Revelation - Part 2 - Lecture 4

Index to Revelation Lectures
Kay Arthur

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CAN YOU SURVIVE THE DIFFICULT TIMES
OF THE LAST DAYS? LISTEN...

Revelation Pt 2, Lecture

by Kay Arthur

KAY SHARES A NUMBER OF SOBERING STATISTICS (Ed note: stats from early 1990's): America's homicide rate is increasing more than any industrialized nation and in fact is the highest homicide rate of any industrialized nation in world (Cost $100 billion/yr); 1.1 million inmates (highest in world); violence in schools; thousands of teachers threatened with violence each day; 260 teachers/day suffer physical violence; 16,000 crimes/day = 3 mil/yr; 1986 to 1990 the number of juveniles in jail increased 38%; prayer was removed in 1962 and now the list of school crimes (in order) = rape> robbery> burglary> arson> bombing> murder> aggravated assault> suicide. America leads the world in each of the following categories: divorces; teen pregnancies (in face of all the sex education!), voluntary abortions; illegal drug use. Among the industrialized nations U.S. is #1 in illiteracy! The U.S. spends $2.26 billion on poverty/year for a total of $3.5 trillion since 1965 (through 1993) yet we are worse off than ever. 40 million in U.S. have STD's. 12% of the GNP is spent on health costs. AIDS cost $140,000/case. $14 billion to treat 100,000 AIDS patient. $1.4 trillion to treat 1 million AIDS patients, 2x the total amount of all spending on health care.

The date of this tape is March, 1993, at the time of a cataclysmic snowstorm. Kay believes God is trying to get our attention and show us that we are on the brink of the Lord's return and these are the last of ''the last days.'' (click here for all NT uses of the phrase "last days")

We need to be prepared and know those things that must shortly take place (Rev 1:1) and the Revelation gives us truth that will hold us and keep us right up to the coming of the King of kings and the Lord of lords (Rev 19:16). Kay believes these introductory remarks in the book of Revelation will provide truth that will bless and spiritually prosper us in these perilous days so that we will '' be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.''(1Cor 15:58). The promise is a blessing for those who READ, HEAR and HEED the words of the PROPHECY of this book. (Rev1:3)

Revelation 2-3: To the churches but at the end of each letter He says ''he who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says'' (click the 7 uses of this phrase in Revelation). We see that the churches don't have it easy. There are trials within these churches: persecution in Smyrna (''be faithful until death'' Rev 2:10) etc. And as we look at the problems and difficulties in each church, we also see Jesus saying over and over ''he who overcomes''. Obviously if Jesus says ''he who overcomes'' that means that there is something to be overcome! How will we overcome?

Revelation 4-5 ''After these things'' (Rev4:1) John is transported to heaven and sees the throne of God, the 24 elders, the 4 living creatures and then he sees the scroll in the right hand of the One seated on the throne. John weeps until he sees the One Who is worthy, the Lion from the tribe of Judah, Who is also the Lamb, Who alone is worthy to take the scroll. And the 24 elders praise the Lamb for what He has done on behalf of all the tribes and tongues and peoples and nations.

Revelation 6 The Lamb breaks 6 seals (think...6th chapter = 6 seals) and at the 5th Seal we get a glimpse of the souls of those who cry out ''How long, O Lord, holy and true, wilt Thou refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" (Rev6:10) These are martyrs who have come out of the Great Tribulation with their faith intact because they have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb ---they are "overcomers".

Revelation 7 we see the angels holding back the 4 winds that are to harm the earth, sea and trees until 144,000 sons of Israel are sealed on their forehead with the seal of the living God.

Revelation 8 One more seal to be broken and when the 7th seal is broken it leads to the sounding of the trumpets, which in this chapter include the first 4 trumpets. We see 1/3 of the sea (>blood) 1/3 of the earth, 1/3 of the sun, moon and stars are all affected (difficult times).

Revelation 9: The 5th trumpet is blown signaling the First Woe, a time of locusts with tails like scorpions stinging men for 5 months to point that the men desire death yet they cannot die. The 6th Trumpet unveils a ''weird'' army from the Euphrates and 1/3 of those who dwell on the earth die from the 3 plagues, the smoke, the fire and the brimstone that come out of their mouths.

Revelation 10: 7 peals of thunder which John is told not to write. Then a little book which is sweet in the mouth but bitter in the belly.

Revelation 11: 2 witnesses who bring judgment on the face of the earth, who are then killed bringing celebration on earth until they are resurrected and the world watches in wonder as those bodies go into heaven. After the 2 witnesses, the 7th Trumpet is sounded and the Second Woe is passed.

