In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of executing vengeance upon the heathen and punishing the people. He references Bible verses that speak of abiding kings with chains and nobles with feathers of iron to execute judgment. The preacher also mentions the significance of singing a new song in the last days, specifically the song "Jesus is Lord." The sermon concludes with a reminder to read the book "The Great Falling Away Today" by Milton Green for further understanding.

Anyone receives a revelation in the Word of God, it sometimes conflicts with what he has previously been taught. This causes you to have to deal with old traditions or wrong teaching. These tapes may contain some new light from God's Word learned. Therefore, follow through these messages in your Bible, in sequence, in order that you may be able to make a choice for the Word of God rather than the traditions of men. This is tape number 16 in a series. We urge you to listen to all the tapes in this series in numerical order so that the whole teaching can be received and understood. Listening to a part of this series or to the teacher, the intent, and the importance of this series. Now, I want you to turn with me to Psalm 74. Psalm 74. Psalm 74. Now, what did I tell you? That the powers of darkness are of fire. Where is the temple? Show me. Is this a temple? Right. Where do you go to to meet? In a meeting house, don't you? That's not the church. It's a meeting house, isn't it? All right. They defile this temple. And when you see this manifestation roaring uproar, you know what you're talking about. And they are of fire. Now, this is another one of these scriptures. This is one of the most staggering scriptures that you'll see in the Word of God for today. I'd ask you not to go faster than what I'm going. Kind of stay with me and wait. Now, chapter 74, verse 1. Oh God, why has thou rejected us forever? Why does thine anger, you know what Paul, is anger, don't you? Why does that anger smoke? That means anger against the sheep of thy pastor. He's angry against the congregation, right? The church. Remember, now you're going to see Jesus right in the middle of this. I want you to know what he's talking about. And it's about right now. Verse 2. Remember what? Thy congregation which thou hast purchased of old, which thou hast what? Redeemed to be the tribe of thine inheritance, and Mount Zion where thou hast dwelt. That's a church. He's talking about the church and a sheep of his pastor. Turn thy footsteps toward the perpetual ruins. It's there in the church, but mark that perpetual ruins. The enemy, and you're going to see it's them. The enemies have damaged everything within the what? May I point you to something right here? Right there. The enemy has damaged everything within the sanctuary, and right here, they're in this temple right here, and thine adversaries, you know who they are? You know where they are when you see they roared. Do you know what kind of adversaries you're talking about? Your adversaries have roared in the midst of thy meeting place. If we had time, I'd turn with you to Amos, I believe it's four, and I could show you that the powers of darkness roar. The enemy roars after he's captured it. Now look at me. You have just read about the perpetual ruins. Look at me. You'll read about the perpetual ruins. It's right here in the sanctuary and in the meeting house. Amen? Now we're going to go ahead and look at them and see what's happening right there. The adversaries have roared in the midst of the meeting place. That's the church house. All right? They have set up their own what? Standards for signs. Do you know what that is? That is the doctrines of demons. They've set up their own standard. This is a standard right here, and they have another standard. They've set up their own standard. It seems, now here you see the tree cutters. It seems as one is lifted up his axe in a forest trees. There they are. And now this carved work, they just smash with hatchet and hammers, which is going on right now. And they have burned. They are a fire. And they burn thy sanctuary. Here it is. Look at me. This sanctuary, these sanctuaries are being burnt to the ground just like a moth eating away and rottenness, just deterioration. Powers of darkness with sickness and disease. They have burned thy sanctuaries to ground. They have what? They have defiled the dwelling place of thy name. Will you please see that right here in these temples, they have been defiled. They are the dwelling place of the Lord. They are defiled because the living knife, the heart goes out to lust the flesh. And agreement with the powers of darkness, they move in the temples. They defile the dwelling place of thy name. And they said in their heart, here's what the powers of darkness says. Let us completely subdue them. They have burned all the meeting places of God in the land. Is that clear? And so here it is today right now. You hear many people saying many, many different things. And in the midst of all that, you wonder, well, what is right in all this? Well, here you are in verse 9. We do not see our signs. There's no longer any prophet, nor is God with this adversary reviled. And the enemy has spurned thy name forever. Why doth thou not just withdraw thy hand, even thy right hand, from within thy bosom, and destroy them? Look here, here's the way the Lord is. He's letting them go. All the Lord has to do is just put out His hand. And that puts the end of that. But it said, yet, you're going to see Jesus. Here