The Word of God - A Survey of the Bible - Part Twenty-One - M Oct 04, 2020 by: John Herbert | Series: The Word of God - A Survey of the Bible Audio Study Notes PDF https://s3.amazonaws.com/cornerstonejax/sermonfiles/T005_20201004.mp3 Refresh A Recap from the Sermon Re 16:17 Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, “It is done!” Today we will look at the completion of the redemption of the inheritance. The full text of this message can be found by clicking the PDF button. Sunday October 4th 2020 The Word of God A Survey of the Bible – Lesson 21M The Remains of the Day 1). Re 19:1 After these things I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God! 2 For true and righteous are His judgments, because He has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication; and He has avenged on her the blood of His servants shed by her.” 3 Again they said, “Alleluia! Her smoke rises up forever and ever!” 4 And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sat on the throne, saying, “Amen! Alleluia!” 5 Then a voice came from the throne, saying, “Praise our God, all you His servants and those who fear Him, both small and great!” 6 And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! 7 Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready.” 8 And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. 9 Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’ ” And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.” Revelation Chapter 19 begins with a description of unparalleled rejoicing in heaven, with the word ‘Alleluia’ [Lit. Praise Jehovah] being used four times in the first 6 verses. The only place in the NT where this word appears. a). The excitement of this rejoicing is seen through the descriptive phrases, ‘a loud voice of a great multitude’, ‘a voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thundering’ and the actions of the 24 elders and the 4 living creatures. b). And no wonder of it, the great harlot, Israel, has now been judged and the blood of the Lord’s servants shed by her has been avenged. And these statements take us to the end of the tribulation, when the nation will cry out to the God of their fathers for deliverance, with repentance seen through ‘her smoke’ which ‘rises up forever and ever’. c). And in conjunction with Israel’s cry for deliverance at the end of Daniel’s 70th seven, the Bride of Christ, previously identified at the Judgment Seat in Chapters 2-3, appears again, this time in attendance at ‘the marriage supper of the Lamb’. The celebration in anticipation of the Bride becoming the Wife once the redemption of the inheritance is completed. A regal position with regards to a specific time, that she has made herself ready for through righteous acts of faithful obedience, good works, during the course of the Christian life; through being properly prepared as Ruth, having washed herself, anointed herself and put on her best garment. d). Also, the Father will have now given the Kingdom into the hands of His Son - Da 7: 13 “I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him. 14 Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed. And with all this in place, for the first time in 2000 years, the heavens will open, and Christ will come forth to set foot again upon the earth, to finish His dealings with Israel and the nations, and to take the Kingdom given to Him from the hands of Satan and the beast – Re 19:11 Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. 12 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. 13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. 15 Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. At the beginning of Chapter 6 of the Revelation, a rider had come forth on the earth riding a white horse and wearing a ‘stephanos’ crown. Here in Chapter 19 a rider comes forth from heaven, also riding a white horse with ‘many crowns’ on His head – ‘diadema’, crowns denoting the ruler of the Kingdom now given into His hands by His Father. e). The ‘many crowns’ are most likely those cast down by the 24 elders back in Revelation Chapter 4, the crowns that will ultimately be worn by overcoming Christians during the Millennial Kingdom. f). During His Kingdom reign, Christ will wear the crown presently being worn by Satan, a crown that will still be on Satan’s head when Christ returns, even though the Kingdom will no longer be his. g). Christ will take this crown from him, just as God had said to the serpent in the Garden – Ge 3:15…..He shall bruise your head…. And Christ will then give the ‘many crowns’ He is seen wearing, along with the crowns taken from the fallen angels, and give them to His co-heirs as they rule with Him in the 7th Day. h). In the verses from Revelation Chapter 19 the Lord is seen returning to the earth with ‘the armies of heaven’ – Joe 2:11 The LORD gives voice before His army, For His camp is very great; For strong is the One who executes His word. For the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; Who can endure it? The armies returning with Him are a host of angels, the same angels who will bring Israel out of the nations in fulfillment of the Feast of Trumpets Mt 24:29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. And as we have seen in previous studies, both Moses and Elijah will also accompany Christ and the armies of heaven as they return. i). Christ’s Bride, awaiting the conclusion of the redemption of the inheritance will, as Asenath, during the time that Joseph dealt with his brothers remain in a ‘different’ part of the palace, will remain in the New Jerusalem. j). Then, in the same way that Moses was reunited with his wife, Zipporah, following his dealing with Israel and the destruction of the power of Egypt in the Red Sea – Ex 18:5 and Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness, where he was encamped at the mountain of God. So, Christ will be reunited with those who will now be His Wife, following His dealings with Israel and the nations and the destruction of Gentile world power. 