1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:05,560 In a sense, the chronology of the book flows, but every now and then there is a parenthesis 2 00:00:05,560 --> 00:00:10,240 that just talks about some things unrelated to time issues. 3 00:00:10,240 --> 00:00:13,200 And such is the case here in this chapter. 4 00:00:13,200 --> 00:00:21,260 There are six scenes or sounds which are given as an overview of events yet to come. 5 00:00:21,260 --> 00:00:25,400 These are not particularly in chronological order. 6 00:00:25,400 --> 00:00:31,440 They don't advance the chronology of the book, but we're simply given this information 7 00:00:31,440 --> 00:00:37,960 as an encouragement, not only to the people in that day, but to us today, an encouragement 8 00:00:37,960 --> 00:00:44,240 in the midst of our trials that in the end, history is going to come out where God says 9 00:00:44,240 --> 00:00:46,880 it will. 10 00:00:46,880 --> 00:00:50,080 We can be comforted by that. 11 00:00:50,080 --> 00:00:52,960 The first scene is found in verses 1 through 5. 12 00:00:52,960 --> 00:00:58,560 It is the scene of the Lamb and the 144,000. 13 00:00:58,560 --> 00:01:01,080 Follow along as I read these verses. 14 00:01:01,080 --> 00:01:12,420 Then I looked and behold a Lamb, standing on Mount Zion and with him 144,000, having 15 00:01:12,420 --> 00:01:16,680 his Father's name written on their foreheads. 16 00:01:16,680 --> 00:01:22,320 And I heard a voice from heaven like the voice of many waters and like the voice of a loud 17 00:01:22,320 --> 00:01:24,360 thunder. 18 00:01:24,360 --> 00:01:29,440 And I heard the sound of harpists playing their harps. 19 00:01:29,440 --> 00:01:36,040 And they sang, as it were, a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures 20 00:01:36,040 --> 00:01:37,320 and the elders. 21 00:01:37,320 --> 00:01:46,280 And no one could learn that song except the 144,000 who are redeemed from the earth. 22 00:01:46,280 --> 00:01:51,400 These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. 23 00:01:51,400 --> 00:01:55,680 These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. 24 00:01:55,680 --> 00:02:01,360 These were redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb. 25 00:02:01,360 --> 00:02:08,560 And in their mouth was found no guile, that is no deceit, for they are without fault before 26 00:02:08,560 --> 00:02:10,960 the throne of God. 27 00:02:10,960 --> 00:02:13,840 Reading from the New King James Version. 28 00:02:13,840 --> 00:02:18,840 The first scene then is a pastoral scene. 29 00:02:18,840 --> 00:02:20,960 It's peaceful. 30 00:02:20,960 --> 00:02:28,760 This scene seems to take place at the beginning of the millennial reign of the Lord Jesus 31 00:02:28,760 --> 00:02:29,760 Christ. 32 00:02:29,760 --> 00:02:35,400 Now, once again, in the chronology of the book, we've not yet come to that event, the 33 00:02:35,400 --> 00:02:38,360 beginning of the millennium. 34 00:02:38,360 --> 00:02:45,480 But in this chapter there is this snapshot, this scene that is given to us of what will 35 00:02:45,480 --> 00:02:54,280 take place at the beginning of the millennium between the Lamb and his 144,000. 36 00:02:54,280 --> 00:03:05,640 We see here that the Lamb is also the shepherd, and the 144,000 constitutes one of his flocks. 37 00:03:05,640 --> 00:03:14,740 It tells us that there was not one that was lost of the 144,000 who were sealed back in 38 00:03:14,740 --> 00:03:15,740 chapter 7. 39 00:03:15,740 --> 00:03:19,960 These seem to be the same group. 40 00:03:19,960 --> 00:03:26,880 The 144,000 from the twelve tribes of Israel in chapter 7 are more than likely the same 41 00:03:26,880 --> 00:03:31,760 144,000 found here in chapter 14. 42 00:03:31,760 --> 00:03:37,160 They were sealed as the tribulation began. 43 00:03:37,160 --> 00:03:43,360 And now after the tribulation is finished, these seven years of terrible persecution 44 00:03:43,360 --> 00:03:49,160 and judgment from God upon the earth, at the end of that period of time as the millennial 45 00:03:49,160 --> 00:03:54,000 reign of Christ begins, they are still alive. 46 00:03:54,000 --> 00:03:59,560 They have been kept by the shepherd through these seven years. 47 00:03:59,560 --> 00:04:08,800 I suggested earlier in our study that these 144,000 may well be evangelists, Jewish evangelists 48 00:04:08,800 --> 00:04:15,080 that will go throughout the earth preaching the gospel, the result of that being the salvation 49 00:04:15,080 --> 00:04:22,160 of millions of people who had not heard the gospel previously. 50 00:04:22,160 --> 00:04:27,600 Therefore they are candidates for salvation in the tribulation period. 51 00:04:27,600 --> 00:04:34,000 And now we see them standing with the Lamb victoriously on Mount Zion. 52 00:04:34,000 --> 00:04:39,000 And the first question is, of course, where is Mount Zion, and those who have been recently 53 00:04:39,000 --> 00:04:42,000 in Israel can answer that question. 54 00:04:42,000 --> 00:04:48,720 Mount Zion is a hilltop there in the city of Jerusalem. 55 00:04:48,720 --> 00:04:53,560 There are those who think that it may be the heavenly Mount Zion that is pictured here, 56 00:04:53,560 --> 00:04:58,860 but it seems to me better to understand it as the earthly Mount Zion. 57 00:04:58,860 --> 00:05:03,920 These 144,000 now having lived through the tribulation and all of them now being gathered 58 00:05:03,920 --> 00:05:11,400 with Christ there in the city of Jerusalem on Mount Zion. 59 00:05:11,400 --> 00:05:18,520 And John says, I heard a voice or a sound from heaven, and he describes it like that 60 00:05:18,520 --> 00:05:22,520 of many waters and loud thunder. 