In this sermon, the preacher focuses on the book of Revelation, specifically chapter 4. He emphasizes the importance of understanding that Revelation is a book of revelation, not a mystery. The preacher describes the scene in heaven, where John sees a throne with someone sitting on it, surrounded by a rainbow. He also mentions the presence of twenty-four elders wearing white robes and crowns of gold. The preacher encourages the audience to focus on the message of Revelation and not get caught up in analyzing every word.

So if you'll turn to Revelation chapter 4 please, and if you've got your little paper there you will have noticed that I've put on the little list down the side a rough survey of what we are going to look at in this next section, and you'll see that it's announcing our first parenthesis or brackets when we are moving up into heaven and we are going to see something taking place up there before we go back down onto the earth to observe what's going to take place at that place. Now keep remembering the rules please for understanding this revelation. It's not a book called the mystery, it's a book called the revelation. You have to hear it, read it, keep it. You mustn't take away from it or add to it. Try to get the message that's facing you in the face, the steak on the plate, and not be too interested or caught up on digging under every word to see if there's anything underneath it. Just get the full-blooded message that comes staring you straight in the face and you'll find yourself not wandering too far. And we found in the first chapter John is the writer, the information he's receiving is receiving from the risen Christ, and then he gave him the key to open up this for us. Write the things that you've seen, past tense, the things which are present tense, and the things that shall be hereafter. And we saw that in chapters two and three last week there were all of the comments Christ made about the seven churches. And he referred to their past, and he referred to their present state, and reminded them at that present time to make any adjustments necessary or else it could affect their future. And each of the letters finished with, He that hath an ear, hear what the Spirit saith to the churches, to the churches, to the churches. It had nothing whatsoever to do with the pagans of the world. But now from chapter four, verse one, to almost the end of Revelation, you will find that the comments are spoken to those who have ears to hear, hear. That's because whoever's on the earth remaining after four one is not in the church, they are in the world. And even if they end up turning to faith at that time, they will not be in the church. From Genesis through to the cross, all those who were believers are of a household of faith and will share the new planet and the new atmosphere for all eternity with God, but they are not in the church. The church is a special organism started at the day of Pentecost, compiled of individual people all over the world, in whom Jesus Christ lives by his Holy Spirit. They are in Christ, and Christ is in them. And when the church ceases at the rapture, any coming to faith after that will be, as it were, of the household of faith, but they won't be in the unique position of being in Christ, in the church. And in the book of Ephesians, and chapter 2, Ephesians 2, you will see that there is a purpose for the church. In verse 6, we read, "...and hath raised us Christians up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in the key in Christ Jesus." It's a position in Christ Jesus. "...that in the ages to come," now that term, ages to come, would be better rendered, "...in the endless ages yet to come, he might show the exceeding riches of his grace and his kindness towards us through Christ Jesus." In other words, the church of Jesus Christ, in that new eternal kingdom, on his new earth and new atmosphere, will be a means of a reminder and a display to all of those from Genesis to the cross, and those from the completion of the church, right through to where on the new kingdom, of how good he had been by his goodness to all nations, all down through that period, in saving people and placing them in that special body, the body of Christ, the church, the bride of Christ. And so, any other remarks in Revelation, right up until near the end, are made to the people that are not in Christ at all. So now in 4.1, we read, "...and after this," after what? After the past and present, we are now going to move into taking a look at a future event. And John is writing, not verbatim, what he's hearing. Remember, he's been asked to describe in the day vocabulary he had, what he is seeing. So he's limited in words to describe what he's seeing, and his description is the best he can make of what is divinely inspired, and that is the vision. So don't start digging in behind the words, thinking is each word Holy Spirit-inspired. He's been asked to go ahead and describe in his own vocabulary what he sees, not what he hears, and he's doing his best with his vocabulary. "...and after this I looked, and behold, a door was opened in heaven, and the first voice which I heard was it were of a trumpet talking with me." Now remember that in the first chapter, we are told that John heard a voice behind him as of a trumpet saying, "...and Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, it was the Lord himself." So here is the Lord doing the speaking, saying, "...come up hither." And it's an invitation from the voice like a trumpet to leave the earth and come up hither into heaven. Now in 1 Corinthians chapter 15, verse 51, we read these words, "...behold, I show you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye at the last trump, or trumpet, for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed." And in the first book of the Thessalonians, and chapter 4, we read in verse 16, "...for the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with a voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with him in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. So shall we be ever with the Lord, where for comfort one another