Turn back with me to Revelation
chapter 6. Revelation chapter 6. This morning we ended up at the
end of the opening of the third seal. And with the opening of the next
seal, which is found in the seventh verse. The Scripture says, And
when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the
fourth beast say, Come and see. And I looked, and behold, a pale
horse, and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed
with him. And power was given unto them
over the fourth part of the earth to kill with sword and with hunger
and with death and with the beast of the earth." Now, the fourth
beast makes an announcement. He says, come and see. Let me show you. I'm going to
reveal to you what is actually taking place, as you would, as
God's people go through this world. How they are kept. As I've said before, this is
the book of the revelation of Jesus Christ. We know that from
Romans chapter 8, this is so. There is therefore now no condemnation
to them that be in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh,
but after the Spirit. All God's preachers are commanded,
Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith the Lord. throughout this
book. And I think that up till this
time, right now, we have seen, though the book of Revelation
is to all of us until the Lord opens that book, it's a book
that appears to be hidden with great mysteries and really with
great fear if we look at it in the light of all of these things
that's happening. But one thing is for sure, for
God's people had no fear, had no condemnation. If we look from
this point back, can we not all say it has been good for God's
people? God has kept us. Well, let's
start again and realize that the opening of the fourth seal
brings us up. Remember, the first seal set
forth this truth. The rider on the white horse
said this, the surety of Christ to conquer His people, to conquer
them in the sense of bringing them out, conquering them while
in their sin, conquering them in their rebellion before Him. The second seal, a man, a rider,
a red horse, It says this, Surely God's people are hated, are despised
in this world, but we are more than conquerors through Him that
loved us. The opening of the third seal
was a black horse. On the rider of the black horse
was one he had in his hand a pair of scales, a measure, a weighing,
a balance. And we saw that in that, this
is the conclusion of that rider on the black horse with the scale,
it's this. Christ is enough. The food of
God's people is despised by the world. They say, is that all
there is to it? Is He only your hope? That's right. There's nothing
else. No, there's nothing else. And in this fourth seal, we are
going to see, as Brother Scott just so beautifully brought out,
but he said this, and I sum up his statement based on this,
and this is what the fourth seal says, we are all going to die,
all of us. We are going to die, but not
as an unbeliever. Believers will die just like
unbelievers. in the sense of a physical death. Here the Scripture says in verse
8, I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And his name that sat
on him was Death, and hell followed him. Now listen to this. I want
you to understand something. Death here is represented truly
in the sense, in one sense, we are going to die. All men are
going to die. It is appointed unto man. wants
to death, wants to die. So we know that we're going to
die, but hell also follows. Death and hell followed him. Well, hell here, the word hell
that follows is actually the word Hades, Hades, hell. The word is actually a place
of holding. It is actually the word holding. But it has in its meaning a word
of punishment. But this is not for everybody. I want you to look at the wording
very good. It says, He that sat on him was
death on the pale horse, and hell followed him, and power
was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth to kill."
You see, for death and hell, their power is limited. Power was given unto them over
the fourth part of the earth. Now from that we realize this.
