1 00:00:01,280 --> 00:00:05,240 Let's come together now to the Book of Revelation in Chapter 7. 2 00:00:08,760 --> 00:00:12,160 I am thrilled to walk through this chapter with you today for 3 00:00:12,160 --> 00:00:17,040 many reasons, but the main one is because Revelation 7 holds 4 00:00:17,040 --> 00:00:22,000 the answer to the closing question of Revelation Chapter 6 5 00:00:23,520 --> 00:00:24,760 now, hopefully. You remember that at the 6 00:00:24,760 --> 00:00:32,159 breaking of the 6th seal, the people realize that this is 7 00:00:32,159 --> 00:00:34,400 something coming directly from God. 8 00:00:35,840 --> 00:00:41,240 The global disturbance, the the cosmic shakings was undoubtedly 9 00:00:41,680 --> 00:00:44,520 the outcome of God's direct wrath. 10 00:00:45,600 --> 00:00:49,920 And so humanity will flee and they will try to find refuge. 11 00:00:50,280 --> 00:00:53,840 And when it dawned upon them that this is indeed God's 12 00:00:54,080 --> 00:01:01,840 justice, God's doing, John hears them in their panicked voices 13 00:01:01,840 --> 00:01:08,400 cry out. Who can stand, Who can escape 14 00:01:08,400 --> 00:01:15,160 the fury of God's wrath? Who can hide from the blazing 15 00:01:15,160 --> 00:01:20,240 holiness that he has manifested? Who can shield themselves from 16 00:01:21,120 --> 00:01:26,920 his judgments? And before John is given 17 00:01:27,160 --> 00:01:30,040 insight. Into what will happen at the 18 00:01:30,040 --> 00:01:33,400 breaking of the 7th and final seal of the scroll. 19 00:01:34,480 --> 00:01:36,600 God gives them the answer to that question. 20 00:01:37,680 --> 00:01:41,120 Let's read it together in Revelation 7, beginning in verse 21 00:01:41,120 --> 00:01:47,080 one down to verse 8. After this I saw 4 angels 22 00:01:47,080 --> 00:01:51,360 standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four 23 00:01:51,360 --> 00:01:55,680 winds of the earth, that no wind might blow on earth or see or 24 00:01:55,680 --> 00:01:59,520 against any tree. Then I saw another Angel 25 00:01:59,520 --> 00:02:03,320 ascending from the rising of the sun with the seal of the living 26 00:02:03,320 --> 00:02:05,560 God. And he called it with a loud 27 00:02:05,560 --> 00:02:10,000 voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth 28 00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:14,640 and sea, saying, Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, 29 00:02:14,680 --> 00:02:19,520 until we have sealed the servants of our God on their 30 00:02:19,520 --> 00:02:22,760 foreheads. And I heard the number of the 31 00:02:22,760 --> 00:02:27,560 seal, the 144,000. Sealed from every tribe of the 32 00:02:27,560 --> 00:02:33,160 sons of Israel, 12,000 from the tribe of Judah were sealed 33 00:02:33,760 --> 00:02:38,640 12,000 from the tribe of Reuben, 12,000 from the tribe of Gad, 34 00:02:39,080 --> 00:02:43,080 12,000 from the tribe of Asher, 12,000 from the tribe of 35 00:02:43,080 --> 00:02:47,560 Naftali, 12,000 from the tribe of Manessa, 12,000 from the 36 00:02:47,560 --> 00:02:52,800 tribe of Simeon, 12,000 from the tribe of Levi, 12,000 from the 37 00:02:52,800 --> 00:02:57,720 tribe of Issachar. 12,000 from the tribe of Zebulun, 12,000 38 00:02:57,720 --> 00:03:03,240 from the tribe of Joseph, 12,000 from the tribe of Benjamin were 39 00:03:03,240 --> 00:03:08,120 sealed. Father, we, we need your wisdom, 40 00:03:08,360 --> 00:03:12,040 we need your help, we need your guidance, and we rest in the 41 00:03:12,040 --> 00:03:17,000 truth that you promised to give us the answers in your Word. 42 00:03:17,800 --> 00:03:21,960 And so we come now, Lord, hungry and thirsty, and we believe we 43 00:03:21,960 --> 00:03:23,880 will be filled because you are a gracious God. 44 00:03:24,600 --> 00:03:28,120 We thank you in advance for this message may be given in clarity. 45 00:03:28,520 --> 00:03:32,680 May it deal with any confusion or contradiction, and may it 46 00:03:32,680 --> 00:03:36,880 produce consecration. In Jesus name we pray, Amen. 47 00:03:38,720 --> 00:03:44,760 So there are two companies of people who will be untouched by 48 00:03:44,760 --> 00:03:48,000 the disasters that will follow this moment. 49 00:03:48,000 --> 00:03:51,200 The things that are yet to be unfolded, the things that are 50 00:03:51,200 --> 00:03:56,440 yet to be realized. In the Book of Revelation, the 51 00:03:56,440 --> 00:03:59,480 first group is described in the section that we just read. 52 00:04:00,840 --> 00:04:05,160 They are defined by their Jewish heritage and they are numbered 53 00:04:05,160 --> 00:04:10,480 precisely 144,000. The second group we will touch 54 00:04:10,480 --> 00:04:14,520 on next week if the Lord wills, and they are different than the 55 00:04:14,520 --> 00:04:18,200 first, but I think it's worth looking at it very briefly. 56 00:04:18,200 --> 00:04:21,680 Just take a peek at them in verse 9 to see how this second 57 00:04:21,680 --> 00:04:26,000 group is identified. Look at verse 9 after this I 58 00:04:26,000 --> 00:04:28,880 looked and behold a great multitude that no one could 59 00:04:28,880 --> 00:04:33,280 number from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and 60 00:04:33,280 --> 00:04:36,920 languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, 61 00:04:36,920 --> 00:04:41,160 clothed in white robes with palm branches in their hands. 62 00:04:42,280 --> 00:04:43,520 So you see, there's a division here. 63 00:04:45,520 --> 00:04:50,160 Unlike the first group, the second group is not limited to 1 64 00:04:50,160 --> 00:04:53,760 ethnicity. They are drawn from all nations, 65 00:04:53,760 --> 00:04:58,960 they are drawn from all tribes. They are defined by a variety of 66 00:04:58,960 --> 00:05:03,960 peoples. Also, we find that unlike the 67 00:05:03,960 --> 00:05:07,400 first group, there is no number to the second. 68 00:05:08,920 --> 00:05:12,000 There is no count. There is no exact record. 69 00:05:12,200 --> 00:05:17,400 It's actually beyond a number. And finally, the another 70 00:05:17,400 --> 00:05:20,760 difference to consider is that unlike the first group, the 71 00:05:20,760 --> 00:05:26,560 second group that John sees is in heaven, while the 144,000 are 72 00:05:27,000 --> 00:05:31,880 still on earth at this point. Now, there's a lot to discuss. 73 00:05:32,120 --> 00:05:34,720 That's why we're going to take our time by investigating the 74 00:05:34,720 --> 00:05:41,360 first group today, famously known as the 144. 1000 So I want 75 00:05:41,360 --> 00:05:43,880 us to go back to verse one now and let me just say this from 76 00:05:43,880 --> 00:05:45,200 the beginning. You're going to need your 77 00:05:45,200 --> 00:05:46,440 Bibles. You're always going to need your 78 00:05:46,440 --> 00:05:48,880 Bibles. But especially with this text, I 79 00:05:48,880 --> 00:05:52,560 want us to travel to different portions of Scripture because it 80 00:05:52,560 --> 00:05:55,680 will help us make sense of what seems to be mysterious and 81 00:05:55,680 --> 00:05:58,080 cryptic, and it will be a reward. 82 00:05:58,080 --> 00:06:02,200 So hold on to your Bible and let's go together now and see 83 00:06:02,200 --> 00:06:04,080 what God has to say to us through this. 84 00:06:05,160 --> 00:06:08,160 There is an obvious contrast between the chaos and the 85 00:06:08,160 --> 00:06:12,120 previous chapter and what we find here in the opening text. 86 00:06:13,400 --> 00:06:17,600 What we find in the last scene of chapter 6 is utter chaos. 87 00:06:17,880 --> 00:06:24,440 And then suddenly we are faced with strange, calm, very unusual 88 00:06:24,440 --> 00:06:28,080 atmosphere in this book. That what you find here is the 89 00:06:28,080 --> 00:06:31,920 source of the the troubles and the turbulences that we've 90 00:06:31,920 --> 00:06:36,040 studied so far is the very same cause for the tranquility here. 91 00:06:36,880 --> 00:06:40,320 It's the Lord. God is the one who brings about 92 00:06:40,440 --> 00:06:43,560 this peace, this temporary repose. 93 00:06:43,920 --> 00:06:46,840 We read A4 Angels who are standing at the four corners of 94 00:06:46,840 --> 00:06:49,200 the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth. 95 00:06:49,960 --> 00:06:53,080 What is that? Well, the four corners of the 96 00:06:53,080 --> 00:06:57,160 earth is a scriptural metaphor that speaks of the earth as a 97 00:06:57,160 --> 00:06:58,720 whole. You find that in the book of 98 00:06:58,720 --> 00:07:01,720 Isaiah especially. So it's not talking about the 99 00:07:01,720 --> 00:07:05,760 actual landscape of our planet necessarily, it just speaking 100 00:07:05,760 --> 00:07:10,880 about the entirety of our world. What about these four winds? 