Kentucky Conference: 2005
Table of Contents
John 14:1-3, Revelation 4
Reading
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Ephesians 3, verse 16. That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his spirit in the inner man. That Christ may dwell in your heart by faith, that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with All Saints what is the breath and length.
And depth and height, and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, right?
Christian brethren regard to so much around us to overwhelm both in the world, natural disasters on the political stage, often things in our own lives, and in the assembly that seemed to overwhelm us.
Like to make a suggestion that perhaps for these readings we could look at the 4th and 5th chapter, the Book of Revelation and if that is the mind of the brethren, perhaps before we read that we could as a little prelude read the 1St 3 verses of the 14th chapter of John.
Make that suggestion, it's so good to look above.
The circumstances and days darken down here.
John 14 to start with. And you said Revelation four and five afterwards, huh? Maybe for this reading meeting we could read just the 4th of Revelation, but beginning with the 1St 3 verses of John 14.
Read John 14.
Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, you believe also in me and my father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you, I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and we see the one to myself, that where I am, there ye may be also.
In Revelation chapter 4.
After this I looked and behold, a door was opened in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was, as it were, of the trumpet talking with me, which said, come up, hit her, and I will show these things which must be hereafter. And immediately I was in the spirit, and behold, the throne was set in heaven. And one sat on the throne, And he that said 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 four and 20 elders sitting clothed in white, Raiment. They had on their heads crowns of gold. Now to the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings, and voices. And there were seven lines of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God. And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto 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 is a man. And the 4th beast was like a flying eagle. And the four beasts had each of them six wings about them they were they were full of eyes within, and they 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 sailed on the throne, who live with forever and ever the four and 20 elders fall down before him, they sat on the throne.
And worship him that liveth forever and ever, and cast their pounds before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, oh Lord, to receive glory and honor and power, for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
Well, we know that in Revelation 4 and five, John has this vision of what is ahead, has a glimpse right into the glory, sees the redeemed around the lamb, and so on. But I thought it might be helpful before we get into that chapter to just go back, as I say to the 14th of John, where we find the Lord Jesus is about to leave the disciples and to go to the cross and then return to the glory.
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What prompted what we often refer to in these chapters as the upper room ministry is what it says at the beginning of the 13th chapter. And that is that the hour was come that he should depart out of the world under the Father. Having loved his own, which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.
He was going to leave them. And just picture this little scene, brethren. The disciples gathered around the Lord Jesus, and he looks at this company of disciples, and he knew that their hearts were troubled. He knew that they were afraid as they thought of the Lord Jesus leaving them here. They had walked with the Lord Jesus during his public ministry, and he had provided everything that was needed for them in a temporal way, for the comfort and encouragement of their hearts and so on.
But now he wasn't going to be with them in the same way. And we know in these chapters that he brings before them much as to the provision that he was going to make for them in his absence. But what's interesting here in the 14th chapter, in these first three verses, is that he gives them three things for the comfort of their hearts on this occasion. And brother. And I suppose there's never been a day when our hearts desire to be comforted more than the day in which we live.
There's so many difficulties and problems. We've seen a natural disaster right here on our own continent, right here in the United States of America that seems overwhelming and we delight to have our hearts comforted someone who will speak to our hearts and give consolation. And so the Lord Jesus gives three things. And if you just allow me to mention these three things and it would be good to elaborate and comment on them as I say, before we go on to the to the.
Other portion, but just to very quickly enumerate the three things in the first verse of the 14th of John, the first thing he gives to them for their comfort is himself. You believe in God, Believe also in me, but it's not himself in the way he was going to be. He had been with them during his public ministry. If he sets before them himself in glory, In other words, he says you believed on God, whom you've never seen.
Now you're going to have to believe in me, in the same way you're not going to see me with the physical eye. And so we read henceforth know we know man after the flesh, though we knew Christ after the flesh, henceforth know we him no more. But I like what Peter says. He develops this, he says, whom not having seen ye love, though now you see him not yet rejoicing, ye believe with yet believing, you rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.
And, brethren, isn't it a comfort this afternoon to look up by faith, not the natural eye, but by faith, and see that blessed one who's living for us at the right hand of God, who's there interceding for us? Who's there? A place of power? Doesn't this give us confidence to go on amidst the difficulties? The second thing he gives to them for their comfort is the new home. He's going to prepare a place for them, and he brings before them that this world is not the end of the story.
This and brethren, this world is not our home. It's not the end of the story. And that ought to comfort our hearts as well. And then in the third verse, he gives them the for their comfort, the hope, the truth, the promise that he's going to come himself and receive them to himself in that home. I think it'd be good if we just stopped and meditated on these verses here for a few minutes and to realize that while we see everything in chaos around us, in the breakdown of all.
Yet, brethren, we're going on to something far better. We can lift our eyes above the horizons of this sad world.
Very interesting, is it not that?
This 14th chapter. Let's turn now to the 21St chapter of John's Gospel. We see something else in connection with this, and also in connection with the Book of Revelation in the 14th chapter.
Of the 20th, 1St then Peter turning about, see if the disciple whom Jesus loved following, which also leaned on his breast at supper and said Lord, what is he?
Who is he which betrayed the Peter, seeing him said to Jesus, Lord, And what shall this man do? Jesus says unto him of thy will that he tarried till I come. What is that to thee? All of our need. You know John's gospel. This is fulfilled because the revelation is the Lord Jesus coming. Not alone in the 4th chapter, and that's probably not the the real indication of it, But a window was open in heaven and he was called come up, hit her a little indication of it.
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Of course we have it in first Thessalonians 4 and 1St Corinthians 15. But the end of all things are in Revelation, and John is the one that gives us to us. So it fulfilled. And then in the 23rd verse then went to saying abroad among the President, that the disciple should not die. Yet Jesus said not unto him, he shall not die, but if I tarry.
Till I come. What is that to be?
So the end of John takes us right from there into Revelation because John wrote the ending of all things. The Revelation closes the scene, the 19th chapter of the Lord coming out of heaven with his army of white young white horses, Army on white horses. The end of all things. And so John Kerry is right into Revelation. Of course John is the one that wrote Revelation. So in essence that comment that the Lord makes if I tarry, if he, if he should tarry to light, come and that's exactly.
Fulfilled in the Book of Revelation.
I have enjoyed in the 12Th chapter of John the Lord Jesus says in verse.
27.
Now is my soul troubled.
What shall I say, Father? Save me from this hour.
But for this cause came I unto this hour.
In John's Gospel, you don't get Gethsemane.
But if there's anything in spirit that relates to it, it seems to be this verse.
As he contemplates the cross, what was before him.
And he says, now is my soul trouble.
But here in this verse he says, let not your heart be troubled. Isn't this beautiful brother? He went into the awful trouble.
Of those three hours of darkness on the cross, so that he could say to us, let not your heart be troubled.
What consolation that gives to the soul to realize that the question of the judgment of God that we have so vividly taken up in the Book of Revelation.
And we see in the 4th chapter those elders sitting around the throne.
Lightnings and thunderings.
The.
Evidence that judgment is about to fall on this world, but they are sitting there in perfect peace around the throne. No trouble in their hearts, no brethren to know that that question of our position before God is settled, how important that is. But I think it is to what Jim was mentioning every circumstance of life.
We have a God who is interested in the minutest detail that may trouble us, and you see troubled hearts everywhere you look today.
He says, Let not your heart be troubled. This is a command. Don't let it be troubled. I have to confess, brethren, I don't obey this command very well.
And I find that it is because we get occupied with the circumstances around us. Somebody has put it this way. Either we believe our doubts or we believe God.
We have to make a decision. Are we going to believe the circumstances that surround us that seem to be?
So contrary to what God says? Or are we going to believe God?
Let's go back just a minute to in this line to Matthew 14, where the Lord Jesus is crossing. I should say the disciples are crossing the Sea of Galilee.
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And the Lord Jesus appears to him.
In verse 24 it says the ship was now in the midst of the sea. Matthew 1424.
Tossed with waves for the wind was contrary. That's the circumstances we're passing through today, brother.
The wind is contrary.
Who of us have an easy time with life? There's struggles wherever you go. And then the 4th watch of the night, Jesus went unto them walking on the sea, that beautiful above the waves of the sea, walking on them. When the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were trouble. Here's that word, trouble again, saying it is a spirit. And they cried out for fear.
And straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be a good cheer.
It is I be not afraid. What is it that takes away that those troubled feelings?
It is getting his person before our souls believing in him.
Peter answered him, and said Lord.
If it be thou did me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come.
And when Peter was coming down out of the ship, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.
Faith wants where Jesus walks because of his word. Peter only got one word from the Lord, but faith is always based on the word of God. Faith comes by hearing and hearing and hearing by the Word of God.
You only got one word. That's enough for faith. Peter was a fisherman. He steps out of the boat and knew the storms. But I don't suppose he'd ever been outside of his boat in a storm before. But he walks on the water to go to Jesus. But notice verse 30, when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid rather than that's what happens to us. We get looking at circumstances.
Let me tell you, they are enough to make us afraid.
And beginning to sink. I've had that sinking feeling a lot of times. I'm sure many others have had it too.
He cried, saying, Lord, save me.
Immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand and caught him said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?
Brethren, we believe our doubts and we doubt the precious word of God. That's what makes us sink. Lord help us to in simplicity to trust His word if there is a contradiction in our evaluation out of a set of circumstances and what God's word says.
Let's choose to believe God, because God will never be be unfaithful to His word. He will always fulfill His word. And that's the challenge. That's the trial of faith that we're going through here and now in this world.
It is as we've heard, believing in Him, putting our trust in Him to say, I don't understand where I am. I don't know what it is the Lord is passing me through, but I choose to trust Him and trust His precious word. Oh, how important that is. Excuse me. I'm very thankful for Peter and these three verses. I thank God for them.
It shows two things, my incapability and his sufficiency. And you know, Peter is bold and brazen and brash as he was. That's many of us. And the Lord never forsook you. And it's true he took his eyes off the Lord. But how many times have we done that?
But we always have the same answer, don't we?
The Lord immediately stretched out his hand immediately. And we've all experienced it, or at least we should have. It says he. He saw the wind. I I wonder how you can see the wind. I suppose it was a wave. He saw that the wind was blowing up. Sometimes those big waves come along, and I suppose he was walking pretty nicely. And then all of a sudden he probably wondered how he's going to step up until that next wave, and he got occupied. It's easy to happen, brother, and it happens to us all the time.
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Oh, just to simply trust him and when we get that sinking feeling.
Call on him. He's right there. It's interesting, Bob, in that connection that in the story that you referred to in the 14th of Matthew, this wind is mentioned three times. First, as you say, it's referred to as a contrary wind. In the same incident in John's Gospel, it's referred to as a great wind. And I've thought of that wind in connection with what we have in Ephesians 2, where it speaks of the Prince of the power of the air.
That force that is arrayed against us, and there is a mighty force arrayed against us, and it's a force that we're no match for. The enemy is greater than we are. And if we seek, get occupied with that wind, we're going to sink. Because it's interesting as you say, that when it says not when Peter saw the waves, although I'm sure that you say that was true. But he when he saw the wind boisterous, he began to sink. And brethren, if we only see the work of the enemy in that force, that's arrayed against us.
We are going to indeed sink too, because we're going to realize that we are no match for the enemy. But it's interesting then when they come into the ship, it says the wind ceased. Now if we were to go to Mark 4, where you have the incident of the Lord asleep in the boat and there's a display of his power as creator, he He arose and it says he rebuked the wind and the wave.
And there was a great calm that was a display of his power as creator to calm the wind and the waves. But here it simply says the way the wind ceased. And it doesn't say anything here about a great calm brethren, because the Lord hasn't promised to take all the waves out of your life and mine as far as that.
Force arrayed against us, the Lord has that all in control. Greater is He that is in you than He that is in the world.
But I say again, the Lord hasn't promised to take all the waves out of your life and mine. But what He does promise is the ability, as Bob said, to rise above the storm And just picture Peter. I know Peter failed here. I know Peter needed a rebuke from the Lord. But dear beloved Peter here think of the experience of walking hand in hand back to the ship with the Lord Jesus.
And Peter learned a lesson in a practical way here that the others who remained in the ship, though they observed it, didn't learn in the same way. Peter learned that not only was the Lord above the storm, but Peter learned that he could walk above the storm, above the waves, but only hand in hand with the Lord Jesus. Before we pass on, I just say one more little word about that incident. I believe what really brought peace to their souls.
What gave them calm in the midst of their fear were three little words. It is.
I, brethren, I think it's good for us just to stop and to meditate on those 3 little words. Maybe there's somebody here and you say, I've sure felt that contrary and that great wind arrayed against me. I felt the work of the enemy. You say the circumstances are overwhelming. The wave seems so high. The night seems so dark.
But just to stop and hear him say it is I I've allowed the storm. I've brought you here. I'm with you. I'm above the storm. You can rise above the storm. Hand in hand with me. Just to hear him say it is I. Oh, what calm. What confidence and peace that gives to the soul. Because, brethren, if we're afraid in the circumstances.
Of the sea of life. We don't get that from the Lord. We get that somewhere else, because he hasn't given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love, and of a sound mind.
Like to make a comment on.
Chapter 14 here in John. To me it's a real comfort in connection with these first three verses and that is the Lord Jesus here assumes.
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The affection of his disciples. To me, that's a real comfort.
In the previous chapter, chapter 13, as Jim already said, this is upper room ministry and all the disciples are there when he begins to discuss with them or tell them what's coming and prepare them for it. But in the 13th chapter Judas goes out and the Lords words to his disciples take on, I believe a little different and more intimate character. And here in the 14th chapter he says let not your heart be troubled.
It's based on the assumption and the certain knowledge that he had that his disciples were attached to himself. That is, there was love in their hearts for him and consequently he knew they would be troubled by his absence. If you don't really love anybody and they go, it doesn't matter to you and you don't need any comfort unless I person that you love.
You are separated from and consequently the Lord Jesus knew that they were going to be troubled.
On the basis of the love that was in their hearts for himself. And the same is true of the next point, he says. I have a home for you. What interest did they have in that? We all have homes. Do you have an interest in my home or I and yours? Well, a little bit, but not like the Lord puts it here. It's because of who he is and their relationship of love with himself.
Makes them want to be. He assumes they want to be where he is, and the thought of being where he is is going to be a comfort to them when he tells them that's where you're going to be as well. And so he brings before them a comfort of a home that again, is based on the certainty of the relationship between them, which was one of love we see in the chapters that follow. Peter fails.
And when the Lord restores Peter in the 21St chapter, what is it that governs the conversation between the two of them? It's the question of the relationship of love. Yes, we know there was self-confidence and boasting and so on that had to be corrected publicly and Peter. But when the Lord probes his heart, it's on the nature of their relationship. And the Lord starts out and says, well, Peter, do you, you love me?
That's stronger than attached or affection. Do you love me more than the rest and.
The probes, Peter as to that relationship and finally the Lord, as it were acknowledged as well. Peter just has to say, well, Lord, you know, you know, I'm attached to you. And I just want to say that brother, because it's so important for us and it's so true as well that we get real comfort because when we fail.
And we, most of us are. Not all of us would say we do fail. Then there is that thing that is so important at the bottom that even in failure there is a sense that we can have comfort in the sense of the Lord knows we are attached to one another. He loves me, and I'm attached to him and all of us in the bottom of our hearts. Unless there's a Judas in the room, or that is not really a Judas, but an unbeliever.
Then because to a little unbeliever, none of these things produce comfort if you don't find comfort in them.
Then either the heart has been a very bad state or you're not a believer. But if you are, then you find comfort in this. Because why? Because you are attached to the Lord and he knows it, and that brings joy to his heart and joy to yours.
One comment along that line.
The Lord could say to the disciples before He left them, I'll never I'll be with you until the end of the age. And then in Hebrews it says He'll never leave thee nor forsake thee. And it doesn't make I'm not leaving it on an opening, therefore doing what's not right. But it doesn't have anything to do with how we walk. And I'm not saying that's something that you can just do as you please, but it's because we belong to Him.
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That he'll never leave us nor forsake us. And the example is Peter. And Peter could say, Oh no, I love it.
And so, back in John 13 Peter says, you'll not you'll not wash me, you'll not wash my hands and my feet, the Lord says.
If I don't wash you, you don't have any part with me. But man, Peter says not only my hands and my feet, but I'm all over my body, my head too. And the Lord says, you need not to be washed. Save your feet. You need not to be washed at your feet because you're washed. You're clean, I realize it says, but you're not. All because there was one other that wasn't. That was Judith. But he said you're clean. And that's true of everyone in this room today, every single one in this room today that knows the Lord Jesus Christ the Savior, You're clean.
Your holy.
No, I'm not making any excuses for a wrong pathway. That's not the point. The point is, you have been watched and you're clean and the Lord knows it. That's what Peter said. Lord, thou knowest that I love thee.
So he speaks about the Father's house. Here. It's interesting that the Lord Jesus speaks of heaven or glory in this way. We refer to it in various ways, but here he speaks of it as the Father's house. Now, perhaps for a couple of reasons, it was in keeping with the character of John's ministry, because in John's Gospel, in John's ministry, we have the family of God, and we think of a family. We think of the Father as the head of that home. He provides a home.
For his wife and for his children, For his family. But isn't it precious, brethren, to think that as God's children, when we get to heaven, when we get to glory, whatever title you want to use for it, it is going to be above all, I believe for us, the Father's house. You've heard me use this illustration before, but I'll repeat it. When I travel amongst the Lord's people and you enter the homes of the Lord's people, they come out.
And they try to make you as comfortable as is possible in their home. And they say, we hope you make this your home away from home. They try to make you feel at home. But you know, as I've learned over the years, that as comfortable as the Lord's people make you in their homes, and we're thankful for it, yet you're never as comfortable as in your own home. When I return to Smith Falls and I shut the door with my and sit down with my wife and children.
I am as comfortable as is possible to be this side of glory, because there I am in my own home, surrounded by my own family. And rather than think of it, first of all, the Father is going to rejoice to have his children there. The Lord Jesus is going to rejoice to have His own gathered around himself, and we are going to sit down in the presence of the Lord Jesus in the Father's house, Perfectly comfortable. Now try to imagine what that's going to be like.
I don't think you can, because as comfortable as our situation may be in this life, there's always something to bother us, something about our surroundings. And I suppose no matter how many homes you live in in your lifetime, there's always something about that home that isn't quite as commodious as you had hoped it would be. But there's going to be nothing to bother us as to our surroundings, nothing to bother us from within, because John takes it a step further in 3rd in the third chapter of First John.
To say that we're not only going to be with Christ, but we're going to be like Christ, and so there'll be nothing from within, nothing about these bodies that will annoy us or bother us in that day. We're going to have bodies of glory like unto his body of glory, a body that is perfectly suited to that sphere of things, rather than if this doesn't rejoice our hearts and encourage our footsteps to press on the few moments that are left. I don't know what it will encourage our hearts to think, brother.
This is not our home. We're thankful for mercies along the way, but you know, we've just seen 10s of thousands of people have had their homes swept away by wind and water. Those homes are gone. That could happen to any one of us in a moment.
But we have a home that's secure above all that We're going on to the not just to heaven, brethren, but we're going on to the Father's house.
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The Lord Jesus doesn't say in my house. He says in my Father's house.
There's something exceedingly precious about that, because, especially in John's Gospel, he is revealing the Father, something that had never been known in Old Testament times.
He is now known as the Father, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. And I like to go back to the first chapter of the Gospel Brethren and read the 18th verse because I think it bears on this in some way. It says no man hath seen God at any time.
The only begotten son which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
That was his eternal abode, the bosom of the Father, later on in the chapter.
Two disciples are with John and they John looks at Jesus, verse 36, looking upon Jesus as he walked. He said, Behold the Lamb of God. The two disciples heard him speak and they followed Jesus.
And Jesus turned, and saw them following, and said unto him, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, which is to say, being interpreted, Mastered Where dwellest thou?
And he said unto them, Come and see.
They came and saw where he dwelt in a boat with him that day.
In a certain way, brethren.
The instruction to us is the same. Come and see.
To follow Jesus, where does he dwell? And even though he was as a man here in this world, he was always the eternal Son in the bosom of the Father. I love that hymn 127 that we sing.
In one of the verses it says dwells in his bosom knoweth all that in that bosom lies.
And came to earth to make it known.
That we might share his choice.
Oh, brethren, that's before us. The Father's house.
Where the Father's love is known in all its fullness, we'll never be able to understand that place that was always his, but He brings us into the enjoyment of that same love.
And they think of it in this way too, brother. And he says there are many mansions.
Sometimes people think that there's a whole bunch of houses in heaven. Only scriptures only speaks of one house in heaven.
The father's house. But it's a house with many abodes.
Everyone of us are different.
None of us are the same as any other one of the redeemed. Think of the millions upon millions of the redeemed.
That will be there in that day. Yet each one has a place peculiar for him and a boat. There is a place for you, brother and sister that I cannot fill. There's a place for me that will be especially for me, and no one else. None of us will feel at a distance from the Lord will be all there in his house to enjoy.
His love forever.
Laurie that kill me. Go ahead clip that as soon as Jesus went there.
As a man the risen man went up to heaven, went to play for man hadn't been before, and as soon as he went there it was the place was prepared for man.
The errors was made for man, but Jesus went up there to make a place for us.
What love of the part of God? God does the whole thing. The Father and the Son, They do the whole thing.
There were really two things that need to be accomplished at this point so that the place could be prepared why he speaks of it in the future tense. Here the work of redemption had not yet been accomplished. The Lord Jesus was going to the cross, and on the cross he prepared the people for the place. It's the work of Calvary that has prepared us, provided for us, so that we can look forward to that. But then, as you say, Brother Buchanan, it was something else that needed to be accomplished.
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And that is that the Lord Jesus not only rise from the dead as a man, but as a man he ascend back to the Father's house. And his presence there at the right hand of God has now prepared the place for the people, is the work of Calvary prepared the people for the place. But his presence there is a man has prepared the place for the people. And I think it's important to see that because some people talk about the Lord up there, getting the place ready for us now.
As soon as the Lord Jesus as a man with the marks of atonement in his body, what left them out of olives and returned to the Father's presence and sat down rather than that place has been prepared. All He's waiting for now is that word from the Father to come forth and fetches people to himself. And then he that will come shall come and will not tarry. But the place has been prepared. I say again, the Lord Jesus as a man is there with the marks of atonement.
And always will be, yes. In Matthew's Gospel, 11Th chapter, toward the end about the 27th 1St, it says, No man knoweth the Son saved the Father period, and no man knoweth the Father saved the Son, And he to whom the Son doth reveal him, that's what he came for. And then Phillip says to him, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us the Lord could turn to him, and say, Philip, that's still been so long time with me, and hast thou not seen me?
He that seeth me has seen the Father. That's the only sight we're going to have of God. The Father is through the Son. We're going to see every attribute of God the Father and the Son.
And what he was raised from the dead, he turned to Mary Magdalene. He's gone to my under my brother, and says, If I go unto my father, and your father, and to my God, and your God, What a marvelous comment.
He goes to his father, but he's our father, Beautiful. He's our father too, if we see him, and by the eye of faith we do. We see the attributes of the Father, Every bit of it.
So then we have this precious promise. I will come again.
Brethren, if we could just stop and meditate on these 4 words, I believe what comfort it would bring to our hearts. I will come again. Now I realize that it's been perhaps over 2 millenniums since the Lord Jesus made this promise. Has this promise failed all the promises of God? In him? Yeah. And in him. Amen. To the glory of God, by us there have not failed one word of all his good promise, wherewith he have promised it was. I think that's the words of Solomon, the dedication of the tempo, as he looked back in retrospect.
To God's dealings with His people and bringing them in and establishing them in the land, and so on. And, brethren, here's a promise that we can claim. And if we would let the import of this promise sink down into our souls, we would not have troubled hearts in the midst of circumstances. Not that we would see the circumstances removed, but it would give us confidence and comfort in the midst of troubled circumstances. Because He has promised, and He is not going to fail in His promise.
You know, sometimes I make promises and I'm very sincere when I make those promises, but by the time it comes to fulfill the promise, I have to shake my head and I say I'm sorry. I promised more than I had the means or power to fulfill. Sometimes we promise too much. But the Lord Jesus, when He made this promise, He has, I speak reverently every intention of carrying out this promise. And when you go to 1St Thessalonians Chapter 4.
Where the Apostle Paul by inspiration develops just how this is going to be carried out, he ends by saying, wherefore comfort one another with these words? What comfort would we have today if we didn't have this promise? If we weren't looking for the Lord Jesus to come this afternoon? What comfort would we have as we see the news reports and hear of what's going on around us?
00:45:05
But, brethren, this promise is what gives us comfort. Wherefore comfort one another with this, with, with, with this whole, with these words, with these words. Thank you. And not only that, but Hebrews tells us which hope we have as the an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast. Some of us were talking about this in Lawrenceville the other night. What other promise, What other hope could we ever say, was sure and steadfast?
Again, what you said about the 4 runner up there, I did. Many of these folks haven't heard that. Well, let's just, let's just read that then, just to get the scripture in Hebrews chapter 6, because it goes right along with what we were saying about the Lord Jesus as a man there in the glory and his entrance as a man. As we said, having accomplished the work of redemption. His entrance there as a man has prepared the place.
And he in Romans chapter 6. I'll begin at verse 18. Hebrews chapter, I'm sorry, And Hebrews chapter six, That by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation who have fled for refuge, to lay hold upon the hope set before us, which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enter it into that within the veil.
Whether the forerunner is for us entered. Even Jesus made an high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. Though I never really understood the import of this forerunner until I realized that the Apostle Paul or the Apostle we believe Paul but not named. Here the apostle makes an illusion to something in connection with the history of sailing at that time, and history will tell us that many of the Greek harbors back in the times of the Bible.
We're only accessible at high tide. They were only accessible at high tide because of the Shoals and rocks across the mouths of those harbors. And history tells us that when a sailing vessel approached the harbor that it desired to enter if it was low tide. They had a little boat with the ship called the Forerunner Little flat bottom boat, and what they would do is they would take the anchor securely fastened to the ship.
