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Source: https://www.sermonindex.net/speakers/joe-baker/conquest-carnage-crown-rev-19-2-thes-1-6-10/
Revelation chapter 19 and verse number 1, what is described in chapter 18 as the fall of Babylon, we will touch on briefly, and John says that after these things, I heard a great voice of much people in heaven saying, Alleluia!
Salvation and glory and honor and power unto the Lord our God. For true and righteous are his judgments. For he has judged the great whore which did corrupt the earth with her fornication and has avenged the blood of his servants at her hand.
And again, they said, Alleluia! And her smoke rose up forever and ever. And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshiped God that sat on the throne saying, Amen! Alleluia! And a voice came out of the throne saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great.
And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thundering, saying, Alleluia! For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice and give honor to him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white, for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he said unto me, Write. Blessed are they which are called into the marriage, supper of the Lamb.
And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. And I fell at his feet to worship him, and he said unto me, See thou do it not? I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren, that have the testimony of Jesus.
Worship God, for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True. And in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns. And he had a name written that no man knew but he himself, and he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood, and his name is called the Word of God.
And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations. And he shall rule them with a rod of iron, and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King of Kings and Lord of Lords. And I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God, that ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.
And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image.
These both were cast alive into a lake of fire, burning with brimstone. And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth, and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.
That's just all we'll read at the outset here, and we'll take a page from this morning's reading and read more that's relevant as we get to the section. I'll just make a few observations in a rather brief opening.
First observation that you will likely have all noticed is the uniqueness of this Bible reading compared to the others. Not just that you have one of the small dogs with all the big dogs, but actually, as has been commented on in the beginning of these readings, the first Bible reading covered a period of 480 plus years, and then our brother's Bible reading covered a period of seven years with all those details, and seals, and trumpets, and bowls, and beasts.
And our brother's Bible reading tomorrow covers 1 ,000 years. Good to have someone as succinct as Brother Sandy. 1 ,000 years and beyond, and our reading covers one day. One day. So that should cause all of us to ask this question.
What is so significant about this one day? Could you not have divided it a little bit more evenly? And the fact is, and it has already been mentioned last night in the meeting, that this one day is the great climax of prophecy.
All of prophecy climaxes focuses on this day, the manifestation of the Lord Jesus from heaven. We were introduced to a term, the day of the Lord. There's a reference in the book of Acts to the great and notable day of the Lord.
What day is that? This day. This day, when he comes in blazing glory with his mighty angels and flaming fire, this day. And so that is why the first observation, that's why we have given it its own reading.
I have to tell you in studying it, that it's thrilled me. And I hope that I, and also in our discussion, that we won't spoil it. It's a thrilling thing. If somebody asked me, what do you want out of your Bible reading?
I want it to thrill you. I want it to thrill you and have it invigorate hope in you. Not hope in some political leader that might fill the White House, and I know that you don't want the same guy, you know, but that's not our hope.
And not hope in some economic, you know, change. And even if a revival takes place, that's not the great hope because we know, as we've been told, that it's going to get darker and darker and darker until this day.
Until this day. And this day is our great anchor point for hope for this world, as we'll talk about today and then, Lord willing, tomorrow. So that's, first of all, the first observation. Second observation, just on the manifestation of Christ in general.
You'll notice one theme that runs through all the different passages, whether it's in Zechariah, whether it's in the Gospel of Matthew, here in Revelation, or even in 2nd Thessalonians, and it's the theme of righteousness.
Righteousness, or vindication, you'll read about. Justice. And I've been thinking about it like this, that from Genesis chapter 3, lawlessness came into this world. And although there's been some times where it's been, maybe seemed to be a little bit better, and there was a king one day, and after Saul, and it seemed things were going better, and then Solomon came up.
But really, there's been this downward cycle of lawlessness, and it finally reaches this conclusion in a man of lawlessness. And he plunges the world into darkness, and the darkness seems to be recognized by God, because before this day, he shuts off all the lights, and the sun is darkened, and the moon, and the stars, and there's this dramatic thing that takes place in the cosmos, and it's to reveal the darkness of our world in lawlessness.
And then John says, and behold, I see heaven opened, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. And there's armies with him, and they're clothed with the linen of righteousness, and a bride is linked to him before that, and she has linen marked by righteousness.
And the song is all about his righteous judgments, and his war is fought in righteousness, and it's righteousness coming down. That's the big idea in this event. That's the thing that we will want to focus on reverently, and just think to yourselves, if you can here, and this little high school or elementary school, just think to yourselves of what the Lord Jesus must think, as he looks down at just a few of us, thinking about his day.
He's looking forward to this day. The Bible tells me he is waiting until his enemies are made the footstool of his feet, and here's just a few of us gathered, thinking about his day. Not our day, when we'll be changed, and be like him, and be with him, but his day.
When the one who bore the crown of thorns will wear the many diadems that we read about here. And so righteousness and vindication is something that we notice related to this event. As far as the chapter goes, you'll notice that it breaks down roughly into, I see maybe two sections.
One is what John hears, and then it's what John sees. So John hears this anthem of worship at the beginning of the chapter, and this call about this marriage, and the marriage supper, and we might not have time to go into all the details, but if you just contrast that with what he just heard on earth, the wailing.
Babylon has fallen, and they're weeping, and wailing at the economic results of that, and people are mourning here on earth. And of course, we know that before this event, there's war, and John says, I hear, and there's there's a wedding, and there's singing, and there's joy up in heaven.
And then I love that transition, because whatever is happening up in heaven is not staying up there. He says, then I looked, and heaven's opened, and down he comes. You know, there's a there's a verse that many people who have studied revivals, or talked about revivals, quote in the Old Testament, Oh that thou wouldst rend the heavens and come down.
And there are events in our history, in the church history, where it seems at peculiar times, even in this country, the first great awakening, where there was a special touch in the gospel when God moved.
But on this day, the heavens will truly be rent. Not a door opened in heaven, heaven opened. Because it's not to get a few people up, it's to get all of heaven down. Heaven coming down to earth, which will take us into, hopefully, where we'll be going tomorrow.
So it's just a couple of observations, those three. As far as the order, if you will, just follow the order that I have listed here as a pretty bare skeleton. Someone commented, you're not a guy who likes to make a answer key outline.
And I said, well, I'm coming to get answers. So that's why it's pretty bare bones. But hopefully it'll give you something to do to fill in some of these things. I would suggest, if if my brothers here will accommodate, that we work fairly quickly through verses 1 through 10, covering maybe up to the wedding in the first 15 minutes, so we can focus on this chief event, the manifestation of Christ, and this description of him as a warrior.
