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What if you could see the end of the world and discover it's not an ending at all, but a beginning? What if the chaos,
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the suffering, the battles we face today are all part of a story so vast, so
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magnificent that it can only be told through visions of dragons, beasts,
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[music] thrones, and cities descending from heaven. That this is the book of Revelation. And before these 30 minutes
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are over, you'll understand why this isn't just [music] prophecy. It's the most dangerous hope ever written.
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Dangerous because once you see what's [music] coming, you can never live the same way again. But here's the twist
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they don't tell [music] you. This vision doesn't just show you the future. It loops back to your present, to your
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choices, to your allegiance. And the question it asks [music] is simple but
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terrifying. When everything falls apart, whose side
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will you be on? The vision has already begun, and you're already in it.
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Waves crash against jagged cliffs. Wind howls [music] across barren stone. This
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is Patmos, a desolate island where Rome sends its enemies to die slowly.
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[music] forgotten. An old man sits alone on the rocks, his hands weathered and scarred,
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trace words in the dirt. His name is John. Once he was a fisherman called by
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Jesus himself. He walked on dusty roads with the Messiah, witnessed miracles,
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heard teachings that changed everything. He stood at the foot of the cross, watching his beloved teacher die. And
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three days later, he saw him alive. John became a fearless proclaimer of the
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gospel. He shepherded the church in Ephesus, teaching, baptizing, leading.
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But his faith made him dangerous to Rome. Emperor Domission demanded worship. John refused. So they sent him
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here to this rock in the middle of nowhere to silence him forever. But God
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had other plans. It's the Lord's day. John sits in worship alone, but not
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alone. His voice lifts in prayer, echoing off the stones. Then he hears
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it. Revelation 11:10-11. I was in the spirit, and I heard behind
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me a loud voice like a trumpet, which said, "Write on a scroll what you see,
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and send it to the seven churches." John spins around. His breath catches.
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Behind him stands a figure clothed in a robe, reaching down to his feet with a golden sash around his chest. His head
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and hair are white like wool, as white as snow. His eyes blaze like fire. His
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feet gleam like bronze glowing in a furnace. His voice sounds like rushing waters. In his right hand he holds seven
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stars. Out of his mouth comes a sharp double-edged sword. His face shines like
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the sun in all its brilliance. This is Jesus, but not the gentle carpenter John
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once knew. This is the risen Christ. Glorious, terrifying, absolute.
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John falls at his feet as though dead. A hand touches his shoulder, warm, steady.
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The voice that shook him now comforts him. Revelation 11:17-18.
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Do not be afraid. I am the first and the last. I am the living one. I was dead
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and now look, I am alive forever and ever. And I hold the keys of death and
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Hades. Keys. Death has keys. And Jesus holds them at John's heart races. He's
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seen the Lord transfigured. He's seen him resurrected. But this this is different. This is the king in his full
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authority, ready to unveil what must soon take place. Write what you see, Jesus commands. John reaches for his
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scroll with trembling hands. The vision begins. But before he sees the future,
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he must address the present. Seven churches, seven messages, seven
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warnings. Because the battle for eternity starts now in the choices we
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make, in the compromises we allow, in the loves we abandon. And the first
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question the vision asks is this. Are you still faithful?
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Imagine receiving a letter from Jesus Christ himself. Not a generic blessing,
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not empty encouragement, but a piercing diagnosis of your soul. Your strengths
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exposed, your weaknesses laid bare, your future hanging in the balance. This is
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what happens to seven churches scattered across Asia Minor. Each letter is personal. Each one is urgent and each
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one still speaks today. Ephesus, the church that lost its first love.
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Revelation 2:4. I know your deeds, your hard work, and your perseverance. I know that you
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cannot tolerate wicked people. Yet I hold this against you. You have forsaken
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the love you had at first. The Ephesians did everything right. They
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worked hard. They defended truth. They resisted false teachers. But somewhere
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in all that busyiness, they forgot why they started. Their love for Jesus grew
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cold. Jesus warning is sharp. Repent and do the things you did at first. If you
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do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. Have you ever been so focused on doing
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right that you forgot to love? The Ephesians remind us orthodoxy
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without love is just noise. Smeirn, the suffering church. Revelation 2:9-10.
