Revelation chapter 7. And it
says here, after these things, after these things, there's no
end till the last sheep. No end. There's the promise. After these things, I saw four
angels standing on the four corners of the earth. Now we're, that's
symbolic language. My goodness. That's symbolic. The Lord said he's going to send
his angels to the four corners of the earth and gather up the
elect. It's symbolic. He's going to do an efficient
job of what he's going to do. Now it says, standing on the
four corners of the earth. Now look at this. This just slapped
me in the face as I was in my study this afternoon. Holding
the four winds of the earth. Now, we're going to go over to
the book of Genesis in just a little bit, but over there, Noah spent
up to 120 years. And as soon as he gets in the
ark, it says the fountains of the deep broke up. Now for this
amount of time, until the last sheep is saved, we're going to
go on and read that in just a moment. Until that, the angel, God uses
this picture that the four winds are being held back. The four
winds of judgment, long-suffering patience of God right now is
held back. Right now, it is held back to
the point that it is not a long, large-scale judgment against
this world. Now, during the ministry of the
Lord Jesus Christ, he said, except you repent, you shall all likewise
perish. He said there was, what was it, 26 people standing over
there by a tower, and it caved in on them. Another illustration
there, well, there was judgment in his day, but it's not. the
general judgment that will come like it's promised in the scriptures.
God judges here, God judges there, God judges here, God judges there,
but here we have these angels holding back the general judgment
of God, and the book of Revelation explains a little bit about that.
I just hope we get there. Revelation chapter 7 and verse
1, it says that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on
the sea, nor on any tree. Symbolic language again about
God's protective care over all his people. In verse 2, and I
saw another angel ascending from the east having the seal of the
living God, and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels
to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, release
the wind is all they have to do on God's commandment. Release the judgment, but right
now, it's held back. Behind the last sheep to be saved
is a judgment like this world has never seen. right behind
the last sheep to be saved. It's the wind is being held back
by the commandment of Almighty God, the judgment of God is being
held back by the commandment of God until that last sheep
is saved and then there will be unheralded judgment cast upon
this earth like nothing that has ever happened before. Now
this world has been judged by water one time, but my, this
is going to be a judgment that has never been seen like it has.
We have little pictures of it over here. In the book of Jude,
in the book of 1 Peter, it talks about the angels that left their
first estate were judged. Sodom and Gomorrah was judged. And my, there's unparalleled
judgment through the history of mankind on that kind of judgment. But when these winds are finally
released, when the last sheep is finally saved and judgment
comes upon this world, all of God's people will be gathered
with him and it will not fall on them, but it will fall on
all the ungodly. Every last one goes on here verse
3 just look at this saying hurt not the earth Neither the sea
nor the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God in their
foreheads Restrain the wind until We have
sealed the servants of God in her forehead. Now, hopefully,
we'll get over and look at that foreheads here in just a little
bit, but turn with me back to the book of 2 Peter 3. 2 Peter
3, as we see this, it's a cloud behind the last sheep. The last
sheep, wherever he or she is, born or unborn, behind that last
sheep is a cloud of fury. Behind that last sheep is a dust
storm of damnation. Behind that last sheep, that
last sheep won't see it. But once that last sheep is saved,
that last sheep is marked by God and in the forehead, and
we're going to find out that the forehead is a name, the name
of God. is placed in the forehead of
his people. Undeniable and indelible, it is put there in such a fashion
that God knows his people and knows where they are, and he
will find every last one, and behind them is a whirlwind. Behind them is a Sirocco. Behind
them is a desert storm like this world has never seen. Now, here
in the book of 1 Peter, or excuse me 2 Peter chapter 3 verses beginning
with verse 1 2 Peter chapter 3 verse 1 It says these words, the second
epistle, beloved, I now write unto you in both which I stir
up your pure minds by way of remembrance, that you may be
mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets
and of the commandments of us, the apostles of the Lord and
Savior. This is the Old Testament, New
Testament. This is not just a new thing that's coming along. This
has been preached. The Old Testament prophets preached
this. The apostles preached this. The ministers of grace preached
this down through the ages. It's still here. Knowing that
this first, that there shall come in the last day, scoffers
walking after their own lusts and saying, where is the promise
of his coming? For since the fathers fell asleep,
all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.