They can do nothing beyond divine permission. Power was given them
over a fourth part of the earth. Revelation 1, 18, we looked at
this just a few weeks ago. The Lord says, ìI am He that
liveth, and was dead, and behold, I am alive evermore.î And He
says, ìI have the keys of hell and death.î So the believer here
is reminded of the certain death that is common to all men. It
is appointed unto men. But though hell follows death,
he can only affect those that are appointed to wrath. Power was given over them. Turn
with me to Ezekiel 14. Ezekiel 14. In Ezekiel 14, the Lord says through Ezekiel,
ìIf I send a pestilence into that land, pour out My fury upon
it in blood, to cut off from it man and beast, though Noah,
Daniel, and Job were in He said, ìAs I live, saith the Lord God,
they shall deliver neither son nor daughter. They shall but
deliver their own souls by their righteousness.î And you know
this. That means when it says ìtheir righteousnessî, in themselves
they have no righteousness but a self-righteousness. It is the
righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. Verse 21, ìFor thus saith
the Lord God, how much more when I send my four sore judgments
upon Jerusalem, the sword, the famine, the noisome beast, and
the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast. Yet, behold, therein shall be
left a remnant that shall be brought forth. Both sons and
daughters, behold, they shall come forth unto you, and you
shall see their way and their doings, and you shall be comforted
concerning the evil that I brought upon Jerusalem even concerning
all that I have brought upon it. And they shall comfort you
when you see their ways and their doings. And you shall know that
I have not done without cause all that I have done in it, saith
the Lord." So back in Revelation, John said, I saw a fourth horse. And he said, in death. And hell
followed it. It was like men were dying and
death was right there to scoop them up. But there was power
given unto them for only a fourth part of the earth. They have
a limited power. The Lord said, Be of good cheer. I have overcome the world. Death
and hell and the grave has no power over those for whom the
Lord Jesus Christ has died in 1 Corinthians 1 Corinthians 15, verse 54 to 58,
So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and
this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought
to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. where is thy sting? O grave,
where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin, and
the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God which giveth
us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved
brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work
of the Lord. For as much as you know that
your labor is not in vain in the Lord." So John saw The next
horse is pale. And here's what's being said.
Believers are going to go through this life just like everybody
else. All men are going to die just
like everybody else. But those that death swallows
up and hell follows them and grabs them, it's limited only
for those that are found outside of Christ. Those found in Him,
there is no power over them. So the opening of the next seal
reveals something else. Now that is four seals. The Lord
is going to conquer. You are going to go through this
life. This is how God is going to keep you. The Lord Jesus Christ will conquer.
You are in this world and you are going to be persecuted. You
are going to be caused to see the failings and frailties of
this life, the next thing you're going to know is that Christ
is going to be enough for you. This is enough. You don't have
to have anything else. You don't have to have tongues
and you don't have to have this and you don't have that. Christ
is enough. He's enough. The fourth thing
that you're going to know is you're going to go through this
life and you're going to die just like anybody else. We mentioned
this morning of some dear friends that are sick. And we pray the
Lord be pleased to heal him if he'd be pleased to do so. But
if he's not, and he takes them, he does so to his honor and to
the good of his people, brings them to himself. But if he's
pleased to take them, I can tell you this, there's some confidence
of knowing. I bet you if you talk to Brother
Ed Ballard, Brother Todd, those that we're We were praying for
this morning, and there may be some of us that are sitting here,
and maybe me. I don't know. As far as I know, I'm okay, Neil,
but I don't know. Who knows what a day holds? All
of a sudden, one day, there it is. The doctor just told you.
And all of a sudden, the whole world looks different. But I'll
tell you this. If the Lord were to take these
men, even that we spoke of today, let me tell you the confidence
that I'm sure that they hold. Death has no victory over me.
There is no sting of it. There is no victory of the grave.
We are more than conquerors through Him. And if we leave this world
tonight, we leave with the confidence of knowing that He is able to
keep us from falling. Well, the next seal is open. Verse 9 to 11. The Scripture
says, And when He had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the
altar the souls of them that were slain for the Word of God
and for the testimony which they held. And they cried with a loud
voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true dost Thou not judge
and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto
every one of them. And it was said unto them that
they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow servants
also and their brethren that should be killed as they were
should be fulfilled. Now, John saw in the opening
of this fifth seal what I referred to just a moment this morning
as the martyrs, those slain for the Word of God. As I brought
out this morning, a martyr, the word martyr means a witness or
a spectator of something. That's what a martyr actually
is, a witness or a spectator. Though we associate the word
martyr as being one slain or physically killed for his belief,
Again, as we brought out this morning, all believers are actually
martyrs in the sense of being witnesses of the Lord Jesus Christ
and for Christ who voluntarily lay down their life for Him. Just turn back a few pages to
Hebrews 11 and 36. This is that chapter that we
refer to as roll call of faith, Hebrews 11,
36. It says, And others had trial
of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover, of bonds and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn
asunder, they were tempted, were slain with a sword. They wandered
about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute and afflicted
and tormented, of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered
in deserts and in mountains and in dens and in caves of the earth,
and these all having obtained a good report through faith,
received not the promise, God having provided some better thing
for us, that they without us should not be made perfect."
