Join me, if you would, in the
book of Revelation, chapter 16, as we look at the seventh angel
and his ministry. Now, I say his ministry because
at the onset of this chapter, we find that the Lord spoke to
these seven angels and commissioned them on what they were to do.
This is not something they're doing on their own. This is something
that God commissioned them to do. And if we look there in Revelation
16, and it says in verse 1, I heard a great voice out of the temple
saying to the seven angels, go your ways and pour out the vials
of the wrath of God upon the earth. And the first went, and
so forth, and so forth, down to the seventh that we're looking
at. So they're on divine commission. And so often we find in the scriptures
that God's wrath is wrath to unbelievers, but is blessing
to God's people. And here we find that, and the
more I look at this, the more I'm convinced that this is seven
statements about the effects of the gospel when it is preached.
Seven preachers representing all gospel preachers, seven effects
of preaching the gospel from various aspects and what it does
to people and how it affects people. And we can just, now,
it may not be that it's this one, but God's gonna use it in
this way. And it looks, to me, it just
looks like that's the way it is. Now, I apologize, I can't
find a commentator that agrees with me. They can be wrong if they want
to be. I have yet to find a commentary
on the book of Revelation. Now, the man I heard the gospel
from was very wise. He wrote about all the books
of the New Testament in a Bible class commentary except the book
of Revelation. And he probably showed wisdom
in doing so. I would never write a book on the Book of Revelation.
I might preach through it two or three times, but I'd never
write a book on it. People are just going to find too much against
it, because it does, usually, what you find as we speak from
it does not fit the pattern that is so prominent today, and has
been prominent for many years. But still, underneath all of
that prominence, there have been people that said, this book is
a book of comfort. This book is a book of the greatness
of God. This book is not talking about
war and all that stuff that is so often associated with that
word apocalypse. It is the light to lighten the
Gentiles. And when we go through here,
I've seen great light about the glory of God. I've seen great
light about the power of God. I've seen a great light about
the salvation of God, the deliverance of God, and all the things that
he does for his people as they're found in this book. So, to me,
it is a light to lighten us. It's a light to encourage us.
It was in that time. It was not a book written to
bring these people to sadness. The ultimate reason for this
book was not to bring people to sadness. It was a book to
bring them to joy. They've had enough sadness in
their life from the world. Persecution is on all sides.
So this book to me just shares so much about the glory of God
and the effects of the gospel. Please, he is saying to the pastors
of the seven churches of Asia, don't stop because it is appealing
to other people. And to those pastors of those
churches that needed help, Get back to the right thing. Get
back to the necessary thing. Get back to the gospel. Get back
to Jesus Christ. Get back to the simplicity of
the gospel. And if we see anything else in this passage with regard
to these seven vials as it reflects on the effects of the gospel,
it is to get back to the simplicity of the gospel. Preach Christ.
Preach Christ. And don't worry about the other
stuff. All right, in this chapter 16 and verse 17, it says, the
seventh angel poured out his vial into the air, and there
came a great noise out of the temple of heaven from the throne
saying, it is done. And there were voices, and thunders,
and lightnings, and there was a great earthquake, such as not
since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and
so great. And the great city was divided
into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell, and great
Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup
of the wine of the fiercest of His wrath. And every island fled
away, and the mountains were not found. And there fell upon
men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight
of a talent. And men blasphemed God because of the plague of
the hail, for the plague thereof was exceeding great. Now, once
again, if we look at this from what it says in words, we're
going to have a problem. If we look at what these words
reflect on, what they say from a metaphorical position, what
they say spiritually, then we're going to get a blessing out of
it. Now, one of the things that I'd like to deal with tonight
that I haven't yet to this point, and we've had this word seven
times up to this point. We read the seventh one tonight.
That's the word vile. excuse me, poured out and the
word vile. I could look at those two words
because when we look at them, so often they're pointed to us
as here again is God pouring out his wrath and it's a judgment. Well, the gospel is judgment.
There's no question about it. But when we find how this word
is used in other places, we find that it carries with it the idea
to bestow or to distribute largely. And we're going to see that.
And I'd like to read three or four other places where this
word is found, only it was translated by the King James people in a
different way. And as we look at those translations,
sometimes we get a glimpse of what this word really means.