with these words." And so in Revelation 4.1, you're having this vision being described of John of a future event, which is the rapture of the church. The trump of God, the voice of God, who will sound that voice and say, come up here, and John as representative of the church is caught up into heaven. Come up here. And then we read in the end of verse 1, "...and I will show you the things which must be hereafter." Now that means that he's now going to view all sorts of events from heaven. And what we're now going to read from this point on is after the church is caught up into heaven. And he's going to see it from up there. Therefore, he is showing us that the church, in accordance with other scriptures, is delivered from the wrath to come. We do not go through this awful wrath that's going to be poured out, which is described in another part of Revelation that will come to it a later week, as the wrath of the lamb. We do not get the wrath of a lamb. In fact, it's an unusual thing to think that lambs could be angry. They're usually peaceful, playful things. But here, we're going to see a new thing from heaven. That's the wrath of the lamb. Now, of course, John the Baptist said of Christ, behold, the lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. And in another part of Revelation, the church is at the supper of the lamb, the marriage feast of the lamb. And so for us, he's the lamb that takes away the sin of the world. For them, he's the lamb of wrath that's going to wreak his vengeance on all those that rejected him and would not have him. But for us, we do not go through that. Now, this has been pictured in type in the Old Testament. Jesus was the one that said, as in the days of Noah, so shall also the days be of the coming of the Son of Man. So if you want a good idea of what to look for as signs of the end times, go study Noah. And everything you see happening in that day until the day that God shut the door of the ark, you will discover hints of what to observe in your society prior to my coming again. And if you go back and read Genesis, you will find that prior to the Noahic flood, it has these words to state, the whole earth was corrupt and filled with violence. So two of the hallmarks of the warnings of the coming of Christ is corruption and violence all over the world. I think we're getting near. Also, you will discover that the last breakthrough that really was the limit of God's endurance of the wickedness of man on the earth that made him say, that's it, now I have to take action, was when the spirit world crossed over the bounds it was not supposed to cross over and began to openly physically communicate with people on the earth. Angels crossing the boundary that they were not allowed to cross over. And there was a burst through of the spirit world to open communication with people on the earth. So one of the things you will look for towards the coming of Christ is when society is openly beginning to be actively involved in spiritism and in demon worship and in getting in touch with the spirit world and where the spirit world is going to not only spiritually communicate to people on earth, but they're going to cross over that barrier again. And once more, there will be open intercommunication between the people on the earth and the spirit world. Do you know anything of that happening in your community and in your country? The answer is yes. In the last 10 to 15 years, the vast increase in the occult and in the dabbling of the things of the spirit world have increased tremendously, even to physical communication between that world and this. And one of the things you will observe in Genesis 6 prior to the flood was that the line of distinction between the descendants of Cain, who were that of that murderer, an unrighteous person and self-righteous person that founded the evil side of society, almost that disappears. And the godly line through Seth, the two lines almost that blend prior to the flood so that they're almost indistinguishable. And no wonder Jesus says, when I shall come back, shall I find faith on the earth? Will I be able to distinguish between the Christian and the non-Christian? Will there be such compromise that the line of the world and its godlessness and the line of the Christian that was to be distinct and separate and holy, will it be so near to intertwining with each other that it will be difficult to tell the difference? I think we're getting pretty near the coming of Christ. It's getting that we go to churches now and you could not tell the difference between the converted and the unconverted because there's so much of both of those worlds intermingling with each other. But now we're being shown a church that's been drawn out of that, up into heaven. And when Noah and his family entered the ark, they were carried above that judgment. They could observe it from the windows of the ark, the floods of judgment over the entire planet. And they were safe and harmless, caught up by the grace of God, sealed in and shut in by the grace of God to the ark of the salvation. A wonderful picture of the rapture of Christ, that we shall be caught up above the judgment, sealed into Christ, protected and preserved, so that we will observe it from heaven, as John is going to do now in his vision, but we will not be in it or of it. We are out of it. And all God's people said, Amen. I don't know if you're relieved, but I'm relieved. And I am so glad that when I read what's going to take place now, I am glad I'm not going to be there. That's why I'm not all that concerned about getting all the details right. When I see the horrors of what the unconverted are going to go through that are left behind, the thing it makes me want to do is be more evangelistic and get more of them to escape that awfulness that's yet to come. And immediately, verse 2, I was in the Spirit. Yes, no longer physical beings. We're up there in the presence of God, and we're worshipping him in spirit and in truth. And behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a stardust stone. And there was a rainbow round about the throne in sight like unto