The New Testament Part 2 #2

One was in Billings rain forests looking to Jesus longer remember the drama of redemption began ends with the new heavens and a new word near the redeemed find themselves on streets of gold in the new Jerusalem today for normally grand plan, God set in motion before the church in Chicago this one looks or helps us make it across the finish line after leads or integrates finale sums up all the themes that make up its design will we see the finale of Revelation. Today Dave yes as we open the Bible, we discover that there is a grand finale as you put it, the book of Revelation has a great deal of symbolism, but nonetheless it is a reminder that God is going to wrap up history. History is going somewhere in the end it's all going to be about the triumph of God in the triumph of Christ and justice, God does have a plan that spans all of the aspects of history.

It's also a reminder that we should actually be living for eternity and not just time. I believe that this series of messages can be a continual blessing to you, you know, for a gift of any amount you can have this series, either as a CD or a DVD and along with that we send a colorful chart that will help you put all the books of the Bible in perspective and in relationship. So for a gift of any amount.

This can be yours. Here's what you do go to RTW offer.com RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337. Now let's open our Bibles and let us describe them to better understand that grand finale chapter 12.

What an interesting chapter Satan pursues Israel, Satan has always hated Israel's that you and the woman who gives birth to the child and the child is obviously Jesus is his Israel, and Satan pursues that Satan is cast out of heaven for sale what the world is he doing there. Well, the Bible says that he accuses the saints day and night you look at the book of Job, where Satan comes in begins to talk to God about Joe. There's that kind of dialogue taking place in the heavens and Satan is so angry. It says that when he was thrown down to earth. He was so angry I love it there in verse 12 he has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short. I can hardly wait for Satan's time to be very, very short. Do we have any takers out there today. Chapter 13 is all about antichrist and and it takes your breath away when you realize that God gives them already. You'll notice it says in verse seven he was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given to it. That is, to the beast over every tribe and people in language and nation. You think all my Jesus has surrendered his authority.

It's given to antichrist. All who dwell upon the earth will worship him. Well, wait till you read the and of the book and that's where you have the mark of the beast, and so forth. In chapter 14, you have a vision of these 144,000. They have remained chased, they were not involved in sexual immorality.

That's the idea of the text throughout all this, and they get a brand-new song. Listen to this. It says, verse three and they were singing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders and this was a song that Tim cannot sing and not even Scott Griffin can play on the piano.

I'm serious. It says no one could learn that song except the hundred and 44,000 had been redeemed from the earth, so they get a special song they belong to a special choir last part of the chapter is terrifying. I will not read it to you all comment on that. At the end of the message.

Chapter 15 introduces now the bowls and it says you'll notice that the wrath of God is finished in 15 verse one and as I indicated chapter 16 are now the seven judgments of the bowls and these judgments also take your breath away. You'll notice that the Bible says that there is an earthquake, the likes of which has never yet happened upon the earth. We think Hades bad. This is going to be an earthquake throughout the whole earth. The Bible says and it says in verse 21 and great hail stones, about 100 pounds each, fell from heaven on people and they cursed God for the plague of hail because the blade was so severe. You know what the people do not repent on and on it goes on to say, even though they were gnawing their tongues in pain, they would not repent judgment usually hardens hearts.

One time my wife and I had someone at home who is doing some work for us. And of course I was witnessing to him and he was basically an atheist, and he says if there's a hell let God. Send me there and I'm going to spend all of eternity.

Defying him that is gotta go down in history as the most stupid foolish comment that I have ever heard you are defying God forever when all that you would need to do is to repent of your sin and acknowledge your need of a Savior, and be ready for heaven and your defiance of God is going to add to his own justice and glory.

It'll be to your hurt and no one else's. But the human heart is wicked there all kinds of passages that tell us that that they even say mountains and rocks, fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb, but they will not repent of their sins. Some do. Many do not know when we come to chapter 17 what can be said about this.

There is a prostitute that is riding a beast and that you'll notice it says in verse five on her for head 17 five was written the name of ministry.

Babylon the great mother of prostitutes and the earth's abominations. This is false religion, and she rides the beast to his antichrist and the antichrist uses her, but in the end he hates her, throws her off destroys or what's going on there. Antichrist is going to use false religion. He's going to use false religion, but ultimately he's going to destroy all the religions put himself up as God and ask all people to worship him.

That's why this probably relates to earlier in the sequence when antichrist is gaining power at the beginning of the tribulation. Chapter 18 read it and weep. This is now commercial Babylon.

