Session 7 - The Key to Understanding Revelation

Steps to Life

Prophecy Seminar

Session 7: The Key to Understanding Revelation

Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6). Again He says: "This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent" (John 17:3). It is life eternal to know Christ. Now this does not mean a mere acknowledgment of His existence, but a personal acquaintance with Him as one gets acquainted with a friend.

It is life eternal to become acquainted with the Lord Jesus Christ, and the book that reveals Christ’s activities today is the book of Revelation—it is "the Revelation of Jesus Christ." That is why it is one of the most important books of the Bible for the latter day. In fact, it is the only book of the Bible that the Lord began by pronouncing a special blessing upon those who read it:

Revelation 1:1-3 "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, . . . Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it."

There are some who believe that the book of Revelation cannot be understood and that its meaning is hidden, but the very name of the book defies that false claim. It is the "Revelation," which means that it reveals something, and that something is Jesus Christ and what He is doing today.

The Book of Revelation Reveals What Jesus Is Doing Today

What is Jesus doing in heaven today? There are some who have a quick and simplistic answer for that question—He is watching us and answering our prayers. But His work involves more than that, as the book of Revelation reveals. Jesus’ work in heaven is just as real, just as important, and just as involved as was His work on earth, and it is life eternal to become acquainted with Him and His work. That’s why the book of Revelation was written. Jesus is carrying on a work today, not just 1900 years ago. He still has a message, He still has organization, there are still the powers of evil working against the Lord, and it is all revealed in the book of Revelation.

In the next few lessons we are going to be looking at some important messages that God has put in this book for us. Today there is a great controversy going on between the powers of good and the powers of evil. If you want to understand what Jesus is doing today, you must understand something about the issues that God is dealing with. We will be studying these issues. We will be looking at such things as "The Mark of the Beast," and the "The Mark (or Seal) of God." Who is the Beast and what is the mark? And what is God’s response to the Beast power and to those who receive his mark?

Finding the Key to Unlock Revelation’s Mysteries

Before studying these important issues that will help to determine our eternal salvation, it is important that we learn how to interpret Revelation, for God has written Revelation in symbolic language. It is written in code form. How can we find the meaning of the code? We have already learned one of the two important principles for understanding Revelation, and that is to begin with the book of Daniel, for it explains many of the symbols. But there is another important key we need to further unlock its mysteries. Tonight I would like to give you that key so that you will be able to understand the mysteries of Revelation better than you ever thought possible. Look with me at the following texts and see if you can find a recurring theme running through each of these verses.

Revelation 1:13 "And in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band."

Revelation 8:3 "Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. And he was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne."

Revelation 11:19 "Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail."

Did you find the recurring theme? Did you notice that it continually pictures Christ and His angels amid certain articles of furniture—lampstands, altar of incense, golden censers, ark of the covenant, etc. These were all common pieces of furniture for the apostle John, as well as for the other disciples, for they were all articles of furniture located in the sanctuary. Jesus is pictured as working in the sanctuary. In fact, the whole book of Revelation was given to John from the sanctuary and involves Christ’s work in the sanctuary. "But," someone may wonder, "how could Jesus be in the sanctuary? For hadn’t Jesus gone to heaven, while the sanctuary was left on earth?" The answer to this is found in the following verses:

Hebrews 8:1 "Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, 2 a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man. 3 For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices. Therefore it is necessary that this One also have something to offer. 4 For if He were on earth, He would not be a priest, since there are priests who offer the gifts according to the law; 5 who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, ‘See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.’ "

Hebrews 9:24 "For Christ has not entered the holy places made with (human) hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us."

