Review Questions – Revelation 17
New Questions – Revelation 18
Automated Transcript
<inaudible><inaudible> We are in revelation. So encourage you to open<inaudible> Your Bibles to the book of revelation. We’re going to be in chapter 18. After we notice a few of the, a few of the questions from previous chapters. Did I go over chapter 16 questions yet? No. Okay. Hey Jay, could you find chapter 16 and bring me a copy of those?
Cause I didn’t bother to actually bring one up here. I thought I had skipped that one, but I wasn’t certain<inaudible>. There we go. Thank you. All right. So we’ll, we’ll go over by way of review chapter 16 and chapter 17 questions, and then we’ll get into chapter 18 for our class period this morning. It’s good to have the Rushmore’s with us.
It’s good to have the Warrens with us. If you get a chance to meet them today, they attended South Haven when, when we were there and we sat just, just a few apart, they, they sat right behind us at South Haven when we were at South Haven. So it’s good to have them hope everyone’s doing well. I talked with Terry Whitley yesterday and he said Thursday and Friday,
we’re no good at all. He said he barely got out of bed, but, but yesterday he, he was able to get up, get outside a little bit, do a little bit of puttering and, and whatnot. So he, he said, you don’t want this? What w yeah. He said, whatever else I, I know about COVID now.
He said you don’t want it, but his wife has basically had no symptoms at all. So somebody mentioned this morning, well, at least there was somebody there to take care of him. I said, well, that that’s, that’s valid. That’s valid. All right, let’s begin with a word of prayer. Our gracious father in heaven, we bow before you grateful for the day that you’ve given to us grateful for the life that we have and the opportunities that we have to serve you.
We are thankful for every day that we have and are mindful that there are those who will not see tomorrow, and then also mindful of the importance and the necessity of being ready for this life to be over. Because we have no assurance of when our life will come to an end where mindful of all that you do for us on a daily basis, we’re mindful of the things that you give to those who are good.
And to those who aren’t the sunshine and the rain and the beauty of the earth, and all of the things that you have provided in your creation, but we’re most especially thankful, or your son and the, his salvation that he brought to us by coming to this earth, dying on the cross for our sins. We ask that you be with us as we go through this period of study.
And through this worship hour this morning, may the things that we do be acceptable to you may the things that we teach, be in accordance with your will in accordance with your word. And may we grow closer to you in faith and in knowledge and an understanding each and every day, all this, we pray in Jesus name, amen, chapter 16 of revelation.
And if you need a copy of the questions or you’ve misplaced a copy of your questions, they’re back on this small table, right back here at the back of the auditorium, you can grab a copy of one of those now, and you’ve got plenty of time to do that. Chapter 16, question one, what was contained in the bowls given to the seven angels?
All right, we read in verse 15, it was the wrath of God, but we also see in, in the greater context that these will be plagues, but verse one, and the answer to that question is the wrath of God. Verse six, question two. What reason did the angels angel of the water give for bold two and three. Yeah.
Okay. So ball two and three, the second and third plague in this are similar to the Exodus plague of turning the water to blood. Except in this instance, you have the seas and the oceans turned to blood. And then as a separate item, you have the fresh water turned to blood, but the angel of the, of the water comes in and declares.
Here’s why this is retribution for the shedding of the blood of the saints and the profits. Okay. Question number three, for what people in the old Testament where water’s dried up so they could cross over. Okay. But in the old Testament, Israelites, okay. We, we talked about this. There’s two different possible applications looking backwards, but there’s only one group of people consistently throughout old Testament history where the water’s dry up before them and allow them to cross over.
And so this picture of the Kings of, from the East is seemingly a picture of God’s people. The alternative to that, because again, especially when you’re dealing with apocalyptic literature, you get a here, here’s this, this sign. And it’s like, okay, you got to kind of piece it together and hope you’re you’re headed in the right direction.
Sometimes the other option is the example of when the Mito Persian empire came and they diverted the Euphrates river because in the text, the Euphrates is specifically mentioned. They diverted the Euphrates river and went under the wall of Babylon and conquered it in one night. That also shares a lot of the fact that we have a reference here to Babylon over and over and over again,
throughout this chapter, chapter 17 and chapter 18, you’ve got this, this picture of Rome as Babylon. And so that would also meet the, the picture. But the old Testament example of those who crossed over on dry ground is consistently and Israelite or God’s people analogy in the new Testament does quote, I am coming as a thief always mean that we are talking about the second coming of Christ.
No, it doesn’t. Matter of fact, there are numerous times where the analogy of God coming as a thief. In other words, coming when people are unprepared coming at an unexpected time deals with a, shall we say, a regular judgment and not necessarily the end of time and such as is also contextually true in chapter 16, verse 15, chapter 16,
verse 15, question five, who is blessed, according to verse 15, All right. The ones who watch and keep their garments. And we talked about the analogy of holiness that is made earlier on in the book. We talked about the layout of seeing church and God’s description that because they have what they were doing. They were poor and blind and naked.
They fought, they were close, they fought, they were rich. They thought they had eyesight and they didn’t. God says you need to be prepared for my judgment. What is number six? What is the physical location in Palestine for the Hebrew word? Armageddon. Maketto okay. That’s that is the word for the location known in the, the land of Israel,
Asma ghetto after all seven of the bowls that mankind repent. No. Okay. So what you’re seeing here, what we’ve seen earlier is you see seven trumpets and earlier on in the book, and those seven trumpets are partial judgements, trying to get the people to repent and they don’t. And then you see, because they didn’t repent w during the partial judgments,
now God’s wrath is going to come upon them with full judgment. And yet they did not repent. Okay. Revelation, chapter 17 questions, according to verse one, what is chapter 17 about, Okay, But there’s it here in chapter 17, one of the angels who had one of the bowls comes to John and says, I’m going to show you something the judgment of the harlot that sits on many waters.
Okay. So chapter 17 is the judgment of the harlot, which we’re going to see in chapter 17. Verse 18 is also the great city. We’re going to continue that discussion into chapter 18 as well. Okay. So what is chapter 17 amount? It is the judgment of the great harlot. What did the King of the earth do with the, or the Kings of the earth do with the harlot?
Hey, they committed fornication. When you see this in chapter 17, it’s not really explained. It is explained more in chapter 18. So we’re going to spend some time talking about that in chapter 18. What kind of beast does the woman bribe Say that again? All right. A Scarlet colored beast. How many heads? Seven heads. How many horns?
10 horns. Okay. So the, the woman who’s, who’s pictured as a harlot who the nations have committed for an occasion with her. They are sorry. She is riding upon a beast. The beast, if you compare it to the, the different creatures that have been discussed already in the book of revelation looks most like the dragon. He looks most similar to the dragon earlier on in the book,
but she rides upon this beast and we have the seven heads and 10 horns brought forward, carrying forward. Some of the prophecies of Daniel, we talked about that last Wednesday. So we’re not gonna spend a lot of time on it. What is the woman drunk with the blood of the saints? Okay. Over and over and over again. You’re going to read this in this section on judgment.
