Rev. 1

Revelation 1
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Address—A.M. Barry
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148.
For the.
Oh, I.
First chapter of Revelation.
The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave to him.
To show unto his servants.
Things which must shortly come to pass.
And he sent, and signified it by his Angel.
Under his servant John will bear record of the word of God.
And of the testimony of Jesus Christ.
And of all things.
That he saw. Blessed is he that readeth.
And they that hear the words of this prophecy.
And keep those things which are written therein.
For the time is at hand, John, to the seven churches which are in Asia.
Grace be unto you, and peace from him which is.
Which was which is to come, and from the seven spirits which are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ.
With the faithful witness.
And the first begotten of the dead and the Prince of the kings of the earth.
Unto him that loved us or loves us, and washed us from our sins in his old blood.
And has made us kings and priests, and the God and his Father.
In the glory and dominion, forever and ever.
Amen.
He wholly cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see him. They also which pierced him, and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of it Even so. Amen. I am alpha and a major, the beginning and the ending.
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That the Lord which he is, was.
Which is to come the Almighty.
Hi, John.
You also am your brother and companion.
In tribulation and in the Kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ within the Isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ, I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day.
And heard behind me a great voice as 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 under the seven churches which are in Asia, and the Ephesus, and the Smyrna and of the Pergamon and under fire tire.
And other Stardust.
And unto Philadelphia and unto Laodicea. And I turn to see the voice that speaks with me. And being turned, I saw 7 golden candlesticks. And in the midst of the seven candlesticks, one like unto the Son of Man, flowed through the garment down to the foot, girt about the paps with the golden girdle. His head and his hair were quite like wool.
And white as snow.
And his eyes were as a flame of fire.
His feet likened a fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace.
His voice of the sound of many waters, and he had in his right hand seven stars.
And out of his mouth went a sharp 2 edged sword, and his confidence was as was fun, Join us in his strength. And when I saw him I fell at his feet as dead, and he laid his right hand upon me, praying underneath fear and heart. I am the 1St and the last. I am he that liveth and was dead.
And behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And have the keys of hell or Hades, and of death Write the things which thou hast seen, the things which are the things which shall be hereafter the mystery of the seven stars which thou thought, in thy right hand the seven golden candle sticks.
The seven Stars are the angels of the seven churches, the.
The seven candlesticks which thou saw are the seven churches.
You know that the.
At the opening of the Book of Revelation.
That this has been inserted the Revelation of John the Divine.
When you read what is inspired, it says the revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave unto him.
Now that introduction that you have is what man has inserted.
The capture opens with what the Spirit has given us and how different.
Man cannot touch the word of God in any way without corrupting it.
And as soon as man brings in anything, he immediately seeks.
Why their work of Satan to direct the eyes off of Christ and to occupy the soul of mine, the all the divine, as though some ecclesiastical dignitary was the one to be occupied with how different John thoughts about himself.
And the one who inserted that.
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That we have.
Look at the line first again.
Heather, John saying I am.
Saint John the Divine, he says. I, John, who am your brother?
And companion and tribulation.
Oh, how lovely it is the love that when we see a servant of Christ.
Willing to take the humble place so that Christ might have his place.
Might have his importance before the soul.
Well, this is a revelation.
The introductory capture to a whole book.
That is a revelation of things that are to come.
Well, beloved with all man accumulated wisdom, and he can look back over.
6000 years of his history and traced all the empires that have arisen and.
The experience, but it teaches how men succeeded in rising to certain positions and so on.
With all that hearted wisdom that man has, he has no idea what lies in the future.
All a dim mystery to him.
If we're others who have any thoughts, whatever of what lies ahead.
However, it must be revealed by.
The God who knows the end from the beginning.
And the marvelous thing is beloved.
That God has been revealing to man all along through his history what is to take place.
Now those who are instructed are never in the word of God, are never.
Deceived as to the future and.
Fact Those who lived in Old Testament times knew that there was a coming Messiah.
And those who loved the word and were subject to the word.
Were looking for the promised savior in the fire to come.
Now, beloved, that the Christ of God has come.
We are permitted to look right into the future before us and to know just exactly what is to take place.
