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How's everybody doing today?

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Awesome.

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We like to start every Sunday with saying welcome to anybody that's joining us here

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in our room for the first time here in the sanctuary, or if you're joining us online

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for the first time.

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We want to say welcome to all of you.

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

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I am Pastor Nathan and this morning we are stepping away from the judgment and the horror

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of the last moments of the tribulation period to witness the biggest, grandest, most joyous

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celebration of all time.

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It's the great celebration that Christians of all ages have looked forward to from the

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very moment they said yes to Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

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Today we're looking at the marriage feast of the Lamb in Revelation 19 and this is awesome.

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This is the culmination of everything.

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This is the culmination of the engagement that we are now a part of.

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This is the picture of the promise to come.

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It is everything we are looking forward to.

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I believe that every believer, and if you don't, maybe pray to get there, but every

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believer longs for heaven.

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We long for the day when we're no longer here but we're with him.

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When we're free from the challenges and the difficulties and the issues of this life and

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we're in heaven in perfection and joy face to face with our Creator and our Savior.

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That is really what makes heaven heaven.

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It's Jesus.

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Jesus is what makes heaven heaven.

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Jesus, being face to face with him, is it.

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That's what we're looking forward to.

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It's not the golden streets or the crowns we'll be wearing.

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It's not the mansions that he talks about as he says, I'm going to go to prepare a place

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for you.

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It's Jesus.

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It's him.

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It's his presence and us being there with him.

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That is what makes heaven heaven.

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It's very similar to the picture of what makes any marriage a marriage.

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When two people are coming together in marriage, the marriage isn't the house.

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It's not about the car, the animals, the pets, the dogs, the cats, the stuff.

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It's not about any of that.

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A marriage is about the people, the couple, the two that have come together, the two people

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who have committed to one another as we do here on earth in poverty or in wealth and

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sickness or in health.

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The last handful of months we've been going through prophetically, what we the church

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are never going to have to go through historically as we have been studying this great tribulation

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period.

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We've studied now through the whole tribulation period as it has been revealed to the apostle

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John.

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Every little detail of this period of time, this last seven years of earth's history

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referred to collectively as the day of the Lord.

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Our study started of this time with the scroll being taken by the lamb from the right hand

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of the father.

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And then we saw each of those seven seals broken one after the other, each ushering

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in judgment from God upon an earth and a people that had embraced sin and rejected him.

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Then we saw the seven blasts from the seven trumpets, each one a continuing escalation

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of the judgments of God as they fell upon the earth.

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Then we saw the seven bowls of judgment poured out on the earth.

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And as we studied that when that seventh bowl was poured out, that was it.

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It was over.

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It was done.

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Tribulation, the day of the Lord, all of the destruction and horror of God's judgments

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upon the earth and upon mankind were now finished.

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And so here in Revelation 19, now we get to the good stuff.

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We get to the good stuff.

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We get to much that stands in huge contrast to what we've been studying.

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And today as we look at the first 10 verses of Revelation 19, we're going to see a scene

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that is taking place exclusively in heaven.

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A beautiful picture.

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A picture of our future as believers, as those who have trusted Jesus Christ for our salvation.

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A beautiful picture of what's to come for all who believe in Jesus Christ.

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And it's amazing.

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But first, we're going to worship him because we're not there yet.

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We're looking forward to this day.

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But today we do get to praise our God for his just awesomeness, his almighty nature,

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his love.

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I mean, there is so much to praise Jesus for here and now in this life as we look forward

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to that day where we're reunited with him face to face.

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So let's pray and then let's worship.

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Father God, we love you so much.

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We're so grateful.

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Lord, we look forward to the day where we get to stand with you.

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Lord, where this relationship that you have characterized as a marriage, Lord.

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God, where this relationship is fully brought together, fully reaches its full conclusion,

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God.

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Lord, we are united with you forever in paradise, face to face forever, God.

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Enjoy.

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And Lord, as we look at this picture today of this moment to come, God, we're going to

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see such great celebration.

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We're going to see such joy.

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We're going to see just overwhelming hallelujah and God, we're so excited.

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Lord, I know some of us in this life as we live through this life, even as believers,

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sometimes we could lose sight of this marriage feast to come and we could get caught up in

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the difficulties and the challenges.

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And Lord, I pray today, God, your spirit, as your spirit falls upon your people, that

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we would have a renewed excitement as we're reminded again at the future to come for those

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who have trusted in you.

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Lord, bless us today.

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Speak to us today.

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We love you so much.

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It's in Jesus' name we pray.

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Amen.

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All right.

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We are in Revelation chapter 19 and I can't think of a better portion of scripture to

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be able to teach on Thanksgiving week.

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Weddings are definitely moments of great celebration.

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I'm sure all of us have been to a wedding at one point or another.

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There's just so much joy and just excitement that happens at a wedding.

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Myself, I'm not married.

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I am happily, contentedly single.

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Just throwing that out there.

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Okay.

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I'm open to whatever God wants, but over the course of my life, I've had the opportunity

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to be a best man eight times.

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I've officiated numerous weddings at this point as a pastor.

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I've even MC'd and DJ'd a couple of receptions and I think in at least one occasion, I did

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all four in the same wedding.

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So, you know, the common thread that I've always seen in wedding celebrations is joy.

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There's just so much joy.

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There's so much celebration and exuberant emotion and excitement activity.

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Yeah, there's stress and there's nerves and all that, but the joy that comes in a marriage

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celebration, a joining of two people is just amazing.

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And today in Revelation 19, John records for us the heavenly multitudes praising God as

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the marriage feast of the Lamb is about to begin.

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Now the context of this, however, needs to be understood through the wedding customs

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of the day because wedding customs do change from culture to culture and they kind of change

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over time and regardless of the time and the culture and all of that, there are some elements

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that are commonly seen across all of that.

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Weddings commonly have attendance, right?

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There's a public that is there.

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There's friends and family and coworkers there to witness this wedding, to be a part of it.

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Obviously, there's the groom and the bride and the bridesmaids and the groomsmen and

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all of that.

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But then as a course of the whole thing, there's song, there's music, there's this joyous celebration

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and in Revelation 19, 1 through 10, we see all of that.

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However, as we will see later, the cultural lens of Jewish wedding customs at the time

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give this whole thing just a beautifully rich and deep application to our lives today even

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beyond what you might be familiar with in modern wedding customs.

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But in every marriage ceremony that I've had the privilege to officiate, I always open

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with a few lines and I say this.

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Marriage is not the invention of man but of God.

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Its purpose resides within the purpose and plans of God.

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It's to honor God because it was created by God for the glory of God.

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And that's what marriage is really all about.

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This is what Ephesians chapter 5 teaches us as Paul through this wonderful chapter gives

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very practical instruction to husbands and wives here on earth.

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But after Paul gives this very practical instruction in Ephesians chapter 5 verse 32 regarding

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marriage in general, this is what he says.

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This mystery is profound but I am talking about Christ and the church.

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And the first part of Revelation 19 gives us a glimpse into this mystery that he's talking

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about here and what it all means.

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And so read with me in Revelation chapter 19 starting in verse 1.

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God says after this I heard something like the loud voice of a vast multitude in heaven

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singing hallelujah salvation glory and power belong to our God because his judgments are

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true and righteous because he has judged the notorious prostitute who corrupted the earth

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with their sexual immorality and he has avenged the blood of his servants that was on her

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hands.

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A second time they said hallelujah her smoke ascends forever and ever.

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Then the 24 elders, excuse me, and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God

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who is seated on the throne saying amen hallelujah.

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A voice came from the throne saying praise our God all his servants and the ones who

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fear him both small and great.

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Then I heard something like the voice of a vast multitude like the sound of cascading

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waters and like the rumbling of loud thunder saying hallelujah because our Lord God the

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Almighty reigns.

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Let us be glad rejoice and give him glory because the marriage of the lamb has come

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and his bride has prepared herself.

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She was given fine linen to wear bright and pure for the linen represents the righteous

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acts of the saints.

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Then he said to me right blessed are those invited to the marriage feast of the lamb.

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He also said to me these words of God are true.

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Then I fell at his feet to worship him but he said to me don't do that.