101 00:07:10,880 --> 00:07:14,440 Are they literal winds? Likely not. 102 00:07:15,480 --> 00:07:18,600 Again, this is another phrase that is familiar in the Bible 103 00:07:18,600 --> 00:07:24,920 that refers to an unusual act of God on a massive scale. 104 00:07:25,360 --> 00:07:29,280 It speaks about this remarkable manifestation that will take 105 00:07:29,280 --> 00:07:33,560 place in a way that cannot be ignored by the masses. 106 00:07:34,480 --> 00:07:37,160 And so in some contexts, whenever you see these four 107 00:07:37,160 --> 00:07:41,920 winds defined, it actually speaks of a great miracle that 108 00:07:41,920 --> 00:07:44,600 is about to take place. In other instances, it's 109 00:07:44,600 --> 00:07:47,600 actually speaking about a significant act of judgment. 110 00:07:48,520 --> 00:07:50,480 So you don't have to turn there. But if you're a note taker, 111 00:07:50,480 --> 00:07:52,440 you'll appreciate these two references from the Old 112 00:07:52,440 --> 00:07:54,600 Testament. You remember the Valley of Dry 113 00:07:54,600 --> 00:07:57,360 Bones when the prophet Ezekiel was brought there by God? 114 00:07:57,600 --> 00:08:00,000 And it was a. Vision, but it spoke about the 115 00:08:00,000 --> 00:08:04,520 hopelessness of the nation of Israel and God gives Ezekiel 116 00:08:04,520 --> 00:08:08,840 instructions of how to speak to this valley and how they can be 117 00:08:08,840 --> 00:08:10,480 revived. And let me read to you what he 118 00:08:10,480 --> 00:08:16,040 says in Ezekiel 37 verse 9. Ezekiel says, then he said to me 119 00:08:16,400 --> 00:08:20,560 prophesied to the breath prophecy, son of man, and say to 120 00:08:20,560 --> 00:08:23,280 the breath. Thus says the Lord God come from 121 00:08:23,280 --> 00:08:29,680 the four winds, O breath and breath on the slain, that they 122 00:08:29,680 --> 00:08:34,840 may live. So here's a positive reality to 123 00:08:34,840 --> 00:08:39,080 these four winds, that it's a call for this force, this power 124 00:08:39,080 --> 00:08:41,640 to bring about something good and redemptive. 125 00:08:42,679 --> 00:08:45,720 But here's an example of it leading to judgment. 126 00:08:46,240 --> 00:08:48,320 It's an obscure passage, but again, you don't have to turn 127 00:08:48,320 --> 00:08:49,680 there. Just listen carefully and write 128 00:08:49,680 --> 00:08:54,920 down the reference for later in Jeremiah 49, verse 36. 129 00:08:55,360 --> 00:09:00,720 Listen to what God says, and I will bring upon Elam the four 130 00:09:00,720 --> 00:09:04,680 winds from the four quarters of heaven, and I will scatter them 131 00:09:04,680 --> 00:09:07,680 to all those winds, and there shall be no nation to which 132 00:09:07,680 --> 00:09:10,720 those driven out of Elam shall not come. 133 00:09:11,640 --> 00:09:14,680 So there is this call for the four winds to scatter a certain 134 00:09:14,680 --> 00:09:17,320 people group, which is obviously an act of discipline and 135 00:09:17,320 --> 00:09:22,160 chastisement. In Revelation 7, when the four 136 00:09:22,160 --> 00:09:25,960 winds are mentioned, it's. Clear that judgement is in view. 137 00:09:26,680 --> 00:09:29,880 And that the Lord calls his servants, his heavenly angels, 138 00:09:30,280 --> 00:09:35,480 to hold back further punishment, to put it on pause. 139 00:09:37,640 --> 00:09:41,760 And I can't help but recognize something before we move on. 140 00:09:42,520 --> 00:09:46,000 And it is how precise God's protection is. 141 00:09:47,040 --> 00:09:49,720 Notice again here at the last part of verse one. 142 00:09:49,720 --> 00:09:54,320 Look there in Revelation 7 that no wind might blow on earth or 143 00:09:54,320 --> 00:10:00,360 sea or against. Any tree, not one tree can be 144 00:10:00,360 --> 00:10:03,000 affected. Not one tree can be cut down. 145 00:10:03,000 --> 00:10:07,000 Not one tree can blow over or be uprooted unless God permits it. 146 00:10:09,240 --> 00:10:15,200 Beyond that, not one leaf can be broken off any shrub or tree 147 00:10:15,440 --> 00:10:20,400 unless God wishes it. And in case you think that this 148 00:10:20,400 --> 00:10:22,800 is just a text to prove just how much God cares about the 149 00:10:22,800 --> 00:10:27,120 environment, oh, if he cares about trees this much, how much 150 00:10:27,120 --> 00:10:31,840 more you and I, I'll never forget it some time ago, sitting 151 00:10:31,840 --> 00:10:33,920 in my living room going through the book of Job. 152 00:10:34,520 --> 00:10:37,040 And I've read that book many times, but something so simple 153 00:10:37,040 --> 00:10:40,040 yet profound touched me. And it still ministers to me 154 00:10:40,040 --> 00:10:42,000 today. And I hope it ministers. 155 00:10:42,000 --> 00:10:45,640 To you do. You remember what Satan said to 156 00:10:45,640 --> 00:10:51,200 God when he brings up his observation of the detailed care 157 00:10:51,440 --> 00:10:54,240 that Job had because of his relationship with God. 158 00:10:55,680 --> 00:10:58,920 This is worth turning to in Job One and highlight. 159 00:10:58,920 --> 00:11:02,680 It may be printed and put it somewhere in your house because 160 00:11:02,680 --> 00:11:05,840 it is a wonderful insight into the great. 161 00:11:05,840 --> 00:11:10,480 Compassion and supervision that God has for His servants in Job 162 00:11:10,480 --> 00:11:15,240 One, verse 9 and 10. Then Satan answered the Lord and 163 00:11:15,240 --> 00:11:18,560 said, does Job fear God for no reason? 164 00:11:19,560 --> 00:11:22,440 Have you not put a hedge around him? 165 00:11:22,440 --> 00:11:29,040 Highlight that around Job himself and his house and all 166 00:11:29,040 --> 00:11:32,000 that he has. That's pretty descriptive. 167 00:11:32,000 --> 00:11:34,120 Wouldn't you say? And he doesn't even end it 168 00:11:34,120 --> 00:11:35,280 there. Notice what he says at the last 169 00:11:35,280 --> 00:11:39,200 part on every side, not just one side. 170 00:11:39,480 --> 00:11:42,040 So I was in my living room, I was reading this and I thought. 171 00:11:42,600 --> 00:11:45,880 Pause, Lord, you don't just keep watching my front door. 172 00:11:46,200 --> 00:11:50,560 You're in the backyard and you're in the side door going 173 00:11:50,560 --> 00:11:54,560 into the garage. And any and everything that I 174 00:11:54,560 --> 00:11:56,240 own, you protect because it's yours. 175 00:11:56,240 --> 00:12:02,840 Ultimately, every part of your life is guarded and watched over 176 00:12:02,840 --> 00:12:06,200 by your God. What are you anxious about? 177 00:12:06,720 --> 00:12:11,120 What are you fearful about? Every part of you, the sole of 178 00:12:11,120 --> 00:12:16,040 your foot up to the crown of your head, is taken into 179 00:12:16,040 --> 00:12:19,440 consideration. So here is the Lord showing, 180 00:12:19,600 --> 00:12:24,000 even in Revelation 7, just how meticulous He is, just how 181 00:12:24,000 --> 00:12:26,800 caring He is. Things that you don't even think 182 00:12:26,800 --> 00:12:29,920 about, God thinks about, or maybe things that you 183 00:12:29,920 --> 00:12:32,680 obsessively watch over and are worried about. 184 00:12:33,120 --> 00:12:37,080 God is already there, and it's not just Job in view here. 185 00:12:37,080 --> 00:12:38,880 Job is not just a special character. 186 00:12:39,640 --> 00:12:42,320 What you find in Revelation 7 is that the reason why God holds 187 00:12:42,320 --> 00:12:45,680 back further judgement is because there's another group of 188 00:12:45,680 --> 00:12:49,360 people that He is watching over and wants to do something with. 189 00:12:50,920 --> 00:12:52,160 And this is what we want to look at. 190 00:12:52,360 --> 00:12:54,200 Come back to verse 2 of Revelation 7. 191 00:12:56,600 --> 00:13:00,960 Verse two and three reads Do not harm the earth or the sea or the 192 00:13:00,960 --> 00:13:06,640 trees until we have sealed the servants of our God on their 193 00:13:06,640 --> 00:13:10,280 foreheads. We got to talk about this seal 194 00:13:12,760 --> 00:13:18,400 in the ancient world, this practice of sealing something 195 00:13:18,400 --> 00:13:22,520 what was very familiar. If you were a ruler or an owner 196 00:13:22,520 --> 00:13:26,000 of some kind of property or an estate, you probably had a 197 00:13:26,000 --> 00:13:30,040 signet ring, a ring that had an autograph of some sorts or 198 00:13:30,040 --> 00:13:33,800 initials or some kind of emblem that was undoubtedly tied to 199 00:13:33,800 --> 00:13:37,400 you. And someone would take that ring 200 00:13:37,400 --> 00:13:41,840 and they would press it into wax and it would seal a document, a 201 00:13:41,840 --> 00:13:48,320 contract, or even a significant item to mark ownership, to 202 00:13:48,400 --> 00:13:51,680 authorize it and to say this belongs to someone. 