and the rest of the men which were not killed by these slaves, yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils or demons, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood, which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk. Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their sex. May the Lord bless the reader and hearing of his portion from his precious and his holy word. Look at your lesson sheet, if you will, and find as we look at the beginning of it, we have, as we have read verse thirteen, a more significant fact relative to one that speaks, one who speaks from the altar. Let me read the first verse, the thirteen verse again. For him in the vision, John hears a voice. And please note, now what John is witnessing in the vision is actually transpiring before his eyes. And as he hears the six trumpets sound, he then hears a voice and note the location from which it comes, from the forehorn of the golden altar which is before God. Now just a word of explanation again, relative to the altar. In fact, we have noticed in our preceding study of a week ago, there were two altars in the presence of God revealed to us. One was the brazen altar, representative of the sacrificial altar where sacrifices were made in approach to God. And then there was the golden altar. you find them particularly emphasized in the history of Israel, in the tabernacle worship, together also with the temple worship later on. And those two altars represent, as we saw last week, the altar that was brazen. It was the angel that took fire from that altar and poured it upon the earth relative to the judgment of a holy God. against the world that has rejected the sacrifice and the atoning death of his son. When we come to this judgment, it particularly issues from the golden altar. Now let's remember that in the same chapter eight particularly, we saw the golden altar there. We found that the prayers of the saints were ascending up out of the angelic priest's hands. They represented the petitions of God's earthly people in that coming day of trouble. When as we saw in chapter, remember in chapter six, the fifth seal judgment, John saw the stones of them that had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and the word of God. And they prayed for vengeance upon their enemies. Now the prayer is beginning to be answered in chapter nine. And now again we recognize from the golden altar. Their issues thought are void that is in response to the prayers of the saints or the judgment of those which God, whom God will visit in this particular judgment. And so we can recognize that. Note particularly your lesson, she. We refer to it quickly. The golden altar twice mentioned in this book of Revelation is in connection with the prayers of saints. And now in our verse, in connection with the answer to those prayers. Note the second comment. The voice of God speaks. Now, there's no voice that does not seem to be particularly acknowledged which voice it is. But surely we can say this. To whom do the prayers offend? But to God. The supplication and prayers for vengeance they called upon God. And it is God himself that is going to avenge them. You find we remember, if you may remember in chapter six, they were told to rest until some of their fellow believers would be slain. But they would be visited with the acknowledgement of their prayers and the answer to the prayers upon the earth. Now the answer is coming. And as we have the mention, it is the voice of God that speaks not merely from the altar itself, but would you please note, I heard the voice from the four horns of the altar. Now that altar has four specific horns. Likewise did it raise an altar. Now when you think of the word horns in Scripture, they are symbolic of power and authority. You may remember that Psalmist mentions about the breaking of horns, and it is the suggestion of the breaking of power or the establishing of power. And David often refers to the horns in the book of the Psalm and suggested the power. And it's from the four horns of the altar that the voice speaks. And it suggests that the power of God is now answering the prayers for vengeance of those saints during the tribulation period. And God's power in judgment will be visited upon the optics of judgment. Now there are particularly solemnly referred to the seriousness of what is before us. It is God answering prayer of his saints to the judgment upon their repentance. You may have often wondered, and we've mentioned it many times before, we'll repeat it again, how many times in the Book of Psalms you'll find the psalmist praying to God, or the saints praying to God for vengeance upon their enemies. And then we have also noted, that is not the Christian's prayer. When we read in Romans chapter thirteen, Paul says that we have to do good to our enemies, Feed them when they're hungry. Give them to drink if they're thirsty. For God says, Vengeance is mine. I will repay. So we find in relation to the Christian