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<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> Good morning. We are in revelation. Chapter 13, did a bit of reviewing. I forgot the remote. Can, you can bring the remote. We did a little bit of reviewing on Wednesday night, kind of went over the, a little summary of the book,
but then also went through the questions of chapters 11 and 12, leading us up to chapter 13. Now back over in chapter 12 is the first time that we really are sorry in chapter 11. It’s the first time we really see the beast come up. We read that the beast from the bottomless pit comes up and kills two individuals. Who does he kill?
Alright. The two witnesses. Now the witnesses are pictured as to what at the beginning of the chapter. Well, they’re pictures to profits, but they’re pictured is two olive trees and two lampstands. Okay. So there’s, there’s two olive trees. There’s two lampstands. And these are the two witnesses of God. These are drawing forward the imagery from Zechariah chapter four,
and this idea of the revelation of God God’s anointed and the eternal light, that is the word of God going forth. And so here you have these two witnesses and they’re declaring the word of God. They’re shining. Volite They’re declaring the word of God. And they have the power of, to, to destroy their enemies by the word of, or by fire that comes out of their mouth.
You’ve got an imagery. They’re not of any prophet who literally in physical terms at any point in history, breathe fire. That’s not what we’re talking about. We’re talking about their ability to defeat Satan through God’s word and God’s testimony. So they have power to do that. They have power to withhold the rain. There’s a picture of Elijah. They have power to turn the water to blood and to bring forth plagues upon the lamb.
There’s a picture of Moses. And all of this is imagery to say, here’s the church and the church just like Moses. And just like Elijah, Moses representing the early prophets and the early leaders in Israel and Alijah representing the latter profits. The later prophets in Israel and in the later history of Israel, the church is the light of God, but the beast comes up and the beast Kills the two witnesses.
Everybody does. What pitches a fit? No. What do all the people who dwell on the earth do they rejoice now, as we’ve stated before, and we’re going to remain, continue to state it. Every time we come across it, those who dwell in the earth is not a reference to every person walking on the top of the planet. It’s not,
that’s not what the, the reference is. Every time that phrase is used all the way through the book of revelation, it is exclusively speaking concerning those who are ungodly and unrighteous, whose dwelling place, whose home is here. But the, all the new Testament tells us that as Christians, those who are righteous, their dwelling place, isn’t here, their citizenship isn’t here.
Very Turnell abode. Isn’t here. And the things that matter, most of them aren’t here. Jesus said in Matthew chapter six, lay up your treasure. Where in heaven for where your heart is or for where your treasure is there. Your heart will be also, well, if your heart isn’t here and your treasure isn’t here, then your home isn’t here.
So revelation a contrast. Those who dwell on the earth is always a reference to the unrighteous. And the reaction of the unrighteous to the two witnesses being killed is they throw a party. It’s Mardi Gras. It’s it’s rejoicing in the streets. It’s sin, sin gifts to one another. Because those people who, and here’s the phrase, tormented us with the word of God are now dead.
And they don’t, they don’t bury them. They let them lay in the street. They leave them in the street to be an example that this is what happens to those who speak the word of God and oppose the beast except three and a half days later, what happens? God says get up and they are given life. God gives them life. Again.
He resurrects them. That looks like the church is dead. It looks like the church has defeated, but no, it’s not. And then God tells them you come up here. Okay? The message. The picture, the imagery is the, the, the beast. And he’s going to look like he wins, but he doesn’t win because he only has power for 42 months,
for three and a half years for 1000, 260 days for time, times and half the time he has power is limited, and God has power that isn’t okay. So then chapter 12, we see the woman. And again, now we see the dragon. The dragon is trying to devour the child. And when he fails, goes up into heaven to try and succeed again,
but is met by who? Michael and the angels. Okay. You’ve got the dragon trying to overcome the Christ, but he can’t do it because he can’t even get to him. So he fails when the child gives birth or sorry. When the woman gives birth to the child, he fails in heaven. Then he, and all the angels that are all of his servants are cast out of heaven.
And by the way, this is not. And as I think I’ve said this before, this is not a picture of what happened before Genesis chapter one. Okay. Some people try and do that and say, Oh, this, this is what happened when Satan was cast. No, this is about the beast. This is about the time of Rome.
This is God’s saying, because of your actions, your presence, isn’t accepted here. And because of your intent, you go and you go to the earth and you’re not coming before me. And so he goes, and he immediately begins persecuting those dwell on the earth. He’s persecuting. Even the unrighteous he’s tormenting, even them. But then we see the transition and he begins to try and attempt to get to the woman.
Again, puts forth a, a water from his mouth and tries to use a flood of water to overcome her. But what happens to the water earth opens up and swallows the water. There’s an occasion in the old Testament. When the Israelites are wandering through the wilderness where they’re thirsty, and God tells Moses to smite a rock and out of that rock comes enough water to give water to all the people of Israel,
which as moderate estimates are between one and 3 million people and all of their cattle and all of their livestock and everything in the area. Water comes out of this rock sufficient to do all of that. And here’s the dragon. And he’s going to try and use water to defeat the woman. But there’s another occasion in Israel’s history where Moses is opposed by Korah Dathan and Abiram.
And in numbers, chapter 16, they rise up and they say, you’ve taken too much on yourself. You don’t have the authority to do this. We have the authority to be priest because we’re leaving lights. You Moses and Aaron have taken too much authority on yourself. All the congregation is Holy. And so Moses tells them, well, we’ll find out who God says are his priests tomorrow morning,
you show up at the tabernacle with your staffs and with your sensors and you be prepared to offer incense to God. And we’ll let him decide as it happens. Some of them showed up and some of them didn’t, but the ones who showed up what happened to them? Well, the ones that showed up fire came down from heaven, but the houses of Korah Dathan and Abiram,
all of their households were swallowed up by the earth. God says, you’re not my witnesses and you’re not my profits. And you’re not my priests. So you’ve got the dragon trying to act like God and God going. No, you’re not me. And he protects the woman. The woman goes into the wilderness for 42 months. And then the dragon,
when he can’t reach the child and can’t reach the woman instead persecutes the individual Christians. Okay. So the picture of the woman is the church as a whole. He can’t defeat the church as a whole, but he can get to the, her individual children as it is stated. Okay. That brings us to chapter 13. I’m going to skip forward through here just a little bit.
We’ve talked about a lot of them. This There’s the alright. Chapter 13 is connected to Daniel chapter seven. Okay. When you see the BESE that are in the book of revelation, begin to rise up so far, we’ve heard a description of a beast and we’ve heard a description of a dragon, but in chapter 13, we kind of have this all fleshed out for us.
Okay. Because there’s more than one beast, but they’re all using the derived authority and power of the dragon. Now, who did we say? The dragon was the devil or Satan. Okay. Chapter 12 made it very clear. The dragon whose name is Satan or the serpent? The devil. Okay. So it made it very clear who that is.
And all the authority that Rome has is derived from him, the persecuting authority. Okay. So chapter 13, verse one, then I stood on the sand of the sea and I saw a beast rising up out of the sea having seven heads and 10 horns. Okay. So the heads and the horns of the bees coming up out of the sea, he looks like the dragon.
Remember the description of the dragon was yet we over in chapter 17. We haven’t gotten there yet, but we’d noticed it earlier as he has seven heads and 10 horns, he’s got shared attributes of the dragon. He is Rome. Okay. The three B’s as we look at them, the dragon, the CVS and the lambaste, they’re not different BESE.
Okay. They’re different views of the same persecutor and it’s Rome. Okay. So you’re getting Rome from different perspectives back over in chapter 11, or I think, yeah. Chapter 11, we read about the spiritual names of the great city. And we talked about the fact that the spiritual names of the great city, Saddam and Babylon wait, sorry, Sodom and Egypt and the city where Christ was slain.
So you’ve got Jerusalem, all talked about three different facets, three different aspects of Rome in its persecuting nature. Okay. It was its persecuting power in its economy. It was its authority to bring captive and to bring about religious worship. That was idolatrous. And that was against God. All three of these facets were there, but they’re all talking about the great city.
They’re all talking about Rome. Okay. The three B’s are also all talking about Rome, again, looking at it from the same facets. So I stood on the sand of the sea and I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and 10 horns and on his horns, 10 crowns and on his heads, a blasphemous name.
Now the beast, which I saw was like a leopard. His feet were like the feet of a bear, his mouth, like the mouth of a lion. The dragon notice this gave him his power, his throne and great authority. Okay. First thing to know about the CBC is he comes up and he looks like the dragon in his head, seven heads,
10 or 10 horns and crowns on his horns. But his authority, his throne and his power are derived from where the dragon now did the dragon have a exhaustive and infinite and matched power authority and rain? No. So you have a derived authority from a limited authority. You have derived power from limited power. You have a derived thrown from a limited authority or rain or,
or Rome. Oh, throne. Okay. The beast is no more powerful than the dragon because the dragon can’t give to him what the dragon doesn’t have the beast isn’t God, because the dragon isn’t God. All right, but we need to go over to Daniel chapter seven. We need to read a couple of things over in Daniel, chapter seven, because it sets the,
it sets the perspective for what’s going on here. Daniel chapter seven, beginning of verse one in the first year of bell Shazard King of Babylon. Daniel had a dream and visions of his head while on his bed. Then he wrote down the dream telling the main facts. Daniel spoke, saying I saw in my vision by night and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea.
Now, where did the beast come out of the sea? Okay. In revelation. And in Daniel, the sea is pictured as the nations. It is always tumultuous. It is always in unrest and out of that unrest and out of that to Malden out of those nations comes, this authority comes these nations and these Kings. Okay. So he sees the vision and the stirring up of the great sea.
The four great beasts came up from the sea, each different from the other. Okay. So in this vision, all the beasts rise up out of the seat. Well, you’re going to see in this, you’re going to see all of the BS, culminating having a part in Rome. Watch what happens. The first was like a lion and had Eagles wings.
I watched till its wings were plucked off and it was lifted up from the earth and made to stand on two feet, like a man and a man’s heart was given to it. Okay. So you starts off looking like a lion, but he looks like a lion with wings. Then the wings are plucked off. And then he’s given the heart of a man and he stands up like a man.
He looks like a man. Okay. Now suddenly another beast, a second, like a bear. It was raised up on one side and had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. And they said thus to it arise devour much flesh. After this, I looked and there was another, like a leopard which had on its back for wings of a bird.
The beast also had four heads and dominion was given to it. Okay. As you’re going through Daniel seven, you’re seeing the same be there. You’re seeing the bees are the same thing as Daniel, chapter two, with the different nations in the statute, you’ve got the head of gold, which was what nation, Babylon and Nebuchadnezzar, by the way,
what, what King in all of history went and well like an animal and then came back and started acting like a man again, man. But can I hazard it’s you’ve got the picture of Babylon. Okay. So here’s Babylon as the lion who followed Babylon Medes and the Persians. So the shoulders and arms of silver in Daniel two are the bear in Daniel seven,
but then w who followed the Mito Persian empire? Greece did. And the belly and FYS of brass in Daniel too, are the leopard in Daniel chapter seven. Okay. So hold onto this for a minute. Then we read after this, I looked and there was another, I’m sorry, that’s verse six, verse seven. After this, I saw in the night visions and behold,
a fourth beast dreadful and terrible strong. It had huge iron teeth. It was devouring breaking in pieces and trembling the residue with its feet. It was different from all the bees that were before it. And it had 10 horns. And I was considering the horns and there was another horn, a little one coming up among them before whom three of the first ones were plucked out by,
by the roots. And they’re in this horn where the eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth speaking, pompous words I watched till Thrones were put in place. And the ancient of days was seated. His garment was white as snow and hit the hair of his head was like pure wool. His throne was a fiery flame, its wheels, a burning fire,
a stream, a fiery stream issued and came forth from before him a thousand thousands ministered to him, 10,000 times, 10,000 stood before him. The court was seated and the books were opened. Here comes one beast and another beast and another beast. And finally an indescribable beast. And this 11th horn rises up out of the B’s head and begins speaking pompous words.
And immediately you cut scenes Mean to the ancient of days To the throne of God, to the one who’s sitting on the throne And Judgments coming. Now, this isn’t talking about the day of judgment. This isn’t talking about the final day when everything’s all done and the books are open, then no, Daniel chapter two sets the foundation for Daniel chapter seven in Daniel chapter two,
four kingdoms rise up four kingdoms exist. And in the days of these Kings, shall God raise up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, but what would that kingdom do to the other four kingdom? The great mountain arises is a mountain cut out without hands. And it does what breaks in pieces. The statue grinds it to dust. It destroys those other kingdoms God through his kingdom judges,
those kingdoms and their judgment is destruction. So when the books are open in chapter seven, we’re not seeing the final day of judgment. We’re seeing the ancient of days preparing to judge the four B’s. Okay. Now let’s go through the four beats real quick. The four beasts were Elian, a bear, all leopard at an indescribable beast, go back to revelation,
chapter 13 and revelation chapter 13. Then I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and 10 horns and on his horns, 10 crowns and on his head, a blasphemous name. Now the bees, which I saw was like, now watch it in reverse a leopard. His feet were like a bear and his mouth like the mouth of a lion.
Okay. So here’s Rome and Rome is pictured as the culmination of attributes of Babylon and Greece or Babylon and the Mito Persian empire and Greece all culminating in this beast. Okay. He’s got these shared attributes. He’s got this lineage to him and John’s connecting him to Daniel seven. Okay. So here’s what the beast does. He rises up out of the sea.
He gets power from the dragon verse three. And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded. Now, when we read the words as if it had been, remember that over in rev revelation, chapter five, when you see the lamb, you first see the lamb and he’s the lion of the tribe of David. And he’s described as a,
the root of Jesse. He’s the one, who’s the Christ, but he’s pictured as a lamb. And here’s the words as though it had been slain now, as John trying to say that he looked like he was slain, but he never actually was. Okay. Here’s a picture of the Christ. And he had the been slain, the use of the term as though he was,
or as if it had been isn’t to give you the picture, given, give you the idea that it’s not actually true, that he wasn’t actually slaying was Christ put on the cross. Yes, he was. Was he actually slain? Yes. He was the use of the phrase as if it had been, is to tell you this is a vision.
Okay. And in a vision, you see things where it looks like one thing, but the rest of the perception is something else. Not to say that he was that the slaying didn’t actually happen. Now, if you go over to chapter 17, you remember what’s there in chapter 17, we’ve got the beast that was and is, and is about to come up.
The beast that was persecuting was slain and the persecution stopped, but it’s coming back. There’s a resurrection picture there. Okay. Just like you’ve got a picture of resurrection with the lamb. You have a picture of resurrection with the beast. He was slain, but he’s coming back. Okay. So that’s what you’re seeing here. So I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded and in his deadly wound or sorry.
And his deadly wound was healed. Okay. So he’s mortally wounded, which means he’s what Dead. But then his mortal wound is healed. Well, if you go from dead to healed, you did what you resurrected. Okay. And his deadly wound was healed and all the world marveled and followed the beast. So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast.
And they worshiped the beast saying who is like the beast who is able to make war with him. Then you remember the question over in Daniel, chapter six, sorry, revelation chapter six, over in revelation, chapter six, when that sixth seal was open and all the great and all the rich and all the powerful one in the mountains to fall on them.
And the question was asked, who’s able to stand in the day of the wrath of a one on the throne and other lamp. Well, here’s the question in an opposite form, from those who dwell on the earth, saying who can make war with the beast, who can make war with the dragon who can possibly defeat them. And that was the perspective of Rome.
Rome was going to last forever. Rome was untouchable. Nobody could stand up to Rome. Well, until Rome fell from within. And that’s exactly what happened. So they see the bees getting the authority from the dragon. They see the resurrection of the beast and they worship the beast and the dragon. And they think the beast is untouchable, but then notice.
And he was given a mouth speaking, great things and blasphemies, and was given authority to continue for how long, 42 months, a limited period of time. Okay. So the beast is blaspheming. The beast is powerful. The beast is, is, has a, has a, has a, an army that’s untouchable and undefeatable it’s Rome. Okay.
Just another picture of Rome. Then he opened his mouth and blasphemy against God to blaspheme his name, his and those who dwell in heaven. It was granted to him to make war with the saints, by the way, the phrase, those who dwell in heaven and the saints is talking about the same group of people. Remember those who dwell on the earth,
unrighteous. Those who dwell in heaven, righteous. It doesn’t mean they’re already dead and they’re already in heaven. It means their dwelling place. Their home is in heaven. And they’re also called the saints. Okay. So he says, or he has granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And a 40 was given him over every tribe,
tongue and nation, all who dwell on the earth will worship him. So there’s your contrast. Those who dwell in heaven, the saints they’re being overcome. What does that mean? When you’re talking about a persecuting power in an army, and one who makes war with the saints being overcome means they’re being Lud, dead. They’re being killed. His power is to overcome them.
They’re dying. If you remember, verse 11 of chapter 12, and they, this is speaking of the saints, overcame him by the blood of the lamb and by the word of their testimony and number three, and they did not love their lives unto death. So it looks like the beast is winning. He’s killing the church, he’s killing the saints.
It looks like they’re being overcome by him. They’re dying, but they are overcoming when they won’t give up the testimony of Christ when they stand in those coliseums and are killed by animals. But they’ll stand there and they won’t announce the name of Christ they’re winning, but it doesn’t look like it. The church is going to be victorious, but it doesn’t look like it.
Okay? So all who dwell on the earth will worship him. Whose names have not been written in the book of life of a lamb, slain from the foundation of the world. If anyone has an ear, let him hear. Now that phrase only comes up in the book of revelation. When you’re supposed to go, wait, wait, wait, pay attention,
pay, pay attention. Listen to this. It came up every time. When the churches, when he was finished, writing the churches, let, who has an ear hear what the spirit says under the churches. This phrase is an attention getter and notice the next he who leads into captivity shall go into captivity. He who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword.
Here is the patience and the word there is endurance. The ability to stand up under a heavy load here is the ability to stand up under a heavy load and the faith of the saints in your mind, go back to the old Testament and go back to Babylon. Babylon’s rising in power, and God has a prophet named Habakkuk. And Habakkuk is told.
You’re going to tell my people that they’re going to be destroyed and they’re going to be judged. And Judah is going to be decimated, and I’m going to use Babylon to do it. And Habakkuk can’t understand how is it, God that you can use a nation more wicked than us to punish us. And then Habakkuk says, I know I’m wrong. I know you’re right.
I’m paraphrasing. And I’m going to stand here until you correct me. And I’ll wait. And God does God sets forth that he will use Babylon to bring about his judgment on Judah. And then we’ll bring his judgment on Babylon. That’s this verse, those who take into captivity will be taken into captivity. The one who’s, the persecutor will be judged.
Those who kill with a sword will be killed with the sword. This is the patience, the endurance. This is the answer to the question of the saints who were under the alter in chapter five, crying out how long, Oh Lord, how long will you allow this to continue? Sorry. Chapter six. And they’re told rest for awhile. There dressed in white robes.
They’re given their rest and the lamb is going to deal with this nation. And so here’s the patience of the saints. Those who persecute, you will have their judgment. Come on them in like manner. Okay. But we’re not done with the beast. Verse 11. Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth and he had two horns,
like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. This beast comes up from the earth and this beast looks like lamb. Have you ever seen the little lamb? Have you ever considered that lamb to be incredibly threatening? I mean, I, I there’s, there’s some angry creatures out there that just are ornery, but I mean, you don’t stand off and look at a lamb walking around in the field,
go, I’m going to have the same reaction to that as a lion. No you don’t. But Satan and his adversity or his, his servants don’t always look like dragons. They don’t always look like beasts. They don’t always look like they’re as powerful and dangerous and threatening as they are. And so you have a picture of lamb, but when he opens his mouth,
what comes out the voice of a dragon? How strange would that be? You see a lamb opens in his mouth and you expect to hear, ahh, and instead you hear a roar. Here’s another analogy we’re told that Satan’s angels will appear as servants of God. And the reference is to false teachers, that those who are wolves will appear as lambs and the references to false teachers.
This view of the beast, this view of Rome is it’s religious faults, teaching it’s religious authority. Okay. We’re seeing here the idolatry and the false hood of Rome pictured in this beast. So he has two horns, like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. And he exercises all authority of the first beast in his presence and causes the earth. And those who dwell in it to worship the first beast who was deadly,
whose deadly wound was healed. So here comes this next beast and his influence, his authority is to cause those who dwell on the earth to worship the first beast, the CBS, the one whose head was mortally wounded and now healed. Okay. So he’s trying to get his, his, his whole thing is getting people to worship the beast. Okay?
And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs, which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and live. So here’s his authority. He, he does sign. He does wonders. Are these the same kinds of signs and wonders that God does?
No they’re deceptive signs and wonders. Here’s a picture of the Egyptian sorcerers and, and magicians trying to emulate the plagues. Remember in the first few plagues, every time Moses and Aaron did something, the magicians came followed after them and tried and did the same thing. Oh, it looks like they’ve got the same power, right? It looks like they can do everything Moses and Aaron can do.
And it looks like their gods are as powerful as Jehovah until they get to a plague where the magician say, Pharaoh, this fierce to be the hand of God, we can’t do this. It’s deceptive power to cause people to worship the beast, okay. To worship Rome. And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs, which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast,
telling those who dwell in the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived. He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak. And cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. All right? So here’s the persecuting power.
If you don’t worship the beast, what happens to you? You’re killed. If the signs and the wonders, don’t deceive you to worship the beast, then they’ll threaten you to worship the beast. And if the threat doesn’t work, they’ll just kill you. And that’s exactly what Rome did to the Christians. The thing about Rome was Rome didn’t care. If you had a different religion,
Rome didn’t care. If you worshiped anything, anything you wanted was good. So long as you would also worship Rome. But the moment you wouldn’t worship Rome, you weren’t tolerated anymore. Do you see Rome was a very tolerant society. As long as you were willing to do what Rome said, we’ve got a few people in our country like that. We’re very tolerant unless you disagree with us and won’t agree with us.
And then we’ll threaten you. Rome would kill them. Notice what we read. Verse 16 through verse 18, he caused all, both small and great rich and poor freegan slave to receive a Mark on their right hand or on their forehead. We’re not looking for any time in history where people started making marks on themselves. And this isn’t a prophecy of anytime in the future where people are going to receive a chip in their body or a Mark on themselves.
Do you remember chapter seven? Who already has a Mark on them? There’s a Mark on their foreheads. And they’re the people of God. We’re not also looking for a time in the future where angels from heaven come down and Mark, all the people who have gone. This is the devil saying your mind. And God’s already said, I know who belongs to me.
Okay? So he causes them to worship the image of the beast and to be killed. He causes them to receive a Mark on the right hand or on their forehead. And that no one may buy or sell except one who has the Mark or the name of the beast or the number of his name. If he can’t convince you by deception by signs.
And if he can’t threaten you, here’s what he can do. He can make it to where you starved to death because you go to the marketplace and Oh, you, you, you don’t have a sign B stone. You can’t buy anything. Oh, you’re a Christian. No, you can’t buy anything from me. You can’t go and buy food.
You can’t go and get anything else because the economic authority that the beast wields to stop you, to persecute you, to keep you from the daily necessities of life. Unless, You know, if you’ll just put that Mark on your forehead and if you’ll just bow down to Rome, you can go buy anything you need. And no one may buy or sell except one who has the Mark or the name of the beast or the number of his name here is wisdom.
Let him who has understanding, calculate the number of the beast for it is the number of a man it’s in the Greek. There’s not a definite article there. It’s not the number of the man. It’s not the number of a specific man. It is the number of humanity. It is the number of mankind. It is Six. His and his number is six,
six, six. It’s humanity personified. Okay. It’s humanity multiplied. Here’s humanity. Can they do anything to touch God if God’s number is seven and perfection, can they ever attain to it? Will you ever have a six that’s equal to a seven? No. How about if you multiply the sixes, will they ever become equal to a multiplied seven?
No, they have limited power. Their number is failure because it always falls short of God. That’s chapter 13. Thank you for your attention.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> Good morning. Welcome to the Collierville church Christ Sunday morning worship service. It’s good to see each and every one of you here this morning, and to our visitors, you are special guests and we are so honored that you chose to worship God with us this morning,
to those of you that are still dialing in or viewing us live stream. We continue to pray for you and pray that this pandemic will end soon so that we may all once again, assembled together to worship God our announcements this morning. If you did not pick up the Lord’s supper on the way in now, it’d be a good time to do that.
It’s on the tables in the back of the church. Here are sick. Please continue to remember John Springer, Dorothy Wilson and Janet Jones. As they continue to work through their difficulties and problems, continue to pray for them on a very sad note. If you have not heard yet, Danny O’Neil Tommy’s brother passed away early this morning and naturally have not been any arrangements made yet.
But as soon as we know those arrangements, we’ll get those arrangements to each and every one. But please keep the O’Neal family and your thoughts and prayers Robin woods. This is Jessica Dale’s mother is recovering from pneumonia and has to have a kidney stone removed surgically. And then when she improves, she also has to have a triple bypass heart surgery, please,
please, please pray for Robin. And the entire family Robin’s health is not the greatest right now, but she does have to go through these surgeries in order to improve. So please keep them that entire family in your thoughts and prayers, and immediately following service this morning, Michael and Jessica and the family are going to travel to Phoenix to see her and be with her for a few days.
So please keep them in your thoughts and prayers as they traveled to Phoenix and then travel back to be with us again, please continue to remember Janney and the entire family and the loss of her sister, Mary drove to Darrow today starts the fifth annual spiritual sword lectureship at the get well church of Christ. It goes through the 22nd. If you are interested in any of those,
the flyer is on the board out there and it tells you the times and the different topics and the different speakers. We have a card from Lewis and Martha Rushmore. It reads dear brethren, your ongoing encouragement, and participation with us in our service to the Lord. Jesus Christ is much appreciated. Thanks again. And may God bless you, Louis. This card will be posted on bulletin board out there.
I also have a card here from Johnny Sanderson says to my brothers and sisters in Christ. Thank you for all the cards, texts, and calls and the loss of my sister in law. Thank you for the extra prayers for my brother. Please continue to pray for him in Christian Love Jenny. And also I have a letter from Charlie and Mary to Palma.
It is a little bit lengthy, but I’m going to read the majority of this to you because they’ve been doing such great work down in Australia with the Lord’s church down there, and it reads Mary and I send greetings and love to you, your families and all the beloved brothers and sisters in Christ at Collierville. We hope all is well with each. You we’d like to give you an update on our plans in regards to our work for our beloved Redeemer.
Although I hate to say it, I no longer had the strength and stamina to prepare for and teach three classes each week here at church street, I haven’t formed a brothers of that fact in a men’s meeting in July. So I am proposing a two step phase down schedule first effective. The first week of September, I will reduce the number of classes I teach to two per week,
and then starting the 1st of January, 2021. He plans on reducing to one class per week. And he said at that point, my plan is also to begin writing and to put into a more permanent form, several series of lessons that he has taught through the years. And he’s going to make those available to everyone on the internet. It’s a, he says my intention is to just make it available in internet.
Sorry. So although I will be slowing down our prayers at Mary and I will be able to continue effectively serving our beloved Lord, albeit in a less public role, there is enough money in the evangelism fund to cover my support through 2021. With that in mind, I humbly request that you discontinue making any contributions to the evangelism fund overseen by the Portland elders.
Have you, as you have done so graciously and faithfully through the years,<inaudible> I am making the same requests of all of our faithful and beloved contributors from the bottom of our hearts. Mary and I thank you so much for your invaluable prayers, encouragement, financial support through all these years, you are near and dear to our heart hearts now and forever.
Our hope and prayer is that we have labored together. Our awesome heavenly father and his beloved son had been glorified through our combined efforts. We love, appreciate and pray for all of you. Please continue praying for all of us over here with brotherly love Charlie. This letter will be up on the bulletin board out there. I read the majority of it,
but it will be on the bulletin board out there. If everybody wants to read the entire letter, our a worship service this morning, our song leader would be Erin coats. Art. Our opening prayer will also be by brother. Aaron Lord’s Supper will be Joel caisson sermon will be Michael Dale and our closing prayer will be Jay Schaffer. Thank you. Open your songbooks to number two.
The songs should also be on the slides, Michael, this TV’s not on. Can you turn it? Number two? We praise thee. Oh God sing all five verses. We Praise the all gone for the song.<inaudible> we praise thee O God for they spirit<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> the glory revive us and all glory and praise to the lamb was slain.
Who has<inaudible> the glory? Hallelujah man. Huh? I’m the glory<inaudible> Oh, glory and praise to the God of all grace who has<inaudible> hallelujah. The glory hallelujah and hallelujah. The glory<inaudible> with<inaudible> glory. Hallah man, hallelujah, glory<inaudible> Song. Before our opening prayer will be number 477, 477. There is a place of quiet rest sing.
All three verses. There is a place of<inaudible> near to the heart of<inaudible> near to the Oh geez.<inaudible> from<inaudible> the<inaudible>. There is a play, a sweet near to the heart of a place where we say we are me<inaudible> Oh, jeez, us<inaudible> sand from<inaudible>. The near to the heart of there is a play for really he’s near to the heart of a place where all is your boy.
Amp is near to the<inaudible> from<inaudible><inaudible> the knee to the Now we’ll have our opening prayer. Let us pray. Our gracious father in heaven. We humbly bow before you grateful for all of your many blessings for your love, care and concern for all the things that you do for us on a daily basis, the things we recognize and the things that we don’t even recognize,
we’re grateful for the sun and the rain for the beauty of the earth and its majesty and glory, which glorifies you. And we’re grateful for the power, which upholds all that exists. That is your word. We’re mindful at this time of those who are dealing with lost loved ones, those who are in pain and sorrow and who need our comfort and your comfort.
And we pray that they might seek that comfort from you and from us and accept that comfort as it is given. We know that hard times come and in those hard times, we pray for all those who are going through them to be faithful, to be strong and to rely on you and hope in your word. We pray that at this time, as we go through this period of worship,
that we worshiped you in a way that is acceptable in your sight, that is in accordance with your commandments and that all that we do might be that which glorifies you. We thank you most, especially for your son who came and died on the cross for our sins, who paid the price for our redemption. And we pray that all that we do might also honor him all this.
We pray in Jesus name, amen song. Before the Lord supper will be number 344 low in the grave. He lay 344. Now we will sing this where we will sing the all three verses and then the chorus only at the end of the third verse.<inaudible> Gee, she sees a smile.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> a smile.<inaudible><inaudible> gee,
she sees a smile. So<inaudible> gee, she sees a smile.<inaudible> he<inaudible>? So from the grave he Rawls with MIT, try on for his, Oh, was he a Rose up Victor from the dog? And he lives for<inaudible> This morning. We will be reading from the book of Luke and chapter 23 words that should encourage us as we have our minds,
think about our lower savers death upon the cross and what he’s done for each and every one of us who began with the 33rd verse and when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary there, they crucified him and the male factors, one on the right and the other on the left then said, Jesus father, forgive them for, they know not what they do.
And they parted his Raymond and cast lots. And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with derided him saying he saved others, let him save himself. If he be Christ, the chosen of God and the soldiers also mocked him coming to him and offering him vinegar and saying, if that will be the King of the Jews, say thy self and a subs superscription also was written over him and letters of Greek and Latin and Hebrew.
This is the King of the Jews. And one of the malefactors, which were hanged railed on him saying if thou be Christ saved myself and us, but the other answering rebuked him saying the South does not the fear of God saying thou art in the same condemnation. And we indeed justly for, we received the reward of our deeds, but this man had done nothing amiss.
Let us pray. Oh God, our father in heaven, we are truly grateful for your love and the demonstration of it through the sending of your son to mankind, that we might have that opportunity to be saved in the end that we might have our loving savior be there for us. We’re thankful father for his love and, and we’re mindful of his hanging there on the cross of Calvary and the abuse and afflictions that he received during that period of time.
We pray father that as we protect of this bread, we might remember his body and partake in a manner pleasing and Jesus, we pray amen. And he said unto Jesus, Lord. Remember me when thou commission to thy kingdom and Jesus said unto him, I’m buried. I say, unto thee, do they today? Shout thou be with me in paradise.
And it was about the sixth hour. And there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour and it, and the sun was darken. And the veil of the temple was rent in the midst. And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, father into thy hands. I commend my spirit and having said this, he gave up the ghost.
That is violent Father. Our hearts are grieved thinking about our savior dying upon the cross of Calvary and shedding his blood. But we’re so thankful father for the love that was demonstrated there, that we, as your children have that hope of at home and having with the father, we’re grateful for the blood that was shed. And we remember that blood as we protected this fruit of the vine and Jesus,
we pray. Amen. Now we’ll have a privilege to think about how well we am much. We’ve been blessed and pause for a moment to think about how we’ve used those blessings to praise God and give him that glory honor and glory that we shouldn’t be doing and trying to spread the borders of the kingdom and not only see for the benevolent needs that are there.
We know we have those each and every day and how that we’re reaching out to those that we might know and try to assist and help them from time to time. Let us pray, father God and heaven. We are so thankful for all the blessings that you’ve so bountifully given to us. We pray father that we have examined our sales and have determined in our hearts to give a portion of that back to the,
and that we might, as a congregation of your people, be able to see that the word is preached in this area and that we might support those that are preaching abroad. We’re grateful for the privilege that we to give. And we pray that we use those funds wisely as where your children and we are trying to make sure that others that are outside the body have opportunity to obey the gospel and that we might be able to reach out to those that are in need and try to help them along life’s way,
bless our giving and pray that we do it in a way pleasing Christ. We pray. Amen. You would like to Mark the invitation song in the song book. It is going to be number 948, 948 will be the song of invitation. If you would let us all stand, we will sing number. Actually. I’m not going to tell you the number of this next one,
because this is not in the book. So I don’t know what number it is, but we’re going to sing. I love liking them. Lord. I love the King dome<inaudible> house.<inaudible><inaudible> walls. Be careful the<inaudible><inaudible> or<inaudible> to<inaudible> me on my<inaudible> friend.<inaudible> shall grey.<inaudible> let us be seated. Good morning, everybody.
Just a quick update. They are no longer going to try to do the kidney surgery on my mother-in-law before they do the heart surgery, the surgeon believes that it’s imperative, that he gets to the heart surgery. So they have put a cloth bag on her to bypass her kidneys. So that way she’s able to go into the heart surgery on Tuesday. So it’s progressing a lot faster than we thought it was going to thus,
the reason why we’re leaving as soon as worship is over today, my sermon this morning is exude love to show faith. Let’s look at five Leman verses four through seven. There’s no chapters just verses five Leman verses four through seven. I think my God making mention of the always in my prayers, hearing of thy love and faith, which thou has toward the Lord Jesus and toward all saints,
that the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing, which is in you in Christ Jesus for we have great joy in constellation. And I love because the bowels of the saints are refreshed by the brother bowels here, his heart or mind as Christians, we should have such a faith that our love can be shown loud enough for all to hear.
So have you ever been personally in a situation where someone you did not know you were working with, or you met them at a job or something like that and want you to think of that time and how that person’s actions shaped who they were before you would even say anything to them like, Hey, or how’s it going? A person’s actions can, and most times do speak louder than words.
If a person has a closed off body language, they’re constantly frowning or does poor work, then generally we’re not going to want to be around that person or get to know them better. If a person has open body language smiles, all the time, works hard and shows that they really have an honest need to want to help others in need. We’re going to be drawn to that person and want to get to know them better as Christians.
We are to be like the second person. If we are at school, work out and about, or even here in worship with our brethren, we should, excuse me. People should be able to see and understand that we are Christians without us having to say anything so much more. Should we exude Christian Love when we’re around our brothers and sisters in Christ,
our brother, and should never wonder if we are really a Christian or if we actually love them, they should know that we love them. They should know it without any thought in their mind. And not just because we say it, but because we show it in the passage that I just read here. Finally, man, verses four through seven, Paul is praising finally men for just that.
As Christians, we should have such a faith that our love can be shown loud enough for everyone to hear in order to do this, we must first have the faith and love for the Lord. We must have love for our brethren and we must communicate our faith through our love. Paul begins this section of his letter to fight Lehman with an amazing show of faith to the Lord and love for his brother.
Finally, Lehman verse four. I think my God making mention of the always in my prayers, what greater way to show a brother in Christ. You love them then by praying daily for them and what greater way to show your faith in the Lord. Then by praying to him and knowing that when you lift up your voice, he hears you like Paul with this,
with his faith shown here, we must have a faith and love for the Lord. But what is faith? We all have our speculations. The definition of faith, according to the world@dictionary.com is believe in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion. Faith in the Greek is the word of PSTs. And it means just a trust in the Strong’s dictionary is where I got that from.
So having faith is to have a belief in and trust in the Lord. The Hebrew writer defines faith perfectly turn with me to Hebrews chapter 11 and verse one, Hebrews 11 one. Now faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen, but how do we gain faith in the Lord? Faith comes from hearing turn with me to Romans chapter 10 and verse 17,
Romans chapter 10 and verse 17. So then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God, we hear through the preaching of the word, just a few up and verse 14, how then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard and how shall they hear without a preacher?
Our faith and hope are to be in God alone. First, Peter chapter one verses 18 through 21. Turn with me to first Peter chapter one verses 18 through 21. For as much as you know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ,
as of a lamb without blemish and without spot, who barely was fore ordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, who by him do believe in God that raised him up from the dead and gave him glory that your faith and hope might be in God. It is impossible for us to please the Lord without faith.
Turn with me back to Hebrews chapter 11. And we’ll read through verses six through verse six of chapter 11, Hebrews 11 verses one through six. Now faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen for by it. The elders obtained a good report through faith. We understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God. So that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear by faith.
Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts. And by it, he being dead yet speaketh by faith. Enoch was translated that he should not see death and was not found because God had translated him for before his translation. He had this testimony that he pleased God through his faith.
He pleased God, but without faith, it is impossible to please him for he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them. That diligently seek him with faith in the Lord. We know all things are possible. Turn with me to Matthew chapter 17, verse 20 Matthew chapter 17 and verse 20. And Jesus said unto them because of your unbelief for verily,
I say unto you. If he had faith as a grain of mustard seed, you shall say unto this mountain remove hence to yonder place and it shall remove. And nothing shall be impossible unto you. Faith is more than just saying you have it. You can’t just walk around and say, I have faith. A true faith is reliant upon your work.
Turn with me to James chapter two verses 14 through 17 James chapter two verses 14 through 17. What does it profit? My brethren though, a man say he had faith and have not works. Can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked and destitute of daily food. And one of you say unto them, depart in peace, be warmed and filled.
Not withstanding you give them not those things, which are needful to the body. Am I reading the correct words? Yes I am. And one of you saying to them, depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled. Not withstanding you give them not those things, which are needful to the body. What does it profit even? So faith, if it has not works is dead being alone.
So to show a true faith in the Lord, we must work. Let’s continue reading verses verse eight, starting in verse 18, there in James chapter two through the end of the chapter, yea, a man may say, thou has faith. And I have works. Show me that I faith without thy works. And I will show the, my faith by my works.
That I’ll believe is that there is one God thou do as well. The devils also believe and tremble, but without no, Oh, vain man, that faith without works is dead, was not Abraham. Our father justified by works. When he offered Isaac, his son upon the altar. See us now how faith wrought with his works and by works was faith made perfect.
And the scripture was fulfilled, which Seth Abraham believed God. And it was imputed unto him for righteousness. And he was called the friend of God to be called the friend of God, because you believed him and had such faith in him that you would do the works he wanted you to. Do you see then how that by works, a man is justified and not by faith.
Only not by faith. Only. Likewise also was Ray was not. Ray had the harlot justified by works. When she had received the messengers and had sent them out another way for as the body, without the spirit is dead. So faith without works is dead. Also our faith will be shown through our works. Turn back with me to Philemon and verse six Philemon verse six,
that the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing, which is in you in Christ Jesus. When our faith is shown, others are going to hear about it right up there in verse five, Paul writes to finally men hearing of thy love and faith, which thou has towards the Lord toward the Lord Jesus and toward all saints.
Paul, didn’t hear about fire Lehman’s faith through him, boasting about his faith. Paul heard a fine Lehman space because finally men showed such a great, such great faith through the loving actions that he took towards his brother and that they told Paul about his faith. When others here we are fulfilling Christ’s command Matthew 28, 19 and 20 Matthew, 28, 19 and 20 go ye therefore and teach all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the father and of the son and of the Holy ghost. So we are to go and we are to teach and we are to baptize. All works that we do for the father through our faith, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever. I have commanded you and lo I am with you always even unto the end of the world.
Amen. Sorry. When we keep God’s commands, he knows that we love him. Turn with me to first John chapter two verses three through five first John chapter two verses three through five And hereby. We do know that we know him. If we keep his commandments, he that Seth, I know him and keepeth, not his commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him,
but whoso keepeth his word in him. Verily is the love of God. Perfected hereby know we that we are in him. Is it enough to just have faith and faith in and love the Lord? No hearing of thy love and faith, which thou has toward the Lord Jesus and toward all saints. Paul says to Philemon in first five. So like by Lehman,
we must have love for our brethren. What does Paul mean by a love toward all saints in this passage? Love in the English language is such a fickle general term love. According to dictionary.com is a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person or a feeling of warm, personal attachment of deep affection. As for a parent, a child or a friend in the Greek.
The word for love and find Lehman. Verse five is a<inaudible>, which according to Strong’s dictionary is benevolence or Goodwill. A GABA is a self sacrificing love seeking Goodwill for others, especially other Christians. This is not an affectionate love, or a warm, fuzzy feeling that you get inside butterflies in your stomach. This is the love that seeks another’s highest.
Good. A love of the soul. Look, turn with me to John chapter 15 in verse 13. So a good example, John 15 in verse 13, The gospel of John greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. A self-sacrificing love is what we are to have for our brothers. We are commanded to love our brethren.
As I said earlier, if we love God, we will keep his commandments. Turn back. Let’s reiterate this our mind. First John chapter two verses three through five first John chapter two verses three through five and hereby. We do know that we know him. If we keep his commandments, he that Seth, I know him and keep it not his commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him,
but whoso keepeth his word in him. Verily is the love of God. Perfected hereby know we that we are in him. So let us consider what Christ has to says on this top. It has to say on this topic, John gospel of John chapter 15 in verse 14, John 15 and verse 14, Jesus himself says, ye are my friends.
If you do whatsoever, I command you. God commands us to love our brother in first, John chapter three and verse 23, turn with me first, John chapter three and verse 23. And this is his commandment that we should believe on the name of his son, Jesus Christ, and love one another as he gave us commandment. And again, in chapter four in verse 21,
first John chapter four and verse 21. And this commandment have we from him that he who loveth God love his brother. Also Christ commands us to love our brother in John chapter 15 and verse 12, the gospel of John chapter 15 and verse 12. This is my commandment that she loved one another. As I have loved you. How did Jesus love us?
He came to this earth in human form. He suffered at the hands of men and died on the cross for us. Why else do we love? We love to lift others up. Fire Lehman, verse seven, find Lehman and verse seven for we have great joy in constellation and thy love because the bowels of the saints are refreshed by the brother. We love to lift others up.
We love because God is love. First John chapter four verses seven through eight first John chapter four verses seven and eight 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 knoweth. Not God for God is love. We love because God first loved us. First, John chapter four and verse 19,
just right down the way there. First John chapter four in verse 19, we love him because he first loved us. And we love because we want to abide in God, right back up in verse 16 of first John chapter four, and we have known and believed the love that God hath to us, God is love. And he, that dwelleth in love,
dwelleth in God and God and him. Paul wrote an entire section on the importance of a God and his letter to the core in his letter to the Corinthian brethren. Because without it, we are nothing. Let’s go ahead and read first Corinthians chapter 13. I know it’s a lengthy reading, but it’s such a beautiful reading every time. First Corinthians chapter 13,
though, I speak with the tongues of men and of angels and have not love. I am become as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal. Any of you know, what a sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal sounds like it’s annoying. If you don’t have love, basically you’re annoying. And though I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge.
And though I have all faith so that I could remove mountains and have not love. I am nothing. And though I be still all my goods to feed the poor. And though I give my body to be burned and have not love it. Profit with me, nothing charity or love suffereth long and is kind love. Envieth not love vaunted, not itself and is not puffed up.
Does not behave itself. Unseemly, seeketh, not her own is not easily provoked thinketh, no evil, rejoice, not in iniquity, but rejoices with the truth. Beareth all things. Believe all things. Hopeth all things endures. All things love, never fail. If, but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail. Whether there be tongues, they shall cease.
Whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away for we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that, which is perfect is come then that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I speak as a child. I understood as a child, I thought as a child, but when I became a man,
I put away childish things for now. We see through a glass darkly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then shall I know, even as also, I am known and now abideth, faith, hope, love these three, but the greatest of these is love. So whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord.
Jesus giving things to God and the father by him, Colossians three 17, since God is love. And we do all in his name, then we must communicate our faith through our love. Paul writes of Phi rites of Phi Lehman that through his love, his faith was communicated. Turned back with me to find Lehman again and verse six, find Lehman in verse six,
that the communication of by faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing, which is in you in Christ. Jesus. If we’re in Christ, Jesus, everything we put forth is through love, but we are to love indeed. That is in action. First, John chapter three and verse 18 first John chapter three and verse 18. My little children,
let us not love in word neither in tongue, but indeed. And in truth, everybody heard you can say, I love you a million times, but when somebody finally shows you that they love you. It speaks a million times louder than however many times. They told you. They love you. God took action on his love for us by giving us his son,
John chapter three in verse 16, as most of the world knows this verse though, it is misapplied quite often, John chapter three, verse 16 for God. So loved the world that he gave. His only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. And again in Romans chapter five and verse eight, Romans chapter five and verse eight.
But God commendeth his love toward us. And that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. Christ took action on his love for all mankind, Galatians chapter two and verse 20 Galatians two 20 Paul writes to the Galatians. I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live yet not I, but Christ liveth in me and the life, which I now live in the flesh.
I live by the faith of the son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. Christ put his love into action by giving himself for us. Jesus told Peter to take action on his love. Not once, not twice, but three times in the same conversation. John chapter 21 verses 15 through 17 John chapter 21 verses 15 through 17. So when they had died,
Jesus said to Simon, Peter Simon, son of Jonas love without me more than these, he said unto him, yea Lord thou knowest that I love thee. He said unto him, then do something about it, right? Feed my lambs. He said to him again, the second time Simon son of Jonas lovest thou me. He said unto him, yea Lord thou knowest that I love thee.
He said unto him again, do something, feed my sheep. He said unto him the third time Simon son of Jonas lovest Dow me. Peter was grieved because he said unto him. The third time, love is now me. And he said unto him more thou knowest, all things thou knowest that I love. Jesus said unto him a final time feed my sheep.
Jesus calls all of us to act through our love for him. John chapter 14 in verse 15, just a couple of chapters back John chapter 14 and verse 15. Jesus says, if you love me, you will keep my commandments. Let us read what Paul wrote to the Galatians on this subject, Galatians chapter five, verses five and six, five,
five, and six for we through the spirit. Wait for the hope of righteousness by faith for in Jesus Christ, neither circumcision availeth anything nor uncircumcision, but faith, which worketh by love as Christians, we should have such a faith that our love can be shown loud enough for everyone to hear it. Be that person that others look at at work or at school or at worship or wherever it may be,
be that person that others can see your faith in Christ through the love that you show and everything that you do remember to do this. We must have faith in the Lord. We must have love for our brothers and we must communicate our faith through our love. I’d like to leave you this morning with a poem that I know a lot of people are familiar with,
but as new to me as called, I’d rather see a sermon than hear one any day by Edgar, a guest. I’d rather see a sermon than hear one any day. I’d rather one should walk with me than merely tell the way the eye is a better pupil, more willing than the ear. Find counsel is confusing, but example is always clear.
And the best of all the preachers are the men who love their creeds for to see a good put into action is what everybody needs. I can soon learn how to do it. If you will, let me see it done. See it done. I can watch your hands in action, but your tongue too fast may run. And the lectures you deliver may be very wise and true,
but I’d rather get my lesson by observing what you do for, I may misunderstand you and the high advice you give, but there is no misunderstanding how you act and how you live. When I see a deed of kindness, I am eager to be kind when a weaker brother, stumbles and a strong man stands behind just to see if he can help him.
Then the wish grows strong in me to become as big and thoughtful as I know that friend to be, and all travelers can witness that best of guides today is not the one who tells them, but the one who shows the way one good man teaches many men believe what they behold. One deed of kindness noted as worth 40, that are told one who stands with men of learns to hold.
His honor, dear for right living speaks a language which to everyone is clear though. Enables speaker charms me with his eloquence. I say, I’d rather see a sermon than hear one any day. If you have yet to obey the command of my God, of our God, why Terria Sao arise and be baptized and wash away. Thy sins calling upon the name of the Lord acts 2216.
The waters of baptism are ready for anybody that is ready to show that they love God by obeying his command. Or if you are in need of prayers from the saints, know that we love you and that we care and that the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man, availeth much James, five 16, whatever your need may be. Please come forward.
As we stand and sing.<inaudible> the high raise all to go to the same.<inaudible> he is the true one. He is Josh. Juan.<inaudible> him. Hey<inaudible> I asked, ah, well come to the, I am resolved to follow the, save your<inaudible><inaudible> Hey to him. Hey son.<inaudible> I asked, ah, well come to the,
I am breeze all too. And the key thing the<inaudible> friends may oppose me falls maybe said me<inaudible><inaudible> Hey to him. Hey<inaudible> ah, well come to the Want to thank Michael for that lesson and that encouragement for all of us to live out our love for God, both towards him and towards one another closing song. Before our closing prayer will be number 749,
the battle belongs to the Lord 749. After we sing the song will be led in our closing prayer. We do want to thank each and every one of you for being here, especially our visitors. And we hope you will get to be back with us again. Soon, we do have Bible class Wednesday night at 7:00 PM. And again, next Sunday morning at nine 30 and worship at 10 30,
number 749, the battle belongs to the Lord and then we’ll be closed in our closing or we’ll have our closing prayer in heaven. The armor will learn to the land that will be long to the little weapons I’ve fashioned. Again,<inaudible> bad OB long to the little book and we seeing<inaudible> power and strength to the Lord. We sing<inaudible> to the Lord.
When the power of dog news comes in like a battle belongs to the Lord. He’s raised up<inaudible> battle belongs to the Lord and we sing Laurie on power and strength to the<inaudible> power and SRE to the<inaudible> rage. My friend, yo read, damn Sean is me. Battle belongs to the Lord and we sing<inaudible> power and strength to the low.
So Heavenly father. We’re so very grateful for this privilege that we’ve had to assemble peacefully and worship you. We pray that our worship has been in spirit and truth and a sweet savor unto thee. As we prepare to depart, we’re mindful of those of our number that are suffering illnesses, illnesses, please, if you will place your healing hands upon them and return them to their much wanted Hill.
We’re also mindful of the Neal family and the passing of Danny Tommy’s brother. We pray that you will comfort them, be with the Sanderson family as they mourn the loss of Jenny’s sister in law. And also we ask father that you be with the Dale family as they traveled back to Jessica’s mother’s bedside that you will bless them with a safe trip and her with a speedy recovery go with each of us.
Now, as we prepared to depart, bless each of us, according to our several needs and bring us all back at the next appointed hour. It’s in jesus’ name that we pray. Amen.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible>.
JOHN – Revelation 13 Dragon, Sea Beast, Land Beast & 666
What are the shared attributes of the Dragon and the Sea beast? Revelation 13:1 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
What 3 animals was the sea beast like? Revelation 13:2 ________________________________________________________________
What changed about one of the sea beast’s heads that caused the world to marvel? As a result, what creature was worshipped? Revelation 13:3 -4 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The names of those who worship the beast are NOT written where? Revelation 13:8 __________________________________________________
Describe the appearance of the land beast. Revelation 13:11 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
How does the land beast deceive those who dwell on the earth? What does the land beast cause those who dwell on the earth to make? Revelation 13:13-14 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
What does the land beast cause all to receive? Revelation 13:16-17 The person without a mark cannot _________________________. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
What is the number of the land beast? Revelation 13:18 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Automated Transcript
<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> Testing one, two. All right. That’s better. Let’s see if we can do this. I didn’t even drop it. Oop. Well spoke too soon. All right. We are in revelation chapters, 12 and 13. This evening. Let’s begin with a word of prayer. Our gracious father in heaven.
We bow before your throne grateful for all of the many blessings that you’ve granted to us grateful for the life that we have and the opportunity that we have to serve you. We pray that as we serve you, that we do so in a way, in a manner that is pleasing to you, we pray that you care for us as we go throughout this day.
And throughout this week, we pray that you be with all those who are involved with voting throughout the country, especially those who are working the polls, and those who are going out to vote. We pray that you will protect them and that they will remain healthy throughout that entire experience. We pray for our country and we pray for its leaders that no matter who is in charge,
that they might do those things, which are in accordance with your will. We might always be able to move forward in this country and peace being able to worship you in freedom, but no matter what comes may we always be mindful. And may we always be devoted to the reality that we will worship you no matter what comes and no matter who is in charge and no matter what they say,
Lord, we pray that you will be with us as we go through this period of study, may the things that written here in the book of Revelation, be those which help us to understand your will and help us to understand how we can endure and how Christians can endure through the toughest of times, knowing that you are always on our side, we pray that you will be with us as we go through this night.
Forgive us when we sin and fall short of your glory and are willing to repent of those things. This we pray in Jesus name. Amen.<inaudible> Definitely, definitely. I want to mention this just in case anybody gets contacted while we’re in here, the number four, connecting through a phone call, which is how a lot of folks have been connecting the number changed.
We could only set up that, that recurring meeting with that same number for six months. Well guess what? We’ve been in coronavirus for six months now. And so the number changed, but in the meantime, they also changed the way it works some. So now there’s a number and a passcode. It is on the website, it’s on the front page.
We’ll also make sure it’s written down and everybody’s got access to it. But if anybody contacts you get with Eddie or Paula, they both have the number already and the passcode. So they just put in the number, hit pound and then put in the passcode when it tells them to. And they can Connect revelation, chapter 12, we got through some of this.
I was thinking we got through most of this, but I think I got that. I may have slept since then, misremembered how much we got through, but we didn’t get through the questions that I know for certain. Did we do the questions from chapter 11? We did, or we didn’t know we did. Okay. Then can someone hand me a P a sheet of paper that has the questions from chapter 11?
Because I don’t have the sheet with me and we’ll do 11 and well, as we get started tonight, while they’re looking for that, I’m going to actually start as way back here in a chapter 17 that we haven’t gotten to. Thank you. Well, I don’t see that It’s on the it’s on the main stand. So 12 is on the mainstay and Eleven’s back there somewhere.
We’re now getting to the part of revelation as we get into chapter 13, the, the beast that we’ve talked about, we’ve talked about it being Rome. We’ve talked about it being a persecuting power in chapter 12, we, we first start to see the beast, the beast attempts to devour the, the child of the woman. Okay? So, so all of these things are going on,
but we’re just about to get into this whole beast discussion, full fledged, but going back to our discussion about the date of the book, Daniel in Daniel, chapter seven, and this is incredibly important. Daniel sets up this entire discussion. Daniel talks about four bees Daniels, four beasts are a lion, a bear, a leopard, and an indescribable beast.
And Daniel says that those four bees are four nations. They are the same four nations that were the head of gold, the shoulder and chest of silver, the belly and thighs of brass and the legs and feet of iron mixed with clay. And we know from history, what four nations, those are that’s Babylon followed by the Mito Persian empire, followed by the Grecian empire,
followed by Rome and Daniel reveals to Nebuchadnezzar by the power of God that Inebric and editor’s dream. God is telling Nebuchadnezzar, you’re the head of gold. And coming after you will be a nation that is not greater than you, but will overcome you. And following them as another nation, that’s not greater than them, but will overcome them and following them another nation that is not greater than them,
but we’ll overcome them. And ultimately God lays out the path of history that will happen over the next 700 years leading to the time of Christ there in Daniel, chapter two and as well in Daniel chapter seven. But in Daniel seven, it’s not ahead of goal. It’s not an image with four different nations. It is four BS. Okay? So when we get to revelation and we start reading about BESE,
we don’t need to go crazy. We don’t need to just start throwing ideas out. We don’t need to just come up with our own conclusion as to what it means. Daniel already told us what it means. Revelation is the finishing of so much of what the prophet said in the old Testament, whether it’s a ZQ or Isaiah or Daniel, all of them or Zechariah,
all of them spoke about things that would happen and be involved in the coming kingdom of God. So here’s the reason why all this is going on. God, doesn’t come down in through the power of the Holy spirit and just start saying to his children and to his profits and to his church in the first century. Let me tell you what’s going to happen in China in the next 400 years,
he doesn’t come down to his people and say, let me tell you what’s going to happen on the other side of the planet, because it doesn’t matter to you, but I just like telling the future. That’s not it. And it wasn’t in Daniel’s day, the whole point of Daniel’s prophecies and Daniel’s visions. And the revelation that was given to Nebuchadnezzar is God’s saying,
they’re all going to think they’re in charge. Just like never can ask her thought he was, they all are gonna think that they rule the world just like Nebuchadnezzar thought he did you think Alexander, the great thought he was going to conquer the world. He, his ambition was to do exactly that, But what happened to Alexander? The great here’s what I know happened.
He died, you know, go through the genealogies and you remember that and he died. That’s the point of the BESE. Okay. In all of this, that’s the point of the beast nation rises up. Nation lasts for a little while. They think they’re all that. They’re not because God is still on the throne. So revelation is written when the persecuting beast,
the same beast that Daniel describes, but you’re going to see in chapter 13, the culmination of all four beasts brought forward in Rome. The persecuting beast was in the time of Nero. The persecution of the church was significant. And then Nero did the same thing. Every other King did. He died and the beast looked like he was all powerful. And he looked like he was going to decimate the church.
And he looked like he was going to win over the church and he died. But now the beast is in an, is not state. He’s not persecuting right now. When Nero died, Rome went into civil war and three emperors came and went in quick fashion inside of two years. And then it looked like, I mean, if you were a Christian at that time,
you would have been looking at Rome going. They got what they deserved. Rome messed with God’s people, God killed Nero, boom, Rome deteriorates. But then Vespasian comes to the throne and Vespasian puts Rome back together. Vespasian stops the civil Vespasian gets the country back on track. And Vespasian is around for a little while. And it’s in Vespasian rain that John’s writing because he’s warning the Christians,
Rome or revelation chapter two, verse 10, he tells the church, he says, you’re going to go to prison. You’re going to be in prison for 10 days. And some of you are going to die. The 10 days is not a literal 10 days. The 10 days is a period of time in which they will suffer. All of this is God’s saying,
it’s going to look like you lose. It’s going to look like the beast wins. It’s going to look like when I prophesied in Daniel chapter two, verse 44, that I was going to set up a kingdom that would never be destroyed. It’s going to look like I was wrong and that the kingdom would be destroyed and the beast would win. And the beast and that fourth nation wouldn’t be decimated and brought to pieces by my kingdom.
But instead my kingdom would be, death would be decimated by the beast. And God is saying, I told you all the way back in Daniel, that wasn’t was what was going to happen, but you’re going to suffer in this persecution in the meantime. Okay. So chapter 12, my slides went away. Did I hit that button or the day?
