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Prelude to the Unveiling · INSIGHT FOR LIVING: Biblical Wisdom For Everyday Living

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Speaker 1: Turn in your Bibles to the last book, the book
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Speaker 1: of the Revelation, and allow me to read for you
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Speaker 1: the first eight verses, which we have entitled, The Prelude
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Speaker 1: to the Unveiling. Revelation 1, verse 1. The revelation of
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Speaker 1: Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his bondservants,
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Speaker 1: the things which must soon take place, and he sent
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Speaker 1: and communicated it by his angel to his bondservant John,
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Speaker 1: who testified to the word of God, to the testimony
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Speaker 1: of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. Blessed
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Speaker 1: is he who reads and those who hear the words
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Speaker 1: of the prophecy and heed the things which are written
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Speaker 1: in it, for the time is near. John to the
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Speaker 1: seven churches that are in Asia. Grace to you and
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Speaker 1: peace from him who is and who was and who
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Speaker 1: is to come. And from the seven spirits who are
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Speaker 1: before his throne. And from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness,
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Speaker 1: the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the
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Speaker 1: kings of the earth. to him who loves us and
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Speaker 1: released us.
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Speaker 2: From our sins by his blood.
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Speaker 1: And he has made us to be a kingdom, priests
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Speaker 1: to his God and Father, to him be the glory
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Speaker 1: and the dominion.
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Speaker 2: Forever and ever. Amen.
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Speaker 1: Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye
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Speaker 1: will see him, even those who pierced him, and all
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Speaker 1: the tribes of the earth will mourn over him.
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Speaker 2: So it is to me. Amen.
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Speaker 1: I am Alpha and the Omega, says the Lord God,
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Speaker 1: who is and who was and who is to come,
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Speaker 1: the Almighty. Leave your Bible open in your lap, will you?
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Speaker 2: Place your hands on it as I lead us in prayer.
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Speaker 1: Lord, this blessed book has been preserved for our generation
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Speaker 1: as it has been for every generation of the past.
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Speaker 1: And should your son, Terry, is coming for all generations
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Speaker 1: of the future.
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Speaker 2: We love your word. We thank you for it.
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Speaker 1: We especially ask for insight into it. As we move
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Speaker 1: into a meaningful and in-depth study of this profound book
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Speaker 1: of the prophecy. Guard us from taking unfair advantages. From
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Speaker 1: jumping to false conclusions. From shaping erroneous fears in our minds.
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Speaker 1: On the other side, guard us from ignoring anything you
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Speaker 1: have said. Or failing to take any part of it seriously.
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Speaker 1: Or explaining away what was meant to be embraced and believed.
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Speaker 1: Your guidance, our Father, is of paramount importance. Lest any
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Speaker 1: one of us lend to the meaning what we want
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Speaker 1: it to say rather than allowing it to say what
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Speaker 1: it is saying.
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Speaker 2: So guide my thoughts.
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Speaker 1: As I teach, guide our ears and hearts as we
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Speaker 1: receive it, and we anticipate the promised blessing of it
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Speaker 1: as you guide us in chaotic times. Without you, our Father,
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Speaker 1: we would be adrift. We would be awash in a
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Speaker 1: culture that has long since moved in the wrong direction,
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Speaker 1: swallowed up in a world that has lost its way,
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Speaker 1: May we learn how, our Father, to remain relevant to
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Speaker 1: our times and yet rooted to the truth. Give us
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Speaker 1: that sense of balance. Lest we be contemporary without being
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Speaker 1: faithful or faithful and losing touch with this contemporary world.
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Speaker 1: Give us a sense of renewed passion for those who
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Speaker 1: have never come to know your Son and And wisdom
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Speaker 1: in knowing how to reach them.
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Speaker 2: And love them. And encourage them to take you seriously.
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Speaker 1: These are troublous times. Even the news of this weekend
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Speaker 1: intensifies the trouble. We pray for those who wrestle with
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Speaker 1: the times in a direct way. Those who are armed
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Speaker 1: with weapons. those who face the very real probability of war.
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Speaker 1: Guide in your way, our Father, guide wisely those who
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Speaker 1: make these crucial decisions.
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Speaker 2: Give protection and even.
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Speaker 1: Encouragement and comfort to those who feel afraid and lonely,
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Speaker 1: who wear the uniform of our country and of our
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Speaker 1: allies' countries.
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Speaker 2: Protect us, our Father.
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Speaker 1: In the midst of cowards who would take advantage of
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Speaker 1: our innocence and lack of awareness, terrorists who could invade,
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Speaker 1: protect us, Lord.
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Speaker 2: Protect us.
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Speaker 1: Not because we deserve it, but because we simply wish
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Speaker 1: to recognize your hand over us And we yield to
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Speaker 1: your sovereign will.
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Speaker 2: Encourage those who represent your.
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Speaker 1: Name in places beyond these shores. Those who name the
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Speaker 1: name of Christ in dangerous and difficult places. Now, Lord,
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Speaker 1: we thank you for your mercies that are new every morning.
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Speaker 1: We thank you for your love that is unfailing. We
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Speaker 1: thank you for your constant Compassion. That keeps us in
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Speaker 1: our way. We thank you for your. Healing grace.
