Mesa Hills Bible Church

Pastor Tim Dane: We're in Revelation 19, and this is a message that is titled "Rejoicing Over God's Judgment on Evil." On the one hand, we say we want people to get saved. Yes, we do. But the Bible shows us that there is rejoicing over judgment on evil.

When we talk about evil in this world, we don't have to look very far to see all kinds of evil in our society, especially with internet, TV, mass media, electronics. You can see all the evil all the time and some of it is just so terrible. We look at these kinds of things and see it getting worse. It seems like in our own society, it's multiplying and getting worse. We probably look at these things and say, "I wish God would stop it." As a matter of fact, there's a lot of unsaved people who say, "How come God isn't stopping all of this evil?"

The fact of the matter is this: he is going to stop it and he is going to judge it one day, and that's what Revelation is all about. Here in Revelation 19, God tells us that there is rejoicing over his coming judgment. Chapter 19 verses 1 through 10 introduce us to the final scene before the return of Jesus Christ, which is seen in chapter 19 verse 11.

Chapter 19 verses 1 to 10 break down into two broad parts, even though they're connected. Verses 1 to 6, there's rejoicing over God's judgment on Babylon. Chapter 19 verses 7 to 10, rejoicing because the Bride of Christ is being unveiled to the world in her resurrection glory. So, here's an idea that we see coming out in the book of Revelation: there has to be the removal of Babylon the harlot before the church can be revealed in all of her glory to this world.

We are going to return with Jesus Christ. It tells us in Revelation 19 verse 14 that when Jesus Christ returns at the end of that tribulation period, we're going to be there with him. We are going to be there with him in the glory of our resurrection that Christ has given us. We are going to be there returning with him and part of the judgment that he brings upon an unsaved world.

Now, this is something that we need to be doing backflips over: the fact that God is going to remove evil. He's going to judge it, and he's going to bring in his kingdom. Now, what's curious is that when you go back to Revelation chapter 18 in the immediately preceding context, what you find is that the whole world is mourning over the destruction of Babylon. The kings of the earth are mourning over the destruction of Babylon. The merchants, the shipmasters, passengers, sailors, everyone who makes their living on the sea, everybody's mourning over Babylon.

But then in chapter 18 verse 20, God speaks up and says, "No, you need to be rejoicing over this." Just to put it in perspective, let's suppose that we just looked at one segment of some really not good stuff. Just think about the entire Hollywood industry, right? I personally like movies, but you think about what Hollywood is in terms of the wickedness. Let's suppose that we talked about Hollywood in Southern California just being wiped out and you go, "Wow, man, that's really too bad. Look at all this stuff that was part of our world and culture is gone." We say the world says, "Oh, that's terrible." And then God says, "No, that needed to happen."

Not to make a perfect equation of Babylon with Hollywood, but I'm just giving you a kind of an analogy right here. The world is mourning over the destruction of Babylon in Revelation 18, and then God says, "No, you need to rejoice about this."

What happens in chapter 19 is that we have four Hallelujah choruses that are the response to God's call to rejoice in chapter 18 verse 20. We do desire the salvation of sinners, and that's why we do the best we can to take the Gospel into the world. We do what we can to bring the Gospel into the world and to pray for people because that's our marching order. That's our commandment: to take the Gospel. But in the end, God is going to judge those who refuse the message.

So let's read together chapter 19. Verses 1 to 6 is where we're going to focus this morning. John says, "After these things," 19:1, "I heard as it were a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven saying, 'Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, because his judgments are true and righteous. For he has judged the great harlot who was corrupting the earth with her immorality. And he has avenged the blood of his bond-servants on her.' And a second time they said, 'Hallelujah! Her smoke rises up forever and ever.' And the 24 elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshipped God who sits on the throne saying, 'Amen! Hallelujah!' And a voice came from the throne saying, 'Give praise to our God, all you his bond-servants, you who fear him, small and great.' Then I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude and as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty peals of thunder saying, 'Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns.'" Let's pray.

