All service songs used by permission. CCLI #425103
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Our text tells of the gospel reaching all
the earth in a short period of time. What the church has failed to do for
2,000 years will be accomplished quickly during the tribulation.
Signs of the times are everywhere. Don’t
allow your mind to become dull to that fact, just because you’ve heard
preaching like that for years. The rapture could occur at any moment,
ushering out all who’ve been born again, and ushering in the Great
Tribulation.
Wed. nite we began dealing with this
question: “Will anyone be saved during the tribulation?” The clear answer:
Yes! But not you!!
The first half of the tribulation will be
bad enough once all the Christians are removed from the earth along w/ the
Holy Spirit in their hearts. Add to that they hysteria over millions
missing, the war, famine, disease, and natural disasters we spoke of last
week, and the chaos, looting, lawlessness, etc.
But there will then be a lull before the big
storm, which is the 2nd half of this 7 year period. The
antichrist will seemingly succeed at bringing peace to the world...even to
the Middle East. But it won’t last long. The perfect storm of the ages is
already brewing on the horizon.
Revelation 7 can help us fill in some of the
blanks about what Mt. 24:14 is saying.
1.The Symbolism of Revelation 7.
v. 1 four corners / four winds = symbolism
Corner = wings. This is a reference
to the compass, the 4 quadrants of the earth; the angel here is keeping the
wind from blowing in any direction.
But, is this a literal wind, or a
symbolic wind?
Do I interpret prophecy symbolically or
literally? Yes! Both.
Symbolism: find out what the symbol means,
then believe it literally!
I believe this wind is a symbolic wind.
The Learning Channel, recently did a
full documentary on wind…did you see that? They showed the importance of
wind to our eco-system…and revealed the fact that life on this planet is
dependant upon the wind, and that we could not survive w/out it…in a matter
of days, those of us on land would die.
Many times throughout the old and new
testaments, wind is used symbolically for judgment.
Prov. 1:27
27
When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction
cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon
you.
Hosea 8:7
7
For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind:
Hosea 13:15
15
Though he be fruitful among his brethren, an east wind shall come, the wind
of the LORD shall come up from the wilderness, and his spring shall become
dry, and his fountain shall be dried up: he shall spoil the treasure of all
…
In Rev. 7:1, these 4 angels are holding back
the winds of judgment…momentarily, because God wants to do something very
important. We are in the tribulation, but the trials of the tribulation
stop, if only for a moment.
Let’s move from the Symbolism of ch.
7 to...
2. The Sealed of
Revelation 7.
2-4
Then vv. 5-8 names all those witnesses
sealed. A 5th angel! More powerful than the first 4…he’s giving
them orders. To seal in the foreheads 144k witnesses, 12,000 from each
tribe:
[By the way, the tribe of Dan is
missing…Jacob’s blessing upon Dan was negative…the tribe of Levi was plugged
into his place…perhaps the False Prophet will come from the tribe of Dan?]
Anyway, God has never been w/out witnesses,
in any age. There has always been a faithful remnant.
Even in Elijah’s day, when the
prophet thought he was the only one left, God reminded him that he had 7,000
others that had not bowed the knee to Ba’al.
This will be true in the
tribulation: God will have His spokesmen here on earth. It won’t be me, or
you, if you’ve been saved. For at the rapture, a great spiritual vacuum
will be created, and that spiritual vacuum is quickly filled by 144,000
Jewish evangelists / soul winners…12k from each of the 12 tribes.
Of course, there have been and are fanatical
groups today that claim to be the 144,000…an absurd thought, quite
ridiculous! JW’s revised their theology when their number finally exceeded
144k! And, they’re not Jewish.
Many Bible scholars speculate about how
these people get saved after the rapture, during the tribulation. I have an
answer for you…are you ready?…I don’t know! Nobody knows! We cannot have
an answer for everything.
(another example, at Armageddon the blood
will flow 200 miles like a river as deep as horse bridles, I don’t
understand how a war could be so horrendous, but I believe!
J. Vernon McGee: “some think they know what
blood type it will be!”)
Some think it will be thru gospel literature
left behind (Left Behind, the series…produced for the purpose of Christians
leaving it to their loved ones)
Others speculate they will be saved the way
the apostle Paul was, thru a personal appearance of Jesus Christ.
I tend to think they will put 2 and 2
together when the Christians depart, and will study the Bible for the first
time, believe, and will be converted!
Really, we don’t know how it will happen…but
one thing we do know, they will be saved, and it will be like 144,000 Billy
Grahams turned loose all at once, and their effect will be overwhelming…they
will be able to evangelize the world in a short period of time. Truly, the
church should be able to today, but we’re far too comfortable.
v. 3 “Sealed in foreheads.” Whether this
seal is visible or not--we don’t know. But we do know that it guarantees
them God’s protection until His purpose in their life is fulfilled.
