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<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> Good morning.<inaudible> We’re continuing our study of revelation. We’re going to go over the questions from revelation chapter 21st, and then for those who glanced over the, the handout, you know, you might be expecting something a little different this morning. We are going to do something a little different this morning, because I want to, I want to take a few moments and we’ll talk about this more in just a minute,

but I want to take a few moments this morning, and we’ve talked a lot about old Testament passages and their influence on revelation. And before we get out of revelation, I actually want to spend one class going back and really just dipping our minds into those old Testament passages and getting some of the ideas out of them before we get into revelation chapter 21 and 22,

because, well, let me hold off on the, because I’ll get to that in a minute, but let’s start with a word of prayer and then we’ll go through the questions on 20. And I’ll circle back to that thought in a minute gracious father in heaven, we bow before you at this time grateful for the day that you’ve given to us for the life that we have and the health that we have,

the abilities we have to come together to study your word and to serve you. We are grateful for this day that you’ve granted to us, and we’re grateful for the rain that gives life to all the things on this earth. We’re grateful for every day that we see whether sunshine or rain, because we know that it is just one more reassurance that you are there.

We pray that you will be with those who are struggling because of illnesses, difficulties, injuries, ailments, or loss of loved ones, all these things that we deal with on a daily basis while in this life. And we pray that you will give us comfort and strength and that we will search for that comfort and strength in your word, that we will have faith and understanding concerning the things in this life and what is to come.

We pray this nation and the choices direction that it’s going, the choices that will be made and the direction that it goes will be those things that will open more doors of opportunity to teach the loss, to declare your name and to glorify you. We pray for the world and every nation, that those things will also be true as well. We pray for those in this community and our leaders here locally,

may they make wise decisions and strive to make decisions that are in accordance with your word. May we always seek to help those who are in need be kind to those who are unkind to us and live the example of your son in our lives. All this we pray in Jesus name, Amen Revelation, chapter 20, question one of these aspects of the vision,

which is literal a, the key beef bottomless pit. See the chain D the dragon E Satan or F the thousand years E Satan. Okay. In the midst of that chapter 20 verses one and two, the literal thing is the thing that is the explanation and not part of the vision. Verse two, what we have said, or, sorry, let me read that the way it’s written.

What have we said? The number 1000 or something multiplied by a thousand represents in revelation, completeness or perfection. Okay. What happens to the dragon after the thousand years Released for a little season or while question four, who’s sat and rained with Christ for a thousand years martyrs. Okay. That that’s important. It’s the martyrs that reign with him. Does the passage anywhere say that Christ reigned for only a thousand years?

No. It doesn’t. How many resurrections did John see? Two, Which one was literal or historical? I E bodily resurrection of people who had died Answers. Neither. Neither. Yeah. The first resurrection is the, the second resurrection is everybody else, but it’s all visionary. It’s all part of the vision. If there neither one of them is a literal bodily resurrection in the sense that we’re looking forward to when Christ returns.

Okay. Let’s see. Where was I? Question seven. What does Satan do when he is released? All right. He deceives the nations and gathers them to battle against who’s Satan, always fighting against Christ and the Christians. Okay. And he goes back to doing exactly what he was doing before he was thrown in the bottomless pit for a thousand years.

Okay. So he makes war or prepare for battle by what were the dead judged in the second resurrection By their works. Okay. What was cast into the Lake of fire? Death and hell or Hades, depending on which translation you’re using. Where did we see these two previously in the book. Okay. As the RA, the rider on the pale horse,

his, his death and Hades is following after him. That’s in revelation. What chapter? Chapter six. And it’s the fourth seal. Okay. So you could put for the answer there, you could put the, the pale horse revelation six, the sick, there were the fourth seal. Any of those are good answers to that question. Who else was cast into the Lake of fire?

Anyone not found in the book of life. Okay. So set aside revelation, chapter 20 for a minute in chapter 19 and 20 and 21 and 22, you’re seeing the progression of visions that tell trues. And like we talked about on Wednesday, we would be inconsistent to say to a pre millennialist, you need to be consistent on your interpretation. If you’re going to say it’s literal,

like the thousand years is literal, then everything around it has to be literal and you need to be consistent with that. So too, we have to be consistent. We talked about, like I said, we talked about this a little bit on Wednesday. If we’re going to say that the thousand years, this isn’t literal and the bottomless pit isn’t literal and the dragon isn’t literal in the sense of,

they declare trues about what God is doing and has done, but they’re not intended to be understood as historical events in history story. Then we also need to be consistent, okay. To then come to the last two chapters of revelation and flip-flop are hermaneutic art interpretation of the book. And immediately go now at chapter 21, everything you read here is literal,

and it’s going to happen when Christ returns number for two, for two reasons, that was a problem. Number one, you have things you can’t explain in chapter 21 and 22. If that’s your interpretation of chapters, 21, 22, we’ll get to that, that on Wednesday, there are things in this passage that if you interpret this as the day of judgment and heaven and eternity,

they make no sense. If you remain consistent, though, with the interpretation that we’ve had all the way through the book, which is, here’s what he said, I saw. Here’s what it means. You not only get the picture from the old Testament brought forward as John has done over and over and over and over and over in the book. But you also get trues that are timeless and pictures that are timeless,

that you can look at heaven and see those as a pluggable, trues for eternity. Okay. So what we’re going to do in this lesson today, and why probably won’t get through all these questions. We’re going to go through the questions that we handed out today. These are all old Testament passages. But what I want us to do is I want us to go through these old Testament passages,

because I don’t want you or anyone to it ever go through. And listen to me, teach revelation 21 and 22 and say, well, Aaron said it. That must be what it means. Cause that’s the terrible hermeneutics. Please don’t ever use that method of interpretation. Aaron said it, therefore it’s true. But also because I don’t want you to assume that because I’m saying all this stuff is in the old Testament that it’s actually there.

I want you to have it in your hands. I want you to look through the passages as we go through this morning. And if we don’t get all the way through the questions, I’m going to let you spend the rest of the time on your own study, filling these in because it’s all straight from the text. It’s all from the old Testament.

Well, we won’t spend two classes on it, but I want this information in your records, in your file. So that when you go back to your notes on 21 and 22, you go, where did he get all this stuff from? Well, here’s where it is. And by the way, even since I finished the questions, there’s more passages.

I wish I had included, but we’ll talk about them as we get through chapters 21, 22. So today is all old Testament. It’s all old Testament. And it’s all where all these pictures that we’re going to read about in 20 and 21 and 22, it’s where they all come from is the old Testament. And they’re as true today as they were when God gave them under a different law,

under a different covenant, to a different people. Okay? God spoke these things to Israel before Christ had ever come. And we need to learn and appreciate what God was saying and the truth of what he said and the pictures he used to declare that truth. So we’re going to begin in Isaiah chapter 11. All, most all of this will come from Isaiah,

but there’s, there’s more that could be gleaned from, from other books. We’ve got a few at the end, but we’re going to try and go through this as logically and, and contextually as possible. Isaiah chapter 11, we’re going to read a section. We’re going to answer some questions. So we’re going to begin with Isaiah 11 verses one through nine,

there shall come forth. A rod from the STEM of Jesse. I’ll make a few comments as we go through, but I’m not gonna spend a lot of time making comments where we won’t get anywhere close to finished. But the rod here is Christ. This is a, this is a prophecy concerning the Messiah. The STEM of Jesse and a branch shall grow out of his roots.

The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him. The spirit of wisdom and understanding the spirit of counsel and mind, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. His delight is in the fear of the Lord. And he shall not judge by the sight of his eyes nor decide by the hearing of his ears. But with righteousness, he shall judge the poor and decide with equity for the meek of the earth.

He shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth and with the breadth of his lips, he shall slay the wicked. What does God do to the wicked? And what member of the Godhead does it? All right, verse four, he shall strike the earth with his rod of the mouth. He shall slay the wicked. Okay? So he,

he destroys the, but which member of the Godhead is being prophesied about Jesus Christ. When you get over revelation chapter 19, how is Jesus Christ pictured On a white horse? The sword of his mouth is coming out and he’s defeating the wicked. The picture’s consistent. Okay. Verse five righteousness shall be the belt of his loins and faithfulness the belt of his waist.

Over in revelation 19, we read about him being girded about and a name that was written on his thigh and all of these things, these pictures of Christ over and over again. What is the branch wearing as a designation, righteousness and faithfulness. Okay. You go over to the, over to revelation and he’s called faithful and true. And you see his righteousness.

We’re just, we’re bringing forward. These pictures verses six through nine. The Wolf also shall dwell with the lamb. The leopard shall lie down with the young goat, the calf and the young lion and the fat laying together. And a child shall lead them. The cow and the bear show graze. Their young ones shall lie down together. The lion chilly straw,

like the ox, the nursing child shall play by a Cobra’s hole. And the wean child shall put his hand in the Vipers den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my Holy mountain for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the water covers the sea as a result of the branches judgment. Okay? So he goes out,

he defeats the enemies of his, of God’s people as a result of the branches judgment and the knowledge of the Lord. What happens to the animal life? They live peacefully together. Now I got a question for you when the Messiah came and Jesus Christ walked on the earth and taught and died and was resurrected at what point in all that time, as Jesus was on the earth,

did the lion lay down with the lamb? Did the Wolf not attack anymore? Did the baby go near the Vipers den and stick his hand in the Vipers, Dan and not get bit, none of it, but what’s the picture when God destroys his enemies and he destroys them. So utterly there’s nothing left. Like the anguish pain, sorrow danger hurt,

nothing like that left God. So thoroughly destroys his enemies. Okay? That’s The picture is all the animal life stops being like animals. The truth is God’s. People are so secure. Nobody touches them. They can’t be hurt. Okay. There’s the picture. There’s the truth. Now let’s go to chapter 34. By the way, the pre-millennial lists are waiting for a day where lions and lambs lay down together,

physical lions and lambs Displaying that it’s not happening. Okay? God never intended for it to happen on this physical earth in that sense. Okay? Their pictures, their figures were being consistent all the way through chapter 34 verses one, let’s do one through four and then we’ll pick up verse six, chapter 34, verse one, come near you nations to hear and heed you.

People let the earth here and all that is in it, the world, and all things that come forth from it for the indignation of the Lord is against all nations. His fury against all their enemies are all their armies. He shall utterly destroy them. And he there, sorry. He shall enter to utterly destroy them. He has given them over to the slaughter.

Also their slain shall be thrown out. Their stint shall rise from their corpses and the mountains shall be melded with their blood. All the hosts of heaven shall be dissolved and the heavens shall roll up. Like us shall be rolled up like a scroll. All their hosts shall fall down as the leaf falls from the vine as the fruit falling from a big tree.

Okay. Question four. How complete is God’s judgment against the nations? Utterly 100% complete my wait a minute. Was there a time in old Testament history where God so judged all the people around Israel that there wasn’t a nation left on the face of the planet except Israel? No. Then the next question, when God judges, the nations what’s done away with,

so was there a time in Israelite history where God’s so judged the nations around Israel that heaven and earth just were gone and somehow Israel was still here. No. Now wait. Yeah. A minute over in revelation, chapter 21 and 22 in the end of chapter 20, what, what is, what goes away? What flees from the presence of God,

Heaven and earth and Wait a minute. There’s an, you know, I, I feel very unfortunate for some of my brethren who are now holding to a doctrine that there is going to be a new literal, physical heaven and new literal physical earth. When Christ returns, it comes from not being consistent with your interpretation of scripture. There’s no new heavens and new earth that we’re waiting for when Christ returns not a physical one no more than there was in Isaiah’s day.

But when Isaiah uses the picture and it speaks of a truth, John’s going to come along and use the same picture to speak of the same truth. Okay. Verse six down through, let’s do six through eight so we can get the latter portion. At the end. The sword of the Lord is filled with blood. It is made overflowing with fatness,

with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of Rams for the Lord has a sacrifice in Bosnia and a great slaughter in the land of Edam. The wild oxen shall come down with them. And the young bulls with the mighty bowls, their land shall be soaked with blood and their dust saturated with fatness for it is the day of the Lord’s vengeance.

The year of recompense for the cause of Zion. Why did the judgment come against the nations? The end of verse eight? Okay. God is bringing judgment against the enemies of his people. The vengeance is because of what they did to Zion his people. Okay? The nations are being judged here. Specifically. Bosnia Edam are being talked about, and the condemnation is how you treated.

My people go revelation. 19 revelation. Chapter 20 was God, say over and over again, you’re getting this, this judgment is coming on Rome. I’m bringing this destruction because of what you did to my people. Okay? Verse, verse nine, go down. I’m going to read down through the end of the chapter. It streams it’s streamed shall be turned into pitch that not Zion streams,

Edens streams. This is this whole chapter is a condemnation on Edam. Okay? It stream shall be turned into pitch. It’s dust into brimstone. Its land shall become a burning pitch. It shall not be quenched night or day. It smoke. Shelah sin forever from generation to generation. It shall lie. No one shall pass through it forever and ever.

All right, God says Edam. I’m turning you into a Lake of fire. I’m turning your land into that, which is covered by pitch and brimstone and fire. Now, was there a time when God turned Edam into a land of Fire? No. Okay. But verse 11 and here’s where you get the little glue. There’s not a literal Lake of fire.

