Will you please turn to the last book in the Bible, the Book of Revelation?
Revelation 1:1-3.
The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show unto His bond-servants the things which must shortly come to pass; and He sent and signified it by His angel unto His bond-servant John;
who bare witness of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, even of all things that he saw.
Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of the prophecy, and keep the things that are written therein: for the time is at hand.
Now, Revelation 19:10, the last sentence:
For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
May we look to the Lord in prayer.
Dear Heavenly Father, how we do praise and thank Thee for giving us such honor and privilege to gather together unto the name of Thy beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. How we praise and thank Thee, knowing that Thou art with us even now.
We ask that Thy presence shall be so manifest that we just bow before Thee and worship. We ask Thee, Lord, that we may hear Thy voice, that we may respond to Thee, that we will love Thee with all our hearts, with all our souls, with all our understanding, and with all our strength. In the name of our Lord Jesus. Amen.
We have been going through the New Testament book by book, and this morning we will be on the last book of the New Testament, the Book of Revelation.
Now, Genesis in the Bible is the beginning, and we know that in the beginning the purpose of God is revealed. Revelation is at the end of the Bible. It is the end; in other words, it is the realization of the purpose of God.
In this Book of Revelation, we find that all things are summed up in Christ.
Now, this Book of Revelation is a book of prophecy, because we are told at the very beginning, “Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of the prophecy, and keep the things written therein: for the time is at hand.” It is a book of prophecy.
But let us remember that the spirit of prophecy is the testimony of Jesus. In other words, in this book you find many prophetic words concerning coming events. Many things will happen, and happen soon. But these coming events are but the letter of the word. The spirit of the word is the testimony of Jesus.
Now, brothers and sisters, we are all naturally curious. We like to know what is coming in the future. In a sense, we feel more secure if we know what is coming. We are curious about coming events.
But this is not the purpose of this book. It is true that this book gives us coming events, things that must shortly come to pass. But the purpose is not that we may know what is coming, but that we may know Who is coming. In other words, it is the testimony of Jesus. That is the spirit of prophecy.
What if we know all the coming events, and yet we are not ready for the Lord? What if we come short in the word of prophecy without coming to the spirit of prophecy?
If we do that, you will find that the letter kills; it is the Spirit that gives life. In other words, if we have mental understanding of the coming events, as we call it in the Book of Revelation, and yet there is not a corresponding spiritual preparedness in our hearts, you will find such knowledge will condemn us instead of saving us.
So I think it is very important, when we approach this book of prophecy, that we will be very clear in our hearts that it is not the events that we are interested in, but it is the One Who is coming that we are waiting for.
And if we do that, then surely we are happy. Blessed are we who hear the words of the prophecy and keep the things written therein.
This Book of Revelation is the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show unto His bond-servants what must shortly take place.
John the apostle is not the author of this book. His name is mentioned four times in this Book of Revelation. When we read the Gospel according to John, we find his name is not even mentioned. When we read the First Epistle of John, his name is not mentioned. But here in the Book of Revelation, his name is mentioned four times: Revelation 1:1, Revelation 1:4, Revelation 1:9, and Revelation 22:8.
But he is not the author of this book. He is just a scribe. He is just taking down what is shown to him. The author of this book is none other than God Himself.
Why? Because at the very beginning we are told, “The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto Him.” In other words, it is the revealing, the unveiling, of Jesus Christ.
And this unveiling of Jesus Christ is given by God. God unveils Jesus Christ—to whom? To Jesus Christ. “The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto Him.”
God unveils His beloved Son—what is going to happen to His beloved Son—to His own beloved Son, to none other than Jesus Christ Himself. And then our Lord Jesus shows this to His bond-servants, to all those who are His servants, His bond-slaves, concerning the things that are coming.
So let us remember that this Book of Revelation is actually God the Father revealing the Son to His own Son, and then, in turn, His Son shows all the things that are coming to pass to His bond-servants.
The immediate receivers of this book are the seven churches in Asia. But let us remember that it is not just the seven churches in Asia who receive this book, because this is written, or shown, to the bond-servants of Jesus Christ.
