Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] It was the Atlanta Braves and the Nightly News with Tom Brokoff and Dan Rather.
[00:00:08] This was how my granddad spent most evenings.
[00:00:12] He spent his evenings after work yelling at Bobby Cox, declaring with great fervency that he was the worst manager in Major League Baseball history, which isn't even close to being true.
[00:00:28] And then announcing as we watch the news, how every story fulfilled biblical prophecy.
[00:00:37] I remember in my granddad's living room watching Reagan's second election, troops entering Kuwait during Desert Storm, scenes from Tiananmen Square riots in Los Angeles.
[00:00:52] I remember an earthquake during the World Series and seeing all of these stories with my granddad and him interpreting for me how they all pointed to the return of Christ. And often he would open his Bible that was on the coffee table and point to verses in Ezekiel and Daniel and Revelation and just show me how all of this is pointing to the end.
[00:01:18] Jesus is coming soon.
[00:01:21] And one of the things those times taught me is that the Bible is relevant to everything that is happening.
[00:01:28] That we are to see the world around us through the lens of Scripture.
[00:01:34] That the Bible is never silent to what is going on in our lives and even the world around us.
[00:01:42] Another thing it taught me, just watching him, the way he lived his life, is none of these things discouraged him.
[00:01:51] It seemed as though when there was a world event, some sort of tragedy, it almost excited him in some weird way because he was looking so forward to the coming of Christ.
[00:02:06] I remember when he died, I thought, he's disappointed he wasn't a part of the Rapture.
[00:02:12] And there was nobody who was more courageous at sharing the gospel. We would go door to door at times with our church, and I literally saw him open doors that people closed in his face and go into their house and begin to share the gospel with him.
[00:02:31] Very passionate gospel witness.
[00:02:34] And I tell you that today, because we come to a passage of Scripture where there are going to be two diverting paths in the room today.
[00:02:42] And it's important for us to understand that as we may divert in the way that we see this passage of Scripture, we're going to come back to the same place.
[00:02:54] And that is worship and witness.
[00:02:57] One of the reasons we've said that through the Book of Revelation is because of passages like this. We knew they were coming.
[00:03:05] And everybody. I came in today and people were asking, who are the two witnesses? Who are the two witnesses?
[00:03:12] And most probably here today could disagree with me about who the two witnesses are. And that's okay.
[00:03:19] We have two approaches, I think, that are legitimate to this passage and one is a very literal approach.
[00:03:27] That is the fulfillment of what Daniel, the prophet Daniel, talks about the 71 weeks.
[00:03:35] And in light of the 70 weeks, that Daniel kind of lays out human history right up to the point of Christ.
[00:03:43] There are 69 weeks of Daniel's prophecy that have been fulfilled 483 years pre Christ.
[00:03:54] And according to many, we now live in this sort of parenthesis.
[00:03:59] 69 weeks have already happened and we're waiting for the 70th week.
[00:04:05] And this is what many believe is the seven years of tribulation.
[00:04:11] Some believe the church is raptured out before seven years of tribulation and that the two people in Revelation chapter seven are two literal witnesses that prophesy and are killed to during the seven years of tribulation.
[00:04:32] But then there's a more symbolic approach, which I lean toward. And my granddad would be very upset about that, but he's in heaven right now and he knows I'm right.
[00:04:47] And that is to see the two witnesses as a apocalyptic parable about the church. And some of you are getting tense as I say that.
[00:04:58] Hold tight. We get to the same place eventually.
[00:05:02] But that these two witnesses are symbolic of the church during a time of intense persecution that I personally believe started when Christ first came.
[00:05:14] And we see at that moment the tension between the kingdom of Satan and the kingdom of God as even Christ is killed.
[00:05:22] So tribulation toward the church even begins when Christ set foot on earth.
[00:05:30] But I do believe that this time of tribulation intensifies right before the end. And we see some events here in our text that happen.
[00:05:37] But I want you to know this, and I want to be clear about this today.
[00:05:41] Just because I say symbolic doesn't mean it's fantasy.
[00:05:48] I think you have to be careful with apocalyptic language. And you can fall off one way or the other. You can be too literal where you don't acknowledge that this is apocalyptic language symbolic, or you can be too symbolic, that it has nothing to do with real life.
[00:06:05] And that's not where I'm coming from. I believe this is symbolic language that is describing real, actual events that, that we are undergoing even now.
