Participants: Pr. Stephen Bohr
Series Code: 3AM
Program Code: 3AM000024
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00:30 Let's bow our heads for prayer.
00:33 Our Father and our God, 00:34 what a privilege it is to be in Your presence today. 00:38 And we ask that as we open Your Holy Book 00:41 that Your Spirit will be here to teach us 00:45 those things that we need to learn 00:47 in these last days of human history. 00:51 And we thank You for hearing our prayer, 00:53 for we ask it in the precious name a Jesus. 00:56 Amen. 00:59 The title of our study today 01:01 is "The Harvest of the Earth is Ripe." 01:05 And what we want to do as we begin our study 01:08 is to give a bird's eye view 01:11 of the content of Revelation Chapter 14. 01:15 Some of this will be review but some of that will be new 01:18 at least with regard to the sequence of events 01:22 that we find in this chapter. 01:24 First of all in this chapter we find three angels 01:27 that present their messages to the world. 01:31 These three messages are the final message of God 01:35 to Planet Earth. 01:37 We know that these messages are accompanied 01:40 by the power of the Holy Spirit. 01:42 Because as we're gonna study today, 01:44 we're going to notice that 01:47 when these three angels proclaim their messages, 01:50 the harvest of the earth is ripened 01:52 and the grapes of the earth are also ripened. 01:56 Now in ancient Israel that 01:59 which ripen the harvest was the latter rain, 02:02 and of course the latter rain represents 02:05 the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. 02:08 So basically these three angels' messages 02:10 are accompanied by the power of the Holy Spirit 02:14 and this power or this latter rain 02:16 is going to mature the world 02:19 into what the Bible calls the harvest and the grapes. 02:24 Now we also notice that these three angels proclaim 02:28 a worldwide global message 02:31 which means that the harvest is a worldwide harvest 02:35 and the grapes are also a worldwide harvest. 02:40 Now these three messages basically polarize 02:43 the world into two groups. 02:46 One group the faithful keeps the commandments of God 02:50 including the fourth commandment 02:52 or the commandment regarding the Sabbath. 02:54 The other group breaks God's commandments 02:58 and disobey the great Sabbath truth 03:01 that we find in Scripture. 03:03 One group receives 03:05 according to the Bible the seal of God. 03:08 That is those who are obedient to God. 03:10 And the other group receives the mark of the beast 03:14 which we've already studied means knowingly 03:17 keeping the first day of the week 03:19 when very clearly you understand 03:22 that the Sabbath is the day of rest. 03:25 And so the Bible tells us that there will be two groups 03:29 the way that people respond to these three messages 03:32 will determine which group they are in. 03:36 Now in Revelation Chapter 14 these two groups are described 03:41 as the harvest of the earth that is the righteous 03:44 and on the other side are the grapes 03:47 or the vintage of the earth which represents the wicked. 03:51 Now it's important to notice 03:53 that the righteous according to Revelation 14 03:56 as we will study are gathered inside the city of Jerusalem, 04:02 where as the wicked or the grapes are gathered 04:05 outside the city of Jerusalem. 04:09 Now there's a very important principle 04:11 that we need to understand in order to comprehend 04:15 what we're gonna study in our lecture today 04:17 and that is that in the Book of Revelation, 04:21 Babylon is not literal Babylon in the Middle East. 04:25 Babylon is actually a spiritual symbolic worldwide system 04:31 that is inimical to the people of God. 04:34 On the other side Jerusalem is not a literal city either. 04:39 Jerusalem represents God's faithful people 04:43 on a global scale who keep the commandments of God 04:47 and have the testimony of Jesus as well as the faith of Jesus. 04:51 So in other words, Jerusalem is the place 04:54 where God's people are gathered, 04:55 but Jerusalem is symbolic or spiritual. 04:59 Babylon is the place where the wicked are gathered 05:01 but Babylon needs to be understood 05:04 in a spiritual and global or worldwide sense. 05:08 Now allow me to amplify this principle a little bit 05:12 as we begin our study 05:13 because it's gonna be foundational 05:15 for what we study in the rest of the lecture. 05:19 What I want us to understand now 05:21 is what I call the law 05:23 of the literal and the spiritual. 05:26 And I'm gonna illustrate it by talking about the garments 05:30 that were worn by our first parents Adam and Eve. 05:34 The Bible tells us 05:35 that God's garments are garments of light. 05:38 Back to true church in Revelation 12 05:41 is represented as a woman who is clothed with the sun. 05:44 When Jesus was transfigured, the Bible tells us 05:47 that His garments became white as the light. 05:51 In other words, Adam and Eve in their state of innocence 05:54 and righteousness were clothed with literal robes of light. 06:00 But those literal robes of light were symbolic. 06:03 They represented their righteousness 06:06 or their obedience to God. 06:08 So in the Garden of Eden we have the literal 06:11 and we have that which the literal represents. 06:14 The literal are the garment of light, 06:17 real light that covered Adam and Eve 06:19 and the symbolic or what that represents 06:22 is righteousness or obedience to God. 06:25 Now we're told in Genesis 06:27 that when Adam and Eve disobeyed God, 06:30 they were left literally or physically naked. 06:34 And the Bible tells us 06:36 that it was because they were disobedient to God 06:38 or now they were unrighteous. 06:40 In other words their nakedness, literal nakedness 06:44 also represented symbolically spiritual nakedness, 06:48 unrighteousness or disobedience to God. 06:52 So we notice then that originally 06:55 there was the literal and the spiritual together 06:58 in the Garden of Eden. 06:59 A literal robe of light 07:01 which represented spiritual righteousness. 07:04 Then when man sinned, man was left literally naked 07:08 and the Bible tells us that, 07:10 that represented the fact that man was now unrighteous. 07:15 Now the Bible tells us that God is going to resolve 07:19 this problem of nakedness in two ways. 07:22 You see, He has to resolve 07:23 the problem of spiritual nakedness 07:26 as well as literal nakedness. 07:28 Now the Bible tells us 07:29 that the first thing that God fixes 07:32 or repairs is by covering us 07:35 with the spiritual robe of Christ's righteousness. 07:37 In other words it's the symbolic robe 07:41 of Christ's righteousness. 07:42 Notice Galatians 3:26. 07:46 Galatians 3:26 and we'll also read verse 27. 07:51 It says here, "For you are all sons of God 07:55 through faith in Christ Jesus. 