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Series Code: TCM
Program Code: TCM200002S
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00:41 I'm delighted that you've joined us
00:43 for this series titled, 00:45 "Three Cosmic Messages, Earth's Final Conflict." 00:49 In this series, we're focusing on the Book of Revelation, 00:52 but specifically on three messages in Revelation, 00:56 Revelation 14:6-12. 00:59 When many people think of Revelation, 01:01 they think of mystic symbols. 01:03 They think of strange beasts. They think of weird images. 01:07 But yet, Revelation 1:1 says, 01:10 "The revelation of Jesus Christ." 01:13 So the Book of Revelation is the revelation of Jesus, 01:17 to grant to us insight 01:20 into the last days of earth's history 01:22 and prepare us for the coming of Jesus. 01:24 In fact, Revelation 1:3 says, 01:26 "Blessed are they that read and hear 01:30 and do the things that are there in." 01:33 So as we study the Book of Revelation, 01:34 but particularly this very heart of Revelation, 01:37 Revelation 14:6-12, 01:40 we are studying the very messages of Christ, 01:43 to prepare people for Jesus' soon return. 01:47 I want you to bow your heads with me just now as we pray, 01:51 and ask God to come in a very special way 01:56 to minister to our hearts, to speak to our hearts, 02:00 to impress us with His last day message. 02:02 Let's pray. 02:03 Father in heaven, as we open Your Word, 02:06 as we study the Book of Revelation, 02:08 I pray that the words would leap right off the page, 02:10 that the Holy Spirit would guide, 02:12 direct and strengthen us, 02:14 guide us as we go into this presentation today, 02:17 A Moment of Destiny, I pray thee in Christ's name, 02:21 amen. 02:22 Now, let me review just for a moment 02:24 our last presentation for you in this series, 02:28 Three Cosmic Messages, Earth's final Conflict. 02:31 In our last presentation, we talked about the fact that 02:35 Jesus Christ is indeed Lord of all. 02:38 We pointed out that Jesus is the one who had victory 02:43 over Satan in the heavenly realms. 02:47 We pointed out that 02:49 the dragon fought against Christ, 02:53 but yet the dragon Satan was cast out of heaven. 02:56 In heaven, in that first episode, 02:57 Jesus won and Satan lost. 03:00 Satan was so vicious against Christ 03:02 that he then tried to destroy Christ on earth 03:05 when Jesus was born as the male child 03:07 that would rule with the rod of iron. 03:09 We pointed out that this expression rod of iron 03:12 is a symbol of invincible, everlasting, 03:16 dominion principle of rulership 03:18 that Jesus again would reign, defeat Satan. 03:20 And Christ defeated Satan at His birth. 03:23 Satan tried to destroy Him, 03:24 but Jesus was led with Mary and Joseph into Egypt, 03:29 directed by an angel and protected there. 03:32 Satan stalked Jesus all of His life 03:35 and tried to destroy Jesus there. 03:37 But yet Jesus was victorious in the wilderness 03:41 with His temptations over Satan. 03:44 At the cross, Jesus was victorious. 03:46 In His resurrection, Jesus was victorious, 03:49 and in His intercession in heaven, Jesus is victorious. 03:52 Jesus wins, Satan loses in that second episode. 03:55 Revelation Chapter 12 gives us the panorama 03:58 of history down through the ages. 04:01 Revelation Chapter 12 reveals the plans of God. 04:05 And it shows us that Christ 04:07 has never lost a battle with Satan yet. 04:09 During the Great Dark Ages, remember Revelation 12 04:12 talks about this 1,260 years, this period of the Middle Ages. 04:15 Again, Jesus wins, Satan loses. 04:18 In the last days of earth's history, 04:19 Revelation 12 comes to an end with Revelation 12:17. 04:24 And in Revelation 12:17, 04:25 it says the dragon Satan is angry with the woman. 04:29 Goes to make war with the last part of us 04:31 who keep the commandments of God. 04:33 The issue in the last days is that Jesus will win, 04:36 and Satan will lose, 04:37 and Christ will come on a rescue mission. 04:40 The Star Wars controversy will be over, 04:42 this intergalactic struggle will be over. 04:45 In earth's final conflict, 04:46 God's people will win and Satan will lose. 04:49 In our program today, 04:51 I've titled this program, "A Moment of Destiny." 04:55 You feel it in your heart. 04:57 You sense it in your mind. 05:00 You know that something is going on in this world 05:03 and we're at a moment of destiny, 05:05 things have changed in our world dramatically 05:09 in the last few years. 05:12 There's been a moral decay. 05:14 There has been a loss of confidence 05:17 in governmental institutions and institutions in general. 05:22 Western society is at a moment of destiny. 05:25 Western society is at a crossroads. 05:29 Things that we counted on in the past 05:32 have seemed to fade away. 05:35 There seems to be no compass to guide us, 05:37 no moral stuff, no North Star to direct us. 05:41 Western society is in a crossroads. 05:46 One writer said this, 05:48 "Christian morality is being ushered out 05:50 of American social structures, 05:52 and off the cultural main stage, 05:54 leaving a vacuum in its place, and the broader culture 05:59 is attempting to fill the void." 06:02 In other words, this nation 06:05 that has been built on Christian principles, 06:08 Christian ethics, has seen those ethics eroding, 06:13 things that would have been 06:15 determined unconscionable decades ago 06:18 are accepted as moral norms in our society today. 06:23 As we look at our society, 06:26 new research reveals a growing concern 06:28 about the moral condition of the nation, 06:30 even as many American adults admit that 06:33 they're uncertain about 06:34 how to determine right from wrong. 06:36 Now, that is a striking statement. 06:40 Pew Research, one of the more 06:42 renowned research organizations in the United States, 06:46 when it surveyed Americans 06:48 discovered that many were uncertain, 06:52 how do I determine right from wrong? 06:53 In other words, there's no moral guide. 06:56 There's nothing that guides our ethical behavior. 06:59 Many people feel, if I think it's right 07:01 in my own mind, it must be right. 07:03 If I believe that something is acceptable to do, 07:08 I can do it. 07:09 So there is no guide, 07:11 no standard higher than the human mind. 07:14 Many people are uncertain 07:16 how to determine right from wrong." 