Revelation 14 and look at verse number 14.
It says, and I looked and behold a white cloud.
The total for the sermon this morning is behold a white cloud.
Behold a white cloud.
Now we're up to Revelation 14.
You may recall that in Revelation 13, we saw the beginning of the great tribulation.
How in chapter 12, actually, Satan was cast out of heaven
and then he began to persecute the people of God.
Those that had the testament of Jesus Christ.
And in chapter 13, we saw the instrument by which he would persecute the people of Christ.
That would be through the Antichrist.
The Antichrist from the beginning of that second half of the three and a half of the seven years.
So the second three and a half years, he would begin to amass power upon himself.
He would claim to be God.
He would bring in the mark of the beast to be able to buy and sell.
And so we can see the goal of the Antichrist or the goal of the beast
is to bring in a one world government, to bring in a one world religion
and to bring in a one world currency.
And so we know that we're dealing with the second half of that seven year period.
Now after great tribulation, we've already seen this as we're going through
the first telling of the book of Revelation.
We know that after the great tribulation is the rapture of the saints.
And so we expect that after we've talked about the great tribulation in the second
telling or retelling of the events that there should be a rapture
that takes place after the great tribulation.
And of course the Bible is consistent.
We don't have to mess around with the Bible.
That's why there in Revelation 14, 14 it says,
And I looked and behold a white cloud.
And of course the one coming on that white cloud is Jesus Christ.
And he begins to reap.
He gathers his harvest for those that would be in Christ Jesus.
That would be a reference to the rapture.
Now before we get into that, let's read, let's understand
what leads up to the rapture of the saints there.
And let's start in verse number one.
It says, And I looked and lo, a lamb.
Now that lamb you should know by now is Jesus Christ.
It says, A lamb stood on the Mount Zion and with him and a hundred forty and four thousand,
having his father's name written in their foreheads.
Now obviously we know that's Jesus Christ the lamb.
We know that he has not yet come to the earth.
So we should naturally conclude that the Mount Zion that he's standing on
is not Mount Zion on the earth, but a Mount Zion in heaven.
Wouldn't that be the natural conclusion?
Now keep your finger there and just to prove it further.
Come with me to Hebrews chapter 12.
Come with me to Hebrews 12.
Stay there in Revelation 14.
Come with me to Hebrews 12.
The book of Hebrews, Hebrews 12 and verse number 22.
Hebrews 12 22.
The Bible reads, But ye are come unto Mount Zion.
They say, well, what Zion is that?
Is that the earth or is that somewhere else?
And unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem,
to an innumerable company of angels.
So you can see that Mount Zion there is heavenly Jerusalem.
Verse number 23, to the general assembly and the church of the firstborn,
which are written in heaven and to God the judge of all
and to the spirits of just men made perfect.
As the Bible is saying here that we're all one day going to be in that Mount Zion in heaven
with our Lord God and that will be the church of the firstborn.
So instead of having several churches, can we believe in the local church?
Instead of having several churches on the earth,
when we're all gathered in heaven with the Lord God,
there's going to be church singular, one church.
We're all gathered together, the church of the firstborn,
and that is Mount Zion in heaven.
And so I just want to show that like as we start there in chapter 14, verse number one,
the setting is heaven.
The setting is heaven.
Come back with me to Revelation 14.
Revelation 14 and then look at verse number two.
And this gives further confirmation, verse number two,
and I heard a voice from heaven.
Oh, that makes sense.
Okay, so Jesus Christ is with 144,000 and you may recall in chapter seven,
they were sealed in their foreheads.
Now here that ceiling we see very clearly is that the father's name is written in their foreheads.
Okay, so that ceiling in their foreheads is receiving the father's name in their foreheads.
It says in verse number two, I heard a voice from heaven as the voice of many waters.
So there are several voices coming out of heaven here.
It says, and as the voice of a great thunder,
and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps.
So there are musical instruments in heaven as well.
Okay, verse number three, it says,
and they sung as it were a new song before the throne.
So where's the throne of God in heaven once again?
So the setting is clearly heaven.
Okay, so this singing is happening before the throne of God.
It says here, and before the four beasts and the elders,
those elders are the 24 elders that sat around the throne of God.
And it says this, and no man could learn that song,
but the 144,000 which were redeemed from the earth.
Okay, so the only ones that can sing this song,
the only ones that can learn this song is the 144,000 that were redeemed from the earth.
All right, now this gives us a few things to think about.
Okay, we know that 144,000 were 12,000 Israelites
of each of the 12 tribes of Israel.
Okay, now we're going to go back to Revelation seven in a moment,
but I want you to notice that it says they were redeemed from the earth.
Okay, so these are legitimate human beings that were on the earth,
but where are they now?
They're now in heaven, aren't they?
They're now in heaven.
Now in this retelling of the book of Revelation,
has God begun to pour out his raffia?
God has not started to pour out his raffia.
Okay, but these people are already in heaven.
Does that make sense?
They weren't from the earth.
Okay, but they're now in heaven.
Now come with me to Revelation chapter seven,
the first telling of the events of the book of Revelation.
In Revelation chapter seven, please, Revelation chapter seven.
Now as you turn to Revelation chapter seven, you may, you can look back there,
you can see in Revelation six, verse nine, that that is the great tribulation.
Okay, and that's essentially what we're up to in the second retelling of the events.
The six, Revelation six, nine is the great tribulation
where the saints of God were being killed for their testimony.
Okay, then when you get to Revelation chapter six, verse number 12,
we have the sixth seal, which is the rapture.
Remember the rapture takes place when the sun and moon are darkened
and the stars fall from heaven.
And so we see that in Revelation six, 12, the rapture takes place.
And then when we get to Revelation chapter seven, verse number one,
Revelation seven, verse number one, it says,
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 on any tree.
And then it says this,
and I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God.
And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels,
to whom he was given to hurt the earth and the sea, saying,
hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees,
till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.
So when you look at the first telling, have they yet been sealed?
They haven't yet been sealed in their foreheads.
Can you see that?
And can you see that the earth has not yet begun to be hurt by the Lord?
The Lord has not yet begun to pour out his wrath
in the first telling of the book of Revelation.
All right, so they're still needing to be sealed in the foreheads.
Okay, God has not yet begun to pour out his wrath.
Now look at verse number four,
and I heard the number of them which were sealed,
and there were sealed 144,000 of all the tribes of the children of Israel.
So then you get 12,000 of each tribe,
which we won't go into all of that right now.