You go back to chapter 16 and the judgment of the water turning to blood is because of the blood of the saints. You come over to chapter 17 and here’s the woman and she’s pictured, and she’s drunk with the blood of the saints, go all the way back to chapter six. And the very first time we really hear of judgment coming. It’s immediately following the cry of the saints going,
how long God are you going to allow this to go on? And they’re the saints who have died for the testimony of Christ. Okay. So this is a constant reminder. God is about judgment on Rome and on its persecuting power because of their treatment of the people of God. Okay. What was John’s reaction to seeing her? All right. He was amazed.
John is going to be amazed, but the one who’s with him says, don’t be, let me show you what occurs. All right. What do we read about the status of the beast in the past present and future three terms. All right. He was, he is not, and yet is okay. So there was a time when he was persecuting.
He’s not currently persecuting, but he’s about to begin persecuting again is what we’re, we’re getting there in that passage, beginning in verse nine. What two things are signified by the BESE seven heads. Okay. Seven mountains and seven Kings. All right. Seven mountains is a, is a declarative picture of Rome. The city that sat upon seven Hills and seven Kings of the emperors of Rome up,
up to this point. Okay. Up to and including Titus, the, the one that would follow what is the beast that was and is not. And this is directly from the text. What is the text? Say? It is the eighth. Okay. Over in Daniel, you’ve got 10 Kings initially. And then an 11th that comes up. John ignores three of those Kings,
because over in Daniel, those Kings were uprooted anyway. Okay. In John’s prophecy, drawing forward, Daniel chapter seven, you have seven that you begin with and then in eighth comes up. Okay. You’ve got a parallel there between what John is saying and what Daniel is saying, but it’s important to notice that the one who’s coming up when, when the beast comes back up,
the one that’s going to do the persecuting all the way, including back in Daniel, the one who’s going to do the persecuting is the eighth. Okay. That would be the mission now in, where am I at? Question number eight? What do the beast and the Kings or horns do according to verse 14. All right. They make war with the lamb.
Here’s the picture you’ve got. You’ve got Rome. And you’ve got this persecuting power, especially seen in, in the eighth King, rising up and they make war. But do they win? No. Okay. So what will happen to the harlot? According to verse 16. Okay. She’ll be made desolate, but by whom, okay. The 10 horns you go back to earlier on in the passage and you get this picture of the horns being the,
the Kings and the nations that Rome was allied with Rome didn’t fall because a great nation came against her. Rome fell from the inside. Predominantly it dealt with many Kings coming against her many, many nations attacking her, but Rome, the cage from the inside, out these Kings, while they had an Alliance with Rome. And while, while it was mutually beneficial,
they didn’t like her. They hated her. And they would make her desolate. Her own alliances would bring about a portion of her destruction. Then verse 18, who is the woman? The great city. Okay. So we go all the way back to Let’s see, lost the Go all the way back to chapter 11. We’re talking about the two witnesses here in chapter 11 and the witnesses,
the ones that have power over keeping rain from falling. And we get a picture of Elijah. We, we also have the one witness that has power over bringing plagues on the earth and turning water to blood and, and making the sun not shine. There’s a picture of Moses. Okay. But all together, it’s a picture of God’s people. When they finished their testimony,
verse seven, the beast that sends out of the bottomless pit, which over in 17, we’re reading about a woman who’s riding what a beast. Okay. So the beast that co sends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them and kill them all throughout, back in chapter 16, back in chapter 17, the woman is accused of what?
Killing, who the saints. Okay. So you’re, you’re not, and this is something to, to understand. When you go through revelation, you shouldn’t think about it as a chronological progression where chapter 11 happens. And then the, you know, God’s prophecies come about something that’s going to come later. And that’s chapter 15 and chapter 16. And then you don’t think about it in a current chronology or chronological progression.
There are things where God says, I’m going to do this, and then I’m going to do this. But all throughout it, you keep circling back. You keep circling back to the picture, the analogy of all the way back to chapter six, I’m doing this because of the persecution of my sayings. And so you see the beast come up, but you don’t see who he is.
And then you see later who he is, and then you see the other beast come up. And, but you don’t see really who they are. And then you get to chapter 17 and you get more clarity, but you kind of have to backtrack all the way back to chapter 11 to go wait a minute. Now let’s put the pieces together. Okay.
So it’s, it’s one of the difficult things. As you read these progression of prophecies, you’re not necessarily progressing further down the years of time. You’re just seeing a different picture and a more complete picture of what God is saying quite often. So when they finished their testimony, the beast that it sends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them,
overcome them and kill them. And their bodies will lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. Then those from the people’s tongues, from the people’s tribes, tongues and nations will see their dead bodies three and a half days, and will not allow their dead bodies be putting graves.
Those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and make Mary this and send great gifts to one another. Because the two prophets who tormented those who dwell on the earth, okay? So here we are. We’ve got a picture of a city. We have three analogies, three different descriptions of the city. We’ve got Saddam and it’s wickedness. It’s fornication,
it’s infidelity. We’ve got Egypt, it’s captivity and persecution of God’s people. And we’ve got Jerusalem, the city of faults worship. Okay. It’s interesting that Jerusalem becomes the city of false worship as viewed here in this chapter, that is comparative to the false prophets that we see when the land beast comes up. Because again, you’ve got the three, the same three pictures coming forward in,
in the three beasts, because here’s the point Jesus Christ died in Jerusalem, but Jerusalem is not under consideration the book of revelation, but the city that was so ingrained in its religion that they won, except the giver of their religion is the epitome of false religion. They were so ingrained in their own worship. They’re temple, they’re this. And they’re that,
that when the one who gave them the religion to begin with, came to the earth, they put him on a cross. It is the epitome of false religion. Okay? So that’s chapter 17, chapter 17 and chapter 18 go together. Okay. This is kind of a package unit. There should be no chapter break here, but it’s probably good that there was,
we would have never gotten through all of it in one class. Anyway, chapter 18, verse one. After these things, I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority. And the earth was illuminated with his glory. This angel proceeds down from heaven. Again, John’s seeing this. This is, this is visionary. John sees an angel come down from heaven and his glory is such that what happens he’s brighter than the sun is okay.
Here comes an angel. He comes down to the earth and it is glorious such that it illuminates the earth. Okay? And he cried mightily with a loud voice saying Babylon, the greatest fallen is fallen and it has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit and a cage for every unclean and hated bird. This angel comes down from heaven and Reed declares.
The prophecy that’s already been made to somebody. Remember just off the top of your head, where that, that statement has already been made. Let’s see. 14, eight. All right. So let’s go back to verse six of chapter 14. Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth to every nation,
tribe, tongue, and people saying with a loud voice, fear God, and give glory to him for the hour of his judgment has come. And the worship of him and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the Springs of water. And then another angel followed saying Babylon is fallen is fallen that great city, because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.
Okay. We’re taking the statement, the declaration from the, the angel and chapter. And now John’s going to see the fleshing out Of that prophecy. Okay. That statement. So he sees another angel come down and the same declarations made again Before we were, before the judgment started now where the judgments concluded. I mean, th Seven bowls have been poured out.
God’s judgment has come upon them. Now you’re Getting the complete picture. Okay. So you’re getting the before and the, after My Babylon, the greatest fallen is fallen has become a dwelling place of demons of prison for every foul spirit and a cage for every unclean and hated bird for all the nations have drunk the wine of the wrath of her fornication. Wasn’t that what we just read in chapter 42 SA same words.
