Shall we turn to the sixth chapter in the book of the Revelation? And we'd like to read the last particular judgment, seal judgment, that we mentioned in closing in our preceding study. But let me just read in that sixth chapter, just part of the chapter, and that is what we find in the closing seal, which is the sixth one. Verse twelve, we'll go over it very quickly. For we just were able to mention it briefly last week in our closing moment. Chapter six, reading at verse twelve, John saying, I beheld when he had opened the thick seal. Lo, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth of air. The moon became as blood. And the stars of heaven fell onto the earth, even as the thick trees cast as their untimely things. When she is shaken of a mighty wind, the heavens departed as a scroll, when it is rolled together. And every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth and the great men, and the rich men and the chief captains and the mighty men, and every bondman and every free man hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, fall on us, hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the land. For the great day of his wrath is come, and who shall be able to stand? May the Lord bless the reading of this portion, and very briefly but thoroughly as possible, shall we consider the meaning of it. We have noted that this chapter, this sixth chapter, rather before us, brings the opening of the judgment for it to come upon the earth. May I reflect with you again, the blessed fact that you and I who are saved shall be taken out of the earth before these things come to pass. The rapture will have taken place. The book of the revelations clearly divides this, as we have noticed in its divisions, chapter one, chapters two and three, and then chapters four and on, relating the future following the rapture and the taking away of the church from the earth and we have begun to see how God thus begins to visit with divine judgment the earth below or how he will John sees it in the vision it will be true and fulfilled when the time comes but may I point out again we noticed I hope you noticed the progression it began with one becoming a conqueror and conquering nations, not by war and bloodshed particularly, but by peaceable efforts. And thus one can recognize, as the world today is crying for peace, there will arise one who will offer the peace that the world is seeking but will fail to give it. For we found in the second sealed judgment that peace will be taken away from the earth. then we found following that there would be the result of that bloodshed and warfare that will be so universal when men will be killing one another that there would be death and Hades would be following in their train and the pale horse bringing the result of it then we notice the fifth seal how there were the souls of those who will be slain during that period And under the altar of God in heaven they are crying for vengeance. Now let me just repeat again. We are certainly upon not Christian ground when we come to the sixth chapter of the book of the Revelation and the beginning of the judgment. And even on through the trumpet judgments and even the vile judgments. We are not on Christian ground. The Christian, may I put it this way? I don't know whether we realize it. Your Christian testimony began at Pentecost. It was the commencement of the Christian age. The consummation of the Christian age, the building of the church, the taking out of the world of those who believe upon the Lord Jesus, who will constitute his bride, the church, will consummate of the rapture. So when the rapture takes place, the Christian testimony will be finished. Can I repeat it again in another way? You can go all through the Bible and the history of the human race. You can follow the periods of time, beginning with Adam, going all the way down to the coming of Christ. The Old Testament history was not the Christian period. But when Christ was crucified and risen and ascended and ascending of the Holy Spirit constituted the coming in, are what is and can be called Christianity. And that will be consummated in that period that finishes with the rapture of the saints when the church will be taken out of the world. And as we saw in Revelation chapters four and five, we'll be in heaven, the redeemed around the Lord in glory above, before the judgment begin upon the... May I remind you, look, We shall see the Lord Jesus. Take that book of judgment. We'll see him take it. We'll see him open it. According, if I take my Bible literally, and I do, according to Revelation four and five, five particularly, we shall see him open the book. And it's from heaven's viewpoint. We look down upon what transpires below in the earth. Now we come to the sixth seal judgment, which is the final. And there I point out these judgments, they are not. They are progressive. They are certainly coming in sequel. First, the series of seal judgments. Then we shall go on further and see the series of trumpet judgments and finally the file judgments. And thus they begin with the seal judgment. Now we can recognize And I hope you will, in particular with the sixth field judgment, recognize the intensity increases of the judgment. We'll find that with the trumpet judgment. We'll find it with the vile judgment. It becomes more intense in the power of God's judgment and punishment that he pours out upon the world in retribution for the ungodliness and the sinfulness of the human race. Now the sixth