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Speaker 2: Be honored in our gifts father. We give them out
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Speaker 2: of love for you. And we give.
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Speaker 1: Because you have first given to us. In the name
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Speaker 1: of Christ we pray. And everyone said. Amen. Try to
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Speaker 1: imagine when these words were first spoken. We are living
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Speaker 1: in the strangest days that man has ever known. The
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Speaker 1: world has passed through terrible times before, but never has
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Speaker 1: the whole earth been so bound together in the wild
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Speaker 1: plunging through one catastrophe after another as today. There have
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Speaker 1: been wars down through the ages but never wars that
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Speaker 1: have touched so many nations as the conflicts through which
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Speaker 1: we have passed in this generation. There have been political
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Speaker 1: crises but not on a scale that touched all of
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Speaker 1: the continents. When I read those words this past week
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Speaker 1: I thought they sound like words that our president would
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Speaker 1: have spoken maybe around 9-11-01. Or maybe they came from
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Speaker 1: a Billy Graham crusade where this lifelong evangelist stood and
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Speaker 1: spoke of our.
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Speaker 2: Times and.
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Speaker 1: Had that ring of relevance in his message that he
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Speaker 1: always has. To my surprise, they.
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Speaker 2: Were from neither.
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Speaker 1: In fact, no one from the 21st century, someone from
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Speaker 1: the early half of the 20th century first wrote those words.
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Speaker 1: His name in evangelical circles was a household name as
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Speaker 1: people all around the United States spoke of Donald Gray Barnhouse,
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Speaker 1: the great expositor of Philadelphia. who took the 10th Presbyterian
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Speaker 1: Church in 1927 as the senior pastor and was there
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Speaker 1: until he died in 1960. He began a magazine that
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Speaker 1: he titled Revelation in 1930. And about 1932 or 33,
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Speaker 1: he wrote those words.
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Speaker 3: Amazing.
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Speaker 1: Over 70 years ago, A man was writing about being
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Speaker 1: plunged from one catastrophe through another in conflicts which have
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Speaker 1: not happened in another generational. like this one, in political crises.
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Speaker 1: Isn't it interesting that words were first communicated over 70
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Speaker 1: years ago as he was writing about a book that's
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Speaker 1: over 1,900 years old? And it sounds like something you
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Speaker 1: would have read in yesterday or tomorrow morning's newspaper. The
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Speaker 1: great book of Revelation is ever relevant for any generation.
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Speaker 2: It is significant. It is timely. It is like the
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Speaker 2: Lord himself, alive and powerful.
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Speaker 1: People just like us have been on the edge of
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Speaker 1: their seats down through the generations anticipating what the truth
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Speaker 1: of the future might be. A lot of people tell
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Speaker 1: us that they can reveal the truth. But when you
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Speaker 1: look deep enough and far enough, you realize it is
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Speaker 1: not reliable information. There is only one who knows the
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Speaker 1: truth of the future. And that is the one who
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Speaker 1: was and is and is to come, the Lord himself.
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Speaker 1: That is why when the last book of the Bible
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Speaker 1: is opened, There's an arousing of interest on the part
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Speaker 1: of every one of us who knows the name of
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Speaker 1: Christ and is yielded to His will. Today we undertake
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Speaker 1: what I have called the prelude to the unveiling. If
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Speaker 1: you have your Bible open to Revelation chapter 1, keep
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Speaker 1: your outline handy because it will keep you and me
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Speaker 1: on target. We'll follow along through it as we work
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Speaker 1: our way through these first eight verses of Revelation chapter 1.
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Speaker 1: The words begin with, well, the purpose of the book
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Speaker 1: followed by a wonderful promise. See if you can pick
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Speaker 1: the purpose out of the first verse. The revelation of
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Speaker 1: Jesus Christ, which God gave him, to show to his
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Speaker 1: bondservants the things which must soon take place. And he
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Speaker 1: sent and communicated it by his angel to his bondservant, John,
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Speaker 1: who testified to the word of God and to the
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Speaker 1: testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw.
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Speaker 1: A lot of words, if you look closely, you'll find
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Speaker 1: the little word to, T-O. That word introduces the purpose
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Speaker 1: of the book. The book has been revealed to us,
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Speaker 1: the truth of the book, to show the things which
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Speaker 1: must take place, which must soon take place. That is
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Speaker 1: the purpose of the revelation. We learned last time that
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Speaker 1: it isn't plural, revelations, it is one great body of
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Speaker 1: truth centering in and having to do with mostly the
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Speaker 1: person of Jesus Christ. So it is the revelation, singular,
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Speaker 1: not of John, it is the unveiling of the truth
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Speaker 1: concerning Christ and the things of the future which must
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Speaker 1: soon take place.
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Speaker 2: Look at the word soon.
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Speaker 1: I was attracted to that as I first began to
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Speaker 1: study the book here recently. I was interested to find
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Speaker 1: out that some teach that to mean because it has
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Speaker 1: been so long since it was given to this point
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Speaker 1: of time today that perhaps he had in mind the
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Speaker 1: rapidity of execution. In other words, when it did happen,
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Speaker 1: things would unfold quickly. We are told by the president
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Speaker 1: that If war is essential, and we don't know if
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Speaker 1: it is or when it will be, there may be
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Speaker 1: a waiting period, but when it does occur.