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I know your afflictions and your poverty, yet you are rich. Do not be afraid of what you're about to suffer.
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Be faithful even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor's crown. Smyrna receives no
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rebuke, only encouragement. They're persecuted, poor, pressed on every side,
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but in God's eyes, they're wealthy beyond measure. Jesus doesn't promise to
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remove their suffering. He promises to walk through it with them. And on the other side, a crown of life. When
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everything is taken from you, what remains? Smyrna shows us faith that
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cannot be shaken. Pergamum, the compromising church. Revelation 2:13-14.
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I know where you live, where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my
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name. Nevertheless, I have a few things against you. There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balum.
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Pergeam stood firm in hostile territory, but they made a fatal mistake. They
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tolerated corruption. They allowed pagan practices to seep into their worship.
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Tolerance sounds loving, but tolerating sin is deadly. Jesus command, "Repent,
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therefore, otherwise I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth."
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Where have we compromised? Where have we let culture rewrite scripture? Theotira, the tolerant church. Revelation 2:20.
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Nevertheless, I have this against you. You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who
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calls herself a prophet. By her teaching, she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food
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sacrificed to idols. Thotyra had love, faith, service,
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perseverance, but they allowed a false teacher to flourish. They valued peace over purity. Jesus' message is clear.
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Love without truth leads to destruction. Sardis, the dead church. Revelation
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3:1-2. I know your deeds. You have a reputation of being alive, but you are
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dead. Wake up. Strengthen what remains and is about to die. Sardis looked
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successful, thriving, alive, but it was a corpse wearing makeup. How many churches today have impressive
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buildings, large crowds, and zero spiritual life? Jesus call is urgent.
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Wake up, Philadelphia, the faithful church. Revelation 3:8. I know that you
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have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. See, I have placed before you an open
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door that no one can shut. Philadelphia is weak by worldly standards, small,
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struggling, but faithful. And Jesus promises them an open door, not because
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they're strong, but because they're true. Faithfulness matters more than fame. Leodysia, the lukewarm church.
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Revelation 3:15-16. I know your deeds that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one
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or the other. So because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I am
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about to spit you out of my mouth. Leodysia is wealthy, comfortable,
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self-satisfied. They have everything they need except Jesus. Revelation 3:20.
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Here I am. I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat
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with that person and they with me. Jesus is outside his own church, knocking,
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waiting, hoping someone will answer. Are we lukewarm, comfortable in our
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complacency, content with religion, but disconnected from relationship?
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The seven letters aren't ancient history. They're mirrors. Each one reflects a different way the church and
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our own hearts can drift from Jesus. Which letter speaks to you? Are you
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Ephesus, having lost your first love? Leodysia, lukewarm and blind, or
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Philadelphia, faithful despite your weakness. The question isn't whether
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these churches existed. It's whether they exist in you. Because what comes
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next, the visions of judgment, the cosmic battle, the final victory only
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makes sense if we understand this. The war for your soul is already raging and
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the choice is yours. Suddenly, a voice like a trumpet, "Come up here, and I
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will show you what must take place after this."
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In an instant, John is no longer on Patmos. He's standing in the throne room of heaven itself. What he sees is beyond
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words, beyond comprehension. A throne blazes at the center and someone sits
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upon it, radiant like jasper and ruby, surrounded by an emerald rainbow. The
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brilliance is blinding, beautiful, terrifying. Around the throne, 24 elders
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sit on smaller thrones dressed in white with golden crowns. They represent all
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the redeemed, Israel and the church, worshiping before God's majesty. Lightning flashes, thunder rumbles.
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Seven lamps of fire burn before the throne. The sevenfold spirit of God.
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Before the throne stretches a sea of glass, clear as crystal reflecting the glory above. And then four living
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creatures unlike anything on earth. One like a lion, one like an ox, one with a
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human face, one like an eagle in flight. Each has six wings covered with eyes all
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around and within. Day and night they never stop saying Revelation 4:8. Holy,
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holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty who was and is and is to come. The elders
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fall prostrate casting their crowns before the throne. Revelation 4:11. You
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are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power. For you
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created all things and by your will they were created and have their being.