In this world and concerning this world.
All on beyond this present age completely.
Into the Kingdom of Christ and into the eternity of glories that lie ahead. Isn't that marvelous? Isn't it wonderful? Think how short sighted man's view is. Think about what?
Great distance.
The word of God carries the soul into.
That which lies ahead.
Well, it tells us here that it's a revelation of Jesus Christ.
Which God gave unto him.
Now this revelation is coming to you and me through a person.
He doesn't merely.
Some doctrine?
That we might study and and speak to.
Profit by but all when we consider beloved.
That is brought to us through the most glorious person, and that person is a man.
The third man that we have been occupied in our meetings, that glorified man.
Now we're in need to remember.
That God's son has become a man for all eternity. You'll never cease to be a man.
And he has a heart and feelings and compassion of a real man today.
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How lovely it is in the book of Acts, deceived on different occasions, how the Lord would remind his own that he was that same blessed man that they knew in his pathway down here in this world.
Oh yes, when Stephen was stoned.
Why, He looked at steadfastly into heaven, and he saw that very man.
Standing there at the right hand of God when Fall of Tarsus was converted on the way to Damascus.
And all the venom, hatred he had towards that blessed one. And yet when that light shone upon him, and he hears that voice, what does it say? I am Jesus of Nazareth. Just think He identified himself.
Without despise a town of of Nazareth where he grew up and lived for 30 years.
Was known as the Carpenter of the carpenter's son. Oh no, he hadn't changed.
Jesus.
That had been here, but now on high in glory. Well now, beloved, when we.
When we see this, that in looking into the revelation of Jesus Christ that it comes from a real man interested and concerned about the welfare of everyone.
Who is dear to him?
Though it says, which God gave unto him, to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass.
Now it doesn't say here that show unto his people, although of course it is his people. But there's a reason why it says to show unto his servants. And then it says.
He sent, and signified it by his Angel unto his servant John.
Well, that gives us a little hint as to.
Who is specially referred to in these servants? John was one of them.
And what is it that is characteristic of a servant? Well, suppose we turn to the 8th of proverbs.
The 32nd verse.
Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children, where the blessed are they that keep my ways?
Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not. Blessed is that man that heareth me, watching daily at my gate, waiting at the post of my doors. For whoso will findeth me findeth life, and I'll obtain favor of the Lord, but he that sinneth against me.
Wrong of his own soul. All they that hate me love death.
Our thinking especially of our 34th verse. Blessed is he that heareth me, watching daily at my gate and waiting at the post of my doors. Now there is the characteristic of a true servant of Christ, and we're now talking about brothers that give their time to preaching the gospel. This wasn't written to.
Just such men as Peter, James and John and Paul. And for those that were to go out in the Lords work, the sisters here are as much included among the servants of Christ.
As the most devout brother that the Lord ever raised up, the whole thought is, are we like the one who is waiting at his?
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Waiting just to receive directions and orders from his precious words. Well, now, if we are in that state of soul, where the Lord's commands are everything to us, we're fully submissive and subject to what he has to say.
We're in a state of soul, Angela, that we can enter into the truth.
That are about to be unfolded in the Book of Revelation.
Now a prophecy can become a mere intellectual study.
My brother gave a remark to me not long ago.
That, I thought, was very striking. I'll try to repeat it, he said. That prophecy.
Unless Christ is the object can become an.
Unholy.
Now the word flipped from me. I had it a moment ago.
An unholy speculation.
That is, one can study prophecy and be out of communion with the Lord.
Well, one could be going on very carelessly and very indifferently and I've seen it, those that were on their way into the world and yet.
Much taken up with prophecy. Now let's see just the secret of the understanding and entering into prophecy according to the mind of God.
There is a verse in the 19th chapter.
Of Revelation.
And the 10th bird.
The last part of the 10th verse or the testimony of Jesus. I notice that the testimony of Jesus.
Is the spirit of prophecy.
So I unless the.
Consideration of the subject of revelation.
Or prophecy.
Unless.
It occupies the soul where the glories of the person.
To whom all glory belongs, the one that's to be the judge of the whole thing, the one who is the coming bridegroom, unless the hearth is drawn and attracted to him.
