Simple Faith

Announcer: One of the truest signs that we are living in the last days is the way the world has cheapened life. It almost seems like there is no value placed on human life anymore. Here's Pastor Bill Henry.

Bill Henry: The people that partake of this false religion notice they will be drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. Look, we are not here yet, but we are on our way as the world.

This world is already getting to a point where we almost wink at death. Many places do. They don't care about death. Many places celebrate death, as a matter of fact.

Announcer: Welcome to Simple Faith with Pastor Bill Henry. Bill's the senior pastor at Simple Faith Calvary Chapel in Vancouver, Washington. Now as we continue our chapter-by-chapter study of Revelation today, we've reached yet another segment that's sometimes kind of difficult to think about and to study.

There's no question that society today continues to sink to new lows when it comes to sin and the acceptance of sin. It's another sign that we're living in the last days. And today we'll continue to look at Revelation chapter 17 and the judgment of man by God during the tribulation period. You're going to notice a lot of similarities between the world of today and the world described here in Revelation 17. Here's Pastor Bill Henry.

Bill Henry: Now, we have people that burn the flag, our American flag, on a daily basis almost. We have people deface churches and synagogues, and none of them are facing ten years in prison. Again, why? Because it's a god. It's being worshipped as a god. It's being lifted up.

When you have parents sacrificing their children and bringing them to these transsexual reading hours at the library and even some churches today, you can see that it's a religion. They're offering their children up to these false gods. So again, even though this isn't happening today as far as fulfilling, we see it preparing to be fulfilled.

I think Barry Stagner likes to say we start to hear the hoofprints of the four horses of the Apocalypse. And so we see this. We see so many kings of the world today are already partaking basically of this cup of abominations and filthiness as they lead their countries to celebrate Pride Month and other such things.

And again, notice they're not just celebrating anymore, but now they make their whole country celebrate. And there are certain places now that even, I think I saw in England, that you just can't speak out against them. I think in Canada, too, now because, again, it's basically they won't say it, but you're attacking their god of sexuality.

And that's really what it's become is this god of sexuality that's perverting not just our government, but also our schools. I mean, whatever kind of person has to be so depraved to think that we have to start teaching children at four and five years old about sex? What does it tell you that they're thinking about all the time, these people who want to teach it?

It's disgusting, but again, it's being celebrated not just here in America, but most of the countries of the world. Now, if this weren't terrible enough, there are many who falsely profess to be doing these same things in the name of Jesus. They say that they're Christians, and they welcome sin into the churches and they celebrate sin and they say that it's good and it's from God.

They too are already partaking of this cup of abominations and filthiness. And what I'm saying is we see the stage already being set before our eyes. Could you imagine if we were all gone tomorrow, the rapture came? The world would, first of all, I think there'd be dancing on the streets by a lot of people.

There'd be mourning as well, by the way, a lot of the people still sitting in the seats in the churches. But man, you know, again, I think many people would be excited. Because for many within the world, they don't just look on these things, maybe they might not practice them, but they also celebrate those who do.

Well, it's not for me, but man, you know, it's all for yourself and it doesn't matter what people do, right or wrong, it doesn't matter if it's sin or not. And so what do they do? They approve of those who do such things. And I've seen these videos of parents bringing their children to these gay pride events.

And there's half-naked, if not fully naked, guys or girls, and their little kids are sitting there seeing all this perversion. And the parents are like, "Oh, this is wonderful." No, that's child abuse. But remember what it says in Romans 1:32 about this: "Though they know God's decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them, but give approval to those who practice them."

Now, because of the days that we're living in, I really feel called as a pastor that I have to say this as well. Look, I want to remind you that we are to stand against this wickedness, and we are to stand against those who practice these things. We need to stand against schools and school boards who put forth this stuff, these sinful things and want to teach them to our kids as normal.

We need to stand against our governments that seek to normalize and celebrate these sexual sins. But we also need to remember, beloved in Christ, that we are not to hate any of these people. Can you hear me on this, please? We are not to hate any of these people, but love them enough to give them the gospel of Jesus Christ and warn them what the Bible says about if we do not repent from our sins and come to Jesus Christ.

