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Good morning. How are you all doing today? Hey guys, how you doing? I'm seeing people

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I haven't seen in a little while. Hey, we always like to start our services today's

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or on Sundays to welcome all of you. If you're joining us here in our sanctuary

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for the very first time or if you're joining us online for the first time, we

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

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I am Pastor Nathan and this morning we're going to be looking at the last

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last gasp of the devil. Finally. Excited to get to this point. We're going to be

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seeing his final destiny in our study of Revelation here. You know, ever since

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Satan fell and then went on to cause Adam and Eve to do the same, things in

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creation have just gone to ruin. They have just gone to ruin. Ruin has come

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upon the earth as generation after generation has been born with an evil

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sinful nature. And with that curse that has come down through mankind, death has

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come down through it all. And ever since then all of creation, including us, we are

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God's creation, have been waiting for the time where Jesus Christ, the Creator,

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would return, come back to his creation, set up his kingdom, retake full control

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over all of it. And as we've been studying in Revelation, we're seeing

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that this will indeed happen during the millennial kingdom. But until then, evil

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is spreading, has been spreading, and for generations has been having a field day

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of it. And I say that because as we look around our world today, it's not hard to

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see that evil and wickedness and depravity is more and more rewarded and

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celebrated in our culture, while good is being punished and slandered and called

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bigoted and naive and wrong. And the more we witness this as God's people, the

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more time marches forward and we see this depravity get worse, the more we

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find ourselves saying, yeah, Lord, your kingdom come. Your will be done on the

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earth as it is in heaven. And one day that prayer will be answered in its

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fullness, but we don't see it just yet. And the fact that we don't see that yet

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here on earth has been one of the major reasons that skeptics have a problem

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with God. You see, they ask questions like, if God is real, why is there evil? If God

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is real, why is there suffering? If God exists, why doesn't he step in and

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stop evil and suffering? And one of the classic arguments of atheists and those

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who deny God is this, if God is all-powerful, he could stop evil and

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destroy it. If God is all good, then he would destroy evil. And since evil is not

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destroyed, therefore there is no God. Well, chapter 20 of Revelation answers this

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erroneous line of logic. And we see in chapter 20 of Revelation, Satan, the

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perpetuator of evil, bound for a thousand years. We're gonna see during this

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thousand years that Jesus Christ is here on earth ruling and reigning. Most

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importantly, what we see is at the end of the thousand-year millennial kingdom,

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Satan is allowed to rise up one last time, and then he is dealt with for good.

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See, there are two events that kind of bookend the millennial kingdom. On the

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front side, we have what's known as the binding of Satan. And the binding of

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Satan will indeed happen. He will be bound. He will be tossed into the abyss.

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He will be restrained from tempting mankind in any way, shape, or form during

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the millennial kingdom. And this serves one of the major purposes of the

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millennial kingdom. But then on the other side is the final judgment of Satan,

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which will also happen, is an absolute truth and a guaranteed circumstance. And

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that serves as God's final word about sin and rebellion. It's these two events, the

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binding and the judgment, that bookend the millennial kingdom, it's what we're

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looking at today. But as we see these two events and look at what they mean, it

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shows us that evil and wickedness and temptation and sin and the one who

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perpetuates all of it will one day fully, finally, and completely be destroyed.

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Hallelujah. So that's what we're looking at today in Revelation chapter 20, but

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first we're gonna spend some time in worship. We want to praise God. We want

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to praise God for who he is. We want to praise God for what he's done. We want to

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praise God for what he's going to do. Because we so look forward to the time

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where righteousness rules and reigns. Where perfection is the state of

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existence. But even beyond that, the eternity that we get to spend with our

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Lord and our Savior, our Creator in paradise is just something to look

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forward to. Amen. Let's pray. Father, we love you so much. And God, we are so

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looking forward to these times, these events that we've been studying,

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Lord. God, we know that there's a time coming of tribulation upon the earth and

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oh Lord, it's heavy. It's difficult. It's horrific. But God, we've moved

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past that in our study of this revelation of Jesus Christ, Lord, and we're

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looking at this glorious time called the Millennial Kingdom. And God, as we study

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this, I just pray, Lord, that we would further be encouraged by what is to come,

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God. That we would be encouraged today to not lose heart, Lord, because your

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promises are true. That you are faithful and true, God, and we know these things

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are coming to pass, God. And so, Lord, as we labor today in this age of grace, God,

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while evil is still running rampant, God, we are called to be people to take the

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message of the gospel and the good news into this world to share the hope of

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salvation with those who don't have it. And God, a part of that hope is this

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Millennial Kingdom in eternity to come after. And so, God, bless us today. Speak

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to us today. Encourage us today, especially, Lord, as we look towards our

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hope that one day Satan will be bound and one day Satan will be finally and

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fully judged, no longer tempting us, no longer roaming and roaring and seeking

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to kill and to steal and to destroy, but he will be done. Hallelujah, Lord. God, we

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want to worship you now for all of it. We praise your holy name, God, because you

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are worth it. You are almighty. You are just. You are pure. Your love. Your light,

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God. You are amazing. So, God, be blessed as we worship you now, as we praise your

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name. We love you and we thank you. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. We are in

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Revelation chapter 20. In our last message, we kind of looked at somewhat of

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an overview of the Millennial Kingdom, really what it is scripturally, because

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here in Revelation chapter 20, it's kind of a brief mention of the Millennial

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Kingdom. It kind of just mentions it real quick and then moves right past it, but

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as we were doing this quick overview, we kind of looked real fast at verses one

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through six, really as a summary statement of this entire thousand-year

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Millennial Kingdom, and today we're going to take a bit of a closer look at verses

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one through six, and we're going to go all the way down to verses 10, which

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collectively is really the beginning, the middle, and the end of the Millennial

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Kingdom, and the items that we're going to see have major focus here in

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Revelation 20 in this brief look at the Millennial Kingdom are the removal of

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Satan that happens right before the Millennium is ushered in, the reign of

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the saints, which takes place during the Millennial Kingdom, and then the release

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of Satan, which involves a revolt of a certain segment of society, and then

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ultimately the recapture and the final judgment of Satan himself, which all

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takes place at the very end of the Millennial Kingdom, and then next time we

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get together after the holidays, because we will be spending time looking at

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Christmas and celebrating the birth of Jesus next week, when we do come back to

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look at Revelation again, we will look at the final judgment of the wicked and

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deal with the topic of the great white throne judgment. So, but today verses one

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through ten again forms an outline overview of the Millennial Kingdom with

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a focus on three elements, and so let's look at the first one in verses one

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through three, it's the removal of Satan. It says, then I saw an angel coming down

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from heaven holding the key to the abyss and a great chain in his hand. He seized

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the dragon, that ancient serpent who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a

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thousand years. He threw him into the abyss, closed it, and put a seal on it so

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that he would no longer deceive the nations until the thousand years were

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completed. After that, he must be released for a short time. So the first thing I

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want to point out is this is a yet future event that has not happened yet.

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It's right after the tribulation period and it's an event that will harken in

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the beginning of the Millennium. I point that out because there are

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alternate interpretations of the Millennial Kingdom and I recognize that

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and there are some who look at the Millennial Kingdom in these verses in

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Revelation 20 as purely metaphorical, that they're not referring to anything

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that is really going to happen, they're just allegory and story, and then some

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suggest that the Millennial Kingdom has already happened or is in the process of

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happening. But what I see in Scripture is that those interpretations actually

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conflict with what Scripture says about Satan and his work here upon the earth.