an emerald. And round about the throne were four and twenty seats. And upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting clothed in white raiment, and they had on their heads crowns of gold. So John at the present time is now viewing a scene in heaven. And there is the Lord on his throne. And at either side of them are twenty elders clothed in white raiment. Who are they? We're not told. Speculators have come up with the idea you're twelve apostles and the twelve heads of the tribes of Israel. Who knows? We're not told. All we know is that there in heaven is the king on his throne, and he has his leadership around him, his elders for eternity with him. And they had on their heads crowns of gold. And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices. And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God. Now remember that seven is the scriptural number of divine perfection. And so what you're seeing here is a description of the absolute total holiness and perfection of the one sitting on the throne. And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto a crystal. And in the midst of the throne and round about the throne were four beasts full of eyes before and behind. And the first beast was like a lion. The second beast like a calf. The third beast had the face of a man. And the fourth beast was like a flying eagle. And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him. And they were full of eyes within. And they rest not day and night saying, holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was and is and is to come. Now if you go back in your own reading time we haven't tonight and read the first chapter of Ezekiel, you'll see it is a replica description of the seraphim. The seraphim that are the winged creatures with four faces of Ezekiel's vision that he saw around the throne that spent their time day and night giving glory to God. Glory to God. And so here you're seeing again that same throne and this glorification of God and this great focus in on his holiness before we see his judgment. Now that is an order that you know that he is just in what he is going to do. And that he would not be God if he were not just. And the old philosophy of the enemy that surely if God is love he would never spank any of us for being naughty. God is holy. God is pure. God is just. He will never forgive sin. He has never forgiven sin. He punished Christ for it. By our trusting Christ we are not punished. We are forgiven because Christ took the punishment that God has never forgiven sin. And even in the days of Noah the warning went out for 400 odd years. And then for a final hundred and twenty as it got nearer he is declaring I'm warning you it's coming. The judgment's coming. Don't leave me with an alternative. But to do it you could just repent that they wouldn't. They left God with no alternative. He has to meet out his just judgment. But he's not in a hurry. He's very long suffering and even the book of the Old Testament finishes with the people of God getting impatient and saying why don't you come and do something about this. Why do people in our community get away with raping women on the way home. Mugging old ladies and robbing their handbags. All of this immorality and debauchery and permissiveness. Countries being crooked and robbing left right and center. Misusing charity funds and stealing killing the poor and all of this and terrorism. Why God don't you come and judge them. And he says in Malachi chapter 3 oh I'm coming. Don't panic guys I'm coming. But you understand when I come I start with the church. Oh could you make it next month. Have a few things to tidy up before you get here. Then if you want mercy for the church allow me the dignity of allowing the world as long as I can give them to change their mind because I'm not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. Please allow me more time to get the message out and more time to see if men will change. But I am so holy so righteous so just that if they leave me with no alternative when the time comes judgment will come. And that's why these creatures are saying holy holy holy Lord God almighty which was and is and is to come. And when those beasts give glory and honor and thanks to him that sat in the throne who liveth forever and ever the four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne and worship him that liveth forever and ever and cast their crowns before the throne saying thou art worthy oh Lord to receive glory and honor and power for thou has created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created. Now would you please note one of the basic reasons for the creation of everything including you and I by God was to bring pleasure to his heart. How much pleasure since we last week have you brought to the heart of the almighty? Has he had lots of fun and joy and happiness and pleasure? Has it been a delight to know that he gave you life? Has it been a delight to know that he forgave and saved you for Christ's sake and forgave your sins? Has it been a week where he's been thrilled that you're his child? Here is the purpose of God behind our creation to bring pleasure to his heart. Isn't it amazing that these creatures who are created to worship God do so that we the mere human beings created in his image that they are not created in. We are the ones created in the image of God and have the capacity to receive total God in our lives and to have freedom to worship. I wonder if we've ever really worshipped like that. You know the more I listen to services the more I'm convinced the Christians haven't a clue what worship is. They have no real thankfulness, glory, honor, majesty, power, dominion to him. There's so very little real worship these days and I saw in the right hand of him that sat in the throne a book written within and on the backside sealed with seven seals and I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, who is worthy to open the book and to loose the seals thereof. Who has a right to open this book and pour out the commencement continuation and conclusion of a just judgment on godless people in the