Revelation chapter fourteen presents a vision of God's grace and judgment during the end times, contrasting the faithful remnant with the doom of unbelievers. The sermon highlights the 144,000 Jewish believers standing with the Lamb on Mount Zion, their purity, faithfulness, and unique song of victory after enduring tribulation. It then describes the proclamation of an everlasting gospel, distinct from the current gospel, which calls for worship of the Creator and warns of judgment, and details the terrible fate of those who worship the beast and his image. The passage concludes with the blessedness of those who die in the Lord and the final harvest of the earth, separating the righteous from the wicked.
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Chapter fourteen is our lesson today. Your lesson page in your book around the people in under twenty-four. We come to a very important chapter today, relative to the section that we have been covering. And we would like to be reminded that when we began studying chapter eleven, we mentioned that in chapters eleven, twelve and thirteen and fourteen, we have a continuance of truth presenting to us particularly prophetic truth in relation to Israel and the coming of the Lord Jesus in that wonderful day when He will return to the earth.
And we have particularly covered, and may I emphasize it, if you will, read your lesson page for just a moment. The introduction on your lesson sheet, I'd like to read the paragraph that brings the introduction of the chapter which states what we have been covering very briefly. Our two previous chapters recorded Satan's activity to enforce his yoke on all the inhabitants of the earth. His full power of wrath and hatred are directed against God, against Christ, against his people. But we are now to see a series of events of grace and judgment from the hand of God in relation to all the earth.
May I say again, and let me say it very earnestly and emphatically, what we have studied in chapters eleven and twelve and thirteen, have been a record of what will be the most violent time of trouble the earth will have ever known, and will ever know again, never will know it again. And may I state humbly but very emphatically, We are nearing that terrible day, when, as we saw last week and the week before in chapter thirteen, the power of the satanic Trinity, the power of Satan, I say it very earnestly, I'm not a peasant, I've got the blessed hope before my heart every day, and even every night, and say, Lord Jesus, come, but when I think of the Word of God, in the light of what is happening in the world today.
I can see nothing but tragedy and conditions that are going to be worse upon the earth as the days go by here. And may I say very frankly, don't expect things to get better upon the earth. That is contrary to the teaching of the Word of God. They will never be better. They will become even worse until... The Lord Jesus comes. Can I repeat that? Do you ever hear these saying? Somebody said, Complaining of things being done, and a friend said to them, Cheer up, it could be worse, and he said, He cheered up, and sure enough, it got worse.
Well, beloved, it sounds humorous, but when you stop to think of it, Can I say this? Now I say this in the light of God's word. The worst it gets, cheer up the nearer we are to the coming of the Lord. Now that's gospel, scriptural truth. Paul said in writing to Timothy, St. Timothy three, that in the last days men shall wax what? Worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. And that we have studied. We have studied in chapters eleven, twelve and thirteen the worst times that are ever to come upon the earth, in the power of Satan.
That's all right. Again I say, I realize it is getting worse. But it brings us nearer to the coming of the Lord. Now what we are going to see, and we read the chapter, we're going to see what God's going to be doing. even during those worst times upon the earth. Let me read the chapter with you in chapter fourteen. Follow the reading. As John now states, I looked and lower land stood on the Mount Zion, with him, and hundred and forty-four thousand, having his father's name written in their foreheads, and I heard a voice from heaven, As the voice of many waters, and as the voice of great thunder, and I heard the voice of harpers, harping with their hearts.
They sung, as it were, a new song before the throne, and before the poor living creatures and the elders. No man could learn that song, but the hundred and forty-and-four thousand which were redeemed from the earth. These are they, which were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the first fruits unto God, and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no guile, for they are without fault before the throne of God. And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth.
and to every nation and kindred and tongue and people, singing with a loud voice. Hear God, give glory to him, for the hour of his judgment is come, and worship him that made heaven and earth and the sea and the fountains of waters. And there followed another angel saying, Babylon is fallen, it's fallen that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation.
And he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the land. and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and ever. They have no rest, day nor night, who worship the beast in his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. And here is the patience of the saints. Here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Right, blessed are happier the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth. ye set the spirit that they may rest from their labors, and their works do follow them.
And I looked, behold, a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like under the sun of man having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle, and another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, thrust in thy sickle and reek. for the time is come for thee to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe, and he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped. And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sword or sharp sickle, and another angel came out from the altar which had power over fire, and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth.
