Grapes of Wrath

Tell your brothers with you to determine if you read Revelation 14 verses 14 through 20 clad in singular and the CLAD when the Son of Man was a golden crown on his head and sharp sickle in his hand another angel came out of the temple calling with the lab the EM seven the club put in your sickle and reap the real truth, is come, the harvest is fully ripe. So we sat on the cloud swung his sickle across the years and the earth was reaped and another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle and letter angel came out from the altar and has authority of the fire recalls that although most of the one with the sharp sickle, put in your sickle and gather the clusters in the bottom of the growth rates go to ripe.

The angel swung his sickle across the earth and gathered the great harvest of the and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God and the press was trodden outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress is high as a horse's body for 1600 Stadium. It's 184 miles spray heavenly father we come before your throne today depends you your great glorious sovereign and wonderful God and the father the passage we have before us today is one of the most serious passages that we have in the entire Bible. I pray father that he would help me when I might explain that such a letter is you will be glorified. This congregation would be taught the truth of your Logan Sekulow.

Was it would make us love Jesus more than we've ever love Jesus, that we might fear God more than we've ever feared God, that we might be everything that you called us to be guided and directed us to this passage, Lord, may Jesus be exalted by this congregation beatified will give you praise and honor and glory for all you do for us.

Jesus precious and holy name we pray. Amen. You may be seated. The grapes of wrath powerful biblical imagery. Revelation 13. We have a picture of the Son of Man coming back down to the South to bring great wrath and judgment on all those who rebelled against his rule is such a powerful picture that it is been used over and over and over again by songwriters and novelists answering history to show how judgment is coming on undeserving people that it's coming and they were going to get what they deserve. In 1961 GUN hardware. They are a song entitled the Battle hymn of the Republic. It is a song about the delivery was an Army and the Subaru is a very proud Northern song. This is all about how God's hand of judgment.

This God is coming down to bring judgment on the South. You remember the words Minos assume the glory of the coming of the moon is tripping out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored and then you probably remember that novel that John Steinbeck went back in 1939 till the grapes of wrath, and that novel was. He was educating there in that novel through that neither workers in the California Richards uses using the unions as the reference to bring great wrath the judgment upon the greedy orchard owners offense, but do you have how and John Steinbeck did not understand what is being said in Revelation chapter 14 and chapter 13 is not talking about one class of human sinners bring judgment on another class of human sinners really listen.

Chapter 13 is telling us that there is only one who has the right to judge. This will and that is Jesus Christ himself. This judgment is real. This judgment is serious and this judgment is certain three-point zone to share with you .1 the coming of the Son of Man, with verse 14 cladding seated on the club one like the Son of Man, with a crayon on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand not been shared with you for the last 13 chapters of the best way to study the book of Revelation is to break it down into seven sections, each remedy seven sections are picture of the church age.

From the first coming of Christ to the second coming of Christ to evaluate the very end of the first chapter as you go through each different section you get more information and things get more and more intense. The first three sections we saw glimmers of the second coming of Christ when we get to this end of this section, we see a panoramic portrait and remember info in the first chapter Revelation chapter 1 verse seven, John said this, behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, but he Revelation 1414 told that John actually sees it says that all the CLAD and seated on the camera like the Son of Man, with his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. You say something for several decades now.

Christians who are pumped up about the second coming have been viewed as being in actually shallow and physiologically delete the wires that because back in the 1970s and 1980s were several books that were written that the dates and the return of Christ, and these were books like the late great planet Earth and looks like because 66 6 x 7 carbon books like 88 reasons why the rapture the church has to take place before 1998.

These minutes were send that that had to take place at the rapture was going to take place before 1988 Christians got popped up so that some of them went to the mountain save everything I hadn't written later than the rapture the church churches were preachers pinched on nothing that the rapture of the church robotic conferences. It would be in hail surrounded by nothing but the topic of the second coming of Christ and Christians were excited about the imminent return of Christ with the 1988 came in and everybody said what happened. Jesus was coming back and people got frustrated and some from the faith altogether and sell them to sit on the call that invented again and just kind of got complacent since belief and excitement about the second coming.