Now, the Scripture sets forth that there are those that actually
have died physically. Mark 8, 35. says this, the Lord Jesus Christ
speaking, for whosoever will save his life will lose it. But whosoever shall lose his
life for My sake and the Gospels, the same shall save it. Now,
I want you to notice something. These back in Revelation 6, they
are said to be, when He opened the fifth seal, It says that
they were actually under the altar. Well, the first thing
that I know about these martyrs, and remember, all believers are
martyrs. All of them are martyrs. Whether
they died the death of the sword or pestilence or sawn in two
or hung, whatever they happened, whatever happened to them, they're
all martyrs because, as we read this morning, we die daily. killed
daily. The attempt of men that hate
believers is that they attempt to separate them from the love
of Christ. But these that are seen by John
are to be seen under the altar. So I know, first of all, that
they are eternally secure. They are under the altar of Almighty
God. And what are they crying? What
are they saying? John says, I opened up this seal,
and here in verse 10, they were crying with a loud voice. And
this is what they were saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true
dost Thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell
on the earth? Actually, what they're doing
is crying out for Christ's justice to be done to them for Christ's
glory. They're saying now, How long,
O Lord, holy and true dost Thou not avenge our blood on them? But what are they truly saying?
They're truly saying, Lord, You avenge Yourself. How do I know
that? Because Matthew 25, verse 40
says, Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto
one of the least of these my brethren, You did it to me. These that are under the altar
are crying for vengeance. Now, truly, the blood of all
saints cries out for justice. Matthew 23. Matthew 23, 34. Matthew
chapter 23. And verse 34, Wherefore, behold,
I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes, and some
of them shall you kill and be crucified. And some of them shall
you scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city
to city. that upon you may come all the
righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous
Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, son of Barakias, whom ye slew
between the temple and the altar. Verily I say unto you, all these
things shall come upon this generation." O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that
killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee,
how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as
a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, and ye would not."
The blood of the saints cries out for justice. These that are
seen under the altar, the Scripture says that John heard were rolled
in white robes. And I'm going to tell you in
just a minute, I'm just kind of building this base to show
you exactly what's being set forth in the opening of this
fifth seal. What it actually is, I'll give
you a hint right now. In the opening of the fifth seal,
actually what's being set forth is the long-suffering of Christ
for His people. That's what's actually being
said. That's what's actually being set forth. But John opens
this up and he sees those that were slain for the gospel's sake. And they're crying out. How long? How long? They're robed in white
robes. They've been given the robe of
Christ's righteousness. And they're told by the Lord
Jesus Christ when they say, How long? How long are you not going
to avenge our blood? He tells them. He says, for just
a season, rest. All departed saints have entered
into rest. Their temptations have ceased.
Their trials are over. But their fellow servants, the
Lord told them, He said, just rest for a little while until
their fellow servants, their brethren that should be killed,
martyred physically or not physically. Remember, we are all killed. All of us, as they were, should
be fulfilled. You see, the Lord knows His sheep. There are some departed saints,
and I can tell you, based on the authority of the Word of
God, they are in rest right now. John says he saw them under the
altar, close, in the presence of God Almighty. And they cry,
how long? How long? Avenge us. He tells them, he said, rest
just a little while longer. All of your fellow servants,
all of your brethren, there are some yet to be brought. They are all known. They are
all loved. They are all recorded in the
book of life and the foundation of the world. But until all His
elect have been born and regenerated and brought to Himself, judgment
cannot come. The Lord upholds and sustains
this sin-cursed world for His honor. and for the good of His
sheep." How long, Lord? How long are we going to stay?