We can read other relevant passages and make general comments about that when we get there. And then move to this war, try to clearly, at least as far as we know, outline the events of that, and then set up this welcome of the remnant from the nation of Israel, as well as the remaining peoples of earth, so that we can stand at the welcome mat of what our brother Sandy will take us into tomorrow.
So maybe the first 15 minutes for the first two, the worship and the wedding. And then we'll leave the bulk of the time to the rest. So any general comments on chapter 19, how it fits into Revelation, or just catching us up to speed with what's preceded?
Very good. Thank you. Just to highlight what you've said, what causes wails upon earth is what leads to hallelujahs in heaven. So the contrast, it's not as though heaven has something different. I realize they're going to give hallelujah for the wedding and so on, but initially what we have here is finding tremendous cause for worship in God's righteous judgments of events on earth.
It's often pointed out, chapter 17 and chapter 18, the fall of Babylon, with an emphasis upon what is religious, chapter 17, and an emphasis on what is commercial in chapter 18. So after these things, I heard, as it were, a great voice of much people in heaven saying, hallelujah, the salvation, the definite article, the salvation and the glory.
So that would link with what is spiritual, and the honor and the power unto the Lord our God. So here is one who is truly worthy of what the false thing on earth was claiming. Now it is put down, and now there's the praise of that which pertains to God.
The opening of the section was chapter 6, wasn't it? 6 through 18 is the great tribulation period, and the cry went up in chapter 6, O Lord, how long? The voice of the martyrs, how long before there's vengeance?
And now here it is. The song goes up that he hath avenged the blood of his servants. So God moves in his own time, we heard that earlier, and the prayer went up, the time for it to be honored was not then in chapter 6, but now it's done at the beginning of chapter 19.
The whole scene is set, isn't it, for the opening of heaven.
That word hallelujah is really a cry in conjunction with a battle, isn't it, often in the Old Testament, right? It's a praise, but it's also a resounding note of victory, of the conquest of God over his enemies, too, so often.
Praise ye Jah, Jehovah, the covenant-keeping one. Here's what his purposes are coming to for Israel. Here's the revelation of the culmination of all of that that's gone before. It's worthy of praise.
Now we're not grinding an axe, brother, but what's your thoughts on the 4 and 20 elders, because they're here in verse 4, and the living creatures? My thoughts are different than your thoughts. My thoughts are not your thoughts.
There's a verse about that. I say heavens are higher than the earth. Well, I wouldn't go that far. No, I personally thought that, I guess you could say the traditional view, that the 24 elders are the church and its priestly character, and I thought that we are the ones even saying this hallelujah, but.
All right. Yeah.
Is there a brother who just briefly explained to me how that in chapter 7, when John sees this great company of the martyrs, one of the elders comes and speaks to him, and John addresses him as sir. How did one 24th of the church come and speak to John, and he addressed him as sir?
Doesn't matter. I'll just leave it with you. Good for them. Thank you. So who do you, for clarity,.
Who do you think the 24 are? They're angels. Angels. Yeah, I'm quite sure that, that's quite sure that's arrogant, isn't it? No, I believe, I'm happy with the thought, that the living creatures and the 4 and 20 elders are the temporary government in heaven during the period when universal dominion has fallen from the hands of man.
It's now, Adam handed dominion to the, to an angel, to Satan, and so there's now an angelic government in heaven. We know there's this cosmic battle goes on, Ephesians 6, Jude's epistle tells us about it.
And the time has come in chapters 4 and 5 for those angels to recognize that the time has come in God's purpose now for that power that they are holding to revert to the hands of a man. And hence the 4 and 20 elders and the four living creatures, they cast their crowns of dominion at the feet of the man who has been demonstrated to have the right to rule and to reign.
So otherwise, I fail to understand how in chapter 7 a 24th of the church can come and speak to John and John addressed that 24th as sir. That was my question. If someone can solve it, well fine. If not, we'll move on.
Thank you.
What's your thought on the 24th? I had agreed with our brother Giuseppe Joe, that they represented the church. Why is there 24? 24 courses, 24 courses of the priesthood in the Old Testament, the priestly character.
Just that's rather confusing probably said so quickly. In the Old Testament there were 24 courses of the priesthood read in Chronicles and just saying this represented the priestly character of the church.
In its.
Presence before God. Interesting that when the church has stopped being mentioned in Revelation 3 and you get the 24 elders and now they'll stop being mentioned here.
Yeah, well, you see brother Sandy's point that there were 24 courses for the priesthood. Absolutely, right. But the Hebrew epistle tells us that the things in the tabernacle and in the temple reflected a reality of things in heaven.
So that 24 of the priesthood on earth was reflecting 24-something in heaven before the church had even come into being. We'll need another 24 hours. Yeah, what a good idea.
It does say in Revelation 5 that they are redeemed. But it also says that of the four living creatures too. So that presents another difficulty. So there's the revised. Okay.
It has redeemed them to God.
So anyway, one of the things that I also enjoyed was the if you think about Exodus 15 and the song there, the hallelujah, same idea, the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. And I don't think it's just imagination.
I feel like the first writer of the Bible and the last writer of the Bible both are pointing to this idea. Even the idea that the waters parted. Here a mountain is about to part, right? And there's this idea that God reigns and wants delivering his people in redemption and now in returning to them.
So verse 5, then, praise our God, all ye his servants, that could include angels, and ye that fear him, as opposed to those that don't, I would take it that would be saints, believers, both small and great, both angelic praise and human praise.
Would you go with that? Sure.
No difficulty. And whose voice is it in verse 5, do you think, coming out of the throne? The voice of God. He's saying, praise ye our God. So yeah, it could be the voice of God. Voice of Christ, maybe?
Yes. The voice of Christ, the leader of the people's praise. This is maybe Psalm 22, isn't it? In the midst of the great congregation, will I sing praise unto thee? In which case, it's very lovely because it's only the second time in our Bibles we read of the Lord Jesus singing.
We read of him in Mark chapter 14, and after they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. And I feel sure, I have, I couldn't be definite, but I feel sure that as the Lord sat with the eleven, they're fulfilling the Passover ritual.
The song they would have sung would have been Psalm 118, the last of the songs of the Hallel. I believe his own lovely rich voice would have led the singing. And the voice of the Savior would have been singing, this is the day the Lord hath made.
We will rejoice. Yes. The day he's going out to the cross. And now we read of him singing again, and he's in the midst of the great congregation, and his voice comes out, praise.
Our God. Very lovely. The end of Psalm 118. Thou art my God, and I will praise thee. Thou art my God, and I will exalt thee. O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good, and his mercy endureth forever.
So he worshipped going out to Calvary. Worshipped the hand that was this might him. Yes. Very good.
You also see here the character that we will have then as something that we should have now. What are they doing? They're praising him. They're describing salvation and glory and honor and holiness. Why?
