Participants: John Lomacang
Series Code: ASHF
Program Code: ASHF000103A
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00:20 Hello, friends,
00:21 welcome to another Wednesday night Bible study 00:23 here at the 3ABN Worship Center. 00:25 Our audience wants to welcome you 00:27 with a hearty amen. 00:28 Can we say amen? Amen. 00:30 They are thankful that you've tuned in tonight. 00:32 Hopefully, you have your Bibles, 00:33 and you are prayed up, if you haven't, 00:35 we're going to pray together in just a moment. 00:37 But we hopefully are going to wind up 00:39 our topic tonight on The Truth about the Judgment. 00:42 If you've missed any of the prior lesson studies 00:44 or broadcasts, in just a moment, 00:46 after our prayer, 00:47 I'll tell you how to get a copy of those lessons 00:49 and what website to go to 00:51 to download those lessons. 00:53 But get your Bibles, get your pens, 00:55 invite your family and your friends, 00:56 and we'll spend this thoughtful hour 00:59 studying God's Word together. 01:01 Now before any further information, 01:03 let's ask the Lord to bless us. 01:05 Wonderful Father in heaven, we thank You for Your Word. 01:08 Every time we open the Word of God, 01:10 the light comes on. 01:12 It is a lamp unto our feet 01:14 and truly a light unto our path. 01:16 And what more do we need in this dark generation 01:20 than the light of God's truth? 01:21 And so, Lord, convene with us tonight 01:23 and may Your Holy Spirit soften and teach our hearts, 01:27 we pray in Jesus' name, 01:29 amen. 01:31 Here's the website to go 01:33 to that you can download the lesson. 01:35 The website is asf.3abn.org, 01:40 that's asf.3abn.org. 01:43 Now tonight, we hope to finish lesson number 27... 01:47 Sorry, number 28, 01:49 and then we're going to transition 01:50 to lesson number 29. 01:52 Go to that website and download lesson number 29, 01:56 The Truth about Spiritual Babylon. 01:59 The Truth about Spiritual Babylon, 02:02 lesson number 29. 02:04 That's a powerful topic. 02:06 And we hope to be able to break open that egg tonight 02:10 and begin to scramble it or, shall I say, 02:13 unscramble it 02:14 because it already is scrambled in the minds of so many. 02:17 It's a topic that 02:18 so many people don't understand. 02:19 And Revelation is a book that 02:21 many people say is a great mystery. 02:23 But we know it's not a mystery. 02:24 Revelation means revealed, not hidden. 02:27 So tonight, let's begin with our theme song "Victory in..." 02:30 Jesus. Let's sing the song together. 02:40 I heard an old, old story 02:44 How the Savior came from glory 02:48 How He gave His life on Calvary 02:52 To save a wretch like me 02:56 I heard about His groaning 02:59 Of His precious blood's atoning 03:03 Then I repented of my sin 03:07 And won the victory 03:11 O victory in Jesus 03:14 My Savior forever 03:18 He sought me and bought me 03:22 With His redeeming blood 03:26 He loved me ere I knew Him 03:30 And all my love is due Him 03:33 He plunged me to victory 03:37 Beneath the cleansing flood 03:41 I heard about a mansion 03:45 He has built for me in glory 03:48 And I heard about the streets of gold 03:52 Beyond the crystal sea 03:56 About the angels singing 04:00 And the old redemption story 04:04 And some sweet day I'll sing up there 04:07 The song of victory 04:10 Key change. 04:11 O victory in Jesus 04:15 My Savior forever 04:19 He sought me and bought me 04:22 With His redeeming blood 04:26 He loved me ere I knew Him 04:30 And all my love is due Him 04:34 He plunged me to victory 04:38 Beneath the cleansing flood 04:41 He plunged me to victory 04:45 Beneath the cleansing flood 04:52 Amen. 04:54 Tonight, the topic is The Truth about the Judgment. 04:58 Say that with me. What is it? 05:00 The Truth about the Judgment. 05:03 We have been on this lesson for some time now. 05:06 And I hope we wind this lesson up tonight. 05:10 But what we've learned so far, 05:12 now I want to kind of go over a few things 05:14 just for the audience that's tuning in, 05:15 maybe some for the first time, 05:17 is we learned about at least four functions 05:21 of Jesus in the judgment. 05:24 I want to kind of pick your brain 05:25 since you're my local audience. 05:27 What was one of the things we learned about Jesus? 05:31 He is sitting behind that great big bench. 05:35 What is that when you go to court? 05:38 Say it again. Judge. 05:39 He's the judge, 05:40 but He also walks into the court with you, 05:43 and what is that? 05:44 The lawyer or your advocate. 05:46 He's the Judge. How does He do that? 05:48 And He is our advocate. 05:50 The Father judges no one, 05:52 but He's appointed all judgment to the Son. 05:55 He's not only the judge 05:57 but He's also our advocate. 06:00 There are two other things we learned about Jesus. 06:02 He's not only our judge and our advocate, 06:05 but in the sanctuary services, 06:07 Jesus is our great, what, 06:10 High Priest. 06:12 And there's one more thing, 06:14 in the sanctuary services, He is... 06:16 We overcome by the blood of the Lamb. 06:20 He's the Lamb that was slain, 06:22 He's the great High Priest, 06:25 He's the Judge, and He is the Lawyer. 06:29 And if you are His child... 06:31 Let's go to Daniel very quickly. 06:33 I want you to see this. 06:34 Daniel chapter 7, 06:38 okay? 06:40 Daniel chapter 7. 06:41 We enjoyed this. 06:43 All right. 06:46 Daniel 7:22. 06:48 Daniel 7:22. 06:51 Okay. 06:55 All right. 06:58 Notice what the Bible says in Daniel 7:22. 07:02 Well, Daniel 7:21, let's start there first. 07:06 It says, "I was watching." 07:08 This is speaking about 07:10 that fourth beast of Revelation of Daniel, 07:14 we're going to find out more about that in the next study, 07:17 said, "I was watching 07:19 the same horn was warring against the saints, 07:26 making war against the saints, 07:30 and prevailing against them." 07:32 Verse 22, 07:33 "Until the Ancient of Days came 07:36 and judgment was made 07:38 in favor of the saints of the Most High." 07:42 Amen to that? Amen. 07:44 So when judgment is made 07:45 in favor of the saints of the Most High, 07:47 that means, 07:49 you have Jesus as your Judge, 07:51 Jesus as your Lawyer, 07:53 Jesus as your High Priest, 07:55 and the blood of Jesus as... 07:56 And the Lamb, 07:58 His blood is the reason why we overcome. 08:01 Amen to that? 08:02 The High Priest, the Lamb, 08:04 the Judge, the Lawyer. 08:06 And there's a beautiful picture in Revelation 08:08 that just lets us know that there is no need to fear, 08:11 perfect love casts out fear. 08:14 The Lord wants us to have confidence 08:16 as we approach the judgment 08:17 because we are sons and daughters of the Judge, 08:22 the Lawyer, the great High Priest, 08:24 and the Lamb. 08:26 That's beautiful. 08:27 Now since we were on that topic, 08:29 we're going to go to the lesson 08:30 or question tonight, number 27. 08:33 Let's start with that one. Question number 27. 08:37 And we have just three more after that, 08:38 I want to begin with this one. 08:40 And here it is. 08:41 We talked about the benefits, 08:43 we talked about the benefits. 08:46 All right, here's the question. 08:48 What tremendous benefit is provided through Christ, 08:53 our High Priest? 