07:18 Eighty percent of Americans," 07:20 according to the Barna Research Group, 07:23 "regardless of their ethnicity, gender, 07:26 socioeconomic status, or political ideology 07:28 express concern about the nation's moral condition." 07:32 Now, that is absolutely staggering. 07:34 It's absolutely astounding. 07:36 Eighty percent of Americans 07:39 really have serious doubts, concerns. 07:43 They're troubled, they're perplexed 07:45 about the moral condition of America today and the world. 07:51 "In 1960, approximately 72% 07:55 of the United States population said 07:56 they trusted the government almost always 07:59 to make the right decisions." 08:01 It's almost three fourths of Americans. 08:03 Look at how that's changed. 08:05 "Today only 19% of the population say 08:09 they trust the government to almost 08:11 or always do the right thing." 08:14 That is 81% do not trust 08:18 the government to do the right thing, 08:21 81%. 08:24 When you look at that, 08:25 that is a whopping large number. 08:28 So what do we see happening? 08:30 A loss of confidence in government institutions, 08:33 a loss of confidence in political institutions, 08:37 loss of confidence many in the medical care 08:41 that can be provided in the United States. 08:44 United States spends more on medical care 08:47 than any other nation, 08:49 yet our outcomes are not in the top 25. 08:53 There's longevity is 08:55 much longer in many other nations 08:57 than in America today, 08:59 so people are losing confidence in society in general. 09:02 There's this new spirit of rugged individualism 09:05 that's coming back where people begin to feel, 09:07 I have to care for myself, 09:09 but yet they're incapable of doing that, 09:11 lives tend to be more stressful, 09:14 more harassed, 09:16 and people's lives seem to be falling apart. 09:20 Our society is a society in trouble. 09:22 When popularity is more important than purity, 09:25 a nation is in trouble. 09:28 When money is more important than morality, 09:31 a nation is in trouble. 09:34 When entertainment is more important than ethics, 09:39 a nation is in trouble. 09:42 When pleasure indeed, 09:44 again is more important than purity, 09:46 a nation is in trouble. 09:48 When there's confusion of sexual roles 09:51 and sexual orientation and God's original plan 09:54 of one man married to one woman for a lifetime 09:57 is flagrantly violated, a nation is in trouble. 10:01 And when children even of kindergarten age, 10:04 first grade age, 10:05 are given a choice of various genders, 10:10 some choices of 5, 10, 15 just say, 10:13 you choose which one you are. 10:14 A nation is in deep trouble 10:17 when the roles are confused in sexual lines. 10:21 When crime is rampant in our streets, 10:24 and Christ is mocked in our schools, 10:27 a nation is in trouble. 10:29 When we look at these signs in our society, 10:33 we sense that we are living in the days 10:36 of the fulfillment of Bible prophecy, 10:39 those great prophecies that Christ gave in 10:41 Matthew Chapter 24, the signs of His coming. 10:44 Those great prophecies that Christ gave in Luke 21 10:48 of the signs of His coming in 2 Timothy, 10:50 and particularly the Book of Revelation. 10:52 The Book of Revelation was made for this generation. 10:56 The three messages that God gives to us 10:58 in Revelation are messages for this time, 11:01 at this hour of earth's history. 11:04 The ancient prophets 11:06 speak to this generation in trumpet tones, 11:09 and their messages come echoing 11:12 and re-echoing down the corridors of time. 11:14 They speak to us in thunderous tones in this age, 11:18 in this moment of earth's history. 11:21 Proverbs 16:24 says, 11:24 "Righteousness exalts a nation, 11:27 but sin is a reproach to any people." 11:31 Now underline that carefully, righteousness exalts a nation, 11:36 nations are great, because nations are good. 11:40 And when a nation ceases to be good, 11:42 it will soon cease to be great. 11:45 Now that may take a period of time. 11:47 Babylon ruled the world, 11:50 but yet its moral foundation crumbled 11:53 and Babylon was conquered by Medo-Persia. 11:57 Medo-Persia ruled the world and then it crumbled. 12:02 Greece ruled the world and then it crumbled. 12:04 And you come to the Roman Empire. 12:06 And you look at Rome, 12:08 how it ruled for many years 168 BC 12:12 to about 351 AD, but yet it too crumbled. 12:17 Proverbs 26:2 says, "Like a flitting sparrow, 12:21 like a flying swallow, 12:23 so a curse without a cause shall not alight." 12:27 Now that language 12:28 is a little bit old in its reading, 12:30 but we still get the point. 12:32 But let me show you 12:33 a little more modern translation. 12:35 It says, "As the bird by wandering, 12:37 as the swallow by flying 12:40 so the curse causeless shall not come." 12:43 The curse causeless shall not come. 12:46 So when a nation experiences this moral decay, 12:52 there is a cause and effect relationship. 12:56 There are parallels in western society 12:58 with Rome's collapse. 13:01 Some of you will recall the monumental volumes 13:04 written about the history and collapse of Rome 13:08 by Edward Gibbon. 13:10 He finished 20 years of research in 1787 13:15 and one of the great set lessons of that book 13:20 are his summary of the reasons Rome fell. 13:25 And in the book, he talks about the waning morality of Rome. 13:30 He talks about the moral degradation of Rome, 13:33 the sexual immorality. 13:36 He talks about 13:37 the heavy taxation upon the people, 13:41 the class structure in Rome. 13:43 In the first century, the Roman population 13:45 was just over a million as clear as we can tell, 13:48 it was about 1,200,000 at times, 13:52 but yet a third to 40% of that population were slaves. 13:56 So you have this great class structure in ancient Rome. 14:00 And the division of class structure, 14:02 they very rich and the very poor. 14:04 So Gibbon talks about the fact 14:06 in the decline of all the Roman Empire 14:08 of this moral decline, heavy taxation, 14:11 wealthy getting wealthier 14:13 because of the poverty of the people. 14:15 He talks about the slavery, 14:16 the dehumanization of human beings, 14:19 but then he gives three major reasons. 14:21 Here they are. 14:22 Number one, he says that 14:24 Rome had this mad craze for pleasure 14:28 that sports became every year more exciting and more brutal. 14:32 You know, we have a movie called the Gladiators, 14:34 but the Romans had the real thing. 