You’re, you’re, you’re seeing the connection here. The King, The earth have committed fornication with her and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of our luxury. John’s going to describe as is given by the angel, this declaration Of why these nations did this banking Chapter 17. We’re told that the Kings of the earth committed fornication with this Charlotte,
but we’re not told why we’re just Hold that they became intoxicated by her. Well, now we’re going to get the picture. Now we’re going to see why Is it that God Wrath is going to come upon them and why God’s wrath is going to come upon the great city And what it was that caused them to get in bed with this city. Okay.
For all, All the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, verse four. And I heard another voice from heaven saying, come out of her. My people lest you share in her sins, less you receive of her plagues. So there’s a, a cry that comes out a declaration that comes out to the people. God,
leave, come out, back in Matthew chapter 24. Jesus tells his disciples that When they see the signs of the destruction of Jerusalem Coming, they’re supposed to do what leave. He said, if you’re out in the field, I’ll go back home. If you’re off the mountain, don’t come back down. If you’re up on the rooftop, get out.
When you see this happen, you leave. Because if you delay, your judgment will come to your, you will be caught up in the judgment. Okay? So not talking about the end of time and this isn’t either here. There’s an opportunity for those who are Righteous to leave before the destruction comes on the city. Okay? So he says, I heard another voice From heaven saying,
come out of her. My people, as you share in her sins, less you receive of her plagues for her sins have reached to heaven and gone has remembered her iniquities arrows. A number of times in the old and new Testament where we are Told God remembers something a few times, That’s a positive statement. God remembers the good things someone did, but overarchingly that’s a God’s judgment.
And his wrath Staff has been filled up. God Remembered had been storing up as it were all that. And now it’s time to wipe the slate clean through judgment. Okay. So when you, God remembered it, it wasn’t though. Oh God, that it slipped God’s mind. No, no, no, no. That’s not what you’re reading. Okay.
You’re bringing about your book, Bringing forward. All of the things they’re guilty of as if in court, as if to a judge, if you’re, you’re not sitting there watching all of the things happening and trying to no, no. You’re rehearsing before the judge. Why the person’s guilty? Why the judgment is just why they’re going to receive a, Just punishment.
Okay. There’s your picture of remembrance here? So for her Ends have reached to heaven and God has remembered her iniquity render to her just as she rendered to you and repay her double. According to her works in the cup, which she is mixed, mixed doubles for her. So often we read in scripture, the way you judge, You will be judged the way Yeah.
You measure towards someone else. It will be measured to you Again and here you have The way she has done, the others will be turned back on her And double, okay. For all that she’s done in the measure and that she Fight herself and lived luxuriously in the same measure, give her torment and sorrow for. She says in her heart, I sit as queen and am no widow and will not see sorrow.
The declaration of the great city, the declaration of Rome is I’m impenetrable. I I’m queen of all the earth here, A harlot, a degenerate who’s declaring herself, queen Jane and she’s queen only because of the influence that she’s had to cause people to sin. But she believes nobody’s going to judge me. Nobody can touch me. This kind of fixture occurs in the old Testament.
By other nations. I believe tire is, is one of the nations where that idea over in Ezekiel is used of tire, declaring yourself untouchable, Except she wasn’t. And they found an entire found out from Alexander. The great, the untouchable Can be touched. God is going to tell Rome, you think you sit as queen of the world. You’re not verse eight.
Therefore her plagues will come in one day, then Death and mourning and famine. And she will be utterly burned with fire for strong is the Lord. God who judges her now all throughout this chapter, you’re going to get the, the Babylon parallels. Okay? The great city Babylon, those ones Already been mentioned, but Babylon fell in A year and a night.
So you’re going to keep Seeing the analogy of Babylon drawn forward throughout this passage. So in a day, Death and Mourning and famine, verse nine, the Kings of the earth who committed fornication and lived luxuriously with her will weep and lament for her. When they see the smoke of her burning. Now, wait a minute. I just thought back over in chapter 17,
the Kings who were allied with her, Devoured her and made her desolate. They did, But they’re not mourning because of her desolation. Watch why their morning, okay. They’ll see the smoke of her burning and they’ll look, they’ll weep and lament, standing at a distance for fear of her torment saying a last of last, the great city of Avalon that mighty city for in one hour,
your judgment has come. So they declare her judgment. They declare it’s, it’s rapidness standing, and the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her for no One. Watch this buys Their merchandise anymore. Are they weeping and lamenting because they love the great city. No they’re weeping And lamenting. Cause they just lost a whole lot Of money. Thank Got ships full of product.
And they take them to Rome and they sell them. And now Rome, as<inaudible> as the picture is, as these merchants in these shifts are, are sitting there on the Mediterranean sea as if it were sitting back and watching Rome burn, they go, who are we? Who are we going to sell it Junk too? Who are you selling this stuff to?
Our city just, just got, just got desolated at. They’re not, they have no concern for the city. They have no concern for, For Rome. They have concerned for their own riches. Okay. This is entirely selfish mourning. And the merchants of the earth verse 11 will weep and mourn over her for no one buys their merchandise anymore. Merchandise of gold and silver,
precious stones and pearls, fine linen and purple silk and Scarlet, every kind of Citron wood, every kind of object of ivory, every kind of object of the most precious wood, bronze iron and marble and cinnamon and incense, fragrant oil and frankincense wine and oil flying flour and wheat, cattle and sheep horses and chariots and bodies of the souls of man.
Everything from slaves to every precious thing that you can imagine. Every aspect of commerce is what this city is involved Then. And all the world sits back and watches Because when she falls, so do they, they get him economically, but her desolation, her judgment is complete. Okay. So the fruit of Your soul longed for has gone from you and all the things which are rich and splendid have gone from you and you shall find them no more at all.
Here’s the woman, the city, the CA declared herself, queen declare that no sorrow would ever touch Her. And immediately following That picture is all of those who were in bed with her. Declare You’re gone. No joy will ever touch you again. Okay. The merchants of these things who became rich by her will stand at a distance for fear of her torment,
weeping and wailing, and saying alas, alas, that great city, which was clothed in fine linen purple and Scarlet and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls for in one hour such great riches came to nothing. Every ship master in all who traveled by ship sailors in it, many as trade on the sea, stood at a distance and cried. When they saw the smoke of her burning saying,
what is like this great city. They threw dust on their heads and crying out weeping and wailing and saying, alas, alas, that great city in which all who had ships on the sea became rich by our wealth for in one hour, she has made desolate, rejoice over her. Oh, heaven. And you Holy prophet or Holy apostles and prophets for God has avenged you On her.
So In the myths of all the war of, of mourning in the midst of all the weeping and myths of all the anguish in judgment and desolation, Who gets to rejoice the apostles and the prophets and the saints, you take that all the way back to chapter six. When God says you rest for a little while and I’ll show you, what’s going to happen to her.
Okay? What’s going To come about by way of judgment for the persecution of his people, then verse 21, then am I, the angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea. There is one passage in scripture talks specifically about a millstone being cast into a sea thing. It’s Luke chapter 17, where Jesus says, do not offend one of these little ones for IQ calls.
