of the earth is ripe and he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the
earth and the earth was reaped and another angel came out of the temple
which is in heaven he also having a sharp sickle and another angel came out
from the altar which had power over fire and cried with a loud cry to him that
had the sharp sickle saying thrust in thy sharp sickle and gathered the
clusters of the vine of the earth for her grapes are fully ripe and the angel
thrust in his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth and cast
it into the great wine press of the wrath of God and the wine press was
trodden without the city and blood came out of the wine press even unto the
horse bridles by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs you Lord
Heavenly Father I thank you for this day I thank you for this time that we have
to come together I pray now that you would bless pastor Bruce as he preaches
your word and I pray that you would give us attentiveness to pay attention as
your word is preached in Jesus name I pray amen amen all right we're in
Revelation chapter 14 this evening look down at your Bibles at verse number one
it says and I looked and lo a lamb stood on the Mount Zion and with them 144,000
having his father's name written in their foreheads now let me give you a
bit of a review from chapters 12 up until chapter 13 or wherever now in
chapter 14 so far where we're at right now is in the second half of the book of
Revelation and obviously we understand that when it comes to the book of
Revelation it's broken up into two specific parts the second iteration is
simply reiterating what the first half has already told us now that first half
from chapters 1 all the way to chapter 11 deals with the first century AD it
goes into the beginning of sorrows and Revelation chapter 6 and even Great
Tribulation at the latter end of chapter 6 you see the 144,000 in chapter 7 the
rapture in chapter 7 the last seal the seventh seal is open which opens up the
first trumpet to be blown of the of God's wrath in chapter number eight and
nine and then what do you have in chapter 11 you have the final judgments
that are coming upon the world and then tapering off with the millennial reign
okay that's what you see in the first half of the book of Revelation and then
it starts over again in chapter number 12 leading up to chapter 22 now here's
the difference between these two parts right here is that the second half of
the book of Revelation goes a little more into depth of the details that we
saw in the first half and in fact it extends a little further because as I
mentioned in chapter 11 the first half finishes off with the establishment of
the millennial reign and we know that to be true because he's he's he's
distributing the rewards to his servants and the prophets right whereas in the
second half what takes place is that we see the rapture taking place here in
chapter 14 chapter 15 16 and 17 excuse me chapter 16 is the vials being poured
out which is the judgment you have Babylon being dealt with in chapter 17
and 18 you have Armageddon in chapter 19 and then you have the great white throne
in chapter 20 21 and 22 dealing with the new heaven and the new earth so there's
some new elements that are being introduced in the second half of the
book of Revelation but I want you to notice that the second half is still in
chronological order the same events are still being explained the same events as
far as 144,000 the rapture the great tribulation beginning of sorrows all of
these things are still being reiterated in the second half but other details are
being explained as well to give us a more well-rounded perspective of this
book now look down at your Bibles we're gonna look at chapter 14 here now where
are we when it comes to chapter 14 well in chapter 12 you have the great wonder
of the woman who is clothed with the Sun she has the moon below her feet she has
the crown of 12 stars and the Bible says that she goes into the wilderness for a
thousand two hundred and sixty days now that number is very significant because
of the fact we know that that is primarily dealing with the beginning of
sorrows from the first seal all the way up into the fourth seal what we would
know as the four horsemen of the apocalypse that's a thousand two
hundred and sixty days leading up to the 75 days of great tribulation and then at
the end of that we have the rapture okay so in chapter 12 you have that taking
place you have the eviction of Satan from heaven by Michael and his
archangels and then at the end of chapter 12 you we see that Satan is
wroth with the woman and he go he seeks to go make war with the remnant of her
seed therefore if that chronology if we follow that chronology chapter 13 deals
with the great tribulation that's why you see the Beast coming up out of the
sea which is a conglomerate of all world empires mixed into one the New World
Order but it also symbolizes the Antichrist the Antichrist makes war
with the Saints and he uses the mark of the Beast to do it right you say why is
he using the mark of the Beast why do you say he's using the mark of the
Beast to make war with the Saints well here's the reason why okay because the
mark of the Beast is basically introduced as a solution to a global
crisis that has just taken place and if you remember the details of Revelation
chapter number six you have the Antichrist and its conquest you have
wars and rumors of wars you have famines pestilences people dying on the massive
scale and the Bible even tells us that a fourth part of the earth is perishing
through by means of the sword by the means of famine by the means of
pestilences and the beasts of the earth the Bible says and so this is a global
crisis a lot of people are dying a lot of people are starving a lot of people
are going through this global crisis and they're looking for an answer well
unfortunately that's when the Antichrist comes in he introduces the mark of the
Beast and this mark of the Beast seeks to be a solution to the global crisis
but here's the thing we know because the Bible tells us that the mark of the
Beast is not to put food on the table folks it's not to create shelter it's
not to feed those who are hungry it's not to fix the pestilences it's not to
fix the famines or the wars or or to give you you know a higher or higher
speed internet whatever it is that they're gonna be offering through the
mark of the Beast what is it for it's to single out the Saints that's what it's
for you see Satan can care less if you have food in your stomach he didn't care
less if you have shelter food what he wants according to the Bible is to make
war with the Saints when he's evicted from heaven he's not saying well now I
don't have a place in heaven now I gotta go be the Savior of the world and go
feed everyone who's involved in wars and people who have died I gotta help the
families that of the people who have died and people who are starving
therefore here's the mark of the Beast this noble cause for this noble cause to
help people around the world no what he's trying to do is he's using that as
a means to find out who are the real Christians because he wants to make war
with them he wants to kill them he wants to kill us why because Satan the Bible
says as a roaring lions walketh about seeking whom he may devour and Satan is
seeking to devour the remnant of her seed according to Revelation chapter
number 12 so the world thinks you know oh man you have all these people who are
freaking out over the technology and the mark of the beast well here's the
thing if you're not saved or excuse me if you are saved you don't have to worry
about any of that right because you're never gonna take the mark of the Beast
because the way and I'm getting ahead of myself the way Satan through the
Antichrist is gonna be able to single out Christians is because of the fact
the only people who would take the mark of the Beast are those who worship the
