[0:00] The devil is working. I'm telling you. Take out your Bibles and turn with me to Revelation chapter 8.
[0:16] That's right, we're going back. We just finished 12. What are we doing? If you want to review this week, we want to every 6, 7, 8, 9 weeks, whatever, take a break from diving in and back up a little bit and kind of look at it from the bigger perspective.
[0:38] Where have we been? What have we learned? Particularly, you know, my desire is not just to give you information.
[0:50] My desire is that that information becomes effective and integrated and internalized. So I think this helps.
[1:01] I think doing our reviews help us be able to talk about it. It's two-way, this way, and I can't get all of you to come to the morning class.
[1:14] So, I know, 8.30. Good night, that's so early. I'm teasing you, of course. So, that's kind of, you know, learning styles.
[1:27] We all have different learning styles. Some of us are hearers, some of us are seers, some of us are feelers, some of us have to move a lot. Where'd he go? He's already gone. You know, to learn, to hear.
[1:40] So, just trying some different ways to talk and speak and hear and ingest what we've been through.
[1:51] So, we have four and a half chapters to cover today. Piece of cake. Piece of cake. We are looking at the trumpet judgments that start in the middle of chapter 8, go through chapter 9, there's a break in chapter 10 and half of 11, and then the trumpet, the seventh trumpet picks up at the end of chapter 11.
[2:20] So, what I want to do, since that's a little more removed from us, I want to read those early parts from chapter 8, 6 through 9 and then the end of chapter 11.
[2:32] So, we have the trumpet judgments in our mind so we can discuss those intelligently. So, let's start that way. So, if you're able, please stand as I read.
[2:43] And if it gets too long, please sit down. Don't go away, though. Unless you're a dynamic learner that needs to move. That's fine. Revelation 8, verse 6.
[2:53] Now the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to blow them. The first angel blew his trumpet, and there followed hail and fire mixed with blood.
[3:06] And these were thrown upon the earth, and a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up.
[3:17] The second angel blew his trumpet, and something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood.
[3:29] A third of the living creatures died, and a third of the ships were destroyed. The third angel blew his trumpet, and a great star fell from heaven, excuse me, blazing like a torch, and it fell upon a third of the rivers and on the springs of water.
[3:49] The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became Wormwood, and many people died from the water because it had become bitter.
[4:01] The fourth angel blew his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, and a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of their light might be darkened, and a third of the day might be kept from shining, and likewise a third of the night.
[4:19] Then I looked, and I heard an eagle crying with a loud voice as it flew directly overhead. Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth at the blast of the other trumpets that the three angels are about to blow.
[4:41] And the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star falling from heaven to earth, and he was given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit.
[4:54] He opened the shaft of the bottomless pit, and from the shaft rose smoke, like the smoke of a great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened with the smoke from the shaft.
[5:07] Then from the smoke came locusts of the earth, and they were given power, like the power scorpions of the earth. They were told not to harm the grass of the earth, or any green plant, or any tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads.
[5:27] They were allowed to torment them for five months, but not to kill them. And their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings someone.
[5:40] And in those days, people will seek death and will not find it. They will long to die, but death will flee from them. In appearance, the locusts were like horses prepared for battle.
[5:53] On their heads were what looked like crowns of gold. Their faces were like human faces. Their hair like women's hair. Their teeth like lion's teeth.
[6:04] They had breastplates like breastplates of iron. And the noise of their wings was like the noise of mini chariots with horses rushing into battle. They had tails and stings like scorpions, and their power to hurt people for five months is in their tails.
[6:23] They have a king over them, the angel of the bottomless pit. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek, he's called Apollyon.
[6:36] The first woe has passed. Look out, two woes are still to come. Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar before God saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.
[6:57] So the four angels who had been prepared for the hour, the day, the month, and the year were released to kill a third of mankind. The number of mounted troops was twice 10,000 times 10,000.
[7:12] I heard their number, and this is how I saw the horses in my vision and those who rode upon them. They wore breastplates the color of fire and sapphire and sulfur, and the heads of the horses were like lion's heads, and fire and smoke and sulfur came out of their mouths.
[7:37] By these three plagues, a third of mankind was killed by the fire and smoke and sulfur coming out of their mouths. For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails.
[7:52] For their tails were like serpents with heads, and by means of them they wound. The rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues did not repent of the works of their hands, nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver, bronze, stone, and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk, nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.
[8:30] Over to chapter 11, verse 14. The second woe has passed. Watch out. The third woe is soon to come.
[8:42] Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven saying, The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and his Christ.
[8:54] And he shall reign forever and ever. And the 24 elders who sat on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God saying, We give thanks to you, Lord, God, almighty, who is and who was.
[9:13] For you have taken your great power and begun to reign. The nations raged, but your wrath came.
[9:24] And the time for the dead to be judged and for rewarding of your servants, the prophets and the saints and those who fear your name, both small and great.
[9:36] And time for the destroying of the destroyers of the earth. Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple.
[9:51] There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail. So it reads, let us pray for understanding.
[10:03] Father, grant us on this day, as we take a big look, as we take a broad look, grant us eyes to see. Help us to see things we didn't see as we were in the minutia.
[10:15] Help us, Lord, to be able to kind of grasp the patterns and the shapes, the bigger picture of what you're revealing and uncovering for us.