Father, we thank you so much for this day, the health and the strength to be here right now. We thank you for your goodness to us. None of us deserve your salvation. None of us deserve the goodness that you've shown to us, but you are a good God. You're a giving God. You're a gracious God, and you tell us in your word that you desire that sinners would repent and trust in you. You've told us as your church to bring the Gospel into the world. We know that you're a saving God, but we know that you're a holy God who will one day judge evil. This is what we learn about right here. So, we pray that you would use this time to help us know you like we should so we can love you and serve you as we should, and we pray it in Jesus' name. Amen.

So, there are these four Hallelujah choruses that we see in Revelation 19 verses 1 to 6. In the first one, it comes here in verses 1 to 2. In these Hallelujah choruses, not only do we see rejoicing over God's judgment on evil, but you also see reasons why we are to rejoice in this judgment. The first one here in verses 1 to 2 is because of God's justice. When God judges evil, we see that he is perfect in his justice.

When Jesus Christ returns at the end of the tribulation period and brings these judgments throughout that tribulation period, no one will ever be able to lay a claim against Jesus and say, "That's not fair." Not true. Even back in Genesis chapter 18 when God was judging Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham said, "Shall not the God of all the earth deal justly?" The answer is absolutely.

Something we need to recognize is God himself is the definition of justice and righteousness and goodness. God cannot be unjust in his judgment. Now, you know, when we talk to people about the Gospel, you will get unsaved people that will attack God and say, "That's not right of God. That's not fair of God." They have no idea who God is.

The reality is this: Adam's sin has so perverted and corrupted the human heart that what we do is we pervert things that are actually true and good and right, and we pervert it and say, "No, that's not good." We take things that are wicked and wrong and we say, "No, this is good." This is the problem of our own sin nature: that we twist things from what they should be. And so you'll get unsaved people that will go and lay accusation against God. They have no clue what they're talking about.

God's judgments are always true and just. Job chapter 8 verse 3, Job said, "Does God pervert justice? Or does the Almighty pervert what is right?" The answer is no, never. In Job 34:10, "Listen to me, you men of understanding. Far be it from God to do wickedness, and far be it from the Almighty to do wrong." Romans chapter 9 verse 14, the Apostle Paul said, "What shall we say then? Is there injustice with God? The answer is absolutely not, never."

This is the idea that we see here in verses 1 to 2. So come down with me to Revelation 19:1. Verse 1 he says, "After these things, I heard something like a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven saying, 'Hallelujah! Salvation, glory, and power belong to our God.'" John is hearing and seeing things in vision in this spiritual state when the Spirit of God is giving him these visions of heaven. It was overwhelming. John says that the sound that he hears coming from the throne of God is like a great multitude. Sights and sounds that must have been completely overwhelming.

These voices that you hear are probably the angels of heaven giving God praise for what he's doing. Now, very well, that loud chorus that he sees right here in verse 1 very well might include all the saints as well. We don't know. But just think about angels. How many angels are there? Well, we don't know an exact number, but the Bible talks about angels and it uses an expression, a myriad, which is a Greek word that means 10,000. It says 10,000 times 10,000 and thousands and thousands. So, it suggests the idea of billions of angels. Probably more angels than McDonald's hamburgers have been sold.

And here's their praise: "Hallelujah! Salvation, glory, and power belong to our God." You know Hallelujah, we find that expression coming out of the Old Testament because it means "halal" means to praise, "Hallelujah" and "Yah" is Yahweh, is short for Yahweh. So, Hallelujah means "Praise Yahweh." You find it 24 times in the Old Testament. The first time it comes up is in Psalm 104 where it's talking about God's judgment on evil, and there is praise to God for judging evil.

So in Psalm 104 verse 35 it says, "Let sinners be consumed from the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless the Lord, O my soul. Hallelujah! Praise the Lord." Same idea. Judgment coming upon evil, and there's praise to God for this judgment, which is the same exact idea that we see here in Revelation 19. When it says salvation and glory and power belong to God, salvation as you look at the idea in the book of Revelation, salvation is the idea of God has the victory. He's the one who brings the salvation. God is the one who brings victory. God is the one that brings salvation. Glory is the intrinsic character of a holy God. Power, his might to be able to bring judgment on evil.

Praise to God. Now the reason why, look at verse 2. It says, "because his judgments are true and righteous." So the first Hallelujah chorus brings this emphasis and stress upon the fact that God's judgment on evil is true and just and righteous. God is never wrong to judge evil.

