Welcome to Anchors Of Truth
from the 3ABN Worship Center.
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Decoding Apocalyptic
Prophecy with James Rafferty.
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Hell friends and welcome
to the 3ABN Worship Center
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for the beginning of
another Anchors series.
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If you've visited us
before or have tuned in for an
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Anchors series, you know that
we are anchored on the Rock,
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Christ Jesus,
first and foremost.
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And secondly, anchored
on the truth of God's Word.
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And I'm particularly excited
about the speaker because
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my name is James, his name is...
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My name is John,
sorry, his name is James.
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I just gave myself a new name.
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James and John.
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According to the
Bible, the son's of thunder.
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And tonight, he's going to
thunder forth the Word of God.
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The title of the
message tonight is, The Lamb.
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But the focus is the book of
Revelation, encased not in just
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the symbols and the signs there,
but the most powerful focus;
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the gospel of Jesus Christ.
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And so invite your
friends and family members
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to join you for this broadcast.
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You will not be disappointed.
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Also tomorrow
night at seven o'clock,
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and then Friday evening.
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And so for the next four nights
after this one, a total of five,
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Pastor James Rafferty
will share with us from the
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book of Revelation the
gospel of Jesus Christ.
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So thank you for
tuning in tonight.
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Before we go any further though,
we always like to invite the
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presence of God
to continue with us.
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So bow your heads as we seek
the Lord's power this evening.
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Heavenly Father, we thank You
for the goodness of Your Word.
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We thank You for the
power that is found therein.
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We also pray, Lord, tonight that
You'll connect our hearts and
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lives through the
work of Your Holy Spirit.
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Go forth and reach
around the world and unify us
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under the unction of the
power that is only capable
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as we open our hearts
and make ourselves available.
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We pray also a blessing
on Your manservant tonight.
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Anoint his lips, open his
mind, may he connect with heaven
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that earth may be blessed.
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And as we are blessed,
Father, we pray also a blessing
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on Your manservant
that Your name may be
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glorified and honored.
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In Jesus name we pray, amen.
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I'm also privileged tonight
to be able to share the music.
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I thought about a number of
songs, and one that comes to
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my mind, as a few days ago I was
reading the book of Ecclesiastes
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specifically the second chapter.
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And it talks about
how frivolous life is.
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All the accomplishments, all the
things we gather to ourselves,
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all the material wealth.
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When you really think
about it, the wise man says,
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"It's all vanity, vanity.
And a chasing after the wind."
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And so tonight as I minister
in music, I pray that your
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first decision and your
first choice outside of the
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wealth of this world will
be to give yourself to Christ
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and gain salvation, and
not the chasing of the wind.
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Every heart is
filled with longing
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to be free from
all life's pains.
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Yet the search
through earthly treasures
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always ends in vain.
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Only God who made the heavens
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can satisfy our souls.
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Apart from Him
and all His meaning
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all things fade as they begin.
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And hearts
deceived can only know
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the chasing of the wind.
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All
achievements, all possessions;
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all with time will turn to dust.
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But only God will be our reason
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for deep and quiet trust.
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He will guard
us from the dangers
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that will gladly make men fools.
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Apart from Him
and all His meaning
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all things fade as they begin.
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And hearts
deceived can only know
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the chasing of the wind,
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the chasing of the wind.
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Why do we live without Jesus?
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Why do we face another day?
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He is the life that sustains us,
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the only hope for us today.
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So tell me, why do we live,
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why do we live without Him?
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Amen.
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Why do we live without Jesus?
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Why do we live without Jesus?
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We don't, do we.
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Good evening.
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It is good to be
here this evening.
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I hope you brought
some Bibles with you.
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And you'll want to open up
to the last book of the Bible,
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the book of Revelation.
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We're going to be
studying that all week long.
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Revelation is the final
book of the New Testament.
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And I believe this book
has a very important message
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for the world today.
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What do you think?
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It sure does.
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Our series is called,
Decoding Apocalyptic Prophecy.
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Does that sound pretty intense?
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Decoding Apocalyptic Prophecy?
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I like that title.
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It seems a little complicated,
but basically what we're
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going to be doing this week for
the next five meetings together,
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sessions together, on pillars
of truth is we're going to be
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looking at the book of
Revelation and emphasizing
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specifically certain symbols.
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We don't have time
to go through all of the
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symbols in the
book of Revelation.
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So I've chosen
just a few choice ones.
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Tonight, we're
going to be looking at the
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symbol of the lamb.
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Tomorrow, we're going to
look at beasts and dragons.
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It can be scary
unless you've understood the
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symbol of the lamb first.
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Then we'll look at
the everlasting gospel.
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That will give us
kind of a reprieve
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from the beasts and the dragons.
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Then we'll look at Babylon.
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And then we'll
look at marks and seals.
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All of this, I think,
is going to come together
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in the context of what we're
going to be looking at tonight.
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Well let's begin
with our title, shall we?
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I think that's a good
place to start decoding.
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What does that word mean?
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To decode means to translate
from a code into the original
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language or form.
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The book of
Revelation was written in code.
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A secret code, if
you will. Symbols.
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And so we want to decode it.
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We want to take those
symbols and find out what they
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actually mean in
the original language.
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Alright, that's pretty simple.
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Apocalyptic.
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Now that's a little
bit more challenging.
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But the word is actually
the basis for "revelation."
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The word "revelation" is
"apocalypse" in the Greek.
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And
"apocalyptic" comes from that.
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Now there's a
different understanding of the
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word "apocalypse"
today, "revelation" today.
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It's kind of like...
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Well, I'm 50 years old.
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And when I say,
"That person is sick,"
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that means that the
person isn't feeling well.
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There's
something wrong with them.
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Their health is down.
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But my son, who's 20, when
he says, "That person is sick,"
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he has a
completely different meaning.
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He means, "That person is cool.
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Those guys are
really something."
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Words take on different meanings
even with different generations.
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I might say, "That
looks really tight."
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Meanings that you need to
loosen it up a little bit.
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Maybe the belt is too tight.
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My son would
say, "That is tight."
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He again means
something totally different.
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"That is cool. That
is really something."
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It's the same with
this word "apocalypse."
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The original meaning,
"revelation," is to uncover.
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It's to reveal, it's
to show us something.
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But when you look at
"apocalypse" or "apocalyptic"
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in relation to the way
the world views it today,
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well it means, widespread
devastation or ultimate doom.
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It is
catastrophic in its meaning
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in the minds of many people.
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So, many times when
people think about the book of
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Revelation, that's
what they think about.
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They think about doom,
they think about gloom.
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They think about very
negative events taking place
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on planet earth.
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So decoding, getting to the
original meaning of apocalyptic,
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the unveiling of or
the revelation of prophecy.
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Now what does that
word "prophecy" mean?
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Well, this third word
is probably the easiest
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to understand among the three.
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But it still needs definition
in context of the Bible.
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It simply means, to foretell.
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It means, to predict
something about the future
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under divine inspiration.
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We want to, in other words, we
want to go back to the original
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meaning of what God has
revealed about the future.
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Decoding apocalyptic prophecy.
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Pretty simple, isn't it?
00:12:24.26\00:12:25.63
I think if we can get
that, we can pretty much
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get the whole series.
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We want to basically understand
what God has originally show us
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about the future, what He has
unveiled to us about the future.
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Now, one of the ways
that we could summarize
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everything that we're
going to be covering this week
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is by looking at a verse in
the first book of the Bible.
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We're in the last book,
but if you go all the way back
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to the first book,
Genesis 3 and verse 15.
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If you look at this
verse, you're going to find that
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this verse is a summary, if
you will, if you want to be that
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simple, of the entire message
of the book of Revelation.
00:13:02.84\00:13:09.62
Now what do I mean by that?
00:13:09.65\00:13:11.02
Well, I believe the book
of Revelation is a summary
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of the entire Bible, of
the plan God has laid out
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and revealed to us in the Bible.
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And I believe that plan began in
Genesis chapter 3 and verse 15.
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So when we go back to
Genesis chapter 3 and verse 15,
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we have what most of us
understand to be the very
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first promise
given to us in the Bible.
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And this is a prophetic promise.
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Notice what it says
here in Genesis 3:15.
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God is speaking, "And I
will put enmity between thee
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and the woman..."
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"Thee," being
Satan or the serpent.
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"...between thy
seed and her seed;
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it shall bruise thy head,
and thou shalt bruise his heel."
00:14:00.28\00:14:05.36
Now this prophecy, the very
first one given in the Bible
00:14:05.73\00:14:09.07
after the fall of Adam and
Eve, this prophecy is speaking
00:14:09.10\00:14:12.95
specifically about the
conflict that was to take place
00:14:12.98\00:14:17.39
between the woman;
God's church, God's people,
00:14:17.42\00:14:21.63
Adam and Eve, and the serpent;
the devil, the one that led
00:14:21.66\00:14:25.41
them into sin.
00:14:25.44\00:14:26.81
And the enmity
that is promised...
00:14:27.31\00:14:29.12
Well that word
actually might surprise you.
00:14:29.15\00:14:31.29
It means hatred.
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Hatred.
00:14:35.39\00:14:36.76
God has put a place in
the Christian experience,
00:14:36.99\00:14:42.42
in the experience of
men and women, for hatred
00:14:42.45\00:14:44.70
towards things,
certain things in this earth.
00:14:44.73\00:14:47.12
Now I think that all of
us listening tonight can
00:14:47.15\00:14:51.03
understand this if
we think about what's
00:14:51.06\00:14:53.40
going on in our world today.
00:14:53.43\00:14:54.80
There are certain things that
most of us just naturally hate.
00:14:54.83\00:14:58.52
I hate the fact, on a smaller
level, that I went to the
00:14:58.83\00:15:04.65
gas station a week ago and paid
two dollars and twenty cents...
00:15:04.68\00:15:09.28
...and 20 cents...
00:15:10.29\00:15:11.84
...and a... ...two...