How long before you avenge? He said, just wait. Wait just
a little while. Just rest. You rest. You rest. Just rest until your fellow servants,
until your brethren come. Just wait. In 2 Peter 3 and verse
9, how many times have we read this Scripture? is not slack concerning His promise, as some
men count slackness, but is longsuffering to usward, not willing that any
should perish, but that all should come to repentance." Why is He
waiting? Why does He wait? Why is there
now a continuation of this world? Why are we here tonight? Why? If all of God's sheep have been
called out of darkness, it's over. It's over. Let me tell
you the encouragement that I have. It may be that there's one of
God's sheep that's in this community right now, and if he sustains
Katie Baptist Church, it'll be for the good of his sheep in
the calling out of his elect. Who knows? It may be one of yours. It may be one of your kids. It
may be your husband, your wife. Who knows? How long? Avengers! Avengers! Just wait. This gives me some encouragement
to think. The Lord has a people. And I
know this, that what we are preaching, the setting forth of the gospel
of free grace, I know this Word is not going to return void.
He can take, as I heard some men say, He can take the guttermost
and bring them to the uttermost. You look at the most vile and
the most rejected and the least likely candidate, in your opinion
or in my opinion. Who do you think would be the
least one that we know of that God would call out of darkness?
I'm going to tell you something. That may be the one right there.
Who knows? How long? Just rest. It's okay. Believers, this is
the lot that we have. Why do we continue on? Why do
we go through? Why is this world happening like
it is today? God Almighty's purpose shall
stand. His people shall be called. Just rest. Just relax. Everything
is okay. Everything is in perfect, perfect
order. Well, in the opening, as I said,
there are seven seals to be opened. Six of them are opened in this
chapter right here. And let's look at the last one.
The sixth seal, not the sixth seal to be opened. I mean the
last seal to be opened, but the last seal of this chapter. The
opening of the sixth seal. Now when we begin to read this,
I'm going to tell you, and I admit, and I want to speak with honor and
I want to speak with clarity, but I want to speak with some
revelation especially. I want to set forth those things
that are consistent. It is a fearful thing for me
to stand in this pulpit and to think that there would be something
that knowingly I said that was inconsistent. I would perish
the thought of me saying something inconsistently. And as long as
there is consistency and we look into the Scriptures and we see
how what's being said is so, then we can relax there. We rest. It's only when something's said
and it's kind of out there kind of dangling. And you know, you're
thinking, I don't know if I can, you know, just for a believer,
they want to hear Christ. Show me Him. Show me my security
in Him. And I can rest there. I can relax
there. So I said all of that because
when the opening of the sixth seal, I'm going to tell you that
there are some things that are set forth in this sixth seal. that appears to have reference
to the last judgment of the Lord Jesus Christ. And I do understand
that there's going to be a final judgment. Don't even think that
there's not going to be. There is going to be. And that's
not even up for debate. And some of the events that we're
going to look at here in these next few verses seem to favor
that thought. Without a doubt, it seemed to,
you know, favor the final judgment. But there's some things here
that I've looked at and I've considered and prayed about and
sought the Lord. There's some really nice commentaries
that you can read. And a man is just like me or
anybody else. He can know it. But I'm going
to tell you something. There's only one revealer, and it's the
Spirit of God. that teaches a man. So I said
all of that to say that I walk into these next few verses very,
very cautiously and pray that God would give me and you some
insight into what's being said. I know that there's going to
be a final judgment. And I know, as I said, that the
next few verses seem to favor or could favor that thought.