[00:06:19] You think about it this way.
[00:06:21] I believe we should take our theology and I think the target is really big in the way that we see revelation in light of the world.
[00:06:31] Instead of taking our theology like a microscope and trying to be detectives and finding how all of this is working out and all of the details going on, I believe revelation is symbolic in a way where we can see these events all the time happening in every age of the church is to apply this theology to whatever they are going through.
[00:06:58] Remember the context.
[00:07:00] The Church in Rome is suffering under severe persecution, and we can't leave those churches. As we move through revelation, we have to think about the way they would see these things and how the prophet John is encouraging them through these things. And so I'll say this, let's not get lost in the debate.
[00:07:26] It's good and it's fun. I love a good argument over eschatology.
[00:07:32] Just don't spend your BFG doing that today.
[00:07:35] All the ways you disagree with the pastor, which is fine, you can disagree.
[00:07:40] But let's make sure that we get to worship and witness. I believe we both end up there, no matter what path we take here. And the question for us today is, how do we face tribulation?
[00:07:56] How do we currently face persecution? Well, first of all, we do so understanding the church and is protected.
[00:08:06] Notice verse one.
[00:08:08] Then I was given a measuring staff. Now, remember, John has gone from heaven, and here he is seeing a vision on earth.
[00:08:18] This is. This is a vision from the Lord that is describing things that are going on and how the church is to respond to that in his day and in what is soon to come.
[00:08:30] And here he's given a measuring rod like a staff. Now, this happened to the prophet Ezekiel, and he was told to measure the temple of God. And the point there is that God was going to be a wall of fire that protected his temple.
[00:08:47] And here John is doing the same thing. Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there.
[00:08:56] So there is the building, there is the place that sacrifice is offered. But most importantly here, those who worship in the inner part of this temple. And he says, but do not measure the court outside the temple. Leave that out, for it is given over to the nations, those who are seen as outcast, the Gentiles, and they will trample the holy city for 42 months. Now, many believe in the seven years of tribulation that this happens. This is a literal temple here. But remember, in 70 A.D. the temple was to be destroyed. So for this to happen, literally, the temple would have to be rebuilt, and then this would happen in the last seven years of the tribulation, the 42 months there, if we do our math, that's what we come out to, three and a half years.
[00:09:50] But I believe in Revelation we see another temple.
[00:09:55] When we get to the end of Revelation, we see the Lord Almighty and the Lamb are the temple.
[00:10:02] And Jesus himself would say, as he is facing crucifixion Tear this temple down and I will rebuild it.
[00:10:13] Well, there was only one temple that was tore down and rebuilt, and it was Jesus, his body and flesh that was brought back from the grave.
[00:10:21] And what Jesus is saying is, I am the presence of God, and to enter into the presence of God, you've got to come through me.
[00:10:30] To worship God, you've got to come through me, through his blood.
[00:10:37] And then Paul would tell us, those who are united to Christ, the church is the temple of the living God. And so I just believe all of this imagery here is declaring to us, during times of persecution and tribulation, the church is walled off and protected in Christ.
[00:10:56] I believe it's just that simple here. And it applies to the church at all times. The worshipers here are those who are at the altar. Who is the altar? Christ through his blood, in his presence.
[00:11:13] And so even if you don't see it that way, let's reel it back in and let's all apply it, because it's the same point. The church is protected during tribulation at all times.
[00:11:26] The truth is I can't be taken from Christ, so nothing I have in Christ can be taken from me.
[00:11:34] And we are to live that way no matter what's going on in the world, no matter what time in human history.
[00:11:43] And the tragedy is we live in a time where there are just. If you pay attention to the world and the news and the way that we hear things now, everything is designed to scare you to death, to invoke fear in you. And I believe there's more at play than just news trying to make money.
[00:12:09] I believe there are forces. I believe it's demonic. I believe that it is evil that is trying to invoke fear in our hearts.
[00:12:18] I noticed this last week. Even the weather is designed to scare us.
[00:12:23] Talked about this a few weeks ago, but this week we were announcing tornadoes in exact places five days out.
[00:12:33] People weren't going to work, people were canceling meetings.
[00:12:39] No one knows the weather. It takes just a little bit of wind to move it in a different direction.
[00:12:45] Why?
