1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:04,700
Good morning. How are you all doing today?

2
00:00:04,700 --> 00:00:08,360
Awesome. I am doing great. Thank you so much.

3
00:00:08,360 --> 00:00:13,520
We like to start every Sunday when we gather together first by saying welcome to

4
00:00:13,520 --> 00:00:15,820
all of you who might be joining us here on our room for

5
00:00:15,820 --> 00:00:19,160
the first time or if you're joining us online, welcome.

6
00:00:19,160 --> 00:00:21,960
We're so glad you're here to worship with us today.

7
00:00:21,960 --> 00:00:27,800
I am Pastor Nathan and we will be taking communion today as a body.

8
00:00:27,800 --> 00:00:32,280
So if you did not get your communion cups as you came in the door,

9
00:00:32,280 --> 00:00:36,040
we are going to have the elders come in and give them to you.

10
00:00:36,040 --> 00:00:38,080
If anybody not get their communion cup,

11
00:00:38,080 --> 00:00:39,800
did everybody get one? We're good?

12
00:00:39,800 --> 00:00:41,760
All right. All right. We got it covered.

13
00:00:41,760 --> 00:00:43,720
Cool. But if you're online,

14
00:00:43,720 --> 00:00:45,840
we want to encourage you guys to get your communion albums ready.

15
00:00:45,840 --> 00:00:49,720
We will be taking communion together at the end of service today.

16
00:00:49,720 --> 00:00:56,760
But this morning, we are going to be looking at the final judgment of the earth,

17
00:00:56,760 --> 00:00:59,560
pictured as a great harvest,

18
00:00:59,560 --> 00:01:02,520
a great reaping of the world.

19
00:01:02,520 --> 00:01:07,480
Some of you may have heard the word Armageddon from time to time in life.

20
00:01:07,480 --> 00:01:11,760
It's a good theme to make movies off of some feel.

21
00:01:11,760 --> 00:01:16,080
Armageddon, it's a word that is broadly used in our society to

22
00:01:16,080 --> 00:01:20,640
refer to any cataclysmic ending of the world,

23
00:01:20,640 --> 00:01:22,380
the end of life as we know it.

24
00:01:22,380 --> 00:01:26,160
But biblically, Armageddon is a word used to describe where

25
00:01:26,160 --> 00:01:29,840
the final battle will take place between the armies of

26
00:01:29,840 --> 00:01:34,800
Satan and the armies of God at the very tail end of the tribulation period.

27
00:01:34,800 --> 00:01:36,680
The word Armageddon, incidentally,

28
00:01:36,680 --> 00:01:39,760
means the mountain of Megiddo.

29
00:01:39,760 --> 00:01:44,120
Megiddo is a place in Israel you can actually visit the ruins of today.

30
00:01:44,120 --> 00:01:47,040
It's less of a mountain as we think of a mountain and more of

31
00:01:47,040 --> 00:01:49,880
a hill that a city is built on top of.

32
00:01:49,880 --> 00:01:53,440
But this area of Megiddo is what this word Armageddon means,

33
00:01:53,440 --> 00:01:54,920
the mountain of Megiddo.

34
00:01:54,920 --> 00:01:59,520
It's also used to refer to the great valley that is next to this city of

35
00:01:59,520 --> 00:02:03,440
Megiddo where this battle at the end of time will take place.

36
00:02:03,440 --> 00:02:08,480
It's in this place where God's judgments will finally and fully be poured out on

37
00:02:08,480 --> 00:02:14,840
sin and a sinful world and it effectively ends that era of Earth's history.

38
00:02:14,840 --> 00:02:20,760
So yeah, the battle of Armageddon can be considered to be the end of the world.

39
00:02:20,760 --> 00:02:22,840
Now the word Armageddon, incidentally,

40
00:02:22,840 --> 00:02:25,960
is only found one single time in all of scripture.

41
00:02:25,960 --> 00:02:30,920
And it's found in Revelation 16, 16 as part of the sixth bowl judgment.

42
00:02:30,920 --> 00:02:32,920
And we will deal with that when we get there.

43
00:02:32,920 --> 00:02:35,320
But the event, the battle of Armageddon,

44
00:02:35,320 --> 00:02:38,560
is something that is spoken of scripturally very frequently and

45
00:02:38,560 --> 00:02:41,400
referred to often prophetically.

46
00:02:41,400 --> 00:02:44,920
But what takes place at Armageddon?

47
00:02:44,920 --> 00:02:50,560
Judgment is a word that does appear frequently in scripture.

48
00:02:50,560 --> 00:02:56,600
The word judgment and all its variations, the word judge, plurals, judgments,

49
00:02:56,600 --> 00:03:02,600
all of the different variations of the word judgment appear about 450 times

50
00:03:02,600 --> 00:03:03,600
throughout scripture.

51
00:03:05,800 --> 00:03:08,440
And so when we've been looking at and studying through Revelation,

52
00:03:08,440 --> 00:03:13,760
we saw in the first part of Revelation 14, we saw a look ahead to the final

53
00:03:13,760 --> 00:03:19,160
redemption of the 144,000 Jewish evangelists at the end of tribulation.

54
00:03:19,160 --> 00:03:24,720
The second part of Revelation 14, we took a look ahead at God's final

55
00:03:24,720 --> 00:03:28,840
invitation to salvation to all the inhabitants of the earth.

56
00:03:28,840 --> 00:03:32,120
And then today as we look at the third part of Revelation 14,

57
00:03:32,120 --> 00:03:37,160
we're gonna look ahead to the final judgment of God on those who reject

58
00:03:37,160 --> 00:03:39,040
the offer of salvation.

59
00:03:39,040 --> 00:03:43,240
Now I do wanna say this real quickly, if it's your first time joining us here at

60
00:03:43,240 --> 00:03:45,680
Hosanna, whether you're a Christian or

61
00:03:45,680 --> 00:03:48,200
if you don't know the Lord as your personal savior, but

62
00:03:48,200 --> 00:03:51,560
you're here just to join us and investigate and hear.

63
00:03:53,360 --> 00:03:56,000
This isn't all we preach about, okay?

64
00:03:56,000 --> 00:03:59,320
It's not all about the judgment and wrath of God.

65
00:03:59,320 --> 00:04:02,720
And I would hate for anybody to leave here today thinking,

66
00:04:02,720 --> 00:04:06,600
there they go again, those Christians talking about hell, fire, and brimstone.

67
00:04:06,600 --> 00:04:11,520
But as a church, we do teach from cover to cover, Genesis to Revelation,

68
00:04:11,520 --> 00:04:16,200
verse by verse, chapter by chapter, book by book, so that we study and

69
00:04:16,200 --> 00:04:20,200
learn the entire wisdom of God, the entire word of God,

70
00:04:20,200 --> 00:04:23,200
and everything he has to say about everything.

71
00:04:23,200 --> 00:04:27,560
What that means is sometimes we're teaching the really fun, good stuff, and

72
00:04:27,560 --> 00:04:31,480
sometimes we're teaching the very difficult things of God's judgment.

73
00:04:31,480 --> 00:04:34,600
And we happen to be here as a church in the book of Revelation,

74
00:04:34,600 --> 00:04:38,200
which is the Revelation of Jesus Christ.

75
00:04:38,200 --> 00:04:42,960
Specifically, it's the Revelation of Jesus Christ in His ascended glory.

76
00:04:42,960 --> 00:04:50,400
And a look at the end of time when God will finally judge sin and wickedness.

77
00:04:50,400 --> 00:04:54,800
But I want you to know today, we still live in the age of grace.

78
00:04:54,800 --> 00:04:57,160
The age where God is waiting patiently for

79
00:04:57,160 --> 00:05:00,160
all to come to know Him as Lord and Savior.

80
00:05:00,160 --> 00:05:03,960
And so if you don't know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior today,

81
00:05:03,960 --> 00:05:07,320
I pray that you would come to know Him and give your life to Him.

82
00:05:07,320 --> 00:05:10,680
But as we study this particular section of scripture today,

83
00:05:10,680 --> 00:05:18,320
that is a very difficult picture of the wrath of God pouring out on sin and sinners.

84
00:05:18,320 --> 00:05:22,640
I do pray that you would understand how God feels about sin.

85
00:05:22,640 --> 00:05:25,320
Because I make no apology for what the word of God teaches.

86
00:05:25,320 --> 00:05:26,280
It is truth.

87
00:05:26,280 --> 00:05:27,840
It will always be truth.

88
00:05:27,840 --> 00:05:30,040
And we need every part of it, amen?

89
00:05:30,040 --> 00:05:31,520
First, we're gonna worship God though and

90
00:05:31,520 --> 00:05:34,520
spend some time just praising His name because He is glorious.

91
00:05:34,520 --> 00:05:35,240
He is worth it.

92
00:05:35,240 --> 00:05:36,520
He is almighty.

93
00:05:36,520 --> 00:05:40,320
He is our Lord and Savior, the one who has saved us from sin,

94
00:05:40,320 --> 00:05:42,880
saved us from the wrath to come on sin.

95
00:05:42,880 --> 00:05:46,360
And that is so worth praising Him for, right?

96
00:05:46,360 --> 00:05:47,040
Let's pray.

97
00:05:47,040 --> 00:05:48,880
God, we love you so much.

98
00:05:48,880 --> 00:05:50,360
We thank you, Lord, for your word.

99
00:05:51,360 --> 00:05:54,280
God, it is your word that reveals to us truth.

100
00:05:54,280 --> 00:05:58,720
It is your word that reveals to us everything we need to find you,

101
00:05:58,720 --> 00:06:02,320
to reconnect with you, Lord, to be saved from the power of sin,

102
00:06:02,320 --> 00:06:04,720
to be saved from the penalty of sin, God,

103
00:06:04,720 --> 00:06:09,160
that we would know that we have salvation and hope in you.

104
00:06:09,160 --> 00:06:12,160
And so God, today, as we continue to study your word, Lord,

105
00:06:12,160 --> 00:06:14,440
we look at something that's very difficult.

106
00:06:14,440 --> 00:06:18,680
Lord, a picture of the final judgment at the end of tribulation.

107
00:06:19,680 --> 00:06:22,320
Lord, I pray, God, that as we study this picture, Lord,

108
00:06:22,320 --> 00:06:25,080
we would see more of who you are, Lord,

109
00:06:25,080 --> 00:06:27,480
as we study this revelation of Jesus Christ.

110
00:06:28,480 --> 00:06:31,680
That we would learn how serious sin is to you.

111
00:06:32,800 --> 00:06:35,680
We would see your heart towards sin, Lord,

112
00:06:35,680 --> 00:06:39,320
that it is not something to be tolerated.

113
00:06:39,320 --> 00:06:41,480
It is not something to be ignored.

114
00:06:41,480 --> 00:06:44,200
It is not something to be justified.

115
00:06:44,200 --> 00:06:46,520
But God, it is something that destroys,

116
00:06:46,520 --> 00:06:49,400
and it destroys your creation, and you hate sin.

117
00:06:50,760 --> 00:06:53,360
God, we do know that today we live in this time

118
00:06:53,360 --> 00:06:55,680
where you are patiently waiting, Lord.

119
00:06:55,680 --> 00:06:58,160
As wickedness abounds, you are still patiently waiting

120
00:06:58,160 --> 00:07:01,080
for people to come to know you as Savior.

121
00:07:02,440 --> 00:07:04,360
But God, we know there is a time coming

122
00:07:04,360 --> 00:07:06,320
where that patience will come to an end.

123
00:07:07,200 --> 00:07:11,720
Lord, we may be reminded, not just at the serious of sin,

124
00:07:11,720 --> 00:07:13,600
but reminded, Lord, that time is short,

125
00:07:13,600 --> 00:07:17,280
and that there is an urgency to go out and tell people

126
00:07:17,280 --> 00:07:18,920
about the hope that is in you.