Of that expression says it can become.
An unholy speculation.
Now he says here the show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass.
All the Spirit of God has always intended.
That these events that have to do with the judgment of the world and the setting up of the Kingdom of Christ.
Immediately before.
His old.
Now we know that a long time seemingly has.
Come and gone 1900 years since John was writing these words. Although time in no means nothing to God for 1000 years is just as one day. But if John considered in writing in his day.
That these things.
Were to shortly come to pass.
How about you and me, beloved?
Who are living so much near?
These coming events.
It surely behooves us to be.
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To be concerned about these things.
To have a holy interest in these things.
To be inquiring into these things.
And not to be neglecting these things.
So he says, And he sent and signified it by his Angel.
And he his servant John, why are we told here that he has sent and signified it by his angels?
Why does an Angel come, as it were, between the Blessed Lord?
And these things that are to be revealed to you and me.
I believe the reason is this.
Bad judgment, as we know from the Prophet, is God, reigns working.
Oh, how slow God is to judge. He waited in the days of Noah until the earth was filled with corruption and violence, and there was only knowing his family left before the flood came.
So that the fact that an Angel must bring these things before us.
A distance has come in. I will just give you a contrast. Perhaps it will be helpful if you'll turn to the first chapter of John's Gospel. I remember the same writer.
Wrote the gospel and wrote the Book of Revelation.
The 18th verse. No man has seen God at any time.
The only begotten Son which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him, that was the subject of this Gospel.
All the life, the death.
The resurrection of that blessed in front of God.
Ah, no need of an Angel there, beloved the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father. Oh, how delightful it was to the heart of God to reveal to poor sinners like you and me that precious life of that blessed One who loved us and gave himself for us, but as soon as revelation.
Is brought before those terrible judgments on the earth.
Ah, there is a reserve an Angel comes between and you notice another thing that God is never spoken of. I believe in Revelation as our Father.
Yeah, Christ, pick something as my father.
But not your father.
God is now viewed in that relationship, even in connection with walking in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks, as we thought him prevented, he's not looked at there.
He's not there showing us that and hearing us that intimacy, that relationship and all. He's there as a judge.
So all through revelations.
We're having to do with those mysteries that God is so slow to bring.
And to execution.
Now it says who bear record of the word of God and of the testimony of Jesus Christ.
And of all things that he saw in that little verse, we have comprised.
As it were the whole word of God, you know, in John's day.
The New Testament hadn't been completed then, but they had the word of God.
They had the Old Testament and they had the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Yawn. An inspired man had been giving that testimony. And now we have this.
That's attitude or proceed and that because of all things that he saw. So that now as we bring in the Book of Revelation.
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The coming glories of Christ, the destiny of this poor world, the Kingdom set up, and the eternity of companionship with God's beloved Son, marvelously, wonderfully beloved, complete.
The whole revelation of God to your soul and mind.
Now he says in the next verse, blessed is he that readeth and they that hear the words of this prophecy.
Well, there's two things mansion at first, like three things. Those that read and those that hear the word of this prophecy.
Now I do trust dear friends, and I think of all the dear young people included.
That you will read the Book of Revelation.
And then another thing. I trust that you'll go to the meeting.
Where you'll hear the Book of Revelation, read It's not the Book of Revelation. Some other book.
Book in God's precious words.
That's important business not only to read the word in the privacy and quietness.
Of our own life.
Perhaps when you get up in the morning, or perhaps when you before you retire, you pick up the word and you read a portion.
That is, bless your soul. But there is this too, to remember those that hear the word read. And where can you go to hear the word read in that little meeting at your home where you live?
All we have had quite a large number here today.
And.
It's quite easy to come here and be with so many and find so many here that are together and so many that are looking into their Bibles.
Friends, how about that little meeting at home?
I just as interested in the reading of the word of God.
And that Wednesday or Thursday or Tuesday night meeting, reading, meeting that's been going on.
Only the Lord give this little word to search everyone.
Remember one time years ago in Chicago at a conference?
There on Central Ave. Brother Brown.