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Speaker 2: Things will happen quickly as soon as war is declared.
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Speaker 2: Maybe he meant that. However, it doesn't tie in.
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Speaker 1: Well with the end of verse 3, where we read,
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Speaker 1: the time is near.
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Speaker 2: If it is going to be soon.
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Speaker 1: And if the time is near, it doesn't seem as
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Speaker 1: though he's talking about execution, but about the time between
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Speaker 1: the giving of the revelation and the unfolding of the
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Speaker 1: events revealed in the book. It may help you to
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Speaker 1: mark in your Bible 2 Peter 3, verse 18. 2
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Speaker 1: Peter 3, I'm missing everything, verse 8. 2 Peter 3
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Speaker 1: verse 8 reads, But do not let this one fact
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Speaker 1: escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day
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Speaker 1: is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are
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Speaker 1: like one day. That's in a context of the events
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Speaker 1: of the future. Matter of fact, if you look at
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Speaker 1: verse 3 of 2 Peter 3, You'll read, know this
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Speaker 1: first of all, that in the last days, mockers will
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Speaker 1: come with their mocking, following after their own lusts and saying,
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Speaker 1: where is the promise of his coming?
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Speaker 2: See, the mockers pick up.
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Speaker 1: The story and they hear of the coming of Christ
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Speaker 1: and they see all of this time that has passed
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Speaker 1: and they wave a hand at it and say, what
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Speaker 1: are you talking about? What's all this talk about the.
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Speaker 2: Promise of his coming?
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Speaker 1: Ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as
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Speaker 1: it was from the beginning of creation. And then Peter adds,
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Speaker 1: when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by
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Speaker 1: the word of God, the heavens existed long ago and
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Speaker 1: the earth was formed out of water and by water
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Speaker 1: through which the world at that time was destroyed, being
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Speaker 1: flooded with water. Meaning that everything hasn't been running along
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Speaker 1: as it has from the beginning.
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Speaker 2: There was a flood that came in.
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Speaker 1: All of its tumult and it universally flooded the earth
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Speaker 1: and it brought chaos and destruction and death. So in
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Speaker 1: that context, Peter says, don't let it escape your notice
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Speaker 1: that one day with the Lord is as a thousand
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Speaker 1: years and vice versa. Back to Revelation 1. I think
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Speaker 1: what he's saying is that all of this is imminent.
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Speaker 2: I-M-M-I-N-E-N-T. At any moment, it can occur.
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Speaker 1: 2,000 year wait is a couple of days in God's timetable.
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Speaker 1: For us, it's an enormous amount of time. But for him,
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Speaker 1: as he plans things, it is soon. He's eternal, you know.
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Speaker 1: And by the way, time means nothing to him who
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Speaker 1: dwells in eternity. You have to continually remember when you
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Speaker 1: are in the book of the revelation that our fixation
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Speaker 1: is on earth of this globe where we are bounded
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Speaker 1: by 24 hour.
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Speaker 2: Days and seven day weeks.
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Speaker 1: But in God's timetable and in God's existence, the ends
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Speaker 1: are pushed out. There is no beginning and there is
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Speaker 1: no ending and there is no hour of the day
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Speaker 1: and there is no night there.
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Speaker 2: Very difficult for our minds to perceive it.
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Speaker 1: But the point is, the unfolding of events on this
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Speaker 1: little globe called earth are right in keeping with God's timetable.
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Speaker 1: And as he measures time, they will soon occur.
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Speaker 2: As we measure it, it will be at any moment.
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Speaker 1: And John testifies that he is speaking to us the
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Speaker 1: word of God and the testimony of Jesus. Did I
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Speaker 1: go too quickly over the process of the revealing? Remember
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Speaker 1: last time we learned that revelation means unveiling. The disclosing
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Speaker 1: of something that has once been secret or covered over.
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Speaker 1: That's the way the first verse reads. It is the
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Speaker 1: unveiling of Jesus Christ. Watch closely. Which God, that's the
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Speaker 1: original source of the information, gave him, referring to Jesus.
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Speaker 1: So we have the Father giving to the Son... this truth,
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Speaker 1: and the Son is to show to his bondservants, that
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Speaker 1: would be those who are yielded to his will, sensitive
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Speaker 1: to his truth, and he sent and communicated it by
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Speaker 1: his angel to his bondservant John. So it was the
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Speaker 1: Father who gave the truth to the Son, who revealed
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Speaker 1: it to the angel, probably Gabriel, the information angel, Gabriel
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Speaker 1: then revealed it to John, the writer, and John then
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Speaker 1: wrote it and it found its way into the parchment
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Speaker 1: and ultimately into the binding of the Bibles we hold
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Speaker 1: today in the last book of the scriptures. So it
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Speaker 1: came from God through Christ by means of an angel
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Speaker 1: to John and then from John in written form to us.
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Speaker 2: The purpose of.