2). And as we had seen last time, Christ’s return to the earth with Moses and Elijah and the armies of heaven is in conjunction with the opening of the 6th seal on the 7-sealed scroll, where the combined effect of the opening of these 6 seals shows the kingdom of the beast to be in total disarray – Re 6:12 I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. 13 And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind. 14 Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. 15 And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, 16 and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?” And let’s remember that we are now at the end of the tribulation and the end of Man’s Day, at the beginning of the 75 days seen in Daniel Chapter 12 – the day of the Lord, ‘the great day of His wrath’. a). We are at the period of time foreshadowed in Moses’ return to Egypt, with the 10 plagues then visited upon the kingdom of the Assyrian Pharaoh prior to Israel’s deliverance – Ex 10:7 Then Pharaoh's servants said to him, “How long shall this man be a snare to us? Let the men go, that they may serve the LORD their God. Do you not yet know that Egypt is destroyed?” The antitype of the 10 plagues, that which will bring complete destruction on the kingdom of the future Assyrian, the beast, is seen in the opening of the 7th seal on the 7-sealed scroll and the judgments unleashed through its opening, given through the sounding of the 7 trumpets and the pouring out of the 7 bowls. God’s wrath poured out in full – Re 8:1 When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. 2 And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets. 3 Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. 4 And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel's hand. 5 Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth. And there were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake. 6 So the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound. Following the end of the Book of Malachi where ‘the great and dreadful Day of the Lord’ was prophesied, there were 400 years of silence and in Revelation Chapter 8 there is another period of silence as this prophecy is about to be fulfilled. This will be the time when, He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God Isa 63:1 Who is this who comes from Edom, With dyed garments from Bozrah, This One who is glorious in His apparel, Traveling in the greatness of His strength?— “I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save.” 2 Why is Your apparel red, And Your garments like one who treads in the winepress? 3 “I have trodden the winepress alone, And from the peoples no one was with Me. For I have trodden them in My anger, And trampled them in My fury; Their blood is sprinkled upon My garments, And I have stained all My robes. 4 For the day of vengeance is in My heart, And the year of My redeemed has come. 5 I looked, but there was no one to help, And I wondered That there was no one to uphold; Therefore My own arm brought salvation for Me; And My own fury, it sustained Me. 6 I have trodden down the peoples in My anger, Made them drunk in My fury, And brought down their strength to the earth.” 2). In the Book of Exodus, following the 10 plagues and Israel’s subsequent deliverance from Egypt, the Assyrian Pharaoh then pursued the Jewish people in one last attempt to destroy them by the power of his military might. And this is exactly what will be seen in that future day after Israel has been removed from the Gentile nations and taken back into the land. a). In one final attempt to destroy the Jews and their Messiah, the beast will bring his armies against them at Jerusalem. And the gathering of his armies is seen in connection with the sounding of the 6th trumpet and the corresponding pouring out of the 6th bowl – Re 9:13 Then the sixth angel sounded: And I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, 14 saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” 15 So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released to kill a third of mankind. 16 Now the number of the army of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them. Re 16:12 Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared. 13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. 15 “Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.” 16 And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon. As the beast and his army move upon the holy city, upon restored Israel and upon their Messiah, let’s not forget what has previously been prophesied – Ge 4:15 And the LORD said to him, “Therefore, whoever kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.” And the LORD set a mark on Cain, lest anyone finding him should kill him. Ge 12:3 I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; Jer 46:28 Do not fear, O Jacob My servant,” says the LORD, “For I am with you; For I will make a complete end of all the nations To which I have driven you, But I will not make a complete end of you. Zec 1:14 So the angel who spoke with me said to me, “Proclaim, saying, “Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘I am zealous for Jerusalem And for Zion with great zeal. 15 I am exceedingly angry with the nations at ease; For I was a little angry, And they helped—but with evil intent.” Ob 1:12 “But you should not have gazed on the day of your brother In the day of his captivity; Nor should you have rejoiced over the children of Judah In the day of their destruction; Nor should you have spoken proudly In the day of distress. 13 You should not have entered the gate of My people In the day of their calamity. Indeed, you should not have gazed on their affliction In the day of their calamity, Nor laid hands on their substance In the day of their calamity. 14 You should not have stood at the crossroads To cut off those among them who escaped; Nor should you have delivered up those among them who remained In the day of distress. 