study. We would like particularly, first of all, to read the first eight verses that are found in this wonderful chapter. Chapter eight in the book of the Revelation. And when he, that is the Lord Jesus the Lamb, when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. And I saw the seven angels which stood before God, and to them were given seven trumpets. And another angel came, and stood at the altar, having a golden censer. There was given unto him much incense, that he should operate with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar, which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand. And the angel took the censer and filled it with fire of the altar and cast it under the earth. And there were voices in thunderings and lightning and an earthquake. May God bless the reading and hearing of this portion. Shall we try to correlate our thoughts in connection with what is preceded? preceding this chapter in the study of the book. Beginning particularly, may I, with chapter six in memory, where we have the commencement of the judgments that are to come upon all the others. Please remember the series of these judgments. We're about to enter, excuse me, we're about to enter upon the second series of judgments. But there are three particular series of judgments. in the whole book. They are the sealed judgment, then follow in sequence and succession the trumpet judgment upon which we're going to enter today, and then climax in the judgment, I believe in chapter sixteen or what are called the vile judgment. Just a little word of explanation regarding these very judgments. May I remind you, and this is what we need to take to our heart, they intensify as they progress. The vile judgments will be the most intense of God's judgments upon the earth. The trumpeted judgments preceding the vile judgments, they too will be great, but not as intense. And the sealed judgments, which we have studied in chapter six, they are just, if I may say, is an expression I believe you can describe the field judgments by the words of the Lord Jesus in Matthew twenty-four. For in Matthew twenty-four, and let me give you a resume of that chapter very briefly, the disciples came to the Lord Jesus with questions. And one of the questions was, what shall be the sign of thy coming and of the end of the age? And then the Lord Jesus, without question of doubt, please let me state, Matthew twenty-four and twenty-five, the prophetic utterances that he makes, they're not in relation to the church age, though there may be some application for the saints that can be taken for their spiritual good, but as far as the prophecies, they belong to the end of the age. Now, when they ask the Well, may I also remind you the question they asked is, translated in your King James Version, what shall be the end of the world? Well, the word properly should be the age. Now, in the Greek text, it can be translated, world, age, or era, whatever it may be. But without doubt, the disciples were... Now, please remember, they were Jewish disciples. They were concerned what would be the end of the Jewish age. And without doubt they were concerned too, that it would bring in the kingdom of glory under the Messiah, the reign of the Lord Jesus. And the Lord Jesus unfolds to them some of the conditions at the end time, and I would suggest following the rapture of the church. And in that first portion of chapter twenty-four, where he describes some of the conditions, he mentions this expression, This will be, these will be the beginning of sorrows. And I would say this. The sealed judgments could be said to be the beginning of those sorrows and troubles that come upon all the earth under the judgment of the Lord Jesus and the Father above. Then we have the joy of seeing, last week in chapter seven, an interval of revelation between the sealed judgments And the final seventh judgment, we have the joy of seeing God will be working even in mercy and grace during that period that is to come following the rapture of the church. Now may I give you this thought that one should always remember. It matters not what part of the age of humanity we may ever be living in, but throughout all the ages and periods of time God has always had some that belong to him. So when you think of the coming of the Lord Jesus for the church, taking the believers out of this world, let's not forget, as we saw in our study of chapter seven, God will have a divine testimony. It may be, and usually is, in a remnant character, small, but we do find that in relation to that coming testimony, of those who shall be sealed as the service of God, they will be faithful witnesses and fruitful witnesses as God will manifest His mercy and grace during that period. Now let me also be very careful and specific. From Second Thessalonians chapter two, that period of trouble that is yet to come, Paul describes it in Second Thessalonians chapter two. He speaks of the reign of the Antichrist, the man of sin, the great apostasy, when faith upon the earth in God will be vanishing in a greater part. Yet he also reminds us that if one has heard the gospel and refused it, rejected it, and did not have a love for