08:55 What tremendous benefit is provided through Christ, 08:59 our High Priest? 09:02 And that's Hebrews 9:11-14. 09:06 Hebrews 9:11 09:09 all the way to verse 14. 09:11 Quite a lengthy one, 09:12 but it shows us the tremendous benefit 09:15 that Jesus provides for those 09:17 who are in His righteousness, all right? 09:21 Let's walk through this together. 09:23 Here it is. 09:26 "But Christ came as High Priest," 09:30 of what things? 09:31 "Of good things to come, with a greater..." 09:34 I want you to notice the language, 09:35 it increases above what earth can provide. 09:38 "But Christ came as High Priest 09:41 of the good things to come, 09:43 with a greater and more perfect tabernacle 09:47 not made with hands, 09:49 that is, not of this creation." 09:52 Going on, 09:53 "Not with the blood of goats and calves, 09:57 but with His," what? 09:58 "Own blood He entered the Most Holy Place 10:01 once for all, 10:03 having obtained," what else? 10:06 "Eternal redemption. 10:08 For if the blood of bulls and goats 10:12 and the ashes of a heifer, 10:15 sprinkling the unclean, 10:17 sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh," 10:20 this is so beautiful, 10:21 "how much more shall the blood of Christ, 10:24 who through the eternal Spirit 10:27 offered Himself without spot to God, 10:30 cleanse your conscience 10:32 from dead works to serve the living God?" 10:35 A very, very lengthy text, 10:36 but I want to ask you the question. 10:38 What tremendous benefit is provided through Christ, 10:41 our High Priest? 10:44 Okay, we put that... What does it say, together? 10:47 Eternal redemption. 10:49 Eternal redemption, 10:51 a redemption that cannot be revoked. 10:53 When something is eternal, can you take it back? 10:56 No. No. 10:57 The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal, 11:00 what, life. 11:01 We have eternal life because of eternal redemption. 11:04 Because we have been redeemed for eternity, 11:07 now we can have eternal life. 11:10 And I talked about redemption. 11:11 Redemption means that we are all... 11:15 This is very important. 11:17 To redeem something, you have to pay a price for it. 11:20 We are all bought with a price. 11:23 And what is the price? 11:24 The shed blood of Jesus Christ. 11:26 So because He shed His blood for us, 11:28 paid the penalty for our sins, 11:32 He now redeems us. 11:35 And then now we can have eternal life, 11:37 that eternal redemption. 11:38 So you want to write that down. 11:39 What tremendous benefit is provided through Christ, 11:41 our High Priest? 11:42 Write those two words down. 11:44 Eternal, what? 11:46 Eternal redemption. 11:49 I tell you when something is redeemed... 11:50 And one of the ways to look at redemption, 11:52 and I like to use another illustration 11:54 because I talked about by many army bases, 11:57 many years ago, we were down in North Carolina. 11:59 And if you've been watching this program 12:00 any number of times, 12:02 you probably heard me use this illustration before, 12:04 but many people 12:05 that enter the army or the navy, or whatever it is, 12:08 by these bases, by these military bases, 12:11 there's this little pawn shop, 12:13 they pawn things. 12:15 They're going overseas, 12:16 they have televisions and they have stereos 12:18 and they have guitars 12:20 and things that they don't need, 12:21 but they want money for it. 12:22 So they take it to a pawn shop, and they said, 12:24 "How much could you give me for my guitar 12:25 or for my walkie-talkie or for my television?" 12:28 "Well, here's what you get." 12:30 "Now if you're going to get your television back, 12:31 this is how much you have to pay plus interest." 12:33 And they get a little ticket. 12:34 It's called a redemption ticket. 12:37 If they lose that ticket and someone else finds it, 12:40 they can walk in and say, 12:42 "I'm here to pick up my television." 12:43 And all that you got to do is produce the ticket. 12:47 Well, I'll tell you the ticket of our redemption 12:49 is the blood of Jesus. 12:50 Amen to that? 12:51 He walks into that place where Satan has sold us off 12:54 as valueless. 12:57 Jesus walks in and pays the highest price 13:00 to redeem us. 13:02 And as Peter says, "We were not redeemed 13:04 with corruptible things like gold and silver." 13:06 In our world, we don't think of gold and silver 13:08 as corruptible. 13:09 We don't think of gold and silver as not valuable. 13:12 But gold and silver is not valuable 13:14 when it comes to comparison to Jesus' blood. 13:17 Amen to that? 13:18 So we were redeemed with a greater price 13:21 because the blood of Jesus does not corrupt, 13:23 does not lose value, 13:25 and it's not based on the market. 13:27 It's not based on the stock market of man. 13:29 It's based on His eternal redemption. 13:33 All right, let's go to number 28, 13:35 question number 28. 13:38 How does the Bible describe God's ultimate purpose 13:43 for the judgment? 13:45 How does God describe... 13:47 How does the Bible describe God's ultimate purpose 13:51 for the judgment? 13:52 There's a tremendous purpose in the judgment. 13:55 How does the Bible describe what that purpose really is? 13:59 Go to Ephesians 5:27. 14:01 Ephesians 5:27. 14:06 Okay, I'm turning there. 14:07 Are you all there? 14:12 Ephesians 5:27. 14:17 All right. 14:20 And I want to start with verse 25 14:21 because it's such a wonderful picture. 14:23 It's such a beautiful picture that's presented here 14:24 in the Bible in Ephesians chapter 5. 14:28 All right, we're talking about the ultimate purpose 14:30 for the judgment. 14:32 All right, starts at verse 25. 14:35 And don't bring the screen up yet. 14:36 When we get to verse 27, then bring the text up. 14:39 I appreciate that. 14:40 "Husbands, love your wives, 14:41 just as Christ also loved the church 14:44 and gave Himself for her." 14:46 That's that eternal redemption, that's transaction. 14:49 "That He might sanctify and cleanse it 14:52 with the washing of water by the Word." 14:54 Now bring the text up. 14:55 And here's the answer. 14:57 "That He might present her to Himself a," 15:00 what kind of church? 15:02 Glorious church, 15:04 "a glorious church, 15:06 not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, 15:11 but that she should be," what? 15:14 "Holy and without," what? 15:16 "Without blemish." 15:17 So when you put the answer in there, 15:18 how does the Bible describe God's ultimate purpose 15:22 for the judgment? 15:24 And what is that? 15:31 I'm going to look for phrase, 15:32 the glorification of the church. 15:34 Now glorify, 15:36 He wants to glorify, 15:38 He wants to glorify His church. 15:40 Now let me put that in the context. 15:41 When we accept Jesus... 15:43 Write that down. I want you to write that down. 15:45 And you could also present a glorious church, 15:48 but I want the glorification... 15:50 glorification is so much more significant 15:52 when I follow that with an explanation. 15:55 Here is the explanation. 15:57 When we accept Jesus, we are justified. 15:59 What word did I just say? 16:01 Justified. 16:02 On a day by day basis, we are sanctified. 