Oh, well technology is what technology is. I’m in chapter let’s, let’s do chapter 11 because chapters 10, 11, and 12, we’re going to do the questions. Chapters 10, 11, and 12 are a message to God’s people about the 42 months, the 1,260 days, the time times and half the time. And all three of those things mean the same thing.
Chapter 10 has the same message. Chapter 11 has the same message. Chapter 12 has the same message. And they’re all there to provide comfort before chapter 13, because chapter 13 is when God says and here’s what’s coming. Okay? So these are here to say the suffering is limited. It’s not a seven it’s, half of a seven it’s three and a half.
It’s 42 months. It’s 1,260 days. It’s not a completeness. It’s not what God can do. It’s what man can do. Okay. And when Jesus said, do not fear what man can do, because man can’t do what he can’t kill the soul. Instead he says, fear, the one who can destroy both body and soul man has what?
Half the power he can kill your body. And they would, but they couldn’t touch their soul. God says, I’ve got you. Okay. So chapter 11, question one. What was John given and what was he told to do? Alright. And he’s giving a measure, given a measuring read and he’s told to do what, okay. He is told to measure the temple and the altar and those who worship there.
Okay. And the word for temple, there is the word for the inner sanctuary. The Greek had two different words for temple. One meant the entire complex, and one meant the inner sanctuary. And this is the inner sanctuary, not the entire temple complex. Okay. So you don’t have to put all of that, but just wanted to fill that in.
He was given a read and was told to measure the temple and those who worship there in what was John told to leave out, all right. The court, outside the temple, and God says, you measure the inside. You measure my dwelling place. And those who worship in my dwelling place, which are the priests who was allowed to go into the temple to worship common Jew.
How about a Gentile? No, just the priests. But first Peter chapter two says Christians are what priests. He said, every single one of you are priests of God, which means all of us get to go where into the inner temple, into the sanctuary Hebrews chapter four. I believe there’s so many of these passages that are right here in book of revelation.
They’re just not in prose. Their envisions Hebrews chapter four says we have power. It talks about Jesus Christ coming and, and being tempted like as we are yet without sin. And then it says in verse 16, and we have boldness to come before him to find grace to help in time of need. And the picture is a picture of the tabernacle.
He says, you don’t have to stand outside. Wishing you could come in the God’s presence. You have not only access, but boldness to go in. Okay. So he was told to leave out those in the outer court, chapter 11, verse three, how many witnesses were there and what were they told to do? Okay. There were two witnesses.
What were they told to do? All right. They were told to prophesied. So you get a picture of, these are prophets. There’s two of them. This comes straight from Zechariah. What two things do the witnesses have power to do? And what are these things pictured of pictures of in the old Testament, they have power to do what okay.
And strike the earth with flags. Okay. So they have power to stop it from raining. And that’s a picture of what, what prophet Elijah. And they have power to turn water to blood and bring plagues, which is a picture of what prophet Moses. Okay. So this is a picture of Elijah and Moses representative of the Christians God’s people. Okay.
But what we’re seeing here is a time 42 months, 1000, 260 days, time, times and half the time, three and a half years, which is the same amount of time that Alijah didn’t allow it to rain. And yet during that entire time was Alijah provided for yes. He went out into the wilderness and he went there by the broke,
where God told them to. And what, who, who brought him food? The Ravens did God miraculously caused Ravens to bring Elijah food. And then when the Brook dried up, because after, if you have no rain, eventually the water stops. He took him somewhere else and provided him for him. Okay. God. And his provision during three and a half years where there’s no provision,
but God knows who belongs to him. And he cares for and provides for those who belong to him. So it’s a picture of that time in Elijah’s life and these Christians okay. Who killed the witnesses? All right. This is the first time we have the beast described as coming up. The beast comes up out of the bottomless pit and kills the two witnesses in what city were they killed and give it’s two spiritual names.
What city did we say? This was the great city. And we described the fact that that’s Rome all throughout the book and what are its two spiritual names, Sodom and Egypt. And in a real sense, you could actually give a third, but the name isn’t given and the third is we described there, the three aspects of those names and why those are there.
Okay. What happened to the two witnesses after three and a half days? Alright, they’re resurrected. God breathes life back into them. Where did they go? And how did they get there? Alright. God tells these two witnesses. After he resurrects them. He says, come up here. John saw vision. And as John gets into the vision in chapter two and chapter three,
the letters go out to the seven churches that the message for each church has given. And then chapter four, John sees an open door and a voice from heaven says, go through the door. Well, now these witnesses are here and they’ve been slain for the testimony of Christ for the prophecy and for the speaking of God’s word. And the beast looked like he won and the people looked like they loved it.
And the everything was good as far as they were concerned. And then God raises his two witnesses from the dead and says, you come up here cause you’re not going to have to suffer through what’s coming. Okay. So then notice what we have next. What is declared at the beginning of the seventh trumpet? Okay. The kingdom of this world has become the kingdoms of our Lord.
Okay. So, or, or a paraphrase of that is the reign of Christ over the world. How long will Christ reign forever and ever. So don’t miss chapter 11 and its connection to Daniel. Chapter two, the declaration is here’s the witnesses. Here are the people of God. Here are the ones, by the way, at the end of the three and a half years with no rain,
what was a Hab looking for Alijah? So he could do, what did the light, or what did they have want to do to Elijah? Because it hadn’t rained for three and a half years. He wanted to kill him. But did he know? But these witnesses, they die, but God says, but my son, he rains. The witnesses are a picture of Christ.
There. A picture of his church, Christ was in the tomb. How many days? Three days, Right? Picture of Christ. It’s a picture of Jesus saying to his church. They hated me. They’re going to hate you too. They’ll put me to death and they’ll kill you too, but you win in the end. Okay. And if we don’t get through anything,
but the questions of chapter 11, chapter 12, that’ll be all right. We kind of need to just a breather, bring it all in and, and get ready for chapter 13. Anyway, how long are, wait, we just ask that how long Christ reign forever and ever under Christ reign, who would be rewarded? Okay. Under Christ reign,
we have the reward going to the servants, the prophets and the saints. Now remember chapter two and chapter three, Jesus said the overcomers get to come over. Those who are faithful unto death will be given what a crown of life. So here you have a picture of two witnesses being slain by the bees, but they’re not going to stay dead because the beast doesn’t have power over the second death.
He doesn’t have power to kill your soul. He only has power to kill your body. So they’re slain by the beast, but they’re rewarded by Christ. Okay? Everything Christ promised everything. God prophesied will come to pass. And that’s the message of chapter 11. What was seen when the temple of God in heaven was opened. Alright, so, so hold on here.
What is the arc of the covenant? What did it symbolize? The presence of God and God’s provision. Remember what was initially when the arc was built, when the tabernacle was made, what was put inside the Ark Aaron’s rod that budded when which was a symbol of not only God leading them, but God defeating Pharaoh, because remember it was the rod that kept going out,
right? It was the rod that got thrown down and turned into a serpent. It was the rod over and over and over was the rod that went over the red sea part of the, the waters. Okay. Aaron’s rod that budded, which confirmed the priesthood, the commandments of God, God said, you do this and I’ll be your God. God’s assurance through his law that he would never depart from them so long as they kept the covenant.
And number three, the pot of manna, where God took them through the wilderness and their clothes never wore out. Their shoes never wore out. They never went hungry. Now they grumbled and complained a whole lot, but they were always provided for. And the art in its existence was the symbol of the law, the priesthood, the forgiveness and mercy of God,
because the mercy seat was on top of the Ark. And God’s provision in saying you, as long as you’re faithful, have nothing to worry about. So here we are at the end of chapter 11, and what’s opened up the temple of God. And you look inside, John sees inside and Oh, by the way, when Babylon invaded Jerusalem, they didn’t find the arc there.
Babylon took all the articles that were in the temple, but not the table of showbread and not the arc, not the mercy seat. Now that’s a big discussion to this day, what happened to them? But the reality is we have the list of the things that Babylon took out. It’s in the scriptures and it’s not on the list. And that’s never been seen again to anyone’s knowledge that I know of.
But here you are in the temple of God and in the spiritual picture of the temple of God, which the temple of God is represented as the church. There’s the arc. God’s still here. Okay. Chapter 12, the woman and the baby, the devil, a three time loser, chapter 12 verse one describes the woman clothed with the sun moon on her feet,
crown on her head, the stars above the crown. Okay. And there’s 12 stars, 12 stars above the crown. And the 12 stars represent 12, always in book, revelation represents re the religion of God. The people have gone and off authorized religion. Okay. So we got here, we have here a picture of the corporate church. And in other words,
the church as a whole, the universal body of Christ, okay. You have the woman, by the way, it’s not the only time in revelation that the church has pictured as the bot, as, as a woman, because it’s also in revelation that she’s pictured as the bride of Christ. Okay. So we’re not, we’re not just bringing that idea out of nowhere,
multiple times. You’ve got this idea, but verse two, I’m sorry, what does the number 12 mean? I answered it and didn’t even remember the question was there. Alright. Represents 12 tribes of Israel represents 12. Apostles represents authorized religion. Okay. Authorized religion. And therefore the people of God, because those are the people who will participate in authorized religion.
Okay. What is the woman’s condition she’s pregnant? What was this child going to do? According to verse five? Alright. Rule all nations with a rod of iron. The picture is of Christ. Okay. The picture is here and this is, this is not a literal event. There’s there, there was not a beast waiting at the birth of Christ to devour the no it’s figurative,
but the church in its need for redemption and all people who are part of the body of Christ and all people who have been faithful all the way back through history had need of what a savior. They weren’t good enough on their own. They couldn’t bring about their redemption on their own. They were waiting all the way back from Genesis chapter three, for the seed of woman that would bring the death blow against who Satan.
Now watch this because this is, this is good. The seed of woman, who’s going to bring the death, blow on Satan. And here, the picture is Satan waiting for the child to be warned, to devour the child because you can’t hurt me. If you’re still a baby and you’re not on your throne, you can’t bring about the death.
Blow. If I get you before you get a chance. Okay. But watch what happens. All right. So the great red dragon stood, ready to do what? Devour the child. Why did the dragon fail in his mission? Alright, child’s taken up into heaven. You devil you, you, you, you missed your chance. Okay? Again,
we’re not talking about literal history here. We’re talking about a vision. God’s making a point. The devil missed he’s a loser loser time. Number one, four. We’re out of this chapter. He’s a three time loser. Okay. Who else escaped the reach of the dragon? The woman. Now, if the woman represents the church, that means the beast is going to try and devour Christ and fail,
going to try and devour the woman and fail. Okay. But did Christ still die on the cross? Yup. Might the church still suffer too? Yes, but they don’t lose. Okay. So according to these verses, what two time references are equivalent to each other? That’s verse 16 and verse 14. And what do they they’re supposed to be?
Why there? What do they mean? Or what do they symbolize? What two, what are the two time references? 1,260 days. And the other is time times and half the time. Right. And if you, if you think about time, times and half the time, this way, think of year, multiple years and half of a year.
Okay. Three and a half years. Okay. It’s just another way of saying it. Three and a half years on a 360 day calendar is 1,260 days. It’s also 42 months. That’s what we saw in the previous chapter. Okay. They’re all just half of seven. They’re half of perfection. They’re derived authority. It’s derived power. He doesn’t have the power of God.
That’s the message all the way along. God doesn’t need to protect the woman to the level of protecting them against God, because that’s the beast. Isn’t God, that’s the declaration all the way through this beast. Isn’t got dragon. Isn’t God Satan. Isn’t God. And he doesn’t have the power of God. Okay. But we’re also continuing to, to bring forward that three and a half years of Elijah.
Okay. So what do they mean? What do they symbolize? They symbolize half of seven. They symbolize derived power. Okay. God’s going to allow Satan to do what Satan does for a period of time. And then Satan’s judgment is going to come. Okay. That’s the message all the way through the beast that Satan gives power to in chapter 13,
he’s going to let him go for a period of time. By the way, chapter 13, you’re gonna see 42 months again. Okay. We’re not done with that symbol. So just keep it, keep it fresh in your mind, three and a half years, 42 months, 1000, 260 days, time, times, and half a time. It’s going to keep coming up because every time it comes up,
it’s God saying, this is temporary. This is for a time. It’s going to be hard. It’s going to be like going through three and a half years of no rain, but don’t worry. I’ve got you. Okay. I told you we weren’t going to get past the questions. Okay. To what location does the devil chase? The baby heaven.
Okay. So the baby’s taken up into heaven. The male child is taken up into heaven. And so the next moment you look or the scene changes and there’s the dragon and he’s in heaven, but there’s a war. Who does he encounter instead of the child? Michael and angels. Okay. What is the result of the battle? Alright. The devil loses.
Now, if you can’t beat the servants, how are you going to beat the master? If you can’t beat Michael and his angels, how are you going to be Christ? If you’re a loser to the servants, you’re not going to beat the master. Okay. There’s your picture there? What are the other names for the dragon serpent? That’s Genesis three,
the devil, the deceiver and Satan. The accuser. He’s the deceiver. He’s the accuser. He’s Satan. He’s the one who was told way back in Genesis, chapter three. He’s the loser. He’s the one who gets the death blow. Okay. So in what three ways did the servants of God, the saints overcome the dragon verse 11, blood of the lamb word of their testimony.
And they did not. This is, this is critical. They did not love their lives to death. John wrote in first, John chapter do love, not the world. Neither the things that are in the world for all that is in the world. The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and pride of life are of the world.
And those things he says are vanishing away. They’re not eternal. Don’t love your life so much that you’ll sacrifice your eternity for your life. And to the Christians. God says Michael and the angels can beat the devil, but so can you, and here’s how you’ll do it. First of all, you’ll be covered in the blood of the lamb. The accuser has nothing to accuse you of if you’re pure and Holy covered in the blood of life,
but not only do you have the blood of the lamb, but you have the testimony of God. So if your speech is the word of God, then he can’t accuse your speech. If you’re covered in the blood of the lamb, he can’t accuse your actions. But if he tries to take your life, just understand this. As long as you don’t love your life more than you love eternity and God and Christ,
you win. Even if he takes your life, he can’t take your reward. Okay. So then question nine. What was the Dragon’s reaction to being cast down to earth? Say that again. All right. Well, initially in verse 13, we read now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child.
And so that’s exactly what you just said. Yes. Per skew, the woman, I was thinking of another verse. Sorry. Alright. I persecuted the woman. How was the woman saved? I should have just read the second half of the question. Sometimes I talk too much. Okay. God delivers her. Now. Remember, the woman is the church universally that the church corporately,
Satan can’t touch her. God delivers her. She wins. Kingdom’s not destroyed. She goes through hard times. She’s persecuted, but she doesn’t lose. But now we’ve got a little additional thing. How, how was the woman saved through the two wings of the Eagle? Like what old Testament? Prophet. I’m sorry. I’m questioning why I asked that question.
Oh, okay. Sorry. Let me, let me read the rest of verse. But the woman was given two wings of a great Eagle that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time times and half of the time. The second part of the verses, Elijah. Okay. Just reinforcing. We’ve been in Elijah this whole time.
Okay. Just pictures of Elijah over and over and over again. Okay. So she saved like the, the prophet Elijah, when the dragons flood of water. Cause he, so he spews out a flood of water against the, The seed of the woman. Okay. Let’s let me read verse 15 through verse 17. This will make more sense than I’ll get my brain untangled.
So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth, like a flood after the woman that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood. But the earth helped the woman and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood, which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. And the dragon was enraged with the woman. And he went to make war with the rest of her offspring who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
So real quick, who’s the rest of her offspring, the church. Okay. Now you’re getting a picture of the church individually. The dragon can’t touch the church as a whole. He can’t beat the kingdom. He can’t defeat the kingdom, but he can go attack individual Christians. Okay. And he does, but he attempts to spew out this water when the Dragon’s flood of water fails.
Who does he begin to? Persecute individual Christians or the church. Okay. Comments, questions. I mean, we’ve just covered a bunch of questions. Got any more? Alright. Thank you for your attention. We’ll get into chapter 13 on Sunday.<inaudible> Good evening. Welcome to the Collierville Wednesday night Bible study. And now it’s time for our devotional.
It’s good to see each and every one of you out here tonight. And for those of you that are still unable to come out, we continue to pray for you and pray for your return to worship God with us as soon as possible.<inaudible> For our announcements. This evening are sick. Please remember Joan Springer and Janet Jones there. Janet, just doing physical rehab at home and Joan still battling her problems that she’s as please keep both of them.
And your thoughts and prayers. Dorothy Wilson is still dealing with her extremely high blood pressure. So please keep Dorothy and your thoughts and prayers. Sylvia’s a second nerve block to try to fix her back will be on the 23rd of October. So please pray for Sylvia and play. Pray for good results from this second nerve block, hopefully that will take care of her issues with her back.
James Luna is scheduled to see a specialist tomorrow to find out what’s causing the numbness in his hands. Danny O’Neil Tommy’s brother, Paula got a message from Diane, and it’s kinda hard to interpret how this is, but the message tells us that his heart is really weak and that the plan is tomorrow to turn off the ventilator is the way it reads. So I don’t really know how to interpret that,
but that does not sound good at all for Danny. So please keep Danny and Tommy and the entire O’Neill family and your thoughts and prayers, Robin woods, who is Michael Dale’s mother-in-law has tested positive for COVID-19. And she also has a large kidney stone, but they’re not going to do the surgery to try to take care of and remove this large kidney stone.
Cause that’s the only way they’re going to be able to get it out as do surgery until she gets through the COVID-19. And she has some possible risk factors due to other health issues. So please keep Robin woods and the entire family and your thoughts and prayers, other non Smiths, the Memphis school of preaching fifth annual world evangelism seminar is this Friday and Saturday.
There’s a flyer out there on the bulletin boards. We want him for more information on that. Gary Collie will be speaking on Friday evening on the nationwide gospel call. That’s at nine o’clock every night, but this Friday night, Gary Collie would be speaking. And his topic is the disciples. Second baptism. And then the Sanderson’s are out of town for the funeral of a Jenny sister-in-law Mary Jo to Darrow.
So please continue to remember them. And also please, like I said on Sunday, continue to pray for Vincent because Vincent is taking this loss very, very hard. It’s all the announcements I have. Our song leaders evening is Aaron coats. Art devotional is Michael Dale and the closing prayer will be Terry Whitley. Thank you. Number 453. I know I’ve changed.
I’ve gained a lot of weight and some facial hair and more hair on the top. And I have two hands at work right now. Anyway, 453 love lifted me. I want to sinking deepens and far from the peaceful shore. They’re really deeply stained within sinking to rise no more, but the master of the sea heard my despairing cry from the waters left in me.
Now say fam, ah, love lifted me. Love lifted me when nothing else could help love lifted me. Love me. Love lifted me when a thing was good, huh?<inaudible> me. Oh my heart to him. I can ever to him a clean<inaudible> love so mighty and so true. Merits my saws. Best songs. They fall loving service to<inaudible> love lifted me.
Love lifted me when nothing else. Good. Huh? Love lifted me. Love lifted me up. Lifting me when nothing good. Huh?<inaudible> so’s in danger. Look up. Ah, Jesus, completely say, Hey, he will lift you by his law out of the angry ways. He’s a master of the sea<inaudible> he wants to be<inaudible> love lifted me.
Love lifted me when nothing else. Good. Ha love lifted me up. Lifted me. Love lifted me when nothing else. Good. Huh?<inaudible> me. Song of invitation. This evening will be number 943. Do you know my Jesus number nine, four, three. Take your Bibles. If you will. And open them to Psalm one 19,
there are so many things that we could read about here in this Psalm, the longest chapter in all scripture. But I want to focus just on a few verses, beginning in verse 57 and notice them in their context. But then also the principles contained there in David Rheins you are my portion. Oh Lord. I have said that I would keep your words.
Jesus said, man, shall not live by bread alone. But by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God and David said, I know what I need. I know what my portion is. I know what sustains me. I know what I need. And it is your word. And I have determined. I will keep your word. But then he says in verse 58,
I in treated your favor with my whole heart. Be merciful to me, according to your word. So David says, I have made a commitment. I will keep your word. And I am going to entrust my to you because I’ve decided in my heart that you will abide by your word. And I trust you with my whole heart, which is why he and treated him with his whole heart.
And Jesus said, the greatest commandment in the law is thou shall love the Lord, thy God, with all via art. David says, I’m not, I’m not going to seclude some portion of my life. Some portion of my heart, some portion of my being over here and say, God, I’m going to give everything else to you. But not that no,
no, you can’t touch that. No, I won’t let you. I won’t let go of that. No, David says I’m going to entreat you with my whole heart. But then he says, verse 59. I thought about my ways and turned my feet to your testimonies. Having decided that God’s word would be his portion. Be his sustenance, be everything he needed and having realized that he needed God’s mercy.
And therefore in treated God with his whole heart, that God would be merciful. According to what God had already promised to you would do. He then examined his life and said loops, my feet are pointed the wrong direction. And he turned them according to the word of God. Now watch this. When a person is outside the body of Christ, they first have to come to realize that God’s word is the only thing that will deliver them from the state of sin.
The only thing Jesus said, except he believe that I am, he, you shall die in your sins. Romans chapter 10 says, how shall they believe? Except for here. Faith, cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God. So when a person first hears the word of God and comes to realize that it is the power of God unto salvation,
they then need to treat it that way. Having heard the word, they must then realize that their life, their entire life has to become devoted as in their whole heart to the one who gave that word. So having heard the word, they have to believe it. And they have to believe that what God said in that word he’ll actually do, which means they can have a surety that if God said,
I’ll give you salvation. If you meet these terms, he’ll do it. But also that God said, if you don’t you’ll receive my judgment. So having heard the word, they have to believe it, but believing is never been enough. It wasn’t enough for David. And it’s not enough today because that faith has to then examine a person’s life and having heard the word and having believed the word and having sought God with their whole heart,
they must then change their life and put their feet, turn towards God’s path and begin walking in righteousness. Now under the new covenant, we know that we have to repent the change of mind. That brings about a change of action, the turning of the feet. But we also have to confess. We have to be immersed in water for the remission of sins and we have to die to self and live to him.
If you have native the invitation, you can do that tonight. If you’re a member of the body of Christ, the same pattern that David followed is still applicable to you. If you have God’s word in your heart and you want God’s mercy in your life and you know, God will give you what he promised you. But only if you turn your feet back towards him,
then by all means tonight, turn your feet back toward the path of God. If you have need of the invitation, why not come now? As we stand in, as we say<inaudible><inaudible> new.<inaudible> have you heard<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> here’s each time you cry, ah,<inaudible> tears from your<inaudible>.<inaudible> Let us pray. Our heavenly father.
We thank you for another beautiful day. Lord, we thank you for the privilege to come into your house, Lord and study your word. Lord, we lift our sick up to you Lord, and the ones that have lost loved ones. Lord just comfort them and a way Lord, that only you can, as we depart tonight, Lord, just be with us,
keep us safe and bring us back at the next point at time, these things we’re asking your precious and Holy name. Amen.
John has spoken of the Dragon. He tells us the Dragon was cast from Heaven to Earth and then made war against the children of the woman. The children are Christians, for they are those “who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.”
The Sea Beast
John stands at the edge of the sea (I think this is the sea on earth, for the action occurs on there and not in heaven). He looks out on the water and from the sea arises a magnificent beast. The sea beast has the attributes of a leopard (body), a bear (feet), and a lion (mouth). He has seven heads and ten horns, like the Dragon (12:3), but with three additional crowns.
The dragon gives the sea beast authority, power, and a throne. See in this Rome and the Caesars. His strength is used to persecute the children of the woman — the Church. The people of the earth witness the mortal wound of one of the beast’s heads, but also the healing. They will marvel and follow the Beast. The world adores magnificence and power. They worship whatever seems to provide strength. So they worship the Dragon and the Beast.
“Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?”
Notice the Sea Beast was given authority for 42 months (3 1/2 years — the time the woman was safeguarded.) He was given a mouth to speak against God, His name, His tabernacle, and His followers. He was granted to make war with the saints and kill them. His power was multi-national, and all who dwelt on the earth worshipped him.
We read here of the “Book of Life of the Lamb” — a record of the faithful. We also read of the “Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” Remember from earlier in the vision, Christ is the Lamb who was slain but stands victorious and worthy.
Next Week: The Land Beast proclaims the Godhood of the Sea Beast. 666.
A fierce dragon seeks the life of the child, but Heaven’s deliverance intercedes.
A LOOK BACK: Chapter 11 concluded the second Woe, part of the sixth trumpet. Now the third woe approaches. Before it arrives, we receive visions that reassure the faithful of God’s protection and deliverance from persecution.
The Child and the Dragon
A vision of a woman clothed with the Sun and the moon under her feet. She is pregnant, travailing in birthing pains, and wearing a crown with twelve stars.
The dragon appears in heaven (where the woman is) and is magnificent in size and red. He has seven heads each with a crown and ten horns. The tail of the dragon will knock one-third of the stars of heaven to earth as he approaches the woman to devour her child the moment it is born (this might be a representation of Jesus as a child).
The woman gives birth to a boy, one who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. God will deliver the child out of the reach of the dragon. The woman will flee into the wilderness to a place prepared by God. God will care for her for 1,260 days.
A War Breaks out in Heaven
Michael and the angels fight against the Dragon and his angels. They will lose their place and be cast down into the earth. The text is clear: the dragon is Satan, the Devil, the serpent. He is the deceiver of the whole world.
John hears a voice from heaven. Salvation is declared, and so has the Kingdom and power of Christ. The accuser of Christians has been cast down. The victory was by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of the Christians who did not love their lives to the death (i.e., martyrs).
There is rejoicing in the heavens, but woe to the earth at the presence of Satan. He has been cast down, and his wrath is great for he knows his time is short.
When the dragon is cast down, he persecutes the woman, but the woman flies to the wilderness once again on the wings of an eagle. She receives nourishment for a time and times and half a time (3 and 1/2 years).
The woman is attacked one last time by the dragon, but the earth swallows up the attack. In a fury at this, the dragon begins to make war against the rest of her children — those who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ (the Christians).
Next Week: The Sea Beast and the Land Beast rise to power.
The thing I love about technology is it always works. Oh, we are in revelation, chapter 11 and 12 today, revelation chapter 11 and chapter 12, we just have a little bit to finish in chapter 11,
and then we will proceed into chapter 12. Let’s begin with a word of prayer, our gracious father in heaven. We come before you grateful for the blessings. You showered upon us on a daily basis, grateful for all that you do for us in good times, and in hard times, grateful for your love and your care, your concern, your loving kindness.
That is granted to us that though we do not deserve it. You have bestowed upon humanity, and we are so grateful for it. We’re grateful most, especially for your son who came and died on the cross for our sins. The lamb that was slain, and yet is standing before the throne. The one who conquers the one who is victorious, the one who will sit on his throne and who rains Lord,
we are grateful for all the many things that you’ve granted to us inside of the word of God. And inside this book we refer to as the Bible, and we’re especially grateful for the book of revelation and the hope and the encouragement that it grants to us. And the reminder that no matter what comes, no matter the struggles in this country or any country that’s come before,
there is one who’s on the throne and there is one kingdom that is eternal and none other is, and that is Christians. We are citizens of the kingdom of God. We pray for all the nations throughout the world, and especially the nation in which we live, that they might make, right choices, that they might do, things that are in accordance with your will.
They might accomplish those things that Lao for Your gospel to be spread to a greater degree throughout the world. All this we pray in jesus’ name. Amen.<inaudible> Revelation, chapter 10. We began a pause, an interlude as the sixth trumpet had sounded. We talked about the fact that there’s the, the seven seals and inside of the seventh seal are seven trumpets.
And the first six trumpets will be, will sound in chapters eight and nine. But then as the sixth trumpet concludes, and that second woe, remember there’s, there’s two woes or there’s, there’s three woes in the last three trumpets, one woe in each trumpet. And as that second trumpet sounds, and it concludes, then there’s another pause, a pause to remind the Christians that they are going to make it through this,
that God is on their side. That Christ is on the throne and he is going to rule and he will avenge the persecution that is coming upon them. As we talked about the fact that at the time of the writing, the persecution, isn’t immediate, it’s about to come back up. The beast is about to come back up. And so God is telling them what is remember chapter one verse 19,
John was supposed to write what is and what has come before and what is about to come. Okay? So God is connecting what he’s told them in the old Testament to what is currently the state of things and what is about to happen in all these things he says must shortly come to pass. I believe I, I can honestly say I grew up with a,
with a mindset that revelation was about the end of time. And it’s just not the more you study it. The more you pay attention to it, the more you just insist on taking John at his own statements, that the things which come the, the things that are going, that are written in this book must shortly come to pass. These are things which shall come quickly.
He says, these are things which are near are at hand. You know, when Jesus and the apostles went around, preaching and teaching that the kingdom of heaven is at hand. They didn’t mean 3000 years from now. They didn’t mean 2000 years from now. They didn’t mean a hundred years from now. They were preaching it because it was at hand.
And John says, these things are at hand. They must shortly come to pass. Now that doesn’t mean that every word in every detail in every thing is that, but the message of the book is about things that must shortly come to pass. Now we mentioned in chapter 11 on Wednesday night, that there were a couple of things we’ve wanted to spend a little bit of time on this morning for clarification and clarity sake.
And one of those is the city that is mentioned in verse eight in this interlude, we first have the first kind of interlude is in chapter 10 where the mighty angel is standing. He’s got one foot on the sea and one foot on the land. He’s he has authority over both. That’s the idea there. And he has in his hand, a little book and John is told to take the little book and to eat the book.
And it’s sweet as honey when he tastes it in his mouth, but in his belly, it’s bitter. And the message is this the same message of Ezekiel chapter two in chapter three, where the same type of vision is seen, you’re going to prophesize and your prophecy originates with God. But your message is not a good message. Your message is a message of judgment.
It’s bitter. Okay. So then chapter 11 opens and we see two witnesses there. These two witnesses come from, at least the imagery comes from Zechariah chapter four, and the two witnesses are two olive trees and two lampstands. Now in chapter four of Zechariah, Zechariah makes it clear that each lampstand has seven lamps. Okay? So there’s seven lamps and two lamps,
seven lamps on each lampstand in two lampstands into olive trees. Zachariah also gives us the clarity and the vision in that the olive trees have as it were their, their branches hanging into the, the lamp bowls are the bowls of the lampstands. And they’re continually putting oil, the ideas eternal light, as long as the trees produce, as long as the tree stand,
the lampstands remain burning. And the picture there is the revelation of God and the anointed ones who were in Zechariah’s day<inaudible> and Joshua, the high priest and the ruling individual, okay. That imagery is brought over here to demonstrate to the people of God you, the church that’s the remember Jesus has already promised them chapter two, chapter three, chapter one,
you are a kingdom of priests. You are Kings who will rule. He’s already told and identified who the Kings and the priests are. That are the anointed ones in this day in time. And they’re Christians, the church. So he’s telling the church, you, as the anointed ones, you will be those who speak. You will be those who prophesied.
You will be those who torment those on the earth with the word of God. And you will be those who will be killed for your testimony. We’re going to see that over in chapter 12, but the message is you might appear to die. It might look like the church’s gone. It might look like the beast is one. It might look like by the way,
this is the first time we really read of the beast coming up and persecuting the church. Okay. He may look like you’re dead. You’re, you’re, you’re lying in the streets and they’re having a throwing a party and they’re sending gifts to one another and they’re letting your bodies lay there in the street. And it looks like the church is going to get decimated until God tells the church to rise or again,
to be resurrected after three and a half days. After a period of time, God says, no, no, no, no, no, you didn’t defeat my church. I’m still in charge because your persecution is only a partial, a half of a seven. It is incomplete. It is derived authority. It is not God’s authority. Okay? Then verse seven,
when they finished their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them and kill them. And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city. There are a number of references using that phrase, the great city in the book of revelation. And I firmly believe they have referenced to the same city every time.
And it’s not Jerusalem. Now this passage would make you think, Oh, we’re talking about Jerusalem. Here’s why the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt. And this is the phrase that causes most people to think, okay, we’re talking about Jerusalem where also our Lord was crucified. Okay. Oh, that sounds like Jerusalem. Right? The idea there is the one that the city that caused the Lord to be crucified.
Okay. When it comes down to it in the time of Christ, when the high priests and the elders and the chief priests and the Pharisees and the scribes all wanted to kill Christ, did they have the authority to know who did they have to convince to kill Christ? Did they take him to Herod? No. Who are alone in the land of Israel,
had the authority in Jesus’s day to put anyone to death. Pilot who’s derived authority came from Rome, turn to acts chapter two and acts chapter two. You find the right verse here. I wrote it down in acts chapter two, beginning in verse 22 men of Israel. Hear these words, Jesus of Nazareth, Amana tested by God, to you by miracles,
wonders and signs, which God did through him in your midst. As you yourselves also know him, notice this being delivered by the determined purpose. And for knowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified and put to death whom God raised up having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that he should be held by it for David says,
I foresaw the Lord always before my face four. He is at my right hand that I may not be shaken. Therefore, my heart rejoiced and my tongue was made gland. Moreover, my flesh will also rest in hope for you will not leave my soul in Hades, nor will you allow your Holy one to see corruption. You have made known to me the ways of life.
You will make me full of joy in your presence. Now also go over to Psalm chapter two. This Psalm is a messianic Psalm about the crucifixion and about the resurrection in Psalm chapter two, it begins with these words, why do the nations rage and the people plot a vain thing. The Kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against his anointed saying,
let us break their bonds in pieces and cast away their cords from us. He who sits in the heavens shall laugh. The Lord shall hold them in derision. He shall speak to them in his wrath and distress them in his deep displeasure. Yet I have set my King on my Holy Hill of Zion in revelation, the great city. We saw it over in chapter 17.
We’re going to see another place as the great city refers to a city sitting on seven Hills. Well, that’s not Jerusalem. That’s Rome. So the picture here is in the description of the crucified. Christ is a picture of Rome. You’re seeing Rome from three different aspects, okay? Pay attention to this because it will make more sense as we go later on and examine Rome again,
as it’s seen in the BESE, we’re looking at Rome, not in its physical sense, but in its spiritual sense, when you get the picture of Saddam, what was Saddam known for it’s sin? It’s sin specifically in the sexual matters that it had violated God’s word, but also in its way that it treated people, both of those things. It’s,
it’s lack of hospitality. It’s willingness to abuse people and it’s sexual immorality. All three of those are the things throughout scripture that are accused against Saddam and Rome is pictured as the seductress Rome is pictured as the one who’s guilty of the sexual and morality. Rome is pictured as the one who has committed all these great sins. So you see Rome in the spiritual aspect of her sin,
her worldly or seductive power, but then you have Egypt. The second name that is given to Rome, Saddam, the worldly, seductive power Egypt. What is Egypt known for throughout scripture? Many gods, but in relationship to Israel, say what? Power control captivity. Okay. So in Egypt you have the civil persecution power. Egypt had control as the slave owner of Israel,
as the captor of Israel, they had power to bring about persecution and they did. Okay. So you’ve got the civil persecuting power, which you’re also going to see in the beast. There’s three BS. All three of them described Rome. They look at Rome from three different perspectives, and it’s the same perspectives that Egypt, Saddam, and the one or the city where our Lord was crucified,
looked at it. What is Jerusalem? Now here’s where I want us to pay attention. The city where our Lord was crucified is Jerusalem, but the great city isn’t, but the great city isn’t Saddam and the great city isn’t Egypt, either Jerusalem is here referenced as a, as an spiritual example of Rome. And in the fact that Christ was crucified on the cross in Jerusalem,
what does Jerusalem stand for? Think about it for a moment. They saw his miracles, they heard his prophecies. They witness his testimony. They heard God speak from heaven and declare him to be his son. They heard John declare him to be God’s son and they killed him anyway. And they claimed to do it in the name of their religion because they took him to pilot and said,
when pilot asked, what is he guilty of? He has Blass themed. Our God Jerusalem here is not the great city. Jerusalem is a picture of perverted religion, which also describes Rome. So Jerusalem gives you perverted religion, which is also one of the beasts. You’re going to see one of the beasts rise up and his whole power is to pervert religion.
You’re going to see another beast rise up. And he’s the seducer it’s the, the, the, seductress the, the prostitute scene in chapter 17. She’s the one who rides the great beast and seduces all the world. And you’re gonna see another beast rise up. And he is the civil economic persecuting power. So you’ve got three BS that describe three aspects of Rome.
You’ve got three cities here that all described for three aspects of Rome. Okay? The great city is Rome. And so here in this passage, the great city is where one last thing I should mention if we take that, the great city is Rome. There’s one interesting fact about Jerusalem. The Romans never persecuted the Christians in Jerusalem. The Jews persecuted the Christians in Jerusalem,
all the living long day, but even in the book of acts, who is it that saves Paul from the hand of the Jews. The Romans remember Paul’s about to be killed by the Jews. And the Roman Centurion comes in and he extracts him out of their hands. And then he keeps him out of their hands. And then he takes him to Rome.
Rome was not a persecuting power against the Christians in Jerusalem. So the great cities, not Jerusalem. Alright, so I’m just wanting to make, kind of make all those points there. And then let’s, let’s move on. Verse 14, we come to the end of the second woe reread verse 14. The second wall was passed behold. The third woe is coming quickly.
Then the seventh angel sounded, all right, so we’ve, we’ve ended the sixth angel we’ve ended the interlude. Now we’re into the seventh angel seven angel sounded and there were loud voices in heaven saying the kingdom of this world has become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ. And he shall reign forever and ever now where we’ve got to be careful not to get off track.
Is this when you read about those in heaven, declaring with a loud voice, that God is now reigning, do not immediately make the assumption that God hasn’t been raining all this time, Huh? Who is the King of all the earth going all the way back to Israel in Egypt. And even before that, Moses has sent to Pharaoh to tell him your gods,
aren’t the gods of heaven and earth. Who did God say to tell Pharaoh that he was the, I am, that I am. And Pharaoh asked Moses, who is this Jehovah that I should listen to him. And the whole period through the plagues was to declare I’m the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Is there any point at which God stopped being the King of all the earth?
Is there any point at which God’s power was overcome by Satan’s power and God stopped ruling and the kingdoms of men in Daniel’s day when it looked like Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians were going to wipe the face of the planet over or wipe over the face of the planet. And here they are, and Nebuchadnezzar is here and now all his grander in all his glory and all the things that he’s accomplished.
And God says, you’re going to learn that Jehovah rules and the kingdoms of men and gives power to whosoever. He will. So when you read that the kingdoms of heaven have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ. And he shall reign forever and ever don’t immediately assume that means, well, the kingdom begins in the seventh trumpet because that’s what the pre-millennial is do.
Well, wait a minute. We’ve got to Wade through all these things and all this tribulation all this time, and then Christ will establish his kingdom. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. The latest date you can possibly give for Christ sitting on the throne as King. It’s the day of Pentecost.
That’s the latest possible date? The earliest date, I think you could say with any assurance would be the date of his resurrection because Jesus says in Matthew chapter 28, verse 18 through 20, I have been given what all authority in heaven and earth kind of sounds like he’s on the throne already. Doesn’t it? Okay. So the latest that you can give is Pentecost for Christ reigning over his kingdom.
This declaration, isn’t the beginning of his kingdom. This is the acting and the action whereby he uses his authority to bring about justice on the kingdoms of the earth. All right, watch this. And the 24 elders who sat before God and on their Thrones, fell on him on their faces and worshiped God saying, we give you thanks. Oh Lord God almighty the one who is and who was,
and who is to come because you have taken your great power and rained. The nations were angry and your wrath has come the time of the dead that they should be judged. And that you should reward your servants, the prophets and the saints, and those who fear your name small and great, and should destroy those who destroy the earth. This declaration is not,
Oh, well, the kingdom has finally arrived. This declaration is the one who’s on the throne has finally brought about the judgment that he said was coming. He has used the power. He has to bring about judgment because remember when those saints in revelation, chapter five, we’re praying and crying out to God. How long, Oh Lord, how long,
how long until you bring justice upon those who persecute us and Christ says, you rest a little while, but you rest in assurance. And I’m paraphrasing here. You rest in assurance that I will bring judgment. And the seven seals were open, kind of looking forward to what was coming and telling what had been going on. And then the seventh seal was open and you had the seven trumpets and they were the warning shots.
They were the plagues. They were the listen, you better repent or final judgment against Rome is going to come. And they didn’t repent. And because they didn’t repent in the end of the sixth trumpet, God now says, and all those in heaven, declare it’s time judgment’s coming. He’s going to take his power and he’s going to rain and he’s going to judge and he’s going to reward those who are his saints.
Okay? It’s not a picture of the judgment day, not a picture of the final judgment. It’s a picture of the judgment in the context. We’re talking about all through here. This is almost in a sense, the 10th plague where God says you didn’t listen, you didn’t listen. And now you’re going to pay the ultimate price because you didn’t listen.
Okay? So verse 19, then the temple of God was opened in heaven. And the arch of his covenant was seen in his temple. And there were lightnings noises, thunderings and earthquakes and great hail. Just the picture of the culmination of all the plagues coming together. Again, this destruction coming against the nation, but one more time. So the seventh trumpet sounded,
but one more time, God’s going to tell his people, you’re going to go through the ringer. You’re going to get hurt during this. It’s not going to be easy, but I want to tell you about the dragon. I want to tell you about the beast. I want to tell you about Satan. And I want to tell you he’s a three time loser.
Okay? Chapter 12 is the devil is a three time loser. Okay? That’s the whole point of chapter 12, chapter 12 beginning verse one. Now a great sign appeared in heaven. Seventh trumpet sounded, praise goes up that God is going to rain. That God is going to bring judgment. And now there’s a sign that appears in heaven. A woman clothed with the sun,
with the moon under her feet and on her head, a Garland of 12 stars. Now what did we say? The number 12 stood for<inaudible> Authorized religion and the people of God. Okay. So she’s a Dorn as the people of God. She is the church. Okay. We’ll see that. As we go through here, then being with child,
she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth. Okay. So we see the woman. She’s got the she’s clothed with the sun. The moon’s under her feet on her head is a Garland of 12 stars and she’s pregnant and she’s about to give birth. And another sign appeared in heaven, behold, a great fiery red dragon having seven heads and 10 horns and seven diadems on his head.
What are diadems crowns? Okay. He looks like he’s in charge. He’s got seven heads. He’s got 10 horns and all over his heads are crowns. He looks like he’s in charge. By the way, this is where we get the picture of, of the devil as, as red. Okay? Nowhere else in scripture stuff here that I know of at least,
but notice he’s not without power, not without real power. His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. All right. Here’s a dragon that his tail is so great. And so sweeping it reaches up to heaven and knocks the stars down. Okay. In the, in the vision God’s showing you he’s got power,
but notice what we read by the way, could he take all the stores stars down? No, a third. What, what have we always said? A third is partial. He’s got limited power. Okay. He’d through his tail, drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman was ready to give birth,
to devour her child. As soon as it was born. You know, if I didn’t know how to interpret things in their context, I think there was a planned Parenthood. So here we are, she’s bound to give birth and the child or the dragon is sitting there waiting. As soon as she gives birth, he’s going to devour the child. He’s going to conquer the child.
Now in most Bibles, you will see the word child capitalized because it’s not going to be hard to figure out who the child is. Okay. And watch this prepared to devour the child. As soon as it was born, she bore a male child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. Now what child was ever born, whose inheritance was to rule all nations only one.
And it wasn’t Alexander the great, and it wasn’t anybody who was ruling in Rome. It was Christ. He said, well, wait a minute, Aaron, the church did not give birth to Christ. I beg to differ. Had there not been a need for the redemptive work of Christ. What do you have ever left heaven and taken on flesh all the way back in Genesis,
chapter three, our sin. It ma it’s clear in chapter three of Genesis, our sin and our need for redemption would cause the Christ to be born and woman would give birth to the Messiah. It’s a picture of the church in its redeemed state that could only be achieved through the birth of Christ and through not just his birth, but his reigning. Remember the context that we just had in chapter 11 was he’s reigning.
And now we’re seeing a picture of the devil, tried to stop him from ever raining, but what happens? So the devil’s there. He’s prepared, waiting for her to give birth. He’s going to devour the child as soon as it’s born. But wait, what happens? She bore a male child who was to rule all the nations with a rod of iron and her child was caught up to God.
And to his throne, the moment she gives birth, the child straight to heaven, and the devil misses his chance. First time loser. Then the woman fled into the wilderness where she had a place prepared by God that they should feed her there 1,260 days. Now we’re not gonna spend a whole lot of time talking about time, times and half a time and 1,260 days and 42 months,
because we talked about all that on Wednesday. They all mean this. The church is going. It is a state of time in which the church will be ultimately victorious, but will endure difficulty in the process. It is taken from Elijah’s three and a half years of drought, three and a half years of no rain where God delivered those who were his.
He provided for those who were his, but it wasn’t easy. And it wasn’t pleasant. Okay. So the first time loser, he tries to devour the baby. When the baby’s born, he doesn’t succeed. The child goes up to heaven and he’s on his throne. Reigning verse seven in the war and war broke out in heaven. Now you get this first scene is here’s a woman.
She’s got the moon under her feet. She’s clothed with the sun. She’s got stars on her head. And the moment she gives birth, the baby goes, the child male child goes up to heaven. And then the next moment, where are you at verse seven? You’re immediately in what place? Heaven. The devil tried to chase him down. Okay.
That’s what you get you get. He failed on the first attempt. So he followed him into heaven to go finish the job. Okay. Verse seven in war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought with the dragon and the dragon and his angels fought. So the dragon goes to heaven to try and still devour the child to try and stills,
keep him from reigning on his throne. But instead of being able to confront the child, he’s confronted with messengers, God’s messengers, he’s confronted with angels. He never gets near the child. He never gets near the Christ. He can’t touch the Christ. He can’t even get past Michael, by the way. Very interesting that the name Michael, if I’ve got it written down here and can find it,
let’s see. Say that again. He, who is like the Lord, you’ve got this picture in Michael of he who is like unto God or he who is like unto the Lord. The devil doesn’t get near Christ, but the one who’s like God goes and stands and fights and notice what happens. So they did not prevail nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer.
So the great dragon was cast out that serpent of old called the devil and Satan, Oh wait, here we go. So the dragon is pictured as who? Satan, the devil, the deceiver. And so the great dragon, the old sir, the serpent of old called the devil and Satan who deceives the whole world. He was cast to the earth and his angels were cast out with him.
Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven now, salvation and strength and the kingdom of our God and the power of his Christ have come for the accuser of our brethren who accused them before our God day and night has been cast down. And some people say, well, this, this is what happened before the earth was ever formed. And before Satan was,
was on the earth and Tim did eat, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. This is what happens in the seventh trumpet. He’s the serpent of old, but this isn’t talking about his origin. This is talking about God saying, Satan, you stood here, accusing my people of wrong. You stood here accusing my people of guilt,
which is why you’ve been using your servants to kill them at now. You won’t stand before me, you know, all through the old Testament, we’ve read about times in book of job. And other times where Satan appears before the Lord, God says no more, no more. You’re outta here. Second time loser. Then those what happens. They overcame him by the blood.
Then I heard a loud voice saying verse 10 in heaven now, salvation and strength and the kingdom of our God and the power of his Christ have come for the accuser of our brethren who accused them before our God day and night has been cast down. And they who’s the, they, the accused ones, the ones who are being accused, okay. Notice.
And they overcame him. Who’s the him, Satan, the dragon, the devil, the accusers, or the accused overcome the accuser. And how did they do it? Three ways, three ways that Christians destroy the power of Satan notice right here. And they overcame him by the blood of the lamb and by the word of their testimony. And they did not love their lives unto death.
When a Christian clothed in the blood of the lamb covered in the blood of Christ, washed in the blood of the lamb, who declares the testimony of God. And won’t give it up, holds fast to the truth and won’t turn aside and then gives his life as a martyr because he will not turn aside. He will not bow his need of the beast.
He will not give in to Satan. He will not turn his back on Christ. He might be dead on this earth, but he wins. He overcomes the accuser, verse 12, therefore rejoice. So heavens and you who dwell in them woe to the inhabitants of the earth and to the sea for the devil has come down to you. Ah, this isn’t the end of time.
This isn’t the final judgment. Cause now the devil’s down on the earth, wrecking havoc on who Vietnam Evidence of the earth. Now we’ve said all along and having served the earth are Who centers. Why would the devil be wrecking havoc on sinners? Because that’s what sin does. He doesn’t care about them. He wants them to go to hell, just like he does.
He doesn’t care about them. And so wherever he is, he brings misery and anguish and pain and persecution. And it doesn’t matter who he does it to. He’ll always do it for the devil has come down to you having great wrath because he knows that he has a short time. I’m going to read through verse 13 and verse 17, and then we’ll close.
Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child, but the woman was given two wings of a great Eagle that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time from the presence of the serpent. So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth,
like a flood after the woman that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood. By the way, that’s a picture of the red sea and the destruction of Pharaoh’s army in the red sea and Exodus chapter 15 and Moses, his song is they’re kind of brought into this so that the devil tries to act like a God destroy the woman with the power of the,
of water, but instead what happens, but the earth helped the woman And the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood, which the dragon spewed out of his mouth. He tries to act like God, he doesn’t have that power. God always is in control and God will protect his people. That’s the assurance we’re given all through this. And the dragon was enraged with a woman and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Okay. So the message through chapter 12 and we’ll catch up on the questions on Wednesday. The message of chapter 12 is to the church. Again, you’re going to go through persecution at, you might die, but the moment you do, you win the moment you die, you win and I’ll always provide for you because the child is on the throne.
The Christ is on the throne and Satan’s a three time loser. Okay. That’s chapter 12<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> Good morning. Welcome to the Collierville Sunday morning services here at Collierville church Christ. It’s good to see each and every one of you. I see a few more of our regular members with us this morning. It’s great to see everyone of you.
And for those of you that are still able, unable to come out because of the COVID-19 and various things going on, please know that you are in our thoughts and prayers and we pray for each and every one of you every day and cannot wait for the day that you can return and worship our Lord with us here in his building on Sunday mornings and on Wednesday evenings announcements today,
if there are any visitors with us, we are glad that you took the opportunity to come and worship with us. We asked that you’d fill out a visitor’s card. If you did not pick up your Lord’s supper on the way in now, it’d be a good time to do that. Our sick, please keep Aaron in your thoughts and prayers. He is getting a little better.
He still has some pain here and there. They’re changing some medications, but he’s working through that slowly but surely and getting a little better each day, Joan Springer is still having her difficulties. So please keep Joan and your thoughts and prayers. Janet Jones is back at home now, and she’s going through a home therapy, physical therapy at home. So please keep Janet in your thoughts and prayers as she works through that,
because any of us have been through physical therapy, know what that’s like, that pain that they put you through to make you get better. Sometimes you make, you makes you wonder if it’s really worth it, but in the long run, it is Dorothy Wilson is still dealing with very high blood pressure issues. Please keep Dorothy and your thoughts and prayers. Sylvia’s a nerve block that she was going to have this past Friday has been rescheduled.
That’s now going to be on the 23rd of October. So continue to pray for Sylvia, Danny O’Neil that’s Tommy’s brother is still in st. Francis. He is slowly getting a little better and they are working on getting him off the ventilator. And Tommy said with all goes well, they should have him off the ventilator by the end of today, but it’s a slow process.
Getting him off that ventilators continued to pray for Danny and the entire O’Neill family. James Luna is having a lot of numbness in his hands and he will see a specialist on Thursday to see if they can determine what’s going on with him. So please pray for James Victoria Melton. Who’s a previous member here is hospitalized, and I am not going to be able to pronounce what this is that she has,
but it’s something to do with the fact that she’s pregnant and her baby is 32 weeks old and she may have to stay hospitalized until the baby is at least 37 weeks before they can go ahead and take an early delivery on that baby. So please keep Victoria Melton and your thoughts and prayers. Jenny Sanderson, sister-in-law Mary Joe Todaro has passed away. So please keep that entire family and your thoughts and prayers.
And we have a special request for Vincent to Darrow who’s Jenny’s brother. They were married for Vincent and Mary Jo were married for 49 years. And Vincent relied on her. Like you would not believe, you know, Mary Joel was his everything to her, to him. So please, please pray special prayers for Vincent. In this time of his loss,
he’s going to need all the help he can get to get through this other announcements. The 45th annual spiritual sword lectureship at get well, church of Christ is scheduled for October 18th through the 22nd. We have a flyer on the board out here, the Memphis school of preaching fifth, fifth annual world evangelism seminar is this Friday and Saturday, the 16th and 17th,
Gary Kali will be speaking and his sermon will be the second. The disciples second baptism that’s Friday at 9:00 PM on a nationwide gospel calling meeting and the flyer list in each one of the speakers and what the topic is, is on the table out there in the foyer. So please pick one of them up on your way out today for the man reminder that tomorrow night at 7:00 PM,
we’ll have our monthly business meeting. And if there’s anyone here that has anything that needs to be addressed, please put it on a sheet. I’ll draw on a bulletin board. So men can discuss that. And also reminder too, that early voting for the general election starts here. This coming Wednesday, the 16th and runs through Thursday, October 29th. So that’ll be here at church early voting our service.
This morning song leader will be Michael Dale opening prayer be Terry Sanderson. Lord’s supper will be Joel caisson. Sermon will be Erin coats are, and our closing prayer will be Tommy Lassiter. Thank you.<inaudible> Our opening song. This morning will be number 227 on Zions glorious summit On XY yarns glorious man. It’s de<inaudible> by blood. They him, their King and strains.
D I heard that song and Stroh too. I heard the song<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> shout victory.<inaudible> great.<inaudible> for the gray wow. Lasting<inaudible> rise and<inaudible> to<inaudible><inaudible> to<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> like me<inaudible> Oh my God. Oh, the<inaudible> God<inaudible> Oh, Oh, Oh, a song before our opening prayer will be number 800.
What a friend we have in Jesus. What a friend we have in GE is all our sins and griefs to back. Yeah.<inaudible> a very thing to God and pray. Yeah. Oh, a peace. We often fall this pain mean we<inaudible>. Oh, because we do<inaudible> eh, very thing to God and pray. Yeah. Ah, we try also<inaudible> is TRIBE<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> to the Lord and<inaudible><inaudible> we find a friends<inaudible> Oh,
Oh, so<inaudible> jeez.<inaudible> three. We<inaudible> to say goodbye to the Lord and pray. Yeah. We weak and heavy. Hey, calm bird with<inaudible><inaudible> refuge to get to the Lord. And<inaudible> do friends despise for<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> and his arms take. Yeah. And<inaudible> well find us all Right. A father who art in heaven.
We thank thee for this first day of the week and the opportunity to, we have to come together as your children to study your word. We pray that you would be with those that are sick and unable to be with us. We pray that you would comfort them and restore them for their health. If that’s the reason that they’re not here, we pray that they will soon be well enough to come back and be with us.
We pray that you would be with the teacher of the hour, that he may have a lesson prepared for us too, that we may understand. And it will help us to become strong with Christians. And that weak may spread the word in this community. We thank you for the opportunity that we have to be here and, and be with the, with our brothers and sisters in Christ.
We pray that the things that we do here today will be accepted linear side, where you pray that you would be with the leaders of our country. At this time, we pray that the election will go in a way that will be placed into the on and that later we’ll look at you aware to help them and make decisions. And to make this a better country.
We pray that you would go with us now through the, for the exercises this day and forgive us when we do wrong in Christ’s name, we pray amen. Song to prepare our minds for the Lord. Supper will be number 364. Come share. We gather here in jesus’ name, his love is burning and a heart it’s like living flame for through the loving son.
No father makes us Swan. Come take up, bruh. Come drink. No cup. Come share the Lord. No one is a stranger. Hey,<inaudible> finding<inaudible>. He joins us. You. He breaks up bruh. The Lord who pours the cup is risen from a dad. No one. We love the<inaudible>.<inaudible> come take up bruh.
Come drink a cup. Come shit.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> angels. See, well, see the glory of our Lord Dan Kami King. Now we anticipate, Hey, no fees for which we wait, come take up bread, come drink a cup, come shit.<inaudible> This morning in order to help prepare our minds for the Lord. Supper will be reading from Isaiah chapter 53,
who has believed I report into him, whom is the arm of the Lord revealed where he shall grow up before him as a tender plant. And it root out of dry ground. He has no form to come then this. And when we shall see him, there’s no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected a man, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
And we hid as it were our faces from him. He was despised and we esteemed him. Not surely. He had born our griefs and carried our sorrows. Yet we did not esteem him stricken smitten of God and afflicted, but he was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon him. And with his stripes,
we are healed. We are like sheep that have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his own way and the Lord has laid on him, the iniquity of us all, but a spray. Dear God, our father in heaven. We come before you, as our minds, go back to the cross of Calvary and your son there. And the cruel death that he suffered,
bearing our sins there on the cross of Calvary. We’re mindful of that sacrifice that was made for each and every one of us for all of mankind father. As we look to this Memorial this morning, we pray that our hearts and minds will be centered upon him upon what his love for us and his willingness to give his life that we might have life eternal fathers.
We partake of this bread, which is representative of his body. We pray that we might examine ourselves and do so in a manner that would be worthy in Jesus name. Amen.<inaudible> We will now continue that reading. He was oppressed and he was afflicted. Yet. He opened not his mouth. He is brought as a lamb to slaughter and his sheep before her shearers is dumb.
So he opened not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment and who shall declare his generation. He was cut out of the land of the living for the transgression of my people, was he stricken and he made his grave with the wicked and with the rich, he was in his death because he had done no violence. Neither was any deceit in his mouth.
Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him. He has put him to grief. When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed. He shall prolong his days and the precious pleasure of the Lord shall prosper. In his hand. He should see the travail of his soul and shall be satisfied by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justly justify many where he shall bear their iniquities.
Therefore what I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spore with the strong, because he has poured out his soul unto death, and he was numbered with the transgressors and he bear the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors. That is probably Father in heaven. As we continue to remember our savior and the love that he demonstrated for us,
remind of that precious blood, that flowed on Calvary, that we might have our sins forgiven. We are so grateful father for being able to be your children. And for this time and moment that we can remember our Lord and savior. And we pray father that we examine ourselves and do our best to serve and glorify you with our lives. We pray that this fruit of the vine,
which is representative of that blood, that we might partake in a way that will be acceptable and memory of him and Jesus. We pray. Amen. We prepare our minds to think about how blessed we are as a people and how much material wealth that we really do have. And we think about the scriptures as they teach us that of those that have much,
much shall be required. And it should be a blessing for each and every one of us, as we’ve thought about what we would give today, that we should remember the blessings that’s already been given to us, and that we’re willing to share those blessings to not only further the cause of the kingdom, the spreading of the gospel, but also to be benevolent to those that are in need and try to help those that need help.
They’re less fortunate than we are. And I know myself a lot of times, I fail to keep that in mind. And we always think about mainly I guess the church, which we should and the spreading of the gospel, but there are so many souls out there that really do need our help. And sometimes we might overlook them. So let’s think about that.
As we think about our contribution, let’s bow father in heaven, we are grateful for every blessing that we receive each and every day of our lives. Many of which we take for granted, we pray father that you forgive us for doing that and help us to appreciate every blessing that comes from the, we pray father, that we’ve purposed in our hearts today.