203 00:13:53,240 --> 00:13:56,760 And So what you have here is God borrowing that practice in order 204 00:13:56,760 --> 00:14:01,720 to communicate that he is looking to identify a certain 205 00:14:01,720 --> 00:14:05,840 group of people in order to authenticate His ownership and 206 00:14:05,840 --> 00:14:11,000 to protect them. And so he tells these angels, 207 00:14:11,760 --> 00:14:15,240 let's stop here because we still have to seal the servants of our 208 00:14:15,240 --> 00:14:17,400 God. And listen, this should not be 209 00:14:17,400 --> 00:14:21,600 unfamiliar to the Old Testament student, because we find this 210 00:14:21,600 --> 00:14:27,920 practice in Ezekiel Chapter 9. This is when God was about to 211 00:14:27,920 --> 00:14:31,880 pass judgment on Jerusalem and before judgment is unleashed, 212 00:14:31,960 --> 00:14:34,920 listen to what he says. It's incredible in verse 4 of 213 00:14:34,920 --> 00:14:38,240 Ezekiel 9 and the Lord said to him, pass. 214 00:14:38,400 --> 00:14:41,680 Through the city, he's speaking to a divine messenger. 215 00:14:42,000 --> 00:14:46,720 Pass through the city, through Jerusalem, and put a mark on the 216 00:14:46,720 --> 00:14:50,520 foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the 217 00:14:50,520 --> 00:14:52,160 abominations that are committed in it. 218 00:14:52,720 --> 00:14:55,880 Do you see that? So he speaks to, contextually, 219 00:14:55,880 --> 00:14:58,280 an Angel. He's about to unleash punishment 220 00:14:58,280 --> 00:15:00,080 upon his own. He's about to discipline the 221 00:15:00,080 --> 00:15:02,000 holy city. And he says, before we move 222 00:15:02,000 --> 00:15:06,720 forward, I'm asking you to mark a certain group of people on 223 00:15:06,720 --> 00:15:08,080 their foreheads. Sound familiar? 224 00:15:08,480 --> 00:15:10,960 Do you see just how saturated revelation is with the Old 225 00:15:10,960 --> 00:15:13,720 Testament? But notice that people who are 226 00:15:13,720 --> 00:15:18,200 marked, I want you to mark those who sigh and groan over all the 227 00:15:18,200 --> 00:15:21,320 abominations that are being practiced in this place. 228 00:15:25,240 --> 00:15:28,200 One of the evidences of somebody's relationship with God 229 00:15:28,200 --> 00:15:32,800 being true and genuine and sincere is how you and I not 230 00:15:32,800 --> 00:15:35,520 only respond to our own sin, but the sin around us. 231 00:15:39,560 --> 00:15:41,920 What was it that God was looking for at this time? 232 00:15:42,080 --> 00:15:45,240 I want you to find those who are broken over the abominations 233 00:15:45,400 --> 00:15:48,440 that are being practiced. I want you to find those who are 234 00:15:49,000 --> 00:15:51,280 who are shattered by the idolatry that is being 235 00:15:51,280 --> 00:15:56,680 committed. God looks for how we view sin. 236 00:15:56,680 --> 00:16:02,160 That's important to God. But then he goes on to say this 237 00:16:02,160 --> 00:16:07,960 in verse 6 of Ezekiel 9. Kill old men outright, young men 238 00:16:07,960 --> 00:16:13,520 and maidens, little children and women, but touch no one whom is 239 00:16:13,680 --> 00:16:17,480 the mark on whom is the mark and begin at my sanctuary. 240 00:16:17,800 --> 00:16:20,800 So they began with the elders who are before the house. 241 00:16:21,600 --> 00:16:26,120 So again, this mark. Is a protective thing and both 242 00:16:26,120 --> 00:16:29,200 in Ezekiel and in Revelation we we see that the Lord has his own 243 00:16:29,200 --> 00:16:33,920 seal which is spiritually applied to those who belong to 244 00:16:33,920 --> 00:16:37,760 him so that when judgement does go forth, they would be spared, 245 00:16:38,800 --> 00:16:44,160 they would not experience wrath. So we see consistent reality to 246 00:16:44,160 --> 00:16:46,560 the seal. Now if you're sitting here 247 00:16:46,560 --> 00:16:50,360 wondering, OK, there's a seal obviously available in the Old 248 00:16:50,360 --> 00:16:52,600 Testament. It's there in Ezekiel, and there 249 00:16:52,600 --> 00:16:55,200 will be seal that will be known in the Tribulation period. 250 00:16:55,200 --> 00:16:59,400 What about now? Well, I'm here to remind you 251 00:17:00,120 --> 00:17:02,360 that if you do belong to Christ, you are sealed. 252 00:17:03,880 --> 00:17:05,079 What did Paul tell the Ephesians? 253 00:17:05,079 --> 00:17:08,200 You know this very well in Ephesians 113 in him you also, 254 00:17:08,200 --> 00:17:10,359 when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your 255 00:17:10,359 --> 00:17:14,760 salvation and believed in him, were sealed with the promised 256 00:17:14,760 --> 00:17:18,280 Holy Spirit. I'm sealed, So are you. 257 00:17:20,880 --> 00:17:23,680 And this is, this is incredible if you truly grasp it, because 258 00:17:23,680 --> 00:17:27,640 it's one of the many ways that God assures us that because of 259 00:17:27,640 --> 00:17:33,440 our faith in the gospel, we are securely owned by God. 260 00:17:34,400 --> 00:17:37,880 We belong to him. We are his eternal possession 261 00:17:37,880 --> 00:17:43,000 because he has placed his signature on your soul and mine. 262 00:17:43,360 --> 00:17:47,440 The Savior's name is there, and no one can change that. 263 00:17:47,440 --> 00:17:50,680 Listen very carefully. It doesn't matter how intense 264 00:17:50,680 --> 00:17:53,680 the doubts are relating to your standing with God. 265 00:17:53,920 --> 00:17:57,120 It doesn't alter this reality. And it doesn't matter how 266 00:17:57,120 --> 00:18:00,080 convincing Satan's arguments are against you. 267 00:18:00,480 --> 00:18:04,480 You are promised a seal. You are sealed. 268 00:18:05,040 --> 00:18:07,920 And the significance of this seal is that it not only 269 00:18:07,920 --> 00:18:12,440 protects us from dangers in this life, but it promises us eternal 270 00:18:12,440 --> 00:18:16,440 life. The same word sealed in 271 00:18:16,440 --> 00:18:19,480 Revelation 7, three is in that verse, Ephesians 113. 272 00:18:19,480 --> 00:18:26,640 And in Ephesians 430, we're told do not grieve the Holy Spirit by 273 00:18:26,640 --> 00:18:31,560 whom you were sealed until the day or to the day of redemption. 274 00:18:32,560 --> 00:18:36,680 What's the purpose of that seal? It's meant to mark me and keep 275 00:18:36,680 --> 00:18:42,160 me until I am totally redeemed. He's not going anywhere and 276 00:18:42,160 --> 00:18:43,880 there's no one who can pry him away. 277 00:18:45,200 --> 00:18:50,840 This is speaking about just how safe we are in Christ, sealed 278 00:18:50,840 --> 00:18:54,040 until the day of redemption. And that beauty, that 279 00:18:54,040 --> 00:18:56,760 inheritance, that down payment that was made should move you to 280 00:18:56,760 --> 00:18:58,680 the degree where you say I don't want to grieve him. 281 00:18:59,560 --> 00:19:01,880 He's chosen to taking up residence in me. 282 00:19:02,680 --> 00:19:05,760 He's chosen to hold me and to keep me until the end. 283 00:19:06,240 --> 00:19:09,280 And so, between now and that day of redemption, oh, may I please 284 00:19:09,280 --> 00:19:13,480 him, May I honour him. May he not be broken, though 285 00:19:13,480 --> 00:19:18,880 committed to keeping me because of that precious blood, may be 286 00:19:18,880 --> 00:19:23,160 pleased to take up his home in my heart. 287 00:19:25,880 --> 00:19:29,160 Now I find something quite fascinating about this seal in 288 00:19:29,160 --> 00:19:32,520 Revelation 7. Many things, and the one that 289 00:19:32,520 --> 00:19:36,040 comes to mind is this, that this seal in Revelation 7 appears 290 00:19:36,040 --> 00:19:40,440 before another mark that will be placed on the foreheads. 291 00:19:41,080 --> 00:19:42,720 Of others. You guys know where we're going 292 00:19:42,720 --> 00:19:45,280 with this, right? The mark of the beast. 293 00:19:46,160 --> 00:19:49,320 The mark of the beast that will show up in Revelation chapter 294 00:19:49,320 --> 00:19:53,920 13. In Revelation 1316, we learned 295 00:19:53,920 --> 00:19:56,120 that those who would pledge their allegiance to the 296 00:19:56,120 --> 00:20:00,400 Antichrist will be marked with his name or the number of his 297 00:20:00,400 --> 00:20:02,920 name on their foreheads or on their hand. 298 00:20:03,080 --> 00:20:05,360 And we'll talk about why that is the case when we come to that 299 00:20:05,360 --> 00:20:08,200 chapter. But what does it tell you about 300 00:20:08,200 --> 00:20:11,880 Satan? That he has his own mark. 301 00:20:13,120 --> 00:20:16,440 I'll tell you what it means. It means that he is so envious 302 00:20:16,560 --> 00:20:19,800 of God, so covetous, that he seeks to imitate him in every 303 00:20:19,800 --> 00:20:24,920 way possible. He so wants to be God, that even 304 00:20:24,920 --> 00:20:28,920 with God's mark, he tries to have his own version of it. 305 00:20:31,040 --> 00:20:34,480 If God marks his people with a seal, I'll mark my people with 306 00:20:34,480 --> 00:20:37,800 my own seal. This is how demented and twisted 307 00:20:37,920 --> 00:20:40,760 the enemy is. So you have to understand that 308 00:20:40,760 --> 00:20:42,520 the mark of the beast is a demonic counterfeit. 