14:37 And they had what the gladiator games 14:40 and people jammed the Colosseum, 14:43 and as the gladiators fought, 14:45 thumbs up would spare their life, 14:46 thumbs down was cut off their throat. 14:48 Can you imagine that? 14:50 Having pleasure from the bloodshed 14:52 from brutality of seeing lives taken? 14:57 Yet today, you look at the video games. 15:00 The kids are playing violent video games. 15:02 What's this doing to the human mind? 15:04 You'll get TV and movies 15:05 and DVDs with the glorification of bloodshed, 15:08 the glorification of violence. 15:10 And so Gibbon says, 15:11 "When a society has this mad craze for pleasure." 15:16 In fact, one Roman writer wrote, 15:18 "That all of Rome wept 15:23 when its favorite team lost 15:27 the chariot races in the Circus Maximus." 15:30 People would get up early in the morning, line up. 15:33 When pleasure dominates your life, 15:36 when the skinless scintillating desire 15:39 for pleasure fills your life and that becomes 15:42 the somewhat burden of existence. 15:44 And when good, hard, honest work does not, 15:47 there comes a time 15:49 when society is on the verge of moral collapse. 15:53 Secondly, he says that Rome built gigantic armaments, 15:58 when the real enemy was within, 16:00 the decadence of the people was the real problem. 16:03 They wanted to protect from the enemy without, 16:05 but the real problem was moral decay. 16:07 Nations are changed not by legislating morality, 16:12 but by transforming the hearts of people. 16:14 Rome overextended its military, 16:17 money was lavishly spent to build their army 16:19 and their infrastructure crumbled. 16:21 Thirdly, in Rome, there was a decay of religion, 16:26 faith faded into a mere form. 16:28 It was not that there was no religion, 16:30 but it lost touch with life, 16:31 it became impotent to warn and guide people. 16:34 When you look at the fall of Rome 16:36 and the collapse of Rome, 16:38 you see those modern indicators in our society today. 16:43 You see in our society this love for pleasure, 16:46 this erosion of morality, this craze for things 16:52 and the getting of more things 16:53 if those external things can satisfy our inner needs, 16:58 America needs a moral revolution. 17:02 The western society needs a religious revival 17:07 that would bring transformation. 17:09 The Book of Revelation describes 17:11 two great movements that will take place 17:14 in the last days of earth's history. 17:16 The first movement is an attempt 17:17 to change society by legislation. 17:20 Church and state unite, there's a form of religion. 17:24 There's an attempt to coerce religious behavior. 17:27 But there's a second religious revival 17:30 that the Bible speaks about a genuine. 17:32 In the first, there's legislative morality. 17:34 In the first, 17:36 there is the working of demons in spiritualism. 17:39 In the second, there is a genuine, 17:42 heartfelt commitment to Christ. 17:44 Lives are changed, and society is changed not by legislation, 17:48 but because people 17:49 are transformed by the grace of Christ. 17:52 The revival in Revelation is a revival that comes 17:55 because three angels flying in mid heaven 17:58 have an eternal everlasting message, 18:01 three cosmic messages in this final conflict 18:05 and men and women accepting 18:06 those messages are transformed by the grace of Christ, 18:09 their lives can never be the same again. 18:12 And they live for Jesus in the light of His love 18:16 lightens the earth with His glory. 18:18 If nations are ever to be changed, 18:21 it's because there's a radical, 18:23 moral transformation 18:24 in the hearts and minds of its people. 18:27 And that is precisely 18:31 what the book of Revelation is about. 18:33 That's precisely what the message 18:37 is of the three angels, 18:38 these three cosmic messages are about. 18:41 The change of society by the change of people. 18:44 People transformed by God's grace, 18:47 people that understand the age that we're living in. 18:50 And people who are understanding 18:52 these three messages have their lives changed. 18:55 Picture these three angels flying 18:58 in the midst of heaven, 18:59 three eternal messages, three universal messages, 19:02 three messages that go 19:04 to the ends of the earth to prepare a people 19:07 for the coming of Jesus Christ. 19:09 I love what James Russell Lowell wrote, 19:12 "Once to every man and nation, 19:15 comes the moment to decide, 19:17 in the strife of truth and falsehood, 19:20 for the good and evil side." 19:22 That's what Revelation is all about. 19:24 It's about truth. 19:25 It's about falsehood. 19:27 It's about the preparation of a people 19:29 for the coming of Jesus Christ in the clouds of heaven. 19:34 This Book of Revelation leads every human being 19:37 to make eternal choices. 19:40 It is now time in this generation 19:44 to make eternal decisions. 19:47 It's now time on our knees to plead with God and say, 19:52 "God, show me Your truth." 19:54 You may be viewing though this program 19:57 and these series of programs on three cosmic messages 20:00 and you may be a truth seeker. 20:02 All around the world, God has truth seekers, 20:06 people that are crying out, people that want to know God. 20:09 People that long to know 20:10 His last day message for this world. 20:12 And God has not led you 20:14 to this series of programs by accident. 20:16 You have not watched this DVD, 20:20 watch this YouTube presentation, 20:22 watch this television production, 20:25 you've not done it by accident. 20:26 The Spirit of God has been working in your heart 20:28 and God's going to unfold truth to you. 20:31 God's going to reveal truth from His Word to you. 20:34 And as He does, He invites you to take a step, 20:38 eternal step to walk in that way of truth. 20:41 There'll come a day when every human being 20:43 on planet earth will have made 20:45 their final irrevocable decision. 20:47 Just like Noah, 20:49 who entered the ark with his family, 20:51 preached for 120 years that rain was going to come. 20:55 People felt he was foolish, but he entered that ark. 20:57 The door was closed, 20:59 when the door was shut, it was shut. 21:01 Just like in the days of Sodom and Gomorrah 21:03 where God hastened Lot and his family out of the city, 21:07 but then the fire fell. 21:08 So there will come a time 21:11 when God will say, "It's enough." 21:13 There will come a time when the message of Christ 21:15 is gone to the ends of the earth. 