And given it great thought on what we would give back at this time that we would continue to contemplate all the blessings that we have and what we could do. If we put our minds to it, we pray father that our offering will be acceptable. And that we might not only further the kingdom, the work of the kingdom preaching and teaching your word,
but that we might also reach out to those that are in need. And those that are struggling with various things in life, we might help them in some way that they know that we truly do care about them and would help them with things that they need. And we have might have that opportunity to share the gospel with them, that they too might want to be a child of yours and be a part of this body in jesus’ name.
We pray amen song before the lesson will be number 290 shine. Jesus shine. If you can please stand for this song. Lord, the light of your love is shining in a man. It’s the dark nurse shining. Jeez, a snide of China upon us said a spree by the truth. You now bring us shame on me, shame on me.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> me.
Try me consume all my darkness.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> with grace and mercy.<inaudible><inaudible> You may be seated if you’d like to Mark number nine, 15, trust and obey for the invitation song. You can, if not, it’ll be up on the projector. Good morning. A number of us in recent days and months have had more doctor’s visits than we planned on.
And when you go in the first time, it’s generally for an evaluation to figure out what’s wrong. But every so often we go to a doctor for just a checkup, just a, what we call a physical, maybe annually, maybe more often than that. Maybe for some of us who were stubborn much often than that, We just, we go to just find out the state of things.
What are we doing? How’s everything working? Is it working? Is it working the way it’s supposed to be working? Can they maybe working better? Just a checkup. And sometimes you and me in our lives need to do a spiritual checkup. We need to examine ourselves. We’re called upon by Paul and the Holy spirit through Paul to examine ourselves on a regular basis.
As a matter of fact, we’re told that on the first day of every week, when we come together, part of what we do in the Lord’s supper is examine ourselves. We are to examine ourselves to see whether or not we are in the faith, but Jesus, in John chapter 12 would call upon those who were present to do a little self examination.
So we’re going to notice in our lesson this morning, the ending of John chapter 12. So I encourage you to open your Bibles will take the majority of our text or we’ll take our texts from that passage. Spend the majority of our time in that scripture, John chapter 12, beginning in verse 42, when you only have one usable arm, you drop a lot of things and I’m trying not to drop anything.
So John chapter 12 beginning in verse 42, nevertheless, among the rulers, many believed in him, but because of the Pharisees, they did not confess him less. They should be put out of the synagogue. Now John is giving us the reason behind it. This, this, this isn’t, you know, ruler after ruler comes up and says, you know what I believe on you and does,
and says it publicly. I believe on you, but you know these Pharisees over here, man, they are a pain. And if I say anything publicly about this, they’re going to kick me out and say, no, this isn’t a public proclamation. This is the Holy spirit who knows the hearts and minds of men revealing to us behind the curtain what’s going on.
There are these rulers in Israel and it’s coming up on the final week of a life of Christ. It’s coming up on the final week, in the final time where Christ will be on the earth. And there are rulers in Israel who won’t confess him because of the fairs because they know what will happen, but it’s not just the Pharisees. And the text that follows in verse 44 through the end of the chapter is not about the Pharisees.
It’s not about what people do because of the people around them, having an influence on them. It’s not about what people do because there are people holding them back from doing it. It’s about what’s inside the end of verse or the end of verse 42 says less. They should be put out of the synagogue, verse 43 for, they loved the praise of men.
More than the praise of God. The Holy spirit examines these individuals, any, it goes ahead and tells you they had external forces that were working against them. They had people who were leveraging them and keeping them from doing what was right, because they had influence over them. But internally their main problem, the primary issue, and the reason why anyone had leverage over them was because they loved the praise of men.
More than the praise of God. They wanted to be in the synagogue because they were rulers. They wanted to be where the people were because they had influence. They wanted to be recognized. Then they wanted to be promoted. And they wanted to be those who were called, whose names were called before others. And because they loved the praise of men,
more than the praise of one who wasn’t going to necessarily give them influence who wasn’t going to necessarily give them position or prominence, but who would say on that day of judgment when they stood before him? Well done, thou good and faithful servant because they love the praise of men. More than the praise of God. They would not confess Christ. And so what follows is Jesus declaration that we need to examine ourselves.
He begins first in verse 44. Then Jesus cried out and said, he who believes in me believes not in me, but in him who sent me the very first thing that Jesus cries out is about faith. The premise of this very situation is there are those who will not confess him. They know who he is, they know what he’s done. They know where he came from.
They know who he is and they will not confess his name because of the influence of those around them and because of their own selfish interests. And he says, look at your faith. He who believes in me believes not only in me, but in him who sent me, if you did nine, me, you deny him. When we examine ourselves spiritually,
we begin with our faith. What does our faith look like? What is our belief? And what is the state of our belief in second Corinthians chapter five in second Corinthians chapter five, Paul is writing to the church at Corinth, a congregation that so often struggled with the difficulties of the world around it and the influence of the world around it. But he says in verse five,
now he who has prepared for us this very thing who also has given us the spirit as a guarantee. So we are always confident knowing that while we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord for, we notice this statement, walk by faith and not by sight.<inaudible> We walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident.
Yes. Well-pleased rather to the absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. Paul says, we’ve examined ourselves. We’ve looked at ourselves and we know we’re not walking by sight. We’re not walking by the things that we know to be true in this life. In other words, we’re not walking by the influence of man. We’re not walking by the wisdom of man.
We’re not walking in a certain way because of those who try to influence us one way or another, we are walking. According to revelation, we are walking. According to God’s word, we walk by faith, not a leap in the dark, not guesswork, not a hope in a, in a circumstance where maybe sometime this might be true. No,
we’re walking by the declared word of God and not our own wisdom. Their wisdom said, if we confess Christ will be put out of the synagogue and God’s wisdom says, so what, what are you willing to give up to be obedient to me? So we begin with our faith, but also notice in Romans chapter 10 and Romans chapter 10 and beginning in verse eight,
as Paul writes to the church at Rome, he says, he says, but what does it say? The word is near you. Now notice the context. The passage is talking about the word of God and its action in their lives. He says, well, what does it say? The word is near you in your mouth and in your heart.
That is the word of faith, which we preach. That if you confess with your mouth, the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart, that God has raised him from the dead you will be saved for, with a heart. One believes on the righteousness and with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation. You know, that passage is important and it’s integral to our understanding of the position and the order of faith in view of baptism.
But so often we go to that passage and we’re only trying to get to the point that faith and confession come before baptism. And we ignore much of what that passage says about righteousness, salvation, and the word of God. It says that the word of God belongs in our heart in our mind. And that the word of God being in our mind ought to cause it to come out of our mouth.
They would not let the word of God come out of their mouth because there was a problem with their heart. There was a problem with their mind. So when we do a spiritual examination, a spiritual checkup, it begins first with our faith is our faith causing us to speak or our influences around us causing us to be silent. But then he goes on in John chapter 12 and he says,
he who believes in me, believes not in me, but in him who sent me. And he who sees me, sees him, who sent me the second thing that we’re going to examine in our spiritual checkup is our eyesight. I will freely admit I’ve been blessed with good eyesight, but because of that, I’ve been negligent to go to the eye doctor.
I haven’t been to an eye doctor since I was seven years old, but I can still see. So, you know, but Jesus says your site is important. Your site is integral integral to your spiritual condition. And here’s why verse 46. I have come as a light into the world that whoever believes in me should not abide in darkness. He says,
can you see me? Can you see me? Do you have enough light in your life to see who I am? Because if you can see me, you can see him who sent me earlier on in this passage, back in John chapter 12, beginning in verse 31, be actually a little bit, get in verse 30, Jesus answered and said,
this voice did not come because of me. But for your sake now is the judgment of this world. Now the ruler of this world will be cashed out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth will draw all peoples unto me under myself, this, he said, signifying, by what death, he should die. The people answered him.
We have heard that the law, excuse me, from the law that the Christ remains forever. And how can you say the son of man must be lifted up? Who is the son of man? Then Jesus said to them a little while longer, the light is with you while you walk or excuse me while you have the light less. Let me try one more time.
See if I can read the words on the page fairly. I do need to go to the eye doctor a little while longer. The light is with you walk while you have the light less darkness overtake you. He who walks in darkness does not know where he is going while you have the light, because believe in the light that you may become sons of light.
These things, Jesus spoke and departed and was hidden from them. Jesus is in their presence. Jesus declares that he would be lifted up. Jesus declares his crucifixion, Jesus declares. What would happen as a result of his crucifixion? And they say, Oh, we’ve read the old Testament. The Messiah who comes and sits on the throne reigns forever. How can you say the son of man will be lifted up?
They understood what he meant. They understood what he said. When he said the son of man would be lifted up. They knew he was talking about dying. And they said, we’ve read the old Testament. That can’t possibly be true if you’re the Messiah. But then Jesus said beginning in verse 37. But although he had done so many signs before them,
they did not believe in him that the word of Isaiah, the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke Lord, who has believed our report and to whom is the arm of the Lord been revealed. Therefore they could not believe because Isaiah said again, he has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts less. They should see with their eyes less. They should understand with their hearts and turn so that I should heal them.
These things I say is said, when he saw his glory and spoke of him, you see Isaiah said, Oh, you’ve got highs, but you won’t use them to see you’ll stay blinded. You’ve got ears, but you won’t hear, you have a heart that could understand, but you won’t let it because had fit did because if it did, I’d heal you,
but that would require you to open your eyes. That would require you to believe with your heart. Had they wouldn’t. So we examine our faith and we examine our eyes. Whether or not they let any light in. But then we also examine our hearing. Jesus said, if anyone hears my words and does not believe I do not judge him now that might be easy to stop right there and say,
see, alright, no judgment. It’s okay. Believe what you want to, nobody’s going to judge you. That’s not what Jesus said. He says, I do not judge him for, I did not come to the world to judge the world, but to save the world, Jesus said, I’m not here to judge you. I’m not here to be the judge who brings about your judgment,
who brings about your, the justice that you ought to get? Because you’re a sinner for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. And the wages of sin is death. But the gift of God is eternal life. Jesus said, I’m not here to judge the world. I’m here to save the world. But he said, he who rejects me and does not receive my words has that.
Which judges him. The word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day. Jesus said, I didn’t come to this earth. I didn’t give up heaven. I didn’t take on flesh. I didn’t come to this earth to judge you, but the word that I’ve spoken remains forever. The word that I’ve spoken, whether you’re willing to hear it and obey it or where you’re willing to hear it and dismiss it will judge you on the final day,
we examine our ears. Are they open to the word of God? Or do they hear the word of God and dismiss what they don’t want to hear and accept only what sounds good because that’s what these people were doing. If Jesus said something they agreed with, they were fine. But the moment he started declaring himself to be the son of God. The moment he started declaring himself to be the Messiah,
the Mullen, he started declaring himself to be someone who had authority over them. They refuse to hear our faith, our eyes, our ears, but he’s not done our speech. We go through this spiritual checkup, we’ve got to examine our speech. We’ve got to examine what we say in verse 49. Jesus sets a standard. He says for, I have spoken or I have not spoken on my own authority.
He says, I’m going to judge you in the final day, but it won’t be me. It’ll be the words that I’ve spoken. But just in case you begin to argue with the words that I’ve spoken, you need to understand something. I haven’t spoken of my own authority. I didn’t come to this earth with my own authority to declare my own message,
to declare my own judgment. That in the final day you will be judged my mind words. He said, I have not spoken of myself or of my own authority, but the father who gave me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. Jesus said, my doctrine doesn’t belong to me. My word isn’t mine. The word that will judge you,
didn’t originate with me. It originated with the father. And in doing this and making this statement, Jesus sets a standard. What should we speak? Should we speak our own doctrine? Should we speak our own ideas? Should we speak our own opinions? Should we speak our own judgments? Or should we declare the word of God? Should we speak?
Not of our own authority, but of his, we examine our speech and Deuteronomy chapter 18 in view of both the hearing and the speaking. Moses sets an interesting standard in Deuteronomy chapter 18, beginning in verse 18, as he is declaring about the prophet that would come. He says in verse 18, I will raise up for them. A prophet like you,
God’s speaking through. Moses says, I will raise up a prophet like you Moses in their presence. He says, I will raise up for them. A prophet like you from among their brethren. And I will put my words in his mouth and he shall speak to them. All that I command him. And it shall be that whoever will not hear my words,
which he speaks in my name, I will require it of him. God says, I’m going to judge. I’m going to raise up a prophet like you Moses. And they’re going to hear him. But some of them won’t accept what he says. And when they don’t, I’m going to judge because his words won’t be as old, but they will have come from me.
And so our speech as the church of Christ, as the body of Christ, as the bud bought bride of Christ, our speech, our doctrine, our proclamation Ought to always originate with him. We do not preach opinion. We do not preach that, which is coming from our own mouths or coming from some creed or coming from some Pope who claims to have the authority of Christ.
And doesn’t, it’s not coming from some head. It’s not coming from some regional doctrine comes from God. And if it doesn’t come from God, it has no business in this house. And I know, and I know that his commandment is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak just as the father has told me. So I speak fifth and final aspect of this checkup is how’s your life walk into the doctor’s office.
Maybe I should start that a little differently. The doctor walks into his office and there you are. And he begins to do the checkup. He checks your brain. Soso checks your eyes, not very responsive. Checks your hearing, not getting much checks your checks, your speech, not much. There then bothers to check whether or not you’re alive. Sometimes we judge ourselves by ourselves.
Paul uses that phrase to mean Christians sitting in a congregation, judging themselves against some other Christian in the congregation. Well, I’m better than so and so I’m doing, I do more than, and then Susie who sits down on the fourth row, I’ve been here for 41. Doesn’t matter. The question is, are you alive or dead? Jesus says that the commandments of God give life.
James says it a little differently. James says, show me your faith without your works. And I’ll show you my faith by my works. And that faith without works is dead. How’s your life? Does it look like someone who has faith in God who sees the Lord? And the one who sent him, who hears the word of God and responds to it?
Who accepts what he hears and obeys it, who not only hears, but speaks the word of God to those around him because he is faith. Isn’t dead, but alive. And those commandments that originate with the father that he obeys, that he acts out in his life are in his life producing everlasting life. Jesus came to give life. John chapter one,
John chapter one, as we begin this book that John gives this record of jesus’ life. He begins it with in the beginning was the word. And the word was with God. And the word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him. And without him was nothing made that was made in him was life.
And the life was the light of men. See, we’re already right back to where we started faith and light and hearing the word of God. And the light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not comprehend it. There was a man sent from God whose name was John. This man came for a witness to bear witness of the light that all through him might believe he was not that light,
but was sent to bear witness of that light. That was the true light, which gives light to every man coming into the world. He was in the world and the world was made through him and the world did not know him. He came to his own and his own did not receive him. But as many as received him, there’s your hearing.
But as many as received to him, received him to them. He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in his name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of men, but of God. Their life begins again. Their life begins with God and the word became flesh and dwelt among us.
And we beheld his glory. The glory is of the only begotten of the father, full of grace and truth. John bore, witness of him and cried out saying this was he of whom. I said, he who comes after me is preferred before me for, he was before me and of his fullness. We have all received. And grace for grace for the law was given through Moses,
but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten son who is in the bosom of the father, he has declared him. John says that Jesus said John chapter 14, when Phillip said, Lord, show us the father. He said, Philip, have you been with me so long? And you do have not seen me when you’ve seen me.
You’ve seen the father. I encourage all of us to spend a little time this week with John chapter 12, verses 42 through 50 or 48 and ask ourselves what is our spiritual condition? And when we get the results of the checkup, where are we lacking? And what do we need to work on? You’re here this morning and you’re outside the body of Christ.
You do enter into Christ by being born. Again, you do enter into Christ as, as BJ made. So clear last week, you do enter into Christ by being born of water and of the spirit. Having believed that Jesus Christ is the son of God, willing to repent of your sins, willing to confess his name, willing to bow to his authority as he bowed to the authority of God.
But are you willing to do that? If you’re outside the body of Christ, you can put Christ on in baptism today. If you have need of the invitation, if you have need of responding to the invitation for any reason, good or bad, why not come together now as we stand in, as we sing, Hey, while we do is good,
he abides with us and with all trust and<inaudible> to be happy and jeez us, but to trust and<inaudible>, but we never can.<inaudible> for the<inaudible> and<inaudible><inaudible> and<inaudible> to be happy and jeez us, but to trust. And<inaudible> walk by, Hey, this, and Hey, what he says we will do where he sends we.
Well, never fear only trust. Oh, Hey.<inaudible> to be happy and jeez, us, but to trust. And<inaudible> The closing song will be number 736 to Christ. Be true to It’s been long. Oh man, be true. He needs<inaudible> and<inaudible> to<inaudible> to Christ the truth to cries me. Oh man, be true. He needs<inaudible> to stand against the powers of sin.<inaudible> to<inaudible> the Lord be true.
Would you bow with me? Our God and father in heaven. We’re indeed thankful for this beautiful first day of the week that you’ve allowed us to gather as your children and worship Dee and same price to your name, father. We are thankful for the work that Aaron and Michael do here. And father we’re thankful for their most loving and giving families that they brought with them,
by the way, thank you for the word that we’ve heard today. And we pray father that we can use that to be that shining light to those around us. And those that may be lost. Bring them to you while we pray that you’ll be with us and keep us safe and forgive us of our seniors. They say in jesus’ name, we pray.
The Kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord.
The Seventh Trumpet & The Third Woe – Summary of the Book of Revelation: Chapter 11 (part 2)
A LOOK BACK: The angels with the trumpets are still sounding. The seventh angel is about to pronounce the third woe upon the people of Earth.
Consider Jim McGuiggan’s review of the chapter thus far.
John is being told the Church is about to undergo hard times, but at the same time he is being assured everything is all right with them. In this chapter, he is told this in two different ways. A vision of a city trodden under the heel of the enemy while the inner sanctuary is… invulnerable. The second vision is one of two witnesses. They have a task to perform, namely, prophesy for 1260 days. They have opposition, but they have more than enough ability to take care of that opposition. They finish their task! But there’s that other side of the picture to portray – the gloom. That is hinted at in their wearing sackcloth, but it is spelled out in their death at the hands of the beast. Their defeat is seen to be only apparent since they are resurrected and glorified.
The same truth is taught in chapter 12:6,14 and in 13:5ff.1
Rejoice! The King Reigns!
The sixth trumpet sounds in 9:13 and then a message came to comfort the Christians. Now the seventh trumpet sounds, and again we will see a message of comfort for the brethren. Understand that with the last trumpet sounding (and the contents of its message), God’s judgment against Rome will be complete, the Christians vindicated, and God will be victorious.
The proclamation of “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” is the announcement of the public vindication of the Kingdom. The kingdom of our Lord encompasses all sovereignties of the world (see Matthew 28:18). He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
The elders rejoice on their thrones (verse 17.) “We give You thanks… Because You have taken Your great power and reigned.” Jesus’ utilization of His authority to bring judgment upon the Church’s persecutors is rejoiced over. They rejoice in the wrath of the King upon the nations; the judgment of the dead; the reward of the prophets and saints and those who fear His name; and the destruction of those who destroy the earth.
Has It Already Happened?
This expression is taking place as if the “final woe” was already delivered, but it is still coming–we will read of seven bowls of wrath in the coming chapters. When God’s wrath begins it is as good as done. There will be nothing to stop it.
Then the Temple of God opens in Heaven, and the ark of His covenant is in the Holiest of Holies. John again observes “lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail.” Judgment is a reason to rejoice.
Next week: The Dragon Loses to the Child of the Woman.
1McGuiggan, Jim. Revelation. Sunset Institute Press. Kindle Edition.
Two witnesses are called to testify, and their blood will declare the judgment on Earth.
A LOOK BACK: Chapter 10 continues the second woe with a prophecy made by an angel that John is not allowed to write down. The angel declares that the time when the mystery of God is complete—the mystery declared by the prophets in the Old Testament.
John is commanded to take the little book from the hand of the angel and eat it (his prophecy). It is sweet to taste, but bitter in his belly.
Measurements
John is called upon to measure with a reed the Temple (or inner sanctuary) of God, the altar, and those who worship in the Temple (God’s priests = Christians). He is not to measure the courtyard of the Gentiles (profane people). To describe the kind of people these Gentiles are, they are the Gentiles will tread underfoot the city—the persecutors.
The Two Witnesses
The angel declares that two witnesses will be given to prophesy for 1,260 days. Notice they prophesy in sackcloth – their message isn’t one of hope, but judgment. The witnesses are olive trees and lampstands which stand before God. If anyone seeks to harm the witnesses, they fire devours them.
The witnesses’ authority includes shutting heaven, causing no rain to fall, turning water to blood, and striking the earth with plagues. These are the actions of prophets during the Mosaic ages (Elijah) and Patriarchal ages (Moses).
The Beast Makes War
When the prophets cease prophesying, the beast begins to make war against the witnesses of God. He will overcome them and kill them. The prophets’ bodies are paraded and dumped in the streets of The Great City.
The city is spiritually Sodom, Egypt, and the place of the crucifixion (Jerusalem). Here is a picture of the complete rejection of God’s prophets from Moses to Elijah to Christ by those of earth.
The reaction of humanity at the death of the two prophets is to throw a party, to rejoice and give gifts because these prophets “tormented” earth with their prophecies. But these prophets are not finished yet.
The Resurrection
After three and a half days the two prophets stand on their feet in the middle of the street. Fear falls on the people who see them. A voice from heaven calls to the prophets, “Come up here.” Do not miss: God ultimately protects His messengers – even if the world kills them physically.
The prophets ascend to heaven in a cloud as their enemies watch. Immediately, judgment begins. An earthquake; one-tenth of the city falls; seven thousand men die (7 x 1000); the remainder of humanity glorifies God (repentance). Thus ends the second woe. The third woe comes quickly.
JOHN – Revelation 11 The Two Olive Trees And The Seventh Trumpet
What was John given and what was he told to do? Revelation 11:1 ______________________________________________
What was John told to leave out? Revelation 11:2 ________________________________________________________________
How many witnesses were there and what were they told to do? Revelation 11:3 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
What two things do the witnesses have power to do and who are these things pictures of in the Old Testament? Revelation 11:6 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Under Christ’s reign who would be rewarded? What was seen when the temple of God in Heaven was opened? Revelation 11:18-19 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Automated Transcript
<inaudible><inaudible> good evening. I was telling, sorry, the, the pain medicine does this to me. I lose my words. I was telling Tommy just a minute ago. I said, I sure am glad that I’m injured. And everybody’s being very patient with me because I’m injured because everything takes so much longer than normal when you only have one hand,
okay, we are in revelation chapter 11 this evening. I don’t have as many slides on the overheads as I have had previously. Mostly we’re just going to use the images tonight, but revelation chapter 11 is for those who have been here for Zechariah and our sermons on Zechariah revelation, chapter 11, at least the part will sound very Familiar to you, or hopefully it will because it comes straight out of Zechariah,
Zechariah chapter four. So we’ll get into that in just a moment, but let’s get started with a word of prayer, our gracious father in heaven, we bow before your throne grateful for this day that you’ve given to us for the life that you have blessed us with and the health that you have given to us. We pray for this country. We pray for its leaders.
We pray for all those who lead around the world, both in local and in national levels. We pray for them to make choices that are in accordance with your will. We pray for them to be used for your purposes. And we pray for this election here in our country to be equitable and to be in accordance with the law and that, which is just,
but also that which is done and handled in a way that promotes unity and not division. We pray for this congregation and we pray for all those who are undergoing and enduring difficult times and struggles, hardships illnesses, pray that you will be with them, that they might have the strength to endure those hard times. They may have the strength to Le lean on you and look to you for grace and mercy,
comfort, love, and kindness, and also to be able to lean on their fellow brethren and their brothers and sisters in Christ, for those things that they need. We know that at times the hardest thing is to ask for help when we need it. And we pray for the wisdom to know that we ought to ask just to the same way we know that you have told us that you know what we need,
but that you want us to ask for it. We pray for forgiveness when we fall short of your glory and we pray that you continue to be with us when we do what is wrong. And when we are willing to repent of those things and seek your forgiveness, we pray for all those who are traveling, pray that they might reach their destination safely.
All this we pray in jesus’ name. Amen. Let’s go over the questions from chapter 10, very quickly as a review chapter 10, question one after mankind would not repent. What did John see coming down from heaven? A mighty angel. Okay. Who does he look like? Based upon his description? I had the, he’s got the he’s clothed with a cloud.
He’s got a rainbow on his head. His face is like the sun. His feet are like pillars of brass. He is one who roar his voice is like the roar of a lion. What we noticed the imagery of those things and all of those things. Connect back to who? Jesus and the Godhead. Okay. He is the representative, the strong representative of the Godhead.
And very clearly the connection to Christ is there because the shared descriptions. Okay. So who does he look like? Based upon his descriptions, the Godhead or Christ specifically? Where are his feet? All right. One foot on the land and one foot on the sea. What is in the Angel’s hand? Say what a little book. What did the angel do and what followed his actions?
Cried with a loud voice. Don’t hesitate for home out there. Come on.<inaudible> we don’t have a whole lot of extra time. So everybody just chime in, cried with a loud voice. And then what followed his cry? The seven thunders sounded their voice. All right. What happened to the prophecy of the seven thunders? All right. John was told,
do not write it down, seal it up. What would be finished when the seventh trumpet sounds the mystery of God? Why are sorry? Weigher is a picture like this. What we see in verses five through seven, where is a picture like this scene? In the old Testament? We mentioned a specific chapter. Daniel chapter 12. What did the voice from heaven?
Tell John to do in verses eight through 10. All right. He said, go get the book from the angel and eat it. Where in the old Testament, do we see? This is<inaudible>. Do you remember the chapter? The Z kill chapter two and three. All right. What did the little book taste like? Sweet, like gelato now.
Sweet, like honey AB, but unlike Joe’s honey, what was the little book like in his belly? Bitter. Okay. And remember what we said, the revelation of God, to those who were Christians to those who were profits having God’s word revealed to them was always a wonderful thing. But that didn’t mean the message was. And so that’s the picture here.
The receiving of the message is a sweet is sweet as honey, but the message itself is bitter because it’s judgment. That is going to be prophesied. What would the little book cause John to do prophesied. Okay. That’s why, that’s why it’s the clear picture is this is the revelation from God, because he eats the book and it causes him to speak to prophesy God’s message.
What kind of message would it be the idea of it being bitter? What kind of message would it be judgment? It would be a message that was, that was bitter or, or judgment. Okay. All right. Let’s go through, if I can find the remote here. We won’t say a whole lot about chapter 10, but let’s go through and do just a little review.
Like we’ve done before. Kind of set us up for chapter 11. The time of the writing of the book read in chapter 17, about the seven Kings, the seven horns that are on the Beast’s head. We’re not to chapter 17 yet, but we talked about it and Daniel identifies those NGS as the Kings of the fourth kingdom, the kingdom, in which God said in the days of these Kings,
I shall set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, but ultimately God’s kingdom would destroy, would crush all those other kingdoms. Okay. Revelation is the description of that. Okay. That’s revelation is the fulfillment of Daniel chapter two, verse 44. It is, the church has already been established. The kingdom’s already been established, but the wiping out of those four kingdoms isn’t done yet,
but it’s going to be prophesied here. And God says, I told you this was going to happen in the days of Nebuchadnezzar and it’s going to happen. Okay? So we said we’re in the days of Vespasian because the beast, the persecuting emperor is not on the throne, but there’s another emperor who’s coming very shortly. And then the beast will rise up.
And we know Vespasian is that persecuting beast? So John in chapter one C is, is in on the Island of Patmos on the Lord’s day. And he’s in the spirit he’s worshiping. When he begins to see a vision. There’s one who speaks to him from behind me, turns around because he hears the voice of one who sounds like a trumpet. And he turns around and he sees Christ and Christ is in the midst of the candlesticks.
The candlesticks represent what the churches, all right. And in his right hand are seven, seven candlesticks around him. And in his right hand are seven way stars. Okay? And the stars are the angels of the churches. And then chapter two begins because Jesus says to John, what I tell you to write the things that are the things that will be,
you write them in a book. So the commandment is given to, right? So he’s going to write, and he’s going to write to all the churches and the focus there. Chapter two and chapter three is Christ and his connection to the churches. So then chapter four begins in John is sees an open door. God calls John into the throne room.
He enters into the throne room of God. And he sees there the throne room of God. He sees the one who sits on the throne and he never describes him. He just describes the glory. That’s emanating from him like a rainbow. And he describes those who are around the throne there in chapter four. And the point is of chapter four, believe in God,
then chapter five, you see, after you’ve seen the throne room of God, you now see that the one who’s on the throne is holding a scroll. The scroll is covered with seven seals. It’s a scroll that has a revelation from the throne of God, but it can’t be opened except by the one who’s worthy. And so they search heaven and earth.
And under the earth, everybody who’s lived and everybody who is alive and no one’s found who’s worthy. And John begins to weep, but God says John, or excuse me, one of the elders comes to John says, don’t we for one has been found in the midst of the throne as the lamb, the lamb of God and the lion of the tribe of Judah.
And he’s got seven eyes and he’s got seven horns. And he’s like a lamb who was slain, but he’s standing up and he’s alive and he’s worthy. And so the lamb proceeds to go to the one who’s sitting on the throne and takes the scroll. And chapter six, he begins to open the scroll. We have seven seals. And the first seal we see the one on the white horse and he’s coming out and he’s conquering.
And we see that as Christ Christ being victorious, the church through Christ conquering through the spread of the gospel. Paul said that in his day, the gospel went to every nation. Under heaven, Christ went forth, conquering, but persecution followed three horses that follow are the four soar judgments of God. Coming upon the persecutors as a result of their persecution,
then you have I’m behind. Then you have in the fifth seal, the souls under the altar. They’re crying out to God. How long though, Lord, are you going to allow this persecution to go on? And God tells him, you wait, you just rest. He gives them white robes and tells them to rest for a little while. And then the sixth seal is open.
When the six steel is open, you have kind of the preview of God’s judgment. Judgment begins to happen on those who dwell on the earth. And they, the rich and the mighty and all those who are prosperous and all those who are, are powerful. They cry for the mountains to fall down on them and protect them from the wrath of the one who’s on the throne and the lamb.
But as few dials, they can’t get protection from that. They can’t get protection from the wrath of God. But the question then is asked, who can stand in the day of God’s wrath? So at the end of the sixth seal, there’s a pause. And chapter seven begins with the ceiling of the people of God. 144,000 by number are described as those who are sealed 12 tribes and 12,000 each TRIBE 12 times,
12 times a thousand, every one God says everyone who belongs to me can stand in the day of my judgment because I know who belongs to me. So they go into the, the tribulation, they go into the persecution, they go into the trials marked with the Mark of God. And God says, I know who you are and you’ll come out the other end.
And then they come out on the other end and they’re not 144,000 there an innumerable number in the presence of God. And they’ve got Palm tree or Palm leaves in their hands and they’re praising God. And they’re Perfect. Okay. I mean, I know all the time we have a president who loves to call everything perfect, but they were, they, they went through the tribulation.
They went through the difficulty of, I came out perfect because God protected. It’s a message of comfort. And then the seventh seal is opened. And inside the seventh seal, you have seven angels who are given seven trumpets and they prepared a sound, but that God says, wait, not yet. And another angel comes from heaven and he goes to the throne of God,
or it goes, goes to the altar of God. And he takes the prayers of the saints. Those who are undergoing persecution. And he mixes it with incense and he offers it before the Lord. And when the incense goes up, he takes his censor. And he goes back to the altar, the burnt altar. And he takes the fire from the alternative Cassa to the earth.
The message is clear. God hears the prayers of his children and answers them. And now the seven trumpets begin to sound. The first trumpet begins to sound. And first through fourth trumpets, they go forth. And it’s a picture of, well, actually all seven trumpets are a picture of the plagues in Egypt. They’re not identical, but the pictures they’re,
the similarities are enough to tell us, God is giving Rome what God gave Egypt. And he’s only doing it a partial way. Every single one of the trumpets is a partial action. Not complete, not finished, but it’s enough to get them to the end of chapter seven, where God says, it’s time to repent, but the message at the end,
sorry, at the end of chapter nine is at the end of the sixth. Trumpet is they did not repent. So the sixth trumpet comes and when the sixth trumpets over, there’s another pause. Chapter 10, we have the pause because we see another angel comes out of heaven and he’s holding a little book and we just went through that. So we’re not going to take the time to rehearse that again.
That brings us to chapter 11, chapter 11, by the way, have you gotten yet? It’s just a picture book. It’s just a, I just, just look at the pictures And granted they’re all in words, but I mean, if you want a copy of the pictures, that’s at least an artist’s rendition of the pictures. It’s Just a story,
But it’s real. I mean, it’s not a fake story. It’s not a fairy tale. It’s real, but it’s figures. Okay. Then I was given a read. All right. We immediately go back to the ZQ because the Z Gill is told by God, go measure the city, take your measuring line and go measure the city and tell me what you find.
Okay? This is an act of investigation prior to judgment. I, you to measure it. I want you to see its boundaries. I want you to know what is there. Okay. So then I, John, okay, was given a Reed like a measuring rod and the angel stood saying rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there.
Now, if the timeline of the book is what John says, it is in chapter 17. Then is there a temple in Jerusalem to go measure? No, the temple was destroyed in 80 70. When, when the Romans under Titus came into the city, there wasn’t a temple in Jerusalem. So he’s not talking about the temple of Herod. John is not told,
go to the temple of Herod and measure the temple and the people who worship there. God, isn’t telling him that. God’s saying you go measure my temple. Now, according to first Corinthians chapter three and chapter six, who are the temple of God, the churches you have the Christians individually talked about as the temple of God in one of those chapters.
And you have the church collectively spoken of as the temple of God in the other. And God says, John, take this measuring rod and go measure my temple. Okay. Now notice specifically though, there’s some very specific instructions. I want you to measure the temple of God and the altar as those who worship there, but leave out the court, which is outside the temple and do not measure it.
Now he’s using the figures of the temple. He’s using the figures of the temple. They were familiar with in Jerusalem that no longer stood and outside of the temple were, was what the area of, of who? The Gentiles, the court of Gentiles. He’s getting them to get the picture. There’s those who are on the inside, who belong to God.
But specifically here’s the picture who is specifically on the inside of the temple. Every time the Temple’s open, the ones who work there, the priests go back to revelation, chapter five, revelation, chapter five, beginning in verse eight. Now, when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the 24 elders fell down before the lamb, each having a harp and golden bowls full of incense,
which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song saying you are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals for you were slain and knows this and have redeemed us to God by your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation. Those who are the redeemed, those who call Jesus Christ worthy. Those who praise the lamb.
They’re not Jews in contrast to Gentiles. They’re every TRIBE, they’re every tongue they’re every nation there, everyone under heaven who has been obedient to the blood of Christ and redeemed by the lamb, but notice verse 10 and have made us Kings and priests To our God. And we shall reign on the earth. All right. So John is told you go measure the temple and the people in it who worship there.
And they’re Christians. The temple of God is the church. Those who worship there are the Christians. And he’s saying, you go measure it, but you leave out the court, which is outside the temple and do not measure it for it has been given to the Gentiles and they will tread the Holy city under foot for 42 months. All right. In chapter 11,
you’re going to see 42 months and 1,260 days. If you do the math, Both of those equal out to three and a half years. Okay. They’re the same number. One of them expressed in days. And one of them expressed in months. But if you go study the book of Daniel, you’ll know why they’re being used because in Daniel, they are used there together with a description that is a little bit different.
It’s called it’s. It’s given this way times, time and half a time. Okay. So get that. There’s a plural times, a singular time and a half a time. If you put years in the place of the word times, there’s a plurality of years. There’s a single year and there’s a half a year, three and a half years.
Okay. They all mean the same thing in chapter 12, you’re going to see in chapter 12, beginning in verse Six, Then the woman fled into the wilderness where she has a place prepared by God that they should feed her there 1,260 days. Okay. So we’re going to see 42 months in chapter 11 and chapter 12. We’re going to see 1,260 days in chapter 11 and chapter 12.
But then notice this later on in chapter 12 in verse 14. Okay. So the woman was taken to the wilderness for 1,260 days. But in verse 14, we read, but the woman was given two wings of a great Eagle that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, which she is, where, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time.
Okay. Chapter 11 and chapter 12, keep track of this 42 months, three and a half years, 1000, 260 days and time, times and half a time all mean the same thing, but here’s, what’s important. Three and a half years. That’s half of what three and a half years is half of what? Seven years, the message in Daniel,
the message in revelation of that time idea is this. This is the time when it looks like the beast is going to win. It looks like the Christians don’t have a chance. It looks like God’s going to bring judgment, but it looks like everybody’s going to perish anyway. And here’s where the picture comes from. Turn to James chapter five, three and a half years.
Now you go do the math and you go, wait a minute. That’s not three and a half years. If your calendar is 365 days, but the ancient calendar wasn’t, it was 360 days. So that’s why the number’s a little different than we would have gotten for three and a half years ago. The numbers 360 days in the ancient calendar. Okay.
Chapter five of James verse 17, Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain. And it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. Now, hang on to Alijah, get your picture of Elijah in the days of who, who was on throne. Hey help. And his wonderful pleasant wife,
Jess, Val, all right. So a heaven Jessebelle are on the throne in the Northern kingdom. And even Alijah will say, I’m the only one left. Everybody else is dead. No one serves God, but me and God says, that’s not true. I’ve got 7,000 that haven’t bowed the Nita bale, but that all comes after this. Elijah tells his servant,
you go to Ahab and tell him there’s not going to be any rain until I say so, and then aligned to disappears. And here’s the picture. God’s people look like they’re gone. God’s people look like they’ve been annihilated. You look around for God’s people and you can’t find them anywhere because the persecution and the destruction and the judgment, and yet all the while the evil ones on the throne,
the evil ones raining, but he’s not raining for perfection. He’s not raining with a seven. The number of God, he’s got three and a half years, and Alijah will disappear for three and a half years. And they’ll send everywhere looking to find them in all the while. There’s no rain. Now we’re there righteous people in Israel suffering because there was no rain.
Yes, there were, were there some people who were righteous all over the region around Israel who were suffering because there was no rain. Yes, sir. Work. And it looks like they’re not going to get through it, but God wants them to know. I measured the temple and I know who’s there. I measured those who are mine. And I know who’s there,
but it doesn’t mean it’s going to be pleasant. The message of three and a half years of 42 months of 1000, 260 days and times, times, and half time, times and half the time is this. The Christians are victorious, but it’s not going to be easy. Okay. So let’s go back into the text. I give power and I give power to my two witnesses and they will prophesize,
Oh, wait a minute, go back to verse two. The Gentiles come into the Holy city. Now that’s not Jerusalem. I mean, it’s the picture of Jerusalem, but it’s not the old Jerusalem. It’s not the place that the Romans decimated. It’s not the physical Jerusalem. It’s God’s city. It’s the church. They come in and they trot the church.
They’re destroying them. They’re persecuting. They’re ruining them as if it was Rome, trampling, Jerusalem. But notice what happens. And I will give power verse three to my two witnesses. And they will prophesize 1000, 260 days. So the Gentiles trod the city down for 42 months, but the prophets prophesied for 42 months. Okay. And they’re clothed in sack cloth.
These are the two olive trees. Now you remember Zechariah chapter four, turn over there real quick. I know it doesn’t feel like we’re getting anywhere, but we’re getting somewhere. Alright. At Zechariah chapter four, God has just talked about the high priest, Joshua and chapter three, chapter four. He begins now the angel who talked with me, came back and wakened me as a man.
Who’s waking down in his sleep. And he said to me, what do you see? So I said, I am looking in, there is a lampstand of solid gold with a bowl on top of it. And on the stand seven lamps with seven pipes to the seven lamps, two olive trees are by it. One at the right of the bowl and the other at its left.
So I answered and spoke to the angel who talked with me saying, what are these? My Lord, then the angel who talked with me answered and said to me, do you not know what these are? And I said, no, my Lord, verse 11. Then I answered him and said to him, what are the two olive trees at the right of the lampstand?
And that it’s left. And I further answered and said to him, what are these two olive branches that drip into the receptacles of the two golden pipes, which from which the golden oil drains, then he answered me and said, do you not know what these are? And I said, no, my Lord. So he said, these are the two anointed ones who stand beside the Lord of the whole earth.
Okay. There’s your picture? That’s Zechariah. And in Zachariah, it is Joshua or Jeshua, who’s the high priest. The high priests were anointed and<inaudible> who is the governor and the, the secular leader of the people like a King. He was anointed. Okay. These are the two witnesses of God. These are the two representatives of God. These are the two prophets of God.
These are God’s anointed. Okay. Get the picture. But they’re lamps and olive trees. They’re olive trees that are feeding lamps and the lamps do what provide light. And by the way, in chapter one, two and three who are lampstands, the church is God said, go measure my temple and who are, who’s the temple of God, the church,
the Gentiles trot under the church. But God says, here are my two witnesses. They’re going to prophesy all this time. And they’re feeding the lamps and the lamps are still the churches. Okay? God’s voice is going to be heard. It’s going to be heard by his people. It’s going to be declared by his people. But remember, 42 months is the Christians are victorious,
but it ain’t going to be easy. Okay? So these are the two verse four. These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth. And if anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. And if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner. These watch,
this have power to shut heaven so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy. And they have power over waters to turn them to blood and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire. Hmm. What two people does that describe in the old Testament, Elijah and Moses, Moses represents the law. Elijah represents the prophets and the message of God is clear.
My voice will be heard no matter who’s on the throne. My voice will be declared to the one who’s on the throne. And my people will look like they’re going to get destroyed. What happened in Egypt? When Moses came and started telling Pharaoh what he was supposed to do, did it get easier on the Israelites or harder, harder? And it was harder and harder and harder and harder till they were let go.
They told Moses, you came here to kill us. We’re all going to die because you won’t stop going to Pharaoh. But in the end they were delivered. Okay. If anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth. When they speak, by the way, who does, whose power do they use profits, gods, okay. They speak and fire proceeds from their mouth.
That’s the power of God. They don’t win by battle. They don’t win by the size of their army. They win by declaring the word of God. Okay. They have power to hold back rain. They have power to bring plagues. They have power to turn water to blood and to strike the earth. Then verse seven, when they finished their testimony,
the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them and kill them. So they go out, they prophesied before the people and what happens to them, the beast murders them, and then notice what happens. And their dead bodies will lie in the streets of the great city, which is spiritually called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.
Now, probably going to take some time on Sunday to explain that one, because I don’t have the time tonight, but it’s Rome and not Jerusalem. Okay. We’ll get into the reason why on Sunday. So their dead bodies are left in the streets of the great city. Then those from then peoples tribes, tongues and nations will see their dead bodies three and a half days.
All right. So before we have three and a half years now we have three and a half days. They’ll see their bodies for three and a half days and not allow their dead bodies to be put in graves. The people around, they see the murdered profits and they’re so glad they died. They won’t even let them be buried. They’re laying there in the street.
They’re being observed by the people and the people glory in it. Notice what their reaction is. Then those from the peoples tribes, tongues nations will see their dead bodies three and a half days and not allow their dead bodies. We put in graves. And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, making Mary and sending gifts to one another.
Because those two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth, the earth, the sinners, those who do not love God and do not listen to his voice, do not appreciate the word of God. As a matter of fact, they consider it torment. And when the prophets are murdered by the beast, they throw a party, they send gifts to one another.
What’s the occasion. I got a gift from you. The prophets of God are dead. But yeah, These profits look a lot like Christ because three and a half days later, verse 11. Now after three and a half days, the breath of life from God entered them. And they stood on their feet and great fear fell on those who saw them.
And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, Come up Here. And they ascended to heaven in a cloud. See, they look like Christ three and a half days later, they resurrect. And then they ascend in a cloud. They look like Christ and their enemies saw them in the same hour. There was a great earthquake and a 10th of the city fell in the earthquake.
7,000 people were killed. Now don’t, don’t go looking in history for a time when Rome, one 10th of Rome just got in an earthquake in the 7,000 people to it to a T died. That’s not what you’re supposed to get out of this. God’s saying I’m saving my people and you’re getting your last warning. Remember the sixth trumpets already sounded when the seventh trumpet sounds it’s all over and notice the reaction.
A 10th of the city fell in the earthquake. 7,000 people were killed and the rest were afraid and where they were sending gifts to one another because the profits were dead and they were glorying before. Just a day, just the day before. Now we read and gave glory to the God of heaven. God’s long suffering. Always, always waits just long enough because God doesn’t desire that any should perish,
but that all should have salvation. Okay. We’ll pick up with verse 14 and actually let’s read verse 14. We’ll pick up with verse 15. The second woe is passed behold. The third woe is coming quickly. So there’s your warning shot. That’s that’s your hold on. It’s about to get real. Alright. We’ll pick up there verse 15 on Sunday.
Thank you for your attention. Good evening. Welcome to the Collierville Wednesday, even Bible study and devotional. It’s good to see each and every one of you out here tonight. And for those of you that are unable to still make it out because of various reasons, COVID-19 et cetera. We want you to know that we truly miss each and every one of you.
And we pray for each and every one of you daily. And really look forward to the day that we all can assemble here again together and worship our God. Our announcements this evening are sick. Please continue to remember Rudel Wilson, John Springer and Pam chafe. And you know, Pam was here Sunday. She was able to get out some, and that was good to see her.
So that means she is getting better every day. So to continue to pray for her though, Dorothy Wilson is experiencing extremely high blood pressure. So please keep her in your thoughts and prayers. Sylvia pass. We’ll have a, another nerve block procedure this Friday, and this pray that this one does some good for her. Cause I know she’s tired of messing with her back.
Aren’t you Sylvia. Janet Jones is in a meth, Memphis Jewish home, and she is scheduled to be released tomorrow. So that’s great news for Janet. So thank God for that. Aaron, as you saw is here this evening with us. He’s recovering, I guess he’s doing okay. He doesn’t look like he’s in any pain right at the minute. So that’s a good thing.
He says. He says so and so. Okay, Danny O’Neil who’s Tommy O’Neill’s brother is in st. Francis hospital. He is on a ventilator. He’s had issues with CLPD and now he’s being tested for COVID-19 and they don’t have the results of that yet. They’re expecting the results of that tomorrow, but please keep Danny and the entire own Neal family and your thoughts and prayers,
Liam, Dan Danley. This is Paul. His grandson is recovering from a dog bite. So please keep Liam and your thoughts and prayers. And then Michael Dale, you know, was out Sunday because he has some type of virus. He did see his doctor today, but we have not been able to get ahold of him yet to find out the results of what his visit was with his doctor.
So we’re not a hundred percent sure yet how Michael doing, but please continue to keep him and your thoughts and prayers. The only other note I have or announcement is for the man, a reminder that next Monday evening at 7:00 PM will be the monthly men’s business meeting for our devotional. Tonight. Song leader is going to be Joel caisson. Aaron coats are,
will bring us the devotional itself. And then Joel caisson is also going to do the closing prayer for us. Thank you. If you would Mark your books for number nine Oh two, that will be our song of encouragement nine zero two. And if you would turn to number 2014, Jesus loves me. Jesus loves me. Then sign a fire. The Bible tells me it wants to him being long.
They are weak, but he is strong. Yes. Jesus loves me. Yes. Jesus loves me. Yes. Jesus loves me. The Bible tells me, so Jesus loves me. Hey, die. Heaven’s gate two up and why he will wash away. My sin. Let is lit a chalk and yes, Jesus loves me. Yes. Jesus loves me.
Yes. Jesus loves me. Bible tells me, so Jesus take this hard. My<inaudible> ah, yes. Bled and died for me. I went for the yes. Jesus loves me. Yes. Jesus loves me. Yes. Jesus Going to do something a little different tonight, going to read a chapter from second Peter and it truly is an invitation.
I think you’ll see where if you’re outside the body of Christ this evening, you need to change that. And if you’re a member of the body of Christ, we get to the end of this chapter. You should know what your condition is and if it’s not what it ought to be the invitations in here to change it. Second, Peter chapter three beginning in verse one,
beloved. I now write to you this second epistle in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder, that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the Holy prophets and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and savior. Knowing this first, that scoffers will come in the last days, walking,
according to their own Luz and saying, where is the promise of his coming for? Since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation for this, they willfully forget that by the word of God, the heavens were of old and the earth standing out of water and in the water by which the world that then existed perished being flooded with water,
but the heavens and the earth, which are now preserved by the same word are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. But beloved do not forget this. One thing that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years and as a thousand and a thousand years as one day, the Lord is not Slack concerning his promise as some men count slackness,
but is long suffering toward us. Not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise. And the elements will melt with fervent heat, both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.
Therefore sins, all these things will be dissolved. What manner of persons ought you to be in Holy conduct and godliness looking for, and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be being on fire. And the elements will melt with Fermin heat. Nevertheless, according, nevertheless, we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells,
therefore beloved looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by him in peace, without spot and blameless and consider that the long suffering of our Lord is salvation as also our beloved brother. Paul, according to the wisdom, given to him has written to you as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things in which are some things hard to understand,
which are which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction. As they also do the rest of the scriptures. You therefore beloved since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness being led away with the error of the wicked, but grow in the grace and the knowledge of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ to him be the glory both now and forever.
Amen. What can wash away my sin? Nothing but jeez, what can make me whole and nothing, but ah, jeez.<inaudible> that makes me widest. No, no nothing. Butterfly. Jeez, nothing. Eh, Marson nothing butterfly. Jeez, no, the good that I have done nothing. Bertha, blah, jeez. Oh, brash.
Yeah, that makes me wide ass.<inaudible> nothing butterfly. Ah, geez. Our father, which art in heaven, we truly are thankful for the privilege that we’ve had this evening to come together And study your word and be strengthened by the gospel. We’re thankful father for the privilege. It is to be with our brothers and sisters to be encouraged by one another and to demonstrate our love for one another and especially our love for the father.
We’re mindful of those that have been mentioned that are going through various difficulties in their lives with the hate that they have. We especially want to ask you to be with Aaron, that his risk continues to heal and that he might have a speedy recovery father. We pray for Paula’s grandson that everything might go well for him and that he will not have any difficulties over that incident.
Father help us to remember all of those that are not with us this evening, pray that we might always try to encourage one another in particular as the days, go by and help us to keep our eyes on the goal. And remember that we are your children that we need to continue to study your word, that we might be strengthened by that we might remind faithful to you and be able to encourage others to come to knowledge of the gospel and be obedient to it before it’s everlastingly too late.
Help us each day that we are compassionate toward one another. That we have patients. We have long suffering that we always are mindful of each other. And especially those that are outside the body, realizing that they are in a lost condition and they need us to encourage and help them find their way, strengthen us each day and continue to watch over us in Jesus name.
A LOOK BACK: Chapter 9 reveals the first “woe” and the second. People die. The judgment against the people of the Earth not marked with God’s mark. The Star (King / Angel) with the key to the bottomless pit falls from heaven to earth. Then the four angels under the altar of God release plagues to bring more judgment upon sinful humanity. After all this, humanity still does not repent of their iniquity.
Note: The second woe continues until Revelation 11:13.
The Angel and the Book: John sees another mighty angel coming down from heaven. He holds a little book open in his hand. He speaks, and his voice is like the roar of a lion in strength. When he cries out, seven thunders speak. John listens to the voices (thunders) and is prepared to write their message, but a voice stops him and tells him, “Seal up the things which the seven thunders uttered, and do not write them.”
The angel raised his hand to heaven and swore by God that there should be no further delay, but “in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of God would be finished, as He declared to His servants the prophets.”
Note: God’s description: “…Him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and the things that are in it, the earth and the things that are in it, and the sea and the things that are in it…” From Genesis to Revelation, the Scriptures carry one unified creation account. Accept it or reject it, but if you reject it, also reject the eternal nature of God, and His prophesies contained within Scripture. They all stand or fall together.
Then the voice that stopped John from writing speaks again and tells John to take the book from the hand of the angel. John tells the angel, “Give me the little book.” The angel responds, “Take and eat it; and it will make your stomach bitter, but it will be as sweet as honey in your mouth.”
John takes the book and eats it, and it is sweet like honey in his mouth but bitter in his stomach. He must again prophesy about many peoples, nations, tongues and kings (his prophecy will end bitterly for them).
<inaudible> It is time for us to get started. Hopefully this will be the last time I’m sitting down with my arm, propped up on a pillow on a podium for teaching class, but we’ll see a surgery is tomorrow will be the first time I’ve had anything other than surgery on my tonsils. So a are not tonsils, but a wisdom teeth. So it should be fun.
I expect fun will be, will be the correct description of tomorrow. But anyway, we are in revelation chapter, chapter, chapter 10, revelation, chapter 10, let’s begin with a word of prayer gracious father in heaven. We bound before you grateful for the day you’ve given to us the life that we have, the opportunities that we have to serve.
You grateful for all of the many blessings that you shower upon us on a daily basis and grateful for this book of revelation, this book, which teaches us so well. And so clearly that you are on the throne that you are victorious and that you reign and that no Man, no individual, no persecutor and not even Satan himself has power to destroy you or to overcome your will.
We pray that you’d be with us as we go through this period of study, may the things that we do be in accordance with your will pray that you be with those who are dealing with illnesses, injuries, those who are dealing with loss of loved ones, give them strength and comfort and be with them during the difficult times, pray that you be with those who are dealing with COVID.
And we know that the disease is getting worse in other parts of the country and in other parts of the world as well. And we pray for churches throughout the world that are dealing with the Results of the coronavirus and the difficulties that it brings. But we also pray for more opportunities to teach people and to reach people because of COVID-19 all this, we pray in Jesus name.
Amen. I mean just, okay, let’s go over the questions from revelation chapter nine and chapter nine, we have the fifth and the sixth trumpets, and now we only got part way through chapter nine. So we’re going to go through the first questions, covering the fifth trumpet, and then we’ll get into the sixth trumpet and go through that. And hopefully chapter 10 as well.
What was fallen to the earth from heaven? When the fifth angel sounded a great star, what is the one called or what is this one called in verse 11, the angel, the angel of the bottomless bit. Okay. So called a great star in verse one called the angel of the bottomless pit in verse 11. What was given to him? Key to the bottomless pit?
What did he do with it? He opened it up. See if it had been a key given to me, I’d have lost it, Jay, your keys in a, but he didn’t. He, he opened the bottomless pit. What arose from the bottomless pit initially upon it being opened and what happened as a result, smoke as from a great furnace and it darkened what sun and the sky sun in the air,
you get the picture of pollution. All right. Not pollution from carbon dioxide pollution from what did we talk about it being from sin. This is a picture of sin and its ability to everything. What came out of the smoke and who were they commanded to torment? Alright, locus with these. I mean, these weren’t normal locusts. These were some,
some pretty extraordinary locusts looked like what horses prepared for battle, but what were they given power to do? What were they commanded to do? All right, those who dwell upon the earth or the inhabitants of the earth. And we mentioned last during that lesson, whatever day that was we, we mentioned on Sunday that these, this reference those that dwell on the earth,
the inhabitants of the earth, depending on which version you’re in, is always in revelation. It is always a reference to sinners, not to just humans. Okay. Not to righteous and unrighteous, but only to the on righteous. Okay. That’s the way it’s used in the book of revelation. How is the torment described? How long five months? What did it cause the people to do?
They saw it death. You remember back in chapter five when the fifth or sorry, the sixth seal was opened. The judgment of God started coming upon them, the wrath of the lamb. And they called for the mountains to fall on them. Well, what happens if a mountain falls on you, you die. Okay. They want anything that to hide them,
they protect them from the wrath of the lamb. And here they’re so inundated with sin and some suggest. And you’ll see this in the notes that I’ve handed out. Some suggest that the angel of the bottomless pit, the star fallen from heaven, isn’t Satan, and some suggest it is, but here’s what you’ve got. No matter what you’ve got sin and it’s internal corruption in the,
in the nation of Rome, it was any historian will tell you, you go study Rome and Rome died from the inside. It didn’t die from the outside. It had a bunch of people that, that, that attacked it from the outside, but it died from the inside because it turned into a heinous nation, was doing some reading on some of the Caesars last night.
And I mean, just unimaginable, unimaginable sins in, in the times of Tiberias and Caligula and Nero and the mission. Okay. So this sin in the N in would cause the people to be in such misery, such despair, such anguish, that they would want to die, but God says, no, you’re not going to get to die. You’re going to go through torment.
But then what part of the body of the locus was causing the torment, the tails. Okay. They had tails that had, that had stings like scorpions. And we mentioned that the scorpions of the middle East and that region don’t typically cause death, but they will put you in a world of hurt. And God’s using that as the analogy. Okay.
Who is the King of the locus? What does his name in Greek and Hebrew mean? First of all, who is it? It’s the angel of the bottomless pit. And we said the name Apollyon an Abbott Dawn means destruction or the destroyer. Okay. Now all of that would have been a little easier if we had had the slides on Sunday, because all of that was up on the slide.
So we do have the slides tonight and we’re going to go through them here. As we, as we get started, we can go back through just a little bit of review. Just kinda take the book again, get, get the pictures. Just again, treat it like a picture book. Just what’s in this chapter, what’s in this chapter, we’d said that the writing of the book was when the beast is in an is not state.
He w he was, he is not, he’s not currently persecuting buddies about to come up. And we said that the timeframe meets the way Daniel delivers the Kings of Rome to John and John uses Daniel’s listing of the Kings Vespasian is on the throne. Titus is about to come up and after Titus comes, demission Titus will only rain for a short, short time.
So then chapter one chapter, one’s the introductory. We see Jesus appear to John and say, I’m going to tell you these things, and you’re going to write them in a book. Now go to verse 19 of chapter one. I want to show you something here. Jesus said specifically to John, write the things which you have seen and the things which are,
and the things which will take place after this. The introductory commandment to John is write this down. Okay? That’s going to come into play as an interesting point when you get to chapter 10. Okay? But we see Jesus in the midst of the seven churches and the holding in his hand, seven angels of the seven churches. Then we see the seven letters going out to the churches.
Okay? Each one is introduced. Each one talks about Christ. The focus is Christ all the way through chapter four begins. And John sees an open door. He’s told to go through the door. He goes through the door and he enters the throne room of God. God is sitting upon the throne, but God is not described only his grander. His glory is described as the light emanating from the throne,
but before the throne or the seven lambs, the seven torches of, of fire, the seven spirits of God before the throne as well, or the four beasts around the throne are 24 elders with crowns on their heads, sitting on Thrones, arrayed in white robes. And they praise God when the four B’s praise the Lord, the 24 elders, take their crowns and cast them on the ground and praise God and glorify him.
Then in chapter, chapter five, we see again, the throne room of God. But now we see a mighty angel and he comes forth. And in the hand of the one on the throne is a scroll. You see the one on the throne. He has the scroll, but it has seven seals on it. And they look through heaven and earth to try to find someone who can open the seals.
The seven seals are seven revelations. Okay? So seven seals are in the seven or upon the scroll. They look for someone who can open it. They can’t find anybody in heaven or earth who can do it. John begins to wheat. One of the elders comes to John and says, don’t weep for one has been found. Who’s worthy. Who was the one who was worthy?
