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Okay, tonight we start the much anticipated book of Revelation and now the book of Revelation has often been approached as a volume filled with ambiguous and arcane content and people often look at the book of Revelation as a book that is very cryptic and it's for this reason that they have a tendency to surrender the interpretation thereof to theologians and the so-called scholars for its interpretation, they actually relinquish their responsibility to actually study the book of Revelation and interpret them for themselves using the Bible, using the Holy Spirit and they actually give that up to other people to define for them and it's for this reason that there's a lot of false doctrine that's being preached out there using the book of Revelation, not that the book of Revelation obviously doesn't teach false doctrine but they will twist scriptures, twist the sequence of order, twist what's being read here to mean something completely different and really the purpose of that is in order to condition people for what's known as the new world order, okay. Now this is a grave mistake that people make when they relinquish their responsibility to interpret this book because of the fact that the book of Revelation is meant to illuminate us, okay. It's meant to teach us, it's an unveiling, it's meant to show us what things are going to come to pass and obviously when we look at the book of Revelation, we can obviously surmise that you know what, obviously there's some really dark sayings in here, there are things that are deep, there are things that are hard to be understood but the Bible tells us in 1 Corinthians chapter number 2, I have not seen, neither ear have heard, neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for them that love him but God has revealed them unto us by his Spirit for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea the deep things of God the Bible says. So what do we need in order to interpret the Bible, the Holy Spirit. What do we need in order to interpret the book of Revelation, the book itself, the books that came previous to this, the entire Bible is what we need, we don't need commentaries, we don't need unsafe people to try to decipher what this book is talking about. Obviously it has deep things but we can understand these things if we pray, rightly divide the word of truth so on and so forth. Now the purpose of this book really is to fill in the gaps that were left by Old Testament prophets such as Daniel for example. So this is the missing piece of the puzzle to a lot of Old Testament prophecies regarding end times, what people would refer to as end times eschatology and this is the missing piece of the puzzle here. Now let me read to you from Daniel chapter 12 and verse number 8, it says here, and I heard but I understood not, then said I, oh my Lord, what shall be the end of these things and he said, go thy way Daniel for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. Many shall be purified and made white and tried but the wicked shall do wickedly and none of the wicked shall understand but the wise shall understand. So we have a great advantage in the New Testament, do we not? We have an advantage that someone as godly as Daniel did not have. You know Daniel was used to create some of these prophecies or to preach a lot of these prophecies that God gave them to him regarding the end times but even he himself did not understand what he was writing, a lot of it he did not even understand what he was preaching but the Bible tells us that even we can have understanding of these things because we live in the end times. Now this is the missing piece of the puzzle for end times Bible prophecy and although there are passages and chapters in the book of Revelation that can be enigmatic, it's difficult to understand. You know the important events like people, the events and even the order of sequence is clearly spelled out for us, okay? We can, and by the way throughout this series we're definitely going to speculate, we're definitely going to do some conjecturing but not in regards to the rapture, not in regards to who the antichrist is, not in regards to the order of sequence, why? Because these things are clearly laid out for us, we know what the Bible says regarding these things, okay? Now there are certain dark sayings that we're going to have to conjecture and speculate but thank God that none of those things have to do with important doctrine, okay? And this is important because of the fact that we have to understand that the Bible actually teaches us that certain things that are cryptic and enigmatic are that way for a reason. Maybe God doesn't want us to understand those things, okay? And what he wants us to do is be a steward of that which we already know, that which is already being revealed. And in fact, you don't have to turn in Deuteronomy 29, 29, the Bible says this, the secret things belong unto the Lord our God but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever that we may do all the words of this law. So this is how we need to approach the book of Revelation, okay? To understand that the things that are secret, the things that are hard to be understood, the things that maybe God does not reveal, well maybe there's a reason why he has not revealed that. Let's not bang our heads against the wall trying to figure that out. Why don't we just try to conjecture or why don't we try to figure out and know and compare scripture to scripture the things that are already revealed, okay? Look at verse number one. And let me say this, we are going to, it's going to be great to conjecture and speculate on a lot of the things in the book of Revelation because some of it is just fun, amen? You know when you say this, it's just like you go through one, you chase one rabbit, you skin that one, you go to, it's a field full of rabbits. But thank God that none of these rabbits have anything to do with important essential doctrine that affects any type of eschatological conclusion in regards to the rapture, in regards to who the Antichrist is, so on and so forth. Look at verse number one. It says, the revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave unto him to show unto his servants. Now this is great because of the fact that it's called Revelation, it's revealing. Now what is it that is specifically revealing? We know that it reveals the events leading up to the second coming of Christ, it reveals the timing of the rapture, it reveals the wrath of God, it reveals the fall of Babylon, it reveals the millennial reign, the new heaven and the new earth. Now all of these important markers in the book of Revelation that I just mentioned actually have a foreshadowing of it throughout the Bible. You know there is a foreshadowing of great tribulation, there's a foreshadowing of the rapture, of the wrath of God. When you read through the Old Testament prophets, the major prophets and the minor prophets, every single one of them have a foreshadowing of something that was going to be fulfilled in the book of Revelation. That's what's important, right? So all these important markers have that and their fulfillment is being manifested here in this book. It says, the revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave unto him