61 00:05:22,520 --> 00:05:30,120 The same kind of language is used in chapter 19 and verse 6, where it describes a multitude 62 00:05:30,120 --> 00:05:33,800 in heaven that is speaking and singing. 63 00:05:33,800 --> 00:05:42,200 Consequently, it seems to me that the sound that he hears in chapter 14 and verse 2 would 64 00:05:42,200 --> 00:05:46,040 also be the sound of heavenly singers. 65 00:05:46,040 --> 00:05:54,040 I wouldn't understand this sound as being the 144,000, it comes from heaven. 66 00:05:54,040 --> 00:06:00,240 And it seems to be a large multitude that is shouting praises to God there. 67 00:06:00,240 --> 00:06:08,480 And the song that they sing is accompanied by harpists who are playing their harps. 68 00:06:08,480 --> 00:06:12,120 And they are voicing a new song. 69 00:06:12,120 --> 00:06:17,360 Notice that it is a song that is sung before the throne of God and before the four living 70 00:06:17,360 --> 00:06:19,120 creatures and the elders. 71 00:06:19,120 --> 00:06:25,320 These are all figures that we have seen before in the book of Revelation. 72 00:06:25,320 --> 00:06:28,680 So there is sort of a joining here of heaven and earth. 73 00:06:28,680 --> 00:06:36,760 There is the scene of the 144,000 on the earth linked somehow with this heavenly scene where 74 00:06:36,760 --> 00:06:43,000 the multitude is singing before the throne of God and the purpose of this seems to be 75 00:06:43,000 --> 00:06:50,760 the teaching of a chorus, the teaching of a hymn to the 144,000 who alone were able 76 00:06:50,760 --> 00:06:56,120 to learn the words of this new song. 77 00:06:56,120 --> 00:07:01,040 Now notice the interesting descriptions of this group of 144,000. 78 00:07:01,040 --> 00:07:04,760 It says they were redeemed out of the earth. 79 00:07:04,760 --> 00:07:10,360 That is, they were saved upon the earth and have been delivered from this time of terrible 80 00:07:10,360 --> 00:07:13,720 judgment upon the earth. 81 00:07:13,720 --> 00:07:21,160 It describes them as being not defiled with women as virgins. 82 00:07:21,160 --> 00:07:25,440 Now this has given rise to speculation as to what this could mean. 83 00:07:25,440 --> 00:07:29,280 The word virgins here is rather unusual in that it is male. 84 00:07:29,280 --> 00:07:35,840 It is talking about male virgins when most commonly the word virgin is used of females 85 00:07:35,840 --> 00:07:39,120 in the Bible. 86 00:07:39,120 --> 00:07:43,260 There are basically two ways to look at this group in this description. 87 00:07:43,260 --> 00:07:46,160 First of all, it could be talking literally. 88 00:07:46,160 --> 00:07:54,080 The tribulation will be unusual times demanding unusual situations and these 144,000 may be 89 00:07:54,080 --> 00:07:59,880 like Jeremiah of old and forbidden to marry. 90 00:07:59,880 --> 00:08:07,360 But the language, if you take it literally, seems to imply that marriage relations would 91 00:08:07,360 --> 00:08:11,600 constitute defilement. 92 00:08:11,600 --> 00:08:17,320 And that would be contrary to the whole tone of Scripture, the whole teaching of Scripture 93 00:08:17,320 --> 00:08:20,720 regarding the marriage bed. 94 00:08:20,720 --> 00:08:29,800 So it's difficult to see this in the literal sense, at least in my opinion. 95 00:08:29,800 --> 00:08:33,880 I might say in passing that this is one of those texts that the Roman Catholic Church 96 00:08:33,880 --> 00:08:41,760 uses to undergird its teaching of the celibacy of the priesthood, which is coming under such 97 00:08:41,760 --> 00:08:42,760 attack today. 98 00:08:42,760 --> 00:08:47,560 The Roman Catholic Church allegorizes the book of the Revelation. 99 00:08:47,560 --> 00:08:53,960 That is, they see figures of speech here and nothing very literal in the book. 100 00:08:53,960 --> 00:09:00,080 And so when you approach any part of the Bible that way, you can make it say just about anything 101 00:09:00,080 --> 00:09:02,680 you want it to say. 102 00:09:02,680 --> 00:09:08,860 Their understanding of this would be that the 144,000 is sort of an allegorical picture 103 00:09:08,860 --> 00:09:13,660 of the priesthood and therefore priests should be virgins. 104 00:09:13,660 --> 00:09:16,520 They should not marry. 105 00:09:16,520 --> 00:09:18,800 I would not agree with that interpretation. 106 00:09:18,800 --> 00:09:25,220 I think the better interpretation is a spiritual one, that he's talking here about a group 107 00:09:25,220 --> 00:09:34,880 of men who had not committed spiritual adultery by the following of Antichrist. 108 00:09:34,880 --> 00:09:42,000 They had kept themselves pure in contrast to Old Testament Israel, which was called 109 00:09:42,000 --> 00:09:49,960 a virgin in a number of places, that is the nation was called a virgin, but they went 110 00:09:49,960 --> 00:09:56,920 a-whoring after their false idols and false gods from the nations around them. 111 00:09:56,920 --> 00:10:05,480 They compromised their faith in Yahweh and therefore they were an adulterous nation. 112 00:10:05,480 --> 00:10:12,240 And so it seems better to understand this group of men as having kept themselves pure 113 00:10:12,240 --> 00:10:13,240 spiritually. 114 00:10:13,240 --> 00:10:19,960 It goes on to say that they are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. 115 00:10:19,960 --> 00:10:26,520 Jesus said, my sheep hear my voice and they follow me. 116 00:10:26,520 --> 00:10:30,000 Such is the case with this particular flock of the Lord. 117 00:10:30,000 --> 00:10:32,560 They follow Him wherever He goes. 118 00:10:32,560 --> 00:10:40,320 The language here may indicate that this group of people having survived the tribulation 119 00:10:40,320 --> 00:10:48,720 in their physical bodies will enter into the millennium in their physical bodies and will 120 00:10:48,720 --> 00:10:55,520 be some sort, have some sort of special service to Jesus Christ in the millennium. 