Cottonwood Conference: 2015
Table of Contents
Revelation 1
Address—Robert Boulard
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Revelation 2 and 3
Address—Robert Boulard
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
Well, let's open our Bibles to Revelation chapter one just to read one verse.
Revelation chapter one and verse 19.
And we'll get the three really the major divisions of the book in a sense, in that one verse, Revelation chapter one and verse 19.
Write the things which thou has seen.
And the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter. So John was told to write three things really. And he gives the division of the book in a broad sense, the things which thou has seen really take place in chapter one, the really division perhaps from verse 10 down to perhaps the end of verse 18.
And he introduces the judge. It's a book of judgment and we want to know who the judge is. He gives his glories, displays his glories as the his judicial glories in this opening chapter. And then in the second part of the book, chapters two and three, he gives us a brief history of those things that will take an outline of church history. But they were present. Those churches were actually.
Existing assemblies in the time that John lived. And so that's why he speaks of those things which are.
And then in the things which shall be hereafter. So historically, another has said that prophecy is history written ahead of time. And so it's just as good as happened. God has already written it, and it's going to happen just the way he said it was. And so he writes it here in this symbolic way, and he gives us his thoughts so that we might intelligently go through this scene and might recognize the time that we're in, in the day that we live in. So.
In these next two chapters, we're going to look at chapter 2 and chapter 3. They're foundational. They're pivotal is in understanding God's ways among men. And we know that there are three passages of Scripture that help us to understand the ways of God throughout the whole of the history of time. And the first is in connection with the Jews, the seven feasts of Jehovah and God takes up the history of this world really in connection from a Jewish standpoint.
And then he takes up, if we looked at the seven similitudes of the Kingdom, we know that there's 10 similitudes of the Kingdom. There's in chapter 13 of Matthew, there's six of them. And then we have one in chapter 21, in chapter 22, one in chapter 25, one in chapter 18. And so there's 10 similitudes as a Kingdom. If we understand those 10 similitudes of the Kingdom, it's really from a Christian perspective.
As to what the history of the Christian era will be, if you might put it that way. And then the last part of really understanding God's ways in this world are these last these two chapters in Revelation, the seven churches, the address of the the Lord he addresses. He writes a letter to those seven assemblies. And so we can understand his ways in the day that we live in and in the coming scene. And so in chapter 2. I'm not going to read the whole.
Of chapter 2, chapter 3. But we'll perhaps just spot read a few verses. We know the passages.
Reasonably well, I believe all of us, but I will read one little passage at a time and then comment on it. And so we have in chapter 2, verse one unto the Angel of the Church of Ephesus, right these things say, is he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden calmest candlesticks? I know thy works, and thy labor, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil.
And has tried them which say they are apostles and are not, and has found them liars, and has borne, and has patience, and for my name's sake hast labored and hast not fainted. Nevertheless I have really somewhat is not in the text. It says it should read this way. Nevertheless I have against thee, because thou hast left thy first love for thy best love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the 1St works, or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy Candlestick out of this place, except thou repent.
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But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate he that hath an ear.
Let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. And so he speaks to the Angel of the church, or the assembly at Ephesus. Now Ephesus.
Really means desirable or amiable, and it's the picture of the bride of Christ really in the freshness of the.
Early part of the Christian era and we know that they followed the Lord wholeheartedly, just as in Joshua's day, you might say, and they.
Sought if we read in Acts chapter one or chapter 2, it's instead of trying to quote it, I'm sorry, it just turned to an Acts chapter 2 verse one when the day of Pentecost was fully coming. We're all with one accord in one place.
And that's what characterized the early church and there was devotion to Christ. But this first church, this first assembly, what characterized the history of it. And it takes place really from after the at the end of the Apostolic age, the apostles passed off the scene and then perhaps until approximately AD 167, until the era of Smyrna, until the Church of Smyrna began.
That period of time, So what characterized the time of period, the period of time after the apostles passed off the scene was a declension, a giving up of the heart for Christ. There was still here, it says in verse 2, works, labor and patience.
But let's just turn to.
First Thessalonians chapter.
Um, chapter one, verse 3.
We just point this out.
First Thessalonians chapter one, verse 3. Remembering without ceasing your work of faith.
And labor of love and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God our Father. That's First Thessalonians chapter one and verse three. You'll notice that there are six things there.
Work, faith, labor, love, patience, and hope.
And what's really left in Ephesus is labor or work, labor and patience. That's what he mentions, but he doesn't mention the faith, love, and the hope. And so there was a declension, there was a decline, but there was still a desire to go on for the Lord. There was still, you might say, the outward form, the heart was really distracted. And that's where the declension comes, is in.
When there's departure from the Lord in our lives, it's because our hearts are distracted from Him.
And he doesn't have what he desires in your life or mine if he doesn't have our affections.
He doesn't need our money, He doesn't need our time. He doesn't need.
What he gives us his resources, He doesn't want all those things. He wants the hearts affections. And if he doesn't have the heart's affections, he doesn't have what he desires. And so this is what he speaks of here. And what characterized the Church at the early period, during the early period after the apostles passed off the scene, is thou hast left thy first lover, the best love.
Remember in Luke's Gospel chapter 15 that the Father.
Said to this servants, he says, Put the best robe upon that sun. The best robe, that's really what it speaks of is the best. And what will really refresh the Lord's heart at the beginning of the church period was the the heart's affection is taken up with Christ. But now there was a declension. Remember therefore, from whence thou art fallen, and repent and do the 1St works, or else I will come unto thee. It says, it says quickly, the King James, but it shouldn't be there.
And where else I will come unto thee, and will remove thy Candlestick out of this place, except I'll repent.
And so there was in the governmental ways of God. He had raised up a testimony to himself in this world was the assembly in Ephesus. We have these seven assemblies as a type of the whole of the Christian time period. And that assembly was to represent intestimony Christ in this world.
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And they represented him very well.
In an outward way, but the heart was distracted. They did everything right. They.
Did their works, their labor and they had patience. They were waiting in a sense for the Lords coming. And but there were those that here he could he could just see what was taking place and he said the Candlestick, that testimony, that vessel of testimony would be extinguished if the heart wasn't set right.
And we know that there is no assembly in Ephesus today, and so the Lord extinguished that testimony.
That they are here it says in verse 6, thou hast but this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. And so he says that there were those that had a doctrine or the deeds, they had the deeds of the Nicolaitans. And it really speaks of those that sought to introduce the clergy into the church. And these Saints in Ephesus recognized that they would be displacing the Spirit of God in his work.
And they resisted, they exposed those and it says to that the in verse two that they had tried them, which say they are apostles and are not, and found them liars. Now what are the two qualifications for one that is an apostle?
I think we mentioned it last night is one of the very first things is to be an apostle. They had to have seen the Lord in resurrection. They had to see the Lord in his glorified body. And we know that the 11 apostles, they did see the Lord in resurrection. We know that Matthias did as well and some others 500 brethren at once. But the second qualification is that they had to be sent out by the Lord Jesus himself commissioned to go out and to do a work for himself.
The Lord appeared to Paul or Saul when he was called Saul in Acts Chapter 9 appeared to him from heaven. And Barnabas could say in Chapter 9 when he talked to the apostles in in Jerusalem, he could say Saul had seen the Lord and how the Lord had spoken to him. And so Saul saw the Lord. And then in chapter 13 of Acts he sent forth with Barnabas to do the work for the Lord. Those are the two.
Things that characterize or work conditions, qualifications for an apostle. And there were those that after the apostles had fallen off, passed off the scene that wanted a place of prominence among their brethren and they claimed to be apostles and the assembly and Ephesus tried them, judged them and said that they were false apostles. We normally have that brought out in Paul's ministry in First Corinthians.
I think it's Noah, Second Corinthians. He says that there were those that were false apostles among them. I think it's Chapter 11 of Second Corinthians.
I'll just point this out because.
Paul had the.
Head Opposition, Chapter 11 of Second Corinthians.
Verse 12. But what I do that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them, which desire occasion, that wherein they glory they may be found, even as we. For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel. For Satan himself is transformed into an Angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as ministers of righteousness, whose end shall be according to their works.
Well, it had begun during the Apostolic times, even when Paul was living.
There were those that claimed to be apostles and were not in an interesting Even today you'd drive down the street and you see such and such Apostolic Church.
Well, it's entirely false. It's not true at all. They take that place in that position. Well then the Lord is going to call to the whole assembly here, and He says he that hath an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit sayeth under the churches. To him that overcometh I will give to eat on the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. So there were going to be those that were overcomers and they wouldn't be characterized by the sin of the.
Indifference to the love of the Lord Jesus.
Lack of devotedness to Him. There were still those that clung to the Lord, still that devoted to him and characterized by giving Him the best of love in their lives. And so he looked to the overcomer and there was a special reward. Those that would overcome, not be overcome by the condition of things in the time that they live. I will give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. Now that paradise of God really speaks of the garden.
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Of delight, and it speaks of communion with the Lord in a place.
That would be a place of fruitfulness. They would have fruitfulness for God in their own lives individually. It may not be characteristic of a whole assembly, but there was a call to that assembly to repent and that there would be blessing if they did so there's a warning now we have in verse eight another assembly is is addressed and unto the Angel of the church in Smyrna right. These things say at the 1St and the last which was dead.
And is alive, I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, But thou art rich. And I know the blasphemy of them, which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. And to fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer. Behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison.
That you may be tried, and you shall have tribulation 10 days. Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.
He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit says under the churches. He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.
Well, here we have a progression of things, the church period, your early church period, where there was freshness of love.
Had passed and then the Lord sought to exercise the believers sought to exercise those that were in the assembly a part of the church and the allowed suffering. You know this name Smyrna means suffering means really.
Tribulation. It speaks of myrrh, I think the name is.
In connection with myrrh and to get myrrh, you take a tree. There's a tree and you slice the bark and and out oozes some of the.
Ointment of that tree and it just produces a sweet smell and so you know the Lord allows suffering in your life and mine and a little slit in the.
In the bark in our lives it causes pain, but there's a sweet odor, there's some fruit for the Lord, there's a north wind that blows upon his garden, and there's fruit for the Lord as he allows the suffering. Nothing occurs in your life or mine apart from what God allows. And so here he allowed a period of suffering to arrest the.
Declension in the time that they lived and so this really this period speaks of.
A time of persecution. It really began probably about 8064. Even during Paul's time, he he was martyred and Peter was murdered approximately 8068. And so there had begun a persecution at that time, but really there were 10 persecutions.
That took place during the time approximately.
From.
I've got some little notes here that some dates from 167 to approximately 313.
AD And so there was a little period of time that the Lord allowed, approximately 200 years, and there was suffering that He allowed ten different distinct periods of persecution. And the enemy, we know Satan, was behind the persecution. He sought to extinguish the testimony of Christianity.
And the Lord allowed the suffering and these people cried to him, and they were preserved in a sense because they were suffering and they were at their prayer meetings and in their homes and they were crying to the Lord for deliverance. And the Lord heard those prayers. They were delivered oftentimes, but many of them were martyred. And here it says at the end of in verse 10, he shall have tribulation 10 days. That really speaks of 10 different periods of time. Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life and that nice.
It's really referred to the crown of life is often referred to as the Martyrs crown. And as you'll notice in the scriptures there are 7 crowns and each crown is given as an opposite, a blessing or a reward that's opposite to what was what the price was paid. So what price did they pay? They pray they paid in the persecutions with their own lives.
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But what did they get? A crown of life.
And the Lord never is defeated by sin, her rebellion against himself. And when these dear ones left this scene, it looked like their lives were a total loss. It looked like as they were if you read Fox's Book of Martyrs. And it's hard to read some of those stories, perhaps some of them are embellished and so on. But it tells us of the suffering of the Saints and how they died.
And it looked like their lives were just a loss at just a total loss. They were cut off. But God gets a reward. They get a reward as it were, and they get a crown of life. And so the Lord delights to bless and to acknowledge their sacrifice. And he's, he has nothing to say in to this assembly during this period of time. He doesn't rebuke them and reprove them or call for repentance in any matter. It's one of the assemblies, one of the churches that he doesn't call for repentance often times, you know.
There was in our period of time in our lives that they're suffering. Oftentimes there's a degree of self judgment that is not evident in other times of our lives. And so the Lord blesses in a different way and may not rebuke us in a sense as we read the Scriptures because we walk in communion with him even though we suffer. And there's a nearness to the Lord as he seeks to bring us closer to himself. While he speaks here that he that heaven here, let him hear what the Spirit saith under the churches. He that overcometh shall not be heard of the second death.
And so they began to lose the.
Whole of the scriptures they began to the persecution they were.
Bibles were burnt.
They weren't all completed Bibles, perhaps at that time, but the books of the Bible that were in existence, the Roman Empire and the religious systems of the day sought to persecute the Saints and burn the Bibles and extinguish the truth of God and.
What we have is that there was really began to be an ignorance of the truth of God and even in the church. And so they began to wonder if they would be hurt by the second death. They began to be unclear about some doctrinal, some doctrines in the church. I believe that's really what's brought out before us in that verse 11. Then we have the next period of time in the church period, and it followed from 313, eighty 313.
Approximately to 8580. So there's another perhaps 250 years or so. So what happened in AD 13313? Three centuries. The church had been formed approximately AD 29, when the Lord rose from the dead, from among the dead, and then he ascended into the glory 10 days later. The church was formed on the day of Pentecost, and he or she'd be on the earth for 300 years.
