Leading The Way

Dr. Michael Youssef: My beloved friend, please listen to me. Those who continue to preach the unvarnished truth of the Word of God, they could be killed for their preaching by so-called tolerant people who are tolerant of every evil in the world except the Christian faith. They continuously try to shut us up. They continuously try to destroy our reputation. They continuously try to cause all sorts of havoc for us.

But listen to me. I read the last chapter in the book and it says that we win! We win!

Guest (Male): The fascinating last chapters of the Bible are ahead on today's episode of Leading The Way. It's all part of Dr. Michael Youssef's practical series called An End Times Warning for the Modern Day Church. Now, keep in mind, Leading The Way is a listener-supported gospel ministry using media to reach the lost and to disciple believers.

What that means is that Dr. Youssef and the team rely on the prayers and the generosity of listeners just like you. So, learn more about Leading The Way. Learn how to stand with Dr. Youssef. Give us a call. We are at 866-626-4356, or visit us at ltw.org. See how you can pray for Dr. Youssef as he participates in domestic and international events. These events are reaching so many people with the gospel. You'll be so encouraged. The website again, ltw.org.

Seven Dooms Revealed. That's the title of today's message, but don't let that scare you off because out of the darkness of doom, Jesus brings the light of hope. Here's Dr. Youssef to begin.

Dr. Michael Youssef: In Revelation chapter 8, we come to the seventh and the final seal after an intermission between the sixth and the seventh. John writes, "When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour." I'm sure you're asking, "Why is this silence in heaven?" John doesn't tell us why, but there are some possibilities.

One possibility is that it could be God's way of granting humanity one last chance for the doors of mercy to be opened before it is shut and the judgment becomes final. The second possibility, it could be the calm before the final judgment. This silence is the silence of awe and expectation before the final judgment falls on humanity.

And so, when the Lamb opens the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven. This is the silence of awe. It's the silence of suspense. It's a silence of expectation. And after the breaking of the seventh seal, you see seven angels with seven trumpets standing before God. Remember the number seven. Complete, full judgment. Seven trumpets, each represented a segment of calamity that is falling upon the human race, upon the earth.

And the first four calamities, they are parallel to the four plagues in Egypt. Let's look at these. The first trumpet produced hail and fire mixed with blood, which rained upon the land. Something happened exactly in Egypt in Exodus 9:22 all the way to 26. The second trumpet brings a huge asteroid that crashes into the sea and it kills one-third of the sea life, similar to what happened in Exodus 7:20 and 21.

With the third trumpet, an asteroid named Wormwood hits the sweet waters, that's the rivers and the lakes where people drink water to survive. And that's the repetition of Exodus 15:23 to 25 when it happened on the River Nile. The fourth trumpet is when the light of the sun and the moon and the stars dim by one-third. In Exodus chapter 10, God sent darkness upon the land of Egypt. But supernaturally, miraculously, there was light where the people of God were living.

Darkness everywhere else. Only in the community of the people of God, the people of Israel, had light. And there, an eagle flies over the scene crying, "Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth." Four trumpets and three to go. These three trumpets spell woe to the human race. Look at chapter 9 with me, please.

The fifth trumpet, as soon as it sounds, a star falls to the earth. Now, this is not a star from outer space. This is a person. This is no other than Satan himself. You say, "How do we know that?" In Luke chapter 10 verse 18, Jesus said, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven." In the book of Isaiah chapter 14 and verse 12, it says, "How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn."

This star-like person is Satan. When he falls on the earth, in his hand he has the key to the bottomless pit. He opens the pit and smoke will pour forth. And from this smoke comes a plague of locusts. These locusts sting like scorpions. They have faces which indicate intelligence. Their crown of gold, which indicate power. They have women's hair, which indicates seductiveness or attractive temptations. They have lion's teeth, which indicates cruel and devouring power.

They have a breastplate of iron, which says that they're armed to the teeth and they are immune from destruction. They have wings, which means that they rumble like chariots in battle. These creatures are ruled by an evil angel. And the Bible said in the Hebrew, his name is Abaddon, and in the Greek, his name is Apollyon, which means destroyer. You see, demons rarely attack us directly. They're sly, they're subtle. They use the weakness of our flesh against us.

They often ask, "Did God really say? Do you understand the Bible correctly? Are you understanding the Bible, are you interpreting the Bible in modern times, or are you buying into that old thing from when the Bible was given?" On and on and on, Satan and his demons try to paralyze us with their lies and confuse us with their subtle twist of the truth. Other times, Satan is vicious and savage and uses people like ISIS and al-Qaeda and Boko Haram, Shabaab, Taliban.

Remember this: He who is in us is far greater than he who is in the world. Praise God! Praise God! Praise God! Satan's power is very limited upon the believers. Praise God that he has Satan on a leash. In Revelation chapter 9, God tells Satan and his demons what they can and cannot do. Listen to me, don't ever be afraid of Satan. Satan is toothless toward the faithful believer. He is powerless unless you allow him a stronghold in your life.

