back to indexWed Bible Study - Revelation Lesson 11
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All right, we're looking at Revelations chapter 9. 00:00:14.320 |
We're looking at the two of the three woes, the fifth and sixth trumpets. 00:00:21.480 |
Okay, so we're going to be dealing with, again, the in between the sixth and seventh, and 00:00:30.760 |
Gracious and loving Father, we thank you for this evening. 00:00:37.360 |
We pray, Father, that you would continue to draw your people to yourself, help us to lean 00:00:44.280 |
on you and not on our own efforts or our own understanding. 00:00:50.120 |
I pray, Father God, that your word would come alive and strengthen and empower us, Lord 00:00:57.560 |
And this is time to you, Lord, in Jesus' name we pray, amen. 00:01:01.840 |
You know the glass doors over there because all the AC is on? 00:01:05.480 |
If we have both of them opened, all the AC cold air will go out. 00:01:12.880 |
All right, if we're looking at Revelation chapter 6, 1 through 21. 00:01:26.240 |
So the first four, again, on the top of the page, the first four trumpet plagues only 00:01:35.600 |
It was kind of like the first part of it was the seventh seal, and then as soon as that 00:01:44.320 |
And then the first four trumpets, it was pretty rapid fire. 00:01:47.520 |
In fact, it only covered six verses from one after another. 00:01:50.640 |
But we're getting into the last time chapter 8 finished was saying that there's three woes 00:01:59.000 |
And so it signified the intensity of the judgment that's coming. 00:02:02.200 |
And so if you've read through it and you studied it before you came, you already know that 00:02:07.120 |
what we're covering today is far more intense than what happened prior. 00:02:11.400 |
So there's an increasing level of judgment upon each one of these trumpets. 00:02:16.360 |
And so we're going to be covering the two, and then the third and the significant woe 00:02:22.600 |
And so again, it keeps increasing, and then by the time we get to the seal judgments, 00:02:27.520 |
So you can imagine, if you haven't read, you can imagine just how intense it will be that 00:02:32.520 |
up to this point, a third of humanity is killed and tortured, and yet the third woe hasn't 00:02:39.800 |
And then the real severity is actually coming in the seal judgments. 00:02:45.480 |
So again, the first part of it, again, just by the sheer number of verses that we're going 00:02:50.680 |
to be covering, the first woe is a severe torment, is carried out by the demonic forces 00:03:00.640 |
It doesn't say abyss, but again, the judgment seems to be coming from the abyss, and most 00:03:05.800 |
commentaries believe that these are demonic presence that God is using to bring about 00:03:11.760 |
So he unleashes them, and he gives them specific assignments. 00:03:15.920 |
And so this first woe that's going to be coming out in the form of locust and through what 00:03:21.440 |
they're doing is going to be tormenting the earth. 00:03:24.520 |
This torment is going to be so severe that the people who are affected by it are going 00:03:28.760 |
to be seeking death for relief, but do not find it. 00:03:33.440 |
So I asked one of the questions, like, what would cause somebody to desire death and then 00:03:39.120 |
And I think that's one of the study questions that I asked you, and I'll give you an opportunity 00:03:45.840 |
But imagine how severe the pain is that they would have preferred death over the torment 00:03:55.560 |
This is excruciatingly painful, and this is not for all mankind. 00:03:59.880 |
It is limited to those who do not have the seal of God on them, meaning that Christians 00:04:06.280 |
I don't believe that they are raptured, but it's going to come upon the unbelievers, and 00:04:15.220 |
The second woe is going to come with a demonic army riding horses, a 200 million mounted 00:04:21.360 |
troops, which will ultimately wipe a third of the unrepentant humanity. 00:04:25.600 |
So again, if the first woe is tormenting the people even actually seeking death, the second 00:04:31.600 |
woe that's coming, the sixth trumpet, is actually going to bring a third of humanity to a stop. 00:04:43.120 |
So again, it kind of gives you an outline of the severity of the judgment that we're 00:04:52.160 |
So the fifth trumpet, the first woe, it says in verse 9-1, "The fallen star in 9-1, right? 00:05:00.760 |
A fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star fallen from heaven to earth, and he 00:05:05.000 |
was given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit." 00:05:18.400 |
It's clearly different than the fallen angel that we see in chapter 8, verse 10, because 00:05:22.000 |
chapter 8, verse 10, the angel falls and what happens? 00:05:30.120 |