to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John. Now the first thing we need to notice here is that that which is being revealed to John was something that was actually revealed to Jesus Christ first. I know that sounds profound but think about this because he says there the revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave unto him. So God revealed something unto Jesus. You know what that leads us to believe? That there is something that Jesus Christ did not know, right? There is something that he previously did not know that now he knows. Now what is that? Well, hold your place or go to Mark chapter 13 if you would. We obviously understand that Jesus Christ is God in the flesh. He is omnipotent. He is omnipresent. He is omniscient. However, we do know that during his earthly ministry there was one piece of information that even he himself said that he did not know, okay? What was that? Look at Mark 13. Mark 13 is a parallel passage to Matthew 24 and Luke 21, Revelation chapter 6. It says here in Mark 13 verse 31, heaven and earth shall pass away, but my word shall not pass away, but of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the son, but the father. So we know that during his earthly ministry, the day and the hour was something that Jesus Christ did not know. Now does he know now? Well, according to verse number one, he does because now he's taken that which has been revealed to him by his father and he's given it unto John to be revealed unto us, okay? People want to use this to teach this doctrine of immanency that even, you know, that Jesus Christ does not know. So how can we know the timing of the rapture? Well, obviously we don't know the day or the hour, but we do know the events that take place before and the things that take place after and based upon that evidence we can safely assume when it will happen within the book itself, okay? Not the day or the hour. Now go back to Revelation chapter one. We'll talk a little bit more about that in just a bit. So what is another element that's being talked about here? Well, the book of Revelation, as I mentioned, means to reveal, to unveil. But if you were to look at this book in different languages, Spanish, for example, it's often referred to as the apocalypse. How many of you have ever heard that term before, you know, apocalypse, right? You know, in the 1909, I know the reign of Larry Gomez has it as the apocalypse and in fact, even in the original Greek language, it's used, it says apokalypsis, okay? I su Christo, that's referring to the apocalypse of Jesus Christ. Now here's what's interesting is that if you're to ask your average person, even someone who's not saved, you know, what is the apocalypse? They won't say it's the book of Revelation. What will they say? They'll automatically say, well, it's the end of the world. The apocalypse is the end of the world. You know, they'll talk about apocalyptic scenes when an atomic bomb falls and it completely decimates a city. They'll say it looks very apocalyptic. In other words, it looks like God just completely destroyed this place. So what does that term have a connotation of? It has a connotation of destruction, decimation, complete disaster, a cataclysmic event that just completely destroys everything, okay? And so the apocalypse is a word that has that and look, even though it means to reveal or to unveil, it doesn't mean the end of the world. They're partly right when they say that because what's one of the things that's actually being revealed in the book of Revelation? Well, the seven trumpets and seven vials, the three woes and those seven trumpets, seven vials and seven and three woes highlight the utter destruction that God brings upon mankind for the rejection of Jesus Christ, okay? Where God is literally destroying a third of everything, okay? I mean, you go to Revelation chapter six, we're talking about the four horsemen of the apocalypse. The first one is the antichrist and it tells us that all four of these horses are given power to destroy the fourth part of the earth, okay? To kill with the sword and with hunger and with death and with the beast of the field, the fourth part, leaving three. Well, the Bible says that thereafter the wrath of God, the seven trumpets and seven vials remove a third of that. So while the antichrist is only destroying 25% of the world through his actions, Jesus Christ, God himself destroys 33%, far more than what the antichrist has done and eventually he just destroys everything, lights everything on fire, completely decimates everything. So the apocalypse has a good connotation. People know these things. So even though they may not know the book of Revelation, they may not know the timing of the rapture, Revelation chapter six and all these important scriptures, already most people in this world understand that the apocalypse is referring to the end of the world. So guess what? They're still without excuse because this is a biblical term, right? So apocalypse simply means to unveil, to reveal and it carries that connotation of worldwide destruction and chaos that ultimately culminates to the end of the world, okay? And that is an essential part of the book of Revelation. You know, a lot of people want to go to the New Testament. They want to stay away from the Old Testament because they feel like the God of the Old Testament was so mean and he just killed everyone and he was so jealous. Well, you know, they're obviously not reading the book of Revelation because the book of Revelation has more wrath than any wrath that he has ever poured out in the Old Testament. He has so much wrath that he just destroys the entire world. And in fact, the Bible tells us regarding the fourth horseman, the pale horse, that his name that sat on him was death and hell followed with him. What does that mean? That means the vast majority of people who die in those cataclysmic events are going to hell. That's a big, that's a very strong statement there that death is coming and guess what? Hell is following with him, okay? Go back to Revelation chapter one, it says, the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him to show unto his servants things which must surely come to pass and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John. Now that phrase there, things which must surely come to pass, you know, you think about that, it's like, whoa, that was 2000 years ago. How is this something that has surely come to pass? But what we have to understand is that the Bible tells us in second Peter chapter three verse eight, that one day is what the Lord is as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day, okay? So when he says that he's showing them these things, which must surely come to pass, this is not from John's perspective, this is from God's perspective. This is God seeing this from the point of eternity, okay? From the vastness of eternity, he sees this as though it already happened in a sense. And in fact, John even goes as far in his vision to be able to see the rapture itself in Revelation chapter seven, when those, the great multitude, which no man could number are in heaven, he's possibly looking at you. You know, he's looking at a multitude and look, he saw this 2000 years ago as though it already happened, okay? So this is how we can see this when it says surely come