he is. Verse 12. Yet God is my what? King from of old, who works what? Deeds of deliverance. In the midst of their... Folks, is this pretty plain? Okay. 18. Remember this, O Lord, that the enemy has reviled, and a foolish people has spurned thy name. Verse 19. Do not deliver the soul of thy turtle up to the what? Don't deliver our soul to these demons, to the wild beasts. Do not forget the name of thy afflicted. And that's what they're doing forever. Consider this covenant right here, Lord. Verse 20. For the dark places, that's the churches that's full of darkness, like we read in Ezekiel 34. For the dark places of the land are full of the habitation of the darkness, who are perverting the law. Let not the oppressed return. That's what you got when you got to violence. Look here. You get the wild beasts, and then you have the affliction. Then the dark places, they bring the dark places. They bring violence. They bring oppression. Are you seeing that? It goes. 21. Let not the oppressed return dishonored. Let the afflicted and the needy, that's the sick, praise thy name. Do arise, O God, and plead thine own cause. Remember how the foolish man reproaches thee all day long. Do not forget the voice of thine adversaries. The what? So you know what adversaries you have. The uproar of those who rise against thee, which ascends continually. Which ascends continually. And now, I want to share with you. I want to show you a dead. I want to show you what a corpse looks like. We're now going to look at a corpse. Turn to Lamentations. It's between Jeremiah and Ezekiel. Jeremiah and Ezekiel. Lamentations. You in the back can't see this Bible. But right here above Lamentations, I've got corpse written. You're fixing to look and see what a dead body looks like. It's dead. This is the sorrows of the church. Of course, it's called Lamentations. It's a corpse. It's a dead body. Starting in chapter 1, verse 1. How lonely sits the church that was full of people. She's become like a what? Widow lost. Who was once great among the nations. She who was a princess among the providence. She has become a forced laborer. Judah, which is a type of the people of God. The church has gone into exile under what? Affliction. The powers of darkness. Under harsh servitude. That's exactly what's happening now. She dwells now among the what? The world nations. She has found what? No rest. There's no peace. All her pursuers have overtaken her. In the midst of distress. Do you see the distress right there? The roads of the church. The roads of the church are in mourning. Why? Because no one comes to the appointed priest. All her gates are desolate. That means a defense. Her preachers are groaning. The preachers are sick. Do you see that? The virgins are afflicted. Sick. And she herself is bitter. Verse 5. In this dead body corpse her adversaries, the demons, have become her masters. That's what the doctrines of demons do. Her enemies prosper. For the Lord has caused her what? That sounds like that sickness that I told you that he bore her griefs over in Isaiah 53 forward, didn't it? The Lord has caused her grief. Because why? The multitude of her transgressions against the covenant. Right? Her little ones have gone away as what? As captives before what? The adversary, the powers of darkness. Isn't that right? Isn't that plain? Okay. Let's look in verse 9, please. In verse 9. Her uncleanness, now you understand that's walking out of the flesh, was in her skirts. That's harlotry. She did not consider her future. Therefore she has what? Fallen astonishingly. That's apostasy. She has no comforter. Well, I wonder who that is. See, O Lord, my affliction. For the enemy has magnified himself. The adversary, the demons, have stretched out his hand over all her precious things. For she has seen the nations, and that's them, enter her what? She's seen them. Enter her sanctuary. The ones whom thou did command that they should not enter into the congregation. They were ordered not to enter into the congregation when they were under blessings. But when they broke covenant, they come in. Verse 11. All her people roam, they're sick. They're seeking what? Bread, the Word. But here's the problem. They have given her precious things, their silver and gold for food, and things to restore their life. What? They're going to do it some other way besides the Word. They're going to manufacture their own bread. See, O Lord, and look. For I am despised. Let's look in verse 14. The yoke of my transgression is bound. And by his hand they are knit together. They have come upon my neck. That's the yoke. He has made, that's the powers of darkness, has made my strength fail. And I want you to know that, you know, you're warned that you might have the strength to stand in the last days. Satan who weakens the nation, that's what they come in. They just start attacking you and just strength leaves. The Lord has given me into the hands of those against whom I'm not able to stand. The Lord has rejected my strong men, the flesh, I've been called to mean rejected them. In my midst he has called at appointed time against me to crush my young men. The Lord has trodden as in a winepress. You see that? The virgin daughter of Judah. For these things, verse 16, you're looking at a dead body. Did I tell you this is a corpse? For these things I weep. My eyes far from me is a what? Well, there we run into that again. Far from me is a comforter, the one who restores my soul. My children are desolate because the enemy, the demons have been