2023 Dec 3rd, Sunday Morning Service

This morning will be finishing up Revelation chapter 7. I'll be looking at verses 9 through 17. And as we saw last time the greatest movement of God's saving power is yet to come it will be greater than what was experienced in the early weeks of the church in Jerusalem. It will be greater than the explosion of the apostolic preaching of the cross that sent the gospel throughout Israel and covered a great portion of what we now know as Europe. This will be a Revival it will be unlike any in human history because it will involve people from every nation every tribe and every people and every tongue coming to know the Lord Jesus Christ. There is a coming as we saw last time a great Revival when God Will Save millions of people in a very brief. Of time all over the globe. And so we look at scripture. It is clear to us that the redeemed have always been few in the unredeemed have been many. We have always been identified as the little flock but the hour is coming when there will be many and they will be a great and immense Flack. Let's look at this text and remind ourselves what it promises verses 9 through 17. After these things, I looked and behold a great multitude which no one could count from every nation and all the tribes peoples and languages standing Before the Throne and before the lamb clothed in white robes and palm branches were in their hands and they crowd out with All Cried Out with a loud voice saying salvation Belongs To Our God who sits on the throne and to the lamb and all the Angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures and they fell on their faces before the throne and worship God saying amen blessing Glory wisdom Thanksgiving honor power and might Belong To Our God forever and ever. Amen. Then one of the elders responded saying to me these who are closed in the white robes, who are they and where have they come from and I said to him my Lord, you know, and he said to me these are the ones who come out of the Great Tribulation and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb for this reason. They are Before the Throne of God and they serve him day and night in his Temple and he who sits on the throne will spread his Tabernacle over them. They will no longer hunger nor thirst nor will the sun beat down on them nor any scorching heat for the lamb in the center of the throne will be their Shepherd and will guide them to Springs of the Water of Life. And God will wipe every tear from their eyes. Seeing a group of redeemed people shouldn't surprise us since our God is a saving God. We looked at the 1st Timothy 2 verses 3 and 4 that say this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our savior who wants all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth and also 2nd Peter 3 verse 9. The Lord is not slow about his promise as some count slowness but his patient towards you not willing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance and of course John 3:16 for God so loved the world that he gave his only son so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God is a saving God God will move in a massive movement of Salvation at the worst of times in human history the time we know as the Great Tribulation this time of Revival will be at the time of Satan's full Fury. You will be a time of antichrist terrorizing dictatorship in his murderous reign of terror. It will be a time of the unrolling of the Seal of God scroll unleashing Divine wrath on the whole universe. It is a time of unparalleled Terror and Evil on Parallel judgments that ultimately will destroy centers Forever at that time during God's full and unmitigated Fury. It is in the midst of it. All God Will Save millions of people both from Israel and from the nations of the world. People were repent and people will believe the terrorizing judgments that are described in the first six SEALS or going to cause people to take a good hard look real and many of them will repent and here we meet this massive group that have repented and gone on to Heaven this time call the tribulation now just to connect you up with the group in chapter 6, we have a description of what amounts to the same Believers in a different circumstance The Souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God because of the testimony which they had maintained are under the altar they have already been martyred and they're crying out to the Lord and asking for vengeance. Each of them has given a white robe and they're told they should rest for a little while longer until the full number of their fellow servants and their brother who were to be killed even as they had been should be complete it also So here you have the first vision of Martyrs who have come to Faith and been slain in the tribulation and they're pleading for vengeance. Now all of a sudden in chapter 7 their join together with the rest of the redeem the multitude who have died, but all of those who have come out of this. Of time or collected together, they're no longer under the altar pleading for vengeance. So here we see basically that same group only not in a position to petition but in a position of Celebration we noted in verse 9 that they had white robes and suggest to you that that refers to righteousness and victory in celebration and exaltation, perhaps the idea of exaltation celebration of Victory and Triumph is even the more primary thought when you see the