image of the Beast so we have that in chapter 12 and 13 that's why such a
heavy emphasis is placed on the mark of the Beast because in Revelation chapter
6 on in the opening of the fifth seal you have the souls under the altar slain
for the Word of God and for the testimony which they held the Bible says
and you wonder why is it that from you know seals one two three and four and
leading up to five there's such a jerking of the steering wheel where
everyone is suffering the whole world is suffering but all of a sudden Christians
are being martyred what is it what's the mark of the Beast okay the first four
seals are used as a pretext to prepare people to turn against to create this
global campaign against Christians to kill them okay so that's where we left
off in chapter 13 which is great tribulation now if we were to follow the
chronology of the book of Revelation from the first half what happens after
great tribulation well chapter 7 we have 144,000 and then we also have the
rapture taking place right the rapture then the first trumpet is blown the
wrath of God begins so we could expect the same exact chronology to follow suit
in chapter 14 because in chapter 13 we have great tribulation thereafter we
should expect to see the 144,000 being mentioned and also the rapture taking
place now obviously there's other details that are gonna be given right
but for the most part this is the chronology that it is following here now
look down at verse number one let's read it again it says and I looked and lo a
lamb stood on the Mount Zion and with them a hundred and forty four thousand
having his father's name written in their foreheads now hold your place
there and go to Revelation chapter number seven if you would revelation
chapter number seven so let's look at a couple things here from Revelation 14
verse 1 in regards to the 144,000 first of all we see that they have their
father's name written in their foreheads now what is that well look at verse
number one of Revelation chapter 7 it says here and after these things I saw
four angels standing on the four corners of the earth holding the four winds of
the earth that the wind should not blow on the earth nor on the sea nor in any
tree and I saw another angel ascending from the east having the seal of the
living God and he cried with a lot of voice to the four angels to whom it was
given to hurt the earth and the sea saying heard not the earth neither the
sea nor the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God in their
foreheads so what is the seal that is being referred to here well it's what
Revelation 14 verse 1 states which is the father's name that is written in
their foreheads okay so the seal of the living God the seal of the servants
that's on their foreheads is the name of the father that's written in their
foreheads now before we get into that I want you to notice that this confirms
the fact that we will be raptured prior to the wrath of God being poured
on this earth because he says they're hurt not the earth neither the trees
nor the sea until we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads
so if he's telling them if he's giving them the instruction hey don't destroy
the earth what is that telling us the earth has not yet been destroyed God's
wrath has not yet been poured out folks and this is important because of the
fact that people will look at people who take our position you know we believe in
a post trip pre-wrath rapture and they'll say oh you believe that God's
gonna pour out his wrath on us we're gonna be here throughout the wrath of
God no we're gonna be here through tribulation but we're not gonna be here
through the wrath of God and this is proof of that okay the proof is is that
before you said well how do you know that we're taken out because in the same
chapter in chapter 7 you see the great multitude which no man can number which
is a perfect way to describe all believers from the beginning of time up
until now being in heaven that would be a great multitude which no man can
number okay and we see that they're there prior to chapter 8 where the first
trumpet is blow because if you remember in chapter 8 when the first trumpet is
blown the Bible tells us that the third part of the trees are burnt up and all
the green grass the second trumpet you know the the third part of the seas are
turned into blood and the rivers we see men are scorched with fire I mean
judgment begins to rain down upon the earth on a massive scale begins to
destroy a third part of many things but this takes place after the 144,000 come
to this world and we get raptured so I want you to notice that so we have the
angel stating at the beginning to not hurt the earth until the 144,000 are
sealed in their foreheads now go to chapter number nine if you would go to
chapter 9 because this is important okay it's important to know that this is
the 144,000 that originated in heaven by the way okay now in chapter 14 they
already had the seal of their father on their forehead the name of their father
so this is telling us that in chapter 7 this has not yet happened right well you
say why is that important well because in chapter 14 they're in heaven on mine
on Mount Zion with the lamb so if they're with the lamb in heaven and they
have the name on their foreheads but they have not yet come down that shows
us that the 144,000 started off in heaven okay now look at chapter 9 and
verse 4 it says and it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass
of the earth neither any green tree green green thing excuse me neither any
tree now what is this referring to well if you remember from the chapter 9
sermon this is referring to the locust from hell that God releases from hell to
torment men for five months the Bible says okay and they're able to torment
men they are able to paralyze them to the point where the Bible says that they
would desire to die and death will flee from them okay it's a it's a terrible
torment that he allows them to go through and Apollyon who is this angel
is their king and he's basically commanding them to go and torment men
for five months so you said why is that significant well look at verse 4 again
it says and it was commanded them referring to the locust that they should
not hurt the grass of the earth neither any green tree green thing neither any
tree but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads so
what does this tell us here what this tells us is that these locusts that are
coming from hell that have this campaign for five months they permeate all four
corners of the earth because the implication here is that they're gonna
eventually run into those 144,000 and when they see the 144,000 who are
preaching the gospel during this time they're gonna see them with the seal of
God written in their foreheads and they're just gonna bypass them they're
not gonna harm them they're not gonna torment them because they have that seal
in their foreheads now the implication there also is that the 144,000 have not
yet received their glorified bodies you see why do you say that well a glorified
body is referring to the fact that when we get raptured the Bible tells us that
the dead in Christ shall rise first then we which are alive and remain shall be
caught up together with them in the clouds and so shall we ever be with the
Lord and the Bible tells us in the first Corinthians 15 that our bodies shall be
what changed they shall be transformed in the twinkling of an eye this
corruption will put on incorruption right this mortal shall put on
immortality death shall be swallowed up in victory so let's say you die before
all this takes place and your body is buried in the ground at the rapture the
Bible says that your body will come up and it's not gonna be the same body why
because flesh and blood shall not inherit the kingdom of God your body
shall be transformed into a celestial body a glorified body that is sinless
okay and this is a great thing amen you know a glorified body that is no longer