15 “For the day of the LORD upon all the nations is near; As you have done, it shall be done to you; Your reprisal shall return upon your own head. And it is the destruction of Gentile world power, the armies of the beast gathered together at ‘Armageddon’, that is graphically portrayed at the end of Revelation Chapter 19 – Re 19:17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, “Come and gather together for the great supper of God, 18 that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great.” 19 And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. 20 Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. 21 And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh. We can find more details concerning this destruction in – Re 14:17 Then another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. 18 And another angel came out from the altar, who had power over fire, and he cried with a loud cry to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, “Thrust in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripe.” 19 So the angel thrust his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth, and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. 20 And the winepress was trampled outside the city, and blood came out of the winepress, up to the horses’ bridles, for one thousand six hundred furlongs. The destruction of Gentile world power, in the antitype of Egypt destroyed in the Red Sea, brings the conclusion of God’s judgment, witnessed through the pouring out of the7th bowl – Re 16:17 Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, “It is done!” The word translated ‘it is done’ shows that which has been completed in time past that continues in its completed state into time future. And what has been completed at this point is not just the destruction of Gentile world power and the restoration of the Jewish people, but also the redemption of the inheritance, the transference of power along with the taking of Satan’s crown. The kingdom of this world has become the Kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ. b). This is the moment when the Bride becomes Christ’s Wife, and then, on the earth, following this, there will be wedding festivities to mark Israel’s marriage to Jehovah, foreshadowed by the wedding in Cana of Galilee. That which God declared in the beginning is about to become a reality – Ge 1:26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion………… Jn 2:1 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. And it is this scene of completion which is portrayed in – Re 10:1 I saw still another mighty angel coming down from heaven, clothed with a cloud. And a rainbow was on his head, his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire. 2 He had a little book [scroll] open in his hand. And he set his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, 3 and cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roars. When he cried out, seven thunders uttered their voices. 4 Now when the seven thunders uttered their voices, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Seal up the things which the seven thunders uttered, and do not write them.” 5 The angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised up his hand to heaven 6 and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and the things that are in it, the earth and the things that are in it, and the sea and the things that are in it, that there should be delay [time] no longer, 7 but in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of God would be finished, as He declared to His servants the prophets. The mighty angel described here, has a rainbow on his head, a symbol of judgment having been completed, a symbol that we will be familiar with from the description of God’s throne in Revelation Chapter 4 and first seen in connection with the end of the flood of Noah. The angel is said to have a face ‘like the sun’ because the sun is used in Revelation as a symbol of supreme governmental authority. This same symbol we have already seen today in connection with another angel in Revelation 19:17, and previously with the Woman in Revelation Chapter 12. c). The ‘little book open in his hand’ is the 7-sealed scroll which contained the terms of the redemption of the inheritance, showing that all the seals have now been opened, the redemption is complete, and the Kingdom is now in the hands of the Son. The angel having his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land demonstrates that all, Israel and the nations are now under the Son’s sovereign control. d). As the mighty angel lifts his hand, presumably his right hand, to heaven to show that the scroll is completely open, he swears by Him who lives forever that there should be ‘time’ no longer. e). And the time that will be no longer is the time relating to the redemption of the inheritance, all of the 6000 years and the 75 days that follow, bringing us to the time of the Lord’s Day, the 1000 years of the Kingdom Age, which will not be in subjection to angels. f). And with the completion of this time in relation to the redemption of the inheritance, ‘the mystery of God would be finished, as He declared to His servants the prophets’. g). That contained in the OT Scriptures concerning the Christ and His Kingdom, will be a ‘mystery’ no longer, but will have been fully opened. The stated subject matter of the Book of Revelation will have been accomplished – Re 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants And in the revealing of the Son is the revealing of the Father – Jn 14:8 Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father….. And the long-awaited Millennial Kingdom foreshadowed in the opening Chapter of Genesis can begin, with God’s 3 firstborn sons, the only begotten Firstborn Son, Israel and overcoming Christians, ruling the earth with a rod of iron for 1000 years. Re 2:25 But hold fast what you have till I come. 26 And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations—27 ‘He shall rule them with a rod of iron; They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter's vessels’—as I also have received from My Father; 28 and I will give him the morning star. 29 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” ’ Don’t miss it. More next time – If the Lord is willing. The Word of God - A Survey of the Bible - Part Twenty-One - M Oct 04, 2020 Speaker: John Herbert Series: The Word of God - A Survey of the Bible Category: Sunday Morning https://s3.amazonaws.com/cornerstonejax/sermonfiles/T005_20201004.mp3 Download Audio x