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I'm a fellow servant with you and your brothers and sisters who hold firmly to the testimony

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of Jesus.

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Worship God because the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

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You know you open this section there John says in verse 1 after this after all the lamenting

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and the wailing and the woe at the fall of Babylon the great that we've been studying

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through Revelation chapter 17 and 18.

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After all of this after this judgment this final pouring out of God's wrath against sin

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and mankind's stubborn rejection of him his judgment poured about on the Antichrist in

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the system of government and control that he created and the false religious idolatry

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that just permeated the world after all of that.

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He says he hears something like the loud voice of a vast multitude in heaven.

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Now something like that's that idea of where he hears something and it reminds him of what

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a vast multitude would sound like.

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Now have you ever been to a place where there's a vast multitude of people and they're all

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talking or singing at the same time and there's just this loud noise this loud din going on.

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It's similar to that is what he's talking about or if you've ever been somewhere at

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a conference like we would just recently our men's ministry we went to the Calvary Chapel

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men's conference just a short while ago and I can't tell you how refreshing it was to

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be in a room with 7,000 men right.

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Like dudes don't always like to sing it's just a problem some of us have right.

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But I'm in a room with 7,000 guys and the voice the noise that is just rising up as

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we're all praising God together was just amazing.

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It was just amazing and the picture here of what John is describing it's this picture

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of great joy great excitement great celebration worship praise going up to the Almighty.

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Now in these verses we see that there are several voices and they come from several

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different places in the chapter but collectively everybody that is here are the attendants

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these are those that are at the marriage feast the marriage celebration of the Lamb.

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In verses 1 through 3 we see that the voice comes first from this vast multitude.

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Now the vast multitude that phrase the group of people it's referring to was first introduced

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to us in Revelation chapter 7 where it told us that there was a vast multitude John saw

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which no one could number before the throne and before the Lamb.

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Now this vast multitude was seen right after we were introduced to the 144,000 Jewish evangelists

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right we know these are Jewish individuals because we are given the specific 12 tribes

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that they are from so they're not the Jehovah's Witnesses they're not any other cult group

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they are very specifically Jewish people sealed during the tribulation time who I believe

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then go out and preach the gospel because right after they're introduced we're introduced

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to this vast multitude.

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And in Revelation chapter 7 verse 14 one of the elders those elders that were already

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there tells John who this vast multitude was and he says these are the ones coming out

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of the great tribulation they washed their robes and made them white in the blood of

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the Lamb.

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And so that's where we introduced to this vast multitude as people who didn't believe

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in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior prior to the tribulation starting but came to believe

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in Jesus during the tribulation period many of them of which it tells us in Revelation

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were slaughtered for their faith they were they were killed for their faith.

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So in the progression of things we have the church age that we're in now people getting

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saved the gospel going forth we believe that that Christ will then return and rapture the

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church out of the world at point which the tribulation will start and there's still people

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on the earth.

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And during this seven year period there's these hundred forty four thousand Jews that are

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preaching the gospel around the world there's these two witnesses in Jerusalem that are

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preaching it even tells us that there's gonna be angels flying through the heavens preaching

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the gospel and people are going to get saved.

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Now these are people are collectively referred to as tribulation saints these are people

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who got saved during the tribulation period.

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That's the first voice in verse four we're introduced to the second voice it's the twenty

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four elders and the four living creatures collectively it tells us that they're bowing

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before the Lord and they're worshiping God.

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Now the elders are introduced to us the first time in Revelation chapter four verse four

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we're going to talk a little bit more about them later but the elders I believe represent

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the church they represent the church that is raptured into heaven prior to tribulation

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starting these are the people that are today that have given their life to the Lord today

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that are taken out before God's wrath is poured out upon the earth and then you have these

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four living creatures which are just very strange looking as the description in Revelation

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is told to us but they're very special exalted order of angelic beings that have a very special

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ministry right there around the throne of God.

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Then in verse five we hear a voice coming from the throne of God commanding everybody

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to praise God and then in verse six we come back to the vast multitude again who are still

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praising God but but when we come back to him it's a little bit louder it's a little

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bit more intense it's a little bit more crescendoed if you will but in these ten verses we see

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that as these voices are singing we see a word that is repeated over and over in this

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section.

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Did you notice what word was repeated over and over in these ten verses of Revelation

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19?

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It's the word hallelujah.

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We're familiar with that word aren't we?

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We say it often many worship songs we sing have it in their hallelujah.

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This is a very very important word we see it in verse one verse three verse four and

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verse six three times this word hallelujah is is sang out by the vast multitude once

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it's sang out by the twenty four elders and the four living creatures.

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This word hallelujah or in older translations of the Bible is hallelujah right that's just

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a transliteration of the same word it's a Hebrew word that essentially means praise

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the Lord.

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That's what we're saying when we say hallelujah we're saying praise the Lord right.

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Now in verses one through three we're going to see that he is praised for his victory

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over his enemies.

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In verses four through six we're going to see that he is praised for his sovereignty.

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In verses seven we're going to see that he's praised for his eternal communion his eternal

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communion and connection with his people.

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Now this word hallelujah it actually occurs a lot in the Old Testament but I was intrigued

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to find out that in the entire New Testament the only place this word hallelujah appears

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is right here in Revelation 19.

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It doesn't appear anywhere else in the New Testament and I thought well that's interesting

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I mean as much as we hear it in worship songs I thought it was like every other verse right.

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But it's only here in Revelation 19 and I thought well that's very very interesting

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you know what does that mean what could that mean.

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Well I think a part of it is in verse six we see that the praise that is being brought

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by all these voices it's so loud it's described like the sound of cascading waters like the

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rumbling of loud thunder and so what we see is passionate vibrant loud worship from God's

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people and this praise is so intense this praise is so loud this praise is so just overwhelming

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that hallelujah is the only word that can that can express what is going on it's the

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only word that that is grand enough to express it's like it's like through the entire church

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age the entire New Testament age if you will and then all the way through tribulation this

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word biblically was reserved for this very moment.

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This is how wonderful this time is this is how magnificent this moment is and why well

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because the most I believe hallelujah is the most appropriate word to celebrate what God

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has done to celebrate the pilgrimage of his people to celebrate that that the suffering

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of his people is over to celebrate that the persecution all of that it's done right tribulations

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over at this point we're past it there's no more suffering and persecution for believing

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in Jesus and more importantly his people are home they're home they're face to face with

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the bridegroom the marriage is being finalized and all of heaven just rejoices without restraint

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and this wonderfully specific word is used to encapsulate the wonder of the moment hallelujah

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you guys see how awesome that word is it's not just the thing we throw at the end of

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a line in a worship song hallelujah praise God for we are home and it is done this is

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what is taking place here and incidentally that's exactly how it's going to be when we

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get to heaven we're not going to get to heaven and be like oh shoot I wanted to get married

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I never got to get married oh dang it I wanted to have kids I never got to have kids some

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of us think that way don't we and I think it's just in many levels natural right we

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have plans we have goals we have desires we have things we want to experience in this

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world and then we get saved and we're like we can't wait to get to heaven just hold on

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until I do this but I'm telling you what we see here is when we get to heaven not for

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a second are we going to go oh man I didn't get to do that or do this or I didn't get

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to it's going to be hallelujah everywhere it's going to be joy and celebration and exuberance

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because the best has arrived being with Jesus in paradise forever face to face every possible

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experience here on this earth is nothing in comparison is nothing and so they all celebrate

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and they celebrate for a few different reasons here as I mentioned the first one is they're

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celebrating for their salvation look at verse 1 it says this vast multitude they say hallelujah

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and they say salvation glory and power belong to our God now today even today we honor and

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celebrate God because of his authority to bring salvation to us we celebrate him for

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that we praise him for that not that he not only that he brought it but he has the authority

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to bring it he has the right the power the everything to decide how salvation comes what

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is required for salvation right people argue that all the time well I don't think it's

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fair God requires you're not God he's God we're his creation it's enough that he even

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created a means for us to be restored to him let alone everything else that comes from

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that we're going to talk about that on Wednesday but but the power that he has the salvation

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he's brought to us and salvation involves a lot you know I mean like when when you say

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I'm saved what do you mean what do you think of most might think primarily of one aspect

