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Source: https://www.sermonindex.net/speakers/stanley-wells/revelation-part-6/
We're into the area now where our scholars don't agree. And if you don't agree tonight, well, we'll be happy to listen to you after the meeting. And some have suggested, like I'm in no hurry home tonight, if somebody wants to have a little chat with us, ask a few questions, and talk a little about it, just in an informal way, we can go over some of the ground on this chart.
Now, before we commence to read tonight, I want to just point out one or two things on this chart before we move forward. We've been talking about the Great Tribulation. It's a unique time. Now, people ask a very simple question, how do you know?
Now, I'm going to read you one verse before we start. If you have your Bible tonight, Matthew's Gospel, chapter 24, and these are the words of the Lord Jesus. We'll just take time to read one verse here.
See, the Lord is opening up to his own what's going to happen in days ahead, and even for us. Verse number 21, now here's the Lord Jesus Christ talking himself. For then shall be great tribulation, that's what we're talking about, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
Now, that tells us beyond a shadow of a doubt that what we're looking at here tonight on this chart, it's a unique time, and that word in the English language, unique, means there's nothing like it. Now, let me just expand on that a minute.
People say it has always been the lot and the life of people living on earth to suffer. Right from the garden of Eden, right through to the end of time, right. But I have read you what the Lord Jesus Christ said.
He said, this is a unique time, never been anything like it before, and there'll be never anything like it after it's over. Now, for the believer of this age, you and I won't be in that. Somebody says, give me a verse, take your Bible again, Revelation 3, and I'll just read one verse to show you that we will not be going through this awful time of tribulation.
Now, the Bible is the answer, we didn't make it up, it's God. Here's verse 10 of Revelation 3, here's the promise, because thou hast kept the word of my patience, he's talking to believers, I also will keep thee from the hour, the definite article, from the hour of temptation or trial, which shall come upon all the world to try them that dwell upon the earth.
Now, there's scripture, dear friends, to show that the Lord Jesus again is telling his people we won't be going through it. There's some folk I've even heard recently, and they tell us that we're going through the tribulation now.
Well, we might be, but not in this sense. Well, look at the chart for a minute. This whole area here, from this scroll all the way through to the Lord Jesus Christ comes from heaven as the son of righteousness, all of this, tribulation in the world.
Where will the saints of this age be? Well, look up here, the heavenly saints, the elders in heaven, the judgment seat of Christ, the married supper of the Lamb, and on and on it goes. Now, somebody says, well, I don't believe that.
Well, I can't convince you. Take the spirit of God to do it. So what we're going to do tonight, we're going to look at some of the major events that will take place toward the end of this great time of tribulation that I have pointed out as seven years in duration and what's beyond it.
Now, just look at the chart, and I'm going to take them one at a time and read it so that you know what I'm talking about. All right. First thing I want to just pick up on, what we're at last night. See this part of the chart here?
This is approximately the middle of the week of years. That's what we have pointed out to you, is this word here, heptad, of years. You have to look at that word and look it up until you see what it means.
It's not a week of days, it's a week of years. So see where it says here, the 10 horned beast. We have pointed out that is a ferocious beast, a wild beast, is the word. And then the lamb-like beast, and it's in chapter 13.
Now, I'm just going to point out to you then something about these two beastly men. So chapter 13 of Revelation is the first one we'll touch tonight. Revelation, please, chapter 13. Now, I'll just read the verse, and you can read later.
Here's John, verse 1, Revelation 13. We're in the middle of the week. I stood upon the sand of the sea and saw a beast. Now, it's not a lion, and it's not an elephant or a giraffe or whatever. It is a man.
And the word beast describes the type of individual. And notice, rise up out of the sea. Now, the details we can talk about later. Well, here's an individual, and he's beastly in character, and he will rise from the sea.
And whenever you're in Revelation, the sea or seas generally speaks of the nations of earth. And this man will rise from the nations of earth. Now, more about that in a minute. See the same chapter? Verse 11.