Remember, they're right where you were, maybe in a different place sin-wise, but before you came to Christ, you were headed to hell too. We were headed to the lake of fire too. So even if they do hate us because we give them the gospel, and sadly many do, many are filled with hatred towards you, many are filled with intolerance towards you even though they're calling out for tolerance, many are filled with anger towards you, but we are still commanded to love them.

Can I have an amen? We need to remember this. Jesus said in Luke 6:27 and 28, "But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you." Look, if you claim to be a Christian and you're here or you're watching or listening, and you go around and you say different slurs about homosexuals, and we all know what they are, right?

And you say these things and you think that that's funny, or you think that that's okay, it is not okay. Guess what? That's sin. And to be honest, if you're claiming to be a Christian, I think it's probably a worse sin than homosexuality. Put that in your pipe and smoke it. Look, guys and girls, sincerely, we need to be very careful with the words we use, our attitudes about people.

Imagine how if somebody acted that way towards you before you became a Christian, even if you maybe didn't practice homosexuality, maybe it was something else. Look, guys and girls, we need to be those who rise above it by the power of the Spirit of God even as we're standing against it. Now, look back at verse three real quick because you might have missed something here.

Notice in verse three, at the end of verse three, it says, "And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast, which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns." Remember, the woman is the religious system. Now, you remember who the beast is. This is the Antichrist. The beast is the Antichrist.

And so this is basically telling us that the woman is sitting on the beast and, basically, all your commentators say that there's some kind of thing like the woman is directing the beast at this point as she's riding on the beast. Now, the beast again, I'm going to remind you back in chapter seven—or excuse me, chapter 11, verse seven—it says this: "When they finish their testimony," talking about the two witnesses that were witnessing on the earth for three and a half years, "the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them."

Now, this is the same beast in his image. If you'll turn with me to Revelation chapter 13, please. Turn in your Bibles to Revelation 13. We've got a few passages we're going to look at here in Revelation 13. So Revelation 13, first of all, in verses one through four. Revelation 13, verse one, it says this: "Then I stood on the sand of the sea and I saw a beast," this is the same beast, "rising out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name.

Now, the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast. So they worshipped the dragon who gave authority to the beast, and they worshipped the beast saying, 'Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?'"

Now look at verse 15: "And he was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast or the number of his name."

So this will be the Antichrist who is to come. And so we have the woman, who is Babylon the Great, riding on the beast, so basically directing this beast and basically this would appear to represent the world religious system as in some way, at least the first three and a half years, basically again kind of this conglomerate of all these different religions.

And the beast, the Antichrist, will go along with it for the first three and a half years. Okay, but at the halfway point of what's called the 70th week of Daniel—Daniel wrote about this and this is the halfway point of the seven-year tribulation—this is the point that the Antichrist or the beast will cast off basically all agreements.

He made these agreements specifically with Israel for peace and to rebuild the temple and so at the three-and-a-half-year mark, he's going to stand in the temple that's been rebuilt and he will blaspheme God. This is called the abomination of desolation. And so basically Jesus called it this in Matthew 24:15. He said this: "Therefore, when you see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place, whoever reads let him understand, then those who are in Judea flee to the mountains."

So then Daniel, well what was Daniel saying? Daniel 11, verses 30 and 31: "So he shall return and show regard for those who forsake the holy covenant." So he breaks his covenant. "Forces shall be mustered by him and they shall defile the sanctuary fortress. Then they shall take away the daily sacrifices and place there the abomination of desolation."

So the beast for a time will go along with the woman, this one world system kind of go along and guide it and then at the halfway point, Daniel 11:36 says, "Then the king will do according to his own will. He shall exalt and magnify himself above every god." So, hey, no longer will the world be able to worship how they want.

Buddhists will no longer be able to pray to Buddha and worship all these different gods. Sikhism or Taoism or, you know, even those who profess to be Christians, no longer. They're going to have to worship him. All the Jews, they're going to be forced to worship him. And he will, it says, "he shall exalt and magnify himself above every god, shall speak blasphemies against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the wrath has been accomplished."

