An Original Song, Part 1

During the great tribulation. God will establish the Angeles to proclaim the gospel but will it do any good. Will these evangelists survive.

Well, God's power be stronger than the enemy who would seek to kill them. Will God be able to protect them over the course of seven years of earthquakes and plagues and will be protected from the rage of the Dragon who will make war chapter 12 or 17 says against all who hold to the testimony of Jesus Christ while the coming time known as the tribulation will mostly be the worst of times. There is something great that God does and will see that today God will establish hundred and 44,000 evangelists who will know him and love him. This group will proclaim the gospel truth.

It will be a difficult time for them.

But God will seal them and protect them to learn about this group today. This is wisdom for the heart with Stephen Devi today we begin a series from Revelation 14 called a preview of things to come.

Stevens calling this lesson and original song made of your toes or once wrote about music.

I say without qualification, after the sacred Scriptures. The next best companion for the soul is sacred music. Sometimes our hearts are strangely stubborn and will not soften or grow tender.

No matter how much praying we do is often found that the reading or singing of a good him will melt the ice jam and start the inward affections flowing again. Not true. The power of music. Frankly, there is an anybody that would that I don't believe believer and unbeliever, the power and motivation, and influence of music. In fact, an ancient poet once wrote it this way. I do not care who writes a nation's laws. If you will let me write its song. This is the power of music. Perhaps you remember enough of your church history to remember the German monk by the name of Martin Luther, who introduced congregational singing in harmony. In the 16th century to replace the morose and monotone chanting of the priests affect the German Reformation of the 16th century would eventually produce a hymnal and it was said that one of the most powerful missionaries of these biblical doctrines was that hymnal's no surprise that a Jesuit priest in the 16th century complained about the lingering effects of that German monk who effectively began the Reformation. This church leader said. Luther has dammed more people with his hymns. Then with all of his sermon as we would say liberated right 500 years later were still thrilled and motivated as we sing a mighty Fortress is our God of all work.

Never what ever failing William Carey and his associates as I'm reading through some of the other journals in their biography in the 1800s were in India and after several years they had not one convert the labor was difficult over time, they begin to realize the power and the hold of Hindu music over the hearts of these teeming millions who they were trying to reach with the gospel.

The missionaries he discovered that Hindu gurus were constantly writing instructive song they would teach to their disciples to sing songs to the moon. The songs of the river or whatever. And as an aside, I will tell you after visiting India on one occasion I remember when I was there. In fact, hearing the hundreds of people singing over and over and over again. This one phrase occurs in another language, but I could tell they were repeating themselves and it was actually beautiful. I asked the Indian believer was with me what they were singing and he said all their with their guru and thereafter repeating his song over and over again the name of their God will after seven years of of work, hard worker, Carey wrote the preaching was like trying to plow through solid rock young Indian carpenter began to do work on the mission home and they decided to teach him some of their own lyrics that they compose in the form of a little song in the Bengali language and with two they knew in English. The lyrics are really all that poetic to us, but they go something like this since confessing sin, forsaking Christ's righteousness embracing the soul is free, and he seemed to catch on. So, William Carey and his associates began writing more and more of their own songs, instructing of those who heard them with biblical truth.

They would often go out in public like they talked about the one time the three of them, Carey Marshman and Ward went out and decided to just saying that they didn't say they could carry a tune in a bucket. They just went out and began to sing their sermon gathered a massive crowd.

Often, though, they would come home with their faces bleeding because of rocks that had been thrown at them while they sang the truth of the gospel.

The work of missions literally had become battle of musicians, the music of Carrie and Marshman and Ward was making headway in this unique way there 35-year-old carpenter named Krishna in honor of his God made the statement eventually to these missionaries that after years of singing the music of his guru's spirit still had no peace and his guilt was unremedied that after seven years, seven years without any spiritual fruit he gave his heart and life to Christ and in spite of death threats in spite of people surrounding his house singing to his former God we can imagine this.