Here's John. And I beheld another beast. Now, that's the same word as verse 1, that wild beastly person coming out of the earth. Now, the word earth and the word land are the same in the Bible. And when we're thinking about the land, we're thinking about the nation of Israel.
And right away, this man is called the false prophet. And he will rise from the nation of Israel. I have pointed out to you, let me point it out again, that in the middle of the week here, people can't figure out what this squiggly lane is all about.
Well, here it starts over here. That's the serpent. And what I'm talking about now, he will be coming from the heavenlies down to earth, and he will impersonate these two men that I have talked to you about.
Now, I have to leave all the details for another time. But if you got the message tonight, at this particular time, God will use men, impersonate them, and God will use them to fulfill divine purpose.
Now, let me just say another little thing. We're not in Daniel chapter 9, but these two men on the chart here, this is the first man I read about, and here's the second man. They're going to make a covenant.
And the political man is from the seas, the nations of earth, likely from Europe, west of the land of Israel on the map. He's going to make a covenant with the religious man, the false prophet. And here's the bottom line.
He's going to say to him, your nation has been hated for so many centuries. You know what? I'm going to protect you from here on out. And nobody will be able to get near the land of Israel. And all these millions that are trying to put them into the ground, I'll protect you.
But he's going to find out after three and a half years of this tribulation time that he can't handle it, he can't deliver, and the covenant's broken. And then the real tribulation will start and conditions will be dreadful in the earth.
Now, I can't go any further with that, but if you want to talk about it afterwards, it's fine. One of the next big things we want to talk about is the battle of Armageddon. Somebody says, where's that in the Bible?
Well, let me turn again. Revelation, please, chapter 16. We have already pointed out about the seven vials that will be poured out. Let me remind you that in verse number 12 of this chapter, the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates.
Now, let's go down to the bottom of that section. Verse number 16, he gathered them together into a place in the Hebrew tongue, Armageddon. There it is. It's the only time in all the Bible that that word is mentioned.
And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air and then all the things that happened. Now, please notice that in verse number 16 of Revelation chapter 16, one of the outstanding things we've got to talk about tonight is the great conflict of Armageddon.
I've pointed out to you, it means the mountain of slaughter. Now, let me just tell you a little about it. Some in this audience might already have seen it. So, a young man from this part of the world was there with a company of 42 people in April of this year, and he took them to a sphere, a location north of the city of Jerusalem called the Valley of Megiddo.
And in that valley will be the spot likely where this great conflict will be waged. Millions of military will be there. And somebody asks, who will be there? Now, a number of scriptures that I won't read tonight, but believe me, tell us who's going to be there.
Number one, this beast, beastly man out of the seas, out of the nations, that individual, he is from the Western side of the land of Israel. He's a political individual. So, his armies will be there and Europe will be represented.
Conversely, on the east, the great river Euphrates that will be, and is located even tonight in the northeast side of the land of Israel, and the infantry likely 2 million will move and come from the east and they will be drawn by almighty power to the battle of Armageddon.
Daniel chapter 11, the end of the chapter, all of the hordes from the north, the king of the north, the Assyrian, the king with a fierce countenance, the same individual, he will marshal his troops and they will be there.
And then of course, the king of the south, as that chapter shows, right there will be Egypt and that's south of the land of Israel. And God will bring these people together and really there will be no battle, but from the word of his mouth, he will sweep them into destruction.
And in an instant of time, millions will be slain. What a day. Now, I won't read your Revelation chapter 19, but the supper of the great God follows the battle of Armageddon, where the foul pay the thousands, the hundreds of thousands will come and they will feed on the carcasses that lie on the ground.
Oh, what an awful day. Now, I leave that for your consideration. See the chart again. See what I'm pointing to now? That is chapter 17 and 18. See what it says here? Babylon, her character, her doom, the false church judged, destroyed.
Now, chapter 17 and 18 deal with that. I'm going to give you the pivotal point, chapter 17 now, to think of the whore that sits on many waters. So, if you have your Bible, please, chapter 17 of this Revelation.