For this they willingly are ignorant of. that by the word of god the
heavens were of old and the earth standing out of the water and
in the water whereby the world that then was being overflowed
with water perished but the heavens and the earth which are now by
the same word are kept in store reserved and defy against the
day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men This is a powerful
win that this these symbolic angels are holding back the judgment
of God against mankind that are without Christ. But beloved be
not ignorant of this one thing that one day with the Lord is
1000 years and 1000 years as a day. The Lord is not slack concerning
his promise, as some men count slackness, but is long-suffering
to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should
come to repentance. For the day of the Lord shall
come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens shall be
passed away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with
fervent heat, and the earth also, and the works that are therein
shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things
shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in
all holy conversation and godliness? Looking for and hastening unto
the coming of the day of God wherein the heavens being on
fire shall be dissolved and the elements shall melt with fervent
heat, nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new
heavens and new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness. On this
side of that storm is the heavens and the earth that God has prepared
for all those that love Him. This is the kingdom prepared
for Him from the foundation of the world. We anticipate with
great joy. We anticipate with delight the
new heavens and new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness. But on
the other side of that last sheep, is a storm that has been brewing
since, well, since creation. Since Adam fell in the Garden
of Eden. And the symbolism of these angels
holding back that storm until every one of God's chosen people
are saved out of this world. Now this world will stand till
then. It doesn't matter who's coming, what political force,
it doesn't matter. This earth will stand till then. But when that last one is saved,
there is going to be a Sirocco. It is going to melt with fervent
heat. There's going to be judgment like this world has never seen
And it tells us on here verse 15 verse 14 wherefore be in Beloved
sin that you look for such things be diligent yet. You may be found
in him in peace have it without spot without and blameless, and
account that the long-suffering of our Lord is salvation, even
as our beloved brother Paul, also according to wisdom given
unto him, hath written unto you. The long-suffering of the Lord
is salvation. He has commanded." The symbolic
angels hold back this storm until the last sheep is saved. 9, verse 3 there in chapter 7, hurt
not the earth, neither the sea nor trees, till we have sealed
the servants of our God in their foreheads. Refrain. Don't release. Now, they have
no more to do with judgment than we do. It's in God's capacity
and God's power and God's promise that it's going to come upon
this earth. But in the symbolic language of this book, we see
here these four strong angels holding back the wind, holding
back judgment, holding back all of God's word against the lost
of this world. But when the last one is marked,
When the last one is regenerated, when God saves his last sheep,
we will be caught up with the Lord in the air and he shall
make all things new. Sin will be taken care of, a
general judgment will take place, and then we will see what it
is for him to reign and rule. We know it now, we feel it in
our heart, but then in a new body, without sin, we'll be so
delighted, we'll say, what took you so long? will just be so
ecstatic to be in his presence. In fact, as these go on, now
it tells us that they're going to seal a symbolic number out
of every tribe. God's got so many ways of describing
in his word, the way and the manner in which he's going to
save his elect and number them. There's no way a person that
knows the Lord Jesus Christ can get around God having a people
that he chose before the foundation of the world. You just can't
skip it out of the Bible. He has described it in so many
manners and so many ways. If we're going to succumb that
this is national Israel being brought back to life and call
these people 12,000 out of each tribe and then get down to verse
9 and say, now what are we going to do with this? We've made a
gross error. In these verses of scripture
we have the hearing of the number and in verse 9 we have the seeing
of the number. And the seeing of the number
is a number that no man can number. This is a I beheld and lo a great
multitude which no man could number. I heard it. It's the
elect of God. Will you just put those words
in there. Out of all the world I heard, this is the elect of
God. And when I saw them, it was a
number that no man could number." Now, turn with me, if you would,
back to the book of 1 Peter chapter 3. 1 Peter chapter 3, and we
find here some more comments with regard to these winds that
are being held back as God suspends judgment. He judged his son. By the same judgment, he's going
to judge the lost. There is no difference. The only
thing with the son that the lost people cannot do, he paid for
it. He endured it and paid for it. He had no sin of his own. He
could not sin. He had no sin. He was not born
in sin. He had no evil thought in his
entire lifetime. He never had a crossword with
his stepdad. He never made fun of his mother.