[10:27] And Father, I ask again this day that you would prevent the evil one from interrupting us. This we pray in Christ's name. Amen. Please be seated.
[10:37] Amen. Amen. So, Joshua 6 describes the fall of Jericho.
[10:48] Remember that great story? The fall of Jericho. Israel is coming into the promised land. They've crossed the Jordan. Remember, kind of reminiscent of crossing the Red Sea.
[10:59] They cross on dry sand, dry land again, following the ark. They come in and the first big fortress, the first big stronghold barring the way into the promised land is Jericho.
[11:17] It is no little village. It is a fortified city with walls all the way around. So, what's the strategy?
[11:31] How do you take a city like Jericho? How do you take down its walls? And do it carefully because remember, Rahab the harlot's in there and we're saving her.
[11:43] Right? She's one of the good guys. She will be the line of Christ. So, how do you do that? So, God gives instructions very carefully to Joshua.
[11:58] He said to Joshua, see, I've given Jericho into your hands. See, can you see it? No. Okay, watch. With its king and mighty men of valor, you shall march around the city, all the men of war going around the city once.
[12:11] Thus you shall do for six days. Seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of ram's horns before the ark. The ark's going too.
[12:23] On the seventh day, she'll march around the city seven times. And the priests shall blow the trumpets. And when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, when you hear the sound of the trumpet, then all the people shall shout with a great shout and the wall of the city will fall down flat.
[12:44] Got it? The people shall go up and take it on. Don't forget Rahab. Go take care of her. Quite a battle plan, isn't it?
[12:59] What's interesting? Why do I bring that up? Well, because in this battle, in this God strategy, when he's taking a fortress that is blocking the way into the promised land, this is a learning experience.
[13:15] Watch how the Lord battles. Do as I say. Speak when I say speak. Speak. And blow seven trumpets.
[13:27] Huh, seven. Why seven? Seven back then, seven now in Revelation. Why seven? Well, picture of fullness. Picture, right? Completeness. It's the whole thing.
[13:40] It's enough. So, I want you to catch the analogy because Scripture purposefully echoes some of these older, some of the stuff from the Old Testament.
[13:54] We're going to see a lot of, we see stuff all the time from Old Testament all the way back to Genesis. We see things kind of reflected in the new Revelation. Those were physical patterns.
[14:04] Now we see spiritual patterns. Our salvation is like the deliverance from Egypt, right? So on. So here's this battle that we see again.
[14:15] We see seven trumpets now. And in Revelation, you remember Pilgrim's Progress? Remember? It's the general story. Christian setting out on a journey.
[14:26] He's making a pilgrim's progress to the celestial city. That's where he's going. But he's a long way to go. He's going on a narrow path, right? And he sees different temptations and distractions and dangers and devils on the way.
[14:44] So Revelation's like that. It's showing us a journey. Because when we get to the end of the book, we get to the end of the Revelation, we arrive at the celestial city.
[14:56] It's called the New Jerusalem. It's also called the Bride of Christ. It's called the Holy City. It's called many things.
[15:08] Just like the evil counterpart on earth is called many things. It's called the Old Jerusalem. It's called Babylon. It's called Sodom and Gomorrah.
[15:19] It's called Rome. It's called what U.S. city shall I name? It has many names. Tale of two cities.
[15:31] One on earth. One in heaven. We're on our way. So what is the city that's blocking our way to the promised land?
[15:43] It's a city called Babylon. We're going to hear about it. We've already heard about it. Chapter 11. It's where Jesus was crucified which is symbolically called Sodom and Egypt and Jerusalem and in the first century Rome.
[16:04] Okay? So that great city Babylon must fall before we reach the celestial city. And by the time we get to chapter 17 and 18 that's what happens to Babylon.
[16:19] She falls. We get to chapter 19 20 21 22 Glory! Okay? See the journey going on? So here's the trumpet blast at the beginning.
[16:31] Well, we're in the middle I guess aren't we? Trumpet blast. Warning! So six days walk around that city blowing the trumpets the whole time.
[16:44] Day one. Day two trumpet. Day three trumpet. Day four trumpet. Day five trumpet. Day six trumpet. Seventh day this is going to be the last day because this is the end. This is the day of the Lord.
[16:56] This is the day of destruction. Seven times blasting the trumpets yell walls fall down. They have found archaeologically the walls.
[17:09] Okay? How do they fall in on themselves? Go dig up and see. So trumpets.
[17:24] That's what we're looking at today. So let me give you a real quick summary of what we've been through. Preacher says quick. You don't know what that means. So trumpet judgments.
[17:38] You have your outline. You can see the first four are real fast. Trumpet one, two, three, four. Short descriptions, maybe a verse or two on each one. Very succinct.
[17:50] So trumpet one, fiery hail and blood, a third of the earth is burned up. Trumpet two, fiery mountain this time. A third of the sea becomes blood. Ships are destroyed even. Trumpet three, a fiery star.
[18:02] A lot of fire going on in it. Fiery star this time. A third of the waters become bitter. People die. Trumpet four, a striking of the heavens. Sun, moon, stars, which a third, they're struck a third to become a third darkened, both day and night.
[18:22] So one, two, three, four, goes fast. And then there's a separation between four and five. Now five becomes what's called a woe.