Refresh A Recap from the Sermon Re 16:17 Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, “It is done!” Today we will look at the completion of the redemption of the inheritance. The full text of this message can be found by clicking the PDF button. Sunday October 4th 2020 The Word of God A Survey of the Bible – Lesson 21M The Remains of the Day 1). Re 19:1 After these things I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God! 2 For true and righteous are His judgments, because He has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication; and He has avenged on her the blood of His servants shed by her.” 3 Again they said, “Alleluia! Her smoke rises up forever and ever!” 4 And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sat on the throne, saying, “Amen! Alleluia!” 5 Then a voice came from the throne, saying, “Praise our God, all you His servants and those who fear Him, both small and great!” 6 And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! 7 Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready.” 8 And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. 9 Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’ ” And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.” Revelation Chapter 19 begins with a description of unparalleled rejoicing in heaven, with the word ‘Alleluia’ [Lit. Praise Jehovah] being used four times in the first 6 verses. The only place in the NT where this word appears. a). The excitement of this rejoicing is seen through the descriptive phrases, ‘a loud voice of a great multitude’, ‘a voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thundering’ and the actions of the 24 elders and the 4 living creatures. b). And no wonder of it, the great harlot, Israel, has now been judged and the blood of the Lord’s servants shed by her has been avenged. And these statements take us to the end of the tribulation, when the nation will cry out to the God of their fathers for deliverance, with repentance seen through ‘her smoke’ which ‘rises up forever and ever’. c). And in conjunction with Israel’s cry for deliverance at the end of Daniel’s 70th seven, the Bride of Christ, previously identified at the Judgment Seat in Chapters 2-3, appears again, this time in attendance at ‘the marriage supper of the Lamb’. The celebration in anticipation of the Bride becoming the Wife once the redemption of the inheritance is completed. A regal position with regards to a specific time, that she has made herself ready for through righteous acts of faithful obedience, good works, during the course of the Christian life; through being properly prepared as Ruth, having washed herself, anointed herself and put on her best garment. d). Also, the Father will have now given the Kingdom into the hands of His Son - Da 7: 13 “I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him. 14 Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed. And with all this in place, for the first time in 2000 years, the heavens will open, and Christ will come forth to set foot again upon the earth, to finish His dealings with Israel and the nations, and to take the Kingdom given to Him from the hands of Satan and the beast – Re 19:11 Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. 12 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. 13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. 15 Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. At the beginning of Chapter 6 of the Revelation, a rider had come forth on the earth riding a white horse and wearing a ‘stephanos’ crown. Here in Chapter 19 a rider comes forth from heaven, also riding a white horse with ‘many crowns’ on His head – ‘diadema’, crowns denoting the ruler of the Kingdom now given into His hands by His Father. e). The ‘many crowns’ are most likely those cast down by the 24 elders back in Revelation Chapter 4, the crowns that will ultimately be worn by overcoming Christians during the Millennial Kingdom. f). During His Kingdom reign, Christ will wear the crown presently being worn by Satan, a crown that will still be on Satan’s head when Christ returns, even though the Kingdom will no longer be his. g). Christ will take this crown from him, just as God had said to the serpent in the Garden – Ge 3:15…..He shall bruise your head…. And Christ will then give the ‘many crowns’ He is seen wearing, along with the crowns taken from the fallen angels, and give them to His co-heirs as they rule with Him in the 7th Day. h). In the verses from Revelation Chapter 19 the Lord is seen returning to the earth with ‘the armies of heaven’ – Joe 2:11 The LORD gives voice before His army, For His camp is very great; For strong is the One who executes His word. For the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; Who can endure it? The armies returning with Him are a host of angels, the same angels who will bring Israel out of the nations in fulfillment of the Feast of Trumpets Mt 24:29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. And as we have seen in previous studies, both Moses and Elijah will also accompany Christ and the armies of heaven as they return. i). Christ’s Bride, awaiting the conclusion of the redemption of the inheritance will, as Asenath, during the time that Joseph dealt with his brothers remain in a ‘different’ part of the palace, will remain in the New Jerusalem. j). Then, in the same way that Moses was reunited with his wife, Zipporah, following his dealing with Israel and the destruction of the power of Egypt in the Red Sea – Ex 18:5 and Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness, where he was encamped at the mountain of God. So, Christ will be reunited with those who will now be His Wife, following His dealings with Israel and the nations and the destruction of Gentile world power. 