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How are you all doing today?

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Blessed. Awesome, awesome.

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We always like to start our service by saying welcome to

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anybody who is visiting us here for the first time today,

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or if you're joining us online for the first time, welcome.

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We're so glad you're to worship with us here at Hosanna.

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I am Pastor Nathan,

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and today we're going to be continuing

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our study through the book of Revelation,

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picking up in Revelation chapter 14.

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The last few studies in Revelation,

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we've been looking at really the ugly side of a story,

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and today we're going to look at the beautiful side of the story.

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Revelation 12 and 13 really have been painting

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the ugly side of the story of what's taking place during the tribulation period,

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specifically focusing on the last half of the tribulation period.

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But through Revelation 12 and 13,

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what we've seen is Satan's apparent victory,

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his apparent victory in conquering the world.

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But here in Revelation 14,

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we're going to see the beautiful side,

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which is God's true victory at the end of all things.

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Collectively though, Revelation 12, 13,

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and 14 have been like a grand historical panorama of spiritual warfare,

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from the very beginning of time all the way through the end,

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from a spiritual point of view.

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If you remember Revelation 12,

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it started with a look back into history past where we got

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a picture of the animosity that Satan has against God and God's people.

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We saw there as Satan was pictured as the great fiery red dragon,

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and Israel pictured as the woman that was being persecuted there,

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as Satan was persecuting God's chosen people from the very,

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very beginning he's been after them,

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namely to prevent the Messiah that was prophesied,

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that would come and crush his head.

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So as he persecuted the woman, he was trying to prevent what we saw again in

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Revelation 12 which was the birth of the Savior,

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the Messiah, Jesus Christ into the world.

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We saw there Satan's final attempt to overthrow heaven,

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and his defeat by Michael the Archangel and his angels.

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We saw Satan's temper tantrum after that and his great persecution of Israel at that point,

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really from the midpoint of tribulation through the end of tribulation.

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Then in Revelation 13, we saw this really interesting vision John had,

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where we learned the dragon's methods of counterfeiting the Holy Trinity,

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the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,

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as the dragon who had brought onto the scene this apparently peaceful man,

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who solved all the world's problems that we know is the Antichrist,

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and brought this one world government onto the scene that he led.

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We saw in Revelation 13 how this apparently peaceful man was revealed as a grotesque,

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destructive, wicked, evil, ugly beast,

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as well as the government he was leading,

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just an ugly institution,

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along with this lamb-like false prophet who enforced through economic control and threat of death,

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enforced allegiance and worship of the Antichrist from

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the midpoint through the end of the tribulation period.

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All of that in Revelation 13 was just a picture of Satan,

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again, trying to paint his own ugly mockery of the Trinity,

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where you have him placing himself in the role of Father,

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the very throne he's always wanted to take,

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presenting the Antichrist as the false Messiah,

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and then the false prophet coming along the scene as a false spirit, if you will.

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All of that foul ugliness,

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all of that just gross picture of evil.

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It was tough to get through,

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but Revelation 14, when we come to this chapter,

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it's like a breath of fresh air.

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It's like a drink of cold, pure water on a hot day.

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It's an encouraging look towards the end of the tribulation period.

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As John sees this vision at the end of this seven-year period of history,

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we call the tribulation.

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We see pictured here the Lamb of God,

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the Lamb who is a shepherd at the same time,

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standing victoriously from his place of ruling, where he will rule for 1,000 years,

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during the millennial kingdom.

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We see him pictured there shepherding his people,

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specifically this Jewish remnant,

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the 144,000 that he had sealed and protected through the entire tribulation period,

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now standing with him on Mount Zion.

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That picture shows us that even through these last seven years of world history,

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a period of time that Jesus said would be the worst period of world history,

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that the ultimate winner is not the dragon.

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The ultimate winner is Jesus Christ,

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God Almighty, and we celebrate that.

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Yeah. The winner will be the Lamb of God who is slain Jesus Christ, God Almighty,

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the winner standing in the place of God's authority.

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So specifically, Revelation 14 is going to open here.

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We're going to look at the first five verses this morning with

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this picture of the redemption and the protection and the salvation of the 144,000.

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If you remember, we first saw these people back in Chapter 7 of Revelation,

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where they were sealed with God's seal.

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This picture is going to show us how in God's sealing of them,

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he protected them through the entire tribulation period,

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front to beginning, despite the vicious,

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angry, hateful oppression in the persecution of the Antichrist and the false prophet.

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Through all of their hate,

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and through all of their evil,

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and through all of their oppression,

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not a single one of those that God sealed is lost.

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The shepherd keeping every single one of his flock,

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who are very specifically, we're told here,

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the first fruits of an uncountable harvest of people that will indeed

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find salvation during the tribulation period.

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For us today, the church,

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it reminds us to never forget that in the midst of any trial,

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any tribulation, any difficulty and hardship,

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that as we live in a world that is ever more tainted by sin and wickedness,

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and just the garbage and the filth of just Antichrist behavior,

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that when we are sealed by the Holy Spirit of

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promise as God's people, we are redeemed.

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We are adopted, we are called His own.

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He promises to cleanse us,

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to keep us, and to redeem us out of this world.

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We're reminded that those promises are true and faithful now and forever.

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That's what we're going to be studying and looking at today,

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but first, we're going to spend some time worshipping God because He is worthy.

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He is God Almighty.

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He is the Savior of our souls.

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He is the one who shed His blood for our redemption,

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purchased us at a price,

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and then blesses us and uses us and just, man, it's so great.

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Why wouldn't we worship Him? Amen. Let's pray.

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Father, we're so grateful to who you are and what you've done.

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God, we're so grateful for our salvation.

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We're so grateful, Lord,

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that you went to the cross 2,000 years ago, Lord,

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that you went through that whole experience and the scourging and the mocking,

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and Lord, you went to the cross and you shed your blood there as our atonement.

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God, you paid the price for our sin.

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Every sin we've ever committed,

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every sin we ever will commit, Lord.

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God, that you dying on the cross was

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the sacrifice that made our redemption possible, Lord,

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and it is through that shed blood you've purchased our salvation.

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We're so grateful, God.

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It's through our faith in you, Lord,

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that we have a new life, that we have a new heart,

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that we have just the hope of heaven.

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So God, as we've been studying Revelation and really looking at what you've shown

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the Apostle John, Lord, about the end times,

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Lord, that we are continually encouraged about who you are,

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and the power and the authority that you have, Lord.

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We are so encouraged that you keep those that are yours.

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So God, we worship you now.

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We praise you for all that you are and all that you've done.

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We love you so much. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

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All right. So today we are in Revelation chapter 14.

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We're going to be looking at verses one through five.

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In these five verses that we're looking at this morning,

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there's an outline to this.

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John sees something, we hear it as he says,

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then I looked, then he hears something because he says,

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I then heard, and then he understands something about this vision that he's seen here.

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So we're going to open up in Revelation 14, verse one.

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He says, then I looked,

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and there was a lamb standing on Mount Zion.

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So again, as we opened up with after the dragon of Revelation 12 and the two beasts of Revelation 13,

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here now the vision that John is seeing shifts,

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and there's a different character center stage.

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It's the lamb.

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Now I want you to notice there if you have your Bibles,

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your apps, whatever, it says the lamb, not a lamb.

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It is the lamb, the definitive article here,

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and that lamb is none other than Jesus Christ.

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We know that from a few different areas,

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Jesus is referred to as the lamb of God over and over throughout scripture,

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but specifically back in Revelation chapter 7,

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which is the parallel passage to Revelation 14.

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Again, that was the area where we saw the 144,000 Jewish evangelists were sealed,

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and then we also saw the multitude that came to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior through their ministry.

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In that chapter, Revelation 7, we also see again the lamb there with the 144,000.

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There in Revelation chapter 7, we see the lamb and God on the throne specifically mentioned.

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It says in Revelation 7, 17,

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for the lamb who is at the center of the throne will shepherd them.

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He will guide them to springs of the waters of life,

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and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.

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Beautiful picture.

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But here in Revelation 14, we see the lamb again, Jesus Christ, the Messiah,

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the lamb of God who was slain.

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We see him now standing on Mount Zion.

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Now, this in my thought had to been a very refreshing image for John

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after he had been watching the beast and the dragon and all of the deception and all of that.

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After he had been witnessing through the vision God was giving to him,

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the rise to power and the deception of the horrific beast from the sea,

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which is the Antichrist,

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and then all of the false signs and wonders and apparent miracles performed by the false prophet,

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who is the beast from the land.

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We saw in Revelation 13.

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After he watched then these beasts come on the scene,

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and then this false prophet forced people to worship the beast who was slain.

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All of this just ugliness,

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this whole world system,

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this ugly spiritual, religious, economic control and dominance that is in place was just ugly.

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Again, Revelations 12-14,

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the whole section here involves a chronological look,

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really from the beginning of history all the way to the end.

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We go all the way back to the beginning of time where we saw Satan fall from heaven

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because he wanted to be God.

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He wanted to ascend to God's throne and God just said,

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nope, kicked him out.

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Then he lost his dwelling place in heaven,

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not his access,

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but he lost his dwelling place there in heaven.

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Then his oppression on Israel and all of this stuff.

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Chapter 12 again,

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the spiritual battle that began way back in creation when God created

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Satan and there we were reminded that Satan hates everything God loves.

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He hates everything God loves, including you and me.

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He hates everything that God loves.

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Then Chapter 13, during the tribulation period where we saw the rise of these wicked rulers,

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this political and religious control that brought

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the whole world of the end times under the dominion,

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under the domination of Satan.

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Well, 14 then takes us from this dark ugly picture to this really beautiful light side of the story.

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In contrast, if you're interested in contrast,

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it's interesting because Chapter 13,

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collectively you have Satan,

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you have the Antichrist,

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you have the false prophet who brings false worship.

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We had the mark of the beast there.

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Then now here in Chapter 14,

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we have God, Jesus Christ,

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genuine worship from heaven and those who have the mark of God on their forehead.

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So a beautiful contrast to the ugliness that is to come.

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But why is Jesus pictured as a lamb?

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There's a couple of ideas.

