Countdown to Judgement Part 2
Sermon on 2025-07-20
Delivered by Pastor Barry Forder
(1st draft)
See 2nd half of this document for text-with-times-in-audio)

We are in a little mini-series looking at the theme Countdown to Judgment. As I said last week, I thought something nice and light for the summer, just to cheer you. We are soon going to be moving into, or continuing, a study in the book of Daniel. Mark's going to be taking us through that throughout August. After that, we're going to be moving into a verse-by-verse study of the book of Ezekiel. Both incredible prophets, prophesying at an astonishing time in history, where so many prophecies were being fulfilled, where we see the effects of God pouring his judgment out upon a people that had largely rejected him, Israel at that time. Israel were taken captive to Babylon. Daniel was taken first, and Ezekiel was then taken a little while later. But we see this pattern throughout history, where God brings judgment. On his own people. And we're going to see this amplified in the things that we're going to share and talk about more this morning. We said last week that judgment, the theme of judgment, occurs over 300 times in the Bible. And over 100 times, it points to a specific season of judgment. Not just a generic kind of thing, but a very specific period of time. It's referenced 25 times as the day of the Lord. We understand, because of prophecies that Daniel gives, that this period of time will be a period of seven years. It's a period of time that is coming soon. We don't know when, but the countdown is already in progress. Isaiah, and we looked at these scriptures last week, speaks about this time of tribulation that is coming. Jesus spoke much about it in Matthew 24. And Luke and John and so on also all record the details. It's a time of God's wrath and judgment being poured out on a wicked, unbelieving, and Christ-rejecting world. Now, in the sense we can understand, we looked at this last week, that question, why do the wicked prosper? Well, God is going to deal with it. There's going to come a time the wickedness that we see so prevalent in the world today will be addressed. And so much so that in the book of Revelation, there's a moment where an angel steps in to remind us that God is just. Because it's going to get to the point that almost people will be going, well, isn't this a bit too harsh because of what's going to happen? And an angel steps in to remind us actually God is just in doing this. Because of all the blood of those that have professed Christ that have been shed. All the innocent lives, all those unborn babies that have been killed in the womb. And so many other things. And you realize that... That God is absolutely just in bringing this judgment on this world. We're told that it's going to be ushered in by these labor pains. There's going to be wars, rumors of wars, earthquakes, famines, pestilence. All of these things that Jesus spoke of, we're going to see. We're starting to see already. And we said last week, the specific reference that Jesus quotes. Jesus doesn't just throw out some random things. He's actually quoting verses from the Old Testament when he says that. The wars and the rumors of wars. Specifically, they're quotes from the book of Isaiah. And it's referencing wars and rumors of wars with Israel and the surrounding nations. And that's what we're seeing. For how many years now have we seen the Middle East in turmoil? You know, we're seeing, again, Syria and the problems there on the news over the last 24 hours or so. But this is nothing new to us. We're so used to it. We've almost become hardened to the fact that this is going on. And yet the Bible said this would happen. But then we noted last week that this season of judgment that we're entering into, which will culminate in a seven-year period, is going to begin with the church. And this is what Peter says. He says, He says, He says, He says, He says, And he asks the question. He says, And if it begins at us, what shall be the end of them that obey not the gospel? In other words, if God's going to start this season of judgment with the church, what's it going to be like for everyone else? God is a just God. And we'll bring this judgment. We can paraphrase that and say, For the specific season of judgment will commence at the house of God or the church. And last week we asked two questions. Why will it come? And when will it come? The why, as we saw, last week from the scriptures we looked at, is because of apostasy. Just as it was with Israel. Many had moved away from worshipping God. And they turned to worshipping idols and so on. And it's the same in the church. This is why this season of judgment is going to begin. God's going to put his own house in order, as it were. And judgment is going to come on the apostate church. The when will it come question. Well, Matthew 13 makes it very clear that as we approach the church, as we approach the end, the Bible speaks about this time of harvest. When there's going to be this separation. If you like, it's in the final church age. Well, what do we mean by that? We'll explain more in a moment. Matthew 13, verse 30. Jesus said, Let both, that's the wheat and the tares, the true church and the apostate church, that look identical on the surface. Most people could go into most churches and not realize the difference. And yet, the scripture is very clear. There is a difference. And Jesus repeatedly said, Many will be deceived. Many. 

And the disciples, when Jesus gives his parable, says, well, shouldn't we just go and pluck up the tares? And he says, no, no, no. Let them grow together. So that you don't damage the true wheat. Let them grow together until. It's one of those really important untils. I keep mentioning this word until. When you see an until in the Bible, make a note of it. It's important. Let them grow together until the harvest. And in the time of the harvest, I will say to the reapers, gather you together first. That's really important. First, the tares are going to be gathered together into bundles. They're going to form groups. It's going to be identified. The true church is going to be ostracized. We're going to be separated from the rest of them, the tares. There's going to be a much clearer distinction and we are beginning to see it. We saw it with COVID. What a division we started seeing. 

We see it with so many other things. We're seeing it right now with the situation with Israel. There are many churches that are pro-Palestinian. 

The first question I'd like to ask is, what do you mean when you say Palestinian? 

The Palestinian Post, was a Jewish newspaper. The Palestinian Orchestra was a Jewish orchestra. Palestine is a name that was given to the land, not a people group, but to the land by Emperor Hadrian. Because he hated Israel, hated the Jews. And so he renamed the land after their long-term enemies, the Philistines. That's where Palestine comes from. There has never ever been a Palestinian people. It's a media industry. It's a reinvented myth that everybody's fallen for. And we keep hearing this story. This is news. And the other thing that riles me at the moment, every time we see these headlines on the TV, it's saying the Israel-Gaza war. No, Israel-Hamas. Israel are fighting a terrorist group that even our government acknowledges is a terrorist group. 

And yet for some reason, unlike it was with al-Qaeda, and unlike it was with ISIS, Israel is being left to fight this group on its own with maybe some support from some of the governments in the world. But they're not actively getting involved. 

Every other terror organization has been an international effort to dismantle them. 

Anyway, these things are causing division, even within churches. There are many Christians that are getting very emotive about these things, and saying that Israel are wrong, and they shouldn't be doing this, and so on. And it is causing division. We're seeing exactly what Matthew records for us, that Jesus said. So, two questions. I want to go back to that thing I mentioned a moment ago. What do we mean by the final church age? Well, in a sense, it's kind of obvious from the statement, but we'll explore that in a moment. 

And the other question is, well, what happens to the true church? The wheat. That Jesus refers to. That Jesus says will be gathered together into his barn. What does that mean? We'll explore that a little bit. Just cast your minds back to the book of Genesis. One day, Abraham is having a sit-down, and he sees these men approaching from a distance, and he makes a meal for them. And two of the men go off, and we understand from the account that these are angelic beings, and they go off to, deal with the problem in Sodom and Gomorrah. Now, of course, Abraham had a nephew, Lot, who was living there. And so Abraham takes it upon himself to talk to God, quite boldly. The Jews call it chutzpah. And he kind of asks God this question, well, are you going to destroy the city? Let me just read to you, verse 23 of Genesis 18. And Abraham drew near and said, will that also destroy the righteous with the wicked? See, what Abraham was saying is, my nephew Lot and his family are there. Would you destroy them as well as the wicked that are there? And Abraham says, peradventure, there'd be, let's say, 50 righteous within the city. Will that also destroy and not spare the place for the 50 righteous that are therein? And before God responds, Abraham says, that'd be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked, and that the righteous should be as the wicked. That'd be far from thee. Shall not the judge of all the earth do right? And Abraham was absolutely correct in his statement. That the judge of all the earth, God himself, must and will do that which is right. And God will not slay the righteous with the wicked. Understand that the time of tribulation that is coming upon the earth is a time of judgment from God. If the church were to endure that time, then it makes a mockery of the cross. This isn't a little side issue. It's really important because Jesus paid for all of our sin on the cross. All of it. He claimed, he shouted out, to tell us that I paid in full. And so, if then we are to be judged again as God pours his wrath on this earth, what was the point of the cross? No, no, everything has been paid for. And this is a really important principle that we see back in Genesis, that God does not and will not judge the righteous along with the wicked. God always removes the righteous and then his judgment falls upon the wicked. Notice what Isaiah says. Come, my people. Enter thou into thy chambers and shut thy doors about thee. Hide thyself, as it were, for a little moment until, there's another one of those untils, the indignation be overpassed. Indignation is a strong word, but you get the picture here. This is speaking of this time of coming tribulation that we've been mentioning. Verse 21, It says, Behold, the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquities. No mistaking what's being referenced here. The earth also shall disclose her blood and shall no more cover her slain. But notice this promise to those that are referenced, referred to here as my people. There's a promise to be hidden while God brings this judgment. 

One of many scriptures. Zephaniah chapter two. I'm sure you're all very familiar with the book of Zephaniah. I'm sure when you get to heaven, you're going to go up to Zephaniah and go, Zephaniah, great to meet you, great book. I hope you're going to say that to him. 

Chapter two, verse three, we read this. Seek ye the Lord, all you meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment. Seek righteousness, seek meekness. It may be you shall be hid in the day of the Lord's anger. Another reference to this time of coming judgment. And once again, look at the promise. That we can be hid in the day of the Lord's anger. Who's this promise to? The meek of the earth. Well, let me ask the question. Who are the meek of the earth? Well, we don't have to look too far to find the answer. Jesus said that the meek are the ones who are going to inherit the earth in Matthew 5, verse 5. Who is it that inherits the earth from scripture? The church. Many scriptures tell us that we will inherit these things. That we will rule and reign on the earth with Christ. Thus, this promise to be hid in the day of the Lord's anger is a promise to the church because we are counted amongst the meek of the earth. It's a promise to the church, by the way, is for the Jews and the Gentiles. All become one in Christ. 

And in the New Testament, Jesus speaking to the disciples in Luke 21, picking up verse 34, Jesus says, And take heed to yourself, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with serviting and drunkenness and the cares of this life, and so that that day come upon you unawares. Jesus tells us we should have our eyes up and be looking. 

For as a snare, it shall come upon all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. And Jesus couldn't make any clearer. He says, Watch you therefore, and pray always. Notice what he says, that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass and to stand before the Son of Man. Many scriptures, many promises, that the righteous will be removed before God brings his wrath. 

You see, we see that scripture clearly indicates that the true church, the wheat, the meek, the righteous, however you want to describe us, are promised a way of escaping, being removed from this coming judgment. But I want to go back and just address this question, first of all. What do we mean by the final church age? Well, to understand that, we need to turn to the book of Revelation. The book of Revelation, it's not Revelations, please don't ever say that. It's the revelation, it's the unveiling of Jesus Christ. John the Apostle walked with Jesus as a disciple. He sat, he listened, they laughed, they ate together. And yet on the Isle of Patmos, as John, receives these things and records them for us, John becomes as dead. He is so overwhelmed as he sees Jesus in a way that he'd never seen before. And the book of Revelation helps to do that. It gives us a picture of Christ as the coming, conquering king in all of his majesty and glory. We're told in the book of Revelation, the very first chapter, what John was to do. And John is told, write the things which thou has seen, and that's the vision that we see in the first chapter, the things which are and the things which shall be hereafter. So we're actually given a divinely inspired outline for the book. A lot of people say the book of Revelation is too hard to understand, it's too hard to read. No, it's not. Jesus gave the book of Revelation so that we would know, so that we would understand. 

The things that John had seen, as I say, chapter one. The things which are, they were the things that existed at the time that John was there. That's dealt with in chapters two and three. And then the things which shall be after these things. There's a Greek word, metatauta, it means after these things. It occurs a number of times in the book. Almost acts as a division of these sections. And from chapter four through chapter 22, all the things that are going to happen afterwards that John is to record for us. And John is told specifically, write that thou seest, also what thou seest, write it about, because sent unto the seven churches which are in Asia. Now, just first of all, let me make a point that there are way more than seven churches that existed in Asia at that time. 

But seven, as you probably know from scripture, always denotes complete. Doesn't necessarily mean perfect, but it's complete. Seven always references something that is complete. So there's a complete picture, being given to us here. 

Why these seven? Why not the church at Antioch? Why not the church at Jerusalem? Well, we're told the specific churches are the church of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Silas, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. Jesus, for his particular reason, handpicks seven of the churches to teach us something. They are in the area today, that we know as Turkey. So you're familiar, of course, this is the Mediterranean Sea. This is Rome and Italy down there. We come across to Greece. And then across here, across the GNC, you have Turkey, as we now know it. And these seven churches in this geographical region here, on the north coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Just looking a little closer at them, you notice they're grouped quite closely together. As we go through these and look at them, and by the way, when we talked through this in Revelation, we spent five weeks, going through this. We're not going to be able to cover everything this morning, but I just want to give you a quick highlight, a summary of this. There are four levels of meaning. These are real churches. And so the message that is given to each of them had practical application for them. There was a lesson for each of these churches at the time. There's also a personal lesson. Because every time we read scripture, it applies to us as individuals. 

