Book of Revelation - Ch. 11, Vs. 11-19 (09/30/2018)

Okay.

Yeah, that'll be the signal.

I can bring the whole thing over a little

bit.

Let's get it just out of my field of vision, yeah.

Okay, is that picking up

well?

Okay, I guess we're ready to start.

Let's begin with a word of prayer.

Most gracious heavenly Father, thank you for giving us this place to come together to worship you and to study your holy

word.

Thank you for giving us the holy spirit to guide us and thank you for giving us your book that we can read

and we can take from it the messages that you have for us.

Bless us and keep us and protect us.

In Jesus' name we pray, amen.

Revelation 11, 11.

And after three days and a half,

the spirit of life from God entered into them.

Those are the two witnesses that,

the two witnesses that had been witnessing

invincible for three and a half years.

And then they were killed.

And then they lay on the street three and a half days

so that everyone was certain that they were dead.

And after three and a half days, the spirit of life from God entered into them and they stood up on

their feet and great fear fell upon them which saw them.

They were resurrected in plain sight.

Everybody saw them in plain view of all.

And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, come up hither.

And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud.

And their enemies beheld them.

They were called up to heaven.

The call and the ascension were witnessed by all,

enemies included.

There was no secret rapture here.

And the same hour there was a great earthquake and the tent part

of the city fell.

And in the earthquake were slain of men 7 ,000.

And as a result of the

resurrection, the ascension of the two witnesses in plain sight and the violent

earthquake, the remnant were affrighted and gave glory to the

God of heavens.

Now the first question I have is, what frightened them more do you think?

The resurrection, the ascension or the earthquake?

Well, all three would frighten me.

But I think, I think I'm kind of like you, it would be a toss up between seeing them raise up from the

dead.

That would scare me enough.

And then when they ascended into heaven, I would be beyond even caring about an earthquake.

Yes.

I

think that we will probably see it on worldwide TV.

That's what I think.

Or I think it will still be going.

But I don't know that.

It is within God's power to allow us to see it however

he wishes to.

He can have it on worldwide TV.

He can have it in the sky.

He can do it as he wishes.

And I think, you know, I don't know.

I think it will be worldwide TV.

Dr. MacArthur in his commentary referred to the events as being

seen on, I think he said worldwide TV or maybe

the internet or something like that.

But he thinks it's some sort of electronical production.

And it very well may be.

We'll certainly know that.

Now the second question is, who are the remnant?

The first question was, what frightened them more?

The resurrection, the ascension or the earthquake?

The second question is, who are they?

Who is this remnant?

Now I want to tell you what John MacArthur, how he identified them.

He says the remnant must refer to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Jews who

will come to faith in Christ.

And then he says supporting this interpretation is the fact that giving glory to God of heaven

is a mark of genuine repentance.

Throughout Revelation in chapter 4, in chapter 14, in chapter 16, in

chapter 19, it talks about genuine repentance.

People who genuinely repent give glory to God.

And elsewhere in the scriptures, and I wanted to pull this one out and look at it because when I read it, I said, I've got to

share this with, there's a little thought at the end of this that I would

like to share.

And I don't know whether it's worthwhile or not, but you're stuck with it.

Luke 17 verse 11 is where we're going to begin.

It's going to be about a miracle performed by Jesus

at the request of some

lepers.

And it came to pass as he went to Jerusalem that he passed through the midst of Samaria

and Galilee.

And as he entered into a certain village, there made him 10 men that were lepers, which

stood afar off.

And they lifted up their voices and said, Jesus, master, have mercy on us.

They knew who he was and they knew what he was capable of doing.

And when he saw them, he said unto them, go, show yourselves unto the priest.

And it came to pass that as they went, they were cleansed.

So when they left, they were lepers, but when they got to the priest, they were clean.

And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back

and with a loud voice glorified God.

That was the reference that I had, but that's not where I'm going.

And with a loud voice glorified God.

And he fell down on his face at his feet, at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks.

And he was a Samaritan.

And Jesus answered and said, were there not 10 cleansed?

Where are the 9?

There are not found that return to give glory to God save this stranger?

And he said unto him, arise, go thy way, thy faith hath made thee

whole.

Now that's the question that I wanted to get to.

Thy faith has made thee whole.

I've got two questions and I would like an answer.

But after I ask both of them.

