Through the Bible - Revelation

Father, I do thank You for Your revealed plan. I pray tonight, Lord, as we look through this book, that You would give us insight, understanding, and clarity. Lord, that You would stir us up as we consider the fact that You have promised You will come again. I pray that You would give us great anticipation and excitement, but also, Lord, that You would stir our hearts to be active in speaking forth the truth, preaching the Word, the Gospel. For we ask it in Jesus' name. All God's people said, Amen.

Alright. Well, this is a very interesting book. How many of you have read through the book of Revelation before? Maybe not just recently, but a number of you have. How many of you were confused by reading through it?

In the intelligence community, there's a term that's used; you've probably heard it on the news, in the movies, or perhaps if you've ever read a spy novel, you might have heard of the term "chatter." Oftentimes, before there is a big event like a terrorist attack, and shortly after the attack, there's all kinds of chatter that the intelligence community is bringing in and gathering. It's all these little bits and bytes of information, kind of technical information that's been gathered through email communication, phone communication, or just on the internet, or whatever it may be. They're grabbing all these different little bits and packages and trying to figure out what's going on.

If you look into any sort of intelligence community, like the NSA or the CIA, those sorts of groups or agencies in our nation will tell you that there's no substitute for human intelligence on the ground. However, this chatter that they pull in is also very important as they're putting out their antennae, trying to find out what's going on and who's working what in the world. The difficulty with it, and the frequent problem, is that they're gathering just a little sentence here or a little bit there, and they're trying to put it together like this huge puzzle piece.

What has made it even a little bit more difficult is the whole area of cryptography and encryption. If you study the field of cryptography, which involves encrypting data, information, and messages, you'll find that it has been practiced for millennia. Going all the way back to the Egyptian civilization, that great empire of Egypt around 4500 BC, they were already employing certain methods to encrypt information. The Greeks were very much into encryption, as were the Romans, and they used these techniques to spread their information. Throughout history, there has been a consistent effort to secure information, whether to keep it from enemies or to protect it from others.

The whole idea of an encrypted message is that to decrypt it, you need the cipher. You must have the key to understand what it means and what it says. Without the right key, or if you lack the key altogether, you either cannot read it or you misinterpret the data. I believe that as you go through the Bible from cover to cover, it is filled with prophetic intelligence chatter. Every page of the Bible contains this chatter, and you pick out little bits here and there. As you begin to piece it all together, you start to understand more of what is going on. These bits and pieces of intel are scattered throughout Scripture, from Genesis to Revelation.

If you want to truly understand what the Bible has to say, it will require time and effort. The CIA and the NSA have entire divisions dedicated to decrypting data, and a significant portion of the budget of our Defense Department here in America goes toward this effort. It takes tons of time and resources. The same is true for studying the prophecies of the Bible. It can be laborious and arduous, which is why many people do not engage in it.

Many individuals in the church have completely disregarded certain books, especially the Book of Revelation, because they find it too difficult to understand. They may not even realize that they want to read it. This is extremely unfortunate. If you look at just the third verse of Revelation, Revelation 1:3, there is a promised blessing from God. Jesus tells us, "Blessed is he that reads, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein, for the time is at hand." Notice that He does not say, "Blessed is he who understands." Instead, He emphasizes that blessed is he who reads, those who hear, and those who keep the things written in this prophecy.

Again, we see a similar blessing declared in the very last chapter, Revelation chapter 22. There, in verse 7, Jesus says, "Behold, I come quickly, and blessed is he that keeps the sayings of the prophecy of this book." Jesus is going to return, and when He does, He tells us that He is going to bring a blessing. Who is He going to bring a blessing to? Those who keep the sayings of the prophecy of this book.

Just a few verses down, in Revelation 22, verse 12, Jesus again says, "Behold, I come quickly, and my reward is with me to give every man according to his work." Here, He reiterates that He is coming quickly and that He will bring a reward. These verses reveal that Jesus is going to return, and when He does, He will bring a blessing and a reward to those who read, hear, and keep the sayings of this book. If anything, that serves as an incentive to read, hear, and keep these things.

Now, you may read through them and find yourself saying, "I don't understand what that is saying or what that's all about," but He says to read, hear, and keep the sayings of this book, and there will be an inherent blessing. It is not possible, in the brief overview that we are going to do tonight, to unlock all the secrets of the book of Revelation. In fact, over the last 1,900 years, scholars and students have been trying to unlock it, and many of them are more confused now than ever as they read through these things.

It is my desire that you would be encouraged to read, hear, and keep the sayings of this book. I challenge you to be like that cryptographer who sits down and begins to look through these things, studying to show yourself approved as a workman or workwoman who is not ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. Begin to gather the little bits of chatter, the prophetic information throughout the Scriptures, and piece them together to truly see what it is that the Lord is speaking.

A number of times, in fact, seven times in chapters 2 and 3, you hear the Lord say, "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." God wants us to pay attention, and He wants us to look at these things and break them down. You may never have a complete and total grasp of these things, because I know some men who have been studying the book of Revelation for their entire lives, and they still do not have a full comprehension or grasp of these matters. There are many people who disagree with them on their views, yet they still study it and seek to understand what it is that the Lord is saying.

But the fact is, you will have a very difficult time understanding the book of Revelation if you've not taken the time to read the rest of the Bible. It's a common error that we often make; when we get a book, we want to read the last chapter or even the last page. How many of you have ever been guilty of doing that? You get a book, and you open right to the last chapter first to see what the end is going to be like.

There are many people who take the Bible and open to the last book. My wife's smiling because she knows that she does that. However, there are a lot of people who read the book of Revelation first because they think, "Well, I want to see what it's all summed up to." Unfortunately, they often leave the Bible alone after that point, confused. Many of the ciphers for the book of Revelation are found in Isaiah, Daniel, Ezekiel, and other Old Testament prophetic passages. If you haven't taken the time to study the Old Testament, it will be very difficult to unlock what the book of Revelation has to say.

It is important to go through the whole of the Scriptures first before you jump into the book of Revelation. I remember a number of years ago, I sat in a teaching by a guy who had just started teaching the Bible. He had chosen a passage in the book of Revelation for one of his first Bible studies. My encouragement to him afterward was that maybe next time he should choose something like Ephesians chapter 1. I mean, pick another passage that may not be so very difficult.

