation 13:11,
15:27.593 --> 15:30.929
“Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth,
15:30.996 --> 15:32.264
and he had two horns like a
15:32.331 --> 15:35.301
lamb and spoke like a
dragon.”
15:35.367 --> 15:37.569
What do the two horns symbolize?
15:37.636 --> 15:39.905
Well, Jesus is
identified as the Lamb.
15:39.972 --> 15:42.975
So, this leader will
appear to be like Christ,
15:43.042 --> 15:44.977
that he’s a man of
God--a Christian.
15:45.044 --> 15:48.480
But clearly, there’s
something amiss, for he
15:48.547 --> 15:50.015
speaks like a dragon.
15:50.082 --> 15:52.251
Well who's the dragon?
15:52.318 --> 15:53.886
That's Satan the devil.
15:53.952 --> 15:57.323
So this leader is speaking
not the words of Christ,
15:57.389 --> 15:59.692
but the words
of the devil.
15:59.758 --> 16:01.627
And he will deceive
millions, and perhaps
16:01.694 --> 16:03.862
billions of people.
16:03.929 --> 16:05.564
Notice verse 13,
16:05.631 --> 16:07.733
“He performs great signs, so
16:07.800 --> 16:10.569
that he even makes fire
come down from heaven on
16:10.636 --> 16:12.738
the earth in the
sight of men.
16:12.805 --> 16:14.773
And he deceives those
who dwell on the earth by
16:14.840 --> 16:17.876
those signs which he was
granted to do in the sight
16:17.943 --> 16:19.345
of the beast....”
16:19.411 --> 16:21.413
So, what do we see here?
16:21.480 --> 16:24.917
Bible prophecy shows a
great religious revival in
16:24.983 --> 16:25.918
the future.
16:25.984 --> 16:26.985
But don’t be fooled.
16:27.052 --> 16:28.554
It will be a counterfeit.
16:28.620 --> 16:31.457
And it will deceive great
masses of people into
16:31.523 --> 16:33.759
thinking they're
following Christ.
16:33.826 --> 16:36.995
So how can you be sure
you’ll not be deceived by
16:37.062 --> 16:38.697
this corrupt woman?
16:38.764 --> 16:41.266
Well, that’s why we are
offering the free study
16:41.333 --> 16:44.436
guide, “Restoring Original
Christianity.”
16:44.503 --> 16:46.772
It’s written by Dr. Roderick C. Meredith.
16:46.839 --> 16:49.441
And in this booklet, Dr.
Meredith explains,
16:49.508 --> 16:53.846
“The key issue, then, is
our desire and willingness
16:53.912 --> 16:56.582
to get back to the true
Christian faith, ‘the
16:56.648 --> 16:59.351
faith which was once
for all delivered to the
16:59.418 --> 17:01.553
saints' (Jude 3).
17:01.620 --> 17:04.189
Are you willing to
genuinely try to follow
17:04.256 --> 17:06.191
the Christianity
of Christ?
17:06.258 --> 17:09.128
Or are you willing to
‘take a chance’ in your
17:09.194 --> 17:12.564
relationship with God and
in your quest for eternal
17:12.631 --> 17:13.799
life?”
17:13.866 --> 17:15.901
Those are hard-hitting
questions.
17:15.968 --> 17:19.104
And they become even more
urgent, as we see in the
17:19.171 --> 17:22.975
future a powerful,
influential and deceptive
17:23.041 --> 17:26.211
religious revival take
the world by storm.
17:26.278 --> 17:27.446
You need this booklet,
17:27.513 --> 17:30.249
“Restoring Original Christianity.”
17:30.315 --> 17:33.552
Order online, call,
or write today.
17:34.353 --> 17:36.288
This clear and
straight-forward resource
17:36.355 --> 17:39.057
will help you understand
this vital truth--
17:39.124 --> 17:42.161
straight from the
pages of the Bible.
17:42.227 --> 17:42.961
Call now!
17:43.028 --> 17:48.567
Or go to...
17:49.268 --> 17:51.236
In the first segment of
today’s program, we saw
17:51.303 --> 17:54.339
the state of declining
churches today.