So do you see how that ties right in with our study here? The wrath of God is being accomplished. We're almost to the end. "For what has been determined shall be done." All right, so come back to our text. Let's look at verse five: "So on her forehead was written Mystery, Babylon the Great, the mother of harlots and the abominations of the earth."

"I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus." So this is even before the beast. This is the woman. This is the one world false religious system, this conglomerate. And the only people that they're going to hate that we can tell here are those at the beginning of the tribulation, by the way, the first three and a half years are those who love Jesus, truly love Jesus according to His Word, real Christians.

And so again, notice her name was the Mystery Babylon the Great. And in verse six, it says, "I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs." Now, back in Revelation, if you remember, Revelation 11:7: "When they," the two witnesses, "finished their testimony, the beast ascends out of the bottomless pit. He'll make war against them as well."

Verse 12: "The dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." Revelation 13:7: "It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them." But even before this, they will already be persecuted.

They will already be persecuted and the woman will be drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. This is a world that will come to a point where they don't care about death. They basically wink at death. They care nothing about other people and their dying as long as they're okay, right? As long as they're happy, as long as they're safe.

You know, it's interesting during COVID we saw another false god rise up, the false god of safety and how many people would turn on their brothers and sisters around them as long as they were safe. And so again, this is a world that will basically be where people will be partaking. The people that partake of this false religion notice they will be drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus.

Look, we are not here yet, but we are on our way as the world. This world is already getting to a point where we almost wink at death. Many places do. They don't care about death. Many places celebrate death, as a matter of fact.

How many people here heard last week of the 80 Christians that were killed? Raise your hands if you did, please. Yeah, hardly anybody. Why? Interesting, because it was 80 Christians in the Republic of Congo and they were beheaded by ISIS this last week. Not on CNN, not on MSNBC, not even on Fox News that I'm aware of. Why? Because they were Christians. Who cares about Christians, right?

Look, we live in a world that is just right there. All these things that we're reading about, we're being set up. We see it all being set forth before us. We live in a culture already that is becoming more and more of what we could call a death culture. By the way, there are some countries that are already there and have been there for a long time, mostly third-world countries, but not always third-world countries.

They don't care. Chairman Mao, they don't care. Stalin, you could just keep going down the list. Hitler, they don't care about killing millions and hundreds of millions of people. By the way, if you don't know this, more people were killed by atheists in the last century than at any time in the history of the world. Not by Christians, not by Muslims, but by atheists or those professing to be atheists—there's no real such thing, maybe an agnostic but not an atheist.

Look, we live in a country, our country alone, where in the last since 1973, there's been roughly 60 million babies murdered in their mother's wombs. 60 million. And by the way, try to go find that, google it. How many murders, how many babies have been murdered—you have to say aborted, right? Aborted since 1973. Good luck, let me know if you find the number. I couldn't find the number after looking for almost a half an hour.

Page after page after page, it was CNN or NPR or all these things. What were they doing? It was an apologetic for abortion. And it's wicked. You can find some numbers for the years, but not for the total. Why? You know, it's interesting, that's just the United States. The World Health Organization—I don't trust them, but I'm going to give their number on this—every year they say there's 73 million babies murdered around the world in the womb. 73 million.

Now why? How? Because they try and basically say they explain it away, "Well, it's not really a baby, right? It's a clump of cells." They say, "It's a fetus." Well, again in their pride and in their love of sin, they don't even know what the word "fetus" means. The word "fetus" in the Latin literally means "baby in the womb."

Doesn't mean clump of cells, it means baby in the womb. And the vast majority, over 99% of all abortions are done out of convenience so that they can keep having sex as much as they want and not suffer the consequences of a baby.

Now, I do have to say this too because, again, we have to understand if you're here, if you're watching or listening and you've had an abortion, there's forgiveness at the cross of Jesus Christ. There is forgiveness at the cross of Jesus Christ. Make sure you receive that if you have had an abortion. And we've had people come, maybe some even sitting here. There is forgiveness. Don't let the enemy come in and rip you off. You find forgiveness in Jesus.