judgment, I hope you noticed this particularly, and upon your notes and your lesson sheet you can follow if you will, I will not read them, but it suggests a universal chaotic condition. Please note with me if I may point out, it says in verse twelve, there is a great earthquake. Now some of this, now may I point out, some of this will be literal. Some of it may be and it's symbolical. In other words, whatever the phase of the judgment is, the symbol implies the terrible character of it. Or if it's a literal thing, it also implies the character of it. And we know, of course, one can recognize we cannot rule out an earthquake. They take place constantly. And there are more earthquakes that have taken place in the recent years. But even in past centuries, and one can recognize the trend of the time of the times that earthquakes will increase. When we get to one of the mild judgments, we're going to see a great earthquake where every city, the nations, the cities of the nations will fall. And my beloved, my thought is this, and it's not too fanciful, there's a lot of concrete coming down. For it's particularly aimed at the sinning. In that particular judgment that is yet to come. And the Apostle writes, there's a great earthquake here, even in the sixth field judgment. Sun becoming black, and the moon is blood, sacrosanct of hair and the moon coming is blood. Significant. It can be literal, and it can be figurative too, without question or doubt. One can recognize even the symbolic meaning is terrible. to realize, if I may point out, when the sun's darkened, let me give you this thought, not only physical light, but spiritual light. Spiritual light will be withheld from mankind. May I say frankly, when you come to a period of time that we're nearing, when the Bible will be thrown out of the whole, all the world practically, You could, light that is rejected, wrote one, light that is rejected bringeth night. And I suggest to you not only the physical meaning, far greater would be the moral meaning of the darkness, when humanity will be restricted from knowing and receiving the light. We're going to see yet God's grace will be manifested with some as we shall see in our chapter today, chapter seven. But oh, the terrible fact. And not one can recognize the moral destitution that even the blood would suggest. In other words, death, spiritual death, but go further. Even the stars of heaven fall onto the earth. Again, that could be literal, but one can recognize, may I suggest this? If I may point out to you, the sun symbolically is the governing authority of the solar system. The moon is the next in authority. The stars are individual. It'd be lovely if I could suggest the symbolical meaning of this judgment. The whole earth will be shaken, will be shaken morally in their governmental powers. and governmental authority. Well, it rattles pretty bad right now. What will it be in that coming day? And you have in verse fourteen, the heaven deposits the scroll and it is rolled together. Again, you can see the restriction of heaven upon mankind in the light of God's word. And every mountain and mountain symbolically represent nations. Nebuchadnezzar was called the great destroying mountain. Israel was called a mountain, an island of the sea. And one may recognize there be a chaotic condition economically without question of doubt in that coming day of judgment. And then the kings and the rulers of the earth and all the dimension here, and even the lowly, even the humble, even the poor, and even the slaves, they're all terrified. But may I point out something? This is just the beginning. This is just the beginning. The worst is yet to come. Yet even on that occasion, they will cry, as you know in verse sixteen, to the mountains and rocks they'll cry. Fall on us, hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the land. For the great day of his wrath has come. Who shall be able to stand? Now one can recognize, though there will be great fear, and the Lord Jesus in his discourse of David, our discourse, Matthew, twenty-four and twenty-five, may reference to the fact that men's hearts will tremble with fear for the things that are to come upon the earth. And their fear, there will unquestionably be some fear of God, but it will soon pass over. They'll harm us. Do you ever notice something? Here's the similarity. Back in Egypt. Do you ever notice how Pharaoh suffered his heart now and then? Then he harmed it. Likewise will it be for the human race. In his Christ rejecting, Bible rejecting, God rejecting condition at large. Even though the judgment may begin, as we have seen in this chapter. And they believe it can only be of God. Rigging His wrath upon us. The wrath of God and of the land. Who shall be able to stand? For the great day of His wrath has come. And one can recognize universal chaos. Universal chaos. But then, we come to the seventh chapter. So get your lesson page, which is verse page thirteen. And chapter seven, I would like to begin reading, if I may, please. in verse one. And let me read a verse one and try to go down the chapter very briefly as much as possible. Now may we point out, in fact I'd like to read the paragraph if you don't mind. Let me read the paragraph on your lesson sheet, the introduction. There are two separate visions in the chapter. One we shall see concerning Israel from verse one through eight. the second concerning Gentiles from verse nine through seventeen. After the translation of the saints, God will work in grace