Let's take our Bibles and turn
to the book of Revelation, chapter 18. This God just read that this
treasure might be made manifest in our
mortal bodies. What is that treasure? of which
he just read. I'll tell you what it is. It's
the light of the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ shining
in our hearts, giving us understanding of who He is, what He's done
for poor, helpless sinners. I want to speak this morning
out of Revelation 18, verses 12 to 17, and I'm pretty well
convinced that this will be a two-part message this morning and this
evening. I want to preach on the true treasure. The true treasure. Before we read the verses, That is, verses 12 to 17. We
remember what is actually taking place as we view these particular
verses. The judgment of Almighty God
has come about. The Lord had said that there
were seven last plagues. These seven last plagues or actually
the judgment of God manifest in this life right now. And the evidence of those seven
last plagues, once we behold and observe what they are, they
are so evident that we wonder, how did we ever
what the seven last plagues were. I'll not go over them again for
the sake of time. In the last study that we had,
we saw where, and now we're at the judgment, the final judgment.
Seven last plagues, six of them are manifested. The seventh of
the seven last plagues, which is the vials that have been poured
out. The Lord said, it's over. We're now beholding the final
judgment of Almighty God. In our last study, we saw where
the kings of the earth bewailed and lamented when they saw the
great whore being judged. Scripture said they had lived
deliciously with her, that is, luxuriously. as all the nations
and kingdoms and authority of this world does, thinking that
they are secure in their false concept of their God. But when they, the Scripture
says, saw the smoke of her burning, they stand far off. All of these kings, all of this
authority, all of these kingdoms, Don't want to have anything to
do with her. Then the merchants. Remember, there was three groups
that we talked about. I just want to give you a quick
remembrance. Three groups watched the judgment
of the great whore. First of all, the kings of the
earth. Second of all, the merchants. That was in Revelation 18, 11.
The merchants of the earth. shall weep and mourn over her,
for no man buyeth their merchandise any more." That is, no man buys
their burdens is what that word merchandise is actually interpreted
to be. Now, in the verses today, the
Scripture lays out for us exactly what the merchants of verse 11
were selling. And if these merchants are selling
something, then somebody was buying it because they were made
rich, the Scripture says. And of course, the reason that
no man is buying their merchandise anymore is because the judgment
of God's wrath has now come, and these merchants of the earth,
merchandise is going to be no more. Now is the time of that
revelation. Just turn back to Revelation
16, 17. The seventh angel poured out his vial into the air, and
there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven from
the throne saying, ìItís done.î But that we might understand,
that is, the might understand and be comforted in that which
the Lord has kept us from. And that's the amazing thought
to realize as we go through this blessed book and we see what
the Lord has actually protected us, sealed us from, kept us from. Well, let's look at, starting
in verse 12 through 17, It says, verse 11, the merchants of the
earth shall weep and mourn, for no man buyeth their merchandise
any more. The merchandise of gold, and
silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen,
and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thine wood, and all manner
of vessels of ivory, and all manner of vessels of most precious
wood of brass, and iron, and marble, and cinnamon, and odors,
and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour,
and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and
slaves, and souls of men, and the fruits that thy soul lusteth
after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty
and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them
no more at all. The merchants of these things,
which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the
fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, and saying, Alas,
alas, that great city that was clothed in fine linen, and purple,
and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and
pearls, and just the first part of verse 17, for in one hour
so great riches is come to naught." Now, obviously, all of these
things that were listed, there were some really nice-sounding
things in that long list that these merchants were selling. Now, this is a picture. that is being set forth. Let
me show you. Turn over to John 2. I want you
to turn. Just keep your Bible handy there. I want you to turn
to a few verses and look at something. John chapter 2. This picture of what's being
stated in Revelation 18 was seen in type right here in John 2,
13 to 17. And the Jews' Passover was at
hand. And Jesus went up to Jerusalem
and found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and
doves and the changers of money sitting." And before I read these
next verses, I want to get you to just remember what we just
read. These sellers were in the temple.
It's not hard for us to say now, as I've said before, we can go
up the road, Jeff, See, I don't believe what they're preaching.