Spoke of this, he says. You will see people that will travel hundreds of miles to get to a conference to be over the word of God that they're practically never seen at the little reading meeting at home or the prayer meeting either.
Well.
That's true, and as been said by a sister, I believe it was.
He said it in more or less of.
There was something a little sarcastic, but a lot of truth in it, she said. Everybody was lovely at conferences and letters.
So we can easily get deceived in the spirituality of.
Those who attend the conference room, thank God for everyone that's here and everyone that has a desire to be here. But all beloved, what about the little prayer meeting to it at your home gathering?
The value of that meeting.
I have been told, or at least I have read, that when Mr. Darby and the group of young men were translating the Bible in Switzerland into French.
That the work necessitated such so much that was merely intellectual. In examining the different manuscripts and comparing words and getting the right words and so on, they felt the danger of a poverty for their souls.
So he and these young men broke bread in remembrance of the Lord every day they weren't establishing.
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A custom. They weren't beginning an assembly or anything, but they they just felt that unless they got into the presence of the Lord in connection with even the the trying to bring out the very best translation possible of the word of God, that was a danger of getting out of communion.
With the Blessed Lord himself.
So we're told here.
Bless it, is he. Oh friends, you want a blessing?
You want a real blessing in your life and soul here it is. Blessed is he that readeth and they that hear the words of this prophecy.
And then keep those things.
Which are written therein.
Well, what is it to keep the words of this prophecy?
One might fail. We're not living in and the time when the Book of Revelation is to be fulfilled. How can we keep the words of this prophecy? We're not living in the tribulation when they will be passing through those terrible.
Trials and persecutions. How can we end this far away land from the special seams of the fulfillment of prophecy teaches these words.
Well, I believe the lover that this is a very searching and a very practical question for us. How can we keep it?
In other words, do you desire to keep it?
And I can say this if you desire to please the Lord.
There there will be.
That entering into his mind so you can keep it.
And I believe what especially meant here by keeping the words of the prophecy of this book.
As to be absolutely free from the terrible spirit of this godless, Christ rejecting world that's going on so with to its own judgment.
All our hearts are so subtle, beloved, that we can become carried away and engrossed.
And.
What this world?
Is engrossed in.
We can be carried away with the world's education. It's higher education.
Now, I'm not condemning education if it's to fit anyone for a means of making a livelihood in this world, but it's quite another thing, beloved, if it's just merely a matter to fill your mind.
Where this world's wisdom and yet some of God's children? Oh, I I could have wept with some dear ones not long ago. Brilliant young man.
Very promising.
That he got into philosophy.
Where is he now? He's spending a letter of resignation from the knees of little meeting.
All beloved water lost, even to a real child of God.
That's not keeping the words of the prophecy of this book, is it? And if we are.
Sticking to.
Do great things of this world get a name, a reputation, or build up something down here. This is the grand home. Also, that I am condemning anyone having the comfort that enable them to be free to go on in their Christian life, on not condemning you're having a comfortable, pleasant home.
In surrounding feet. Oh, there's so much danger in everything in this.
This age in which we're we're living and facing is using it to to clog the avenues of the soul, to keep out the more important and more precious things of Christ and beloved. If we're keeping the words of the prophecy of this book, we're going to look upon the whole scene as a condemned scene, a theme that is soon to be under the awful judgment of God.
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No, even at this moment.
With Russia and the United States have enough atomic and hydrogen bombs to destroy the whole civilization.
And know that.
Nothing is secure here, beloved, but thank God we've got a portion that is secure outside of this scene. And if we're keeping the words of the prophecy of this book, instead of building our hopes in a scene like this, we're looking on into that bright, glorious scene above. And beloved, if we're going to walk consistently as the children of God.
We have to be.
Undeceived as to the true character of this world through which we're passing it hated Christ and it still hates Christ.
And it's.
Its its course is marked out of opposition to that blessed One, until finally, in the end just think of it, man is going to be actually found fighting against Christ.
Oh God, grant that there may be more of the keeping of the prophecy of this book.
Looking on to the glory, expecting the bridegroom. And that wedding day when the when his wife will have made herself ready, when she comes forth in fine linen, clean and white. And it tells us that the fine linen is the righteousness of of Saint or if we're keeping those prophecies that are brought before us in these.