Revelation 12 : 2 signs-- a woman with Child, a great red dragon, who is going to devour the woman's Child. But the Child is caught up to heaven. The woman runs into the wilderness where God has prepared a place for her for ''time, times and half a time.'' The dragon spills out a flood in an attempt to drown her but God opens the earth and swallows up the flood.

Revelation 13: 2 beasts: the first BEAST from the sea, bringing persecution to the saints upon the face of this earth. The second beast comes up out of the earth and has an image made which all the world is commanded to honor and to take a mark on their right hand or their forehead and without the mark they could not buy and sell. Yet later we are told that anyone who takes that mark will never go the heaven. (difficult times are coming!).

Revelation 14: 144,000 with the Lamb on Mt. Zion. Angels making proclamations. One says throw in the sickle and reap the harvest and the blood comes up as high as the horse's bridles. These are difficult days. Yet in the midst of these difficult days we find this verse: Rev 14:12 "Here is the perseverance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus." Who are these saints? Kay's not going to tell but you'll know this book so well that you will be able to distinguish who they are.

Revelation 15: The temple of the tabernacle of testimony is opened and John saw 7 angels with 7 bowls filled with 7 plagues.

Revelation 16: The 7 angels dump the 7 Bowls on the face of the earth. The bowls are filled with the wrath of God.

We are living in difficult days because of the men in power, and the corruption all around us. There are also cataclysmic events occurring all over the earth.

Rev 1 shows us that grace and peace are supplied and they are adequate for every need. Kay shares that she found herself thanking Him for the fact that she had this grace and peace from Him Who is and Who was and Who is to come. These truths are not to be just head knowledge but are to seep down into our hearts and being so that we become living epistles known and read by all men (2Cor 3:2), because these truths are constantly in our thoughts. We should pray these truths back to God worship to Him Who is and Who was and Who is to come, Who is the unchanging God. Kay tells the story of teaching at the Teen Conference on Elijah as he was taken up in a whirlwind and then the query came "Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?" (2Ki2:14). The God of Elijah is the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb13:8). We need to know not just ''where'' is the God of Elijah but ''Who'' is the God of Elijah.

Revelation 1:4-6 "John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace, from Him who is and who was and who is to come; and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne; and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the first-born of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us, and released us from our sins by His blood, and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father; to Him [be] the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen."

Notice that the verb "love" in the phrase "to Him Who loves us" is in the present tense (Ed note: continuous or habitual action) which means He keeps on loving us and He never stops loving us!

1). JESUS LOVES US: and He keeps on loving us. Why? Because we are living in a time when the enemy comes at us, telling us that God loves everyone else but not us. You've got to know that JESUS LOVES US. One of the times when we doubt His love is when the enemy says that there is nothing lovable about us. REMEMBER that He loves us because of Who He is. We also tend to doubt His love when difficult times come reasoning that if God really loved me, then why would He allow this in my life. Why am I going through this trauma?

LET'S LOOK AT THE FACT THAT ''JESUS LOVES US'':

WHEN DID JESUS LOVE US?

Ro 5:6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.

(What do we see when the bowls are poured out on the face of this earth in Rev16? The wrath of God. What will save us from this wrath? the fact that Jesus loved me, that He died for me, that He released me from my sins, that He made me to be a kingdom, that He made me to a priest unto God...this saves us from the WRATH of GOD) 10 For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

How do I know that God loves me? By looking to Calvary and seeing Jesus' arms open wide bidding you to 'Come' that He might give you life, and give you life abundantly (John 10:10).

LOOK AT ROMANS 8:31-39:

2). JESUS RELEASED US FROM OUR SINS BY HIS BLOOD:

The word "released" means to be loosed or freed (Note that the KJV has ''washed'' which is a different Greek word)

THREE FACTS ABOUT SIN:

(1). SIN HAS A PENALTY = death not only physically but spiritually including eternal separation from the presence of God Ro 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The Penalty of Sin Described

And other passages make it clear that this lake of fire burns forever and ever.

So Jesus loosed us or released us from the penalty of sin---we who were dead in our trespasses and sins (Eph 2:1) have been raised up together with Christ Jesus and have been seated at the right hand of the throne of God. (Eph 2:4-7) We have "passed out of death into life" (Jn5:24) and will never die again spiritually.

(2). SIN HAS POWER:

What does sin do?