If they translate it four or five different ways, sometimes
they really couldn't set what it distinctly meant, but it has
all of these values to it. Turn with me, if you would, back
to the Book of Acts. I think it's interesting that
one of the first places that this word is used is found in
the Book of Acts, Chapter 2, and this has to do with with
the Holy Spirit so often, and the power of God so often, and
to bestow and to distribute largely, not small amounts, but a large
amount. And we truly see that the gospel,
as it is poured out in this manner, as the preaching of the gospel
goes forth, if we look at this as just a little insignificant
thing that we're trying to carry out, that's going to be the results
of it. If we look at this as God's command
and God's word, and it's a great God that's commanded us to do
this, and that salvation is a great salvation, then we're going to
have a different view of what this gospel is. In the book of
Acts chapter 2, verse 17 and 18, in both of those verses,
this word is used, and it carries with it the idea of, I will pour
out. God is going to do this. I will
pour out Acts chapter 2 verses 17 and verse 18. It says, and
it shall come to pass in the last day, saith the Lord, I'll
pour out my spirit upon all flesh. Now, the last days is what they're
talking about right there. They're not talking about some
future time. They're talking about an event that's taking
place here. It's recorded earlier in the Bible, but it's taking
place on the day of Pentecost. They're seeing the effect of
it. They are seeing the effect of
this pouring out. It says there, it's found in
the book of Joel, Old Testament, this prophecy is made and the
disciples, the apostles, I should say, are seeing that the the
fulfillment of that prophecy is not future, but it's happening
before their very eyes that day, the day of Pentecost. And it
says, verse 16, but this is what that which was spoken by the
prophet Joel. Now if the Holy Spirit, or I
should say since the Holy Spirit, gave the apostle, those words
to say about that prophecy in Joel that this is being fulfilled
in our eyes right now, I'm going to take that for what it says.
And I don't have to look for a future event that resembles
this. This is it right here. What did
the prophet Joel it shall come to pass in the last day saith
God? I will pour out my spirit upon
all flesh now that's the same word that we find pour out that
we find over the book of Revelation that this pastor is doing with
this vial now that vial means When I hear the word vial, there's
two meanings to the word vial. I like the definition of that
word vial. It means a broad, shallow bowl. Now I had some chili beans tonight,
and they were put into a vial under that definition. A broad,
shallow bowl. And the meaning, it carries with
it the meaning of being able to be emptied quickly. If I want
to pour it out, it can be emptied quickly. So it doesn't mean that
is a vial vial, it means it's a small shallow bowl, or excuse
me, a broad shallow bowl. The words is suggestive of rapidity
in emptying. Quickly, I can empty it quickly.
I'll tell you when we get to looking at these words and find
how that relates to the gospel, The gospel better be there pretty
soon. When I listen to someone preach, I want the gospel to
be there pretty quickly. I want it poured out pretty soon.
I don't want to wait a long, long, long, long, long time before
the gospel is poured out. I want it soon, because that's
what satisfies my soul. That's what gives me peace, is
the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's what encourages
me, and that's what God is using these seven preachers to share
with us. Pour it out quickly. And pour
it out in abundance. This is what is written by the
prophet Joel. Pour out my spirit upon all flesh. And in verse 18, and on my servants
and on my handmaids, I will pour out in those days of my spirit
and they shall prophesy. I will pour out. This is a big
bucket being emptied quickly. I pour it out. It's going to
have a big effect. It had a big effect on the day
of Pentecost. 11, no, 12 preachers preached the
gospel. They preached to 12 languages,
people that were there for the purpose of a religious meeting.
They heard the gospel. They heard the word of God in
their own language. Now that's a big pouring out.
And when we read that, 5,000 were saved at the conclusion
of that meeting. Now, everybody I've talked to
that's heard about four people being converted as a result of
the preaching there at Crossville has rejoiced. My goodness, four
people. 5,000 at one time. Talk about a big pouring out
of God's Spirit upon people that were gathered together. Now we
have no idea how many were there, but there were people from a
lot of different countries. They spoke different languages.
They had the same religion, but they spoke different languages.
and their religion was changed. As we follow this out in this
latter part of the book of Revelation chapter 16, that is one of the
things that God does for us. He changes our view about religion
and we are changed completely to have a view of God that is
godly. It's a biblical view of God.
We do not have a human view of God when he converts us. We have
a biblical view of God. Reading over there in the book
of Second Chronicles, and it shouldn't amaze me because I'm
the same way, but those people were given a tremendous victory
by God and the king goes over and it says, took the idols that
had been carved and brought them home and bowed down to them.