Now, who are the bond-servants of Jesus Christ—the bond-slaves of Jesus Christ? We remember how Paul took pride in calling himself the bond-servant of Jesus Christ.
Brothers and sisters, we who are purchased by the precious blood of the Lord Jesus are His bond-slaves. Every one of us who is purchased by the precious blood of the Lamb is a bond-servant, a bond-slave, of Jesus Christ. We are His love-slaves. He has purchased us, and we do not want to go free because we love Him. We want to serve Him. We are His bond-slaves.
Now, if you turn to Revelation 22, you find the same thing mentioned there. Revelation 22:6 says:
These words are faithful and true: and the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent His angel to show unto His bond-servants the things which must shortly come to pass.
So this book actually is written to us. We are His bond-servants.
Not only that, but again you will find in Revelation 22:16:
I Jesus have sent Mine angel to testify unto you these things for the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, the bright, the morning star.
And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” In other words, you find that these things are shown to the churches, to the church of God. And as the church of God is shown all these things, the Spirit and the bride say, “Come.”
So, in other words, you will find that this letter, this book, actually is written to the bride—the church. The bond-servants and the bride are one. We are the bond-servants of Jesus Christ, purchased by His blood. We are the church of Jesus Christ, and we are His bride. We are the people who receive this book.
Many people, when they read this book—or do not read this book—think it is a horror story. But let us remember: this is a love letter. It is not a horror story to terrify people.
No, to us who are the church of God, who are the bond-servants of Jesus Christ, who are the bride of Jesus Christ, this is a love letter. In other words, this is the last love letter our Bridegroom writes to us before the marriage.
Now, if you see this in that way, how precious is this Book of Revelation! This is the last love letter we receive, and then the next thing will be: He is here, and there will be a marriage. Wonderful!
So this is the Book of Revelation. The Apostle John received this revelation on the island of Patmos. He was exiled by Emperor Domitian.
Now, some people think that it was during the time of Nero, but this is not true. During the time of Nero, the persecution had not extended to Asia; it was confined to Rome. Also, the method of punishment was to throw believers to the lions, or to burn them as lights in the gardens.
Exile was the method used by Emperor Domitian. So it was during the time of Emperor Domitian that John was exiled to the island of Patmos. It was a barren, rocky island off the coast of Asia Minor, in the Aegean Sea. There the Apostle John received this Book of Revelation.
We mentioned that, this being the last book in the Bible, it is the consummation of God’s revelation. What is the eternal purpose of God?
The eternal purpose of God is centered upon His beloved Son. It is the will of God that His beloved Son should be the heir of all things. We find that in Hebrews 1:2: God has established His Son to be the heir of all things.
In other words, all things shall be brought into subjection to Christ Jesus. And to bring everything into subjection to Christ Jesus, the central and most important thing to be brought into subjection to Christ is man.
Because man is the center of all things that are created, and it is through man that Christ is to inherit all things. So first of all, He has to inherit us. After He has inherited us—man—then through man He is to inherit all things.
So here you find man plays a very important role in the economy of God. You know, Psalm 8 is a beautiful psalm. In that psalm you find the psalmist says:
Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast Thou established strength,
Because of Thine adversaries,
That Thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.
Now, so far as man is concerned, man is like babes and sucklings in comparison with other created things. Why? Because man was created last, on the sixth day. Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness,” and He made man in His own image.
So far as the time of creation is concerned, if you compare mankind with the earth, with the planet, or with the universe, then we are latecomers. We are like babes and sucklings. But out of the mouths of babes and sucklings, God says He will establish praise.
God will be praised through the mouths of babes and sucklings. Why? Because of Thine adversaries. God has an adversary—Satan, the adversary. But God will use one who is made lower than the angels, man, to still the adversary and the enemy.
In other words, God is going to use man as His vessel and instrument in bringing all things into subjection to Him. God is going to use man to defeat His enemy, Satan, to silence the enemy, and to bring in the purpose of God, that Christ may inherit all things.
So no wonder the psalmist said, “What is man, that Thou art mindful of him?” Dear brothers and sisters, it really humbles us to think that we who are nothing but dust and ashes, who are the latecomers of the universe, who are just babes and sucklings, should yet be remembered by God.