Because righteousness is being carried out. Because sin is being judged. And this is what is causing the praise of the Lord reigning.
Very good. Good point. Practical points here even about worship. Worship, you know. Even songs of worship that we listen to. What are they based on? Are they based on the righteous judgments of God? On who he is and what he does?
Or how I feel and what I do? A lot of things that could be said, but I think we should move to the marriage here in verse number 7. Anything generally about the marriage? I think you were hinting at it in your reading on the rapture that was coming away to take the bride to the father's house.
So I think from the language of verse 7 we're led to believe that the thought of the marriage of the Lamb has come. It means it's happened. Not the time for it to occur, but it has happened. So at the moment I think you'd agree we're in the time of espousal.
2 Corinthians 11. You know I've espoused you as a chaste virgin to Christ. The time of espousal. The marriage will be in the privacy of the father's house. And that will then be followed by the marriage supper.
So the thought in verse 7 is that the marriage of the Lamb has taken place. So now his wife hath made herself ready.
Maybe we should just blow that up a little bit for everybody. In the Jewish wedding in the ancient culture there were three stages of a wedding. There was the espousal or the betrothal that was so binding that remember you had to be put away for breaking that.
So that's where we're in now. Christ loved the church, gave himself for her. You came into the good of that when you trusted Christ. Then the wedding takes place sometime after the rapture and before this event when he comes.
And in that culture the groom would come and take the bride to his father's house, which is John 14. And then the supper. The supper takes place. And I would agree with my brother Phil, I don't know about the rest, that the supper it seems to take place here on earth.
That's the transition.
So actually Ephesians chapter 5. I'm sorry, does someone have a question? No, no, go ahead. He'll present it to himself, a glorious church. That's number one. Then he'll present us to the nations. He'll manifest.
When Christ who is our life shall appear, we also will appear with him in glory. He'll present us to the Father. 1 Thessalonians chapter 3, the end of the chapter. So there are these multiple presentations beginning with the marriage.
A voice of difference just to blow the thing up further. What, sorry? Just briefly. I would take it that it's not the marriage of Christ. It says it's the marriage of the Lamb. Who's the Lamb in the book of Revelation?
Chapter 5 is the Redeemer. It's the marriage of the Redeemer. Who's in relationship to the Redeemer? The redeemed. The redeemed. New Testament saints are redeemed. We rejoice in that. Were Old Testament saints redeemed?
They certainly were. Anyone that belongs to God, anyone who is a saint, verse 8, are redeemed. The marriage of the Redeemer is come. I would take it that that is indicating for the first time in history, all the redeemed up until this point are brought together to the Redeemer.
And the marriage of the Lamb is come.
I think Socrates would call that a false syllogism. A what? A false syllogism. I think you're equating things that aren't really equal. Just because the Lamb is the Redeemer, you could also view Him in other ways as well.
Right? In what way? Well, He's not only the Redeemer, He's the Lord, He's the King, and so on.
But in this book, He is the character of the Redeemer. But He's the Lamb here. Yes. And the bride, the Lamb's wife. Yes. Israel is Jehovah's wife. Correct. Where do you get that? Where do you get that?
Hosea. Okay. Israel restored in Hosea is betrothed to God. And the language of bride and bridegroom is used in Isaiah 62, verse 5, in relation to a bride and a bridegroom. Israel restored in the context.
Then shall I, God, rejoice over thee as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride. Nowhere in the New Testament do you read about the bride of Christ. Nowhere. Ephesians 5 is emphasizing the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ is the head and the church is His body.
It's explicitly stated. And from the metaphor of head and body, the apostle then will teach practical truth to a husband who's the head of a wife. And nowhere in the New Testament, I repeat, do you get the bride of Christ.
I can tell you the source of that. It was the Catholic Church. But here it's the marriage of the Lamb. I take it it's the bringing together of the redeemed to the Redeemer for the first time ever in the history.
Including the church, with Old Testament saints, with resurrected tribulation saints. And He sees of the travail of His soul. And He's satisfied.
So just to clarify, you're saying that the bride mentioned here in this wedding includes Old Testament saints.
We're both going to be sleeping in a bus shelter tonight.
Even though the Lord Jesus talked to John the Baptist as the friend of the bridegroom. I was just looking at that.
Okay, let's look at that. What light did John the Baptist have of the church? I suggest he had zero. Ephesians 3 would back that up. So what John did have was that scripture I just quoted from Isaiah chapter 62 in relation to the restoration of Israel.
And when John heard the voice of Jesus, John heard the voice of the Restorer of Israel. And he spoke about a bride and a bridegroom. And he himself, as a person, only one, singular, he's the friend of the bridegroom.
He had a unique ministry in relation to the Lord Jesus. But the anticipation even of the disciples in Acts chapter 1, Art thou he that will at this time restore Israel? So John had no further light than that.
John got his timing wrong, as did the disciples.
So just for the benefit of the reading. That's my view, that's my belief. You have the two views. One is that the church is the bride uniquely. And the other, mentioned here in Revelation 19, is the church and the Old Testament saints.
You can go dig it out. I'm scared to ask now when were they granted this clothing. I would take it to be the judgment seat of Christ.
Yes, exactly. The righteousness of, here we're given the identity of this bride. Saints. New Testament saints, we are called saints. Were Old Testament saints called saints? They absolutely were. There's the identity.
They are saints. Tribulation believers, are they saints? They absolutely are.
So why is it referring to her as the wife? The wife. Someone make that clear. I like kind of going with what Phil said. It's because the wedding has taken place. So sometime before this event, after the rapture, the wedding took place.
The union has taken place. Consummated, if you will. And so she is uniquely here called the wife. Okay, then why in chapter 21 and verse 9 does he say, Come hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.
Both names are given.
Both names are given, yes. Yeah, I would be very confused to be at a wedding where, in this case, the church is there with Christ in glory. Those Old Testament believers are still in their tombs.
No, I take it that they must be raised at this point. At the beginning of the millennium. Yeah, the marriage supper. No, I would take it that there is a principle in the Bible called vindication. We have spoken about it in relation to the Lord Jesus.
Old Testament saints as well, thematically through the Psalms, for instance, are looking for vindication. Sure. They're looking for it. And I take it that it is morally right that there must be a resurrection of Old Testament saints to come out of heaven with the Lord Jesus, with the armies of heaven, and they are seen to be vindicated.
Just like the church will be vindicated, as you have in 2 Thessalonians chapter 1. So that principle pertains as well, it must, to Old Testament saints. For instance, they will be assessed as to their role in the kingdom.
We're not told when. We're not told where. But there are parables that indicate that when he comes back, he will take account of his servants. So they must come in for assessment just as we are going to be assessed.
We must let our brother move on because that's only fair. But the thing is, the complement, the number of Old Testament saints as we call them, is not complete until the last martyr has died in the tribulation period.