21:17 The Bible says in Matthew 24:14, 21:20 "This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in 21:23 all the world as a witness to all nations, 21:26 then the end will come." 21:28 Whenever a human being has had that opportunity 21:30 to make their final irrevocable choice. 21:34 When they've had that opportunity 21:36 to make a choice for Jesus, 21:38 then indeed the end will come, 21:41 then indeed, Christ will return. 21:44 The Book of Revelation describes those two classes. 21:49 Revelation's last day message leads us, 21:52 not merely to have information in our head, 21:55 but it leads us to make divine eternal, 21:59 irrevocable choices for the kingdom of God 22:04 or for the kingdom of the evil one. 22:05 The Book of Revelation is a book of contrasts. 22:09 Now Revelation Chapter 14 is the heart of our study 22:13 in this particular series, and Revelation 14 22:16 is divided into three parts. 22:19 The first part is verses one to five. 22:23 Revelation 14 describes a group called the 144,000. 22:27 This group called the 144,000, stand on the sea of glass, 22:32 that is, they are living there in eternity with Christ. 22:36 They have been redeemed from the earth. 22:38 This term the 144,000 is a character term. 22:41 It describes the character of a group of people 22:45 who are totally sold out for Christ. 22:47 Not necessarily a literal number, 22:50 but a term to describe those people 22:53 who are redeemed when Jesus comes. 22:56 Then Revelation 14:6-12 describes the message 23:01 that prepares this group of people. 23:04 It's God's last day message 23:05 with a final judgment announced, 23:07 and that is the message that we are going to be 23:09 looking at in this series Three Cosmic Messages. 23:13 But to understand the message, 23:14 you have to understand the entire chapter. 23:16 Then verses 6 to 20 describe six angels. 23:21 The first three angels announced 23:23 the final judgment. 23:25 These six angels totally describe 23:31 the judgment and the first three, 23:33 they announced the final judgment 23:35 and the last three talk about the execution of this judgment. 23:38 Now let's pause on that a little while to make it 23:40 plain for you so you understand. 23:42 In the first angel that flies in the middle of heaven, 23:45 Revelation 14:6 says, 23:47 "I saw another angel flying in the middle of heaven, 23:50 having the everlasting gospel to preach to those 23:52 that dwell on the earth, to every nation, kindred, 23:54 tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, 23:57 'Fear God, give glory to Him, 23:59 for the hour of His judgment has come.'" 24:01 So this first angel announces the judgment. 24:04 The second angel that flies, 24:05 the second cosmic message in earth's final conflict, 24:09 announces the fall of Babylon 24:13 which is a series of system of religious confusion, 24:16 a system that is contrary to God and His Word. 24:20 A system in which falsehoods are substituted for truth. 24:24 And we're going to study this in this series very carefully. 24:27 The third angel is judgment upon the beast. 24:30 So there's first, the announcement of judgment, 24:32 then judgment on all fallen religious systems that pretend 24:36 and that exhibit themselves as righteous and then thirdly, 24:40 judgment upon the beast. 24:43 Then the last three angels execute that judgment. 24:48 And that's what we're going to look at now, 24:50 this final execution of this judgment. 24:54 "I looked and behold," Revelation 14:14, 24:57 "a white cloud, and on the cloud, 24:59 one sat like the Son of Man, 25:02 having on His head, a golden crown 25:04 and in His hand a sharp sickle." 25:07 Who do we see on that cloud? 25:09 We see the Son of Man. 25:11 We'll study that expression. 25:13 And what does He have on His head? 25:14 A golden crown. So three things in the text. 25:17 First, a white cloud. 25:20 Jesus descending on the white cloud. 25:22 Second, the expression, the Son of Man. 25:24 And third, a golden crown on His head. 25:28 Now you will remember that in Acts 1:9, the Bible says, 25:34 "While they watched, He Jesus was taken up, 25:37 and a cloud received Him out of their sight." 25:39 So the disciples gazing up into heaven, 25:42 see Jesus ascend into heaven on the clouds. 25:46 He will return on the clouds. 25:48 So Revelation 14:14, 25:52 and onward are the description 25:54 of Christ returning in the clouds 25:56 just as He ascended in the clouds. 25:58 Man steps off a mountain and goes down. 26:02 Jesus stepped off a mountain and went up as He ascended, 26:06 because the laws of gravity 26:08 cannot keep the creator of gravity down. 26:11 But here, He now is not ascending in the clouds, 26:14 because what did the angels say? 26:16 This same Jesus that you've seen ascend 26:19 into heaven shall so come in 26:22 like manner as you have seen Him go, 26:24 He will come. 26:25 So the prediction in Acts Chapter 1 26:29 is that the Christ that ascended in the clouds 26:33 will return in the clouds, 26:34 that's what the angels say, 26:36 "Men of Galilee," that is the disciples, 26:37 "why do you stand gazing up into heaven?" 26:39 This same Jesus, that Jesus that 26:42 walked the streets of Galilee, 26:44 that trod the cobblestones of Jerusalem, 26:48 that touched the eyes of the blind 26:49 and they were opened and the ears of the deaf 26:51 and they were unstopped. 26:52 This Christ is going to come again. 26:54 And that's what Revelation is all about, 26:56 this same Jesus that was taken up 26:58 from you into heaven. 26:59 "Will so come in like manner 27:00 as you have seen Him go up into heaven." 27:02 He ascended in the clouds, He will descend in the clouds. 27:05 That is the message of the Book of Revelation. 27:10 In Revelation Chapter 14, we go on to the second phrase. 27:13 What is that second phrase? 27:14 "I looked and behold, a white cloud," 27:16 He went up in the clouds, He's coming in the clouds, 27:19 "one sat like the Son of Man." 27:22 Now notice the expression, "The Son of man, 27:25 He has a golden crown on his head 27:26 and in His hand, a sharp sickle." 27:28 Sickle represents reaping, crown represents victory, 27:30 but it's this expression, the Son of Man. 27:33 The Son of Man is used throughout the gospels. 27:36 It's used, in fact, 82 times in the gospels, 27:39 and it's especially used in the Gospel of Matthew. 27:43 The Son of Man expression 27:45 is a very common expression to describe the Christ 27:50 that identifies with us. 27:51 Everything you go through Christ 27:53 has already gone through. 