testimony, we call not upon God to revenge as on our enemies. In fact, I'm sure you recognize that spirit of forgiveness is the Christian's retaliation. in times of adversity and persecution. Said the Lord Jesus, Father, forgive them. And so that's the spirit of the Christian. But then we do find when the church is gone. And God's earthly people are now being dealt with specifically to bring them to the acknowledgement of their Messiah when he comes to the earth. God deals with his people, Israel. and did with them in such a way that they have to cry for vengeance to God above upon their enemies. And the answer is forthcoming as we see here. Now please note verse fourteen and fifteen. We'll read the verses together. The sixth angel sounds its trumpet. And this is the command. And note the authoritative command. Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. Now will you keep your place there and go into chapter seven and find in contrast something we would like to mention here and show the contrast. Chapter seven in verse one. When John writes after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth. They were 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 we have been being restrained from acting until God seals his servants on their forehead. Now the angels in chapter seven, without question of doubt, they were God's holy angels. They're now noted chapter thirteen, please. I think there's a clear distinction. These four angels are bound. Now it's beyond my comprehension, but not beyond my complete understanding that God's ways are not our ways. But when we think of the angelic hosts, we must recognize, and even the book of the Revelation magnifies the truth of it, We must recognize the distinction between holy angels and fallen angels. On one hand, God and his holy angels in action. On the other hand, Satan and his holy angels in action. For without question to God, may I point out, do we not see in this chapter of the beginning that demonic angels out of the pit are let loose? And God uses unholy angels to do its purposes at times. Back in the book of the Kings, I think it's first Kings chapter sixteen, I'm not sure. I won't turn to it because it might be wrong. But in that chapter, there is a prophet by the name of Micaiah before King Jehoshaphat and King Ahab. And Ahab and Jehoshaphat were together. And Ahab had asked Jehoshaphat to unite his army with his. to fight against their mutual enemy, the Assyrians. And the prophet of Ahab, who were false prophets, four hundred in number, they tell them to go. Don't go, you win. You'll be a victor. Jehoshaphat, who was nearer the law than Ahab was, and Jehoshaphat had no business being where he was with Ahab either. But he said, Isn't there a real prophet here? Yes, they answered his one. But he said, I don't like it. He never prophesied in my favor. So I'll send for him, and he commands the prophet to come, and he's brought. And the messenger who brings the prophet advises him to prophesy favorably for the game, as the others had done. And he answers, I'll just say whatever the Lord gives me to say, that's all. And when he stands before the two kings and tells them to go forth to battle, Anhem doesn't believe him. You never tell me to go. Oh, yes, go ahead. But he says, if you come back alive, my prophecy is not right. And then he's rebuked by the king. And then he speaks words of divine revelation that he sees the throne of God. And around that throne there were angels, spirits, and around They're thrown there are those that are evil spirits, together with good spirits. Now let me give you this thought. If you haven't noticed in the book of Job, do you ever wonder why Satan could get into God's presence? It's all nasty to explain it, but there it is. God said to him, Where have you been? And Satan, unless you say, none of your business, I've been said, tear my own business on the earth. going up and down. But he had access. It's evident there is accessibility. But in Micaiah's vision that he saw, he heard God said, Who will go and put a lie to deceive? And we may have the destruction. And one spirit said, I'll go. I'll be a lying spirit to put a lying words in the mouth of his prophet. And beloved, please let me thank You've got another chapter, first Kings chapter thirteen, a remarkable chapter of a prophet of Judah who goes down into Bethel in Israel to speak against prophesy against Jeroboam. He's told you go, you give your prophecy and you leave and go back another way and don't do anything, don't have any fellowship with anybody there. But unfortunately, the dear chap, he resists three temptations to stay, even from Jeroboam, and so on. But then there's a prophet in Israel, an old man, when he hears about him, he goes to find him, as he's on his way back, and sees him resting under the tree. And he persuades him to come back and have a meal with him, which God had told him not to do. Now, what? And he professed to be. And he was a prophet of God in Israel. But