tempted to sin it's no longer going to sin it can be in the presence of God
this is Bruce Mihia you know 2.0 5 whatever it is you know it's as if a
mustard seed is being sown into the ground and it produces a great tree
something that's completely different than that which was sown in the ground
which by the way is the reason why when someone dies we don't cremate them we
bury them because it's it's symbolically representing the fact that one day that
person will resurrect if they're saved we sold them into the ground and that
person will resurrect one day to something completely different a
celestial body okay they shall put on in corruption so here's the thing if we
are glorified or when we are glorified during the rapture we can no longer we
can no longer die you know we are an everlasting creation at that point where
we can no longer die our bodies can no longer be destroyed so if that's the
case why do the 144,000 need the seal of God in their foreheads if they're coming
from heaven well I'll tell you why because they have not yet received their
glorified body you said well how do you know that why would you say that if the
144,000 are coming down as we're going up in our new bodies wouldn't it be make
sense that they're receiving their glorified bodies once they're coming
down well not necessarily and the reason I say that is because the reason we even
get a glorified body okay the reason the Bible says you know you think of the
book of Daniel or talks about those who lead others to righteousness shall shine
as the brightness of the firmament forever okay so the rewards that we
receive even the glorified body that we get is based upon the work that we do
salvation just based upon Christ amen for by grace are you saved through faith
and that not of yourselves it is the gift of God not of works lest any man
should boast you know I given to them eternal life and they shall never
perish neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand he that believeth on the
Sun hath everlasting life he that believeth not the Sun shall not see
life but the wrath of God abideth on him so the Bible tells us all we have to
do to live forever is believe on Jesus however if we want rewards when we get
to heaven we need a work for Jesus we don't need to work for our salvation you
know the Bible tells us not by works of righteousness which we have done but
according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of the regeneration of the
Holy Ghost that's what the Bible tells us however if we want something more
than that rewards authority a distribution of rewards at the
millennial reign we got to work if we want a greater resurrection as the
Bible puts it in Hebrews chapter 11 a better resurrection with the body a
celestial body that shines brighter than the firmaments you know we need to make
sure that we put in work so that would make sense as to why they have not yet
been glorified why because what are they coming down here to do to come here to
work they're coming here to preach the gospel they're coming here to see people
saved so yes this these 144,000 that were once at one point were in the Old
Testament they died hey guess what their works not done yet they're in heaven
right now and they're gonna be coming down and their work is not finished
therefore they have not received their glorified bodies the Bible even says in
Revelation 11 verse 18 you have to turn there it says in the nations were angry
and thy wrath is come and the time of the dead that they should be judged and
that thou shouldest give reward into thy servants the prophets and to the saints
and them that fear thy name small and great and should has destroyed them
which destroy the earth this is referring to that millennial reign so
once we go into the millennial reign at that point Jesus Christ begins to
distribute authority to his servants to his prophets to those who have served
him okay we gain authority in the millennial reign but it's based upon
our service so here's what I believe okay is that the 144,000 they're gonna
stay here throughout the entire three and a half years of God's wrath because
there's no indication that they die or something happens to them I believe
they're gonna be here throughout the entire three and a half years and
they're literally just gonna waltz into the millennial reign at which point you
say wait do they get their glorified bodies then yeah I believe so I mean is
that really hard to believe I mean think about the two witnesses right the
two witnesses receive their glorified bodies they get their specific rapture
at the end of those three and a half years when the Antichrist kills them you
know they're laying in the streets for three days and after three days God
calls them up they resurrect and go to heaven etc so this is not very
far-fetched a very far-fetched idea to think about now go to go back to
Revelation chapter 14 so the 144,000 are just 144 evangelists I mean this is
your elite group of you know Navy SEALs so to speak who are coming here during
the most tumultuous time I mean they're literally stepping on the earth at the
worst time you could ever come okay you said why is that because this is when
God's wrath is just being poured out in great measures with no mercy and they're
here why because they're here to see people saved okay now I'm gonna get
ahead myself so I'm gonna talk about something as far as their ministry is
concerned in just a bit let's talk about their location it says I looked and lo
a lamb stood on the Mount Zion and with them 144,000 so this event is taking
place in heaven there with the lamb referring to Jesus Christ this is
proving that the 144,000 did not originate in on earth but rather in
heaven and the reason I make a big deal about that is because many will
claim that the 144,000 are Jews okay how many you've ever heard that right
I said well this is 144,000 Jews wrong the Bible tells us in Revelation chapter
7 that it's the 144,000 of the tribes of Israel and more specifically 12,000 of
each tribe saved the tribe of Dan so you don't have it's it's there's 12,000 of
the tribe of Judah but there isn't 144,000 of the tribe of Judah which is
referring to the Jews this is referring to Israel in itself and people will
say well no these are all Jews these are the people that get saved during you
know the time of Jacob's trouble well this is a dispensational teaching that
originated with John Nelson Darby okay and should be thoroughly rejected
because they want to make Daniel 70th week which is the seven-year time period
all about the Jews folks this is why the pre-tribulation rapture is such a fraud
the reason the pre-tribulation rapture is such a fraud is because preachers are
getting up wanting people to think that we're gonna be out of here before the
seven years even begin okay they said well the tribulation is not for us it's
for you know the Jews it's for the Jews you know they're blind right now but
he's gonna deal with them for seven years they're gonna go to tribulation
and the wrath of God and then Jesus is gonna come on a white horse you know at
Revelation 19 oy vey and then they're gonna believe on them this is all false
folks not true okay the 144,000 start off in heaven you say whoa whoa are you
saying that we're actually gonna go through tribulation absolutely folks
aren't we going to tribulation today don't we go through tribulation I mean
throughout the years the Bible even tells us we must go through the we must
do much tribulation enter into the kingdom of heaven our lives as
Christians are characterized by tribulation folks yay all that would live
godly in Christ Jesus the Bible says shall suffer persecution you know when
you become a Christian it's not a bed of roses things don't get better as far as
here you know here on this life you know obviously we have salvation we have the
Word of God we have Jesus we have the Holy Spirit we we have eternal life but
