It's good to be home. Let's turn to Revelation chapter
11. We've been made vitally aware
once again of him who is indescribably powerful. I don't know if it's just having
been from Louisiana and been in New Orleans many times and
seen the seemingly, as far as man is concerned, the edifice of man thinking that
he's indestructible or something. But it just amazes me. I still can't get over the power
of Almighty God. Just take a city and bring it
literally to nothing. I'm convinced. It will never
be there. It just gets gone. And I was
telling Brother Scott just a couple of weeks ago, we looked at the
passage of Scripture, and the Lord said, I cause it to rain
here, and I withhold rain here, and I send famine and pestilence,
I send desolation, I send the sword, and they don't repent. Don't be misled. This is the judgment of Almighty
God, and New Orleans didn't deserve it any more than Fairmont, West
Virginia. No difference. God Almighty just
wiped it out. And people are talking about
it. I listen to men and their arrogance.
Every one of them that I heard say, oh, we're going to build
this back. We're going to build this back. It's going to be better
than it was before. And we're going to do this, and
we're going to do that. And I thought, I never heard
one man say, if God wills. Men don't know anything. They're
ignorant. They're blind. Well, I'm glad
the Lord, in His mercy, took it and just turned that hurricane
just a couple of degrees just before it hit New Orleans. it
didn't come through central Louisiana where we were. For that, I'm
thankful. Revelation 11. In this particular chapter, we
are going to consider actually the conclusion of the second
woe. We've been looking at at the
last three woes of which the first, if you'll remember, was
the Lord giving men exactly what they desire. Now, understand
something. Every man, every woman is going
to leave this world with exactly what they want. All of them. Nobody is going to leave this
world except they have what they truly desire. If God Almighty
leaves a man to himself and he desires false religion, that's
what he desires. That's what he wants. God left
him to himself. That's what he's going to have.
But if the Lord in His infinite mercy and grace gives a man or
woman a new heart after Christ, they'll leave this world with
that, hungering after Him. So that first woe is the Lord
sending, allowing strong delusion, smoke out of the bottomless pit.
Well, in this chapter, we're going to consider, among other
things, the conclusion of the second woe. Now, you know, we
looked and we saw just as that second woe unfolded, and there
were horsemen, had these breastplates of fire and brimstone and the
wars and the battles and all that. These battles and war that's
going on, there's no doubt that here again, God sends the sword. He said, I sent that. Men are
fighting and that's what they desire to do and God sends them.
There's a message in that. But before, this chapter's over. Lord willing, we're going to
see what really the second woe is, really, the conclusion of
it. Well, we're going to see some
things that are going to be brought out that will be fully explained
in some chapters that follow. And in the seventh verse of this,
before we actually start, the seventh verse, it says, shall
have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out
of the bottomless pit shall make war against them." Now, that
beast there that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit has never
been mentioned before right now. But look over, just turn over
a page there at the first verse of the 13th chapter of Revelation,
and it says, "...and I stood upon the sand of the sea, and
I saw a beast rise out of the sea." That's the same one. John,
under the inspiration of God's Spirit, will bring out some things
in this chapter that shall be fully explained. In the 8th verse
of this book, in chapter 11, it says, And their dead bodies
shall lie in the street of the great city. I'll just turn over
to verse 8 of chapter 14. It says, And there followed another angel
saying, Babylon is fallen, that great city, because she made
all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. But as these prophecies and revelations
are unfolding, it is so comforting to be reminded, and this is where
I by God's grace, I want to start and finish every message relating
to you, God's people, that our Lord is, according to the first
verse in the tenth chapter, the mighty angel. Be remembering
always, you saints, that as His people we are, according to the
seventh chapter in the first sealed with the seal of the living
God in our foreheads kept. There are going to be some things
that shall be unfolded that we are being told shall be. And these things that happen,
we are in this world and we are living in this world. And we
will because, as I said a couple of weeks ago, because of the
judgment of Almighty God upon the wicked, there are some repercussions
that the believers are going to suffer. The chastisement of
God, but it's whom the Lord loveth. He chastens the trying of our
faith, but it's because He proves it and shows it to be real. Well, in this particular chapter,
John is instructed to perform a divine measurement. Now I want