00:15:13.30\00:15:14.67
Three dollars and twenty cents.
00:15:15.26\00:15:16.63
Whoa, wait a minute.
00:15:16.66\00:15:18.03
That was 2006, wasn't it.
00:15:18.66\00:15:20.53
No, I know that because
I moved to Oregon in 2006
00:15:21.13\00:15:23.75
and gas was $2.15 a gallon.
00:15:23.78\00:15:26.11
I'll never forget that.
00:15:26.14\00:15:27.51
Maybe I will.
00:15:29.06\00:15:30.43
But anyway, last
week I paid $3.20, and now
00:15:30.46\00:15:34.57
I'm looking at $3.79,
$3.89, and $4.00 plus.
00:15:34.60\00:15:40.66
In a week's time.
00:15:40.69\00:15:42.10
So I hate that.
00:15:42.62\00:15:43.99
Why do I hate that?
00:15:44.26\00:15:45.63
Well not just because
it's taking money out of my
00:15:45.66\00:15:47.15
pocket that I
need for other things.
00:15:47.18\00:15:48.72
That's not the only reason.
00:15:48.75\00:15:50.12
The reason I hate that
is because I don't know what
00:15:50.15\00:15:52.91
the reason for it is.
00:15:52.94\00:15:54.45
And therefore, it makes me
think, "You know, this is pure
00:15:54.48\00:15:57.96
greed and selfishness."
00:15:57.99\00:15:59.63
And that's what I hate.
00:15:59.66\00:16:01.38
I hate
selfishness, I hate greed,
00:16:01.41\00:16:03.43
I hate pain, I hate
evil, I hate suffering.
00:16:03.46\00:16:06.09
I hate all the terrible
things that are going on
00:16:06.12\00:16:08.72
on planet earth today.
00:16:08.75\00:16:10.12
That is supernatural.
00:16:10.28\00:16:13.30
That hatred, that
enmity is supernatural.
00:16:13.73\00:16:17.46
God has promised to
put that in our hearts.
00:16:17.49\00:16:19.86
And there are many
people in this world today
00:16:20.16\00:16:22.17
who are looking out on
this world and they're saying,
00:16:22.20\00:16:23.86
"I hate the things
that are going on."
00:16:23.89\00:16:25.98
And sometimes we come
to the conclusion that we
00:16:26.91\00:16:29.45
must therefore hate God,
because He's the one that's
00:16:29.48\00:16:32.39
allowing all of these things.
00:16:32.42\00:16:34.13
But that's not the case.
00:16:34.16\00:16:35.53
God looks at us as we hate
the things that are evil and
00:16:35.56\00:16:39.28
wrong and unjust, and He says,
"Yes, now you know how I feel.
00:16:39.31\00:16:44.21
I hate those things too."
00:16:44.50\00:16:45.87
So this is what God has promised
in Genesis chapter 3 verse 15.
00:16:46.34\00:16:51.19
He's promised to put
this supernatural hatred,
00:16:51.22\00:16:54.03
because we love evil after the
fall naturally, in our hearts.
00:16:54.06\00:16:58.65
And He's promised to do that.
00:16:58.68\00:17:00.05
And also, He has
promised to bruise the head
00:17:00.08\00:17:04.21
of Satan, the serpent...
00:17:04.24\00:17:05.70
That means crush, destroy.
00:17:06.43\00:17:08.65
...while he afflicts the heel.
00:17:08.68\00:17:11.19
Now this promise is
fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
00:17:11.42\00:17:14.95
Genesis chapter 3 and
verse 15 is actually speaking
00:17:15.41\00:17:18.87
in broad terms, in big
brush strokes, of the entire
00:17:19.07\00:17:24.79
plan of salvation that
we have in the Bible that
00:17:24.82\00:17:27.40
summarizes or comes together
in the book of Revelation.
00:17:27.43\00:17:30.74
In the book of Revelation,
you have a basic picture
00:17:31.12\00:17:34.56
of Jesus, the devil, and us.
00:17:34.59\00:17:38.50
You have Jesus
rescuing us from the devil.
00:17:38.92\00:17:42.01
You have Jesus putting enmity
in our hearts against the devil.
00:17:42.04\00:17:45.11
You have Jesus pulling us out
of this horrible miry pit of sin
00:17:45.14\00:17:50.53
and placing us with
Him in heavenly places
00:17:50.73\00:17:53.76
and crushing the
devil under our feet.
00:17:53.79\00:17:55.84
That's what the book of
Revelation is all about.
00:17:55.87\00:17:58.14
That's what it's
communicating to us.
00:17:58.34\00:18:00.54
Now when we see this
picture in Revelation
00:18:00.57\00:18:06.63
everything else comes into
place, everything else settles
00:18:06.66\00:18:10.27
in its proper perspective.
00:18:10.30\00:18:11.91
We begin the book of Revelation
in Revelation chapter 1
00:18:11.94\00:18:15.72
and verse 3.
00:18:15.75\00:18:17.33
Excuse me, Revelation
chapter 1 and verse 1.
00:18:17.36\00:18:19.27
But we're going to
look at Revelation chapter 1
00:18:19.30\00:18:21.00
verses 1 through 3.
00:18:21.03\00:18:22.87
Revelation 1:1-3
00:18:22.90\00:18:24.77
Let's open our Bibles
there, Revelation 1:1-3.
00:18:26.91\00:18:29.72
"The Revelation of Jesus
Christ, which God gave unto him,
00:18:30.98\00:18:37.35
to shew unto his servants things
which must shortly come to pass;
00:18:37.38\00:18:42.01
and he sent and signified it..."
00:18:42.04\00:18:44.38
That is, He
symbolized it, He encoded it.
00:18:44.41\00:18:47.43
"...by his angel
unto his servant John.
00:18:47.46\00:18:50.73
Who bare record of the word
of God, and of the testimony
00:18:51.22\00:18:56.35
of Jesus Christ, and of
all things that he saw."
00:18:56.38\00:18:59.68
Verse 3, "Blessed is he
that readeth, and they that hear
00:19:00.34\00:19:06.08
the words of this
prophecy, and keep those things
00:19:06.11\00:19:08.67
which are written therein:
for the time is at hand."
00:19:08.70\00:19:14.32
These first three
verses begin our introduction
00:19:16.42\00:19:21.55
into this last book of
the Bible that is called,
00:19:21.58\00:19:23.84
the Revelation of Jesus Christ.
00:19:23.87\00:19:26.54
These first three verses
set the tone for what we should
00:19:27.21\00:19:30.09
except in this book.
00:19:30.12\00:19:32.08
What should we expect?
00:19:32.11\00:19:33.53
Well we should expect
that it's the revelation of...
00:19:33.56\00:19:36.11
...Jesus Christ.
00:19:37.08\00:19:38.48
However, because this book
is so vitally important to us
00:19:38.51\00:19:43.68
and the world, Satan
has sought to conceal it,
00:19:43.71\00:19:49.21
to mask it, to confuse it,
to give misunderstanding of it.
00:19:49.24\00:19:55.32
I was reading a blog
on CNN just recently.
00:19:56.58\00:20:01.96
They post a
religious blog on CNN.
00:20:02.38\00:20:04.71
And this blog was an interview
with a biblical scholar,
00:20:04.74\00:20:09.16
an expert on the Bible.
00:20:09.19\00:20:11.05
Specifically on
the book of Revelation.
00:20:11.08\00:20:12.94
And this expert was quoted
as saying that the book of
00:20:12.97\00:20:15.73
Revelation was
literally forced into the Bible,
00:20:15.76\00:20:19.19
into the canon.
00:20:19.82\00:20:21.19
That the book of
Revelation doesn't even talk
00:20:22.17\00:20:26.56
about Jesus Christ
dying for our sins.
00:20:26.59\00:20:30.69
That's what the scholar said.
00:20:30.72\00:20:32.31
That we don't even know who
wrote the book of Revelation.
00:20:32.61\00:20:35.42
And I thought to myself,
there is so much confusion
00:20:37.68\00:20:40.81
about the book of Revelation.
00:20:40.84\00:20:42.21
I have traveled, for the
last 30 years of ministry,
00:20:42.24\00:20:44.11
I have traveled to
South America and to Europe,
00:20:44.14\00:20:47.95
and I have traveled to
the Middle East and to Asia.
00:20:47.98\00:20:51.28
And everywhere I
go, people are afraid of
00:20:51.31\00:20:54.21
the book of Revelation.
00:20:54.24\00:20:55.61
Recently I was part
of a training school,
00:20:55.64\00:20:57.56
a three and a half
month training school with the
00:20:57.59\00:20:59.01
ARISE Institute, which is
part of Light Bearers Ministry.
00:20:59.04\00:21:01.42
And there was a young
student there who came to me and
00:21:01.79\00:21:03.84
she basically told
me, she said, "You know,"
00:21:03.87\00:21:05.64
she was raised a
Christian, she said, "You know,
00:21:06.78\00:21:08.41
I've never read the
book of Revelation."
00:21:08.44\00:21:11.43
Do you know why she's never
read the book of Revelation?
00:21:13.21\00:21:15.21
Do you know why people...
00:21:16.05\00:21:17.42
Because people are afraid
of the book of Revelation.
00:21:17.45\00:21:19.87
It's a scary book.
00:21:20.22\00:21:21.59
To a lot of
people it's a scary book.
00:21:21.62\00:21:23.16
And yet it says, it's the
revelation of Jesus Christ.
00:21:23.65\00:21:26.85
I got a tweet recently from
a friend of mine who works as a
00:21:28.03\00:21:32.85
mission outreach,
campus outreach at Harvard
00:21:33.24\00:21:35.87
out there in Boston.
00:21:35.90\00:21:37.27
And he said Al Gore was there.
00:21:37.30\00:21:38.92
He was standing right
next to Al Gore's security guy.
00:21:38.95\00:21:41.85
He said he felt really safe.
