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Good morning. How are you all doing today? Awesome. I know many of you have asked already,

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but I am feeling great. Thank you so much for the prayers. I got to tell it because

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it's probably the cheesiest dad joke I could think of, but you know, after teaching the

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four horsemen, it was the fourth one of plague and death that got me, took me out. All right,

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some laughs, some laughs. All right, cool. All right. I am Pastor Nathan and I want to start by welcoming

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anybody that is here joining us in our sanctuary for the first time or if you're joining us

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online for the first time, we want to say welcome to all of you. This morning, we are

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going to be continuing our study through Revelation by looking at the fifth and sixth seals in

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Revelation chapter six, verses nine through 17. But we're also here in a day that is recognizing

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Memorial Day. And in our text today, we're going to see a group of people who gave their

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lives for the cause. And Memorial Day is a time where we take a moment to reflect and

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to honor those who gave their lives for the cause and gave their lives in defense of this

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country and our freedoms. And so I do want to take a moment just to say thank you to

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those who have family members that they have lost, those that have given their lives the

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ultimate price. My dad ultimately passed from complications that he got in his service.

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And so we do appreciate those who gave that ultimate sacrifice for us. But we're also

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gathered. Yeah, you could clap for that. Absolutely. We're also gathered here on Pentecost Sunday,

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which is today. And Pentecost is that day we see in scripture, at least in the New Testament

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church, where all of the believers were gathered together in one accord 50 days after his resurrection.

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And we know that Pentecost was that day where the promised Comforter, the Holy Spirit, came

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upon the apostles, empowering them, filling them with the Holy Spirit to accomplish their

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calling and their mission to be lights to the world. And so as we study through Revelation,

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because we're in a piece of Revelation where I'm like, how do I, how do I schoonhorn Pentecost

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into the particular text we're in? And it's a little bit awkward, but the overall idea

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here is as we're studying Revelation, this Revelation of Jesus Christ, the goal and the

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point of all of this is that we would be people full of the Holy Spirit preaching the gospel,

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telling people about the hope, the salvation that is in Jesus Christ. And then a part of

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that is warning them of judgment to come on sin, that the judgment that's going to fall

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on this world. And so I just pray today that the Holy Spirit would fill all of us as we're

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here to hear his word and to study his word together.

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But I have mentioned a number of times, and I will likely mention this many more times

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before we conclude Revelation. I fully understand that there are numerous ways people interpret

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this book. Most Christians agree on two things regarding the end times in the future, I think.

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One of those is that the Old Testament and Jesus himself promised that there would be

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a coming Messianic rule on earth. The second thing most Christians agree on is that Jesus

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Christ is indeed coming again at some point, right? But past those two points, there's

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lots of disagreement regarding the when, the how, and really the meaning, the interpretive

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meaning of the things we study here in Revelation. And I probably should have spent more time

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on this as we entered into the study of Revelation, but I just want to give just a brief overview

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to kind of set the context of how we're approaching Revelation as we study through it, because

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Revelation has historically been interpreted in four major ways. There's other variances

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and nuances of interpretation, but there's four major ways that Revelation has been approached

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through. And the first one is the Preterist view. And those that identify with the Preterist

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view of Revelation hold the belief that none of Revelation is prophecy. None of it is prophecy,

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but it is all a symbolic retelling of what happened in the first century. It's a symbolic

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retelling of first century conflicts that have already happened. And so in the Preterist

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view, all biblical prophecy concerning end times really has already been fulfilled in

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the past. And so some people approach Revelation from that point of view. The second major

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view that Revelation has often been interpreted throughout the years is the Historicism view,

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which was once very, very popular. But actually today there's almost nobody that holds this

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view of Revelation. But the Historicism view says Revelation is a symbolic telling of history,

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the history of the church from the beginning of the church until now. The problem with

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the Historicism view is now was a moving target, right? Because 100 years ago now was now,

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and then it became then, right? And so the problem with this interpretation of Revelation

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was that every generation would interpret the happenings of the world around them and

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then look into Revelation and try and connect things. But the problem was is life moved

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on and technology moved on. And so it was a difficult thing. The third one is the Idealism

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view, which is the idea that all of Revelation is only purely and specifically symbolic of

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the general struggle between good and evil. But none of it is prophetic, none of it is

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historic, nor does it have any connection to any real times or events, past or present.

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And then the fourth major view of Revelation is the Futurist view. And the Futurist view

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says that Revelation does indeed speak of actual, real, literal future events prophetically.

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Now in that you have three then major views of what is known as the Millennial Kingdom

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of Christ, right? Which Revelation speaks of. You have people that are post-millennial,

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which say, you know, there is no literal physical reign of Jesus for a thousand years. It's

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not a literal thing. And these people tend to fall in the preterist interpretation of

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Revelation. People that are post-millennial often say the world eventually will become

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a predominantly Christian global government type of thing. And so they consider this this

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golden age of human existence, the coming millennium. They don't interpret a thousand

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years as a literal thousand years, but instead they say that this time of a Christian dominated

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culture globally may or may not be a thousand years. And they kind of look at thousand years

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as meaning just a long time. Then you have people that are all millennial. Oh, I'm sorry,

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post-millennials then believe that Christ will return at the end of this golden age

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to quash a final rebellion. People identify as all millennial say that there is no literal

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thousand years or a thousand year reign period. And these people tend to identify as the idealism

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interpreters of Revelation. All millennials believe that we currently today are living

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in the millennial reign of Christ. This thousand year reign that Revelation talks about, but

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they also say that thousand years is simply a metaphorical way to say a long time. And

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so all millennials believe that Christ reigns as King in the hearts of his people. And that's

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how Christ will reign during the millennial period. He's not here physically, but he reigns

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in the heart of his people and he won't visibly return until the new heaven and the new earth

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comes. And then you have pre-millennial people, which tend to identify with a futurist interpretation

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of Revelation, which believes that Christ will physically return in the future to establish

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a literal one thousand years of him reigning here on earth. And then with that, to make

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it even more clear, you have four major views on the timing of the rapture of the church,

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right? You have pre-tribulational understanding, which believes that the redeemed, the church,

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will be raptured or taken up out of the earth prior to God's final judgment in the tribulation

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time. You have people that identify as mid-tribulation, which believes that the redeemed will be

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raptured up out of the earth at the halfway point in tribulation, three and a half years

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into it. You have pre-wrath people who believe that the redeemed will be raptured up out

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of the earth sometimes after the midpoint. So you might call these, instead of mid-tribulation,

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two-third tribulationists, because they believe it's kind of after that midpoint. And then

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you have post-tribulation belief, which is that the church, the redeemed, will be raptured

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up at the very end of tribulation and then immediately boomerang back as they return

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to the earth with Christ for the end of tribulation.

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I share all that to say this. Since much of this hasn't happened yet, I don't believe

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anybody can be 100% sure. Nobody can be 100% sure. Personally, I think it's arrogant to

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claim so. If you spend some time on YouTube, you'll find many on all sides of the interpretive

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debates of Revelation saying, I am right, the rest are wrong. You'll even find videos

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where some even say you can't be saved unless you believe in a post-tribulation rapture,

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which I was like, can you show me where in the gospel it requires you to believe in any

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particular interpretive, revelational interpretation.

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Now the real big issue is when there's opposing, contradicting viewpoints on things that haven't

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happened yet, and all of those contradictory viewpoints claim to be 100% right. The truth

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is that somebody is wrong. Somebody is wrong. But interpretations on these things are difficult.

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Now I do lean as a futurist, premillennial, pre-tribulation interpretation of Revelation.