The martyrs belong to them. While that martyrdom is going on, the marriage is taking place. So how can the marriage take place of the church in heaven and those who are still in their grave on earth?
The marriage of the Lamb has come. It's the Oris tense. It's happened. It is something that is a point in time. Not necessarily in the past. It has come to this point. You're reading, bro. Yeah. Yeah.
I wish there was eject seats, you know. You better move on. That's right. You become my friend before the end here, okay? So anyway, one of the practical points to think about, just like the crowns and the judgment seat, if you'll allow this to be the church, Brother William.
Oh, we're included. Don't exclude the church. That we in our lives are weaving the garment, as it were, that we'll be wearing forever. Fine linen. Fine linen. First mention.
Joseph. Joseph. In his vindication. Came out of prison, arrayed in fine linen, vindicated before the eye of Pharaoh and everyone else. Same thing here.
The vindication of saints. And the Old Testament saints are our priests. Priests. Priests in the tabernacle.
Okay. So you go along with the idea then, Brother, that in verse 8, the thought of the righteousness of saints is more the righteousnesses. Yes. Those things done for the honor of the Lord.
Right. Okay. And given her, kind of like the Ephesians 2 sense, that created unto, created in Christ Jesus unto good works. Yeah, yeah.
Good. I think the question, just maybe for younger, the apparel here, this is different than the garment that is given when you go to the gospels where he talks about the marriage and they bring them in and they're given the garment.
That's the garment of salvation, correct? So doing it is too different. We're not clothed in his righteousness.
That's not what this apparel is. No, this is not justification, what you're speaking about there. This is judgment seat of Christ where we have been prepared unto good works. So in that sense, we never would have had the desire for them.
It's all of grace. And yet, we will be credited for that. These are the works we do. Where justification is all grace. So it's not positional. Not positional. It's the practical outworking of the lives of these.
So we're weaving the garment now, right?
So we're getting to this where you began on Friday night, brother. This false worship and John is corrected. The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. We don't have too much time to stay with it, that beautiful expression.
Why do you think it's Jesus? Why not the testimony of Christ is the spirit of prophecy? That would be the testimony of the Messiah.
Why is it the testimony of Jesus? Well, Jesus emphasized, devoid of any other title, when we read of Jesus, we're thinking of his manhood, aren't we? The man. And if we are correct that we have the angelic intelligences bowing down at the start of the chapter, all the focus now is upon a man.
A man who has the right to rule and to reign. A man who's glorious. A man who's victorious. And so it's the testimony of Jesus. It's the man.
Would you tie this in with John 5 that all judgment is put into his hand? And that's not the sense of judgment in terms of wrath or punitive. It's the idea of ruling and equity, right, which judgment often carries, is put into his hand because he is a son of man.
His humanity is given, right?
Yeah. Now, I take it that the Lord Jesus then comes now out of heaven with all the glory of sinless manhood. You know, he veiled it when he was here. Adam was a glorious creature. He lost that. But the Lord Jesus, being sinless, he didn't only veil the glory of deity and humanity, but he veiled the glory of perfect humanity.
So that Romans 8 tells us that what the Lord could not do when he was weak through the flesh, God sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh. The likeness of sinful flesh. So he appeared as any other man.
But on the Mount of Transfiguration, that veil was removed. They saw him in all the glory that God ever intended man to bear. And so it's a glorious man who's appearing now, coming out of heaven, and it's the testimony of Jesus.
Here in Revelation 19, I think the emphasis really is on a warrior because it's a war that's coming. And I think you could summarize the whole section of his description as a mighty veteran in his war.
You know, like the number of things he has, the diadems, the number of victories he has won, really, and the many fights that he has done. You think of the Lord going forth with Joshua and the Lord going and destroying the armies of Pharaoh's armies.
And all this is coming to a head here as he comes down with all these armies gathered together in what we call the Battle of Armageddon.
The glory of man, did Adam have that in your view? Originally. Yes. Yeah, I believe so.
Man is the image and glory. Joseph, hopefully I'm not running ahead. No, please do. These different names, Faithful and True, the Word of God, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, all these different titles.
Why all of these different names, titles given to the Lord Jesus as he comes out of heaven?
I'd wondered if just in keeping with vindication, the world claimed him to be false and rejected him so Faithful and True. And just carry that all the way down. They crowned him with thorns. He's now crowned with diadems.
What else did you mention there? He's called the Word of God. The Word of God. So here's the fulfillment of that word, God's faithfulness in carrying it out.
Also, the man who's coming bears these titles and he's coming to destroy the man who's masquerading as him here on earth who's a liar and who's not faithful and all the things that are the antithesis of this.
So one man is coming to destroy another man who is masquerading as him and he's coming in great victory.
It is a principle just to notice, just practically, that before somebody does something for God, it's character that's emphasized, isn't it? Absolutely. The white horse, Faithful and True, and it just reminds us that character is more important than what we do.
Also, the last time that the world, Revelation 3, the last church, Laodicea, the Faithful and True witness. So he picks up where he left off, so to speak, in that relationship.
Sorry, Bram. I was just going to say, verse 13, wouldn't that link in with Isaiah 63? He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood. Isaiah 63, dyed garments from Basra, for I will tread them in mine anger and will trample them in my fury.
He has trodden the winepress alone and now it's his turn to be vindicated as he tramples them.
So that's an important thing to just comment on. Some people take the garments dyed red to be redemption and his blood shed for us. But as you've said, Brother Skates, it's his victory, his wrath over his enemies dyed red with the blood of his enemies.
Perhaps we shouldn't dismiss, though, the statement that I saw heaven opened. Heaven has been opened before, hasn't it? It opened briefly at the commendation of Christ at his baptism. It opened briefly again to receive Stephen in Acts 7.
It closed again. But here we've got this dramatic, tremendous statement, I saw heaven opened, and it's not going to close again. And when we realize that, we will have perhaps a different picture of what the millennial world will be like because heaven will be opened and it's going to stay open.
It's not just opening to let Christ come out now with the armies of heaven. It's open to stay open. And that helps set the millennial scene that our brother will be telling us about tomorrow.
Very good. Brother Joe, in the midst of all these names that are known, why do we have a name that's unknown? What would you, a name which no man knew, say? You said, I missed what you said at the end.
It says here, a name which no man knew but he himself. Right. What is the significance of that? I think it's, again, just to reveal his might, that he is inscrutable. Thank you, that's a very good word.
Did you have a thought? No, that there are things about him that only God can appreciate. Absolutely. So it's almost a reference to his deity. An inexhaustible Christ. So who are the armies in heaven?