16:06 But then when Jesus cleanses us 16:09 and blots out our sins in the judgment, 16:12 we are then what? 16:13 Glorified. 16:15 So He wants to present a glorified church 16:17 that doesn't have a spot, 16:19 that doesn't have a wrinkle, 16:21 doesn't even have a blemish. 16:23 In order to do that, what has to happen? 16:26 That church has to be... 16:28 Let me pick your brains. 16:30 What no longer exists 16:32 among God's people for them to be no spots, 16:36 no wrinkles, no blemishes? 16:37 What's been done away with eternally? 16:39 Say it again. Sin. 16:40 Sin. Sin has been eternally eradicated. 16:44 There is no more sin. 16:46 If there's no more sin, 16:48 there's no more spot. 16:50 And for those of us who are getting older, 16:51 there are no more wrinkles, help me out somebody. 16:54 No more wrinkles. We are going to look... 16:57 We will not get to a place where we look wrinkly. 17:00 I plan to live in eternally. Anybody else? 17:02 Right? 17:04 See, so there will be no age wrinkles. 17:07 I was looking at a video... 17:09 Actually, it was not a video, 17:11 it was a television news broadcast, 17:14 and they were talking about schools, 17:16 maybe I think local schools 17:18 and they were interviewing the students. 17:19 And I commented to my wife 17:22 as we were sitting at the table. 17:23 And they were going from one student to the next. 17:25 I said, "Look at those faces, perfectly smooth faces, 17:27 not a single wrinkle to be found." 17:30 But, you know, what's going to happen in that world? 17:32 We are going to be like children again, 17:35 smooth faces. 17:37 Amen. 17:39 And that's why I like my camera. 17:42 I have a Samsung Note. 17:44 This is not a Samsung commercial. 17:46 Whenever I take pictures with my camera, 17:48 it just smoothes out my face. 17:50 And some people on the Internet have said, 17:54 "He's Photoshopping his face." 17:55 I am not doing that. 17:57 But we won't have to use Photoshop in eternity. 18:00 Praise the Lord for that. 18:01 A church without spot, no wrinkles, no blemishes, 18:05 all these age spots 18:06 we start getting and all these... 18:08 You ever noticed as you get older, 18:09 stuff shows up and just doesn't leave. 18:12 But in the judgment, 18:14 when the sin is forever eradicated, 18:16 our bodies, and this is important, 18:18 our bodies will no longer be corruptible. 18:22 That's what that means. 18:24 And that's why the beauty of it is, 18:26 even speaking of Jesus, 18:28 the Bible says, 18:30 that His Father did not allow Him 18:31 to see any corruption. 18:34 See, He brought Him out of the grave 18:36 before He saw corruption. 18:37 And that was known as three days after that, 18:40 start going down hill from there. 18:42 So He wants to present a glorious church, 18:45 a glorified church. 18:46 Write that down in number 28. 18:48 How does the Bible describe God's ultimate purpose 18:50 for the judgment? 18:51 He wants to present a glorious church. 18:53 Matter of fact, go with me to 1 Corinthians chapter 15. 18:56 Lord just brought this text to my mind. 18:58 This is a beautiful picture. 19:00 All right. 19:02 1 Corinthians chapter 15. 19:16 We're going to look at verse 22. 19:19 And down to verse 26, 19:22 verse 22 down to verse 26. 19:26 1 Corinthians chapter 15. 19:27 1 Corinthians chapter 15 19:29 is the text where Paul addresses 19:31 the issue of the mortal, 19:33 the immortal, the corruptible, 19:34 the incorruptible, the celestial, 19:37 the terrestrial, the terrestrial, 19:38 the celestial, the spirit, spiritual man, 19:42 and the carnal man. 19:44 He talks about all of that in this particular chapter. 19:47 He begins in verse 22 with this comparison, 19:50 "For as in Adam," 19:52 what are the next two words? 19:54 "All die." 19:55 Say that together, "All die, 19:58 even so in Christ, 20:00 all shall be made," what? 20:02 "Alive. 20:03 But each one in his own order, 20:06 Christ the first fruits, 20:10 afterward those who are Christ's," when? 20:14 "At His coming." 20:15 Now look at this, 20:17 this is the part 20:19 of the presenting of the church, 20:20 the presenting of the glorious church. 20:22 Here it is in the very next verse. 20:24 "Then comes the end," verse 24, 20:27 "when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, 20:32 when He puts an end to all rule 20:34 and all authority and power. 20:37 For He must reign 20:41 till He puts all enemies under His feet." 20:44 And verse 26, "The last enemy that will be destroyed is," 20:46 what? 20:48 "Is death." 20:49 So notice verse 24 here, 20:52 "Then comes the end, 20:53 when He delivers the kingdom to God." 20:56 The delivering of the kingdom to God is Ephesians 5:27. 21:00 He presents her to Him 21:02 as a glorious church 21:04 because the delivering of the kingdom 21:06 includes the saints being delivered. 21:09 The saints are being delivered gloriously to the Father. 21:12 Now we know the New Jerusalem is a particular city. 21:15 But what good would there be a city 21:17 without the saints. 21:18 See, open wide the gates that the nation 21:21 that keepeth the truth may enter in. 21:24 That's the beauty of it there. 21:25 So when you talk about the presenting of the church 21:28 in a glorious sense, 21:30 that's what Paul talks about here 21:31 in 1 Corinthians chapter 15. 21:33 One day, we are going to be delivered to the Father. 21:36 And when Jesus delivers the package, 21:40 it's not going to have any spots on it, 21:42 not going to have any wrinkles on it, 21:44 and there'll be no, what? 21:47 It was the last word on the screen, 21:48 there'll be no what? 21:50 No blemishes at all. 21:52 No blemishes whatsoever. 21:55 Praise the Lord for that. One day... 21:57 And I want you to rejoice in that because one day, 22:00 we're going to be as Jesus always saw us to be. 22:04 And that's the process of what He's working on. 22:07 Now He wants to get every one of us to the place 22:09 where we can be without spot or wrinkle or blemish 22:12 or any such thing. 22:13 Let's go to question number 29 now, 22:16 right? 22:17 Question number 29. 22:20 All right. 22:23 What level of effectiveness 22:24 does the High Priest Ministry of Jesus supply? 22:28 What level of effectiveness 22:30 does the High Priest Ministry of Jesus supply? 22:36 What effectiveness? 22:37 What level of effectiveness? 22:39 Now we know 22:40 we'll say there's nothing that Father can't do, 22:43 but it's good to see the answers. 22:45 This is a text that goes back a ways in my life. 22:49 And it's very well quoted 22:53 when we talk about the level of effectiveness. 22:57 Let me put some background before you bring the text up. 23:00 Recently, we had a visit with a good friend of ours, 23:03 young man that we played sports 23:04 with basketball on Tuesday night. 23:06 And he sustained a very terrible injury, 23:09 very horrific car accident. 23:11 They were hit by a truck, a big truck, 23:12 12,000 pounds or more. 23:14 And the car was hit. 23:15 It was just completely obliterated. 