For her grapes are fully ripe. And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trodden without the city. And blood came out of the winepress, even under the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs. May God bless the reading of his word. I've read the chapter all the way through for this purpose. Look at your lesson sheet. For you will find on the lesson sheet and in the chapter seven distinct things relating to what God will be doing both in grace as well as in judgment.
Can I repeat that again? What God will be doing during that period and attending that period that is preceding the actual return of the Lord to the earth in grace and blessing for those who will be His own and redeemed out of that terrible scene of the Great Tribulation, that also the judgment that must come upon the unwill come upon the ungodly. May I say there are two things very definite that you can be sure about. The coming of the Lord is going to bring either blessing or judgment for individual people upon the earth.
Blessing for those who belong to him. Judgment for those who are not his. May I repeat it? Blessing or judgment? We shall see in the opening and part of the continuing study of the chapter of those who will be blessed. and also those who will be judged. Now you note the outline on your chapter. You've got, first of all, in verses one through five, the vision of a Jewish remnant standing on Mount Zion, of whom we shall see in detail more. Second, as you look in verses six and seven, you've got the proclamation of what is called the everlasting gospel.
It's not the gospel that we preach now, as we shall see in the details we study that. And then third, you find in verse eight, you've got the declaration of what is called the fall of Babylon, not literal Babylon, a city of old in the days of Nebuchadnezzar and Daniel, but spiritual and wicked ecclesiastical Babylon. That will be developed in chapters seventeen and eighteen in much detail. And fourth, you've got the fate of all the beast worshippers brought out in verses nine through twelve. suffering eternal vengeance in the lake of fire forever, never resting day nor night.
Now this is a series of what will take place, even in relation to the closing time of the Great Tribulation and its conservation. And then you have in verse thirteen those precious words, blessed are the dead who die from henceforth in those terrible days. And then as you go to verse fourteen through sixteen, you find the harvest of the earth. When there be the separation of the wheat and the tares, the godly from the ungodly, the righteous from the unrighteous, when the angels will be the reapers, gathering in the harvest, my beloved may I say solemnly, oh, with the God I could get the world to listen.
When, but may I say the world is facing its greatest time of trouble and judgment very near. And oh the portion of those who will be for the greater part on the earth, following the beast, following the Antichrist, following and worshipping Satan. Their doom is terrible. They rest not neither day nor night. And the harvest certainly will be great when the separation comes upon the earth. Please let me add something. When that separation comes, there will not be an ungodly, unrighteous, unsaved person left on the earth.
Can I repeat it? Some may disagree, but it's the Word of God. The separation will be complete, and we'll see it as we go on in our studies relative to the preaching of the everlasting gospel. And then last of all, you've got the final judgments that issue into the vile judgments as we should go on later on when the vine of the earth is thus reaped and judged and a cup of iniquity on the earth is so filled the grapes are rotten may I point out look at the reading you had at the end if I may please note at the end of verse eighteen thrust in thy sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth for a grace may I say this Literally, her grace are rotten.
Fully right. This is the right condition. The fullness of iniquity. If beloved, you can almost feel it getting near. And what a time. But now let's go back to the beginning. And see the first thing. Where we have God showing matchless grace. During that period, nor, if you will, with me in the opening verse, I looked and lower lambs stood on the Mount Zion. Now I want you to think of Mount Zion. Think of it particularly. Mount Zion is mentioned one hundred and ten times in the Scriptures.
Only once in the book of Revelation, the Apocalypse. And on this occasion, why Mount Zion? Mount Zion is the place that's going to be the royal palace of the king in the millennial reign of the Lord Jesus. Mount Zion was where David put his throne. And the city of David it was called. And every scripture relative to Mount Zion, not I shouldn't say every scripture, but about ninety of them out of the hundred and ten approximately refer to it as being the royal city of glory. Mount Zion was God's choice.
read the hundred and thirty second psalm david knew where god wanted the ark to be placed when he restored it to the people of israel and to mount zion it was and god said in that hundred and thirty second psalm that is my resting place zion and is connected with god's earthly people in the messianic reign of the lord jesus And now we can recognize what God is doing and did for John. He gave him the vision of seeing. Then out of the awful chaos, trouble and trial of the Great Tribulation. Know what you read at the end as you go on in the verse. With him. With the Messiah, a hundred and forty and four thousand.