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That's how I lean. That is my understanding in my studies of Revelation. But I saw one

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other teacher said it this way, that he's panmillennial and pan-tribulational. And he

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said, because we'll know when it all pans out. And that's kind of more, I guess, how

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my heart lines up with these things. But the interpretation of these things, these end

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time events, the tribulation, the rapture, all that, they are not salvational doctrines.

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Okay? They are not things like who Jesus is, how we are saved, how we're going to get to

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heaven. But rather they're issues and factors of when these things might take place and

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what the final judgments of God might look like. And so we shouldn't divide over these

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things. We shouldn't divide over these things. We shouldn't be claiming that those who interpret

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these as of yet to happen events differently than us are somehow apostate or unbiblical

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or dangerous. I believe that is a wrong way to deal with people who interpret these things

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differently. But rather we should be able to discuss all of these things with mutual

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respect, with love, because we're family in Christ. And so to those of you who are emailing

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me and sending me messages and kindly, gracefully, that it has been done, those who disagree

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with my interpretation of these things, I love you. I respect you. You are my brothers

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and sisters in Christ. As I continue to study the book of Revelation, I think I understand

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why you believe differently than I do about these things. I just don't agree with you.

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That's it. I just don't agree with you. And I'll add that at least at this time, because

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as I study and as these things unfold, I may come to a different understanding. But I just

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simply don't agree with you. That is all. I don't hate you. I'm not leading Hosanna

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into the pits of hell. But as the pastor of this church, I am and will be teaching this

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book from a futurist, premillennial, pre-tribulation view. That's how we're going to be approaching

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the teaching of this book. And whether you agree or not, I think we both can agree that

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according to chapter one of Revelation, we are all blessed by the reading of the book

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of this prophecy. And so I pray that you would be blessed with that. I will try and address

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differences in interpretation as we move forward and as time allows, but my prayer is that

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all of us, regardless of our stance of these things that haven't happened yet, regardless

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of our stance on that, we would all be motivated to preach the gospel today. We would all be

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motivated to go and tell people about Jesus today, to see people get saved today, so that

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whenever, however the rapture happens, they'll be there for it. And whenever, however the

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millennial kingdom of Christ comes to be, that they would be there for that. And whenever

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you think the second coming of Christ is, that they would be ready for it as a saved

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child of God. That is the point. That is the goal. But more than anything, that we would

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have a clear vision of living for Jesus Christ in our lives today. Okay? All right. So this

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morning with the fifth and sixth seal, we're going to be looking at those who suffered

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the wrath of man, giving their lives as martyrs for the cause of Christ, contrasted with those

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who suffered the wrath of God for their rejection of Him. That's what we're going to be looking

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at in the fifth and sixth seal this morning. And we will be looking at these things from

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a futurist, premillennial, pre-tribulational perspective. And again, if you just say, I

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think that is completely wrong, then approach it like we're in a college class doing a survey

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of all of them and we just happen to be surveying the pre-tribulation view. Okay? But with that,

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let's pray and then we'll get into some worship. Father, we love you. God, we do thank you,

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Lord, that even in the body of Christ, Lord, when we come to issues that are tough to reconcile,

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Lord, where we come to issues and differences of interpretation of prophecy and future events,

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Lord, that God, through the Spirit of Christ that fills us, that indwells us, Lord, we

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are still able to come together to love one another as brothers and sisters in the body.

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Lord, God, your word is very clear about the things we can't differentiate in on, Lord,

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the things about who you are, who Jesus is, God in the flesh. Lord, about how we are saved,

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where it's not on our works, it's not on what we do, but it is purely through the shed blood

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of Jesus Christ and our faith in that work. That God, it's those things that draw us together,

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it's those things we don't waver on, Lord, but there's other things that we should be

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able to have discussion about, to speculate about, to get into the word and to see what

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says what and why. But Lord, most importantly, I pray, God, that in our world today, that

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Lord, your Spirit would work in us to be people who are filled with the Holy Spirit of Christ,

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empowered to go out and do the work you're calling us to do. Lord, not all of us are

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evangelists, but we're all called to do the work of an evangelist. And may we be people

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who take every opportunity, Lord, to share our faith, to share the hope of Jesus Christ

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with those that don't know you, that are in the world today. That God, regardless of what's

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to come into the future and the timing and the chronology of all of it, Lord, that they

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would be saved, that their eternity would be secure. And so Lord, I pray, God, that

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you would encourage us and motivate us, Lord. And specifically today as we look at what's

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possibly to come for those who come to know you during the time of your wrath, Lord. God,

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that we would be encouraged to share now, that people would be spared from the wrath

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to come. But Lord, we want to worship your name because this entire study is about knowing

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you better, is about knowing you more, is about proclaiming the glory of who you are,

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God. And so be praised. Be blessed, Lord. We love you. It's in Jesus' name we pray.

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Amen.

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I've got a lot of ground to cover, so if I end up talking fast, I apologize in advance.

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But we are in Revelation chapter 6, starting in verse 9. And it says, when he opened the

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fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slaughtered because

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of the word of God and the testimony they had given. They cried out with a loud voice,

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Lord, the one who is holy and true, how long until you judge those who live on the earth

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and avenge our blood. So they were each given a white robe, and they were told to rest a

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little while longer until the number would be completed of their fellow servants and

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their brothers and sisters who were going to be killed just as they had been.

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You know, at this point in Revelation, we've looked at the first two parts of the divine

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outline given in Revelation chapter 1, verse 19. And if you remember what it told us there

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as Jesus was speaking to John, he says, therefore write what you have seen, which is chapter

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1, the Revelation, the picture of Jesus Christ glorified. And then he said, write what is,

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which is the church age that we looked at through chapters 2 and 3. And then he said,

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write what will take place after this. And so that three-part outline, I believe, gives

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us a picture of what Revelation looks like and that what takes place after this began

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in chapter 4 on. And so what we've seen so far in this book is the churches throughout

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the ages addressed by Jesus one at a time to deal with the issues that they have during

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their existence here on earth. And then we saw, according to a pre-tribulation understanding

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of Revelation, the church, the body of believers that exist today prior to the judgment of

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God falling out on the earth, represented by John, caught up into heaven as God said,

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come up here. We also saw as John was caught up into heaven, he saw the 24 elders present,

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which represent the entire body of Christ, the entire body of the redeemed that are there

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in heaven with John prior to tribulation falling upon the earth. And we saw that group of people

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all together worshiping God, casting their crowns down at the feet of God, praising Him

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specifically for the salvation that was granted to them through the blood of Jesus Christ.

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Then we saw that the Lamb of God stepped forward to take a hold of the scroll, having fully

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paid the price of redemption for everything, all of creation, redeeming everything from

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the curse that came upon it through sin. And now the deal done, the transaction complete,

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the time has come for Him to then reclaim what He has reclaimed in that scroll or what

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He has ownership of. And so the time of long-suffering grace, which is the church age, has ended.

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And the time of judgment and tribulation has come. And so as He begins to break these seals,

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and that'll move into the trumpets and the bold judgments, we see that there is a purge

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of wickedness from the earth that begins called the tribulation period, which is a seven-year

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period referenced prophetically by Daniel where God will pour out His wrath on sin.

