1 00:00:07,560 --> 00:00:12,520 This chapter is what's known as a parenthetical or pause chapter 2 00:00:14,160 --> 00:00:19,600 between the opening of the 6th and the 7th seals of the scroll. 3 00:00:19,600 --> 00:00:25,280 Remember the scroll Chapter 5. God the Father holds the scroll 4 00:00:25,280 --> 00:00:26,960 out in his right hand. Who is worthy? 5 00:00:26,960 --> 00:00:29,880 Taped scroll. No one is no one in the universe 6 00:00:29,880 --> 00:00:32,000 anywhere. John begins to weep. 7 00:00:33,160 --> 00:00:35,160 Hey, John, stop weeping. Look over there. 8 00:00:35,160 --> 00:00:38,520 There's a land that as as it has been slain, as it has been 9 00:00:39,000 --> 00:00:41,560 butchered, as it has been slaughtered. 10 00:00:41,720 --> 00:00:46,400 The word slain means Jesus steps forward, grabs the scroll. 11 00:00:46,840 --> 00:00:52,360 He is now going to redeem the world back that Adam lost to 12 00:00:52,360 --> 00:00:56,440 Satan when he disobeyed God and obeyed Satan. 13 00:00:57,240 --> 00:01:01,200 And as he begins to break the, the scroll, the seals on the 14 00:01:01,200 --> 00:01:05,840 scroll, it's it, it opens and, and the events and the 15 00:01:05,840 --> 00:01:10,000 redemption of our nation and the judgement of God upon a fallen 16 00:01:10,000 --> 00:01:13,880 wicked world begins. And so we got now up to Chapter 17 00:01:14,840 --> 00:01:17,760 7. And here we have this, this 18 00:01:17,760 --> 00:01:23,720 pause in Chapter 7. You could say it's the the eye 19 00:01:23,720 --> 00:01:29,000 of the storm in Chapter 8 when the 7th seal is broken. 20 00:01:29,000 --> 00:01:32,880 And then we begin the seven trumpets and they're they're 21 00:01:32,880 --> 00:01:36,760 massive. I think it's the first four deal 22 00:01:36,760 --> 00:01:40,800 with the world's climate. And so if you're a climate 23 00:01:40,800 --> 00:01:44,720 activist, bad things are happening. 24 00:01:45,280 --> 00:01:48,080 It doesn't matter what you do, how much arbitrary things are 25 00:01:48,080 --> 00:01:52,480 going to change and the world's going to be just whacked and the 26 00:01:52,480 --> 00:01:55,680 oceans and everything. And then the last three of the 27 00:01:56,040 --> 00:01:59,280 seven trumpets, they deal with humanity. 28 00:01:59,760 --> 00:02:04,520 So the judgments that fall upon the people left after the 29 00:02:04,520 --> 00:02:08,680 rapture. And so things really begin to go 30 00:02:08,840 --> 00:02:15,320 down South after the breaking of the 7th seal, and the judgments 31 00:02:15,320 --> 00:02:19,640 of God really turn up during this time. 32 00:02:19,640 --> 00:02:24,560 In Chapter 7 of the massive fallout, the period of 33 00:02:24,560 --> 00:02:27,800 judgments, the cataclysmic happenings, they're going to 34 00:02:27,800 --> 00:02:30,640 occur. Who's going to be able to stand 35 00:02:30,640 --> 00:02:34,520 for God during that period, during the Tribulation period? 36 00:02:35,840 --> 00:02:41,240 We'll see two groups of people in our study tonight who will 37 00:02:41,240 --> 00:02:44,280 stand for Christ during the Tribulation period. 38 00:02:45,160 --> 00:02:48,960 It says in verse one, and after these things, I saw 4 angels 39 00:02:48,960 --> 00:02:53,040 standing at the four corners of the earth, holding by their 40 00:02:53,040 --> 00:02:57,960 power the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not 41 00:02:57,960 --> 00:03:01,480 blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree. 42 00:03:01,800 --> 00:03:10,640 A dead stop, silence. 4 angels powerful hold the four winds NE 43 00:03:10,960 --> 00:03:18,320 South and West, and a stillness, eeriness that the world has 44 00:03:18,320 --> 00:03:22,600 never experienced totally settles eerily. 45 00:03:22,600 --> 00:03:27,200 As I said, on the planet Earth, it's always the calm before the 46 00:03:27,200 --> 00:03:28,760 storm. When that happens, you go, oh, 47 00:03:28,760 --> 00:03:34,560 what's what's going on here? Then a fifth Angel steps on the 48 00:03:34,560 --> 00:03:39,360 heavenly stage. There's two, John said. 49 00:03:39,360 --> 00:03:43,520 I saw another Angel ascending from the east. 50 00:03:44,600 --> 00:03:48,600 He has in his hand having the seal of the living God. 51 00:03:49,600 --> 00:03:54,360 And he cried with a loud voice. So he's a powerful Angel to the 52 00:03:54,360 --> 00:03:57,160 four angels. So there's a there's a a rank 53 00:03:57,160 --> 00:04:00,920 and a power and a command. And he says to the four angels 54 00:04:00,920 --> 00:04:04,680 who are holding back with their power the winds of the four 55 00:04:04,680 --> 00:04:09,080 corners of the earth. He says to the four angels whom 56 00:04:09,560 --> 00:04:12,640 have been granted to harm the earth and the sea. 57 00:04:12,800 --> 00:04:19,360 He says do not harm the earth, the sea or the trees till we 58 00:04:19,360 --> 00:04:22,079 have sealed. And he's going to be the one who 59 00:04:22,079 --> 00:04:28,920 seals the servants Duoi bond servant bond slave of our God on 60 00:04:28,920 --> 00:04:31,480 their foreheads. It's interesting that the 61 00:04:31,480 --> 00:04:33,920 Antichrist is going to copy. Remember he's, he's going to 62 00:04:33,920 --> 00:04:38,000 copy everything God does. And so these who are about to be 63 00:04:38,000 --> 00:04:42,600 sealed during the tribulation period period will have a seal 64 00:04:44,520 --> 00:04:52,080 of God upon them. 4 angels told what to do by the 5th Angel. 