It’s not a literal stream of fires. Now, literal land of pitch because what lives in it, all the animals he says, but the Pelican and the porcupine shall possess it. Also the owl and the Raven shall dwell in it. He shall stretch out over it. The line of confusion, the stones of emptiness, they shall call its Nobles to the kingdom,

but none shall be there. And all its princes shall be nothing. And thorn shall come up in its palaces, nettles and brambles in its fortresses. It shall be a habitation of jackals, a courtyard for ostriches. The wild bees of the desert shall meet with the jackals. The wild goat shall bleat with it, to its companions. Also the night creatures shall rest there and find for herself a place of rest.

Now you find do animals find themselves a place of rest and a Lake of fire or streams of brooms. No, no, that’s They are the arrow. Snake shall lay shall make her nest and lay eggs and hatch and gather them under her shadow. They are, shall be the Hawks or shall the Hawks be gathered every one with her mate search from the book of the Lord and read not one of these shall fail.

Not one shall lack her mate for my mouth has commanded it. And his spirit has gathered them. He has cast the lot for them and his hand has divided it among them with a measuring line. They shall possess it forever from generation to generation. They shall dwell in it. God says, I’ve measured you and I’ve measured your land and I’m giving it to the animals because I’m destroying you eat them.

And he would, okay. So What is the condition of the earth in this prophecy Thing about it in the figures, all right. Returned to nature, but God says I’m wiping it out. I’m I’m going to completely overtake it and destroy it and return it to nature. Okay. Chapter 35, Isaiah’s not finished. John’s not finished using his figures,

the wilderness and the wasteland. She’ll be glad for them. Let’s go down through verse seven wilderness in the wasteland. She’ll be, she’ll be glad for them. And the D the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the Rose. It shall blossom, abundant, abundantly, and rejoice. Even with joy in singing, the glory of Lebanon shall be given to it.

The excellence of caramel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, the excellence of our God, strengthen the weak hands and make from the feeble knees, say to those who are fearful hearted, be strong and do not fear. Behold, your God will come with vengeance and will recompense with the recompense of gone. He will come and save you.

Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened. The ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then the lame shall leap like a deer in the tongue of the dumb she’ll sing for water, shall birth, forth, forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. The parched ground shall become a pool and thirsty land Springs of water in the habitation of jackals,

where each lay there shall be grasped with reeds and rushes. A highway shall be there and a road. It shall be called the highway of holiness. The unclean shall not pass over it, but it shall be for others. Whoever walks the road shall the road. Although a fool shall not go astray, no lion shall be there nor shall any ravenous beast go up upon it.

It shall not be found there, but the redeem shall walk there. And the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion was singing with everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. Okay. Chapter 35 verses one through four. What are the righteous told to do when the world is faced with this coming judgment?<inaudible> All right.

Be strong and fear. Not he’s coming to save you. Okay. Verses five year seven. What evidence is given of God, still being on their side.<inaudible> All right. The healing of the blind healing of the deaf, the healing of the lame and the healing of those who can’t speak, God, God hasn’t turned away. Now. Was there somebody who said,

you’ve seen this fulfilled in your hearing? Did somebody say to John’s disciples? Here’s the response you’d give to John. You’ve seen the deaf, hear the blind, see the lame walk and the silence speak. And who was that person? Christ. So, wait a minute. God says, I’m going to bring about judgment. I’m going to bring about destruction,

but I, my people to know I’m going to save them. And then he gives a whole bunch of figures in jail. Jesus says me these point to me, all right, watch this verses eight through nine. What is the mood or condition of those who walk on the highway of holiness? Okay, what are they doing though? They’re singing. And they’re at the end of verse 10,

what’s gone sorrow that somebody is going to say that anybody necessarily here, but somebody is going to say, when I get over revelation, chapter 21, that I’m going to read, there’ll be no more tears. And we sing that song, no tears in heaven. And we’re going to say, well, that can’t be on this earth because Christians still have things to be sorrowful about.

You’ve got to look at the figure and you gotta look at the truth. Here’s the picture of Israel, of the Messiah of the salvation, of the saved. And here’s the truth. God says, there’s no more cry. There’s no more tears. There’s no more sorrow. Why? Because you’ve come through all of the struggles, all of the trials,

all of the tribulation, all of the pain, all the things the beast brought upon you in revelation, under Rome. And now you’ve come through the other side and you’re not destroyed. You’re not in ashes. You’re not lame. You’re not any of those things. Why? Because he saved view. And let’s remember this. Even Paul said over in first Corinthians,

chapter 15, when he’s talking about death and the resurrection that we don’t sorrow, the way the world does, as those who have no hope. You and I, we face tears, sorrow loss, but so did the disciples of Christ. And yet he told them I’m departing from you for a little while. We experienced separation, but here’s the real truth.

Here’s the, here’s the underlying thing. God wants us to always remember. We sorrow in this life knowing there’s a life beyond it with him. So the picture of Israel in Isaiah 30 is never any sorrow again. Did that mean is real ever experienced a time where there was never any sorrow in their history? Again? No. It means as long as you’re righteous and you belong to God,

you have a time where you know, God’s with you. No matter what you go through, it’s a picture tells you a truth. Okay? I know we’re not going to get nearly, as far as I’m hope, chapter 42, Chapter 42, we’re just going to grab verses nine and 10, because you could just go all the way through the rest of the book of Isaiah.

But we don’t have time for that. Verses nine and 10 behold, the former things have come the past and new things I declare before they spring forth. I tell you of them. Okay? So verse nine, God says he does. He creates what he creates new things. The former things are gone and he creates new things. Okay? So verse who declares the quote new things before they exist,

who does that? God does. God tells you I’m going to do this. And he may not do it for a thousand years, but you can know assuredly that if he said he was going to do it, he’s going to do it. Okay. But then verse 10, saying to the Lord, a new song and his praise from the ends of the earth,

you who go down to the sea and all that is in it. You coast lands and all inhabitants of them. Isaiah calls upon God’s people to do what? Sing a new song. Now over in revelation, who is it that gets to sing a new song. There’s a specific number of them, 144,000, the 144,000 that are redeemed from the earth.

They get to sing a new song, but Isaiah’s people got to sing a new song. Israel got to sing a new song because every time God redeems his people, they get to sing a new song. There’s not a new song waiting for you in heaven. That has never been sung before. Other than the song of your redemption. That’s the song that gets sung.

Isaiah 43, verse one, actually, we’ll just do verse one. This is a fill in the blank. There’s a lot of the fill in the blanks at the end, because I knew we weren’t going to get all the way there. But again, I just want you to see those passages as they have 43 verse one. But now thus says the Lord who created you?

Oh, Jacob. And he who formed you O Israel. Fear. Not for, I have redeemed. You. I have called you by your name. You are mine. Every, sorry. God declares to Israel. I have blank. You Redeemed. I have called you by blank name.<inaudible> Your name? All right. Watch this because Isaiah’s going to do this very carefully.

He’s going to say through, God’s going to say through Isaiah, I called you by your name, but he follows it up with a statement and you are mine in a minute. He’s going to say, I gave you a new name. It was your name. I called you by it. Today is Isaiah’s birthday. And I told us as we were getting out of the van.

So, you know, it was today that I called you by your name, but it was eight years ago. You know, the day he was born, we gave him a new name, but it was his name. Okay. As Christians, we’re given a new name. God calls us by that name, but all throughout history, God’s given people new names.

Abraham didn’t stay Abraham. Did he? Jacob didn’t stay. Jacob. Did he? Okay. God gives Israel a new name. Notice here. Verse seven, chapter 43. Everyone who is called by my name, whom I have created for my glory. I have formed him. Yes. I have made him. Everyone who has called blank, whom I have created for my glory.

I have formed him. Yes. I have made him. Whose name are they called by? By my name. Okay. So God says, I’m going to call you by your name. And seven verses later, he says, and your name is my name. You Are part of me. Okay? Verse 15, chapter 43. I am the Lord.

Your Holy one, the creator of Israel. Your King question. Fear question 15. I am the Lord. Your Holy one, the blank of Israel, your King creator. Okay. Back in chapter 42, God says I make new things. And I tell about the new things. Before I make them over in chapter 43, he says, I’m going to call you by your name.

And your name is my name. And I am the creator of Israel. When you create something, nobody else has created it before. When you create something, what do you have the rights to do? Call it whatever you want. God says, I’m the one who did this and I get to call it what I want. Okay. You’re seeing here over and over and over and over and over again.

I’m in charge. And when I judge out of that judgment, I make new things. Little later on in these chapters, you’re going to see God saying, I’m going to create you a new, I’m going to do a new heavens and a new earth, new Jerusalem, but you’re going to have to go through the birthing process where you go through the pain and out of which comes something new.

Okay? Here’s this picture being used over and over again. Chapter 43 verses 18 through 21. Do not remember the former things nor consider the things of old behold. I will do a new thing. Now it shall spring forth. Shall you know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. The bees of the field will honor me the jackals and the ostriches because I give waters in the wilderness and rivers in the desert to give drink to my people.

My chosen one. Now, when did God do that? When did God make a stream out of the desert? In history? Yeah. In the wilderness with Israel, he did it for real in history. And now he’s using it as a figure. Okay. Imagine if you were one of those animals, it spends his entire life in the wilderness,

looking for water, just to be able to make it through another day. And suddenly a spring shows up out of the middle of nowhere because God decided to give drink to his people and you get the by-product. You get a stream that shows up out of nowhere. Okay? There’s the picture. This people I have formed verse 21 for myself. They shall declare my praise.

What does he create in this passage? All right. The stream in the wilderness. Hold on to the picture. The waters of life. Now over in revelation, 21 and 22 in the midst of the garden flow the waters of life. And where do they start? Where do they originate from the throne of God? Okay. We’re not done yet.

Let’s let’s grab a couple more chapter 62 verses one through four for Zion’s sake. I will not hold my peace. And for Jerusalem sake, I will not rest until her righteousness goes forth. As a, as brightness in her salvation. As a lamp that burns the Gentiles shall see your righteousness and all Kings your glory. You shall be called by a new name,

which the mouth of the Lord will name. When everyone sees the glory of God’s people, they will be called by a new what a new name, verse three. You shall also be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord and a Royal diadem in the hand of your God, you shall no longer be termed forsaken, nor shall your land anymore.

Be termed desolate, but you shall be called<inaudible>. I don’t know what that means, but I can’t hardly pronounce it. And your land Beulah, we’ve got a song in our songbook Beulah land. Okay. That’s where it comes from. Okay? God says your land used to be called what and what?<inaudible>. And desolate is not gonna be called that anymore.

Okay. Back over to chapter 62 verses 11 and 12. Now wait a minute. Hold on. When you look in revelation, 19 and 20 was God due to the earth, destroys it with the plagues, with the bowls, with all those things, it destroys the entire planet in apocalyptic form. Just like over here in Isaiah chapter 62, God says you and your land,

you were desolate. You were forsaken. You were destroyed verses 11 and 12. Indeed. The Lord has proclaimed to the end of the world, say to the daughter of Zion, Shirley, your salvation is coming behold. His reward is with him and he has work before him. They shall, and they shall call them the Holy people, the redeemed of the Lord.

And you shall be called, sought out a city, not forsaken four terms here. God says Israel, you were forsaken and desolate. I had white. Do you out Now? Here’s your new description. Here’s what you’re going to be called. Four things. Number one, the Holy people. Number two, the redeemed of the Lord. Number three,

saw it out. Saw it after you don’t S you don’t search for something that’s forsaken. You don’t search for something that’s desolate. You, you don’t go looking for a group of people that are, that are destroyed. So if they’re sought out, they’re not that anymore. Are they they’ve become something new and a city for sacred or city, not for sake.

Excuse me. All right. We’re going to pick up on Wednesday. We were going to cover just a few, probably about five of these others, but I encourage you go through the rest of this list this week for Wednesday, fill in these blanks, fill in these holes and get a picture of this. God saying over and over and over in the old Testament,

prophets, I’m going to do this. I’m going to judge your enemies. I’m going to destroy them. So thoroughly it’s as if I wipe the entire face of the planet clean, and then I’m going to make something new. And a number of times you’re going to read new heavens and new earth or new Jerusalem and the picture over and over and over again in the profits is Jerusalem restored the way God wanted it to be.

And that’s the picture we’re going to get in revelation 21 and 22. We’ll talk about that more on Wednesday. Thank you.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> Good morning. Good to see everybody here this morning. On the rainy day, we need a little rain from time to time, but anyway, it’s good to see everybody. If you a Vistor we’d appreciate it.

If you’d fill out a visitor’s card, so we’d have a record of your attendance and just lay it back there on the table. When you get through or lay it there on the seat, if you hadn’t picked up your Lord’s supper, it’s back there on the table, and that’d be a good time while we’re making announcements for you to do that. We need to remember our sick,

when our sick list at Jones or Dorothy Wilson, Janet Joan, Robbie woods, Laurie white, Jessica Dale, Sandy Trammell, and Terry and Patricia Wheatley and Gary Whaler. We announced last week that he was going to have to have surgery again. And they went in and he had had bypass surgery, but they found some stints that were a block and they had to put five stents in him.

