It's so good to be with you.
We appreciate your traveling mercies that God provides us.
And it's wonderful to be in a building that is a little bit air-conditioned
when it's 104 outside. Put your finger there in Zechariah,
and I'd like you to go with me and read one verse over in 2
Corinthians 11. 2 Corinthians 11, verse 3. 2nd Corinthians chapter 11 and
verse 3. There is such a serious statement
made in this verse of scripture that goes right along with what
we're going to be studying in the book of Zechariah. It tells
us here in 2nd Corinthians chapter 11 and verse 3, but I fear lest
by any means As the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so
your mind should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in
Christ. The simplicity that is in Christ.
Now, the Apostle Paul was used by the Holy Spirit to warn people
in the Church of Corinth that there's that potential, that
possibility, and those are those who have not made their calling
and election sure. If they're brought, taken away
by subtlety to turn from The simplicity that is in Christ
to go to something complicated, that's the thing it is. To turn
from the simplicity that is in Christ, that Christ is all. It's
kind of like Mr. Ford said, you can order any
color you want, but black is what you're going to get. When
it comes to the gospel, when it comes to Christ, the simplicity
is He is all. We have no other course. It is a very straight line, it's
a narrow line, it's a narrow path, and the simplicity of that
is in Christ. Now, when we go back over here
to the book of Zechariah, I want to read verses one through six,
because verses one through six start with a date, or a time
element. And I thought about bringing
a message upon God's very particular time, but we've done that in
the past, and we're going to look at it here. In chapter one
and verse one, we have in the eighth month, and in chapter
one of verse seven, we have in the 4th and 20th day of the 11th
month. So there is a time element between
here. God is very exact when he gave
these time elements, but the pastor, preacher, prophet, apostle,
uh... whatever we want to call him
Zachariah was given a message in this time element and he preached
that time in that time element this message and it was in the
eighth month in the second year of Darius came the word of the
Lord unto Zachariah the son of Berchia the son of Ido the prophet
saying now this is what the Lord gave him to say and in that we're
going to find out that most of Israel nationally speaking turned
away from the simplicity that is in Christ. It is so simple,
Christ is all. And the moment we leave that,
we get complicated. Because then we have to start
measuring. We have to measure works. We
have to measure time put in. We have to measure how much Bible
you read. We have to measure how many you won to the Lord. How many baptized. It's so complicated. When we leave the simplicity
that is in Christ. And that's what happens here.
And that's what Zachariah is brought to bear. to mention to
National Israel, this is the problem. You've turned away.
Now there was another problem, and that is what's brought out
in here, and that there was a whole bunch of false prophets that
came into National Israel. And some of them were spoken
for, and some of them, just like today, they just grow up among
folks and start bringing in things that aren't simple. They bring
in all kinds of heresies. And so here it is. And I was
interested to find that the prophet Haggai and the prophet Zechariah
are very close contemporaries. In fact, they're probably both
in Jerusalem at the same time. And one is preaching, they're
tag teaming. One is preaching and then the
other one preaches. And this is a ministry and a
message that God intended for these people in Jerusalem about
the 16th year after Cyrus King sent them out. So we've been
looking at Ezra and seeing that group that went over, well they
went over and they got all tied up in their own affairs and they
were not dealing with God's affairs and that's a pretty good sign
that things got complicated instead of keeping things simple, the
simplicity that's in Christ. Verse 2, the Lord hath been sore
displeased with your fathers. Now that means angry to the point
of being angry. He's It's double, that's what
he's saying here. It's anger was Jehovah with anger. Jehovah was angry with anger.