65 00:04:53,280 --> 00:04:57,480 And when there's no wind upon planet earth, there's a problem. 66 00:04:57,480 --> 00:05:00,920 We kind of don't think about it, but as much as we live in one of 67 00:05:00,920 --> 00:05:04,560 the windiest cities in the coast in the world, I mean, how often 68 00:05:04,560 --> 00:05:07,280 are you complaining about you go to the beach in summer, It's 69 00:05:07,280 --> 00:05:09,200 beautiful. And next minute sea breeze comes 70 00:05:09,200 --> 00:05:11,240 in and everyone says we're all going home and the beach is 71 00:05:12,120 --> 00:05:18,640 everyone decamps the beach when the wind is stopped and there's 72 00:05:18,640 --> 00:05:22,760 this calm. All the world's pop pollution. 73 00:05:22,760 --> 00:05:26,600 Remember, think of Beijing, China, Los Angeles. 74 00:05:28,080 --> 00:05:31,400 It just stays in Los Angeles. When we've been to Los Angeles, 75 00:05:31,400 --> 00:05:35,240 when the wind comes, it comes from the ocean and blows up over 76 00:05:35,240 --> 00:05:37,040 the mountains. And you think, oh, the clouds 77 00:05:37,040 --> 00:05:38,760 coming. No, it's, it's the pollution 78 00:05:38,760 --> 00:05:42,400 coming up from the mountains to blow over the ocean, over the 79 00:05:42,400 --> 00:05:44,280 mountains. Particularly when we've been in 80 00:05:44,440 --> 00:05:48,600 San Bernardino in China, we see it and they pray for the wind to 81 00:05:48,600 --> 00:05:53,480 blow the the pollution away. Well, the pollution's not going 82 00:05:53,480 --> 00:05:54,880 to move. It's just going to sit there. 83 00:05:55,160 --> 00:05:58,920 Think of Mumbai. The world chokes on it. 84 00:06:00,360 --> 00:06:02,440 Without the wind, what else is there? 85 00:06:02,600 --> 00:06:06,400 There's no rain. There's no rain because it's the 86 00:06:06,400 --> 00:06:10,880 the Lord who causes the evaporation over the ocean, 87 00:06:10,880 --> 00:06:13,120 which I I'm still astounded how he does that. 88 00:06:13,400 --> 00:06:17,560 News, millions of leaders, billions of litres of water up 89 00:06:17,560 --> 00:06:18,880 there. I'll put it over there, drop it. 90 00:06:19,120 --> 00:06:20,720 No man can do that. God does that. 91 00:06:21,920 --> 00:06:25,640 And so there's going to be no rain because as the the Ocean's 92 00:06:25,640 --> 00:06:28,880 evaporating and it goes up, the clouds ain't going to move. 93 00:06:29,520 --> 00:06:32,880 They're just staying there. No rain coming up on the land. 94 00:06:33,160 --> 00:06:36,320 So therefore what's going to happen during this period is 95 00:06:36,320 --> 00:06:39,520 there There's going to be a worldwide drought because you 96 00:06:39,520 --> 00:06:45,400 need rain to grow anything. And a great famine will result 97 00:06:45,400 --> 00:06:48,600 just on this and without the water. 98 00:06:48,720 --> 00:06:52,000 What else do you need? You need to drink, so there's 99 00:06:52,000 --> 00:06:58,840 going to be a a lack of good drink drinkable potable water. 100 00:06:59,600 --> 00:07:03,440 So God basically, when he holds the winds with these 4 angels 101 00:07:04,320 --> 00:07:07,880 has turned the engine off that runs the world's weather 102 00:07:07,880 --> 00:07:10,320 pattern. As you look at the world and you 103 00:07:10,320 --> 00:07:12,160 look at weather and you study weather and I think it's 104 00:07:12,160 --> 00:07:15,080 fascinating. It just shows the hand and of 105 00:07:15,080 --> 00:07:17,960 God, the creator of God in charge of the world and how he 106 00:07:17,960 --> 00:07:20,880 moves the winds and how they work and how the ocean currents 107 00:07:20,880 --> 00:07:24,440 all move with this and that. When that all stops, basically 108 00:07:24,440 --> 00:07:28,840 God's just gone. No pause and we're in danger. 109 00:07:30,560 --> 00:07:34,640 It says in verse 4 John and I heard the number of those who 110 00:07:34,640 --> 00:07:37,480 were sealed. So now the Angel, the 5th Angel, 111 00:07:37,600 --> 00:07:40,920 he's gone. Now the judgments haven't come 112 00:07:40,920 --> 00:07:43,760 from the other angels as yet, which going to happen in the 113 00:07:43,760 --> 00:07:47,640 seven trumpets. He's gone and he sealed this 114 00:07:47,640 --> 00:07:53,640 group because he's been sent the Smith Angel to seal servants. 