The book of Revelation chapter
19, and I'd like to read verses 16 through 21 and hopefully cover
those verses. There's some things in here as
in other writings, other places are hard to be understood. I
must keep in mind this is the revelation of Jesus Christ. If
there are some things that we don't know about, it's time to
pass over them. Don't say something that you
will regret later. If the Bible is silent, be silent. So that's my belief on this. And there's some, it tells us
some things here and I think we can get a principle out of
these verses of scripture. We may not get the exact interpretation. So Revelation chapter 19 verse
16, this we can say some words about. And he hath on his vesture
and on his thigh a name written. And I like the, great big capital
letters, King of Kings and Lord of Lords. And I saw an angel
standing in the sun. And he cried with a loud voice,
saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, come
and gather yourselves together under the supper of the great
God. Now, I find it difficult. To look at that as literal, I
think it has some spiritual understanding there. And that is, there will
be the ultimate and total demise of every enemy of God and the
church. And that's how it's represented.
I remember reading about the war, Indian War, up here in Washington. And finally, the cavalry, the
army decided the only way to contain those Indians was to
destroy all their horses. And they did. And the destruction
of those, that mobility that those Indians had was by the
hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of vultures that were present. that represented the destruction
of that society. And that is written in history.
So there was a lot of dead carcasses, and the birds that came, that
enjoy that sort of thing, represented the end of that society. And
I think that that's what we're gonna see here, that these represent
the end of sin, the end of death, the end of hell. the end of tears
for God's people. And it's represented by this
great flock of birds that come. As it goes on to share with us,
that they may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains,
and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and
of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free
and bond, both great and small. This is a representation of how
God is going to take care of these things in the end. Now
the point I want to look at tonight is not only does the Lord share
with us in word, I am King of Kings and Lord of Lords, but
he also, as we'll look over again in the book of 1 Thessalonians,
shares with us He does it in power. It's one thing to say
that I'm king of kings and lord of lords. It is another thing
to say or to show us that he is king of kings and lord of
lords. So I think that that's what we're
seeing here is this is the power of God demonstrated against all
enemies and the representation of it is there's nothing left. There is no evil left. There is no wickedness left.
There is no sin left. There's no enemies of the church. There's no religion left. It is consumed by the power of
the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He goes on to share with
us here in Revelation 19. And I saw the beast and the kings
of the earth and their armies gathered to make war against
him that sat on the horse and against his army. Now this has
been ongoing since Cain and Abel. We see the destruction that was
brought about by religion, the destruction that's brought about
by the fall against God's people and against God's word and against
God's principles. And this is ongoing and here
will be the end of it. The promises made at the cross.
The end of it is coming when Jesus Christ shall come again.
And these birds represent the total destruction. The bones
will be picked clean, if you please. And the animals will
represent this is God taking care of his business. I promised
it by my word on King of Kings and Lord of Lords. I will demonstrate
it with great power. He goes on to share with us here. Verse 20, And the beast was taken,
and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before
him, with which he deceived them that received the mark of the
beast. And remember, the ones that received the mark of the
beast are those whose names are not written in the Lamb's book
of life. They have the mark of the beast. They're born with
it. They didn't have to stand in line. They are born with the
mark of the beast, the mark of religion. We have this self-willed
works religion born in us and we can't get rid of it until
as we sang in that song, we're born of God. He's the only one
that can wash that works religion, self, strong-willed religion
out of us and cause us to worship God. And so this beast and this
false prophet, as they're displayed as the results of the fall and
the results of religion and the results of this self-willed,
strong-willed free willed religion that's been propagated since
Cain went up against Abel and said, I can do as good or even
better than you can. You're following God's word,
but I'll surely get a little bit of good because my good works
will outweigh my bad works and God will have respect on me at
least a little. Well, the Lord said he had no
respect on his sacrifice. And then he tells us here, and
them that worshipped his image, these both were cast. Now, I
have one of Dean's dolls in my study there. I asked her to build
me a doll like she'd been given away, and she built me one. You'll have to look at it. It's
hanging on my wall in there on my shelf. And when I read this