Since that time has become an convivial week. Seems to me that the last three decades. People who show interest in the second coming, or preachers who preach on the second coming over the homeless veteran and skepticism where the truth of the matter is we should look with disdain on those that are setting dates, we should work with disdain. All of those that are trying to get being arrogant telling us that they know exactly who Christ is going return.

But we did wrong to lose our hope and are generally excitement about the second coming of Jesus Christ because brothers and sisters.

It's going to happen we share with you. Send some verses that just encourage us to be excited about his coming in first John chapter 3 verses 233 says this brother that we are the sons of God is not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that we shall appear, we should belong to him.

We shall see him as he is. Listen to this man that hath this hope in him purifies himself even as he was pure.

John tells us that that the second coming by the heart.

And this is something if you Jesus Christ was coming back tonight and absolutely it was going to happen.

We change anything you do for the rest of the day you think you might sit around and watch soap operas.

I doubt it. If you had a neighbor that did not know Christ, which you might get over that house and share the gospel that never. I think you probably would if you had a child that didn't know the Lord would you go and spend some time with them and ruthenium and do everything that you could help them to understand that Jesus Christ was coming back and that they needed to know him as personal Lord and Savior. John tells us that the hope of Christ return heart will purifies live in first Thessalonians chapter 4 Paul is encouraging the believers.

They are in Thessalonica, Thessalonica, Jesus delivered him sexual dissent from heaven with a shell with aversive archangel and the trumpet of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first alive and remain shall be gathered together with them to move and so shall we ever be with the Lord. That teacher rather with these words. Since this is not some fantasy to ponder this is truth in the Scripture teaches us that that Jesus was going to come the first time it prophesies and predicted the first coming of Christ, that we were told of the timing of the first coming of Christ.

In Daniel chapter 9, which I was leaving this morning in Micah chapter 5 that he be born in Bethlehem to be a king and second Samuel chapter 7, to be a prophet.

In Deuteronomy 18 when he would be pleased and some 110 even told Hollywood God about crucifixion.

Psalm 22 you have a picture of the crucifixion that is under debris in detail and very good accurate that is written 900 years before Chris's face was even a means of execution of Jesus.33 Old Testament prophecies with the file to the letter brothers and sisters predictions and prophecies of the first coming with the theater. The letter, let me run you all the prophecies concerning the second coming will also be fulfilled to the letter that said all that to say this, Jesus is coming back.

It does not matter what anybody says it does not matter what skeptics think.

It does not matter set dates that proved to be false.

Jesus is coming back we can put that in the bank. Verse 13 tells us what to look for since Thursday is surrounded by white cloud, and will take this literally most certainly do let me tell you why. Ask chapter 1 verses 8 to 11 sponsors this but you will see positive spirit is come upon you and be my witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth. Serve these things as they were looking all he was listed at the CLAD took it out of their sight. While there he goes into heaven as he read the whole two men stood by them in white robes, and serve you stand looking into heaven. This Jesus was taking it from you into heaven, will come again in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.

Take that literally all your it was history. And it happened that the disciples were standing in the room watching Jesus and he ascended into a cloud and the angel said to them, look, this Jesus whom you just addressing the end of the club is going to call again in the same way that he estimated that car was a glory club is called the Shekinah mudroom of the Old Testament the high priest would go into the holy of holies one time a year on the day of atonement. You take a basin of goat's blood withing walk back behind the veil you differ branch of hyssop into the into the dense wedding sprinkled on the mercy seat and what would happen. The Shekinah glory of God the glory cloud retirement and heavy between the readings of the children. Then when the children of Israel were marching to the promised land.