the truth of it, God shall send them strong delusions so that they may believe alive, who loved unrighteousness instead of loving the gospel and the things of God. We cannot dogmatically hold out any hope or any opportunity of salvation when one has definitely rejected Christ and the rapture takes place. Surely we can realize the necessity of those who are still unsaved to believe on the Lord Jesus before it's coming. So may God help us to realize today the loved ones that are still unsaved, may we pray and work for their redemption before we come. But yet, and may I say, I believe in spite of all the proclaiming of the gospel so-called, even by the way of radio and other means, Our propagation, the world hasn't been reached. There are still hundreds and thousands who may have never heard the gospel. And I truly believe, and I think this is a solemn thought, but a true one, that the multitude who will be slayed during that terrible period will chiefly be those who may not have heard the gospel, even in the even world. May I say this, and we're going to see it. Some of God's great judgments are coming upon Christendom, the professing people who profess to be Christian, and they are not genuinely born again. May I, did we not notice in the study of chapters two and three of the revelation, the church history? in its prophetic and its spiritual character. And do you remember, said the Lord Jesus at Laodicea, I will spew thee out of my mouth. And if I may give the suggestion, how does he spew that false profession out of his mouth? I think by their action. You're not mine. But we shall see in the judgment that's coming, the trumpet judgment particularly, We shall see that some of those judgments are going to come upon the professing false church. How solemn is this all? But our precious is the truth when we know the Lord Jesus is our Savior and know we're born again. But now let's go to chapter eight. There's one more thing as we begin the seventh seal, which, now you will notice this, the seventh seal issues into the series of trumpet judgments. And then when we get to the seventh trumpet judgment, that will issue into the seventh vile judgment. But as we come, as we have done here in chapter eight and verse one, note the words, the solemnity of them. When he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. Look at your lesson sheet, please, and just very briefly refer to the first comment. Verses one and two, particularly. We find that following the breaking of the seventh seal, there is a brief period of silence in heaven. For half an hour it is said. Now, of course, literally, we cannot be sure of taking it literal. But without question of doubt, the meaning of the half hour would suggest the brevity of time during that period. But please note the reason as we read on. It signifies the solemnity of coming judgment. The silence undoubtedly implies that heaven is perhaps silent, realizing, if I may put it in this word, in this way, that there is the realization of a calm before the breaking of the storms of judgment that are yet to come. And the silence in heaven would undoubtedly suggest the realization of those coming judgments in their intensity are understood by heaven. May I look it in this way? Do you believe that the people of the earth, I'm saying, the rulers, the leaders, the governments, the authorities, do you believe that they are looking for those judgments? I'm sorry to appeal not so for the greater part. But heaven realizes it. And I'm sure you and I can be thankful that by His grace, having saved us, God by His Spirit can teach you and me the realization of those coming judgments. And I believe that silence in heaven is just the indication of the keen realization of what is now about to take place and poured out upon the earth. Now, though, verse two, if you please, we sing in verse two, there were seven angels who were standing before God. Seven, there's no question, there's seven particular angels, unnamed, and there they stand before God. Holy angels, they belong not to the hosts of wicked angels, But they are those whom Psalm one hundred and three, I believe it's Psalm one hundred and three, tells they do his bidding. They are ready to be the vessels or the instruments according to God's purpose and will to carry out his judgment as they stand before him at the throne of ours. And to them, please note, there are given seven trumpets. Now sometimes you might think, And I think it's very sensible to think about it. Why they are called seal judgments. Why they are called trumpet judgments. Why they are called vile, meaning bold. Seven modes of judgment. There's no question or doubt there is a significance. Did we not notice in chapter five that the book that was in the hand of the throne slither was sealed with seven seals? And those seals must be broken by one worthy to be the executor of the judgments they contain. And we can realize. Go and read me to the book of Daniel, will you please. I want you to notice something in the last chapter of Daniel. The book of Daniel, please. Will you notice something? I think it's very significant. We didn't. Look at verse nine. Oh, verse eight and