And the prophet goes, isn't it enough that God wins the victory
for you? The gospel gives a great view
of God. It's no longer this I can manipulate
God view. It's no longer this view that
God is my buddy, God's my co-pilot. In fact, that just rankles us
when we see it because God is God. He rules and reigns, and
that's one of the things the gospel does to his people, and
we find that brought out in this. We'll get there in just a moment.
Turn with me to the second chapter of Acts again, verse 23, the
same word is used there. Acts 2, well, that's not the one I wanted.
It says in this verse, he hath shed forth. 33, okay, thank you. Therefore, being by the right
hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise
of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see
and hear. Same words, shed forth, which
you now. Now, to those 12, I'm convinced
they are witnessing a miracle. To the 12, they're witnessing
the mighty hand of God. To the 12, they are witnessing
God's word being fulfilled through the prophet and also the Lord
Jesus Christ said you stay in Jerusalem until you be endued
with power from on high and they stayed in Jerusalem and this
is the result. The preaching of the gospel,
it was not ecstatic speech, it was not speaking in tongues like
it's spoken of today, but it was that everyone heard in their
own language the wonderful word of God. That's what it goes on
to tell us. So as we read here, this is being
carried out. Verse 33 there again, it says,
being by the right hand of God exalted and having received of
the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he has shed forth
this which you now see and hear. And this is Peter, but I'm convinced
that all of the other 11 were preaching similar messages. I don't think they were interpreting
Peter's message, but I think that they were preaching the
same thing. They were preaching the gospel.
It appears that they were dealing with what was happening right
in front of them. And their messages would be much
the same. I think that Andrew was preaching about what
happened in Joel. in a different language. But
what happened in Joel? So that they would know that
this thing that was happening in front of them had been prophesied
in the Old Testament, and this is a sign of God pouring out
His Spirit. And this is the word that we
find over there in the book of Revelation, when they poured
out their bile, they poured out their very low broad, shallow
bowl. All right? Turn with me, if you
would, to Acts chapter 10 and verse 45. Acts chapter 10 and
verse 45. The act of God upon his people
through the preaching of the gospel. Acts chapter 10 and verse
45. And they of the circumcision
which believed were astonished. The Jews. The Jews were astonished. Verse 44, While Peter yet spake
these words, the Holy Spirit fell on all them that heard the
word. And they of the circumcision,
or the Jews, which believed, were astonished. And as many
as came with Peter, because on the Gentiles also was poured
out the gift of the Holy Spirit. That word poured out again. What
a magnificent statement is made here about the work of God. He
poured it out. He poured out His Spirit. And
the Spirit was poured out upon these people. What happened to
them? They're regenerated. God poured
out His Spirit. He put us under the drip. He
poured out his spirit and he placed us in the right place.
He placed everyone that was there on the day of Pentecost to be
there at that place at the appointed time so that they could hear
the gospel and he would pour out his spirit upon them. Turn
with me if you would just a little further in the book of Romans
chapter five. Romans chapter five. Romans chapter
five verse five. The same word is used there that
we find over here in the book of Revelation seven times, poured
out. Each of those angels, each of
those pastors poured out. And oh, God's preachers pray
for the pouring out, pouring out of the spirit, pouring out
of the word, pouring out of the gospel. Romans chapter 5, there
in verse 5 it says, and hope maketh not ashamed because the
love of God is shed abroad in our hearts. That word shed abroad
is the same word that we find over there for poured out. The
love of God is shed, how much is that? How much does he give
us? Without measure. You cannot get
the height, the breadth, the width, or the depth of the love
of God. How much love did God give us? Infinite amount because
God is infinite. It is without measure. The love of God, it says there
in verse five, the hope maketh not ashamed because the love
of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, which
is given unto us. So he fills completely. There
is nothing left over. There's no space that's not touched. I'm reminded of when Solomon
dedicated the temple over there in the Old Testament. And it
says that there was a smoke in that temple. The priest couldn't
even enter in, it was so filled. That's the way it is when the
Holy Spirit is poured out in our soul. When it is done. He pours out. This is that pouring
out. And one other verse over here
in the book of Titus. Titus chapter three. Titus chapter
three. This word again is used that
we find these seven times in the book of Revelation chapter
16. These seven pastors, seven angels, pour out their broad
shallow bowl. They're pouring out there quickly,
preaching the gospel. Get to the issue. Get to the
issue. Don't beat around the bush. Get
to the issue. Time is of the essence. We don't have enough
time to mess around. Let's get to the issue. Titus
chapter 3 verse 5 says this, Not by works of righteousness
which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us by the
washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost, which
he shed on us. That word, he shed, is the same
word for pour out over there in the old book of Revelation.
Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior.
The Holy Ghost has shed abundantly upon us. This pouring out is
a significant pouring out by these seven pastors that have
the word of God, the gospel, and the results of what they
had to say in preaching the gospel is what we find later in those
verses. Then it tells us there, going into the book of Revelation
chapter 16, and every one of these pastors poured out a vial. Tore it out of aisle. Word means
a broad, shallow bowl. Carries with it the significance
of being able to empty rapidly. Not stacked up, not tall, but
shallow. Broad, shallow bowl. Now, that
reminded me of a verse of scripture. 2 Corinthians chapter 11 and
verse three. Would you turn there with me?
2 Corinthians chapter 11. I like that broad, shallow bowl
with my chili beans in it. It allowed the beans to be cooled
off rapidly so I could eat them quickly. Second Corinthians,
chapter 11. There's something about this
bowl. Second Corinthians, chapter 11,
verse 3. But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled
Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted
from the simplicity of the gospel. Now, I look at those vials. They're
broad, shallow bowls. Get to the point. Don't detract
from the simplicity that is in Christ. These are not ornate. They're functional. Get to the
simplicity that is in Christ quickly. These preachers, these
pastors, these angels are requested by God, get to the point quickly. Pour out your vial. Pour out your broad, shallow
bowl, which gives to us the idea of doing it in abundance and
quickly, and don't lose the point, the simplicity that is in Christ. That sure saves us a lot of wear
and tear and time, the simplicity that is in Christ. Now let's
go back over there to the book of Revelation chapter 16 and
look at here just a little bit with regard to what happens when
this bowl, this vial is poured out. A number of things happen. And again, they appear to reflect
the evidences of preaching the gospel. They appear to share
with us what it is when the gospel is preached. What should we expect
when the gospel is preached? How will we review the preaching
of the gospel? What will it do to us? And I
think in all of these that we've already read, we have seen the
effects of preaching the gospel. To those that go out of this
world without Christ, they're still gonna shake their fist
at him. We have, too, been in that same boat, shaking our fist
at Christ. By nature, we're born that way.
But the gospel is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged
sword. The gospel is able to do what no one else is able to
do. It's able to go where no one
else is able to go. It is able to do and to transform
and to give birth and all of these things that nobody else
is able to do. Now, let's look here. It tells
us that the results of the preaching or the pouring out of this vial
into the air, and it just airs everywhere. What is our commission? Preach the gospel to every creature.
Take it everywhere. Preach the gospel to every creature.
Take it everywhere. Now, you and I will not be able
to do that. We have a small world, but take
it everywhere in that world. We do most of our gospel preaching
by our actions. That's how we do most of our
gospel preaching. I'll never forget that missionary. Someone
asked him, how do you do mission work down in a country where
you are in? He says, when I go to the store, I smile. It's a good thing to do. We do
most of our preaching by our actions. Then, by God's grace,
he allows us to speak. He opens up the opportunities
for us. Sometimes we help, we say something
that keys in and people are ready. And sometimes they just ask the
question, which makes it so delightful. Because you didn't have to put
any pressure on anybody. All right, what's it say here?
What is the effects? poured out his vial into the
air, and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven from
the throne saying, it is done. Now there's something that we're
going to notice through this passage of scripture as we've
noticed in the other six passages with regard to the pouring out
of this vial. The gospel is not passive. The gospel is not weak. The gospel,
the words that are used with regard to the gospel and the
preaching of the gospel are always powerful words. I want to point
out this in Romans chapter one, Romans chapter one. Romans chapter
1, we have the Apostle Paul sharing with us that he's not ashamed
of the gospel. Romans chapter 1, I'm not ashamed
of the gospel of Christ. I'm not ashamed of the good news
about the Messiah. I'm not ashamed about the virgin-born
Son of God. I'm not ashamed of the good news
about the death, the burial, and the resurrection of this
one. Why? He says, verse 16 of Romans chapter
1, the gospel is not passive. The gospel has power. The gospel
is powerful, and when we read about it, we're going to find
powerful words about it. In fact, it tells us in this
passage of scripture that it's like an earthquake that no man
has ever witnessed before. Now, we can talk about the earthquake
on the day of Christ's crucifixion, his ascension, or his resurrection. They're powerful earthquakes.
It has to do with the gospel. It is powerful. It sends shivers. It shivers our timbers, or timbers
our shivers. Romans chapter one, verse 16,
for I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power
of God. It is the power of God. Now,
the word we use here for power is the same word that was given
to the word dynamite. It is the power of God. Now,
God's power is not weak power. He is delicate in his power.