Jesus Christ was the lamb who was slain. The lion of the tribe of Judah. He comes forth, takes the scroll from the one on the throne and proceeds in chapter six to open the scroll. First seal is open and a white horse goes out and he’s conquering. And it’s a picture of Christ. He’s going forth and he’s conquering. And the church is spreading and the gospel is going forth,
but then persecution begins. Persecution begins. But also we have a picture of the four sore punishments of God seal to seal three and seal four. You’ve got the red horse, the black horse, the pale horse, pale horse has death on his back. And Haiti’s following after him. And then the fifth seals open. And you see the calls of the Christians who will not give up the testimony of Christ.
They will not bow to Rome. They will not say Caesar is God and they’re dying for it. And they’re crying out to God. How long, Oh Lord, will you allow this to go on that cry, having gone up to God, God says you rest for a little while. They’re arrayed in white robes, they’re told to rest. Then the sixth seal is open.
And the Mo the sun turns dark. The moon turns the blood. You begin to see all of these events occur. And the co the cry that goes out is who can stay in, in the day of the wrath of the lamb. Then there’s an interlude. The interlude in chapter seven matches the interlude in chapters 10 and 11, because remember the sixth feel was opened.
And then there was a pause before the seventh seal. When we get to the end of chapter nine, the sixth seat, the sixth trumpet will sound. And there’s going to be another pause before the seventh trumpet. Okay? So we’re about to hit another interlude. Chapter seven opens up and all the saints, every Saint on the earth, everyone that belongs to God who has his name written in the book of life has a seal placed upon him.
This is God saying, these are the ones who in stand in the day of my wrath. Now we see the number of them, and it’s 144,000. They’re all from tribes of Israel. They’re all 12,000 from each tribe. They’re all there as a representation of every Christian. But then when they come out of the tribulation, it’s not just 144,000. It is an innumerable multitude.
And there, they have palms in their hands and they’re rejoicing. And it’s a picture of the TA, the feast of Tabernacles. And they’re praising God. They came out of the tribulation. They might’ve died during it because they’re before the throne of God, but they didn’t lose. The point is they didn’t lose. They went through the tribulation. They went through the ordeal.
And even if it cost them their life, they won, they were victorious. Okay. So chapter seven is a reminder of comfort and hope because God is in control. And he knows who belongs to him. Then chapter eight begins chapter eight begins, and the seventh seal is open. And inside the seventh seal, we see seven angels, seven angels with seven trumpets.
They’re given seven trumpets, but they’re told, wait, wait, don’t sound yet. Because something else has to occur. They’re told not to sound yet, but instead we see another angel come forth and he has incense. He has the prayers of the saints, and he offers that incense up before the throne and before God, and then takes the incense or sorry,
takes the, the Sceptre with which he offered the incense, dips it in the altar, gets fire from the altar and cast it to the earth. The message is clear. The saints pray, the saints seek for God’s help, and God delivers his help. So then the trumpets begin to sound. The first four trumpets happened in chapter eight and chapter,
you see silence. And then the seven angels, seven trumpets. You see the first trumpet and it’s hail and fire mixed with blood and a third of the trees. And all of the green grass is destroyed. Then you see the second trumpet and it’s a burning mountain. It’s cast into the sea. And a third of all of the water, all the oceans are affected.
Then you see the third trumpet in a star called warm woods, falls from heaven and falls upon the earth. And all of the fresh water is affected. And it turns bitter. And those who drink of the bitter water die. Then in verse 13, chapter eight, there’s a warning. Three lows, three Wells are going to follow with the three remaining trumpets.
And this is God saying, you better pay attention, wicked earth, unrighteous people. You better pay attention because these are limited judgments. These are partial judgments, but the, they are announcing a full and complete judgment. So then chapter nine opens<inaudible> With the fifth trumpet. My screen’s getting a little behind here, fifth trumpet. And that first, Whoa,
we talked about that on a Sunday. So chapter nine opens and you see a star fallen from heaven to the earth, and he was given the key of the bottomless pit. So we talked about that in the questions. We’re not going to go over that in detail, because we just noticed the questions about it. But the locusts in the fifth trumpet were given the ability to torment,
but not to kill sin pervades throughout the nation and Satan, when he causes people to sin, when he causes people to be unrighteous, Satan thinks he’s winning, but God can use Satan’s own influence on people for his own purposes. And he will, he’ll use it to torment. Those who are unrighteous. So then we see the sixth trumpet, or we see the angel,
the destroyer, the angel of the bottomless pit there in verse verse 11. And we read in verse 12, one, Whoa has passed. Okay. There were three ways at the end of chapter eight, one of them’s finished behold, still two more coming after these things, let’s pick up in verse 13. Then the sixth angel sounded, we begin the second,
Whoa, I heard the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar, which is before God real quick. Do you remember when we were studying in the book of Samuel and someone wanted their life to be pardoned? What did they do? Joe AB wanted his life to be spared. And he ran and did what grabbed a hold of the horns of the alter.
Okay. The horns of the alter were a symbol of justice, but also an opportunity for mercy. But here, the voice comes from the four horns of the golden Alder, which is before God saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet release, the four angels who were bound at the river at the great river Euphrates. Now that Euphrates river North of Israel is that kind of the divider.
The other side of the Euphrates river is the land from which all of the major attackers would come excluding Egypt. A Syria came from the other side of the river. Euphrates Babylon came from the other side of the river Euphrates and they all came down and wiped out Israel. Okay. So this is a place of opposition from external forces. The fifth trumpet was internal forces,
the sin and the degradation inside the nation, tearing it apart. Now you’re seeing external forces coming against Rome. God’s going to get at them from the inside and he’s going to get at him from the outside. Okay. So the one, the sixth trumpet sounds, and he’s the sixth angels told you release the angels. You let them go. You let the battle begin.
Notice what occurs. So the four angels who had been preparing the F for the hour and the day and the month and the year were released to kill a third of mankind. Okay. So they’re set forth with a command they’re set forth with power to do what kill fifth trumpet. They didn’t have power to kill only at power to torment. Now we’ve got power to kill,
okay. But it’s only what, how many? A third. Okay. It’s partial. It’s not the full judgment. It’s not the final judgment. This is a warning, but people are losing their life because of this warning. If you want to see that idea about the river Euphrates, by the way, turn over to Isaiah chapter eight real quick,
Isaiah chapter eight, tell you what I’m gonna let one of y’all read. Cause it’s hard to turn in my Bible. One handed Isaiah chapter eight, verses five through eight<inaudible>. Okay. So God says, since you don’t want the calm, peaceful waters, since you don’t want the peace that I offer you and obedience to me and all of the things that I offer you,
I tell you what I’m willing to give you the river Euphrates. Instead, I’m going to give you the great river, which he says, who is a Syria. So he makes it clear. He’s using the river as an analogy for a Syria. Same idea is right here. Okay? So the river Euphrates, these four angels are bound up the reviewer fray,
Euphrates, but they’re being told you’re released, go forth and kill. So the four angels who have been prepared for the hour in the day in the month, in the year were released to kill a third of mankind. Don’t miss that. This isn’t done by accident. Don’t miss that God is doing it exactly on his timeline. They weren’t prepared for the year.
They were prepared for the month. They were prepared, prepared for the day and the hour that this would happen. It reminds me of when we read in the new Testament, that at the edge exact right time, Jesus Christ came into this world. Jesus Christ. Didn’t come into this world and happened to just fall at a specific year. We built the calendar around him.
It didn’t, it didn’t start out there. I mean, they weren’t counting down two years, zero Oh, Lux time for the Messiah. It happened at the right time when full the fullness of time has come. That’s what you’re seeing here. God is in complete control and he knows the exact moment that this judgment is going to begin. Okay. So it begins now the number of the army of the horseman was 200 million.
I heard the number of them say, John says, I, I heard the number called out and it was 200 million. And notice it’s, it’s interesting here. The number of them’s 200 million, but it’s not 200 million men. It’s 200 million horsemen. That’s a lot of horses. All I’m saying is feeding time and cleaning time. Hmm. That’d be fun. Alright.
Verse 17. And thus, I saw the horses in the vision and those who sat on them had breastplates of fiery red hacked, synth blue and sulfur yellow. So they’re the breastplates of those who are on the horses are red, blue and yellow. And the heads of the horses were like the heads of lions and out of their mouth came fire, smoke and brimstone.
So when you see the description of the army, you see a picture in the 200 million of over whelming Force. My knowledge, there’s never been an army of 200 million on this earth, let alone 200 million of a mobile army. It’s overwhelming force. Nothing’s going to stop it. Okay. But you also see this idea of they have the power to kill, and they’re going to kill through what are called three plagues,
fire, brimstone, and smoke. Okay? So by these three, a third of mankind was killed. The new King James translators provide the word plagues by these three plagues. A third of mankind was killed. When, when in the old Testament, do we see fire and brimstone bringing about death and destruction, Sodom and Gomorrah. When God said, I’ve heard what’s going on and their time has run out.
You’re seeing the pictures from the old Testament brought forward. Okay. They were killed by fire and the smoke and the brimstone, which came out of their mouth, comes out of the mouth of the horses for their power is in their mouth. And in their tails for their tails are like serpents having heads. And with them, they do harms, right?
So you get the full picture of the, of the, the horsemen or the, and the horses in there. Their mouths breathe out fire and brimstone and smoke. And their tails are like snakes. They don’t get you going one way. They’re going to get you going the other way. Okay. But the rest of mankind, verse 20, but the rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues did not repent of the works of their hand.
Now notice the accusation, notice the guilt. What is it that God lays at their charge? Obviously they’re persecuting the saints. Obviously they’re they’re causing trouble for the church, but notice the accusations. And this ought to be just a real clear warning for us. Notice what he says. He that they should not worship demons and idols of gold, silver,
brass stone, and wood, which can be, can neither see, nor hear Norwalk. And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries. By the way, the word sorceries could also be translated, drugs sorceries of, or their sexual immorality or their theft. They’re corrupting everything. They’re abusing everything. You get the picture going all the way back to the days of Noah,
where every thought of their heart was only evil continually. And God said, I brought this on them. And I brought this on them, six trumpets. And they still didn’t repent, which by the way, tells you what the trumpets were all about. All six of the trumpets are warnings for a purpose to get them to repent, but they don’t.
All right. So the second woe is finished. The sixth, the trumpet is over and now chapter 10, chapter 10, we see the mighty angel with a little book. Let’s get into the text chapter 10 verse one. And I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, clothed with a cloud. And a rainbow was on his head. His face was like the sun and his feet,
like pillars of fire. You’re going to see is we’re going to summarize this description here in a minute, but you’re getting an appearance. Who of someone who looks like Christ? Not saying it is Christ. It’s an angel buddy represents who he is, therefore very clearly. Okay. So he’s got the rainbow on his head. Where was the rainbow? Last time we saw a rainbow on the throne of God.
Okay. So we saw an aim, a rainbow on the throne of God. It was different colors, but we’re not told what color this one is. It’s it’s up there. And an artist rendition is regular rainbow, but who knows if it was or not? Okay. The rainbows on his head he’s clothed with a clown. His face was like the sun.
Where did we see that revelation? Chapter one. It’s the picture of Christ. Okay. A verse. I think it’s verse 15 or verse 16. In addition to that, his feet are like pillars of fire. Where did we see that revelation? Chapter one. It’s the description of Christ. Okay. But then verse two, he had a little book open in his hand.
Notice the scroll that was in the hand of God was what? When it was first seen, it was sealed. Not this one, this one’s open. Okay. It’s supposed to be red. It’s supposed to be understood. And it’s supposed to be known. It is waiting to be read. And he said his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land,
whatever angel, this is, he has authority. He has power. He has Mike. He can set one foot on the sea and one foot on the land. And he is in complete control. Okay. See if I can keep up with these, but then verse three, cried with a loud voice. As when a lion roars brother, Andrew calmly,
who did mission work in Africa stated one time that the lions there in Africa, when they would roar at night, he said, you could feel the earth move. It. It just trembled at the roar on the line. There’s a reason why they’re called the King of the jungle. I mean, their roar is magnificent. And the roar of this angel,
this cry of this angel is like a roar of a lion. But where was the, what have we had referenced as a lion? The lion of the tribe of Judah who is Christ. All right. You’re getting the picture, right? This angel. Isn’t just an angel. He’s an angel who represents God clearly. Okay. So he cried with a loud voice as when a lion roars,
when he cried out seven thunders uttered their voices. Okay. Remember back here in, let’s see, where was it? Yeah, eight, eight, right? Eight verse five. Then the angel took the sensor, filled it with fire from the altar and threw it to the earth. And there were noises. Thunderings lightenings and an earthquake. I think you also see this in a couple of other places.
One of the reasons I bring that up is thunderings in this prophetic language. Almost always. You’re talking about judgment. Alright. Impending judgment. So seven thunderings sound or, or cry out when or utter their voices. When the angel cries out. Now, when the seventh thunders utter their voices, I was about to write you remember, chapter one, verse 19,
John was told by Jesus, do what? Write the things, which you see the things which are and the things that will be all right. So here’s John. Imagine him sitting over there in the corner. He’s seeing all of this. And every time he sees something, he starts scribbling it down. Okay. That’s what he’s there. He’s the scribe.
And he’s there. And he’s he’s writing. And he’s about to write what the seven thunder said, by the way, that means he understood what they said. They uttered their voices and he understood it. That’s why he was going to write it down. But notice what occurs I was about to write, but I heard a voice from heaven saying to me,
seal up the things which the seven thunders uttered and do not write them. Voice comes from heaven.<inaudible> wait, wait. Nope. Not this time. This prophecy, you heard it, but you don’t write it down. This isn’t a prophecy to be made known. This is something that is held back now over in Daniel, chapter 12, you see a similar,
not identical, not necessarily saying it’s the same prophecy or the same meaning, but you see a similar idea. Daniel chapter 12, the last half of Daniel, you’re seeing visions. Daniel’s going through much the same thing. John is okay. Daniel chapter 12, verse four. But you Daniel shut up the words and seal the book until the time of the end,
many shall run to and fro and knowledge increase. Then I, Daniel looked and there stood two others, one on this riverbank and the other on that riverbank. And one said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river. How long shall be the fulfillment of these wonders? Then I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river when he held up his right hand and notice the similarities,
what we’re about to see, we held up his right hand and his left hand toward heaven and swore by him who lives forever. That it shall be for a time times and half a time. And when the power of the Holy people has been completely shattered, all these things shall be finished. Okay? So verses four through seven of Daniel 12, you see a prophecy that’s made.
And then God says, seal up the book, seal it up. Don’t let anybody read it until the time. This time you see John being told, don’t even write it, seal it up, don’t write it down. Okay. Then I saw the angel standing on the sea and on the land, watch the picture. You just read Daniel, watch the picture,
raised up his hand to heaven and swore by him who lives forever and ever who created heaven and the things that are in it, the earth and the things that are in it and the sea and the things that are in it, that there should be delay no longer. But in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound,
the mystery of God should, would be finished as he declared to his servants, the prophets. So over in Daniel, again, sharing the picture, sharing the imagery, Daniels told, shut up the book, seal it up. Don’t tell anyone what it means. And then someone raises their hand toward heaven and makes a declaration. Well, now John sees an angel one land,
one foot on the land, one foot on the sea. And he cries out and the seven thunders utter their voices. And they told no, shut up the book. Don’t write it. But then the angel says, this is the fulfillment. This is the finishing of what God has said. Now the word mystery is used there. We’ve talked about this many times.
The word mystery simply means that, which is yet to be revealed. Okay? God says it’s going to be revealed and it’s going to be finished. Okay? What you’re getting here is a declaration about the seventh trumpet inside the seventh trumpet are seven bowls, seven angels with seven bowls and those angels and those bowls will carry out the full and complete judgment of God.
God’s saying, don’t write it down, but they’re going to get it. They’re going to get it. And it’s going to be finished. Okay. Then verse eight. Let’s see if I’m behind any on these slides.<inaudible> Alright. So the angel swore God would finish his revelation. Then verse eight, then the voice which I heard from heaven spoke to me again and said,
go take the little book, which is open in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the earth. That picture is if you would an angel, large enough to put one foot in the ocean and one foot on land. And here’s John and John stall go get the book.<inaudible> It doesn’t matter that they’re two different sizes. John’s told,
go get the book. Okay. So he’s told, he goes to get the book. So I went to the angel and said to him, give me the little book. And he said to me, take and eat it. And I will make your stomach bitter, but it will be as sweet as honey in your mouth. Now got to read Ezekiel chapter two,
to know why this statement is made XE Guild. Chapter two, beginning in verse seven, we read, you shall speak my words to them, whether they hear or whether they refuse for they are rebellious. But you son of man, hear what I say to you do not be rebellious, like the rebellious house, open your mouth and eat what I give you.
Now, when I looked there was a hand stretched out to me and behold, a scroll of a book was in it. Then he spread it out or spread it before me. And there was writing on the inside and on the outside and written on it. Now notice, notice the contents of the book written on it or laminations and mornings and Whoa,
it’s a revelation from God. That’s a wonderful thing, but the message, not a message of hope. It’s a message of judgment. Now, chapter three, moreover, he said to me, son, a man, eat what you find, eat this scroll and go speak to the house of Israel. So I opened my mouth and he caused me to eat that scroll.
And he said to me, son of man, feed your belly and fill your stomach with this scroll. And I, that I give you. So I ate it and it was in my mouth like honey and sweetness. Then he said to me, son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak with my words to them for you are not sent to a people of unfamiliar speech and of hard language,
but to the house of Israel, not too many people of unfamiliar speech or of ARD language, whose words you cannot understand. Shirley had, I sent you to them. They would have listened, but the house of Israel will not listen to you because they will not listen to me for all the house of Israel are impudent. And hard-hearted behold, I have made your face strong against their faces in your forehead,
strong against their foreheads, like adamant stone, harder than Flint I have made your forehead. Do not be afraid of them nor be dismayed at their looks though. They are a rebellious house. Okay? So Z Kiehl’s given a prophecy. He sent to Israel and he’s told them, he’s told you go speak and they’re not going to listen. So he consumes the book and it’s sweet in his mouth,
but bitter in his belly because the message is bitter because the message is judgment and they’re not going to listen. John is given a little book and notice what happens. Then I took the little book, verse 10 and out of, out of the Angel’s hand and ate it. And it was sweet as honey in my mouth. But When I had eaten it,
my stomach became bitter. And he said to me, you must prophesy again again about many peoples nations, tongues and Kings. So chapter 10 is pause. Chapter 11 is going to be a continuation of a pause, but it’s going to be a pause saying, there’s another revelation and I’m giving it to you and you’re going to declare it, but it’s not good news.
Anytime you take the word of God into you. It’s good. Anytime that you are given the word of God, it’s a Psalm 19 sweeter than the honey and the honeycomb. But what if the word of God is a pronouncement of judgment, a judgment against you? Well, that’s not sweet. That’s not like honey. That’s bitter. So John’s told you’re going to speak.
You’re going to declare my judgment and sharing Ezekiel’s message. And they’re not going to listen. Okay? That’s chapter 10. No, you are dismissed A Wednesday evening Bible study and the devotional that we are about to enter into. It’s good to see each and every one of you here. Thank you for your presence. I have very few announcements tonight. I’ll run through them real quickly.
And most of which are concerning the people that are ill or having some health problems. Don’t forget about Rodale and Dorothy Wilson. Dorothy, Wilson has been in and out of the ER with an extremely high blood pressure. Joan Springer is continuing to recover at home. Sylvia pass. Likewise is progressing slowly. Pam chafing is still improving, but she tires very easily.
Jan Jones is in the Memphis Jewish home. She’s progressing slowly, but really loves getting cards. And her appetite is improving. And last of all are not least don’t forget Erin and her prayers in your prayers for tomorrow as he goes through a surgery for his wrist. That’s all the announcements that I’m aware of. The song leader tonight for our devotional will be Michael Dale.
Aaron has the devotional and I don’t have anyone down for the closing prayer. So Joe, would you do that? Thank you. Michael had to go for one for a reason. We’ll just leave it at that. Take your songbooks and open them to number 652. And Mark in your song looks number 907 nine zero seven first and last verses of six 52.
We have HUD, the Joel<inaudible> Jesus saves. Jesus saves. Read the tidings all around. Jesus saves, saves<inaudible> climb the steep sand cross. The waves onward is our Lord. Jesus saves Jesus. Hey, please give the wins. Mighty evil. Nice Jesus saves. Jesus saves.<inaudible> Jesus saves. Jesus saves shouts out. Hey, full and free.
Hi,<inaudible> this song. Song of victory. Jesus saves Jesus and things. Again, the invitation song will be number 907. That song number 907 says hark the debt gentle voice of Jesus falleth tenderly upon your sweet, his cry of love and pity Koloth turn and listen, stay here so many times in the new Testament, when Jesus was speaking, he would say to those who were listening,
he that hath an ear to hear, let him hear and over and over is John writes to the seven churches of Asia minor. As he opens the book of revelation in revelation one and or two and three, the message is at the end of every single letter or addressing every single congregation. He, that happened ear to hear, let him hear when those chief priests and Pharisees and scribes would come to Jesus and they would tempt him and they would test him with the scriptures and Jesus would reply.
Have you not read Jesus emphasized over and over again? Go back to the word of God. If you want the answers, you seek, go back to the word of God. If you want to, what God would have you to do, go back to the word of God. They come to Jesus and they say it is it lawful for every man to put away his wife for any cause.
And Jesus said, have you not read? He that made them, made them male and female and what God has joined together. Let not man put us under. He said, didn’t you read Genesis the answers right there. Why are you separating what God did? We need to be mindful that Christ calls upon us to hear. He calls upon us to know the word of God.
And he calls upon us to listen. And so often he speaks gently and he speaks quietly and he offers rest and he offers hope. That is until his long suffering runs out. And then we will hear Jesus said in John chapter five, there was coming a day when every ear would hear and every eye would see him and every knee would bow. So there’s coming a day where you’re going to hear whether you like it or not.
And there’s coming a day where he’s going to judge whether you like it or not. But today is a day when you can hear and he’ll speak gently and he’ll speak quietly and he’ll give you hope and salvation and redemption and a home, and then inheritance. And the ability to stand before God not judged and condemned, but clothed in white clothed in the blood of the lamb.
Unless of course you don’t want to hear, but still the cry comes. He that has an half an ear to hear, let him hear if you have needed the invitation or the gospel call this evening. Why not come now? As we stand in, as we sing hark, the gentle voice of Jesus fall<inaudible> Your Swede is cry.<inaudible> stay.
And you<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> you take his yoke for? He is me<inaudible><inaudible> to him. He who called us is a master. Holy, he will teach you<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> then is<inaudible> fine. A yoke. His hand is on you.<inaudible><inaudible> a heavy Laden lean upon your dear Lord<inaudible><inaudible> and<inaudible> give you a list, Dear God,
our father in heaven, we truly are grateful into the privilege that you had to come together, strengthen by your word to those things, our lives today. So grateful father for Erin<inaudible> for those that are not saving, we might encourage them.<inaudible> every day they might come back to you<inaudible> tomorrow, rather than everything will go well and pray father that you have for us to be grateful that we are<inaudible>.
Judgments and woes begin as the trumpets continue.
A LOOK BACK: In chapter 8, John sees the seventh seal of the book opened and from it comes seven angels with given seven trumpets. Their trumpets sound proclamations of judgment upon those who will endure “the wrath of the Lamb.” Four Trumpets sound, three more are still to come.
The Fifth Trumpet (WOE 1): The angel sounds the trumpet, star falls from heaven to earth.
The locusts look like horses prepared for battle (armored) with crowns of gold on their head and the face of humans. They had hair like women and teeth like lions. When they beat their wings, the sound was like chariots with many running horses in battle. They had the tails of scorpions whose sting hurt humans for five months.
The Sixth Trumpet (WOE 2): The sixth angel sounds and a voice comes from the middle of the altar which is before God, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates
The four angels’ army is made up of 200,000,000 horsemen.
After this judgment upon humanity, did the unrighteous repent? No. Did they cease worshiping demons and idols? No. Did they repent of their murderers, sorceries, sexual sins, or thefts? No.
The result is another woe to come.
Next week: A Delicious Book that Caused a Stomach Ache.
It is important to understand what the Bible teaches about the “who, when, and why” for a person being “rebaptized.” Paul’s encounter with the men in Acts who only knew John’s baptism teaches us important lessons concerning this question.
What was fallen to the earth from heaven when the 5th Angel sounded? What is this one called in verse 11? ____________________________ What was given to him? _____________________________________ What did he do with it? ________________________ Revelation 9:1, 11 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
What arose from the bottomless pit initially upon it being opened and what happened as a result? Revelation 9:2 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
What came out of smoke and who were they commanded to torment? Revelation 9:3-5 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
How is the torment described? What did it cause? What part of the body of the locusts caused the torment? Revelation 9:5-6, 10 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Who is the king of the locusts, what does his name in Greek and Hebrew mean? Revelation 9:11 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
John sees an army of horsemen, what is the size of the army? Revelation 9:16 ________________________________________________________________
What three plagues kill 1/3 of mankind? Revelation 9:17-18 ________________________________________________________________
Did this partial judgment, this warning, cause the rest of mankind to repent? Revelation 9:20-21 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Automated Transcript
<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> I think I got it. Thank you. Well, I’ll tell the people online again. Thank you for being patient. We’re getting there. Uh, we are in the book of revelation and we noticed chapter eight.
We’re going to go into chapter nine this morning, and we are in the midst of the seals and the trumpets. Uh, the seventh seal. We talked about this, um, last week inside the seventh seal, when the seventh seal is opened inside that seal, John sees seven angels. Those seven angels are given seven trumpets. We mentioned that the book of revelation in the majority of its,
uh, material is broken up into the seven seals beginning in chapter six, that seventh seal opens up and inside the seventh seal are seven trumpets inside the seventh trumpet. There are seven more angels with seven bowls. And what you have here is you have the seals really looking forward to kind of setting the setting. The example of what’s going to happen. Here’s initially the first seal is open.
Christ is going out and he’s conquering he’s victorious, but then comes persecution and you have the seven sore judgments of God brought upon, uh, those who are on the earth. And, uh, that’s in seal two, three, and four, but then you see the fifth seal opened and you have the saints. Those who have died for the testimony of Christ,
those who have been killed because they were Christians and they’re Bo they’re below the altar. They’re beneath the altar of God and they’re crying out how, Oh Lord, how long until you bring judgment upon those who are persecuting us, they’re told to rest for a little while. They’re given white robes and they’re essentially told the idea of it is just wait, wait and see.
Because the judgment on those who are pursing persecuting, you is coming. Then the sixth seal is opened up and in the sixth seal, you see judgment begin to happen. This sixth seal is kind of a forecast of what’s going to come in the rest of rest of the book, starting with the seventh seal, but in the sixth seal, there’s an important question asked,
and that is who shall be able to stand in the day of the wrath of the one on the throne and of the lamb. Chapter seven is a break in the, the thought line in order to answer that question. So before the seventh seal is opened 144,000 on the earth are sealed with the Mark of God. Having been sealed with the Mark of God.
They are the ones who are able to stand in the day of the judgment of the, of the wrath of the lamb and of the one on the throne and coming out of the tribulation, out of the judgment, having gone through that and been found worthy, been found faithful. They come through on the other side and the picture of them on the other side of the tribulation,
the judgment, the, the things that are coming is an innumerable quantity in heaven, praising God. And they’re not, they’re not in shambles. They’re not like a routed army. They’re not wounded. And, and in despair, they come through it and there’s poems in their hands. And it’s a picture of the feast of Tabernacles. And everyone is happy.
Why? Because yeah, they were found faithful. They were marked with the Mark of God. They came through the judgment, not say they didn’t suffer. It doesn’t mean that they didn’t endure hard times when all this was going on. It meant they came through it and they were found worthy to, uh, have a presence with God and the lamb.
So then chapter eight opens and the seventh seal is open. And instead of an immediate action, you have silence for half an hour. There’s a period of silence. Everyone’s attention is, is clearly focused on what’s going to happen. And then you see the angel who has standby, who stands before God and to them were given seven trumpets. So the seven trumpets are delivered to the seven angels and they begin to sound those trumpets with each trumpet,
you have a partial judgment. The trumpets are partial judgments. Everything that you see here is going to be done in a, in a fraction of the whole. So a fraction of the trees are, are affected. A fraction of the sea is affected. If this is partial judgment, this is a little bit being effected to warn those who are on the earth to repent.
So the first trumpet is, uh, sounds. And, uh, you see there in verse seven, the first trumpet sounded and hail and fire followed mingled with blood. And they were thrown to the earth and a third of the trees were burned up and all the green grass was burned up. So as you go through the trumpets, you’re going to get a picture of the plagues all throughout the trumpets.
You’ve got kind of a knowledge and analogy to the book of Exodus, the plagues and the events that happened in history. There here’s the point we need to make sure and remember, these are visions. Exodus happened literally physically. We’re using the language of a physical historical event to tell about an event that’s going to occur. That’s not going to happen in a physical historical sense in the sense of it being a plague where a third is,
is killed or a plague where, where a third of the trees are damaged and all the grass. I mean, all the grass in the entire Roman empire, didn’t burn up one day, okay? This is, God’s saying just like I did it to Egypt. I’m doing it to you, but he’s giving them an opportunity to repent. And we’re going to see that at the end of chapter nine.
So as we go through this, let’s go through the questions from chapter eight and we’ll kind of continue summarizing the contents of chapter eight and the first four trumpets as we go through chapter eight, verse one, question one. What happened in heaven? When the seventh seal was opened Silence, okay. For half an hour inside the seventh seal, what was given to the seven angels,
seven trumpets? What did the angel with the golden sensor and much incense offer up on the golden altar before God, The prayers of the saints are offered up by the angel now. So the seven angels are given seven trumpets, but then they’re told, wait a minute, something else comes first. The angel comes forward and takes the prayers of the saints.
And those prayers of the saints are offered up before God with incense. And then something else occurs after the offering of the incense. What did the angel do with fire from the altar? Alright. He took the, uh, the sector and filled it with fire from the altar and cast it down to the earth. What you’re seeing is the prayers of the saints go up and God answers those prayers.
Okay. So keep, keep that occurrence together with what we saw in the fifth seal, where the prayers of the saints go up and they’re told to wait, now there, now you’re seeing, waiting is done. Judgment is coming. Okay. What happened? Because of the fire from the sensor. Okay. Noises, thunderings lightenings and earthquakes, and you go back into the old Testament prophets.
And those four things are used over and over and over to speak of the fall of a nation. Okay. So there’s, this is an impending action. This is what’s coming before these trumpets begin to sound, God keeps doing this in, in cycles. He tells you what’s coming and then you get what’s coming. And then he warns you as you’re getting what’s coming,
you need to repent, or you’re going to get the full measure of what’s coming and they don’t repent. So, uh, let’s see, what question was that? Um, what did the seven angels do? Or seven angels with the seven trumpets do prepared to sound when, when the, uh, Saint’s prayers are answered, then the seven angels with the seven trumpets prepared to sound,
uh, after the offering, after off, Nope. Nope. I’m in the wrong spot. I gotta keep track of where I’m at. What came upon the earth when the first trumpet sounded hail and fire mingled with blood, and that hearkens back to the plague of hail. Because when you read about the plague of hail there in the book of Exodus,
Exodus chapter nine, it specifically says when the event occurs that it was hail mixed with fire, you also have the notion of blood there, which has to do with a number of the plagues, but then, uh, what was affected by the first sounding, the first trumpet, third of the trees and all the graphs. All right. What came upon the earth when the second trumpet sounded?
All right. A great mountain burning with fire, um, mountains quite often symbolized in the old Testament nations. So you’ve got a burning mountain cast down on the earth. All right. What is affected by the second trumpet? Alright. Third part of the sea became blood. Where have we seen water become blood and the plagues. All right. So what came upon the earth?
When the third trumpet sounded all right, a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch and it fell on the third of what? Alright. Third of the rivers and on the Springs of water, notice the contrast before you had the great mountain with which affected the seas, the seas are made up of what kind of water, salt water. Now you’ve got something that affects the freshwater.
Okay. Just, you’re just getting this, this idea here of first. We’re affecting the oceans, the seas, but the seas weren’t used to, to, for people to drink from what were they used for transportation, the economy they’re used to move and make a nation profitable. The nation’s profitability is, is in decline. We’ve not seen that in America lately.
Have we shut everything? Shut transportation. Now what happens? Everything starts going down. Alright, but Rome, especially without the sea travel in Rome, you have a significant loss because all of the major part of its power came from its access to the sea. All right. But then you now have the fresh water. This is what people live off of.
This is what makes things grow. This is what sustains your flocks, your herds, your animals, your, your, your, your people. Okay. Um, so the third are Siri. The great star fell from heaven. What was the name of the star? Wormwood. Okay. This is a word that is referenced in the old Testament by a number of profits.
And it has a meaning like most names in the Bible that the name has, has a connotation to it. And it’s bitterness. Uh, you have wormwood and Gaul referenced together in the old Testament. And the idea is that which could be done, what could be done to water to make it bitter and undrinkable. And even to a degree poisonous, it,
it would, you drank this water mixed with gall mixed with this become bitter. You die. What happened to the Israelites? When they came in, I think it’s Exodus chapter 17 or 18. They come to the waters of the location that would later be known as Marah they try to drink of the water. And what do they find out? It’s bitter.
They can’t drink it. Okay. It would, it would affect them in a negative way, so they can’t drink it. So you begin to grumble and complain. What does God do? Okay. So God changes the bitter water to sweet. Well, if God has the power to go one direction, he’s got the power to go the other direction.
So, okay. So you’re still, you’re just seeing images from Exodus over and over and over again. God’s saying I’m affecting a third of this and a third of this. What was affected by the star? Paul wormwood? Yes. All right. Third, third part of the water became bitter. And what happened to many men? All right. They died from it.
Okay. You, you, you have a lack of what’s necessary to sustain life, then verse 12. Uh, our next question, a third of what things were affected when the fourth trumpet sounded sun, moon and stars. Okay. Here are the things that give light. Here are the things that, you know, differentiate days and nights. Now,
there, there’s not a point in history. I’m going to keep going back to this because we need to not miss it, because this is where people go haywire with the book of revelation. There wasn’t a part a time in the Roman empire, where everybody looked up and suddenly a third of the stars were just missing from the sky. And a third of the sun just disappeared.
Or a third of the moon was just gone. It’s that’s not what you’re supposed to be getting from this, but here’s one of the things to remember about Exodus, all the plagues in Exodus confronted not only the people and their lives, but their deities gods point all throughout the plagues were you worship the frogs. You worship the river, you worship the sun,
you worship the moon. You, you worship all these things, but I’m the one you should be worshiping. Well, now in the fourth trumpet, a third of the sun, which they worshiped was struck a third of the moon, which they worshiped was struck a third of the stars, which they worshiped were struck. So that a third of them were darken.
A third of the day, did not shine. And likewise, the night and I looked and I heard all, I heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven saying with a loud voice, Whoa, Whoa, Whoa. To the inhabitants of the earth because of the remaining blast of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound to whom was a triple world pronounced by an angel,
flying through heaven. Okay. He says, Whoa, Whoa, Whoa. To who though? The, uh, is that what you said? Okay. I thought you said that the heavens and the earth, the inhabitants of the earth, um, in the King, James, I think you, you have it, or maybe it’s the ASV. You have the phrase,
those who dwell upon the earth. Okay. And when you go look up that phrase in the entire book of revelation, every single time, the inhabitants of the earth is found in the new King. James. Those who dwell on the earth is found every single time. Here’s what you need to know. It’s talking about the wicked on the earth that is not ever in the book of revelation all the way through it is never a reference to Christians.
It is always a reference to those who are wicked, those who and think about the connotation, those whose dwelling place is this earth. What do we read about Abraham? What kind of life did he live? He lived a faithful life, but he was according to the book of Hebrew, Hebrews. He was a, what Sojourner. He looked for a city that wasn’t made with hands.
He looked for a habitation of dwelling place that wasn’t on this earth, his home wasn’t here. And neither is any of ours. Those who dwell on the earth carries with it. A connotation of those who think this life is the most important thing. And those who dwell on the earth are being pronounced against them is being pronounced three woes, those three woes correspond with the last three trumpets.
When would the woes take place When the trumpet sound? Okay, so let’s get into chapter nine, But not all the ships. Yes. Yes. So, so with, uh, with question seven, then the second angel sounded, and I think I actually skipped over that one as we were going through it, something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea and a third of the sea became blood.
And a third of the living creatures in the seed died and a third of the ships were destroyed. Okay. So again, we’re not going back to the Roman empire and going, when did a third of all the ships in the, in the, in the nation just end up destroyed. I mean, we’re not looking for a monsoon. We’re not looking for,
for a hurricane or a, or a natural event or a volcano that occurred that a third of all the ships just disappeared. We’re seeing their economy struck their transportation is struck and God is bringing about his judgment in a partial way to get them to repent. Okay. So all, all through this, you’re dealing with vision elements. You’re dealing with John sees a third as if this may be a good way to visualize this.
If you were going to play a board game and you can see, I mean, you know, if it were real life, you’d be one person and you wouldn’t be able to see the whole board, but you’re not. You’re, you’re seeing the board. You’re, you’re playing a game. And if a third of one, one person’s pieces are all wiped off the board,
you see it happen. If it were real life, it may look like something different, but you’re playing the game. John or John is seeing a vision and he sees as it were here’s all of Rome’s ships and all of their sea moving vessels and all of the sea. And he sees a third of it just wiped off the board. Okay. That’s the picture Doesn’t mean you go back to history and you look for one event where like in Egypt,
a third of everything is affected. Okay. Chapter nine, then the fifth angel sounded, okay. No chapter divisions when John wrote it for angel sounded and then the wo is pronounced. And then the fifth angel sounded a and I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth. There is a key difference between verse 10 and verse chapter nine, verse one,
chapter eight, verse 10, and a great star fells from heaven. John watches the trajectory of the star and it falls from heaven as he’s watching it. That is not the language of chapter nine. Verse one, chapter nine, verse one, there is a star that was all ready, fallen from heaven. This is a past tense reference. This angel,
why do I say angel bill back to chapter one? And in his hand were seven stars that were the seven angels of the seven churches. Okay. Remember everything in revelation has an angel basically. And so this, this is, this is a representative, but this is an angel. This is a star that has in the past. Not at that moment has in the past fallen from heaven.
That’s a key thought as we go through this, the fifth angel sounded and I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth, to him was given the key to the bottomless pit. And we’re not going to spend a whole lot of time surmising what the bottomless pit is because we don’t need to it’s right here in the text. It is the source of which all the things that are about to come out,
come from, and we’re going to get a great idea of what that means. Okay. It is not a literal bottom lip. It nor is it really intended to be helm, okay, this is a place of darkness. This is a pit. This is a source of what is about to come up. And what you’re going to see coming up is sin.
When you see the things arising out of the bottomless pit, this is a source of a degradation. This is a source of infection in a, in a, in a spiritual sense. This is the source of all that’s bad in the Roman empire and is destroying the Roman empire from inside. The fifth trumpet is internal decay within the nation. God uses a nation’s own internal decay to bring it down,
go read anything you want to about the history of the Roman empire. Did Rome fall from the outside, from conquerors, from without, or from inside inside, but they dealt with both constantly. You know, we, we, I love it when someone on the news or in politics says, we’ve never seen a time where the attitudes of politicians and the rhetoric is as bad as it is.
And I’m like, you don’t need to go read history. You don’t have a clue. One of the things they kept track of with different emperors was how many of the senators in Rome did they execute while they were in power? I mean, like we’re sitting, waiting to find out how many people are going to get voted out. And if there’s going to be a,
I love this, a, a, uh, a free and, and, uh, and peaceful transfer of power. You know, there’s a reason why a peaceful transfer of power in America was such a main principle of what the founders set up in our country is because they watched Europe do what Europe did for centuries. Somebody else wanted power, so they can kill off the guy before him.
Somebody did like what this group over here was doing, saying, kill a bunch of them off. And then, well, they do, you know, this was over and over and over again. We just, we just have a, a news media that panics and everything. And I think it’s just simply because of ratings, but here we are.
And this one comes up from, uh, or is fallen from heaven to the earth. And he’s given the keys to the bottomless pit and he opened the bottomless pit and what comes out, but smoke, uh, arose out of the pit, like the smoke of a great furnace. So the sun and the air were darkened because of the smoke of the pit.
Then out of the smoke locus came upon the earth and to them was given power. As the scorpions of the earth have power. Anybody who’s watched the news in the last month or so has seen footage of the West coast. And when you start getting a fire, that’s burning, that’s out of control. And you start seeing the smoke is sending to it.
Eventually you get to the point where you don’t see the sky anymore. You don’t see the sun, right? You don’t see the sun set. You don’t see the stars you, because all you see is smoke. That’s the picture. You’re walking through a haze of pollution and not pollution made by, by carbon emitting. No, no, no. Sin.
When sin takes over a nation, it can no longer see one day from another. It can no longer see the light that could guide it through its hard times, because sin has a choke hold on. That nation. Sin has a polluting and corrupting influence on the mind. Those who are in the depths of sin often, can’t tell that that’s where they are,
but notice the effect of it. So he, the, the angel or the, the star that’s fallen from heaven, opens the bottomless and outcomes. The smoke that arises out of the pit, then out of the smoke come locus. Where have we seen locusts plagues of Exodus? We haven’t left off the plagues just cause we’re in chapter nine, we’re still with the plagues,
but these locusts are a little different. Um, I wish we did have the PowerPoint up here. See, it’s not in that one. Nevermind. There’s a picture of, and I’ll have to show it to you next, uh, on Wednesday, um, in one of the drawings that I have, uh, where the locus is drawn it, and it’s just a very interesting artist’s rendition of what this is.
Cause here’s the description, uh, to them was given power as the scorpions of the earth, half power scorpions in the middle East, they don’t typically have enough venom to kill you, but they will put you in misery for a very long time if you’re stung by them. So here’s this idea of being brought forth to them was given power as the scorpions of the earth,
half power, they were commanded not to harm the grass of the earth or any green thing or any tree. Why is that significant? Because that’s what locus do you go back to Exodus? And what did the Logas do? They ate everything. That’s what locusts plagues do. But here comes a locus plague and they don’t touch anything green. They don’t touch the trees.
They don’t touch anything. They would normally touch they’re focused on something else, but only those men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. And they were not given authority to kill them, but to torment them for five months, their torment was like the torment of a scorpion. When it strikes a man in those days, men will seek death and will not find it.
They will desire to die. And death will flee from them. Something about sin. When a person gets lost in sin, when, when their mind is so corrupted by the evil, they participate in day in and day out. When a nation reaches that level as a whole, one of the things you see is hopelessness. And when hopelessness rains in a nation,
suicide rates, skyrocket, why, well, what do you have to live for? When everything in your life is miserable? When everything in your life is terrible. When everything you see in everything you’re involved in is degrading and polluted and decaying. What do you have to live for here? You have the mentality of this is this sin. So infects them that they want to die,
but God doesn’t let them. They want to end it. But God says, no, no. You’re going to suffer through it. People will act as though sin is harmless. That’s the way the world and, and, and Satan and his minions want to promote it. Sin is harmless. Sin is enjoyable. Sin is, is, is what you should,
you should seek after, but they don’t like painting the pictures of the results. They don’t like showing the video of what happens when someone is so steeped in sin, that they reach that final point where all, all they want to do is die because that’s all they have left. This is the picture of what comes out of the bottomless pit. But then the description,
the shape of the locus was like horses prepared for battle. You’ve never seen any locus like this. These, these locuses are as though they’ve got saddles on them. These locusts are our giant locus that are ready to go to war. So are locusts like horses prepared for battle on their heads were crowns of some thing like gold and their faces were like the faces of men.
All right. They, they appear to be people, but they’re locusts. They appear like horses, but they’re ready for battle. But then he says, and they had on, and their hair was like women’s hair. And their teeth were like, lions, Steve, get a picture of this here. This locus swarm is coming. This plague of locusts is coming in their giant locusts.
And they’re like horses and they’re ready for battle. And their heads look like humans from a distance. Their hair looks like women’s hair. And they that they, they, what you should be seeing here. They almost looked beautiful until you get up close. That’s why sin is looks good to you get up close, but then it devours you. And here’s the picture of them.
And they look good from a distance, but you get up close to them and they’ve got teeth like lions, but then notice they had breast plagues like breastplates of iron and sound. The sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots with many horses running in the battle. And over powering sound. As they approach, they had tails like scorpions. And there,
there were in their tails. Their power was to hurt men five months. So here come the scorpion or the, the, the locus and they have this appearance and they’re coming and they’re bringing pollution and torment and sin and destruction, but not death. And they have power for a part of a year. Okay. Again, not giving a specific amount of time.
This is just another indicator of a partial judgment, but then verse 11. And they had as King over them, the angel of the bottomless pit, the star in verse one is referred to as the angel in verse 11, same individual, same entity. Okay. So the star from verse one is here in verse 11 called the angel. But what is he in relationship to the locus?
He’s their King. They’re under his dominion who who’s, who’s the King of evil. Who’s the King of sin. Satan is Jesus said to the Jews, you are of your father, the devil. So this is a picture of Satan Satan’s influence on a nation will destroy it from the inside out all while convincing it that this is what it wants. And yet here’s the interesting point.
Satan’s actions are used by God for his purposes, Rome and its internal moral decay would be used by God to bring judgment on Rome. Yet it was, it was as if Satan was going, I’m getting exactly what I want. And God’s saying, you’re going to get exactly what you deserve. Okay. So they had a King over them. The angel of the bottomless pit,
whose name in Hebrew is Avedon. But in Greek, his name is a Polyon two different words. One Hebrew, one Greek, one means destruction. The other means the destroyer. Okay. So here’s the picture of the star that was in the past, fallen from heaven, who has the keys to the bottomless pit, by the way, he won’t keep those keys.
That’s important to realize he has power over the bottomless pit for a time. His influence comes on the nation and everyone in the nation becomes miserable and they seek Death, but they can’t find it. And he’s reigning over this influence one. Well, verse 12 is passed behold. Still two more woes are coming after these things. Okay? So we’re going since we’re going to be out of time,
we’re going to save the rest of chapter nine for Wednesday. Um, but as you read through verse 13 through verse 21, you have the sixth trumpet, a constant reminder. When you read through this and go what’s that not make sense. It’s not supposed to, okay. It’s a vision, not everything like a parable, Nadia, every little detail is supposed to have a literal parallel.
It’s supposed to paint a picture. And if you had a picture painted of an event where you see a nation and up out of this hole in the earth comes disease and pollution and a plague. And these destroying creatures that are harming everybody, but won’t let them die. They’re tormenting them, but they won’t let them out of the torment. They’re hurting them,
but they won’t let them loose. And that’s sin. That’s sin all over and you look at our country and that sin. Thank you for your attention.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> okay.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> Good morning. And welcome to the Collierville church of Christ. Sunday morning worship service. It’s indeed. Good to see each of you here.
So many smiling faces. I have a few announcements this morning and I don’t see any visitors with us this morning. So, uh, just a quick reminder that, uh, the communion communion trays have been prepared there on the back. If you haven’t picked your communion issue and take this opportunity to go back and get it, we need to remember our sick this morning.
Don’t forget Dorothy and Rodale Wilson. They are suffering from their chronic problems. Joan Springer is still at home, and I think she’s doing a little bit better, but I don’t see either her or Marie here, they are sheltering in place. They’ve been exposed to the COVID a virus. And as a result, they are quarantined. Pam chafing is doing much better.
She’s able to get around some now. And Sylvia pass is with us today after her back problem. Um, and don’t forget Ron Wallace. That is Jacob’s grandfather. I believe her father, but anyway, uh, he, um, is, uh, suffering from a low blood sugar. And as I understand, he is about the same. Janet Jones is in the Memphis Jewish home in room one,
two, three. And I don’t remember her phone number, but it’s on the bulletin board back there. If you have a chance, uh, she’s uh, having a little, uh, I guess it would be more just feeling bad, uh, than anything else, but, um, she’s, she’s there and would very much appreciate, I think having people call and Erin Cozort will have surgery on his broken wrist Thursday,
October 1st. So all of these people, we need to keep in her prayers. I have some, uh, thank you notes here that I would like to read and then I’ll post them on the bulletin board so that you can, uh, uh, have a look at them yourself. Ava Morgan, uh, has written us a thank you note, and I want to read it.
It is with the greatest gratitude and thanks to you all for the cards and prayers I received during the death of my sister in law and my brother during a time like this, it brings forth how much our family and friends mean to us and you, our family, your prayers gave me the strength I needed during this difficult time. Not only for myself,
but to be able to support my family and brother and for them. Thank you with Christian. Love Ava Morgan. I also have a couple of notes from one from Gladys Lyles and her daughter that I want to read. Dear church, family. I don’t know how they work. I don’t have the words to express my love and appreciation for all of you and all of my 95 years,
I have never been so surprised as I was at the birthday. Drive through that. You gave me, I miss all of you and hope that I can be back at church soon. Thank you very much Gladys lines. And I also have a note from her daughter, Linda, and it reads, I want to thank the church for the wonderful drive-through birthday for my mom.
I am sending a donation to the church in her name. Thank you. Those are all the announcements that I have. Um, today’s service. The song leader will be Michael Dale, Joe caisson. We’ll have the opening prayer. Mari Phillips will officiate it. The Lord’s supper. Aaron Cozort will deliver the sermon. And I have the closing prayer once again.
Thank all of you for being here. It’s good to see your faces. Our song to begin our services. This morning will be number 144 O worship the King number 144. Oh, worship the King. Oh, Gloria, bah and grade four. Lee. See his Wanda for LA<inaudible>. Uh<inaudible> with<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> shines in, uh, ah,
it’s dreams from<inaudible> and sweet. The<inaudible><inaudible> and<inaudible> and<inaudible><inaudible> I’m a,<inaudible> a man, a defender.<inaudible> The song before our opening prayer will be number 797. Lord, we come before the now I’m seven, nine, seven<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> Okay.<inaudible> Wow.
Oh God. Our father in heaven, we truly are grateful into the, that we can call your father. We’re so thankful, dear God, that we’ve been brought out of this world of sin by the precious blood of your son. We pray father that as we look to those around us in this world, that we realize how many souls have never named your name and have never come to knowledge of your wheel.
We pray father as a congregation of your people that we do our best to try to reach those in this area with the gospel that they too might know what a blessing it is to be children of yours and not how that weight of sin upon them father, we are grateful for the privilege that we have to be here this day. As your family, we’re thankful for the opportunity that we’ve had to study your word and our Bible class this morning.
We appreciate so much the ability that Aaron has in bringing that class and the message that we’ve been hearing from your book of revelation. We’re so grateful for the, for the understanding of your will and how it should affect our lives and how we can be servants in the kingdom and serve and glorify you with our lives father. We are mindful of those that are not able to be with us.
And we miss him so much and we miss their encouragement that they give us by being here. But we understand where this virus going around. That it’s best for them to be at home, but our prayers are with them. And we pray that you continue to help us to encourage them and them encourage us bother. We’re grateful for the privilege that we have to have your word,
that we can study it and strengthen our faith. That we might be able to reach others with the gospel and try to change their lives, to want to serve you and glorify you father, where mindful of all of those that have been mentioned that have been grieving over loss of loved ones or those that are ill and undergoing treatment. And we pray that the ones that are doctors,
the doctors and nurses that are treating them, we’ll find the best things that might bring, bring them back to a normal way of health. We’re especially mindful of father of Aaron. And we pray that you be with those doctors. It will be in ministering to him, this coming Thursday, that they might do those things that will help repair his wrists,
that after he goes through the time of recovering and the therapy that he receives, that he will have full use of that arm father, we know that there are many that are grieving over various things in this life. We pray that we are an encouragement to them, that we are there for them, that we might bring some joy and peace to their minds,
that they might know that we truly love and care for them and are always there to do whatever we might can do to comfort and help them father. We pray for those that are in other lands, teaching and preaching your word, and we pray your blessings to be upon them, help us to always encourage them as they try to reach those laws, souls,
and other other places. We pray that we might always support them and help them with that work. And we’re grateful that the fact that your words being preached that many souls might hear of it. I want to be obedient to it and become children of yours. By the way, I pray that we never lose sight of how we ought to act in this world,
that we should be a people that have great patients, that we’re long suffering toward one another, that we have a tremendous love for the, and for each other that we’re willing to give up ourselves others. We know in this world that we live in today, it is so people are so selfish and self centered. We pray that we not be that way,
that we extend our love to all of mankind that they know we are your children, that we are. We love you first. And we love others as ourselves, help us to always to have that kind of spirit within us. Yes, this, we should have this morning as we’re able to worship you. We pray in spirit and in truth, be where there,
and they see brings the message, help us to be attentive to it and pray that your word always will dwell in our hearts that we might not sin against thee bless our worship this morning and bless each one. That’s here in jesus’ name. We pray amen. Song to prepare our minds for the Lord’s supper will be number 366 by Christ redeemed by Christ<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> and<inaudible><inaudible>,
uh, step dad<inaudible>. And as we drink, we see, uh, and eh,<inaudible> ah, um, and, uh,<inaudible><inaudible> we, you know, ah<inaudible> and, uh, he, ah, I’m going to read to us this morning from first Corinthians chapter 11, verses 27 through 32. And it reads, therefore, whoever eats this bread or drinks,
this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. Let, but let a man examine himself. And so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup for he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner, eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body for this reason. Many are weak and sick among you and many sleep for if we would judge ourselves,
we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord that we may not be condemned with the world At this time, let’s focus on the cross and that cruel crucifixion that Jesus went through for our sins. Let us pray. Heavenly father, we’re thankful for this bread that represents jesus’ body. That was nailed to the cross for the sins of mankind.
And we pray heavenly father, you please forgive us of our sins Before we, uh, pray for the fruit of the vine. I’m going to read from John chapter six, verses 53 through 58. Then Jesus said to them, most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the son of man and drink his blood. You have no life in you.
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks, my blood has eternal life and I will raise him up on the last day for my flesh is food indeed. And my blood is drink. Indeed. He eats my flesh and drink my blood abides in me and I in him as the living father sent me and I live because of the father. So he who feeds on me will live because of me.
This is the bread which came down from heaven, not as your father’s eighth and manna and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever. Unlike men or heavenly father, let’s go to prayer with the blood of Jesus. That’s represented in the fruit of the van. Heavenly father. We’re thankful for this fruit of the van and what it represents and pray heavenly father for your forgiveness this way,
ask in jesus’ name, amen. Separate from the Lord’s table. We have an opportunity to give us we’re here to prosper. Let’s pray. Heavenly father. We’re thankful for the financial gains. We’re here to receive from you throughout the years and pray heavenly father. You will separate portion joyfully back to you to help continue the work here at the Curry with church of Christ.
Amen song. Before the lesson will be number 450. Give me the Bible. If you’re able, let’s stand for this song please. Number four, five, zero.<inaudible> glad Nisqually mean to cheer though.<inaudible> no,<inaudible> small beamy and CERN. Jesus came to seek and save the lost. Give me the bah or Holy message. Ah, nah,
guide me and narrow away. Hey<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> my heart is bro.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> by the<inaudible> have and shining port or show me the glory.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> me and a narrow way. Hey,<inaudible> to<inaudible> and he turn all day. Hey, You may be seated. Oh, it’d be wanting to be one of those preachers that got sit on a stool while he taught.
This is a hard way to get there. Take your Bibles if you will. And open them to the book of Zechariah mentioned last week, as we were going through our lesson and chapter nine and chapter 10 that, uh, we would spend the today’s lesson in chapter 11, the beginning of the discussion that’s here in chapter 11 of the book of Zechariah.
It’s it’s part of a single prophecy that begins in chapter nine, but you have a reference in chapter 10. That really is the foundation of what you read in chapter 11. When you get into chapter 10, you read beginning in verse one, ask the Lord for rain in the latter time, or in, in the time of the latter rain, the Lord will make flashing clouds.
He will give them showers of rain, grass in the field for everyone. There’s a principle here. That’s established by Zechariah. When you are obedient to God and you ask for what you need, God will provide it for you. Jesus said, ask and you shall receive seek, and you shall find knock and the door shall be opened to you. And he emphasized the reason for that is because God is a loving father who knows how to give his children what they need,
but then notice the following statement for the idols, speak delusion, the diviners InVision lies and tell false dreams. They comfort in vain. Therefore the people, when they’re way like sheep, they are in trouble because there is no shepherd. This statement about the people that there was no shepherd is the foundation of the discussion in chapter 11, God in chapter nine says I’m going to judge a Syria and I’m going to judge the Medes and the Persians.
And I’m going to judge Greece and I’m going to judge the Philistines and I’m going to judge tire and I’m going to judge Seiden and I’m going and on and on and on the list goes, all the enemies of Israel are going to be judged and God’s going to bring Judah and Israel together. Ephraim and Judah are going to be brought back together and they will be brought into the lamp and they will prosper.
And they will pray for the reigns in the latter, uh, during the latter rains and the rains will come, But they’ve got to be warned. They’ve got to be mindful that just because God says I will do these things doesn’t mean they can let their guard down. It doesn’t mean they can just listen to everybody that comes along. Moses told Israel in Deuteronomy chapter 13,
there would be those that would come from the outside. And there would be those that would come from the inside, come from their Mo their own selves that would teach them to depart from the Lord. And that they were to not only be aware when someone was doing that, but that they were to defend themselves by putting a false prophet to death. They were to be active in defending their own knowledge of the truth.
God says, I’ll give you what you need, but you need to know that false prophets and false teachers and liars and deceivers will come against you. And they will tear you apart until you are sheep without a shepherd, If you let them. And unfortunately, they let them, when God judged Israel, when Babylon was brought against the Southern kingdom of Judah,
uh, Syria was brought against the Northern kingdom of Israel. God said a remnant will return. A remnant of my people will still here. And in chapter 11, there will still be a remnant. Even in the days of Christ, when they would crucify the very son of God, there would still be a remnant, but God would be done with this nation to get the foundation of the message of chapter 11.
Take your mind back to a time when Israel had arrived at Mount Sinai, they come to the mountain and they’re there and they begin to settle around the mountain and God tells them I’m going to deliver to you the law. I’m going to speak to you. You make sure no one touches the mountain. Anything that touches the mountain while my presence is on the mountain will die.
And so God in Exodus chapter 19 begins to speak to them. But at the end of chapter 19, the Israelites come to Moses and they say, we can’t do this anymore. We’re terrified. W you go up to the mountain and you receive the law from God and tell us what God says, because we can’t hear his voice anymore because we’re afraid we’re going to die paraphrased there.
So Moses goes up on the mountain and Moses goes on the mountain and God delivers to him, the 10 commandments in written tablets of stone. And God gives him the law. And he is there on the Mount. And he is there on the Mount and the people are down the bottom and they’re waiting and they’re waiting. And he’s on the Mount for 40 days and 40 nights.
God gives them the law. God gives him the tablets. And then he hears down below him, the sound, the sound of the people. And he goes down to investigate and they’re bowing down and worshiping an idol. God makes a statement to Moses and essentially tells Moses, I’m going to destroy this people. I’m going to wipe this people off the face of the earth.
And I will raise up from you a new nation. And I’m going to start over because of the wickedness of this people, they’ve seen every single plague. They were in Egypt and, and we’re there to witness the complete decimation of a world power. And they saw everything that happened. And then they walked out of Egypt with all the value and the profit and the plunder of Egypt.