Go back with me a couple pages. Look at Revelation chapter 15. Notice what we have over here in verses 1 to 4. This is a scene in heaven where John sees the martyrs who've been killed for their faith standing in the presence of God. They're in glory. They're in the presence of God. John, Revelation 15:1, "I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous: seven angels who had the seven plagues, which are the last of these plagues, because in these the wrath of God is finished." And then he said, "I saw as it were a sea of glass mixed with fire, and I saw those who had come off victorious from the beast, the Antichrist, and from his image and from the number of his name."

He's talking here about the fact that Revelation 13 says that in the tribulation period, the false prophet is going to impose an order, a legal mandate to everybody that they would worship the Antichrist and that they would take this mark, the name of the Antichrist on their hand or on their forehead. It's the name of the Antichrist or a number that corresponds to his name, and that number is 666.

So here's people that have been killed for not worshipping the Antichrist, and yet it says that they're coming off victorious from the beast. Yeah, they were killed, but they've come out as the winners, the victors. Why? Because they belong to Jesus Christ. So they're in heaven. They've been slaughtered for their faith in Christ, and it says here in verse 2 that they're standing in the presence of God holding harps of God and they sang the song of Moses, the bond-servant of God, and the song of the Lamb saying, "Great and marvelous are your works, O Lord God Almighty. Righteous and true are your ways." They've been slaughtered for their faith in Christ. Now they are watching the judgments that God is bringing down upon a wicked world, and they're praising God and they're saying, "Righteous and true are your ways."

Verse 4, "Who will not fear you, O Lord? Who will not glorify you? For you alone are holy. All the nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous judgments have been revealed." These are saints in glory, and they're praising God for his judgment on evil, and that's exactly what is right.

And I read this article last week. There's some man pretending to be a woman. His name is Colin Troy Bailey. He calls himself Mia Bailey. Pretends to be a woman. Lived in Utah. Went to his parents' house, they were in their 70s. He went to his parents' house, took a shotgun, and killed them and then tried to kill his brother. Now, you talk about some real, real evil right here. And yet the newspapers and everything call this guy a "her," "she did this." It's like no, no. All of this is twisted beyond any comprehension how bad it is.

God says whether it's this or whatever kind of sin we're talking about, when God brings a judgment on evil, it's going to be righteous and true. And this is what the saints are saying right now in heaven, Revelation 15, when these people are being killed and God is bringing the judgment. Christ is bringing the judgment. They say, "You're right for doing this."

The angels do this as well. Look at chapter 16. Look at verse 4. This is the third bowl judgment. The angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and the springs of water. They became blood, and then he says, "I heard the angel of the waters saying, 'Righteous are thou, who art and who wast, O holy one, because you have judged these things. For they,'" meaning this wicked world, "'they poured out the blood of your saints and prophets, and you've given them blood to drink. They deserve it.'" And then John says, "I heard the altar saying, 'Yes, O Lord God the Almighty, righteous and true are your judgments.'" God is never wrong when he judges evil. You and I may make bad decisions on how to judge situations. God never does.

It goes on to say, if you go back here to chapter 19, it goes on to say that God has now, and this is Christ bringing this judgment, he has now judged the great harlot who was corrupting the earth with her immorality. Babylon the great, which as we've seen in our studies over the past months, it appears that you're looking at this final manifestation of wicked religion, Christ-hating, God-hating religion, especially one that hates Christ and his people, killing followers of Jesus Christ. You see this rise of religion that happens here. And it becomes a religion that has massive influence throughout the whole world. In Revelation chapter 18, you see that oh, little Oliver, hey, you know what? This is Oliver's first time in church, and you don't have to leave. You're okay, I'm okay with it. Oliver Crager, congratulations guys. It's great to see him.

MacArthur comments on this judgment of Babylon, this wicked religion that is operating in the tribulation period and operating in close partnership and association with the Antichrist and the nations that he controls, and the two of them work together throughout that tribulation period. MacArthur comments on Babylon and says Babylon is identified as the great harlot, Revelation 17, Satan and Antichrist system that seduced the unbelieving world to believe the lies of Satan. Because that system rules the whole world, it is guilty of corrupting the earth with its immorality. The evil of this commercial and religious Babylon will be pervasive and dominant, leading to an equitable retribution by Jesus Christ.