to pass from God's frame of perspective, you know, this is very much plausible. Look at verse number two, who bear record of the word of God and of the testimony of Jesus Christ and of all things that he saw. Blessed is he that readeth and they that hear the words of this prophecy and keep those things which are written therein for the time is at hand. Now it's telling us there that there's a special blessing that comes on people when they actually read the book of Revelation, okay? Now, obviously we're blessed when we read the word of God period, but there is a specific blessing that comes with reading this particular book. Why is that? Why are we blessed for reading this book? Well, partly because of the fact that when we read this, it scares the fire out of us. It causes us to get right with God. Why? You say, well, because, you know, you don't want to get left behind. Well, obviously we're not going to get left behind, okay? There's no such thing as that, but to know and to see that these things could happen in our lifetime, that we can potentially partake in the beginning of sorrows, but we would refer to as the tribulation and even the great tribulation, we know logically speaking, man, I got to make sure that I'm a good Christian. I got to make sure that I can handle tribulation. I got to make sure that I can handle persecution. So when you read this and you see what the saints are going to go through when the Antichrist makes war with the saints, you know, getting chewed out by your boss doesn't seem as bad. Like, actually, I don't really have it that bad. Or, you know, if you get a door slammed into your face, you're not like a martyr for Christ. If you stub your toe and you got an ingrown toenail, boo-hoo, you know, it's like, oh, man, I have it so hard. Oh, really? Because it's actually going to get harder. We must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God, the Bible says. So if you think that tribulation, if you think the tribulation you're going through is bad now, oh, man, you know, hopefully you're one of the souls that gets martyred then. You know, they find under the altar saying how long, O Lord, holy and true, the stand out judge and avenger are bled in them that dwell on the earth. Because you're not going to be able to handle the last 75 days. If you can't even handle someone chewing you out at work or persecuting you for being a Christian or giving you a hard time because, you know, you come to our church. If you just fold like a folding chair, anytime the least bit of persecution comes your way, then you know what? You're not going to be able to hang here. You know, this is a blessing to read this because it shows that it kind of realigns and redirects our attention once again. And more so for us. I mean, if it did it for people back then, how much more for us who are living in the end times? Okay. Hold your place or go to First Thessalonians chapter five. First Thessalonians chapter five. So we can be ready for the beginning of sorrows. What is the beginning of sorrows? Well, the beginning of sorrows is the actual phrase that's used in the Bible to talk about the Antichrist, the wars and rumors of wars, the famine and the death. This is known as the beginning of sorrows. Great tribulation is actually when martyrdom begins to become implemented and Christians are killed for their faith. Prior to that, it's the beginning of sorrows. Okay. Look what it says in First Thessalonians five four. It says, but ye brethren are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light and the children of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore, let us not sleep as do others, but let us watch and be sober. They that sleep, sleep in the night and they to be drunk and are drunken in the night. But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love and for a helmet, the hope of salvation. So what is this telling us? Hey, those of you in 2020, don't be spiritual drunkards. Don't fall asleep at the wheel. This is a blessing if we read this because now we know, hey, now's not the time to sleep. Now's not the time to get drunk. Now's not the time to be in so frightening and drunkenness and gluttony. Why? Because we want to be sober. Now, can that be said of all Christians in all churches today? No, there's definitely some churches. There's pastors and Christians out there who are asleep at the wheel. They're not vigilant. You know, in fact, unfortunately they've been into this false doctrine of the pre-tribulation rapture where they believe that Christ can come at any moment. And so they're like, hey, it's all right. Everything's going to be okay. You know, just kind of eat, drink and be married for tomorrow we get raptured. But that's not the way it works. Okay. You know, and you wonder why old IFP preachers are so fat. Because they eat, drink and they're married for tomorrow they're raptured. Okay. But he can come in any moment. Well, you know what? If you read 1 Thessalonians chapter five through the lens of biblical prophecy, you understand, hey, now's not the time. We need to make sure that we're sober, we're vigilant. And what happens? We're blessed because of it. We're vigilant. We're seeing the signs of the times. We're able to behave as the children of light. Okay. To be watched and to be sober and not sleep, not be drunk. Go to 2 Peter chapter number three. 2 Peter chapter number three. Now, obviously, you know, if these pre-tribbers, old IFP or whatever else, other denomination that believes in the pre-tribulation rapture that are saved, you know, if these people end up going through the beginning of sorrows, eventually they're going to wake up. Right. You know, they're not going to be deceived. Maybe they'll be deceived for a short period of time, but eventually they will wake up. Okay. But I believe at that point, it's like too late. It's too late. You know why? Because you've already reached the end of the marker to prepare for that day. You know what I mean? It's like, it's like people who are behind in their Bible reading and they get to like December 25th and they still haven't finished, you know, the old testament. It's like, you're too late. It's probably too late. Okay. Or even previously, if you're still in the historical books on the 25th and you're looking to finish the entire Bible, it's probably not going to happen. You missed the train. Okay. Now, that's what's going to happen to a lot of churches, unfortunately. You know, I believe that yes, they will wake up to knowing who the Antichrist is and understanding that the rapture is not going to happen at any moment. But at that point, it's too late. They're going to say, oh, okay. And then either they're going to get martyred or they're going to stumble. They're going to fall. They are going to, you know, be persecuted and put to death. Okay. You say, who are the ones who are going to be left alive? I believe it's those who are preparing, number one. And number two, who are filled with the spirit, bold in the Lord to preach the gospel to every creature. And let me say this, if you're not doing it now, you're probably not going to do it then. You know, don't have this attitude. Well, once the Greek tribulation starts and once the beginning of sorrow starts, I'm going to be all in. Doesn't work that way, buddy. Does not work that