00:21:41.88\00:21:43.78
And Al Gore was preaching,
you know, sharing, talking about
00:21:43.81\00:21:46.93
climate control, global warming.
00:21:46.96\00:21:49.86
And Al Gore said
something like this;
00:21:50.29\00:21:52.29
the current disasters, natural
disasters taking place in our
00:21:53.47\00:21:57.36
world today is like a
nature walk through the
00:21:57.39\00:22:00.38
book of Revelation.
00:22:00.41\00:22:01.78
See, everyone is just
down on the book of Revelation.
00:22:02.33\00:22:04.88
Now I think
there's a reason for that.
00:22:04.91\00:22:08.82
I believe that there
is a certain somebody
00:22:08.85\00:22:12.55
who would rather not have us
read and study and understand
00:22:13.24\00:22:17.81
this book that God has blessed.
00:22:17.84\00:22:19.81
Once? No. Twice? No.
00:22:19.84\00:22:21.44
But three times.
00:22:21.47\00:22:22.90
That word "blessed," by
the way, is really interesting.
00:22:23.37\00:22:25.43
If you look up the original word
there in the Greek, it means,
00:22:25.46\00:22:27.70
to be happy, to have joy.
00:22:28.16\00:22:31.03
Now my wife was
raised in a Christian home.
00:22:31.35\00:22:34.50
And she was raised believing in
Jesus, baptized as a young girl.
00:22:34.53\00:22:39.56
And she remembers her
first Revelation seminar.
00:22:39.59\00:22:41.79
And when she went to
that Revelation seminar,
00:22:41.82\00:22:43.27
from that point on she
starting having nightmares
00:22:43.30\00:22:45.61
about beasts, about dragons.
00:22:45.92\00:22:47.29
I was in Pakistan and
my translator told me that
00:22:47.32\00:22:49.34
when he started
reading the book of Revelation,
00:22:49.37\00:22:51.73
his father, who was
an elder in the church,
00:22:51.76\00:22:54.21
and the local pastor
came to him and said,
00:22:54.24\00:22:56.63
"Listen, don't read
the book of Revelation.
00:22:56.66\00:22:59.02
If you read this
book, scary beasts will come
00:22:59.05\00:23:01.67
to take you at night."
00:23:01.70\00:23:03.07
True, I heard it
with my own hears.
00:23:04.42\00:23:06.34
So I believe that this
book has been misunderstood.
00:23:06.79\00:23:10.33
Have you ever
been misunderstood?
00:23:10.36\00:23:12.21
You know what it's
like to be misunderstood?
00:23:13.31\00:23:15.22
You know what it's like
when you communicate something
00:23:15.52\00:23:17.39
and your husband says,
"What was that you said to me?"
00:23:17.42\00:23:19.31
"Honey, honey,
honey. Careful, careful."
00:23:20.44\00:23:22.64
I was sitting in St.
Louis late last night.
00:23:22.91\00:23:25.58
I got rerouted because our
plane had mechanical problems.
00:23:25.61\00:23:29.56
No, it was weather problems.
00:23:29.59\00:23:30.96
No. What kind of
problems it was, I don't know.
00:23:30.99\00:23:32.54
They don't tell us anymore.
00:23:32.57\00:23:33.94
And so I missed that connection
and so I got in really late.
00:23:34.01\00:23:37.27
You know, you get into
the airport late and you start
00:23:37.30\00:23:39.01
observing people and you
see some really cranky people.
00:23:39.04\00:23:41.47
There was this one guy and
he was asking this baggage guy
00:23:41.50\00:23:45.24
about where to find his bag.
00:23:45.27\00:23:47.00
And the guy misunderstood him
and this guy got really upset.
00:23:47.03\00:23:50.17
Pretty soon voices were raised,
tempers were flaring, you know.
00:23:50.20\00:23:54.21
And I thought, oh it is
so easy to be misunderstood.
00:23:54.24\00:23:58.16
Now I believe that is
what's going on in the
00:23:58.68\00:24:01.18
book of Revelation.
00:24:01.21\00:24:02.58
It's not the revelation
of Jesus to many people.
00:24:02.61\00:24:04.63
It's the
revelation of the dragon.
00:24:04.66\00:24:06.03
It's the
revelation of the beast.
00:24:06.06\00:24:07.43
It's the
revelation of the antichrist.
00:24:07.46\00:24:08.83
It's the revelation
of beasts and dragons and
00:24:08.86\00:24:10.98
judgments and plagues.
00:24:11.01\00:24:12.47
"Stay away from
that book, it's scary."
00:24:12.67\00:24:14.81
So what I'm thinking is
that tonight we can begin
00:24:16.22\00:24:21.48
our journey through the
book of Revelation with a
00:24:21.80\00:24:24.30
completely different emphasis.
00:24:24.33\00:24:26.31
One that I think
is going to change our
00:24:26.51\00:24:28.86
understanding of the book.
00:24:28.89\00:24:30.60
And then in that context we can
focus on these other symbols,
00:24:30.63\00:24:39.02
these other prophetic pictures
that are also in there and
00:24:39.05\00:24:41.64
very vital, like dragons
and beasts and marks and seals.
00:24:41.67\00:24:45.52
I think that...
00:24:45.97\00:24:47.34
Well let me put it
in words of that hymn.
00:24:47.37\00:24:49.57
Anywhere with
Jesus I can safely go.
00:24:50.75\00:24:55.62
Anywhere with
Jesus I can safely go.
00:24:56.02\00:24:58.48
So if we can find Jesus
first in the book of Revelation,
00:24:58.76\00:25:02.98
then we can
safely go anywhere else.
00:25:03.01\00:25:05.40
And it won't be difficult.
00:25:05.43\00:25:06.80
I don't know if you're aware
of this, but the first time
00:25:07.01\00:25:10.20
that a beast is mentioned
in the book of Revelation
00:25:10.23\00:25:12.31
is close to the
second half of the book.
00:25:12.34\00:25:14.58
Revelation 11, then
Revelation 12 and 13.
00:25:14.61\00:25:16.89
There's no beast, at least
not a bad one, mentioned in
00:25:16.92\00:25:19.43
the first half of the book.
00:25:19.46\00:25:20.83
The first half of the
book of Revelation is really
00:25:21.12\00:25:23.96
all about Jesus.
00:25:23.99\00:25:26.07
That's really what it's about.
00:25:26.10\00:25:28.04
In fact, the symbol of the
lamb is the most repeated symbol
00:25:28.07\00:25:32.41
in the book of Revelation.
00:25:32.44\00:25:33.81
I don't know if you knew that.
00:25:33.84\00:25:35.21
The beast is mentioned,
at least the bad ones,
00:25:35.24\00:25:37.50
26 times in the
book of Revelation.
00:25:37.53\00:25:40.34
The lamb is mentioned 29
times in the book of Revelation.
00:25:41.37\00:25:45.79
And that's not all.
00:25:45.82\00:25:47.19
You see, one of the reasons why
we've misunderstood this book...
00:25:48.13\00:25:51.30
And I think any one of us
can misunderstand this book.
00:25:51.33\00:25:54.34
In fact, Martin Luther
who was a Catholic monk,
00:25:54.37\00:25:58.89
and then found the
Bible chained to a pulpit,
00:25:58.92\00:26:00.83
began to read it and became
the herald of the Reformation,
00:26:00.86\00:26:05.74
the Protestant Reformation.
00:26:05.77\00:26:07.19
Martin Luther once
said in his commentary,
00:26:07.73\00:26:11.55
introductory commentary
to the book of Revelation,
00:26:11.58\00:26:13.51
this was in about
the year 1522, he said,
00:26:13.54\00:26:16.76
"The book of Revelation,"
very similar to the CNN blog,
00:26:16.79\00:26:19.92
"does not belong to the canon.
00:26:20.05\00:26:22.78
It shouldn't be there.
00:26:22.81\00:26:24.19
Because Christ is neither
known in it nor taught in it."
00:26:24.71\00:26:30.04
That's what he said.
00:26:30.07\00:26:31.44
And then he went on
to expand, you know,
00:26:31.97\00:26:34.32
about the book of Revelation.
00:26:34.35\00:26:35.72
I don't know what he said in the
commentary, but I do know this.
00:26:35.75\00:26:37.78
Eight years later in
1530, Martin Luther completely
00:26:37.81\00:26:42.81
changed his opinion.
00:26:42.84\00:26:44.21
He wrote that Christ is in
it and He is with His people
00:26:45.53\00:26:50.27
all the way through
the book of Revelation.
00:26:50.30\00:26:52.10
Now that is what I'm
hoping that we're going to
00:26:52.13\00:26:53.95
experience this week.
00:26:53.98\00:26:55.35
In fact, I'm hoping we
can experience that tonight.
00:26:55.48\00:26:58.07
That we can
experience that Christ is
00:26:58.10\00:27:00.45
in the book of Revelation.
00:27:00.48\00:27:01.85
And not only in it,
but He is all through
00:27:01.88\00:27:04.77
the book of Revelation.
00:27:04.80\00:27:06.17
Now I think one of the reasons
why Martin Luther may have
00:27:06.20\00:27:08.89
struggled to
understand this is because...
00:27:08.92\00:27:12.19
Well, if you look up
the word "Jesus Christ,"
00:27:12.22\00:27:15.60
you're going to find
that He's only mentioned
00:27:15.90\00:27:18.05
about 13 times in
the book of Revelation.
00:27:18.08\00:27:20.33
And four of those times
are in Revelation chapter 1
00:27:20.72\00:27:23.66
in the introduction.
00:27:23.69\00:27:25.06
And another three times is
in the last chapter, chapter 22,
00:27:25.09\00:27:28.79
in the epilogue, in the close.
00:27:28.82\00:27:30.19
So between the
prologue and the epilogue,
00:27:30.44\00:27:32.26
you only have six mentions.