[18:34] Right? They're set apart as the next three are woes, which means it escalates. It's turned up a notch. It's a little more scary, hairy, particularly demonic.
[18:53] Okay? So things change. So now in the next two trumpets, notice that those next two took the whole chapter nine. So instead of just a couple of verses, they're given ten or eleven verses each.
[19:06] It's a bigger thing. There's more expanded detail. And the detail is quite strange, isn't it? We see these locusts, but they're not really locusts.
[19:21] They've got weird faces, and they've got weird, you know, they're all kind, they're not locusts. They don't even do what locusts are supposed to do. Locusts eat green things. These locusts are told, don't touch the green stuff.
[19:36] Strike people. It's like, locusts do that? No, these kind do. But we also notice, see, they have a different origin. They come from the bottomless pit.
[19:47] They come from the abyss. And we're told that they have a king whose name is Apollyon. Destroyer, destroyer, destroyer.
[20:00] He has both a Hebrew and a Greek name because he's been around a long time. Whether it is the devil himself or one of his underlings.
[20:10] We don't know. Okay, so we've got demonic locusts from the abyss who torment just the unsealed. Those who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads.
[20:24] Okay, for five months. Why five months? Don't know. Then trumpet six. Now another legion comes out, a truce. We're told that's four angels that are going to do all of this.
[20:39] So the angels are released and then all of a sudden the angels become an innumerable troop, a bunch of troops of horse, cavalry, whatever they are.
[20:50] Which of course are not really horses because they have lion's heads and serpent tails and strange stuff, right? So we're not talking literal.
[21:04] This is clearly symbolic. This is, it's kind of, you know, John's trying to start, it's kind of like this, kind of like, look like this to me.
[21:16] I don't know what it is, but it kind of looked like that. But the descriptions are quite biblical. Okay?
[21:28] So they're serpent tails. Now who's serpent? What's a serpent? Well, we know about serpents in the scriptures. Locusts are destroying plagues, yet these are more than locusts.
[21:44] So, so the sixth and the fifth and the sixth trumpets kind of get this, they kind of unveil a whole other side to things, don't they? It's kind of like we got one, two, three, four, and we're thinking, oh, are these just physical things?
[21:57] Is it really a mountain falling from the sky? Is it really a star that falls from the sky? Is it, is it really blood raining on earth? Is that literal? Because then we get to the five and six and we're going, okay, we're not talking literal now, are we?
[22:14] We're talking symbolic. So that means I go back to one through four and go, okay, the blood, the hail, blood, fire, that's probably literal or figurative too. and the mountain falling because we find out in Revelation, mountains don't always mean mountains.
[22:29] Mountains mean people or kingdoms. We find out in Revelation, stars that fall are not always stars like luminaries in the heavens, they're angels or they're people.
[22:44] Like the woman in chapter 12 that has 12 stars on her head, those clearly are not, those are the tribes, the 12 tribes. So, okay, that makes us look at everything a little different.
[23:01] Maybe it's not all literal, maybe, I mean, the sun, moon, stars, those could mean other things besides sun, moon, stars. They can mean leaders and governments and, because remember Jesus, when Jesus said that the nation of Israel is ending within one generation of his discussion in Matthew 24, he said the sun, moon, stars will go dark.
[23:26] Well, he was talking symbolically, he was using prophetic language to describe the end of a nation, because the same language was used about Egypt and about Babylon.
[23:37] In other words, your sky is falling, how he would say it. So, see what we're dealing with? These judgments, so when it says the demonic troops kill, does it mean physical kill?
[23:54] Or some other kind of killing? Okay? Because these are demonic killings. And demonic torment.
[24:09] Okay? So then we see the interlude, chapter 10 and 11, we'll get to that in a moment. And then the seventh trumpet, obviously we come to the seventh trumpet and it's over. It's over. The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of God and his Christ.
[24:23] Christ is now ruling. This is the kingdom. And it's a time for the judgment. So the final judgment. Okay? So we come to seven and it's over.
[24:33] This is the end. And then we go to chapter 12 and rewind all the way back to time of Christ and we start over. I think we've seen that with the seals.
[24:43] Gives kind of one perspective of the view of history. You get to the sixth and the seventh seal and it's the end. It's all over. Go back to the trumpets. We start over again. Here's another perspective of how the war with the dragon and how God's judgment is affecting on earth from the time of Christ to the end.
[25:04] And we see here in these trumpet judgments that we saw in the seals it was only harm one fourth of the earth. All right.
[25:16] Now we come to the trumpets and it's one third. Now people tell me that one third is more than one fourth. Doesn't sound like that to me but that's what math people say.
[25:29] Right. Rick. A third is bigger than a fourth. Okay. So in other words it's increasing. It's showing another perspective of increased. And then we see when there comes the woes like okay pay attention now.
[25:41] Whoa whoa whoa. It's getting bigger more serious. Okay. So that's kind of what we have. When we get to the to the bull judgments in chapter 15 and 16 there's no portion there.
[25:56] It's just all out. It says my wrath is complete. That is the end. I don't think the bulls are going back to the beginning and looking. I think the bulls are. That's it. After the seventh trumpet come the bulls were done.
[26:09] Judgment after that. Okay. So now the other thing we looked at is the tribulation of the saints. So I've kind of picked those chapters out. Those are the little interlude chapters.