And it brings out there and it says, therefore say thou unto
them. Thus saith the Lord of hosts, turn you unto me, saith
the Lord of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the Lord
of hosts. Now, if we were in a free will
society, we'd make a great big deal out of that, but since sovereign
gracers know where the will comes from, when we know the gospel
of the Lord Jesus Christ, we know who turned us. We know it
wasn't up to us. We know that we were not involved. In fact, if we were involved,
we were involved in trying to stay where we were and we're
thankful for God turning us because he turned us to salvation. He
turned us to God. He turned us to Christ. He turned
us to the gospel. After he gives us the new birth,
we rejoice and delight and relish in that turning. So, but you
be not as your fathers unto whom the former prophets have cried
saying, thus saith the Lord of hosts, turn ye now from your
evil ways and from your evil doings. But they did not hear
nor hearken unto me, saith the Lord. Your fathers were, where
are they? And the prophets, do they live
forever? But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my
servants, the prophets, did they not take hold of your fathers?
And they returned and said, like as the Lord of hosts, thought
to do unto us according to our ways and according to our doings,
so hath he dealt with us." Well, the prophet Zechariah is bringing
up to national Israel, and by and large, they're Esau's. That's
the problem. There are a few Jacob's, and
most of these Jacob's are along for a ride. God never, ever punished
a Jacob for his sins. Never has, never will. When we read about Israel being
punished, we're dealing with Esau's. And Esau's will be punished. And there are quite a few. There
are half a dozen. There's one in there that is
a Jacob that God loves. And they're going along for the
ride. We read about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. We read
about Daniel. We read about others that were
taken and Esther at the same time. There are few Jacobs and
they are along for the ride. But God is not punishing them.
He is punishing Israel. He is punishing Esau. Now, we
may ask the question, and I've asked this question many times,
why did God hate Esau? Well, we read over there in the
book of Romans and also in the book of Malachi, Jacob have I
loved and Esau have I hated. Now, there is a serious difference
between Jacob and Esau, not in their being, not in their person,
not in their birth, not in their parents, not in their grandparents,
not in what they're lying after them, not in their sin factor.
The difference is God shared with us, every believer, blessed
is the man in whom God will not impute sin. And that's the only
reason he could love Jacob. He did not impute sin against
him. What does that mean? Christ died
for him on the cross. And why does he hate Jacobs?
Because he did not remove, or he continued to impute sin to
them. And so there's no alternative
that God has but to hate them. He did not deal with their sin. He left them alone, or in a passage
in the New Testament, they're going as it was determined. This
is their purpose and their whole purpose in life. That's why there's
Jacob's and that's why there's Esau's. Jacob's God purpose to
deal with their sin and we are blessed that our sin is not imputed
against us. Everyone else, their sin they
will deal with alone. Jacob have I loved because I
said blessed is the man whom God will not impute sin and Esau's
have I hated because they will deal with their own. I will not. So here in the book of Zechariah
chapter 1 The leading point in this first sermon is to show
the people the cause of God's judgment upon Israel by causing
them to go into Babylonian captivity. This is the reason. This is why
you went. Now there were some Jacobs among
them. They went along for the ride.
They were not in the judgment part. They were just there, just
like today. An airplane full of people goes
down because God is going to judge some Esau's and there happens
to be two saved people on it. They went along for the ride,
but it wasn't judgment against them. All right, now. So often in the Old Testament
do we find that there is someone bringing up some falseness or
something wrong. And the first one that did this
after the fall was a fellow by the name of Cain. Now what could
have Cain said to Abel? Your offering just is not enough. We had a lady here one time saying,
there's just not enough works in this church. Well, I can hear
Cain say that to his brother just before he kills him. Your
offering is just not good enough. Mine is. And God had respect
on yours and should have been on mine, and he killed him. Now,
I was sitting in my study tonight, and it struck me. Between the
time of Abel's death, and the time that Seth could have had
any understanding about the gospel is going to be some time. It
really convinced me that Adam and Eve must have known the gospel
because there would have been a period upon this earth that
there would have been no gospel and who would have brought it
to Seth. So I had to come to the conclusion. Adam or Eve or
both of them mentioned and preached the gospel of Jesus Christ as
the only savior. And they're the ones that were
clothed with skins of animals. And I wonder how long did they
wear them? Maybe the rest of their life.