godless world and the answer is not us. We are not the judges and no man in heaven nor on earth neither under the earth was able to open the book neither to look thereon and I wept much because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book neither to look thereon. One of the elders said unto me weep not. Behold the lion of the tribe of judah the root of david have prevailed to open the book and to loose the seven seals thereof. Yes he has already done all the work necessary to earn the right to be the only one to break each of these seals of judgment that are about to be broken to release their judgments on that godless world. He's waited a long time no wonder he set his face like a flint to the cross put up with the ignominy having the hair pulled from his face being spat on his back whipped like a plowed field a crown of thorns jammed on his head being told he was indwelt by the prince of demons that he was a madman that he was of the devil and they despised him they rejected him yet they couldn't accuse him of one sin and yet he didn't resist and he allowed them to take him and crucify him because he knew my turn is coming. I will truly earn the right to have my revenge in my enemies and I beheld in law in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts and in the midst of the elders stood a lamb as it had been slain suddenly he sees the lord in all his redemptive glory standing there as the one that took the punishment for sin having seven horns and seven eyes which are the seven spirits of god sent forth into all of the earth and here you're being shown beyond a shadow of a doubt his equality with the almighty god already declared to be seen in the throne it is your father son and holy spirit in totality our one god three in one all co-equal co-existent with each other and here he too is being shown to be that very god of very god and at that moment the whole world will know all the theological discussions all the university debates on whether or not jesus christ was indeed divine will no longer be essential they will agree of course they didn't need to wait that long they should have gone and asked the demonic kingdom for the demons even when christ was on the earth were the first to declare what are we to do with thee thou son of the most high god thou holy one it always amazes me that the demons always recognize christ is divine it's just the theologians that have the problem why don't they go and ask the devil he would agree because he believes and he trembles that's the amazing thing the demonic kingdom are evangelical and don't ever forget that they believe every word of this book james tells us the demons believe and tremble because they're so sure of what's coming that's why when he marched on earth into the first synagogue at capernaum that the people saw him waiting to read the scrolls that were brought to him and as people came in probably they knew without looking at the sound of footsteps coming down the aisle who was coming next oh that's all aggie you can tell aggie's coming in she's got that wee bit of a shuffle that's her with that weathered hand she's coming in we know her shuffle we needn't look around that's nobody new we don't need to see who's that stranger we know that it's aggie oh there's all there's all there and now we can tell that heavy grunt and that heave of his big fat body down the aisle to his usual old seat we can tell him yes they knew everybody that came and had their own seat in the synagogue so much so that even their hips had created an impression in the stone seat you didn't dare sit in somebody's seat that's my sheet i've been sitting here for nigh on 95 years you know yes and jesus stood up to read the scriptures and one of their most regular old members suddenly stood up as a spokesman for the demonic kingdom and said what are we to do with thee thou son of the most high god have you come to torment us and it was a demon suddenly speaking through somebody that was regarded up until now as a very religious person all was in the right place in the lord's day as it were every sabbath there he was and now he's a spokesman on behalf of the whole demonic kingdom and he's saying are you here early the actual greek is have you come to annihilate us before the time you see they so fear and tremble their coming judgment that when christ started to preach his very first sermon in capernaum they thought oh is he here already oh what have we got to do with you you son of the most high god have you come to annihilate us before the time and jesus cast the demon out of the man then the theologians began their discussion about how can this man has he been through our seminary where did he get his learning isn't this the carpenter's son let's have a debate on it they couldn't even see that the demon kingdom was in their terror thinking he'd come to judge already and now the craft of the enemy is to teach you to be philosophically more modern and intelligent and surely in these modern days you don't still believe in a devil do you and they're trying to get you to disbelieve what they believe to be true and they tremble and here he is holy god total god on the throne and he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat on the throne and when he had taken the book the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the lamb having every one of them harps and golden vials full of odors which are the prayers of saints it's amazing harps you know who created the first harp can you remember the mention of the first harp in the bible it was the descendants of cain the murderer they were the first to produce music incidentally were the offspring of the murderer something of the very harmony and melody and inner deep joy of heaven went out when cain refused to repent and went out into a separateness from god by choice and it was his descendants that grew up aware that something's amissing and invented music it's amazing they're still at it trying to fill a vacancy within with a song of man's making rather than the very song or melody of the lord in a person's life bringing back in the real harmony from