So he is, he is back at home. Now I got a card from a lucky and bed, Lou, and thank from the bottom of your heart with a, with a floral arrangement, looking, I appreciate the thoughtfulness and more than you’ll ever know, maybe it won’t be too much longer though. They can be back with us. They’re staying at home because of the COVID threat.

And I will put the card back here on the bulletin board. That’s all of our announcements. Aaron is going to leave singing this morning. Eric Howelsen Has opening prayer. Jay Schaeffer has the Lord supper. Michael Darrell has the sermon and her Springer has the closing prayer. Thank you. Good morning. Take your som books and open them to number two.

We’ll make mention of this right now, in case I forget. Unlike some services where we have some songs in the songbook that aren’t on the slides this morning, we have a few songs on the slides that aren’t in the songbooks, but all the songs will be on the slides this morning. I hope. There we go. All right. I’m feeling better now.

Number two, we praise thee. Oh God, We Praysee. Oh God. For the song.<inaudible><inaudible> the glory. Hallelujah. Oh man.<inaudible> we praise<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> Oh, glory and praise to the lamb. That was saying<inaudible> every saying hallelujah, glory. Hallelujah. Oh man.<inaudible> no glory.<inaudible> Oh, glory and praise to the God of all grace<inaudible> hallelujah.

Glory.<inaudible> and<inaudible><inaudible> Song. Before opening. Prayer will be number 827, 827. Sweet hour of prayer sing all three verses sweet<inaudible>. That calls me from<inaudible> besides me. My<inaudible> all my wants and wishes. No. In seasons of distress angry. My soul has often Foundry the and off this gave the<inaudible> sweet<inaudible> Hey son to a blaze<inaudible> is<inaudible>.<inaudible> wait for the sweet,

sweet<inaudible> to him whose truth and facts.<inaudible>. So to<inaudible> me see his face<inaudible> and trust his gray<inaudible> on him. My<inaudible> way for the sweet<inaudible> God, our father in heaven. We come to you at this time, thanking you for another opportunity to assemble here this morning, to sing songs, praise your great name, but most importantly,

study another portion of your word, Lord. I know we don’t mention it often enough, but there are those amongst our congregation here and in the world that have been improving from their elements. And we know it’s because of you in your love and care for each and every one of us. So we want to thank you at this time, for those that have shown some improvement.

And Lord also, we ask that you continue to reach out to those who are ailing, whether it’s from sickness or from recent losses in the family and give them the love and support that only you can so that they continue to have faith in you and know that you are truly in control of everything. And we thank you for that. As we prepare to hear another portion of your word,

we ask that you help brother Michael, have a ready recollection of what he is going to bring to us from your word. We ask that you help each and every one of us focus on the message that is brought to us here today, so that we can take it and analyze it, apply it to our lives, to make us better servants of yours here on earth,

that we may be your shining light to those that have either fallen away from your word or worse yet, have not had the opportunity to hear your word or have not listened to your word so that they may also have the same opportunity. We do that as opportunity to live with you forever in Eternity. When this earth is over, we bring these prayers to you at this time through your son,

Jesus name. Amen. This next song is one of those songs. It’s not in the book off. We come together. We’ll sing the song in preparation, prepare our minds for the Lord’s supper Off week.<inaudible> on this whole lead, eh,<inaudible><inaudible> to see may we all live in truth and<inaudible> the may week<inaudible><inaudible> to see may weigh all in truth and speak.<inaudible> the may we all<inaudible> take this.<inaudible> to see may we all live in truth and speak the,

As we come to this very special time in our let’s displace all the worldly thoughts from our minds and focus upon jesus’ death and what it means to us. I just pray heavenly father. We’re so grateful for the privilege we have to assemble about this table. Being part of your children. We’re grateful for the love that you’ve manifested toward us. And the fact that you have provided through your son a means for the perpetuation of our sins.

As we partake of this bread, help us to remember that it was his body that was sacrificed on that cruel cross. We ask all of these things in, through his name. We continue our Thanksgiving, heavenly father for this fruit of the vine, which represents his blood, that horses away our sins. As we partake of it, let us examine ourselves and find ourselves truly worthy of that sacrifice.

It’s in Jesus name. We pray. We find this a convenient time to offer prayer for our offerings. And let’s go once again to God and prayer, heavenly father were indeed grateful. The multitude of material blessings you is so richly bestowed upon our lives. We are indeed a blessed nation. We’re a blessed community, and we’re a blessed church. Help us to always remember that we are merely stewards of these blessings that we do not really deserve.

So any of the things that are given to us through, through you, We ask that you accept our prayers on our Thanksgiving for this in Jesus name that we pray. Amen. Imitation song is not in your song book, but it will be on the overhead. And it is come to the feast. If you would turn to number 467, if you are following the book,

467, let’s sing this song for a brother. Michael comes and preaches to us 467, better turn to the right page, or I’m going to leave the wrong song. Sing all three verses Will your rank hold in the storms of life. When the clouds on full wings of straw life, when those strong times lift and cables strain<inaudible> we have an Inca that keeps us so steadfast.<inaudible> fastened to the rock,

which<inaudible> rounded from Andy in the same<inaudible><inaudible> and cables fast from his heart to mind.<inaudible> so<inaudible> and<inaudible> when the breakers I’ve told<inaudible> though, the 10 best rage and the wild winds blow angry wave<inaudible> fastened to the wrong<inaudible> Andy<inaudible><inaudible> when the water’s cold, too low, late is on the rising tide.<inaudible> pass into the rock,

which can move around it from Andy<inaudible> when our eyes be Oh, through the guy,<inaudible> where those storms all pass for<inaudible> or<inaudible> keeps. So<inaudible> pass into the rock.<inaudible> Good morning. My brothers and sisters in Christ. I haven’t, I haven’t said this for a little while, but I want to let you know how important your congregation is to our family,

your love and your support and everything that you do really encourages us and helps us to make it through these exasperating tests and things that we have in school. But it’s a blessing to be able to get up here and preach to you. God’s word, and, and know that that you’re listening this morning. I want to speak about trusting in God’s promises.

Let’s read from Hebrews six, 13 through 20. Our main texts will be taken from Hebrews chapter six, and we’ll read verses 13 through 20 for when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater. He swear by himself saying surely blessing. I will bless thee and multiplying. I will multiply thee. And so after he had patiently endured,

he obtained the promise for men barely swear by the greater and an oath for confirmation is to them. An end of all, strife wherein God willing, more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise. The immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath that by two immutable things in which it is, it was impossible for God to lie. We might have a strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay,

hold upon the hope set before us, which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure. And steadfast. And which entrust into that within the veil, whether the 4runner is for us entered, even Jesus made in high priest forever. After the order of milk has a deck as Christians, we have a steadfast hope. If we trust in the promises of God and life,

there may have been many promises that we have received, but relatively few of them can be relied upon to be kept. We are sometimes given the promise of an acquaintance to be paid back alone, that we have given them. And if that promise does not come to fruition, then we must learn to deal with the consequences and either no longer have that acquaintance or forgive them of the debt that they owe us.

Some of us may have been given the promise of a loved one to come back from war only to have tragedy strike. And we must learn how to handle the pain of that broken promise. Sometimes we must even learn to deal with a broken promise from a parent because they’re just not capable of keeping said promise due to some unforeseen situation. And we have to work through that broken promise and push forward because we can,

with God, we can always trust that his promises will be kept every single time. And as Christians, this gives us a hope that is sure and steadfast through the inspired word we can trust in God’s promises because God keeps the promises that he makes God cannot lie. And God gives us hope. Let us consider a few examples in scripture that proved to us that God keeps the promises he made.

He makes, but first we must understand what a promise is. The word promise in the Greek is upon glow, which according to Strong’s dictionary is to pledge to do something or to assert something respecting oneself. The word promise, according to the world and dictionary.com means to assure someone that one will definitely do give or arrange something or undertake or declare that something will happen.

So a promise from God is something, excuse me, that we can be assured will definitely happen because there being no greater, he swore it by himself. Let’s read again, verse 13 of Hebrews, chapter six for when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater. He swore by himself and then go down to verse 16 for men verily swear by the greater and an oath for confirmation is to them.

An end of all, strife wherein God willing, more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise. The immutability of his counsel confirmed it by his oath. We can read that God has the ability to fulfill his promises everywhere in the scripture, but God’s word accomplishes what he pleases. We can see an Isaiah chapter 55 in verse 11, turn with me to Isaiah chapter 55 and verse 11.

So shall my word be that go with forth out of my mouth. It shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that, which I please, and it shall prosper. And the thing where on two, I sent it whenever God uses his voice to make a promise, it’s going to happen. It’s going to prosper wherever he sends his word.

Abraham had faith that God could deliver on his promises. Turn with me to Romans chapter four, Romans chapter four, and we’ll read verses six verses 16 through 21, Romans four 16 through 21. Therefore it is a faith that it might be by grace to the end. The promise might be sure to all the seed, not to that only, which is of the law,

but to that also, which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, as it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations before him, whom he believed even God who quickened at the dead and call it those things, which be not as though they were who against hope, believed in hope that he might become the father of many nations,

according to that, which was spoken. So shall thy seed be and being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead when he was about and hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah’s womb. He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief. He did not waver on this promise, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God and being fully persuaded,

that what he had promised, he was able to perform amazing faith, that we all should have to know that whatever the Lord has promised us, it’s going to come to fruition. It’s going to come to fruition. Now let us consider some of the examples of God’s. Another example of God, keeping his promise. Joshua explained that all God’s promises were fulfilled.

Turn with me to Joshua chapter 21, the book of Joshua chapter 21. And we’ll read verse 45 and very last verse Air failed, not out of any good thing, which the Lord had spoken unto the house of Israel all came to pass all of it again, Joshua pronounced that not one thing God promised had failed, not a single thing. Joshua chapter 23,

just a couple of chapters over in verses 14 and 15, Joshua 23, 14 and 15 And B, hold this Stay. I am going the way of all the earth and you know, in your hearts and in your souls, that not one thing I failed of all the good things, which the Lord, your God speak concerning. You all are come to pass on to you.

And not one thing has failed thereof. Therefore it shall come to pass that as all good things are, come upon you, which the Lord, your God promised you. So shall the Lord bring upon you all evil things until he have destroyed you from off this good land, which the Lord your God has given you the Lord’s promises, swings both ways.

Doesn’t it. He promises to do good and you’ll get good. But if he promises to do bad, you better be careful not one promise God gave through Moses failed. Either. An example of this is found in first Kings chapter eight and verse 56, first Kings chapter eight and verse 56, blessed be the Lord that have given rest unto his people.

Israel, according to all that, he promised there have not failed. One word of all his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses, his servant, no promises the Lord ever gives do not come true. They always come true. And having an understanding that God has the ability to fulfill his promise and reading of some of the accounts where his promises were fulfilled.

We must also understand that God cannot lie. It is impossible. We can read that God is not a liar on several accounts because lying is impossible for God. Hebrews chapter six, let’s go back to our main text, Hebrews chapter six, and we’ll read verse 18. He retracted her six verse 18 that by two immutable things, that’s his promise in his oath in which it was impossible for God to lie.

We might have a strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay, hold upon the hope set before us. God is not a man like us. And though, therefore he cannot lie. Let me see this in numbers. Chapter 23 and verse 19 numbers, 2319, God is not a man that he should lie. Neither. The son of man that he should repent hath.

He said, and shall he not do it? Or has he spoken? And shall he not make it good when God speaks, it’s going to happen? He’s not like us. We can say something. And through certain circumstances, it doesn’t come to fruition. But God, when he says something it’s going to happen every single time, Paul proclaimed that God could not lie through the inspiration of the Holy spirit in Titus chapter one verses one and two Titus chapter one verses one and two.

Okay. Paul, a servant of God, an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect and the acknowledging of the truth, which is after godliness and hope of eternal life, which God that cannot lie promised before the world began. We have that hope of eternal life because God can not lie. And he promised it to us to comp to comprehend how it is that God cannot lie.

All one needs to look at is God’s inner character, his character, who he is first God is light first, John one five first John chapter one, verse five. Then this is the message which we have heard of him and declare unto you, that God is light and in him is no darkness at all. Another character of God, every good and perfect gift is from him.

For James chapter one in verse 17, James chapter one, verse 17, every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and cometh down from the father of lights, with whom there is no variableness neither shadow of turning. He does not vary in what he says. Everything he gives is perfect. Everything including his promise God’s way is perfect. Another great character of God,

Psalm 18 and verse 30, the 18th Psalm in verse 30 As for God, his way is perfect. The word of the Lord is tried. He is a buckler to all those that trust him. God is also just Psalm 50 and verse six, three to this, the 50th Psalm and verse six, and the heaven shall declare his righteousness for God is judge himself.

So the law, he is a just God, God is also merciful. That’s how we know he cannot lie. Romans chapter six and verse 23. Turn with me to Romans chapter six in verse 23, a well-known verse to many but not so well known to all for the wages of sin is death. Wouldn’t it be sad if it just stopped right there for the wages of sin is death,

but it doesn’t because in God’s mercy, the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ. Our Lord one in the amazing mercy we have through Christ through God in our sin, we could be lost in our sin. He doesn’t owe us anything, but through his great character, he gives us mercy. God is also love. First John chapter four verses seven through nine first John chapter four verses seven through nine beloved.