Place it in the Forerunner and a man would roll the forerunner across the mouth of the harbor and drop the anchor safe inside the harbor. And that acre dropped safe inside the harbor was the assurance to the crew and passengers on the ship that when the right moment came, they were going to gain safe entrance into the harbor. So if you had stepped up to the deck of one of those sailing vessels.
That was waiting. And you said to the captain, well, are you really sure you're going to enter the harbor? How can you be so sure that you're going to make your desired destination always? Say you see that rope tied to the ship. There's an anchor on the other end of that rope, and the Forerunner has dropped that anchor safe inside the harbor. And that's our assurance and brethren. Our forerunner has already entered there. As we've been saying, the Lord Jesus is a man having accomplished the work of atonement.
He's there at the right hand of God, as Dave said, he's going to remain a man for all eternity so he can share heaven with his own. And there he is. And if you ever doubt that you're going to get there, if you ever doubt the promise of the Lord, if it doesn't seem sure and steadfast in your own soul, just look up by faith. See the Lord Jesus at the right hand of God, because God having accepted the Lord Jesus back to his own right hand and seated him there.
God having done that, and again I want to speak very carefully, but if he were to refuse you and me now, having availed ourselves of the finished work of Calvary, he would have to vanish His Son from the Father's house for eternity. And brethren, that's impossible. That's the security of the hope and the promise that we have that we are going to be there around the Lord Jesus in the Father's house. Nothing can change that hope. Rather, no wonder the Lord could say in our chapter.
Let not your heart be troubled.
We sing it. We have an anchor, sure, and steadfast. How true that is.
Let's go to the 4th chapter of Revelation.
00:50:03
You know the third chapter ends the last four churches in the third chapter, and with the thought of the Lord's coming, and it starts with Thyatira, hold that fast out till I come. And so is that interesting that the next chapter, the 4th chapter, starts out with a door open in heaven and the one John is called up into heaven and everything that proceeds from here until the end of Revelation is looked at.
From heaven. It's looked down from heaven and we see everything that takes place from the other side of glory.
Not from this site. And of course chapter four and five is a parenthesis in the book. And the judgments that are going to fall in this world don't start until the 6th chapter. And then they proceed. And you know, when we see things that are happening today, we can say truly the Lord's coming is very, very near because this world will not see judgment until we're gone. We're going to be gone when that happens. And that's the 11Th first of the third chapter.
We're not going to be here, but how beautiful that we end the third chapter with his promise of his coming. We enter the 4th chapter with the door open in heaven. So we've been called out of this scene before The judgment followed him.
Let's just put that in perspective, Brother Dave, because in the second and third chapter of Revelation we have, as we know, the epistles to the seven assemblies in Asia Minor. Now these assemblies were chosen very carefully by the Spirit of God, and they're listed in this way, written to in this order, not only to bring before us difficulties, real difficulties and situations that existed in all of these seven assemblies.
At that time. But they are chosen and listed by the Spirit of God very carefully to give us an outline of Church history, to show us the history of the Church from the book of the Epistle to the Ephesians to right through to Laodicea, where you find this indifference to the claims of Christ. And so on. And so after he completes the giving us this prophetic outline of the history of the Church.
That which was to unfold in the history of the Church from the days of the apostles to the Rapture. Then he opens up to us this door in heaven to give us things from a heavenly perspective. And I want to just emphasize what you said, because.
I know there are perhaps young people here, and you go to school and work and you have Christian friends who try to tell you that the church is going to be here when the judgments begin to unfold that the church is going to go through the Tribulation. But it's very important to see here that between the end of the history of the Church, Revelation 3, and the beginning of the judgments in Revelation 6, there's a confirmation in these two chapters.
That the redeemed, the heavenly people are now there, safe beyond what is going to unfold on the earth. And people will try to tell us too, that prophecy is unfolding today, I don't believe. Rather than that the prophetic clock is ticking today. It's just like God has his finger on the hands of the prophetic clock. He's holding that clock and it won't start ticking until we're gone, what we are no doubt seeing.
Are signs of the last days as we get in Timothy and various scriptures, and we're seeing the seeds perhaps of what is going to unfold after the church goes up. But I want to stress this that in no way is prophecy unfolding and in no sense of the word are we, the church, going to go through the tribulation. You say there's some awful, catastrophic things going on in the world today.
Right here in our on our continent, as we've mentioned, but rather those things are not the beginning of the tribulation, the beginning of sorrows. Now let me use a little illustration that I, again, I've sometimes used, but perhaps it would help us to understand what we're Speaking of. We'll suppose you go to hear a production, you go to the Opera House to hear the orchestra play and to hear a production and as you're sitting there at the Opera House.
You are anticipating the moment when the curtain is going to go up and the production is going to begin. Now as you sit there in anticipation, things begin to happen. The orchestra is tuning their instruments in the orchestra pit. Perhaps you hear a hustle and bustle behind the curtain. The curtain moves as things are bumped and stage is being set for the production. But you wouldn't say that the production begins until the curtain goes up.
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You see things that indicate that it's getting close just before the production begins and the curtain goes up. The house lights are dim. That's where we are in our history now, so to speak. The house lights are dimmed, ready for the production to begin. But I say again, the production does not begin until the curtain goes up. And brethren again, things are not going to unfold in a prophetic sense in this world until the church goes up.
We're waiting for the Lord Jesus to come at any moment. There's nothing needs to be fulfilled or ever needed to be fulfilled in the history of the Church for the Lord Jesus to come and call us out of this world. The Apostle Paul said. We which are alive and remain, who is he referring to? Himself in the Thessalonian brothers? At that point he was looking for the Lord to come. I know later on he realized he was going to go through the article of death, but at that point he said rather we're going to go. The Lord's coming any moment.
We which are alive and remain now, brethren, that's what we're looking for. And then, and only then, will prophecy unfold.
Like to read a verse in Matthew 24?
That sometimes is used by those who do not distinguish.
The people of God, the earthly people of God and the Church.
To confuse the issue whether we will go through the tribulation or not.
Revelator, Matthew 24 and verse Notice verse 29.
Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and then verse 31. And he shall send forth his angels with a sound of a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. Sometimes this is given as to show that the church will we will go through the tribulation.
But I'd like to point out the fact that when he says in verse 31 he's going to send forth his angels, whereas what we've had in John 14, it is very clear the Lord Jesus says I will come again and receive you unto myself. So what are you speaking about in here in Matthew 24 are his earthly people that are scattered amongst the nations.
The nation of Israel, the 10 tribes which are scattered throughout the earth. He's going to send his angels to regather them at the end of the tribulation, but that is not referring to the church. The church was something that was not revealed at that time as it is now. It was spoken of in the 16th chapter, but it was not in existence yet.
So he's not referring to the church in verse 31. It's his earthly people that he's going to gather there. But when he comes himself, not going to send the angels to get us, he himself is coming to take us home. Oh brother, I just tried to grasp in my soul, brethren, what it's going to be.
That moment.
When we're going to see him face to face.
It's just too much for our.
Poor hearts to grasp in this body that we live now.
We can't. We can't imagine the glory from one moment to the next.
Face to face with Jesus.
The prophecy of Hosea, if you want a prophecy, agrees with what you're saying.
We might look at Hosea.
Chapter 5 and verse 14.
And part of chapter 6.
Hosea 514, he says. For I will be unto Ephraim as a lion.
And as a young man to the House of Judah, I even I will tear and go away.
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I will take away, and none shall rescue him. I will go and return to my place.
Till they acknowledge their offense and seek my face.
And their affliction they will seek me early. This is the Lord going up to heaven.
Waiting to get through the friction to get the people prepared. And then it goes on and says, and you can trust prophecy. Peter says one day is with the Lord. 1000 years and 1000 years is 1 day. Going into chapter 6. Come and let us return unto the Lord. They're saying that for he has torn and he will heal us. He has smitten and he will bind us up after two days after 2000 years.
Joy, I understand.
He will revive us in the third day. He will come and raise us up, and we shall live in his sight that's yet to come to the House of Israel.
As was earlier mentioned that we are seeing a preview of what's coming and Bob didn't read the next verse, which is the 32nd verse of our chapter chapter of Matthew Now learn a parable of the fig tree when his branch is yet tender and putteth forth leaves. You know that the summer is night. Well, that happened in April of 1948 and so that's been going on since then. And then if we were to turn the loop, it says.
Consider the fig tree and all the tree. The nationalism of the nations around Israel has risen up since 1948. And so we see the forerunner of what's coming on this world. And it's amazing to me that it hasn't come yet 1948, that's more than 40 years ago. And you know, 40 is a testing time. It's marvel to me that they're still allowed to go. But let's get back to our chapter, Chapter 4 of Revelation. It's more than 50 years.
Yeah, well, this, yeah, yeah, I said more than 40, which is. But tell us what the fig tree is, brother, because the fig tree is Israel. The fig tree is Israel. That's always been throughout Scripture and all the trees of the nation round above.
That nation came in into existence again after more than two millenniums.
With their original language, that is one of the most marked signs that we are in those last days.
How to get back to the chapter? We're in the 4th chapter. What an amazing thing. In the fourth verse around about the throne were four and 20 seats, and upon the seashore I suppose we could translate that throne. I saw four and 20 elders close in white raiment, and they had on their heads crowns of gold. Every single saved person from Adam to whenever the Christ comes for His church is seated here.
And so there are 24 elders, the Old Testament Saints.
And all the Saints from the day of salvation, the day of grace.
And so we're all seated in heaven here. And it's beautiful to look at because from there we look down and you know, we're going to be there. Everyone in this room that knows Christ as savior, we're going to be there, and we're going to look down on the scene that's going to unfold before us in this world. It's not going to be a pleasant sight. However, it will be a pleasant sight to those that know him because he will be executing righteous judgment on a wicked world, on the world.
That crucified his Son.
Hymn that this world stands guilty of the crucifixion of His Son. And that's true. Like to say that Jim has mentioned that in chapters 2 and three we get the Lord Jesus standing as a judge in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks. And that's what we are where we are today, brother, right now it says in First Peter 4.
The time has come when judgment must begin.
At the House of God. And if it first begin at us, what shall the end be?
Of them that obey not the gospel of God, so that the Lord Jesus is in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks, and it is a historical history of the Christian testimony down through the ages we are in the times. I suppose nothing characterizes the Christian testimony as much as Laodicea today indifferences to the person of Christ.
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But the Lord is in the midst of those candlesticks.
As a judge, why is it that there are so many trials in our life, brother?
Is it not because the time is getting close?
When he will is going to begin the judgment of this world and before he begins this world, he's going to touch us, his household. And so that's what's happening. We should not be find it strange that there's so many trials and problems and troubles. It's the Lord Brethren. He is the one that is in the midst of those 7 golden candlesticks. But as you were saying, brother.
Day of In chapters 4 and five. It's kind of an interlude before the judgments begin, and I think it is helpful to see that in both chapters you have a throne mentioned. It's kind of interesting I often.
Would think if you saw a throne you would speak of. I saw a person sitting on a throne, but notice how it puts it when he is caught up there immediately. I was in the spirit verse 2 and behold a throne was set in heaven. It mentions first the throne and then it mentions the one that was sitting on me. Why? The throne is the basis upon which God?
Is going to execute the judgments for this world. What right does God have to execute judgment in this world? And there are two major rights that God has. Chapter 4 is creation.
And in verse 11 it says, For thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
And in chapter 5, the reason, the basis upon which judgment will be executed is redemption. He paid the price when he saw the treasure in the field.
He sold all that he had, and he bought, doesn't say bought the treasure. He bought the field, He bought the whole world. He paid the price to bring it back into conformity with himself. And so you have two major reasons.
Why God has every right to judge this world? Because he is creator and because his Redeemer. Those are firmly set in place before the judgments begin. And I think brethren here in this chapter where we have more the rights that God has as creators, it is interesting how people.
Cling to the theory of evolution.
It has been shown to be fallacious in so many ways that I have been surprised in magazines that have come out, how they are blindly going back to simply embrace evolution. They're turning away from the light and they're going to embrace darkness. Why is there such an effort to do that? Because people.
Want to get away from their responsibility to God?
Oh, what an awful thing it is to turn away from the light as we are seeing happening in our country.
2nd Thessalonians we don't need to turn to a chapter two. We have there what the reason is, don't we? The God of this world has blinded the minds of them, which believe not. That's one point. But the other is they refused the love of the truth. That's the whole basis of Second Thessalonians.
Chapter 2 verses 9/10/11 And so it says in the next following verses that God sends them a strong delusion that they might believe a lie who believed not the truth, but it was not based on that was based on the belief not the love of the truth. God's love send his Son.
Into this world.
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And if the world won't have that, what's left? Well, there's only one thing left, and that is judgment. Only one thing. And so you refuse the love of God. There's only one thing that's going to fall upon you, and that's the judgment of God. And that's what this whole story is based upon. As you say, it's true. He owns the world by creation, but he bought it with his love.
John 14 When we were there before we went here to Revelation.
The emphasis in the 14th chapter was on love.
And the love of relationship between ourselves and the Father. But when you go to the 17th chapter of John the Lord in his prayer, says, Father, I will that they may be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory.
And in Revelation 4 and five, that's more the emphasis that is before us. The Lord Jesus has taken us then.
Into His presence, and there we behold His glory. And in the 4th and the 5th chapters it's not so much the love, although we needed the reassurance of it in the first chapter of Revelation. And so before the matter of His glory being displayed and displayed in judgment, we get the reassurance of our relationship and redemption in Chapter One. But He takes us to Chapter 4, and He takes us off into the glory that we are into His presence in the Father's house. Really.
That we may behold His glory, and the revelation is the vindication of that glory.
The judgments come as a result of the necessity of God to maintain his glory in the face of vans rebellion, and so he does it. But I just like to add one more comment too, in connection with chapters 2 and three and chapter 4 of Revelation. And that's this.
The heavens are open in the beginning of chapter 4, so that John could be taken there.
It's not simply that heaven's open so we can look up like the Hebrews, but it's heaven is open so that John can be taken up in spirit to see. And he sees from the Presence, you might say sometimes you someone says, well, I don't understand. I can't see what's going on. I really don't. I can't figure this out. It's as if God says, well, John, I know you can on earth, but let me bring you up where I am and then you can see things as I can see them.
And then you'll be able to understand. And so we're taking off in the Revelation into God's presence now in spirit, so that we can look down and see what's ahead for this world and can I say, see it from that perspective. But it's a solemn thing, brethren, to recognize that chapter two and three we are not, we are not. Taken into that perspective. It's not as if John gets to go up to heaven in the beginning of Chapter 2.
And see things from that perspective, because chapter two and three is us now on the earth in responsibility. And when we're on earth and responsibility, we don't get the perspective of having in the same sense that we do in chapter 4 and beyond, because.
Here in responsibility, we have to act, and if we don't act in keeping with God's hand, then, as Bob said, judgment begins with the House of God.
And it begins with us here on earth, and it's a solemn thing and it's a humbling thing because many times we don't see very clearly, many times because of our own condition or our own state which is at issue in this exact chapter two and three. Then we see a totally and I say many times confused and differently because our hearts are being brought into and our conscience is into exercise before God. And again I say with respect to responsibility and.
End is done. It's very humbling.
Very, very humbling. But it's a it's a tremendous thing to part realize that when we get to Chapter 4 and we're in God's presence, we're there, we're there. We've had a lot about the church not going through the tribulation. That's because the words consistent and when we're there, we're there and we see it from that perspective until we're there, then we're like you might say some of the people that are going to go through Chapter 24 of Matthew.
01:15:04
The Jews that are going to have to go through that period, they don't have a heavenly perspective.
You go to Joel and they just practically they say, Lord, how long is this darkness?
In some ways we're going through our period in which we have the exercise in that way with God, the Lord Jesus. The paramount thing is that we are going to be with the Lord, and that's why the Lord Jesus said in John 14 and we didn't really comment on it. He didn't say I will come again and receive you to the Father's house. That's true. He didn't come say I'll come again and receive you to glory or to heaven.
That's true too. But he said, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there ye may be also Now that's what will satisfy his heart, to have his people gathered around himself there in the Father's house. And I thought of when our brother Dawn was speaking earlier, of how what he really wants from our hearts is a response that desires nothing less than being physically in His presence.
There, in the father's house now things come between and there are distractions and so on.
I know he sometimes uses circumstances, as we've been saying, to stir us up and to wean us from this world. And we're certainly looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ. And brethren, the longer we're left here, the more of a mercy it's going to be to be gone. But is that really what he wants as to a response from us? No. What he wants is, I say again, a heart that is so attracted to himself, goes out so much to the person of Christ.
That we desire nothing less than being physically in his presence. And so the Apostle Paul again, when he explains it in the fourth of First Thessalonians, he says, and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Now that's a key to understanding where we will be when prophetic things unfold. When He's in the Father's house, we're with him when he comes back to reign over the earth.
We're with him wherever with the Lord. Brethren does not thrill our hearts to think that when we hear the shout and we're out of here and we see him on the cloud and he ushers us into the Father's house, we are never going to leave his side again. We are going to be ever with the Lord. Now does that thrill your soul? It ought to. It's the most blessing thing you can have. And.
Now.
He's given us the Holy Spirit who will stay with us until we leave.
Like a comment on that. Yeah, go ahead when you said it in the last.
Absolutely. Last thing on the whole of the word of God is on this subject. It's.
The coming of the Lord Jesus for His own. If you go to Revelation chapter 22, three times his coming is mentioned at the very last words of the Lord. It shows us how much this subject is on his heart.
I hope it's on our hearts. And the Lord has been bringing it before us this afternoon. It's on his heart. It's the last thing that he had to communicate to us in the whole of the word of God. And so he says Revelation 22, verse 16. I, Jesus, have sent mine Angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and offspring of David the bright and morning star. He says who he is.
Just says I'm the bride of Morningstar. The Morningstar before the coming dawn, before he comes back to this world. What response is? Jim just used the word response. Does that stir in the heart of his pride? The spirit and the bride say come. Clem just mentioned the spirits down here on earth with the bride with us. And so just to mention the name of the Lord Jesus the proper response and the affection of the heart of the bride is and the spirit of God who is in the bride.
Says come and if it has that character, then she turns around to those about her and she says and let him, the hearers say come.
Gospel 1
God Wants You to Be His Jewel
Children—John Kaiser
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To open Sunday school this morning. Yesterday, I was asked. I started thinking about a little experience I used to have when I was a child.
I often Sunday morning heard somebody singing a song that's stuck in my Memory. It's not on the him sheet.
But I'm going to suggest which thing, I'm going to start singing it, and some of you will recognize it and we'll sing it through twice.
Heavenly Sunshine.
Filling my soul.
Heavenly sunshine, Heavenly sunshine. Hallelujah.
She loves his mind again.
Heavenly sunshine, heavenly thorns shine. Healing my soul, healing my soul.
When glory upon heavenly sunshine. Heavenly sunshine.
Hallelujah. Jesus is mine now. You know, I used to hear that on the radio on Sunday morning. I imagine there's others here that did too. And I feel sorry for some boys and girls that never learned that song. I think it's a wonderful song to start the Lord's Day with.
Because you know what, this morning we got up and it's a beautiful day. But even if it had been cloudy, it's still a beautiful day because today is the Lords day and God loves us. And that's that's what really counts. You know, there there's a big word in that song, Hallelujah. We pronounce it in English with an H. Now that H is actually should be silent and some people make an issue about that. God doesn't.
What does Hallelujah mean? Who knows what Hallelujah means?
That's right. Praise the Lord, or praise ye the Lord. It's an old Hebrew expression, this thing people have been saying Hallelujah for 4000 years. Praise the Lord, Hallelujah.
All right, now we'll concentrate on the hymns. On the back of the sheet. You can pick a hymn from anywhere in.
What's called A8 page hem sheet.
But we'll concentrate on the Backpage who has a choice.
All right.
#41 #41 all around the throne of God in heaven will many children sing, children sing are all were given will have the hands of dream singing glory.
Glory.
Glory to God.
And I.
Take.
Glory.
Glory.
Glory to God.
One bringing land to that world.
So dry and day we're all in peace. And your hand long now came to children. Everything in glory.
Glory, glory, glory to God.
We are the Savior. Shame is life in the purge of a very sin.
Glory, glory, glory.
Glory.
Know the word in the second verse it says in shining robes of spotless white. Each one will be arrayed. What is a raid mean?
Array dressed up. That's right. Not just dressed, but dressed up. Now, some here are really dressed up, more dressed up than I am, but someday all of us who are in glory were going to be equally well dressed. This says in robes, in shining robes of spotless white. Each one will be arrayed, because that's what suits heaven. I'm going there, are you?
00:05:27
You're going to be dressed up like that someday.
You'll be dressed up in the shining robes of spotless white. All right, how about another choice?
All right.
47.
When he comes, when he comes.
On.
Forward to start the morning. It is bright, there shall shine.
Kingdom.
There, you'll try again. You'll be frightened.
There's your.
I suspect this hymn was written in England because we don't talk much about crowns and jewels.
At least not as much in this country as they do over there. We have a president.
And I don't know if he wears any jewels or not, he may have one or two rather discreet ones. But when I was over in England about.
13 years ago.
I had a little bit of time to go to the Tower of London and in the Tower of London, which is actually the name of a fortress or a prison.
On the banks of the Thames they had a section, the place, building room, whatever I call it, reserved for displaying the crown jewels. Over the centuries the kings and Queens of England had collected these jewels and they were gorgeous, this room, and you went into it and that was always on display, was these crowns and scepters and.
Various pieces of jewelry with large gems in them, and that was one of the.
Of glories of the British Empire to have a collection of jewelry like that because most people can't afford that kind of thing and. And it was just so much there was overwhelming. I have no idea what the value was in that room, but they had lots of guards around and I know it's worth a lot and.
There were a lot of people there really admiring those things. And I'm not really, I mean, I, I don't generally stop to look at the state jewelry stores and I didn't spend a lot of time with the power of London either.
I'm not. I wasn't so much impressed with the jewels as just the fact that they had them and a number of guards. They were around there and I thought was more interesting is all these people gaping at them because you know.
We get to heaven, we're going to see it a lot better things there and just think that we and this is this is what the Bible says. No, let's let's just read it. Malachi.
Malachi Chapter 4.
Analogize the last book in the Old Testament.
00:10:10
Malachi Chapter.
I was chapter 3, I'm sorry, the end of chapter 3, Malachi chapter 3 and verse 16. And they that feared the Lord spoke often one to another, And the Lord hearkened and heard it. And a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels.
And so God looks at us as jewels, precious possessions, you know, You know what jewels do. One thing I noticed in this place in London, they had lots of lights and then made the jewels sparkle. They reflected the light. And that is what God intends us to be, jewels, to reflect the light of his glory. All right, another song.
#45 OK, I didn't see a hand, but that'll do #45 Now this is a song about everybody here, because everybody's got two eyes and two ears and two feet and two hands and one tongue, so let's everybody sing it.
Too little lies.
Have you ever said that to the Lord Jesus? Lord Jesus, here's my hands, Here's my eyes, my feet, my heart, my tongue. Lord Jesus, they're yours. Have you ever said that to the Lord Jesus? You should.
You know when I be trusted the Lord Jesus as my Savior, I became His spirit soul.
And body, our bodies belong to the Lord Jesus too, and He has a right to do with them what He wants to do with them.
All right, we have time for one more.
There's a hand, yes.
What number?
50, I think that's a little bit high for this.
What #44 OK, this is a true story, by the way. This is a true story about there was a man who this, I assume, was a man that actually don't know. Come think of it. It was a person who visited a place where Gypsies camp. And we don't know much about Gypsies these days. But over in England particularly and over in Europe, there were people called Gypsies and they came, basically they came from India many centuries ago.
And they spread across Europe and they were a lot largely beggars and people that did odd jobs and they traveled around from place to place. They would live in tents and so on. And so this man about a century ago was visiting a tent, a gypsy at camp, and found a little boy who was dying and never heard about Jesus #44 into a tent where a gypsy boy.
Nobody ever has told me before.
00:15:10
Yeah.
To me.
My hand will be hold no one ever nor you have to go.
God.
No, I ever can spoken before.
What verse? If you were paying attention to these words in this song, you were given a clue as to what verse.
This person who visited the tent gave this boy who knows what verse it would have been, Yes.
Yeah, that's right. John 316 notice in in verse two, need I not perish in John 316 says whosoever believeth in him should not perish and we have God sent his son whosoever so he's he's thinking about what he heard verse John 316 for God so.
Love the world. Wonderful news to a boy who's dying. You know we're all dying.
Yes, we are.
Every one of us here is dying. We need to know the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior. We don't look like we're dying. I don't see anybody here looks like an imminent danger of death. But we don't know that every one of us is headed toward death. We're dying in that sense. All right, I think maybe we'll have some. Maybe we'll have time to sing one or two more later.
But right now, let's ask God's help in the Sunday School.
Our God and Father, we thank you so much this morning.
For giving the Lord Jesus Christ.
We thank you for loving us so much.
That you would give anything.
But you gave.
Your only begotten Son.
That whosoever.
The leaves in him.
Should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Now, Father, we ask your help this morning that each of us here might understand these words. According to our capacity, we might open our hearts.
To the Lord Jesus Christ.
And we ask your blessing in Jesus name, Amen. Now we have a memory verse this morning from the same chapter as John 316.
And how many here know it well, If your hand, if you think you know it very good well tell you what? Who wants? Who wants to start? Who would like to start? Hold up your hands. You want to start. All right, go right ahead.
Very good.
36 good.
00:20:01
John.
'S.
Very good.
He that believeth.
Have everlasting life.
OK.
OK, let's keep going around on the front row. You wanna try? OK, go ahead.
Try it. OK, All right.
And we want to do that mitochondrial mitochondria.
336.
OK, we'll this front row. How about here? You want to try? OK, either believe us.
On the sun hath everlasting life.
And he that believeth not the son.
So not see life.
But the wrath of God abideth on him.
John, 336.
OK, that's good. I'm trying either believeth on the sun.
Hath everlasting life.
Everlasting life.