Look at the center of verse number one, chapter 17, Revelation, verse number one, where it says, come hither, and I will show thee the judgment of the great whore that sits upon many waters. What happened?
Verse three, so he carried me away in the spirit, that's the angel carrying John, into the wilderness, and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet colored beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns, and the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet and so on.
Listen to verse five, upon her forehead was a name written, mystery, Babylon the great, the mother of harlots and the abominations of the earth, and all the details follow. Now, one of the great things we have to talk about, the happening at the end of the tribulation, this whore that sits on many waters.
Now, I'm suggesting to you tonight that that is metaphorical language, and it describes millions on earth tonight. Some tell us it is Roman Catholicism and her Protestant dissenters, we call it Christendom.
Well, I would suggest tonight that's included. And people tell us, well, that's Rome, that's right. But you notice that what I have read to you tonight, Rome's never mentioned, it's Babylon, and it's a far wider picture.
And I could have read you from chapter 18, I won't do that, you can look at it for yourself. And I want to suggest to this audience tonight that the whore that sits on many waters is against God and all the false isms of the world, false organized religion is included.
Now, you see, she's writing, obviously, metaphorical language, this beast here, the 10 horned beast. But all you have to do is read the chapter and it'll land right on the surface. And what will happen is at the end of the tribulation, the political leader will be so upset and will be so against religion, God will use his armies to destroy the whore that sits on many waters and what she represents.
And in a very short time, billions will disappear. Let me tell you tonight, we're not against the religions of the world. We're just showing you what God thinks of those that have left him out of so-called religion.
I have talked recently to people that believe in the Koran, for example. And if the experts are right, they calculate that tonight 2 .2 billion of our population are subscribing to the Koran and Mohammed and all the rest of it.
Let God out of it and God will bring circumstances around that every one of them will disappear and go far away from God. Now, let me just teach you this. I haven't read the verse, but I'll quote it to you.
Before the judgment falls, you see, the woman is chapter 17 and chapter 18 is the system and the city and the commerce linked with it. And you see, before God destroys those people, he has a call for his own.
Come out from among them and be separate and touch not the unclean thing. That was ever God's call right from the very start of creation. God believed in separation. It's a divine truth. And at that late stage, after the Lord comes and people that are really saved and bold in these awful systems will have the opportunity to leave and then the judgment of God will fall.
And so we can make a very simple application tonight. In our travels, we have met dear people, brethren and sisters, and they're so devoted to the Lord Jesus Christ and their affections for him would put us to shame, but they have never recognized the system that they're involved with.
And somebody said, well, what's right? Well, I've got to ask you tonight, is the Bible right or wrong? It's pretty obvious that God is right. And so we can hardly imagine what is going to happen in those awful days.
Now, I want to read them a little about this point. Here's one of the big happenings at the end of the tribulation, the seven years duration, the Lord Jesus Christ will come from heaven and his feet will hit Mount Olivet and he will set up his kingdom.
Now, let me just go over the chart again, because this is very important. You see this side here of the chart. Let me tell you again, people ask, where are we? Here's where we are tonight. The people of this age, believers and unbelievers, but the greatest event that's going to take place one of these days is the coming again of the Lord Jesus Christ as the morning star.
And he'll take from the world his own millions, as filings to a magnet, instantly up and into heaven. See that there? Now notice, life will go on as usual. The billions of earth won't even know what has happened until it's all over.
But when we come here to this part, seven years plus down the road, he will come right to earth. And I've read to you, every eye will see him. And them also that pierced him, the nation of Israel and all kindreds will wail because of him.
Now somebody says, what's the difference between this part aspect of his coming and this other one? I've told you, and I'm going to read it to you from the Bible. Here he's coming for his saints. Here he's coming with his saints.
Same coming, two aspects. Bible? Well, I'll read you one verse or maybe two from the old Testament. Zechariah chapter 14 for the old Testament, please. Zechariah chapter 14. Can you find that at the end of the old Testament?