prevailing. Apostasy. Look in verse 18. The Lord is righteous for I have rebelled against his word, against his command. I have rebelled against righteousness. Hear now, peoples, and behold my pain. This is Zion. Babylon. A corpse. A dead body. My virgins and my young men have gone into captivity. I called to my lovers of the world. Yes, sir, Babylon, but they deceived me. My pastors and my elders, leaders, have perished in the church city. While they sought food to restore their strength themselves. Chapter 2, verse 5. The Lord has become like a what? Did he say he's going to come as a thief? Are you seeing this over and over and over? He's become like the enemy, a thief. He has swallowed up Israel. He's swallowed up all these palaces of Babylon. He has destroyed its strongholds and multiplied in the daughter of Judah, mourning and mourning because they don't want to walk out of the blessings. They hold stubborn and stiff neck for the curses. Verse 13. How shall I admonish you and to what shall I compare you, O daughter of Jerusalem, the church, the dead church, captive church? To what shall I liken you as I comfort you, O virgin daughter of Zion? For your ruin is as vast as a sea. Who can heal you? Verse 14. Your prophets have seen for you false and foolish visions, lies and traditions. Now watch very closely and mark this good. They have not exposed your sins, your iniquity, so as you could be restored from what? Until you deal with the sins, you'll stay a captive. And if you get free, you'll not stay free if you still walk in them. And they have seen for you false and misleading oracles. Verse 16. All your enemies have opened their mouth wide against you. They hiss and gnash their teeth and they say, we have swallowed her up. Surely this is the day which we waited. We've reached it. I told you Satan's never been more successful than he is now. We've reached it. We have seen it. Verse 17. The Lord has done what he had purposed. He has accomplished his what? The word, the curse. That's what he said in his word. That's written, it's called a sword. Which he commanded from days old. That's the curse. He is thrown down without sparing. He has caused, the Lord has caused the enemy to rejoice over you. Who has caused it? The Lord has caused it. He has exalted the might of the demons. Your adversaries. Now look in chapter 3. I'm skipping a lot. Let's go in verse 10. This is the Lord. He is to me like a bear, lying in wait. There's your thief. Like a lion in secret places, the Lord has come. Sees no deliverance until there's a repentance. He is to turn aside my ways. He has what? Lord, you do to me and more if I don't walk in his covenant. He has made me what? Desolate. The fountain of the word. He bent his bow and set me as a target for the what? What did we read over there that those arrows do? They come right straight and go into your body, into your liver, your body. That's what I told you before. That's a little hard to handle when you first say it, isn't it? But the Lord has set a bow. He has set a target for the arrow. He's made the arrows, the arrows, these demons of his quiver to enter into what? That's a dead body. This is a corpse. The powers of darkness. Boy, I want you to know this is what vultures like. You know what the birds of the air, they like to come and eat up these dead bodies. Boy, I'll tell you what. If they're dead, they can just eat them right up. They can eat them right up. This is kind of heavy. Lamentations 3 looking 37. I'm going to add a few scripts. 37 through 42. 37. Who is there who speaks and it comes to pass unless the Lord has commanded it? Now, if you think the Lord does over in Deuteronomy. Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both good and ill go forth? Are you seeing that? Good and ill consummate the Lord. Amen. He's in control of it all. Now, why should any living mortal or any man offer complaint in view of his sins? Do you see that? Let us examine and probe our ways. Let us return, repent, change directions to the Lord. And then the next thing you can do, you can lift up our heart. And you can also lift up your hands. You want to know which direction? Toward God and heaven. In case you wonder if that's in the Bible. 42. Now, let's go to chapter 4. Boy, you have a lot of trouble with scorners and scoffers believing. Lamentations 4, verse 11. The Lord has accomplished his what? What follows? Wrath and anger? That's right. The Lord has accomplished wrath. He has poured out his fierce what? Anger. He's kindled a what? Fire. Where? In what? In the church which has consumed its what? That's what they come against the foundations. We already saw that in Luke 6. That they come against the foundation. And if you've got a foundation on sand, if you've got another foundation by this right here, you're going to be shook off and great was the fall. Is that right? Okay. Now, the king, verse 12. The kings, that's the leaders of the earth, did not believe. Nor did any of the habits of the world. A lot of people have a lot of problems believing about this. That the adversary of the demons, an enemy, could enter the gates of the church. They weren't supposed to be able to get in there, were they? Well, why did they get in in verse 13? Because the sins of her prophets and the iniquities of her pastors, shepherds, who have shed in their midst the blood of the righteous while they teach in form, religion, and many of these things to please folks and have the approval of men and whatever. Well, I don't have time to turn there to Amos 2, 4 