you to understand as we begin to look at this measurement,
this is again given for the comfort of God's people. It says in verse
1, And there was given me a reed like unto a rod, and the angel
stood, saying, Rise and measure the temple of God, and the altar,
and them that worship therein. Now, how comforting it is to
know. John says, ìThere was given me
a reed like unto a wrath.î It is comforting to realize that
that which John and every one of Godís people possesses is
the correct measurement and the correct instrument of measurement
according to God's standard and with God's instrument. John says,
there was given me a reed likened to a rod. Now turn over to Ezekiel
40. Ezekiel chapter 40, verse 1,
2, and 3. Now Ezekiel spoke of something
very similar to this. Ezekiel 40. Verse 1, in the 5
and 20th year of our captivity, in the beginning of the year,
in the 10th day of the month, in the 14th year after that the
city was smitten, in the selfsame day the hand of the Lord was
upon me and brought me thither. In the visions of God brought
He me into the land of Israel and set me upon a very high mountain
by which was as the frame of a city. on the south and he brought
me thither and behold there was a man whose appearance was like
the appearance of brass with a line of flax in his hand and
a measuring reed and he stood at the gate." Now turn over to
Zechariah. Zechariah is the next to last
book in the Old Testament. If you find Malachi, just turn
back one. Zechariah. Chapter 2 and verse
1, Zechariah 2, 1, I lifted up mine eyes again, and looked,
and behold a man with a measuring line in his hand. Then said I,
Whither goest thou? He said unto me, To measure Jerusalem,
to see what is the breadth thereof, and what is the length thereof. So John, back in Revelation 11,
is given a reed. He's given a rod. He's given
a measuring instrument. What is this reed? What is this
rod? Well, this reed is actually the
Scriptures themselves. The iron or the rod of iron that's
spoken of in Revelation 2.27, it is the scepter of righteousness
straightness which is the scepter of the kingdom. The Scriptures,
Peter says in 2 Peter 1.19, is the more sure word of prophecy. We measure all things by the
Scriptures. How do we prove? What is being
preached here this morning? What did Brother Scott preach
last week and for years and years and years and men that have stood
in pulpits and proclaim the Word of God. What is the instrument
of measurement? It's the Word of God. What says
the Scriptures? 1 Corinthians 15, verse 3 says,
Christ died for our sins. How? According to the Scriptures. Verse 4, He was buried and rose
again the third day according to the Scriptures. So whenever
we measure anything, what do we believe? The Scriptures. I
mean, what do you rest your soul on? What these Scriptures set
forth, or who the Scriptures set forth. So the Word of God,
what will answer? What's the final answer? Where
the paddle meets the water? What saith the Scriptures? So
John was given a read. He realized that according to
the Scriptures, Paul says in Galatians 1.8 that if any other
gospel is preached than that which was preached by us, that
is, by the apostles, the Scripture says, let him be accursed. I
mean, everything that we rest in, everything that we believe,
I mean, what's the measurement? Well, what you think is best?
Or what I think is best? What's the measurement here?
What is nothing but the Word of Almighty God? Heaven and earth
is going to pass away, but the Word of God remains forever.
That's the measurement. That's the reed. That's like
a rod. It's straight. So the measuring reed given to
John is God's Word that shall never pass away. And John was
given this reed like unto a rod, and the angel stood saying, Rise
and measure the temple of God, the altar, and them that worship
therein." He was to measure, first of all, the temple, the
temple of God. Well, what or who is the temple
of God? Certainly this is not a temple
that was built over in Jerusalem or just some building It's actually
the church, the true church, the abode of the Lord Himself
on this earth. 1 Corinthians 3.16 says, Know
ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of
God dwelleth in you? God's temple. He has a temple
in this earth. It's His people. It's a spiritual
temple. in which he resides. John is
here told to measure according to God's Word. Actually, the
length and breadth and height of God's temple. That is to say,
measure its character. Now, I'm going to show you why
I'm saying that because that last part, he says, and them
that worship therein. So what is the character? Measure the temple. Measure the
temple of God. There are so many organizations
that call themselves the temple of God. We are. We are the temple
of God. We are the bride. We are the
called out ones. That the Lord in His mercy has
told John here, you measure what God says His abode is. Measure the true dimensions of
the church And that shall be measured according to the Scriptures. How do you know? Turn over to
1 Thessalonians. 1 Thessalonians chapter 1, verse
4 and 5. 1 Thessalonians 1. Measure the temple. Measure the
character of the temple. 1 Thessalonians 1, 4 and 5 says