07:59 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ..." 08:03 Notice "Have put on Christ." 08:07 Obviously we have not literally put on Christ. 08:10 We don't have a literal robe of light. 08:13 We have the spiritual robe 08:15 which represents the righteousness 08:17 of Jesus Christ symbolically speaking. 08:20 However God needs to restore man 08:24 someday to the fullness 08:27 of what He was in the Garden of Eden. 08:29 And by the way when I say man, 08:31 I'm talking generically it includes man and woman. 08:35 But God has to restore not only the spiritual robe 08:38 of Christ's righteousness by covering us 08:40 spiritually, but someday the Bible tells us 08:43 that He's also going to give us once again 08:46 that literal robe of light. 08:48 But that literal robe comes in the future. 08:51 I want you to notice Revelation 7:9 and 10 08:54 where it speaks about this moment. 08:56 It says there "After these things I looked, 09:00 and behold, a great multitude 09:01 which no one could number, of all nations, 09:04 tribes, peoples, and tongues, 09:07 standing before the throne and before the Lamb." 09:10 Now notice this "Clothed with white robes, 09:14 with palm branches in their hands, 09:17 and crying out with a loud voice, saying, 09:19 'Salvation belongs to our God 09:21 who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!''' 09:23 Notice that at this point, 09:25 God's people are in heaven with Jesus. 09:28 And the Bible tells us 09:29 that they are clothed with white robes. 09:33 Now these are literal white robes of light, 09:36 so basically what Jesus does 09:38 is now in this period of human history, 09:40 He covers us with the spiritual robes 09:43 of Christ's righteousness. 09:44 And of course when Jesus comes again, 09:47 He is going to give us an immortal body 09:50 and He is going to cover us 09:51 with a literal robe of light like the robe of light 09:55 that covered Adam and Eve. 09:58 This is the principal that we need to remember 10:01 as we study our passage today 10:04 which is Revelation 14 and verses 14 through 20. 10:07 You say, how does this relate to the subjects 10:10 that we're studying. 10:12 Well, the fact is that when the Bible speaks about 10:17 Jerusalem in prophecy, 10:19 we are first of all inside spiritual Jerusalem 10:24 before Jesus takes us to the literal Jerusalem 10:28 when He comes again. 10:30 In other words we are spiritually in Jerusalem 10:33 even though we live in different places 10:36 of the earth and someday if we're faithful, 10:39 Jesus will take us to be literally in Jerusalem. 10:43 Allow me to read you some verses 10:45 that show this very important principle. 10:48 Hebrews 12:22 to 24. Hebrews 12:22 to 24. 10:55 And I want you to notice the tense of the verb. 10:58 But you speaking about God's faithful people 11:01 "But you have come to Mount Zion." 11:05 He's saying in the times 11:06 when he wrote to the Hebrews you have come. 11:08 In other words, they were already there. 11:10 It says "But you have come to Mount Zion 11:13 and to the city of the living God." 11:17 Now what Jerusalem is this? 11:18 "The heavenly Jerusalem, 11:20 to an innumerable company of angels, 11:23 to the general assembly and church of the firstborn 11:27 who are registered in heaven." 11:28 Noticed that the key is, 11:30 that God's people are not literally 11:31 in heaven in the New Jerusalem they are reaped in heaven. 11:35 In other words they are citizens of heaven. 11:38 So it says in verse 23, 11:39 "To the general assembly in heaven, 11:41 to God the judge of all, 11:43 to the spirits of just men made perfect 11:45 and to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, 11:48 and to the blood of sprinkling 11:50 that speaks better things then that of Able." 11:53 So here the author of Hebrews is telling us 11:56 that we have come to Zion. 11:59 We have come to the heavenly Jerusalem. 12:02 We are actually spiritually reckoned 12:04 in the heavenly Jerusalem even though we live 12:08 in different parts of the world. 12:10 I want you to notice also Galatians 4: 26. 12:15 Here the Apostle Paul explicitly tells us 12:17 that Christians are citizens of the New Jerusalem. 12:21 This is what he says. 12:23 "But the Jerusalem above that is the new one is free 12:27 which is the mother of us all." 12:31 Notice also Philippians 3:20 and 21. 12:35 Philippians 3:20 and 21. 12:39 It says there, "For our citizenship is in heaven 12:45 from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, 12:48 the Lord Jesus Christ 12:50 who will transform our lowly body 12:53 that it may be conformed to His glorious body, 12:56 according to the working 12:57 by which He is able to subdue all things to Himself." 13:02 So notice here that the Apostle Paul tells us 13:04 in his letter to the Philippians 13:06 that our citizenship is in heaven. 13:10 Basically I'm a US citizen, when I travel to Colombia, 13:14 when I travel to Venezuela or when I travel to England 13:18 or some other country in the world, 13:20 I can say that really my country of origin-- 13:25 my country where my citizenship is, 13:27 is the United States, 13:28 and so is with our spiritual citizenship. 13:32 We can live anywhere in the world 13:34 but our name and our citizenship 13:36 is in the New Jerusalem in heaven. 13:39 So when Revelation speaks about God's people 13:42 being in Jerusalem and the grapes 13:45 or the wicked being gathered outside Jerusalem, 13:48 it's not talking about the wicked gathering over 13:51 next to the literal city of Jerusalem to attack 13:54 that literal city in the Middle East. 13:56 What it's saying is that global Babylon represented 14:00 by the winepress is going to gather around God's people 14:04 who are spiritually in Jerusalem all over the world 14:07 and this is gonna be the final battle. 14:09 In fact we're gonna notice that the wicked 14:11 will gather around God's people all over the world 14:14 with the intention of destroying them. 14:17 But of course we know that when Jesus comes, 14:21 then Jesus is gonna take 14:22 all the citizens of the New Jerusalem 14:25 up to the New Jerusalem and then after the 1,000 years 14:28 we will live in the city of Jerusalem. 14:31 And it will be the capital of the universe. 14:35 Now I'd like us to go to Revelation 14:14-16, 14:40 where we have the first harvest mentioned. 14:43 This first harvest is called the harvest of the earth 14:47 and basically it represents the righteous. 14:49 And we've already studied that the separation of this harvest 14:54 from the grapes takes place 14:56 before Jesus comes in the judgment. 14:59 In other words, there is an investigative 15:01 pre-advent judgment in heaven 15:03 where by the response that people give 15:06 to the three angels' messages, 15:08 God separates people into the group of the righteous 15:12 and into the group of the wicked 15:14 before the second coming of Jesus Christ. 