23:18 It was so indescribable, so hard to recognize, 23:21 the only way I can tell what had happened was, 23:23 I could see where the wheel well is, 23:24 and I could see the tire just mangled, 23:26 and the rim bent. 23:28 And I could start making out the rest of the car. 23:31 Well, we visited with him. 23:33 Matter of fact, today, and we said, 23:34 as we were sitting there talking with him, he said, 23:37 "I have choices of all these different gymnasiums 23:39 that I can go to, 23:41 some of them much closer to my house 23:42 than the one that is out here in Thompsonville." 23:44 He said, "I can go to SIU recreational center, 23:47 nice wooden floors, 23:49 there's another one closer to me, 23:50 there's another one, I pass so many of them 23:51 to come all the way to Thompsonville." 23:53 He lives 41 miles away from here, 23:55 but every Tuesday night, 23:57 he finds himself here. 23:58 And he said, "You know why?" 23:59 He said, "Because when I walk into that gymnasium, 24:01 there's a different spirit. 24:04 It's like a family." 24:06 He said, "But up until this accident, 24:09 I knew you guys were family, 24:11 but I didn't know 24:13 that you thought of me as family." 24:16 Ain't that wonderful? 24:18 He said, "I didn't know you thought of me as family." 24:20 Then he began to choke up. 24:22 He said, "I never thought." 24:27 He said, "It's been a long time. 24:28 Most of my..." Well, let me use the phrase. 24:30 He said, "Most of my life, I didn't think of myself 24:34 as people really willing to notice me 24:39 or to think of me as special 24:41 or to think of me as important. 24:42 But now I know that 24:44 I'm more than just another player in the gym. 24:47 This accident has given me 24:49 a sense of family now and I know." 24:52 And he choked up 24:53 and tears began to well up in his eyes. 24:56 And you know what's so wonderful about that? 24:57 I said to him, 24:59 "There's no difference between you and me. 25:01 In the sight of God, 25:02 we all stand on the same level ground. 25:05 He loves you as much as He loves me. 25:07 He died for you like He died for me. 25:09 He sees value in you like He sees value in me." 25:12 And I said sometimes 25:14 we have to get those traumatic experiences in life 25:17 for our sense of worth to be replaced, 25:21 for our sense of worth to be restored. 25:23 And he said, "From now on, I know I have a family." 25:26 And what a wonderful thing, 25:28 we went to visit both of them today. 25:30 Almost all day long, we were there, 25:32 and both brothers... 25:34 And just to bring a sense of reality in his life, 25:38 and I can never forget 25:39 what he said by the hospital bed, 25:40 I'm laying the foundation for this particular text 25:43 because I'm going to say this 25:44 as we stood by his hospital bed, 25:45 he said, "You know, in the past, 25:47 my goal was to win when I was on the court," 25:49 he said, "but now my goal is to make it to heaven." 25:51 Amen. Ain't that wonderful? 25:53 He said, "My number one priority 25:55 is to make it to heaven." 25:56 And so I praise the Lord for that. 25:58 And we're going to keep Jerry and his brother Big D 26:00 in our prayers because truly, 26:03 the kingdom is for anyone who comes to the Lord. 26:05 Never think of yourself as so far away 26:08 that God can't save you. 26:09 That's why this text is so powerful. 26:11 Leading what level of effectiveness 26:13 does the High Priest Ministry of Jesus supply? 26:15 Look at Hebrews 7:25. 26:17 This is beautiful. 26:18 Here it is. 26:20 "Therefore," the Bible says, "He is able to save," 26:23 and I want you to say this word with some strength, 26:25 "save to the," what? 26:27 "Uttermost those who come to God through Him, 26:33 since He always lives to make intercession for them." 26:38 Tonight, we have a High Priest that is alive. 26:40 What do you say to that? 26:42 He's ministering in the heavenly sanctuary. 26:44 And I want you to pause in your mind 26:45 and just allow your mind to go beyond this earth. 26:49 I'm sure you've seen pictures of from spaceships 26:52 what the world looks like from way out there just big, 26:56 this big round sphere just floating, 26:58 held together by nothing but God's mathematics 27:01 and God's ability to hold that world out there. 27:04 We see nothing, but God has put it there, 27:07 and it hasn't moved in eons. 27:09 And it's not going to move 'cause God, 27:11 when He establishes the foundations, 27:13 Job said, "It will not be moved." 27:15 But go beyond that and allow your mind to travel 27:17 way beyond the constellations 27:19 that we have been able to grasp with our eyes 27:22 and faintly understand with our mind. 27:25 And then as you take this journey 27:27 that one songwriter says 27:28 it's 10 zillion light years away. 27:31 When you finally arrive, 27:33 you come into a court scene... 27:36 Matter of fact, go with me to Revelation chapter 5. 27:38 You come into a court scene 27:39 and you see a work 27:41 that allows your tears to be dried up. 27:43 Revelation, let's go to Revelation very quickly. 27:45 I want you to see this. 27:48 Revelation chapter 5. 27:50 Okay. 27:55 Wow, what a beautiful picture. 27:56 And so we are now arriving, 28:00 we are now catching up with John the Revelator, 28:03 as he invites us into the scene 28:05 that I hopefully in my own dramatic way 28:08 with my limited adjectives have established for you. 28:11 Here it is. 28:13 Revelation chapter 5. 28:14 "And I saw in the right hand of Him 28:19 who sat on the throne, a scroll written," 28:24 verse 1, "inside and on the back, 28:27 sealed with seven seals." 28:28 And by the way, I'm reading 28:29 from the New King James Versions. 28:31 "Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming 28:35 with a loud voice." 28:37 What kind of angel was it? 28:39 Strong angel, proclaiming with a loud voice, 28:42 "Who is worthy to open the scroll 28:45 and loose its seals?" 28:47 Now strong angel, and you think, 28:49 "They mentioned strong, 28:50 surely that angel should be able to do it." 28:52 But the angel just had a strong voice. 28:54 The angel knew he couldn't do it. 28:56 So he's using his strong voice. 28:58 It's like a fire has started and somebody's saying, 29:02 "Who has the keys to the fire hydrant? 29:06 Who knows the phone number 29:07 of the neighbors to wake them up?" 29:09 A strong voice. 29:10 The angel is calling 29:12 throughout the courts of heaven, 29:13 "Who is worthy to open the scroll 29:17 and to loose its seals?" 29:18 And look at the answer, verse 3, 29:20 "And no one in heaven or on the earth 29:23 or under the earth was able to open the scroll 29:26 or to look at it." 29:28 No one was found. 29:29 And John said in verse 4, "So I wept much, 29:32 because no one was found worthy to open 29:36 and read the scroll or to look at it." 29:39 No one was found worthy. 29:41 Now I want to set this up for you 29:43 because the question is if no one in heaven 29:47 or on the earth or under the earth 29:50 that's in the grave, if there's no one in the grave, 29:52 no one on the earth, 29:54 or no one in heaven found worthy, 29:55 the question is where is Jesus? 30:00 He's not in the grave, He's not on the earth, 30:03 and He's not in heaven. 30:04 Let me answer the question. 30:06 He's in transit. 30:07 He's on His way back. 30:10 And David the Psalmist, captures that when he says, 30:13 "Lift up your heads, O ye gates, 30:15 and be ye lift it up, ye everlasting doors, 30:18 and the King of glory shall come in." 30:20 And the angel responds, "Who is this King of glory?" 