the closing chapter in our prophecy of Abakut chapter three let me please read part of it as we come to the closing chapter of this wonderful little prophecy may I again repeat with joy what we have been able to find in this prophecy that God gave us through his servant Abakut a most unusual and a very unique prophecy so different from many of the others and most if not all of the others we'd like to mention it again as you may read it whenever you do remember that it was that it is a dialogue a conversation between God and between his servant Abakkuk you will note very specially the words that Abakkuk writes are not particularly addressed to the people of Israel to the nation and to those of whom he was very much and about whom he was very much concerned. For Abacket had upon his heart the people of God and most of all the burden of their sad condition before Jehovah. Chapter one we noticed the burden of faith that he carried upon his heart and he poured it out to Jehovah himself. In chapter two we found also the vision of faith that God gave him. and are blessed to realize to the prophet many centuries ago the Lord gave him the vision of the coming the second coming in power and glory of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ as we come to the third chapter we'll find it virtually consists of a prayer of faith and a song in triumph of faith and it begins with the recognition of what God had revealed to him and we find the opening words and I would read them from verse one only to half of verse three where you come to that little word Sila which is a poetic expression that you may have noted whenever reading the Psalms particularly it is but an expression meaning in the poetical meaning of its word to pause and to reflect for what is preceded is worth reflecting upon and that very deeply. And it is most unusual, you've got the word sealer in this chapter, and in his song did he utter three times. So it's almost like a psalm. Not only a psalm of prayer, but a psalm of praise. Well, let me read the opening words of the chapter. A prayer of Abakkuk, the prophet, upon Shigeoneth. O Lord, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid. O Lord, revive thy work in the midst of the years. In the midst of the years, make known. In wrath, remember mercy. God came from Teaman and the Holy One from Mount Peron, Sila. Now there is one, the first division that we have before us. But please note, following the revelation of what God revealed to the prophet in chapter one and also chapter two, And particularly as we noted last week, the revelation of those judgments that are coming were not only approaching for Judah, but were approaching and will approach and do now approach upon the nations of the whole world. May I give you this thought? It's a principle you can always follow that most usually you will find the prophetic scriptures of the Old Testament have a double application or even interpretation if you would put it in that manner an application or interpretation to the times in which they were written but also pointing forward to that which was far in the future let me go with you to the first epistle of Peter for just a moment please I would like you to note something that Peter wrote in chapter one of his first epistle And will you please note these words as I begin to read at verse ten and reading down through verse eleven, to give you the principle that I've just suggested there was not only an application of the prophecy to the time when it was written, but also a future application. Here is Peter writing to say, of which salvation, and that is our salvation, The prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you. Searching what or what manner of time? The Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow. Now there you can recognize On the authority of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament. That even the prophets recognized. They themselves realized. There was a future event. Which their words of prophecy were indicating. And they longed. That they could look into it. And search it. But they knew. Though they testified of the sufferings of Christ beforehand. There was a mountain peak. Yet a lot of mountain peaks. of glory in the great eternal future as they thus saw their prophecies. And yet let me read verse twelve before we go further. Yet unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things which are now reported unto you by them, that are preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven, which things the angels desire to look into. Now may I emphasize one blessed fact from the statement that the Apostle Peter wrote. There are things in the Old Testament that cover even phases of our salvation in relation to the sufferings of Christ and especially to the glory which will follow. And I'm sure we all recognize, most unfortunately, that in the nation of Israel they look forward to the glory many if not most of them anticipated long for reach for the glory of the coming kingdom failing to see before the glory Messiah must suffer may I give you one illustration of it you'll never find that any pious Jew will interpret Isaiah chapter fifty-three has meaning the sufferings of the Messiah. And if he interprets them as suffering, it is only the suffering of the nation of Israel itself. Beloved, you can't do that. It's the person of the Lord Jesus, the Messiah of Israel, who is described by the prophet in Isaiah fifty-three, which we rightly call the crucifixion of the Old Testament. So as we go back to our book in Abakas, and the prophet brings forth the prayer. And let me please mention, first of all, in the opening of the first verse, where you find a prayer of a backer, the prophet upon Shigeonah. It's a poetical