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He will pour out His wrath on those who reject Him. He will pour out His wrath on a sinful

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world. And so that all started here in chapter six with the breaking of the first four seals,

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which we looked at as the four horsemen of the apocalypse. And you had that first seal,

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which was the white horse of deception and false peace. Now there's numerous different

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understandings of this. Some people think that first horse is Jesus. Others believe

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that it's Elijah. And there are some reasons, and in good reasons people interpret it that

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way. However, I do believe that it's a picture of the Antichrist released upon the earth

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to start to bring his deception upon the nations. And so as God allows the Antichrist to step

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in to deceive the nations and to conquer initially through an apparent peace, He effectively

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is the picture of God finally giving the world what it wants, which is anything but God to

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rule over them. And then that led to the red horse of war as this false Christ, this counterfeit

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Jesus, this Antichrist plunges the entire world into warfare and bloodshed. And we saw

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how that led to the black horse of famine, which was scarcity and the result of war,

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and then ultimately the pale horse of sickness, disease, and death. Now these first four seals

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represented by these four horses are both a chronological and kind of an overview picture

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of what's going to take place throughout the entirety of tribulation. But an important

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detail I think specifically coming from the interpretation as I understand it is that

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all of this is observed by John and the church represented by the 24 elders from heaven,

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for they have already been caught up into heaven because 1 Thessalonians 5, 9 where

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Paul was speaking of the tribulation to come, he said, God did not appoint us to wrath,

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but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. And so in verse 9 we see that this

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fifth seal is opened. And it says, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been

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slaughtered because of the word of God and the testimony that they had been given. So

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as John is in heaven observing the unfolding of these events, watching the Lamb of God

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break these seals on the scroll that he then purchased or he had purchased and seeing these

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four horsemen go out and just stampede across the earth, he now looks and sees a specific

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group of people in heaven where he is at. Now the natural question is who are these

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people, right? Well it gives us some clues in the description there because it tells

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us that they're under the altar having been slaughtered for their testimony and slaughtered

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because of the word of God. Now off the cuff on just the general looking at the scripture

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this could be representative of those from all time, all human history who have been

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killed because of their faith in Christ. We get that because that word testimony there,

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it says that they were slaughtered for the word of God and the testimony that they had

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given. That word testimony in the Greek is martyria. We get our English word martyr from

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this word. And so this word testimony is about, it's the idea of speaking with direct knowledge

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about something in a way that results in death. So the testimony, it's speaking, it's a witness,

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being a witness of something and speaking about it in such a way where you get killed

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for it. And that's why this word martyr in the Greek is rendered testimony here because

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it's talking about having a witness that ends up in death. So these people are martyrs for

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their faith and it could be just people from all time but there's another possibility that

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falls in line with a pre-tribulational rapture and a futurist interpretation of revelation

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because if you hold to or if you see or at least acknowledge a pre-tribulational rapture

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perspective that naturally raises some questions in your mind as you're interpreting this book

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of revelation. And one of those questions is if the Christians and the church collectively

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are gone from the earth during tribulation, can people still get saved? And if people

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can still get saved during this time, what happens when they do? Well the answer to the

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first question, it is my belief that yes absolutely they still can. People still can get saved

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during tribulation even though the church and the Christians are gone. They missed the

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opportunity to do so during the age of grace but yes salvation is still available during

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the tribulation period. Now you might say but wait Pastor Nathan, didn't you just quote

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1 Thessalonians 5, 9? Didn't you just quote to us that verse that says God did not appoint

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his children to wrath? And this is one of the critiques of a pre-tribulational understanding

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of revelation. But if you go to 1 Thessalonians 5, 9 and you look at that word appoint where

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it says God did not appoint his children to wrath, that word in the Greek is tithami.

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It means to consign someone to something. The idea is to cause or to make to be or to

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make to experience something. That's what that word appoint means. So when we read 1

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Thessalonians 5, 9 and we say God did not appoint his children to wrath, the idea there

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is God will never cause us, make us, consign us to go through his wrath. That's what the

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word says there. But that doesn't preclude us from choosing to do so. That doesn't preclude

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us from choosing to deny him now before tribulation comes and then to be suffering through that

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time where he's pouring out his wrath on sin on the world to then in that time be able

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to find ourselves crying out to God. Tribulation does not preclude the opportunity for someone

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to be saved. And so when we say God did not appoint us to wrath, he doesn't make us go

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through his wrath. He doesn't cause us to go through his wrath is the idea. So with that

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understanding these people that are under the altar here represented by this fifth seal

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could be what is known as tribulation saints. This is one of the understandings of who these

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people could be. People who were saved during the tribulation period. And the idea comes

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from the chronological understanding of these seals. You see it's my understanding that

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the seven seals and the seven trumpets and the seven bowls are 21 chronologically building

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judgments upon the earth. Now there is some overlap and there are some that represent

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kind of an overview of things but I believe there's a building intensity in the judgments

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of God on the earth during the tribulation period. And that is because a part of his

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judgment on earth during the tribulation period is to wake man up. Is to wake us up and say

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listen you need to be saved. God is real and God is judging sin and call out to him. And

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so these judgments get worse and worse and worse as the time period goes on. Now others

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interpret that as these seven seals and seven bowls and seven trumpets. They're just a

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retelling of the same seven things. That is another interpretation of revelation. But

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chronologically we see these first four seals already opened. So the tribulation has already

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begun. The tribulation is started and then we come to this fifth seal. So it's after

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these first four seals are opened we come to these saints that are under the altar.

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Now this interpretation sees that during the tribulation with the church being gone and

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the Christians raptured out prior to the tribulation falling that a new generation of believers

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will rise up on earth during this time. And these are people who will end up not believing

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the lies of the Antichrist. They will end up not believing in what the one world government

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and all that is saying at the time. Although they are living in a time where the entire

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earth is under direct control and influence of the Antichrist. And so as these judgments

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that God is levying out against a sinful world fall some will indeed end up crying out to

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God for salvation. God please save us. And you might think well how does the gospel go

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out if the church is gone if the Christians are gone how is the gospel going to go out

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during this time. Well there's many ways that the gospel goes out during tribulation. In

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chapter seven which we're going to be looking at next chapter seven is like a parenthetical

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between the sixth and seventh seals right. It's kind of like like like. Meanwhile you

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know as the movie does you know. And so in chapter seven it tells us about the hundred

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and forty four thousand Jewish evangelists who will preach the gospel. Now I know some

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somewhere are going to be disappointed because these are not the Jehovah's Witnesses who

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are sealed and the only ones going to heaven. All right. These are Jewish evangelists and

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so they're preaching the gospel during the tribulation period. In chapter 11 we're going

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to read about two specific witnesses who gain a worldwide audience preaching the gospel.

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In chapter 14 we read about an angel it says tasked with quote announcing the eternal gospel

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to every person on earth. And so the gospel is going out during this tribulation period.

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And then on top of that even with the church being gone the church having been raptured

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out the testimony that you and I have as Christians here today will remain. I mean we're going

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to be gone but our Bibles are still going to be here. So if you're a note taker if you're

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jotting stuff down in your Bible that that's a testimony of your walk with God and your

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understanding your growth of him. Christian books will still be around at least for a

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time Christian magazines Christian websites YouTube channels right. All that's still going

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to be out there for a time while the church is gone. One of the things we've done here

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at Hosanna Pastor Gary did this years and years ago is in the back of the church there

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we have the at home ministry room and in that room is a little like treasure chest looking

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looking thing on the ground there. That's actually what we call our rapture box. And

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so the idea is that that when the church is raptured we're taken out and people are starting

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to wander into our building going where all these Christians go where Hosanna that they

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might find this box to crack open and guess what's inside that box your testimonies. And

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if you've never taken the time to write down your testimony of what God has done and who

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he is and write it down for someone who doesn't know the Lord who might be asking questions

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when we're gone write it put it in an envelope and go drop it in the box because that's what

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it's there for. And so the idea is that the gospel is still going to go out it's still

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going to be prevalent during this time. But these martyrs that are under the altar here

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in Revelation six they're apparently different than the twenty four elders who represent

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the church in heaven. The twenty four elders it says are already in heaven seated around

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the throne of God prior to any of the seals being opened. They were already there. But

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these ones are appearing on the fifth seal under the altar and it specifically pointed

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out that they are under the altar having been slaughtered because of the word of God and

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the testimony that they had given. And this happens after the tribulation starts. It's

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an important detail to me. They weren't Christians who just died of natural causes. They weren't

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believers who died in some some car accident or anything like that. It specifically tells

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us that they were slaughtered. That word slaughtered doesn't mean just killed. It means targeted.