115 00:07:53,920 --> 00:07:59,560 And I heard the number of those who were sealed 144,000 and 116 00:07:59,560 --> 00:08:06,360 we're told great detail who they are of all the tribes of the 117 00:08:06,360 --> 00:08:09,960 children of Israel was sealed. And you can read into that 118 00:08:09,960 --> 00:08:12,040 whatever you like and a lot of people have. 119 00:08:12,640 --> 00:08:16,840 But if you just read it, it pretty much tells you who they 120 00:08:16,840 --> 00:08:19,440 are. But even to go into more detail, 121 00:08:19,440 --> 00:08:23,640 so we're aware who they are, of the tribe of Judah, 12,000 was 122 00:08:23,640 --> 00:08:26,200 sealed. Of the tribe of Reuben, 12,000 123 00:08:26,200 --> 00:08:30,080 was sealed. The tribe of Gad 12,000 Asha 124 00:08:30,320 --> 00:08:38,919 Neftali, the tribe of Manasseh, Simeon, Levi, Isaca, Zebulun, 125 00:08:39,640 --> 00:08:47,720 Joseph, the tribe of Benjamin, so 12,000 So we brought to the 126 00:08:47,720 --> 00:08:52,560 most spoken about group of all the cults in the world, 144,000 127 00:08:53,920 --> 00:08:56,080 Seventh Day Adventists go, that's us. 128 00:08:57,600 --> 00:09:00,880 The Jehovah Witnesses go, no, that's us. 129 00:09:02,120 --> 00:09:06,240 This pause by God, you could say, was a moment in time of 130 00:09:06,240 --> 00:09:07,560 God's mercy. Why? 131 00:09:08,040 --> 00:09:13,160 Because God is about to use this group during a very particular 132 00:09:13,160 --> 00:09:17,600 time for a great reason. For God sends his Angel, the 5th 133 00:09:17,640 --> 00:09:25,040 Angel, to seal his 144,000 Jewish believers for a special 134 00:09:25,040 --> 00:09:28,960 service that they will have during the Tribulation period. 135 00:09:29,880 --> 00:09:34,720 Their tribes and the numbers from each tribe is clearly 136 00:09:34,720 --> 00:09:38,520 detailed so no one can confuse who they are. 137 00:09:38,680 --> 00:09:42,520 The only way you confuse at how they are is to go no black is 138 00:09:42,520 --> 00:09:46,200 white, white is black and to take it out of context and to 139 00:09:46,200 --> 00:09:47,760 call it something else that it isn't. 140 00:09:49,000 --> 00:09:53,000 Revelation 7 three says do not harm the earth the seal the 141 00:09:53,000 --> 00:09:58,360 trees until we have sealed the servants of our God on their 142 00:09:58,360 --> 00:10:01,520 foreheads. Again, that word servants is the 143 00:10:01,520 --> 00:10:04,760 Greek word du loy where we get our bondservant. 144 00:10:04,760 --> 00:10:07,920 It means they are already believers. 145 00:10:10,360 --> 00:10:13,920 They were not saved. However, let me clarify this 146 00:10:14,440 --> 00:10:16,560 prior to the rapture of the church. 147 00:10:17,480 --> 00:10:22,040 Otherwise, they would have gone up with the church during the 148 00:10:22,040 --> 00:10:28,400 rapture, correct? Instead, they came to faith in 149 00:10:28,400 --> 00:10:32,480 the early part of the tribulation and are now sealed 150 00:10:32,480 --> 00:10:38,520 by God by the Lord for this special service whereby He will 151 00:10:38,520 --> 00:10:43,560 use them during the tribulation period 15 times. 152 00:10:43,560 --> 00:10:46,000 We're told that they are His servants. 153 00:10:46,120 --> 00:10:53,320 From verse 3 to verse 8, you go this group, how will the Lord, 154 00:10:53,320 --> 00:10:58,040 you ask, protect this group of 144,000 during this time of 155 00:10:58,040 --> 00:11:02,120 tribulation and all the wide world judgements are happening 156 00:11:02,120 --> 00:11:04,200 and you know this is going on and this is going in. 157 00:11:04,480 --> 00:11:07,120 When you read through the Book of Revelation, you'll see the 158 00:11:07,120 --> 00:11:09,760 judgements are very pointed because it's not there, not 159 00:11:09,760 --> 00:11:14,920 there, only them, not them. It happens now we also we have 160 00:11:14,920 --> 00:11:20,120 previous example examples detailed in God's Word where God 161 00:11:20,120 --> 00:11:23,520 has done this very thing and protected people during 162 00:11:23,680 --> 00:11:27,160 judgement. Noah at the time of the great 163 00:11:27,160 --> 00:11:30,480 flood, Noah found grace in the size in the eyes of God. 164 00:11:31,360 --> 00:11:36,680 One lot. We can't pour judgement out upon 165 00:11:36,680 --> 00:11:39,960 Sodom and Gomorrah until we get lot out of the city. 166 00:11:40,160 --> 00:11:43,680 Remember, Abraham prayed if there'd be 50, but yeah, 4030 167 00:11:43,680 --> 00:11:49,960 ten and down on it wasn't 10. And so the Angel said like you 168 00:11:49,960 --> 00:11:52,360 got to come with us. We can't do the judgement here 169 00:11:52,360 --> 00:11:58,440 until you're out of it. Rahab, the children of Israel 170 00:11:58,440 --> 00:12:02,960 circle Jericho. She was told what to do, put a 171 00:12:02,960 --> 00:12:07,200 sign outside the wall where her house was built into the walls 172 00:12:07,520 --> 00:12:13,120 as where she lived, and that that sign showed that she could 173 00:12:13,240 --> 00:12:15,280 stand under the judgement of God. 174 00:12:15,280 --> 00:12:17,760 When the walls fell down upon Jericho. 