Who followed him? Verse 14. I take it to be the church specifically. Well, definitely. I know you didn't take that earlier in the reading. But I think it's the church because it seems to be very linked with the description of the bride and the previous verses.
I would agree with Brother Skates that Old Testament saints and tribulation saints are with him. If you piece together Zechariah, he comes with all the saints. I don't know if they're with him in resurrected bodies.
I don't see why they would have to be. But we'll save that, if you don't mind, for Sandy's reading on resurrection. But I take it that they're with him in the sense because they all receive vindication.
And we should probably read that in 2 Thessalonians 1, that there is a certain rest that the church receives on this day. The church, not the Old Testament saints.
Unless I'm completely up the creek, which I probably am. At the time that this is happening, the Old Testament saints aren't yet raised. No, they're not yet raised. I agree with that. On what basis? On what basis?
Well, if you don't mind, for the sake of my brother, I'll just leave it there for a moment. The Old Testament saints aren't raised. It's a strange thing to have a bride who's an army. Right. I agree with that.
Isn't it? Really. So why aren't the armies of heaven just those very angels that once were straining at the leash to come and deliver him when men were manhandling him to the cross and the order never came?
But now those same angelic throng are going to accompany him, this man, as he comes from heaven in power and great glory.
But there's no indication they will have to fight. No.
He does all the fighting. Yeah. But generally speaking, even in the imagery that's used here, it wasn't usual for a man to take his bride into war. No. So to take the armies of heaven, I would suggest is simply all those angelic forces.
The might of which we've already been shown in these earlier chapters. The damage that one angel can do when authorized. And now there's armies of heaven coming. An absolutely overwhelming, obliterating force.
As you say, not needed because he's going to destroy his enemies with the brightness of his coming.
Maybe I should just read that in 2 Thessalonians 1, and we'll read it verse number 6. Please, any other general comments on the manifestation? 2 Thessalonians 1 and verse 6.
Very good. To be emphasized, verse 10. He will be glorified in his saints and to be admired in all them that believe. They are with him.
But you know the preposition is among, don't you? No, I don't. Well, you do now. What's the significance of that? The preposition twice is among. So he's among his saints and admired among all them that believe him.
So I think the marriage supper is in view in that particular verse.
I would see that as people look on at this scene. They see the church glorified, sticking to this scripture. And he is admired through the tremendous work that has been done in these people. He's admired as a result.
He's the one who's glorified when he comes to be admired among his saints. I think what you've got here is pictured in John chapter 2. Where you've got a wedding supper, Cana of Galilee. No joy, no wine.
Once the pots of purification are full, then they go back to the well. They draw. Now it's wine. It's a picture of Israel purified. Unlimited joy come in. And John concludes by saying, This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee and manifested forth his glory.
That millennial glory, I think it ties in completely with 2 Thessalonians 1. He's going to be glorified among his people. The glory is his. The glory is his. That's the thing. It's not shared.
It's his. It's a nice contrast. Not the first mention of thigh, but in the book of Genesis, Jacob's thigh was a sign of weakness. Here you have a thigh. And upon that thigh is written. And the nation of Israel, of course, the people of Jacob marked by weakness.
Here you have one who's upon his thigh is the name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.
Very good. Joey, in 2 Thessalonians here, this meant something for them. This was supposed to have a real practical benefit for them. By proxy for us. So what is that?
Why is it written? Okay. Yeah. Good question. You'll notice that it says that they will receive rest, Paul says, with us when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed. So the fact of this was supposed to bring them comfort in their suffering right now.
But they were also looking forward to a day of, I would take it, a vindicative type of rest. So those who argue that the rapture cannot take place until after the tribulation will use this verse in 2 Thessalonians 1 and say, well, it says rest with us when the Lord Jesus comes in glory.
But this is a specific rest. It's a vindicative rest that the church will receive when they see Christ glorified, when they see unrighteousness judged, lawlessness put down. That's how I would look at it.
Very good.
Did you see here with the armies coming, it's been touched on the fact that he will carry out the judgment. But if we look at worldly speaking, a judge that carries out judgment in the back corner of a room, is he a just judge?
We come to view that the judgment that is carried out is just judgment. In all the world there will be no argument. We are there as witnesses to this judge, just judge carrying out judgment upon the nation.
Another witness that he's always been faithful and true in every battle. Yes. Every promise he's made in a battle, he has been faithful and true. Yes. So it goes to the spirit of the testimony. Right.
And even along that, that we won't do any fighting, they're clothed in white. I mean, you don't wear white to go to war, do you? Get all dirty. But they're clothed in white because they're not going to have any, anything's going to happen to them.
They're just observing. They're just radiating. They're just shining out his glory and watching as he does, as you mentioned, trods the winepress alone. So maybe we should, just for the help of all of us really, try to sketch out as best we can the chronology.
So he comes from heaven. Every eye will see him. The Lord Jesus said it's like the lightning from the east to the west. He comes slowly. It seems it's just, he descends. And first of all, to the Mount of Olives.
Is that correct? Yes. And then help us from there as he, as he moves through and as we get to the, to this war section, help us in his movements from the Mount of Olives. At that point, the Mount splits.
Is that correct? Okay. Carry on. Every, just a quick question to put in that. Every eye shall see him. Yes. How do you, how, think of the world. Think of how eight, eight billion people, how, how is that going to happen in your estimate?
How do you think? I don't know if I have a good answer, except for the fact that I do think the darkness mentioned earlier in revelation is a literal darkness. So there's no sun. There's no, the sun stops shining the moon, the stars.
So if you can imagine that the gospel preachers talk about the dark background. So imagine pitch black and then the brightness above the noonday sun. So apart from the sun, his presence will illuminate the sky globally.
It certainly won't be through technology because there won't be any, right?
Yeah. I've heard people say that, Oh, television cameras and phones. We can have the ability to do that. This is not that earth is destroyed.
Where does Armageddon fit in chapter 16 to this manifestation?
I would take it that the, uh, the armies that are left who are busy seeking to obliterate Israel and Jerusalem, uh, when they see the sign of the coming of the son of man. So there's some sort of great sign that accompanies this.
Maybe it is heaven opening with all its glory, but, but almost as though on cue, they then turn their animosity away from each other to him. And, uh, now the nations of the earth and the armies of the earth are intent on battling with Christ.
And it's of course not even a contest. He just destroys them. That's it. The end of it. So when we talk about the battle of Armageddon strictly, I think the word would be better used as campaign. There's actually a campaign.
It's a war. It's not just one battle. And, uh, it now culminates Israel in accordance with the Psalm. Uh, you know, I look onto the hills. The question arises from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord and Israel finally broken.
We'll cry to God for relief and for deliverance and the heavens will open. The Lord will return to deliver them, destroy his enemies to the brightness of his coming. And very soon after that, leading into our brother's reading must be the regeneration because conditions on earth as such that unless those days be short, not even the elect should be saved.