Were the other 9 made whole and were they cured of leprosy?

That's two separate questions.

Okay.

You.

You think there's a difference between healing and salvation?

You think being made whole means that you're saved and healed just means you're healed?

I think that's the inference I drew as well.

I think they were cured of leprosy, but they were

not made whole.

The 9.

10 were cured of leprosy.

One was made whole.

And the other 9 were not made whole.

Okay.

That's what it is.

The remnant were affrighted and gave glory to God of heaven.

This passage then describes the reality of the salvation of Jews in Jerusalem as God

fulfills his pledge of blessings for Israel.

That is Dr. MacArthur still talking.

And then he gives reference to Romans 11, 26 and says, And so all Israel

shall be saved as it is written.

There shall come out of Zion the deliverer and shall turn away ungodliness from

Jacob.

Okay.

So Dr. MacArthur takes the remnant to be Jews left in

Jerusalem that are going to come to God after

this event, after this resurrection.

Now this is my thought and when I give a thought of mine I want to preface it by

saying you need to check and make sure that this is so.

This does not preclude the salvation of the Gentiles along with

the Jews.

That it has to be just the Jews.

I think whether you take the position that it is Jews only or whether it is Jews

and Gentiles will have to do with how you look at this passage that we read a couple of weeks ago

when the fullness of the Gentiles come in.

Whether that is talking about no more to be added to the church or no more Gentiles saved.

If you take it to mean no more Gentiles saved then it has to be Jews only.

If you take it to mean no more to be added to the church then Gentiles can continue to be

added.

Now I believe that it is no more added to the church.

I have got two reasons, two passages that I have that I would like for you to

consider that will maybe partially verify this.

One is Genesis 12 verse 3.

You do not have to go there.

You have got it memorized.

And I will bless them that bless thee, and I will curse him that curseth thee, and in thee shall all

families of the earth be blessed.

I have got a question.

Is there a time restraint on that blessing?

A time restraint.

Is there a period of time after which that blessing is no longer available?

Does it say anything about a time?

There is no time restraint.

I infer that it goes on forever.

And therefore they can continue to be blessed even after this event, the resurrection of the

two witnesses.

But there is a better passage I believe.

And that is about three chapters later in Revelation.

Go ahead and go there.

Chapter 14.

And we will start at verse 6.

And just read a little bit.

Revelation 14 verse 6.

And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them

that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and

people.

So the first question is, to whom is this angel speaking?

Every person in the world, to every nation, to them that dwell on the earth, to every

nation, kindred, tongue, and people.

It's speaking to everybody.

And he says with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him, for the

hour of his judgment is come.

Worship him that made heaven and earth, and the sea,

and the fountain of water.

Now, that does not specifically state that everyone who hears the angel

repents.

But everyone hears the angel.

But by the time we get to verse 13, we'll get the impression, well I get the impression

that some do.

So we're going to keep reading.

There's one verse here that I don't have.

I'm just going to read it anyhow.

Verse 8.

And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, that great city,

because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.

And the third angel followed them, saying in a loud voice, If any man worship

the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead or in his hand, the

same shall drink the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup

of his indignation.

And he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the

presence of the Lamb.

And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and ever, and they have no rest, they are not, who

worship the beast and his image, and

whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.

Alright, now that tells you what happens to those that don't believe.

To those that worship the Antichrist, worship the beast and his

image.

And here is the patience of the saints.

Here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.

And now we're going to get another voice and another angel.

No, we get another voice.

And I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, this is John, Right, blessed

are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth.

Now wait just a minute.

Who's getting blessed?

Those who died in the Lord henceforth, after now.

After now, those that die in the Lord, blessed are they.

Now, who's the angel talking to?

He's talking to everybody.

Yea, saith the Spirit that they may rest from their labors and their

works do follow them.

Now I don't see it saying explicitly that any of those are Gentiles.

But I don't see it said that some of them are not.

There's certainly some people who keep the commandments of God and

by the faith of Jesus are saved.

And most of those will be promptly slain.

I believe that though many Gentiles will repent and will give glory to the

Lord, to God, I believe that I know that even more will not.

That though many Gentiles may very well repent and give glory to God,

many will not.

We see that in Revelation 16, 9.

And men were scorched with great heat and blasphemed the name of God which hath power over the plagues.

And they repented not to give Him glory.