I had been teaching the Bible for at least five or six years before I ever started teaching any prophetic passages, and I have never taught through the book of Revelation until tonight. I've read through it a number of times and studied portions of it before. There are a lot of very interesting passages there, but it's important to really grasp the whole of Scripture before you jump right into the book of Revelation.

Especially Isaiah, Daniel, Ezekiel, Joel, and Amos—the major and minor prophets are really important. As you begin to look through those books, you'll find the little pieces of chatter that are ciphers, the little things that begin to unlock what the book of Revelation has to say.

First and foremost, one of the things we need to recognize when we open this book is what we find in the very first verse of Revelation 1:1. It says, "The revelation of what? The revelation of Jesus Christ." The most important thing to recognize when studying this book is that it is, indeed, the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Yes, we read of the seven churches, the seven stars, the seven lampstands, the seven spirits of God, the seven seals, the seven trumpets, the seven vials or bowls, the seven heads, the seven mountains, the seven kings, the ten horns, the ten kings, the three woes, and the twenty-four elders.

Should I go on? The four beasts, the multitudes of angels, the 144,000 Jews, the two witnesses, earthquakes, scorpions, 1,260 days, three and a half years, 42 months—these are just a few of the many elements found in the book of Revelation. As you delve into this book, which is filled with symbolism and illustrations, it is easy to lose sight of the fact that this is the revelation of Jesus Christ. You can get lost in all the events occurring in Revelation and miss the whole point of what it is revealing. Ultimately, it reveals Christ as victorious. The entire book can be summed up with the message that Christ is victorious. At the end, it is finished; Satan is thrown into the lake that burns with fire for eternity, and Jesus is on the throne while the people of God worship Him in the New Jerusalem.

It is important to recognize the very first words: "The revelation of Jesus Christ." While all those other elements are interesting—those symbols and illustrations—they will make little sense unless you grasp them in the context of the rest of the Bible. Do not lose sight of the revelation of Jesus in the book of Revelation, for He is the focus of this book.

There are many different lenses through which to view this book. In the first chapter, Jesus appears to John on the island of Patmos. Chapters two and three contain the letters to the churches. Chapters four and five depict a heavenly worship scene. Chapters six through nineteen show us various woes, judgments, and tribulations here on earth. Chapter twenty reveals the establishment of Christ's kingdom for a thousand years, as well as the moment when Satan is loosed at the end of those thousand years. He comes to fight the last war against the Lord, who ultimately destroys him in that final battle. Then comes the great white throne of judgment, where all those who have rebelled and rejected Christ, including Satan, are cast into the lake that burns with fire.

Chapters twenty-one and twenty-two describe the new heavens, the new earth, and the New Jerusalem. This overview quickly summarizes the entire span of the book, yet there are many different interpretations of it. I wanted to consider just a few of these as we jump into it. The first one is the view that we at Calvary Chapel hold, which is the futurist view of the book of Revelation.

The futurist view is that everything from Revelation chapter four through nineteen, or through the end of the book, is yet future. It hasn't happened yet; we are still looking forward to Jesus' return and the establishing of His kingdom. This view is held by most evangelical Christians, and everyone within Calvary Chapel tends to hold a futurist view of the book of Revelation.

However, there are three other views that are commonly held by other people within the body of Christ. The first one is the preterist view. The preterist view comes from the Latin word "praeter," which means "past." It basically holds that everything written in the book of Revelation, including all other prophecy in the Bible, is already fulfilled; it was fulfilled in the past. They believe that everything we read in this book is completely done.

This is the only one of the four views that I really have a hard time with because hyper-preterism denies that Jesus is going to come again, which is against the creedal orthodoxy of the church. This means it contradicts the creeds of the church that have been established for millennia. Therefore, I struggle with the preterist view.

There are some who identify as partial preterists. They say that everything in Revelation is already fulfilled except for the second coming of Christ because they recognize the heresy in claiming that the second coming of Christ is not going to happen.

Next, there is the historist view. This view of Revelation posits that everything that has happened from the time Jesus ascended into heaven until now is outlined in the book of Revelation. The book of Revelation is showing us everything that is happening during that period until He returns. According to the historist view, the book of Revelation is in the process of being fulfilled right now, and it reflects history that has been occurring since then.

The fourth view is the idealist view. This perspective suggests that the book of Revelation displays or shows us a continual battle between good and evil, but it is completely spiritualized. It provides a glimpse into the spiritual world, indicating that this struggle is always happening in every generation and at all times in the church.

In summary, you have the futurist view of Calvary Chapel, which holds that these events are yet to come to pass, including the second coming of our Lord and the establishment of His kingdom. Then, you have the historist view, which asserts that these events have already been happening and are ongoing right now. Finally, there is the preterist view, which claims that everything has already been fulfilled.

Everything's already fulfilled; it's already done. Then there's the idealist view, which sees it all as a big symbol of the cosmic struggle between good and evil that is ongoing. Ultimately, good is going to win in the end, if there is an end, because the idealist view doesn't really see much of an end.

Those are the four primary views. If you're not already thoroughly confused by that, let me add three more lenses—three more things that people often look at when they interpret the Book of Revelation and other apocalyptic passages that deal with the end times.

The first one, again, is the view that we hold here at Calvary Chapel, which is the pre-millennial view. The first 19 chapters of the Book of Revelation, specifically chapters 6 through 19, deal with the tribulation, the time of trouble here upon the earth. We at Calvary Chapel believe that this is yet future. Chapter 20 reveals the millennial reign, or the thousand-year reign of Christ.

We have a futurist view of the tribulation and a pre-millennial view of the return of Christ. What that means is we believe that Jesus is going to return prior to the thousand-year reign, and He is going to establish His kingdom here on earth. He will rule and reign in righteousness here physically for a thousand years. That's the pre-millennial view of eschatology.

Eschatology, from the Greek word "eschatos," means last or the last time. So, eschatology is the study of the last days or the last times. We believe that Jesus is going to return prior to that thousand-year reign and establish His reign here on earth.

However, there are two other views. The first is the post-millennial view. Post-millennial believers believe that Jesus is not going to return until His church establishes His kingdom here on earth. They believe that the church will establish His kingdom, and there will be a reign of the church here on earth for some period of time. Some people believe it will be a literal thousand years, after which Jesus will come and establish His kingdom for good.