It's, it's virtually impossible to live. No water supplies, everything wrecked. And that's the earth to which the Lord comes back to deliver his people.
It's interesting that in Armageddon, the word of God talks about the blood up to the horses, bridles, you know, horses, bridles, interesting. And yet here in contrast, he comes out on a white horse riding.
So again, a direct, you know, contrast to what they have depended on and what they are doing and to how he's coming. Good. Yeah. So we've got two suppers in the chapter, haven't we? Yes. That's good. Marriage supper and the supper of God.
Now we've got the great supper,.
Supper of the great God. So these fowls that are flying in the midst of heaven, I take it, you take it literally. Um, they gather themselves together onto the supper of the great God. So great is the slaughter to eat the flesh of Kings of captains, these armies and the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses.
Uh, return to the use of horses. Is that what we make from this? Or is that just a, a metaphor for modern military machines?
I wouldn't be myself dogmatic on that. To be honest, even the white horse, is that a literal white horse?
Are there hosts horses in heaven? Uh, I'll let you, I don't think a horse is going to eat the remains of a tank. A bird, a bird, a bird is going to eat the remains of a tank. So, you know,.
The horses. Yeah. I know Scott McCloud has told me he's, he has already had his horses named blaze. He's going to come out of heaven. That's what he feels. Well, I'll change our theology in the middle.
Yeah. I don't think there are actual horses coming out of heaven. No, no, but these, these horses on her. I know that, but it says he's coming out on a white horse. Yes. So what does it mean then? Is it metaphorical language?
Do you believe there's animals in heaven? Well, yeah, because there's a white horse. What is it Frank? What's he riding? If he's not riding a white horse, I just wondered if it appears mighty conqueror metaphor.
Yeah. I don't think we'll move on. Yeah, but the marriage on the earth.
Yeah. I don't think so. The supper of the great God. Yes. The birds is, is I take it horses on earth. Yes. Yes. Right. No, I have no problem. So there's a reversion back to the use of horses in armies.
Yeah. We're talking about two different horses.
Yes. So one horse is symbolic and the other is literal. Is it? Well, I just think it is. It has the appearance of that. That's my own thinking. I don't think there are animals in heaven. You're thinking brother.
You're thinking. Yeah. Just take the Bible for what it says. Well, you did it before. It says he comes on a white horse. He's the creator of all things. Why can't he come on a white horse? He's a man.
He's a man. He's coming out on a white horse to a wandering world. He creates them. This reading is going to the horses. Where's the dogs? I'm not sure. But anyway, I didn't think animals were in heaven.
That's why. Oh, they might not be at the moment. Okay. But there'll certainly be a horse ready for when he comes out. Okay. Okay. Well,.
It's possible. So actually, Satan has gathered all of these together. Yes. Yes. With an attempt to frustrate. Yes. To frustrate, not so much Israel, but to frustrate the return of the Lord Jesus. Yes.
So do you link, brother, Psalm 2 with this scene? Okay. Yeah. Yeah. So go ahead and help us with that. Well, no, just that in that Psalm 2 where they want to break the bands asunder of the Lord and cast away his cords from us.
And there's this insanity to finally break any link with Christ, though he appears in such majesty. Yeah. And he that sits in the heavens laughs.
Yeah. That there, as if there's any. Yet, have I sent my king upon my holy hill of Zion.
Okay. Okay. So the beast, verse 19, saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against him. Touched upon that that sat upon the throne and against his army.
The beast was sit on the throne. He sat on a horse. It says verse 19. Oh, sorry. I misread it. Yeah. Yeah. Thank you. Thank you. Your help this time, brother. And the beast was taken with him. The false prophet, they're cast alive into the lake of fire.
Yes. So that's their judgment, right? Yes. They don't need to be raised again at the great white throne to be judged another time, do they? No.
So two, two people went into heaven without dying and two people will go into the lake of fire. That's very good. Often been commented.
Yeah. Yeah. On the section. Yeah. You're taking from tomorrow's reading, but since it's brought up here, the purpose of the great white throne, like even those that sit, that stand Matthew 25 before the judge will not be in hell.
They'll go directly into the lake of fire, right? The great white throne is so that everyone will know that what I have, what I'm receiving is righteous. Yes. God is righteous in my judgment. They would, these two will already know that God is righteous.
They have been setting themselves up against God and his Christ. And now there's no need for a great white throne to review their lives and show them the judgment you're getting is, is a righteous judgment.
Right. Saint Thessalonians two, they that receive him share in his doom. All right. And you mentioned Matthew 25, they're judged and they too go directly into the lake of fire before the great white throne a thousand years before.
Right. But,.
But they're judged. Yes. They are made, they are informed as to why they are going into the lake of fire. Tragic thing is there are people on hell right now. And I say that we shouldn't really speak so glibly.
People in hell who don't know why they are there. They thought they were bound for heaven. And if I understand hell to be what it is, it's the absence of the spirit of God. There's no, no convicting power.
So they will be raised to stand at the great white throne to find out why they are deserving of God's judgment and have to own God is right. You know, very sobering. Very right. Yeah. Sorry. I don't know if I have time for you to speak of those things.
So just theologically then to maybe, when this comes, this happens and the Lord Jesus refers to this event in Matthew 24. And as the armies will be besieging Jerusalem, that's how they will know it's the end.
Yes. Because all these things are not yet the end. And that will then, there's an expression, the times of the Gentiles. Our brother referred to it earlier. I think it began in 586 BC. And then it takes us right to the end.
That will end the times of the Gentiles. He will destroy Gentile world domination. Jerusalem will be liberated and Israel will be freed. And that's when that will end. So one of the, one of the significances of him calling for the birds is just the reality that the victory is so sure, right?
Nothing has happened yet. He is, he is on the descent, but assemble the birds. Yeah. Yeah. Assemble the birds. And he's calling for them. They will eat the flesh of Kings. This victory is going to take place with the brightness of his coming, with the spoken word, the sword that goes out of his mouth.
Suddenly it will all be over. The one who spoke a word and the fig tree dried up. Right. The one who spoke a word in the, in the storm stopped. The one who spoke a word and a legion of demons fled out of a man will speak a word and we'll be done.
Yes. It's lovely how all these scriptures that speak of the doom of these men are so succinct. They're so short, aren't they? There's no process. It's just, he speaks. It happens. Bank. They're gone. All their boasting and all their power that they once wielded suddenly just terminated by the word of Christ.
Even Babylon, right?
It says an hour just gone. Yeah. First 21, the remnant were slain with a sword. So there's based in the false prophet cast in the lake of fire. The remnant of them. Would you take it? That's the remnant of those armies that are located in the land of Israel.
