Before the Curtain Rises, Part 2

God is a glorious plan for his church that will unfold church symbolized by the 24 elders wearing white garments as Christ promised the church wearing crowns upon their heads. As Christ promised the church seated upon the thrones, as promised by Christ to the church. In fact, reinforced by the apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthian Christians. These words that are startling. If you want to sit out and meditate on.

Do you not know that the saints will one day rule all rapture his church and of God's plan for us here on earth at the end of the tribulation believers will return with Christ and under his authority to rule the earth here at wisdom for the heart Stephen Davies in a series looking at these events as prophesied in the book of Revelation. The series is called thy kingdom come.

Yesterday Stephen began a message that we didn't have time to complete going to do a little bit of review and then conclude this lesson called before the curtain rises I receive the latest publication from the voice of the martyrs organization which surveys globally. The world seen for and in a records testimonies of those who are dying for their faith in Christ anybody who just read their record would not say we need the tribulation because the church isn't suffering and it needs to suffer it needs to be purified when a church suffers and promised to suffer not be purified by the wrath of God, testimonies, or give you a couple of like this evangelical pastor by the way, the updated version that I got sent in the mail covers. It adds the years 2000 2006 Ben ST Escobar in Columbia was confronted by Marxist soldiers as they stormed into their church service on Sunday morning when they dropped onto the floor. The body of a Christian. They just killed. They told that 35-year-old pastor that unless he left their village he would end up like this person and they walked out. He refused to leave. Two weeks later they returned to the church service in progress, walked up and shot him in the leg warning him again.

The seas is preaching in their community. He refused saying that he would rather obey God than men. Some familiar. They said they would return in two weeks they kept their promise returned two weeks later walked in, dragged him out of the pulpit and into the street where in front of his wife and children and congregation shot him repeatedly until he died. Go to North Korea's testimony was smuggled out were North Korean Christians were herded together. This assembly and all the children were taken from them to be hung unless the parents recanted the parents refused to recant their faith in Christ and as their children were being hanged as a congregation. These adults all began to sing together through their tears more love of Christ to the more love to see country after country after country today is experiencing the growing anger of the enemy and those representing him and the host of martyrs who will sing one day in unique expression to the glory of God is growing so when I hear some well-meaning believers in the church needs to go to the tribulation because it needs to purified. I think I'll utterly embarrassing. Wake up read Dick because the Western media shuts it down, but it's out there. Paul wrote to the Ephesian church in Christ we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished on us. Ephesians 1.

We watched the scene unfold as the church was ruptured singing to their gracious Redeemer church symbolized by the 24 elders wearing white garments as Christ promised the church wearing crowns upon their heads. As Christ promised the church seated upon. Thrones, as promised by Christ to the church. In fact, reinforced by the apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthian Christians. These words that are startling. If you're going to sit out a meditate on them.

Do you not know that the saints will one day rule the world was the church in heaven during the tribulation will return with Christ as the tribulation comes to a close and as Christ sets up his kingdom.

We, the bride of Christ will serve as co-regents with him, ruling and reigning during this dazzling glorious kingdom on earth for a thousand years, with its economies and its businesses and its exploration and its developments and we will be in the administration of the Emperor. While we do not know when the rapture will occur. We do know that after the rapture occurs sometime after the tribulation will begin a period of time were not sure how long it will be before the tribulation begins. But we do know that it begins with the signing of some kind of peace treaty that brings peace to Israel as prophesied and delivered to us in Revelation Matthew chapter 24 in Revelation chapter 6 provided for us a complimentary commentary on one another and we learned that the tribulation began with the presence of a leader who is able to bring peace to the Middle East, particularly with Israel in mind, the peacemaker will soon be revealed as the antichrist is able to broker this piece, which seems to settle things down for the first half of the tribulation but at that midpoint. He begins his bloodbath as he seeks to exterminate the Jewish people. That's one of the reasons the Jews fleeing from the antichrist who seeks to wipe them out along with those who believe in, and the Messiah of the Lord Jesus Christ on this is more than anti-Semitism. This is Satan's attempt to keep the prophecies of a reconstituted nation of Israel from their land, which if he can do that.