He should come to us first to inherit us, and then through us to inherit all things. He should use us as His vessel and instrument to defeat His adversary and to bring in His eternal purpose. It humbles us very deeply and causes us to worship Him.
So in this Book of Revelation, you find that He deals with mankind. It is the final revelation of Jesus Christ in relation to mankind: how He will bring mankind and all things under His feet.
According to 1 Corinthians 10:32, mankind is divided into three groups: the Jews, the Greeks, and the church of God. Or, to put it another way: the church, the Jews, and the nations.
This is how mankind is classified. So in this Book of Revelation, we will try to approach it from these three different areas. We will see how Christ is to inherit the church as His bride, how Christ is to inherit the Jews as the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, and how Christ is to inherit the nations as the King of kings and the Lord of lords.
First of all, the church. In the eternal purpose of God concerning His beloved Son, there is the church. The church is a mystery hidden in God through the ages and generations, until, in the fullness of time, God revealed and opened up this mystery by the Holy Spirit through the apostles and prophets, that today we may know what the church is.
The church was unknown in the past. It was hidden in God. Why? Because it could not be brought forth until first of all Christ came into this world. Without the coming of Christ into this world, there can be no church.
It is through His incarnation, through His life on this earth, through His death, and through His resurrection that the church came into being. We find that our Lord Jesus, as He was crucified on the cross, as He died, and as the soldier thrust a spear into His side, blood and water came out of His side.
The church is built with that which came out of the side of our Lord Jesus. Through the death of our Lord Jesus, His blood came out for the remission of our sins. Through the death of our Lord Jesus, His life was poured out as water, that we may receive life.
It is by this blood and water that came out of His side that the church is born.
On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came, and you find one hundred and twenty individual believers were baptized into one body, one church.
Now, the history of the early church is given to us in the Book of Acts. Roughly, we would say our Lord Jesus lived on earth for thirty-three years. Again, you find the Book of Acts actually covers, roughly, thirty-three years—from the day of Pentecost to the time when Paul was in his hired house in Rome, teaching the kingdom of God and teaching the Lord Jesus. That was approximately A.D. 62 to 63.
So you find that the history of the early church covered by the Book of Acts is roughly thirty-three years, up to A.D. 62 or 63. Now you find the Book of Revelation picks that up and continues with the history of the church.
In the first three chapters of the Book of Revelation, you find the seven churches. These seven churches reveal to us the church toward the end of the first century. By this time, all the apostles had passed away except John. John was the one who lived the longest, and it was during his later years that he received this revelation.
So Revelation 2 and 3 continues the Book of Acts. It gives us the history of the church at the end of the first century.
Now, what is the church? Here you find in the Book of Revelation that the seven churches are represented by seven golden lampstands.
Now, a lampstand is not an end in itself. A lampstand is a means to an end. A lampstand is to uplift the light. In other words, the church is not an end in itself. The church is a means to an end, and the end is to uplift the testimony of Jesus. That is the light.
Now, if the church fails to shine forth the testimony of Jesus, then the church has failed in her mission. The church is not to draw people to itself. The church is to point people to Christ.
So you find that the seven churches in Asia are represented by seven golden lampstands. This is a book of prophecy. When you look at the seven churches in Asia, even though there were actually these seven churches in Asia Minor, or in the Roman province of Asia—not Asia as a continent—they also have prophetic significance.
As a matter of fact, there were more than seven churches in Asia at that time. For instance, Colossae and Hierapolis also had churches. But the Holy Spirit picked these seven churches. Why? Because these seven churches prophetically speak of the whole history of the church until the coming of Christ.
The first church, the church in Ephesus, represents the church toward the end of the first century, or even a little into the early part of the second century.
Ephesus means “desire” or “relaxation.” In the beginning, this church had a desire for the Lord. You remember Psalm 73:25:
Whom have I in heaven but Thee?
And there is none upon earth that I desire besides Thee.
This should be the attitude of the church. The desire of the church is the Lord—to love the Lord with all her heart. That is the desire of the church.