00:27:32.29\00:27:34.04
Because you
take those seven out;
00:27:34.07\00:27:35.44
four in the
beginning, three in the end;
00:27:35.47\00:27:36.84
four and three is
seven, take those, deduct those
00:27:36.87\00:27:39.06
from thirteen,
you've only got six left.
00:27:39.09\00:27:40.46
So between Revelation chapter 2
and Revelation 21, you only have
00:27:40.49\00:27:45.11
Jesus Christ
mentioned six times.
00:27:45.14\00:27:47.28
That's once
every three chapters.
00:27:47.31\00:27:48.90
Well no wonder people
don't think it's about Jesus.
00:27:48.93\00:27:51.68
Ha, but wait a minute.
00:27:52.03\00:27:53.40
Jesus is represented all
through the book of Revelation
00:27:54.41\00:27:57.87
as the Lamb.
00:27:57.90\00:27:59.27
Twenty-nine times.
00:28:00.19\00:28:01.56
So you add Jesus Christ
to the 29 and you've got 42.
00:28:01.59\00:28:04.62
Then He's mentioned again
and again in different forms.
00:28:04.65\00:28:08.79
He is described as the Son
of man in Revelation chapter 1.
00:28:08.82\00:28:12.44
He is described as a Messenger
in Revelation chapter 8
00:28:12.47\00:28:15.97
and in Revelation chapter 10.
00:28:16.00\00:28:17.96
And He that lightens the
earth with the glory of God
00:28:17.99\00:28:20.73
in Revelation 18.
00:28:20.76\00:28:22.14
He is described as the Word
of God in Revelation chapter 19.
00:28:22.17\00:28:25.82
And so you've probably
got at least 50 mentions
00:28:25.85\00:28:28.58
of Jesus Christ in
symbols as well as in name
00:28:28.61\00:28:32.16
in the book of Revelation.
00:28:32.19\00:28:33.56
He begins to swallow up
beasts and dragons, friends.
00:28:33.59\00:28:37.04
He consumes all of that.
00:28:37.07\00:28:39.47
I have learned over
the years that you find
00:28:40.10\00:28:42.64
what you're looking for.
00:28:42.67\00:28:44.04
And we need to look for
Jesus in the book of Revelation.
00:28:44.87\00:28:50.78
That's what
we're going to do here.
00:28:51.24\00:28:52.66
We're going to look for Jesus.
00:28:52.69\00:28:54.09
Now we begin our journey with...
00:28:54.12\00:28:57.11
Well before we get there,
let me just give you a number.
00:28:58.69\00:29:01.86
And I want you
to write this down.
00:29:01.89\00:29:03.34
The number is
00:29:03.74\00:29:05.11
145/715/2122.
00:29:05.58\00:29:15.51
You got that? 145/715/2122.
00:29:18.66\00:29:22.56
Now, if you call that number
in the U.S., you're going to
00:29:22.59\00:29:25.43
hear a message, first in
English and then in Spanish,
00:29:25.46\00:29:27.60
and it's going to
say, "Your number cannot be
00:29:27.63\00:29:30.38
completed as dialed.
00:29:30.41\00:29:31.78
Please check the
number and dial again."
00:29:31.81\00:29:33.46
Because the number I gave
you is not a telephone number.
00:29:33.71\00:29:36.51
It's not a telephone number.
00:29:37.58\00:29:39.01
So don't call that
number as if you're calling
00:29:39.21\00:29:41.90
a telephone number.
00:29:41.93\00:29:43.30
This number is a special
code that is going to help
00:29:44.67\00:29:49.85
anyone who is afraid
of the book of Revelation.
00:29:49.88\00:29:52.68
It's going to help them
to see the book of Revelation
00:29:53.92\00:29:56.82
in a different way.
00:29:56.85\00:29:58.39
Now what does that
code, 145/715/2122, mean?
00:29:58.91\00:30:07.41
Well for those of you who
like to figure out mysteries,
00:30:08.10\00:30:10.18
I'm going to give you 24 hours.
00:30:10.21\00:30:11.82
It's a challenge.
00:30:14.29\00:30:15.66
You've got 24 hours to
figure out what the code,
00:30:15.69\00:30:17.45
145/715/2122, means.
00:30:17.48\00:30:22.20
If you can figure it out, do it.
00:30:22.23\00:30:24.91
And when you do it, you're going
to see the book of Revelation
00:30:25.30\00:30:27.89
in a completely different light.
00:30:27.92\00:30:29.39
It has something to do with
reading the book of Revelation.
00:30:29.42\00:30:33.06
Alright, enough mysteries.
00:30:33.09\00:30:35.34
If you're afraid of
the book of Revelation,
00:30:36.20\00:30:38.15
you're in the right
place at the right time.
00:30:38.18\00:30:40.37
Why?
00:30:40.40\00:30:41.77
Because our focus is going
to be to figure out the lamb.
00:30:41.80\00:30:47.12
The first most
prolific, most consistent symbol
00:30:47.40\00:30:52.59
in the book of Revelation.
00:30:52.62\00:30:54.21
What does the
symbol of the lamb mean?
00:30:54.24\00:30:58.05
Well let's open our Bibles
to another book actually written
00:30:58.08\00:31:01.86
by the same author.
00:31:01.89\00:31:03.35
And that book is
the book of John.
00:31:03.55\00:31:06.24
John chapter 1.
00:31:06.84\00:31:09.36
And I want you to look here
in John chapter 1 at verse 29.
00:31:09.66\00:31:14.31
The context of this
verse is John the Baptist.
00:31:14.34\00:31:19.14
John the Baptist is
baptizing in the river Jordon.
00:31:19.17\00:31:23.50
The people are coming to
him, he's giving a message of
00:31:23.82\00:31:25.84
repentance and baptism
for the taking away of sins,
00:31:25.87\00:31:30.41
the cleansing of sins.
00:31:30.51\00:31:31.88
And on a specific day, John sees
Jesus coming to be baptized.
00:31:31.91\00:31:38.04
John chapter 1 verse 29,
"The next day John sees Jesus
00:31:39.08\00:31:42.04
coming unto him, and
saith, 'Behold the Lamb of God,
00:31:42.07\00:31:47.96
who takes away the
sin of the world.'"
00:31:47.99\00:31:52.51
So this verse is
really clear, crystal clear.
00:31:53.58\00:31:57.27
John sees Jesus, Jesus Christ,
coming to him and he says,
00:31:57.30\00:32:01.88
"Behold the Lamb of God."
00:32:01.91\00:32:04.90
So who's the Lamb of God?
00:32:05.11\00:32:06.72
Jesus is the Lamb of God.
00:32:07.02\00:32:08.42
And what does it mean
that He is the Lamb of God?
00:32:08.70\00:32:12.52
What does that signify?
00:32:12.55\00:32:14.00
What is the symbol
of the Lamb of God?
00:32:14.03\00:32:16.71
He's come, John says.
00:32:17.72\00:32:19.82
"Behold the Lamb of God
who takes away..." What?
00:32:19.85\00:32:23.76
"...the sins of the world."
00:32:23.79\00:32:25.21
This was a fulfillment of the
Old Testament sanctuary types.
00:32:25.24\00:32:29.62
All of those sacrifices
for sin pointed to Jesus.
00:32:29.98\00:32:33.91
All of those
animals that were slain,
00:32:33.94\00:32:35.53
that were
slain, that were slain.
00:32:35.56\00:32:36.93
All of that blood that
was spilled, spilled, spilled.
00:32:36.96\00:32:39.13
All pointed to Christ.
00:32:40.19\00:32:42.00
You know, there are times when
people asked me this question.
00:32:42.68\00:32:45.02
"Why did God require all
of those animal sacrifices?
00:32:45.67\00:32:52.76
Why did God require that?
00:32:52.79\00:32:54.35
It just seems like
such a bloody God, you know,
00:32:54.38\00:32:56.57
with all that blood.
00:32:56.60\00:32:57.97
He just wants all that blood."
00:32:58.00\00:32:59.37
And my response
is, "Well honestly,
00:33:00.26\00:33:03.13
God didn't require that at all.
00:33:03.92\00:33:05.40
Sin required that."
00:33:06.08\00:33:07.76
See, God was simply showing
us, "This is what sin does.
00:33:09.28\00:33:13.13
And this is not what sin
does primarily to these animals.
00:33:13.16\00:33:16.32
These animals
are a symbol of Me,
00:33:16.35\00:33:19.28
the Lamb of God that's coming to
take away the sins of the world.
00:33:19.31\00:33:22.43
Sin requires that of Me.
00:33:23.18\00:33:25.72
Actually, it requires
it of you, but I'm going to
00:33:25.75\00:33:28.77
take your place.
00:33:28.80\00:33:30.17
Sin requires you to die.
00:33:30.46\00:33:32.60
And I want to show
you what that looks like.
00:33:32.63\00:33:34.14
And if you hate the fact
that all those animals had to be
00:33:34.17\00:33:37.86
slaughtered and all that
blood had to be drained out and
00:33:37.89\00:33:40.68
all that blood had to be let
loose, if you hate that idea,
00:33:40.71\00:33:44.67
I'm with you.
00:33:44.70\00:33:46.07
Because I hate it too.
00:33:46.60\00:33:47.97
I hate sin and I
hate what sin has caused,
00:33:48.00\00:33:50.11
what sin has brought.
00:33:50.14\00:33:51.51
And I'm so thankful
that you hate it too.
00:33:51.68\00:33:53.70
That's the enmity that I
promised to put in your hearts.
00:33:53.73\00:33:56.86
That enmity towards
sin and its results."
00:33:56.89\00:34:00.75
So Jesus is this Lamb.
00:34:00.78\00:34:02.59
Jesus is
symbolized by the Lamb of God.
00:34:02.62\00:34:04.98
Now this is really profound.
00:34:05.01\00:34:06.86
Because when you get
into the book of Revelation,
00:34:07.26\00:34:09.09
you have this
revelation of Jesus Christ.
00:34:09.12\00:34:10.95
And by the way, just for the
record, Revelation 1 verse 5...