I don't believe what they're preaching. But be advised that
the Scripture says there shall be among you tares, wheat with
tares among them. The wheat are the people of God. Where are the tares? They're
among the wheat. Be advised, if any man, Paul says, preach
not this gospel, I don't care where he's sitting. If he preaches
not this gospel, if he deviates from this gospel, he's anathema,
condemned. The Scripture says, the Lord
came in and found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep
and doves and the changers of money sitting. And when He had
made a scourge of small cords, He drove them out of the temple,
and the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers' money,
and overthrew the tables, and said unto them that sold doves,
Take these things from hence, make not my father's house a
house of merchandise. And the disciples remembered
that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me
up." Now, these merchants were selling merchandise. The Scripture
says that surely is going to perish. Things are not going
to sustain. In 1 Peter 1, 3, and 4, this
is what the Scripture says concerning God's people. Blessed be the
God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His
abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by
the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance
that's incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved
in heaven for you." So we realize that God's people have a treasure,
an inheritance, and it's incorruptible, undefiled, and fades not away. So while God's people possess
this inheritance, they possess that which doesn't fade away,
which is incorruptible, the Scripture reveals in Revelation chapter
18 that the merchants of this world, of this earth, are selling
something that absolutely is going to perish because the Scripture
reveals when they see that their merchandise is not being bought
anymore, they bewail And they weep. What happened? It sounds good. They are selling
something. What is it? Well, obviously,
we all go to work and someone might be in the jewelry business
selling gold, selling silver, selling diamonds and precious
stones. Is that all that they are talking
about? Is he just talking about hard-working people? I know from
our last study that the merchants of this earth, we already went
back, if you'd like, if you missed that one, go back and listen.
Let me just tell you who the merchants of this earth are.
They're false preachers that make merchandise, the Scripture
says, of men's souls. But what are they selling? that
obviously must have more significance than just the regular gold that
we think of. It's got to be something more
than this, this piece of metal here. Surely it is, because Almighty
God is going to judge them for it. And some people going out
and just making a living, that's not what's being talked about
here. So they said, first of all, the
first group, I kind of broke this down into groups. of what
these fellows were selling. The first group of stuff that
they were selling was gold, silver, and precious stones and of pearls. Spiritually speaking, this is
merchandise that would appear to make a man wealthy. Just like the physical gold and
silver and precious stones would make men appear wealthy before
men. Someone has just, I mean, just
decked out. They've got their gold chains,
and they've got their diamond rings, and they've got their
stuff, and they've got this, that, and the other. Someone
looks at that, just like James says, a man comes in with goodly
apparel, you know, nice rings, you know, hairs fixed and stuff
like that. You think, well, that's a man
of means. That man's got some stuff. These fellows right here
are selling spiritually speaking. What they're doing is they say,
we've got something to sell you. And it's something that's going
to make you worth something before Almighty God. They'll say, God
loves you. God loves everybody. And everybody
is somebody before God. Everybody has got some worth
before God. Boy, what a bill of goods. We've
got some gold and silver and precious stones and pearls, but
what does the Scripture say? As pertaining to a man's worth. Now you think about this bill
of goods that men are selling, standing in there and say, you're
somebody. God loves you. Jesus died for
you. Because you're worth something
in God's sight. Isaiah 1-6 says, from the sole
to the foot, even unto the head there is no soundness in it,
that is, there is no wholesome in it, but wounds and bruises
and putrefying or dripping sores that have not been closed, neither
bound up, neither mollified or softened with ointment. I think Brother Scott summed
it up real well a few years ago. He told me just about what men
are worth just a big bucket of spit. Warm spit, I think it was. Men say, oh, you're worth something. Outside of Christ, you're not.
No, you're not. Oh, I'm somebody and Jesus loves
me. Outside of Christ, He doesn't.
I'm somebody and I'm going to have a heavenly home one of these
days. Outside of Christ, you're not.
These fellows are telling men, they said, you're worth something.
God loves you. God wants to save you if you'll
just let Him. That's a bill of goods these
guys are selling. Merchants of this earth, we've got something.