17:54.406 --> 17:57.376
In the second segment, we
saw that Bible prophecy
17:57.443 --> 18:01.280
predicts two women, two
churches, to be around at
18:01.346 --> 18:03.315
the time of
Christ’s return.
18:03.382 --> 18:06.385
The first is a harlot
woman, representing a
18:06.452 --> 18:10.022
rich, politically active
and corrupt church.
18:10.088 --> 18:12.624
But what's the identity
of the other woman?
18:12.691 --> 18:16.395
She is identified as the
faithful and obedient
18:16.462 --> 18:18.897
church following Christ.
18:18.964 --> 18:22.067
Revelation 12:1 speaks
of her:
18:22.134 --> 18:24.636
“Now a great sign appeared
in heaven: a
18:24.703 --> 18:25.904
woman clothed with the
18:25.971 --> 18:29.041
sun, with the moon under
her feet, and on her head
18:29.107 --> 18:31.176
a garland of twelve stars.
18:31.243 --> 18:34.680
Then being with child, she
cried out in labor and in
18:34.746 --> 18:36.648
pain to give birth.”
18:36.715 --> 18:38.584
In other words, this is
talking about the
18:38.650 --> 18:40.886
Old Testament congregation.
18:40.953 --> 18:43.922
The faithful men and women
during that period, who
18:43.989 --> 18:47.893
were God’s people, from
the time of Adam, and Noah,
18:47.960 --> 18:49.728
and Abraham and Moses.
18:49.795 --> 18:52.764
It grew into a nation, and
from that nation came
18:52.831 --> 18:53.932
the Messiah.
18:53.999 --> 18:56.301
He was born as a baby, and
grew, and eventually gave
18:56.368 --> 18:59.271
His life for the
sins of the world.
18:59.338 --> 19:02.975
Going on in Revelation 12:5,
19:03.041 --> 19:06.111
“She bore a male child who was to rule all nations
19:06.178 --> 19:08.247
with a rod of iron”.
19:08.313 --> 19:10.682
That’s speaking
of Jesus Christ.
19:10.749 --> 19:13.552
His destiny is to rule all
nations on earth, when He
19:13.619 --> 19:14.620
returns.
19:14.686 --> 19:16.622
Going on in verse 5...
19:16.688 --> 19:19.892
“And her Child was caught
up to God and His throne.
19:19.958 --> 19:22.961
Then the woman fled into
the wilderness, where she
19:23.028 --> 19:26.265
has a place prepared by
God, that they should feed
19:26.331 --> 19:30.369
her there one thousand two
hundred and sixty days.”
19:30.435 --> 19:32.704
Now it speaks of
the woman again.
19:32.771 --> 19:34.873
And it’s talking about
what happened to Christ’s
19:34.940 --> 19:38.544
faithful followers within
a few hundred years after
19:38.610 --> 19:40.045
the first century.
19:40.112 --> 19:42.581
You see, early in church
history, there arose a
19:42.648 --> 19:45.484
branch of the church
that was not faithful to
19:45.551 --> 19:46.852
Christ’s teachings.
19:46.919 --> 19:49.721
And that branch grew so
powerful it eventually
19:49.788 --> 19:52.591
outnumbered the true
followers of Christ.
19:52.658 --> 19:55.460
In the booklet, Dr.
Meredith explains this.
19:55.527 --> 19:58.397
He quotes from
Professor Rufus M. Jones,
19:58.463 --> 20:01.333
in The Church’s
Debt to Heretics.
20:01.400 --> 20:03.602
Mr. Jones states:
20:03.669 --> 20:06.238
“If by any chance Christ Himself
20:06.305 --> 20:08.974
had been taken by His
later followers as the
20:09.041 --> 20:11.910
model and pattern of the
new way, and a serious
20:11.977 --> 20:13.912
attempt had been made
to set up His life and
20:13.979 --> 20:17.049
teaching as the standard
and norm for the Church,
20:17.115 --> 20:19.651
Christianity would have
been something vastly
20:19.718 --> 20:21.720
different from
what it became.