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Speaker 1: It, as you saw in verse 1, is to show
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Speaker 1: the things which must soon take place. Well, what happens
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Speaker 1: to those who receive this information? Verse 3 tells us
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Speaker 1: of the blessing. Blessed is he who reads and those
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Speaker 1: who hear and.
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Speaker 2: You may not know this, but that's a rare statement.
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Speaker 1: Rarely does the Lord tell someone who reads the word,
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Speaker 1: you will be blessed if you read it. But it
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Speaker 1: is a statement early on in the book of the Revelation.
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Speaker 1: We who read the book will be blessed. Now, immediately,
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Speaker 1: I need to define the meaning of bless. It's one
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Speaker 1: of those overworked terms. We use it at almost every
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Speaker 1: prayer at a meal. Interestingly, the word, as we think
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Speaker 1: of it, means to make happy, to be happy.
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Speaker 2: But we say, Lord, bless this food. See what I mean?
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Speaker 1: That's the problem you get when you get informed. You
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Speaker 1: realize my prayers need to get readjusted. Maybe I don't
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Speaker 1: mean bless the food. Maybe I mean bless those of
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Speaker 1: us who eat this meal together. But it's more than
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Speaker 1: just showing favor or giving a sense of peace and relief.
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Speaker 2: To those who are getting the blessing. Let me go further.
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Speaker 1: It has a Hebrew root, ashar, A-S-H-A-R, with a very
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Speaker 1: interesting meaning. It means to find the right pathway in
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Speaker 1: the face of false pathways. It has to do with
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Speaker 1: the discovery of meaning in life in the face of chaos. Lord,
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Speaker 1: bless us on this journey of life, meaning journey. Give
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Speaker 1: us an understanding of life as we find our way
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Speaker 1: through the false pathways that are about us. Remember the
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Speaker 1: line in Psalm 1, blessed is the one who does
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Speaker 1: not walk in the counsel of the ungodly.
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Speaker 2: That's a false pathway. Or sit in the seat of
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Speaker 2: the scornful.
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Speaker 1: His delight is in the law of the Lord and
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Speaker 1: in that law he meditates day and night. You are
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Speaker 1: blessed in the midst of the counsel of the ungodly
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Speaker 1: when you see beyond the ungodliness God. And you find
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Speaker 1: the path that takes you through to the right journey
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Speaker 1: or the right destination. Earl Palmer adds, the word is
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Speaker 1: a tough, tough word in the Bible. It does not
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Speaker 1: express superficial sentiment, but instead the rugged and trusted assurance
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Speaker 1: that it is a good thing to be walking in
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Speaker 1: the pathway of God's will. When you read the book
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Speaker 1: of the revelation, the chaos may break loose around you,
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Speaker 1: but you will not be panicked. You will not be confused.
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Speaker 1: You will understand that events are unfolding just as God
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Speaker 1: planned them. Notice the blessing is for those who read,
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Speaker 1: those who hear, and those who heed. Original manuscripts of
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Speaker 1: scripture were very rare.
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Speaker 2: Very rare.
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Speaker 1: Copies of the scriptures originally were very expensive. So it
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Speaker 1: wasn't uncommon for a messenger to come to the church to.
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Speaker 2: Whom the message is written.
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Speaker 1: And he will stand and unroll the scroll and read
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Speaker 1: it to the congregation. As I may read the first
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Speaker 1: three verses of Revelation to you. So the one who
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Speaker 1: reads is blessed. And that there were many in the
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Speaker 1: congregation who simply heard it. They didn't have copies of
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Speaker 1: the Bible when the revelation was written. They didn't have
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Speaker 1: a full copy of the scriptures as you and I
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Speaker 1: have laying on our laps. So those who hear the
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Speaker 1: truth and then heed what they hear will have a special.
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Speaker 2: Sense of understanding and, as he puts it, blessing.
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Speaker 1: So we have the purpose of the book in verses
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Speaker 1: 1 and 2. We have The blessing that comes from
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Speaker 1: the book in verse 3. Then we get to the
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Speaker 1: greeting when we get down to verse 4. John immediately
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Speaker 1: takes up the stylus and begins to write on the parchment.
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Speaker 1: Begins to write what he is given by the angel.
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Speaker 1: According to verse 1, it was revealed to him by
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Speaker 1: an angel. So John signs his name and he.
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Speaker 2: Says to the seven churches that are in Asia.
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Speaker 1: Remember last time we looked at the map that showed
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Speaker 1: those seven churches? They sort of form a face on
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Speaker 1: an hourglass, on a clock, as you work your way
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Speaker 1: around from Ephesus all the way around to Laodicea. There
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Speaker 1: were more than seven churches in the first century. But
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Speaker 1: these churches were chosen because they represented the characteristics of churches.
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Speaker 2: Of any age.
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Speaker 1: First century all the way through the 21st. And however
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Speaker 1: long the Lord may tarry. So these churches addressed in
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Speaker 1: chapters 2 and 3 will talk about events that happen
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Speaker 1: in our own church. Or could happen. Or warnings to
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Speaker 1: guard against what might happen. Because they are indicative of
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Speaker 1: them or representative of those things, these seven were chosen.