One of these little ones to stumble into sin. It would be better for you that a millstone were hung about your neck. And then you be cast into the sea. Then you cause one of these little ones to stumble, kind of have this picture here of here’s Rome. Here’s the great harlot. Here’s the one that seduced the world to sin. And God says,
I’m bringing you to destruction and that I’m casting you in the sea. And I’m going to catch you as a millstone. Ain’t nobody ever pulling you back up. Your judgment is final. So the mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea saying thus with violence, the great city Babylon shall be thrown down and shall not be found anymore.
The sound of harpists musicians, flutists, and trumpeters shall not be heard in you anymore. No craftsmen or any craft shall be found in you any more in the sound of a millstone shall not be heard in you anymore. The light of a lamp shall not shine in you anymore. And the voice of the brine and the brine or bride room, and Brian shall not be hurting you anymore for your merchants were the great men of the earth for,
by your sorcery. All the nations were deceived and in her. Okay? So, so now you get this picture. She’s cast into the sea as a millstone, she’s drowned in the sea. And when you take something and you uproot it kind of like when big storm comes by a great big giant tree falls, what do you see for the first time?
What was underneath it? And that’s kind of the picture you have here. When the gray city is uprooted, winter judgment comes, winter. Desolation is made apparent. And then as it were, she’s picked up and cast into the sea. As a millstone, you look underneath, you look on the inside. You see what’s always been hidden. And verse 24 says,
and in her was found the blood of profits and saints and of all who were slaying on the earth. You find judgment comes. And then as that judgment is enacted, you find God picturing and here’s her guilt. And it’s readily apparent. This is why she was guilty. And this is why this judgment was called for. Okay. So that’s chapter 18.
Again, as we go through this, remember we’re not supposed to be looking for a time when, when Rome fell in a day, we’re not supposed to be looking for a time when Rome was picked up and cast into the sea. We’re not supposed to be even looking for a time where no flute was ever played in the city of Rome ever again.
No, these are pictures. These are pictures that carry forward. A lot of old Testament imagery and a lot of old Testament judgments to say, God is saying, I’m going to be done with her. And isn’t it interesting that to this day, one of the things that you can go see is what’s left of Rome. There are a lot of nations that have come and gone on this earth where you can’t go find anything that’s left,
but Rome, you could go see she fell and she’s gone the power, the world power, that one declared by Daniel. God said, I’m going to raise up a kingdom made without hands and it’ll never be destroyed. And while the church has gone through torment and difficulty, anguish and pain and persecution everywhere on this planet, at some point in time,
she still exists and Rome is gone. God did exactly what he said. Okay. That’s what revelation has always been about. God wins. And so to his people. Okay. Thank you for your attention. We’ll go over chapter 18 questions on Wednesday.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> Good morning. Welcome to Collierville church. Christ’s Sunday morning worship service. It is really good to see each and every one of you out here this morning,
we have several visitors with us and I want to thank you for joining us to worship our God this morning and visitors. If you don’t mind, if you have an opportunity, please fill out a visitor’s card and either leave it on a Pew or do it to one of the men so that we have a record of your visit. And again, we are so glad that you chose Collierville church Christ to worship God this morning.
If you did not pick up your Lord’s supper, it is on the tables at the back of the pews. Here it be a good time. While I finished the announcements to go get that. If you did not get it already on our sick list, please continue to remember. Joan Springer, Dorothy Wilson, and Janet Jones. As they continue to work through their ongoing problems,
please keep them in your thoughts and prayers. Terry and Patricia Wheatley, you know, have been out with COVID-19. Patricia has very few signs of it at all, and she’s doing really good. Terry is getting better, but he says, it’s one of those things. You do not want to get it, but he is getting better. He said yesterday,
he felt pretty good, but he says, you don’t want to get it. If you’ve not had it, don’t get it. Period. Crystal crystal Rushmore has have some, having some soul shoulder problems. It is a possible torn rotator cuff. They’re going to do the physical therapy route first and do some more examining and checking on her to see if they can’t determine exactly what is wrong with her.
So please keep crystal in your thoughts and prayers and then Vince it to Darrow who’s Jenny’s. Dad is in the hospital and he has pneumonia. So please keep Vincent to narrow in your thoughts and prayers for the man. We’ll have our monthly business meeting tomorrow night here at the church building at seven o’clock. If you have any agenda items, please write it on the board out there or give it to Jay.
He is our contact person for this quarter. Shelby County election commission has notified us that they are going to use our building from November 18th through the 3rd of December, because on December 8th, there has to be a runoff election. And that’s for one of the alderman here in Collierville is what I understand. So there’ll be using our building again for voting so that in mind,
as you come to a Bible study on Wednesday evenings, check out the news, why gospel call meetings? Several people that we know very well are going to be on there presenting different topics in the next few weeks here, Gary and Glen Colley are both doing it. And then TJ and BJ Clark are all speaking. So be a good time. Pick up one of those flyers and call in and listen to that at nine o’clock Monday through Friday,
also, don’t forget about the truth. FM radio stations, a lot of great lessons and great singing going on 24 hours a day, seven days a week on that we have a card I’ve already put the card on the bulletin board, but I got the contents of the card here on my notes. So that reads Collierville family. We want to thank you for your love prayers and support during our family crisis,
the financial help you so generously gave our family, made something we thought impossible possible. We are so grateful to have a church family like Collierville love the Dale family, Michael Jessica, Brandon, and Christian. That’s all of our announcements this morning. Our worship service today. Song service is going to be between Aaron and Joel. They’re going to take care of that for us.
The two of them combined opening prayer, Louis Rushmore. One of our visitors is going to do that for us. Lord supper is Jay Schaffer. Sermon will be Aaron Cole, it’s art and closing. Prayer is Tommy O’Neil. Thank you. Take your songbooks or use the overhead. If you will. And let’s turn to number 991, 991. This is my father’s world.
We’ll sing all three verses. This is my fault.<inaudible> all nature’s seeings. And round me rings music<inaudible> rocks and trees of skies.<inaudible> the Lily white, the<inaudible>. I hear him pass. He speaks to me every way.<inaudible> nah, though, the wrong seems off so strong. God is a rule<inaudible> jeez, us who die shall be side is five and Dan ham be Whoa,
Let us pray. Our heavenly father, as we come before the, this hour on the morning of this day, at the beginning of a new week, we do do so humbly and recognizing that thou art, our God, our creator, or thou art, our greatest benefactor, our friend, if we are obedient to the gospel of Christ and continue therein,
we pray heavenly father that all we do this hour in our, our efforts to worship, they will be acceptable. The time that the divine favor would overshadow us, we pray that as we’ve gathered a worship, we might be able to remove from our mind, the various distractions of life. We might be fully involved in every aspect and facet of our worship.
Our only desire might be that we can do what we do to please the, to glorify thy name. We pray heavenly father aware of the various circumstances in life that affect us all that we might be able to address the challenges that face us, whether they be health challenges, or economic challenges, family challenges, whether they be challenges of any, of,
any, of any origin that we might be able to, to be the eye children, to conduct ourselves accordingly, to have the appropriate, to conduct and response and words coming from our mouth. We pray thy blessings upon this nation in which we are. We pray that the unrest it has been so far flung might come to an end. We’re mindful of the pandemic that has not only affected this country,
but it has affected the countries throughout the world. We pray that my bed satisfactory conclusion to that also as a song we sang so indicated, we recognize that our, our, the creator of all that is in likewise, that ruling over this earth also rules and the kingdoms of ma’am. We pray that we might, as I people recognize by hand in the affairs of man and not to contest the way in which that would unfold.