30:23 And the Lord responds, "The Lord strong and mighty, 30:25 the Lord mighty in battle. 30:26 Lift up your heads, O ye gates, 30:28 and be ye lift it up, ye everlasting..." 30:30 And the angel asking, "But who is the King of glory?" 30:32 And Lord responds again, "The Lord strong and mighty, 30:34 the Lord mighty in battle." 30:35 So the Lord is on His way 30:37 because the very next verse tells me He arrived. 30:39 Look at the very next verse. 30:41 "But one of the elders said to me, 30:44 'Do not weep. 30:46 Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, 30:52 the Root of David, 30:53 has prevailed to open the scroll 30:55 and to loose its seven seals.'" 30:58 And then all of a sudden, what John didn't see before, 31:00 he sees now. 31:02 "And I looked, and behold, 31:04 in the midst of the throne 31:07 and of the four living creatures, 31:08 and in the midst of the elders, 31:10 stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, 31:13 having seven horns, seven eyes, 31:16 which are the seven Spirits of God 31:18 sent out into all the earth. 31:21 Then He came and took the scroll 31:22 out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. 31:25 And when He had taken the scroll, 31:27 the 4 living creatures and the 24 elders fell down 31:30 before the Lamb, 31:31 each having a harp 31:33 and golden bowls full of incense, 31:34 which are the prayers of the saints. 31:36 And they started singing." 31:37 And they started singing, 31:39 "You are worthy to take the scroll, 31:41 to open its seals, for You were slain." 31:44 That's a beautiful picture. 31:45 So what's happening here is the very Lamb, 31:49 Jesus Himself, the High Priest, the Judge, 31:52 the Lawyer arrives 31:54 in the midst of a depressing scene 31:56 because John says, 31:57 "There's nobody worthy to open the scrolls." 32:00 And He comes, and He's worthy tonight. 32:02 Praise the Lord for that. 32:03 And He did what? 32:05 It says in verse, 32:06 "You are worthy to take the scroll 32:08 and to open its seals, for You were slain, 32:10 and You have," done what? 32:13 "Redeemed us to God by your blood out of," what? 32:17 "Every tribe and tongue and people and nation 32:20 and have made us kings and priests to our God. 32:23 And we shall reign on the earth." 32:25 Praise the Lord for that. 32:27 So only by His blood can we be redeemed. 32:31 That's why this text is so powerful. 32:33 He saves to the uttermost. 32:36 From the gutter most, we say, to the what? 32:38 Uttermost. 32:40 Don't forget that. 32:41 That's a ring, but it's so wonderful. 32:43 Okay, question number 30, 32:45 the last question in this particular lesson. 32:50 All right, 32:51 here it is. 32:53 In light of the judgment 32:55 what assurance does Jesus provide His children? 33:00 What assurance does Jesus provide His children? 33:03 Go to John 5:24. 33:07 John 5:24. 33:12 This text is widely important 33:13 because when you know that judgment is coming, 33:16 if you don't have assurance, it's frightening. 33:19 Really, it is. 33:21 If you know that you're living in the time of the judgment, 33:23 which we in fact are. 33:25 In light of the judgment, if you don't have assurance, 33:28 it's a scary thing 33:29 because every day 33:30 people are passing often to eternity. 33:33 People go to work in the morning, 33:34 sometimes they don't make it home. 33:36 People wake up, 33:38 some people don't wake up. 33:39 I mean, I'll tell you today. 33:41 There are funeral parlors all over the world 33:43 that are busy, 33:44 there are hospitals that are busy, 33:46 there are emergency rooms, there are critical care units, 33:48 people are being born, 33:49 people are dying, as the clock ticks, 33:51 people are passing off into eternity. 33:53 You got to have assurance. 33:54 That's why it does not make sense 33:56 to live without Jesus? 33:57 What do you say? 33:59 Doesn't make sense to live without Christ. 34:00 Doesn't make sense to know that these things are coming 34:03 and you have not made preparation. 34:05 So what assurance do we have? 34:06 Here it is in John 5:24. 34:09 Here's what the Bible says, 34:12 "Most assuredly, I say to you, 34:17 he who hears My word and believes in Him 34:21 who sent Me has," what? 34:23 Say it together. 34:24 "Everlasting life." 34:26 And here's the beauty of it. 34:27 "And shall not come into judgment, 34:31 but has passed from," what? 34:33 "Death," to what? 34:35 "Life." 34:36 Now this is a very powerful text 34:38 because it says we'll not come into judgment, 34:40 but now it almost sounds contradictory 34:44 because I said in light of the judgment, 34:46 but it says, "We'll not come into judgment." 34:48 Well, the word here is, 34:49 we'll not come into condemnation. 34:51 That's the key. 34:52 We'll not come into condemnation. 34:53 When you know that you have everlasting life, 34:56 when you have that assurance that you have everlasting life, 35:00 he who has the Son has, what? 35:02 Life. 35:04 When you have that assurance, 35:05 you know that I can step up to the judgment bar 35:08 closed in the righteousness of Jesus, 35:10 and I don't have to fear the judgment. 35:13 I don't have to be filled with in trepidation and, 35:16 "What's going to happen? 35:17 What's going to happen?" 35:19 Why? 35:21 Because we have the blood of Christ. 35:24 We have His righteousness, 35:26 He has made provision for our sins to be blotted out. 35:29 Now what's the difference between 35:31 blotted out and cleansed? 35:33 Do you remember the difference? 35:35 Cleansed mean it's still there, but blotted out means what? 35:39 You can't find it anymore. 35:41 It's gone. 35:42 So do you have the assurance? 35:44 Here is the key. 35:46 If you hear His word and believe in Him 35:48 who has sent Jesus, you have everlasting life, 35:52 and you shall not come into condemnation. 35:55 That's what that word judgment means there. 35:56 You don't have to worry about being condemned. 35:58 Why? 35:59 Let's look at one more text to wind this out, John 3:17. 36:04 You all know that one by heart, I'm sure. 36:07 You know John 3:16. 36:11 John 3:17. 36:15 Here it is. 36:22 The most famous texts in the Bible 36:23 were spoken to Nicodemus, 36:25 a Pharisee that came to Jesus by night. 36:29 John 3:17, 36:30 "For God did not send His Son into the world to," do what? 36:34 "Condemn the world, 36:36 but that the world through Him might be," 36:39 together, "saved." 36:41 Look at verse 18, 36:43 "He who believes in Him is not condemned." 36:46 That's the context of the verse. 36:48 "But he who does not believe is," what? 36:50 "Condemned already because he has not believed 36:53 in the name of the only begotten of God." 36:58 And why is he condemned? 36:59 Here it is in verse 19, "And this is the condemnation, 37:03 that the light has come into the world, 37:05 and men love darkness 37:07 rather than light because," what? 37:10 "Their deeds were evil." 37:12 So here it is. 37:13 You want to connect that in your lesson, 37:15 write that down next to John 5:24. 37:17 Write John 3:17 down to 19. 