And they walked through the red sea on dry ground. And they came to Mount Sinai and they heard my voice. And less than a month later, they are worshiping an idol. God says I’m done with, and Moses responds to God. You can’t do that. Think of what the nations around would say, they would blaspheme your name. They would say,
you brought this people into the wilderness to kill them. You can’t do it. And God relents. But that picture of God’s saying because of idolatry, because of sin because of wickedness, because they refused to recognize him as Lord, God almighty God said I’m done with them. Chapter 11 in Zechariah is a rehearsal forecasting. The time when God would say I’m done with them,
they’ve gone too far. Chapter 11 begins open your doors. A Lebanon. Lebanon is in the North, up in the region of tire inside. And it was a region that was known for its trees, for its forests, for the Cedars of Lebanon that was used, that were used to build the temple by Solomon open your doors O Lebanon, that fire may devour your Cedars.
The one defining attribute of this land. God says, I’m coming for that. I’m coming for what you treasure. Most whale Oh, Cyprus for the Cedar has fallen. A Cypress tree of course has, is not as significant in the land of Lebanon is not as significant, not as, uh, as much value as the S the, Uh, Cedar.
So here are the Cypress trees over here, and they’re told you whale because the Cedars are going to be destroyed because the mighty trees are ruined. Whale. Oaks of basin for the thick forest has come down. There is the sound of whaling shepherds for their glory is in ruins. There is the sound of roaring lions for the pride of the Jordan is in ruins the pride of the Jordan there.
The word could be translated thickets. It’s the idea of the reeds and the thickets that grew up as a result of the Jordan overflowing its banks. Every year, it would overflow its banks and the, this, uh, very fertile ground would shoot out these thickets and all these are going to get wiped away. God says, I’m destroying what you value.
I’m destroying what you think is important. And he calls upon the shepherds to weep because they are the focus of this judgment. Thus, as the Lord gone, verse four, feed the flock for slaughter. Now over in the book of John and John chapter 21 gone tells Peter feed my sheep three times. He asked Peter, Peter, do you love me?
And Peter responds. I love you, Lord. There’s the discussion about the different words, but that’s not what I want us to focus on. The response that Jesus comes back with each time to Peter is feed my Sheep, feed my lambs. You love me care for my flock, whose job is that? The job of the shepherd, it’s the job of a shepherd to feed the sheep.
It’s the job of the shepherd to lead the sheep, to pass into two pastures that are rich, where they can feed and they can grow and they can be healthy. But these sheep aren’t being fed to grow and be healthy. These sheep Are being fed for slaughter. There’s a difference in how you care for an animal that you care nothing about because it’s only a source of wealth for you and an animal that you care for.
And you love. There’s a difference in how you treat them. There’s a difference in how you care for them. And these shepherds are Only shepherds for the prophet. They’re only shepherds for what they get. Notice what he says. Thus says the Lord, my God feed the flock for slaughter, whose owners slaughter them and feel no guilt. Those who sell them say blessed,
be the Lord for, I am rich and their shepherds do not pity them. Your mind should go over to Matthew chapter 23 and Matthew chapter 23, Jesus pronounces woes against the Pharisees and against the scribes and the chief priests and the leaders of the people, the shepherds of Israel. And he accuses them of devouring widow’s houses. He accuses them of robbing the poor.
They didn’t care about the people. They didn’t feed them as good shepherds. They used them to enrich themselves. Verse six for, I will no longer pity the inhabitants of the land. Now wait a minute, God, if this, if the shepherds are the ones doing this, if the shepherds are the ones who are abusing people, if the shepherds are the ones who are causing the problems,
why is it the inhabitants of the land? The flock is going to get destroyed. Why is it that the flock is going to be punished? The flock is going to get slaughtered. Why is that going to be the case? If it’s the shepherds that are the problem, and you’ll see why in a moment, but it ultimately comes down to this because the flop gets to choose who it follows.
The flock gets to choose. If those shepherds continue to be shepherds, and if they continue to hear their voices, remember chapter 10, verses one and two, you can pray to me and I’ll give you what you need. Or you can listen to false teachers and follow them, but you cannot do both. So then notice what we read here. Zechariah is playing the part of the shepherd.
So I fed the flock for slaughter in particular, the poor of the flock. I took for myself, two staffs, the one I called beauty and the other, I called bonds and I fed the flock. A shepherd would take his staff and he would use the staff to tend the flock, to, to keep the flog, to guide the flock.
And he’s here as a shepherd, who’s using two stabs. One of them is called beauty. The word also means grace graciousness. The other is bonds, not the idea of chains, but what bonds, two people together that, which is their attachment and their, their connection to one another. And the shepherd goes out to feed the sheep. And he feeds them with these two stabs.
He’s doing what they need. He’s caring for them properly using the proper tools of a shepherd. But then notice I dismissed the three shepherds in one month, my soul lows, them and their soul. Also abhorred me. Someone who’s working on behalf of God is opposed by someone who’s only interested in themselves. And Zechariah says, I, I pushed them out.
These three shepherds, but they abhorred me. Then I said, I will not feed you. Let what is dying die? And what is perishing perish. Let those that are left, eat each other’s flesh. The shepherd says, I’m done with you. I’m done with you. I’m done with this flock. Those that are going to die, let them die.
Those that are gonna perish, let them perish because everyone else is only interested in themselves and they will devour everyone else. You’re seeing a picture of a flock that is not a normal flock of sheep. This is not a flock of sheep that hears the voice of the shepherd and follows them. This is a flock of sheep that is internally divided and only cares for them selves And the shepherds giving up on them.
I took my staff beauty and cut it into that. I might break the covenant, which I made with all the peoples peoples. Here’s a reference to the nations. Some have been had different ideas on what this means, but here’s what I think you need to get from it. God said to Abraham, back in Genesis, chapter 12, those who bless you,
I will bless those who curse you. I will curse. God essentially made a covenant with all the nations of the earth saying, if you do right by my covenant people, I will do good to you. If you mistreat my covenant people, I’m coming after you. Now, we’ve just had two solid of God Saying I’m going to judge those who have done evil to my people,
but now the flock is no longer faithful to God. Now the flock will no longer hear his shepherds. Now the flock only cares about themselves and will eat and devour themselves. And God says to all the nations around you or around the flock, you’re off the hook. Now the covenant I made with you that I would bless those who bless them and curse those who curse them is over.
This is God telling the nations have Adam. They’re not my people anymore. And remember in Exodus, God said there was a point where were the people of Israel enough was enough. And he would no longer keep them alive because he was the only thing standing between them and destruction. So then notice what happens. So it was broken on that day. Thus,
the poor of the flock who were watching me knew that it was the word of the Lord. This, this covenant is broken. God ends it. And the poor of the flock, the, the, the, the defenseless ones, the ones who can’t care for themselves, the, the, the ones who, who are like in most nations, those who are just stepped on trod upon and despised by everyone.
Those, by the way, if you look at the new Testament who heard Jesus, who listened to Jesus, who wanted to be with Jesus, who wanted to obey Jesus, who did obey Jesus, they heard this pronouncement and they knew it was the word of the Lord. And that’s a contrast because that means the rich, the prosperous the well off the goodly of the flock.
They said, that’s not God, that’s not God’s word. Couldn’t be, he never break that covenant. And the Lord said to me, or, sorry, verse 12. Then I said to them, so the shepherd says to the sheep, if it is agreeable to you, give me my wages and if not refrain. So they weighed out for my wages,
30 pieces of silver. And the Lord said to me, throw it to the Potter that the princely price they set on me. So I took the 30 pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the Lord for the Potter. Now the new Testament will tell us clearly that this is a prophecy of Christ, because it would be for 30 pieces of silver,
that Judas would betray Jesus. And here’s where the entire chapter wraps itself up in its focus, because you have the value of a savior. In this passage, the flock is asked, what am I worth to you? The flock is asked, how much do you value me? I’m the one who cares for you. I’m the one who feeds you.
I’m the one who provides for you. I’m the one who loves you. I’m the one who gives himself for you. I’m the one who came for you. What am I worth? I won’t tell you what I’m worth. You tell me what I’m worth. You decide what I’m worth. And the flog decides the Shepherd’s worth 30 pieces of silver. Now 30 pieces of silver in the old Testament.
Isn’t just a number. It isn’t just a random poll out of nowhere. Number it’s Exodus, chapter 21 in Exodus, chapter 2130 pieces of silver is not just the price of a slave Exodus chapter. 20 ones is 30 pieces of silver was the restoring price of a slave gored by an animal. Here’s a master. He has a slave that slave, or that servant is gored by an animal.
He can’t work anymore. He can’t labor anymore. He can’t do his job. He’s a slave that will have to be sustained by the masters in there for the rest of his life, who can no longer do anything. He is a value LIS slave. And so for the one whose animal, it was the Gord, another master servant, the one who owned the animal had the pay that master the price of a slave that was worthless and a worthless slaves price was 30 pieces of silver.
The shepherd says to the flock, what am I worth to you? And the flock says you’re as much as a worthless slave and Judas sold his master for 30 pieces of silver, having seen what would happen to Christ Judas would take the money back to the chief priests, the shepherds, and he would say, take it back. Or they said, Oh,
we can’t, we can’t accept that, that money that’s blood money. We can’t allow that to be brought into the house of the Lord that they could take from the house of the Lord and pay the price, but they couldn’t take it back after it was used for such a terrible cause. Judas would throw it at their feet and they would use it to buy the Potter’s field.
That would be used to bury those who had no burial place in the land of Israel. When the flock decided, as they cried out to pilot, crucify him, crucify him, crucify him, crucify him. As they decided he was worth nothing. He was worth so little. They said, give us Barabis back the murderer and the rioter and the one who tried to overthrow the government,
give that one back to us, but take this one who claims to be our King and kill him. God said, I’m done with you. This covenant is over. Then I cut into my other staff bonds that I might break the brotherhood between Israel or Judah and Israel. And the Lord said to me next, take for yourself. The implements of a foolish shepherd.
One of these days, I’m going to do a sermon or maybe Michael can write it and turn it in. When he gets into Zachariah, the tools of a fool, because God says you did have two staffs. And they were the correct tools. They were the tools of a wise shepherd. But now you’re going to tend to my sheep with the tools of a foolish shepherd.
You’re going to use the wrong implements. You’re going to do it the wrong way. You’re going to lead them to destruction because that’s what they’ve decided they will get. He says, take for yourself. The implements of a foolish shepherd for indeed. I will raise up a shepherd in the land who will not care for those who are cut off nor seek the young,
nor heal. Those that are broken nor feed those that stand still, or that still stand. But he will eat the flesh of the fat and tear their hooves in pieces, Whoa, to the worthless shepherd who leaves the flock, a sword shall be against his arm and against his right eye. He is arms shall completely with her and his right eye shall be totally blinded.
God says to Israel, if you value my shepherd so little, if you value what I did for you so little, if you will turn against me and follow after these shepherds, then I’m done with you. And I’m going to allow a shepherd to rise up that will devour you God, through Christ would tell his disciples in Matthew chapter 24, that there was coming a day when they needed to be aware and they needed to be watching because there was coming a day when God would bring judgment on Jerusalem and not another stone would be stacked upon another left on the temple,
God would tear it down. God would destroy their nation and God would end his covenant with that people for forever. And they seal that faint. When they put Christ on the cross, they said, God, we don’t care what you do. Or we’ve seen the miracles. We’ve seen what he does. We know that he’s from you, but we don’t care.
We’re going to follow our shepherds. Now you and me, what are we doing? Who are we listening to? And who are we following? Are we looking to God’s word? Are we saying whatever he says in here? That’s what I’m going to do. If he tells me to stop doing what I’m doing, I’m going to stop doing. If he tells me to love someone that I look at as unlovable,
I’m going to love them. If he tells me to care for those who aren’t worth it in my minds, but they’re worth it in his, I will. He tells me to listen and follow him. Then I will. Or are we like Jesus looked upon the people in his day and saw them as sheep without a shepherd. Not because they didn’t have shepherds because the shepherds were only there to use the sheep to get out of them.
What they could. What kind of flock are we? If you’re outside the body of Christ this morning, you’re outside of the flock of God. You’re outside of the hope and the salvation provided by him. But Jesus said, I am the good shepherd and my sheep. Hear my voice. If you’re open to hearing the voice of the Lord, you can begin doing that today to hear what he has said to do what he has said.
He said, if you love me, keep my commandments. You have need of the salvation of God. You can have it. It’s available to you. You can go in through the door and enter the sheepfold. Jesus said, you become part of my flog by dying. Like I died dying to sin and rising the walk in newness of life. Having heard the word,
believing that Jesus Christ is the son of God, repenting of your sins and confessing the name of Christ and being immersed, buried in water for the remission of your sins, dying to sin and rising up to live for him. You can do that. If you’re a member of the body of Christ and you’re a sheep, that’s wandered away, listen to the voice of the savior and come home.
If you have need of the invitation, you can come forward. Now as we stand and as we sing, Yeah,<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> jeez, us. Well, me<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> jeez, us we’ll meet you.<inaudible> a song for our closing. Prayer will be number 648. Stand up,
stand up for Jesus. Stand up, stand up. Or jeez, uh<inaudible><inaudible> and<inaudible> from<inaudible><inaudible> uh, he, the<inaudible> and<inaudible> stand up, stand up or GE is a us<inaudible> Hey for<inaudible> and<inaudible> that? Uh, man, uh<inaudible> uh,<inaudible> uh<inaudible> with Danja and strain to strain up<inaudible> and uh, stand up.
Jeez, us<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> uh,<inaudible> Dan been, uh, wanting<inaudible> stand up, stand up. Jeez, us<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> to<inaudible><inaudible> uh,<inaudible> uh,<inaudible> Heavenly father. We’re indeed grateful for the privilege that we’ve had to assemble and worship. We pray that our worship to you has been in spirit and truth and a sweet savor as we prepare to depart.
And we’re mindful of those that are not able to be among us. We pray that your healing hand will be placed upon them. And they, once again, may assemble with us. We’re also mindful of those that have lost loved ones. We pray that you will comfort them as only you can bless each of us. As we prepared to depart, according to our several needs.
Forgive us. When we sin against thee and turn back, we thank you father for your love and care for us. As we depart, may we always take the son, the name of your son with us. It’s in his name that we pray. Amen.
A LOOK BACK: In chapter 6, the first six seals of the book are opened by the Lamb. In Revelation 7, there is a pause in the opening of the seals to allow the angels to “mark” those who belong to God. These will be the ones will be able to stand in the day of the wrath of the Lamb.
SILENCE: The Lamb opens the seventh seal, and John watches as there is silence in heaven for half an hour. The silence might indicate reverence or awe at what is coming. Consider the idea of a “moment of silence” because of a catastrophe that has befallen someone.
Revealed in the seventh seal, John sees seven angels, each given a trumpet. Another angel comes to the altar with a golden censer, and he receives incense to offer up with the prayers of the saints upon the altar. The prayers plus incense are offered and ascend up before God (sitting upon His throne). Remember the saints beneath the altar who died for Christianity and their cry, “How Long!” God’s answer to those prayers is coming.
After offering the incense, the angel fills his censor with fire from the altar casts it into the Earth. Voices, thundering, lightning, and earthquakes occur. Always remember, this is vision language of judgment and retribution on the enemies of God. As this happens, John sees the angels with the trumpets preparing to sound.
The first trumpet: The angel sounds the trumpet and the result is hail and fire mixed with blood is cast upon the earth. A third of the trees and all the green grass was burnt up.
The second trumpet: This angel sounds and a high mountain burning with fire crashes into the sea. One-third of the sea turns to blood. One-third of all creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships of the sea perish.
The third trumpet: The trumpet sounds and a great star falls burning from heaven and falls upon one-third of all the rivers and fountains of water. The name of it is Wormwood (bitterness), and the waters turn bitter and kill many men.
The fourth trumpet: One-third of the sun is smitten, and also one-third of the moon and stars become darkened. One-third of the day turns black and one-third of the night as well.
John sees an angel fly through Heaven declaring, “Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!”
JOHN – Revelation 8 – The Seventh Seal and the Seven Trumpets
What happened in Heaven when the seventh seal was opened? Revelation 8:1 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Inside the seventh seal, what was given to the seven angels? Revelation 8:1-2 ________________________________________________________________
What did the angel with golden censer and much incense offer up on the golden alter before God? Revelation 8:3-4 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
After offering the incense, what did the angel do with fire from the altar? Revelation 8:5 ________________________________________________________________
What happened because of the fire from the censer? What did the seven angels with trumpets do? Revelation 8:5-6 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
What came upon the earth when the second trumpet sounded? What was affected? Revelation 8:8 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
What came upon the earth when the third trumpet sounded? What was it called, and why? What was affected? Revelation 8:10-11 _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
1/3 of what things where affected when the fourth trumpet sounded? Revelation 8:12 ________________________________________________________________
To whom was a “triple Woe” pronounced by an angel flying through Heaven? When would that Woe take place? Revelation 8:13 _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
TEXT:
Re 8:1 ¶ When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. 2 And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets. 3 Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. 4 And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand. 5 Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth. And there were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake. 6 So the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound. 7 ¶ The first angel sounded: And hail and fire followed, mingled with blood, and they were thrown to the earth. And a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up. 8 Then the second angel sounded: And something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood. 9 And a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed. 10 Then the third angel sounded: And a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. 11 The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the water, because it was made bitter. 12 Then the fourth angel sounded: And a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them were darkened. A third of the day did not shine, and likewise the night. 13 And I looked, and I heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, “Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!”
Sermon: Zechariah 9:9-10 – The Victorious King and the Peaceful Kingdom
Zec 9:9 ¶ “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey. 10 I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim And the horse from Jerusalem; The battle bow shall be cut off. He shall speak peace to the nations; His dominion shall be ‘from sea to sea, And from the River to the ends of the earth.’
TEXT:
Zec 9:1 ¶ The burden of the word of the LORD Against the land of Hadrach, And Damascus its resting place (For the eyes of men And all the tribes of Israel Are on the LORD); 2 Also against Hamath, which borders on it, And against Tyre and Sidon, though they are very wise. 3 For Tyre built herself a tower, Heaped up silver like the dust, And gold like the mire of the streets. 4 Behold, the Lord will cast her out; He will destroy her power in the sea, And she will be devoured by fire. 5 Ashkelon shall see it and fear; Gaza also shall be very sorrowful; And Ekron, for He dried up her expectation. The king shall perish from Gaza, And Ashkelon shall not be inhabited. 6 “A mixed race shall settle in Ashdod, And I will cut off the pride of the Philistines. 7 I will take away the blood from his mouth, And the abominations from between his teeth. But he who remains, even he shall be for our God, And shall be like a leader in Judah, And Ekron like a Jebusite. 8 I will camp around My house Because of the army, Because of him who passes by and him who returns. No more shall an oppressor pass through them, For now I have seen with My eyes. 9 ¶ “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey. 10 I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim And the horse from Jerusalem; The battle bow shall be cut off. He shall speak peace to the nations; His dominion shall be ‘from sea to sea, And from the River to the ends of the earth.’ 11 “As for you also, Because of the blood of your covenant, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit. 12 ¶ Return to the stronghold, You prisoners of hope. Even today I declare That I will restore double to you. 13 For I have bent Judah, My bow, Fitted the bow with Ephraim, And raised up your sons, O Zion, Against your sons, O Greece, And made you like the sword of a mighty man.” 14 Then the LORD will be seen over them, And His arrow will go forth like lightning. The Lord GOD will blow the trumpet, And go with whirlwinds from the south. 15 The LORD of hosts will defend them; They shall devour and subdue with slingstones. They shall drink and roar as if with wine; They shall be filled with blood like basins, Like the corners of the altar. 16 The LORD their God will save them in that day, As the flock of His people. For they shall be like the jewels of a crown, Lifted like a banner over His land- 17 For how great is its goodness And how great its beauty! Grain shall make the young men thrive, And new wine the young women.
Zec 10:1 ¶ Ask the LORD for rain In the time of the latter rain. The LORD will make flashing clouds; He will give them showers of rain, Grass in the field for everyone. 2 For the idols speak delusion; The diviners envision lies, And tell false dreams; They comfort in vain. Therefore the people wend their way like sheep; They are in trouble because there is no shepherd. 3 “My anger is kindled against the shepherds, And I will punish the goatherds. For the LORD of hosts will visit His flock, The house of Judah, And will make them as His royal horse in the battle. 4 From him comes the cornerstone, From him the tent peg, From him the battle bow, From him every ruler together. 5 ¶ They shall be like mighty men, Who tread down their enemies In the mire of the streets in the battle. They shall fight because the LORD is with them, And the riders on horses shall be put to shame. 6 “I will strengthen the house of Judah, And I will save the house of Joseph. I will bring them back, Because I have mercy on them. They shall be as though I had not cast them aside; For I am the LORD their God, And I will hear them. 7 Those of Ephraim shall be like a mighty man, And their heart shall rejoice as if with wine. Yes, their children shall see it and be glad; Their heart shall rejoice in the LORD. 8 I will whistle for them and gather them, For I will redeem them; And they shall increase as they once increased. 9 “I will sow them among the peoples, And they shall remember Me in far countries; They shall live, together with their children, And they shall return. 10 I will also bring them back from the land of Egypt, And gather them from Assyria. I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon, Until no more room is found for them. 11 He shall pass through the sea with affliction, And strike the waves of the sea: All the depths of the River shall dry up. Then the pride of Assyria shall be brought down, And the scepter of Egypt shall depart. 12 “So I will strengthen them in the LORD, And they shall walk up and down in His name,” Says the LORD.
Zec 11:1 ¶ Open your doors, O Lebanon, That fire may devour your cedars. 2 Wail, O cypress, for the cedar has fallen, Because the mighty trees are ruined. Wail, O oaks of Bashan, For the thick forest has come down. 3 There is the sound of wailing shepherds! For their glory is in ruins. There is the sound of roaring lions! For the pride of the Jordan is in ruins. 4 ¶ Thus says the LORD my God, “Feed the flock for slaughter, 5 “whose owners slaughter them and feel no guilt; those who sell them say, ‘Blessed be the LORD, for I am rich’; and their shepherds do not pity them. 6 “For I will no longer pity the inhabitants of the land,” says the LORD. “But indeed I will give everyone into his neighbor’s hand and into the hand of his king. They shall attack the land, and I will not deliver them from their hand.” 7 So I fed the flock for slaughter, in particular the poor of the flock. I took for myself two staffs: the one I called Beauty, and the other I called Bonds; and I fed the flock. 8 I dismissed the three shepherds in one month. My soul loathed them, and their soul also abhorred me. 9 Then I said, “I will not feed you. Let what is dying die, and what is perishing perish. Let those that are left eat each other’s flesh.” 10 And I took my staff, Beauty, and cut it in two, that I might break the covenant which I had made with all the peoples. 11 So it was broken on that day. Thus the poor of the flock, who were watching me, knew that it was the word of the LORD. 12 Then I said to them, “If it is agreeable to you, give me my wages; and if not, refrain.” So they weighed out for my wages thirty pieces of silver. 13 And the LORD said to me, “Throw it to the potter” -that princely price they set on me. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the LORD for the potter. 14 Then I cut in two my other staff, Bonds, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel. 15 ¶ And the LORD said to me, “Next, take for yourself the implements of a foolish shepherd. 16 “For indeed I will raise up a shepherd in the land who will not care for those who are cut off, nor seek the young, nor heal those that are broken, nor feed those that still stand. But he will eat the flesh of the fat and tear their hooves in pieces. 17 “Woe to the worthless shepherd, Who leaves the flock! A sword shall be against his arm And against his right eye; His arm shall completely wither, And his right eye shall be totally blinded.”
A LOOK BACK: In chapter 6, the first six seals of the book are opened by the Lamb. With each John is invited to look into the “revelation” the book presents. The sixth seal opens to reveal humanity seeking refuge from “the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb” and a question, “For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?” The answer comes in chapter 7.
A MARK
Whenever there is a battle, there is always concern over friendly-fire. Great care is given by armies to know where all of their men’s location so they never accidentally fire upon their men. There is reassurance in knowing the color of the uniform, the insignia upon a shoulder. A marking to identify the army to which a soldier belongs. God is going to “mark” His people so that they will be “able to stand” in “great day of His wrath.”
John sees four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, and they are keeping the wind from blowing, having received power to harm the earth and the sea. God’s judgment is often described by the prophets as coming with the wind. A fifth angel appears holding the “seal of the living God” (imagine the same seal that sealed up the book.)
The fifth angel cries out to the other four to wait to bring their destruction until after “we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.” This is not a physical mark on the foreheads of humans in the physical earth. It is a mark in a vision to indicate who belongs to God. The same will be true of the marked ones in Revelation 13:18. “666” denotes those who belong to Satan. It also is not a physical mark on physical humans.
144,000
John observes the angels marking 144,000 (12,000 from each of 12 tribes). Understand, these are the representative faithful—the remnant spoken of so often in the Old Testament—not literal quantities of “faithful” in the Earth. There is also “a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues who are clothed in white and are crying out, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’”
John speaks to one of the elders to ask, “who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?” These came out of the great persecution/tribulation and have made their robes white in the blood of the lamb. They serve before the throne in the Temple of God, and God dwells with them. These are beyond the struggles of Earth, for the Lamb dwells in their midst and is their Shepherd.
What chapter in Daniel corresponds to Revelation 17? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
What Four Beasts Does Daniel see in Daniel 7? Daniel 7:4-7 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
What was on the top of the heads of the fourth beast? Daniel 7:7-8 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
What was the beast accused of doing? Daniel 7:11 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
What did the horn do? Daniel 7:21-24 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
What is the description of the animal ridden by the woman? Revelation 17:3 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
What is the state of the Beast when John was writing? Revelation 17:8 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
How many kings had fallen? Revelation 7:10 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
“And the beast that was, and is not, is himself also the __________, and is of the seven, and is going to perdition.” Revelation 7:11 ________________________________________________________________
Automated Transcript
<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> okay.<inaudible> okay.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> okay. It is time for us to get started. We have reached our normal three minutes late, so we can actually start now. So in chapter six of revelation, we read about the opening of what, in chapter six, how many of the seals get opened in chapter six,
six of them do the sixth seal gets opened, and then there’s a break. There’s an interlude, because a question is asked at the end of chapter six, and what is the question who shall be able to stand? And the question is asked because it is stated that the day of the wrath of the one who’s on the throne and of the lamb is about to come.
And that day who Shall be able to stamp. So chapter seven is an interlude that answers that question we noticed on Sunday, the discussion of who is the 144,000 a, is it a literal hundred and 44,000? We discussed the fact that it’s not, is it, uh, uh, w where, where were they from? They were from the earth.
Uh, we, we noticed a number of those things. So we’re going to cover the latter part of chapter seven tonight, and then, because I don’t want to get into chapter eight yet. And I told you, at some point, we were going to jump back and answer the question. When was the book of revelation written? Um, and I,
I think I also told you that I don’t agree with most people as far as when it was written, but what I’m going to give you tonight are some reasons why I believe it’s written when I think it’s written and we’ll take the latter portion of our class to do that. So we’ll finish up chapter seven and we’ll do that, which will set the stage for chapter eight.
There are some things that get started in chapter eight, that you need to get an idea of the timeline of the book before you get into them. Uh, so we’re going to go ahead and get that out of the way. So let’s begin with a word of prayer, and then we’ll get into our study tonight, our gracious father in heaven, we bow before your throne grateful for the day that you’ve given to us grateful for the life that you have granted us and the opportunities that we have to serve you on a daily basis.
We pray for those who are at home. We pray for those who are ill. We pray for those who are injured or struggling in some way. We pray, especially for those who are struggling spiritually, that they might see the things that they need to change, that they might overcome the difficulties, the temptations, and the sin in their lives. They might live right,
and, and godly before you, we pray that you be with our nation, may it’s leaders make right choices. May they do those things, which are beneficial and in accordance with your will. And may we always strive daily to teach the gospel, to promote the kingdom and to serve you in a way that is acceptable in your sight. We know we sin and fall short of your glory,
and we pray that as we see those things and repent of those things, that you will forgive us of those times, when we fall short of what you would have us to do all this, we pray in Jesus name, amen. Chapter seven, verse nine reads. After these things, I looked and behold a great multitude, which no one could number of all nations tribes and tongues standing before the throne.
And before the lamb clothed with white robes, with Palm branches in their hand, and crying out with a loud voice, saying salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne and to the lamb. Now we talked about the connection between chapter seven and chapter 14. So jump on over to chapter 14. We talked about that on Sunday, and let’s notice a few things.
Chapter 14, verse one, then I looked and behold the lamb standing on Mount Zion and with him 144,000, having his father’s name written on their foreheads. Now, who did we see in chapter three? Jesus said you will have the name of God written on your forehead. Who did he say that to chapter three? I don’t need the specific church.
Just who to, who did he say it to in general Christians. Okay. Jesus said, you’re going to have the name of the father and of the new Jerusalem out of the lamb written on your forehead. Well, now here, you have 144,000 and they’re there with the lamb and they have what on their forehead, the name of the father, this identifies who this is.
These are Christians, but notice what we read, having his father’s name written on their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, like the voice of many waters and the voice of loud thunder. And I heard the sound of harpist playing their harps. They sang as it were a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures and the elders.
And no one could learn that song except the 144,000 who were redeemed from the earth. Here are redeemed ones. They were purchased. They were bought back. What were they bought back with the blood of Christ. Okay. So these are the ones who were not defiled with women for, they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the lamb, wherever he goes.
These were redeemed from among men being first fruits to God and to the lamb and in their mouth was found no deceit for, they are without fault before the throne of God. Okay? So you’ve got this description of them. You’ve got this picture of them. 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 him glory for the hour of his judgment has come and worship him who made heaven and earth, the and Springs of water. And another angel followed saying Babylon is fallen is fallen that great city because she was made on because she has made all nations to drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.
Then another angel followed with a loud voice. If anyone worships the beast or end his image receives his Mark on his forehead, or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the RAF, which is poured out full strength into the cup of indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the Holy angels and in the presence of the lamb.
So we read about this. We see this happening. We read about the 144,000 in chapter 14 and in chapter seven, but they’re being told you’re about to go through tribulation back over in chapter seven. He says that these were the ones who are marked. Cause that was the whole point of this. He said, who can stand in the day of God’s wrath?
Well, the ones who are marked cam, the ones who have the seal of God can, but then notice in, in verse nine, after these things, I looked and behold a great multitude, which no one could number. And these are the ones as we go through this chapter who come out of the tribulation, the 144,000 go into the tribulation.
The innumerable multitude comes out of the tribulation. The point is you’re getting the same group of people looked at from two different perspectives. Some people say, well, it can’t be the same group. It’s two different numbers. The numbers aren’t literal. The point of the numbers is to tell you about who they are. And here’s the thing we need to remember.
Numbers in the book of revelation are not intended to be understood in a literal sense. They are instead intended to convey what meaning. So on Sunday, we talked about the fact that there were 12 tribes. There were 12,000 from each tribe. We talked about the idea of a thousand being every single one, the idea of completeness to infinity perfection. So here,
God says all my people and every single one of them can stand in the day of my wrath. And do you know how many there are? Well, God does, but is there ever a time where God tells someone on the earth, there’s going to be a group of people, you can’t number Abraham. You remember God said your descendants will be as the stars of heaven as the sand of the seashore so that you can not number them.
Now God says, listen, heres who can stand in the day of God’s wrath. Every single one of my people, all of them can. And how many of them are there? So many, you can’t number them. God said in revelation or Romans chapter four, that Abraham is the father of all those who believe this is written in the new Testament times because of his faith.
He is our father, whether we’re Jew or Gentile, and Paul’s writing to a Gentile church, the innumerable number that come out of the tribulation is a view of God’s children. Just the same way God tells Abraham you will be the father of an innumerable number. Okay? So 144,000 and the innumerable number in heaven are the same group of people. They’re just looked at from two different perspectives.
But notice what happens after these things, I looked and behold a great multitude, which no one could number of all nations, tribes, tongues, peoples, and tongues standing before the throne. And before the lamb clothed with white robes, with Palm branches in their hands and crying out with a loud voice, saying salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne into the lamb.
All the angel stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God saying amen, blessing and glory and wisdom, Thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might be to our God forever and ever. Amen. Then one of the elders answered me or answered saying to me, who are these arrayed in white robes?
And where did they come from? Okay. So now the question comes up where we’re going to get the answer of who these are. The one of the elders comes to Johnny. He says, who are these? The ones in white robes, the ones that are here, the innumerable number in heaven, who are they? And where did they come from?
And John and I said to him, sir, you know, that’s simultaneously a recognition of the other person’s knowledge. And it admittance that John didn’t know, this is not, John’s saying, well, this is who they are. This is John saying, why don’t you answer the question? Okay. He says, sir, you know, so he came,
sorry. So he said to me, these are the ones notice this who came out of the great tribulation. Six seal is open and judgments coming down on the earth and the rich and the mighty and all the powerful are crying out for the mountains to fall on them. And for them to be covered from the wrath of the, of the one on the throne and the lamb.
And the question is who can stay in the day of God’s wrath? And on the other side of that judgment is an innumerable company of people who all belong to God. He says, these are the ones who came out of the other side and then notice what he said. He says, they came out of the great tribulation and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb.
Therefore they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple. And he who sits on the throne will dwell among them. They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore. The sun shall not strike them nor the heat, nor any heat for the lamb who is in the midst of the throne. Now, wait a minute. Okay.
Attention here will shepherd them. Wait a minute. The lamb who’s in the midst of the throne will shepherd them, go, go back over chapter 14. Then I looked and behold a lamb standing on mountains, ion, and who’s with him. What does a shepherd do? Leads the sheep. Now here’s the innumerable company that no one can number. And they’re being called the sheep of the one who sits on the throne.
And in chapter 14, you again have 144,000. And what are they doing? They’re standing with the one who’s on the throne. It’s the same group of people. Okay. So chapter seven, verse 17 for the lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.
Okay. So all of this has been just a, a pause, an explanation, and answer to the question that happened in the sixth seal in chapter six. Okay. So let’s go through the questions real quick. From chapter seven, hot off the press from last week, John saw these things happen or these things after the opening of which seal the sixth one,
what were four angels holding back and what were they granted to do in verses one and two, they’re holding back the four winds and they’re granted to harm the earth and the sea. Okay. Question three. Did the angel that came from the East have in his hand, the seal of the living, God, question four for what were the four angels told to wait,
all right. They were supposed to wait, not heard the earth in the seat, but until what, until the ceiling of the servants of God, where on his servants did the seal or Mark of God go on their forehead. How many tribes are marked 12, which of Joseph’s sons are included and which of Jacobs are left out? Manasseh is included,
but you’ll notice if you read through the list, Joseph himself is included, but Ephraim is left out. But then also Dan is left out and I was asked on Sunday, why do you think that is? And the answer is, I don’t know, God, didn’t say he just, just pointing out. It is what it is. Okay. How many from each driver marked 12,000?
Who else besides the 144,000 are present before the throne and the lamb that again, a great multitude and, and don’t let them besides, I mean, besides there is not intended to imply that two different groups, I’m just saying they, all of them are described as being before the throne. Okay. Throughout the text. Okay. Um, who makes up this group of people from every nation and tribe that is in heaven?
According to verses 13 and 14. All right. Those that came out of the great tribulation. Okay. These are the ones that came out of the great tribulation. What did they do to themselves? They washed their robes in the blood of the lamb. And then what is the answer to the question from chapter six, verse 17, as far as who can stand those that are sealed with the Mark of God or Christians.
Okay. So chapter seven is over chapter eight, begins with the opening of the seventh seal, but we’re going to put that on pause. We’re going to act like we’re in an interlude and we’re going to answer this question of when was the book written for that? You need a couple of things. You need an old Testament and a new Testament, because there are two chapters,
one in each then answer. When the book is written chapter 17 of the book of revelation, there are a lot of discussions. There are a lot of opinions, as far as when the book is written and granted, when it comes to many of these books that are in the new Testament, we don’t know exactly when they were written. There are some hints,
like for instance, there are some good indications that first Corinthians came before second Corinthians, but that doesn’t mean, you know, exactly where, you know, what was going on, what year it was, but there’s a lot of good ideas. And there’s a lot of good study. That’s gone into this. Now, when it comes to revelation, though,
there are two predominant ideas. I think they’re both wrong. The first idea is that it’s written between somewhere between a 64 and 66, a D that generally comes because of someone taking the majority of the book and interpreting the book to be about the fall of Jerusalem and the persecution to be the Jews persecution of the Christians. And that the ultimate discussion is the same discussion happening in Matthew chapter 24.
Um, they jumped through a lot of hoops to get the book written in the days of Nero in the days leading up to the fall of Rome. Um, I’m not going to go into a lot of the reasons why I don’t think it’s right. Fall of Jerusalem, sorry. Fall of Jerusalem. Um, I’m just only going to say the book is not consistent with the discussion from Matthew chapter 24.
They’re shared imagery. They’re shared discussions of the fall of nations, but I think you’ll see in a moment that the contents of revelation are, is not the same discussion as Matthew 24. So I’m going to move that theory aside. It’s not written before 80, 70, the other discussion. The other idea is that it was written in 95 or 96 D this is usually held because there is a record of a statement by irony is who is allegedly a student of John and Irenaeus says that revelation was received in 95,
96, or in the time of the reign of Domitian. Um, the problem with that is that’s not what John says and you, and you already know how I feel about context. You already know how I feel about letting the text speak for itself. So we’re going to look at revelation chapter 17. We’re not going to study it in depth, but I want us to see a few things that John put in the book,
and then we’re going to go back to the old Testament. We’re going to see if we can put some things together. Okay? Because the old Testament talks about the same thing that revelation does. How many times we mentioned things that we’ve gone through. The first seven chapters said, it’s over here in Zachariah. It’s over here in Jeremiah. It’s over here in Isaiah.
The whole book of revelation is almost in its entirety, found in the old Testament between the shared imagery and the prophecies that were already there. And so is the date of the book. So there’s the others who say it’s 95, 96, because they see this persecution by Domitian, who was on the throne, who was one of the pers main persecutors of the church in the first century.
And they see that and they go, this must be when it was written. And the statement from Irenaeus, okay. Chapter 17, verse one of revelation. Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked to me saying to me, come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters with whom the Kings of the earth committed for an occasion.
And the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication. Okay? So not going to go in all the details, but someone comes to John and he says, John, I want to show you the judgment of this great harlot. I’m going to show you this judgment of the one who enticed and caused the committed adultery, all the nations on the earth.
Okay. Now notice what happens. Verse three. So he carried me away in the spirit, into the wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on a Scarlet beast, which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and 10 horns. The woman was arrayed in purple and Scarlet and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls having in her hand,
the golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication. Okay. So here’s a picture of a woman. She’s a seductress. And she has cause the nations to follow after her into abomination and into for an occasion. But she’s writing on something we’ve just been in chapter five, we saw this, or chapter six, we saw people riding on something then,
and it had meaning while this woman is riding on what A beast, the beast is color of Scarlet. And what is, what, what attribute does, does John see about this beast? Seven Heads and 10 horns. Okay. Verse five. And on her forehead was a name or a name was written mystery, Babylon, the great the mother of harlots and of the abominations of the earth.
I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement. What’s this woman been doing, she’s been persecuting the church, but she is described, or she has written on, on her forehead. What name? Babel on the grade. Okay. There should already be a connection in your brain back to Daniel because of Babylon.
And you remember there was a discussion over in Daniel chapter two, Daniel chapter two. There’s a discussion that happens because the King of Babylon Nebuchadnezzar has a dream. And in that dream, he sees a statue in it. Statue has what, a head of gold and shoulders and arms and chest of what silver and belly and thighs of what bronze or brass and legs and feet of what iron mixed with clay.
And then he sees something else. What does he see? He sees a mountain carved out of the earth without hands, and it comes and does what to the image. It breaks it, but it doesn’t just break. It, it, it grinds it into powder and then it grows and it fills the whole earth. And the dreams interpreted, and God tells Nebuchadnezzar through Daniel.
Here’s the interpretation of the dream. The four parts of the image are what for great kingdoms. And who does he say is the head of gold? Napa can answer. I want you to notice something the King and the kingdom are interchangeable. He doesn’t say Babylon is the head of gold. He says, you, Oh, great. Nebuchadnezzar are the head of gold.
The King and the kingdom are interchangeable, but that actually has some significance, but he means Babylon as a kingdom and never can as her as it’s representative. But then there’s a nation that’s going to come after Babylon, after Nebuchadnezzar, and that nation’s going to be inferior. And yet it will overcome Babylon. And that nation, or actually nations will be hoot the Medes and the Persians.
And then that nation will be overcome by another nation, which will in turn, be inferior. It yet will overcome it. And that nation will be what Greece. And then another nation will come and it will be inferior in substance to that nation, but it will still overcome it. And it will be what Rome. And in the days of these Kings shall God set up a kingdom,
which shall never be destroyed. That prophecy is the foundation for another chapter in the book of Daniel. And that’s chapter seven, turn to Daniel chapter seven, because now we’re going to talk about four nations in the first year of bell. Shazard King of Daniel, King of Babylon. Daniel had a dream and visions of his head while on his bed. Then he wrote down the dream telling the main facts.
Daniel spoke, saying I saw in my vision by night and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea and four great beasts came up from the sea. Each different from the other. The first was like a lion and had Ingle Eagle’s wings. I watched till it w its wings were plucked off and it was lifted up from the earth and made to stand on two feet like a man and a man’s heart was given to it.
Now, is there another place in the book of Daniel where some kind of man beast transformation happens, Nebuchadnezzar when Nebuchadnezzar his heart is lifted up. And I think Daniel chapter four, Daniel chapter four, and he looks at all the great things that he’s done and, and, and is filled up with God decides to give him a little bit of a humility lesson and causes Nevin Nebuchadnezzar to go out and live among the bees and eat the grass like an oxen until he realizes that the Lord God reigns on the earth,
not Nebuchadnezzar. Well, interestingly, this beast makes the transformation in the opposite direction, which of course Nebuchadnezzar would, would do in a sense when he would return to his mind and leave the field and go back to the throne. So the beast go, stands up like a man. And then notice what happens. Verse five, suddenly another beast, a second,
like a bear. It was raised up on one side and had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. And they said, thus to it arise devour much flesh. After this, I looked and there was another, like a leopard which had on its back for wings of a bird. And the beast also had four heads and dominion was given to it.
If you walked through this and we’re not gonna do it for the sake of time, but you would identify every single kingdom first one’s Babylon second, one’s the Mito Persian empire. The third one, the leopard is Greece. Let’s stay with me. And after this I looked and there was another, like a leopard which had on its back for wings of a bird.
The beast also had foreheads and dominion was given to it. After this, I saw in the night visions and behold, a fourth beast dreadful and terrible exceedingly strong. It had huge iron teeth. It was devouring breaking in pieces and trembling the residue with its fees, with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it. And it had 10 horns.
I was considering the horns and there was another horn, a little one coming up among them before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the root. And they’re in this horn where eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth speaking, pompous words. This isn’t blast for me. This is being a braggart. So here, you’ve got this fourth beast.
It’s indescribable. There’s, there’s not an equivalent description in the animal kingdom, but it has what, 10 horns. And then three horns are plucked out and the little horn comes up. So all told there’s how many horns? Oh 11. But after the three are plucked out, how many are left? Eight. Okay. It’s going to be important.
All right, just hang on here. It’s going to be important. There were 10, three are removed. A little one comes up and there’s eight. But when the little one comes up, he begins speaking and claiming things that he’s not okay. I watched till Thrones were put in place and the ancient of days was seated. As Garmin was white as snow and his hair was the hair of his head was like pure wool.
His throne was a fiery flame. Its wheels were burning fire, a fiery stream issued and came forth from before him a thousand. And excuse me, a thousand thousands ministered to him, 10,000 times, 10,000 thousands before stood before him, the court was seated and the books were opened. Sounds almost like an innumerable number, doesn’t it? But here’s this quantity of people.
And they’re standing before the one on the throne and what’s opened the books because judgment’s coming. That’s the picture you get there. A judge just sat down and the books are about to be open. And I watched then because of the sound of the pompous words, which the horn was speaking notice, here’s the little horn he’s talking. He’s claiming something about himself.
I watched till the beast was slain and its body destroyed. And given to the burning flame as for the rest of the bees, they had their dominion taken away yet. Their lives were prolonged for a season. At a time I was watching on the night visions and behold one like the son of man coming with the clouds of heaven. And he came to the ancient of days and they brought him near before him then to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom that all the peoples nations and languages should serve him.
His dominion isn’t everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away. And his kingdom, the one which shall not be destroyed. Did Daniel just identify what the fourth beast was? It was the same as the fourth kingdom. Okay. Well, wait a minute. Verse 15. I, Daniel was grieved in my spirit within my body and the visions of my head troubled me.
I came near to one of those who stood by and I asked him the truth of all this Daniel doesn’t get it. He doesn’t understand. And I can understand why by the way. So he told me and made, known to me the interpretation of these things, these great bees, which are for our four Kings or kingdoms, which arise out of the earth.
But the saints of the most high shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever. But the saints of the most high shall receive or sorry, verse 19. Then I wished to know the truth about the fourth beast, which was different from all the others, exceedingly dreadful with its teeth of iron and it’s mails of bronze, which devoured broken pieces and trampled the residue with its feet and the 10 horns,
which were on his head and the other horn, which came up before, which three fell, namely that horn, which had eyes and a mouth, which spoke pompous words, whose appearance was greater than his fellows. I was watching in the S and the name, excuse me. And the same horn was making war against who saints and prevailing against them until the ancient of days came.
And a judgment was made in favor of the saints of the most high. And the time came for the saints to possess the earth. Okay. Put a little bit together here in Rome, there were a number of emperors. Let me skip forward to this one. And in verse 24, chapter seven, Daniel says the 10 horns are 10 Kings who shall arise from this kingdom.
And another shallow rise after them. He shall be different from the first ones and shall, should do three Kings. He shall speak pompous words against the most high shall persecute. The saints of the most high and Shalon tend to change times and laws. Then the Saint shall be given into his hand for a time and times and half a time. Okay.
Daniel says there’s 10 Kings, and then another one comes. And when this 11th one comes, he’s going to persecute the saints. Okay. Turn back to revelation. Chapter 17 and look at verses seven and eight, John does not originate the imagery. John uses the prophecy of Daniel and the basic imagery and the references to the Kings that Daniel gives him.
And John identifies who’s on the throne and who’s coming for, I go into this, remember this revelation chapter one said, this prophecy is about things, which must what shortly come to pass. And verse five, the time is at hand. So the time of persecution wasn’t right then it was when coming. It was at hand, okay. Verse seven,
revelation 17. But the angel said to me, why did you Marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has seven heads and 10 horns. The bees that you saw now notice the phrase was, and is not the beast in revelation is a persecuting actor. The beast that was in chapter seven of Daniel was a devouring persecuting actor.
And he was making war with the saints. But there’s something about the beast that is at this point, not current, he says he was and is not. Now, there’s another connection that you need to make because the connection is also, do you remember the description of Jesus Christ? He who was, and who is, and who is the com?
Everything in revelation has its opposite. Everything has its it’s adversary. And here’s the adversary of the eternal Christ. The beast who claims to be God, but he’s not claims to be deity. Buddy’s not. And the beast was and is not, and is about to come up. Notice what we read, the beast that you saw was, and is not,
and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go into perdition for it. And those who dwell on the earth will Marvel, whose names are not written in the book of life, from the foundation of the world. When they see the beast that was and is not. And yet is here in the mind, which has wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits.
Now, if you know anything about Rome, Rome sat upon seven mountains, seven Hills, okay. Rome is identified. Clearly the woman, the great harlot sits upon seven Hills, seven mountains. Then the beast that wa Oh, wait, I skipped a verse 10. There are also seven Kings five have fallen. One is, and the other has not yet come.
And when he comes, he must continue a short time. The beast that was and is not is himself also what? The eighth. Alright, so we’ve got in revelation. We’ve we don’t have 11. We have eight, but in Daniel, when the 11th came up, he did what took three out. Okay. You go back through Roman history and you’re going to find this.
The first recognized emperor of Rome. It was not Julius Caesar. It was Augustus. Augustus was the first Senate appointed emperor of Rome. Julius Caesar was one who you served the throne and made himself emperor. Beginning with Augustus. You have a Gustus Tiberius Caligula who was an absolutely insane Claudius and then Nero. What did narrow due to the church? Persecuted the church,
bad delay, which is why some people think, well, the books written in the days of Nero, but it’s not Nero is the one who’s described as the one who was notice. Read the text again. There are also seven Kings five have fallen. One is when Nero goes down, civil war erupts in Rome and the space of one year three emperors come and go because their civil war there’s unrest,
they keep coming to the throne. They keep getting killed. So for a period of time, there’s three that just come up and are gone. Those were the three that John skips over. He ignores them. They’re a ortho or a<inaudible>, but then Vespasian comes to the throne in John’s book. Vespasian is the one who is say, what I’ll do.
I, I look, there’s a slide. Vespasian is the one who is, he is the one on the throne. And then you read that there will, he will continue a short time and then another will come, who is not yet. And that will be Vespasian son, Titus, but Titus will only rain for a short time. He’ll rain for two years.
Interestingly, just throw this little tidbit in, who will destroy the city of Jerusalem tight as well. Titus will come he’ll return back to Rome. He will take his father’s place on the throne, but he will only rain for a short time. And then he will die. And his brother will come to the throne in 81, a D Domitian who all of history tells us was probably as insane as Nero and Caligula would come to the throne.
But the mission was different than many of the others. He was like some of the others, but he was different and like Nero in a specific way, Nero and Caligula. He thought he was God. And he wanted everyone to call him God. And he declared his D his declarations to be the orange originating with God. And he began to persecute the church in earnest.
John says, the time that is right now is the time when the one who was persecuting is not persecuting anymore. And that’s Nero. And now there is one who’s currently on the throne. There’s one who’s shortly coming. And then the beast will arise again. During the time of civil war, after Nero died, there was no persecution. Rome was too busy,
fighting itself to persecute Christians Vespasian came and took the throne. And he didn’t really persecute the Christians. And neither did Titus. They were putting down unrest in places like Jerusalem. But when Domitian comes to the throne, history tells us, you begin to see persecution that begins in 80 81 with Domitian coming to the throne and continues for 200 years. The books written though,
according to John, when the beast is in a is not state, he’s not persecuting right now, but he’s about to that makes the book written in the days of Vespasian or in other words, sometime between 80, 69 and 80 79. But here’s the key Vespasian is about to be replaced by the one who will remain on the throne a short time there in chapter 17,
you see that, that verbiage. So Titus is shortly to be on the throne that makes the writing of the book, the time of the book, somewhere around probably between 80, 77 and 80 79. Okay. And John uses the imagery from Daniel to explain it. So, you know, so I don’t really care what Irenaeus said because John said the beast was in an,
is not state. He’s not persecuting right now, but he’s coming. So that’s our classroom night. We’ll go over the questions, kind of review that. So you’ve got some handouts, you’ve got some information, we’ll go through the questions on that. As we start our class on Sunday, I would ask if there’s any questions, but there’s probably too many to answer so Well,
good evening and welcome to our devotional after our Bible class. And I am thoroughly confused about the succession of all of the Roman emperors and so on, but it makes sense once again, is sure. Good to see each of you here and have a good crowd tonight, even have visitors. And, um, thank you for your attendance. We have a number of sick and I’m going to run through this list.
Dorothy and Rodale Wilson have pretty much chronic problems. Um, however, Dorothy Wilson did suffer a heart attack last week. And, um, so we definitely need to keep her in our prayers, but, uh, well I think she’s home. Is that correct? Yeah. Okay. Joan Springer, uh, is doing much better and I know the reason she’s doing better is,
uh, her son and her daughter are coming. Um, well, Lee’s here and with us tonight, but, uh, Lisa will be here tomorrow. So she’s feeling better. I, I know she is need to keep Pam chafing in her prayers. Um, she’s doing much better to, with her surgery. She had back surgery about a week and a half ago.
And, um, I think she’s healing up nicely. Sylvia pass also had a spinal block for her bad back last week and she says it hasn’t improved much. Okay. Janell<inaudible>, um, that is Janet’s about the same and she has thyroid cancer. Right. And Gladys Lyles of course continues to be at home. Um, Francis Wallace, um,
is, uh, we’re Halvorson’s there Cheryl. Okay. She is home. Is that correct? That’s Jacobs. Jacob, some grandmother. And Jay, you remember Jacob he’s led singing here a number of times for us and that’s his grandmother and she had a stroke about two weeks ago. And, uh, she is, uh, his back home and,
uh, Leah Ben cleave that was on the severe die out dialysis, uh, list. Um, I yes, continues to be in that routine. So all of these people need to keep your prayer. Mary Joe Todaro has been diagnosed with Lynne liver cancer. That’s Jenny sister-in-law and I take it she’s down in Louisiana. Is that correct? Okay. And Cassandra just told me and Michelle Ford,
um, it was down in, uh, it’s a friend of hers was down in the Gulf coast area. I don’t know where, but anyway, her car broke down and she stuck down there in the hurricane. So she’s in a real mess. So I guess she deserves, uh, deserve some attention as well. That’s all the sick that I have or the need really need our prayers.
Remember Ava Morgan with the loss of her sister-in-law Kay Fisher and her brother, Roy Fisher. Now I think Roy is her true brother and she had another brother who is the, um, husband of K Fisher. So that’s how all that fit together. What? Well, that’s my understanding. Don’t forget, uh, September national nationwide gospel meeting call flyers on the table and Friday night at nine o’clock Gary Callie will be speaking on that program and his subject we’ll be obeying from the heart.
Uh, something we definitely need to remember. Okay. Song leader tonight will be Michael Dale devotional will be Aaron Cozort and Joe caisson has the closing prayer. Once again. Thank you all for being here this long before the devotional will be number 753 Or they’re along seven, five three. Once you get there, if you want to walk number 943, that’ll be the song of invitation 943 number 753.<inaudible> why it should be the day<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> and,
uh, uh,<inaudible> uh, uh, and, uh,<inaudible> a few more<inaudible><inaudible> as we sweep through, uh, Buton four. Yay.<inaudible> no,<inaudible><inaudible> no nurse Dan<inaudible> and, uh, uh, uh,<inaudible> uh, when we see G uh, coming and going, Oh, when he comes from, um, is,
Oh man, ah, ah, man, wish me and, and, uh, Brian<inaudible>, uh<inaudible> Oh, by and, uh,<inaudible> no, uh, uh<inaudible> and, uh,<inaudible> uh, uh<inaudible> Oh, by and, uh, Is there a way to stop people from being saved? Paul said there was, Paul said there were those who were striving to achieve that goal,
to stop people from being saved, take your Bibles, if you will, and open them to first Thessalonians, first Thessalonians chapter two, we read for you yourselves know, brethren that are coming to you was not in vain, but even after we suffered before and were spitefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we were bold in our God to speak to you the gospel in much a gospel of God in much conflict for our exhortation did not come from error or uncleanness nor was it in deceit.
But as we had been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts for neither at any time, did we use flattering words as you yourself, or as you know, nor a cloak for covetousness, God is witness. Paul reminds those that Tesla Nika. When I was there,
when myself and my companions were with you, we exhorted you. We spoke to you and what did they speak? They spoke the gospel, but go to the end of the chapter beginning in verse 14 for you, brethren became imitators of the churches of God, which are in Judea, in Christ. Jesus for you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen,
just as they did from the Judeans who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own profits and have persecuted us. And they do not please God, and are contrary to all men for bidding on us and notice this phrase for bidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they, they they’re being the Gentiles maybe saved. How would you stop people from being saved?
Stop people from preaching the gospel. And you know, there’s many countries that actively strive to stop people from preaching the gospel, but there’s many in our country who as well would love to stop people from preaching the gospel because they know to be true. What Paul says to be true. The gospel is the power of God unto salvation to the Jew first and also to the Greek,
to the Jew and to the Gentile. The gospel is what will cause people to be saved. So the surefire way to keep people from being saved is stop the gospel from being preached. That calls upon us to do something, not just to live the Christian life, but to proclaim the gospel message because it, and not us causes people to be saved.
There are people who want to stop other people from being saved and they will succeed. If we choose not to speak, if we choose not to breach, if we choose to remain silent in our lives, as we interact with others, are we succumbing to the temptation to just not say anything, just not speak up, just not say something that’s going to cause someone to be upset because do we remember that it’s also what just might cause them to change?
Are we giving into the temptation to do Satan’s work for him by not speaking if you’re here this evening and you have need of redemption of salvation, you can have it. And the gospel tells you how you can hear the word of God and believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God. You can repent of your sins and confess his name. And you can be immersed in water for the remission of your sins,
by the commandment of the gospel and rise to walk in newness of life. But if you’ve given into the demand of the world to stop speaking, maybe today’s the day we change and start preaching the gospel for it is the power of God unto salvation. If you have need of the invitation, the invitation is open as we stand and as we sing,<inaudible> ah,
you, uh,<inaudible> us dude.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> here’s each time you cry. Ah,<inaudible> ah, cheers from your, uh, dude, you know, my God sees us<inaudible><inaudible> loves you.<inaudible><inaudible> ass bow here. God, our father in heaven, we truly are so grateful for your love. That was demonstrated to us how your precious son dying on the cross of Calvary and the redemption that we have through his blood father.
We realized that that is the greatest gift that we will ever have or will ever be. And we’re so grateful card. And we pray father that we be mindful of those that have never named your name. Those that might not know your will and pray that we have the strength and courage to share that with those. And they say, father, we are mindful of all those that were mentioned that were ill or having issues.
We pray that you continue to bless them and watch over them and be with those that are ministering to them. A lot of the we’re mindful of those that are teaching and preaching your word elsewhere. We pray that your blessings be upon them and keep them safe that Minnesota might come to you to the gospel father, help us here this evening that we contain it to show our love for our fellow man that we give you the honor and the glory and the praise in our lives.
And others truly know that we are your children and that we’re trying to walk in the steps of our Lord and savior. That’s us, our father, and continue to be with us, whether they’re mine or the week and help us to be mindful. Those that might not have been here to check up on them. And those that might have drifted away,
that we might encourage them to come back and be faithful to Jesus. Right?
JOHN – Revelation 7 The Servants of God are Marked
John saw these things after the opening of which seal? Revelation 7:1; 6:12 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
What were four angels holding back, and what were they “granted” to do? Revelation 7:1-2 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
What did the angel that came from the east have in his hand? Revelation 7:2 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
For what were the four angels told to wait? Revelation 7:3 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Where on His servants did the “seal” (or mark) of God go? Revelation 7:3 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
How many tribes are marked? Which of Joseph’s sons are included and which of Jacob’s are left out? How many from each tribe are marked? Revelation 7:4-8 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Who else besides 144,000 are present before the throne and the Lamb? Revelation 7:9-10 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Who makes up this group of people from every nation and tribe that in Heaven? What did they do to themselves? Revelation 7:13-14 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> good morning. It’s good to see everybody this morning. We are in revelation chapter seven, and as we have been doing, we will continue to do,
we’re going to go over the questions from Wednesday as a review of chapter six, before we get into chapter seven, but you’ll notice on the handouts. There is a review sheet on the top that you can use to kind of just keep track Of everything we’ve gone through thus far, um, in the book we’re being six chapters in understanding that this has a constant flow to it.