309 00:20:43,520 --> 00:20:47,840 It's a dark parody of the wonderful gift that we have in 310 00:20:47,840 --> 00:20:52,040 God through the Holy Spirit. But here's the difference 311 00:20:52,040 --> 00:20:54,760 between God's seal and Satan's seal. 312 00:20:55,720 --> 00:20:59,640 The seal of God comes upon those who willingly and humbly receive 313 00:20:59,640 --> 00:21:01,000 Jesus. Christ as Lord. 314 00:21:02,160 --> 00:21:05,160 Being sealed and owned by the Lord is something that you do 315 00:21:05,160 --> 00:21:09,240 because you recognize His great love and how expensive your 316 00:21:09,240 --> 00:21:13,160 salvation is and how sweet and loving your God is, and so you 317 00:21:13,160 --> 00:21:19,760 surrender to that seal. Satan, on the other hand, makes 318 00:21:19,760 --> 00:21:24,040 no such offer. Satan will set up this system 319 00:21:24,040 --> 00:21:29,560 through the Antichrist to coerce and to bully you into taking 320 00:21:29,560 --> 00:21:32,600 this seal. Yes, there will be many who will 321 00:21:32,920 --> 00:21:36,160 freely pledge their loyalty to the Antichrist because they're 322 00:21:36,160 --> 00:21:40,040 deceived, but the system will be set up so that it forces the 323 00:21:40,040 --> 00:21:42,560 masses. Because in that same chapter in 324 00:21:42,560 --> 00:21:45,440 Revelation 13, you can't buy or sell without that seal. 325 00:21:45,640 --> 00:21:49,600 You can't live normally. And so recognize just how 326 00:21:49,600 --> 00:21:52,280 pathetic the devil is as a master. 327 00:21:53,320 --> 00:21:55,840 There is nothing about him that is love or mercy. 328 00:21:56,320 --> 00:21:59,600 He has to twist your arm. He has to threaten you in order 329 00:21:59,600 --> 00:22:03,000 for you to bend your knee. And yet we as blood bought 330 00:22:03,000 --> 00:22:05,520 Christians, we bend our knee because we're overwhelmed by the 331 00:22:05,520 --> 00:22:08,680 love of Christ. We give ourselves freely. 332 00:22:08,680 --> 00:22:11,960 Oh, you are worthy of 10,000 lives to be lived, but I'll give 333 00:22:11,960 --> 00:22:15,320 you my one. Seal me, mark me. 334 00:22:17,000 --> 00:22:19,240 And now that we've identified the nature and the purpose of 335 00:22:19,240 --> 00:22:26,480 this seal to protect this group, in order to help them stand in 336 00:22:26,480 --> 00:22:30,120 what's to follow in these judgments on the earth, we now 337 00:22:30,120 --> 00:22:32,800 have to turn our attention to the group that will receive it 338 00:22:32,800 --> 00:22:34,400 at this. Point in God's story. 339 00:22:34,920 --> 00:22:37,560 So let's come back again to verse 4 of Revelation 7. 340 00:22:38,840 --> 00:22:42,400 There are two main perspectives regarding this numbered group. 341 00:22:43,080 --> 00:22:47,080 There are some who see it as a symbolic picture of the 342 00:22:47,080 --> 00:22:51,440 universal church, while there are others who understand it as 343 00:22:51,440 --> 00:22:54,640 a literal count of Jews who have put their faith in the Lord 344 00:22:54,680 --> 00:22:57,560 Jesus Christ during the Tribulation period. 345 00:22:58,720 --> 00:23:00,840 So I want to speak on the symbolic view. 346 00:23:00,840 --> 00:23:03,280 For a moment. Why is it that there are some 347 00:23:03,280 --> 00:23:08,320 believers who do not see this as actual Jews being saved and 348 00:23:08,320 --> 00:23:13,680 instead a picture of the church? Well, they will argue that 349 00:23:13,680 --> 00:23:16,640 numbers in apocalyptic literature are often symbolic. 350 00:23:17,600 --> 00:23:21,000 And they will continue to add that since we are in the New 351 00:23:21,000 --> 00:23:24,920 Covenant, there is no reason to distinguish the Jewish people, 352 00:23:24,920 --> 00:23:30,040 since in Christ there is a new man comprised of both Jew and 353 00:23:30,040 --> 00:23:30,840 Gentiles. So. 354 00:23:31,040 --> 00:23:35,080 So why are we making a highlight here of the Jewish people when 355 00:23:35,080 --> 00:23:38,280 God's main program here at this point is the church? 356 00:23:39,920 --> 00:23:41,480 And they would. Go on to explain that the 357 00:23:41,480 --> 00:23:49,880 #144,000 when broken down, makes this case 12 * 12 * 1000 equals 358 00:23:49,880 --> 00:23:51,880 this number. So you have the 12 tribes of 359 00:23:51,880 --> 00:23:55,680 Israel. You have the 12 apostles and 360 00:23:55,680 --> 00:23:58,760 then you have the number 1000, which speaks of completion or 361 00:23:58,760 --> 00:24:02,680 fullness. And so that equation essentially 362 00:24:02,680 --> 00:24:06,360 means this, that what we have in view here is the fullness of 363 00:24:06,360 --> 00:24:10,120 God's people, both from old and new covenants, who together make 364 00:24:10,120 --> 00:24:15,760 up the new spiritual Israel. Interesting take. 365 00:24:17,240 --> 00:24:19,840 Additionally, this view argues that the innumerable multitude 366 00:24:19,840 --> 00:24:24,400 from every tribe and tongue that John sees following the 144. 367 00:24:24,400 --> 00:24:26,240 Remember we peeked at them in verse 9. 368 00:24:27,080 --> 00:24:30,040 Those who are proponents of this view will say those aren't 2 369 00:24:30,040 --> 00:24:33,680 distinct groups, they're actually one and the same from 370 00:24:33,680 --> 00:24:38,640 two different perspectives. And in order to back that up, 371 00:24:38,680 --> 00:24:42,240 they will go to an interesting part of Revelation to show how 372 00:24:42,240 --> 00:24:46,880 it parallels. Do you remember in Revelation 55 373 00:24:47,320 --> 00:24:50,520 when John was told about the line of the tribe of Judah? 374 00:24:51,320 --> 00:24:55,240 He was told about the line of the tribe of Judah, but when he 375 00:24:55,240 --> 00:24:57,840 looked more carefully, he didn't see a lion. 376 00:24:57,840 --> 00:25:01,840 What did he see? A lamb standing. 377 00:25:02,880 --> 00:25:06,360 So two different descriptions of the same person. 378 00:25:06,360 --> 00:25:09,640 He heard the lion, but he saw the lamb. 379 00:25:11,160 --> 00:25:14,680 And people who hold to this perspective will also argue that 380 00:25:14,840 --> 00:25:16,880 John is experiencing something similar here. 381 00:25:17,960 --> 00:25:21,640 He hears about the 144 if you look at the language carefully, 382 00:25:21,800 --> 00:25:27,520 but when you go to verse 9 down, he sees an innumerable amount of 383 00:25:27,520 --> 00:25:31,280 people from different tribes and tongues, two different 384 00:25:31,280 --> 00:25:36,320 descriptions of the same identity of the same entity. 385 00:25:37,600 --> 00:25:41,680 So the argument is essentially that the 144 is just an 386 00:25:42,080 --> 00:25:47,280 artistic, descriptive, symbolic way of speaking about the 387 00:25:47,320 --> 00:25:51,120 universal church. Finally, they'll kind of get 388 00:25:51,120 --> 00:25:54,520 into the details and point out how the tribes that are listed 389 00:25:54,520 --> 00:25:59,120 here are never to be found listed in the Old Testament the 390 00:25:59,120 --> 00:26:01,520 way it's listed, primarily because. 391 00:26:01,960 --> 00:26:04,280 Who's omitted? Did you notice it? 392 00:26:05,120 --> 00:26:08,120 Dan is omitted. The tribe of Dan is not there 393 00:26:08,440 --> 00:26:10,640 and you can make a case that Ephraim also is not there by 394 00:26:10,640 --> 00:26:13,480 name. Levi is there for whatever 395 00:26:13,480 --> 00:26:15,480 reason as well. Joseph is included. 396 00:26:15,680 --> 00:26:18,320 And so they'll say, listen, this can't be about Israel because 397 00:26:18,480 --> 00:26:22,640 you don't find this kind of catalog, this kind of record in 398 00:26:22,640 --> 00:26:26,200 the Hebrew Scriptures. There are more arguments that 399 00:26:26,200 --> 00:26:29,680 they make. That's just an overview, but how 400 00:26:29,680 --> 00:26:31,480 do we make a case for the literal view? 401 00:26:34,040 --> 00:26:35,520 Here's what I want to say to begin with. 402 00:26:36,760 --> 00:26:41,480 Revelation makes it clear in other places in this book. 403 00:26:42,040 --> 00:26:49,000 How the Jewish people and their land plays a distinctive and 404 00:26:49,000 --> 00:26:51,760 imperative role in God's work in the last days. 405 00:26:53,600 --> 00:26:55,360 It's found in other places in Revelation. 