The sanctuary Moses built in the wilderness was merely a "copy," "shadow," "pattern," "type," or "example" of the real, or "true tabernacle" (or sanctuary, or temple) which is in heaven. The real sanctuary (temple, or tabernacle) is where God’s throne is in heaven. This is a real place and there is real activity carried on there. This is the mission-control center for the universe. This is where decisions are made, prayers are answered, sins are forgiven and judgment is made. God wanted mankind to understand the work of redemption carried on there in the heavenly sanctuary where His throne is so He had Moses build a model of it here on earth. Thus mankind could visualize God’s dwelling place and understand His work more fully. When God commanded Moses to build the sanctuary, He made it very clear that this was a type of His dwelling place and the center of His work.

Exodus 25:8 "And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them. . . . 40 And see to it that you make them according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain."

Psalm 77:13 "Your way, O God, is in the sanctuary; Who is so great a God as our God?"

God’s way is understood in the sanctuary. The only pattern God has given of the sanctuary in heaven is the one He gave to Moses. So, if we are going to understand God’s work in heaven today, if we are going to understand the work of God in the heavenly sanctuary, we must understand the pattern of the sanctuary which He gave to us through Moses. The whole book of Hebrews and the whole book of Revelation are based upon the teachings of the sanctuary. An understanding of the sanctuary (in addition to understanding Daniel) is the key to understanding Revelation. So let us see if we can gain an understanding of the sanctuary and its services in this lesson.

The First-Covenant Sanctuary

To begin with, the earthly sanctuary and everything connected with it was called the first covenant, or the old covenant.

Hebrews 9:1 "Then indeed, even the first covenant had ordinances of divine service and the earthly sanctuary. 2 For a tabernacle was prepared: the first part, in which was the lampstand, the table, and the showbread, which is called the sanctuary; 3 and behind the second veil, the part of the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of All, 4 which had the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant overlaid on all sides with gold, in which were the golden pot that had the manna, Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant (the Ten Commandments); 5 and above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat."

This old covenant was to teach us about the everlasting covenant, or the true and real covenant, of salvation. No one could be saved under the old covenant. It was merely to illustrate the real covenant. Even the people that lived in Old Testament times were to be pointed forward to Calvary and saved through faith in the blood of Christ. In my wallet I carry a picture of my wife. I might show you the picture and say, "This is my wife." But don’t be fooled, that is only a figure of speech; it isn’t really my wife. It is only a picture. That picture can’t comfort me or help me or talk to me or eat dinner with me. So it was with the covenant of the earthly sanctuary no one could find salvation in it, it was only a picture of the real covenant of salvation. The people offered bulls and goats and sheep as sin-offerings, but those animals could not forgive sins—they merely pointed forward to Christ.

Hebrews 10:4 "For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins. . . . 10 [But] we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all."

The old covenant, called "the law of Moses" or at times simply "the law," was to be a "tutor" ("schoolmaster"—KJV) to teach us how to be saved; but the law itself could not save.

Galatians 3:24 "Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ."

Today we are saved through the work (or ministry) of Christ in the heavenly sanctuary, but to understand His work in the sanctuary above, as revealed in Revelation, it is necessary first of all to understand the model He has given to us in the sanctuary below.

Jesus asked the rhetorical question, How can we believe in Him if we do not believe in Moses?

John 5:46 "For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. 47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?"

All the law and ceremonies of Moses were about Christ and were given to teach us about the work of His ministry. As Jesus implied, "If you do not understand what Moses wrote, how are you going to understand My work?"

The Sanctuary Structure

Let us get a brief view of the structure of the sanctuary that will help us to understand more fully the ministry of Christ in Revelation. Let us begin with the outside. Around the sanctuary was a curtained fence. Within this solid eight-foot fence there was a yard, called a courtyard. In the very center of the courtyard stood the sanctuary itself. If you should enter within the courtyard you would have to go through this eight-foot, curtained fence at its only opening, which was on the east side. Upon entering the courtyard, the first thing you would encounter would be the altar of burnt offerings situated in front of the sanctuary building. Upon this altar, animals, after being killed, were sacrificed for sins that had been committed.

If someone committed a sin, he was to bring a lamb, without spot or blemish, before the altar, place his hands on the head of the lamb and confess his sin. The sin of the individual was then placed upon the animal and the animal died because of the man’s sin (See Leviticus 4). One of the central teachings of the Bible is that sin causes death.

Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death."

Hebrews 9:22 "And according to the law almost all things are purged with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission."

The lamb did not do anything to deserve death, but God wanted to show us that sin and disobedience separate us from Him, the source of life, which results in death. Sin is a serious matter.

The Sacrifice Represented Jesus

The sinner himself was the one who had to slay the lamb. Can you imagine the pleading eyes of the lamb looking up into the sinner’s face asking, "Why? What have I done to deserve this?" The sinner would have to answer, "Nothing, it is my fault—you are dying in my place." So it was that Jesus became the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

John 1:29 "The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, ‘Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!’ "

Whose sins killed Him? Our sins. Yet, before those sins can be forgiven they must be confessed. We must confess our sins upon the head of the lamb, Jesus Christ, and accept Him as our substitute.

1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

We must confess our sins with sorrow, realizing that it was our sins that caused the Lord to die. There must be sorrow and repentance from sin. Sometimes people just don’t feel sorry for their sins, but if we really want to be saved, Jesus will change our hardened, sinful hearts so that we will be truly sorry and repent of our sins.

2 Corinthians 7:9 "Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. 10 For godly sorrow produces repentance to salvation."

Romans 2:4 "Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?"

You will notice that the altar of burnt offerings was not located in the sanctuary itself. The sanctuary represents God’s dwelling place in heaven but Jesus did not die in heaven. He came and died on this earth. But, note this—the death of the animal was not the end of the ceremony. That was only the beginning.

Sacrificing the Animal Did Not End the Ceremony

In the earthly sanctuary, after the death of the lamb, the blood of the lamb was carried by the priest into the sanctuary and was administered there in the sinner’s behalf. The work of salvation does not end at Calvary with the confession and repentance of our sins, it only begins there. From Calvary, Jesus takes the merits of His sacrifice into the heavenly sanctuary to minister in our behalf.

Whom Did The Priest Represent?

Just as the lamb represented Jesus, so the priest represented Jesus, too.

Hebrews 4:14 "Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need."

1 Timothy 2:5 "For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus."

Jesus’ Death Was For Our Past Sins; Now He Ministers to Keep Us From Sinning

Romans 3:24 "Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth to be a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed."

Thus Jesus died as our sacrifice that our past sins might be forgiven, but He now lives as our priest that our characters might be perfected and that we might quit sinning. This is the work that He is now doing in heaven. The forgiveness of sins is only the beginning of the Christian walk of life. We must learn to overcome sin. Jesus came to save people "from" sin—not "in" sin.

Matthew 1:21 "And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins."

John 8:34 "Jesus answered them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. 35 And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. 36 Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.’ "

There is not a man or woman that has the power to break the habits and shackles of sin. We are "slaves" and "servants" of sin.

Romans 8:6 "For to be carnally minded is death. . . . 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be."

Romans 7:18 "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find."

To be "carnally minded is death." It is sin, rebellion from God’s law of love, that has caused all the death and suffering in the world today. It is be- cause of sin that Jesus had to come and die. Sin is a serious matter. Adam and Eve were cast out of the Garden of Eden for one sin. When Lucifer sinned through pride, he was cast out of heaven. Today heaven is pure and clean, and God will not allow it to be recontaminated with sin. He will not allow the seeds of rebellion to spring forth again (Nahum 1:9).

Revelation 21:27 "There shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life."

The Gospel

Thus we are sinners—that is our nature. We can’t even help ourselves. And yet sinners cannot inherit heaven. So what hope is there? Well, that is what the gospel is all about: Jesus died to forgive past sins and He lives to give us power to overcome sin today. Can you overcome sin? Can you overcome swearing, hating, jealousy, illicit thoughts, pride, or lack of commitment to God? Can you overcome every sin? Not in yourself, but you can through a power outside of yourself—it is a part of the grace that God offers you in order that you might be saved.