That's well said. What God is telling us through his word is this: I will judge those who are destroying my creation and my people. There's a third reason for this praise. John says he has avenged the blood of his bond-servants. How do you like that word, "avenge"? It means to bring justice. It means to bring retribution.

Now, Jesus told us in our relationships, we're not supposed to be vengeful people. You know, if somebody has done us wrong, don't go out and slash their tires. We are not to be vengeful people, but that doesn't mean that God is not a God of justice. He is a God of justice, perfect justice. And here it says that in the end, he is going to take this vengeance upon Babylon.

In Deuteronomy 32, when God spoke to Israel about the fact that they were going to turn away from him and bring all sorts of hardships upon themselves, the nation of Israel, and they're still sitting under the curses of that Mosaic Covenant by turning away from Yahweh. But in Deuteronomy 32, God said, "I'm going to settle the scores one day." Deuteronomy 32 verse 43 it says, "Rejoice, O nations, along with his people Israel, for he will avenge the blood of his servants and he will render vengeance on his adversaries." This is what Christ is going to do when he returns.

Look with me at 2 Thessalonians. Keep your place right here, but go with me to 2 Thessalonians chapter 1. Paul talks about the judgment that Christ will bring when he returns. 2 Thessalonians chapter 1, picking it up in verse 3. "We ought always to give thanks to God for you, Thessalonians, brethren, as is fitting, because your faith is greatly enlarged and the love of each one of you toward one another grows even greater. Therefore, we ourselves speak proudly of you among the churches of God for your perseverance and faith in the midst of all your persecutions and afflictions which you endure. And this is a plain indication of God's judgment, God's righteous judgment, so that you would be considered worthy of the kingdom of God for which indeed you're suffering. For after all, it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well, when the Lord Jesus Christ will be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. And these will pay the penalty of eternal destruction away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power, when he comes to be glorified in his saints on that day."

That's strong language, isn't it? We have a really oftentimes a very poor execution of justice in our country. People get away with stuff and it's like, "How in the world is that not being punished?" Well, when Christ comes, it's going to be perfect justice.

Here's a second Hallelujah chorus. Come back with me to Revelation 19. Look at verse 3. Praise Yahweh because his judgment is not only perfect and righteous, but it's also irreversible. Look with me at verse 3. It says, "A second time they said, 'Hallelujah! Her smoke rises up forever and ever.'" Unending eternal punishment is what you see right here. Sometimes in our society, in our world, justice does not get carried out, or maybe it's a little slap on the hand. You know, somebody commits a murder, a couple of years later they're out on the streets. That's not going to happen when Christ comes. It says the smoke of Babylon ascends forever and ever.

Now, this judgment is going to start when Christ returns during that seven-year tribulation period. It's going to climax in the tribulation period when you look at the battles of Armageddon. But that's not the end of God's judgments on sin. There is something called Hell and eternal judgment. Now, unsaved people don't like that idea. They want to write that one off and say, "Well, I don't believe in that." Well, you don't believe the Bible. You don't believe the word of God, because the Bible says there is such a thing as Hell.

You see the concept of eternal punishment coming from the Old Testament, and it continues and it gets much, much stronger and clearer in the New Testament. In Isaiah chapter 66 and verse 24, it talks about the unsaved, and it says that their worm will never die and their fire will never be quenched. The idea of a worm never dying is that there's a rotting corpse, you're dead, and now you're in a process of being eaten up by the worms, and it says the worm never dies. The fire is never quenched.

Jesus talked about Hell more than anybody else to tell you the truth. In Matthew chapter 5, you know Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount talked about Hell, and he says, "You better be careful about sin because unforgiven sin has an eternal consequence." Revelation chapter 5... excuse me, Matthew chapter 5 verse 29. He said, "If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out from you, throw it from you. It's better for one part of your body to perish than your whole body to be thrown into Gehenna," which is the word for Hell. Jesus said there is such a thing as Hell.