406 00:26:55,760 --> 00:26:59,040 May I give you 2 examples? And listen, listen, listen, pay 407 00:26:59,040 --> 00:27:00,560 attention. My dear brother and sister. 408 00:27:00,560 --> 00:27:05,120 There's a lot of talk about Israel today, and I'm not 409 00:27:05,120 --> 00:27:06,760 concerned what the world has to say about Israel. 410 00:27:06,760 --> 00:27:10,240 I'm concerned about theology. I'm concerned what the Bible has 411 00:27:10,240 --> 00:27:13,160 to say about it. You and I need to be informed. 412 00:27:13,480 --> 00:27:15,880 You and I need to know what the Bible says. 413 00:27:16,240 --> 00:27:20,160 You and I need to be equipped. So this is where you really want 414 00:27:20,160 --> 00:27:23,440 to lean in and take notes. Let's look at a couple of 415 00:27:23,440 --> 00:27:24,920 examples here. Go to Revelation 11. 416 00:27:24,920 --> 00:27:28,600 We talked about this a few services ago briefly, where you 417 00:27:28,600 --> 00:27:31,640 have the two witnesses here who will play a very important 418 00:27:31,640 --> 00:27:34,320 evangelistic role in the Tribulation period. 419 00:27:34,320 --> 00:27:36,640 But I want you to see something interesting in verse 7 and verse 420 00:27:36,640 --> 00:27:39,800 8, Revelation 11, verse 7 and verse 8. 421 00:27:40,760 --> 00:27:44,160 And when they have finished their testimony, the beast that 422 00:27:44,160 --> 00:27:47,440 rises from the bottomless pit will make war on them and 423 00:27:47,440 --> 00:27:50,120 conquer them and kill them. Oh, I said this before. 424 00:27:50,120 --> 00:27:52,440 Can I say it again? Don't you love it that they 425 00:27:52,440 --> 00:27:54,880 could not be killed until their testimony was done? 426 00:27:56,400 --> 00:28:00,160 You and I are not going anywhere until our testimony is over. 427 00:28:01,440 --> 00:28:04,640 Verse 8. And their dead bodies will lie 428 00:28:04,640 --> 00:28:08,720 in the street of the great city. Pause. 429 00:28:10,160 --> 00:28:11,480 A city. We're talking about an actual 430 00:28:11,480 --> 00:28:16,120 city that symbolically is called Sodom and Egypt. 431 00:28:16,160 --> 00:28:18,880 I really appreciate that the Book of Revelation tells us when 432 00:28:18,880 --> 00:28:23,240 something is symbolic. There are times when it's 433 00:28:23,280 --> 00:28:26,000 obviously symbolic, but we see here that the Spirit tells us 434 00:28:26,000 --> 00:28:29,480 that the city is symbolically called Sodom and Egypt. 435 00:28:29,760 --> 00:28:33,720 Now, now we know where the city is, where their Lord was 436 00:28:33,720 --> 00:28:35,360 crucified. Where's where's the city? 437 00:28:35,920 --> 00:28:38,680 Good Jerusalem. That wasn't clear enough. 438 00:28:38,680 --> 00:28:42,800 Look at verse 13 and at that hour there was a great 439 00:28:42,800 --> 00:28:47,960 earthquake and a tenth of the city fell. 7000 people were 440 00:28:47,960 --> 00:28:50,960 killed in the earthquake and the rest were terrified. 441 00:28:50,960 --> 00:28:53,400 And gave glory to the God of heaven. 442 00:28:54,800 --> 00:28:59,280 Highlight the fact that this is speaking about a literal city in 443 00:28:59,280 --> 00:29:02,640 an actual Jerusalem in a nation actually called Israel. 444 00:29:03,240 --> 00:29:05,600 Be mindful of that. Go to chapter 16. 445 00:29:06,720 --> 00:29:17,080 Let's look at verse 14. This is a description of the 446 00:29:17,080 --> 00:29:19,520 preparation of the battle of Armageddon. 447 00:29:20,160 --> 00:29:22,440 Notice what it said here in Revelation 16, verse 14. 448 00:29:23,120 --> 00:29:27,040 For they are demonic spirits performing signs, who go abroad 449 00:29:27,040 --> 00:29:31,080 to the kings of the whole world to assemble them for battle on 450 00:29:31,080 --> 00:29:33,000 the great day of God the Almighty. 451 00:29:33,440 --> 00:29:35,760 Verse 15. Behold, I am coming like a 452 00:29:35,760 --> 00:29:37,760 thief. Blessed is the one who stays 453 00:29:37,760 --> 00:29:41,360 awake keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked 454 00:29:41,520 --> 00:29:45,040 and be seen exposed. And they assemble them at the 455 00:29:45,040 --> 00:29:48,600 place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon. 456 00:29:50,200 --> 00:29:53,560 Armageddon in Hebrew means Mount Megiddo. 457 00:29:53,560 --> 00:29:55,440 It's 2 words. I confirmed this with one of our 458 00:29:55,440 --> 00:30:01,880 pastors, Mount Megiddo. And here's what's interesting. 459 00:30:01,880 --> 00:30:04,960 There is no specific mountain called Megiddo in that region. 460 00:30:05,640 --> 00:30:07,880 But it can also mean Hill Country. 461 00:30:07,880 --> 00:30:11,120 So it's very likely that this is speaking about the Hill Country 462 00:30:11,600 --> 00:30:15,280 surrounding the plain of Megiddo, which is mentioned more 463 00:30:15,280 --> 00:30:17,440 than once in the Old Testament. I personally have seen the plain 464 00:30:17,440 --> 00:30:19,440 of Megiddo. We, we cross, we're, we're 465 00:30:19,440 --> 00:30:21,640 traveling through Israel, the northern part. 466 00:30:21,840 --> 00:30:23,400 And we, we stopped somewhere for lunch. 467 00:30:23,440 --> 00:30:26,240 And in passing, the tour guide said, Oh, by the way, that's 468 00:30:26,240 --> 00:30:26,840 Megiddo. And. 469 00:30:27,960 --> 00:30:30,040 Then we just went on with lunch. I'm like, whoa, that's where 470 00:30:30,040 --> 00:30:31,720 that's where the final thing is going to take place. 471 00:30:31,960 --> 00:30:34,240 Why are we and people just, I'm staying here, I'm taking 472 00:30:34,240 --> 00:30:37,040 pictures, you guys go ahead. And I looked at it and this is 473 00:30:37,040 --> 00:30:38,920 the thought that dawned on me. It's this flat. 474 00:30:38,920 --> 00:30:41,840 Like perfectly flat. And I thought to myself, that's 475 00:30:41,840 --> 00:30:46,360 a perfect terrain for war. It's incredible. 476 00:30:46,360 --> 00:30:48,680 So I grabbed somebody and said, hey, look, take a picture. 477 00:30:48,680 --> 00:30:51,960 I want Megiddo behind me. I said this is. 478 00:30:51,960 --> 00:30:55,920 Where it's going to all go down now? 479 00:30:55,920 --> 00:30:59,640 It's a plane located 60 to 70 miles north of Jerusalem, and 480 00:30:59,640 --> 00:31:02,640 it's a site where many battles have been fought in biblical 481 00:31:02,640 --> 00:31:04,200 history and even in human history. 482 00:31:05,120 --> 00:31:08,200 And it's the very piece of real estate that God will choose to 483 00:31:08,200 --> 00:31:10,440 execute the nation's upon Christ's return. 484 00:31:12,720 --> 00:31:13,840 Why am I bringing all of this up? 485 00:31:15,520 --> 00:31:20,920 If the 144,000 are symbolic, should these Jewish geographical 486 00:31:20,920 --> 00:31:28,160 references be symbolic as well? And if they are symbolic, what 487 00:31:28,160 --> 00:31:31,160 do they represent? What? 488 00:31:31,160 --> 00:31:37,000 What do they speak about? We're talking about actual real 489 00:31:37,000 --> 00:31:41,520 estate, actual Jews and actual nation, different parts of that 490 00:31:41,520 --> 00:31:44,720 nation. You either take it literally or 491 00:31:44,720 --> 00:31:50,520 you do spiritual. Origami with the Bible, I see it 492 00:31:50,520 --> 00:31:52,560 plain. It's too detailed to be 493 00:31:52,560 --> 00:31:55,360 allegorical. It's so obvious. 494 00:31:56,120 --> 00:32:00,960 It's so clear and unlike those who see no value or revel 495 00:32:00,960 --> 00:32:05,680 relevance in the 144,000 being ethnic Jews, their literal 496 00:32:05,680 --> 00:32:11,000 identity actually aligns perfectly with prophecies and 497 00:32:11,000 --> 00:32:14,440 promises throughout the Scriptures, including those who 498 00:32:14,440 --> 00:32:20,280 are found in the New Testament. As I mentioned earlier, there's 499 00:32:20,280 --> 00:32:23,360 a lot of conversation regarding God's relationship with ethnic 500 00:32:23,360 --> 00:32:27,240 Israel today. And interestingly, it was 501 00:32:27,240 --> 00:32:30,880 something that the early church was wrestling with in Paul's 502 00:32:30,880 --> 00:32:34,320 day. And that's why the Holy Spirit 503 00:32:34,320 --> 00:32:39,320 inspired Paul to give answers. And so he helps him, inspires 504 00:32:39,320 --> 00:32:42,520 him, and guides him to pen Romans 9 to 11. 505 00:32:43,520 --> 00:32:48,520 And in those chapters, we learn about Israel's past and the 506 00:32:48,520 --> 00:32:52,400 relationship with God, Israel's present, and in Romans 11, 507 00:32:52,880 --> 00:33:00,960 Israel's future. Let's turn to Romans 11 and 508 00:33:00,960 --> 00:33:06,880 let's skip over to verse 25. Listen, if you struggle and try 509 00:33:06,880 --> 00:33:11,560 to make sense of God's relationship with Israel, go to 510 00:33:11,560 --> 00:33:14,080 Romans 11. Go to Romans 11. 