what he did, it was a lie from an evil spirit that put into his mouth to bring him back. And he lost his life because of his disobedience to God's word. Now, when it comes to the ministry of these evangelicals, you and I are completely mystified. Hesley Gabeline wrote a wonderful book. The conflict of the ages. And that conflict was God and his holy angels, Satan and his unholy angels. My beloved, please let me pray. As it comes to our study today, it brings out the fact. You and I are not fully aware of the power of Satan that God will permit to be used to destroy men on the earth. And these four angels were bowed. And in the vicinity of the river Euphrates, look at your lesson sheet if you don't mind. Look under the second division, the divine authority's command, the angelic ministers of judgment. They are under God's control. Please let me say, whether it's an angel that belongs to Satan, that is not. If God has sudden recredited the act of judgment to perform upon the earth, He'll use the devil. Friends are saying he often uses the devil. I remember a dear brother as I was speaking to him regarding the will of God in relation to some problem that we were both concerned about with another Christian. And I said to him, brother. Why? And he said, I said, what are you going to do when you know the brother is not acting according to the will of God? He said, John, all you can do is say, let the will of the Lord be done. He said, you know, God wants to draw his children, that they'll follow him, to draw their hearts out of him. You know, John, he said, sometimes he gets the devil to get behind him, drive him. You explain some things in my life, thank you. Yes, God can you sing? I'd hear it sing on holy angels. Four special ones, bound for that particular moment that God wants to use them, in destruction. Now you note the contrast between these two plagues, or the two trumpet judgments in our chapter. One brought torment. This one brings destruction. Now let's look at it. As you go, let's note this, as we have it on in verse fourteen. loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. Now look at your notes. Number two under section B, the definite sphere of their actions, the Euphrates. The littoral river is signified. It's mentioned in Revelation sixteen in verse twelve again. Its location is significant. It was the limit and the boundary of the promised land, as you have from Genesis sixteen. Let me go a little bit further, please. I'm sure you've read the creation. You've read of the Garden of Eden. You remember one of the rivers that went through the Garden of Eden? See, Euphrates. It's still going in existence. It's one of the great rivers of Scripture without question or doubt. And when you think of it significant, here is God significantly using four found angels in the area Where the Garden of Eden. She realized, well, the world's become a pretty bad place when it's got to do what it's going to do here. And you think, well, what the Garden of Eden was. Oh, may I say humbly, but seriously, the effect of sin when it began in the Garden of Eden, you and I cannot comprehend it. The result is staggering. in the history of the human race. And after all the millenniums and centuries, what judgments are yet to come forth. And on this occasion, now if you may note, go to chapter fifteen please, or rather chapter sixteen. I want you to note the reference here in chapter sixteen, which gives us some clue, even regarding the armies that are mentioned in our chapter here. But in chapter sixteen, Let me refer to that prompt verse relative to the Battle of Armageddon. Armageddon. And you have these words in chapter sixteen that God writes, saying, The sixth angel, O poured out his file upon the great river Euphrates. The war that they loved was dried up at the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. Now, may I point out something? Last week's judgment, in contrast, with the apostate Jews being visited. And the judgment of Paul met placed upon them. And undoubtedly that judgment will be isolated to that specific class of people, either in Israel, possibly the majority in Israel, because of the effect of the apostasy right in the land of Israel. But here we have, if I may suggest, a judgment that is coming from the East. and is coming toward the west, toward the Roman Empire in the western section, as that it proceeds from the river Euphrates. Now please note verse fifteen as we read on. I want you to note the angels are loose. The four angels were loose, which were prepared. Now specifically, and I think you'll find the margin sometimes in the revised version rendering it for the hour. It's not the duration of time is not implied. It's the point of time. It's the moment of the judgment. It's the exact time of the judgment that is implied. God specifically has this moment before him. And when that moment comes, the four angels will be loose. For to what point are not the end of the verse? for to slay the third part