heaven there's a difference between the harps of cain and the harps of heaven and the golden vials full of odors which are the prayers of the saints the church members people all down the ages who've been ascending up with prayers all those prayers were stored this is god's evidence not only his own holiness not only the holiness of a lamb slain but the holiness of every prayer that was ever put up saying oh lord see what they're doing to us avenge us from the blood of abel and all the prophets right down the age of the martyrs every prayer latimer and ridley their prayer all the prayers that have gone up because of being put to death for the truth of the word of god god says i heard them you thought i didn't because they still put the match to the faggots and burned you to death because they still stoned you they still took you put you between planks and sawed you in two as they did with isaiah i saw it i heard your cry i stored it up these prayers are my evidence that i am just in what i'm about to do you see all of this scene in heaven is giving us the meat on the plate that before we ever see any of those seals open don't say when it happens it is not fair it is not fair i'm a god that made you for my pleasure you've never given me any pleasure i'm the god that's still almighty and on the throne that's truly worshipped in heaven but not in the earth i am the very lamb i'm the very god of god that came to the earth and beyond a shadow of a doubt took the punishment for the sin of the whole world and i am the lamb slain and i'm here with the proof and the marks and my hands and my feet for what you have done to me when i was on the earth and you hear the music of the melody that i put in the hearts of my people different from your earthly music that always leaves you empty and see bring forth the proof of all my prayers the cries of all those that have suffered for the truth of god and they sung a new song saying thou art worthy to take the book and to open the seals thereof for you were slain you have redeemed us to god by your blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation and has made us unto our god kings and priests and we shall reign on the earth yes we were the minority but we are going to be the majority hang on guys everybody that laughs at you down your street for being one of those jesus freaks one day we are going to be the majority and i beheld and i heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders and the number of them that was ten thousand times ten thousands and thousands of thousands how many you can't count them that's what it's saying an innumerable number saying with a loud voice worthy as the lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing in every creature which is in heaven and the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea and all that are in them heard i saying blessing and honor and glory and power be unto him that sitteth upon the throne and unto the lamb forever and ever and it would appear that even the very creatures of creation can communicate to their maker and give him glory and honor and the four beasts said amen so be it and the four and twenty elders fell down and worshiped him that lived forever and ever and i saw when the lamb opened one of the seals yes he has the right to do this all the evidence is there that's what that chapter showing the evidence of his right to do what he's about to do and i heard as it were the noise of thunder one of the four beasts saying come and see he didn't say go and be in it but come and see yes as a church you're going to observe it but now you will see the value of all those years of being misunderstood all those laughs and jives and taunts from people that thought you were a jesus freak and one of those silly believers now you're going to be able to observe their end and i saw and behold a white horse and he that sat on him had a bow and a crown was given unto him and he went forth conquering and to conquer just turn over quickly to revelation 19 and verse 11 and i saw heaven opened and behold a white horse and he that sat upon him was called faithful and true and in righteousness he does judge and make war his eyes were as a flame of fire and on his head were many crowns and he had a name written that no man knew but he himself and he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood and his name is called the word of god and john wrote in john 1 1 and the word was with god and the word was god and the word became flesh and dwelt among us jesus christ himself the risen conquering king of kings and lord of lords now having his chance to unsheathe his sword and to arm his bow and to go forward to conquer and when he had opened the second seal verse 3 i heard the second beast say come and see and there went out another horse that was red and power was given to him that sat there on to take peace from the earth and that they should kill one another and there was given unto him a great sword a great sword in matthew 10 in verse 34 matthew 10 and verse 34 we read these words think not says jesus that i am come to send peace in the earth i am come not to send peace but a sword for i am come to set a man at variance against his father and the daughter against their mother and the daughter-in-law against their mother-in-law and a man's foe shall be they of his own household he that loveth father and mother more than me is not worthy of me and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me and he that taketh not his cross and followeth after me is not worthy of me he that findeth his life shall lose it and he that shall lose his life for my sake shall find it and in that great future time there will be the release in full vent and fury the one who's given the power to take peace from the earth and yet men today are are working hard to bring about peace but there shall be no peace unless they come to know their god and people will end up killing one another and there was given to him a great sword and families will be turning against families people will be killing people left right and center violence no respect even for relationship