My point is this, that these people in heaven, okay,
now during God's wrath, or during the great tribulation,
during God's wrath, these 144,000 are not on the earth at the beginning.
They begin in heaven.
They begin in heaven, then they receive the sealing in their foreheads,
then they're operating on the earth.
But what we see in the second telling,
they've already been redeemed from the earth even before God pulls out his wrath.
And so this tells us that they lived on the earth before the great tribulation.
They lived on the earth before God pulled out his wrath.
They find themselves in heaven at some point.
They get sealed in heaven in their foreheads with the name of God the Father.
Then they re-enter earth and they're called the servants of God.
They're doing the work that God has laid out for them.
And I'll share with you in a moment what that work might very well be, okay.
So the question is, where do we get 12,000 from each tribe of Israel?
Because right now, nobody that claims to be a Jew or an Israelite,
they have no idea what their ancestors were.
They have no idea what tribe they really belong to, okay.
Unless their surname might have the word Levi or something along those lines.
They might consider or say that they're from the tribe of Levi.
But then we don't really know that because there are no records.
Like in the bible there were records kept for each of these 12 tribes
and the descendants of these people.
So come back with me to Revelation 14.
Revelation 14 and verse number 4.
Revelation 14 verse number 4.
Let's understand a little bit more about these Israelites.
Now would you conclude that they're saved?
Would you conclude they're saved, right?
You'd conclude, look they're in heaven.
I mean they're singing praises to God before he's thrown.
These aren't Jewish, these aren't people that follow Judaism
because Judaism is a false religion, okay.
A religion that rejects Jesus Christ.
Now the bible says in verse number 4.
Let's identify these a little bit further.
It says, these are they which are not defiled with women for they are virgins.
So look, they've never been married.
They've never been with a woman, okay.
So we start to identify who these people are.
Look, I want you to just use your common sense here.
When it says they're not defiled with women, they're not virgins.
Now we know the bible is quite clear.
Jesus Christ is very clear that when we all go to heaven,
we're not given to marriage.
So if you wanted to spiritualize that,
I guess none of us are married in heaven and we're all virgins in heaven.
But can you see that God is making a very specific point that these are virgins.
We're not talking about a virgin spiritually or anything like that.
They're obviously, they were obviously virgins when they were on the earth.
Does that make sense?
I want you to just remember that as we keep going through this, okay.
They were virgins when they were on the earth before they were taken to heaven.
Now again, try finding 12, let's say the Israelites today, the Jews today could all say,
we know exactly what tribe we're from, okay.
Or God knows exactly what tribe they're from.
Try to find today 12,000 from each tribe
that believe in Jesus Christ that are saved and are virgins.
Let's start there.
I mean, I don't know how.
I don't think you're ever going to find that many that are saved to begin with.
And so like, you know, but the bible gives us this illustration
or this description of who they are for a reason, right?
We can't just ignore this.
Now let's continue.
It says there, these are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth.
So in heaven, wherever the Lord Jesus Christ goes, the 144,000 are following him, okay.
They're very close to him.
It says here, these were redeemed from among men,
being the first fruits unto God and to the Lamb.
So we already know they're redeemed because they've already died, okay.
And then that's why they're in heaven, okay.
And then later they enter the earth later on.
But they've already died.
They've already been redeemed among men.
The bible says, being the first fruits unto God and to the Lamb.
Now that word first fruits, all the word first fruits mean,
it goes all the way back to the Old Testament nation of Israel,
because they were involved in agriculture and farming, okay.
And so the very first crops of the season or the very first, you know,
you know, if your cattle gave birth, the very first were known as the first fruits.
And you know, there were offerings of the first fruits where people would come
and offer to sacrifice the very first crops, the very first, you know,
sheep and cattle that God has blessed them with.
And they would often give that as an offering given over to the Levites,
because that would be what they would, that would sustain the Levites, okay,
at the beginning of a season.
So the idea of first fruits, all first fruits mean is the first of something.
It's like, you know, I guess, you know, Isabel is my first child.
She would be, in a sense, the first fruits.
Or Nicholas, my firstborn son, he'd be the first fruits of my children, okay.
So the word first fruit, like if you go through the Bible,
the first fruits is not always one specific thing,
but it's descriptive of that which is first.
That's all it means, okay.
So we know that Jesus Christ is the first fruits, the Bible says,
of the resurrection, okay.
So even Jesus himself is the first fruits,
but it's associated with his resurrection from the dead.
And then the rest of us, we also have the ability to one day
be resurrected from the dead at the rapture, okay,
because of the power of Christ and his resurrection.
So first fruits can mean many several things, okay.
But what I'm trying to point out there is that they are some of the first, essentially, okay,
that find themselves in heaven.
I'll give you some thoughts around this, because I want you to think about,
these are clearly from the 12 tribes of Israel.
When did the nation of Israel come to exist?
Essentially, when Moses brought them out of the land of Egypt, okay.
They were known as the children of Israel.
They weren't really a nation, but it wasn't until they came out of Egypt,
they actually really became a nation, you know, in their own rights, okay.
So I believe, and I'm going to give you some evidence of who I believe these 144,000 are, okay.
I've got some, I'm going to give you my best guess, and even with my best guess,
I think I'll convince some of you, but if I convince some of you,
I don't want you to turn around and say, well, the Bible says so.
No, no, no, this is my pastor's best guess, okay.
But I'm trying to draw out certain things the Bible is telling us, okay.
So if the first fruits are those of Israel, then it must be essentially
around the time they became a nation.
The idea of coming out of Egypt, just have that in mind, in your mindset, okay.
It says unto God and to the Lamb.
Now, keep your finger there.
Come with me to Numbers chapter one, come with me to Numbers chapter one.
Because when Moses led the nation of Israel out of Egypt,
you know, God then asked Moses to do a census, basically.
That's why the book is called Numbers, okay.
Because they started to count how many Israelites came out of Egypt altogether, okay.
So that's why the Bible is called Numbers.
But Numbers chapter one in the Old Testament, Numbers chapter one, verse number 44.
I'm going to try to give you my best guess.
Please don't take this and start dogmatically.
If you don't line up with us on this, you're some heretic or anything like that.
But I think this is very convincing, okay.
Numbers chapter one, verse number 44.
These are those that were numbered, which Moses and Aaron numbered, and the princes of Israel,
being 12 men, each one was for the house of his fathers.
So were all those that were numbered of the children of Israel, by the house of their fathers,
from 20 years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war in Israel.