127
00:07:20,480 --> 00:07:23,440
But Lord, we wanna start this morning by worshiping you,

128
00:07:23,440 --> 00:07:28,280
praising your holy name, because God, you are God.

129
00:07:29,200 --> 00:07:31,680
You are holy, and we love you so much.

130
00:07:31,680 --> 00:07:33,760
God, receive our praise this morning.

131
00:07:33,760 --> 00:07:35,400
Speak to us in your word.

132
00:07:35,400 --> 00:07:36,440
We love you.

133
00:07:36,440 --> 00:07:38,680
It's in Jesus' name we pray, amen.

134
00:07:38,680 --> 00:07:42,280
We are in Revelation chapter 14,

135
00:07:42,280 --> 00:07:44,440
and we have quite a bit of territory to cover here,

136
00:07:44,440 --> 00:07:47,480
so if I talk fast, I do apologize in advance,

137
00:07:47,480 --> 00:07:50,320
but the picture that we are looking at today

138
00:07:50,320 --> 00:07:52,600
here at the end of Revelation 14

139
00:07:52,600 --> 00:07:55,400
is a picture of a harvest and harvest time.

140
00:07:55,400 --> 00:07:58,560
It's verses 14 through 20 that we're looking at,

141
00:07:58,560 --> 00:08:00,880
and what we see here today is Jesus

142
00:08:00,880 --> 00:08:04,880
with a sickle, an angel with a sickle.

143
00:08:04,880 --> 00:08:09,400
We see a call to reap, for the harvest is ripe.

144
00:08:09,400 --> 00:08:13,760
We see a harvest of grain and a harvest of grapes,

145
00:08:13,760 --> 00:08:16,440
and the imagery of this section in this Revelation

146
00:08:16,440 --> 00:08:19,520
as this is being given to John the Apostle

147
00:08:19,520 --> 00:08:24,280
is very common imagery to people who lived at that time

148
00:08:24,280 --> 00:08:26,600
and the people who received this letter,

149
00:08:26,600 --> 00:08:29,520
especially those in ancient Israel,

150
00:08:29,520 --> 00:08:34,080
because most of the society at that time was agrarian.

151
00:08:34,080 --> 00:08:36,720
They were agricultural in vocation.

152
00:08:36,720 --> 00:08:38,880
They were farmers and people who worked the land,

153
00:08:38,880 --> 00:08:42,120
and so the pictures here would be very, very common to them.

154
00:08:42,120 --> 00:08:44,120
The vision that we're reading about

155
00:08:44,120 --> 00:08:46,560
really is something that plays into

156
00:08:46,560 --> 00:08:49,040
what was very familiar to the readers,

157
00:08:49,040 --> 00:08:51,560
just as Jesus often did with his parables.

158
00:08:51,560 --> 00:08:53,160
If you read through the gospels

159
00:08:53,160 --> 00:08:55,400
and you read through the parables that Jesus gave,

160
00:08:55,400 --> 00:08:58,960
he often spoke in terms that the people would understand.

161
00:08:58,960 --> 00:09:01,840
He spoke of sowing and reaping.

162
00:09:01,840 --> 00:09:04,560
He spoke of wheat and weeds.

163
00:09:04,560 --> 00:09:07,560
He spoke of grapes and wine presses.

164
00:09:07,560 --> 00:09:09,680
He spoke of all this agricultural stuff,

165
00:09:09,680 --> 00:09:14,480
because that's what was the primary characteristics

166
00:09:14,480 --> 00:09:17,040
of how people lived life then, you know?

167
00:09:17,040 --> 00:09:18,960
If Jesus gave this vision today,

168
00:09:18,960 --> 00:09:20,920
he might use different language.

169
00:09:20,920 --> 00:09:23,360
He might speak in terms of the Internet

170
00:09:23,360 --> 00:09:26,400
and social media and technology

171
00:09:26,400 --> 00:09:29,480
and likes and subscriptions.

172
00:09:29,480 --> 00:09:33,720
But then it was about harvest time and the related concepts,

173
00:09:33,720 --> 00:09:36,520
such things that people were used to.

174
00:09:36,520 --> 00:09:39,920
And so for us, we have to kind of look into those things

175
00:09:39,920 --> 00:09:43,880
because we don't necessarily connect to the idea of harvest time,

176
00:09:43,880 --> 00:09:46,080
especially from a vocational concept,

177
00:09:46,080 --> 00:09:49,040
because we don't, especially here in Southern California,

178
00:09:49,040 --> 00:09:51,960
really live according to the seasons, do we?

179
00:09:51,960 --> 00:09:55,560
Like in California, the four seasons are hot.

180
00:09:55,560 --> 00:09:57,160
Kind of hot.

181
00:09:57,160 --> 00:09:59,080
Maybe not so hot.

182
00:09:59,080 --> 00:10:00,760
Yeah, it's a little hot.

183
00:10:00,760 --> 00:10:03,240
Those are the four seasons we get here, right?

184
00:10:03,240 --> 00:10:05,240
The leaves don't change colors.

185
00:10:05,240 --> 00:10:07,000
You know, it's just, it's different.

186
00:10:07,000 --> 00:10:09,560
But there are parts of the world where the seasons are very,

187
00:10:09,560 --> 00:10:13,080
very defined by what happens in nature around us.

188
00:10:13,080 --> 00:10:15,960
And then for some people, farmers today even,

189
00:10:15,960 --> 00:10:18,120
they still follow the seasons in their jobs.

190
00:10:18,120 --> 00:10:21,680
But many of us, we don't connect that way to this type of language.

191
00:10:21,680 --> 00:10:24,640
And even when we do think of harvest time,

192
00:10:24,640 --> 00:10:27,440
I think most Christians today think of harvest time,

193
00:10:27,440 --> 00:10:29,320
we think of fall.

194
00:10:29,320 --> 00:10:31,760
We think of leaves falling.

195
00:10:31,760 --> 00:10:34,240
We think of the onset of Christmas time.

196
00:10:34,240 --> 00:10:40,200
Maybe what we think of is Thanksgiving or pumpkin spice lattes.

197
00:10:40,200 --> 00:10:42,720
Right? That's harvest time. That's fall.

198
00:10:42,720 --> 00:10:46,240
And so for many Christians,

199
00:10:46,240 --> 00:10:49,120
we don't necessarily connect to the agricultural side of it.

200
00:10:49,120 --> 00:10:52,520
And then specifically, when we think of the term harvest,

201
00:10:52,520 --> 00:10:55,840
it might bring thoughts of evangelism and outreach, right?

202
00:10:55,840 --> 00:10:59,040
Because we have things here like harvest crusade

203
00:10:59,040 --> 00:11:01,280
that Greg Laurie puts on every year, Pastor Greg.

204
00:11:01,280 --> 00:11:04,320
And then we have verses like Matthew 9 verse 37,

205
00:11:04,320 --> 00:11:06,520
where Jesus says to his disciples,

206
00:11:06,520 --> 00:11:08,920
the harvest is abundant, but the workers are few.

207
00:11:08,920 --> 00:11:11,600
Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest

208
00:11:11,600 --> 00:11:13,640
to send out workers into his harvest.

209
00:11:13,640 --> 00:11:15,800
And so we think outreach.

210
00:11:15,800 --> 00:11:20,080
We think the reaping of those that are ready to come to know the Lord.

211
00:11:20,080 --> 00:11:24,040
But here in Revelation 14 that we're looking at today,

212
00:11:24,040 --> 00:11:27,440
and interestingly enough in most places in the Bible,

213
00:11:27,440 --> 00:11:33,280
the concept of harvest is connected to the concept of judgment.

214
00:11:33,280 --> 00:11:35,680
Harvest and judgment are connected together.

215
00:11:35,680 --> 00:11:42,000
So you might be familiar with biblical terms like you sow what you reap.

216
00:11:42,000 --> 00:11:46,760
Right? And that's a concept of if you reap into bad things,

217
00:11:46,760 --> 00:11:48,760
you're going to sow bad things.

218
00:11:48,760 --> 00:11:54,240
And so this idea biblically is often that harvest time is a time of judgment.

219
00:11:54,240 --> 00:11:57,960
In Jeremiah 51, 33, we see this where it says,

220
00:11:57,960 --> 00:12:01,880
for this is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel says,

221
00:12:01,880 --> 00:12:06,160
daughter Babylon is like a threshing floor at the time it is trampled.

222
00:12:06,160 --> 00:12:11,240
In just a little while, her harvest time will come.

223
00:12:11,240 --> 00:12:14,520
Which is very interesting because last week in the middle of Revelation 14,

224
00:12:14,520 --> 00:12:21,560
we just got done looking at the angel declaring the fall of Babylon the Great during the end times.

225
00:12:21,560 --> 00:12:27,920
In the book of Joel, which is an entire prophecy in the Old Testament all about the end times,

226
00:12:27,920 --> 00:12:35,280
he speaks of the time of judgment as a time of reaping and a time of harvesting.

227
00:12:35,280 --> 00:12:41,160
We know that John the Baptist, when he was speaking of Jesus, the Messiah to come in Matthew chapter three, verse 12,

228
00:12:41,160 --> 00:12:47,720
he said, his winnowing shovel is in his hand and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn.

229
00:12:47,720 --> 00:12:52,080
But the chaff he will burn with fire that never goes out.

230
00:12:52,080 --> 00:12:55,320
And that word winnowing, when he said his winnowing shovel,

231
00:12:55,320 --> 00:13:01,720
winnowing is the act of separating the wheat from the chaff in grain harvesting.

232
00:13:01,720 --> 00:13:06,280
And so we see this idea of judgment connected to harvest a lot.

233
00:13:06,280 --> 00:13:13,160
Jesus once told a parable about the wheat and the weeds, or in the more traditional translations, the wheat and the tares.

234
00:13:13,160 --> 00:13:19,520
We're going to look at that in more detail later because I think it is an explanation for what we're seeing here in Revelation 14.

235
00:13:19,520 --> 00:13:27,680
But in that parable in Matthew 13, Jesus told us that the harvest is the end of the age.

236
00:13:27,680 --> 00:13:33,040
And so we're going to see how that parable, Jesus told, really gives us an understanding

237
00:13:33,040 --> 00:13:42,320
that here in Revelation 14, verses 14 through 20, it's a picture of the final harvest time that will take place here on earth,

238
00:13:42,320 --> 00:13:47,120
what the final bold judgments will culminate in at the end of tribulation.

239
00:13:47,120 --> 00:13:51,520
So read with me in Revelation 14, starting in verse 14.

240
00:13:51,520 --> 00:14:02,320
It says, Then I looked and there was a white cloud and one like the son of man was seated on the cloud with a golden crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand.

241
00:14:02,320 --> 00:14:07,920
Another angel came out of the temple crying out in a loud voice to the one who was seated on the cloud.

242
00:14:07,920 --> 00:14:15,000
Use your sickle and reap for the time to reap has come since the harvest of the earth is ripe.

243
00:14:15,000 --> 00:14:22,000
So the one seated on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth and the earth was harvested.

244
00:14:22,000 --> 00:14:27,320
Now, the first thing to notice here in the first question you might have is who is the reaper?

245
00:14:27,320 --> 00:14:35,160
It tells us it's one like the son of man seated on the cloud with a golden crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand.

246
00:14:35,160 --> 00:14:38,840
This is Jesus Christ, the Savior, the Messiah.

247
00:14:38,840 --> 00:14:42,280
Jesus is often called the son of man.

248
00:14:42,280 --> 00:14:53,520
It is a title attributed to him very often in scripture, both in Daniel, which is very, very heavy prophetically about the end times and the Gospels as well.

249
00:14:53,520 --> 00:15:02,040
In fact, 82 times in the New Testament, Jesus is given the title the son of man, which is a title of humanity,

250
00:15:02,040 --> 00:15:11,320
speaking of how Jesus is God in the flesh, how Jesus is fully human while also being fully God at the same time.