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It means someone who was targeted and killed mercilessly with great prejudice hate and

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anger. So there's a specific group of people after the tribulation started that had been

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targeted for what the word of God and the testimony they had given about it. So the

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picture is that after the church was gone they had gotten saved somehow come to faith

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begin to share that faith and preach that faith and they were then targeted for that

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and killed. This idea of being under the altar it's a picture we get from the Old Testament.

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In the Old Testament when the priest would kill the sacrificial animal there was an altar

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where the blood would be poured out and the blood would be poured out at the base of the

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altar under the altar and that blood being at the base of the altar was a picture of

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the sacrifice that was poured out there. And so these saints being under the altar the

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idea is that their very lives their very blood was poured out for the cause of Christ. They

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were a sacrifice for the cause of Christ during this tribulation period. And so I see these

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saints as a different group of people than the church. We're called the saints today

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right so some people see a confusion there but there's a difference I believe I see it

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in Revelation between the church and these particular saints under the fifth seal. A

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couple of the reasons for that is Revelation tells us that during the tribulation period

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the Antichrist is allowed to make war against the saints and it tells us that he prevails

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against them which we see these martyrs here that were slaughtered for their faith. But

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before this time period back in the Gospels Jesus says I will build my church and the

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gates of hell will not prevail against it. And the idea is that God's people aren't going

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to be just wholesale slaughtered during this age of grace. Now yes martyrdom does happen

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now but it's going to be taking place in a far different way during the tribulation period.

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If these people under the fifth seal aren't the church because the church is not on the

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earth during tribulation period but instead people who get saved after the tribulation

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started people who then are falling to the forces of hell so to speak then it makes sense.

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But again I do acknowledge that martyrdom is not a future only concept right martyrdom

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does happen today people die every day for their belief in Jesus Christ but those who

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come to Christ during the tribulation period are going to face a time of persecution never

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seen on earth. Persecution on Christians for being Christian it's something that has been

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growing in the world today for centuries and it is still growing today especially in the

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United States. Right believers in the United States Christians and Christianity is more

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and more seen as an enemy of the state. We're the bigots we're the narrow minded we're the

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hateful we're the intolerant. You know in our culture today it's okay to be spiritual

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just not Christian with a strict biblical worldview. Be spiritual all you want just

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not Jesus. Just not he's the only way for salvation don't you dare say that and the

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persecution against those who believe in Christianity it's getting worse. According to the Institute

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of Religion and Democracy in Washington DC there's been more martyrs in the 20th century

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than in every other century combined since the time of Christ. Between 1950 and 2010

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it's estimated that 70 million believers were persecuted or put to death simply because

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they believe in Jesus. And you might think that's terrible but the picture and it is

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but the picture is that during the tribulation period the persecution will be much worse

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because it's going to be overtly publicly aggressively prevalent. It's going to be government

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supported and mandated. It's not going to be just in third world countries it's going

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to be in every country as people have turned to see Christians as the problem for everything

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and they will be aggressively targeted. It won't just be you're losing your business

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it won't just be you can't make cake it won't be just you can't have a flower shop it'll

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be you can't even exist. And we see this picture here in Revelation. Now verse 10 it says they

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cried out with a loud voice, Lord the one who is holy and true how long until you judge

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those who live on the earth and avenge our blood. This is another reason why I don't

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believe these people represent the church but rather a different group of believers

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because in the age of grace in the age we currently live in the church age that we currently

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exist in believers are told to pray for those who persecute you. We are told to love them

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to turn the extra cheek to give them your cloak to go the extra mile right those who

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persecute us for our faith we are commanded in this age to love them and pray for them

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and interact with them that way but these particular believers who likely died during

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this age of vengeance and wrath they're not praying for them they're saying God when you

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gonna take them out God when you gonna harm them when you gonna judge those who murdered

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me that word avenge there when you gonna avenge those avenge our blood that word avenge literally

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means when you gonna give them what they deserve. And it's a different attitude than what we're

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called to with those who persecute us here in the age of grace. Now verse 11 it says

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so they were each given a white robe and they were told to rest a little while longer until

396
00:35:34,160 --> 00:35:38,120
the number would be completed of their fellow servants and their brothers and sisters who

397
00:35:38,120 --> 00:35:44,120
were going to be killed just as they had been. So there's already the notice there that there's

398
00:35:44,120 --> 00:35:48,640
gonna be more of these martyrs during this time. Now a white robe the white robe that

399
00:35:48,640 --> 00:35:52,680
they were given we've seen throughout scripture and in Revelation specifically that the white

400
00:35:52,680 --> 00:35:58,800
robe often represents the righteousness as we are clothed with in Christ we're clothed

401
00:35:58,800 --> 00:36:04,120
with the righteousness of Christ right. It's a picture or a reminder of their salvation

402
00:36:04,120 --> 00:36:09,200
being secure right. We're under the altar here we've been killed for our faith mercilessly

403
00:36:09,200 --> 00:36:13,920
I mean brutally when are they gonna get what's coming to them when are you gonna take them

404
00:36:13,920 --> 00:36:19,320
out. And the first thing he does is give them this white robe like look your salvation is

405
00:36:19,320 --> 00:36:25,400
secure you're saved you're safe. But then he goes on to say look judgment is company

406
00:36:25,400 --> 00:36:29,360
is coming right. There's more of you that that have to go through this before the end

407
00:36:29,360 --> 00:36:33,860
of all this it is coming it is happening as you speak and be patient just be patient is

408
00:36:33,860 --> 00:36:38,760
what he tells them. But it's an interesting contrast this first section this fifth seal

409
00:36:38,760 --> 00:36:43,760
to what then takes place under the sixth seal which we're gonna look at next because what

410
00:36:43,760 --> 00:36:52,200
we have here is the martyrs in heaven crying out avenge us God avenge us. But then that's

411
00:36:52,200 --> 00:36:57,120
contrasted with mankind on earth who is still experiencing these judgments crying out to

412
00:36:57,120 --> 00:37:02,660
the mountains for salvation not crying out to God not looking to God as almighty but

413
00:37:02,660 --> 00:37:06,600
instead crying out to creation and we see that in the opening of the sixth seal. Look

414
00:37:06,600 --> 00:37:13,000
at verse 12 with me he says then I saw him open the sixth seal a violent earthquake occurred

415
00:37:13,000 --> 00:37:18,280
the sun turned black like sackcloth made of hair the entire moon became like blood the

416
00:37:18,280 --> 00:37:22,840
stars of heaven fell to the earth as a fig tree drops its unripe figs when shaken by

417
00:37:22,840 --> 00:37:28,160
a high wind the sky was split apart like a scroll being rolled up rolled up and every