So the number we're about to read are only those that are over the age of 20.
20 years old and upward, okay.
Then it says in verse number 46, even all they that were numbered were 600,000 and 3,550.
Let me say it the way we would say it.
It's 603,550, okay.
Let's just round up to 600,000.
Let's make it easy, okay.
Let's round it down to 600,000.
So this is a number of men, because only the men were supposed to go to war, okay.
These are the number of men of all the 12 tribes that were age 20 and over, 600,000.
Now, we're not counting the women and we're not counting the children.
So I want to get to a number as to how many there would have been in total.
And if you do a quick Google search, most people, most people that take the Bible literally,
okay, I'm not talking about, they will say that the numbers would have been somewhere
between two to three million people, they say.
Let me explain to you why that calculation exists.
Now, if you were to look at today's world population and you would look at 20 years
old, over and those that are under as far as a percentage, right now it's about 70%
of the population is 20 years old and over and 30% of the population under 20 years old, okay.
That's based on like 2020, 2021 numbers, okay.
Now, obviously we live in a society that does not value family, does not value children,
okay, the ratio will be quite different in these days, okay, where families were valued,
where children were valued, okay.
You were seen as someone blessed and, you know, by God if you had, you know,
several children, things like that.
You know, obviously we also live in a time where not long ago China had a one child policy,
you can only have one child, right.
So there are many factors that have affected that percentage from those that are 20 years
and over and those that are under.
So I went back and just tried to get a number as close as I could get with history and according
to a website that I found, the United Nations says that in the first century AD, okay, that
those that were 20 years and over was 50% of the population and under 20 was 50% of the population.
I mean that makes a lot of sense because even if you go back to say the 1940s, okay,
the percentage was something like 60% over 20, 40% under 20, okay.
It's just that we live in a society that's having fewer and fewer and fewer kids, okay.
So I don't want to take today's numbers and then apply it to Israel back in those days.
Let's go back to a time where the UN and, you know, several, you know, studies have
said that the population would be up about 50, 50%, 20 years and over and those that
are under, okay.
Now, in general as well, when it comes to population numbers, it's roughly 50% men,
50% women, right.
I mean I think it's like 51% women and 49% men, something like that, but let's just for
the sake of keeping it simple, 50-50, okay.
So if there's 600,000 men and that's 50% of the population, how many women over 20
would there be?
600,000, right, which brings us to 1.2 million people, but that would only be 50% of the
population because if 50% of the population was under 20, you would then need to double
that number again and what number would that bring us to?
2.4 million, okay.
So just by going through some of my numbers, looking at things, it lines up with what the
experts say the numbers would have been when they came out of Egypt, somewhere between
two to three million, all right.
Say, pastor, where are we going with all this?
Look, just be patient with me.
Be patient with me, okay.
Come with me now to Genesis 46.
Come with me to Genesis 46.
Genesis 46, please.
Genesis 46 and verse number 26.
Obviously, I don't have time to go through the whole story, but Joseph, the son of Jacob,
finds himself in Egypt.
Eventually, all the family moved to Egypt, right, during that time of drought and, you
know, God would bless that family in Egypt and then later on, you know, they were there
and they were enslaved by the Egyptians and things didn't work out very well for them.
But if we have a look at this number, in Genesis 46, verse number 26, it says,
all the souls that came with Jacob, remember, Jacob is Israel, into Egypt, which came out
of his loins, besides Jacob's son's wives.
So we're not counting his daughter-in-laws in this number.
All the souls were threescore and six, that's 66, okay.
Then look at verse 127, and the sons of Joseph, which were born, him and Egypt, were two souls.
So we need to count that number as well.
But essentially, if you take 66 and you subtract 11 of his sons, okay, you get to 55, subtract
Jacob himself, and the Bible says he had daughters, okay, you get to about 51, then you've also
got to include Joseph's two sons, you get to about 53.
Hope that makes sense, okay.
If you want to dig in a little bit deeper into this, you can go to First Chronicles,
chapter two, and it has the chronology of all the children and the tribes of Israel.
You can do that in your own time, okay.
But there's about 53 grandchildren that Jacob had when they entered into Egypt.
Now, there was probably other kids born, other, you know, great grandkids and all of that,
okay, like, but I want to show you that we have 53 grandkids, okay, or grandsons, if
you want to put it that way, that Jacob had.
All right, now, come with me to Exodus, chapter 12.
Exodus, chapter 12, verse number 40.
Remember, this is my best guess, and if my best guess is wrong, at least you learn some
other things about the Bible, okay.
Exodus, chapter 12, verse number 40.
The next question is, okay, we know they started with 53 when it comes to the third generation,
all right, the youngest generation going into Egypt.
We know they would end up with about 2.4 million.
The next question is, how long were they in Egypt?
Or in Exodus, chapter 12, verse number 40, it says,
So how long were they in Egypt?
430 years, okay.
And it came to pass at the end of the 430 years, even the self-same day it came to pass,
that all the hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt.
So very clearly, 53.
We won't count Jacob and his kids because really, and the 12 sons because they already
had their kids.
Let's say we start with 53, okay, and who gave birth to those 53?
His 12 sons, right?
So if you average that out, 12 families, 53 kids, it works out to be 4.4 kids per family.
Does that make sense?
4.4 kids per family.
Now, some had more, some had less.
Obviously, that's just life, okay.
Now, I've got some numbers in my head here.
Now, at this point, the calculations get too complicated for me.
So I go to chat GBT, okay.
I hope you don't mind that I used AI to get some numbers here, okay.
I went to chat GBT.
Now, chat GBT doesn't know what number I'm trying to get to.
It has no idea.
So I say to chat GBT, all right, let's start with a population of 53.
And each family produces 4.4 kids on average, okay, and they live for, they go for 430 years.
What would the population be at the end of 430 years?
And I also gave a mortality, I have to say basically, okay, let's say that they lived
an average of 80 years, because you have to have them die as well.
So you get crazy numbers, okay.
You have to have people die as well.
I said 80 years.
Now, I don't know what you think about that number.
I just kind of just plucked out of my head, okay.
But the thing about Jacob, he lived for 147 years, if you know the, okay.
They still live for a very long time.
So we're taking very conservative numbers still here.
Even 80 years, still very conservative number, okay.
So I gave it to chat GBT.
It gave me all the formula.
I couldn't work out the formula.
But this is what it said.
It said by at the end of 430 years, they would have about 2.95 million people.
It's kind of what I was looking for around 2.4, okay.