nine. Daniel in this chapter is revealed, it is revealed to him the same period of trouble that we'll begin to study. And in this chapter, Daniel realizes the length of time before the Messiah would begin its reign. But note verse eight and nine. I heard, but I understood not. Then said I, Oh, my Lord, what shall be the end of these things? And he said, Go thy way, Daniel. For the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. Now I've had people when I was a young Christian tell me that Revelation was a sealed book. No, Revelation is not a sealed book. It's open, thank God. But here you connect the words to Daniel with Revelation five and six. and realize it's the time of the end and the seals are broken. And thus Daniel had to go his way and he's waited a long time, has he not? He still waits in the grave for that day of resurrection when he will stand in the glory of that coming kingdom with his blessed Lord whom he served so faithfully. But Daniel was told, seal it until the time of the end. And one really wonders, How many since Daniel's writing of his prophecy have understood the meaning of it? Until the late centuries. And particularly, may I suggest this, in the past century, and particularly the beginning of this present century, there was a great revelation of prophetic teaching in the church that had never been known since the days of the early apostles. In fact, I recall in the early days of this century, there were what we call many prophetic conferences. And those conferences in their ministry centered around the prophetic scriptures. And God opened those scriptures in the past century and the teaching of them relative to the time of the end. And even the book of the Revelation. So I think you and I can say we must be near the time of the end. And thus you can recognize the meaning of the seals. They're beginning to be broken as we sing in the chapter six. Now we come to the trumpet, Judgment. You have trumpets connected with Israel. God commanded so the trumpets to be made that the priests should blow them for the nation, even through the wilderness. When they were to begin their march through the wilderness. When they were to move on, the trumpet would sound. When there was a call to battle, the trumpet would sound. You remember when the law was given, it was given with the sounding of appeal of a great trumpet so that the people feared it. And one can recognize the significance of the trumpet. Bringing before one. And if I may also remind you, you'll find in the prophetic scriptures of the minor prophets particularly, and even the major prophets, associated with the coming judgments that they prophesied on the earth with the trumpet of the Lord with a trumpet Joel Amos name others with a trumpet the judgments are to be associated and thus we can recognize the suggestion of the trumpet how God is going to loudly speak in judgment and to these seven angels are given the seven trumpets But now we have in the interval in verses three to five, one of the most precious revelations regarding the angel priest. Let me read verse three with you and down through verse five. Another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer. There was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar. May I, which was before the throne. Please note something very carefully. There are two altars in this one verse. He stood at the altar with a golden censer. The golden altar at the end of the verse was before the throne of God. One typifies the brazen altar of sacrifice, the other the golden altar of worship. Now may I remind you, do you recall that God gave Moses the instructions to build a tabernacle in the wilderness? And God told Moses, be sure you make it after the pattern of the heavenly. For God showed Moses the heavenly pattern. And that earthly tabernacle, as well as the temple in its order, represented what was in heaven in the presence of God. And here we have a brazen altar in our chapter. We have a golden altar. May I give you the suggestion? It would be a lovely study, if God laid it on our hearts in the future, to study the tabernacle with all of its furnishings. For it speaks of heavenly things, and it speaks particularly of the person of God's dear Son, the mediator, the only one through whom we can approach the presence of the living God, and all the furnishings of that old tabernacle, together with the temple that Solomon built, spoke to God as always the heavenly character of James of Adam, in his presence around the glory of his own person and his blessed Son, by the Spirit. So here's an angel priest, if you please. Note your comments, let me know what you have on your lesson sheet. Who is he? Again we mention the two altars, the brazen, and then the golden altar before the throne of God. Let me, before going further, let me remind you where the golden altar was in the tabernacle. That tabernacle was divided into what was called first, well there was the entrance to it, the altar court, And the brazen altar was at the outer court. And then between the curtain veil to the holy place was the brazen labor of water, where the feet had to wash its feet in hand upon ministering every time in