Okay, the ascension of Jesus triggered the

first great revival, launching the church age.

Likewise, the ascension of the two witnesses will cause trigger

another revival, this one ending

the church age.

Consider this passage from Acts.

I'm going to read a little bit from Acts about, well we'll see what it is.

Acts 1 verse 1.

The former treatise have I made, that would be the book of Luke, O Theophilus, of

all that Jesus began both to do and to teach, until the day in which He was taken up.

After that He through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto His apostles whom He had

chosen.

To whom also He showed Himself alive after His passion by many infallible

proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of things pertaining to the kingdom of

God.

Okay, so He's talking about Jesus in the time after the resurrection and

before the ascension.

And being assembled together with them, commanded that they should not depart from Jerusalem,

but wait for the promise of the Father, which saith He, Ye have heard of Me.

For John truly baptized with water, but ye shall baptize with the Holy Ghost not many days

hence.

And when they therefore were come together, they asked of Him, saying, Lord, wilt Thou at this time

restore again the kingdom of Israel?

He'd been talking about the kingdom of Israel, and they wanted to know, is it ready to happen now?

And He said to them, It is not for you to know the time or the seasons which the Father hath

put in His own power, but ye shall receive power.

After that the Holy Spirit, the Holy Ghost, is come upon you, and ye shall be witnesses unto Me

both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and in the uttermost parts of the earth.

And when He had spoken these things, while they beheld, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their

sight.

Okay, so what has He told them?

He's told them, You're going to receive the Holy Spirit.

You're not going to get it today.

You're going to get it not many days in the future.

And when you get it, you are to be My witnesses into Judea, into Samaria,

and into the uttermost parts of the world.

And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, that would be surprising to me,

behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, which also said, Ye men of Galilee,

why stand ye gazing up into heaven?

This same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven shall so come

in like manner as you have seen Him go.

Now I'm not going to read the rest of chapter 1, but I'm going to make a comment on

it.

Do you remember what happened in the rest of chapter 1 of Acts?

They decide that it's time for them to replace Judas.

And so they choose a new

apostle.

They choose Matthias.

And that's about the last we hear of Matthias.

God had already chosen the replacement for Judas,

the apostle Paul.

We hear a lot about Paul.

Why do you think they picked Matthias rather than Paul?

Because they're men and they did what they thought was best.

They did as best they could.

They were not yet filled with the Holy Spirit.

It's one of the reasons the Lord told them to wait until they got it.

Now they're going to get it at the very first part of chapter 2.

We're going to go to chapter 2, verse 1, and continue reading.

And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all of one chord in one place.

At least they were doing what they were told to do, and at least they were in agreement doing it.

They had that much.

And there suddenly came a sound from heaven as a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all

the house where they were sitting.

And there appeared unto them cloven tongues, like as fire.

And it set upon each of them.

And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit

gave them utterance.

So now they were filled with the Holy Spirit.

Now they were different than they were before.

We're going to look at one in particular that was different from before, and that was Peter.

If you'll go down to right where you are, down to verse 14,

and begin, and it's going to begin with, but Peter.

This is the same Peter that just days before had denied Jesus three times.

But it was a different Peter.

That Peter was a man doing the best he could.

This Peter is a man filled with the Holy Ghost, and he is able

to do what the Holy Ghost inspires him to do.

And so here's what he says.

Remember, this is a guy that was so afraid that he denied three times to these same

people.

But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice and said unto them, Ye men of Judea,

and all ye that dwell in Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words.

And beginning in verse 15, Peter delivers probably one of the most Spirit -filled

evangelical sermons ever recorded.

For these are not drunken, as you suppose, seeing it is but the third hour.

But this is that which was spoken of by the prophet Joel.

This is the near view of Joel's prophecy.

And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I shall pour out my Spirit upon all

flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions,

and your old men shall dream dreams.

And on my servants and on my handmaidens will I pour out in these days of my Spirit, and they shall

prophesy.

And I will show wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth below,

blood and fire and vapor and smoke.

He said they're not drunk.

What you're seeing is Spirit -filled men and women.

You had a question?

Okay, I'm sorry.

The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood before that great and notable day

of the Lord.

And now right here in Revelation, right in the middle of Revelation, is the

far view.

And it shall come to pass that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

We're seeing a different Peter now.