And these pages of this blessed book, out of what a testimony it will be in connection with our lives.
John to the seven churches which are in Asia gracely unto you, and peace from him which is.
And which was, and which is to come, and from the seven spirits which are before the throne.
Oh, there, you gather in that little verse the triune gobs.
O many verses bring the Trinity before us. There is God.
The Holy Spirit.
And Jesus Christ.
Brought in special.
Each in a special character that has to do.
With this revelation that's before us.
How we might just inquire why is it that the the Holy Spirit here is spoken of His Seven Spirit?
Well, that's the that's.
Give us to remember beloved, and that whenever you come to a verse you are not clear about, then we need to speak to get the scope of Scripture.
To see one verse will clarify and explain another verse.
Now in the season four, we're told that there is one body and one spirit. Oh no, there's not seven individual spirits of God but what the Apostle is bringing before us.
Is the perfection of the work of the Spirit of God.
That is he is diversified for seven is the perfect number, is diversified operation.
Marvelous, isn't it, to think of how the spirit of God has wrought all through the ages.
And everything that the Spirit of God has wrought out is divinely perfect.
I remember hearing dear brother clothes give a young man the a little illustration of the three persons of the Godhead, he said. It was like 1 erecting a building.
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You hire an architect First, he draws up the blueprint. Well, that's like Bob the father. Then there's the Carpenter, the contractor that works out these these plans.
And.
That illustrates the Lord Jesus. And then there must be the power to bring this all to that. So there we get the sweet person.
And when, when it's the power, it's the Spirit of God, you know, we're told that by His Spirit he has garnished the heavens.
All those glorious bodies and face are all the work of God's Spirit.
But oh God, doesn't compare in any way with the work of God's Holy Spirit.
In the soul or the very life of the new nature you possess.
Was implanted by the Holy Spirit of God. Were born.
Of water and of the spirit that.
The Spirit of God has produced a life of the very life of Christ himself. What could be more perfect than that? Well, I'll go on now.
And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness and the first begotten of the dead, and the Prince of the kings of the earth, Now there is Christ in his in his past and pathway down here.
Thus faithful witness, oh how unfaithful man has been. God has one faithful witness, the First Begotten of the dead. There's what he is to the Church, and then the Prince of the kings of the earth.
That's what he is in connection with the coming day, when the kingdoms of this world have become the Kingdom of Our Lord and of His fright.
So here is a little break in the subject.
Now this is just John's own enjoyment of the blessed person of Christ.
Now we have called attention to the three persons, and basically the operation of the Spirit of God, but all beloved one, that blessed person of the Lord Jesus is brought before your heart and mind. What effect as it has upon it? Well, I'll tell you the effects it had the writer of this book John Fell, and if you'll read the on in the fifth verse you'll find out.
Here's what he says unto him that loved us. It should be who loves us and have worcesters from our sins in his own blood, and has made us the kings and priests unto God and his Father to him be glory, dominion, forever and ever. Amen. Just like suppose when Eisenhower returned after the.
His victories over in France.
Country is occupied with him and he arrives in and the airport at New York, and the whole city is celebrating the coming of the great general. He'll say his wife is among the ones that are waiting.
What is it that?
She is thinking about what is it that she will say or she says.
You wouldn't be saying, well, there's the great general, would you? That's my husband. Well, it's just like that with John, the Prince of the kings of the earth, he said, thinking of him and his glory for all, says John, this is the one that loves them.
Or is something more wonderful and more dear to your heart and mind beloved than all the Kingdom and its glory? And that is to know that that one who fills the throne as we sang this morning, and fills it without wrong, is the one that washed it from our fins in his own blood? Isn't that a marvelous statement? Why, it's so marvelous, and yet it's so simple.
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Any of these little girls sitting right here in front of me can understand that their sins are all voiced away in the blood of Christ. And yet if you would speak to explore the depth of that, that's the blind truth. When you think of all the redeemed, when you think of all the sins that have been committed by them, and to think they're all washed away, you've entered into such.
A marvelous subject.
The lovers, that no human mind could ever penetrate the marvels of it.