through about 8 right there, but did you notice a corpse right here? Did you notice a few vultures, a few birds of the air just hanging around, just kind of eating away right there? Hey, listen. Was there going to be some vultures going to eat flesh in the last days? Oh, my. You know, they said that over in Israel that the buzzards are laying about three times more eggs now. Well, we sure want to keep our eyes on Israel over there. Let's don't look at this Israel. Let's just keep counting those birds over there looking at the vultures, and we won't see these birds eating us up, will we? Huh? Well, okay. Now, I want you to look with me, please, in Matthew 13. We might start shifting gears a little bit. I'm having to leave a lot of things out. I wish I didn't have to. Matthew 13, I want you to start reading with me in 36. Then he left the multitudes and went into the house, and his disciples came to him, saying, Explain to us the tares of the field. Now, that's supposed to be the tares you let grow up in a congregation, and then, huh? Well, let's see what this tares of the field is. And he answered and said, The one who sows the good seed is a son of man, and the field is the church. The field is a world. Those tares are not supposed to be in covenant with God's children. And the field is a world. I told you what it said before. And as for the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom, and the tares are the sons of the devil. Now, how can they walk and be in covenant with one? Huh? The field is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the ages, and the reapers are the angels. And therefore, just as the tares, just like the tares are gathered up, and they're going to be burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age. The son of man is going to send forth some angels. Right? He's going to send his angels, and they're going to gather out of this kingdom all who want a coming for old Babylon right there, the stumbling blocks, and those who what? Who walk and practice sin. Now, verse 49. So it will be at the end of the age, the angels shall come forth, and what are they going to do? They're going to take out the wicked from among the what? Well, how about that? Hmm. Some wicked folks are going to be taken out from among the righteous, it looks like. Well, let's look over in Luke 17, please. Luke 17. Luke 17. All right, we first look with me in verse 20. Now, having been questioned by the Pharisees to when the kingdom of God was coming, he answered and said, The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed. Verse 26, And just as it happened in the days of Noah, where some wicked didn't make it then, and the righteous did. Right? Amen. And what came to destroy them? Did you notice that there are two things that this destruction is called? A flood destroys and the fire destroys. Isn't that right? Isn't that real interesting? Of all the rock and roll actors, as the demons use these folks in the rock and roll to sing about the flood and the fire. And they put these little images on their pinball machines up there, and there sits a big old lion up there, the roaring lion. And on that lion, on that pinball machine, they chase the field and birds in the sky. And then coming out of that lion is a serpent's tail. And they're just drawing and getting their hearts and everything. And of course, no one knows. I could get into a lot of things, but let's get here. Verse 26, And just as it happened in the days of Noah, so it shall be also in the days of the Son of Man. They were eating. They were drinking. We read that in Matthew 24 before, it says peace and safety that were headed for destruction. It was in darkness. Is that what we saw earlier? Amen. They were eating, drinking. They were marrying. They were being given in marriage until the day that Noah entered the what? Ark. And then what came? Flood came. And what did it do? It destroyed them all. They say it's going to be the same way in the last days just like in the days of Noah. Okay, let's go on. 28, It was the same as happened in the days of Lot. The same way. They were eating. They were drinking. They were buying. Doing a lot of buying out there in the world. They were doing some selling. Boy, their hearts tied up in this world. They were planning on their plan. They're doing a lot of building. 29, But on the day that Lot went out of Sodom, it's going to be the same way. It rained what? There's the fire and the flood, my folks. And brimstone from heaven and destroy them. And that's going to come on the wicked. It's going to come on the wicked. Now verse 30, It will be what? Just the same on the day that the Son of Man is revealed. On that day let not the one who's on the housetop and who's what? The goods are in the house. Go down to take them away. Better not get your heart on any goods. And let no one who's in the field turn back. Remember Lot's wife. Will you please look at me? Now Lot's wife was part of the family of Lot who was supposed to be the righteous of Sodom and Gomorrah and this church of Babylon is called Sodom and Gomorrah. You see it in Jude. You see it in 2 Peter 2. You see it over there when we're talking about Babylon in 49, Jeremiah 49 and 50 and you watch for it because there are people who live to the flesh or that's what he compares them with right there. Now he came and got Lot and his family and he told them, now he says, I want you to get out of this place. I am destroying this place with fire. And so here goes the family don't look back to this place. And