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One is it could just be a contrast to what we were just seeing in Revelation 12 and 13,

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that it's a contrast to the dictatorial,

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hateful, authoritative rule of the beast and the government that he's leading at that time.

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He was pictured as this horrible, ugly monster.

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There's this beast with seven heads and 10 horns,

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and then he's working with this lamb-like creature.

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But if you remember, he said it was a beast of the same kind,

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so he's just as deceptive and wicked and ugly.

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But here we have the lamb who can in contrast represent

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the docile servant leadership of Jesus.

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That servant leadership that's not oppressive or threatening or domineering in that way,

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very different than that of the leadership of the Antichrist during the tribulation period.

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But I think it's even more than just the contrast between the two,

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because the lamb is a symbol of Jesus as I mentioned throughout scripture.

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Specifically, the lamb meant something to the Jewish mind,

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the Jewish reader, and we have to remember that John the Apostle is Jewish.

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In the Jewish mind,

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a lamb would cause the reader to think of the temple and the sacrifices of the temple.

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They would think of an innocent being killed for sin.

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That's what they thought of when they thought of a lamb or the lamb.

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It would bring up this image of something that's just a cute little cuddly lamb,

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innocent but being slaughtered for their sin.

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So in Exodus, we see this picture of the lamb being slaughtered for their sin.

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When Passover was happening there and they had to take a lamb at Passover,

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as the angel of death was going to pass over Egypt and kill the firstborn,

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but they were told that you will be safe if you take a lamb and you shed its blood,

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and you put that blood on the lentils in the doorpost and the sign of the cross incidentally,

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that those inside that dwelling place will be passed over by the angel of death.

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Then of course, every day in the temple and the Jewish life,

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lambs were brought and hands were placed on the lambs and then blood was shed.

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It was that blood that atoned for the sins of Israel.

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So the lamb specifically speaks of atonement,

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specifically speaks of that salvation.

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Interestingly enough, this is exactly how John the Baptist introduced Jesus at the Jordan River.

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If you remember back in John chapter 1 verse 29,

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John the Baptist said, look,

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the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

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So what we're seeing here is even at the end of the age,

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even at the end of the age,

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Jesus glorified, still seen as the atonement,

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the lamb, the one who was slain for the sins of the whole world.

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You'll notice he's standing there on Mount Zion.

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That's an interesting detail.

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Now, the idea of Mount Zion doesn't hold a tremendous amount of meaning to non-Jews.

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We're just like, another mountain.

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But for the Jewish mind, the image of Mount Zion would cause their heart to jump

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because Mount Zion had a very significant place in their hopes in the prophecies.

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Isaiah, Jeremiah, all the minor prophets,

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they all predicted that one day the Messiah that they were waiting for would return to earth,

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and he would rule from a literal Mount Zion in a literal Jerusalem with his people.

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So this image of the lamb standing on Mount Zion was a very critical idea

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that the one they had been waiting for,

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the one they had been hoping for,

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their idea of the Messiah,

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the Savior of the world who is Jesus Christ,

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who is the lamb of God,

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John is seeing this vision that he is finally fulfilling those prophecies.

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Now, Mount Zion specifically is used in scripture in a number of places

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to largely refer to the same area,

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but it's also used in a number of different ways.

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The image you see on the screen there,

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it's not really a mountain as we understand it.

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When we think the mountains here in Southern California on a clear day,

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we could see the mountains and we think,

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oh, 11,000 feet, 15,000 feet.

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We think mountain. Well, Mount Zion really isn't a mountain in that regard.

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It's more of a hill that was located right between

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the Kidron and the Tyropean valleys.

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You'll see those red lines on the right side of that image.

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You'll see on the bottom side of the image,

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that is what's called the City of David,

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and then above that is the Temple Mount.

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So that top red line is the Kidron Valley.

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The one right below it is the Tyropean Valley.

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You can't really see the Tyropean Valley today because if you go to Israel,

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it's all built up and buildings and streets everywhere.

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But the Mount Zion referred to this hill that was between those two valleys.

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Originally, it was referred to as the stronghold of Zion,

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where the Jebusites lived before King David took that area over that mount,

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that hill there. You can read about that in 2 Samuel 5.7.

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After David defeated the Jebusites,

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he actually built Jerusalem there,

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which came to be called the City of David or also called Zion.

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You can read about that in 1 Kings chapter 8.

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Later on, the temple was built north of that hill where Jerusalem was,

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there on the Temple Mount.

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That's actually officially called Mount Moriah,

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and that is where Abraham went to sacrifice Isaac.

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You can read about that in Genesis chapter 22.

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But this whole hill,

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this whole area encompassing the City of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount,

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came to be known as Mount Zion.

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So this phrase Mount Zion also came to be synonymous with the idea of God's presence.

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You can read about that in Psalm 9.

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So you had the city was where Mount Zion was,

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00:19:00,680 --> 00:19:02,880
you had the Temple Mount inclusive of that,

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the whole area was called Mount Zion.

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Mount Zion came to refer to the place of God's presence.

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Zion was also used to refer to the nation or the people of Israel because they are God's people.

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They are God's people and intended to be the place of God's presence.

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But in numerous places throughout scripture, Zion specifically,

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this idea of Zion came to be a name given to both Jerusalem and the nation of Israel,

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00:19:30,800 --> 00:19:34,000
specifically during the Messianic era.

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Specifically during this era where the Messiah would return to earth and set up

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his kingdom and rule the whole earth and we know that as the millennial kingdom,

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the thousand year reign of Christ,

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which will take place after the tribulation period.

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Isaiah 33.5 tells us,

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00:19:50,880 --> 00:19:56,720
the Lord is exalted for he dwells on high, he has filled Zion with justice and righteousness.

335
00:19:56,720 --> 00:20:00,760
Well, that is still a future prophecy that hasn't been fulfilled yet.

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But in Psalms 2.6,

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we see that God speaking says,

338
00:20:04,480 --> 00:20:06,600
I have installed my King on Zion,

339
00:20:06,600 --> 00:20:07,800
my holy mountain.

340
00:20:07,800 --> 00:20:11,840
So this idea of the Messiah coming to the place where

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00:20:11,840 --> 00:20:17,480
God's people dwell and setting up his kingdom there is something we see in scripture.

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00:20:17,480 --> 00:20:20,920
Specifically over 40 times through the Book of Psalms,

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00:20:20,920 --> 00:20:23,400
David uses the phrase Zion to refer

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00:20:23,400 --> 00:20:28,800
specifically to the Messianic era when the Messiah will rule geographically from Jerusalem.

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So that's what this Mount Zion is.

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00:20:30,360 --> 00:20:36,080
That's the significance of this and seeing the lamb standing there on Mount Zion for

347
00:20:36,080 --> 00:20:40,360
John is a fulfillment of so much prophecy that the Messiah is finally here.

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He's finally ruling from God's city.

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So John goes on to see something else.

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He sees the lamb, he sees him standing on Zion,

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and then he says with him were 144,000

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who had his name and his father's name written on their foreheads.

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So just like in Revelation Chapter 7,

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these are not Jehovah witnesses.

355
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That's not who the 144,000 is.

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They're not specific groups of any other groups and cults.

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Seventh-day Adventists actually believe that this 144,000 are them.

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It's not them either.

359
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It's no other group.

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00:21:19,160 --> 00:21:24,240
They're specifically identified in Revelation Chapter 7 as Jews,

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specifically from the 12 tribes of Israel,

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which are specifically named there.

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So there's no confusion.

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These 144,000 are Jewish individuals from the 12 tribes.

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Then in Chapter 7, verse 3,

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it says they were sealed with the seal of the living God on their foreheads.

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So they're Messianic Jews preserved,

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sealed from the very beginning of tribulation.

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That's what we saw in Chapter 7.

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All the way now, we're taking a look at the very end of the tribulation period.

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They are sealed, they are protected,

372
00:21:55,960 --> 00:21:58,800
they are delivered through the tribulation period.

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Now, the seal of God in Chapter 7 is specifically identified here.

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It's the name of the lamb and the name of the father that is written on their foreheads.

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It's a sign of ownership,

376
00:22:10,040 --> 00:22:11,840
and we're going to get to that in a little bit when we talk about

377
00:22:11,840 --> 00:22:14,280
the word redemption, it's a sign of ownership.

378
00:22:14,280 --> 00:22:17,560
These belong to me.

379
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When we were kids,

380
00:22:19,640 --> 00:22:23,200
our moms used to write our names in our chonies and stuff,

381
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and you're like, why you got to write my name in my chonies?

382
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But these belong to my kid.

383
00:22:28,320 --> 00:22:30,320
There's an ownership here.

384
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This is the idea of the name,

385
00:22:32,640 --> 00:22:35,040
it's marking them as belonging to God.

386
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But it's very important, I want to point out.

387
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Again, that these 144,000,

388
00:22:39,440 --> 00:22:44,480
both in Chapter 7 and here in Chapter 14, are not the church.

389
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They are not the church,

390
00:22:46,320 --> 00:22:49,720
the body of believers that makes up both Jews and Gentiles that

391
00:22:49,720 --> 00:22:53,920
exists here in this age prior to the tribulation period.

392
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These are not the church.

393
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Here at Hosanna, we believe in a pre-tribulation rapture.

394
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In that view, the church has been delivered from the tribulation period, not through.

395
00:23:06,280 --> 00:23:08,760
At the beginning of the tribulation period,

396
00:23:08,760 --> 00:23:11,080
the church is raptured out of this earth.

397
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Then the tribulation starts.

398
00:23:13,420 --> 00:23:17,960
Then there's 144,000 Jews that are specifically sealed by God,

399
00:23:17,960 --> 00:23:21,240
who then go on a ministry of preaching because in Chapter 7,

400
00:23:21,240 --> 00:23:26,160
we see this multitude of people get saved during the tribulation period.

401
00:23:26,160 --> 00:23:27,400
But it's not the church.

402
00:23:27,400 --> 00:23:30,480
The church is gone at this point.

403
00:23:30,480 --> 00:23:32,820
These particular evangelists,

404
00:23:32,820 --> 00:23:35,200
these ministers are sealed by God and God says,

405
00:23:35,200 --> 00:23:37,360
you can't touch them, Antichrist.