expression. The word literally means in the Hebrew, wandering. But what it also implies, because of the nature of the poetical psalm that he utters, it implies wild lyric music revealing a strain of truth as well as a note that manifests a variety of poetical lyrics regarding now may I say frankly as we shall see it regarding even the coming again of our Lord Jesus Christ in power and great glory So that you probably have noted it in the Psalms, you find one or two other Psalms has the same title and other titles are given, but they have a particularly particular meaning. Now let me please read the paragraph on your lesson sheet and the first one particularly. It is interesting to note how the Prophet reveals his depth of concern at the beginning of every chapter. He was no passive spectator of the sad spiritual condition of Judah, nor was he a passive recipient of God's solution, as he waited upon his watch in chapter two and verse one. But the disclosures that God gave him, they stirred him deeply, as they should all of us today. And he had listened to what Jehovah had said. Now may I give an exhortation that we can take for our hearts? Whatever the prophet heard from God, he took it in deeply. And the very things that he heard disturbed him deeply, troubled him deeply, and they had necessity if to do so. For what he had heard in chapter one, chapter two, was verily, approximately nothing but judgment. He saw it coming. upon his own people. He saw it coming also in the revelation upon the nations, as we noted in the last study of chapter two. And it stirred him deeply. And one must confess how we need to let the truth of coming judgment stir our own hearts deeply. And thus, please note the effect of it. As you look, if you please, at the paragraph that follows on your lesson sheet, let me read that paragraph, and we'll look at the scriptures. God's answer in chapter two disturbed him and filled his heart with terror and with awe. You note that. I've heard thy speech, he says, and I was afraid. It brought fear and terror to his heart. And may I say humbly, in passing, I think of it sometimes. Sometimes I wish it was much more. I do wish it was more deeper in my soul than reality. Have you ever thought of the destruction that the Lord Jesus is going to bring upon the whole world at his second coming in glory? We'll see some of it as we go on. And I think particularly it ought to affect us with terror and fear of a very sacred kind to recognize the extent and the depth of judgment that is yet to be. and the prophet answered, I was afraid. But will you please note, and you got it in that second verse and on your lesson sheet, he pours out his heart in prayer to God, and he calls on him to revive his work in the midst of the years. O Lord, revive thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years, make known. Now may I point out, as far as The reality of this being fulfilled, we have no knowledge, no record of the reviving of the work of the Lord. There was nothing but judgment ahead for Judah. There's nothing but judgment ahead for the world. And yet the prayer of the heart, I think it was one of the Psalms, I think it's Psalm eighty, where the Psalmist prayed, Revive thy work in the midst of the years, O Lord, that thy people may rejoice in thee. And may I say bluntly, there's one desire upon my heart in the midst of apostasy that is increasing to get God's people themselves to rejoice in the Lord more. I cannot offer to God's dear children in their sorrows and griefs and trials, and I find them everywhere I go. I cannot offer any better comfort than to minister truth that will bring them to enjoy the person of the Lord and the joy of Christ. And we'll see at the end of our chapter, that's what happened to the prophet. And as far as any reviving, worldwide, no, it's contrary to the teaching of the Word of God. in its dispensational aspect. But, let me give you this thought. There's a misconception regarding the meaning of the word revival in Christendom today. Revival in its meaning only pertains to Christians. How can you revive an unsafe sinner? Revive! He needs to begin to have a new life. be born again. He needs regeneration, not reviving. And if there's any people that need reviving, it's God's dear people. Very, very much. And the prayer of the prophet was unquestionably on the behalf of his people. And so can you and I. We can pray that the hearts of God's people in themselves will be revived and brought closer to the Lord. I think of Isaiah's beginning in chapter forty, the second great division of his book. Confit ye, comfort ye my people, set the Lord of hosts. And so the prayer of the prophet was a prayer for God to revive his work in the midst of the year. Please note your paragraph. He also knew two things. He knew that wrath and judgment was to come upon the Chaldeans. As we noted in chapter two. As well as in chapter one. The wrath of God and judgment of God was to come upon those people who would be the oppressors of the children of Judah at that special time. And he also knew too. His unbelieving people were facing judgment. And on the ground of that he therefore pleads. Now please note the prayer at the end of verse two. And on your lesson sheet. In wrath. Remember mercy. Let me paraphrase it a little further. Illuminate a little bit on it. In a period of divine judgment, he's praying that God would show mercy. In a period of divine judgment, he's praying that God will still show his mercy. And that is true of God doing that. And as the end of the paragraph declares on your lesson sheet, this will be so at the end of the age when judgment and wrath sweep over the earth. God will have mercy on his people. Will you go to the book of Revelation, please? I want you to know something in chapter seven, the book of the Revelation. Now the book of the Revelation, none will deny that it is indeed for the greater part, it is the book of judgment. And we have the judgments that are coming upon the earth. In the last days, those that are called the sealed judgments, the trumpet judgments, and the vile judgments. But may I begin reading in chapter seven, and just read these words, please, beginning at verse one and just through verse four. 