And he that believeth not the son.
Shall not see life.
But the wrath of God.
Wrath of God.
John, 336.
Good. Anybody else on the front row?
OK.
He that believeth.
On the Sun.
As everlasting life.
And he that believeth not the son.
Shall not see life.
But the wrath of God.
Wrath abideth on him.
John, 336.
All right.
That's everlasting life.
So that believe it's have ever liked my.
Neither believe it.
Not.
But.
Very good, now I hope I'm not make anybody happy by not moving past the 1St row. We have a certain little amount of time here and I remember though when I used to get.
Used to learn the verse for Sunday school and I didn't get asked. I was disappointed. The other side of the coin was when I would come to a Bible conference I say I don't need to learn it.
And it's good to get caught once in a while.
All right, now I noticed there's some words in this verses we had some problems with and we want to talk about this memory verse because we the reason we memorize verses is to get them in our heart and then we want to understand them. We want to know why.
God says what he says. It's wonderful to learn the word of God.
And it's wonderful to understand this and know what God is saying. He that believes on the Son has ever lasting life. Now let's talk about what it means to believe on the Son. Who's the Son? That's easy. Who's the Son?
00:25:10
Jesus, yes.
Jesus is the Son. Wonderful to know who the Son is. He that believes on the Son has ever lasting life. Now you know when I was a little boy.
I didn't have much idea what this word everlasting life meant.
And you know, this word, everlasting life or eternal life, as it is in some scriptures and some translations, is something special. It's not just ordinary life. And we know that. We know that when God gives something, it's extraordinary. We have natural life. And you know, everyone here has natural life.
But not everybody in the world has everlasting life. That's something special that God gives to those who believe.
We'll talk about what that is in a minute. I want to talk about believing on the sun. Believing on the sun. I have several stories I.
Thought I might tell about that. I think we're running short of time. I'm just going to tell one.
You know, there's lots of different languages in this world.
I'm going to say a word. You tell me what it means.
Back around Grongo.
What's that mean?
Nobody knows.
Where?
You think it's Russian? It's not, and I can't tell you what language it is. It's a language of one of the South Sea islands.
And I'll tell you how the story behind that word, just to help you fixing your mind, let's say that word together, Factor on grongo, factor on grango. All right, And now.
There was a missionary over in the South Seas, his name was John Patton, I believe over 100 years ago, well about 100 years ago, and he was trying to translate the word of God into the language of the natives that he was seeking to bring to God.
And they did not have a word and language for trust or belief. They had a culture where the height of culture was to be seen and to lie and steal. So nobody trusted anybody.
If you left something out and he via Violet, I mean, I walked in this room this morning, I saw Bibles and hymn books left on seats and they were still here. We left them here last night and they were still here this morning. But if that would not happen where John Patton was, you left anything out of somebody else, stole it. And they would come and tell you big stories. And if they could fool you into believing their stories, they thought that was the height of culture.
They thought it was really great till 12 big lies and fool people into believing them and somebody would come up and be things like this. The fellow come and tell a friend, you know, tell somebody, oh, I think you're so wonderful. Then hit him over the head with a stick, you know, to get somebody off the guard. They they they were not trustworthy. You couldn't believe them And so they didn't you didn't even have a language didn't have a word in their language for trusting or believing and.
And John Patton was so concerned. How am I going to make these people understand that you can trust God, You can believe what God says?
One day he was.
Sitting in this.
Is a Hut with some natives and are sitting somewhere with his knees anyway and he had a chair.
And a chair here.
And he put this chair out.
In front of the natives.
Any.
Sat down on the chair this and he said to one of these, now what am I doing?
And the natives said you're sitting, missing, you're sitting. And then he pulled his feet up.
Chair so his full weight was resting on the chair and he says now what are what am I doing and they said **** out on grango Missy.
What that means is you're putting your full weight on the chair, trusting yourself entirely to the chair, and the missionary said that's it. That's the word.
For belief in this language, to trust your weight entirely to Jesus. And you know that's not a bad translation. A Scotch Bible uses the word lipid, which means the exact same thing to trust yourself, trust your weight entirely to commit yourself to somebody or something. Now how many of us here have totally.
00:30:25
Committed ourselves to the Lord Jesus, if not believing in Him.
But it's believing on him when I sat down in that chair.
And I've been sitting on this chair for a day now. I've learned by experience when I first sat down in this chair.
Yesterday morning or yesterday afternoon, I didn't ask anybody. Will this chair support me? I trusted this chair. I sat on it, then sitting on it, resting on it comfortably.
For almost a day off and on and it will support my way. Let me ask you a question here.
Do you trust this chair? I'll prove it.
Come up here and prove it.
Are you still got your feet on the ground? There we go. That's right. He trusted the chair. All right, Very good. Thank you. Now that the faith means there's a little little.
As an anagram or something, I forget what this term is. FAITH forsaking all. I trust him and this fellow here sat on the chair and lift his feet off the ground. He was entirely trusting himself to this chair. Now do you trust the Lord Jesus that way? You know, there was a a preacher visiting up in Scotland and he was trying to help some old woman understand about trusting the Lord Jesus and he kept talking about believing on him. And she says I don't understand what it means to believe on Jesus.
And so this preacher, he was walking rather unhappily home and he came to a little bridge and, and it was an old rickety bridge. It didn't look very secure. And somebody was watching him and said, can you know, lifting the bridge?
He thought I got the word and went back. He says, Maggie, can, you know, limp into Jesus? Can't you trust yourself entirely to him? But she says, oh, I can do that. He'll never let me down.
Jesus will never let you down. Jesus told his disciples I am the way, the truth and the life. You believe that if you come to the Lord Jesus and trusted your entire future to Him.
Now that's what it means to believe on the Lord Jesus. Yeah, interesting. When the Lord Jesus was down here, he was telling people about himself, letting people know they can trust him.
He says he that believes on the Son has everlasting life and he that does not believe the Son. Oh it's sad that there are people who refuse to believe in the Lord Jesus.
Is anybody doing that this morning? Very serious thing. This is an issue, either believing or not believing. Does everyone here believe? We don't. We'd like to say yes, but we can't assume that God knows and more. Jesus was talking about two kinds of people that existed then and two kinds of people that exist now, those that believe and those that don't believe. Are you one of those that don't believe?
Maybe you've never thought about that. Maybe you sort of believe, yeah, it's all true that Have you committed yourself?
Have you rested yourself on the Lord Jesus Christ and trusted yourself to Him?
It says, And he that believeth not, the Son shall not see me.
That's kind of strange.
But you know, you see what we have down here. We're all, we consider ourselves alive, but this is not really life.
Not what? Not the life that God intends. This is just the beginning. God has something much better for us that He calls life, everlasting life. And it says here, he that believes not the Son shall not see life. If you have not believed in the Lord Jesus, you haven't seen what life can be.
You're still in the dark.
He that believes not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath.
Of God divide us on and I noticed we had some problems with that word wrath. Who knows what the word wrath means?
00:35:06
Yes, well, that's a good good a good word. But you think there's any difference between wrath and angle anger?
Ask a question Is it possible for somebody to be angry?
And you can't tell it.
What do you think? Yeah, you've been angry. Sometimes I've been angry, and I'm pretty sure nobody else knows about it except God. Of course, God always knows. But it's possible for some of us to be angry, possible for somebody to be angry and us not know it.
Wrath is different, but you know what I could recommend? What do you what do you do? I notice a lot of people have trouble with this word rap, and I've noticed before that people have problems with the meaning of the word. What do you do when you don't know the meaning of a word?
When you don't know for sure what a word means, what's a good idea?
Yes, look it up in the dictionary. All right, well, happy to say we have a dictionary here this morning. Not a handy dandy pocket size, but.
This is a good one. By the way, this dictionary was written by a Christian 175 years ago, put together by a brother in the Lord named Noah Webster, and it's the best dictionary. You want to study the Bible and study the English words in the Bible. This is the best dictionary.
Because words change meanings. And a lot of the modern dictionaries by the way.
They go with current meanings of words rather than what the words originally meant. So I looked up the word wrath in here and here's what it says. I'm not going to read all of it to you because I'm not going to get into the Anglo-Saxon stuff, but it says violent anger.
Now, violence is something we hear a lot about these days. That's when people do things. That's violence. And that's what wrath is, violence, anger. It's anger that's visible, that you can feel. And not too many of us have experienced, at least I hope we haven't experienced violent anger too often, but we've seen it when it was visible.
I How many years started school already?
Yeah, OK, good. How? How many here have ever seen an angry teacher?
How many have ever sat in a classroom and maybe there are two guys that were carrying on a little conversation or game between the two of them. Maybe they're cheating on a test and.
Very quietly, the teacher walks up. These guys, they don't notice. All of a sudden, it's just too quiet in that room and they look up. And what do you think they see when they look up?
Let me see what kind of a teacher? Happy one or a madman? Yeah, an angry teacher. You can tell by the way they look. Yeah. Well, that's what it means when the wrath of God abides on him. It's focused. You know, the teacher is not angry at the whole class. It's angry at those two people who are doing something wrong. And the teacher's anger is focused on them. That's what means the wrath of God abides on him. God's wrath is focused.
People who don't believe. God's anger is focused on people who don't believe. And you say, well, you know, we don't realize these things sometimes. There's so many people in this world that don't believe and they don't, they're not conscious of God's wrath.
Not conscious of God's anger against, not against them, but against their sins. By the way, I'm going to tell you something, but your teachers are angry. They're really not angry at you. They're angry at what you do. They're angry at you only in the secondary sense.
Let's talk about this word wrath for a minute. Just see where it's used in Scripture.
View Description A lot of places we're going to look at just a couple verses in Romans chapter one and chapter 2.
Romans chapter one and.
Verse.
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all in godness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth and unrighteousness, the wrath of God is revealed. Now we say, how is the wrath of God revealed? Well, revelation includes.
God speaking and the Lord Jesus spoke of the wrath of God. The Lord Jesus spoke with the wrath of God and the love of God, the wrath of God and the grace of God. Those things, two things are opposites. And so that we have this contrast. He that believes has everlasting life, something, a new life, a wonderful life from God and he who does not believe the wrath of God is focused on him.
00:40:22
So, so the wrath of God has revealed through the lips of the Lord Jesus. Who knows of one other place where we learn a little bit about the wrath of God.
I mean, I should tell you in Lamentations it says.
I'm the man.
Then I better read it.
Lamentations chapter.
3 Lamentations, chapter 3, verse one. I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath. Who's that about?
I'm the man that has seen affliction by the rod of his wrath, who said those words.
Yes, Jesus.
Jesus is the only person who has experienced the full wrath of God.
Said anything about it now there are people who are going to experience the wrath of God and when they go into the lake of fire to experience.
The full wrath of God. They're never going to come out and tell us about it, but Jesus experienced it, it says in Psalm 88. Let's look at that just for a minute, just for the sake of the older folks. I think we're getting a little above Sunday school stuff here, but Psalm 88.
Verse seven. It says, Thy wrath lieth hard upon me. Thou hast afflicted me with all thy ways. Another translation says Your wrath weighs heavily.
Upon me You have overwhelmed me with all your ways. The wrath of God is a terrible thing. And so we go back to Romans chapter 2 and verse.
Five, it says, After thy hardness and impenitent heart, treasure us up unto thyself wrath.
What an awful collection, that's what, Talking about people, you know, people down this world and this world collect all kinds of things.
This terrible thing to collect to treasure up wrath.
The treasure up says you treasure up to yourself wrath for the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God. You know it's possible to be in danger and not realize it. There are many people that are in danger of the wrath of God and they don't realize it, just like these boys we were talking about a minute ago.
Having fun in school and not at all aware of how their teacher was reacting, responding, what they were doing.
You know how God?
Sees what you do. God is interested in everything we do.
And he has judgments about it, too. Well, our time is about up.
Let's remember these words.
He that believes on the Son has everlasting life.
And the other side he who does not believe on the sun.
Shall not say like just never know how good God is, but the wrath of God abides on him. Anybody here?
Anybody here under the focus in the focus, under the eye of God?
Because with his wrath focused on you, it's a terrible thing to think of.
What a wonderful thing it is to believe in the Lord Jesus. Well, you know, that's why I like to sing that song, Heavenly Sunshine. Let's sing that one more time before we close with prayer.
Heavenly sunshine. Heavenly sunshine.
Light shine, heavens, heavenly God shine.
Our God and Father, we thank you this morning for your goodness to us.
We thank you for sending the Lord Jesus Christ down here to die for us. We thank you that He lives for us.
00:45:01
We thank you. He's coming for us. We pray for anyone here who's left on the outside.
Because they don't believe.
Anyone here who is facing the wrath, the violent anger of God?
We just pray.
That they may be convicted, their eyes might be opened, we ask in Jesus name.
Amen. Now there are Sunday school papers back on the ledge there at the back of the room. You follow my finger over there to the corner there there's Sundays and papers for any who want them. And inside is a memory verse and you can learn that for next Lords day if the Lord leaves us here.
God's Comfort
Address—Don Rule
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.
We'll begin this afternoon's meeting by singing together #4.
Ere God had built the mountains or raised the fruitful hills.
Before he filled the fountains that feed the running rills.
In thee from everlasting the wonderful I am found. Pleasures never wasting, And wisdom is thy name #4 Could someone start it please?
Ere God has built.
Over hills.
Before.
Our own dangerous.
Yeah.
God's blessing.
Our God, we ask for thy blessing and making the Word, Thy Word good to our souls each one this afternoon.
We ask that thy own thine own majesty and the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ might shine.
Brightly through the Word into our souls, and that we may receive our Father, the benefit, the thoudest purpose for us each one this afternoon.
And so we ask in the blessed and worthy name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen.
We'll begin this afternoon by reading in Job.
Chapter 12.
Most of us were here yesterday.
And our time together over the word in the afternoon was.
00:05:00
Concerned with the subject of comfort.
And this afternoon it's on my heart before the Lord to continue with that subject. I know we'll be continuing with it, the Lord willing, in the afternoon Bible reading.
I'd like to, I trust bring before you the root.
Basis of God's comfort.
Perhaps in a way that we sometimes don't think about it, but I believe if we're able to listen, we can see God's way bringing comfort to the soul.
And I'd like to begin here with Job as an example of a man whose friends could not bring comfort to him. We're not able to, even though they wanted to. They were friends. And also that Job himself could not find comfort. And he ends this little part of his book with a question that I think illustrates why Job could not find comfort for himself at that time that you and I can have today that he could not have then.
Since we're not going to look at the whole book of Job in any sense, and most of us know the story of Job, this is a part of Job having conversation with his friends who are there seeking to be a comfort to Job in his trial. And one of them is just finished speaking so far. And now Job is giving what I suppose we would call a rebuttal to what has been said to him.
And in this particular case, Zofar has presented to Job some things, and the foundation on which he has presented them is wisdom and age. And he's sort of saying, Job, you ought to listen to me, to us, because we have wisdom. We're old. And Job is now answering them. So chapter 12, verse one, we'll read just a little bit. Job answered and said.
No doubt, but ye are the people, and wisdom shall die with you.
He's a little sarcastic, but then he goes on and he says but I have understanding as well as you.
I'm not inferior to you. Yeah, Who knoweth not such things as these?
So he's not comforted by what they say because he says, I know that too. And sometimes in the subject of comfort, we say that we're in a trial, we're in a situation where we feel the need of comfort and someone says something to us and we respond. I know that.
And you're not telling me anything I don't know. And we don't derive any particular comfort from what that person is saying. Then Joe goes on to say verse four, I am one mocked as one mocked of his neighbor who calleth upon God, and he answereth him.
The just upright man, me Joe, his laugh to scorn, he that is ready to slip with his feet is as a lamp despised in the thought of him that is at ease at verse is not immediately obvious what I believe God means by it, or Job meant by it. But Job is saying you know the person that circumstances are OK for them. Like you three friends of mine.
You're at ease and you look at somebody like me whose feet are about to slip and have into trial.
And you don't appreciate it. You look at it and you say, well, you know, if Job had only done this or if Job had only done that, he wouldn't have had the problem.
It says, you know, like the lamp that shines, you wouldn't have fallen if you had just taken a lamp job for your feet and followed wisdom slam. Everything would have been all right for you and.
When our thoughts go in that direction, we in some sense disqualify ourselves from having a Capacity to be a help to somebody else.
So then Job goes on. He says the tabernacles of robbers prosper and they that provoke God are secure into whose hand God bringeth abundantly. Job looks around and he says, here's me. Why is it happening to me? I'm an upright person. I do right. And look at that, that man that's got a he's a robber just essentially in his business and he prospers and here's me and I, I get into this terrible state of sadness.
00:10:05
Trial and in his heart he's saying I think it's not fair so then he goes on and we I this is just by way of introduction so I don't want to spend too much time in this chapter but.
Then he goes on and he says.
Verse nine who knoweth not in all these things that the hand of the Lord hath wrought this. Now Job says God's hands in these things. I know it, you know it. Somehow, someway, God's got his hand in, I'm going to say the trial of my life. And he says.
Verse 13 With him, with God, his wisdom and strength, he hath counsel and understanding.
Now verse 14, behold, he breaketh down and it cannot be built up. He shutteth up a man and there is no opening. God's got all control and when he does something, what can man do? It's going to happen. And so he's somewhat turning away from his friends here and he's saying it's not you really, it's God that has this matter. And then he says verse 15, use a little present day analogy.
Behold, he holdeth the waters like he did in Northern Illinois this summer, so that there was number rain.
And they dry up.
He also sendeth them out.
To Baton Rouge, LA, and Biloxi, Ms. and elsewhere, and they overflow the earth.
That is, God does things and man looks at it and says, well, someone told me the other day in connection with insurance companies and what's happened down South. He says, you know, they call it an act of God and in truth it is such things are an act of God.
With him his strength and wisdom.
The deceived and the deceiver are his, and so on. Well, Job goes on quite at length here, talking about wisdom and God and his hand in the circumstances of life. He gets down into the 13th chapter and the 15th verse, and he says, though He slay me, yet will I trust in him, but I will maintain my own ways before him.
For quite a few more chapters, Job takes this position. I'm upright. I'm righteous.
No matter what God does to me, I'm not going to give up that righteousness which I have. And in fact, I'm not going to look at man in it. At least I'm going to look away from man and I will trust in God. If there's going to be any deliverance for me, if there's going to be any comfort for me, then I'm not going to find it in man. I'm going to find it in God.
Chapter 14. Verse One man that is born of a woman is a few days and full of trouble, becomet forth like a flower, and is cut down a filth also as a shadow, and continueth not. He turns to the brevity of man's life. Verse five. Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with thee. Thou hast appointed the bounds that he cannot pass. God has control of life, and the length of it, and the circumstances of it, and Job's recognizing this fact, although he doesn't particularly find any comfort in it.
Nor do you or I.
And then he says.
Verse 13 Oh, that he would hide me in the grave, that he would keep me secret until thy wrath be passed, that thou wittest appoint me a set time and Remember Me. This is something we'll see several times if we have the time. How a person in such circumstances says.
Either God's forgotten me.
He doesn't see me anymore. He's lost track of my suffering and my life.
Or sometimes it's such that man gets to a state where he says, I wish God would leave me alone.
And forget about me and things that probably be better than they are.
Then he raises this question, and this is part of the point of going here, verse 14.
If a man die, shall he live again?
If a man die.
Shall he live again?
I know elsewhere in Job it says. I know that in my flesh I shall see God.
Job is a person who had like a little Flash of lightning and he could see beyond for a moment, but he didn't have any teaching from God.
00:15:01
And consequently it, it was dark again and in the same book. And you know, that takes place over a period of a few months. At times he he sees and at other times he doesn't. He, he goes from one side to the other. It's a little bit like John the Baptist who looked at the Lord Jesus and John one and he said, behold, the Lamb of God. But a little bit later in the trials of his own life, he said he wasn't so sure. He lost a little bit of the assurance that Jesus was really who he thought he was or.
God had revealed him to be and he said, Art thou he, or do we look for another?
And job here is a little bit in the dark side of things. And he says if a man die, shall he live again?
Joe couldn't really see beyond the grave.
And if you don't see beyond the grave in your trial, if you have one.
If you can't get beyond that the present, you will not find the comfort that God wants for your soul.
You need.
To have answered in your soul with firmness.
But you know, doctrinally, I'm sure, but in the conscious sense, at the moment, in the soul, to get beyond a trial, to get comfort from God, you have to see, as Job could not. If a man die, shall he live Again? I want to illustrate this now in the life of the Lord Jesus.
We know with respect to man and turn with me to Hebrews chapter one.
In Hebrews, the Lord Jesus in his life it says, and we read it often and with profit to our souls. He says he looked for comforters and he found none.
That's true among men.
He found none.
But with God, he found a comforter.
And He brings before us a comfort that is available to us.
That will sustain the soul in any trial that it may ever pass through in this life.
In Hebrews chapter one.
We read these words in verse.
10 Hebrews one and 10.
And thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth.
And the heavens are the work of thine hands.
They shall perish.
But thou remainest, and they shall all wax old, as doth a garment.
And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed, but thou art the same.
And thy years shall not fail.
The desire of my heart that if you only remember 2 words.
In this hour you remember these two words. Thou remainest.
Thou remainest, perhaps, at the moment. Why desire that you remember them isn't yet revealed, I suppose, but thou remainest.
And we find here it says he also says thou art the same.
Thou art the same.
To me, these words really are the key.
Through the foundation of comfort to the soul with God.
To see that in the life of the Lord Jesus, let's turn back to the Old Testament, to the 102nd Psalm, and we will see how God comforts His Son the Lord Jesus as a man here on earth in the greatest difficult circumstance or trial that is a man has ever had.
You're going to have to read most of this. We won't comment on very much of it, but Psalm 102 verse, the heading of the Psalm is inspired. We're going to start there.
A prayer of the afflicted when he is overwhelmed. Ever been there? Listen to this prayer. A prayer of the afflicted when he is overwhelmed. And I believe it is in some aspects. While we may apply it to others, it is in some ways can only be applied perfectly to the Lord Jesus.
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A prayer of the afflicted when he is overwhelmed and poured out his complaint before the Lord.
Hear my prayer, O Lord, and let my cry come unto Thee.
Hide not thy face from me in the day when I am in trouble.
Incline thine ear unto me do you hear those words, Incline?
I near unto me last night those words were used.
In God appealing to you if you're in this audience, a Sinner and your sins, God saying listen.
I want to say something to you here. It's the Lord Jesus saying the same words to God. God, listen.
They incline your ear to me. I have something to say to you, Was he heard?
Incline thine ear unto me in the day when I call, answer me speedily, For my days are consumed like smoke, and my bones are burned as an hearth. My heart is smitten and withered like grass, so that I forget to eat my bread.
By reason of the voice of my groaning, my bones cleave to my skin.
I'm like a Pelican in the wilderness. I am like an owl of the desert. I watch and him as a Sparrow alone upon the housetop.
Mine enemies reproach me all the day, and they that are mad against me are sworn against me.
I have eaten ashes like bread and mingled my drink with weeping.
Because of thine Indian nation and thy wrath. For thou hast lifted me up and cast me down.
My days are like a shadow that declineth, and I'm withered like grass. But thou, O Lord, shalt endure forever, and thy remembrance unto all generations.
They shall arise and have mercy upon Zion for the time to favor her. Yeah, the set time has come.
In order not to take too much time, verse 17, he will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer.
This shall be written for the generations to come, that the people which shall be created shall praise the Lord.
For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary from heaven did the Lord behold the earth to hear the groaning of the prisoner, to loose those that are appointed for death.
To declare the name of the Lord in Zion and His praise in Jerusalem when the people are gathered together in the kingdoms to serve the Lord.
He weakened my strength in the way.
He shortened my days.
I said Oh my God.
Take me not away in the midst of my days.
These are the last words of the Lord Jesus here.
Take me not away in the midst of my days.
Suppose you were to comfort the Lord Jesus at this point. Suppose you had the opportunity or the privilege.
Outside the circumstances that the others were in that were not able to be comforters to the Lord. And you came, and He had said these words take me not away in the midst of my days. What would you answer this perfect man?
To give him comfort.
Notice well, brethren, fellow creatures.
God's answer.
In the King James, it's not obvious. If you have Mr. Darby's translation, you'll notice at this point in this verse, there's three little dots.
Those little dots indicate that there's a pause here.
And there's a change of speaker.
And now the Lord answers him.
And he gives this answer to his request.
Thy years speaking to the Lord Jesus, he says to him, Thy years are throughout all generations.
Of old. This is the quotation in Hebrews One of old Thou hast laid the foundation of the earth and the heavens, or the work of thy hands.
They shall perish, but thou shalt endure.
They also remain. Thou shalt continue.
Yeah, all of them shall wax old as a garment, as a vesture. Shalt thou change them?
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And they shall be changed.
But thou art the same.
And thy ears shall have no end.
A little difficult for me to try to explain this, but.
It's a tremendous blessing if the Lord helps you get ahold of it, if you haven't already.
God.
Is a God who is unchanging.
God exists outside of time.
If we have time, we'll look at it Isaiah 57 and it says he inhabits eternity.
God inhabits a sphere of things.
He lives in. He is in.
Things over which time has no claim.
And what is always connected with time is change time itself. I remember reading one time an article on issue of National Geographic devoted to the one subject. The title of the issue was Time and all the articles were on the one thing.
And when it was all done, it was very obvious man had no clue what time was.
Not easy to define.
You try to define time.
You go to the dictionary.
It will say something like this time.
Is a sequence of events that means anything to you find.
You look at it, this thing measures the sequence of events as far as passage of something, but it doesn't really convey to the soul.
And realities of what time really is. But time is a place, a sphere where nothing stays the same.
Everyone of us inhabit time right now God inhabits eternity and with connected with time is constant change and many times in trial we're looking to God to change something that we think we need or we do need in some way to have what we call comfort.
And God, to give comfort, directs the thought of the heart.
Outside of that sphere of things to a world or a place.
Permanence or nothing changes.
And where all is according to the character of God himself.
Comfort often comes to the soul as it enters into the sense of the character of what God is.
His heart.
