General Conference

Multimedia Department

A moment of prayer

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WHY ARE THERE SO MANY RELIGIONS?

• Each group claims to possess the truth
• The majority base their teachings on the Bible and believe in Jesus Christ!
• Are all these God's church?
• Does He have a special people? If so, how can God's church be identified?

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SYMBOLS REPRESENTING THE CHURCH

What is the true church compared to, in both �the Old and the �New Testament?

“Now will I sing to my wellbeloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My wellbeloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill:

And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes. For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and he looked for judgment, but behold oppression; �for righteousness, but behold a cry.

Isaiah 5:1, 2, 7

“Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country”

Matthew 21:33

The vine:

• Christ is the root and �the stock of that vine.
• We are the branches.

The wall:

• Is to establish a border between the land of the Lord and the rest.
• Protects the church as long as it does God‘s will.

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• The wall symbolizes God's law

Throughout the Bible the church is compared to a woman, �(2ª Corinthians 11:2).

According to the Song of Solomon, how many churches does the Lord acknowledge as His?

Song of Songs 6:8, 9

There are threescore queens, and fourscore concubines, and virgins without number.

My dove, my undefiled is but one; she is the only one of her mother, she is the choice one of her that bare her. The daughters saw her, and blessed her; yea, the queens and the concubines, �and they praised her.

“Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee.”

Song of Songs 4:7

What does prophecy say about the women (churches) of our times?

“And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach.”

Isaiah 4:1

• Seven women: all of them are churches�(7 represents plentitude).
• They all take hold of one man: all churches speak of Christ.
• They eat their own bread: they all have their own doctrines, instead of the word of God.
• They wear their own apparel: self-justification instead of the garment of Christ's righteousness
• They are satisfied to be called by His name: Christians. (Ezekiel 33:31)

GOD'S CHURCH IN REVELATION 12

What did the woman described in Revelation 12:1 look like, and what did she represent?

“And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars.”

Revelation 12:1

• The woman symbolized the true church.
• She was clothed with the sun. �The sun represents Christ, the Sun of Righteousness. (Malachi 4:2).
• The moon under her feet: This is a symbol of the Old Testament, the foundation of the Christian church. Just as the moon receives its light from the sun, the Old Testament received its light from Christ.
• The 12 stars: represented the 12 apostles.

The church was promised a seed, a Savior (Genesis 3:15)

Who does the child represent?

“And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.

And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.”

Revelation12:2, 5

There was another sign: �A dragon. �Who does it represent?

“And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.

And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.”

Revelation 12:3, 4

“And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.”

Revelation 12:9

Where did the woman, �the church, flee as a �result of persecution?

“And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.

And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.

And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.”

Revelation 12:6, 13-14

• During the Middle Ages, the believers had to flee because of the persecution of the papacy and they hid in remote, solitary places.
• The wings symbolized the speed with which the church had to flee.

Catacombs

How long was the persecuting power against the faithful last?

“And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.

And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.”

Revelation 12:6, 14

538

PAPAL SUPREMACY

1798

1260 DAYS or YEARS

How else were persecutions described, and how was the church helped?

“And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.

And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.”

Revelation 12:15-16

• Water symbolizes multitudes of people (Rev. 17:15, which were sent to persecute the faithful.
• The earth helped the woman: during the 16th century Reformation, various European governments protected the lives of the people who were being persecuted. The discovery of America was a great help, since many left Europe and found shelter and freedom there.

At the end of the prophecy we see the woman again; this represents the people of God at the end of time.

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What characteristics will mark the true church?

“And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.”

Revelation 12:17

• It was to be a persecuted church. �"The dragon...went to make war with..."
• It would be a remnant, a few people.
• They would keep God‘s Commandments.
• They would have the testimony of Jesus, the spirit of prophecy.

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What other type of woman does the book of Revelation describe?

“And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.

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, having seven heads and ten horns.”

Revelation 17:1-3

“And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:

And upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon The Great, The Mother Of Harlots And Abominations Of The Earth.

And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered �with great admiration.”

Revelation 17:4-6

ROME

The city of the 7 hills

A �PURE CHURCH

How can the doctrine of the church, whose head is Christ be described?

“For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.

That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,

That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.”

Ephesians 5:23, 26, 27

What should the church of God be like?

“But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.”

1 Timothy 3:15

The church of Christ is the pillar �of the truth

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What is the truth?

• Christ is the truth. (John 14: 6).
• His word is the truth. (John 17:17).
• His law is the truth. (Psalm 119:142).

CONCLUSION

What call does God still address to the faithful in Babylon, all those who are in the �wrong religious system?

“And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.”

Revelation 18:4

Thank you, Lord, for showing me your people �on earth!

Our next issue: �"666 AND THE USA IN PROFECY"

Many have made conjectures about the number 666.

The revelation of the book of Revelation is unequivocal.

What is it about?

We will see it in the next one lesson...

¡DIOS TE BENDIGA!

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