121 00:10:55,520 --> 00:11:02,280 Dr. Jay Vernon McGee offers that they will be the vanguard of the Lamb. 122 00:11:02,280 --> 00:11:10,760 That is, just as the President of the United States has a vanguard of secret service agents 123 00:11:10,760 --> 00:11:20,040 that go before Him and clear the way and secure it for Him, so this 144,000 will be the vanguard 124 00:11:20,040 --> 00:11:25,960 of the Lamb that wherever He goes they will go before Him in triumphant procession announcing 125 00:11:25,960 --> 00:11:29,960 that He is coming. 126 00:11:29,960 --> 00:11:35,320 It calls them those who are the redeemed, that is, those who are the purchased from 127 00:11:35,320 --> 00:11:36,320 among men. 128 00:11:36,320 --> 00:11:41,800 This is the same word as describes you and me who are Christians now. 129 00:11:41,800 --> 00:11:46,400 We too have been purchased by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. 130 00:11:46,400 --> 00:11:49,680 They are called the firstfruits to God. 131 00:11:49,680 --> 00:11:55,760 The Lord Jesus is called the firstfruits, that is, the guarantee of all of those who 132 00:11:55,760 --> 00:11:58,420 are to come in the resurrection. 133 00:11:58,420 --> 00:12:05,240 But in some sense the 144,000 likewise are called firstfruits. 134 00:12:05,240 --> 00:12:12,600 Perhaps in this sense they represent all of the whole nation of Israel that will be redeemed 135 00:12:12,600 --> 00:12:21,240 and which will enter into the millennial reign of their King, the Lord Jesus Christ. 136 00:12:21,240 --> 00:12:28,720 It says in their mouth, was found no guile and they are without fault, that is, without 137 00:12:28,720 --> 00:12:29,720 blemish. 138 00:12:29,720 --> 00:12:37,800 And so they did not accept the lying wonders of the false prophets as He will seek to ensnare 139 00:12:37,800 --> 00:12:41,880 the whole world and cause the world to follow after Antichrist. 140 00:12:41,880 --> 00:12:43,620 They didn't fall for it. 141 00:12:43,620 --> 00:12:44,800 They didn't participate. 142 00:12:44,800 --> 00:12:46,600 They didn't believe in it. 143 00:12:46,600 --> 00:12:50,040 There was no deceit or guile about them. 144 00:12:50,040 --> 00:12:51,600 There was no lie in them. 145 00:12:51,600 --> 00:12:59,360 They are without fault in the sense that they are found blameless in Jesus Christ. 146 00:12:59,360 --> 00:13:00,760 So that's the first scene. 147 00:13:00,760 --> 00:13:02,200 It is a triumphant scene. 148 00:13:02,200 --> 00:13:04,100 It's a pastoral scene. 149 00:13:04,100 --> 00:13:05,760 This is not warfare. 150 00:13:05,760 --> 00:13:07,360 Victory has been accomplished. 151 00:13:07,360 --> 00:13:15,160 The Lamb and His vanguard are gathered in Jerusalem as the millennium begins. 152 00:13:15,160 --> 00:13:16,360 Now there's another scene. 153 00:13:16,360 --> 00:13:23,720 John says, then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, verses 6 and 7, having 154 00:13:23,720 --> 00:13:30,320 the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth, every nation, tribe, 155 00:13:30,320 --> 00:13:36,880 tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, fear God and give glory to Him for the hour 156 00:13:36,880 --> 00:13:43,040 of His judgment has come and worship Him who made heaven and earth the sea and the springs 157 00:13:43,040 --> 00:13:44,040 of water. 158 00:13:44,040 --> 00:13:49,600 So here we have the angel and the everlasting gospel. 159 00:13:49,600 --> 00:13:52,800 You will notice he says, I saw another angel. 160 00:13:52,800 --> 00:13:57,040 The word means another of the same kind. 161 00:13:57,040 --> 00:14:03,400 In other words, this angel is like other angels that John has seen previously in the book. 162 00:14:03,400 --> 00:14:08,680 And you will find that there is a mention now of another angel like this several times 163 00:14:08,680 --> 00:14:15,120 in this chapter, again in verse 8, verse 9, verse 15, verse 17, verse 18. 164 00:14:15,120 --> 00:14:22,320 This is the first of six of these angels that John sees and hears. 165 00:14:22,320 --> 00:14:29,560 This particular angel seems to act as God's spokesman at some point in the tribulation 166 00:14:29,560 --> 00:14:35,020 period, probably very close to the end of it. 167 00:14:35,020 --> 00:14:46,000 But what he declares to the whole world is what is called the everlasting gospel. 168 00:14:46,000 --> 00:14:50,200 What does that mean, the everlasting good news? 169 00:14:50,200 --> 00:14:52,640 There are lots of different ideas about it. 170 00:14:52,640 --> 00:15:00,320 It seems to me that this may be somewhat distinct from the gospel we proclaim today. 171 00:15:00,320 --> 00:15:06,040 We talked about that gospel briefly this morning from 1 Corinthians 15 when I read from Max 172 00:15:06,040 --> 00:15:08,080 Locato's book. 173 00:15:08,080 --> 00:15:16,440 The gospel is defined today as the death of the Lord Jesus Christ for our sins, his burial, 174 00:15:16,440 --> 00:15:21,000 and his resurrection from the dead, all according to the Scriptures. 175 00:15:21,000 --> 00:15:25,280 That is the gospel of the grace of God. 176 00:15:25,280 --> 00:15:31,520 But here we have, it seems, a different definition for gospel. 177 00:15:31,520 --> 00:15:34,400 Literally the word gospel means good news. 178 00:15:34,400 --> 00:15:38,800 Now what is this everlasting good news that the angel proclaims? 