406
00:23:37,360 --> 00:23:38,960
You can't touch them, devil.

407
00:23:38,960 --> 00:23:41,520
You can't touch them, false prophet.

408
00:23:41,520 --> 00:23:44,040
Remember, we just looked at in the last chapter where

409
00:23:44,040 --> 00:23:47,640
the false prophet would command people to make an image of the beast and worship it,

410
00:23:47,640 --> 00:23:54,320
and the image somehow has the ability to kill people who refuse to worship the beast.

411
00:23:54,320 --> 00:23:56,240
There will be believers,

412
00:23:56,240 --> 00:23:58,440
people who get saved during tribulation who say,

413
00:23:58,440 --> 00:24:02,680
I'm not going to worship the beast and they're going to suffer terribly.

414
00:24:02,680 --> 00:24:06,360
But these 144,000 are preserved, are protected.

415
00:24:06,360 --> 00:24:11,000
It's interesting enough that the mark that God puts on his people is

416
00:24:11,000 --> 00:24:15,000
what's counterfeited by Satan with the mark of the beast.

417
00:24:15,000 --> 00:24:16,360
You remember the mark of the beast,

418
00:24:16,360 --> 00:24:19,480
it says that it was the number of his name.

419
00:24:19,480 --> 00:24:22,160
Just like God's people here,

420
00:24:22,160 --> 00:24:25,520
these 144,000 who have the name of the lamb and the name of the father on their head,

421
00:24:25,520 --> 00:24:29,080
Satan goes, well, I'm going to counterfeit that and put a mark on my people.

422
00:24:29,080 --> 00:24:31,800
That is the mark, the number of his name.

423
00:24:31,800 --> 00:24:33,880
But when we look at that,

424
00:24:33,880 --> 00:24:37,040
or at least when I look at that, I see a great encouragement.

425
00:24:37,040 --> 00:24:40,640
Because there was 144,000 marked at the beginning of tribulation,

426
00:24:40,640 --> 00:24:43,840
and how many are standing with the lamb at the end of tribulation?

427
00:24:43,840 --> 00:24:47,240
144,000.

428
00:24:47,240 --> 00:24:49,240
It's not most of them.

429
00:24:49,240 --> 00:24:52,920
It's not 139,995.

430
00:24:52,920 --> 00:24:57,880
It's exactly every single one.

431
00:24:57,880 --> 00:25:01,840
If you put your trust in Jesus Christ,

432
00:25:01,840 --> 00:25:04,200
if you put your faith in Jesus Christ,

433
00:25:04,200 --> 00:25:08,440
if you trust in him for your salvation and your future,

434
00:25:08,440 --> 00:25:11,760
he will get you to him.

435
00:25:11,760 --> 00:25:14,080
You can trust in that.

436
00:25:14,080 --> 00:25:16,240
He will get you to heaven.

437
00:25:16,240 --> 00:25:18,400
You can count on that.

438
00:25:18,480 --> 00:25:22,720
There's never going to be a situation where at the end of time,

439
00:25:22,720 --> 00:25:25,360
God is like, you're all here.

440
00:25:25,360 --> 00:25:28,640
Oh, dang it, I forgot Nathan.

441
00:25:28,640 --> 00:25:34,880
Oops. Well, we'll just chalk that up to collateral damage.

442
00:25:34,880 --> 00:25:36,720
That's never going to happen.

443
00:25:36,720 --> 00:25:39,240
If you are gods,

444
00:25:39,240 --> 00:25:42,200
and in this day and age, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.

445
00:25:42,200 --> 00:25:46,280
If you are gods, you are claimed by him,

446
00:25:46,280 --> 00:25:49,040
he's going to get you to him.

447
00:25:49,040 --> 00:25:50,840
You can trust in that.

448
00:25:50,840 --> 00:25:53,560
You can hope in that.

449
00:25:53,560 --> 00:25:57,000
It is great hope because it's God is the one

450
00:25:57,000 --> 00:25:59,440
who the obligation lies on.

451
00:25:59,440 --> 00:26:01,720
It's not on us.

452
00:26:01,720 --> 00:26:06,360
If it was on me to make sure I get to heaven, good luck.

453
00:26:06,360 --> 00:26:09,000
But it's God who's going to get you there.

454
00:26:09,000 --> 00:26:10,560
You can trust in him in that.

455
00:26:10,560 --> 00:26:13,120
You can trust in him for that.

456
00:26:13,120 --> 00:26:16,040
This group, these 144,000,

457
00:26:16,040 --> 00:26:17,200
every single one of them,

458
00:26:17,200 --> 00:26:19,280
they're a victorious triumphant group.

459
00:26:19,280 --> 00:26:23,200
They've succeeded in their mission and their calling to preach the gospel

460
00:26:23,200 --> 00:26:29,080
worldwide during the most anti-God period of history.

461
00:26:29,080 --> 00:26:32,880
Not only that, they remained righteous in their obedience to God in

462
00:26:32,880 --> 00:26:37,920
the most debauched, sinful, wicked period of human history.

463
00:26:37,920 --> 00:26:40,800
They did it. They were victorious.

464
00:26:40,800 --> 00:26:43,200
That's what John saw, verse 2.

465
00:26:43,200 --> 00:26:45,280
We now see what he hears.

466
00:26:45,280 --> 00:26:47,720
John says, I heard a sound from heaven like the sound of

467
00:26:47,720 --> 00:26:51,120
cascading waters and like the rumbling of loud thunder.

468
00:26:51,120 --> 00:26:55,680
The sound I heard was like harpists playing on their harps.

469
00:26:55,680 --> 00:26:58,200
John is looking at this vision on earth.

470
00:26:58,200 --> 00:27:01,960
He sees the lamb and the 144,000 right there in Mount Zion,

471
00:27:01,960 --> 00:27:03,640
and then he hears this tumultuous,

472
00:27:03,640 --> 00:27:07,160
rolling, crescendoing sound,

473
00:27:07,160 --> 00:27:10,160
yet very beautiful like harpists playing.

474
00:27:10,160 --> 00:27:14,200
Now, there's a couple of different ideas on what this sound is.

475
00:27:14,200 --> 00:27:16,320
Some render this and say,

476
00:27:16,320 --> 00:27:18,880
this is the voice of God from heaven.

477
00:27:18,880 --> 00:27:21,640
Part of that reason is in the CSB,

478
00:27:21,640 --> 00:27:25,480
the word sound here is rendered sound in other translations,

479
00:27:25,480 --> 00:27:27,680
specifically some of the more traditional translations,

480
00:27:27,680 --> 00:27:29,360
it's rendered voice.

481
00:27:29,360 --> 00:27:32,280
Some people in the older translations specifically go,

482
00:27:32,280 --> 00:27:35,240
I heard a voice from heaven.

483
00:27:35,240 --> 00:27:37,080
In modern translations,

484
00:27:37,080 --> 00:27:40,160
it's a little ambiguous whether it's voice or just a sound.

485
00:27:40,160 --> 00:27:41,600
We see it sound here.

486
00:27:41,600 --> 00:27:43,840
But that idea that it could be the voice of

487
00:27:43,840 --> 00:27:47,400
God is supported by Revelation, chapter 1, verse 15.

488
00:27:47,400 --> 00:27:49,800
If you remember there, John was seeing a vision of

489
00:27:49,800 --> 00:27:52,280
the glorified Jesus who is God,

490
00:27:52,280 --> 00:27:58,280
and he says there specifically his voice was like the sound of cascading waters.

491
00:27:58,280 --> 00:28:00,400
So the same idea here.

492
00:28:00,400 --> 00:28:02,000
If you go back to the Old Testament,

493
00:28:02,000 --> 00:28:05,200
you go to Mount Sinai when God spoke to the people,

494
00:28:05,200 --> 00:28:09,000
it says his voice thundered from the heavens.

495
00:28:09,000 --> 00:28:11,080
Then in Psalm 29,

496
00:28:11,080 --> 00:28:13,040
we have a wonderful picture.

497
00:28:13,040 --> 00:28:15,880
It says there the voice of the Lord is over the waters,

498
00:28:15,880 --> 00:28:18,600
and it's so powerful it breaks the cedars.

499
00:28:18,600 --> 00:28:20,960
It says the God of glory thunders.

500
00:28:20,960 --> 00:28:26,000
This idea, we do see this picture in scripture that God's voice when he speaks can be

501
00:28:26,000 --> 00:28:30,200
this very tumultuous just raging sound.

502
00:28:30,200 --> 00:28:31,600
So it could be the voice of God.

503
00:28:31,600 --> 00:28:35,280
But verse 3 suggests another possible interpretation.

504
00:28:35,280 --> 00:28:37,160
Look at verse 3.

505
00:28:37,280 --> 00:28:40,560
It says, they sang a new song before the throne,

506
00:28:40,560 --> 00:28:43,160
and before the four living creatures and the elders.

507
00:28:43,160 --> 00:28:48,840
But no one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth.

508
00:28:48,840 --> 00:28:52,160
So you have this sound of waters,

509
00:28:52,160 --> 00:28:54,200
and the sound of thunders,

510
00:28:54,200 --> 00:28:56,520
and the sound of harps.

511
00:28:56,520 --> 00:28:58,240
Then right after John says,

512
00:28:58,240 --> 00:28:59,560
I hear this sound, he says,

513
00:28:59,560 --> 00:29:01,280
and they sing a song.

514
00:29:01,280 --> 00:29:08,280
So this sound that he hears in verse 2 could be worship coming from heaven.

515
00:29:08,280 --> 00:29:12,240
The idea of the harp sound leans into this is that it was worship,

516
00:29:12,240 --> 00:29:14,000
it was praise coming from heaven.

517
00:29:14,000 --> 00:29:17,760
It was worship that was so loud and so encompassing that it was like

518
00:29:17,760 --> 00:29:21,880
a raging waterfall or loud thunders booming through the sky.

519
00:29:21,880 --> 00:29:24,480
This is a picture we've seen a lot throughout Revelation,

520
00:29:24,480 --> 00:29:27,040
how the worship is just going to be awesome,

521
00:29:27,040 --> 00:29:30,440
it's going to be dynamic, it's going to be amazing.