00:34:10.98\00:34:14.83
You remember that
scholar, that Bible scholar,
00:34:14.86\00:34:17.58
that Revelation scholar talking
about the book of Revelation
00:34:17.61\00:34:20.29
that says that Jesus
didn't even die for our sins;
00:34:20.32\00:34:22.40
the book of
revelation doesn't say that.
00:34:22.43\00:34:23.86
Well Revelation
chapter 1 and verse 5.
00:34:23.89\00:34:27.25
Verse 5, "And from Jesus Christ,
who is the faithful witness,
00:34:28.27\00:34:32.29
and the first begotten of
the dead, and the prince of
00:34:32.32\00:34:35.79
the kings of the earth.
00:34:35.82\00:34:37.19
Unto him who loved
us, and washed us from our
00:34:37.22\00:34:41.35
sins in his own blood."
00:34:41.38\00:34:43.31
So there you have it right there
in the very introduction of the
00:34:44.24\00:34:47.65
book of Revelation you
have the gospel of Jesus Christ.
00:34:47.68\00:34:50.22
He has washed us from
our sins in His own blood.
00:34:50.73\00:34:54.63
No, God did not
require those sacrifices.
00:34:55.50\00:34:57.52
Sin did.
00:34:57.55\00:34:58.92
And today, we kill
animals just to eat them.
00:34:58.95\00:35:01.57
And God says, "You
know, that breaks my heart.
00:35:02.08\00:35:04.90
Sin breaks My heart.
Death breaks My heart."
00:35:04.93\00:35:07.12
In fact, 1 Corinthians
chapter 15 tells us that
00:35:07.15\00:35:10.00
death is an enemy of God,
and God is going to destroy it.
00:35:10.03\00:35:13.61
Now that's the God I like.
00:35:14.38\00:35:15.87
That's the kind of God I like.
00:35:15.90\00:35:17.41
And this is what the
book of Revelation indicates
00:35:17.75\00:35:20.84
as you read chapter by
chapter and verse by verse.
00:35:20.87\00:35:25.25
The problem with, I think,
our approach to Revelation
00:35:25.28\00:35:28.33
many times is that we
jump right in the middle of
00:35:28.36\00:35:30.30
the beasts and the dragons.
00:35:30.33\00:35:31.70
Boom.
00:35:31.73\00:35:33.10
Revelation 13. 666.
00:35:33.13\00:35:34.83
What's it all
about? Who is the beast?
00:35:34.86\00:35:36.42
Is it a computer?
Is it a microchip?
00:35:36.45\00:35:38.05
Is it going to go in
the hand or the forehead?
00:35:38.08\00:35:39.45
Let's figure it all out.
00:35:39.48\00:35:41.08
The only way we
can figure it all out
00:35:41.11\00:35:43.94
is to start at the beginning.
00:35:43.97\00:35:45.44
If God wanted us to start
in Revelation 13, He would have
00:35:45.73\00:35:48.31
put that as the first chapter.
00:35:48.34\00:35:49.74
But He didn't.
00:35:50.20\00:35:51.57
It's Revelation
1, then Revelation 2,
00:35:51.60\00:35:53.15
then 3, then 4, then 5.
00:35:53.18\00:35:54.55
Why? Well, anywhere
with Jesus I can safely go.
00:35:54.58\00:36:00.30
Now one of the places
that we need to go with Jesus
00:36:01.53\00:36:05.35
before we get into the beasts...
00:36:05.45\00:36:07.03
Because we're going to
find that the beast is really
00:36:07.06\00:36:09.28
the composite...
00:36:09.31\00:36:10.68
How can I say this nicely?
00:36:11.73\00:36:13.39
The beast that we're
going to encounter later on in
00:36:14.95\00:36:18.65
Revelation is a
summary or a composite of...
00:36:18.68\00:36:22.53
...you and me.
00:36:23.20\00:36:25.58
It's a composite of us.
00:36:26.08\00:36:28.44
The beast is us.
00:36:28.47\00:36:29.95
It's selfishness.
00:36:29.98\00:36:31.80
And that's what
we are in essence.
00:36:31.83\00:36:33.70
So it's the conglomeration of
all of the powers of the world,
00:36:33.73\00:36:38.33
the greedy selfish
powers of the world,
00:36:38.36\00:36:40.15
into one monopoly that is
going to force and control
00:36:40.18\00:36:43.29
everyone to go along.
00:36:43.32\00:36:45.18
And the only way that we
can actually opt out of that?
00:36:45.76\00:36:49.19
It's not going to be
by how much money we have.
00:36:49.22\00:36:51.96
If you're rich, you're going
to have to receive the mark.
00:36:51.99\00:36:54.66
It's not about how much
ammunition or strength you have.
00:36:54.69\00:36:57.79
If you're mighty and
strong, you're going to have to
00:36:57.82\00:36:59.19
receive the mark.
00:36:59.22\00:37:00.59
It's not about escaping,
per se, into this little...
00:37:00.62\00:37:04.17
if you're poor, in poverty,
you're still going to have to
00:37:04.20\00:37:07.40
receive the mark.
00:37:07.43\00:37:08.80
It's really about our
connection with Jesus.
00:37:08.83\00:37:12.51
But part of the problem with
our need to connect with Jesus
00:37:13.20\00:37:17.40
is the revelation that
comes when we see Jesus;
00:37:17.43\00:37:21.99
the revelation of Him
and the revelation of us.
00:37:22.02\00:37:26.43
Have you noticed that?
00:37:26.46\00:37:27.83
Well Jesus understands that.
00:37:28.07\00:37:30.14
And so as we begin our journey
in the book of Revelation,
00:37:30.17\00:37:32.86
we encounter first and
foremost, the seven churches.
00:37:32.89\00:37:35.67
This is the first part
of the book of Revelation.
00:37:35.71\00:37:37.86
And it's a very
important part of the journey.
00:37:37.89\00:37:40.34
Revelation
introduces us to ourselves
00:37:40.37\00:37:43.10
in relation to these churches.
00:37:43.40\00:37:44.91
Now when I say
"ourselves," I'm not
00:37:44.94\00:37:46.35
just talking about Christians.
00:37:46.38\00:37:47.75
I'm talking about
people who aren't Christians.
00:37:47.78\00:37:49.59
All of us are introduced
in some form or another
00:37:49.62\00:37:52.64
in the seven churches.
00:37:52.67\00:37:54.04
And what Jesus says to us there,
first and foremost, is this,
00:37:54.07\00:37:56.98
"I am with you no matter
what I show you about yourself."
00:37:58.42\00:38:04.43
Now there are a lot of people
who aren't going to be with us
00:38:06.65\00:38:08.95
if they really knew how we
thought and how we were inside.
00:38:08.98\00:38:12.07
But God is not like that at all.
00:38:12.10\00:38:13.64
And that's what
the book of Revelation
00:38:13.67\00:38:15.04
reveals in the churches.
00:38:15.07\00:38:16.44
Before John is given
the specific messages of
00:38:16.47\00:38:19.25
rebuke and counsel and
correction and affirmation
00:38:19.28\00:38:21.75
of the churches, he's
shown a picture of Jesus
00:38:21.78\00:38:23.84
among the seven candlesticks.
00:38:23.87\00:38:25.30
Those lamp stands
represent the seven churches.
00:38:25.33\00:38:28.22
Now two of those
churches stand without rebuke;
00:38:28.25\00:38:31.49
Smyrna the second church, and
Philadelphia the sixth church.
00:38:31.52\00:38:34.68
They have no rebuke.
00:38:34.71\00:38:36.08
These guys are
doing pretty good.
00:38:36.11\00:38:37.86
But Jesus doesn't stand
with just those two churches.
00:38:37.89\00:38:41.08
He doesn't say, "Well I'm
going to be with these two.
00:38:41.61\00:38:43.34
When all you five
other churches, when you get
00:38:43.37\00:38:45.52
your act together
you can join us over here
00:38:45.55\00:38:47.06
in the winner's circle."
00:38:47.09\00:38:48.46
I mean,
Christians sometimes do that.
00:38:48.82\00:38:50.32
Churches sometimes do that.
00:38:50.35\00:38:51.72
We have our denominational
circles and we're better
00:38:51.75\00:38:53.53
than those guys, and those
guys are better than those guys.
00:38:53.56\00:38:55.25
But Jesus doesn't.
00:38:55.28\00:38:57.08
Jesus is standing
among all of the churches.
00:38:57.11\00:39:00.96
Get the picture now.
00:39:00.99\00:39:02.36
Because it is a
picture of His unconditional
00:39:02.39\00:39:04.52
love and acceptance.
00:39:04.55\00:39:06.03
He knows and tries
the reigns of the heart.
00:39:06.06\00:39:10.01
"I know your
works." "I know your works."
00:39:10.04\00:39:12.37
"I know your works."
00:39:12.40\00:39:13.77
Nothing can be hidden.
00:39:13.80\00:39:15.37
In fact, some of the
conditions of these churches
00:39:17.07\00:39:20.63
is pretty bleak.
00:39:20.66\00:39:22.42
I get around quite a bit
and at times I talk to people
00:39:23.92\00:39:27.01
in evangelism who I'm visiting.
00:39:27.50\00:39:30.07
Maybe they're not
members of the church.
00:39:30.10\00:39:31.85
And they point out to
me, and rightly so, that
00:39:32.48\00:39:34.59
the church is just full
of a bunch of hypocrites.
00:39:34.62\00:39:38.22
And I have to be honest
with them and I have to say,
00:39:39.83\00:39:41.24
"Yea you're right, you know.
00:39:41.27\00:39:42.64
There are a lot of hypocrites
in the church, that's true."
00:39:42.67\00:39:44.54
However, I want you
to look at this vision in
00:39:47.50\00:39:51.58
Revelation chapters 2 and 3.
00:39:51.61\00:39:53.22
Because Jesus says that He
still loves the hypocrites.