To begin, wipe them off. He can then what he can make no void. Any further prophecies from being fulfilled of Christ ruling from Jerusalem from David's throne, so we studied at length the flight of the Jews worn by Jesus in Matthew 24 we see these things happening, you better run.

Don't worry about packing clothing or storing food, you just run because of all these horrors that will be unleashed on the planet and the most evangelical scholars are many that are red and suggested that they flee. Many of them who can who can get away to a place called Petra so wonderful hiding place and I'll review that quickly we look at that concept together.

Most of the buildings in this ancient city were literally carved into the sandstone Hills about a thousand years before Jesus Christ was born around A.D. 551, the sixth century and earthquake occurred, and it caused the people to abandon these built-in homes. These literally the city, fearing for their lives. Should the mountains collapse.

Some of the buildings they're not just rough hewn. Some of them are beautifully carved into the mountains. Excavations have revealed in the end.

Through these openings, major highways and and boulevards and shops send an homes Petra was rediscovered in earnest in 1812. It's been a point of fascination and excavation ever since. One of the reasons Petra would make such a great place to retreat and hide during the tribulation is the fact that it would be easy to defend should they be found.

Most of the buildings can only be reached on foot or dunking or camel. In fact, enemy soldiers would have a difficult time sending a large army into this area without having to march in single file. Since much of Petra is surrounded by sheer cliffs. This would certainly be a wonderful area to protect an area in which the high we also learned that the antichrist's agenda is not only the extermination of the Jewish people, but the exaltation of his own divinity he will forge together one world government, a one world political body a one world economy, and he will rule not the concept of a one world government and a one world economy.

In fact, they one world religion are not new.

They been around a long time.

What history the world of mankind is thought for world domination that I just read the record of Alexander the great who hoped one day to rule the world from Nimrod's rebuild Babylon read of Napoleon who attempted also to unify the world under his control and he also thanked he had plans drawn up for the rebuilding of Babylon. There, in modern-day Iraq, which he wanted to rule the world. Where did you get that idea from when none of the attempts of a unified world system under the rule of one man is yet to succeed, but just look around. Just listen at the rising volume. The rising rhetoric of nations clamoring for a for a one world political government all one world economy effective you look at all the many I should say about the major religious bodies sort of chucking overboard convictions relative to whatever they believe in their hope to somehow forge a unified religion.

You can't help but wonder if the curtain is gonna rise soon. You can't help but wonder of those footsteps that you see under the stage curtains scurrying around and sounds they might be of props being slid in the place that the admitted signaling that the this is indeed the Prelude in world history where the curtain will soon arise the church rapture in the tribulation and the forging of this one political global system completed and I found it fascinating after having studied this with you to just read the news and several news items came across my desk officer too quickly with you.

The summit was held by the largest governments in the northern hemisphere, commonly known as G8.

The delegations that met included the United States, Canada, France, the United Kingdom, Russia, Germany, Japan, Italy and Canada each year. These countries hold a summit meeting in and in and do talk together and strategize and part of their agenda growing agenda is a discussion regarding a one world economy, a global economic system regulated by up by the powers that be. What really made news after the G8 Summit of following this latest summit was the president of Russia, the president of Russia in a news conference call for a currency to replace the dollar and the euro and every other national currency even pulled out from his pocket.

A sample coin coin that had already been minted in Belgium. It was presented by the way, to each delegation. You can Google listen see the presentation to our own president on the face of the coin are the words that unity in diversity in the president of Russia said and I'm paraphrasing the fact that these coins are being minted means we are getting ready. He said it's a good sign for. We now understand how interdependent we are. From what I further learn Russia and China in particular are interested in seeing this global currency rolled out another news item caught my eye on the eve of this G8 Summit Pope Benedict the 16th issued a statement that was presented in fact to all of the G8 leaders before they went into their summit meeting called an encyclical with one of the most official documents presented by the Vatican and in this he called for these leaders and coding to establish a world political authority to oversee the economies of our world and he went on to urge the members of these eight industrial giant nations to work together to form quote a global political body, and I just hear the feet scurrying behind the curtain. This particular pope is already joined other religious leaders, including the one Middle Eastern king surprised everyone when they are together not calling for unity among the major religions of the world, including Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. If you go back and you just read 10 years ago.