They are slain. There's still the judgment of the living nations to come, but those that are on location are slain on saying yes.
So maybe we will read a verse now and a well-known part of the Bible Zechariah. That was a joke. Zechariah chapter 12. I do take it that the repentance of the remnant and I think it would be important to clarify brother Frank and come in here to that.
Not all of Israel. Many of much of the people of Israel will take the mark of the beast and will perish, but there is a remnant that will be saved, a faithful remnant. And I do take it that this happens before the living nations, but it's hard to really piece it all together.
Zechariah chapter 12 and we'll read here at verse number 10 and I will pour upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications. And they shall look upon me whom they have pierced and they shall mourn for him as one mourneth for his only son and shall be in bitterness for him as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.
It shall be in that day. There shall be great morning in Jerusalem as the morning of Hadad Rimmon in the Valley of Megiddon and the land shall mourn every family apart. And it goes through the various families listed here.
So the nation of the remnant from the nation of Israel. Just think of this. I think most of us here reading in the book of Genesis can't help but be touched when Joseph sold into the land of Egypt all those years lost with his father and his family.
And then those brothers come and acknowledge what they had done and you just can't help but be touched as he sends them all away, I am Joseph. Or Thomas coming in on that second Sunday, reach hither thy finger.
All of those things will fade like shadows compared to this event. When the Lord Jesus comes and he came unto his own and his own received him not. But they will mourn on this day, mourn in repentance as they say as was mentioned on the Friday night.
But he was wounded for our transgressions.
What is the spirit of grace and supplications that's going to be poured out upon them, brother?
I took it just the spirit of grace working in their repentance.
But this is the Holy Spirit. Is this the fulfillment of Joel's prophecy? Yes. So it would be too much of a stretch to say that all those who had been obedient to the call of the gospel of the kingdom and in whom so far no work of the Spirit of God has been done on the threshold of millennial glory, they are then have the Spirit of God poured out upon them so that they are truly in accordance with John 3, born again by the Spirit and it is with Israel a collective thing rather than an individual thing as it is for us today.
I go along with bits and pieces. Okay. Yeah. I'm not sure. Those who have been saved during the tribulation, I wouldn't be happy to say there's no work of the Spirit done myself. But I mean this remnant, this remnant that's waiting there, Messiah, Orthodox Jews that still wait by the Mount of Olives to see if he'll come.
This remnant. So this is Isaiah 65, a nation born in a day? A nation born in a day. Born how? Born of the Spirit. Thank you. But is it national? Not individual? National. So they had to have an individual birth?
No, I don't think so. I don't think so. It's national, it's collective. They are an elect people collectively. Anyway, that's it. Okay. We'll leave that. Okay. But they go into the millennium. Yes. Yes.
Yes. So how did they go in not saved? Individually. They got the Spirit of God poured out upon them now. So it is individual. Individually, they believe the gospel of the kingdom. The operation of the Spirit of God doesn't come in until now.
That's what I'm suggesting. Okay. So they're saved at that point individually?
They're assured of millennial blessing because they believe the gospel of the kingdom. But the purpose of one of the judgments of Matthew 24 is for the Lord who alone knows the heart to sort them out as to who truly is and who isn't.
Okay. But I want to nail you down on a term.
Are they individually saved? Is that person saved going into the millennium in the inception of the kingdom? Well, you're using the word safe.
That's fine. That's okay with me. All right. I mean, the person must be justified by faith. That's the way I'd prefer it. All right. They're justified by faith when they go into the millennium. Good. That's good.
All right. But the operation of the Spirit, that's all I'm talking about is here. It's in your passage. Yes.
Yes. The expression here that you have, Joe, a number of times in that day, in that day, in that day, I think it's nine, ten times or so, embraces obviously more than a day. But it does happen in a moment at its inception.
But it's interesting, that word there in the Hebrew for pouring out the Spirit literally means to gush out. It's an abundance. It's almost like a reminiscence of the water that came out of the rock. It wasn't just the one time.
That's the picture. Right? And it kept providing for them all the days, even when they were in disobedience.
Just pull into the next chapter. In that day, there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David for sin and for uncleanness.
The washing of regeneration. But I'm saying, it's a beautiful reminder of how God took care of them in the wilderness, and now He's going to take care of them now. Where are we at, Joe? Just the repentant remnant, maybe, yeah, the repentant remnant of the nation of Israel.
We just have to get to the living nations before 515. Okay.
So the repentant remnant of the, Matthew 25, and as much as you have done this unto one of the least of these, my brethren.
That's still to come, but we're not there just yet, but go ahead. Oh, okay.
But that's the repentant remnant, is it? Yeah, the brethren. My brethren. Yeah. Yes. Of Israel. Right, right.
Good. So where did you want us just now, bro? Maybe Matthew 25. Okay. I feel like a trout with the sharks.
Hey, that's not nice, calling these three brethren sharks. You're a rainbow trout yourself. Even the rainbow's got bad connotations now.
Matthew 25 and verse 31, once again, just try to think about the vindication of Christ here at this beginning verse. When the Son of Man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory.
And before Him shall be gathered all nations, and He shall separate them one from another as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He shall set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.
Then shall the King say unto them on His right hand, Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was a hungred, and you gave Me meat. I was thirsty, and you gave Me drink.
I was a stranger, and you took Me in naked, and you clothed Me. I was sick, and you visited Me. I was in prison, and you came unto Me. Then shall the righteous answer Him, saying, Lord, when saw We thee a hungred, and fed thee?
Or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw We thee a stranger, and took thee in, or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw We thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, And as much as you have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, you have done it unto Me.
Then shall He say unto them on the left hand, Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire. Prepare for the devil and his angels. For I was a hungred, and you gave Me no meat. I was thirsty, and you gave Me no drink.
I was a stranger, and you took Me not in, naked, and you clothed Me not, sick and in prison, and you visited Me not. Then shall they also answer Him, saying, Lord, when saw We thee a hungred, or a thirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
Then shall He answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, And as much as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to Me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal.
I think it's important just to, for the sake of everyone here, see what's happened so far. So the Lord has come. The armies have been destroyed. Such an utter destruction that the birds have feasted on their flesh.
There's the nation of Israel that He has dealt with, a repentant remnant that He has welcomed, like Joseph welcomed his brothers. There are those who have taken the mark of the beast, and they will perish.
Now there are living nations. It might seem like, I don't know, like the U .S. is represented in Australia and whatever else, but it's really the word, the living people who are not Jews, the living Gentiles.
And they are now gathered, I would take it, in the very place, that valley where the Mount of Olives split. They are gathered in that valley before the Lord. It says He has all His holy angels with Him.
And He is now going to sift them as sheep from goats. There may be some questions here as far as justification by works, or some of the things that can be confusing here, so feel free to ask some of these questions in what can be a confusing section.