Is love is holiness. Holiness gives comfort too.
The minute, the mind, the heart, the thoughts are right here and now in a sphere where everything has to change in order, can I say to comfort? Oftentimes, there isn't comfort.
Small little example.
What I'm trying to say in that regard?
I go a couple of times a week to a detention center of young people.
And very often they'll ask you to pray for them.
And there's one prayer that they ask for 10 times as often as any other prayer.
And it goes something like this.
Monday night of this week talking to a boy and he said will you pray for me?
I can almost tell him what he's going to ask.
He says.
I'm going to see the judge on Tuesday.
Would you pray for me that I'll get out of here?
Comfort to him.
Was getting out of there.
I'll stop here, lest I forget to say it a lot of times later, because maybe you're not in jail and that way.
But I'll say this about comfort and a lack of it sometimes.
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Often our desire to have comfort.
It is to satisfy something in us that is not according to God's character.
And God will not grant it.
Or if he does grant it, it won't bring comfort in the long term.
Bring sorrow.
What do I mean by that statement?
Sometimes you ask the boy the question, well, do you want to get out so you can continue your life as it was before the life that brought you in here?
In other words, do you? Are you asking something of God to give it to you?
So that you're relieved of the very thing.
That you brought yourself into.
And yet the basis of your anticipated comfort from God doesn't deal with what God's hand was on you in the first place.
Try to confirm it as time allows. But one of the biggest root difficulties that hinders us from and ourselves having comfort is pride.
And sometimes my desire for comfort in something is to satisfy my sorrow. That or the bruising of my pride. And if I get that problem taken care of, what does the end result for me? My pride's restored.
To the state it was in before I lost that thing.
And consequently, we'll see that often in Scripture comfort.
From God is connected with humility.
God gives us comfort to the humble.
But the Lord Jesus here in this chapter had no.
Pride was the most humble of all men.
But he was in a great trial in his life and I want to say at this point too, he wasn't discouraged.
That is discouragement is is that in us that where we lose our courage and we say what's the use and we might be inclined to give up and not go forward in our lives with God.
Lord Jesus never ever went there.
So this is not a Psalm of discouragement, really.
But it is one in which the pressure of the trial on the heart of the Lord Jesus was that which He was asking for comfort from His God.
And when he gets the measure, what he asks for, God brings before him the eternity, the sameness of his own person.
Now that answer won't be directly to us. Our answer will be in God himself and in the Lord Jesus.
And this requires a little more explanation in this way.
In the first creation.
Everything is connected with time. In the beginning, God created and since that time there's been seed time and harvest in it. The creation goes on and it's getting older and older and older. And God says, as he said to him here, it's it's going to have its end. It's going to wear out. God will have served the purpose of it and it will finish and it will be no more.
This creation of which we belong.
And if our hearts are taken up unnecessarily with anything that you can see that you can put your eye on, if your heart is wrapped up in that, you're ripe for sorrow.
Guarantee.
Because the heart is taken up with something that will not last. And like Job, he had it good.
Job had a nice family job. He was a rich man. He had the honor of his neighbors. He had a good. But he gives us a little insight and we're not going to spend time on Joe, but he gives us a little insight on to what he was thinking because he says.
That which I feared came upon me.
In other words.
He had everything, but there was still something in him that said I might lose it. And he was afraid that God might withdraw his protective hand over him and he might lose it. I don't know him.
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Any real sense of the word, But I can almost guarantee you without knowing the man, that Bill Gates, the richest man in the United States, and perhaps the world, has that fear.
It's natural to man.
What if?
Somebody takes my company away.
Or my family or something. And so the stability, the security that man has, he's not sure he can keep. And it leaves him at least deep down inside, somewhere afraid that it might be gone. And then he thinks my happiness depends on it. How can I get it back if I don't get it back, I.
I can't be comforted.
You can't give me back. Can you give me back what I lost?
The Lord Jesus.
Had something and God brings it before him, that could not, would not change.
God who exists in eternity.
Associates, our hearts, our thoughts and everything with that realm of things which cannot, will not ever change, and in the measure in which my heart is in that sphere of things.
I will always find comfort.
Regardless of what it is.
I want to go back a little example that just comes to my mind of that.
For many years when I was younger.
I used to think this way.
What about somebody I love in this life?
What if they die in their sins?
How can I ever be happy in heaven if they're not there?
That used to trouble me quite a bit.
And I thank God.
Think a brother that may be associated with the first Kentucky conference? I don't know. Least of the modern era. Brother Paul Javiden answered that question for my soul at a Wheaton conference many years ago.
This way, he said. You know when we get to heaven.
We'll all have the sense.
That the family of God.
Is complete.
There isn't going to be a soul missing in God's family.
That will not be there.
Tremendous answer to my soul.
Gave comfort to myself.
When my perspective is heavenly and final, there won't be anybody missing.
I belong to natural families here on earth, and so do you.
And those families get separated by death, everyone of them.
But God is forming a family that will exist outside of time.
Will endure for eternity.
And in that sphere it is going to be perfect.
And complete.
Every circumstance of your life and mine that is in this present scene of things.
Will have an answer in the character of God to accomplish his purposes.
For that time when time shall be no more.
God has purposes in all that He allows in our lives.
That will make eternity richer to our souls.
And he is going to accomplish that purpose.
His purposes are from eternity. They started in eternity and they end in eternity. And time is only the sphere in which He accomplishes certain things that are going to satisfy His own heart in that day to come. And if my soul rests in that fact, I find comfort.
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But if I struggle to sometimes understand or change or overcome in my own efforts and energy instead of what is another thing that's often associated with comfort and we read it stand still.
Stand still.
That is, let God work. Let God have the last say for us to stand still.
And God will accomplish the purposes that He has in eternity.
Now.
In connection with the original creation of the Earth, the first creation, the first Adam, it says all die. That's the end of it. Everything in it's going to die.
And it's, it's for time. The first creation is just for time. And it's going to have its course and it's going to be done in there. It's gone. And everything associated with it is gone. Everything.
That's only connected with the first creation as far as before the eye and the work of God is going to be done.
That's why it says as to souls, I cannot comprehend. I was thinking about this afternoon. I can't comprehend how awful.
It is to die in your sins.
Because you will never enter into the second the last creation.
You die a second death.
Or you suffer a second death. You'll be conscious forever.
But you'll be conscious forever and a creation which God is done with, or a state of things at least that God is finished with, and you will have no ever.
Connection with love or.
Light.
And yet you will still exist in that state of.
Flesh in which sin rules the desires of sin cannot be satisfied. It's an awful thing.
Russell to.
Die in their sins.
But for us?
As was read.
Or some forget it was in prayer this morning, the breaking of bread.
This part of this verse was quoted. Hath brought life and immortality to light.
Through the gospel. That's what Job didn't have, that's what Job couldn't see, and that's what changes.
Perspective of a soul.
This is life eternal. What's the definition of it? That they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent.
We get to know our God outside of time and outside of things of the first creation, and that's what's really, really life for us to enter into that which is eternal, to leave that which is connected with time.
That's what it is to know God. His heart is who he is. That's life eternal. It isn't the idea of just living on when Martha was at the grave or at the time Lazarus, her brother died and the Lord says, do you believe? And she said, well, yes, Lord, I believe that there will be a resurrection in the last day. She wasn't thinking about life eternal as the Lord Jesus, as God has now revealed it. She was thinking, I get people are going to live again in time.
Connected with the things of Earth.
And that's true. So that's as far as her understanding went.
The Word became flesh and dwelt among us that God of eternity might reveal Himself to us, that we might come by new birth to have eternal life, that God would take us out of a creation of time into that which is eternal with Himself.
And the last one of the last acts of God is in Revelation 21. He shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. That is the last thing that would bring. Sorrow is only connected with this creation. And when God brings us fully and forever in every respect into that which is eternal, won't be any more tears, won't be any more sorrow. That's connected with time and change.
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We say, why do I have a trial now?
If you didn't have a trial, now there are things in eternity you could never know about your God.
There are many things you would never know about God.
If you didn't pass through time.
If you were created and as a creature and simply brought into eternity, you would never know.
That God is a God of comfort.
Because you've never experienced anything that would bring forth discomfort to your soul.
Do you know something of compassion? You'd never know it if you didn't have this life.
You can make a list and it can go on and on. The things that are valuable to your soul and the circumstances of your present life that would be lost to you if God, in his perfect wisdom and way, didn't do things the way God does things.
But hear the Lord Jesus.
He says he weakened my strength in the day, shortened my days. Oh my God, take me not away the midst of my days, but what does God give him comfort in?
You're from eternity.
From eternity.
You're in that sphere of things that will never change and.
Don't worry as it were passing out of time.
Out of this life.
Or dying as a young man.
Well, we better go on. We're going to cover any more points. Let's turn over to Isaiah.
Chapter 40.
Isaiah chapter 40.
Verse one Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.
Verse 8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, but the word of our God shall stand forever.
Verse 26 Lift up your eyes on high and behold, he who created these things.
That bringeth out their host by number. He calleth them by names, by the greatness of His might. For he that is strong in power not one faileth. What sayest thou Jacob, and speakest thou Israel? My way is hid from the Lord, and my judgment is passed over from my God. Hast thou not known, hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fadeth not, fainteth not, neither is weary. There is no searching of His understanding.
He giveth power to the faint, and to them that have no might he increases the strength. Even the use shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fail. But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They that shall mount up with wings as Eagles, they shall run and not be weary, and they shall walk and not faint.
All these words were given to an earthly people without the light of the knowledge of eternity that we have, without the light of immortality revealed to them. But still they give the principle. And now we can go back to them within the in the light of what we know and apply them as God would have us. And so he says, verse 40 Comfort ye, comfort ye my people. Now he's going to give comfort to these people in the circumstances in which they were.
And as is often the case in such situations, verse 7, the grass wither at the Fowler faded. That is the feeling, you know, everything is going burn up. Everything is where is it going to end? There's there's just nothing left.
Things keep going as they are, then in a little while there'll be nothing left. That's how they kind of felt. And he's here to encompass, comfort them with his strength and his arm. But then they said.
And verse 27 my way is hid from the Lord.
And my judgment is passed over from my God. It's as if they hear some things, but there's kind of like.
God isn't listening. She doesn't see.
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He doesn't care. It seems like he he's not doing anything. If he really cared about me, he'd be doing something. I need something done to take care of this situation.
And without it, it just seems like God isn't.
God isn't doing anything for me.
What's God say?
Hast thou not known? Is his answer.
Hast thou not heard at the everlasting God? The Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth fainteth not, neither is weary. There is no searching of His understanding.
The God who is the same from eternity to eternity, Does he forget? Does he not see?
Time is just a little thing in the middle. Is that where it's not really that I don't know how to extrude it, but he's, he reassures us and he said I'm the God of eternity. I don't forget. I do have understanding. You don't.
I can act in ways for your good that you can't understand, but still, it's for your good and I just ask you to trust me.
He giveth power, He increases strength to endure.
In Two Corinthians.
We use in the King James is the God of comfort and Mr. Abby's translation is the God of endurance. He knows how to give us the endurance to get to the end of it without even taking it away, if that's according to his ways of good and blessing for us. But in my with the energy of youth, even youth faint, young men faulty, they can't handle it. No matter what strength we have in nature, it's not going to be good enough.
But what is it He says, they that wait upon the Lord?
That's something about time that's hard waiting.
I was ready for this meeting to start my soul at 1:30 and it didn't start till 2:00.
And it was hard to wait. I sat in my seat for two minutes and half watched my watch. I don't know if anybody else experiences that or not, but it's just the fact that even little bits of time, when we're ready, can I say we're ready to go? Why isn't God?
We want to have it now and one of the things that if we see eternity.
If we respect the God who working from that perspective, then he says wait and we wait. We wait whether or not, but we can wait with comfort if we wait with him.
Verse 41, he goes on and we'll just notice a.
Verse 10 Fear thou not, for I am with thee. Be not displayed. I am thy God. I will strengthen thee. I will help thee.
You don't have time to turn to it, but if you go over to Hebrews 13, what's the context?
Of the statement.
The same yesterday and today and forever.
It's a statement of his eternal being and his unchangeableness. But if you go back to chapter 13, he says, I'll provide.
I'll provide, and here he says, I'll provide. I'll be with you. The God who inhabits eternity says I'll be with you.
And if we're there with him, we find comfort.
As long as our will isn't at work. As long as we're not wanting something that ministers to our flesh.
He was a man, our Lord Jesus, who had no will of his own.
Consequently, he was found comfort.
In the greatest, most difficult circumstance through which any person ever passed.
Isaiah 57.
Verse 15. For thus saith the high and lofty one that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is holy. I dwell in the high and holy place with him also, that is, of a contrite and humble spirit.
To revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
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I will not contend forever, neither will I be always wroth, for the spirit should fail before me, and the souls which I have made for the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth, and I smote him, and I hid me, and was wroth, And he went on forwardly in the way of his heart. I have seen his ways, and I will heal him. I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners.
I create the fruit of the lips. Hebrews 13 by Him. Therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise, the fruit of our lips.
Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the Lord. And I will heal him.
But the wicked are like the troubled sea when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. There is no peace, saith my God the wicked.
The God who inhabits eternity.
Promises His presence in the present circumstances of time, to the soul, that is.
Contrite and humble.
And if we lack comfort in our souls, sometimes we may need to be in the presence of the Lord.
That we might be humbled, That we might let him humble us and make us contrite. That's where Job went.
And he found, in the end, the comfort of God.
But Even so, and to me this is a comfort.
He says Iowa verse 16. I will not contend forever.
Suppose I'm not contrite and humble.
I'm not going to find the present comfort from God, but God's eternal purpose is concerning me are going to go right on and he's going to have the last word for my blessing. He's going to go right on and accomplish. He says I won't be forever. It's not eternal matter. It's it's it's something I'm working out in time. I won't contend forever. I won't always be Roth.
He said if I was the soul, the spirit of man would fail him.
You couldn't handle it if I stayed angry.
Without an end.
He said the covetous I was angry with. I was wroth with the covetous.
He went forward in the forwardness, the willfulness of his own heart to have money or have things that he wanted for himself for this life that I didn't have for him.
But what does he say? I've seen the end. I will heal him.
Oh, brethren, we can have confidence in God and we see somebody going on in forwardness or willfulness. It's always easy to I can see it easier in you than I can in myself. You can see in me better than I can see in myself.
But whatever while I may not enjoy the comfort of it, God still inhabits eternity and still has a purpose. And He will see that His purpose is it. Well, it still has a length, and it still will accomplish, and He will create the fruit of the lips, even praise unto our God.
And in the end, whatever it takes on God's part, He is going to tune you up.
To sing his praise for eternity.
What a comfort.
You can find comfort in God, even if there's a sense of, well, I don't measure up, that God will have the last word and create the fruit of the lips.
The only serious warning to anybody in this room is if you're wicked. That is, if you don't have a relationship with God. You're like the troubled sea that casts up mire and dirt, and there's never going to be peace for you. You'll go into eternity without peace.
And be thirsty forever. Don't be like that. Is there anyone here that still in your sins?
Don't go into eternity thirsty.
Needing comfort, that man. And Luke, he wanted comfort. He wanted a drop of water for his lips and he didn't get it. He never will. There was no comfort for him.
And there is no comfort. The wicked are like the troubled sea. There's no peace, saith my God.
To the wicked, time is up. Let's pray.
Our God and our Father.
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We thank Thee for sending thy Son, the Lord Jesus, into time.
That we might be taken out of it.
To inhabit with the eternity.
To be part of a creation.
A perfect and eternal peace and happiness for thee.
We know, our God, that in the present state of things thy heart grieves.
So we look forward to that day when my heart will be satisfied and the results of the work of our Lord Jesus.
And we thank the Lord Jesus that.
The one thing that.
Will remind us.
The present state of time, the only thing we believe, Lord Jesus, that will ever see an eternity to remind us physically of it.
Is the marks in my hands.
My feet.
Of the sin.
That was in this world. We thank thee too. We shall fly over sea in thy side, the marks of that spear.
Brought forth.
The blood.
Of redemption.
We thank the Lord Jesus and Thy precious name, Amen.
Revelation 4
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Comment on the first couple of verses of chapter 4 of Revelation yesterday. But I would suggest perhaps we read the whole chapter again and then, Lord willing, tomorrow we could read the 5th chapter. That would be acceptable, brethren.
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 four and 20 elders sitting clothed in white Raymond. 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 glance like unto crystal, in the midst of the throne, round about the throne with four beasts full of eyes before and behind.
And the first beast would like a lion, the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face of the man, and a fourth beast feels like a flying eagle. The 4th beast had each of them six wings about him, and they were full of eyes with them. They 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, and sat on the throne who liveth forever and ever.
The four and 20 elders fall down before him. They sat on the throne.
And worship him that liveth forever and ever, and cancer towns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power, that thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
I think it's very beautiful, isn't it brethren, To realize as this scene unfolds that here we have a scene where the redeemed are now beyond everything that bothers all the confusion of this world, everything that enters in now to distract us. And as they see this scene opens in Revelation 4 and five. Now we find that the Saints are above all and beyond all that. Now we find 2 when we go to the end of this book.
And he describes the church as the city in her millennial glory and having an administrative part in the Kingdom. She comes down from God out of heaven. But we find that there's nothing enters into her that defiles as far as what goes on on the earth. That's a different scene. But this is the scene in heaven. This is from God's perspective. And even when we come forth in that day to reign with him, there's nothing going to enter in that. The files were going to be beyond all that.
And I think this is a great comfort, brother. There's so many problems in our own personal lives, sometimes in the family life, often in the assembly problems in the world. We see the breakdown of everything, governments and everything. We see natural disasters perhaps like we've never seen or experienced this close to home before. But to take comfort from the fact that we're going on to this scene, and as the scene opens here, there's a throne in heaven.
The throne would speak to us of stability. By throne, O God is forever and ever, He says to the Son, as we have in in Hebrews chapter one. And so it speaks of stability. And as the judgments later on begin to be poured out on this earth, it might seem like utter chaos, and from Earth's perspective it will be. But to look the above that and see that all there's a, there's a scene all above that.
A scene of undisturbed repose and can't we take confidence now, brethren, as we look around at conditions of things? And sometimes perhaps we are overwhelmed, as we heard in the afternoon meeting. But can't we take comfort from the fact that even now there's a scene and one who's above it all. There's no surprises with him. There isn't anything allowed in our lives around the world stage that isn't ordered from his good hand.
Well, I say this gives us comfort and courage to go on knowing that he's in control now and knowing that we're going on to a scene where everything is going to be bliss and joy.
Nothing's going to happen in the world today that surprises God.
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There are going to be things that happen in this world today that.
Bewildering to people.
Very distressing.
In God's presence at His throne today, absolutely nothing is going to happen That's going to be a surprise to God and require him to alter his plans or his programs in any sense at all. Because God's throne is eternal and it's never ruffled by the events of man. The purposes are never frustrating and consequently God says his work. Come up with me and sit down with me in spirit. Even now we have that.
Privilege in spirit to enjoy with God.
His.
Philippians 4 and verses 6 and seven. The seven first says and the peace of God.
Now the peace of God is what is his forever, always has been. But you've just been saying, John, and the peace of God Garrison or keep your hearts.
The peace of God, as you say. When? And I've heard men say well, what happened in the Garden of Eden, God got caught short all the way to No, he didn't. He's never been caught short, and that's what that means in Philippians 4 The peace of God, a constant, unruffled, settled feast.
I believe that's what it says here in the.
6th Verse and before the throne there was a sea of glass fixed, a fixed situation. There were there were no waves on that seat. It was perfect calm. And that's what the presence of God results in. If we really depend on if we really cast ourselves upon him, we have that peace. Let's notice the verse, brother Dave in that connection back in John's gospel.
Chapter 13.
Next you must the Lord Jesus. Here what is our portion to of course, in John 13.
And verse 3 Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands and that he was come from God and went to God, he rises from supper. Now I think this is a tremendous statement to consider because consider the fact that as the Lord Jesus was here on this occasion, the betrayer was still amongst them. Judas was there. The Lord Jesus knew that Judas was going to be tray him.
Peter was going to deny him three times with those and curses. The Lord Jesus knew that the hearts of the disciples were troubled on this occasion. He knew that later on they were all going to forsake him and flee. More than this he knew the cross was before him. And how could the Lord Jesus as a man in perfect calmness, rise from supper, lay aside his garment and calmly go on and wash the disciples feet and encourage them as to the resources.
That he was made for them in anticipation of his absence. Well, it was to realize that all things had been given into his hand. Nothing was out of control here. And his brother Dawn said there were no surprises to the Lord Jesus. The disciples were surprised to find that there was a betrayer amongst them, so surprised that they looked at each other and said, is it I? Is it I? There were some surprises coming for the disciples, things they didn't understand and enter into, but there was no surprises to the Lord Jesus.
All had been committed into his hand. He had come from God. He was going back to God. Was anything going to change that perfect time table? Was anything going to upset that? Not one thing was going to upset. All the failure in man, even in his own, wasn't going to upset that wasn't going to change God's perfect timetable. Sometimes my plans and my timetable are upset. I like things laid out. I like an itinerary and I like to know what I'm going to be doing today and tomorrow and next week.
But sometimes things come in to change those plans and purposes, and we have to learn to accept that. But he knew that all things had been committed into his hand. And brethren, if we realize that everything is in His hand, that it's all ordered from His throne. He sat down on his Father's throne. As we get in the verses just prior to this, in connection with the overcomer and Laodicea, he's there, seated now everything is working out according to the council of his own will.
According to his purposes and his timetable, And if we can just realize that nothing is going to frustrate that, then I believe, as you say, we're going to have confidence to go on. Not that we'll see the removal of the difficulties, but we're going to have confidence to go on through those difficulties. And like one of all who could say, by my God, have I run through a truth, by my God, have I leaped over a wall.
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Yesterday the comment was made about our not going through the tribulation, which is very well documented in the third chapter and here in the first verse is documented again at the end of the first verse that says which must be after these. After these of what happened in the first part of Revelation, the 1St 3 chapters after these means it's it's that's gone with something new is now going to come into effect.
And so that's not the only place. There's other places that we can turn to that tell us that we're not going to go through the tribulation. One thought in regards to that would a man, I'm speaking on earthly things right now, would a man that is just going to get married to a beautiful bride pass her through some horrible circumstance? Why no. Is God going to do that to his bride, to the bride of his son? Is he going to pass?
The bride of his son through the tribulation, Why of course not, no. And those that think that way, they're completely out in left field. And you know, it's only pride of man that does that because I've heard a man say, well, the church is going to, because of their faithfulness and their duty, are going to bring in the Millennium. That's not true at all.
Not true, no. It's the faithfulness and justness and the glory of the person of Christ that's going to bring in the Millennium. Not his church, not his thing.
In the last reading of Paul, he talks about the.
Heavenly Kingdom. You can see that in Second Timothy 4.
And 18 the last book that Paul wrote, he says in this 18th verse, the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto this heavenly Kingdom to be glory forever. Peter in his last words of the.
2nd Epistle of Peter and the first chapter, he says.
In verse 16 verse 10.
Wherefore, the rather brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure, that's sure unto yourself, I think. For if we do these things, we shall never pull, for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Now I have difficulty talking about heaven and earth connected with the Millennium. I can't understand very much about heaven.
But after the rapture will never be connected with the earth, or living on the earth will always be an eternity, will always be in heaven.
How do you figure these things out about heaven and earth in the Millennium?
I haven't got much to say on.
Understand it. There's going to be heavenly, that's going to be everlasting. That's not going to be persecution or iniquity or anything else.
Those former things are done away.
But we'll be able to, as it were, be with God in the sense that there's time right now and God's dealing with it. Even though God lives outside of it and inhabits eternity, He still has to do with time. He sent his Son to this world in time and accomplished the work. And when we go to heaven, we will, you might say, be with God to inhabit eternity with him, but we will still have to do with time.
Until the new heaven and the new earth that is the Millennium will still have to do with time on earth and we will still be connected with the affairs of it. Just like God is connected with the earth's affairs today, but He He inhabits eternity but today he's connected with the affairs of earth in a providential way behind the scenes, whereas what we have from verse from chapter 4 on in the Book of Revelation.
He is going to intervene directly into the affairs of men. He's going to say basically you've had your day, This is man's day that we live in.
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And it gets more and more confusing all the time.
So the day of the Lord which begins at the end of the tribulation, with the coming of the Lord Jesus in power and glory, to take the Kingdom.
Is when the day of the Lord begins. It will be the end of man's day. It will be the end of the times of the Gentiles of gentile dominion and the Lord Jesus comes back to directly intervene.
Take the governments of this world, the whole system, the political system that we know today will be totally replaced. It's hard for us to even imagine that. But the Lord Jesus is going to intervene directly into the affairs of men. And that's why it's so appropriate that in chapters 4 and five we get in both chapters of the throne mentioned Again, I mentioned it is the first thing he sees when he is taken up.
In the Spirit, into heaven is a throne set in heaven. And then it says, and one sat on the road. Because the throne is the basis upon which God will take the control of this world. Again, on what grounds? And of course, as we mentioned yesterday, the grounds in chapter 4 is that he is Creator.
Five, that he is Redeemer. He has every right to take the throne of this world again, and he will. Oh brethren, that should be such a consolation to us to realize we don't have to straighten out this world.
There is going to be a time, and I don't think it's very far off, when God himself, who has his man already appointed for the job, is going to come back and then we'll be the straightening out time. Not now.
Interesting too that they're around this throne is this rainbow, like unto an emerald. When we see a rainbow there, it's multi colored and usually we only see the art, the one art of the rainbow.
We see that both because, as the Lord promised Noah, he would put his bow in the cloud as a promise that he would never again judge this world by a deluge, by a flood. But it's interesting here that it's not just an ark, it's a it's a circle. It's round about the throne. I don't have a particular thought, except that I have wondered if it's the realization that now we don't understand God's full purposes.