What one nearly prophetic voice said, I'm not even sure is a believer, but he spoke with interesting precision. Robert Rice of Harvard University.

He said this 10 years ago. He said we are living through a transformation that will rearrange the politics and economics of the 21st-century and each nation's primary political task will be to cope with the centrifugal forces of a global economy.

This is no surprise to prophetic Scripture, either now or later it will all come to pass and we are studying effect, we finish studying the rise of a 10 nation coalition is described by the apostle John.

It will be headed by the antichrist and it will succeed.

Finally, in all of these leaders, religious and political will get their wish.

There will be a one world economy, there will be a one world government, and there will be a one world religion. The only problem is if you want to enter into it. You've gotta have a mark on your right hand or for and ultimately give allegiance to the leader of it all. The antichrist, Babylon will be rebuilt just as Nimrod attempted back in Genesis 11 to defy God as he brought the peoples together when God commanded them to scatter and fill the earth, he brought them together in this region between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers that River Valley and he the Tower of Babel, and they said will build it will basically replace God and they created the zodiac. One author said that the gods of the Babylonians of simply been repackaged throughout human history.

It all started here.

So the last Nimrod. The antichrist will call everybody together in one unified voice to defy God and ultimately march against his city and his kingdom. Just as Nimrod's ancient Babylon was the first city of man to defy God so they had at Christ's rebuild Babylon will be the last city of man to define God and there on the banks of those same rivers in modern-day Iraq, capital city of Babylon. According to Revelation 17 and 18 will be rebuilt and will become the capital city for antichrist worldwide empire.

Babylon will rise again is what's happening over there. Part of this. We don't know could crumble back in and be rebuilt. A thousand years from now, but we do know that when the curtain rises.

Babylon will indeed be rebuilt. It is fascinating to watch what's happening over there now to know that her own government is committed dollars to rebuilding that capital city see after Nimrod was defeated by virtue of God's confusion over all of mankind's unified language split into many languages.

Genesis 11 for centuries after that. It lay fairly insignificantly on the dust there in the Middle East then was rebuilt by Babylon, no doubt in my mind. Satan thought he had his man until God brought him low, it was rebuilt to an unrivaled splendor under the rule of this king named Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar built the Empire city of Babylon more gloriously than any city had ever been built before his hanging gardens that he built for his homesick why one of one of his wives became one of the seven wonders of the ancient world gardeners working there on those terrorist levels 24 seven and you can hardly get an hour to pull the weeds out in your yard Can Imagine Ave., Gardner 24 seven. The things you could do. We had that the walls and and the gates of Babylon were equally stunning. The most famous inner gate of Babylon was called the Ishtar gate. We talked about that. I'll just briefly review it, named in honor of Ishtar, the Babylonian goddess who is considered the queen of heaven.

The gate of Ishtar was made of blue slate tile's and painted with gold dragons and all. It was built by Nebuchadnezzar would consider one of the ancient wonders of the world that inscription on it, I'll redo some of the translation of that inscription. It was actually ordered by Nebuchadnezzar himself about himself. It says this Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the faithful Prince appointed by the will of the gods or Martin Luther chief God has learned to embrace wisdom who understood their divine being and reveres their majesties gods about the untiring governor who is constantly concerned with the well-being of Babylon. The Y's the humble. I like that part the king of Babylon, near the end of the inscription he dictated these words, I placed balls and ferocious dragons in the gateways and thus adorned them with luxurious splendor, so that people might gaze upon them. In wonder in the world. Even to this day. Does Marvel doesn't.

As they entered through those gates back in the days of the glory of Babylon. The greatness of the city of man. It was by the way, this particular Babylon.

The defeated Jerusalem and took the people of Israel captive in the Babylonian captivity. One particular Jewish exile would walk through these very gates depicted by this artist based on excavations and he probably with mouth open gaped the stunning side of such power and magnificence that he had never ever seen before and at that exile would grow up eventually rise as second in command under Nebuchadnezzar in that kingdom, and his name was Daniel and this man of God would one day prophesy while he lived in this Empire.