addition of palm branches in their hands because those were used in ancient festivals to express joyous celebrations. In first nine that says they were standing Before the Throne and before the lamb we know that the throne is in heaven the Lord God sits on it. The lamb is in the midst of the throne he who is in heaven so they are in heaven. They then have died and have gone on to Heaven that we come to verse 10 and they cried out with a loud voice saying salvation Belongs To Our God who sits on the throne and to the lamb they're engaged and praise. So here are those who have heard the word of God and those who have prayed and they are singing a new song and it is a song of Redemption how that Christ was slain and purchased for God with his blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation and so here are the 24 Elders are singing the song of Salvation and later on in chapter 7 this innumerable innumerable multitude from across the globe are also singing a song of Salvation. So they have something in common with the 24 elders and it that is that they have been saved and they have been redeemed something that Angels do not experience something that is uniquely the expiry Pics of men then we moved to the juncture we stopped at and we'll pick it up. And that is the association. We saw the description the location and the action the association is quite interesting and verses 11 and 12 it all the Angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures and they fell on their faces before the throne and worship God saying amen blessing Glory wisdom Thanksgiving honor power and might Belong To Our God forever and ever amen. They join in on the praise. It's a fantastic Association because you're these people who have been redeemed and our souls are now in the presence of the Lord in heaven near the throne waiting the moment of resurrection of their bodies and the return to the glory of the millennial Kingdom and they're in first-hand association with the angels of heaven the Marvelettes Association. Let's look at it a little more closely. There's a couple of points. I want to make reference to first of all it says and all the Angels were standing around the throne that's a large group. If you go through the scriptures and do the math you get into the billions. In Hebrews 12 22 it says but you have come to Mount Zion into the city of the Living God the heavenly Jerusalem and to myriads of Angels. The definition of myriad is a countless or extremely great number. These are creatures created by God and they were created by God for the express purpose of serving and adoring and praising him. And so they chimed in and here are these unworthy centers these wretched people who have literally turned their backs on God. They have rejected the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And here it is that in God's marvelous Mercy all hell breaks loose on Earth. He reaches out and in Wrath remembers Mercy gathers them to himself and they're not second-class citizens either. He takes them right to the throne and they mingle with the angels the holy and pure angels. These worshiping celebrating Saints even stimulate the praise of Heaven because the Angels can't personally experienced salvation. They wouldn't be stimulated to praise God for it. Unless some other redeemed creature showed them that joy and so here are these redeem people who stimulate the angels in the praise. The angels have always been fascinated by this first Peter 112 says it was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preach the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit Sent From Heaven things into which Angels Angels long to look the angels have wanted to look into these things regarding salvation. This is a magnificent scene is a glorious Place. God has their Christ as their the holy spirit. Is there the special unique Beings living there the 24 Elders are there and all of the angels are all they're gathered with them are these redeemed out of the tribulation. So here is an association of praising beans both men and angels one little note that I think might be an interesting note that says and all the Angels were standing around the throne and the elders which seems upon simple reading to indicate to us that the elders were not angels and then he adds and the four living beings who are angels but it is interesting to me at least that he talks about all the angels and the elders as if perhaps they have a unique category of Their Own. And certainly the four living creatures among all the angels are somehow also very unique. And what do they do verse 11 says they fell on their faces before the throne and worship to God. They prostrate themselves to worship God. That's not really anything new. That's the posture. They continually take they are committed to that Eternal activity is to fall down before God and worship. They recognize his sovereignty and his Supremacy his majesty and they utter a glorious benediction. They say a man at the beginning and they say Amen at the end. The word amen means Let It Be it is an affirmation. So let it be that blessing and glory and wisdom and Thanksgiving and honor and power and might be given to our god forever and ever let it be very much like that glorious benediction back and 4:11 worthy. Are you our Lord and our God to receive glory and honor and power for you created all things and because of your will they existed and were