But I remember this too, that there is yet another seal to
be loosed after this sixth seal and judgment to be wrought later
in the book of the Revelation concerning final judgment. One of the other things too,
and all I'm doing now is sharing with you some of the way in which
I came to the conclusion that I did. In just a moment, we'll look
at the final judgment. It takes place over in the latter
chapters of this book. But one of the things that caused
me to come to the conclusion, just look, and Lord willing,
we'll be here next week, but look at chapter 7. Verses 1 to
4, it says, And after these things I saw four angels standing on
the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the
earth, that the wind should not blow upon the earth, nor on the
sea, nor on any tree. And I saw another angel ascending
from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried
with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given
to hurt the earth and the sea, saying, Hurt not the earth, Neither
the sea nor the trees till we've sealed the servants of our God
in their foreheads." And I heard the number of them that were
sealed, and they were sealed, 144,000 of all the tribes of
the children of Israel. Now, if I know that in the next
chapter, the next thing that's going to happen is there's going
to be some that's going to be sealed, kept, kept in the midst
of the tribulation of going through this world. And I will talk about
great tribulation as we come to that. But if I know that they're
going to be, it's coming up, that some's going to be sealed,
if it was the final judgment, you see what I'm saying? If it
was a final judgment at the end of chapter 6, what's happening
in chapter 7? So I said all that to say what
I'm about to say. All right. It says in verse 12
through the end of the chapter, And I beheld when he had opened
the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake, and the
sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became
as blood, and the stars of heaven fell upon the earth, even as
a fig tree casteth her untimely figs when she is shaken of a
mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a
scroll when it is rolled together. And every mountain and island
were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth and
the great men and the rich men and the chief captains and the
mighty men and every bondman and every free man hid themselves
in the dens in the rocks of the mountains and said to the mountains
and rocks, Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him that
sitteth on the throne. and from the wrath of the Lamb,
for the great day of His wrath is come, and who shall be able
to stand?" Well, these verses seem in keeping again with the
context of the decrees of God that are being set forth or revealed
by Christ concerning the elect's preservation and perseverance
in this world, this is in keeping with the sheep kept in the midst
of the presence of wolves. Now, all of these six seals have
been opened. It's come right down. We've seen
how God keeps His people in the midst, keeps them in the midst,
keeps them in the midst. And this sixth seal, I truly
think, The Scripture is setting forth, this is how God's people
are kept right now. And what just was described is
going on or happening right now. You say, wow, what is it? Well, first of all, John says,
he says, I beheld when he had opened the sixth hill, and lo,
there was a great earthquake. Now, remember, that this book
is a book of visions. There are things that John has
seen that represent or set forth a truth. So this earthquake is
not necessarily a literal earthquake, but what it means is that God
sent forth a great shaking of all that appeared to men to be
stable. There is in every believer, in
the life of every believer, of every age, tares among the wheat. And God sends tribulation and
trials that shakes the very foundation of what men think is actually
unshakable. Surely, surely, you don't think
that it could be at something that is so stable as what we've
held for years and years. Surely God would never remove
a metropolitan tabernacle out of London. Surely He wouldn't,
brother Scott. But He did. There was a great
shaking. Turn with me to 2 Thessalonians
chapter 2. 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. Let me show you something. 2
Thessalonians 2, beginning in verse 1. Paul says, I beseech you, now
we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus
and by our gathering together with Him, that ye be not soon
shaken in mind or troubled, neither by spirit or by word, by letter,
as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man
deceive you by any means, for that day shall not come except
there come a falling away first. And that man of sin be revealed,
the son of perdition, who opposeth and exalteth himself above all
that is called God, or that is worshipped, so that he as God
sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.