among his earthly people and the Gentiles, among those who were outside of the apostate part of the world in that day, and the results are revealed. Now may I point out something, as a matter of looking carefully when you're studying the book of the Revelation. I believe, if I'm not mistaken, at the beginning of your lesson sheet and your lesson book, I gave an outline of the book. And there is particularly mentioned the parenthetical sections of the book. When you find that after a period of judgment, series of judgment that are given, there's a parenthesis revealing something else that is taking place at the same time. you have it in relation you have done in relation between the field judgments and between the trumpet judgments you have a parenthesis not relating to those special judgments but some special emphasis on other things before we begin the trumpet judgments as we shall in chapter nine and then after the trumpet judgments we'll find as we come later on to chapter eleven there's another parenthesis a period of of events that are transpiring also during that same period before the final outpouring of the final judgment. So when you look at chapter seven and even eight, we have a parenthesis between the visions that John was given relative to the judgment. Well, let me read verses one, beginning at verse one. Let me read as we have here. If I may, two verse three, first of all. And after these things, and please emphasize the word after, after these things, just as I saw four angels standing in the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. And 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 service of our God in their forehead. Now let's take a good look at your notes on your lesson page, page thirteen, and compare them with the scripture that we have read. Note, first of all, we have four angels. As God's judgments are refrained for a season, four angels appear who are the ministers of God's providential government, as well as help him in the execution of his judgment. Now, may I point out something very obvious. You don't hear much of angels during the Christian age. you do find most reference you ever have is at the beginning of the Christian period, in the book of the Acts. And if I recall very correctly, one of the last references to an angel was when Peter, in the book of the Acts in chapter twelve, Peter was taken out of the prison by an angel. Angels particularly, we find in the Old Testament, and particularly in relation to Israel, have their place of ministry and publicly from time to time. But with the church, you might say why. Listen, you and I, may I remind you what the Old Testament saints did not have, but we have. We have the complete word of God. Second, we have the Holy Spirit. And may I suggest the Holy Spirit is better than an angel. A divine person dwelling in us and with us. And we have the Lord Jesus, our risen head, great high priest in heaven above. And the believers' resources today are not angels. Though I will not rule out that angels may have something to do to take care of you once in a while. Sometimes you say, well, your daughter's angel was looking after you, or maybe he was. But just the same, listen, particularly they are not public servants in this day. May I suggest this? No angel preaches the gospel. The Lord Jesus said to his people, you are my witnesses. So as far as the angelic ministry of this age, whatever it may be, is very much unseen in the Christian age. Now we're coming when the Christian age is over, and you've got Israel in the limelight again. God dealing with Israel, God dealing with the nation. Now you find angelic ministry involved when it comes to God's judgment. Go with me to the reference you've got. I want you to see it in Matthew Matthew chapter thirteen we have a reference there I want you to note those words for this is after the after the Lord Jesus comes for his own and let me read verse thirteen or rather chapter thirteen and verse forty one first of all forty one and forty two please note forty one and forty two now this isn't reference let me read verse thirty one it's regarding the sowing of the seed And the sowing of the good seed and the sowing of the tares. And the Lord gives an explanation. And then they go to verse thirty-eight. The field is the world. The good seed are the children of the kingdom. But the tares are the children of the wicked one. The enemy that sold them is the devil. The harvest. Now, no. The harvest is the end of the world. Meaning the end of the age. The harvest is at the end of the age. And no. The reapers are the angels. Now may I remind you, when the Lord Jesus comes for you and me, he's coming by himself. He's not going to send the angels for us. He may have an angel carry you to heaven when you die, but when he comes to the rapture, he's coming himself. The Lord himself shall descend from heaven, and thus we can recognize for his own at the rapture is coming. But the ministry of the angels will have a particular place in the assisting of the judgments of God. Remember in chapter five, chapter four, we saw God on the throne. We saw Christ in the midst, the elders round about the throne, and the angels round about at the end of chapter five. And the heavenly scene was done. Now we come, and please let me remind you, we come to the judgments. where angels now, as well as the living creatures. Remember, we opened chapter five, chapter six, rather. The living creature said what? Come. The living creature said, come. As