[00:12:46] Everything's designed to scare us.
[00:12:49] When you research about your health, you're going to die because you drank out of a plastic bottle today.
[00:13:00] You are supposed to be scared to death.
[00:13:04] AI is going to take over your car as you Dr. Down the road and run you off. Don't go anywhere.
[00:13:12] Everything's designed to scare us.
[00:13:15] And I believe it is evil in a lot of ways, and it makes all of us scared. And we're angry, but let's review the Gospel.
[00:13:24] Jesus came and died for your sin. You don't have to be scared of hell.
[00:13:29] Jesus was raised from the dead. You do not have to be scared of death.
[00:13:34] And for those in Christ, he's giving you an eternal kingdom.
[00:13:38] You don't have to be scared of losing anything now. Nothing.
[00:13:43] And the tragedy is so many Christians are propagating a witness of fear instead of fearlessness. We are to be those who are fearless in the last days. We are to be those who are happy because we are one day closer to Jesus and his kingdom. We are to be confident.
[00:14:07] We are not to be scared.
[00:14:10] We are walled off and secure in Christ.
[00:14:14] Everything we have in this world may be taken, but Christ cannot be taken from you. Remind yourself of that as you watch the news. And as you think about world events, as you look at the weather, as you think about your health, as you think about the future.
[00:14:32] It all may be taken, but Christ can't be taken. I can't be taken from Christ. And so everything I have in Christ is mine forever and live that way. That's how we're to witness the Gospel in times of tribulation. But notice verse three.
[00:14:47] I will grant authority to two of my witnesses.
[00:14:51] Now, I do believe this is a parable. These two witnesses are referring to the Church. Some people believe these are literal witnesses that rise up in the last day. Maybe Elijah, maybe Moses.
[00:15:06] I believe it's a parable of the Church. Remember back in the beginning of the Book, there were two faithful churches, Smyrna and Philadelphia.
[00:15:16] I believe that it is symbolic of the Church here. There are two witnesses that were needed to confirm a testimony in the Church.
[00:15:24] But notice, they will prophesy for 1000, 260 days. I think he's referring back to Daniel, this last stage in human history. Again, some believe it's a literal three and a half years during the seven years of tribulation. I just believe it's during times of intense persecution, during the Church age.
[00:15:45] And I believe it can be applied now to the Church's witness.
[00:15:49] Notice what they are prophesying.
[00:15:52] They are clothed in sackcloth.
[00:15:56] Now, this is a costume for repentance.
[00:15:59] Sackcloth and ashes were symbolic of mourning and brokenness.
[00:16:05] And it was a sign that you had lost everything.
[00:16:09] And so the message of the Church, the message of the two prophets here, is that you must be broken and repentant before God or you will be left in sackcloth and ashes. You will be judged.
[00:16:25] And the message of the Church is repent or you will Be judged by the Christ who is coming. You will be left with nothing. And notice the power of this witness. Verse four.
[00:16:40] There are two olive trees.
[00:16:42] Now, olive oil was used for the fueling of the lampstand or manure that we see as the text continues. And two lampstands that stand before the Lord pointing to these two witnesses. But they are fueled here by the oil which is symbolic of the anointing which we see in the Old Testament, the anointing of the Spirit of God.
[00:17:08] And we've already seen lampstands mentioned in Zachariah and the lampstands, the seven lampstands before the Lord. It represented Israel's presence before the Lord and they were to be a light to the nations.
[00:17:25] And the same thing is going on in the church.
[00:17:28] We are present before the Lord by the power of the Spirit. We've been united to Christ, but by the power of the Spirit and indwelling of the Spirit, we are also to be a light to the world.
[00:17:40] And here these two trees indicate that this is an ongoing, continual fueling of the church that will not fade.
[00:17:50] The church has the indwelling presence of the Spirit to be a light to the world, empowered to witness Christ and remember as we began the book, the danger for the churches was if you don't repent of sin and if you don't stay faithful to the gospel, I will remove your lampstand, I will remove your witness.
[00:18:11] But it is by the power of the Spirit that the church proclaims the gospel.
[00:18:16] But it gets even more intense here.
[00:18:19] We are to proclaim the Gospel by the power of spirit as an act of war.
[00:18:24] Notice verse five.
[00:18:26] And if anyone would harm them, the two witnesses, fire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes.