You know, there’s, there’s a lot of new material in revelation that you want to keep track of. And, uh, that’s, that’s going to continue to be the case as we move forward. So, uh, hopefully that will be helpful for you. We won’t spend a lot of time looking at it. We will do a brief review of a couple of things as we get started with our class,
but let’s begin with a word of prayer and then we’ll get into the question, Gracious father in heaven, we bound before your throne grateful for the day that you’ve given to us grateful for the life and the opportunity that we have to be able to serve you, to be able to glorify your name, to praise you and to come to you in prayer when we need help,
when we need strength, but also to say thank you for all of the many wonderful things that you’ve done and continue to do. We pray that you be with those who are struggling with illness, pray that you be with those who are recovering from difficulties. We pray that you be with those who are home because of their health. And we pray that you will be with each one of those individuals in each one of those groups that may they have the comfort,
the strength and the health that they desire. Pray that you be with those who are undergoing upcoming procedures, or maybe have faced, uh, illnesses and difficulties that they were not, uh, anticipating. We know. So often things come at us in a time in our lives when we’re not ready for it, we pray that you be with those and help them to endure through those hard times.
We’re we’re mindful, especially right now for Ava’s family and the struggles that they are going with, and we pray that you will help them and give them strength and give Ava strength and encouragement. And this time, all this, we pray in Jesus name. Amen. Chapter six. Questions, question one in chapter six, verse one who opens the scroll sealed with seven seals.
The lamb does all right. Chapter six, verses one and two. What color horse is seen in the first seal? A white horse? What two things are given to the one on the horse.<inaudible> A bow and a crown. What does he do?<inaudible> He conquers and continues. Conquering. Okay. What color horse is seen in the second seal?
A red horse. What is he given the ability to take peace from the earth? Okay. So the idea here being war the opposite of peace. Okay. Uh, what is he given a great sword to make war then the third seal, what color horse is seen in the third seal, a black horse. And what does the rider have in his hand,
a pair of balances or scales, what is affected by this rider and what is not affected? Alright, the wheat and the barley are affected, but the oil and the wine are not okay. What, uh, what color is seen in the fourth seal, a pale horse. And we talked about that being the idea of a, of a yellowish,
just a sickly looking horse. Um, I skipped down to the next one who sits on this horse Def who’s falling behind this horse. Haiti’s okay. Um, what does, what quantity of the earth we’re given into their hands a quarter or fourth are given into their hands. And we talked about the idea of, of partial judgment, partial, uh,
things that happen in the book of revelation. We’re seeing that here. Question number six, who does John see in the fifth seal? Okay. He sees the souls of those who were slain for the word of God and for the testimony of Christ, where are they under the altar? Okay. So they’re in heaven, they’re under the alter. And what are they saying?
How long ago, Lord, until you bring judgment upon those who are persecuting us and what are they told to do rest a little while now, one of the things you’ll notice about these questions, these questions are not interpret the book because at the end of the day, here’s one of the things that I think we miss. If we spend all of our time talking about the interpretation,
we lose the book and the way I, I always want you all to do. I want you to know what’s in the text. I don’t want you to know what I say about it. I hopefully you learn something about what I, from what I say about it, but I want you to know the book because when you know the, when you can walk through those visions,
when you can picture in your mind, one horse and another horse and another horse and another horse, and then those souls under the altar. And you’re seeing the results of this persecution. When somebody comes with a, just a Yahoo theory with a Val, this is Russia. And, and the, uh, there’s a patchy helicopters in the book of revelation,
which how Lindsay said and wrote in the late great planet. When, when they come with all this, you go, wait a minute, Whoa, you’re taking this and this and this and this and this. And you’re saying they’re all happening at the same time. And then it’s all. And you don’t believe any of it. Why don’t we go back to the text?
And that’s what I always want us to do. Go back to the text because when you can get somebody in the text and you can get them to see what they’re, they’re suddenly going to go, well, where did all this other stuff I believe come from? Because it’s not there. Okay. In the fifth seal, John sees Christians, the church and they’re dying,
they’re being killed and they’re being killed because of the witness, the testimony that they have, that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God. Okay. And they’re crying out to God. How long are you going to let this continue? How long until you avenge our deaths and the persecution that’s happening to the church. Because remember John’s whole premise is to the church.
Persecution is coming. That’s what the whole book is about. Persecution is coming, but I’ve got it. That’s the message of revelation. Okay. In the sixth seal, the language of revelation, six verses 12 through 14 was used in the old Testament to speak of what kind of event. Okay. So the, these type of, of, uh,
this type of imagery, moon cam coming like blood, uh, the, the stars being blacked out all of this in the old Testament we read, uh, Isaiah chapter 13, or I think we mentioned it, uh, turned over to Isaiah chapter 13 real quick verse one. Okay. Because revelation, doesn’t, doesn’t introduce this language out of nowhere.
We’re going to see chapter seven. Doesn’t introduce the language in chapter seven. Out of nowhere, it all comes from the old Testament. Every single person schooled in the old Testament, Christian in the first century knew exactly what was being stated. And there were no suggestions in their mind about some future nation called Russia or China or America involved anywhere in it.
Okay. Here’s what they already knew. Revel or revelation, chapter six. They knew Isaiah chapter 13, Isaiah chapter 13, verse one, the burden against Babylon, a burden in an old Testament, prophetic language meant what a prophecy. Okay. That’s that’s what a prophet would call his message that God said, you go tell them, this is why they called it a burden that they had the go speak.
This message. The prophecy, the burden against Babylon, which Isaiah, the son of Amos saw. So first, first, first thing understand this what’s this about, or who is this about? It was about Babylon. Babylon is what? A great power a nation on the earth if it was a city, but it was also, it was the capital of the nation of Babylon.
Okay. Now, keep in mind. This prophecy is being made before. Babylon is a great nation. They haven’t even come to power yet. Isaiah lives a nearly a hundred years before they come to power. They are not in power right now. They haven’t even come to power yet. And Isaiah is already going to prophesize their end. Okay? So here’s what happens.
He says, lift up the banner on the high mountain, raise your voice to them. Wave your hand that they may enter the Gates of the novels. I have commanded my sanctified ones. I have also called my mighty ones for my anger. Those who rejoice in my exaltation. Now skip down to verse 10. He’s going to continue talking. But for the sake of time,
verse 10, for the stars of heaven and their constellations will not give their light. The sun will be darkened and it’s going forth. The moon will not cause its light to shine. I will punish the world for its evil and the wicked for their inequity. I will hold the arrogance of the proud I will lay low. The haughtiness of the terrible.
I will make a mortal more rare than fine gold. A man, more than the golden wedge of over therefore I will shake the heavens and the earth will move out of her place. In the wrath of the Lord of hosts in the day of his fierce anger, it shall be as the hunted gazelle and as a sheep that no man takes up. Every man will turn to his own people and everyone will flee out,
flee to his own land. Everyone who has found will be thrust through and everyone who is captured will fall by the sword. Their children will be dashed to pieces before their eyes. Their houses will be plundered. Their wives will wives, ravish, behold. I will stir up the Meads against them. Oh wait a minute. Wait, wait, wait back here in verse 10.
He said that the stars of heaven, their constellations will not give any light hold. This must be the judgment day, right? Oh, this is God bringing judgment on Babylon before Babylon comes to power and he even identifies who he’s going to do it through. Now. Was there any great miracles that happened? Did the sun stopped shining the moon stopped giving its light.
Did the stars literally in a physical sense, recede, did the sky get rolled up when Babylon fell? No. All of this language in chapter six verses 12 through 14 is used and it’s not just here. It’s used throughout the old Testament prophets to speak of the fall of a nation and specifically God bringing about the fall of a nation. So when you read this kind of language,
don’t immediately go second coming of Christ, go wait a minute. What nation just fell. Okay. Now we haven’t really discussed a whole lot in revelation about what nation’s going to default. We’re going to get there, but John’s saying here’s somebody persecuting the church and the people in the church cry out how long the Lord until you bring judgment. And the next thing you see is the fall of a nation.
Okay? So the language in verses 12 through 14 was used in the old Testament to speak of the fall of a nation. What are the mighty and powerful on earth hiding from the wrath of God and of the one who sits on the throne and of the lamb. Okay. The wrath of God, the wrath of the lamb, either one of those lamp answers.
And then what is the fundamental question of the sixth seal? Very last statement in chapter six, who is able to stand when, in the day of the wrath of the lamb. Okay. So chapter six, verse 17 for the great day of his, the antecedent, there is the lamb for the great day of his wrath has come and who is able to stand.
That’s the question. And in chapter seven, we have, we just went through all of that. Hold on. I forgot that I had slides about chapter seven. We have an interlude because the seven seals not opened yet and it’s not going to be open yet. You have this moment where seal, seal, seal, seal, seal, they’re all being torn off.
They’re being open, they’re being opened. You’re seeing what’s happening. You’re seeing the prophecy of what’s to come. And then there’s this pause because there’s a question that’s asked. And before that seven seal is ripped off. The question has to be answered. Who can stand in the day of God’s wrath. That’s chapter seven. Now chapter seven is connected to chapter 14.
Um, let me back up one. Not ready for that yet. Uh, chapter seven is connected. Chapter 14. We’ll spend a little bit of time talking about chapter 14, but not very much in this class. Um, because I want you to see this in its progression. Okay? Chapter seven begins after these things, I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth,
holding the four winds of the earth that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea or on any tree. Alright. One thing we mentioned towards the beginning of our class is that almost everything in the book of revelation has an angel. The church, each of the churches has an angel here. The wind has an angel. There’s an angel for each,
for the wind, from the North, the wind from the South, that Mullin from the East, the wind from the West, by the way, there are some who will come to the book of revelation, skeptics and others who will come to revelation. As I say, see, you believe in this, this all bronze age book, you use this.
Why they think they thought the world had corners. They thought the world was flat and the world has corners. Go look at any globe in any school. And you’ll find out the world doesn’t have corners. Well, if you go look at almost any globe in any school, you’ll find out the earth does have corners. Now I looked round, right?
But wait a minute. What’s that? What’s that those are four corners. You see people try to make something out of nothing. When God speaks of the four corners of the earth. He’s not trying to tell you the way people in, in old time, Spain and others believed it, that the earth is flat. And there’s even still today who believe it.
He’s giving you a picture because even then they recognize go all the way back to the time of Moses and what held back the, the red sea strong wind. And they told you which direction it came from when you read four corners, don’t think in your mind. Well, that must mean they thought the world was square, but we all recognize four directions,
North, South, East, and West. And they did then. Okay. By only point in this little venture into a rabbit trail is don’t read something into the text. That’s not there because he’s even then going to tell you what the four corners are. Okay. So I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, North, South,
East, and West holding the four winds of the earth that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea or on any tree. Then I saw another angel O sending from the East and having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea notice those who are holding back,
the wind have been given power to do something before in chapter six, we’ve got the barley and the wheat being damaged. Okay? But something else isn’t harmed here. You’ve got the sea and the ocean and the earth being given power over. But other things are not hard. But he says in verse three, do not harm the earth, the sea or the trees till we have sealed the servants of God on their foreheads.
And some will go, Oh, look, look, they’re there. They’re being sealed. This is the Holy spirit. That was not just because Paul talks about us being as Christians being sealed with the seal of the Holy spirit over in first Corinthians does not mean that the moment you hear a seal over here in revelation, you’re talking about the Holy spirit.
Why? Because we already know what kind of seals we’re dealing with. We’re talking about a vision. We’re talking about a vision. That’s already talked about seals, which are pictures of ownership. Okay. When you had a seal back in the first century, you had a wax stamp, you had something that you put in him, uh, an embossed image on that indicated your authority and your ownership.
That’s why no one else could open the book that had seven seals on it. Okay. Is because they had to have the right person, the person who was worthy, the person who had the authority. Now here, the angel comes up and he tells those who are holding back the wind at, well, not yet. Not yet. We have to seal all those who belong to God and they’re going to do that.
But this is not new imagery. This is not the first time this has happened. If you go back to a Z keel as ZQ, I think it’s chapter nine is Z Gill sees a vision where God’s going to bring judgment and they seal, they Mark all those that belong to God. And none of them are judged. All those that belong to God are marked and exempted from judgment.
All those who don’t have the Mark of God are judged here. The angel comes up in the same imagery as the book of Ezekiel. And he says, wait, wait, wait. We’ve got to Mark those that belong to God before you bring this judgment on the earth and on the sea and on the trees. Okay. So I heard the number of those who were sealed by the way,
where’s their Mark foreheads. You hear all the time about the Mark of the beast and the six, six, six on people’s foreheads. Well guess what these people have on their foreheads. Do you think there’s going to be a literal time where we literally have six, six, six written our forehead or the name of God? No. Nor did any of the Christians of the first century think that this is imagery.
This is who does this person belong to? Okay. So they’re marked and they’re marked in their foreheads. There are many marks. As a matter of fact, in the book of revelation turned to chapter 13, revelation chapter 13, beginning in verse 16, this is talking about the beast. He causes all, both small and great rich and poor, free,
and slave to receive a Mark where they receive their Mark on their right hand or on their foreheads. Uh, this, this is a little chip being implanted in your hand, right? No chapter 13, verse one, chapter 13, verse one. Then I stood on the sand of the sea and I saw a beast rising up out of the sea,
having seven heads and 10 horns and on his horns, 10 crowns and on his head, a blasphemous name what’s he got on his head, a name, what? What’s that? It’s a Mark. Okay. Uh, chapter 17, verse five, verse four. The woman was arrayed in purple and Scarlet and darned with gold and precious stones and pearls having in her hand,
a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication and on her forehead, a name was written. What’s that a Mark. And what was her? What was written mystery? Babylon, the great the mother of harlots and of the abominations of the earth. Somebody must’ve been fine print and get that all written on her forehead. So are we expecting some lady to come forth and,
and rule over the nation and ride a dragon? This God, this whole paragraph written on her head? No. All right. Chapter 14, verse nine, then a third angel followed him saying with a loud voice. If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his Mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God,
which is poured out full strength into the cup of his indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the Holy angels and in the presence of the lamb and the smoke of their term, torment, a Sans forever and ever. And they have no rest day or night who worship the beast in his image and who ever receives the Mark of his name.
This is not a physical object or a physical Mark. It is a spiritual one because who’s doing the marking. The angels are whether the angels for the bees or the angels of God, they’re declaring. This one belongs to me. And what was the determining factor as to whether or not this one belonged to the beast? They worshiped him. Whose side are you going to be on whoever you worship and serve.
Now, Romans chapter six makes it clear if you serve your lust and the flesh, you become a slave to what sin. But if instead you are born again and you live as a new creature, you serve righteousness, you become a slave to righteousness. You know, slaves had marks on them. Didn’t they, they had marks to indicate who they belonged to.
And so to God’s people, they have a Mark. This is, this one belongs to me. Don’t bring my judgment on him. Okay. Now the question is because we’re going to get in to this question of the 144,000 revelation chapter seven, verse three, do not harm the earth, the sea or the trees until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.
And I heard the number of those who were sealed 144,000 of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed of the tribe of Judah. 12,000 were sealed to the tribe of Reuben. 12,000 were sealed to the tribe of GAD. 12,000 were sealed of the tribe of Asher. 12,000 were sealed of the tribe of NAFTA. Lai 12,000 were sealed to the tribe of Manasseh.
12,000 were sealed of the tribe of Simeon. 12,000 were sealed of the tribe of Levi. 12,000 were sealed to the tribe of visit. 12,000 were sealed of the tribes. Ambulant 12,000 were sealed to the tribe of Joseph 12,000 were sealed with the tribe of Benjamin 12,000 were sealed. Okay? So a pre millennialist comes along and says there are 144,000 that are going to go to heaven.
And there’s problem with that. Number one, this 144,000 RNN heaven. Where are they think about it? What was the judgment going to come on? They’re holding back the winds that are going to bring judgment on the earth and the sea and the trees. So where are the people who are sealed, who aren’t going to receive the judgment on earth and they’re on earth before this judgment comes.
Okay. Now, why are they all from tribes in Israel? I don’t have any great insight into that. Other than here’s this all throughout the new Testament, you have multiple times where the Jews stand as a representation of the people of God. You remember when Paul spoke about Israel and he said, they are not all of who are of Israel. He’s talking about the fact that there are those who are fleshly descendants of Abraham,
who aren’t spiritual descendants of Abraham, but there are spiritual descendants of Abraham who aren’t fleshly descendants of Abraham, Romans chapter four says that Abraham is the father of all them. That what believe. So maybe this is just God showing here’s mine people. Oh, wait. That’s exactly what we were told. Isn’t it is his way. Wait, don’t do anything until we Mark those that belong to God.
Now it’s interesting because they’re going to go into this tribulation. They’re going to go into this difficult time, this persecution that’s coming, and then they’re going to come out on the other side. We’re gonna see that. And the second part of the book or second part of the chapter, and when they come out of the tribulation, there’s not 144,000 of them.
Wait a minute. Did we lose some? No, it was a matter of fact, we gained a lot because there’s an innumerable quantity of them, which indicates the 144,000 is in the literal number. Watch this what’s 12 times 1,244. What’s 144 multiplied by a thousand, 144,000. Now what is 12 in the book of revelation revelation in the Cape. There’s 12 stones.
There’s 12 apostles. There’s 12 patriarchs. There’s 12 tribes there. W what is 12 indicate? The short answer is those who belong to God. 12 was a number all throughout the book of revelation that indicates the faithful that belong to God. When you take 12 and you multiply it times 12, you’ve got the faithful that belonged to God with an exclamation.
You’ve got it enhanced. You’ve got it expounded. But the number 1000 indicates a totality. God, doesn’t just have we use the Psalmus writer that the cattle on a thousand Hills belong to the Lord. Does that mean that on the thousand and first Hill, that cow doesn’t belong to the Lord? No. The imagery, the language means once you’ve hit a thousand,
the point is finished. They all belong to God. It’s a, that indicates completeness. So you’ve got 12,000 times or 12 times, 12 times a thousand, all of them, who are they marking? The angel said, don’t, don’t bring the judgment until we’ve marked whom all the ones that belong to him and who got missed, which servant of God got missed in the marketing process.
None of them, which servant of God, didn’t get marked. None of them, which servant of God, wasn’t able to stand in the day of the wrath of a lamb. None of them, you see the number 144,000 doesn’t have anything to do with a literal quantity. It has everything to do with an image, a picture that says every single faithful servant of God can stand in the day of the wrath of lamb.
There’s not a single one that can’t, it’s a complete number. And it points to the faithful who belong to God. And there’s non one of them that are going to be touched by the judgment of God. Now that doesn’t mean they’re not going to suffer pain because this same idea is used back in the old Testament where God says, I’m not going to bring my judgment upon those in Judah who are faithful to me yet,
they’re still going to go through their nation falling. Some of them are still going to die. Some of them are still going to be carted off to Babylon, but they’re not the ones being judged. They’re not the ones stay standing condemned. They’re going to suffer some in the process. But God’s saying to his people, I’ve got you. And I’ve got every single one of you and who can stand in the day of the wrath of the lamb.
When all the rich, all the mighty, all those who are powerful are falling down under the mountains and crying for the mountains to fall down on them and protect them. You can, the faithful of God can stand. All right? So after these things, I looked and behold a great multitude, which no one could number of all nations tribes, peoples and tongues standing before the throne.
And before the lamb clothed with white robes, with Palm branches in their hand, and crying with a loud voice, saying salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne. And to the lamb, John sees this persecution. This judgment is about to come on the earth. The four winds are about to be let loose on the earth. The seal is about to be ripped open,
but first before the seven seals were over and we need to know something who can withstand the judgment of God. And the answer is God’s people can because they belong to him. And they’ve been marked with his Mark, and they’re not going to get touched by the judgment. And then John sees not 144,000, not just 12 tribes, not just a thousand out of each tribe,
but in innumerable, multitude. And where are they? Where are they standing before the throne? You had the souls under the altar who were crying out. How long though? Lord in verse or in, in chapter six. And now there’s an enumerable multitude standing before the throne saying we’ve received salvation. And where did they come from? Just the 12 tribes.
They’re all Jews, right? Every nation, every tribe, every tongue. Now, before we go any further, I want to show you very clearly who the 144,000 art. And we’ll pick up with the rest of chapter seven on Wednesday night, revelation, chapter 14, verse one, there were two markings that I left out of our list of the markings in the book of revelation,
revelation, chapter 14, verse one. Then I looked and behold a lamb standing on Mount Zion and with him 144,000, having his father’s name written on their foreheads. Okay. Chapter seven, we’ve got 144,000 chapter 14. We’ve got 144,000. Okay. But the Mark they receive is what the name of his father written on their forehead. Now, what if I could say,
you know what and prove to you who these are. They’re the church turn to revelation chapter three. I mean, I know I’ve got it behind me on the screen, but revelation chapter three, and in verse 12 to the church, the church alive in the first century, the church that was about to go under persecution, the church, the ones who were Christians,
who, by the way, weren’t all in Jerusalem. They were in Asia minor. They weren’t all Jews. They were Jews and Gentiles alike to them. Christ says he who overcomes. I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. And he shall go out no more. I will write on him, the name of my God and the name of the city of my God,
the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from my gone. And I will write on him, my new name. Now in chapter three, John already told us the church and the Christians who overcome are going to receive what written on them, the name of the father. And in chapter 14, there’s 144,000 who are standing with Christ with the lamb and on them is written what the name of the father.
So who are the overcomers that stand with God who are the 144,000? They’re the Christians who overcame. They’re the ones who went through the tribulation and over came they’re the ones identified throughout the entire book as the faithful of God, chapter seven, the hundred and 44,000 is not some strange number of only the limited quantity of people. They get to go to heaven by the Jehovah’s witnesses.
Believe it’s the overcomers from the church that went through the persecution. And you look at the other side of that tribulation. And here’s an innumerable number of faithful in the second half of the chapter who are saying it worked. We came through the other side. We endured, thank God was faithful. Okay. We’ll pick up there on Wednesday night. And by the way,
as we’re going through this study, if there are things that you, I mean, they don’t just never swallow everything. I say, hook line and sinker. And just assume because Aaron said it is right. If you’ve got questions or something, doesn’t make sense, let me know or write it down and I’ll try and cover it, uh, to the best of my ability.
But, uh, hopefully you’re getting a better picture of revelation as we go through this. Thank you for your attention.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> Good morning and welcome to the Collierville church of Christ. Sunday morning, worship service. It’s indeed. Good to see each of you here. And we’re so proud to have our visitors with us. If you are visiting with us and you have not previously filled out a visitor card,
we ask if you would to fill that out and either give it to one of the members here are, leave it laying on the Pew and someone will pick it up. Also, we do our communion a little differently, and this is a good time to do it. If you haven’t picked up your bread and wine at the back of the auditorium, as you walked in,
this is a good time to go back and get it in a while. I’m going through our rather lengthy announcements this morning and bring them up and put them in the little cup holders there in the Pew, in front of you. And at the appropriate time, Maureen will be leading us in our prayers for that. We need to remember our sick. Remember Dorothy and Rodale Wilson.
They are still suffering from their chronic problems that they’ve had for awhile. Joan Springer is still home. Uh, she’s doing about the same as I understand Pam Chaffin who had back surgery a week and a half ago or so is home. She’s doing well. And as I understand progressing nicely, Sylvia pass has had a nerve block in her back. And I think she’s here with us.
So she’s obviously still surviving Janell, Rosario, and suffering from a tie she’s suffering from a cancer in her lymph nodes or tie for a thyroid. There you go. But, um, definitely need to keep her in our prayer. And Gladys Lyles is recovering. She fell again. Is that correct? What just the one time. Okay, but she’s not doing well.
Dorothy Wilson that we mentioned earlier, she did have a heart cath and is back home with, uh, her chronic high blood pressure problem. Leah van cleave Becky’s niece is very brittle diabetic. She’s been put on a kidney transplant list and will begin dialysis seven days a week, eight hours a day. That’s got to be really pleasant. Francis Wallace is back home.
Um, this is, uh, the Halvorson’s son-in-law’s grandmother. She back home, she’s recovering from a stroke and will begin in home therapy soon. I think that’s all of our sick and we need to remember Ava Morgan, her sister law sister-in-law Kay Fisher passed away last Tuesday. And then yesterday, her brother passed away and his name is Roy Fisher. And I’m a little bit confused here.
I really don’t know, but I don’t believe Kay Fisher and Roy Fisher are husband and wife. I think this is another brother to Ava. She has several siblings. I think I’ve hacked my way through all of this. Don’t forget the September business meeting, uh, tomorrow evening at 7:00 PM. And if you have any agenda items, be sure and get them over to Joe or any one of us is for that matter.
And we’ll make sure it gets mentioned in the meeting. The Nesbitt church of Christ has a gospel meeting October 4th through the seventh. And there’s a flyer on a bulletin board and say, check, check that out. If you’re interested, the Potter’s children’s home pantry item for this month is egg noodles. And I saw people bringing those in and putting them on the little cart,
just to the left of the auditorium. As you walk in the September national nationwide gospel meeting, flyers are on the table, pick one of those up for the times and so on. Okay. That’s all of our, uh, Oliver announcements that I’m aware of our song leader today will be Aaron Cozort opening. Prayer will be Terry Sanderson. Mary Phillips will be presiding over the Lord’s table and the sermon will be delivered by Michael Dale and Tommy O’Neil.
We’ll have our closing prayer once again. Thank you all for enduring these announcements. And thank you all for being here Will be number 627. There’s a Royal banner. All of the songs should be on the slides this morning, 627. There’s a Royal back then for display to the sole judges of the King.<inaudible> fair. We lift it up to Dan<inaudible> for Christ for the King of Kings<inaudible><inaudible> for the truth being,
uh, this man. Hey, Marty ain’t<inaudible> or the King of Kings<inaudible><inaudible> no<inaudible> Oh, marching.<inaudible> a tenfold shall die and say<inaudible><inaudible> me.<inaudible> Cause next song will be number 639, 639. Rescue the perishing. After this song, we’ll have our opening prayer Rescue, the perishing cap or the<inaudible> and the gray weep or the airing Juan lift the fall and tell them about Jesus mighty to save rescue the parish.<inaudible> Jesus is merciful.
Jesus will say, though, they are hiding him still. He is waiting, waiting the pen child to Reesie plead with them, earnest the plead with them. Jen gently. He will forgive if they truly Bailey rescue the perishing<inaudible> Jesus is merciful. Jesus will say down in the human heart, crushed by her tem to feelings. I buried that grace can restore Taj by a loving hand.<inaudible> well,
vibrate wants more rescue the perishing<inaudible> will prov, uh, back to then arrow away. Hey Sean Lee, when Paul Wandra save rescue the perishing care for the die Jesus is<inaudible> Father in heaven. We thank you for this day. We thank thee for the many blessings that you give us each day. We thank thee for our health and enablers to be here with each other today,
to study that word and sang the songs of praise on to they, we pray for those that are less fortunate today. With their health able to be with us, we pray that they will soon be able to return with us to worship you with us. We thank Dee for Jesus. It came to this earth and died that we might have everlasting life with me in heaven.
We pray that you would be with the teachers that teach us each week. We both, probably the table always be sound and spread the gospel. In truth. We pray that you would, uh, be with the leaders of our country, that they would turn to the, for direction and leadership. We pray that you would, uh, be with,
uh, military people that are away from home. We pray that you would be with them, be with their families and comfort them. Is there a way we pray that you would be with his Nan for the exercise of the day and forgive us when we do wrong in cross plan, we pray amen Song before the Lord’s supper will be number 349, 349,
10,000 angels sing all four verses Hey, bow in the hands of Jesus in the garden where he<inaudible>, they spot a pawn. A uh, so I’m free from sin. They said Cruz, if I him, he sees to be<inaudible> Dan set him free. He could’ve called 10,000.<inaudible> muddy died a long, Whoa, are you a, me a pawn is pride.<inaudible> they placed a crown,
no fawns. They laughed and said be home<inaudible> they struck him.<inaudible> and art is Holy<inaudible> all, uh, Aloni soft. Yeah. Uh<inaudible> to destroy, uh, and set him free.<inaudible> 10,000<inaudible> but he died a long time. So for you and me, when then held him too<inaudible><inaudible> uh, he said, walk me home.
Nice. Um, he cried, I thirst for water, but they gave him none to drink than a sinful, uh, um, was, uh, and he could<inaudible> dude,<inaudible> Dan set him free. He could, uh<inaudible> so, or you and me to the howling Mobby yielded. He did, uh, for mercy<inaudible> the cross Shamie<inaudible>.
And when he cried in Spanish, he gave himself to a salvation Was, uh, he could have called 10,000 angels to destroy. And Dan set him free. He could’ve called<inaudible> for you a, B, C. At this time, we have an opportunity to remember Jesus and that sacrifice that he made on the cross for our sins that is pray heavenly father.
We’re thankful for this bread to represent Jesus body. That was nailed to the cross for the sins of mankind for him to follow you, please forgive, sir, I sins Is pray. Heavenly father. We’re thankful for this fruit of the vine that represents jesus’ blood. That was shed on the cross for the sins of mankind. And like men are having a fight with praying for giving the silver sands Separate from the Lord’s team.
We’ll have an opportunity to give as with prosper. Let us pray. Heavenly father. We’re thankful for the financial gains you have given us through the years and we pray heavenly father, you accept a portion of these back to you to help continue the work here at Cari with church of Christ. Amen. You would like to, you can go ahead and Mark the invitation song.
It will be on the overhead, but the song of invitation will be number 923. I’m sorry. 924. I can get that number, right. Just As I am, will be the invitation song. After you’ve marked that please let us span. And we’ll sing 868, six zero. After this song, we will have our lesson from brother Dale,
860. There is a habitation. There is<inaudible>, uh, who seek that grant? Uh, Oh, Oh,<inaudible><inaudible> the no,<inaudible> no,<inaudible> no yesterday. No more.<inaudible><inaudible> I long night<inaudible> in the Please be seated. I guess he didn’t want to do the scripture reading this morning. I want to start you off with a poem entitled from a father to a son on persecution.
It reads when I was a child, no higher than your knee. My daddy sat me on his lap and told these things to me, son, you must live for Christ. No matter come what may teach the word to the lost. Every single day, people will make fun of you, taunt you and reject. Always remember what Christ endured for you,
son. I beg you never forget. Tell them that Christ loves them. Tell them you love them too. And when they spit on and beat, you have courage to tell the truth. Their souls are lost without him. And this is why Jesus needs you to tell the truth about him. No matter what they do in the end, your sufferings will gain you a glorious crown.
And if you win them to him to meet you in the sky, your sufferings will all be worth it. I tell you son, there is no greater reason why. So always live for Christ every single day. Teach the word to all the lost, no matter come, what may this morning, I want to speak to you about our comfort in suffering.
Turn with me. If you will. The second Corinthians chapter one verses three through five second Corinthians chapter one verses three through five, blessed to be God, even the father of our Lord, Jesus Christ, the father of mercies and the God of all comfort, who comfort with us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them, which are in any trouble by the comfort,
where with we ourselves are comforted of God for as the sufferings of Christ abound in us. So our constellation also a bounded by Christ as Christians. If we suffer like Christ for the spread of the gospel, we have a comfort. Now I remember when I was a young man in school, uh, was very zealous for the Lord and the spread of his word.
I would take my Bible to school every day. This was before you weren’t allowed to take your Bible to school anymore. So I’m kind of giving away a little bit of my age here and my zealousness. I never took the time to stop and think about how my need, my, my internal need to spread. God’s word would affect me and how I would be treated because I needed to spread his word.
It started with a name calling I’m. Sure. Many of you have heard the term Bible Thumper. Yes, I was a Bible Thumper apparently. Um, sometimes I was stupid. Sometimes I was an idiot. And even on occasion, I was called crazy. The treatment that I had to endure only grew more and more abusive to the point of being cornered in a locker room and being pounded on by a few guys because I would not stop bringing my Bible to school and trying to teach people of God.
I tell you this, to tell you this, okay. Every day I would go home and find comfort and comfort in my father in prayer. And in the reading of his word, I’m sure many of you have stories of how you were mistreated because of your faith in God and how people talk down to you, because all you wanted to do was share eternal life with them.
We endured those trials so that we could one day use them to comfort those that are currently injuring the same sort of trials here in the reading that we had in second Corinthians chapter one, we see the apostle Paul explaining to the church at Corinth that God is the God of comfort. It is important to know where we are to go as Christians. When we need comfort.
It is important as Christians to know that we can go to one another for comfort. We must always remember that through the though, the trials we go through are tough Christ endured more than we could even imagine through the suffering of Christ. We can find comfort in the trials we are going through today. We must ask ourselves as Christians, will we take solace in the comfort that we have through Christ?
Are we, we live and complacent fear of what might happen. Will we live as a, as a Christian safe on our Pew? Or will we go out and teach the last, no matter what we may have to endure as Christians. If we suffer like Christ for the spread of the gospel, we have a comfort. Let us consider that God is our comfort in times of trial and we can comfort others.
And their times of trial and Christ grants us all abundant comfort through his Trials as children. The Lord, we must always remember, no matter what it is that we in our enduring God is our comfort in times of trial. But what is comfort? I don’t know what it means to you, but this is what comfort is. According to dictionary standards.
According the world standards we read in dictionary.com that comfort is to sooth console or reassure or bring cheer to in the Greek. Comfort is the word Paraklesis, which according to Vine’s dictionary is a calling to one side. This is to encourage or to console. God is the God of encouragement and consolation. Second Corinthians chapter one in verse three. Again, we read blessed,
be God, even the father of our Lord, Jesus Christ, the father of mercies and the God of all comfort, but how does God comfort us? God grants us comfort through the knowledge that he is always there with us. My one of my favorite passages growing up, and I’m sure many of yours as well as the 23rd Psalm, let’s go ahead and read the 23rd Psalm beginning in verse one.
The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want, he maketh me to lie down in green pastures. He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul. He leadeth me into the paths of righteousness for his namesake. Yay, though, I walk through the Valley of the shadow of death. I will fear no evil for thou art with me,
thy rod and thy staff. They comfort me. They’ll prepare us to table before me in the presence of my enemies, thou anointest my head with oil, my cup runneth over surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. That is so comforting to me and everything that I do.
And as it should be for you, he’s going to be with us no matter what God is always there with us. Turn with me to Hebrews chapter 13, verses five through six, the book of Hebrews chapter 13, verses five through six, five, and six. Let your conversation be without covetousness and be content with such things as he have for,
he has said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee so that we may boldly say, the Lord is my helper. And I will not fear what man shall do on to me. How blessed are we as sons of God to know that our helper is the almighty creator of this world, of everything that we know he’s there for us, no matter what we have to endure.
And we have comfort through the word that gives us hope. Romans chapter 15 and verse four, Romans chapter 15 and verse four for whatsoever. Things were written a four time were written for our learning that we through patients and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. Are you having a bad day? Read God’s word. It fixes everything. Yes, this,
this is a tablet, but I’m reading God’s word. Okay. God comforts those that live for Christ. This is how we gain that comfort. If we live for Christ, we will endure persecutions. If we live for Christ. Second Timothy chapter three in verse 12, second, Timothy chapter three and verse 12. Paul writes to Timothy and Paul is sitting in prison right now for nothing more than preaching God’s word.
And he’s waiting to be judged and killed at this time. And he writes to Timothy yay. And all that will live godly in Christ. Jesus. So shall suffer persecution. Don’t be diluted in thinking that being a Christian will make it an easy life for you. You’re going to go out. You’re going to teach others of God’s word and people are going to persecute you for it.
But we have a comfort in knowing that the Lord will deliver us second, Timothy chapter three. And if you go up just a couple of verses, we’ll begin in verse 10, but thou has fully known my doctrine. Manner of life, purpose, faith, long suffering, charity patients, persecutions afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch. And I conium at LIS DRA what persecutions I endured,
but out of them, all the Lord delivered me. The Lord will deliver us from all of our prosecutions and no matter the trial that we have in Jord, knowing that the father comforts us through them, all gives us the strength, gives us strength and lets us know that we can comfort others in their times of trial as well. And the trials we endure for Christ gives us that ability.
It gives us the ability to go and help someone who’s been through the same thing as us, or even talk them through something different because of the trials that we have gone through through the comfort we, through the comfort we get from the father, we can comfort others. Second Corinthians chapter one and verse four second Corinthians chapter one and verse four, Who comfort with us in all our tribulation that we may be able to comfort them,
which are in any trouble by the comfort wherewithal. We ourselves are comforted of God through the comfort that we’ve gained from God through the tribulations that we’ve been through. We can help people that are going through the same tribulation. We are told to comfort one another. This is something that we are told in the scripture to do first Thessalonians chapter five and verse 11,
First Thessalonians chapter five and verse 11, wherefore comfort yourselves together and Edify one another, even as also you do, this is something that all Christians should be doing is comforting one another. And we are told to encourage one another on a basis every day, Hebrews chapter 13, three, and verse 13, Hebrews chapter three and verse 13, but exhort one another daily while it is called today.
Lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin every day is today. And every day we need to comfort one another. We can know that our suffering will comfort. Those that are suffering. Turn with me to second Corinthians chapter one, verses six and seven, our sufferings, not in vain. It’s going to help those that are suffering first Corinthians chapter one,
verses six and seven. And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings, which we also suffer, or whether we be comforted. It is for your constellation and salvation and our hope of you as steadfast, knowing that as ER, partakers of the sufferings. So shall ye be also of the constellation,
our sufferings. Aren’t all we’ll get. We will get that constellation, but how can we comfort one another? We can comfort one another by reminding one another of the great day. And I hope we all know what that great day is. First Thessalonians, chapter four, verses 16 through 18. Read this one with me. First Thessalonians chapter four, verses 16 through 18.
Again, gaining comfort from the scripture for the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an Archangel and with the Trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we, which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so shall we ever be with the Lord wherefore comfort one another.
With these words, I want to comfort you. One day, we will be in heaven with the Lord and with our sisters and brothers in Christ. How else can we comfort one another? We can pray for one another second. Timothy chapter one in verse three, Paul writes to Timothy second Timothy chapter one and verse three. I think God whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience,
that without ceasing, I have remembrance of the, in my prayers night and day, how comforting it is to know that someone is praying for you every single day, my family and I, we think God every day for the congregation here, because we know that we’re in your prayers every single day, helping us to get through school, helping us with the trials that we’re going through with the sickness of our son.
It’s a blessing and a comfort to know that that is coming from my brothers and sisters here. We can also gain comfort through love, give comfort through love first or fire Lehman, verse three through seven, almost a chapter. There is no chapters in filing and Philemon verses three through seven grace to you and peace from God, our father and the Lord,
Jesus Christ. I think my God making mention of the always in my prayers, there’s that prayer again, hearing of thy love and faith, which thou has toward the Lord Jesus and toward all scenes, that the communication of my faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing, which is in you in Christ Jesus for we have great joy and constellation in my love because the bowels of the saints are refreshed by the brother.
Just knowing them. Their love can give us constellation and comfort. Just knowing that you love me, gives me constellation and comfort. No matter what I must go through, we can comfort with a good word. Proverbs chapter 12 and verse 25, Proverbs chapter 12 and verse 25 heaviness in the heart of man make of it stoop, but a good word.
Make ethic glad I know. You know, it’s true. Sometimes all it takes is that one sweet word from a brother or sister or husband or wife or child to lift your spirits completely in a bad day, but we can also comfort one another and complete silence job. Chapter two verses 11 through 13 job, two 11 through 13. Now when job’s three friends heard all of this evil that was come upon him.
They came every one of him from his own place, LFS the 10 night and bill dad, the shoe white and so far, the name of fight for they had made an appointment together to come to mourn with him and to comfort him. And when they lifted up their eyes a far off and knew him not, they lifted up their voice and wept and they rent.
Everyone has mantle and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven. So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spoke a word unto him for, they saw that his grief was very great. It is important sometimes just to sit and be with someone. You don’t need to say anything, just being there can be a comfort.
The father comforts us in our times of trial and in turn we can comfort others. And there are times of trial, but Christ grants us all abundant comfort through his trials. Christ suffered greatly for every single one of us, Christian and non-Christian he suffered for all of us G but to understand completely his, his suffering. We must first understand that Jesus Christ is God.
Turn with me to John chapter one verses one through three John chapter one verses one through three in the beginning was the word. And the word was with God. And the word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him and without him, not anything made, not any, without him was not anything made that was made without Christ.
Nothing was made and verse 14 States and the word was made flesh and dwelt among us. And we beheld his glory. The glory is of the only begotten of the father full of grace and truth. Jesus sacrificed a lot for us, uh, more than we could ever even imagine. Turn with me to Philippians chapter two, verses five through eight Philippians chapter two,
verses five through eight. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ. Jesus, who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men. God came down here and turned himself into one of us,
a servant and being found in fashion as a man. He humbled himself and became obedient unto death. Even the death on a cross and all mighty eternal being came down here and died for us. Jesus died for us first, Peter chapter three and verse 18 first Peter chapter three and verse 18 for Christ also hath one suffered for sins. The, just for the unjust that he might bring us to God being put to death in the flesh,
but quickened by the spirit, if we are followers of Christ, we will suffer like him. Jesus tells us this himself, John chapter 15 verses 18 through 20. Let us read what John, what Jesus tells us himself. John chapter 15 verses 18 through 20. Jesus says, if the world hates you, you know that it hated me before it hated you.
If you were of the world, the world would love his own, but because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. Therefore the world Hadith, you remember the word that I said unto you? The servant is no greater than his Lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they have kept my saying,
they will keep yours. Also. Paul tells us that we will suffer for Christ again. Excuse me again. In second Timothy chapter three in verse 12, second, Timothy chapter three and verse 12. Again, we read yay and all that will live godly in Christ shall suffer persecution. If we suffer like Christ for Christ, we will be pur. We will be comforted.
We will be comforted abundantly. Second Corinthians chapter one in verse five second Corinthians chapter one and verse five. Whereas the sufferings of Christ abound in us. So our constellation also abounded by Christ suffering will produce a hope in us. I know it’s hard to imagine, but our suffering produces hope. Romans chapter five, verses three and four, read with me,
Romans chapter five, verses three and four. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations. Also they glory in their tribulations, knowing that tribulation, worketh, patience, and patience, experience and experience hope and hope. Maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts, by the Holy ghost, which is given unto us through our suffering.
We will enter the kingdom, read with me, acts chapter 14 and verse 22, acts 14 and verse 22, confirming the souls of the disciples and exhorting them to continue in the faith. And that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. It takes a lot of tribulation for us to enter into the kingdom of God, but we have hope and we can do it as Christians.
If we suffer like Christ for the spread of the gospel, we have a comfort, no matter what comes our way, we need to remember that we suffer for Christ and his kingdom. We can know that God will comfort us. In our times of trial. We can take solace in the fact that we’ll be able to comfort others. And there are times of trial through our trials.
We can know that Christ will grant us all abundant comfort in our trials, through the fact that he himself and your trials, and the next time you’re with a friend or doing something you enjoy are doing something you enjoy or with a coworker in a break room, or just sitting around the kitchen table with a family member who, you know, has not obeyed the gospel,
let them know of the comfort you gained through Christ. It is a command of us to teach them. So they, the word, as we all must Romans 10, 17, we can not just say it in passing. We must teach them. So they do not just hear it, but listen, and believe it, John eight 24, we have to teach them that to have a comfort in God in Christ.
They must repent, which is turning away from the life that they are currently living yes, in sin and turning towards a new life in Christ, Luke 13, one through three, but belief and repentance are never enough. You can’t just believe in Jesus and be saved. They need to know and believe that Jesus is the son of God and confess it.
They need to know it and confess it. Matthew 10 32 to begin their walk in the comfort of Christ. They must follow the command to be baptized for the remission of sin. As we all must acts 2216 and in to ensure that they have this comfort day in and day out. And until eternity, they, as we all must walk in the light to receive a glorious crown first John one,
six and seven and revelation two 10, teach us that. And if you have to, if you have yet to obey these blessed commands of Christ, the waters of baptism already for you, you can have comfort in your walk of life, or if you need prayers of encouragement because of a persecution, you are enduring and need comfort. Please come forward as we stand in scene<inaudible> um,<inaudible>,<inaudible> uh,<inaudible> like,
uh, uh, just, uh, uh, uh, uh, no Hasbro, uh,<inaudible> uh, nah.<inaudible> Oh God. Um, ah, like, um, I want to thank Michael for that lesson on comfort, and we appreciate that lesson and we’re very grateful for it and, uh, hope everyone gained much from it and will continue not only,
uh, to utilize it throughout this week, but also to take the exhortations about teaching others and proclaiming the gospel throughout their lives. Take, uh, take your songbooks and turn the number 869. It will be on the, on the slides overhead. Uh, we’re going to sing the first verse only of this song, and then we’ll be led in our closing prayer.
After the closing prayer, we do have an announcement to be made. So just stay where you are after the closing prayer first verse of we’re marching desire, can we that<inaudible> and, and, uh, around the throne. And, uh, so around the throw<inaudible> You bow with me, our heavenly father. We thank you for this day and each and every blessing we receive from you.
We thank you for the freedom and for each opportunity that we have to gather as your children to study from my word and sing songs of praise to that. Great. And Holy night, our heavenly father, we ask that you strengthen each of us in our daily lives, help us to teach those nonbelievers around us. We pray that our lives might be an example to those and that through this example,
these lost souls might be drawn onto the, our heavenly father. We pray for each of our sick mentioned here today. We pray for our elderly. We pray that you strengthen all of these and that they might enjoy their health. Once more, if that be the whole wheel or heavenly father, we ask that you go with us as we prepare to leave here,
protect, keep us safe. We thank you, dear God for Christ, our Lord and savior, and his willingness to die for our sins. These things we ask in his name. Amen. One moment. Hey, Brendan, will you stop the stream, please?
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A LOOK BACK: In chapter 5, John saw the One on the throne holding a scroll. In it was a proclamation from God, but it was sealed. He wept because there was no one found in Heaven, on Earth, or in the grave to open the scroll. Then an angel appeared to John to tell him that one was worthy: the Lamb (Christ).
John watches as the Lamb opens the first seal. Then one of the creatures from before the throne invites him with a voice like thunder, “Come and see.” Beginning here, John in this chapter will observe the opening of six of the seven seals on the scroll. For the first century church, each prophecy is a glimpse into what will “shortly take place” (1:1) “for the time is near” (1:3).
The first seal – Out of the scroll comes a white horse with a rider. The rider holds a bow and a crown (he’s king or a victor). He goes out successfully conquers.
The second seal – Out comes a fiery red horse with rider. Its rider has a great sword and permission to remove peace from the earth and cause people to turn against one another.
The third seal – Now arrives a black horse with the rider carrying a set of scales. The one in the middle of the four creatures (i.e. God) tells this rider, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the wine.” A decree that a day’s worth of bread will cost a day’s wage.
The fourth seal – Out comes a pale horse with a rider. This rider, identified as “Death,” and following Death is Hades (the grave). Death is given power to kill one-fourth of the earth (consider this not a “literal” measurement, but a “portion”) using a sword, famine, and beasts of the earth.
The fifth seal – John sees the altar of God. Beneath it are souls of martyrs, who died for their testimony (i.e. proclaiming the Gospel). They are crying to God asking, “How long…” until judgment and vengeance rain upon their persecutors.
The sixth seal – John sees a great earthquake, the sun turned black, the moon became red, the stars fall, the plant life dies, the skies roll up, and every mountain and island move. Here is Old Testament prophetic imagery of God bringing judgment upon a nation. The reaction of those on earth is to flee and hide and seek even death as a protection against “the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb!”
The chapter closes with a critical question, “For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”
JOHN – Revelation 6 The Scroll is Opened – SEALS 1-6
Who opens the scroll sealed with seven seals? Revelation 6:1 ________________________________________________________________
What color horse is seen in the first seal? What two things are given to the one on the horse? What does he do? Revelation 6:1-2 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
What color horse is seen in the second seal? What is he given the ability to take? What is he given? Revelation 6:3-4 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
What color horse is seen in the third seal? What does the rider have in his hand? What is affected by this rider and what is not affected? Revelation 6:5-6 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
What color horse is seen in the fourth seal? Who sits on this horse? Who is following behind this horse? What quantity of the earth were given into their hands? Revelation 6:7-8 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Who does John see in the fifth seal? Where are they? What are they saying? What are they told to do? Revelation 6:9-11 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
In the sixth seal, the language of Revelation 6:12-14 was used in the Old Testament to speak of what kind of event? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
What are the mighty and powerful people on Earth hiding from? Revelation 6:15-16 ________________________________________________________________
What is the fundamental question of the sixth seal? Revelation 6:17 ________________________________________________________________
Automated Transcript
<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> okay. We are in revelation chapter six. This evening. We’re going to begin with the questions from revelation, chapter five, go through those as a little bit of a review, and then we’ll get into chapter six. We’ll get that out of the way. Since it’s not going to work revelation chapter,
actually, let’s, let’s begin with a word of prayer, not get ahead of myself. Dear heavenly father. We thank you for this day and we thank you for its blessings. Thank you for all that you do for us on a daily basis, we pray that you be with us as we go through this period of study and be with us. As We work our way through the book of revelation,
may we focus on the fundamentals, the things of which you desire us to understand and be able to come to a grasp of this book and be able to understand it and allow it to bless our lives and comfort us as it comforted the first century church, we pray that you be with us and specifically be with those who are struggling with illnesses, struggling with medical procedures and injuries,
difficulties, pray that they will continue to get better, and they will progress back towards the desired health that they would love to have. We pray that you be with those that are dealing with very longterm illnesses, pray that you give them strength and endurance patience. In hard times, we pray for those who are lost. We pray for the world that is,
uh, striving to seek its own and provide for itself and serve itself. When instead it ought to be seeking to do what is right in your sight. We pray that we might be an influence to those who are lost influence on those around us, who are seeking the truth and do not know it pray that you will help us to be mindful of opportunities to teach the lost and encourage those that are novices encourage those that are weak.
Encourage those that are strong as well to always hold fast to the faith. All this we pray in jesus’ name. Amen. Revelation chapter five, uh, is where our questions are coming from. As we review this, before we get into the questions though, chapters one, two, and three are, what if you think of it? The way of a book would be written their introduction there,
the preface to the book. Okay. Chapters one, two, and three are the introduction preface to this writing chapter four and five begin with the, uh, significant figurative language, apocalyptic language. And they emphasize two main points. Chapter four is where we said both of these come from the book of John John chapter 14, verse one, where Jesus said,
you believe in God, believe also in me, chapter four is the throne room. And the emphasis is believe in God, the father, the one on the throne, chapter five is the lamb. The one who is found, who is worthy to open the scroll and the emphasis is believe in the Christ. Okay? So that’s where we’ve gotten to.
We’re going to get into chapter six tonight. Let’s go through the questions from chapter five, chapter five, verse one. What was in the right hand of the one on the throne? Scroll chapter five. Verse one, question two. With what was the scroll sealed? Seven seals chapter, or question three. What did John speak or excuse me? Who did John see?
Speak with a loud voice. A strong angel question four. Why did John weep no one was found worthy to open the seals of the book. Question five who told John to cease from weeping? One of the elders, question six. How does the elder described the one who prevailed to open the scroll? The lion of the tribe of Judah root of David.
All right, but question seven. What was the appearance of the lamb? Okay. Seven eyes and seven horns standing. But the appearance as though he had been slain. Okay. So the elder describes the one who’s worthy as the lion and the root. And yet John sees him as the lamb. Okay. All of that’s consistent. This is a vision.
Okay. You’re not supposed to see a vision and expect that everything’s going to work out the way you would just think reality in the sense of this physical world would, well, how can you have a lion? Who’s also a lamb. Who’s also a root. The answer is he’s Christ. The answer is because they’re all prophecies concerning the Messiah. Okay.
So then we see the golden bowls of incense, uh, chapter five, verse eight, question eight. What was in the golden bowls of incense? The odors, which were the prayers of the saints. Okay. And who, who had those bowls? You remember? The 24 elders. Okay. So before, when we saw the 24 elders in chapter four,
they were sitting on Thrones and they had their crowns on. And then when the four beasts would fall down and, or would, would, uh, speak words of glorifying God, they would fall down and they would cast their crowns down at the throne. Okay. And they would glorify God, Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, God almighty. While now they’re seen here with the lamb and they have they’re in their possession,
these bowls and inside the bowls, are they spiritual representation of the prayers of the saints? Interesting point back in Leviticus, chapter 10, Nate Avenue by Hugh two of the four sons of Aaron are struck dead by God for lighting the altar, with what strange fire, they’re lighting the altar with a source of fire. That wasn’t what God specified. There’s a reason.
God puts so much emphasis into the tabernacle and the elements of the worship of Israel and would not allow Israel to profane to make common what he had made Holy. And they didn’t see what that reason was. They didn’t have before them in the revelation that they had received. Why the incense had any significance? Did Israel offer incense to God simply because God needed something that smelled sweet to go with his offering?
No it’s because it had a representation that was spiritual. The book of Hebrews, which the children of Israel did not have in the old Testament. The book of Hebrews tells us that all these things had a spiritual representative in heaven. All of these things had something that was the real tabernacle in heaven. And so here you have the throne room of God,
and here are the 24 elders. And they’re coming before God with the prayers of his children. God says you don’t mess with my worship because it means more to me than you realize. Okay? Now the, uh, the people in heaven, question nine sang a new song who sang the new song, 24 elders, four living creatures. I think when you get to the,
the end of the chapter include it, you’ll also find the angels, but the specific song that they’re singing, the new song, that idea comes from Isaiah. There there’s there, there was an old song, you know, it was the song of Moses. You remember when Israel crossed the red sea and they got to the other side, what in Moses do he sang a song?
And you know, on that day, that was a new song. You see, we kind of get in our mind that there’s one new song, you know, because we sing the song in our songbooks about the new song. That there’s one, no, there was a new song on a regular basis when God in a new way, saved his people from persecution.
When they crossed the red sea, God saved his people in a way he never had before when some new calamity, but faced the Israel or faced Israel, God saved them again. And they’d have a new song and another new song. Well now here are the 24 elders who we know are overcomers. We know they’ve been given white robes. We know they have the crowns of victors,
those who have conquered. And we know they’re sitting on Thrones and they have a new song that proclaims what God has done. Okay. That’s what a new song was. It was always a new song about what God had done. Okay. So the elders for B sing this new song from how many tribes and tongues will the redeemed of the lamb come all,
okay. This song and those who are redeemed, who have part in this song come from every tribe. Okay? How many creatures declared blessing and honor, and glory and power be to him who sits on the throne and to the lamb for forever and ever every single one. You know, there was a statement that Jesus made that there was coming at a time where every knee would bow.
And that’s not a figurative statement here. You have a figure here. You have a vision of every creature, not every man, every creature proclaiming the glory, the blessing, they honor the power of the might of the lamb. Now that shouldn’t surprise us because Hebrews chapter one tells us that through Christ, all things were made. John chapter one makes it clear that without him was not anything made that was made.
And that speaking of the word, that’s speaking of Christ. So why should all creatures, even the smallest things that crawl under the earth, praise him because he’s their creator. Okay? So we close chapter five with the lambs, taken the book from the one on the throne, but the book’s not open yet. That’s chapter six. So let’s open chapter six and let’s get started.
Chapter six. Now I saw when the lamb opened one of the seals and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a loud voice like thunder coming, see here’s John, he’s watching all of this transpire. There are no chapter breaks in heaven. There are no chapter breaks. When John writes the book, either he sees the lamb, go to the throne and take the book from the one who’s on the throne.
And he sees him now open the first seal. Now, imagine in your mind, picture in your mind of a scroll and it’s got seven progressive seals. So when you open the first seal, you only see a little bit, you don’t, it’s not like a book. You just crack it open and start turning pages. It’s a seal it’s wrapped up.
So you only see what the first seal has enclosed before you get to the second seal. So this is a progressive revelation. You’re getting it a snippet at a time. So John sees the lamb and he opens one of the seals. And I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a loud voice, saying a voice like thunder saying, come and see.
And I looked and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it, had a bow. And a crown was given to him that crown again, not, diadem not the crown of a King, but the crown of an overcomer, a crown was given to him. And he went out and what does he do when he goes out? He conquers and continues conquering.
Now, there are many theories about the four horsemen of the apocalypse, which is called that here because apocalypse is the Greek word for revelation. And that’s what it was known as, before it was translated into English. So it’s the four horsemen that are in the book of revelation. That’s all it means. So if somebody says, do you believe in the four horsemen of the apocalypse say yes,
but probably not the way you do. Okay. Now here’s something interesting. 16 times in the book of revelation, the word white is used. And in 15 of them, it is indisputably talking about holiness. And yet many will come to this one, reference out of 16 in the entire book. And they’ll try and say, this is the antichrist.
This is an enemy of God. This is a persecutor. No, it’s not. You don’t take one reference. And where it’s consistently used throughout the entire book and use one reference and with no context, interpret it to mean something entirely different. What have we already seen? We’ve seen the elders in white robes. We’ve seen Christ promise to the churches you overcome.
And I will give you white robes. We’ve seen him promise those who overcame crowns, a crown of life, revelation chapter two, verse 10. We have seen the designation that Christ is the one who redeemed them. And Christ is one who does battle. So why in the world wouldn’t we understand this to be Christ? Well, some would say, well,
it can’t be Christ. Christ is the one opening the scroll that would be like saying it would be impossible for a person who has a book written about them to read the book. It’s not impossible. He’s opening a revelation about what’s to come. Why can’t the lamb open a revelation about himself? Okay. Fact of the matter is no matter how you interpret this,
some suggest this is the church. This is the Christians going out and spreading the gospel. Maybe that’s it. But I think it’s Christ. Another reason McWiggin points out is that there are only two white horses singled out in all the book of revelation. One of them is here. Now there are other white horses talked about. There’s a group of them in chapter 19,
but one is here and the other one is in chapter 19. Turn to revelation, chapter 19 revelation chapter 19 verse one. Now I saw heaven open and ball hold Oh, white horse. Now I saw heaven, open and behold, a white horse. And he who sat on him was called faithful and true. And in righteousness he judges and does what makes war.
Now what’s the one on the white horse doing in chapter six, conquering and goes out to conquer. And what is the one on the white horse in chapter 19? Do he makes war now? We shouldn’t be surprised about that. Jesus said in Mark chapter 10, that he came, or is it Matthew chapter? Maybe Matthew chapter 10, verse 34.
He said, I came not to bring peace, but what a sword. So we shouldn’t be surprised when we see a picture of Christ as a warrior. We shouldn’t be surprised when we see a picture of Christ conquering. So the only other white horse singled out in the entire book, Christ’s on it. Okay. So back to chapter six. Yes.
It’s a good question. I like that question. I didn’t say I had the answer to that question. I just said, I like the question. Um, the colors of the horses carry, meaning they carried meaning over in Zechariah. You remember that he saw four horses just a few weeks ago. We studied where Zachariah is having a vision and he sees four horses.