Remember ye not that when I was yet with you, I told you these
things? And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be
revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth
already work. Only he who now letteth will
let. until he be taken out of the
way. And then shall that wicked be
revealed whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his
mouth and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming,
even him whose coming is after the working of Satan with all
power and signs and lying wonders and all deceivableness of unrighteousness
in them that perish, because they receive not the love of
the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God
shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie,
that they might that they all might be damned who believed
not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." Now, the
Scripture says that John said, I saw when that sixth seal was
opened, there was an earthquake, there was a mighty shaking. And
Paul said over in 2 Thessalonians, now don't you be shaken in mine. There will be some that will
be shaken, but don't you be shaken in mine. He said there was a
a mighty earthquake. And he says, "...and the sun
became black as sackcloth of hair." Black. That is, the light was withheld
to be darkness to unbelievers. The sun, there it was, just brightness. John said, I saw it was a mighty
shaking and the sun was blackness. It's just black. There it is.
You say to an unbeliever, let me ask you this. Listen to this
word. The next verse that I read in
2 Thessalonians 2.13. I would have said this if I had
read it. But we are bound to give thanks
to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God hath
from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification
and belief of the truth. We're bound to give thanks. God
chose you. God gave you a heart. God opened
your heart. Look at that sun. Do you see
that sun right there? And the unbeliever says, I don't
see nothing. I don't see anything. John is
being told that the believer will go through this world. And
he says, don't be shaken in your mind. He said, there's going
to be some that's going to look straight or to hear the Gospel
just like you here, and the light is going to be darkness to them.
He said, I saw when the sun became black as Cyclops' hair, and the
moon, he said, was blood. What's a moon? Well, it's an
object that reflects light. That's what the moon is. We are
reflectors. The light does not emanate from
us. The light is Christ Himself. We are the reflected light. We are the light of this world,
but remember this, we don't produce the light. We set forth the light. We're the salt of the earth.
But the moon became His blood. It speaks of those, again, who
are killed literally, murdered, or murdered in their character.
Those that hate God think that they're doing God's service.
He told John, he said, this is what's going to happen when you
go through this world. He said, you're going to find
there's going to be a great shaking. The very foundation of all you
thought was stable. What you thought was stable.
You're going to be finding out that things are not always as
stable as you thought that they were. Those, He said, and I'll
tell you what I'm talking about, there'll be some that'll look
straight into the sun and it'll be blackness to them. They'll
hate you. The moon will be darkness. And
He says in verse 13, And the stars of heaven fell upon the
earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs when she is
shaken of a mighty wind. Who are these stars? Well, I
can tell you that I know that there are those that appeared
to be stars, or lights in darkness actually, who weren't, who were
revealed to be what they actually were, unbelievers that fell from
their so-called lofty position. How do I know that? Because it
says that these stars of heaven fell upon the earth even as a
fig tree casteth her." You see that word, untimely figs, right
there? You may look in your margin and
it says, green figs. Green figs. When she is shaken
of a mighty wind. John was told when the sixth
seal was opened, he said, listen, you're going to go through this
world and you're going to find out that God Almighty is going
to shake the very foundation of everything that you think
is stable. And He's going to show you that
there's only one that you can depend on. And He's the Lord
Jesus Christ. Don't put your faith and foundation
or trust in a man. Now, you can trust a man as long
as that man is consistent with the Scriptures. But if that man
in any way It deviates from the Scriptures, from the Word of
God. You're going to find out. He was a wolf in a sheep's clothing. The sun is going to be blackness
to them. They'll hate you. The moon will
be red. The stars of heaven fall to the
earth even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs. Green figs. Figs that never matured. They fell when they were shaken
and exposed by the Scriptures. It says here, shaken of a mighty
wind. The Spirit-blessed Gospel, the
Word of God. He said, you're going to find
out. As I heard one man say one time, there will be those in
that time that we thought surely would be there. And those that
we thought wouldn't be there were. I heard Brother Henry Mayen
say that. Never forgot that. And then verse
14 to verse 17 sets forth that final state of a judgment, not
final judgment, that's not the word I should have used, but
a state of judgment that some are already under. Verse 14 says, The heavens departed
as a scroll when it's rolled together, and every mountain
and island were moved out of his places. Now, these words
are actually written. I want you to notice this. in
the present tense, for God views all men inside and out of Christ
as they truly are." All men that are in Christ, there is no condemnation. Without Christ, they are condemned
already in John chapter 3, John 3.18. John 3.18. He that believeth
on Him is not condemned, but he that
believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed
in the name of the only begotten Son." And this is the condemnation
that light, you know, the sun that was made to be darkness,
this is the condemnation that lights come into the world. And
men love darkness rather than light because their deeds were
evil. The Scripture says the heaven
departed as a scroll, God Almighty is going to reveal Himself through
the preaching of the Gospel, through preachers that He sent.
