Address—R. Thonney
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.
Our first evening together we made quite a bit of distinction between the Rapture, the first part of the Lord's second coming, and was called it appearing.
The 10170.
Has 6 verses.
There's only one verse that really.
Relates to the Rapture.
See if we can distinguish which one it is as we click.
170.
Well, he comes from heaven, descending one more favor than her spring thou the power and the Saint. Again he swelled a triangle of his train.
I lose your holy loose. Y'all lose your Jesus comes and comes to rain.
Jesus comes and God still reigns.
He's a savior. Long experience.
Growing soul and one of you and I do Strange by memory, Jarvis always has the way for return.
No, we didn't do anything on my hands. Thanks, Salvation.
To his friends and son of worship friends.
Shall there break my thigh?
S like heavenly fried against spirit Jesus Lord that standing on.
The floor is to enter.
Nsnoise 8 thy people home.
Grace and all creature.
Dr. Abroad shall come.
Every day and all three days and travels from yell thou shalt come.
00:05:52
Well, this first section to and after eight, then after seven, I'm sorry, I'd like to take out Matthew 24 and 25.
Yeah, last time we started out with.
Daniel Chapter 9, and we're going to see that Daniel Chapter 9 is referred to in this chapter. I'm not sure if we're going to be able to read all of it, but I would like to.
Uh, at least give a brief outline of the two chapters Interesting down in Bolivia this last July there. Actually, last August 1, Brother suggested these two chapters in our, uh, meetings at the conference and we went over them. You know, it's interesting to me every time you read it.
Something stands out and it never had noticed before.
And one brother in the ministering, that dude came so clear. It was beautiful instance. This is the living word of God and to me as we read it and re read it, we will continue to see things. The Lord is showing us how important it is to be reading it. Let it be real and fresh in our souls.
Just notice in chapter.
24 We'll start with verse one.
Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and his disciples came for to show him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? Verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
Now we need to understand that what the Lord Jesus says here, verse two is already taking place. That was in 8070 when the Romans came into Jerusalem and completely destroyed the city and the temple. According to history, Titus the general, the Roman general gave specific orders to his troops.
Not to destroy the temple. It was a beautiful building.
And he didn't want to destroy it, so he gave those specific orders. But one of the soldiers, according to history, took a lighted torch and threw it in through one of the windows of the temple. And the fire that resulted was so hot that the gold melted off the stones and ran in between the stones of the temple. So that the Lord's word here in verse two was fulfilled to the letter of Allah, not.
Stone was left on another because the Roman soldiers out of the city was completely destroyed, went into take everything of value and of course to get the gold that is run in between the stones, they completely knocked all the stones down.
So the Lord's word were fulfilled to the letter of the word here. Now what we have in verse three forward is future. And as he sat upon the Mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately.
Saying, Tell us what shall, when shall these things be, and what shall be the sign of thy coming? And at the end of the world you notice that world, that word, the end of the world is really the end of the age.
We were talking last time, Marcus mentioning that the times of the Gentiles begins with Nebuchadnezzar coming in and destroying Jerusalem and taking the power away from the.
Jewish rulers from the Jewish kings of David's lineage.
00:10:00
So the times of the Gentiles began then, and we are still in the times of the Gentiles, and it will end at the end of the great Tribulation when the Lord Jesus comes and sets his feet down on the Mount of Olives. He will take the reins of government and reign supreme from that point forward.
That is the end of the times, the Gentiles. So it's helpful to see that it says the end of the world is the end of the age. It's the end of the times of the Gentiles. They knew what that meant. So now we are dealing with the signs of thy coming and of the end of the age.
And so I think we mentioned the other day, and I'd like to repeat it, that the rapture, there's no signs to indicate when it might happen.
But for the appearing of the manifestation of the revelation, there are many signs that Scripture gives. And so that's what they're asking for. What shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the age? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take he that no man deceive you, For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ, and shall deceive many. And he shall hear of wars, and rumors of wars.
See that you do not trouble, for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and Kingdom against Kingdom, and there shall be famines and pestilences and earthquakes.
In diverse places, all these are the beginning of sorrows. Generally speaking, the 1St 3 1/2 years of the last of the seven years is understood to be the beginning of sorrows. There will be, as it says here, wars, rumors of wars, earthquakes, famines.
Pestilences, and that's certainly what we see in our world today.
So the things are beginning.
We haven't gotten to the beginning of the Star Wars yet. Somebody has put it this way, uh, here in Pella, which way does the weather come from?
Lord and Lord's comes from the northwest. I don't know where does it come from from here.
Yeah, the same. So you see a, this is the Northwestern. You see out here a big cloud in the distance, Thunder and lightning and, and, uh, you see a storm's coming. It hasn't gotten here, but you're starting to see that it's on the way. And rather than what we're seeing in our world today is the beginnings of these things that are, that are delineated here.
It's just incredible this in verse 5.
Then he shall come in my name, saying I am the Christ, and that spirit is in the world today. I think I may have mentioned before that when we lived in Bolivia, there was a man there in Bolivia who said he was Christ.
And I met up with some of his followers. And remember, one came into our little bookstore we had on the main place of Montero where we lived. And I talked to him for a while. I said, man, the scripture says that when he comes to this earth, every eye shall see him. I haven't laid eyes on this guy yet. You better be careful that you don't get deceived.