511 00:33:14,800 --> 00:33:17,240 And I want you to see what he says here in verse 25. 512 00:33:17,280 --> 00:33:23,880 This is brilliant Paul speaking to many Gentiles, and he says 513 00:33:23,880 --> 00:33:27,200 this lest you be wise in your own sight. 514 00:33:28,000 --> 00:33:30,960 Pause. In other words, I don't want you 515 00:33:30,960 --> 00:33:33,440 to come up with your own idea of how this all works. 516 00:33:35,040 --> 00:33:37,880 I don't want you to come to your own conclusions separate from 517 00:33:38,040 --> 00:33:43,960 what God's Word has to say. So don't let politics influence 518 00:33:43,960 --> 00:33:48,440 your theology. Don't let what's popular 519 00:33:48,440 --> 00:33:50,480 influence what's true. I'm not concerned with what 520 00:33:50,480 --> 00:33:51,800 people have to say. I'm concerned. 521 00:33:51,800 --> 00:33:52,840 What God? Has to say. 522 00:33:55,240 --> 00:33:59,400 Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be 523 00:33:59,400 --> 00:34:01,160 unaware of this mystery. Pause again. 524 00:34:01,440 --> 00:34:07,280 Forgive me. How many people are unaware of 525 00:34:07,280 --> 00:34:09,760 what God's Word has to say from Genesis to Revelation about His 526 00:34:09,760 --> 00:34:12,560 relationship with Israel? How many? 527 00:34:12,920 --> 00:34:16,440 So many, you have people who have come to conclusions about 528 00:34:16,440 --> 00:34:21,040 this, who haven't even read through the Bible once, who 529 00:34:21,040 --> 00:34:24,280 don't know the Old Testament, the foundation of the new. 530 00:34:24,719 --> 00:34:27,040 And they come out confidently saying, well, this is what you 531 00:34:27,040 --> 00:34:28,880 heard, that you didn't even investigate it. 532 00:34:30,080 --> 00:34:32,239 You're regurgitating what somebody said from the pulpit. 533 00:34:32,280 --> 00:34:34,199 Are you a brain? Did you examine the Scriptures 534 00:34:34,199 --> 00:34:36,920 for yourself? Have you come to that conclusion 535 00:34:36,920 --> 00:34:41,440 by your own study? He says, I don't want you to be 536 00:34:41,440 --> 00:34:43,600 unaware. OK, I understand it's not a 537 00:34:43,600 --> 00:34:47,320 salivific issue, but the Holy Spirit wants Christians to know. 538 00:34:48,239 --> 00:34:52,360 I don't know. No, I want you to know, I don't 539 00:34:52,360 --> 00:34:54,000 want you to be unaware of this mystery. 540 00:34:54,760 --> 00:35:00,160 Brothers, a partial hardening has come upon Israel. 541 00:35:01,120 --> 00:35:02,640 What hardening are we talking about here? 542 00:35:02,840 --> 00:35:05,640 We're talking about a partial which speaks of the timing of 543 00:35:05,640 --> 00:35:07,160 it. It's not a permanent hardening, 544 00:35:09,360 --> 00:35:11,600 and it's not a complete hardening in the sense that 545 00:35:11,600 --> 00:35:16,040 every single Jew is hardened. The early church was filled with 546 00:35:16,040 --> 00:35:21,120 Jews. Your Messiah is Jewish and there 547 00:35:21,120 --> 00:35:22,760 are Jews today who are coming to Christ. 548 00:35:23,280 --> 00:35:29,280 A partial hardening has come upon Israel until the fullness 549 00:35:29,280 --> 00:35:33,960 of the Gentiles has come in. So there is a limit to this 550 00:35:33,960 --> 00:35:36,640 hardening. There's debate around what does 551 00:35:36,640 --> 00:35:38,040 this mean? The fullness of the Gentiles has 552 00:35:38,040 --> 00:35:39,720 come in. The most likely interpretation 553 00:35:39,720 --> 00:35:42,600 is that God is going to do something with the Gentiles, 554 00:35:42,600 --> 00:35:46,880 which he is now in this church age and when the last Gentile 555 00:35:46,880 --> 00:35:49,160 comes to Christ. There's going to be a shift. 556 00:35:49,160 --> 00:35:50,760 There's going to be a change of focus. 557 00:35:53,320 --> 00:35:55,360 Verse 26. And in this way all Israel will 558 00:35:55,360 --> 00:35:59,080 be saved. That is not saying every single 559 00:35:59,080 --> 00:36:00,760 Jewish person will come to Christ. 560 00:36:01,040 --> 00:36:04,560 What it is saying is that the nation will identify Jesus 561 00:36:04,560 --> 00:36:09,800 Christ of Nazareth as their official Messiah and in this 562 00:36:09,800 --> 00:36:12,800 way. All Israel will be saved, as it 563 00:36:12,800 --> 00:36:15,240 is written. The Deliverer will come from 564 00:36:15,240 --> 00:36:20,960 Zion, He will banish ungodliness from Jacob, and this will be my 565 00:36:20,960 --> 00:36:25,560 covenant with them when I take away their sins. 566 00:36:25,880 --> 00:36:30,080 Look at verse 28. As regards the gospel, they are. 567 00:36:30,080 --> 00:36:33,760 Enemies for your sake, but as regards election, they are 568 00:36:33,760 --> 00:36:35,800 beloved for the sake of their forefathers. 569 00:36:37,480 --> 00:36:40,560 Honestly, yes, go through Romans 11 if you struggle with this. 570 00:36:40,560 --> 00:36:43,160 But if you don't even want to go through Romans 11, what do you 571 00:36:43,160 --> 00:36:47,600 do with verse 28? Just verse 28, because what do 572 00:36:47,600 --> 00:36:51,760 people say? Well, the reason why Israel is 573 00:36:51,760 --> 00:36:57,080 no longer relevant, no longer will receive special attention 574 00:36:57,080 --> 00:36:59,400 from God, is because they've denied the Messiah. 575 00:36:59,640 --> 00:37:02,720 And Paul understands that they are enemies regarding the 576 00:37:02,720 --> 00:37:05,760 gospel, but that does not nullify their election. 577 00:37:09,200 --> 00:37:14,640 As unthinkable and as brutal as that denial of their Messiah is, 578 00:37:15,200 --> 00:37:18,520 Paul says you have to understand God made a promise to their 579 00:37:18,520 --> 00:37:22,280 forefathers and even their current rejection of the gospel 580 00:37:22,280 --> 00:37:26,200 does not cancel those promises. It's clear as day. 581 00:37:26,520 --> 00:37:31,160 It's clear as day, and here's why this all matters. 582 00:37:33,240 --> 00:37:38,920 God is saving Gentiles, and when the final Gentile comes into the 583 00:37:38,920 --> 00:37:42,080 fold, He will once again turn his attention to the people of 584 00:37:42,080 --> 00:37:45,800 Israel on a much larger scale. And it makes perfect sense to 585 00:37:45,800 --> 00:37:48,600 understand the Tribulation period as fulfilling that 586 00:37:48,600 --> 00:37:53,240 mission, a time when the Jewish people, amid great turmoil, will 587 00:37:53,240 --> 00:37:56,880 be awakened to the folly of denying the Lord Jesus Christ as 588 00:37:56,880 --> 00:38:00,520 their Messiah, leading to a spiritual revival as the 589 00:38:00,520 --> 00:38:02,600 hardening of their hearts is lifted. 590 00:38:04,000 --> 00:38:05,640 So when we're studying revelation, we're looking at 591 00:38:05,640 --> 00:38:09,000 what, yes, judgments and catastrophe, catastrophes being 592 00:38:09,200 --> 00:38:12,080 unleashed upon the world. But it's not just to judge the 593 00:38:12,080 --> 00:38:14,000 world and give them a final wake up call. 594 00:38:14,080 --> 00:38:22,120 It's also to awaken Israel. And we should recognize the 595 00:38:22,120 --> 00:38:25,720 144,000 as representing the first. 596 00:38:25,760 --> 00:38:32,200 Fruits of Israel's salvation, the very same thing that Paul 597 00:38:32,200 --> 00:38:34,840 speaking about in verse 26. All Israel will be saved. 598 00:38:34,840 --> 00:38:37,960 When is that going to happen? Well, we're seeing the 599 00:38:37,960 --> 00:38:40,840 beginnings of it in Chapter 7 of the Book of Revelation. 600 00:38:43,600 --> 00:38:45,880 And we have good reason to believe that that same number of 601 00:38:45,880 --> 00:38:47,640 people will serve God in a unique way. 602 00:38:47,640 --> 00:38:50,640 Remember, they are identified as servants of our God and I 603 00:38:50,640 --> 00:38:52,640 believe that they will be spreading the Gospel to the 604 00:38:52,640 --> 00:38:54,560 world. Remember in Matthew 24 that 605 00:38:54,640 --> 00:38:57,960 Jesus in the middle of all those descriptions of what will happen 606 00:38:58,200 --> 00:39:01,240 in the final period of human history, the gospel will also go 607 00:39:01,240 --> 00:39:08,000 to what the entire world? I persuaded that the 144,000 608 00:39:08,000 --> 00:39:10,920 will play a major role of evangelizing the nations. 609 00:39:11,680 --> 00:39:15,560 Can you imagine that 144,000 Jews will be preaching the 610 00:39:15,560 --> 00:39:19,840 Gospel and the most dangerous and trying time of human 611 00:39:19,840 --> 00:39:23,520 history, and they'll also be preaching to their own brothers 612 00:39:23,520 --> 00:39:30,240 and sisters of the Jewish race? So if you are someone again who 613 00:39:30,240 --> 00:39:32,560 is struggling to accept this, I want you to go back to Romans 614 00:39:32,560 --> 00:39:36,000 11, the passage we just read and see how Paul quotes the Old 615 00:39:36,000 --> 00:39:38,720 Testament. He goes to Isaiah 59. 