the tabernacle. And then that holy place was curtained up. And in that holy place there was the table of showbread, there was the candlestick of gold, And there was also the golden altar, and that golden altar was before the holiest of all, where the thick curtain veil with the cherubim upon it was separated the holy place from the most holy. Now there was only one article of furniture in the holiest of all. It was the ark of the covenant, the golden ark with the cherubims on the mercy seat of love, That was the symbol of the throne of God in the midst of his people upon the earth. The throne of God. And God had entrusted, as it were, the representation of his throne to his earthly people, Israel, to represent him upon the earth and glorify him before all the nations. You recall in the book of Daniel, when Daniel and his companions were taken into captivity? What happened to the ark? Never hear about it again. It's a great mystery. But God removed what was the symbolic representation of his throne upon the earth from his people, Israel, because of their sins. And he turned the government of the earth and its responsibility over to the Gentiles. Nebuchadnezzar, the first Gentile man. And now the nations have been responsible to Gentile nations, to God, to represent him upon the earth. Don't forget, the nations do, the powers that be, they are ordained of God. And every nation, now is included, responsible to the God of heaven for their human government. They manifest upon the earth. And one can well realize The true ark of the covenant, the true golden altar, is yonder in heaven, before the throne of God, in its literal place. And here is one called an angel. Now please note. Please know what he does. Note his ministry. I want you to note it very carefully. He stood at the altar having a golden censer. and into that golden sense that there was given unto him much incense that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. Again, may I go back with you, please, to the illustration of Israel of old in the tabernacle. Think with me of the priests coming to officiate. Day after day the priest was to officiate when the temple was standing and when the tabernacle was standing in the presence of God on the behalf of the people. He came by the way of the brazen altar, by the way of the sacrifice with the blood. He washed his feet and hands in the brazen labor. Then he would carry into the holiest of all a censer of incense. to bring the worship of Israel in representation to Jehovah above. And it would come to the golden altar, and with his golden censer, and pour incense upon the fire in the censer, that a fragrant incense would arise in symbolic representation of Israel's worship, gratitude, praise to God above. And that was how it was carried out. Now here we have one, and will you please note, one who comes to the altar, and he brings with the golden censer much incense, but note that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar, which was before the throne. Now we cannot help but believe. Look at your lesson sheet, please. Let me read those words under letter B. regarding the ministry of this angel priest. He offers fragrant incense with prayers of saints. Only Christ does this. There has been some question as to who the angel is. I remember being at a certain conference where we were studying together in mutual discussion in the conference session with a large gathering and with a fellow servant of God from a seminary well known in the country. He believed it was just an ordinary angel. Let me ask you the question. Do you want an ordinary angel to take care of your prayers? No. There's no angel who's been appointed to take care of the prayers of the saints. But may I remind you, it matters not, whether it be humans, whether it be angels. or whatever being it may be that God has created. Our Lord Jesus is the head of all creation. And we see him even in the Old Testament manifested as an angel. The angel of God wrestled with Jacob, none other than Jehovah Jesus, when Manoa and his wife were informed regarding the coming birth of Samson. It was an angel, the angel of the Lord that appeared to her, as well as to her husband later on, and revealed the promise of Samson to be a deliverer for the people of Israel, and a Nazarite from his mother's womb. And Minoah asked him, What is my name? Why does thou ask? Seeing my name is secret, or wonderful. But Minoah wanted to worship him. And he gave him the privilege. And Minoah took a kid, slew it, put it upon the altar as an offering. And was it God? Was it Jehovah Jesus? The angel ascended from the fire of the altar up to heaven. And Minoah said to him, Why? In great fear, we have seen the face of God. Yes, the angel of the Lord. Again and again in the Old Testament, representing as in an angelic form, as well as in human form, none other than the person of Christ. But here in our chapter, how can we deny? Who is it that brings the prayers of saints to the throne of God in efficacy? Notice all of these. The smoke of the incense which came with the prayers of the saints ascended up before God out of the angel's hand. We look at the scriptures, please. We