He listened to me for a while and then.
He shook his head and he said It's just like it was when Jesus came the first time. Now he's come again and you guys keep on talking evil at him, but the more you talk evil of him, the more I worship him. Then he turned and walked down.
Wow, what a spirit of iniquity is already working in this world. There it is. So these are things that are going to take place. Verse 9. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, shall kill you, and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. Then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and they shall hate one another.
And many false prophets shall arise, and shall deceive many, because of iniquity shall abound. The love of many shall wax cold.
Ye that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
And this gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations.
And then shall the end come? There is that word, the end again, the end of the age, the end of the times of the Gentiles. So just like to stop to clarify that in verse 14.
00:15:09
The gospel of the Kingdom is that gospel that will be preached after the church is then taken out of this world after that rapture has occurred. What we preach is the gospel of the grace of God. If you accept the Lord as your Savior, you receive.
Forgiveness of sins, eternal life, and the hope of a home in heaven. But the gospel of the Kingdom is about the same person. It's about the Lord Jesus too, but it's the gospel that Jesus preached at the beginning of his ministry.
And also John the Baptist basically saying get ready, the King is coming and he's not going to.
Allow you to be messing around like you are. Now straighten up your ways. The axis laid to the root of the trees.
Repent and those that repent and believe the messengers of the Kingdom.
They will be saved in the sense that they will go into the millennial reign of Christ on the earth, and that's the sense of it. And it helps to understand verse 13. Because he's that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
It's enduring, it's endurance. I, I believe that even today, a real believer is one who will endure. Doesn't mean that we won't have maybe some slip UPS like Peter who had a fall, but he was real and he got up again. But, uh, in that day and especially in the intense persecution during the seven years of tribulation, it's going to be.
Terrible. What they'll have to suffer, they'll have to endure to the end, and in that sense they will be saved in going in.
To the millennial day on the earth and blessing on the earth not part of the Church, because the Church is already taken out of this world.
I'd like to stop here just a minute and say that in Matthew 24 and 25 we have three parts, 3 divisions. The first part is from verse three down to verse 44.
That deals with the nation of Israel.
Verse 45 you'll notice it says when that Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his Lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat and due season?
And in verse 45 down through chapter 25 to verse 30 inclusive, is about the Kingdom of heaven. Just want to notice we're not going to be able to.
Concentrate much on those verses, but let me just point out that in verse 45 it says who then is a faithful and wise servant? And there is there are two parables given to illustrate what it means to be faithful and wise.
Notice in verse 25 and chapter 25, verse one down through verse 13, it's about the parable of the 10 virgins.
That's the fate, That's the wise. There's the wise and the foolish. And so he says, who's that faithful and wise servant? OK, here's the wise. But in verse 14, down through verse 30, you have the faithful. Notice what he says to the ones who.
Who traded and came back with more talents to give him, he says. Verse 21.
Lord said unto them, Well done, thou good and faithful servant. So there you have the faithful and the wise that is referred to in verse 45 of chapter 24. I hope that's clear because I don't. It has been a help to me to see that.
This is dealing with the Kingdom of Heaven, which is a sphere in this world that recognizes the authority of Heaven in this present age.
You recognize the authority of heaven, don't you? Come, you're part of the Kingdom of Heaven. But it includes those who may not be real in their souls too, because we have the parable of the wheat and the tares, and they're both in the Kingdom of Heaven.
But I'd just like to say that that's what applies today, what we know as the Kingdom of heaven. When you get to chapter 25, verse 31, the rest of that chapter is the judgment of the living nations. That's the Gentiles. They're going to be judged as well. Perhaps we have time just to make a brief comment or two on that because it is important, but it is helpful to see.
00:20:24
Those three parts of these two chapters, so verse three of chapter 24 down to verse 44 is the first that deals with Israel.
Verse 45 and down through chapter 25, verse 30 is the Kingdom of heaven in the present day, and then verse 31, Son of man shall come.
In His glory, that at the end of the great tribulation He will sit on the throne of His glory to judge the nations, all the nations are going to be gathered before Him.
OK, let's go back now to chapter 24 and verse 15.
You look at the chart here a minute, remember we have this seven-year period which is the last of Daniel's 70 weeks of years and this week of years is divided at the halfway mark. So it makes it 3 1/2 years and 3 1/2 years. And last time we were mentioning that sometimes it mentions 42 months or 12160 days.
Daniel chapter 12 imagines 12190 days and 13135 days. Very interesting. I'd like to suggest, uh, a probable reason for those different days. But just go back to verse 15 now, when you shall, when you therefore shall see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet.
Stand in the Holy place.
Who saw Rita, let him understand. And we read that in Daniel the last time that the beast, the Roman Prince will be situated here in Rome, will make a pact with the people of Israel. And that is what signals the beginning of this last of Daniel 70 weeks. The last week is that path that signed.
Tremendous that we are getting close to.
Those times when that's going to happen.
But at the middle of that week, they will be able to build their temple again and sacrifice their Old Testament sacrifices. But at the middle of that week, the Antichrist, which is seated in Jerusalem, is his allies with the beast here. This is the religious beast, and this is the political beast. There will be an alliance together.
And so.