So it seems like, at least the way it's described in chapter 8, verse 10, that it's a mass of 00:05:37.160 |
molten material that falls on the water and contaminates, it's undrinkable. 00:05:42.200 |
So it doesn't seem like it's some kind of a being, but some kind of a star, maybe an 00:05:45.720 |
asteroid, maybe a nuclear fallout, we don't know exactly what it is, but it's described 00:05:56.320 |
But in 9-1, it seems to represent a person or a being because a key is given to this 00:06:01.720 |
being, and this being basically initiates this judgment by opening up the – I use 00:06:08.320 |
the word "abyss" because some of your translation has the word "abyss." 00:06:11.440 |
The ESV, I think, uses the word "bottomless pit," but again, the significance, the meaning 00:06:17.240 |
Now before we go any further in describing the abyss, the abyss that is being described 00:06:28.140 |
This is, again, different people have different ideas of what this may be, but clearly it 00:06:33.920 |
is a place, a holding place of possibly demonic beings that they're being released for a 00:06:44.080 |
And then when that period is done, at the very end, at the White Throne Judgment, they 00:06:48.640 |
will be bound for, again, before the White Throne Judgment, it says they will be bound 00:06:52.320 |
for a thousand years, possibly back in the abyss, and then when they are finally judged, 00:07:04.760 |
They didn't – they weren't captured in hell, and then for a period released, and then they 00:07:08.320 |
go back to hell, and then they come back, and then they go back. 00:07:13.480 |
It is different than hell, just for your information. 00:07:20.320 |
Again, it doesn't describe here, but just kind of putting two and two together, again, 00:07:25.840 |
different people, depending on how you approach the book of Revelation, will have different 00:07:30.840 |
But I think we talked about this before, especially when we studied through Isaiah. 00:07:41.400 |
I'm not going to read the whole thing, but at least a portion of it. 00:07:54.400 |
Now some of you guys who are A students, how many of you remember the context of Isaiah 00:08:05.720 |
I know some of you guys were in the book of Isaiah. 00:08:24.960 |
So chapter 14 is a judgment against Babylon, their hardiness, their arrogance. 00:08:29.900 |
And so some think that chapter 14, 12 to 21, again, in the immediate context is talking 00:08:37.320 |
about Nebuchadnezzar, that in his arrogance, God's going to judge him and bring him down. 00:08:41.740 |
But remember when we studied through this, starting from verse 12, that if you look at 00:08:45.460 |
the language, there are certain things that are stated here that can't be talking about 00:08:51.540 |
How are you fallen from heaven, O day star, son of dawn? 00:08:55.500 |
How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low. 00:08:58.500 |
You said in your heart, I will ascend to heaven above the stars of God. 00:09:03.220 |
I will sit on the Mount of Assembly in the far reaches of the north. 00:09:06.500 |
I will ascend above the heights of the clouds. 00:09:09.100 |
I will make myself the most high, but you are brought down to Sheol, to the far reaches 00:09:15.140 |
So many believe that this is in reference to the fall of Satan. 00:09:19.300 |
So possibly that the text that we're looking at in chapter 9, verse 1 is describing of 00:09:25.620 |
Again, in Luke chapter 10, 18, after Jesus sends out the disciples and they come back 00:09:31.220 |
and they say, you know, we couldn't cast out the demons. 00:09:33.460 |
And in that context, again, Jesus says to them, I saw Satan fall like lightning from 00:09:39.540 |
Again, in reference to Satanic fall as he's being kicked out of heaven. 00:09:43.100 |
Again, the description that we see here in Isaiah. 00:09:46.420 |
And again, in Revelation chapter 12, verse 4, it talks about how the dragon, as he is 00:09:52.340 |
again being kicked out of heaven, he drags a third of the angels with him. 00:09:55.700 |
And this is why the common belief that a third of heaven, a third of all the created angels, 00:10:15.980 |
We have Gabriel and Michael, Archangel Michael, right? 00:10:21.340 |
So Archangel Michael is the chief of the angels, but even Archangel Michael in the book of 00:10:25.700 |
Jude says that he doesn't directly disrespect Satan because of his power. 00:10:33.380 |
And he cautions the church not to challenge him directly because we don't have that kind 00:10:39.020 |
So in other words, he describes where that this is a very powerful being. 00:10:43.000 |
So in creation before the fall, Satan sat above Archangel Michael, right? 00:10:50.740 |
So when he fell, a third of the angels fell down with him. 00:10:54.480 |
So in chapter, again, going back to Revelation chapter 9, verse 1, okay? 00:11:01.180 |
If you're not there, go back to chapter 9, verse 1. 00:11:05.160 |