All right. I'll just read it simply to you. We want bottom lines tonight. Chapter 14, verse 4, Zechariah. His, do that, his is the Lord. His feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east and the Mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof and so on.
Notice verse 5, the last sentence. And the Lord my God shall come and all the saints with thee, and all the saints with thee. One verse now in the new Testament, can you find the little book of Jude just before Revelation?
And again, for sake of time, I'll read you one verse. Verse number 14, Jude 14. And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam prophesied of these saying, listen to the next statement. Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands, thousands of his saints.
Now, would that convince you that he's coming with his saints? Let me just read the opposite. First Thessalonians now chapter 4, and I'll just again, read you the pertinent verse. Find now First Thessalonians please, chapter 4.
Here's what it says. It says in verse 14, and the word F is since, for since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. See verse 16, for the Lord himself, where's the saints?
He's not coming with the saints here, for the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with voice of archangel, with trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Now, dear folk, you're very, very intelligent here in this part of the country.
Can you not see that plain English tells us that there's two aspects of the second coming, just the same way as there was of the first coming? So, he's coming first of all for his saints, that's for us.
The next time he's coming, his feet will hit Mount Olivet, he'll be right on earth, Zechariah 14, coming with the saints. But you see, the first one, he's coming for his saints, his saints, and he's coming to the air.
It's pretty obvious. I have sat down with people recently in other countries, and they say, wow, I never saw that before. And I said to them, do you believe the Bible? They say, of course we believe the Bible.
Well, I said, you have to accept what it says. Now, let me just remind you as we pass on, what's going to happen when the Lord comes? Let's just look at this aspect of things here. Well, one of the big things that's going to happen is there's going to be a tremendous separation.
Now, in this part of the chart, listen carefully. Those here that are left will be left to go into that circle there, the millennium reign of Christ. Those that are taken will be with the false prophet and the men of sin, and they'll go to the lake of fire.
So, we have to learn tonight as a statement of fact, when the Lord comes, there's going to be a tremendous separation. I have come to ask you tonight, if he comes in the rapture, there will be some left and then some will go.
Now, which company will you be in? If you're saved tonight and you're born again, you'll be in heaven. You'll go when he comes. If you're an unbeliever and you've reached the years of accountability, whatever age that is, and each person likely it's different, you'll be left.
I'll leave that for your consideration. I want to talk about the next thing. I want to talk about this globe here. What does the word millennium mean? People say, it's not even in the Bible. That's right.
But if you look at any dictionary or anybody that tells you anything about English, that means a thousand. And in this context, a thousand years. Well, what does it say that in the Bible? Revelation chapter 20 place, and I'll just read you the pertinent verse.
There's all kinds of verses we can read, but here's one of them. I'll read verse number six, leave the rest. Revelation 26, blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection. That's at the Lord's coming.
On such, the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ and shall reign with him a thousand years. Man. Now, if I had my other chart here tonight on the seven dispensations of scripture, I would be developing this, but let me give you the bottom line.
Whenever we arrive here, this is the thousand year reign of Christ. How do we get there? See where it says here, judgment of the living nations. Well, the word living is not there, but here it's the same idea.
Judgment of the nations. Now that's Matthew chapter 25. And he will sit on the throne of his glory and the precincts of Jerusalem somewhere. And the nations will be gathered on the brethren of that day.
That's what Matthew 25 says. And it'll be here. Israel restored. The Lord will say to the sheep, these are Gentile nations. You know what? I was in prison and you visited me. I was sick. I was hungry.
I was thirsty. And you looked after my needs. These people will answer the Lord. Imagine when did we see you in this condition? He will answer man, because you have done it onto these of the least of my brother.
That's the remnant of the Jews of that day. You have done it onto me and those dear people will go right in to the millennium reign of Christ. Conversely, while he said to them, come you blessed up my father.
See the others are goats. Here are Gentile nations that lived all the way through that we have described. And they had no time for the nation of Israel, like our world tonight. And whenever they were in need, the nation I'm talking about of Israel, they wouldn't look at them.