Chat GBT doesn't know.
I'm talking about Egypt and the Israelites.
It doesn't know anything.
It doesn't know what I'm looking for, okay.
But it came to 2.95 million.
All right, that's interesting.
All right, now, how old was Moses when he led the children of Israel out of Egypt?
80 years old, okay.
Now, this is what I think, this is my best guess.
This 144,000, who are they?
Virgins, okay.
Never been with a woman, all right.
We know that when Moses was born, Pharaoh had a command that they would kill all the
Hebrew children, boys specifically, boys, okay.
The girls were to be led alive, okay.
So I think, okay, we need a time where the 12 tribes exist.
We need a time where children, where there are several that are not getting married.
We need that and the only thing that I could think about in my mind were these children
that were thrown into the river and killed, okay.
Because they lived on the earth.
They were redeemed from man.
Being the first fruits of a nation makes sense because it's the very birth of the nation
that came out of Egypt.
Like these factors start to play in my mind.
Well, this kind of makes sense.
But we can't go with the 2.95 million because that's at 430 years.
I don't know how long that command of Pharaoh existed, but we know that it existed at the
time that Moses was born.
So if we take 430 years, Moses was 80 years old.
We need to then subtract 80 from 430 and we come to what?
350 years from the time that Moses was born.
That's how long the children of Israel were in Egypt.
I hope this is not going over your heads.
I'm trying my best to explain this as simply as possible.
So I said to ChatGBT, all right, based on this population growth, what would the numbers
have been?
Not at 430 years, but at 350 years.
And ChatGBT tells me 1.28 million.
1.28 million population when Moses was born.
All right, now let's reverse engineer this with the information that I gave you earlier.
1.28 million are the whole population.
We know that 50% of the population are men.
So we know that it was men that were killed.
It's men that, it's those that are virgins, virgin men that are these 144,000, okay?
So you got to have the 1.28 million, which gives you 640,000, okay, men.
But that's men in total.
We need the children that died, okay?
So we're talking about those that were under the age of 20.
You've got to get, you know, get closer to that.
So you've got to have that once again.
I'm sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry.
No, no, no.
I'm getting this wrong.
It was newborn children that were thrown into the river.
So we need men that are old enough to father children to get closer to this number, okay?
So that we're still having it, but we're having it to understand what is 20 years and over,
okay?
So we go from 640,000 to 320,000.
Now obviously, not every man over the age of 20 is having children.
They could be someone that's 70 years old and wife's past menopause, like menopause.
They can't have kids, okay?
So just as a rough number, if we have 320,000 men that can be fathers, let's say only 50%
of those men are fathering children.
Let's have it again.
We come to 160,000 men or 160,000 families, okay?
That would have existed around the time of Moses being born.
Now we're trying to get to the number of 144,000, aren't we?
So if every one of those families had a male child that was thrown into the river, don't
we easily get to 144,000 easily?
I mean, some of these people would have had multiple children, multiple sons, you know?
What I'm trying to show you is that if it's these children being thrown into the river,
we can easily get to that number based on the population growth that at least ChatGPT
spat out to me, okay?
Based on some legitimate numbers.
So my best guess, my best guess.
My best guess.
Now remember in the book of Exodus, a Pharaoh commanded the midwives to kill the boys,
newborn boys.
The midwives refused.
But then he commanded everybody, the entire nation, you've got to kill these Hebrew sons.
They're outnumbering us.
They're, you know, they're reproducing like crazy.
We've got to get rid of them.
Otherwise we'll be overrun by the Israelites, okay?
So it's very easy to conclude that there would have been 144,000 potentially
young boys, baby boys, obviously redeemed from the earth, the first fruits, the beginning
of the nation, okay?
When 12 tribes, the 12 strong tribes, okay, they existed at that time to then potentially
be these 144,000.
Let me give you some further evidence that this might be the truth.
Come with me to Revelation 14.
Revelation 14 and verse number 5.
Now remember, we mentioned that they're not defiled with women, that they're virgins,
because it's a reference to them what they were, who they were on the earth.
We get further description of who they are.
It says, and in their mouth was found no guile, for they are without fault before the throne
of God.
Now let's stop there for a moment.
Anybody that is in heaven right now, any believer that is in heaven right now will have a mouth
of no guile, wouldn't you say?
Every believer right now would be without fault before the throne of God, because they've
all been saved by the blood of Christ.
So once again, why is God saying that?
I believe this is referencing who they were as people on the earth, just like they were
not defiled with women on the earth, just like they were virgins on the earth.
I also believe that their mouth was found no guile.
There was no deception, there were no lies, okay?
There was no double speak in their mouth.
Now I don't know about you and I brethren, but this mouth has said plenty of guile.
And if you're honest, so have you, okay?
So this is a very high standard of who this 144,000 would be.
And I find it hard to believe that it would be an average man that lived a normal life,
okay?
They'd be tempted to get married or be with a woman, you know, they would have said things
out of their mouth that was not appropriate, okay?
And so I believe just by looking at the description, my best guess and the numbers allow for this
to may have very well been children that were thrown into the river at the time of Moses.
There's another thought as well, which I think is interesting.
We also know that the two witnesses are operating at this time.
One of those witnesses is, I believe very strongly, one of those witnesses is Moses.
So it'd be interesting to me that we have this and we know that, you know, Moses' mother
tried to hide him.
He did get thrown into the river, but in a basket, praise God, okay?
And then he was found by Pharaoh's daughter and he was taken care of.
But I think it's quite interesting, you know, and I don't know, that's my best guess.
Hope that's given you something to think about, to chew on, okay?
But please don't conclude.
This is what the Bible says, okay?
If you have some other thoughts, please share that with me.
But I can't think of a better solution than what I've just given you, okay?
Revelation 14 verse number 6.
It says,
And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven,
having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth
and to every nation and kindred and tongue and people.
Now, this might very well be the work that the 144,000 are doing when they enter the earth.
This angel, now, it says the angel here is preaching the everlasting gospel.
But you know what?
The gospel is everlasting.
Like the moment you believe in the gospel, you are saved forever.
In fact, everlasting life, eternal security is the essential part of the gospel.
Because eternal security teaches that once you have everlasting life,
by definition it's everlasting, it means you can never lose it.
Because all of your sins, all of your sins, past, present and future,
have been paid for by the blood of Jesus Christ.
So it's the same gospel that we believe.
The gospel that we believe is the everlasting gospel.
It is a life that can never be lost and it is forever.