We see a little bit of it. We've been Speaking of it a little bit as to what is revealed to us from the pages of this word in the power of the Spirit. But there, when the redeemed are gathered around the Lord Jesus in that day, they're going to see this rainbow and it's going to be, I suggest, a complete circle, because we will see completely. God's purposes will no longer understand in part, and prophecy in part. We'll see it from His perspective.
And notice too it's not multi colored like when we see a rainbow, but it's like unto an emerald.
And so Green would speak to us of God's purposes in connection with this earth. And isn't it beautiful to realize, brethren, that before the judgments begin to be meted out on this earth, it's just as if with this rainbow round about the throne, God is looking on beyond the judgments to the ultimate blessing that is going to result sometimes said that God never allows one ounce of judgment more to fall.
Than is absolutely necessary to accomplish not only his purposes, but his purposes for blessing. And so the judgments in the next chapters, starting with Chapter 6, they're poured out and everything may seem like it's out of control. It may seem like it's utter chaos, looks like there's going to be utter devastation. And we know that unless the days were shortened and so on, there would be. But there isn't. I say 1 oz. More of judgment allowed to fall.
But to accomplish his purposes, I think that's one reason why when the final, the last of the judgments are poured out, they're called the vial or the bold judgments. Let's just picture for a moment going into a laboratory and everything in that laboratory that's put in those vials for that experiment. Everything is carefully weighed and measured. And if it's not, then the experiment is going to fail. And so there's a few drops of this in a certain weight of that.
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And a certain amount of another thing, and I say everything is placed in the vial in the proper order. And as to the proper measurement. And to me, it's just as if he measures out those judgments very, very carefully before he pours them out so that there is only enough judgment as is absolutely necessary. Because even in judgment, Brethren, his ultimate purpose is to bring about blessing, and he's going to accomplish it on this earth.
He is going to, in the end, bring about blessing. There's going to be a scene, a millennial scene in the end that's going to be beyond anything this world has ever known since the fall of man, or perhaps ever known even before the fall of men, when that righteous king comes forth with healing in his wings and so on.
I think this is very beautiful to see. Now if I could just make it very practical for us. Let's bring it down to us today, you say. Seems like there's been a lot of things meted out in my life. Just seems like the Lord sometimes lays His hand pretty heavily upon me. But be comforted, brother. Be comforted, sister. To realize that just as things are carefully measured in connection with the earth in the coming days, so everything in our lives, whether it's in His.
Chastisement. Whether it's in trials to prepare us for things. Whether it's in his school to teach us lessons.
And so on. Everything in our lives is carefully needed out. He doesn't allow anything in your life and mine that isn't ultimately, if we're exercised by it for our good and blessing.
Bob has referred to the day of the Lord.
At least I heard that and the day of God, but.
Today is man's day if we would look at First Corinthians 4.
You have that.
We're living in what is man's day, In effect, that is, God is allowed man to go on uninterruptedly in most things, doing what man wants to do.
Paul talks about that in connection with himself.
In the trouble he was having a court in the third verse.
1St Corinthians 4 Three with me. It is a very small thing that I should be judged of you.
Or of man's judgment. Man's death is the mercy.
It's man's day, and this goes on. This goes on, as far as I understand, to the Rapture.
And then we go to second Peter, He tells us about.
The day of the Lord.
In the 10th verse.
I'll read the night so you can see what's leading up to it.
The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness, but is long-suffering to us word that men down here not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Well, they don't all come to repentance. Then it says the 10th, 10th verse, But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night in the wish.
The heavens shall pass away with a great noise, the elements shall melt with a perfect heat, and the earth also in the works that are therein, shall be burned out, Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved. What manner person don't eat a bean, All holy conversation and godliness looking for in hasty of the coming of the day of God. This is when the element shall melt with her deep sore.
Well.
When we're raptured to heaven, we'll be in there. We won't. We won't. We'll be in eternity.
We won't be on in time anymore. That's so Dawn will be an eternity.
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It's a wonderful thing, what you said about that time in eternity.
Time does not cease in our in the book we hold in our hands till Revelation 21 and only in the 1St 8 verses.
Revelation 21. Eight, first eight verses. They're really, except for the comments just read in Peter and maybe a few intimations and other scriptures is the only evidence we have of eternity. And so we really don't know much about it, do we? We do know that it's going to be a day of perfection.
During the Millennium, righteousness reigns.
Not so in eternity. Righteousness is going to dwell. There'll be no need for reigning, there'll be no need for correction, there'll be no need for anything of that nature, because sin will be gone forever.
The eternal state. But as you say, Clem, once we are raptured out of this scene into the presence of the Lord Jesus, that state will for us have begun. Righteousness will dwell for us from that moment on.
Like to think of the rainbow about the throne is that when God judged this world, and it was a universal judgment at the flood, after he gave a sign and a promise that he would no longer judge this world and all flesh with water. And so as judgment begins, God doesn't forget his promises and he will not judge.
Destroy all flesh with a flood again. And so here's the reminder. There's a rainbow about the throne, because it's from the throne. Notice in verse five that proceed lightnings and thunderings and voices.
So it's from that throne that basis upon which God has every right to intervene in the affairs of this world.
That the judgment emanates, but he will do it with the full acknowledgement of the promise he made.
In the in the book of Genesis.
Like to make a contrast between the character of the throne in Revelation 4 and its character today?
In Revelation 4, it is God. It's a throne of glory. It's a throne in which God's divine righteousness is to be maintained and upheld. And consequently we see even those that are present there ourselves. You and I will have on a crown of glory that we will have a crown of gold, because it is that which identifies with the righteousness of God and our spirits. Our attitudes will be.
In conformity, so that we will say in chapter five, true and righteous are thy judgments because God is going to act in in according to his glory and his righteousness. I say that in contrast to the day, because today we go out of Hebrews chapter 4, for example, and we come before what? A throne of glory? No, it's not presented there that way. It's a throne of grace, because today God is acting in the world in grace.
He is showing man what is in his heart of love toward man, and he is expressing it there and at the throne of grace. What role does the Lord Jesus have?
He's the high priest for us. He is there to intercede with God on our behalf and the difficulties of life's way, and to give us mercy when we need it. And so today we enjoy our God in that throne is a throne of His grace and of mercy.
But we enjoy the love side, if you will, and the mercy side, the grace side. But when we're in heaven, and at this point in time, we need to recognize that in chapter one, the Lord Jesus puts on the ropes of righteousness as a righteous judge. And so he girds up the loins of his love, and he sits on the throne to judge and with power.
And sometimes we, if we don't enter into that in the Revelation, we start to mix up two things in our minds, get confused, and we start to say, well, why is God doing all these serious things with the earth? Why didn't he do them before? And it's because God in his ways today is dealing with man in grace and mercy. But when we get to the Revelation in chapter four and five and what follows, it's a throne of glory in God's light and holiness.
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And righteousness and righteousness are what is being upheld.
And being expressed to the world. And thankfully we won't have mixed thoughts. Then we won't be saying to God, are you really loving enough or are you doing it right? No, we will say God's glory demands what's going to happen on the earth. True and righteous are thy judgments. And I say that, brethren, because I to myself in the tsunami I guess of last year and what's happened in New Orleans and so on. To me it's a little bit like the tower of Siloam in.
And Luke 17 is it where we see a little anticipation of the holiness of God being expressed in his ways with the earth? And today, when we see a little bit of a foretaste, if you will, or a warning, a forewarning of the holy character of God being expressed in the earth, our hearts are sometimes taken up with the human side of it, to the point where we say, Why did God do that?
Why did God do that? Because he has restrained himself in his grace when he does warn man.
In His Holiness and allow something that is just a little glimpse of what the awfulness that is to come. Perhaps in In that sense, sometimes we need to anticipate the Lord's coming is at hand and realize that just as it will be in the tribulation, you start to see the four running.
Holiness of God being expressed in his ways with respect to this earth. I think that's helpful because I get a lot of.
Statements sometimes from When going to the prisons, Why? If God is a God of love, why does he allow such awful suffering and injustice and war and killing? God is a God of love.
And I think if we if you understand that it's the character which God is showing now he's the God of grace, doesn't mean that he won't judge. But that's not the character he's acting in now. And sometimes I say to people, if you want God.
To act righteously, be careful.
Because you want to exempt yourself and you want him to judge that other person.
But if he's going to start judging righteously, he's going to go all across the board and nobody's going to escape, not even you. So be careful what you say in criticizing what God allows. And I think we need to realize that. I don't think we grasp the way government will be in the millennial day. He's going to reign with a rod of iron. I mean, you do not.
Bend a rod of iron.
Way or another, it's going to be perfect judgment, perfect righteousness. Somebody in the millennial day sins. They will do it because Satan is bound, not deceived. They will do it knowing that they are doing it in open rebellion against God. The next morning, White, they're out of the way. They're gone. That's it.
When Thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.
And they will learn little by little. We better not do that.
It's going to be a totally different way of life in this world and that millennial Kingdom, and it's just so different than what we are used to here. People take their liberties, they do things they know are not right, and yet they want God to judge. Those people over there. God's going to judge.
But the character he's acting in in this present dispensation is Grace, and he gives warning, like Dunn says.
So that men will come to repentance.
A good example of that.
What you say, Bob, is when the children of Israel made the golden cough, and the Lord says, stand aside to Moses. Stand aside and I'll wipe them up.
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Well, that would have been righteous. When that would have been correct, Moses steps in and says no, don't.
Wipe me out.
Well, that's a picture of God's righteousness and the imposition of the Lord into the breach to stop that righteousness. And that's what's going on today. As you already said, it's the day of grace, and only because of the work of Christ on Calvary that man isn't wiped out. Beautiful picture of it, Brother Buchanan mentioned about the man's day, the day of the Lord and the day of God.
And perhaps most of us have some idea as to how that is delineated in Scripture. But just perhaps, to put it in perspective, man's day is a day when man asserts his rights on the earth. And isn't that what's going on today, brother? Is there ever been a day when human rights are glorified like the day in which we live? Rebellion against authority today is not just practiced in the world, it's been practiced ever since the Garden of Eden down.
But rebellion against authority today is preached and glorified. I've sometimes told this little story, but I'll repeat it. My youngest daughter went off to kindergarten at five years of age, and about two weeks after she'd been in school, she sat down at the dinner table one evening, and with a very triumphant look on her face, she announced to her father and mother, You know you're not allowed to spank little girls, I thought, well, they weren't long conveying that.
This is a day when man's rights are glorified and nobody's to tell us what to do. We assert our rights and man don't. Man doesn't want to own the rights of God and the rights of the Lord. And you know, brethren, just as a side, we need to be very careful that we don't fall into the spirit of the age. Things affect us. The spirit of the age affects us. We want to be very careful. But man's day is the day, I say, in which man is asserting his rights. But the day of the Lord is a day when his rights will be publicly asserted.
This earth. Now he wants that place in the hearts of his own. Now we sometimes sing that hymn rain thou within our hearts alone, but he does not have that place publicly yet He has it in heaven. But now we see not yet all things put under him. And I trust that there's no thought in corners of our hearts, brethren, as to this being the reigning time. Now there are those who teach that, but this is still man's day, this brother Buchanan said. But there's a day coming called the day of the Lord.
And it's interesting, as we read in Peter, it's coming as a thief in the night. Now, whenever you read about the Lord coming as a thief in the night, it's not the rapture. Because a thief comes unexpected and unwanted for us. We ought to be watching and waiting. We ought to be anticipating his return. We want him to come. Every believer, I believe, is cold and as different as they get in their souls, when they hear the Lord's coming, there's a response there.
And we want the Lord to come. We're looking for him, I trust. And so that's a little key. These things are helps when you go through the word of God, but it speaks about the Lord coming as a thief in the night, as it does in Matthew and Luke and other places. It's always in connection with the day of the Lord, his coming to reign and righteousness and to assert his rights and so on, pour out the judgments and so on. But then you say, why is eternity called the day of God?
What's the difference? Why is it the day of the Lord in connection with the execution of righteous judgment and his reign and so on, And then it's the day of God. Well, the key is in First Corinthians. We could quote it, but maybe we better read it in First Corinthians 15.
First Corinthians chapter 15 and I'll begin reading at verse 24. Then come at the end, when he shall have delivered, delivered up the Kingdom of God to God, even the Father, when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power, for he must reign to the earth, Put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. Priya put all things under his feet.
But when he said, all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is expected, accepted, which did put all things under him. Now get this. And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be All in all. I think this is one of the most tremendous statements of Scripture.
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After the Lord Jesus has executed righteous judgment, and after he has reigned for 1000 years as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and there is nothing else to be subdued or ruled over, because that's what the thought of a Kingdom is. But after everything is brought into complete order and the last enemy is destroyed, which is death, then think of it rather as a man, the Lord Jesus delivers up the Kingdom to the Father.
That God may be All in all. And so that's why when you come to Peter and to the end of Revelation, it's called the day of God and God tabernacles with man, and God shall dwell with them, and he shall be their God. Because the sun as a man has delivered up the Kingdom that God may be All in all. Why does he do that? Well, just this little simple thought. It's a man. He delivers up the Kingdom.
So they can devote his full time to his bride and he will lavish on her, his love and his company for all eternity. And you and I are going to be there when that eternal scene is brought before us in Revel at the end of Revelation. One thing that is for sure, there's the bride right there with him. We don't know a lot, as Dave said about the eternal state, the day of God, but one thing we know is going to share it with his bride for all eternity.
And he's going to Tabernacle with men. Well, I think this is helpful to get these things delineated. Clearly in our minds, the day of man we live in, that we see man asserting his rights. The day of the Lord that's coming, do we love His appearing to think he's going to have his rightful place and his rights are going to be asserted on the earth? And then the day of God, we're going to dwell with him for all eternity. The Lord Jesus and the Bride are going to be there, nothing to come between and nothing else that needs to be ruled over or put down.
I'd like to make another comment in connection with the day of God. In Second Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 17 we have a statement about new creation.
We are already part of new creation, brethren, but these bodies that we live in are part of the first creation, and we got constant reminders of that. But look at verse 17. Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is as an italics. You'll notice New translation says there is a new creation, old things are passed away.
Behold, all things are become new and notice the first line of chapter verse 18 and all things are of God. Now go over to Revelation chapter 21 and it really directly connects.
And he says in verse five, as was mentioned the 1St 8 verses of the 21St chapter of Revelation are the eternal states, eternal day, verse 5. And he said he that sat upon the throne said, behold, I make all things new. So the day of God when is when all things are of God.
Is that the creation of God? Is that what blade is? He is mentioned the creation of God.
Delayed us here.
The reward to lay to see you.
The beginning of the creation of God. The beginning of the creation. Which verse is it? That's the 14th verse.
The Lord Jesus in resurrection is the head of a new creationism.
And we are part of that new creation. And that that day of God is when you have that in its full development. Mary was the first one to see that new creation when she saw Jesus standing.
He said to go go to my brethren and say to them I ascended to my father and your Father, to my God and your God. And he says touch me not, that's the creation of God. Sometimes people wonder why he said touch me. Not that it was because Mary wanted to have him back as she had known him before. And the Lord Jesus basically said, Mary, you're not going to have me as you knew me in life.
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That you're going to have me in a far fuller way now in new creation.
That's basically what he was saying. So the new heaven and the new earth and the day of God will never be penetrated or spoiled by sin. All chains of sin shall be removed, all evil done away, and we shall dwell with God's beloved through God's eternal day, the first creation sin entered and it spoiled it. But God has invited us to a scene where sin will never come, but going back to our chapter in connection with these elders that are around the throne now.
Before we speak, perhaps, of their typical teaching, I thought of something when our brother Dawn was speaking this afternoon because he mentioned how that when we get to heaven, the family of God will be complete. Now, I'm not talking now about the significance of the number of elders and the significance of the fact they're sitting on Thrones and that they are elders and so on. But what has comforted my heart, brethren, is that sometimes I look around the meeting room at home.
Or even on an occasion like this, and I see a lot of empty seats, the empty seats of those that we once enjoyed happy fellowship with. Some of them are safe home, absent from the body, and present with the Lord. Some perhaps have chosen another path, and we miss them. We see those empty seats. But here, brother, we find there are 4 and 20 elders, and four and 26 are Thrones rather than there's a scene coming, and it ought to rejoice our hearts to think.
That when we look around in that day, there's going to be no empty places there. There's going to be no empty seats. Every redeemed child of God from Adam down to the completion of the church is going to be there. We miss our brother now for one reason or another. But to think that we're going on to this scene, oh, say this thought to give us the courage to go on. We feel so few at times. You say the little assembly where I come from, there's just a few of us I can remember in my home assembly in Smith Falls.
Just 30 years ago, the room was so packed on a Sunday night that we wondered where we were going to see people or even on Wednesday morning. Now we're just a handful, a lot of empty chairs and we seems like sad to say. We keep taking another row out and stacking them in another room and we still have lots of empty chairs. To further, there's a day coming when there's going to be no empty seats there around the Lord Jesus at that meeting in the air, the Lord Jesus.
In one of his parables in Luke's Gospel, Matthew is a little different. But in Luke's Gospel, he sends out his servant and he says to him go out into the highways and the hedges and compel them to come in that my house might be full. And there's absolutely no question, as Jim has said, there's no question at all.
As to whether the house will be full or not, it's going to be full, and everyone that's going to be there will be paid for and bought by the precious blood of Christ. And that's something that we ought to remember.
You know, I don't think it's a wise thing. And I don't think God delights in hearing us disparage our brethren from other areas and in other things. I don't think so. Every blood thought St. of God is precious in His sight and that house is going to be full. And as you were speaking Jim, you know not only will the house be full, but every heart will be full.
And everyone.
Completely conformed to His purpose, His eternal purpose.
There's 24, and it's interesting that scripture interprets scripture. You look for the #24. You'll find in the Old Testament that there were 24 courses of the priests of the priests in the Old Testament service. So this is the priestly company in heaven, but it is all the redeemed of all times that form that priestly company.
You'll get the 24 elders mentioned through the Book of Revelation until you get to the 19th chapter when you get to the marriage supper of the land, and from there on you do not have the 24 elders mentioned because.
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The Bride of the Lamb, which is the church, is part of that company, the Old Testament believers.
Are not included. They are Maybe what we could say are those that are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb. They are those that are referred to in John chapter 3 as the friends of the Bridegroom. John the Baptist included himself in that number as he spoke of the bridegroom and the joy he had of hearing the bridegroom's voice. But he will not be part of that.
Number the bride, but he is part of the heavenly company, and so there are different families.
In the heavenly company. But this, the 24 elders, is the whole priestly company in the in heaven in that day. I think it is helpful to see that scripture itself interprets scripture.
And Ezekiel.
The prophet is shown by the spirit of God to look in the temple, and he sees 25 men, and they have their backs to the temple of the Lord, and they're facing the sun and they're worshipping the sun. And you get the 24 courses of the priesthood. They're all fallen into idolatry, but 25 are mentioned because the high priest was included with them. So we have 24 horses of the priesthood, all that heavenly company complete, but there's a 25th, and he's in the midst. That's the Lord himself.
And he is the one that's going to lead the singing in that day. Going to rejoice with singing. And he's going to burst into that song. And we're going to join in the song of the redeemed for all eternity. But notice too, connection with these elders. They're sitting. That speaks of rest. Our path of faith and service is going to be over. We're going to sit down in his presence, perfectly comfortable, perfectly at rest. How often my wife and I take comfort from that verse that says.
There remaineth therefore rest to the people of God.
Not our rest here. This is the time of service for Christ. This is the path of faith. This is the race that we often speak about. But there is a day when it says he's going to make us to sit down and come forth and serve us. Then they're clothed in white raiment. All is purity there. We're perfectly suited to that sphere. Again, as we said earlier, nothing enters there. The files. That's all gone now. We've left that all behind when we've left earth and been raptured.
To the glory. And then notice they had on their heads crowns of gold. Now, as the heavenly scene opens here we find that immediately the redeemed have their crowns, those rewards that are given for faithfulness, that the judgment seat of Christ. And we don't have time. But if we were to go back to various portions of the New Testament, we would find those crowns taken up in various ways. Paul refers to it as a incorruptible crown in contrast to a corruptible crown.
Someone was Speaking of those crown jewels. John was Speaking of those crown jewels that he saw, and I've seen them too, there at the Tower of London. It's a dazzling display of crown jewels, but at best they're corruptible crowns. They're connected with this world, and empires and kingdoms come and go in this world. But if we're pressing on in the path of faith, we're going to receive an incorruptible crown. It's called a crown of life, in contrast to those who lay down their lives for Christ in one way or another.
It's called a crown of righteousness for those who seek to live righteously in an unrighteous world.
But it's also called a crown of righteousness because it has to do with our position.
During the righteous reign of Christ. But what I want to point out here is that I believe, I would suggest rather that on a couple of accounts that the judgment seat of Christ will take place very quickly after we get home to glory. It's not the judgment seat of Christ that we have here, but simply the statement that on their heads were crowns of gold. I believe that there are three things that the judgment seat of Christ will do, and for this reason it needs to take place quickly after we get home.
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The first thing is the judgment seat of Christ will give us a sense and appreciation of grace like we've never had before. When our lives are unfolded there and he commends for that which was for His glory, we're going to just marvel at His grace. Perhaps we'll finally have a true sense of what it says when it says, what it means when it says.
It is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Maybe I can illustrate it this way. If you give a cup of water in the Lords name, which the Lord said would not lose its reward, when you stand at the judgment seat of Christ, you're going to realize first of all that he provided the cup of water. Secondly, he provided the opportunity to give it. Thirdly, he put the desire in your heart to give it. Well isn't that just been to magnify the grace of God?
No wonder the redeemed take those crowns and cast them back at his feet and give him all the glory. So it magnifies and gives us an appreciation of the grace of God. It also shows us the perfection of all his ways with us here.
As we look back in retrospect and we see and understand things that we didn't see here, we didn't, we don't always see the end of the story or God's ways with us here. We say, I don't know why the Lord really allowed that in my life. I just, I don't understand. I might have some appreciation, but I just don't see the whole picture clearly. Brethren, is anything going to be blurred there? No. And I know again, it's just a little application, but later on, in connection with the heavenly city, the millennial city, it says twice.
Uses the expression clear as crystal. Now we say, well, things weren't clear rather than there's a day coming when everything is going to be clear as crystal and we're going to see it from his perspective. I say the perfection of his ways and it'll be like Israel when their journey, wilderness journey, was rehearsed in the 106th and 7th Psalm. I think it is 105th and 6th. It says he led them by the right way. That's not what they said when they were in the wilderness.
They said why did you lead us this way and that way? To kill us with hunger and we're thirsty and we've got children and we've got cattle that need to be taken care of. But brethren, aren't we just going to bow before him when we see it all in perspective and retrospect and say he led us by the right way? And the other thing it will do is it will establish our place in the Kingdom. That's one reason why it's called a crown of righteousness. Be that over 5 cities.
Over 10 cities according to our faithfulness. Now by His grace then we are going to be rewarded and have a place in the Kingdom. But of course, as I said, as they realize all these things and that it's only His grace that has provided all this, then they take those crowns and they cast them back at His feet and they give him all the glory and all the worship. It will also give us God's viewpoint of everything.
And I think that is so beautiful. As you go through the Book of Revelation, John often has questions. What does this mean? And often it is one of the elders that steps up to instruct him what this means. And I think that is so beautiful to see. Notice a verse in Revelation 18, brethren in this connection.
In verse 20. I'm going to read it in the new translation because.
It's quite a bit different and but I think it shows this. It's in connection with the destruction of the.
Babylon the Great, it says in verse 20 of chapter 18. Rejoice over her heaven, and ye Saints and apostles and prophets, this part for God has judged your judgment upon her.
Their thinking, their perspective was so in line that God actually says God has judged your judgment upon her so that will be done at the judgment seat of Christ wanted.
But we need to get on with our chapter rather, and I hope we can get through some of these things that are so beautiful, the four beasts or the four living creatures.
Seraphims. I guess they are in other parts of the scriptures.
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6 Wings.
We need to talk about these four living creatures.
The seraphims are the garters of God's glory. But perhaps here maybe we have cherubims, which are pretty closely related, and they're the executors of God's judgment.
They show the characteristics in which God will execute judgment, don't they? One had the face of a lion.
Says in the book of Proverbs, the lion is chief amongst the beasts, and does not turn aside for any when he begins his judgments in the earth, nothing will turn him aside. He will go straightforward, the beast who is one who has such power in the earth that they will say.
Who is likened to the beast, and who can make war with her? And the Lord Jesus, when he comes out of heaven, will not turn aside for any. And so one of the characteristics of those righteous judgments He has the face of a lion. The second beast was like a calf, and it's been said that that is stability.
Very difficult to knock it over. You will not be able to unearth.
An animal like that, Very easily. Well, governments come and they go in the world that we live in. But when the Lord Jesus comes back to govern, there will be absolute stability. Perfect government. That's right.
3rd beast is a face of a man Intelligence. Man is known in creation for his intelligence.
And the 4th beast was like a flying eagle.
Swiftness.
When the judgments fall, he's going to make swift work of it. He's waited in patience in the day of His grace for nearly 2000 years, since he was rejected and crucified.
But when he begins his judgment, it will be swift work. So it's a flying eagle. I suggest that maybe some other has thoughts on this too.
In Ezekiel, you get those same beasts, and there there's a picture to us of the government of God, and there's wheels underneath them. And they go straightforward, because the government of God is going to go straightforward and his purposes will be accomplished. But there is one difference there. Instead of a calf, that's an ox, as you mentioned, the characteristic of an ox is its stability. It flows on.
And it goes forward, and there's not much that's going to get in its way or stop it. So there are wonderful animals to pull a plow on a straight furrow. So will the government of God steadily go forward. But now here's the time and the scene is at that. Those judgments that have been long pending are about to be executed. And so now it's a calf. Well, you know, if you take the children into a barn, the cows are interesting, but the calves are a lot more interesting because they're active.
And so it has that character of the ox, but it's a young one. It's a cat. That's restless energy, and the judgments are just about to be poured out.
They're trying to establish government in various countries in the Middle East, trying to establish democracy in Iraq. Is it working under man's summits and peace pacts and negotiations and forces and troops they send in? No, it's not working. The plan is not going ahead as they had once hoped, and it's only perhaps even becoming more muddy and chaotic. But as Brother Steve said, there's a day coming when these beasts.