He is convincing in his power. He is great in his power. He
can work with the most delicate instrument but powerful. He takes
it to where no one else can take it. Now, as it goes on to say,
therefore, it is the power of God unto salvation. It is the
power of God unto salvation. It took great power to create
the heavens and the earth. It's astonishing. And the more
we get to see of what was created, the more astonished we are. There
appears to be no end to it. The beauty that God created beyond
what we can see with the naked eye. The power of God in creation. The power of God in creating
a man and a woman the power of God in creating all the critters.
And you know, the power of God to create a blade of grass. But this power is this awesome
power of God unto salvation. I am not ashamed of the gospel
of Christ, the Lord Jesus Christ, for it is the power of God unto
salvation. It is the timber shivering power
of God into salvation. It is the power that goes to
the quickening of a dead in trespasses and sin individual. It is the
creation of something that has never been that is within us.
It is awesome power and I use that word with reverence. awesome
power. It is unimaginable power. It is the power of God unto salvation
as he goes on to to everyone that believeth to the Jew first
and also to the Greek. It is the power of God. So when
we read down through here we see some some interesting words
about the gospel. It is not just a passing event. It's just not something to get
something from here to there. It's not fire insurance. It's
just not feel-good words. It is power, the power of God
into salvation. And notice with me, backing up
just a little bit more in the book of Matthew, Matthew 22. Look at this verse of scripture
with me, Matthew 22. The Lord Jesus corrected some
Pharisees, said, you've made two wrong deductions. Matthew 22, you don't understand two major
points. He told the Pharisees, and this is the issue that we
meet. We meet this with religion. This
is the religious view of things. And Jesus said you've made two
major errors in your view. Matthew chapter 22, Verse 29,
Jesus answered and said unto them, you do err, not knowing the scriptures. Now, if there was ever anybody
that had memorized scripture, it was these people. These people. If there was ever
anybody that spent their time in scripture, it was these people.
If there was ever anybody, they had gone to such extent that
they now had 600, I believe 50, 605 laws. They were scripture
readers. And yet the Lord Jesus Christ
said, you've made a great error. You don't know the scriptures. And secondly, nor the power of
God. You don't know the scriptures
nor the power of God. Now that's the base problem with
religion. You don't know the scriptures
nor the power of God. This is power, the power of God. Just think about that for a moment.
The power of God unto salvation. It's no wonder that when we read
through this or any other places talking about the gospel, things
are taking place that cannot be described. Things are taking
place that we have to use, well, over here, earthquake like no
earthquake has ever happened on the earth. Now, nobody has
witnessed that kind of earthquake except those that have heard
the gospel. He has shaken us to the point that we are released
from the power of Satan. We're released from the power
of sin. We're released from the power
of religion. He has shaken us until he has
shaken those things off of us. We're no longer held and bound
by those things. It is a shaking. It is a shaking
of release, and it is a shaking that nothing else could accomplish
it. Remember the man that was running
in his birthday suit to the tombs? They had made every effort possible
to bind him, and he could not be bound. And yet this one come
along who had no appearance of being able to do anything, released
him from all that power and set him free. When they came back
to him, he was sitting and clothed in, I like the last part, in
his right mind. What a shaking he went through.
He was released from all of that. Now that's an earthquake. And
once it happens to us, we'll be thankful to God that we went
through that. He shook the fleas off. He just took care of it. He released
us from worshiping dumb idols and turned us to worship the
living God. All right, that's powerful. The
problem with religion is we don't know the scriptures nor the power
of God. We're going to limit God. That's why we have to have
free will. God is limited, so we have to add to it. Well, when
we're saved by His grace, that stuff is removed from us. We
are shaken from that. The earthquake takes place, and
we have a view about God we never had before. We have a view about
salvation that we never had before. We have a view about the word
of God that we never had before. Oh, yeah, it was the holy book,
and God was the man upstairs, but now he is holy God sitting
on his throne. The word of God is quick and
powerful and sharper, and also our food. It sustains us. We read it and we're sustained
by the word of God. We're led by the Holy Spirit
through the word of God. It is powerful. It is powerful. It is the power of God into salvation. Go over there. It talks about
a great voice. Talk about a great voice. This
is God's voice speaking out of this temple. He speaks in a way
that Saul of Tarsus heard him and no one else knew what it
was about. A great voice out of the temple
in heaven. This pouring out is so dramatic
to everyone it happens to. I visited with that lady. We
know one of the ladies that was saved there at Crossville. She's
been here in our church, out of Rupert's Church. Judy West. I visited with her over the phone
and I said, Judy, how are you? She says, everybody is telling
everybody that I've been saved and I'm not going to say a word.