of men." Now again, let me please refer to the symbolic meaning of some of these words that we study in Revelation. We notice in chapter eight the first four trumpet judgments. They specifically seem to have affected the third part of the earth, which we delegated as probably being, possibly, bringing the revived Roman Empire. Now, may I bring this before your mind? We're studying the book of the Revelation in the United States of America. In the year nineteen eighty-five, John lived maybe about the year A.D. ninety-six when he wrote this book. He knew nothing about the United States of America, and neither did anybody in the whole world. So when you look at the prophetic picture of God's word, it revolves specifically around the lines that are mentioned in the Bible in the Old Testament. It revolves around the historical old world with Israel in the center, as it were, and the nations around that you find revealed in the Old Testament. so that we can realize the greatest part of prophetic judgment will not only will also include all the world, but will particularly include certain specific places. Now last week, specifically Israel, with the Apostle Jews, this week, if I may suggest, that civilized Western world, west of Egypt. Now let me give you this thought. before we go further. Which way did Christianity go when its message began? Had we never wondered why the message of the gospel did not go east? The first European city was Philippi when Paul and Silas came to Philippi and God in his sovereign great brought the gospel to the western part of the world. The eastern followed chiefly Muhammad, Muslim. And please let me say right now, one of the biggest difficulties in the East, Middle East, and the Far East, is the result of Muhammad Confucian, name others, contemporary men who were pagan leaders and rejected Christianity. But Christianity went westward. And the crown thought of this judgment to me is this. It's going to fall upon the western part of the world that was Christianized. The witch has defect. away from the Word of God. All the sad thoughts for what we're going to find, even at the end of the chapter where we read it, you'll find idolatry. You'll not only find idolatry, you'll find the grossest immoral sins that always accompanied idolatry. And the sad thought is this. They're not found nearly in pagan lands, they're found in the United States of America and others so-called Christendom nations. Now this is one of God's retribution upon the land that in Christendom and departed from its truth and rejected his word, turned their interest to their own God and demoralize in the conditions that are morally described at the end of the chapter. And God has a day of justice. Please let me say, and I said this very seriously, as a lion in England, a boy in England, every Sunday we went, we children went to church five times on Sunday. Sunday school in the morning. Preaching service. Sunday school in the afternoon. Then church. Missionary meeting at five o'clock. Preaching service at night. I never heard anybody object. Today, sad to say, the proportion of church attendance in England, the percentage is lower than it is in the United States. And yet England, and I say this with thanksgiving, as well as sorrow, During its days of prosperity under God's blessing, produce more missionaries and state the gospel in the whole world. Not so today. Not so today. A free movement to Germany, for instance, one of the first nations to rationalize against the truth of God and rise again. That great truth that God spread through the continent of Europe. And there are a lot of thieves. The same thing is happening in our own land. Departure from the truth. The rejection of God's word. It's sad. With that rejection. And it's why rejection comes in a lower moral condition. Sad to say. We see it. But now let's see what the judgment's going to be. As we find in verse sixteen. Here you find. the purpose of the judgment, now I mentioned that in verse fifteen at the end, a third part of man, may I again refer to the symbol, the third part will undoubtedly refer to the Western nations rather than to the Middle East and the Far Eastern nations. The judgment will be upon that section of the world. And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand, two hundred million literally, and I heard the number of them. And then I saw the horses, came the vision, them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire and of chases and brimstone. The heads of the horses were as the heads of lions. Out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone. Look at your note for a moment, if you please. And I want you to know very carefully, the appeal of your note for a moment, if you please. And I want you to know very carefully, the appearing of this army on the letter C of approximately two hundred million. Now, the number indicates an overwhelming disgraceful. Whether you can literally take it as being actual two hundred million would