Let us love one another for love is of God and everyone that loveth is born of God and know with God he that loveth not no with not God for God is love. And this was manifested the love of God toward us because that God sent his only begotten son into the world that we might live through him. God is also all powerful turn with me to job.

Chapter 12, verses seven through 10 job, chapter 12, verses seven through 10. Okay? But as now the bees and they shall teach thee and the fowls of the air and they shall tell thee or speak to the earth and it shall teach thee. And the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee who know with not, and all these that the hand of the Lord hath wrought this.

And whose hand is the soul of every living thing and the breadth of all man kind. God is amazingly powerful. And this shows his character. God is righteous, Isaiah 41 and verse 10, Isaiah chapter 41 and verse 10 fear. Doubt not for, I am with him. Be not dismayed for, I am thy God, I will strengthen the yea.

I will help the yea. I will uphold the, with the right hand of my righteousness. God cannot lie because he is righteous. And most importantly, God cannot lie because he is infinitely. Holy first, Peter chapter one verses 15 and 16, read with me first, Peter chapter one verses 15 and 16. But as he, which has called you is Holy.

So be ye Holy in all manner of conversation, because it is written. Be ye Holy for, I am Holy. Our father is Holy and in him, there is no darkness. That is something we can look to to know that he can not lie less. His promises will always be fulfilled. And now that we know that God keeps his promises and that he cannot lie to us because it is not in him to lie.

It is impossible for him to lie. We can know that the oath of his promise as an anchor to the soul, thus God gives us hope. God’s faithfulness is our Sharon’s. God is faithful. If we follow his commandments, if there is, there is something there. If we follow his commandments, Deuteronomy chapter seven in verse nine, Deuteronomy chapter seven and verse nine,

know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth, covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations. God is faithful to us in our temptation. We can rely on him for that first Corinthians chapter 10 verses 12 and 13 first Corinthians chapter 10, verses 12 and 13 wherefore.

Let him that think as he standed take heed, lest he fall there. APH, no temptation you, but such as is common to man. But God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that. Ye are able, but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that she may be able to bear it. And because of this,

God is faithful to guard us against the evil one. Turn with me to second Thessalonians, chapter three in verse three second, Thessalonians chapter three and verse three again, but the Lord is faithful who shall establish you and keep you from evil. We can rely on God because of his faithfulness. God is faithful and he is just first John chapter one, verse nine first John chapter one and verse nine.

If we confess our sins, he, God is faithful. And just to forgive us, our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, God is faithful to everyone, to you, to me, to everyone in the world, Psalm one 19 and verse 90 turn with me to the 119th Psalm and verse 90. I faithfulness is unto all generations, thou hast established the earth and it abideth.

He’s faithful to everyone. And he is faithful forever. Just a couple of chapters back in Psalm, Psalm chapter 117, verse two for his merciful. Kindness is great toward us and the truth of the Lord. And<inaudible> forever. Praysee the Lord. We know that God is faithful because Jesus is the proof of his faithfulness. Romans chapter five in verse eight,

Romans chapter five and verse eight. Yeah, God, commendeth his love toward us. And that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us while we were yet sinners, he still keeps his promise. He looks down on all of us as his children. And even though we were sinners, he kept his promise and sent the savior for us because of God’s faithfulness.

We have a hope that is both sure. And steadfast. Our hope is an anchor of the soul. Turn with me back to our original text in Hebrews chapter six. And we’ll look at verse 19, Hebrews six 19, which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, both sure. And steadfast as our hope. Our hope is a hope that goes into heaven itself beyond the veil,

because Jesus has Pierce that veil for us continue reading in verse 19. Let’s just read the whole verse again, which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure. And steadfast, and which entering into that within the veil, Jesus says Pierce that veil. We don’t have to have a high priest for us to go before God anymore. Now we have an open door to God through Jesus.

Our hope is a hope built upon a foundation of Jesus’s priesthood. Read with me right down verse 20 and Hebrews chapter six, whether the former owner four runner is for us entered. Even Jesus made in high priest forever. After the order of milk has a deck, we can read of this coming and know that it came to fruition in Psalm chapter 110,

the entirety of Psalm chapter 110 Psalm chapter 110. The Lord said unto my Lord, sit down at my right hand until I make mine enemies. A footstool. The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion rule vow in the midst of dine enemies. My people shall be willing in the day of thy power in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning,

thou has the do of the youth. And here’s, here’s the main verse here. The Lord has sworn and will not repent thou art, a priest forever. After the order of milk has a deck. Our hope is in the appearing of Christ. This is where our hope comes from Titus chapter two, verses 11 through 14, Titus chapter two verses 11 through 14 for the grace of God,

that brings salvation. Hath appeared to all men, teaching us denying ungodliness and worldly lust. We should live. So Burley, righteously, and godly in this present world. Lucky for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify on to himself.

A peculiar people, zealous of goods. Good works. The fruition of God’s promise. Jesus came for us as Christians. We have a steadfast hope. If we trust in the promises of God, I mean, what is a relationship without trust? It’s not really a relationship at all. God. He has shown us in his word that he is faithful and steadfast in his promises time and time again,

it just read the entirety of the book. Every single page you can see God is fulfilling his promises in life. We are sometimes confronted with tragedies, troubles and disappointments. And through these experiences, we are to continue to hold tight to the Lord. It is through these experiences that we are able to show God just how much we truly trust him. We can do this because we know God is the God.

And he keeps his promises. You know that God will keep his promises because it, because it is not in his nature to lie, it is impossible because God keeps his promises. He gives us a hope of our salvation. I want to leave you with a verse from one of my favorite hymns, standing on the promises, standing on the promises that cannot fail when the howling storms of doubt and fear of sale by the living word of God,

I shall prevail standing on the promises of God, standing, standing, standing on the promises of God, my savior standing, standing. I am standing on the promises of God. There’s one promise that we can be sure of. And that is if we do, as God commands, we have the hope of eternal life through Christ Jesus, our Lord.

Amen. In order to enjoy the blessed promise of eternal life, we must first heed the commandment to hear his word and not just here, but here with an understanding to bring us to faith, Romans 10, 17, to be honest of his blessed promise and not die in our sins. We must also, I believe that Jesus is the Christ. The son of the living God,

John eight 24, the promise of eternal life is within our reach. If we obey the command of the father to repent and return to him as his child acts 1730, yet another simple command we are to obey is to ensure we receive the promise of eternal life is the confession of Jesus says the Christ, the son of the living God before all men,

Matthew 10 32, another easy command to enjoy eternal life is to be immersed for the forgiveness of our sins. Acts 2216. And the final command though. It is hard. Sometimes it may seem hard, but it is not grievous. And that is to stay faithful to the Lord until your earthly life has ended. And then we can receive our crown of righteousness in heaven.

First, John one, six and seven in revelation, two 10. If you have yet to hear God’s blessed to commands, the water of baptism are ready for you. Come share in the true promise with us and God’s promise in Christ. Or if you have faltered in your belief of God’s promise and need the prayers of the saints. We are here for you.

Remember the fervent prayer of a righteous man avail as much, James, five 16, whatever you need, please come forward. As we stand in scene,<inaudible> all things are ready. Come to the<inaudible><inaudible> Oh, things are ready.<inaudible> wow. He ways to welcome the<inaudible> all things are ready. Come to the<inaudible><inaudible> God,<inaudible> he?

The<inaudible> Michael. We appreciate that lesson and appreciate it every time that you’re able to come before us and preach. I don’t think I’m the only one who, who recognizes this, but Michael’s come a long way from the very first lessons that he gave you. You, we see this over and over again, and it’s easier for us to see it,

that it is for the person who’s going through it to see it. But every time we have a student, we see them come in and say same with Eric. When he was here, the, the presentation abilities that he had when he got here and the presentation abilities that he had when he left were very much not like each other, but it’s good to see that growth,

not only in content, but also in delivery over time, that happens with the students. Take your songbooks. If you will, and turn the number 452 will be on the slides as well. We’re going to sing the first and last verses of standing on the promises. And then we’ll be led in our closing prayer. Appreciate all of our visitors for being here,

encourage you to be back on Wednesday night and mindful, especially of those who are online or, or on the phone And her listening from afar. We want you to know, we love you. And we miss you 452 standing on the promises first and last verses. And then brother Murray will lead us in our closing prayer, standing on the problem. This is<inaudible> glory.

And a high is I will shout Dan saying, standing on the promise is I’ve gone.<inaudible> standing on the promises of God.<inaudible>, I’m standing on the promises of God. Standing on the problem is I can, ah, all listening.<inaudible> all standing on. The promise is<inaudible> standing on the promises of God.<inaudible>, I’m standing on the promises of God With me fleet our God and our father in heaven.

We’re thankful for this opportunity that has been ours to assemble ourselves together as the church and to worship the father in spirit and in truth. We’re thankful for the message that we heard today, help us to keep it in our hearts father, that we might not sin against thee. We ask that you would continue to give us our sins. As we repent of them,

we ask that you would be with us and help us to get through this pandemic, asked you to be with the whole world father. And if it’d be that, we’ll take this thing away, give us healing and recovery from it. We asked did you would be with those who are sick father, not able to be with us. We asked that you would touch him with your heating hand and restore them back to their house.

These many blessings. And we ask in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Review Questions – Revelation 17

New Questions – Revelation 18

Automated Transcript

<inaudible><inaudible> We are in revelation. So encourage you to open<inaudible> Your Bibles to the book of revelation. We’re going to be in chapter 18. After we notice a few of the, a few of the questions from previous chapters. Did I go over chapter 16 questions yet? No. Okay. Hey Jay, could you find chapter 16 and bring me a copy of those?

Cause I didn’t bother to actually bring one up here. I thought I had skipped that one, but I wasn’t certain<inaudible>. There we go. Thank you. All right. So we’ll, we’ll go over by way of review chapter 16 and chapter 17 questions, and then we’ll get into chapter 18 for our class period this morning. It’s good to have the Rushmore’s with us.

It’s good to have the Warrens with us. If you get a chance to meet them today, they attended South Haven when, when we were there and we sat just, just a few apart, they, they sat right behind us at South Haven when we were at South Haven. So it’s good to have them hope everyone’s doing well. I talked with Terry Whitley yesterday and he said Thursday and Friday,

we’re no good at all. He said he barely got out of bed, but, but yesterday he, he was able to get up, get outside a little bit, do a little bit of puttering and, and whatnot. So he, he said, you don’t want this? What w yeah. He said, whatever else I, I know about COVID now.

He said you don’t want it, but his wife has basically had no symptoms at all. So somebody mentioned this morning, well, at least there was somebody there to take care of him. I said, well, that that’s, that’s valid. That’s valid. All right, let’s begin with a word of prayer. Our gracious father in heaven, we bow before you grateful for the day that you’ve given to us grateful for the life that we have and the opportunities that we have to serve you.

We are thankful for every day that we have and are mindful that there are those who will not see tomorrow, and then also mindful of the importance and the necessity of being ready for this life to be over. Because we have no assurance of when our life will come to an end where mindful of all that you do for us on a daily basis, we’re mindful of the things that you give to those who are good.

And to those who aren’t the sunshine and the rain and the beauty of the earth, and all of the things that you have provided in your creation, but we’re most especially thankful, or your son and the, his salvation that he brought to us by coming to this earth, dying on the cross for our sins. We ask that you be with us as we go through this period of study.

And through this worship hour this morning, may the things that we do be acceptable to you may the things that we teach, be in accordance with your will in accordance with your word. And may we grow closer to you in faith and in knowledge and an understanding each and every day, all this, we pray in Jesus name, amen, chapter 16 of revelation.

And if you need a copy of the questions or you’ve misplaced a copy of your questions, they’re back on this small table, right back here at the back of the auditorium, you can grab a copy of one of those now, and you’ve got plenty of time to do that. Chapter 16, question one, what was contained in the bowls given to the seven angels?

All right, we read in verse 15, it was the wrath of God, but we also see in, in the greater context that these will be plagues, but verse one, and the answer to that question is the wrath of God. Verse six, question two. What reason did the angels angel of the water give for bold two and three. Yeah.

Okay. So ball two and three, the second and third plague in this are similar to the Exodus plague of turning the water to blood. Except in this instance, you have the seas and the oceans turned to blood. And then as a separate item, you have the fresh water turned to blood, but the angel of the, of the water comes in and declares.

Here’s why this is retribution for the shedding of the blood of the saints and the profits. Okay. Question number three, for what people in the old Testament where water’s dried up so they could cross over. Okay. But in the old Testament, Israelites, okay. We, we talked about this. There’s two different possible applications looking backwards, but there’s only one group of people consistently throughout old Testament history where the water’s dry up before them and allow them to cross over.

And so this picture of the Kings of, from the East is seemingly a picture of God’s people. The alternative to that, because again, especially when you’re dealing with apocalyptic literature, you get a here, here’s this, this sign. And it’s like, okay, you got to kind of piece it together and hope you’re you’re headed in the right direction.