thus appeared, the judgment that God decreed, the Lord decreed, the land decreed, must take place. Now the angels are going to have much participation. So let me read these words. The reapers of the angels. Now read on. And therefore the tears are gathered and burned in the fire. So shall it be at the end of the age. Please let me say, this is at the end when the Lord comes back to the earth. Now we read on in verse forty-one. For the Son of Man, now no, shall send his angels. They shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend. And this is his earthly kingdom. Then which do iniquity, and shall cast them in a furnace of fire, there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Look at verse forty-nine. So shall it be at the end of the age of the world. The angels shall come forth, sever the wicked from among the just, shall cast them into the furnace of fire. There shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Now can I solemnly think with you what it means? Suppose that were to take place today. The angels would take out of the world every ungodly person. Oh, yes. I do know. It's my conviction. When the judgments are finished, and the Lord comes to the earth, and then the angels finalize the judgments by separating the godly from the ungodly, my conviction is there will not be an ungodly person left on the earth. Only the children of the kingdom. In that earthly scene. Now don't forget, the church will be in heaven. You won't be on the earth now. You won't be in that reaping. Thank God. No angels coming after. But may I suggest this. When the HBI gets busy, they'll get their men. There'd be a lot better than the FBI and even the FBI. My beloved, please let me say, the sorrowful situation that the angels are going to participate, and there is no question of doubt, humanity will be no match for those angels. When they sleep beyond God right, and sent out of the kingdom. And please note, sadly, the result of those taken out, a furnace of fire. It's the eternal lake of fire. Sit the Lord Jesus in Matthew twenty-five, thirty-one, at the judgment of the living nation, that the righteous should go into the kingdom and the unrighteous should be Catheware into the lake of fire prepared for the devil and his angels. Oh, beloved, please let me state, it's sad to contemplate that it's genuinely true what faces the world when the angelic ministry of God's holy angel separates the godly from the ungodly, the just from the unjust, the wicked from the righteous. There'll be a permanent separation. Pope, look, can I say this? It's a sorrowful thing to realize. But it's going to take that to cleanse the earth. God did it with knowing Noah's day. He took them all except Noah and his family. It won't be by the flood in the coming day. We know. But no one can recognize how through the century since Noah's day How the human race has constantly gone away from God. And the reaping day comes. The harvest comes. And the angels are sifted in the harvest. Now let me read my paragraph through that you've got on your sheet now. Presented here they are as restraints of evil powers on the earth. Four winds. Symbols. of those disturbing elements existing in all quarters which God can at his wills let loose in judgment. Let me read the words with you, please. Verse one again of chapter seven. I saw these four angels standing on the four corners of the anode, holding the four winds of the earth that the wind should not blow on the earth nor on the sea nor on any tree." Let me go with you to the book of Daniel. Can I? I've got two references there. I want you to see them with me, please. The book of Daniel. Daniel sees a very similar vision in his day relative to the judgment of the world. And in Daniel chapter seven, let me read verses two and three with you and see what God says. As Daniel spake in verse two and three, Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, behold, the four winds of the heavens strove upon the great sea. Four great beasts came up from the sea, different diverse one from another. And even in Daniel's day, Daniel saw the restlessness of the nation as the sea represents the restless nation. And out from the sea, he sees four great... Now in Daniel's vision, what he saw was the four great Gentile empires that are described. We won't go into it. Nebuchadnezzar's kingdom, the Babylonian, then the Grecian, rather Middle Persian, and then the Grecian, and then the Roman Empire, the final one, to the end of the age. But these four winds, the angels, four winds were striking. They represent... May I give you this suggestion? To interpret the symbol, do it according to the context. The wind also is a type of the Holy Spirit. John chapter three. Nicodemus was told, except a man be born again. He cannot see the kingdom of God. How can he be born again? He wonders. The wind bloweth where it lifts us, and thou hearest the sound thereof, said Jesus. And thou knowest not whence they come and know whither it goes. So it's everyone that is born of the Spirit. And one can recognize there's the symbol of the Holy Spirit. You've got the same on the day of Pentecost, a rushing mighty wind. And according to the context, you can't say that was judgment. That was life. That was life. But here in Daniel, as well as in Revelation seven, it's judgment. And the angels are charged of propelling those judgments. And according to the will and the mind of God. May I point out this? Don't ever worry that God will fail to judge men for their ungodliness. That is not who it is. Whether it's the king on the throne or the peasant in the land. He'll judge. And now in our chapter seven of Revelation, these angels are restraining what is yet to come for a special reason. Now go back and let me read the paragraph through them. The sea represents the restless, confused nations, as we suggest. The trees, they are figures of great men on the earth. Daniel, Paul, you have a figure with Nebuchadnezzar, who is a great tree. And so you can understand, even in Daniel's day, the winds of the earth were in the charge of God's angels. And here in Revelation, they're restrained. Now please note in verse two of our chapter, please. I saw another angel. Now these are not the four. This is another one. Ascending from the east. ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And 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 forehead. Now, let me read your paragraph, please, and then we'll look at the chapter carefully. The reason for the restraint until we have sealed the service of God. Now may I point out something very beautiful to recognize. Remember in Ephesians chapter one and verse thirteen Paul writes a say to the believer upon believing ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise. That's the present feeling of the Holy Spirit when one believes on the Lord Jesus. And may I give you this thought? The seal means preservation. Preservation. Quoting again that verse, he was sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, who is the pledge or the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the possession. When you and I believe on the Lord Jesus, the Spirit of God seals us for his possession eternally. Now, if you don't believe in eternal security, you better start doing it because you feel. And that feeling can never be violated by any power. It's a divine feeling. And what we're reading in the book of the Revelation is the preservation of a group of people through that awful period that is yet to come. Assuring them, sealing them, that they'll be preserved as God's testimony. Mine. And they'll be going through a lot worse things than you and I go through today. But they're going to be sealed by the servants of the living God. Now please notice, let me read the paragraph through. A remnant of Israel preserved through the coming judgments in the day of Jacob's trouble. And you've got references in Jeremiah speaking of that period. And in Matthew twenty four the Lord Jesus says, Then shall be great tribulations such as was not upon the earth before nor ever shall be. And yet they are sealed for the blessing on the earth in the kingdom of their glorious Messiah. Oh, beloved, you know, I don't believe you could say all the way through the ages of time that God loses one of his children. Please let me say, men in the Old Testament, they have to be born again, just as you and I. There's no question the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit enable men to believe on God back in those early days as we must do now. And what a joy to recognize how wonderful of the sovereign grace of God that shows right here he's going to feel a company of Israelites to go through that period safely. and become the heirs of the earthly kingdom under the Messiah now let me read what follows well I don't want to read the you go to the let me read verse four please I heard the number of them which was sealed and it was sealed in hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel now look at your lesson sheet please instead of reading all those tribes let me point out the hundred and forty four thousand The number is symbolical. You find twelve thousand from each tribe. Twelve is the number of administrative perfection in government. And this is also revealed in the New Jerusalem in Revelation twenty-one, the city of the New Jerusalem at twelve gates. May I remind you of this? The gates so mentioned in Revelation twenty-one. And let me give you another thought. Remember the Lord Jesus in Matthew sixteen said, To Peter, upon his confession, thou art the Christ, the Son of whom is in God, thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of death and gates of Hades shall not prevail against them. Now why gates? Well, very simple. Back in the Old Testament days of Israel, and even before Israel, The elders of the city, the rulers of the city, administrated the things of government at the gates of the city. That's where they sat. You read the book of Ruth and you find Boaz coming, and he calls the elders who were sitting at the gates of the city regarding the problem that he had. And at the gates of the city, they administered the government of the city, and the problems they thought to settle. So one can recognize when you have the numeral twelve, take the symbolical meaning. Because I'm sure there may be literally more than hundred and forty-four thousand Jews going to the kingdom. But the symbol is beautiful, twelve tribes of Israel. And you find a complete representation of administrative government that will be found in that coming day in the kingdom when the kingdom comes. And you will find that they will undoubtedly be with the Messiah governing the earth as you find revealed in chapter sixty of the book of Isaiah and so recognize the tribes as they now if you if you want to if you talk to what they call those so present day Jewish witnesses I usually ask them what tribe they belong to now these are the genuine Jehovah's Witnesses These are the witnesses of