This capital city that there would come a day when this city of man would be destroyed by the city of God. John adds the details that we study thus far Revelation. The Babylon will be rebuilt to greater glory than before. It will try once again at the end of human history to overthrow the new Jerusalem as it sees it descending in that great battle of Armageddon, the city of man will be crushed since the time of Nebuchadnezzar. Babylon crumbled back in the dust. Saddam Hussein attempted to rebuild some of its glory. In fact, he claimed kinship from his predecessor, Nebuchadnezzar. Saddam even rebuilt a smaller version of the Ishtar gate were tourist can go and see it now seen a number of pictures with our Marine standing in front of it. He didn't quite bring back the glory even rebuilt some of Nebuchadnezzar's palace and surrounding walls. In fact, the lower bricks are Nebuchadnezzar's, upon which he built his attempting to bring back the glory of Babylon, with himself as ruler. But he failed the only one who will succeed to the measure of what God reveals to us in the book of Revelation will be the antichrist empowered by Satan himself rebuilding in the city of man will eventually march against Jerusalem, the city of God and be defeated with one word one word of the returning King of Kings and Lord of lords. At that moment is that battle ends in the new Jerusalem descends.

The next major section the third section of Revelation unfolds, we study the sovereignty of Christ and his church.

Chapters 1 through five would study the severity of Christ in his chastisement. Chapter 6 through 18 and now are ready to begin studying this third section in Revelation, which I've outlined is the supremacy of Christ in his coming and we have absolutely no idea apart from a careful study of how glorious this kingdom is going to be no idea some of you type a students heard me say earlier today that I've outlined the book of Revelation.

Of the four sections and am only giving you three of them and you to come up to me after the service and asked me with the fourth section is called so give it to you now the satisfaction of Christ in his new creation. Chapters 21 and 22. Know how long will it be before we study this fourth and final section on heaven.

I don't know. We just might enter it before we study it. For all we know, but I am convinced the stage is being set. We can see movement underneath the current we can hear muffled sound that indicate the props on the stage of human history are being set for the next scene. Ultimately, here's what it will be 11 I'll summarize it with this old gospel course that sums it up rather simply I shared with you every year and I'll say it again it goes like this. It won't be old Buddha who sit in on the throne, and all the old Mohammed that's calling us home. It will be hire a Christian who plays the trumpet tune because were going to see the sun not Rev. Moon amen to that. Our eternal safety and joy rests only in Jesus Christ. The religions of the world offer nothing but empty promises when God finally launches his end time plan only those who have placed their faith in Christ are safe. Taking a look at these end time prophecies should challenge and remind us to always be ready for the Lord to return.

I hope that's the response of your heart today. I'm glad you joined us. The teacher you've been listening to is Stephen Davey he's in a series called thy kingdom come from the book of Revelation. Today's lesson is entitled before the curtain rises will continue through this series. In the days ahead. I've been mentioning this occasionally and I want to remind you again during the month of April. We have a free resource that were making available. Stephen has a booklet called resurrection power. It won't take you very long to read but in the time it would take about 400 people across the earth will enter eternity. That's why Jesus claimed to be the resurrection and the life is such good news in such important news, but he didn't just claim to be the resurrection and the life he proved it by conquering death. This resource will help you or your friends understand Jesus resurrection power. This is a free digital download that you can access from our website right now, go to wisdom online.org for information. When you get to that homepage. There's a link right on that page that will direct you to this resource.

We also have a print version of this booklet as well and that's available in our online store, but the digital version is free today and is available for you@wisdomonline.org while you're at that site. I encourage you to spend some time looking around once you get there you'll be able to access the complete archive of Stephen's 35 years of Bible teaching ministry. We also post each day's broadcast.

So if you ever miss one of these lessons, you can go to our website to keep caught up with our daily Bible teaching ministry, the library of Stephen's teaching is available on that site free of charge. You can access it anytime@wisdomonline.org.

If there's any way that we can help you personally today. Please call us at 86 648 Bible we'd be delighted to speak with you and help you in any way we can once again, 86 648 Bible to continue through this series.

Next time join us that right here on wisdom for the heart