418
00:37:28,160 --> 00:37:35,400
mountain and island was moved from its place. Pretty horrific description of what's taking

419
00:37:35,400 --> 00:37:41,800
place here on earth right. But it's interesting because you have the creator of the earth

420
00:37:41,800 --> 00:37:47,400
the creator of the sun the creator of the moon the creator of sky the creator of space

421
00:37:47,400 --> 00:37:55,680
the creator of the stars now literally begins to shake things up on earth. To shake it free

422
00:37:55,680 --> 00:38:01,500
of all the filthy corruption that clings to it right. He gives that idea of the figs fallen

423
00:38:01,500 --> 00:38:06,760
from a tree as it's shaken by the wind. Now as the sixth seal is opened it opens there

424
00:38:06,760 --> 00:38:10,480
with an earthquake right. This is the first of three major earthquakes we read about in

425
00:38:10,480 --> 00:38:16,340
Revelation and we know or maybe you don't know but earthquakes have been increasing

426
00:38:16,340 --> 00:38:21,800
in intensity over the last hundred years. There are more earthquakes today worldwide

427
00:38:21,800 --> 00:38:25,720
than there were a hundred years ago. It's getting worse it's ramping up if you will

428
00:38:25,720 --> 00:38:32,200
to something. I remember the Northridge earthquake when I was in seventh grade right. We were

429
00:38:32,200 --> 00:38:39,480
getting ready in our morning and then all of a sudden us and all of our desks went up

430
00:38:39,480 --> 00:38:46,280
and then all of us in our desks went down. And then the teacher said get under the desk.

431
00:38:46,280 --> 00:38:54,240
What was that going to do? I never quite understood that you know I get fallen stuff but anyways

432
00:38:54,240 --> 00:38:59,800
it was a big earthquake you know and there's been many more earthquakes and people have

433
00:38:59,800 --> 00:39:05,800
been asking for years when's the big one right. When's the big one coming the big one that's

434
00:39:05,800 --> 00:39:10,560
going to level everything and well you know I think it's during tribulation. That's when

435
00:39:10,560 --> 00:39:14,160
the big one's going to come. That's when it's not just going to be localized but it's going

436
00:39:14,160 --> 00:39:20,000
to be worldwide. It says a violent earthquake. That word violent specifically means surprisingly

437
00:39:20,000 --> 00:39:26,560
remarkable in magnitude. It's going to be an earthquake where everybody's like wow that

438
00:39:26,560 --> 00:39:31,520
one was a big earthquake right. It's going to be surprisingly remarkable. And so this

439
00:39:31,520 --> 00:39:35,240
earthquake is going to happen shaking up the earth and then it says the sun turned black

440
00:39:35,240 --> 00:39:42,240
like sackcloth made of hair and the moon became like blood. And so again John is recording

441
00:39:42,240 --> 00:39:47,080
what he is being shown here from heaven about what is taking place down on earth in the

442
00:39:47,080 --> 00:39:53,320
creation the physical creation of reality. And so the sun turning black like sackcloth

443
00:39:53,320 --> 00:39:58,640
you know. The idea is that it's just not shining anymore. It's like almost an eclipse if you

444
00:39:58,640 --> 00:40:03,480
will but it's just completely black. And the moon becoming like blood is the idea of the

445
00:40:03,480 --> 00:40:09,760
moon turning from its shining the sun to this red kind of opaque look. But this idea has

446
00:40:09,760 --> 00:40:14,040
been foretold several times in scripture as something that would happen during the end

447
00:40:14,040 --> 00:40:20,040
times in Joel chapter 2 verse 31. He said the sun will be turned to darkness and the

448
00:40:20,040 --> 00:40:26,800
moon to blood before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes. Now some of you here

449
00:40:26,800 --> 00:40:32,240
or maybe watching online or watching this later are going to be like aha Pastor Nathan

450
00:40:32,240 --> 00:40:38,260
didn't you pay attention to that it said before the great and terrible day of the Lord. How

451
00:40:38,260 --> 00:40:47,040
is the sun and moon. How is this taking place during the tribulation period if it's before.

452
00:40:47,040 --> 00:40:52,560
Good observation great observation. But if you go and you study the Hebrew that word

453
00:40:52,560 --> 00:41:00,400
before there means in the presence or in the face of. It's like saying I stand before you.

454
00:41:00,400 --> 00:41:06,880
It's not a reference to time. It's not a reference to chronology. It's a repositional reference.

455
00:41:06,880 --> 00:41:11,320
It's like saying the sun turns to darkness and the moon turns to blood in the presence

456
00:41:11,320 --> 00:41:16,280
of the great and terrible day of the Lord. So it's a picture again a prophecy of what

457
00:41:16,280 --> 00:41:22,240
is happening during tribulation. Again in Joel chapter 3 verse 15 it says the sun and

458
00:41:22,240 --> 00:41:27,640
moon will grow dark and the stars will cease their shining. The Lord will roar from Zion

459
00:41:27,640 --> 00:41:33,840
and make his voice heard from Jerusalem. Heaven and earth will shake earthquakes. And then

460
00:41:33,840 --> 00:41:39,520
again in Isaiah 13 verse 9 it says look the day of the Lord is coming. And I've mentioned

461
00:41:39,520 --> 00:41:44,560
a few times in past studies that the idea of the day of the Lord that word day is referring

462
00:41:44,560 --> 00:41:50,000
to a time period. It's not necessarily only referring to a 24 hour period but it's referring

463
00:41:50,000 --> 00:41:56,360
to the time a time period which I believe is the whole tribulation time. So the day of

464
00:41:56,360 --> 00:42:01,640
the Lord is coming. Cruel with fury and burning anger to make the earth a desolation and to

465
00:42:01,640 --> 00:42:07,760
what destroy its sinners. Indeed the stars of the sky and its constellations will not

466
00:42:07,760 --> 00:42:11,840
give their light. The sun will be dark when it rises and the moon will not shine. I will

467
00:42:11,840 --> 00:42:20,360
punish the world for its evil. So what is exactly happening to cause the sun to go dark

468
00:42:20,360 --> 00:42:26,160
and the moon to become like blood. What is exactly happening to cause those things. It's

469
00:42:26,160 --> 00:42:31,760
speculative. We don't know. Right. Some go it's going to be some type of atmospheric

470
00:42:31,760 --> 00:42:36,440
conditions. Some think there's going to be a prolonged eclipse during this time. Some

471
00:42:36,440 --> 00:42:40,560
have even speculated no there's a hydrogen explosion which changes the way things look

472
00:42:40,560 --> 00:42:45,720
in the sky. Others speculate that that during this tribulation period especially following

473
00:42:45,720 --> 00:42:50,440
the violence of the Red Horse of War that there might be nuclear detonations on our

474
00:42:50,440 --> 00:42:55,820
earth and so the consequences of a nuclear winter might be causing issue atmospheric

475
00:42:55,820 --> 00:43:01,240
issues. Ultimately we don't know. But in verse 13 he says the stars of heaven fell to the

476
00:43:01,240 --> 00:43:13,000
earth as a fig tree drops its unright figs. That was cool timing though right. Right.