here they left. Here they left. And they start going and they start walking and Miss Lot, Miss Lot, Miss Lot, oh her heart was still back there son. Her heart was still back there in Sodom. Her heart was still back there in the world and she just had to turn around. Miss Lot just had to have one last look at her Sodom and she immediately became a pillar of salt because her heart was still there. And you are warned right there about your goods that's in the house. You're warned about Lot's wife. You're warned right then and you saw it. You've been warned by God to remember Lot's wife. Now, verse 33, whoever seeks to keep his life, carton's going to lose it. But whoever loses his life, you know that was my sake in the gospel, shall preserve it. That's covenant. Verse 34, we've already seen in Matthew 24, who is the one that's going to take them out and that's the flood that takes them out. And this is what this is saying. I tell you on that what? Night, this is a time of darkness. There will be two men in one bed. One will be what? Taken. The flood takes them. They go in the wrong direction and the other be left. There will be two women, there they are, they're grinding at the same place. One will be what? Taken. And the other be left. And two men will be in the field. One will be what? Taken. And the other be left. And he said to them, where are they going to be taken to, Lord? And he'll say to them, where this dead body is, there are also these vultures. They'll be gathered. They're the flood. They're the fire. They're the birds of prey. They're the birds of the sky. That makes it pretty plain, don't it? They eat on dead bodies. There's no defense. There's no defense for a dead body. Now, I want to show you something when I was talking about those birth things. I want to show you how they're coming. Please look with me back in Isaiah 13. Isaiah 13. Have any problem with this? Pretty plain? How did you fear God? What would you rather do, be alert and sober or would you rather be asleep? I'm going to tell you what. I'm going to read you some scriptures. We end this thing that God, in just a moment, a brief moment, is going to call out an escaped remnant by grace. You hear the Word? It's up to you. You can remember Lot's wife. You can remember the Word or your heart can go somewhere else. It's up to you. Did the Lord say that He, did He say that from His mouth goes both good and evil? Right? I can't hear you. Thank you. And then, from His bow He sends arrows. Right? And this is all the days that I'm going to come like a thief. Right? Here they are. Isaiah 13, verse 3. I've commanded my what? My consecrated ones. Look at that. My proudly, that's them, exalting ones, to execute my what? There it is. He uses them. He uses them before He destroys them. My proudly exalting ones, they are the ones that execute the anger. Do you see that plain? Now let's go and read about them. For a sound of tumult on the mountains, like that of many people, a sound of the uproar of the kingdoms of nations and the Lord of hosts is mustering the what? Army for battle. Did He call them an army? You know what? If I had time, I'd show you this army in Job. When Satan and his demons were turned loose on Job, if we had some time, I could show you where Job calls them his troops, the troops that come against him. I would go then to Nahum, and then I would take you to Joel, and we'd have time to look at the army that's around Jerusalem. This is army. It's an army. The Lord of hosts is mustering the what? The army for battle. They're coming from a far country, from the farthest horizons. Thank you. The Lord and His what? His instruments of indignation. Now what these instruments of indignation are, they are the flood, they are the fire, they are His proud, exalting ones. They are His war club that He destroys the shepherd and his flock we read about. Remember? And the ones that fall right after flesh. Let's go. To destroy the whole land. That's the day of judgment. Well, for the day of the Lord is near. Now I want you to know these things are being turned about in increased numbers. Well, for the day of the Lord is near. It will come as what? Destruction from who? Almighty. Now we saw this destruction in 1 Thessalonians 5 was going to be turned loose against all those who were saying peace and safety. They were in darkness. Is that right? Shake your head. Okay. Therefore all hands are going to fall limp and every man's heart will melt. They're going to be terrified. Pains and anguish will take hold of them. They're going to be very surprised too. They will writhe like a what? Woman in labor. Don't sound like that's giving birth to a church there, does it? That's the birth pains I was trying to tell you about in 1 Thessalonians 5. They will look at one another in astonishment. Be very, very, very shocked and surprised. Do you remember that virgins over in Matthew 25 that knocked on the door and couldn't get it open? They'll look at one another in astonishment. Their faces a what? Flame being burnt up. Powers of darkness. Behold the day of the Lord is what? It's coming. It's cruel with fury. And what? That's the burning anger. And it's going to make the land a what? It's the abomination that makes desolate. And He's going to exterminate what? The sinner from it. And where do you think judgment is going to begin? House of God. For the stars of their heaven and their constellation are not going to flash forth their light. The sun is going to be dark when it rises. The moon is going to shed its