175 00:12:17,760 --> 00:12:23,160 She was saved and her family, the Israelites themselves in 176 00:12:23,160 --> 00:12:27,320 Egypt at the time of the 10 plagues sent by God. 177 00:12:28,080 --> 00:12:30,000 You can do it here, here, here, but not them. 178 00:12:31,840 --> 00:12:36,400 These 144,000 are Jews. They are not the Jehovah 179 00:12:36,400 --> 00:12:41,400 Witnesses who have long claimed that this is them. 180 00:12:42,760 --> 00:12:48,400 When the membership of the Jehovah Witness cult surpassed 181 00:12:48,400 --> 00:12:54,800 the 144,000 mark, they were forced to revise, as did the 182 00:12:54,800 --> 00:13:02,160 Mormons when they said we can no longer isolate black people from 183 00:13:02,160 --> 00:13:05,400 becoming Mormons. If you go back and just study 184 00:13:05,760 --> 00:13:08,320 their history, you'll find out. And so they revised because 185 00:13:08,320 --> 00:13:10,640 prior you, you couldn't be a black person and be a Mormon. 186 00:13:11,480 --> 00:13:14,360 So the Jehovah Witnesses, so they revised the theology. 187 00:13:14,480 --> 00:13:16,640 That's a man made theology. You can't, you can't go. 188 00:13:16,640 --> 00:13:18,800 Well, you know what, we need to change it. 189 00:13:18,960 --> 00:13:21,920 Anyone who barracks for the West Coast Eagles has got to come out 190 00:13:21,920 --> 00:13:24,760 of here and we tear it. We change the word of God. 191 00:13:24,760 --> 00:13:28,960 You can't do that. Man doesn't pick and choose. 192 00:13:29,800 --> 00:13:32,920 So when the membership of the Jehovah Witnesses surpassed the 193 00:13:32,920 --> 00:13:37,760 144,000 mark, they were forced to revise this theology. 194 00:13:38,160 --> 00:13:42,800 So they said the 144,000, which has been filled for quite a 195 00:13:42,800 --> 00:13:49,800 while now, were elite members who'd go to heaven and the rest 196 00:13:51,080 --> 00:13:54,600 who come around knocking on doors selling you the Awake 197 00:13:56,240 --> 00:13:57,720 would live in bliss on the earth. 198 00:13:58,320 --> 00:14:06,000 So there's this and this, sad. No, they, as the Bible states 199 00:14:06,200 --> 00:14:11,680 extra clearly, the 144,000 are Jews and they are not the 200 00:14:11,680 --> 00:14:13,600 church. They're not spiritual. 201 00:14:14,040 --> 00:14:17,360 This is This Is Us. No, they're Jews. 202 00:14:17,680 --> 00:14:24,760 Tells you in detail. Now importantly, only God knows 203 00:14:24,760 --> 00:14:27,080 from which tribe each Jew is descended. 204 00:14:27,160 --> 00:14:29,720 How's that? Because when the temple was 205 00:14:29,720 --> 00:14:34,360 destroyed in 70 AD under the Roman general Titus and every 206 00:14:34,360 --> 00:14:37,720 stone, remember Jesus said not a stone's going to be left, which 207 00:14:37,720 --> 00:14:41,120 just pulled down all the records, which was a very big 208 00:14:41,120 --> 00:14:45,440 deal in Israel. In Judaism all the records and 209 00:14:45,440 --> 00:14:48,400 who's who's who's what tribe you're from and everything were 210 00:14:48,400 --> 00:14:55,640 destroyed, burnt because God Now he's the only one who knows the 211 00:14:55,640 --> 00:15:00,800 genealogical records. But also question who would want 212 00:15:00,800 --> 00:15:07,040 to be one of the 144,000 really. If you do, you are plainly 213 00:15:07,040 --> 00:15:11,800 stating that now you're not a Christian because every genuine 214 00:15:11,800 --> 00:15:16,080 believer, the Bible tells us, Jesus tells us John chapter 14. 215 00:15:16,320 --> 00:15:19,240 Paul tells us in One Thessalonians chapter 4 and then 216 00:15:19,240 --> 00:15:24,560 in One Corinthians 15 every genuine believer will be 217 00:15:24,560 --> 00:15:28,960 raptured to meet the Lord and remain with Him during the seven 218 00:15:28,960 --> 00:15:33,080 year tribulation period in heaven as we saw with John as 219 00:15:33,080 --> 00:15:37,360 the type in chapter 4. Then we see us in chapter 5 220 00:15:37,560 --> 00:15:41,240 worshipping and praising God only as believers could do. 221 00:15:42,440 --> 00:15:49,000 So to be part of 144,000, you would have to be an unsaved Jew. 222 00:15:49,600 --> 00:15:51,200 You would have to miss the rapture. 223 00:15:51,200 --> 00:15:55,160 Therefore, you don't know Christ until during the tribulation 224 00:15:55,160 --> 00:15:58,000 period. You would come to faith in the 225 00:15:58,000 --> 00:16:03,320 tribulation period and be chosen by God for this special service. 226 00:16:04,840 --> 00:16:09,200 Now God is providing Israel. And remember the tribulation 227 00:16:09,200 --> 00:16:12,680 period, when you take a step back, it's not about the church. 228 00:16:13,520 --> 00:16:17,440 The church is taken out. One Thessalonians chapter 2 and 229 00:16:17,440 --> 00:16:20,480 we see the restraining forces gone and we're out. 230 00:16:20,480 --> 00:16:23,680 We're out of the out of what our our mission is because we were 231 00:16:23,680 --> 00:16:26,240 the the unnatural branch grafted in. 232 00:16:26,440 --> 00:16:31,600 And now the clock, the 60, the 70th year of the of of Daniel 233 00:16:32,480 --> 00:16:37,360 clicks in that last seven year period and Israel, which is now 234 00:16:37,360 --> 00:16:42,000 on the world focus comes into being who they are, what they 235 00:16:42,000 --> 00:16:47,320 should be God's chosen people. So God during the tribulation 236 00:16:47,320 --> 00:16:52,360 period is providing Israel in this