Others in the post-millennial view believe that the church will establish righteousness here on earth for a period of time, which doesn't have to be a thousand years, and then Jesus will come. They are waiting for the church to establish righteousness here on earth. Some of you who were around during the Jesus movement in Calvary Chapel may remember that there was a group that splintered off.

From Calvary Chapel, they believed in what was called the manifested sons of God theology. They took Romans chapter 8, which says that the whole of creation is groaning for the manifestation of the sons of God. How many of you have read that? Remember that passage? They said that all of creation is waiting for the church to establish God's kingdom, and when we finally establish God's kingdom, then He is going to come. Ultimately, we are the ones who have to try and get everything ready before Jesus will come.

You have the pre-millennial view, where everything is in God's hands and we are waiting for Him to return and establish His kingdom. Then you have the post-millennial view, which states that we, the church, have to establish His kingdom, and then He will come. Finally, there is the amillennial view, which believes that we are already in the midst of Christ's rule and reign right now, but it views this in a spiritual context. The amillennial believer believes that Satan is already bound.

Now, I don't know about you, but I have a really hard time when I look around the world and think, "Wow, Satan's already bound." If he wasn't bound, this place would truly be hell. However, in the amillennial view, Satan is already bound, and Jesus is ruling and reigning in heaven right now. It is a spiritual rule and reign, and Satan will not be able to overcome the church because the church is going to be able to stand against him.

So, you have the pre-millennial, the post-millennial, and the amillennial views. Now let me go a step further and confuse you even more. Calvary Chapel holds a pre-millennial view, but there are three different pre-millennial views: the pre-trib, the mid-trib, and the post-trib view of the return of Christ and the rapture of the church.

The pre-tribulation view believes that Jesus is going to come for His church prior to this seven-year period of tribulation, as described in Revelation chapters 6 through 19, when tribulation is upon the earth. This is the common view among Calvary Chapel—the pre-trib view. Then there is the mid-trib view, which posits that in the middle of the tribulation, the Antichrist will break whatever treaty or covenant he sets up with the many, as mentioned in Daniel chapters 9 and 12. He will break that, and God will rapture His church just before the great tribulation, which is the last three and a half years.

Finally, there is the post-trib view, which states that Jesus is going to return right at the end of the tribulation, rapture His church, and then return to the Mount of Olives. I have to be honest with you; I think all three views have great amounts of text supporting them.

In the Bible, people often use scripture to support their views, and the sad problem is that within the church in America, people can be quite divisive over this issue. They will argue fiercely over the pre-trib, mid-trib, or post-trib views. It is important to recognize that God will come when He decides to come, and He will take His church out at His appointed time. Until then, we need to continue serving Him.

I hold the view that we should pray for a pre-trib rapture while also preparing for a post-trib rapture. We should be ready for the Lord's return whenever it may happen, just like the wise virgins who had their wicks trimmed and oil in their lamps. The Bible does not promise us that we will not go through tribulation or difficulty. In fact, Jesus said, "In the world, you will have much tribulation. But be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."

Interestingly, the word "overcome" is used several times in the book of Revelation. He who overcomes will receive the crown of righteousness. It is important to recognize that we are not promised a life free from suffering, tribulation, or difficulty. However, we are promised that we will not taste the wrath of God.

When determining a pre-trib, mid-trib, or post-trib rapture, one must consider where the wrath of God is poured out. There are many different views on this topic, and we will not delve deeply into it tonight as we are going through the book of Revelation and examining these various perspectives. I do have my own opinions on these matters, but I probably won't discuss them tonight.

It is crucial to acknowledge that there are different interpretations of the book of Revelation. While I struggle with the preterist view and do not fully agree with the idealist or historist views, I will not label anyone a heretic over these differences. However, I do have a significant issue with those who deny the second coming of Jesus, as I believe that Jesus Himself revealed He will return again, and the scriptures affirm this.

For the preterist, the date of writing of the book of Revelation is very important. The preterist believes that all of Revelation was fulfilled when Titus, the Roman general, destroyed Jerusalem and the temple in August of 70 AD. If that is the case, the book of Revelation must have been written before 70 AD. However, nearly all scholarship, except for the preterist camp, points to a much later date. In fact, it is believed...

John the Apostle didn't even leave Jerusalem until 67 AD to go to Ephesus, so he wasn't exiled to Patmos until the time of the reign of the Emperor Domitian. I know that I'm throwing a lot of information out here, and you can study this and look into it a little bit more, but Domitian was the Emperor of Rome from about 81 AD to 96 AD. Therefore, John wasn't even exiled to Patmos until that time, making it very difficult for him to receive the revelation of Jesus Christ on the island of Patmos when he wasn't even there. This is where the preterist view really has a difficult time establishing their date of authorship for the Book of Revelation. Most scholarship points to a late date of authorship, somewhere around 95 or 96 AD.

Remember, John the Apostle was the last of the apostles to die. He lived a very long life and wrote a number of New Testament books. God used him in a powerful way, but he ultimately was exiled to the island of Patmos as a prisoner of the Roman Empire under the reign of Domitian. It was there, at that time, that the Lord appeared to him on the Lord's Day and began to reveal to him things that should shortly come to pass.

When you look at all these different views that are out there, you can study a lot and delve into various aspects of eschatology. However, you must remember the point of Revelation. We need to look back and remember that Jesus is the focus. We can lose sight of Jesus when we start discussing futurist, idealist, historist, preterist, or pre-trib, mid-trib, post-trib, pre-millennial, post-millennial, and amillennial perspectives. You get into all these different concepts, and your head starts to spin with the various eschatological explanations about the Scripture in the Book of Revelation.

The clear presentation of the Book of Revelation is that Jesus is going to return again and wrap all these things up, and He will be victorious. You can really dive deep and break things down, and I think it's important to do so because, as I said, there is a blessing in reading, hearing, and keeping the words of this prophecy. Yet, it doesn't say, "Blessed is he who understands," because I would argue that most Bible teachers would have to admit that they don't fully and completely understand or comprehend the entirety of the Book of Revelation.