ties no loyalty anymore within a family a child will slay a father a mother a mother will slay a child i preached an attempt not too far from here a few years ago and observed a lady bringing in a whole group of teenagers some of whom came to christ that night and i heard two weeks later she was now in jail for having stabbed her husband to death with a carving knife in their kitchen yes people who can pretend to be godly or as paul put it to timothy in the last days there will be people with a form of god likeness but denying the power thereof and it's no surprise that when that rapture takes place the world has people like that and there will be just absolute lawlessness but it is part of the judgment upon them they're getting what they wanted the right to do their own thing they are doing their own thing and it's all folding in on top of them that is one of the things that this seal reveals and when he had opened the third seal i heard the third beast saying come and see and i beheld and lo a black horse and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand and i heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts saying a measure of wheat for a penny three measures of barley for a penny and see thou hurt not the oil in the wine great time of scarcity of famine of food shortage all over the world one begins to think the imminent return of christ could be any time and when he had opened the fourth seal i heard the voice of the fourth beast saying come and see and i looked and behold a pale horse and his name that sat on him was death and hell followed with and power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth to kill with the sword with hunger with death and with the beasts of the earth there's going to be an awful event at that time on the earth here it's being announced up there in heaven john's watching all this and he's being shown what's going to take place down there once christ says the time has come for the judgment to begin and there's not only going to be famine there's going to be a quarter of the world's population be destroyed with the sword wars through hunger through all sorts of cataclysms and the question that often jumps into the mind of a person is that well surely if the world suddenly saw tomorrow that quarter of the population was being diminished they would say revelation said that it's true let us believe no they're getting so inured to death so hardened to it by the spirit of the age that we turn on our radios or television and it says today a wave went up the bay of bengal 20 000 people died we say when's eastenders on when's eastenders on have we missed neighbors a great earthquake in south america landslides mudslides thousand died hurricane sweeping people being dead by the thousands all over the place i wonder if miss martle's on tonight you know within two days so what so what i'm still here you know when i was in belfast this year about two minutes to 11 a massive explosion took place and i leapt out of bed in fact i think i leapt out of my pajamas and the bed and i dashed into the hallway and the man of the house just looked into the hallway and said billy have you heard it it didn't hit you go back to bed and i went back to bed and put my radio on for the 11 o'clock bbc news and it said we've just had a bulletin come through from northern ireland that a mortar rocket and shell attack on the main police headquarters has just taken place and they're not too sure just what has happened that was just a few yards around the street from where i was but i was amazed at the calmness of the man billy have you heard that it never hit you go back to bed a sense in which we're still here and death doesn't mean much anymore death doesn't mean and of course lots of the media is hardening us day by day for these kind of things even in a christian school i'm ashamed to say that we took them on a bus trip two weeks ago to see the james herriot country all creatures great and small around the dales those lovely little runs that you get on that movie and we brought them back and we thought how better now to show them for the evening the video of all creatures great and small one of the long videos by the time the video emptied and the lights went up there was only about four or five still waiting to see the end of it even in a christian school they yawned and left why it was clean even for christians a movie is no longer a movie unless there's blood and guts pouring downstairs people being knocked through windows with glass spears through their eyeballs and dead we're so hardened to death it doesn't matter so in a bond film you blow up a whole airline there are 400 people to get the kgb agent that was sitting in seat six who cares and we watch these things and we little realize that we're being slowly hardened to the loss of life that just doesn't matter anymore an announcement is made thousands died and we say it's for breakfast they won't notice even at that future time that john's describing the world will have a morning bulletin and a reason acceptable to the rest of the community as to why these events have taken place and when he had opened the fifth seal i saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of god and for the testimony which they held and they cried with a loud voice saying how long oh lord holy and true dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell in the earth and white robes were given unto every one of them and it was said unto them that they should rest yet for a little season until their fellow servants also and their brethren that should be killed as they were should be fulfilled and i beheld when he had opened the sixth seal and lo there was a great earthquake and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair and the moon became as blood and in the book of isaiah you get the prophecies regarding the end times where there is going to be a great conflagration in the stars where planets and heavenly bodies are going to move and the earth itself its axis will change and this earth like a spinning top slowing down is going to reel and totter and there'll be