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Speaker 2: Look at the greeting. It's an ancient greeting. Grace to
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Speaker 2: you and peace.
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Speaker 1: We heard a song a moment ago that spoke of
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Speaker 1: healing grace, ending with the familiar amazing grace, which always.
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Speaker 2: Makes us smile down deep inside. Why?
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Speaker 1: Because grace is what God does for us which we
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Speaker 1: do not deserve and which we cannot earn and are
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Speaker 1: unable to repay. It is divine unmerited favor. The children
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Speaker 1: of God who have come to Christ by means of
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Speaker 1: believing in the Lord Jesus, who died for us on
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Speaker 1: the cross, paying the penalty for our sins, we receive
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Speaker 1: God's matchless grace. The result of receiving His grace is
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Speaker 1: an inner sense of peace and a tranquility. Before you
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Speaker 1: know Christ, you read the newspaper and the tendency is
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Speaker 1: to panic. Or you watch some television reporter as he
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Speaker 1: gives you the bad news. You know, they specialize in it.
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Speaker 1: Bad news sells.
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Speaker 2: Good news doesn't. And so they pack the news with.
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Speaker 1: The worst possible probabilities or possibilities. And they leave it
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Speaker 1: with you to filter through your response. We who know
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Speaker 1: Christ and are going to be informed from the book
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Speaker 1: of the Revelation are going to gain a peace. That
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Speaker 1: will not come from the current events. Or from reporters
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Speaker 1: who report about those events.
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Speaker 2: These things come from the Lord himself.
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Speaker 1: In fact the triune God. You see the way it unfolds?
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Speaker 1: Look back at verse 4. Grace to you and peace.
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Speaker 1: First is from the Father.
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Speaker 2: Him who is. Who was. And who is to come.
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Speaker 1: Isn't that a wonderful way to express it? First of all,
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Speaker 1: he is the one who is. He lives in this
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Speaker 1: ever-present now of our lives. But he also is the
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Speaker 1: one who was before there was time. Before matter, this earth, time,
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Speaker 1: the elements of this earth ever came into existence, God
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Speaker 1: was there. The Father's plan has been unfolding ever since,
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Speaker 1: right up to this time where he is. And he says,
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Speaker 1: From him who is to come. The one yet to
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Speaker 1: reveal more of his will in the future. Even beyond
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Speaker 1: the point of time.
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Speaker 2: Get this.
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Speaker 1: The book of Revelation will take us to the end
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Speaker 1: of time and beyond. Now it's tough to reckon that.
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Speaker 1: Because everything in our mind is shaped by the boundaries
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Speaker 1: of time. But with God it's one massive panorama. One
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Speaker 1: of my mentors, Ray Stedman, used to love to tell
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Speaker 1: one of his theories about eternity. I'll never forget it.
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Speaker 1: He said, I'm convinced when we step out of time
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Speaker 1: and into eternity, everything will be revealed in one entire panorama.
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Speaker 1: We will see the past. We will see the present.
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Speaker 1: We will see the future. Perfectly unfolded. Exactly as the
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Speaker 1: father planned it. And it will all work together for
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Speaker 1: good to those who love God. And it will be
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Speaker 1: for the glory of the one who planned it. You'll
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Speaker 1: see it all. You'll see what once was. You'll see
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Speaker 1: what is now or was at the time of death.
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Speaker 1: And you'll see what surpasses it or doesn't. outlives it,
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Speaker 1: and it will go on and on and on. You'll
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Speaker 1: see it all in one great panorama. He's the one
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Speaker 1: who is, who was, and.
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Speaker 2: Is to come.
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Speaker 1: The Spirit is set forth as the seventh spirits who
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Speaker 1: are before his throne. We'll get further into this idea later,
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Speaker 1: but this seems to be the best reference to, or
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Speaker 1: at least one of the references to the Holy Spirit.
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Speaker 1: Some have said it refers to the seven ministries of
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Speaker 1: the Spirit.
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Speaker 2: Others have said these.
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Speaker 1: Are seven angels who surround the Spirit Whatever, I think
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Speaker 1: the capital S is correct.
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Speaker 2: I believe this is a reference.
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Speaker 1: To the one who is the complete spirit.
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Speaker 2: Him in all of his fullness.
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Speaker 1: The truth of grace and peace come from him and
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Speaker 1: also from Jesus Christ. And it's upon that name John
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Speaker 1: stays for the next couple of verses. Look at what
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Speaker 1: he says about Christ. Three things. And here he... paints
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Speaker 1: a portrait of our glorious Savior. He is the faithful witness.
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Speaker 1: He is the firstborn of the dead, a reference to
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Speaker 1: his preeminence among those who were raised from the dead.
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Speaker 1: And I love the last one. He is the ruler
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Speaker 1: of the kings of the earth. Often they don't know that.
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Speaker 1: I always try to remind myself when I see some
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Speaker 1: strutting monarch that he'll strut only so long.
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Speaker 2: He has a ruler whether he knows he is the
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Speaker 2: pawn of that ruler or not.