Religious priest goes into the temple and says that's all of your worship of the God in heaven. I'm God from now on you worship me. That is the abomination that makes desolate. And so God is going to open his windows of heaven and pour out the almost awful judgments this world has ever seen. Notice how it reads here.
Then let them which be in Judea.
Flee into the mountains, get out of there, let him which is on the House top not come down to take anything out of his house, neither let him that is in the field return back to take his clothes and want to them and give second to them that get a better with child than to them that gives stuck in those days. But pray ye that your flight he not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath day. You see the Jewishness of it, and it's to Israel he's addressing.
For then shall be great tribulations, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time no, nor ever shall be so the most awful judgment that will ever fall on planet earth.
Is right in this last second-half God?
Sees the iniquity of this world and he's everybody is going to be accountable to him for him. But there's one thing that he's very jealous of his own glory. And when people cease to worship him as the only true God and worship a man on earth, that is what is going to provoke the most awful tribulation that has ever been on planet earth.
00:25:07
1000 verse 22 except these days should be shortened. There should no flesh be saved.
But for the elect sake, those days shall be shortened. I think it is in the sense that God has waited almost 2000 years since they did that awful crime against His own Son. He has not done anything in the meantime and He is waiting. But when He begins to judge, he's going to make short work of it because judgment.
God does not want to judge humankind, but He will, and that day.
So the days will be short.
Than if any man sent it, you lo hears Christ, for there believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders. Be careful of the signs and wonders movement.
Because this is something that is going to be very strong delusion in the future, baby. And it will be so great in Celeste that if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. It is not possible to deceive the elect, but it will be so tremendous that if it were possible, would you see the very light? Behold, I've told you before.
Wherefore if they shall say unto you?
Behold, he is in the desert. Go not forth. Behold, He is in the secret chambers. Believe it not, For as this lightning cometh out of the east and shineth even into the West, so shall also the coming of the Son of Handy.
Just stop there to make a brief comment. Whenever that word, the Son of Man, that title of the Lord Jesus, Son of Man, is used, it's always in connection with His coming at the end of the tribulation. He's coming for us as our heavenly Bridegroom.
But when is the Son of man? It's his. It's his coming in judgment. There will be a man who judges this world, a real man of flesh and bones who will judge this world. People think that will be God.
Yes, it will be gone. That'll be a man in the person of the Lord Jesus.
Verse 28 Notice wheresoever the carcass is there, will the Eagles be gathered together?
What is the carcass? Remember here in Jerusalem the Jewish people will have been warned, and there will be those, I suppose, will read these verses and they when they see the abomination of desolation.
They will get out of there, they will leave, they will flee to the mountains. They will hide themselves because the judgment that's coming is so awful.
And what is left in Jerusalem will be the dead body of unbelieving Jews.
There, their Eagles would be gathered together. The Eagles are figurative of the nations of the world and the like. It is, Zacharias says. I will gather all nations together against Jerusalem. Tremendous things that are ahead.
For this world.
Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened.
And the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heaven shall be shaken.
This is figurative of the system of government that we now have that.
President of the country, that's the maximum authority in our country. And it may not be that you agree with him, but you will recognize he's number one man in authority. That's like the sun. The moon is a derivative authority. The vice president has his power because of his connection with the president. And then there's the stars that shall fall.
This whole system of government that we know is coming down.
Is going to be replaced with the government that the Lord Jesus is going to impose in this world. He will reign supreme. It will not be democracy, it will be democracy.
And then there's uh, uh.
30 Then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in the heavens, and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
00:30:04
We wanna mention that in chapter one of Revelation it mentions that same thing. It's his coming in power and glory at the end of the tribulation.
Verse 31 And he shall send his angels with 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.
It's interesting back, uh, I think it is Isaiah 27 that speaks about this sound of a trumpet that's good to sound. This is not the rapture. You know, those that hold that the rapture is at the end of the tribulation, use this verse to say, see, the rapture will take place at the ends of the tribulation. This is not the rapture. This is the gathering together of God's earthly.
Elect people.
Not only we were talking about the Jews and the tribulation will be to reduce the Jews, the two tribes that were guilty of the death of the Lord Jesus, to reduce them to repentance.
And they will recognize him, that he will rise up to defend them. But after he they recognize him, God is going to bring in the 10 tribes too. It's in chapter 37 of Ezekiel. Want to jot it down? It's really beautiful to see that God is going to bring in the 10 tribes, which is called Ephraim, and they're going to be united together as one nation.
As those battles of the war Armageddon take place.
So this is not the rapture, this is the gathering together of the 10 tribes that are what we call the lost tribes today. Verse 32. Now learn a parable of the fig tree.
When this branch is yet tender, and to put it forth leaves, you know that summer is 9. So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily, I Santi you, this generation shall not fast.
Till all these things be fulfilled, heaven and earth shall pass away. But My words shall not pass away. But of that day an hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
And as the days of nor were, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be.
Whereas in the days that were before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving and marrying, until the day that Noah entered into the ark and knew not until the flood came, took them all away, so shall also.
The coming of the son of Mandy Then shall two be in the field, that one shall be taken and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill, and one shall be taken and the other left. Watch therefore, for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. So here we have people think that this is the rapture that's referred to in verses 40 and 41. It is not.