15:17 And so the verses that we gonna take a look at now 15:20 Revelation 14:14-16 15:23 deals with the separation of the righteous. 15:28 It says there in verse 14, 15:30 "Then I looked, and behold a white cloud, 15:35 and on the cloud sat One like the Son of Man." 15:40 I want you to remember this. 15:42 The Son of Man is seated on a cloud. 15:45 And then it says that he has in His 15:48 "on His head a golden crown 15:51 and in His hand a sharp sickle." 15:55 So the Son of Man comes on the cloud 15:57 and He is coming as we'll notice to His Father 16:02 to the Ancient of Days and He has a sickle in his hand 16:05 and of course a sickle has the purpose of harvesting. 16:11 And then notice verse 15-- 16:13 actually let's look at verse 15, 16:15 its says, "And another angel came out of the temple 16:19 crying with the loud voice to Him 16:21 who sat on the cloud 16:23 'Thrust in your sickle and reap, 16:27 for the time has come for you to reap.'" 16:30 And as we've already noticed, 16:32 the reaping or the separation takes place 16:34 before the second coming of Jesus. 16:37 Because when Jesus comes, He comes to reward His people. 16:41 So before that He must have determined 16:44 in a heavenly judgment who His people are. 16:48 And so this angel says 16:50 to the one who is seated on the cloud 16:52 "Thrust in your sickle and reap 16:54 for the time has come for you to reap..." 16:57 And now listen to this, 16:58 "For the harvest of the earth is ripe." 17:02 I want you to remember that 17:04 it says the harvest of the earth is ripe. 17:07 Because a little bit later on, 17:09 we're gonna go to the Old Testament background 17:11 to this passage in Revelation 14, 17:14 and we're gonna notice that it doesn't say the earth, 17:17 it says something differently and so it says, 17:20 "For the harvest of the earth is ripe." 17:23 Verse 16 "So He who sat on the cloud thrust 17:28 in His sickle on the earth..." 17:30 There it is again. 17:31 "And the earth was reaped." 17:34 Now there's no doubt whatsoever that this group of individuals 17:38 who are harvested 17:40 or who are separated in the judgment, 17:43 before the second coming of Jesus are the righteous. 17:46 And you'll notice that the separation 17:48 takes place all over the earth. 17:50 And they're gathered in the city of Jerusalem. 17:53 We'll notice a little bit later on 17:55 but they're not literally gathered there, 17:57 they are spiritually or symbolically gathered there 18:00 because they're citizens of the New Jerusalem 18:03 and yet they are found all over the world 18:06 in different countries. 18:08 And so basically this first group are those 18:11 who keep the commandments of God. 18:13 Those who have the seal of God, those who-- 18:16 because they love Jesus keep the Seventh-day Sabbath, 18:20 and these are the ones 18:21 who actually will be on God side 18:25 in this final conflict or this final controversy. 18:29 By the way the Book of Daniel 18:31 also refers to this judgment of the Son of Man 18:35 coming seated on a cloud to do a work of judgment. 18:39 And of course the sickle represents 18:42 the work of judgment. 18:43 Let's read Daniel 7:13 and 14. Daniel 7:13 and 14. 18:50 Here Daniel inspired by the Holy Spirit said, 18:55 "I was watching in the night visions and behold..." 18:59 Listen to this. 19:00 "One like the Son of Man..." 19:02 The very same name that we found in Revelation 14 19:05 "Coming with the clouds..." 19:07 See there it is, He's coming with the clouds of heaven. 19:10 And I want you to notice 19:11 that He's not coming to the earth. 19:14 He's not coming to this world. He's going somewhere else. 19:19 It says "Coming with the clouds of heaven! 19:21 He came..." 19:23 Notice carefully. 19:24 "To the Ancient of Days..." 19:26 In other words He came to his Father in heaven 19:29 "And they brought Him near before Him." 19:31 They brought Jesus on the cloud near the Father. 19:35 I want you to notice that He goes there 19:37 for a work of separation to establish 19:40 who the members of His kingdom are, 19:42 because it says in verse 14, 19:44 "Then to Him that is to Jesus 19:47 was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, 19:52 that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. 19:56 His dominion is an everlasting dominion, 19:59 which shall not pass away and His kingdom the one 20:02 which shall not be destroyed." 20:04 And if you read a little bit later on in Daniel 7 20:08 it says that when Jesus takes over the kingdom 20:11 it says the saints took over the kingdom when Jesus came. 20:16 The time came when the saints received the kingdom. 20:20 And so basically what Jesus does, 20:22 He goes to His Father in heaven, 20:24 seated on a cloud, 20:25 of course the cloud represents the angels. 20:27 He's got to perform a work of judgment. 20:29 He's gonna separate His people. 20:31 He's gonna show 20:32 who are the citizens of His kingdom. 20:34 And then when He finishes that work, 20:37 we will have the group of those 20:39 who keep the commandments of God, 20:40 those who have the seal of God, 20:42 which are represented as the harvest of the earth 20:46 and they're symbolically portrayed 20:48 as being in the city of Jerusalem. 20:52 But there is another group 20:53 which are referred to as the grapes 20:56 and those are symbolically portrayed 20:58 as being outside the city, they are the ones 21:01 who received the mark of the beast, 21:03 they're called the grapes in Scripture. 21:06 They are the ones who rejected the commandments of God, 21:10 those who refused the seal of God, 21:12 those who preferred to keep 21:14 the day of rest that was changed 21:16 by the Roman Catholic papacy as we've studied. 21:20 Now let's read about this group in Revelation 14:17-20. 21:26 This is the other harvest. 21:27 This is the harvest of the wicked 21:29 or the separation of the wicked. 21:32 It says there in verse 17, 21:34 "Then another angel came out of the temple..." 21:37 And I don't really have time 21:38 to show you that, that word temple, 21:40 the Greek word nous is really referring 21:43 to the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary. 21:46 It's not talking about all of the heavenly sanctuary. 21:49 It's talking about the most holy place of the sanctuary. 21:52 So it says, "Then another angel came out of the temple 21:56 which is in heaven..." 21:57 This is very clearly happening in heaven. 21:59 "He also having a sharp sickle." 22:02 You see He's also gonna harvest. 22:05 And it continue saying, 22:06 "And another angel came from the altar, 22:09 who had power over fire..." 22:11 Now this altar is the altar of incense 22:14 which was in the holy place of the sanctuary. 