But there's also the truth that these are messages to all churches of all time. There are things that all churches can learn from these letters. And finally, there is a prophetic message given by these churches. Note again that in the first chapter, verse three, this book is a book of prophecy. So we shouldn't be surprised to find that there's a prophetic overtone to all of these things. And in the order that these churches are given, and the specific details that each letter contains for each individual church, they foretell the history of the church. And so the message that is given to us is that we should read scripture from the time of the early church from the time of the early church until the time of the second coming. Now, I've heard people say, well, I don't agree with that. That's right, you don't have to. It's really simple. If you were out walking and you're walking through a garden and you suddenly saw a door and then you happen to notice that on the ground there was a key, how would you know if that key opens that door? It's pretty simple. You pick the key up and you see if it fits. And that's the way it is with these scriptures, these prophecies. You see, all you have to do is to look at these prophecies and go, well, does it fit? And you find overwhelmingly they fit the history of the church. There isn't really a debate on it. We find these patterns of seven throughout the New Testament, throughout scripture actually, Old and New Testaments. Of course, we've got the seven letters to these seven churches in Revelation 2 and 3. But what we also find that's really fascinating is that we've got seven parables in Matthew 13. We've already mentioned Matthew 13. And each of those seven parables in Matthew 13 parallel the seven churches. The first parable parallels the first letter to the first church. The second one, the second church. Third one, third church, and so on. And it's clearly by divine design. We also find that there are seven churches that Paul wrote to. He wrote to some individuals, Philemon and Timothy and Titus and so on as well. But there's seven churches that Paul actually wrote to. And he wrote to seven churches that Paul actually wrote to. And he wrote to seven churches that Paul actually wrote to. And he wrote to seven churches that Paul actually wrote to. And each of those also mirror these in terms of the themes they deal with. And then we'll conclude this morning, in a while, by showing you how these also fit an incredible model that God has laid down that we see through the nation of Israel. Let's start with the church at Ephesus that Jesus himself writes this letter to. It was recorded for us in Revelation chapter 2. Revelation chapter 2, verse 1. Revelation chapter 2, verse 1. Revelation chapter 2, verse 1. Revelation chapter 2, verse 1. Revelation chapter 2, verse 1. Revelation chapter 2, verse 1. Revelation chapter 2, verse 1. Revelation chapter 2, verse 1. Revelation chapter 2, verse 1. Revelation chapter 2, verse 1. Revelation chapter 2, verse 1. A positive. The hate is the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate, says Jesus. Notice Jesus hates this. What are the Nicolaitans? Who are they? Well, we're familiar with the first part of that word because we have that word Nike. And we're very familiar with the footwear. And you probably know that the word Nike in the Greek means to conquer. You may also be aware that in many churches you have the clergy and you have the laity. The clergy are the ones that typically wear these kind of dog collars and dresses and ornate clothing and things to symbolize humility. And the laity are the congregation. So this word together, Niko and the laity, is to conquer the people. And this was what was going on at that time. There were people that were trying to place themselves above the congregation. 

Imagine what it would be like. If you found that somebody was trying to come between you and your husband or your wife. Well, this is why Jesus hates it. Because we shouldn't be answering to anybody other than to Christ. This is one of the problems with the Catholic system. There is a man that sits there above everybody between us and God. That's not right. That's not scripture. And the Ephesians hated it and so did Jesus. And in this letter we see that the deeds of the Nicolaitans, as a reference, by the time we get to the letter to Pergamos, it's become the doctrine of the Nicolaitans. It's become something much more entrenched. But prophetically, the church of Ephesus deal with that period of history from 32 AD, from the time of the resurrection, up to 100 AD. About that period of when the disciples, the apostles were alive and so on. The early church. And that's when, in Matthew 13, the first parable, the seed is sown. In Revelation 2.5, it says, Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent and do the first works, or else I will come to thee quickly and remove thy candlestick out of his place. Interestingly, of all the churches, Ephesus is the one that ceased to exist. 

Shortly after this time, there was no church in Ephesus. 

We move on to the second letter, the letter to Smyrna. 

Smyrna is often referenced by commentators as the persecuted church. Quite rightly so. Because prophetically, it takes us from about 100 AD up to 313 AD. This was a period of time when the church was heavily persecuted. Largely by the Jews, the Jewish leadership, but also by the Romans. This was that period of time when Christians were being thrown into the Colosseum and so on. Smyrna, the name, means bitterness or suffering. It's where we get... It was derived from the word... The word myrrh. Which is... Spice is the thing that's crushed. 

Tertullian, one of the early Christian writers, records that the church became the scapegoat if anything went wrong. Just reading this, he said, If the Tiber River overflows its banks, or if the Nile has remained in its bed, or if the sky has become still, or if the earth in commotion, if death has made its devastations, or famine its afflictions, the cry of Rome is always, this is the fault of the Christians. That was... That was the view of the church, the Christians. We're being blamed for everything that was going on. Everything that was wrong. Again, as I said, it comes from this root word that myrrh comes from. Myrrh gives off a sweet smell when it's crushed, and it's often used for embalming. And what a sweet smell it must have been for the Lord as his servants chose him, even at the cost of their own lives. They wouldn't yield. They wouldn't give up. When you crush... When you crush a lemon, you get lemon juice. When you crush an apple, you get apple juice. When you crush a Christian, you should get Christ. So this church, this church of suffering, as I said, from about 100 AD to 313 AD. And again, these letters, everything in the letters to these churches fits these historical periods. They were told to be faithful unto death. The next church is the church at Pergamon. This is interesting. The name Pergamosal, Pergamon means mixed or elevated marriage. But let me explain it. Maybe that's not clear enough. The first part, Pergos, we actually get the word Berg in German, which is the word for castle or something that is lifted up. And also the word perverted comes from the first part of that. It's also derived from the first part of that word. And Gammas is the word meaning marriage, as in polygamy or monogamy and so on. So what we have here is a church that had become elevated. Through its marriage to Rome, through the political system. You see, this parallels the parable of the mustard seed. So it was supposed to become a bush that high. And yet it becomes a tree, something that should never have been. And the birds of the air lodge in the branches. What were the birds of the air? Well, we're told in the parables that they are ministers of Satan. The church became something it should never have been. And of course, the influences of pagan religions then came into the church. And then came into, the church. One day, the pagan priests were going about their business and they were worshipping their idols in their temples. And the next day, everything changes. Constantine makes his profession of faith in Christ. There's a debate as to whether he truly did or not. It's kind of irrelevant to the point because ultimately, Christianity suddenly becomes legalized. And the pagans are now told that they must either convert to Christianity or die. And so the church that so long had been oppressed suddenly becomes the oppressor with this new faith. And so the church that so long had been oppressed finally becomes the oppressor with this new faith. And so the church that so long had been oppressed finally becomes the oppressor with this new faith. And so the church that so long had been oppressed political power as well. The Christians then started to use these lavish pagan temples and turn them into churches. And as more churches began to be built, they were modeled on the existing pagan temples. And even became more elaborate than that. And that was great for architecture, terrible for Christianity. 

Now, the buildings themselves became the focus. And a practice that really persists even to this day. And it's a practice that really persists even to this day. And it's a practice that really persists even to this day. And it's because of that that so many people associate church with a building and not with a group of people who have been called out. That's what ecclesia means, the church, the called out ones, who have left all to follow Christ. How many times have you said to people, I go to church. Where do you go to church? Oh, we meet in a school. A school? A church? Aren't we supposed to have a big spire and things and a big thermometer showing how much it's going to cost to repair it? I guess, again, this is one of the worst times for the church. So far from setting their minds on heavenly things, the church had embraced the world and allowed countless compromises and pagan practices to kind of get infused into our worship and so on, including the watering down of the word of God. Again, mixed marriage from about 3.13 up until 5.90. 

There's a warning there, repent or else I will come unto you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. These little warnings are significant. I'll show you why in a moment. Then go to the church of Thyatira. Prophetically, this speaks of the time of the rise of the Roman Catholic Church. After the time of Constantine, after we get to that, we get to the time of the papacy, the Vatican, and so on. And this church age runs from 5.90 right up until 5.90. So, I'm going to go to the church of Thyatira. I'm going to go to the church of Thyatira. I'm going to go to the church of Thyatira. I'm going to go to the church of Thyatira. I'm going to go to the church of Thyatira. I'm going to go to the church of Thyatira. I'm going to go to the church of Thyatira. I'm going to go to the church of Thyatira. The first three churches, there's a defining end in place. But this one seemingly runs right to the end. We read, And I gave her space to repent of her fornication, and she repented not. Behold, I will cast her into bed, and then to commit adultery with her into great tribulation. There's a promise there that she will endure, but ultimately will be judged. But that's exactly the truth regarding the Roman Catholic Church. Just moving on quickly, for the sake of time, As I say, five weeks you spend studying all the notes, all the slides, everything's online if you want to go into this in more detail. But the Church of Sardis is a new interesting one because it speaks about the remnant. That's what the name Sardis actually means. And it really speaks of the Reformation Church. People like Martin Luther and all these other wonderful characters that helped to kind of reclaim the truth of the gospel from 517 AD onwards. But again, going up until the time of the Tribulation. The interesting fact is there is no good thing said about this church. 

That may come as a surprise because we think about the Reformation as a really great time in history because it kind of wrested the church from the clutches of the Roman Catholic Church. But there were many things that were not addressed, not dealt with. The church's attitude towards Israel, anti-Semitism, amillennialism. All these ideas were embraced by this church. This is where our denominational churches have come from. Interestingly, the warning there is if thou shall not watch. Well, that is typical of pretty much every denominational church. They do not want to have anything to do with end times. Many years ago, there was a meeting down in Brighton. I believe it was Brighton or Eastbourne. And the Anglican Church got together. And I was told this by an Anglican minister. Actually, he'd been at that meeting. And they voted that they would not talk about anything to do with end times in their churches. 

That's shocking. That's saying, well, thanks God. This is a good book, but don't really want that bit. 

Interesting. Again, if thou shall not watch, I will come on thee as a thief. And thou shall not know what hour I will come upon thee. Serious warning. We then go on to the Church of Philadelphia. What a contrast. Because this is a church of which nothing bad is said. Sardis is nothing good said. But the Church of Philadelphia is a church which is, again, Philadelphia. It means brotherly love. And historically, it takes us from the time of 1650 up until the rapture. We'll talk about that. What does that mean? We'll explain it. 

The promise that's given to them is, Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I will also keep thee. From the hour of temptation. Yet another promise to be removed, to be delivered from. Which shall come upon all the world to try them that dwell on the earth. Again, it's very clear what he's talking about. 

And then finally, the Church of Laodicea. The final church age. 

Laodicea. The name just means the rule of the people, effectively. It's the last final church age. Really from about 1900 AD until the time of the tribulation. It's the apostate church. It's the church that embraces everything and anything. Allows anything in. Worships God in the way that they choose to worship God. We saw some of those things last week. The works in our own hands and so on. Repeating the mistakes that Israel had made. And God says of them, Notice, this is a church that was being written to. But God says, I will spew thee out of my mouth, because thou sayest I am rich and increased with goods, and of need of none, and knowest not that thou are wretched and miserable, and poor and blind and naked. That is Jesus' opinion of this church. Those that profess to be Christ, and yet clearly are not. And again, you read that Jesus spoke of those who would call him Lord, and yet never knew him. Who had done miracles, who cast out demons, and all these kind of things. And Jesus said, I never knew you. Depart from me. Let me give you a very quick summary of these. So the church of Ephesus. Then the church of Smyrna and the church at Pergamos. They all had kind of a historical end point. But then we get to the church of Thyatira, representing the Roman Catholic Church, which is told it will go on until the time of tribulation and be judged accordingly. The church of Sardis, representing the remnant or the denominational churches that came out of the Reformation, will also go up to the time of the tribulation and be judged accordingly. The church of Philadelphia, they're promised a way of escape. From what is coming. And then the final church age, a church that is so arrogant, thinking they have everything. 

And they're told they will also go into this time of judgment. All those three groups, in a sense, the denominational churches, the church of the Roman Catholic Church, and the apostate church, will all end up forming a one world church. They'll be part of this system that is coming. It's dealt with in Revelation 17 and 18, and another time we may go into that in depth. But I just want to conclude this morning by just taking you through some more lessons that we learn from history, because none of this is just opinion. This is stuff that the Word of God reveals in advance. 

Israel started off with a wonderful period. It's referred to in the book of Jeremiah as a time of espousal, a time of engagement, a time of engagement. Moreover, the word of the Lord came to me saying, go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem saying, thus says the Lord, I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals. When thou wentest after me in the wilderness, in the land that was not sown. That's how Israel started. As they left Egypt, they went into the wilderness. For 38 years, yes, there was the unbelief, the golden calf, all these other things that went on. But there was a time of them growing and learning to trust God. They were daily eating of the mammon, the mammon that God provided. It was a time of espousal. But that leads on to the time which was recorded for us in the book of Joshua where there was much persecution, if we may put it that way. There was great challenges. There was oppression from the surrounding nations. 

Initially through Moses and then finally through Joshua, they enter the promised land. They have victory, but through a time of war. But that then brings us historically for Israel to the time of the judges. And if you've ever read Judges, you'll know that it was a time when that complacency brought about defeat. Proverbs 29.18 tells us that where there is no vision, people cast off restraint. It's a paraphrase of that verse. But when you've got nothing to aim for, people get sloppy. We just read this from Judges 1.28 from chapter 2, 1 to 3. And it came to pass when Israel was strong, they put the Canaanites to tribute and did not utterly drive them out. Then the angel of the Lord said, you have not obeyed my voice. Why have you done this? Therefore I also said, I will not drive them out before you, but they shall beat thorns in your side and their God shall be a snare to you. And that's exactly what happened. Israel ended up embracing the cultures and things that were going on around them. And it brought defeat. Ultimately, we then move on to that time where they rejected God's rule over them. Theocracy. God's rule. And they wanted a man to rule over them. And initially Saul is appointed. And the Lord said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people and all that they say unto you, for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them. 