[26:21] So between the sixth and seventh trumpet the seventh the sixth trumpet ends with chapter nine chapter 10 all sudden we expect the seventh trumpet we don't get it.
[26:32] We get this vision of the little scroll. Right. And then we get another vision chapter 11 of the measuring of the temple and then another vision in chapter 11 of the two witnesses.
[26:45] So what are those about the little scroll. John goes and takes the little scroll. We don't know. Is this the same scroll that Jesus was opening and now is open.
[26:56] it is called an open scroll but it's called little. So I don't know. Is it the same one? To me it seems like it looks little because it's a giant angel so I think yeah.
[27:09] I think it's the same one but anyway the message is now that he has the scroll is there's no more time there will be no more delay in the days of the seventh trumpet God's mystery is fulfilled.
[27:23] In other words the seventh trumpet is the last trumpet that's the end. Okay and so he's saying this right between the sixth and seventh trumpets. The other message from the little scroll John is told to eat the scroll remember?
[27:36] Eat the scroll and he eats it and it's what? Sweet in his mouth and then a little digestive problem after that. It's bitter.
[27:47] It's sweet going in. Oh God's truth is good and sweet but then the impact of that or maybe the result of trusting God's word I get persecuted. Whatever bitter means there.
[28:00] And then we see the measurement of the temple. Quick little thing he measures the temple. So measuring in scripture means protection. God is saying this is mine. Here's mine.
[28:11] It's safe. So the temple itself is safe but the outer court is excluded from measurement. That's the court of the Gentiles. That's the court of the nations. So you leave that alone.
[28:23] And then he says that the holy city is trampled for 42 months. What's the holy city? Now we want to say Jerusalem.
[28:36] But in the book of Revelation it's not Jerusalem. The new Jerusalem is the holy city. In fact the old Jerusalem is called Sodom.
[28:49] Jerusalem. It's called the great city not the holy city. Where Jesus died. What's the holy city? Well it's the new Jerusalem. Which in Revelation 21 is not only called the new Jerusalem it's also called a bride coming down out of heaven.
[29:08] Who's the bride? The church. Ephesians. It's the church. The church. Jesus. Jesus is the groom. I'm the groom. John the Baptist says you're the groom.
[29:19] So. The bride is the holy city. It's another name for the church. The holy city will be trampled for 42 months.
[29:31] People in heaven those the temple in heaven is secure. When you go to heaven when you're up in heaven you're safe secure. Nobody can touch you. When you're on earth nobody can touch your soul.
[29:44] Right? You're safe spiritually. But you can be persecuted. Christians die. Christians are martyrs.
[29:55] Christians suffer. Right? So then in the rest of chapter 11 the first half is the two witnesses. Oh my.
[30:05] I don't know what your background is. My background has all kinds of names for these two witnesses. Oh it's Moses and Elijah. It's you know it's so and so. Yeah they are Moses like.
[30:16] They are Elijah like. There's no doubt about it. As you describe them it's like oh yeah that's like Elijah. That's like Moses. Maybe it's Moses and Elijah. Maybe. I don't know.
[30:26] I don't think so though. I don't think it's two individuals. Because of the way they're described. Now they're described as having invincible authority for 1260 days.
[30:37] So for 1260 days they're untouchable. They're invincible. And they are powerful. And then when the 1260 days are up they are killed by the beast.
[30:50] They lie dead in the street humiliated for three and a half days. And then they get up and they ascend to heaven. So even in death really they're invincible.
[31:04] They're just delayed for a couple of days. At least their bodies are. So who are they? Well we found out we're told there in chapter 11. They're the two olive trees.
[31:15] They're the two lampstands. Well what are those? Well we go back to Zechariah 4. It talks about two olive trees and two lampstands. And in Zechariah 4 the two olive trees and two lampstands are two individuals.
[31:28] One is Zerubbabel who is the royal seed. The one connected from David to Christ is Zerubbabel. And Joshua not the same Joshua just different Joshua who is now the high priest.
[31:42] So it is a king and a priest are the two lampstands in Zechariah 4. So who are the two lampstands in Revelation? Well who's who's king and priest in Revelation?
[31:57] Yes. Thank you. But Jesus has extended king and priest to the church. He has made us Revelation 1 6 He has made us to be a kingdom of priests.
[32:15] And then chapter 5 same thing. Who did He ransom? Who's worthy to open the scroll? Jesus the Lamb who made us to be kingdom priest kingdom priest kingdom priest Peter calls this the same thing right?
[32:32] Priests who are also a kingdom. So I think it's a the two olive trees in other words I think is a picture of not two individuals but two roles that church possesses.
[32:46] A kingdom of priests. Just So here's the thing I want to No I'm going to wait. Then we see a new vision in chapter 12 we just went through that the war of the dragon comes in three parts goes back to the time of Christ right?
[33:06] A woman who's pregnant she's giving birth the child is born who's this child? Oh well we're going to tell you he's the one that rules with the rod of iron okay?
[33:16] It's the Messiah identifying factor the Messiah and the dragon is poised ready to kill this born Messiah and we saw that in the gospels right?
[33:28] He tried to kill the Messiah on multiple occasions even after he was born and etc. But the child escapes him and goes up to heaven we're told in chapter 12 of Revelation.