The colors carry with them. Representations generally have a connotation here. I think it’s holiness. Just the same way. The, uh, the color white is used throughout the entire book of revelation, whether it designates a group of people, whether it does ignites the church. I don’t know. I would say so. Okay. So, um, just one,
one passage, Clawson chapter one, verse 23 speaks concerning the gospel going out. And it went out where to all the world here Christ goes out and he conquers, but he conquers not with a physical sword, not with a physical bow, but with the sword that wins men’s hearts and minds. Okay. Now verses three and four. Second seal is opened when he opened the second seal,
I heard the second living creature saying, come and see. And another horse fiery red went out and it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth and that people should kill one another. And there was given him, given to him a great sword. Here, you have war. War is coming red. What, what conjures up in your mind when you think of red blood here’s war coming on the earth.
Okay. And this is granted to him that this is, this is permission is being given for war destruction, animosity to come on the earth. Now we’re going to see this over in his Eagle. This is nothing new. We’re going to see this same type of idea. Then, uh, the third seal, when he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying,
come and see. So I looked and behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it, had a pair of scales in his hand. Now we talked about scales back over in revelation, chapter three. What were scales used for weighing things? Usually they’re used for commerce. If you wanted to buy a pound of something, you would put something that was unknown.
Quantity of weight, say a pound of something else on the other side of the scale. And when the guy measured it out and it perfectly, even, you knew you were buying a pound. So you’ve got here a symbol, I think in our modern time, scales connect more with law than they do commerce. It wouldn’t have been that way back then back then they would’ve seen that as economy.
They would’ve seen that as commerce. Okay. And so here, you’ve got the third living creature saying, come and see and looked and behold a black horse. And he who sat on it, had a pair of scales in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying a quart of wheat for a denarius and three quarts of barley for a denarius and do not harm the oil and the line color black go back through some of the prophecies in the old Testament often was connected to famine,
pestilence, and disaster here. You’ve got another horse. This horse is going out. And the one who has air is on him has a scale in his hands and the economies be going to begin to feel the effects. And they’re going to weigh out the cost of a loaf of bread. And how much is it going to cost a day’s wages now try and feed your family on a single loaf of bread.
Here’s famine coming. Here’s the beginning impact of destruction. And I’ll a lack of supply, but notice there’s part of it. That’s not being touched. What’s not being touched the oil and the wine. Some have suggested that this is just indicating that you know where we’re at the beginning stages of famine. We’re we’re at the beginning stages of one. It’s not desperate yet.
There’s still things that are in abundance, but some things are becoming scarce. Maybe that’s it. Others have suggested that. Well, if you were poor, you could afford bread. And if you were rich, you could afford oil and wine. So here’s a famine that’s beginning to affect the poor first here’s economic struggle. That’s starting where it normally does with those who were poor,
but don’t worry. The rich are getting their judgment. That’s coming in a moment. Okay. So he sees the black horse, the one with the scales. He comes out for seal beginning in verse seven, when he opened the fourth seal, I heard a voice of the four living creatures saying, come and see. So I looked and behold a pale horse.
The idea here is a yellowish horse. Not just the idea. I don’t think, not just the idea of a light colored horse, but here is a sickly looking horse. Okay. Here’s a pale horse and the one, um, let me find it. So it looked and behold, a pale horse and the name of him who sat on it was what death and Hades followed with him.
Here comes this fourth horse coming out and he’s bringing death. We started with war. We started with destruction, but now we’re in famine. Now we’re in pestilence. Now we’re in economic struggle. And now where in out right death. But notice what we read Haiti’s followed with him and power was given to them over a fourth of the earth to kill with sword,
with hunger and with death. And by the BESE of the earth. Now I had written on a sheet of paper here, somewhere, the passage that I wanted us to turn to, and I’ll all I gotta do is fine. Hopefully it’s one of these that I actually have written down. If not, I’m going to find it for you on Sunday.
It’s over in a ZQ. Yup. I’m not going to find it. Um, so if somebody has it maybe in a cross reference or footnote, there there’s a passage in his email that speaks concerning these four things. These four soar punishments coming upon a nation at Ezekiel 1421. That sounds very right. Yes. Uh, let’s go back to verse.
Um, let’s go back to verse 12 of chapter 14 of his EQL the word of the Lord came again to me saying son of man, when the land sinneth against me by trespassing grievously, then I will stretch out my hand upon it and we’ll break the staff of, of the bread thereof and we’ll send famine upon it. And we’ll cut off man.
And beast from it though, these three men, Noah, Daniel, and job were in it. They should deliver, but their own souls by their righteousness. Say if the Lord, God, if I cause noise some beasts to pass through the land and they spoil it so that it be desolate that no man may pass through because of the bees though,
these three were in it. That is Noah, Daniel, and job though, these three were in it. As I live sayeth the Lord, God, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters. They shall only shall be delivered, but the land shall be desolate. Or if I bring a sword upon that land and say, sword, go through the land so that I cut off man,
and beast from it though, these three men were in it. As I live sayeth, the Lord gone, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters, but they only shall be delivered themselves. Or if I send the pestilence into the land, then pour out my fury upon it in blood to cut off from it, man. And beast though, Noah,
Daniel and Joe were in it. As I live sayeth the Lord, God, they shall ne deliver neither sun nor daughter. They shall, but deliver their own souls by their own righteousness or by their rights. This four thus says the Lord God, how much more when I send my four soar judgments. Now he’s just talked about for judgments, how much more when I send my force or judgments upon Jerusalem,
the sword and the famine and the noise, some bees and the pestilence to cut it off from man and beast. Now there’s a ZQ in his day saying God is going to judge Jerusalem. Now did God bring in bees and just allow death and Hades to come run rampant over Jerusalem? Or did he bring about judgment through a nation? He brought about judgment through a nation,
but how’s it pictured. It’s pictured here in the figure in imagery and revelation pulls a Zeke Hills imagery forward to its day. It pulls it forward to God bringing judgment on another nation. But this time it’s not Jerusalem, it’s not Judah it’s Rome. So then notice what we see Hades followed with him and power was given to them over a fourth of the earth.
Anytime you see a fraction, it means a part of the whole, it’s not everybody everybody’s not wiped out. Here’s partial destruction, partial judgment, but here’s what you’re also seeing. You’re seeing it, all of these things that are transpiring what’s coming for the Christians. Okay. When he opened the fifth seal, verse nine, I saw under the alter the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held here are these Christians that because of the things going on in the earth,
because of the things that are going on in Rome, they’re becoming the brunt. You know, any time a national power, especially one ruled by a tie, radical ruler, any time there’s bad things happening. And the nation is undergoing torment. Here’s what you’ll find in history. Some group of people become the scapegoats. Some group of people get blamed for all the bad things that are happening.
And it happens to be the Christians in Rome. What did narrow do when he wanted to blame the Christians in Rome for the bad things happening in Rome, he burned Rome and then he blamed it on them. And then he lit them up and lit the streets with their bodies. Okay. Now John sees the lamb. He opens the fifth seal. And when he looks into the revelation inside the fifth seal,
he sees the souls of those who have died for the testimony of Christ. And notice what we read. He opened the fifth seal and I saw under the alter, the souls of those who had been slain. And here’s why they were slain for the word of God. And for the testimony, which they held something we need to understand about Rome, Rome didn’t care,
who you worshiped, Rome didn’t care. What gods you believed in Rome didn’t care. What you thought was the right way to worship or how you wanted to worship or what you wanted to do while you worshiped. They didn’t care. As long as you also accepted Rome and its worship and the King, the emperor Caesar and worship him. Rome didn’t care what you wanted to believe or which gods you wanted to believe in so long as you accepted Caesar as God.
But what could a Christian not do? Christian could never accept. Caesar is God. A Christian can never say the emperor is Lord God. And so these Christians died for the word of God. And for the testimony they held all the way through scripture in the new Testament, you find the word testimony, being a reference to the witnessing. That Christ was the son of God.
And they cried out. So here are the souls they’re under the altar with wait a minute. The alter, where in the throne room of God. Now you remember in the tabernacle, in the old Testament, they went into the Holy place. And as they went into the Holy place place, there was the veil. And you couldn’t go in through the veil except one day a year.
And then when you did go in through the veil, what was there at, inside the veil, the arc of the covenant, the presence of God and the mercy seat above the arch was the mercy seat. It was the throne of God revelations. No new picture revelation takes its pictures from Exodus and from a Z keel. They’ve seen all this before they opened the fifth seal.
And those under the alter had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held, they cried with a loud voice saying how long, Oh Lord, Holy and true until you judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth. Here’s the cry. That’s going up from these saints who have been slain, hears their requests from God,
God, how long are you going to wait until you judge these persecutors? Okay, but what’s the response. Verse 11, then a white robe was given to each of them. And it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who would be killed as they were, was completed.
Wait a minute, wait a minute. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. God has a quota of his people that have to die before he does something about it. No, you know, God told Abraham in his day that there was coming a day. When the people in the promised land that were there, right then the Canaanites and the parasites and the JV sites and the Hivites.
He said, there’s coming a day when they’ll be judged. And I’ll give this land into your hand, but it’s going to happen at a later time because their iniquity is not yet full. God says, there’s a point where my long suffering runs out and here we’re seeing it. God says, you just wait a little while you wait a little longer and you’ll see my judgment on them.
Okay? So I have not kept up verse 12. And I looked when he opened the sixth seal and behold, there was a great earthquake and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair. And the moon became like blood and the stars of heaven fell to the earth as a fig tree drops. It’s late figs when it’s shaken by mighty wind. And this is where everyone’s interpretation goes.
Hog-wild why, because they see this the end of days, the end of time, second coming of Christ. No, not if you go read Isaiah 13, go read Isaiah 13. And you’re going to find out exactly what this is. This is the fall of a nation. Notice what we read. He says the stars of heaven fell to the earth as a fig tree drops.
It’s late figs. When it’s shaken by a mighty wind, then the sky receded as a scroll, when it is rolled up and every mountain that Island were moved out of his place and the Kings of the earth, the great men, the Richmond, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains and said the mountains and rocks fall on us.
You remember when the poor, who just tried have enough bread to eat, we’re suffering. Well, now the mighty, the rich, the Kings, the finest that earth has to offer. They’re not scraping for a penny to buy a loaf of bread. They’re hiding under the mountains and calling upon the rocks to fall on them and why fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the lamb.
Now there’s a paradox for you, the word wrath and the lamb. Those are two, two things that don’t go together and in our world, in the physical world, but here they are. And why is the lamb so angry? Why is his judgment so fierce? Because they persecuted his church because they killed his Christians. Verse 17 for the great day of his wrath has come statement to those who had died to those Christians who died for the testimony of Christ.
You wait a little while and you’ll see it happen. And now this is the preview of it happening. Now, this is just the preview. This is, this is the starting glimpse of what’s coming here in the sec, the sixth seal, but he says for the great day of his wrath has come. And here’s the question. When that day comes,
who’s able to stand. Well, we already know it’s not the Kings. We already know. It’s not the mighty men we already know. It’s not the powerful and not the wealthy and not the rich because they’re hiding, seeking for anything to protect them from God’s judgment. But here we have a chapter break and I’m out of time anyway. So I guess we’ll have to wait and find out who can stand in the day of God’s wrath.
See told you I was out of time. I pay him good wages to wait until I’m done before he rings the bell.<inaudible><inaudible> Well, good evening and welcome to the devotional period of our Wednesday evening Bible study. It’s so good to see each of you here and, uh, what a beautiful day we’ve had today, nearly perfect. I have a few announcements concerning our sick.
We need to remember Rodale and Dorothy Wilson with her pretty much chronic problems that they have. Joan Springer is not doing well at all. She’s still suffering from a lot of her, uh, ailments and Pam chafing is recovering from back surgery. She’s doing well and, uh, progressing very nicely. So you pass had a recent nerve block and she’s with us tonight.
It’s good to see her and Janet daughter Janell Grizzard is not doing well. She has thyroid cancer. So we certainly need to keep her in our prayers. Wayne Vaughn Becky’s brother is suffering from leukemia and he too is not doing well. And having a lot of problems. Barbara Davis, Paula sister has pneumonia and high blood pressure. She, likewise is not doing very well.
Louise Lowe, uh, son ed Rogers is recovering from brain cancer surgery and her sister is as well. Louise. Uh, as you recall, has been visiting with us now for several weeks, she’s here to, uh, support her daughter, uh, who is a single mom working to, uh, support themselves here. And she has a school-aged daughter and Louise is here to kind of fill in the gap there.
So she certainly doing a good work. Peggy Cox, uh, is taking cancer treatments and Francis Wallace. Um, this is Jacob Wallis’s grandmother. And you remember, Jacob is, uh, Eric and Sheryl. So son-in-law, she is still in st. Francis. I shoot. I see you after having a stroke. Now, this is all of our sick,
uh, that we need to kind of be mindful of. Don’t forget. There’s a national wide nationwide gospel meeting, uh, call flyers are on the table back there to identify those things. And the Memphis school of preaching has an ongoing spiritual training class beginning tomorrow. There’s a flyer on the board with that. That’s all the announcements that I have. Joe will be leading us in singing tonight.
Aaron has the devotional and Terry Sanderson. We’ll close this out. The Fred, thank you all for being here. If you would Mark number 944, that would be our song of encouragement. Number nine, four, four, Dan Danby, turning to number 552 five five two. Yeah, I know<inaudible> had, I know<inaudible><inaudible> I am the clay<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> search me and tribe and master today.<inaudible> Mack,
man. Jeez<inaudible> um, the, I, uh,<inaudible> hold on. Am I being absolute?<inaudible> damn with<inaudible> living in the, And the adult class, we ended in revelation chapter six, where those who are powerful and mighty and rich and strong in the earth are seeking anything, anything at all to save them from the wrath of God,
from the wrath of the lamb, Paul wrote to the Romans about the wrath of God. And he wrote to them about who the wrath of God would come upon. It was right after he wrote that he was a debtor to the Jews and to the Gentiles to preach the gospel for the power of God was the power of the gospel was the power of God unto salvation to the Jew first and also to the Greek,
that those who were righteous, those who were just could live by faith, as Habakkuk had said in Habakkuk two verse four, but then he says in Romans chapter one, and in verse 18 for the wrath of God, is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness. First accusation. First thing, first guilty stamp that Paul places upon those who will receive the wrath of God is those who in their unrighteousness will hold back the truth.
And he can’t be talking about any other truth in the context, other than the gospel, you want the wrath of God to fall on your head. You hold back the gospel. You keep people from preaching the gospel and you’ll see the wrath of God coming on you. But then he says, because what may be known of God is manifest in them for God has shown it to them for,
since the creation of the world, his invisible attributes are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and gone in so that they are without excuse. He said, they don’t hold back the truth. They don’t hold back the gospel because they don’t know God exists. They hold it back because they do. They hold it back because they know he exists.
They can see it in themselves. They can see it in the world around them. They can see it everywhere. They look, they, they can’t escape the fact, but they don’t want to admit it. And they certainly don’t want to bow to his commandments because all though they knew God, they did not glorify him as God nor were thankful, but became futile in their faults.
And their foolish hearts were darkened professing to be wise, they became fools and changing the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man and birds and four footed animals and creeping things. Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness in the lusts of their heart, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the creator who is blessed for forever.
Amen. For this reason, God gave them up to vile passions for even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise, also the men leaving the natural use of the woman burned in their lust for one another men with men committing what is shameful and receiving in themselves, the penalty of their error, which was due. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge,
God gave them over to a debased mind to do what, do those things, which are not fitting, being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual and morality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil mindedness. They are whispers backbiters haters of God, violent, proud boasters inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents on discerning untrustworthy,
unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful, who knowing the righteous judgment of God. Don’t miss that phrase. They’re all of these things. They have a mind that has declared God doesn’t exist. Or if a God does exist, he looks like me. Or he looks like an animal, but who knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death.
Not only do the same, but also approve of those who practice them. Paul says, you want the wrath of God that come down on your head, do this, know that God exists and then act like he doesn’t and then go so far as to not only say, I don’t think he exists, but to say, even if he does, and even if he is righteous,
I’m going to live for me and I’m going to do everything I can to make sure his will isn’t done. That’s what Pharaoh did. And the wrath of God came upon the nation of Egypt. And that’s what the emperor in Rome did. I’m a wrath of God came on rope and too many times. That’s what we in America are doing too. And can we imagine our days not coming,
but what are you doing? It’s not what a nation does. It’s not what a country does. It’s not what a president does. It’s not what an emperor does. It’s not what a Pharaoh does. It’s what do I do? Where are you tonight? Are you standing with nothing but the wrath of God coming in your future? Or are you standing as one who will wear a robe of white and a crown of gold?
What is your state tonight? You have need of the invitation. Why not come now? As we stand in, as we sing<inaudible><inaudible> watch, watch<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> Samsung. No long nasty<inaudible> watch<inaudible> Oh, what sir?<inaudible><inaudible> A father who art in heaven. We thank you for this time. We’ve had tonight to come together to study your word in the same day.
Songs of praise unto thee, we pray that you would be with those that have been mentioned tonight. Her and I were P with her cause of illness where you pray that you were maybe with him, be with those who are taking care of them. We thank you for the teacher of the hour and the lesson that he presented. And we, we might use it to strengthen our beliefs and in you and to serve you better pray that you’d go with us,
not keep us safe. We made a gain in Christ. Now we pray. Amen.<inaudible>.
Back in chapter 4, John was invited through the open door into the throne room of God. He entered and saw the majesty of God’s presence and the reverent worship offered to The First and the Last by those around the throne.
John now looks back to the throne and in the hand of the one on the throne is a scroll. The scroll, with writing on the inside and outside, is sealed with seven seals. Imagine here a wax seal created by the writer of the scroll, only the individual worthy of opening the seals can read the scroll.
John stands disheartened and weeps because there is no one found in Heaven, on Earth, or in the grave worthy to open the scroll. But one of the twenty-four elders spoke to John, “Do not weep. the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and loose its seven seals.”
John looks and sees a Lamb standing, but it is “a Lamb as though it had been slain.” The Lamb has seven horns (perfect might) and seven eyes (perfect knowledge). The Lamb takes the scroll from the One on the throne. When he does, the four creatures and twenty-four elders fall down and sing before the Lamb. When they sing, they each have a harp and a golden bowl filled with incense–this is the prayers of the saints on Earth.
The song of the Lamb identifies this Lamb as the Redeemer of all the world who has made them kings and priests of God.
Then the angels, numbering hundreds of thousands, join in with the elders and the creatures saying, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain…”
Then all creatures in Heaven, and all in the earth, and all in the sea join in saying, “Blessing and honor and glory and power be to Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever!”
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John, having delivered Jesus’ message to the churches, is brought deeper into the vision. He sees an open door in Heaven. Note that John doesn’t speak of these things as if they are fantasy. It is a vision, but visions of a real place, albeit a spiritual one.
Be careful to understand that the book of Revelation is largely symbolical (it conveys meaning using symbols), but the symbols almost always connect with real people, places, and things. Back to Revelation.
Upon being invited “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this,” John enters the door and the very throne room of God. He sees a throne, and One on the throne (God). The description that follows is a magnificent throne room that could be unmatched by any earthly king.
Interestingly, the one on the throne is never directly described. Only his “appearance” (vs. 3). Even in the very presence of Jehovah, there are no human words to describe Jehovah himself.
In front of the throne: The seven lamps which are the Seven Spirits of God. See the connection to the golden lampstand in the tabernacle (read Exodus 25:31-40; 37:17-24).
Around the throne: 24 elders who are righteous rulers together with 4 living creatures. The creatures are mighty, have the swiftness of flight, and see everything (there is a connection to Ezekiel 1 here).
Coming from the throne: lightnings, thundering, voices. Go read Exodus 19:9-24; 20:18-21. John sees something similar to what caused the people of Israel to plead with Moses to go before the presence of God so they would not have to witness this.
The creatures praise the One on the Throne night and day saying, “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty. Who was and is and is to come.” Whenever the creatures praise God, the elders fall down, cast their crowns down, and worship the one on the throne. They are great, they are righteous, they are mighty, but they are nothing compared to God.
Lesson: If this communicates to humanity the awesomeness of God’s presence, how significant is it for the Hebrew writer to state, “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need”
[smart_track_player url=”https://collierville.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/20180508150602/2017-11-29_-_Wed_Devo_-_Your_Faith_is_Founded_in_Understanding.mp3″ artist=”Aaron Cozort” title=”Your Faith is Founded upon Understanding” image=”https://collierville.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/20171221125531/colliervilles-good-news-300w.png” social=”true”]
Ever stand on sand that moves underneath you? Its hard to stay in one place when your foundation is unsteady. Our faith must be founded on something stronger. Understanding — Divine Understanding revealed in Scripture. Learn more.
Text: Acts 17
Location: Collierville Church of Christ
For more from Aaron, visit www.cozort.org
For more from Collierville Church of Christ, Visit www.colliervillecoc.org
To Sardis: An assembly with a false reputation. They think they are a living body of Christ, but Jesus pronounced them dead. Christians among them are still alive, but without repentance, He is coming with unexpected judgment. Those whose garments are unsoiled will receive their reward. Promise: To the overcomer – white robes, a name in the Book of Life & their name confessed by Christ (cf. Mat. 10:32).
To Philadelphia: An assembly with an open door that no man could shut. Neither humanity nor spiritual beings can overcome the purposes and actions of God. This church is going through the wringer. More persecution is coming, but the faithful have a crown awaiting. Promise: To the overcomer – become a pillar in the Temple of God & names written on him.
To Laodicea: An assembly that makes God sick. Apathy reigns in this church. Prosperity physically, and wretchedness spiritually. They have an eye affliction; they are blind, deceived by wealth and oblivious to the truth. Christ is rebuking them, will they repent? He is knocking, will they open? Promise: To the overcomer – a seat with Christ on the throne for the overcomer like Him.
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
What did John see at the beginning of chapter 4? Revelation 4:1 ________________________________________________________________
Whose voice invited John into the Throne Room of God? Revelation 4:1 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
He who sat there was like a ________ and a ________ stone in appearance; Revelation 4:3 ________________________________________________________________
Who surrounded the throne and what was on their head? Revelation 4:4 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
How are the seven Spirits of God that were before the throne described? Revelation 4:5 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
What kind of sea was before the throne? Revelation 4:6 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Describe the eyes of the four creatures? Revelation 4:4 ________________________________________________________________
Describe the appearance of each creature. Revelation 4:7 First: _______________________________________________________ Second: _______________________________________________________ Third: _______________________________________________________ Fourth: _______________________________________________________
What is the declaration of the four creatures? Revelation 4:8 ________________________________________________________________
What do the elders do when the four creatures praise God? Revelation 4:10-11 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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If you were a priest of the Israelite nation, your days were filled with sacrifices, sacrifices, and more sacrifices. But Jesus made a sacrifice once for all time. Find out more as Aaron offers a brief devotional thought on the sacrifice of Christ.
Text: Hebrews 9:28
For more from Aaron, visit: www.cozort.org.
For more from the Collierville Church of Christ, visit: www.colliervillecoc.org.
A double-edged sword is a description given to the speaking of the word of God from the mouth of Jesus Christ (“The First and the Last …he who lives, and was dead, and… am alive forevermore” – 1:17-18). When Jesus speaks, there will be a separation, an action–an attack against all that is unholy, and protection for all that is holy. He will speak to the messengers (angels) of the churches, and His words will divide, instruct, rebuke, correct, admonish, and commend.
To Ephesus: An “assembly” (church) that labored, endured, and couldn’t stand evil just like their Heavenly Father. They held to sound doctrine and true apostolic authority. They had fought without giving up… but, they had lost the most important thing, the reason for doing it all. Their first love–the Father. They needed to repent, to return to the first works of Christianity, to return to the love of God (but not cease their other labors.) Promise: To the overcomer – eternal food (cf. John 4:10, 13).
To Smyrna: An assembly of the poor, but rich in spiritual things. The “poor church” is defenseless, but God defends them. The “poor church” will suffer, but God will not fail to notice their persecution. The “poor church” will be thrown in prison, and some will die, but God has their reward waiting. Promise: To the overcomer – no second death (cf. 1:18; 2:8).
To Pergamos: An assembly dwelling in the stronghold of Satan, in the bowels of persecution, who had already lost one Christian to death. They were holding fast the name of Christ, and the faith of Christ, but sin was in their presence, and they weren’t dealing with it. The one who has the sharp two-edged sword was giving them time to repent before He declared war on them. Promise: To the overcomer – manna to eat (food that never runs out), and a white stone with a new name.
To Thyatira: An assembly described by love, service, faith, and endurance, but they were allowing a teacher to promote sexual immorality and idolatry. Jesus warns them that He has already given Jezebel all the time she would get, her time is up. He searches hearts and minds and rewards each person for their works. But to those who were still faithful, He places no further burden but to stay strong. Promise: To the overcomer – rule together with Christ, and the morning star.
JOHN – Revelation 2-3 The Church at Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea
The church at Ephesus had left ____________________. Revelation 2:4 ________________________________________________________________
For their sins, the churches at Ephesus, Pergamum and Thyatira were told to (a) be baptized, (b) believe, (c) repent, or (d) confess. Revelation 2:5, 16, 22 Possibly, why was the church of Smyrna not told to repent? Revelation 2:8-11 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Where is the tree of life? Revelation 2:7 ________________________________________________________________
What is the result of being faithful until death? Revelation 2:10 ________________________________________________________________
Among the sins of the church at Pergamum, one not listed was (a) denying the faith, (b) teaching Balak, (c) eating food sacrificed to idols, or (d) committing acts of immorality. Revelation 2:13, 14 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Among the sins of the church at Thyatira, not listed was (a) committing sins of immorality, (b) decreasing in deeds, (c) eating foods sacrificed to idols, (d) following after Jezebel. Revelation 2:19-21 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
How many people in Sardis were not sinful? Revelation 3:4 ________________________________________________________________
The names of those who had overcome sin were written in the book . Revelation 3:5 ________________________________________________________________
(yes or no) Was it possible for a person to lose his “crown”? Revelation 3:11 ________________________________________________________________
What would Jesus do to people that were lukewarm? Revelation 3:15-16 ________________________________________________________________
For their sins, the churches of Sardis and Laodicea were told to ____________. Possibly, why was the church of Philadelphia not told to repent? Revelation 3:3, 7-19 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Descriptions of Jesus – Revelation 2-3
1:1 – Messiah (Christ)
1:1 – Has servants
1:2 – Was testified about
1:5 – Faithful witness
1:5 – Firstborn (preeminent) from the dead
1:5 – Ruler over the kings of the Earth
1:5 – Loved us
1:5 – Washed us from our sins in His blood
1:5 – Shed his blood for us (implied)
1:6 – Made us kings and priests to God
1:6 – To whom belongs glory and dominion forever.
1:7 – Will come with the clouds
1:7 – Will be seen by everyone, even those who pierced Him
1:7 – Was pierced
1:7 – Will cause all tribes on Earth to mourn
1:8 – Alpha and Omega (1:11, 17); Beginning and End
1:8 – Who is and who was and who is to come
1:8 – The Almighty
1:8 – Speaks with a voice as a trumpet
1:11 – Giver of revelation (1:1)
1:13 – In midst of 7 golden lampstands (vs. 20 – churches) (2:1)
1:13 – Clothed in garments of a priest
1:14 – Hair and head of white
1:14 – Eyes a flame of fire
1:15 – Feet like brass
1:15 – Voice like many waters
1:16 – Holds stars in his hand (angels of the churches) (2:1)
1:17 – Shows compassion
1:18 – Who lives, was dead, and is alive evermore
1:18 – Holds the keys of Hades and Death
1:19 – Prophet of future events (Deuteronomy 18)
1:20 – Revealer of mysteries
2:2 – One who sent out apostles with verifiable evidence.
2:3 – One for whose name’s sake we should labor.
2:4 – One whom we should love as the fundamental nature of our Christianity
2:5 – One with power to remove a Church’s lampstand.
2:6 – One who hate false teachers (like the Nicolaitans) (2:15; 2:20)
2:7 – One who has authority over Tree of Life in the paradise of God.
2:8 – First and last
2:8 – Dead and came to life
2:9 – Knows who the real Jews are
2:10 – Knows the future
2:10 – Gives the Crown of life
2:11 – Can tell us how to avoid the second death
2:12 – Has the sharp two-edged sword
2:13 – Knows the faithful who hold fast in face of death
2:14 – Is aware of the doctrines taught among churches
2:16 – Requires repentance from Churches, not just individuals
2:16 – One who fights against Churches with sword of His mouth
2:17 – Possesses the hidden manna (Bread of Life)
2:17 – Giver of new names (on a white stone) known only to the recipient
2:18 – Son of God
2:18 – Eyes like a flame of fire and feet like fine brass
2:20 – Opposed to false doctrine, seducing women, sexual immorality, and idolatry
2:21 – Gives time to repent (long-suffering) even to false teachers
2:22 – Brings tribulation against the unfaithful to get them to repent
2:23 – Death and destruction (judgment) against children of false teachers
2:23 – Searches hearts and minds of Christians (and so-called)
2:24 – Merciful to those striving to be faithful in midst of false teachers
2:25 – One who is coming (3:11)
2:26 – Has works we are to be keeping
2:26 – Has power over the nations
2:27 – Fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy (Psalm 2:8-9)
2:28 – Giver of the Morning Star
3:2 – Examiner of works searching for “perfect” Christians
3:3 – Giver of the Gospel
3:3 – Expects Christians to be watchful (ready / sober)
3:3 – Comes as a thief in the night against Churches and Christians
3:4 – Walks in white with those who are worthy
3:5 – Giver of White Garments (cf. Zechariah 3 – High Priest’s garments)
3:5 – Controls whose names are in the Book of Life
3:5 – Confess/Advocates on behalf of people before the Father
3:6 – Is Holy
3:7 – Is True
3:7 – Has the Key of David (Isaiah 9:6-7)
3:7 – Has authority to open and shut and now one can overcome (Mat. 16:17-19)
3:8 – Knows who has little strength and is enduring
3:9 – Has power over sinners to cause them to bow (worship / defeated) before those who love Him
3:10 – Giver of commandments
3:10 – Protector / Keeper during hour of trials (2 Peter 2:9)
3:10 – Tester of whole world through trials
3:11 – One who comes quickly
3:12 – Controls the Temple of God / makes something out of someone they were never capable of becoming alone (1 Kings 7:21)
3:12 – Controls access to the Father (My God) (John 14:6)
3:12 – Controller of the writing of name of God on Faithful (Revelation 7:1-4)
3:12 – Writer of the name of the city of God (New Jerusalem) on the Faithful
3:12 – Writer of a “new name” on Christians
3:14 – The amen (Isaiah 65:16 – The God of Truth/Amen)
3:14 – The faithful and true witness
3:14 – the Beginning of Creation of God (Not the first of… but the originating source of creation through whom God works – Col. 1:15,18, John 1:3; Heb. 1:2; Rev. 1:18; 2:8; 3:21; 5:13).
3:15-16 – The one of whom Churches/Christians are a part
3:17 – Sees the real condition of a Christian, even if they do not.
3:18 – Has the things of real value available for those who seek them (Matthew 5:6)
3:18 – Clothes those covered in shame and heals the blind
3:19 – A rebuke and chastener of those He loves (for their own good/benefit)
3:20 – A seeker of those who will let Him in
3:20 – Awaiting the opening of the door by the Hearer
3:21 – Authority over who sits with Him on the throne
3:21 – An overcomer (3:7)
3:22 – One who speaks to those who HEAR (2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13) through the Spirit’s revelation.
Automated Transcript
<inaudible><inaudible> good morning. It’s good to see everyone here this morning. Good to have those who are online, joining us online and on the phone, grateful for their presence, and we hope you are doing well. We are in revelation chapter two. We’re going to try something very ambitious today. Um, I mentioned on Wednesday that if there was any feedback one way or another as to whether or not we should just continue through the entire book of revelation,
the material that we’re in covers chapters one, two, and three, and then jumps to the end of chapter 22. And that’s all it covers much like it did the book of job. Uh, there’s just only so much that you can fit into material. And also, uh, only so much you can explain to three and four year olds, and if you’re doing it across the whole span of,
uh, of ages. And so, uh, the material chose to skip over the majority of revelation. Um, so I asked Everyone, what were your thoughts? And not everybody gave me their thoughts as to whether or not we should cover all of it in this class, but a few did. And the unanimous thoughts were that we should. So we’re going to attempt to go through the book of revelation.
Um, well, no, we’re going to go through the book of revelation. We’re going to attempt to do it well and do it quickly and expeditiously, because I think that in a sense, the quicker you go through revelation, the better you get it, um, in the sense that we don’t want to get bogged down, we don’t want to spend,
as, as I know, one class did a year going through the book of revelation. And by the time you got to the end, the teacher said, I don’t think anybody remembers what the, It looks about it. So remember this about revelation. It is a picture book. If you sit down with a child and you pick up a picture book,
you ought to be able to get the gist of the book fairly quickly. That’s the book of revelation. Okay. Now what we’re going to attempt to do this morning, because we are going to try and go through the entire thing, but not lose, you know, a whole quarter doing it. Um, and, and get caught back up with the other classes,
uh, is we’re going to try and do chapter two and three this morning. One of the reasons we’re going to do that is because this is, these were the two chapters that most people are the most familiar with, but I want to look at it in a different way then I think we usually do. So, the first thing we’re going to do is we’re going to answer the questions,
where do you get those out of the way and do those? Uh, because that is probably the closest thing to a traditional study of chapters two and three, that you’re going to get to do Question number one. Okay. Chapter two, verse four, the church at Ephesus had left blank. First love question, number two for their sins, the churches at emphasis Promar Pergamum fire,
Tyra and Thyatira were told to a be baptized, be believe, see, repent or Dee confess. See repent. Possibly. Why was the church at Smyrna? Not told to repent. Let’s go through and read the section to Smyrna verse eight and the angel or, and to the angel of the church in Smyrna, write these things, says the first and the last,
who was dead and came to life. I know your words, tribulation and poverty, but you are rich. And I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan, do not fear of those things, which are, you are about to suffer. Indeed. The devil is about to throw some of you into prison that you may be tested and you will have tribulation 10 days be faithful until death.
And I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death. So this is a cool thought question, possibly. Why is it that they’re not commanded to repent? They’re not getting no, nothing negative is said about them.
They were faithful. And they were about to go into what severe persecution tribulation up to and including death. Okay. So, so I think maybe those were the two reasons. Number one, there wasn’t anything negative to say about them. That might, that might be the answer right there. Number two, it might be the severe persecution that they were about to undergo.
Number three, where is the tree of life in the paradise of God? According to verse seven, according to chapter two, verse 10, question four. What is the result of being faithful until death? You will receive a crown of life. And the question number five among the sins of the church at Pergamum one, not listed was a denying the faith B teaching Baylock C eating food,
sacrificed to idols, or D committing acts of immorality, denying the faith question. Number six, by the way, the reason there’s 11 questions is I combined the questions from chapter two and chapter three. And what<inaudible>. Okay. Uh, question six from verses 19 through 21 of chapter two among the sins of the church at Thyatira, not listed was a committing sins of immorality B decreasing in deeds C eating food sacrificed to idols or D following after Jessebelle,<inaudible> Be decreasing Indeed’s questions.
Seven from chapter three, verse four. How many people in Sardis were not sinful?<inaudible> Chapter three, verse horses. You have a few names, even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments. So the answer is a few, by the way, that is Sardis in Asia, minor dot Sardis, Mississippi. Okay. Just so we’re clear revelation,
chapter three, verse five, question a, the names of those who had overcome sin were written in the book of blank book of life. Yes or no. Question nine from chapter three, verse 11. Was it possible for a person to lose his crown? Yes. Chapter three, verses 15 through 16, question 10. What would Jesus do to people who were lukewarm spew them out?
Question 11 chapter three, verse three and verses seven through 19 for their sins. The churches of Sardis and Laodicea were told to Milink repent. Possibly. Why was the church at Philadelphia? Not told to repent. They were faithful. I think the answer to both of those questions is, is that idea right there. They were faithful. Okay. What I want to do next is I want to look at chapters one,
two, and three as a cohesive unit talking about one singular thing. Usually what happens is chapter one, we introduce revelation and we talk about John, uh, at the Island Patmos. And we talk about the visions and we talk about, uh, figurative language, all of which we did on Wednesday. And then we get to chapter two and we talk about the church.
We talk about problems with the church and good things about the church and things they’re doing right. And things they were doing wrong and all of that’s good, but there’s a reason why these three, these three chapters are the preface to the book. They are not the focus of the book. It’s, it’s kind of astounding. Um, it’s kind of feels like high school sometimes where you go through a book and you really don’t ever read the book,
you just read the preface and the cliff notes, and then you move on just because you had a test on it or a book report to do. And that’s all you all the time you want to spend on. That’s how I think sometimes we treat the book of revelation. We read the preface, we go through some highlights and then we move on.
But when we do that, I think we miss the focus of the preface. And we miss the focus of the book. The book of revelation has a singular message, the victory in Christ and the message of the book of revelation to these Christians and note, first and foremost, it is written to Christians who were alive, right then this is not the only book in all the new Testament,
written exclusively to people who hadn’t lived for 2000 years, but that’s how people interpret it. They’ll interpret it as if it’s written to us today or some future generation and not to the people who were right there. And that’s just simply not true. John was writing to Christians just the same way was in first, John and second John and third John and the gospel of John he’s writing to the same people,
but he’s writing to them about some thing that must shortly come to pass. As we get in further into the book, we’re going to look at the dating of the book. There are those who argue for one date and they’re those who argue for another date. And I’ll tell you, I think they’re both wrong and that’s going to astound you. You know that Aaron things everybody’s wrong now,
not everybody’s wrong. There are some people who are right. It’s just that both of those camps are wrong. Um, and it’s because generally what those two arguments come from is the historical information around the book and the traditions that have been handed down through the years, but they’re not dated by the content of the book later on in our study, we’re going to go to revelation chapter 17.
And we’re going to see where John says the books written because John dates the book. So we don’t have to guess he told us when it was written. And we’ll see that as we get into the visions and as we explain what’s going on in the visions, which will help make, help them make sense. But what we’re going to do this morning,
we’re going to focus on the single most emphasized aspect of chapters. One, two, and three, that is underemphasized in every study I’ve ever seen to the book of revelation. And that is Jesus Christ. See chapter two and chapter three are not about the church they’re written to the church. They’re correcting issues in the church. They’re encouraging the church. They’re telling the church what’s coming,
but they’re not about the church. They’re about Jesus Christ. So let’s begin going through a list. And what I have here is a four page list of every description. Every attribute of Jesus Christ contained in these three chapters. And in order to do compile that list, it took four pages. The entirety of the text, almost every single verse focuses on Jesus Christ.
Go, go to revelation, chapter one, we’re going to go through the list and I just want you to see this. And then I’ve got the handout for you later. You can go back through so you don’t have to try and take notes. I want you to see it in the text revelation chapter one, verse one, the revelation of Jesus Christ,
which God gave him to show his servants things, which must shortly take place. And he sent and signified it by his angel to his servant. John notice, first and foremost, he’s introduced as the Christ. We’ve talked about this before. What is the Christ mean? It’s the word mean? The anointed one. And it’s a carry over. It’s a brought forward from the old Testament word.
What? Okay. Messiah the Christ was a synonymous idea with the Messiah. When someone said, this is the Christ, they meant this is the old Testament Messiah. Okay. But notice as well that Christ Jesus Christ in verse one has servants. He sent and signified it by his servants. But notice in verse two, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ,
to all things that he saw, Christ is one who is testified about Jesus made it. Or John made it clear in his other epistles. We saw him, we witnessed these things. We heard him, we touched him. We know that of which we speak. Okay. So Christ is one who has testified about verse five and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness,
the firstborn from the dead, the ruler of over the Kings of the earth, to him who loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood. You’ve got a number of descriptions right here about Jesus Christ. Notice number one, he’s the faithful witness all throughout the old and the new Testament. God condemns. Those who perjure themselves. One of the things that God hates is those who bear false witness.
John makes this clear as he introduces Jesus Christ. And this, this letter is beginning. This witness is faithful. This witness is true and you need to listen to him, but he not only calls him the faithful witness. He calls him the firstborn from the dead. The idea there, as we mentioned on Wednesday being the preeminent one, he also called him the ruler over the Kings of the earth.
This statement right here is going to introduce the position of Christ, the position of the lamb for the rest of the book. We can talk about Jesus reigning on his throne and Jesus being the King and Jesus leading the army army of, of the faithful over in chapter 18 and 19. But he’s introduced as the King over all the earth right here. This is a blow to Caesar who claims to be the ruler over all the earth.
John says, no, you’re not Jesus Christ is. But then also where we see a description of Jesus, as one who loved us, here is a faithful witness. Here is a King, but here is one who loved us so much that he washed us from our sins in his own blood. The implication of course, there being that Jesus Christ is the one who came and died for us.
So you have John chapter three verse 16 brought right in here into this text for God. So loved the world that he gave. His only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. He gave his son for us, but Jesus came, Jesus chose to do that because he loved us. One of the messages to these Christians,
to these Christians that are about to go through persecution is number one, Christ is on the throne. Number two, he came and he died for you. He washed you from your sins and he did it because he loves you. And so when you go through the persecution, that’s coming, because everything in this book is stated in view of a calming persecution.
John wants them to know at the very outset, he loved you. He’s on the throne and he washed you from your sins in his blood. But then notice, he also says in verse six, he not only did that, but Anne has made us Kings and priests to his God and father to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Notice that he has made us Jesus. Didn’t just save us from our sins. He took us from our old status in life and made us something entirely new. He made us Kings and priests that second, Peter and second Peter chapter two verses five through nine speaks concerning that. But then also we read to, uh, that to him, belongs glory.
And we’re beginning to see a picture of a lamb, a Christ who is worthy of praise. And John’s going to set that out right here. But then verse seven behold, he is coming with the clouds and every eye will see him. Even they who pierced him and all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of him. Notice he’s coming, he’s coming and that’s going to be emphasized in chapter one,
chapter two and chapter three. And every time it’s mentioned there, somebody who needs to wake up every time Jesus is spoken of as coming, somebody needs to be aware because it’s coming in judgment every single time in chapters, one, two, and three, we’re going to see every single one of them, but in every single one of them he’s coming and he’s coming in judgment.
Why is it that the group of people mentioned here in his coming, who are going to see him is described as those who pierced him? What is that reference as he was there on the cross? What happened to it? His side was pierced. It references back to the old Testament, by the way, it hearkens back to the book of Zechariah.
We’ll get to that in a few weeks, but he was pierced for us. His blood was shed for us. And John writes as an older man that there were those who were still alive, who had something to do with that, who were going to witness what was coming. This is no different than in Mark chapter nine, verse one, Jesus saying to those disciples who were standing there,
there are some of you standing here who will not see death till you see the kingdom of God come with power. And John says there were going to be some of those who pierced him, who were involved in his death, who would witness this coming judgment. He says they will also, or that he will also cause all tribes on the earth to mourn this coming judgment.
This coming of Christ was going to bring about mourning from all the tribes of the earth. And you’re going to see that as we go through the text, but then verse eight, we see I am the alpha and the Omega, the beginning, and the end says the Lord who is and who was, and who is to come. You see him described as the alpha and the Omega,
the beginning and the end, the first letter of the Greek alphabet in the last, you see him described as who is and who was, and who is the com declaring his eternality. You see him described as the almighty, every single one of these descriptions is to get these Christians to see he’s in charge. You got to get that the whole message of book of revelation Christ is on the throne.
And he has not handed authority over to Caesar. And he is not handed authority over to Rome. And he has not handed authority over to the beast. And he is not handed authority over the dragon. He is not handed authority over to Satan. He has not handed authority over to anyone. He is on the throne. He is the almighty, but then also verse eight.
He is one who speaks, no, that’s not verse eight. There’s a typo there. A verse 10. I was in the spirit on the Lord’s day. And I heard behind me aloud voice as of a trumpet. His voice is that which is described as the sound of a trumpet verse 11. He is the giver of revelation. He says, I am the first and the,
uh, the alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, what you see right in a book and send it to the seven churches. He is the giver of revelation. All these are descriptions, not of the spirit, not of the father. They’re all descriptions of Christ. Okay? Verse 13, you see him pictured as John begins to see him in the midst of the seven lampstands and in the midst of the seven lampstands one,
like the son of man clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band, his head and hair were white, like wool, as white as snow and his eyes like a flame of fire. His feet were like fine brass as if refined in a furnace, his voice as the sound of many waters he had in his right hand,
seven stars and out of his mouth, when a sharp twoedged sword and his countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. All these descriptions, you just break them out one by one, all of them describing a picture of Christ. But I want you to notice one specifically. Now they’re all on the list when you get the handout, but one specifically,
what’s coming out of his mouth, a sharp two edged sword. When you get into chapter two and three, you’re going to see a reference back to that. So don’t forget it. Notice where it’s coming out of though. It’s not in his hand. Is it coming out of his wide mouth? This is a picture of God’s word and it’s power.
It is the power of God’s word to defeat God’s enemies. When Satan came tempted Jesus there in Matthew, chapter four and Luke chapter four, every time Jesus was tempted, he responded with what the sword of the spirit. He did battle with Satan and was victorious by using the one tool. Satan didn’t have access to the word of God and using it properly.
But when we see the description of Jesus Christ fighting with the sword, that’s a warning because he doesn’t fight against his friends. He doesn’t fight against his allies. He doesn’t go out to do battle with a sword against those who are on his side. He does it against his enemies. So in chapter two and chapter three, when you get a church being warned that he will turn and fight against you with the sword,
Oh, we’ve got a problem in a church. Don’t we? Okay. But again, the point, the focus isn’t on the church, it’s on the Christ, but then notice also verse 17. And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead, but he laid his right hand on me saying to me, do not be afraid.
I am the first and the last notice something in here that isn’t explicitly stated, but it’s there in his actions. Jesus is one who shows compassion. Here’s John Xi. He sees this vision. He sees him, he hears the voice and then he falls down at his feet and Jesus doesn’t command them to stand up. Jesus reaches down and lifts him up.
This is the same savior, the same Jesus who sat in the upper room at that final supper who John, we read about laid his head on his chest. There was a love, a care, a compassion, a concern in Christ for his apostle still, but he also says do not be afraid. Jesus is one who brings about the possibility of living in a time of tribulation in a time of persecution with out fear.
Then also verse 18. I am he who lives and who was dead and behold, I am alive forevermore. Again, another description of his eternal illness, how he always has existed, how he does exist. I hadn’t how he always will. But also you see in this a description of a break in time, and sometimes people will say, time has no has no bearing on eternity,
disagree entirely because in eternity you have everything that happened before Jesus died and you have everything that happened after it. You can’t tell me, time has no bearing on eternity. Now, can you tell me that time? Doesn’t mean the same thing to God in eternity, that it means to us. Absolutely. But you have everything that happened before the cross and everything that happened after it,
time has to have some bearing on eternity, but then also notice you have this description of him. I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and death. This is a message of victory. This is a message that says, because remember the likelihood is, and I’m going to give you why I believe this. Every other book of the new Testament is already been written.
The church has every other book of the new Testament already in their hands before they get this. So they’ve read Hebrews chapter two. They’ve read when the Hebrew writer said that the last enemy to be destroyed was death and Jesus conquered death. So when he says I have the keys, that means I went down into Haiti’s and I opened the door. I opened the door for the resurrection.
Death has no power on you. The book of revelation is going to make it clear for the one who is faithful for the one who is righteous, the one who endures until death, they won’t stay a part of the second death. They won’t become those who are brought into the second death that is eternal torment. They instead will have eternal life. And how can they be assured of that?
Because the one who’s going to give them eternal life holds the keys to Hades and death. He’s in charge, not just of this world, but that world, but then also notice, right? These things which you have seen and the things which you, which are and the things which will take place after this here, you need to get this. Here’s what this book is about.
This book is about, what’s already been said all of the revelation from the old Testament prophets and from the, from a Z Gill and Daniel and all those profits that, that have visions that are part of this book. He says, those are the things which were, and tell them about the things which are what’s going on right now and write what’s coming.
That’s the book of revelation. But then also he says the mystery of the seven stars, which you saw in my right hand. And the seven golden lamp stands. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches and the seven church or seven lampstands, which you saw are the seven churches. So he’s now going to address these churches. But again,
as we go through this, I want to get the picture of Christ. I want you to see this as the introduction to Christ in view of the church, because John’s now focusing entirely on these churches, but he’s going to write the message from Christ to the churches. And they need to know who they’re dealing with before chapter four starts before John gets invited into the throne room of God,
before John starts revealing the things which he’s about to see, they need to know who it’s coming from. And so Jesus says, you write to these seven churches, you write these things down and you put them in a book and you send it to them. And this is what he is going to reveal. Number one, that he holds the stars,
the angels of the churches in his right hand, he has power over death. He has power over the Kings of the earth and he holds the churches in his hand, Jesus Christ has power over the church, but it’s also his strength. We read in Ephesians about the manifold wisdom of God in bringing about the church. And we read that we fight not against principalities and powers of this earth,
but against the ruler of the darkness that we fight a spiritual warfare and we better suit up. Ephesians chapter six, we better be prepared to fight. The sword comes out of his mouth, but in his right hand, the churches. And now he’s going to address them to the angel, the church at Ephesus, write these things, says he who holds the seven stars in his right hand,
who walks in the midst of the golden lamp stands. I know your works, your labor, your patients, that you cannot bear. Those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars. Number one about Jesus. He knows what’s going on in every church. He makes it clear and he’s going to make it clear to every single congregation.
I know. I know. I know. I know. Oh, so many times The old Testament, the Israelites believed the false teachers who said, God, doesn’t know, God’s not paying attention. God, won’t see what you’re doing and that it’s wrong. God, won’t judge you. Jesus says, I know. And he’s also going to tell them,
I know when you’re failing, but notice as well. He is described as the one who sent out the apostles with verifiable information. He says, I know your works, your labor, your patients, that you cannot bear. Those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars. When Jesus sent out his apostles,
he sent them out with verifiable evidence. Jesus is a God of evidence and proof, not of a leap of faith. And so he says, I know what you’ve done and you’ve done it. Right? But then also notice in verse four, one of whom we should, or one whom we should love as a fundamental nature of our Christianity. Verse four.
Nevertheless, I have this against you that you have left your first love. What was their first love God and Christ. If you love me, keep my commandments. Hereby, will they know that you are my disciples? If you love one another, as I have loved you. Okay? So verse five, we see Christ as one with power to remove a church’s lampstand.
Not only does he have the, the angels of the churches in his right hand, he has the power to remove a congregation from his presence that the vision of him standing in the midst of the lampstand is a vision of him being in communion, in fellowship with those churches. What happens if one of those lampstands is removed? That means that church is no longer in fellowship with him.
That church has been cast out. That church is like the Jews who were part of that vine that got cut off and burned. He’s warning the Christians. What happened to them? Jews can happen to you. No. What he says in verse five, remember therefore from where you have fallen, repent and do the first works or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lamps And notice his coming again.
First coming back in chapter one, it’s the peoples, the tribes of the earth that need to be paying attention. They’re going to mourn when he comes, but now it’s the church at Ephesus. He says, I’m going to come and I’m going to come quickly. And you are going to suffer when I come, this isn’t the second coming of Christ.
This isn’t the day of judgment. This is now, John. John’s not selling them. You get, you be sure to repent before you die. He’s telling them you better repent now, or your candlestick is going to be removed. But then also he says, or we see in verse seven, he’s one who has authority over the tree of life in the paradise of God.
Um, actually I skipped verse six, but this you have that. You hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. Here’s a description of Christ. He hates false teachers. He hates their doctrine among whom was the Nicolaitans, which are meant mentioned at least twice in these chapters. He who has an ear, let him hear verse seven.
What the spirit says to the churches, to him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. Can you give something you don’t possess? No. Okay. So here Jesus is pictured as the one who has access to the tree of life. Now where’s that tree of life come from in old Testament,
scripture garden of Eden, the very beginning, the, the, the, the possibility that they could have lived in that garden and eaten of that tree and never died. And yet Jesus says I have access to the tree of life, and I’ll give you access to the tree of life, but also to the paradise of God, Jesus said in John chapter 14,
verse six, I am the way the truth and the life. No man cometh where under the father, but by me. Okay. Uh, notice in verse eight, we have a couple of statements here. He’s again described as the first and the last one who was dead and came to life and to the angel of the church in Smyrna, write these things,
says the first and the last, who was dead and came to life. I know your works, tribulation poverty, but you are rich. And I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not. But our synagogue of Satan, he is one who is the first and the last. He is one who was dead and came to life.
He knows who the real Jews are using this reference as the descendants of Abraham, the children of Abraham, those who live according to Abraham’s works, whether or not they live according to Abraham’s okay, I’m going to have to hurry up. He knew Sales, uh, here in verse 10, he knows the future. He says, do not fear what you’re about to endure,
because I know what’s coming and I’m going to tell you what’s coming. He knows the future in verse 10. He is also the one who gives the crown of life. Verse 11, makes it clear though, that he can also give us what we need to avoid. The second death verse 11, who has an ear, let him hear what the spirit says to the churches.
He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death. He wants us to know, I know how to help you avoid this. And I’ll tell you, then also Verse 12. He is the one who has the sharp twoedged sword. These things says he who has the sharp twoedged sword. I know your works. And where you dwell, where Satan throne is,
and you hold fast to my name and did not deny my faith. Even in the days in which Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells verse 12, he has a sharp twoedged sword, verse 13. He knows the faithful who hold fast in the face of death, but also verse 14. He is aware of the doctrines taught among the churches.
We have there. Another reference to the doctrine of Baylor BeyLat who chose the children of Israel to stumble in eating things, sacrificed to idols and committing sexual immoralities verse 15, the doctrine of the Nicolaitans as well, verse 16, one who fights against the churches with the sword of his mouth. Now notice this, who is he fighting against verse 16, repent,
or else I will come to you quickly. There’s another coming. There’s another description of how he’s going to come. He’s going to come to this church quickly and fight against you with the sword of my mouth. You don’t fight against your allies. This church is being threatened to become the enemy of God. And yet they will. They have a sign out front that says church of Christ.
That’s a warning. We better be paying attention to it. Verse 17, He possesses the hidden manna. That’s the bread of life. He is the giver of new names. He will give them a new name on a white stone known only to the recipient verse 18. He is described as the son of God, verse 18. He has eyes like a flame of fire and feet,
like fine brass verse 20 he’s opposed to false doctrine there in Thyatira to seducing women to sexual immorality and to idolatry. But in verse 21, you see that he gives time to repent. And I gave her speaking of Jezza bell here, and the one who Jessebelle represents, I gave her time to repent of her sexual immortality. And she did not repent notice Christ is described as one who is long suffering,
even to false teachers and the immoral, but there comes a time. And this is important in this book, there comes a time when God’s long suffering runs out. And for this woman, the time has run out verse 22. He’s going to bring tribulation against the unfaithful to get them to repent. Indeed, I will cast her into a sick bed and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation,
unless they repent of their deeds. Here’s their final warning. Here’s your last chance you repent or else this is coming upon you. I will kill her children with death and all the churches shall know that I am. He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you, according to your works, he searches the minds and the hearts of Christians.
He brings death and destruction. That is judgment against the children of false teachers, but he’s also a merciful to those striving to be faithful in the midst of false teachers, verse 24 now, to you, I say, and to the rest and Thyatira, as many as do not have the doctrine who have not known the depths of Satan, as they say,
I will put on, you know, other burden. He’s merciful to those who are being faithful in the midst of false teachers, but he says, but hold fast, what you have till I come, there’s another coming of Christ. He has works that we are to be keeping and to him, he who overcomes and keeps my works until the end to him.
I will give power over the nations. Again, you can’t give what you don’t possess. So Jesus has power over the nations. Otherwise he couldn’t give it. But notice also he is the fulfillment of old Testament, prophecy. He shall rule them verse 27 with a rod of iron. They shall be dashed to pieces like the Potter’s vessel, go to the Psalm chapter two,
verses eight and nine. And go read that the Psalmist writer says, this is the Messiah. He’s going to come. He’s going to do this to his enemies. And Christ is saying, I’m going to give you the Christians, the Christians who are faithful in the midst of false teachers, the Christians who hold fast until the end. He says, I’m going to give you the power to do this because it belongs to me.
But then also verse 28. He is the giver of the morning star. He is The one who holds the power over light and life. And he’s going to give it to these Christians. All right, we’re not going to get through chapter three. We’re going to pick up with chapter three on Wednesday and go through three and four on Wednesday. Uh,
and introduce this vision. I will go ahead and hand out these handouts. So you’ve got this entire list. If there’s any typos on it, it’s not my fault. It’s whoever typed it up, you’re dismissed.<inaudible><inaudible>. We want to take this opportunity to welcome everyone here today. We have a few that are visiting with us, and it’s always our pleasure to have you.
We would ask you if you don’t mind to please fill out an attendance card and that way we might have a record of you being here. If you did not get your communion, that’s prepared on the table there in the back of the auditorium would encourage you to go ahead and get that. Now, if you fail to get it earlier, we do want to remind you of several things this morning,
uh, continue to pray for Dorothy and Rodale Wilson. They’re still not doing real well. It’d be good if we could check on them every now and then see if there’s anything that we might can assist them with. Joan Springer they’d have her bronchoscopy and there they’ve got to wait a few days before they can get the results of that. So she hasn’t been feeling well.
Um, Marie said she’s, um, I think might even be running a low grade fever, and we want to continue to pray for Joan that she might get better. It’s good to see Sylvia back today, after having her nerve block, she says she relays it, starting to work, uh, take a few days for that to actually work, you know,
for her to really know whether or not it’s going to work or not. So we pray that it will, Pam is at home and doing much better. So we to remember her and our prayers and, and glad that she’s doing well after having her back surgery also continued to pray for Gladys. Gladys is feeling better, uh, at home now, uh,
she’s making progress, but it will take a while for her to get over that fall and hitting herself. I think her, she hit her head against the floor when she failed and she has a big knot on the back of her head. She says, and, uh, so we want to continue to pray for her, but she’s in good spirits.
And we’re thankful for that. Also Janet’s daughter, Janell is at home now, but still, uh, not doing well, having that cancer. So, uh, we want to remember her and our prayers and pray that that whatever can be done for her, that, uh, they can, they can do that. Christian Dale is at home with broken toe,
and we hope that he continues to make some improvements with that as just a, those of you that have done that. That’s just kind of a long drawn out process. Just takes time for that to heal up. Don’t forget about the flyers on the table there in the four year about the nationwide gospel meeting, uh, Michael Dell’s father, James Dale will be speaking on the one faith this Friday at 9:00 PM.
So keep that in mind. Uh, Kevin bladelock with Potter children’s home will be here Wednesday to pick up a coin cans and the commodities that we have gathered together. So please, if you have a coin, can we ask it to you? Bring that by the building and leave that in the office. Memphis school of preaching, ongoing spiritual training classes begin September the 10th.
So there’s a flyer on the bulletin board. If you would like to see that and get more information about that, you can find that there, we do welcome those that are this thing with us on a live stream. It’s a, we miss all of those that are members of this congregation. And we just want you to know that we’re thinking about you and praying for you and longing to see you,
hopefully one of these days soon. So, uh, so you can join us here this morning. Uh, Michael Dale will be leading our song service. Uh, terror Sanderson has our opening prayer. Eric Halvorson will be waiting on the table. Aaron Cozort would be bringing us a lesson and then Tommy O’Neil will have our closing prayer. My son is at home with a broken toe,
but it’s not just his broken toe. He has a virus of unknown origin causing him to have a fever And a rash all over his entire body as well. So if you could please just keep them in your prayers. Our opening song this morning will be number 71 as the deer number 71 As the deer pants<inaudible> to you. You<inaudible>, you<inaudible> to<inaudible> you.