So the beginning of the fifth or the fourth trumpet or the fifth trumpet, star fallen 00:11:10.420 |
from heaven to earth, and he was given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit. 00:11:14.700 |
Now we don't know exactly who gave it to him, but considering that he is Satan, it's probably 00:11:22.780 |
Either the Lord himself, Jesus himself, or in a messenger from God is giving him permission 00:11:31.500 |
So it's not like this conflict between God and Satan and we're going to try to figure 00:11:37.580 |
Even the Satanic work that is revealed in the book of Revelation is within the context 00:11:44.720 |
God is giving him permission to carry this out. 00:11:52.360 |
So the first of the three woes, they seem very similar. 00:11:56.740 |
If you've read through the book of Joel, and I think I mentioned this maybe last week 00:11:59.800 |
or the week before, the book of Joel is a judgment that is proclaimed upon a nation 00:12:09.020 |
I mean, the Babylonians, they come in, they march against Israel, the southern kingdom, 00:12:16.040 |
and before they fall, Joel is sent basically saying, "Because of your idolatry, God is 00:12:22.640 |
So if you look at the language of the book of Joel of the locust judgment, you're going 00:12:26.660 |
to see that there's a lot of languages very similar to what he mentions here because the 00:12:30.640 |
book of Joel, we're going to review, if you've ever studied through the minor prophets, you'll 00:12:36.800 |
know that the book of Joel has one of the most intense judgments recorded. 00:12:41.440 |
Some of the judgments recorded in Amos, in Isaiah, in some of the other prophets, I mean, 00:12:49.360 |
The book of Joel from chapter one to the end, it's about the intensity of this judgment 00:12:54.800 |
that keeps increasing, and that's what we're seeing here with this fourth judgment. 00:13:02.460 |
But the most intense judgment described in the book of Joel is only halfway, meaning 00:13:09.340 |
he's going to get even greater than this, and I'm going to give you some example. 00:13:14.420 |
So just to kind of give you a background of the book of Joel because it relates to what 00:13:17.340 |
we're looking at, Israelites at this particular time in their history, before the fall, before 00:13:23.220 |
the Babylonians come and take them, they were eagerly waiting for the day of the Lord. 00:13:28.260 |
And they knew that the day of the Lord was going to be a day that he was going to come 00:13:31.380 |
and judge, but they just assumed that the judgment was going to be against their enemies, 00:13:37.900 |
whether it was the Babylonians or the Assyrians or whoever was at the superpower. 00:13:42.380 |
So they were praying and waiting and begging the Lord for the day of the Lord. 00:13:47.340 |
But when Joel finally shows up saying the day of the Lord is going to come, he says, 00:13:50.980 |
"You're not going to escape this judgment either, that all who disobeyed, all who strayed 00:13:56.300 |
from God, you're not going to be saved because you were born under a certain line." 00:14:03.660 |
So Joel comes in and he warns them, "The day of the Lord is going to come, but he's not 00:14:10.020 |
And that's what we see in the book of Revelation. 00:14:13.340 |
Those who have the mark of the Lord will be saved, but even within the Jewish community, 00:14:18.340 |
even within the church, remember he starts out the first two chapters of Revelation, 00:14:26.300 |
And he's talking to people who may assume to be Christians, but he's saying then, "But 00:14:37.540 |
He doesn't just say, "All these churches have some problems that you need to fix." 00:14:41.260 |
And he points out all of these things that they're guilty of and he says, "Only those 00:14:44.940 |
who conquer, only those who persevere, only those who open the door and repent," he said, 00:14:52.340 |
So the day of the Lord is being revealed, but this day of the Lord is going to come 00:14:59.720 |
Some people who thought that they were safe may find out that that wasn't the case. 00:15:05.020 |
And so that's the background behind the book of Joel. 00:15:09.900 |
Again Joel comes, declares the day of the Lord will not only bring judgment upon Israel's 00:15:17.900 |
So I want to show you just to kind of some of the language that's very similar to the 00:15:25.540 |
So one, Joel chapter 2, 1, it begins, or at least a part of it, it says, "Blow the trumpet 00:15:31.120 |
So we had some discussion last week as to the meaning of the trumpets. 00:15:34.720 |
You know how it was used to gather people to beginning of the year, various ceremonies. 00:15:41.420 |
But if you look at book of Joel chapter 2, 1, "Blow the trumpet in Zion, sound the alarm 00:15:46.980 |
Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble for the day of the Lord is coming. 00:15:50.700 |
It is near a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness." 00:15:55.620 |
So again if you read through or studied through chapter 9 before you came, you already know 00:16:01.780 |
that the language of "blow the trumpet" and how that's going to bring trembling and darkness 00:16:09.560 |
Again it's a very similar language to what we see here, right, in chapter 9. 00:16:24.740 |
So if you look at Joel chapter 1, verse 4, "What the cutting locust left, the swarming 00:16:29.960 |
locust has eaten; what the swarming locust left, the hopping locust has eaten; and what 00:16:34.920 |
the hopping locust left, the destroying locust has eaten." 00:16:47.920 |
So that's, up to this point, isn't that what we've been seeing? 00:16:51.240 |
Like he would bring judgment upon the land and then he would bring judgment upon the 00:16:54.160 |
mountains, he would bring judgment upon the sky, he's bringing judgment upon the sea. 00:16:58.660 |
And then the wolves are going to bring judgment in torment. 00:17:01.980 |
And then the second, the fifth judgment is going to bring judgment upon man directly, 00:17:11.580 |
That this judgment isn't going to just bypass just anybody. 00:17:18.460 |
There's not going to be left any judgment for the future. 00:17:24.940 |
He comes in the New Testament, he says that he left certain things unpunished, right? 00:17:31.940 |
The wrath of God is being stored up, the language in the New Testament. 00:17:36.340 |
Well, when we get to the day of the Lord, there's nothing being stored up anymore. 00:17:41.060 |
That it's finally going to be unleashed and it's going to be absolutely thorough. 00:17:47.460 |
Even the description of the locust itself is very similar to chapter 9, 7 through 11 00:17:56.340 |
In appearance, the locusts were like horses prepared for battle on their heads and were 00:18:03.420 |
Their faces were like human faces, their hair like women's hair and their teeth like lion's 00:18:08.780 |
They had breastplates like breastplates of iron and the noise of their wings was like 00:18:12.580 |
the noise of many chariots with horses rushing into battle. 00:18:16.300 |
They have tails and stings like scorpions and their power to hurt people for five months 00:18:21.620 |
They have as kings over them an angel with a bottomless pit. 00:18:25.140 |
His name in Hebrew is Abaddon and in Greek he is called Apollonion or however that is 00:18:36.700 |
So if you look at the description of the satanic or demonic army that he is unleashing upon 00:18:43.980 |
mankind, again in Joel chapter 6, 1, "The nation has come upon you against my…" 00:18:48.740 |
Again, this is talking about the locust army, "powerful and beyond number. 00:19:00.340 |
Their appearance is like the appearance of horses. 00:19:04.420 |
And like war horses, they run as with the rumbling of chariots. 00:19:07.180 |
They leap on the top of the mountains like the crackling of the flame and all of this. 00:19:11.880 |
So again, the prophet Joel was specifically in historical context talking to the nation 00:19:18.100 |
of Israel about the Babylonians coming and conquering. 00:19:21.900 |
But remember when we studied about Isaiah, that there is always threefold application 00:19:30.160 |
One is the immediate historical context, which at that time was the Babylonians about to 00:19:35.900 |
There is always a Christological fulfillment, meaning when Christ comes that he is going 00:19:42.520 |
And then the ultimate fulfillment is at the day of the Lord. 00:19:46.700 |
So we see the exact same language that was used about Babylon is now being used about 00:19:53.460 |
So the purpose of all of this language is the intensity and the thoroughness. 00:19:57.540 |
Now we can go in here and study like what does the woman's hair mean? 00:20:02.540 |
And we can go through all of that and just kind of guess. 00:20:07.180 |
Everybody has different educated guess behind what the meaning behind all of this. 00:20:12.380 |
But the overall arching meaning behind all of this is the intensity, the escalation, 00:20:17.660 |
the thoroughness of the judgment that's coming upon mankind. 00:20:24.540 |
So the locust army is released and given the power of the scorpions, but he specifically 00:20:37.140 |
And the reason behind that ultimately is to give them opportunity to repent. 00:20:43.660 |
And again, that's exactly the language that we see in the book of Joel. 00:20:48.460 |
As intense as the judgment is, he says the judgment is coming upon Israel in order that 00:20:57.980 |
So the limitation that the Lord makes on this demonic army is that they are there to torture, 00:21:05.260 |
but it's limited to five months and ultimately not to kill. 00:21:11.940 |