And here we have in Pergamus the another trial that was going to face the church, and that was that there was going to be the temptation to compromise with the world. Let's just read it in verse 12 to the Angel of the church in Pergamus, right?
These things, says he which hath the sharp sword with two edges. I know thy works, and where thou dwellest even, and where Satan's seed is.
And thou holdest fast my name, and has not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, or my faithful witness who was slain among you where Satan dwelleth. But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication so hostile them.
Thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate, repent, or else I will come unto thee quickly, and I will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna.
And we'll give him a whitestone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth, saving he that receiveth it.
Well, we know that.
From the last time we were together and and spoke on chapter one and went over the the Book of Revelation in a very broad outline that the Angel really represents those that are in oversight in the assembly.
And they were to guide the assembly. They were to they were responsible and God doesn't hear the Lord Jesus doesn't address the the men, the women, the children, the young people. He addresses those that are in oversight. He says to the Angel right to the to the those that are an oversight in this assembly, He that hath.
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The sharp sword with two edges, the word of God and the ability to exercise judgment, he says. I know.
In verse 13, it shouldn't say thy works, and I have a little bracket around it. In the King James it has I know thy works and I think it says it in each one of these addresses to the seven churches, but it's not there in Pergamus. He says I know where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is. Well, where is Satan's seat?
His seat is in this world, His sphere of operation is in this world. He could say that when the Lord said to him, Where hast thou been? He said from walking to and fro, up and down in the earth.
And so he's in this world, he's seeking to destroy the fruit that God would have for himself and to destroy the testimony. And so here Satan Seat is really referring to the seat of government in this world. He's the God and the Prince of this world.
And Satan is behind and influencing the governments in this world. Now we know that God is supreme. He's powerful and he's overall, and it says in the Old Testament, says in New Testament as well, that he delivers to the into the kingdoms, into the government, and he appoints those whom he wishes to appoint and he allows those, he puts them into power and he ordains those.
To be presidents and and to be in the municipal governments and city governments and so on.
He's interested in the government and he allows those to be putting those places. But the one who is influencing the government, influencing man to set aside the Word of God, influencing man to set aside the principles of the Word of God in connection with government, really is Satan.
And Satan was trying to infiltrate the church, if I could put it that way, and he was trying to have the church.
Assimilated into the world. Married with the world. Pergamus means the name means perverted marriage or twice married.
And so they were married. They were espoused to Christ, but they married up with the world. And So what happened during Constantine's time is that his mother apparently was a believer and influenced Constantine, the emperor of Rome, to favorably be favorably disposed towards Christians. And they were good citizens and so on. They prayed for the emperor and they weren't rebellious and so on, not like the pagans. And they were good citizens. And so Emperor Constantine.
Passed an edict and he said that all of his subjects should be Christian, so they were all baptized.
He forced them sometimes at sword point to be baptized and to take Christianity, to take in an outward form to become Christians, but without real faith. And so the Christian Church became corrupted in this way, those that were saved and those that were lost going on together in an outward way.
And it was really this is what Antipas here is really a picture of. There were those that rose up and resisted this marriage with the world, and so they were murdered. There was persecution from within and there was persecution from without. We know that.
Within the church there were those that desire to escape the persecutions of the age.
And they said, you know, we just need to go along with program, just need to go along with this man Constantine and his program. But Antipas, it says, was my faithful martyr, my faithful witness. You know, what's striking to me is that in these, the address to these seven churches, do you read the name of any other man? Do you read the name of any other sister? Only this one man, Antipas. Do you know anything about him?
Nothing. We don't know where he was born. We don't know whether he had a family. We don't know anything about him. And his name means against all. And he stood against the current of the religious current of the day that he lived in. And he said, brethren, no, it's not right.
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We ought not to compromise, we ought not to accept into fellowship those that do not know the Lord Jesus as Savior, those that have just been baptized and make a mayor profession of Christianity. There needs to be a better standard than that. Perhaps he took Christ part, as it were, and he was faithful.
He was full of faith and he was faithful, devoted to Christ, and it cost him his life if he paid for it. And he was a martyr. And the Lord mentions his name here. And so you may think that in a day that we live in, there are those things that dishearten us, perhaps those things that we see that are not right. And we live in a day when things are broken. They're never going to be put back right until the Lord Jesus comes, snatches out of this scene and brings us into his glorious presence. The church, the testimony is scattered and shattered.
But the Lord delights to bless and to notice those that are faithful. And so he says, I have a few things against me. He has a warning. They had those that had held the doctrine of Balaam, who taught ballots and Balak to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel and to do 2 Things, each thing sacrificed unto idols and to commit fornication. Those two things go together with paganism and idolatry. It's really idolatry and fornication.
Is that what we have coming in today in this world? Idolatry and fornication. Idolatry, you know, is worshipping of the work of man's hands. And I had a man working with us years ago. And on the Lord's Day morning, he lived in a place that was on our property, rented a little house from us. And on a Lord's Day morning, he'd be out with his Polish or he'd be polishing the wheels on his on his little Ford Probe, his sports car.
And he'd be polishing that little black car all day.
And we would be going to meeting back and forth, back and forth. And that's what he spent his Lord's Day doing.
And it says here fornication.
This is sin against God is really idolatry the sin against man and God as well as fornication taking of pleasure without any reference to God. So this is what began to take place even in a church and so he had it was characteristic of being allowed in the this this teaching of this kind of doctrine. So thou hast them in verse 15. So how the so hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans which thing I heard.
Hey, so there were those that taught the principles of clericalism, of a separate priesthood, of those that taught that it was all right to have one man that take the lead in the Christian Church and that there would be really a mimicking of the order in Judaism. And so This is why he speaks of the synagogue of Satan in a couple of different places.
He speaks of those in chapter 2 here, verse nine, he speaks of the synagogue of Satan. It's an imitating of.
The Jewish system and the Nicolaitans. The Lord says I hate this, repent or else I will come unto thee quickly and will fight against them.
With the sword of my mouth. And so his word would be brought to bear upon this evil practice. He that hath an ear, let him hear with the Spirit saith unto the churches. To him that overcometh I will give to eat of the hidden manner. That's fellowship with the Lord, food for the soul, and will give him a white stone.
And in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth, saving he that receiveth it. So it's a special privilege of communion with the Lord. And the whitestone was a picture of his approval, you know, in a court system in Rome.
And at that time there would be a jury, a judge in a jury. And when there was going to be a judgment pronounced or given, there was a Blackstone in the white stone. If man got a Blackstone, why his judgment was sure he was going to suffer death or whatever the penalty was. But if it was the jury delivered up a whitestone, he was acquitted and it was an acquittal. And you know at that time too, if if you went to a person's home and you were a special guest.
You came into the home and he would give you a whitestone, a sign of favor as you came into his home, and he would have your name on it and perhaps a special message, a special greeting. And it was just a little display of the favor of the one that you were going to be with. Well, there were those in this day in Pergamus, as the world was marrying up with the church and abandoning her pristine testimony as a heavenly, a divine.
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Vessel of testimony in this world and becoming corrupted by worldly principle why there were those that walked in communion with the Lord there were individuals and there was perhaps the capability of recovery even at this late time but then we have these next 4 churches and there's no sense of a recovery of a recovery being presented there's only a remnant that's being spoken to and so let's read this Thyatira verse 18 under the Angel of the church entirety are right these things say it the son of God whose.
Path his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass. I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and my patience, and my works, and the last to be more than the first. Notwithstanding I have against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants, to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.
I gave her space to repent of her fornication, and she repented not. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. And I will kill her children with death. And all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth reigns and hearts. And I will give unto every one of you according to your works, but unto you I say.
And unto the rest, in Thyatira, as many as I have, as have not this doctrine, which have not known the depths of Satan as they speak, I will put upon you.
None other burden but that that which ye have already hold fast till I come. And he that overcometh and keepeth my works unto the end. To him will I give power over the nations, and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of a Potter shall they be broken to shivers, even as I received of my father, and I will give him the morning star. He that had an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. What we know, that this Thyra the name means a continual sacrifice.
And it speaks of the Mass. It speaks of the time of the Roman Catholic Church.
And the Roman Catholic Church was formed approximately 58080 And so these next 4 churches, the period of time begins at a certain point, and then it continues on right to the end until the rapture. And some just beyond the rapture, the Lord will judge the Church.
The remnants of the church, even at the end at the appearing whatever appears to have.
Continued in some form until the end. But this is the Roman Catholic Church. And isn't it remarkable how the Lord says, I know thy works? Charity, service, faith, patience works. Six things he mentions.
And it was characterized at the early point perhaps. And even today there are those that are connected with good works and charity and service and so on, and the Lord values, there are those that are simple and they have some love for the Lord, and he values that little work of service that they do for him.
And I have known different ones connected with the Roman Catholic system, and you talk to them and you just have the sense that they know the Lord.
Their savior, you just know that they're, they're trusting the finished work of the Lord Jesus there. There's all kinds of other things connected with it.
But they know the Lord Jesus as Savior, and we know that there was.
Just a corruption of the truth and what began with just the doctrines of Nicolaitans became the holding of the doctrine of the Nicolaitans wasn't.
In verse 15 so hast that thou hast also them that hold the doctrine, the Nick Leightons. Then it became full blown and was in practice in the Roman Catholic Church. There was a lady and there was a priesthood and they began to mimic Judaism.
And then to persecute those that were real. And the blood flowed during the dark ages.
As the Roman Catholic Church persecuted those that were real believers and that really wanted to follow the Lord. And so just as Jezebel had persecuted those that were of the faithful Israel in Ahab's day and in.
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So the prophet Elijah's day, we know that she was persecuting those that were real believers. Well, it says really Speaking of the tribulation period in verse 22. I will cast her into a bed and then that committed adultery with her into great tribulation except they repented their deeds. And so we know that the Roman Catholic Church will go on right into the tribulation period and those that commit fornication with her those that.
Continue to.
An illicit relationship with the Roman Catholic Church are going to share in your judgments. And so he gets into that a little bit later in the Book of Revelation. I will kill our children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am he which searches the reins and the hearts. And then it says here that he speaks in verse 24. But unto you I say the rest or the remnant in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine and which have not known the depth of Satan as they speak, I will put upon you none other burden. Isn't that nice? There were those that were remnant.
He speaks to the remnant here and he was going to call out a little remnant in each one of the next 4 churches, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphian, Laetissie, and he would encourage them. He doesn't scold them here, He doesn't reprove them. He seeks to encourage them. He says you just hold fast till I come. It's a little indication. In each one of these next 4 assemblies he mentions his coming. And so they would be looking for the coming of the Lord. Have you ever spoken to a Roman Catholic? Tried to give him a look of Opelousas, Talk about the Lord a little bit and you talk about the Lord's coming. Often times there's a response.
And it's a goodness of God. And here he says, Hold that fast, but that which you have already, hold fast till I come.
And really it speaks of holding fast is to hold something dear to the heart and also hold, hold fast with tenacity, and to hold it tight so that no one takes it. And then he says, here he speaks of those that will rule with him in verse 27. You shall rule them with a rod of iron.
Well, verse 26 at the end to him will I give power over the nations. Well, you know the Roman Catholic Church has wanted to rule the world.
And it will rule the world, the Western Empire, the United States of Europe, perhaps America will come under her influence as well. The Western Christian world will be ruled by the Roman Catholic Church. You know, in chapter 6, it's really the first judgment of the Western Empire that the Lord says, OK, you don't want the real Messiah. I'm going to allow the Roman Catholic Church to rule the United States of Europe. And that's what's the first judgment is. But.
He says to those that are remnant in Thyatira, he says you don't need to look to rule Western Europe, you're going to rule with me. And so you and I have a far better prospect as to rule what the Lord Jesus and then he gives them this little bright.
Scenario here, I will give him the morning star. Isn't that nice? Just the little viewpoint of the day coming. A little morning star. They would see the brightness of the coming of the Lord.
And he speaks to the individual, He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. Then in chapter 3 we have Sardis. It speaks of Protestantism.
We'll try to go through the next three really quickly here Sardis in verse one, chapter 3. These things say, is he that hath the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know thy works, that thou has to name, that thou liveth and art dead. Be watchful and strengthen the things which remain that are ready to die, for I've not found thy works perfect before God.
Remember therefore how thou was received and heard, and how hold fast and repent. If, therefore, thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. Thou hast a few names even in Sardis, which have not defiled their garments, and they shall walk with me.
In white, for they are worthy. He that overcometh the same shall be white clothed in white raiment. And I will not blot out his name out of the Book of Life, but I will confess His name before my Father and before his angels. He that hath an ear, let him hear what what the Spirit saith under the churches. Well, this time answers to what the what the Reformation fell into really from 1529 and on goes on to the end.
You know what speech of the coming of the Lord six times in the New Testament in connection with his comings of thief? Do you remember what it means when he comes as a thief? It means he comes at his appearing and he comes at his appearing at the end of the tribulation period. He comes as a thief. He comes that is appearing in great glory and honor. You know who's going to be with him? You and I, His Church. He'll come with 10 thousands of the Saints. All the Saints will be with him.
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But those that went on in a religious way in Protestantism and.
Experience what they say baptismal regeneration or they were baptized into the church and so on. You know, I went to a wedding of one of my classmates and the preacher that.
Anglican minister that performed the ceremony.
I thought, you know, now let's talk to him about the Lord. He read his prayer. Janet told me that he read the prayer. I thought maybe he had. I thought maybe he was a man of God. And so anyway, I went to talk to him and I said.