Jehovah. See. We shall see later, I believe, in chapter fourteen some of the qualifications of their character. May I say this? When you get to chapter fourteen, it is amazing the quality of character and stamina of spiritual courage that they have. When you read about them being so faithful, they put the Christian testimony today to shame. For they will be in a period of intense suffering. And it will either be death or life. Their confession will make. One can recognize how God in his providential grace shows that even in that period of time, He's going to have a period, a company of his own people. But let's go down to chapter. Let me read from verse nine, please. Chapter, verse nine in our chapter. Now after this, will you please know it? It divides the chapter. Look at verse one. Begin to the words, after this. Now you come down to verse nine. After this. And there you find the division of the chapter, the twofold division. Where is the revelation? First concerning Israel. Now you've got something concerning Gentiles. After this I beheld and lo a great multitude which no man could number of all nations, kindred, people, tongues, stood before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, palms in their hands, cried with a loud voice saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne and unto the Lamb. And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders, and the four living creatures, and fell before the throne on their faces. Worship God, saying, Amen. Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving, and honor and power and might be unto our God forever and ever. Amen. Now, let me know with you, please, on your notes, on your sheets. The first reference there. I want you to note something. It is an innumerable company of Gentiles who were redeemed. Please note, they're not Israelites. Verse nine makes it clear, out of all nations, kindred, people, languages. And so we can rejoice. And where are they? Before the throne. Now, careful. Let me... Emphasize this is not the church now. These Gentiles are presented before the throne. Go back to chapter four in Revelation, will you please? Chapter four in Revelation. Let me read with you. Verse four. You have these words. And round about the throne were four and twenty thrones. And on the throne I saw four and twenty elders be told him why Raymond saw. This we noted in our study was the representation of the redeemed saints in heaven following the rapture. Where are they? They're on thrones. They're not before the throne. They're on the throne. Quite a significant difference between the position of the Gentiles that you read of in chapter seven. We shall be on throne. For the word faith is really the word throne in the Greek text. Why it would translate as faith is just the fault of the translators. Probably feeling that we weren't worthy to sit on a throne. But it's the same word for throne. But the Gentiles in chapter seven, please note. Before the soul. And note also, before the land. And their clothes, of course, with white robes. There's their condition with white robes. Before him, one can well recognize that they are certainly acceptable to him and in their hands. Now, please note something. They have palms in their hands. Now you don't find that in the fourth chapter or in the fifth chapter, relative to the saints in heaven. But these saints have what is the suggestion of victory, the palm of victory in their hands, the symbol of their victory over their circumstances that they have gone through. And in verse ten, you note they sing, they cry, they cry out their praises with a loud voice. And I want you to know, I don't know, maybe I'm maybe a little flustered, but I noticed the word doesn't say that they sing. They cry with a loud voice. Chapter five, the church what? Sing. I'll tell you one thing, when you and I get to heaven, sister and brothers, we're going to really know how to sing. Then we'll sing the new song. Oh, may I say it? May I say, please, may I say it? It touches the heart. That the church, the bride of Christ, is so precious to him, in nearness and in glory, the dearest possession that he has and will ever have. And she is able to sing. Why? Redemption. It's the song of redemption. Now, what you have here, is not merely the song of redemption. It's the song of deliverance. Salvation. And salvation means deliverance, man. Whatever form of deliverance it might take. And the form of deliverance here takes for these, God brings them through. God delivers them out of that awful period. Safe and secure for the kingdom upon the earth there. And with a loud voice. And one could recognize, surely their palms of victory are waved. The sin lies. He saved us through it. And what a joy it will be for them to be saved out. Well, read on further. So we want to find out. There's not only their praises, but look at verse eleven and twelve as we read. The angels, the elders, and the living creatures, they fall before the throne on their faces and worship God. saying amen for what he's doing and give glory, blessing, glory, and wisdom, thanksgiving, and honor and power, and might unto us, our God forever and ever. It's the theme of their praise that out of that terrible period, God in his sovereign grace will remember mercy. One, I think it's the prophet of Bacchus, I'm not sure, one of the minor prophets that where he says, in wrath, remember mercy. and at the end of chapter six we read it was the wrath of God and the wrath of the land and in chapter seven God