The Scripture tells us how they were led by a pillar of fire by night the CLAD by the day that club was the Shekinah glory cloud of God, the same one that Jesus ascended up to the same one that Jesus will ascend down from heaven with John obtain all this information with the Holy Spirit led him to go to Daniel chapter 7 verse 13 it says this SIM the night visions in the whole of the clouds of heaven with Chamberlain at the center man and they came to the ancient berries came to the ancient of days and was presented to him that the color white represents the absolute purity of the Lord's holiness very soon seated understanding glory in Isaiah chapter 6 verse two. The Scripture tells us that the seller from the bright shining once the angelic billions were encircling the throne and the of God was same price improvement that they had the take the reins and cover over there was for the glory was that great. Jesus also wears a golden crown on his head in this club and the crown is a Greek word Stefano's and that particular word means a lower wreath that was placed up in the head of the river as of yet in the Olympics and that was the crown that was that was, as mentioned, it's a crown of victory and brothers and sisters. Jesus Christ is King and Jesus Christ is the victor we know that the cross was a victory for Jesus Christ.

We know that the cross was a victory because of the resurrection without holding disasters that led children that everything that happened on the cross did exactly what God intended it to do it washed away the sins of all God's children for all time. Folks that could not be a greater victory and I'll let you know that this tells us that he is the that is that is perfect as the perfect right to judge this what Richard Phillips is here. The dispensation was teach this that is going to be a rapture of the church seven years of tribulation and then Jesus is going to come back to set up a literal thousand year millennial kingdom.

I don't believe that Scripture I don't believe that's what the Scriptures actually teaching.

Listen to what Philip said this depiction of Christ second coming is one of many in the New Testament that roaches returned with the judgment of the real world. The primitive view of eschatology teaches that Jesus's return to live in the thousand year earthly reign, after which Susan found them, and that results in God's judgment, but thought shows Jesus but John shows Jesus returning with the second Arlene's hand very but the harvest takes place when he comes in Matthew 25, 31, Jesus likewise taught that the final judgment takes place immediately upon his return when the Son of Man comes in his glory just with him. We will estimate on his glorious throne. Paul taught the same sequence Learning Center the city from heaven with a cross command with the danger and with the sound of the trumpet, the dead in Christ will rise first. This is the grade of the unit for which Christians are just meeting which Paul describes as our blessed hope, after which comes not a confusing series of events that policy is a condition in which we then will always be with the Lord .2 the harvest. The harvest verse 15 through 16.

Angel came out of the temple because there was a lot of this to him and sat on the cloud putting recycling.

We have a rapist come the harvest of the earth is fully right.

So he sat on the cloud swung his sickle across the earth was reaped. Then take a moment and take you over to Matthew chapter 25 or 32 through 46 and what Jesus says there is what John is saying here John is using symbols and it's a little harder to understand. In Revelation, Jesus, as we get very very plainly harvest if there's going to be the gathering together of the boomers that people of God machine and then there's going to be the singular value of the unbelievers, the goats two weeks ago there was a commercial doing the political debate that the commercial was sponsored by a group atheistic organization called organization for freedom from religion and the speaker was about atheists and Ron Reagan one Reagan in that commercial did everything he could to convince America that we needed to do was to remove every vestige of God and every concerning the Christian faith to take it out of our government out of our about literature and just totally and completely remove it. When he finished his speech he made this statement.

He said that I am not afraid of burning inhale when he said that I shuttered.

I absolutely I absolutely shuttered to think that anyone would still be so angry against God that he would God to judge him. Revelation chapter 14 in Matthew chapter 25 passages at that man ought to read and trembling.