It is the distinctive judgment that will fall on this world.
And the one that is taken is cut off from the earth. The one that is left is left to go into the millennial day under the reign of Christ. Let me give you a verse from the Old Testament to affirm that in Proverbs chapter 2.
Shall remain in it. They remain, but the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out in it. So that's explains. One shall be taken. He's cut off from the earth. He's taken and the other left. It's really the opposite of what's going to take place at the rapture. This is not the rapture, Easy. It's the judgment that takes place.
Ah, at the end of the tribulation, when the Lord Jesus comes.
Who establishes Kingdom?
5 minutes that we have left. I'd like to go over to the end of the 25th chapter to the judgment of the nations, because it has to do with taking place at the end of the tribulation when the Lord Jesus establishes His Kingdom. Notice verse 31. When the Son of Man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory, and before him shall be gathered all nations.
00:35:12
And he shall separate them from one from another, as a shepherd divided the sheep from the goats.
And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the king say unto them, on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom. Notice this part prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
Because these are earthly people that will inherit earthly blessings, not the Church, the Church. We were chosen in Him before the foundation of the world. Because our blessings have no connection with this earth. Really our blessings are all heavenly peers are talking about earthly people that will work inherent earthly blessings. So their Kingdom was prepared from the foundation of.
And then it says, for I wasn't hungered, and he gave me meat, I was thirsty and he gave me drink. I was a stranger, and you take me in naked, and you clothed me. I was sick and he didn't me. I was in prison, and he came unto me.
Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when shall we thee in hunger, and Federer thirsty and gave thee drink? 1 Sally Day a stranger took the hen or naked and clothe they for one sawy thee sick or imprisoned, and came unto thee.
Then the King shall answer and say to them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these, my brethren, ye shall ye have done it unto me.
Notice that his brethren, the Lord Jesus, brethren, the Jewish remnant, are the ones that are going to be the messengers of the gospel of the Kingdom. They're going to go out at tremendous.
Risk of their own lives, and so anyone that shows them any kindness manifests in that way that they have faith in the message that has been given. And they will be the ones that will go into the millennial reign of Christ of the earth. If they survive, of course, there will be many that work that are killed and they will have a heavenly portion. The ones that survive and endure to the end, they will go into the millennial reign of Christ.
And then you have on the other side, Verse 41 The goats. Then shall he stand to them on the left hand. Depart from me, ye curse it into everlasting fire, prepared not for men, but for the devil.
Alex Angels God doesn't want any man, woman or child going to the lake of fire that was prepared for the devil and his angels. But the person who refuses to accept the Lord Jesus as their savior, that's.
They will end up as well. And so it's for the same reason that they are cast into the, uh, everlasting punishment because they did not receive the messengers of the Kingdom. That's the basis upon which they will be judged at that time. They manifest their faith or their lack of faith by how they treat the messengers of the Kingdom, the Lords brethren.
The revelation of Jesus Christ.
That's the proper title of the Book of Revelation.
John, of course, is the author of the book, but it is the Revelation and as we mentioned before, the appearing when the Lord comes at the end of the tribulation. Sometimes it is known as the Manifestation or the Revelation, accompanied with many signs to indicate when it will take place.
And there are many scriptures in the Old and New Testament that talk about very.
Very well documented both the Old and New Testament.
But to me, there is a very distinct outline of the Book of Revelation that I'd like to give. And we're going to have to go pretty, uh, rapidly through the different chapters. There's 22 Chapters. If you divide 22 in half, you have 11. And we start out in chapter one with the Lord Jesus presented.
00:40:00
The judge of that coming day?
Chapters 2 and three, he's standing in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks which are the seven churches. So he's judging today in his house. It says in First Peter chapter 4.
Judgment must begin at the House of God, and if it first begin at us, what shall the envy of them that know not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ? So it begins in the House of God, and that's why, brethren, as never before, you see God's people with real trials in their hands. Anybody not have problems in their life?
I like to find out somebody that just floats through life without any problems. I don't find anybody anywhere.
That way that that's what's happening, the Lord is in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks He's observing.
You know what, sometimes we think the brother don't treat us right.
Let let me remember remind you that there is one in the midst. 2 is faithful and true witness. Count on him. Don't get your eyes off of Him and your breath and because you get discouraged.
It's, it's fascinating to me to see it, but this is it. But I just want to say I mentioned that the first half of the book is the 11Th chapters. And from Merck chapter one to Chapter 11, we go from the church period because you have the seven churches mentioned in chapters 2 and three and you go through the Great Tribulation period.
Right down to the very end of the tribulation.
In Chapter 11 we'll see it when the 7th trumpet is sounded. It says the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and His Christ. And remember that that we have right from the church period right through to the end of the great Tribulation in the 1St 11 Chapters of this book. Then we're gonna stop and go over some of the following chapters that will discuss details.
That we need to understand as to those times. But go back to chapter one now because I think it is so significant that in the very first chapter we have the revelation of Jesus Christ. We have Him presented because He is the one that our God wants to set forward and His glory will be known throughout the earth to the point that they will no longer have to say to their neighbors.
Know the Lord, for all shall know me. The earth shall be covered with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. And that millennial name.
Wonderful, wonderful day that's coming.