I don't know. But it was a blessing to them
to be covered with the skins of animals as a representation
of being covered by the blood of Christ. And so it was them
that brought the gospel to Seth, and it is through his line we
have our Savior coming into this world. It is through his line
that Noah brought the gospel and he didn't do something good
and then God said you have grace. He was a rotten scoundrel and
God gave him grace and that's why he's on the ark with his
family. Who was it? Abraham, right down
through the line to Abraham, a scoundrel and yet God brought
to him the mercy of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and
and on and on it goes right down to the coming of the Lord Jesus
and down to this time in the preaching of the gospel. Well
that very thing happened. There was someone that was always
going to bring up some other gospel and Cain is an example
of that. Well jump ahead quite a number
of years if you would and turn with me to the book of Numbers
chapter 13. False prophets who taught their
father's lies. When the Lord called upon them
to return, led away the false teachers, they were led away
by false teachers and their own sin and corruption. They would
not return. Now look over here is a really
good example in the book of Numbers chapter 13. In the book of Numbers
chapter 13 we have an experiment going on. The Lord sends 12 spies
into the land. Now, I've read this, but I've
never paid a lot of attention to it. It's a wonderful exercise
in Jacob's and Esau's. It's a wonderful statement about
grace and law. It's a wonderful statement about
God changing our heart and giving us a heart that loves him, and
whatever he says, we will believe it. There's 10 out of 12 have never had grace given to
them. They're just Esau's. They're
just Esau's and their sin is imputed to them and they will
justly stand before God in judgment and they will answer and they
will be turned out to an everlasting punishment because God never
paid for their sins. Now there's some Jacob's, oh
my goodness. Josh or Caleb and the other one, Joshua and Caleb.
Thank you, I should know that. Joshua and Caleb, they understood. They saw the same things and
they came back without fear. They saw the same, Giants and
they didn't come back with that fear, but there's ten came back
with a great deal of fear because they didn't trust God They didn't
know God. He had not pardoned their sin
He'd not put sin away from them, and they're going to go on the
rest of their lives in that very terrible position here in the
book of Numbers chapter 13 and And I think I want to begin with
verse 25. And they returned from searching
of the land after 40 days. Numbers chapter 13, verse 25.
And they went and came to Moses. Now they came to the right place.
They came to the right place. I go to the same church as you
do. I'm depending on my church, though,
instead of you depending upon your Christ, all right? And to
Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel. Now
here's a whole group of people that are in pins and needles
about what has happened over there in the promised land, in
the land they're supposed to take. What has happened? You've
been gone 40 days, haven't heard a word from you. Why don't you
write? Why don't you write? Well, in
the wilderness of Paran and Kadesh, and brought back word unto them,
and to all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of
the land. Oh my goodness. You know, I just think again
about that pole, and there's one bunch of grapes being carried
by two people out of that land. Now, it had to be preserved,
or it was going to be raisins. Some way, God provided that they
could bring that out of there, and carried it back, and everybody
got to see that. Well, it's just like people seeing
the miracles that Jesus Christ performed, and what did they
do? Nothing. Miracles don't change
hearts. It is a miracle of grace. It's
just normal for God. It is so out of our realm of
what he does for us spiritually. In fact, we say it's not in our
realm. It's way above it. We must be
born from above. It goes on to tell us here, and
they told him, him and said we came into the
land where thou sentest us and surely it floweth with milk and
honey and this is the fruit of it now look at verse 28 we're
always going to run into this with false prophets nevertheless
we bring up the gospel to someone and you know what they say I
can see what you're saying but nevertheless we give them the