Now let me be very careful and clearly make it known. This is not the same group that you have in chapter seven. No, no. These have come out. If I may say in chapter seven, they went in during the Great Tribulation to preach the word. But these are standing. And the fruit that God will have gleaned out of his own earthly people in that community. And these are Jews, if I may particularly emphasize it. Look, no Gentiles are going to stand with Jesus and his messianic reign. and share the glory of that reign from Jerusalem and from Mount Zion is positively and absolutely and only Jewish.
And this hundred and forty-four thousand, whether it be symbolic or literal, matters not, but it does symbolize they're going to be standing in that day in the glory of his kingdom with him. And if you please know, having his father's name written, in their forehead. You can get the contrast. I'm sure you realize it if you remember the chapter before. Thirteen. Where the beast worshippers. They have the mark of the beast on their forehead. These have the mark. Now they're their father now. Please note the language. The name of his father. You and I can call God's father.
We are his children. Through faith in Christ Jesus, we call ourselves sons of God. That's not a Jewish title. Belonging to Jewish saints. But they have his Father's name on their foreheads. And one recognizes that truly, instead of worshiping the beast, instead of the mark of the beast, there was the likeness of God upon them in the testimony to him. But let's read on. For as we go on to see, they share, you notice on your lesson sheet, may I say, they share the glory of Christ's kingdom when he reigns on Mount Zion. You've got scriptures that refer to it, you can follow at your convenience, and it follows their terrible suffering, and they have his name instead of the name of the beast upon them, and then they celebrate, as we go on, we read in verse two, three, I heard a voice from heaven as the voice of many waters, as the voice of a great thunder.
I heard the voice of harpers harping with their hearts. And one can recognize heaven declares the joy, the victory, the glory that is theirs, as you read verse three. They sang, as it were, a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures and the elders. No man could learn that song. But the hundred and forty and four thousand which were redeemed from the earth. Beloved, may I say, this is the company of God's dear earthly saints who will share the reign of the Lord Jesus with him. But some of them are all, some of them will be in heaven, having given their lives as we shall see and have already seen for the sake of the testimony of God in that day.
But they have a new song. No one can see what Let me tell you, ask you, do you think you and I could ever sing this song? No, you'd have to go through the Great Tribulation to sing it. And if I recall correctly, we've been proving the fact we're not going through the Great Tribulation. We've got a song in chapter five. But oh, may I say, what a song of glory and cheer and comfort it will be for them to sing. having gone through such suffering. I remember reading an incident where there was a music teacher in the country of England heard a young girl singing and he was so remarkably impressed with her voice he took and trained her to the utmost of his ability And when he had finished the training after many, many months, he took her on the continent of Europe to one of the most famous music masters of Europe.
And she had an audition to sing three times before this music master. The first day he went in with the girl and she sang her number. The old music master listened, said not a word, but waved his hand, dismissed them. Out they went. Second day she sang again. Again he dismissed them with a wave of the hand, saying nothing. The last day was the third, and when she sang again, and he waved his hand to dismiss them without a word again, her teacher couldn't stand the pressure. What do you think of her voice?
The old man says she likes one thing. Well, she's got power, control, vocal expression. She likes one thing, the old man said. He said, well, what is it she likes? She needs a broken heart. You get the thought. She didn't sing with feeling. These saints are going to sing with feeling. Beloved with me, I say this. The more suffering you'll go through, the better you'll be able to sing in glory.
You sure will. And it'll be better felt than felt, as the old Scotsman said. And these saints, they sing a song that no one else could sing. The suffering for the Savior they went through. For God Jehovah that they were faithful to. That remnant of Jewish people in that coming day. Now please note in verse four as we go further down please. Let me note their character as they sing their praise of victory. Note their character as you go to verse four and five. These are they. which were not defiled with women.
Now, please let me say, they're not just men. Oh, forget it. They're men and women. They had moral and spiritual separation during those terrible days of wickedness. They were faithful in the path of separation and holiness to God. They were not defiled And will not be defiled in their coming day. As they go through the great tribulation. They are virgins. True to God. These are days you please note also. Faithfulness.
They follow the Lamb with us wherever he goes. Oh, please may I say. And I said it very humbly. I've often thought. I go back to them. Some my earliest days when I taught the book of the Revelation. I often envy these. Faithful believers. I wish we were as faithful as they will be. Follow the Lamb. Whither so ever he goeth. Go further. As you read on, these were redeemed from among men, being the first fruits of God. And as you read in verse five, in their mouth was found what?