Just to kick it off with a devotional thought that I enjoyed. I enjoyed what it said in the book of Acts, that this same Jesus will so come as you've seen Him go. That He will be the same. So sometimes people, when they talk about Christ coming, they say, well, He was meek and lowly back then.
He's no longer meek and lowly now, but no, the outward, all His angels are with Him. He's not on the fold of a donkey, and He's not linked with peasant parents now, but He's still meek. You say, how do you know that?
Because as He brings the nations, all these people in front of Him, He, now just try to picture it in your mind, blazing glory, His garments shining like the Mount of Transfiguration, all His angels with Him, and He links Himself with the least.
Yes, yes. That's lovely.
The least. Yeah, good. Would you allow also a practical thought for a moment? In the assessment of the nations, assessment of these individuals, He only requires of them what they're able to do. Now, what I mean by that is, for example, He doesn't say to those, you know, you got me out of prison, you healed me when I was sick, rather, you visited me, so that we so often think of, I wish I could, but I can't.
The Lord isn't going to judge us for what we're not able to do. He's going to hold us responsible for doing what we can do, which is what He does here. Now, why they do it, we're not going to get controversial, but they've accepted the gospel of the kingdom.
They've recognized the coming King, and these are His people. And therefore, they have shown kindness to them, and have sought to help them wherever they could. Works meet for repentance.
Yes. Yes. About the timing of it, Brother Joe. Would I be right in thinking that, you know, we've spoken about the Lord Jesus coming from an open heaven, with the armies of heaven, which I think these scriptures make pretty clear are angelic, because He's here with His angels.
And then, having come to earth, which is absolutely wrecked, we now have a scene where there is judgment being passed upon these living nations, the people of them, and so forth, the survivors of the tribulation.
So would I be right in thinking that, as we come to the close of Daniel chapter 12, and we've got the end of the three and a half years of the great tribulation, but then we're told that there's an extra 30 days, and an extra 45 days after that.
So would I be right in thinking that perhaps in those 30 days, the regeneration takes place that calls the temple into being, that the temple system of worship is all reinstituted in 30 days, and then we've got 45 days in which these events are taking place, all with a view, at the end of that total of 75 days, to have the inauguration of the kingdom.
Would that be right? Part of that is Sandy's reading. No, no, no. Part of that is his reading. The Lord might come tonight, Sandy. We'll miss you. That's right. You'll be blessed.
I guess I've got it figured out today. You'll be blessed. So you have 45 days on a regenerated earth with unregenerate men still present. I guess I have a bit of a difficulty with that.
I would see the timing of those days in this way. 1260, that's the three and a half years, the manifestation, 1260. Then the next date is from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be 1 ,290 days.
Now that's negative. The way that's timed is negative. From the abomination set up takes you to the 1290, that's the 30 days. So I would look at that in a negative light. Then it says, blessed is he that comes to the next 45 days.
So I would see, first of all, in those 30 days, the judgment of the living nations, the ridding out of his kingdom all things that offend, and then the 45 days being positive of actually setting up the mechanisms for rule in the kingdom.
That's how I see it. Okay. Yeah.
Could be. Mm-hmm. The point, again, is that this is not justification by works, right? This is people who have responded to the gospel of the kingdom. I do wonder when I read it, sheep from goats, if there has been a feigned allegiance, goats, if there has been a feigned allegiance to the Lord, just like there is today with the tares and the wheat, if there has been a feigned allegiance that the Lord with those eyes of blazing fire will discern and say, you did not do it to me.
Mm-hmm. Keeping the Eastern setting in mind, and also further around in the Middle East, you'll sometimes, if you're off-piste a bit, you're away from the cities, you'll come across some guy who's herding a couple of hundred of these beasts down a road, and you find that it's a mixed flock.
Mm-hmm. And my eye definitely cannot tell which is a sheep and which is a goat. Mm-hmm. Obviously, in the UK, we have these fluffy little things that are sheep, and we have these rather stupid-looking things which are goats, and it's very clear which is which.
But in the Eastern setting, it is not. Mm-hmm. And the one could very easily pass for the other. Mm-hmm. And it's only the discerning eye of the shepherd Right. That can truly tell them apart.
As a corollary to Sandy's earlier point, it's interesting the metric by which they are, he divides them. It's not just their confession. They all call him Lord, but it's based on what they have done. You have this parallel in 1 John, that the evidence of true life is number one, to believe on Jesus Christ, but it's number two, to love one another and for their glory.
And it's also James' epistle, isn't it?
Yeah. That justification of a claim of faith is by works. Yes.
So I think even seeing the purpose of God, I mean, think of, obviously we will not be, but think if you were one of these least of his brethren, and going through times of hunger, in prison, naked, and wondering, a legion loyal to the true king, and this is happening to you.
Mm-hmm. And why is it happening? And then he comes on that day in blazing glory, and he links himself with you. Yes. Vindication. So just something about trials even now that we go through, they will all make sense on that day.
And it's notable that the everlasting fire is prepared for the devil and his angels. It wasn't prepared for men. Yes, that's true. It was prepared for these rebellious, angelic beings. But if there are men who choose to side with them, then their fate they must share.
Yes.
So maybe we have, what, five minutes. If anyone wants to make any general comments on the timeline that we've covered to try to piece it together in the last five minutes, and we've gotten to this high point, this climax, I hope it's been a climax for everyone listening, and it's hopefully set the stage for what is to come.
Just a point at the end of Matthew 25 that might be helpful for those that would encounter some that would look upon judgment as annihilation, okay, these shall go away into everlasting punishment. That word punishment is found one more time in our New Testament, and that's over in First John where it talks about there's no fear in love, because perfect love casteth out fear.
No torment in love, that's the word I'm looking for, no torment in love. That's the word that's found here. Everlasting torment, not annihilation. No, no.
I know it links with my reading tomorrow, but the marriage supper of the Lamb has come. Is that going to be an earthly, millennial-long celebration, is that how you say it?
I took it to be earthly, I'm not 100 convinced if it's millennial-long, but... Well, I am. Okay. Yeah.
I know of nothing that limits it. You know, we're not told it's a year or two. No. I think it's a millennial-long.
Obviously, we'll have an administration at the same time, so that makes it a little... Yeah.
But of course, again, traditionally in the wedding feast, it went on for days, people didn't just sit and gorge themselves like a Wisconsin conference. I mean, they just... You must be flying out soon.
No, no. I mean, they came and they went, didn't they? Yes. They came and they went. That was the great thing. So I don't think the sort of millennial-long marriage supper precludes or excludes the thought of us dealing with the administrative work as well.
Okay. Brother, you've done an excellent job. Excellent. Excellent. Yes. Thank you. Thank you.