simplicity of the gospel just like Paul did, and we got people
raising their hand and saying, I can see what you're saying,
but nevertheless. People, men must be circumcised
in order to be saved. And today it is you must be baptized
in order to be saved. You must join our church in order
to be saved. And they add all of this garbage
to the simplicity that is in Christ. Nevertheless, the people
be strong and dwell, that dwell in the land. And the cities are
walled and very great. Moreover, we saw the children
of Anak there. The Amalekites dwell in the land
of the south, and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites
dwell in the mountains, and the Canaanites dwell by the sea and
by the coast of Jordan. You know, if it was such a serious
thing, how did they ever make it back? How did they make it back after
40 days? If this is, and here they are, they've just created
a nevertheless. They are presenting what false
prophets have always brought up, and that is God can't do
it without you. His hands are your hands. His
eyes are your eyes. His ears are your ears. His feet
are your feet. And Caleb stilled the people
before Moses and said, let us go up at once. and possess it,
for we are well able to overcome it. But the men that went up
with him said, we be not able to go against the people, for
they are stronger than we. And they brought up an evil report
of the land, which they had searched unto the children of Israel,
saying, the land through which we have gone to search is a land
that eateth up. They've already contradicted
themselves. False prophets are always in
that position of contradiction. One hand is a wonderful land
that flows with milk and honey, and now they turned right around
when it's brought up that we should go into the land. God
is able, God is able, God is able to save and to keep exceedingly. They says, the land through which
we have gone to search, the land of Edith up, the inhabitants
thereof, and all the people that we saw, for the men are a great
statue. And there we saw the giants,
the sons of Anak, which came, come of the giants, and we were
our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.
Oh my goodness. And it doesn't change. Over the
centuries, the same thing is said. It is, on one hand, it
is so simple. Trust God. And on the other hand, It ain't
gonna happen, it ain't gonna happen, and it ain't gonna happen,
unless we do it. Well, in the next chapter there,
verses one through four, and all the congregation lifted up
their voice and cried, and the people wept that night. And all
the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron. And the whole congregation said
unto them, would God that we died in the land of Egypt, or
would God that we died in this wilderness. And you know, if
we say for one second, I am better than that, I would have done
different than they, we have deceived ourselves greatly. Because only those who had grace
could understand what was happening here. And those who did not have
grace, we understand what's happening here. Blame anybody they can
and criticize God and that's just part of the fall. Our first
father criticized God. When he said, the woman thou
gavest me, he criticized God. And that's the part of the false
prophets, is to criticize the salvation of God, the person
of God. We have trouble whether he's
today. It just amazes me what people
can say about the Lord Jesus Christ and still pretend to know
the gospel. that they can say he actually,
can you imagine, actually became a sinner? When the scriptures
are so plain that it was imputed to him. You know, everything's
okay, but I have this one problem. And unless you believe like I
do, I was talking to a friend today, and he said, you know,
I was asked to join the Flat Earth Society. And someone said,
is there a society? Oh yeah, there's a flat earth
society, and they want you to join it. And if you don't, you're
not saved. And the pastor just told the
guy, he says, I don't care whether it's oblong, whether it's a trapezoid,
or what shape it is, the problem is sin, and the answer is the
gospel. Doesn't matter what shape it
is. If we get to heaven and find out it's a trapezoid, is that
going to change things? Of course not. Well, here we
have a whole host of people, 10 out of 12 coming back with
this report. But they're very influential
on other Esau's. Very influential. Here we have
a whole bunch of Esau's that are just on the tipping edge.