20:21.787 --> 20:25.257
Then ‘heresy’ would have
been, as it is not now,
20:25.324 --> 20:29.328
deviation from His way,
His teaching, His spirit,
20:29.394 --> 20:30.529
His kingdom...
20:30.596 --> 20:33.932
What we may properly call ‘Galilean Christianity’
20:33.999 --> 20:36.234
had a short
life, though there have
20:36.301 --> 20:38.737
been notable attempts to
revive it and make it live
20:38.804 --> 20:41.340
again, and here and there
spiritual prophets have
20:41.406 --> 20:44.242
insisted that anything
else than this simple
20:44.309 --> 20:47.846
Galilean religion is
‘heresy’; but the main
20:47.913 --> 20:50.749
line of historic
development has taken a
20:50.816 --> 20:53.418
different course and has
marked the emphasis very
20:53.485 --> 20:54.786
differently”.
20:54.853 --> 20:57.422
What we find is Christ’s
true followers had to flee
20:57.489 --> 21:00.959
into hiding during those
intervening centuries, to
21:01.026 --> 21:02.361
escape persecution.
21:02.427 --> 21:05.530
And that’s what’s represented
in Revelation 12 by the
21:05.597 --> 21:10.435
1,260 days--symbolic
for 1,260 years--
21:10.502 --> 21:12.037
in the wilderness.
21:12.104 --> 21:14.339
Fast forward to the time
of the end, in
21:14.406 --> 21:16.475
Revelation 12:7.
21:16.541 --> 21:19.211
“And war broke out in
heaven: Michael and his
21:19.277 --> 21:21.613
angels fought with the
dragon; and the dragon and
21:21.680 --> 21:25.117
his angels fought, but
they did not prevail, nor
21:25.183 --> 21:28.754
was a place found for
them in heaven any longer.
21:28.820 --> 21:31.490
So the great dragon was
cast out, that serpent of
21:31.556 --> 21:34.926
old, called the Devil and
Satan, who deceives the
21:34.993 --> 21:38.397
whole world; he was cast
to the earth, and his
21:38.463 --> 21:40.932
angels were cast out
with him."
21:40.999 --> 21:42.034
Notice this.
21:42.100 --> 21:44.736
Satan has deceived the whole world.
21:44.803 --> 21:46.505
This is critical
to understand.
21:46.571 --> 21:49.374
Not only will there be
great, massive deception
21:49.441 --> 21:51.877
by a false church
in the last days.
21:51.943 --> 21:54.379
But when you come to
understand it, the bulk of
21:54.446 --> 21:57.582
nominal Christianity has
been operating under a
21:57.649 --> 22:00.018
great deception
for centuries.
22:00.085 --> 22:02.187
Most people who call
themselves Christians
22:02.254 --> 22:05.290
simply follow traditions
of men, not the
22:05.357 --> 22:07.225
Christianity of the Bible.
22:07.292 --> 22:11.096
So, what about those who
really do follow Christ?
22:11.163 --> 22:14.866
The Bible shows God offers
them protection, on earth,
22:14.933 --> 22:16.735
through the Great
Tribulation.
22:16.802 --> 22:20.405
Notice in
Revelation 12:13.
22:20.472 --> 22:22.841
“Now when the dragon saw
that he had been cast to
22:22.908 --> 22:25.444
the earth, he persecuted
the woman who gave birth
22:25.510 --> 22:26.978
to the male Child.
22:27.045 --> 22:29.147
But the woman was given
two wings of a great
22:29.214 --> 22:32.084
eagle, that she might fly
into the wilderness to her
22:32.150 --> 22:35.187
place, where she is
nourished for a time and
22:35.253 --> 22:38.090
times and half a time,
from the presence of
22:38.156 --> 22:39.424
the serpent.”
22:39.491 --> 22:43.061
Some people think this refers to the church being raptured.
22:43.128 --> 22:46.331
No, it’s simply taken
into a wilderness.
22:46.398 --> 22:48.667
Heaven is not
a wilderness.