The letter that the day is coming when he's going to stand before Jesus and he's going to have to give an account for mocking Christ judgment. Matthew 25 verses 32 to 36 is the words of Jesus will be gathered all the nations need a separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats and place a sheep on his right, but the goats on the left side of those on the right, you are blessed by my father the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world that is hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you going to drink as a stranger and you welcomed me, as you close below sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me with the righteous will answer him St. Leonard who did we see you hungry and feed you with thirsty and give you drink so you a stranger and welcome you are naked and I see you sick or in prison, envisaging, and the king will answer them. Truly I say to you as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers you did to me some of those on his left. Apart from me you coasted into eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels thought is hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you do not welcome me you did not close the second in prison and you did not visit me and that also answer St. Leonard, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked, or sick or in prison and without ministry. Then he will answer them, saying, truly, I say to you that you did not do it to one of these least least of these, you did it not to me. These are very into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life. But back to Revelation 14 verse 15 we read that the first angel called out in the Lord. The rest of the one seated on the club and commanded to put in the sickle and reap that this particular adverse has caused a lot of problems for a lot of years with a lot of theologians because there is an angel doing given the command to Jesus Christ.

Jesus is the Angels that command him to do anything when the images share a few people's views on this. Leon Morris believes that the one on the cloud is not Jesus that it's just the seventh angel Susan, the Scripture says that he's like a Son of Man, so that means it is not really the Son of Man is just the seventh angel. That's an interesting time but I don't buy it. In verse 13 that the rent on the clock as his head. Leon, a golden crown he has on his angels do not wear gold and keenly crayons and John did this passage from this passage from Daniel chapter 7 verse 13, the Holy Spirit led him to go back there and use this particular passage in the book of Daniel not studied or that the beliefs and interpretations from many different referring theologians and theologians that I have steady believe that that this particular passage is a messianic passage. I believe that Daniel chapter 713 is a prophecy about Jesus Christ coming back. I went to John Calvin. Calvin believed about this province is this. He says that without a doubt this is a reference to the Messiah. This is going to mow chapter 13 verse 32 Jesus said this, but considering that, though, that no one knows not even the angels in heaven then the sun but only the father in these theologians have concluded that Jesus is right now still in the dark concerning the island the day of his second coming date. They say that Jesus is still being financially suburban God the father. I don't buy that either. And we tell you why I do believe that Jesus did note did not know the date of our of his second coming. When he was a man here on this earth but does he know now, I believe that he does. The reason for that is if you go to Philippians chapter 2 suppresses that we call the canonic passage the canonic passage tells us that Jesus is the second person of the Trinity that he is God is always been here. He didn't have a beginning. He is eternal God, we come to this earth, he came to this earth.

He was born of a virgin and for 33 years he lived as a man, he did not cease to be God but he did put aside his his godly attributes in his godly privileges in order that he might be fully man, but when Jesus died on the cross and then rose from the dead he took back all those godly privileges he took back all those godly attributes in one of those attributes is admissions, which means that he knows all things. If he knows all things that he knows the exact hour a day that is coming back. So what is the answer here.

I think Jesus did know exactly what they he was coming back, but I think he's using this is using the Angels command as an announcement to what he's going to do that. Angel is not Jesus what to do, that Angel is telling us.

Jesus is going to do. John Calvin wrote commentaries on every book of the Bible took the book of Revelation.

He said only God can figure this one and I think of this like this is probably one of the reasons that John Calvin did not want a beer, and commentary on Revelation 16.

Angel says this the sickle and reap the harvest is ripe didn't pardon this the answer that is yes. The work of the Christian is like preparing a harvest and it's hard work in it is hard work. We used to doing things quickly here on this earth we go to a machine put in the clearing and a cooking will pop out pack of crackers or pop out. Everything's quick. Everything is automatic today. Let me tell you something, preparing for souls and then for souls is in harvesting souls takes time it takes patients.

It takes love just takes a lot of time is not easy. I gospel message must be rooted with prayer.

Early signs of growth that we see in young Christians has got to be cultivated is going to be it's going to be pruned and fertilized the church and the growth of Christianity in the hearts of our Christian children didn't just happen overnight. It takes time. It takes a lot of effort.

I think this is a warning to you and to me, don't give up.

Don't quit in June persevere in the faith don't quit.

Galatians chapter 6 verse nine Paul said let us not grow here you doing good, for in due season we will reap if we faint not notice in verse 16 that although we are called to be workers in the harvest is Jesus who does the reaping. Jesus is so zealous.