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of salvation when they say I'm saved what we might typically think of when we utter

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that phrase we tell someone I'm saved we think I am saved from the penalty of sin right I'm

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saved from the penalty that's that's what happens the moment anybody genuinely asks

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Jesus to be their Savior when they come to that place where they are radically choosing

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to to yield their life to let go of their vices and their sins to let go of their own

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will and say God I don't want the judgment like I'm so sorry forgive me we are saved

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from the penalty of death the penalty that is due is erased from our ledger because

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Jesus made the payment on the cross and it's applied to you it's done right you're saved

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and that's a wonderful thing it's the idea is that I'm never going to have to go to hell

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for breaking God's law that's something to rejoice over praise God hallelujah but that's

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not all that salvation is salvation means so much more than just being saved from the

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penalty of sin it also means that you're being present tense ongoing saved from the power

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of sin day by day moment by moment so past tense the moment you accepted Jesus you were

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saved from the penalty the ledger was was was wiped out but then every day forward from

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that you are then being saved from the power of sin where because of the power of the Holy

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Spirit living within you the Bible tells us you now have the ability to say no to sin

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not that we do in every circumstance sometimes we know I should say no and we say yes anyways

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different Bible study but we're saved from the power prior to Christ we were slaves to

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sin the Bible tells us you couldn't say no you thought you could say no but you were

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really in the grip of sin and Satan but the Holy Spirit comes in your life you're set

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free and you could say no I don't want to do that anymore that's not who I am anymore

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and you have this power you didn't have before to say no and incidentally that's one of the

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major lies of the devil in the life of a believer you can't say no you have to give in you have

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to do it it's a lie from the pit of hell because you have the power if you have been saved

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if the Holy Spirit dwells within you you have the ability to say no to sin but then salvation

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also means that one day you will be saved from the very presence of sin itself that

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the temptations won't even exist there will be no presence of sin there will be no devil

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tempting you there will be no flesh tempting you you will be completely saved from the

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presence and that's the ultimate effect of salvation in our lives and this is what we're

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celebrating in Revelation 19 right the culmination of all that and they're worshiping and they're

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praising God for it so they celebrate him for salvation and then they celebrate God's

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judgment and we've seen this a couple times already through Revelation right verse 2 it

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says they said hallelujah salvation glory and power belong to our God because his judgments

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are true and righteous because he has judged the notorious prostitute who corrupted the

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earth with her sexual immorality and he has avenged the blood of his servants that was

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on her hands a second time they said hallelujah her smoke ascends forever and ever and so

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we mentioned this in our last study that that when we look at this type of stuff we could

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look at it and go man that that that man that's kind of insensitive right and although this

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might seem insensitive it might seem uncaring it might seem callous right that in the face

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of all the devastation and all the destruction and all that has happened on earth and the

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loss of Babylon and in all of the the the just the horror of all of that that heaven

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is rejoicing and celebrating and some might go well that seems kind of mean but you got

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to have context you got to have understanding you got to have perspective because the fall

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the fall of all that Babylon stood for is what is being rejoiced here all that Babylon

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stood for its false blasphemous idolatry its rejection of God the one true God and its

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elevation of self as God with its indulgence and its excesses and its abuse of power its

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persecution and violent slaughter of those who believed in Jesus especially during the

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tribulation period right we've read in the past that that when the mark of the beast

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comes on the scene and the image of the beast comes on the scene that there will be enforced

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worship and if you don't worship the image you will be executed you will be killed and

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the people saying no I'm not going to worship that image are going to be the people who

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are saying I'm not doing it because of Jesus the the vehement rejection of Jesus alone

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is God that is going to be during the tribulation period this is all that Babylon stands for

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and again this in the face of the 144,000 witnesses and the two witnesses and the angels

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flying through the air the the brutality that Babylon stood for especially when it's brutality

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against those who stand for Jesus you remember when the two witnesses were killed in Jerusalem

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it says they just left their bodies to rot in the street the whole world saw it and then

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they had a worldwide celebration giving gifts to one another all of that fallen done judged

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over yeah hallelujah absolutely hallelujah it says his judgments are true and righteous

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he's being worshiped because his judgments are true and righteous that phrase there means

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there's there's no question there's no argument on whether what he has done is right and good

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there is no question there's no place there's no opportunity to go well maybe he was a little

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harsh no it's going to be absolutely understood that it was absolutely right and appropriate

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what God did and it's to be celebrated and then in verse four we see the elders and the

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creatures worshiping God for his salvation and his judgment along with this vast multitude

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it says then the 24 elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who

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is seated on the throne saying amen and hallelujah now these 24 elders as I mentioned earlier

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they were first introduced to us in Revelation chapter 4 verse 4 this was right after John

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was caught up into heaven prior to the tribulation time beginning and it told us there in Revelation

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4 4 as John was see in the throne room of God it says around the throne were 24 thrones

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and on the throne set 24 elders dressed in white clothes with golden crowns on their

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heads now again these 24 elders are in heaven with God prior to the tribulation happening

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all right and I believe that these represent the church the church that is raptured into

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heaven in the same way that John was called up into heaven they're already there in heaven

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prior to the tribulation this is the church the church of today's age raptured into heaven

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prior to God pouring out his wrath upon the earth now again and I've mentioned this I

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think a bazillion times throughout Revelation I understand there are different interpretations

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of this and there are different views on who these people are and what they represent and

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I respect that but this is my view this is what I see in the scriptures here but to answer

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the question why do I believe these 24 elders represent the church the first is that they're

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called elders that word elders is a is a word in the Bible that is only ever applied to

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human men it's never applied to angels and that's one of the alternate interpretations

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oh these elders are angels well there's nowhere in scripture do we ever see angels being called

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elders all right they're called other things but never elders it tells us that these 24

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elders sit on thrones around the throne of God this seems to indicate that they are ruling

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with Christ who is on that throne right it's God on the throne we're gonna see the Trinity

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together and the Trinity separate all the way through Revelation but the church is repeatedly

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said throughout scripture to rule and reign with Christ in heaven and so we see these

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24 elders sitting on thrones ruling and reigning there in the throne room of God with God it

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says they're dressed in white and this is something that is commonly used to symbolize

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saved people that when someone gives their life to the Lord it's the righteousness of

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Christ that is imputed onto people and it is seen as pure white clothing and linen and

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so again these aren't angels or something else these are symbolized as people who are

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saved and then they're welding wearing golden crowns crowns are another thing that nowhere

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in scripture are ever promised to angels nowhere in scripture do we ever see angels wearing

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crowns right but conversely there's a lot said about the church God's people given crowns

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as rewards for their life of obedience to God here on earth Paul says that crowns are

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given to those who win the race scripture tells us in second Timothy 4 8 and James

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1 12 it talks about these crowns being rewarded to God's people and so we see these 24 elders

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sitting on thrones dressed in white wearing the crowns so that's why I believe that they

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represent the church and then additionally in Revelation chapter 5 we see these same

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elders it tells us that they're holding up bowls to God and these bowls represent the

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prayers of God's people the prayers of the church and so elders we understand in New

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Testament theology elders are representatives of the church representative of the church

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there are the people that that serve on behalf of God and so again this picture of these

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elders being people who represent the church as a whole we see that they're in heaven prior

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to the seven seals prior to the seven trumpets prior to the seven bowls which is the tribulation

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period and that's why I believe in a pre tribulation rapture of the church I believe there's a

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picture here of that and so these elders and these four creatures which are these very

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strange angelic creatures it tells us that they they fell down and worshiped God here

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and they also said hallelujah that picture of falling down is is the idea of prostrating

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oneself before a king right in ancient times you would go into the king's throne room and

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you would fall down on your faith as a face as a sign of reverence and respect and that's

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the idea here so verse 5 now we see the third voice a voice came from the throne saying

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praise our God all his servants and the ones who fear him both small and great this is

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another thing that has a couple different interpretations some believe that this voice

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coming from the throne is the voice of Jesus himself I believe it's more likely to be a

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voice of one of the angels that serve around the throne because he says praise our God

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right and then right after that he says all his servants and that phrase all his servants

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is like inclusive of the speaker right hey everybody let's praise our God all his servants