Some people think Babylon might be rebuilt. I don't know if that's true, but whether it is or not, whether this is symbolic. This is the end of commerce as we know it when I read it I think of New York City I think of Wall Street. For example, chapter 18 it says in verse 11 and the merchants of the earth weep and mourn for her since no one buys their cargo anymore cargoes of gold and on and on it goes. And then it says in verse 15 the merchants of these wearers who gained wealth from her will stand afar off in fear of her torment, weeping and mourning allowed alas for the great city that was clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet adorned with gold with jewels and pearls for a single hour. All of this wealth has been laid waste. That's what the judgments will do, it will and calmer us as we know it when you get a new car and you are so concerned as to whether or not it's going to get a scratch, relax, relax. In the end it'll totally be destroyed and the person parking next to you only begins what's going to be an ultimate promise while no wonder Peter says what manner of people ought we to be in all conversation and godliness. Knowing that all these things are going to be destroyed now. Chapter 1919 2021 and 22 are in sequence will be glad to know we finally have a sequence. Chapter 19 opens with the marriage supper of the Lamb and that's where we will be if we are enraptured as many of us believe we will be and we will be having the marriage supper of the Lamb. You will have to admit that there is no relationship with such ecstasy and joy is the marital relationship between a man and a woman in a good marriage and God dares to use that as an example of our relationship with him. This is a time of breathtaking. Breathtaking fellowship and beauty and purity Jesus meeting with his saints. And then there is another description of the return of Christ throughout the book of Revelation. As I mentioned, because the chronology is not what we perhaps might wish it to have been other many descriptions of the return, but I suppose there is none like this one that includes us in the glorious return of Christ. Verse 11 of chapter 19. Then I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse. This now is Jesus, the one sitting on it is called faithful and true, and in righteousness he judges and makes war.

His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diet dams and he has a name that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a row dipped in blood, and has the name which is called the word of God and the armies of heaven arrayed in fine linen, white and pure were following him on white horses. That's us folks if we trusted Jesus from his mouth. Yes, we can clap after I'm finished, let's do that okay from his mouth comes a sharp sword with it to strike down the nations. He will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty on his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, let's hear it now for him King of Kings and Lord of the Lord and then his judgment is described.

Chapter 20 talks about a period of peace for thousand years you get theologians get this idea of the millennium. If you take your chart and turn it on the other side, you'll notice that it says the church age tribulation seven years. Millennium a thousand years. Where did that they pull that out well in the Old Testament. This period of peace was predicted in the New Testament. Here in chapter 26 times you have a reference to a thousand years, and by the way, have you been scared to be beheaded for the faith. You'll notice it says those who die in the tribulation who are beheaded, it says they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. This is verse four. Everything is a thousand years and then at the end of the thousand years Satan is bound during the thousand years and at the end of the thousand years what you have is the final judgment and now it is time for you to simply catch your breath. I hadn't planned on quoting it, but I'll see how I do, I beheld a great white throne and him that sat on the before, whose face the earth and the heavens fled away, and there was found no place for them that I saw the dead, small and great stand before God and the books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the book of life and the dead were judged out of those things which are written on the book and the sea gave up the dead which were in attend death and Hades delivered up the dead which where in them and they were judged, every man according to what was in the books, and death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death while all of the people who appear at this judgment or unbelievers.

They have one thing in common they are kings they are poppers they are rich, they are poor there from every nation and every religion but they share one thing and that is they don't have the righteousness that God requires to enter into heaven because they didn't receive the gift of Jesus. I promise you that if God gives me health and if I'm still around for a few months and maybe even years, who knows.

I promise you I will preach an entire message on chapters 21 and 22, the beauty, the beauty of heaven is overwhelming.

John sees this new heaven and new earth come down from God out of heaven as a bride adorned for her husband and here's a great voice, saying, behold all things are new and lots of things won't be there. No more crying, more death, but the most beautiful thing about it is, it says, behold, the dwelling place of God is with men. He will dwell with them, they will be his people, God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe away all tears from their eyes. There shall be no more death, nor pain for the former things are passed away all the way from the beginning beginning in Leviticus and Exodus sconces.

I want to dwell with my people want to dwell with them, and God can't dwell with them, like you'd like to because of sin.

It is true that God was with us as his people, but his dwelling always has to be mediated because sin keeps getting in the way.