It says in Matthew chapter 25 that when Christ returns and brings the judgments at Armageddon, there's going to be a separation and unsaved people, if they survived that tribulation period... there's going to be people that survive the seven-year tribulation period, but they're not going to enter into the kingdom. In Matthew chapter 25 and verse 41, he says to the goats that are on his left, the sheep are on his right and enter into the kingdom, but to the goats he says, "Depart from me, you accursed ones, into the eternal fire." In verse 46, it says, "These unsaved will go into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." So he says believers enter into eternal life, unbelievers eternal punishment. Hell is real. The Bible says so.

But you know, unsaved people don't like that message. Can't blame them, you know. That's a terrible idea. The cults are real good at denying the idea of Hell. You know, in a couple of weeks, I'm going to be teaching on Jehovah's Witnesses. We got a phone call a couple of days ago here at the church, and it was a Jehovah's Witness. Now, you know, Dominic answered the phone, and kind of I look over and this guy says, "Oh, I want to talk to the pastor about a Bible verse." Like red flag, red light going off.

Dominic says, "What's your name?" The guy says, "Nelson." Now, this guy's called two times in the past. Once years ago, another time just like, I don't know, a year ago when Dominic came on. Okay, I know who this is. The guy spends his time calling Christian churches to try to argue Jehovah's Witness theology with them.

So, you know, he says, "My name's Nelson. I want to ask you a Bible question," and he put a question out there. I go, "Nelson, how long have you been a Jehovah's Witness?" I know who the guy is, you know. And he doesn't want to talk the Bible. He doesn't want to learn anything from the Bible. He just wants to argue with people. And so, you know, he asked me a question, so I start answering him. He starts cutting me off and interrupting me. I go, "Nelson, you need to be quiet. You said you wanted me to ask me a question. You got to be quiet." And he wouldn't be quiet. And so I said, "Okay, you're not listening, so I'm going. I'm not going to waste my time with you," and I hung up.

And he calls back a second time. Like, "Nelson, I told you I'm not going to argue with you. You do not believe in Jesus Christ. You've got a false Christ. Jesus Christ in the Bible is eternal God who took on human flesh, paid the price of sin on the cross, conquered the curse of sin and death, and he rose again from the dead. You don't believe that. You're going to Hell."

"Well, I don't believe in Hell." I said, "I know you don't believe the word of God. That's your problem. You're not saved." You know, because if a person reads the Bible... now, if they've never read the Bible, we maybe need to cut them some slack. If they've never at all read the Bible, we can cut them some slack and say, "Let me show you what God says in his word." But if you take a Bible and then you read it and you don't understand that Jesus is God who took on flesh, this is willful blindness.

You know, and that's what you have with this guy. It's willful blindness to read, because the Bible says Jesus is God who took on flesh. John chapter 1 verse 1, "the Word was God." That's what it says. Jehovah's Witnesses say, "Well, he was a god." No, that's not what it says. In John chapter 20 verse 28, Thomas said, "My Lord and my God," and he bowed before Jesus and worshipped. In Titus chapter 2 verse 13, Paul says that Jesus Christ is our great God and Savior. Peter in 2 Peter chapter 1 verse 1 says he is our great God and Savior.

And so, you know, when you read the Bible, if you refuse to believe what he says about his son Jesus Christ, not because God didn't make it clear, Jesus Christ is God who came in the flesh, died for our sins, and conquered death. God forgives anybody who trusts in him in repentance, and for those who don't, Hell is real. The Bible says so. And what you see happening in this third Hallelujah chorus is that they're rejoicing and saying, "You've brought a final and complete judgment, and that smoke is going to ascend forever and ever."

Look at verse 4. We see a third Hallelujah chorus. Praise to God because the wisest and most powerful created beings in the universe agree that God's judgments are true. Look at verse 4. "The 24 elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshipped God who sits on the throne saying, 'Amen! Hallelujah!'" So what you have right here is a reference to holy angels, just like we saw a few verses back, a few minutes ago in chapter 16 where the angels are praising God for his judgments. Once again, we see a focus on angels. This time here, it's called the 24 elders and the four living creatures.