179 00:15:38,800 --> 00:15:41,140 Well, he tells us. 180 00:15:41,140 --> 00:15:45,800 It says this, fear God and give glory to him. 181 00:15:45,800 --> 00:15:49,000 The hour of his judgment has come. 182 00:15:49,000 --> 00:15:54,920 Worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water. 183 00:15:54,920 --> 00:15:59,620 That is the fresh water as well as the salt water. 184 00:15:59,620 --> 00:16:06,520 The emphasis in this gospel is not salvation, but it's judgment. 185 00:16:06,520 --> 00:16:09,440 Judgment has come. 186 00:16:09,440 --> 00:16:18,400 And it seems as though in this particular message people are offered the good news that 187 00:16:18,400 --> 00:16:27,520 if they will merely fear God and give him glory as the creator, there is some sense 188 00:16:27,520 --> 00:16:35,040 in which they will escape the judgment of God. 189 00:16:35,040 --> 00:16:41,240 I suppose in one sense this is a message that could be declared in any age, but in that 190 00:16:41,240 --> 00:16:50,200 day we must just guess that perhaps there may be a nation or a tribe or a tongue or 191 00:16:50,200 --> 00:16:57,480 a people to whom the 144,000 did not get. 192 00:16:57,480 --> 00:17:06,160 Maybe some far off tribe in Papua New Guinea or Indonesia or some remote part of the earth. 193 00:17:06,160 --> 00:17:15,320 And so that everyone may have an opportunity, God sends this angel around the world declaring 194 00:17:15,320 --> 00:17:17,360 what he calls the everlasting gospel. 195 00:17:17,360 --> 00:17:24,880 He brings it down to the lowest common denominator, fear God. 196 00:17:24,880 --> 00:17:26,200 Worship God. 197 00:17:26,200 --> 00:17:29,360 Recognize he is the creator. 198 00:17:29,360 --> 00:17:31,840 Now it doesn't say that people do this. 199 00:17:31,840 --> 00:17:37,360 It doesn't tell us that there's any response to it, but at least this message is declared 200 00:17:37,360 --> 00:17:42,400 by the angel, the everlasting gospel. 201 00:17:42,400 --> 00:17:47,880 Then in verse 8 there is an angel with the judgment of Babylon. 202 00:17:47,880 --> 00:17:54,960 Another angel followed saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city because 203 00:17:54,960 --> 00:18:06,640 she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. 204 00:18:06,640 --> 00:18:14,960 Chapter 17 and 18 of the book give us some understanding as to what Babylon is. 205 00:18:14,960 --> 00:18:24,240 Let's just say briefly tonight that Babylon is the headquarters of Satan. 206 00:18:24,240 --> 00:18:32,760 Babylon is the headquarters, the capital city of the Antichrist system that will eventually 207 00:18:32,760 --> 00:18:37,880 control the world in the tribulation period. 208 00:18:37,880 --> 00:18:41,640 Babylon is a political system. 209 00:18:41,640 --> 00:18:44,520 Babylon is an economic system. 210 00:18:44,520 --> 00:18:53,080 And these two will combine together to have a stranglehold upon the earth. 211 00:18:53,080 --> 00:19:01,800 And the pressure will really be upon those who do not receive the mark of Antichrist. 212 00:19:01,800 --> 00:19:09,800 There will be great persecution of those people. 213 00:19:09,800 --> 00:19:16,400 Persecution is something that we Westerners know little about really. 214 00:19:16,400 --> 00:19:25,560 Westerners and other parts of the world understand what persecution is. 215 00:19:25,560 --> 00:19:28,800 But I think that we see it beginning. 216 00:19:28,800 --> 00:19:33,160 I was shocked this morning to talk to one of our ladies in the church who was listening 217 00:19:33,160 --> 00:19:42,080 to the Ruth Kozlak show this last week in which Ruth Kozlak got into a diatribe of Antichristian 218 00:19:42,080 --> 00:19:44,840 bigotry on the radio. 219 00:19:44,840 --> 00:19:46,400 She has sent for a tape of it. 220 00:19:46,400 --> 00:19:51,600 We are going to transcribe that and make that available to you so that you can know exactly 221 00:19:51,600 --> 00:19:56,660 what she said and can write that station and write CBS and tell them exactly what you think 222 00:19:56,660 --> 00:19:57,800 about it. 223 00:19:57,800 --> 00:20:02,520 In this day of political correctness, or as someone I enjoy listening to says, political 224 00:20:02,520 --> 00:20:10,840 cleansing, there is only one kind of bashing that is still popular, and that is Christian 225 00:20:10,840 --> 00:20:13,080 bashing. 226 00:20:13,080 --> 00:20:18,800 And as long as we can, I think we need to rise up and say, no, we are not going to put 227 00:20:18,800 --> 00:20:21,040 up with it. 228 00:20:21,040 --> 00:20:25,420 And so we will make that available to you as soon as we can. 229 00:20:25,420 --> 00:20:31,400 But in this day that we are looking at here in Babylon, when all the systems of the earth 230 00:20:31,400 --> 00:20:36,760 begin to come together and cooperate, there will be tremendous pressure upon believers. 231 00:20:36,760 --> 00:20:41,400 But this angel tells us the good news, and this of course comes right at the end of the 232 00:20:41,400 --> 00:20:45,960 tribulation, the system has fallen. 233 00:20:45,960 --> 00:20:49,040 It comes to an end. 234 00:20:49,040 --> 00:20:52,240 The city is destroyed. 235 00:20:52,240 --> 00:20:59,120 The system of evil that causes all the nations of the earth to drink of the wine of her spiritual 236 00:20:59,120 --> 00:21:09,660 fornication, her adultery, this apostate religious organization combined with the anti-Christ 237 00:21:09,660 --> 00:21:17,440 political system will be utterly and completely destroyed, and that is indeed good news. 238 00:21:17,440 --> 00:21:20,560 It will fall. 239 00:21:20,560 --> 00:21:27,640 We come then verses 9 through 12 to the angel and the judgment of the beast worshippers. 