be very great difficulty. But the language, the expression indicates a most overwhelming army coming against the Western nation. We cannot, a number of years ago, reading an account where a certain scientist who was not a Christian, but he said he was only one book that he believed could explain nuclear disasters, and that was the Book of Revelation. And there's no question of doubt the immensity of the judgments we read of in this Book of the Revelation are certainly beyond human comprehension. But even in the present time, we can recognize that the judgments that can come, that God, the instruments that God uses, the instruments that the devil may use, the instruments that the angels, his angels may use, can be human instruments. But, let me remind you, the source of all this is God. Using these instruments, whom he has appointed to be the visitation of judgment upon the objects of judgment. So that the army can be a countless number, beyond comprehension perhaps, but comes overwhelmingly. And please note, let me go to verse fifteen with you at the end to slay the third part of men. Now, let me give you the instruction. The instruction we find in, as we look at verse seventeen. Look at your lesson sheet. They destroy men by apostasy. It is not torment this time, but the destruction of life, as we well know. Now note that what we find in relation to verse seventeen, Thus I saw the horses in the vision. Them that sat on them, please know they have riders. As John sees the vision, they have riders. And from the riders No, it goes on to say. They had breastplate of fire, adjacent, brimstone. Now here you have the language. Let me look at your lesson sheet if you preach. Note number three on the section C. The slaughter is not merely attributed to instruments of war. Now note the reference. Rather to satanic forces of the pit. The threefold plague of fire. Jason. Brimstone. Then in verse thirteen you have fire. You have smoke. You have brimstone. They emphasize the judicial forces of Satan which will be at work. Then the vernacular we could say the power of all hell will be let loose as it were. Here is the language. Let me note the figurative language with you very carefully. Fire, smoke, brimstone, fire, jason, brimstone. Now let me remind you of one visitation of judgment in the Old Testament. And it was fire and brimstone. Solomon Gamora. But added to that here, you'll find Jason, without question of doubt, suggestive of the satanic power of the evil one, in his divine work of destruction that he's bringing about by the permissive will of God and the purposes of God. But how terrible will be in the language of his figurative expression, what God will do to these hosts in that day. against man. And if you will please note, as you look at this, as your lesson sheet again, I want you to know particularly the destroying lesson. You note in verse, known in verse seventeen, the heads of the horses, whereas the heads of lions, there is majesty, there is courage, and out of their mouths it should fire, smoke, brimstone. I think again, if I may suggest, I think again not merely literal, but figurative, apostate lies coming out of another vision to bring judgment upon the Christ-rejectedness and the God-rejectedness and the Word-rejectedness of that coming day. Remember Second Thessalonians chapter three, chapter two rather. God says, I will send them what? Strong delusions that they may believe a lie. Now, may I give you the thought? I believe that all the action that will be taken by the beast, the false prophet, and all that will be in authority of that day, the human leaders, the greatest weapon that they will use to deceive and bring people under God's judgment will be the lie. Out of their mouths, And you've got, even with the horses in their description later on, their tails, which we saw in chapter nine of Isaiah chapter, verse fifteen, slack reaps. The scorpions, the locusts had a sting in their tail like a scorpion, suggestive of lies. And there is no question of doubt. The greatest lies will be perpetrated to bring men to the judgment that God has designed for them in that coming day. Now if you will please go with me to verse nineteen and we have the destroying weapons further given to us in verse nineteen. Their power is in their mouth and in their tails. It's again signifying the energy of Satan. I think we can certainly say the mouth which signify the voice of Satan is heard. Go with me to chapter thirteen, please. Chapter thirteen and the reference we have there. And I think this is appealing, if I may so say, in chapter thirteen, which is not chronologically included in the judgment, trumpet judgments and so on, but in a parenthesis, God shows us in chapter thirteen who will be the leaders upon the earth in that coming day under Satan. And let me read verse one through eight particularly. I stood upon the sound of the sea, meaning the nation, I saw a beast, rides up out of the sea from among the nations, having seven