And when they came back with that word, my goodness, I wish
we'd have stayed in Egypt. Where are they? They're still in Egypt. That's
where they are. They're still in each. I wish
he'd have killed us here in the wilderness. Where are they? They're
still in the wilderness. They have no perception unless
God grant them the vision to see Christ. They have no perception
of what's going on around them. And so the news came back. We're able to take it. And they
said, no, we're on. We can't. And the Esau's just
said, oh, they just tipped in that direction. We have a whole
host of them. that direction we have one of the reasons that
God brought them into Babylonian captivity is this very thing and they were
going to stone Moses and Aaron verse 6 and Joshua the son of
Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh which were of them that search
the land, rent their clothes, and they spake unto all the company
of the children of Israel, saying, The land which we pass through
to search it is an exceeding good land. If the Lord delight
in us, then he will bring us into this land and give it to
us, a land which floweth with milk and honey, only rebel not
ye against the Lord, neither fear ye the people of the land,
for they are bred to us, their defense is departed from them,
and the Lord is with us. Fear them not, but all the congregation
bade stone them with stones. And the glory of the Lord appeared
in the tabernacle of the congregation before all of the children of
Israel." One great example of having some false prophets. And
they were Israelites. All these guys are cousins. They're
all cousins. It doesn't matter. Family ties.
It depends on whether Jesus Christ has been revealed unto us. And
that's the only difference between Joshua and Caleb and the rest
of the other ten spies and the rest of the other folk. Now we
know what happened to them. They wandered around for 38 years
until that generation died off. And in the book of Hebrews it
says these all died in unbelief. They were Esau's. And they met
God on God's terms. Judgment. Now we know what happened
to Joshua and Caleb. They were the only ones of that
generation that got to go in. Well, it doesn't change as we
go through the scriptures. Time and time again, we find
that this subject is brought up that there will be, there
will always be, there is right now in our generation, those
who would take away the simplicity of the gospel and turn it into
a monstrosity. Turn it into all of the things
that have to be added to it. Isaiah and Jeremiah had much
to say about this very problem. They are the prophets just before
the Babylonian captivity. And they're bringing up the problem
that Israel is facing. Why? And most of the false prophets,
there were just a few. that didn't, but most of the
prophets, most of them were false prophets, and they brought up
and said, God will not take us into captivity, because we're
chosen people. And the true prophet said, God
will do with the Esau's as he sees fit. He will protect the
Jacobs, But he will do with the Esau's as he sees fit. And there
were a multitude of Esau's that were taken into Babylonian captivity.
We are thankful for the few that were Jacob's. Would you turn
with me to the book of Isaiah chapter 30? Isaiah chapter 30. As Zachariah brought up, where
are the prophets? And where's that generation?
They're gone. That's the problem with a Levitical
priesthood. That's the problem with an earthly
king. That's the problem with an earthly
priesthood. That's the problem with an earthly
prophet. They die. Sin takes over. Die. Well, here in the book of Isaiah
chapter 30, verse 7. Isaiah chapter 30, verse 7. It says, for the Egyptians shall
help in vain And to no purpose, therefore, have I come concerning
this. Their strength is to sit still.
Now go, write it before them in a table, and note it in a
book, that it may be for the time to come forever and ever,
that this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that
will not hear the law of the Lord, or the gospel, or the word
of God, which say to the seers, see not. say to the seers, we don't want
to have you seeing. In other words, we don't want
to know the truth. And to the prophets, prophesy not unto us
right things, Speak unto us smooth things, prophesied deceits, get
you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy
One of Israel to cease from before us. My goodness, these prophets
and seers, as it's brought out in here, the people said, just
leave us alone. Don't bring up things. You know,
the preaching of the gospel really stirs people up. that young man
that I have been talking to. I didn't get to talk to him today.
He was on vacation. But the last time we talked,
and I said nothing about this. But he brings up, he says, are
you telling me since I don't believe what you believe that
I'm not a believer? I said, I did not say that. I'm
not going there. But someone told me that. If you don't believe this, are
we supposed to say you're okay? If you don't believe the gospel,
am I supposed to say you're okay? Well, of course not. There's
a passage of scripture in the book of Luke. Luke chapter 14. Would you turn there with me?