251
00:15:11,320 --> 00:15:14,280
That's what this title son of man refers to.

252
00:15:14,280 --> 00:15:25,440
And it really speaks to the idea that Jesus Christ is the supreme example of everything that God intended mankind to be.

253
00:15:25,440 --> 00:15:36,440
That Jesus, as a as that example, is the embodiment, the perfect embodiment of truth and grace, which is what God created us to be.

254
00:15:36,440 --> 00:15:42,800
But you might ask the question, why does it then say one like the son of man?

255
00:15:42,800 --> 00:15:52,440
Oftentimes throughout Revelation, I've pointed out that we can tell that things are being spoken of metaphorically or being spoken of symbolically,

256
00:15:52,440 --> 00:15:58,480
because John will often say there was something like something else.

257
00:15:58,480 --> 00:16:04,880
Well, here, when it says like the son of man, John is referencing not something different,

258
00:16:04,880 --> 00:16:10,680
but he is referencing what he has already seen in this vision, this vision of Jesus Christ.

259
00:16:10,680 --> 00:16:15,160
If you remember back in Revelation, Chapter one, verse thirteen,

260
00:16:15,160 --> 00:16:21,880
John said he saw among the lampstands one like the son of man.

261
00:16:21,880 --> 00:16:26,160
But it was Jesus. We know it was Jesus, right?

262
00:16:26,160 --> 00:16:35,560
Daniel, Chapter seven, verse thirteen, it says one like a son of man was given an everlasting dominion and glory and a kingdom.

263
00:16:35,560 --> 00:16:41,240
And we know contextually that whole prophecy is speaking of the Messiah.

264
00:16:41,240 --> 00:16:46,840
And then in Luke 21, twenty seven, Jesus, speaking of himself at the end time, said this,

265
00:16:46,840 --> 00:16:52,360
then they will see the son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

266
00:16:52,360 --> 00:16:59,560
And so John here, as you see in this vision, he's saying, I'm seeing someone that looks just like Jesus.

267
00:16:59,560 --> 00:17:03,320
I'm seeing someone that looks just like him.

268
00:17:03,320 --> 00:17:10,800
The son of man, like the one I saw in the beginning, the one we've talked about prophetically, it's Jesus.

269
00:17:10,800 --> 00:17:19,480
And so what this tells us is that this harvest at the end of time is personally supervised and oversaw by Jesus Christ.

270
00:17:19,480 --> 00:17:23,360
This shouldn't surprise some of us.

271
00:17:23,360 --> 00:17:27,920
But some will go, oh, Jesus, I've seen the pictures of Jesus.

272
00:17:27,920 --> 00:17:33,000
He's like he's like a big cuddly blanket.

273
00:17:33,000 --> 00:17:34,360
He's like a warm hug.

274
00:17:34,360 --> 00:17:37,920
Jesus would never judge anybody.

275
00:17:37,920 --> 00:17:42,200
And that's a struggle for some people.

276
00:17:42,200 --> 00:17:46,200
That's not all Jesus is, but he is judge.

277
00:17:46,200 --> 00:17:50,720
We do know that scripture tells us Jesus is love.

278
00:17:50,720 --> 00:17:54,080
Jesus is God in the flesh.

279
00:17:54,080 --> 00:17:56,760
As God, Jesus is light.

280
00:17:56,760 --> 00:18:01,040
Jesus himself said, I am the way, the truth and the life.

281
00:18:01,040 --> 00:18:03,560
Jesus is the good shepherd.

282
00:18:03,560 --> 00:18:07,080
Jesus is the great healer.

283
00:18:07,080 --> 00:18:15,000
Jesus is all of these things, but we can't just pick the ones that make us feel good and reject the ones that challenge us.

284
00:18:15,000 --> 00:18:20,800
And so here we see that Jesus is overseeing this great harvest of judgment.

285
00:18:20,800 --> 00:18:24,800
In fact, in John, chapter five, verse twenty two, Jesus said this.

286
00:18:24,800 --> 00:18:35,880
The father, in fact, judges no one, but has given all judgment to the son so that all people may honor the son just as they honor the father.

287
00:18:35,880 --> 00:18:41,800
Anyone who does not honor the son does not honor the father who sent him.

288
00:18:41,800 --> 00:18:48,840
And I fully acknowledge that this may shatter the meek, mild baby Jesus picture that some of us might want to hold on to.

289
00:18:48,840 --> 00:18:55,280
The Jesus that is never angry with us would never say you're doing wrong.

290
00:18:55,280 --> 00:19:01,160
But Jesus, although he is meek and mild, he is gentle and loving, and that is all true.

291
00:19:01,160 --> 00:19:04,000
One day he will sit as judge of the entire earth.

292
00:19:04,000 --> 00:19:07,400
And that's what we see here today in Revelation 14.

293
00:19:07,400 --> 00:19:11,760
Notice that he is not carrying an olive branch of peace.

294
00:19:11,760 --> 00:19:17,080
He is not carrying a cross that he carried to Calvary.

295
00:19:17,080 --> 00:19:20,040
But instead, it says he comes with a sickle.

296
00:19:20,040 --> 00:19:21,320
You guys have seen the sickle, right?

297
00:19:21,320 --> 00:19:23,720
You've all seen the picture of a grim reaper, right?

298
00:19:23,720 --> 00:19:25,080
The big staff with the blade on it.

299
00:19:25,080 --> 00:19:26,680
It was used to harvest the wheat.

300
00:19:26,680 --> 00:19:27,800
That's what the sickle is.

301
00:19:27,800 --> 00:19:32,040
It's a reaping and harvesting instrument.

302
00:19:32,040 --> 00:19:42,840
And again, as we look at this revelation of Jesus Christ that the book of Revelation is, we have to understand some things that the first time Jesus came to the earth, he came as a servant.

303
00:19:42,840 --> 00:19:45,160
He came to to seek and save the loss.

304
00:19:45,160 --> 00:19:47,000
He was coming to be the propitiation.

305
00:19:47,000 --> 00:19:49,160
The atonement for the sin of all mankind.

306
00:19:49,160 --> 00:19:56,440
But the second time he's going to come as sovereign king with the authority to pass judgment.

307
00:19:56,440 --> 00:20:00,240
The first time Jesus came, he came as the one obeying.

308
00:20:00,240 --> 00:20:04,120
That he was submitting himself to the Father's will here on earth.

309
00:20:04,120 --> 00:20:08,080
But the second time he's going to come as the one commanding.

310
00:20:08,080 --> 00:20:16,360
The first time he came alone to live with an obscure Jewish couple in a nothing town.

311
00:20:16,360 --> 00:20:24,000
The second time he's going to come with all the angels of heaven, seen by all to rule over the entire earth.

312
00:20:24,000 --> 00:20:29,320
First time he came in humility, second time in glorious majesty.

313
00:20:29,320 --> 00:20:31,920
First time, as I said, he came to seek and save the lost.

314
00:20:31,920 --> 00:20:38,840
The second time it's going to be to judge and sentence the lost.

315
00:20:38,840 --> 00:20:46,320
And so the first time as he came as a sower to sow the seeds of the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the second time he comes as the reaper.

316
00:20:46,320 --> 00:20:48,720
Now notice why.

317
00:20:48,720 --> 00:20:55,440
The angel says use your sickle and reap for the time to reap has come since the harvest of the earth is ripe.

318
00:20:55,440 --> 00:20:59,000
Now I said earlier that we see two harvests here.

319
00:20:59,000 --> 00:21:04,680
We see a harvest of grain and a harvest of grapes as a part of this final collective picture of the harvest.

320
00:21:04,680 --> 00:21:10,160
And although the word grain is not specifically mentioned here in verse 16 when it says,

321
00:21:10,160 --> 00:21:14,760
so the one seated on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth and the earth was harvested.

322
00:21:14,760 --> 00:21:18,920
It's the picture of how grain was harvested with a sickle.

323
00:21:18,920 --> 00:21:23,600
And so that's where we get the idea of this being a grain harvest.

324
00:21:23,600 --> 00:21:31,680
But in a broader sense, a harvest is where something is separated from something, where a distinction is made.

325
00:21:31,680 --> 00:21:34,400
We see the parable of the wheat and the weeds.

326
00:21:34,400 --> 00:21:37,320
We talk about the wheat being separated from the chaff.

327
00:21:37,320 --> 00:21:41,800
And the word ripe there when it says the harvest of the earth is ripe.

328
00:21:41,800 --> 00:21:46,560
That word ripe that is used there is typically used to refer to a grain type of harvest.

329
00:21:46,560 --> 00:21:53,840
And so some people look at this first harvest in Revelation 14 and they go, no, this is this is a harvest of saved souls.

330
00:21:53,840 --> 00:21:56,640
They see that it's the saved being saved.

331
00:21:56,640 --> 00:21:59,800
And they'll point to things like, you know, it's Jesus doing the harvesting, right.

332
00:21:59,800 --> 00:22:03,960
And the next one with the grapes, it's an angel doing the harvesting.

333
00:22:03,960 --> 00:22:10,040
They say here there's no mention of the harvest being thrown into God's wrath, like we see in the grape harvest next.

334
00:22:10,040 --> 00:22:16,200
And then, of course, they'll point to earlier in the chapter, it said, look at the 144,000 who were sealed and saved.

335
00:22:16,200 --> 00:22:19,480
They are the first fruits of a greater harvest to come.

336
00:22:19,480 --> 00:22:22,920
And so they'll go, this harvest is a is a harvest of salvation.

337
00:22:22,920 --> 00:22:28,520
And I will concede that is a possible interpretation of this first harvest.

338
00:22:28,520 --> 00:22:33,360
However, I do see it as a harvest of judgment for a few reasons.

339
00:22:33,360 --> 00:22:48,120
Verse 15, it says the angel said, since the harvest of the earth is ripe, the Greek word used there for ripe is most often used in a negative sense, not a positive sense.

340
00:22:48,120 --> 00:22:55,360
The Greek word for ripe there means to be dry, withered, overripe or rotten.

341
00:22:55,360 --> 00:22:56,840
That's what the word ripe means there.

342
00:22:56,840 --> 00:23:05,800
It's not a word used to describe something good, as in what might be our common understanding, like, oh, the harvest is ripe.

343
00:23:05,800 --> 00:23:07,160
People are ready to get saved.

344
00:23:07,160 --> 00:23:10,560
That's not how this word is typically used.

345
00:23:10,560 --> 00:23:15,040
The idea that the angel is saying, look, the harvest is withered.

346
00:23:15,040 --> 00:23:17,360
The harvest is dried out, rotten.

347
00:23:17,360 --> 00:23:20,040
It needs to be cold.

348
00:23:20,040 --> 00:23:23,560
And that is the perfect picture of the unsaved during this time.

349
00:23:23,560 --> 00:23:37,360
At the end of tribulation, as wickedness has reached its crescendo, as sin has just dominated the world, as the world is under the control of the Antichrist and the false prophet, this one world religion and this one world government.

350
00:23:37,360 --> 00:23:42,520
And it's just it's abounded, this wickedness.

351
00:23:42,520 --> 00:23:49,480
And what the angel is saying is that the harvest of humanity is dried out.

352
00:23:49,480 --> 00:23:50,360
It's withered.

353
00:23:50,360 --> 00:23:52,200
It's rotten.

354
00:23:52,200 --> 00:23:58,480
And so he calls the one, the son of man with the sickle, to come and harvest.

355
00:23:58,480 --> 00:24:02,160
That's really a condition of the world in general, isn't it?

356
00:24:02,160 --> 00:24:12,600
We look around and we see so much that we might consider rotten, overripe, if you will, so much that we would look around and call withered or dry.

357
00:24:12,600 --> 00:24:15,880
And that will be the condition that marks the world at the end of time.