heads and ten horns. On his horns were ten crowns, and upon his head the name of blasphemy. Very briefly, for we will reach this chapter, Lord willing, later, and look upon it in detail. But here is a person, an actual human being, rising out of the nations. Who under Satan has a following? Now read on. The beast which I saw was like unto a leopard. He had the swiftness of conquest, as typified in the Grecian Empire. His feet were as the feet of a bear, very similar to the Medo-Persian of Daniel II. His mouth was as the mouth of a lion, as typified in the Babylonian. And the dragon, no, no, the dragon gave him his power. And his throne, which should be the word, has greater authority. Now, who's the driver? Well, go to chapter twelve, briefly. It's back with me, please. No. No. With me in verse seven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon. The dragon fought against the same. Now, in verse nine, you've got the revelation who he is. The great dragon was cast out. That old serpent called the devil and Satan, which deceives the whole world. Now you know who the dragon is. Jesus, the devil, the tempter, the serpent, all those names belong to him. And here is the man, and please let me pray. I don't hesitate for a moment to connect this man's power with the judgment we're studying in chapter nine. Out of his mouth, he won't go further. I wanted to know further about his mouth. And here is the science here. It is. Well, let me go to verse four. They worship the dragon which gave power to the beast. They worship Satan. Beloved, when you stop and think of the depths of human hearts and minds going to where the world will be filled with Satan worships. and much of it all. You can find... Well, very quietly, you know, those churches are straightening our country today. And they're tax-exempt. As long as they're so-called religious organizations. But one can recognize that the dragon will be manifesting its... Please let me say... I often think of it in this manner if I may express it. God has done his utmost to reach the world in his love and by his grace and mercy. But they've come the way of the adversary. And at the end, the Lord as much as says, now you can have all the devil you can get. Now you can have all the strength and power that you can get. I'll let him go. I'll let him move. And he energizes a man. Let's go down as we read verse four. They worship the beast. The man that was raised up. The food's light under the beast. Who's able to make war with it? Now, no verse five. There was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemy. Do you know the three, let me say. Can I trade it humbly? Sadly, it's terrible what men are going to believe. And listen to. from the mouth of a man who will do nothing but blaspheme against God. I'll tell you very slightly, when you look at the trumpet judgment in the sixth trumpet judgment, what comes out of the mouth is without question to doubt all that is satanic in its power. Shall he see? Will you please know his name, the dragon? representing his cruelty, the devil, representing the fact he's the tempter, or the devil that is the one who certainly opposes the antagonist, and then he's the serpent, you'll recognize the tempter, and his name is Satan, an adversary. All the towers who will say, can I put it in this vernacular? Look, please let me say, instead of God filling the earth, the known earth of that coming day, the devil's going to fail with his power. Yes, God, we know from the scripture we've studied already. God will be at work. But it will indeed be in his mercy and his grace. But as far as the world under man's authority, he will be under satanic rule and power. Very further on, Peter. And power was given unto him to continue a limited time, forty and two months. And note again, he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God to blaspheme his name and his tabernacle and sin that dwell in heaven. And may I, let me tell you very frankly, figuratively, you can see the fire, the jason, the smoke, and the brimstone, the forces of hell. coming out of his mouth and being let loose upon the earth in deceiving them. But back to our chapter, please, quickly. As we go on to chapter nine, and again, let me say as you have it on your lesson sheet, which we have noted, the mouth was signified a voice of Satan being heard. Now note again, as you may know in verse nineteen, the power was in their mouth and in their tails, and your lesson sheet tells. The tale, noted in plural, signifying the multiplied, lying influences of its power to destroy man. And the latter reveals the influential power of Satan over even fallen angels. Let's go to chapter twelve again in Revelation. Let me note with you the words, I think we read them in verse four, but I'd like to point them out to you, when Satan will be driven out of heaven. Please note, this is the coming event. There was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and his angels. Now go back to verse four with