22:17 And basically what the priest did 22:18 was that he would put fire into a censer 22:21 and he would also put incense into it 22:24 and the Bible says that as he was wading the censer 22:27 before the Lord, he was interceding before God, 22:32 he was presenting the prayers of the saints before God. 22:36 That is a fire that is spoken of, 22:38 that is the fire and the altar that has been spoken about here 22:43 in Revelation 14:18. 22:47 But I want you to notice 22:48 that something is going to happen 22:50 with that fire in the censer. 22:53 There's a time coming 22:54 when the censer is not going to intercede anymore. 22:57 It's actually going to be thrown to the ground 22:59 and fire will come out of it, fire to destroy. 23:03 It says in verse 18 once again. 23:05 "And another angel came out from the altar 23:07 who had power over fire 23:11 and he cried with a loud voice to him 23:13 who had the sharp sickle saying, 23:15 ''Thrust in your sharp sickle and now notice 23:19 and gather the clusters of the wine of the earth... 23:22 " Notice once again that the harvest 23:24 is not over in the Middle East. 23:25 It's not in a little valley next to Jerusalem. 23:28 It says here that He is supposed 23:31 to thrust in his sharp sickle 23:33 and gather the clusters of the wine of the earth 23:37 and then notice it says, 23:38 "For her grapes are fully ripe." 23:41 In other words this means 23:44 that the wicked are fully wicked. 23:46 They wouldn't ever become righteous 23:48 if God gave them another million years, 23:50 they are fully and totally and completely wicked. 23:54 And so now comes the harvest of the wicked 23:57 who are represented as absolutely ripe grapes 24:01 and the Bible tells us 24:02 that they are gathered all over the earth 24:04 because the clusters of the wine are on the earth. 24:07 Notice verse 19. 24:09 "So the angel thrust his sickle into the earth..." 24:12 See there it is again. 24:14 It's universal, it's worldwide. 24:16 "So the angel thrust his sickle into the earth 24:18 and gathered the wine of the earth..." 24:21 There it is again, 24:22 gathered the wine of the earth and now notice, 24:24 "And threw it into the great winepress 24:28 of the wrath of God." 24:31 Now this directly connects with a third angel's message 24:35 because the third angel's message says 24:36 that whoever worships the beast, 24:39 which we've already identified 24:41 as Roman Catholic papacy as a system, 24:44 and whoever worships His image, 24:48 which basically is, 24:49 when the United States of America 24:51 joins church and state 24:53 and sets up a system similar to the one 24:56 that the papacy had during the Middle Ages. 24:58 And whoever receives his mark, 25:00 the mark of the beast we've already studied carefully 25:03 from the Bible represents the counterfeit day of worship, 25:06 whoever worships the beast, his image or receive his mark, 25:11 it says the same shall drink the wine of the wrath of God 25:16 which is poured out without mixture 25:18 into the cup of his indignation. 25:21 So in other words, we find here the moment 25:23 when the wicked have already made their decisions, 25:26 they've already rejected the seal of God, 25:29 they've accepted the mark of the beast 25:31 and now they're harvested as grapes 25:33 and the punishment of God is gonna fall upon them. 25:38 And so it says that he threw it 25:40 into the great winepress of the wrath of God.'' 25:45 Now we need to understand that this entire passage 25:48 of Revelation 14:14-20 actually comes 25:53 from an Old Testament passage in the Book of Joel. 25:57 So if you've your Bibles, 25:58 I invite you to go with me to the Book of Joel 3 26:03 and we're going to read verses 9-12. 26:06 Now tell me-- let me tell you 26:07 what the picture is here. 26:09 The picture here is, of God's people gathered 26:12 in the city of Jerusalem 26:15 and the wicked nations that surround Jerusalem 26:19 are coming to the valley of Jehoshaphat 26:21 which was just outside the city of Jerusalem 26:24 and they're coming there with the intention of slayings 26:27 those who are found within the city. 26:30 But then we're told that God will intervene 26:33 and He will pour out His wrath upon the wicked 26:36 and He will deliver His people. 26:38 That's the context of what we find in Joel 3. 26:43 So let's begin reading at verse 9. 26:46 Proclaim this among the nations: 26:50 "Prepare for war!" 26:52 Notice that the nations are coming for war. 26:55 "Wake up but mighty men, 26:58 let all the men of war draw near, 27:02 let them come up. 27:04 Beat your plowshares into swords 27:07 and your pruning hooks into spears. 27:10 Let the weak say, ''I am strong.''' 27:14 Assemble and come, all you nations 27:17 and gather together all around..." 27:20 And I want you to notice then 27:22 that the wicked are all gathering 27:24 around the city of Jerusalem. 27:26 But notice that the wicked are not the only ones 27:29 who are gathered there. 27:31 Because it continues saying in verse 11 27:35 speaking about God 27:36 "Cause your mighty ones to go down there, O Lord." 27:43 And so we have two group of, that are fighting in this war. 27:51 You have the nations 27:52 that are coming against Jerusalem 27:54 and you have the mighty ones of God 27:57 that are coming there as well. 27:59 Notice verse 12, "Let the nations be wakened, 28:04 come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat..." 28:06 Which as I mentioned is a valley 28:08 outside the city of Jerusalem. 28:10 And then notice, 28:11 "For there I will sit to judge all the nations." 28:16 Put in the sickle for the harvest is ripe, 28:20 come go down for their wickedness is great, 28:24 multitudes, multitudes in the valley a decision 28:28 for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision." 28:32 Now you notice that in the Old Testament 28:34 when God was dealing with literal Israel. 28:37 You're talking about the literal city of Jerusalem 28:40 and you're talking about 28:41 the literal Valley of Jehoshaphat, 28:44 but when you come to the Book of Revelation 28:46 the Valley of Jehoshaphat is universalized or globalized 28:50 because we're told there that it includes 28:53 the whole earth, we already read it. 28:55 And Jerusalem no longer is the little Jerusalem 28:58 in the Middle East. 28:59 Jerusalem is God's world wide people 29:03 that are gathered every place on planet Earth. 29:06 And the Bible says 29:07 that they are going to be two groups. 29:09 There's gonna be God's faithful people 29:11 who have the seal of God gathered spiritually 29:13 in Jerusalem but all over the world 29:16 and then you're gonna have Babylon, 29:18 those who have the mark of the beast, 29:20 they're also gathered surrounding God's people 29:23 all over the world 29:24 with the intention of destroying them. 29:26 By the way you remember in Revelation 13, 29:30 it says that those who do not worship the beast 29:32 or receive the mark, first of all 29:34 they would be forbidden from buying and selling 29:37 and then in Revelation 13:15 it says, 29:40 "That whoever does not receive 29:41 the mark of the beast should be killed." 