The book of Joel says in 1 5, "Awake you drunkards and weep and wail, all you drinkers of wine, 00:21:19.660 |
because of the sweet wine for it is cut off from your mouth." 00:21:21.940 |
In other words, the point of Joel's intense prophecy is that through the judgment, through 00:21:28.100 |
the warning, that they would wake up and repent. 00:21:33.020 |
And that's the same motive here, that up to this point, again, this is not hell. 00:21:42.860 |
The goal of this is ultimately to bring them to repentance. 00:21:45.940 |
Joel 1 14, "Consecrate a fast, call a solemn assembly." 00:21:49.900 |
And then he says in Joel 2 12-14, "Yet even now, even after all of this, declares the 00:21:57.180 |
Lord, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, with mourning. 00:22:01.540 |
Then your hearts and not your garments return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and 00:22:05.540 |
merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and he relents over disaster. 00:22:11.100 |
Who knows whether he will not turn and relent and leave a blessing behind him, a grain of 00:22:14.940 |
offering and a drink offering for the Lord your God." 00:22:20.420 |
So even through all of this, even through all the tormenting and all the disasters, 00:22:25.420 |
he's still trying to bring people to repentance, ultimately. 00:22:31.980 |
I remember when I was, again, when we visit India, we're talking to the Indian pastors 00:22:36.180 |
and we're talking about the persecution in India, how it's rising. 00:22:40.700 |
And I asked them, "So how is this affecting you guys and how is it affecting the churches?" 00:22:45.140 |
And they said, "Obviously, it's difficult because, you know, who wants to see their 00:22:50.380 |
It's one thing for them, but their wives and children also have to suffer." 00:22:54.320 |
But he said that the positive of all of this is purifying the church. 00:22:58.900 |
The nominal, it's very difficult to be a nominal Christian in India, more and more, right? 00:23:04.480 |
So it's causing people who may have been casually attending church to make a decision. 00:23:12.260 |
And so if you look at the judgment up to this point, he says there's going to come a time 00:23:17.720 |
when God is going to allow those who may be in the church, who may have never thought 00:23:23.920 |
seriously about their faith and committed to their nominal belief, but when the torment 00:23:28.300 |
comes, either that's going to cause you to fall or it's going to cause you to repent. 00:23:33.800 |
So even up to this point, even with this intense tormenting, it's really God's mercy being 00:23:42.860 |
Remember, we didn't get to the seal judgments yet. 00:23:45.560 |
We didn't get to the second or third woe yet. 00:23:50.000 |
And then once we open up the seal judgments, and then the Armageddon and the great white 00:23:59.120 |
And even to this point, God is restraining, right? 00:24:04.680 |
He said, "Go out, torment only for five months and not to kill them." 00:24:15.640 |
So the angel at the end of this in verse 11, and we talked about his name, the angel of 00:24:21.200 |
the bottomless pit is not the same one mentioned in verse one, right? 00:24:27.200 |
So many people believe that the angel is talking about in chapter nine, verse one, who's fallen, 00:24:31.880 |
either Satan himself or maybe a high ranking angel that fell and is maybe an antichrist. 00:24:42.620 |
But these angels that are talking about at verse 11, it says that they are king over 00:24:48.960 |
them and the angel of the bottomless pit, his name in Hebrew is Abaddon. 00:24:55.440 |
The Greek name is Apollonian or Apollon, right? 00:25:01.880 |
And both names means destruction or destroyer, right? 00:25:06.400 |
And the reason why he gives a Hebrew and a Greek for the same name is again, referencing 00:25:14.840 |
That this is not just targeting outside the Jewish community. 00:25:18.800 |
That it's going to be universal, just like what we're talking about in the book of Joel. 00:25:23.600 |
They're waiting for the day of the Lord to come thinking that all their enemy is going 00:25:26.720 |
to be destroyed, not realizing that the judgment is going to come to the household of Israel 00:25:33.140 |
So that's why there's two separate names, a Hebrew and a Greek is given for this demonic 00:25:41.880 |
So again, all of this is still within God's sovereign plan. 00:25:53.240 |
The second will, and the intensity escalates even further, right? 00:26:01.200 |
Just as a quick review of what he said so far, in chapter 8 verse 10, "Plagues of hail, 00:26:07.400 |
fire mixed with blood that scorched the earth, burning mountain that fell into the sea, turning 00:26:16.760 |
Chapter 8 verse 8, "Blazing star from heaven falling into inland waters and causing bitterness 00:26:24.240 |