If you read the Book of Acts and the history of the early church, you find there was such a desire toward the Lord. There was that first love toward the Lord. Even in the church in Ephesus, if you read the Epistle to the Ephesians, you find that the reason they received such revelation was because they loved the Lord. They loved the Lord.
But their desire gradually loosened. You find that toward the end of the first century, so far as the church was concerned, they had left that first love. There is nothing that the Lord is looking for more than love.
You find the church at that time had labors, works, knowledge, and understanding. They had not deviated from the teaching of the Lord Jesus, and yet they had lost their first love. The Lord said, “I have this against thee.” Repent.
So here you find that toward the end of the first century, the church began to lose her love toward the Lord, her desire for the Lord.
Then the second church, the church of Smyrna. Smyrna came from the root of myrrh, and myrrh means bitterness. When the church began to lose her first love toward the Lord, the Lord reacted by sending persecution to the church.
Persecution is a hard thing, but you find that God uses persecution to awaken the church out of her loss of love. So in the second and third centuries, the church was deeply persecuted.
But out of these persecutions there was a reviving toward the Lord, a desiring for the Lord, a love for the Lord.
Then you find the third church, the church of Pergamum. Pergamum means “high tower.” In the beginning of the fourth century, around A.D. 303, Constantine the Great became the Roman emperor.
You know the story. Whether it was true or not, I do not know. The story was told that he was one of the generals, and when the emperor died, the generals all tried to become the next emperor. They fought with each other.
Constantine was a general in Gaul, which is France today, and many of his soldiers were Christians. The story was told that one night he dreamed a dream. He saw a banner with a cross upon it and the words, “In this sign, conquer.”
So he used that as his banner. He mastered Rome and gained the empire. After he gained the empire, he tried to patronize Christianity. Christianity was no longer persecuted; Christianity was patronized by the emperor.
Immediately you find that, from being persecuted, Christianity became the most popular religion in the world. So many people flocked into the church.
The emperor said that if any of his soldiers would be baptized, he would be rewarded with a certain amount of silver and two suits of clothing. So many soldiers were baptized—not only for material purposes, but for the favor of the emperor.
Immediately you find that the church became a high tower. The church had fallen into the world. There was a mixture of the church and the world. Teachings other than the truth of the Bible began to be accepted.
I cannot go into detail; I will keep you until I do not know when. But anyway, you find that from the fourth century to the end of the sixth century, that is represented by Pergamum.
After that, you have Thyatira. Thyatira means “sacrificing continually,” full of sacrifices. That represents the Roman system, starting from the end of the sixth century up to the time of the Reformation.
If you want to be more exact, it begins with the pontificate of Gregory I in A.D. 590. Then you find the Roman system firmly established. With that, of course, you have the special priesthood and idol worship. All these things began to come into the church.
Then after that, there is Sardis. Sardis means revival or restoration. In the sixteenth century, you find God raised up the Reformers—Martin Luther, John Calvin, and others. There was a reviving; there was a restoration.
But unfortunately, nothing is perfect. It became a matter of names instead of reality. It gradually died out. There was a name, but there was no life inside.
That is what Protestant churches are today. Even today, you find there is a name there, but where is the reality? Where is the life?
But then God reacted again, and that was Philadelphia. Philadelphia means brotherly love. Approximately one hundred and fifty years ago, in the beginning of the nineteenth century, God began to raise up what they called the Brethren movement.
You find there were brothers all over the world who began to come out of all sects. They just called themselves brothers, and they loved one another and kept the word of God. Then many truths that had been buried for centuries were recovered by these dear brothers. It was a tremendous movement in Christianity.
But unfortunately, gradually came Laodicea. Laodicea means “the people’s opinion”—very democratic instead of theocratic. When these things happen, there is such lukewarmness, there is such false pride. They think they have everything, and yet they are naked, wretched, and poor.
The Lord calls them to repent; otherwise, He will spew them out of His mouth. That represents the church in our days. We are living in the Laodicean era.
But brothers and sisters, as you go through the history of the church, what conclusion do you come to? You come to two conclusions.
Number one: whenever God entrusts the testimony of His beloved Son into the hands of man, very soon you find man fails. When God acts, when God reacts, when He gives revelation, there will be a revival, there will be a restoration.