They just let them go there. But the Lord says, because you haven't done this, you're going to the everlasting fire. That means they'll go right here, right to the lake of fire. I would like to ask you a question tonight as I asked it to myself.
Now it's metaphorical language. Am I a sheep? Am I saved? Or am I a goat, an unbeliever? Now, let me tell you tonight, you can't be both. It's either one or the other. And that's what's going to happen.
And amongst other things, it will be the way in to the millennium reign of Christ. I was reading a bit today in Isaiah chapter 35. We won't turn to it, but I'm just going to take one point. There's thousands of them in the Bible.
And in this time of millennium of a thousand years, people will live a thousand years. And Isaiah 65 shows an infant of days is a hundred years old. And there will be an explosion in the population. And people say, how ever could the world sustain it?
Well, Isaiah chapter 35 in verse one says, the desert shall bloom as a rose. Now I have been in Australia several times and I've had the privilege of being just on the edge of the center part of Australia and the great desert.
You could hardly survive in the place. There's hundreds and thousands of miles of desert, the Sahara, the same, and all the others. You see, whenever the millennium reign comes, a blossom is a rose. God will sustain his people.
Now, let me just point out to you as I pass by. Every person that's born in the thousand years is born a sinner. That's what the Bible says. Wherefore as by one man, Adam, sin entered into the world, death by sin, death passed upon all men for all sin.
Doesn't matter what age we live in, past, present, or future. That's the way God says it. That's what the Bible teaches. Now, the Lord Jesus Christ will be the king reigning, Psalm number two. And he'll reign with a rod of iron.
And somebody says, will there be death in the millennium? Absolutely. Every rebel that raises his hand against the Lord Jesus will be slain immediately. But then there'll be thousands of people and I call it from their teeth out, they acknowledge the lordship of Christ, but their heart has never changed.
The Bible calls it unfeigned, feigned, feigned obedience. What will happen to them? Well, watch this. Out of the bottomless pit, after a thousand years, Satan will be loosed and he'll come to where I'm talking to now, the battle of Gog and Magog.
And he'll marshal all these people that didn't bow in their affections to the person of Christ. A big battle in his view will be waged there, but fire will come down from heaven and consume them. And here he is, he'll go alive to the lake of fire.
And from the great white throne judgment, same thing, to the lake of fire. Let me point out to our younger friends tonight, that fire there that I'm pointing to now has nothing to do with this. This here is the second death, the death that never dies.
That's the abode of the wicked. This here is fire from heaven to consume these people. And the great millennium reign will finish. I could have read you tonight, second Peter chapter three, to show how the world will finish.
Now let me just spend a minute up here. See this here? It's the great white throne judgment. By the way, there are hundreds of thousands of genuine believers tonight, and they believe in a general judgment and a general resurrection.
And I want to tell you tonight in all fairness, it's not in the Bible. The chart points it out. Let me point them out to you. See that there? That's the judgment, the great white throne judgment for the wicked dead.
See that there? Judgment of the living nations. These people are living. These folk are dead. This is where they were here. Death and hell delivered up. And they go here at the end of time. Now look, here's another one.
See up here? Judgment seat of Christ. That's for believers. Second Corinthians chapter five and verse number 10. We will all be manifested. He's talking all about believers. The word is turned inside out.
And everything that we have done or said and all activities from conversions day to the last step is taken. We have got to give an account. Now there's three judgments right there, lying right on the surface of the Holy Bible.
How could anybody ever say that there's a general judgment and a general resurrection and the end of the world? That won't work. Read your Bible. You see this here about the great white throne? Let me just read you a verse.
It's in chapter 20 of Revelation. I'll just read verse 11. Here's John. I saw a great white throne. That's what's on the map there. Them that sat on it from whose face the earth and heaven fled away, found no place for them.
What happened? Verse 15, whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. It's an awful day. You see, whenever that takes place, the universe as we know it will be burned up.