says even in the midst of that wrath I'm going to show my mercy and we read on please let me go to verse thirteen for we want to get verse thirteen and see to the end the explanation of these things one of the elders and almost let me one of the elders answers saying unto me What are these which are arrayed in white robes? Whence came they? Now know very carefully. For there it's going to prove to us that they're in the Great Tribulation. They go through it. One of the others say, what are these arrayed in white robes? Whence came they? I said unto him, sir, thou knowest. This is the answer of John. He said to me, and may I point out to you, one of the elders would be one of the heavenly saints, typifying the heavenly saints. And may I point out, your knowledge and my knowledge would be a lot more perfect than the elder understand. He understands what it's all about. Whence came they? Oh, the joy of realizing. You have it in chapter five. when the lamb is in the midst, the lion of the tribe of Judah. And it's the elders. Elder then points out to John, comes to him when he was weeping. Weep not John, weep not John, the lion of the tribe of Judah. And let me give you this. Why the word elder? Well, literally, in the sense of the meaning on the earth, it means a mature, grown, fully developed person, doesn't it? Well, beloved, may I spiritualize that when we get to heaven? I want to tell you your spiritual understanding will be a lot better. Praise the Lord. Yeah. When he says, thank God. It will be. It will be. We often sing an old hymn. Then, oh, then we'll understand. We can't read the meaning of our chains. We can't often see the meaning of our trials and all of our... One moment in his presence, you'll see it all. One wrote the same, wrote that blessed hymn, when the passing world is done, when a young glaring sun, and I stand on the shores of glory with Christ on high, looking over life history, then, dear Lord, shall I fully know not till then how much I owe. Please let me say, I know I owe a lot to the law, but I sometimes wish you'd kick me. He does kick me once in a while, but not understanding more. But then I'm sure of this one thing. You say, now why did I worry about that? Why was I so fretful? He brought me through, and he will bring you through. And thank God. When we reach the glory land, perfect understanding. And one of the elders comes to John in the vision. He says, I'll tell you who they are, John. Listen carefully, John. Verse fourteen. He said to me, These are they which came out. And then I say, in the Greek text, it's not just great tribulation. It's the definite article. Tribulation, the great tribulation. Go to chapter twenty-four in Matthew. Get the words of the Lord Jesus, please. Get the words of the Lord Jesus. Let's see what he says about it so that we can recognize the terrible character of those days that he himself spoke about. Chapter twenty-four in verse twenty-one. These words said the Lord Jesus in verse twenty-one and twenty-two will read. For then shall be great tribulations. such as was not since the beginning of the world, that this time nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, meaning limited, there should no flesh be saved, but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. Now please, may I say, these people are coming through the worst period of trouble that has ever taken place upon the earth. Oh, thank God for being delivered out of it before the Lord, before the Lord pours out those judgments as believers in the Lord Jesus. But these saints in that day, and know what it declares in verse fourteen, and they have washed their roads and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Oh, beloved, let's look at something. Look at your lesson sheet, please. These come out of the great tribulation, the great one, and their blessing is traced to the efficacy of the blood of the land. May I say, now this raises a question, a very sensible question. During that period, what will be preached? Well, let me remind you, they can't preach church truth. The church will be gone. They're beyond kingdom ground. If I may suggest it very clearly, they'll preach what John the Baptist preached. Repent that kingdom of heaven is at hand. The king is coming. We don't preach that. That's the, that was the, that was God's gospel to Israel when the Lord Jesus came. By his forerunner, John the Baptist, as well as the Lord Jesus, he preached it. Repent! Repent! Repent! The king is here. The king must be received, but he was rejected. But then he reminds you of something, too. Though John the Baptist preached, repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. He gave the most clearest testimony about the Lord Jesus and his death in John I. Behold, the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. I'm wondering, let me give you this little incident that I know about. There was a man by the name, brother by the name of David, not in Philadelphia. He entered what is called, he's now with the Lord. The American Scripture gift mission and spreading scriptures all through the world. And he was a very devout brother and also a devout student of prophecy. And so real and genuine to his heart was the coming of the Lord and particularly the hope of Israel, which only could be the coming of their Messiah again to the earth. He did all that he could to spread the word of God throughout the world and especially try to help the Jews. On one occasion, on one of his visits to Israel, he carried many