00:39:53.25\00:39:58.19
In fact, there are people
in the church that are in such
00:39:58.53\00:40:00.91
bad condition that they
make Jesus want to throw up.
00:40:00.94\00:40:05.05
They make Him sick.
00:40:05.55\00:40:06.92
That's the Laodicean
church, Revelation chapter 3.
00:40:06.95\00:40:10.18
But Jesus says in the
context of that church...
00:40:10.40\00:40:12.49
And it's only one of two
churches that He actually
00:40:12.52\00:40:15.10
emphatically says this to.
00:40:15.13\00:40:16.50
He says it to Philadelphia
and He says it to Laodicea.
00:40:16.53\00:40:21.19
He says to
Laodicea, "I love you."
00:40:21.40\00:40:23.65
"As many as I love,
I rebuke and chasten."
00:40:23.68\00:40:26.56
Now I love that
because that's talking about
00:40:27.02\00:40:29.11
unconditional love.
00:40:29.17\00:40:30.54
Jesus is saying, "I love you
even though you make Me sick."
00:40:30.57\00:40:33.64
"I love you even though
you make Me want to throw up."
00:40:33.67\00:40:36.01
And so in that context, here's
something really interesting.
00:40:36.40\00:40:40.40
Jesus says, "You know, I'd
rather you were hot or cold."
00:40:41.13\00:40:45.69
Now when I'm talking to
someone out in the world
00:40:45.72\00:40:47.59
and they're saying, "The
church is full of hypocrites,"
00:40:47.62\00:40:49.27
I'm saying, "Well
you're kind of cold, you know.
00:40:49.30\00:40:51.32
And Jesus says that He'd
rather have a hypocrite like you
00:40:52.53\00:40:57.49
in your condition than
in the condition they're in.
00:40:57.52\00:41:00.26
He's rather have
them cold than lukewarm.
00:41:00.29\00:41:02.14
So definitely
you're on target here.
00:41:02.62\00:41:05.17
But what He'd really
like is for you to be hot."
00:41:05.57\00:41:07.91
Are you with me?
00:41:08.37\00:41:09.74
In other words, the message
of the book of Revelation
00:41:09.84\00:41:12.65
is not a
message of condemnation.
00:41:12.68\00:41:14.90
It's not a
message of denomination.
00:41:14.93\00:41:17.04
It's a message of
the gospel and the
00:41:17.37\00:41:19.14
unconditional love of Christ.
00:41:19.17\00:41:20.66
And wherever Christ
went, whatever He did,
00:41:20.69\00:41:23.17
He was seeking to
break down barriers.
00:41:23.20\00:41:25.23
I'm not here to tell
Christians that they're
00:41:25.26\00:41:27.50
better than worldlings.
00:41:27.53\00:41:28.90
I'm not here to tell
worldly people that they're
00:41:28.93\00:41:30.42
better than Christians.
00:41:30.45\00:41:32.02
I'm not here to tell anyone
they're better than anyone else.
00:41:32.05\00:41:34.67
The ground is even at
the foot of the cross.
00:41:34.70\00:41:37.55
I'm here to say that we
have a need for a Savior.
00:41:37.58\00:41:41.67
Everyone has that need.
00:41:41.70\00:41:43.07
If you're a
hypocrite, you have that need.
00:41:43.10\00:41:44.82
If you're a religious
hypocrite, you have that need.
00:41:44.85\00:41:46.46
If you're cold,
you have that need.
00:41:46.49\00:41:47.86
And if you're hot, well
if you want to remain hot,
00:41:47.89\00:41:49.51
you have that need.
00:41:49.54\00:41:50.91
Jesus makes this very clear in
this first vision in Revelation.
00:41:50.94\00:41:55.88
It makes it safe
to approach Jesus.
00:41:57.82\00:42:00.03
Revelation's seven
churches gives us the ability
00:42:00.38\00:42:04.60
to come into His presence
without feeling condemnation.
00:42:04.63\00:42:07.78
And to know that here's
somebody who will accept us,
00:42:07.81\00:42:10.01
here's somebody who loves
us, in spite of ourselves.
00:42:10.04\00:42:14.30
We need that in the world today.
00:42:14.33\00:42:16.05
And people in the
world need that from us.
00:42:16.08\00:42:18.12
And we can have that from
Jesus if we just ask for it.
00:42:18.15\00:42:21.39
If we expect it, if we look for
it, He can give us that gift.
00:42:21.42\00:42:23.89
Now the next thing we see
in Revelation is beautiful,
00:42:24.72\00:42:27.51
it's so
significant and so powerful.
00:42:27.54\00:42:29.35
It's in
Revelation chapters 4 and 5.
00:42:29.38\00:42:31.29
It's a picture of
the throne room of God.
00:42:31.32\00:42:34.13
Revelation chapter 4
sets the throne in heaven.
00:42:34.16\00:42:37.75
And here's where we first
find, in Revelation 4 and 5,
00:42:37.78\00:42:41.89
the symbol in the book
of Revelation of the lamb.
00:42:41.92\00:42:46.02
Now I love this symbol
because it's not just used
00:42:46.78\00:42:49.80
in the context that
we've already identified,
00:42:49.83\00:42:52.50
but it's
interpreted in that context.
00:42:52.53\00:42:55.62
In other words, when John
said, "Behold, the Lamb of God
00:42:55.65\00:42:58.28
who takes away the
sins of the world,"
00:42:58.31\00:42:59.68
we knew that was
talking about Jesus.
00:42:59.71\00:43:01.08
We knew that meant
that the symbol of the lamb
00:43:01.11\00:43:03.77
represents Christ
dying for our sins.
00:43:03.80\00:43:06.94
In Revelation chapter 5, we have
the same vision taking place.
00:43:07.40\00:43:12.15
John sees on the throne,
which begins in chapter 4,
00:43:13.01\00:43:16.83
this being, God, sitting.
00:43:17.03\00:43:18.93
In Revelation 5, he sees
that there is in His right hand
00:43:19.23\00:43:22.24
a scroll or a roll.
00:43:22.27\00:43:24.25
It's sealed up with seven seals.
00:43:24.28\00:43:26.32
Okay?
00:43:26.35\00:43:27.72
And this roll
cannot be opened by anyone,
00:43:27.75\00:43:31.98
any man, in heaven or on
earth or under the earth.
00:43:32.28\00:43:35.74
Now I believe that is
specifically talking about
00:43:35.77\00:43:38.72
the gospel of salvation.
00:43:40.11\00:43:42.00
And why do I mean that?
00:43:43.10\00:43:44.47
Well because we know today
that there are people in heaven,
00:43:44.50\00:43:47.55
men in heaven.
00:43:47.58\00:43:48.95
Now I believe that when
you die, you rest in the grave.
00:43:49.91\00:43:54.21
That's why we put that, you
know, epithet, "Rest In Peace."
00:43:54.24\00:43:58.86
There is no such
thing, I don't believe,
00:43:59.80\00:44:02.42
the Bible doesn't
teach, that when you die
00:44:02.45\00:44:04.01
you go directly to heaven.
00:44:04.04\00:44:05.41
Now the Bible does indicate
that death is like a sleep.
00:44:05.44\00:44:09.48
Jesus calls it a
sleep in John chapter 11.
00:44:09.51\00:44:11.64
And I know last night
when I got into St. Louis,
00:44:12.15\00:44:14.82
I was suppose to drive right
here because I was suppose to
00:44:14.85\00:44:16.86
get in at 6, but I got in at 12.
00:44:16.89\00:44:18.74
And I picked up a rental
car and I went right to a hotel.
00:44:19.08\00:44:22.43
And I thought, you
know, it's a lot colder here
00:44:22.63\00:44:25.37
than from where I'm at.
00:44:25.40\00:44:26.77
It was the 40's
and 50's in Oregon.
00:44:26.80\00:44:29.16
And when I got
here, it was in the 20's.
00:44:29.38\00:44:32.79
And my wife told me,
you know, to pack a jacket.
00:44:32.98\00:44:35.81
And I didn't listen to her.
00:44:35.84\00:44:37.21
I got more amen's from
the ladies out of that one.
00:44:44.08\00:44:46.30
So when I
stepped out of St. Louis,
00:44:48.41\00:44:50.58
I immediately woke up.
00:44:50.61\00:44:52.14
When I stepped out of
the airport, I woke up.
00:44:52.17\00:44:53.84
And I was awake. I
was awake, awake, awake.
00:44:53.87\00:44:56.17
I mean, the car
couldn't get warm.
00:44:56.20\00:44:58.11
From the rental car place to
the hotel, it couldn't get warm.
00:44:58.14\00:45:01.33
So I pulled into the
parking lot and I ran in there,
00:45:01.36\00:45:03.37
and I went and
parked and I got in my room.
00:45:03.40\00:45:05.48
And I was wide awake and I
thought, I'm just going to be,
00:45:05.51\00:45:07.62
I'm just going to have to spend
some time reading and studying,
00:45:07.65\00:45:09.83
because I'm not
going to fall asleep.
00:45:09.86\00:45:11.23
And so I jumped into the
bed and I was grabbing a book.
00:45:11.26\00:45:13.92
And I was just
getting ready to say a prayer.
00:45:13.95\00:45:16.14
Just a short prayer, you
know, before I read and study.
00:45:16.17\00:45:18.03
And so pretty soon
I'm just feeling it,
00:45:18.06\00:45:20.78
and it just hits me like, boom.
00:45:20.81\00:45:22.50
And I turned off that
light and I hit the pillow.
00:45:23.28\00:45:25.08
And the next thing I knew it was
eight o'clock in the morning.
00:45:25.11\00:45:27.17
That's how it went.
00:45:27.82\00:45:29.68
Death it like
that. It's like a sleep.
00:45:31.21\00:45:32.88
And that's why Paul
says, "I don't know if I
00:45:33.35\00:45:35.15
want to be present in the
body, or absent from the body,
00:45:35.18\00:45:37.50
and present with the Lord."