light. Now you know that's, they're not going to be, well I'm not going to get into all that right now. Verse 11. Thus I'm going to punish the world for its what? Evil. Sure doesn't look like he's just going to use Russia to punish the world, does he? Looks like Russia might get punished too, doesn't it? Thus I'll punish the world for its evil and the wicked, there it is, for their what? Their sin. I will also put an end to the arrogance of what? The proud. And abase the haughtiness of the ruthless. I will make mortal man scarcer than pure gold and mankind than the gold of Ophir. Therefore I shall make the heavens tremble and the earth be shaken. Now are you seeing why I told you that about there an earthquake when they turn loose and come against your foundations? Now he's a lot more scripted short. But the earth will be shaken from its place. The earthquake. The fear of the Lord a host in the day of his what? In the day of his burning anger. Now, see, I only want you to confuse something, one thing. See, all, I believe to some degree, now I don't understand all about Revelation, but I don't think anyone else does either. And I'd be sure I didn't receive anything except what I understood. What I heard from the Lord. It's the Bible to be understood. But see, while you're seeing natural things happen, while people are looking for the natural thing, they're not looking for the spiritual. You hear what I mean? By the way, something to get built over in Israel could be on your way to hell looking for something in the natural or reading books and literature. I'm telling you God is saying he's blowing a trumpet today and if you're going to walk in, he's going to show you something because he said the brethren are going to know. Is that right? Well, let me tell you something about the brethren. They're the image and likeness of God. Now, let me just turn back to Isaiah 5 there just a minute. Turn back to Isaiah 5. You know, we started out in Isaiah 5. We were seeing where the vineyard right there produced bad fruit. Is that right? That's a church. They produced bad fruit and God removed this hedge, didn't we? Is that correct? He removed the hedge and then it became trampled ground. They laid it waste and what was happening in this church, they were shedding blood and there was a cry of distress in that church and you know, that's the powers of God. Let's go on in 5 and begin in verse 12 right there and look at this. And their banquets are accompanied by lyre and harp. Here's your entertainment. Tambourine and they do not pay attention to the deeds of the Lord. See, you can't pay too much attention to the deeds of the Lord when you're caught up in your own works. Nor do they consider the work of His hands. They are interested in the work of their own hands. 13. Therefore my people go into exile. They're deceived for their lack of knowledge of the Word. And their honorable men are what? They're famished. Ever learning. Famine of the Word. Their multitude, that's a congregation, is parched with thirst. No word. They need the Word, the water. They're parched with thirst, the congregation. Therefore Sheol, hell, has enlarged its throat and opened its mouth without measure. And the church's splendor, her multitude, her congregation, her den of reverie are going to descend right into hell. Verse 20. Woe to those who call evil good and good evil. Woe to those who are substituting darkness for light and light for darkness. Who substitute the bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. Woe to those who are wiring their own sight 24. Therefore as a tongue of fire, they are the fire consumed stubble. That's what they're going to do. And dry grass collapses in the flame. They are a fire and a flame. So their root will become like rot and their blossom is not going to be any fruit. The blossom is going to blow away as dust. No fruit. For they've rejected the word of the Lord of hosts and despised and hated the word of the Holy One, the words of Jesus of Israel. 26. And he's going to lift up a standard. That's the word. That's the curse to a distant nation. He's fixing to say, He'll whistle for it from the ends of the earth. And behold, it will come with speed swiftly. No one in it is weary or stumbles, none slumbers or sleep. Nor is the belt of its waist undone, nor its sandal strap broken. Its arrows are sharp. There they are. And all its bows are bent. The hoops of its horses seem like flint. Its chariot wheels like a roaring whirlwind. Now here you go. Listen to this in 29. It's roaring. Do you see the roaring? It's like a what? There they are. And it roars. There's your roaring. Roars like a what? Young lions, that's them. It growls. It seizes its prey. There's no one to deliver it. If you're not in covenant, walk in covenant. There's no deliverance. And it shall growl over in that day. It's the powers of darkness like a what? Oh, they're going to be like a roaring of the sea. Well, there's other places, that's them. But it seems like I've read that before, somewhere about a roaring of the seas in the last days. If one looks to the land, behold, there is what? Darkness and distress. That's them. And even the light, there's no light. It's darkened by the clouds because of the powers of darkness. Well, you know, in 6, I want you to know that the Lord wanted to send someone to that congregation. So I'm going to add something in chapter 6, Isaiah 6, there. And then plan on, put 8. Then I heard a voice of the Lord saying, Who can I send to this congregation? Which one of you