[00:18:34] And if anyone would harm them, this is how he is doomed to be killed.
[00:18:40] Now many believe that these are fire breathing prophets during the tribulation and that it is just supernatural and that they are proclaiming this witness. And if they are opposed, they destroy those who oppose them.
[00:18:58] But I believe what is going on here is a pronouncement of judgment.
[00:19:03] And it is directly related to what Jeremiah would say of himself and what God would say of him in chapter five when the Lord would say to Jeremiah, I am making my words in your mouth a fire.
[00:19:18] My word is to be a fire in your mouth.
[00:19:22] And this people would and fire shall consume them.
[00:19:27] And what we have here with the two witnesses, with the church is a vivid description of the judgment we pronounce when we proclaim the Gospel. Talked about it last week we preached the gospel. Some people believe, some people reject it. When they reject it, there is judgment that is poured out upon them. This is the same thing Jesus would say when he says, I'm giving the church the keys of the kingdom and you are to open the door to the kingdom and people who believe come in, but those who reject you, close it.
[00:20:01] There is a pronouncement upon judgment here that comes from these two prophets. When the word of God and the witness is rejected, and it is the same thing when the word goes out, spirit filled word goes out from the church and it is rejected, they are not rejecting us, they're rejecting our message, which means they are rejecting Christ, which means they are incurring God's judgment upon them. And it is like fire that rests upon them.
[00:20:32] Now notice continues. They have the power to shut the sky and no rain shall fall during the days of their prophesying.
[00:20:40] And they have the power over waters to turn them into blood and strike the earth and every kind of plague as often as they desire. So they have this supernatural power.
[00:20:50] Many believe, even literally, these two prophets can stop the rain and have power over water, turning it into blood just like Moses and can issue every kind of plague on those who oppose them.
[00:21:08] Again, I believe this is the power of the spirit in the church as we proclaim the gospel.
[00:21:16] And I believe what's being described there is spirit filled warfare that we saw with Elijah and Moses.
[00:21:25] What was, what did Elijah and Moses do?
[00:21:30] What was their mission before the false gods of BAAL and Egypt?
[00:21:37] Well, they stood before the gods of BAAL and by the power of the spirit they declared, you are weak and you are foolish.
[00:21:48] Why would anyone worship you?
[00:21:51] And remember Elijah, what did he do?
[00:21:54] He called down fire from heaven before the prophets of BAAL to prove that the God of BAAL he even said, hey, where's your God? Look what I can do. Look what the Lord Almighty can do. Where's the gods of baal? Are they asleep?
[00:22:13] Are they bored?
[00:22:15] Where are they? And it was to humiliate their gods. These miracles that Elijah performed when he shut up the heavens and there was no rain, what was he doing that for? To say this storm God that you have cannot overpower the Lord God of Israel.
[00:22:37] He's the one who makes it rain, not your little petty gods. He was humiliating the gods of baal and what did Moses do in Egypt? He walked into Egypt and we see all of these plagues before Pharaoh and he humiliated all the gods of Egypt. It was spiritual warfare by the Power of the Spirit. He witnessed the superiority of the God of Israel over all gods.
[00:23:05] And here, that's what these prophets are doing.
[00:23:08] And I believe that's what the church is to do today.
[00:23:12] God has given us the power of the Spirit to be witnesses.
[00:23:16] And as we do that, we are pronouncing that the false gods of this world are useless, that there is only one God who can bring down the fire.
[00:23:29] There's only one God who brings about rain.
[00:23:34] There is only one God who will rescue his people and deliver his firstborn from slavery and bondage. There is only one. And we have been given the power of the Spirit to do that. As we share the Gospel with others, we just have to begin to see evangelism as warfare.
[00:23:54] We don't see it that way. We see it as this task that I'm to perform and I have to go through it as this spiritual discipline. And we separate it from the power of the Spirit which is given to the church here. This ongoing indwelling power of the Spirit that is given to us, as we see in Acts Chapter one, to be witnesses to the ends of the earth. We have the Spirit of God. It's not just about us. It's not just about our grit. We've been empowered to be bold and courageous as we share the gospel. And it's not just against flesh. It's not against flesh and blood standing before us. What. What does Paul tell us about evangelism? That we are waging a war against the powers and principalities and forces in the heavenly places.
[00:24:45] When you share the gospel with your neighbor, do you see that?