358
00:24:15,880 --> 00:24:22,120
And, you know, when it comes to the rottenness and the wickedness, that at the end of all things, if you say no to Jesus,

359
00:24:22,120 --> 00:24:34,560
no to Jesus, no to Jesus, all the way to the very end, the only response that God could have would put the sickle of judgment to that withered stalk.

360
00:24:34,560 --> 00:24:36,920
But then you might go, well, what about the saved?

361
00:24:36,920 --> 00:24:40,600
Right. If he's going to swing the sickle across the harvest, what about the saved?

362
00:24:40,600 --> 00:24:43,840
What about the ones who aren't withered, who aren't rotten?

363
00:24:43,840 --> 00:24:50,960
Well, this is where I believe Jesus already explained this in Matthew, chapter 13, verses 24 through 30,

364
00:24:50,960 --> 00:24:56,320
where Jesus is explaining the harvest in this section where he is again using agricultural parables.

365
00:24:56,320 --> 00:24:58,080
And this is what Jesus said.

366
00:24:58,080 --> 00:25:00,520
He presented another parable to them.

367
00:25:00,520 --> 00:25:05,400
He said, The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field.

368
00:25:05,400 --> 00:25:10,960
But while people were sleeping, his enemy came, sowed weeds among the wheat and left.

369
00:25:10,960 --> 00:25:15,200
When the plants sprouted and produced grain, then the weeds also appeared.

370
00:25:15,200 --> 00:25:20,640
The landowner's servant came to him and said, Master, didn't you sow good seed in your field?

371
00:25:20,640 --> 00:25:22,680
Then where did the weeds come from?

372
00:25:22,680 --> 00:25:25,200
An enemy did this, he told them.

373
00:25:25,200 --> 00:25:28,480
So do you want us to go out and pull them up?

374
00:25:28,480 --> 00:25:30,400
The servants asked him.

375
00:25:30,400 --> 00:25:32,280
No, he said.

376
00:25:32,280 --> 00:25:36,320
Lest when you pull up the weeds, you may also uproot the wheat with them.

377
00:25:36,320 --> 00:25:38,040
What is he telling the servants?

378
00:25:38,040 --> 00:25:40,600
You can't tell the difference.

379
00:25:40,600 --> 00:25:45,160
So don't go out and try and determine who is and who isn't wheat.

380
00:25:45,160 --> 00:25:46,720
But then what does he go on to say?

381
00:25:46,720 --> 00:25:50,280
Let both grow together until the harvest.

382
00:25:50,280 --> 00:25:53,440
At harvest time, I'll tell the reapers.

383
00:25:53,440 --> 00:25:56,840
The ones who can tell the difference gather the weeds first and tie them into bundles

384
00:25:56,840 --> 00:26:00,960
and burn them, but collect the wheat in my barn.

385
00:26:00,960 --> 00:26:08,040
Now later on in Matthew 13, down in verse 37, the disciples are like, hey, Jesus, we

386
00:26:08,040 --> 00:26:10,320
didn't understand that.

387
00:26:10,320 --> 00:26:12,520
Can you explain it to us?

388
00:26:12,520 --> 00:26:18,480
And so in verse 37 of Matthew 13, Jesus replied, he said, the one who sows the good seed is

389
00:26:18,480 --> 00:26:20,520
the son of man.

390
00:26:20,520 --> 00:26:25,120
Interestingly, the same exact title he has here in Revelation 14.

391
00:26:25,120 --> 00:26:27,320
The field is the world.

392
00:26:27,320 --> 00:26:28,960
It's God's field.

393
00:26:28,960 --> 00:26:30,520
God is creator.

394
00:26:30,520 --> 00:26:33,840
And the good seed, these are the children of the kingdom.

395
00:26:33,840 --> 00:26:39,080
The weeds are the children of the evil one, and the enemy who sold them is the devil.

396
00:26:39,080 --> 00:26:43,560
The harvest is the end of the age.

397
00:26:43,560 --> 00:26:48,880
And the harvesters are angels, which we're going to see in the next, the grape harvest.

398
00:26:48,880 --> 00:26:53,240
Therefore, just as the weeds are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the

399
00:26:53,240 --> 00:26:56,680
end of the age, speaking of judgment.

400
00:26:56,680 --> 00:27:00,440
So the son of man will send out his angels, and they will gather from his kingdom all

401
00:27:00,440 --> 00:27:04,800
who cause sin and those guilty of lawlessness.

402
00:27:04,800 --> 00:27:07,200
Who are they gathering for the reaping?

403
00:27:07,200 --> 00:27:10,240
It's the sinners.

404
00:27:10,240 --> 00:27:13,920
They will throw them into the blazing furnace where they'll be weeping and gnashing of

405
00:27:13,920 --> 00:27:16,240
teeth, speaking of hell.

406
00:27:16,240 --> 00:27:18,920
Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their father's kingdom.

407
00:27:18,920 --> 00:27:22,920
Let anyone who has ears listen.

408
00:27:22,920 --> 00:27:28,360
So when I see this parable of Matthew 13, to me, it's Jesus, and I believe it's Jesus

409
00:27:28,360 --> 00:27:33,360
explaining the first harvest that we're reading about here in verse 14, the harvest of the

410
00:27:33,360 --> 00:27:37,200
dry and the withered and the overripe and the rotten grain.

411
00:27:37,200 --> 00:27:41,680
This first harvest, it's not a harvest of like, look, Jesus is saving all the souls.

412
00:27:41,680 --> 00:27:45,960
It's a harvest of separation is what's taking place here.

413
00:27:45,960 --> 00:27:50,360
Just as those that were harvesting grape would swing the sickle to separate the wheat from

414
00:27:50,360 --> 00:27:52,760
the chaff.

415
00:27:52,760 --> 00:27:56,880
That's what we're looking at in Revelation 14.

416
00:27:56,880 --> 00:28:01,640
Matthew 13, Jesus says the harvest of the parable is the end of the age.

417
00:28:01,640 --> 00:28:03,800
That's what we're looking at in Revelation 14.

418
00:28:03,800 --> 00:28:06,800
He says the field, his field is the world.

419
00:28:06,800 --> 00:28:12,560
And we know that in the world, some will follow God, some will follow Satan.

420
00:28:12,560 --> 00:28:16,640
And at the end of the age, this parable is teaching us that there will be a separation.

421
00:28:16,640 --> 00:28:19,960
There will be a distinction.

422
00:28:19,960 --> 00:28:24,520
And so in Revelation 14, we see the picture of this distinction, a picture at the very

423
00:28:24,520 --> 00:28:27,880
end of Revelation where the angels have gathered together, right?

424
00:28:27,880 --> 00:28:34,080
It's the angels are the one coming out and going, the harvest is ready, swing the sickle.

425
00:28:34,080 --> 00:28:37,680
But they have gathered the withered and the rotten ready to be harvested to be thrown

426
00:28:37,680 --> 00:28:41,260
into the blazing service, furnace.

427
00:28:41,260 --> 00:28:45,960
But I think it's interesting because in the parable in Matthew 13, it specifically says

428
00:28:45,960 --> 00:28:55,420
the servants of the master are not the ones who determine who is and who isn't saved.

429
00:28:55,420 --> 00:28:57,500
And that lines up with other teaching throughout scripture.

430
00:28:57,500 --> 00:28:59,200
We don't know the heart of anybody.

431
00:28:59,200 --> 00:29:00,200
Do you know my heart?

432
00:29:00,200 --> 00:29:01,200
No.

433
00:29:01,200 --> 00:29:02,880
Do I know your heart ultimately?

434
00:29:02,880 --> 00:29:03,880
No.

435
00:29:03,880 --> 00:29:07,120
So here we can evaluate and we can look at behaviors and words, but at the end of the

436
00:29:07,120 --> 00:29:11,800
day, nobody knows the heart of man, but God.

437
00:29:11,800 --> 00:29:14,920
Sometimes we get far too eager.

438
00:29:14,920 --> 00:29:18,960
Some of us think I have the ministry of distinction.

439
00:29:18,960 --> 00:29:25,600
I am called to determine you are not saved even though you call yourself a Christian.

440
00:29:25,600 --> 00:29:32,520
You be very careful trying to enter into that because that is not the call of us, the servants.

441
00:29:32,520 --> 00:29:36,520
Only God knows the heart and God's angels are going to be part of that distinction.

442
00:29:36,520 --> 00:29:40,040
But our job here and now is to get the word of God into the hands of people and to preach

443
00:29:40,040 --> 00:29:43,440
the gospel of Jesus Christ that they would be saved.

444
00:29:43,440 --> 00:29:44,440
That's our job.

445
00:29:44,440 --> 00:29:46,440
Yes, we exercise wisdom.

446
00:29:46,440 --> 00:29:51,240
Yes, we exercise discernment, but don't get too caught up in being the one to determine

447
00:29:51,240 --> 00:29:53,520
whether people are and aren't saved.

448
00:29:53,520 --> 00:29:56,720
If you think they might not be, pray for them.

449
00:29:56,720 --> 00:29:58,200
Pray for them.

450
00:29:58,200 --> 00:30:03,120
If you think their theology is off, kindly and lovingly have conversation with them and

451
00:30:03,120 --> 00:30:08,080
do Bible study together so that you can come to understand those things that might be off.

452
00:30:08,080 --> 00:30:13,000
But don't be the one to point the finger because that is God's job.

453
00:30:13,000 --> 00:30:16,600
If it were up to us, we'd mess it up anyways.

454
00:30:16,600 --> 00:30:18,040
So what does he say to the servants here?

455
00:30:18,040 --> 00:30:20,600
He goes, look, be patient.

456
00:30:20,600 --> 00:30:23,580
They're going to grow together until the end of the age, wait till the end and then I will

457
00:30:23,580 --> 00:30:24,580
handle it.

458
00:30:24,580 --> 00:30:29,240
Up to the end of the age, the wheat and the weeds are both allowed to grow together in

459
00:30:29,240 --> 00:30:31,160
the field that is the world.

460
00:30:31,160 --> 00:30:38,980
The wicked and the saved grow, live together in this field that is the planet earth.

461
00:30:38,980 --> 00:30:42,820
And during this age of grace that we're in now, God has not yet stepped in to wipe out

462
00:30:42,820 --> 00:30:44,940
all the centers.

463
00:30:44,940 --> 00:30:48,700
He has not yet stepped in to cast final judgment and destroy the wicked.

464
00:30:48,700 --> 00:30:52,340
And for some of us that are believers now, we wrestle with that, don't we?

465
00:30:52,340 --> 00:30:55,480
We hear about some of the things that take place in the world and we're like, God, how

466
00:30:55,480 --> 00:31:00,180
can you, how can you let that continue?

467
00:31:00,180 --> 00:31:04,960
And we don't understand and we wrestle with this sometimes.

468
00:31:04,960 --> 00:31:09,700
And I'll admit that there's times where there's no answer outside of God is still waiting

469
00:31:09,700 --> 00:31:12,560
for even that person to get saved.

470
00:31:12,560 --> 00:31:16,520
And God is doing work in that person's life that they would come to know him.

471
00:31:16,520 --> 00:31:19,680
And we have to be okay with that.

472
00:31:19,680 --> 00:31:24,560
But God hasn't stepped in yet and the glorious truth of why he hasn't yet is because in this

473
00:31:24,560 --> 00:31:29,820
age any weed can become wheat.

474
00:31:29,820 --> 00:31:32,740
Any weed can become wheat if they put their faith in Jesus Christ.

475
00:31:32,740 --> 00:31:37,100
And so he is still patiently waiting for all who will be saved to be saved.

476
00:31:37,100 --> 00:31:41,200
But revelation we see the time is coming.

477
00:31:41,200 --> 00:31:45,620
The time is coming when he will separate the wheat from the weeds and the weeds will be

478
00:31:45,620 --> 00:31:49,160
harvested and cast into the blazing furnace.

479
00:31:49,160 --> 00:31:52,760
So this whole wheat and weeds thing, it's not just for end times.