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 trees. and I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. He cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it 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. And I heard the number of them which were sealed. And There was sealed at hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of Israel. May I go down to the chapter a little bit, please? May I also read verse fourteen, please? As John questions regarding a multitude he sees, verse fourteen he says, I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. and he said to me these are they which came out of and may I say literally in the Greek text it is tribulation the great one now here in the book of the Revelation you've got the last day judgment you've got the end of the age you've got God's wrath coming out not only on Judah but the whole world and yet in the midst of it he shows mercy he seals a remnant of Israel for himself. Their testimony wins an innumerable company of Gentiles. Through that period they come out of tribulation, the great one, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Just an example, in the coming day at the end of the age, in the midst of God's wrath, He will show mercy. And you can certainly believe During that period, though the church is out of the world and in heaven above, God's remnant people will have a testimony that will bring many to know the Lord Jesus Christ as the Lamb of God, their Savior, and be washed in the blood of the Lamb. And that's an evidence of God showing mercy. And what a time it will be. But we have a reference on your lesson sheet to Psalm one hundred and two. May I read that little scripture? the hundred and second psalm where we have some verses that tell us the same precious truth that God remembers mercy even in the time of his wrath and we have these words we read from verse thirteen through sixteen when the Lord shall build up Zion he shall appear in his glory now note he will regard the prayer of the destitute and not despise their prayer This shall be written for the generation to come, and the people which shall be created shall praise the Lord. For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary from heaven. Did the Lord behold the earth to hear the groaning of the prisoner, to loose those that are appointed to death, and to declare the name of the Lord in Zion, and his praise in Jerusalem, and so on? And may I give you this thought? There's a great deal of concern, properly so, sometimes not always properly so, to try to adjust the social conditions in the world today. Even the program of many church groups is centered toward social gospel instead of preaching the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. and calling upon the world and the nations of the world, the Christian profession of the world at all to take care of the poor. Let me remind you the words of the Lord Jesus. When he was on the earth, do you recall he said, the poor ye have with you always. It will take the coming of the Lord to rectify the condition. But may I give this suggestion? There is no question of doubt that the remnant out of Israel and the remnant of the Gentile nations that will be saved at the end of the age, there are going to be those who are the oppressed, the poor, the afflicted, who need to be delivered. The proud, the rich, the mighty, they probably be for the most part the object of divine judgment. And you've got it in a seventy-second psalm. Look at a seventy-second psalm, please. Just a moment. That's the Messianic psalm, when our Lord Jesus shall reign. And please let me note these words. Let me read from verse ten when he comes. The kings of Tarshish and of the Isle shall bring presence. The kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts. Yea, all kings shall fall down before him. All nations shall serve him. Then note the next three verses. For he shall deliver the needy when he cries, The poor also, and him that hath no helper. He shall spare the poor and needy, and shall save the souls of the needy. He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence, and precious shall their blood be in their sight. Beloved, let me just say this. There is no program, human program, that will ever rectify the social conditions of humanity. Much as we know there's great need, but it will necessitate the coming of the Lord. And let me give the suggestion again. In the midst of that day of wrath, his mercy will go out particularly to the oppressed, the needy, the poor. For after all, who suffers the most when wars and rumors of war prevail? Not the rich. not the great, not the leaders, but the poor people, the oppressed, the needy, who have been the objects of much social violence. The Lord's going to bring deliverance. Now back to our chapter in of Acts, please. And so we shall recognize there will be mercy shown even at the end of the age. Now we go to verse three. And may I point out on your lesson sheet the title we have on the number two paragraph, The Coming of the Lord in Judgment and Redemption. May I state you've got right here in this portion before us a most vivid, poetical description of the coming of the Lord when He appears in judgment. Let me just read the paragraph on your lesson sheet first. The