29:44 In other words, the powers of the earth, 29:46 the nations of the earth are going to gather 29:48 against God's people who keep the commandments of God, 29:51 who have the seal of God 29:53 and who are faithful to the Lord and God's people 29:57 are as gathered spiritually in Jerusalem, 30:00 the wicked are gathered spiritually in Babylon. 30:03 You know, I find it very interesting 30:05 that many commentators on Bible prophecy say 30:09 that Babylon at the end of time is not really literal Babylon. 30:13 Babylon represents Rome or spiritual Rome 30:18 or the papacy which is global worldwide system. 30:21 But they're not consistent. 30:22 They don't follow up on that, 30:24 because if Babylon is worldwide or global, 30:27 then Jerusalem which Babylon comes against 30:31 must also be global and worldwide. 30:34 You can have it both ways. 30:36 They're either literal both of them 30:39 or they're spiritual both of them. 30:42 And then notice verse 14 30:44 "Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision, 30:47 for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision." 30:51 And now notice what's going to happen in that day. 30:53 "The sun and moon will grow dark, 30:56 and the stars will diminish their brightness." 30:58 These are signs when Jesus comes according to Matthew 24. 31:02 "The Lord also will roar from Zion, 31:06 and utter His voice from Jerusalem, 31:08 the heavens and earth will shake but the Lord..." 31:12 Notice this "Will be a shelter for His people, 31:16 and the strength of the children of Israel." 31:19 Why would God need to be the shelter for His people 31:22 and the strength for the children of Israel? 31:24 Because according to this passage 31:25 and Revelation 14, 31:27 the wicked who have the mark of the beast 31:29 who follow the beast, 31:30 who worship his image are coming against God's people 31:33 to destroy them all over the world. 31:36 Notice verse 17, 31:37 "So you shall know that I am the Lord your God, 31:42 Dwelling in Zion My holy mountain. 31:44 Then Jerusalem shall be holy, 31:46 And no aliens shall ever pass through her again." 31:50 The expression pass through her means attack her 31:53 and tried to destroy her and pillage her. 31:56 Verse 18, "And it will come to pass in that day that..." 32:00 And this is speaking about once Jesus comes, 32:02 once you have the new heavens in the north it says, 32:05 "And it will come to pass in that day 32:07 that the mountains shall drip with new wine, 32:10 the hills shall flow with milk, 32:13 and all the brooks of Judah shall be flooded with water, 32:17 a fountain shall flow from the house of the Lord 32:20 and water the Valley of Acacias." 32:23 Egypt shall be a desolation. 32:25 These are enemies of God's people 32:27 and Edom a desolate wilderness, 32:30 because now notice why God is going to cause this 32:32 for the enemies of God's people it says, 32:34 "Because of the violence against the people of Judah, 32:39 for they have shed innocent blood in their land. 32:43 But Judah that is God's faithful people 32:45 shall abide forever, 32:47 and Jerusalem from generation to generation." 32:52 So this is the picture that we find in Revelation 14. 32:55 Revelation 14 is talking about three angels' messages 32:58 that go to the world. 33:00 These three messages are accompanied 33:02 by the power of God's Holy Spirit. 33:04 This powerful message 33:06 which is composed of three consecutive parts 33:09 divides the world into two groups, 33:11 the righteous and the wicked. 33:13 And Jesus in heaven separates 33:16 these two groups in heavenly judgment. 33:18 And then the door of probation closes. 33:21 The Bible tells us 33:23 that the wicked gather around Jerusalem 33:25 that is around God's people 33:27 all over the world symbolic Jerusalem, 33:29 because they're citizens of the New Jerusalem, 33:31 and they will have the intention 33:33 of destroying God's people, 33:34 but the Bible says that God will protect His people 33:38 and He will pour out His wrath 33:40 upon those who want to destroy them. 33:43 Now you'll notice in Revelation 14:20 33:46 that the winepress is located outside the city. 33:50 In other words, you have two groups, 33:52 the righteous are inside the city 33:54 and the wicked are outside the city. 33:56 Those who have the seal of God are inside. 33:58 Those who have the mark of the beast are outside. 34:01 Let's read that verse, Revelation 14:20. 34:05 "And the winepress which is, 34:07 where the wrath of God is poured out, 34:10 was trampled outside the city... " 34:13 Notice that the wicked never destroy those 34:15 who are with God in the city, 34:17 spiritually with God all over the world. 34:20 It says "And the winepress was trampled outside the city 34:24 and blood came out of the winepress..." 34:26 These are not literal grapes. 34:28 Your grape juice looks like blood 34:30 and so you're using a symbol here, 34:32 it says "And blood came out of the winepress, 34:35 up to the horses' bridles, 34:37 for one thousand six hundred furlongs." 34:40 You say, now wait a minute what language is that? 34:44 Suddenly you have here that outside the holy city 34:48 horses are coming and the horses 34:51 are trampling the winepress which represents the wicked 34:54 and the blood flows for 1600 furlongs, 34:58 the question is which is this city 35:01 and who is riding on these white horses? 35:05 Well, the fact is that we have to go 35:07 to the Book a Revelation to answer these two questions 35:10 which is this city 35:12 and who is sitting on this white horse 35:15 and who are sitting on white horses 35:17 that trample upon the wicked 35:19 or destroy the wicked so to speak. 35:22 Let's go to Revelation 19:11-21. 35:27 You find here a context of war. 35:30 On one side you have the dragon, 35:33 the beast and the false prophet. 35:36 And they are arrayed to fight against Jesus 35:40 who is coming with the heavenly host from heaven. 35:44 So you have a battle here of Christ 35:47 and His angels against the powers 35:49 that are mentioned in the third angel's message. 35:52 Notice Revelation 19:11. 35:55 "Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. 36:00 And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, 36:04 and in righteousness He judges and makes war." 36:08 So notice the one who is seated 36:09 on the White Horse comes to make war. 36:12 Why would he come to make war? 36:14 Folks, it's simply 36:15 because these powers the dragon, the beast 36:19 and the false prophet want to destroy God's people. 36:22 The Bible tells us 36:23 that the dragon is in rage with a woman 36:26 and he goes to make war against the remnant of her seed 36:29 because they keep the commandments of God 36:32 and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. 