period of time to be what 237 00:16:52,360 --> 00:16:57,680 he intended them to be all along when they fell down to be what 238 00:16:57,880 --> 00:17:01,640 Gods missionaries. That's why they were chosen to 239 00:17:01,640 --> 00:17:07,240 be his salt and his light in a fallen world before Christ 240 00:17:07,240 --> 00:17:11,960 returns in Revelation chapter 19 and sets up his rule and reign 241 00:17:11,960 --> 00:17:16,920 in Jerusalem for 1000 years. So what will their service be 242 00:17:16,920 --> 00:17:19,920 you ask? Well, verse 9, after these 243 00:17:19,920 --> 00:17:23,920 things, I looked and behold, a great multitude which no one 244 00:17:23,920 --> 00:17:26,880 could number. So here's a different group of 245 00:17:26,880 --> 00:17:32,760 all nations, tribes, people's tongues standing before the 246 00:17:32,760 --> 00:17:35,560 throne. So they're not the Jews and 247 00:17:35,560 --> 00:17:40,200 before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches 248 00:17:40,200 --> 00:17:43,480 in their hands and crying out with a loud voice saying, 249 00:17:43,720 --> 00:17:48,240 salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne and to the 250 00:17:48,240 --> 00:17:51,000 Lamb. All the angels stood round the 251 00:17:51,000 --> 00:17:53,880 throne, and the elders and the four living creatures fell on 252 00:17:53,880 --> 00:17:57,560 their faces before the throne and worshipped God, saying Amen, 253 00:17:57,800 --> 00:18:01,400 blessing and glory and wisdom, Thanksgiving, honour and power, 254 00:18:01,400 --> 00:18:04,280 and might be to our God forever and ever. 255 00:18:04,480 --> 00:18:08,640 Verse 13 Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, who are 256 00:18:08,640 --> 00:18:10,000 these? Who's this group? 257 00:18:10,200 --> 00:18:13,720 Not 144,000 Who's this other group we're looking at in the 258 00:18:13,720 --> 00:18:16,360 white robes, palm branches, praising the Lord? 259 00:18:17,480 --> 00:18:19,120 Who are these arrayed in white robes? 260 00:18:19,240 --> 00:18:22,680 Where do they come from? And I said to them, Sir, you 261 00:18:22,680 --> 00:18:28,880 know, he said to me, these are the ones who came out of notice 262 00:18:29,040 --> 00:18:32,480 the great Tribulation. So they get saved during the 263 00:18:32,480 --> 00:18:36,920 Great Tribulation, but they die for their faith during the Great 264 00:18:36,920 --> 00:18:39,480 Tribulation because they won't take the mark of the beast, 265 00:18:39,640 --> 00:18:43,280 won't worship the Antichrist, and they'll die for their faith 266 00:18:43,880 --> 00:18:47,480 and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the 267 00:18:47,480 --> 00:18:49,840 lamb. So the second group, not the 268 00:18:49,840 --> 00:18:53,640 144,000, but this other group, and I spoke about them in length 269 00:18:53,640 --> 00:18:58,600 at length on Sunday is we see in this chapter we covered these 270 00:18:58,600 --> 00:19:01,240 again are the tribulation martyrs. 271 00:19:01,600 --> 00:19:06,040 You know, we read so often and and it is a a very stark book, 272 00:19:06,040 --> 00:19:09,240 the prophecy, the the Book of Revelation, the things that's 273 00:19:09,240 --> 00:19:13,800 going to happen upon the earth. And the question is who's going 274 00:19:13,800 --> 00:19:15,880 to get saved during the tribulation period? 275 00:19:16,040 --> 00:19:19,400 Who will stand for Christ in this period of tribulation? 276 00:19:19,520 --> 00:19:24,040 Because there will be those who will stand for Christ, who will 277 00:19:24,040 --> 00:19:27,120 reject the Antichrist, reject the mark of the beast. 278 00:19:27,200 --> 00:19:29,520 Who realised, man, I have been a fool. 279 00:19:29,840 --> 00:19:34,160 I remember I was told the events, I missed the rapture, 280 00:19:34,160 --> 00:19:38,240 but now I'm not taking the mark of the beast because that I 281 00:19:38,240 --> 00:19:43,800 don't want to lose salvation. So who's able to stand two 282 00:19:43,800 --> 00:19:51,560 groups, 144,000 sealed by God and this multitude of martyrs? 283 00:19:52,760 --> 00:19:58,560 The second group is so large in number, so vast that John can't 284 00:19:58,560 --> 00:20:03,680 calculate how many there are. He says in verse 9, a great 285 00:20:03,680 --> 00:20:06,040 multitude which no one could number. 