and looked at this, I just felt like that this beast and false
prophet were rag dolls in the hands of the king of kings and
lord of lords and he did whatsoever and whithersoever he pleased
with them there was no resistance by them they could go kicking
and screaming but this is the king of kings and lord of lords
dealing with religion, dealing with sin, dealing with free will,
dealing with everything that we were born into by nature and
he dealt with it with such greatness because he is king of kings and
lord of lords. It's one thing to say I'm king
of kings. It's another thing to just Demonstrate
it. It's another one thing to say
I'm Lord of lords. It's another thing to demonstrate
it and we see this Demonstrated this in this passage of scripture
God Almighty in Christ Jesus demonstrating his kingship and
his lordship against the worst enemies that we could ever come
up against And he did it as if they were rag dolls. What's it
say? The beast was taken and with
him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him with which
he deceived them that received the mark of the beast and then
that worshiped his image. These both were cast alive into
the lake of fire burning with brimstone. They had no alternative. They're dealing with the King
of Kings and Lord of Lords. He had them by the hand, if you
please. They're ragdolls in His presence. He deals with it by
His grace. He deals with it by His mercy
and He deals with it by His blood. And this demonstration of who
God is and what God can do with those sometimes we feel we'll
never overcome. We won't. He did. So it's taken
care of. And then finally in verse 21,
And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat on
the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth, and all the
fowls were filled with their flesh. Nothing left. They will be taken care of. They
were, they have been, and will, by God's grace, at His coming
again, see this fulfilled. Everything that is opposed to
God, from beginning to end, will be taken care of, finally and
forever. It's promised at the cross. He
took care of sin at the cross. He took care of death at the
cross, and yet we die. He took care of the grave, yet
we're buried. He takes care of all of that, and yet it happens
in our life. The consequences of it is taken
care of. The consequences of sin is taken
care of. The second death is taken care
of. The grave that we so desperately
waved our hand at, no, no, no, no, no, is taken care of. And the Lord has promised that
he is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Now, let's look at
a few verses here. One of them is found in First
Timothy. First Timothy chapter one. First Timothy chapter one
and verse 17. First Timothy chapter one, verse
17. As we see this King of Kings.
He is in charge. He is not only declares it and
has declared it throughout the word, but he demonstrates it
throughout the word. I'm king of kings and lord of
lords, and I will make Nebuchadnezzar go out in the grass. I'm king
of kings and lord of lords, and I will drown Pharaoh. I'm king
of kings and lord of lords, and I will deal with Cain. I'm king
of kings and lord of lords, and I'll deal with his father and
mother. There was a creation after the
creation. Adam and Eve did not have to
watch for thistles. But as soon as they sinned, they
had to watch for thistles. God brought things out of this
ground. He had not brought out of this ground prior to that.
He had not brought out sticky hawthorns. He had not brought
out briars with stickers on it, but now. It happened. And as a result of that, we find
that those animals that were used to eating grass became carnivorous
as a result of the fall. And he demonstrates time and
time and time again, I am king of kings and Lord of lords. Not
only can I say it, and that should be enough, and for the church
it is. If the Lord just stood up and said, I'm king of kings
and Lord of lords, the church would say yay and amen. But he
goes one step further for us to let me show you I'll take
on your enemies every enemy and I'll deal with them, and you're
gonna see the flocks of carnivorous birds eating their flesh as a
picture, as a type, and as a shadow, that there will be nothing left. I'll take care of it completely.
All right, here in the book of 1 Timothy 1, verse 17, it says,
now unto the king eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God,
be honor and glory forever and ever, amen. the King eternal,
immortal and invisible. And in the same book, chapter
six and verse 15, we find these words that share with us again. And this is a statement that
is made, whether it's made verbally or in his power, this passage
is fulfilled in every chapter of every book of the Bible. Just
as we read it in the final book of our Bible, here in first Timothy
chapter six and verse 15, Which in his times he shall show who
is the blessed and only potentate. Now that's enough, but he goes
on to say, let's clarify that. Blessed and only potentate, the
king of kings and lord of lords. Now he demonstrates, I will save
my people from their sin. And what does he do with the
woman at the well? What does he do with the man
that was born blind? He meets them and saves them
and takes away their sin nature and gives them the nature of
God. I am king of kings, let me show
you. Now he's doing that over here
in the book of Revelation, those verses that we read. Turn with
me if you would as we look at how the word teaches this very
principle. One of, I've got lots of favorites. This has really been one lately.