In the first generation it seems living and vibrant. Then you find it begins to be organized in order to preserve it. So in the second generation, the organization becomes strong. In the third generation, all you find is the organization remaining without the life within it.
You see this repeated and repeated in church history. Whenever God entrusts His revelation to man, man loses it as quickly as possible. That is the one conclusion you learn from history.
But thank God, there is another conclusion. The other conclusion is that God never gives up. No matter how man fails, no matter how many times man fails, and repeatedly fails, God never fails. He never gives up.
You find that He is always acting and trying to recover whatever can be recovered. And He does recover.
That is the reason why, in Revelation 2 and 3, you find at the end of every letter to every church there is a call for overcomers. Yes, it is true: “I have entrusted My testimony into your hands, but you have failed.”
In spite of your failure, “I am calling overcomers in your midst.” Now, who are the overcomers of the church? They are not some people outside of the church. They are in the church, but they are the normal Christians.
Everybody is subnormal, and normal. But God is calling for normal Christians—those who will respond to His grace, those who will be faithful to His testimony.
At the end of the first century, in the seven churches, invariably you find God calls for overcomers. God got His overcomers, and it is by these overcomers that the testimony of Jesus was maintained at the end of the first century. They did it for the whole church.
In Revelation 2 and 3, you find the overcomers of the church at the end of the first century. They maintained the testimony of Jesus in the world.
Then when you turn to Revelation 7, in the second part of the chapter, you find countless people standing before the throne of God. They have palm branches in their hands, they are clothed with white robes, and they cry with a loud voice, “Salvation unto our God Who sitteth on the throne, and unto the Lamb.”
Now, who are they? We know that the overcomers are rewarded with white robes—the righteousnesses of the saints. And we know that palm branches in Scripture always represent victory.
So, in other words, what you see here is a vision of all the overcomers of the church from the end of the first century to the last days.
As we look back, we find that from the end of the first century up to the last days, God has His overcomers through the centuries, through the generations, everywhere—countless. We may see failure, failure, failure everywhere, but thank God, He has His overcomers, overcomers, overcomers everywhere.
They may be hidden from the eyes of man, but they are known to God. It is by these overcomers that the testimony of Jesus has been preserved throughout the centuries. Thank God for these countless overcomers.
Then you come to Revelation 12. In that chapter you find another vision: the vision of the woman bearing a child. What does that represent? It tells us what is going to happen in the last days.
Now, brothers and sisters, let me say this: we are living in the last days. What will happen to the church in the last days?
The woman in the vision represents the church in the last days. She is clothed with the sun, with such glory. That is what the church ought to be—a glorious church. Yet she is neglected by the dragon.
Think of that. This woman is clothed with such glory, and the dragon just neglects her. In other words, the dragon knows that she is of no use, of no effect in the spiritual realm.
Now, that is what the church is. The church is a glorious church; think of the church. It ought to be a glorious church, gloriously saved, gloriously endowed. Yet you find, in spiritual reality, Satan, represented by the red dragon, sees very well that there is no power there. The church will not affect his kingdom. He will leave that woman alone.
But what he pays attention to is the male child within that woman. That woman is in labor to bring forth a male child. Now, who is this male child?
The dragon is waiting there to devour the male child because he knows the male child is powerful. The male child will mean his own overthrow, so he wants to swallow him as soon as he comes forth. But when he comes forth, he is caught up to the throne.
This male child is a collective term, because as you read on you find that they overcome the enemy, the accuser, by the blood of the Lamb, by the word of their testimony, and because they loved not their lives even unto death.
In other words, the male child represents the overcomers in the last days. In the last days, God will still have His overcomers. These overcomers will be raptured alive to the throne.
Brothers and sisters, we are not waiting for death. We are waiting to be raptured alive. We are living in the end times. We have the opportunity. We have the privilege. This is a thrilling day.
We are looking forward to those overcomers being brought forth. As soon as that company is completed, it will be taken to the throne, and the enemy will be thrown down.
The overcomers in the last days overcome by the blood of the Lamb—not because they are perfect. They are just as weak as anybody else, but they confess their sins. They trust the blood of Jesus. They are being washed continually, continuously, so their robes are kept white.