He made his way on that Lord's day to the river and was baptized publicly, becoming the first of million millions of believers who to this day traced their way back there heritage back to carry and until lyrics to songs like Christ's righteousness embracing the soul is free, there isn't any doubt to the significance of music in the life of the church and in the life of the individual believer. In fact, in the Old Testament saints are singing in the New Testament there singing in the coming kingdom there singing in the new heaven and earth. There singing mankind by the way, knows how to sing and and resonates with music because he was created by a musical God interesting to track through the triune God's appearance or relationship to music God the father loves to sing. In fact, the prophet said the Lord your God is in your midst, the mighty one will rejoice over you with singing. Zephaniah 317 God the father sings over his beloved like to know how that sounds when you got the sun were told while he ministered here on earth saying he sang with his disciples. Matthew 26 records for us when he met with them in the upper room and of course instituted well as ate the Passover together Institute we call the Lords table with significance in connection to the past redemption of the people of Israel. Certainly the redemption of those who would become the church and he is providing instruction. Matthew records at the end of their meal.

They sang a hymn and departed. When you like to know how Jesus Christ sounded when he sang what I would imagine that because he was an ordinary Jewish man. Isaiah tells us ordinary. Nobody ever seen them thought it was anything significant that his voice probably sounds a lot like yours and mine just ordinary. He sounds more like me than David, I can assure you. So, God the son sings when I got the spirit told his very presence produces in the assembly of desire to sing saying in the early church and we 2000 years later are doing and I because what you're supposed to present you there there there is a litany of of hymns and choruses to sing no the spirit of God so performs our hearts and leads us to desiring together to sing. In fact, Paul wrote to the Ephesians being dominated by the spirit filled with the spirit will lead the congregation to communicate with one another through songs and hymns and spiritual songs. Ephesians 518 to God the father, God the son and God the Spirit create, compose, compel sacred music. It should come as no surprise to discover singing them throughout the book of Revelation. We've already observed that on several occasions in chapter 5. The church is ruptured under singing praise to God with lyrics worthy is the Lamb who was slain with also observed in Revelation, the hosts of heaven numbering in the hundreds of millions singing to the glory of God's attributes of power and might, having just finished revealing to us in chapters 12 and 13. The faces of evil forces of evil at work in the tribulation, the terror of Satan, the Dragon, the deception of the false prophets of the hatred and the murderous agenda of the antichrist. You might be inclined to wonder if anybody will ever sing on planet Earth again, especially the believer. At this point in Revelation, the apostle John would know the question asked by his readers would probably be is anybody even got a make it with those who come to faith in Christ after the rapture of the church. Their living in these days of awful terror is God's wrath is unleashed on the planet. Add to that the vengeful fury of of Satan in an is false Messiah we've Artie seen the martyred tribulation believers asking God how long will God before you avenge our blood on the earth. Revelation 610, the question would be, will there ever be any strain or song or sound of the redeemed on earth again. So God in his grace stops the revelation and and hands. John is at work telescope and he looks down the corridor of time is taken to the end of the tribulation. He's in fact given what's gonna happen over the next few years and the first thing that John see's that will happen will happen at the end of the tribulation and wouldn't you know it. It happens to involve music once again.

Let's begin in Revelation chapter 14 verse one we just read a phrase in the nursing things only to say that I look to behold the Lamb was standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000, having his name and the name of his father written on therefore has no before we begin to listen to them, saying let's get reacquainted with this remarkable group of minute and it will have a lot to do with why they are singing. They were first introduced to us. You remember back in chapter 7. If you are with us.