240 00:21:27,640 --> 00:21:34,440 A third angel followed them saying with a loud voice, if anyone worships the beast and 241 00:21:34,440 --> 00:21:43,560 his image and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink 242 00:21:43,560 --> 00:21:51,280 of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of his 243 00:21:51,280 --> 00:21:53,920 indignation. 244 00:21:53,920 --> 00:21:59,920 And he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in 245 00:21:59,920 --> 00:22:06,800 the presence of the Lamb, and the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever. 246 00:22:06,800 --> 00:22:12,320 They have no rest day or night who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives 247 00:22:12,320 --> 00:22:15,160 the mark of his name. 248 00:22:15,160 --> 00:22:20,800 Here is the patience of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and the faith 249 00:22:20,800 --> 00:22:23,160 of Jesus. 250 00:22:23,160 --> 00:22:28,320 Now we have seen that the system itself is going to fall, but now there is an angel who 251 00:22:28,320 --> 00:22:35,400 comes to announce the damnation and the judgment of those who have been a part of that system, 252 00:22:35,400 --> 00:22:38,160 the beast worshippers. 253 00:22:38,160 --> 00:22:40,540 Certain judgment will come. 254 00:22:40,540 --> 00:22:41,880 They will not be overlooked. 255 00:22:41,880 --> 00:22:44,760 There is no neutrality at all. 256 00:22:44,760 --> 00:22:49,600 They must drink from a cup which God will give them. 257 00:22:49,600 --> 00:22:54,840 It is a cup that contains what is called the wine of the wrath of God. 258 00:22:54,840 --> 00:22:59,040 Now this is a picture that is not totally foreign to the Bible. 259 00:22:59,040 --> 00:23:06,800 For example, in Psalm 75 and verse 8, it says, For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup, 260 00:23:06,800 --> 00:23:08,240 and the wine is red. 261 00:23:08,240 --> 00:23:12,280 It is fully mixed, and he poureth out of the same. 262 00:23:12,280 --> 00:23:19,160 But the dregs thereof, all the wicked of the earth shall drain them and drink them. 263 00:23:19,160 --> 00:23:26,480 And so this picture of a cup that is filled to the brim with judgment and the wrath of 264 00:23:26,480 --> 00:23:34,260 God, which is undiluted, is a picture that is seen elsewhere in the Word of God. 265 00:23:34,260 --> 00:23:37,680 And so they are made to drink of the judgment of God. 266 00:23:37,680 --> 00:23:38,920 They have no choice. 267 00:23:38,920 --> 00:23:41,060 Their mouth is forced open. 268 00:23:41,060 --> 00:23:46,240 They must drink of the full strength of the indignation and the wrath of God. 269 00:23:46,240 --> 00:23:48,280 Now what does that mean? 270 00:23:48,280 --> 00:23:56,120 It says that it involves their torment with fire and brimstone. 271 00:23:56,120 --> 00:24:04,360 There are none of us that can rejoice in the torment of those who are wicked. 272 00:24:04,360 --> 00:24:08,960 Even God does not delight in the death of the wicked. 273 00:24:08,960 --> 00:24:13,720 On the other hand, there is a certain sense of satisfaction that comes to the child of 274 00:24:13,720 --> 00:24:24,520 God as there does to the heart of God when the wicked are given what they choose. 275 00:24:24,520 --> 00:24:31,640 When what they have decided to live for and participate in gives them their just desert, 276 00:24:31,640 --> 00:24:35,600 there is a certain sense of satisfaction with that. 277 00:24:35,600 --> 00:24:38,500 And here we see what that involves. 278 00:24:38,500 --> 00:24:44,920 It is fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the 279 00:24:44,920 --> 00:24:45,920 Lamb. 280 00:24:45,920 --> 00:24:55,760 It does not say in the presence of believers, in the presence of the saints, of the 144,000 281 00:24:55,760 --> 00:25:05,520 of the elders, but it does say that before the Lamb and before his holy angels, these 282 00:25:05,520 --> 00:25:11,040 will be tormented, and their torment is one that is described as eternal. 283 00:25:11,040 --> 00:25:16,960 Their smoke of the torment, it says, goes up forever and forever. 284 00:25:16,960 --> 00:25:23,280 When you think of that picture in your minds of the smoke rising up beyond what you can 285 00:25:23,280 --> 00:25:30,200 see forever and forever, it may take you back to another time when that same picture was 286 00:25:30,200 --> 00:25:37,920 used, and that is in Genesis chapter 19, in the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, where 287 00:25:37,920 --> 00:25:47,240 the cities of the plain are engulfed in this conflagration of fire and brimstone, when 288 00:25:47,240 --> 00:25:56,720 the tar pits and the volcanic action of that area resulted in the total destruction of 289 00:25:56,720 --> 00:26:00,160 the cities of the plain. 290 00:26:00,160 --> 00:26:03,400 It says that the smoke went up forever and forever. 291 00:26:03,400 --> 00:26:06,600 There's a similar picture here. 292 00:26:06,600 --> 00:26:11,040 It says there is no rest for them day or night. 293 00:26:11,040 --> 00:26:16,520 That is, there is no relief from the torment that they endure. 294 00:26:16,520 --> 00:26:17,720 Why? 295 00:26:17,720 --> 00:26:24,040 Because they have worshiped the beast and his image, and they have received his mark, 296 00:26:24,040 --> 00:26:27,040 the mark of his name. 297 00:26:27,040 --> 00:26:32,520 It says that in some sense, this provides patience for the saints. 298 00:26:32,520 --> 00:26:35,160 I think you can understand that. 299 00:26:35,160 --> 00:26:41,080 The suffering saints of that day will be sorely pressed by these wicked people, but their 300 00:26:41,080 --> 00:26:46,360 patience or their endurance will be that one day the judgment of these people will come, 301 00:26:46,360 --> 00:26:49,080 and it will be forever. 