have in our lesson sheet. Look at me in Hebrews chapter four and verse sixteen. Let's look at some of those scriptures there. Wanted to realize there's only one blessed person who can thus offer. with the prayers of the saints, his own efficacy. And Hebrews chapter four, that great book of Hebrews, may I point out to you one of the greatest truth, the leading truth, one of the leading truths in the epistles of the Hebrews, is the open heaven, and the Lord Jesus, the great high priest of his people. And may I remind you, the Lord Jesus, when he took his place at the right hand of God, began a ministry that is not yet finished. And not angelic ministry, but priestly ministry. And we read in verse, if I may, let me read verse fourteen with you. Chapter four in the book of Hebrews, begin at verse fourteen. And let me read down through verse sixteen. Seeing then that we have a great high priest that is passed into up through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold past our profession or confession, for we have done in high grief, which cannot be touched with the feeling of our impermanence. The feeling of our impermanence. But within all points, tested like us, we are without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. My beloved please, let me say, the encouragement is this. There before the throne of God, we have a high priest. Great high priest. The Old Testament, they called him the high priest. Paul, by the Spirit, calls him the great high priest. And he passed well, not into an earthly sanctuary, right into the heavens itself. And beloved please, there can be only one person who can officiate. with the prayers and the cries of the saints, whether of the past or the present or even in the future, at the throne of God. It's the Lord Jesus. Go with me to chapter seven, please. Chapter seven in the book of Hebrews. Let me note with you those precious words, verse twenty-four and twenty-five, of the Lord Jesus again, in verse twenty-two, his name is mentioned. So Jesus was made a surety of a better testament of covenant, and they truly were many priests in the Old Testament. because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death, but this man, because he continueth ever as an unchangeable priesthood. Unchangeable priesthood. Please let me say, my beloved, look, there's only one priesthood. Unchangeable priesthood. You think the Lord Jesus is going to turn his priestly work over to an angel, literal angel? Now, though we've seen in this angelic presentation, he's doing a priestly work that only he himself can do. Reverse twenty-five as we go down. And we read verse twenty-five. Wherefore, he is able also to save them to the very end, to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth, to make intercession for them. And what joy could realize the truth? Go to chapter nine and verse twenty-six, before we go back to Revelation. Notice verse twenty-six. My read verse twenty-five, the connection would be better. Not yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest enters into the holy place every year with a lot of others, for then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world. But now once in the end of the world, or the age is happy, appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. Go to the end of verse twenty-four, I didn't read that. Let's read verse twenty-four. For Christ did not enter into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true, but into heaven itself. Now to appear in the presence of God for us. Oh, beloved, please, go back to our chapter. I want you to recognize the implication and the meaning, not especially for you and for me. The verses we have covered do apply to us very definitely. But please remember, look with me in chapter five of the book of Revelation, of six, rather, and the fifth seal. Chapter five, let me read in verse nine. Chapter six, rather, verse nine. When he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, for the testimony which they held. They cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? Now here were the prayers, if you may recall, of the martyred saints of that period that is yet to come. Their prayers ascend to the throne of God through the virtue of the Lord Jesus, the great high priest. He had this efficacy at the altar there, and we thus recognize it, and we have seen, as we noticed, that the earthly saint prayed. And there have been many other saints in that period that follows that we'll pray to. But the joy of realizing who the priest is, Now please note, if you will, verse five in our chapter of eight chapter, and may I suggest to you, the prayers of those saints begins to be answered. We made the suggestion, and we must not forget it, the prayers of the saints, as we notice in chapter six, verse ten, they cry for vengeance. Not the Christian's prayer. Father forgives them. Remember, Stephen? when they persecuted and when they stoned him to death. Father, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. Just a Christian prayer. Just as the Lord Jesus said on the cross, Father, forgive them. They know not what they do. But now we come again on strong Jewish grounds. And we