522
00:29:31,000 --> 00:29:35,640
There's not going to be anybody in heaven going up to the soundboard and going,

523
00:29:35,640 --> 00:29:37,800
can you turn it down, it's a little too loud.

524
00:29:37,800 --> 00:29:41,120
That's not going to happen in heaven. Why?

525
00:29:41,120 --> 00:29:42,600
Because no matter how loud it is,

526
00:29:42,600 --> 00:29:45,600
it's going to be exactly the perfect volume for you.

527
00:29:45,600 --> 00:29:47,280
It's going to be amazing.

528
00:29:47,280 --> 00:29:51,480
It's just awesome.

529
00:29:51,480 --> 00:29:53,520
Now, in verse 3 there,

530
00:29:53,520 --> 00:29:55,360
it says they sing a new song,

531
00:29:55,360 --> 00:29:58,360
and some people go, well, who is they?

532
00:29:58,360 --> 00:30:02,200
There's disagreement amongst commentators on who they is.

533
00:30:02,200 --> 00:30:05,400
Some look at they and they go, well, it's the 144,000.

534
00:30:05,400 --> 00:30:07,760
They're the ones that are singing the song because

535
00:30:07,760 --> 00:30:11,440
the song is only a song they could learn and so on and so forth.

536
00:30:11,440 --> 00:30:13,760
That's one possible interpretation of it.

537
00:30:13,760 --> 00:30:15,360
But others look at this and go, well,

538
00:30:15,360 --> 00:30:20,560
it can't be the 144,000 because they're standing on Mount Zion on earth with Jesus,

539
00:30:20,560 --> 00:30:25,720
and the sound is coming from heaven as John is seeing this vision unfold.

540
00:30:25,720 --> 00:30:29,920
Additionally, it tells us in these verses that the 144,000,

541
00:30:29,920 --> 00:30:33,840
it reinforces that they're redeemed from the earth.

542
00:30:33,840 --> 00:30:35,920
Then when you read the passage,

543
00:30:35,920 --> 00:30:41,720
it says they sang but no one could learn the song they sang except the 144,000.

544
00:30:41,720 --> 00:30:44,040
That seems to imply that they and

545
00:30:44,040 --> 00:30:46,640
the 144,000 are two different groups of people

546
00:30:46,640 --> 00:30:48,880
because they are in heaven before the throne,

547
00:30:48,880 --> 00:30:51,400
before the living creatures, before the elders.

548
00:30:51,400 --> 00:30:53,560
With that interpretation, you go, well,

549
00:30:53,560 --> 00:30:57,120
who is it that's worshiping from heaven here?

550
00:30:57,120 --> 00:31:02,600
Well, one of the interpretations is it could be the church because they're already in heaven.

551
00:31:02,600 --> 00:31:05,400
They've been there through the whole tribulation period.

552
00:31:05,400 --> 00:31:08,480
Here at the end, right before we get to the second coming of Christ,

553
00:31:08,480 --> 00:31:11,320
there is a celebration as we look towards the end.

554
00:31:11,320 --> 00:31:14,800
It could be just the angels in heaven that are singing with him.

555
00:31:14,800 --> 00:31:17,080
It could be both. We're not exactly sure,

556
00:31:17,080 --> 00:31:19,640
but I'm not going to spend a whole lot of time on that because the answer to

557
00:31:19,640 --> 00:31:22,320
the question is who is they? It's they.

558
00:31:23,920 --> 00:31:25,960
But what is being praised?

559
00:31:25,960 --> 00:31:27,960
What is being celebrated here?

560
00:31:27,960 --> 00:31:31,480
What is being sung about here?

561
00:31:31,480 --> 00:31:35,320
It's the redemption, the salvation of these 144,000.

562
00:31:35,320 --> 00:31:37,760
That's a beautiful thing.

563
00:31:37,760 --> 00:31:43,400
We know that praise and celebration is always the heavenly response when someone gets saved.

564
00:31:43,400 --> 00:31:45,200
The Bible teaches us that.

565
00:31:45,200 --> 00:31:48,680
Sure, it might not be this song,

566
00:31:48,680 --> 00:31:52,960
because this is a song very specifically for the 144,000.

567
00:31:52,960 --> 00:31:55,920
But when a soul is saved, there is celebration in heaven nonetheless.

568
00:31:55,920 --> 00:31:57,160
It's always that way.

569
00:31:57,160 --> 00:32:04,720
Luke 15, Jesus told a few stories about things that were lost and then found.

570
00:32:04,720 --> 00:32:07,480
One is a story of a sheep that was lost and found.

571
00:32:07,480 --> 00:32:09,440
One is a story of a coin.

572
00:32:09,440 --> 00:32:13,880
Then of course, we have the story of the prodigal son who was lost and then found.

573
00:32:13,880 --> 00:32:16,160
If you're interested in digging into that deep,

574
00:32:16,160 --> 00:32:20,360
Ron Love, our worship leader and one of our elders here did a fantastic study on that.

575
00:32:20,360 --> 00:32:22,280
You can find it on our YouTube channel.

576
00:32:22,280 --> 00:32:27,800
But in those stories of something that was lost and found,

577
00:32:27,800 --> 00:32:32,440
we are told twice that there is great joy in heaven and in the presence of

578
00:32:32,440 --> 00:32:37,560
God's angels over one sinner who repents.

579
00:32:38,200 --> 00:32:40,680
When one person gets saved,

580
00:32:40,680 --> 00:32:44,320
it's rejoicing, joy in all the heavens.

581
00:32:44,320 --> 00:32:47,760
Can you imagine when two get saved?

582
00:32:47,760 --> 00:32:53,520
Four, eight, what about a harvest crusade?

583
00:32:53,520 --> 00:32:56,520
Man, what celebration is taking place in heaven.

584
00:32:56,520 --> 00:32:59,960
It's amazing. So it tells us here very specifically,

585
00:32:59,960 --> 00:33:02,360
they sing a new song.

586
00:33:02,360 --> 00:33:06,360
Nobody could learn the song except the 144,000.

587
00:33:06,360 --> 00:33:10,840
Now, with the interpretation that the worship is coming from heaven and

588
00:33:10,840 --> 00:33:13,080
144,000 are different group of people,

589
00:33:13,080 --> 00:33:17,680
obviously, those in heaven who are singing the song know the song because they're singing it.

590
00:33:17,680 --> 00:33:20,080
They're proclaiming this praise from heaven,

591
00:33:20,080 --> 00:33:23,600
but then nobody on earth could learn it but the 144,000.

592
00:33:23,600 --> 00:33:28,160
So these 144,000 which are specifically pointed out as redeemed from the earth,

593
00:33:28,160 --> 00:33:31,080
they are able to learn this very specific,

594
00:33:31,080 --> 00:33:34,800
special song that is about their salvation.

595
00:33:34,800 --> 00:33:39,120
Why? Why would there be a new song just for them?

596
00:33:39,120 --> 00:33:41,640
Why would it be something very particular to them?

597
00:33:41,640 --> 00:33:46,360
I think it's perhaps because their redemption is so profoundly special.

598
00:33:46,360 --> 00:33:52,600
What I mean by that is after the rapture and the church is taken out of the earth,

599
00:33:52,600 --> 00:33:54,240
after the restrainer,

600
00:33:54,240 --> 00:33:57,560
the Holy Spirit is removed and he's no longer holding back evil,

601
00:33:57,560 --> 00:34:02,040
and after the rise of the Antichrist and the rise of the false prophet,

602
00:34:02,040 --> 00:34:06,360
specifically when we hit the midpoint when things get really bad after the abomination of

603
00:34:06,360 --> 00:34:11,240
desolation and this wickedness and this debauchery and this false worship and

604
00:34:11,240 --> 00:34:14,960
this one-world religion and all of it just starts to come upon the earth.

605
00:34:14,960 --> 00:34:19,440
Specifically, those who would dare confess Jesus Christ from that point forward,

606
00:34:19,440 --> 00:34:20,880
oh boy, you better watch out.

607
00:34:20,880 --> 00:34:25,200
You can't buy or sell without the mark of the beast, which you refused.

608
00:34:25,200 --> 00:34:27,600
You can't pay your bills,

609
00:34:27,600 --> 00:34:29,040
you can't work.

610
00:34:29,040 --> 00:34:32,920
It is a horrible time through all of that.

611
00:34:32,920 --> 00:34:37,720
They're still standing and that is very special.

612
00:34:37,720 --> 00:34:40,720
You see, if you remember back in Revelation chapter 6,

613
00:34:40,720 --> 00:34:43,360
right after the sixth seal was loosed,

614
00:34:43,360 --> 00:34:48,360
and this was incidentally right before we read about the 144,000 being sealed in chapter 7,

615
00:34:48,360 --> 00:34:49,960
it said this, and they,

616
00:34:49,960 --> 00:34:52,040
speaking of the unsaved on the earth,

617
00:34:52,040 --> 00:34:54,040
said to the mountains and to the rocks,

618
00:34:54,040 --> 00:34:58,400
fall on us and hide us from the face of the one seated on the throne and from the wrath of

619
00:34:58,400 --> 00:35:05,000
the Lamb because the great day of their wrath has come and who is able to stand.

620
00:35:05,000 --> 00:35:08,160
That was the last part, who is able to stand?

621
00:35:08,160 --> 00:35:09,600
Who is able to stand?

622
00:35:09,600 --> 00:35:12,320
These 144,000.

623
00:35:12,320 --> 00:35:16,760
These 144,000 Jewish individuals that are sealed by God,

624
00:35:16,760 --> 00:35:18,440
a very special group of people,

625
00:35:18,440 --> 00:35:20,640
a very unique group of people,

626
00:35:20,640 --> 00:35:27,280
and only they will be able to sing this song that is about their very special and unique salvation.

627
00:35:27,280 --> 00:35:30,520
So they're going to learn this song and praise it out to the Lamb

628
00:35:30,520 --> 00:35:34,920
because their experience was very unique and special to them.

629
00:35:35,080 --> 00:35:37,640
But it's the same with us today, isn't it?

630
00:35:37,640 --> 00:35:42,120
We all have our own unique experience in salvation.

631
00:35:42,120 --> 00:35:46,960
We all have our own unique experience coming to know the Lord.