Sir, you, you must know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior. You must be a real believer. And he said I was baptized in the church, and he told me when and so on.
There was no affection for Christ at all. He had it all upstairs. He had everything written up in his book and so on, the Common Book of Prayer that he was using and so on.
No life. He had a name that he lived, but he was dead. And so there's a system of things religiously that has been raised up and influenced by Satan really to lull men to sleep. And this is what he's Speaking of here. the Reformation began in great power and they were, they sought to break the power of Rome. And the Lord allowed that they could break the power of Rome and escape the deadness of that religious system.
And so the gospel began to be preached. Not in its entirety, but they did recover the truth that the Bible is the sole source, the sole authority.
And the final authority in connection with the things of God. And the second thing is that they recovered was the salvation by faith alone in Christ, not by works. And so they came out of Roman Catholicism. But you know what happened as they ground to a halt because they began to.
Look to the governments of Europe for protection. And so we have the Church of England, we have the Scottish Church, which is the Presbyterian Church. We have national churches. The Lutheran Church really is a German church, isn't it? And so you have all these national churches and it.
They got ground down at just the the life of the whole system, just ground down. And so he speaks of those that were overcomers.
Face persecution in verse five. I will not blow to blot out his name out of the book of life and this is what the Roman Catholic systems told them said if you leave Roman Catholicism, we'll block your name out of the book of life. Well, they didn't have that power and it wonderful that your name is written in the Lamb's book of life. Nothing can erase it. It's one of the verses of Scripture that's a help to us to explain eternal security. When God writes the name, we know it's figurative language.
But your name is written in the Lamb's book of life, not God himself could erase it. The work of Christ is accomplished. That work on the redemption and the cross of Calvary, it'll never be done, never be erased. And I will confess His name before my Father and before his angels. And so there were those that were faithful, and He speaks to them. Then we have Philadelphia, verse seven. I don't have time to read it, but I will just comment on a few of them, a few of these little points He writes to those.
That he says, He that is holy, he that is true, He that hath the key of David, He that openeth. And no man shut us, and shut us and no man openeth. I know thy works. Behold, I have set before the an open door. No man can shut it. For thou hast a little strength or a little power, and has kept my word, and has not denied my name. You know this recovery of the truth that began approximately publicly in 1827.
And the Philadelphia era began then, and Philadelphia means brotherly love and God in his grace apart, in spite of the unfaithfulness of the Reformers and sinking the whole work that God by His Spirit had raised up and sought to bring them into the knowledge of the truth. It ground to a halt largely. We know that there were, there was a wonderful time of the preaching of the Gospel during the 1700s, sixteen hundred 1700s.
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And into the 1800s there was real revival, but the truth of God, the truth that was once delivered to the Saints was recovered. And God in grace says that he delivered the key of David. They began to understand the prophetic scriptures, and that's really what it means. And they either open it and no man shutteth. They began to be able to open up the scriptures and read the scriptures and.
Recover the truth and no one was going to be able to stop it because God himself was behind the work. And he says here that I have set before the open door. Those are wonderful to have an open door to preach Paul's doctrine even today, to be able to minister the truth in connection with what it is to be gathered to the Lord's name. There's still liberty. No one can shut that door and until I believe the church is taken home, will still be able to talk about what it is to be gathered to the Lord's name.
And to enjoy the things of God together. And then he says, thou has a little power. There was still the same power that was evident at the beginning of the church period, but now it was diminished.
There was never recovered. The power of the pristine power and energy of the spirit that was evident at the beginning of the church period has never been recovered, will never be recovered. But there was a little bit of that power, the little bit of spiritual power evident during the beginnings of that period of time in Philadelphia.
And it continues even today. There's just a little power. The house kept my word. That's what characterized that testimony, the word of God.
And the brethren used to be called men of the Book, the people of the book, the word of God. Is that how it is today? Has not denied my name. They took the name of Christ. They acknowledged His authority. They delighted to take the name of Christ to be associated with it. And then it says here that because thou has kept the word of my patience, I will also keep thee from the hour of temptation which shall come upon all the world. That's verse 10.
To try them dwell upon the earth. It's really evidence that the Lord Jesus is going to keep his own. Those that are real, they've kept the word of his patience. They've been patient until his coming and He's going to keep them. He's going to keep us and we won't go through the tribulation period. This is really what He's Speaking of here and speaks of continuing right to the end. Are you patient?
You know, sometimes we're very patient. We're waiting. I was waiting. We were waiting in Bermuda for a bus. On this last trip. We did all kinds of running around on the bus and you buy a bus pass and so on. And it was raining and it was raining and raining and here we are waiting in a bus shelter, waiting and waiting and waiting for a bus. We figured well.
You know, just Jonathan and I and we just waited for 15 minutes or so. We thought, well, maybe the bus isn't running, it's not going to come here, so we better go and walk to another bus station, a bus stop. And so we just left the bus stop heading the last 30 seconds and here comes the bus and didn't see anybody waiting at the bus stop. So he went right by. So we had to wait at another, another 15 minutes for another bus at the other bus stop.
But isn't it like sometimes those that we sense some of our brethren that have left the Lord's table?
They left the bus stop just before the bus came and I trust that there's none of us that'll leave the bus stop just before the bus came. Leave the assembly, leave the Lords table and miss the blessing. The Lord delights to bless and he says, behold, I come quickly in verse 11. Hold that fast which thou hast that no man take thy crown. And so there is a little work of deceit that's going on even in the day that we live in individuals trying to in influence others.
To leave the Lord's table, a man trying to take the crown that's given for faithfulness. And so he speaks of overcoming in verse 12. Him that overcometh. Will I make a pillar in the temple of my God?
So there's going to be your life is going to be a monument. A pillar speaks of a monument or something that upholds a building architecturally. But here perhaps a monument, your life is going to be a monument and my, my life is going to be a monument. It's either going to be a monument for good, monument for failure. Perhaps. Now we have delays in let me just comment a little bit because that's where we're at the latest seeing this latest see it means the rights of the people.
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Is really a picture of democracy and how it's influenced the Church. And he says, I know in verse 15, I know thy works that thou art neither cold nor hot. My wood thou art cold or hot. And he says in verse 17, because I'll say as I'm enrich and increase with goods and have need of nothing.
He just speaks here of those that had real complacency.
Mr. Darby said, and he's not the only one that wrote it and said it, he said, you know, legacy has started in 1848. It started in the Open Brethren division, that power and the strength, the golden era of the Philadelphian power and testimony was from 1827 or 1828 until 1848. And he said really after that, it was in decline. Philadelphia was in decline and legacy began.
And was indifference to the glory of Christ and a setting up of independent little assemblies and a system that mimicked the truth of God.
That was not the truth of God. And so it continues even today. And we have in the Christian testimony evidence of how the rights of Christ are set aside and the rights of men are those things that are really put forward as being.
What the church desires. And so he speaks here in verse 20. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come into him, and will Sup with him and he.
With me. You ever notice that little expression in the Book of Revelation? It's in the Gospels, but it's in the Book of Revelation, that little expression with me.
Is there any other place you'd like to be?
The Lord Jesus says you could be with me.
And so he says, I will come in to him and will Sup with him, and he with me. We live in a day when the presence of the Lord is not really valued. But isn't it nice to come into the presence of the Lord and to be able to say, I was with the Lord today, I was with him, I spent some time in his very presence. He says this do in remembrance of me, and he says to that.
Or two or three are gathered together unto my name. They're my in the midst of them. Don't you want to be where he is? And so there's communion here. And he says in verse 21 to him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame and I'm sat down with my Father and his throne. Isn't that wonderful reward for those in the day of indifference to the glory of the Lord Jesus? His rights are set aside. The rights of men, their relationships and so on are valued more than a relationship with the Lord.
He said you could sit with me in my throne. And if you are faithful to the Lord in this day of declension, the day of giving up, the day of setting aside the rights of Christ, he says you can reign with me. If you're faithful, I'll give you a place to sit right beside me. You can reign and sit with me in my throne. And so he'll delight to bless if we're faithful and devoted to himself and suffer the reproach of Christ in the day that we live in.
We're going to be associated with them in a future day and we don't know exactly how the details, but He's going to see to it that you and I and any that are. I'm not saying specifically you and I are faithful and others aren't, but if there's any faithfulness and devotedness to him.
He's going to recognize that. He's going to reward it. He always rewards faithfully. Let's commend ourselves.
Revelation 4 through 7
Address—Robert Boulard
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All right, Revelation chapter 4. Let's just read this chapter. Not going to read all of the chapters that I'd like to comment on tonight. We may just read little portions here and there, but this is significant. It's a new.
Opens up a new subject, if I could put it this way. We've taken up chapter one, chapter two and three, and all of those really have to do with what was.
Taking place in this earth and we have this little statement made in chapter two and three it says.
He that in verse 22, he that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. Now it's not going to be that scene on earth that's going to be heavenly scene. So we have a distinct new beginning and from heaven's perspective, God is going to deal. And so chapter 4, verse one.
After this I looked, and behold, a door was opened in heaven, and the first voice which I heard was, as it were of a trumpet talking with me, which said.
Come up, hit her, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter. And immediately I was in the spirit, and behold, a throne was set in heaven. And one sat on the throne. And he that sat was to look upon like a Jasper and a sardine stone. And there was a rainbow round about the throne, insight like unto an emerald. And round about the throne were four and 20 seats. And upon the seats I saw 4 and 20 elders sitting clothed in white raiment.
And they had on their heads crowns of gold, and out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices. And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God. And before the throne there was a sea of glass, like under crystal and in the midst of the throne.
And round about the throne were four beasts, full of eyes before and behind. And the first beast was like a lion.
And the second beast like a calf. And the third beast had the face of a man as of a man.
And the 4th beast was like a flying eagle, and the four beasts which had each head of them, six wings about him, and they were full of eyes within, and they were rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy Lord, God Almighty, which was and is and is to come.
And when those beasts give glory and honor and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth forever.
And ever before and 20 elders fall down before him that sat on the throne and worshipped him, that liveth forever and ever. And cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power. For thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created well. This these two chapters, chapter 4 and chapter 5, are introductory to the beginning of judgment, which begin in chapter 6.
And so these, as I say, the scene changes from earth to heaven.
And we don't have the rapture specifically mentioned in the Book of Revelation, but it's alluded to. And here we have John that says come up, hit her and I will show these things which must be hereafter. It's after the church period hereafter. And it's from a heavenly perspective. And it is takes into notice here that the Saints have been caught up in the rapture.
And so we take this for granted, as it were, and also that we don't hear of the church.
In its testimony in reality, the Church of God, the Bride of Christ, as being on earth.
Really just in heaven and these four and 20 elders are picture of all of the Saints of God.
Old Testament. 12 from the Old Testament, as it were, and 12 from the new and the whole of the redeemed company.
In that scene above and we find that they have crowns on their heads. It's really indicates that the judgment seat of Christ will have taken place and they have crowns. Now if you turn to the last chapter of the Book of Revelation and we'll read verse 12.
It says, Behold, I come quickly, and my reward is with me to give every man according as his work shall be. Well, this is an allusion to the judgment seat of Christ and the Lord values.
The testimony of his Saints, he now used the fruit, the desire of heart that we have to live to please him. And he's not going to wait a long time after the rapture to reward, to review our lives and to just reward. And so that's why he says I come quickly and my reward is with me. Now we're limited by thinking of time and thinking of how there's 24 hours in a day and in natural sense that would take.
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A part of an eternity, as it were, to review the lives of all those that belong to the Lord. Well, God is not.
Limited by the laws of physics and science, and very quickly we'll have an individual.
Review what the Lord and all that might be. Any hindrance at all in our thoughts.
Any shame of how we conducted ourselves in this scene, anything that was.
Really. Perhaps at the coming of the Lord, some of the Saints will be sitting in a bar or something like that. There will be some shame, some something that.
Perhaps will not be quite right. Well, the Lord is going to. We're going to see the Lord face to face, all of us all together. The dead will be raised 1St and then we.
Caught up together to be with the Lord. So shall we ever be with the Lord? But he's not going to wait a long time to review our lives.
And to put what was not for His glory on the burn pile. It'll go up and smoke. We'll be so glad that it's gone. And He loves us so much. He'll never ever, for all eternity ever remind us of anything that was done in disobedience. He won't forget our sins. That's not what the Scripture says.
Because you and I forget things and I sometimes forget my keys and so on. I have a habit of doing is taking my shoes off at the front door and I put my keys inside my shoes. But sometimes I forget my shoes. I forget where they are and whether I was at the front door in the basement or whatever. But God doesn't forget. He chooses. He says their sins and their iniquities will. I remember no more. He has the power.
To never remember after the review of your life and mine.
He'll never remember anything that was ever done in disobedience. No sin, not one will ever be reminded to us. And that's how much He loves us and he has that power. So here we have this scene turns to heaven and the Lord. He speaks as a trumpet.
We know that there's going to be a last trump, so perhaps another allusion to the coming of the Lord. Immediately I was in the spirit and behold, the throne was set in heaven. And the throne speaks of the rights and the authority of the one that sits on that throne to rule. And the Lord Jesus has a right to rule in this world.
And here we have really in connection with his rights to the title of this world in verse 11 of chapter 4. Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power, For thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure, for Thy will, they are and were created. So you and I weren't created so that we could have a good time down here. That's not the object at all. The good, the thing that we were, God created us.
The Lord Jesus himself and we were formed in the womb. We were born into this world.
And his purpose was that he could take pleasure in us. Not wonderful. He wanted to have pleasure in each one of us.