[00:24:50] Do you see yourself in a war?
[00:24:53] Maybe we would share the Gospel more understanding. We can't lose that. There is a God in heaven that will humiliate all other gods. And he has given us the power to speak. What happens when we share the Gospel is that the same Spirit that rested upon Elijah is declaring that Jesus is Lord. And we see the Father exalting the Son by the power of the Spirit.
[00:25:21] And we are to see that more and more and more as we share the Gospel more and more and more and more in first John, John would tell the church there that there are a lot of Antichrist spirits in the world that come from the Antichrist. And they deny that Jesus is Lord.
[00:25:45] But you've been given the Spirit of God to confess that Jesus is Lord.
[00:25:51] And you know what he says?
[00:25:53] We are to declare that the one who is in us is greater than the one who is in the world. You should remind yourself of that as you go into battle, sharing the gospel, you have that neighbor that Paul says the God of this age has blinded you. Wonder why they see life in the world. They do.
[00:26:15] And they're marred in sin and rebellion.
[00:26:18] Paul says it's bigger than just what's in front of you. There is Satan and the forces of darkness that are covering their eyes. They can't see reality.
[00:26:30] And you step in as a prophetic witness by the power of the spirit to prove. No, no. The God you serve, the God of money, the God of self, the God of power, this master that you are slaving to in your addiction. No, no. There is a God who is greater.
[00:26:53] There is one who is back from the dead, who has defeated your sin. And he is seated at the right hand of God. And by the power of the Spirit you call them to turn from their sin and repent and believe in Jesus. And just like the children of Israel walked out of Egypt, walked out of bondage, we are to see that all around us for the glory of God.
[00:27:18] God is zealous for his glory.
[00:27:21] He wants to see these people in your life. Believe the gospel. Why? Because he gets more glory out of it.
[00:27:30] He's not trying to punish you because you're a pathetic witness and you didn't share the gospel, right?
[00:27:37] That's not what he's doing.
[00:27:39] God is on edge saying in this situation, in this town, in this coffee shop, on this campus, in this moment, as you work up the Spirit filled courage to speak about Christ, God is on edge saying, yeah, I'm going to glorify myself there.
[00:27:56] He's longing to do that. We don't see it so often because we don't share the gospel.
[00:28:01] We don't talk about Jesus.
[00:28:04] But what's going on here is even in times of intense persecution, we are filled with the Spirit to proclaim the gospel. And in the end we will be proven right.
[00:28:16] Notice verse seven.
[00:28:18] And when they had finished their testimony, the beast that rises from the bottomless pit. Now remember we saw earlier in Revelation, this bottomless pit, it is the abyss. It is where Satan lives and will be imprisoned. The beast, it is the source of all evil.
[00:28:38] And from there comes the beast which represents Satan. Evil empowered by the spirit of the Antichrist.
[00:28:50] And what we see is that throughout history this Antichrist spirit overwhelms and fills different rulers that throughout history have attacked the church.
[00:29:04] And one reason the term beast is used in Revelation is because it made sense to Christians who were being devoured in the Coliseum.
[00:29:14] There is a greater beast that is after you.
[00:29:18] So as you see and you hear of Christians dying for their faith, there is a greater beast behind all of this.
[00:29:26] And he is empowered by the spirit of Satan.
[00:29:29] And here I believe there is an intensification at the end.
[00:29:35] And this spirit is made evident on the earth in very real and intense ways.
[00:29:40] The church here would have thought, they would have thought of Rome.
[00:29:44] The beast is Rome who is out to kill us.
[00:29:49] But notice this beast comes about and it makes war on the witnesses and it conquers them and it kills them. And one point of application here is when you are faithful to Christ to witness the Gospel, you will invoke Satan every time.
[00:30:04] You will invoke spiritual warfare.
[00:30:09] It won't be easy.
[00:30:11] And there are forces at play that hate what you're doing. But you have to remember, I'm empowered by the spirit of God to proclaim Christ and notice, kill them and their dead bodies lie in the street of that great city. He refers to Jerusalem here, which the word is actually that spiritually is called Sodom. And Egypt, meaning Jerusalem at this time is identified as immoral and holding captive those who are rejecting the ruler, this beast. They are holding them captive and they are against notice the Lord, their lord, the witnesses, Lord that was crucified there. And so the church and the witnesses here they picture the death of Christ, the crucifixion of Christ. They've taken up their cross and they've preached the Gospel and they have mirrored what has happened to Christ in their death in this city, Jerusalem.