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For example, in 1st Peter chapter 5 verse 8 it tells us this, be sober minded and be

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alert. Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion

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looking for anyone he can devour. Now that word is in the Greek language is a

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verb that is in what's called the present active tense. What that means is

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what is being referred to, the devil prowling around, is an ongoing event that

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is happening right now as you are reading this verse. Okay, so it's happening

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today. In the book of Job we read how Satan has access to heaven or at least

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some type of limited access as he goes before God and presents himself with the

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angels to accuse Job. And then of course in Revelation 12 if you were with us

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then as we were studying the midpoint of the tribulation which is still a yet

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future event to happen we read there that it was at that point that Satan was

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finally kicked out of heaven. His access to heaven was revoked in full as we read

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there in Revelation 12 10 it said because the accuser of our brothers and

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sisters who accuses them before our God day and night has been thrown down. And so

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again the language there indicates that he had access up until that point and

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Job supports that. I've said this before but if you've never heard this it might

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shock some of you and it might shock some viewers of this video in the future

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but Satan today is not in hell. Hell is not his base of operations today. In fact

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chronologically Satan has never yet been to hell as of today and when he does get

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sent there thrown there as we're gonna read later he's not gonna be the king on

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the throne in charge of the place. He's not gonna be the head of the party. He's

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not gonna be this reigning ruling leader there in hell. He will be the chief

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inmate. He will be the number one prisoner and he will be the lowest and

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the most tormented of all of them. Now some of the interpretations of the

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Millennium in these verses in the light of that people go well wasn't Satan

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defeated at the cross right? We talk about that we preach that that the power

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of sin and death was defeated by Jesus at the cross and they go well wasn't

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Satan defeated there? And it's kind of like a yes-no answer because in a sense

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yes he was defeated there but what we mean by that is his unhindered influence

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over man's heart was defeated at the cross. That's what we mean when we say

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the power of sin or slavery to sin as the Bible talks about. We were enslaved

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to sin prior to Christ all of that was dealt with and broken at the cross and

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it was at the cross that we were fully and finally forgiven of sin not just

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having our sin covered by sacrifices but washed away. So the power of sin to

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condemn us washed away. The power of death to to damn us to internal

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damnation washed away. So we were forgiven, absolved of the penalty, and

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freed from the guilt. The Bible also tells us that at the cross we were given a new

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heart by faith. That new heart is the heart that allows us to say no to sin. You

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see prior to the cross we couldn't really say no to sin. Now God provided

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the sacrificial system to to make atonement for that sin but it was a

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temporary covering but we were sinners right? The Bible is very clear that the

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sacrifices in the Old Testament did nothing to change our heart they just

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covered the sin but when Jesus died on the cross the Bible tells us we were

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given a new heart by faith and so we don't have to sin anymore. It doesn't

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mean we always choose that but we don't have to we have the power granted by

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this new heart the power the Holy Spirit dwelling within us to say no I'm gonna

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obey God I want to do what God wants me to do but thus then began the struggle

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between the flesh and the spirit. So but the Holy Spirit within us through our

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faith in Jesus Christ and what he did on the cross is what allows us to say no to

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Satan's agenda and to walk in the spirit but from the cross all the way up to the

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millennial kingdom Satan is and has been still present upon the earth as it says

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to roam to roar to tempt to deceive the Bible tells us that he is still active

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but what we're seeing here in Revelation 20 after the tribulation takes place

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right before the millennial kingdom is ushered in Satan is then seized taken

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into custody he's arrested and thrown into jail it tells us there that he was

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bound by a great chain those words in the Greek refer to you having your

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freedom restricted by shackles so it's the picture that comes to mind when you

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think of somebody being shackled up in jail that he's confined by restraints

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the word threw tossed into the abyss is an interesting word because it means to

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be tossed through the air it's that idea of a bouncer throwing you out of the

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club right like you've acted up enough we eat it right through the air under the

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streets you're tossed out that's the idea here and then it says he was sealed

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in the abyss and then we know the abyss from previous studies is that jail it's

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that place of incarceration that the really bad demons were locked up in

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until the tribulation period it's not hell itself it's a temporary prison in

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abode but Satan is locked and sealed in there and it tells us that at this point

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he is locked in there so that he could no longer deceive the nations and that

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word deceive means to mislead or to cause to go astray and so but he isn't

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bound today he's not locked up today his freedom to deceive the nations isn't

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restricted today we don't have to look far to see that right we see what's

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happening around the world we see what what some governments and leadership

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does we see what people are being led to do as they are deceived by Satan he is

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active today now there are many other scriptures that support and indicate

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this a well this as well as in addition to first Peter 5 8 and Job in Acts

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chapter 5 verse 3 we read about Ananias and Sapphira right they went and sold

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their property and they came to give the money and we read there that Peter was

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in told by the Holy Spirit they're lying to you they're not giving everything

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they're holding back some of it and so Peter says to them why has Satan filled

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your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit if Satan's bound how is he able to fill

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their heart first Corinthians chapter 5 there's a section there where Paul is

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dealing with a discipline how the church is to discipline some immoral members of

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the church there and and he says to to the church there he goes this person

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who is committing this immorality he goes hand that one over to Satan if

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Satan is bound how can you hand anybody over to him first Corinthians 7 is a is

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a great instruction to to married people and single people but it says in the

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section here about how married couples aren't to deny one another the the

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physical joys of marriage right there's there's the joy of intimacy in Paul's

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teaching don't deny that to each other right don't use intimacy as a punishment

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tool like I'm mad at you he goes don't do that why he says so that Satan doesn't

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tempt you again how can Satan tempt you if he's bound Ephesians chapter 2 tells

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us that Satan who's the prince of the power of the air is now working in the

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disobedient again not bound then first Thessalonians 2 18 Paul says we wanted

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to come to you time and time again but Satan hindered us it's pretty clear that

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Satan is not bound today he wasn't bound then and he's not gonna be bound until

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he's thrown in jail right so today we as Christians the church were to be

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sober minded the Bible tells us alert why for our adversary the devil is

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prowling around like a roaring lion looking for anyone whom he could devour

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and if Satan is not bound that means he's not in the abyss and if Satan is

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not in the abyss that means we're not in the millennial yet millennial kingdom

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yet but it will come it's yet future and after Satan is remote removed and bound

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and chained up for a thousand years we get to the second major focus of the

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Millennium we see in Revelation 20 verse 4 he goes then I saw thrones and people

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seated on them who were given authority to judge I also saw the souls of those

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who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because the

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word of God because of the word of God who had not worshiped the beast or his

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image and who had not accepted the mark on their four foreheads or their hands

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they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years the rest of

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the dead did not come to life until a thousand years were completed and we're

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gonna deal with that in our next message of Revelation but he says this is the

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first resurrection blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first

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resurrection the second death has no power over them but they will be priests

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of God and of Christ and they will reign with him for a thousand years and so the

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second major emphasis of the millennial kingdom in Revelation 20 is the reign of

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the Saints right we saw Satan bound Satan jailed and then we get to this

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reign of the Saints here now he starts out by saying I saw thrones I saw

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thrones and there's people on these thrones and they were given authority to

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judge that word judge there means means having administrative and judicial

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authority so they are reigning with Christ for this thousand years now

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granted here in Revelation 20 we're not told specifically expressly who these

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people on these thrones are so like good Bible students we have to look to

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scripture to interpret scripture right so the question is what group or what

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groups of people did God ever make a promise to that they would rule and

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reign with him well in Daniel chapter 7 verse 18 it says this but the holy ones

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and that word also means Saints of the Most High will receive the kingdom and

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possess it forever yes forever and ever later on in Daniel 7 of verse 22 it says

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the ancient of days arrived and a judgment was given in favor of the holy

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ones of the Most High for the time had come and the holy ones took possession

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of the kingdom and then we have Daniel 7 27 same chapter he says the kingdom