We're seeing a Peter filled with the Holy Spirit, a Peter ready to speak the Word of God

regardless of the consequences.

It is amazing what he says next.

I don't know.

Well, I know this.

I know that I would not be, if I were not filled with the Holy Spirit, able to say what Peter

is going to say now.

Ye men of Israel, hear these words.

Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and

wonders and signs which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourself

also know, him being delivered by the determinate counsel and the foreknowledge of God,

ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain,

whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was impossible that he should

behold of it.

For David speaketh concerning him.

So what is he saying to them?

You saw miracles performed by this man.

You understood that he was, you should have understood that he was the

Messiah, and yet you took him and you crucified him.

That is a sermon that is going to win a lot of followers, isn't it?

We worry about hurting people's feelings.

We worry about, maybe I will say something that will offend someone and they will leave.

Do you think Peter was worried about that?

Do you think Peter was worried about hurting the feelings of some of the

Jews who were listening?

You know why he wasn't?

Because he was filled with the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit prompted him to say this and he said it.

For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my

right hand that I should not be moved.

Therefore did my heart rejoice and my tongue was glad, moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope, because

thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thy Holy One to

seek corruption.

David understood that his fate was to be in heaven, not in hell.

And then going down to verse 36,.

Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same

Jesus whom ye have crucified both Lord and Christ.

And what did they do?

And now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart and said unto Peter and the rest of the

apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?

We can't un -crucify him.

And Peter said unto them, Repent and be baptized every one of you in

the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and you shall receive the gift of

the Holy Ghost.

For the promise is to you and to your children and to all that are far off, even as

many as the Lord our God shall call.

And so what's the result?

And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourself from this

untoward generation.

Then they gladly received his word, were baptized, and the same day were added unto them

about three thousand souls.

And the first great revival began.

The dead and resurrection and ascension of Christ gave confidence to Peter

and to the other disciples and even to the other, I

guess all the disciples, not just the apostles, gave all the disciples the confidence

to spearhead this great revival.

This in a land, in a world that was hostile to them.

This in a world where Christians were taken out and crucified and beheaded and

slain.

This in a world where all the mechanisms of the world opposed them.

It was not easy to believe at that time.

I wish I had said it that way.

It wasn't easy to believe at this time.

It's not real easy to believe now, but it's a lot easier to believe now than it was then.

But when we get to the middle of Revelation

and the two witnesses have ascended and we

have the second great revival,

he doesn't say it that way.

What he says is in the same hour there was a great earthquake and the tenth part of the city fell and in

the earthquake were slain men, seven thousand, and the

remnant were affrighted and gave glory to the God of heaven.

This revival is said in a world even more hostile than the world of the apostles.

As bad as it was then, it's going to be worse in the future.

Verse 14, and the second woe was passed and behold the third woe

cometh.

Now, I'm running a little ahead of schedule so and

I'm not giving you guys really a chance to comment.

I want to take a second or so to do that.

Anything anyone want to add or question or comment upon?

Okay.

As we worked our way through the first six seals, we found when we opened the

seventh seal that it telescoped into seven trumpets.

Now we've reached the seventh trumpet.

If you remember when we got to the woes, the first woe was the fifth trumpet,

the sixth woe was the seventh trumpet, and the third woe was the eighth trumpet.

I got that all backward.

Seven, six, five.

The first woe was the fifth trumpet.

Thank you.

We're on the seventh trumpet, the third woe.

Now we've reached it and we find a similar expansion.

The seventh trumpet, which is the third woe, will soon sound and this will telescope

into seven vials or seven bowls depending upon the

particular King James Version you have.

The seventh trumpet will bring with it the violent final judgments and the return of Christ

in glory to set up His kingdom.

And it says quickly.

That means soon and it means imminent.

Once the trumpet begins to sound, the bowls will be emptied

quickly.

The seventh bowl judgment is ushered in by the sounding of the seventh trumpet.

And the seventh angel sounded, and you need to understand this is the seventh angel, it's the seventh trumpet, and it's

the final trumpet.

John MacArthur adds this.

Although the seventh trumpet sounds in chapter 11 verse 15, the judgments associated

with it are not described until chapter 15.

Chapters 12 through 14 are a digression, taking readers back through the

tribulation to the point of the seventh trumpet by a different path.

They describe the tribulation not from God's perspective, but from Satan's.