great inspired description that now follows is one of the greatest sections of prophecy. Picturing a future redemption under types from even past events, the background of Exodus and Sinai is in the prophet's memory when Jehovah manifested his power to redeem Israel from Egypt. Even Moses in his prophetic blessing began in a very similar way. Now may I just read the opening words of verse three. God came from Teaman and the Holy One from Mount Terran. Now, of course, we all recognize this is not telling us the origin of God. I remember one dear lady, she wondered where God came from until she read these words. Now I know he came from Teaman. Well, of course, she didn't have the right application of the truth of this prophecy. but it is noticeable if you'll go with me to Moses's reference in Deuteronomy chapter thirty three so I want you to recognize as the paragraph is indicated that in the prophet's mind and heart was the memory of the manifestation of God in that day when he gave the law at Sinai and you have Moses in his great prophecy if I may begin reading just verse one and two now please note you have similar words This is the blessing where with Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death. And he said, The Lord came from Sinai, rose up from sea unto them. He shined forth from Mount Peron, and he came with ten thousands of saints. From his right hand went a fiery law for them. Now if you read in the book of Exodus, the time of the giving of the law when it was given to Moses and the people of Israel at Mount Sinai. May I remind you, every one of them were afraid. The mountains shook. It bounced fire and smoke, darkness. And every person was forbidden to come, even the cattle, to touch even the foot of the mountain. And Moses himself was afraid. And Moses is reflecting on it. He remembered that fearful scene when God gave the law. And what did God some people that are trusting in the law would realize it ought to make them terrified? Do you ever read the book of Pilgrim's Progress? Next to the Bible is the best book worth reading. Next to the Bible at one time it had the largest circulation, but people don't read it. book that talk about the Lord much today. But in John Bunyan's description of the pilgrim wanting to go to the city of God, and the evangelist points him to where he goes through the gate, which will lead him to the cross, where he will find his redemption. But Mr. Worldly Wise Man comes along and tells him, I can give you a shorter cut. And he points him, you go that way. And he's pointing him really to Mount Sinai. And he listens to Mr. Worldly Wise Man. And makes the aperture go the way to the city of God by the way of the law. And as John Bunyan describes it so figuratively. and so vividly. He comes until he recognizes the precipice is so steep, the mountain is so steep, and his lightning and his thunder and fire bulging, and he thinks the mountain is going to fall on him. And he's afraid. His heart is struck with fear, and evangelist finds him there. What are you doing here? I didn't tell you to come this way. And of course you've been listening to them. Don't listen to people that will put you under the law. You'll get in a lot of trouble. Moses realized the terror of the law. As God gave it to Sinai. Now you may wonder why God gave it. Well the people said whatever he tells us to do will do it. Their own fault they asked for it. He said alright I'll prove you. All that the Lord says we will do. And Moses, in his blessing of the children of Israel, before he died, remembers that incident, when the law was given, and the Lord came from fear, rose up from fear unto them, he shined forth from Mount Pilate, literally, to his inner vicinity, where the law was given. And note another thing that Moses said in his prophecy, though. He came with ten thousands of his saints. What do you put that in for? There was no saints visibly evidence in the darkness of shining eyes, the thunder crashed and the lightning flash, and the trumpet sounded that struck fear to all. Go to the book of Jude, please, will you? The book of Jude, next to the last book in the Bible. And you can recognize that Moses was really repeating what Enoch himself had once said. and in the epistle of Jude note what the apostle writes in verse fourteen Enoch also the seventh from Adam prophesied of these saying behold the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints now I want to connect it together Moses remembering the giving of the law and where it was given Habakkuk in his vision the same locality is brought before his mind and heart. And for what purpose? As you have it here, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints to execute what? Judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them, of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. May I couple it together? Surely you can recognize, and may I suggest, This is the depth of the Spirit of God's teaching when you and I can see by these words, divine me inspired, whether by Moses, whether by Habakkuk, and even by Enoch, and by... Come with me to it. Isaiah sees the Lord at the second coming approaching from the same direction. Look with me in that chapter, the sixty-third chapter of Isaiah. And will you please know, Noted very carefully. Who is this that cometh from Edom, with thy garments from Basra? This that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save. Wherefore art thou read in thine apparel? Thy garments like him that treadeth in the wine-fat. I trodden the wine-presser alone, and of the people there was none with me. I will, for I will tread them in mine anger, trample them in my fury, their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment. For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come. And