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dominion and greatness of the kingdom under all of heaven will be given to the

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people the holy ones of the Most High his kingdom will be an everlasting

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kingdom and all rulers will serve and obey him so that prophecy that we read

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about in Daniel chapter 7 speaking of this coming kingdom upon the earth is

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referring to these holy ones or what we call Old Testament saints right Old

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Testament saints were promised rulership in the kingdom so they will be on these

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thrones Matthew chapter 19 verse 28 is a verse specifically speaking of the 12

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Apostles and at this time in Matthew chapter 19 the Apostles were asking

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Jesus a question that I'm gonna paraphrase this way what do we get out of

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following you right like we've never asked that question of God what are we

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gonna get out of this right what do we have to look forward to and then Matthew

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19 28 Jesus said to them truly I tell you in the renewal of all things when

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the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne the millennial kingdom you who

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have followed me speaking to the 12 Apostles will also sit on 12 thrones

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judging the 12 tribes of Israel so we have the Old Testament saints and now we

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have the 12 Apostles over the 12 tribes of Israel but wait there's more in 1st

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Corinthians 6 2 we have a teaching regarding the New Testament saints

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because in 1st Corinthians 6 2 Paul is writing to the Christian church he's

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writing to the Christian believers of the New Testament church and the context

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of the section is how to resolve internal disputes but he says this don't

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you know that the Saints will judge the world and if the world is judged by you

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are you unworthy to judge trivial cases and he's speaking of resolving disputes

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amongst yourselves but he kind of offhandedly refers to the Saints

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judging the world almost as if it was common knowledge 2nd Timothy chapter 2

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verse 12 it says if we the church endure we will also reign with him 1st Peter 2

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it says we the church are a royal priesthood and then in Revelation chapter

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3 verse 21 which was written to the church right it says to the one who

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conquers I will give the right to sit with me on my throne just as I also

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conquered and sat down with my father on his throne and then Revelation 5 10 and

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again chapter 4 and 5 of Revelation I believe is a picture of the church

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already in heaven prior to tribulation the church sings those elders on those

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24 thrones they sing you have made us a kingdom or another way to transcend

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say that is you have made us kings and priests to our God so I think if you

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just read the New Testament and pay attention to what it's saying you can't

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miss the fact that that that the New Testament Saints the church are going to

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be ruling and reigning as well so the people on the thrones that that John

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sees here in Revelation 20 is the Old Testament Saints it's the 12 apostles

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over the 12 tribes of Israel Israel and it's the New Testament Saints the church

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right but there's another group reigning with Christ as well because in verse 4b

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the second half of the verse John said I also saw the souls of those who had been

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beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus that phrase I also saw means

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I see a different group of people the people on the thrones and then I also

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saw a different group of people they are not the church they are not the Old

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Testament Saints they are not the Apostles but he describes them pretty

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graphically right we don't have to really dig deep to understand who he's

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talking about here these are the ones that died during the tribulation time

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for their faith in Jesus Christ and so collectively who's ruling and reigning

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with Jesus during the Millennial Kingdom the Old Testament Saints the 12

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Apostles the New Testament Saints and the Tribulation Saints that's who what we

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refer to those people who died during the tribulation who put their faith in

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Jesus during that seven-year period we have been studying throughout Revelation

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now in 1st Corinthians 15 Paul talks about all of those who are who are a

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part of this are going to return with Christ to the earth in glorified bodies

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so this group these Old Testament Saints 12 Apostles New Testament Saints

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Tribulation Saints we're all going to return with Christ in glorified bodies

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to rule and reign with him during the Millennium and I just think that's

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beautiful I think it's it's pretty fun and ironic that we're gonna return and

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rule and reign over the very place that Satan is expelled from and jailed from

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for a thousand years now that leads to another question if we were ruling and

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reigning who are we ruling and reigning over during the Millennial Kingdom right

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well don't forget that there are people humans on earth who survive live through

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the tribulation period right the the tribulation period is a devastation upon

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the earth and millions die but but not everybody dies not everybody upon the

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earth dies during the tribulation time specifically you remember the 144,000

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Jewish evangelists it told us earlier in Revelation that God protects them

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through tribulation that the Antichrist and his minions he goes after them he

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tries to kill them but but they're protected by God so at the end of the

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tribulation period they're still alive now it doesn't make sense to me that God

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is gonna be like all right you guys are still alive boom killed boom brought

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back in glorified bodies that doesn't make any sense so the idea is that they

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proceed into the Millennial Kingdom still in their earthly bodies we read throughout

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tribulation that that two-thirds of the Jewish specifically Jewish population is

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killed during the tribulation time but there is a third a remnant that remains

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remains at the end of tribulation in their earthly bodies still living on

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earth into the Millennial Kingdom and then of course there's no indication

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that every single non-jew is killed upon the earth so there are Gentile

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believers that enter into the Millennial Kingdom and so the idea is that every

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person who begins life in the Millennial Kingdom whether they're in an earthly

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body or a heavenly body they're all God's people so at the beginning of the

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Millennial Kingdom the earth is populated 100% with people who believe

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that Jesus Christ is God Lord and Savior that's gonna be a cool time now in

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Matthew chapter 25 we see an indication of this just to give you some scriptural

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support Matthew 25 starting in verse 31 Jesus says when the Son of Man comes in

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his glory and this was referring to the second coming of Christ at the end of

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tribulation and all the angels with him then he will sit on his glorious throne

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speaking of the kingdom that he's gonna be ruling the thousand-year Millennial

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reign of Christ verse 32 it says all the nations will be gathered before him and

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he will separate them from one another just as a shepherd separates the sheep

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from the goats he will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left then

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the king will say to those on his right speaking of the sheep this is a picture

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of believers those who survived tribulation but believed in Jesus Christ

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his Lord and Savior he says come you who are blessed by my father inherit the

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kingdom the Millennial Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world

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and then later on in Matthew 25 in verse 41 it says then he will also say to those

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on the left the goats which is a picture of non-believers who survived

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tribulation depart from me you who are cursed into the eternal fire prepared

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for the devil and his angels so chronologically tribulation is done there

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are people still alive on earth some believe some don't there is this

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judgment the separation of the sheep's and goats before the Millennial Kingdom

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embarks or is is embarked upon and the wicked are cast into hell and then when

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the actual thousand-year reign of Christ begins it's all believers and so what a

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beautiful picture of a kingdom of God full of people who believe that he is

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God that he is the Savior some in glorified bodies that are ruling and

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reigning and all the positions of administration and leadership and in

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political power I guess if you want to say that but some still in earthly

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bodies and over the course of the thousand years we looked at last time

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that the curse of of death and decay is going to be lifted and so there's going

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to be a longevity restored to humanity and so there's going to be some people

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who get to the Millennial reign of Christ and they've lived 50 40 60 30 80

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years here on earth and then there's going to be a longevity that is restored

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to them as they continue to live on through the Millennial reign of Christ

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but humans on earth during this thousand years they're gonna repopulate there's

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pictures of that in scripture that that it's not going to just be everybody's

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sterile and we're just like oh worshipping God and doing nothing else

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that that life on earth is going to continue under the rulership of Jesus

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Christ and people are going to populate now when humans have babies what kind of

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babies are they human trick question humans have human babies right we know

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that that's basic biology like biology isn't fully dismantled yet by our

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educational system we still understand that right humans have human babies well

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those human babies are going to be born in earthly bodies and those earthly

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bodies are still going to inherit inherit the sin nature that is the

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nature of human flesh now although the effect of the curse on physical bodies

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is lifted right sicknesses is no longer here short lifespans are gone the

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spiritual nature of mankind the the spiritual nature that man has inherited

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since the fall since Adam and Eve it's gonna remain within the flesh now these