286 00:20:06,200 --> 00:20:10,200 That tells us that during the tribulation period, though, all 287 00:20:10,200 --> 00:20:12,720 these horrific things are happening and the judgement of 288 00:20:12,720 --> 00:20:18,000 God is falling, that there are literally millions going to come 289 00:20:18,000 --> 00:20:21,280 to Christ, which is a good thing for us because we know people 290 00:20:21,400 --> 00:20:24,200 that we share the gospel with. We tell them about the rapture 291 00:20:24,200 --> 00:20:26,800 and they go, you're an idiot. Don't believe that. 292 00:20:29,000 --> 00:20:34,680 Praise the Lord for God's grace, for God's wonderful salvation, 293 00:20:34,680 --> 00:20:38,360 for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, 294 00:20:38,360 --> 00:20:41,480 that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have 295 00:20:41,480 --> 00:20:45,320 everlasting life. That salvation will be found 296 00:20:45,320 --> 00:20:49,160 even during the Tribulation period by so many. 297 00:20:49,680 --> 00:20:54,320 The greatest number of converts in the history of the planet 298 00:20:54,760 --> 00:20:58,240 will occur at this time. And Billy Graham preached in 299 00:20:58,240 --> 00:21:04,240 South Korea to an audience of 1.1 million people at a crusade 300 00:21:04,920 --> 00:21:08,920 in in in one city, not just over a number of days, but at one 301 00:21:08,920 --> 00:21:11,120 time. Saw the film of it. 302 00:21:11,120 --> 00:21:16,800 It's just like mind blowing. And they're able to actually 303 00:21:16,800 --> 00:21:21,120 number the people that were there because being a very 304 00:21:21,520 --> 00:21:26,840 organised society, you went into a an area that was squared off 305 00:21:26,880 --> 00:21:29,520 and only a certain number went into each square. 306 00:21:29,520 --> 00:21:32,800 So they knew exactly how many people came out to see Billy 307 00:21:32,800 --> 00:21:37,600 Graham. And so the 144,000 Jews are 308 00:21:37,600 --> 00:21:43,160 often referred to as God's elite evangelist during this time. 309 00:21:43,160 --> 00:21:46,080 Why? Because of the number of 310 00:21:46,080 --> 00:21:50,720 converts that come to Christ, because of their witness, 311 00:21:50,840 --> 00:21:55,000 they're sealed by God, they love God, they serve God, they 312 00:21:55,000 --> 00:21:58,400 proclaim the gospel, God protects him during this period. 313 00:21:58,760 --> 00:22:03,440 And many, many people remember we read all tribes, different 314 00:22:03,440 --> 00:22:06,720 tongues, different countries come to Christ because of the 315 00:22:06,720 --> 00:22:12,800 witnessing of the 144,000 of these Jews in Matthew 2414. 316 00:22:13,160 --> 00:22:16,280 Jesus said this was happen, He said, and this gospel of the 317 00:22:16,280 --> 00:22:20,000 Kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all 318 00:22:20,000 --> 00:22:21,880 the nations and then the end will come. 319 00:22:22,720 --> 00:22:27,760 So this great multitude unable to be numbered, the martyrs who 320 00:22:27,760 --> 00:22:30,880 will die for their faith, come to Christ, die for their faith. 321 00:22:31,320 --> 00:22:34,680 During the Tribulation period. They wear white robes. 322 00:22:34,680 --> 00:22:38,280 What's that symbolic of symbolising the righteousness of 323 00:22:38,280 --> 00:22:41,800 God? Palm branch is in their hands. 324 00:22:42,000 --> 00:22:43,960 What does that symbolise victory. 325 00:22:43,960 --> 00:22:46,120 And remember Palm Sunday, just go back there. 326 00:22:46,360 --> 00:22:51,160 Celebration and celebration of the palm branch waved was a 327 00:22:51,160 --> 00:22:56,760 celebration symbol of victory. Which reminds us again on Palm 328 00:22:56,760 --> 00:23:00,040 Sunday when Jesus wrote into Jerusalem, What did they cry 329 00:23:00,040 --> 00:23:03,080 out? Hosanna, save now son of David. 330 00:23:03,080 --> 00:23:09,200 Hosanna, this group in verse 10 in Chapter 7 here singing out, 331 00:23:09,200 --> 00:23:13,320 What do they cry out? Salvation belongs to our God, 332 00:23:14,120 --> 00:23:19,040 same as Hosanna. We the Church join them in 333 00:23:19,040 --> 00:23:23,080 heaven in verses 11 and 12, praising the Lord together. 334 00:23:23,720 --> 00:23:27,840 Verse 15. Therefore they are before the 335 00:23:27,840 --> 00:23:31,960 throne of God. Serve him day and night in His 336 00:23:31,960 --> 00:23:35,440 temple. He who sits on the throne will 337 00:23:35,440 --> 00:23:38,600 dwell among them. That's a beautiful thing. 338 00:23:39,920 --> 00:23:42,960 God will be with these who have come out of the Tribulation 339 00:23:42,960 --> 00:23:46,840 period. But notice the 16 Because these 340 00:23:46,840 --> 00:23:50,040 are the things that this martyred group who died for 341 00:23:50,040 --> 00:23:55,400 their faith have experienced during the tribulation period 342 00:23:55,600 --> 00:23:57,560 and the judgements that fall upon the world. 343 00:23:58,240 --> 00:24:00,680 They shall neither hunger anymore. 344 00:24:01,120 --> 00:24:02,920 Why? Because did they hunger? 345 00:24:02,920 --> 00:24:05,000 Because they couldn't buy or sell? 346 00:24:05,000 --> 00:24:08,480 Because they refused take the mark of the beast on their right 347 00:24:08,480 --> 00:24:12,960 hand or upon their forehead. The sun shall not strike them. 348 00:24:12,960 --> 00:24:16,200 There's a period there where the sun is going to beat down upon 349 00:24:16,200 --> 00:24:18,680 the planet earth and cook everyone basically. 350 00:24:21,600 --> 00:24:24,920 Nor any heat. For the Lamb who was in the 351 00:24:24,920 --> 00:24:30,640 midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to 352 00:24:30,640 --> 00:24:33,520 living fountains of waters. Isn't that Psalm 23? 