302 00:26:49,080 --> 00:26:52,360 We sang earlier this song, Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus. 303 00:26:52,360 --> 00:26:56,840 It says the day of strife will not be long. 304 00:26:56,840 --> 00:26:59,520 That is true for the Christian. 305 00:26:59,520 --> 00:27:05,360 We may have strife and persecution for a while, but the judgment that comes upon those who 306 00:27:05,360 --> 00:27:16,280 are our persecutors will be forever and forever, and that provides endurance for the saints. 307 00:27:16,280 --> 00:27:20,160 Now in verse 13, we have another voice. 308 00:27:20,160 --> 00:27:29,000 It is a voice that deals with the blessedness of the righteous dead. 309 00:27:29,000 --> 00:27:34,960 I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, Right, blessed are the dead who die in the 310 00:27:34,960 --> 00:27:38,560 Lord from now on. 311 00:27:38,560 --> 00:27:44,160 And then the Spirit speaks, Yes, that they may rest from their labors, and their works 312 00:27:44,160 --> 00:27:46,600 follow them. 313 00:27:46,600 --> 00:27:52,920 This is a brief statement, but immediately you see the contrast to the beast worshipers. 314 00:27:52,920 --> 00:27:58,700 There's blessedness in contrast to the torment. 315 00:27:58,700 --> 00:28:02,320 These people are in the Lord. 316 00:28:02,320 --> 00:28:10,760 Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord, and because of that, they are with Jesus in 317 00:28:10,760 --> 00:28:15,680 contrast to those who are tormented in the presence of the Lord. 318 00:28:15,680 --> 00:28:19,280 On the one hand, you see relationship and possession. 319 00:28:19,280 --> 00:28:25,020 On the other, you see merely judgment in his presence. 320 00:28:25,020 --> 00:28:32,700 You see here those who are resting from their labors in contrast to those for whom there 321 00:28:32,700 --> 00:28:38,860 is no rest forever. 322 00:28:38,860 --> 00:28:43,240 And then you see that their works follow them. 323 00:28:43,240 --> 00:28:50,080 That is, once they get beyond this life, their works will come as a testimony to their faithfulness 324 00:28:50,080 --> 00:28:55,740 and as a basis for their reward in the coming kingdom. 325 00:28:55,740 --> 00:29:01,240 But in contrast to that, you have the ungodly for whom there is not works that follow them. 326 00:29:01,240 --> 00:29:05,040 There's merely the wrath of God. 327 00:29:05,040 --> 00:29:11,900 I suppose in one sense you might say that both are rewarded according to their works. 328 00:29:11,900 --> 00:29:16,040 Then it says the blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from this time on. 329 00:29:16,040 --> 00:29:25,320 Now it is true at this point, of course, that those who die in Christ are blessed. 330 00:29:25,320 --> 00:29:33,640 Paul says, I desire to depart and to be with Christ, which is far better, indescribably 331 00:29:33,640 --> 00:29:35,120 better. 332 00:29:35,120 --> 00:29:37,260 He doesn't tell us what that means. 333 00:29:37,260 --> 00:29:39,520 He leaves it to our imagination. 334 00:29:39,520 --> 00:29:43,560 He only wets our appetite. 335 00:29:43,560 --> 00:29:54,840 But in some greater sense, in some intensified way, those who die in the tribulation period 336 00:29:54,840 --> 00:29:57,740 will rejoice in their blessedness. 337 00:29:57,740 --> 00:30:04,760 Perhaps it's because of the release which they have known through death from persecution, 338 00:30:04,760 --> 00:30:08,380 trial, and torture. 339 00:30:08,380 --> 00:30:15,480 The sixth and the final scene is that of the Son of Man and the Battle of Armageddon. 340 00:30:15,480 --> 00:30:16,840 Verses 14 through 20. 341 00:30:16,840 --> 00:30:21,880 Again, I invite you to follow along in your Bible as I read these words. 342 00:30:21,880 --> 00:30:28,340 John says, And I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and on the cloud sat one like the Son 343 00:30:28,340 --> 00:30:36,820 of Man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. 344 00:30:36,820 --> 00:30:43,200 Then another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him who sat on 345 00:30:43,200 --> 00:30:51,000 the cloud, Thrust in your sickle and reap, for the time has come for you to reap, for 346 00:30:51,000 --> 00:30:54,240 the harvest of the earth is ripe. 347 00:30:54,240 --> 00:31:00,600 So he who sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped. 348 00:31:00,600 --> 00:31:05,620 Then another angel came out of the temple, which is in heaven, he also having a sharp 349 00:31:05,620 --> 00:31:11,840 sickle, and another angel came out from the altar who had the power over fire, and he 350 00:31:11,840 --> 00:31:17,000 cried with a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle saying, Thrust in your sharp 351 00:31:17,000 --> 00:31:25,960 sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripe. 352 00:31:25,960 --> 00:31:33,560 So the angel thrust his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth and threw 353 00:31:33,560 --> 00:31:39,080 it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. 354 00:31:39,080 --> 00:31:46,680 The winepress was trampled outside the city, and blood came out of the winepress up to 355 00:31:46,680 --> 00:31:52,680 the horses' bridles for 1,600 furlongs." 356 00:31:52,680 --> 00:31:57,720 An interesting paragraph to be sure. 357 00:31:57,720 --> 00:32:04,160 First of all, we see this one who is described as like the Son of Man, who is seated on a 358 00:32:04,160 --> 00:32:08,700 cloud and he has in his hand a sharp sickle. 359 00:32:08,700 --> 00:32:14,320 We cannot mistake this, it is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. 