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offspring that people are gonna have are gonna receive the same free will gift

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that God gives to all of us now to say yes or no to Jesus Christ they're gonna

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have that same opportunity now although outward righteousness is gonna be

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enforced with an iron rod it told us that that Jesus is gonna rule with an

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iron rod during this kingdom meaning that that peace is gonna prevail many

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interpret this to mean that that that the result the fruit of sin the fruit of

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wickedness and evil it's not even going to be allowed to grow to flourish to

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fester some go so far as to say that when the evil thought even enters the

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mind it is dealt with immediately because Jesus Christ is here on earth

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ruling and reigning with his people throughout the entire planet but the

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idea is this is that outward righteousness is gonna be enforced that

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goodness and righteousness in in you know the all of those things that we

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consider a part of our faith and our Christianity that Jesus would want upon

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the earth it's gonna be enforced upon the entire planet and then through that

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it we we read last time that all the weapons of the planet are gonna be

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smashed into plowshares that all military training will cease right

387
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there's gonna be no more fighting between nations or whatnot although all

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of that is is in place the inward depravity of the human heart the human

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nature will still be present that human nature and that free will that has the

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ability to choose and as we are about to see some will still choose rebellion

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against God despite the fact that he is bodily here ruling and reigning for a

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thousand years despite the fact that all government is perfect despite the fact

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that there's no more crime and no more wickedness and no more evil despite the

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fact that that trafficking is eradicated despite the fact all it's it's a perfect

395
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utopia but the human heart is still the same and this brings us to the third

396
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major focus of the Millennium in Revelation 20 which is the final

397
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rebellion in the release of Satan read with me in verse 7 when the thousand

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years are completed Satan will be released from his prison now this is one

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of the great mysteries of Scripture to me why after having incarcerated the

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devil put him in jail removed his influence over the human heart removed

401
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his influence over the earth why on earth would God ever let him out again

402
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why would he unbound Satan right to me in my limited human intellect I'm going

403
00:34:22,640 --> 00:34:32,120
that what's up with that God like he's the bad guy you dealt with him well I

404
00:34:32,120 --> 00:34:37,480
don't have a really great answer for this okay I labored and I studied and I

405
00:34:37,480 --> 00:34:42,200
thought about it and and I was seeking you know well what are other pastors and

406
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in theologians saying about this and and there are a lot of ideas about exactly

407
00:34:47,320 --> 00:34:51,000
why but but it doesn't tell us here right it doesn't say any let him out and

408
00:34:51,000 --> 00:34:57,500
this is why it just says that he did right but I found a quote from the

409
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founder of the Dallas Seminary and he said this because someone asked him the

410
00:35:01,880 --> 00:35:05,440
same question why does God let Satan out at the end of the Millennium and he

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said well you tell me why God loosed him the first time and I'll tell you why God

412
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loses him the second time you know when Satan fell why didn't God just

413
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eradicate him right there right that's a question we have that's the question

414
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that skeptics have why is there evil why doesn't God do something about it

415
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right a lot of people call them imponderable questions right like we

416
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could think about it but but it's it's really beyond our understanding here and

417
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now but I do think that the two things are related and possibly give us a

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glimpse into our understanding at least part of why God does this you see the

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first time Satan fell being a beautiful angel angel and servant of God and he

420
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fell and pride entered his heart and he said I would be like the most high and

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he took a third of the angels with him and and all of this the God didn't

422
00:35:53,320 --> 00:36:00,080
destroy him there because God had given mankind the gift of free will he gave us

423
00:36:00,080 --> 00:36:08,320
free will right he gave us the ability to choose God said I love you I want you

424
00:36:08,320 --> 00:36:12,200
to love me back but I'm not gonna force you to love me back because that's not

425
00:36:12,200 --> 00:36:17,080
love all right he's not gonna make us robots that we love God because there's

426
00:36:17,080 --> 00:36:23,960
no other choice no there's choice and how do you really have choice without

427
00:36:23,960 --> 00:36:31,200
two opposite things to choose from and so the first time Satan fell God allowed

428
00:36:31,200 --> 00:36:37,680
Satan to continue so that he could honor the free will that he gifted to us as

429
00:36:37,680 --> 00:36:42,860
his creation the free will to choose to obey him or to choose to not obey him

430
00:36:42,860 --> 00:36:46,160
and I think letting Satan out the second time at the end of the millennial

431
00:36:46,160 --> 00:36:51,520
highlight millennial kingdom is highlighting the same issue you see this

432
00:36:51,520 --> 00:36:55,360
further emphasizes the point and the purpose of the millennial kingdom

433
00:36:55,360 --> 00:36:59,440
because that's another question after tribulation he locks up Satan what why

434
00:36:59,440 --> 00:37:03,820
another thousand years come on let's just get to eternity let's get to

435
00:37:03,820 --> 00:37:11,400
paradise but part of the point of the millennium serves to prove beyond a

436
00:37:11,400 --> 00:37:18,720
shadow of a doubt that humans we have nothing to blame our sin on we have

437
00:37:18,720 --> 00:37:23,520
nothing to blame our sin on when it comes to sin we are ultimately

438
00:37:23,520 --> 00:37:30,960
responsible it's our choice we are the ones who exercise the free will God gave

439
00:37:30,960 --> 00:37:36,360
us to disobey we are the ones who make the choice to do what God says no to

440
00:37:36,360 --> 00:37:41,400
we're the ones that that make that choice it's not our environment because

441
00:37:41,400 --> 00:37:43,920
the millennial kingdom would be a perfect environment it's not our

442
00:37:43,920 --> 00:37:47,600
government because during the millennial kingdom will have a perfect government

443
00:37:47,600 --> 00:37:51,640
it's not whether or not Jesus is physically here because he'll be

444
00:37:51,640 --> 00:37:55,160
physically here for a thousand years during the millennial kingdom it's not

445
00:37:55,160 --> 00:38:00,880
the devil's fault because he's locked up in jail and he can't even tempt you it's

446
00:38:00,880 --> 00:38:09,480
not our upbringing while sin and unrighteousness will not even be

447
00:38:09,480 --> 00:38:13,960
allowed to fester and to grow into poison society during the millennial

448
00:38:13,960 --> 00:38:18,000
kingdom because again Jesus is ruling with an iron rod it will still be

449
00:38:18,000 --> 00:38:25,080
present in the nature and the heart of man and letting Satan out one more time

450
00:38:25,080 --> 00:38:30,600
proves that because the very first chance mankind gets to disobey God and

451
00:38:30,600 --> 00:38:36,960
fight against them they take it they take it many will believe in Jesus

452
00:38:36,960 --> 00:38:42,080
during the millennial kingdom that are being born but many will still not and

453
00:38:42,080 --> 00:38:46,840
so and that'll bring it all to final judgment so God lets Satan out and he

454
00:38:46,840 --> 00:38:50,440
deceives the nations again and how does he deceive the nation well it's the same

455
00:38:50,440 --> 00:38:55,080
way he's always been doing it go back to the very beginning right did God really

456
00:38:55,080 --> 00:39:03,620
say as he mentioned to Eve in the garden did God really mean that does God right

457
00:39:03,620 --> 00:39:08,320
he questions God and because there's people born on the millennium with this

458
00:39:08,320 --> 00:39:12,640
sin nature who maybe have been harboring it inside living under

459
00:39:12,640 --> 00:39:18,960
enforced righteousness but but finally there's an opportunity to act out

460
00:39:18,960 --> 00:39:25,080
outwardly what is inward here it says in verse 8 he goes out to deceive the

461
00:39:25,080 --> 00:39:28,960
nations at the four corners of the earth Gog and Magog to gather them for battle