27:54 Everything you experience in life, 27:56 Christ has already experienced. 27:58 The sorrow, the disappointment, the heartache, the temptations, 28:01 Christ is victorious for you. 28:04 He has overcome in your behalf, 28:07 as we trust Him, we can overcome now. 28:10 When you see the expression of the Son of Man, 28:12 particularly in the Gospel of Matthew, 28:14 it is often linked to the second coming 28:16 of Christ, very often. 28:18 Now, for example, Matthew 16:27, 28:22 "For the Son of Man..." 28:23 Did we read about the Son of Man in Revelation? 28:25 We did. 28:26 "For the Son of Man will come in the glory 28:28 of His Father with His Holy Angels, 28:32 then He will reward each one according to his works." 28:35 When we have the expression, the Son of Man in the Bible, 28:38 it often is in harmony 28:40 with Christ coming in glory, 28:42 in harmony with judgment, 28:44 because you see here it says, 28:46 He'll reward everyone according to his works. 28:48 So when we read about 28:49 the Son of Man throughout Matthew. 28:50 Here's another example in Matthew, 28:52 Matthew 24:27 and 30, 28:54 "For as lightning comes 28:56 from the east and flashes to the west, 28:58 so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 29:01 Then the Sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, 29:04 then all the tribes of the earth will" what? 29:06 "Mourn, they will see the Son of Man 29:08 coming on clouds of heaven with power and great glory." 29:11 So in Revelation when we read about 29:14 the Son of Man, we read about Jesus Christ 29:16 coming in the clouds, 29:18 we are reading about a time of final judgment, 29:21 where every human being 29:23 will make their eternal everlasting decision 29:26 for or against Christ. 29:28 Matthew 25:31, another good example, 29:31 "When the Son of Man comes in His glory..." 29:33 Do you notice all these texts in Matthew talk about 29:35 the Son of Man coming how? 29:36 In His glory, with judgment, that's the theme of Revelation. 29:41 "And all the holy angels with Him, 29:42 He will sit on the throne of His glory." 29:45 Throne implies rulership. 29:47 There's been a battle for the throne in the universe. 29:50 Ever since Satan rebelled in heaven against God 29:55 and was cast out of heaven, 29:57 Satan has desired to usurp God's throne. 30:01 In this intergalactic struggle, in this Star Wars controversy 30:06 between good and evil, 30:07 there's a battle for the throne. 30:09 Is God the rightful ruler of the throne? 30:12 Is Jesus the legitimate Son of God to rule 30:15 with His father on the throne? 30:17 Is Jesus the rightful one that can wear the crown 30:20 upon His head, the crown of glory upon his head? 30:23 Is He worthy of our worship and our loyalty? 30:26 Is He truly a God of love 30:28 or is He a vindictive God of wrathful tyrant? 30:32 So three things are this idea of the Son of Man indicates. 30:35 One, that Jesus will come again. 30:37 Second, that He'll execute judgment when He comes. 30:40 Third, that the destiny of all nations 30:43 and the destiny of all humanity 30:45 will be decided for eternity when Christ comes. 30:49 Now, the Son of Man is not a unique phrase 30:54 to the Book of Revelation or to the Book of Matthew. 30:58 The Book of Daniel is also a prophetic book 31:01 and here in the Book of Daniel Chapter 7, 31:04 we also read about the Son of Man. 31:08 Daniel Chapter 7, "Nations rise and fall. 31:11 Babylon rises and falls, Medo-Persia rises and falls, 31:14 Greece rises and falls, Rome rises and falls. 31:17 There is a religiopolitical power 31:21 that usurps the authority of God 31:23 and the people of God are persecuted. 31:25 And then, the eyes of the prophet 31:28 are taken from earth 31:29 and they're focused on heaven. 31:30 And this is what it says, 31:32 "I beheld till thrones were put in place," 31:34 you see it's the battle for the throne, 31:35 the cosmic struggle, 31:36 "the Ancient of Days was seated. 31:38 His garment was white as snow, 31:40 the hair of His head was like pure wool. 31:42 His throne was like fiery flame. 31:45 A thousand, thousands ministered to Him, 31:47 10,000 times, 10,000 stood before Him. 31:50 The judgment was set, the court was seated, 31:52 the books were open, I watched and one like 31:54 the Son of Man came before him." 31:56 So here is this cosmic judgment in heaven. 31:59 Here is this judgment 32:01 that settles the destinies of all human beings. 32:04 We're going to study more about it in a future study. 32:07 But when we read about the Son of Man, 32:09 we're reading about the coming of Christ, 32:11 we're reading about judgment. 32:12 We're reading about something significant. 32:14 We're reading about our last day message, 32:17 what caused all humanity to commit their lives to Christ 32:21 in the light of God's last day judgment? 32:24 We're reading about a heavenly court that has been seated, 32:28 a Son of Man in the Ancient of Days 32:30 that come forth to settle 32:32 the destinies of every human being. 32:34 Now the question in the judgment 32:36 is not necessarily, 32:38 well, if I've committed more good deeds 32:41 than bad deeds, I'll be saved. 32:43 My good deeds are not weighed against the bad deeds. 32:45 But the question of the judgment is, 32:46 what have you done with Christ? 32:49 Are you totally sold out for Christ? 32:51 Are you totally committed to Christ? 32:53 Have you given your life to Christ? 32:56 Is the longing of your heart 32:58 to live in the glory of His love, 33:01 in the atmosphere of His grace, 33:04 what have you done with Jesus? 33:08 You see on the cross of Christ, His sacrifice was enough. 33:13 His death was enough. 33:16 His atonement on the cross was enough. 33:20 His forgiveness is enough. 33:23 His mercy is enough. 33:25 His grace is enough. 33:26 And what the judgment shows, 33:28 this final judgment that takes place shows 33:31 is that Christ has done everything 33:34 necessary to save you and me. 33:37 Now remember, 33:38 when we read there in Revelation, 33:41 the 14th Chapter, you remember we've read, 33:44 "I looked, and behold, a white cloud, 33:46 Christ coming upon that cloud, 33:48 and on the cloud sat one like the Son of Man." 33:50 That's refers to the second coming of Jesus, 33:53 the one who lived on earth with us, 33:55 the one who walked and talked with us, 33:57 this Christ who healed the sick, 34:00 who opened the blind eyes, 34:01 who unstopped the deaf ears, this Christ, 34:05 this Jesus who forgave the woman caught in adultery, 34:09 who assured the thief on the cross of salvation. 