way. In order for you to be that kind of a Christian then, you've got to be it now. Okay. So it's a blessing because we can be ready, but also we purify ourselves. Look at 2 Peter 3 10, it says, but the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night into which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise and the elements shall melt with fervent heat. The earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hasting until the coming of the day of God wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved and the elements shall melt with fervent heat. Nevertheless, we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace without spot and blame it. So knowing these things, what does it do? It purifies us. It helps us to realize that the possessions that we have in this world are nothing. Why? Because we know they'll be dissolved one day. It helps you to loosely hold the things of this world. The possessions, the material wealth, the houses, the cars, the toys, whatever you find to be valuable in this world no longer becomes valuable when you read this book. Because you see, oh, it's going to burn one day. Oh, I'm not going to have this forever. And what does it do? It helps you to have an eternal perspective and place an importance on that which is most important, which is souls, pleasing God, being blameless before him. This is a good book to read, if anything, for that, right? To purify yourselves to say, you know what? I'm tired of living for the temporal, for the possessions, for the monetary gains of this world. You know, it's choking the word of God in my life. I'm becoming unfruitful. But when you read the book of Revelation and you see the things that are going to happen to our possessions, to our houses, to, you know, even family, people, we understand that, you know what? The most important thing is their souls. The most important thing is to please God, is to go so when it's to preach the gospel because this is going to happen one day and it purifies us. Okay. You know, your little trial today doesn't seem as big anymore when you realize what's actually going to happen to the world. Okay. Look at verse number three, go back to Revelation chapter one. So he said, blessed is he that readeth. And they, they hear the words of this prophecy and keep those things which are written therein for the time is at hand. By the way, this is appointed to be read in churches. So they would read this, they preach on this all the time. And look, 2000 years ago, that means God was interested in them purifying themselves then. Okay. It says there for the time is at hand. Now, what does that mean when something is at hand? It means it can happen at any moment. Okay. Now make no mistake about it. This phrase is teaching immanency, right? For the time is at hand means it can happen at any moment, but it's just not teaching the immanency of Jesus, which is exactly what dispensationalist wants you to believe. Okay. They'll take this phrase that the time is at hand and they'll say, see, this is referring to the coming of Christ, but this is not what that's referring to. And I'm going to prove it to you. Go to second Thessalonians chapter two. We're going to go be going back and forth a lot. So just keep a pen there. A piece of paper in revelation chapter one, go to second Thessalonians chapter number one, excuse me, second Thessalonians chapter number two, second Thessalonians chapter number two. By the way, second Thessalonians chapter two and first Thessalonians chapter five are the most unfavored passages of scripture for preachers, for preemies. Okay. And in fact, I know someone specifically who preached through first and second Thessalonians and literally completely skipped chapter five, just didn't touch it. Preach chapter four said that that was a rapture, which amen to that because it is just completely skipped chapter five because how do you preach the chapter five without realizing that it's not a pre tribulation rapture? Can't. How do you preach the chapter two of second Thessalonians and not come to this conclusion? You can't. So what do you do? You skip it. It was like, what do I do? How can I, how can I make it fit? I can't. I'll just skip it then. You know, that's the only way you can get, that's the only way you can prove it is by skipping it. Okay. And even then it falls short. Okay. Look at second Thessalonians two verse one. Now we beseech you brethren by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and by our gathering together unto him. This is the rapture gathering together, the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. It says that he be not soon shaken in mind or be troubled neither by spirit nor by word nor by letter as from us as at that day of crisis at hand. So notice what he's saying here. He's saying, look, it's the same thing when he said in Galatians chapter one, if we are an angel from heaven, come unto you preaching another gospel, let him be a curse. In other words, what is he doing? He he's even adding the element of biblical authority. He's like, if a so-called pastor comes to you or someone forges a letter acting like they're me, don't believe it. Oh, but man, this, this pastor, he has such a large church. It doesn't matter if the apostle Paul said, don't even believe it. If it's supposedly a letter from me, how much less should we believe some pastor, you know, all they're, they're running a thousand or they have all these books on end times Bible prophecy. They know Greek. No, they don't. They went to Bible college and cemetery and all these other things, you know, they know, no, the Bible says here that we're not shaken or troubled by spirit, by word, nor by a letter as from us as that the day of Christ is at hand. What is he talking about? Hey, with someone says that Jesus Christ might come at any moment, cause that's what that means. Don't believe it. Don't be troubled by it. And look, I went to a pre-trip church and we were much troubled at the end of a couple services because they would say, Hey, you can come even after the service, he can come tonight. And we're like, Oh man, is this going to happen right now? You know, and it never would have happened. We were troubled. Okay. It says verse three, let no man deceive you by any means for that day shall not come. What day? The gathering together, the coming of Jesus Christ, except there come a falling away first and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition. So he says here, look, there are certain things that have to take place before the second coming of Christ. First off is the falling away first, which is not rapture. People want to say that the falling away means like you're being raptured. Okay. Fall rapture. You know, falling away is apostasy. Okay. And this is in Greek class, but literally the word that's being used there, even in Greek is apostasia. Apostasy follows doctrine and the man of sin has to be revealed. So this shows us that the antichrist will come first and then Jesus Christ, not the other way around, because what they do is they use this verse to teach that this is referring to, you know, the coming, the third coming, we would say it's the third coming. Okay. Which is revelation chapter 19. When Jesus Christ comes on a white horse to establish his millennial reign, you know, all the