created in the same thing chapter 5 verses 12 through 14 Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered to receive power wealth wisdom might honor glory and blessing and I heard every created thing which is in the heaven or on the Earth are under the Earth or on the sea and all the things in them saying to him who sits on the throne and to the lamby the blessing the honor the glory and the Dominion forever and ever and the four living creatures were saying amen and the elders fell down and worshipped. The scene is worship because that's the occupation of the Heavenly beings. They worshipped in chapter 4 and chapter 5 before the seals were opened before the judgments began and now they're worshiping again as it comes to an end. This must be a greater and more exhilarating praise because of what they've already seen the lamb breaks the seals and the judgments fall and now this pounding Crescendo of Praise comes in response to what they wants anticipated and now have seen and they stand on the brink of the seventh seal in the final explosion of judgment Becomes of the trumpet and the bowl judgments that are to follow and it's fitting isn't it? You remember when we study chapter 4 & 5 how the praise started with a small group first there were four and then there were 28 and then there was a massive innumerable host of angels and now we've added another group, haven't we? So the multitude of praising beings in heaven is larger than it's ever been what an association for those persecuted murdered humble faithful believer to take their place in this kind of blurry is group, but that's God's plan for all of his redeemed is wonderful plan. And of course, that's what Luke 15 7 says I tell you that in the same way. There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance. An inverse 10 in the same way. I tell you there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents and we see that played out in the parable of the prodigal son where there's this tremendous party which symbolizes the rejoicing of Heaven over the repentance of Sinners. And so here you see the greatest praise the heavens has ever note taking place ever known since the creation. Got a question is specifically who are these newcomers who are now around the throne added to the rest of the host that brings us to point five. Let's call it the origination. Where did they come from? And we already know the answer but let's look at it in some detail verse 13, then one of the elders responded saying to me these were closed in the white robes. Who are they and where they come from one of the elders asked John who they are and where they come from. He's not asking for his own information. He knows he knows who this group is. He's a Heavenly being now. He's a glorified believer. He is experienced full resurrection and translation is like Jesus Christ and he's not asking for his own information, but he's asked you to make sure John knows. So the Elder wants to be sure the John is getting the picture here and understanding it. Is this really that important? Yeah, it's important because we might assume that there isn't going to be any salvation during the tribulation. We've looked at all these horrible judgments and if you look over and chapter 9 verses 20 and 21 For a Moment by the time the trumpet judgements have been Unleashed on the world the rest of mankind who are not killed by these plagues did not repent of the works of their hands. So as not to worship demons and the idols of gold silver brass Stone and wood which can neither see nor hear Norwalk and they did not repent of their murders nor of their witchcraft nor of their sexual immorality nor of their thefts. so their count there's coming to time when people aren't going to repent 16:9 talks about the final Bowl judgments the ones that come in Rapid Fire at the very end and it says and the people were scorched with Fierce heat and they blaspheme the name of God who has the power over these plagues and they did not repent so as to give him glory And we might read that and assume that all this Fury of judgment produces. No repentance. I think what this is telling us is that those people who have rejected all the way to the very end are going to be so hard. They won't repent but during the time of the first six seals being opened. There are going to be people who repent this is important. It's important to John. I mean after all John could easily have a defeatist mentality. Where is he when he hears this he's on a rock in the middle of the Mediterranean. He's in Exile furthermore. He has been given seven letters to send the seven churches and five of those seven spelled Doom for those churches from John's perspective. This doesn't look like a world-conquering movement and to read what he is reading as he writes these Revelations, he would conclude the Christianity in the end will fail and God is just going to damn the whole world not so John is not see it that way and we aren't either we are done or stand but even though there is an ultimate sense in which evil runs its course and the ultimate and final destruction of the power of God will fall there will be even in that hour the greatest Revival the world has ever known and the gospel will Triumph in the hearts of millions. So John is getting and so are we from very good news and the Lord wants to make sure that he understands. So one of the elders poses the question and John response to