awful havoc on the earth and the stars will be part of that program and the stars of heaven fell to the earth even as a fig tree casts her untimely figs when she's shaken of a mighty wind and the heaven departed as a scroll when it's rolled together you don't need to go into revelation go and read your science books and say that the whole of our milky way is spiraling towards its climax and we are going to end up with some great conflagration in the heavens and our system will implode upon itself and all the black hole theories etc etc all explain the bible states it in john's language the heavens will be departed as a scroll when it's rolled together and every mountain and island when moved out of their places is going to be an awful to do up there it will affect the whole planet earth surfaces will move tidal waves chaos around the planet and the kings of the earth and the great men and the rich men and the chief captains and the mighty men and every slave and every free man hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains and they said to the mountains and rocks fall on us you'll notice there is no sign of repentance none of this is moving them to repent and hide us from the face of him that sits in the throne and from the wrath of the lamb there it is because now the world is beginning to admit he's coming this is the judgment but we're not repenting for the great day of his wrath has come and who shall be able to stand who shall be able to stand yes the sixth seal and when we come together next week you will find that we're going to move into another parenthesis before we end up in chapter 8 seeing the opening of that seventh seal and moving on again to what's futuristic but we'll stop there for now and just ask if on the basis of what was said tonight there may be a question or two before we hand over yes yes but remember to whom he is speaking in matthew 24 he's not addressing a church he's addressing israel and his people israel a church commenced in acts 2 he is telling the reply of a question by his disciples about the tell us about the future and they are still thinking as jews as israelis even right up until the day of ascension peter's question to the lord before he ascended having been with him for 40 days as a risen christ is when are we going to get the kingdom back to israel when are we going to become a power on the earth and he simply said to him the times and the seasons for that are in the father's hand that's none of your business in a few days time you're going to get dynamite you're going to get power and be witnesses of me in other words that's nothing to do with you you're going to be in something completely new called the church the body of christ which is separate altogether from your feeling that you're part of that old testament history and that you're wanting to see the conclusion of all of those messianic promises about israel again on the earth with their king their god is their king ruling over them that's yet to come that's yet to come and he was describing in matthew something that had to do with his own people it had nothing to do with the church of god that was still a hidden mystery had the princes of this world known they would not have crucified the lord of glory he said to his disciples the things of the kingdom are still a mystery he only used the word church once in his whole ministry on the earth because it was something yet to come it was something that man could not understand hebrews chapter two and even into the epistles of peter even the prophet prophets were searching and inquiring what is this special salvation this special thing that's coming they couldn't understand even the things that prophesied because it was being hidden from the enemy that there was to be this special thing the church and when we are told that we are delivered from the wrath to come how can we then turn around and say that surely we should go through it as far as i can see one has to always remember that you can read all of scripture and know it's written all to us but not all specifically spoken to us and we can certainly learn a lesson from what we read and say what lesson is there in this for me but it's not all specifically spoken directly to us and we have to put it into its historical context and those remarks in matthew were before he went on to his passion his death his resurrection his ascension and today the commencement of his church and i know that there is a sense in which people want to go through tribulation well let them want to they'll get a prize all right now yes but i have already said that there will be those that will come into faith after the call out of the church who will be attached it was my opening remarks tonight who will be attached to the household of faith of those from able right to the commencement of the new creation in the new heavens and new earth that are not particularly in the body you see that's why jesus said that the littlest baby christian in christ in the church will be better than john the baptist who was the greatest and last of the prophets at that time that he spoke in other words if two seconds before the rapture you're sitting in your kitchen and lead a little child to christ and that child is just finished saying lord jesus come into my heart and be my personal savior and suddenly the rapture takes place that child is greater than john the baptist than any old testament saint why because that child is in christ in the church john the baptist was never in the church had peter died the evening before pentecost he would have joined all the household of the old testament saints of faith but would never have been in the church and so after the church is removed there will be those who will come to faith those who did not get a chance to hear now that is clarified quite clearly in the second book of thesalonians and in chapter 2 when we read of the antichrist being released in the world to do his wicked work verse 8 and then shall that well if we look in verse 5 remember ye not that when i was yet with you i told you these things and now you know what's preventing the