And that brings us on to, historically with Israel, the division of the kingdom. After David, we get to the time of Solomon. After Solomon, and Solomon's apostasy, we know Solomon, for all his wisdom, followed after Solomon, foreign wives, and allowed the worship of these other gods to be just infused into the life of the nation. And so we get then this division into Israel, the northern kingdom, and then the southern kingdom of Judah. Israel went into idolatry and constantly rebuked for this. God sends prophets to warn them. And yet, Jeremiah 3, look at this. And yet, for all her treacherous, Sister Judah has not turned unto me with her whole heart, but faintly saith the Lord, and the Lord said unto them, that backsliding Israel has justified itself more than treacherous Judah. You see, Israel were actually commended for their good works, the things they had done. Whereas Judah, who should have known better, these were the southern kingdom, with the kings that have come down from David, the line of David, the line that came down to the Messiah. We're told that it was not perfect. They kind of turned to gold, but not really, not truly in their hearts. And so alluded to as being worse than Israel. 

Just reading from Jeremiah 29. 

Know that thus saith the Lord, of the king that sits upon the throne of David, and of all the people that dwelleth in this city, and of all your brethren that are not gone forth with you into captivity. Thus says the Lord of hosts, Behold, I will send upon them the sword, the famine, the pestilence, and I will make them vile figs that cannot be eaten. They are so evil. See, after the time of the northern kingdom, the southern kingdom, the northern kingdom goes into captivity with Assyria, finally the southern kingdom goes into Babylon. Again, Mark's going to be picking up in a couple of weeks on that. Please listen to those studies. You'll be blessed by them. But interestingly enough, those that went to Babylon were the faithful. They were the ones that God removed out of the way, to a place of safety, to protect them, to preserve them, whilst judgment came upon Jerusalem. Judgment came upon the land. The faithful were taken away. The judgment came. 

And then finally, the apostates, the false prophets, were destroyed. Those that stayed in Jerusalem. And Jerusalem ultimately was burned with fire. So we have seven distinct ages in Israel's history. There is actually an eighth. Because ultimately, those faithful that had gone to Babylon ultimately returned to the land. They inherited it. And a temple is then built in the land. We read about it in the book of Haggai and so on. That ultimately the Messiah would one day teach from. 

Now, I share that with you because if you remember last week, we read from Corinthians, 1 Corinthians 10. And we're told then that all these things happen unto them, the Jews, for examples. Examples. And they are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world have come. Paul clearly says that what happened to Israel, all real things, it did happen to them, but they're serving as examples to us. Now, look at this. Israel started with a period of 38 years in the wilderness. Two years at Sinai camp. And then they started their journey. It's 40 years in total. But 38 years wandering. Do you know the church started with a period of 38 years from A.D. 32 up until 70 A.D.? The time when the temple was destroyed by the Romans. 

For both. For Ephesus, we read a short while ago, Ephesus means darling, love of espousal. Israel started with this time of espousal. The church started in the same way. But then for Israel, they went into a time of difficulty and yet prosperity. Under Joshua, as they're fighting these other tribes that were in the land, and God was granting them victory over them. It was the same with the church at Smyrna. It speaks of that time of the early church, that they had victory and yet through a time of suffering. For Israel then, they went on to the time of judges, where that complacency brought defeat, where they embraced the things of the world. Exactly the same thing happened to the church. 

Pergamos, mixed marriage. The church became something it shouldn't. It became a church of the world. It became a church of the world. It became a church of the world. It became a church of the world. It became married to the world. Just as it had with Israel. But then with Israel, we get to the next stage when there was this rejection of God's rule, where they wanted a man to rule over them. That's what the church of Thyatira represents. Where a man is placed at the head of the church. They rejected God's rule. The parallels are striking. 

But then we get in Israel's, the Catholic church, and the Protestant church. And yet they have done many good works. The Protestant church? Nothing good said. Not to the church of Silas, but to the church of Silas. And not to the church of Silas. Not to the church of Silas. Not to the church of Silas. And then of course, judgment was foretold. The faithful were taken to Babylon. The same is true for the church. We've already seen that judgment is going to begin with the house of God. Ultimately, the faithful will be taken out of this earth. We're going to explore more of that next week. The church of Philadelphia that promised this way of escaping that which is coming. And then what happened with Israel was, So the apostates, the disobedient, those that had rejected God's rule, they stayed in Jerusalem and they were ultimately destroyed. Jerusalem was burned with fire. And it will be the same. The church of Laodicea thought they had everything. 

Ultimately, Matthew 13 tells us they'll be burned with fire, just as Jerusalem. Revelation 17, 18, again, gives far more detail on those things. But interestingly, the final thing on the list, the eighth age, if you like, the faithful in Israel returned finally to inherit the land. And as I said, that temple was built that the Messiah will teach from. Well, ultimately, those that are taken out of the way will one day return with Jesus. When Jesus comes back at the time of the second coming, Jesus will return to establish his throne, his kingdom. 

And a temple is going to be built that he will rule and reign over the whole earth from. These parallels are striking. And we see God's hand on all of history. Next week, we're going to conclude and we'll talk more about the way of escape that God has promised for the church. It's about hearts. Father, we just thank you for this time this morning. The opportunity to review these things and just see the detail in your word. The way that you are a God who knows the end from the beginning and has revealed to your servants through the prophets that which you will. Which you will do. Father, we just pray that you would cause us to be those with eyes open, ears that are unblocked, that we would be looking for the coming of the Lord, that we would be excited about these days, knowing that our salvation is drawing nigh as we lift up our heads in Jesus' name. Amen.


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We are in a little mini-series looking at the theme Countdown to Judgment.

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As I said last week, I thought something nice and light for the summer, just to cheer you.

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We are soon going to be moving into, or continuing, a study in the book of Daniel.

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Mark's going to be taking us through that throughout August.

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After that, we're going to be moving into a verse-by-verse study of the book of Ezekiel.

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Both incredible prophets, prophesying at an astonishing time in history,

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where so many prophecies were being fulfilled,

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where we see the effects of God pouring his judgment out upon a people that had largely rejected him,

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Israel at that time.

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Israel were taken captive to Babylon.

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Daniel was taken first, and Ezekiel was then taken a little while later.

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But we see this pattern throughout history, where God brings judgment.

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On his own people.

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And we're going to see this amplified in the things that we're going to share and talk about more this morning.

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We said last week that judgment, the theme of judgment, occurs over 300 times in the Bible.

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And over 100 times, it points to a specific season of judgment.

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Not just a generic kind of thing, but a very specific period of time.

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It's referenced 25 times as the day of the Lord.

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We understand, because of prophecies that Daniel gives,

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that this period of time will be a period of seven years.

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It's a period of time that is coming soon.

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We don't know when, but the countdown is already in progress.

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Isaiah, and we looked at these scriptures last week,

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speaks about this time of tribulation that is coming.

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Jesus spoke much about it in Matthew 24.

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And Luke and John and so on also all record the details.

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It's a time of God's wrath and judgment being poured out on a wicked, unbelieving, and Christ-rejecting world.

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Now, in the sense we can understand, we looked at this last week,

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that question, why do the wicked prosper?

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Well, God is going to deal with it.

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There's going to come a time the wickedness that we see so prevalent in the world today will be addressed.

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And so much so that in the book of Revelation,

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there's a moment where an angel steps in to remind us that God is just.

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Because it's going to get to the point that almost people will be going,

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well, isn't this a bit too harsh because of what's going to happen?

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And an angel steps in to remind us actually God is just in doing this.

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Because of all the blood of those that have professed Christ that have been shed.

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All the innocent lives, all those unborn babies that have been killed in the womb.

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And so many other things.

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And you realize that...

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That God is absolutely just in bringing this judgment on this world.

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We're told that it's going to be ushered in by these labor pains.

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There's going to be wars, rumors of wars, earthquakes, famines, pestilence.

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All of these things that Jesus spoke of, we're going to see.

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We're starting to see already.

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And we said last week, the specific reference that Jesus quotes.

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Jesus doesn't just throw out some random things.

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He's actually quoting verses from the Old Testament when he says that.

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The wars and the rumors of wars.

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Specifically, they're quotes from the book of Isaiah.

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And it's referencing wars and rumors of wars with Israel and the surrounding nations.

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And that's what we're seeing.

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For how many years now have we seen the Middle East in turmoil?

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You know, we're seeing, again, Syria and the problems there on the news over the last 24 hours or so.

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But this is nothing new to us.

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We're so used to it.

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We've almost become hardened to the fact that this is going on.

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And yet the Bible said this would happen.

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But then we noted last week that this season of judgment that we're entering into,

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which will culminate in a seven-year period, is going to begin with the church.

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And this is what Peter says.

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He says,

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He says,

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He says,

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He says,

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He says,

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And he asks the question.

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He says,

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And if it begins at us, what shall be the end of them that obey not the gospel?

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In other words, if God's going to start this season of judgment with the church,

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what's it going to be like for everyone else?

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God is a just God.

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And we'll bring this judgment.

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We can paraphrase that and say,

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For the specific season of judgment will commence at the house of God or the church.

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And last week we asked two questions.

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Why will it come?

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And when will it come?

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The why, as we saw,

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last week from the scriptures we looked at,

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is because of apostasy.

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Just as it was with Israel.

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Many had moved away from worshipping God.

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And they turned to worshipping idols and so on.

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And it's the same in the church.

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This is why this season of judgment is going to begin.

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God's going to put his own house in order, as it were.

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And judgment is going to come on the apostate church.

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The when will it come question.

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Well, Matthew 13 makes it very clear

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that as we approach the church,

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as we approach the end,

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the Bible speaks about this time of harvest.

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When there's going to be this separation.

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If you like, it's in the final church age.

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Well, what do we mean by that?

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We'll explain more in a moment.

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Matthew 13, verse 30.

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Jesus said,

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Let both, that's the wheat and the tares,

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the true church and the apostate church,

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that look identical on the surface.

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Most people could go into most churches

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and not realize the difference.

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And yet,

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the scripture is very clear.

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There is a difference.

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And Jesus repeatedly said,

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Many will be deceived.

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Many.

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And the disciples,

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when Jesus gives his parable,

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says, well, shouldn't we just go and pluck up the tares?

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And he says, no, no, no.

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Let them grow together.

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So that you don't damage the true wheat.

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Let them grow together until.

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It's one of those really important untils.

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I keep mentioning this word until.

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When you see an until in the Bible,

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make a note of it.

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It's important.

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Let them grow together until the harvest.

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And in the time of the harvest,

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I will say to the reapers,

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gather you together first.

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That's really important.

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First, the tares are going to be gathered together

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into bundles.

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They're going to form groups.

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It's going to be identified.

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The true church is going to be ostracized.

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We're going to be separated from the rest of them,

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the tares.

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There's going to be a much clearer distinction

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and we are beginning to see it.

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We saw it with COVID.

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What a division we started seeing.

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We see it with so many other things.

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We're seeing it right now with the situation with Israel.

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There are many churches that are pro-Palestinian.

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The first question I'd like to ask is,

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what do you mean when you say Palestinian?

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The Palestinian Post,

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was a Jewish newspaper.

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The Palestinian Orchestra was a Jewish orchestra.

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Palestine is a name that was given to the land,

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not a people group,

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but to the land by Emperor Hadrian.

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Because he hated Israel, hated the Jews.

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And so he renamed the land after their long-term enemies,

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the Philistines.

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That's where Palestine comes from.

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There has never ever been a Palestinian people.

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It's a media industry.

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It's a reinvented myth that everybody's fallen for.

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And we keep hearing this story.

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This is news.

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And the other thing that riles me at the moment,

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every time we see these headlines on the TV,

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it's saying the Israel-Gaza war.

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No, Israel-Hamas.

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Israel are fighting a terrorist group

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that even our government acknowledges is a terrorist group.

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And yet for some reason,

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unlike it was with al-Qaeda,

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and unlike it was with ISIS,

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Israel is being left to fight this group on its own

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with maybe some support from some of the governments in the world.

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But they're not actively getting involved.

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Every other terror organization

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has been an international effort to dismantle them.

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Anyway, these things are causing division,

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even within churches.

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There are many Christians that are getting very emotive

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about these things,

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and saying that Israel are wrong,

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and they shouldn't be doing this, and so on.

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And it is causing division.

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We're seeing exactly what Matthew records for us,

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that Jesus said.

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So, two questions.

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I want to go back to that thing I mentioned a moment ago.

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What do we mean by the final church age?

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Well, in a sense, it's kind of obvious from the statement,

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but we'll explore that in a moment.

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And the other question is,

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well, what happens to the true church?

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The wheat.

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That Jesus refers to.

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That Jesus says will be gathered together into his barn.

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What does that mean?

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We'll explore that a little bit.

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Just cast your minds back to the book of Genesis.

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One day, Abraham is having a sit-down,

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and he sees these men approaching from a distance,

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and he makes a meal for them.

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And two of the men go off,

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and we understand from the account that these are angelic beings,

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and they go off to,

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deal with the problem in Sodom and Gomorrah.

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Now, of course, Abraham had a nephew, Lot,

00:10:00.980 --> 00:10:01.840
who was living there.

00:10:02.360 --> 00:10:06.780
And so Abraham takes it upon himself to talk to God,

00:10:07.780 --> 00:10:08.580
quite boldly.

00:10:09.480 --> 00:10:10.460
The Jews call it chutzpah.

00:10:11.600 --> 00:10:13.440
And he kind of asks God this question,

00:10:13.560 --> 00:10:16.600
well, are you going to destroy the city?

00:10:16.840 --> 00:10:17.580
Let me just read to you,

00:10:17.640 --> 00:10:18.900
verse 23 of Genesis 18.

00:10:19.080 --> 00:10:20.220
And Abraham drew near and said,

00:10:20.340 --> 00:10:22.540
will that also destroy the righteous with the wicked?

00:10:23.220 --> 00:10:24.220
See, what Abraham was saying is,

00:10:24.220 --> 00:10:25.820
my nephew Lot and his family are there.

00:10:25.920 --> 00:10:28.560
Would you destroy them as well as the wicked that are there?

00:10:30.300 --> 00:10:31.580
And Abraham says, peradventure,

00:10:31.660 --> 00:10:34.280
there'd be, let's say, 50 righteous within the city.