I will in these things, but rather we would concentrate and being the church concentrate on being at eye children. We pray that the liberties that we now enjoy, that permit us to assemble as we have this morning to worship in spirit and truth might not be changed or hindered in any way. We pray that around the, that opportunities might have bound for the gospel of Christ and that other children might be able to assemble and to worship and to serve.
We are mindful of many of our family that are ill. We pray for their recovery or mindful that there are families that are facing bereavement. We probably, they might be up with didn’t confident too. We know that in various parts of the world, persecution against people continues on. We pray that they might be relieve that persecution of possible. And certainly I’m able to go forth as they face.
These also challenges in life. We pray heavenly father that they will be done in earth. We pray might be a part of the unfolding that providential will we pray for wisdom. We pray for understanding. We pray for patients. We’ll pray. Heavenly father that I would reserve for us, a place in heaven. We probably that will be done in all things.
We might be a part of. I will. We pray in Jesus name. Amen. Next song will be number 496. Oh, listen to the wondrous story. 496. I hope you all know this one. If not join me in any way it occurred to me. I don’t know that we’ve sung this one here since I’ve been here. So it’s a good,
it’s a good song though. 496. Oh, listen to a one dressed. Ori counted one song among a loss. Yet one came down from heaven’s glory saving us awful. Cause who’s saved us from me.<inaudible> what did he<inaudible> no. Angel could his place have a gun? Hi. Yes. Hi though. He, the loved one on the cross voice<inaudible> was one of the God had three.
Who’s a saved us from me to no laws. What did he do?<inaudible> in heaven into see<inaudible> well, YUSA Renda to this<inaudible> you too. Shall come to know his fave. He will save you. Save you. Who’s saved us from me. Did he do, where is he now?<inaudible> We got through that one. Okay. 715,
715. We’ll use this song to repair our minds for the Lord’s supper. The churches one found a fish is jeez, Hold on just a minute. Just a minute. There’s two versions of this song and I’ve got the wrong one. Just a minute. We’re just going to change songs. So it takes your, take your songbooks. If you will,
and turned to number 314, just blank. That screen. If you don’t mind, 314 beneath the cross of Jesus, We’ll sing the first, second and fourth verse Beanie Kroll song. Jeez, I fan would tag my<inaudible> wrong with and we are and home with, and<inaudible> from the<inaudible> the noon tide. He<inaudible> Oh, safe fan happy.
Or if you tried and we say, Oh,<inaudible> and Avon’s justice me mean as to the Patri.<inaudible> so see my Savior’s Ross to me up to<inaudible>. I<inaudible> shine than the us and shine<inaudible> to the Whoa, go by too. No, no again, no, I lost my<inaudible>. My only shame, my glory, all the fuck wrong.
We now come to a very special time in our worship service, where we remember the death of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. I want to just read a short passage from Matthew, where Jesus instituted this, what we call the Lord’s supper. And in Matthew chapter 26 and verse 26, it starts and as they were eating and I might add that this eating was the Passover that they had traveled to Jerusalem from Galilee.
He Jesus and his disciples to celebrate this Passover feast, no small journey, 60 miles. They walked probably all the way. Probably took them two, three days at any rate, they were in Jerusalem and as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed it and break it and gave it to the deposits. The pot disciples and said, take eat.
This is my body. And he took the cup and gave thanks and gave it to them saying drink. Ye all of it for this is my blood of the new Testament, which is shed for many, for the remission of sins. But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you,
my father’s kingdom. So let’s displace all of our worldly thoughts and focus our minds upon the cross. As we partake of these emblems heavenly father, we’re indeed grateful for the privilege. We have to assemble about this table to participate in this Lord supper, to remember the death and the significance of the death of your son, Jesus, as we partake of this bread,
which represents his body, there was sacrificed on the cross, help us to remember the pain and anguish that our sins caused. So in jesus’ name that we pray amen, and all lives matter. Father, as we partake of this fruit of the vine, which represents to us that blood that was shed for our sins, help us to do so in a way that was fitting and that’s acceptable in God’s side,
it’s in Jesus name. We pray, amen. This concludes the Lord’s supper. We find this a very convenient time to offer our prayers for the many material blessings that have so richly been bestowed upon us. Let’s go to our father in prayer and acknowledge those. Yes, heavenly father. We’re indeed grateful for the many material, things that have so richly given to us in this country where mindful of all these gifts truly coming from you,
help us always to acknowledge the true source of these. And we thank you father for your great generosity. It’s in Jesus name. We pray as we give back a portion of what we’ve been blessed with, You would be marking your books for number nine Oh nine. That would be our song of encouragement. Number nine Oh nine will be on the overhead.
I believe I’m not sure now we’ll be singing number 71 as the deer 71, pass a pass, pour the water. So my<inaudible> my heart desire and I long to worship you<inaudible> and I lore to worship you. I watch more than go<inaudible><inaudible> ever. And the, my I<inaudible> my strength. My<inaudible> Now Aaron, good morning. Take your Bibles.
If you will. And open them to Zechariah Zechariah chapter 14, the closing chapter of this book, As you’re turning there, want to for just a moment, remind us where we started in Zechariah Zechariah and begins what we have recorded of his prophecies chapter one, verse one in the eighth month of the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah.
The son of Berekiah, the son of<inaudible> the prophet saying the Lord has been very angry with your fathers. The very first words from the prophet Zechariah to Israel bearing in mind, they went into captivity. They were in Babylonian captivity for 70 years. Then they returned, they came back to build the temple, and yet Zechariah comes to them. After they had failed to build the temple,
they laid its foundation. Then it sat dormant for 16 years and they had guy in Zechariah come to get the work back to completion. And the very first words we have from Zachariah is the Lord has been very angry with your fathers in the tone and tenor of how Zachariah’s prophecies begin. They’ll end, therefore say to them, verse three, thus says the Lord of hosts,
return to me says the Lord of hosts. And I will return to, you says the Lord of hosts do not be like your fathers to whom the former prophets preach saying, thus says the Lord of hosts turn now from your evil ways and your evil deeds, but they did not hear nor he read me, says the Lord, your fathers, where are they?
And the prophets do they live forever yet? Surely my words and my statutes, which I command my servants, the prophets. Did they not overtake your fathers? Notice what Zechariah begins by saying, number one, the Lord’s been very angry with your ancestors. Number two, don’t be like them, or you’ll get What they got. Number three, don’t think that That your ancestors made it out without my word being fulfilled upon them.
The word of the profits overtook them verse the end of verse six. So they returned and said just as the Lord of hosts, determined to do to us, according to our ways and according to our deeds. So he has dealt with us. The, the closing statement Is exhibit Exactly what God said he would do is exactly what he Did. So Zechariah begins his prophecy by reminding them of where they came from,
reminding them of what God’s done in the past so that they can have a surety that when he speaks to them and delivers what God is telling to them, now they can be just as assured that what God says about what’s to come will come to pass. And with those words from chapter one, chapter 14, verse one, as we get to the conclusion of this three chapter prophecy that began in chapter 12,
we find behold Old, the day of the Lord is coming And your spoil will be divided in your midst for, I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem. The city shall be taken the houses rifled and the women ravaged half of the city shall go into captivity. But the remnant of the people shall not be caught, shall not be cut off from the Zachariah.