We saw God redeemed 12,000 Jewish men from from the tribes of Israel. Every tribe was affected except the tribe of Dan perhaps many believe because the tribe of Dan was uniquely responsible for leading Israel into idolatry. However, there will be redeemed from Dan. The tribe later will see them appear in the record of Revelation. There's no such thing. Ladies and gentlemen, as the lost tribes of Israel. Such thing at all and I lost effect are all going to be accounted for as God redeems thousands from these tribes. During the opening months of the tribulation as they respond to the gospel. So these 144,000 are redeemed Jews are not Seventh-day Adventists who believe that worshiping God on Sunday is the mark of the beast, and only those who worship on Saturday or truly redeem these 144,000 are not Jehovah's Witnesses either. The redeemed man who will deliver preach and teach the gospel around the world and and furthermore there there not chosen ones by alien there are religious groups today. The believe the 444,000 are chosen by extraterrestrials to continue the human race following the end of the world. That's really not that hard to say anymore, is it more and more your your your hearing that extraterrestrials will have something to do with our future and they had something to do with our past exits. It's interesting as I listened to one of evolutionist best-selling atheist who made the suggestion, which he later tried to explain it away, but it was on tape that perhaps the earth was seeded with life from alien to the idea that of the world could explain away the rapture as some kind of alien abduction is not so strange idea anymore.

Is it I got off, and water that would be what would happen. I will be here to find out that I wouldn't be surprised theory that millions of people it disappeared because of some kind of extraterrestrial involvement is now plausible that most people in Ireland and one Roper poll that I did is I just little research on the subject.

Taken as far back as 2002, 67% of the American school believed in some form of intelligent life somewhere in the universe and 45% of them believed intelligent life from other worlds are monitoring the life on earth. Listen, you abandon the record of God's creation that he created the universe and on this planet created mankind you get rid of that record and you are open to just about anything you you get rid of the record of God as creator anything is possible. In fact, any explanation other than God is desirable, even if it's an alien. Paul wrote to the Romans, who by the way, were surrounded by their own theories of origin apart from a creator sovereign God and he said they become futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart is darkened.

Professing to be wise that is professing to be erudite scholars. They became more. This is the Greek word fools exchange the glory of God for an image of man. According to this plan revelation of God. These 144,000 are not chosen by aliens to repopulate the earth after some cataclysmic event.

They are human beings of Jewish kin who will prepare the path not only for a global revival, but especially the regathering of the nation Israel, who will enter the kingdom in a matter of years after the been marked and chosen when these men were introduced back in chapter 7 and here again in chapter 14 were told not only sealed selected by 1/3 remark notice in chapter 14 verse one were told. The seal was the name of the Lamb and the lambs father. This was a visible sign.

This was a visible mark mimicked of course by the antichrist who marked all of his followers with a number of his name, which we learned totaled the sum of 660 64666. His seal will not be able to protect his followers. It will be so to speak, washable link, but God's seal to protect these 144,000, marked the beginning of the tribulation was a mark of divine possession and divine protection.

Now when they were marked back in the beginning of the tribulation. Millions of Christians have already been martyred. Revelation tells us informed us in chapter 7 that that there can be martyred believers to come to faith after the rapture, the figure representing nation and tribe of people in the language. These men marked protected will be unstoppable and their ministry will be global, John Phillips, Terry wrote of these men. No other age has produced a veritable army of believers like this marching unscathed through every form of danger. It has been theirs to defy the Dragon debate.

The beast there calling is been to preach the gospel from the housetops when even to name the name of Christ: for the most dreadful penalties they been able to laugh to scorn all the grand inquisitors of hell. They walked the streets in broad daylight, careless of the teeth gnashing rage of their would-be assassins. True witnesses of the most terrible error in the history of mankind. The devil knows about this coming band of conquerors and arrives already in an agony of anticipation are not only selected by God and sealed by God.

They are sexually pure for the glory of God is men were known for the purity. Thank you. Notice in chapter 14 verse Ford informs us. These are the ones you've not been defiled with women have kept themselves chaste uses. I believe a figurative word personally virgin in the same way that Paul references the church that he will present as a pure virgin. Now the misunderstanding of this particular verse, has led to tragic theology. This twisted interpretation that some have come up with in the early church, especially third and fourth century developed the belief that a perpetual state of virginity exalted a Christian. The higher levels than those who married without of course came to believe then that Mary Lou must have the highest exalted state would have been a perpetual virgin all of the gospel accounts plainly give the names of her son born to her after Jesus was born Matthew 13 but the church so glorified celibacy that they believed marriage and the marriage bed was a defiling thing. The Gnostics in the early centuries who always reversed the truth held that marriage was actually from Satan the church. The Nazis had bad experiences or what, but they believed it was from the devil. Marcy and a church leader as far back as the second century was eventually kicked out for heresy.