No guile. They live and they will live in a time when the world will be full of lies. When the great lie of the Antichrist will paralyze the whole world and lead them to worship Satan. Not this company. No lie. They speak the truth. They speak the truth. They don't fall for the lie of Satan and the lie of the Antichrist. that God will send upon those who have rejected Him. And they are without fault. I think the words that follow could be omitted from the original text. They're not there.
But they're without. They're blameless. It's not that they're sinless. But one can recognize that blameness will be the character of their testimony. Please may I emphasize, I think the emphasis should be placed. Here's the character of those testimonies that they bear for the Lord. And may I say it frankly, every time I read it they say, Lord, they put me to shame. And I believe they will put all the Christians to shame. Well, I want to tell you, if Caesar being true to God or have your head cut off, being killed, that's the issue.
You either worship the beast in his image or you die, and many of them will. Some will come through. But how many we know not? A remnant will. But in that coming day of the glory of the Lamb on the Mount Zion, all the redeemed out of Israel, all the Jewish testimony that were true to him, will be there to reign with him. And what a glory that will be. Now look at the next. The sixth and seventh. This is the second thing that she tells us, and it tells us much here, that we can find what God will be doing during that terrible time of the Great Tribulation.
I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel, to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, to every nation and kindred and tongue and people, slaying with a loud voice. Fear God, give glory to him. For the hour of his judgment is come, and worship him that made heaven and earth and the sea and the fountains of waters. Now, beloved, there's only two verses here, but I know there's much in them. I hope by the help of the Lord through the Spirit we can get out of it. All that we can find for our blessing and edification. First of all, let me raise a question. What is the everlasting gospel?
Now may I also state there are many, even amongst good fundamental teachers, that misinterpret the meaning of this everlasting gospel. It's not the gospel that we preach today. Let me ask you a question. How long has it been preached? Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures and was buried and rose again the third day according to the Scriptures. Has that been the gospel from the beginning of time? You couldn't preach it till after he was dead, buried, risen. Ah, don't put the tag of the everlasting gospel on the message we preach today.
There's another meaning. The everlasting gospel. Now may I remind you what we've already seen at the beginning of the chapter. Will you please notice? Didn't we see the coming of Christ's kingdom? The association of his earthly people who will be the redeemed remnant of that day with him in the glory of that kingdom? Go back with me to Genesis chapter three and verse fifteen, will you please? Genesis chapter three and verse fifteen, if you please. Now I want you to know from the very beginning of time what was the everlasting message that God gave?
And he gave it in the Garden of Eden. Let me read chapter three and verse fifteen. Let me go to verse fourteen and get the connection. In the garden of Eden, when God said, The Lord God said unto the serpent, The devil himself, because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field, and upon thy belly shalt thou go, and thou shalt thou eat all the days of thy life. And, now look. I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed. It shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
Now let me ask a question. Is God speaking to the creature, to whom Satan spoke, or is he speaking to Satan? We saw in chapter twelve of Revelation that one of the titles of Satan is the serpent, and God is stating the message of the everlasting gospel to Satan, to the serpent in chapter three and verse fifteen. Well, what is the message? The seed of the woman would crush the head of the devil someday. Well, beloved. Haven't we been studying in chapter thirteen the power of Satan coming upon the earth?
And here in Genesis chapter three and verse fifteen you've got the germ seed of the promise of a kingdom when God will bless mankind. But he has to crush the serpent's head. Who's going to do that? None but the Lord Jesus. Paul wrote to the Romans in the last chapter, that your feet shall bruise Satan, and your heel shall bruise Satan, that the saints would crush Satan under their feet. Listen, the Lord Jesus is going to crush Satan.
He hasn't crushed him yet. Yes, I know he defeated his power over sin and death at the cross. But let me tell you very quietly. Jim yet. Yes, I know he defeated his power over sin and death at the cross. But let me tell you very frankly, sometimes I hear people, fellows preach so hard, you know, I know Satan's defeated. But he's a pretty busy fellow right now. He hasn't met his final doom. And he'll never meet until the Lord comes again. And as you study the book of the Revelation and what we're approaching, we're approaching the end time when he comes, as you read in chapter nineteen to the earth and come to chapter twenty, then the devil's bound for a thousand years.
And then he's put in the lake of fire. And the kingdom will not come until the Lord takes care of the devil. And the promise of the everlasting God will. Let me give you this thought. You that have studied the Old Testament, whether it be the historical books, whether it be the poetical books, whether it be the prophetical books, those earthly people of God, what you were looking for, a kingdom. A king takes Matthew and you got the gospel of what? The kingdom.