632
00:35:46,960 --> 00:35:54,760
Our response to him for our redemption and our salvation should be the same as theirs, worship.

633
00:35:54,760 --> 00:35:58,320
Worship for who he is and what he's done.

634
00:35:58,320 --> 00:36:00,240
We praise him.

635
00:36:00,240 --> 00:36:02,040
We thank him.

636
00:36:02,040 --> 00:36:04,840
Sadly, there are many believers,

637
00:36:04,840 --> 00:36:06,160
none here, of course,

638
00:36:06,160 --> 00:36:09,400
but there are many believers who instead of worship,

639
00:36:09,400 --> 00:36:12,680
respond to God with complaining and griping.

640
00:36:12,680 --> 00:36:15,160
I don't know if you've ever heard it. I've heard it.

641
00:36:15,160 --> 00:36:17,320
I used to be this individual.

642
00:36:17,320 --> 00:36:21,680
Well, I wish my experience was like that person's experience of salvation.

643
00:36:21,680 --> 00:36:23,960
Why can't I have their testimony?

644
00:36:23,960 --> 00:36:26,880
Theirs is so vibrant. Mine is just dumb and boring.

645
00:36:26,880 --> 00:36:30,760
They gripe about their experience of redemption.

646
00:36:30,760 --> 00:36:34,440
Why did that person get this or that?

647
00:36:34,440 --> 00:36:38,080
Why did God do this or that in their lives and not in my life?

648
00:36:38,080 --> 00:36:42,800
Why does God work that way in that person's life and not mine?

649
00:36:43,360 --> 00:36:46,560
Are you kidding me? You're saved.

650
00:36:46,560 --> 00:36:52,880
God saved you and you're complaining about it because it's not like someone else's.

651
00:36:52,880 --> 00:36:56,680
I've said this before and I will say this till the day God takes me home.

652
00:36:56,680 --> 00:37:02,040
If God did nothing else in your life after saving your soul,

653
00:37:02,040 --> 00:37:07,960
you received not one more blessing of any kind.

654
00:37:07,960 --> 00:37:11,240
You still owe him everything.

655
00:37:12,160 --> 00:37:14,800
If God saved you and then was like,

656
00:37:14,800 --> 00:37:19,600
peace out, you're never going to hear from me again and you had the worst life possible.

657
00:37:19,600 --> 00:37:23,240
You still owe him everything.

658
00:37:23,240 --> 00:37:26,200
Because regardless of what happens here on earth,

659
00:37:26,200 --> 00:37:29,640
if you're his, paradise awaits,

660
00:37:29,640 --> 00:37:31,280
it's heaven for you.

661
00:37:31,280 --> 00:37:38,040
It's forever in perfection with the one who is perfect and loves you with a perfect love.

662
00:37:39,040 --> 00:37:43,600
Yet, he saves us and works and blesses us.

663
00:37:43,600 --> 00:37:45,720
Yes, we go through difficulties and trials.

664
00:37:45,720 --> 00:37:48,880
But the point is, your experience,

665
00:37:48,880 --> 00:37:52,480
your redemption experience, it's for you.

666
00:37:52,480 --> 00:37:56,760
Someone else's experiences for them.

667
00:37:56,760 --> 00:37:59,880
The response to each one of us, however,

668
00:37:59,880 --> 00:38:02,880
should be the same although the expression

669
00:38:02,880 --> 00:38:05,560
might be unique through the lens of our own experience.

670
00:38:05,560 --> 00:38:09,680
But all of us have come to the Lord in different unique ways,

671
00:38:09,680 --> 00:38:11,840
but the response should be worship.

672
00:38:11,840 --> 00:38:14,320
It should be God's people crying out to him,

673
00:38:14,320 --> 00:38:17,000
praise the Father, praise the Son,

674
00:38:17,000 --> 00:38:19,720
praise the Spirit three in one.

675
00:38:19,720 --> 00:38:22,480
We can't help but to be people to do that.

676
00:38:22,480 --> 00:38:25,880
Worship is a response to God.

677
00:38:25,880 --> 00:38:29,080
Worship isn't about hyping us up.

678
00:38:29,080 --> 00:38:35,680
It's not the rah-rah cheerleading we do to get us ready to sit and hear an hour long Bible study.

679
00:38:35,680 --> 00:38:38,920
It's not to put us in the right mood.

680
00:38:38,920 --> 00:38:42,080
Worship is a response to all that God has done.

681
00:38:42,080 --> 00:38:45,760
Redeemed people are worshipers.

682
00:38:45,760 --> 00:38:48,320
If you're redeemed, you're a worshiper.

683
00:38:48,320 --> 00:38:50,960
It's a natural response.

684
00:38:50,960 --> 00:38:52,840
Yeah, we've said this many times,

685
00:38:52,840 --> 00:38:56,640
that we should never base our worship on our preferences,

686
00:38:56,640 --> 00:38:58,080
our feelings.

687
00:38:58,080 --> 00:39:00,040
Worship isn't about, do I feel like it today?

688
00:39:00,040 --> 00:39:03,040
Worship is, God, you're worthy.

689
00:39:03,040 --> 00:39:05,880
So I'm going to worship you, regardless of whether I feel like it or not,

690
00:39:05,880 --> 00:39:07,440
because you deserve it.

691
00:39:07,440 --> 00:39:10,120
You are worthy, God.

692
00:39:10,120 --> 00:39:13,360
Now, so we get to verse four, and John saw some things,

693
00:39:13,360 --> 00:39:16,760
he heard some things, and now he's going to understand something.

694
00:39:16,760 --> 00:39:21,240
He says, these are the ones who have not defiled themselves with women since they remained virgins,

695
00:39:21,240 --> 00:39:23,360
speaking of the 144,000.

696
00:39:23,360 --> 00:39:26,680
These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever he goes.

697
00:39:26,680 --> 00:39:30,640
They were redeemed from humanity as the firstfruits for God and the Lamb.

698
00:39:30,640 --> 00:39:32,520
No lie was found in their mouths.

699
00:39:32,520 --> 00:39:34,280
They are blameless.

700
00:39:34,280 --> 00:39:42,360
So when you read these verses, we see what it is that makes these 144,000 very special here.

701
00:39:42,360 --> 00:39:45,800
And what is pointed out, what makes them very unique and special,

702
00:39:45,800 --> 00:39:49,680
is their standard of godliness, the standard of living,

703
00:39:49,680 --> 00:39:54,000
specifically during this time that they are living in.

704
00:39:54,000 --> 00:39:57,440
God not only protected them and sealed them,

705
00:39:57,440 --> 00:40:02,880
but they maintained an obedient life of godliness and character and purity

706
00:40:02,880 --> 00:40:10,360
in a time of rampant wickedness and callousness and sin and hate and blasphemy worldwide.

707
00:40:10,360 --> 00:40:15,600
They still maintain this life of godliness and character, and that's very important.

708
00:40:15,600 --> 00:40:18,320
And so quickly, he describes them in a number of ways.

709
00:40:18,320 --> 00:40:21,520
The first one we've already looked at is they are redeemed.

710
00:40:21,520 --> 00:40:22,360
They are redeemed.

711
00:40:22,360 --> 00:40:24,960
That is the basis for their godly living.

712
00:40:24,960 --> 00:40:28,040
That is the basis for their holy and pure lifestyle.

713
00:40:28,040 --> 00:40:29,440
They are redeemed, right?

714
00:40:29,440 --> 00:40:33,600
Sometimes it's easy for us to look around the world,

715
00:40:33,600 --> 00:40:39,360
and we see the openly wicked and evil prospering.

716
00:40:39,360 --> 00:40:45,400
And they're rich, and they've got everything, and it's hard to look at that and go,

717
00:40:45,400 --> 00:40:48,720
they look like they're winning.

718
00:40:48,720 --> 00:40:51,080
But the reality is, is in the big picture of eternity,

719
00:40:51,080 --> 00:40:55,000
the real winners are the ones who belong to God.

720
00:40:55,000 --> 00:40:59,440
Like their time on earth, anybody's time on earth is but a vapor, the Bible tells us.

721
00:40:59,440 --> 00:41:01,600
Eternity is what matters.

722
00:41:01,600 --> 00:41:06,000
And only those who belong to God are going to go into eternity, into glory.

723
00:41:06,000 --> 00:41:09,720
The rest are going to go into eternal judgment.

724
00:41:09,720 --> 00:41:13,480
And so if you're a Christian, you belong to God.

725
00:41:13,480 --> 00:41:17,200
And those who belong to God are the real winners in the big picture.

726
00:41:17,200 --> 00:41:21,160
But that word belonged is very important because that's exactly what you are.

727
00:41:21,160 --> 00:41:22,960
It says they're redeemed, right?

728
00:41:22,960 --> 00:41:26,560
They were redeemed from humanity as the first fruits.

729
00:41:26,560 --> 00:41:30,720
That word redeemed means bought with a price.

730
00:41:30,720 --> 00:41:32,120
You were bought with a price.

731
00:41:32,120 --> 00:41:36,200
Think about that the next time you're deciding something in your life,

732
00:41:36,200 --> 00:41:39,960
making plans, planning your day, planning your month, planning your whatever it is.

733
00:41:39,960 --> 00:41:44,320
Think about that next time you're going through what you're going to do with your life.

734
00:41:44,320 --> 00:41:51,960
You, if you're a Christian, you were bought with a price.

735
00:41:51,960 --> 00:41:55,120
You belong to Christ.

736
00:41:55,120 --> 00:41:57,000
I belong to Christ.

737
00:41:57,000 --> 00:42:03,440
The decisions of our life aren't about what I want to do primarily.

738
00:42:03,440 --> 00:42:08,360
They're always about what does God want to do with me.

739
00:42:08,360 --> 00:42:10,560
That's the decision making.

740
00:42:10,560 --> 00:42:15,800
God, what do you want to do with me in planning where I'm going to go to college,

741
00:42:15,800 --> 00:42:21,120
where I'm going to go to work, what vocation I'm going to invest in my time in training?

742
00:42:21,120 --> 00:42:24,200
God, what do you want to do with me?