Sometimes the other option is the example of when the Mito Persian empire came and they diverted the Euphrates river because in the text, the Euphrates is specifically mentioned. They diverted the Euphrates river and went under the wall of Babylon and conquered it in one night. That also shares a lot of the fact that we have a reference here to Babylon over and over and over again,

throughout this chapter, chapter 17 and chapter 18, you’ve got this, this picture of Rome as Babylon. And so that would also meet the, the picture. But the old Testament example of those who crossed over on dry ground is consistently and Israelite or God’s people analogy in the new Testament does quote, I am coming as a thief always mean that we are talking about the second coming of Christ.

No, it doesn’t. Matter of fact, there are numerous times where the analogy of God coming as a thief. In other words, coming when people are unprepared coming at an unexpected time deals with a, shall we say, a regular judgment and not necessarily the end of time and such as is also contextually true in chapter 16, verse 15, chapter 16,

verse 15, question five, who is blessed, according to verse 15, All right. The ones who watch and keep their garments. And we talked about the analogy of holiness that is made earlier on in the book. We talked about the layout of seeing church and God’s description that because they have what they were doing. They were poor and blind and naked.

They fought, they were close, they fought, they were rich. They thought they had eyesight and they didn’t. God says you need to be prepared for my judgment. What is number six? What is the physical location in Palestine for the Hebrew word? Armageddon. Maketto okay. That’s that is the word for the location known in the, the land of Israel,

Asma ghetto after all seven of the bowls that mankind repent. No. Okay. So what you’re seeing here, what we’ve seen earlier is you see seven trumpets and earlier on in the book, and those seven trumpets are partial judgements, trying to get the people to repent and they don’t. And then you see, because they didn’t repent w during the partial judgments,

now God’s wrath is going to come upon them with full judgment. And yet they did not repent. Okay. Revelation, chapter 17 questions, according to verse one, what is chapter 17 about, Okay, But there’s it here in chapter 17, one of the angels who had one of the bowls comes to John and says, I’m going to show you something the judgment of the harlot that sits on many waters.

Okay. So chapter 17 is the judgment of the harlot, which we’re going to see in chapter 17. Verse 18 is also the great city. We’re going to continue that discussion into chapter 18 as well. Okay. So what is chapter 17 amount? It is the judgment of the great harlot. What did the King of the earth do with the, or the Kings of the earth do with the harlot?

Hey, they committed fornication. When you see this in chapter 17, it’s not really explained. It is explained more in chapter 18. So we’re going to spend some time talking about that in chapter 18. What kind of beast does the woman bribe Say that again? All right. A Scarlet colored beast. How many heads? Seven heads. How many horns?

10 horns. Okay. So the, the woman who’s, who’s pictured as a harlot who the nations have committed for an occasion with her. They are sorry. She is riding upon a beast. The beast, if you compare it to the, the different creatures that have been discussed already in the book of revelation looks most like the dragon. He looks most similar to the dragon earlier on in the book,

but she rides upon this beast and we have the seven heads and 10 horns brought forward, carrying forward. Some of the prophecies of Daniel, we talked about that last Wednesday. So we’re not gonna spend a lot of time on it. What is the woman drunk with the blood of the saints? Okay. Over and over and over again. You’re going to read this in this section on judgment.

You go back to chapter 16 and the judgment of the water turning to blood is because of the blood of the saints. You come over to chapter 17 and here’s the woman and she’s pictured, and she’s drunk with the blood of the saints, go all the way back to chapter six. And the very first time we really hear of judgment coming. It’s immediately following the cry of the saints going,

how long God are you going to allow this to go on? And they’re the saints who have died for the testimony of Christ. Okay. So this is a constant reminder. God is about judgment on Rome and on its persecuting power because of their treatment of the people of God. Okay. What was John’s reaction to seeing her? All right. He was amazed.

John is going to be amazed, but the one who’s with him says, don’t be, let me show you what occurs. All right. What do we read about the status of the beast in the past present and future three terms. All right. He was, he is not, and yet is okay. So there was a time when he was persecuting.

He’s not currently persecuting, but he’s about to begin persecuting again is what we’re, we’re getting there in that passage, beginning in verse nine. What two things are signified by the BESE seven heads. Okay. Seven mountains and seven Kings. All right. Seven mountains is a, is a declarative picture of Rome. The city that sat upon seven Hills and seven Kings of the emperors of Rome up,

up to this point. Okay. Up to and including Titus, the, the one that would follow what is the beast that was and is not. And this is directly from the text. What is the text? Say? It is the eighth. Okay. Over in Daniel, you’ve got 10 Kings initially. And then an 11th that comes up. John ignores three of those Kings,

because over in Daniel, those Kings were uprooted anyway. Okay. In John’s prophecy, drawing forward, Daniel chapter seven, you have seven that you begin with and then in eighth comes up. Okay. You’ve got a parallel there between what John is saying and what Daniel is saying, but it’s important to notice that the one who’s coming up when, when the beast comes back up,

the one that’s going to do the persecuting all the way, including back in Daniel, the one who’s going to do the persecuting is the eighth. Okay. That would be the mission now in, where am I at? Question number eight? What do the beast and the Kings or horns do according to verse 14. All right. They make war with the lamb.

Here’s the picture you’ve got. You’ve got Rome. And you’ve got this persecuting power, especially seen in, in the eighth King, rising up and they make war. But do they win? No. Okay. So what will happen to the harlot? According to verse 16. Okay. She’ll be made desolate, but by whom, okay. The 10 horns you go back to earlier on in the passage and you get this picture of the horns being the,

the Kings and the nations that Rome was allied with Rome didn’t fall because a great nation came against her. Rome fell from the inside. Predominantly it dealt with many Kings coming against her many, many nations attacking her, but Rome, the cage from the inside, out these Kings, while they had an Alliance with Rome. And while, while it was mutually beneficial,

they didn’t like her. They hated her. And they would make her desolate. Her own alliances would bring about a portion of her destruction. Then verse 18, who is the woman? The great city. Okay. So we go all the way back to Let’s see, lost the Go all the way back to chapter 11. We’re talking about the two witnesses here in chapter 11 and the witnesses,

the ones that have power over keeping rain from falling. And we get a picture of Elijah. We, we also have the one witness that has power over bringing plagues on the earth and turning water to blood and, and making the sun not shine. There’s a picture of Moses. Okay. But all together, it’s a picture of God’s people. When they finished their testimony,

verse seven, the beast that sends out of the bottomless pit, which over in 17, we’re reading about a woman who’s riding what a beast. Okay. So the beast that co sends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them and kill them all throughout, back in chapter 16, back in chapter 17, the woman is accused of what?

Killing, who the saints. Okay. So you’re, you’re not, and this is something to, to understand. When you go through revelation, you shouldn’t think about it as a chronological progression where chapter 11 happens. And then the, you know, God’s prophecies come about something that’s going to come later. And that’s chapter 15 and chapter 16. And then you don’t think about it in a current chronology or chronological progression.

There are things where God says, I’m going to do this, and then I’m going to do this. But all throughout it, you keep circling back. You keep circling back to the picture, the analogy of all the way back to chapter six, I’m doing this because of the persecution of my sayings. And so you see the beast come up, but you don’t see who he is.

And then you see later who he is, and then you see the other beast come up. And, but you don’t see really who they are. And then you get to chapter 17 and you get more clarity, but you kind of have to backtrack all the way back to chapter 11 to go wait a minute. Now let’s put the pieces together. Okay.

So it’s, it’s one of the difficult things. As you read these progression of prophecies, you’re not necessarily progressing further down the years of time. You’re just seeing a different picture and a more complete picture of what God is saying quite often. So when they finished their testimony, the beast that it sends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them,

overcome them and kill them. And their bodies will lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. Then those from the people’s tongues, from the people’s tribes, tongues and nations will see their dead bodies three and a half days, and will not allow their dead bodies be putting graves.

Those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and make Mary this and send great gifts to one another. Because the two prophets who tormented those who dwell on the earth, okay? So here we are. We’ve got a picture of a city. We have three analogies, three different descriptions of the city. We’ve got Saddam and it’s wickedness. It’s fornication,

it’s infidelity. We’ve got Egypt, it’s captivity and persecution of God’s people. And we’ve got Jerusalem, the city of faults worship. Okay. It’s interesting that Jerusalem becomes the city of false worship as viewed here in this chapter, that is comparative to the false prophets that we see when the land beast comes up. Because again, you’ve got the three, the same three pictures coming forward in,

in the three beasts, because here’s the point Jesus Christ died in Jerusalem, but Jerusalem is not under consideration the book of revelation, but the city that was so ingrained in its religion that they won, except the giver of their religion is the epitome of false religion. They were so ingrained in their own worship. They’re temple, they’re this. And they’re that,

that when the one who gave them the religion to begin with, came to the earth, they put him on a cross. It is the epitome of false religion. Okay? So that’s chapter 17, chapter 17 and chapter 18 go together. Okay. This is kind of a package unit. There should be no chapter break here, but it’s probably good that there was,

we would have never gotten through all of it in one class. Anyway, chapter 18, verse one. After these things, I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority. And the earth was illuminated with his glory. This angel proceeds down from heaven. Again, John’s seeing this. This is, this is visionary. John sees an angel come down from heaven and his glory is such that what happens he’s brighter than the sun is okay.

Here comes an angel. He comes down to the earth and it is glorious such that it illuminates the earth. Okay? And he cried mightily with a loud voice saying Babylon, the greatest fallen is fallen and it has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit and a cage for every unclean and hated bird. This angel comes down from heaven and Reed declares.

The prophecy that’s already been made to somebody. Remember just off the top of your head, where that, that statement has already been made. Let’s see. 14, eight. All right. So let’s go back to verse six of chapter 14. Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth to every nation,

tribe, tongue, and people saying with a loud voice, fear God, and give glory to him for the hour of his judgment has come. And the worship of him and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the Springs of water. And then another angel followed saying Babylon is fallen is fallen that great city, because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.

Okay. We’re taking the statement, the declaration from the, the angel and chapter. And now John’s going to see the fleshing out Of that prophecy. Okay. That statement. So he sees another angel come down and the same declarations made again Before we were, before the judgment started now where the judgments concluded. I mean, th Seven bowls have been poured out.

God’s judgment has come upon them. Now you’re Getting the complete picture. Okay. So you’re getting the before and the, after My Babylon, the greatest fallen is fallen has become a dwelling place of demons of prison for every foul spirit and a cage for every unclean and hated bird for all the nations have drunk the wine of the wrath of her fornication. Wasn’t that what we just read in chapter 42 SA same words.

You’re, you’re, you’re seeing the connection here. The King, The earth have committed fornication with her and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of our luxury. John’s going to describe as is given by the angel, this declaration Of why these nations did this banking Chapter 17. We’re told that the Kings of the earth committed fornication with this Charlotte,

but we’re not told why we’re just Hold that they became intoxicated by her. Well, now we’re going to get the picture. Now we’re going to see why Is it that God Wrath is going to come upon them and why God’s wrath is going to come upon the great city And what it was that caused them to get in bed with this city. Okay.

For all, All the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, verse four. And I heard another voice from heaven saying, come out of her. My people lest you share in her sins, less you receive of her plagues. So there’s a, a cry that comes out a declaration that comes out to the people. God,

leave, come out, back in Matthew chapter 24. Jesus tells his disciples that When they see the signs of the destruction of Jerusalem Coming, they’re supposed to do what leave. He said, if you’re out in the field, I’ll go back home. If you’re off the mountain, don’t come back down. If you’re up on the rooftop, get out.

When you see this happen, you leave. Because if you delay, your judgment will come to your, you will be caught up in the judgment. Okay? So not talking about the end of time and this isn’t either here. There’s an opportunity for those who are Righteous to leave before the destruction comes on the city. Okay? So he says, I heard another voice From heaven saying,

come out of her. My people, as you share in her sins, less you receive of her plagues for her sins have reached to heaven and gone has remembered her iniquities arrows. A number of times in the old and new Testament where we are Told God remembers something a few times, That’s a positive statement. God remembers the good things someone did, but overarchingly that’s a God’s judgment.

And his wrath Staff has been filled up. God Remembered had been storing up as it were all that. And now it’s time to wipe the slate clean through judgment. Okay. So when you, God remembered it, it wasn’t though. Oh God, that it slipped God’s mind. No, no, no, no. That’s not what you’re reading. Okay.

You’re bringing about your book, Bringing forward. All of the things they’re guilty of as if in court, as if to a judge, if you’re, you’re not sitting there watching all of the things happening and trying to no, no. You’re rehearsing before the judge. Why the person’s guilty? Why the judgment is just why they’re going to receive a, Just punishment.

Okay. There’s your picture of remembrance here? So for her Ends have reached to heaven and God has remembered her iniquity render to her just as she rendered to you and repay her double. According to her works in the cup, which she is mixed, mixed doubles for her. So often we read in scripture, the way you judge, You will be judged the way Yeah.

You measure towards someone else. It will be measured to you Again and here you have The way she has done, the others will be turned back on her And double, okay. For all that she’s done in the measure and that she Fight herself and lived luxuriously in the same measure, give her torment and sorrow for. She says in her heart, I sit as queen and am no widow and will not see sorrow.

The declaration of the great city, the declaration of Rome is I’m impenetrable. I I’m queen of all the earth here, A harlot, a degenerate who’s declaring herself, queen Jane and she’s queen only because of the influence that she’s had to cause people to sin. But she believes nobody’s going to judge me. Nobody can touch me. This kind of fixture occurs in the old Testament.