the quarian verse 14 I said to him and this is a great answer my Lord, you know, I mean, he recognizes that he knows and I guess he's wondering why are you asking me? And he admits that he needs the Revelation. He is confessing. I don't know you do and he said to me. These are the ones who come out of the Great Tribulation and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb that's their point of origination out of the tribulation. They come out of it they've lived in it. And now they've come out. The only way out is death. Lots of death billions will die including Believers. They're coming out of it out of the tribulation. They've heard they've believed and they've been dying since the first half but the great Massacre occurred in the Great Tribulation and this group has continued to come out they were those perhaps who never heard the gospel and during the seven year. Especially in the last half judgment increases Antichrist terrorized they are saved and they escape They're the opposite of the ones described in 2nd Thessalonians, 2:10, and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish because they did not accept love of the truth. So as to be saved and that's during the time of antichrist when Satan comes with power and signs and false wonders and sends his Emissary the man of sin the man of lawlessness. So there are going to be many who will not receive the love of the truth. But these are the ones who did these are the ones who believed in who received does this mean that you have a second chance? No, it just means you have your lifetime and if you happen to have some of your lifetime left during the tribulation, you still have your lifetime. So here are the Saints who have come out of the tribulation. And would you please notice that the verb hear it looks like those who come out in some kind of an instantaneous act. The word used here actually means the ones coming out. It shows a prolonged process the ones who are coming out this group keeps accumulating as people keep dying. This is a continual process of people coming out over the years of the persecution in the death that is occurring anyone who loves Souls is going to have to rejoice in this because Antichrist is doing his big thing trying to destroy the work of Christ. Satan is pouring out all his Fury trying to stop anything that the Lord would want to do for his glory trying to withstand the forces of God in terms of redeeming power. And of course, I means the Holy Spirit and yet in the middle of all of it even in the Battle of the Rap God is redeeming souls and they just keep coming out. This is written. I believe first of all to encourage us of the ultimate gospel Triumph when the fuel become many and to encourage preachers and witnesses to be faithful in that time. And those who live in that time will bear fruit another note about that phrase there and verse 14 the ones who are coming out clearly separates these Believers from any other group of safe people throughout history. They are Blended in why I isolate this group. Why not? Just call it the triumphant Church the Glorious Church who lived and died know they are a uniquely separate group of Believers tour coming out of this time of tribulation. Not at one moment, but in a process as their lives lives were taken some Believers Will Survive they have to because you have to populate Thousand-Year Kingdom with human beings Earth beings who can marry and have babies and repopulate the millennial World remember for Matthew 24 the time when the Lord returns to will be in the bed one will be taken. The other will be left. What does that mean one will be taken in judgement. The other will be left to go into the kingdom to will be in a field one will be taking a judgment or the other we left to go into the kingdom there will Bleak be believers who survived they will make it through Revelation chapter 12 tells us that many of them will be Jewish. The Lord is going to take a place and he's going to hide them there for the 1260 days of the Great Tribulation so that they will be alive to go into his kingdom and innumerable uncountable host of people will die and go to Glory another large group of people will be redeemed and not die. They will survive having been saved and spared and protected including the 144,000 and many other Jews according to Revelation 12 as I noted that will be hidden away and many Gentiles who also will be spared and God will protect and they will go into the kingdom. They will repopulate the world so that there will be Nations all over the globe many kinds of people. These have died and they're not all the redeemed. They're only a part of them more will live right onto the millennial Kingdom in describing them further in terms of their origination. He says his verse 13 these who are clothed in white robes. And then he further describes that white robe concept and verse 14 and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb. And so we would conclude that while the primary emphasis early on the white robes is celebration Victory Triumph, and there's also the idea of righteousness and Purity and hear that is the emphasis. These are the white robes because they have been washed and they have been made dazzling by the blood of the Lamb. Now we all know very well that blood doesn't get anything clean its stains and it has to be cleaned. But here is a paradoxical Truth blood doesn't stain blood cleanses every stain.