743
00:42:24,200 --> 00:42:28,800
Now, yeah, there are times where God says, and this has happened in my life,

744
00:42:28,800 --> 00:42:32,200
God will go, well, what do you want to do?

745
00:42:32,200 --> 00:42:34,600
Oh, right?

746
00:42:34,600 --> 00:42:35,720
That's a fun moment.

747
00:42:35,720 --> 00:42:41,200
But it always starts with God, what do you want to do with me?

748
00:42:41,200 --> 00:42:43,880
Right? Early in my life, and I was just sharing this yesterday,

749
00:42:43,880 --> 00:42:47,920
I've always wanted to be a millionaire, right?

750
00:42:47,920 --> 00:42:52,640
Not to have a million dollars, I always wanted to give away millions of dollars.

751
00:42:52,640 --> 00:42:53,760
I just always had this goal.

752
00:42:53,760 --> 00:42:57,400
And so when I was in my 20s, I dropped out of college like six times because I was like,

753
00:42:57,400 --> 00:42:59,520
I'm going to go start a business and make a million dollars.

754
00:42:59,520 --> 00:43:02,920
And then sadly, my ADD would get me bored and I'm like, I'm going back to school.

755
00:43:02,920 --> 00:43:04,880
And then I'd drop out and I'd go back and start another business.

756
00:43:04,880 --> 00:43:08,120
And I would do this loop over and over because I was like, I need to find a way

757
00:43:08,120 --> 00:43:12,480
to become just insanely wealthy because I just want to give money to the church

758
00:43:12,480 --> 00:43:13,640
and I want to help people.

759
00:43:13,640 --> 00:43:17,320
And I would see those shows where it's like a family, destitute family,

760
00:43:17,320 --> 00:43:18,800
and someone builds them a house.

761
00:43:18,800 --> 00:43:21,600
And I'm like, that would be so cool to do, right?

762
00:43:21,600 --> 00:43:25,760
And I was at a pastor's conference years ago, and I was doing business and I was

763
00:43:25,760 --> 00:43:29,880
in ministry and I was kind of like half devoted to both.

764
00:43:29,880 --> 00:43:34,080
And I remember after hearing a particular teacher speak,

765
00:43:34,080 --> 00:43:37,880
I remember God spoke to me and he said, hey, are you finally ready to fulfill,

766
00:43:37,880 --> 00:43:40,760
finally fully devote to your calling?

767
00:43:40,760 --> 00:43:44,600
I was like, of course, Lord, of course.

768
00:43:44,600 --> 00:43:46,680
And he goes, well, what about being a millionaire?

769
00:43:46,680 --> 00:43:50,200
And I was like, yeah, Lord, what about being a millionaire?

770
00:43:50,200 --> 00:43:53,040
And I'll never forget feeling like the Spirit just spoke to me

771
00:43:53,040 --> 00:43:56,240
and God said, I have no problem with millionaires.

772
00:43:56,240 --> 00:43:59,880
But that's not my calling on your life.

773
00:43:59,880 --> 00:44:03,360
Are you ready to step into your calling?

774
00:44:03,360 --> 00:44:04,560
And I was like, yeah.

775
00:44:04,560 --> 00:44:09,160
And so I stepped away from business, you know, stepped fully into ministry

776
00:44:09,160 --> 00:44:11,560
and said, this is what I'm going to do with my life.

777
00:44:11,560 --> 00:44:14,440
And then in the years after that, I remember having people

778
00:44:14,440 --> 00:44:17,440
from my old business days call me up and say, hey, Nathan, will you come work for us?

779
00:44:17,440 --> 00:44:20,960
We'll pay you $150,000 a year.

780
00:44:20,960 --> 00:44:23,320
I'm like, I'm sorry.

781
00:44:23,320 --> 00:44:26,600
I know where I'm called.

782
00:44:26,600 --> 00:44:31,560
You know, and it's just when you step into that calling, you're just confident.

783
00:44:31,560 --> 00:44:34,160
You know, that's what God has for me.

784
00:44:34,160 --> 00:44:39,400
You know, and in my experience of doing what God wants is a part of me saying, God,

785
00:44:39,400 --> 00:44:40,440
I want to obey you.

786
00:44:40,440 --> 00:44:41,680
I want to live a godly life.

787
00:44:41,680 --> 00:44:43,440
I want to do what you're calling me to do.

788
00:44:43,440 --> 00:44:45,760
My life isn't about my decisions on what I want.

789
00:44:45,760 --> 00:44:48,880
It's God, what do you want for me?

790
00:44:48,880 --> 00:44:51,840
And there are some in this world where God says, hey, what I want for you is I'm going

791
00:44:51,840 --> 00:44:55,240
to make you a successful business person because I've called you to be a giver

792
00:44:55,240 --> 00:44:59,080
and you're going to call, you know, and that's awesome.

793
00:44:59,080 --> 00:45:03,560
But the idea is when we're making plans for our lives, we say, God, I belong to you.

794
00:45:03,560 --> 00:45:05,640
What do you want for my life?

795
00:45:05,640 --> 00:45:07,920
What do you want me to do?

796
00:45:07,920 --> 00:45:09,960
Because he bought you.

797
00:45:09,960 --> 00:45:16,200
He has the receipts and they're plainly written in the blood of Jesus Christ.

798
00:45:16,200 --> 00:45:20,720
So when we say yes to Jesus and we acknowledge our sin and we come to him

799
00:45:20,720 --> 00:45:25,000
and we say, I know there's a penalty due, but please forgive me and we accept his death

800
00:45:25,000 --> 00:45:29,240
on the cross, that doesn't mean we then lead a life where it's like, okay, hey, bro,

801
00:45:29,240 --> 00:45:32,960
I'll let you do some nice things in my life from time to time.

802
00:45:35,960 --> 00:45:40,920
Salvation isn't about you letting Jesus into your life.

803
00:45:40,920 --> 00:45:44,040
It's about him letting you into his.

804
00:45:44,040 --> 00:45:46,280
That's salvation.

805
00:45:46,280 --> 00:45:49,480
Now, I know we, you know, say that a lot, oh, accept Jesus in your life, right?

806
00:45:49,480 --> 00:45:56,200
And yeah, I'm not saying that's a bad thing to say, but the idea, it's not you saying,

807
00:45:56,200 --> 00:45:59,320
okay, God, I'm going to give you 10% of my life and we'll see how you do with it.

808
00:45:59,320 --> 00:46:01,360
No.

809
00:46:01,360 --> 00:46:04,080
Salvation is, God, I belong to you.

810
00:46:04,080 --> 00:46:07,280
You're allowing me into your life.

811
00:46:07,280 --> 00:46:10,120
You're changing me, transforming me, redeeming me.

812
00:46:10,120 --> 00:46:12,680
So, God, what do you want me to do?

813
00:46:12,680 --> 00:46:20,640
So, then it says that these 144,000 were not defiled or they had not defiled themselves

814
00:46:20,640 --> 00:46:23,000
with women since they remained virgins.

815
00:46:23,000 --> 00:46:27,680
That word defiled there means to become ceremonially unclean, ceremonially unclean.

816
00:46:27,680 --> 00:46:32,600
So, this could be a reference to the idea that they were actually,

817
00:46:32,600 --> 00:46:35,080
it's referring to actual physical purity, right?

818
00:46:35,080 --> 00:46:36,680
That they were actually physically virgins

819
00:46:36,680 --> 00:46:40,560
because they physically had not defiled themselves with women.

820
00:46:40,560 --> 00:46:45,640
This interpretation incidentally kind of assumes a contrast with what was happening

821
00:46:45,640 --> 00:46:49,680
in the world at that time with the worship of the beast.

822
00:46:49,680 --> 00:46:54,800
Even today, there's most, if not all, cultic false worship, false religions,

823
00:46:54,800 --> 00:46:57,960
always involve some type of sexual deviancy, right?

824
00:46:57,960 --> 00:47:00,480
There's some type of sexual gratification in it.

825
00:47:00,480 --> 00:47:04,240
You know, in Mormonism, it's like you get to go to heaven and have infinite wives

826
00:47:04,240 --> 00:47:06,680
and make spirit babies for the rest of your life.

827
00:47:06,680 --> 00:47:11,840
In Islam, it's like you get to go and you have your virgins in heaven, right?

828
00:47:11,840 --> 00:47:14,600
What do the women get in Islam?

829
00:47:14,600 --> 00:47:17,840
Nothing. They get to go be virgins for someone else, right?

830
00:47:17,840 --> 00:47:23,080
There's always this sexual element that is tied into the reward system for people in it.

831
00:47:23,080 --> 00:47:27,400
And you could go through just every false religion and you see these ideas, you know?

832
00:47:27,400 --> 00:47:33,560
And it's entirely realistic to think that during this time, during this tribulation period

833
00:47:33,560 --> 00:47:37,400
when this false worship is happening and this pagan worship of the Antichrist and all of this,

834
00:47:37,400 --> 00:47:42,520
that there's this sexual deviancy and promiscuity that is a part of the religion.

835
00:47:42,520 --> 00:47:45,120
You go back in history and you see the ancient false religions,

836
00:47:45,120 --> 00:47:46,760
the religions in Greece and everything.

837
00:47:46,760 --> 00:47:48,640
Every time you study them, what was it all about?

838
00:47:48,640 --> 00:47:52,280
Oh, they would have these big sex parties as a part of the worship.

839
00:47:52,280 --> 00:47:53,440
It was always as part of it.

840
00:47:53,440 --> 00:47:57,640
And so, the idea could be here that these 144,000 that were sealed,

841
00:47:57,640 --> 00:48:00,600
they just, they didn't physically participate in any of that.

842
00:48:00,600 --> 00:48:03,200
They kept themselves pure.

843
00:48:03,200 --> 00:48:07,880
It could be the idea of just a celibacy in general that they didn't marry.

844
00:48:07,880 --> 00:48:14,520
And so, therefore, they didn't enter into any of the intimacy elements of marriage,

845
00:48:14,520 --> 00:48:16,160
that they just kept themselves pure in that way.

846
00:48:16,160 --> 00:48:21,800
Another interpretation is that it's not referring to a physical purity at all,

847
00:48:21,800 --> 00:48:24,000
but rather a spiritual purity.