00:10:34.960 --> 00:10:37.320
Will that also destroy and not spare the place

00:10:37.320 --> 00:10:38.960
for the 50 righteous that are therein?

00:10:40.380 --> 00:10:43.260
And before God responds, Abraham says,

00:10:43.660 --> 00:10:46.420
that'd be far from thee to do after this manner,

00:10:46.500 --> 00:10:48.080
to slay the righteous with the wicked,

00:10:48.320 --> 00:10:50.280
and that the righteous should be as the wicked.

00:10:50.440 --> 00:10:51.580
That'd be far from thee.

00:10:51.580 --> 00:10:54.160
Shall not the judge of all the earth do right?

00:10:54.220 --> 00:10:57.900
And Abraham was absolutely correct in his statement.

00:10:59.100 --> 00:11:00.420
That the judge of all the earth,

00:11:00.520 --> 00:11:03.440
God himself, must and will do that which is right.

00:11:04.320 --> 00:11:07.360
And God will not slay the righteous with the wicked.

00:11:08.820 --> 00:11:11.120
Understand that the time of tribulation

00:11:11.120 --> 00:11:12.580
that is coming upon the earth

00:11:12.580 --> 00:11:14.300
is a time of judgment from God.

00:11:15.840 --> 00:11:20.180
If the church were to endure that time,

00:11:21.400 --> 00:11:23.200
then it makes a mockery of the cross.

00:11:24.220 --> 00:11:25.660
This isn't a little side issue.

00:11:25.780 --> 00:11:26.780
It's really important because

00:11:26.780 --> 00:11:30.820
Jesus paid for all of our sin on the cross.

00:11:31.340 --> 00:11:31.860
All of it.

00:11:33.300 --> 00:11:34.800
He claimed, he shouted out,

00:11:34.900 --> 00:11:36.200
to tell us that I paid in full.

00:11:37.520 --> 00:11:41.180
And so, if then we are to be judged again

00:11:41.180 --> 00:11:42.800
as God pours his wrath on this earth,

00:11:43.540 --> 00:11:44.520
what was the point of the cross?

00:11:45.680 --> 00:11:47.400
No, no, everything has been paid for.

00:11:47.440 --> 00:11:49.060
And this is a really important principle

00:11:49.060 --> 00:11:50.320
that we see back in Genesis,

00:11:50.320 --> 00:11:53.200
that God does not and will not judge the righteous

00:11:53.200 --> 00:11:54.200
along with the wicked.

00:11:54.220 --> 00:11:56.740
God always removes the righteous

00:11:56.740 --> 00:12:00.160
and then his judgment falls upon the wicked.

00:12:00.800 --> 00:12:02.060
Notice what Isaiah says.

00:12:03.180 --> 00:12:04.080
Come, my people.

00:12:04.940 --> 00:12:06.280
Enter thou into thy chambers

00:12:06.280 --> 00:12:07.660
and shut thy doors about thee.

00:12:07.900 --> 00:12:10.160
Hide thyself, as it were, for a little moment

00:12:10.160 --> 00:12:12.440
until, there's another one of those untils,

00:12:12.960 --> 00:12:15.240
the indignation be overpassed.

00:12:16.600 --> 00:12:17.800
Indignation is a strong word,

00:12:17.880 --> 00:12:19.080
but you get the picture here.

00:12:19.900 --> 00:12:22.200
This is speaking of this time of coming tribulation

00:12:22.200 --> 00:12:23.020
that we've been mentioning.

00:12:23.340 --> 00:12:24.140
Verse 21,

00:12:24.220 --> 00:12:24.380
It says,

00:12:24.460 --> 00:12:26.680
Behold, the Lord cometh out of his place

00:12:26.680 --> 00:12:28.320
to punish the inhabitants of the earth

00:12:28.320 --> 00:12:29.580
for their iniquities.

00:12:29.740 --> 00:12:31.420
No mistaking what's being referenced here.

00:12:31.980 --> 00:12:33.800
The earth also shall disclose her blood

00:12:33.800 --> 00:12:36.600
and shall no more cover her slain.

00:12:37.080 --> 00:12:41.160
But notice this promise to those that are referenced,

00:12:41.240 --> 00:12:42.820
referred to here as my people.

00:12:43.600 --> 00:12:46.140
There's a promise to be hidden

00:12:46.140 --> 00:12:48.860
while God brings this judgment.

00:12:50.900 --> 00:12:52.400
One of many scriptures.

00:12:52.660 --> 00:12:53.840
Zephaniah chapter two.

00:12:54.220 --> 00:12:56.540
I'm sure you're all very familiar with the book of Zephaniah.

00:12:56.700 --> 00:12:57.500
I'm sure when you get to heaven,

00:12:57.580 --> 00:12:58.600
you're going to go up to Zephaniah and go,

00:12:58.840 --> 00:13:00.380
Zephaniah, great to meet you, great book.

00:13:01.000 --> 00:13:02.100
I hope you're going to say that to him.

00:13:05.840 --> 00:13:07.360
Chapter two, verse three, we read this.

00:13:07.580 --> 00:13:09.940
Seek ye the Lord, all you meek of the earth,

00:13:10.340 --> 00:13:11.620
which have wrought his judgment.

00:13:11.820 --> 00:13:13.580
Seek righteousness, seek meekness.

00:13:14.240 --> 00:13:18.180
It may be you shall be hid in the day of the Lord's anger.

00:13:19.680 --> 00:13:22.140
Another reference to this time of coming judgment.

00:13:22.140 --> 00:13:24.120
And once again, look at the promise.

00:13:24.820 --> 00:13:27.540
That we can be hid in the day of the Lord's anger.

00:13:29.040 --> 00:13:30.140
Who's this promise to?

00:13:30.740 --> 00:13:31.720
The meek of the earth.

00:13:31.800 --> 00:13:32.520
Well, let me ask the question.

00:13:32.620 --> 00:13:33.740
Who are the meek of the earth?

00:13:34.420 --> 00:13:36.600
Well, we don't have to look too far to find the answer.

00:13:37.240 --> 00:13:39.020
Jesus said that the meek are the ones

00:13:39.020 --> 00:13:41.920
who are going to inherit the earth in Matthew 5, verse 5.

00:13:42.960 --> 00:13:44.880
Who is it that inherits the earth from scripture?

00:13:45.340 --> 00:13:45.980
The church.

00:13:46.400 --> 00:13:49.420
Many scriptures tell us that we will inherit these things.

00:13:49.960 --> 00:13:52.880
That we will rule and reign on the earth with Christ.

00:13:54.220 --> 00:13:58.380
Thus, this promise to be hid in the day of the Lord's anger

00:13:58.380 --> 00:13:59.580
is a promise to the church

00:13:59.580 --> 00:14:02.240
because we are counted amongst the meek of the earth.

00:14:02.780 --> 00:14:03.980
It's a promise to the church, by the way,

00:14:04.020 --> 00:14:05.320
is for the Jews and the Gentiles.

00:14:05.680 --> 00:14:07.460
All become one in Christ.

00:14:10.980 --> 00:14:12.700
And in the New Testament,

00:14:13.260 --> 00:14:15.280
Jesus speaking to the disciples in Luke 21,

00:14:15.420 --> 00:14:16.320
picking up verse 34,

00:14:16.760 --> 00:14:17.160
Jesus says,

00:14:17.300 --> 00:14:18.740
And take heed to yourself,

00:14:18.840 --> 00:14:20.960
lest at any time your hearts be overcharged

00:14:20.960 --> 00:14:23.120
with serviting and drunkenness

00:14:23.120 --> 00:14:24.200
and the cares of this life,

00:14:24.200 --> 00:14:27.500
and so that that day come upon you unawares.

00:14:27.620 --> 00:14:30.360
Jesus tells us we should have our eyes up and be looking.

00:14:32.600 --> 00:14:33.460
For as a snare,

00:14:33.620 --> 00:14:34.940
it shall come upon all them

00:14:34.940 --> 00:14:36.860
that dwell on the face of the whole earth.

00:14:37.680 --> 00:14:39.240
And Jesus couldn't make any clearer.

00:14:39.340 --> 00:14:39.660
He says,

00:14:40.200 --> 00:14:41.360
Watch you therefore,

00:14:41.920 --> 00:14:43.300
and pray always.

00:14:44.220 --> 00:14:45.140
Notice what he says,

00:14:45.640 --> 00:14:47.680
that you may be counted worthy

00:14:47.680 --> 00:14:50.180
to escape all these things

00:14:50.180 --> 00:14:51.760
that shall come to pass

00:14:51.760 --> 00:14:54.180
and to stand before the Son of Man.

00:14:54.200 --> 00:14:57.900
Many scriptures, many promises,

00:14:58.380 --> 00:15:01.260
that the righteous will be removed

00:15:01.260 --> 00:15:03.440
before God brings his wrath.

00:15:05.720 --> 00:15:09.040
You see, we see that scripture clearly indicates

00:15:09.040 --> 00:15:10.180
that the true church,

00:15:10.340 --> 00:15:12.360
the wheat, the meek, the righteous,

00:15:12.520 --> 00:15:13.520
however you want to describe us,

00:15:13.920 --> 00:15:15.660
are promised a way of escaping,

00:15:16.660 --> 00:15:19.140
being removed from this coming judgment.

00:15:20.940 --> 00:15:22.020
But I want to go back

00:15:22.020 --> 00:15:24.140
and just address this question, first of all.

00:15:24.720 --> 00:15:27.920
What do we mean by the final church age?

00:15:28.600 --> 00:15:29.680
Well, to understand that,

00:15:29.720 --> 00:15:32.200
we need to turn to the book of Revelation.

00:15:33.620 --> 00:15:35.080
The book of Revelation,

00:15:35.240 --> 00:15:36.140
it's not Revelations,

00:15:36.340 --> 00:15:37.140
please don't ever say that.

00:15:37.820 --> 00:15:38.840
It's the revelation,

00:15:38.840 --> 00:15:41.700
it's the unveiling of Jesus Christ.

00:15:43.520 --> 00:15:44.940
John the Apostle

00:15:44.940 --> 00:15:47.680
walked with Jesus as a disciple.

00:15:48.600 --> 00:15:49.640
He sat, he listened,

00:15:49.860 --> 00:15:51.280
they laughed, they ate together.

00:15:52.100 --> 00:15:53.500
And yet on the Isle of Patmos,

00:15:53.640 --> 00:15:54.120
as John,

00:15:54.720 --> 00:15:56.640
receives these things

00:15:56.640 --> 00:15:58.020
and records them for us,

00:15:59.420 --> 00:16:00.800
John becomes as dead.

00:16:01.500 --> 00:16:03.960
He is so overwhelmed

00:16:03.960 --> 00:16:06.680
as he sees Jesus in a way

00:16:06.680 --> 00:16:08.180
that he'd never seen before.

00:16:09.280 --> 00:16:11.140
And the book of Revelation helps to do that.

00:16:11.240 --> 00:16:12.820
It gives us a picture of Christ

00:16:12.820 --> 00:16:17.380
as the coming, conquering king

00:16:17.380 --> 00:16:20.240
in all of his majesty and glory.

00:16:21.720 --> 00:16:23.420
We're told in the book of Revelation,

00:16:23.560 --> 00:16:24.180
the very first chapter,

00:16:24.200 --> 00:16:26.540
what John was to do.

00:16:27.120 --> 00:16:27.800
And John is told,

00:16:28.300 --> 00:16:30.920
write the things which thou has seen,

00:16:30.980 --> 00:16:32.900
and that's the vision that we see in the first chapter,

00:16:33.240 --> 00:16:34.660
the things which are

00:16:34.660 --> 00:16:37.160
and the things which shall be hereafter.

00:16:37.260 --> 00:16:39.400
So we're actually given a divinely inspired outline

00:16:39.400 --> 00:16:39.960
for the book.

00:16:40.360 --> 00:16:41.620
A lot of people say the book of Revelation

00:16:41.620 --> 00:16:42.700
is too hard to understand,

00:16:42.780 --> 00:16:43.440
it's too hard to read.

00:16:43.520 --> 00:16:44.000
No, it's not.

00:16:45.480 --> 00:16:46.820
Jesus gave the book of Revelation

00:16:46.820 --> 00:16:47.780
so that we would know,

00:16:47.880 --> 00:16:49.000
so that we would understand.

00:16:52.720 --> 00:16:54.160
The things that John had seen,

00:16:54.200 --> 00:16:55.300
as I say, chapter one.

00:16:55.980 --> 00:16:57.120
The things which are,

00:16:57.240 --> 00:16:58.420
they were the things that existed

00:16:58.420 --> 00:16:59.780
at the time that John was there.

00:17:00.120 --> 00:17:01.540
That's dealt with in chapters two and three.

00:17:01.620 --> 00:17:02.960
And then the things which shall be

00:17:02.960 --> 00:17:04.440
after these things.

00:17:04.520 --> 00:17:05.240
There's a Greek word,

00:17:05.340 --> 00:17:05.860
metatauta,

00:17:05.880 --> 00:17:07.020
it means after these things.

00:17:07.080 --> 00:17:08.500
It occurs a number of times in the book.

00:17:08.740 --> 00:17:10.740
Almost acts as a division of these sections.

00:17:11.500 --> 00:17:13.380
And from chapter four through chapter 22,

00:17:14.140 --> 00:17:15.940
all the things that are going to happen afterwards

00:17:15.940 --> 00:17:17.440
that John is to record for us.

00:17:19.120 --> 00:17:20.480
And John is told specifically,

00:17:21.360 --> 00:17:22.160
write that thou seest,

00:17:22.640 --> 00:17:23.680
also what thou seest,

00:17:23.800 --> 00:17:24.180
write it about,

00:17:24.200 --> 00:17:26.960
because sent unto the seven churches

00:17:26.960 --> 00:17:29.620
which are in Asia.