Which represent God's governmental ways in the earth. They're going to be prevalent and nothing is going to stop what it got. God's purpose. Nothing is going to stop the establishment of government, righteous government here on the earth. And brethren, we need to take heart. Maybe sometimes we get this heart and we say what's going to happen on the world stage? Things seem to be out of control. Things seem to be getting worse and worse, and we're even seeing.
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The breakdown of democracy as govern as biblical principles and.
God fearing men are no longer at the basis of it. We see the crumble of these things. We see the crumble of.
Of kingdoms and so on. But all let's take heart. There's a day coming when he's going to push forward, as Steve said, and nothing is going to stand in his way. United States and the allied forces, they try to push forward. Something comes in and they have to be driven back. They they set a deadline for the establishment of democracy. They set a deadline for pulling out troops out of certain areas, anticipating there's going to be stability.
Does it work? No. They have to keep readjusting those timetables. They have to keep convincing the Western world that we are on track, but we we need a little more time. Is is God going to need more time in that day? No, his timetable. The wheels are going to turn at the right speed and according to his purpose, rather than you say what's going to happen in the world, this is what's going to happen. The Christian who's reading his Bible is more intelligent as to what is happening and what is going to happen.
Why? Men in power today who are not reading their Bibles, They're concerned, and rightly so. They're overwhelmed and rightly so. They don't know where things are going to go if they're honest with themselves. But we know God's government is going to be afoot in the earth, and as Bob says, it's going to be in strength and firmness and intelligence and swiftness. On top of all this, we should not forget that God is still here. The Holy Spirit is still here.
And greater Jesus within you than he that's in the world.
And all the wickedness of the world can't prevail over that. That truck protects our brethren as they go over there and preach the gospel, these places. Oh greater is he that in you than he that's in the world of power and presence of the Holy Spirit. We ought to be extra thankful for it. And on top of that, Brother Buchanan, the most high rule in the kingdoms of men that's now, and setteth up whomsoever he will in the kingdoms of men. And I think that's a comfort too. It is man's day, as we've been saying.
Even if it sets up over the basis of men. That's right and he is in control behind the scenes. Even today it is man's day. Man is asserting his rights. But let's take comfort from the fact that God behind the springs is pulling or behind the scenes is pulling the strings and only allowing men in power as he places them there.
These four beasts, it says in verse 6.
Are full of eyes before and behind verse 8.
They were full of eyes within.
Perfect intelligence. Nothing escapes them. Absolutely nothing. Remember you talking one time.
Brother Clem, about the Watchers in Daniel chapter 4. What could you go? Could you comment on that please, The Watchers? I can't think that fast backwards. Thank you.
But nothing escapes God's eye, does it? Absolutely everything. And sometimes we think, boy, that person sure got away with murder.
Nobody gets away with anything. Everything is going to be accounted for. Never forget that.
So they own the holiness of God. Holy, holy, Holy. Is it the Trinity?
Well, Ronnie, yes, we certainly have the Trinity here. Don't wait holy, holy, holy. I think so it's one God, but three persons. And I was thinking too that as Brother Steve said, I believe here it's more of the character of the Cherubims, because the Cherubims seem to be, as Steve said, God acting in in righteous judgment with the seraphim in the 6th chapter of Isaiah. It has to do more with God acting in grace.
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And though there you find to the seraphim says, holy, holy, holy. But God then finds a way to come out in grace, and he flies with in grace with the hot coal and puts it on his lips and there's a there's a way of blessing the seraphim. I say I I suggest, is God acting in grace, although not at the expense of His Holiness. And so whether God acts in the seraphim character or the cherubim character, which.
I appreciated what Steve said about this corresponding to what you have in Ezekiel 1.
But whether it's in His grace or in His judgment, there's the recognition by those that are used as God's instruments to recognize His Holiness. And rather, we ought to recognize His Holiness too. Even now, you know, I believe this is a day when we've lost the OR that we're in the danger of losing if we're not careful, the sense of the holiness of God and the holiness of the Lord Jesus. You know, this is a day when.
It's an amoral society. I was going to say it's an immoral day, but it's really an amoral society. There are no morals and there are various instruments that Satan has cleverly used to desensitize us as to sin. Not just men of the world, but if we allow these things, they're going to desensitize us to sin and to the holiness of the Lord Jesus. That's why David said take not the spirit of holiness from me. Mr. Darby's translation.
What does that mean? It means don't let me get used to sin. You know, in a day of lowering standards, we can get used to sin. And perhaps we very little realize what sin is in the sight of a holy God. When you read of some of the brethren of past generations, what? And they talk about sin and what they felt were things not acceptable amongst the Lord's people. Why, There may be things that we look at very lightly today of lowering standards, but let's remember He's holy.
And so I just say again whether he acts in grace or whether he acts in judgment.
He is holy, holy, holy. Nothing changes that.
They're going to take up God's government in this earth, and I just like to connect it. If you can bear with me a little bit with Second Thessalonians Chapter 2.
2nd Thessalonians.
Chapter 2 speaks of the man of sin being revealed in this world. And there is that which prevents the full revelation of the first man and all his sin and wickedness and iniquity in this world.
And so the apostle, after Speaking of the man of sin being revealed, says in verse six of Second Thessalonians 2 And now you know.
What withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time for the mystery of iniquity that already worked? Only he who now letteth or prevents will prevent until he be taken out of the way. Then shall that wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming.
God instituted government in this world with Noah for the restraint of evil.
And he.
Is the one who is the authority behind every government in this world. Whether we appreciate those governments or not, they're ordained of God. We read in Romans and.
They bear not the sword in vain, and they're a terror to evil works and not good. And God has put government in this world for the restraint of evil. The Lord himself owned it.
When he stood before Pilate, and he said, Thou could have no power over me, except it were given to thee. From above there was a wicked man, but he was a representative of a divinely established government in this world, and the Lord owns that his power comes from above.
But when the tribulation unfolds and everything that is stable in this world crumbles, there comes an end.
Of God ordained government in this world. And what comes up the beast comes up out of the pit and for the first time this world sees a government in place that is not ordained of God.
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And so when we read them Thessalonians.
That ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
It is God ordained government in this world that he is instituted for the restraint of evil. Now it's only called heath. There's no name given because if the name was given, it would defer our hope. If it wasn't George Bush, if I can use that name, then we'd say, well, we have to wait for that government to come on the scene before we know which is the last one to be here for the restraint of evil.
Before the wicked one is revealed.
God has instituted government in this world for the restraint of evil, and until the apple of his eye is taken out of this scene, the Church of God, he is going to maintain government in this world for the restraining evil. But when she's gone, if I can say it that way, he has no more interest in that any longer. But isn't this really the Holy Spirit in the Christians that's holding back this evil?
Well, I would.
And the reason I bring it up is because I think that thought in a certain census gotten out amongst us. But I don't think it's the full thought. The church has been put here as light, and the church is the believers are the salt of the earth. It's a preserving character and it's a revealing character life makes manifest. But the Christian was never put here to restrain evil.
But the Holy Spirit is, but the Holy Spirit is. But who he uses is government, and I just would refer that. I found that very helpful in the synopsis of Mr. Darby Drinks it out at night. That and I thought it.
To bring it out in connection with the cherubim. Once God ordained government has ceased in this world, and the government of the beast comes into place not ordained of God, then he's going to take it up through that angelic means of those four beasts to execute his government in this world for the complete putting down of evil. I think it's both things personally. God uses government to restrain evil, and there's no question about it.
And somebody has pointed out there in 2nd Thessalonians 6 and verse six, it's what withholdeth that's government but then in verse.
Seven, it says. Only he who now Hindereth will hinder. That's the Holy Spirit of God. I don't think you can.
Deny either one or a very definite restraint to evil in this world.
So I like to think of these here in Revelation 4. They are Seraphim. So even though it may be more in the sense of executing judgment, but it is those that maintain that holiness, that absolute intrinsic holiness of God, in whatever way he may act.
That is in grace like you say Jim, or in government. These are the executors. They have 6 wings just like in Isaiah 6. They are 6 wings creatures, they in Isaiah 6 it says with 22 of the wings he covered his eyes. With two of the wings he covered his feet with the two of the wings they flew.
But solemn thing it is to deal with God. Complete intrinsic holiness. He cannot act in any other way. These creatures, these living creatures, as those that maintain that. I think that's such an important thing. I'd like to comment too in verse 10, since maybe on the next chapter next time it's the expression.
Concerning the four and 20 elders, he says they fell down and worshiped him today.
We have particularly before our hearts.
Revelation 5
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Revelation Chapter 5.
And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written with them, and on the backside, sealed with 7 seals, I saw a strong Angel proclaiming with a loud voice who was worthy to open the boat and reduce the seals thereof. And no man in heaven nor on earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the boat, neither to look thereon. And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereof.
And one of the elders sayeth unto me, We've not behold the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and loose the seven seals thereof. And I beheld low in the midst of the throne, and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders of the Lamb as it had been slain, having 7 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, and sat upon the throne.
And when he had taken the book, 4 beats, and four and 20 elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps and golden vials, full of odors, which are the prayers of Saints. And they sang a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof. For thou was slain, and has redeemed us to God by thy blood, out of every kindred and tongue, and people and nation, and has made us unto our God kings and priests, and we shall reign on the earth.
And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts, and the elders. And a number of them was 10,000 * 10,000, and thousands of thousands, saying, with a loud voice, worthy as the Lamb that was slain, to receive power, and riches and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing, and every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth as such as are in the sea. And all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing and honor and glory and power be unto him that sitteth upon the throne.
And under the lamb forever and ever. And the four beasts said Amen, The four and 20 elders fell down and worshiped him that liveth forever and ever.
Well, as we mentioned the thing, it bears repeating. As we embark on this chapter, we find in the 4th chapter that it's his right and title and his worthiness because he's creator. Just notice the last verse 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 they are and were created.
But now, as we take up this chapter, it goes beyond his worthiness and right, entitled Justice, Creator. But here it's on the basis of redemption. And it might be helpful, just to remind our hearts, brethren, that every blessing for man, whether it's the heavenly company, whether it's the earthly company in a future day, every blessing for man, is based on redemption when man sinned in the Garden of Eden.
God immediately announced the news that the woman's seed would bruise the head of the serpent, and an innocent victim had to die so that coats of skin could be provided for Adam and Eve. Abel brought a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, because there was the shedding of blood, and without the shedding of blood is no remission. All those sacrifices, ordained under the Levitical order of things in the Old Testament, only pointed forward in the heart and mind of God.
To that supreme sacrifice, the Lamb of God, who would give himself at Calvary's cross. And so whether it's our blessing, we're the recipients of redemption now, we enjoy it. We look forward to the day of glory, or whether it's the blessing of this, the the earthly people, God's earthly people, Israel, or the blessing of the nations in the coming day, all is based on redemption. And so as we go down these verses, we'll notice that this is clearly brought out.
So again, we've had in the 4th chapter his worthiness in connection with his being creator. Now it's his worthiness in connection with redemption.
Verse five speaks of a lamb as it had been slain. Verse 9 Thou was slain, and hast redeemed this to God by thy blood. There it shows very clearly.
God had every right over creation because he made it in the 1St place, but everything was corrupted by sin.
And God came through the death of his Son.
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Bought it back. Redeemed. He paid the price of redemption so that everything could be brought back into conformity with God's thoughts.
Creation is beautiful and wonderful. And then that last verse of the 4th chapter, we have the Three glories there.
But when we come to salvation and redemption, we get 7 glories.
And so.
The Him we often sing the center of two eternities, which looked with rapid, adoring eyes. Onward and back to the what a, what a scene that was.
Not only was God's glory.
Completely satisfied, but it far exceeded the glory that ever existed in creation, and that's what we have in the 5th chapter.
In creation, God could speak and it was done.
Redemption. It was the very God who created it all, who came and gave his life, that we might be brought back to God. Incredible, incredible, the glory of redemption.
Far, far exceeds the glory of creation.
It's the greatest power that's ever been exercised. You get that in the first chapter of Ephesians.
Let's just read that verse and the first chapter defeated.
Well, a few verses.
Starting with the 18th verse, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened.
That he may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the Saints, and what most attributes that are used, what is the exceeding greatness of his power to usford who believe.
According to the working of his mighty power, which he brought in Christ when he raised him from the dead.
And shut him.
At his own right hand.
Thought kept raising him, not always for the dead, but up his right hand in the heavenly places far above well, Mr. Potter said.
With God, the cross is recent to the Lamb as it had been slain. God never forgets that you and I need to be reminded of it.
Oh, and to think of that, that God shunned, died. He knows what death is. We had earned that He took that place in order to give us His place. Beautiful thing. Redemption.
Redemption goes beyond just buying or purchasing. Just go back to Ephesians one for a moment and you'll see he brings the two together in Ephesians 1.
And verse 14. Speaking of the spirit of promise, Here he says, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession under the praise of his glory. Here he speaks of the two things, because he has made the purchase now. But redeeming is more than just buying. We often speak of redemption as buying back, and that's true. It is to buy back, But it's more than that. It's to buy back, to set free.
And the, shall I say, the deal has been made, the price has been paid. He has purchased it with his own blood, but he hasn't set it free yet. Now we have not only been purchased, but we have been redeemed. Because we have been set free. We've been set free from the power of sin. We not only belong to him, but we're redeemed with the precious blood of Christ. But brethren, as far as this world, which is the inheritance he speaks of here.
It has not been set free yet. The whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain. This world is still feeling the ******* and the effects of sin, but there's a day coming rather than when he's going to take it back and set it free, he's going to redeem it.
We're waiting. He's waiting for the redemption of the purchased possession. It's purchased but not redeemed in the tremendous. To think rather than that there's a day coming when this planet is not going to feel the effects of sin the way it feels it now. Every level of creation is going to come under the blessing of that redemption in the coming day, and His rights, as we said yesterday, are going to be asserted in this world.
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And we, I suppose we little realize what a day it's going to be. But I think it is helpful when we go through the scriptures to see that redemption is more than just purchasing or buying back. It's buying back to set free. No hospitals in the Millennium, no pharmacies, no doctors, no preacher, no preacher. Everybody will know it.
In Romans 8, we're told that the creature.
Thrown us and travail us now, but it's going to be set free too, as you say. The whole earth, the whole creation is going to be given that total liberty which Romans 8 tells us about. It'll be the fulfillment of what John the Baptist said when he saw the Lord walking here. He said, behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. Now, brethren, he's taken away our sin, But sin hasn't been removed from this world yet.
This world, as we say, isn't set free. We see it on every hand. Even the plants are blighted. We had a beautiful Poplar tree outside our kitchen window, and one summer it got a blight and every leaf on that tree was blighted by by that, that disease. And so, but there's a day coming, as you say, when every level of creation is going to feel the effects of redemption. But it hasn't happened yet. He's taken away our sin.
But it will be the fulfillment of what John the Baptist said in John One.
In connection with your thoughts on redemption.
A couple of verses, one in the book of Colossians, Chapter one.
Verse 20.
And having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself by him, I say, whether they be things in earth or things in heaven. And so everything, as you say, has been bought through the work of the cross. Every blade of grass, everything in heaven and earth, has been reconciled back to God. But there is a difference between redemption and God, and when we come to the second Epistle of Peter in chapter 2.
And verse one.
But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privilege shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that not redeem them, but bought them.
The lost though they have been bought because everything has been bought through the victory of Calvary. They're not called redeemed plus, but not redeemed.
To be set free. That's Steve. That's exactly what we have in the 5th chapter of Revelation.
He bought the world, He bought everybody in it. 5th chapter Revelation has two things. The redeemed, yes, all indeed it is. But also the power and the glory that he has gained by his death and resurrection to judge this world. And that's what we get from the next chapter, chapter 6. But in the 5th chapter it's his right and privilege to judge because he paid the price for this world. That verse you mentioned, Jim the.
Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
Unless this is part of the fulfillment of that it really the full fulfillment of it is the eternal day is goes right out into that eternal day when there will be absolutely no trace of sin left at all. I think that's very important to realize, because even in the Millennium it will not be a perfect state of things. I sometimes put it this way. And I realize, brethren, that the test for man in this world was over at the cross. I realized that.
But the Millennium will show to man beyond the shadow of a doubt, that not only is he a Sinner in himself, because man will still sin in the Millennium, not because the devil tempts him that satans bound for 1000 years, but he will sin because he has a rotten fallen nature. And it will show too, that creation is tainted with the effects of sin. The serpent will still eat dust. It will not be a perfect state of things.
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And so, having shown for 1000 years with the Lord Jesus reigning in righteousness over the world and the effects of the curse to a great degree reverse, it will show that this earth is this creation, is tainted with sin. And that's why at the end of it all then you find in Second Peter that the elements melt with fervent heat and everything that has been tainted by sin is going to be completely dissolved and done away with.
And then there's going to be a new heaven and a new earth wherein not reigns righteousness like the Millennium, but wherein dwelleth righteousness. And it will be a sphere where sin will never enter. Sin entered the first creation, sin spoiled the first creation, But there's a new creation where sin will never enter again. Sin will never penetrate it. And I suppose that's really what the hymn writer was thinking of when he penned those words. It's #58 in the little flock, all change of sin.
Shall be removed. That's not the Millennium. All change of sin shall be removed, all evil done away, and we shall dwell with God's beloved through God's eternal day. That's the eternal state, as Brother Bob has said.
Question in the chapter is who is worthy?
To open the book. It's a book of judgment.
We've spoken quite a bit of redemption in the sense of blessing and the blessing that it brings to us individually as we have it in Ephesians.
And it's already been mentioned, but it's the right to take the world that has been purchased back into God's hands. But what is it that you might say took it out of his hands in the 1St place? It was sin.
And I just a little illustration of, I think part of the point that God is bringing before us here is this is the vindication of the glory of God through redemption. And that's important because God is vindicated through redemption. Whether or not anybody was ever saved, thank God, there's been blessing to our souls through the work. But God was dishonored when sin came into his creation.
And when the Lord Jesus met the woman, are they brought to him the woman taken in adultery?
His comment to them, as he wrote on the ground, was.
A him that is without sin among you.
Let him cast the first stone who was worthy to carry out the judgment to vindicate God's glory with respect to what the woman had done. Not one. They all fade away because none were found worthy, if you will, the Lord Jesus was worthy.
But he says to the woman, go and sin no more. Neither do I condemn. They go and sin no more. Why could he say that to her? Why didn't he carry out the righteousness of the law with respect to her? Because he was going to the cross. He was going to do the work of redemption. And by the work of redemption she could be redeemed. And so he did it, and she was redeemed. And so are we.
But here when it's a question of the worthiness, it says of him he have prevailed in the King James or in Mr. Darby translation overcome. And so the Lord Jesus was the one man who came into a world of sin and overcame everyone else, failed in that place of responsibility before God. And so when God's glory needs to be vindicated in judgment, there's not a single worthy one who has overcome.
Who had the right to open the box?
And carry out that which would glorify God with respect to his creation and to that which had been taken away by sin. That is man's attempt to rob God of his his glory. People say today they say, well, why does God allow sin? Well, there's even the question now that sin has come in how does God maintain his honor in the face of what he created? And here we have it in the person of the Lord Jesus.
And it's important for us, you might say, to see first before our blessing side of it, to see the side that God's own honor is at stake here, and the Book of Revelation is that which brings.
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Judgment particularly, and here is one who is worthy to carry out that judgment as overcomer. And first of all, it gives us the picture of a company of those redeemed or spared, those who have been taken out of the place of judgment into the place of favoring.
Blessing. Very interesting.
That a sixth verse immediately, as you've been saying, Don the sixth verse immediately followed the field the 5th is.
One of the elders said, Weep not. Behold, the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, hath prevailed.
To open the book and to loose the seals thereof. And the next 6 words is how he prevailed.
And so it's true that he bought the world at Calvary. That's when he bought the field. And we have Matthew. And now that he owns the field, here we have the Book of Judgment being opened. It hasn't opened yet, but will be. And who is worthy? The one that bought it, the one that bought the world is worthy. And how do you do it? By his life? Amazing. It is really amazing. It's interesting that in the second verse they the question is raised who is worthy?
In the third verse, no one was able. And so immediately then he's presented in two ways. He's the lion and the lamb. He's the lion of the tribe of Judah. He's able as the lion, as the lamb. He's worthy. There was someone that was not only worthy, but there was someone that was able. You know, someone might be worthy of some title or to carry out some function. And when it comes right down to it, maybe they're not able.
You take the President of the United States today, there he is in that position and we say he's been put in a position where he has the administration of the country at his disposal, but now this disaster happens on the golf course. Is he really able for it? Well, he's come under a lot of criticism and I'll be the last one to criticize him. But I'm just saying come under a lot of criticism and many people say he's in the position, but he's not able to do it. Isn't it tremendous prevent to think there's one who's worthy?
And there's one who's able. But what is remarkable is that in the Book of Revelation, only once is he referred to as the Lion here in our chapter, and 28 times in this book he's referred to as the Lamb. Oh brethren, he's not only able, but how worthy he is.
That word, Brother Jim Lamb, is used in a different way in Revelation than anywhere else in scripture. John uses it twice. It's been referred to.
In the first chapter of John, behold the Lamb of God.
It's repeated again in Acts chapter 8IN connection with the Ethiopian eunuch, where the 53rd of Isaiah is quoted and Peter uses it or redeemed with the Precious Blood of Christ as of the lamb without blemish and without spot. But when it comes to Revelation, the word for lamb is a different word, and it's in what's called the diminutive form. It means lamb kenned, a real little lamb.
Small one. And really, the thought is not quite so much the Passover lamb.
Or God's Lamb, as it is a little lamb, in contrast with a ravenous beast of the earth, and so it's pictured as slain, not so much the thought of bearing our sins in his own body on the tree, but slaying by the responsible beasts of this earth.
And that one whose back they plowed deep there, made long their furrows, and that one who they took and nailed to Calvary cross and spit in his face. And the last this world saw him was dead on that cross. And they said away with this man, that little lamb slain on this earth, and guilty man responsible for that slang is now going to come back.
And he's going to face the beasts of this earth, and he's going to sweep this responsible earth clean of everything that offends and that does iniquity. And that's really, I believe, the thought and revelation. It's the little lamb in contrast with the beast of the earth. And in that sense too, before we get to the verses a little later in the chapter, there's something else that perhaps not very well understood.
00:25:03
In this chapter.
When they sing, when the elders sing the song of redemption, the sea, I believe in Mr. Garveys translation, that little word fuss is left out.
The really singing about the tribulation Saints as to their own selves.
And their own redemption and their own position. It's a settled thing with them. And that's really brought out in Chapter 4. The sea that's before the throne is like glass. It's a sea, as in the sea that Solomon made. That was before the temple in the wilderness, in the Tabernacle. There was a labor before the Tabernacle that the priest washed to be cleaned in. But when?
Solomon made labor for the temple. It was so tremendous.
Calls it a seat.
That labor speaks of the washing of the water, of the word, and it reminds me of what the Spirit of God brought before us, that we're in a changing scene now, and we need the washing of the water of the word now. And we need the reassurance now, the place that we have in Christ and the redemption that we have. But when we're in glory, all those things are in our thoughts and in our hearts are going to be eternally settled. There's going, we're not going to be up there thinking.
And the least about ourselves.
And it's going to be a fixed, settled state. No more washing of the water board. That sea is like glass clear as crystal. And so when we come to Chapter 5, the elders are saying not so much about themselves, but they're really singing about the tribulation Saints and the prayers mentioned there, there. They don't need to pray in heaven. Prayer speaks of asking for something. They have nothing to ask for In that way. Everything's settled within. They have everything.
The prayers that are the prayers of the tribulation Saints. And Mr. Garvey's translation, I think turns about a little better. Thou has redeemed to God a Kingdom.
It's what the work of Christ has done for God in connection with the tribulation Saints and the coming Kingdom that is really what they're singing about.
I wouldn't, wouldn't limit it to that. I agree that that's included, wouldn't you, Steve? It certainly includes every one of us who have blessing through the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. We're there, we're included and it certainly includes us as well. I'd like to hear some comments on the book. It's mentioned almost every verse.
Down through verse 9. The book. What is the book? It's a title deed to this earth.
That is beautiful to think, isn't it? Only one is worthy.
And able to take the tightly to the earth. And until he does, there seems to be a void. There's this strong Angel proclaiming who is worthy, and there doesn't seem to be anybody in earth, neither under the earth or in heaven.
Able or worthy. It's interesting how it almost seems to leave a void.
Especially for John, who is not evidently in the full intelligence of the scene until.
An elder comes up to him to tell him, Don't we? 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.
He's going to take it back.
And he's going to take it back. For God, this is redemption.
In Power, Redemption by the price of redemption has been paid by His Precious Blood.
But redemption and power is still future.
Often been said.
And Scripture bears it out that every single mercy and blessing that this world has known or will know, or all the blessings that heaven knows and will know, and all the blessing that we'll ever know is all predicated on that one act, the act of Calvary. That's where God was given the authority and the privilege to bless man.
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Romans of three and verse 25.
Tells us that all the Old Testament things.
All the sins that were covered in the Old Testament were paid for. They weren't paid for them, but they were paid for at Calvary's trust. And so the blessing of all the Old Testament Saints, the blessing of all the New Testament Saints, all predicated on the work of Calvary, what we're going to read, what we're reading now, and what the rest of the Book of Revelation has to do with, is also all predicated on that same finished work.
God's glory was totally vindicated when the Lord Jesus said it is.
Is beautiful in verse six brethren to see a little detail that sometimes we read over it but twice it mentions in the midst.
And I beheld, and lo, in the midst of the throne and of the 40s, and in the midst of the elders stood a Lamb as it had been slain.
I've enjoyed the thought that the first time.
In the midst.
In the sense that the Lord Jesus is God.
The Son of God, the eternal Son of God, the center of all God's thoughts and purposes. The second in the next is the Lord Jesus as man in the midst of the elders. And so he is gloriously.
In every sense of the word God.