will go for us? And the Lord said, Here I am. Send me. And he said, You go and tell this people, this church, that they just keep on listening, but they just won't perceive. They just keep on looking, but they won't understand the Word of God, ever learning. Render the hearts of this people incessant, their ears are dull, their eyes are dim, lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, turn and be wise. Since we're there that close, and I think this would be an encouragement, particularly to shepherds right here. People, I want you to turn over to Ezekiel 2, because the Lord has just shown me something else I didn't plan on using, but I want to use Ezekiel 2, please. Ezekiel 2. Ezekiel 2. What did he say? Here I am, send me. Is that right? He had something else to say probably here. And Ezekiel 2, verse 3, Then he said to me, Son of man, I'm sending you to who? Verse 2, I'm sending you to the church. Ezekiel 2, 3. To a what? There are rebellious people who have rebelled against me, and their fathers have what? They've transgressed against me to this very day. They've transgressed the covenant. Verse 4, I'm sending you to them who are very stubborn and obstinate children. You shall say to them, Thus says the Lord God, as for them whether they listen or not, for they are a rebellious house, whether they listen or not. They're going to know that a prophet's been among them. And you, son of man, you neither fear them nor fear their words. Though thistles and thorns are with you, and you sit on these demons, these scorpions, you neither fear their words nor be dismayed at their presence, for they are a rebellious house. But you shall speak my words to them whether they listen or not, for they are rebellious. Now I'm speaking to you. Do not be rebellious like that rebellious house. Open your mouth. Eat this word. Take it to heart that I'm giving to you. Shepherd, turn to Luke 21. Luke 21. Luke 21. Verse 20, Then you see what? Jerusalem surrounded by what? Armies, then you recognize that her what? Desolation is at hand. Let those who are in Judah flee to the mountains. Let those who are in the what? Midst of the what? Depart. Then let those who are in the country enter the city. Let not the ones who are in the country enter the city, because these are days of what? Vengeance for the covenant, isn't it? Vengeance for the temple. In order that all things which are written may be fulfilled. Woe to those who with child and to those who nurse babes in those days, for there will be great what? There going to be great distress upon the land and wrath to who? This people right here in Jerusalem. This Jerusalem. Babylon. And they're going to fall by the edge of the what? Sound like a curse? And will be led what? Captive into all the nation. And Jerusalem is going to be what? They going to be trampled underfoot by the what? That sound like loss folks? Until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled and there will be signs in the sun and moon and stars and may among the nations and what? Perplexity. Recognize any perplexity today with all the things going on? Perplexity. But there's going to be perplexity of what? There they are, the roaring of the seas and the what? The waves, the words. You see that? Men fainting from what? Fear. And the expectations of the things of the powers of heaven are going to be what? They're going to be shaken and then you're going to see the Son of Man coming in a cloud of power and great glory. Now when these things what? When you see them begin to take place. Straighten up, lift up your heads because your redemption is drawing near. Brethren, I read this before and it's going to 34. Be on your guard that your hearts, circle hearts, your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and what? Drunkenness and the worries of this life that this day come on you suddenly like a trap. Remember Lot's wife. For it will come upon all those who dwell on the face of the earth but keep on the alert, stay awake and watch at all times praying in order that you may have strength to escape all the things that are about to take place and then you stand before the Son of Man. We're going to look at these Pharisees but they do all their deeds to be noticed by men for they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments and they love the place of honor at banquets and at chief seats in the synagogues and churches. Verse 12 But whoever exalts himself shall be humbled and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted. But woe to you scribes and Pharisees and hypocrites because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from men for you yourself do not enter in yourself nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. Verse 23 Woe to you scribes and Pharisees and hypocrites for you tithe mint and dill and cumin and have neglated the weightier provisions of the law. Justice mercy faithfulness for these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others. You blind guides you strain out of that and swallow a camel. Woe to you scribes and Pharisees and hypocrites you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish but inside they're full of robbery and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisees first you clean the inside of the cup and of the dish so that the outside of it may be clean also. Woe to you scribes and Pharisees and hypocrites you're like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful but inside they're full of dead men's bones and all uncleanliness. Even so you