rabbis look up and they say, Oy vey, where have you been all my life? And then they get saved because they see him. This is not what that's referring to. Okay. Cause they say the falling away first, right? And then after the falling away, which is the rapture, then the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, the antichrist comes. We won't be here during that time. Well, that's funny because in revelation 13, why is he making war with the saints? Yeah. Everything about that? Well, the saints are Jews. Well, that's funny because I thought you said all Jews get saved in revelation 19. So how do you explain that? Well, it's the 144,000 of Jews. Well, first of all, it's not Jews, it's of Israel. Number two, nothing can happen to them. No harm can come upon the 144,000. So why is he making war with them? It falls apart, folks. This is referring to the antichrist. Go to first John chapter two, verse 18, first John chapter two, verse 18. So let no man deceive you by any means, whether it's the means of a letter, it's the means of a stupid book that they print out. You know, it's the means of some lame video on YouTube where it just looks like the guy who just draws on a washboard is on crack. Robert breaker and dung linger and all these guys. Don't be deceived by these fools. They're lying to you. Don't be deceived by any means. And he's saying, look, this is why there has to be a falling away first. And the man of sin has to be revealed. Okay. These are the markers that let us know that our redemption draweth nigh. Okay. Once the antichrist is there, once the, look, I'm not going to get into that tonight. We'll get into that in Revelation chapter six. That's where the meat is of this end times Bible prophecy. But when the antichrist shows up, we're still not going to know it's him. Still not going to know. Yeah. Once he first shows up and even when he is on the scene, we're still not going to know it's him. And you're just going to have to wait till revelation chapter six to know what I mean by that. Right. Look at first John chapter two, verse 18 is his little children. It is the last time, same phrase that we see in revelation chapter one. As you have heard that antichrist shall come, even now, are there many antichrists whereby we know that it is the last time. So this phrase is commonly used as an association with the coming of who Christ? No, the antichrist. Okay. So really it's an imminent coming of who? The antichrist. The Bible tells us in Matthew 24, verse four, you don't have to turn there. And Jesus answered and said unto them, take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ and shall deceive many. Now, obviously today we have that. We have that guy in Russia who looks like Cesar Borgia, right? He claims to be Christ. There's plenty of people throughout history who have claimed to be Jesus Christ, but these are all conditioning people. You know, you have Kanye West. I believe these are just puppets of Satan. Who Satan is using to kind of test the waters a little bit. Let's see how stupid people are in this generation. Let's, let's use this wicked false prophet, Kanye West, call yourself Jesus. Say that, you know, you're sent by God, just say the most blasphemous things. And let's see what the majority of Christians react to that. They love it. The vast majority of Christians eat it with fork and spoon. So you know what that tells us? We're nearing, we are nearing what we're seeing here in Revelation, because when the mass is just eat it up with fork and spoon and they just receive someone as stupid as Kanye West, someone, I mean, a rapper for goodness sake, not even a religious leader, a hip-hop artist, some lame hip-hop artist. Some lame hip-hop artist and people just think he's sent by God. How much more are they going to receive the Antichrist when he comes? It's going to be easy. It's going to be a piece of cake. Okay. Go back to Revelation chapter one, verse four says John to the seven churches, which are in Asia, grace be unto you in peace from him, which is and which was and which is to come. And from the seven spirits, which are before his throne and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness and the first begotten of the dead and the Prince of the Kings of the earth unto him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood and has made us Kings and priests unto God and his father to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Herein we see the most important verse in this chapter. Okay. This is the most essential verse in chapter one of Revelation, which is verse seven. Behold, he cometh with clouds. Very important poetic, but not symbolic. Okay. Behold, he cometh with clouds and every eye shall see him. And they also which pierced him and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. Hey, I like John's attitude. Okay. Because what is he doing? This is a passage in regards to the book of Revelation in regards to the rapture. So he is pairing the second coming of Christ with wailing and judgment. You know what he says? Even so, Amen. This is the second coming of Christ is the glorious appearance, the blessed hope. It's when we get our resurrected bodies. It's when we see the redemption of our bodies, but you know what? It's also the destruction. It's also the cataclysmic wrath that comes upon a world as rejected Christ. Even so, Amen. Amen. This is John the beloved. This is the one who we would think is more sensitive. You know, use a lot of love and just, you know, he's the disciple whom Jesus loved. Well, this is why he loves them. Because he understands, hey, the rapture is a beautiful thing that's going to take place one day, but it's also coupled with the wrath of God. Why? Because of the fact that the sixth seal, which is the rapture, what comes after that? The seventh seal in Revelation chapter number eight, which is basically kicking off the seven trumpets and seven vows and utter destruction upon a world who hates God. And what does John say? Amen. Amen. And this is a good attitude to have folks. Okay. Because look, God is righteous in doing this. He's just, you know, we get mad at the reprobates and the false prophets and the false teachers of what we know about. We get mad at the blasphemies and the hatred that these wicked people foment that we know about. What about God who hears even the inner recesses of the heart of these wicked people? Who's just, you know, waiting, waiting. Where they're treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath, the Bible says. Yes. This is why that second coming brings with it the wrath of God upon a wicked world. And John says, even so, amen. Even so, amen. But I want you to notice that, that he says that he comes with clouds. Now the preemies, you know, they want to interpret Revelation 19 or excuse me. They want to interpret this as being Revelation 19. There's so many just discrepancies and flaws in their theology. When it comes to end times Bible prophecy, you know, I'm going to give you a synopsis of what they believe in regards to the rapture. They believe that the rapture is in Revelation chapter four, where John is taken up in his spirit to see the things which must be here after. Okay. And they basically see the seven years that is highlighted in the Bible as seven years of tribulation or what they will commonly