John the Baptist preached, the kingdom of heaven is at hand. The king was there. But they rejected him. They crucified him. The kingdom has not been set up. And God has not been able to bless man as he promised until Satan is crushed. His power under the feet of Christ and his people. But when that comes, it will be. But please note. When's the everlasting gospel in this chapter? When is it preached? Look at the verse, will you please? Known in verse six, as the angel in the midst of heaven having the everlasting gospel.
And please note, to preach unto them that dwell on the earth. This everlasting gospel in particular is going to be preached by those hundred and forty-four thousand in chapter seven. Will you read on just a minute, please, a note to the earth dwellers? A note to every nation and kindred and tongue and people. Now will you go back with me to Matthew's Gospel, chapter twenty-four, please. I want you to listen to the words of the Lord Jesus. Matthew chapter twenty-four, the Lord is speaking of the same time that we're studying.
The disciples came to the Lord Jesus and asked him for what would be the sign of his coming at the end of the age. And he speaks in this chapter in detail about it. Now, will you please note something? I want you to please note. Let me begin reading, if I may, at verse six. He tells them, you're here at wars and rumors of wars. See, that should be not troubled. All these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nations shall rise against nations, kingdom against kingdom. There shall be famines, pestilences, earthquakes, diverse places.
All these are the beginning of sorrows. And we can see the trend coming today. But then, no. Verse nine. Then shall they deliver you? Who? God's Jewish people. Published book is a book to the people of Israel. Matthew is the gospel of the kingdom. And the Lord Jesus is speaking of his earthly people. Now read on. Then shall they deliver you to be afflicted. They shall what? Kill you. Beloved in the book of the Revelation, have we not been studying the fact that they're going to kill God's earthly people as much as they can?
and completely, if it were possible, then look further. And ye shall be hated of who? All nations for my name's sake. Now I want you to think of the hundred and forty-four thousand we read of in chapter fourteen. For the sake of Christ, they were hated by the nations. We'll go down the chapter in Matthew, please. I want you to know something in verse fourteen. As the Lord Jesus goes on to say, this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for the witness unto all nations.
Now let me correlate please. Who's going to do the preaching? Not me. I won't be here. All the Christian company will have been taken to meet the Lord in the air. And during that period of the Great Tribulation, we shall not be here. Who's going to do the preaching? God's earthly people. We saw it in chapter seven. The sealed company, twelve thousand from every tribe. We saw the result of their preaching at the end of that seven chapter. They will do the preaching. Now, please note.
And I'm going to raise the question. It was raised, I was challenged by it many, many years ago. How can they reach all the world and preach the gospel of the king? Well, what's the gospel of the kingdom? There's a kingdom coming. That's what Revelation three-fifteen means. There's a kingdom coming. The king's got to come. And that kingdom has not been manifested yet. But the kingdom is coming. And these Jewish people... They will not believe Antichrist. They will not believe that the beast is to be the ruler of the world. Their Messiah is coming. The king is coming. The gospel of the kingdom they will preach.
And if you please note, it shall be preached in all the world for awareness. No, to all the nations. And then shall the end come. Now who's going to do the preaching? Well, the question was raised, how can they cover the world? I remember way back in nineteen thirty eight my memory goes well back there to the city of St. Louis we're having a Bible reading after a conference of preachers and and many brethren and we were studying the coming of the Lord one of the old Bible teachers of the past century I would say was there with us a dear old fellow clever in the scriptures and I raised the question I said brother I've been challenged how can the world Here's this gospel of the kingdom in such a short period of the tribulation period.
The old fellow looked at me and snapped out, Where are the Jews? I had my answer. They're all over the world. You've got them in Charlotte. I dare you to find a country where there's not a Jew. You'll have a hard time. You'll have a hard time. And beloved, note the fact, note the fact. They're going to preach to all the nations in that day. Go to chapter twenty-five of Matthew, if you please. I want you to know something.
I want you to see this everlasting gospel with its result. Matthew twenty-five and verse thirty-one. And I'll read through verse thirty-two. Then comment on the rest. When the Son of Man shall come in his glory and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory, and before him shall be gathered who? All nations. And he shall separate them one from another as the shepherd divided the sheep from the goats. What does he separate them for? Whether they're going to go in the kingdom. As you read the rest of the story. as he tells the story of him.