By other nations. I believe tire is, is one of the nations where that idea over in Ezekiel is used of tire, declaring yourself untouchable, Except she wasn’t. And they found an entire found out from Alexander. The great, the untouchable Can be touched. God is going to tell Rome, you think you sit as queen of the world. You’re not verse eight.

Therefore her plagues will come in one day, then Death and mourning and famine. And she will be utterly burned with fire for strong is the Lord. God who judges her now all throughout this chapter, you’re going to get the, the Babylon parallels. Okay? The great city Babylon, those ones Already been mentioned, but Babylon fell in A year and a night.

So you’re going to keep Seeing the analogy of Babylon drawn forward throughout this passage. So in a day, Death and Mourning and famine, verse nine, the Kings of the earth who committed fornication and lived luxuriously with her will weep and lament for her. When they see the smoke of her burning. Now, wait a minute. I just thought back over in chapter 17,

the Kings who were allied with her, Devoured her and made her desolate. They did, But they’re not mourning because of her desolation. Watch why their morning, okay. They’ll see the smoke of her burning and they’ll look, they’ll weep and lament, standing at a distance for fear of her torment saying a last of last, the great city of Avalon that mighty city for in one hour,

your judgment has come. So they declare her judgment. They declare it’s, it’s rapidness standing, and the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her for no One. Watch this buys Their merchandise anymore. Are they weeping and lamenting because they love the great city. No they’re weeping And lamenting. Cause they just lost a whole lot Of money. Thank Got ships full of product.

And they take them to Rome and they sell them. And now Rome, as<inaudible> as the picture is, as these merchants in these shifts are, are sitting there on the Mediterranean sea as if it were sitting back and watching Rome burn, they go, who are we? Who are we going to sell it Junk too? Who are you selling this stuff to?

Our city just, just got, just got desolated at. They’re not, they have no concern for the city. They have no concern for, For Rome. They have concerned for their own riches. Okay. This is entirely selfish mourning. And the merchants of the earth verse 11 will weep and mourn over her for no one buys their merchandise anymore. Merchandise of gold and silver,

precious stones and pearls, fine linen and purple silk and Scarlet, every kind of Citron wood, every kind of object of ivory, every kind of object of the most precious wood, bronze iron and marble and cinnamon and incense, fragrant oil and frankincense wine and oil flying flour and wheat, cattle and sheep horses and chariots and bodies of the souls of man.

Everything from slaves to every precious thing that you can imagine. Every aspect of commerce is what this city is involved Then. And all the world sits back and watches Because when she falls, so do they, they get him economically, but her desolation, her judgment is complete. Okay. So the fruit of Your soul longed for has gone from you and all the things which are rich and splendid have gone from you and you shall find them no more at all.

Here’s the woman, the city, the CA declared herself, queen declare that no sorrow would ever touch Her. And immediately following That picture is all of those who were in bed with her. Declare You’re gone. No joy will ever touch you again. Okay. The merchants of these things who became rich by her will stand at a distance for fear of her torment,

weeping and wailing, and saying alas, alas, that great city, which was clothed in fine linen purple and Scarlet and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls for in one hour such great riches came to nothing. Every ship master in all who traveled by ship sailors in it, many as trade on the sea, stood at a distance and cried. When they saw the smoke of her burning saying,

what is like this great city. They threw dust on their heads and crying out weeping and wailing and saying, alas, alas, that great city in which all who had ships on the sea became rich by our wealth for in one hour, she has made desolate, rejoice over her. Oh, heaven. And you Holy prophet or Holy apostles and prophets for God has avenged you On her.

So In the myths of all the war of, of mourning in the midst of all the weeping and myths of all the anguish in judgment and desolation, Who gets to rejoice the apostles and the prophets and the saints, you take that all the way back to chapter six. When God says you rest for a little while and I’ll show you, what’s going to happen to her.

Okay? What’s going To come about by way of judgment for the persecution of his people, then verse 21, then am I, the angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea. There is one passage in scripture talks specifically about a millstone being cast into a sea thing. It’s Luke chapter 17, where Jesus says, do not offend one of these little ones for IQ calls.

One of these little ones to stumble into sin. It would be better for you that a millstone were hung about your neck. And then you be cast into the sea. Then you cause one of these little ones to stumble, kind of have this picture here of here’s Rome. Here’s the great harlot. Here’s the one that seduced the world to sin. And God says,

I’m bringing you to destruction and that I’m casting you in the sea. And I’m going to catch you as a millstone. Ain’t nobody ever pulling you back up. Your judgment is final. So the mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea saying thus with violence, the great city Babylon shall be thrown down and shall not be found anymore.

The sound of harpists musicians, flutists, and trumpeters shall not be heard in you anymore. No craftsmen or any craft shall be found in you any more in the sound of a millstone shall not be heard in you anymore. The light of a lamp shall not shine in you anymore. And the voice of the brine and the brine or bride room, and Brian shall not be hurting you anymore for your merchants were the great men of the earth for,

by your sorcery. All the nations were deceived and in her. Okay? So, so now you get this picture. She’s cast into the sea as a millstone, she’s drowned in the sea. And when you take something and you uproot it kind of like when big storm comes by a great big giant tree falls, what do you see for the first time?

What was underneath it? And that’s kind of the picture you have here. When the gray city is uprooted, winter judgment comes, winter. Desolation is made apparent. And then as it were, she’s picked up and cast into the sea. As a millstone, you look underneath, you look on the inside. You see what’s always been hidden. And verse 24 says,

and in her was found the blood of profits and saints and of all who were slaying on the earth. You find judgment comes. And then as that judgment is enacted, you find God picturing and here’s her guilt. And it’s readily apparent. This is why she was guilty. And this is why this judgment was called for. Okay. So that’s chapter 18.

Again, as we go through this, remember we’re not supposed to be looking for a time when, when Rome fell in a day, we’re not supposed to be looking for a time when Rome was picked up and cast into the sea. We’re not supposed to be even looking for a time where no flute was ever played in the city of Rome ever again.

No, these are pictures. These are pictures that carry forward. A lot of old Testament imagery and a lot of old Testament judgments to say, God is saying, I’m going to be done with her. And isn’t it interesting that to this day, one of the things that you can go see is what’s left of Rome. There are a lot of nations that have come and gone on this earth where you can’t go find anything that’s left,

but Rome, you could go see she fell and she’s gone the power, the world power, that one declared by Daniel. God said, I’m going to raise up a kingdom made without hands and it’ll never be destroyed. And while the church has gone through torment and difficulty, anguish and pain and persecution everywhere on this planet, at some point in time,

she still exists and Rome is gone. God did exactly what he said. Okay. That’s what revelation has always been about. God wins. And so to his people. Okay. Thank you for your attention. We’ll go over chapter 18 questions on Wednesday.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> Good morning. Welcome to Collierville church. Christ’s Sunday morning worship service. It is really good to see each and every one of you out here this morning,

we have several visitors with us and I want to thank you for joining us to worship our God this morning and visitors. If you don’t mind, if you have an opportunity, please fill out a visitor’s card and either leave it on a Pew or do it to one of the men so that we have a record of your visit. And again, we are so glad that you chose Collierville church Christ to worship God this morning.

If you did not pick up your Lord’s supper, it is on the tables at the back of the pews. Here it be a good time. While I finished the announcements to go get that. If you did not get it already on our sick list, please continue to remember. Joan Springer, Dorothy Wilson, and Janet Jones. As they continue to work through their ongoing problems,

please keep them in your thoughts and prayers. Terry and Patricia Wheatley, you know, have been out with COVID-19. Patricia has very few signs of it at all, and she’s doing really good. Terry is getting better, but he says, it’s one of those things. You do not want to get it, but he is getting better. He said yesterday,

he felt pretty good, but he says, you don’t want to get it. If you’ve not had it, don’t get it. Period. Crystal crystal Rushmore has have some, having some soul shoulder problems. It is a possible torn rotator cuff. They’re going to do the physical therapy route first and do some more examining and checking on her to see if they can’t determine exactly what is wrong with her.

So please keep crystal in your thoughts and prayers and then Vince it to Darrow who’s Jenny’s. Dad is in the hospital and he has pneumonia. So please keep Vincent to narrow in your thoughts and prayers for the man. We’ll have our monthly business meeting tomorrow night here at the church building at seven o’clock. If you have any agenda items, please write it on the board out there or give it to Jay.

He is our contact person for this quarter. Shelby County election commission has notified us that they are going to use our building from November 18th through the 3rd of December, because on December 8th, there has to be a runoff election. And that’s for one of the alderman here in Collierville is what I understand. So there’ll be using our building again for voting so that in mind,

as you come to a Bible study on Wednesday evenings, check out the news, why gospel call meetings? Several people that we know very well are going to be on there presenting different topics in the next few weeks here, Gary and Glen Colley are both doing it. And then TJ and BJ Clark are all speaking. So be a good time. Pick up one of those flyers and call in and listen to that at nine o’clock Monday through Friday,

also, don’t forget about the truth. FM radio stations, a lot of great lessons and great singing going on 24 hours a day, seven days a week on that we have a card I’ve already put the card on the bulletin board, but I got the contents of the card here on my notes. So that reads Collierville family. We want to thank you for your love prayers and support during our family crisis,

the financial help you so generously gave our family, made something we thought impossible possible. We are so grateful to have a church family like Collierville love the Dale family, Michael Jessica, Brandon, and Christian. That’s all of our announcements this morning. Our worship service today. Song service is going to be between Aaron and Joel. They’re going to take care of that for us.

The two of them combined opening prayer, Louis Rushmore. One of our visitors is going to do that for us. Lord supper is Jay Schaffer. Sermon will be Aaron Cole, it’s art and closing. Prayer is Tommy O’Neil. Thank you. Take your songbooks or use the overhead. If you will. And let’s turn to number 991, 991. This is my father’s world.

We’ll sing all three verses. This is my fault.<inaudible> all nature’s seeings. And round me rings music<inaudible> rocks and trees of skies.<inaudible> the Lily white, the<inaudible>. I hear him pass. He speaks to me every way.<inaudible> nah, though, the wrong seems off so strong. God is a rule<inaudible> jeez, us who die shall be side is five and Dan ham be Whoa,

Let us pray. Our heavenly father, as we come before the, this hour on the morning of this day, at the beginning of a new week, we do do so humbly and recognizing that thou art, our God, our creator, or thou art, our greatest benefactor, our friend, if we are obedient to the gospel of Christ and continue therein,

we pray heavenly father that all we do this hour in our, our efforts to worship, they will be acceptable. The time that the divine favor would overshadow us, we pray that as we’ve gathered a worship, we might be able to remove from our mind, the various distractions of life. We might be fully involved in every aspect and facet of our worship.

Our only desire might be that we can do what we do to please the, to glorify thy name. We pray heavenly father aware of the various circumstances in life that affect us all that we might be able to address the challenges that face us, whether they be health challenges, or economic challenges, family challenges, whether they be challenges of any, of,

any, of any origin that we might be able to, to be the eye children, to conduct ourselves accordingly, to have the appropriate, to conduct and response and words coming from our mouth. We pray thy blessings upon this nation in which we are. We pray that the unrest it has been so far flung might come to an end. We’re mindful of the pandemic that has not only affected this country,

but it has affected the countries throughout the world. We pray that my bed satisfactory conclusion to that also as a song we sang so indicated, we recognize that our, our, the creator of all that is in likewise, that ruling over this earth also rules and the kingdoms of ma’am. We pray that we might, as I people recognize by hand in the affairs of man and not to contest the way in which that would unfold.

I will in these things, but rather we would concentrate and being the church concentrate on being at eye children. We pray that the liberties that we now enjoy, that permit us to assemble as we have this morning to worship in spirit and truth might not be changed or hindered in any way. We pray that around the, that opportunities might have bound for the gospel of Christ and that other children might be able to assemble and to worship and to serve.

We are mindful of many of our family that are ill. We pray for their recovery or mindful that there are families that are facing bereavement. We probably, they might be up with didn’t confident too. We know that in various parts of the world, persecution against people continues on. We pray that they might be relieve that persecution of possible. And certainly I’m able to go forth as they face.

These also challenges in life. We pray heavenly father that they will be done in earth. We pray might be a part of the unfolding that providential will we pray for wisdom. We pray for understanding. We pray for patients. We’ll pray. Heavenly father that I would reserve for us, a place in heaven. We probably that will be done in all things.

We might be a part of. I will. We pray in Jesus name. Amen. Next song will be number 496. Oh, listen to the wondrous story. 496. I hope you all know this one. If not join me in any way it occurred to me. I don’t know that we’ve sung this one here since I’ve been here. So it’s a good,

it’s a good song though. 496. Oh, listen to a one dressed. Ori counted one song among a loss. Yet one came down from heaven’s glory saving us awful. Cause who’s saved us from me.<inaudible> what did he<inaudible> no. Angel could his place have a gun? Hi. Yes. Hi though. He, the loved one on the cross voice<inaudible> was one of the God had three.