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Speaker 1: Proverbs 21.1 says the Lord is able to move the
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Speaker 1: heart of the.
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Speaker 2: Kings like channels of water. Why?
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Speaker 1: Because he is the ruler of the kings of the earth.
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Speaker 1: We all live under the mighty hand of God, regardless
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Speaker 1: of rank, prestige, unknowns, and blue bloods alike. We all
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Speaker 1: live under the mighty hand of the ruler of the earth.
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Speaker 1: He is called here the ruler of the kings of
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Speaker 1: the earth. Well, John can't take much more. So he
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Speaker 1: decides it's time for a benediction. And he begins it
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Speaker 1: with the words to him. He's talked about Christ as
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Speaker 1: the faithful witness and the firstborn, preeminent one from the
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Speaker 1: dead and the ruler of the kings of the earth.
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Speaker 1: And he says to him, to him who loves us,
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Speaker 1: that's continually loves us, constantly, incessantly loves us. Then he
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Speaker 1: goes back to the cross and released us from our
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Speaker 1: sins by his blood. Little interesting tidbit that interest me
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Speaker 1: and I'm going to hope it interests you. There is
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Speaker 1: an old translation that says to him who loves us
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Speaker 1: and washed us from our sins. It gave rise to
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Speaker 1: the great old gospel song, are you washed? Are you
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Speaker 1: washed in the blood of the lamb? Remember singing that?
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Speaker 1: Southern Baptist Church probably. It's a beloved song and I
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Speaker 1: sang it all through my childhood. I He used to
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Speaker 1: stand next to a guy that put his hand in
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Speaker 1: his pocket.
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Speaker 2: Are you washed?
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Speaker 1: I mean, he really, it was washed instead of washed.
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Speaker 2: Anyway, why would it say washed or washed?
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Speaker 1: Why would it say that instead of released? In the Greek,
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Speaker 1: there is only a difference of one letter between the
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Speaker 1: word translated release and the word translated washed. It's possible
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Speaker 1: that some scribe in writing the manuscript added that word.
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Speaker 2: And it came to be known as washed. But in the.
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Speaker 1: Oldest manuscripts, that letter is not there. And it means released.
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Speaker 1: Washed would be fine. But released is the more reliable
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Speaker 1: of the translations. And I love it because it takes
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Speaker 1: us back to the cross. He keeps on loving us.
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Speaker 1: And he at one point in time released us. The
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Speaker 1: loving us is a present tense. The released is a
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Speaker 1: tense that refers to point of time. And on the cross,
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Speaker 1: he released us from our sins. Isn't that a great thought?
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Speaker 1: Once and one time only does the Savior pay for
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Speaker 1: the sins of the world. There is no need for
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Speaker 1: a continual observing of the Mass. For Christ is brought
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Speaker 1: back to the place of death. There's no reason to
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Speaker 1: place him on a cross and to hang a crucifix
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Speaker 1: with Christ in his body on the cross.
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Speaker 2: He's gone from the cross.
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Speaker 1: He once for all released us from our sins by
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Speaker 1: his blood. And notice it says he has made us
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Speaker 1: to be a kingdom of priests to his God and father.
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Speaker 2: And then John adds to him. That's where he started.
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Speaker 2: To him. Be the glory.
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Speaker 1: The word is doxa. We get our word doxology from
34:43
Speaker 1: this word translated glory. To him be the doxa and
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Speaker 1: the dominion. He's back to this thought of being the ruler.
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Speaker 1: The dominion forever and ever.
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Speaker 2: Amen. He adds that amen and it means I believe it.
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Speaker 2: I believe it.
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Speaker 1: John then turns to the future scene of the coming king.
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Speaker 1: And he starts with a word that means.
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Speaker 2: Look, look.
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Speaker 1: It's a word that arrests our attention. He grabs our
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Speaker 1: attention with the word stop. Look, I think at this
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Speaker 1: moment in the vision, John saw the coming of the Savior.
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Speaker 1: Remember my comment about Stedman's theory regarding the future or
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Speaker 1: regarding eternity? John is caught up in this scene and
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Speaker 1: he sees it all.
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Speaker 2: And as he looks across the peaks of the events
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Speaker 2: yet to come, he sees the coming Christ and he announces, behold,
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Speaker 2: he is coming with the clouds. Then he makes a statement,
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Speaker 2: every eye will see him. Every eye.
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Speaker 1: Every person living on the earth will see him. It's
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Speaker 1: a remarkable thought. How could people on the other side
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Speaker 1: of the world see what is seen on this side?
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Speaker 2: How do you do that? Well, I don't know. How's
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Speaker 2: that for an answer? What does it mean? It means
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Speaker 2: just what it says.
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Speaker 1: Somehow, in God's amazing plan, there will be this arrival
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Speaker 1: of the Son of God coming to In judgment of
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Speaker 1: this earth. To win that final battle of Armageddon. And
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Speaker 1: every eye will see him as he returns. Even those
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Speaker 1: who do not believe in him. He describes them as
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Speaker 1: those who pierced him. And the tribes of the earth.
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Speaker 1: Please observe. There will not be applause. There will be mourning.
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Speaker 3: Why?