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me included and so this is why I believe that this is a picture of possibly one of the angels

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around the throne but what I do see here is what a fantastic picture of what being a worship

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leader is here right what do worship leaders do they stand before the people of God and

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they draw these people of God in they lead the people of God into praising our Lord and

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so as they worship leaders and worship teams as they get up to lead in song they're not

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just like hey I'm gonna play a song for you hope you like it right what they're doing

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is they're leading you they're instructing they're commanding if you will much like what's

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happening here what they're telling the body praise our God all of us his servants together

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praise with us and that is the goal of worship to glorify God not to glorify ourselves worship

436
00:36:34,580 --> 00:36:39,160
is not to well I need to get in the right headspace for the Bible study Pastor Nathan

437
00:36:39,160 --> 00:36:46,620
teaches for a long time as you know no that's not what worships for worship isn't to manipulate

438
00:36:46,620 --> 00:36:52,500
us emotionally although yeah music does have an emotional element and that's okay but the

439
00:36:52,500 --> 00:37:01,700
point of worship is to glorify God is to communicate to God how we feel about him and for him to

440
00:37:01,700 --> 00:37:06,980
let him know to ascribe to him all that he is and just say God you are so awesome that's

441
00:37:06,980 --> 00:37:11,780
what worship is all about and that's what's being commanded here praise our God when it

442
00:37:11,780 --> 00:37:19,620
says the ones who fear him both small and great that word fear is reverence respect

443
00:37:19,620 --> 00:37:25,600
awe and his majesty and holiness and so verse 6 we've celebrated his salvation we've celebrated

444
00:37:25,600 --> 00:37:30,200
his judgment now we celebrate the dominion of God where John says then I heard something

445
00:37:30,200 --> 00:37:35,160
like the voice of a vast multitude like the sound of cascading waters and like the rumbling

446
00:37:35,160 --> 00:37:43,060
of loud thunder saying hallelujah because our Lord God the Almighty reigns although

447
00:37:43,060 --> 00:37:51,480
the the the singer or the speaker if you will has you know changed through this section

448
00:37:51,480 --> 00:37:57,060
right first we saw John hearing the vast multitude then we saw him hearing the 24 elders and

449
00:37:57,060 --> 00:38:01,180
the four living creatures then he heard a voice from the throne and now we're back to

450
00:38:01,180 --> 00:38:07,860
the vast multitude even though that has been changed and the idea here is this is a unified

451
00:38:07,860 --> 00:38:15,780
altogether collective moment of praise going on in heaven right John is simply describing

452
00:38:15,780 --> 00:38:21,740
the elements of this celebration as he is focusing in on them so the first thing he

453
00:38:21,740 --> 00:38:25,380
described was this vast multitude and then he goes oh and then the 24 elders and the

454
00:38:25,380 --> 00:38:29,380
living creatures and then whoa I heard a voice and then that vast multitude they just got

455
00:38:29,380 --> 00:38:34,140
louder right so it's not that they're doing it in turn it's not like they're doing a

456
00:38:34,140 --> 00:38:38,740
row row row your boat you know kind of like each one's doing a verse after it's it's all

457
00:38:38,740 --> 00:38:45,260
happening together this collective celebration but verse 6 does give us the idea that the

458
00:38:45,260 --> 00:38:51,500
worship is crescendoing in volume as he describes this sound of cascading waters and the rumblings

459
00:38:51,500 --> 00:38:57,140
of loud thunder you know and I've said before and I'll say it again if you don't like loud

460
00:38:57,140 --> 00:39:07,020
worship heaven might be a little difficult for you it's gonna be loud now I think what

461
00:39:07,020 --> 00:39:11,060
loud is to you is how you're gonna hear it right it's gonna be perfect it's gonna be

462
00:39:11,060 --> 00:39:15,260
perfection right what loud is to me for most people is like why are you trying to kill

463
00:39:15,260 --> 00:39:19,700
me and so what's gonna be loud for me I'm gonna be like oh this is amazing and it's

464
00:39:19,700 --> 00:39:22,620
gonna be loud for you too and it's gonna be amazing right it's gonna be wonderful it's

465
00:39:22,620 --> 00:39:31,260
gonna be perfect but the greatest height of praise on earth is is is a dim shadow of what

466
00:39:31,260 --> 00:39:39,340
heaven is going to be the most exuberant worship concert worship moment worship time

467
00:39:39,340 --> 00:39:44,300
that you can have anywhere here on earth is a pale comparison to what it's gonna be like

468
00:39:44,300 --> 00:39:51,380
in heaven and this crescendo comes as we're we're reaching the consummation of all of

469
00:39:51,380 --> 00:39:56,340
God's plan for history right now Spurgeon he described this this way and I thought it

470
00:39:56,340 --> 00:40:02,620
was a neat quote he said we ought not to worship God in a half-hearted half-hearted sort of

471
00:40:02,620 --> 00:40:08,540
way as if it were now our duty to bless God but but we really felt it to be a weary business

472
00:40:08,540 --> 00:40:12,500
and we would have to get through it as quickly as we could and be done with it and you know

473
00:40:12,500 --> 00:40:21,300
the sooner the better he says no no he was all that is within me bless his holy name

474
00:40:21,300 --> 00:40:29,460
come my heart wake up and summon all the powers which wait upon thee mechanical worship he

475
00:40:29,460 --> 00:40:39,900
says is easy but worthless come rouse yourself my brother rouse thyself oh my own soul I

476
00:40:39,900 --> 00:40:48,060
think Spurgeon understood what worship was and he's celebrating the people here are celebrating

477
00:40:48,060 --> 00:40:53,180
they're celebrating that the dominion the rule of God his reign has finally come now

478
00:40:53,180 --> 00:40:58,500
you might be saying well hasn't God always reigned right he is God Almighty after all

479
00:40:58,500 --> 00:41:07,940
yeah but God at times has yielded authority and control especially during the tribulation

480
00:41:07,940 --> 00:41:14,340
period we see that that he gave evil men and evil spirits lots of freedom lots of authority

481
00:41:14,340 --> 00:41:20,860
lots of ability to to do what they were going to do he gave that over but but here in Revelation

482
00:41:20,860 --> 00:41:27,020
19 what we're celebrating is that's done we've reached the end of that wickedness is no longer

483
00:41:27,020 --> 00:41:31,940
allowed to to rule and reign evil is no longer allowed to rule and reign right those prayers

484
00:41:31,940 --> 00:41:37,140
that many of us have prayed over the years when we hear about some horrible crime some

485
00:41:37,140 --> 00:41:40,980
terrible thing taking place and we go God why would you allow that this is the moment

486
00:41:40,980 --> 00:41:48,380
where he says I'm not allowing it anymore it's done he's judged it it has fallen and

487
00:41:48,380 --> 00:41:55,780
now he is in full control of everything without any of what was prior now you'll notice he

488
00:41:55,780 --> 00:42:03,500
is called here the Almighty that word Almighty means having all power all rulership it means

489
00:42:03,500 --> 00:42:13,500
having power unlimited in every capacity that's who God is the Almighty I want to encourage

490
00:42:13,500 --> 00:42:20,500
you to think about think about that the next time you think you can't carry your burdens

491
00:42:20,500 --> 00:42:32,540
and your problems to him that he is the Almighty he is unlimited in every capacity I think

492
00:42:32,540 --> 00:42:38,100
sometimes we're struggling with things and we're like I can't pray about that God's not

493
00:42:38,100 --> 00:42:42,740
going to listen to me God doesn't care about that sometimes we're even tempted to think

494
00:42:42,740 --> 00:42:48,000
oh he can't he can't do anything about that right a lot of us go through extended challenges

495
00:42:48,000 --> 00:42:52,660
in life and we're praying for people and we're like gosh that's it's been a year five years

496
00:42:52,660 --> 00:42:59,260
ten years and their hearts not changing and God are you ever gonna and we start to think

497
00:42:59,260 --> 00:43:07,220
maybe God can't I want to encourage you to put those thoughts out of your head God is

498
00:43:07,220 --> 00:43:13,220
unlimited in every capacity you guys remember the story of Abraham and Sarah when he was