This brings out another important truth that I've found in studying prophecy. I've spent a lot of time over the last several years, especially studying the Book of Isaiah, but prophecy in general. One of the interesting things about prophecy is that a full and complete understanding of a prophetic passage often does not come immediately.

Until after it is fulfilled, we see that the prophets themselves were prophesying about the coming of Christ, yet they were still looking into these things without full understanding. God gave them the prophecy; He revealed it to them. Some of them had visions of these things, but they did not fully understand what these things meant.

We see a further explanation of this when Jesus tells His disciples in John chapter 2, or when He addresses the multitudes of chief priests and scribes surrounding Him. He says, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will rear it up." They responded, "It has taken 46 years to build this temple, and you say that you will rear it up in three days? Who do you think you are?" But John clarifies that He spoke of His body, which, after He had raised from the dead, they understood. He gave a prophecy that did not make sense to His disciples until after He had raised from the dead, and then they realized that was what He was talking about.

We see a similar thing in the Book of Acts. After Judas kills himself, Peter sits down in Acts chapter 1 and says, "This was just what the psalmist spoke about; we would have to fill his position." They were reading through the Scriptures and recognized that this was what God was speaking about in the Psalms. They sought to fill the position of Judas among the apostles.

Then again, when the Holy Spirit was poured out in Acts chapter 2, Peter stands up and says, "This is what was spoken of by Joel the prophet: In the last days, I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh." After the actual event took place, the prophecy became clearer. It wasn't that they lacked understanding; they simply did not have complete understanding of it.

Another interesting point is that when you read through commentators and Bible books prior to the late 1800s, you will see that they almost always spiritualized the nation of Israel. In fact, it was a commonly held view among early American Christians that America was the new Jerusalem and the church was Israel. It wasn't until the late 1800s that we saw a resurgence of Zionism. Then, on May 14, 1948, Israel became a nation again in one day, just as the prophet Isaiah said in Isaiah 66: "Who has ever heard of such a thing? A nation would be born in one day." Yet it happened in one day in fulfillment of Scripture.

At that point, remember I said that in the intelligence community, when an event happens, all this chatter starts up. When that event happened, it unlocked eschatology and end times prophecy like nothing else. If you look at the amount of understanding that has come after May 14, 1948, and the establishment of Israel, it is significant.

Of Israel as a nation, you will find that the understanding of prophetic passages has greatly increased after that point. It is as if God gave us the cipher, and that key unlocked so much understanding. Those little ciphers come from time to time, and we realize this is what was spoken of by the prophet.

However, there is a danger inherent in this as well. Some people go to the newspaper to try and find biblical events instead of going to the Bible and seeking God for what He wants to show us from prophecy. Newspaper eschatology has been a significant trend in the last 60 to 100 years, claiming that Russia is Gog and Magog, among other interpretations. It is very dangerous to make such assertions without proper biblical context.

For example, Hal Lindsey's book, "The Late Great Planet Earth," suggested that the scorpions and bizarre beasts mentioned in the Book of Revelation are actually cobra attack helicopters. This raises questions about our approach to interpretation. We should use the Bible to interpret Scripture and return to the Old Testament to understand what these symbols mean. When we read of locusts in the Book of Revelation, we should consider the Book of Joel, which discusses locusts extensively. We must ask ourselves whether God is referring to literal locusts or an army of men, as the locusts described had faces of men and were arranged like locusts. They represent a demonically governed military force, similar to the Assyrians or the Babylonians before them.

It can be dangerous when we look at the world and claim that a microchip inserted in the hand is the mark of the beast. We should rely on Scripture to interpret Scripture as much as possible when examining the Book of Revelation, Isaiah, Ezekiel, or any other prophetic texts.

The primary focus of the Book of Revelation is the revelation of Jesus Christ. It is interesting that Jesus taught His disciples in Matthew chapter 6 and Luke chapter 11 to pray, "Your kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven." The Book of Revelation reveals that Jesus has a plan and is in the process of implementing that plan in response to that prayer. The Church has been praying for 2,000 years, "Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Jesus will fulfill this prayer, and Revelation provides insight into how He is going to do so.

To bring it about, I don't know about you, but I'm grateful that Jesus is working that out. He is going to return as He promised He would, and I think it's exciting to consider the fact that one day Jesus will return and establish that kingdom.

However, we need to recognize that His coming means different things for different people. For you and me, the believers and followers of God, it means blessing and reward. But for those who are not followers and disciples of Christ, it means wrath, eternal judgment, and condemnation.

Turn to Revelation chapter 20. In verse 14, we read, "And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death." Whosoever was not written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. Those not written in the book of life will taste and experience the second death; they will be cast into the lake that burns with fire. The Bible reveals in Revelation that they will continue there for eternity, and the smoke of that lake of fire will ascend forever. This judgment is not something where they simply cease to exist.

The last two chapters of the book of Isaiah also speak about this. It says that it is a place where "the worm dies not" and "the fire is not quenched." It is an outer darkness. Jesus also used those words in describing this place called hell, or Gehenna, or the lake that burns with fire.

For the believer in Christ, His return means blessing and reward. But for the unbeliever, the person who has not repented and turned to Christ yet, it means that they are going to taste and experience the wrath and judgment of God. That is a heavy thing.

These 22 chapters of the book of Revelation reveal for us what John saw and heard. He was a faithful witness. Jesus tells him in Revelation chapter 1, "Write the things which you see." Thirty-three times in the book of Revelation, you read John say, "I saw." He wrote down all the things that he saw. Twenty-two times, he says, "I heard." John wrote all the things that he saw and all the things that he heard, just as Jesus told him to do. He was a faithful witness.

Why did John do these things, and why did Christ...?

Jesus revealed Himself in this way for a multitude of reasons. I want to consider three of them. First, Jesus revealed Himself so that we would know what He is doing. He did not want us to be ignorant of His actions.

Secondly, He revealed Himself so that we would not grow weary in well-doing. Paul the Apostle says in Galatians chapter 6, "Do not grow weary in well-doing, for in due time you will reap if you faint not." If we did not have the anticipation or expectation of the coming of the Lord, it would be easy to faint. Without the hope of His coming kingdom and our eternal life with Him, we might have a reason to turn back and go away.