Satan will hate them / antichrist
will loathe them…and they would annihilate them in short order if they
could, but once they are sealed / stamped “private property of God
Almighty”, they are guaranteed protection by God, until He’s done w/ them!
I’m happy to report that if you’ve been born
again, you enjoy that same protection. You’ve been sealed, Eph. 1:13, w/
the Holy Spirit, until the day of redemption, Eph. 4:30…that seal stamps you
as private property of God!
I can look back over the years and see times
when Satan made a bid for my life! And if it were not for God’s protective
hand, I would not be here today. How about you?
Ill.—motorcycle…topped out at 145, high
speed wobble, somehow corrected! / another time heading up a steep
canyon…got into gravel on shoulder…closed eyes, braced for impact! Suddenly
I was upright on the road, and it was like God said to me, “Don’t ever do
that again!”
I had some near death experiences as a teen
when I ran away. My guardian angel should receive hazard pay!
Bro. Jones falling thru ice…how did you get
out? “I don’t know!”
I’m not saying we’re invincible, not at all,
I may die during this message, but if I do, one thing is certain: God’s
purposes were totally and completely fulfilled in my life. I am protected
by God from start to finish, whenever that may be!
The seal guarantees the 144k protection,
even during the tribulation.
Symbolism of ch. 7 / Sealed of ch. 7…
3. The Saved of
Revelation 7.
v. 9-10
v. 13-15 “Thou knowest” = “search me!”
This group is not just Jews…this is a
massive group from all peoples / kindreds / tongues. Though we’re not told
specifically who these are, most scholars agree that these are the fruits of
the witnessing and soul winning done by the 144k…and they are in heaven in
this scene, during the tribulation because they were killed for their faith
in Christ…refused to worship the beast, and bow to the antichrist…they
wouldn’t take the mark of the beast, and it cost them their heads!
Let’s be clear about something right now.
No one in this room today will be saved during the tribulation (explain)
The Bible teaches that when you reject the truth, you receive a lie. Truth
is not something you can put into your pocket and save…you either use it or
lose it!
II Thess. 2
8
And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the
spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all
power and signs and lying wonders, 10 And with all
deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received
not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And
for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe
a lie: 12 That they all might be damned who believed not the
truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Matthew 24:24
For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew
great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they
shall deceive the very elect.
It’s like they say, “God, I don’t want to go
your way, I want to go my way” and God says, ok, I’ll give you a shove!
Some say: I’m gonna see if it all comes to
pass, and if it’s true, then I’ll get saved. Of you won’t get saved now
then you wouldn’t then.
Age of Grace…everything is working for you
Tribulation…so much is working against you
This is not a 2nd chance for
those who already rejected the gospel, but a last and only chance for those
who’ve never heard.
Symbolism / Sealed / Saved…
4. The Scene in
Heaven.
11-12
While a storm is brewing below, there’s
‘amen’ing and whooping and hollering at the incredible mercy of God that
saves this multitude out of the tribulation.
And there’s nothing wrong w/ getting excited
about the Lord. Sometimes around here I wonder if people think Amen’s are
billed at $50 each! They aren’t, they’re free, and it’s like sayin’ sic ‘em
to a dog so help me out!
You say, “I think church should be
dignified”
I do too, if you’re talking about
things being done decently and in order, especially in how we conduct our
business, but this isn’t about business, it’s about praise! Some people
don’t know the difference between dignity and rigor mortis!
16-17
These are the martyrs who’ve been beheaded
by guillotine, killed for their faith during the tribulation. But those
tears won’t last long!
Some of the tenderest memories of childhood
are having my tears dried by mom or dad. We have the same experience w/ our
kids now. They’re at that age where they act so pitiful if they’re spanked,
or something doesn’t go their way, and their crocodile tears sometimes take
them places w/ us…because it breaks our hearts to see them cry!
We’ve got one who really needs it lately,
and oh how she cries, like we we’re selling her into slavery! I told
Kimberly, she’s thinking, “Hey, I thought we had a deal: I be cute, and you
don’t spank me!”
Don’t you look forward to the day you can
sit on the knee of the heavenly Father, as He wipes away the tears of every
injustice you’ve ever suffered…they will be made right / problem…gone /
question…explained / every tear wiped away. God doesn’t delegate this job
to the angels, oh no, God Himself shall wipe away all tears from our eyes,
personally!
I look forward to that day, you? Will you
be there? Will you be here? There’s a storm warning...it’s brewing on the
horizon. See the signs of the times and get saved or get right as needed.
Then let’s get busy working, and watching for the return of our Lord!
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