Imagine a time nothing but purity nothing but holiness and we dwell directly on mediated with God. What does the book of Revelation teaches what is the bottom line. Let me give you three very quickly. First of all, the great divide the great divide. I read this book and I wish that you know I rated nice. They were all the people who weren't quite good enough to go to heaven but they're not bad enough for hell either where they know where Cedar Hill or heaven book of Revelation is really the tale of two cities Babylon and Jerusalem, or the tale of two women. If you wish the prostitute and the bride of Christ. It's either one or the other. Either you have enough righteousness to enter into heaven or you don't. Last week I was speaking in palm springs and the man who took us to the airport, said, you know that Frank Sinatra was just buried in the cemetery just across from us and I said well pick us up early on the way to the airport tomorrow and let's go see Frank's grave. What you think was on Frank Sinatra's grave, I know you're thinking I did it my way, but that is what was on his grave. It was a different song entitled the best is yet to come out of the tree of life. I just picked me up long you came along and everything started to home. Still, it's a real good that the best is yet to come. It's about a romance I want to judge Frank Sinatra let God be as judge but look at what it says in the book of Revelation. Now were in chapter 22. This is the last beatitude in the book. By the way of the seven verse 14 of chapter 22. Blessed are those who wash their robes so that they might have the right to the tree of life, and that they may enter into the city by the gates God is Frank Sinatra's judge, but if he did not wash his robes that he would have the right to enter into the city by the gates for him the best was not to come. I see this great divide.

That's the first thing I have to ask you today.

Have you washed your rose. I mean have you been cleansed by the blood of Christ. See, there is no other way. Don't tell me that you think another religion is as good it can't be because it doesn't have a Savior. Teachers maybe, but no Savior able to cleanse you from sin that you might be washed and entering the city, it says outside of the city are dogs that is perverse people, sorcerers, sexually immoral murders, idolaters, and everyone loves and practices falsehood and the way you get from verse 15 to 14 is you have your robes washed many people will be in heaven who were sorcerers, sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters there going to be there in heaven.

Why, because of verse 14. They washed their robes by receiving Christ as Savior. Apart from that, I'm just reading the text. So first of all, the great divide. Secondly, the length of eternity time is short eternity as long you know that little phrase forever never occurs 13 times in the book of Revelation.

It talks about hell the smoke of their torment. I didn't read this in chapter 14 because it's too terrifying but it says the smoke of their torment goes on forever and ever. And then regarding us. It says, we will reign forever and ever. I don't have time to tell you along. Eternity is I guess it would take me in eternity really read it and we finally, I marvel at the absolute total, unquestioned triumph of Jesus. Chapter 13 K chapter 13 antichrist is given power over people that he can even have power over the saints and kill them in all the world worships him. Now listen to this chapter 15 and I saw as it were, a sea of glass mingled with fire, and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his number and over his mark and they stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God, and they sing the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb, saying, great and marvelous are thy works, old Lord God Almighty just and true are thy ways, thou King of Saints who shall not fear the old Lord, and glorify thy name who comes out triumphant Jesus, King of Kings, Lord of lords. Things are not as they appear to be in chapter 13, because chapter 15 is coming, and then you think of the chaos in the world and you think of the beauty of heaven and I beheld a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne and from the Lamb and in the midst of the street of it out on either side of the river, was there the tree of life which gives its fruit every month and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations and there shall be no more curse, for the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and his servants shall worship him, and they shall see his face and his name shall be on their foreheads. And there is no need of the sun for the Lord God gives the light, they shall reign with him forever and ever. While he that testified these things saith, behold, I come quickly. Even so, Lord Jesus know about you, my friend, but I can hardly wait. You know sometimes we get so bogged down in life. We forget that eternity is coming we forget the beauty of heaven, we forget the fact that we should be living for eternity and not just time.

What a glorious description. We have been given in God's word as to how it's all going to end and just to think you and I are part of that drama. This ends the series of messages entitled the drama of redemption.

I think that it can be a great blessing to you as you listen to it again and again and it is available to you either as a DVD or a CD and along with it we send a chart colorful chart that puts all the books of the Bible in relationship. It helps you see the divine drama for a gift of any amount.

This can be yours.

Here's what you do go to RTW offer.com that's RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337 now I'm going to be giving you that contact information once again.

Because remember, this is the last day that we are making this resource available.

It's titled the drama of redemption begins in the book of Genesis.

It ends in the book of Revelation for a gift of any amount. It can be yours. Once again, go to RTW offer.com that's RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337 thanks in advance for standing with us running to win exists to help you make it across the finish line and because of people like you.

It is now heard in 20 different countries and you my friend are part of this ministry. Give us a call 1-888-218-9337 you can write to us running to win 1635 N. LaSalle Boulevard Chicago line 60614 running to win is all about helping you understand God's roadmap for your race of life for most of us, that race is run with a partner wife or husband we committed to so long ago. What keeps a couple together for 76 years.

Surviving war emigration deprivation and material one.

Next time I'm running to win. You hear about the parents of Dr. Erwin looks her and why their marriage lasted so long. This is how will begin a series on till death do us part keys to success in marriage plan to join us for building a lasting marriage story of Gustav and one dilutes or this is Dave McAllister running to win is sponsored by the Moody Church