Paul speaking, knowing, brethren, beloved, your election of God. For our gospel came not unto
you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Ghost,
and in most assurance, as you know, what manner of men we were
among you for your sake." So this is what I know. I know that
according to the Scriptures, the temple of God has this character
about it. This is the measurement. This
is how you know it. I know that the gospel comes
not in word only, but in power and in the Holy Ghost. That's
the measurement by which God's temple is known. But secondly,
back in Revelation 11, He said this, and I'll say a little bit
more about what I just said on this third point here, but on
the second point, He said, I want you to measure the altar, measure
the temple, measure and set forth according to the Scriptures what
the abode of God, the temple of God actually measures. But then measure the altar or
the place of sacrifice. Now this particular measurement
was taken again by the reed or the rod of God's Word that the
saints, that the people of God, might know God's measurement
for reconciliation before Him. How does God say that He's satisfied? Measure the altar. It is by the
sacrifice of God's Lamb, the Lord Jesus Christ, that sin is
pardoned, that God's elect are justified, and that God is glorified. Now, man in his foolish nature
has attempted to establish a measurement of the altar. Man has taken by
his own fallen mind and has said, I know how man is reconciled
to God. Man, they say, here is the measurement
of the altar of how God is satisfied. Man makes a decision to allow
God the privilege to save him. He wants to. He desires to. They say that the Lord Jesus
Christ, which is blasphemous, the Lord Jesus Christ died on
the cross and shed His blood to make salvation possible. Well,
that means then that if all men are not saved, that He was a
failure because He didn't accomplish what he truly desired to do.
You see how blasphemous that sounds? John is told here, he
said, you take this reed, this rod, you measure the temple,
you measure the altar. Abraham told Isaac, when Isaac
asked him, he said, here's the wood, here's the fire, where's
the lamb? And Abraham told him, he said,
God will provide himself. a lamb. So therefore, John is
told, measure the temple and measure the altar, and then he
says, and them that worship therein. Now here we are told, according
to the reed, the rod of God's Word, the measurement, the straight
rod of God's Word, that the Lord Jesus Christ has an elect people. Turn again. We've looked at Ephesians
so many times. Ephesians 1. Let's look at it
one more time. Ephesians 1, 3-6. Ephesians 1,
3-6. Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with all spiritual
blessings in heavenly places in Christ according as He hath
chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world that we should be
holy and without blame before Him in love. having predestinated
us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself according
to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of
His grace wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved."
Now let me ask you something. How would you know, how would
I know, that God had chosen a people before the foundation of the
world except by the rod of this word right here, the straight
measurement. So here we see that this measurement
establishes that God, number one, we know that the first measurement
says God has a temple. The second measurement said this,
this is how God is appeased. This is how reconciliation is
made. This is how man is justified
before God. And the third one says this is
who the people are. The first one said God has a
temple. The last measurement says these
are they that shall inhabit that. So the Lord has known His people
eternally, everlastingly. He's known them and loved them
everlastingly. But in time, It's going to be
made manifest and we're going to have a good idea of who they
are. We don't know perfectly. I can
tell you that because there are many that start off running. They appear to run. But it doesn't
say those that start or have an appearance of running shall
be saved. Who are they? Those that endure
to the end. They that endure to the end.
those that are kept by the power of God. And this measurement
sets forth and establishes the fact that there shall be none
lacking. There shall be a people. But
then he says in the second verse, But the court which is without
the temple, leave out, and measure it not. For it is given unto
the Gentiles, and the holy city shall they tread underfoot forty
and two months." Now, John was to measure, he was to measure
the temple of God, the altar, and those that worship therein. But the court, I want you to
notice that, the court which is without the temple, leave
out, or if you'll notice in your margin there, you'll probably
notice in the middle, cast out. Cast out. This court which was
without the temple was to be unmeasured. Don't measure that. There's no measurement according
to God's Word and God's desire and God's purpose for that court
which was out. Now, there's two words for temple
that we find in the Scriptures. That court which is without the
temple, leave it alone. Don't measure it. Two words.