Remember Hebrews chapter 11, which talks about the men and women of faith. It says of Abraham that he sought for a city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. If he had looked for an earthly kingdom, it states that he would have had an opportunity to turn back and run away. Therefore, I believe God revealed Himself to us in this way so that we would know what He is doing, so that we would not grow weary in well-doing, and thirdly, so that we would be busy sharing His gospel and His coming.

We are called to go out into the world and evangelize, letting the world know that Jesus is going to return. The imminent return of Jesus and the establishment of His kingdom has kept the church pure and strong for twenty centuries. This anticipation of His coming is crucial. Often, when a person loses that urgency regarding the coming of the Lord, evangelism ceases in their life. The desire to pursue holiness is set aside, and they begin to think that the Lord delays His coming and does not care.

These three reasons are very important: God wanted us to know what He is doing, He did not want us to grow weary in well-doing, and He wanted us to be actively evangelizing the world. He speaks to the church and writes seven letters to seven churches in chapters 2 and 3 of Revelation, addressing them in very candid, honest, and clear words. He reveals that He will by no means clear the guilty, even within the church. There are many people who seem...

To think that we are saved by grace and that Jesus would never judge us is a common belief. Yet, it is very clear that there is coming a day when many will stand before Him and say, "Lord, Lord, we prophesied in Your name, we cast out demons in Your name, we did many mighty works in Your name." He will respond, "Depart from Me, I never knew you."

If anything, Revelation chapters 2 and 3 reveal that God is serious about His law and His people following Him. We are not saved by law, but we are saved for good works, as Ephesians chapter 2 states. Seven times in Revelation 2 and 3, we read, "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

I want to take some time tonight to look briefly at these seven churches mentioned in this passage. These seven churches were literal churches; they actually existed in the seven cities named: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. If you look at them on a map, they are located in modern-day Asia Minor, which is now Turkey. They followed a Roman postal route that went around in a circular path. It was not very far; in fact, the island of Patmos was just off the coast of where these primary cities were. Ephesus was the first one, and then they looped around, with Laodicea being the last.

These letters, this whole letter from Jesus, was meant to travel to each of these churches. They would all get to see what each of those churches was struggling with. While these were literal churches, I also believe that they reveal issues that are present in the church at every stage and in every generation. Every generation of the church has an Ephesus, a Smyrna, a Pergamos, a Thyatira, a Sardis, a Philadelphia, and a Laodicea. Right now, there are churches throughout the world that exhibit the characteristics of these churches.

Furthermore, I think that these churches also possibly reflect the last two millennia of church history. When you line these churches up with the struggles they faced and compare them to historical events, it is interesting to see how well they coincide with different developments in the church over the last 2,000 years. We will explore this as we go through these churches a little more.

The first message is to the church at Ephesus. We won't read through all of them because we don't have a lot of time, but the key point that Jesus makes to the church of Ephesus is found in verse 2 of chapter 2: "I know your works." We should recognize this.

Jesus knows what's going on in our church; He knows what's going on in our lives. "I know your works, I know your labor, and your patience." He speaks highly of all the things they were doing, yet He says to them in verse 4, "Nevertheless, I have somewhat against you. You have all these things going well and right, but this is the problem: you have left your first love." Outwardly, they were successful, but they had departed from the Lord and didn't even realize it.

Jesus gives them an exhortation in verse 5: "Remember therefore from whence you have fallen, and repent. Remember and repent, and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your candlestick out of its place." The candlestick represents the presence of God, the light of God in their midst. He urges them to repent and do the first works, warning that He will remove the candlestick from their place unless they repent. He emphasizes the need for repentance twice.

In verse 7, He says, "He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." This message is specifically directed to one church, but I believe that God is speaking to the church in general as well, at every age. He is also addressing each different church throughout the ages. As we look at church history, we find that very early on, in the first century, they began to leave their first love.

The second church we read about in Revelation chapter 2, verses 8 through 11, is the church of Smyrna. Smyrna means "crushed." In fact, from the word Smyrna, we derive part of the word "myrrh," which was one of the gifts brought to Jesus to anoint His body. Myrrh is a plant that is crushed, and Smyrna signifies this crushing. This was the persecuted church. God says to them again in verse 9, "I know your works." We see once more that God knows what is happening in the church and in each of our lives. He acknowledges their works, their tribulation, and their poverty. They were going to suffer through some difficult times, and Jesus tells them to be faithful unto death. "Remain faithful," He says, "if going through persecution." This was His message during the second century.

From the time of Domitian at the end of the first century until the time of Constantine in 320 AD, the church went through persecution. Smyrna was really the church of that age, the time of persecution for the church. Even in the world today, there are areas of the church that are being persecuted. In Darfur, Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, China, and many other places throughout the world, the church is experiencing crushing persecution right now.

What does Jesus say to a church that's going through persecution or to an individual facing such trials? Notice He doesn't say, "I'm going to take you out of it." No, He says, "Be faithful unto death." Even if you die, be faithful. Why? Because it's not about this life. We're not seeking a kingdom here in this world; we're looking for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. He that overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death. How awesome is that? The person who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death.

What's the second death? We see it in Revelation chapter 20, verse 15, which speaks of being cast into the lake of fire eternally. He that overcomes will not be hurt by the second death. Again, why did Jesus tell us these things? So that we would not grow weary in well-doing. To the church that had left its first love, He says, "Remember and repent." To the church that was going through crushing persecution, He says, "Remain faithful until the end."

The third church is found in verse 12, the church at Pergamos. The word "Pergamos" means "to be married," and this was the church that was married to the world. They were trying to get along with the world. In fact, if you look at church history, you find that from the time of Constantine until the 7th century, the church had a significant mingling with the world. The church became very pagan and adopted many pagan rituals and rites. They began to celebrate pagan holidays and mask them as Christian holidays. A lot of paganism came into the church during that period of time, from Constantine until the 7th century, with the papacy and the Roman church.

Even today, we see that there are people who are mingling the things of this world with the body of Christ. The emergent church, I believe, fits this group perfectly, as they follow after Eastern ways and practices, such as meditation and prayer walking. This is not the kind of prayer walking where you're just walking around praying; it involves contemplative practices.

Prayer walking is a kind of meditative prayer, and there are many other Eastern mystical practices that are being brought into the church. They are marrying the things of this world with the body of Christ, and anytime you do that, you have an issue. Notice what the Lord says to them to do. He tells them that He has a few things against them. In verse 14, they held the doctrine of Balaam, and in verse 14, they also held the doctrine of the Nicolaitans.