477
00:43:13,000 --> 00:43:17,720
I was about to be like hey props lighting people that was pretty good timing there the

478
00:43:17,720 --> 00:43:23,920
stars fell. Okay. So the stars of heaven fell to the earth as a fig tree drops its unright

479
00:43:23,920 --> 00:43:28,320
figs when shaken by a high wind the sky was split apart like a scroll being rolled up

480
00:43:28,320 --> 00:43:34,160
and every mountain and island was moved from its place. So the stars falling from heaven

481
00:43:34,160 --> 00:43:40,640
could be meteors. The idea of meteors hitting the earth you know because one I mean even

482
00:43:40,640 --> 00:43:44,740
in recent history we have near misses all the time right which it's funny when you're

483
00:43:44,740 --> 00:43:48,200
looking at the scope of space and they go oh my gosh we had a near miss. Really how

484
00:43:48,200 --> 00:43:53,100
close was it like a billion miles away. I guess in the context of space that's close

485
00:43:53,100 --> 00:43:59,800
right. But you know the idea of this could be the stars from heaven falling could be

486
00:43:59,800 --> 00:44:05,200
meteors is because when we see a meteor streaking across the sky what do we call it. A shooting

487
00:44:05,200 --> 00:44:11,440
star right. It's the idea of these glimmering lights in the sky and so but you know historically

488
00:44:11,440 --> 00:44:16,640
you know in the last hundred years or so 130 years there's only been really a couple large

489
00:44:16,640 --> 00:44:21,600
meteors strike the earth and even in that nothing's actually hit the earth they've

490
00:44:21,600 --> 00:44:26,320
just been a couple that entered the atmosphere which could be precursors of what it's talking

491
00:44:26,320 --> 00:44:31,760
about here in 1908 there was an event called the Tunguska event and it was actually a meteor

492
00:44:31,760 --> 00:44:37,360
that entered the atmosphere in a remote part of Siberia in Russia. Now this meteor is thought

493
00:44:37,360 --> 00:44:42,960
to have been about 120 feet of cross so you think from the stage to the back of the foyer

494
00:44:42,960 --> 00:44:50,080
is the diameter of this meteor. They estimated to be about around 220 million pounds but

495
00:44:50,080 --> 00:44:55,400
in this event this meteor entered the atmosphere and exploded in the air just a few miles up

496
00:44:55,400 --> 00:45:02,040
from ground level. The force of this explosion leveled trees for hundreds of miles in every

497
00:45:02,040 --> 00:45:07,280
direction and it killed hundreds and hundreds of reindeer and that's why all the Christmas

498
00:45:07,280 --> 00:45:15,600
presents were late that year right. No but in 2013 most recently there was another meteor

499
00:45:15,600 --> 00:45:19,720
over Russia which I don't know what it is about Russia but you know there was a meteor

500
00:45:19,720 --> 00:45:26,720
that was that was estimated to be the size of a like a median income family home right

501
00:45:26,720 --> 00:45:32,880
so maybe like a 15 to 2000 square foot type of place type of type of house was the idea

502
00:45:32,880 --> 00:45:38,360
of this and it entered the atmosphere traveling 11 miles per second and it blew apart 14 miles

503
00:45:38,360 --> 00:45:43,620
above the ground so it didn't actually strike but the force of the explosion released energy

504
00:45:43,620 --> 00:45:51,120
equivalent to 440,000 tons of dynamite. The shockwave blew out windows and damaged buildings

505
00:45:51,120 --> 00:45:57,960
in a 200 square mile area. Okay to give you an idea of that from here to Las Vegas is

506
00:45:57,960 --> 00:46:03,880
200 miles so now go 200 miles up 200 miles across 200 miles back windows and buildings

507
00:46:03,880 --> 00:46:11,320
damaged from the explosion of this meteor breaking up and that was just one meteor one. So when

508
00:46:11,320 --> 00:46:16,200
we read things like every mountain and island moved from its place you could start to imagine

509
00:46:16,200 --> 00:46:21,680
the possibility of this if the earth was struck by multiple meteors as the results of tectonic

510
00:46:21,680 --> 00:46:26,640
movement and the impacts of these meteors worldwide would cause a great upheaval in

511
00:46:26,640 --> 00:46:34,800
the earth itself. Now the whole concept here of the sky being split apart like a scroll

512
00:46:34,800 --> 00:46:40,600
no idea I don't know so I was trying to you know get an idea of some of the interpretive

513
00:46:40,600 --> 00:46:44,920
elements of this and nobody really has a good understanding of that so something is going

514
00:46:44,920 --> 00:46:49,480
to happen in the sky where the sky is going to pull apart in some catastrophic event as

515
00:46:49,480 --> 00:46:53,320
a part of this but I don't know exactly what that is so I'm not going to elaborate but

516
00:46:53,320 --> 00:46:57,580
we might imagine that experiencing and observing these types of catastrophes would cause everybody

517
00:46:57,580 --> 00:47:04,560
to repent right. Meteors striking the earth, skies splitting open, mountains being moved

518
00:47:04,560 --> 00:47:09,520
you know all this stuff having meteors falling I mean you would think people would somewhere

519
00:47:09,520 --> 00:47:17,200
go hey I heard of a book somewhere that talks about these things happening and oh my gosh

520
00:47:17,200 --> 00:47:23,760
right you would think people would just repent everywhere but no some will but for most a

521
00:47:23,760 --> 00:47:28,160
stubborn callousness will still remain look at verse 15. Then the kings of the earth,

522
00:47:28,160 --> 00:47:33,640
the nobles, the generals, the rich, the powerful and every slave and every free person so everybody

523
00:47:33,640 --> 00:47:38,680
like a whole mix of all people hid in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains

524
00:47:38,680 --> 00:47:42,080
and they said to the mountains and to the rocks fall on us and hide us from the face

525
00:47:42,080 --> 00:47:45,960
of the one seated on the throne and from the wrath of the lamb because the great day of

526
00:47:45,960 --> 00:47:53,160
their wrath has come and who is able to stand. As I've mentioned a couple times that you

527
00:47:53,160 --> 00:47:58,520
know this is all the judgment of God on sin and all the world but through all of this

528
00:47:58,520 --> 00:48:04,280
tribulation all this judgment even poured out God intends these judgments to shake mankind

529
00:48:04,280 --> 00:48:10,880
awake to wake them up so that they would call out to him for salvation but most still refuse.

530
00:48:10,880 --> 00:48:14,200
Instead of calling out to God for salvation we see them there calling out to the gods

531
00:48:14,200 --> 00:48:20,480
of their own making specifically the mountains and the rocks. The idea the pictures that

532
00:48:20,480 --> 00:48:25,280
instead of calling out to almighty God they're calling out to the creation instead of calling

533
00:48:25,280 --> 00:48:29,940
out to the creator they're calling out to the creation that's around them saying rocks

534
00:48:29,940 --> 00:48:35,280
mountains please hide us and as revelation goes on and as these judgments get more intense

535
00:48:35,280 --> 00:48:40,680
and progressively more intense we see mankind just hardening his heart more and more and

536
00:48:40,680 --> 00:48:47,720
more and that hardening is deliberate that hardening is on purpose it's outright rebellion

537
00:48:47,720 --> 00:48:54,320
it's a refusal to repent a refusal to accept God and that's one of the most insidious effects

538
00:48:54,320 --> 00:49:02,680
of sin. Now the reason I think they're hardening their hearts and stuff and the reason I think

539
00:49:02,680 --> 00:49:06,520
this is a deliberate and on purpose outright rebellion against God because look at what

540
00:49:06,520 --> 00:49:11,120
it says there. They said to the mountains and the rocks fall on us and hide us from

541
00:49:11,120 --> 00:49:17,560
the face of the one seated on the throne and from the wrath of the lamb. The sixth seal

542
00:49:17,560 --> 00:49:25,800
shows us that they know who is behind these judgments. They know who is behind these judgments