And he didn't create two people the same. Everyone of us is unique. And so he's created all things. And because he's created all things, he has the right to be the judge. He has the right to receive worship and praise and honor. And so this is really the point of chapter four. He speaks symbolically, and we said this at the beginning and in a couple of nights ago, is that his book is written in a symbolic style. So all of these symbols in connection with the Jasper inside are in stone and the rainbow. And all these symbols that are used are the same ones that are used in the Old Testament. So we.
The Spirit of God assumes.
That we know about those types because we've read the scriptures and we've enjoyed those types. So we speak of a rainbow here, and it speaks of really God's promise never, ever to judge the world with a flood ever again. And it speaks of the blessing that would flow after the judgment. That's really what the rainbow speaks of, a blessing that would come after the judgment. And we have a little.
A little insight as to the heart of the Lord Jesus.
He's going to have the judge and he's going to cleanse this world. He's going to cleanse it good. He's going to do a thorough job in judgment and he will take the kingdoms for himself. And so he brings in this thought of rainbow and there's going to be tremendous blessing that flows forth even in this world after the judgments. And so it says in verse five that the throne out of the throne proceeded lightnings.
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And thunderings and voices. And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God. We don't have time to look at it, but there are. If you look at Isaiah Chapter 11 verse two, you make a little note there and you'll see that there are 7 spirits of God mentioned in that verse.
But he speaks of these lightnings and thunderings and it's they're really expressions in nature of power. And we know that God is going to have the power in the person of the sun to execute judgment. Then we have here these beasts, these living creatures. And he mentions in verse seven that there were there really angelic beings, perhaps you might say across?
Special created beings, Seraphims and Cherubims. Remember the Cherubim were placed two cherubims at the Garden of Eden.
That man could never come into that garden ever, and eat of the fruit of the tree of life.
And live forever in a sinful state. And then the seraphim were those if you looked at Isaiah chapter 6.
And they cry, Holy, holy, holy Lord, God Almighty, and so they guard the holiness of God. So there are those angelic beings here that will be used particularly in judgment and are intelligent angelic beings, but they reflect.
To us the strength, the majesty of God in in his power and in judgment. The first beast was like a lion, first living creature like a lion, so the king of beasts, and nothing ever will stop him. He has power to judge. And like a calf, the second beast, like a calf. I think it's an oxen in Ezekiel and perhaps in Isaiah as well, but the oxen is.
A steady plotting, and in strength and the judgments of God.
His work of judgment is a strange work, and it's going to be sure and steadfast. It'll never, he'll never be turned from his purpose. Men try to do something, and they perhaps try to restrain the evil in this world, and they are somewhat successful on occasion.
But the Lord Jesus in his.
Work of judging is not going to be hindered at all. And the third beast had a face as a man that speaks of intelligence. And so there's going to be intelligence in what God does in connection with judgment.
And the 4th beast was like a flying eagle that speaks of swiftness.
And so we're going to read if some of those judgments are going to be swift, God isn't going to.
Linger, as it were, and to allow man to have his own way in this world indefinitely. And so they rest not in verse nine, day and night, saying, holy, holy, holy Lord God Almighty, which is and which which was and which is and which is to come. And then those beasts give glory and honor and thanks to him that sat on the throne. Now you'll notice that he's sitting.
And it really speaks of the patience of Christ. I think it's chapter one that speaks of the patience and Kingdom. Yes, chapter one and verse nine, I John also, who also am your brother and companion in tribulation and in the Kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ. So there's patience. God is patient right now. The Lord Jesus is patient. He's seated. He's not going to be seated at all for a long time. He's just about to rise. He's just about to rise up.
And you know what happens at breakfast time this morning, brother?
Got up and after he had his breakfast and went into the sitting room for a little bit and just read a little bit and so on, and then brother Jerry went off to work. He got up.
Off of his seat he began to do his work and that's what we have in chapter 5. Let's read a few verses in chapter 5 just to get a little connection here. Chapter 5, verse one, I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne, a book written within and on the backside sealed with seven seals.
And I saw a strong Angel proclaiming with a loud voice, who is worthy to open the book and to loose the seals thereof. And no man in heaven, or no one in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither look thereon. And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book that's really not in the text and to read I just have little brackets around it.
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No, no man was found worthy to open the book, neither to look thereon. And one of the elders said unto me, Weep not, Behold the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. And I beheld, and low in the midst of the throne, and in of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God, sent forth into all the earth. And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.
Well, you notice that the Lord Jesus is going to stand.
Going to stand, He's going to be prepared now to take the Kingdom for himself. And remember His inheritance. You and I are not His inheritance. We're a part of His bride. We're not a part of the inheritance at all. What is the inheritance of the Lord Jesus? It's every created thing, all the heavens and all the earth, everything in them. He bought them at the cross. He not only created them, but He bought them.
At the cross, it says that he saw a treasure in the field in Matthew chapter 13, and he went and bought the field. He bought the treasure, He bought the field, and he bought the treasure that was in the field. Everything belongs to him, it's all his. But man has operated in this world in rebellion against God, energized by Satan and influenced by demonic power, and has really usurped the earth and used it for His own glory, for His own purposes.
Without any thought for God at all and so the Lord Jesus here he takes this book. It's really perhaps we might say the title deed to this world and he's going to begin to assert his rights and to.
Take possession of this world. And so no one in heaven where on earth or under the earth was able to open the book, neither look thereon. You know there have been many forms of government in this world.
The communists think their system is very good. The socialists some socialist governments think that they have things figured out. Many men today think that democracy is the way to curb evil and to bring man into a place of.
Utopia, as as it were, has democracy.
Help mankind as democracy improved the world. Has democracy got rid of all the evil in the world?
No, no, it's really characterized. Democracy is characterized by the will of man, and the will of man has not been able to suppress the will of man and the hatred of man. And so the Lord Jesus is going to bring all into subjection. So this is what it speaks of here. And you'll notice that he's mentioned as a lion, the lion of the tribe of Judas, the only time in the Book of Revelation that he's mentioned as a lion and in His Majesty and his power and his glory.
As the king, he's mentioned here, but you know, he's mentioned as the Lamb of God. I believe it's something like 28 times. I have a little note in Isaiah chapter 53, and there he's presented 10 times as the substitute for Israel. You know, I say a chapter 53.
Yes, it's 28 times he's mentioned as the Lamb of God in Revelation. Isn't that wonderful? He's the Lamb. He's a Redeemer. And that's really the point of chapter 5. He's a Redeemer.
And he has rights as the Redeemer. His credentials to and his rights, his worthiness to be the judge are that he has created this world and that he has acted. He has a glory as the Redeemer. You know, there were some glories that the Lord Jesus didn't have.
In heaven before he came, he always existed as God the Son, and he was he had a glorious the the Son of God. And it says that in in John's Gospel chapter 17. It says, Father, I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me for thy forth thou lovest me before the foundation of the world. So there were those glories that he all.
He always had as the Son, but he acquired glories as the one who became the Lamb of God. He's the Redeemer. He has glories because he is the Redeemer and other glories that he has acquired and God has honored him as a result of those that work of the at the cross of Calvary. Now we find that there are those that sing a new song. The elders fell down in verse 8.
00:20:26
They had harps, really. It speaks of perhaps joy and communion of the Saints with the Lord. And the golden vials full of order speaks of prayers. You pray for the brethren, you pray for the Saints. God values those prayers. You know, there's Brother Ed Paldino in Holden, MA, and he's sick right now. He's got, he's got a very bad cold. He may have a bronchial problem, whatever, but.
He's probably going to end up going to the doctor tomorrow and so on, but it'd be nice to pray for Ed Paladino. He's somewhat exercised about being gathered to the Lords name and he's he's the Lord is passing them through trials difficulties. It's good to pray for one another. Well these golden vials full of odors.
Which are the prayers of Saints? You know there are those that pray to for the glory of the Lord, that the Lord might have his rights in this world, that he might be glorified, that he might have his way.
Does the Lord have His way in America today?
America wants their own way.
Americans that there used to be perhaps more of a fear of God among us and even among those that call themselves Christians. But now people want to please themselves instead of trying to please the Lord. But isn't it nice to pray and ask that the Lord?
Ask the Lord to come quickly, Even so come Lord Jesus, and to pray and ask that pray that the Lord his will might be.
Made to take precedence in this world. While these prayers are are necessary and the Lord values them. They sang a new song saying thou art worthy to take the book and to open the seals thereof. Now this is a heavenly company. These are heavenly Saints, and they're singing a new song.
Redeemed. And it should say, For thou was slain, and hast redeemed, or has bought us to God by thy blood, out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation, and hast made them unto our God kings and priests, and they shall reign over the earth. Now the heavenly Saints are singing about the earthly company, and they're singing about that earthly company. And of the ones who are going to be redeemed in this world, those are going to be blessed.
During the Millennium and during the time of the tribulation that they're going to be the blessing, in spite of these judgments, there's going to be blessing that goes forth throughout this world. And so the tribulation Saints that are to be preserved are perhaps here, perhaps brought out, and they'll enter the millennial Kingdom of the Lord. And so he says that they're out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation. And so while we don't have the tribe of Dan mentioned, we don't have the tribe of Ephraim mentioned a little bit further on in Chapter 7 here.
There are those from the tribe of Dan that will be saved, will be brought into blessing every tribe and nation. God is going to make sure you know the Book of Revelation. We said this on the first night that we were together as a book of judgment largely, but it's a book of tremendous blessing.
That's told to us in the last few chapters of the book, and it's just such an encouragement to read those things so God, while he has to judge.
His purpose in telling us these things is that we might be intelligent as to that, what his purposes are and what he's doing even in day that we're living in, but that we might look forward to the blessing. Heaven is going to rejoice. There's going to be a new song in heaven, but you look in the Psalms and there's going to be a new song in the earth too, a song that can't be sung today.
And there's going to be singing says in Isaiah that the trees are going to clap their hands, the whole of the creation is going to rejoice. And so he says he beheld an inverse 11I beheld. And I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders. And the number of them was 10,000 * 10,000 thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, worthy as the Lamb that was slain to receive power, riches and wisdom, strength and honor and glory and blessing.
There's seven notes of praise. You know, there's three different groups that are mentioned here in verses 9 and 10. We just read is really an inner circle, you might say, of those that are redeemed. We have the 24 elders that are mentioned and the four and 20, the four beasts and the four and 20 elders.
00:25:20
Really in the very closest relationship to the land, in the very presence of the Lamb, did you know that you're going to have a better place in heaven than the angels, a higher place and a better place than the angels? You'll be, you're a part of the family of God. You're going to be very in the very presence of the Lamb, the Lamb of God. The Angel won't. They're going to be on the 2nd circle, you might say. And so they're mentioned here in verses 11:00 and 12:00 and.
So they really are on the outside. The Lamb is in the midst, the the Saints are all around the Lamb. And then you have the angels all about them, the elect angels. And they're going to be giving praise to the Lamb. Now it says that we sing a new song.
You remember when the first singing began? It's Exodus chapter 15, I think it's verse one, the song of Moses. Moses, the children of Israel saying when they were redeemed, the blood of the lamb had been shed put on the doorposts and the lentil of the door they'd left Egypt and the principle of the shed blood. They had been sheltered from judgment and they sang. They could sing a song. And so heaven is going to be filled with.
The song of the redeemed and then the earth is going to be filled with the song of the redeemed.
But the angels never sing. They don't. They're not redeemed. There's no forgiveness for an Angel. It's an Angel sins. It's a banishment and judgment. But here they're saying in verse 12, saying with a loud voice, isn't that nice? They can say they honor the their creator.
But you and I have a far greater privilege to sing in the presence of the Son of God. And then we have another circle, as it were, those in the outside circle, less intelligence, perhaps every creature verse 13 which is under heaven, in heaven and under the earth and under the earth and.
Such as are in the sea and all that are in them.
Heard I saying, Blessing and honor, and glory and power be to him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb forever and ever, to the age, ages of ages.
And the four beasts said Amen, and the four and 20 elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth forever. You know when I sometimes think you'll forgive me for the.
A little expression, but I think of a fireworks display. When I read this verse and some of these other verses of Scripture, I think of how we're going to be ushered very shortly into a scene of such glory and magnificence with the Lord Jesus in the midst, that it'll just be like a fireworks display that starts and it'll never cease. Our praise and Thanksgiving, the songs that are uttered, It's just going to be such magnificent.
In the presence of the Lord, with no sin to ever, ever hinder us, no relationships that would hinder us, no associations to.
Hindrance nothing to hinder us ever from rejoicing the presence of the Lord.
And so the words of the apostle Paul, he says, And so shall we ever be with the Lord. But.
Here he gives us details. Now we come to really the judgments and chapter six really continues down to.
Really. Chapter 19 or not 19? I'm sorry, Chapter 11?
Of revelation. Remember we said that there are from a prophetic standpoint, the Spirit of God is going to review the same territory. He's going to give us a perspective from the Western Christian nations perspective. He's going to judge the Western nations first. Why?
Because we have the whole Bible has the gospel being preached in Canada and America, Mexico, South America, Europe.
England, yeah, it's been preached there. Was it preached in its entirety throughout the entire nation of Japan.
No. Has it been preached in the entirety, throughout the entirety of some of the heathen nations? You know, they're less guilty. But you and I who have the Bible, and you and I who can go and stay at a hotel room and find a Bible in a drawer.