We've read it a lot of times lately. First Thessalonians chapter
one. I only wanna read one verse here,
but it just shares with us that as Paul was preaching, His word,
the word of God, did not come in word only. Did not come in word only. Now
that's enough. We're thankful for that. If God
would just let us, let people hear in word only, that's grace
that they ever heard the word of God, of God's grace. But to
his people, he goes so much further, just as he shares with us over
here, not only am I king of kings and lord of lords, let me show
you how I demonstrate that. And he shares that in 1 Thessalonians
1, verse 5, for our gospel came not unto you in word only. We
are thankful. Now if that's all he ever let
us hear, it's grace. But that's never converted anybody.
Just hearing the word. There has to be power in it. Our gospel came not to you in
word only, but also in power. Let me show you what I mean.
Let me demonstrate that I have the power to do what I said I
will do. Came not to you only, in word
only, but also in power and in the Holy Ghost. And in much assurance,
as you know what manner of men we were among you for your sakes. It's not just in word. Being
king of kings and lord of lords, God's saying that, the church
says amen, but then he goes on so often. Look at Joshua. Look at the book of Joshua. Look
at the book of Kings, Chronicles. Look at the book of Job, Jonah. Look at these books, how not
only did he say, but he demonstrated. He caused a great wind. He caused
a great fish. He's king of kings and lord of
lords. Now, as we look at this, we find
in those verses of scripture in the book of Revelation, that
he has power, he's king, he's declared it and by his actions
he's demonstrating it. Every enemy will be subdued and
it will be in such a demonstration that there will not be any flesh
left on their bones. The birds will be filled. The
spiritual birds will be filled to the point that the church
knows no more enemies. And that's all I can say. In
His presence, there will be no more tears. There will be no
more pain. There will be no more sin. It
is what a declaration God gives to us in the Book of Romans.
Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? When every
enemy has every bit of flesh tore off their bones and their
bones consumed, no charge can be brought against the people
of God. I am King of Kings and Lord of
Lords, let me show you how. And the church just says, hallelujah.
Thank God Almighty that he went to that extreme to take care
of all the enemies, all our sin, and everything held against us
in such a capacity that the birds are filled in the flesh of our
sin. Birds are filled in the flesh of our death. The birds
are filled. And they're going to fly off. All right, now turn
with me, if you would, in this passage of scripture, verses
19 through 21, we find some strange things mentioned there, and it
just represents every strange way. There is a sound about the
gospel. You know it and I know it. There's
a sound about the gospel. There's something so clear. There's
a sound about the gospel that is such a clear sound. Now, yesterday
I went over to Wells East and I found a little box that used
to hold a belt buckle. And I picked it up and went rattle,
rattle, rattle, and I said, oh, I know what's in here. And there
were 17 Ike dollars. And some Kennedy half dollars. About $20 worth of stuff in there.
And I looked at that Ike dollar, and you know, I kind of liked
Ike. But that Ike dollar can't hold
a candle to a Morgan silver dollar. I mean, you can look at that,
and you can go ping on it, and it goes bong. And you take a
Morgan dollar and go, and it just rings. I mean, there's a
tone about it that's pleasing. You got something. Now, that's
the way it is. The difference between The world's
gospel and the Lord's gospel. The world's gospel is not another
gospel. Paul explains that in the book of Galatians. It's not
another gospel. I'm surprised that you have so
soon sold out for another gospel, which is not another gospel.
It doesn't have a clear tone. You got lots of stuff. There's
a lot of impurities in your gospel. And if you have impurities, you
don't have the gospel. Get the silver. Get that clear
tone. Well, that's what we find here.
The Lord is taking care of all of the impurities. He's taking
care of every other way. He's taking care of every strange
way in this passage of Scripture. He's taking care of the beast
and the false prophet and everybody that follows them. He's taking
care of everybody whose names are not written in the Lamb's
Book of Life. He is taking care of them and demonstrating that
He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Now, there are some
verses that I'd like to illustrate this point. Turn with me, if
you would, over to the book of Leviticus chapter 10 and verse
1. Leviticus chapter 10 and verse
1. And I'm going to read three verses, one here in Leviticus
and two in Numbers, that share with us what it is to have every
strange way or another way. Aaron had, I believe it's four
sons. Two sons, they were in the priesthood. And they had all the regalia.
And they said one day among themselves, God doesn't know what he's talking
about. We can improve on this. And it says they offered strange
fire. All right, that should be okay.
God will overlook this. Turn with me to Leviticus chapter
10. Leviticus chapter 10. Verse one. Now this is the representation
of what we're reading in the book of Revelation. Here's two
boys, priest boys, in the priesthood boys, young men, that took it upon themselves
to do something that God did not say was what I want done.