Thus Jesus is living today to make intercession for us and to give us power over sin. If we have faith in Him, all things are possible, even a change of character.

Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Jesus can save you from every sin. He can give you victory over the worst temptation. "But," someone says, "no one has ever been tempted to sin as I am tempted to sin." If you think this way, you are wrong, for Jesus was tempted to sin in every way that you are, and yet He overcame every temptation. Thus He has already won the victory over your temptations. All you have to do is follow in His footsteps. Jesus was tempted so much that it actually hurt. He may not have had withdrawal pains from drugs, but He had forty days of withdrawal pains from food in order to understand even that temptation.

Hebrews 2:18 "For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted."

Sin Is Explained in the Sanctuary

What is sin? What is the standard of character that God would have us reach? This also is explained in the sanctuary.

In the Most Holy Place of the sanctuary was a golden box called the "ark of the covenant" in which were deposited the precepts of God’s law. This law was so sacred that God Himself came down and wrote it with His own finger. It is the only part of the Bible written by God’s own hand. This is the standard of character God would have us reach. This is His requirement for mankind. It is the breaking of this sacred and holy law that constitutes sin.

Ecclesiastes 12:13 "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man."

1 John 3:4 "Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness."

Romans 7:9 "I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died."

The Ten Commandments within the sanctuary showed Paul what sin was and why he needed a Savior. They showed that he was a sinner under the condemnation of death. The Ten Commandments, as lived out in the life of Jesus, are God’s standard of character. In the old covenant, they were written on tablets of stone, but in the new covenant God wants to write them in our hearts.

In the New Covenant the Law Is Written Within Our Hearts

Hebrews 8:10 " ‘This is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel: After those days,’ says the Lord, ‘I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.’ "

In the old covenant, the Ten Commandments were written on tablets of stone and deposited in the sanctuary. But in the new covenant, because of Jesus’ ministry in the heavenly sanctuary, the law is written within our hearts. Of ourselves we cannot keep God’s law. That is the work of Jesus in the heavenly sanctuary—to give us power to keep it.

One of the signs of the last days is that people will claim to be religious and will deny the power thereof:

2 Timothy 3:1 "But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves. . . . 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!"

When we put our trust in Jesus, He gives us power to keep the commandments. Faith in Jesus does not do away with the commandments, but it brings to us the grace of Christ that forgives our sins. Christ took upon Himself our death penalty and gives to us His righteous character in the place of our sinful one and He also gives to us the grace to keep from sinning today. So faith does not destroy the law, rather it results in establishing the law, having it written in our hearts. The new covenant does not do away with the law of God, but rather establishes it in our hearts, notice:

Romans 3:31 "Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law."

Hebrews 10:16 "This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the LORD; I will put My laws into their hearts and in their minds I will write them."

There are those who say we no longer have to keep the Ten Commandments. This is nothing but a boldfaced lie of the Devil. Anyone who knows anything about Christ and His work in the heavenly sanctuary knows that this is exactly the opposite of what His work is all about. His work is to restore man to the original purity wherewith God made him.

1 John 2:3 "Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 He who says, ‘I know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him."

1 John 3:3 "And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. 4 Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. 5 And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. 6 Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him. 7 Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. 8 He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil."

Yes, the Ten Commandments are still in effect today—not the law on earth that was located in the earthly sanctuary, but the one in heaven from which the earthly was copied. The only way we know what the original one says is by looking at the copy given to Moses in Exodus 20:3-17, and the copy is exact and trustworthy, for God Himself wrote it with His own finger.

The Ten Commandments, containing "the words of the covenant" (Exodus 34:28), were deposited in the ark of the covenant in the Most Holy Place (also called "Holiest of All") of the sanctuary.

Hebrews 9:3 "Behind the second veil, (was) the part of the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of All, 4 which had the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant overlaid on all sides with gold, in which were the golden pot that had the manna, Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant (Ten Commandments)."