We're more responsible than any other people upon the planet. So those that have professed Christianity, those that have professed and all the Lord Jesus and Savior, those that have acknowledged God in some way are far more guilty and responsible than others.
00:30:14
I love to be able to see on the money in this country. In God we trust.
But there's coming a time when the people in this country are going to give that up. They're going to give up the profession of faith. So from chapter 6 to Chapter 11 and verse 18 to the end of verse 18, He's going to take us from the beginning of the tribulation period. Now remember the tribulation period is divided into two parts of seven years long and the 1St 3 1/2 years are the beginning of sorrows In Matthew chapter 24. You can look it up. The Lord Jesus calls at the beginning of sorrows.
And then the last 3 1/2 years are the great tribulation. And so the Lord Jesus is going to appear at the end of the great tribulation, and he's going to appear in great glory and honor. And who's going to be with him? You and I, All of the Saints, all the redeemed.
Not one missing those that are despised and disregarded by this world, those that are.
Criticize those that are martyred.
Everyone of them going to be with the Lord Jesus. You know there are three days they're spoken of in Scripture. I'll just mention them because I think it's important. At this point. Let's just turn to 2nd Thessalonians chapter.
Two.
It says.
I'm just going to read this little expression in verse 2.
Chapter 2 and verse two of Second Thessalonians, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit nor by word.
Nor by letter is from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Where is present? What's the day of Christ?
You know what it is? It's the display of the Lord Jesus in all of His glory, and you and I with Him.
Not nice.
That's what it is. Do you know what the day of the Lord is? That's another day. The day of the Lord is His reign. And when does it begin? It begins when He comes and is appearing with you and I in all of His glory. It'll be the day of the Lord and it'll continue until the eternal state. And we could read in First Corinthians chapter 15, He's going to deliver up the kingdoms. Everything's going to be brought into subjection to the Father, to God, and then the Lord Jesus is going to take and hand over the kingdoms, as it were, to His Father.
And then, for all eternity, he'll devote himself to his bride.
We know that there's going to be an earthly people, but He'll particularly be devoted to you and I in a coming day. What grace, what love for Him to do that. Well, there's another day as well, and it's the day of God. And so that's really the eternal state, the eternal day.
The and the day of God begins when the sun presents, all brought into subjection to the Father, and it begins that day of God.
So those are three days. And so it's necessary for us to understand where we are in the history of this world today.
We're not in the day of Christ right now. His glory is not displayed before this world. And you and I are seen and treated with contempt, if not abuse, really with contempt on the part of others. And then what we look forward to, the day of Christ and the day of the Lord is the day of his reigning. And really those two continue side by side, as it were for those thousand years.
And so here we have in chapter 6 of Revelation, we have the beginnings of the judgments and the 1St 3 1/2 years of what God is going to do among those that are in the Western Christian world.
It's kind of hard not to read the chapter without.
To comment on the chapter without reading it. So maybe we'll read it very quickly and I'll try to bring out something in connection with each one of these seals. You know, there are four series of judgments in the Book of Revelation.
There's the seal judgments, there's seven of them. There's 7 trumpet judgments.
And there's seven vile judgments or bold judgments, and then there are 7 Thunder judgments.
00:35:07
Now we're not told about the Thunder judgment. I'll just point that out.
Now I have to find it but.
There were 7 Thunder judgments that were mentioned and yes, chapter 10.
Verse four. And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write, and I heard a voice from heaven saying, Enemy, seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not.
Your beloved brethren, there are some things that you and I in this scene perhaps could not.
Could not bear.
They're gone. When he judges, he's going to be severe. And He doesn't tell us about those 7 Thunder judgments. He does tell us about some of the things that we can enter into. And He wants us to be intelligent as to what he's going to do when we're in the glory with him, we'll have our glorified bodies.
But there are some things that are private and that he's going to do and he hasn't told us because of the perhaps the severity of them. So chapter 6 verse one when I I saw the lamb opened one of the seals and I heard as it were the noise of Thunder. One of the four beasts saying come it shouldn't say NC Every one of those that just I just put a little bracket around those two words Mr. Garvey and other.
Expositors notice that in the Greek those two words are not there, so the four beasts say come.
And I saw and I and behold a White Horse, And he that sat on him had a bowl, and the crown was given unto him, and he went forth conquering and to conquer. And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come. And then went out another horse that was red, and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another. And there was given unto him a great sword. And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come.
And I beheld and lo, a Black Horse, and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, a measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny. And cedar hurt not the oil and the wine. And when he had opened the 4th seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come.
And I looked, and behold a pale horse, and his name that sat on him was Death, and hell, or Hades followed with him, and power was given unto them over the 4th part of the earth, to kill with the sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with beasts of the earth. And when he had opened the 5th seal, I saw under the altar of the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, for the testimony which they held. And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
And white robes were given unto everyone of them, and was said unto them that they should rest for yet a little season, until their fellow servants also, and their brethren that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled. And I beheld when he had opened the 6th seal, and lo, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became his blood, and the stars of heaven fell into the earth.
Even as a fig tree cast as their untimely figures when she is shaken of a mighty wind.
And the heaven departed as a scroll, when it was rolled together in every mountain and every an island, were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, the mighty men, and every bondsman and every freeman, hid themselves in the dens and the rocks of the mountains, and set into the mountains. And the rocks fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb. For the day of His wrath is come, and who shall be able to stand?
Well, these sealed judgments are the judgments that are first to fall upon the Western world. Now you know that the first one really is the Roman Catholic Church, but I'm just going to make a comment on the first verse that says there was a noise of Thunder. Now you know what happens when there's noise of Thunder.
You know that there's a there's a storm coming.
And I wonder sometimes, I don't want to be dogmatic about it, but I feel that the Lord is allowing the Western Christian world to hear the Thunder and to recognize that there's a Thunder, that there's a a storm of judgment about the fall upon the Western world.
00:40:00
And so they're talking about climate change. Boston has a record snowfall this year. Hurricane Katrina wipes out new New Orleans. There's a hurricane that came through New York City. How often do we have those things happen?
The country that has on their money in God we trust is doing everything but trusting in God and defying God and his rights publicly and defying God in the moral standards of the country and the laws that are being passed and so on. And I believe that the Lord is allowing us to see that there's a noise of Thunder and we're hearing that Thunder. The storm of judgment is about to fall. So he says the Lord Jesus.
Calls the judgment forth. He says, Come, and he saw a White Horse, and him that sat on him had a bow, and a crown was given unto him, and went forth conquering the Conqueror. I'll just say this that this is really referring to the Roman Catholic Church, and isn't it solemn?
That the very first judgment that was going to fall.
At the beginning of sorrows as the tribulation period begins the beginning of sorrows as soon as the agreement is signed between the United states of Europe and.
The nation of Israel, the prophetic clock, will start again.
It's not started now. It's not prophecy isn't being fulfilled at the present time, but it's going to start and these judgments will begin. Well, you know, it's the Roman Catholic Church that is going to rule the Western.
Economy. The Western Empire, the United States of Europe, if you will. That's what they call themselves in the news media.
Or the EU, and perhaps they are the forerunner to this 10 nation confederacy that will be consolidated at the time.
Shortly after, perhaps the Rapture.
But God is going to allow the Roman Catholic Church to rule Western Europe. She's always wanted to rule and the Pope and that whole system of things, the Church of Rome is going to rule the United States of Europe. That's the first judgment that God is going to pronounce and allow to fall upon corrupt Western Christendom.
After the rapture, and then it says it's not there's no military involvement here. It says a crown was given to him. So there's going to be perhaps peace, peace treaties, negotiations and so on. And somewhat like America making peace with Cuba, not really on a righteous basis or anything like that, but there's peace made and there's negotiations and.
We agree to get get along and so the Pope is going to have influence over the nation's that are a part of the United States of Europe and perhaps will lead them or some of his Cardinals, whatever. And then it says the second seal. When he had opened the second seal, I heard the second V say come.
And there went out another horse that was red, and power was given to him that sat there on to take peace from the earth, that they might.
That they should kill one another, and that there was given unto him a great sword.
Now, you remember at the beginning of these meetings I said that there were three expressions in connection with this world. The land has to do with Israel.
And the earth has to do with the Western world, Western Europe and perhaps America, South America, those parts of the world that profess Christianity. And then the world is really a broader sphere and it includes the nations that are not a part of the prophetic outline, not part of the prophetic earth as it were. So that Japan and Indiana, some of the some of those nations that are outside farther, less responsible than the Western nations.
So that's why it says in verse 8, the 4th part really 25% of the earth.
If we could use that as a little bit of a symbol, 25% of the earth professes to be Christian Christian. And so in chapter 8 it goes up a little bit to 30% because he mentions the third part in verse.
Verse seven. Third part of the trees was burned up, and all green grass was burned up. It should say a third part.
Of the trees was burned up and then in verse 8, a third part of the sea became blood. So he mentions the third part. I think it's 12 Times in that chapter. So it means 33%. What does that mean? The third part really includes the land of Israel. And so these beginning, these judgments here in chapter 6 perhaps don't influence the land of Israel so much at the first because he says as well.
00:45:26
Hurt, not the oil and the wine. We know that they're going to be very prosperous in their land and.
But in any case, there's bloodshed, there's there's a peace treaty signed and.
In Western Europe, the Pope or the Roman Catholic Church rules and governs. And then it says in verse three that there's bloodshed. Verse 4, bloodshed, peace is taken away. They kill on another great sword. And isn't that what we see with terrorism today is people don't like to, they want their own way and so on. And I can just imagine what the Muslims would do in France and other parts of Europe when they find that the Roman Catholic Church now rules the Western.
Empire and it's going to be a cause of great civil war and strife and civil disobedience and people are going to die. And then it says the third seal there was a Black Horse speaks of famine he that sat on him out of pair of balances in his hand. So food is going to get very expensive. A measure of wheat for a penny. That means to be able to eat every day you're going to have to spend all the money that you have just to be able to eat.
And barley really was the food for slaves, SO3 measures of barley for a penny and those that were less well off the slaves and servants and so on hurt not the oil and the wine. And so that's what happens when their Civil War, civil disobedience. You know how long it took to empty the shelves in New York City when they.
Hurricane went through there. It took three days to empty the shelves and empty all the grocery stores and so on.
But it took three weeks to fill them back up. Why? Because the delivery system was interrupted, fuel pumps weren't working, the electricity was off, all kinds of things, trees were across the roadways and so on. And so it took three weeks to put it all back together. Well, we find here that when there's civil war, natural.
Systems that men depends upon to be able to feed himself and so on are going to be interrupted.
Then it says the 4th seal, that there was a pale horse and so disease comes in, malnutrition, disease, water that's contaminated, all those things and death and hell or Hades. Death for the body and hell or Hades is really for the spirit and the soul. There will be people dying because of the as the spirit, as the Lord begins to crank things up a little bit, He just cranks things up a little bit and doesn't give any relief.
And it may be some of our neighbors that we see that are a part of this company in the Western world, those that live beside us, those that we worked with, those that perhaps we gave a gospel tract to, those that they saw us walk out at the door with our Bibles on Lords Day morning and so on. And they're going to experience these judgments. And then there was the this pale horse really speaks of disease and so on. And.
But then it speaks of the sword, hunger, death, or pestilence, and the beasts of the earth. So he's going to use the Spirit of God records here that he's going to use the beasts of the earth to punish man, and there are going to be those.
That have.
Being environmentalist, if I could put it that way, that have protected the wildlife of this world, I'll just give you 1 little example in Hammer Bay for in parasound area, the rattlesnake went extinct and the.
Frog lovers and the tree lovers and tree huggers and so on. They reintroduce these rattlesnakes and so they've been a problem ever since and they ran out of venom, anti venom one year and had to fly stuff in and so on. But God is going to allow.
Different things to take place like that and those beasts of the earth are going to be used in judgment. Then we see the 5th seal and there are those that are under the altar, those that are martyred.
00:50:04
Who can be murdered?
During the beginning of Sorrows.
The Jews will be martyred. Which ones? Those that are preaching the gospel of the Kingdom. God is going to raise up godly men that read the Scriptures. They've read the Old Testament and you know what they're waiting for? They're waiting for their Messiah. And they understand by the reading of the book of Daniel, the prophet Daniel, that there's going to be an agreement signed. And they read it in the book of Isaiah as well, prophecies of Isaiah. And they read that when that agreement is signed.
Then approximately 7 years later, the Messiah is going to appear and they're going to go and preach the gospel of the Kingdom is good news. The King is coming. He's going to set up his Kingdom. You better repent. He's coming.
And the Roman Church is going to say, no, no, wait, we wrote, we ruled. The Pope rules Western Europe. You can't say these things. They'll still preach the gospel, the Kingdom. They'll start in Jerusalem, they'll start in the land of Israel, and they'll go out, They'll continually go out from the land of Israel in the world, throughout the entire world and preach the gospel of the Kingdom. Some will receive that gospel and be blessed.
But many of those dear ones are going to be slaughtered.
Maybe in America, I don't know. We're not told those details in Europe. The Roman church slaughtered those that preached the truth of the gospel, of the grace of God during the Reformation, and even up leading up to the Reformation. They were persecuted to death, burned at the stake.
And just because the Pope, Francis is a popular man today.
Let's not be swept into thinking that this is a good system and this is a good time and this is a good man. And so on this system, Roman Catholicism is going to rise up and slaughter the Saints of God in the future. And they're going to cry aloud saying how long? Verse 10, O Lord, holy and true to thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth. And so a believer Christian doesn't cry for vengeance.
Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord. I will repay you, and I commit our cause to Christ, don't we? When we're wronged, we ought to. But the Jews, their prayer in the thumbs, you know, the Psalms are all written for the Jews as they go through that time of trial and difficulty.
They they rightly pray for vengeance. They're going to pray for vengeance and they're going to they're seen figuratively in heaven there and they're crying out for vengeance and they're the Spirit of God records. He says just wait a little season in verse 11 until their fellow servants also and their brethren that should be killed as they were should be fulfilled. Now there's a second group of martyrs and they're martyred after democracy ceases.
There's still going to be a semblance of democracy during the first part of those three 3 1/2 years, but there's going to be a military coup that takes place and Satans man, the beast, the corrupt, satanically empowered.
A beast, the Roman ruler, the ruler of the revived Roman Empire, the United States of Europe is going to take. He's going to have there's going to be a military coup where he's going to depose the Roman Catholic Church.
And he's going to have the Prime Minister in Israel, the Antichrist, and by the two of them will impose.
Idolatry upon the Western world and they're going to seize the empire and then they're going to rule.
And the Gospel of the Kingdom will continue to go forth.
God and mercy is going to send those men forth and they're going to preach that he's coming, he's coming, he's going. He's only perhaps a 3 1/2 years off, but he's coming. He's going to assert his rights. He's going to rule.
And that we slaughtered that the beast and all of his proselytes, all those that have apostatized, given up the knowledge of God, are going to say we don't believe that message. And those people are going to be slaughtered in Western Europe and in Israel. Those godly remnant is going to be slaughtered.
Many will be escaped and so that's what we have here in Chapter 7 and we might as well pass on to this. I just might make a comment though before I comment on that. In the 6th seal is really that convulsion that we're talking about. The from verse 12 down to verse 17 is really the military coup that takes place in the middle of the prophetic week 3 1/2 years and the Roman Catholic Church is deposed.
00:55:03
And it says there was a great earthquake. Now you know what happened with a great earthquake. It's a type in Scripture is that things are never going to be the same ever again. Do you remember the earthquake at the cross?
There was an earthquake.
And man had done his most wicked.
Acts of cruelty and wickedness in the sight of God. He'd taken the Son of God and crucified the Lord of glory and God had set aside, as it were judicially really the system of religion called Judaism. And there was a great earthquake that day was never ever going to be the same. And so he gives us type that the rocks rent the earthquake and the rocks rent and.
You could never go back and glue up all those rocks and make it just like it was before the temple. The veil of the temple was rent and says in Mr. Jarvis French translation and says from above to the bottom, it wasn't the earthquake, but it was God himself that rent that veil that was never going to be the same again.
And So what he says here in verse 12 really with this great earthquake, is that the Western world.
In this world that has usurped the rights of Christ is going to be brought in subjection. Things will never be the same again. And what we are living in, in the days that we live in now, we're seeing the beginnings and perhaps midway through the collapse of Western society.
Where perhaps at the very most, maybe within a very few years from the time of the rapture, Western economies will be brought to collapse. That's really what we're we're seeing here in these verses. Every mountain and island were moved out of their places in verse 14.
So mountain is a power in the earth, the political power there are all those political systems that are prevalent in the Western world are going to be brought to naughty and there's going to be.
An absolute dictator that rules satanically influenced, and I don't know if he's satanically indwelled with Satan, but you know that Judas was. It says that Judas was indwelled with Satan. Satan came and dwelled within him.
Didn't trust any demons to do that work. Judas himself was indwelled. But this man and his officers are going to create a system of things that excludes God and the Satans worship of Satan and so on will take place. And then it speaks of this. All the kings of the earth and so on. They're just escaping for their lives as if were to hide from the Lord, from the land.
The wrath to come.
Not one that's going to be able to escape. We could read some other verses in Matthews Gospel, but not one of them. It's going to escape. It's like a wildfire, like a forest fire. Some of us have seen wildfire. And you see the rabbits running, you see the foxes running, you see the deer running, you see the bear running, you see them all running. They're all running away from the fire. And sometimes they're able to escape. But in this case, there's not one that's going to escape the judgment of a holy God.
Many have Chapter 7. I'm not going to read it here, but perhaps you can read it tonight when you get home or tomorrow morning.
There are two groups, it looks this little bit of an interruption. That's a parenthesis chapter really. And you might say as you read verse 17, the great day of his wrath is coming, who shall be able to stand? You think you know, this whole planet is going to be wiped out. No ones going to survive these judgments. But the Chapter 7 is an encouragement and the Spirit of God just inserts it here in an appropriate way and he says you know there's going to be.
Figuratively, it says.
144,000 of the.
That are sealed in verse four I heard the number of them that were see which were sealed and there were sealed 144,000 of all the tribes of the children of Israel and he names ten of the tribes.
Doesn't mention Dan and I don't believe he mentions Ephraim here because they were connected with idolatry.
In the Old Testament times and but they're going to be brought into blessing as well. And so he says, you know, no, not all the Jews are going to be destroyed. No, there's going to be there are those that are sealed and God has appointed that there's going to be.
A provision for those of his people, his of the Jews, of the children of Israel that are going to be preserved. I remember when I was a boy, my father and mother had television in the home and we watched the newscast during the Vietnam War, 1968, perhaps 19691970, and the carpet bombing that took place. So you sent over B50 twos full of bombs and carpet bomb Hanoi and those cities and so on and.
01:00:28
You drop all thousands of bombs and you hope to hit something.
That's not how God judges.
And today they say, well, strategic bombing and they do it with laser lights and they have bombs that follow laser lights and go to a building and so on. God is going to judge the Lord Jesus is going to be very specific in how he accomplishes his purposes. And so he's going to save some of the the Jews and then he speaks of the Gentiles.
In a second company here in verse nine, and be held below a great multitude which no man could number of all nations and kindreds and people and tongues stood before the throne before the Lamb, clothed in white robes and palms in their hands.
Cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God, which sitteth upon the throne and unto the Lamb. And all the angels stood around about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell down before the throne on their faces, and worshiped God, saying, Amen.
Blessing and glory and wisdom and Thanksgiving and honor and power, and might be unto our God forever and ever. Amen.
Well, you know, God is going to have those of the Gentiles among the Gentiles who believe the gospel of the Kingdom. They're going to be brought into blessing too.
So he inserts this in Chapter 7, a little glimpse of the grace of God, the love of God, and in spite of judgment, there's going to be blessing. His purposes will never be worth it. Heaven is going to be full and the millennial earth is going to be filled with those that have a new song in their hearts, a new song, and God's going to have His rightful place. Let's just commend ourselves.
Revelation 8 through 11
Address—Robert Boulard
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
Well, let's turn to Revelation again. And I'd like to.
Read chapter 8, but we'll just comment.
Briefly, an outline. The 1St chapter, remember, is the introduction to the judge in all of his judicial glory and really the introduction of the book that tells us of how he is in relationship to those that are a part of the church, those that are in the assembly.
Revelation 19 through 22
Address—Robert Boulard
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
Well, I thought we'd look at.
Revelation chapter 19 just to.
Look at the appearing of the Lord Jesus. You know, there's two comings of the Lord. There's the coming of the Lord for his Saints, and that's the rapture, and there's the coming of the Lord with his Saints. That's the appearing. And largely the Christian world is confused on those two comings, and they confuse the part of the portion that Israel has with the portion that Christians have.
And so our portion is going to be a wonderful portion and this really takes in here the appearing of the Lord Jesus. I'm going to just I wish I could read the whole chapter, but I'm going to just mention.
In the 1St 6 verses we have 4 hallelujahs or hallelujahs it means praise the Lord.
And let's read it 19 chapter 19 and verse one says after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven saying Hallelujah.
Salvation and glory and honor and power unto the Lord our God.
For true and righteous are his judgments, and he hath judged the great core, which did corrupt the earth, and with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand. And again they said Hallelujah, And her smoke rose up forever and ever in the four, and 20 elders and four beasts fell down, and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying Amen, Hallelujah. And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great.
And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia, for the Lord God of Nip that renith, let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him, for the marriage of the Lamb is coming. His wife hath made herself ready, and to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white, for the fine linen is the righteousness, or the righteousness of the Saints. And he saith unto me, Right blessed are they which are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb.
And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, Seed, I'll do it not. I am a fellow servant. Thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus worship God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
Now that brings us right up to the appearing and I'm going to read Lord willing hear from verse 11 down a little bit later. But in chapters 17 and 18 we have details given the Spirit of God gives us details to the judgment of political Babylon and religious Babylon and the false church, the one that exalts herself today and sits as and seeks to rule the kingdoms of this world and will as we.
Noticed earlier.
In chapters.
Two and chapter 2 of Revelation really in connection with Thyatira that she will rule and in some of the subsequent chapters the Roman Catholic Church is going to rule the revived Roman Empire, the United States of Europe.
And things seem to be shaping up that we can see just very vaguely through a glass, darkly, as it were. We can see that things are shaping up that way. Well, she's going to be judged. And we didn't read the details of those judgments, but the results of those judgments. And you and I are going to be intelligent as to those things that are taking place upon the earth. And all heaven will rejoice, and those that are in the earth as well. But really, the scene here is in heaven.
Much people in heaven in verse one saying Hallelujah salvation and glory and honor and power unto the Lord our God so the first Hallelujah is really.
Called forth and really the attributes of God Himself in His Holiness and His righteousness.
And are told forth true and righteous are his judgments Reeth judged the great ***** that did corrupt the earth with her fornications that avenged the blood of his servants at her hand. And so all heavens going to rejoice that the false church has been judged and dealt with on a righteous basis and because of the holiness of God, he's dealt with her. And then the second Hallelujah here is in verse three. They again they said alleluia.
And her smoke rose up forever and ever, and the four and 20 elders and the four beasts fall down and fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne saying Amen, Hallelujah. So the second Hallelujah is in connection with His holy judgments. He's judged her because of His Holiness. The third Hallelujah is the worship.
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For all that God has done, and the four and 20 elders, as I say, are those that represent the church.
And the Old Testament Saints.
And then the 4th Hallelujah is in verse six, right at the end of verse six there, and it's really an expression of joy that's really from the whole of the heavenly company, a great multitude, and the voice of many waters, the voice of mighty thundering, saying Hallelujah for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
So it's a result.
Really.
All heaven is going to burst out in joy and Thanksgiving worship to the Lord, because that which presented a false picture of Christ and exalted herself as judged. And now that that system is judged, then the church is presented, Then the bride is presented here, and it says, let us be glad and give him honor, for the marriage of the Lamb is coming. His wife hath made herself ready, and as I mentioned, she's presented as a wife in connection with administration.
In the earth and so the bride of Christ will be used of God, you and I a part of that bride in any measure of responsibility and and faithfulness to God that we have been acted in faithfulness to him, devotion to him, obedience to his word and the principles of the word of God in connection with how we ought to conduct ourselves and glorify him in this scene and.
He's going to reward us and He's going to use us in administration in the earth. And then he comes a little bit later on, He'll give some details. And it says to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white for the linen. The fine linen is the righteousness of the Saints. And so instead of the false bride presenting herself in all kinds of glorious garments and so on, the Lord displays his bride with a righteous garment. A garment of white speaks white, you know, as a color of victory and purity.
And the bride of Christ is going to be pure. Can you imagine Heaven is going to be filled with those of the church age.
And all of the sorrow and all of the disobedience and rebellion that we've seen and experienced in this world, in the church, those that are real believers and all of those that seem to perhaps have failed in one measure or another.
That's all going to be just.
But after the judgment seat of Christ, what he's going to see is a fair bride, and to her was granted that she should be arrayed in finally, and he only sees the righteousnesses of the Saints. And then there are those that are the friends of the bridegroom, the Old Testament Saints and.
Perhaps the martyred Saints during the Tribulation period, they're not presented here, but it says those that are blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb, those that are the redeemed. But those Old Testament Saints that are not a part of the bride.
So their friends, the bridegroom, and so they're spoken of. John the Baptist spoke of them as well.
And the Lord spoke of the friends of the Bridegroom and.
Here we have them just mentioned here Solo John, you know he saw these things.
He saw them, he was a witness, he heard these things, he heard these hallelujahs and all heaven just bursting out like fireworks of a display of glory and just fell at the feet of the Angel. The Angel was a servant, and the angels are servants forever. They don't have a place in the family of God at all. They're only servants. And the Angel had to rebuke him. I think there's three times that the angels have to rebuke John. Say don't do it, don't worship us. We're only servants. I am thy fellow servant, my brethren.
Of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus worship God. And then he gives us the key to understanding all of the prophetic scriptures. Not only these, but even in the Old Testament, he says the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. In in essence, what he's saying is to understand prophetic scriptures, you have to remember that the subject of prophecy is the Lord Jesus himself. Now every verse of prophecy may not mention the Lord Jesus himself.
But it mentions His, His 'cause His people, His earthly people in the Old Testament, and His glory, His future glory. Remember the two things that the prophetic scriptures taught is the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow. And they all lead down that same path, those two themes of the prophetic scriptures. And so this Angel just brings it up. Now he comes to the point where the Lord Jesus is going to claim the kingdoms for himself.
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Verse 11. He says, I saw heaven opened, and behold a White Horse. And he that sat upon him was called faithful and true. And in righteousness he does judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, on his head were many crowns. He had a name written that no man knew but himself, And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood. And his name is called the word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed and fine linen white and clean.
And out of his mouth go with a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations, and he shall rule them with a rod of iron. And he he treads the wine Press of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written King of kings and Lord of Lords.