I looked, there was none to help, and I wondered that there was none to uphold. Therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me. And my fury it upheld me. And I will tread down the people in mine anger. And make them drunk in my fury. And I will bring down their strength to the earth. The language and the words are very expressive. Of the Lord Jesus himself. When he comes in power and great glory. Telling what he will do. You probably notice in the reading of it. His garments. Dread. in blood. Oh, beloved, what a touch. You know, for instance, in the book of the Revelation, let me give you this song. Sometimes there are believers that will put the church in the book of the Revelation all the way through it, on the earth. And yet, by the Spirit of God, I believe in chapters four and five particularly, we can see that the church will be in heaven round the throne of God and the Lamb in the midst before the judgments begin. In other words, the church will not go through the Great Tribulation. Now may I point out something? All the way through the book of the Revelation in chapter six and to the end of chapter nineteen. You know what you've got on the earth? Blood. Blood. Blood. Blood. Death. Violence. judgment and at the coming of the Lord in chapter nineteen is he personally comes a great sword going out of his mouth and the whole scene from beginning to the end is one of much bloodshedding upon the earth well may I give you this suggestion a good friend of mine many years ago said to me you know John wouldn't it be terrible if the Lord would give his bride a threshing just before she got married to him he'll never do that he'll never do that for all thank God the church will be in heaven and we shall be with him in that glorious place of ours but the earth blood blood blood and at the final coming of the Lord Jesus in personal glory his garments and you have in the in the and in the in the message of Isaiah he comes from the same direction that Moses spoke of relative to the giving of the law that Habakkuk speaks of in his prophecy which we're in now and thus we can recognize the Lord will indeed inflict upon his enemy great destruction in that coming day but back to our chapter in the back again I want you to note something as we go on and from the word use of the word sealer We have the suggestion of the prophet's soul being like a psalm. Now let me read verses three and four. Now I want you to know what we have in these words. Now if you can, in your heart, visualize this describes the actual appearing of the Lord in power and glory. Can I be reminded with you? This is what the prophet was told to wait for. In chapter two, go to chapter two. Go to chapter two. Let me read in verse two and three. The Lord answered me and said, Write the vision. Make it plain upon tables or tablets that he may run to read at it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time. But at the end it shall speak, not lie. and though it tarry, wait for it, because it will surely come. And may I be reminded, as we mentioned in the translation of the Septuagint version, and as you've got it in Hebrews ten thirty-seven, though he tarry, though he tarry, wait for him, because he will surely come, he will not tarry. And those are the literal words that Paul wrote in Hebrews ten thirty-seven. And this is what the prophet is looking forward to, and trolls are waiting for it. Now he comes to chapter three, and by the Spirit he describes the actual glory is appearing in great power of the Blessed One who is to come. Now let me read verse three and four, the end of verse three and verse four. His glory covered the heavens, the earth was full of his praise, and his brightness was as the light. He had horns, symbolic of power, coming out of his hand, and there was the hiding of his power. Oh, beloved, look at your lesson sheet for just a moment. And then we'll think further regarding this wonderful truth. Heaven and earth reflect the glory of the coming of the Lord. before him, pestilence, so on, indicating the trouble preceding his coming, war, famine, and pestilence, and death, and so on. But get the thought first. Heaven and the earth will reflect the glory of the coming of the Lord. Go to Matthew twenty-four, where we have a reference. Note verse thirty there. And these are the words of the Lord Jesus, please. Chapter twenty-four and verse thirty. Please note it. Then Well, let me go and read verse twenty nine and thirty together. Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened and the moon shall not give her light. The stars shall fall from heaven and the powers of the heaven shall be shaken. And then shall appear the sign of the sun and man in heaven. and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. Can I please emphasize, this will be visible, visible. This will not be fictional, it will be actual and visible. I don't know how many of you may remember many, many years ago, And by the name of Orson Welles, who was the radio figure, and he put on certain plays over the radio. And one time, he broadcasted a program that said the visitors from the celestial realm, from the stars that come to the earth, and they're already around. Well, he got more people terrified in the whole nation that heard it. And it was all, of course, a fake. But they never looked. This is real. They shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. Beloved, please let me say, this will be actual. And you'll be coming with him, riding on your horse. hope you know how to ride one but anyway because of revelation chapter nineteen will be coming down the armies of heaven with him but all visible visible frankly what an astonishment to the whole world that's what the prophet