and death, darkening of the sun and the moon that plunge the world into darkness." 00:26:29.360 |
12, "Swarm of demonic locusts released from the abyss to torment unbelievers." 00:26:43.560 |
Up to this point, the sixth plague would be the worst. 00:26:46.860 |
He mentioned specifically 200 million demonic army is commissioned to wipe out a third of 00:26:57.400 |
We don't know exactly how many, a third of the angels that were kicked out, but they 00:27:06.080 |
So we're talking about, again, the power of Satan himself plus all of his angels, that 00:27:12.320 |
they're going to be out in full force, fulfilling God's ultimate purpose of judgment at the 00:27:18.500 |
But even in this, even in this, we see the mercy of God because even though it's 200 00:27:24.040 |
million, at least that's the number that is given to us, and we don't know specifically 00:27:27.920 |
what the significance of those numbers are, but it's a huge number. 00:27:33.000 |
But when the host of heaven is described, it says myriads upon myriads, right? 00:27:41.960 |
That's the description, meaning it's countless. 00:27:45.360 |
That as big as a number of 200 million is, he said the number of servants of God in heaven 00:27:52.080 |
is myriads upon myriads, meaning it can't be compared. 00:27:56.500 |
So even in the midst of all of this, we see his power and his sovereign control over all 00:28:03.040 |
So it's not like at the very end, he's fighting against Satan and Satan is going to win. 00:28:07.720 |
It's like, "Oh no, he looks like he's going to win." 00:28:09.440 |
And then Jesus comes in, then he conquers them. 00:28:12.000 |
And that is not the picture that we see in the book of Revelation. 00:28:14.680 |
From start to finish, God is completely sovereign. 00:28:18.520 |
From start to finish, God is completely sovereign. 00:28:21.640 |
Even when Satan is released, it is under his control. 00:28:28.720 |
Verse 15 points to the exact hour, day, month, and year of that, that this God has ordained, 00:28:37.400 |
The exact number of demonic force will carry out the destruction is ordained as 200 million. 00:28:42.200 |
And this is not just something that he was just fortune telling. 00:28:51.760 |
Remember when they asked, "Now you're going to establish the kingdom?" 00:28:54.800 |
And Jesus said, "You do not know the time or the hour. 00:28:59.040 |
And he says, "God has appointed a specific day, a specific hour that this is going to 00:29:08.400 |
Times and seasons and visions represent the subjection of all things to God. 00:29:14.000 |
So as crazy as these visions and these warnings have been up to this point, all of it point 00:29:22.440 |
In Acts 1-7, it says, "Jesus spoke of times and seasons which the Father has put in his 00:29:30.720 |
At no point in any of this has God lost control. 00:29:34.760 |
Even Satan and his angels, they wait for that determined time for God to release them. 00:29:44.160 |
In fire and smoke and sulfur, it says that those are the avenues, the three plagues that 00:29:59.960 |
So we're looking at the end times, whenever that time may be, that it's not going to be 00:30:08.680 |
So no wonder a lot of Christians are hoping that we would be raptured before then so we 00:30:17.480 |
But again, I think, the language that I see is that we're going to be going through all 00:30:22.800 |
of this and genuine Christians are going to be preserved through all of this, that our 00:30:27.040 |
faith is going to strengthen us and we're going to be able to make it out of it. 00:30:31.840 |
But in the end, he said, it's going to be so devastating that the people who are under 00:30:37.600 |
this attack, under this torment, is going to prefer death, but death is not going to 00:30:45.120 |
And I'm not exactly sure because obviously, you know, there's a lot of ways for somebody 00:30:49.360 |
to take their life, but whatever is happening, there is no relief. 00:30:59.480 |
But even in the midst of all of this, despite all these judgments, the survivors refuse 00:31:06.140 |
Verse 20, "The rest of mankind who are not killed by these plagues did not repent of 00:31:11.040 |
the works of their hands, nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze 00:31:15.640 |
and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk." 00:31:19.880 |
One of the discussion questions that I asked and giving time to discuss with your small 00:31:24.520 |
group is, what would harden somebody hard to this extent that they see a third of mankind 00:31:33.920 |
Remember, there's not going to be a question that's like, "Oh, I wonder if this is God 00:31:41.080 |
He said it's going to be very clear that this is God's judgment. 00:31:45.480 |
The demonic forces are going to be as a result of God allowing this to happen. 00:31:50.360 |
Knowing all of that, right, knowing all of that, they say they refuse to repent, they 00:31:58.480 |