543
00:49:25,800 --> 00:49:32,060
they recognize that what is taking place on the earth is the result of God the father

544
00:49:32,060 --> 00:49:36,760
the one seated on the throne and God the son the lamb who is slain they recognize who is

545
00:49:36,760 --> 00:49:44,840
judging the world and yet they still not they still won't repent. Now I want to take a look

546
00:49:44,840 --> 00:49:51,720
at verse 17 and close on this real quick because in verse 17 it says they're calling out and

547
00:49:51,720 --> 00:49:57,480
it says because the great day of their wrath has come and this is just a small point and

548
00:49:57,480 --> 00:50:04,160
I welcome different views on this and stuff but for my for my pre wrath and mid trip and

549
00:50:04,160 --> 00:50:10,760
post trip friends again who I have the greatest respect and love for as family a lot of times

550
00:50:10,760 --> 00:50:16,880
in the conversations of those particular interpretations I see that that there's an attempt to reconcile

551
00:50:16,880 --> 00:50:22,640
first Thessalonians 5 9 which says we are not appointed to wrath they try and reconcile

552
00:50:22,640 --> 00:50:28,400
that against a pre trip interpretation of the rapture of the church by saying God's wrath

553
00:50:28,400 --> 00:50:33,000
isn't until the bold judgments and that's one of the common interpretations of a mid

554
00:50:33,000 --> 00:50:38,880
trip or a pre wrath interpretation of tribulation the rapture of the church. They say well yeah

555
00:50:38,880 --> 00:50:42,320
first Thessalonians says we're not appointed to the wrath but the wrath isn't until the

556
00:50:42,320 --> 00:50:47,640
second half of the tribulation the wrath isn't until two thirds of the way into the tribulation

557
00:50:47,640 --> 00:50:51,960
and even some go so far as to say well you know everything before the bold judgments

558
00:50:51,960 --> 00:50:56,920
the trumpet judgments and the seal judgments those are actually Satan's wrath it's Satan

559
00:50:56,920 --> 00:51:03,680
pouring out his wrath on earth and mankind and all that but I have a problem with that

560
00:51:03,680 --> 00:51:10,640
because again let's read verse 17 which is the sixth seal long before the bold judgments

561
00:51:10,640 --> 00:51:19,480
the people on the earth say the great day of their wrath has come not is coming not

562
00:51:19,480 --> 00:51:29,580
will come but has come and it says the great day of their wrath whose wrath God on the throne

563
00:51:29,580 --> 00:51:37,720
and the lamb not Satan in the sixth seal the people on earth acknowledge that the wrath

564
00:51:37,720 --> 00:51:45,280
of God has come is here has arrived and when has it come here at the beginning of tribulation

565
00:51:45,280 --> 00:51:49,960
not the end not the halfway point not the two third point and this is part of why I

566
00:51:49,960 --> 00:51:56,020
believe that the entire seven year tribulation is the wrath of the lamb the entire seven

567
00:51:56,020 --> 00:52:01,000
year tribulation is the wrath of God on earth not just the second half not just the last

568
00:52:01,000 --> 00:52:06,440
third but the entire seven years and it's just I see it very plainly right there in

569
00:52:06,440 --> 00:52:10,720
scripture and it's many the one of the many reasons why when I read first Thessalonians

570
00:52:10,720 --> 00:52:16,800
five nine and I see that God has not appointed us to wrath I believe that that means that

571
00:52:16,800 --> 00:52:21,240
we are then raptured out and taken before the seven year period of tribulation which

572
00:52:21,240 --> 00:52:30,520
is the wrath of God and so I am pretty confident in saying that God did not and will not consign

573
00:52:30,520 --> 00:52:38,520
in a point cause to be or make his church which is the saved before tribulation go through

574
00:52:38,520 --> 00:52:45,000
his wrath the wrath of the lamb which is the entire seven year period of tribulation now

575
00:52:45,000 --> 00:52:49,240
on the other hand some just struggle plainly with the concept of God's wrath altogether

576
00:52:49,240 --> 00:52:54,680
right so I'm like how could a God of love a God who is love possibly do this to the

577
00:52:54,680 --> 00:53:00,640
earth how could a God who is love manifest possibly do this to the people on the earth

578
00:53:00,640 --> 00:53:07,780
how could he do that well we have to understand that God is holy God is holy he is perfectly

579
00:53:07,780 --> 00:53:13,840
holy and we have to recognize that his response to sin which is the antithesis of his holiness

580
00:53:13,840 --> 00:53:21,600
is wrath his perfect holiness responds to sin with wrath it wants to eradicate it it

581
00:53:21,600 --> 00:53:27,080
wants to do away with it it wants to kill it completely it's a part of God's nature

582
00:53:27,080 --> 00:53:32,200
sin and what it does is such an affront to the holiness of God that wrath is the natural

583
00:53:32,200 --> 00:53:41,840
response God is truth the Bible tells us he is just the Bible tells us he loves justice

584
00:53:41,840 --> 00:53:48,880
the Bible tells us and so those who choose that which is an affront to him that which

585
00:53:48,880 --> 00:53:54,320
is a complete offense in every possible way to his very nature those who then choose that

586
00:53:54,320 --> 00:54:00,360
and reject his offer of grace and mercy and forgiveness well they're going to fall in

587
00:54:00,360 --> 00:54:11,040
line fall under his wrath as he pours it out on sin but with that his love requires that

588
00:54:11,040 --> 00:54:15,880
he does what most benefits his creation right God's attributes his character everything

589
00:54:15,880 --> 00:54:21,040
about him they're complimentary they're not contradictory and so yes God hates sin he

590
00:54:21,040 --> 00:54:26,240
can't ignore it he can't turn a blind eye he can't be like oh well it's okay he can't

591
00:54:26,240 --> 00:54:34,600
do that he has to deal with sin but at the same time he loves you he loves me he loves

592
00:54:34,600 --> 00:54:38,240
every single person out there that he created that are created in the image of God that

593
00:54:38,240 --> 00:54:46,360
doesn't yet know him that are enslaved to sin that say I hate God but at the same time

594
00:54:46,360 --> 00:54:53,240
I don't believe in God right which has always confused me but God loves him so much that

595
00:54:53,240 --> 00:55:00,600
he gave his son to die for their sin so that the penalty would fall on Jesus that wrathful

596
00:55:00,600 --> 00:55:06,680
penalty would fall on Jesus and you know if someone in the world today says I reject Christ

597
00:55:06,680 --> 00:55:13,800
they're rejecting their only lifeline they're sentencing themselves to judgment and so when

598
00:55:13,800 --> 00:55:23,760
people go how could God do that he didn't do that they chose that like a just judge

599
00:55:23,760 --> 00:55:29,280
he has to enact the penalty for the crime and he's done everything he could to say let

600
00:55:29,280 --> 00:55:35,080
me let me give you a way out and yet people are still going to say no I don't want your

601
00:55:35,080 --> 00:55:39,520
way out I refuse to believe in you and then when he goes okay but judgment is going to

602
00:55:39,520 --> 00:55:42,880
fall and they go I don't care I hate you and then judgment falls they have the audacity

603
00:55:42,880 --> 00:55:51,240
to go I can't believe you did this I can't believe you got and he's like I tried I tried

604
00:55:51,240 --> 00:55:56,080
so many times to tell you and so when someone says how could a loving God judge I respond

605
00:55:56,080 --> 00:56:03,400
with how could a loving God not judge sin to be truly loving I believe is to desire

606
00:56:03,400 --> 00:56:07,720
the best for others and if God's love and his patience and his kindness and his goodness