37:21 And the beauty of this is, 37:25 when you are born in darkness, 37:27 you're born in condemnation, you live in condemnation, 37:31 you don't step into a relationship with Jesus, 37:33 you are condemned already. 37:36 What has Jesus come to do then? 37:37 Let's look at this real quickly. 37:38 What has Jesus come to do? 37:40 He has come to take us out of the condemned category 37:43 and put us into the category of redeemed. 37:47 There's only condemned, and then there's redeemed. 37:50 I want you to get this. 37:52 When we are born, we are born alienated. 37:55 We are born condemned already, right? 37:59 But now Jesus comes, 38:00 He says, "Do you believe in Me?" 38:02 Then you're taken out of the condemned 38:04 already category into the what category, 38:06 say it, redeemed. 38:08 Say that word. Redeemed. 38:09 You're taken out of that lost category 38:12 and put in the category of salvation. 38:14 It's a beautiful thing because let me go 38:16 all the way back to the original question. 38:19 Go with me to Revelation chapter 14, 38:21 the very first verse that we looked at 38:24 when we began this study will be the transition 38:28 into our next lesson. 38:30 And let me go ahead and seal this off. 38:32 That's the last question for the topic 38:34 of the truth about the judgment. 38:36 At a later date, we're going to deal 38:38 with whole context of Daniel, 38:39 Daniel 9, Daniel 7, 38:41 all the framework of the timing of the judgment 38:44 and the sanctuary articles of furniture, 38:46 that's a lengthy study in and of itself. 38:48 But I want to begin with Revelation chapter 14. 38:51 And here is the reason why the next lesson 38:54 becomes quite important 38:56 because the very next lesson... 38:58 We could bring that slide up. 39:00 The very next lesson is 39:01 The Truth about Spiritual Babylon, 39:05 The Truth about Spiritual Babylon. 39:07 And it's on the heels of the judgment. 39:10 Look at Revelation 14, 39:12 and we're going to look together 39:13 at verse 6 and 7, 39:15 and then we're going to dive 39:17 into question number 1 of lesson number 29. 39:20 All right, look at the first message. 39:23 Verse 6 of Revelation 14, 39:25 "Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, 39:29 having the," what? 39:31 "Everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth 39:35 to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people. 39:38 Saying with a loud voice, 39:40 'Fear God, and give glory to Him 39:42 for the hour of His judgment has come, 39:46 and worship Him who made heaven and earth, 39:49 the sea and springs of water.'" 39:51 So in the light of the judgment, 39:53 the Lord is calling us back to what? 39:55 What singular word? 39:56 He's calling us back to what word? 39:59 Say it again. 40:00 He's calling us back to worship. 40:03 Why? 40:04 Now this is huge, this is the transition 40:06 you're going to catch it, I'm going to throw it. 40:08 Here it is. 40:09 He's calling us back to true worship 40:13 because false worship has been established, 40:17 which is a test. 40:20 In these last days, 40:21 He's calling us back to true worship 40:24 because worship is going to be the deciding issue. 40:28 Go to John chapter 4 very quickly. 40:30 Don't lose Revelation. 40:31 I want to show you this. 40:33 John chapter 4, we were there a moment ago. 40:36 And I know we ought to find it now. 40:38 John chapter 4. 40:41 Worship, my brothers and sisters, 40:43 is always the issue. 40:46 Lot of people don't think it as a matter how you worship. 40:48 No, nothing could be further from the truth. 40:51 Nothing could be further from the truth. 40:55 Okay, I'll just begin with a phrase 40:57 that was a challenge to the woman at the well 41:00 or the Samaritan woman. 41:02 Notice verse 22 down to verse 24. 41:04 "Jesus said to her." First of all... 41:05 Because she was talking about worship. 41:07 Her focus was worship. 41:08 She was trying to get Jesus of her lives issues, 41:11 and she talked about the mountain 41:12 where they worshiped. 41:13 And look what Jesus said, and this is true of today. 41:16 He said, Verse 22, 41:18 "You worship what you do not know, 41:22 we know what we worship, 41:24 for salvation is of the Jews." 41:27 At that particular time, she was saying, 41:29 "Well, the mountain." 41:31 He said, 41:32 "Woman, you don't know what you're worshiping." 41:35 And really, my brothers and sisters, 41:36 in these last days, 41:37 there are many people that are worshiping 41:39 they don't know what they're worshiping. 41:41 They don't know what they're worshiping. 41:43 That's why the next two verses are so vitally important. 41:44 Look at verses 23 and 24. 41:46 This is going to be our transition text. 41:48 Verse 23 and 24, 41:50 He said, Jesus says, "But the hour is," 41:52 what's the next word? 41:53 "Coming, and now is..." 41:55 He said to the woman, "The hour is also coming, 41:57 but it also is here." 41:58 He said, "It's present for you, 42:00 but it's also coming for others." 42:01 "The hour is coming, and now is, 42:04 when the," what kind of worshiper? 42:07 "True worshipers will worship the Father in," what? 42:11 "Spirit and," in what? 42:12 "Truth, 42:13 for the Father is seeking such to worship Him." 42:17 Verse 24, "God is Spirit, 42:19 and those who worship Him 42:21 should worship in spirit and truth." 42:24 Come on, what's the word that I missed? 42:26 Come on, say it again. What's the word that I missed? 42:28 Must. Must. 42:30 The Bible didn't say should or might, it says must. 42:33 And there are many people today that worship. 42:36 And I've had the conversations, 42:37 I've had the conversations with people that 42:39 were looking for truth, 42:41 I've had the conversations with people 42:42 that inquired about the truth, 42:44 I've had conversation with people that 42:46 were walking in the truth but did not love it 42:49 because they had something else they focus on 42:51 as the mode of worship. 42:53 Some people worship music, some people worship programs, 42:57 some people worship the beauty of the sanctuary, 43:00 people have all these different reasons 43:01 to worship. 43:02 The Lord said, 43:04 "There's only two things 43:05 I want you to worship Me in Spirit and," 43:07 what else? 43:08 "Truth." 43:10 Music is good, but don't ever give away, 43:12 don't ever say, "Oh, 43:16 if I could find some good music, 43:17 that's where I'm going to go and worship." 43:20 They had a whole lot of music in Babylon, 43:22 and Nebuchadnezzar said, "When you hear the music, 43:24 all kinds of music, fall down and do," what? 43:28 "Worship." 43:29 So worship is the big issue. 43:31 Babylon, it's amazing. 43:33 Thank you, Lord. 43:35 The Lord just brought that to my mind. 43:37 In the Courts of Babylon... 43:38 Go with me to Daniel. Go with me to Daniel. 43:41 This topic has to be set up so beautifully. 43:43 Go with me to Daniel. 43:46 You know the story of the Hebrew worthies, 43:49 how they made it clear they ain't bowing down 43:52 to worship nothing, okay? 43:55 Okay. 43:59 Okay, here it is, Daniel chapter 3. 44:02 Daniel chapter 3. 44:08 Daniel 3:4. 44:15 Wow. 44:17 Okay. 44:19 Daniel 3:4. 44:28 Let's go ahead and look at verse 3 also. 44:32 So the satraps, that's the leader is, 44:35 that's the word that was used in the political circle 44:40 of Nebuchadnezzar. 