462
00:39:28,960 --> 00:39:33,680
their number is like the sand of the sea they came up across the breath of the

463
00:39:33,680 --> 00:39:37,520
earth and surrounded the encampment of the Saints the beloved city then fire

464
00:39:37,520 --> 00:39:42,120
came down from heaven and consumed them so again that word deceive there right

465
00:39:42,120 --> 00:39:49,360
it means to lead astray another way to word that is to cause one to outwardly

466
00:39:49,360 --> 00:39:56,560
express disobedience because remember again nobody's able to outwardly express

467
00:39:56,560 --> 00:40:01,120
disobedience to God during the millennial kingdom and it says that these

468
00:40:01,120 --> 00:40:06,080
people are like then they number the sand of the sea all right that just that

469
00:40:06,080 --> 00:40:11,240
just means a lot of people right ever gone to the beach trying count the sand

470
00:40:11,240 --> 00:40:18,320
it's it's a lot right you can't count it Jeremiah was absolutely right when he

471
00:40:18,320 --> 00:40:24,360
said that the human heart is most deceitful and desperately wicked he was

472
00:40:24,360 --> 00:40:31,280
spot-on and so this rebellion here this answers the question well if Satan was

473
00:40:31,280 --> 00:40:38,400
gone would man still sin would man still want to sin and as we've seen that the

474
00:40:38,400 --> 00:40:42,560
human nature is still there and those born of the flesh and so absolutely

475
00:40:42,560 --> 00:40:49,360
because we know sin comes from inside us that is something the Bible teaches sin

476
00:40:49,360 --> 00:40:53,080
comes from inside us it comes from our fallen nature it comes from the flesh

477
00:40:53,080 --> 00:40:59,240
Satan simply creates an environment to to to tempt that he simply creates an

478
00:40:59,240 --> 00:41:03,440
environment to stimulate the flesh and then lays a temptation before us but we

479
00:41:03,440 --> 00:41:12,080
are still the ones who choose to sin we're the ones that say yes I will

480
00:41:12,080 --> 00:41:18,680
disobey God now you could remove the devil you could remove the enticement

481
00:41:18,680 --> 00:41:26,320
but the point the human heart is still deceitful and desperately wicked we're

482
00:41:26,320 --> 00:41:32,000
sinners by nature that's been the message the whole time guys right Bible

483
00:41:32,000 --> 00:41:40,560
Genesis to Revelation we're sinners by nature it's a truth you see the the

484
00:41:40,560 --> 00:41:47,920
millennial kingdom will put to rest the the the nurture versus nature debate for

485
00:41:47,920 --> 00:41:53,880
all time right because modern secular psychology well you know nurture nature

486
00:41:53,880 --> 00:41:57,520
rises at upbringing the millennial kingdom is gonna be like it's nature

487
00:41:57,520 --> 00:42:01,400
period end of story through and through and then you know it's all those

488
00:42:01,400 --> 00:42:04,720
questions like why is there crime why do people kill each other why is there

489
00:42:04,720 --> 00:42:07,800
murder why is there alcoholism why is there drug abuse why is there

490
00:42:07,800 --> 00:42:13,800
trafficking why is why are why do all these evils exist in the world because

491
00:42:13,800 --> 00:42:25,200
of the heart of man that's the point a perfect everything outside of us won't

492
00:42:25,200 --> 00:42:33,200
change a thing about the nature of the flesh a thousand years of Christ ruling

493
00:42:33,200 --> 00:42:37,600
won't change it a thousand years of Christ here walking among mankind won't

494
00:42:37,600 --> 00:42:42,000
change it a thousand years of people observing these these other people in

495
00:42:42,000 --> 00:42:48,120
glorified heavenly bodies won't change it none of it will change the fallen

496
00:42:48,120 --> 00:42:54,600
nature of a person unless the fallen person says I want my sins forgiven I'm

497
00:42:54,600 --> 00:42:59,280
sorry I've broken your law God I believe in Jesus Christ as Savior and I

498
00:42:59,280 --> 00:43:05,160
exercise my own free will to submit my life to him in his Lordship Jesus I'm

499
00:43:05,160 --> 00:43:13,520
yours come into my life and it's gonna be the same during the millennial kingdom

500
00:43:13,520 --> 00:43:17,880
that's why Jesus said to Nicodemus right unless you were born again you will

501
00:43:17,880 --> 00:43:24,000
never see the kingdom of God it's why God stepped out of eternity 2,000 years

502
00:43:24,000 --> 00:43:29,400
ago we're gonna celebrate it next week came to this earth born of the flesh to

503
00:43:29,400 --> 00:43:34,920
live a perfect life ultimately to die for you and for me he did it 2,000 years

504
00:43:34,920 --> 00:43:41,880
ago it still applies to us today it's why all that took place Jesus Christ

505
00:43:41,880 --> 00:43:48,720
addressed the problem the sickness that plagued humanity a nature a nature that

506
00:43:48,720 --> 00:43:54,000
we could do nothing about no matter how hard we try we can't change our nature

507
00:43:54,000 --> 00:44:01,080
we're ultimately sinful and Jesus not only addressed the problem but provided

508
00:44:01,080 --> 00:44:09,800
the remedy a new nature a new heart the Bible says granted freely by salvation

509
00:44:09,800 --> 00:44:15,080
freely given by God but it's a gift that has to be received with the free will of

510
00:44:15,080 --> 00:44:24,240
the receiver so Satan is released the first thing he does when he's released

511
00:44:24,240 --> 00:44:30,520
God I'm really sorry bro I know I did a lot of bad things no first thing he does

512
00:44:30,520 --> 00:44:35,440
organize a war against God why because he'll never change thousand years in

513
00:44:35,440 --> 00:44:40,080
jail didn't rehabilitate him his nature his character does not change he is and

514
00:44:40,080 --> 00:44:45,560
remains the devil the deceiver the dragon that is who he is and so it's the same

515
00:44:45,560 --> 00:44:49,720
tricks the lies the deception the false religion the false ideas about God and

516
00:44:49,720 --> 00:44:54,080
all of this stuff so it gives us this weird detail here and I want to address

517
00:44:54,080 --> 00:44:56,800
this real quick for those you that are that are interested in these types of

518
00:44:56,800 --> 00:45:01,040
things it brings up this phrase Gog and Magog right we go what is that right

519
00:45:01,040 --> 00:45:05,200
what does that even mean like it's almost sounds like somebody coughing as

520
00:45:05,200 --> 00:45:09,240
they're trying to write it down right but it's actually a thing in the Bible

521
00:45:09,240 --> 00:45:16,360
right historically Magog was a grandson of Noah so when Noah was in the ark and

522
00:45:16,360 --> 00:45:19,360
then the waters receded and the ark landed and he had his family there and

523
00:45:19,360 --> 00:45:23,920
then they went out and through that they ended up repopulating the earth Magog was

524
00:45:23,920 --> 00:45:30,520
a grandson of Noah and his offspring his people settled far north of Israel north

525
00:45:30,520 --> 00:45:37,240
of the Black Sea in the area we know today as Russia okay so Russians are far

526
00:45:37,240 --> 00:45:42,760
descendants from Magog and in that understanding now Gog and Magog these

527
00:45:42,760 --> 00:45:47,440
words they first appear for us in Ezekiel chapter 38 and 39 and then they

528
00:45:47,440 --> 00:45:51,720
appear again here in Revelation 20 now we don't have time to exhaustively go

529
00:45:51,720 --> 00:45:55,320
through the details here so I'm gonna try and give you a quick synopsis in

530
00:45:55,320 --> 00:46:01,120
Ezekiel 38 and 39 there is a prophecy written about a future attack against