made mention of the fact that the Psalms, as many in predatory prayers, Prayers for vengeance. And after the rapture of the church, the saints upon the earth, the Jewish believers of that period, and even the Gentile believers of that period, they'll be persecuted. There'll be many of them put to death for their testimony and for the word of God. And to leave the vengeance and be cried for the vengeance upon them, What has been done to them, they cry for vengeance from God above. And remember what we saw in Luke chapter four, where the Lord Jesus closed the book. And then we went to Isaiah chapter sixty-one, and found where we closed it, he stopped right at the beginning of the next phrase, and the day of vengeance of our God. And beloved, this is the day of vengeance of God that we're studying. Now please note what happens when the angel takes his censor in verse five. The angel took the censor. He filled it with fire of the altar, undoubtedly fire from the brazen altar, and he cast it into the earth. Note your lesson, she. As we see the prayers of the saints begin to be answered by the fire of the altar being poured out, It typifies God's judgments in response to their prayers. Voices are heard, different forms of judgment to be visited upon the poor world. And know what we have in verse six, or rather verse five at the end of it. There were voices, there was thundering, there were lightning, and an earthquake. May I give this suggestion? As you think of the fire of the altar, The file of the altar was where the Lord Jesus in type. We know the Lord Jesus, it's typified, died for us upon the cross. He bore the judgment of our sin before the Holy God. And what joy it is for you and for me to realize that when we take Christ as our Savior, we believe he bore the judgment, all the judgment. And let me quote his words from John five, twenty-four. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, shall not come into judgment or condemnation, if passed from death unto life. We found life at that altar. We found life at that altar. When we came to Christ and believed, He bore the judgment upon his own soul and his own body upon the trees. Now let me give you this thought. What will it mean when God turns round and visits judgment upon all those who refuse to? Go with me to Second Thessalonians for just a moment. We made a reference to it. But let me turn to Second Thessalonians, please. Now I want you to realize, Second Thessalonians chapter two. Please note with me what God says in great detail in this second chapter. If I may begin reading, let me please begin reading in verse eight, for brevity's sake, regarding the revelation of that wicked Antichrist, then shall that wicked one be revealed whom the Lord shall destroy or consume with the spirit of his mouth and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming. Even him whose coming is after the working of Satan, with all power and signs and lying wonders. Please let me pause for just a moment. We may enter into such truth as this more deeply later on in our study. But don't forget when the church is taken out that devil is going to work harder than ever. And it's going to manifest, if I may point out to you, power, authority, signs, And the word sign, miracle, and wonders. Now, beloved, please let me say, and we should be very careful. Paul writing to the Corinthians said, the Jews require a sign and the Greeks with them. In John's Gospel, you have certain specific signs that the Lord gave to Israel to prove he was there Messiah. They were miracles. And may I give you this thought? Don't put it past Satan to perform a miracle. Don't put it past him. And may I say it earnestly, I'm afraid there's more people today that are gullible swallowing some of his miracles. God still can perform miracles, surely. But don't you forget, at the end of the age, what we're reading here after the rapture of the church, the power which Satan will be manifested by power, authority, and sign, and wonders. Now let's read on. With all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish. Now why do they perish? Because they receive not the love of the truth that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie. Can I say this? It hurts to say it. But I believe there's more people today on the earth believing lies. And may I go further, there's more lies being told to. Did you ever notice in the past World War, World War II? One of the great weapons that Hitler used was what? A lie. He wrote his book, Mind Come. He told what he was going to do. Nobody believed it. But he carried it out the best he could, till God turned it into defeat for him. But strange to say, we have it right here. Please know verse eleven. For this cause God shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie. Now here I very carefully point out. What we're telling in the book of the Revelation is that period. when God sent strong delusion upon the people of the earth. And that they believe the lie of the Antichrist. The lie of the wicked one in that day. Then you have in verse twelve. No, the reason. That they all might be that who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. Oh