Jesus is the one who will bring us to himself in the last day brothers and sisters Jesus in my sheep hear my voice, and they follow me.

Jesus said I will give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. Jesus said I'm the good Shepherd and I lay down my life for the sheep. Chip Sloan share the gospel with me. But Jesus saved me. The church daily teaching taught Mary.

Mary pointed me to Christ. But Jesus saved me then worsen tells me the Jesus saved me Jesus did what no man, no organization, no plan and program group could do. Jesus went to the cross and purchase my salvation by dying for me by being the substitute for me by taking my halo that he might give me his heaven, Jesus regenerated my heart when it was a harder staring and in the heart of flesh life and one day I'm going to be with him in eternity for ever. This organization freedom from religion Stopping persecution can't stopping just can't stopping Satan Stopping Jesus Christ is coming back and I'll relocate stopping places holy name portrays the Ron Pressler 17 through 20 then another angel came out of the temple in heaven, he too had a sharp sickle angel came out from the laughter that Angel has authority of the file because they have the rest of the one with the sharp sickle sickle and gather the clusters from the bond of the earth which grants a right to just realistically across the US and gather the great harvest of the earth, and threw it in the great winepress of the wrath of God winepress was trodden outside the city, and blood flow from the winepress as high as a horse's bridle for 1600 stadia is 184 miles. Interestingly, the Jesus his own hand reached the believers so that we would experience his presence so that we would be right there with him in Julian's glory with everything that's in this insulin glorious to me that when we see him. We will be with him and will see him face-to-face. I think it's can be, like a train coming in with kids. The kids on it and the parents that is standing there at the train station is waiting for the kids to come in because of the window, looking to see that Saturn is a look at that wind is a get close to the train station they seem layer is not a big smile on his face and is a transparently and he's waving at the kids and those kids run off that train and he just grabs him and it's a glorious, glorious personal joy and excitement. It's interesting, those in the gathering of unbelievers Jesus it's an angel do the work. He didn't do it personally like he does with us. The believers… Angels do the work that's all under the authority of Christ commands Angel to take the sickle into drawing the unbelievers listen to it. But make no mistake about it, the Angels will stand before Christ Jesus will be on the throne. They will see the nail prints in his hands was see the fire in his eyes, and they will hear from the lips of Jesus words like this you rejected the payment that I made for sinners on the cross you said I don't need your forgiveness. I bear my own sin on my own shoulders. He said I'm not very about burning in hell you mark my word you mark my wall and you marked my people. Your day of grace is passed apart from the workers of iniquity.

I never knew you read is against God's level. The rebels against God will be trodden in the winepress of God's wrath. Georgia answered this the entire land is pictured as being inundated and blood to a depth of about 4 feet to solve this clear and radical judgment that crashes every vestige of evil and hostility to the reign of God. But this is not a fairytale. This is God's truth. If you have smirked at this truth in the past the time for smoking is come to an end.

If you have delayed the time for repentance is right now. If you are here today and you aren't sure about your salvation, my counsel to you would be this run to Christ and to Jesus, trusting him Jesus and who comes to me I would never last cast out. Put your faith in Christ and him alone turn your life over to him. Submit your life to his Lordship. Say yes to Jesus. My counsel to you who have no assurance of salvation is calm to Jesus is probably heavenly father we thank you and we praise you for your goodness and grace. We thank you Lord for your love for your people. We thank you Lord for the precious blood that you shared payer send it and we ask him we father nail you booth any person in this congregation who is not sure of his salvation does not know who they're going to spend eternity that this might be the day that you do a mighty work of regeneration in their heart that you open blind eyes if they not see your truth, and that they might run to Christ. We love you Jesus, thank you for your love and goodness to us. Thank you for the blood of Jesus saved us the spirit of Jesus that regenerates us and for the help of your Holy Spirit, that helps us to live out the life that you intended us to live in sin.

Jesus holy and precious thing we pray