36:35 The third angel says, 36:37 'here is the patience of the Saints, 36:39 here are they who keep the commandments of God 36:42 and the faith of Jesus." 36:44 And then immediately you have this scene 36:46 of Revelation 14:14-20. 36:49 So the final battle has to do with God's commandments. 36:52 It has to do with worship. 36:54 It has to do with whether you are obedient to God 36:57 or disobedient to God. 36:59 Notice verse 12. 37:00 This individual on the horse is identified. 37:03 "His eyes were like a flame of fire, 37:06 and on His head were many crowns." 37:09 The word Diademata 37:11 which is the crown of a king and it says, 37:16 "He had a name written 37:18 that no one knew except Himself." 37:22 He was clothed with the robe dipped in blood. 37:25 We'll come back to that in a few moments. 37:27 So the one who is on the White Horse 37:28 comes with the robe dipped in blood 37:31 and his name is called the word of God. 37:35 Very clearly Jesus Christ. 37:37 Verse 14 and the armies in heaven, 37:39 you see He doesn't come by himself, 37:41 He comes with other beings 37:43 with the angels on white horses. 37:45 So it says, "And the armies in heaven, 37:48 clothed in fine linen, white and clean, 37:51 followed Him on white horses." 37:54 Now we know who's sitting on the horses 37:58 that trample the winepress. 38:00 It's Jesus Christ and His angels 38:03 who are coming to rescue God's people 38:05 because the nations of the earth 38:07 are about to annihilate them. 38:11 I'm not speculating. Notice verse 15. 38:14 "Now out of His mouth..." 38:15 That is of the one who seated on the White Horse. 38:17 "Goes a sharp sword..." 38:20 Which is symbolic of His word. 38:22 "That with it He should strike the nations. 38:25 And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron." 38:29 And now noticed this. 38:31 "He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness 38:36 and wrath of Almighty God." 38:38 So the one on the White Horse 38:40 and those who accompany him on white horses 38:43 are coming to do what? 38:44 They're coming to trample on the winepress. 38:48 This in Revelation 19 is an explanation 38:51 of Revelation 14:20 38:53 where it speaks about the horses trampling 38:57 the winepress outside the city 38:59 and blood coming out of the winepress." 39:01 It's a symbolic portrayal of Jesus coming 39:04 to destroy the wicked 39:05 because they want to destroy His people 39:08 who are in a covenant relationship with Him. 39:11 And then notice verse 16 and He has, 39:15 the one on the White Horse Jesus 39:17 "And He has on His robe 39:19 and on His thigh a name written. 39:22 King of Kings and Lord of Lords." 39:26 And now notice who is coming to fight against. 39:29 It says, "And I saw the beast, 39:32 the kings of the earth, and their armies," 39:36 and in a little bit later you got to see 39:38 that the false prophet is there too 39:39 "And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, 39:42 and their armies..." 39:43 These are the same powers 39:44 that are mentioned in the third angel's message. 39:47 "Gathered together to make war against Him 39:50 who sat on the horse and against His army." 39:54 So this war is between Christ and His angels 39:58 and the wicked and the armies of the earth. 40:02 And then it says in verse 20. 40:04 "Then the beast was captured, 40:06 and with him the false prophet." 40:09 You see, there's the powers that are mentioned 40:10 in the third angel's message. 40:12 Who work signs in his presence, by which he deceives those 40:16 who receive the mark of the beast 40:17 and those who worship his image. 40:19 These two were cast alive into the lake of fire 40:24 burning with brimstone, 40:26 that's in the third angel's message too, 40:28 it says whoever receives the mark of the beast 40:30 and worships the beach 40:31 will be punished with fire and brimstone the wrath of God. 40:36 So we know that this scene is connected 40:39 with the third angel's message. 40:40 Verse 21 and the rest that is the remnant 40:43 those who are still left 40:45 after the initial coming of Jesus it says, 40:48 "And the rest were killed 40:50 with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him 40:52 who sat on the horse 40:54 and all the birds were filled with their flesh." 40:57 That is when Jesus actually arrives on planet Earth. 41:01 there's only a remnant to destroy 41:03 because before this the plagues have decimated 41:06 and destroyed many of the people on planet Earth. 41:09 And when Jesus comes there's only a remnant 41:12 left to be destroyed. 41:13 Now, you'll notice that the Bible portrays 41:16 Jesus symbolically as being clothed 41:19 with a robe dipped in blood. 41:21 In other words with the red robe. 41:22 Now, this is not saying that when Jesus comes, 41:25 He's going to come with His blood to save people. 41:29 Although it's true 41:30 that He is gonna save His people from annihilation. 41:33 The Bible explains that the reason 41:36 why Jesus is clothed in red garments 41:39 is because Jesus is coming to trample upon the winepress. 41:44 Now I don't know if you know what a winepress is, 41:47 but basically in some places in Italy 41:50 they still do it the old way. 41:51 They put the ripe grapes in... 41:55 great big pool like structure you might say 41:58 and then they get inside and they start stepping 42:01 on the grapes to make the wine and that's the winepress. 42:04 And by the way the Bible says that sometimes they sang songs 42:07 as they were trampling on the grapes. 42:09 And of course as they trample on the grapes 42:12 the grapes splattered and their clothing got read 42:16 because they were trampling upon the grapes. 42:18 This is the image, the image is that Jesus 42:21 is coming to destroy those who would destroy His people. 42:24 It says in Isaiah 63 42:26 where this imagery comes from verses 1-4 42:30 "Who is this who comes from Edom, 42:33 With dyed garments from Bozrah, 42:37 This One who is glorious in His apparel, 42:40 Traveling in the greatness of His strength?" 42:43 Here comes the answer. 42:44 "I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save." 42:49 So who is this that is coming according to this? 42:52 "From Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah, 42:56 who is glorious in His apparel." 42:58 It says-- God answers 42:59 "I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save." 43:02 And then the question is asked, why is your apparel red? 43:06 That is why is your clothing red? 43:08 And your garments like one who treads the winepress. 43:11 You see there it is, His garments are red 43:13 because he treads the winepress and then He explains why. 43:17 "I have trodden the winepress alone," 43:20 because Jesus came 43:21 and He suffered the wrath of God. 43:23 He drank the cup of God's wrath. 