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This is the center of all reality. Not Rome, not Washington, not any human
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power, the throne. But the vision shifts in the right hand of the one seated on
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the throne is a scroll sealed with seven seals. An angel proclaims with a loud
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voice, "Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?
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Silence. No one in heaven, on earth, or under the earth can open it. No one is
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worthy. John begins to weep. The plan of God, the unveiling of history, the
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redemption of creation, all locked away, inaccessible. Then one of the elders
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says, "Revelation 5:5, do not weep. See,
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the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has triumphed. He is able to
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open the scroll. John looks expecting a lion. Instead, he
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sees a lamb standing but looking as if it had been slain. Bearing the marks of
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sacrifice. Seven horns, seven eyes. Perfect power, perfect knowledge. The
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lamb steps forward and takes the scroll. Heaven erupts. The living creatures and elders fall down. Each holding harps and
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golden bowls of incense. The prayers of God's people. They sing a new song.
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Revelation 5:9-10. You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals because you were slain.
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And with your blood you purchase for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made
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them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth. Then thousands upon thousands
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of angels join, their voices like thunder. Revelation 5:12. Worthy is the
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Lamb who was slain to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor
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and glory and praise. Finally, every creature in heaven, on earth, under the
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earth, and in the sea proclaims, Revelation 5:13, to him who sits on the
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throne, and to the lamb be praise and honor and glory and power forever and
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ever. This is worship, not performance, not routine, but the soul's response to
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encountering absolute holiness, absolute love, absolute sacrifice. The lamb who
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was slain is the only one worthy. His blood purchased humanity. His death
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conquered sin. His resurrection proved his victory. And now he holds the
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scroll, the keys to history, the plan of redemption. But what happens when he
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begins to open it? The seals are about to break. And when they do, the earth
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will never be the same. The lamb breaks the first seal. Thunder. One of the
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living creatures shouts, "Come." A white horse appears. Its rider holds a bow, wears a crown, rides out as a conqueror.
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Conquest, power, the relentless pursuit of domination.
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The second seal breaks. Come a red horse. Its rider is given a sword and
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the power to take peace from the earth. People slay one another. War, bloodshed,
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division. The third seal that come a black horse, its rider holds scales.
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Revelation 66. Two pound of wheat for a day's wages and sixb of barley for a
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day's wages. And do not damage the oil and the wine. Famine. Scarcity.
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The wealthy thrive while the poor starve.
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The fourth seal. Come. A pale horse. Its rider is death. And Hades follows.
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They're given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine, plague,
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and wild beasts. Death. The inevitable result of conquest, war, and famine. The
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fifth seal reveals something different. John sees under the altar the souls of
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those martyed for their faith. They cry out, "Revelation 6:10. How long,
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sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood. They're given white
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robes and told to wait a little longer. Their blood is not forgotten. Justice is
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coming." The sixth seal breaks and creation itself convulses. A massive
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earthquake. The sun turns black. The moon becomes like blood. Stars fall from
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the sky. The heavens recede like a scroll. Mountains and islands are
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removed. Kings, princes, generals, the rich, the mighty. And every slave and
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free person hide in caves crying out. Revelation 6:16-17.
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Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the lamb. For the great day of
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their wrath has come. And who can withstand it? The lamb, gentle, sacrificial, is also the judge, and his
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wrath is terrifying. Then silence, the seventh seal is opened, and heaven is silent for half an
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hour. A pause, a breath, the calm before the storm. Seven angels are given seven
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trumpets, and the first trumpet sounds. Hail and fire mixed with blood are hurled to earth. A third of the land,
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trees, and grass are burned. The second trumpet, something like a huge mountain
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blazing with fire, is thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turns to blood.
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A third of sea creatures die. A third of ships are destroyed. The third trumpet,
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a great star falls from the sky, blazing like a torch. It poisons a third of the
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rivers and springs. The star is called wormwood, bitterness. Many people die
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from the poisoned water. The fourth trumpet and a third of the sun, moon, and stars are struck. A third of the day
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and night are darkened. The fifth trumpet unleashes something truly horrifying. A star falls from the sky.