They overcome by the word of their testimony. What is their testimony? Their testimony is, “Jesus is Lord.” Jesus is Lord of their lives. They speak it out, and with a life behind what they say, it has power.
And they love not their lives even unto death. They are willing to lay down their lives, their soul-lives, for the Lord. Brothers and sisters, these are overcomers in the last days. These are the people who maintain the testimony of Jesus in the last days.
Oh, that we may be found, by the grace of God, among them.
In Revelation 14, you find at the beginning one hundred and forty-four thousand standing on Mount Zion with the Lamb. They are singing a new song that nobody else can sing. Who are they? No doubt, they are the overcomers toward the end of the great tribulation.
As you read on, there is a harvest. The harvest is at the end of the great tribulation. So these represent the overcomers toward the end of the great tribulation.
Then you read on to Revelation 19, and you find a Man riding on a white horse—none other than the Lord Himself, the Word of God. He has an army following Him, and this army represents the overcomers at the second coming of Christ. They will be the bride of the Lamb.
Then in Revelation 21 and 22, you find the consummation. In other words, the whole church will be in that new city, the New Jerusalem, because the foundation bears the twelve names of the apostles.
The Lord will inherit His church. The church will be His eternal bride. So, brothers and sisters, this is Revelation. Revelation tells us that, in spite of man’s failure, God will have the bride for His Son.
His Son will eventually have a glorious church, without spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing—holy and without blemish. There will be an eternal union with Christ. Thank God for that. He is worthy.
Now, that is the church. All right, let us see the Jews. The Jews are another mystery. God chose the Jews because of their father Abraham. The Jews are a chosen people of God.
If you read Romans 9, the Apostle Paul tells us:
Whose is the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;
whose are the fathers, and of whom is Christ as concerning the flesh, Who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.
In other words, you find the Jews are a privileged people. Because of their father Abraham, they were chosen as a chosen race: adoption, sonship, glory, covenants, giving of the law, service, promises, the fathers; and even our Lord Jesus came from them. What a privileged people they were!
But because of their blindness, when the Messiah came, they rejected Him. Because of their blindness, they have been temporarily set aside as a nation.
Now, we must remember this does not mean that all Jews are set aside. The nation was set aside temporarily, not permanently. Through the centuries, many Jews have been saved.
As a matter of fact, in the first century, in the beginning, all the believers were Jews. They were Jews who believed in the Lord. Paul said, “I myself also am an Israelite.” Through the centuries, Jews as individuals have entered into the church, because the church is made up of Jews and Gentiles—neither Jew nor Gentile.
But as a nation, because of their blindness in part, they have been set aside by God temporarily as a chosen nation, until the fullness of the Gentiles, or the fullness of the nations, has come in. Then all Israel shall be saved. That is in Romans 11:25-26.
So, brothers and sisters, so far as the Jews are concerned, because of their blindness they were scattered all over the world.
Our Lord Jesus, while He was on earth, only cursed one thing: a fig tree. Because that fig tree had leaves but no fruit. It is a symbol of the Jewish nation. God had been good to them. Christ had come to them and worked among them for three years, but they bore no fruit.
They only had leaves—a good appearance, the form of godliness without the power. So the Lord cursed it, and it withered. From the first century, the Jewish people were scattered all over the world: without a land, without a government, without a country.
Strangely, they had never been assimilated. Not only had they not been assimilated, but in many ways they controlled the world. They were persecuted without cause.
Until the Lord said, when the fig tree begins to be tender and begins to put forth leaves, then you know the summer is near. Then you know that He is at the door.
To the surprise of the politicians of the world, as if out of nowhere, in 1948 the nation of Israel was established. But remember, this was a political recovery. It is not yet a religious restoration.
Even though the nation of Israel was established, they were surrounded by enemies. Security was the biggest problem to the Israeli nation. How could they find security? There was none. The Prince of Peace had not come yet. They had no peace, and because of that, their greatest desire is for security.
Brothers and sisters, according to Daniel 7, toward the end, one day there will be someone who says he can secure and guarantee their security.