Chapters 4 through 11 focus on Christ taking back what is

rightfully His by the means of the seal and trumpet judgments.

Chapters 12 through 14 focus on the ultimate human usurpers, the final

antichrist, whose career spans the same time period as the seals and the trumpet judgment.

And you can tell this is written by a pastor, not by me, which I had to make sure I told you up

front.

The scene of the seventh trumpet unfolds in four stages.

Praise for sovereignty, parasisms of

rage, plan for salvation, and a promise of communion.

I didn't have any idea what parasism was, so I looked it up.

It's just fits of rage, but he had to have a P in it to go with the other Ps.

That's why I knew it was a pastor writing the particular

because that's what they do.

I remember Rubbin' David stretching to get Sprint out of Flea.

And it was a great stretch, and it was no more than this one.

It makes things easier to remember.

I understand totally why one does it.

If you put things with letters that are the same, people remember it better.

It's something that I kind of learned a little bit, but not like Brother David and Dr. MacArthur.

Okay, the seventh trumpet calls for motion, sets in motion,

the final step of God's redemptive plan for the present universe.

It calls for prolonged waves of judgment of the ungodly.

It's not just a one time, the horn blows and it's over.

It is a continuing from the time the horn begins to sound until everything is done.

And in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, the

trumpet sounds more than one day.

It's prolonged.

Will come the final fury of the day of the Lord,

judgments, in the earth,

the Lamb's defeat of the kings of the earth in chapter 17, culminating in the final

climactic triumph of Christ at Armageddon.

The sounding of the seventh trumpet signals God's answer to the prayer, by kingdom come,

by will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

That answer resonates through chapters 12 through 22 as God finishes His work of

reclaiming His creation from the usurper Satan.

And indeed, God's will shall be done.

That was Dr. MacArthur.

The seventh trumpet not only announces the judgment on the unbelievers, but also the coronation

of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The kingdom of the world will be delivered to the Lord Jesus Christ.

And the seventh angel sounded and there were great voices in heaven saying, the kingdoms of this world have become

kingdoms of our Lord and His Christ and He shall reign forever and ever.

Now, the first thing you've got to know for certain is this

dramatic proclamation is obviously connected to the effects of the seventh trumpet.

There is unrestrained joy that the power of Satan is to be forever broken and Christ is to reign

supreme as King of kings and Lord of lords.

With the defeat of the usurper, the question of sovereignty over the world will be forever settled.

What Jesus refused to take on Satan's terms, He will take on His own terms.

Remember back when He was tempted and the devil taking Him up to a

high mountain showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time and the devil

said unto Him, all this power I will give Thee and the glory of them for that it

is delivered unto me and to whosoever I will I give it.

If therefore Thou wilt worship me all shall be Thine.

And Jesus said unto him, Get thee behind me Satan for it is written Thou shalt

worship the Lord thy God and Him only shall I serve.

Satan offered Jesus all of the world and Jesus effectively told him, Get behind me

Satan, worship God and Him alone, it all belongs to me anyhow and when I want it, I'll take

it.

The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and God.

Now in the King James Version, the word kingdoms,

the word is translated kingdoms, but the word in Greek is in fact singular.

It should have read the kingdom of this world.

All of the nations, all of the world's national and political and religious groups are in

reality one kingdom, not many kingdoms.

When we think about the Muslims and the Buddhists and the Hindus and we think about

Germany and Italy and France and Iran and Great Britain and the U .S.,

different nations, different people groups, different kingdoms, we

think of them all as many kingdoms, but they're in reality one kingdom under one God.

Let me not say that, let me not say it that way.

That would have been a liturgy and I had to spell it out, under one king.

And whose king, what king are they under?

Well, they will be under Jesus when it reverts

back to Him, but right now, who is the prince of the power of the air?

Satan.

So right now, the kingdom, the kingdom, the kingdom is the world, are

controlled by Satan.

Yes.

The kingdom to come belongs to Jesus.

The kingdom that is belongs to Jesus, but right now is controlled by

Satan.

No, no, no, no, no.

I'm saying right now it was given to Satan to rule over the world and that's why the

world is in the shape it's in.

Who does it ultimately belong to?

It ultimately belongs to Jesus.

It's just like David.

When did David become king of Israel?

I'll give you a clue.

When Samuel anointed him, when he was a little boy, when he called them

all in and anointed him and said, here is the king.