The Who is encouraging them to build. Hold on. I am okay. Just got quieter. The profit that Is encouraging them to build Is now the profit that says God’s going to bring destruction again. Here’s Zachariah. Okay. And here they are in the midst of this and in the midst of this prophecy. And again, they’re being told Jerusalem is going to be destroyed.
So where’s the hope, Eh, w where’s the, where’s the, to go on. Where’s the encouragement to continue building. If they’re already being told long before the city is now a walled city again, long before the city is strong again, long before the city is prosperous. Again, God’s going to come and destroy it again Here in Zachariah. God makes it clear.
This nation will reach a point where I will end my covenant with them. We, I saw that over in chapter 11 and chapter 12 and chapter 13 in the prophecies concerning the death of the Messiah. You remember how many times Jesus in his parables and in his illustrations would bring up the idea of a vineyard owner and the occasion where Jesus would talk concerning the vineyard owner that would leave and go on a journey and leave his vineyard in the hands of those who were to tend the vineyard and the vineyard keepers,
where to keep it. And they were to, they were to provide for it and they were to care for it, but he was going to return. And so he sent back a servant to see how things were and they beat him and sent him back. They didn’t receive the servant. They didn’t listen to the servant. They didn’t treat the servant like the master.
They instead abused him. So he sends back another servant. And again, the same thing happens. So Determines this time I will send my son because they will honor my son and he sends his son And they kill him. And then jesus’ question is what will the master do to those vineyard keepers? When he returned The arms and the answer’s clear, he’s going to judge them.
He is Going to destroy them because of what they did to his son, Israel, One through whom the Messiah would come is the one God would judge for the messiahs Death for. They would be the one who would put him on the cross. And yet in this prophecy concerning Jerusalem, again, being judged, again, being destroyed, you have Again,
a remnant or with God, there always seems to be a remnant. There Always seems to be those, no matter how small their number might be. If you think about places, Sodom and Gomorrah, where three, Make it out alive, No matter how small the number is, there’s a remnant that will be faced<inaudible> to him. So God says here in the end of verse two,
but the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city. And here’s where you see a transition. At the beginning of the prophecy, all the nations are going to come against Jerusalem and Jerusalem is going to be destroyed. But a new Jerusalem Comes a new Jerusalem made from a remnant of faithful people, a new Jerusalem. And interestingly, at least my understanding of the passage,
if this is applicable to the new Testament church, this is no longer the old Jerusalem. This is no longer the rebuilding of the walls. This is no longer the laying of a ground for a new temple. This is no longer the Jerusalem that would again, someday be destroyed. Pre-ACA rye, the prophet that bridges the old and the new Testament. He is,
It is the prophet that talks about the old Israel and the old Jerusalem, and then a new one where everything’s different. And I want us to see in chapter 14, the new Jerusalem, wherever Things different because this Jerusalem is no longer about the Jews. Notice what we read, but Remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city. As a result,
verse three, we have now God’s judgment upon the nations. God, doesn’t let this stand. God uses the nations to draw, to destroy Jerusalem. As he’s done in the past, he did it with Babylon and he’ll do it again. But God in turn will turn around and judge the enemies of his people. Then the Lord will go forth verse three and fight against those nations.
As he fights in the day of battle. And in that day, his feet will stand on the Mount of olives. One of the Mount of olives is one of the Hills outside of Jerusalem is interesting that a number of times you find Jesus going to the Mount of olives. You find the Mount of olives is one of the primary places where Jesus would spend his time.
When he was in the vicinity of Jerusalem. It is the Mount of olives that Jesus will come from. As he enters Jerusalem, victoriously riding upon the donkey. It is the Mount of olives. He will go back to after he and the apostles, leave that upper room on the night of his bedroom. Jesus Christ we’ll find his place Standing upon Mount Zion,
standing upon Jerusalem, standing upon the Mount of, and here you have the Mount of olives pictured as a place of deliverance. Notice what we read and the Mount of olives shall be split into from East to West, making a very large Valley. Half of the mountain shall move toward the Northern half of the, toward the South. Then you shall flee through my mountain Valley for the mountain Valley shall reach to Azale.
Yes, you shall flee. As you fled from the earthquake. In the days of use IAH, the King of Judah, God says using again, this is figurative language. This is, this is apocalyptic language language, as Zechariah would use it quite often, he says, here’s the Mount of olives. And the Lord is going to stand on the Mount of olives.
His feet are going to be on the Mount of olives. And yet from there, deliverance comes and God says, I’m going to split the Mount of olives in half. Now. We’re not supposed to be looking for a time in history where we see the fulfillment, where God takes the Mount of olives. It splits it. And it has a matter of fact,
if you go over the land of Palestine, you can go stand on it right now. So what is he saying? There was a time when Israel stood On the shores of the red sea And there was an army behind them and a sea in front of them. And they could go no further. And if they stayed, they die. And if they tried to go back,
they die. And they By themselves had no hope. And yet Moses said, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. And he was Raised his rod and he stretched it over the red sea by the commandment of God and the water Parted And stood up on either side. And the people Walked through on dry ground. God, again, delivers his people.
God, again, provides And opening Dressing. When you go over to Matthew chapter 24 and Luke chapter 21, as you read about what Jesus said would come in the destruction of Jerusalem, Jesus makes it clear. There’s going to be a, a number of signs that lead up to the destruction of Jerusalem. And there’s going to be a time at which it will appear as though there’s no escape,
even for the righteous, But the righteous, knowing what Jesus said, we’re to Be ready because he said there would be a way of escape. There Would be when they saw those signs and opportunity for them to escape. And historically We know there was Because Rome would come and they would besiege the city of Jerusalem. And then that occurs in late 80,
68, early 80, 69. And they’re there and they’re besieged around Jerusalem. And then for a time, The Roman army backs off and people can again, move in and out of the city, Josephus and other historians tell us that when That occurred, every Christian left or Islam that didn’t come back, they saw the opening and they went through it.
But the majority of the city did not. I think that’s what he’s talking about here. I might be wrong, but God said, I’m opening a path of escape and you’re going to flee through my path. If you belong to me thus as the Lord, my or thus the Lord, my God will come. And all the saints with you, it shall come to pass in that day that there will be no light.
The lights will diminish. It shall be one day, Which is known to the Lord neither day nor night. But at the evening time, it shall happen That it will be light. Now, One of the things we need to remind ourselves as we go through Zechariah is he uses this phrase In that day, in that day, in that day. And as we’ve mentioned before,
we’re not always dealing with the same day. There’s different parts of this prophecy as in the book of revelation where John will see one thing happen and then he’ll turn and he’ll see another thing happened. And it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re happening in order. This, these are visions and these are aspects he’s seeing it’s going to come in that day, that there will be No light.