480
00:31:52,760 --> 00:31:55,400
We see it in the church today too.

481
00:31:55,400 --> 00:32:03,340
In churches across the world, in congregations, in fellowships, possibly even here at Hosanna.

482
00:32:03,340 --> 00:32:11,600
The reality is both God's wheat and Satan's weeds exist side by side.

483
00:32:11,600 --> 00:32:17,680
I've said it a lot that the devil is a master counterfeiter and there's nothing that is

484
00:32:17,680 --> 00:32:20,800
too sacred for him to try and counterfeit.

485
00:32:20,800 --> 00:32:24,480
There is no place so sacred that he won't try and infiltrate.

486
00:32:24,480 --> 00:32:27,440
We've already seen him in revelation at the end times where he's going to try and counterfeit

487
00:32:27,440 --> 00:32:28,440
the Holy Trinity.

488
00:32:28,440 --> 00:32:32,280
We've got the Father, Son and the Spirit and the devil is going to try and set himself

489
00:32:32,280 --> 00:32:36,800
as the devil, the Father, the Antichrist, the false Messiah and the false prophet as

490
00:32:36,800 --> 00:32:42,120
the spirit pointing to the Messiah.

491
00:32:42,120 --> 00:32:43,160
He counterfeits Christ.

492
00:32:43,160 --> 00:32:49,720
He counterfeits the mark of God with the mark of the beast.

493
00:32:49,720 --> 00:32:53,680
He also has counterfeit Christians.

494
00:32:53,680 --> 00:32:55,120
The devil has counterfeit Christians.

495
00:32:55,120 --> 00:32:58,760
He sows his weeds among the wheat.

496
00:32:58,760 --> 00:33:05,440
Like the weeds, in those days these tears that would grow up amongst the wheat, even

497
00:33:05,440 --> 00:33:09,480
experts had a hard time telling the difference between what was a weed and what was actually

498
00:33:09,480 --> 00:33:10,720
wheat.

499
00:33:10,720 --> 00:33:14,200
It was hard to tell the difference and just like that there are people in our churches

500
00:33:14,200 --> 00:33:16,840
today that look so much like the wheat.

501
00:33:16,840 --> 00:33:18,520
You can't tell the difference.

502
00:33:18,520 --> 00:33:25,360
They look so good as Christians and yet something might happen and you may be tempted to try

503
00:33:25,360 --> 00:33:28,680
and wait a second and yank them out.

504
00:33:28,680 --> 00:33:30,120
What does God say in the parable?

505
00:33:30,120 --> 00:33:31,840
Whoa, whoa, whoa.

506
00:33:31,840 --> 00:33:33,320
Whoa, whoa, whoa.

507
00:33:33,320 --> 00:33:34,320
That's my job.

508
00:33:34,320 --> 00:33:36,040
I'll handle that.

509
00:33:36,040 --> 00:33:38,240
Pray for them.

510
00:33:38,240 --> 00:33:43,200
Keep preaching Jesus, stand on truth, extend grace and mercy, but don't try to be the one

511
00:33:43,200 --> 00:33:44,400
to yank them out.

512
00:33:44,400 --> 00:33:49,440
Now yes, again, there are times when sin is very obvious and prevalent and we have to

513
00:33:49,440 --> 00:33:51,760
deal with things and as churches we have to deal with things.

514
00:33:51,760 --> 00:33:58,200
I'm not saying we just turn a blind eye, but when it comes to the wheat and tears we just

515
00:33:58,200 --> 00:34:05,640
have to be careful and err on the side of letting God do his work.

516
00:34:05,640 --> 00:34:12,640
The disciples had this mindset of wanting to root things out, separation now, right?

517
00:34:12,640 --> 00:34:14,440
They wanted judgment and harvest right away.

518
00:34:14,440 --> 00:34:19,400
You guys remember the story when Jesus and the disciples were in Samaria?

519
00:34:19,400 --> 00:34:23,280
It reads that Jesus and his disciples, they were looking for a place to stay.

520
00:34:23,280 --> 00:34:31,480
They wanted a place to lodge and they were denied because their destination was Jerusalem.

521
00:34:31,480 --> 00:34:35,560
You see there were some racial tensions between the Jews and the Samaritans at this time and

522
00:34:35,560 --> 00:34:40,960
so if you were going to Jerusalem during harvest time or during Passover time or during festival

523
00:34:40,960 --> 00:34:45,160
time, Samaritans knew that, oh you're probably a Jew, we don't like you, we have no place

524
00:34:45,160 --> 00:34:46,160
for you, right?

525
00:34:46,160 --> 00:34:51,200
There was these tensions going on and James and John in that story says, Jesus, would

526
00:34:51,200 --> 00:34:57,000
you like us to call down fire from heaven and smite them all?

527
00:34:57,000 --> 00:35:02,560
Now I've felt that way at times where I can't find a hotel to stay at or something.

528
00:35:02,560 --> 00:35:03,560
How dare you be close?

529
00:35:03,560 --> 00:35:06,360
I'm tired.

530
00:35:06,360 --> 00:35:09,160
They were ready to have judgment now.

531
00:35:09,160 --> 00:35:12,680
They were ready for harvest now but Jesus rebuked them.

532
00:35:12,680 --> 00:35:16,360
You guys don't know what spirit you're of.

533
00:35:16,360 --> 00:35:17,840
That's not how we roll.

534
00:35:17,840 --> 00:35:22,940
We don't call down fire from heaven and smite them just because they created an inconvenience

535
00:35:22,940 --> 00:35:23,940
for us.

536
00:35:23,940 --> 00:35:26,900
He said, look, let's go to another village and they did so.

537
00:35:26,900 --> 00:35:30,240
Even the church has been guilty of this throughout church history.

538
00:35:30,240 --> 00:35:36,200
In the fourth century when Emperor Constantine made Christianity the religion of the empire,

539
00:35:36,200 --> 00:35:40,120
it really turned into follow Christ or you'll be killed.

540
00:35:40,120 --> 00:35:43,120
Many true believers were killed during this time.

541
00:35:43,120 --> 00:35:48,560
Then we had the Middle Ages, you had the Crusades, you had the Spanish Inquisition and all of

542
00:35:48,560 --> 00:35:49,560
these.

543
00:35:49,560 --> 00:35:54,400
Many true believers were killed because somebody decided to take it upon themselves to make

544
00:35:54,400 --> 00:35:57,240
the distinction between the wheat and the chaff.

545
00:35:57,240 --> 00:36:05,600
Jesus' point is, look, now is not the age of the sickle judgment but the wide net of

546
00:36:05,600 --> 00:36:07,800
evangelism.

547
00:36:07,800 --> 00:36:10,240
We're not harvesting today.

548
00:36:10,240 --> 00:36:13,680
We're fishing today.

549
00:36:13,680 --> 00:36:15,400
We bring people in now.

550
00:36:15,400 --> 00:36:17,160
We tell them the gospel of grace.

551
00:36:17,160 --> 00:36:22,620
We want the harvest now in that sense to be a wide net full of fish, people coming to

552
00:36:22,620 --> 00:36:25,220
know Jesus Christ.

553
00:36:25,220 --> 00:36:26,600
Not the sickle of judgment.

554
00:36:26,600 --> 00:36:30,640
Today is a time of sowing, not reaping.

555
00:36:30,640 --> 00:36:34,080
Reaping will come at the end of the age.

556
00:36:34,080 --> 00:36:37,520
And at that time it'll be God the one making the distinction because God is the only one

557
00:36:37,520 --> 00:36:38,520
who knows the heart.

558
00:36:38,520 --> 00:36:40,980
He knows who is really His and who is not His.

559
00:36:40,980 --> 00:36:44,100
He will separate when He is ready.

560
00:36:44,100 --> 00:36:48,040
That's what I believe we're looking at in the first harvest parable of Revelation 14.

561
00:36:48,040 --> 00:36:50,480
But now we come to the second one.

562
00:36:50,480 --> 00:36:56,060
Then another angel who also had a sharp sickle came out of the temple of heaven, verse 17.

563
00:36:56,060 --> 00:36:59,840
But another angel who had authority over fire came from the altar and he called with a loud

564
00:36:59,840 --> 00:37:02,720
voice to the one who had the sharp sickle.

565
00:37:02,720 --> 00:37:07,320
Use your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of grapes from the vineyard of the earth because

566
00:37:07,320 --> 00:37:09,560
its grapes have ripened.

567
00:37:09,560 --> 00:37:12,800
So the angel swung a sickle at the earth and gathered the grapes from the vineyard of the

568
00:37:12,800 --> 00:37:13,800
earth.

569
00:37:13,800 --> 00:37:16,620
And he threw them into the great winepress of God's wrath.

570
00:37:16,620 --> 00:37:20,960
Then the press was trampled outside of the city and the blood flowed up to the press

571
00:37:20,960 --> 00:37:26,800
or flowed out of the press up to the horse's bridles for 180 miles.

572
00:37:26,800 --> 00:37:31,040
So this picture of the harvest at the end of things is not about the harvest of separation

573
00:37:31,040 --> 00:37:35,000
but a harvest of utter destruction.

574
00:37:35,000 --> 00:37:36,760
First we had this harvest of grain.

575
00:37:36,760 --> 00:37:39,920
This one is a harvest of grapes.

576
00:37:39,920 --> 00:37:44,400
Now if you go back to times, ancient times when this was written and even in places today,

577
00:37:44,400 --> 00:37:49,240
the harvest of grapes was a harvest that took place during the summer months of the year.

578
00:37:49,240 --> 00:37:51,480
It was like July to September.

579
00:37:51,480 --> 00:37:54,880
What you would see at that time is you would travel through the land, you would look out

580
00:37:54,880 --> 00:38:00,080
and you'd see people from all over out in the fields picking grapes, putting them into

581
00:38:00,080 --> 00:38:04,560
baskets and taking them into the winepress.

582
00:38:04,560 --> 00:38:09,360
In the grape harvest, there's no picture of separation.

583
00:38:09,360 --> 00:38:13,920
There's no idea even going back to another parable of good grapes, bad grapes in that

584
00:38:13,920 --> 00:38:18,320
sense, the way Jesus spoke of the grain harvest in Matthew.

585
00:38:18,320 --> 00:38:22,680
It was just there was this gathering of grapes and they were thrown into the winepress.

586
00:38:22,680 --> 00:38:26,960
Now a winepress at that time was a cistern that was cut out of the rock.

587
00:38:26,960 --> 00:38:30,920
It was kind of like a big bowl that was cut out of the rock and they would throw the grapes

588
00:38:30,920 --> 00:38:35,280
into this thing and then at the bottom of the cistern there was a channel and a hole

589
00:38:35,280 --> 00:38:41,040
so the juice from the grapes as they were squashed could flow out of the cistern and

590
00:38:41,040 --> 00:38:42,560
then collected in vats and all that.

591
00:38:42,560 --> 00:38:46,760
So what would happen is that the juice would be gotten out of these grapes or you would

592
00:38:46,760 --> 00:38:49,640
throw them into the vat and the people would climb into the vat and you guys have seen

593
00:38:49,640 --> 00:38:53,960
pictures of people stomping grapes, right?

594
00:38:53,960 --> 00:38:59,280
Well in the time, they would stand in these cisterns and they would not just stomp but

595
00:38:59,280 --> 00:39:05,120
they would jump, they would dance, they were just having a grand old time smashing these

596
00:39:05,120 --> 00:39:10,360
grapes to get the juice out of the grapes and because it was this deep cistern, the

597
00:39:10,360 --> 00:39:14,220
juice would splatter up all over the walls of the cistern.

598
00:39:14,220 --> 00:39:17,080
The juice would splatter up all over their clothing.

599
00:39:17,080 --> 00:39:22,220
I mean it was a pretty dirty job, right, in that sense.

600
00:39:22,220 --> 00:39:25,400
Don't wear your nice clothes if you're going to go smash the grapes, okay?