you know what often when you become a Christian you know you lose your family
you lose your friends you gain enemies you gain people who hate your guts and
want you dead and hate what you preach you gain a lot of tribulation that's
part of life well the tribulation great tribulation is simply an apex of every
single tribulation we've ever gone through okay and you have Christians
today was it oh we're gonna be out of here before that great tribulation
brother Jesus is gonna come and you know he could come at the end of this service
hey man brother bless God it's like what are you talking about the Bible
says that let no man deceive you by any means for that day shall not come except
to come a falling away first and the man of sin be revealed the son of perdition
who opposeth and exalted themself above all that is called God or that is
worshiped so that he eyes God sitteth in the temple of God proclaiming himself to
be God that's telling us that the Antichrist comes first before Jesus
comes now if they're teaching a pre-trib rapture if they're saying that Jesus
could come in any moment but it's actually the Antichrist who can come at
any moment wouldn't you agree that there's a nefarious agenda behind the
pre-tribulation rapture because if you have mainstream Christianity believing
that Jesus can come at any moment what's gonna happen when the Antichrist
actually shows up and subjugates politics subjugates the world becomes
the the pseudo Savior of the world mainstream Christianity those who are
not saved are gonna follow him and what are they gonna do they're gonna worship
him because they're gonna think he is the word of God made flesh especially
when he sees a the Bible tells us in Revelation chapter 13 that he receives a
deadly wound to the head and his deadly wound is healed when they see that man
come back to life they're gonna say well it has to be Jesus it has to be the
Savior it has to be God because who else can come back from the dead but God
himself well here's the thing folks he's not resurrected the way Jesus Christ
resurrected he's possessed by Satan possessed by Satan himself and this is
why Matthew 24 Jesus says you know if they say lo Christ is here or Christ is
there believe it not why because during this time many false
Christ many false prophets shall come in the name of Christ saying I am Christ
right and shall deceive many now if you're saved you're not gonna be
deceived even if you do believe in a preacher rapture okay if you're saved
you have the Holy Spirit of God eventually people like that are gonna
wake up and they're gonna eat humble pie they're gonna be like man I was wrong
all those stupid sermons that I've ever preached about the tree village
pre-tribulation rapture time to eat humble pie and go find me a new IFB
church okay I'm getting I chased the rabbit there but that rabbit needs to be
chased and skinned and cooked stew okay so what I'm saying is this is that the
hundred and forty four thousand are not Jews they're of Israel and they're sent
here for a specific purpose look at verse number two it says and I heard a
voice from heaven as the voice of many waters and as the voice of a great
thunder and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps and they sung
as it were a new song before the throne and before the four beasts and the
elders and no man can learn that song but the hundred and forty and four
thousand look what it says which were redeemed from the earth past tense right
these are people who got saved in the Old Testament these are they which were
not defiled with women because sometimes people think like 144,000 like how do
they get this position how were they just chosen and elected by God for such
an awesome exploit to be able to do in the end times well it says here they
were not defiled with women for they were virgins these are they which follow
the Lamb with us wherever he goeth these were redeemed from among men being the
firstfruits unto God unto the Lamb and in their mouth was found no guile for
they are without fault before the throne of God so if we're to speculate and
conjecture who these people are you know these men these young men were people
who really just dedicated their lives to the Lord you know they never got married
they were virgins they follow the Lord you know there were honest men because
it says and in their mouth was found no guile they were without fault you know
and you say that's impossible to find something like that what about Daniel
Daniel was without fault Joseph was without fault and those only two that
God chose to specifically name in the Bible I'm sure over the last thousands
of years there there's at least 144,000 that we can say that God can say of that
fit this description right here okay you know they went they went without certain
quote-unquote luxuries of this world in order to attain this position and to be
able to do this this great exploit here now what's their mission look at verse
six and I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven having the everlasting
gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth unto every nation and kindred
and tongue and people saying with a loud voice fear God and give glory to him for
the hour of the judgment has come and worship him that made heaven and earth
and the sea and the fountains of waters now why would God send soul owners
during this time you know why because obviously we have the 144,000 but you
also have the two witnesses right and the two witnesses which are Moses and
Elijah in my opinion they have this public ministry people know who they are
and you know they're breathing out fire they're raining down plagues upon the
earth they're more popular so to speak whereas the 144,000 are kind of like the
boots on the ground they're the ones that are being sentenced of the four
corners of the earth to get people saved maybe we won't even know who they're
what their names are okay so why is he doing that because you think about is
like man the vast majority of the people in the world during this time the wrath
of God you know a lot of them are reprobate they've taken the mark of the
beast they're already damned you know why is that well because of the fact
that there is a remainder there's a remainder of mankind that has not been
made reprobate okay although the vast majority of people will take them out
the mark of the beast there's gonna be a select few who don't who are not saved
but they have enough common sense to say I'm not putting that stinking chip in my
right hand on my forehead you kidding me that I just don't agree with that I
didn't take vaccines 20 years ago 10 years ago whenever this is gonna happen
you know I'm not gonna take the mark of the beast now and I'm sure they're not
gonna call it the mark of the beast okay they're gonna call it you know
they're gonna have some some some appealing name to it obviously but the
144,000 basically are operating as strangers as those who are poor
fatherless and widows of the Old Testament now go to Isaiah chapter 17 I
talked about this in my previous sermon on Revelation chapter 7 but I think it's
worth reiterating again just to kind of drive in the point as to why they're
there I'm gonna reach you from Leviticus 19 verse 9 it says here and
when you reap the harvest of your land thou shalt not wholly reap the corners
of thy field neither shalt thou gather the gleanings of thy harvest and thou
shall not glean thy vineyard neither shalt thou gather every grape of the
vineyard thou shalt leave them for the poor and stranger I am the Lord your God
so here in Leviticus chapter 19 the Bible specifically given the
instruction God has given the instruction to his people that when
they're harvesting when they're reaping the harvest of their fields you know as
they're pulling out the fruits and getting all you know that which belongs
them the the that which they're reaping he tells them specifically hey make sure