me, please. And in the vision there, John sees the fall of Satan, as in the past. And you'll know, let me read verse three and four. There appeared another wonder in heaven. Behold, a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns upon his head. And his tail drew the third part, of the stars of heaven, and it cast them to the earth. May I give you this suggestion? I don't know whether literally we could take it, but I wouldn't be surprised that when the great fall of Satan took place, he took with him a third of all the angelic hosts. Numerous in number, beyond your computation and mind, and beloved. Please let me remind you. Again it's the invisible wall. It's even six-twelve. Even the believer, we are told, wrestled not against flesh and blood, but against what? Against principalities. Against powers. Against the rulers of the darkness of this world. Against wicked spirits in higher heavenly places. And beloved, we can recognize Satan has his powers. that he let loose. And God, in his sovereign action, will permit him to let loose all that he can in that coming day. Now back to our chapter and our lesson sheet again. Let me read at the end of section D, number four. The tales have heads. The horses' tales have heads. Did you notice that? They had heads, and with them they do hurt. Their evil influences... are intelligently directed. The judgment is not merely torment, as in verse five, but destruction of life. Intelligently directed. Oh, beloved, please let me say solemnly and sadly, how terrible to realize what's coming upon the earth dwellers. How they will come under. Let me emphasize one word, in second Thessalonians two. God shall send them what? Strong deletion. Strong deletion. Strong deletion. It's an emphatic word. It's comparable to what we can do say for ourselves. We have a strong consolation in Hebrew chapter six. Hereby we have hope. And thank God we've got a strong consolation. And it's stronger than Satan's power. Thank God. But all we can recognize, well, God's going to open it. That the world will have strong delusions, completely deceived, because it refused the truth. You can't help it. If you don't take the truth, well, that's what you've got, but a lie. And the world is coming under the effectual, powerful lie of Satan. heads in their tails intelligently directed. Well, again, it would be a humbug to call these literal horses, wouldn't it? With heads in their tails and tails like serpents, as you read on. But let me go to verse twenty and twenty-one quickly. Now note, the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues. Now here you'll find as we go further, the terrible moral condition as well as attitude of the rest that were not raised. They repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons. There you've got faith and worship, demon worship, demon worship. Oh, beloved, it's sad, but it is true. that the worship of Satan is rising and increasing today? And what will it be in that coming day? His power will be so great. Don't give up that worship. No. Not only that. Not only demons. Gold. Silver. That stone wood. Now, may I point out something? The figurative language that is used in the gold, the silver, the brass, the wood. Do you see the decline in the value of the metal? There are some that will have money enough to have an idol of gold. Some will have an idol of silver, so to speak. Some will have an idol of brass or stone. If you can't afford that, you'll see the whole range of human society from the rich to the poor, given over to idolatry. even over, so I doubt it. Go to Romans chapter one, please, will you? Romans chapter one, please. And you have in Romans chapter one, beginning at verse eighteen, going down to the end of the chapter, the origin of the heathen nations. But may I point out to you? And just very briefly, let me really read verse twenty-one. Even in creation the revelation that God was given then. Because that when they knew God. May I make a statement, a tremendous statement. There was a time when all the earth knew God. In the only days of humanity. They knew God. They had the traditional knowledge of God handed to them. With the visible creation. Witnessing through his internal power and God. Strength. It falls through it. the Holy Spirit. They knew God. It was the knowledge of God. Can I transfer the thought? Hasn't there been a time already referred to as the previous wave, when our nation really knew God? When England really knew God? When the nations of Europe really knew God in a real, genuine way, in a great part? I tell you, it's sad when they Do what? We read out. Because, he says, when they knew God, they glorified his mother's God. Neither were they thankful. But it became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened, professing themselves to be wise. It became what? Two. And they changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like the corrupt of man, bird, hawk, and beast, cruising things. It goes down to the lowest forms