848
00:48:24,000 --> 00:48:27,160
And some people point to the word defile to support that.

849
00:48:27,160 --> 00:48:29,200
It means ceremonially unclean, right?

850
00:48:29,200 --> 00:48:31,000
They were ceremonially pure.

851
00:48:31,000 --> 00:48:36,720
And this, incidentally, reinforces the idea that these 144,000 are Jews,

852
00:48:36,720 --> 00:48:40,880
that they're specifically Jews from Israel, because throughout Scripture,

853
00:48:40,880 --> 00:48:45,320
the nation of Israel is often referred to in their purity.

854
00:48:45,320 --> 00:48:49,120
And when God makes them pure, they're referred to as the virgin daughter of Zion.

855
00:48:49,120 --> 00:48:52,120
So, there's this idea here that there's a purity.

856
00:48:52,120 --> 00:48:57,240
In 2 Corinthians 11, 12, Paul even spoke of virginity in a spiritual sense.

857
00:48:57,240 --> 00:49:00,760
He said, for I am jealous with you with a godly jealousy,

858
00:49:00,760 --> 00:49:03,120
because I have promised you in marriage to one husband

859
00:49:03,120 --> 00:49:05,960
to present you a pure virgin to Christ.

860
00:49:05,960 --> 00:49:09,480
And that's obviously not talking about a physical type of thing,

861
00:49:09,480 --> 00:49:11,320
but a spiritual purity.

862
00:49:11,320 --> 00:49:14,280
And so, the idea here is that as a true believer,

863
00:49:14,280 --> 00:49:16,880
these were people that didn't cheat on God, right?

864
00:49:16,880 --> 00:49:18,480
They didn't cheat on their commitment to the Lord.

865
00:49:18,480 --> 00:49:19,720
They didn't cheat on him in any way.

866
00:49:19,720 --> 00:49:24,280
They didn't have an affair with the world, but they were purely devoted to God.

867
00:49:24,280 --> 00:49:27,400
This was something that James picked up on in James 4, 4, where he said,

868
00:49:27,400 --> 00:49:32,480
you adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hostility towards God?

869
00:49:32,480 --> 00:49:35,360
So, whoever wants to be a friend of the world becomes the enemy of God.

870
00:49:35,360 --> 00:49:40,280
And so, again, adultery here is used as a metaphor in a spiritual sense.

871
00:49:40,280 --> 00:49:45,240
So, under that interpretation, this 144,000 are just a group

872
00:49:45,240 --> 00:49:48,160
that weren't spiritually compromised.

873
00:49:48,160 --> 00:49:52,080
And so, in that way, they were undefiled and they were pure in their relationship to Jesus.

874
00:49:52,080 --> 00:49:55,000
And then, of course, as I often see, it could be both.

875
00:49:55,000 --> 00:49:57,480
So, either way, they were pure.

876
00:49:57,480 --> 00:50:02,120
But staying undefiled, this idea of being spiritually and physically pure,

877
00:50:02,120 --> 00:50:04,920
it's something every Christian is called to do.

878
00:50:04,920 --> 00:50:08,480
We're all called to this type of purity, both spiritually and physically.

879
00:50:08,480 --> 00:50:12,680
Not that we're called to be celibate, but we're called to be, you know, pure in that sense.

880
00:50:12,680 --> 00:50:14,840
So, sex is meant for marriage, right?

881
00:50:14,840 --> 00:50:20,040
In the marriage context, we're not supposed to be promiscuous and sleeping around.

882
00:50:20,040 --> 00:50:23,800
And if you're not married, you shouldn't be engaging in those things.

883
00:50:23,800 --> 00:50:27,680
But we're also called, in a spiritual sense, to not cheat on God, right?

884
00:50:27,680 --> 00:50:31,360
To not be like, okay, God, I'm with you, but I'm also with this other thing

885
00:50:31,360 --> 00:50:33,760
that you say not to do, right?

886
00:50:33,760 --> 00:50:34,840
We're not to be that way.

887
00:50:34,840 --> 00:50:38,680
It's incidentally how we conquer the enemy in our lives.

888
00:50:38,680 --> 00:50:40,480
We surrender to Jesus and Him alone.

889
00:50:40,480 --> 00:50:42,000
We don't flirt with the world.

890
00:50:42,000 --> 00:50:45,040
We don't cheat on God.

891
00:50:45,040 --> 00:50:49,600
You know, I read a quote that said, some people have just enough of the world in them

892
00:50:49,600 --> 00:50:52,320
to make them not totally satisfied with Christ.

893
00:50:52,320 --> 00:50:55,920
And others have just enough of Christ in them to make them not totally satisfied

894
00:50:55,920 --> 00:50:58,000
with the world.

895
00:50:58,000 --> 00:51:02,360
And then so they yo-yo back and forth into fellowship, out of fellowship,

896
00:51:02,360 --> 00:51:05,200
into fellowship, and they do this whole dance and they're never happy,

897
00:51:05,200 --> 00:51:08,800
they're never content, but they're miserable.

898
00:51:08,800 --> 00:51:13,240
And if that's you in this room today or watching this study, I'll say your misery is due

899
00:51:13,240 --> 00:51:16,480
to your lack of commitment to Christ.

900
00:51:16,480 --> 00:51:18,520
It's, you're defiled.

901
00:51:18,520 --> 00:51:19,400
You're unpure.

902
00:51:19,400 --> 00:51:23,280
If you're living sinfully and living in ways that God says no to and yet trying

903
00:51:23,280 --> 00:51:24,320
to say, oh, no, I'm a Christian.

904
00:51:24,320 --> 00:51:26,520
I went to church on Sunday.

905
00:51:26,520 --> 00:51:31,400
And the discontent you have in your life is because you're defiled.

906
00:51:31,400 --> 00:51:34,000
And you could, of course, fix that today just by making a decision

907
00:51:34,000 --> 00:51:35,920
to fully commit to Jesus.

908
00:51:35,920 --> 00:51:41,960
And so, but lastly, it says that these redeemed are the first fruits of God and the lamb.

909
00:51:41,960 --> 00:51:45,320
And this was a concept that came from agriculture in ancient Israel.

910
00:51:45,320 --> 00:51:48,960
It was a concept that God commanded where each year at the harvest time,

911
00:51:48,960 --> 00:51:53,480
he said, look, the first fruits, meaning the best of the harvest, was offered to God.

912
00:51:53,480 --> 00:51:57,000
It was like, God, you gave me this harvest, so I'm going to take the best off the top

913
00:51:57,000 --> 00:52:00,040
and give it to you in thanks and in gratitude.

914
00:52:00,040 --> 00:52:04,520
And it's the idea that God has blessed me, so I'm going to give him the first and the best.

915
00:52:04,520 --> 00:52:07,800
And it's a thing that we're called to do today.

916
00:52:07,800 --> 00:52:09,800
That concept applies in our lives, right?

917
00:52:09,800 --> 00:52:13,280
We're to give God the best of our lives in our time.

918
00:52:13,280 --> 00:52:16,520
We're to give him the best as we can in our giving, right?

919
00:52:16,520 --> 00:52:22,440
The idea of our giving is we give God first, and then we go and take care of all the other needs.

920
00:52:22,440 --> 00:52:23,800
And that's tough for some people.

921
00:52:23,800 --> 00:52:28,000
A lot of us, you know, in our giving, we say, well, I'm going to take care of everything else first,

922
00:52:28,000 --> 00:52:31,200
and then, oops, I have nothing to give God, sorry.

923
00:52:31,200 --> 00:52:32,280
And that's not the idea.

924
00:52:32,280 --> 00:52:37,280
It's the idea is give God first, because he gave you that whole paycheck.

925
00:52:37,280 --> 00:52:40,400
He says, just be obedient in giving and watch me take care of you.

926
00:52:40,400 --> 00:52:42,680
And so, there's this idea of first fruits.

927
00:52:42,680 --> 00:52:45,840
But first fruits also indicates that there's more to follow, right?

928
00:52:45,840 --> 00:52:49,360
Notice it's first fruits, not only fruit.

929
00:52:49,360 --> 00:52:54,920
So, in this idea that God hears the first and the best that I'm giving you out of what you've given to me,

930
00:52:54,920 --> 00:53:00,920
but there's also more to follow in the same ways or in other ways that I'm going to be obedient then.

931
00:53:00,920 --> 00:53:06,680
So, the idea of these 144,000 being the first fruits of humanity, it says they're redeemed from humanity

932
00:53:06,680 --> 00:53:13,520
as the first fruits for God and the Lamb, is that they were the first of the saved, the sealed,

933
00:53:13,520 --> 00:53:15,040
out of tribulation period.

934
00:53:15,040 --> 00:53:19,360
And they would lead many more to Christ during their time, but they were the first offering.

935
00:53:19,360 --> 00:53:25,720
They were the first that God set aside and said, your mind as an example of what I'm going to do for those who call on my name.

936
00:53:25,720 --> 00:53:27,880
And then lastly, no lie was found in their mouths.

937
00:53:27,880 --> 00:53:29,800
They are blameless.

938
00:53:29,800 --> 00:53:38,720
The tribulation time will be a period of deception that will be unlike any we've ever experienced in the history of Earth.

939
00:53:38,720 --> 00:53:41,760
There'll be so much lying, so much falsehood, right?

940
00:53:41,760 --> 00:53:45,440
We'll have the false prophet and false signs and false wonders.

941
00:53:45,440 --> 00:53:51,480
The deception will be so thick that many people will be like, I just simply don't even know what's true anymore.

942
00:53:51,480 --> 00:53:53,040
I don't even know who to listen to, right?

943
00:53:53,040 --> 00:53:55,600
We're already feeling some of that today.

944
00:53:55,600 --> 00:54:01,400
I know many of you are feeling that today when it comes to politics and elections, right?

945
00:54:01,400 --> 00:54:03,880
Did they cheat? Did they not cheat?

946
00:54:03,880 --> 00:54:10,640
Well, these news institutions say they didn't, and these ones say they did, and people are just like, I don't know what's true anymore, right?

947
00:54:10,640 --> 00:54:15,840
And then you got people on both sides of political aisles and both sides of other aisles that say this is true.