And I saw an Angel standing in the sun, and he cried with a loud voice, saying, To all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, come.
And gather yourselves together under the supper of the great God.
That you may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them.
In the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. And I saw the beast.
And the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against him, but sat on the horse and against his army. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image.
These both were cast alive into the lake of fire, burning with brimstone, and the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth, and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.
You know the culmination of the wickedness, the audacity and the wickedness of man.
And John must have wondered at this as he saw this. But the audacity of man who has been.
Sitting under the sound of the Gospel of the grace and kindness of God in the Western world received many, many mercies because of the privileges of Christianity and the blessings of Christianity.
And he rejects Christ, he rejects all the blessings, he rejects Christ, he rejects the grace of God, he rejects the testimony of the church, He rejects the testimony of the Word of God. And the last thing we read up in chapter 19 at the appearing of the Lord Jesus when he comes to claim the kingdoms for himself, is that man himself, energized by Satan, seeks to fight against the Son of God, the Lord Jesus, the Savior, who loved him, who loved those dear ones.
Everyone and who had made full provision that they could have salvation, they could have their sins forgiven, man will rise up and fight against the Lord Jesus the beast. In verse 19, the Roman ruler of the revived Roman Empire and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together.
To make war against him that sat on the horse and against his army. Now who's with him in his army? It's really the army, the armies of the Saints coming with him. And just a little different terminology than he gives us in other passages of Scripture where he comes with 10 thousands of his Saints. Here he's going to come as a conqueror and he's going to have us with him. And no doubt all of the heavenly Saints are going to be displayed in that company. But really he's the central focus of it. And here speaks of a White Horse in verse 11 and it speaks.
Not only of righteous judgment, but it speaks is the color of victory, and it's the color of purity. But really specifically here, it's the color of righteous judgment and of victory. You know how you sometimes read a book? I just picked up a book.
Last night off of Brother Jerry and our sisters bookshelf about Robert E Lee. Just a small little book and apparently it was a real believer. I read the flyleaf and then just to see how the story turned out.
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I turned to the last page and I read the last page of the book just to see exactly, you know, roughly how it turned out.
There's a real dear believer who died at 63 years of age of natural causes. He was ill, but he died really, you might say, of natural causes and went to be with the Lord. And I read that. So I began to read the first part of the story, and I have enjoyed it. But here the Spirit of God records that you and I are on the winning side, there's no doubt.
Prophecy is history.
Written ahead of time and God has told us the end of the story in the end of the story is that the Lord Jesus is not going to allow.
The rebellion to continue indefinitely against him and God is not going to allow man to.
Publicly dishonor his son for a long time, for indefinitely. He's going, his patients will run out. And so here he comes with great glory, great honor, and we don't have time to go through all of these little types and so on, but he comes to judge.
And he seizes this wicked man, the ruler of their revived Roman Empire, and his false prophet, the one that was in the land of Israel and led the nation of Israel into apostasy, and he wrought false miracles.
He just.
Gone seizes them both. The Son of God seizes them both. Judgment is delivered into the Son of God. You know it says I think it's John's gospel chapter 5. I meant to read this earlier in these series of meetings, but I think it's.
John's Gospel chapter 5 and verse 22. It's it's something that we need to understand as a principle as we read the New Testament and even the Old Testament.
John 522 For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son.
And so the one that's going to sit on the great white throne is the Son of God. It's the Lord Jesus, the one who comes on this White Horse, it's the Lord Jesus himself. Well, then we come to chapter 20 and I may just read that very brief. That makes some very brief comments on it because.
There is a finality, there are eternal consequences to the rejection of Christ. And while it's the love of Christ that constraints us, the love of Christ for you, constrains you, doesn't it? To walk for Him, to live for him, to devote your life to him.
Isn't it the love of the Lord Jesus that just works with you and you remember the love of the Lord Jesus, you come on the Lords day morning, you just want to return some of that affection to him and give him the desire of his own heart to have you there with him in his presence. Well, the eternal consequences of those that reject Christ are presented to us here in this chapter. And then we have the really the in chapter 21, the eternal state, a little picture of the eternal state for the 1St 8 verses and I'd like to look at that in a little more detail, but let's read chapter 20.
And get a little bit of a an outline of the finality of that scene. And I saw an Angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent which is the devil and Satan, and bound him 1000 years, and cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him that he should deceive the nations no more till the 1000 years should be fulfilled.
And after that he must be loosed a little season. And I saw a throne, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them. And I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received His mark upon their foreheads or in their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ 1000 years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished.
This is the first resurrection.
Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection. On such the second death hath no power.
But they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him 1000 years.
And when the 1000 years are expired, Satan shall be loose out of his prison, and shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog to gather themselves and them together to battle, the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, encompassed the camp of the Saints about, and the beloved city, and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. And the Devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are.
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And shall be tormented day and night, forever and ever. And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, on it, from whose face the heaven and the earth, the earth and the heaven fled away, and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God.
It's really God. The sun and the books were opened and another book was opened, which is the book of life, and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their works.
And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and the death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them, and they were judged every man according to their works. And Death and hell were cast, or Hades, Death and Hades were cast into the Lake of fire. This is the second Death. And whosoever was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of Fire.
Well, at the appearing of the Lord Jesus, there's going to he's going to come. He's going to set up his Kingdom. He's going to take the kingdoms for himself. And we know that there are going to be enemies in the land. God is going to use the children of Israel as they they he comes and he reigns with them. They'll still be some enemies in the land and he'll and about in some of the nations round about them and he'll use.
Some of the children of Israel newly come into the land and having been terribly humbled because of the destruction in the army of the north coming down and so on. And he'll use them to subdue those kingdoms. But he's going to take at the beginning of his reign, he's going to take and bind up Satan. He's there's not going to be temptation. Satan is not going to be loose and able to tempt men in this world for 1000 years.
And that hasn't been in existence, that hasn't taken place since the creation of this world for the last 6000 years.
Man has been tempted by Satan and demonic. His demonic agents, those that are fallen angels and that have followed him also do his evil work. They'll be bound in the abyss. And it says specifically of Satan and calls them four things, the dragon, bold serpent, the devil and Satan. It's really.
The completeness of character of evil.
And so he gives this name. The dragon is really his character as a destroyer. And that's given to us in Revelation Chapter 9, verse 11. I think I read that a couple of nights ago, but we might turn to it.
Revelation 9 verse 11, that the Angel of the bottomless pit, whose name is in the Hebrew tongue of Aden means destruction, but that's in Hebrew. But in the Greek tongue has his name Apollon. That means destroyer, really Satan.
He doesn't create anything. He doesn't make anything. He destroys what God has created and he destroys. He wants to destroy your life and mine. He doesn't care how long. He, he, he's very patient, if I could put it that way. He, he doesn't care what stage of life he destroys. He just wants to destroy you so that there isn't any fruit for God. Oh, May God keep us and preserve us from the destruction of the enemy. He gives him that name. The first title is a dragon and then the old serpent. He means he's a very experienced deceiver.
He knows how to deceive.
He's been at it for 6000 years. He knows his business well. He can deceive the Saints even.
And then it says the devil, and so is the devil. He's a tempter. He tempts us. It's Matthews Gospel chapter 4. Remember he the devil came to tempt the Lord and to test him. And so he tempts you and I to sin against God, to dishonor the name of Christ. And then it says here his last character, Satan. And I think we remember in connection with.
Satan is first Peter chapter five, he says that he walketh about his roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. And so he's an adversary. That's his name, his name. Satan really means adversary. So he's an adversary, he's a destroyer, he's a deceiver, old is old and very experienced deceiver. And the devil, he's a tempter and he's an adversary, bound him for 1000 years. And so this world is going to know what it's like to have a perfect world government. If I could put it that way, you and I are going to reign with the Lord Jesus in heaven.
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And he's going to have his Saints in this world, We read a little bit later on, the 12 apostles are going to have a special place in the Kingdom. The Lord told them that.
In fact, we might read it right now since I mentioned it now. 19 Matthew 19, verse 28.
Let's read verse 27 to get the connection. Then answered Peter, and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and have fallen, and followed thee, what shall we have therefore? And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto you, that ye which have followed me in the regeneration, when the Son of Man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon 12 Thrones judging.
The 12 tribes of Israel. So the regeneration really is referring to the Millennium. He's going to regenerate the earth and there's going to be a renewal and disease and sickness is going to cease and death will cease. The effects of death and men and women are going to live for the whole 1000 years if they don't sin publicly against God. But isn't it nice that the Lord Jesus, he says there's going to be the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory.
And those dear apostles are going to be associated with him. They were despised. They were rejected of this world. They were martyred. Perhaps most of them were martyred. Some of them died a natural death. I believe John perhaps died a natural death. There may have been another, but many of them were murdered. And they're going to reign with the Lord Jesus. They gave up all that they had. They gave up their homes, they gave up their lives, all of their ambitions for prosperity in this world.
As a Jew and for an inheritance in the earth, and the Lord says you're going to reign with me. They're going to have a special place. So then he speaks of the resurrection. There are two resurrections. There's a resurrection of adjust and there's the resurrection of the unjust. There's not just one general resurrection. There's two resurrections. And we mentioned this, that there's three installments to the first resurrection. The first resurrection, the Lord Jesus was the first one that was raised from among the dead. He's a glorified man.
In in heaven right now seated at the right hand of the majesty on high. And then you and I are a part of the 2nd installment. We're going to hear the voice of the Lord Jesus and we're going to rise all those that have Old Testament Saints and the New Testament Saints until they have those that have died and those that are alive will all be caught up together to be with the Lord. And then here in chapter 20, he says to those that were martyred. Remember we read in in.
Revelation chapter six of two companies of martyrs, those that were going to be martyred in the 1St 3 1/2 years and those martyred in the last 3 1/2 years of the seven years of tribulation. Those that martyred in the beginning of sorrows under the rule of the Roman Catholic Church. And those that are martyred under the rule of the beast and the false prophet and they're raised, they live in verse four at the end it says they lived and reigned with Christ 1000 years.
They have a heavenly portion just like you and I, but you and I have a better part than they have. They have a good part.
It's hard to believe. It's hard, I shouldn't say, to believe, but to understand why the Lord Jesus would give us the closest place in heaven, the closest place in association with Him for all eternity, the closest association with Him while he rules in his Kingdom for 1000 years. The closest, the nearest, the best, he says to the prodigal son, the Father says.
Take the best robe and put it upon him, and choose upon His feet. We have a place of blessing and favor that is astounding. And so he speaks of those that the rest of the dead live. Not again until the thousand years were finished.
And there there's only one resurrection of the dead that are wicked dead and those are going to stand before the great white throne. I just mentioned this that at the end of the thousand years after 1000 years of raining the Lord Jesus brings in tremendous.
Blessing.
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There's no sickness, there's no disease. There's blessing, just blessing. Just flows like a river out of Jerusalem. Men have never had it so good. There's no war, there's no disease, there's nothing but just prosperity in the earth. And the Lord Jesus has brought it to into existence. He subdued all that Satan.
Brought in because of sin, but the 1000 years are over, the rain is over as it were, comes to a close. And the enemies of the Lord Jesus, those that have no faith, the enemy of Satan is loose to gain, and he coves and he tempts them. He deceives them to think that they can rise up and destroy Jerusalem, the holy city, and to set themselves free from the restraint of the Lord Jesus.
Because you know, it says that he'll reign with a rod of iron. They won't be able to sin. But man in his natural state loves to sin. He wants to sin and he'll know that he can't sin. If he does sin publicly, it's death immediately. But when he comes, when Satan is loosed, he'll say, this is my last chance. I'm going to see if I can break loose from the creator. And it says in verse nine, they went up upon the breath of the earth encompassed the camp of the Saints about.
And the beloved city.
And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them, and the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are actually tormented day and night, forever and ever.
So man, deceived by Satan, is going to, at the end of the perfect reign of the Lord Jesus, come up just a few of them.
As the sand of the sea, a multitude that is innumerable to try to destroy the city of Jerusalem against the city, the beloved city, and fire came down from God out of heaven. So it just proves to us that it doesn't matter what man's condition is, what his environment is, what his circumstances are. It doesn't change the flesh, doesn't improve man. So today people find themselves in the legal system.
And they say it's not my fault. I, it was the circumstances I was brought up in. I was abused as a child, all those kinds of things. It's not my fault. It's somebody else's fault. But no, under perfect circumstances, they're going to rebel against the Lord Jesus. And so he points this out. So man is thoroughly corrupt and he needs, the Lord needs to be intervention of God himself. And So what a privilege it is for us to bow the knee to our Lord Jesus Christ in this life.
Then he brings in the the Great White Throne. It says there that.
And him that sat on it in verse 11 from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away and there was found no place for them. Let's just read in second Peter just to.
Get a little more detail. Second Peter, chapter 3.
The new, the old heaven, the old earth are going to be destroyed. The earth that we're walking on right now.
Going to be burned up. It's going to be utterly consumed, it says.
In second Peter chapter 3, verse 10, the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in the which that's the end of the day of the Lord. The heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat. The earth also, and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then there are all these things shall be dissolved. What manner of persons ought you to be in all holy conversation?
And godliness, looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God. Remember, that's the eternal state. That's the day when there's no enemies, and the Lord Jesus is going to devote Himself to His bride. We're in the heavens. Being on fire shall be dissolved, and the element shall melt with fervent heat. Nevertheless, we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness. Well, that's really pointing towards the eternal state.