The moment you believe in Christ, you are sealed forever.
It's everlasting gospel.
And so the fact that this angel is brought up straight after mentioning the 144,000
may very well be pointing to the fact that they're going to be taking that message
of the everlasting gospel and spreading that to who?
To every nation, kindred, tongue and people on the earth.
So they're still in heaven.
We know that they're getting themselves ready to come to the earth though, okay?
But we also know that the rapture is about to take place.
Now if the rapture is about to take place and all of God's saints,
all of God's people are being taken up into heaven,
well obviously if God still wants the everlasting gospel to be going out to the world,
he's going to need servants to do that.
And so it makes sense to me that the 144,000,
if they are little babies that died early, okay,
all babies that die go to heaven.
If I was clear about that, okay,
that this is their opportunity to do a great work for God, okay?
Because all other believers have been taken at the rapture which we'll look at soon
and then they'll be used by God to serve him.
All right, now someone has once said, I've had actually several people say to me,
this gospel message is not the same gospel that we believe.
Because in verse number seven it says,
it's about the angel flying in the midst of heaven that says this,
saying with a loud voice, be God and give glory to him for the hour of his judgment is come
and worship him that made heaven and earth and the sea and the fountains of waters.
So they say, no, no, this is not salvation by grace through faith alone.
This is a gospel of works.
I'm sure you've heard that before, some of that, right?
They say, see, when he's preaching the everlasting gospel,
he's saying in verse number seven, they'll say,
he's saying that in order for you to be saved, you need to fear God,
you need to give glory to God and you need to worship God, okay?
So how are we saved today?
They'll say, well, it's by Jesus Christ, but at this time,
to be saved, you need to fear God, give God glory and worship God.
So you've got to do the works, okay?
You've got to do more than just faith alone on Christ alone, they'll say.
But again, I've already shown you that the gospel we believe is the everlasting gospel, right?
I mean, say, well, what does it mean saying?
Well, my answer to that, because it was someone that I know that was telling me this,
I said, okay, I also preach the gospel.
I also preach everlasting life.
I also go out door to door and give people the gospel or whatever it is, right?
Phone call, whatever way I deal with people, I give the people the gospel.
But I also say with a loud voice as a pastor, I also say, guys, fear God.
Have I ever taught you to fear God in the church?
Have I ever told you to give glory to God?
Have I ever told you to worship him that made heaven and earth and the sea
and the fountains of waters?
I've said all of those things and I've said more and I've said,
hey guys, when you get saved, you need to get baptised.
And I've also said, guys, we need to read our Bibles.
And I've also said, guys, we need to pray to the Lord.
There's been a lot of preaching.
And I've also said, guys, live holy lives, live clean lives.
And I've also taught you when you commit sin, go and confess your sins before the Lord.
Maintain a clean walk with him.
I've said all of those things.
But nobody will turn around and say to me, oh pastor, you believe in a works gospel.
No, we can preach the gospel and we can also say all of these things.
But we're not saying those things are the gospel.
Okay, the gospel is the death, the burial, resurrection of Jesus Christ
by grace, through faith and without works.
So they're lumping several things, they're lumping things together.
Jesus said a lot of things too.
But then Jesus also said in John 3 16,
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son,
that whosoever believed in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.
Jesus Christ also said, all we need to do to be saved is to believe on Christ,
to believe on him, to believe on the Son of God.
But then did Christ also teach a lot of other things?
Of course.
But we need to separate what the gospel is with all the other teachings that are in the Bible.
Okay, so that's a very weak argument to say,
well, the angel said these things.
Okay, but that's not the gospel, though.
And I also teach the gospel by grace, through faith, without works.
But then I also say, guys, we need to do the works, right?
To live a whole life to please the Lord, right?
So that's such a weak argument to say that this is some other gospel,
that people have been saved some other way by doing the works.
Anyway, that's a sermon for another day.
Let's continue there, verse number 8.
Now, I can see how this verse can be a little confusing.
I've had someone say to me, well, this is when Babylon falls,
because the pronounce, the pronounce, the pronouncement,
proclamation, let's use that, the proclamation of Babylon falling is right there.
Now, let me show you why Babylon is not falling right there.
Okay, come with me to Revelation 18.
Come with me to Revelation 18, Revelation 18, verse number 1.
Revelation 18, verse number 1.
It says in Revelation 18,
And after these things, I saw another angel come down from heaven,
having great power, and the earth was lightened with his glory.
And he cried mightily, with a strong voice, saying,
Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become the habitation of devils,
and the hold of every foul spirit, and the cage of every unclean and hateful bird.
So Revelation 18 has the angel saying Babylon the great is fallen.
Okay, so we see that Revelation 18 has that proclamation.
Okay, well, when is that taking place?
Well, before chapter 18 is chapter 17.
Look at chapter 17, verse number 16.
Revelation 17, 16.
So we know that Babylon falls in 18.
Okay, Revelation 17 tells us how Babylon falls in Revelation 17, 16.
And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast,
these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked,
and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.
For God hath put it in their hearts to fulfill his will,
and to agree, and to give their kingdom unto the beast,
until the words of God shall be fulfilled.
So 18 has the fallen of Babylon.
Chapter 17 has how Babylon falls.
The ten kings that we've already looked at before
are the ones that carry out this business, destroying Babylon.
All right, now let's go back before chapter 17 is chapter 16, isn't it?
So let's go to chapter 16, look at verse number 17.
Revelation 16, verse number 17.
This now tells us when God decides to destroy Babylon.
Remember God puts it in the heart of the kings to fulfill his will.
So chapter 16 tells us when God decides to do this.
Revelation 16, verse number 17.
So these vials are the wrath of God.
So remember we're at Revelation 14 and the wrath of God has not yet begun.
Now we're looking at Revelation 16 and the seventh angel is pouring out his vial.
So the wrath of God has already commenced and we're already up to the seventh plague.
Okay, the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air
and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven from the throne saying it is done.
And there were voices and thunders and lightnings and there was a great earthquake
such as was not since upon the earth so mighty an earthquake and so great.
And the great city which was divided into three parts
and the cities of the nations fell, look at this,
and great Babylon came in remembrance before God
to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.
So when does Babylon come to the mind of the Lord?
After the seventh angel pulls out his vial.
After God pulls out his wrath.
At the end of God pouring out his wrath, he says, oh Babylon, we need to destroy Babylon.
Okay and so I'm trying to show you the chronology of those events.
Now we know that those vials, actually just come back with me to chapter 15.