Who reigned as king then?

And how long did Saul reign?

Until David took over years later.

So right now, who is ruling in this world?

Satan.

Who is the ultimate ruler of this world?

Jesus.

That king is known in the scriptures by many different names and titles.

The accuser in Revelation 12, the adversary in Peter 5, Beelzebub,

Beel, the dragon, the evil one, the god of this world,

that's a little g, the prince of the power of air, the roaring lion,

the ruler of the demons, the ruler of this world, the serpent of old, the

tempter, and most commonly the devil and Satan.

Though God scattered this kingdom at the Tower of Babel, Satan

still rules over all of the pieces, including

whether we like it or not, our peace.

If you wonder why people act the way they act,

you have to go no further than to recognize that they act the way they act because they are controlled by Satan.

All the pieces, Satan rules over all the pieces of this once united

kingdom.

While God ordains human government for the well -being of man,

in Romans 13, it says, let every soul be subject unto higher powers, for there is no power

but God and the powers that be ordained of God.

So you're right.

The rulership of Satan is only because it was allowed by God.

The rulership of Adolf Hitler was allowed only because it was allowed

by God.

These same governments refuse to submit to him or to acknowledge his sovereignty.

We can't even get people to say that this is a Christian nation anymore.

Those same governments which refuse to submit to him or to acknowledge his sovereignty

enacts, it says, who by the mouth of thy servant David hath said, Why do the heathen

rage, and the people imagine vain things?

The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against his

Christ.

All of these parts are essentially part of Satan's kingdom, and all of that changes

now with this phrase.

The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and his

Christ, and it's now that Jesus takes back full control of all

of his kingdom.

Well, when would that happen?

Is that going to happen at the midway point of the seven -year period, or is it going to happen

at the very end of the seventh year, at the beginning of the

millennial kingdom?

When the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and Jesus Christ, we are in the millennial

kingdom, and the millennial kingdom is ruled by Jesus with a rod of iron.

That says when, doesn't it?

And the four and twenty elders, this is verse 16, which sat before God on

their seats, fell upon their face, and worshiped God, saying, We give thanks, O Lord God Almighty,

which art, and was, and art to come, because thou hast taken to thee thy great power

and has reigned.

So what are they giving thanks to?

They're giving thanks to God for taking over, for ruling now and not allowing Satan to rule any longer.

You've been here now, you always were here, you will be here in the future, and you have

great power, you've taken this great power and has reigned.

As representatives of the church, these elders have been eagerly waiting for Christ to take back the earth from the usurpers.

Their joyous cry is filled with gratitude.

We give thanks, O God, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and was, and art to come, because

thou hast taken to thee thy great power and has reigned.

And it reflects their exhilaration that their prayers for the kingdom to come have been answered.

They've been praying this prayer for years.

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

We ask for that every day, but we don't really realize that what we're asking for is for God to come and

rule.

We're asking for the millennial kingdom to begin.

So what happened?

And the nations were angry.

And thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead that they should

be judged, and that thou shouldest give a reward to thy servants and thy prophets,

and to the saints and to them that fear thy name, great and small, and should destroy them which

destroy the earth.

When he talked about the mouth of David proclaiming,

he's talking about Psalms 2.

Go ahead and turn to Psalms 2.

With no desire to repent of sin, angry resentment and hostility against heaven will drive the

nations together for their destruction at Armageddon.

Why do the heathen rage and the people imagine a vain thing?

The kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers to take counsel together against the Lord and

against his anointed.

Can you imagine that?

Can you imagine a group of people getting together, an army, to go and fight

against Jesus saying,

let us break their bands asunder and cast away their cords from us.

I will rule my own ship.

I am the master of my ship.

I am the captain of my soul.

And I think whatever gods may be for my incomparable soul.

That's the thought of man.

He that sitteth in heaven shall laugh.

The Lord shall have them in derision.

Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath and vex them in his sore displeasure.

Yet I have set my king upon the holy hill of Zion.

And I will declare the decree the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my son, this

day I have forgotten thee.

Ask of me and I shall give thee the heathen for thy inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy

possession.

Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron.

Thou shalt dash them like pieces of a potter's vessel.

Be wise now therefore, O kings, be instructed, ye judges of the earth.

Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling.