Now, there are people, commentators even, some commentators who think that the 24 elders here are groups of men. Maybe it's 12 from the Old Testament, 12 from the New Testament. That's not an uncommon kind of idea that you'll see out there. But it really is best understanding as you study Revelation to understand this as being a class of angelic beings. There are different groups and classes of angelic beings. These 24 elders are best understood as being a class of angels, just like the four living creatures are a class of angels.

And we've studied this when we went back earlier in the book in chapter 4. Go back with me to chapter 4. Notice where you first see these 24 elders. So John is looking at a vision of God the Father sitting on the throne in heaven, and he says in chapter 4 verse 2, "I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne was standing in heaven and one sitting on the throne. And the one that was sitting on the throne was like a jasper stone, like a sardius stone in appearance, and there was a rainbow around the throne, emerald in appearance, and around the throne were 24 thrones, and upon the 24 thrones I saw the 24 elders sitting in clothed in white garments and golden crowns upon their heads."

So, these are beings that surround the throne of God. They're holy angels, a class of holy angels. These 24 elders are always seen in close connection and association with the four living creatures, which is another group. So if you come down here to Revelation 4:4, you see these 24 elders, then in verse 5, Revelation 4:5, John said, "From the throne proceeded flashes of lightning, sounds and peals of thunder, seven lamps of fire burning, which are the seven spirits of God. And before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass like crystal, and in the center and around the throne, four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind. And the first creature was like a lion, the second like a calf, the third like a man, and the fourth like a flying eagle. And the four living creatures, each of them having six wings are full of eyes around and within and day and night they do not cease to say, 'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty who was and is and is to come.' And when the four living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne, to him who lives forever and ever, the 24 elders join and fall down together before him who sits on the throne, and they worship him who lives forever and ever and they cast their crowns before the throne."

So, the connection that you see throughout the entire book of Revelation of the 24 elders and the four living creatures strongly suggests the idea that it is a class of angelic beings. There are different classes of angelic beings. You know, if you go back to the book of Isaiah in chapter 6, it uses the word called Seraphim to describe the angels that Isaiah saw, a class of angelic being. You go to the book of Ezekiel, and we see that there's another class of angels called Cherubim. Seraphim, Cherubim.

In Daniel and Jude and in Revelation, we see mention of something called an Archangel. In Daniel chapter 10, the Archangel Michael is called the chief prince for Israel. There's a particular angel named Michael that has a guarding role with the nation of Israel, and he's talked about in the book of Revelation, called an Archangel Michael the Archangel.

So, there are different classes of angels. In Colossians chapter 1, Paul uses four different terms: thrones, dominions, rulers, and authorities. Now, we don't know, the Bible doesn't break down for us very much at all and tell us, well, here's the differences between all these different kinds of angels. But what we do see right here is that these angels, the four living creatures and the 24 elders, they fall down before God and they worship him who sits on the throne and they say, "Amen! Hallelujah!" Amen, let it be. It's from the Hebrew "aman." Amen, let it be. Hallelujah!

That's the third Hallelujah chorus. Now we come here to verses 5 and 6, and we come to the fourth of these Hallelujah choruses. This time, I want to bring out the emphasis upon the fact that these judgments when Christ returns, they're coming and they're coming soon. The imminent return of Jesus Christ is what I want to kind of focus on in these two verses right here.

Now, we don't know when the rapture is going to come, and we don't know when the tribulation is going to unfold. But all of this, the Bible says the day of the Lord is going to come just like a thief in the night. So, these are imminent events, meaning that God says, "I'm coming to bring about these judgments, and it's coming without expectation."

So, we really want to be cautious about trying to set any dates. Absolutely not, we don't set dates. And we need to even be cautious about looking at current events and saying, "Oh, well, here, this is fulfillment of biblical prophecy." I'm really, really hesitant and cautious about that. I think that we can see certain kinds of things happening that line up with what the Bible says is going to happen, and we can look at those kinds of things. I think one major thing we can look at is the fact that the nation of Israel did not exist as a nation for 1,800 years. Then all of a sudden 76 years ago on May 14th, 1948, we have a nation called Israel once again. They became a nation on May 14th. Now what happened the next day, May 15th? Major invasion from the Islamic world and they said, "We're going to wipe you out, we're going to annihilate you, we're going to push you into the ocean."