Luke chapter 14. The Lord Jesus brings this subject up. And it's
interesting that this The word hate in here is the same word
that we find in Romans with regard to Esau. Esau have I hated. Alright, Luke chapter 14 verse
26. If any man come to me and hate
not his father and mother and wife and children and brethren
and sisters, yea, even his own life, also he cannot be my disciple. You know, to say that I gotta
hate my mother and my dad when I'm called on to love them, that's
not what this is talking about. What this is talking about, if
my parents believe something that is unscriptural, I am not
to agree with it. I am to believe God. I'm to agree
with God over my parents. I'm to agree with God over my
children. I'm to agree with God over my
brothers, over my sisters. God has precedent. And if we
have a tendency of agreeing with our brothers or mother or father
when it comes to spiritual things and they're wrong, we're just
as wrong as they are. So he said, you're not my disciple. It's a serious thing for us to
agree with the un-gospel, to agree with the non-gospel, to
agree with the false gospel, to agree with false teachers,
to say Billy Graham was a wonderful preacher. That would be an absolute
lie because he didn't know the gospel. He knew nothing about
it. Anybody that would say that you say by trusting any being
there is in the world, even among those tribes in Africa, just
as long as you believe in a super being or superior being, you're
okay. That's a lie. And we have that
happening here in Israel. It's okay. God will take care
of us. God will take care of us. Well,
there are a whole bunch of people voted against that very thing
and said, I wish we were dead in Egypt. I wish we were dead
in the wilderness. And God just let them have their
wish. False gospel, this is the payment. All right, would you turn with
me to the book of Jeremiah. Jeremiah has a whole
bunch to say about this subject that brought the children of
Israel, the Esauites, into Babylonian captivity. spoke to them, God
spoke to them, God spoke to them, He sent prophets to them, He
sent preachers to them, they stoned the prophets and killed
them that were sent unto them. Now stone us the prophets that
were sent unto you. I sent my prophets unto you,
I sent my preachers to you with the message, and the message
is good. It's a wonderful message, the
message that God will save anybody. God is in the business of saving
the worst of sinners. By sin men run away from God,
whereby it appeareth that sin is the greatest evil, because
it sets us furthest off from the greatest good. Sin takes
us away from the greatest good, God. Well, Jeremiah chapter 5,
Jeremiah chapter 5 and verse 31. Jeremiah chapter 5 and verse
31 we have him writing these words and all through the book
of Jeremiah all through the book of Isaiah and when we get to
the New Testament the Lord brings this subject up, the prophets
or the apostles bring this subject up, Peter brings this subject
up. It's just a constant subject that is brought up about there
are going to be those that are going to come in with these ideas
that take away from the simplicity of the gospel. Be prepared for
it, don't listen to it. Jeremiah chapter 5 verse 31 The prophets prophesy falsely
and the priests bear rule by their means and My people love
to have it so and what will you do in the end thereof? His people
national Israel, I'm so thankful mixed in all of that there are
a few and out of every kindred, nation, people, and tongue that
God's Word comes to them in such a capacity they're overwhelmed
by it. It is effectual to them. Jeremiah
chapter 6. Jeremiah chapter 6, and these
prophecies are before the Babylonian captivity, and he keeps warning
them. How faithful God is, and how
great God is to continuously warn, and warn, and warn, and
warn. The same is true today, that
He is long suffering to usward. not willing that any should perish,
but all should come to repentance. If we were in that position right
now, we'd just say, wrap it up. But out of this whole mess, all
things fall out for the furtherance of the gospel. Someone is going
to look back and say, I heard the gospel during those terrible
times. I heard it, not some phlegm, but I heard the real gospel. Jeremiah chapter 6 and verse
11, the word says, therefore I am full of fury of the Lord.
I am weary with holding in. I will pour it out unto the children
abroad, and upon the assembly of young men together. For even
the husband with the wife shall be taken, and the aged with him
that is in full of days. And their horses shall be turned
unto others with their fields and wives together, for I will
stretch out my hand upon the inhabitants of the land, saith
the Lord. And from the least of them, even
unto the greatest of them, every one is given to covetousness.