353 00:24:34,080 --> 00:24:38,040 The Lord is my shepherd shall want, he shall lead me when he's 354 00:24:38,040 --> 00:24:45,080 going to lead these but notice and then says and God will wipe 355 00:24:45,080 --> 00:24:49,240 away every tear from their eyes. I cannot imagine I'm not going 356 00:24:49,240 --> 00:24:54,240 to because I'm not going to be there, but the tears that will 357 00:24:54,240 --> 00:25:00,120 have been shed by those who died for their faith during the 358 00:25:00,120 --> 00:25:02,440 tribulation period difficult time. 359 00:25:03,960 --> 00:25:07,520 And it says and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. 360 00:25:09,280 --> 00:25:14,440 And so the choir grows. Notice in verse 13, the elder 361 00:25:14,440 --> 00:25:18,000 makes the point that this group is completely different from 362 00:25:18,000 --> 00:25:24,720 those already in heaven. Chapter 5 and 4, the church, who 363 00:25:24,760 --> 00:25:27,600 are they? These are they that came out of 364 00:25:27,600 --> 00:25:31,520 the tribulation period. Therefore, they are before the 365 00:25:31,520 --> 00:25:35,480 throne of God and serve Him day and night in His temple. 366 00:25:36,560 --> 00:25:40,080 How will we be serving God? It's an interesting thing we're 367 00:25:40,080 --> 00:25:42,960 not told in detail here. I've thought about that, you 368 00:25:42,960 --> 00:25:44,640 know. How will we be serving God? 369 00:25:46,800 --> 00:25:52,240 If you've been serving the Lord here and now, you'll know the 370 00:25:52,240 --> 00:25:58,440 joy and wonder that we will experience to be able to do this 371 00:25:58,440 --> 00:26:00,480 in the very presence of God Himself. 372 00:26:01,560 --> 00:26:05,280 There's something unique that when you're serving God and I 373 00:26:05,280 --> 00:26:09,280 spoke to many of you about that that serve here at Calvary and 374 00:26:09,280 --> 00:26:12,840 you go, I love doing this. This is how I I, I worship the 375 00:26:12,840 --> 00:26:15,640 Lord. This is the way that I, I find 376 00:26:16,160 --> 00:26:20,400 this joy by teaching the Sunday school or I make the copies or 377 00:26:20,400 --> 00:26:24,240 I, I help the elderly ones or I'm, I, I, I look after the 378 00:26:24,240 --> 00:26:27,840 little ones in the crash and oh, it's a blessing to do that. 379 00:26:27,840 --> 00:26:32,400 Or I play in part of the worship team or I, I vacuum my sweep or 380 00:26:32,400 --> 00:26:34,920 something. I do that or it's something, we 381 00:26:34,920 --> 00:26:39,120 have a spring cleaning here once a year and you know, massive, 382 00:26:39,120 --> 00:26:42,600 you turn up and we, we do the whole place and clean it right 383 00:26:42,600 --> 00:26:44,640 up. And there's, there's not a sad 384 00:26:44,640 --> 00:26:49,160 person serving. There's something about serving 385 00:26:49,160 --> 00:26:52,400 the Lord. Well, just amp that up again 386 00:26:53,480 --> 00:26:55,440 that we will be serving the Lord. 387 00:26:55,480 --> 00:26:57,800 You know, you're just pleased to do that. 388 00:26:59,760 --> 00:27:01,080 We're going to be doing that in heaven. 389 00:27:03,000 --> 00:27:06,440 Whilst the words are directly related to the martyrs who have 390 00:27:06,440 --> 00:27:09,920 suffered during the tribulation period about what they've 391 00:27:09,920 --> 00:27:14,320 suffered and their tears being wiped away, for each and every 392 00:27:14,320 --> 00:27:21,520 one of us here tonight, you too and those watching, we've all 393 00:27:21,520 --> 00:27:25,120 suffered some degree as a result of our own sins. 394 00:27:25,120 --> 00:27:27,200 You know this thing, Oh man, why did I do that? 395 00:27:27,560 --> 00:27:32,480 I just, you know, and we suffer because of our sinfulness would 396 00:27:32,480 --> 00:27:38,280 cause grief, sorrow to others and to ourselves. 397 00:27:39,160 --> 00:27:45,320 Well, when we get to heaven, no more suffering, no more going. 398 00:27:45,520 --> 00:27:48,600 Oh man, you know I met you. But every now and then I think 399 00:27:48,760 --> 00:27:53,160 what an idiot I was when I was growing up, how I said those 400 00:27:53,160 --> 00:27:55,400 things and how I did. I just can't believe myself. 401 00:27:55,400 --> 00:27:58,880 Sometimes I'm embarrassed as I look back on my old self. 402 00:28:00,560 --> 00:28:02,000 Well that all that's all going to be gone. 403 00:28:03,080 --> 00:28:04,480 No more tears, no more suffering. 404 00:28:05,120 --> 00:28:09,760 In verse 17 it says Christ our Good Shepherd will continue to 405 00:28:09,760 --> 00:28:13,960 love and guide us. My favourite chapter I think in 406 00:28:13,960 --> 00:28:18,640 the Bible is John chapter 10. And there it talks about many of 407 00:28:18,640 --> 00:28:21,680 you would know it, the Good Shepherd, Jesus being the Good 408 00:28:21,680 --> 00:28:25,760 Shepherd and how he calls us by name, how he gave his life for 409 00:28:25,760 --> 00:28:29,360 us, how he holds us in his hands, how no one will be able 410 00:28:29,360 --> 00:28:33,000 to take us out of his hands. How he loves us, cares for us. 411 00:28:33,560 --> 00:28:37,000 We he's gets the sheep, he calls a man and he puts him in a safe 412 00:28:37,000 --> 00:28:39,800 place and then he he sleeps across and protects us from 413 00:28:39,800 --> 00:28:43,400 anything evil and bad. That's our shepherd. 