00:45:37.53\00:45:38.90
Because that sleep is that
time that we're unconscious of.
00:45:38.93\00:45:41.99
The next thing we
know, we're with Jesus.
00:45:42.02\00:45:44.50
This is what the Bible teaches.
00:45:45.19\00:45:47.07
And I love that whole
idea, because it's so beautiful
00:45:47.10\00:45:50.55
in how it pictures God.
00:45:50.58\00:45:52.05
And so you have people,
in Revelation chapter 5,
00:45:52.08\00:45:54.96
that are under the earth.
00:45:55.59\00:45:58.28
People like Daniel who
are resting until Jesus comes.
00:45:58.79\00:46:01.45
Now Daniel was a
man who was blameless.
00:46:01.48\00:46:03.96
Talk about an
incredible experience
00:46:04.16\00:46:07.66
in a political climate.
00:46:07.69\00:46:09.06
Daniel was a man who
was blameless before God.
00:46:09.09\00:46:10.74
And he was a politician.
00:46:11.60\00:46:13.02
They couldn't
find any dirt on him.
00:46:13.05\00:46:14.49
Is he worthy to open the book?
00:46:17.66\00:46:19.18
No, he's not worthy to open it.
00:46:20.11\00:46:22.73
There are men in
heaven. Who's in heaven?
00:46:22.76\00:46:24.64
Enoch is in heaven.
00:46:25.89\00:46:27.39
Elijah is in heaven.
00:46:27.77\00:46:29.39
How did Enoch get
to heaven, by the way?
00:46:29.42\00:46:31.01
He walked so closely
with God that God said,
00:46:31.94\00:46:33.99
"Hey Enoch, we're
closer to My house today
00:46:34.02\00:46:36.12
than we are to your house.
00:46:36.15\00:46:37.52
Why don't you just
come home with Me?"
00:46:37.55\00:46:38.92
He wasn't found,
for God took him.
00:46:39.87\00:46:41.37
Is he worthy to open the book?
00:46:41.40\00:46:42.96
No.
00:46:43.39\00:46:44.76
There are men on
earth, powerful men.
00:46:45.88\00:46:48.35
Quote unquote, holy men.
00:46:49.51\00:46:50.89
Are they worthy
to open the book?
00:46:50.92\00:46:52.29
Now man in
heaven, no man in earth,
00:46:52.73\00:46:54.22
no man under
the earth in worthy.
00:46:54.25\00:46:55.72
John begins to weep, but as he's
weeping an elder comes to him
00:46:55.75\00:46:58.39
and taps him on the
shoulder and says, "Weep..."
00:46:58.42\00:47:00.69
What's the next word?
00:47:01.14\00:47:02.51
"...not."
00:47:02.54\00:47:03.91
See, John is weeping because
he knows this book is important.
00:47:07.55\00:47:10.28
He knows it's significant.
00:47:10.31\00:47:11.68
He knows this
scroll needs to be opened.
00:47:11.71\00:47:14.27
This scroll, I
believe, represents the history
00:47:14.30\00:47:19.88
of the entire world
from beginning to end.
00:47:20.50\00:47:22.19
God's counsel, His commandments,
the prophetic roll, the life
00:47:22.22\00:47:25.85
and the history of
nations and individuals.
00:47:25.88\00:47:27.94
It's all recorded in this
scroll and it cannot be altered.
00:47:27.97\00:47:31.81
And you could
summarize that history,
00:47:31.84\00:47:33.27
the history of
this world this way.
00:47:33.30\00:47:34.67
"All have sinned and come
short of the glory of God,"
00:47:34.70\00:47:37.31
and, "The wages
of sin is death."
00:47:37.34\00:47:40.00
And that's why John is weeping.
00:47:41.00\00:47:42.37
Because it can't be altered.
00:47:42.51\00:47:44.93
It can't be changed.
00:47:44.96\00:47:46.75
But then the elder comes
to him and the elder says,
00:47:49.06\00:47:50.99
"Dry your eyes, John.
00:47:51.02\00:47:52.69
I've got some good news for you.
00:47:53.27\00:47:54.85
There's no man in heaven
or earth or under the earth
00:47:54.88\00:47:56.60
that can alter this history.
00:47:56.63\00:47:58.69
But behold...
00:47:58.72\00:48:00.21
And I'm reading right here,
Revelation chapter 5 verse 5.
00:48:00.24\00:48:03.33
"...the Lion of the tribe
of Judah, the Root of David,
00:48:03.36\00:48:06.23
has prevailed..."
00:48:06.26\00:48:08.70
Amen.
00:48:10.28\00:48:11.65
He's prevailed.
00:48:11.68\00:48:13.05
Jesus has prevailed
where we have failed.
00:48:13.66\00:48:17.48
He's prevailed to open the book.
00:48:18.11\00:48:19.68
And John looks
around for this lion.
00:48:20.04\00:48:21.85
You know, a lion symbolizes
king, power, authority.
00:48:21.88\00:48:25.67
By the way, here is one
of the first beast symbols
00:48:25.70\00:48:29.39
of the book of Revelation.
00:48:29.42\00:48:30.79
A lion is a beast.
00:48:30.88\00:48:32.25
In Daniel, one of
the beasts is a lion.
00:48:32.28\00:48:34.72
Here in Revelation, this lion
is a symbol, a beast symbol.
00:48:35.72\00:48:39.30
And who is it a
symbol of? Jesus.
00:48:39.33\00:48:41.68
Don't be afraid of all
the beasts in Revelation.
00:48:42.32\00:48:44.10
There are a couple you should
be afraid of in a good sense.
00:48:47.16\00:48:49.42
We'll get to that. Maybe.
00:48:49.45\00:48:51.45
I don't know, we might spend the
whole series just on the Lamb.
00:48:52.39\00:48:54.69
We'll see how it goes.
00:48:54.72\00:48:56.36
I don't want to cut this short.
00:48:56.39\00:48:57.76
We need to be grounded
and rooted in the Lamb.
00:48:57.79\00:48:59.23
So John's looking
around for this lion, verse 6.
00:48:59.26\00:49:04.16
"And I beheld, and lo,
in the midst of the throne
00:49:04.19\00:49:06.43
and of the four beasts,
and in the midst of the elders,
00:49:06.46\00:49:09.14
stood a Lamb as
it had been slain..."
00:49:09.17\00:49:15.18
I love that verse in Isaiah
that says, the lion and the lamb
00:49:18.47\00:49:22.22
shall lay down together.
00:49:22.25\00:49:25.05
You know what
that's talking about?
00:49:25.92\00:49:27.29
It's talking about two opposites
that are going to be reconciled.
00:49:27.32\00:49:32.17
A lion is going to eat
a lamb now, but someday
00:49:32.20\00:49:34.61
they're going to
lay down together.
00:49:34.64\00:49:36.10
In Christ, the lion and
the lamb have come together.
00:49:36.54\00:49:38.98
Justice and mercy
have come together.
00:49:39.01\00:49:41.09
God's throne is set in heaven.
00:49:41.39\00:49:43.32
The rainbow is there.
00:49:43.35\00:49:44.72
The rainbow symbolizes the
two opposites coming together;
00:49:44.75\00:49:47.37
sunshine and
rain coming together,
00:49:47.40\00:49:48.96
mercy and
justice coming together.
00:49:48.99\00:49:50.43
And all of that comes together
in the slain Lamb on the cross.
00:49:50.46\00:49:54.08
Because when you
look to the cross, you see
00:49:54.11\00:49:56.24
the prerogatives of God's
love, His heart, His kingdom.
00:49:56.27\00:50:01.21
You see them meeting
together and kissing together.
00:50:01.24\00:50:03.18
You see justice, you see mercy.
00:50:03.21\00:50:04.61
I mean, when you look at
the cross, you see justice.
00:50:04.64\00:50:07.48
When you look at the
cross, you see mercy.
00:50:07.51\00:50:09.56
Both of them.
00:50:09.99\00:50:11.36
I could ask you the question,
what do you see at the cross?
00:50:11.44\00:50:13.67
Justice or mercy?
00:50:13.70\00:50:15.07
And you could say, "Yes."
00:50:15.58\00:50:16.97
They are both there.
00:50:19.00\00:50:20.69
Powerfully demonstrated
in the death of Jesus Christ.
00:50:20.72\00:50:24.36
We thought they were
opposites. They're not.
00:50:24.39\00:50:25.85
The Old Testament is
not contradictory to the
00:50:26.42\00:50:28.45
New Testament.
00:50:28.48\00:50:29.85
But both of them
meet together in Jesus.
00:50:30.00\00:50:31.68
And this is why I
love Revelation chapter 5.
00:50:31.71\00:50:34.47
Because this sets the
stage for the rest of the book.
00:50:34.50\00:50:36.64
Revelation 5 identifies the
lamb, the symbol of the lamb.
00:50:36.85\00:50:40.08
It tells us what it represents.
00:50:40.11\00:50:41.48
It represents
Jesus slain for our sins.
00:50:41.51\00:50:43.80
It represents the fact that
He is worthy to take the book
00:50:43.83\00:50:46.39
and to unseal its
seals, to unroll this scroll.
00:50:46.42\00:50:53.54
Powerful when
you think about it.
00:50:53.57\00:50:55.21
And so He comes, verse
7, and He takes the book
00:50:55.79\00:50:59.27
out of the right hand of
Him that sits on the throne.
00:50:59.30\00:51:01.69
Why? Because He's prevailed.
00:51:02.70\00:51:04.07
Now that word
"prevailed" is really powerful,
00:51:04.10\00:51:05.55
it's really interesting.
00:51:05.58\00:51:06.95
The word "prevailed" is
the same word that is used
00:51:06.98\00:51:09.72
in the Greek, nikaó,
for the word "overcome."
00:51:09.75\00:51:13.73
Every single one of
the churches is admonished.
00:51:15.47\00:51:18.51
"To him who overcomes..."