Kiss the son lest he be angry and ye perish from the way when his wrath is kindled but a

little.

Blessed are they that put their trust in him.

And the temple of God was opened in heaven and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament and there were

lightnings and voices and thunderings and an earthquake and great hail.

The message of the seventh trumpet is that God, that Jesus Christ is sovereign king and Lord of lords.

He will one day take the rule of the earth away from this earth for Satan and from the earth's petty human rulers.

History is moving inexorably toward its culmination in Christ's

earthly reign.

He will bring covenant blessings to the redeemed but eternal judgments to those who reject him.

In light of that sobering truth, Peter

exclaims,.

But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night in which the heavens shall pass away with great

noise and the elements shall melt with fervent heat and the earth also and the works that

are therein shall be burned up.

Seeing then that all these things will be dissolved, what matter of persons ought ye be in holy

conversation or in life and godliness, looking for and hastening

unto the coming of the day of the Lord, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved

and the elements shall melt with fervent heat.

Considering all that, what matter of person ought you be?

What matter of lifestyle ought you present

to the world?

Any comments?

Yes, I do.

I think the prophet Joel dealt with that.

You saw that at the beginning of the church age.

But he was not really talking about the beginning of the church age.

He was really talking about what's going to happen at the end.

And I didn't do a good job with that I don't think.

The prophet Joel was not really prophesying about Pentecost.

He was talking about the day of the Lord, when

the day of the Lord would come.

To bring into fruition the

Millennial Kingdom.

In the last three and a half years?

And it actually culminates at the end of the last three and a half years.

When Jesus takes up the final rule, then

all of the Revelation seven years is done.

And then he'll have a few more verses and chapters in Revelation talking about

the actual Millennial Kingdom.

But yes, it happens throughout the

last three and a half years.

All of these things.

The sons will be seeing visions and the dreamers will be dreaming

dreams.

This will happen throughout the last three and a half years.

I think that's what you were trying to tell me.

I just didn't collect it all together.

Yes, yes

sir.

Well, let me say yes and no.

Let me say yes, he is the ruler in this sense.

You, I know that you've been separated out.

You belong to Jesus and yet you live in Satan's world.

And he is in control of that world.

And that's why you say, what do we have to do?

Are we compelled to change the world?

Well, I think we're compelled to try.

But

that's

right.

Just like it didn't belong to Adam.

When the Lord gave Adam dominion over the world, the world

still belonged to God.

It didn't belong to Adam.

And when Adam sinned, he didn't suddenly lose ownership

of the world.

He lost dominion over it.

And he forfeited that dominion to

Satan.

And to expand upon your point, there is never a

time, never a case, never an example of a time when Jesus and God does

not have total control over Satan.

There's never an issue of it being an equal, a brotherhood, or almost

equal.

It is God is sovereign and he is totally sovereign.

He is in control of everything all the time.

But he has agents to do things.

And sometimes the agents are good and sometimes the agents are bad.

And the ownership of this world is in bad hands right now.

The control of this world is in bad hands right now.

Let's say that different.

We have to be separated from it.

I think that's right.

But I know that God is ultimately in control of everything.

In order to be in position to take control.

And

he could

have.

And he could have.

But he's not.

And Matthew, in Matthew when we're reciting this prayer, thy kingdom come,

thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven, we're saying, Lord, please hurry up and take control again.

Let us be in your charge.

Let us live according to your rules.

And you know what's going to happen to the majority of the world when that happens?

The majority of them are going to reject him anyhow.

That is to me the most incredible thing of all.

That the battle at the end of the millennial kingdom.

A thousand years of reign by a perfect ruler and we rebel.

Because we are rebels.

We don't.

We're not rebels because we rebel.

We rebel because we're rebels.

Revelation shows us that.

Every dispensation, every stage that we go through tells us how

evil we are.

And how given the choice, we choose wrong.

And that is a scary thing.

Unless the Lord intervenes and forces us to choose right.

And I think he intervenes with son.

Anything else?

Most gracious heavenly father, thank you for this day and thank you for all of our many

blessings.

Thank you for giving us this place where we can come and discuss your word.

Hopefully we'll leave with a better understanding than we can.

And if we do, we understand that we understand better only because you intervene in

our thought processes and make us think as we should

think and do as we should do.

Not because we willingly choose that.

Bless us and keep us and protect us in Jesus name we pray.