But I just want to point out a few things here. Notice in verse 5 from Jesus Christ to his, the faithful witness and the first begotten of the dead and the Prince of the kings of the earth. He is the faithful witness again of the encouraged that for as much as there's a lot of unfaithfulness so often on our part, there is one who is completely.
Faithful, and he's the first begotten of the dead. In other words, he's the 1St to rise in the power.
Of a life that death can no longer touch. And that's the life he's communicated to you and me. It's called eternal life and the Prince of the kings of the earth because he's going to reign supreme on in this world.
Notice the end of verse 5. Unto him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and has made us kings and priests, and the God and his Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever again. Isn't that amazing?
Then in a book of judgment, as he started this book of judgment, what does he tell us about his life?
It was the most amazing thing, and it is.
The Alus. Just because he judges doesn't mean he doesn't love. In fact, I say it, if God would never rise up to judge, that would not be love. Because to let evil continue to run rampant without any checks is not love. And there will be a time when he will intervene correctly. You're getting close to those times.
Will say that's it.
And he's going to enter the.
Verse seven says He cometh. Behold, he cometh with clouds.
And every eye shall see him. That is what he's coming at the end of the Tribulation, because every eye will see him. And they also which pierced him, those Jewish people.
00:45:09
And all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so. Amen.
I don't think there will be wailing when we are caught up at the rapture. This is not the rapture. This is the coming when He comes in judgment.
I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, and let's just go down to.
Uh, verse, uh, nine, I John, who also am your brother and companion and tribulation and then the Kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ. That's the character of the Kingdom. Now you're going to have to suffer tribulation if you recognize his authority. You're going to have to have patience. Things are not going to be set right immediately. That won't happen.
So he says, I was in the spirit on the Lord's Day, understand, and heard behind me a great voices of a trumpet, saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the 1St and the last, and what thou seest, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia.
And the seven churches are named. And then verse 12 he says. I turn to see the voice of him that spake with me being turned. I saw 7 golden candlesticks.
You know as he turns around he doesn't see the Lord first, but he sees first is the 7 golden candlesticks.
And this is the visible testimony of the Lord Jesus in the earth, the church here in this world.
And then in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks in verse 13, one like unto the Son of man. Let me say something here in verse 12, it said to be able to see the Lord, He had to turn around and sometimes we are looking to man. That happens so often when you start looking at 1:00 and another.
Brethren, let's learn to turn around.
And then he saw those churches. Yes, that there was one.
In the midst, That is a beautiful expression to trace through Scripture. In the midst begins in Genesis chapter 2. Remember what was in the midst in Genesis chapter 2? Who remembers?
The tree in the midst of the garden was the tree of life.
The same person he occupies the center of God's purposes of blessing. So as he turns around, he sees this one in the mix and he's.
Verse 13 unlike into the Son of Man clothed with a garment down to the foot and gird about the paps with a golden girt lamp as a judge, he's taking this character as a judge, but he's gird about the breasts with a golden girdle.
Gold is divine righteousness. Does he love you and me? Yes, he does. But sometimes that love is constrained, is restrained, because of righteousness and judgment.
And in verse 14, his head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow. There is the Ancient of days in Daniel Chapter 7. His eyes were as a flame of fire. He ever had anybody look at you with eyes like a flame of fire, extremely penetrating, absolutely nothing that could be hidden from his eyes.
His feet, his ways were likened to fine brass brasses. Divine righteousness and judgment was the brazen altar was made of brass, as if they burned in the furnace. And his voice is the sound of many waters.
No voice like his, and he had in his right hand seven stars out of his mouth with a sharp twinged sword, and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. Here's the judge of the future day.
Oh brethren, tremendous to think that we know him. And John, who was well acquainted with the Lord Jesus who had laid out his breast at the Last Supper, He falls at his feet, is dead, and the Lord puts his hand on and says, fear not, I am he that liveth and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and have the keys.
Of hell and of death.
You know.
In Hebrews chapter 2 it speaks of those that were held ******* through the fear of death. All their lifetime they were subject to ******* to the devil.
00:50:09
Now the Lord Jesus has the keys of hell and his death. He determines our life down here.
Not any doctors, and doctors may give their opinions and that's all right, that's their place. But it's the Lord Jesus that has the keys of hell and the death. I think that's so comforting.
OK, well, in chapters 2 and three we have the seven churches.
From Ephesus down through Lanacia, and of course there were seven churches in different cities of Asia Minor, which is present day Turkey. And there were things that had to be addressed. And we can take these churches in that way, but we can also take them in a moral way that applies to us all. And I think we should do that because we are part of the Church of God.
It also has a prophetic vision and it's very interesting that the first three churches.
Ephesus, Smyrna and Pergamus don't talk about the Lord's coming and has been suggested that it is only when we get to Thiatira and forward that you have the Lord's coming mentioned. And so those last four churches are the ones that go down to the Lord's coming and some like we mentioned the other day will be raptured at the time of the rapture, all the true believers, but there will be some of.
You don't really have time to go into detail on these. The Thyatira is often looked at as the Roman Catholic system because it talks about Jezebel it talks about.
Teaching.
The Church is not teach, it does not teach. The Church does not teach. The Church is taught by the teachers the gifts that Christ has given to the Church. But here you find that this woman Jezebel teaches and seduces my servants and talks about idolatry that is very common in the Roman Catholic system.