"To him who overcomes..."
00:51:18.54\00:51:24.13
Anyone tried that?
00:51:24.92\00:51:26.29
Overcoming?
00:51:26.84\00:51:28.21
30 years, 30 years, overcoming.
00:51:29.10\00:51:33.91
You ever get frustrated?
00:51:34.45\00:51:35.82
You ever feel like you're
not really making progress?
00:51:36.77\00:51:39.00
It's not that we're necessarily
doing the same exact things.
00:51:39.20\00:51:42.66
I mean, I was raised
in a good Catholic home.
00:51:42.69\00:51:44.89
I went to church
every Sunday, etc.
00:51:44.92\00:51:47.08
But when I learned about
the Sabbath, fourth commandment,
00:51:47.11\00:51:49.78
I said, "Oh, I've
been breaking the law."
00:51:50.69\00:51:53.21
Started going to
church on Sabbath.
00:51:54.03\00:51:55.48
It's not that I stopped
going to church on Sabbath,
00:51:55.84\00:51:57.50
but then there are other things
that had escaped my notice.
00:51:57.53\00:52:01.92
Like the way I talk
to my wife, at times.
00:52:02.97\00:52:05.90
Like the way I think at times.
00:52:07.28\00:52:09.44
Overcoming.
00:52:10.32\00:52:11.69
"To him that overcomes..."
00:52:12.37\00:52:13.84
It can be so
frustrating that we want to just
00:52:14.25\00:52:16.02
throw up our hands and give up.
00:52:16.05\00:52:17.42
Well this is why Revelation
5 comes to our rescue.
00:52:17.45\00:52:20.74
Because Revelation 5 points
us to the One who has overcome,
00:52:20.77\00:52:24.10
the One who has prevailed.
00:52:24.13\00:52:25.70
It points us to Christ
as the One who is worthy
00:52:25.73\00:52:28.34
when none of us are worthy.
00:52:28.37\00:52:29.74
Understand this.
00:52:29.77\00:52:31.14
Revelation 5 is
saying, "No one in heaven,
00:52:31.17\00:52:32.79
no one in the earth,
and no one under the earth
00:52:32.82\00:52:34.36
is worthy, but Jesus has
prevailed where we have failed."
00:52:34.39\00:52:37.43
And because of
that, we have hope.
00:52:38.10\00:52:40.49
Now this is a great mystery.
00:52:41.01\00:52:42.65
Ephesians talks about
this mystery of godliness.
00:52:42.68\00:52:46.16
But look in
Revelation chapter 6.
00:52:46.19\00:52:47.99
Because from this point on...
00:52:48.02\00:52:49.51
And we only have
five minutes left tonight.
00:52:49.54\00:52:50.91
But we're going to
pick this up tomorrow.
00:52:50.94\00:52:52.31
We're going to pick up
right where we left off.
00:52:52.34\00:52:53.71
We're not going to
get to beasts and dragons
00:52:53.74\00:52:55.11
tomorrow, sorry about that.
00:52:55.14\00:52:56.51
We're going to pick up
right where we left off.
00:52:56.54\00:52:57.91
Revelation chapter 5.
00:52:58.17\00:52:59.54
I want to show
you something here
00:52:59.57\00:53:01.05
that's really intriguing to me.
00:53:01.08\00:53:02.45
In Revelation
chapter 6... Did I say 5?
00:53:02.48\00:53:05.09
6, Revelation 6 verse 1.
00:53:06.88\00:53:08.72
"And I saw when the
Lamb opened one of the..."
00:53:09.02\00:53:14.25
Okay.
00:53:15.72\00:53:17.09
The book is sealed, which
means it's a mystery there.
00:53:17.73\00:53:20.97
There's something
we can't understand.
00:53:21.00\00:53:22.37
It's sealed up, we
can't understand it.
00:53:22.40\00:53:23.77
We can't read
it, we can't get it.
00:53:23.80\00:53:25.17
Okay?
00:53:25.20\00:53:26.57
It needs to be unsealed.
00:53:26.60\00:53:27.97
We need to get this mystery,
we need to understand this.
00:53:28.00\00:53:29.90
But no one in heaven or earth or
under the earth can unseal it.
00:53:29.93\00:53:33.07
Then we see this lamb.
00:53:33.87\00:53:35.24
Which represents
Jesus dying for our sins,
00:53:36.17\00:53:39.82
prevailing where we failed.
00:53:39.85\00:53:41.22
It represents the cross.
00:53:41.25\00:53:42.62
From now on, whenever you
see the lamb in the book of
00:53:42.65\00:53:44.71
Revelation, think
cross, think Calvary.
00:53:44.74\00:53:47.03
And if someone tells
you that there's no Calvary
00:53:48.42\00:53:50.05
in Revelation, tell
them it's in there 29 times.
00:53:50.08\00:53:52.11
It's beautiful.
00:53:54.14\00:53:55.51
And then it says in
verse 1 of Revelation 6,
00:53:57.30\00:54:00.00
"I saw when,"
Calvary, the cross,
00:54:00.03\00:54:03.60
"opened one of the seals."
00:54:03.63\00:54:05.70
In other words, it is in
the mystery of the cross that
00:54:06.45\00:54:09.30
all other
mysteries are understood.
00:54:09.33\00:54:12.21
That's how we understand
the things that are sealed.
00:54:13.00\00:54:17.09
It's through the
cross, it's through Calvary.
00:54:17.12\00:54:19.05
All of our questions
are going to be answered
00:54:19.08\00:54:20.72
through the cross
and through Calvary.
00:54:20.75\00:54:22.21
The Lamb is going to
open up to us the mysteries
00:54:22.24\00:54:24.99
that have been
sealed and hidden.
00:54:25.02\00:54:26.54
He's going to show us
everything we need to know.
00:54:26.57\00:54:28.92
This is why it's key for
us to connect with Jesus.
00:54:28.95\00:54:32.16
We've got to do
that in the beginning.
00:54:32.70\00:54:34.25
Because as we connect
with Jesus in the beginning of
00:54:35.00\00:54:36.91
the book of Revelation,
friends, everything else is
00:54:36.94\00:54:39.70
going to come together;
00:54:39.73\00:54:41.10
our understanding of prophecy,
00:54:41.65\00:54:43.36
how we relate to other people,
00:54:43.90\00:54:45.62
other
Christians, other religions,
00:54:46.10\00:54:48.76
people in the
world, life in general,
00:54:48.95\00:54:51.20
trials, evil, pain, suffering.
00:54:51.23\00:54:53.14
All is going to come together
when we understand Calvary.
00:54:53.17\00:54:56.80
When we understand the
deep unending love of God for us
00:54:57.65\00:55:04.43
it's all going to come together.
00:55:04.46\00:55:05.93
Take a deep breath tonight.
00:55:07.85\00:55:09.22
That breath is a revelation
of God's unconditional love
00:55:13.40\00:55:20.20
for the entire world.
00:55:20.23\00:55:22.06
That breath cost
God everything He has.
00:55:22.45\00:55:27.10
Everything.
00:55:27.71\00:55:29.08
God poured out all heaven
to give you that breath of air.
00:55:29.11\00:55:33.05
God poured out all heaven
to give us the gift of life.
00:55:33.68\00:55:37.95
Everything has been
given to us in Jesus Christ.
00:55:37.98\00:55:41.53
And not just to us.
00:55:41.56\00:55:43.02
It's been given to the world.
00:55:43.77\00:55:45.38
We have this message,
this everlasting gospel,
00:55:45.82\00:55:50.39
this good news message
of how incredibly awesome
00:55:50.42\00:55:55.38
God's love is
for the entire world.
00:55:55.60\00:55:58.50
We have this message to
share with every nation,
00:55:58.53\00:56:01.02
kindred, tongue, and people.
00:56:01.05\00:56:02.94
And the adversary is
doing everything he can to
00:56:04.30\00:56:07.06
get us off track,
off focus, distracted,
00:56:07.09\00:56:10.40
to get us all caught
up in things that are
00:56:10.85\00:56:14.72
almost insignificant when
you look at this one truth
00:56:15.11\00:56:19.49
that unseals, that
unlocks every other mystery;
00:56:19.89\00:56:23.60
this truth of Calvary.
00:56:23.80\00:56:26.03
And so it is that
God is giving a message,
00:56:27.53\00:56:29.75
again tonight,
maybe this whole week,
00:56:30.83\00:56:33.60
that must be the
very pillar of truth.
00:56:34.01\00:56:39.80
And that
message is Jesus Christ.
00:56:41.56\00:56:45.73
Paul says, "I would know nothing
among you but Jesus Christ."
00:56:45.94\00:56:48.86
So with Luther, let
the reformation continue.
00:56:48.89\00:56:52.52
Let us continue
where Luther left off.
00:56:53.16\00:56:55.83
Let us make this
paradigm shift in our minds.
00:56:56.03\00:56:59.07
Let us recognize that the
book of Revelation is not about
00:56:59.10\00:57:01.63
beasts and dragons
and judgments and plagues,
00:57:01.66\00:57:04.89
but it's about Jesus.
00:57:04.92\00:57:06.56
And let us pursue
that with all of our hearts
00:57:07.02\00:57:10.65
and all of our
strength and all of our soul.
00:57:11.09\00:57:13.25
Shall we do that tonight?
00:57:13.55\00:57:15.39
Amen.
00:57:15.92\00:57:17.29
Father in heaven, thank
You so much for Jesus Christ.
00:57:17.32\00:57:20.78
Thank You for the
revelation He's given us.
00:57:20.81\00:57:22.86
Thank You that He is
the One that has unsealed
00:57:22.89\00:57:28.26
the mysteries of Revelation.
00:57:28.29\00:57:30.16
And thank You that He loves us,
that He's given Himself for us
00:57:30.86\00:57:34.70
and for the entire world.
00:57:35.24\00:57:36.61
May this be our mode, motive,
our theme, our purpose...
00:57:36.64\00:57:42.52