New Testaments. He wrapped them and bound them and sealed them in waterproof packages. And he put those New Testaments anywhere and everywhere we could in a place of safety or hiding, caves and rocks in the land of Israel. He had the conviction that when the great tribulation came and God's earthly people would be hiding for fear of their lives, they'd find those testaments and read them and get the message of redemption through the death of Christ. I remember not many years ago, one of my good friends was head of the scripture gift mission up in Philadelphia. I wrote to him, I said, Herbert, will you please find out something for me? Mrs. Davis was still living, his wife was still living. Will you ask her, does she have any knowledge whether those packages of New Testament are still surviving? And he inquired of her, and she told him, yes, a few of them have been opened by the Bedouins, you know, finding the packages, but most of them are intact. so that there's no question of doubt. The man is, what he's doing, he's just putting the word of God where it's accessible for people to find it when they need it. And there's no question of doubt in my own mind that some of these Jews are going to find out. The one who can save them is only the one whose blood was shed that was typified by their own altars of Israel. For you read here, these Gentiles They're cleansed by that blood. Now, may I also suggest one can recognize they may not have an understanding like you and I may have of the death of Christ and its atoning value, but the smallest faith in the right person will save them. If they put their faith in Him, who's the coming one, and who has been on the earth before, they'll be saved through the efficacy of his precious blood. Well, let's go further, please. Try to finish the chapter. And for you notice, in verse fourteen, fifteen rather, therefore they are before the throne of God. They are to serve in the day and night in his temple. He that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. And not only dwell among them, But they shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more, neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the land which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them and lead them unto heaven, living fountains of waters, and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. Now go to your lesson, Sheep, if you please. Now I want you to note that what we have, the character of their blessings, at the bottom of the Sheep, first, Their relationship to God's throne. They serve him day and night. Where? In his temple. Did you know what was done in the parenthesis there? There is no temple in heaven. Revelation twenty-one, twenty-two. The new Jerusalem, where you and I will be. John writes, I saw no temple there. For the Lord God and the Lamb Almighty are the temple of it. Please let me say, in heaven we don't need a temple. A temple is a place where God can be approached. When we're in heaven we'll be right in the immediate presence of God. No temple there. Surely we can recognize the references that these Gentiles will enjoy the millennial temple with its blessings and approach to God. When you read the prophecy of Isaiah, the Zechariah, and all the Old Testament, our other Old Testament prophets, how they tell the Gentiles shall come and worship the blessed God in Jerusalem. And before his Let me point out. Listen. That temple will be the representation of his eternal throne. So likewise it's before the throne of God. Acknowledge the throne of God. Let me give you this thought. The throne of God was in the midst of Israel. Represented thereby the ark of the covenant and the holiest of all. That was God's throne on earth. representing its throne in heaven. Likewise in the Millennial Temple, of which Ezekiel writes, the throne of God will be in representation. Well, for instance, the Lord Jesus, as Matthew twenty-five, thirty-one says, when he comes with his holy angels to set up his throne upon the earth. And before the throne of God, they are thus represented Go on earth and the character of their blessings. Please notice you go to verse sixteen and seventeen and your reference on your sheet. They will be under his shepherd care. Their past sorrows will not be worthy to be compared to their ineffable blessings. Though on the earth the character of their blessings is of the highest state and our precious to realize that they are such. And let me read that last verse again or the sixteenth verse. that we have there they shall hunger no more neither thirst anymore so neither shall the sun light on them nor any heat the pressure of those days will be passed for the land which is in the midst of the throne shall lead them and feed them lead them unto living fountains of waters and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes yes those earthly Gentiles they'll need their tears wiped away too and thank God God for a God who can wipe away tears. Wonderful to know that, isn't it? One little girl said when she heard it, My, he must have an awful big handkerchief. Well, he does, shall we pray? Our time's gone on so rapidly. Oh, blessed Father, what can we say? I have not seen, here hath not heard, neither have it handed the heart of man the things which God has prepared for them that love him. But we have to add, But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit. And we thank you for the revelation of these words today. Thank you, fight unto every heart. In Jesus' name, amen.