414 00:28:43,400 --> 00:28:47,160 That's Jesus. Well, when we get to heaven, 415 00:28:49,600 --> 00:28:55,240 we'll experience the Lord being our shepherd personally in a far 416 00:28:55,240 --> 00:29:01,160 greater way. You and I are living in the last 417 00:29:01,160 --> 00:29:07,320 days when the Christian faith is being debated. 418 00:29:07,760 --> 00:29:10,240 Less and less churches actually open Bibles. 419 00:29:10,640 --> 00:29:12,640 Less and less people gather for prayer. 420 00:29:14,400 --> 00:29:19,120 Churches are closing, falling down, and if they're not closing 421 00:29:19,120 --> 00:29:23,920 or falling down, they become diluted and preaching everything 422 00:29:23,920 --> 00:29:27,960 else but Jesus Christ. Anything goes no matter what. 423 00:29:30,680 --> 00:29:37,720 We're living in that time. Penny Wong and our Prime 424 00:29:37,720 --> 00:29:42,120 Minister came out today in support of 27 other nations. 425 00:29:42,680 --> 00:29:47,280 They get back to parliament and they just slammed Israel, just 426 00:29:47,280 --> 00:29:52,200 slam them. And they things that they said 427 00:29:53,240 --> 00:29:59,360 were not factual about what has happened with the food supplies 428 00:29:59,360 --> 00:30:02,000 and everything you've had. We've had young Eve here from 429 00:30:02,000 --> 00:30:05,960 Israel. You know, Israel supplied all 430 00:30:05,960 --> 00:30:10,320 the utilities to Gaza, water, the electricity, the power, all 431 00:30:10,320 --> 00:30:12,360 the Gazans when they came across, they would come in and 432 00:30:12,360 --> 00:30:15,200 they would work. They had all good jobs in 433 00:30:15,200 --> 00:30:16,920 Israel. We just go to Bethlehem. 434 00:30:16,920 --> 00:30:19,840 And I remember the person in Bethlehem coming to me because 435 00:30:19,840 --> 00:30:21,720 all the Christians, we were going to visit Bethlehem on the 436 00:30:21,720 --> 00:30:25,600 side of the the shepherd's field and also the place where Christ 437 00:30:25,600 --> 00:30:28,080 was born in The Cave, Bethlehem there. 438 00:30:29,400 --> 00:30:32,720 And he said to me, and he was an Arab and he was a Muslim. 439 00:30:32,720 --> 00:30:36,520 He said, this is despicable. He says, I've sent my kids away. 440 00:30:36,600 --> 00:30:38,720 We can't live in Bethlehem. I can't survive. 441 00:30:39,280 --> 00:30:42,560 No Christians come here anymore. That's how we lived. 442 00:30:43,120 --> 00:30:48,040 And he said Hamas dictate to us what we can do, what we how we 443 00:30:48,040 --> 00:30:49,920 live. He said I have to get out of 444 00:30:49,920 --> 00:30:55,280 here myself and I'm a Muslim. You see the facts aren't getting 445 00:30:55,280 --> 00:30:59,880 out. The media and our government are 446 00:30:59,880 --> 00:31:08,440 using the figures from the UN and Hamas on their public 447 00:31:08,880 --> 00:31:11,640 expressions. It's wrong. 448 00:31:13,240 --> 00:31:18,400 You and I, we're believers in Christ and we can become 449 00:31:18,400 --> 00:31:19,600 discouraged. I do. 450 00:31:20,640 --> 00:31:24,960 When I read such things and I see our government acting in 451 00:31:24,960 --> 00:31:33,080 such a way, you know, there's still hostages kept it, it, it 452 00:31:33,080 --> 00:31:35,720 would be resolved in a, in an instant. 453 00:31:36,120 --> 00:31:43,080 Release the hostages, remove Hamas, let the Gazans live how 454 00:31:43,080 --> 00:31:45,360 they want to live, be done in an instant. 455 00:31:46,040 --> 00:31:49,480 But no, now what's happening is, as the number of hostages are 456 00:31:49,480 --> 00:31:51,680 dying and they still haven't released them. 457 00:31:52,040 --> 00:31:55,800 Now what's happening with the IDF, the IDF put out, Hamas are 458 00:31:55,800 --> 00:31:58,720 now trying to every time a soldier comes into the air, they 459 00:31:59,000 --> 00:32:00,840 don't want to kill them, they want to capture them. 460 00:32:00,840 --> 00:32:02,800 I want to get some more soldiers. 461 00:32:02,800 --> 00:32:06,400 They need leverage. They need leverage. 462 00:32:07,680 --> 00:32:12,280 We can become discouraged when we read these things, but the 463 00:32:12,280 --> 00:32:15,880 greatest outpouring of salvation is going to come upon the earth 464 00:32:17,040 --> 00:32:20,000 after we're gone, after the rapture of the church. 465 00:32:20,840 --> 00:32:25,600 The wonderful blessing of heaven lays and awaits for us, and it 466 00:32:25,600 --> 00:32:30,040 will bring us joy unspeakable, Peter said, And we should be 467 00:32:30,040 --> 00:32:32,920 encouraged as we look and listen. 468 00:32:32,960 --> 00:32:36,040 Jesus said, watch and pray in these days. 469 00:32:36,240 --> 00:32:38,880 What for? For the trumpet call. 470 00:32:41,120 --> 00:32:43,440 And that's why the Book of Revelation finishes with that 471 00:32:43,440 --> 00:32:46,680 word Maranatha. God is coming short.