2). And as we had seen last time, Christ’s return to the earth with Moses and Elijah and the armies of heaven is in conjunction with the opening of the 6th seal on the 7-sealed scroll, where the combined effect of the opening of these 6 seals shows the kingdom of the beast to be in total disarray – Re 6:12 I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. 13 And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind. 14 Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. 15 And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, 16 and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?” And let’s remember that we are now at the end of the tribulation and the end of Man’s Day, at the beginning of the 75 days seen in Daniel Chapter 12 – the day of the Lord, ‘the great day of His wrath’. a). We are at the period of time foreshadowed in Moses’ return to Egypt, with the 10 plagues then visited upon the kingdom of the Assyrian Pharaoh prior to Israel’s deliverance – Ex 10:7 Then Pharaoh's servants said to him, “How long shall this man be a snare to us? Let the men go, that they may serve the LORD their God. Do you not yet know that Egypt is destroyed?” The antitype of the 10 plagues, that which will bring complete destruction on the kingdom of the future Assyrian, the beast, is seen in the opening of the 7th seal on the 7-sealed scroll and the judgments unleashed through its opening, given through the sounding of the 7 trumpets and the pouring out of the 7 bowls. God’s wrath poured out in full – Re 8:1 When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. 2 And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets. 3 Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. 4 And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel's hand. 5 Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth. And there were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake. 6 So the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound. Following the end of the Book of Malachi where ‘the great and dreadful Day of the Lord’ was prophesied, there were 400 years of silence and in Revelation Chapter 8 there is another period of silence as this prophecy is about to be fulfilled. This will be the time when, He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God Isa 63:1 Who is this who comes from Edom, With dyed garments from Bozrah, This One who is glorious in His apparel, Traveling in the greatness of His strength?— “I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save.” 2 Why is Your apparel red, And Your garments like one who treads in the winepress? 3 “I have trodden the winepress alone, And from the peoples no one was with Me. For I have trodden them in My anger, And trampled them in My fury; Their blood is sprinkled upon My garments, And I have stained all My robes. 4 For the day of vengeance is in My heart, And the year of My redeemed has come. 5 I looked, but there was no one to help, And I wondered That there was no one to uphold; Therefore My own arm brought salvation for Me; And My own fury, it sustained Me. 6 I have trodden down the peoples in My anger, Made them drunk in My fury, And brought down their strength to the earth.” 2). In the Book of Exodus, following the 10 plagues and Israel’s subsequent deliverance from Egypt, the Assyrian Pharaoh then pursued the Jewish people in one last attempt to destroy them by the power of his military might. And this is exactly what will be seen in that future day after Israel has been removed from the Gentile nations and taken back into the land. a). In one final attempt to destroy the Jews and their Messiah, the beast will bring his armies against them at Jerusalem. And the gathering of his armies is seen in connection with the sounding of the 6th trumpet and the corresponding pouring out of the 6th bowl – Re 9:13 Then the sixth angel sounded: And I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, 14 saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” 15 So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released to kill a third of mankind. 16 Now the number of the army of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them. Re 16:12 Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared. 13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. 15 “Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.” 16 And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon. As the beast and his army move upon the holy city, upon restored Israel and upon their Messiah, let’s not forget what has previously been prophesied – Ge 4:15 And the LORD said to him, “Therefore, whoever kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.” And the LORD set a mark on Cain, lest anyone finding him should kill him. Ge 12:3 I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; Jer 46:28 Do not fear, O Jacob My servant,” says the LORD, “For I am with you; For I will make a complete end of all the nations To which I have driven you, But I will not make a complete end of you. Zec 1:14 So the angel who spoke with me said to me, “Proclaim, saying, “Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘I am zealous for Jerusalem And for Zion with great zeal. 15 I am exceedingly angry with the nations at ease; For I was a little angry, And they helped—but with evil intent.” Ob 1:12 “But you should not have gazed on the day of your brother In the day of his captivity; Nor should you have rejoiced over the children of Judah In the day of their destruction; Nor should you have spoken proudly In the day of distress. 13 You should not have entered the gate of My people In the day of their calamity. Indeed, you should not have gazed on their affliction In the day of their calamity, Nor laid hands on their substance In the day of their calamity. 14 You should not have stood at the crossroads To cut off those among them who escaped; Nor should you have delivered up those among them who remained In the day of distress. 