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Speaker 2: Why? Because he's coming as the judge. When he first came,
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Speaker 2: we applauded.
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Speaker 1: Well, I believe if we had known him, we would
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Speaker 1: have applauded. If we had anticipated Messiah coming as Savior,
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Speaker 1: we would have loved to see him at his arrival,
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Speaker 1: though he came in humiliation.
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Speaker 2: This time, he comes to judge.
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Speaker 1: And Opportunity for change will be gone. As he comes
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Speaker 1: as the final judge and the earth mourns seeing him.
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Speaker 1: Look how John ends this.
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Speaker 2: So it is to be.
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Speaker 1: That's the translation of one little tiny Greek word, which
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Speaker 1: means yes.
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Speaker 2: I love that. He comes to the end of this
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Speaker 2: initial vision and he says, yes, amen. Sounds like a preacher,
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Speaker 2: doesn't it? One great yes to what he has revealed.
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Speaker 2: But then he adds, he doesn't. The Lord himself does. John,
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Speaker 2: I am the Alpha. First letter of the Greek alphabet.
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Speaker 2: I am the Omega. Last letter. We would say I
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Speaker 2: am the A to Z. I am the Alpha. And
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Speaker 2: the omega, says the Lord God, who is, who was,
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Speaker 2: who is to come, the Almighty.
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Speaker 1: It is a sobering thought when you let it say
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Speaker 1: what it says, isn't it?
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Speaker 2: Sobering.
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Speaker 1: This isn't John's passing fancy as he imagines a lot
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Speaker 1: of neat things that might happen. John has been lifted
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Speaker 1: to another plane of realization and revelation and he's recording
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Speaker 1: his writing as fast as he can and and it's
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Speaker 1: only starting really that the curtain will not be drawn
39:29
Speaker 1: until this great vision that follows beginning at verse 9
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Speaker 1: that's next time but right now he's come to the
39:35
Speaker 1: really the theme of the book which is verse 7
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Speaker 1: he is coming and every eye will see him the
39:45
Speaker 1: events that are unfolding on planet earth seem at.
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Speaker 2: Times maddening and confusing.
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Speaker 1: And because they are to us, it's a common practice
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Speaker 1: for us to think of God as sort of sitting
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Speaker 1: on the edge of heaven, dangling his legs and going,
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Speaker 1: What am I going to.
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Speaker 2: Look at what Turkey has decided. I can't believe it. No, no.
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Speaker 2: It's not like that. God isn't saying, help! Gabriel! Michael!
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Speaker 2: Come on!
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Speaker 1: Nothing is an afterthought with God.
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Speaker 2: Everything with God is a forethought. Everything.
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Speaker 1: Nothing surprises Him. Nothing shocks Him. Nothing panics Him. Nothing
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Speaker 1: informs Him. It is unfolding exactly as it's planned.
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Speaker 2: That's why he announces that he's the one who was
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Speaker 2: and is and is to come, the Almighty. Meaning in charge.
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Speaker 1: I was there at the beginning. I'll be there at
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Speaker 1: the ending. And I am there at this very moment.
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Speaker 1: Now what does all this have to say to us?
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Speaker 1: Let me give you some thoughts here. First, the triune
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Speaker 1: God is preeminent, deserving of our praise. If John can
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Speaker 1: see what he saw and pause to give praise, so
41:25
Speaker 1: must we. We praise the Father and we praise the
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Speaker 1: Son and we praise the Spirit three in one. We
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Speaker 1: praise the triune God just as John did. I notice
41:41
Speaker 1: also that the two categories of humanity stand in sharp contrast.
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Speaker 1: There are those who anticipate this hour with delight, and
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Speaker 1: then there are those who mourn this hour. And by
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Speaker 1: the way, what a contrast between the first and the
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Speaker 1: second coming. At the first coming, judgment on sin was
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Speaker 1: taken care of at the cross, and those who believe
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Speaker 1: know that freedom, that release from sin. The second coming,
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Speaker 1: the judgment is ahead for those who do not believe.
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Speaker 1: At the first coming, there was humiliation. And there was
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Speaker 1: humility and servant-hearted leadership. And there was obscurity. At the
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Speaker 1: second coming, every eye will see him. And the world
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Speaker 1: will know it's over.
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Speaker 2: What does it mean then?
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Speaker 1: It means that your judgment is either behind you or
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Speaker 1: in front of you. Your judgment has been taken care.
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Speaker 2: Of at the cross where you believed. Or it is
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Speaker 2: in front of you at the judgment. When he returns.
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Speaker 2: And I'll tell you.
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Speaker 1: Either we are comforted by that thought.
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Speaker 2: Or it's terrifying. Because the hour. Has never. Been later.
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Speaker 2: Than now.
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Speaker 1: I read this past week of an older couple. Who
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Speaker 1: had been married for many years. And their small belongings.
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Speaker 1: There were few. But one of their children. prized possessions
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Speaker 1: was an old grandfather clock that had been passed down
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Speaker 1: through generations and they had enjoyed its chimes for all
43:27
Speaker 1: of their marriage. Late one evening they retired for bed
43:31
Speaker 1: and shortly after they laid out the chimes began to sound.