you leave a little bit for those who are poor those who are strangers those who
come in after the reaping to basically glean those corners okay and I believe
that's exactly what the 144,000 represent okay now I'm not saying that
those who are here during the wrath of God were like left behind you know I
mean like they're saved and then they're just they're just left here no you know
what I'm saying is that those who are here who are not reprobate will ripen
during the wrath of God they will become very receptive not prior to the
wrath of God but they'll become receptive during the wrath of God okay
and look folks I mean yeah when you have locusts when you have the 200 million
horsemen who are breathing out brimstone fire and smoke you're seeing all these
plates come upon the world that should soften your heart up just a little bit
right where it's just like I think I want to get saved now I wish there's a
soul winner who would actually come and give me the gospel right and look God
loves people you know he loves people he loves the lost and he loves him so much
put it this way God loves the lost so much that he's willing to just send some
people from who've died thousands of years ago to come and win him to Christ
thousands of years later 144,000 but he's deputized 144,000 soul winner
evangelists to go out and get them saved that's a good that's a great testament
of his love there so they are operating as a means of basically because they're
gonna be going to the four corners of the earth the four corners of the field
to glean the remainder of people who are still receptive towards the gospel to
get them saved and reap that harvest look at Isaiah 17 here's what that is
look at verse number four of Isaiah 17 it says and in that day it shall come to
pass that the glory of Jacob shall be made thin and the fatness of his flesh
shall wax lean and it shall be as when the harvest men gather at the corn and
reap at the ears with his arm and it shall be as he that gathers ears in the
valley of Rephaim yet gleaning grapes shall be left in it as the shake of an
olive tree two or three bears in the top of the uppermost bow four or five in the
outmost fruitful branches thereof saith the Lord God of Israel so what is he
saying you know there's gonna be a couple it's not gonna be this massive
revival obviously the vast majority of people are gonna be dying taking the
mark of the beast but there are gonna be what four or five and the outmost parts
right there's gonna be two or three berries at the top of the uppermost bow
they're gonna go into these remote areas where people are living off-grid or
people where there's no technology there's gonna be two or three families
in this area you know you think of faith for Baptist Church who does the
sowing in the Indian reservations often they'll go to a specific place and
there's literally only two houses there I mean they'll try they'll drive for
hours to get to a reservation where there's literally just a couple of
people to talk to but you know it's worth going for those people right
willing to travel long distances even to see one person saved is worth it well
how much more this is the same philosophy that God has when he says
well you know what to get a couple people saved during the wrath during my
outpouring of my wrath worth sending a hundred and forty four thousand soul
wonders to go find them okay look at verse seven it says at that day shall a
man look to his maker and his eyes shall have respect to the Holy One of Israel
yeah you bet he will when all that wrath is being poured out it's just like God I
need you and then they respond to the light that God gives them God sends you
know these soldiers who are like thousands of years old to come and give
them the gospel which by the way goes to show you that the gospel is not changed
right because I'm sure they're given the same exact gospel that they've been
getting that they were giving in the Old Testament in the New Testament no it
says in Revelation 14 that the angel you know he braised the everlasting gospel
yeah you just proved my point it's called the everlasting gospel guess what
folks an everlasting gospel has no beginning has no end if it's everlasting
so hey you know what was good for the 144,000 in the Old Testament is good for
us it's gonna be good in the Old Testament it's gonna be good in the New
Testament during the tribulation and it's gonna be good during the wrath of
God amen go back to Revelation chapter 14 so I wanted to share that with you
there regarding the ministry of the 144,000 they're coming to glean the
corners of the fields of the world to get those two or three berries that are
in the bows and the uppermost bows the four or five and the utmost fruitful
branches thereof to get people saved now look at verse six it says and I saw
another angel fly in the midst of heaven having the everlasting gospel to preach
to them that dwell on the earth actually we already read that huh let's uh let's
keep going go to verse eight it says in there followed another angel saying
Babylon has fallen is fallen that great city because she made all nations to
drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication now who's Babylon I don't
want to get too much into this because I don't want to steal the Thunder for
Revelation 17 and 18 but Babylon is basically the woman who sits on the
scarlet robe in chapter 17 and what it basically represents is the Empire
that's used to put the Antichrist into power and in fact it's the Empire the
the Antichrist uses to conquer the world all right now Babylon according to the
Bible will fall I mean we see this in Jeremiah 50 and 51 it's foretold that
Babylon the the great is mystery Babylon will be destroyed in one hour okay and
it's a very important topic in the book of Revelation because literally two
chapters are dedicated to its to its to its description as well as to its
destruction okay so Babylon's gonna fall at the hands of the ten kings we see
that in Revelation chapter 17 but I want to mention this because a lot of take a
lot of people take issue with this particular verse and wonder why it's
being mentioned here even though the fall of Babylon happens in chapter 18
you know they say why is it that Babylon why is it that it's saying in verse 8
that Babylon has fallen fallen in chapter 14 when the rapture hasn't even
taken place and we know that that's gonna happen in chapter 18 well let me
just make it let me give you a couple things here first and foremost you you
just got to constantly remember that this is it is in chronological order so
if it's in chronological order what we see is that you have the rapture you
have the wrath of God leading up to the destruction of Babylon and then you have
Armageddon after Armageddon you have the millennial reign and then so on and so
forth so if you were to look at where Babylon falls on the prophetic timetable
it literally happens at the end of Daniel 70th week right before Armageddon
takes place okay in chapter 19 where the Antichrist and his armies go against
Jesus and his armies you know they catch a whooping in chapter 19 but prior to
that Babylon is destroyed in one hour okay go to chapter 18 if you would hold
your place there in chapter 14 and I'm just gonna just obviously we know this
to be true but I just want to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that Babylon
does not fall in chapter 14 it does fall towards the latter end at the very end
of Daniel 70th week look what it says in verse 4 this is the chapter describing
the destruction of Babylon and its lamentation it says here and I heard
another voice from heaven verse 4 say come out of her my people they be not
partakers of her sins and that you receive not of her plagues for her sins
have reached unto heaven and God hath remembered her iniquities well hold on a
second if Babylon is destroyed in Revelation 14 why is God remembering her
iniquities in chapter 18 this is showing us here that it's not yet been destroyed