He says in verse 16, "Repent! Repent, or else I will come to you quickly, and I will fight against them with the sword of My mouth." Can you imagine the Lord coming and fighting with His own church with the sword of His mouth? We know from Hebrews chapter 4 that the sword of His mouth is the Word of God. He is going to fight with us with His Word and contend with us. If you stand up to the Word, you need to repent.

He that has an ear, in verse 17, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him that overcomes, I will give to eat of the hidden manna and will give him a white stone, and in the stone, a new name written, which no man knows except he that receives it. He says to the church at Pergamos, which was married to the world, that they need to repent, or else He will come to fight with them. I don't know about you, but I don't want Jesus coming to fight with us.

From the time of Constantine in 320 AD to the 7th century, we see what was going on in the world of the church. Even today, there is the Pergamos church. The fourth church is found in Revelation chapter 2, verse 18, of Thyatira. It was the church that was in the midst of committing spiritual adultery, fornicating with the things of this world. Again, this is where the church brought in pagan rites and rituals.

During the dark ages of the church, from the 7th century all the way into the time of the Reformation, Roman Catholicism became very large. They brought in huge pagan practices into the church and began to give themselves over to idol worship. If you go to some nations today that are predominantly Catholic, you will see very clear idol worship. That's not to say that there are not believers, born-again believers, within the Catholic Church; there are. However, in many places, Catholicism has been overcome with pagan ideas.

The Church of Thyatira is significant during the period from the seventh century until the time of the Reformation in the 1500s. We can see its influence in our own world today, as well as in the literal church of Thyatira located on that postal route in Turkey. Jesus writes to them, saying, "I have this against you, and except you repent." In verse 22, He urges them to repent of the things they are doing. He continues in verse 25, stating, "But that which you have already, hold fast till I come." He adds that "he that overcomes and keeps my works unto the end, him will I give power over the nations." In verse 29, He emphasizes, "He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

In Chapter 3, verse 1, He speaks to the Church at Sardis. To the Church at Sardis, He writes, "These things saith He that has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your works, that you have a name that you live, but you are dead." This is the dead church. If you look at church history, this description fits the time of the Reformation. The church seemed to have a great name, but it quickly moved into dead orthodoxy. The church began to be filled with clear, dead orthodoxy and adopted some of the practices of the Catholic Church.

Even today, there are those who would identify with the Church of Sardis. He tells this church that if they do not repent, in verse 3, He will come to them quickly as a thief, and they shall not know what hour He will come unto them. This is very interesting because in 1 Thessalonians Chapter 5, Paul the Apostle says, "Behold, He comes as a thief in the night." How many of you have heard that before? It has been the predominant teaching within the evangelical church in America that we will not know about the Lord's coming because He will come as a thief in the night.

That may very well be true, but that passage cannot be used for that purpose because it is talking about the dead and sleeping church. Turn over to 1 Thessalonians Chapter 5 and see what Paul says. It is very important to study the Scriptures laboriously and arduously, verse by verse, in context. In 1 Thessalonians Chapter 5, verse 1, just after Paul talks about the rapture of the church, he states, "But of the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I write unto you." Why? "For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night."

We don't have to worry about when He is coming because He is coming as a thief in the night. But read on: when they say, "Peace and safety," then sudden destruction comes upon them. Circle the word "them," as travail upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape.

But you, brethren, are not of darkness, that the day should overtake you as a thief. What did He say? As we clearly read this inductively, if you're awake, you will not be taken like a thief by the thief in the night. You are all children of the light and children of the day. You are not of the night nor of the darkness. Therefore, let us not sleep as others do, but let us watch and be sober.

Why? Well, they that sleep, sleep at night, and they that are drunken are drunken at 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. Why? For God has not appointed us unto wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.

So, we are not going to go through the wrath of the Lord, but we also should not be taken as a thief in the night. The church at Sardis was told that if they do not repent, they are going to be taken as a thief by the thief in the night. There are a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments, and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.

He says there are a few that have not gone to sleep or have not died. There was a remnant still in Sardis, and they were going to be clothed in white. Who gets clothed in white? The saints, the priests of God. You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, as the Scripture says, and we want to be clothed in white.

Just to look at this one step further, turn over to Revelation chapter 16, verse 15. Jesus says, "Behold, I come as a thief." But blessed is he that watches and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.

So again, we want to make sure that we are like those who were awake in Sardis and had the white clothing on, and that we are not going to be left naked and ashamed. We are watching, and we won't be taken by the thief. The church of Sardis is that sleeping or dead church. They had a name that they were alive; they had recovered much of the truth of God, and yet they were still dead. That brings us to everybody's...

My favorite church is the Church at Philadelphia. Philadelphia, as we know, means "brotherly love" in Greek. The message to the Church at Philadelphia was that it was a loving and true church. It had little strength; it wasn't very strong, but it was loving and true. Jesus really didn't have anything to say against them. This picture reflects the 19th-century Great Awakening movement, where we see the church being rekindled and going out in missions to the uttermost parts of the world. Even today, I would hope that the Lord could say about Calvary Chapel Escondido, "I know your works; you are a church that has love. Maybe you have a little bit of strength, but you have love." It is my prayer that we would be that Church of Philadelphia. I think that everybody hopes and believes that this is the case.

In verses 7 through 13, we see that the Church at Philadelphia had little strength but had kept the word of Jesus and had not denied His name. Jesus said, "Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews and are not, but do lie. Behold, I will make them come and worship before your feet and to know that I have loved you." Why? Because they had kept the word of His patience. Jesus also promised, "I will keep you from the hour of temptation." Notice that there is a blessing for those who read and keep the words. He says to this church, "You are going to be blessed because you have kept my word."

He continues, "Hold fast," and in verse 11, "I come quickly. Hold fast that which you have, that no man takes away your crown. Him that overcomes, I will make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out. I will write upon him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, which is the New Jerusalem." They are going to have a place in that new heavenly kingdom.