antichrist from revealing himself that he might be revealed in his time for the mystery of iniquity doth already work satan's already hard at work in this planet with his spirit of antichrist only he who now prevents him from having full sway will prevent him until he be taken out of the way now that's the presence of the holy ghost in the church and then when the church is out of the way 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 even him whose coming is after the working of satan with all power and signs and lying wonders and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish now why are they perishing because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved in other words they heard it but they did not receive it for this reason god shall send them a strong delusion that they should believe a lie in other words god is going to make part of his judgment descending into this earth of some great delusion some great lie that they all might be damned who believed not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness in other words all of that future judgment once the church is out of the way will be upon those who have the truth didn't love it had pleasure in unrighteousness and rejected it but there will be masses of people in the world at that time who never got the opportunity to hear and therefore did not reject so they will be evangelized at that time and as we'll see as we progress next week in all probability the jews themselves are going to become the world's evangelists once they believe and turn to god and will go around the world again trying to get people to believe in him before the final onslaught of the last battle okay anything else yes we are a special bride of christ we are his private property all through eternity the others have faith in god but they are not his bride they are not his special ones and we are with them at always like a man and a wife but they are relative they are our relatives as it were but they're not the wife yes they're going to be in the new planet and in the new earth they're saved but they are not in christ positionally in christ is a position for those who are saved in the day of grace and in the church the body of christ but after that body's complete and taken to heaven they'll never be in the body they'll be members of the new system but not especially in christ no the earth's going to be destroyed eventually and we're getting a new one which i'm looking forward to very much and we're all going to be in the new one we'll find by the end of revelation that on that new earth and atmosphere will be the church all your old testament saints and all those who believe that come out of the tribulation plus god and we're going to have a great time see you there yes anything else before we hand back yes well we'll all be in that new system but again we have to differentiate between his special group of people called the church the body of christ in particular within which there is neither jew nor gentile bond or free male or female but all one in christ jesus okay so don't fight for your equality down here ladies you're going to get it but the people who will not at the commencement of your period after the rapture there will be nobody down there that believes jesus is lord and left behind no there won't be anybody in christ when that rapture takes place all that's left on the earth are those who have been rejected and those who didn't hear but then after that when they are evangelized they will go through the tribulation they will be they have to die a mortal death yes everybody is appointed unto man once to die and after that the judgment all men have to experience physical death yeah well everybody tastes death everybody even at that rapturous moment when in the twinkling of an eye will change suddenly those of us who will be caught up to be in the air at that moment that will be almost the same thing experiencing death at that moment but suddenly realizing that now we've gone through that door we're alive forever more but it's appointed unto men once to die so every man must taste death can you look ahead well you can have a look ahead but doesn't mean to say i'll answer if i think you're going to be naughty i'll yeah well i would think that you see john is trying to describe something he's seen but remember outside of the kingdom the blessed kingdom of lord everyone who is godless and who never repented of those things and was forgiven jesus said they are going to where their worm dieth not and where there are wailings and gnashing of teeth so outside of that blessed state there are the lost who are lost for eternity but conscious of the judgment of all the sins that they ever committed and you see you do not tell a lie to become a liar you're up you tell lies because you are one you do not eat constantly to become a glutton it's because you're a glutton you eat constantly you see therefore outside of those who are not saved and have access to the tree of life are sorcerers whoremongers murderers idolaters and whoever loveth and maketh a lie and that's because they are that by nature and never repented of it and had their characters change and therefore they're in a lost eternity in the reality as they are with no possibility of change in all probability uh well there you see what you're actually seeing is a reversal of everything that shut down in genesis access to the tree of life was barred here you're seeing the tree of life access opened up all through your old testament period even right until today men are trying hard to gain control of the city of jerusalem and bash it into some sort of holy city fit for god to live in and god says no i don't want the earthly one there's a new one coming so he's showing the reversal of everything that man wants to do in his independence what he's going to do in reality so it's all picture form john's trying to describe in a vision that he's seen that everything that was broken down through sin and genesis is being reversed in revelation and so it's picture form all right so we'll close we'll close with our last hymn which is 238 thine be the glory