499
00:43:13,220 --> 00:43:19,100
about a hundred she was in her 90s God shows up one day and says hey you guys are gonna

500
00:43:19,100 --> 00:43:27,420
have a kid and that's exactly what Sarah started doing she laughed it tells us in scripture

501
00:43:27,420 --> 00:43:37,860
she laughed I'm 90 that ship has sailed God biological impossibility we're talking about

502
00:43:37,860 --> 00:43:44,900
here and so she laughs and I love the story because God goes why are you laughing and

503
00:43:44,900 --> 00:43:54,540
she goes I didn't laugh and he's like yes you did I heard you right but then he asked

504
00:43:54,540 --> 00:44:03,300
a very important question he asked her is anything too hard for the Lord is anything

505
00:44:03,300 --> 00:44:11,260
too hard for the Lord you know when you face difficult situations where the resolution

506
00:44:11,260 --> 00:44:20,740
or the solution seems impossible you can't forget that with God all things are possible

507
00:44:20,740 --> 00:44:28,140
all things are possible with God I wish I could tell you how but I can't I wish I could

508
00:44:28,140 --> 00:44:33,740
tell you this is how God's gonna you know sometimes in in counseling the toughest times

509
00:44:33,740 --> 00:44:40,080
for me as a pastor and in in counseling is is when someone is is desperate and they're

510
00:44:40,080 --> 00:44:45,840
asking like how is this gonna work when is this gonna change and outside of times where

511
00:44:45,840 --> 00:44:51,020
God has just given me supernatural revelation there's times where I'm like I don't know

512
00:44:51,020 --> 00:44:55,460
and that's heartbreaking for me because I just I want to fix it I want to tell you what

513
00:44:55,460 --> 00:45:03,660
the answer is and and really the answer is with God all things are possible is anything

514
00:45:03,660 --> 00:45:10,620
too hard for the Lord no so trust him trust him that's the idea that's the council and

515
00:45:10,620 --> 00:45:18,140
this is this is what he said to Sarah and we'll go yeah but we cannot measure what's

516
00:45:18,140 --> 00:45:24,540
possible with God by our own limitations and understanding we can't nothing is impossible

517
00:45:24,540 --> 00:45:30,460
for him no matter how impossible it seems for us and if he hasn't answered it yet or

518
00:45:30,460 --> 00:45:35,380
if he hasn't resolved it yet then it's a process of waiting and exercising that supernatural

519
00:45:35,380 --> 00:45:43,140
patience that you also got to pray for God help me wait help me trust so now verse 7

520
00:45:43,140 --> 00:45:48,140
we get to the time where they celebrate that the time has come for the lamb to be joined

521
00:45:48,140 --> 00:45:52,940
first people it says let us be glad rejoice and give him glory because the marriage of

522
00:45:52,940 --> 00:45:58,940
the lamb has come and his bride has prepared herself she was given fine linen to wear bright

523
00:45:58,940 --> 00:46:03,300
and pure for the fine linen represents the righteous acts of the saints then he said

524
00:46:03,300 --> 00:46:08,260
to me right blessed are those invited to the marriage feast of the lamb and he also said

525
00:46:08,260 --> 00:46:16,260
to me these words of God are true now there's a lot of symbolism here and and and because

526
00:46:16,260 --> 00:46:22,400
of this union between between God and his people is so close it's so intimate God has

527
00:46:22,400 --> 00:46:28,100
chosen to use the the the marriage between a man and a woman to be that picture that's

528
00:46:28,100 --> 00:46:34,420
what Ephesians 5 teaches us right that the the picture of the relationship God wants

529
00:46:34,420 --> 00:46:41,220
to have with you look at a marriage between a man and a wife the closeness the union the

530
00:46:41,220 --> 00:46:47,980
intimacy the the all of it's like world that's why God cares so much about Christian marriages

531
00:46:47,980 --> 00:46:52,340
because they are living testimonies of the relationship God wants to have with the world

532
00:46:52,340 --> 00:46:59,780
and when a Christian marriage is falling apart the world goes haha any relationship with God

533
00:46:59,780 --> 00:47:06,060
must then also fall apart right there's there's a witness to that and that's why God has so

534
00:47:06,060 --> 00:47:11,020
much to say about marriages and how husbands and wives treat each other and dwell together

535
00:47:11,020 --> 00:47:17,360
and love one another and all of that stuff but here in this we see that it's the marriage

536
00:47:17,360 --> 00:47:23,540
of the lamb and the lamb is Jesus right he is he is called that numerous times he is

537
00:47:23,540 --> 00:47:30,420
the lamb who was slain but in this context here the lamb is the bridegroom in this wedding

538
00:47:30,420 --> 00:47:35,220
and then of course the bride here the bride those that have prepared themselves it's it's

539
00:47:35,220 --> 00:47:40,660
it's the church of Jesus Christ it's his people it's those that have been saved and born again

540
00:47:40,660 --> 00:47:47,180
those that have put their trust in him Ephesians 5 25 and 27 talks about this 2nd Corinthians

541
00:47:47,180 --> 00:47:54,140
11 2 talks about this and we're seeing it here again in Revelation 19 but when you go

542
00:47:54,140 --> 00:47:59,940
through scripture there's there's about 700 some odd different titles for Jesus Christ

543
00:47:59,940 --> 00:48:05,980
he's called numerous different things different titles for him but why here at his wedding

544
00:48:05,980 --> 00:48:14,180
did he choose the lamb right why why was why is that the title chosen I believe it's because

545
00:48:14,180 --> 00:48:21,180
when we see him as the lamb it brings to mind all that he did for us his bride it brings

546
00:48:21,180 --> 00:48:28,580
to mind his shed blood it brings to mind his great sacrifice you know that that kindness

547
00:48:28,580 --> 00:48:33,420
right the Bible says that it's his kindness that draws us to repentance right when we

548
00:48:33,420 --> 00:48:38,580
realize we've sinned and then we realize that God loved us so much he goes look I died for

549
00:48:38,580 --> 00:48:43,060
your sin I paid the price right that those are the things that that initially drew most

550
00:48:43,060 --> 00:48:49,340
of us to him I haven't met very many people there are some out there but I haven't met

551
00:48:49,340 --> 00:48:54,720
very many people that that came to their moment of salvation through a wonderfully logic apologetic

552
00:48:54,720 --> 00:49:03,140
argument now it does happen I'm not going to I'm not trying to in any way diminish apologetics

553
00:49:03,140 --> 00:49:08,340
it's important but overwhelmingly in my own experience the people that I know that have

554
00:49:08,340 --> 00:49:12,540
come to Christ although they had apologetic questions and they were like what about the

555
00:49:12,540 --> 00:49:17,660
Trinity and what if you know and all this when they come to the moment where they go

556
00:49:17,660 --> 00:49:26,980
I have done this and he's willing to forgive me of that that is the moment that most commonly

557
00:49:26,980 --> 00:49:34,080
I see is the moment of salvation for people where they realize how much he loved them

558
00:49:34,080 --> 00:49:39,460
and that's why I believe he uses the picture here in this wedding feast is it's the lamb

559
00:49:39,460 --> 00:49:47,380
it's not the the marriage feast of the conqueror it's not the marriage feast of the the I mean

560
00:49:47,380 --> 00:49:53,820
just all the different it's the marriage feast of the lamb because as we are joined to him

561
00:49:53,820 --> 00:49:59,020
we never want to forget what he did for us never want to forget what he did for us but

562
00:49:59,020 --> 00:50:05,420
but what's the deal what's the focus on the feast here right this is where we need to

563
00:50:05,420 --> 00:50:09,420
look at ancient Jewish wedding customs to get a better understanding and so I'll go

564
00:50:09,420 --> 00:50:16,740
through this a little fast but back in the day surprise surprise there was not much dating

565
00:50:16,740 --> 00:50:26,020
if any dating at all there was no apps right there was no swipe left swipe right there

566
00:50:26,020 --> 00:50:32,380
was none of that right in ancient Judaism and in many ancient cultures marriages were

567
00:50:32,380 --> 00:50:37,740
pre-arranged by parents of children when the kids were still young they were pre-arranged

568
00:50:37,740 --> 00:50:42,500
is is this family and this family would would say you know what we're gonna arrange that