And from the prophet, even unto the priest, every one dealeth
falsely. By and large, these false prophets
were motivated by gain, covetousness. There's a song, Would Jesus Wear
a Rolex? Most are in the profit game. Preaching the gospel is only
profitable as God makes it profitable, and it's spiritual profitability. Through the book of Jeremiah,
through the book of Ezekiel, these words continue on, Turn
with me, if you would, to the book of Ezekiel, chapter 22.
Ezekiel, chapter 22. The glorious thing, as we go
through the book of Zechariah, as we get to the next part, and
it's speaking about the hope of Israel, the Lord Jesus, the
hope of salvation, the Savior, the promise of the Savior, the
effects of the Savior, the benefits of the Savior. And here, the
same thing was being said throughout the Old Testament, and the warnings
came up, and the false prophets would say, it's not so. I have
a better plan. Here in the book of Ezekiel chapter
22 and verse 24, it says, son of man, say unto them, thou art
the land into that is not cleansed, nor rained upon in the day of
indignation. There is a conspiracy of her
prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravaging
the prey. They have devoured souls. They
have taken the treasure, the precious things. They have made
her many widows in the midst thereof. Her priests have violated
my law and have profaned my holy things. They have put no difference
between the holy and the profane. Neither have they shown difference
between the unclean and the clean. and have hid their eyes from
my Sabbaths and am profaned among them. Her princes in the midst
of her are like wolves, ravaging the prey to shed blood and to
destroy souls, to get dishonest gain. And her prophets have dabbed
them with untempered mortar, seeing vanity and divining lies
unto them, saying, thus saith the Lord God when the Lord hath
not spoken." There was one prophet that Zechariah dealt with, Hilkiah. I think it was Hilkiah. He had all of the outward appearance
of being a prophet. Oh, God has said, God has said,
God has said. And Jeremiah got in his face,
he says, God has not spoken about you. You know, it took a discerning,
very discerning prophet to say to that. Well, just a couple
of more verses and we'll close. Matthew Chapter 24. Would you
look there with me? Matthew Chapter 24. Matthew Chapter
24 in verse 5. For many shall come in my name
saying, I am Christ. How could that happen? I am the
Messiah? The Lord said it. I am the Messiah. and shall deceive many. And in
that same chapter, verse 11, it says, and many false prophets
shall rise and shall deceive many. Who are the deceived ones
though? Only Esau. Only Esau. God will protect the
Jacobs. Oh, for a moment, we say, oh
my goodness, that sounds good. And then, A passage of scripture
is brought up to us from someone and says, oh my goodness, that
is so false. Over in the book of 2 Peter.
2 Peter chapter 2. 2 Peter 2 verses 1, 2, and 3. But there were false prophets
also among the people. Old Testament. Even as there
shall be false teachers among you, who privately shall bring
in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and
bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious
ways, by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken
of. And through covetousness shall they have with fiend words
make merchandise of you, whose judgment now of a long time lingereth
not, and their damnation slumbereth not." Making merchandise. It's
a prophet thing. Jeremiah often refers to false
prophets. And there's one he speaks about
by name. His name is Hananiah. And his name means Jehovah is
gracious. He's found in Jeremiah chapter
28 verses 1 through 17. You might mark that down, take
it home and read it. We usually think of false prophets
as a charlatan, or a quack, or a idolater, or an immoral individual. One who is obviously deceptive,
but this guy was not. And finally, he proved himself
in error. He disagreed with God. You can't disagree with God. Well, Lord willing, next time
we'll pick up at the beginning of that second message of Zachariah. And there's going to be a vision
here and it's kind of like Daniel, it's kind of like Revelation.
And if we look at it from a literal standpoint, we're going to find
ourselves in trouble. If we look at it from a spiritual
standpoint, we'll say yay and amen and hallelujah, because
it all speaks of the glory of Christ and His salvation is great.