You know, Islam is a wicked religion. It's a demonic religion, and Islam has spread throughout the world all throughout the Middle East. And now it's going all throughout the Western world as well. I think Islam is a big part of this Babylon that we see in the book of Revelation. I think there's a lot of dots that connect with Islam rising to spread throughout the whole world. Talking to somebody yesterday up in Starbucks, somebody that I've known from Starbucks in Woodland Park for many years, and he was born in England and he and his wife and they just said, "Wow, you know, it's completely overtaking Britain." And Europe is going to be heavily under Islamic domination here just no time at all. I mean, it's happening right now.

God is going to return. He's going to send his son Jesus Christ, and it's all coming together quickly as we look at the world around us. Notice what happens here in verse 5. A voice came from the throne saying, "Give praise to our God, all you his bond-servants, you who fear him, small and great." A call from the throne of God. This probably here is an angel calling for praise, and it's a praise that is extended to everybody. It says give praise to all. But what you notice is that there's a focus on believers. It's extended to believers. Notice what it says right there: "Give praise to him all you who fear him, small and great."

Now, when Christ returns and brings his kingdom to this world, every knee is going to bow. Every tongue is going to confess that Jesus is Lord. But right here the focus is upon the believers, all believers. You who are his servants, it says, because God does not accept worship from the unsaved man. They're going to bow the knee and they're going to confess, but God doesn't accept worship from unsaved people. Says in the Proverbs that the sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to God. Jesus said, "No one comes to the Father except through me."

So, you must confess him as Lord and if you do, the Bible says that you become his servant. The word is "servant" or "slave." It's really literally the word "slave." The believer is the one that has come into a relationship where Jesus is Lord and you are his servant, and these are the people that it says are those that fear him. Really, biblically, the idea of fearing God is genuine saving faith. You know, it says in the Proverbs that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: trusting God, believing God, knowing that he is a powerful, sovereign creator, and then bowing your knee to him. This is the fear of the Lord is a genuine saving faith that bows in reverence before God.

And notice what happens in verse 6. You see the response of this rejoicing. Verse 6 says, "Then I heard something like the voice of a great multitude like the sound of many waters like the sound of mighty peals of thunder saying, 'Hallelujah!'" Fourth Hallelujah. "For the Lord our God Almighty reigns." Wow.

You know, when they have this Shepherd's Conference down there at Grace Community Church, you'll have about 3,500 or 4,000 pastors in the church singing. That's a nice sound. Now, we do a great job here as well. Josh, you came on one of those a couple years ago. That's a great thing. Imagine when you're talking about millions and millions and millions coming together to give praise to God.

And the reason why, notice what it says here. It says the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Notice these three titles, okay? Talking about Christ. First of all, he's called the Lord. Greek word is "Kyrios," the New Testament equivalent of the Old Testament word Yahweh. Yahweh means Lord. He is eternal God. He's also called the Lord God our God. Going back to John chapter 1, "In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God and the Word was God." But what does it say happens in verse 14? "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us."

Listen, if you miss this message that Jesus, if you miss this, if you refuse this message that Jesus is God who took on flesh to die for your sins, you just failed the entire course. You missed the entire message of God's word from beginning to end that Jesus is God who took on flesh to die for our sins. So this guy Nelson is like, "Nelson, you don't want to believe God's word. You're on your way to Hell. You need to repent and believe."

Third title he's called: Jesus is called the Almighty. In the Old Testament, this would be the word Shaddai, like El Shaddai, God Almighty. This word "Pantokrator" here in the New Testament, the Greek Pantokrator. "Krat" is to grasp, like democrat, the people grasping, grabbing. So Pantokrator means all the power. He is God Almighty. You see this term nine times in the book of Revelation. Here's what this is telling us: Jesus is God in flesh.

I want to take you through a few verses here. Let's do this. Go back with me to chapter 1. We're going to look at a couple verses here in Revelation. Notice what happens here as you see all of these titles and terms that are applied to Jesus our Lord. First of all, notice what it says down here in verse 7: "Behold, he is coming with the clouds." That right there comes right out of Daniel chapter 7 verse 13 where it says that when God sends Christ into this world, Daniel saw a vision where he saw Christ, the son of man, coming on the clouds to bring judgment on Antichrist.