531
00:46:01,120 --> 00:46:08,680
Israel led by a man named Gog and it says this man Gog is from Magog or is

532
00:46:08,680 --> 00:46:16,720
of the land of Magog so he's he's from this this descendants of Magog okay now

533
00:46:16,720 --> 00:46:21,680
in Ezekiel 38 and 39 there's all kinds of details about this attack and and it

534
00:46:21,680 --> 00:46:25,520
tells us a whole bunch of details but but from a prophetical standpoint we

535
00:46:25,520 --> 00:46:29,440
understand that this attack that is prophesied in Ezekiel 38 and 39 is

536
00:46:29,440 --> 00:46:34,960
understood to take place either before the tribulation possibly before the

537
00:46:34,960 --> 00:46:40,640
rapture of the church some some seem to see there or it happens during the first

538
00:46:40,640 --> 00:46:45,560
three and a half years of tribulation and so some people say it's before the

539
00:46:45,560 --> 00:46:50,520
tribulation because in Ezekiel 39 it says after God rescues Israel from this

540
00:46:50,520 --> 00:46:54,600
attack that Israel will be burning the weapons of the enemies for seven years

541
00:46:54,600 --> 00:46:59,360
so it you know the tribulation is seven years long so it has to happen right

542
00:46:59,360 --> 00:47:04,480
before that for that to happen and then it says they spend seven months burying

543
00:47:04,480 --> 00:47:07,720
the dead from this battle so that's people that go it's definitely before

544
00:47:07,720 --> 00:47:12,320
others go no no no it's it's in the very beginning of the tribulation period

545
00:47:12,320 --> 00:47:18,540
because Ezekiel 38 says that this attack by Gog from Magog comes during a time of

546
00:47:18,540 --> 00:47:22,800
peace with Israel that there's peace in the land and we know that the beginning

547
00:47:22,800 --> 00:47:25,920
of the tribulation starts with the Antichrist making a peace treaty with

548
00:47:25,920 --> 00:47:29,760
Israel right and they get to rebuild their temple and so you know there's

549
00:47:29,760 --> 00:47:33,680
finally peace in the land of Israel that the world is like okay we're good we're

550
00:47:33,680 --> 00:47:41,040
we're nobody's attacking you anymore and but you know this attack from Gog could

551
00:47:41,040 --> 00:47:45,840
be what precipitates the peace treaty right like this is the final attack on

552
00:47:45,840 --> 00:47:49,960
Israel in the Antichrist is the one who rises up and goes okay we're enough

553
00:47:49,960 --> 00:47:53,200
we're done with all of this and then the peace treaty comes in and all that so

554
00:47:53,200 --> 00:47:59,320
that's that's interpretive but Ezekiel 38 19 tells us that Gog and his armies

555
00:47:59,320 --> 00:48:04,280
they don't win they don't win they attack Israel and God intervenes and

556
00:48:04,280 --> 00:48:10,040
saves Israel and Gog and his armies are wiped out so Gog and Magog is now

557
00:48:10,040 --> 00:48:14,800
brought up again here in Revelation chapter 20 but it's not the same event

558
00:48:14,800 --> 00:48:20,080
it's not the same people for again a number of reasons we don't have time to

559
00:48:20,080 --> 00:48:26,400
get into but John is using Gog and Magog symbolically here to show that that the

560
00:48:26,400 --> 00:48:30,240
people that are rebelling at the end of the millennial kingdom are doing it with

561
00:48:30,240 --> 00:48:35,680
the same attitude the same antagonism the same hatred for God and his people

562
00:48:35,680 --> 00:48:41,000
that the battle of Gog and Magog or the the attack from them was seen in Ezekiel

563
00:48:41,000 --> 00:48:47,440
38 and 39 so that's all we have time to go into that for so but go read it there

564
00:48:47,440 --> 00:48:51,160
you'll see a lot of parallels and then you'll see a lot of differences between

565
00:48:51,160 --> 00:48:55,200
the two and so and maybe one day we'll dig through that in detail but for the

566
00:48:55,200 --> 00:48:58,680
sake of Revelation 20 we see here that it says people from across the entire

567
00:48:58,680 --> 00:49:02,760
planet it says the breath of the earth it says are gathered from the four

568
00:49:02,760 --> 00:49:07,600
corners of the earth and they come again against God's city we know it's God's

569
00:49:07,600 --> 00:49:13,360
city because Jerusalem is often referred to as the beloved city so we know that

570
00:49:13,360 --> 00:49:17,640
that's God's Jerusalem God's city we also know that during the millennial

571
00:49:17,640 --> 00:49:21,680
kingdom that's where God Jesus Christ himself here on earth is ruling and

572
00:49:21,680 --> 00:49:27,000
reigning from that city there and so but the important detail there is it's not

573
00:49:27,000 --> 00:49:30,720
much of a battle says they gather from the breath of the earth they gather

574
00:49:30,720 --> 00:49:35,040
from the four corners right armies everywhere and they march on Jerusalem

575
00:49:35,040 --> 00:49:38,360
and we're gonna get you God you've been ruling over us for a thousand years and

576
00:49:38,360 --> 00:49:42,400
we're tired of it and what does it say and a fire from heaven they're all

577
00:49:42,400 --> 00:49:48,800
burned up just burned up consumed the fire that word consumed there means

578
00:49:48,800 --> 00:49:54,960
utterly destroyed so verse 10 the devil then who deceived them was thrown into

579
00:49:54,960 --> 00:49:58,480
the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet are and they

580
00:49:58,480 --> 00:50:02,720
will be tormented day and night forever and ever this is where the devil finally

581
00:50:02,720 --> 00:50:07,520
gets his due his final judgment and we learn a number of things just from this

582
00:50:07,520 --> 00:50:12,560
one verse what it tells us here is we see that some Satan has limited power

583
00:50:12,560 --> 00:50:18,920
limited ability he's no match for God he never was he never will be God and Satan

584
00:50:18,920 --> 00:50:24,080
are not two equal forces on the side of good and evil Satan is a fallen angel a

585
00:50:24,080 --> 00:50:29,520
creation of God no match all that Satan has ever been able to do has been

586
00:50:29,520 --> 00:50:33,440
allowed by God and that's a whole nother Bible study about why does God allow

587
00:50:33,440 --> 00:50:40,280
things but but everything that Satan has ever done is under the purview of the

588
00:50:40,280 --> 00:50:46,040
Lord is under his sovereignty he has limited power God put him in prison God

589
00:50:46,040 --> 00:50:50,960
released him from prison and then God finally ends his career by throwing him

590
00:50:50,960 --> 00:50:55,080
into the lake of fire and it's that same word again right there he goes right

591
00:50:55,080 --> 00:51:01,320
now he's gone tossed through the air all of it however is under the sovereign

592
00:51:01,320 --> 00:51:06,720
control of God we learned then that Satan only operates by God's permission

593
00:51:06,720 --> 00:51:11,640
we saw that in Job right he had to get God's permission to go mess with Job and

594
00:51:11,640 --> 00:51:16,480
God gave him limited permission first it was like okay take all his stuff but

595
00:51:16,480 --> 00:51:19,960
don't harm him and then it was okay you can mess with his health health but you

596
00:51:19,960 --> 00:51:26,220
can't kill him and Satan was only able to do what God allowed him to do when we

597
00:51:26,220 --> 00:51:30,960
saw the the demons that that fled into the herd of pigs in Galilee right you

598
00:51:30,960 --> 00:51:36,520
remember they asked Jesus for permission you know please don't send us to the

599
00:51:36,520 --> 00:51:41,920
abyss let us go into the pigs asking permission from the sovereign God and

600
00:51:41,920 --> 00:51:48,600
then Jesus once said to Peter hey Satan is asked to sift you like wheat asked