44:41 "The administrators, the governors, the counselors, 44:44 the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, 44:47 and all the officials of the province 44:49 gathered together 44:51 for the dedication of the image 44:53 that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 44:55 And they stood before the image 44:58 that Nebuchadnezzar had set up." 45:00 Now I want to get this. 45:01 This is huge in the setup of the next lesson, 45:03 all the political leaders, all the political leaders, 45:08 it mentions all the political leaders. 45:10 You're going to find when we go to this next topic, 45:15 you're going to see how even still today 45:17 spiritual Babylon has pulled in so many political leaders. 45:24 These are king's leaders, governors. 45:27 And by the way, when you look at that, 45:29 if you go further down and read the story, 45:31 Nebuchadnezzar says peoples from all over the earth 45:34 would gather there. 45:35 He goes on to the next verse, verse 4 of Daniel 3. 45:39 "Then a herald cried aloud." 45:42 Notice how these messages aloud, in Revelation, 45:44 the angels saying aloud, in Babylon a loud message. 45:48 See the verbiage there. 45:50 He says, "Then a herald cried aloud, 45:52 'To you it is commanded, O peoples," what else? 45:56 "Nations," and what else? 45:57 "Languages." 45:58 To whom is the message going to? 46:00 Every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. 46:02 See Babylon is contending for the same crowd. 46:06 Babylon is contending for the same crowd. 46:08 "O peoples, nations, and tongues, 46:10 and languages, that at the time you hear..." 46:14 Notice, look at that. 46:15 Verse 5, 46:17 "That at the time you hear the sound of the horn, 46:19 the flute, the harp, the lyre, the psaltery, 46:22 the symphony with all kinds of music. 46:26 You shall fall down and worship the golden image 46:29 that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up." 46:33 What was the impetus to get on the worship? 46:35 When you hear the music. 46:37 This is huge. 46:38 This is a powerful foundation for the next topic. 46:41 It was for all the nations. 46:43 The governors are there, the leaders, 46:45 the political leaders are there, 46:47 political leaders, religious people, 46:49 and the issue is worship, and music is the focus, 46:53 and the image is the idol. 46:55 I got an image, when you hear the music, 46:58 politicians, you guys over there, 47:01 you Babylonian citizens, and nations, 47:02 and languages, you all are there, 47:04 when you hear the music, 47:05 let's all get together and worship. 47:08 And what are we going to be worshiping? 47:10 We're going to be worshiping the image 47:11 that I have set up, 47:13 that's huge because this next lesson 47:16 if you don't have spiritual glue, 47:20 pray for some 47:21 'cause this next lesson is going to see 47:23 how well you can stick to the leading of God's 47:25 Holy Spirit. 47:26 So you see today what happened. 47:28 So you see clearly. 47:29 Look at verse 6, 47:31 "And whoever does not fall down and worship 47:33 shall be cast immediately into the midst 47:36 of a burning fiery furnace." 47:38 The death decree. 47:40 "So at that time, when all the people heard 47:42 the sound of the horn and all the music," 47:44 it says there, "All the people, nations, 47:46 and languages fell down and worshiped the gold image 47:49 which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up." 47:51 But I want to tell you, how many refused to bow down? 47:55 How many? Say it again. 47:56 Three. 47:57 How coincidental or providential is it. 47:59 Three messages, first, second, and third angels' message. 48:03 Three Hebrews chose not to bow down, 48:05 three messages in Revelation, 48:07 Revelation warns 48:08 against the beast and his image, 48:10 all right? 48:12 We're going to get to that next. 48:13 But we're going to begin with Babylon 48:14 because Babylon is the impetus that gets us to the image, 48:17 the beast and his image. 48:18 First of all, in the judgment hour, 48:20 the message goes forward, and the message says, 48:23 "Let's get back to the right kind of worship, 48:25 let's get back to the worshiping the creator." 48:26 Why? 48:28 Because Babylon has a substitute. 48:29 So now on that note, 48:30 let's go to question number one on our new lesson, 48:33 The Truth about Spiritual Babylon. 48:34 Are you ready for it? 48:36 The Truth about Spiritual Babylon. 48:39 Here it is. 48:40 Question number one, 48:42 what does the Second Angel's 48:43 Message of Revelation bring into focus? 48:46 I use that word 48:47 because this is A Sharper Focus. 48:49 What does the Second Angel's 48:51 Message of Revelation bring into focus? 48:53 Go to Revelation 14:8. 48:55 Revelation 14:8. 48:57 All right. 48:58 Most of you already there. 49:00 We began the last lesson, Revelation 14:7. 49:03 Now Revelation 14:8. 49:06 Let me slow down, I'm an excited New Yorker. 49:08 Revelation 14:8, okay? 49:12 I got to get back to my California roots 49:14 where they speak methodically 49:15 and slowly and clearly, all right? 49:18 We're looking at Revelation 14:8. 49:19 Here we go. 49:21 "And another angel followed, saying..." 49:24 Let's say it together. 49:25 "Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, 49:30 because she made," how many?" 49:32 "All nations drink of the wine of the wrath 49:37 of her fornication." 49:39 Now let's go and write that down. 49:40 What does the second angel's message 49:42 of Revelation bring into focus? 49:45 Babylon is fallen. 49:47 Write that down. Babylon is fallen. 49:50 We'll see how the original Babylon fell. 49:54 And it's amazing how Daniel lays foundation, 49:59 Revelation picks it up and says, 50:01 "As the old Babylon fell, they had an image, 50:04 they had a focal point of worship, 50:05 they appeal to the governors, the political leaders, 50:08 and they appeal to the people that believes in worship. 50:12 It's when politics and religion merges 50:14 on to the leadership of a man who has his eyes on worship, 50:20 but he also has politics at his base. 50:23 When religion and politics merges together, 50:27 politicians and religious people 50:29 will be urged to worship 50:31 the image that has been established. 50:34 And that's where Revelation is leading us. 50:35 So write that down. 50:37 What does the second angel's 50:39 message of Revelation bring into focus? 50:41 Babylon is fallen. 50:43 And it goes on. 50:46 I just want you to see this very quickly. 50:47 Look at verse 9. 50:48 We're not going to answer this tonight, 50:50 but this is going to go ahead 50:51 and you'll see the whole progression because, 50:56 in Daniel, that's the progression 50:58 a judgment comes. 51:00 What is the judgment? 51:01 Either you're going to worship what Nebuchadnezzar's set up 51:03 or you're going to worship God. 51:05 That's the judgment hour for the three Hebrews. 51:08 This is the judgment hour, everything is on the line, 51:12 the judgment hour has come. 51:14 "What are you going to do, Hebrews? 