Sin enslaves you. Sin has power. You think are going to just ''try'' a certain sin. You try it again and then you want it some more until finally you are ''addicted'' or enslaved to that sin. So sin has power over you. But if Jesus has released me (loosed me) from my sins, then He has set us free from our sins and the power sin has to enslave a person. We need to remember this important principle in these difficult days to come God is going to judge the world. God is going to judge the unrighteous and sinners.

The Power of Sin Described

ROMANS 6: Shows better than anywhere else in Scripture that Jesus has released us from the power of sin.

Jesus has released us from the power of sin.

When you are being tempted to sin and your flesh is crying out ''I've got to, I've got to'', What do you do? Call to mind and lay hold of the truth of Romans 6. Embrace the truth that your death, burial and resurrection with Jesus has released you from the enslaving power of sin and you reply ''No, I do not have to. Sin is not ''master'' over me. Jesus Christ is in me. I can walk in the power of the Holy Spirit.'' "The power of the Spirit" is elaborated on in more detail in Ro8.

Ro 6:16 Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, 18 and having been freed from sin you became slaves of righteousness.

So in these last difficult days men will be so evil as we read in Revelation that even in the midst of God's judgment they still do not repent of their evil deeds. So REMEMBER: Jesus loves me. Jesus released me from my sins...from the penalty--the lake of fire in Rev 20-- and from the power of SIN.

3). RELEASED FROM SIN'S DOMAIN:

Where is the domain of sin today? On this earth. What is Satan called? Satan is called the "the prince (ruler, chief, first in rank and power) of the power of the air" (Eph 2:2), the prince of this present world system ("sin's domain"). In these difficult days to come Satan will be kicked out of heaven and comes to earth filled with fury because he knows he only has a short time left ''in power''. ("the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him...the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, who accuses them before our God day and night...Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time."

Rev 12:9-10,12)

How do the believers overcome Satan and his dominion?

By the blood of the LAMB ("And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even to death." Rev12:11 cf Rev7:14), the blood that released us from Satan's power (Rev1:5), the blood that took away the penalty of the lake of fire, the blood that moved us from darkness to light (He delivered us from the domain [the right and the might] of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins....having made peace through the blood of His cross Col 1:13-14, 20)

Paul explains how believers are released from Satan's dominion speaking in Acts 26 Paul to the Ephesian elders at his farewell exhortation and explaining what Jesus had commissioned him to preach the Gospel which would "open...eyes (of unbelievers) so that they may turn from darkness (Satan's domain) to light and from the dominion (right and might - the power to direct, control, use and dispose of) of Satan to God, in order that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me (Jesus)." (Acts 26:18 ) What's that ''inheritance''? Do your homework this week and you will see!

Paul further explains how we are released from sin's domain writing that "now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man [came] death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive (that is all who by faith accept the free gift of salvation). But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ's at His coming, (What does Rev 1:7 say? Behold He is coming and every eye will see Him...'') then comes the end, when He delivers up the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. (That is what we see in Revelation as Jesus abolishes ALL rule and ALL authority and power and takes His dominion.) For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be abolished is DEATH." (1Cor 15:20-26)

John writes "And I saw no temple in it (the new city, the New Jerusalem) , for the Lord God, the Almighty, and the Lamb, are its temple. 23 And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine upon it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp [is] the Lamb. 24 And the nations shall walk by its light, and the kings of the earth shall bring their glory into it. 25 And in the daytime (for there shall be no night there) its gates shall never be closed;.27 and nothing unclean and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life. " (Rev 21:22-25,27)

When you received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, when He released you from your sins, He released you from the penalty of sin, which is allotment eternally into the "lake of fire" (Rev20:11-15), He released you from the power of sin so that you are no longer a slave to sin and He also released you from the dominion (the right and might of) Satan (to exercise his rule over your life) and He gave you a brand new home, the New Heaven and the New Earth. And those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life live in that city. We are a kingdom and we are priests unto God.

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO REMEMBER IN THESE "LAST DAYS" WHICH WILL BE "DIFFICULT DAYS"?

(1). You need to remember that Jesus loves you and that perfect love casts out fear (cf 1Jn4:18)

(2). You need to remember that He will never leave you nor forsake you (cf Heb13:5) . Why not? Because He loves you and love doesn't turn it's back on another.

(3). You need to remember that He has released you from your sins and that the penalty and the wrath of God is not on you, that you have passed from death to life and that there is no condemnation and that you have passed from judgment into blessing. The power of sin has been broken. You will live in His domain, and in His domain He wipes away all tears and there is no more death or sorrow because former things have passed away.