And yet it's true of every believer, and we can rejoice in it always, so I can focus feasibly comprehend it.
Voices from our sins in his own blood, and has made us unto our God kings and priests.
Her kings and priests under God and his Father, to him the glory forever and ever. Amen.
What a little doxology is brought in to our subject here and then he goes right on.
If you read from the middle of the fifth verse where it says the Prince of the kings of the earth and then the seventh verse, you have simply the continuation.
The holy cometh with clouds, that says the Prince of the kings of the earth, that he comes with the clouds, and every eye shall see him, and they also would Pierce him. And all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him Even so come in.
Now that's not the coming of the Lord for the Church when he comes.
Or his redeemed people.
He comes as the bridegroom and there'll be no wailing, there'll be nothing but a rejoicing people.
Changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye caught up to meet him in the air.
Go with him into the Father's house, to be forever with him there. But now we're viewing the Lord when he comes down to the earth. That event that we're Speaking of Him and in connection with his coming as the bridegroom, will not be true at that time that every eye shall see him.
If you're a believer in the Lord Jesus, your eye will gaze upon him.
Oh, I'll just ask.
The first in questions you all hear.
Are you certain that you would be the Lord and gaze on his blessed faith? If the Scout were to sound the trumpet's voice be heard airless meetings over? Would you Or would you not? But the day's coming when every eye fulfilled, They also let Pierce him that the Jews were nailed into the cross.
And all kindreds of the earth.
Thou wail because of him Even so, army.
I see we're very slow and going over these verses.
So I will bring in.
Whilst might be fed on each verse.
But I want to call attention to.
The ninth verse I, John, who am your brother and companion in tribulation and in the Kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the aisle. That is called Patna, so the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice as of a trumpet.
I remember.
Here, Brother Potter saying one time.
I think I can recall his very word.
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That.
The Lord didn't spend.
John to the Isle of Passmore, but his testimony took him there. That is, he didn't go there to try to evangelize.
A country that had never heard the gospel.
But you see, John was banished to a lonely, rocky island called Pathmark. And what took him there? It was his testimony.
Well, the lover, dear, the testimony.
Of the Apostles John.
Landed him.
As.
A vanished man, all of the all of the other lands of the Roman Empire.
If a great Roman Empire could only think of one place to spend such a fervent of Christ as to isolate him on a lonely island.
Father, can we think as to one who speaks to serve the Lord ever becoming popular in this world?
If his testimony has the true rings of the testimony of John, They, the writer of this gospel.
All will have a true testimony, for Christ will never make us popular in this world.
But here is something that we can.
Consider.
With prophets to our souls.
And there is how that God's ways are not our ways, neither his fault or ours. You would have thought that, or I would think that for such a gifted man, as one of the chief of the 12, that the Lord sent out and ordained.
To have that man cut off from his laborers and vanish where he couldn't even have an assembly to minister to, that his work was all over. I'm sure the devil thought that, and God bless the devil thought that he had won.
A crowning victory against the servant of Christ.
But all beloved, how marvelous to be.
That the Riddle of Samson has been so many times.
Come out, and that is out of the eater, king forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweet. That is, Satan has been compelled.
All old man's history to use weakness in spite of all his attacks and his embassy.
Now when John was banished there, you might say well.
Don't can serve the Lord no more.
But all beloved, both John had been permitted to go about as he previously had, and put in all his energies in serving the Saints in that day and preaching in many places.
You and I wouldn't have this Book of Revelation. The same thing is true in connection with the dear Apostle Paul the devil thought he had.
Ended his laborers, and so he had him imprisoned and sent to Rome and changed to a soldier. Devil says I'm done with him.
For all beloved, when you consider that while Paul was in prison, he wrote the book in his Speed and Philippians.
Colossians First Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, Lehman, and Hebrews as a prisoner.
Well, I'll just compare the work of Paul and of John during the few years of their lives, at best 1/3 of Christ.
Isn't able to perhaps preach or about teaching for more than maybe 50 years or 60 years would be a very full time of and cure of.
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Service for Lord ServiceNow. Compare, say 60 years with 1900 years.