The first word means the entire area or the precinct that is
in the proximity of the temple. Now, turn over to Acts. I'm going
to show you the difference, how the Scripture sets forth in these
two words. Chapter 3 and verse 1. Acts 3, 1. It says, Now Peter
and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer,
being the ninth hour. And there was a certain man,
lame from his mother's womb, and was carried, whom they laid
daily at the gate of the temple, which is called beautiful, to
ask alms of them that entered into the temple." Who's seeing
Peter and John about to go into the temple, ask of alms. Now, that word, temple, same
word is also in Matthew 21, 12. Turn over there. Matthew 21,
12. Matthew 21, verse 12. And Jesus went into the temple
of God and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple
and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of
them that sold dove. And He said unto them, It is
written, My house shall be called a house of prayer. You have made
it a den of thieves. Now, the Scripture says in Matthew
21, 12, Jesus went into the temple of God and cast out all them
that sold and bought in the temple. He said, it's written, My house
shall be called the house of prayer. You made it a den of
thieves." Now, that word, temple, right there, is actually the
word that means that outer court. It's an outer court. It was called
by the Jews the court of the Gentiles, where they were allowed
to come, these people that were selling and buying, There was
an outer court. And these people were in there
just doing business. Had them some doves and some
stuff, selling them and trading. The Lord came in there. That's
one word that means temple. That's interpreted temple. But
it's an outer court. I'll show you a second thing. Turn over to 1 Corinthians 6.19.
1 Corinthians 6.19. Now this. Well, let's see if it's 2nd Corinthians,
I may have written down the wrong one and I can quote it for you,
but I'd rather read it. No, no, all right, let me just
say it like this. This is the scripture that I
wanted to read. No, you not. That you are the
temple of the living God. That word temple there is another
word and it means the inner sanctuary. The inner sanctuary. The inner part. So this part
back in Revelation chapter 11, Revelation 11, it says, "...the
court which is without the temple..." That word that was used of those
that bought and sold and the one that was sitting at the door
of the temple when Peter and John were coming in, that word
right there, the Lord says, don't measure that. That measured or
unmeasured part reveals that it is alienated from the true
temple, the inner sanctuary of the living God, where God actually
resides within His people, though it appears to be attached to
the true temple. Now, that outer part that John
was told, don't measure that. Leave it out. Leave it unmeasured. That is representative of all
false religion that has a form of godliness and clings to a
false profession of knowing God but has no part in that which
God declares to be the true measurement and basis of true holiness. There are many today that say,
ìWeíre of the Lord. Weíre of God. We have set ourselves
up and we have established ourselves to be true worshipers.î The Lord
told John, ìDonít measure them. Leave them alone. Those, He says,
itís given unto the Gentiles. who are not of the household
of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, they are not the Jews inwardly. They are referred to here as
the Gentiles. And he says, And the holy city,
that is, the true church, the true worshipers, shall they,
that is, the false professors, tread under foot forty and two
months. False religion has from the beginning. And here is the way you know
false religion. How, ask anybody, how does Almighty
God reconcile His people to Himself? What is the true measure of the
altar? What is the true measurement
of how God Almighty brings to Himself justly his people. There's the difference. When
Cain killed Abel, why did he do that? Well, outwardly speaking,
why did he do that? Well, he was mad at Abel because
Cain brought of the fruits. He brought the first fruits.
He did. He bought the first fruits of all the vegetables and everything
that he had raised. He was a farmer. of the fruits
that he produced and offered them or tried to offer them to
God. They weren't accepted. And Abel brought a lamb, sacrificed
it. The Lord accepted that. And Cain
hated him because God accepted his and didn't accept his. He
accepted his brothers. And he killed him. Why do men
hate God's people? because God Almighty says, I'm
not going to accept your sacrifice. Now, they foolishly think He
does, but He won't. Believers are hated and persecuted
because men hate God. And they hate the fact that Almighty
God has set forth this truth and that God has said that they
hate His people because they hate God's revelation of how
He justifies His people by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus
Christ. And the Scripture says that this
court, which is without the temple, leave it out, don't measure it,
it's given to the Gentiles, and the holy city shall they tread
underfoot forty-two months. Forty-two months. It's not going
to last forever, but it's a specific and a limited time or era, let
me say this, that refers to the church's persecution. Now, this period of 42 months
is the same as we'll look at in Revelation 12, 6, 1260 days.