Fortunately taught that marriage was corruption even set up a church only for those who are unmarried, while all others were barred. You can volunteer to work in the nursery the church and not risk any time away from worship. Thank you sir.

I'm glad you enjoyed that. In fact, they believe that and they still believe in this day that priests and bishops, cardinals and popes must remain undefiled by women, study church history and first of all you fine priest, bishops, cardinals and popes who sired many children and absolving one another from the guilt of that particular sin.

Celibacy did not create greater purity created greater potential for immorality of all time in regeneration it's discovered all over again. It's fascinating to discover in church history that one of the things that Martin Luther, the German monk did when he left the Catholic Church effectively leading what would become a Reformed Church was fine wives for all of his brother priests. They emptied the nunnery and then they married. In fact, Martin Luther married a former nun you can imagine, did make Rome very happy at all with him was in the teaching of the New Testament reveals that marriage is honorable if I Hebrews 13 for, says the marriage bed is undefiled it is on defiling how clear can that be that the apostle Paul who encourage singleness at one point, and in one letter due to the persecution and uncertainty facing the church. He likened the union of a man and a woman, a husband and wife as an illustration affect the highest illustration of all of that of Christ and his church. The mystery of the union of Christ with his bride, so these 144,000 are are not kept from marriage there pure from the defiling immorality of their culture culture much like ours where sexual immorality and promiscuity is is approved of it is applauded and under the leadership of the antichrist and the rise of cold worship at the departure of the church, sexual sin will become unhinged.

These men will remain faithful to their wives at their married virgin if they are not. John writes further of them in verse four.

These are the ones you follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These have been purchased from among men as first fruits to God they're offering to God and to the Lamb and no lie was found in their mouths, they are blameless. The question remains for us today after showing the depths of Satan's hatred and murder in chapter 12. After showing us the rage and murderous agenda of the antichrist. After showing us the deception of the false prophet in chapter 13. Will these specially marked evangelists survive will God's power be stronger than the enemy who would seek to kill them.

Will God be able to protect them over the course of seven years of earthquakes and plagues and pestilence will be protected from the rage of the Dragon who will make war chapter 12 or 17 says against all who hold to the testimony of Jesus Christ. How could any believer survive especially these boldly testifying, unapologetically preaching gospel delivering Christ, exalting evangelists who are in double trouble right there juice which makes the mark hated by the guys and they are Jews who converted to Christ. Even more so hated. Will they survive anticipating this question, believers will have us to the sovereign power and control of God. The question John is about to answers how many of the 144,000 sealed servants of God make it to the end of the tribulation alive. Now go back and read verse one then I looked, chapter 14, and behold the Lamb was standing on Mount Zion, and with him 135,000. Oh she is 144,000, how many survived all of the way John puts it, then I took a Ari Tosi saying, and behold, it's like, wow, what would you would you look at all survived the tribulation as Christ's feet touch Mount Zion. John is looking ahead to the establishment of the kingdom of Christ on earth. The numbers not 143,999. Every parent, every spouse wonders if their loved one will return from some war zone alive in the clean to news of there will be you imagine every wife, every parent, every child related to these evangelists will wonder if that is survive is still alive.

You cling to this verse during the tribulation like we can't imagine.

Look here it says here, it shows us that when Christ returns gathering there waiting with him here. Every one of they'll survive one of those hundred and 4000 survive is because God is always faithful to his word. God has made them a promise and we can rest assured that his promise will be kept. It's the same with us. God keeps every one of his promises to us as well. Well, we have more to learn about this group but were going to have to carry the second half of this lesson over until tomorrow you're listening to wisdom for the hearts with Stephen Davey are wisdom partners will be receiving the December issue of heart to heart very soon. I want to invite you if you haven't seen it yet to get the next three issues of heart to heart just by asking for. You can do that right from our website, or you can call us today at 86 648 Bible and we can help you over the phone.

That's 866-482-4253. Join us tomorrow for part two of this lesson here on wisdom for the heart