refer to as the time of Jacob's trouble. You're supposed to look at me, Jacob. Time of Jacob's trouble. Okay. Where God is dealing with Israel and, you know, at the end of those seven years, Jesus Christ is going to come back on a white horse and the fulfillment of Romans 11 26 will be manifested, which is all Israel shall be saved. But look upon him in whom they have pierced, you know, and then they'll say, oh, they and they'll believe that's what they believe. Okay. You know, and then you said, well, what about us? Well, we're in the church age. And once the church age ends, because they'll say, you know, oh, the church is not mentioned after Revelation chapter number three, but that's because of four, we're out of here. Big old belly, just like, you know, we're out of here. But they're wrong. Okay. And look, coming with white clouds or excuse me, coming with clouds is not synonymous with coming on a white horse. I know they're both white, but they're completely different things. Okay. And they want to say that this is what this is referring to because they really want the book of Revelation to be directed towards the Jews more than anything. But here's the problem though. The problem is, is that John is sending these letters to seven churches. Think about that. He's sending them to churches. What good would it do to churches if the vast majority of the book of Revelation is just for Jews? Okay. It would do them nothing. All right. So they say that the seven year tribulation culminates to what they refer to as the second coming. So they think that Revelation 19 is the second coming of Christ. He said, well, what is the first coming? 1.5 or half or something. It's the secret rapture. They don't count it. Okay. He's going to come in Revelation 19, at which point the Jews will look upon him whom they have pierced and they'll believe a fulfillment of Romans 11 26. But let me say this is that God did not put behold he cometh with clouds for poetic reasons in order to symbolically represent a white horse in Revelation 19. Okay. Behold, he cometh with clouds is giving us a component that we should be looking for when we lift up our heads for our redemption draweth nigh. Let's give some proof of this. Go to Acts chapter number one. Acts chapter number one. You know, he says, Hey, behold, he cometh with clouds. Revelation 1 7. That's the thing we need to look for. We're going to see clouds. It's not symbolic. Look at Acts 1 verse eight. This is when Jesus Christ commissions his disciples to go out and preach the gospel and he's taken up into heaven and says in verse number eight, but ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost has come upon you and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and all Judea and in Samaria and unto the uttermost parts of the earth. And when he had spoken these things, while they be held, he was taken up and a cloud received him out of their sight. Keep that in mind. Verse 10. And while they look steadfastly toward heaven, as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, which also said ye men of Galilee. Why stand ye gazing into gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as he have seen him go into heaven. So how did he go with clouds? So what is the manner in which he's going to come? Revelation 1 7 with clouds. That's not there by mistake. That's just coincidence. Okay. Go to First Thessalonians chapter four. Let's use a chapter that they'll use in regards to the rapture. Let me read to you from Matthew 24. You go to First Thessalonians chapter four. I'm going to read to you from verse 29. The famous passage of the rapture says immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened and the moon shall not give her light and the stars shall fall from heaven and the powers of the heaven shall be shaken and then shall appear the sign of the son of man in heaven and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn and they shall see the son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. Again we see the coming in the clouds. Look at First Thessalonians chapter four verse 13. But I would not have you to be ignorant brethren concerning them which are asleep that you sorrow not even as others which have no hope for if we believe that Jesus died and rose again even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him for this we say unto you by the word of the Lord that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep for the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with the shout and with the voice of the archangel and with the trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so shall we ever be with the Lord. He comes with clouds okay and it says there that every eye shall see him so what does this tell us it tells us it's not a secret he's not in the desert he's not in the secret chambers I'm gonna explain to you what that means later on you know he's not some he's not we're not just disappearing our clothes just fall to the ground these bunch of perverts come on who comes that's weird it's just like you just disappear and then you're in heaven you're like where's my white robe this is what they say that he'll just appear or he appears you don't see him we disappear you know his feet don't really touch the ground and all these things just weird stuff but here's the thing is the bible tells us here that every eye shall see him now that's very much possible today because of social media technology and look this goes to show you that when the bible talks about that the love of many shall wax worse and worse oh it's very true because even in the midst of the evidence that's shown that Jesus Christ came in the clouds and people were raptured there's still people who are still going to die and go to hell because they reject Christ so guess what seeing Christ in the flesh will not move people to be saved I think what this means is the vast majority of people will reject Christ they will be you know given strong delusion that they should believe a lie and be damned that's what the bible says okay now will there be people who get saved you know after the rapture I believe so this is why the 144,000 are left there to preach the gospel this is why you have the two witnesses you know they're preaching who have a more public ministry preaching I believe tons of people are going to get saved but I believe far the vast majority of people will reject Christ not only at the beginning of sorrows because death will be coming and hell shall follow with him but also even thereafter because they're sent a strong delusion that they should believe a lie this this should show you that this is why the bible tells us we walk by faith and not by sight you know people are like well if I could just see him well if you just see him you probably made a reprobate right I mean Judah saw him for three years they didn't help him much okay but we can't get around this that it says that he cometh with clouds and every eye shall see him and they also which pierced him and all kindreds of the earth and people say well okay if that's that's a reference to the rapture why is it that those who pierced him shall see him that's referring to the Jews brother Mahia that's referring to you know the Christ rejecting Jews well yeah I agree that is referring to Christ rejecting Jews okay now