Oh, no. Ah, ah, geez. Ah, and I long to, uh, uh, you, uh, I want you more than<inaudible> you<inaudible> the, uh, uh, my, ah,<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> ah, jeez. And, uh, I long to shut up you The song before our opening prayer will be number 797.
Lord, we come before the now 797<inaudible> Oh,<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> two<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> me. Uh, God,<inaudible>,<inaudible> free.<inaudible> the<inaudible> Prior a father who art in heaven. We thank you for this day and the opportunity to, we have to come together to worship you. We thank thee for the rain that we’ve had in the past few days to reprint initiative grass and the flowers and the crops.
We thanked you for all of the blessings that you give us each day that we forget sometimes to be thankful for. We thank you for Jesus. It came to this earth and died for you. That we might have forgiveness for sin and eternal life. With me, we pray that you would be with those that have been mentioned today that are sick and unable to be with us.
We are, we’re thankful for the progress that some of those CIC are making are having in their ailment, pray that you would be with those that are attending to them, give them the strength to do the things that they need to do. We pray that you would be with our country in this troubled time. We pray that people might turn to you for guidance.
In these situation, we pray that you would be with the leaders of our country, that they make wise decisions on how to run the country. We pray that you’d be with us now, and as we go through the further exercise of the day and that we may learn from the lessons that we have here today, that would help us to become stronger Christians.
We pray that you would go with us and keep us safe and bring us back at the next appointed time in Christ name. We pray amen song to prepare our minds for the Lord, Or will be number 350. When my love Christ grows weak. When my love to Christ grows. And we, when for deep faith, I see<inaudible> go to the garden.
Uh<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible>,<inaudible> when my four man grows. We when for strong, uh, eh, I see<inaudible> to those scenes. Uh,<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> a bit a tree<inaudible><inaudible> a man to<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> and, uh, uh, uh, uh, I have a King James study Bible. And in these study Bibles, if you don’t have one,
there’s always paragraphs and notes about different scriptures. And this morning from Matthew chapter 26, verse 26, where Matthew recounts Christ last supper with his disciples, I would like to read what the authors have written here, says the Lord’s supper should be meaningful to Christians today in that three concepts relating to the past present, and future can be helpful. First, the Lord’s supper is a time of remembrance and Eucharist Jesus said,
do this in remembrance of me. This is not to be so much are dwelling on the agonies of the crucifixion as it is to be. I remembering the marvelous life and ministry of our savior. The Eucharist is to be an occasion for expressing our deepest praise and appreciation for all Jesus has done for us. So in the Lord’s supper, Christians proclaim their deliverance from sin and misery through the death of Christ.
Second, the supper is a time of refreshing and communion. As we participate in the benefits of jesus’ death and resurrection life, we are actually being nourished and empowered from the risen Christ through the spirit. It is not that God can not empower us with the Lord’s supper, but that he has instituted to supper for us even has he, as he has designated prayer and the hearing of scripture as immune means of communicating his grace and third,
the supper is a time of recommitment and anticipation. We are to examine ourselves and partake in a worthy manner in doing so. We renew our dedication to Christ and his people in hopeful anticipation till he comes and that crushed return, we all share partake with him in his physical presence, in his kingdom, God, our father, we come to you at this time,
thanking you for having sent your son Jesus here to live amongst us and to teach us and to give us your written word so that we may live our life as you properly want us to live. And we know that your son paid that ultimate price by his body hanging on that cross at Calvary. And we cannot thank you enough for that. We hope that each and every one of us here remember this and think about this and think about everything that he and you have done for us.
We pray this through your son, Jesus name, amen. Our father, as we prepare to partake of the fruit of the vine help each and every one has to remember one of us to remember that it represents the blood that your son, Jesus shed for our sins so that our sins may be washed away so that we may have that opportunity to live with you for eternity in heaven,
we pray this through your son, Jesus name, amen, separate and apart. We’d like to take this opportunity to give back God our father. We come to you thanking you again for everything that you provide for each and every one of us to live our daily lives here on earth. We know that everything we have is because of you and everything we have comes from you.
And as we prepare to give a portion of our tidings back to you, we ask that each you help each and every one of us do it with a cheerful heart. We also ask that you help them out of this congregation. Use any, uh, funds donated in a manner that will be pleasing to you, and it will help spread your word To those that are less fortunate than us and have not heard your word.
We pray this through your son. Jesus Christ. Amen song. Before our lesson will be number 706 90 Lord take control My<inaudible> my body, my soul also, uh,<inaudible> to you<inaudible> I gave my buddy<inaudible> ah,<inaudible><inaudible> The scripture reading this morning will be from Zechariah chapter seven, verses eight through 10 Zechariah chapter seven, verses eight through 10.
I forgot to make everybody stand up. I’m sorry. And the word of the Lord came on to Zechariah saying thus speak at the Lord of hosts saying execute true judgment and show mercy and compassions every man to his brother and oppress, not the widow nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor and let none of you imagine evil against his brother and your heart.
Good morning. Just doublechecking take your Bibles if you will. And open them to the book of Zechariah, because we continue our study through Zechariah. We’ve taken a couple of weeks off from it. Just a quick reminder about what’s going on in this book. Why is Zechariah prophesied and why would we spend time studying it? Zechariah is prophesizing to the people who returned from Babylonian captivity under the governor and under the high priest,
they are There and they have been brought back to Jerusalem to do one specific task, build the temple. And yet they came back, they laid the foundations and then they met opposition. And when the opposition came and when the decrees came that they were to cease building, they ceased to build well, now hat guy and Zechariah have come. And they have come to this people to prophesize,
to this people, to set things back in order and to put things in the place where they ought to be. And they have admonished Zerubbabel and Joshua, the high priest to, again, begin to build. And hag guy has prophesied and dated those prophecies. And the people heard those prophecies and began to do the work they began to build and they would finish building.
But during this time, Zechariah also begins to prophesy and he is still prophesizing and they are still building verse one of chapter seven of the book of Zechariah after Zechariah has through his prophecies, shown how God approves of the high priest shown how God approves of the governor shown how God is in control and the coming of the branch. That is that prophecy looking forward to the Christ.
We now have in chapter seven, a situation chapter seven verse one. Now in the fourth year of King, Darius, it came to pass that the word of the Lord came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month Chis live. When the people sent, share Azir with Regan Melech and his men to the house of God. Okay. So here’s,
here’s the situation. The timeframe is the fourth year of the reign of Darius. And these Jews have sent men to the house of God. Why are they showing up at the temple? Here’s why they’ve shown up to pray before the Lord. Okay. Sounds like a totally positive thing. That sounds like something they ought to be doing here is, is an individual and another individual.
And his man that have been sent as representatives of the people to pray before the Lord, but then verse three, and to ask the priests who were in the house of the Lord of hosts and the prophets saying, should I weep in the fifth month and fast as I have done for so years, It’s the Fourth day of the ninth month. And they’re looking forward to the events of the next year and planning for them.
And they want to know, do we need to continue this morning and fasting that we have been doing in the fifth month for years, but they go on or the answer comes. Then the word of the Lord of hosts came to me saying, so, or say to all the people of the land and to the priests when you fast it and mourn in the fifth and seventh months during those 70 years,
did you really fast for me, for me in order to get just a little bit of context as to why they were fasting and why they were fasting when they did, we need to go over to second Kings chapter 25, these fast, while the actual fast themselves are not recorded in this chapter. These fast correlate to events recorded in this chapter. And they correlate to the events that would transpire during the final days of Jerusalem.
Now it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign in the 10th month, on the 10th day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon and all his army came against Jerusalem and encamped against it. And they built a siege wall against it all around. So the city was besieged until the 11th year of King Zedekiah by the ninth day of the fourth month,
the famine had become so severe in the city that there was no food for the people of the land. Then the city wall was broken through and all the men of war fled at night by way of the gate, between the two walls, which was by the King’s garden, even though the Cambodians were still in camp all around against the city. And the King went by way of the plane,
but the army that Cal DNS pursued the King and they overtook him in the plane of Jericho. All his army was scattered from him. So they took the King and brought him up to the King of Babylon at Riblah and they pronounced judgment on him. Then they killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes and put out the eyes of Zedekiah bound him and with bronze fetters and took him to Babylon.
And in the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month, which was the 19th year of King Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon Nebby, uh, uh, nephews are Aiden. The captain of the guard, a servant of the King of Babylon came to Jerusalem. He burned the house of the Lord and the King’s house, all the houses of Jerusalem. That is all the houses of the great,
he burned with fire. When was the temple destroyed in the fifth month? And so now they have been having a fast, they have been keeping a fast for 70 years in the fifth month, they have been mourning. They have been grieving. They have been having this morning, this expression of morning in fasting for 70 years, but now the Temple’s rebuilt.
And now that the temples rebuild, they come to the priests and they asked the priests and the prophets, do we need to continue this? Yeah, Let’s say something about fasting for a moment. Fasting, of course, is the abstaining from food. Sometimes the abstaining from drink as well for a period of time, for a reason, either because of morning or because of a spiritual reason,
somebody is choosing to withhold the natural things that we do as humans that is eat and sleep and do other things. They’re withholding natural desires so they can focus on something that’s more important. At least that was the general idea. This is a, an act that can be a benefit. It can be a spiritual act. It can also be something entirely different.
You remember that Jesus condemned the Pharisees for fasting. He didn’t condemn the Pharisees because they fasted. He condemn the Pharisees because of how they fasted. He condemn them because they fasted to be seen of men. They would show themselves as appearing to be in worse condition than they were. They would allow themselves to be visibly seen, to be fasting in order that the people around them would think they were spiritual.
And yet inwardly Jesus tells them you’re fast is worthless because there’s nothing about your actions that are spiritual. Now here’s the remnant, the people in Jerusalem, coming to the high priest, coming to the prophets and asking, should we continue to mourn? Should we continue to fast in the fifth month or not? And God’s response is very interesting. And it’s enlightening about spiritual matters even today because the word of the Lord comes to Zechariah and says,
who were you fasting for? Was it for me all these 70 years when you were fasting in the fifth month? Was it for me? If fasting is a spiritual action. And if their morning was true and heartfelt in their fasting was that which they were doing because of their love and concern for this, the state of the nation and the captivity they were in.
Then why is it that God responds this way? Because this isn’t the response of a God who says I appreciate and value your spiritual action. Something’s missing here. But what is it? Notice what else the Lord says through Zachariah? Was it for me? Did you really fast for me when you eat? And when you drink, do you not eat and drink for yourselves?
Should you not? And here’s the key. Should you not have obeyed the words, which the Lord proclaimed through the former prophets when Jerusalem and the cities around it were inhabited and prosperous and the South and the low land were inhabited. Here’s the condemnation of the fast, here’s the problem. God says you fasted. And you mourned when the destruction came, but before the destruction came,
when there was prosperity and when there was happiness, and when there was inhabitants in the land, you ignored the commandments. You didn’t keep my word. When I commanded you through the former profits to repent, you didn’t keep my commandments. When I told you to change your ways or destruction was coming yet, you mourned. When it came, you mourn the,
because of the consequences, but you weren’t willing to repent. Here’s a lesson that we need to get clear because this is a problem in our world. Today. We have people who want spirituality. They want to take part in spiritual things. They want to be involved in spiritual actions that express their inner emotions, But they don’t want to keep his commandments.
Then the word of the Lord came to Zechariah saying, thus says the Lord of hosts execute true justice, first commandment, and all of these harken back to the commandments, given to them before Babylon destroyed their nation. All of these were things they had all ready, been told to do. Zechariah is rehearsing. The former prophets, Isaiah, Jeremiah, all of these prophets that spoke to them and said,
change your ways. And now Zechariah is going to bring those messages forward and remind them of what they were told while Jerusalem still stood. And while the temple was still there. And while the inhabitants of the South and the lowland were still there, the things they could’ve done that would have kept the destruction and the judgment from ever happening to begin with. He says,
execute true justice, show mercy and compassion. Every one to his brother, justice, mercy love do not oppress the widow and the fatherless, the alien or the poor led. None of you plan evil in his heart against his brother. You could take these statements and carry them over to books like first Peter and first John, and you would find the same message to the Christians about how they were to treat one another and how they were to care for the poor James chapter.
One, true religion is this and undefiled before God to care for the fatherless and the widow in their affliction. If any man says he is righteous and does not speak in a way that is in accordance with God’s word, that man is a liar. James says, Zechariah says, you want to fast, and you want to claim you’re fasting because of me,
but you haven’t kept my commandments. We do not get to choose spiritual actions and replace obedience. God says that’s not going to work. But verse 11 says they refused to heed. Who’s the, they here the first generation, the people during the days of the former prophets, not he’s not referencing the, they, the, the people in the land right now,
he’s talking about their fathers, their ancestors, because they’re doing something they were taught to do. They’re doing and keeping a tradition that was handed down to them by a former generation. The people who were brought into captivity, most of whom are dead. Now taught them as they were growing up, taught them as they were becoming young men taught them as they were becoming middle-aged to keep a fast and to mourn in the month that the temple was destroyed.
How many times in modern times have we found people fighting for traditions handed down by their ancestors in religion, instead of fighting for the word of God, how many times have we found people arguing over a lays, something is done. That is merely a choice, merely an option, merely something of judgment and not a matter of doctrine. When they have ignored the commandments of God,
concerning mercy and justice and benevolence and goodness and righteousness and truth. And yet they want to argue about matters of judgment. He says they refused to heed shrugged their shoulders. There were few actions in my life and in the lives of my brothers that got us in more trouble than rolling our eyes or shrugging our shoulders to our mother. I cannot remember how many times.
And it was an instantaneous reaction, especially the older we got as teenagers, especially, ah, that was not going to fly well. That was their reaction to God. God says, execute true justice show mercy show compassion, do what’s right to the fatherless and the widow and the alien and the poor. And they go, man, right? No,
God says they refuse to hear. They shrugged their shoulders and they stopped their ears so they could not hear. And we were in revelation chapters two and three, well, one, two and three this morning in Bible class. And every single letter to every single church ends with these words, he, that hath an ear to hear, let him hear.
God says, you want to express to me your morning, your grief, your concern for your nation. Yet you will not open your ears to hear my message. He says they stopped their ear so that they could not hear. He says, yes, they made their hearts like Flint refusing to hear the law and the words of the Lord of hosts,
which he had sent by his spirit through the former prophets. Thus great wrath came from the Lord of hosts. Zechariah makes it clear. Babylon did not bring this destruction on you. Babylon did not bring this judgment on you. Babylon did not destroy your temple. Your God did the Lord of hosts. Brought this judgment on you. The Lord of hosts brought destruction upon your nation.
The Lord of hosts removed you from the land for 70 years. And he told you, he would because you wouldn’t listen. Therefore it happened that just as he proclaimed and they would not hear. So they called out and I would not listen. We need to learn this. We don’t need to miss this. God says, when I speak to you and you ignore me,
guess what’s going to happen when you need me. When you reach out to me, when you cry out to me, I’m not going to listen. I’m not going to hear you because you didn’t hear me. But I scattered them. I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations, which they had not known. Thus, the land became desolate after them so that no one passed through or returned for.
They made the pleasant land. Desolate. When Babylon came in, they didn’t leave anything behind the land was such that no one desired to live there. I mean, when the people returned from Babylon after 70 years, they didn’t come to Jerusalem and find 20, 30,000 people in a small village. There was nothing there. They have the opportunity to rebuild the city because no one was inhabiting that place.
And God said, that’s the way it would be. God said for 70 years, I’m giving the land, her Sabbath. I’m going to allow the wild animals and the beast to live there because you didn’t do what I said. But then chapter eight, chapter eight is the reversal. Chapter eight is the opportunity. Chapter eight is the, the light shining through the clouds,
to the current generation and the opportunity for them to be different from their fathers. You see their fathers refuse to hear their fathers wanted spirituality without obedience, but they have the option to be different. Again, the word of the Lord of hosts came saying, thus says the Lord of hosts. I am zealous for Zion with great zeal, with great fervor.
I am zealous for her. They want to know, should we continue to mourn? They want to know, should we continue to grieve? God says, I never commanded you to mourn to begin with. I never commanded you to have a fast, what I’m going to tell you is I’m zealous for you. Now. I wouldn’t listen to you before because you wanted my favor without obedience,
but I’m zealous for Zion right now. Thus says the Lord, I will return to Zion and dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Jerusalem shall be called the city of truth. When you first go back to obedience. When you first go back to hearing the word of God, then you can change your very nature. Then you can change everything about your city.
Then you can change everything about your nation. You can become a city that is set on a Hill that cannot be hidden. He says the city will be called the city of truth. The mountain of the Lord of hosts, the Holy mountain thus says the Lord of hosts, old men and old women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem. Each one with his staff in his hand because of great age.
What’s the significance of this. The old died, the old didn’t make it to Babylon. The old didn’t slow up. The moving of the people to babble on the old were left behind to die. The old, the, and from the wretched, those were left behind and they didn’t survive. But God says, once again, the old people will be sitting in the streets.
This isn’t sitting in the streets in morning, sitting in the seats in, in EHRs, sitting in the streets in sorrow. They’re sitting in the streets because their grandchildren are playing in front of them. They’re sitting in the streets because that’s where you sat. When you were old, when you weren’t out in the fields anymore, you were enjoying the older age in life.
You had your staff with you and you had peace. You weren’t cowered in the house. You weren’t afraid at every corner. You had peace. The streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets. Thus says the Lord of hosts. If it is as if it is marvelous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days,
will it also be marvelous in my eyes says the Lord of hosts. Thus says the Lord of hosts, behold, I will save my people from the land of the East and from the land of the West, I will bring them back and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. They shall be my people and I will be their God in truth and righteousness.
There’s a clause there that makes a big difference because God said to the former generation, I give you up. I’m done with you. I will not have any relationship with you anymore because you will not hear and you will not repent and you will not do what’s right? But now he says to this generation, I will be your God. And you will be my people in truth and righteousness.
Thus says the Lord of hosts, let your hands be strong. You have been hearing in these days, these words by the mouth of the prophets who spoke in the day of the fact that the foundation was laid for the house of the Lord of hosts, that the temple might be built for before these days, there were no wages for man nor any hire for beast.
There was no peace from the enemy for whoever went out or came in for, I said, all men, everyone against his neighbor, but now I will not treat the remnant of this people. As in the former days says the Lord of hosts for the seed shall be prosperous. The vine shall give its fruit. The ground shall give her increase and the heaven shall give their due.
I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these. You remember bill back to what Moses said, go back the book of Deuteronomy. And when he told them, this is what will happen. If you obey God, he will bless you. He will give you all of these things. If you disobeyed, God, you’ll have all of these curses.
But if you repent and return, he’ll return the blessings to you. Securize saying the same thing nothing’s changed about God’s law or God’s message. And it shall come to pass verse 13. That just as you were a curse among the nations, Oh, house of Judah and house of Israel. So I will save you and you shall be a blessing. Do not fear.
Let your hands be strong for those says the Lord of hosts, just as I determined to punish you, when your fathers provoked me to wrath says the Lord of hosts and I would not relent. So again, in these days, I am determined to do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah do not fear. These are the things you shall do now.
Here’s what God says. You do these things and we’ll be on good terms. He says, you do these things speak each man, the truth to his neighbor. Number one, speak truth. Number two, he says, give judgment in your Gates for truth, justice and peace. Number three lead, none of you think evil in your heart against your neighbor.
Number four and do not love a false oath for all these things. I hate says the Lord. Then the word of the Lord came to me saying, thus says the Lord of hosts, the fast of the fourth month, the fast of the fifth, the fast of the seventh and the fast of the 10th shall be joy and gladness and cheerful feasts for the house of Judah.
Therefore love truth and peace. While they got their answer, they came asking a question. They came asking a question about the fast of the fifth month, the one having to do with the temple. But you’ll notice as we get here to the end, it had multiple paths fast. They had fast in the fourth month and the fifth month they had fastened the seventh month and in the 10th month,
and God says, I’m turning all your mourning into joy. I’m turning all your fasting into feasts. It’s time to rejoice. It’s time to move past the sorrow. You see when salvation is found, when you go from being dead in your sins to being alive in God. When you go from being aliens from him and having his curse against you, to being part of his family,
having a relationship with him and having a fellowship with him, you turn your mourning into joy because you have hope and a relationship with God, but then God starts looking forward. Thus says the Lord of hosts, peoples shall yet come, uh, Israel, you need to be ready because people are going to come to you. Notice what he says is going to happen.
Peoples are going or shall yet come and have it. It’s of many cities. The inhabitants of one city shall go to another city saying, let us continue to go and pray before the Lord here are the Gentiles. And one city will go to another city and says, let’s go to Jerusalem. Let’s go to the God of Israel and pray before him and seek the Lord of hosts.
I myself will go also yes, many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem and pray before the Lord. When I dwell with you and you dwell with me, not only will people come, not in war, but they will come to worship me with you. Now, when you read those words, take your mind to the time of Christ.
When he drove out the money changers, when he cleaned the temple out, when he drove out, those who were defrauding, the people coming to pray to the Lord and he condemn them because they had turned the house of prayer into a den of thieves. God said, Israel, you are to be my light. You are to shine my light and the nations around you,
those pagans and those idolaters are going to see you. They’re going to come to your temple, to your nation to worship your God because they know he’s not like there’s thus says the Lord of hosts. In those days, 10 men from every language of the nations shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man saying, let us go with you for, we have heard that God is with you.
Do non-Christians see Christians this way. Do non Christians look at our lives and go, I don’t understand what he’s got. Well, whatever it is, I want some and wherever he needs to take me to get what he’s got, I need to go with him or are we ineffective so ineffective in our lives that no one sees us and sees God in us.
As we close, turned to Matthew, chapter five, verse 13 says you are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing to be thrown out and trampled under foot of nine men. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a Hill that cannot be hid,
nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand. And it gives light to all who were in the house. Let your light so shine before men that they might see your good works and glorify. Your father in heaven is our light shining. Are we like the first generation? That’s morning. That’s grieving over what we once had instead of being like the generation of the remnant that had the opportunity to be something entirely different.
Are we mourning for losses instead of being joyous for hope, do people see in us a people who they can learn how to live? Like they can learn how to follow and they can learn about Jehovah. That’s not our life. Then something’s missing. If you have need of the invitation today, if you are a Christian, who’s departed from the truth and has said,
I’m not going to hear any more. Then you better heed the warning of what happened to Israel. But if you’re willing to hear and your willing to repent, and you’re willing to seek God, he is willing to hear. And he is willing to listen and he is willing to forgive. And he is willing to be your God and you to be his People.
If you have need of the invitation, if you’re outside the body of Christ, you can enter into that body by birth in the watery grave of baptism. But if you’re a member of the body of Christ and you’ve turned your back on him, why not come home? But if you haven’t been living like you’re the light of the world, read Zechariah seven and eight and start living that way.
If you have need of the invitation, why not come as we stand in, as we sing Things that are high things, I don’t know. Blue, the<inaudible> Hey son to him.<inaudible> jeez.<inaudible> ah, yes. Ah, well come to the, I am resolved to go to this<inaudible> he is the true one. He is the,
just one he had ah, ah, Hey son to him. Hey son. So glad and free. Jeez. Um, it’s great. Uh, yes. Uh, well come to the, uh, I am resolved to<inaudible> to him. Hey son. So glad and free. Jeez us great. Ah, yes. Uh, I will come to the,
uh, I am resolved to the King.<inaudible> friends, me pause me. Foes maybe said me<inaudible><inaudible> Hey son to him. Hey son. So glad<inaudible>. Jeez, us great. Uh, yes. Uh, well come to the song before our closing prayer will be number 634 we’ll work till Jesus comes number 634. Oh. Land of Russ for the,
uh,<inaudible> and P side. Oh geez.<inaudible> Jesus.<inaudible> to Jesus Christ.<inaudible><inaudible> he can duct me. Oh, Jesus comes. Well, Jesus comes. Woo. Jesus comes and<inaudible> uh, I saw one smile.<inaudible> Chile tide and reach my family. Oh geez.<inaudible> geez.<inaudible> You bow with me, our heavenly father.
We thank you for every blessing that we received from you. We thank you for each opportunity and the freedom that we enjoy to gather together as your children to offer our worship under the bright dear God did our worship has been pleasing none today. Well, so pray dear God, that all people through out the world might someday enjoy this freedom. Our heavenly father,
we pray for each of those mentioned here today that are ailing. Pray that if it be that we’ll, they might soon be able to join together with us to worship. They are heavenly father. We ask that you would strengthen us each day of our lives as we strive to, to the wheel. And when we do fairly, dear God, we pray that you would continue to forgive us as we were at Penn of those Sams,
our heavenly father. We ask that you go with us now, protect us, keep us safe. And thank you for the hope of heaven that we have in each of us. Thank you for Christ, our savior, these things we ask in his name. Amen.
In biblical literature, there is a term that has come forth from the very essence of the book of Revelation, and that is “apocalyptic literature.” (Note: the word revelation “apocolypsis” is where the english word Apocalypse comes from). Apocalyptic literature uses figurative language where objects and numbers are often to be understood symbolically instead of literally or physically. Some of those in Revelation are 6, 7, 12, and 1000.
The scope of these articles do not allow an in-depth analysis of these terms, but here’s an overview of a few significant numbers in Revelation. Notice just the use of the number 7: 7 Churches, 7 Spirits, 7 golden candlesticks, 7 stars, 7 lamps, 7 seals, 7 horns, 7 eyes, 7 angels, 7 trumpets, 7 thunders, 7 (thousand) people, 7 heads, 7 crowns, 7 last plagues, 7 golden vials, 7 mountains, 7 kings.
When we look into the text, we get this indication:
7 is a number indicating fullness, completeness, or perfection (often connected to God).
6 is the number that falls short of 7, it is incomplete, imperfect (often the number of “man”).
12 is a number indicating authorized religion. 12 patriarchs of the old testament, 12 tribes of Israel, 12 apostles.
Multiples of a significant number are used to indicate a thorough or completeness of that symbol’s concept. A single 6 indicates coming short of perfection (falling short of God), but 666 indicates complete failure, an entirely fallen state, the essence of disobedient sinful mankind.
1000 is often multiplied by another number of significance to carry forward a completeness of the number. (12 tribes x 12,000 faithful) -> 12,000 from each tribe are sealed with the seal of God, and this is where the often misunderstood “144,000” originates. 12 tribes x 12,000 from each tribe. Understand here that there are those (a remnant like in the Old Testament) that is faithful to God and obeys, worships, and lives by His authority, and by “sealing” them as a king seals a decree, God proclaims these people to belong to Himself.
The New Testament book entitled “The Apocalypse (disclosure, manifestation, revelation) of Jesus Christ.” John will record the visions God reveals to him as commanded. These are matters of spiritual and physical significance, but events that “must shortly take place…for the time was near.”
He writes to the seven churches of Asia Minor but does not originate the letter. It is from “The One Who Is and Who Was and Who Is To Come,” from the seven Spirits, and from Jesus Christ. The Godhead is present, and the Godhead has a message for the church.
At the beginning of Revelation, there are a few statements about Christ that matter to the rest of the letter. Faithful witness: His witness is true, and it is reliable in good times and bad. Firstborn from the dead: the one who has been through Death, through Hades (the grave), and is alive again as the victor. Ruler over the kings of the earth: the church is going endure persecution from the kings of this planet, but Jesus is ultimately in charge.
John reassures the Christians he is their companion in trouble, in the Kingdom, and the endurance of Jesus Christ (i.e., cost of faithfulness). He describes the beginning of the vision, the command to write, and the voice coming from inside the midst of the churches (or accurately, their spiritual representation as lampstands).
This moment is opportune to point out that John uses “figures” to represent concepts, people, places, things, etc. in the book of Revelation. Sometimes these figures are easy to understand, sometimes not. Do not fear; often the context will explain plainly enough for us to grasp John’s point.
John beholds Christ, and His representation is genuinely magnificent. His appearance, head, hair, clothing, eyes, feet, voice — everything about Christ impressed John. Jesus is holding seven stars, and He will reveal a mystery about them, they are the messengers (angels) of the churches (the lampstands).
John is so impressed by Christ in the vision, he falls as dead, but Jesus comforts him by saying, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death. Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this.”
Next week: The sharp double-edged sword comes forth from Jesus’ mouth.
The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John, who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw. Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near. Greeting the Seven Churches John, to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen. “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” Vision of the Son of Man I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, saying, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,” and, “What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.” Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death. Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this. The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches.
<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible>. Okay. It’s about time for us to begin.<inaudible> Take your Bibles, if you will, and open them to the book of revelation.<inaudible> Good to have everyone present. It’s good to have Eric with us tonight, down from Missouri. Good to have him get, see him again. As I mentioned,
we’re in the book of revelation. Um, now as we get into this, what I want for our class, what I want you to think about and, and consider just as we get started in this study is the study. The material only actually has us going through revelation one, two, three, and then jumping to the end chapter 22. Um,
let me know if you would like us to spend more time going through the bulk of the book and if so, we will, but I’ll leave that up to y’all. Otherwise we’ll proceed as normal with, with the class material, into the next subject. Alright, revelation chapter one, let’s begin with a word of prayer, Gracious, heavenly father. We thank you for all that you’ve done for us and all that you continue to do for us.
We thank you for the sunshine and the rain, and we thank you for the life and the health that we have, and we pray and thank you for the opportunities that we have to be able to assemble together, but also to be able to study your word, whether a, whether apart or together, to be able to encourage one another, lift one another up,
provoke, one another to love, and the good works. We pray that and all the difficult times and all the difficult things that people deal with, they will be mindful of the fact that you are in control. And even when things don’t seem like it, you are on the throne. We pray that you will help us to remember that as well.
We pray that you will forgive us when we sin and fall short of your glory and are willing to repent of those things. And we pray for our nation. We pray for its leaders, pray for their choices. They might choose those things, which are right. They might lead us in ways that are in accordance with your will. That also that they might see who you are and that they might recognize that they are not the final,
uh, person in charge, but instead you are, and they might submit to you. We pray that we might always stand boldly to preach the gospel, to do what’s right, and to speak truth. Whenever we have the opportunity, all this, we pray in jesus’ name. Amen. I have a few slides, um, that we will go over as we get started primarily.
But one of the things that I mentioned as we were studying and, and are studying Zechariah, Zechariah and revelation have a lot in common. They have some imagery in common, but one of the primary things they have in common is that they are, uh, pistols or excuse me, they, they are, they are books of the old new Testament that are primarily figurative in their message.
And we use the idea of figurative, not to mean that they don’t speak about things that are real, but they don’t speak about things that are true, but that their language is not prose. It is not normal. Ordinary language. Joe went to the store. That’s not the book of revelation. That’s not the book of Zechariah. And if you go further back in the old Testament,
much of a Zeke Yule is the same sort of figurative language. And the last half of Daniel is this same sort of figurative language treat this the same way that you do not inform of interpretation, but treat it in the same way you do. Some of the Psalms, not all of the Psalms are intended to be led or read literally in the physical sense.
And neither is the book of revelation. So one commentator stated, I think he did so accurately in spite of what many people claim there is no one who believes that the book of revelation is a hundred percent literal. There are beasts described in the book of revelation that have the head of one animal, the tail of another animal, the middle of a different animal,
and then a human part stuck on no one thinks that’s literal. So it has to be interpreted. It has to be that which we interpret. But here’s what we do with these books, where portion of the book is very figurative. It’s signs and symbols. It’s word pictures. When you get to a part of the Bible that works that way, you reverse what you normally would do when you income to the Bible and you open up Genesis chapter one,
you begin dealing with the Bible in this way. Everything that’s stated is literally true in the way that it is stated it, unless something in the context tells you otherwise, there’s something in the context of the statement that David’s heart melded that tells you that his physical beating heart didn’t melt. There’s something figurative there. When you go to Genesis chapter one in the beginning,
God created the heavens and the earth and the earth was out without form and void and darkness was on the face of the deep and the spirit of the Lord moved upon the face of the waters. Tell me where there’s anything figurative there. Tell me where there’s any language in that context that tells you, you should interpret anything there as anything but literal. And it’s not there.
It’s one of the problems that the people who try to interpret Genesis one as having many gaps and ages and, and the day age theory and gap theory, they have a problem because all the language is literal. All the language is ordinary prose, but that’s not true with revelation, but that’s not just our assumption. That’s exactly what revelation says. You should expect.
Notice what happens, read the revelation verse one of Jesus Christ, which God gave to him to show his servants. Okay. So number one, the revelation, it is the revealed will of God, by the way, uh, you, you might have seen, uh, different times and occasions where people will claim that there’s, uh, an apocalypse coming.
Okay. They carry that forward from the name of this book, because in the Greek language, the word revelation is a pukka leap SIS. And so as time went on after this book was written, as the language carried forward and people began to interpret it, that word shifted meaning because what it really means is the revealing, but it shifted meaning to be connected with language of signs and symbols and ms.
Mystery. And so now we refer to this figurative language. We were just talking about as apocalyptic language. So you see the word apocalypse it’s really coming from the same root word as revelation. And by the way, one of the ways that they would name the books in the original, uh, copies of the Bible is they’d take the first few words.
And so it’s called revelation because it’s there in the first few words. So this is the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave to him to show his servants things which must shortly take place. And he sinned and notice this and signified it by his angel to his servant. John, the word signified there is important. It’s carries a similar idea as vision.
This is something God declared by visions by imagery and not just by words, this wasn’t John just sat down and the Holy spirit caused him to pin the book. This is John saw these things the same way. Zechariah did the same way. When you go back to the book of Daniel, Daniel did okay, is Zeke. You’ll saw those things that he saw while he was sitting there by the river in shoe Shan.
There’s consistency here. And that’s good for us. It means that we can have some confidence when we get to this, that we’re not just grasping at straws because we can go to Daniel and we can interpret what Daniel said, and we can understand it. We can go to Z kill and understand what a Z Kiel said. We can go to Zechariah,
know what he said? And by the way, there’s one other place. John chapter 12, John chapter 12, beginning in verse 30, Jesus answered and said, this voice did not come because of me. But for your sake now is the judgment of this world. Now the ruler of this world will be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth will draw all peoples to myself.
But the following verse says, he this, he said, signifying, giving a sign, a symbol, an indication not using the pro’s not spelling it out, but making a statement that signify by what death he would die. Now, one thing you shouldn’t do when you come to the book of revelation is become a defeatist in your mindset saying, I’ll never get it.
I’ll never understand it. I’ll go ahead and read it because it’s yearly Bible reading and you were at the end of the year. So I’m going to have to read it. No, no, don’t do that. You can understand it. I don’t promise you’ll ever understand every little detail. You want to know why? Because God didn’t tell us the explanation of every little detail,
but he’s given us enough to get the picture and that’s what we’re going to do. And when you get the picture, you understand the book. Now there’s a few things that we want to go through. I’ve already covered that. Um, so as we go through this, I want to first reinforce to you the idea that you already understand how to do this.
You already understand that you can see something. That’s a symbol, that it’s a sign of something, and you can understand its meaning, okay? We do this all the time. It is not foreign to our language and it is not foreign to our consciousness. So somebody tell me what this is. It’s a symbol for what money, but specifically a dollar.
Okay? So here’s a symbol carries multiple connotations for, especially the rest of the world. It is a specific connotation of not generically money, but the U S dollar. Okay. What about this? McDonald’s you don’t have to see the word McDonald’s do you, because you’ve seen the symbol enough times. You know how to interpret the symbol, you driving down the road,
you see right over the Knoll of a Hill that, and you know, what’s there, right? You don’t have to be taught how to do that. By the time a child is four. They know how to do that. What about this one? They’re crossing. Oh, you get it. There’s a possibility around that area that something might leave out.
You should have some, but notice here’s a single picture that carries with it. The possibility of an animal coming out onto the road. In addition to that, the possibility that you as a driver should take more precaution. Here are all these messages packaged into a picture with no words. That’s why pictures are powerful. That’s why symbols are powerful because you can package a lot of meaning in a picture,
biblical context. What do you think of when you hear the word lamb, Jesus sacrifice. What if you were to see a lamb, but the lamb opens its mouth and outcomes. The voice of a dragon. Well, that changes the picture entirely. Doesn’t it? Because that’s not normal, but take that picture and carry over to what Jesus said. When Jesus said that the servants of Satan would appear as sheep,
but were really Raven as wolves. And you get a picture of hypocrisy. What about this one? Crucifixion sacrifice. Think of it in modern terms. What do we associate it with Christianity? But there was a time where the symbol didn’t always mean that around BC 60, that symbol didn’t mean Christianity. What did it indicate? A painful death suffered at the hand of Rome?
Symbols can change. We have to be careful. We must interpret the symbol. Especially importantly, in its time context, we can’t take our usage of a symbol and interpret it back there. We have to take their usage of the symbol and apply it to what was written. What about this one? Red cross. Okay. What about this one? So many problems.
Oh, unit United States of America. Now here’s, here’s the reason why I want us to get this one. This is the flag of the United States of America, but here’s what we all know inside that flag, which is by itself, a symbol are multiple other symbols with their own connotation and we get it. What’s this, the wrong button. There we go. That one.
All right. We were all told, we were all taught when we were in probably grade school that the stars represent something. So the moment we see the stars, we know what they represent and we know why there are the number that there are okay. In the book of revelation, numbers mean something. But we shouldn’t be scared by that because we know numbers mean something.
There’s 50 stars up there for a reason. What about that? Okay. The original 13 colonies and there’s messages, not only in the quantity, but in the colors too, aren’t there. Okay. So I went through all of that to say, we already get it. All we have to do is go into the scriptures and actually understand what the symbols meant to them.
And in the book of revelation, the answer to almost all of that is in the old Testament. That’s why John didn’t have to spell all of this out for the Christians because they knew their old Testament. One of the reason why reasons, why a lot of Christians today struggle with the book of revelation is they’ve never spent substantive amount of time studying the old Testament.
And so when they see the symbols, they don’t know what it means. Yes. What you take somebody from another country. Who’s never seen the American flag and they will see 50 stars and they won’t immediately know what it means, but you and I should because we’ve spent time with it. So that’s one of the things we have to do. Here are some numbers that are fundamentally to the book of revelation.
Normally in these classes, as we’ve gone through this, I wouldn’t go into this depth before we get past verse one, but you’re going to immediately get these numbers. Okay? So that’s, that’s why it’s important. Okay. These are numbers. That mean the same thing throughout the apocalyptic books of the old and new Testament, they carry the same ideas.
Turn over elation, chapter two. I want you to see this. This is still in the part of the book that is more substantively prose, but it’s not all prose. It’s a direct message. But revelation, chapter two, verse 10, do not fear any of those things, which you are about to suffer. Indeed. The devil is about to throw some of you into prison that you may be tested and you will have tribulation 10 days.
Oh, okay. Crate the sentence limitation on the time that we’re in prisons, 10 days. No worries. We’ll be out in a week and a half, right? No, that’s not what it meant. 10 has a meaning. So when you see the number 10 or a multiple of 10, you’re seeing that meaning carried forward. Even in this statement about a literal tribulation and a literal prison and a literal death,
you have the figurative aspects of the books seeping in as it were. But once you hit chapter four, all bets are off on which part is literal. Now there are some places that are literal. There are some places where we understand it to mean exactly what it says, but the context is always the deciding factor. And we begin with figurative and change the literal when the context dictates it,
which is why 144,000 is not 144,000. Okay, we’ll get, we’ll get there. If we get there, we’ll get there in time. So verse one said all of that, and I gotta do chapter one in 20 minutes. Alright. The revelation of Jesus Christ. One of the things I am going to do during our studies is I’m going to put some pictures up,
um, that one’s not the most legible one, but that’s the area of Asia minor. This is the group of churches that are written to, and we’re familiar with that. We’re familiar with chapter two and chapter three. Unfortunately that’s generally all we study and then we go, all right, I don’t get the rest of it. And we move on,
okay. The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants things, which musher shortly take place, do not miss the opening salvo in this revelation, the GRX message. Point one, God gave this to Jesus Christ to give to his servants because these things must shortly take place. I do not understand how there are some of my brethren who think that these things did not shortly take place.
And yet there are, but he’s not just going to say it once in case you missed it, he’s going to say it again. And he sinned and signified it by his angel to his servant. John who bore witness to the word of God, into the testimony of Jesus Christ. To all things that he saw blessed is he who reads. And those who hear the words of this prophecy and keep those things which are written in it for,
and somebody finish it. The time is at hand and it was talking about Russia and China in 1980. No. How Lindsey? No, if you pick up the late great planet earth, you pick up any of the writings of pre millennialist. You will see them throw these statements out in the trash and ignore them. And yet turn to revelation 22.
You gotta remember where it is. No, there we go. Verse six. Thank you. I totally lost. I was only looking at the end of the chapter because I thought I was, then he said to me, verse six, these words are faithful and true. And the Lord, God of the Holy prophet sent his angel to show his servants.
The, which must shortly take place John’s or God through John said at the beginning, these things are coming on you now. And he said, at the end, you hold fast to these things because these things are coming on. You. Now, this book is a book about struggle. This book is a book about persecution, and this book is written to them to tell them very clearly,
some of you are going to die and you’re going to die because you were the name of Christ. But don’t give up because the one who overcomes will get to come over. So he says John to the seven churches, which are in Asia. Okay? There’s there’s the picture there, grace, to you and East from him who is and who was,
and who is to come. God has always existed. He was, he is. He is to come, but he goes on to say the first born from the dead, we’re talking about a specific being in the Godhead. God, the father is not the firstborn from the dead. And the spirit is not the first born from the dead. And by the leg question was Jesus.
The first one to have been resurrected in all humanity. No, but what he is is the preeminent one among all who will ever be resurrected. There are times where the word first born doesn’t indicate the very first in number, but the preeminent one. So notice what he says, the firstborn from the dead, the ruler, over the Kings of the earth,
to him who loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood. Some will question at times, God, really in charge, you look at the way the world is you look at the things that we’re going through and maybe God’s not really in charge, but he was in charge of Nebuchadnezzar in the midst of a nation that was conquering people after people,
after people, after people and a man on the throne who was willing to allow atrocities to occur at the hands of his army, God says I’m still on the throne. And Nebuchadnezzar is going to know it too, because when Nebuchadnezzar thought he was the one on the throne, God showed him. Otherwise God said, go eat the grass like a cow.
And then we’ll talk about who’s on the throat. He then says, and has made us Kings and priests to his Kings and priests to his God and father to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. So you begin with this first recognition of what Christ has done, who he is that he always has existed and that he has done something for us.
He has a relationship with us. He has lifted all Christians up, put yourself in the place of a Christian in the first century. Maybe you’re a slave. Maybe your, a common person may be your, not a citizen of Rome. Like Saul of Tarsus was maybe you don’t get to have that, uh, establishment. And that recognition that if a Roman Centurion or one of the magistrates from one of the areas around Rome decides to start beating you,
you can say, you dare to touch it. Roman citizen, no, you’re not one of those. They can flagrantly abuse you until their heart’s content. And you have no recourse in the law. And yet Jesus Christ took you from what you were and made you a King priest of the most high God, verse seven behold, he is coming with clouds and every eye will see him.
Even they who pierced him and all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of him even so amen. Now here’s the first time you need to be careful about language because we’ll see the word coming. And our 21st century mind will go second coming of Christ, especially if clouds are mentioned, right? And yet all through the book, you’re going to find Christ coming.
As a matter of fact, at the end of the book, Christ says, I come quickly. But even to the churches of Asia minor, he says, if you don’t repent, I will come to you. The coming here is not the second coming of Christ. At the end of time, the coming here is the consistent coming throughout the book of revelation of judgment.
And we need to be careful with our words. We need to be careful, but what John is saying and what is clear here in this book, and by the way, Jesus used the same language in revelation or in Matthew chapter 24. When he was talking about coming in judgment against Jerusalem, we need to be cautious and not jump to conclusions about what something means,
because it sounds like something else. He says, behold, he is coming quick. The clouds and every eye will see him. Even they who pierced him and all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of him even so amen. I am the alpha and the Omega. What is alpha and Omega first for the student in Greek class right now he knows a shirt and Lee,
it is the first and last letter of the Greek. Alphabet Christ is the beginning. And the end. He says, I am the alpha and the Omega, the beginning. And the end says the Lord who is, and who was, and who is the com the almighty. Now you see that word almighty. And you remind yourself of the book of Exodus,
because God wanted Pharaoh to know without any doubt that he was the almighty, that there were no other gods before him and that Pharaoh thought he was on the throne, who is this God that I should be mindful of him? And God said, let me give you a 10 step correspondence course on why you should be mindful of me. I, John remembered change the slides.
I John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ was on the Island. That is called Patmos for the word of God. And for the testimony of Jesus Christ. John says, I was put in this small Island in the Aegean sea because of the testimony of Christ. Somebody had put John there and we learn from history and such that the Island of Patmos was often used as a jailing location.
You were put there and you were in prison there. And John says, that’s where I was. John was in the Island called Patmos, but notice a few things that are important here before we skip past them. Number one, the kingdom already exists. Mark chapter nine, Jesus said to his disciples, his apostles specifically in Mark chapter nine. And in verse one,
assuredly, I say to you that there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God present with power. John says, it’s already here and I’m in it. And so are you, so for anyone who wants to claim the kingdom, hasn’t come yet, revelation chapter one, verse nine, it’s already here. And John was already in it and he was suffering because of it.
And they were about to, John wants them to know I’ve gone there before you I’m already there and it’s coming for you too, but you can be faithful. So he was in, uh, on the Island of Patmos, the word of God for, for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. I was in the spirit on the Lord’s day,
Sunday. And I heard behind me a loud voice as a trumpet. If you were sitting there in your Pew at church on a Sunday morning and everything was going exactly as you expected it to, and all of a sudden right behind your ear, a trumpet goes off. Now, I’ll tell you how that works. Someone sitting in services forgot to turn their ringer off on their phone and suddenly,
and everybody’s head turns around. Doesn’t it. John, here’s the sound of a trumpet behind him. Was there a trumpet behind him? Not a physical one. Notice what he says. I heard I was in the spirit on the Lord’s day. And I heard behind me a loud voice as a trumpet. Here’s a voice of a declaration. And that declaration says I am the alpha and the Omega the first and the last,
what you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches, which are in Asia to emphasis, to Smyrna, to Pergamum Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia and Laodicea. The command to Jon was you write this down. And the command of John was you send it to these locations, by the way, the idea of us having a Bible.
Wasn’t something that people in the third century came up with. It was something that God intended from the very beginning. That’s why God told John, you write it down and you send it to the churches. But notice he said, then I turned to see the voice that spoke to me or spoke with me and having turned. I saw here’s the first vision John’s sitting there on the Lord’s day.
And he hears a voice as the sound of a trumpet behind them. And he turns around, and this is an artist imagery. I saw seven golden lamp stands. And in the midst of the seven lampstands one, like the son of man. Now you remember over in the book of Daniel, there was a King who saw one light, the son of man.
And where was he in the fiery furnace? And I saw one like the son of man clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. That’s a sash that, that hearkens back to the priestly garments, his head and his hair were white, like wool white carries with it, the symbology of purity, but also regalness the color of one in power.
You have his hair and his head were white, like wool, as white as snow and his eyes like the flame of fire that normalize, not ordinary eyes. Just see the surface, just see what you present to them. These are the eyes that see through you. These are the eyes that see who you really are. His head and his hair were white,
like wool, as white as snow, his eyes like a flame of fire. His feet were like fine brass as if refined in a furnace and his voice as the sound of many waters. Have you ever been by the shore where there’s rocks and the ocean has a storm coming up and you hear the crashing sound of the waves. There’s your picture? The sound of many waters.
The thunderous sound is the sound of his voice. This isn’t the Jesus. In the sense of physically speaking, that they saw come up from the grave and appeared to them in the room and spoke with them quietly. This is a presentation entirely different from that he had in his right hand, seven stars out of his mouth when a sharp twoedged sword and his countenance was like the sun shining in its strike.
John sees Jesus, how do we know it’s Jesus? Because he said he was, I am the alpha, the Omega, the first and the last. And just before that, we read, I am the alpha, the Omega, the first and the last and who wasn’t, who was talking Jesus, but he’s got seven stars. And here’s one of those places where we’re going to start to see that the book of revelation.
Isn’t so hard to understand because quite often the book of revelation interprets itself. So seven stars in his hand, too sharp twoedged sword. We’ve seen that before. That’s Hebrews chapter 12 and his countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead, but he laid his right hand on me saying,
do not be afraid. I am the first and the last I am. He who lives and was dead and behold, I am alive forever more. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of death. Write the things which you have seen and the things which are in the things which will take place after this, the mystery of the seven stars,
which you saw in my right hand. And the seven golden lamp stands. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches. And the seven lampstands, which you saw are the seven churches. Most things in the book of revelation have an angel. The angel is the real essence of the thing. You might look at the church and think they’re one thing outwardly,
but God knows who they really are. And God sees them for what they really are. So you have the lampstands and then you have the angels, the stars. Okay? It’s not that hard. Who wrote the book of revelation, John, from where Island of Patmos to whom? Servants of Jesus Christ, seven churches. How did God reveal the things contained in the book of revelation?
He, the word, the word we’re looking for is he signified the them. Okay. Or signs. What did John hear a voice as of a trumpet? What did he see? Son of man and the lampstands and stars in his right hand. Okay. When, by the way, when you go through the book of revelation, if you can start getting the pictures,
if you can, if you can take the visions and you can describe the visions, it won’t be long before you can get the picture. And when you get the picture, you’ll understand the meaning. Okay. Uh, when were the things to occur? Which John wrote shortly or soon, how did Jesus free us from our sins? Washed us in his own blood.
In what manner will Jesus come? Clouds who will see him every eye. How long did God say he had? He, he had existed. All right. Terminally who holds the keys to death and Hades? Jesus Christ does. Okay. That’s going to be important later on in the book. Thank you for your attention.<inaudible> He has a hundred night.
That’s good. Good to see everyone here this evening. We were glad to have you here. Good to see Eric with us. And, uh, I know every one of you probably have already talked to him and, uh, we’re excited about seeing him back here. So, uh, we will hear from him just shortly. Um, we do have several things that we want to mention to you.
Uh, Gladys is now home and it’s doing fine. Of course she has to be careful. And, uh, I know some are going to be there with her from time to time. And we want to remember her in our prayers. Uh, Joan Springer will have a bronchoscopy that’s tomorrow. I think when I announced this Sunday, uh, I didn’t give you the right time,
but it’s tomorrow. So keep that in mind. Rodale Wilson is waiting for results on his heart echo test and then North. So Dorothy has, uh, has been diagnosed with high thyroid and his, his own some deem medication for that. So keep them in your prayers. Pam shaven, her surgery went well today. She will be in the hospital for about three days and they expect everything will be fine for her,
but keep her in your prayers. And of course she can’t have any visitors because of the COVID. And, uh, we’ve all known about that. In fact, you can’t even go in, if it’s one of your family members, they won’t let you go in. So, um, she did, she did well though. And the surgery was less,
took less time than they thought it was going to take. Uh, Sylvia pass will be having her nerve block this coming Friday. So keep her in your prayers. And then don’t forget Janet’s daughter Janell, who has thyroid cancer. She’s in the hospital now and is not doing well. So keep her in your prayers. Uh, Christian Dale, uh, broke his toe,
uh, was that yesterday or today? Day before yesterday. So, uh, we want to remember him and I’m sure, uh, they, they will probably have a difficult time with his broken toe. Just if any of you’ve had a broken toe, you know how that he is it’s hurts, but there’s nothing you can really do about it. So you just have to survive it.
I guess the nationwide gospel meeting call the flyers are on the table there in the four year. If you’d like to pick up one of those and then a Potter children’s home, we’ll beat it. We’ll be here next Wednesday to pick up the, uh, little money cans and also what commodities we’ve gathered for them. So keep that in mind and be sure you bring everything that you plan to bring,
uh, here before they come here next Wednesday. I believe that is, are there any other announcements that maybe I did not have that I need to mention? If not, uh, Marie is going to be leading our song service, uh, there, how sad try to get you out. He’s got the closing prayer and Eric Richardson. I knew he was going to laugh at that.
And Eric, Richardson’s gotta be, bring our devotional in tonight so that that’ll be who’s taking care of things besides myself messing up. Okay. You Mark in your book. Number 470 number four seven zero 453. Number four, five, three. I was sinking deep in sin. Walk from the piece for sure. Very deeply stained within sinking to rise no more.
But the master of the sea heard my despairing cry. Her M O waters lifted me and I say, ah, love lifted me, lifted me when nothing else could help love lifted me. Love me, love me. When a thing could have<inaudible> all my heart to him. I give ever to him our clean and his blessed presence ever. His praise is seen<inaudible> through marriage.
My soul best song fateful, loving serve is to do him. Be long. Love lifted me.<inaudible> me when nothing else could help me.<inaudible> uh, third me when a thing of good help<inaudible> souls in danger look up, uh, Jesus completely say he will lift you by his love out of the angry way. He’s a master of the sea billows.
His will bear. He you’re saying here wants to be saved two day. Love me, love me. When a thing else could help love lifted me. Love me. Love me. When a thing of good health.<inaudible> Good evening. A song. Yep. Good evening. It’s good to be back to see everyone. Um, Holly definitely wish she could be here on the way down.
She called me and she says, I’m jealous that you’re going down there and I can’t be, but they wish they could be here. We all miss. We definitely miss you guys. The other day, I was driving around and listening to truth FM, matter of fact, and uh, I was hurt. I heard a, they were talking about the child’s song that we hear.
I’m Micah loves this song, gospel chariot. And you think about that song talks about roll the gospel chariot along. And when we find our sister, what do we do? Pick her up. We find our brother, we stop and pick him up. When we find a center, we stop and pick him up. But what do we do when we find that devil the devil,
your roll right over him. And it’s an innate song. The kids love to sing it. And we sang it VBS several times this year, that back at home. But you think about when I think about that song, I think about two things. First off, the gospel rolls right over the devil. How is that? Well, see dead.
The devil has a hold on us sin since Genesis chapter three was sin. When we sin, the devil has a hold on us. But think about this. When Jesus died, Satan thought he’d won. He thought I’ve got him. He came to this earth to create this kingdom and he’s dead. He is gone. But yet three days later, when Jesus walked right out of that grave,
he lost first Corinthians chapter 15. Paul says this first Corinthians 15, starting to vis first 54. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption and this moral has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass. The saying that is written. Death is swallowed up in victory. Oh, death. Where is your sting? Oh, Haiti’s where is your victory?
The sting of death is sin. The strength of sin is the law, but thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord. Jesus Christ, Jesus arose Jesus overcame death. And because Jesus overcame death. So can we, we have the victory through him. Jesus was the first porn of the dead and we can follow in his steps at the end of our life.
If we have obey the gospel, just like it says in first Thessalonians chapter four, we will meet him in the air. See the gospel rolls right over the devil. It defeats him. But the second thing think about this. The question is asked, well, why did the chariot not run over that center? The Bible talks about how, if a man sins,
he is a servant of the devil. Let’s see the devil had made his choice. The devil’s made his choice and he’s, he’s going to hell. But you and I, as long as we have a breath and our mouth, we can obey the gospel. We can change. We can make that choice to obey the gospel. You think about first Peter chapter,
our first John chapter three and verse eight, it says he who sins is of the devil for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose, the son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil. We can overcome by obeying the gospel. The thing is, is we don’t know when we’ll die. You know, we may hear if someone unexpectedly dying,
we don’t know. We could walk out this door tonight and get in our car and get in a wreck. We could live for another 20 years, 30 years. We don’t know, but we have to make that choice. Now don’t put it off. See the devil has made his choice. And in first Peter five and verse eight, Peter says be sober.
Be vigilant because your adversary, our enemy, the devil walk up about seeking whom Haim, head of devour. The devil knows where he’s going. He wants you and I, we go with him, but we can defeat him by obeying the gospel. Where are you at tonight? Have you obey the gospel? If not, don’t wait. Well, maybe you’ve fallen away.
You have that chance now to come back. We love you. We care for you. We want to help you, but don’t wait. We don’t know when our last minute mil be. Don’t wait, don’t put it off. Do it now. As we stand, as we sing, I heard it. Oh, the whole, the whole, I would say it came from<inaudible> how he gave it a lie on cavalry ever acts like me.
I heard about here is groaning audit, practice, blah, Tony. I repented up Mike and then one of Victoza. Oh, victory. Jeez<inaudible> or he sought me. Hadn’t bought me where they heads reading, blah, God<inaudible>. I knew him. And, uh, you know, he punched me<inaudible> I heard about Matt. He had built for me,
Angelo. He and I heard about a street of goal.<inaudible> uh<inaudible> and<inaudible> and some sweet day I’ll sing their song. A victory. Oh, victory. And jeez, my<inaudible> for her. He sought me and bought me where the heads<inaudible> God, I, me, I knew him hand all my, uh, is you. He plans me to victory V need a cleansing.
God, God, our father in heaven, we come to you thanking you for the opportunity to assemble here, to see evening to, uh, study another portion of your word and God, we thank you for brother Aaron and brother, Eric presented those words. So Ellis late tonight, we ask that you help each and every one of us take what was taught here tonight and apply it to our lives so we can better serve you.
God. We’re also thankful for the, uh, potentially promising good news on Pam surgery. We pray that she does recover fast. And God, we also know that there are many others amongst us that are upcoming procedures this week or in a very near future. And we ask that you wrap your loving arms around them and around those caretakers that are providing these procedures for them.
And if it be your will restore them to a measure health that they so desire. God, we also know that each one of us falls short of your glory from time to time. And as we do, we bring those sins to you and we ask for your forgiveness. So we please ask that you forgive us of those sins. And as we prepare to depart here,
we ask that you guide garden each and every one of us, we pray all this through your son, Jesus name. Amen.<inaudible>.
[smart_track_player url=”https://collierville.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/20180508135950/2017-10-15_-_The_Harvest_Is_Ready-1.mp3″ artist=”Aaron Cozort” title=”The Harvest is Ready” image=”https://collierville.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/20171221125531/colliervilles-good-news-300w.png” social=”true”]
Aaron Cozort discusses the need for evangelism in the modern congregation. Jesus said the harvest is ready, but are we reaping?
Text: John 4
Location: Collierville Church of Christ
For more from Aaron, visit www.cozort.org
For more from Collierville Church of Christ, Visit www.colliervillecoc.org
[smart_track_player url=”https://collierville.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/20180508135950/2017-10-15_-_The_Harvest_Is_Ready-1.mp3″ artist=”Aaron Cozort” title=”The Harvest is Ready” image=”https://collierville.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/20171221125531/colliervilles-good-news-300w.png” social=”true”]
Aaron Cozort discusses the need for evangelism in the modern congregation. Jesus said the harvest is ready, but are we reaping?
Text: John 4
Location: Collierville Church of Christ
For more from Aaron, visit www.cozort.org
For more from Collierville Church of Christ, Visit www.colliervillecoc.org