He's going to teach. And every mountain and island
is going to be moved out of its place. The kings of the earth,
the great men, the rich men, the chief captains, the mighty
men, every bondman, every free man, hid themselves in the dens
and in the rocks of the mountains. Now, I want you to notice something. What's happening right now, right
now, is that men are attempting to hide themselves from Christ. Now, in that final judgment,
there won't be any hiding. Well, there won't be any hiding.
I'm going to tell you something. Everybody is going to be standing
before Him. They'll all be there. It won't
be, but right now. There's those that look into
the sun and it's darkness to them. They appear as though,
maybe for a while, to be stars of heaven. But the Lord says,
I'll shake the very foundation and the scroll of heaven will
be opened up. And those that are not in Christ
in time, they'll fall. God's going to expose them. You'll
see them for what they are. But here these are hiding themselves
in dens in the rocks of the mountain. This is what they're actually
doing right now. They're actually trying to cover
their sins. Hiding in the dens and the mountains
of false religion. That's what they think. I've
got a hiding place. I found me a cubbyhole. Moses
said to the Lord, show me your glory. And the Lord says, no
man can see My face and live. I'll hide you. I'll hide you.
I'll put you. Where? I'll put you in the cleft
of the rock and I'll pass by. You'll see Me. You'll see My
hinder parts is what He said. You can't see Me. I'll put My
hand over you, cover you. I'll have to be revealed to you.
You can't see Me. You have to have Me revealed
to you. I'll put you. in the cleft of
the rock. But what does a man outside of
Christ say? They hid themselves in the dens
and in the rocks of the mountains. And they said, Fall on us. Hide us from the face of Him
that sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. You
see, they're trying to cover themselves, provide themselves
a hiding place. Proverbs 28, 13 says, He that
covereth his sins is not going to prosper. Fall on us. Actually, the word there, fall
on us, means judge us. Fall on us. Fall on us in judgment
is what it means. What are they actually saying?
We are crying out. They say, fall on us. Let our hiding place be our judgment. That's what they're saying. Let
our hiding place. I made a covenant with death. That's what it says over in the
Scriptures. You made a covenant with death.
You're okay. You went to a Billy Graham crusade.
You walked down the aisle. You shook the preacher's hand. You prayed the sinner's prayer. You made a profession of faith.
You know, I remember back when I was 17 years old, you know,
it was on Sunday evening, I remember that, and he made a covenant
with death. And what they're saying, he said,
they're trying to hide them. They hid themselves in the dens,
in the rocks, and that's what they're doing right now. And
they say to these mountains and rocks, what they're saying to
them, they're saying, you fall on us. You hide us. You be our protection. Fall on
us. Hide us! Conceal us! Hide us from the
wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of His wrath is come, and
who shall be able to stand? Let me tell you what's being
revealed here. Almighty God is revealing. Though they think
that they have a hiding place, He says, this is what they're
actually saying. I'm not going to have this man rule over me.
Hide us from him. I won't have him. I'll find my
own place, thank you. I'll be just fine. I'll be okay. You hide us. Turn over to Revelation
20. This will be the last verse.
Oh, friend, believe me, this is going on right now. If you
think that men don't think in their heart that they have a
hiding place that they have provided, the Son The Son of Righteousness,
the glorious gospel of free grace, it's darkness to them. The Lord
says, I'll shake the very foundations. How will I do it? He'll do it
with the Word of God. They'll be as untimely figs that
will fall. They find themselves hiding in
the dens and in the rocks. They're like rats that love darkness. They get them a place and they
just hide in a little old covey hole and I say, I'm doing just
fine. They say to these mountains and rocks that they have provided.