[00:31:13] Notice again, I believe this is symbolic here.
[00:31:17] And I believe that what's going on here is even at this time, those who reject Jesus and those who reject our claim that he is Messiah will reject us and there will be bloodshed to pay for it.
[00:31:32] And notice what the world does as the church suffers. Verse 9.
[00:31:36] For three and a half days, some of the peoples of the tribes, languages and nations will gaze at their body and refuse to let them be placed in the tomb. What's going on here is this is no honorable death.
[00:31:49] The flies and stench of death begin to invade.
[00:31:54] And again, three and a half days, very similar to Christ in the ground. Three days and then verse 10.
[00:32:01] And those who dwell on the earth now remember in Revelation, earth dwellers are enemies of Christ.
[00:32:07] They will rejoice over them and make merry and exchange presents. They will have Christmas morning.
[00:32:13] And we see that it is almost. It is odd. It feels odd to me at times how the church is just rejected and pushed away, even for no reason. At times in the World, that is spiritual warfare.
[00:32:31] Satan. The forces of darkness hate the church.
[00:32:35] And so even in this delusion, the church is always seen as an enemy. And so the world rejoices when the church doesn't get its way. When the church doesn't have influence, the world makes merry. It is. It is awesome to them that the church is silenced.
[00:32:53] Notice, it Sundays, because the two prophets had been a torment to those who dwell on the earth, they had agitated people.
[00:33:02] Have you ever felt yourself agitating others as you're sharing the gospel with them?
[00:33:07] And you should not be a jerk for Jesus.
[00:33:11] But how often have you presented the clearest truth in the kindest way?
[00:33:16] And people just get mad, angry invokes the most intense anger.
[00:33:23] And you're trying your best to be kind. I love you.
[00:33:28] I don't want you to spend eternity in hell.
[00:33:32] I'm going to pray for you.
[00:33:34] And then you're shunned, you're alienated.
[00:33:37] There is an intense warfare that sometimes should just shock us.
[00:33:43] Not intending to be agitating, but we are. Because the gospel is offensive to those who reject it, to those who are blinded by the God of this age.
[00:33:56] Again, I believe these are things that are happening now. There are Christians being killed all around the world.
[00:34:02] It's possible that this intensifies toward the end.
[00:34:07] The church will look like losers at times, but they will be proven right. Notice first of all in a resurrection. Notice verse 11.
[00:34:16] But after three and a half days, a breath of life from God entered them. And so the witnesses here, they are resurrected. And they stood on their feet. And as they did so, great fear fell on those who saw them.
[00:34:32] Now resurrection in redemptive history is God's final sign.
[00:34:38] We see all of the inbreaking of the kingdom throughout human history. This is the power of God. This is the power of God. There is the power of God that has been displayed in the resurrection of Christ. And there will be the power of God that will be displayed in the resurrection that will prove all other gods and all other forces cannot stop Christ.
[00:35:00] That is what resurrection proves. And it proves our witness cannot be stopped. And it proves that the people of God are true and right.
[00:35:08] Your resurrection from the dead will vindicate everything that you say about Christ and everything that you suffer.
[00:35:16] But then we see a rapture.
[00:35:19] Some of you are like, I didn't think you believed in a rapture. Well, I just believe it all happens at the same time. Notice verse 12.
[00:35:25] Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying, come up here.
[00:35:30] And they went up to heaven in a Cloud. Now what does that look like? If we go back to first and second Thessalonians, this is when the rapture takes place. I believe it happens after the tribulation, before the kingdom moves on to the earth.
[00:35:47] But here there is a rapture. They're called up into heaven. This is the church being called up into heaven. They're swept up to join Christ as he ushers in his kingdom. And notice their enemies watch them.
[00:35:59] And I believe if we look at 1st and 2nd Thessalonians and we hear of this coming day of the Lord in a rapture, what do we. What do we all. Even the songs we grew up singing, singing. There is at the midnight cry and there is this loud trumpet and heaven opens up. That doesn't sound like a secret moment to me.
[00:36:19] That sounds like something that is very visible.
[00:36:22] And notice what is going on here. The people and the enemies watched it. They see the people of God being caught up to Christ.