But there are those that.
Have not accepted that doctrine verse umm.
To the rest to them that have not.
Yeah, verse 24 unto you, I say unto the rest. In Thyatira there was a part there that were real men. So you do find even amongst the Roman Catholic systems, sometimes people that have a real faith in the Lord Jesus. I've met up with some. Maybe you have to.
So they will be saved.
Chapter 3 Sardis is looked at as the Reformation period had a name to live but was dead.
And that's why, as you mentioned the other night, the Lord said I come as a thief.
In verse 7, three, that's who's coming at the end of the Tribulation. And then you have Philadelphia, those that have kept his word and not denied his name and.
They are promised in verse 10, because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee out from the hour of temptation which shall come upon all the world to try them that dwell upon the earth. There is one of the promises that the true Church.
Will not go through the tribulation. Very important to be established in that. Then you have ledicia, that state which describes the Christian profession probably better than any other in his present time.
Have any effort, they say I am rich and increased with goods, and knowest not that thou art poor and wretched, and blind and naked, that is.
Sad and he says in verse 20I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him. That's sad. The Lord Jesus completely outside opening to knocking on the door of his church and notice the call is to individuals and so it's a challenge to us brethren, are we giving.
00:55:02
Place to the Lord do we have time to read his word to pray that's so important in our time just.
Now we come to chapters four and five, and I find these very interesting chapters because in each chapter you have a throne. Notice verse four and chapter 4, verse one. After this I looked, and behold, a door was opened in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was, as it were of a trumpet talking with me and saying, Come up, hit her, and I will show thee the things which must be hereafter and immediately.
Why a throne? Why is it that it mentions the throne before it even mentions the people that are sitting on the throne?
Because God is showing here in this way that He, yes, has the right to judge this world, and the basis of His judgment in chapter 4 is because He has created.
Notice verse 11 of the first chapter. 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. God has the right to judge because He's the Creator, and that's why.
We've asked times there's been such a movement to try to disprove creation and to implant evolution.
Doesn't make any difference. They're going to have to give account to God because He is the creator. But the basis of judgment in chapter 5 is different. It's because He is the Redeemer. When the creation was contaminated by sin, what happened?
This same person that created it came and died and shed his blood.
And through that means redeemed paid the price of redemption, and he's going to take back the creation because he has already paid the price to redeem it. And so in both counts, he has the right to take this world and judge it. It's interesting that it takes two chapters to give the basis of judgment.
Now chapter 6.
And I'd like to say from Chapter 6 down to Chapter 11, we have the trumpet of the seal judgments and the trumpet judgments in general. Brennan. There's some differences sometimes about it, but.
In general, we understand the field judgments to take place in the 1St 3 1/2 years, and then it is the 7th seal that is the one that introduces the trumpet judgments which will take place in the last 3 1/2 years.
And then later on, in Chapter 16, there is the vile judgments.
There's three sets of seven judgments, 7 seals, 7 trumpets, 7 vials. I'd like to say this that the seven seals are basically in the 1St 3 1/2 years. 7 seal introduces the seven trumpets, and it seems to me that the seven vials run concurrently.
Went through this time of great tribulation.
Umm in the seven trumpets you will notice an expression it gives quite often a third part of the earth, a third part of the stars, a third part of the fountains of waters. That is the Roman world that had the privilege of listening to the gospel. But when you get to the.
Vile judgments. You never hear of a third part. It's more of a general judgment that falls.
On the whole world. So try to keep that in mind as you think of those two sets of judgments, the trumpet judgments. Uh, Doug Buchanan made a calculation one time of the population of the earth and he took the Western Europe and the Americas, which were populated from Western Europe. And I think he included Australia and some of the New Zealand down there in the South. And if you calculate up the population, it comes to the.
01:00:05
About 1/3 of the world population, so 1/3 of the Earth is generally considered to be the Roman Earth and the part of the Earth that's populated from Western Europe.
Remember that when we were talking, when the Lord Jesus came the first time, it was the Roman Empire in power.
And now the Roman Empire is rising up again because the Roman Empire was in power and they tried to kill him as a baby, and then Pilate gave the sentence of death to the Lord Jesus.
And when he comes again and he's getting close to his second coming, it'll be the same Roman Empire that will be there to go after him and to try to kill him. We'll see that later in the Book of Revelation.
So in Chapter 6 we have the beginning of the judgments that are going to fall on the earth, and he opens the book of seven seals.
Revelation is a book of figures, and seven is a number of completeness. Not a perfectness, necessarily, but of completeness. There's seven days in a complete week, but there's seven.
Seals on this book and the book that the lamb takes out of the hand of the.
The one that's sitting on the throne is the title deed to planet Earth, and there is only one who is worthy to take that book. And as he begins to open those seals, every time he opens a seal, there's another judgment that starts to fall on planet Earth. In the first part of the Great Tribulation in Chapter 7, we have an interval in which the 144,000.
Are sealed from all the different tribes of Israel.
12,000 from each drive. I think that's probably a figurative number. That's the way I understand it.
And 144,000 as well. But notice in verse 9 after this I beheld and lo a great multitude, which no man could number, of all truant nations and kindreds, and.