Second Peter chapter three, Hebrews chapter one. The elements and the universe will be rolled together as a scroll. And the elements will perish. And in mid space, the expense, where I'm pointing to now, the souls and the spirits of the lost in hell and the bodies from the grave will stand by omnipotent power of that awful day.
And this here represents the books that will be opened. And according to their works and the principles of judgment, Romans chapter two, they'll find their place in the lake of fire. That would burn forever.
People say, how could a God of love of John three and 16 do that to me? For God so loved the world, the world of men, that he sacrificially gave his only begotten son, the Lord Jesus Christ. You know what?
The God of heaven loves you tonight and loves me, but he hates our sin. He can by no means clear the guilty. The only way he can clear it is here at the cross where the savior of the world died. Please think about that.
Now, I won't take time to read the book, but you see, whenever this is finished and the universe as we know it is finished, we're into this condition here. Revelation 21, new heaven and a new earth. Now I know the scholars are different.
One line of people tell us that the earth and the universe and the starry heavens that we see permeated with wickedness will be annihilated, burned up and finished. I want to ask you something. Whenever you see a fire in this life, to whatever extent, and people said, of course, well, there's always something left.
There's always ashes or something. Well, the other view is this, that this earth that we know, it was purged with water. Second Peter chapter three and Noah's day. And it's pretty obvious that it could be purged by fire at that particular time and the new earth and the new heavens.
Revelation 21 will come into focus. Let me point this out to you. Everything in here where I'm pointing to now, we call it the eternal state so that we can at least put words together to tell you that this is forever.
Eternity and contradistinction to time. We go by time here, but not there. As I pointed out to you last night, I'll point it out again. Whenever all the purpose of God is finished and every rebel finds themselves in the lake of fire, then there will be no restriction.
Heaven and earth will be in communication forever. I have come to ask you tonight because I might not see you again. The Lord alone knows what's happening. We might never return to Ontario again. And I want to just give you a wee word at 830.
If you're an unbeliever tonight, in view of what has we've gone over tonight and other nights, you have a choice. What are you going to do with the Lord Jesus Christ? Whatever age group you're in tonight, I'll put the whole New Testament together.
Do you know what the Lord said? You'll either accept my invitation of come or my condemnation of depart. Matthew 11, verse 28. You know what he's saying to you tonight? In view of all that lies ahead, come on to me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Do you want rest tonight? Have a take on the Lord Jesus Christ as a Saviour. Somebody says, how could I do it? Well, if I offered you a gift tonight, you have one of two things you could do. You could accept it, thank the giver, or despise it and say no.
Well, friend, if for whatever reason tonight in your heart of hearts you say no to the Lord Jesus, here's the alternative. Here's the command. Depart from me, I never knew you. Go to the place prepared for the devil and his angels, the lake of fire.
As you look at the chart tonight, and as we part one from the other, will you be up here in heaven when the days on earth are over, or will you be down here in the lake of fire? Two ways before you lie, you have a choice to make.
One upward to the sky, one downward to the lake. Shall any choose the pit of woe? We all must answer yes or no. God helped your friend tonight at 8 .30 on the button. Now answer, Jesus, I'll take you right now as my own and personal Saviour and start for heaven and home.
Thank you. Let us pray. Our Father, at the close of this hour and at the close of this mini-series, we commend each other to Thee and to the God of heaven. Oh God, we thank Thee for any measure that we have learned a little from the holy scriptures of truth.
We thank Thee for mighty teachers like Dr. Harry Ironside that put this chart together to give us through a gate something of what will happen in the days ahead. So we thank Thee for everyone that's saved here tonight and we're living for the Lord Jesus Christ and we're waiting for that moment when He'll come from heaven.
And we think of those that maybe are without the Saviour. Oh God, we do pray that I would urge them tonight in the power of the Holy Spirit to learn their need and repent of their sin and by faith trust the Lord Jesus Christ.
So we go on our several ways. Who knows, we might never all meet in this room again. So we ask for heaven's abiding blessing on everyone as we give thanks in His worthy name. Amen.