I tell you, the spiritual significance of possessing this world's gold
and silver and precious stones and pearls is going to prove
to be a man's downfall. A man will stand before God and
he'll say, I always heard that I was worth something before
God. And without a substitute, without
an intercessor, without an advocate that Almighty God accepts, the
Lord Jesus Christ, I'm telling you, you have no hope. The Scripture says in Matthew
6.20, lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. That is to say, treasures
not gained, by man's industry, the treasure of the Lord Jesus
Christ Himself, the pearl of great price. Christ Himself,
He said, where neither moth and rust doth corrupt and where thieves
break through and steal. The evidence of laying up treasures
on this earth, He said, lay up treasures for yourself in heaven. Well, obviously, if a man can
lay up treasures for himself in heaven by believing, by faith,
and that faith not of himself, but being the gift of God, that's
where he lays up treasures in heaven. If he lays up treasures
in heaven, then obviously men can lay up treasures in this
earth, because the Lord says, don't do it here in this earth. That's where moths and rust corrupt
But the evidence of laying up treasures in this earth is when
our time, our thoughts, our projects are dominated on earthly things,
things that are not of God. Genesis 15. Let me just read
this for you. If you want to turn to Genesis
15.1, listen to what the Lord told Abraham. What a blessing! What a thought! After these things,
Genesis 15.1, after these things, the word of the Lord came unto
Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram. I am thy shield and
thy exceeding great reward." What a promise that Almighty
God would say to a people, I am your reward. I am your treasure. Leave this world with the treasure
of God Almighty in the face of the Lord Jesus Christ. What a
treasure. So the first group of these merchants,
their merchandise, is what they said, this is going to give you
worth before God. You're worth something. Gold and silver, precious stones
and pearls, you're somebody. Well, it says in the second part
of verse 12, the next part, it says, "...in fine linen and purple
and silk and scarlet." That's what they were selling. They
had some fine linen. This refers, I believe, to the
merchant's lie that they've got a cloak or a coat that they've
got to sell that will cover you and your sin. Oh, how quickly this thought
started in the garden after Adam fell. They said, we've got available
at your disposal. Here we've got it for sale. All
you've got to do is just exercise your free will. That's how you
buy it. We've got this for sale. Anybody interested in a coat,
you know, here. I've got this for sale. How do
you get it? Well, you walk down the aisle.
This is how you buy it. Walk down the aisle and shake
the preacher's hand, pray the sinner's prayer, and you'll buy
this coat by exercising your free will. That's all you've
got to do to do it. God has got it available, and
you can buy it by your own work, by your own industry, by your
own choice. Listen to when this started.
Genesis 3-7, and the eyes of them both were open and they
knew that they were naked and they sewed fig leaves together
and made themselves aprons. Made themselves something to
gird them about. These hucksters that are merchants
of this earth, they're selling this fine linen and purple and
scarlet. Those were colors. that were
associated with royalty. Silk was the fabric reserved
only for the wealthy. And fine linen, now that's a
strange thought, but it's not that strange. Fine linen was
actually the fabric that was associated with righteousness. And Revelation 19, verse 8 says,
"...and to her..." Now that was referring, Revelation 19, "...and
to her, the Lamb's wife, was granted that she should be arrayed
in fine linen, clean and white, for the fine linen is the righteousness
of the saints." Now here is the merchants of this earth, and
they're selling the gold and silver and precious stones and
pearls fine linen in purple. Now, let me ask you this. If
they are selling fine linen, and fine linen is the righteousness
of saints, and what these guys are selling is going to be under
the judgment of Almighty God, what are they selling? It says
fine linen here. But what does this fine linen
refer to? The fine linen in Revelation
18-12 is actually mentioned or referred to only one other time
in Scripture. That word right there, fine linen. One time in that exact context. And here's where it is. It's
in Luke 16-19. This is the other word, fine
linen, and I'm going to show you what the fine linen of the
saints refers to. In Luke 16, 19, it says, there
was a certain rich man which was clothed in purple and fine
linen and fared sumptuously every day. And you know the story. That man died and went to hell. He was arrayed in fine linen. Every time that fine linen is
referred to in Scripture, referring to God's people, to God's people
and their righteousness. It is always associated with
these words, white, pure, or clean. I want you to look at
Revelation 19, verse 8. That's the one I just read a
moment ago. And to her, that is the church, the bride, was
granted that she should be arrayed in Fine linen, and look, it's
described. There's those in a couple of
adjectives there to describe her fine linen. Clean and white,
for the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints. Look at Revelation
19, 14. The armies which were in heaven
followed Him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white