601
00:39:25,400 --> 00:39:32,160
Because the grape juice is going to get everywhere and that's the idea of this particular vision.

602
00:39:32,160 --> 00:39:35,700
This one's not about a separation of wheat and the harvest for that.

603
00:39:35,700 --> 00:39:40,600
It's just simply about the wholesale destruction, the total threshing of the wicked at the end

604
00:39:40,600 --> 00:39:43,160
of the tribulation period.

605
00:39:43,160 --> 00:39:47,280
You'll notice here that the one doing the harvesting is an angel with a sickle and then

606
00:39:47,280 --> 00:39:53,520
there's another angel with authority over fire that is called to make the call to harvest.

607
00:39:53,520 --> 00:39:56,400
Now I want you to notice that second angel.

608
00:39:56,400 --> 00:40:01,560
The one that specifically says had authority over fire, where did that angel come from?

609
00:40:01,560 --> 00:40:04,120
It says he came from the altar.

610
00:40:04,120 --> 00:40:05,640
Altar.

611
00:40:05,640 --> 00:40:09,560
That word should be familiar to you as we've been studying Revelation because we saw the

612
00:40:09,560 --> 00:40:15,560
altar back in Revelation chapter 6 where there was a whole bunch of people under that altar.

613
00:40:15,560 --> 00:40:17,280
I'll read it for you.

614
00:40:17,280 --> 00:40:22,160
Revelation 6 verse 9, when he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those

615
00:40:22,160 --> 00:40:25,600
who had been slaughtered because of the word of God and the testimony they had given.

616
00:40:25,600 --> 00:40:30,560
Then they cried out with a loud voice, Lord, the one who is holy and true, how long until

617
00:40:30,560 --> 00:40:35,000
you judge those who live on the earth and avenge our blood?

618
00:40:35,000 --> 00:40:39,920
So they were each given a white robe and they were told to rest a little while longer until

619
00:40:39,920 --> 00:40:43,800
the number would be completed of their fellow servants and their brothers and sisters who

620
00:40:43,800 --> 00:40:48,080
were going to be killed just as they had been.

621
00:40:48,080 --> 00:40:51,520
There had been a cry from under this altar in heaven from those who were slaughtered

622
00:40:51,520 --> 00:40:52,800
for their faith.

623
00:40:52,800 --> 00:40:57,240
I believe these were people slaughtered for their faith during the tribulation period

624
00:40:57,240 --> 00:40:59,440
because the church is already gone.

625
00:40:59,440 --> 00:41:01,320
I know people have different opinions on that.

626
00:41:01,320 --> 00:41:02,320
I get it.

627
00:41:02,320 --> 00:41:03,320
All right.

628
00:41:03,320 --> 00:41:06,040
But I believe the church is raptured at the beginning of tribulation.

629
00:41:06,040 --> 00:41:09,760
And then during tribulation, there is this worldwide evangelism that takes place.

630
00:41:09,760 --> 00:41:13,040
People get saved and they don't just lose their business for their faith.

631
00:41:13,040 --> 00:41:16,800
They aren't just told that they can't sell flowers or make cakes for their faith.

632
00:41:16,800 --> 00:41:17,800
They're killed.

633
00:41:17,800 --> 00:41:22,200
They're slaughtered for their faith, which is happening today, but will be rampant around

634
00:41:22,200 --> 00:41:25,400
the world during the tribulation period.

635
00:41:25,400 --> 00:41:29,200
And so they're saying, Jesus, when are you going to go judge them?

636
00:41:29,200 --> 00:41:33,920
Guess what he gives them, a white robe.

637
00:41:33,920 --> 00:41:39,240
If it was the believer's job to go smash the grapes, it wouldn't make sense to give you

638
00:41:39,240 --> 00:41:40,240
a white robe.

639
00:41:40,240 --> 00:41:41,640
So he gives them a white robe.

640
00:41:41,640 --> 00:41:42,640
He goes, you are here.

641
00:41:42,640 --> 00:41:43,640
You are saved.

642
00:41:43,640 --> 00:41:44,640
You are clean.

643
00:41:44,640 --> 00:41:45,640
Hold on.

644
00:41:45,640 --> 00:41:46,640
The time is coming.

645
00:41:46,640 --> 00:41:50,720
And so then we move up to Revelation chapter eight and we see this angel that comes from

646
00:41:50,720 --> 00:41:51,720
the altar.

647
00:41:51,720 --> 00:41:54,920
And in Revelation eight, this angel has an incense burner.

648
00:41:54,920 --> 00:41:58,320
And it tells us that the angel took the incense, mixed it with the prayers of the saints, and

649
00:41:58,320 --> 00:42:03,360
the smoke went up to God as a picture of God hearing the prayers of his people.

650
00:42:03,360 --> 00:42:07,040
But in verse five of Revelation eight, it says, then the angel filled it with fire from

651
00:42:07,040 --> 00:42:11,760
the altar and hurled it down to the earth.

652
00:42:11,760 --> 00:42:15,520
So I believe contextually those prayers that we see in Revelation eight are specifically

653
00:42:15,520 --> 00:42:20,560
these prayers of the martyrs during the tribulation period because he grabs those prayers and

654
00:42:20,560 --> 00:42:24,620
he grabs the incense and then he grabs the fire, possibly the very same angel who has

655
00:42:24,620 --> 00:42:29,380
authority over fire and hurls this down to the earth in judgment.

656
00:42:29,380 --> 00:42:33,880
I believe that because from that point forward, what we read is escalating judgment upon the

657
00:42:33,880 --> 00:42:34,880
earth.

658
00:42:34,880 --> 00:42:39,440
And so this angel who has authority over fire calls out to the angel with the sickle and

659
00:42:39,440 --> 00:42:41,180
says it is time.

660
00:42:41,180 --> 00:42:42,180
It is time.

661
00:42:42,180 --> 00:42:43,180
Do it.

662
00:42:43,180 --> 00:42:44,180
Reap.

663
00:42:44,180 --> 00:42:45,840
It is time for final judgment.

664
00:42:45,840 --> 00:42:49,520
And the detail of that judgment is what we're going to be looking at in the subsequent

665
00:42:49,520 --> 00:42:51,960
chapters as we move through Revelation.

666
00:42:51,960 --> 00:42:55,640
But he says use your sharp sickle and gather the cluster of grapes from the vineyard of

667
00:42:55,640 --> 00:42:59,520
the earth because its grapes have ripened.

668
00:42:59,520 --> 00:43:04,000
Now that word ripened, it's a different word than the one used previously.

669
00:43:04,000 --> 00:43:09,640
The one used previously was a word that was specifically used to reference a grain harvest.

670
00:43:09,640 --> 00:43:13,920
But this word here just simply means something is ready to bloom.

671
00:43:13,920 --> 00:43:15,160
Something is ready to burst.

672
00:43:15,160 --> 00:43:22,240
The idea is that these grapes are so full of juice they're ready to pop.

673
00:43:22,240 --> 00:43:24,780
And then he says it's from the vineyard of the earth.

674
00:43:24,780 --> 00:43:32,160
This idea of the vineyard or in other translations it says the vine, it simply refers to the

675
00:43:32,160 --> 00:43:34,280
plant that produces grapes.

676
00:43:34,280 --> 00:43:35,640
The plant that produces grapes.

677
00:43:35,640 --> 00:43:40,920
And so you go throughout scripture, you see the picture of the vine many different times.

678
00:43:40,920 --> 00:43:44,600
In the Old Testament, the vine is Israel.

679
00:43:44,600 --> 00:43:47,240
In the New Testament the vine is Jesus Christ.

680
00:43:47,240 --> 00:43:51,880
He says I am the vine, you are the branches in John 15.

681
00:43:51,880 --> 00:43:57,840
Here in Revelation 14 the vine or the vineyard is the vine of the earth.

682
00:43:57,840 --> 00:44:03,640
So the idea is what we're seeing here is a picture of the fruit that the earth has produced.

683
00:44:03,640 --> 00:44:08,760
And what the earth has produced through the end times is great wickedness and great sin.

684
00:44:08,760 --> 00:44:14,120
And so the fruit of wickedness that has come from the earth for centuries is finally about

685
00:44:14,120 --> 00:44:17,000
to be judged.

686
00:44:17,000 --> 00:44:21,400
He uses this language about the wine press being trampled.

687
00:44:21,400 --> 00:44:23,640
Remember what I was just talking about?

688
00:44:23,640 --> 00:44:29,340
How the people would stomp and dance and jump and smash in the cisterns and that juice would

689
00:44:29,340 --> 00:44:31,120
splatter everywhere?

690
00:44:31,120 --> 00:44:36,080
Well, it's a picture of the bloodbath of the final battle that is going to take place on

691
00:44:36,080 --> 00:44:37,280
earth.

692
00:44:37,280 --> 00:44:41,560
It's a picture of the bloodbath that final judgment is going to be when God finally says,

693
00:44:41,560 --> 00:44:46,960
hey look I have waited centuries for mankind to get saved.

694
00:44:46,960 --> 00:44:50,120
I had done this and I sent 144,000 witnesses.

695
00:44:50,120 --> 00:44:51,520
I sent two witnesses in Jerusalem.

696
00:44:51,520 --> 00:44:54,000
I had an angel fly through the sky and preach the gospel.

697
00:44:54,000 --> 00:44:56,500
You still want to cling to your sin?

698
00:44:56,500 --> 00:44:57,960
You still want to stay in that?

699
00:44:57,960 --> 00:44:58,960
Then okay.

700
00:44:58,960 --> 00:45:03,680
But I am a holy and a just God.

701
00:45:03,680 --> 00:45:06,560
And I will have to judge sin.

702
00:45:06,560 --> 00:45:10,920
When it says the city there that's likely the city of Jerusalem and biblically really

703
00:45:10,920 --> 00:45:13,800
Jerusalem is kind of the center of everything.

704
00:45:13,800 --> 00:45:17,320
Right in the Bible when you said north what you meant was north of Jerusalem.

705
00:45:17,320 --> 00:45:20,400
When you said south you meant south of Jerusalem.

706
00:45:20,400 --> 00:45:23,080
Jerusalem is kind of the center point of everything scripturally.

707
00:45:23,080 --> 00:45:28,720
And so Jewish readers reading this revelation would read the city and likely think of the

708
00:45:28,720 --> 00:45:34,120
city of Jerusalem which we have already seen again will be one of the world's focal points

709
00:45:34,120 --> 00:45:36,280
during the end time.

710
00:45:36,280 --> 00:45:40,080
Revelation 16 and Revelation 19 when it talks about the battle of Armageddon it talks about

711
00:45:40,080 --> 00:45:45,720
Jerusalem and the nation of Israel being surrounded by the nations of the world that will come

712
00:45:45,720 --> 00:45:48,440
and surround Jerusalem and try and destroy it.

713
00:45:48,440 --> 00:45:53,080
But God preserves it and protects it and the Jews that live there.

714
00:45:53,080 --> 00:46:03,280
And then it gives us a picture of this bloodbath where it says the blood that is spilt from

715
00:46:03,280 --> 00:46:09,080
this wine press of God's wrath will go up to the horses bridles for about 180 miles.

716
00:46:09,080 --> 00:46:11,120
That's a gruesome picture.

717
00:46:11,120 --> 00:46:15,000
Interestingly enough 180 miles is roughly the measurement of the entire nation of Israel

718
00:46:15,000 --> 00:46:18,460
north to south.

719
00:46:18,460 --> 00:46:22,240
What this is hinting at is that those nations will gather in Israel at the end of tribulation

720
00:46:22,240 --> 00:46:24,440
for a battle.

721
00:46:24,440 --> 00:46:26,320
But I think battle is a generous word.

722
00:46:26,320 --> 00:46:28,320
It's not going to be a battle.

723
00:46:28,320 --> 00:46:31,280
It's not even going to be a fight.