All right, so before chapter 16 and chapter 15.
All right, verse number one, verse number one.
So these vials, these angels having these vials, it says in Revelation 15 verse number one.
It says, and I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous,
seven angels having the seven last plagues for in them is filled up the wrath of God.
Okay, so it just confirms that the wrath of God are these vials
and the seventh vial has been pulled out.
So God's wrath is already happening at the end of the seventh vial
is when God says, all right, let's destroy Babylon.
All right, so that confirms that.
Now come with me to Revelation 14 is what we're up to.
Revelation 14 and we go verse number 19.
Revelation 14 verse 19.
It says in Revelation 14 19, and the angel thrust in his sequel into the earth
and gathered the vine of the earth and cast it into the great winepress
of the wrath of God.
So we've seen Revelation 14, the beginning, okay,
the angel telling, getting his sickle ready to pour out the wrath of God.
So the wrath of God has not yet poured out when we're looking at Revelation 14 verse number eight.
I hope that makes sense.
If you follow the chronology, Babylon is wiped out at the end of the seventh vial being pulled out,
which is the wrath of God and the wrath of God, the commencement of that,
we see right at the end of Revelation 14, which then are the seven vials of the seven angels.
So the question that becomes in verse number eight, Revelation 14 verse number eight,
the question is, well, why is the angel saying this?
Well, it's not uncommon.
It's very, very common in the Bible.
When God prophesies of an event of the future, he speaks of it as being done
or because as far as God is concerned, it's finished.
Like it's dealt with, right?
The proclamation of Babylon falling yet occurs at the end of the wrath of God.
But what we're going to see here is the beginning of God preparing himself to pour out his wrath.
So God is saying, look, as I'm going to start pouring out his wrath, Babylon is fallen.
Like Babylon is going to be destroyed as well through this process.
But that process takes place at the end when the seventh angel pours out his vial, okay?
So don't let verse number eight confuse you in the chronology of the Bible, okay?
Now let's continue verse number nine.
It says, and the third angel followed them.
All right, so the first angel was preaching the everlasting gospel.
The second angel spoke of Babylon.
The third angel is now saying this, same 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
in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the lamb.
So what do we learn here?
That anybody that takes the mark of the beast.
Now I already proved this last week, believers will not take the mark of the beast.
Believers will not be deceived to take the mark of the beast.
The believers won't even be tempted to take the mark of the beast.
Because God is going to use us in such a great way.
He's going to give us such a great measure of his holy spirit power.
And we're going to be focusing on preaching the gospel
to people on the earth during the great tribulation.
But those that do take the mark of the beast, they will deal with the wrath of God.
We're going to be raptured, okay?
God's people are not appointed to God's wrath.
But those that remain on the earth, okay?
Excluding the 144,000, excluding the two witnesses,
and of course excluding those, they get saved during this period.
But everyone else is going to be dealing with God's wrath being poured upon the earth.
And what is really interesting at the end of verse number 10,
it says, and he shall be tormented with flying brimstone
in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the lamb.
Who's the lamb?
Jesus.
Now I can show this another day, but when it speaks of being tormented and flying brimstone,
this isn't just a reference to hell.
Obviously hell is a place of fire, but it is primarily a reference to the lake of fire, okay?
Which where people are thrown into the lake of fire at the end of Christ's millennial reign, okay?
So again, we're talking about a future event being spoken about in the presence
as though this is already happening.
This is going to happen no matter what happens, okay?
But notice that it says that those that are burning in the lake of fire
forever and ever are burning in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of Jesus.
Why is that important?
Because I've gone to church my whole life and people say the moment you die without Jesus
and you go to hell, you have eternal separation from God.
Isn't that what they say?
I've heard us preach so many times.
Eternal separation from God.
Where is that in the Bible?
Guess what?
It's not in the Bible.
And look, I don't enjoy attacking preachers and pastors.
I've learned so many great things from these men.
But one thing I've learned as a pastor, I better have the Bible telling me something
if I'm going to speak about it.
The Bible better be clear about something if I'm going to talk about it, okay?
And the Bible's crystal clear.
Those that are burning in fire and brimstone, in hellfire, in the lake of fire,
in the presence of the holy angels, in the presence of the Lamb.
In fact, the very first reference of hell in the Bible says that the fires are ignited
by the wrath, the anger of God.
Okay?
Hell is not something that God's like some fire that he started some bushfire and ran
away from and it's just burning out of control and God has no idea what's going on.
No, what's fueling the fires of hell is the anger, wrath of God for those that have rejected
wrath of God for those that have rejected the sacrifice of Jesus Christ his son.
But I was very clear Jesus is right there in the presence of those people as they burn
forever and ever.
Look at verse number 11.
And the smoke of their torments are sent up forever and ever.
So what's the look?
They've been tormented forever.
Like hell is not a place that you just hang out with your mates or a place that you hang
out with the devil or a rather rule in hell than to live in heaven or whatever people
say stupidity not a place of torment forever and ever.
Look at this.
And they have no rest day nor night who worship the beast and his image and whoso receive
the mark of his name.
So that's the end for people that will reject Jesus Christ.
Especially those that worship the dragon, worship the beast and take the mark of the
beast.
These people their fate is sealed.
They're going to be tormented in the lake of fire forever and ever.
I mean it's so sad.
I said pastor do you enjoy preaching that?
Not really.
But I've got to tell you the truth.
The truth of the Bible.
And if that bothers you, you know what you're meant to do?
Go and tell people about Jesus.
Give people the gospel.
If that really bothers you, it should bother you.
Like it should be like Lord like you know Jesus Christ you came and you died for the
sins of the whole world.
You know God would have every person on the earth saved.
God would have every single person not go to this place of torment forever and ever.
That's why he sent his son to die for us.
God has equipped us with the ministry of reconciliation to preach the words of eternal
life, salvation by grace through faith on Christ alone without works.
It's a free gift.
It can't be any easier.
And God's given us that ability to see souls saved.
Now let's continue.
We've compared those that are going to be rejected by the Lord for unbelief.
But now let's talk about believers.
Verse number 12.
Here is the patience of the saints.
Now remember in the previous chapter we saw that you're going to do well in the tribulation
if you have patience and faith.
All right.
We're still early so now it says here is the patience of the saints.
Here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.
Let me stop there for a moment.
Verse number 12 again for me confirms that every believer in the tribulation are going
to be keeping the commandments of God.
They're going to have the faith of Jesus.
They're going to have the patience required to go through this period of time.