00:17:30.620 --> 00:17:31.980
Now, just first of all,

00:17:32.040 --> 00:17:33.240
let me make a point

00:17:33.240 --> 00:17:35.180
that there are way more than seven churches

00:17:35.180 --> 00:17:36.640
that existed in Asia at that time.

00:17:38.820 --> 00:17:41.060
But seven, as you probably know from scripture,

00:17:42.020 --> 00:17:43.940
always denotes complete.

00:17:45.620 --> 00:17:47.180
Doesn't necessarily mean perfect,

00:17:48.060 --> 00:17:48.700
but it's complete.

00:17:49.340 --> 00:17:51.840
Seven always references something that is complete.

00:17:52.820 --> 00:17:53.920
So there's a complete picture,

00:17:53.920 --> 00:17:54.840
being given to us here.

00:17:57.000 --> 00:17:58.520
Why these seven?

00:18:00.340 --> 00:18:02.620
Why not the church at Antioch?

00:18:03.160 --> 00:18:04.500
Why not the church at Jerusalem?

00:18:06.340 --> 00:18:08.060
Well, we're told the specific churches

00:18:08.060 --> 00:18:09.200
are the church of Ephesus,

00:18:09.480 --> 00:18:09.860
Smyrna,

00:18:10.000 --> 00:18:10.440
Pergamos,

00:18:10.940 --> 00:18:11.400
Thyatira,

00:18:11.560 --> 00:18:11.880
Silas,

00:18:11.980 --> 00:18:12.460
Philadelphia,

00:18:12.660 --> 00:18:13.380
and Laodicea.

00:18:14.600 --> 00:18:16.580
Jesus, for his particular reason,

00:18:16.720 --> 00:18:18.840
handpicks seven of the churches

00:18:18.840 --> 00:18:21.200
to teach us something.

00:18:21.940 --> 00:18:23.900
They are in the area today,

00:18:23.920 --> 00:18:25.120
that we know as Turkey.

00:18:25.640 --> 00:18:26.560
So you're familiar, of course,

00:18:26.600 --> 00:18:28.060
this is the Mediterranean Sea.

00:18:28.500 --> 00:18:30.420
This is Rome and Italy down there.

00:18:30.680 --> 00:18:31.680
We come across to Greece.

00:18:32.340 --> 00:18:33.720
And then across here, across the GNC,

00:18:33.860 --> 00:18:35.960
you have Turkey, as we now know it.

00:18:36.120 --> 00:18:37.340
And these seven churches

00:18:37.340 --> 00:18:39.460
in this geographical region here,

00:18:40.260 --> 00:18:43.180
on the north coast of the Mediterranean Sea.

00:18:44.240 --> 00:18:45.940
Just looking a little closer at them,

00:18:46.380 --> 00:18:48.060
you notice they're grouped quite closely together.

00:18:48.560 --> 00:18:50.280
As we go through these and look at them,

00:18:50.640 --> 00:18:51.260
and by the way,

00:18:51.300 --> 00:18:52.520
when we talked through this in Revelation,

00:18:52.520 --> 00:18:53.800
we spent five weeks,

00:18:53.800 --> 00:18:54.399
going through this.

00:18:54.460 --> 00:18:55.680
We're not going to be able to cover everything this morning,

00:18:55.740 --> 00:18:57.020
but I just want to give you a quick highlight,

00:18:57.120 --> 00:18:57.760
a summary of this.

00:18:58.180 --> 00:18:59.460
There are four levels of meaning.

00:18:59.560 --> 00:19:00.600
These are real churches.

00:19:01.159 --> 00:19:03.379
And so the message that is given to each of them

00:19:03.379 --> 00:19:05.919
had practical application for them.

00:19:06.120 --> 00:19:08.379
There was a lesson for each of these churches at the time.

00:19:08.620 --> 00:19:09.840
There's also a personal lesson.

00:19:10.020 --> 00:19:11.460
Because every time we read scripture,

00:19:11.620 --> 00:19:13.060
it applies to us as individuals.

00:19:15.560 --> 00:19:18.100
But there's also the truth that these are messages

00:19:18.100 --> 00:19:19.780
to all churches of all time.

00:19:19.940 --> 00:19:21.780
There are things that all churches can learn

00:19:21.780 --> 00:19:22.440
from these letters.

00:19:22.680 --> 00:19:23.760
And finally,

00:19:23.760 --> 00:19:29.700
there is a prophetic message given by these churches.

00:19:30.060 --> 00:19:32.900
Note again that in the first chapter,

00:19:33.060 --> 00:19:33.680
verse three,

00:19:34.540 --> 00:19:36.840
this book is a book of prophecy.

00:19:37.680 --> 00:19:39.300
So we shouldn't be surprised to find

00:19:39.300 --> 00:19:42.220
that there's a prophetic overtone to all of these things.

00:19:43.800 --> 00:19:46.420
And in the order that these churches are given,

00:19:47.140 --> 00:19:50.220
and the specific details that each letter contains

00:19:50.220 --> 00:19:51.560
for each individual church,

00:19:51.560 --> 00:19:53.740
they foretell the history of the church.

00:19:53.760 --> 00:19:55.580
And so the message that is given to us

00:19:55.580 --> 00:19:56.040
is that we should read scripture

00:19:56.040 --> 00:19:56.260
from the time of the early church

00:19:56.260 --> 00:19:56.300
from the time of the early church

00:19:56.300 --> 00:19:57.920
until the time of the second coming.

00:19:58.480 --> 00:19:59.560
Now, I've heard people say,

00:19:59.660 --> 00:20:00.580
well, I don't agree with that.

00:20:00.840 --> 00:20:01.680
That's right, you don't have to.

00:20:02.460 --> 00:20:03.140
It's really simple.

00:20:03.480 --> 00:20:04.420
If you were out walking

00:20:04.420 --> 00:20:05.460
and you're walking through a garden

00:20:05.460 --> 00:20:06.580
and you suddenly saw a door

00:20:06.580 --> 00:20:08.620
and then you happen to notice

00:20:08.620 --> 00:20:10.000
that on the ground there was a key,

00:20:10.100 --> 00:20:12.240
how would you know if that key opens that door?

00:20:13.180 --> 00:20:13.920
It's pretty simple.

00:20:13.980 --> 00:20:15.460
You pick the key up and you see if it fits.

00:20:16.180 --> 00:20:17.740
And that's the way it is with these scriptures,

00:20:17.840 --> 00:20:18.420
these prophecies.

00:20:19.720 --> 00:20:20.560
You see, all you have to do

00:20:20.560 --> 00:20:22.500
is to look at these prophecies

00:20:22.500 --> 00:20:23.620
and go, well,

00:20:23.620 --> 00:20:28.239
does it fit? And you find overwhelmingly they fit the history of the church. There isn't

00:20:28.239 --> 00:20:35.459
really a debate on it. We find these patterns of seven throughout the New Testament, throughout

00:20:35.459 --> 00:20:39.939
scripture actually, Old and New Testaments. Of course, we've got the seven letters to

00:20:39.939 --> 00:20:46.040
these seven churches in Revelation 2 and 3. But what we also find that's really fascinating

00:20:46.040 --> 00:20:52.120
is that we've got seven parables in Matthew 13. We've already mentioned Matthew 13. And

00:20:52.120 --> 00:20:59.979
each of those seven parables in Matthew 13 parallel the seven churches. The first parable

00:20:59.979 --> 00:21:07.379
parallels the first letter to the first church. The second one, the second church. Third one,

00:21:07.439 --> 00:21:13.719
third church, and so on. And it's clearly by divine design. We also find that there

00:21:13.719 --> 00:21:19.080
are seven churches that Paul wrote to. He wrote to some individuals, Philemon and Timothy

00:21:19.080 --> 00:21:22.100
and Titus and so on as well. But there's seven churches that Paul actually wrote

00:21:22.100 --> 00:21:22.120
to. And he wrote to seven churches that Paul actually wrote to. And he wrote to seven churches

00:21:22.120 --> 00:21:22.360
that Paul actually wrote to. And he wrote to seven churches that Paul actually wrote to.

00:21:23.260 --> 00:21:30.560
And each of those also mirror these in terms of the themes they deal with. And then we'll

00:21:30.560 --> 00:21:36.860
conclude this morning, in a while, by showing you how these also fit an incredible model

00:21:36.860 --> 00:21:44.100
that God has laid down that we see through the nation of Israel. Let's start with the

00:21:44.100 --> 00:21:50.399
church at Ephesus that Jesus himself writes this letter to. It was recorded for us in

00:21:50.399 --> 00:21:51.360
Revelation chapter 2.

00:21:52.120 --> 00:22:22.100
Revelation chapter 2, verse 1.

00:22:22.100 --> 00:22:52.080
Revelation chapter 2, verse 1.

00:22:52.080 --> 00:23:22.060
Revelation chapter 2, verse 1.

00:23:22.080 --> 00:23:52.060
Revelation chapter 2, verse 1.

00:23:52.080 --> 00:24:22.060
Revelation chapter 2, verse 1.

00:24:22.080 --> 00:24:52.060
Revelation chapter 2, verse 1.

00:24:52.080 --> 00:25:22.060
Revelation chapter 2, verse 1.

00:25:22.080 --> 00:25:52.060
Revelation chapter 2, verse 1.

00:25:52.080 --> 00:26:22.060
Revelation chapter 2, verse 1.

00:26:22.080 --> 00:26:52.060
Revelation chapter 2, verse 1.

00:26:52.080 --> 00:27:22.060
Revelation chapter 2, verse 1.

00:27:22.080 --> 00:27:22.879
A positive.

00:27:23.600 --> 00:27:28.220
The hate is the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate, says Jesus.

00:27:28.399 --> 00:27:29.620
Notice Jesus hates this.

00:27:29.679 --> 00:27:30.760
What are the Nicolaitans?

00:27:30.840 --> 00:27:31.300
Who are they?

00:27:31.939 --> 00:27:35.760
Well, we're familiar with the first part of that word because we have that word Nike.

00:27:36.840 --> 00:27:38.340
And we're very familiar with the footwear.

00:27:39.120 --> 00:27:43.120
And you probably know that the word Nike in the Greek means to conquer.

00:27:44.520 --> 00:27:49.300
You may also be aware that in many churches you have the clergy and you have the laity.

00:27:49.300 --> 00:27:57.340
The clergy are the ones that typically wear these kind of dog collars and dresses and ornate clothing and things to symbolize humility.

00:27:58.280 --> 00:28:02.419
And the laity are the congregation.

00:28:03.620 --> 00:28:08.620
So this word together, Niko and the laity, is to conquer the people.

00:28:09.780 --> 00:28:11.860
And this was what was going on at that time.

00:28:11.940 --> 00:28:15.320
There were people that were trying to place themselves above the congregation.

00:28:17.919 --> 00:28:19.060
Imagine what it would be like.

00:28:19.060 --> 00:28:22.659
If you found that somebody was trying to come between you and your husband or your wife.

00:28:23.879 --> 00:28:25.159
Well, this is why Jesus hates it.

00:28:25.159 --> 00:28:29.200
Because we shouldn't be answering to anybody other than to Christ.

00:28:30.419 --> 00:28:33.080
This is one of the problems with the Catholic system.

00:28:34.060 --> 00:28:40.020
There is a man that sits there above everybody between us and God.

00:28:40.120 --> 00:28:40.639
That's not right.

00:28:40.720 --> 00:28:41.300
That's not scripture.

00:28:43.159 --> 00:28:44.879
And the Ephesians hated it and so did Jesus.

00:28:46.139 --> 00:28:48.840
And in this letter we see that the deeds of the Nicolaitans,

00:28:48.840 --> 00:28:50.600
as a reference, by the time we get to the letter to Pergamos,

00:28:50.699 --> 00:28:53.320
it's become the doctrine of the Nicolaitans.

00:28:53.360 --> 00:28:55.080
It's become something much more entrenched.

00:28:56.500 --> 00:29:02.220
But prophetically, the church of Ephesus deal with that period of history from 32 AD,

00:29:02.360 --> 00:29:06.120
from the time of the resurrection, up to 100 AD.

00:29:07.399 --> 00:29:10.560
About that period of when the disciples, the apostles were alive and so on.

00:29:10.600 --> 00:29:11.360
The early church.

00:29:12.860 --> 00:29:17.120
And that's when, in Matthew 13, the first parable, the seed is sown.

00:29:18.840 --> 00:29:20.399
In Revelation 2.5, it says,

00:29:20.399 --> 00:29:24.280
Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent and do the first works,

00:29:24.340 --> 00:29:27.720
or else I will come to thee quickly and remove thy candlestick out of his place.

00:29:27.980 --> 00:29:30.899
Interestingly, of all the churches, Ephesus is the one that ceased to exist.

00:29:33.699 --> 00:29:36.379
Shortly after this time, there was no church in Ephesus.

00:29:39.260 --> 00:29:42.639
We move on to the second letter, the letter to Smyrna.

00:29:44.659 --> 00:29:48.699
Smyrna is often referenced by commentators as the persecuted church.

00:29:48.700 --> 00:29:49.500
Quite rightly so.

00:29:49.820 --> 00:29:53.660
Because prophetically, it takes us from about 100 AD up to 313 AD.

00:29:54.020 --> 00:29:57.860
This was a period of time when the church was heavily persecuted.

00:29:59.060 --> 00:30:05.340
Largely by the Jews, the Jewish leadership, but also by the Romans.

00:30:06.320 --> 00:30:10.660
This was that period of time when Christians were being thrown into the Colosseum and so on.