15 “For the day of the LORD upon all the nations is near; As you have done, it shall be done to you; Your reprisal shall return upon your own head. And it is the destruction of Gentile world power, the armies of the beast gathered together at ‘Armageddon’, that is graphically portrayed at the end of Revelation Chapter 19 – Re 19:17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, “Come and gather together for the great supper of God, 18 that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great.” 19 And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. 20 Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. 21 And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh. We can find more details concerning this destruction in – Re 14:17 Then another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. 18 And another angel came out from the altar, who had power over fire, and he cried with a loud cry to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, “Thrust in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripe.” 19 So the angel thrust his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth, and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. 20 And the winepress was trampled outside the city, and blood came out of the winepress, up to the horses’ bridles, for one thousand six hundred furlongs. The destruction of Gentile world power, in the antitype of Egypt destroyed in the Red Sea, brings the conclusion of God’s judgment, witnessed through the pouring out of the7th bowl – Re 16:17 Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, “It is done!” The word translated ‘it is done’ shows that which has been completed in time past that continues in its completed state into time future. And what has been completed at this point is not just the destruction of Gentile world power and the restoration of the Jewish people, but also the redemption of the inheritance, the transference of power along with the taking of Satan’s crown. The kingdom of this world has become the Kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ. b). This is the moment when the Bride becomes Christ’s Wife, and then, on the earth, following this, there will be wedding festivities to mark Israel’s marriage to Jehovah, foreshadowed by the wedding in Cana of Galilee. That which God declared in the beginning is about to become a reality – Ge 1:26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion………… Jn 2:1 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. And it is this scene of completion which is portrayed in – Re 10:1 I saw still another mighty angel coming down from heaven, clothed with a cloud. And a rainbow was on his head, his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire. 2 He had a little book [scroll] open in his hand. And he set his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, 3 and cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roars. When he cried out, seven thunders uttered their voices. 4 Now when the seven thunders uttered their voices, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Seal up the things which the seven thunders uttered, and do not write them.” 5 The angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised up his hand to heaven 6 and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and the things that are in it, the earth and the things that are in it, and the sea and the things that are in it, that there should be delay [time] no longer, 7 but in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of God would be finished, as He declared to His servants the prophets. The mighty angel described here, has a rainbow on his head, a symbol of judgment having been completed, a symbol that we will be familiar with from the description of God’s throne in Revelation Chapter 4 and first seen in connection with the end of the flood of Noah. The angel is said to have a face ‘like the sun’ because the sun is used in Revelation as a symbol of supreme governmental authority. This same symbol we have already seen today in connection with another angel in Revelation 19:17, and previously with the Woman in Revelation Chapter 12. c). The ‘little book open in his hand’ is the 7-sealed scroll which contained the terms of the redemption of the inheritance, showing that all the seals have now been opened, the redemption is complete, and the Kingdom is now in the hands of the Son. The angel having his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land demonstrates that all, Israel and the nations are now under the Son’s sovereign control. d). As the mighty angel lifts his hand, presumably his right hand, to heaven to show that the scroll is completely open, he swears by Him who lives forever that there should be ‘time’ no longer. e). And the time that will be no longer is the time relating to the redemption of the inheritance, all of the 6000 years and the 75 days that follow, bringing us to the time of the Lord’s Day, the 1000 years of the Kingdom Age, which will not be in subjection to angels. f). And with the completion of this time in relation to the redemption of the inheritance, ‘the mystery of God would be finished, as He declared to His servants the prophets’. g). That contained in the OT Scriptures concerning the Christ and His Kingdom, will be a ‘mystery’ no longer, but will have been fully opened. The stated subject matter of the Book of Revelation will have been accomplished – Re 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants And in the revealing of the Son is the revealing of the Father – Jn 14:8 Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father….. And the long-awaited Millennial Kingdom foreshadowed in the opening Chapter of Genesis can begin, with God’s 3 firstborn sons, the only begotten Firstborn Son, Israel and overcoming Christians, ruling the earth with a rod of iron for 1000 years. Re 2:25 But hold fast what you have till I come. 26 And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations—27 ‘He shall rule them with a rod of iron; They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter's vessels’—as I also have received from My Father; 28 and I will give him the morning star. 29 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” ’ Don’t miss it. More next time – If the Lord is willing.