Who’s a saved us from me to no laws. What did he do?<inaudible> in heaven into see<inaudible> well, YUSA Renda to this<inaudible> you too. Shall come to know his fave. He will save you. Save you. Who’s saved us from me. Did he do, where is he now?<inaudible> We got through that one. Okay. 715,

715. We’ll use this song to repair our minds for the Lord’s supper. The churches one found a fish is jeez, Hold on just a minute. Just a minute. There’s two versions of this song and I’ve got the wrong one. Just a minute. We’re just going to change songs. So it takes your, take your songbooks. If you will,

and turned to number 314, just blank. That screen. If you don’t mind, 314 beneath the cross of Jesus, We’ll sing the first, second and fourth verse Beanie Kroll song. Jeez, I fan would tag my<inaudible> wrong with and we are and home with, and<inaudible> from the<inaudible> the noon tide. He<inaudible> Oh, safe fan happy.

Or if you tried and we say, Oh,<inaudible> and Avon’s justice me mean as to the Patri.<inaudible> so see my Savior’s Ross to me up to<inaudible>. I<inaudible> shine than the us and shine<inaudible> to the Whoa, go by too. No, no again, no, I lost my<inaudible>. My only shame, my glory, all the fuck wrong.

We now come to a very special time in our worship service, where we remember the death of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. I want to just read a short passage from Matthew, where Jesus instituted this, what we call the Lord’s supper. And in Matthew chapter 26 and verse 26, it starts and as they were eating and I might add that this eating was the Passover that they had traveled to Jerusalem from Galilee.

He Jesus and his disciples to celebrate this Passover feast, no small journey, 60 miles. They walked probably all the way. Probably took them two, three days at any rate, they were in Jerusalem and as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed it and break it and gave it to the deposits. The pot disciples and said, take eat.

This is my body. And he took the cup and gave thanks and gave it to them saying drink. Ye all of it for this is my blood of the new Testament, which is shed for many, for the remission of sins. But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you,

my father’s kingdom. So let’s displace all of our worldly thoughts and focus our minds upon the cross. As we partake of these emblems heavenly father, we’re indeed grateful for the privilege. We have to assemble about this table to participate in this Lord supper, to remember the death and the significance of the death of your son, Jesus, as we partake of this bread,

which represents his body, there was sacrificed on the cross, help us to remember the pain and anguish that our sins caused. So in jesus’ name that we pray amen, and all lives matter. Father, as we partake of this fruit of the vine, which represents to us that blood that was shed for our sins, help us to do so in a way that was fitting and that’s acceptable in God’s side,

it’s in Jesus name. We pray, amen. This concludes the Lord’s supper. We find this a very convenient time to offer our prayers for the many material blessings that have so richly been bestowed upon us. Let’s go to our father in prayer and acknowledge those. Yes, heavenly father. We’re indeed grateful for the many material, things that have so richly given to us in this country where mindful of all these gifts truly coming from you,

help us always to acknowledge the true source of these. And we thank you father for your great generosity. It’s in Jesus name. We pray as we give back a portion of what we’ve been blessed with, You would be marking your books for number nine Oh nine. That would be our song of encouragement. Number nine Oh nine will be on the overhead.

I believe I’m not sure now we’ll be singing number 71 as the deer 71, pass a pass, pour the water. So my<inaudible> my heart desire and I long to worship you<inaudible> and I lore to worship you. I watch more than go<inaudible><inaudible> ever. And the, my I<inaudible> my strength. My<inaudible> Now Aaron, good morning. Take your Bibles.

If you will. And open them to Zechariah Zechariah chapter 14, the closing chapter of this book, As you’re turning there, want to for just a moment, remind us where we started in Zechariah Zechariah and begins what we have recorded of his prophecies chapter one, verse one in the eighth month of the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah.

The son of Berekiah, the son of<inaudible> the prophet saying the Lord has been very angry with your fathers. The very first words from the prophet Zechariah to Israel bearing in mind, they went into captivity. They were in Babylonian captivity for 70 years. Then they returned, they came back to build the temple, and yet Zechariah comes to them. After they had failed to build the temple,

they laid its foundation. Then it sat dormant for 16 years and they had guy in Zechariah come to get the work back to completion. And the very first words we have from Zachariah is the Lord has been very angry with your fathers in the tone and tenor of how Zachariah’s prophecies begin. They’ll end, therefore say to them, verse three, thus says the Lord of hosts,

return to me says the Lord of hosts. And I will return to, you says the Lord of hosts do not be like your fathers to whom the former prophets preach saying, thus says the Lord of hosts turn now from your evil ways and your evil deeds, but they did not hear nor he read me, says the Lord, your fathers, where are they?

And the prophets do they live forever yet? Surely my words and my statutes, which I command my servants, the prophets. Did they not overtake your fathers? Notice what Zechariah begins by saying, number one, the Lord’s been very angry with your ancestors. Number two, don’t be like them, or you’ll get What they got. Number three, don’t think that That your ancestors made it out without my word being fulfilled upon them.

The word of the profits overtook them verse the end of verse six. So they returned and said just as the Lord of hosts, determined to do to us, according to our ways and according to our deeds. So he has dealt with us. The, the closing statement Is exhibit Exactly what God said he would do is exactly what he Did. So Zechariah begins his prophecy by reminding them of where they came from,

reminding them of what God’s done in the past so that they can have a surety that when he speaks to them and delivers what God is telling to them, now they can be just as assured that what God says about what’s to come will come to pass. And with those words from chapter one, chapter 14, verse one, as we get to the conclusion of this three chapter prophecy that began in chapter 12,

we find behold Old, the day of the Lord is coming And your spoil will be divided in your midst for, I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem. The city shall be taken the houses rifled and the women ravaged half of the city shall go into captivity. But the remnant of the people shall not be caught, shall not be cut off from the Zachariah.

The Who is encouraging them to build. Hold on. I am okay. Just got quieter. The profit that Is encouraging them to build Is now the profit that says God’s going to bring destruction again. Here’s Zachariah. Okay. And here they are in the midst of this and in the midst of this prophecy. And again, they’re being told Jerusalem is going to be destroyed.

So where’s the hope, Eh, w where’s the, where’s the, to go on. Where’s the encouragement to continue building. If they’re already being told long before the city is now a walled city again, long before the city is strong again, long before the city is prosperous. Again, God’s going to come and destroy it again Here in Zachariah. God makes it clear.

This nation will reach a point where I will end my covenant with them. We, I saw that over in chapter 11 and chapter 12 and chapter 13 in the prophecies concerning the death of the Messiah. You remember how many times Jesus in his parables and in his illustrations would bring up the idea of a vineyard owner and the occasion where Jesus would talk concerning the vineyard owner that would leave and go on a journey and leave his vineyard in the hands of those who were to tend the vineyard and the vineyard keepers,

where to keep it. And they were to, they were to provide for it and they were to care for it, but he was going to return. And so he sent back a servant to see how things were and they beat him and sent him back. They didn’t receive the servant. They didn’t listen to the servant. They didn’t treat the servant like the master.

They instead abused him. So he sends back another servant. And again, the same thing happens. So Determines this time I will send my son because they will honor my son and he sends his son And they kill him. And then jesus’ question is what will the master do to those vineyard keepers? When he returned The arms and the answer’s clear, he’s going to judge them.

He is Going to destroy them because of what they did to his son, Israel, One through whom the Messiah would come is the one God would judge for the messiahs Death for. They would be the one who would put him on the cross. And yet in this prophecy concerning Jerusalem, again, being judged, again, being destroyed, you have Again,

a remnant or with God, there always seems to be a remnant. There Always seems to be those, no matter how small their number might be. If you think about places, Sodom and Gomorrah, where three, Make it out alive, No matter how small the number is, there’s a remnant that will be faced<inaudible> to him. So God says here in the end of verse two,

but the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city. And here’s where you see a transition. At the beginning of the prophecy, all the nations are going to come against Jerusalem and Jerusalem is going to be destroyed. But a new Jerusalem Comes a new Jerusalem made from a remnant of faithful people, a new Jerusalem. And interestingly, at least my understanding of the passage,

if this is applicable to the new Testament church, this is no longer the old Jerusalem. This is no longer the rebuilding of the walls. This is no longer the laying of a ground for a new temple. This is no longer the Jerusalem that would again, someday be destroyed. Pre-ACA rye, the prophet that bridges the old and the new Testament. He is,

It is the prophet that talks about the old Israel and the old Jerusalem, and then a new one where everything’s different. And I want us to see in chapter 14, the new Jerusalem, wherever Things different because this Jerusalem is no longer about the Jews. Notice what we read, but Remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city. As a result,

verse three, we have now God’s judgment upon the nations. God, doesn’t let this stand. God uses the nations to draw, to destroy Jerusalem. As he’s done in the past, he did it with Babylon and he’ll do it again. But God in turn will turn around and judge the enemies of his people. Then the Lord will go forth verse three and fight against those nations.

As he fights in the day of battle. And in that day, his feet will stand on the Mount of olives. One of the Mount of olives is one of the Hills outside of Jerusalem is interesting that a number of times you find Jesus going to the Mount of olives. You find the Mount of olives is one of the primary places where Jesus would spend his time.

When he was in the vicinity of Jerusalem. It is the Mount of olives that Jesus will come from. As he enters Jerusalem, victoriously riding upon the donkey. It is the Mount of olives. He will go back to after he and the apostles, leave that upper room on the night of his bedroom. Jesus Christ we’ll find his place Standing upon Mount Zion,

standing upon Jerusalem, standing upon the Mount of, and here you have the Mount of olives pictured as a place of deliverance. Notice what we read and the Mount of olives shall be split into from East to West, making a very large Valley. Half of the mountain shall move toward the Northern half of the, toward the South. Then you shall flee through my mountain Valley for the mountain Valley shall reach to Azale.

Yes, you shall flee. As you fled from the earthquake. In the days of use IAH, the King of Judah, God says using again, this is figurative language. This is, this is apocalyptic language language, as Zechariah would use it quite often, he says, here’s the Mount of olives. And the Lord is going to stand on the Mount of olives.

His feet are going to be on the Mount of olives. And yet from there, deliverance comes and God says, I’m going to split the Mount of olives in half. Now. We’re not supposed to be looking for a time in history where we see the fulfillment, where God takes the Mount of olives. It splits it. And it has a matter of fact,

if you go over the land of Palestine, you can go stand on it right now. So what is he saying? There was a time when Israel stood On the shores of the red sea And there was an army behind them and a sea in front of them. And they could go no further. And if they stayed, they die. And if they tried to go back,

they die. And they By themselves had no hope. And yet Moses said, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. And he was Raised his rod and he stretched it over the red sea by the commandment of God and the water Parted And stood up on either side. And the people Walked through on dry ground. God, again, delivers his people.

God, again, provides And opening Dressing. When you go over to Matthew chapter 24 and Luke chapter 21, as you read about what Jesus said would come in the destruction of Jerusalem, Jesus makes it clear. There’s going to be a, a number of signs that lead up to the destruction of Jerusalem. And there’s going to be a time at which it will appear as though there’s no escape,

even for the righteous, But the righteous, knowing what Jesus said, we’re to Be ready because he said there would be a way of escape. There Would be when they saw those signs and opportunity for them to escape. And historically We know there was Because Rome would come and they would besiege the city of Jerusalem. And then that occurs in late 80,

68, early 80, 69. And they’re there and they’re besieged around Jerusalem. And then for a time, The Roman army backs off and people can again, move in and out of the city, Josephus and other historians tell us that when That occurred, every Christian left or Islam that didn’t come back, they saw the opening and they went through it.

But the majority of the city did not. I think that’s what he’s talking about here. I might be wrong, but God said, I’m opening a path of escape and you’re going to flee through my path. If you belong to me thus as the Lord, my or thus the Lord, my God will come. And all the saints with you, it shall come to pass in that day that there will be no light.

The lights will diminish. It shall be one day, Which is known to the Lord neither day nor night. But at the evening time, it shall happen That it will be light. Now, One of the things we need to remind ourselves as we go through Zechariah is he uses this phrase In that day, in that day, in that day. And as we’ve mentioned before,

we’re not always dealing with the same day. There’s different parts of this prophecy as in the book of revelation where John will see one thing happen and then he’ll turn and he’ll see another thing happened. And it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re happening in order. This, these are visions and these are aspects he’s seeing it’s going to come in that day, that there will be No light.

We’re not. And always going to find a clear fulfillment of this type of Elliptic prophecy. But it is interesting that there was a Day where the sun stopped shining that had A direct connection with the destruction of Jerusalem, because while Jesus hung on the cross, it became dark as if the sun stopped shining. And then the graves were opened and the Veil of the temple was rent from top to bottom.

And this interior and said, surely This was the son of God. Maybe that’s what it’s talking about. Maybe not, but what you do see here is God making it clear. I’m in charge the Sun doesn’t shine. When I tell it not To. And in there The evening when it’s supposed to be dark. And I say, it’s going to be light,

it’ll be light. So you can be assured that I’m in control. And in that day, verse eight, it shall be that living water shall flow from Jerusalem. That’s one of the reasons why that phrase is one of the reasons why I believe this may have a connection to the crucifixion and may have a connection to the cross. In that day. It shall be that living water shall flow from Jerusalem,

half of them toward the Eastern sea and half of them toward the Western sea in both summer and winter is shall occur. And the Lord shall be King over all the earth. In that day. It shall be the Lord is one and his name One Zechariah comes forth with this prophecy. And he says, there’s a day that’s coming where living waters will go forth from Jerusalem.