of idolatry. And God gave them up. Now, if we're going to read of Second Timothy chapter three for a moment, will you please? Second Timothy chapter three. I'd like to read the first five verses. Now, one should denote, as Paul writes his last letter in Second Timothy chapter three, he describes the last days of christening. This know also that at the last day perilous, difficult times shall come. Men shall be lovers of their own selves. covetous, money lovers, boasted, proud, blasphemous, disobedient, appellant, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truth-breakers, prostitutes, incontinent, implacable, fierce, despises of those that are good, traders, heavy, high-minded, lovers of pleasures, more than lovers of God. Now, may I point out, if you do it sometime at your convenience, contrast Romans one at the end of Romans one and contrast these words that Paul writes, and you've got some of the similar sins of the heathen in Christendom. And one can well realize, go back to Revelation chapter nine, they've got their idolatry. They worship things which can neither see nor hear nor walk. Then no their moral condition, or immoral, will be better to say, neither repented them. And notice their multiplicity of murders. Second, their sorcery. Third, their fornication and their theft. Will you please note on your lesson sheet? Let me go to your lesson sheet immediately. Under the last section E, and under number two, man is unrepentant still after these judgments. His unrepentant of the prevailing moral sins of the closing days increased, the multiplicity of murders. I'm sure I can state to every one of us, no matter how young or old we might be, we've all lived long enough to see the multiplicity of murders. You can't turn the news on even in our town without hearing of a murder every day. I remember as a lamb, the first murder I heard of. Shib was heralded all over the country. Not by radio either. It was eternal thought. No, it's common. Common. And then not only that, the multiplicity of sorcerers. Don't be less than sheep, please. Saucers. The Greek word is pharmakia, meaning the administering of drugs. I heard Paul Harvey mean it. coming on the radio yesterday, I think, was at this moment, I don't know, can't recall when, that there was a garage repair shop, a garage repair shop, was broken into by certain men, and they tried to break in the coke machine. They couldn't do it. They were heard, and they asked, please, they came back again later, try it again. And the police were wondering what was in that coke machine. So they opened it themselves, and they found it was coke, cane. And you know the administering of drugs. Who ever heard of drug addiction? I knew nothing about it when I was about the strongest thing you could get, and I was the boy, would be an aspirin. Nevertheless, look, the addict, you know, please let me think. They'll never solve the drug problem. It's going to get worse. The book's that book. You may help some folks, and I hope they do. But they'll never solve it. And you know very well, they'll murder people just to keep it going. And they've been doing that. And it is not only that of fornication, promiscuous sexuality. Which we all know well is taking place. And theft. The four things theft. I often wonder how much you and I have to pay for the folks. Because the folks steal things out of the grocery store. And out of the mother's store. They put it on your bill. Say, and it's in your car. Then you go shopping. But they... A mound of theft? Mound of theft? Why, they know how to steal by the computer these days. as one or two have done it. Not just a few dollars, but in the millions and millions and millions. Beloved Lord, I'm sure glad we don't have too many post-millennials around anymore. Now as a young boy, the post-millennials, they were advocating we're going to convert the whole world. We're going to bring them to the feet of the Lord. No, no. God is trying to save people out of the world. And I'm glad I'm one of them is saved. Our Lord Jesus Christ gained himself for our sins that he might deliver us out of this present evil world. According to the will of God, even our Father. Oh, but please let me say solemnly what a sad portion for those who are on repentance. Unrepeat, shall we say? Blessed Father, again we confess the limitation of our understanding at the magnitude of this judgment. But we have the knowledge, the assurance, which will be divine in its source. And it will be complete in its execution. And it will be a sad portion for the dear lost soul. And it will be terrible to realize Men's heart will not soften, but their consciences will be hardened, and still be rebellious, indeed, even in that coming day. Do you know how we would lift our hearts today? Pray for this world of sin at loss, that where the gospel of thy grace and the witnessing of thy dear children takes place, souls will be won. We ask you giving thanks for thy help in the word, in Jesus' precious name. Amen.