This brings us to the seventh church, the Church of Laodicea. Laodicea was the lukewarm church. Jesus said, "I wish that you were hot or cold, but since you are lukewarm, I will spew you out of my mouth." They thought that they were rich and had need of nothing, but He said, "I counsel you to buy of me gold tried in the fire and white clothing, that the shame of your nakedness does not appear." This is similar to what we saw in Revelation chapter 16, verse 15. He also advised them to anoint their eyes with eye salve so that they may see. They needed to open their eyes and wake up.

I love how I rebuke, just as we see in Hebrews chapter 12. God still loves the lukewarm church, but He desires that they would get hot. "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in unto him and will sup with him, and he with me." This verse has been used for a very long time as an evangelism verse, but it's not a good evangelism verse because Jesus is speaking to a church. Notice that Jesus is outside the doors of the lukewarm church, knocking and saying, "If anybody's in there, maybe you could open up. I'd love to come in and sup with you."

In every age, there is the church of Laodicea, which pictures the modern-day church. This fits with the ages of the church over the last 2,000 years, revealing some interesting things to us. Number one, it reveals that we are in the last days; this is the last church that's mentioned. It also reveals that globally, probably the majority of the church thinks themselves to be rich and in need of nothing. Yet the Lord says, "Hey, you need to buy of me gold tried in the fire. You're lukewarm; you're not hot."

These seven letters to the seven churches speak to literal churches that were in Asia Minor 2,000 years ago. Jesus was writing directly to them, but they also speak to the churches throughout the ages over the last 2,000 years. They address every church in the world today that is alive and well because all the churches fit under some category of this. There are those that have left their first love, those going through persecution, and those who have adopted the things of this world, being married to the world. There are those caught in spiritual adultery who have completely turned away from the Lord. There are those who are dead and need to wake up, and there are those filled with love, doing what God has called them to do. The Lord has set for them a place in His kingdom for eternity.

Then there are those that are lukewarm. God would counsel each one of them, and it's important to consider the different things that the Lord says to them. I believe that in our lives as believers, in our walks with the Lord, we go through these seasons where we walk in the pattern of Laodicea. The Lord has to come to us and say, "Wake up, repent," or we are completely off the map and dead like Sardis. The Lord comes and says, "Come forth, Lazarus, wake up." Why? Because He is coming quickly. Behold, He is coming quickly. This book is filled with these truths.

Chapter 7 talks about the seven seals, while chapter 8 discusses the seven trumpets. Chapters 15 and 16 focus on the seven vials. There are different interpretations of these passages. Some people believe that they chronologically move through the seven-year tribulation, with each one building upon the previous. Others think that the seals, trumpets, and vials all describe the same events of the seven-year tribulation.

To be quite honest, I don't care what interpretation you adopt because they all point to one thing: Jesus is pouring out judgment upon the earth and preparing to pour out His wrath. In Isaiah chapter 61, you'll remember that Jesus quoted Isaiah 61:1-4 when He spoke in the synagogue in Nazareth. This passage speaks about the ministry of the Messiah, stating that He comes to set the captives free and to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.

How many of you remember that passage? Jesus stops after saying "the acceptable year of the Lord" in Isaiah 61, but the passage continues. It goes on to say, "and the day of vengeance of our God." You see, Jesus's first coming was to proclaim the acceptable year of our Lord, the time when God is calling all men to be saved by grace. However, there is coming a day of God's wrath, the day of His vengeance.

I want you to notice the difference in time: the year of our Lord and the day of His wrath. How many of you are thankful that the time of His grace is much greater than the time of His wrath? The day of His vengeance is approaching, when the Lord will pour out His wrath upon a Christ-rejecting and sinful world.

There are many passages of Scripture that reveal when that time takes place. It occurs at a time when the sun is turned to darkness and the moon is turned to blood. There are great earthquakes and many other signs. Matthew 24 talks about it, Luke 17 discusses it, and Joel 3 mentions it. Isaiah 63, Revelation chapter 14, and Revelation chapter 19 all talk about the same exact event, where Jesus, by Himself, will pour out wrath upon a Christ-rejecting and sinful world.

He will first remove those who are His because we are not appointed to wrath. Revelation 14 reveals this, as do Joel 2 and 3. Then, He will pour out His wrath, which is described like a winepress.

Isaiah 63 says, "Who is this that comes from Edom with dyed garments from Basra?" This is he who is glorious in his apparel, traveling in the greatness of his strength. The prophet asks, "Who is this guy who's coming from the east and is clothed in glorious apparel?" The one coming from the east answers in Isaiah 63:1, saying, "I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save."

Who is that? Who is the one who speaks with righteousness and is mighty to save? That's Jesus. The prophet then asks him in verse 2, "Wherefore are you red in your apparel and your garments like him that treads the wine vat?" Why are you all red in your apparel, as if you've been treading in the wine press? He responds, "I have trodden the wine press alone, and of the people there was none with me. For I will tread them in my anger and trample them in my fury, and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my clothing."

Why? "For the day of vengeance is in my heart, and the year of my redeemed is come." He came the first time to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, the time of redemption, the year of His redeemed. He is coming the second time to execute the day of His vengeance when He will trample the wine press.

Now, let's jump over to Revelation chapter 14, where we gather more intel. In Revelation 14:14, John says, "And I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and upon the cloud sat one like the Son of Man." Who is that? Jesus is on a cloud, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle.

Then another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice and spoke to Him who was on the cloud, saying, "Thrust in your sickle and reap, for the time has come to reap the harvest of the earth, for its harvest is ripe." He that sat on the cloud thrust in His sickle to the earth, and the earth was reaped.

So, what do we see here? Jesus is on a cloud, and God the Father dispatches an angel who says, "Hey, it's time! Thrust in the sickle and reap." So He thrust in the sickle and reaped. In verse 17, another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, also having...

A sharp sickle is mentioned, and here is another individual with a sharp sickle. Another angel came out from the altar with power over fire, and he cried with a loud voice to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, "Thrust in the sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine." Notice that Jesus on the cloud was gathering the harvest of the wheat, while this angel is gathering the clusters of the vine, for the grapes are fully ripe. The angel thrust in his sickle to the earth and gathered the vine of the earth and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. The winepress was trodden outside the city.

Who is this who comes from Edom, outside the city? The blood came out of the winepress even to the horses' bridles, about the space of a thousand six hundred furlongs.