601
00:51:48,600 --> 00:51:53,160
but Jesus said ah but I've been praying for you so God has been and will always

602
00:51:53,160 --> 00:51:58,720
be in sovereign control we also learn here that Satan's judgment although it

603
00:51:58,720 --> 00:52:04,560
was assured at the cross isn't fully fulfilled until this point that from the

604
00:52:04,560 --> 00:52:10,520
cross until this point Satan is and has been allowed to roam and to to roar and

605
00:52:10,520 --> 00:52:16,560
attempt he's doing that today it's not until Revelation 12 that we read he's

606
00:52:16,560 --> 00:52:20,280
finally kicked out of heaven for good that he doesn't even he still has access

607
00:52:20,280 --> 00:52:22,600
today to go into the throne room of heaven and say I want to I want to

608
00:52:22,600 --> 00:52:26,880
accuse Nathan I want to accuse put in your name in that thing God's like oh

609
00:52:26,880 --> 00:52:34,280
really some of us right please no I've read Job right

610
00:52:34,560 --> 00:52:39,120
but it's at Revelation 12 where his access to heaven is fully revoked and

611
00:52:39,120 --> 00:52:42,480
then it's at the end of tribulation where he's incarcerated into the abyss

612
00:52:42,480 --> 00:52:47,160
no access to heaven at all no access to earth at all no access to the people on

613
00:52:47,160 --> 00:52:51,760
earth at all but then he's finally let out one last time have one last temper

614
00:52:51,760 --> 00:52:55,760
tantrum then he's thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur forever and you

615
00:52:55,760 --> 00:53:00,480
notice it tells us that the beast and the prophet are already there why because

616
00:53:00,480 --> 00:53:03,600
they were tossed in a thousand year thousand years previous at the very

617
00:53:03,600 --> 00:53:08,640
beginning of the Millennium after the tribulation time now this brings us to

618
00:53:08,640 --> 00:53:14,000
another question how long is hell well how long will the devil be there with

619
00:53:14,000 --> 00:53:18,320
the beast in the false prophet it says day and night forever and ever that

620
00:53:18,320 --> 00:53:22,320
phrase day and night is a figurative speech in the Greek that means without

621
00:53:22,320 --> 00:53:29,800
intermission so they're gonna be in the lake of fire without intermission forever

622
00:53:29,800 --> 00:53:35,880
and ever no breaks no clocking in and clocking out again Satan is not ruling

623
00:53:35,880 --> 00:53:40,560
down there and then that phrase forever and ever literally means to the ages of

624
00:53:40,560 --> 00:53:46,120
the ages and I was like okay what does that mean right well I found one Greek

625
00:53:46,120 --> 00:53:52,000
scholar put it this way there is no way possible in the Greek language to state

626
00:53:52,000 --> 00:53:56,600
more emphatically the notion of endlessness that's what day and night

627
00:53:56,600 --> 00:54:04,360
forever never means what it means is day and night forever and ever without end

628
00:54:04,360 --> 00:54:11,560
without intermission hell is forever it's gonna be forever for the beast it's

629
00:54:11,560 --> 00:54:14,920
gonna be forever for the false prophet it's gonna be forever for the devil and

630
00:54:14,920 --> 00:54:18,600
it's gonna be forever for all who exercise their free will and choose to

631
00:54:18,600 --> 00:54:26,000
go there it's not an eternal party it tells us there that what happens there

632
00:54:26,000 --> 00:54:30,520
forever day and night is that they are tormented this is the experience of

633
00:54:30,520 --> 00:54:35,960
those who go to hell they are tormented that word means to be punished by

634
00:54:35,960 --> 00:54:41,760
physical torture to suffer extreme physical harassment never ending without

635
00:54:41,760 --> 00:54:47,440
intermission and again skeptics go why would God send anybody there if he is a

636
00:54:47,440 --> 00:54:52,200
God of love why would he send people to hell well he doesn't want to send

637
00:54:52,200 --> 00:54:56,400
anybody there Jesus told us that the hell was created for the devil and his

638
00:54:56,400 --> 00:55:02,800
demons but the decision is ours as we have been talking about the decision is

639
00:55:02,800 --> 00:55:08,520
mankind God gave us free will we get to choose we get to choose we get to

640
00:55:08,520 --> 00:55:15,320
exercise the free will that God gave us to choose heaven or hell and the Bible

641
00:55:15,320 --> 00:55:20,360
goes to great lengths to teach about both to warn about the consequences of

642
00:55:20,360 --> 00:55:24,120
denying God the creator the one who is worthy of all praise and all obedience

643
00:55:24,120 --> 00:55:29,760
and all everything so it's not like we don't know it's not like oops hey nobody

644
00:55:29,760 --> 00:55:34,560
told me we have the word of God that very clearly says look those who deny

645
00:55:34,560 --> 00:55:42,640
God are choosing hell God doesn't send anybody to hell humans send themselves

646
00:55:42,640 --> 00:55:49,880
there by choice that's the reality the Bible tells us that God loves us with an

647
00:55:49,880 --> 00:55:56,600
everlasting love and it is true he loves us and it would violate him and his

648
00:55:56,600 --> 00:56:02,920
character of love to force us to love him back God will never force anybody to

649
00:56:02,920 --> 00:56:08,160
love him you know what that also means he will not force you to spend forever

650
00:56:08,160 --> 00:56:15,040
in eternity with him you spend your entire life saying I don't want anything

651
00:56:15,040 --> 00:56:19,840
to do with God I hate him the idea of him is is disgusting it's foul I want

652
00:56:19,840 --> 00:56:22,920
nothing I don't want to live by his rules I don't want to live by I don't

653
00:56:22,920 --> 00:56:28,920
want to be under his roof and you think God is gonna force you to do that

654
00:56:28,920 --> 00:56:38,840
forever he loves you too much to do that and although it breaks his heart he will

655
00:56:38,840 --> 00:56:49,960
let you choose hell well this is the end of the devil this is his last stand his

656
00:56:49,960 --> 00:56:55,800
final hurrah his destiny to spend day and night forever and ever burning in

657
00:56:55,800 --> 00:57:03,680
the lake of fire and sulfur tormented that is the price for disobedience to

658
00:57:03,680 --> 00:57:12,240
God that is the price for sin that is the price we were born with a nature

659
00:57:12,240 --> 00:57:15,480
that says I want to deny God I hate him I'll do my own thing and I don't care

660
00:57:15,480 --> 00:57:22,280
what he says and I think if any of us really really truly believed that that

661
00:57:22,280 --> 00:57:27,640
hell is real really understood what it meant I don't think many would be like

662
00:57:27,640 --> 00:57:38,520
I choose that because the devil deceives hell is not real hell is not torment the

663
00:57:38,520 --> 00:57:44,800
devil is not real God doesn't really mean it when he says God is a God of

664
00:57:44,800 --> 00:57:50,640
love he's gonna let everybody in and he lies and he lies and he lies but the

665
00:57:50,640 --> 00:57:57,600
destiny of that liar and that deceiver is torment forever now whether you do it

666
00:57:57,600 --> 00:58:03,920
consciously and intentionally or whether you do it as a puppet thinking I'm the

667
00:58:03,920 --> 00:58:11,320
master of my own destiny and I just defy the idea of God either way denying God

668
00:58:11,320 --> 00:58:19,240
is following Satan and the outcome is the same it's gonna be hell forever but

669
00:58:19,240 --> 00:58:22,720
it doesn't have to be if you don't know Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior you

670
00:58:22,720 --> 00:58:28,440
can choose him today it's simply a process of acknowledging you broke his

671
00:58:28,440 --> 00:58:35,080
law you deserve the penalty the penalty is death a physical death yes and an