too outwardly appear righteous to men but inwardly you're full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. Verse 33 You serpents you brood of sinners how shall you escape the sentence of hell? Ezra 9 Ezra 9 Ezra 9 Ezra 9 Ezra 9 Ezra 9 Ezra 9 Ezra 9 Ezra 9 Ezra 9 Ezra 9 Ezra 9 Ezra 9 to given us an escaped remnant and to give us a pig in his holy place that our God little what? That's a revival in our bondage that's going to grow fast for we are slaves yet in our bondage. Our God has not forsaken us but he has extended what? That's a God kind of love loving kind of darkness the kings of Persia to give us reviving to raise up the house of our God to restore its ruins and to give us a wall in Judah in Jerusalem and this wall is the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ Zechariah was we reading that in four, Bob? Hold up your hand how many? It was in Zechariah the glory of the Lord the wall around the house Pardon me? Five. Okay. That's right I couldn't recall where it was. All right turn to Nehemiah please. Nehemiah this wall is being built right now this wall is being built right now Nehemiah 1 I want you to read with me it's the next book that's the next one after Ezra first chapter verse 3 And they said to me the remnant there in the province who survived the captivity are in great distress and reproach and the wall of Jerusalem is broken down its defense its gates are burned with fire chapter 2 verse 17 Then I said to them you see the bad situation we're in that Jerusalem is what it's desolate and its gates are what burned with fire come let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem that we may no longer praise God praise you Lord be a reproach and I told them how the hand of my God had been favorable to me and also about the king's words which he had spoken to me then they said let us arise and build so they put their hands to the good work but when they heard it they mocked us and despised us here come the scorners here come the mockers here comes the flesh to a worldly minded and said what is this thing you're doing are you rebelling against the king chapter 4 turn to chapter 4 now it came about verse 1 that when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall he became furious and very angry and mocked the who what are we and he spoke in the presence of his brothers and the what the wealthy men of the world of Samaria and said what are these people Jews they're not smart like us are they going to restore it for themselves can they offer sacrifices can they finish this finish in a day can they revive these living stones from the dust or rubble even these burned stones what is the living stone look at me Jesus Christ is the cornerstone we're living stones that make up a spiritual house a holy priesthood they're all for a spiritual sacrifice acceptable to God and Christ Jesus we're a holy generation a chosen people a royal priesthood a peculiar people to show forth praises unto him who has delivered us out of the darkness into the kingdom of his beloved son in whom we have redemption and have forgiveness of all our sins who his own self took away weakness sickness disease infirmity curse and sin who by the stripes of the Lord Jesus Christ we were healed and who is going to harm him who follows after that which is good the spirit of the Lord God is upon us the Lord has anointed us to bring good news to the afflicted he sent us to bind up the broken hearted to proclaim liberty to the captive reason to the prisoners to proclaim the fable year of our Lord and the day of vengeance of our God we rejoice greatly in our Lord our soul exults in our King he has clothed us with garments of salvation he has wrapped us with a robe of righteousness like a bride who adorns herself with her jewels he keeps us from stumbling he makes us stand in the glory of his presence holy blameless be unreproached with great joy the only God is our King our Lord Jesus Christ the only King the only wise God our Savior who is Jesus Christ the Lord to him be glory and majesty dominion and authority before all time now and forever more oh the riches of the glory of the inheritance of the saints and exceeding greatness of his power to us who believe according to the work of his mighty power the same power which he wrote in Christ when he raised him from the dead and set him at his own right hand in heavenly places he placed all things under his feet and gave him to be the head of all church that's us the fullness of him that filleth all in all he disarmed all the rulers and authorities he made a public display of them having triumphed over them and he's given us authority to tread upon all the works of darkness so we tear down every stronghold cast down every imagination every argument every thought that exalts itself against the knowledge of God we will bring every thought captive and obedient to the Lord Jesus Christ we let the high praises of God be in their mouth a two edged sword in their hand we execute the deep vengeance upon the heathen punish it on the people to bind their kings with chains their nobles with fetters of iron to execute upon them the judgment written dishonor health everything you don't have to call some man to town there'll have to be no experts walking covenant praise the Lord praise the Lord praise the Lord Lord praise the Lord praise the Lord praise the Lord praise the praise the Lord praise the Lord praise the Lord praise the Lord praise the Lord praise the praise the Lord Lord praise the praise the Lord Lord praise the