And the only power that he has is not over the sealed, those who are sealed by the Holy Spirit of God. Verse 10, his woe lasts five months. Once the first woe is passed, there are two more to come. Verse 14, chapter 9. When the sixth trumpet sounded, John hears a voice saying, "Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates." These are fallen angels. These are demons, powerful demons.

Why Euphrates? Euphrates is where the Garden of Eden was. Euphrates is where the first sin against God was ever committed. Euphrates where the first murder ever took place. Euphrates is the place where the Tower of Babel was built to oppose God. And my beloved friend, listen to me very carefully. It is from the Euphrates that you hear the news every single night on television. The Euphrates region is where four fallen angels wait to carry out their dreadful mission and slaughter one-third of humanity.

You remember earlier, we saw a quarter of the humanity when the breaking of the fourth seal? By this point, half of the world's population is wiped out. The satanic forces have been unleashed. Bible said 200 million demonic horsemen come out of that fire and the smoke and they are set loose upon the earth. Yet people continue to live in rebellion and disobedience to God. They will never come and repent and turn to him. Why? Because the god of this world has blinded their eyes.

Chapter 10. Just as there was an intermission between the sixth and the seventh seal, there is an intermission between the sixth and the seventh trumpet. During this intermission, we meet a mighty angel and he was on a secret mission. This powerful angel comes wrapped in clouds, which speaks of the power of God. He has a rainbow on his head, symbolizes God's faithfulness to his promises and his covenants. This angel's face shines like the sun because he has been in the presence of God.

He stands with one right foot on the sea and the left foot on the land. That's an indication that he is mighty and has authority over the whole earth. In the palm of his hand, this angel holds a small open scroll. This one is not sealed, it's open. And when the angel speaks, his voice is like roaring thunder. But then there's another voice that John hears. Very important, don't miss this. It's the voice of God. And he calls the voice of God the seven thunders. Remember seven again, complete, perfect.

The seven thunders, denoting his perfection and his completeness. What does the voice of God say to John? John hears it and he says something to John. What does he say? We don't know. We don't know because John is about to write down what he heard God say to him and God stopped him. He said, "Don't write that one down. Don't write it down." In fact, this is the only message in the book of Revelation that is sealed.

And while this message from the seven thunders remains a mystery, another mystery is about to be revealed. God tells John, "Take the scroll that is open from the hand of the angel." And so, he does, he takes the scroll. And then God said, "Take it, eat it, and it's going to turn sweet in your mouth but it's going to be sour in your stomach. It's going to taste like honey in your mouth but it's going to be bitter in your stomach."

What did this scroll contain? It contains the mystery of the future of planet Earth. And so John eats it. Just as the angel promised, it tasted sweet in his mouth but it was bitter and sour in his stomach. That's the final destination. In Psalm 119 verse 103 says, "How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey in my mouth." Was he eating the Word of God? No. What is he saying? He says to those who love God, to those who love the Word of God, the Word of God is not going to be a chore, a burden—"Oh, I've got to do it today"—no, no, no.

They are delighted to receive the Word of God and internalize it and heed it in their lives. That's what it means. See, when God commissioned Ezekiel, he said, "You're going to be a prophet to Israel." What did he do? He said, "Eat this scroll, Ezekiel, and go and speak to the house of Israel." Did he chew on it? No. Because when Ezekiel ate it, it was sweet to his mouth. It became a sweet, comforting Word of God. But unlike John, when Ezekiel internalized and received the Word of God, it was sweet to his mouth, never turned sour in his stomach, never turned bitter in his stomach.

Do you know why? Because the message to Ezekiel is different from the message to John. The message to Ezekiel was that God promised 70 years in exile in Babylon and then they will be restored. It's a sweet message that Israel will be rebuilt, Jerusalem will be rebuilt, the temple will be rebuilt, the nation will be blessed again. And so it was so sweet because it's a message of hope.

But not the message that John received because God gave John a message of the world destroyed. While John loved the Word of God, internalized the Word of God, but its ultimate destination is going to be bitter. It's a message of a world without hope, a message of a world that will never be rebuilt, a message of ultimate doom, not a blessing. And so the Word of God was sweet to his mouth but bitter in his stomach.

Chapter 11. God asks John to measure the temple. Does it mean he's got to have a stick in his hand and go around measuring the temple in Jerusalem? Actually, the temple was not there when God said this. The first temple that was built by Solomon was destroyed by the Babylonians. When they came back after the exile, they built the second temple. And the second temple was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD. This was around 90 when God was speaking and showing the vision to John.

So the temple was not there. What is God saying? First Corinthians 3 tells us that the believers, we are the temple of the Holy Spirit of God. And God is asking John to do what? To measure the temple means to place boundaries, protective measures around the believers, the elect of God. In the Bible, when you measure something, you define its boundaries. And God wants to assure all of his children who are going to read this book—that's why there are two blessings when you read this book—he wants to assure all of his children that Satan and his demons cannot touch us because we are sealed by the Holy Spirit of God.