00:30:12.420 --> 00:30:16.100
Smyrna, the name, means bitterness or suffering.

00:30:16.100 --> 00:30:17.100
It's where we get...

00:30:17.740 --> 00:30:18.600
It was derived from the word...

00:30:18.700 --> 00:30:19.460
The word myrrh.

00:30:20.520 --> 00:30:21.360
Which is...

00:30:21.360 --> 00:30:23.200
Spice is the thing that's crushed.

00:30:25.680 --> 00:30:27.340
Tertullian, one of the early Christian writers,

00:30:27.460 --> 00:30:30.380
records that the church became the scapegoat if anything went wrong.

00:30:30.660 --> 00:30:31.660
Just reading this, he said,

00:30:31.740 --> 00:30:33.740
If the Tiber River overflows its banks,

00:30:33.800 --> 00:30:36.280
or if the Nile has remained in its bed,

00:30:36.360 --> 00:30:38.060
or if the sky has become still,

00:30:38.140 --> 00:30:39.840
or if the earth in commotion,

00:30:40.380 --> 00:30:42.100
if death has made its devastations,

00:30:42.160 --> 00:30:43.520
or famine its afflictions,

00:30:43.520 --> 00:30:45.400
the cry of Rome is always,

00:30:45.980 --> 00:30:47.300
this is the fault of the Christians.

00:30:48.320 --> 00:30:48.520
That was...

00:30:48.700 --> 00:30:51.680
That was the view of the church, the Christians.

00:30:51.780 --> 00:30:53.400
We're being blamed for everything that was going on.

00:30:53.880 --> 00:30:54.600
Everything that was wrong.

00:30:55.860 --> 00:30:59.180
Again, as I said, it comes from this root word that myrrh comes from.

00:30:59.880 --> 00:31:01.880
Myrrh gives off a sweet smell when it's crushed,

00:31:02.420 --> 00:31:04.220
and it's often used for embalming.

00:31:05.540 --> 00:31:08.600
And what a sweet smell it must have been for the Lord

00:31:08.600 --> 00:31:10.620
as his servants chose him,

00:31:11.200 --> 00:31:13.460
even at the cost of their own lives.

00:31:14.480 --> 00:31:15.680
They wouldn't yield.

00:31:15.780 --> 00:31:16.580
They wouldn't give up.

00:31:17.580 --> 00:31:18.580
When you crush...

00:31:18.700 --> 00:31:20.360
When you crush a lemon, you get lemon juice.

00:31:20.440 --> 00:31:22.220
When you crush an apple, you get apple juice.

00:31:22.300 --> 00:31:24.300
When you crush a Christian, you should get Christ.

00:31:26.220 --> 00:31:28.960
So this church, this church of suffering, as I said,

00:31:29.040 --> 00:31:31.500
from about 100 AD to 313 AD.

00:31:32.020 --> 00:31:33.440
And again, these letters,

00:31:33.600 --> 00:31:35.260
everything in the letters to these churches

00:31:35.260 --> 00:31:38.240
fits these historical periods.

00:31:39.420 --> 00:31:41.560
They were told to be faithful unto death.

00:31:43.140 --> 00:31:45.380
The next church is the church at Pergamon.

00:31:45.840 --> 00:31:46.420
This is interesting.

00:31:46.820 --> 00:31:48.460
The name Pergamosal,

00:31:48.460 --> 00:31:51.280
Pergamon means mixed or elevated marriage.

00:31:51.440 --> 00:31:52.160
But let me explain it.

00:31:52.300 --> 00:31:53.280
Maybe that's not clear enough.

00:31:54.180 --> 00:31:55.540
The first part, Pergos,

00:31:55.620 --> 00:31:57.660
we actually get the word Berg in German,

00:31:57.840 --> 00:32:00.620
which is the word for castle or something that is lifted up.

00:32:01.420 --> 00:32:04.640
And also the word perverted comes from the first part of that.

00:32:04.720 --> 00:32:06.880
It's also derived from the first part of that word.

00:32:07.640 --> 00:32:10.880
And Gammas is the word meaning marriage,

00:32:11.220 --> 00:32:13.680
as in polygamy or monogamy and so on.

00:32:14.980 --> 00:32:17.680
So what we have here is a church that had become elevated.

00:32:18.460 --> 00:32:20.880
Through its marriage to Rome,

00:32:20.980 --> 00:32:22.080
through the political system.

00:32:23.260 --> 00:32:28.360
You see, this parallels the parable of the mustard seed.

00:32:29.180 --> 00:32:31.320
So it was supposed to become a bush that high.

00:32:31.740 --> 00:32:32.880
And yet it becomes a tree,

00:32:33.800 --> 00:32:35.040
something that should never have been.

00:32:35.180 --> 00:32:37.240
And the birds of the air lodge in the branches.

00:32:37.360 --> 00:32:38.220
What were the birds of the air?

00:32:38.280 --> 00:32:40.480
Well, we're told in the parables that they are ministers of Satan.

00:32:41.980 --> 00:32:44.100
The church became something it should never have been.

00:32:45.000 --> 00:32:47.240
And of course, the influences of pagan religions

00:32:47.240 --> 00:32:47.320
then came into the church.

00:32:47.320 --> 00:32:48.440
And then came into,

00:32:48.440 --> 00:32:49.580
the church.

00:32:50.380 --> 00:32:52.820
One day, the pagan priests were going about their business

00:32:52.820 --> 00:32:54.520
and they were worshipping their idols in their temples.

00:32:54.660 --> 00:32:57.200
And the next day, everything changes.

00:32:57.680 --> 00:33:00.280
Constantine makes his profession of faith in Christ.

00:33:00.900 --> 00:33:02.600
There's a debate as to whether he truly did or not.

00:33:02.660 --> 00:33:03.660
It's kind of irrelevant to the point

00:33:03.660 --> 00:33:07.800
because ultimately, Christianity suddenly becomes legalized.

00:33:08.740 --> 00:33:10.340
And the pagans are now told

00:33:10.340 --> 00:33:12.980
that they must either convert to Christianity or die.

00:33:13.240 --> 00:33:15.700
And so the church that so long had been oppressed

00:33:15.700 --> 00:33:17.460
suddenly becomes the oppressor

00:33:17.460 --> 00:33:18.420
with this new faith.

00:33:18.440 --> 00:33:18.480
And so the church that so long had been oppressed

00:33:18.480 --> 00:33:18.500
finally becomes the oppressor with this new faith.

00:33:18.500 --> 00:33:18.520
And so the church that so long had been oppressed

00:33:18.520 --> 00:33:18.580
finally becomes the oppressor with this new faith.

00:33:18.580 --> 00:33:18.600
And so the church that so long had been oppressed

00:33:18.600 --> 00:33:19.920
political power as well.

00:33:21.000 --> 00:33:24.060
The Christians then started to use these lavish pagan temples

00:33:24.060 --> 00:33:26.100
and turn them into churches.

00:33:26.880 --> 00:33:28.580
And as more churches began to be built,

00:33:28.880 --> 00:33:31.420
they were modeled on the existing pagan temples.

00:33:32.000 --> 00:33:34.180
And even became more elaborate than that.

00:33:34.520 --> 00:33:35.820
And that was great for architecture,

00:33:36.660 --> 00:33:37.620
terrible for Christianity.

00:33:40.800 --> 00:33:44.320
Now, the buildings themselves became the focus.

00:33:45.180 --> 00:33:47.360
And a practice that really persists even to this day.

00:33:47.360 --> 00:33:47.380
And it's a practice that really persists even to this day.

00:33:47.380 --> 00:33:47.440
And it's a practice that really persists even to this day.

00:33:48.040 --> 00:33:49.120
And it's because of that

00:33:49.120 --> 00:33:51.180
that so many people associate church

00:33:51.180 --> 00:33:52.580
with a building

00:33:52.580 --> 00:33:55.880
and not with a group of people

00:33:55.880 --> 00:33:57.260
who have been called out.

00:33:57.320 --> 00:33:58.460
That's what ecclesia means,

00:33:58.620 --> 00:34:00.080
the church, the called out ones,

00:34:00.740 --> 00:34:02.200
who have left all to follow Christ.

00:34:03.340 --> 00:34:04.900
How many times have you said to people,

00:34:05.000 --> 00:34:05.580
I go to church.

00:34:05.640 --> 00:34:06.340
Where do you go to church?

00:34:06.400 --> 00:34:07.660
Oh, we meet in a school.

00:34:07.820 --> 00:34:08.380
A school?

00:34:09.400 --> 00:34:09.940
A church?

00:34:11.220 --> 00:34:13.480
Aren't we supposed to have a big spire and things

00:34:13.480 --> 00:34:14.340
and a big thermometer

00:34:14.340 --> 00:34:16.020
showing how much it's going to cost to repair it?

00:34:17.380 --> 00:34:20.620
I guess, again,

00:34:20.660 --> 00:34:22.580
this is one of the worst times for the church.

00:34:22.920 --> 00:34:25.200
So far from setting their minds on heavenly things,

00:34:25.280 --> 00:34:26.900
the church had embraced the world

00:34:26.900 --> 00:34:29.960
and allowed countless compromises

00:34:29.960 --> 00:34:31.000
and pagan practices

00:34:31.000 --> 00:34:34.460
to kind of get infused into our worship and so on,

00:34:34.540 --> 00:34:36.700
including the watering down of the word of God.

00:34:38.320 --> 00:34:39.920
Again, mixed marriage

00:34:39.920 --> 00:34:43.360
from about 3.13 up until 5.90.

00:34:45.420 --> 00:34:47.080
There's a warning there,

00:34:47.080 --> 00:34:48.679
repent or else I will come unto you quickly

00:34:48.679 --> 00:34:50.960
and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.

00:34:51.040 --> 00:34:53.199
These little warnings are significant.

00:34:53.319 --> 00:34:54.299
I'll show you why in a moment.

00:34:55.900 --> 00:34:57.700
Then go to the church of Thyatira.

00:34:59.520 --> 00:35:02.200
Prophetically, this speaks of the time

00:35:02.200 --> 00:35:04.940
of the rise of the Roman Catholic Church.

00:35:06.299 --> 00:35:07.620
After the time of Constantine,

00:35:07.799 --> 00:35:08.440
after we get to that,

00:35:08.480 --> 00:35:10.420
we get to the time of the papacy,

00:35:11.020 --> 00:35:12.640
the Vatican, and so on.

00:35:14.319 --> 00:35:16.500
And this church age runs from 5.90

00:35:16.500 --> 00:35:16.640
right up until 5.90.

00:35:16.640 --> 00:35:16.700
So, I'm going to go to the church of Thyatira.

00:35:16.700 --> 00:35:16.940
I'm going to go to the church of Thyatira.

00:35:16.940 --> 00:35:17.040
I'm going to go to the church of Thyatira.

00:35:17.040 --> 00:35:17.060
I'm going to go to the church of Thyatira.

00:35:17.279 --> 00:35:18.500
I'm going to go to the church of Thyatira.

00:35:18.500 --> 00:35:18.520
I'm going to go to the church of Thyatira.

00:35:18.520 --> 00:35:18.560
I'm going to go to the church of Thyatira.

00:35:18.560 --> 00:35:18.600
I'm going to go to the church of Thyatira.

00:35:18.600 --> 00:35:19.440
The first three churches,

00:35:19.620 --> 00:35:21.779
there's a defining end in place.

00:35:23.200 --> 00:35:26.040
But this one seemingly runs right to the end.

00:35:26.840 --> 00:35:27.320
We read,

00:35:27.600 --> 00:35:29.600
And I gave her space to repent of her fornication,

00:35:29.640 --> 00:35:30.500
and she repented not.

00:35:30.580 --> 00:35:32.279
Behold, I will cast her into bed,

00:35:32.380 --> 00:35:33.860
and then to commit adultery with her

00:35:33.860 --> 00:35:35.080
into great tribulation.

00:35:35.920 --> 00:35:38.040
There's a promise there that she will endure,

00:35:38.240 --> 00:35:39.600
but ultimately will be judged.

00:35:40.799 --> 00:35:42.060
But that's exactly the truth

00:35:42.060 --> 00:35:43.940
regarding the Roman Catholic Church.

00:35:45.160 --> 00:35:46.200
Just moving on quickly,

00:35:46.299 --> 00:35:46.860
for the sake of time,

00:35:46.860 --> 00:35:51.240
As I say, five weeks you spend studying all the notes, all the slides, everything's online if you want to go into this in more detail.

00:35:51.560 --> 00:35:55.860
But the Church of Sardis is a new interesting one because it speaks about the remnant.

00:35:56.740 --> 00:35:58.460
That's what the name Sardis actually means.

00:35:59.400 --> 00:36:01.620
And it really speaks of the Reformation Church.

00:36:02.520 --> 00:36:11.080
People like Martin Luther and all these other wonderful characters that helped to kind of reclaim the truth of the gospel from 517 AD onwards.

00:36:11.320 --> 00:36:13.220
But again, going up until the time of the Tribulation.

00:36:13.220 --> 00:36:18.040
The interesting fact is there is no good thing said about this church.

00:36:20.359 --> 00:36:25.000
That may come as a surprise because we think about the Reformation as a really great time in history

00:36:25.000 --> 00:36:31.200
because it kind of wrested the church from the clutches of the Roman Catholic Church.

00:36:32.959 --> 00:36:36.779
But there were many things that were not addressed, not dealt with.

00:36:37.740 --> 00:36:42.779
The church's attitude towards Israel, anti-Semitism, amillennialism.

00:36:43.220 --> 00:36:46.620
All these ideas were embraced by this church.

00:36:46.700 --> 00:36:50.500
This is where our denominational churches have come from.

00:36:51.939 --> 00:36:55.459
Interestingly, the warning there is if thou shall not watch.