People and tongues stood before the throne and before the land, clothed with white robes and palms in their hands. So these are the ones that are going to be saved in that great tribulation, says These are the ones that came out of great Tribulations. There's 14.
And that voice there arose and laid them white in the blood of the Lamb. So there's going to be many that will be saved after the rapture, those that have not heard the gospel of the grace of God and rejected it.
They will have a chance to be saved at that time. There will be a great multitude. Chapter 8, the 7th seal starts the seven trumpets and we have nine. And then 10 is kind of a, uh, another interval and 11. Chapter 11, I want to go down to the 7th.
Trumpet.
Verse 15, Chapter 11. Like I said, the 7th trumpet introduces the everlasting Kingdom of the Lord Jesus coming back in power and glory to take the kingdoms of this world.
The 7th Angel sounded in There were great voices in heaven saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.
And the four and 20 elders which sat before God and their seats fell down upon their faces and worshiped God, saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art and Western art to come, because thou hast taken to thee thy great power and has reigned, and the nations were angry, and thy wrath has come in the time of the dead. That's at the end of the Millennium, really there, that they should be judged. But when he establishes his Kingdom, that's what's going to happen at the end.
Thou should give rewarding to thy servants the prophet, and to the Saints, to them that fear thy name small and great, and should destroy them which destroy the earth.
Well, I think you can see then that the 7th trumpet is the introduction of the everlasting Kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ. And when it says everlasting is putting in contrast with the way that this world has been governed up to this time. Changes of government all the time, another change, another change and it's just unstable. This will be the everlasting Kingdom. It will never change throughout.
01:05:10
Old Millennial day. So we come down to the end of the tribulation there. Now in chapter 12 and 13, we have presented three of the main actors in this tribulation period.
We've talked about them already. The political beast in Roman state are in Revelation 15 will have a steep Rome. The religious head, the second beast with two horns have his seed in Jerusalem.
They will be Li. They are mentioned in chapter 13, but in chapter 12, we have a dragon. But before the dragon is mentioned, let's read here.
There appeared to a great wonder in heaven a woman clothed with the sun and the moon under her head, and upon her head a crown of 12 stars, and she, being with child, cried, travelling in berth in pain to be delivered.
We're going back here to the very birth of the Lord Jesus. This woman is Israel, and the child she's crying in pain that he delivered of is the Lord Jesus. There appeared another wonder in heaven.
Behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and 10 horns.
And seven crowns upon his heads. This is Satan. His tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and had cast them to the earth. And he has many demons that have followed him in his rebellion to God.
The dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered for to devour her child as soon as it was born.
This is what happened in Matthew chapter 2 when Herod said tell me where that child is and I will come to worship him but he wanted to go and destroy him. It was that dragon that wanted to consume the child.
She brought forth a man child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron, and their child was caught up into God of their stone. The life of the Lord Jesus, His death and resurrection are not mentioned here.
So we mentioned that he's taken A and we know that the Lord Jesus is there at the throne of God. Now the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath the place prepared of God. They should feed her there. 1203 score days. There's the 12160 days that we mentioned here.
OK, I'm gonna have to go a little bit faster and get through here, but, uh, it's very clear. In verse 9, the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent called the Devil and Satan, which deceived the whole world.
He was cast down into the earth and his angels were cast out with him. This is what takes place at the middle of the tribulation. Satan is cast out of heaven and then it mentions his 12160 days and it's actually mentioned a little bit before.
But it's, uh, about this time frame that we're talking now, if you go down to chapter 13 is when we have the two beasts, the first beast in verse one.
He rises out of the sea. I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw these rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and 10 horns. On his forms 10 crowns, and upon his head the names of blasphemy.
And notice verse three. I saw one of his heads, as it were wounded to death, and his deadly woundless heel. That was the Roman Empire completely ceased to exist, and now it's rising again.
That's what we're talking about. But it is Satanic power. These men have their power from Satan, not from God. Today the authority is over us. Even though they might not recognize God, they give their power from God, and that's why we are told.
To submit. But in that day, they will get their power directly from Satan. So that's the political beast. He's going to rise out of the sea. The nation's informant. Waves of politics, waves of religion. How you look over in the Middle East and you sure see that evidence today. Muslim religion, and even in the Muslim religion, the Shia and the Sunni Muslims battling it out.
In tremendous ways that are moving.
Peoples, out of this confusion, this beast is going to arise.
And then in verse 11 it says I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth.
01:10:02
A more settled state of things. And he had two horns like a lamb. This is the Antichrist. He will have his seat in Jerusalem, but he will be alive with the first beast.
Speak as a dragon, Satanic power. He exercises all the power of the first beast before him, and causes the earth and then that dwell therein to worship the first beast whose deadly wound was healed.
He does great signs and wonders. Well, we're going to have to keep on moving here to get down to the end of the chapter I mentioned in verse chapter 16 is when we have the vile judgments that I believe run concurrently If if you take the the trumpet judgments and the vile judgments and compare the first one doesn't appear to.
Be similar, but second, third, 4th, 5th down. You will find that there.
Almost the very same sphere that they fall upon those judgments. Very interesting. That's why I believe they run concurrently. That's my understanding.
Chapter 17 We have the woman that rides the beast so many people say today.