[33:42] Oh that's his ascension Jesus did get tripped up by the devil did get killed right? But rose after three days was on earth for about 40 days and then ascended to heaven and what did he do when he ascended to heaven?
[34:01] What does scripture tell us that the Messiah does? He sits somewhere at the right hand of the almighty that's also what the Messiah will do and Jesus did that he sat down at his right hand he ascended and went to his throne so what Paul calls the kingdom of heaven is Jesus is ruling right?
[34:29] 1 Corinthians 14 15 he is ruling he's putting his enemies slowly under his feet methodically under his feet and the very last enemy that he will put under his feet is death and when he does that then resurrection and then the end right?
[34:45] He's on his throne now and so what happens in Revelation 12 7 what happens? There's a war in heaven what happens? What happens?
[34:58] Who's cast out? Dragon who's also known as the ancient serpent the devil the Satan and Diabalus and accuser of the brethren he's cast out no more place for him in heaven what was his place?
[35:14] What was he doing up there? What does Revelation 12 tell us he was doing? He was day and night accusing who? The brethren he accused Job he accused Joshua he's accusing the brethren until Jesus rose and sat on his throne and for some reason when Jesus got there there's no place for the devil to anymore accuse the brethren why?
[35:45] Any idea? there's no more accusation he paid their price he paid their debt there's no accusation there's no condemnation your role's done buddy bye no no soup for you I didn't do it I held back no no accusations he's cast out he has no job to do anymore okay so he's cast out he's cast to earth and verse 13 tells us when he realizes that he's cast down to earth he knows he has little time left and so he's just going to take out as much as he can he's going to destroy as much as he can he's going to go after first he goes after the woman right who's the woman by the way in chapter 12 the woman that was clothed in the sun and has the moon under her feet and has the 12 stars on her head right it's not
[36:46] Mary Mary was part of that woman but she's not Mary it's a woman that goes all the back to Genesis 3 it's Eve that becomes Sarah that becomes Rebecca that becomes right it's the it's Israel who becomes even bigger than Israel after the first century because Gentiles and now we become a new thing and that's the woman so yes it's Israel yes it's the church church got grafted in well not Gentiles got grafted in became what was called the church okay so the dragon goes after the woman first century story of Acts and when he cannot destroy the woman because God's protecting her just like he did with Job then he goes after the offspring of the women who are keepers of the commandments of
[37:48] God and keepers of the testimony of Jesus so clearly Christian Jewish Gentile Christian okay so that's the summary did I take too long I'm sorry if I take long so now I want to discuss so I want to hear from you what have we learned what has God shown you what I want to do is take one section at a time so we're not all over the place take one section at a time and just discuss a little bit I want to hear from you what do you see what have you learned and you don't have to agree with me by the way okay so let me ask a general question first of all in this book of Revelation so far there's a lot of mystery lot of right it's like what does that mean okay so some a lot of stuff we're going okay I'm not sure okay I'm taking a guess at it what is clear in this book what is crystal clear what is it that every believer reader of
[38:59] Revelation gets God wins God wins specifically how does God win what does God do I'm not talking about win what does God do what else are we certain okay he judges what else does he do what does he do with his church he protects us he protects the church he also leaves us vulnerable but he protects us through that so we're in the storm Jesus said you'll be in the storm but if you're on my rock you'll survive it right but you still go through the storm okay what else is certain you know we win we know Jesus comes back huh when depends on who you talk to
[40:04] I don't know about when yeah more about the consequences that he spews on the earth yes so he's going to hold the earth for carnival isn't he and he is absolutely just to do it he is absolutely just and righteous to send his plagues and judgments we think isn't that harsh so one day we're saying why isn't God doing anything not all the evil!
[40:33] the other day we're going why is God going to be so harsh with people which do you want right so we're saying how the martyrs are saying how long will the Lord when you take visions how long will you make things right he's going to make things right so revelation is showing us he is going to make things right it's his call on time right that's clear so on the other stuff like when what is that symbol okay so we can't be certain about all that stuff no matter who you listen to even me i could be wrong on something we know that we know that right we have limited information and we have so many godly people who have studied this book and been on a wide range of different opinions okay they all love scripture they all study it they see it from different angles!
[41:41] God okay can't all be right but God so we we're cautious about how certain we are about some of this stuff so what the language I like to use is what's most like given the information that we have what's most like okay is this literal is it symbolic given the information we're getting through this book is I'm leaning on the symbolic side I used to be on the!