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Speaker 2: Ten o'clock. Eleven o'clock. Twelve o'clock. Thirteen o'clock. Fourteen o'clock. Finally,
43:48
Speaker 2: 15 chimes and the old man sat up in bed
43:53
Speaker 2: and he said, honey, what time is it?
43:59
Speaker 1: She sat up by him and leaned over and said,
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Speaker 1: I don't know, but it's later than it's ever been before.
44:09
Speaker 2: Funny little story, but it won't be funny. We never
44:19
Speaker 2: dreamed terrorism would strike. We've read of it, heard of it.
44:23
Speaker 2: I've thought about that recently. But when planes hit buildings.
44:29
Speaker 1: And when another plane plunged into the ground carrying our
44:35
Speaker 1: fellow Americans and friends from other countries, it was later
44:42
Speaker 1: than it had ever been before. And suddenly, it was
44:47
Speaker 1: no longer a theory Was reality. I am not playing
44:57
Speaker 1: on your emotions. And I don't believe in doing that.
45:00
Speaker 1: But I plead with you urgently. Not to put off
45:04
Speaker 1: your relationship with Christ.
45:06
Speaker 2: Thinking that. You've got it all planned out. When it's convenient.
45:11
Speaker 2: You'll come around.
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Speaker 1: Your building may be hit next. Your plane may be
45:23
Speaker 1: the one that plunges next. There isn't the second chance.
45:30
Speaker 2: It's now. Let's bow together. When you close your eyes,
45:37
Speaker 2: let nothing interrupt these thoughts.
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Speaker 1: If there has never been a time in your life
45:46
Speaker 1: when you have personally felt Receive the gift of eternal
45:51
Speaker 1: life in Christ.
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Speaker 2: Now is the best time you'll ever have. You're alive.
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Speaker 2: You're well.
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Speaker 1: You're able to hear it. The opportunity is before you.
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Speaker 1: Plus you're on the verge of seeing truths from a
46:12
Speaker 1: book open up before you.
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Speaker 2: That will make your mouth drop open. And you'll understand it.
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Speaker 1: And it will bring for you not terror, but a
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Speaker 1: relief knowing that it will not strike you. You see,
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Speaker 1: God's people are preserved from such tribulation as the Lord
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Speaker 1: plans for this earth.
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Speaker 2: But if you don't know the Savior, you will be
46:37
Speaker 2: in the midst of it. Trust Him now.
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Speaker 1: The Lord Jesus spent his last hours with his faithful
46:52
Speaker 1: 11 disciples. One of the most significant events was a
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Speaker 1: little meal that he served them. A piece of bread
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Speaker 1: and a sip of juice from a cup. He said,
47:10
Speaker 1: this bread represents my body, which is now going to
47:14
Speaker 1: be given for you in this cup. Juice represents my blood.
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Speaker 1: Do these things in remembrance of me. And he says
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Speaker 1: to the church, keep on doing it until I come back.
47:32
Speaker 1: That's why we take the time. That's why this worship
47:36
Speaker 1: is so meaningful. We read in the gospel story that
47:43
Speaker 1: having having eaten the bread and having sipped the juice
47:50
Speaker 1: from the cup, they sang a hymn and then they
47:54
Speaker 1: went out. In their case, they went to the Garden
47:58
Speaker 1: of Gethsemane and from there followed the arrest, the trials,
48:04
Speaker 1: and the crucifixion. We go to whatever the week holds
48:09
Speaker 1: for us. We go with the cross ever before us.
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Speaker 1: Let's pause in just a moment of silence as we
48:23
Speaker 1: meditate upon our Savior's sacrifice. Our times move rapidly on.
48:34
Speaker 1: The cares of the age, the noise, the pace. It's
48:43
Speaker 1: good that we stand and sit in his presence. And
48:49
Speaker 1: we give him our thanks. Our father we are very grateful.
48:58
Speaker 1: Throughout our lives we are grateful. For the sacrifice. That
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Speaker 1: your son. Exhibited and modeled and paid. On unworthy people
49:12
Speaker 1: like us. Meet with us in a special way. As
49:17
Speaker 1: we lay our sins before you. As we receive the
49:21
Speaker 1: cleansing that comes from your blood. And as we meditate
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Speaker 1: upon the Savior's. Epical sacrifice on our behalf. How grateful
49:35
Speaker 1: we are that. We are continually loved. Having been released
49:42
Speaker 1: from our sins. May we linger in the joy of
49:50
Speaker 1: moments like this. As the week unfolds. May we call
49:56
Speaker 1: to mind often. That our times are in your hands.
50:05
Speaker 1: In the great name of Jesus we pray. Everyone said.
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Speaker 3: The preceding message, Prelude to the Unveiling, was copyrighted in 2003,
50:21
Speaker 3: 2006 and 2024, and the sound recording was copyrighted in
50:26
Speaker 3: 2024 by Charles R.
50:27
Speaker 2: Swindoll, Inc.
50:29
Speaker 3: All rights are reserved worldwide. Duplication of copyrighted material for
50:33
Speaker 3: commercial use is strictly prohibited.