569
00:50:42,500 --> 00:50:47,620
that my son and your daughter when they are of age that they're they will marry one another

570
00:50:47,620 --> 00:50:54,180
and and you know continue that for for different reasons and and even today in many cultures

571
00:50:54,180 --> 00:50:59,100
pre-arranged marriages are still the norm now I know that that the idea of a pre-arranged

572
00:50:59,100 --> 00:51:05,300
marriage has kind of like a negative connotation today you know I don't have time to dig into

573
00:51:05,300 --> 00:51:09,100
all of that but I will say this that there is a difference between a pre-arranged marriage

574
00:51:09,100 --> 00:51:15,140
and a forced marriage okay there's a difference between the two but suffice it to say that

575
00:51:15,140 --> 00:51:19,900
I read a quote from a guy who grew up in India a Christian man and he said it wasn't until

576
00:51:19,900 --> 00:51:28,300
I got to America that I had ever heard of the concept of divorce and in in in his interview

577
00:51:28,300 --> 00:51:34,180
and stuff one of the things he said is is in eastern cultures commitment comes before

578
00:51:34,180 --> 00:51:40,620
the emotion of love right it's commitment that leads to love and so the idea of what

579
00:51:40,620 --> 00:51:46,940
love is is a commitment to another that is then followed by emotion that comes with that

580
00:51:46,940 --> 00:51:52,460
commitment and he said in western cultures what he's seen is that love is is seen as

581
00:51:52,460 --> 00:52:00,220
an emotion first before a commitment thus commitment in western cultures is based upon

582
00:52:00,220 --> 00:52:06,020
whether or not you feel the emotion of love and that's why in western cultures in America

583
00:52:06,020 --> 00:52:11,060
the divorce rates like 50 percent even within the church because people think well if I

584
00:52:11,060 --> 00:52:14,660
don't feel the emotion anymore why am I going to waste my time being married to this person

585
00:52:14,660 --> 00:52:19,300
and so the commitment is sacrificed because the emotion isn't felt interestingly enough

586
00:52:19,300 --> 00:52:26,500
in 2021 there was a study done on pre-arranged marriages around the world and what they found

587
00:52:26,500 --> 00:52:32,100
is that in in in most of the cases or the cases that they studied in pre-arranged marriages

588
00:52:32,100 --> 00:52:37,220
they found that the divorce rate was four percent but in non-pre-arranged marriages

589
00:52:37,220 --> 00:52:42,660
it's 50 percent you know again I don't have time to dig all to the details of it but to

590
00:52:42,660 --> 00:52:48,540
get back to the context of ancient Jewish wedding customs in a wedding in ancient Judaism

591
00:52:48,540 --> 00:52:52,580
the couple was pre-arranged and there was the idea that this is the person you're committing

592
00:52:52,580 --> 00:52:57,340
to and the emotion will follow but when the actual time for the marriage came there was

593
00:52:57,340 --> 00:53:02,100
kind of like three phases to the marriage phase one was was called the betrothal it

594
00:53:02,100 --> 00:53:07,460
was the formal engagement process which lasted about a year and so the the people had come

595
00:53:07,460 --> 00:53:12,260
of age and they go okay betrothal process has begun for the next year you guys are going

596
00:53:12,260 --> 00:53:16,860
to court you're going to get to know each other even more there's no physical contact

597
00:53:16,860 --> 00:53:22,840
of any kind you're just going to talk it's that whole idea and and in the culture this

598
00:53:22,840 --> 00:53:27,860
betrothal period was so important that the only way you could break the engagement was

599
00:53:27,860 --> 00:53:32,500
to actually write a certificate of divorce right it was like it was like you were married

600
00:53:32,500 --> 00:53:36,500
already the commitment was already there but they were developing the relationship through

601
00:53:36,500 --> 00:53:41,340
the the courting process and in that first phase you lived on the promise that in a year's

602
00:53:41,340 --> 00:53:48,220
time we will be fully married right phase two was the wedding day there was a day where

603
00:53:48,220 --> 00:53:52,720
the bridegroom was like all right today's the day maybe he was getting his house ready

604
00:53:52,720 --> 00:53:56,100
maybe he's doing things he's like all right so he would get dressed up and he would get

605
00:53:56,100 --> 00:54:00,220
all his dudes with them and and they would go to the bride's house and they would get

606
00:54:00,220 --> 00:54:04,340
the bride and they would take her and the groom the groom would take her and and they

607
00:54:04,340 --> 00:54:09,220
would take her back to his house to then have what was phase three but this whole idea of

608
00:54:09,220 --> 00:54:14,300
the wedding day the challenge for the bride was that she had no no idea exactly when the

609
00:54:14,300 --> 00:54:22,220
bridegroom was going to show up right nowadays in many cases and if I'm putting you on blast

610
00:54:22,220 --> 00:54:26,620
I apologize but in many cases it's the wedding and everybody's waiting for the bride to show

611
00:54:26,620 --> 00:54:33,020
up she's late you know she's still getting ready what's going on right in those days

612
00:54:33,020 --> 00:54:36,780
in cultures like this it was the bride was like I've got to be ready because he could

613
00:54:36,780 --> 00:54:42,260
show up any moment and I have to be ready when he shows up and so she was all dressed

614
00:54:42,260 --> 00:54:46,300
and ready to go and of course there was an idea that like we're in the season when he

615
00:54:46,300 --> 00:54:50,580
can show up but I don't know exactly when that time's gonna be and so the bride would

616
00:54:50,580 --> 00:54:55,520
get herself prepared get herself ready for this moment that would come suddenly and then

617
00:54:55,520 --> 00:54:58,860
phase three is what was called the marriage feast and that's what we're looking at here

618
00:54:58,860 --> 00:55:04,660
in Revelation chapter 19 that the bride or the bridegroom would bring the bride they

619
00:55:04,660 --> 00:55:08,500
would come to his home and then there'd be this huge celebration and song would break

620
00:55:08,500 --> 00:55:13,420
out the celebration would ensue this was the culmination of all that we've been waiting

621
00:55:13,420 --> 00:55:18,180
for and this is the idea of Revelation 19 that the feast is taking place right we're

622
00:55:18,180 --> 00:55:26,860
in phase three after which Jesus then returns to earth with us his bride sets up his kingdom

623
00:55:26,860 --> 00:55:31,380
and then we have what is called the millennial kingdom of Christ here on earth which is somewhat

624
00:55:31,380 --> 00:55:37,420
like a thousand year honeymoon if you will with Christ on earth ruling and reigning now

625
00:55:37,420 --> 00:55:43,660
you'll notice in verse seven it says that the bride has prepared herself right she has

626
00:55:43,660 --> 00:55:48,500
prepared herself and you might go well how do we do that because in the culture the bride

627
00:55:48,500 --> 00:55:54,540
had to get ready the groom could show up any time right I believe you know when you look

628
00:55:54,540 --> 00:55:59,060
at the phases you know we're currently in phase one of the marriage as Christians here

629
00:55:59,060 --> 00:56:04,980
on earth we're in the betrothal period there's no physical contact we can't even see Jesus

630
00:56:04,980 --> 00:56:09,380
physically right he's in heaven at the right hand of the father but we're talking to him

631
00:56:09,380 --> 00:56:13,820
through his word we pray we're getting to know him we're building that relationship

632
00:56:13,820 --> 00:56:20,540
and we need to be ready for the day he shows up to take us phase two is going to be the

633
00:56:20,540 --> 00:56:26,740
rapture of the church when he says all right I'm here let's go Thessalonians talks about

634
00:56:26,740 --> 00:56:31,620
the trumpets gonna sound he's gonna call us we're gonna meet the Lord in the air and then

635
00:56:31,620 --> 00:56:36,900
there's gonna be this phase three the feast the celebration now some commentators look

636
00:56:36,900 --> 00:56:41,500
at the moment we're raptured in the church that's when the feast starts because culturally

637
00:56:41,500 --> 00:56:47,460
the feast can last many days there's cases where the wedding feast lasted weeks of celebration

638
00:56:47,460 --> 00:56:51,580
until the consummation of the marriage and that idea and so some believe that that when