724
00:46:31,280 --> 00:46:36,720
I don't think Jesus is even going to break a sweat because he is God Almighty.

725
00:46:36,720 --> 00:46:40,240
He is God Almighty, all powerful.

726
00:46:40,240 --> 00:46:41,240
And so it won't be a fight.

727
00:46:41,240 --> 00:46:42,400
There will be no struggle for Jesus.

728
00:46:42,400 --> 00:46:44,840
There will be no call for reinforcements.

729
00:46:44,840 --> 00:46:45,840
None of that.

730
00:46:45,840 --> 00:46:53,000
When he comes standing on Mount Zion he will stomp all over those who stand against him.

731
00:46:53,000 --> 00:46:57,600
And those who in their arrogance would dare come against him and his people thinking that

732
00:46:57,600 --> 00:47:01,680
they may be the ones to wipe out everything that is God and is of God they will all be

733
00:47:01,680 --> 00:47:04,400
obliterated.

734
00:47:04,400 --> 00:47:09,440
And this battle thought to be in the valley outside of Megiddo which is north of the city

735
00:47:09,440 --> 00:47:17,080
of Jerusalem, this great valley that can host millions upon millions of combatants, a whole

736
00:47:17,080 --> 00:47:22,240
world standing against God and his people will be the final judgment on sin and a sinful

737
00:47:22,240 --> 00:47:23,240
humanity.

738
00:47:23,240 --> 00:47:30,160
And it will be that final judgment as God's full wrath is finally poured out.

739
00:47:30,160 --> 00:47:32,000
It's a graphic picture.

740
00:47:32,000 --> 00:47:35,160
It's a gruesome picture.

741
00:47:35,160 --> 00:47:39,680
And we get this glimpse that the blood shed in that battle will be so prevalent, the wicked

742
00:47:39,680 --> 00:47:46,520
will be so smashed and stomped that the blood will be splattered all over the wine press

743
00:47:46,520 --> 00:47:50,280
and be so thick that it will go all the way up to the horses' bridles throughout the entire

744
00:47:50,280 --> 00:47:52,640
nation of Israel.

745
00:47:52,640 --> 00:47:56,040
Frightening picture.

746
00:47:56,040 --> 00:48:03,560
God in His holiness because He is holy.

747
00:48:03,560 --> 00:48:08,840
It's His creation mankind that has spat in His face for centuries.

748
00:48:08,840 --> 00:48:15,000
Mankind has desecrated His holiness, desecrated His name and yet today He is still patient.

749
00:48:15,000 --> 00:48:16,360
He is still waiting.

750
00:48:16,360 --> 00:48:21,420
He still waits for the lost to be saved and that's wonderful.

751
00:48:21,420 --> 00:48:25,320
But a part of the message that we share in the gospel is not just that God loves you

752
00:48:25,320 --> 00:48:31,320
and has a wonderful plan for your life but that judgment awaits those who refuse Jesus

753
00:48:31,320 --> 00:48:33,080
Christ.

754
00:48:33,080 --> 00:48:36,880
That judgment is coming and many don't even know it.

755
00:48:36,880 --> 00:48:39,140
But Christian you and I do.

756
00:48:39,140 --> 00:48:42,000
We know what's coming down the pipe.

757
00:48:42,000 --> 00:48:43,480
We know what's in the future here.

758
00:48:43,480 --> 00:48:48,800
We have critical information that the world needs and they need to know that there is

759
00:48:48,800 --> 00:48:55,080
a God who loves them, who sent His Son to save them from their destiny of destruction

760
00:48:55,080 --> 00:48:58,760
that their sinful ways are leading to.

761
00:48:58,760 --> 00:49:00,200
They need to know that.

762
00:49:00,200 --> 00:49:07,160
That is why He came the first time to die once and for all for the sins of all mankind.

763
00:49:07,160 --> 00:49:11,920
To be the once and all, once for all atonement for the breaking of God's holy law.

764
00:49:11,920 --> 00:49:17,560
To be the once for all payment for the penalty due for the breaking of God's law to all who

765
00:49:17,560 --> 00:49:21,120
would call on the name of Jesus Christ.

766
00:49:21,120 --> 00:49:24,480
That's the gospel now and always.

767
00:49:24,480 --> 00:49:26,560
And that is why Jesus came the first time.

768
00:49:26,560 --> 00:49:32,880
That is why we are still living in the age of grace because He is patient and long-suffering.

769
00:49:32,880 --> 00:49:35,320
But not forever.

770
00:49:35,320 --> 00:49:36,320
Not forever.

771
00:49:36,320 --> 00:49:41,360
There is a time coming when all of that will be ended.

772
00:49:41,360 --> 00:49:45,560
Where from His throne of glory He will have a sickle in His hand.

773
00:49:45,560 --> 00:49:54,600
And the angel will announce it's time to reap the dry, the withered, the rotten.

774
00:49:54,600 --> 00:49:56,960
God you can see the difference between them and your people.

775
00:49:56,960 --> 00:50:00,120
It is time to make that separation.

776
00:50:00,120 --> 00:50:04,680
And another angel will come with a sickle of well and the grapes will be so full of

777
00:50:04,680 --> 00:50:09,040
wickedness and so full of sin and depravity that they are just ready to burst and the

778
00:50:09,040 --> 00:50:12,120
reaping will commence.

779
00:50:12,120 --> 00:50:20,480
And God in His holy just perfect righteousness will finally shed the blood of all those who

780
00:50:20,480 --> 00:50:25,040
rejected the shed blood of His Son.

781
00:50:25,040 --> 00:50:29,520
Why for the wages of sin is death.

782
00:50:29,520 --> 00:50:35,120
Hebrews 1031 says it's a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

783
00:50:35,120 --> 00:50:42,480
To face His wrath, His judgment, His infinite power and strength.

784
00:50:42,480 --> 00:50:48,840
Unless you have been washed clean by the shed blood of Jesus Christ.

785
00:50:48,840 --> 00:50:57,880
God loved you so much that He came to this earth to die the death that you and I deserve.

786
00:50:57,880 --> 00:50:59,680
We're the ones who sinned against God.

787
00:50:59,680 --> 00:51:01,640
We're the ones who broke God's law.

788
00:51:01,640 --> 00:51:08,200
But in His infinite grace and mercy He said before I wipe it all out and end it all.

789
00:51:08,200 --> 00:51:11,120
I'm going to come do a thing you could never do on your own.

790
00:51:11,120 --> 00:51:12,120
And I want you to believe in it.

791
00:51:12,120 --> 00:51:13,120
Put your faith in it.

792
00:51:13,120 --> 00:51:14,480
Trust in me.

793
00:51:14,480 --> 00:51:15,480
Because I love you so much.

794
00:51:15,480 --> 00:51:16,480
I want you to be with me.

795
00:51:16,480 --> 00:51:18,040
I don't want to pour judgment out on you.

796
00:51:18,040 --> 00:51:23,160
I want to save you.

797
00:51:23,160 --> 00:51:26,520
That free gift of salvation is eternal life.

798
00:51:26,520 --> 00:51:29,980
Salvation, forgiveness, mercy and grace.

799
00:51:29,980 --> 00:51:34,180
It all comes from Him and that's incidentally what we remember in communion.

800
00:51:34,180 --> 00:51:37,540
That's why we as the church celebrate communion.

801
00:51:37,540 --> 00:51:42,120
That's why here at Hosanna the first Sunday of every month we take communion.

802
00:51:42,120 --> 00:51:46,500
The only time we really interrupt that is when we have our baptism services or there's

803
00:51:46,500 --> 00:51:48,800
just extreme logistical challenges.

804
00:51:48,800 --> 00:51:52,980
But we regularly come together to celebrate communion because we want to remember this

805
00:51:52,980 --> 00:51:59,840
free gift of salvation that we have in Jesus Christ and all that it means.

806
00:51:59,840 --> 00:52:03,720
So if you're in the room here you should all have one of the communion cups.

807
00:52:03,720 --> 00:52:08,200
If you've never been with us these cups have two plastic tabs on the front.

808
00:52:08,200 --> 00:52:11,440
There's a thick tab and a very thin tab.

809
00:52:11,440 --> 00:52:16,360
If you will pull back the very thin tab right now it will reveal the bread, the cracker

810
00:52:16,360 --> 00:52:20,600
piece here on the top.

811
00:52:20,600 --> 00:52:25,840
We read in the gospels that when Jesus was there at that last supper with His disciples

812
00:52:25,840 --> 00:52:31,360
it says He took the bread and He broke it and He gave it to them and He said this is

813
00:52:31,360 --> 00:52:35,400
my body which is for you.

814
00:52:35,400 --> 00:52:38,920
Do this in remembrance of me.

815
00:52:38,920 --> 00:52:46,040
What we are seeing fall upon the world in tribulation time as we're studying through

816
00:52:46,040 --> 00:52:51,560
revelation is the full wrath of God Almighty on sin.

817
00:52:51,560 --> 00:52:54,800
That's what we're watching.

818
00:52:54,800 --> 00:53:01,680
But the wonderful truth is that full wrath already fell on Jesus Christ on the cross.

819
00:53:01,680 --> 00:53:05,020
And as you read through the story of what Jesus went through in the cross and the torture

820
00:53:05,020 --> 00:53:07,080
and the beatings and everything it's gruesome.

821
00:53:07,080 --> 00:53:11,380
It's horrific.

822
00:53:11,380 --> 00:53:19,120
And then being nailed to that cross and hanging there bleeding out and then dying.

823
00:53:19,120 --> 00:53:25,560
He did that to be the sacrifice paid for our sin.

824
00:53:25,560 --> 00:53:27,720
His body was given.

825
00:53:27,720 --> 00:53:35,040
God poured out His full wrath on His own son because sin had to be judged.

826
00:53:35,040 --> 00:53:39,800
God's just as well as all the other attributes He has.

827
00:53:39,800 --> 00:53:41,200
He couldn't turn a blind eye to sin.

828
00:53:41,200 --> 00:53:42,200
He couldn't ignore it.

829
00:53:42,200 --> 00:53:43,720
He couldn't pretend it didn't happen.

830
00:53:43,720 --> 00:53:45,280
He's holy.

831
00:53:45,280 --> 00:53:52,760
He's just and He would not be who He is if He just pretended sin didn't happen.

832
00:53:52,760 --> 00:53:59,280
He did all that so His justice could be satisfied while giving you and me the actual sinners

833
00:53:59,280 --> 00:54:01,760
a way to be reconciled to our Creator.

834
00:54:01,760 --> 00:54:05,760
A way to be forgiven.

835
00:54:05,760 --> 00:54:10,140
God in His infinite grace made a way for us to be saved from the penalty and the power

836
00:54:10,140 --> 00:54:13,320
of sin.

837
00:54:13,320 --> 00:54:20,840
And even today He waits in His infinite patience for every single person to come to know Him.

838
00:54:20,840 --> 00:54:24,440
For God's wrath is terrible and we know that.

839
00:54:24,440 --> 00:54:29,800
Facing God's wrath, the wrath of God the Father from heaven, it caused Jesus to sweat great

840
00:54:29,800 --> 00:54:31,880
drops of blood in the garden.

841
00:54:31,880 --> 00:54:38,680
The agony was so intense but although God's wrath is terrible, God's grace is wonderful

842
00:54:38,680 --> 00:54:44,200
and freely available to all who would call on the name of Jesus.

843
00:54:44,200 --> 00:54:48,960
This is what we remember in celebrating communion with the bread is that His body was given

844
00:54:48,960 --> 00:54:50,440
for us.

845
00:54:50,440 --> 00:54:55,340
If you want to know Jesus Christ today as you were Lord and Savior and you never have,

846
00:54:55,340 --> 00:55:00,680
you can do so in the act of participating in communion with us.

847
00:55:00,680 --> 00:55:05,920
By partaking of this bread is saying, God I believe that you are who you say you are.