is writing about read on in our prophecy of the backup know what he goes on to say and let me please note as you have it in verse For his brightness was as the light. Remember the Lord Jesus saying, Like as the lightning is from the east to the west, so shall the coming of the sun of man be. Such a flashing. All over it. Now let me please repeat it again. There is no question there is no part of the earth will miss the visible sign of his coming. Together with his saints and angels who appear with him. in great glory and the brightness will be of the light and he has now the word horns is always symbolic you find it particularly in the Psalms again and again symbolic of power power out of his hand out of his hand power oh beloved and mighty hand let me quote the words of Isaiah forty fifty threes you well know then Who hath believed our report? To whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? And the arm of the Lord in mighty power for redemption, by the death of his dear son, and in almighty arm of power, in judgment is the same arm that was crucified on Calvary's cross. They nailed him to the tree. That blessed arm and hands that had blessed them, they nailed it to the tree of Calvary in ignominy and shame. But, oh, may I say, when that blessed hand of the Lord Jesus appears again to the earth, it's going to be a hand of power and of judgment. And in that hand, well, I like to think of what it means for you and me. My sheep hear my voice and I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish. Neither shall any pluck them out of my hand. It's the hand of safety, eternal safety for you and for me. But it's going to be the hand of power and judgment for his enemies when he comes from above. And, please note the end of verse four, there was the hiding of his power in that blessed hand. The hiding of his power. And you never sung the old hymn. I know you have. Rock of ages collapsed for me. Let me hide myself in thee. And even from Psalm, from the prophecy of Isaiah, a man shall be a hiding place. And even in Psalm thirty-two, thou art my hiding. Strange to say, the meaning of Abakkuk is, the Lord hides. And how precious they know the prophet was hid in the hand of Jehovah. And in that coming day, when the Lord Jesus comes to the earth, that same hand that keeps his saints is going to be the hand of power and judgment upon his enemies. And you know, verse five, before him went the pestilence. We have a reference on your lesson sheet. The pestilence, well, Revelation rather, chapter six. Remember the four horses of the Apocalypse? You have the white horse. Then you have the red horse. Then you have the black horse. Then you have the pale horse. All indicative of the judgments that are coming. First a false peace so typical by the white horse. And then peace taken away from the earth. Bloodshed begins. And then of course what follows? Death. Riding. Following it. The pale horse. Judgment. relative to the disposition of the dead who die and are judged and you have that all of it symbolic of judgment and even the and even the prophet writes before him before him went the best may I put out this thought there's much he will do before he even comes down from heaven and that's what you got in the book of the revelation from chapter six all the way to that chapter nineteen going before him And burning coals went forth at his feet. Look at Second Thessalonians chapter one, will you please? Second Thessalonians chapter one. And I want you to find even the apostle Paul writing in Second Thessalonians relative to the coming of our Lord. Let me begin reading at verse six. Paul in comfort to the saints who were suffering right. seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you. And may I give you the thought, don't worry about the troubles that mankind on the earth or even the devil himself will make for his children. There are days coming of compensation. Note, says the apostle, to you who are troubled rest with us. When the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power. It's an impossibility for you to me to visualize the literalness of such coming power and might as he comes in flaming fire. Go back with me to Daniel chapter seven. The prophecy of Daniel chapter seven. Please know what the prophet Daniel wrote long ago relative to that coming scene of judgment of which he had given a vision in chapter seven, if you don't mind. And I want you to note some things that he says regarding it. let me read begin reading at verse thirteen please I saw in the night visions no go back to verse nine I beg your pardon verse nine let's get verse nine and get the connection what I'm looking for I beheld till the thrones were cast down earthly thrones to be cast down and the ancient of days did sit whose garment was white as snow and the hair of his head like pure wool. His throne was like the fiery flame and his wheels as a burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him. Thousands, thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The judgment was set and the books were opened. It is a description of the end judgment when the Lord Jesus sits as the judge of all the earth and recognize the symbolic impression of fire as a streaming vehicle coming before him. It's judgment. Will you please go with me to the Gospel of John, chapter one, please. I want to give you something from John's Gospel, chapter one, which I hope may correct if you do have a false interpretation of the words. Chapter one. What John the Baptist says concerning the Lord Jesus. Chapter one and verse thirty-three. My beginner verse thirty-two is John the Baptist bears record. Now I beg your pardon. Let me get the words in chapter three of Luke. There are ones I really want. Chapter three of the