They're so committed to sin that even in the midst of their torment, he says they refuse 00:32:05.440 |
I'm going to give you some time with your small group to discuss that, like what would 00:32:09.200 |
cause somebody to be that hardened, that committed to their sin, right? 00:32:15.760 |
But in the end, even up to this point, even up to this point, God is trying to bring them 00:32:22.760 |
Revelation chapter 221, in one of the letters to the churches, he says, "I gave her," talking 00:32:28.240 |
about Jezebel, that even in that context, he says, "I gave her time to repent, but she 00:32:36.440 |
Like all of the judgments and warning that was given to her, he said all of it was to 00:32:42.260 |
And again, finally, 2 Peter 3, 4-10, and I want to read this whole section for you. 00:32:49.080 |
Because the context in 2 Peter 3 is people asking, like you said the Lord's coming, but 00:32:56.680 |
And the Christians are being mocked because he didn't come right away. 00:33:00.360 |
And so Peter is responding to that in chapter 3, 4-10, he says, "They will say, 'Where is 00:33:09.040 |
I mean, whether that was 2,000 years ago or today, when you talk about the second coming 00:33:15.320 |
of Christ, non-Christians will probably mock us exactly the same way, whether it's 2,000 00:33:25.560 |
And maybe some of us, because it's been 2,000 years, and thinking like, "Oh, it just sounds 00:33:32.000 |
It sounds like the Avengers or some imagination of some person." 00:33:41.040 |
Whether it didn't happen within the 10 or 20 or 30 years, it didn't happen 2,000 years, 00:33:46.840 |
And so he says, "Where is the promise of his coming? 00:33:49.840 |
For ever since the fathers fell asleep," meaning they died, "all things are continuing as they 00:34:00.120 |
Isn't that the same doubting today that sometimes can even creep in on us? 00:34:05.160 |
And so we read all of this as if we're reading some history or some document that has nothing 00:34:12.340 |
And he says that that's exactly how the non-Christians of the early church, they responded. 00:34:19.760 |
"For they deliberately overlooked this fact that the heavens existed long ago and the 00:34:24.520 |
earth was formed out of the water and through water by the word of God and that by means 00:34:30.480 |
of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. 00:34:35.400 |
But by the same word of the heaven and earth that now exists are stored up for fire, being 00:34:39.640 |
kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly." 00:34:44.920 |
God ordained the creation, God ordained the restoration, right? 00:34:49.760 |
So as creation was ordained and in God's sovereign time this happened, so will the restoration 00:34:56.680 |
in God's appointed time that this is going to happen. 00:34:59.600 |
"But do not overlook this one fact, that beloved, that with the Lord one day is as 00:35:05.120 |
a thousand years and a thousand years as one day." 00:35:11.960 |
Think how long one year was when you were five years old. 00:35:25.480 |
So time is very relative depending on who you are, right? 00:35:29.600 |
I mean, 10 years seemed like a long period of time. 00:35:33.200 |
10 years go by so quick, a decade goes by so quick. 00:35:44.080 |
So imagine in God's perspective in eternity, he said a thousand years for God is going 00:35:52.160 |
We're looking at it from an infant's perspective and saying, "How come it didn't happen?" 00:35:57.520 |
He said, "Do not forget who you're talking about. 00:36:03.920 |
Verse 9, "The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise." 00:36:14.280 |
"But is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach 00:36:23.240 |
So the whole reason why we've waited or he's been waiting and maybe possibly wait further 00:36:35.480 |
And what we see in the book of Revelation chapter 9, and even in the midst of all of 00:36:39.720 |
this judgment and disaster coming, he says the end goal is that those who survive will 00:36:46.800 |
Because there's going to come a time when that period is going to be over. 00:36:59.340 |
The book of Revelation is going to get us there to the white throne judgment. 00:37:04.520 |
But as devastating as this is, don't lose perspective, right? 00:37:11.200 |
Not only for those who are going to be physically experiencing this, but even us, as we are 00:37:17.720 |
reading this, as we are being warned that this is coming, that even though we may not 00:37:22.320 |
have physically and visually experienced all of this, the goal of all of this is the same 00:37:31.660 |
Whether we repent because it happens or whether we repent because it is going to happen, if 00:37:37.480 |
we believe that this is coming, if we believe that this is coming and we really believe 00:37:49.640 |