God draws protective boundaries around us, even our enemies who persecute us cannot harm us. Oh, they may destroy our body, but they can never touch our soul. Our soul is protected, is in a protective custody all the way until you go home in heaven. Enemies may destroy the outer temple, our bodies, but they can never destroy the inner sanctum, our souls. We are safe in God's sanctuary. We are safe in his protective boundaries. That's what it means.

Again chapter 11, you meet two witnesses who proclaim the gospel one last time. The two olive trees stand for the anointing of those who proclaim the unvarnished truths of the gospel. The two lampstands represent the light of God's truth. And here in chapter 11, they return in the last days. And they have the same power that they had in the Old Testament. They have power to call down fire, power to stop the rain, power to turn water into blood, and power to strike the earth with plagues.

Please listen carefully. These two witnesses will be free to preach for three and a half years, then the Beast, or the Antichrist, wages war against them. These two witnesses are symbols of everyone who truly preaches the Word of God, and symbolically, they're going to die in two cities, or two places: Sodom and Egypt. Why are those two chosen out of all the cities of the world? He didn't even say Babylon, but Sodom and Egypt.

These are again very symbolic. Sodom represents sexual immorality, and Egypt represents bondage and slavery for the people of God. Sometimes the two go together. What did these two witnesses do to deserve death? Listen carefully. They preached the unvarnished truth. My beloved friend, please listen to me. Those who continue to preach the unvarnished truth of the Word of God, they could be killed for their preaching by so-called tolerant people who are tolerant of every evil in the world except the Christian faith.

They continuously try to shut us up. They continuously try to destroy our reputation. They continuously try to cause all sorts of havoc for us. But listen to me. I read the last chapter in the book and it says that we win!

There will be celebration on the part of the wicked when these two witnesses are killed. It becomes like a satanic anti-Christmas. They're exchanging gifts. Now here's a fact. When you try to convince people of sin, they'll get angry and they want to destroy you. They hate you for it. After these witnesses' body are left on the streets for three and a half days, God raises them up supernaturally back to life.

And thus ends the second woe and begins the third one. The seventh trumpet sounds. The voice that is heard from heaven: "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and his Christ, and he will reign forever and ever." Amen. Amen. Amen. At that moment, the 24 elders fell down and worshipped. And while they were celebrating victory in heaven, the Antichrist's firm grip ensconced upon the earth.

I have a question for you. Is this celebration in heaven premature? Not at all. Most of you go to football games, right? I've been to games and you've been to games when the score is lopsided. 49 to 7. Fourth quarter. The losing team is trying to kind of put up a front. I mean, they know it's over, but they kind of trying to make something happening. Their teammates sitting on the bench looking at their shoes. Putting their head down, covering their heads with towels.

What is the winning team doing? The game is not over yet. They're high-fiving each other, right? The people in the stands, they're celebrating. They're rejoicing. You said, "The game is not over." Oh yes, but the score is already known. And so finally, the clock winds down. 60 seconds, 50 seconds, 40 seconds, 30 seconds, 20 seconds, 10 seconds, and the score is final. But everybody knew the game is over.

Listen to me, in a far greater way, that is how it's going to be. The world may be still gripped by the Antichrist, but he's no match for the Christ. You can read the scoreboard and you know how the game is going to end because the end is near. You can already high-five each other. You can begin to celebrate because Satan is finished. He is defeated. And in verse 15, amen, amen, amen, amen. Praise God. Amen. Okay. I want you to read this and I want you to shout it with me. "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign forever and ever." Amen. Amen. Amen.

That's verse 15 chapter 11 in case you want to underline it in your Bible. Now beloved, listen to me. From the fall of Adam to the sounding of the seventh trumpet, the world has been in the grip of Satan. He's the god of this world. But at this moment, when the kingdom of the world changes hands, the kingdom of the usurper becomes the kingdom of our Lord. It goes to his rightful owner and game changed.

The enemy of your soul may rage against us, but I want you to remember this: Greater is he than he who is in the world. Finally verse 19, John gives us a glimpse of the inner sanctum of heaven. You see, unlike the earthly temples where only the priests and the high priest is able to go into the holy of holies and the poor saps, the average person is out there lining up and outside, we the priests, everyone of us, he or she who have committed her life and his life to Jesus Christ is a priest.

And we're going to be in the holy of holies, everyone of us. In this life, we're sometimes dazed and wounded by trials. We often have losses and sufferings that we don't understand. But God's message here and now today for every believer in Jesus Christ: Take heart. You are destined to glory. You will reign and rule with Christ. Don't let the world troubles cloud your vision. Remember your final destination. We know the final score. Jesus is preparing a place for you. Be comforted in the face of trouble.

Guest (Male): Dr. Michael Youssef wrapping up this episode of Leading The Way Audio. And as you listen today, did you experience any uncertainties in your eternal destination? If so, we would invite you to have a faith conversation with a Leading The Way pastor or counselor. Begin by filling out a brief contact form at ltw.org/jesus.

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