But I read that because the dead, small and great stand before God.
The Earth doesn't exist. The atmospheric heavens here in the.
Um, celestial heavens, the outer space, we might say, in all those planets and everything, they don't exist.
And they come, they stand before the Son of God.
Seated upon his throne, they stand in outer space suspended to be judged by him. And the last thing that those ones are going to see is the face of the one that loved him, that loved them. None of them is going to be able to say that Christ didn't love them. Judas couldn't say that Christ didn't love him. He's called Judas a friend, and yet he went into a lost eternity because he rejected the love of Christ. And so they're going to see the Son of God. And it says the books here, their works according their works are freely the work.
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Did they have a work of faith? Did they accept the word in the Old Testament times? Did they operate on the principle of faith or did they operate on the principle of rebellion, rebellion against the authority of God and exercising their own wills? And so it just speaks of the books here and it speaks to us the of the fact that what is going on today, God is keeping a record of he's keeping a record of it. And in the coming day he's going to hold accountable.
Every single man, woman and child. And so he says that they were judged according there.
Works Death in hell or Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death you know, after this verse here.
Really, this is after the Millennium. Sin will never exist again. Sin will never disturb our rest.
They'll never be another sin committed. They'll never be another disobedient thought. There will never be another Angel or another power that disobeys God and brings in some disorder into that eternal scene. And so that's why we have here in in chapter 21 and we'll read the 1St 8 verses. It speaks of the eternal scene and the blessedness of it.
I saw a new heaven and a new earth.
For the 1St heaven and the first earth were passed away, and there was number more sea. And I, John saw the holy city, New Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride.
Adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the Tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them and be their God, and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.
And there shall be no more death, neither saw nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain.
For the former things are passed away, and he that sat upon the throne said, Behold.
I make all things new. And he said unto me, Right, for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him. That is a thirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he shall be my son, but the fearful and unbelieving and abominable.
And murderers. And ************. And sorcerers.
And idolaters and all liars shall have their part in the lake, which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.
So he paints a little bit of a picture. There's not too many passages of Scripture that give us a little glimpse of the eternal state we have.
A little bit of teaching in First Corinthians chapter 15, I think perhaps maybe verses 24 to 28, something like that. And we have the passage of Scripture that we just read in Second Peter chapter 3 in connection with the.
New heavens and the new earth, the old earth being destroyed. And then we have this passage, 3 passages, I believe that we're told about the eternal state. And here John.
It's the last vision in this book. It's the 8th vision and he sees a new heaven and new earth. I wonder what he saw.
He saw its figurative language, but no doubt he saw some representation of that new heaven, that new earth not marred by sin at all, and something that would be quite suitable for the eternal blessing of man and a place that God could.
Enjoy the people of God, the people that he is redeemed with precious blood of Christ. And he says the 1St heaven, the first earth were passed away.
All those memories of the sin and rebellion and the wars and all the sickness and sorrow and the abuse and all of those things just go. Just the memory of them perhaps erased in our minds, as it were, and we're not ever going to feel.
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Sorrow in that scene, because this is what it says, God is going to dwell. He's going to Tabernacle with us, He's going to dwell with his people eternally, with men, and God himself shall be with them and be their God. And he mentions 5 things that are going to be.
Just for our finite minds, just to remember and to just describe the eternal state, he says in verse 4, There's five things that won't be there.
All because of sin. Tears. God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. There's a lot of crying going on tonight. There's a lot of crying, isn't there? Children are crying.
Men are being tortured and they're crying. They're crying out to God. The Lord Jesus cried on the cross. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
There was weeping at the tomb as the Saints at that time didn't understand what really had taken place. There was weeping. There's a lot of weeping, There's sickness, there's sorrow, there's separation. But not in that day, not a tear. That eternal state. There shall be no more death. Death is a part of sin. Sin has brought in death, the wages of sin.
Is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. And so there's going to be a scene.
We can hardly imagine it. We drive down the road, doesn't take many miles, and we see an animal that's laid out on the road.
On the roadway or a deer laying in the ditch.
Just some evidence of death, and then we see evidence of death in connection with men.
In this scene doesn't take long, we don't have to be very old and we see something of death. First experience of my mind in connection with death was my grandma who my mother's mother.
1961 January 1961 She went to be with the Lord and she raised four children and she was prayed for those children.
And I could tell you some stories, but she went to be with the Lord, and I saw her in her coffin as a little boy and had the comfort of being told this little boy that grandma was with the Lord. And here there's not going to be any death, neither sorrow.
All those little things that come in to bring sorrow, and there's sorrows of hearts in connection with our children, their sorrow, heart and connection with some of the things that we see go on in the assembly, all these things that are broken.
In this world.
Neither crying. There's not going to be an audible note of any discord. Neither shall be any more pain for the former things that are passed away. Anybody here have pain tonight?
We all have a little bit of pain, don't we? And the older we get, the more that we get more pain we get, but not in that scene, not in the glory. Those that have accepted the Lord Jesus as their Savior, that have cried to the Lord Jesus said, God be merciful to me as Sinner, and he receives them as sons into his family. And he says, there's not going to be any of these things in heaven in that eternal day. The former things are passed away. And he that sat on the throne said, behold, I make all things new.
He said unto me, right? For these words are true and faithful. He wanted us to know that with a certainty that the sin and the destruction, what sin is brought into this world is going to be conquered. And God is never defeated by sin. Never. His purpose was to create man that there would be blessing and that there would be fruit for him for all eternity. And he's going to have his way. Thank God, He's going to have His way. So you know what it says in Luke chapter 14? Compel them.
To come in that my house may be filled. Now we have the water of life freely. The fountain, fountain of the water of life freely. I will give unto him that is a thirst. The fountain of water of life freely. You know what that speaks of is refreshment. Water always speaks of refreshment in this way in the scriptures. You and I are going to have a thirst forever for affection from the Lord. He's going to have a thirst to have our company.
And to be in our presence and to enjoy our company. But you and I are going to have a thirst, just a, a yearning and a thirst to be with Him. And we're going to have our thirst satisfied. We're going to be satisfied as much as we're going to have. I will give unto them that is him. That is a thirst, the fountain of water of life freely. You're going to have as much of Christ as you want when you're in that glorious scene above. And you're going to have a heart that's refreshed for that whole eternal scene.
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Then he points out something else that's eternal, and that is the consequences of disobedience and rebellion against God. The fearful, the unbelieving, the abominable. I think there's eight things here. And murderers, ************ sorcerers, idolaters, liars, all have their part in the lake of fire that burneth with brimstone, which is a second death. There are eternal consequences.
And there's no such thing as annihilation, no such thing as purgatory and getting out of purgatory and all that sort of thing. It's all men's imagination. And the deceit of the enemy is not found in the Word of God. Men and women that are created in the image of God are going to exist for eternity. And there's only one of two places. And this is what he brings out here. These words are true and faithful, and so we can use them in the gospel of the grace of God, but that we can use them.
As a warning to others, but we can use them too to encourage one another. Then he speaks from verse 9 down really to.
Perhaps verse 27.
Of the millennial scene and how the church is displayed during the Millennium and how she has a place of.
Responsibility in the Kingdom, and we mentioned in verse 12 That speaks of the 12 tribes of the children of Israel. They're going to have a special place. There's going to be.
Joy. There's going to be rejoicing. There's going to be a fixed.
System of things.
In the city of the new city of Jerusalem, there's going to be an earthly city of Jerusalem and there's going to be a heavenly city of Jerusalem. You know what the name Jerusalem means? It means the abode of harmony, the possession of peace. God wanted His people to dwell in the possession of peace. He wanted them to live in a state of peace and in a spirit of harmony.
Forever. And in that scene above, there's going to be an earthly city and then a heavenly city that's just above that.
Earthly city, we don't know what the distance is, but the earthly Saints are going to be able to see something of the heavenly city. And you and I is really a picture of the church. The church is presented here as a city, and she's going to be used in government, displayed in government. Well, there are a lot of things we could say about this chapter, but I want to just focus the last few minutes of this little meeting.
From chapter 22.
And.
Verse 6.
Actually, that millennial scene continues from chapter 21, verse nine down to the end of verse five. Chapter 22, verse five, that's all the Millennium and you'll notice in chapter 22 verse.
One, it says in the midst of the street of it.
On either side of the river there was a tree of life, which bear 12 manner of fruits yielded her fruit every month leaves the tree worth feel healing the nation's so on. He just presents the a little picture of the Garden of Eden, the Garden of the Lord.
You know a garden is a picture of fruitfulness for God.
Does God have much fruit in this world today?
He has a little bit of fruit. We thank God for it.
He's going to have an abundance of fruit in the Millennium. His people are going to bear fruit continually, every season, every month. And he just presents here the first book of the Bible, Genesis. In chapter two, he speaks of the garden of the Lord. He tells us about the river that flows forth and divides into four heads and brings refreshment and and.
Waters the earth from the source was really.
Where the tree of life was a little picture of Christ, although the Lord Jesus has never said to have lived in the Garden of Eden. But here he's presented in the last book of the Bible, the last chapter of the book of the Bible. He presents a little picture of the Garden of the Lord. And the blessing just flows forth from under the throne of God and of the land in New Jerusalem. And the blessing just flows throughout the millennial earth. And he's blessed. He just longs to bless.
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And there's fruit for him as a result. Then he says from verse six of the last chapter down to the end.
He speaks of his coming three times.
And while it was John that wrote these things, it's the Lord Jesus himself that addresses himself to the church. He addresses himself to you and I. And three times he tells us he's coming again.
And so the first time here he says in verse 7, Behold, I come quickly. Blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.
And so it's really an exhortation, just an encouragement to us to remember that the Lord Jesus is coming.
And to make it have an effect upon our lives. Now we wake up in the morning, we say, wow, he didn't come last night, but he might come today. And I better conduct myself today as if he's coming today. That's really what he's saying here. He's saying, blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book. We have the Book of Revelation. It tells us the end of the story. We've read the last page, as it were, and we know that we're on winning side and we know that the Lord Jesus is coming very shortly.
Because we have a sense of it as we've read the details of this book. And he says, now let it have an effect upon your life practically. And then he says a little bit later on, he says in verse 12.
Behold, I come quickly, and my reward is with me to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha, Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Blessed are they. It should not say that do his commandments put brackets around that do his commandments they It's not a good translation. Blessed are they that wash their robes that they may have right to the tree of life and may enter into through the gates into the city.
Without our dogs and sorcerers.
So he says, behold, I come quickly. None of us is ever going to get into heaven because of our works. And so that's why it shouldn't say do his commandments. There's nothing that you could do to merit the favor and blessing of God, is there? You couldn't please God in the flesh.
But you could wash your robes, you could be washed in the blood of the land. And so that's why there's a blessing. But he says I come quickly, quickly in. My reward is with me. It anticipates the fact that there is going to be a judge. The judgment seat of Christ will take place.
Very shortly after the Rapture and he's going to reward us.
You're going to get a reward. You know, Brother Gordon Hale used to say every one of us is living our lives in view of the day of reward. It should motivate us. It should encourage us. And every one of us has a little box, as it were, that we're preparing for the Lord. Every day we're putting a little bit of something in that box.
Did you have something here this, this, this chapter 21 and then and that says?
16 and you know that how high is that going to be from 16 down to 17? How high is that going to be?
I don't know, someone said. Someone said 1500 miles by 1500 miles by 1500 miles. That's a long way. Halfway across North America and halfway down, you know, it's, it's a long way. There's going to be lots of room.
But here it's really the judgment seat of Christ. Everyone of us is preparing a little gift to give to the Lord Jesus. When we see him face to face, we're going to present to him our little box and say, this is what we thought about you. This is how much we valued your relationship. We've we've, we've collected this little box of treasures just for you, Lord. Some of us are going to have some pretty small boxes.
But he's going to reward us.
And he's gonna long to reward us. He longs to the last page of the book of the Word of God.
He says, I'm coming back and I just want to give you a reward, as large a reward as I can. And so it should be a motivation to us. Now he says in verse 17, the Spirit and the Bride say come and let him that heareth say come, let them that are him that is a thirst come. And whosoever will let him take of the water of life freely. There's a little response here from the bride. And then it says surely in verse 20, I come quickly. Amen.
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Even so, come Lord Jesus. So there's a response from us because we want others to be saved. Whosoever will let him take of the water of life freely, we can use that in the gospel because the Lord is coming. And in a positive way, preach the gospel and tell others because we know the Lord Jesus, the brides, the Spirit and the Bride say come.
And that nice response, you know what the bride speaks of is one who is precious to the heart of the Lord Jesus. And it speaks of the Pearl in the chapter 21 as well. It speaks of the Pearl and the Pearl is very precious, very expensive, and every single Pearl is unique, different to any other Pearl. There's no two pearls and they're the same. And so you and I are part of the bride. But he says in the last verse here, in the second to last verse of the Bible which testifies, he which testifies these things sayeth surely I come quickly, I'm in Even so come Lord Jesus.
So that's the response of the bride. Even so, come Lord Jesus, and may our hearts be tender towards that blessed One who loved us and gave himself for us. And this world is designed to make your heart cold against the Savior, to deaden the affections for Christ, to distract you, and to make their priorities your priorities. To build the treasure cities of Pharaoh and to build pyramids for Pharaoh, and to do anything but live for Christ.
In view of his affections for us and so he says last verse, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. And so it's really the spirit of grace that he desires to see in his people. Last words of the apostle John written here. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Let's just commend ourselves.