my beloved, let me say earnestly, we're living in days that you and I are singing what? The Bible being turned away from in every direction. Whether publicly or privately, the truth. Save the Lord Jesus in John, verse seventy. Thy word is truth. Sanctify them by the truth. Thy word is truth. And beloved, let me please say, how many people in this city study and love the truth of God the Bible? We can recognize judgment is coming upon them, because they believe not the truth. And that is the commentary. It will be the hand of God in retribution, because they believe not the truth of God. Go to first chapter in the same book of Second Thessalonians. Chapter one, please. There's another reference there. Please let me note very carefully with you the character of things upon the earth. Let me read in verse seven. And here, if I may so say, the Thessalonian believers were being unfortunately, partially taught that they were in the Great Tribulation. And Paul is writing to correct it. To you who are troubled in verse seven, rest with us. Relax. when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels? Now, no, inflaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power? Oh, may I say it earnestly again? Because they do not believe the gospel. Obeying up the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. And one can recognize. Can I just refer to it in this particular manner? You say, why such drastic judgment? Well, let me ask you. How long has God preached the gospel? How long has the spirit of God been on earth giving the gospel? Nine unto two thousand years. And here we are at the end of even the second millennium since the Lord Jesus died and started the spread of the gospel through his servant by the Holy Spirit. And be like, frankly, you know the greatest responsibility that the world has is what they do with Jesus. What they do with him. What they will do with him. And they're coming face to face. to be visited with the judgment of God because they rejected him and refused to obey the gospel. Do you remember our study in Romans? Let me mention a reference. You've got it at the beginning. When Paul begins to unfold what the gospel of God is, you've got it at the end of the book. It was given for the obedience of what? The nation. Please let me refer to it again. The greatest responsibility of the world, of the nations of the world, is to believe the gospel. The greatest responsibility of every man, woman, boy, and girl individually is to believe the gospel. More be to those who hear it, reject it, refuse it, and the coming of the Lord in judgment is to bring devastation and drastic judgment that will be banished forever. from the presence of his glory. All one can recognize, let me state again, it makes me realize a little bit, may I do it more, the responsibility of giving men and women the gospel. The gospel. The gospel. How did Christ die for our sins according to the scriptures? That he was buried, that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures. And our study in Romans All the joy as we had in the commencement of it, that first section, of God justifies a sinner who will only believe by faith that Jesus died for him, for her and save her. May I say this, God has made the way of salvation simple. It could be more simple. But you know, a lot of people fall over the simplicity of it. Like Nehemiah and the Leopard, you know, when he went down to Israel to see Elisha, the prophet, to cure him of his leprosy. And Elisha didn't even come out the house. Just sent a message to come and go down to Jordan and dip himself in seven times. Well, he got mad. Great man that I am. Go down to that dirty river Jordan and dip myself in seven times. Well, we've got cleaner rivers and better rivers than Damascus. Yeah, I thought. Yeah. Most people have their own thoughts about salvation. But they reject God's thoughts. And even his servant rebuked him and said, Master, if the prophet had told me to do some great thing, would you not have tried it? Why not try it, even though it may sound so simple? Well, he did. And you know it worked. He went down once, came up just rather than ever. He went down twice. He came up better still than no better. He went until the seventh time. He came up and his flesh was like a little child. Then he knew. Then he covered it just a piece of ground from his ribs. And he might worship the God who would heal him. So simple. God's way. God's artless, unencumbered plan of salvation. Only believe. Only those who believe and live. Oh, beloved, please let me say, the whole world is stumbling over the simplicity of the gospel. And all what judgment is coming because of their refusal. Now go back to our chapter in Revelation, if you please. Zion is really going fast. Please note the end of verse, in verse eight. Five, rather. No, with the fire of the... Now, what I want to emphasize is this. That altar that brings an altar speaks of the death of Christ. And may I add, the world crucified Christ. You remember at the cross what Pilate did? He wrote over the cross the inscription, this is Jesus, the king of the Jews. He wrote it in Greek. and Latin and Hebrew. He had the three