That there those books they wrote have been blessed to the people of God. There's no comparison, isn't it? And then just think too that the very fact the devil landed.
All there on the on the Isle of Pascal that Paul was given by the Spirit of God.
To write the very doom of Satan himself. Oh, what a victory and triumph.
It is for over all the attacks of the enemy, and the other day I'm sure that we can apply that this profit to ourselves, if that was true in the lives of the greatest servants that the Lord Jesus ever had in this world.
What about?
But what about you and me and our time?
If we are true to Christ, if our testimony to Him.
Is unfold and if where there is that about?
About us that we see in John. I'm just going to read again what it says here.
For the Word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Two things there, the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Oh beloved, if you are thoroughly subject to God's word, it will never make you popular in this world. In fact, it will make you very unpopular. I don't mean by that that you are to deliberately irritate people in a very unwise and unnecessary way. Some folks, you know, they they get to be fanatic and they're only creed trouble by that. I'll never expect these people to be fanatical in their ways.
But if there is that quiet, calm, steady.
Were obedient to the word of God and the humble testimony.
To the blessed Savior that you're trusting in, it's going to put you in the path and in the position that God intends for you to fulfill.
Your your testimony for him.
Oh, you will not write a Book of Revelation?
You won't write a book as you see. In fact, no one writes inspired books anymore. That was completed long, long ago. But I can tell you this to love it if you go on quietly and humbly obeying God's word. And when you see a truth set forth in His Word instead of your align that within you to resist it. Because we need to remember this.
Whether that we have within us an old nature.
That just as much resists the word of God as the old nature. And a man who is never born again, the same old nature always resists the Word of God. And if we find within it something that says no or begins to try to reason out of the way, the Word reaches our conscience.
We can be very sure of this. That is the old nature that is resisting the truth of God. But if we go on and let the keen edge of the Word of God cut as it will, it's allowed to have its way in our soul and judge whatever the Word of God is exposing in our lives without trying to conceal or cover up.
Or to excuse ourselves for what is contrary to his mind and will?
And if we if we're loyal to Christ, oh beloved, he is so worthy that blessed one.
Let her, let her which I speak of.
That we see in the beloved John of old, placing him where God could most use. It will place you where God can most use you too. If ways are always the same and you know as far as rewards are concerned, every just as great a reward for.
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A believer who is just is subject to the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.
In this day and time, as John was in his day and time.
You see, it isn't because of some high position they have one merit, a special bright reward in heaven.
It's still going on in the path of obedience that gains the reward that the Lord has to give to his own, just as we were seeing the other day.
Well done. Good and faithful service. So it's been faithful. What does he say in a law?
Doing what Paul or John did know no faithful in the very little.
Why the very highest reward that's mentioned there in that parable, where the servants that were given the talent stand before the judge, and he looked into their ways. Why, that's the one to whom he says, thou hast been faithful in a very little.
Oh, I doubt many times the Lord by those who have gone about in the Lords work are going to be the ones that get the brightest reward. Perhaps to some praying sister that may have been bedridden and vowing to work to the will of God in connection with his ways with her that will get the brightest reward in that day.
Well, isn't it beautiful, beloved? And I trust these pure remarks that I've made will lead our souls into a real interest and inquiry into this lovely portion of God's Word. Solemn indeed, it is solemn to think that this very world and those that were moving every day among our subjects, many of them or most of them.
So the awful judgment of God in this world with all that it has.
Invented and.
Has attained to as soon would be utterly destroyed. Oh what an awful judgment awaits with poor guilty Christ rejecting world and all beloved to be living above and outside of it all.
As we nearer this approaching end, for these things are right at hand, so near we we do not realize how how near they actually are. Everything, as it were, just lined up for the the coming ends. The Lord may come at any moment and take us away, because as far as events are transpiring in this world, we see nothing that doesn't.
Oh sure, that everything is just prepared for that which will take place after the church is gone. God grant, beloved, that there may be that state of soul that will enable you to not only to read, but to keep the things that are written.
In this book. And that doesn't mean, beloved, that we're going to.
Understand the meanings of all their the symbols that are found there and may not clearly understand the the seven seals and the seven trumpets and the seven vials of the wrath of God. But the very reading of it has a has a sanctifying effect upon our lives, that is, if we read it as in the Lord's presence.