Gospel according to Luke. The same scene, but the words in Luke chapter three will be more appropriate. John chapter three, verse fifteen and sixteen. As the people were in expectation and all men mused in their hearts concerning John, whether he were the Christ or not, John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water. The one mightier than I cometh. The latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose. He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire, unquestionable. Now will you please note something? Very carefully. He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost. One, two, with fire. They are not synonymous. They are separate events. The baptism of the Holy Ghost is one thing. The baptism of fire is another. Now read the next verse. And you see, the context will very definitely state. The judgment of fire is this. Whose sand is in his hand? He will thoroughly purge his floor and will gather the wheat into his gardener. But the chaff he will burn with fire unquestionable. Oh, beloved, can I impress upon you and upon my heart too? Here you have the two comings of the Lord Jesus in John's words. His first coming to baptize with blessing through and by the Holy Ghost to bring to himself those who trust his precious blood and put them into the body of Christ. That's one baptism. Now look, let me say this. Your charismatic friends, they make it all one. They say it all happened at Pentecost. They did not. It was the baptism of the Holy Ghost of Pentecost, but not fire. Yes, I know there was tongues of fire. Let me ask you something. What was those tongues of fire? They were used to the glory of God. As the Spirit gave them utterance to testify to all around Jerusalem who were gathered there, the wonderful works of God. The languages that they understood from their own homelands, from whence they had come, to keep the Feast of Pentecost at Jerusalem. And the tongues, let me tell you something. The tongues of fire at Pentecost, they did burn. But you know how they burned? Convicted by the Holy Ghost. Three thousand were saved. That's the kind of burning I'd like to see happen. The power of the Holy Ghost in preaching. and three thousand coming to the Lord that one day. That was the baptism of the Holy Spirit. It's a good thing it wasn't the baptism of fire that John the Baptist mentioned because he says he's going to separate people. He's going to take the chaff and burn it all up. And the wheat will be in his garden. And one can recognize the wheat will be those who will be those who are going into his kingdom when he comes and separates the godly from the ungodly. the chat burned with unquenchable fire well back to our chapter in a backup and let's go on further and see regarding him as you noted in verse five we saw before him went the pestilence and burning coals went forth at his feet who moved that clock I declare Here I wanted to finish the chapter. But let it go to verse six very quickly. And we'll continue on next week in the will of the Lord. He stood and measured the earth. He beheld and drove us under the nations. And the everlasting mountains were scattered. The perpetual hills did bow. His ways are everlasting. Just one comment. As you got verse six on the letter C on your lesson sheet. He stands and measures the earth. We made the comment last week. We just repeated briefly. A stone when He comes, He looks over the whole scene, measures the condition perfectly, and acts. He looks on those nations. They tremble. He drives them asunder. He overpowers them. And all creation is affected. The earthquakes shake down the mountains. all is level before his majestic presence when Christ comes in power and great glory. Can I give you the thought? It's come to me again and again. You know, we have so many problems city-wise and country-wise about landfills. You know, and the problem keeps going. You know, I don't know what to do with all the junk. When the Lord comes, you know what He's going to do? Well, let me give you this thought. He's going to turn it all over. Literally. There's no question of doubt by the earthquakes and the violence that will take place. The earth is, well, it's going to be just like Jerusalem. Jerusalem at the present time, I believe, is on seven layers of topology. It's been destroyed seven times and rebuilt seven times on top of it. And I believe that's what the Lord's going to do when he comes in power and glory. He's going to shake the nations and all the nice beautiful buildings in Charlotte are coming down, you know, and the landfills are going to be all covered up too, you know. And then the millennial kingdom will start with the earth cleansed. You take care of the ecology, but far more important and more sad, you'll have to take care of the poor souls They're opposing him and rejecting him. But oh, let you and I be grateful. We're in the hollow of his hand. Saved and saved. Shall we pray? Oh, blessed Father, we confess readily how very little we enter into the depths and into the terrible character of the coming judgments which have been so long delayed. because of thy longsuffering. We bless thee for thy longsuffering. Thou hast proved God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. We pray for the world. We know the Lord Jesus doesn't pray for it. He's done all that he can by dying and providing an eternal redemption for every man, woman, boy, and girl. And we thank thee we too have come into the joy and the possession of him. But oh how we pray for the world of sinners. We pray that even today the gospel of thy grace will save and reach many to bring them to thyself before that day of judgment falls. Thank thee for thy help in the ministry. Bless the truth to our hearts. Sanctify it to our lives.