43:26 He did it for everyone on planet Earth. 43:28 But if you refuse to accept Jesus Christ 43:31 who drank the cup of God's wrath in your place, 43:34 then we must drink the wrath of God, 43:39 the wine of the wrath of God ourselves. 43:41 And Jesus doesn't want anyone to go through that. 43:44 He wants everyone to repent and to come to Jesus 43:47 that they might experience salvation. 43:49 And so it says in verse 3. 43:51 "I have trodden the winepress alone, 43:54 and from the people's no one was with Me." 43:57 Because Jesus suffered basically by Himself. 44:00 And then it says "For I have trodden them in My anger, 44:03 And trampled them in My fury." 44:05 This is talking about 44:06 what's gonna happen in the future. 44:08 Not literally but symbolically. 44:10 It's talking about the destruction of the wicked. 44:12 And it says, "Their blood is sprinkled upon My garments, 44:16 And I have stained all My robes. 44:19 For the day of vengeance is in My heart, 44:21 And the year of My redeemed has come." 44:26 So notice that He's coming to save His redeemed. 44:29 Now some people say well, 44:30 Pastor Bore this is kind of a gory description. 44:33 You mean Jesus is gonna come to destroy the wicked. 44:37 How can a loving Jesus destroy the wicked? 44:39 Let me explain 44:41 so that you can understand a little bit better. 44:43 John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world 44:47 that He gave His only begotten Son." 44:49 In other words, Jesus came to this world 44:52 to suffer for every single sin 44:55 there has ever been committed on planet Earth. 44:58 Basically on the cross Jesus paid the penalty for every sin 45:02 that has been committed, is being committed 45:05 and will be committed in the future. 45:07 And so you say, wait, 45:09 well, then everyone is going to be saved. 45:11 No, because the same verse says that 45:14 "Whosoever believes in Him should not perish 45:18 but have everlasting life." 45:19 In other words we must claim what Jesus did for us. 45:22 We must claim the gift that He paid for, 45:26 and if we don't we will perish. 45:28 It says there in John 3:16 not only that God 45:31 so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, 45:35 but it also says that whosoever believes in him 45:38 should not perish but have everlasting life. 45:41 You see, folks, what's going to happen at the end of time, 45:43 according to the description of Revelation 45:46 is that the wicked 45:47 who are gathered all over the world 45:49 who have the mark of the beast. 45:51 In other words they've chosen 45:52 to be disobedient to God's commandments 45:54 particularly the fourth commandment 45:56 that says that we're supposed 45:57 to keep the Sabbath as God's day of rest. 45:59 The Bible says 46:01 that they are gonna gather in the winepress 46:03 which symbolically represents the place where God's-- 46:06 where the wicked are gathering against God's people 46:09 and this will be on a global scale. 46:11 They will be gathered against those have the seal of God, 46:14 against those who keep the commandments of God, 46:16 who are faithful to God, 46:18 who keep his Holy Sabbath even in the face of death. 46:23 Now what would you expect? 46:25 Would you expect Jesus Christ to simply allow the wicked 46:29 to destroy His people 46:30 and to blot them up from the Earth? 46:33 Or do you suppose that if His people have formed 46:36 a covenant with Jesus, if they've received Jesus, 46:39 if they're faithful to Him. 46:40 They keep His commandments, do you think that God 46:43 in order to be faithful to His covenant 46:45 would have to intervene and destroy those 46:48 who want to destroy them, so that he could save them. 46:51 Of course. 46:52 Jesus gave those who want destroy His people 46:55 the opportunity to be saved. 46:57 But they've rejected the opportunity. 46:59 The issues became very clear. 47:01 The seal of God was clearly understood 47:04 to represent the observance of God's Holy Sabbath. 47:07 The mark of the beast was clearly understood 47:10 as observing the day that was changed 47:11 by the Roman Catholic papacy. 47:13 The issues were clear to everyone on planet Earth 47:17 and yet some people in the fullness of light 47:20 chose to continue keeping the day of rest 47:23 that God did not established from the very beginning. 47:28 And so basically Jesus has to come to this Earth 47:31 to destroy the wicked because if He doesn't 47:34 the wicked will destroy the people of Jesus. 47:37 I might give you an example. 47:39 In the Old Testament the model shepherd 47:41 of course besides God who is the model shepherd 47:45 but humanly speaking, the good shepherd 47:48 in the Old Testament was David. 47:50 He was conceived to be the model shepherd 47:53 or the ideal shepherd. 47:54 You know, when a lion or a bear 47:57 came to kill one of the little lambs of David, 48:01 what did David do? 48:04 Well, you know what he did. 48:05 The Bible says that he would go after the bear 48:07 and he would go after the lion and he would attack 48:10 the bear and lion and he would kill them, 48:12 so that they would not kill his little lamb. 48:15 Do you think that David did right? 48:17 You know, David could say, well, you know, 48:19 the fight of a lion and the bear 48:20 is against the lamp that doesn't have 48:22 anything to do with me, let them kill the lamb. 48:25 That wouldn't be very nice, would it? 48:27 Because the lamb was David's lamb. 48:30 And in order for the lamb to survive, 48:33 it was necessary for David to intervene and destroy 48:36 the lion and the bear 48:37 that wanted to destroy his little lamb. 48:40 And so it is at the end of time, 48:42 God is gonna have a people there are His sheep, 48:45 they are His lambs, 48:46 they have the seal of God on their foreheads 48:49 and yet the wicked like roaring lions will come 48:52 and want to destroy the people of Jesus. 48:54 So Jesus will say, hey, don't you touch my lambs, 48:59 don't you destroy my lambs. 49:00 If you try and destroy them, 49:02 I am going to become involved in the battle. 49:06 The Bible says that Jesus is the head 49:09 and His church is the body. 49:10 Listen when the wicked come to attack the body of Jesus, 49:14 they're really attacking the head, 49:15 they're attacking Jesus and Jesus has to intervene 49:19 to deliver His people 49:20 because He needs to be faithful to His covenant. 49:23 His people have formed 49:24 a covenant relationship with Him. 49:28 Now let's read Jeremiah 25:30 to 38 49:32 where we have an additional picture 49:34 of this winepress symbolism. 49:37 It says in verse 30, 49:39 "Therefore prophesy against them all these words, 49:44 and say to them, 'The Lord will roar from on high, 49:50 and utter His voice from His holy habitation, 49:53 He will roar mightily against His fold. 49:57 He will give a shout...'" 