but here's the thing why is it saying that well for the same reason let me skip some things here he's saying that for the same reason that Jesus while he was on this earth said in mark 14 you don't have to turn there mark 14 after he just finished talking about the end times and the second coming of Christ he says in verse 61 of mark 14 but he held this peace and answered nothing again the high priest asked him and said unto him art thou the Christ the son of the blessed and Jesus said I am and ye shall see the son of man sitting on the right hand of power and coming in the clouds of heaven now the Jews who are here are not going to see that what is he referring to when he says that well he's referring to the same thing in revelation 1 7 and what he's basically stating is that the generation of Christ rejecting Jews that descend from these people will also see him because even though they're not physically descended from these people in a spiritual way they are okay in a spiritual way they are if they are of Judaism if they adhere to Zionism if they're Jews because they adhere to that religion then guess what they also partake in the blood they're also responsible for that because they are adhering to a religion that glorifies and gloats about crucifying Christ they're adhering to a religion that believes that Christ is in hell today burning his own excrement they're adhering and embracing a Christ rejecting religion well guess what it shall come upon them as well that generation of vipers this is why he told the Pharisees that they're the descendants of those they were the sons of those who killed the prophets even though they physically may not have descended from them spiritually they did they're a generation of vipers you know the devil's not their physical father it's their spiritual father right so in like manner we see that that's why he says that you know behold he cometh with clouds every eye shall see him and just in case you forgot in those which pierced him as well he's saying look i haven't forgotten of the rejection of the Jews they also which pierced him they shall mourn destruction shall come upon them as well okay hey it brings new meaning to vengeance is mine saith the lord i will repay oh he's long suffering yeah but he's vengeful too god's coming back and he's ticked off when jesus christ comes back he's ticked off and he's going to destroy them go back to revelation chapter one look at verse number eight we got a must hasten here i am alpha and omega the beginning and the ending saith the lord which is and which was and which is to come the almighty i john who also am your brother a companion in tribulation and the kingdom and patience of jesus christ was in the aisle that is called patmos for the word of god and for the testimony of jesus christ now i want you to notice in verse nine he's stating there that he's the companion in their tribulation now what tribulation is he referring to well once we get into revelation chapter two and three you'll see that every single one of these churches has an element of tribulation oh hint hint okay and he's telling him look i'm your companion in this type of tribulation now in verse 10 he begins to and thereafter he's addressing the seven churches which are in asia it says in verse 10 and i was in the spirit on the lord's day and heard behind me a great voice as of a trumpet saying i am alpha and omega the first and the last and what thou seest write in the book and send it unto the seven churches which are in asia unto ephysis and into smirna and into pergamos and into thyatira and into sardis and into philadelphia and into laodicea notice you don't hear a mention of synagogues right if the vast if seven years is dedicated to the jews you would think to say hey make sure you send it to the synagogue over there too they need this because this is very much applicable to them it's not applicable to them okay this is why he's sending them to seven literal churches now contrary to dispensational teaching the churches that are being announced here and the ones that are being addressed in chapter two and three are literal churches they're actual assemblies congregations that actually existed in fact we have the book of what ephesians right anyone can see that this poses a big problem for the christian zionists and dispensationalists because as i mentioned they want the book of revelation to be designated to the jews now this is hard to do because of the fact that we see churches being addressed so the way they circumvent this teaching is that they'll say that the seven churches are actually seven ages this is weird okay they'll say that the seven churches are not seven literal churches they're seven ages and each age represents a time frame that basically embodies the spiritual climate of that era of those local churches okay i know that's a mouthful but this is basically what they believe they'll basically say well the church at ephesis represents the church age of the ephesians the ephesis church age and every church during that time behaved like the characteristics of what's being addressed in chapter two verse one okay you know you have the the sardis church age and ironically enough those who propagate and promote this teaching have chosen the lay of the sea in church error to be our era what does that say about them okay they're like we're the lay of the sea in church because no one's on fire for god bless god no you're not on fire for god we're just living a lukewarm society oh is that a personal testimony because i'm not lukewarm my church is not lukewarm no one wants to go out sowing oh is that a personal testimony of your church because people want to go sowing here i love you you know this is why they try to fit the rapture in chapter four okay because as soon as he's done addressing the churches in chapter number three they consider that to be the end of the church age and then god begins to deal with israel you know but as i mentioned the saints are mentioned not only in chapter six but they're also mentioned in revelation chapter 13 when the antichrist is making war with them now why are the seven churches being mentioned in the book of revelation why is it that god chooses these churches okay well i believe it's because each of these churches bear a striking resemblance to the varying congregations that we see today and even the ones that we're going to see in the future because here's the thing folks there's nothing new under the sun you know people want i know it happened 2 000 years ago but guess what sin nature is still same nature and guess what being spirit-filled is still being spirit-filled today as it was back then preaching the gospels is saying today as it was back then being lukewarm today is the same as being lukewarm back then laboring and being zealous for the things of god is the same way today as it was back then 2 000 years ago nothing has changed the only thing that's changed is technology culture you know these are the things that have changed but you know what the spirit of god is still the spirit of god lame christians will always be lame christians so when we read chapters two and three we can basically we see ourselves in those in some of those chapters right or we see other churches and other christians that exert these qualities bad qualities are