22:48.734 --> 22:51.136
The children of Israel
came out of Egypt
22:51.203 --> 22:54.439
symbolically on eagles’
wings--that's mentioned in
22:54.506 --> 22:56.408
Exodus 19:4.
22:56.475 --> 22:58.310
But we know they
just walked.
22:58.376 --> 22:59.978
Well, it’s the same
concept here.
23:00.045 --> 23:02.881
Going on, in verse 15.
23:02.948 --> 23:05.350
“So the serpent spewed
water out of his mouth
23:05.417 --> 23:08.220
like a flood after the
woman, that he might cause
23:08.286 --> 23:10.555
her to be carried
away by the flood.
23:10.622 --> 23:12.991
But the earth helped
the woman, and the earth
23:13.058 --> 23:15.193
opened its mouth and
swallowed up the flood
23:15.260 --> 23:18.029
which the dragon had
spewed out of his mouth.
23:18.096 --> 23:21.166
And the dragon was enraged
with the woman, and he
23:21.233 --> 23:24.169
went to make war with the
rest of her offspring, who
23:24.236 --> 23:27.439
keep the commandments of
God and have the testimony
23:27.506 --> 23:29.241
of Jesus Christ.”
23:29.307 --> 23:31.376
Notice this--the indication is
23:31.443 --> 23:33.512
that those who are
faithful and protected
23:33.578 --> 23:36.915
will also have been people
who had the testimony of
23:36.982 --> 23:40.552
Christ and were keeping
the commandments of God.
23:40.619 --> 23:42.888
That’s not the Jews,
that’s God’s
23:42.954 --> 23:44.923
genuine church.
23:44.990 --> 23:48.160
For you and me, if we're
really followers of
23:48.226 --> 23:51.596
Christ; if we obey His
commandments--all ten of
23:51.663 --> 23:54.132
them--and are covered
with the blood of His
23:54.199 --> 23:57.502
sacrifice, and are led by
His Holy Spirit, He says
23:57.569 --> 24:01.006
He will watch out for us
in the coming dark days.
24:01.072 --> 24:04.709
So, is the church
going to die out?
24:04.776 --> 24:07.312
Well, Christ’s church
will never die.
24:07.379 --> 24:10.282
By the same token, there
are sobering warnings
24:10.348 --> 24:14.653
about not being taken in
by a persuasive but false
24:14.719 --> 24:18.023
version of Christianity in
the future, and frankly,
24:18.089 --> 24:20.292
right now as well.
24:20.358 --> 24:23.128
And that’s why we’re
offering our free study guide,
24:23.195 --> 24:25.797
“Restoring Original Christianity.”
24:25.864 --> 24:30.035
It step-by-step explains
what real Christianity is.
24:30.101 --> 24:32.838
It explains how “Paul
looked to Jerusalem” for
24:32.904 --> 24:35.774
guidance on matters of
doctrine and practice.
24:35.841 --> 24:39.811
It asks and answers, “What
Did Christ Do on Earth?”
24:39.878 --> 24:42.380
Surely, if we're Christ’s
disciples, we’d want to
24:42.447 --> 24:43.782
know how He lived.
24:43.849 --> 24:46.518
It asks, “What Did
the Apostles Teach?”
24:46.585 --> 24:48.887
And “What Was
First-Century Christianity
24:48.954 --> 24:50.155
Like?”
24:50.222 --> 24:52.524
Be prepared for
some surprises.
24:52.591 --> 24:55.093
You may read things
you’ve never seen before.
24:55.160 --> 24:57.629
You need this information.
24:57.696 --> 25:00.198
Especially as we see our
world heading toward the
25:00.265 --> 25:04.269
climax of this age, the
return of Jesus Christ.
25:04.336 --> 25:06.838
So, don’t forget, order
now--call, click or
25:06.905 --> 25:08.073
write today.
25:09.074 --> 25:15.780
For today’s free
offer call...
25:15.847 --> 25:21.119
Or go to...
25:21.186 --> 25:23.788
This clear and
straight-forward resource
25:23.855 --> 25:26.691
will help you understand
this vital truth--
25:26.758 --> 25:30.028
straight from the
pages of the Bible.