34:11 He is the Son of Man. He identifies with us. 34:14 He's coming again. He is not a God that's far off. 34:17 He's a God that's near. 34:18 But He has on his head a golden crown. 34:23 Once He wore the crown of thorns, 34:25 but now He comes 34:26 and He's going to wear the crown of glory. 34:28 Once He wore the crown of suffering, 34:30 now He's going to wear 34:31 the diadem of righteousness here. 34:34 The word their crown, 34:36 He comes to the golden crown is Stephanos. 34:38 And that means the victor's crown. 34:40 Jesus is coming again in brightness, 34:43 He's coming again in glory. 34:45 He's coming again, my friend, to take you home. 34:47 He's coming again with the victor's crown 34:50 as the triumphal Lord. 34:52 Revelation 14:15 tells us, 34:55 "I saw another angel come out of the temple 34:57 crying with a loud voice to Him 35:00 who sat on the cloud, thrust in your sickle." 35:03 Notice, this angel comes out of the temple, 35:05 He comes iridescent with the glory of God. 35:08 He comes from the presence of God. 35:10 And He says, "Thrust in your sickle. 35:13 For the time has come for you to reap 35:15 for the harvest of the earth is ripe." 35:17 He comes, He descends, 35:19 and He comes to the weeping angel 35:22 and He comes from the presence of God. 35:24 And this angel comes to the next angel and he says, 35:27 "The time is here, go get my children, 35:30 bring them home." 35:31 God has given the divine pronouncement. 35:34 It's time My people are charmed by My love. 35:38 My people are transformed by My power. 35:40 My people are filled by My grace, 35:43 My people have gone out to witness to this world. 35:45 The world has been lit with the glory of God. 35:47 It is time. 35:49 Sin and suffering will be over, 35:50 disease, and disaster, and death will be over. 35:53 Confusion, and chaos, and calamity will be over. 35:57 Pestilence and poverty will and pollution will be over. 36:01 It is time, Jesus tells the angel, 36:04 the angel tells another angel. 36:06 Did you see what it says here, 36:08 "Another angel came out of the temple, 36:09 from the presence of God, 36:11 he cries with a loud voice to Him who sits on the cloud, 36:14 thrust in your sickle and reap, the time has come for you 36:17 to reap the harvest of the earth is ripe." 36:19 Now Revelation Chapter 14 speaks about two harvests, 36:23 the harvest of golden grain, and the harvest of gory grapes. 36:27 There is another harvest. 36:31 The first harvest is the harvest of golden grain. 36:35 The second harvest is the harvest of gory grapes. 36:38 You see, every seed goes to harvest, every seed. 36:44 There is no middle ground, there is no neutrality. 36:48 In the last days of earth's history, 36:50 we will either see the fullest manifestation 36:54 of the righteousness of God in the history of the universe 36:58 or the fullest manifestation of the wicked evil of Satan 37:04 in the history of the universe. 37:06 When the last days of earth's histories come, 37:10 we will see this earth lit with glory, 37:12 lightened with the glory of God. 37:14 And we will see the powers of God work 37:17 in ways we've never seen before. 37:19 And we'll see the powers of hell work. 37:22 The outpouring of the Holy Spirit from above, 37:25 in fullness of power will call forth 37:28 the spirits of demons from beneath. 37:32 Every human being will make their final irrevocable 37:35 decision, two harvests, golden grain or gory grapes. 37:39 "Another angel came out of the altar 37:41 who had power over fire." 37:43 See, the power over fire, what is that? 37:46 It's the destructive fires that come 37:49 from the divine presence of Christ 37:51 when He descends from heaven on the cloud, 37:54 His righteous character destroys the wicked. 38:00 His strength has been withdrawn. 38:04 His protection has been withdrawn. 38:07 And in a sense by their very choices, 38:10 they destroy themselves in the presence of God. 38:13 Revelation 14:17-20 says, "Thrust in your sickle 38:17 and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth 38:19 for her grapes are fully ripe. 38:21 So, the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, 38:25 and he gathered the vine of the earth 38:27 and threw it into the great winepress 38:30 of the wrath of God." 38:31 You see, the Book of Revelation is a book of contrasts. 38:35 There's the Lamb of God, Christ, and the dragon, Satan. 38:39 There's the seal of God, God's special sign 38:41 and there's the mark of the beast. 38:44 There is New Jerusalem from above 38:46 and Babylon from beneath. 38:48 There are the spirits of Jesus and the Holy Spirit 38:51 and the spirits of demons. 38:54 In the Book of Revelation, it's a book of contrasts. 38:56 And here in Revelation 14, 38:58 we have the two harvests, 39:01 golden grain, men and women sold out for God. 39:06 You remember what Dwight L. Moody said, 39:08 "The world is yet to see." 39:11 That man, that woman 39:13 who is totally committed to Christ, 39:15 I will be that man, I will be that woman you say, 39:19 the world is yet to see. 39:22 A manifestation in a corporate hole 39:26 of a group of people 39:27 in the last days of earth's history 39:29 who want nothing else but Jesus. 39:32 They want nothing else but His love. 39:36 There have been individuals 39:37 who've made that choice down through the generations. 39:41 But in the last days of earth's history, 39:42 Jesus will say, "Here are they 39:44 that keep the commandments of God 39:46 and the faith of Jesus." 39:47 Here is a group of people 39:50 who's have Jesus' quality of faith in their lives. 39:54 And His faith shines out from them 39:57 and leads them to live godly, obedient lives, 39:59 but here's another group of people 40:02 who are possessed with the spirit of demons. 40:05 Here's another group of people 40:07 who are not possessed with the Holy Spirit. 40:09 Every seed goes to harvest. 40:13 And the Bible says, 40:15 "Blood came out of the winepress up 40:16 to the horse bridles for six hundred furlongs." 40:19 What's that, 600 furlongs? What's that all about? 40:23 Often when we talk about Bible prophecy, 40:26 God gives it in relation to the nation of Israel. 40:30 In the New Testaments, 40:31 spiritual Israel is God's church. 40:34 And what's this talking about, 600 furlongs? 