49:59 You remember that when Jesus comes 50:00 in 1 Thessalonians 4, He will give a shout, 50:02 He will speak with the voice of the archangel? 50:05 So it says, "He will roar mightily against His foe. 50:08 He will give a shout, as those notice this, 50:11 "as those who tread the grapes, 50:15 against all the inhabitants of the earth. 50:18 A noise will come to the ends of the earth, 50:20 For the Lord has a controversy with the nations, 50:23 He will plead His case with all flesh. 50:25 He will give those who are wicked 50:27 to the sword, says the Lord. 50:29 Thus says the Lord of hosts, 50:31 'Behold, disaster shall go forth 50:34 from one nation to another nation, 50:36 and a great whirlwind shall be raised up 50:38 from the farthest parts of the earth. 50:40 And at that day the slain of the Lord 50:43 shall be from one end of the earth 50:45 even to the other end of the earth. 50:47 They shall not be lamented, or gathered, or buried, 50:50 they shall become refuse on the ground." 50:53 And there's a special group 50:55 that God has a controversy with. 50:57 Notice what we find in verse 34 "Wail, shepherds, and cry. 51:04 Roll about in the ashes, you leaders of the flock!" 51:07 He's talking about the leaders of Israel 51:09 the ministers of Israel. 51:11 "For the days of your slaughter 51:12 and your dispersions are fulfilled, 51:15 You shall fall like a precious vessel. 51:18 And the shepherds will have no way to flee, 51:21 nor the leaders of the flock to escape." 51:24 Notice that God's controversy is against those 51:27 who did not protect their sheep, 51:29 those who perhaps even deceive their sheep, 51:32 those who told their sheep that the law was nailed 51:35 to the cross that it's not necessary 51:37 for Christians to keep the Sabbath 51:39 because it was for the Jews. 51:40 It says in verse 36. 51:42 "A voice of the cry of the shepherds, 51:45 and a wailing of the leaders to the flock will be heard. 51:49 For the Lord has plundered their pasture, 51:51 and the peaceful dwellings are cut down 51:53 because of the fierce anger of the Lord. 51:56 He has left His lair like the lion, 51:59 For their land is desolate 52:01 because of the fierceness of the Oppressor, 52:03 and because of His fierce anger." 52:07 These are vivid pictures 52:09 of the destruction of the wicked 52:10 who want to destroy God's people, 52:12 who have formed a covenant relationship with God. 52:16 Now we need to deal with one final thing 52:18 before we bring this to an end. 52:20 What about 1,600 Stadia? 52:24 Allow me to read you first of all a statement 52:26 this is not from the Bible, 52:27 it's from the Apocrypha but it shows 52:30 that the imagery of horses treading a winepress 52:33 and wading in blood is a common symbol 52:36 that was used back in that time. 52:38 It says in 1 Enoch 100:3 by the way this is an inspired, 52:43 I'm just showing you that this kind of conception existed 52:46 in the times that John wrote. 52:49 It says "The horse shall walk 52:52 through the blood of sinners up to his chest." 52:55 See that's very similar to Revelation 14. 52:57 "And the chariot shall sink down up to its top. 53:03 In those days the angels-- See that's the angels 53:05 that are doing this "In those days the angels 53:08 shall descend into the secret places. 53:10 They shall gather together into one place 53:13 all those who gave aid to sin." 53:15 And we know that's the winepress 53:17 "And the most High will arise 53:19 on that Day of Judgment in order to execute 53:22 a great judgment upon all the sinners." 53:26 So you have this imagery already contained 53:28 in these books from the time in which John wrote. 53:33 Now what about the 1,600 Stadia? 53:37 The fact is that the Bible in the Book of Revelation 53:41 specifically intensifies numbers 53:44 to represent that these numbers are not literal, 53:47 but they express something much greater 53:50 something which is universal. 53:53 Now 1,600 is 4 times 4 times 100. 53:59 Now number four is the number of universality, 54:02 the four angles of the earth. 54:04 But what John is doing 54:06 inspired by the Holy Spirit is intensifying the number 4, 54:09 he is multiplying 4 times 4 times 100 to express 54:14 the fact that the winepress covers the whole earth. 54:17 In fact the Bible does this also with 144,000. 54:21 The 144,000 is 12 times 12 times 1000. 54:26 In other words it represents 54:28 a much larger group than literally 144,000 people. 54:34 So basically the 1,600 stadia is a multiple of 4 intensified 54:40 which represents the fact that the wicked 54:43 will be found globally in the winepress 54:46 of the world surrounding God's faithful people 54:49 they're in spiritual Jerusalem on a global 54:52 or a worldwide scale. 54:55 Now there's an interesting commentary 54:57 made by Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown. 55:00 This is a very well known Bible commentary. 55:03 It's not written by Seventh-day Adventist, 55:06 but they grasped this idea that 1,600 represent 55:10 something that happens on a worldwide scale. 55:13 They say in their commentary this. 55:16 1,600 a square number 4X4X100 55:25 the four quarters they explain, 55:27 north, south, east and west of the Holy Land 55:32 or else of the world. 55:35 The universality of the worldwide 55:38 destruction being indicated. 55:41 And so basically they're saying that 1,600 stadia represents 55:46 an intensified number 4 symbolizing 55:50 the fact that this is gonna take place 55:53 on a global over a wide scale. 55:55 So it's not necessary for us 55:59 to look over to the literal Middle East 56:01 for the fulfillment of these prophecies. 56:04 The final issue is not Jews against the Russians 56:08 and the Arabs, or the Palestinians. 56:11 The final issue does not have to do 56:13 with the oil of the Middle East. 56:15 The final issues are not of a political nature. 56:19 The final issues are whether you have the seal of God 56:22 or the mark of the beast. 56:23 Whether you are obedient to the commandments of God 56:26 or whether you are disobedient. 56:27 Whether you worship God on His holy day 56:30 or whether you worship on the day 56:32 that the beast has established 56:33 as a counterfeit day of worship. 56:36 In other words, the final issues will not be material 56:39 or financial or economic, 56:41 they will have to do with deep spiritual issues. 56:45 Who do you obey? 56:47 Who do you worship will determine 56:50 on which side you are. 56:52 And I pray that as we come to an end of this study, 56:58 this fascinating study from Revelation 14:14-20 57:03 that all of us will make the decision to worship God, 57:08 to obey the commandments of God, 57:10 to keep His Holy Sabbath, not because we have to, 57:13 not because we're forced to, not in order to earn salvation, 57:17 but because we love Jesus and because we love Him, 57:22 we want to obey Him. |
Revised 2015-07-30