And he is, in every sense of the word man, and in either sphere either sense it is the Lord Jesus that occupies the central position.
Many times when man carries out his judgments, even in responsibility to God, he makes mistakes because of the lack of knowledge and lack of understanding or perhaps even a lack of capacity to discriminate when he's bringing down judgment. And so we say, sometimes we hear the expression innocent bystanders or innocent civilians or something like that suffer when such work goes on. But we're told right in the beginning and even in this sixth verse.
Having 7 horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God going forth into all the earth.
When God is about to do a work, it's always perfect in his understanding. He knows everything about the earth and every individual on it. And even in what's carried out here in the Revelation and what's described to us in Matthew and so on, there's a discrimination between those who are going to come under his hand in rebellion against himself and those who are going to be spared and enter into, in this case, the millennial period of God's blessing on earth.
And so it is good with us to always remember, even in a present application, that God's ways with us individually in our lives are all knowing.
He never fails us because of a lack of understanding, because he doesn't see something that applies to us. But his ways with us are imperfection according to his all, knowing in every detail and properly weighing what he knows as well.
He not only sees, but he properly evaluates it.
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You have something that corresponds to that dawn in Isaiah Chapter 11. Be nice maybe to read that.
Because sometimes people ask what are the seven spirits of God says there is one spirit, and in a sense that's true. And yet these are the seven spirits, completeness and intelligence.
In Chapter 11 of Isaiah there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse.
That's the root of David.
And a branch shall grow out of his roots, and the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him. There's the Spirit of the Lord.
The spirit of wisdom and understanding, The spirit of counsel and might.
The spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. There it is 7 spirits, And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord. And he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears, But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth.
And he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.
And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reigns.
How different today? So often judgments are passed. Sometimes you hear the.
Court system here in the United States, lauded as it is a good system.
They make mistakes and sometimes they make bad mistakes.
Here is the only righteous judgment, completely righteous. And so it will be wonderful in that day, Brent not going to judge after the sight of his eyes, even the sight of our eyes sometimes deceives. He's going to judge with equity what's right.
Someone had the wisdom to judge with the sight of his eyes, but he but the proposition between those two harlots about whose baby it was, He had to prove it out by the side of his eyes. But he had the wisdom to do that. The Lord has wisdom. Without that he doesn't have to see it. He already sees it.
Even now it says his eyelids try the children of men. What does that mean? Well, I want to speak carefully, but even if God shut his eyes, he still can try. The children of men knows the very thoughts and intents of our hearts and if this is true, in connection with what we've been saying in the coming day.
How much more brethren today do we need to live uprightly before God? We don't get away with anything. We don't hide anything. Some of you know, I've had some experiences that have made me realize that we need to live uprightly before God, because things may be some brought publicly, things may be squashed in the press. And are we living uprightly before God? Do we realize we can't hide from him? Sometimes we think as young people, as children.
We can hide things from our parents. We say our parents don't know about it. We do this or we do that, and nobody knows. Sometimes, perhaps even those of us who are older, we think we can hide things from our brethren. We did things and didn't seem like anybody found out about it, but rather his eyelids tried the children of men. He knows the very thoughts and intenses of our hearts. He looks into the very recesses and crevices of our hearts. And so, just as in a coming day, everything will be brought to light in His presence.
And everything will be set right according to his standard. And what he sees is equity and righteousness. So he deals with us in our lives like that now.
It's interesting and beautiful to see to Bob was talking about in the midst and what is the focus of heaven, brethren, and what is the focus of that coming day of glory. It's the one who's in the midst. He's not going to be just with us there. He's going to be the focal point. If you have something in the midst, it's the focal point. If we brought a wagon wheel here this morning, that hub of the wagon wheel is the focal point and all the spokes point in and are held together.
00:40:05
By that wagon wheel and brother, when we get there in that day, he's going to be the one that is the object. He's going to be in the midst. And as the as a result of that, the whole mind of heaven is going to be one. We're going to see things through his eyes according to his his counsels and his thoughts. And I suppose that's why we have the redeemed here in these chapters brought before us as elders. Elders speak of full maturity.
Now we know in part, and we prophecy in part. We take up the Book of Revelation and there's some. Some of us feel one way and some of us feel another about little things and symbolism. If we were to go to some of the written ministry, we would find the brethren of a past age. Often they have a little different view of things.
That day, it's the elders. It's those who have preached full maturity. Nothing. No shadow or shade, nothing we don't fully enter into or understand. But I say the focus there in that day is going to be the one who's in the midst. And brethren, what is it that's going to make heaven? What is it that's going to make glory? It's the presence of that one in the midst. We've often said four walls and fine furniture. Don't make a home.
The presence of those who dwell there. When I turn my vehicle or get on a plane headed back home, why am I? Why am I looking forward to being home? Because I have a comfortable house in Smith Falls. Thank God I have a comfortable house in Smiths Falls, but that house would just be a house apart from the presence of those that dwell there, I hope to be home in just over and just about a week. And why do am I looking forward to being home?
Because I know when I enter that home there, I'm in the presence of those that I love and who love me and brethren, when we get to glory and we get one look at this lamb in the midst, we get one look at his lovely face. I think it's going to eclipse everything else. We're all eternity. You know, it's interesting, Jim, in that connection. When the Lord Jesus was transfigured on the Mount of Transfiguration, that's a preview of the Kingdom, the Lord Jesus.
Supreme His face shown as the sun, and his garments were white as the light. And there were the two that appeared with him in glory to heavenly beings, Moses and Elias. And there were three earthly ones, the three disciples that were there. So there will be in the future Kingdom those that are heavenly and those that are earthly.
But it's interesting to think about that those two heavenly ones, there is no indication that they even saw the three earthly ones. 3 earthly ones saw the two heavenly ones and they became too occupied with them. But what were those two heavenly ones talking about?
They were so occupied with that glory and the glory of redemption.
His decease that he should accomplish at Jerusalem, that there seems to be no recognition on their part of the three disciples there.
Oh brother. And I really believe that it'll be when you see something that is so magnificent you forget about your surroundings.
Oh, and he was caught up to the 3rd heaven, he says. Whether in the body or out of the body, I cannot tell God knowing he was so enraptured with what he saw and heard. Did I have my body on? I don't remember. I don't think he didn't even think about that. And you know, that's the way it's going to be. We get into his presence, oh, the glory of it.
Glory of that person.
The glory of what he has done in the Christ.
The weaker of heaven to that Matthew 1820, and he's in the midst.
Yes, that's another place where he's in the next.
Brother Wiggum had a beautiful statement. Brother Bob, in connection of what you're saying, it really struck me and is believe it might be his book of cleanings.
And Speaking of being in glory and so occupied with Christ, he says when it comes that time when he'll confess our names before the Father and we hear our name confess, and I'm paraphrasing him, he said we'll be surprised that such a person ever existed. And another comment that I really enjoyed of Mr. Ballots. It's just in the preface of that little book, The Open Heavens.
00:45:24
He said. Some have, and again, I'm paraphrasing, Disregard is a book of Hebrews because it's not about the Church, it's not about us, he said. That's right. It's not about us. It's about Christ.
I think it's nice to see too that.
The Saints do here in this heavenly glory see the Lord Jesus as we've had him so supremely brought before our souls and he is the focal point and it brings them to worship. But it's to me also a wonderful thing to look forward to that we are so delivered from ourselves and self occupation and self-interest to be totally occupied with himself And then I want to add and all that he is occupied with.
In other words, he saw the focal point, his person, but also that which he is occupied with. We are freed from self to have that same interest. And so here they they bring this incense and and the prayers of the Saints, the really the earthly ones that and what is taking place on earth. They're they're mature and aware of, but it's all in connection with himself and it's a joy to our hearts to know that we're to be brought into that practically that.
Self can be taken completely out of the equation and that.
We enter into the love of God.
In his love for his Son and in God's love for others that we enter into them and their and their relationship with our God as well. I think that's so important done in our the day we live in. We often speak of the fact that we live in a humanistic culture, and I think it is important to realize that we are affected.
By the culture we're passing through and so often we are so self-centered.
I have to confess it, brethren, I'm as guilty as anybody, But what is the remedy?
It's not turning in on ourselves and and being occupied with our problem that's going to deliver us from it, but it is occupation with him, says in Second Corinthians chapter three. We all, with unveiled face beholding the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even by the Spirit of the Lord.
So it's being occupied with Christ and it says we all. It's not just for a certain group of brethren. This is proper Christian activity. We all with unveiled face. What is characteristic of Judaism is that Moses had to put a veil on his face. They couldn't look at it when the glory was reflected from his face. But now in Christianity we have the veil taken away.
And we look into the face of the Lord Jesus at face.
We're all the glory of God shakes.
It's our privilege to look straight into that face.
And it will have a transforming effect.
What a marvelous thing the apostle John tells us that when we see him.
We shall be like.
No longer will we have this old character of what we are now. We will be.
Like him? Or we shall see him as he is. What a transformation.
Will be like him. You can't see him and remain the same brother.
Not we'll see him as he was, but as he is, as he was was the man of sorrows walking in this world as he was with the last glimpse this world got of him in his shame, crowned with a crown of thorns on a Roman cross. But rather, when we see him, we're going to see him as he is. We're going to see him a glorified man, there on the on the throne. And we have the privilege now of looking up and being occupied, as Bob has said.
With that glorified man at the right hand of God, the one who sits at death, who has sat down on His Father's throne, the one that has been mentioned, Hebrews presents to us. Hebrews opens the heavens so we can look up and be occupied with that blessed one now where He is. And so we're not going to see Him as He was, but we're going to see Him as He is. However, there is going to be in His body the marks of atonement, There's going to be the marks of His His passion.
00:50:32
It says here a Lamb, not as it had been slain, but Mr. Darby just says there stood a Lamb slain. There's that blessed one. Someone has said, the thrust of this is a Lamb freshly slain. You know, it's interesting when the remnants see him in a coming day, they're not going to say what are these scars. They're going to say what are these wounds? Not interesting, not scars. Scars are something that heal. A wound is something that is fresh.
And brethren, when we view him, we're going to view a lamb freshly slain, because the work of Calvary is going to be fresh to our souls for all eternity. It's going to be fresh to the heart of God. It is fresh to the heart of God. Do you realize that the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus on Calvary's cross is as fresh to the heart of God this this morning as it was when it took place so long ago? And it's going to be fresh to the heart of God for all eternity?
And brethren, that's what the way we're going to view it. It's going to be fresh to our souls for eternity.
And as a result, it's going to bring forth then fresh bursts of praise from our hearts and from our lips.
Jim It takes blood to make scarves. There was no blood left in the Lord Jesus to form scars for those wounds in his hand and feet inside.
That were enslaved is important too. If someone falls ill and about a sickness, they die. You don't call them slain.
Slain as the thought that somebody is guilty.
Going back where we learn about Corinthians a minute ago, that's the Christian rest we read up in Hebrews when we cease from our own works, when we realize that we're changed. Not by trying to do things, not by spiritual exercise, but we're simply changed by knowing the person. A glorified person that's arrested, speaks up in Hebrews that the Christians are told to labor to enter into.
To fight the good fight of faith.
In order to rest.
And depending on God to do everything for me.
Well, we find their singing here, isn't there. It's interesting to trace the history of singing through the word of God. You go through the book of Genesis, You have the patriarchs, those sober minded men. They were deep thinkers, but you never read of them singing. And you never have singing until you come to the banks of the Red Sea where you finally have a redeemed people redeemed by the blood of the Passover lamb. They look back and they have been redeemed. They've been fully delivered by the power of God.
Brought out of Egypt its ******* and it's the authority of Pharaoh. And now as a redeemed people, they sing on the banks of the Red Sea. And I believe you'll find in Scripture that is only the redeemed that truly sing. And so here we find it culminated as the redeemed or gathered around the Lord Jesus. And while it's true they're singing of others, yet it's true of themselves as well. They are a redeemed people.
And so they sing the song of redemption. So I say it's really only the redeem that sing in Scripture. And in contrast to that, it's interesting that with the angels there are three things that you never read of angels. Angels are never numbered. The redeemed are numbered Here 4 and 20 elders. I know the numbers figurative. Angels are never numbered. Angels are never crowned. The redeemed have crowns. As we noticed in the previous chapter, angels are never crowned.
And angels never sing. Now angels give glory, they praise and they give glory. But when the angels join in, it's always saying, if we were to go back to the book of Luke when the Lord Jesus came in incarnation and was born as a babe in Bethlehem Manger, the angels give glory as they look on and they see their creator for the first time. But if you notice carefully again it's saying.
00:55:16
Because angels have never been the recipients of redemption. When the angels fell and Satan and his hosts fell, there was number redemption offered to them. They hell was prepared for the devil and his angels. When man fought, fell man, God brought in the glorious principle of redemption. As we've been saying, those coats of skin were provided at the beginning, and it culminates here in Revelation 5.
And so the angels are never the, never the subject of redemption. And so this song here, I say it culminates here with the song of the Redeemed. They're going to sing, yes, all creation gives glory. Yes, the angels give glory. But it's always saying when it's the redeemed, it's singing.
He took not on him the form of angels.
Philippians 2 He took on him the form of a servant. Amazing.
That tells us who we are and being found in fashion as a woman, so that's really all we were serving.
But think of it, King of Glory, the Lord of Heaven, the Creator taking on the form of lymphance to of a service.
Angels really don't need redemption.
They haven't sinned. They're preserved the good angels.
They're called the Elect Angels.
They're by God, preserved in sinless perfection.
It's good for us to learn to sing now, isn't it, Brother Buchanan?
Well, we sometimes sing that hymn. No heart but of the spirit taught makes melody to thee. And I realized that, as you say, some of us can carry a tune better than others. I'm not a singer in that way myself. But I do believe, brethren, as we're going to sing for all eternity, and there'll be no silent lips there.
And I realized we're going to be in There's going to be perfection. No discord, no. But how good it is for us to learn to sing now. Because we have the privilege of beginning that new song on earth. We sometimes sing a hymn that expresses it on earth. The song begins in heaven, more sweet and loud. And David said, thou has put a new song in my mouth, even praise to our God. We have the privilege as it says in the end of Hebrews.
Of offering the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.
You know, I'm saddened and the reason I raised this is because I believe that there's a generation of the redeemed who are not the singers that the Saints of God once were. You know, when I was growing up, I'll be very practical for a moment. When I was growing up, used to, my father used to take us out to visit various of the brethren around the area and you drop in and you know you never left someone's house without standing around the piano and singing a few hymns.
Often we'd sing at the table and so on. And I just say to those of us who are parents, I believe it's a good exercise to teach our children and young people to sing. Why is it so often we look around the meeting room when some of these good Christ exalting hymns are are given out that bring before us in a very real way, the person and work of Christ. And we look around and we see some of our children and young people not singing.
Well, perhaps it's because rather than we haven't, and I only speak to my own heart. Perhaps we haven't been as diligent as we should have been in teaching our children and young people to sing at home. I want to encourage you. I know, I know sometimes that we don't aren't able to carry a tune or we we feel we're inadequate to do it. But you know, when you have your family reading around the table in the evening, get off the hymn books.
Singing Him or two, Look, teach our children and young people to open our mouths and praise and Thanksgiving and worship. Because, again with the redeemed, it has always been in Scripture the medium by which the redeemed have expressed their appreciation of the person and work of Christ and their joy in the Lord. And it's interesting that when the truth was revived in the 1800s, God raised up hymn writers.
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To express the truth, the appreciation for the truth that the Saints of God were beginning to be brought into the knowledge and light of. Because there needed to be a way that these things could be expressed in song and in praise. And God raised up many hymn writers and brethren. We have not just a little flock, but some other hymn books that are preserved to us this precious heritage of good scriptural hymns. Well, let's learn now. We're not going to be silent there. Every tongue is going to be loosed.
Every all lips are going to praise him for eternity. But let's learn to do that now. May I suggest that?
That you in in your home.
Turn one page a day in the hymn book and you'll sing through twice a year. My wife and I for several years have turned 2 pages a day in singing through the hymn book, and every three months we sing the hymn book.
Well, it says here that.
Verse 10 has made us unto our God kings and priests or a Kingdom of priests.
Women are priests as much as men.
And even though the woman is to be silent as to speaking in the assembly, when it comes to praise, they praise too. That's a priestly activity and it is what we are brought into. And it's important that we understand that he has chosen us for this brother, and so that praise should flow continually.
Says several times in the Old Testament. None shall appear before me empty.
Oh what a dishonor it is to come and sit in the presence of the Lord Jesus and leave our mouths shut. How can that be? When the Lord Jesus was entering Jerusalem and the children were crying out Hosanna and it displays the Pharisees they said rebuke them and the Lord Jesus said if they should hold their peace.
The Stones would immediately cry out. God is going to have his son praised.
And if we don't do it, the Lord will raise up somebody else, right? Let's be exercised in praising Him. We have a, like you say, a hymn book full of beautiful scriptural hymns. I like to encourage 1 facet more is that many hymns are not criticizing at all, but speak of our blessings and our experiences through the wilderness.
But take time to address something directly to him.
That's what a Kim is. A him is something that is directed to God. There are spiritual songs. There are what are called psalms too, But him is what is directed to God. We have those in the hymn book 2 #8, for example. Oh Lord, we adore thee. He's he's listening. Is there some acknowledgement of him? Is there some acknowledgement of what he's done from day-to-day?
Or do we pass a whole week without ever looking at to speak his praises, to sing his praises? Oh brethren, we do need to be exercised. Let's look at the first time singing is mentioned in the Bible in Exodus 15. I think you mentioned that while ago. It's a short piece, but it teaches us a lot.
Exodus 15 The first verse then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song under the Lord as fake, saying, I will sing unto the Lord.
To him, for he has triumph gloriously the horse and his writer, as he thrown into the sea. That Lord is my strength and song and so on. But notice that just to complete it, the.
14th Verse Thou in thy mercy?
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Exodus, 1514131314.
Right, Yeah, 1530 Thy mercy has LED forth the people which thou hast redeemed, and thou hast graded them.
In thy strength, where under thy holy habitation, we're talking about the habitation of God right now. Heaven, heaven, that's that's where we're going.
It depends. Complete in this song there.
Well, it's going to be complete one of these days. I think we sang 16 times in that one song. Lord Jesus come. I know that's an invitation we we could give out all we want to. Lord Jesus come, he's going to take us there.
Rather interesting, isn't it, that after the Lord had instituted the memorial, it says they sung in him.
That's amazing. And went out. And where'd they go gardening, Gethsemane.
But they sung at him first.
Music is soulish.
And that's important to understand that music affects our soul.
As well as songs and hymns being spiritual.
And so in Colossians chapter 3, verse 16.
Says, Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another, in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
Brethren that went before us, that God was pleased and sovereign grace to use to recover the truth of God to the church, carefully went through the hymns and our hymn book, and you'll find some of those same hymns and hymnals and church cues and the denominations of men. And you'll finally read somewhat differently than they are in our Himbo. It's because those brethren went very carefully through those hymns.
To make sure they were scripturally correct. And the reason is is because we're taught by those hints.
But music is soulish. And so I can become in a soulish way, attached to a tomb or a song. And if it's not scripturally correct, and it may even be pointed out to me that what I'm singing is not scripturally correct because I'm soulishly attached to it, I said I'm not going to give it up. But nonetheless, it teaches me, but it teaches me what's wrong, what's not scriptural, and so the importance.
Of having what we think be scripturally correct is all I can say is very important because we're going to be taught by what we say.
And we will become attached to it in a way other than just spiritually, just like people in the world become very attached to worldly sanctions, a solar state. That's the way we've been made. We're spirit, soul and body. And so we need to be very careful that what we think is scripturally correct or the time will come when we will give up what is truth in preference to what we have come to love to sing.
I think it's very important as we conclude this chapter that the 12Th, 13th and 14th 1St, which just precedes the judgment that unfolds in the next portion, is all praise, honor, worship, and glory to the person, and not just to the Lord Jesus, but to God the Father as well, the whole.
Character just before judgment was poured out on this world.
In praise and honor and worship to that person. And I think that's so important this 5th chapter.
Ends, as it were, and then starts the judgment because from 6th chapter on, it's pure, unadulterated judgment. And so we think of this in the day in which we live. You know, we're almost to the end.
The Lord could come momentarily and then once he comes, this scene that we're going to see after this is going to unfold but praise and worship and what is in our hearts is it. This kind of thing is a praise and worship and honor to him just before the scene closes with judgment.
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I find it really quite amazing that it speaks of singing in this chapter and as you mentioned, the praise and honor of what's going to happen because.
Singing in the Word of God is connected with joy.
When the children of Israel were on the banks of the Red Sea and they sang for the first time in Scripture, it was the joy of deliverance that produced the song in their hearts. When they were taken captive later on, they their captor said sing, use your hearts. And they said sing in this condition. It's not possible. We all Can't Sing right now. And it is. It's been brought out. It's a soulish thing, but to me sometimes is somebody heavy hearted.
Are they taught to sing and they have with a heavy heart? No, they're not in the word of God. In fact, sometimes in the Proverbs, it's sort of like don't tell somebody to sing when they're when their hearts are heavy. I've I've known souls who have lost a life mate and afterwards haven't been able to sing for a period of months that perhaps before some comes back to them. And here in this chapter we have people singing in the face of this tremendous solemn judgments of these seals about to be opened.
And as you mentioned, Brother Dave, the the giving of praise. And to me brethren, it it's something that only God can teach us. But.
My soul, if brought into fellowship with God, no matter what the circumstances are, is going to have a rest and a peace and an uninterrupted sense of communion joy with my God that I can sing in any circumstance. And I think when we go to a funeral of a believer.
There is within us a place where we can sing even in the face of that sorrow, and we can sing with the joy that looks beyond that moment, and see where it is in the presence of God. And so for us, there is a place in which we can always, within fellowship with God, be brought into a state, a solid-state that will produce with himself a common joy.
To me, when you mentioned Brother Day, they sung A hymn and they went out to the Mount of Olives. It's an amazing thing that they were able to sing in those circumstances. I recognized that they didn't understand. They really didn't enter into what was going to happen that night and the next day, but nonetheless they were in fellowship with the Lord. And even the Lord himself can sing on that occasion.
Because he could go forward in the peace and the joy of fellowship with the Father. May the Lord give us hearts like that, that we would always be able to raise a song.
There's three circles around the throne. I think it is kind of beautiful to see just. I know we're quite well familiar with this. The 1St circle, the closest is the 24 elders, the redeemed company around the throne, and they're the ones that sing. The next circle in verse 11 is the Angelic hosts.
And says the number of them was 10,000 * 10,000. It really is myriads of angels. We don't see angels generally, but it'll be a glorious thing to see those angelic hosts as well around the throne. And then the 3rd circle is verse 13.
Every creature which is in heaven and on earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, in all that are in them, every created being is reverberating with the praise of the land. So it starts. I'd like to think of it. It starts in the inner circle and it just comes wider and wider until the whole.
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Creation throbs and or reverberates maybe is a better word with the praise of the land. Isn't it going to be wonderful brethren in that coming day? In the millennial day, this whole creation is going to praise him. I often think of that verse in Isaiah 55 where it says the trees of the field will clap their hands.
Even it will be even in the.
The plant Kingdom.
It's going to be such joy at being released from the ******* of corruption.
Joy is going to reverberate through the whole creation and before beasts say Amen.
Not wonderful to think. We mentioned yesterday that these four beasts represent God's governmental ways in the earth. And here you have has been said all creation, not just the redeemed, but all creation is giving glory to this blessed One. And the four beasts said Amen. It's just as if they say we see it all now. Everything was working out for a purpose. There's no question as to His right and title, no question as to His worthiness.
No question now as to his ability, No question as to his counsels and purposes. No question about what is going to follow in the chapters that that are start with chapter 6 here and go on as to the judgments. No, they say the four beasts said Amen and brethren. It takes faith to count on that. But can't we in a sense even say that in our lives Now? We said, I don't understand what God is doing in my life. I don't understand things always. Things aren't clear.
But just to say Amen, knowing there's a day when it's all going to be revealed and everything is going to give glory. And as I say, no question as to his right and title. And then we find in the in the end of the chapter here that the four and 20 elders fell down. And I want you to notice this.
And worship. Now we might say in the ninth verse they praise, but here worship is even deeper than praise.
It's often been put this way. We praise Him for what He has done, and they praise the Lamb slain. They think of that work that is the basis of redemption, and they see that Lamb freshly slain. They praise him, but we worship him for who He is.
And so as they're occupied not only with the work of redemption, the basis of it all, oh, they're also occupied with the person, and they worship. Brethren, we ought to learn to do both now, to be so occupied with the person of Christ that our hearts go out to him in worship, and to realize his work and what he has done and what he is doing and what he will do, that will then produce praise, too. And so you have these two things and fell down.
And worshiped him that liveth forever and ever. What a conclusion to this scene that's brought before us. Let's sing 100 and 95195.
Worthy of homage and a praise worthy by all to be adored, exhaust the theme of heavenly lays thou thou art worthy Jesus, Lord.
One day.
Remnant Character in the Church of God
Truths That Gather Us
Armor of God - Do I Have All of It On?
Open Mtg. 8
Open
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Like to Lords help, Let's look at a few scriptures that.
Then.
An encouragement to me and a help to me to understand.
The place that we're at in the history of the Church of God.
Just before the Lords coming.
Things that.
Received from brethren who have gone before us.
And.
That's not anything new, but those things that were ministered to us to build us up, it's impressed me and listening to tapes of ministry from when I was a younger man or boy, how the Lord gave us.
Needed ministry to prepare us for trials that we've been through more of late. He gave us what we needed.
And with this help, if we could look at some scriptures in connection with the remnant character of the testimony today and what I believe the Spirit of God is doing and has done, and of those things that He desires for us to hold fast to. If we could turn to the book of James.
I.
Book of James in chapter 5.
Be patient.
Verse 7 Be patient, therefore, brethren, unto the coming.
Of the Lord.
Behold, the husbandmen waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it.
Until he received the early and the latter rain.
Then another verse.
The Gospel of Luke.
We would Chapter 18.