Oh, beloved, please let me say, please let me say, please get it in your mind, get it in your heart, get it there. During that period of the Great Tribulation, God's going to give a message to the whole world. It's not going to be preached by the Christians either. It's going to be preached by these earthly people. Who will be the separated company chosen by him? feel by him, empowered by him, faithful to him, laying down their lives as many of them will, that they're going to tell the world what they should do. And the result of it, when the Lord comes, those who heard the message and believe will enter into eternal life.
Those who did not, the lake of fire. But go back to our chapter in Revelation, please. Let's get a little more... A little more truth regarding their message. Look in verse seven of chapter fourteen of Revelation. Do not the angels saying with a loud voice, Feel God, give glory to him. Why does he preach a message like that? Well, what did we find in chapter thirteen? They gave glory to the devil. They gave glory to the beast. They gave glory to the Antichrist. And may I say loving it. Now this day, it's not the angel that's going to do the preaching. Here's the angel that's telling the message, revealing it to us.
But it's God's earthly people amongst all the world. Fear God. Give glory to Him. They refuse to worship the beast. They refuse to worship the image. They refuse to acknowledge the Antichrist. And they give the glory to God who is the Creator. No, no, go further. And also they're going to say, the hour of his judgment is come. He's about to judge the whole world. Let me say very frankly, right now this whole world needs a good message, strong message on judgment. They'll laugh it off.
They'll do the same in that day, many of them. But the hour of his judgment will be ready to strike. That's what the chapter is about to be as you come to the end. And then notice the end of that verse. Worship him that made heaven and earth and the sea and the fountains of waters. Beloved, may I raise the question? You go way back to the beginning of the creation. God deserves worship because he's the creator. He's the one that should be worshipped. Not man whom he created.
For as we saw in our study of last week, the deification of man will be manifested upon the earth through Satan's power. Man will have his image to be worshipped. Man will have his name. His number is what? Six, six, six. And did not the Scripture say it is the number of what? A man, a man, a man. Aman. Oh, beloved, can I say very carefully and prayerfully, I'm scared to death of computers. This computerizing age is leading up to the worship of the Antichrist and the image.
It is. It is. One dear brother told me a friend of mine years ago, if he worked for the IBM, he said, you know, I feel I'm working for the Antichrist. And he was right. He was right. Please. It's going to be worse. And instead of fearing God and giving glory to him, give glory to man. and the worship of Satan. But let me please repeat again.
This is a wonderful truth in these verses. The everlasting gospel that God is to be feared and He is to be worshipped even on the ground of creation. And God's earthly people who will be sealed in that day will fearlessly even at the risk and many times giving their lives for the sake of their God they will thus give the message and what a message it will be but now let's go quickly to verse eight and all we want to do is just mention this because it comes in detail in chapter seventeen and eighteen there followed another angel saying Babylon is fallen it's fallen that great city because she made All nations drink of the wine of the wrath of a fornication.
And this is the false church. And let me point out to you the influence of this false church. All nations coming under a ecclesiastical influence after the true church has been taken out of the world. There is an ecumenical movement that is unquestionably led by Satan. And it will flourish. It will bring about the One World Church. That is certainly heading up rapidly. But the day is coming when judgment will come, as we shall see later in the later chapter. Now please go to verse nine. Let me please note with you very carefully through twelve the doom of all the beast worshippers and their terrible doom.
The third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worships a beast and his image and receive his mark in his forehead or in his name, now know verse ten. The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation. Beloved, these are the most solemn words you could possibly read in the word of God relative to his dealings with the human race. the cup of his indignation. Oh, may I point out to you, remember the Lord Jesus when he said, In Gethsemane to the Father, Abba, Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me.
Nevertheless, not my will but thine be done. What cup? That cup of judgment. when he was to drink and did drink that bitter cup of judgment upon the cross to pay the penalty of sin for a world of sinners lost and that cup of judgment he drank that bitter cup loved drank it up and left not but the love for me the psalmist said in Psalm one sixteen I will take the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord. And the Lord Jesus has provided a cup of salvation by his death upon the cross for men to drink and live.
And you and I who are saved, we bless God, we have taken that cup of salvation. But here are men and women that will not have taken it. Here are men and women who will have given themselves wholly to follow the beat. And you follow Satan. They have to drink a cup. The cup of his indignation. God's wrath. Please, God is the Holy God. And may I be reminded with you. He's put up with this world a lot longer than you and I could ever put up with it. His love and his grace has been despised.