Now, turn to Joel chapter 3 in the Old Testament. In Joel chapter 3, verse 9, God, speaking through the prophet Joel, says, "Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles: Prepare for war! Wake up the mighty men, and let all the men of war draw near. Let them come up. Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weak say, 'I am strong.' Assemble yourselves."

God is speaking to the Gentiles. He says, "Assemble yourselves, come all you heathen, gather yourselves together round about. Cause your mighty ones to come down, O Lord. Let the heathen be wakened and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat, for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about. Put in your sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, get you down, for the press is full, for the vats overflow, for their wickedness is great."

Here again is the winepress and the grapes of wrath: multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision. The day of the Lord is in the valley of decision. Remember the day of vengeance; now we see the day of the Lord in the valley of decision. The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars shall withdraw from shining. The Lord also shall roar out of Zion and utter His voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth shall shake.

You see this also in the book of Revelation, but the Lord will be the hope of His people and the strength of the children of Israel. So shall you know that I am the Lord your God, dwelling in Zion, My holy mountain. Then shall Jerusalem be holy after He purifies it.

Shall be holy, and there shall be no strangers pass through her anymore. So, Isaiah 63, Revelation 14, Joel chapter 3, and Matthew 24.

Next, Matthew 24 is that passage we call the Olivet Discourse. Jesus is teaching His disciples from the Mount of Olives. He just gave them some bummer news: Jerusalem is going to be destroyed. They are not too excited about this. They want to know when and how, and when He is going to return. Notice what He says down in verse 25: "Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore, if they say unto you, 'Behold, He is in the desert,' do not go forth; or 'Behold, He is in the secret chambers,' believe it not."

Why? For as the lightning comes out of the east and shines even unto the west, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be. Every eye is going to see, just like when you see a flash of lightning. He is not going to be coming in a very secret way. For wheresoever the carcasses are, there the eagles, or probably a better translation, the birds, will be gathered together. Keep note of that; the fowls will be gathered together.

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 heaven shall be shaken. Didn't we just see that somewhere else? Then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in the heavens. Remember Revelation 14:14? There appeared the sign of the Son of Man seated on a cloud with a crown upon His head and a sickle in His hand.

Then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in the heavens, and all the tribes of the earth shall mourn. They are all going to see it; every eye shall see. They shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. He shall send His angels with a great sound of the trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

They are going to gather these things together. He says from there, jump over just briefly to Luke chapter 17. Look at verse 22. He said unto His disciples, "The days will come when you shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man."

The Son of Man will come, and you shall not see it. That's because persecution is going on in the world. You are going to desire the Lord to come, and they shall say unto you, "See here" or "See there." Do not go after them nor follow them. For as the lightning that lights up one part of heaven shines unto the other part of heaven, so shall the Son of Man be in His day. We just saw that in Matthew 24.

But first, He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it also be in the days of the Son of Man. They ate, drank, married wives, and were given in marriage until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Likewise, as it was in the days of Lot, they ate, drank, bought, sold, planted, and built. But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.

In that day, he who shall be upon the housetop and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away. And he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back. Remember Lot's wife. Great verse! Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it, and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.

I tell you, in that night there shall be two in one bed; the one shall be taken and the other left. How many of you have seen this passage before? Two shall be grinding; the one shall be taken and the other left. Two shall be in the field; the one shall be taken and the other left.

Now, this is commonly taught as a rapture passage: one is taken, the other is left. But notice what Jesus's disciples say to Him. They answered and said unto Him, "Where, Lord? Two are going to be; one of two are in the field; one is taken, the other left. Two are grinding; one is taken, the other left. Two are in bed; one is taken, the other left. Where are they taken, Lord?"

"Wherever the body or the carcasses are, there the birds will be gathered together." Where did we just see that? Matthew 24.

Let's finish with this: Revelation chapter 19, verse 11. John says, "I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. He that sat upon him was called Faithful and True." Who is that? "In righteousness, He does judge and make war."

His eyes were a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns. He had a name written that no man knew but he himself. He was clothed in a robe dipped in blood, just like Isaiah 63, Revelation 14, and Joel 2. His name is called the Word of God, and the armies which are in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. They are clean because he treads the winepress alone. Out of his mouth goes a sharp sword, and with it, he should smite the nations. He shall rule them with a rod of iron and treads the winepress of the fierceness of the wrath of Almighty God, as seen in Revelation 14, Joel 3, and Isaiah 63.

He has on his robe, or on his vesture, and on his thigh a name written: King of Kings and Lord of Lords. I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds, all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, "Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God, that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses, and them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, small and great."

I saw the beast and the kings of the earth, and the armies gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse and against his army. The beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast and them that worshiped his image. These both were cast alive into the lake that burns with fire and brimstone. The remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat on the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth, and all the birds filled themselves with their flesh.

Remember what Jesus said in Luke 17: "One will be taken, the other will be left." Where are they going, Lord? Well, where the birds are gathered together, that's where they'll be—the carcasses. Those people were not taken to be with the Lord; they were taken to judgment. They were reaped to the winepress of the wrath of God.

The reason that we've jumped around all these passages of Scripture is again to emphasize my point that the Bible is filled with chatter of Bible prophecy from cover to cover. Unless you go like a good student and seek it out, find it, and begin to interpret it with the Bible, you'll never understand the book of Revelation. But if you do, there's...

A blessing prepared for you. Amen. Let's stand and pray.

Father, I do thank You for Your Word. Even though at times we can look at it and be a little bit confused, Your Word is good and true. You are the faithful and true witness, and You have revealed that You will come again victoriously.

In Your first coming, Satan thought he won, but Lord, You crushed his head as he bruised Your heel. There is coming a day when You are going to come and cast him bound in the lake that burns with fire. Your Word says that we will be standing there, and we are going to behold him. We are going to look at him and say, "Is this he who caused the nations to fear?" Because he is nothing.

But Lord, You are strong and mighty, awesome in power. I thank You for the revelation that You gave of Yourself and Your coming. Lord, help us not to grow weary in well-doing and to know that You are working.

Lord, may we be actively evangelizing, sharing with those who are in this world, that they not be one of the multitudes in the valley of decision. Lord, give us boldness to share the truth with everyone that we come in contact with until You come. We pray this in Jesus' name. All God's people said, "Amen." Thank You.