prevailing languages of the world. Hebrew, the religious world of the Jews. Greek, the cultured world of the Gentiles. Latin, the civil world of the Roman Empire under its government of that day. May I say this? The world doesn't realize it, but it's going to be account for the crucifixion of Christ. And God's judgment is coming upon us. You know, God in His mercy, one would assume, naturally, one could say, if God permitted His Son to be crucified as He was, humiliated with degradation and shame and nickname, God's only begotten Son, the great Creator himself, If they were to do that to his son, should not the world be worldly, did we wipe down? No. God says, I'm going to give him two thousand years. I'm going to give him time to repent, to believe. And in the greatness of his heart of love, he sends the Holy Spirit to spread the gospel. Please let me say again, the symbolic meaning of what I want you to get is this. The fire is taken from the altar. The fire is taken from the altar. As much as to symbolize this world has rejected what my son did at the altar of Calvary. And because of that, they're going to have the fire of judgment upon them. Without any solution of salvation. For those that perish. Oh, beloved, it's a sad thing. But note something else. Not only the fire of the altar. As he casts it where? To the earth. Recognize where it's coming. To the earth. To the earth. And what it suggests without doubt. It's the foretaste. Or the forecast. Or what is to follow. The trumpet judgments in their character. The vile judgments in their character. They're all going to be. I'm the only one. on the earth, on the earth. Well, I can say with gratitude, and I'm sure you do too, I'm glad I won't be on the earth. Cast it to the earth. And then you have what is associated with all the judgment, voices, thundering, lightning, and an earthquake. Please, if I may not with you, as you have, I think it's in Chapter four, chapter four, please, of Revelation. Just for a moment, please note these words. Verse five, as we see the throne of God, please note verse five of chapter four, out of the throne proceed of lightning, thundering, voices, and there were seven lamps or torches of fire burning before the throne which are the seven spirits of God. In other words, when you look at the throne in the book of the Revelation, it's become a throne of judgment. We think of what we read in chapter four of the book of Hebrews. It's a throne of grace for you and me. In that day after the rapture, when the Lord comes, for the world it's going to be a throne of judgment. Please connect with it in this expression. Today... God's grace is being manifested. How now? Ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, thou that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich. For we are saved how? By grace, through faith, undeserved favor. As one has once said, by grace plus nothing. And it's the gift of God, not a workplace any man should boast. And, beloved, how sad to realize, as you have in this sixth verse, the Spirit of God will cooperate with the throne of God being a throne of judgment in that coming day. What a contrast. So let me please close by saying, before we get to the trumpet judgment, which we'll go into detail, God will be next week. Please let me say the silence in heaven. And the awesome thing that even those great angelic priests, the Lord Jesus, who is the priest of his people, he takes this golden sentiment, fills it with the fire of the grace and altar, and he pours it out on the earth. Can I just solemnly lead with you and with my own heart? This fact, He's going to pour out. Please note it. He pours it out. He doesn't dribble it out. There's never been a time in human history without God intervening occasionally in judgment with the nations. But God hasn't yet poured it all out. But the day is coming. And this will be the moment when thus the trumpet judgments are about to begin. It's going to be poured out. Oh, beloved, can I say it lovingly, earnestly, the dear world, the poor world hasn't yet seen how much God can be angry. But it's coming. Shall we pray? Oh, blessed Father, we bow in worship as we think of our Lord Jesus. We think of the dear old hymn that often we have sung in the past. Rock of ages cleft for me. Let me hide myself in thee. How precious is this to know we have a refuge from the storm of judgment that is yet to be poured out upon this world. Other refuge have I known times my helpless soul in thee. is the language of our hearts as we thank you, Lord Jesus. We've been to that altar. We've witnessed the Lamb sacrifice for us. We've said, he loved me and he gave himself for me. And from that blessed altar of sacrifice he gave us peace. He forgave us all our sin. He washed them all away by and in and with his precious blood. And we can say there is no condemnation to them who are in Christ, Jesus. Father, please help us to look carefully, deeply into thy truth. The world is going to have thy wrath torn out upon us. Not for us. We thank you for the joy of knowing thou hast appointed us unto salvation, not unto wrath. Lord, make us more appreciative. And we pray thy blessing. upon those who