Jesus would tell the woman at the well, in some area as he was there. And he said, give me a drink from the well John chapter four, and the woman would say, how is it that you being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman. And Jesus said, if you knew who I was, you would ask of a drink from me.

And I would give you a drink of waters of life. And you would never thirst again. And she wanted that water. She wanted a drink, but she questioned how in the world could he possibly give her a drink when he had nothing to draw Water out with, Jesus will make it clear to her that the way Waters that he offers are spiritual waters of life.

There was not going to be a day in which Jerusalem opened up a found in the fount, went East on the fountain, went West and water was supplied to all the world from inside Jerusalem in physical water. But there was In spiritual life in acts chapter one and acts Dear one, Jesus, as he is preparing to ascend back to the father will speak to his apostles and being assembled together.

Verse four, he commanded them not to From Jerusalem, but to what Wait for the promise of the father, which he said, you have heard from me for John, truly with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy spirit. Not many days from now, therefore when they had come together, they asked him saying, Lord, will you,

at this time restore the kingdom to Israel. Notice Here are his disciples. And they’re looking for a restoration of the, But he makes it clear. They misunderstand. He said to them, it is not for you to know times or seasons, which the father has put in his own authority, but you shall receive power. When the Holy spirit has come upon you and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Sumeria and to The end of the earth,

truly the fountains of water of life. The word of God would flow from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth. So we see in verse nine, the Lord shall be King. He’s not going to be King over one, small nation of Israel. He’s not going to sit on a literal throne and physical Jerusalem and reign over a literal nation of Israel.

He is King of King And Lord of Lords and the Declaration here at the end of verse nine, the Lord is one and his name one, God makes it clear. There’s no one else Who stands next to him. There’s no one else who’s above him. There’s no one else who’s beside Him. No one is like, God like the Lord, like Jehovah and verse 10.

And, and the land shall be turned into a plane from Geba to Rehmann South Of Jerusalem. Jerusalem Shall be raised up and inhabited in her place here. You’re seeing almost the picture of what John the Baptist is declared to do in Isaiah chapter 40. When we’re told that the way would be prepared for the King and the declaration is take the mountains and make them flat,

take the valleys and fill them in, make straight the way of the Lord. And yet here you see Zion Mount Jerusalem. The city of David raised Up all The land around them becomes flat. All the Hills, all the valleys are all filled in. It’s one flat plane, but up above at all Is Jerusalem. Now remember Jerusalem back in verses one and two is being told,

you’re going to be destroyed. Now, here we are Jerusalem. You’re going to be lifted, But it’s not the same Jerusalem. It’s not the physical place. It is spiritual Jerusalem. And they’ll all the land shall be turned into a plane from Gibbon to rain, to Ramon, South of Jerusalem. Jerusalem shall be raised up and inhabited in her place from Benjamin’s gate to the place of the first game of the corner gate.

And from the tower of Hananel to the King’s wine press, basically laying out the borders of the city. The people shall dwell in it and no longer shall there be utter destruction, but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited. And this shall be the plague with which the Lord will strike all the people who fought against Jerusalem. Their flesh shall dissolve while they stand on their feet.

Their eyes shall dissolve in their sockets and their tongue shall dissolve in their mouth. It shall come to pass in that day that a great panic from the Lord will be among them. Every one will seize the hand of his neighbor and raise his hand against his neighbor’s hand. Judah also will fight a Jerusalem and the wealth of all the surrounding nations shall be gathered together.

Gold, silver, and apparel in great abundance. Such also shall be the plague on the horse and in the mule and the camel and the donkey and all the cattle that will be in those camps. So shall this Plague B I think it’s beneficial for us, especially those who have been in the adult class to be Minded that God doesn’t always speak concerning plagues in this type of judgment,

in literal terms that would bring about a physical plague The world, but he does speak in terms of old Testament, judgment being brought forward. God Says I’m going to destroy all the nations that came against my people. Everyone that comes against my people Will be judged. And he uses the plagues. He used Is a picture of those who die while standing up as if they’re walking through and they just Decay right then and there.

But then verse 16, as God looks at this new Jerusalem, something about it is very different. Something about Jerusalem has changed and here’s the declaration. It shall come to pass that Everyone who has left of all the nations, who came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year To worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the feast of the Tabernacles Stressing.

The feast of Tabernacles was one of those fees where once a year, the people were to come to Jerusalem and they were to dwell Intense. They were to dwell in Tabernacles in booze. It was called the feast of booths, feast Of Tabernacles, feast of weeks. They Were to come together and they were to rejoice. They were to praise God for all that he had done.

They were to recognize the Lord for all that he had done for them. And they were to bring the first fruits of all their harvest together as an offering to God. And yet that command was only ever given to Israel. That was never a command in the old Testament, with the old covenant, with the old people of Israel, that was never a command to the Gentiles.

Oh, they were to share with those who were in their house and the servants that were within their Gates and the stranger that was within their Gates. They were to share with them, but it was not a commandment to them. The Babylonians had no commandment at any point in the old Testament to come and to Jerusalem to worship the Lord. No, But God’s people did.

And you remember that the fountain that went out from Went to the entire earth. Yeah. And the King who’s the King in Jerusalem is the King of the entire earth. Something’s changed. It’s no longer in Israel. That’s in one small nation. It is an Israel with Jerusalem at its head and Christ at its head that is over the entire world World.

And God says, you’ll remember When you used to be sojourners. See, because that was the thing about the feast of Tabernacles. The feast of Tabernacles was there in the Israel. I year to remind them, there was a, The time when they were so jurors there, It was a time when they didn’t have a home. There was a time where they wondered about looking for a home.

There was a time where they relied upon God and him alone. Now every nation, every nation Celebrates a time of soul journey. And Every nation recognizes without God. They’re nothing. Every Nation comes together to Worship the Lord. This isn’t Israel anymore. This isn’t a one nation covenant people. This is a covenant people made of Free nation. And every tongue,

It shall be that whichever of the families of earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King. The Lord of hosts will err on them. They’re the King, the Lord of hosts. I can get my tongue tied on them. There will be no rain. If the family Egypt will not come up and enter in, they shall have no rain.

They shall receive the plague, which the Lord strikes the nations who do not come up to the feast of Tabernacles. This shall be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not keep the feast of Tabernacles. Now, How is it? If this is old Israel under the old covenant, God can condemn a nation for not keeping a feast.

He never commanded them to keep The answer is there’s no way God can do that. God will not judge you for a commandment. He never gave you. God never commanded Egypt to come to Jerusalem, to worship until we’re not talking about physicals Russo. So it’s interesting as we kind of make full circle back to the waters, the living waters that is Jesus was standing there with a woman in Samarria at the weld,

talking about living waters. The discussion came I’m up on where to worship. She, He said, the Jews say that we are to worship in Jerusalem, but our fathers worshiped on the mountain And Jesus said, there’s coming a day where the location of worship won’t be the important factor. But instead the heart of the one who worships will be okay, The heart and the obedience of the one who worships in spirit and in truth for God,

seeks such to worship him. Now, wait a minute. Does God only see those to worship him that belong to the children of Israel? No. Does God Only one, those who live in the land of house and to worship him? No, but he does require that everyone who worships him In the days of the Messiah in the days of the church,

in the days of Christianity, in the days of the kingdom of Christ, everyone must worship him recognizing this. And it Can’t be stated any better than Paul stated It wrong. Chapter three, verse 23 for all, have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and Romans chapter Six, verse 23 for the wages of sin, His death. But the gift of God is eternal life in the feast of Tabernacles,

the virus. First time they came into Palestine as they come across the Jordan river, as they do battle and they begin to take the land Of Israel. God Makes them a promise. When you come into the land, you’re going to receive fields. Didn’t plant, You’re going to receive crops. You didn’t water. You’re going to live in houses. You didn’t build in cities.

You didn’t make. And God Makes it clear. He provided All of those things. And they were to remember when they were so generous and had nothing, that everything they had came from him. And so God expands here in Zachariah, the commandment that every nation, Egypt and every other nation Egypt is just simply the, the applicable illustration here comes together.

Not in literal Jerusalem, not in The physical city walls of Jerusalem, but In spiritual Jerusalem, in the church, in the body of Christ to remember, they’re still just sojourners. They’re still just in this life waiting for the ultimate fulfillment of God’s promises in eternal life. In that day, he says holiness to the Lord. Declaration goes out, at least in the King,

James new King, James it’s all caps holiness to the Lord. Declaration goes out. This is God’s decree holiness. This righteousness is what I want Holiness to the Lord shall be engraved on the bells of the horses. The pots in the Lord’s house shall be like the bowls before the altar. Yes. Every pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be holiness to the Lord of hosts.

Everyone who sacrifices shall come and take them and cook in them. And in that day, there shall be no longer. There shall no longer be a Canaanite in the house Of the Lord of hosts. And you go, all right, what, what happened to the Canaanites? And where did they come in? We’re going to end the book with no Canaanites anywhere around why?

Go back to chapter one, verse one, verse two. The Lord was very angry with your fathers, but what did they do? They came into a land that God said you destroy and judge every person In this land, because their iniquity is full because of their idolatry that they have committed. And their iniquity has brought their judgment. You do not Let them live.

God was going to use Israel to judge a people that he said your Up. Now, Israel would come in in the historical event and they wouldn’t do it. They didn’t fulfill what God commanded. They didn’t judge the Canaanites as the instrument of God, in a complete sense, they allowed some of them To live. But Here as Zechariah concludes his picture,

his prophecy to Israel, he reminds them all the way back of the anger. God had it, their fathers, because God said, if you allow the Canaanites to live, here’s what they’re going to do. They’re going to turn your heart away from me. And they’re going to cause you to worship their idols. And they’re going to bring about your destruction.

So here In this verse, don’t understand this to be, there’s this one group of people, these Canaanites, and God doesn’t want any of them to worship him. God doesn’t want any of them present. Yeah. Canaanites symbolize something. Just the way the Egyptians did the Egyptians symbolized captivity, that Knights symbolized idolatry. Now remember go back To the previous,

verses the declaration in verse nine, the Lord shall be King over all the earth. In that day. It shall be the Lord is One. And his name one Hitomi of idolatry is the declaration. God’s just one guy Among many, but no more. God Says I will make it clear. And it will be true of all those who appear before me in holiness that I,

the Lord One, there will be no idolatry among my people. Well, there will be no Canaanite Eights in the house of the Lord of hosts. You and me, as we close this book of Zechariah, we need to examine ourselves. Where’s our heart Is our heart set on God and him alone, or is our heart set on the things of this life?

Have we determined that we will be sojourners In this life, doing everything we can to be prepared when this life is over? Because Hebrews chapter nine, verse 27 still makes it clear for every person there’s coming a day when they will be judged. When this life is over and they will stand before God and judgment, are you ready? Zachariah carries a lot of pictures that are sometimes hard to be understood,

but it carries one simple message. Israel, your fathers departed from me and I destroyed them. And Israel, your descendants are going to depart from me and I’m going to destroy them, but you can be faithful today. If you’re here this morning and you’re outside the body of Christ, you enter into the church, the Jerusalem of God, the Mount Zion of the Lord,

the people of God, the kingdom of the Lord that spans the entire earth. You enter that kingdom by dying to sin and being immersed in water to rise up, to walk in newness of life, believing that Jesus Christ is the son of God. Repenting of your sins, confessing the name of Christ and being immersed in water for the remission of your sins.

You can have the waters of salvation today, and then on you can spiritually be written holiness to the Lord, but you can also choose not to. You can also choose not to tomorrow or the day after or for the rest of your life, but you need to understand this judgment’s coming. Judgment’s coming for everyone because there is one King and there is one law.

And by our actions, we will be judged. If you have need of redemption salvation, you can have it today. If you’re a member of the body of Christ and you’ve become like Israel and you’ve turned your back, you’ve gone after other things, you’ve put this life ahead of the life to come. You need to change because there will be no Canaanites in the house of the Lord.

You’re here and you have needed the invitation. Why not come as we stand? And as we say, There’s a Two have, if you don’t mind, give us a chance after services to get to know you better and know, we’re certainly glad that you’re here. Our closing hymn will beat number 10 15. Jesus loves the little children. And as we think about this song,

I know we think about young people quite often, because that’s kind of what we think about when singing it. But you know, we are the little children of God and no, we need to think about where we stand today and what we’re doing today and how we’re living today. Particularly in this time of turmoil in our nation. Remember that God loves us and he’s there for us.

And that’s how we gain our strength by saying this. And then we’ll have a closing prayer.<inaudible> all the children.<inaudible> red and yellow, black, and why they are precious in his sight jeans.<inaudible> We thank you for the beautiful fall weather that we’re in, enjoying our heavenly father. We thank you for the freedom that we have to gather together as your children and to worship the prayed.

Dear Lord, it would forever stay that way. We pray for leaders throughout the whole world. Pray that they might turn to your great and Holy word to lead people by our heavenly father. We pray for each of the sick mentioned here today. Probably that if it be the wheel, they might soon be able to rejoin us to worship our heavenly father.

We thank you for our visitors today. We pray that they might have safe passage in their travel, be with each one of us. Dear Lord, as we leave here, strengthen us against sins and temptations of this world. These things we ask in Christ’s name. Amen.