616 00:39:38,720 --> 00:39:42,800 He goes to Isaiah 27 and verse 26 and verse 27 of Romans 11. 617 00:39:43,160 --> 00:39:46,720 To show what that the basis of his argument is grounded in the 618 00:39:46,720 --> 00:39:50,760 Hebrew Scriptures, he takes 2 portions. 619 00:39:50,760 --> 00:39:54,320 You can argue maybe even 3, combines them together, and he's 620 00:39:54,320 --> 00:39:57,240 showing his Gentile readers, look, I'm telling you this 621 00:39:57,240 --> 00:40:00,560 because the Bible predicted it. The Bible speaks about it, the 622 00:40:00,560 --> 00:40:05,720 prophets foretold it. Why is that important? 623 00:40:06,320 --> 00:40:09,160 Because those who believe that the church has replaced Israel 624 00:40:09,280 --> 00:40:13,000 will also say that every promise made to Israel in the Old is 625 00:40:13,000 --> 00:40:15,760 given to the church. Well, hold on. 626 00:40:15,760 --> 00:40:18,800 Paul quotes an Old Testament promise and ascribes it to 627 00:40:18,920 --> 00:40:25,200 Israel, ethnic Israel. And when I found about those who 628 00:40:25,200 --> 00:40:27,520 believe every single promise in the Old Testament now goes to 629 00:40:27,520 --> 00:40:29,960 the church is that they don't want to take any of the curses 630 00:40:31,720 --> 00:40:34,680 that are warned against Israel. Give us the promises. 631 00:40:34,680 --> 00:40:40,960 Keep the curses. This serves as many proofs that 632 00:40:40,960 --> 00:40:43,360 not every promise made to Israel in the Old Testament is 633 00:40:43,360 --> 00:40:45,560 fulfilled in the church, despite what many people claim. 634 00:40:46,560 --> 00:40:49,040 Contrary to that distortion, Paul is testifying that the 635 00:40:49,040 --> 00:40:52,600 spiritual salvation of Israel has been promised from of old, 636 00:40:53,280 --> 00:40:56,840 and the current rejection of the gospel does not cancel those 637 00:40:56,840 --> 00:41:01,400 promises. Let's come back to Revelation 7. 638 00:41:02,760 --> 00:41:06,480 We're talking about actual Jews, a real revival, and we're seeing 639 00:41:06,480 --> 00:41:11,000 the budding of the promise that all Israel shall be saved. 640 00:41:13,440 --> 00:41:16,280 Now, all of what we just said as we're ready to close is just an 641 00:41:16,280 --> 00:41:19,520 overview. And I'm sure you can see how 642 00:41:19,520 --> 00:41:22,720 there can be a debate about this and people can go back and 643 00:41:22,720 --> 00:41:25,160 forth. So maybe you're less interested 644 00:41:25,160 --> 00:41:27,760 in the conversation of whether or not this is speaking about 645 00:41:27,760 --> 00:41:31,320 real Jews or the speaking about the church, and you have more 646 00:41:31,320 --> 00:41:34,520 intricate inquiries, like. All right, yeah, I already am 647 00:41:34,520 --> 00:41:37,760 convinced that this is speaking about actual Israel, actual 648 00:41:37,760 --> 00:41:40,720 tribes, actual people, actual numbers. 649 00:41:41,480 --> 00:41:45,920 But the preacher? Where's Dan and why is this an 650 00:41:45,920 --> 00:41:51,240 unusual list of tribes? I'm not going to answer every 651 00:41:51,240 --> 00:41:53,640 single question, but I think that's the most common 1 when it 652 00:41:53,640 --> 00:41:56,560 comes to this text, when it comes to Q&A's and people love 653 00:41:56,560 --> 00:41:58,840 the Book of Revelation. They will ask, hey, where's Dan 654 00:41:58,840 --> 00:42:05,080 in Revelation 7? There are some who say, well 655 00:42:05,680 --> 00:42:09,120 Revelation 7 omits Dan because the Antichrist will come from 656 00:42:09,120 --> 00:42:11,680 the tribe of Dan. Where did you get that from? 657 00:42:12,400 --> 00:42:15,840 That's pure speculation. There are some who just want to 658 00:42:16,000 --> 00:42:19,640 explain it away by saying, well, Dan is omitted because he has 659 00:42:19,640 --> 00:42:23,160 gone extinct. That specific tribe just dried 660 00:42:23,160 --> 00:42:24,920 out and they're they're no longer present. 661 00:42:24,920 --> 00:42:31,040 At this point we can't say for certain why, but if there is any 662 00:42:31,040 --> 00:42:35,560 argument we can make from Scripture is by looking at the 663 00:42:35,560 --> 00:42:40,000 history of the tribe of Dan and seeing if that can provide any 664 00:42:40,000 --> 00:42:43,840 light to why they are not included in the ceiling and in 665 00:42:43,840 --> 00:42:45,640 the service in the tribulation period. 666 00:42:46,760 --> 00:42:49,120 Again, if you know the Old Testament, while you'll remember 667 00:42:49,120 --> 00:42:52,360 that Dan is associated with great idolatry throughout the 668 00:42:52,360 --> 00:42:55,640 Old Testament, you find it in Judges 18. 669 00:42:56,080 --> 00:43:00,200 Even in the early stages of the conquest and the settling of the 670 00:43:00,200 --> 00:43:04,960 people of Israel in the promised land, Dan rushed into apostasy. 671 00:43:05,760 --> 00:43:10,960 Dan adopted false gods and promoted it false priesthood. 672 00:43:11,280 --> 00:43:14,960 It's very concerning. Then you Fast forward. 673 00:43:16,240 --> 00:43:19,440 At the division of the Kingdom, when Rehoboam took over, his 674 00:43:19,440 --> 00:43:22,600 father Solomon and Jeroboam caused the split. 675 00:43:22,840 --> 00:43:27,360 He took 10 tribes from the north, and in fear of those 676 00:43:27,360 --> 00:43:30,520 tribes going down to Jerusalem to worship at the temple and 677 00:43:30,520 --> 00:43:33,080 losing their allegiance, he sets up false worship. 678 00:43:33,840 --> 00:43:36,240 And he resurrects the golden calf. 679 00:43:36,720 --> 00:43:40,760 And he places one and Bethel and another one, where in the region 680 00:43:40,760 --> 00:43:44,040 of Dan it became a. Hub of idolatry. 681 00:43:46,000 --> 00:43:48,800 There are other things, other narratives and other clues, even 682 00:43:48,800 --> 00:43:52,480 prophecies that indicate that Dan did not have the greatest 683 00:43:52,480 --> 00:43:56,160 future. And Dan, they have caused much 684 00:43:56,160 --> 00:43:58,480 suffering in terms of the spiritual strength. 685 00:43:58,760 --> 00:44:05,000 Of their brethren. So if we go with that, then we 686 00:44:05,000 --> 00:44:10,400 have a practical truth here that sin disqualifies us from 687 00:44:10,400 --> 00:44:14,120 service. If God is sealing this group of 688 00:44:14,120 --> 00:44:17,440 Jews, this remnant, in order to serve a purpose, an amazing 689 00:44:17,440 --> 00:44:21,640 purpose at a very critical time in human history and doesn't 690 00:44:21,640 --> 00:44:25,080 include Dan. I argue that this is just one of 691 00:44:25,080 --> 00:44:27,800 many illustrations showing us one of the costs of sin. 692 00:44:30,680 --> 00:44:34,120 That's why you knowing your gifts and you knowing your 693 00:44:34,120 --> 00:44:36,560 ministry is important for your sanctification. 694 00:44:38,280 --> 00:44:41,240 Although not the primary motive, it is a motive nonetheless. 695 00:44:42,240 --> 00:44:44,360 I want to be used maximally by God. 696 00:44:44,360 --> 00:44:46,560 I don't want to miss out opportunities in my life to 697 00:44:46,560 --> 00:44:53,080 serve God because of silly sin, because of anything that would 698 00:44:53,080 --> 00:44:55,040 compromise my testimony. I don't. 699 00:44:55,040 --> 00:44:58,680 Want to miss out If you want to learn anything from this is 700 00:44:59,000 --> 00:45:02,720 Lord, please let there be nothing in my life that causes 701 00:45:02,720 --> 00:45:05,400 you to overlook me when you're ready to use your people. 702 00:45:06,400 --> 00:45:09,640 I want to be used. I want to be fit for the masters 703 00:45:09,640 --> 00:45:12,600 use and so I want to cleanse myself and I'm praying that you 704 00:45:12,600 --> 00:45:18,000 cleanse me and this day and hour that's so relevant for us. 705 00:45:18,560 --> 00:45:21,280 We heard it in the announcements that laborers are few. 706 00:45:22,360 --> 00:45:24,680 And I believe the laborers are few for many reasons. 707 00:45:25,280 --> 00:45:28,160 And one of the reasons why there are no no laborers today as much 708 00:45:28,160 --> 00:45:32,320 as there could be because people are caught in iniquity, caught 709 00:45:32,320 --> 00:45:35,680 in worldliness and compromise and and sins in secret. 710 00:45:35,680 --> 00:45:38,680 Just get rid of all of it. Let God use you. 711 00:45:38,680 --> 00:45:47,000 Let him recruit you. At the same time, there's a 712 00:45:47,000 --> 00:45:48,520 message of hope here, even for Dan. 713 00:45:51,880 --> 00:45:55,760 Even if you are here today and you are in sin, and you've been 714 00:45:55,760 --> 00:45:57,760 in sin since we've even started Revelation. 