We’re not. And always going to find a clear fulfillment of this type of Elliptic prophecy. But it is interesting that there was a Day where the sun stopped shining that had A direct connection with the destruction of Jerusalem, because while Jesus hung on the cross, it became dark as if the sun stopped shining. And then the graves were opened and the Veil of the temple was rent from top to bottom.
And this interior and said, surely This was the son of God. Maybe that’s what it’s talking about. Maybe not, but what you do see here is God making it clear. I’m in charge the Sun doesn’t shine. When I tell it not To. And in there The evening when it’s supposed to be dark. And I say, it’s going to be light,
it’ll be light. So you can be assured that I’m in control. And in that day, verse eight, it shall be that living water shall flow from Jerusalem. That’s one of the reasons why that phrase is one of the reasons why I believe this may have a connection to the crucifixion and may have a connection to the cross. In that day. It shall be that living water shall flow from Jerusalem,
half of them toward the Eastern sea and half of them toward the Western sea in both summer and winter is shall occur. And the Lord shall be King over all the earth. In that day. It shall be the Lord is one and his name One Zechariah comes forth with this prophecy. And he says, there’s a day that’s coming where living waters will go forth from Jerusalem.
Jesus would tell the woman at the well, in some area as he was there. And he said, give me a drink from the well John chapter four, and the woman would say, how is it that you being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman. And Jesus said, if you knew who I was, you would ask of a drink from me.
And I would give you a drink of waters of life. And you would never thirst again. And she wanted that water. She wanted a drink, but she questioned how in the world could he possibly give her a drink when he had nothing to draw Water out with, Jesus will make it clear to her that the way Waters that he offers are spiritual waters of life.
There was not going to be a day in which Jerusalem opened up a found in the fount, went East on the fountain, went West and water was supplied to all the world from inside Jerusalem in physical water. But there was In spiritual life in acts chapter one and acts Dear one, Jesus, as he is preparing to ascend back to the father will speak to his apostles and being assembled together.
Verse four, he commanded them not to From Jerusalem, but to what Wait for the promise of the father, which he said, you have heard from me for John, truly with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy spirit. Not many days from now, therefore when they had come together, they asked him saying, Lord, will you,
at this time restore the kingdom to Israel. Notice Here are his disciples. And they’re looking for a restoration of the, But he makes it clear. They misunderstand. He said to them, it is not for you to know times or seasons, which the father has put in his own authority, but you shall receive power. When the Holy spirit has come upon you and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Sumeria and to The end of the earth,
truly the fountains of water of life. The word of God would flow from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth. So we see in verse nine, the Lord shall be King. He’s not going to be King over one, small nation of Israel. He’s not going to sit on a literal throne and physical Jerusalem and reign over a literal nation of Israel.
He is King of King And Lord of Lords and the Declaration here at the end of verse nine, the Lord is one and his name one, God makes it clear. There’s no one else Who stands next to him. There’s no one else who’s above him. There’s no one else who’s beside Him. No one is like, God like the Lord, like Jehovah and verse 10.
And, and the land shall be turned into a plane from Geba to Rehmann South Of Jerusalem. Jerusalem Shall be raised up and inhabited in her place here. You’re seeing almost the picture of what John the Baptist is declared to do in Isaiah chapter 40. When we’re told that the way would be prepared for the King and the declaration is take the mountains and make them flat,
take the valleys and fill them in, make straight the way of the Lord. And yet here you see Zion Mount Jerusalem. The city of David raised Up all The land around them becomes flat. All the Hills, all the valleys are all filled in. It’s one flat plane, but up above at all Is Jerusalem. Now remember Jerusalem back in verses one and two is being told,
you’re going to be destroyed. Now, here we are Jerusalem. You’re going to be lifted, But it’s not the same Jerusalem. It’s not the physical place. It is spiritual Jerusalem. And they’ll all the land shall be turned into a plane from Gibbon to rain, to Ramon, South of Jerusalem. Jerusalem shall be raised up and inhabited in her place from Benjamin’s gate to the place of the first game of the corner gate.
And from the tower of Hananel to the King’s wine press, basically laying out the borders of the city. The people shall dwell in it and no longer shall there be utter destruction, but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited. And this shall be the plague with which the Lord will strike all the people who fought against Jerusalem. Their flesh shall dissolve while they stand on their feet.
Their eyes shall dissolve in their sockets and their tongue shall dissolve in their mouth. It shall come to pass in that day that a great panic from the Lord will be among them. Every one will seize the hand of his neighbor and raise his hand against his neighbor’s hand. Judah also will fight a Jerusalem and the wealth of all the surrounding nations shall be gathered together.
Gold, silver, and apparel in great abundance. Such also shall be the plague on the horse and in the mule and the camel and the donkey and all the cattle that will be in those camps. So shall this Plague B I think it’s beneficial for us, especially those who have been in the adult class to be Minded that God doesn’t always speak concerning plagues in this type of judgment,
in literal terms that would bring about a physical plague The world, but he does speak in terms of old Testament, judgment being brought forward. God Says I’m going to destroy all the nations that came against my people. Everyone that comes against my people Will be judged. And he uses the plagues. He used Is a picture of those who die while standing up as if they’re walking through and they just Decay right then and there.
But then verse 16, as God looks at this new Jerusalem, something about it is very different. Something about Jerusalem has changed and here’s the declaration. It shall come to pass that Everyone who has left of all the nations, who came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year To worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the feast of the Tabernacles Stressing.
The feast of Tabernacles was one of those fees where once a year, the people were to come to Jerusalem and they were to dwell Intense. They were to dwell in Tabernacles in booze. It was called the feast of booths, feast Of Tabernacles, feast of weeks. They Were to come together and they were to rejoice. They were to praise God for all that he had done.
They were to recognize the Lord for all that he had done for them. And they were to bring the first fruits of all their harvest together as an offering to God. And yet that command was only ever given to Israel. That was never a command in the old Testament, with the old covenant, with the old people of Israel, that was never a command to the Gentiles.
Oh, they were to share with those who were in their house and the servants that were within their Gates and the stranger that was within their Gates. They were to share with them, but it was not a commandment to them. The Babylonians had no commandment at any point in the old Testament to come and to Jerusalem to worship the Lord. No, But God’s people did.
And you remember that the fountain that went out from Went to the entire earth. Yeah. And the King who’s the King in Jerusalem is the King of the entire earth. Something’s changed. It’s no longer in Israel. That’s in one small nation. It is an Israel with Jerusalem at its head and Christ at its head that is over the entire world World.
And God says, you’ll remember When you used to be sojourners. See, because that was the thing about the feast of Tabernacles. The feast of Tabernacles was there in the Israel. I year to remind them, there was a, The time when they were so jurors there, It was a time when they didn’t have a home. There was a time where they wondered about looking for a home.
There was a time where they relied upon God and him alone. Now every nation, every nation Celebrates a time of soul journey. And Every nation recognizes without God. They’re nothing. Every Nation comes together to Worship the Lord. This isn’t Israel anymore. This isn’t a one nation covenant people. This is a covenant people made of Free nation. And every tongue,
It shall be that whichever of the families of earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King. The Lord of hosts will err on them. They’re the King, the Lord of hosts. I can get my tongue tied on them. There will be no rain. If the family Egypt will not come up and enter in, they shall have no rain.