[42:11] side now! I'm leaning on the who knows 30 more years I might be back over here I don't know I am saying we use some caution and respect other people's views okay because they're not malicious they just have a different opinion that's okay these aren't absolutely major issues the major issues are who's God what do we think about his word who's Jesus Christ how are we saved who wins in the end those are the majors when the tribulation is when there's a rapture I don't care it doesn't matter some people would fire me up on that one that's a professor at western telvin would fire me up on that one but it doesn't it doesn't get me saved or not it doesn't make me a heretic really there's not enough information to be certain about so okay so the trumpet judgments what do you think
[43:28] God's doing with that what's his purpose what's the purpose of the trumpet judgment who are the judgments aimed at are they aimed at the church mankind earth dwellers it's kind of a technical term we find through revelation those who dwell upon the earth earth dwellers it's a good description of people who are saved because it's because they're just about the earth they might talk about spiritual things but really they're grounded in what matters is now that's a great term so it's to earth dwellers why why is he judging the earth dwellers yeah I was just going to say is it like a refining like they know that fire is used to purify could be yeah and notice in these trumpet judgments it is one third so it is a restrained judgment this is not the end I believe these trumpet judgments started in the first century and carry all the way through we haven't got to the seventh trumpet yet it's not the end yet but
[44:39] I think they're series I think there's periods I think they're warnings okay because you get to the end of chapter nine and what happens what's John's commentary on all the judgment what what do the people not do at the end of chapter nine they do not repent they should have repented they should have repented what it shows is hardness of heart doesn't it because whatever the killing means it's only one third that means two thirds are left of the two thirds that are left those people won't repent they've seen what's going on it won't change remember how the sixth seal went remember when the catastrophe happens the sun moon stars and the stars fall from the sky remember all the mountains fall and it says that the reaction of the people was calling on the earth to fall upon them because they didn't want to repent they knew it was the wrath of the lamb but they still didn't want to give him his due just kill me
[46:01] I'd rather die than repent that's the hardness of the hearts of God of those God is judging is God unjust no in fact it's proving that he's right but yes there's an opportunity for repentance and we know people repent but we're here because we've repented right people repent Jesus says it'll be many who choose the wide road that leads to destruction and even more to find the narrow road right few many are called few come yeah go ahead so of these people you said they know it's the breath so you think that they are willfully I mean it's not just that they're in denial they're denying that they know and they're still saying
[47:03] I won't remember or do you think it's people that are choosing like call these atheists or that are just in denial of who is doing that people convince themselves of lots of things right so Romans 1 tells us how to view that okay God right God reveals his wrath from heaven Romans 1 what happens people take the truth and they do what they suppress it they know it suppress it he even says they know God but they will not acknowledge him or give thanks it says everyone knows God but they suppress it and then they make a choice okay I'm not going to worship God I'm going to worship this creation my creation so so
[48:11] God's wrath is described in a different way in Romans 1 right it's not wrath that's coming at people it's wrath that's pulling back from people it says when they make these choices what does he do he gives them over you want that God which means he pulls back his protection you know how we say by the grace of God there go I right if God hadn't kind of helped me and restrained me I could be a lot worse I would be a lot worse right so here's people that are rejecting him and he says okay I'm pulling back the seatbelt!
[48:52] Go! Make the next choice! Go! So they're getting what they want! They're getting what they want! But Paul says in Romans 1 there's no atheists and there's no agnostics people can convince themselves they are they justify it they explain it away they suppress the truth I don't believe I know people believe that I've always been fine that's fine I don't believe it I believe Paul over that so these people are in that process okay so they may become and Satan blinds too right yeah question pastor and it is about the fiery hail blood mountain star and so forth is this the fire that was promised in Luke chapter 12 verse number 49 he says
[49:56] I have come to bring fire on the earth oh and how I wish it were already humbled well remember John the Baptist said Jesus would baptize right I baptize with water but Jesus will baptize with the spirit and fire fire is usually a symbol of judgment so Jesus said I didn't come to judge I didn't come to condemn but whatever you decide about me that's you know if you reject me in other words you're already condemned I'm not condemning you you've condemned yourself so the result of his you know he's bringing the power of the Holy Spirit he's also bringing a message that will separate people or purify or so fire can be different pictures in the scriptures right we find in Revelation it's more of a sounds like a bad bad news kind of fire right because it's aimed at it's not aimed at believers fire at believers is purified you know we go through refining fire unbelievers don't go through that kind of fire oh what his reference is there yeah
[51:21] I think he's referring to his own time and his own message there but this revelation comes from Jesus too this is a revelation from Jesus himself so you could probably extend it to that so the other thing we notice about these these these the first five trumpets sound like plagues of Egypt right water becomes blood or yeah water becomes blood locusts hail darkness you know a lot of those same it's like oh yeah that sounds like the exodus yeah and I think that's intentional God sometimes repeats some but in a different way new creative way so what was the plagues of Egypt about when God was judging
[52:24] Egypt and he poured out these ten different plagues what was his purpose was he trying to get Pharaoh to repent no no think so no well he even said what he was going to do to Pharaoh at the beginning didn't he so I'm going to harden his heart he's already got a hard heart okay if you read the text it's actually the first five or so he hardened his own heart hardened his own heart and then you get to the end it's like!
[52:54] God's just okay you're done but he said I'm going to do it to one humiliate this idol worshipper this defiant rebel and glorify my power wasn't about repentance it was about judgment it was about Pharaoh's time and Egypt's time was done God gives every nation so much time right gives every nation we see that with Abraham Abraham is told you're going to come into the promised land but it's going to be 400 years eh why can't have it now 400 years why because I gave these people who are in the land they got 400 years so that 400 years is up then you come in and you conquer and take over that land because their time is up it gives you historical perspective doesn't it it it's why nations change empires change God says that's enough how much time do we have!