You fall on me. You judge us. You be my judge.
You know how faithful I've been to you. You know how many years
I've been here. I've been in this church all
my life. You judge me is what they're saying. Fall on me. Judge
me. You be my judgment. Hide us from the face. The great
day of His wrath. Revelation chapter 20 verse 11. It says, And I saw a great white
throne, Him that sat on it, whose face the earth and the heavens
fled away. And there was found no place
for them, no place of hiding. And I saw the dead, small and
great, Now look here, they weren't hiding in their false security
anymore, Neil. There weren't any dens anymore.
They weren't going to say anymore, Carl, you be our judgment. I'll
tell you what they're doing now. They're standing before God.
I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and the
books were open, and another book, which is the book of life,
and the dead were judged out of those things which were written.
And the books, according to their works, and the sea gave up, the
dead which were in it, and death and hell delivered up the dead
which were in them. And they were judged every man
according to their works. Death and hell were cast into
the lake of fire. This is the second death. And
whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast
into the lake of fire." I want to leave you with one thought
in that great day. Men outside of Christ were found
standing before the great white throne. There was no judgment that day
for the elect. Why? Because they had already
been judged in a substitute. They were in Christ, who at Calvary
Paul says, I was crucified with Him. And this day, right here,
today, oh, there are many who look at the gospel of free grace,
the gospel of Christ, the Son Himself, the Son of righteousness. He's darkness to them. Oh, they're
treated with disrespect. They're hated. They're despised
because men would separate them from the love of Christ. But
there's coming a day when those like stars, lights that appear
to be lights, they're going to fall from heaven as untimely
figs, green figs that's going to fall that never matured. God
Almighty didn't mature them. Oh, they're going to be hidden,
hiding in the dens and in the caves and the mountains. They're
going to say, you judge me. You hide me." That's what they're
saying in their heart, just like all those that despise the Lord
Jesus Christ. And He'd say to them, why think
ye evil in your heart? Hide us from Him that sits on
the throne. That's what they're saying. I'm
not going to have you. I won't have you. But in this
day, all men outside of Christ, they're going to be judged. They're
going to be judged. But for the believer, Their judgment
was settled. Settled. The substitute, the
lamb, the one slain that John saw, when he heard that great
angel said, Who is worthy to open the book? And it says, And
no man, no body, no creature, no created one was found worthy
to reveal what God Almighty has decreed in the keeping, protecting,
sustaining of his people. And John said, and I wept, no
man, nobody? And he said, and behold, a lamb. One slain stood up and took the
book. And when he did, The four beasts
and the four and twenty elders fell down before Him and He said,
You're worthy. You're worthy. You're worthy.
Why? Because you were slain. You paid
our debt. You're worthy. Show us, Lord.
Reveal to us how You keep us, how You sustain us in this world
for Your honor and for Your glory and for our good. Our Father, This day, how thankful
we are that You would allow us just a moment to be able to come
together and hear afresh one more time. Lord, would You teach
us how You are keeping us, how You're saving us, how You're
preserving us, and how thankful we are again for Your mercy and
grace when we realize that all that is unstable, all that is
not found on the rock shall be shaken. We realize that our hope
is based on nothing less than the righteousness and the blood
of Christ. Our hope is not as the sand. It's not as though we've been
built upon the sand when the rains come and the winds beat
because there's no foundation. We know that we are built on
Him who is the rock, our hope. Lord, teach us as we go through
Your book. Show us of Yourself. Teach us
of Yourself. Keep us and realize It calls
us to realize that our hope is totally that we've been hidden
in You, kept in You for Your sake and Your honor. We thank
You for these things. Amen.