They shall receive the plague, which the Lord strikes the nations who do not come up to the feast of Tabernacles. This shall be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not keep the feast of Tabernacles. Now, How is it? If this is old Israel under the old covenant, God can condemn a nation for not keeping a feast.
He never commanded them to keep The answer is there’s no way God can do that. God will not judge you for a commandment. He never gave you. God never commanded Egypt to come to Jerusalem, to worship until we’re not talking about physicals Russo. So it’s interesting as we kind of make full circle back to the waters, the living waters that is Jesus was standing there with a woman in Samarria at the weld,
talking about living waters. The discussion came I’m up on where to worship. She, He said, the Jews say that we are to worship in Jerusalem, but our fathers worshiped on the mountain And Jesus said, there’s coming a day where the location of worship won’t be the important factor. But instead the heart of the one who worships will be okay, The heart and the obedience of the one who worships in spirit and in truth for God,
seeks such to worship him. Now, wait a minute. Does God only see those to worship him that belong to the children of Israel? No. Does God Only one, those who live in the land of house and to worship him? No, but he does require that everyone who worships him In the days of the Messiah in the days of the church,
in the days of Christianity, in the days of the kingdom of Christ, everyone must worship him recognizing this. And it Can’t be stated any better than Paul stated It wrong. Chapter three, verse 23 for all, have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and Romans chapter Six, verse 23 for the wages of sin, His death. But the gift of God is eternal life in the feast of Tabernacles,
the virus. First time they came into Palestine as they come across the Jordan river, as they do battle and they begin to take the land Of Israel. God Makes them a promise. When you come into the land, you’re going to receive fields. Didn’t plant, You’re going to receive crops. You didn’t water. You’re going to live in houses. You didn’t build in cities.
You didn’t make. And God Makes it clear. He provided All of those things. And they were to remember when they were so generous and had nothing, that everything they had came from him. And so God expands here in Zachariah, the commandment that every nation, Egypt and every other nation Egypt is just simply the, the applicable illustration here comes together.
Not in literal Jerusalem, not in The physical city walls of Jerusalem, but In spiritual Jerusalem, in the church, in the body of Christ to remember, they’re still just sojourners. They’re still just in this life waiting for the ultimate fulfillment of God’s promises in eternal life. In that day, he says holiness to the Lord. Declaration goes out, at least in the King,
James new King, James it’s all caps holiness to the Lord. Declaration goes out. This is God’s decree holiness. This righteousness is what I want Holiness to the Lord shall be engraved on the bells of the horses. The pots in the Lord’s house shall be like the bowls before the altar. Yes. Every pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be holiness to the Lord of hosts.
Everyone who sacrifices shall come and take them and cook in them. And in that day, there shall be no longer. There shall no longer be a Canaanite in the house Of the Lord of hosts. And you go, all right, what, what happened to the Canaanites? And where did they come in? We’re going to end the book with no Canaanites anywhere around why?
Go back to chapter one, verse one, verse two. The Lord was very angry with your fathers, but what did they do? They came into a land that God said you destroy and judge every person In this land, because their iniquity is full because of their idolatry that they have committed. And their iniquity has brought their judgment. You do not Let them live.
God was going to use Israel to judge a people that he said your Up. Now, Israel would come in in the historical event and they wouldn’t do it. They didn’t fulfill what God commanded. They didn’t judge the Canaanites as the instrument of God, in a complete sense, they allowed some of them To live. But Here as Zechariah concludes his picture,
his prophecy to Israel, he reminds them all the way back of the anger. God had it, their fathers, because God said, if you allow the Canaanites to live, here’s what they’re going to do. They’re going to turn your heart away from me. And they’re going to cause you to worship their idols. And they’re going to bring about your destruction.
So here In this verse, don’t understand this to be, there’s this one group of people, these Canaanites, and God doesn’t want any of them to worship him. God doesn’t want any of them present. Yeah. Canaanites symbolize something. Just the way the Egyptians did the Egyptians symbolized captivity, that Knights symbolized idolatry. Now remember go back To the previous,
verses the declaration in verse nine, the Lord shall be King over all the earth. In that day. It shall be the Lord is One. And his name one Hitomi of idolatry is the declaration. God’s just one guy Among many, but no more. God Says I will make it clear. And it will be true of all those who appear before me in holiness that I,
the Lord One, there will be no idolatry among my people. Well, there will be no Canaanite Eights in the house of the Lord of hosts. You and me, as we close this book of Zechariah, we need to examine ourselves. Where’s our heart Is our heart set on God and him alone, or is our heart set on the things of this life?
Have we determined that we will be sojourners In this life, doing everything we can to be prepared when this life is over? Because Hebrews chapter nine, verse 27 still makes it clear for every person there’s coming a day when they will be judged. When this life is over and they will stand before God and judgment, are you ready? Zachariah carries a lot of pictures that are sometimes hard to be understood,
but it carries one simple message. Israel, your fathers departed from me and I destroyed them. And Israel, your descendants are going to depart from me and I’m going to destroy them, but you can be faithful today. If you’re here this morning and you’re outside the body of Christ, you enter into the church, the Jerusalem of God, the Mount Zion of the Lord,
the people of God, the kingdom of the Lord that spans the entire earth. You enter that kingdom by dying to sin and being immersed in water to rise up, to walk in newness of life, believing that Jesus Christ is the son of God. Repenting of your sins, confessing the name of Christ and being immersed in water for the remission of your sins.
You can have the waters of salvation today, and then on you can spiritually be written holiness to the Lord, but you can also choose not to. You can also choose not to tomorrow or the day after or for the rest of your life, but you need to understand this judgment’s coming. Judgment’s coming for everyone because there is one King and there is one law.
And by our actions, we will be judged. If you have need of redemption salvation, you can have it today. If you’re a member of the body of Christ and you’ve become like Israel and you’ve turned your back, you’ve gone after other things, you’ve put this life ahead of the life to come. You need to change because there will be no Canaanites in the house of the Lord.
You’re here and you have needed the invitation. Why not come as we stand? And as we say, There’s a Two have, if you don’t mind, give us a chance after services to get to know you better and know, we’re certainly glad that you’re here. Our closing hymn will beat number 10 15. Jesus loves the little children. And as we think about this song,
I know we think about young people quite often, because that’s kind of what we think about when singing it. But you know, we are the little children of God and no, we need to think about where we stand today and what we’re doing today and how we’re living today. Particularly in this time of turmoil in our nation. Remember that God loves us and he’s there for us.
And that’s how we gain our strength by saying this. And then we’ll have a closing prayer.<inaudible> all the children.<inaudible> red and yellow, black, and why they are precious in his sight jeans.<inaudible> We thank you for the beautiful fall weather that we’re in, enjoying our heavenly father. We thank you for the freedom that we have to gather together as your children and to worship the prayed.
Dear Lord, it would forever stay that way. We pray for leaders throughout the whole world. Pray that they might turn to your great and Holy word to lead people by our heavenly father. We pray for each of the sick mentioned here today. Probably that if it be the wheel, they might soon be able to rejoin us to worship our heavenly father.
We thank you for our visitors today. We pray that they might have safe passage in their travel, be with each one of us. Dear Lord, as we leave here, strengthen us against sins and temptations of this world. These things we ask in Christ’s name. Amen.