It's the same as Daniel 7 that speaks of a time and times and a half. Three and a half. Three and a
half years. Three and a half days. Twelve
hundred and sixty days. Forty-two months. Whenever you
start looking at all those numbers, they always add up to the same
thing. Same period or era. This is a period of toil and
pilgrimage and persecution by the wicked but it's a period
of protection for the saints of God. But during those 42 months,
the Scripture says in verse 3, And I will give power unto My
two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand, two hundred,
and threescore days clothed in cycloth. Now, there's just an
endless number of thoughts on who these two witnesses are. Different writers will say, well,
this is Elijah and Elisha, or it's Moses. Well, the Scripture
doesn't say that. In fact, the Scripture actually
doesn't come out and actually name anybody there. If we began to look and let this
Scripture be compared or let it be understood by other Scriptures,
we've got a good understanding of who these two witnesses actually
are. First of all, the Word, if you'll
look in that first part of that verse, I will give power unto
My two witnesses. You notice that word power is
in italics, so it's not really there. It wasn't there in the
original. So the actual literal translation is, and I will give
unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand, two
hundred, and three score days, clothed in sackcloth. That is
to say, John is setting forth, I will grant, he says to my two
witnesses, the right to prophesy during the 1260 days or during
the appointed time for God's preaching, though this city,
this holy city, is going to be tread underfoot. Now, these two
witnesses, as I said, they're not named, and I do not believe
that they are necessarily two individuals. But they represent
something, and for this, this is what I was saying, we're going
to have to prove this by the Scriptures, because, as I've
said before, I can say anything. And I said, well, I think that,
you know, well, what difference does that make? What difference
does it make, what I think, if I can't back it up with the Word
of God? These two individuals, these two witnesses, are set
forth and we are made to understand who is actually being spoken
of, first of all, by the Lord Jesus Christ Word in John 8,
17, the Lord speaking. Let me just read this to you.
He said, It is also written in your law that the testimony of
two men is true, that is, worthy of belief. Two men. One man couldn't come and accuse
another man, and a court of law says, well, based on that one
man's witness, we're going to condemn this person, or we're
going to set him free. It took, according to the law,
it took two, at least two witnesses. The Lord Jesus Christ spoke in
John 8, 18. He says, I am one that bear witness
of myself And he said, And the Father that sent me beareth witness
of me by the voice that men heard from heaven. The Lord Jesus Christ
declared who He is. And God Himself from heaven said,
This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him. There was the mouth of two witnesses
right there. So here, when we see these Two
witnesses. These witnesses, obviously based
on the Scripture, represent the exact number that was required
during the time of persecution according to the holy city shall
be tread under 42 months. These two witnesses set forth
that God has established the exact number to maintain the
truth of the gospel of Christ in this world during the entire
time of persecution. These two witnesses reveal that
the Lord, for the gathering, for the feeding, for the keeping
of His sheep, shall have His word in this world. These two
witnesses represent the church who is the witness that testifies
of Him. So when it says there are two
witnesses, what that word, two, is doing is it's establishing
that what God requires as a witness, these two represent. You understand
that? Two witnesses. Not two men, not
two organizations, but the two witnesses. Now turn with me to
Isaiah 43. Isaiah chapter 43. This fact
is just established and nailed by this particular passage. Isaiah
43 verses 1 to 10. But now thus saith the Lord that
created thee, O Jacob, he that formed thee, O Israel. Who's he talking about right
there? He's talking about his people. Fear not, for I have
redeemed thee. I have called thee by thy name. Thou art mine." You know he is
talking about his people, his church. When thou passest through
the waters, I will be with you. And through the rivers, they
shall not overflow thee. When thou walkest through the
fire, thou shalt not be burned, neither shall the flame kindled
upon thee, for I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel,
thy Savior. I gave Egypt for thy ransom,
Ethiopia and Sheba for thee. Since thou wast precious in my
sight, thou hast been honorable. I have loved thee. Therefore
will I give men for thee, and people for thy life. Fear not,
for I am with thee. I will bring thy seed from the
east, and gather thee from the west, I will say to the north,
Give up to the south, keep not back. Bring my sons from far,
my daughters from the ends of the earth, even every one that
is called by my name, for I have created him for my glory. I have formed him, yea, I have
made him. Bring forth the blind people
that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears. Let all the nations
be gathered together, and let the people be assembled. Who
among them can declare this and show us former things? Let them
bring forth their witnesses that they may be justified, or let
them hear and say it is truth." Now listen to this. Who has he
been talking about all this time? His church, his bride, his people,
his elect. Look at verse 10. He says, "...Ye
are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant, whom I have chosen,
that ye may know and believe Me and understand that I am He.