715 00:45:58,280 --> 00:46:00,400 You're interested, you're curious, you're stimulated 716 00:46:00,400 --> 00:46:05,320 intellectually, but you haven't developed this hunger to break 717 00:46:05,320 --> 00:46:13,240 free from these shackles. Yes, sin disqualifies us, but it 718 00:46:13,240 --> 00:46:15,240 never removes you from grace. Never. 719 00:46:15,760 --> 00:46:19,360 Grace is always available. Here's what's so interesting. 720 00:46:21,080 --> 00:46:24,600 Some people believe that Dan again has just kind of been 721 00:46:24,600 --> 00:46:29,400 swallowed up in obscurity or has so damaged their relationship 722 00:46:29,400 --> 00:46:32,400 with God as a people group within this nation that they are 723 00:46:32,400 --> 00:46:35,240 no longer, they are no longer relevant to God. 724 00:46:37,200 --> 00:46:40,480 So we preach A literal millennial reign of Christ, that 725 00:46:40,480 --> 00:46:43,640 when Jesus Christ does come back, he will physically rule 726 00:46:43,640 --> 00:46:47,640 and reign on the earth. And when you look at the book of 727 00:46:47,640 --> 00:46:52,080 Ezekiel, you actually get a blueprint of how some of the the 728 00:46:52,080 --> 00:46:55,120 actual geography will look like when Christ does come back 729 00:46:55,120 --> 00:46:57,040 again. You're either left with that 730 00:46:57,040 --> 00:47:00,440 option, or the choice to say what you find in Ezekiel 40 to 731 00:47:00,440 --> 00:47:05,320 48 is all allegorical. All of those details, the 732 00:47:05,320 --> 00:47:08,320 details of the temple, the details of the parameters and 733 00:47:08,320 --> 00:47:11,360 the allotted periods of land, all of that is just spiritual 734 00:47:11,360 --> 00:47:13,400 speaking about the abundance of the blessings that we have in 735 00:47:13,400 --> 00:47:17,720 the gospel, in Christ. I choose a literal approach. 736 00:47:18,560 --> 00:47:22,560 And when you look at the very last chapter of Ezekiel, where 737 00:47:22,560 --> 00:47:27,360 God gives Ezekiel an actual insight into what will take 738 00:47:27,360 --> 00:47:32,960 place around the headquarters of the Messiah in Jerusalem in 739 00:47:32,960 --> 00:47:36,200 Israel, you discover something as the tribes are brought up yet 740 00:47:36,200 --> 00:47:40,080 once again and are given different portions of. 741 00:47:40,080 --> 00:47:43,600 That region go to Ezekiel 48. This will be worth it. 742 00:47:43,600 --> 00:47:55,480 This is where we're ending Ezekiel 48 and speaking about 743 00:47:55,480 --> 00:48:01,280 that future time, that actual Kingdom, that literal reign with 744 00:48:01,280 --> 00:48:05,560 real land and view Ezekiel 48 verse one. 745 00:48:06,240 --> 00:48:09,080 These are the names of the tribes beginning at the northern 746 00:48:09,080 --> 00:48:14,040 extreme, beside the way of Hephlon of Libo Hamath, as far 747 00:48:14,040 --> 00:48:17,880 as Hazar Inan, which is on the northern border of Damascus over 748 00:48:17,880 --> 00:48:22,160 against Hamas, and extending to the east side to the West. 749 00:48:23,120 --> 00:48:30,240 Dan 1 portion. You see what's happening here, 750 00:48:31,320 --> 00:48:33,560 the very same tribe that's omitted and people say, well, 751 00:48:33,560 --> 00:48:35,160 where's Ephraim? Well, you can make a case that 752 00:48:35,160 --> 00:48:38,040 he's attached to Joseph. Ephraim is also associated with 753 00:48:38,040 --> 00:48:39,560 idolatry. But what's really, really 754 00:48:39,560 --> 00:48:43,760 concerning to people is Dan, the same Dan in Revelation 7, who is 755 00:48:43,760 --> 00:48:47,200 not mentioned as being under the protection of God during the 756 00:48:47,200 --> 00:48:49,600 Tribulation period and being sent out to serve God with the 757 00:48:49,600 --> 00:48:53,800 Gospel is the first. Tribe mentioned in the 758 00:48:53,800 --> 00:48:57,040 millennial reign, at the end of the Tribulation period, when 759 00:48:57,040 --> 00:49:00,560 Christ comes back and is given a portion of land, the first one 760 00:49:00,560 --> 00:49:05,640 out of all the 12. What are we supposed to take 761 00:49:05,640 --> 00:49:08,200 from that? The grace of God, The grace of 762 00:49:08,200 --> 00:49:11,000 God? Yes, they were disciplined. 763 00:49:11,240 --> 00:49:15,360 Yes, they were removed from this group, but all when the Prince 764 00:49:15,360 --> 00:49:20,400 of Peace comes, when the Messiah arrives, who's on his mind first 765 00:49:20,960 --> 00:49:22,760 as he establishes his ruling reign? 766 00:49:22,920 --> 00:49:27,440 Dan, Dan, where's Dan? Dan, this is yours. 767 00:49:28,080 --> 00:49:30,160 Is he worthy of it? No, none of us are. 768 00:49:30,920 --> 00:49:32,520 Does he deserve this? According to his history? 769 00:49:32,520 --> 00:49:35,360 Absolutely not. But that's what grace is. 770 00:49:36,160 --> 00:49:38,000 Do you see that? You can even find the character 771 00:49:38,000 --> 00:49:40,720 of God in the tribes of Israel, in their mention, in their own 772 00:49:40,720 --> 00:49:45,000 mission and prophecies to come. Oh, what a glorious God we have. 773 00:49:45,680 --> 00:49:48,440 So when you and I leave this place and somebody asks who are 774 00:49:48,440 --> 00:49:52,720 the 144,000, you can say, well, there's a tribulation period 775 00:49:52,720 --> 00:49:54,760 coming. And God made promises to the 776 00:49:54,760 --> 00:49:57,920 nation of Israel that they shall all be saved. 777 00:49:58,320 --> 00:50:01,200 And God will select a group from every tribe, all the lost tribes 778 00:50:01,200 --> 00:50:02,000 of Israel. What do you mean? 779 00:50:02,080 --> 00:50:03,160 They don't even know where they come from. 780 00:50:03,160 --> 00:50:09,400 God knows where they come from and he will recruit them and he 781 00:50:09,400 --> 00:50:12,960 will use them because he will fulfill his promises to them and 782 00:50:12,960 --> 00:50:15,040 He will show the world that he is a faithful God. 783 00:50:15,600 --> 00:50:17,960 And what you find in Revelation 7 is just the first fruits of 784 00:50:17,960 --> 00:50:21,160 what Paul said in Romans 11, that all Israel shall be saved. 785 00:50:23,160 --> 00:50:26,320 What an amazing book this is. LO, we thank you for this word. 786 00:50:27,120 --> 00:50:29,600 We thank you for your promises. We thank you for prophecy. 787 00:50:30,040 --> 00:50:33,280 We thank you for the plain reading of these shrews. 788 00:50:33,280 --> 00:50:36,560 We thank you that although there is an element of mystery to it, 789 00:50:37,920 --> 00:50:40,240 when we interpret scripture with Scripture, we can have 790 00:50:40,240 --> 00:50:44,080 clarification. LO, we thank you that this issue 791 00:50:44,320 --> 00:50:46,960 of your relationship with the people of Israel. 792 00:50:47,240 --> 00:50:49,320 Is not separate from your character. 793 00:50:49,800 --> 00:50:53,960 It ties in to who you are and what We pray that you give us 794 00:50:53,960 --> 00:50:56,880 wisdom and grace even around this conversation. 795 00:50:57,200 --> 00:50:58,960 We pray that you equip us further. 796 00:50:59,240 --> 00:51:01,680 We pray that we would not operate in our own wisdom and 797 00:51:01,680 --> 00:51:03,720 our own presuppositions or ideas. 798 00:51:03,720 --> 00:51:06,880 Lord help us just submit to. The word of God and to the word 799 00:51:06,880 --> 00:51:09,600 of God alone. Lord, we also, in light of this 800 00:51:09,600 --> 00:51:12,040 future truth that we're studying, ask for this present 801 00:51:12,040 --> 00:51:13,360 time. Oh, use us. 802 00:51:14,000 --> 00:51:15,920 Thank you for the sealing of the Holy Spirit. 803 00:51:16,200 --> 00:51:18,000 Thank you that we're protected from all danger. 804 00:51:18,160 --> 00:51:20,480 Thank you that we're not getting out of here until our testimony 805 00:51:20,480 --> 00:51:22,760 is over. But O Lord, we don't want 806 00:51:22,760 --> 00:51:25,400 anything in our lives to hinder us from your service. 807 00:51:25,920 --> 00:51:30,000 So all idols and all sin and all filth, Lord, we pray that you 808 00:51:30,000 --> 00:51:33,040 get rid of it and use us, Lord, not because we are worthy, but 809 00:51:33,040 --> 00:51:35,680 because you are, and we long to serve you and there's no other. 810 00:51:35,680 --> 00:51:38,720 Way we want to live. So Lord, we pray, continue to 811 00:51:38,720 --> 00:51:42,240 guide us through this book and for now we pause to rejoice in 812 00:51:42,240 --> 00:51:45,240 the God of this book. In Jesus name we pray, Amen. 813 00:51:45,680 --> 00:51:48,120 Let's stand. Let's worship the living God.