But coming back to the culture of death. So the babies are already being killed. What about the old and the sick and the handicapped? You know, a lot of states here in the United States have started passing legalized suicide or assisted suicide laws. I always like how they never call it what it really is, by the way—murder. It's murder.

I heard a statistic the other day and I looked it up and it was true. The state of California, since they legalized assisted suicide, they've done over, just over 900 in the last nine years. Oregon, since they legalized it in 1997, they've had just around 2,000 assisted suicides. In Canada, just since 2016, they've had over 20,000 assisted suicides.

13,000 of these were in 2022 alone. They're the country of death. They lead the world by bounds. And of those in Canada, it says here, one site went on and gave some statistics. At least 463 individuals who opted for assisted suicide did not have a reasonably foreseeable death in the near future. In other words, they weren't dying.

You don't have to be dying in Canada. You can be depressed, handicapped, people with undisclosed neurological conditions, it can be a drug addict. Matter of fact, Canada would rather kill you, help you die, than help you get off drugs. And that's just not Canada. Oregon. We have a lady that listens to the radio program here and my daughter Macai's been in contact with her a lot and visited her and stuff.

And she says basically that—and in Washington's the same way by the way—there's some kind of procedure that could help her not be housebound anymore, but they won't pay for that. What they'd rather do, and they've done this several times, is offer her to help kill herself. Why? Because they don't value life anymore.

We don't value other people's life. They just justify it away, "Oh, Death with Dignity Act," "Medical Assistance in Dying." And they call them all these different things. It's called murder. Do you know in Iceland, do you know they literally now have no Down syndrome babies being born? Do you know that?

Like, literally zero. You know why? Because nearly 100% of the mothers who receive the diagnosis since 2000 will abort their baby, so kill their babies. So that's why they're leading the world in not having any Down syndrome people. Something to be proud of, huh? It's crazy.

Life just doesn't have value. And we see again, this is all being set up. Notice in verse six again: they're going to come to a time, "I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus." You see the hatred now towards Israel all around the world? I see them throwing stones, I see them beating on Israelis in New York City.

By the way, that's okay, they don't get any jail time. But don't make any skid marks on a crosswalk. Do you tell—are you going to tell me that some of those people, if they could, they wouldn't shoot you or me, just kill us just like this? They would. And there's coming a time when this is just going to be how it—look at us again: the woman drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And look at how Paul or John responds: "When I saw her, I marveled with great amazement." He was just like in shock, and that's— I would be in shock too.

Announcer: This has been Simple Faith from Simple Faith Calvary Chapel in Vancouver, Washington. Today we brought you a message from Pastor Bill from his new series in the book of Revelation. If you'd like to hear today's message again or share it with someone, it's available at our website to either watch or listen, and you can actually download an audio MP3.

We have a large number of Pastor Bill's messages archived, and you can find them all at simplefaith.org. That's simplefaith.org. And if you'd like to contact us, we'd love to hear from you. There's a tab at the top of our homepage where you can also send in a prayer request. Just click that "Contact Us" tab again at the top of the homepage.

And this month when you support Simple Faith with a donation of any amount, we're going to send you a wonderful 365-day devotional book by Anne Graham Lotz titled *The Joy of My Heart*. Now, whether you make it an inspiring addition to your personal devotion time or a gift to encourage a friend or family member, we pray that this best-selling devotional study will draw each one who reads it closer to Jesus, rediscovering that His word is the joy of my heart.

It's a wonderful resource we're excited to send it to you, and it's yours for a donation of any amount this month. To donate, just go to simplefaith.org and click the "Give" tab. You can also call us at 833-By-Grace. That's 833-294-7223. And if you prefer the US mail, our mailing address is Post Office Box 55, Battle Ground, Washington, 98604.

Here at Simple Faith Calvary Chapel, we have three services on Sunday morning at 8:00, 9:45, and 11:30, and a great time of study in God's word every Wednesday night at 7:00. For more information and directions, go to simplefaith.org. And you can also follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Thank you so much for joining us today. Be sure to join us next time as our series in Revelation continues here on Simple Faith with Pastor Bill Henry, brought to you by Simple Faith Calvary Chapel.