Before Me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after
Me." So the Lord is saying to His people, to His church, to
His elect, to His bride, He said, You are My witnesses. You are. So back in Revelation 11, it
says, speaking of these two witnesses, I will give power unto my two
witnesses, and they shall prophesy for that thousand two hundred
and six score days clothed in cycloth." This truth of these
two witnesses to establish a message was not only confirmed to us
by our Lord's declaration of His own witness and that of the
Father, but it's the way that the Apostle were sent out." The
Lord, in Mark 6, 7, it says, "...and He called unto Him the
twelve, and began to send them forth two by two, and gave them
power over unclean spirits." In Luke 10, 1, it says, "...after
these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent
them two and two before His face unto every city and place, whether
He Himself would come. And so these two witnesses, it
is not two people individually. It's not two organizations. It's
the two witnesses of God's established truth that is set forth. And it says that these two witnesses
who prophesied 1,203 score days were clothed in sackcloth. Now, this represents two things
of being clothed in sackcloth. Number one, it represents mourning. Number two, it represents repentance. In Matthew 11, 21, it says, Woe
unto thee, Chorazin! Woe unto thee, Bethsaida! For
if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in
Tyre and Sidon, They would have repented long ago in sackcloth,
that coarse black cloth of hair and ashes, when Jonah was sent
to Nineveh. The Scripture says in Jonah 3
that whenever they heard the Word of the Lord, they repented
in sackcloth. So sackcloth here is that clothing
that represents mourning and repentance. For these two witnesses
right here, which is the church. Here's the two witnesses right
here. Those places where God has established a faithful preaching
of His gospel. They are the two witnesses. The right amount, the right measurement,
the right setting forth that establishes what they say is
so. And they're clothed, they go
through this period, 1260 days, three and a half years. It's
that established number that God sets forth that they shall
preach. It indicates not only mourning
for themselves, but that they would prophesy in great grief
the almost universal spirit of ignorance and rebellion against
the Lord. You know, we, and I'm guilty. I'm guilty of this myself.
But is it not the most really horrible thing? And we're all
guilty of this, so anybody that says they're not, they're just
not being truthful. Is it not, and it's just nothing
more than the pride of our old nature, to have this thought? Well, I'll tell you this, you
know, I believe the gospel. You don't. I tell you what, I
believe God's Word. They don't over there, that place
over there established, you know, they don't believe anything over
there. I do. And man, I'm telling you,
before you know it, pride just wells up and how quickly we need
to be reminded we are what we are by the grace of God. And
these two witnesses right here, they are preaching, prophesying
for 1260 days, that of time, and they're doing it
in mourning. Psycloth. Thinking, knowing,
and watching. Every time I hear, I was talking,
Glenn told me this morning about a friend of his that just died. I mean, every time, I guess,
I don't know, almost every time, I hear of somebody that leaves
this world that has died, and as far as I knew, There was no time that I knew of where they
weren't sitting under the gospel. And I think that's the first
thing that goes through my mind. That person left this world,
Neil, without God. Had they been the Lord's own,
God would keep them. And He'll keep them under the
gospel. and they'll have a hunger and thirst for Christ. They that
endure to the end shall be saved. This is by God's grace. It does
not well up. You know, I have no reason to
have any pride, Gary, of any man, any woman that leaves this
world. It's grieving to me. I've got
a brother. I've told you about this before.
We saw him last week when he was in Louisiana. And there's
been times that my mother's told me how many times she asked him.
He could be sitting under, there's a gospel preacher. I could holler
loud enough to hear him. And my mother's been times that
she'd say, you know, won't you come? He'd say, Mom, I'm alright.
I'm okay. Don't worry about me. No love
for the gospel. And I think to myself one of
these days, But for God's grace, somebody will call me and say,
you know what, your brother died. And in that day, these two witnesses
right here, he says, I will give unto my two witnesses, and they
will preach, they will prophesy 1,206 days clothed in sackcloth. Does it not grieve you? You got
anybody in your family that apparently knows not the Lord? Well, five minutes after eleven,
I guess I better stop. Gary, won't you come? Lord willing,
pick up right here tonight.