therefore it's not being destroyed in chapter 14 look at verse 7 how much she
hath glorified herself and lived deliciously so much torment and sorrow
give her for she saith in her heart I said a queen and am no widow and shall
see no sorrow well that wouldn't make sense if Babylon was already destroyed
in chapter 14 if she have seen no sorrow you understand so it was okay we know
that we know that it's destroyed in chapter 18 you still haven't answered
why it's saying that it's falling it's being destroyed in chapter 14 well this
is the reason why now listen up it's because God wrote it that way and he's
the boss right so if God is the author and he chose to put it there then you
know hey it's beautiful man but let me explain to you a secondary reason why
okay aside from the fact that God is the author of the Bible this is why because
God calls those things which are not as though they were you understand you know
throughout the Bible God will often speak and declare and give decrees with
finality even though the events have not yet taken place why is that well because
of the fact that God dwells within the realm of what eternity and in eternity
there is no time but rather it's a panoramic view of the beginning and the
very end so when God looks at history from the realms of eternity he sees
things that are in the future as though they've already been finished let me
give you an example of this you have in Luke chapter number 10 verse 18 where
the disciples come to Jesus and they're excited because the devils are subject
unto them and they're super sad and what does Jesus say he says I beheld Satan as
lightning fall from heaven in other words he's saying he thinks that you
think that's cool I saw Satan fall from heaven but notice he said I beheld
Satan as lightning fall from heaven and this is a foretelling of Satan's
eviction in Revelation chapter number 12 where Michael and his archangels are
casting him out of heaven he comes down to the earth he has but a short time
that's what that's referring to but notice that he says I beheld past tense
why because when Jesus was in eternity the Son of God the eternal Son of God
was in eternity he saw that already he saw the panoramic view of history from
beginning and end and he was able to see that before he ever the word was made
flesh and dwelt among us you understand and so many things look the Bible even
tells us in the book of Revelation it when it talks about Jesus it talks about
the Lamb of God who was slain before the foundation of the world you know when
what when was he slain well he was slain physically speaking you know at the
cross when he gained down to this earth when he was 33 years old but the Bible
tells us because everything has already been done in heaven you know that he was
slain before the foundations of the world you know God that's why we know
that God has foreknowledge of things you know he's omniscient and he has
foreknowledge he knows what things are gonna take place before they happen
because according from his perspective they have already happened and you see
this throughout the book of Revelation because in chapter 7 when John sees the
great multitude which no man can number I got news for you you're there all of
us are there in that great multitude you know all of us are gonna be there we're
gonna be where's John does it work like that it's like one of those dimensions
or something you know he sees us there so when it comes to eternity these
things have already taken place we're already in heaven so to speak we can't
wrap our minds around that because we can't wrap our minds around eternity as
of yet why because the Bible tells us that we see through a glass darkly we
can speculate we can create these analogies and metaphors but the end of
the at the end of the day it's it's through a glass darkly we can't
understand it but we do understand this is that God is omniscient and he sees
things from the beginning he sees the end he already knows everything in
between and this is why Revelation 14 says that Babylon is fallen is fallen
because it's it's a perspective from eternity where that has already been
done okay and it looks good in Revelation 14 anyways amen look at verse
number nine let's talk about the damnation of those who take the mark of
the beast it says in verse 9 and the third angel followed them saying with a
loud voice if any man worship the beast and his image and receive his mark in
his forehead or in his hand the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of
God which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation and he
shall be tormented with fire and brimstone and the presence of the holy
angels and the presence of the Lamb now go to Revelation chapter 13 if you would
go to Revelation chapter 13 I want you to notice something here look at verse
7 says it says and it was given unto him speaking about the Antichrist to make
war with the Saints and to overcome them and power was given to him over all
kindreds and tongues and nations and all that dwell upon the earth shall what
worship him this is very significant here whose names are not written in the
book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world so who are those
who are worshipping the beasts who are those who are worshipping the Antichrist
well according to verse 8 is those who do not have their names written in the
Lamb's book of life and in fact they are it's those who basically have it blotted
out of the book of life okay and the reason I make such a big deal about that
is because people today are worried about the mark of the beast and look if
you're not saved you should be worried if you haven't trusted Christ as your
Savior if you claim to be some atheist who doesn't believe in God better start
believing now why because the fact of the matter is if you are not saved the
only people who are exempt from getting the mark of the beast are those who are
saved why because here it says that the only ones who qualify for the mark of
the beast are those who worship the image of the beast and let me say this
no Christian can take the mark of the beast it's impossible why because it's
impossible for a safe person to worship Satan you know the Bible says that the
spear bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God the
Bible says that we are the circumcision which worship God in spirit the Bible
says that the spirit God is spirit and they that worship him must worship him
in spirit and in truth it's impossible for us as Christians who have the Holy
Spirit of God living within us to ever worship Satan it's virtually impossible
to do so the only people who could worship Satan are those who are
possessed by who have some sort of demon in them who are willing worship because
people think oh man this mark of the beast is gonna be imposed and they're
gonna enforce this thing folks those who worship the image of the beast are gonna
be like hey when's my next update let me get the mark of the beast let me get the
upgrade let me get this chip in my forehead we want to do this because we
worship Satan we worship the beast we worship the Antichrist and again people
worry about this all the time but here's the thing folks there's no need to worry
because of the fact that even if you try to go get the mark of the beast what's
gonna happen the Antichrist is not gonna make an exception for you in fact he's
using the mere fact that there's the mark of the beast exists in order to
kill you because the purpose of the mark of the beast is to find believers
and kill them why because the only ones who cannot take the mark of the beast
are Christians so it works almost as a tracking device you know and you got a
lot of people today you know they're freaking out over all the technologies
and look I'm anti backs as the day is long okay I'm you know I don't want any
needles in me you know injecting me with any foreign substance and baby fetal
tissue and you know aluminum and all these harmful substances that will that