You know again just looking at everything that I see about the end times and tribulation.
I don't see believers hiding, running, fearful for their lives.
Oh are we going to take the mark of the beast or am I not?
No I see a generation of believers that are keeping the commandments of God
even when the whole world has gone into great wickedness.
That's what I see in the scriptures.
I see because look it says the faith of Jesus.
That means anybody that's saved is doing these great things.
Verse number 13,
And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me,
Right, blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth.
Because we know that during the tribulation believers are going to be perishing.
Yea, save the spirit that they may rest from their labors.
What are believers doing?
Laboring, working hard, getting people saved,
keeping the commandments of the Lord during great tribulation.
They're not afraid and that's why when I go for the book of Revelation,
I don't want to leave you with fear.
God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power and of love and of sound mind.
What am I up to?
Yea, because yea, save the spirit that they may rest from their labors.
And their works to follow them.
Are believers going to be doing great works for God?
Absolutely.
They'll be laboring, doing great works for God.
Now God says, all right, it's time to rest.
Some believers will be losing their life during great tribulation.
Now I want to show you something.
Do you see that their works to follow them?
That's important because then Christ is going to reward us for the works that we do for him.
And during great tribulation is the last time that we're going to get,
if we're that generation, whatever that last generation is,
it's going to be the last time that saints are able to do a great work for God
and be rewarded for that work.
Keep your finger there.
Come with me to Revelation chapter 2.
Just as a reminder, Revelation chapter 2, verse number 26.
Revelation chapter 2, verse number 26.
Jesus says, and here that overcometh, we know that's a believer,
and keepeth my works unto the end.
To him will I give power over the nations and he shall rule them with a rod of iron
and the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers even as I received of my Father.
So you can see here that we're going to be judged for our works and rewarded
prior to the millennial reign of Christ.
Because during the millennial reign of Christ is when believers are going to rule over the nations.
So the more that you've done for Christ, the better your position will be
during the millennial reign of Christ.
Does that make sense?
We're going to rule and reign with him.
And not only is Christ going to rule with a rod of iron,
believers are going to be given that rule of iron.
Okay, that rod of iron to rule the nations of the earth.
Now come with me to Revelation 11.
Revelation 11, verse number 15.
So Christ is going to reward us for our works.
Okay, those works must be judged and positions given before the millennium begins.
Because that's when we're going to be ruling over the people.
Revelation 11, verse number 15.
This is the first telling of the book of Revelation.
And the seventh angel sounded and there were great voices in heaven saying,
the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ.
And he shall reign forever and ever.
So I know this is the end.
We get to the end now of the first telling.
Drop down to verse number 18.
And the nations were angry for thy wrath is come
and the time of the dead that they should be judged,
that that should give reward unto thy servants, the prophets and to the saints
and them that fear thy name, small and great,
and should destroy them which destroy the earth.
So you can see here that reward is being given to the prophets
and to the saints of God.
And why is he going to reward us with the works that we've done for him?
For what purpose?
That we would rule with Christ during that thousand years.
And so this is when Christ is going to judge us and reward us for the works.
It must be before the thousand years begins.
Okay, because we're going to be ruling over those nations.
Now, back to Revelation 14, verse number 14.
So great tribulation has happened.
God is preparing these 144,000 in heaven.
All right, they're going to be on the earth while we're taken out of the earth.
They're going to come to the earth and they're going to be operating during the wrath of God.
In verse number 14, Revelation 14, it says,
I mean, that's interesting.
All right, because we know after the great tribulation,
if the Bible is consistent with the first telling,
we expect a rapture to take place or the rapture, I should say, to take place.
The resurrection of the dead.
It says, and upon the cloud, one sat like unto the Son of Man.
I don't know how many times Jesus Christ calls himself the Son of Man in the Bible.
From memory, it's something like over 80 times from memory.
I can't remember.
Okay, the Son of Man having on his head a golden crown and in his hand a sharp sickle.
Now, some might say, well, it's not Jesus.
It just says it's one like unto the Son of Man.
It's like Jesus, but it's not Jesus.
Now, when it says the Son of Man, that's talking about he's our son of humanity, right?
Christ is 100% God and 100% man.
So of course, when Christ walked on this earth, he operated in his body, in his flesh.
He looked like a normal man.
Okay, but we know the Bible makes it very clear when he comes,
he comes with great power and glory.
He turns on the glory and it doesn't look like a normal man.
So that's why it says like unto the Son of Man.
It is Jesus, but it's not like we remember him when he came in his first time.
In fact, if you come with me to Revelation 1,
come with me to Revelation chapter 1 verse number 7.
Revelation chapter 1 verse number 7.
Sorry, Revelation chapter 1 verse number 13.
Revelation chapter 1 verse 13.
It says, and in the midst of the seven candlesticks, one like unto the Son of Man.
Clothed with a garment down to his foot.
Notice the same language, like unto the Son of Man.
Clothed with a garment down to the foot and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.
His head and his heads were like wool, as white as snow.
And his eyes were as a flame of fire.
And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace.
And his voice as the sound of many waters.
So John sees Christ in his glorified form,
like eyes like a flame of fire.
So I believe when Christ comes in the clouds, that's what he's going to look like.
You know, it says like unto the Son of Man.
All right, come with me to you in Revelation.
Look at verse number 7, Revelation 1, 7.
Revelation 1, 7.
The Bible also speaking of Jesus says,
Behold, he cometh with clouds.
Okay, we saw the Son of Man like the Son of Man.
Come in the clouds, he cometh with clouds.
And every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him.
And all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him.
Even so, Amen.
So after great tribulation, Christ comes in the clouds.
And then God begins to pour out his wrath.
Okay, the Bible teaches a post tribulation, free wrath, rapture.
Okay, come with me to the book of Acts.
Acts chapter 1, verse number 9.
So the description of Christ on the cloud, right?
In Acts chapter 1, verse number 9, we have Christ ascending from the earth to heaven.
Okay, Acts 1, 9, it says,
And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld,
he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight.
So how was Christ taken up to heaven?
In a cloud, right?
Verse number 10.
And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven, as he went up, behold,
two men stood by them in wide apparel, which also said,
Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven?
This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven,
shall so come in like manner, as ye have seen him go into heaven.
The same way you saw him go into heaven with the cloud,
is the same way he's going to return.
The Bible is clear, you can't be more consistent.
You can't play around with these verses.
It's Christ in the clouds.
He's going to give his saints rest.
Their works do follow them.