948
00:54:15,840 --> 00:54:16,880
And then they go, no, this is true.

949
00:54:16,880 --> 00:54:18,240
And you're like, you're complete opposite.

950
00:54:18,240 --> 00:54:20,680
Somebody's lying.

951
00:54:20,680 --> 00:54:29,040
And yet even in today, and especially younger people, the tail end of the millennials and then Gen Z,

952
00:54:29,040 --> 00:54:32,560
there's just such a discontent when it comes to what is true.

953
00:54:32,560 --> 00:54:34,360
I don't know.

954
00:54:34,360 --> 00:54:38,040
And then, of course, you have the Internet and our wonderful smartphones at our hands all the time.

955
00:54:38,040 --> 00:54:40,080
And of course, everything on the Internet is true, right?

956
00:54:40,080 --> 00:54:43,040
So it's like, you know, it's just it's difficult.

957
00:54:43,040 --> 00:54:47,160
It's going to be a thousand times worse during tribulation period.

958
00:54:47,160 --> 00:54:50,400
People are going to be so sick of trying to figure it out that they're just going to look for somebody.

959
00:54:50,400 --> 00:54:51,760
Just tell me what to do.

960
00:54:51,760 --> 00:54:53,000
Tell me how to live.

961
00:54:53,000 --> 00:54:55,000
Tell me how to be.

962
00:54:55,000 --> 00:54:59,120
And the Antichrist and the false prophet are going to step into that gleefully.

963
00:54:59,120 --> 00:55:02,400
But these hundred and forty four thousand, they won't give in.

964
00:55:02,400 --> 00:55:08,280
They will speak nothing but the truth, which, incidentally, was prophesied in Zephaniah 313,

965
00:55:08,280 --> 00:55:12,160
where it said, The remnant of Israel will no longer do wrong or tell lies.

966
00:55:12,160 --> 00:55:14,280
A deceitful tongue will not be found in their mouths.

967
00:55:14,280 --> 00:55:18,080
They will pasture and lie down with nothing to make them afraid.

968
00:55:18,080 --> 00:55:25,520
And so these Jewish individuals here will eventually stand on Mount Zion with their Messiah, not sinless.

969
00:55:25,520 --> 00:55:31,320
There's no such thing as a sinless human other than Jesus in the flesh, in his humanity.

970
00:55:31,320 --> 00:55:38,240
But it says they'll be blameless, that their lives of holiness and integrity and character will speak volumes of their salvation.

971
00:55:38,240 --> 00:55:42,400
And their lives of godliness will leave no accusation against them.

972
00:55:42,400 --> 00:55:43,760
That will stick.

973
00:55:43,760 --> 00:55:50,280
I'm sure they'll be accused, but nothing will stand because they are godly, walking with the Lord.

974
00:55:50,280 --> 00:55:51,800
And in that, they will overcome the world.

975
00:55:51,800 --> 00:55:59,560
So to close out here, you know, this work that God is doing in the lives of these hundred and forty four thousand,

976
00:55:59,560 --> 00:56:04,120
it's a work that God does in the life of every believer today.

977
00:56:04,120 --> 00:56:11,880
Today in our flesh, we're aware of our inadequacies, we're aware of our failures, we're aware of our weaknesses.

978
00:56:11,880 --> 00:56:22,200
But the overwhelming joy of Jesus Christ and being a Christian is that one day he's going to present us to the Father blameless.

979
00:56:22,200 --> 00:56:24,920
He's going to present us without spot, without wrinkle.

980
00:56:24,920 --> 00:56:31,760
And that's just an amazing hope to look forward to, because every day we're aware of our fumblings.

981
00:56:31,760 --> 00:56:37,080
And the devil is quick to jump in and go, how dare you call yourself a Christian?

982
00:56:37,080 --> 00:56:41,920
But the hope, the joy, what we're looking forward to is, God, you have sealed me with the Holy Spirit of promise.

983
00:56:41,920 --> 00:56:45,600
I belong to you and you're going to get me to you.

984
00:56:45,600 --> 00:56:49,240
Because it's based on your blood, not my work.

985
00:56:49,240 --> 00:56:53,360
It's based on your work, not my effort.

986
00:56:53,360 --> 00:57:01,480
And hallelujah for that, that here in this world today, we are already declared righteous by the blood of Christ.

987
00:57:01,480 --> 00:57:06,920
But we will one day be declared without fault or error, blameless before God.

988
00:57:06,920 --> 00:57:11,040
And I want to close on this last verse, it's Jude 24 and 25.

989
00:57:11,040 --> 00:57:18,520
This is now to him who is able to protect you from stumbling and to make you stand in the presence of his glory without blemish and with great joy.

990
00:57:18,520 --> 00:57:29,160
To the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, be glory, majesty, power and authority before all time, now and forever. Amen.

991
00:57:29,160 --> 00:57:33,880
You know, there's an entire industry that exists in the world today where they take old computers

992
00:57:33,880 --> 00:57:37,880
and they extract all the gold and the precious metals from all the components in those computers.

993
00:57:37,880 --> 00:57:40,320
It's like a billion dollar industry today.

994
00:57:40,320 --> 00:57:42,400
Didn't always exist.

995
00:57:42,400 --> 00:57:45,400
Matter of fact, it's only been around probably for about 30 years at this point.

996
00:57:45,400 --> 00:57:54,360
But in this industry, what they do is they take all this gold in the platinum and they extract what is valuable out of what is considered garbage.

997
00:57:54,360 --> 00:57:57,760
And God's been doing that same thing from the very beginning.

998
00:57:57,760 --> 00:58:04,720
When we look at this world and the sin that's in it, right, God takes this tainted world,

999
00:58:04,720 --> 00:58:13,200
this world that is just garbage of sin and wickedness, and he extracts out of it what is valuable, what is precious.

1000
00:58:13,200 --> 00:58:17,080
He redeems people. He remakes lives. He transforms lives.

1001
00:58:17,080 --> 00:58:19,560
That's what God does.

1002
00:58:19,560 --> 00:58:27,560
And during the tribulation period, there's going to be a whole world of people that say no to God, that say no to Jesus and yes to the Antichrist.

1003
00:58:27,560 --> 00:58:35,640
And during that period, the world will descend into a garbage heap of depravity that we have never seen.

1004
00:58:35,640 --> 00:58:39,120
And even then, God will extract his gold from it.

1005
00:58:39,120 --> 00:58:45,360
144,000 undefiled, pure in their commitment to Jesus, faithful Jewish evangelists.

1006
00:58:45,360 --> 00:58:51,000
They will be the first fruits during this time of what God is doing.

1007
00:58:51,000 --> 00:58:57,600
They will be kept like no other group of people in history, sealed and protected from viciousness and violence,

1008
00:58:57,600 --> 00:59:04,640
able to find victory in the midst of the most wicked, wicked debauched culture of their time.

1009
00:59:04,640 --> 00:59:14,960
Now, they're able to stand during that time, during this evil, wicked, sinful time, if they're able to stand godly and pure and righteousness and holy,

1010
00:59:14,960 --> 00:59:21,960
if they're able to stand committed to God and not flirting with the world during tribulation,

1011
00:59:21,960 --> 00:59:32,080
then certainly by God's grace, we who are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise today can stand righteous today, can stand in obedience today.

1012
00:59:32,080 --> 00:59:42,000
We can do it because God is with us and we are his people called to be lights to this world, to shine in the midst of the darkness, not to be a part of it.

1013
00:59:42,000 --> 00:59:47,440
And so the hope and the truth of all of this is, yeah, we're looking forward to the day where we will stand with him,

1014
00:59:47,440 --> 00:59:51,000
presented before God blameless and before the throne of God.

1015
00:59:51,000 --> 01:00:00,000
But until then, we are called to just make every step, every decision, every every moment of our day, God, I'm yours.

1016
01:00:00,000 --> 01:00:07,600
I belong to you. I am sealed with your seal. Do with me what you will.

1017
01:00:07,600 --> 01:00:12,160
Use me that others would come to know you because the time is short.

1018
01:00:12,160 --> 01:00:17,200
The end is coming and we got a lot of work to do. Amen. All right, let's pray.

1019
01:00:17,200 --> 01:00:20,080
Father, we thank you, God, for your word.

1020
01:00:20,080 --> 01:00:22,600
We thank you, Lord, for the encouragement.

1021
01:00:22,600 --> 01:00:27,920
God, even in looking at this group of people, it's a very specific group of people, Lord.

1022
01:00:27,920 --> 01:00:35,920
There's no symbolism to the hundred forty four thousand our Lord, because you gave us a very specific description.

1023
01:00:35,920 --> 01:00:41,200
But God, the lesson that we see, Lord, and you're keeping them through this horrible time,

1024
01:00:41,200 --> 01:00:47,360
this tribulation time, God reminds us and encourages us.

1025
01:00:47,360 --> 01:00:51,800
The Lord, we today as Christians, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.

1026
01:00:51,800 --> 01:00:56,880
Lord, not that we're going to go through the world unharmed as these hundred forty four thousand our Lord.

1027
01:00:56,880 --> 01:01:02,960
We know that many Christians today suffer great injustices and great harms, Lord.

1028
01:01:02,960 --> 01:01:06,800
But God, today, with the hope of heaven and the seal of the spirit, Lord,

1029
01:01:06,800 --> 01:01:12,360
we know that regardless of what happens in this world, you're going to get us to you.

1030
01:01:12,360 --> 01:01:16,560
Just as you get these hundred forty four thousand to you through the tribulation.

1031
01:01:16,560 --> 01:01:22,000
So, God, help us to stand on those promises, to trust in those promises, to to walk in those promises, Lord,

1032
01:01:22,000 --> 01:01:26,480
knowing God, how amazing you are, knowing God, the power that you have,

1033
01:01:26,480 --> 01:01:30,920
knowing God that through everything when it comes to sin and wickedness and the devil and the Antichrist,

1034
01:01:30,920 --> 01:01:34,640
all of it, Lord, you are victorious.

1035
01:01:34,640 --> 01:01:39,480
And that those who are yours will stand victorious as well.

1036
01:01:39,480 --> 01:02:01,920
We thank you, God, we love you. In Jesus name, we pray. Amen. Let's worship, guys.