Letting the Lord speak to our souls.
He always conveys A sanctifying blessing in our lives.
Well, I was just going to close with this.
If once you read in the 10th verse, I was in the spirit on the Lords day and heard behind me a great voice as of the trumpet.
We were speaking about the importance of being where the word of God is read.
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Now we have the Lord's Day brought before us.
And here was a man that was banished for his testimony, where he couldn't even have another brother to break bread with, and yet he was in the spirit on that day.
Whether there is something very precious about this?
The Jews were to keep the Sabbath.
But we keep the first day for a very different reason than those under the law kept the Sabbath day. We keep it.
As the Lord's day. Not a day of rest necessarily, although I think it's very unbecoming for a child of God to continue with his daily employment unless it's impossible. Unless he's employed in a way that he has no other, nothing else that he can do, He's not desirous of it but for.
Dog people to go on just as though it was any other day of the week is very sad and is very unbecoming for for a believer. Let's remember beloved that this is the Lords day and it speaks to us of his authority that he has a right to this day. I read one time an illustration I thought was.
You've got three important of how we keep the Lord's Day. Before us there was a man that had an apple tree, and on this tree there were.
There were seven lovely, beautiful apples and he saw some boys sneaking into these gardens to steal his apples.
So he kindly went out and he gave the boys each one of these these lovely apple, He said. No, I'll just leave one for myself.
Well, after the old man had gone to bed, the boy sneaked out in his in his orchid and took his one apple.
Well, we would say they're erected.
How could how could fellow act that way after the owner had been so, so lovely and so kind to them and didn't didn't mistreat them because of their dishonesty, gave them all his beautiful apples that he had and just kept one for himself and then they took that.
Well, beloved, isn't it? Something like that when we just ignore the Lord's day and go on and plead just a common day to please ourselves.
Maybe to get out in the world, maybe just to go to the breaking of bread in the morning and then something like a lot of sex about us, that they say they've performed their religious duty and then the rest of the time they can do just as they please. They can spend the rest of the time out in the world or having a good time.
Not speaking in any way to spend the way as the Lord would surely have them spend it. Now this is a lovely thought, isn't it, John? Their banish was in the spirit on the Lord's day. He wasn't refining under his trial. He wasn't mourning under the fact that he wasn't permitted to go about anymore.
Oh no. He was in the spirit on that day. And just think, beloved, as we were saying, you submit to God's word and let God have his way in your life.
And then there is that.
That yielding to the Spirit of God in such a way.
That you and I can be in the Spirit too. It isn't something that was peculiar, something that only belongs to an apostle, to be in the Spirit on the Lord's day law. Indeed, if we follow the love of the same path that we see this, this servant of Christ falling.
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If we.
Are following the Lord.
Judging whatever hinders our communion.
Allowing things to go on undudged in our lives.
And justice.
Taking the Lord first.
In the morning, Tom, was this day, of all days, the best?
Will be in the spirit on the Lord's day. It doesn't try to whip yourself up into certain kinds of emotions. However, forget a correction the dear brother Potter gave me when I was a young man. I was at. I was at a meeting.
For prayer before a two day little sort of a general meeting we had up at Moore, Minnesota and the night before we had a prayer meeting specially.
For the to be prepared for this meeting and I pray that we might be in an attitude of worship the next day, well after the meeting was over. Brother Potter never knew him. He'd quite understand how he said it to me. Turns on me and he said arson. When are you going to stop praying to be in an attitude of work?
I said, brother, father, what should I pray? He says pray that you will be occupied with Christ and then he says you will be in an attitude of worship. Well, how important it is to love them more occupation with Christ.
And that really tests us. It really exercises us, especially it does to one who is speaking. To think how much of my time is far from being occupied with Christ. Well, how long should we go on that there might be more of that occupation, and that's what we should pray for. And, you know, there's one that is, is there set apart in heavenly glory to bring that which the new nature so long for to be.
Engaged.
This thing, at least the words about him, O Lamb of God's killed people.
The 318.
I don't really have time for the game.
Hola. Hola.