672
00:58:35,080 --> 00:58:39,720
eternal suffering like it's not annihilation it's not wink out of

673
00:58:39,720 --> 00:58:46,560
existence the Bible is very clear about that but Jesus Christ God himself came

674
00:58:46,560 --> 00:58:51,440
clothed himself in the flesh lived a perfect life couple thousand years ago

675
00:58:51,440 --> 00:58:57,520
born as a baby grew as a man lived a life and then died on the cross to pay

676
00:58:57,520 --> 00:59:00,120
the penalty for everybody's sin and he was the only one that could do that

677
00:59:00,120 --> 00:59:04,160
because he was God he was the only one that was perfect the only one without

678
00:59:04,160 --> 00:59:09,560
blemish and so he suffered the full wrath of God on the cross taking the

679
00:59:09,560 --> 00:59:18,720
punishment for our sin and then he says just believe in me just believe in who I

680
00:59:18,720 --> 00:59:27,480
am trust in what I did for you and in that let me give you a new heart let me

681
00:59:27,480 --> 00:59:31,040
give you a new nature let me let me come and dwell within you that God the Holy

682
00:59:31,040 --> 00:59:39,920
Spirit will dwell within you just let me do that that's how much I love you but

683
00:59:39,920 --> 00:59:42,680
in the same breath he'll say I love you enough to let you exercise your own

684
00:59:42,680 --> 00:59:55,520
free will but I can't urge you enough choose Jesus far better far better than

685
00:59:55,520 --> 01:00:00,760
the the torment that awaits those who deny him if you choose Jesus today

686
01:00:00,760 --> 01:00:03,640
you'll find that your Creator is standing there with open arms ready to

687
01:00:03,640 --> 01:00:10,480
receive you next time we're going to talk about the two resurrections the

688
01:00:10,480 --> 01:00:13,640
first one as we read about in the second one and the two deaths that are spoken

689
01:00:13,640 --> 01:00:20,400
of in this chapter in greater detail but I pray that that as we close out this

690
01:00:20,400 --> 01:00:25,720
year and spend the next couple weeks focusing on the birth of Christ and who

691
01:00:25,720 --> 01:00:29,640
he is and what he's done and then move into the new year looking at just

692
01:00:29,640 --> 01:00:33,160
reminding ourselves what he's done this year in our church and looking forward

693
01:00:33,160 --> 01:00:38,120
to the next year that we don't lose sight of the goal the goal is not church

694
01:00:38,120 --> 01:00:46,120
the goal is not ministry the goal is not all those things the goal is Jesus

695
01:00:46,120 --> 01:00:54,320
Christ to know him to live for him and to share him with everybody we can that

696
01:00:54,320 --> 01:00:59,640
they would have the promise and the hope of heaven as well amen let's pray father

697
01:00:59,640 --> 01:01:06,960
we trust you God in your in your word we believe in you in your word God we see

698
01:01:06,960 --> 01:01:11,000
in your word God the the judgment that's gonna fall upon the devil and his

699
01:01:11,000 --> 01:01:17,000
demons we're saddened Lord and I know we're not saddened as much as you are to

700
01:01:17,000 --> 01:01:22,320
know that there are those who choose to go there who reject the free gift of

701
01:01:22,320 --> 01:01:29,040
salvation and Lord I know that breaks your heart your word says that you died

702
01:01:29,040 --> 01:01:34,520
for the whole world that all who would call upon the name of Jesus Christ would

703
01:01:34,520 --> 01:01:40,960
be saved that they would not perish but have everlasting life while we're praying

704
01:01:40,960 --> 01:01:43,960
I just want to give a quick opportunity if you're in this room and God has been

705
01:01:43,960 --> 01:01:51,400
speaking to you today about your need for salvation I want to pray with you if

706
01:01:51,400 --> 01:01:54,880
you're online and you're watching right now and God has been speaking to you

707
01:01:54,880 --> 01:01:59,240
about your need for salvation that you have never yielded your life to him you

708
01:01:59,240 --> 01:02:04,000
have never exercised the free will that God gave you to say yes Jesus I believe

709
01:02:04,000 --> 01:02:09,520
in you I believe your God I know I have sinned and I'm sorry please forgive me

710
01:02:09,520 --> 01:02:16,480
come into my life be my Lord and master be my Savior give me a new heart a new

711
01:02:16,480 --> 01:02:21,520
nature to obey you if you've never prayed that prayer I'm gonna pray right

712
01:02:21,520 --> 01:02:30,640
now and I just want you to pray with me say Lord Jesus I stand before you and I

713
01:02:30,640 --> 01:02:41,400
believe in you I believe that you are God I believe you died for my sin and I

714
01:02:41,400 --> 01:02:50,080
know I've sinned I know I've broken your law I know I've been disobedient to you

715
01:02:50,080 --> 01:02:59,360
forgive me forgive me Lord for my sin I believe your word that says I am

716
01:02:59,360 --> 01:03:06,840
forgiven because of my faith in you I believe your word that says you're giving

717
01:03:06,840 --> 01:03:17,200
me a new heart in a new nature that is able to say yes to you to obey you help

718
01:03:17,200 --> 01:03:25,640
me to live for you help me to grow and mature in my faith help me to be a

719
01:03:25,640 --> 01:03:36,040
shining light of the gospel in this very dark world I love you so much thank you

720
01:03:36,040 --> 01:03:43,160
for loving me so much it's in Jesus name I pray amen you know if you prayed that

721
01:03:43,160 --> 01:03:49,440
prayer this morning and you just you believe that you meant that in your

722
01:03:49,440 --> 01:03:54,320
heart the Bible says you're saved you're forgiven hallelujah your life has

723
01:03:54,320 --> 01:04:01,280
changed forever I remember my life being changed by Jesus right I stopped

724
01:04:01,280 --> 01:04:06,560
sneaking in under the Christmas tree no I was saved as an adult so I didn't yeah

725
01:04:06,560 --> 01:04:13,840
I didn't do that at that time so God loves you so much that's what Christmas

726
01:04:13,840 --> 01:04:19,840
is all about God loves you gave you a gift that you can never earn that's what

727
01:04:19,840 --> 01:04:22,560
we're celebrating over the next couple weeks and we've been celebrating all

728
01:04:22,560 --> 01:04:26,360
month but if you gave your life to the Lord today we want to help you we have

729
01:04:26,360 --> 01:04:29,720
these things we call new believers packets up front please come forward and

730
01:04:29,720 --> 01:04:33,160
grab one there in these white envelopes if you leave out the back ask one of the

731
01:04:33,160 --> 01:04:36,760
elders out there I need a new believers packet we'll give you one it's free if

732
01:04:36,760 --> 01:04:40,120
you're online and you're not local to us let us know in chat we'll mail it to you

733
01:04:40,120 --> 01:04:44,280
because we want to help you on this walk this relationship you know have with

734
01:04:44,280 --> 01:04:49,640
your Creator to grow and learn of him that you would live the way he wants you

735
01:04:49,640 --> 01:04:53,240
to do that you would tell people about what God has done in your life because

736
01:04:53,240 --> 01:04:58,400
it is glorious and the future that you know how you now have to look forward to

737
01:04:58,400 --> 01:05:04,680
in Jesus Christ ah it's glorious one day the devil will be defeated and cast

738
01:05:04,680 --> 01:05:09,120
aside and done and judged and gone forever I can't wait for that I look

739
01:05:09,120 --> 01:05:14,840
forward to that but right now he is still active he's still prowling don't

740
01:05:14,840 --> 01:05:20,680
forget that but never forget that he who is in you is greater than he that is in

741
01:05:20,680 --> 01:05:45,960
the world amen God bless you guys let's worship