will harm me and kill my body or kill them you know destroy the bodies of my
children I'm against all of those things I'm against obviously inserting a chip
into me you know in the name of convenience or whatever you know oh but
if you take this chip you know they can this chip can detect sicknesses in you
and you know you it'll help you no I don't want none of that stuff give me
some vitamin C give me a bunch of water rest and protein keto and and I'm good
to go amen however those who are not saved you know there's gonna be a
temptation for them to take that mark even if they're not worshiping the
beast there's gonna be a temptation for people to make the mark of the beast
wise because they're starving to death because of the conveniences that it's
going to offer but what I'm trying to say here is that is that Christians
cannot take it now you have people today you have like John MacArthur for
example they will state that Christians will be able to take the mark of the
beast and you know they can still get saved people can take the mark of the
beast and get saved and you know if they take it it's okay they can get saved
he's damning a bunch of people to help you so I thought you said the Christians
can't well he's deceiving those who think they're saved right those who
think they're saved those who named the name of Christ but they believe in a
workspace salvation they believe you have to repent of your sins to be saved
they believe you have to be baptized to be saved or to endure into the end the
same shall be saved to have that type of doctrine and what's gonna happen if
those people live throughout the beginning of sorrows and great
tribulation when that market the beat comes they're gonna be popping in that
John MacArthur sermon and be like well I guess I can take and still be saved or
you can go an extreme route and go to the dispensational crowd such as Gene
Kim and Robert breaker who literally said and people get mad at me all the
time oh I can't believe you're just calling these people out how dare you
call out Robert breaker well how dare Robert breaker say that you can take the
mark of the beast and lose your salvation but you can still get it if
you cut off your right hand or chop off your head and you're calling me crazy
you think I'm judgmental because I'm getting mad at this false teacher false
prophet who says that if you take the mark listen to me it says if you take
the mark on your forehead this is what you could do you can just chop off your
head it's like okay Robert breaker then what do I call upon the name of the
Lord of the five seconds that I have as my head rolls or something or what how
is that even gonna work or how about this gene Kim said this if you get the
mark on your forehead you're gonna have to gouge out your own eye and dig it out
it's like gene Oh gene you need a class in biology you know I understand that
you know reaching into your sock it seems as though you can reach into your
forehead but you know you got a skull hello but this is the kind of stupidity
that's out there and people get mad at me oh you're being so judgmental yeah
well the Bible the Bible says judge not that you be not judge yeah but it says
judge not that you be not judge for what judgment you judge you shall be judged
if who are measuring me it shall be measured to you again so guess what the
reason I can judge is because I'm not guilty of teaching such a stupid
doctrine you don't hear me getting up here saying you can take the mark of the
beast lose your salvation and get it to cut off your right hand so because I'm
not teaching that guess what now I have room to judge and that is a false
doctrine folks okay then you can take them the mark of the beast and you know
chop off your right hand and still be saying you'll be a-okay not gonna work
Oh woe unto the person who believes that during the tribulation they take the
mark they regret it and they chop off their right hand and guess what they
still go to hell you know don't listen to these people what you need to do the
only way the only way to evade the mark of the beast is to get saved that's the
only way well I'm not religious what about me you better you better believe
in God and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ yeah but I'm not for that well
you better be for it five it six it because that's the only way you can
avoid the mark of the beast there is no other way okay by the way in Revelation
30 look verse 16 says he causes all both small and great rich and poor free and
bond to receive a mark in their right hand or in their foreheads let me read
to you from Revelation 13 from the NIV the New International Version which is a
very popular Bible monks mainstream Christianity let's see what they said
about this it says I'm having a hard time read this it also forced all
people great and small rich and poor free and slave to receive a mark on
their right hands or on their foreheads so notice the King James says in their
right hand or in their forehead whereas you know the NIV version of this is like
a rub-on tattoo or something you're just like you just on your right hand or on
your forehead not true it goes in okay and so we see here that the mark of the
beast will damn a bunch of people now go with me if you would to Revelation 16 go
to Revelation 16 now I've already hit on what I believe the mark of the beast is
or how it's gonna look like and so I'm not gonna go through that in this
sermon but you can you can reference my Revelation 6 sermon where I talk about
that look at verse 2 says and and the first went and poured out his vial upon
the earth and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the
mark of the beast and upon them which worshipped his image so just look at all
the times that the mark of the beast is mentioned it's always mentioned in
tandem with worshipping the beast because that's the only thing you can
do in order to get it is to worship the devil worship the Antichrist okay now go
back to Revelation 14 I'm almost out of time so I need to finish up here I've
not gonna be able to finish this all it says in verse 11 the smoke of their
torment ascended up forever and ever and they have no rest day or nor night who
worship the beast and his image and whosoever receive it the mark of his
name here is the patience of the Saints here are they that keep the commandments
of God and the faith of Jesus so why is it saying that here's the patience of
the Saints because payday is some day and the Bible tells us Jesus said this
vengeance is mine I will repay saith the Lord and this is why he says look your
patience is paid off because this is when the the consequence of their
rebellion their hatred towards God is repaid but I want you to notice that the
Bible says in verse 11 that the smoke of their torment ascended up ascended up
forever and ever they have rest no rest day nor night so this go this speaks to
the eternity of their torment so anybody who goes to hell they don't just burn up
and just cease to exist they burn forever why because the soul is an
everlasting creation that never ceases to exist now it will die forever but it
will never cease to exist because people believe in like soul sleep but once you
die you just becomes black and you just you know I don't know how to explain
that it's just like you just go into this deep blackness and nothing ever
happens you just cease to exist wrong the Bible says here that if you're not
saved the smoke of your torment will ascend forever and ever okay now go to
go to Revelation chapter 20 if you wouldn't and this is I'm gonna finish
off on this because I'm out of time but I want to share this with you
Revelation chapter 20 verse number 10 it says and the devil that deceived them
was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false
prophet are and shall be tormented day and night forever and ever so here we
see that there's two aspects of hell is there not you have hell that is in the