00:36:56.540 --> 00:37:00.140
Well, that is typical of pretty much every denominational church.

00:37:00.819 --> 00:37:04.160
They do not want to have anything to do with end times.

00:37:04.799 --> 00:37:07.180
Many years ago, there was a meeting down in Brighton.

00:37:07.759 --> 00:37:08.919
I believe it was Brighton or Eastbourne.

00:37:09.359 --> 00:37:11.279
And the Anglican Church got together.

00:37:11.279 --> 00:37:12.779
And I was told this by an Anglican minister.

00:37:13.220 --> 00:37:14.160
Actually, he'd been at that meeting.

00:37:14.580 --> 00:37:19.120
And they voted that they would not talk about anything to do with end times in their churches.

00:37:21.200 --> 00:37:21.959
That's shocking.

00:37:22.899 --> 00:37:24.660
That's saying, well, thanks God.

00:37:24.759 --> 00:37:27.160
This is a good book, but don't really want that bit.

00:37:31.379 --> 00:37:31.759
Interesting.

00:37:32.180 --> 00:37:34.819
Again, if thou shall not watch, I will come on thee as a thief.

00:37:35.500 --> 00:37:38.000
And thou shall not know what hour I will come upon thee.

00:37:39.459 --> 00:37:40.140
Serious warning.

00:37:40.939 --> 00:37:43.140
We then go on to the Church of Philadelphia.

00:37:43.220 --> 00:37:44.080
What a contrast.

00:37:44.379 --> 00:37:46.959
Because this is a church of which nothing bad is said.

00:37:47.939 --> 00:37:49.160
Sardis is nothing good said.

00:37:49.240 --> 00:37:52.879
But the Church of Philadelphia is a church which is, again, Philadelphia.

00:37:53.080 --> 00:37:54.000
It means brotherly love.

00:37:55.259 --> 00:38:00.520
And historically, it takes us from the time of 1650 up until the rapture.

00:38:00.580 --> 00:38:01.560
We'll talk about that.

00:38:01.660 --> 00:38:02.279
What does that mean?

00:38:02.540 --> 00:38:03.160
We'll explain it.

00:38:06.859 --> 00:38:08.560
The promise that's given to them is,

00:38:08.560 --> 00:38:11.319
Because thou hast kept the word of my patience,

00:38:11.540 --> 00:38:13.100
I will also keep thee.

00:38:13.220 --> 00:38:14.560
From the hour of temptation.

00:38:14.700 --> 00:38:18.520
Yet another promise to be removed, to be delivered from.

00:38:18.879 --> 00:38:22.359
Which shall come upon all the world to try them that dwell on the earth.

00:38:22.419 --> 00:38:23.879
Again, it's very clear what he's talking about.

00:38:26.560 --> 00:38:29.180
And then finally, the Church of Laodicea.

00:38:29.919 --> 00:38:31.680
The final church age.

00:38:33.919 --> 00:38:34.399
Laodicea.

00:38:34.720 --> 00:38:37.040
The name just means the rule of the people, effectively.

00:38:38.140 --> 00:38:39.500
It's the last final church age.

00:38:39.500 --> 00:38:42.759
Really from about 1900 AD until the time of the tribulation.

00:38:42.760 --> 00:38:44.260
It's the apostate church.

00:38:44.680 --> 00:38:46.880
It's the church that embraces everything and anything.

00:38:47.040 --> 00:38:48.020
Allows anything in.

00:38:48.360 --> 00:38:50.820
Worships God in the way that they choose to worship God.

00:38:51.720 --> 00:38:53.340
We saw some of those things last week.

00:38:53.760 --> 00:38:55.480
The works in our own hands and so on.

00:38:55.880 --> 00:38:58.100
Repeating the mistakes that Israel had made.

00:38:59.460 --> 00:39:00.680
And God says of them,

00:39:01.920 --> 00:39:05.400
Notice, this is a church that was being written to.

00:39:06.340 --> 00:39:06.840
But God says,

00:39:06.980 --> 00:39:08.840
I will spew thee out of my mouth,

00:39:08.920 --> 00:39:11.720
because thou sayest I am rich and increased with goods,

00:39:11.720 --> 00:39:12.740
and of need of none,

00:39:12.740 --> 00:39:15.399
and knowest not that thou are wretched and miserable,

00:39:15.680 --> 00:39:17.279
and poor and blind and naked.

00:39:18.080 --> 00:39:22.620
That is Jesus' opinion of this church.

00:39:22.899 --> 00:39:25.419
Those that profess to be Christ,

00:39:25.620 --> 00:39:27.140
and yet clearly are not.

00:39:27.640 --> 00:39:30.819
And again, you read that Jesus spoke of those who would call him Lord,

00:39:30.899 --> 00:39:32.000
and yet never knew him.

00:39:32.220 --> 00:39:34.120
Who had done miracles, who cast out demons,

00:39:34.240 --> 00:39:35.100
and all these kind of things.

00:39:35.339 --> 00:39:36.680
And Jesus said, I never knew you.

00:39:36.799 --> 00:39:37.620
Depart from me.

00:39:39.259 --> 00:39:40.879
Let me give you a very quick summary of these.

00:39:40.879 --> 00:39:41.879
So the church of Ephesus.

00:39:41.880 --> 00:39:44.800
Then the church of Smyrna and the church at Pergamos.

00:39:45.020 --> 00:39:47.740
They all had kind of a historical end point.

00:39:48.220 --> 00:39:49.880
But then we get to the church of Thyatira,

00:39:49.980 --> 00:39:51.560
representing the Roman Catholic Church,

00:39:51.820 --> 00:39:54.860
which is told it will go on until the time of tribulation

00:39:54.860 --> 00:39:56.160
and be judged accordingly.

00:39:56.500 --> 00:39:57.560
The church of Sardis,

00:39:57.680 --> 00:40:02.180
representing the remnant or the denominational churches

00:40:02.180 --> 00:40:03.280
that came out of the Reformation,

00:40:03.580 --> 00:40:05.680
will also go up to the time of the tribulation

00:40:05.680 --> 00:40:06.940
and be judged accordingly.

00:40:07.940 --> 00:40:09.320
The church of Philadelphia,

00:40:10.020 --> 00:40:11.320
they're promised a way of escape.

00:40:11.880 --> 00:40:13.640
From what is coming.

00:40:14.440 --> 00:40:16.500
And then the final church age,

00:40:16.700 --> 00:40:17.800
a church that is so arrogant,

00:40:17.940 --> 00:40:19.020
thinking they have everything.

00:40:21.900 --> 00:40:25.540
And they're told they will also go into this time of judgment.

00:40:26.680 --> 00:40:28.120
All those three groups,

00:40:28.840 --> 00:40:30.620
in a sense, the denominational churches,

00:40:30.760 --> 00:40:32.720
the church of the Roman Catholic Church,

00:40:33.140 --> 00:40:34.400
and the apostate church,

00:40:35.080 --> 00:40:38.160
will all end up forming a one world church.

00:40:38.260 --> 00:40:40.940
They'll be part of this system that is coming.

00:40:40.940 --> 00:40:43.340
It's dealt with in Revelation 17 and 18,

00:40:43.480 --> 00:40:45.380
and another time we may go into that in depth.

00:40:46.040 --> 00:40:47.320
But I just want to conclude this morning

00:40:47.320 --> 00:40:50.100
by just taking you through some more lessons

00:40:50.100 --> 00:40:51.640
that we learn from history,

00:40:51.760 --> 00:40:53.780
because none of this is just opinion.

00:40:53.980 --> 00:40:57.480
This is stuff that the Word of God reveals in advance.

00:40:59.660 --> 00:41:05.060
Israel started off with a wonderful period.

00:41:05.940 --> 00:41:08.200
It's referred to in the book of Jeremiah

00:41:08.200 --> 00:41:09.700
as a time of espousal,

00:41:09.700 --> 00:41:10.700
a time of engagement,

00:41:10.940 --> 00:41:11.340
a time of engagement.

00:41:12.080 --> 00:41:13.900
Moreover, the word of the Lord came to me saying,

00:41:14.060 --> 00:41:15.820
go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem saying,

00:41:16.200 --> 00:41:16.940
thus says the Lord,

00:41:17.020 --> 00:41:17.840
I remember thee,

00:41:17.900 --> 00:41:19.060
the kindness of thy youth,

00:41:19.440 --> 00:41:21.300
the love of thine espousals.

00:41:21.600 --> 00:41:23.480
When thou wentest after me in the wilderness,

00:41:23.720 --> 00:41:25.240
in the land that was not sown.

00:41:25.960 --> 00:41:27.220
That's how Israel started.

00:41:28.640 --> 00:41:29.640
As they left Egypt,

00:41:29.760 --> 00:41:30.680
they went into the wilderness.

00:41:31.540 --> 00:41:32.580
For 38 years, yes,

00:41:32.640 --> 00:41:33.700
there was the unbelief,

00:41:33.760 --> 00:41:34.280
the golden calf,

00:41:34.320 --> 00:41:35.360
all these other things that went on.

00:41:35.920 --> 00:41:37.360
But there was a time of them growing

00:41:37.360 --> 00:41:38.820
and learning to trust God.

00:41:39.320 --> 00:41:40.820
They were daily eating of the mammon,

00:41:40.940 --> 00:41:41.820
the mammon that God provided.

00:41:42.000 --> 00:41:43.280
It was a time of espousal.

00:41:44.780 --> 00:41:46.860
But that leads on to the time

00:41:46.860 --> 00:41:50.960
which was recorded for us in the book of Joshua

00:41:50.960 --> 00:41:55.380
where there was much persecution,

00:41:55.580 --> 00:41:56.420
if we may put it that way.

00:41:56.520 --> 00:41:57.560
There was great challenges.

00:41:59.020 --> 00:42:01.820
There was oppression from the surrounding nations.

00:42:03.880 --> 00:42:04.960
Initially through Moses

00:42:04.960 --> 00:42:06.160
and then finally through Joshua,

00:42:06.280 --> 00:42:07.660
they enter the promised land.

00:42:07.660 --> 00:42:08.880
They have victory,

00:42:09.300 --> 00:42:10.520
but through a time of war.

00:42:10.940 --> 00:42:14.960
But that then brings us historically for Israel

00:42:14.960 --> 00:42:16.420
to the time of the judges.

00:42:16.620 --> 00:42:17.680
And if you've ever read Judges,

00:42:17.740 --> 00:42:18.820
you'll know that it was a time

00:42:18.820 --> 00:42:21.880
when that complacency brought about defeat.

00:42:22.740 --> 00:42:24.300
Proverbs 29.18 tells us

00:42:24.300 --> 00:42:25.680
that where there is no vision,

00:42:25.820 --> 00:42:26.940
people cast off restraint.

00:42:28.060 --> 00:42:29.940
It's a paraphrase of that verse.

00:42:30.040 --> 00:42:31.780
But when you've got nothing to aim for,

00:42:31.860 --> 00:42:32.520
people get sloppy.

00:42:34.280 --> 00:42:37.460
We just read this from Judges 1.28

00:42:37.460 --> 00:42:38.760
from chapter 2, 1 to 3.

00:42:38.760 --> 00:42:40.760
And it came to pass when Israel was strong,

00:42:40.940 --> 00:42:42.180
they put the Canaanites to tribute

00:42:42.180 --> 00:42:43.900
and did not utterly drive them out.

00:42:44.340 --> 00:42:45.480
Then the angel of the Lord said,

00:42:45.800 --> 00:42:47.040
you have not obeyed my voice.

00:42:47.140 --> 00:42:47.940
Why have you done this?

00:42:48.080 --> 00:42:49.100
Therefore I also said,

00:42:49.400 --> 00:42:51.060
I will not drive them out before you,

00:42:51.400 --> 00:42:53.280
but they shall beat thorns in your side

00:42:53.280 --> 00:42:55.420
and their God shall be a snare to you.

00:42:56.060 --> 00:42:57.300
And that's exactly what happened.

00:42:57.420 --> 00:43:00.340
Israel ended up embracing the cultures

00:43:00.340 --> 00:43:02.000
and things that were going on around them.

00:43:02.060 --> 00:43:03.120
And it brought defeat.

00:43:04.760 --> 00:43:06.840
Ultimately, we then move on to that time

00:43:06.840 --> 00:43:09.680
where they rejected God's rule over them.

00:43:09.820 --> 00:43:10.340
Theocracy.

00:43:10.340 --> 00:43:11.080
God's rule.

00:43:11.460 --> 00:43:13.640
And they wanted a man to rule over them.

00:43:13.720 --> 00:43:15.140
And initially Saul is appointed.

00:43:15.820 --> 00:43:16.560
And the Lord said unto Samuel,

00:43:16.740 --> 00:43:17.800
Hearken unto the voice of the people

00:43:17.800 --> 00:43:18.760
and all that they say unto you,

00:43:18.940 --> 00:43:20.200
for they have not rejected thee,

00:43:20.260 --> 00:43:21.400
but they have rejected me,

00:43:21.660 --> 00:43:23.460
that I should not reign over them.

00:43:25.700 --> 00:43:27.320
And that brings us on to,

00:43:27.540 --> 00:43:28.500
historically with Israel,

00:43:28.660 --> 00:43:29.820
the division of the kingdom.

00:43:30.600 --> 00:43:32.880
After David, we get to the time of Solomon.

00:43:33.320 --> 00:43:35.980
After Solomon, and Solomon's apostasy,

00:43:36.120 --> 00:43:37.800
we know Solomon, for all his wisdom,

00:43:38.800 --> 00:43:39.800
followed after Solomon,

00:43:40.340 --> 00:43:41.240
foreign wives,

00:43:41.500 --> 00:43:44.840
and allowed the worship of these other gods

00:43:44.840 --> 00:43:48.740
to be just infused into the life of the nation.