He's going to get himself ready to judge and reward his servants.
Come with me to Matthew 24.
Matthew 24, verse number 29.
Thank you for your patience.
The book of Revelation is a deep book.
You know, I don't want to leave any stone unturned here, really.
Thank you for your patience.
Matthew 24, verse number 29.
I mean, the Bible is just super consistent.
Matthew 24, 29.
Immediately after the tribulation of those days,
shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give a light,
and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken,
and then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven,
and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn.
Look at this.
And they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
So not like a normal man.
The power and the glory is turned on.
The sun and moon, the stars, it's dark and everything's dark.
It's pitch black.
Christ has not come looking like a normal man.
You won't even see him if he comes looking like a normal man.
He turns on the glory, the power and the glory, and every eye shall see him.
You say, pastor, no, no, no.
That's when he comes at the end of Revelation 19 at the Battle of Armageddon.
No, no, no.
Revelation 19, he comes on a white horse.
Okay.
The Bible is very clear.
He's coming in a cloud.
That is the rapture.
Come back with me to Revelation 14.
Revelation 14, verse number 15.
So Jesus is on a cloud.
Then he gives, gets given direction.
In verse number 15, it says, and another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud
voice to him that sat on the cloud, thrust in thy sickle and reap, for the time is come
for thee to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.
And here that sat on the cloud, thrust in his sickle on the earth, and the earth was
reaped.
Now, what is he reaping?
We saw earlier.
Now it's time for the rest of the saints.
Okay.
They've labored.
They've worked hard.
Now it's time for rest.
Well, then what happens?
Christ comes and he reaps.
He gives his people rest.
All right.
That's what's happening here.
Now you might say, well, why is this angel kind of like, he says, crying with a loud
voice thrust in thy sickle.
Is Jesus taking direction from an angel?
Kind of.
Okay.
But remember what Christ said in Matthew 24, that no man knows the day or the hour.
Only the Father knows the day.
Like he says himself, he doesn't know the day or the hour.
So is it illogical to say, all right, Jesus, now's the time?
I don't think that's illogical at all.
An angel is a messenger.
So the Father is just sending a message to his son.
Hey, now's the day.
Now's the time.
We have an angel crying with a loud voice.
This might be, if you come with me to 1 Thessalonians 4, the most famous passage on the
rapture, 1 Thessalonians 4 please, verse number 16.
1 Thessalonians 4, verse number 16.
The most famous verse, verses on the rapture, everyone agrees this is the rapture.
Okay.
1 Thessalonians 4, verse number 16.
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel.
Could that be the angel that's crying out with a loud voice?
Could be.
I'm not going to say for sure, but it's consistent is what I'm trying to show you.
Okay.
With a loud voice, with a voice, with the voice of the archangel,
with the trump of God in the dead in Christ shall rise first.
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them.
Where?
In the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
So the Bible's ultra consistent.
The clouds, the Lord's coming in heaven, the voice of the archangel.
All right.
It's time to give the saints rest.
That's the rapture, being caught up with Jesus Christ in the clouds
and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
All right.
Then God prepares to pour out his wrath.
We saw in the first telling God gets his 144,000 getting ready to come to the earth.
They're getting sealed in their foreheads as they begin to do a mission and a work on the earth.
Back to Revelation 14 verse number 17.
Is that consistent with the book of Revelation?
Let's keep going.
Revelation 14 verse number 17.
So now that Christ has reaped his harvest, we get to verse number 17.
And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven.
He also having a sharp sickle.
Okay.
So there's another angel that's also getting ready for a harvest.
Okay.
What harvest is this?
Verse number 18.
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 gather 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 winepress of the wrath of God.
And the winepress was trodden without the city and blood came out of the winepress
even onto the horses bridles by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.
So Christ does a reaping, the saints get rest.
Guess what's left for those that are left on the earth?
Now it's time for them to be reaped into the great winepress of the wrath of God.
Now of course that's symbolic.
Like God's not bringing some huge winepress on the earth
and throwing everybody into the winepress and then stepping on people.
That's symbolic that God's about to pour out his wrath
which we saw are the seven angels with the seven vials etc etc etc.
Okay.
Now the Bible says in verse number 20,
and the winepress was trying to get the city and blood came out of the winepress.
So that's not the blood of grapes, that's the blood of people.
Okay.
Even onto the horses bridles.
So that's think of a horse's head.
I don't know how average horse, let's say average horse's head is around there.
I don't know.
Okay.
I mean that's a pretty deep layer of blood.
And then how long does this go for?
For the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.
I don't know what a furlong really is but I look this up.
Some people estimate it to be about, they say somewhere between 250 to 290 kilometres.
So let's say 280 kilometres.
Whatever.
Okay.
Something like that.
So that's how much bloodshed there's going to be.
You know at the at the at the climax I guess of God's wrath being poured out on this earth.
Now the fact that it says in verse number 21,
press trauma without the city.
Some people say well that city is Jerusalem.
Maybe.
I don't know.
Okay.
It could be Jerusalem.
And then you know what's the significance of this 280 kilometres?
We know when Christ comes back, it's the battle of Armageddon.
Okay.
And the reason it's called Armageddon is because the battle is going to be taking place on Mount Megiddo.
Okay.
And Mount Megiddo from Jerusalem is about 140 kilometres.
So if you double that, you know, some people say,
I'm not going to say that.
Some people think, you know, the climax of God's wrath is when he destroys the armies of the Antichrist.
And you know, you know later on the birds, the birds of prey come and feast on the bodies of dead people.
And so that, that space of 1600 foot longs could be just referring to the point
that that's how much bloodshed it's going to be.
Specifically dealing with Armageddon, the Mount of Megiddo,
and then the blood just coming down and rolling down the hills.
You know, all the way to Jerusalem without the city.
Some people believe that, I don't know, I'm just throwing it out there
because I'm not sure exactly what that means.
All right brethren, the total for the sermon.
You know, it's not the most enjoyable thing to preach on hell,
the lake of fire, eternal torment and God's wrath and the blood of men being poured out.
But the total for the sermon was behold a white cloud.
Aren't you glad that we don't have to face the wrath of God?
Aren't you glad we have eternal security with God in home, in heaven, not in the lake of fire?
Aren't you glad we're not going to be here where God's going to be pouring out his wrath?
Thank God that Jesus Christ took the wrath of God for us in our place.
And brethren, if we are that last generation, behold, behold means look,
you know, our hope ought to be looking for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Let's pray.