And even today his love and his grace is despised. How many today turn to him and say, Oh, even if things become worse morally and spiritually, and the darkness deepens. And yet they go further astray from him. And still he pleads, come unto me. And yet we're reading of the times. When in the end of the age, his cup of indignation will be poured out in its fury. And will you please know what they have to do? We read, He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.
Now let me please state, this does not mean that bodily, that personally angels are there where they suffer. or that bodily and personally the Lord Jesus as the Lamb of God is there. But may I say this, may I say that the souls that will be in hell will be conscious of the Lamb of God, that they could have taken as their Savior, that he has to look upon them, and of holy angels. May I remind you that when these dear souls were, poor souls would be in the lake of fire, They'll be more conscious of God than they ever were before.
They may have said on the earth, there is no God. In hell, they never will say that. Many will recognize and acknowledge, Oh, if I only had taken Christ as my Savior. And their suffering will be added to because of the consciousness, holy angels, the precious Lamb of God who died to save them whom they refused and rejected. That's the witness they're suffering. You know, it won't matter who's there with them.
Many say, I'll have plenty of company. You won't even feel the company. The rich man in hell lifted up his eyes. Who was he thinking about? He wasn't thinking about it. Those who were with him down there. He saw Lazarus afar off in the bosom of Abraham. And he thought about his own suffering. I am tormented. I am tormented. Please read verse nine as you go on. Verse eleven, rather. The smoke of their torment ascendeth up and read the words. Forever and ever. Now, please may I say, there are some people in the professing bodies of Christendom that don't believe in eternal punishment.
They believe in what they call the doctrine of annihilation. No existence in hell. I don't see that in my Bible. The smoke of their torment rises forever and ever. And note the solemn words that follow. They have no rest. day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. Beloved, this is a sad commentary of what will be their judgment in that coming awful day. Now you note in verse twelve particularly, there is a word of encouragement for those of God's dear people in that period of time of suffering.
Here is the patience of the saints. Here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. You know, may I say lovingly, one of the, may I, put it this way, when the Lord saved me that night, when I took the Lord Jesus as my Savior, you know the first thought that entered into my heart when he forgave me my sins? The first thought that ended in my heart was that, John, you're never going to hell. Oh, my God. Because that was what I was afraid of. That's what I was afraid of. I kept hearing the Lord tell me by the Spirit, John, if you don't get saved, you'll go to hell.
And thank God you don't have to go there if you'll only take Christ. And of course, what comfort these dear saints. No matter how big, all right. They will face death. Many will suffer death. They're all right. One sure thing, they'll kill them, but they can't send them to hell. They do want a good friend of mine. He told me when he was threatened with a gun. As one threatened him, said, I'll shoot you. If you don't get out of here and stop your preaching, he says, I'll let you shoot me on one condition. What's that? Be sure you shoot straight and shoot me into heaven. One sure thing. They can kill the Christian, but they can't.
What did the Lord Jesus say? Fear not them that can kill the body, but rather fear him that can kill both body and soul and what? Cast into hellfire. You see the implication? Fear God. Give glory to him. It will be the message of that everlasting gospel as they preach the gospel of the kingdom. The king is coming. Christ the son of God. Fear him. For if not, They'll fear him in hell when it will be too late. But the comfort of the saints, thank God, what a comfort.
Let me say this, frankly. I don't know when I'm going to die. It doesn't bother me much at all. I know where I'm going. I know where I'm going. I not only know where I'm going, I know where I'm not going. And that's precious to know. But oh, the many that will unfortunately be the inhabitants of that doomed place. Please, look, I make a confession. We go about our daily business, and I'm speaking to our two others, believers. And we little realize or give enough thought to the fact that the world's going fast to hell.
around us and to their doing. Oh, that God will help us to put our hand on some thin shoulder and bring them to Christ. Shall we pray? Oh, blessed Father, we could never find such truth in any human writing, but here in thy holy book, written by the Holy Spirit, Thou has given to us what is to take place at the end of the age. Our Blessed Father, write upon our hearts and our consciences and in our lives the truth.
In two ways, Lord. Make us truly grateful and full of praise for what you've done for us in saving us. And give us a love for those who are lost. and not forgetting as we close to pray for the loved ones in the families who are still out of Christ. Dismiss us with thy blessing and may the Spirit of God sanctify what we have covered in thy precious word today in Jesus' name. Amen.