25:30.095 --> 25:32.197
If you’re calling for the
first time, you will also
25:32.264 --> 25:35.033
receive a free annual
subscription to Tomorrow's
25:35.100 --> 25:36.735
World magazine.
25:36.801 --> 25:40.138
Ten inspiring issues
discussing news, science,
25:40.205 --> 25:42.774
and modern culture will
help you make sense of
25:42.841 --> 25:46.778
your world from a
biblical perspective.
25:46.845 --> 25:49.614
Call today and join
millions around the world
25:49.681 --> 25:52.117
who are turning to
Tomorrow’s World for
25:52.183 --> 25:58.156
truth, prophecy, and hope
in these confusing times.
25:58.223 --> 25:59.157
Call now!
25:59.224 --> 26:08.099
Or go to...
26:08.900 --> 26:12.737
God’s church and Christ’s
church will never die out.
26:12.804 --> 26:15.440
Those faithful and
obedient and repentant
26:15.507 --> 26:18.777
Christians who follow the
Lamb will be rewarded with
26:18.843 --> 26:22.414
a destiny in His Kingdom
that we can only begin to
26:22.480 --> 26:23.415
fathom.
26:23.481 --> 26:27.319
Notice in Revelation 19:7.
26:27.385 --> 26:29.988
“Let us be glad and
rejoice and give Him
26:30.055 --> 26:33.091
glory, for the marriage of
the Lamb has come, and his
26:33.158 --> 26:35.360
wife has made
herself ready.
26:35.427 --> 26:38.029
And to her it was granted
to be arrayed in fine
26:38.096 --> 26:41.366
linen, clean and bright,
for the fine linen is the
26:41.433 --> 26:43.735
righteous acts
of the saints.
26:43.802 --> 26:46.237
Then he said to me,
“Write: ‘Blessed are those
26:46.304 --> 26:48.573
who are called to the
marriage supper of the
26:48.640 --> 26:49.741
Lamb!’"
26:49.808 --> 26:52.444
The faithful woman, the
church--those who have
26:52.510 --> 26:55.146
given their loyalty
and their allegiance to
26:55.213 --> 26:58.717
Christ--will actually be
granted immortality at His
26:58.783 --> 26:59.851
coming.
26:59.918 --> 27:03.355
What a fantastic destiny
for those who have eyes to
27:03.421 --> 27:06.091
see and ears to hear.
27:06.157 --> 27:09.361
Let’s all make
sure we are part of that
27:09.427 --> 27:12.464
faithful and forgiven
Church that will marry
27:12.530 --> 27:15.667
Christ at His return.
27:15.734 --> 27:17.402
Thank you for watching--
and don’t forget to
27:17.469 --> 27:19.437
order your free study guide,
27:19.504 --> 27:22.140
“Restoring Original Christianity.”
27:22.207 --> 27:25.243
And keep watching for more Tomorrow’s World episodes.
27:25.310 --> 27:28.646
As Gerald Weston, Richard
Ames, Wallace Smith and I
27:28.713 --> 27:31.950
explain the Good News of
Tomorrow’s World, and the
27:32.017 --> 27:35.620
comfort and hope it can
bring to you, your family,
27:35.687 --> 27:37.355
and all humanity.
27:37.422 --> 27:38.223
See you next time.
27:38.823 --> 27:45.530
For today’s free
offer call...
27:45.597 --> 27:50.668
Or go to...
27:50.735 --> 27:52.971
Call today and join
millions around the world
27:53.038 --> 27:55.540
who are turning to
Tomorrow’s World for
27:55.607 --> 28:01.846
truth, prophecy, and hope
in these confusing times.
28:01.913 --> 28:02.981
The preceding program is
28:03.048 --> 28:08.987
produced by the
Living Church of God.
28:09.654 --> 28:11.823
Do you have the feeling
our world is going in the
28:11.890 --> 28:16.194
wrong direction-a
very bad direction?
28:16.261 --> 28:19.631
Where can you turn to make
sense of a world that is
28:19.697 --> 28:21.266
spinning out of control?
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Visit TWMagazine.org
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