the Divine detergent remove sin altogether This wonderful theme of the blood of the Lamb is not new. The Bible says we have received forgiveness through his blood. We couldn't be Redeemed by the blood of bulls and goats. But by the blood of Jesus Christ, we've been redeemed Peter calls it Precious Blood the blood of a lamb without blemish and without spot and so here are redeemed people whose sins have been washed away in the blood of the lamb and they've died and they keep coming out of the time of the tribulation to take their place around the throne forever to praise the Lord that leads us to the six-point and let's call it function. What are they doing verse 15 tells you for this reason, they are Before the Throne of God and they serve him day and night. That's why they're there their they're to serve him. They are rendering spiritual worship and part of that spiritual worship may involve service, but the idea is they are there. They have been washed in the blood of the lamb for the reason that they may come before the Throne of God to worship Him day and night in his holy place in his Temple. In the final glorious Kingdom of Christ of the Millennium, there will be a temple. It will be God's Temple come down from heaven on Earth during the Millennium just short bunny trail. Let's look at Revelations 21 22 now we're looking at the new Heaven and a new Earth. This is past the Millennium now, we're looking at the new Heaven and the new worth the final Eternal State. I saw no temple in it for the Lord God the almighty and the lamb are its Temple. They are the temple. There isn't any temple in the Eternal State God is everywhere and what 1st Corinthians 15 says come to pass God becomes all in all in John's vision is the temple during the Millennium. There is a temple a special. Holy place where God dwells in an otherwise still falling universe. Partially restored but not fully in the Eternal State. God doesn't need a sample because there's no evil in the universe and he is the temple and what's our function from the time we get there throughout all eternity Priestly worship. 7th Ward and understanding. This text is the word protection. This is got to be good news. Look at verse 15. It says for this reason they are Before the Throne of God and they serve him day and night in his Temple and he who sits on the throne will spread his Tabernacle over them protection and security. God will put his tent around them. He will become their protection a canopy of shelter to protect them from the terrible things that they have suffered in the world. Remember many of these are Martyrs all of them have seen whores Indescribable whores. They seen the disasters of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse in the following 6 cyl when the universe collapsed they seen all of this the one they come into the presence of the Lord. They have come to a secure place a canopy of shelter to protect them from all the Terrors of the Fallen World. Several times in Revelation it talks about God becoming our Tabernacle our tent and whom we dwell in him whom we find safety. That's a wonderful promise never again. Will anyone harm them never again? Will they suffer pain and finally 1/8 word and unfolding. This text is the word provision in verse 16. They will no longer hunger nor thirst nor will the sun beat down on them nor any scorching heat, you know, they experienced that during the time of tribulation, they suffer hunger and thirst because they refused to worship Antichrist furthermore. They probably experienced some of the terrifying reality of the scorching Sun that we read about earlier and God's judgment back in chapter 6 as the sky begins to disintegrate the universe begins to collapse normal temperatures are skewed. They'll see the destruction of the water. You remember the things coming out. The sky the pollute the waters you remember the destruction of animals and plants the limitation on food and drink all of this. They will have experienced but never again. Verse 17 for the lamb in the center of the throne will be their Shepherd and will guide them to Springs of the Water of Life. And God will wipe every tear from their eyes.

The lamb is the center is he was a center in chapter 5 in the midst of the throne. He becomes their Shepherd that metaforest everywhere from Psalm 23 all the way to Hebrews 13 in a lot of stops in between. The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want Here is a lamb who becomes a Shepherd. He gives them all. They need ep0 provides everything they could ever desire or want as well as complete Security. He guides them to the springs of the Water of Life and who is the water of life? And where is it Springs God is the water of life. And in his Springs are of course in his presence in his glory protection feeding leading. All thirst is quenched and never another tear to be shed, and believe me as you go through the Book of Revelation there are many tears but they stopped being shed when the saints Reach This presence of God. Well, I don't know about you. But in the midst of the world in which we live today, we could certainly get the idea that Christianity is on the way to being defeated. Somebody asked me the other day if you looked over the whole world, where do you see the church advancing? Maybe it appears to be in some places, but you look over the world. What do you see as the church organized Christianity seems to be fast moving towards a very obviously defective kind of Christianity. Doesn't it? And we seem to be losing. But it's good news to me. And I trust you that in the end the gospel triumphs. Let's pray.

Thank you Father for a time in your word today. And so many things that could be said we just trust the what was said would represent your heart and your intention as you inspired this through your Holy Spirit we pray this

Thank you.