and clean. Look at Revelation 15, 6. Revelation 15, 6, and the seven angels came out
of the temple having the seven plagues clothed in pure and white
linen, having their breasts girded with golden girdles. But for the rich man that we
read about in Luke 16, 19, and the fine linen, which that's
the only two times the merchants were selling fine linen, and
the other Reference of that word, fine linen, was in Luke 16, 19. Those two that were being sold
and worn by unbelievers, the merchants of this earth, there
is no mention whatsoever of purity or whiteness or cleanness of
what is being said here. It means that there is a righteousness
that is not going to stand before God. Matthew 5.20 says this,
and this is the Lord speaking, He says, I say unto you that
except your righteousness, so obviously there was a righteousness,
but He said, except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness
of the scribes and the Pharisees. They had a righteousness. You
shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. Isaiah 64.6
says, but we are all as an unclean thing, and all of our righteousnesses
are as filthy racks. Man is born with a righteousness,
but I'll tell you what God says it is, it's filthy racks. It's
an unclean thing, a righteousness. So the first bill of goods sold
by the merchants of this earth, and they are selling it. And
I'm telling you, there's folks buying it too, and Lord willing,
After verse 17, we'll get into that last group, which I believe
is actually the folks that's buying. The kings of this earth,
the merchants of this earth, and then the third group down
there. It's talked about the shipmasters and the company of
ships. But for those that are selling, false preachers, merchants
of this earth, they're selling their bill of goods. The first
bill that's being sold is that they say, we've got something
that will make you understand that you're worth something before
God. The second bill of goods says
we've got a covering that will be accepted with God. The third
thing now that they sold, it says, in all thine wood, in all
manner of vessels of ivory, in all manner of vessels of most
precious wood, in all brass of iron and marble. What is that? What are they selling here? Well,
they've got them some building materials. Got them some stuff
to build them something wood, some thiene wood, sweet wood
is what the margin says, costly. It's an evergreen, the thiene
tree was an evergreen tree from which costly vessels were made. It was an expensive wood, a good
wood, in all manner of vessels of ivory. That is material of
great magnificence. 315 says the Lord speaking, I
will smite the winter house with the summer house and the houses
of ivory. That is, uncommon splendor shall
perish and great houses shall have an end, saith the Lord. And then they said, in all manner
of vessels, every type of precious wood and brass and iron marble
now here's what these merchants are selling they said we got
something that's make you worth something we got something that'll
cover you with and we'll tell you how to build you a habitation
we can tell you how to build you a house a house that'll stand
before almighty god that'll house you and cover you from trouble
we'll build you or show you how to build you a dwelling place
that will sustain the wrath of Almighty God. What was the first
mention, first instance of a secure dwelling place? Turn over to
Genesis 7. Genesis chapter 7. Genesis 7
verse 19. It says, Genesis 7 and the waters prevailed
exceedingly upon the earth, and all the high hills that were
under the old heaven were covered. Fifteen cubits upward did the
waters prevail, and the mountains were covered, and all flesh died
that moved upon the earth, both of fowl and cattle and beasts
and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and
every man all in whose nostrils was the breath of life, and all
that was in the dry land died. And every living substance was
destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man
and cattle and creeping things and the fowl of the heaven, and
they were all destroyed from the earth. And Noah only remained
alive, and they that were with him were in the ark. And the waters prevailed upon
the earth a hundred and fifty days. Everybody that was not
in the ark. That ark is a picture of the
Lord Jesus Christ. Our hiding place. In Him, the
rain fell. And those in Him were secure. That rain was a picture of the
wrath of Almighty God poured out. That picture. that was seen in the ark was
a picture of Christ, our sin bearer, our substitute. I'll tell you, all those folks
that would have been outside that ark could have built them
the most magnificent house they ever tried to build and think,
it'll never come to me. And the Scripture says, when
that rain fell and that earth opened up, it had never rained
before. The Scripture says that the earth just opened up and
the water came out and it came down out of heaven and just covered. And every living thing that was
not in that ark died, all of them. These men, these hucksters
are telling people, we can tell you how to build you a secure
dwelling place, a secure hiding place. But the Scripture says,
look in Matthew 7, 26, Matthew 7, 26. I know this is a lot of
Scripture, but let me ask you this. Where else are we going
to find the truth? Matthew 7, 26 and 27. And everyone, now listen to this,
everyone, that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them
not. What does that mean? What did
the Lord say? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Believe God's
record of Him. Believe what God says about Him.