good qualities because people remain the same nothing is new under the sun so when god providentially you know spoke of these things in chapter 2 and chapter 3 he knew there's going to be people like this 2 000 years later and even when the tribulation is starting there's going to be churches just like this okay people who are lukewarm who are not preaching the gospel etc you know and these these churches were also going through tribulation you look at it go to chapter 2 if you would look at it uh excuse me chapter 2 verse number 2 says i know thy works and thy labor and thy patience and how can thou canst not bear them which are evil and that was tried them which say they are apostles and are not and has found them liars so even in those days there's people who are coming because apostle is someone who is sent right it's someone who is sent by god and even in these days man these guys had a good quality that they would try those people well you know what this is telling us that we should be doing doing the same thing today and even so much the more in the end times because there are going to come many who say i am christ and shall deceive many okay look at Smyrna verse number nine it says i know thy works and tribulation and poverty but thou are rich and i know the blasphemy of them which say they are jews and are not but are the synagogue of satan this can be likened unto the emergence of the hebrew roots movement oh that's new no that's old the hebrew roots movement was not called the hebrew roots movement before it was just called judaism it's called you know being a pharisee and trying to bring people back under the law that was a problem they had then and guess what it's a problem that we still have today and it's a problem that they're going to have in the end times as well but i like what he says which say they're jews and are not but are the synagogue of satan you know interpret that for me preemie what does that say in the greek look at pergamos in verse 13 it says i know thy works and without dwellest even where satan's seat is now hold this fast my name and has not denied my faith even in those days were in antipus my faithful martyr who was slain among you where satan dwelleth this is a problem they had then but it's a problem that people will have also even in the end times okay you know where does satan see dwell i think that's going to be the united states okay look at thy attire verse 19 says i know thy works in charity and service and faith and thy patience in thy works and the last to be more than the first like into what we're going to see in the end times because those are going to be the last works than anybody will ever do and they shall be more than the first now we obviously see that they had issues as well go to chapter three verse number three it says remember therefore speaking to sardis how the dows received and heard and hold fast and repent if therefore thou shall not watch i will come on thee as a thief and thou shall not know what hour i will come upon thee well what kind of church is that referred to referring to the lame independent fundamental baptist church that believes in the pre-tribulation rapture it's the sardis right look at philadelphia in verse 8 i know thy works behold i have set before thee an open door and no man can shut it for thou has little strength and has kept my word and has not denied my name what is this in reference to well the great door when we think of a great door we think of opportunity and you know what you say man i don't have an opportunity to serve god here oh you'll get yours if you go through the great tribulation there's going to be all kinds of opportunities to preach the gospel then because not a lot of people are going to be doing it so there's going to be vacancies for you to take over and and try to preach the gospel and see people say there's a great door that's going to be open look at laia to see it verse 15 i know thy works that thou are neither hot nor cold i would that were cold or hot so then because they are lukewarm neither cold nor hot i will spew thee out of my mouth this is representative of churches in the end times as well because there are going to be churches in those days that yeah they're safe people there's a safe pastor but they're lame lukewarm churches that are not hot they're not cold they're just somewhere right in the middle and what is god going to do just as he did with jonah the prophet spew them out okay they're going to be chastised because of it and this can be a reference to maybe the fact that there's going to be certain christians in those days they get right with god after that spewing out and they actually obey god and start preaching the gospel thereafter just as he did with jonah verse 12 go to verse 12 of chapter number one and i turned to see the voice that spake with me and being turned i saw seven golden candlesticks in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the son of man clothed with the garment down to the foot and gird about the past with the golden girdle his head and his hair were white like wool as white as snow and his eyes were as a flame of fire and his feet like a defying brass as if they burn in a furnace and his voice as the sound of many waters and he had in his right hand seven stars and out of his mouth went a sharp twigged sword the word of god and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength and when i saw him i fell at his feet is dead and he laid his right hand upon me saying unto me fear not i am the first and the last i am he that liveth and was dead and behold i am alive forevermore amen and have the keys of hell and of death write the things which thou has seen and the things which are and the things which shall be hereafter this is referring to the fact that he's writing the things what he's currently seeing he's going to write the things which are referring to the churches and then the things which shall be hereafter from revelation four and after that the mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand and the seven golden candlesticks the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches so next week what are we getting into chapter two and three which is the seven churches which are in asia that are being addressed and although a lot of what's being addressed has a lot of practical value much of it is symbolic and a foreshadowing of what's going to take place in the end times and so we're looking forward to that let's buy our heads and have a word of prayer father we thank you so much for your word and thank you for the blessing that we received from reading the book of revelation i pray god that you'd help us that you help us to be purified to prepare and i'm sure by the end of the study of this book we will leave changed and leave with a greater appreciation not just for the word of god but just in recognition that this can happen at any moment the tribulation can happen at any moment it is imminent and i pray god that you'd help us to prepare for that diligently and to recognize that we're living in those last days help us not to live carelessly but to live with purpose to live with with with the end in mind recognizing that we shall receive a reward in fact you're coming and you're bringing your reward with you and i pray god that you'd help us to do so you