360 00:32:14,320 --> 00:32:18,980 He is called the Son of Man in chapter 1 and verse 13 of this book. 361 00:32:18,980 --> 00:32:25,020 In Daniel chapter 7, verse 13, and that following paragraph, he is described in similar terms 362 00:32:25,020 --> 00:32:26,560 as here. 363 00:32:26,560 --> 00:32:34,040 In John chapter 5, verse 27, he himself said that all judgment has been given to him. 364 00:32:34,040 --> 00:32:42,480 He is the final judge of all men, and here we see him simply bringing forth his judgment. 365 00:32:42,480 --> 00:32:47,640 Upon his head is a crown, a Stephanos. 366 00:32:47,640 --> 00:32:49,460 It means the victor's crown. 367 00:32:49,460 --> 00:32:52,560 He is the one who has overcome. 368 00:32:52,560 --> 00:32:58,040 He is the victor over his enemies. 369 00:32:58,040 --> 00:33:03,560 We see assisting him here two angels. 370 00:33:03,560 --> 00:33:10,480 These angels bring forth two pictures of the coming judgment of God, which comes right 371 00:33:10,480 --> 00:33:16,680 at the end, it seems, of the tribulation period. 372 00:33:16,680 --> 00:33:23,760 And what is called elsewhere in Revelation, as we will see, the battle of Armageddon, 373 00:33:23,760 --> 00:33:32,580 the final great campaign against God and against his people. 374 00:33:32,580 --> 00:33:37,120 The first picture involves that of grain that is to be harvested. 375 00:33:37,120 --> 00:33:42,360 The second, grapes, which are to be harvested. 376 00:33:42,360 --> 00:33:45,900 In verses 15 and 16, there is the harvest of the earth. 377 00:33:45,900 --> 00:33:50,480 Please understand this is not the harvest of soul winning. 378 00:33:50,480 --> 00:33:52,020 That is a harvest. 379 00:33:52,020 --> 00:33:54,600 This is a harvest of judgment. 380 00:33:54,600 --> 00:33:57,800 And the earth is ripe unto reaping. 381 00:33:57,800 --> 00:34:01,840 Literally it says the earth is overripe. 382 00:34:01,840 --> 00:34:07,600 It is so ripe it's beginning to wither. 383 00:34:07,600 --> 00:34:12,440 And it says that as a result of the action of the one who sat upon the cloud, the earth 384 00:34:12,440 --> 00:34:14,160 was reaped. 385 00:34:14,160 --> 00:34:20,480 In other words, judgment came. 386 00:34:20,480 --> 00:34:26,100 The second picture is that of a vine, a grapevine. 387 00:34:26,100 --> 00:34:27,100 The vine of the earth. 388 00:34:27,100 --> 00:34:33,220 It is in contrast to the true vine, the Lord Jesus Christ. 389 00:34:33,220 --> 00:34:43,440 The ripe grapes here that are bursting with their juices represents humanity that is bursting 390 00:34:43,440 --> 00:34:48,820 now with wickedness and iniquity. 391 00:34:48,820 --> 00:34:57,560 Humanity is pictured here as ripe, as fully grown, as in prime condition for the harvest. 392 00:34:57,560 --> 00:35:03,880 It's not a compliment because it is ripe with its sin. 393 00:35:03,880 --> 00:35:10,880 Man's day, which now is in progress, will one day be consummated here. 394 00:35:10,880 --> 00:35:18,080 And the wickedness of man that we see blossoming in our culture will then be fully blossomed. 395 00:35:18,080 --> 00:35:23,320 There will be a ripeness about it. 396 00:35:23,320 --> 00:35:29,560 And the grapes are taken from the vine and they are thrown into the wine press. 397 00:35:29,560 --> 00:35:37,440 The picture here is of one who enters into the wine press and begins to trample the grapes, 398 00:35:37,440 --> 00:35:40,880 resulting in the bursting of the grape skins. 399 00:35:40,880 --> 00:35:47,040 And the juice then begins to soak down through the mass of grapes and to pour out from the 400 00:35:47,040 --> 00:35:51,160 wine press. 401 00:35:51,160 --> 00:35:57,320 The one who treads the grapes is the Lord Jesus Christ. 402 00:35:57,320 --> 00:36:00,340 There is an interesting picture of him in Isaiah 63. 403 00:36:00,340 --> 00:36:07,760 Stand back there with me just for a moment. 404 00:36:07,760 --> 00:36:11,640 Isaiah sees one who is coming with stained clothing. 405 00:36:11,640 --> 00:36:20,880 It says, Who is this who comes from Edom with dyed garments from Bosra? 406 00:36:20,880 --> 00:36:21,920 Isaiah 63. 407 00:36:21,920 --> 00:36:28,400 This one who is glorious in his apparel, traveling in the greatness of his strength. 408 00:36:28,400 --> 00:36:33,840 He responds by saying, I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save. 409 00:36:33,840 --> 00:36:38,320 It's the Lord, it's Messiah, it's Christ who is responding. 410 00:36:38,320 --> 00:36:44,920 The question is, why is your apparel red and your garments like one who treads in the wine 411 00:36:44,920 --> 00:36:46,720 press? 412 00:36:46,720 --> 00:36:54,600 He responds, I have trodden the wine press alone and from the peoples no one was with 413 00:36:54,600 --> 00:37:00,560 me, for I have trodden them in my anger and trampled them in my fury. 414 00:37:00,560 --> 00:37:07,080 Their blood is sprinkled upon my garments and I have stained all my robes for the day 415 00:37:07,080 --> 00:37:14,760 of vengeance is in my heart and the year of my redeemed has come. 416 00:37:14,760 --> 00:37:21,960 So Isaiah sees this day when Messiah will come in judgment and trample as it were the 417 00:37:21,960 --> 00:37:28,840 grapes resulting in the splattering of blood even upon himself. 418 00:37:28,840 --> 00:37:31,880 The blood of these condemned people is shed. 419 00:37:31,880 --> 00:37:32,880 Why? 420 00:37:32,880 --> 00:37:37,880 Because they have rejected the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. 421 00:37:37,880 --> 00:37:41,560 Now the picture here is of great death. 422 00:37:41,560 --> 00:37:50,280 It says that the blood flowed up to the horse's bridles for 1,600 furlongs. 