And they offered strange fire. Verse and Nadab and Abihu, the
sons of Aaron. Now that those words there are
there for a reason. Aaron's sons trained in the priesthood. We got preachers here doing this
nonsense. They're representing God to the
people. took either of them his censer,
and put fire thereon, and put incense thereon, and offered
strange fire before the Lord, which he commanded not. And there
went out fire from the Lord, and devoured them, and they died
before the Lord." Now, we're seeing that over here in the
book of Revelation, too. I'm king of kings and lord of
lords. Don't do it. And I'll show you. I'm king of
kings and lord of lords. I can snuff you out. for doing
this, and he did. And he told Aaron, don't you
weep one tear. They offered strange fire. Well,
in the book of Numbers chapter three and Numbers chapter 26,
we have the same comment. Let's turn over there. Numbers
chapter three, verse four, they offered strange fire. And over
here in the book of Revelation, those last few verses, 19, 20,
and 21, we see the results of offering strange fire. Free will
works religion. That's what we're witnessing
here. This is what God judged them about, and that's what we're
going to read over here in the book of Revelation chapter 19
verses 19, 20, and 21. The results of offering strange
fire, having no relationship to God. These are those whose
names are not written in the Lamb's Book of Life. This is
works religion to the core, and this is what God will do with
it. In Numbers chapter 3, verse 4,
the scripture says, and Nadab and Abihu died before the Lord
when they offered strange fire before the Lord in the wilderness
of Sinai, and they had no children. And Eliezer and Ithamar ministered
in the priest's office in the sight of Aaron, their father.
Two sons came along and they, whether they learned it spiritually
or not, they learned it physically, don't mess with the King of Kings
and Lord of Lords. He has a reason for what he said
and they went against it. Religion goes against God in
every corner and this is what he will do. He will reign as
King of Kings and Lord of Lords. In 2 Thessalonians chapter 2,
2 Thessalonians chapter 2, let's look at here as the Apostle Paul
was used by the Holy Spirit to write this letter to the saints
at Thessalonica. And I appreciated when we started
the book of 1 Corinthians there, that when it mentions the church
of the Thessalonians, if you look at Thessalonia, it is a
sin, it's a sinned in, just like Corinth. Don't forget where you're
saved from. The saints at Thessalonica, don't
forget where you're saved from. You're not some special entity
out here. God saved you out of Thessalonica. God saved you out of sin. God
saved you out of Dupher. God saved you out of the Dalles.
God saved you out of this. All right, he says here in 1
Thessalonians, excuse me, 2 Thessalonians chapter two, Verse three, let
no man despise you by any means, for that day shall not come.
Now look at all the words that are in italics. For except there
come a falling away first. Now that falling away took place
in the Garden of Eden and has happened ever since. That means
apostasy, offering strange fire, following after the beast and
the false prophet. works religion. Free will works
religion. This is it. This is the heart
and core. And it's going to happen, and
it happens. Well, except there be falling away and the man of
sin be revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalteth himself
above all that is called God, or that is worshiped, so that
he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that
he is God. You know, I've had people, this,
oh, that's pointing to that guy right over there. And pointing
to that guy over there. He's pointing to us. That's the
serious point here. We are all by nature exalting
ourselves and speaking for God on words he didn't even agree
to. No worse thing than lying on
God. And I was talking to Wayne Boyd. He and I both had to get
down. I didn't get on my knees, sorry. I can pray without doing
that. But I had to ask God to forgive me about lying about
him. That's what we do by nature.
We lie about God. We exalt ourselves. We don't
mind offering strange fire and think we're doing God a service.