[53:56] I so many of God's actions or all of God's actions are to glorify himself so that you will know I am the athlete so it's really about him and he's chosen a people and he's made that clear and we have a whole retinue of events that and I think revelation is another facet of God chosen people and God's glory yeah oh absolutely and when we get to the judgment scenes when we get to chapter 15 of revelation we see these revelations and all of a sudden we see these interludes where worship breaks out right we see a lot of worship in the book of revelation worthy is the lamb worthy is the lamb worthy is the lamb oh my gosh worthy is the lamb right we're going to see the judgment and you get to revelation 15 saying when
[55:09] God is just judged and he's about to finish his judgment holy and righteous are you worship just and true yeah he deserves work he will make it all right so yeah it does bring out his glory I do have on the back of your sheet I think is this chart I don't know if you like charts get nuts with charts right yeah so it just kind of shows you the pattern that repeats that shows you in the left column the seal judgments and then the middle is the trumpets the third column to the right are the visions that's kind of I'm not sure I buy into that one yet but what's repeated we see in the seal judgments see one two three four real quick short description and then five six are more expanded right we see the same thing in the trumpets one two three four real quick brief descriptions then you get to the fifth and sixth trumpet again just like the seals it's expanded and it escalates then there's an interlude between the sixth and the seventh seal and the sixth and the seventh trumpet kind of explaining and I think that's because the interlude
[56:35] I think is doing this so the seals are about wrath on earth dwellers the trumpets are about wrath or plagues on earth dwellers so the question is what about believers what's happening to the church during all of this is God killing them too no and so these little interludes are kind of answering that question so chapter 7 the interlude was oh yeah the saints okay chapter 7 we've got 144,000 on earth he's numbered them all he's got them all they're all safe and they're sealed right why are they sealed because they're protected against the wrath that comes remember the demonic locusts can attack people who don't have the seal so the church is protected and then the second scene we see in chapter 7 is okay that's earth heaven is 144,000 no it's innumerable you can't even count how many saints are saved and redeemed in heaven and we know they're saved they're in heaven so it kind of tells you what's going on with the church well two different views and I think they're the same people 144,000 if you look at the list and research who the tribes of
[57:56] Israel are there's something wrong with that list it's all we've got a lost tribe we've got replacements! 144,000 which I think is a clue that this is the church he knows who they are and then there's a innumerable group in heaven so it's kind of like when he saw remember he hears lion who's worthy to open the scroll he hears lion of Judah so he's the lion of Judah right when he turns to look what does he see a lamb two different people same person different views 144,000 innumerable number in heaven same people different views I what do you got and I don't understand at the time of the rapture not not all the saints are actually raptured or are going to be where do you get that that is my question time of the rapture when is the rapture left here
[59:13] I guess but then have you been reading books have you read that series it's highly influenced by one particularly historically new theology and the movies yeah the movies I saw some of them movies way back in the 70s so we had some of the stars of that day come and talk to us about the locust or military helicopters and stuff like that it was great stuff yeah lots of drama wonderful so one verse in the whole bible on rapture one verse mentioned once doesn't tell the time all it says is when the end comes those who are alive will be caught up before the dead are raised that's all it says I'd say when if it's before the tribulation
[60:14] I'm all for it you're just not going to count because the rest of the bible says I go through tribulation some people say oh it's going to happen in the middle it's going to happen again it doesn't matter take rapture out of it I think it's just another form of resurrection because we have to be changed so if I'm still alive when Christ comes back this body has to be changed because this isn't going up into the atmosphere and going to heaven I need a new body so that's all that is so rapture like I said I'm all for it if it's early I'm all for it people left so people left are not people who hadn't been raptured I think the bible is clear revelation is there's churches here the apostles went through it foxes book of martyrs all through the centuries nobody gets raptured from the tribulation okay
[61:18] Stephen didn't get raptured Stephen bless his heart right in a good way bless his heart I always have to catch myself on that somebody told me that bless his heart doesn't mean what I thought it meant some ways down in the south from the west I don't know anything thank you brother I think it's a blessing not a curse that's how I mean it I mean it so the other thing we have time periods it's on your chart so the first reference is 120 days and 11 no 11-2 chapter 11-2 has the holy city traveled for 42 months that 42 months is repeated a couple chapters later in chapter 13 verse 5 42 months is also the same time that the beast is given authority to war on the same coincidence same time interesting that they're linked then in 11-3 we get the reference to 1260 days those are the days that the witnesses are invincible 1260 days they are invincible they're powerful and when that time is up that's when they're killed by the beast and they resurrect and they ascend okay symbolic then so 1260 days is also this time we saw in chapter 12 verse 6 that the woman is in the desert okay so you got the witnesses conquering and then the woman in the desert is the same time does that mean it's the same reference to time is at the same time and then we're told in chapter 12 14 126 was the woman's in the desert for 1260 days she's nourished in the desert right she's in the desert a place for God where she's nourished right for 1260 days and then verse 14 we find the same woman goes into the desert is given wings of the great eagle to fly into the desert and there be nourished by God same words nourished by God for now it's called time time and heaven except that we found out that the word for time there is not the one we think of we think of chronos chronology we think of earthly time man time watch time this is a different word this is a bible this is a god word for time kairos season seasons are indefinite so she goes into the desert to be nourished by