423 00:37:50,280 --> 00:37:54,840 That is a distance of 184 miles. 424 00:37:54,840 --> 00:37:56,360 What is this trying to picture? 425 00:37:56,360 --> 00:38:00,120 What is it telling us? 426 00:38:00,120 --> 00:38:06,720 Well there are some who see this battle of Armageddon which is outside the city of Jerusalem 427 00:38:06,720 --> 00:38:12,000 and it seems to stretch all the way up through Israel into the valley of Megiddo where some 428 00:38:12,000 --> 00:38:16,040 of you probably stood a few days ago. 429 00:38:16,040 --> 00:38:22,920 Where the armies of the earth will gather Napoleon stood there on the mount, the fortress 430 00:38:22,920 --> 00:38:28,800 built by Solomon in his day and he looked out, this is Napoleon now, he looked out upon 431 00:38:28,800 --> 00:38:35,000 this vast valley of Jezreel and he said what a wonderful place for the armies of the earth 432 00:38:35,000 --> 00:38:37,960 to do battle. 433 00:38:37,960 --> 00:38:44,480 Well he probably didn't know what he was saying but indeed the armies of the world will gather 434 00:38:44,480 --> 00:38:52,480 there one day for battle in that valley of Megiddo or the valley of Armageddon and the 435 00:38:52,480 --> 00:38:58,360 battle will stretch from there it seems all the way down to the city of Jerusalem. 436 00:38:58,360 --> 00:39:05,080 Jerusalem will be partly overrun as Zechariah chapter 14 tells us. 437 00:39:05,080 --> 00:39:12,040 And then in the midst of this battle which is geared toward Israel there will be the 438 00:39:12,040 --> 00:39:18,400 sign of the son of man in heaven and suddenly he will come with his army from heaven and 439 00:39:18,400 --> 00:39:22,760 he will intervene in this battle, he will interrupt this battle of the armies of the 440 00:39:22,760 --> 00:39:30,920 earth and will take on the united armies of antichrist and will utterly destroy them. 441 00:39:30,920 --> 00:39:34,920 We'll see that again later in the book. 442 00:39:34,920 --> 00:39:43,480 The result is this river of blood, it's impossible to think of blood flowing three to four feet 443 00:39:43,480 --> 00:39:50,420 deep, if it's just blood some have said well it's talking here about that blood from the 444 00:39:50,420 --> 00:39:58,280 killed soldiers flowing to rivers and streams and then this stream of red blood flowing 445 00:39:58,280 --> 00:40:05,800 through Israel because of the massive amount of casualties and death in this battle. 446 00:40:05,800 --> 00:40:12,520 Or when it talks about the horses' bridles it may picture blood from the battles being 447 00:40:12,520 --> 00:40:19,120 splattered up onto the horses' heads around their bridles. 448 00:40:19,120 --> 00:40:23,240 Again the picture is similar, the effect of it is just a little different. 449 00:40:23,240 --> 00:40:30,080 The point is that it's an awful scene of God's righteous judgment but it's the end, it's 450 00:40:30,080 --> 00:40:34,680 the end of this age, it's the end of man's day, it's the end of Babylon, it's the end 451 00:40:34,680 --> 00:40:39,000 of antichrist, it's the end of earth's armies. 452 00:40:39,000 --> 00:40:40,440 Say why are there horses here? 453 00:40:40,440 --> 00:40:43,720 Why doesn't it talk about tanks and helicopters? 454 00:40:43,720 --> 00:40:48,600 Well of course we know that John could hardly write in those terms and perhaps God gave 455 00:40:48,600 --> 00:40:56,440 him a vision of that day in figures that he could understand in his day or perhaps for 456 00:40:56,440 --> 00:41:03,400 some reason there will be horses involved in that battle in Israel in this coming war. 457 00:41:03,400 --> 00:41:11,600 But we see here the consummation as the son of man conquers the armies of the world in 458 00:41:11,600 --> 00:41:13,980 the battle of Armageddon. 459 00:41:13,980 --> 00:41:21,480 And so there is this compilation of six scenes and sounds that tell us some of the things 460 00:41:21,480 --> 00:41:27,000 that will yet to come, that will be yet to come in the book of the Revelation. 461 00:41:27,000 --> 00:41:33,760 In a day when we see evil increasing and rising up, we can be encouraged by chapters like 462 00:41:33,760 --> 00:41:34,760 this. 463 00:41:34,760 --> 00:41:39,600 We must remember that evil will not reign forever. 464 00:41:39,600 --> 00:41:46,240 Evil will not always be on the throne and truth on the scaffold. 465 00:41:46,240 --> 00:41:53,720 There will be a day when truth and righteousness will conquer, when God will intervene and 466 00:41:53,720 --> 00:42:00,960 will bring the dominion of evil to a quick and terrible end. 467 00:42:00,960 --> 00:42:09,120 How glad for the promise, he that believes on the Son is not condemned. 468 00:42:09,120 --> 00:42:11,840 He who believes on the Son is not condemned. 469 00:42:11,840 --> 00:42:13,640 He is saved. 470 00:42:13,640 --> 00:42:17,880 He is delivered from the judgments of God. 471 00:42:17,880 --> 00:42:23,380 I hope you are numbered among the redeemed of God, that your faith is in the Lord Jesus 472 00:42:23,380 --> 00:42:32,160 Christ and that you will never have to experience any aspect of the wrath of God. 473 00:42:32,160 --> 00:42:40,000 I'd like for us to sing a song in closing. 474 00:42:40,000 --> 00:42:44,160 And it will be hymn 241. 475 00:42:44,160 --> 00:42:50,280 It draws upon the picture that we have seen of the Son of Man coming victoriously. 476 00:42:50,280 --> 00:42:53,200 It says, Lo, he comes with clouds descending. 477 00:42:53,200 --> 00:43:01,080 This will not be an unknown tune to you, though the words may be a little unknown. 478 00:43:01,080 --> 00:43:04,400 I think as soon as Mark begins to play it, you'll recognize it. 479 00:43:04,400 --> 00:43:31,400 Let's stand together.