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Verse 6 Luke 18 And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge sayeth.
And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him?
Though he bear long with them, I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? And one more Scripture where we go on in the book of Isaiah.
Chapter One.
And verse 9.
Except the Lord of Hosts had left unto us a very small remnant.
We should have been as Sodom, and we should have been.
Like gone to Gomorrah?
I know I'm taking some scriptures here that apply to the remnant of Israel don't apply, but they speak of the remnant of Israel and a coming day, so I'd like to make an application if I could with them.
To the present day that we're in, in the church's history, in the account of the unjust judge in the 18th of Luke.
There's a judge who regards not God or man.
And yet a widow comes to him, and through her continual crying, through her persistence.
He intervenes on her behalf.
And the question the Lord asks But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith in the earth?
Will there be any who are expecting him to come and intervene?
On the behalf of the Elect, well, you know, it's a serious question in connection with the Remnant.
And they despair, if you read in the Psalms, of whether the Lord is going to come for their deliverance.
Goodbye, the sovereign grace of God.
That's not a question in that way with the Church of God.
Now the church had lost down through those dark ages, had lost.
So much of the truth of God contained in the Word of God, and they had lost the hope of the Lord's coming.
They looked at best for the world to be Christianized.
And the result of all the nations being converted, a glorious golden age would come in, and the result would be blessing in the earth.
At the end of which time Christ would come and claim that pure Kingdom. Would that be a Kingdom of men and through the efforts of men, and you know, when they sought to take the Lord and make Him king, he refused it because that would have been a Kingdom of men too. He'll only take it as from His Father's hand, and it's only going to be brought in by the Lord Jesus Christ. And we've been reading in Revelation of the preparatory scene before that judgment which will clean this world to prepare for His Kingdom.
We can turn over to.
Matthew.
Chapter 25 and I think we know the account well so I won't read it all.
We see there the account that the Lord gave of the Kingdom of heaven, like unto 10 virgins, 5 wise and five foolish.
And the Spirit of God, the sovereign grace of God, was pleased.
In time to stir up the sleeping Church of God, as it were.
And to recover those lost truths.
It didn't come into a condition like we read of of Sardis and chapter 3 of Revelation.
A dead system of things.
Of salvation based on works.
Even in the Protestant churches.
And like these virgins who were awakened to their condition and called to go out to meet the Bridegroom, so the work of the Spirit of God.
Revived that lost truth, and the cry went out, and the truth that the Church's true hope was It's any moment expectation of the Lord's coming reverberated around the world.
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And many other truths are recovered in the basis of those truths where the fact of what the Church of God really wants.
And how it ought to meet in Paul's doctrine was recovered once again to the Church of God. And although many of those truths have not been really received.
Amongst the Church of God in the world today, yet this truth of the Lord's coming.
Has taken hold and as the account goes on here, they're waiting.
And ready, verse 10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage, and the door was shut. And so I don't believe the Church of God will go back to sleep as to this truth of the Lord's coming. And so when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith in the earth? Yes, he will. Why? Sovereign grace? Sovereign grace. Not because of faithfulness on the church's part, not because of our faithfulness or our wisdom.
Or anything else but sovereign grace that we cover the truth of God to the Church of God.
And so the husband men hath long patience for the fruit of the earth.
And there was that early rain, that wonderful, fresh, bright day of Pentecost.
And the beginning of the Church's history here on earth.
It was a happy, bright start.
But the husbandmen have long patience for the fruit of the earth and we might say the latter rain. We could apply it that way, the recovery of the truth of God once again to the Church of God. You know, things had gotten into such a state that they really thought that the Spirit of God had left the earth. And some began to meet in little prayer meetings to pray that the Spirit of God would be sent once again to this earth. They didn't understand that the Church of God.
Has this helped that the Spirit of God has this habitation presently in the Church of God they began to pray that the Spirit of God would be set once again. I believe the count was given to me that George Mueller in a class of hundreds in his Bible seminary that he went to.
Got saved.
And another young man there got saved. As far as he knew, there were the only two in that whole class. That was really the state of things before the recovery of the truth of God. It was largely a dead system of things. And had God allowed that to go on, we had been like unto Sodom and we had been like unto Gomorrah. If there would have been nothing left, nothing left.
But in his.
Sovereign grace he gave that latter rain and the reason I seeking to bring this before our souls trust it's the Spirit of God seeking to bring it before our souls is that we might have maybe a little better appreciation. 1 desires it for oneself of that which of what the Spirit of God has done and is doing in this present day. We've been privileged to receive that latter rain.
We've been privileged to come in under those.
Truths.
Like to turn over?
I guess to the book of Isaiah.
In chapter 41, hard my fingers.
Keep silence before meal islands and let the people renew their strength. Let them come near.
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Let them speak, Let us come near together to judgment. Who raised up.
The righteous man from the East, and called him to his foot, and gave the nations before him, and made him rule over kings. This is speaking.
Of King Cyrus.
If we turn over to.
The Book of Ezra.
Chapter one and verse one Now in the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth.
Of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king.
Of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his Kingdom, and put it also.
And writing and the declaration goes out that all those.
Who God had put in their heart could return to the city of Jerusalem.
That had been destroyed so many years ago by King Nebuchadnezzar, and God raised up this servant Cyrus.
To accomplish his purpose to give the decree that those captives could.
Return. And as it says, it's by the mouth of Jeremiah the prophet. We just turn over.
To look at that in Jeremiah.
Believe it's chapter 29.
And verse 10 for thus saith the Lord, that after 70 years be accomplished at Babylon, I will visit you and perform my good word towards you and causing you to return to this place. I'd like to connect that with.
The Book of Daniel.
In Chapter 9.
Daniel, Chapter 9.
First one in the first year of Darius, the son of a Hesterus of the seed of the Medes, which was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans in the first year of his reign. I Daniel understood by books the number of the years where of the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish 70 years in the desolations of Jerusalem. And I set my face to unto the Lord God to seek by prayer and supplications.
With fasting and sackcloth and ashes.
Three things.
There's Cyrus, a servant raised up by God to accomplish his purpose.
Jeremiah the prophet, giving the precious word of God, of God's purposes, that in 70 years he would accomplish the desolations of Jerusalem and a remnant would be allowed to return to Jerusalem.
And God purposed that a little remnant would come back to Jerusalem.
That it would be.
There when the Lord Jesus came into this scene.
God had in His grace given David as king over Israel.
And Solomon his son, and in those two kings a beautiful picture of the Lord Jesus and his conquering, and in his reign. But soon that family failed, though God had promised one of the seed of David would sit upon his throne forever. And the failure came in, and failure so grievous that God had to allow.
That people to be carried away captive into a strange land.
But one was going to sit on the throne of David and the purposes of God, and God was not going to have an empty, desolate city there to receive that one. And so in his purposes, he is going to bring a remnant back to receive the king. He's going to bring a remnant back to receive the king, to be there when his son took manhood into union with himself and came into this world.
And so he gives the word that it would be so, and he raises up the instrument that it would be so.
Some years back, before I was married, brother Mark Steak and I used to like to travel with brother Charlie Little and we'd go.
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Down to the little assembly and Waverly for prayer meeting or here and there. And Brother Charlie used to like to tell us about the stories of when he was first gathered to the Lord's name. Brother **** drowned with the Lord now and others with the Lord. They told us of those days when they were first brought into the truth and gathered to the Lord's name. And you know, they said we hardly knew anything.
And shortly after we began to come to meeting, there was an old servant of the Lord, for the drown told me that came in and he spent a week and he gave addresses and he gave addresses on the coming of the Lord.
And he said after those addresses, we used to go out at night in the street.
On the sidewalk and he said we just stand there and we just look up.
We just look up.
It so impressed our souls.
And God recovered a little remnant.
In Ezra's day, that they would be there to receive the king. Well, we don't wait for him as king, do we? But as Lord. But so he's done with that ladder rain and recovered the truth to the Church of God, that there might be a little remnant when he comes.
That represents in some way his bride that is waiting.
To receive him when he comes.
It's not just a matter of the way that we meet, that our chairs all face the right way.
Or that the sisters heads are covered. How beautiful those things are in their place.
Or that it's a matter.
Of.
Not having one man ministry.
You know, some of those things are kind of done in an outward form.
In other places.
But it's really that He's given the latter rain that he might have that here, which represents his bride in this earth, when He comes and calls us to be with him. No, not every member of that body is gathered.
But he will have that which represents her when he comes.
But you know that little return.
In Ezra's day, it waited on something.
There was the instrument of God. Cyrus prophesied many years before he was born.
There was the precious word of God-given by Jeremiah that spoke of that accomplishment, that it waited on something else.
It waited on the exercise of a soul and sovereign grace.
And the purposes of God.
In an amazing way.
He allows it to wait on the exercise of a soul.
And so Daniel opens.
The word of God and he breathes in the book of Jeremiah of how 70 years would be accomplished in the desolations of Jerusalem. You know, I'm sure he could kind of mentally calculate up and realize that that time was almost there. That time was almost there.
Well, he set his face to the Lord. He didn't grab that scroll and run around through Babylon and say, look what I found. We're about we're on the threshold of being able to return to Jerusalem.
No, he didn't. He set his face in repentance and sorrow. Who don't have time to read all of Chapter 9 before the Lord? Oh, it grieved him to think of what God had to do to bring them to that point. You know, in the bright day of Pentecost, it was a joy as that new thing began, but there was a sorrow there too, over Israel having rejected their Messiah and still refusing the work of the Spirit of God.
And that cry goes out, cut it down, white cumber thick the ground of Israel, and in the recovery of the truth of God. And that which I think believe the latter rain speaks of, you know those brethren, and it's been recounted before. One said, we bought that truth on our knees, the floor wet with our tears, and there was a sorrow connected with it.
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There is a sorrow over the true state of the Church of God.
And the place that they have been brought into, and there was a real sorrow over it. And As for his day, when they came back and the foundation of that temple was laid, we can just turn back to it.
Chapter 3 of Ezra.
Verse 11 And they sang together by course, and praising, and giving thanks unto the Lord, because he is good.
For His mercy endureth forever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praise the Lord, because the foundation of the House of the Lord was laid. But many of the priests and Levites in chief of the fathers, who were ancient men, when they that had seen the 1St house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice. And many shouted aloud for joy, so that the people could not discern the noise of the shot of joy from the noise.
Of the weeping of the people, for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the noise was heard afar off.
You know there was a joy in my soul.
When the Spirit of God first began to bring home to me that there was a clean place still in the scene, that we could meet together according to the Word of God, where the Lord Jesus Christ was in the midst and where the truth of God was taught, there was a joy. Like these young ones who had not seen the first temple. There was a joy, a shout of joy. But those who had seen the temple in its early days, it was weeping.
There's weeping, you know, we need both. We need to have joy in our hearts and rejoice in the fact that His sovereign grace has recovered that truth and has preserved it to us and still given us a clean place where we can be gathered unto the precious name of the Lord Jesus and Himself in the midst and yet to realize.
Yet to realize our failure and the failure of the Church of God as a whole to keep that which was committed to our trust.
Do you really have a sense we're nothing?
The Lord has allowed a lot of difficulties, don't need to even say it amongst us in sorrows.
Over the past years and it has struck me.
That it is true that the way in which the truth was recovered and sorrow and repentance is the way in which it must be held today.
And if the Lord has to bring us through those difficulties.
That we would hold the truth in self judgment and repentance.
And sorrow, then he'll allow those things.
Because we can't hold the truth except we hold it in the same way that it was recovered to the Church of God.
They come back to that point. The purposes of God, the instrument of God waited on.
The exercise of a soul. And so there we find Daniel.
And his exercise soul gets before the Lord in real repentance and sorrow.
Real repentance and sorrow.
You know, I in going over these things a little bit at Vestal.
We pardon the personal reference.
Was standing there one night and all the.
The children on the front row.
A lot of young ones.
And those little trips that we made with brother Charlie.
Came back to me and, you know, used to say he still says so I don't know what's wrong with you young brothers.
You'd say, so many nice young sisters around, and there you sit, you know, and you give us an exhortation like that.
But you know, it was his desire.
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His desire, and his earnest prayer and exercise of his heart.
That the testimony would continue in vessel. And he earnestly prayed.
For us as young brothers that we find godly wives.
And raise families for the Lord and instruct them in the truth.
That there might be.
That which represents his bride.
And if I can say it in this way, ready and looking up.
To receive the king when he comes.
And the Lord answered that exercise of soul.
It had never come to my realization till I saw all those children there.
And he waits on the exercise of my soul and your soul.
And he says, Hold that fast which thou hast let no man take thy crown. Oh, it's his purpose, and it will be accomplished. It's according to his word. Those virgins won't go to sleep until he comes, but all his purpose and his counsels wait on the exercise of your soul and mine.
And to the book of Ephesians.
It's good we remember the history where we came from, the great gathering of truth 100 and so years ago. But the gathering wasn't just something that **** was there. There are certain truths that were brought out and the power of the Spirit worked in those days to bring out these truths. It's good we sit a certain way. It's good we claim to be gathered in the name of Christ. But these are the truths that gather us. And we find this in the book of Ephesians. We have the 1St 3 chapters telling us what to believe.
The second three chapters What this faith should produce in our lives.
We could read the prayer and Ephesians chapter one again.
Ceasing not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, the one who gives us a spirit, the one who gives us understanding is the Father of glory. It's not from man of man, but only from God. We are gathered to a person. We're not gathered to a number of doctrines, though we do believe the same, but we're gathered to a heavenly person.
Might give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation and the knowledge of Him. When we know we all have the Spirit, we've already had this in the book of Ephesians. We're sealed by the Holy Spirit by giving the Spirit here He's not meaning actually giving, because we already have, but the experience, the expression of that Spirit in our lives. The result or purpose of this. The clauses in all of Paul's prayer, especially in the prison epistles, build one thought upon another. First the Spirit starts giving us this wisdom.
For the purpose that the eyes of your understanding being enlightened, the following chapters you can go to school your whole life. You can quote this in Greek, you can quote it in English, but it's a spirit that has to open our eyes. The book we have before us cannot be understood by man. The doctrines cannot be understood by men. Our eyes are open via the Holy Spirit and Paul's praying that the believers and ethnists.
That their eyes would be open to these truths, just as we should be praying that our brother's eyes should be open, that our children's eyes should be open to understand these things, that you may know what is the hope of your calling and what is the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the Saints? He is not our inheritance. We're His inheritance, the hope of Our Calling, our purpose, our heavenly calling. We can't know of our heavenly calling by the intellect of man, by the studies of man. We should read the books behind us.
We should use our minds. We're not mindless, but we're totally dependent upon the Holy Spirit to open these truths up to us, to understand the truth that are coming in the following chapter. And what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe according to the work in this mighty power which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him in His own right hand in heavenly places, This power works in US the same power that rose Christ from the dead.
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Christ himself lives in us. We know that from a different book, the book of Colossians, Christ any the hope of glory. So he's praying first that their eyes would be open to these different things. We start off in Ephesians. We were dead in sins. He's made us alive. He has made us alive. But God, who is rich in mercy, we have not made ourselves alive. Not only has he made us alive, but where has he taken us? He's raised us up and placed us in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
Do we understand that we can read the words, but it's only through the working of His Holy Spirit and our minds and hearts that this can be real to us? He goes on. We find out the wall petitions been broken down. We are no longer Jew and Gentile, but one new body. We have not become Jews, but we become one new body, Jew and Gentile. One new body is not merely in Romans the peace for us. Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God.
But here we see He is our peace. The very essence of God has come to dwell in us. He is our peace. We have the objective peace with God. We have the subjective peace. My peace I give unto you not as the world gives, give I unto you. His subjective peace dwelling in US. We are now one body. As we go on, He's told us to open our minds to the mystery that we've become one, something new, something totally unrevealed. In the Old Testament, why do we speak of young people of.
The church not being in the Old Testament, because right here it's called a mystery. It was not revealed in time to old what we are this great mystery.
We're told to understand all these things, we need the Holy Spirit to open our eyes, but so we can sit here and straighten our collar. Oh, I know all these great truths well, no, for a purpose, for change lives. God only blesses us for us to bless others. Read the next prayer quickly, chapter 3, verse 16.
That He would grant you according to the riches of His glory. First to be strengthened with my biased spirit and the inner man. For these truths we first have to understand them. We can't reckon on something. We can't believe something unless we first know it. You know, like remember in Romans 6, no wreck and yield. The first part of this chapter tells us to know certain things. Here it tells the inner man to be strengthened, that we can bring these truths to a practical life.
Before men, we are to be living Christ. Christ is to live in and through us, as we will see here in a moment. And we first know now he's working here that we might believe.
That Christ may dwell in your hearts. How? By faith, Christ is not living my heart by good works, doesn't live in my heart by me beating myself, by me doing this, by me doing that, by prayer meetings, by Bible study, by coming to meetings. We should do all those. But Christ lives in our heart by faith, as I trust in the truth that we were just discussing, Christ makes himself at home.
We know that once we're saved, Christ is in US forever. It's not that Christ needs to come, but He needs to make His home within us.
Being rooted and grounded in love.
The next thing that happens, be able to comprehend with all the Saints.
What is the breadth, length, depth and height? And to know the love of Christ, which passes all knowledge, that you might be filled with all the fullness of God. Now him that is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in US, unto him be glory. So what happens whenever we start believing, excuse me, and working with these truths?
We're told walk in the Spirit. How do we walk in the Spirit? By believing who we are in Christ. Not by doing, but by sorry, my mouth, but by believing. It says to put off the old man and put on the new man. How do we put off the old man? I realized that before God I am dead to sin. That's the way God sees me. How do I put on the new man? Before God? I am risen in Christ.
I put on the Newman. How does the full power come in our lives to fight the Christian warfare? I realize positionally I'm seated now. I see myself as seated and the power of the Spirit flows through us for warfare, for our walk to honor God in our minds and lives. We live a life of faith, not of works we were for by grace. Are you saved through faith?
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As you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walking in Him as we understand these truths, not as merely nice positional things for us to know, but that they are the power of our lives, and as we trust and lean on these, God Himself, Jesus Christ will manifest himself through us by faith alone.
Let's go over to the 6th chapter of Ephesians.
We've had some.
Very encouraging readings here.
And it's impressed me, brethren, in the days we live in.
How the enemy is.
Making full scale war.
He knows he cannot take away.
Our blessings.
But what he tries to do is take away our enjoyment of the blessings and that's what the warfare is about.
Her brother has said we need to simply believe the truth of God.
In Ephesians 1.
That mighty power of God is working.
To us word who believe Ephesians 3, it works in us to believe. Is there any lack of power? No.
But there is real warfare going on, brethren, and it comes down to practical things in our lives. And I'd just like to touch on it. The armor of God. I must say that in my own life, I find it helpful once in a while to stop and reflect. Do I have on the whole armor of God?
It's real warfare. It's not warfare like in Iraq.
We have bombs and bullets.
It's spiritual warfare. It is no less real.
There are casualties all over the place. Incredible. Sad to see it.
But it's important then to make sure that we take unto us what God has provided us for us in the this warfare. Let's just read a few verses here in the 6th chapter says in verse 12, we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in higher heavenly places.
Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in an evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Stand therefore and now we begin with the armor, and I'd like to just simply point out that there are 7 distinct things. There's five pieces of the armor that are defensive. There is one piece that is used for offensive.
Warfare, which is the word of God. And then there's the attitude in which we are.
To go about this warfare prayer verse.
14 The first piece is having your loins girt about with truth. It's not enough, brethren, to be talking about the truth. Fairly easy to sit down in meetings like we are and talk about the truth, and there's a real value in that.
It's not enough. Put it on. Put it into practice if you don't do that.
You can't stand. There is nothing that makes you strong.
As the simple truth of God, get it into your souls.
But here it says girded on. You know, the old soldiers used to put a big belt around their middle outs, what it's talking about so that they could use their strength in battle. Nothing is going to make you strong like the precious truth of God. But let it be something more than just a head matter. Let it be something that you have girded on, made practical. I am impressed increasingly with the fact that you and I do not have the truth of God.
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If we only understand it in our heads, it has to be put into practice. That's when you can say you have the truth of God.
Second piece having on the breastplate of righteousness.
Was a piece that covered the breast of the soldier important part?
One arrow through the heart of a soldier. Sorry, that soldier is not going to be too active any longer. So you have to have on the breastplate of righteousness. What is that? This is practical righteousness.
And I like to put it in this way. It is what Paul talks to Timothy about in First Timothy chapter one. In fact, he mentions it twice in that chapter.
A good conscience.
Sometimes you know we're doing stuff we know is wrong.
Maybe nobody else knows about it. Maybe you got all the doors closed when you do it.
But if you're doing it, you don't have a good conscience. You know what conscience is. Man was created in innocence. Innocence simply means without the knowledge of good and evil.
Sense is the root word for science or knowledge.
When man ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, immediately he had conscience. Every human being has conscience. It means with the knowledge of good and evil.
And sometimes we do not maintain a good conscience, Paul said when he was standing. Given his defense herein, do I exercise myself to have always a conscience void of offence toward God and toward man? He didn't say I always have a good conscience.
Now I exercise myself, and that's a constant thing. Brethren, I might be all right one day. Am I all right for the next day?
That's something I need to exercise myself before the Lord about. And conscience is something that operates according to the measure of light. Somebody has put it. It's like eyes. I got good eyes. I can see you all this afternoon.
But if all the lights were off, for as much as I have good eyes in my head, I wouldn't see a one of you.
You need something to make your eyes work. You need light. And this book is the standard, brethren, which gives us to see things for what they really are. Are we maintaining a good conscience? Brethren? Is there something in your life I don't have any way of knowing? Brethren, I see you once in a while. I'm glad to see you all here encouraged, but you know, before the Lord.
Are you allowing something in your life?
That is not right. You don't have on the breastplate of righteousness.
And that's a scary thing.
To contemplate in view of the fact that we are in the midst of real spiritual warfare.
Put it on, brethren. That's the exhortation of Scripture, Paul says in second in the last chapter of Hebrews. Pray for us, for we trust that we have a good conscience.
3rd place is your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.
Feet as the wok.
And the way you walk prepares.
For the possibility, the opportunity of giving the message of the gospel of peace. It's not the gospel of peace that is we are to be shod with. It is the preparation of the gospel of peace. How important it is to walk in a way that commends itself. If I am known as a brother, there's always picking a fight with somebody else.
Is that the preparation of the gospel of peace?
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I'm afraid I'm not going to be shod properly if that's the case.
The fourth piece, because our time is going here, it says above all, and this is extremely important piece, taking the shield of faith wherewith you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. In other words, it was a large piece of metal. I'm sure we've all seen it. Generally if the soldier grabbed the sword with his right hand, he had this buckled on to his left arm and he.
People would swing at them with their sword, they the other soldiers and he would parry. They blow off with his shield. Any arrows coming in, he could raise his his shield and knock him down. What is the shield of Faith for us?
Faith is always based on the word of God. It's confidence in God, unwavering confidence in God. How important that is. And it seems like Satan is making war on that point to get us to mistrust God.
I can understand, brethren, if you mistrust me. I can understand if you mistrust others, but never allow a doubt in your life about God or His Word.
That's a direct attack of Satan. Those fiery darts you can put, say, our fiery doubts.
He fires them at you to try to get you to doubt God. If you doubt God, your strength is gone and the shield goes down.
And the fiery darts get in.
There are so many fiery darts that he aims at us in these last days, brethren.
Trust in God, he's completely faithful. Don't doubt him. You may doubt others, but don't doubt God that's the shield of faith and the.
Helmet of Salvation.
But as that is, the helmet covers the head.
It's the knowledge that in the Lord Jesus I have complete salvation.
Remember Mr. Lundeen talking about this and he used to quote the verse of the hymn and the appendix of our hymn book. I think it explains so well what the helmet of salvation is. It says for every tribulation, for every sore distress in Christ I full salvation. Sure help and quiet rest. No Fear of foes prevailing. I triumph, Lord in thee. Oh Gee, oh Jesus, friend.
Dear art out of me, that's the helmet of salvation to know that going into the battle.
That we have complete salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ.
And the sixth piece is the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. How often in spiritual warfare we like to try to reason things through.
The Lord Jesus. If there was anybody that could have reasoned with the devil, it would have been the Lord Jesus.
He did not do that. He simply said every time it is written, it is written. And when the devil quoted the scriptures to him, misquoted the scriptures I should say, because he didn't quote him. Exactly right. The Lord Jesus says it is written again. There is nothing like the power of the precious word of God. Store it in your soul. So when the time comes.
The Spirit of God can bring it to you for your use. It is the sword of the Spirit. It's not our sword. The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And then the last praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit.
And watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for All Saints.
Praying always, Oh brethren, what a resource we have in prayer. Praying always.
Doesn't matter what circumstances of life you're in.
At home, on the road, at work, the attitude of the Christians. Life is an attitude of dependence on God at all times. Praying always, not only with all prayer, but supplications. Do we know what it means to supplicate? It's more intense.
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And we need Daniel his supplications in Daniel 9.
Do we know what it means to be serious with God to get down to business about?
Things that there is no other remedy about.
For it says All Saints.
Brethren, do we embrace All Saints, all the body of Christ? Are we interested in just a few of the Lord's people, or does our heart go out to them all?
We should never narrow our hearts affection, even though our pathway may be one of separation from what we know to be wrong. Still our hearts affection should be to All Saints and watching thereunto, in other words.
To be waiting for the answers to those prayers. Brother, we have a God.
Who is a living God? We have a God who hears.
Who answers? Let's just pray to finish our meeting. Father, bless thy precious word. Bless the time we've had together here. Thanks so much for our brethren who invited us here. Bless them too, Lord. Now as we go out on the roads, we're thankful that we have things to meditate on, to chew on. Help us as we've already asked a number of times, Lord.
Not to be only hearers of thy word, but doers help us to gird on.
The Arloins, the truth of God, oh the precious.
Truth of this book we have in our hands. We ask thy blessing, Father, commending ourselves into thy hands for the rest of the day, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.
John 14:1-3
Doctrine and Way of Life
Spiritual Warfare
Remnant Character