center of the earth and then you have the lake of fire that is located
somewhere else currently the lake of fire is completely absent there's no one
in the lake of fire anybody who has died without Christ is currently in hell in
the center of the earth okay and I know the flat earthers out there disagree
with that I don't care that's what the Bible teaches all right so you have hell
but you have a lake of fire both of them are hell the lake of fire is where death
and hell will be cast into correct so we see here that the devil's cast into the
lake of fire where the beast and the false prophet are so who are the first
residents of the lake of fire the beast and the false prophet because at the
beginning of the millennial reign they get it all to themselves for literally a
thousand years I mean people are still in hell during that time the current
hell well you know they're the beast and the false prophet are keeping it
warm for them you know pun intended the lake of fire they're
literally keeping that to themselves now look at verse number 11 it says and I
saw a great white throne and him that sat on it from whose face the earth and
the heaven fled away and there was found no place for them and I saw the dead
small and great stand before God and the books were open and another book was
open which is the book of life and the dead were judged out of those things
which were written in the books according to their works look what it says in
verse 13 and the sea gave up the dead which were in it and death and hell
delivered up the dead which were in them and they were judged every man according
to their works and death and hell were cast into the lake of fire this is the
second death so I want you to notice this I don't know if you've ever caught
this but death and hell deliver up their dead this is referring to what the souls
right because what is currently in hell the souls of them who died without
Christ but I want you to notice that in verse 13 it says the sea gave up the
dead which were in it so this is referring to just the bodies of people
okay because this isn't referred there's no there's no souls in the sea folks you
know the Titanic is not filled with like a bunch of ghosts who went down with the
ship you understand anybody who dies if they're saved to go to heaven if they're
not saved to go to hell this is referring to the physical body so just
as at the rapture there is a reuniting of soul and body so to speak right at
the rapture we get our glorified bodies we live forever in like manner at the
great white throne judgment there is a reuniting of soul and that body made of
flesh and blood at the great white throne judgment now you say well why is
that why does he bring up those bodies why does it bring up the bodies of those
who are damned wherever they were at to reunite with their soul was remember
what Jesus said he said this fear not them which can kill the body but fear
him which can kill both soul and body and hell and what do we see with the
beast of the false prophet then when they're cast into the lake of fire
they're cast not just their soul but their body as well okay so this is what
I'm saying is that when people are judged out of the books both soul and
body are being cast into into the lake of fire you understand that so I already
knew that I'm not done yet all right go with me if you would to Isaiah chapter
66 and I'll finish with this okay mark 944 in various parts of the new of the
gospel says this when talking about health it talks about it as being a
place where the worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched it reiterates that
over and over again it says where the worm dieth not and the fire is not
quenched well if you look at a couple references in the in the Bible you'll
often see that a worm is often or a body the physical carcass of a person is
referred to as a worm okay job 26 is how much less excuse me how much less man
that is a worm and the son of man which is a worm Psalm 22 verse 6 is but I am a
worm and no man a reproach of men and despised of the people so often you'll
you'll see worm as be as a body being or a man being depicted as a worm now why
is it that the Bible says that hell is a place where the worm dieth not and the
fire is not quenched I don't believe it's referring to the referring to like
literal worms being in the lake of fire I don't think that's that at all what I
believe it's referring to is that the worm is with the body that was
resurrected of the dead being cast because it's cast into the lake of fire
why if it's just gonna burn up well here's the thing it's not gonna burn up
it's a place where the warm dieth not look at Isaiah 66 verse verse 22 and
they shall go forth and look upon the carcasses of the men that have
transgressed against me for their worm shall not die neither shall their fire
be quenched and they shall be in a pouring until all flesh notice that it
says that their worm shall not die in tandem with the carcasses of the men so
what do we see here well what I believe is this is that the reason the physical
bodies are being brought up of those who are damned is because obviously they're
gonna be cast into the lake of fire but I believe that body will burn forever as
well say well that doesn't make any sense how can a body just burn forever
well how can a soul burn forever how do we live forever you know God is capable
of doing these things and here's the thing it could be that he creates this
lake of fire that has these these properties that are capable of consuming
whatever is in it without actually causing it to disappear and look isn't
this just the worst possible pain you could ever experience I mean if you've
ever been burned before you know you know what I'm talking about how much
worse when you're actually in the lake of fire you're reunited with your body
and that's actually what's being burned you said well I don't believe that well
regardless if you don't believe it or not people are going there right and
regardless if you believe it or not let's say it does just dissipate and
just disappear your body's still being thrown into there okay you're gonna feel
it no matter what I just believe you're gonna feel it for all of eternity the
body because it's a place where the warm diet not and the fire is not quenched
it's not satisfied with the bodies that are there and so I'm gonna leave off of
that cuz we're pretty much done I think I've gone over my time here later on we
see in chapter 14 the picture of the rapture from verses 15 through 17 and
then the judgment that comes upon the world in verses 17 all the way through
20 and so we'll pick up in chapter 15 next week let's bow our heads and have a
word of prayer father we thank you so much for your word and Lord thank you
for the reminder of the rapture I'm thankful that I'm saved Lord and I'm
thankful that salvation was a free gift that I didn't have to work for I know
there's many times in my life growing up that I thought about salvation I thought
about heaven naturally I just thought that you had to earn it but I'm so
thankful that it's a gift and I got saved when I was 21 I'm thankful for the
people that I've been able to get saved Lord and I prayed that you would help us
as a church to continue to see more people saved that they would be able to
avoid not just the mark of the beast but the damnation of eternal fire of the
lake of fire and I pray God that if there's anyone out there who's not saved
who's listening who's under the sound of my voice that they would come to the
saving knowledge of Jesus Christ they don't have to repent of their sins they
don't have to do any works all they have to do is is is trust Christ as their
Savior believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and they can be saved and I pray God
that you'd you bless us as we go on our way and and bless all there is to follow
Lord we love you so much we thank you pray these things in Jesus name amen