The Pope must be the Antichrist. No, the Pope is not the Antichrist.
The Pope is the representative of the woman that rides the beast amidst the political beast, the the one who has political authority, who sits on the where there's seven hills, That's Rome. And in the city of Rome there is what is called the Vatican City. I stood out the gate outside the gates of that city and looked in.
I think of what's ahead for that, that woman.
Is the mother of harlots and of the abominations of the earth. She is the one that is the author of this unlawful mixture. There is no other.
A religious system that has embassies around the world in different nations, like the Roman Catholic system. So we have it here presented and then in chapter 18 notice.
Call is uh, verse four I heard another voice saying from heaven come out of her my people, that ye be my partakers of her sins and that you receive not of her place so.
So our place is outside of this religious system. Let me say this, that I believe this woman is not only the Roman Catholic system, but it is the ecumenical movement that will include those who profess to the evangelical. And it's incredible how so many of them are making contact with the Roman Catholic system.
So those two chapters we have the destruction.
Of the great harlot. And now in chapter 19, we have the, uh, rejoicing in heaven because of the judgment of the great harlot.
And then in verse.
Uh.
Seven, it says, let us be glad and rejoice and give honor to him, for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife had made herself ready to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white with a fine linen is the righteousness of Saints. In other words, we are really making our wedding garner now and.
As this time of tribulation is going on on the earth.
And afterward, uh, raptured, of course, we'll pass the judgment seat of Christ. Our works will be evaluated. It's not a matter of judgment of persons because that the Lord Jesus bore for us, but it's a judgment of our works. Everything is going to pass and review. And if there's something that remains, there will be a reward for it. And then at the later on, it will be the marriage supper of the Lamb.
And it says, blessed are they that are.
Which are called and the marriage supper and I believe that is the friends of the bridegroom. It's not you would say what the bride is called to a marriage supper. She is part of the marriage supper, but it is the friends of the bridegroom that will be at that marriage feast. Then notice verse 11, dear brethren, is the revelation of Jesus Christ. I saw heaven opened and behold.
01:15:06
A White Horse and he that sat upon him was called faithful and truly righteousness. He does judge and make war in that incredible to think about. He makes war. Who is this talking about our Lord Jesus Christ. He's going to make war awful awful times that are coming into this world. His eyes were as a flame of fire on his head were many crowns had a name written. No man knew that he himself in other words.
His divinity, His eternal deity, is something that we do not understand, only He Himself.
Verse 1113 His name is the word of God. And then in verse 16 he had on his vestion on his thigh a name written King of kings and Lord of Lords. Misses. Verse 15. Out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations. He shall rule them with a rod of iron. He treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
Should have read verse 14 to the armies which are in heaven. Followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen white, and cleaned on the Lord. Jesus comes out of heaven in his appearing in his glory.
We will come with him. We're part of those armies of heaven. We won't have to fight because the Lord of the Sword of His Mouth will level one army after another that come against him in that day. He'll be that Roman power that will go against him to try to wipe him out again, and they will be wiped out. So in chapter 20, let me just keep on going here, brother.
We have in verse 2345.
Six and seven. Each of those verses is mentioned 1000 years. There is the millennial day that comes after the Lord Jesus comes in. His glory will be that millennial day.
And at the end of this chapter 20 verse 11, I saw a great white throne, Him that sat upon it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away, and there was found no place for them.
And then we have the Great White Throne Judgment. So that is after the Millennial day will be the judgment of the dead.
And verse 15 whosoever is not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire awful end Rose chapter 21 just like to say that verses one through 8.
Connect with the last.
5 verses of chapter 20 in that they are the eternal day. When the great white throne is a set up. There is no heaven and earth. There is no way to measure time. It's eternity.
And there will be the final judgment, and there will be the general day. And so you have in the chapter 21 a new heaven and a new earth. You have the new.
The whole beach city in New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
When you come down to verse 9 forward, you have the great city near Jerusalem, but it's in the millennial day. Keep that in mind from 9 down to chapter 22 verse.
Five, it's talking about the city in the millennial day. You'll notice in verse 24 of chapter 21 talks it out nations.
Because that's in the Millennium, there will still be nations, and the Lord will rule from Jerusalem, the nation of Israel, over the other nations of the earth when it talks about eternity in the first verses of chapter 21.
It only says the Tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwelleth. He can talk anymore about nations in the eternal day.
So that's a brief resume of the Book of Revelation that helps to see it. I'd just like to mention one other thing about verse nine, chapter 21, verse nine down to chapter 22, verse 5.
That you notice the number 12 again and again and again and again. And if you count them up, I think if you count 144 as 2:00 to 12:00.
01:20:04
Then you will come up with 12 twelves. It is significant. 12 is the number of administration. There were 12 apostles and there were 12 tribes.
And that's the way it will be in the millennial day. The city, the heavenly city, will be.
Visible from the earth in the millennial day, and it will give its light to the kings of the earth. Notice verse 24. And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it, in the light of that city.
Messed around.
So Lord help us to meditate it more rather than just is such a thrill to think where we are getting right down to the time when these things are shortly going to take place. May the Lord help us to be alert, watching and sober sober in contrast.
With drunkenness under the influence of present things, and so easy to get into those influences but.