And this thing of men telling you, you've got the free will
and you've got this, that and the other, they're lying to you. Everyone that heareth these sayings
of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish
man which built his house. And men are. Men are. Men are building a house that
they think is going to stand, Bob, before God. Everyone which
built his house, like unto a foolish man, built his house on the sand,
and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew,
and beat upon that house, and it fell, and great was the fall
of it. The Scripture says in Psalm 127,
1, Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that
build it. This is what Almighty God has
said. God Almighty, before the foundation
of the world, chose a people in their only hiding place, in
their own habitation of safety. It is Christ Jesus alone, the
Ark, in whom men are secure. And men that tell you, you can
build yourself by your own free will, Believers believe that
God Almighty has established their hiding place, them in their
hiding place. Let me say that. A man that thinks
that he can build himself security is fooled. These merchants are
lying and they said, we'll give you something that shows you
your worth. We'll sell you some proper clothing
and we'll sell you some building materials." Well, we're almost
out of time. Let's just look for a moment,
and I won't go into it, but just look. In verse 13, Scripture
says, after they had bought the thine wood and all manner of
vessels of ivory and precious wood and brass and iron and cinnamon
and odors, and ointments and frankincense. Cinnamon, one of the ingredients
of the holy oil. So men are using words that are
actually scriptural. But also cinnamon was the savor
of the bed that was found in Proverbs 7.17, the woman that
caught the unwary man as he stood on the corner and she says, won't
you come lie with me? I've perfumed my bed with cinnamon. And odors, these guys are selling.
Fragrant powders, incense and ointments, perfumed oils, frankincense,
incense or the incense tree. What these hucksters are selling
or the type of merchandise that these merchants of the world
are selling is this. They'll say, we've got something
that'll make you smell good for God. Oh, you'll be a sweet savor
in God's nostrils. You write this down. There's
only one sweet savor to Almighty God. The Lord Jesus Christ, it says
in Ephesians 5, 2, and walk in love as Christ also hath loved
us and hath given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice
to God for a sweet-smelling Savior. These men, and I will stop here,
I promise. These men that are selling, they
got a bill of goods. And the Scripture says that they're
selling to men, and men by nature are buying it hook, line, and
sinker. But there's coming a time, the
Scripture says, that they're going to bewail when they see
nobody's buying it anymore. Why? Because it's under the judgment
of God. But then to be found a purchaser. of their material. And it all
hinges, I'm telling you, if you want to know, how do I know if
I'm buying their bill of goods, Gary? Well, let me ask you this. Let me just ask you this one
question, and this will answer it. Salvation. Is it by grace? Or is it by works? if it's by grace to you, if it's
by Christ alone, if salvation is of the Lord and He tells you
about it. This is what I did for you and
grant you faith to believe it, brother Scott. And I'll tell
you this, you've got a treasure in heaven. But if you think that
salvation is an offer that God offers all men. And it's either
by baptism or it's by church membership or by your free will
or by your decision. In other words, it's something
that you did or you had to do to give you some worth before
God. You did something if that's the
heart that you have. I'm telling you, somebody has
sold you a bill of goods. And they're lying to you. Salvation
is by grace. It's by grace and it's through
faith in Christ. That's the evidence of it. Faith.
God grants a man a heart to believe God. Believe God's Word. Lord willing, we'll take up right
here where we left off and find out what the rest of the bill
of goods that these men are selling.