40:37 In the Bible, a furlong is about an eighth of a mile, 40:41 600 furlongs, 183 miles or thereabout. 40:44 That's from the north of Israel to the south of Israel. 40:47 So what is God saying? 40:49 He is saying simply this, 40:51 "Wickedness will be totally destroyed." 40:54 If you take Israel as a symbol of God's people, 40:58 you can then say that the wickedness 41:03 of this world will be totally, 41:06 absolutely destroyed and God's people 41:10 will ultimately eventually totally triumph. 41:13 This scene is that every seed goes to harvest, 41:17 and God's people triumph 41:20 and the seeds of wickedness or evil are totally destroyed. 41:25 The Book of Revelation describes once again, 41:27 the victory, the glorious victory of Jesus Christ 41:32 and the victory of His people. 41:35 The Christ that created 41:37 the world with everlasting power 41:39 will lead His people to triumph. 41:42 The Jesus that triumphed over Satan on the cross, 41:45 the Jesus that triumphed over Satan in His death, 41:47 will lead His people to everlasting triumph. 41:50 The Christ that ascended to heaven, 41:52 this Jesus, the same Jesus you saw go up into heaven, 41:55 we read it in Acts Chapter 1. 41:57 This same Jesus is coming on the cloud. 41:59 He is the Son of Man, 42:01 He's coming with a cloud 42:03 with the crown of glory upon His head. 42:06 Wickedness will be destroyed, righteousness will triumph. 42:11 The fruit we produce in our lives is the result 42:15 of the seed that we sow in our lives. 42:19 The harvest does not take place in a moment. 42:22 The harvest of earth takes place 42:24 as the result of the sowing of seeds 42:28 that men and women are doing in their lives right now. 42:31 You cannot sow seeds of evil and reap righteousness. 42:37 You cannot sow seeds of immorality 42:39 and reap purity. 42:41 You cannot sow seeds of dishonesty and reap honesty. 42:45 Can I be very open with you? 42:48 If you are filling your mind with the garbage 42:52 that comes over mass media, 42:55 if you're filling your mind with video games of violence, 42:59 that is not going to produce a character 43:02 that stands in the last days. 43:05 If you're filling your mind with the smut 43:07 and the immorality in video games, 43:10 if you're filling your mind 43:11 with the pornography on the internet, 43:13 if that is dominating your mind, 43:15 you will not be part of the harvest 43:18 of golden grain, 43:19 you'll be part of the harvest of gory grapes. 43:21 If you're are not honest, 43:24 but you take advantage of your boss 43:27 and are dishonest in your work and cheating and lying, 43:32 that will not produce the harvest of righteousness. 43:34 You cannot sow the seeds of worldliness 43:37 and reap heavenly mindedness. 43:38 You can't do it. 43:39 You can't sow the seeds of intemperance 43:41 and reap health. 43:42 If you're abusing your body with alcohol, with tobacco, 43:45 if you're eating whatever you want, 43:47 if your body has become a funhouse rather than 43:50 temple of the living God. 43:51 You see these messages 43:53 are calling men and women to decision. 43:56 They're calling men and women to fix their minds 44:00 on the things of eternity. 44:01 They're calling men and women to be committed 44:04 to the everlasting Christ. 44:06 Notice, there's a wonderful statement 44:07 in a book that I love called Great Controversy, page 555, 44:12 "The mind gradually adapts itself 44:15 to the subjects upon which it can dwell." 44:18 The mind is gradually adapting itself slowly, 44:22 imperceptively the mind is adapting itself. 44:27 Jesus says, Philippians 2:5, 44:29 "Let this mind be in you 44:32 that was in Christ Jesus, our Lord." 44:36 In every harvest, there are distinct 44:38 and somewhat certain laws of sowing and reaping. 44:41 And in this final harvest, 44:43 there are certain laws of sowing and reaping. 44:45 The Bible says in Galatians 6:7, 44:47 "Do not be deceived," 44:49 I don't want to be deceived to you, 44:51 do not be deceived, "God is not mocked, 44:54 for whatever a man sows that will he also reap." 44:58 Now, notice the express on particularly, 45:00 God is not mocked. 45:01 That's an interesting word. 45:02 You remember, the New Testament's 45:04 written in the Greek language. 45:05 And this God is not mocked, it means, 45:08 mikhare is the Greek word, 45:10 it says to turn up your nose at, 45:11 to treat with contempt, ridicule or disrespect. 45:15 So in other words, 45:17 you can't treat God with disrespect. 45:21 You treat God with disrespect 45:23 if you think you're going to sow impurity and reap purity. 45:27 You treat God with disrespect, if you think you're going to 45:30 reap dishonesty, 45:31 sow dishonesty and reap honesty. 45:33 You treat God with disrespect, 45:35 if you think you're going to reap, 45:37 sow worldliness 45:38 and reap a heart of righteousness, 45:43 it's just not going to happen, friend. 45:45 "Do not be deceived, 45:47 God is not mocked, whatever a man sows." 45:50 What's going to happen? 45:51 Whatever he sows, he's going to reap. 45:53 If you sow good seed, 45:54 you're going to have positive results, 45:56 and it's never too late to begin sowing good seed. 45:59 You sow good seed in your life, you begin to read the Bible 46:03 and fill your mind with the things 46:05 of the Word of God, 46:07 you get on your knees and seek God and pray. 46:10 You fill your mind with that which is noble, pure, holy, 46:14 just, true, righteous, 46:16 and you build a righteous character. 46:18 But if you sow seeds of worldliness, 46:22 you don't produce righteousness. 46:24 If you sow evil seed, you're going to have 46:27 the negative results in your life 46:29 and character that come from that negative seed. 46:33 Everything reproduces after its kind. 46:37 You don't plant carrots 46:40 and expect a tomato to pop up out of the ground. 46:44 You don't sow a seed of corn 46:47 and expect a potato to come up out of the ground. 46:51 You sow corn seed, you're going to get corn. 46:53 We reap what we sow, but you know what? 46:55 We reap a lot more than we sow. 46:57 No farmer in the world 46:58 is going to sow one kernel of corn 47:00 and expect to get one kernel back. 47:04 You're not going to sow one little tomato seed 47:06 and expecting one tomato back. 47:08 Not that we reap what we sow in kind, but not in quantity. 47:12 Young person goes out and parties, gets half drunk, 47:15 gets in the car, drives home, 47:18 hits a telephone pole and ends up a quadriplegic. 