One day the Antichrist will make a peace pact with the nation of Israel to promise and guarantee peace and security for the nation for seven years. Because of that, they will fall into the trap, because that is their greatest concern: how can they get peace?
But in the middle of that seven years, the Antichrist will show his real character. He will break the covenant, and then the Jewish nation will enter into what Jeremiah 30:7 calls Jacob’s trouble.
Now you go to the Book of Revelation. Surely God has the Jews in His mind. Why? Because if you read Revelation 1:7:
Behold, He cometh with the clouds;
and every eye shall see Him,
and they also which pierced Him;
and all tribes of the earth shall mourn over Him.
Even so, Amen.
He said, “Behold, He cometh with the clouds.” That is the Messiah. Christ will come with the clouds, and every eye shall see Him. “They also which pierced Him,” and “all tribes of the land” shall mourn because of Him.
“The tribes of the land” is the literal translation. In your version it may be different, but “the tribes of the land” always refers to the Jewish nation. They shall mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.
Now turn to Zechariah 12. This is actually a quotation from Zechariah 12:10:
And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication;
and they shall look unto Me whom they have pierced;
and they shall mourn for Him, as one mourneth for his only son,
and shall be in bitterness for Him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.
As you read on, you find that a fountain will be opened to cleanse them from all their iniquities. So, dear brothers and sisters, here you find that in the Book of Revelation, at the very beginning, the Lord gives us a hint that at the end He will return again to the Jewish nation.
He never forgot His promise. He never forgot His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.
In Revelation 7, you find in the first part one hundred and forty-four thousand being sealed with the seal of the living God. Do not confuse these one hundred and forty-four thousand of Revelation 7 with those of Revelation 14, because they are two different groups.
In Revelation 7, these are Jewish people out of the twelve tribes of the Jewish nation. They are sealed with the seal of the living God. Remember, they are not sealed with the seal of the Lamb. They are sealed with the seal of the living God.
In other words, before Jacob’s trouble comes, God prepares His chosen people. There will be among the Jewish nation a number of pious Jews. They are not Christians, because the name of the Lamb is not there. But they are Jews, pious Jews. They are sealed with the seal of the living God. They believe in the living God.
So you find that toward the end, even though the revival of the Israeli nation is political, God will have among them a people sealed with the seal of the living God. They are pious, godly Jews.
When Jacob’s trouble comes, they will be greatly persecuted, but God has already sealed them and preserved them by the power of God.
As you read on, you find that in Revelation 11 God will send two men into their midst—two prophets—to strengthen them. Because they are in Jacob’s trouble. To Christians it is called the great tribulation; to the Jews it is called Jacob’s trouble. Actually, they are one and the same thing, going on at the same time.
When the Antichrist wants to have his image made, and everybody has to worship that image, of course the Christians will never do that, and the pious Jews will never do that. So these will be persecuted during the three and a half years.
But God sends two men to strengthen these pious Jews in Revelation 11. Most likely these two men are Moses and Elijah. God will send them back because Moses and Elijah are the most respected among the Jewish people: the lawgiver and the prophet. So they will come and strengthen them during that period.
But at the end, if you go back to Zechariah 14, you find that the nations will be gathered, they will surround Jerusalem, and they will break into it. But when they break into it, then the Lord Himself will come down and He will stand upon the Mount of Olives.
The Mount of Olives will be divided in two, and the one-third of the Jewish people in Jerusalem who are left will flee through that passage. The Lord will come to deliver His people.
They will see Him with their own eyes. They will weep because they have rejected Him. They will repent and will be washed. All Israel shall be saved.
After the battle of Armageddon, you find the kingdom, the millennial kingdom.
During the millennium, all the promises of God to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—the covenant of God with the forefathers of the Jewish people—will all be fulfilled. During the millennium age, the Jewish nation will be the center of the nations. They will be a nation of priests. They will go out to teach all nations the ways of God.
Finally, in the New Jerusalem, they will have a place there, because the twelve gates bear the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. In other words, it will be the consummation of all the work of God through the centuries. Both the Old Testament and New Testament saints will be gathered together to be the eternal bride of the eternal Son.