The Original Ten Commandments Are in Heaven

The original ark of the covenant, containing the original Ten Commandments, was shown to John when he saw the inside of the heavenly sanctuary.

One Other Part of Redemption Is Explained in the Sanctuary

So the sanctuary shows us three things:

1. What sin is.

2. How sins are forgiven.

3. How sins can be overcome.

Beyond that, it also shows one other function of Christ. Before Jesus comes the second time He is going to judge all people to see whether or not they have allowed Him to redeem them. He is going to judge all men according to whether or not they have kept the Ten Commandments. They are judged according to their works. Their works do not save them but they show whether or not Christ has been allowed to change their lives.

Ecclesiastes 12:13 "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. 14 For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether it is good or whether it is evil."

In a previous lesson we studied about the history of the earth as portrayed in Daniel 7. In that same chapter, God reveals that this judgment must take place before His second coming.

Daniel 7:9 "I watched till thrones were put in place, and the Ancient of Days was seated; His garment was white as snow, and the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was a fiery flame, its wheels a burning fire; . . . 10 A thousand thousands ministered to Him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The court was seated, and the books were opened. 11 I watched then because of the sound of the pompous words which the horn was speaking; I watched till the beast was slain, and its body destroyed and given to the burning flame."

2 Corinthians 5:10 "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad."

We Are Judged According to Our Works

Jesus said that when He comes He is going to reward people according to their works. There is no merit to our works, but they show whether or not we have allowed Jesus to be our Savior and save us from sin.

Matthew 16:27 "For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works."

Revelation 22:12 "And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work."

What are the works Jesus is looking for? We do not have to guess; they are simply trust and obedience. God has given us His law to be our standard and He has given us power through His grace to keep that law. We cannot keep it in any other way but through the grace and power of God, and we cannot receive the grace of God unless we do keep the law. If we truly love Jesus we will keep His law, and Jesus’ law and His Father’s law are one.

John 14:15 "If you love Me, keep My commandments."

James 2:10 "For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. 11 For He who said, ‘Do not commit adultery,’ also said, ‘Do not murder.’ Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 12 So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty."

Yes, the sanctuary is the key that unlocks the book of Revelation. The judgment and the other services of the sanctuary are explained in Revelation. This book explains the work Jesus is doing in heaven for you and me today. In the last days, God pictures a group of people who pass the judgment and are found worthy, through the death and ministration of Christ, to receive everlasting life. After picturing the judgment in Revelation 14:7, God next describes those who do not receive eternal life, and then those who do.

Revelation 14:6 "Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, . . . 7 saying with a loud voice, ‘Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come. . . . 9 Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, ‘If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God. . . . 12 Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus."

These are the people, in verse 12, who are admitted into heaven.

Revelation 22:14 "Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city."

Is it your desire to be among this group of people? God’s requirements are plain and unequivocal. He is "the same yesterday, today, and forever" (Hebrews 13:8). He does not change. His standard and requirements are the same as in the Garden of Eden, at Sinai, and in Paul’s day. It is just as wrong to lie or steal today as it was in the garden of Eden or any time since then.

And just as His standard is the same, so is His mercy and love and power to save. He can change your heart. He can change your life. "He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He ever lives to make intercession for them" (Hebrews 7:25).

Paul said, "Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts" (Hebrews 3:15). Today is the day of probation. Today is the day of salvation.

Revelation teaches that before Jesus comes back to this world again there are going to be some people who will receive a mark of deliverance, a mark of salvation, and they will be not receive any of the plagues mentioned in Revelation and will not lose their lives in any of the judgments mentioned in Revelation. If you receive this mark of God, all will be well with you, you will have absolutely nothing to fear. The question is, how can you be sure that you will receive the mark of deliverance that God is going to put on His people? Tomorrow night we will see how to receive God’s mark of deliverance. Next week-end we will be studying the most fearful warning in all the Bible—the third angel’s warning against receiving the mark of the beast, don’t let anything keep you from hearing those vital messages.

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Last Updated: 06/18/03