607
00:56:07,720 --> 00:56:13,560
if none of that has worked in the life of one of his creation and judgment letting judgment

608
00:56:13,560 --> 00:56:18,540
fall is the only final thing that might bring back a sinner a sinner from the edge of eternal

609
00:56:18,540 --> 00:56:24,600
damnation then of course he would let judgment fall of course he would let judgment fall

610
00:56:24,600 --> 00:56:32,560
on that person that they would repent that they would repent but if not even then his

611
00:56:32,560 --> 00:56:38,320
perfect justice will still be done and it will be right you know Jesus freely took the

612
00:56:38,320 --> 00:56:46,000
judgment of our sin on himself freely he did that so that his justice would be fully satisfied

613
00:56:46,000 --> 00:56:51,800
right the penalty for the crime was was fulfilled but he did that while being able to grant

614
00:56:51,800 --> 00:56:55,760
forgiveness and grace and mercy to us and receive us into his family now that's why

615
00:56:55,760 --> 00:57:02,280
Jesus stepped into the place of that wrath and now in this age of grace we have the opportunity

616
00:57:02,280 --> 00:57:06,640
to not have to face the future wrath of God as he pours it out on this earth yes there

617
00:57:06,640 --> 00:57:10,960
will be some that choose the future wrath and they choose to live through the terrible

618
00:57:10,960 --> 00:57:18,720
judgments of tribulation and yes I do believe that some will come to Jesus during that time

619
00:57:18,720 --> 00:57:22,740
and some in their ignorance will go well I'll just wait as soon as I see the stars fallen

620
00:57:22,740 --> 00:57:28,920
from the heaven then I'll believe but if you're unwilling to believe today what makes you

621
00:57:28,920 --> 00:57:34,720
think you're going to believe then is the opportunity there yeah I believe so I believe

622
00:57:34,720 --> 00:57:42,760
so but you don't have to face that time you can attain salvation today today so my question

623
00:57:42,760 --> 00:57:48,040
to every every person here and those watching online I mean I think there's someone out

624
00:57:48,040 --> 00:57:52,920
there you know you sense Jesus trying to get your attention this morning and maybe it's

625
00:57:52,920 --> 00:57:57,420
the all the earth shaking to come is that is that possibly waking you up to your status

626
00:57:57,420 --> 00:58:05,040
before God today you realize and I'm not saved you're realizing I'm not his child you're

627
00:58:05,040 --> 00:58:08,920
realizing that I don't have a relationship with God a saving relationship do you see

628
00:58:08,920 --> 00:58:17,040
the seriousness of sin and what will happen when God's time of patience runs out it's

629
00:58:17,040 --> 00:58:21,760
going to be horrible do you see what will happen to those who reject the offer of salvation

630
00:58:21,760 --> 00:58:31,920
that Jesus offers today the truth is is you can be forgiven today for all your sin you

631
00:58:31,920 --> 00:58:40,220
can be saved today now in this age of grace before judgment falls I believe he is speaking

632
00:58:40,220 --> 00:58:49,980
to you and so I just ask please listen respond to him now let's pray father God we trust

633
00:58:49,980 --> 00:58:56,960
you God as we look to these future events and try and interpret what they could mean

634
00:58:56,960 --> 00:59:05,960
God again we know there's we see through a glass darkly but God we know you're coming

635
00:59:05,960 --> 00:59:14,620
back we know there's a time of judgment coming on the earth we know there's a time when you're

636
00:59:14,620 --> 00:59:24,520
just going to be done and you'll have to start pouring out your justice the judgment on sin

637
00:59:24,520 --> 00:59:28,920
and even in that Lord I believe you're doing that with an eye to anyone who would call

638
00:59:28,920 --> 00:59:33,720
out to you in that process would be saved but God today we have an opportunity for salvation

639
00:59:33,720 --> 00:59:47,000
to not have to wait until the literal creation around us is being shaken up and torn apart

640
00:59:47,000 --> 00:59:52,120
Lord to get saved in this age of grace and yes it's getting worse and yes it's getting

641
00:59:52,120 --> 00:59:57,840
darker Lord but today is nothing like it's going to be then God the Lord I pray that

642
00:59:57,840 --> 01:00:04,920
the picture of your wrath on sin would be a motivator to someone hanging on that they

643
01:00:04,920 --> 01:00:12,840
would realize how seriously you take sin God and that they need salvation today so while

644
01:00:12,840 --> 01:00:16,520
we're praying with eyes closed and heads bowed I want to give you an opportunity here in

645
01:00:16,520 --> 01:00:22,720
this room to receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior to step into that saving relationship

646
01:00:22,720 --> 01:00:26,540
to avoid the wrath of God that is to come on sin but to be washed clean of your sin

647
01:00:26,540 --> 01:00:33,760
instead forgiven set free filled with the Holy Spirit of promise enabled to live a life

648
01:00:33,760 --> 01:00:38,840
that glorifies God that has meaning that goes beyond this earth in this time because this

649
01:00:38,840 --> 01:00:44,640
earth will end and so if you're in this room or if you're watching online and God has been

650
01:00:44,640 --> 01:00:47,720
speaking your heart and you need to receive him this morning I just want you to raise

651
01:00:47,720 --> 01:00:51,760
your hand where you're seated and say yeah I want to receive Jesus Christ this morning

652
01:00:51,760 --> 01:00:58,880
I want to be saved I want to be forgiven God bless you anybody else God bless you too anybody

653
01:00:58,880 --> 01:01:03,840
else in this room God is speaking to you this morning he's been speaking your heart all

654
01:01:03,840 --> 01:01:08,620
morning about how much he loves you and wants to save you from the effect of the sin that

655
01:01:08,620 --> 01:01:14,560
enslaves you and the Bible says all you got to do is call out to him put your faith in

656
01:01:14,560 --> 01:01:18,160
him you will be saved and so anybody else in this room just raise your hand where I

657
01:01:18,160 --> 01:01:21,360
could see it I'm going to pray with you in a moment to receive Jesus Christ as your Lord

658
01:01:21,360 --> 01:01:26,360
and Savior God bless you if you're online watching us obviously I can't see you but

659
01:01:26,360 --> 01:01:30,640
just let us know in chat I would like to receive Jesus Christ today and pray with me in a moment

660
01:01:30,640 --> 01:01:36,840
here anybody else is we're just closing all right those of you that raised your hand even

661
01:01:36,840 --> 01:01:39,940
if you didn't or if you're online and I can't see you I just want you to pray this prayer

662
01:01:39,940 --> 01:01:51,880
with me say Father God I believe you're God I believe you came to this earth and you died

663
01:01:51,880 --> 01:02:02,760
on the cross for my sin I believe you paid the penalty for my wrongdoing and I thank

664
01:02:02,760 --> 01:02:14,320
you for that and in that I receive the free gift of salvation to be saved from the wrath

665
01:02:14,320 --> 01:02:25,040
of God that is to come on sin in the future and to be saved from the effects of sin now

666
01:02:25,040 --> 01:02:31,840
thank you for loving me so much thank you for saving my soul fill me now with your Holy

667
01:02:31,840 --> 01:02:46,280
Spirit that I would be empowered and enabled to go out and to tell people about you to

668
01:02:46,280 --> 01:02:53,640
share with them the salvation that is available to them and to warn them of the judgment to

669
01:02:53,640 --> 01:03:04,080
come for those who deny you I give my life to you in every way teach me to live for you

670
01:03:04,080 --> 01:03:24,480
in Jesus name. Amen.