Verse 7, "Behold, he is coming with the clouds and every eye will see him." Have you ever heard people say that the second coming of Christ happened in the first century? That's really, really terrible theology. It's completely unbiblical, but you'll get people who say, "Well, that was the second coming of Christ. It's when the Romans destroyed Israel in the year 70." No, it's not. "Every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over him. Even so, Amen."

And then the Lord Jesus speaks in verse 8, "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "the one who is and was and who is to come, the Almighty." This is Jesus our Lord. Now go back to chapter 21 with me of Revelation. Look at Revelation chapter 21. Notice what happens over here in verse 6. Revelation chapter 21 verse 6. What I'm showing to you is I'm just connecting some dots. I guess you could say it's biblical algebra where you say this is what Jesus says he is, this is what Jesus says he is, and you put them all together, okay? Revelation 21 verse 6 Jesus speaks and he says, "It's all finished, it's all done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, and I will give to the one who thirsts from the springs of the water of life without cost."

So going back to chapter 1 in verse 8, he's called the Alpha and the Omega, the one who is and was and is to come, the Almighty, the Lord God. Here in chapter 21 verse 6, he's called the Alpha and the Omega, first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, the Alpha and the Omega, beginning and the end. Look at chapter 22 verse 13. Verse 12, "Behold, I am coming quickly." Who's coming back to this world? Jesus Christ. "Behold, I am coming quickly. My reward is with me to render to every man according to what he's done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end."

By the way, in Isaiah chapter 44 verse 6, you don't have to turn there, but Isaiah 44 verse 6 it says, "Thus says Yahweh, the King of Israel, the Redeemer, the Lord of Hosts, 'I am the first, I am the last. There is no God beside me.'" Yahweh the Creator is the first and the last.

Now, go back with me to one more passage here. Look at Revelation chapter 1 again. This time come with me to verse 17. Jesus appears to the Apostle John. Verse 17 says, "When I saw him, I fell at his feet as a dead man. He laid his right hand upon me saying, 'Do not be afraid. I am the first and the last. I am the living one, and I became dead, but I'm alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and Hades.'" Eternal God Jesus Christ, the eternal Lord the Creator says, "I am the living one, but I died, but I'm alive forevermore." Again, when you look at people who read the Scripture and they refuse to believe in the deity of the Son of God, this is willful blindness.

Jesus is God in flesh, and he's coming back to rule and to reign. So, coming back here to Revelation 19. Notice what happens here. It says the Lord our God the Almighty has begun to reign. When we look at that statement here in chapter 19 there in verse 6, it's what we call an ingressive aorist tense. He returns, he has now begun to reign. The beginning of his reign is when he returns to this world and brings his kingdom to this world. He brings judgment on evil, and he establishes his kingdom.

Now, is it right for me to say that Jesus Christ is the King of kings? Can I say that right now he is the King of kings? Absolutely. He is the King of kings, but in the unfolding of salvation history, he has not yet returned to begin to reign. But that, my friends, is what's going to happen when he returns. And that's not any too soon, is it?

So in closing this up, you know, when we look at this world, there's a whole lot of things that can really get us depressed. It might be that we look at all the evil that surrounds us, or it might be that we look at the evil that's within our own heart. That's depressing. The good news is that Christ is going to return and when he does, he is going to fix this big mess. He's going to fix it once and for all. His death and his resurrection brought victory over sin and curse and death, but we're still waiting for the unfolding of that entire process of redemption to take place. But I guarantee you this: he is going to do it. Amen?

Father, we pray, come quickly Lord Jesus. Send your Son to stop this evil. Send your Son to cleanse this earth of sin and curse and death. Send your Son to bring righteousness to this world. Send your Son to purge the sin and the sickness and the death. Bring your saints to life. You've promised that you're going to raise them and bring them into resurrection, and never again will curse overtake your creation. This is the day that we're waiting for. We long for it. Forgive us for our sins, Lord. I know that we can look at the evil around us and if we look at ourselves, we know that we're part of the problem too. So, we're asking you to help us by your grace to live for you, to love you and serve you like we should. We pray it in Christ's name. Amen.