All right, it goes on down through here. Remember, you're not verse five
that when I was yet with you, I told you these things. And
now, you know, what withholdeth that he might be revealed in
his time for the mystery of iniquity that's already work. Only he
who now let us. Got two words there. That's a
doctrines are based on two words that are not found in the original
until he'd be taken out of the way. And then shall that wicked
be revealed. Now, I find nowhere in the whole
Bible that the Holy Spirit is going to be taken out of this
world until Jesus Christ comes. People say, I remember a man
down at rescue, he wanted to know, his daughter was real faithful
and studied hard and was really a, and she just turned away and
walked away and no longer, and he asked, did she commit, send
away her dad, Grace? And I said, has she died? No? All right, there's hope. If she's dead, But if she's alive,
God is able, and he will not pull out his Holy Spirit out
of this world, out of the business of saving until the last sheep
is saved, and then it's over. So don't base a whole doctrine
on the Holy Spirit being taken out in time. It's not here. We have to add words to make
it that way. Verse 10, and with all deceivableness
and 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. Now I used to think, well, that's
applying to those really out on the edge religions. Well,
they're way out. We wouldn't have a thing to do
with it. No. He's saying this to the straightest, most orthodox,
most down-the-road Baptist church in the world. If you believe
not me, I'll send you strong delusion. And we're born that
way. We got it. We got a set of glasses
on that everything is, what is it, purple glasses, is that the
one that's, Rose colored, you bet. And only until he strips
us do we see that it's his blood and righteousness that we have
to depend on. And for this cause, God shall send them, verse 11,
strong delusion, and they shall believe a lie, that they all
might be damned who believe not the truth, but had pleasure in
unrighteousness. Now, verse eight, and Then shall
that wicked be revealed when the Lord shall consume with the
spirit of his mouth and shall destroy with the brightness of
his coming. Destroy all this with the brightness
of his coming. And what did we find over in
Revelation chapter 19 verses 19, 20, and 21? destruction by
the brightness of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. And
I will illustrate this to you spiritually by there will not
be a ounce of flesh left on their bones. And I will take the man
of sin, and I will take the false prophet, and I'll take the beast,
and I will take them as rag dolls and throw them into the place
of eternal destruction and demonstrate I'm King of Kings and Lord of
Lords. Now that's how successful our God is. Our enemies, great
enemies, are ragdolls in his hands because he is the King
of kings and Lord of lords. And when he shall come, he shall
consume them with the spirit of his mouth. The King of kings
and the Lord of lords declares war with the power of the enemy. I have declared war. He takes
on all the results of the fall. That's wonderful thought. He
takes on all the results of the fall. Nothing shall be left out. There's not one result of the
fall he will not deal with, and he will not deal with in his
kingship and his lordship. The king has such power that
these enemies are taken and destroyed. Everything else is slain by the
word of his power. And I say, what a great king. Now I direct you finally to the
book of the Psalms, Psalm 18. Mike mentioned something the
other day. It's going to be several years before we get to this verse
in Psalm 18. But let's look at three or four
verses here. Psalm 18, as we look at the immense
authority and power of the Lord God Almighty as King of kings
and Lord of lords, a blessed and only potentate, King of kings
and Lord of lords. In Psalm 18, beginning with verse
37, Psalm 18 verse 37. Now it's good reading up to this
point, but I have to select something. Verse 37, I have pursued my enemies
and overtaken them. Neither did I turn away till
they were consumed. I have wounded them that they
were not able to rise. They are fallen under my feet. Oh, you find carvings of the
ancients. When they won a victory, they
planted their feet on the neck of their enemy. And that's what God is sharing
with us about the Lord. He will, like a rag doll, take
all our enemies and consume them. And the illustration is so profound
that every bird of the air will feast on their flesh and they
will not even wiggle. Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? It is God that justifies. There
will not be one sin left. It will be consumed. They were
at the cross. I'm just saying a picture here.
All right, let's go on. I've wounded them that they were
not able to rise. They are fallen under my feet.
For thou has girded me with strength unto the battle. Thou has subdued
under me those that rose up against me. Thou has also given me the
necks of my enemies that I might destroy them that hate me. Now that's pretty inclusive.
I'll destroy them that hate me. And I'll destroy them that hate
you. And I'm king of kings and lord of lords. I say it, I demonstrate
it. It's declared, let me show you. And he does that in those last
verses of the 19th chapter of the book of Revelation. I am
king of kings and lord of lords. Let me show you what I did for
you. Let me show you what I'm doing for you. And let me show
you what I will do for you. there will not be one left, one
enemy left. And those that seem to be in
charge of all of this, I will pick them up like a rag doll
and cast them into the everlasting burning pit, which burns forever
and ever. And you will not be faced with
their influence, you'll not be faced with their doctrine, you'll
not be faced with their preaching, you'll not be faced with that
ever again. I'm looking for that. I can't
imagine what that's going to be like because we're faced with
that all the time. Whether negatively or really
negatively in our own mind or hearing it from someone else.
So I am King of Kings. On his vesture, on his thigh
was a name written which is Lord of Lords and King of Kings. King
of Kings and Lord of Lords. Every king is under me and every
lord is under me. And those who think they're the
biggest, they have the farthest to fall. All right, we'll stop
there tonight.