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Given the key to the abyss, smoke rises and out of it come locusts with power to
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torment people for 5 months. These aren't ordinary locusts. They're demonic forces led by Abaden, the destroyer.
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People long for death but cannot find it. The sixth trumpet releases four angels bound at the Euphrates River.
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They lead an army of 200 million. A third of humanity is killed. And yet
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Revelation 9:20 to 21. The rest of mankind who were not killed by these
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plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands. They did not stop worshiping demons and idols of gold,
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silver, bronze, stone, and wood. Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or
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their thefts. Despite the devastation, humanity's hearts remain hard. Judgment alone
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doesn't produce repentance. Only grace can transform a heart. The seventh
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trumpet sounds. Loud voices in heaven proclaim. Revelation 11:15, "The kingdom
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of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will
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reign forever and ever." This isn't just another judgment. It's a declaration of
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victory. But the battle isn't over yet. Because now the real enemy reveals
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himself. A woman appears in heaven clothed with the sun, the moon under her
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feet, a crown of 12 stars on her head. She's pregnant, crying out in labor.
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Then a massive red dragon with seven heads, 10 horns, and seven crowns. Its
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tail sweeps a third of the stars from the sky, hurling them to earth. The dragon waits to devour the child the
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moment it's born. But the child, a male child who will rule all nations with an
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iron scepter, is snatched up to God's throne. This is Jesus, born into a world
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ruled by the dragon, Satan, but untouchable. The woman flees into the wilderness
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where God protects her. Then war breaks out in heaven. Michael and his angels
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fight the dragon and his angels, but the dragon is defeated and hurled down to
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earth. A loud voice in heaven proclaims Revelation 12:10-11.
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Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the
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authority of his Messiah. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who
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accuses them before our God day and night has been hurled down. They triumphed over him by the blood of the
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lamb and by the word of their testimony. They did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. Satan is cast
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down, but he's furious, knowing his time is short. He wages war against the woman's offspring, all who follow Jesus.
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Then from the sea, a beast rises, seven heads, 10 horns, blasphemous names. It's
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given power, a throne, and great authority by the dragon. One of its
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heads appears to have been fatally wounded, but the wound is healed. The whole world is astonished and follows
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the beast. Revelation 13:4. People worshiped the dragon because he
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had given authority to the beast. And they also worship the beast and asked, "Who is like the beast? Who can wage war
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against it?" The beast speaks blasphemies, wages war against the saints, and is given authority over
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every tribe, people, language, and nation. Then a second beast rises from
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the earth. It looks like a lamb but speaks like a dragon. This is the false
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prophet. It performs great signs, even calling down fire from heaven. It
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deceives the world into worshiping the first beast. And then comes the mark. Revelation 13:16-17.
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It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to
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receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the
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mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.
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Revelation 13:18, this calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate
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the number of the beast for it is the number of a man. That number is 666.
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The mark is more than economic control. It's a declaration of allegiance. Take
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the mark and you align yourself with the beast. Refuse it and you face
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persecution, poverty, death. But the consequences of taking the mark are
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eternal. Revelation 49:10. If anyone worships the beast and its
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image and receives its mark on their forehead or on their hand, they too will
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drink the wine of God's fury which has been poured full strength into the cup
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of his wrath. This is the choice. Earthly survival or eternal life. Would
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you take the mark to feed your family, to avoid persecution, to stay alive? or would you trust the
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lamb even unto death? Revelation 14:12. This calls for patient endurance on the
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part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus.
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Those who refuse the mark stand victorious before God's throne, singing the song of Moses and the Lamb. The mark
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of the beast is a warning, but it's also a test. Where does your allegiance lie?
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Seven angels appear, each holding a bowl filled with God's wrath. The final
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judgments are about to be poured out. The first bowl is poured on the land. Ugly, festering sores break out on those
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who have the mark of the beast. The second bowl turns the sea to blood.