Shouldn't it change our perspective of time, our perspective of money, our perspective 00:37:53.860 |
of relationship, our perspective of fun, our perspective of life? 00:38:01.760 |
And that's exactly what Peter was trying to say in Peter's, like, they're going to come 00:38:05.520 |
mock you because it didn't happen according to their time, right? 00:38:10.320 |
But do not know that the whole reason why you and I are alive and Christ didn't come 00:38:14.400 |
and we didn't die is because there's still people to be saved. 00:38:19.640 |
That's the whole purpose of why you and I exist today. 00:38:23.440 |
While we didn't die and go to heaven, the minute that we got saved is because there's 00:38:31.140 |
So think about how much we pray about who to marry and what job to get and what house 00:38:39.360 |
Again, they're not sinful things, but how trivial they are in light of how God views 00:38:48.100 |
He views time to give us opportunity to repent and give us opportunity to bring others to 00:38:58.700 |
So let me read the discussion question just to kind of clarify. 00:39:02.400 |
Have you ever been disciplined to bring you to repentance? 00:39:09.180 |
Has God ever brought discipline into your life? 00:39:15.080 |
Because clearly it says in book of Hebrews chapter 12, verse 6, God disciplines those 00:39:19.340 |
Have you ever experienced that and has that brought you to repentance? 00:39:25.540 |
So, it's difficult to fathom why someone would refuse to repent after seeing and experience 00:39:30.020 |
the wrath of God as a result of their sins, but that seems to be the response at the end 00:39:35.660 |
The unrepentant will still, or for the majority, they're not going to repent. 00:39:43.380 |
What is the only power given to us to bring someone to repentance according to the Bible? 00:39:48.300 |
I think you guys probably already know the answer to that, but I'd like you to take some 00:39:51.400 |
time to discuss and if that's the case, what should we be investing our time doing? 00:39:56.340 |
Number three, how can you discern if something is demonic work or not? 00:40:00.860 |
Have you ever experienced anything that was clearly demonic? 00:40:06.340 |
I think some people think that demonic activity only happens within the charismatic circle. 00:40:13.620 |
Demonic activity is not limited to the charismatic churches. 00:40:17.360 |
It just means that we're insensitive because scripture clearly says there's a spiritual 00:40:23.120 |
So, for us to be unaware of it and not paying attention to it, it just means we become insensitive. 00:40:30.720 |
Clearly it's happening because the scripture says it. 00:40:32.960 |
So, the question, again, I have for you is how do you discern and is there a time when 00:40:39.880 |
you could clearly say that this was demonic, that you identify this demonic? 00:40:44.640 |
Fourth, what is something specific you can engage in today to be more spiritually aware 00:40:48.720 |
and engage in the spiritual battle that we are called to fight? 00:40:52.020 |
Are you aware that there's a spiritual battle? 00:40:54.020 |
Are you actively engaged in this spiritual battle? 00:40:56.760 |
What specific things can we participate in to be more sensitive to the spiritual battle 00:41:01.660 |
and to be actively participating in this battle? 00:41:07.360 |
Let me pray for us and then I'll let you guys go to your small group. 00:41:16.840 |
Heavenly Father, we want to thank you for the sober reminder of what is to come, whether 00:41:22.360 |
that happens within our lifetime or after we fall asleep and sometime in the future. 00:41:29.040 |
We know, Father God, that the end is certain and that you are a God who is completely sovereign 00:41:37.720 |
Help us, Lord, live day to day, consistent with the faith that we confess, that we do 00:41:44.000 |
not hold on to the gospel, we do not hold on to the hope of the cross, Lord God, like 00:41:48.680 |
a security blanket, being satisfied that we bought a free ticket to heaven. 00:41:56.660 |
Help us, Lord God, truly live up to the calling that you have given us. 00:42:03.440 |
Help us, Lord God, not to be entangled with civilian affairs, that we may please the commanding 00:42:08.520 |
officer who has called us from this empty way of life to live a life truly worthy, Lord 00:42:15.960 |
So I pray that in our discussion that your Holy Spirit would guide and lead us, that 00:42:20.720 |
you would allow our hearts to be softened to hear your word. 00:42:25.340 |
Help us, Lord God, to speak the truth in love to one another, that we may sharpen one another, 00:42:30.240 |
how to spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 00:42:33.440 |
Lord, we are weak in our flesh, but we know that you are strong in the Spirit. 00:42:38.520 |
So we pray, Father God, that your Holy Spirit would lead and guide.