848
00:55:05,920 --> 00:55:09,320
You are everything you said you are.

849
00:55:09,320 --> 00:55:10,920
Jesus I believe that you are God in the flesh.

850
00:55:10,920 --> 00:55:12,680
I believe you lived a perfect life on this earth.

851
00:55:12,680 --> 00:55:17,440
I believe you died for my sins on the cross.

852
00:55:17,440 --> 00:55:23,640
And I believe you when you said that if I put my faith in you, your payment will be

853
00:55:23,640 --> 00:55:26,480
attributed to my ledger.

854
00:55:26,480 --> 00:55:31,800
If you want to do that this morning, partake with us.

855
00:55:31,800 --> 00:55:36,440
This bread represents everything that Jesus did for us, that He took that full wrath of

856
00:55:36,440 --> 00:55:42,560
God on sin for us in our place that we would be forgiven, that we would be set free, that

857
00:55:42,560 --> 00:55:47,360
we would be saved from the wrath to come and He did it because He loved us so much.

858
00:55:47,360 --> 00:55:48,360
Let's pray.

859
00:55:48,360 --> 00:55:59,120
Father God, we are so grateful that you gave yourself as the payment for our sin.

860
00:55:59,120 --> 00:56:11,240
God, we are so grateful that when a perfect and holy and just God contemplated having

861
00:56:11,240 --> 00:56:19,360
to judge sin because it is evil and wicked, and He knew that that judgment was going to

862
00:56:19,360 --> 00:56:27,120
destroy the very creation He loved so much.

863
00:56:27,120 --> 00:56:32,680
God we are so grateful that then you came up with the plan to satisfy your justice while

864
00:56:32,680 --> 00:56:36,160
allowing us to be forgiven.

865
00:56:36,160 --> 00:56:42,800
That was your son Jesus Christ being nailed to the cross.

866
00:56:42,800 --> 00:56:50,120
A man who committed no crime, a man who committed no sin, and yet was judged most brutally for

867
00:56:50,120 --> 00:56:53,560
it.

868
00:56:53,560 --> 00:56:58,840
Even God we remember that because we know it is through that moment, that act God, that

869
00:56:58,840 --> 00:57:01,520
we are able to be forgiven of our sin.

870
00:57:01,520 --> 00:57:05,040
That Lord you could then look at us when we put our faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord

871
00:57:05,040 --> 00:57:13,640
and Savior, Lord you would be able to look at us not as those who judgment should fall

872
00:57:13,640 --> 00:57:17,960
upon or who deserve that judgment and those things are all true, but those who have been

873
00:57:17,960 --> 00:57:22,960
washed clean and forgiven.

874
00:57:22,960 --> 00:57:29,440
God your word tells us that when we put our faith in you that our sin is as far from your

875
00:57:29,440 --> 00:57:32,840
mind as the east is from the west.

876
00:57:32,840 --> 00:57:36,760
We don't deserve that Lord but we say thank you.

877
00:57:36,760 --> 00:57:40,920
We appreciate the giving of your body for us.

878
00:57:40,920 --> 00:57:45,440
We remember.

879
00:57:45,440 --> 00:58:01,000
Let's partake together.

880
00:58:01,000 --> 00:58:05,520
You have the cup here in the room, just very carefully pull back the thicker tab and it

881
00:58:05,520 --> 00:58:08,960
will rub you the juice here in the cup.

882
00:58:08,960 --> 00:58:13,360
When Jesus was at that same meal with the disciples it tells us that he took the cup

883
00:58:13,360 --> 00:58:17,320
and he said this is the new covenant in my blood.

884
00:58:17,320 --> 00:58:20,120
Do this in remembrance of me.

885
00:58:20,120 --> 00:58:21,120
This is the new covenant.

886
00:58:21,120 --> 00:58:25,520
You see the old covenant was a process of animal sacrifice and blood was shed over and

887
00:58:25,520 --> 00:58:29,440
over and over because without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin.

888
00:58:29,440 --> 00:58:31,240
It was the payment.

889
00:58:31,240 --> 00:58:35,400
That sinning against God required death.

890
00:58:35,400 --> 00:58:39,040
And so there was a system in place in the old covenant where God said okay if you bring

891
00:58:39,040 --> 00:58:45,360
these animals, these spotless animals, these animals that represented sinlessness and they

892
00:58:45,360 --> 00:58:48,000
died in your place your sin would be covered.

893
00:58:48,000 --> 00:58:50,320
That was the old covenant.

894
00:58:50,320 --> 00:58:53,760
Problem was is that never changed the heart of man and man had to keep coming back every

895
00:58:53,760 --> 00:58:57,600
year with more and more sacrifice.

896
00:58:57,600 --> 00:59:01,720
But when Jesus came he said this is the new covenant in my blood.

897
00:59:01,720 --> 00:59:07,960
That his sacrifice on the cross, his shed blood for you and me wouldn't just cover our sin

898
00:59:07,960 --> 00:59:09,920
it would wash it away completely.

899
00:59:09,920 --> 00:59:15,200
It wouldn't just cause our still wicked hearts to just be kind of covered momentarily but

900
00:59:15,200 --> 00:59:21,320
that he would give us a brand new heart, change us from the inside out totally and completely.

901
00:59:21,320 --> 00:59:25,880
To make us brand new people.

902
00:59:25,880 --> 00:59:33,040
Sadly during the end times mankind will get the opportunity to pay its own price for sin.

903
00:59:33,040 --> 00:59:37,020
And that will be a shedding of its own blood.

904
00:59:37,020 --> 00:59:41,620
And that's sad because the blood of mankind is imperfect.

905
00:59:41,620 --> 00:59:43,480
It is stained by sin.

906
00:59:43,480 --> 00:59:44,480
It is marred.

907
00:59:44,480 --> 00:59:50,500
It cannot and will not ever be pure enough to atone for sin against an almighty holy

908
00:59:50,500 --> 00:59:55,400
and just God and that is why Jesus shed his blood.

909
00:59:55,400 --> 00:59:57,020
That it was perfect.

910
00:59:57,020 --> 01:00:02,200
Him being the only sinless person that has ever lived the son of man fully identified

911
01:00:02,200 --> 01:00:04,720
with us in our humanity.

912
01:00:04,720 --> 01:00:08,320
But perfect without sin, spot or blemish.

913
01:00:08,320 --> 01:00:15,360
When he shed his blood on the cross it established a brand new covenant between him and us.

914
01:00:15,360 --> 01:00:20,560
It established a brand new covenant between our creator and us his creation.

915
01:00:20,560 --> 01:00:25,360
It established one that said Jesus I can trust in you.

916
01:00:25,360 --> 01:00:30,400
It was a covenant where God said look just trust in me and what I've done for you.

917
01:00:30,400 --> 01:00:34,560
Trust in my sacrifice alone for your salvation.

918
01:00:34,560 --> 01:00:35,560
Move your life to me.

919
01:00:35,560 --> 01:00:36,560
Walk in obedience.

920
01:00:36,560 --> 01:00:40,800
Be all that I intended you to be through my life, through the power of my spirit and I

921
01:00:40,800 --> 01:00:48,600
will apply my perfect blood as payment for the penalty that you owe.

922
01:00:48,600 --> 01:00:53,760
This is what we remember and celebrate with the Jews in communion.

923
01:00:53,760 --> 01:00:56,360
That we have a brand new covenant with God.

924
01:00:56,360 --> 01:01:00,040
That his blood flowed freely.

925
01:01:00,040 --> 01:01:04,960
Not up to the horse's bridle but over all of mankind.

926
01:01:04,960 --> 01:01:09,320
That all who would call upon the name of Jesus Christ would be saved.

927
01:01:09,320 --> 01:01:16,640
Forgiven and because we have put our faith in him and his work.

928
01:01:16,640 --> 01:01:20,680
We've put our faith in the fact that he shed his blood.

929
01:01:20,680 --> 01:01:22,960
We won't ever have to.

930
01:01:22,960 --> 01:01:27,200
We won't ever have to shed our own blood because judgment has been satisfied.

931
01:01:27,200 --> 01:01:28,200
Hallelujah.

932
01:01:28,200 --> 01:01:30,360
Let's pray.

933
01:01:30,360 --> 01:01:34,040
Father God we thank you Lord.

934
01:01:34,040 --> 01:01:38,680
We thank you for your shed blood on the cross and how it washes us clean of all sin.

935
01:01:38,680 --> 01:01:42,880
Lord we trust in your work.

936
01:01:42,880 --> 01:01:46,080
That you were the perfect sacrifice.

937
01:01:46,080 --> 01:01:50,880
You were the one without spot, without blemish laid on the altar.

938
01:01:50,880 --> 01:01:56,520
But your blood was shed to pay for our sin God.

939
01:01:56,520 --> 01:02:01,040
And Lord through faith in that act, faith in you and who you are and what you did Lord.

940
01:02:01,040 --> 01:02:06,880
We are forgiven and we say thank you for that Lord.

941
01:02:06,880 --> 01:02:13,120
I pray God that we would live in the power of being cleansed by the blood of Christ.

942
01:02:13,120 --> 01:02:18,760
That we would live in the power of knowing that judgment has been satisfied.

943
01:02:18,760 --> 01:02:22,280
That we are free to live in obedience to God and move forward proclaiming the good news

944
01:02:22,280 --> 01:02:27,040
of Jesus Christ to all who would hear it.

945
01:02:27,040 --> 01:02:33,360
So Lord we thank you for your blood.

946
01:02:33,360 --> 01:02:39,160
We thank you for dying on the cross for us.

947
01:02:39,160 --> 01:02:43,600
Thank you for loving us to such an unimaginable degree.

948
01:02:43,600 --> 01:02:57,800
Let's partake together.

949
01:02:57,800 --> 01:03:02,800
I pray that God will bless your life.

950
01:03:02,800 --> 01:03:07,520
We are studying through these difficult passages of revelation.

951
01:03:07,520 --> 01:03:13,280
It's possibly easy to get caught up in the details of judgment and forget the grace.

952
01:03:13,280 --> 01:03:18,360
Let us be people who share both sides of the story of the gospel.

953
01:03:18,360 --> 01:03:25,880
That God has saved you, wants to save you, he died to save you from the judgment to come.

954
01:03:25,880 --> 01:03:27,200
People don't want to hear that story.

955
01:03:27,200 --> 01:03:29,520
Nobody wants to be told how you're living, what you're doing.

956
01:03:29,520 --> 01:03:32,120
It's an affront to God and it will be judged.

957
01:03:32,120 --> 01:03:36,360
But it is the truth that we are called to preach.

958
01:03:36,360 --> 01:03:41,440
And as we get through revelation we're still seeing a picture of who Jesus is, his heart,

959
01:03:41,440 --> 01:03:43,480
his character.

960
01:03:43,480 --> 01:03:46,480
And God takes sin very, very seriously.

961
01:03:46,480 --> 01:03:52,360
But let us not forget that he took it so seriously that he went and paid the price that we would

962
01:03:52,360 --> 01:03:53,360
be saved.

963
01:03:53,360 --> 01:03:54,360
Amen.

964
01:03:54,360 --> 01:03:56,640
Let's go out and proclaim the gospel.

965
01:03:56,640 --> 01:04:00,960
Let's keep being people who tell others about the hope that is found in Jesus Christ.

966
01:04:00,960 --> 01:04:04,640
Let's keep being people who study the word of God, distribute the word of God, see that

967
01:04:04,640 --> 01:04:09,400
people would come to know and read the word of God because that is where they are introduced

968
01:04:09,400 --> 01:04:13,800
to the God who loves them, who died for them.

969
01:04:13,800 --> 01:04:14,800
God bless you guys.

970
01:04:14,800 --> 01:04:15,800
Have a great week.

971
01:04:15,800 --> 01:04:40,440
Let's worship the Lord.