[64:06] God for a season how long is the season could be days weeks months years depends on God even the seasons we know about kind of is it fall yet oh I missed it okay it's like Colorado did I get fall feel like I got cheated on fall so how long is a season so that is season however long that is and then seasons which doesn't mean two it could mean many it's just plural seasons and then again half a season however long it is so it tells me that 1260 which is the same time that the woman's in the desert and season season season seasons and half the seasons is the same so 1260 in other words is indefinite it's not literal oh surprise it's not literal and a book full of symbols surprise surprise it's not literal you mean it's not three and a half years
[65:16] Daniel never says three and a half years he says he has the same word in Hebrew that also means indefinite time Daniel's the one where we get the reference time times half time but in Hebrew it's a word that means you know God's time how long is this season okay so there we go so what does it mean then just tell us what it means right don't you want me just to tell you here's your graph here's your here's a because if I do that they'll come back on me for one because I'll probably be wrong so this is where we say okay what's certain God wins what do we do with all these details okay what's most likely as we connect some dots
[66:16] I think we're connecting a dot about a lot of symbols we're connecting a dot about the time if 1260 is equal to seasons seasons and half a season then we're talking about an undetermined time I think we're talking about from the time of Christ to the end I think that's what 42 months 1260 days a season seasons half season most likely means okay gonna bank on it no I wouldn't that kind of gives us a frame to kind of look at because it seems most likely like as we go to chapter 12 obviously whoa revelation chapter 12 is not about the future it's about the past so all of a this book of the future has a past chapter in it that screws up all my thinking about revelation because it goes all the way back to first century right and no doubt talks about his ascension what happens after his ascension okay so we're so at least parts of revelation are going back and taking a view from history on so
[67:37] I think that's what it's doing with all of it until we get to the bowls get to the bowls the league the bowling league we're done just like when we bowl okay I had a joke there forget about it because when I bowl it's over in the gutters all right any other thoughts yes question so I was just having a conversation the other day with a friend and we were talking about how every generation has always thought that you know they're in the end times the end of the year yes so I guess maybe what I'm thinking is that God just tells us to be ready yes Matthew 24 Jesus' discourse on the end times says it'll be like the days of Noah nobody's going to be ready nobody I mean you need to always be ready because it's going to be like normal things aren't going to be more tense when Jesus comes back generally it'll be a surprise
[68:45] Matthew 24 look at Matthew 24 it's going to take people by surprise just like the days of Noah even though they had Noah preaching for a hundred years telling them it's coming it's coming it's coming it's starting to fall on deaf ears starting to be like you know cry the wolf yeah we don't believe you anymore then I come same it'll come I can't snap!
[69:12] thank you yeah and by the way that's why I included in your left column on your chart the little list there of major historical conquerors I found that fascinating so I started thinking about this okay the seals the four horsemen are representative of all through history from Christ on in other words this has happened over and over and over and over and over again so I did a quick little google thing is that what you call it google thing you know historical conquerors heard all kinds of lists so I just got to compile I just took the major ones you know you recognize these names right so when Rome fell when Rome finally fell who took over Attila the Hun Attila the Hun heard of that guy yeah I think they'd rather have
[70:13] Caesar back right and then Charlemagne going to conquer I mean this this isn't comprehensive it's just giving you the idea that this has happened over and over and over and over through the centuries conquerors come what follows the conqueror violence what follows the violence pestilence and famine and what follows that death and the souls cry out how long will learn and I see you can see the seals going on all through history and I think you can see if you recognize the trumpets as more symbolic than literal okay that's happening all through the time too in other words like Crystal said are we ready he can come at any time we're not waiting for anything when he decides to blow the seventh trumpet are we ready that's what this means and that's the impression
[71:17] Jesus gave in Matthew 24 are you ready we're not waiting for any we're not waiting for wait a minute Israel has to rebuild their temple do they according to who well I know some people are convinced they have and maybe they will I'm not against that maybe God has some mysterious purpose for the Jews to do that I know the Jews are ready to rebuild the temple I told you that I've been over there and seen the shop all the temple furnitures all made and the red heifers all ready to go they're ready so but does that have to happen before the end and if it does then we can start counting we've got at least three and a half years see if it goes according to the timeline they're talking about I can at least get it within three and a half years and Jesus said no you won't
[72:19] I don't know how many people have tried oh I know this is right so I think it could be any any time okay did we go really long I can't we got a new clock it's meaningless to me because I can't see it so thank you James we had a big clock James broken I'm teasing no you don't he said it's not broken he's fixing isn't that what he said it can't be fixed it can't be fixed but I'm working on it just tease just draw a big thing on there says pastor time's up start walking out yeah the sun is setting I think it's time it's 1223 in patient we're really in here
[73:20] I'm sorry but you guys did all the talking today didn't you you did all the talking it's good keep going alright we're going to close we're going to close close close with oh wonderful hymn Christ is mine forevermore our team will come up you want me to pray alright father we thank you for your word thank you that as you give us all this detail we still can't figure it all with the timing and procedure and process but we do see father that what is clear is that Jesus is on his throne your timing is your timing you do rescue us in the midst of all this judgment you still rescue as you brought judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah you still rescued righteous lot in the flood when you destroyed those who were destroyers you rescued
[74:35] Noah and his family when you judged Egypt you rescued your people and when you judged us in sin through Jesus you saved us so we thank you that judgment also means deliverance so father continue to deliver us from the evil one continue to protect us continue lord to keep us alert and grant us lord a zeal to tell others to share with others the urgency of this message we pray in christ's name amen