00:43:50.220 --> 00:43:52.660
And so we get then this division into Israel,

00:43:52.780 --> 00:43:53.580
the northern kingdom,

00:43:54.460 --> 00:43:56.080
and then the southern kingdom of Judah.

00:43:56.920 --> 00:43:58.600
Israel went into idolatry

00:43:58.600 --> 00:44:01.860
and constantly rebuked for this.

00:44:01.960 --> 00:44:03.480
God sends prophets to warn them.

00:44:04.480 --> 00:44:07.380
And yet, Jeremiah 3, look at this.

00:44:08.340 --> 00:44:09.600
And yet, for all her treacherous,

00:44:10.340 --> 00:44:13.260
Sister Judah has not turned unto me with her whole heart,

00:44:13.340 --> 00:44:16.940
but faintly saith the Lord,

00:44:17.100 --> 00:44:18.120
and the Lord said unto them,

00:44:18.120 --> 00:44:20.820
that backsliding Israel has justified itself

00:44:20.820 --> 00:44:22.240
more than treacherous Judah.

00:44:23.860 --> 00:44:26.520
You see, Israel were actually commended

00:44:26.520 --> 00:44:27.600
for their good works,

00:44:27.660 --> 00:44:28.700
the things they had done.

00:44:29.320 --> 00:44:31.160
Whereas Judah, who should have known better,

00:44:31.260 --> 00:44:32.900
these were the southern kingdom,

00:44:33.020 --> 00:44:34.860
with the kings that have come down from David,

00:44:34.960 --> 00:44:35.620
the line of David,

00:44:35.700 --> 00:44:36.980
the line that came down to the Messiah.

00:44:38.320 --> 00:44:39.640
We're told that it was not perfect.

00:44:39.640 --> 00:44:40.960
They kind of turned to gold,

00:44:41.020 --> 00:44:42.680
but not really, not truly in their hearts.

00:44:43.759 --> 00:44:46.259
And so alluded to as being worse than Israel.

00:44:50.640 --> 00:44:52.279
Just reading from Jeremiah 29.

00:44:54.440 --> 00:44:56.580
Know that thus saith the Lord,

00:44:57.000 --> 00:44:58.940
of the king that sits upon the throne of David,

00:44:59.020 --> 00:45:01.100
and of all the people that dwelleth in this city,

00:45:01.460 --> 00:45:02.520
and of all your brethren

00:45:02.520 --> 00:45:04.580
that are not gone forth with you into captivity.

00:45:05.060 --> 00:45:06.080
Thus says the Lord of hosts,

00:45:06.160 --> 00:45:08.400
Behold, I will send upon them the sword,

00:45:08.400 --> 00:45:09.100
the famine,

00:45:09.100 --> 00:45:10.140
the pestilence,

00:45:10.500 --> 00:45:12.180
and I will make them vile figs

00:45:12.180 --> 00:45:13.160
that cannot be eaten.

00:45:13.720 --> 00:45:14.839
They are so evil.

00:45:15.940 --> 00:45:18.420
See, after the time of the northern kingdom,

00:45:18.520 --> 00:45:19.080
the southern kingdom,

00:45:19.160 --> 00:45:21.080
the northern kingdom goes into captivity with Assyria,

00:45:21.220 --> 00:45:23.080
finally the southern kingdom goes into Babylon.

00:45:23.299 --> 00:45:24.520
Again, Mark's going to be picking up

00:45:24.520 --> 00:45:25.680
in a couple of weeks on that.

00:45:26.520 --> 00:45:27.779
Please listen to those studies.

00:45:27.900 --> 00:45:28.880
You'll be blessed by them.

00:45:30.440 --> 00:45:31.880
But interestingly enough,

00:45:31.980 --> 00:45:33.299
those that went to Babylon

00:45:33.299 --> 00:45:35.279
were the faithful.

00:45:36.200 --> 00:45:38.000
They were the ones that God removed

00:45:38.000 --> 00:45:39.060
out of the way,

00:45:39.100 --> 00:45:40.860
to a place of safety,

00:45:41.080 --> 00:45:42.240
to protect them,

00:45:42.560 --> 00:45:43.799
to preserve them,

00:45:44.720 --> 00:45:47.560
whilst judgment came upon Jerusalem.

00:45:48.080 --> 00:45:49.900
Judgment came upon the land.

00:45:50.160 --> 00:45:51.299
The faithful were taken away.

00:45:52.000 --> 00:45:52.759
The judgment came.

00:45:56.160 --> 00:45:56.880
And then finally,

00:45:58.500 --> 00:45:59.580
the apostates,

00:45:59.819 --> 00:46:00.520
the false prophets,

00:46:01.200 --> 00:46:01.799
were destroyed.

00:46:02.259 --> 00:46:03.360
Those that stayed in Jerusalem.

00:46:03.980 --> 00:46:06.520
And Jerusalem ultimately was burned with fire.

00:46:08.020 --> 00:46:08.900
So we have

00:46:08.900 --> 00:46:10.900
seven distinct

00:46:10.900 --> 00:46:13.400
ages in Israel's history.

00:46:14.040 --> 00:46:15.280
There is actually an eighth.

00:46:16.900 --> 00:46:17.960
Because ultimately,

00:46:18.640 --> 00:46:19.720
those faithful

00:46:19.720 --> 00:46:22.140
that had gone to Babylon

00:46:22.140 --> 00:46:24.160
ultimately returned to the land.

00:46:25.260 --> 00:46:26.180
They inherited it.

00:46:26.640 --> 00:46:28.320
And a temple is then built in the land.

00:46:28.400 --> 00:46:30.160
We read about it in the book of Haggai and so on.

00:46:30.600 --> 00:46:32.740
That ultimately the Messiah would one day teach from.

00:46:34.880 --> 00:46:36.400
Now, I share that with you

00:46:36.400 --> 00:46:37.540
because if you remember last week,

00:46:37.620 --> 00:46:38.520
we read from Corinthians,

00:46:38.520 --> 00:46:39.440
1 Corinthians 10.

00:46:39.820 --> 00:46:42.380
And we're told then that all these things happen unto them,

00:46:42.460 --> 00:46:42.940
the Jews,

00:46:43.520 --> 00:46:44.160
for examples.

00:46:44.280 --> 00:46:44.700
Examples.

00:46:45.000 --> 00:46:47.300
And they are written for our admonition

00:46:47.300 --> 00:46:49.060
upon whom the ends of the world have come.

00:46:50.400 --> 00:46:52.380
Paul clearly says that what happened to Israel,

00:46:53.100 --> 00:46:53.880
all real things,

00:46:53.920 --> 00:46:54.740
it did happen to them,

00:46:55.080 --> 00:46:57.560
but they're serving as examples to us.

00:46:58.120 --> 00:46:59.080
Now, look at this.

00:47:00.220 --> 00:47:02.800
Israel started with a period of 38 years

00:47:02.800 --> 00:47:04.100
in the wilderness.

00:47:04.900 --> 00:47:06.040
Two years at Sinai camp.

00:47:06.100 --> 00:47:07.160
And then they started their journey.

00:47:07.160 --> 00:47:08.160
It's 40 years in total.

00:47:08.520 --> 00:47:10.020
But 38 years wandering.

00:47:10.880 --> 00:47:12.860
Do you know the church started with a period of 38 years

00:47:12.860 --> 00:47:16.160
from A.D. 32 up until 70 A.D.?

00:47:16.900 --> 00:47:18.940
The time when the temple was destroyed by the Romans.

00:47:21.120 --> 00:47:21.580
For both.

00:47:21.880 --> 00:47:23.720
For Ephesus, we read a short while ago,

00:47:23.920 --> 00:47:25.920
Ephesus means darling, love of espousal.

00:47:26.400 --> 00:47:28.500
Israel started with this time of espousal.

00:47:28.759 --> 00:47:30.320
The church started in the same way.

00:47:31.520 --> 00:47:33.120
But then for Israel,

00:47:34.400 --> 00:47:37.060
they went into a time of difficulty

00:47:37.060 --> 00:47:38.160
and yet prosperity.

00:47:38.520 --> 00:47:40.060
Under Joshua,

00:47:40.240 --> 00:47:42.000
as they're fighting these other tribes

00:47:42.000 --> 00:47:42.640
that were in the land,

00:47:42.820 --> 00:47:44.600
and God was granting them victory over them.

00:47:45.840 --> 00:47:47.800
It was the same with the church at Smyrna.

00:47:48.960 --> 00:47:50.740
It speaks of that time of the early church,

00:47:50.820 --> 00:47:51.880
that they had victory

00:47:51.880 --> 00:47:53.420
and yet through a time of suffering.

00:47:55.000 --> 00:47:55.880
For Israel then,

00:47:56.120 --> 00:47:57.480
they went on to the time of judges,

00:47:57.560 --> 00:47:59.759
where that complacency brought defeat,

00:47:59.900 --> 00:48:01.320
where they embraced the things of the world.

00:48:01.560 --> 00:48:03.500
Exactly the same thing happened to the church.

00:48:05.640 --> 00:48:06.759
Pergamos, mixed marriage.

00:48:06.840 --> 00:48:08.200
The church became something it shouldn't.

00:48:08.200 --> 00:48:08.340
It became a church of the world.

00:48:08.340 --> 00:48:08.400
It became a church of the world.

00:48:08.400 --> 00:48:08.480
It became a church of the world.

00:48:08.480 --> 00:48:08.500
It became a church of the world.

00:48:08.520 --> 00:48:09.600
It became married to the world.

00:48:10.440 --> 00:48:11.800
Just as it had with Israel.

00:48:12.800 --> 00:48:13.520
But then with Israel,

00:48:13.660 --> 00:48:14.660
we get to the next stage

00:48:14.660 --> 00:48:16.980
when there was this rejection of God's rule,

00:48:17.060 --> 00:48:18.840
where they wanted a man to rule over them.

00:48:19.240 --> 00:48:24.300
That's what the church of Thyatira represents.

00:48:25.700 --> 00:48:29.680
Where a man is placed at the head of the church.

00:48:30.500 --> 00:48:31.920
They rejected God's rule.

00:48:32.620 --> 00:48:34.140
The parallels are striking.

00:48:36.500 --> 00:48:38.400
But then we get in Israel's,

00:48:38.400 --> 00:48:40.400
the Catholic church,

00:48:40.400 --> 00:48:55.440
and the Protestant church.

00:48:55.440 --> 00:49:02.180
And yet they have done many good works.

00:49:03.180 --> 00:49:04.040
The Protestant church?

00:49:04.780 --> 00:49:05.500
Nothing good said.

00:49:06.500 --> 00:49:08.380
Not to the church of Silas,

00:49:08.400 --> 00:49:09.560
but to the church of Silas.

00:49:09.560 --> 00:49:09.980
And not to the church of Silas.

00:49:09.980 --> 00:49:10.020
Not to the church of Silas.

00:49:10.020 --> 00:49:12.100
Not to the church of Silas.

00:49:12.100 --> 00:49:13.000
And then of course,

00:49:13.180 --> 00:49:14.400
judgment was foretold.

00:49:15.420 --> 00:49:17.660
The faithful were taken to Babylon.

00:49:18.340 --> 00:49:19.600
The same is true for the church.

00:49:19.660 --> 00:49:20.680
We've already seen that judgment

00:49:20.680 --> 00:49:22.060
is going to begin with the house of God.

00:49:22.340 --> 00:49:23.700
Ultimately, the faithful

00:49:23.700 --> 00:49:26.520
will be taken out of this earth.

00:49:26.680 --> 00:49:28.460
We're going to explore more of that next week.

00:49:30.120 --> 00:49:31.120
The church of Philadelphia

00:49:31.120 --> 00:49:34.580
that promised this way of escaping

00:49:34.580 --> 00:49:35.860
that which is coming.

00:49:36.120 --> 00:49:38.020
And then what happened with Israel was,

00:49:38.020 --> 00:49:43.700
So the apostates, the disobedient, those that had rejected God's rule,

00:49:45.000 --> 00:49:47.540
they stayed in Jerusalem and they were ultimately destroyed.

00:49:47.680 --> 00:49:48.600
Jerusalem was burned with fire.

00:49:48.920 --> 00:49:49.920
And it will be the same.

00:49:50.020 --> 00:49:51.940
The church of Laodicea thought they had everything.

00:49:54.320 --> 00:49:59.820
Ultimately, Matthew 13 tells us they'll be burned with fire, just as Jerusalem.

00:50:01.240 --> 00:50:04.960
Revelation 17, 18, again, gives far more detail on those things.

00:50:04.960 --> 00:50:09.360
But interestingly, the final thing on the list, the eighth age, if you like,

00:50:09.720 --> 00:50:12.380
the faithful in Israel returned finally to inherit the land.

00:50:12.460 --> 00:50:15.580
And as I said, that temple was built that the Messiah will teach from.

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Well, ultimately, those that are taken out of the way will one day return with Jesus.

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When Jesus comes back at the time of the second coming,

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Jesus will return to establish his throne, his kingdom.

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And a temple is going to be built that he will rule and reign over the whole earth from.

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These parallels are striking.

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And we see God's hand on all of history.

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Next week, we're going to conclude and we'll talk more about the way of escape

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that God has promised for the church.

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It's about hearts.

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Father, we just thank you for this time this morning.

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The opportunity to review these things and just see the detail in your word.

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The way that you are a God who knows the end from the beginning

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and has revealed to your servants through the prophets

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that which you will.

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Which you will do.

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Father, we just pray that you would cause us to be those with eyes open,

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ears that are unblocked,

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that we would be looking for the coming of the Lord,

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that we would be excited about these days,

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knowing that our salvation is drawing nigh

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as we lift up our heads in Jesus' name.

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Amen.