639
00:56:51,580 --> 00:56:56,020
the church is raptured in a pre tribulation understanding that the feast begins and then

640
00:56:56,020 --> 00:56:59,700
for seven years we're celebrating the now we're here at the end of tribulation where

641
00:56:59,700 --> 00:57:05,260
we're now gonna celebrate the final moments that the feast is done the the wedding is

642
00:57:05,260 --> 00:57:10,740
finished and finalized so anyways but it says that the bride prepared herself and when we

643
00:57:10,740 --> 00:57:16,220
ask the question well how do we prepare ourselves first you prepare yourself by genuinely putting

644
00:57:16,220 --> 00:57:22,780
your full faith and trust in Jesus Christ for your salvation that's the first step to

645
00:57:22,780 --> 00:57:28,420
be the bride of Christ you've got to become part of the bride of Christ and you become

646
00:57:28,420 --> 00:57:33,220
part of the bride of Christ the church by giving your life to him by acknowledging that

647
00:57:33,220 --> 00:57:36,960
you've broken his law by calling out to him and saying God save me that that's the process

648
00:57:36,960 --> 00:57:42,180
there it's following him now and giving up everything that he says no to it's saying

649
00:57:42,180 --> 00:57:47,380
God I'm gonna yield my my my sins I'm gonna step away I'm gonna let go of all that and

650
00:57:47,380 --> 00:57:51,820
be obedient to you that's the first step of the process but verse 8 you'll see there it

651
00:57:51,820 --> 00:57:58,260
says she was given fine linen to wear then it represents the righteous acts of the saints

652
00:57:58,260 --> 00:58:03,900
you see every single Christian believer saved Christian believers gonna be at this wedding

653
00:58:03,900 --> 00:58:07,480
because the Bible tells us it's through faith that we are saved not by works at least anybody

654
00:58:07,480 --> 00:58:14,840
should boast but the bridal garment we're given to wear seems to be somewhat connected

655
00:58:14,840 --> 00:58:19,880
to or based upon our preparation the life we live here and now our life of obedience

656
00:58:19,880 --> 00:58:25,700
to the Lord there's different places where God talks about rewards given out to those

657
00:58:25,700 --> 00:58:32,240
in in in a reflection of the life they lived here on earth so although we are saved by

658
00:58:32,240 --> 00:58:38,060
faith there is this concept in scripture that the position we have in the millennial kingdom

659
00:58:38,060 --> 00:58:43,100
the rewards we are granted are determined by how we lived our life here and now how

660
00:58:43,100 --> 00:58:47,460
we used our time how we used our talents our gifts all of that Paul in first Corinthians

661
00:58:47,460 --> 00:58:53,180
speaks of rewards for the work we do here on earth in obedience to Jesus Christ and

662
00:58:53,180 --> 00:58:57,700
he mentions the first Corinthians he says each one's work will be tested for quality

663
00:58:57,700 --> 00:59:02,000
right what you did in your life here as a Christian it's going to be tested for quality

664
00:59:02,000 --> 00:59:07,660
meaning was it about and for Jesus or was it really for and about you did you spend

665
00:59:07,660 --> 00:59:11,820
your time talents and resources on selfish pursuits or did you spend it in obedience

666
00:59:11,820 --> 00:59:15,940
to God doing what he what he would want you to do what he's called you to do and Paul

667
00:59:15,940 --> 00:59:22,100
says in first Corinthians that some people's works won't result in any rewards he says

668
00:59:22,100 --> 00:59:29,140
specifically they will experience loss and they will be saved as if by fire meaning the

669
00:59:29,140 --> 00:59:34,780
idea is like you just you just made it in so if you're saved you're as saved as any

670
00:59:34,780 --> 00:59:39,120
other saved person is you're saved you're going to heaven amen hallelujah but when it

671
00:59:39,120 --> 00:59:44,380
comes to reward when it comes to position in the future kingdom some aren't going to

672
00:59:44,380 --> 00:59:49,900
have a whole lot stored up you guys understand the concept there so in the picture of this

673
00:59:49,900 --> 00:59:56,700
garment that is given by Jesus to the bride to wear your garments going to be determined

674
00:59:56,700 --> 01:00:00,940
on how you lived your life for Jesus you're saved you're at the marriage feast you're

675
01:00:00,940 --> 01:00:06,780
going to heaven you're there but there's a step after that and coming to to your reward

676
01:00:06,780 --> 01:00:10,820
and so the hope is that every believer grows and matures in this life this life here in

677
01:00:10,820 --> 01:00:15,180
their service and obedience to God that they grow to the place where their service and

678
01:00:15,180 --> 01:00:20,260
obedience to God just becomes natural part of their expression of faith where we live

679
01:00:20,260 --> 01:00:27,340
faithful in choosing selflessness and generosity and in sacrificial service over selfishness

680
01:00:27,340 --> 01:00:34,100
over greed over devotion to self over anything else and the results of all that is seems

681
01:00:34,100 --> 01:00:39,260
to be what we're closed with at the marriage feast and so it's closed real quick on verse

682
01:00:39,260 --> 01:00:45,300
10 says then I fell at his feet speaking the angel speaking of the angel John felt the

683
01:00:45,300 --> 01:00:49,180
feet of the angel to worship him but he said to me don't do that I'm a fellow servant

684
01:00:49,180 --> 01:00:54,420
with you and your brothers and sisters who will firmly to the testimony of Jesus worship

685
01:00:54,420 --> 01:00:59,360
God because the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy now I'm not entirely sure

686
01:00:59,360 --> 01:01:04,780
why someone like John the apostle would do this right some seem to think that that he

687
01:01:04,780 --> 01:01:10,700
felt the angel represented God at this moment some commentators think or suggest that John

688
01:01:10,700 --> 01:01:15,580
was just just overwhelmed with excitement and odd everything he was seen but regardless

689
01:01:15,580 --> 01:01:21,880
he fell down at the feet of the angel and to worship him it says but we know and I believe

690
01:01:21,880 --> 01:01:28,540
John knows to worship is to go only to God in any and all circumstances but notice the

691
01:01:28,540 --> 01:01:34,580
angel didn't go okay you could worship to me and then and then I'll take that to God

692
01:01:34,580 --> 01:01:39,180
because God's busy he's too busy for you to worship him directly so I'll serve as the

693
01:01:39,180 --> 01:01:44,100
angel doesn't say that the angel doesn't say you need to make your confession to me and

694
01:01:44,100 --> 01:01:49,020
I'll take it to God the angel doesn't say go talk to Mary Jesus's mom because Jesus

695
01:01:49,020 --> 01:01:54,620
is kind of busy right now getting married he doesn't say any of that when it comes to

696
01:01:54,620 --> 01:02:01,900
worship it goes to God and God alone yeah this angel is a supernatural being but he

697
01:02:01,900 --> 01:02:08,740
says I'm a fellow servant the angel this supernatural being probably of incredible power is like

698
01:02:08,740 --> 01:02:14,100
I am a fellow servant before God Almighty this angel is saying to John where we're on

699
01:02:14,100 --> 01:02:20,300
the same level we're created beings called to worship God and God alone and so he says

700
01:02:20,300 --> 01:02:26,620
worship God because the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy that's an interesting

701
01:02:26,620 --> 01:02:32,300
phrase here but the idea is that everything that has existed never will exist is about

702
01:02:32,300 --> 01:02:38,480
Jesus it's all about Jesus God in the flesh it's always been about Jesus it will always

703
01:02:38,480 --> 01:02:44,620
be about Jesus every word of prophecy pointed to Jesus prophecy proves the truth of Jesus

704
01:02:44,620 --> 01:02:49,600
prophecy at its very heart is designed to unfold the beauty and loveliness of our Lord

705
01:02:49,600 --> 01:02:55,380
and Savior Jesus Christ it all is about him now some of you have heard this before but

706
01:02:55,380 --> 01:03:00,220
for the sake of you that haven't I want to go through this real quick about a third of

707
01:03:00,220 --> 01:03:06,260
the entire Bible is prophecy predictive prophecy and in the Bible there's about 330 predictions

708
01:03:06,260 --> 01:03:11,580
very specific predictions regarding the Messiah Jesus Christ there are predictions about his