51:15 You're going to bow or you're going to stand up?" 51:17 They chose to stand up. 51:19 What was the issue now? 51:20 "There's an image you need to worship," 51:23 and so the progression is huge, the judgment hour has come, 51:26 the issue is worshiped in the courts of Babylon, 51:29 and look at the very verse, 51:30 verse 9 that's going to be the next study, 51:32 The Truth about the Beast and his Image. 51:35 Look at verse 9. 51:36 "Then a third angel followed, saying with a loud voice, 51:39 'If anyone worships the," what? 51:42 "Beast and his," what? 51:43 "Image, and receives his mark on his forehead 51:46 or on his hand..." 51:47 I'm going to just stop right there 51:49 because that's where we're going to be 51:50 going next after the truth about spiritual Babylon, 51:52 the truth about the beast and his image 51:55 'cause that's the progression in Daniel. 51:57 You see, for those of you that don't study Revelation, 51:59 you want to invite a whole lot more people 52:01 as we walk through this lesson together 52:03 because it's going to really... 52:06 If you have one socks, they will be removed. 52:09 We used to say in New York, 52:10 it's going to blow your socks off. 52:12 It's going to really turn the light on 52:14 in your spiritual minds. 52:15 Praise the Lord. Can you say amen to that? 52:18 Okay, the question number two now. 52:19 Question number two is the lengthy question. 52:21 This may be the last one for the night. 52:23 We may not even get through all of the verses 52:25 that are there because we're covering six verses. 52:27 But here's question number two. 52:29 How does the Bible describe 52:31 the specifics about Spiritual Babylon? 52:36 How does it describe 52:38 the specifics about Spiritual Babylon? 52:41 Revelation chapter 17. 52:42 Revelation chapter 17 is a detailed description 52:46 of this institution of Babylon. 52:48 And what I want to say tonight 52:49 is Babylon is formed 52:53 when it pulls all other movements together in it 52:59 because when Babylon existed as a kingdom, 53:02 there were no other great kingdoms. 53:04 They were all sucked in to the reign of Babylon. 53:07 When King Nebuchadnezzar reigned, 53:09 they were no other nations reigning 53:11 that were more powerful than he. 53:12 No other nation could withstand the powers 53:15 and the authority and the strength 53:17 and the greatness of the kingdom of Babylon. 53:20 So when Babylon is finally pulled together, 53:22 we're going to discover in this lesson, 53:23 that it is not a singular power alone, 53:27 but it is made up of a coalition, 53:29 it has a head and it has a body. 53:31 We'll find out about that in particular detail. 53:33 But let's go and start with verse 1 and 2. 53:35 We'll see how far we can get. 53:37 We may not finish question number two, 53:38 but let's make an attempt. 53:40 Revelation 17:1-2. 53:42 And the question is how does the Bible describe 53:45 the specifics about Spiritual Babylon? 53:47 Here it is. 53:49 The Bible says, "Then one of the seven angels 53:51 who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, 53:55 saying to me," what? 53:56 "Come, I will show you 53:59 the judgment of the great harlot 54:02 who sits on," what? 54:04 "Many waters," and then, verse 2, 54:07 "with whom the kings of the earth 54:10 committed fornication, 54:12 and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk 54:15 with the wine of her fornication." 54:18 Okay, the first thing that we want to get... 54:20 And there's a lot of answers in this first verse. 54:22 I just want to try to pull out 54:24 some of the most significant ones. 54:25 One of the first things you find about Babylon, 54:29 it's called the great harlot. 54:32 It's called the what? 54:34 Say that word. The great harlot. 54:36 The King James Versions 54:37 even more pointed the great whore, 54:39 but the great harlot. 54:40 And then, it says, "It sits on many waters." 54:45 Okay, you want to know what those waters are. 54:47 Go to Revelation 17:15 very quickly now. 54:50 You're in Revelation 17 already, 54:52 but look at verse 15, all right? 54:57 Just to show you 54:58 how easy it is to understand Revelation. 55:02 Spiritual discernment there. 55:03 Verse 15, "And he said to me, 'The waters which you saw, 55:09 where the harlot sits are,'" what? 55:11 "Peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues." 55:15 See how the description is clear. 55:17 So at the end of verse 1, she sits on water. 55:20 What water she is sitting on? 55:24 That means she's raining over people, 55:27 but not just people locally, she's raining over what? 55:30 She's raining over what? 55:33 Peoples, multitudes, nations, languages. 55:37 She's got a huge territory of rain and authority. 55:42 But not only that, let's add the second component, 55:46 verse 2, 55:47 "With whom the kings of the earth 55:49 committed fornication." 55:50 So she not only has earthly rain 55:54 but she has political support, the kings of the earth, 55:58 she has political support. 56:00 Write that down. 56:01 The leaders of the earth. 56:03 She has... 56:04 What kind of support did I say? 56:06 Political support because the kings of the earth 56:08 are the guys who called the shots, 56:10 all the leaders of the world, there are presidents, 56:13 there are prime ministers, they have different titles, 56:17 some are monarchs, all over the earth, 56:19 the kings of the earth, and what have they done? 56:24 They've committed fornication. 56:25 They joined her in her rebellion. 56:27 We're going to get... 56:28 This is heavy language, 56:30 but it's so clearly descriptive. 56:32 And the third thing that she does 56:35 is the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk, all right? 56:39 So you want to write that down, 56:40 I didn't give you a ton of room, 56:42 but try to write small, all right? 56:44 So the world is intoxicated. 56:48 The world is intoxicated by her. 56:52 That's huge. 56:53 You know what happens when somebody is intoxicated? 56:57 You control them. 56:59 They have no control of themselves. 57:01 They have given up all control 57:03 to the substance that they have ingested. 57:06 Whatever they have taken in is what controls them. 57:09 It has weakened their resolve to resist. 57:12 That's why a lot of people when they get drunk, 57:14 they say, "I didn't know what I was doing, I was drunk." 57:17 And I don't think 57:19 we're going to get past this second verse. 57:21 We're not going to get past verse 1 and 2. 57:22 This is going to be 57:24 a concentrated lesson, my friends. 57:25 But here, let me tell you this. 57:27 Invite more people to join you on this next broadcast 57:29 because Spiritual Babylon is alive 57:32 and well in the world today, 57:35 political leaders are being drawn in by it, 57:39 religious people are being drawn in by it, 57:41 and the inhabitants of the earth 57:42 that are not religious are being intoxicated by it. 57:46 You'll find out what that is. 57:47 I know a lot of things 57:49 we see are very strong and concentrated. 57:51 We encourage you to continue studying 57:53 the Word of God because I tell you 57:55 whatever it doesn't make sense, in a matter of time, 57:58 it will come into A Sharper Focus. 58:00 May the Lord bless you, until we see you again. |
Revised 2019-05-23