That is the Book of Revelation. Christ will inherit the Jewish nation. He will be accepted as the Son of David, the Lion of the tribe of Judah.
Now, finally, just a few words concerning the nations. How about the nations? If you read the Book of Revelation, you find in Revelation 5 the Lamb standing before the throne and receiving from the One Who has in His hand a little book.
The little book is the title deed of the earth. In other words, Satan is the usurper of this earth. He is the squatter. He usurped the world. He is not the owner; God is the owner. God never gave up His ownership.
But now you find God gives the ownership to His beloved Son Who has overcome. There you find the Lamb begins to open the seals—in other words, to execute the counsel of God in bringing the earth and the nations back into subjection to His feet.
But when God, through His beloved Son, begins to bring the earth and the nations back to Him, you find there is resistance. That is why you find these seals and trumpets opened, and all these disasters coming in.
These disasters are actually the resistance that comes from the enemy. You find Satan and the world trying to resist Christ from inheriting the earth. Because of that, all these disasters and woes come into the world. Do not blame God for that.
As a matter of fact, out of all these woes, you find it is the beginning of birth pangs. God is able to bring forth something that will answer to His heart out of these disasters. That is the wisdom of God.
As we come to the end, you find the Antichrist and Satan trying to make their last effort to resist the kingdom of God. But the Lord will come in Revelation 19, and He will slay the enemies with the word of His mouth.
Satan will be bound and sealed in the bottomless pit. The Antichrist and the false prophet will be thrown into the lake of fire. All those who resist Him will be killed, and there will be the judgment of the nations—the goat nations and the sheep nations—in Matthew 25.
Then there will be the millennium.
Now, during the millennium, brothers and sisters, that is what the philosophers and idealists are always looking for: utopia. Finally, you find the utopia comes.
If you read Isaiah 11, it shows you what that will be. When Christ shall reign upon this earth, He will reign with righteousness. He will reign with a rod of iron.
Isaiah 11:5-9 says:
And righteousness shall be the girdle of His waist,
and faithfulness the girdle of His loins.
And the wolf shall dwell with the lamb,
and the leopard shall lie down with the kid;
and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together;
and a little child shall lead them.
And the cow and the bear shall feed;
their young ones shall lie down together;
and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp,
and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den.
They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain:
for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord,
as the waters cover the sea.
In that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, standing as a banner of the peoples; the nations shall seek Him, and His resting place shall be glorious.
Then in Micah 4:3, you find people will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. There will be no more war, and people will not learn war anymore. Peace shall be upon this earth because the Prince of Peace has finally come. That is the millennium.
After the millennium, you find in Revelation 20 the last rebellion. After the last rebellion, you find the last judgment. All the dead will be raised, and they will be judged according to the works they did on earth.
Anyone whose name is not in the Book of Life will be judged at that time and will be thrown into the lake of fire. The whole earth and the whole heaven will be burned. A new earth and a new heaven will come, and New Jerusalem will descend upon this new earth.
The nations shall walk in the light of the holy city, and they will bring their glory to God. Here, brothers and sisters, Christ shall be the King of kings and the Lord of lords.
This is the Book of Revelation: the testimony of Jesus. God testifies that His Son shall be the heir of all things—the church, the Jewish people, and the nations.
Now, brothers and sisters, what should be our response? Our response as a bride should be, “Come.”
The Lord said, “Behold, I come quickly.” Our response should be, “Come quickly, Lord Jesus.”
Shall we pray?
Dear Heavenly Father, we do praise and thank Thee that through these prophetic words Thou hast revealed Thy beloved Son to us. He is the center of Thy purpose. He is the heir of all things.
Oh, how we consider it a great privilege that He should inherit us, that we should be His bride. O Lord, we pray that by Thy grace we may be faithful to Him, that we may be overcomers, that we may be useful in His hand, that we may glorify His name.
Lord, we do pray that, in spite of what we see around us and even within us, we do praise and thank Thee because Thou art faithful. Thou never failest. Thou wilt get what Thou hast ordained from the beginning for Thy beloved Son.
So, Lord Jesus, our cry to Thee today is: perfect us for Thy glory. In the name of our Lord Jesus. Amen.