709
01:03:11,580 --> 01:03:15,980
actions about his character how he would live where he was born how he would die his burial

710
01:03:15,980 --> 01:03:22,620
his resurrection about 330 right a man named Peter Stoner who was a mathematician wondered

711
01:03:22,620 --> 01:03:30,020
what are the odds of one man fulfilling 330 prophecies about the Messiah and as he started

712
01:03:30,020 --> 01:03:34,220
to embark on that he went 330 is a lot let me start with eight what are the odds of one

713
01:03:34,220 --> 01:03:40,120
man fulfilling eight of the 330 prophecies born in Bethlehem you know all of these very

714
01:03:40,120 --> 01:03:45,180
specific things and so when he mathed it all out what he found is that the odds of one

715
01:03:45,180 --> 01:03:52,420
man fulfilling eight of the prophecies that Jesus fulfilled is one to ten to the seventeenth

716
01:03:52,420 --> 01:04:01,180
power that's ten with seventeen zeros after it that's the odds of one man fulfilling just

717
01:04:01,180 --> 01:04:07,060
eight of the prophecy and Jesus fulfilled many many more and some people go okay ten

718
01:04:07,060 --> 01:04:11,980
with seventeen zeros how do I visualize that this is how he visualized it if you took the

719
01:04:11,980 --> 01:04:18,100
entire state of Texas which is massive and you filled the entire state of Texas two feet

720
01:04:18,100 --> 01:04:24,180
deep with silver dollars right silver dollars yeah silver dollars I don't want somebody

721
01:04:24,180 --> 01:04:28,620
to come back to me it wasn't silver dollars silver dollars okay two feet deep the whole

722
01:04:28,620 --> 01:04:33,340
state miles and miles about the entire state two feet deep and as you were filling it you

723
01:04:33,340 --> 01:04:37,780
took one of those silver dollars you marked it with some some mark and you just tossed

724
01:04:37,780 --> 01:04:42,620
it somewhere in the state then you took a person blindfolded them took him to the border

725
01:04:42,620 --> 01:04:47,820
and said wander the entire state of Texas wander through dig through this two feet deep

726
01:04:47,820 --> 01:04:53,620
of silver dollars and the first one you grab has to be the one with the mark on it that's

727
01:04:53,620 --> 01:05:00,940
the odds of one person fulfilling eight of the prophecies that Jesus fulfilled then he

728
01:05:00,940 --> 01:05:04,740
went on to say what about sixteen and and I don't have time to get into that because

729
01:05:04,740 --> 01:05:17,500
it's just insane but the point is this Mohammed Buddha Krishna Shiva the 330 million gods

730
01:05:17,500 --> 01:05:24,780
of Hinduism none of them have the profits the testimony of prophecy none of them have

731
01:05:24,780 --> 01:05:31,220
that none have the testimony of perfectly fulfilled prophecy like Jesus Christ does

732
01:05:31,220 --> 01:05:37,460
that is why I believe Christianity is true and all the others are false prophecy authenticates

733
01:05:37,460 --> 01:05:45,900
Christ and so the angel says John write this down blessed are those invited to the marriage

734
01:05:45,900 --> 01:05:53,020
feast of the lamb the invitation has gone out the invitation has been going out have

735
01:05:53,020 --> 01:05:59,580
you accepted it will you accept it God has sent the invitation to you he wants you to

736
01:05:59,580 --> 01:06:04,420
be a part of the bride of Christ he wants you to be a part of his family and every single

737
01:06:04,420 --> 01:06:09,460
time you've heard the gospel preach the invitation has gone out to you what's really great about

738
01:06:09,460 --> 01:06:13,380
the invitation is the price to go has already been paid to there's no ticket price there's

739
01:06:13,380 --> 01:06:21,380
no cover charge you get to go for free you just have to accept his payment on your behalf

740
01:06:21,380 --> 01:06:28,020
and God loves you so much he he chose this metaphor a bridegroom loving his bride to

741
01:06:28,020 --> 01:06:33,700
show you how much he loves you and that should strike joy into your heart you know most grooms

742
01:06:33,700 --> 01:06:40,880
I've spoken to over the years they don't remember much of their wedding day without seeing pictures

743
01:06:40,880 --> 01:06:48,100
or videos right they don't remember the flowers the color of the flowers they don't ever remember

744
01:06:48,100 --> 01:06:52,900
what the pastor says they don't necessarily always remember the color of the dresses or

745
01:06:52,900 --> 01:06:58,980
the songs played right there's I don't remember all that but I haven't yet met one groom that

746
01:06:58,980 --> 01:07:05,580
doesn't remember the moment they saw their bride the moment she came out the door started

747
01:07:05,580 --> 01:07:10,660
walking down the aisle arrayed in her wedding gown ready to meet him not a single one has

748
01:07:10,660 --> 01:07:20,500
forgotten that moment everything else but that they don't forget church you are the

749
01:07:20,500 --> 01:07:29,260
bride of Christ Jesus has eyes only for you he loves you so much he loves you with a love

750
01:07:29,260 --> 01:07:36,060
that is beyond all understanding and if you're not a part of that the invitation goes out

751
01:07:36,060 --> 01:07:44,080
to you to be part of that to experience his love to experience his salvation forever don't

752
01:07:44,080 --> 01:07:53,920
reject that let's pray father we thank you so much for your word we thank you so much

753
01:07:53,920 --> 01:08:00,460
for everything Lord you've done for us everything you give us everything you do for us everything

754
01:08:00,460 --> 01:08:09,380
you will do for us God Lord we trust you in all things and God we know that we're in this

755
01:08:09,380 --> 01:08:15,220
period where we're we're betrothed to you Lord we're in this we're in the engagement

756
01:08:15,220 --> 01:08:20,780
time right now God because we can't see you physically but God we will one day and we

757
01:08:20,780 --> 01:08:26,860
so look forward to that Lord we know that during this time our call is to get to know

758
01:08:26,860 --> 01:08:33,700
you so that we become more like you that we would share you with this world of evil and

759
01:08:33,700 --> 01:08:40,860
hate and a world full of people who just hate you their creator and God we look forward

760
01:08:40,860 --> 01:08:49,020
to the day in the moment where you will show up and take us because it is the wedding day

761
01:08:49,020 --> 01:08:52,380
and Lord I pray that each one of us would live lives where we are ready for that God

762
01:08:52,380 --> 01:08:58,140
that we wouldn't be caught unaware Lord you even had parables about that in the gospels

763
01:08:58,140 --> 01:09:04,300
but Lord we would be ready not left behind but ready ready to be received up to you in

764
01:09:04,300 --> 01:09:11,720
the air God invited to that wedding feast where our forever in perfection and paradise

765
01:09:11,720 --> 01:09:17,580
paradise and joy with you will be fulfilled Lord we look forward to that moment we look

766
01:09:17,580 --> 01:09:25,420
forward to that feast and that celebration we look forward to the coming kingdom but

767
01:09:25,420 --> 01:09:34,540
God most of all we look forward to your face to see you to stand with you in a perfect

768
01:09:34,540 --> 01:09:41,380
love with a perfect salvation and if you don't know Jesus today just call out to him and

769
01:09:41,380 --> 01:09:52,260
say God forgive me of my sins I've sinned against you I deserve judgment but Lord I

770
01:09:52,260 --> 01:10:00,380
hear the invitation I hear your invitation to come Lord I am dirty I am filthy with sin

771
01:10:00,380 --> 01:10:09,200
but forgive me I believe you will forgive me God because you love me cleanse me give

772
01:10:09,200 --> 01:10:15,940
me a robe of pure white linen help me to live a life of obedience to you until you come

773
01:10:15,940 --> 01:10:26,860
that God I would one day stand with you face to face father we just thank you God help

774
01:10:26,860 --> 01:10:31,860
us to tell more people about you because there are so many that need to hear the truth help

775
01:10:31,860 --> 01:10:39,060
us to live for you God in obedience fill us with your joy fill us with your peace fill

776
01:10:39,060 --> 01:10:45,900
us with an eager anticipation for your coming we can't wait to see you Lord we love you

777
01:10:45,900 --> 01:11:12,700
so much in Jesus name we pray amen let's worship guys.