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Every living thing in the sea dies. The third bowl turns the rivers and springs
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to blood. An angel declares, "Revelation 16:5-6, "You are just in these judgments, oh
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holy one, for they have shed the blood of your holy people and your prophets, and you have given them blood to drink
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as they deserve." The fourth bowl scorches people with fire, yet they curse God and refuse to
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repent. The fifth bowl plunges the beast's kingdom into darkness. People gnore their tongues in agony, but still
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refuse to turn to God. The sixth bowl dries up the Euphrates River, preparing
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the way for the kings of the east. Demonic spirits perform signs, gathering
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the nations for battle at Armageddon. The seventh bowl is poured into the air.
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A loud voice from the throne shouts, "It is done." Lightning, thunder, and a
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massive earthquake follow. Cities collapse. Islands flee. Mountains disappear. 100B hailstones fall from the
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sky. and Babylon, the great city symbolizing humanity's rebellion and
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corruption, falls. Revelation 18:2. Fallen, fallen is
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Babylon the Great. She has become a dwelling for demons and a haunt for every impure spirit. Kings, merchants,
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and sailors mourn her destruction. Their wealth, their power, their security gone
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in an instant. But heaven rejoices. Revelation 19:1-2.
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Hallelujah. Salvation and glory and power belong to our God. For true and
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just are his judgments. Then the sky splits open. Revelation 19:11-13.
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I saw heaven standing open, and there before me was a white horse whose rider
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is called faithful and true. With justice he judges and wages war. His
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eyes are like blazing fire and on his head are many crowns. He is dressed in a
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robe dipped in blood and his name is the word of God.
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Behind him ride the armies of heaven dressed in white linen. Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword to strike down the
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nations. He will rule them with an iron scepter. On his robe and thigh is
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written, "King of kings and lord of lords. The beast and the kings of the earth gather their armies to wage war
27:06
against the rider on the white horse. But the battle is over before it begins.
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Revelation 19:20. The beast was captured and with it the false prophet. The two
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of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. The rest are
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slain by the sword coming from the rider's mouth. Jesus doesn't need an
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army. His word alone defeats evil. An
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angel descends from heaven with a key to the abyss and a great chain. He seizes
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the dragon, Satan, and binds him for a thousand years. Revelation 24. They came
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to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. This is the millennial kingdom, a time of peace, justice, and
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the reign of Christ on earth. But when the thousand years end, Satan is released one final time. He deceives the
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nations, gathering them for battle. They surround the camp of God's people. Then
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fire comes down from heaven and devours them. Revelation 20:10. And the devil
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who deceived them was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown.
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They will be tormented day and night forever and ever. The great enemy is
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defeated forever. Now comes the great white throne judgment. Revelation 2011-12.
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Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the
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heavens fled from his presence. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. Another
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book is opened. The book of life. Revelation 20:15. Anyone whose name was
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not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire. This
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is the final judgment, eternal, irreversible. But for those whose names are written in the book of life,
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something glorious awaits. Revelation 21:1. Then I saw a new heaven and a new
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earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. The new Jerusalem descends from heaven prepared
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as a bride for her husband. Revelation 21:3 to4 look God's dwelling
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place is now among the people and he will dwell with them. They will be his people and God himself will be with them
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and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or
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pain. For the old order of things has passed away. No more suffering, no more
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sin, no more separation. The city shines with the glory of God. Its walls are
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jasper. Its streets are gold as clear as glass. 12 gates, each a single pearl.
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The foundations are adorned with every kind of precious stone. But there is no temple. Revelation 21:22.
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I did not see a temple in the city because the Lord God Almighty and the
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Lamb are its temple and there is no need for sun or moon. Revelation 21:23.
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The glory of God gives it light and the Lamb is its lamp. A river flows from the
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throne, the river of the water of life, clear as crystal. On each side stands
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the tree of life bearing 12 crops of fruit, its leaves for the healing of the
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nations. Revelation 22:3. No longer will there be any curse. This is home. This
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is hope. This is forever. Revelation 22:17.
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The spirit and the bride say, "Come." And let the one who hears say, "Come."
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Let the one who is thirsty come and let the one who wishes take the free gift of
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the water of life. The invitation is open. The door is unlocked. The water
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flows freely. Will you come? Revelation 22:20. He who testifies to these things
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says, "Yes, I am coming soon. Amen. Come, Lord Jesus." The vision is
31:28
complete. But the story, it's just beginning. And the next chapter starts
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with you.