[00:36:32] And notice verse 13.
[00:36:34] And at that hour there was a great earthquake. And a tenth of the city fell.
[00:36:39] Seven thousand people were killed in that earthquake. And the rest were terrified and gave glory to God. Now earthquake happens. We look at the Old Testament on the day of the Lord, there was even an earthquake shaking of the ground when Jesus came and he was crucified.
[00:36:57] Earthquakes always symbolize the presence of God moving toward the earth. And here what I believe is going on here, this is the day of the lor Lord. There is this resurrection of the dead. The church is caught up to be with Jesus. And here Jesus and his church come to rule and reign on the earth. And the earth begins to crack open. And just at the end breaking of this kingdom, there are people who are dying.
[00:37:25] Notice 7007 complete fullness. There is complete destruction as Jesus comes to rule and judge his enemies. Who remember we saw that in the first cycle of this story back in chapter six.
[00:37:40] What are the people of the earth doing?
[00:37:42] They are asking the rocks to fall on them and crush them so they don't have to see the Lamb. This is when Jesus comes down to earth to judge all men. And notice what the followers of beast are doing at this time. They've gone from mocking and celebrating to fearing and then bowing.
[00:38:03] Notice the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven. Does this mean they were saved?
[00:38:09] No. It's exactly the passage of scripture that Eric read in his Pastor Eric in his prayer today.
[00:38:16] That every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. That's what they're doing here. You cannot.
[00:38:24] You have no other option at this point but to say, jesus, Lord, the church will eventually be proven right every time you step out in faith and you share the gospel. And even times you're rejected, you will be vindicated. On the last day when the sky opens up, you're raised from the dead or you're raptured, you come and you rule and reign with Jesus. Why is that important?
[00:38:50] We want to be right about everything. Right.
[00:38:55] Some of you believe you're right today and I'm wrong, and that's fine.
[00:39:00] We want to be right about our theology.
[00:39:04] We want to be right as we look at policies and conspiracies. And we want to be right about the call in the basketball game last night. Did Chandler push off? No, he didn't. Well, let's fight about it verbally fight about it with Auburn fans.
[00:39:22] We want to be right about everything. We want to be right about the color of the new couch that we're going to buy. I'm right and you're wrong. This fits with our living room. No, it doesn't. I know I'm right. Well, you can have the couch, but I know I'm right.
[00:39:37] We think we're right. We want to be right.
[00:39:40] And here's the thing. We stake our reputation and our words, and we're really loud about a lot of things that we will ultimately be proven wrong by about.
[00:39:55] I've been proven wrong by myself as we've gone through revelation from week to week, just seen things differently and go, oh, maybe I was wrong about that, maybe I was wrong about that.
[00:40:09] But we want to be right, and we'll dig in and we'll fight about being right about whatever it is.
[00:40:18] The reality is there is only one thing that you will be proven right about 100% right about, and it is standing with Christ that's not wrong.
[00:40:35] You will be proven right for standing with Christ, declaring the gospel of Christ, standing for Christ, standing with Christ.
[00:40:46] You will not lose the debate on who is the eternal king of the universe.
[00:40:53] You won't lose that debate.
[00:40:56] So why do we give ourselves over to so many lesser debates?
[00:41:00] Why, if they're disconnected from that?
[00:41:03] You won't be wrong about standing with Jesus, and that should give you hope to preach the gospel.
[00:41:11] I want to be right, successful.
[00:41:17] The things that I get right in this life, I want there to be more things that I get right than I get wrong at the end of the day.
[00:41:25] Well, get Jesus right today and then latch everything to him.
[00:41:32] Because the truth is, I'd guess Some of us will be wrong about the 70 weeks in Daniel and the tribulation, the nuances of our eschatology and how we interpret Revelation 11.
[00:41:45] Some of us, we have different opinions. Y' all are going to be wrong about it.
[00:41:50] I'm joking. This is all a joke. You understand that, right? Not all. Not the whole sermon. Just that some of you are like, yeah, it is a joke. It's kind of a joke.
[00:42:02] But if you latch your life to him in a world that is going wrong, and you speak even when the world says you're wrong, witnessing Christ, following Christ, standing with Christ, protected by Christ, filled with the spirit of Christ, it's guaranteed you'll be proven right.