If they can't see the change, it's not worth it. Her husband said, I've got me
a new wife. Got me a new wife. Dramatic change. It's powerful. Powerful. The great voice out of the temple
of God and from the throne saying, it is done. That is one thing
that the gospel lets us know what it means by it is done.
We don't have to look for anything else. We know that Christ accomplished
it. We're waiting for his coming
the second time. It's done. We're at rest with him. We are
at peace with him. We're at peace with God through
our Lord Jesus Christ. It's done. The transaction has
taken place. Now, it doesn't have to be a
bolt of lightning, but he lets us know it's done. We have a
view about the salvation that's in Christ Jesus that we never,
we couldn't have come, we could read about it and still not understand
it. But now, we don't have to have a great diagram. It is within
us. That message I heard back there
at Crossville, it just really struck me about the part of the
everlasting gospel, the everlasting covenant, is I will write my
word on your heart. I will write my law on your heart.
That word means word. And when we hear the word of
God, our soul soul is made refreshed. We say, that's right, when we
hear the word of God. If we don't hear it, we go away
and say, boy, that's not it. That wasn't a clear sound. If
we was going to battle with that sound, we'd all be confused.
Well, it goes on to tell us here, there was voices and thunders
and lightning. What other words could we ever
use? Have you been in the center of
a thunder before? I mean right overhead? That is
an experience. And that's what he's saying.
This is something like nothing else can happen. And can you
explain thunder? Can you explain lightning? Can
you explain how it happens? Even the scientists are having
a little bit of discussion on what this really is. But we know
it's real because we've been in the middle of it. and the
lightning, what's it say here? The voices and thunders and lightnings. What he's trying to explain to
us, I believe, is this is a great experience that God poured out
on this world, upon his people. This is not just a common, everyday,
well, when Jesus was on the earth, a bunch of those Pharisees noticed,
boy, he speaks with authority. And Nod is one of the scribes.
He's got some thunder in his voice. He's got some lightning
in his voice. He's got some power in his voice.
And particularly when he demonstrated it by saying, Lazarus, come forth.
Talk about lightning and thunder and voice from heaven and the
stirring of God, the power of God being demonstrated that day.
Man, a great earthquake, such as not since man were upon the
earth. So mighty an earthquake and so
great. Nothing else could ever have accomplished what God's
word has accomplished. Lazarus come forth. What the
rest of the people did, it's too late. Too late. If you'd have been here, then
you could have saved him. But now it's too late. and that's
so common, but the thunder and lightning and voice from heaven,
the power of God demonstrated. And that's the kind of power
that he demonstrates every time he regenerates one of his sheep. The great city was divided into
three parts and the cities of the nations fell. I, was struck by that great city. I read a book one time. It was
called, it was The Battle for Mansoul, The Holy War, John Bunyan. And I looked at that, and I looked
at this, and I says, my goodness, and what three parts are we?
We're exposed. The gospel attacks and divides
God's way. Body, soul, and spirit. That's the parts that are the
666 of man. Body, soul, and spirit. That's
the parts that died in Adam. God divides the city. God opens up our knowledge of
his The judgment upon our body, soul, and spirit. We're going
to die physically. We died spiritually and we'll
die eternally without Christ. Great city is divided into three
parts and the cities of the nations fell. And the great Babylon came
in remembrance before God. And we're going to spend some
time on that next time about the city of Babylon. In fact, Jerusalem was called
Babylon. We're going to go back a little
bit and see where this word Babylon comes from. A man by the name
of Nimrod started a town, and there was the Tower of Babel.
And when children, Joshua's babbling, that's where we get that word,
confusion. Religion is confusion, Tower
of Babel, Babylon. What's it mean? It means the
world's religion and it doesn't mean a name. Anything that's
works oriented, free will oriented is this Babylon and God's gonna
deal with it. And he deals with it just like
he deals with any other thing. He's gonna win. over Babylon. Every time he saves one of his
people, he wins over Babylon. What did he do with the Tower
of Babel and all the people there? He dispersed them. They migrated to where the Spanish
speakers were, and the German speakers were, and the English
speakers were. They migrated. He broke it right
up. Well, that's what he can do when he saves his people.
He just breaks up the Babylon.