47:22 You see, you reap a lot more than you sow. 47:24 You go out some night 47:27 and you commit immorality, thinking it's fun. 47:30 The girl gets pregnant 47:32 and your whole life has changed, 47:33 your whole life is dramatically changed. 47:38 God invites you to sow good seed. 47:42 The decisions we make now are preparing us for eternity. 47:47 They're not casual decisions. 47:49 They're not light hearted decisions. 47:52 They're not decisions that have no consequence. 47:55 The decisions we make have consequence. 47:58 We cannot sow discord 47:59 in the family and produce unity. 48:02 We cannot sow lies and produce truth. 48:04 We cannot sow sin and produce holiness. 48:08 If we sow indifference to God in spiritual values 48:12 and priorities, we reap the fruit 48:14 of indifference of apathy 48:16 and spiritual complacency and frustration in our lives. 48:20 This is the time to make an eternal decision for Christ. 48:24 This is no time for playing around. 48:26 This is no time for playing games 48:29 with religion. 48:30 This is the time to sow good seeds. 48:34 Somebody said, sow a thought and you reap a what? Act. 48:37 You sow an act and your reap a what? 48:39 Habit. 48:40 You sow a habit and you reap character. 48:43 You sow character, and according 48:45 to the Book of Revelation, you reap a destiny. 48:49 The Book of Revelation is about a lot more than mystic symbols. 48:54 It's about a lot more than strange beasts. 48:57 We're going to study those, but it's about character. 49:01 It's about a final harvest and God's appeal to your heart. 49:07 God's appeal to your heart wherever you are, 49:09 to make an eternal decision for Him. 49:12 The promise and warning of scripture 49:15 in the Book of Revelation is that we reap what we sow. 49:20 What are you sowing in your life right now? 49:23 What are you sowing in your life? 49:25 Now there are two fatal mistakes 49:26 that Christians make. 49:28 First, they look at their past 49:30 and say I've sown so much evil seed. 49:32 My life is ruined. 49:33 The next mistake they make 49:35 is they look at the future and say, 49:37 "I don't think I could ever possibly, 49:40 even if I make a choice today, 49:41 I don't think I could live in harmony 49:43 with God's will. 49:44 I failed so many times in the past." 49:47 Yesterday is a memory. 49:51 Tomorrow is a dream. 49:56 This moment is yours. 49:58 You have it now today. 50:01 You can't do anything about yesterday, 50:02 very little about it. 50:04 Tomorrow has not yet come, 50:07 but today is yours. 50:11 Would you like to say Jesus, 50:15 do a new thing in my life today? 50:17 Do a new thing in my life today? 50:19 God is longing you to do a new thing in our lives. 50:23 Right now, it's harvest time. 50:26 And Jesus says to you, 50:27 "This moment, choose you this day, 50:31 who you will serve 50:35 and let it be the Lord. 50:39 In times like these, we need a savior. 50:44 In times like these, 50:48 times of moral confusion, 50:51 we need the certainty of God's Word. 50:55 In times like these, 50:58 God is leading us to make eternal choices. 51:01 Listen as Charles comes to sing, 51:04 "In times like these." 51:06 And wherever you are, 51:08 why not bow your head now and say, "Jesus, I am yours." 51:12 In times like these 51:15 We need a Savior 51:18 In times like these 51:22 We need an anchor 51:25 Be very sure 51:28 Be very sure 51:31 Your anchor holds 51:35 And grips the Solid Rock! 51:41 This Rock is Jesus Yes, 51:45 He's the One 51:47 This Rock is Jesus 51:51 The only One 51:54 Be very sure 51:57 Be very sure 52:01 Your anchor holds 52:04 And grips the Solid Rock! 52:11 In times like these 52:16 You need your Bible 52:19 In times like these 52:22 O be not idle 52:25 Be very sure 52:29 Be very sure 52:32 Your anchor holds 52:35 And grips the Solid Rock! 52:43 In times like these 52:47 I have a Savior 52:50 In times like these 52:54 I have an anchor 52:57 I'm very sure 53:00 I'm very sure 53:03 My anchor holds 53:07 And grips the Solid Rock! 53:13 This Rock is Jesus 53:17 He's the One 53:19 This Rock is Jesus 53:23 The only One 53:26 I'm very sure 53:29 I'm very sure 53:33 My anchor holds 53:36 And grips the Solid Rock! 53:42 I'm very sure 53:46 Are you very sure 53:49 Your anchor holds 53:53 And grips the Solid Rock! 54:05 When everything beneath our feet is crumbling, 54:10 there is something that's solid that we can stand on. 54:15 Do you remember the story that Jesus told, 54:19 the story of two houses, one built on sand, 54:24 and one built on rock? 54:26 Both houses appeared to do quite well, 54:31 when the sun was shining, sky was blue and fair. 54:36 But when the storm came, when the winds blew fiercely, 54:42 when the rains beat down, 54:45 the house built on the sand collapsed. 54:48 And the house built on the rock stood firm. 54:53 Anybody that builds their life 54:57 on the sand of human opinion, 55:00 on the sand of human strength, 55:03 on the sand of human ability, 55:07 when the storm comes, we'll be swept away. 55:11 But anybody who builds on that solid rock of Christ 55:16 will endure the last days 55:19 of earth's history in Christ, by Christ, 55:24 because of Christ and through Christ. 55:28 Jesus' love is strong enough 55:32 to hold you secure. 55:34 Jesus' love is strong enough 55:38 to keep you in the greatest test 55:41 of this earth's history. 55:42 Jesus' love is great enough 55:45 to surround you and to protect you. 55:48 Would you like to open your heart right now 55:50 and surrender your life to that love? 55:55 Father in heaven, we are so thankful 56:00 that in the harvest of this world, 56:03 you have given us the freedom to choose 56:06 that Satan cannot manipulate our choice. 56:09 Satan cannot coerce our choice. 56:12 Satan cannot force our choice. 56:15 Right now, we feel 56:16 the prompting of Your Holy Spirit. 56:19 We open our heart to Your love, Your salvation, 56:22 Your strength, and Your power. 56:25 Keep us in the center of Your will. 56:28 We choose just now to make eternal decisions 56:32 to sow good seeds of character, 56:35 so that we can one day 56:37 live with You in heaven forever, 56:40 in Christ's name, amen. 56:43 Thank you for joining us in this series, 56:46 Three Cosmic Messages, Earth's Final Conflict. 56:50 Don't miss one of the series. 56:53 Next presentation, I will look very deeply 56:56 into Revelation 14:6 and 7. 56:59 God bless you as we go. |
Revised 2020-06-18