He never had any thought whatsoever except pure thoughts and honorable
thoughts with regard to God and the law and the word and humanity. He had only pure thoughts. He
had truthful thoughts, but he never committed a sin. And God
the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit judged him. Now they released the wind on
him. They released the Sirocco on him. They poured it out on
him. I mean, it was a whirlwind. It
was a tornado. It was a hurricane. There is
so much wrapped up in there. The darkness for three hours
and all the judgment of God, the law taking vengeance upon
him, and the justice of God taking vengeance upon him. Now that
is what's being restrained right now. from all those that are
without Christ, but it shall be released, just as sure as
it was released on that day, it shall be released, and judgment
will fall, and not one will ever say, I don't deserve this. Minds will be changed, not saved,
but changed. And they will say, this I deserve. Now, 1 Peter 3, verse 18, the
scriptures share this, for Christ also hath once suffered for sins,
the just for the unjust. that he might bring us to God,
being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit,
by which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison, which
sometimes were disobedient, when once the long-suffering of God
waited in the days of Noah, until the ark was preparing, wherein
few, that is, eight souls, were saved by water." What does it
say? Which, verse 20, sometime were disobedient when once the
long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah. Now the
Lord shared with, in the word, with regard to that era right
at Noah, Noah's time, I shall only wait 120 years. And then it's going to come.
Now that's what he promised. 120 years. I shall not strive. Their life shall be 120 years.
And Noah is commissioned. Now I've thought and thought
and thought about a verse that says Noah was about building
the ark for 120 years, but it's not in the word of God. There
is approximately 120 years between the commission and when the storm
came. And when it came, all of God's
chosen ones were in the ark, out of trouble. But it does say
that the moment they were in there, turn with me over to the
book of Genesis, would you please? Genesis chapter six. I cannot
imagine, I've tried to imagine this, and reading books on creation
and the flood, tried to imagine this, but I don't think that
I can grasp it any more than I can grasp what happened to
Christ on the cross, or can I grasp what's gonna happen to those
that are without Christ on the day of judgment? And this is
what it says over here in Genesis, chapter, 7 verse 11 in the 600th year of
Noah's life in the second month the 17th day of the month the
same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up and
the windows of heaven were opened now I I've read what that means
but I can't get around it it is so serious of outpouring of
God's judgment upon this earth using water and volcanic activity
or whatever it was, but it does say this, and we don't need any
more information. That's what's recorded here.
It says that the fountains of the great deep were broken up
and the windows of heaven were opened. And in a short time,
now I remember hearing about some Indian chief on the Oregon
coast when the missionaries got there and telling the story of
Noah and said in 40 days the earth was completely covered
and he said that, the chief said that can't be true because it
rains here 40 days all the time and it doesn't flood like that.
It was a miraculous judgment if I can use that. There was
so much water dropped and come up so instantaneously that judgment
was had upon those without the ark. Now, I don't believe that
Noah put a poster on the back of that ark and said, smile,
God loves you. He was in the ark. He was in
the ark at God's command. God put him in the ark. God shut
the door on him and his family in the ark with all those critters
that he put in there. And they were in there for some
time. And judgment fell. General judgment fell on this
earth. The outside was judged and that
ark was judged. The world was judged and that
ark was judged. It went through the same storm
those people went through. and came out just like our Savior
was judged by the same judgment that we read here in the book
of Revelation, that those without Christ will be judged. But he
came out on the other side of that judgment victorious and
was able to cry without the pangs of death, it's finished. This
ark came out. Now there's no need to go find
it. It came through the flood. But this, the fountains of the
deep broke up in the windows of heaven. It was catastrophic. Our earth is marked by it. It's
still marked by it. It still has the marks of that
great flood. And it doesn't matter how wise
people are in the book of 1 Corinthians, it says, don't succumb to the
wisdom of men's wisdom. They're fools. They can't see
it. But anybody can see, any enlightened
person can see the catastrophic flood that took place. Now this
is what those angels are holding back. Symbolically, they're holding
back the fountains of the deep. They're holding back the windows
of heaven. They're holding back the judgment of God. And they
have been instructed, and they say, don't hurt any of them or
anything until till we have sealed the servants of our God in their
foreheads. Now when that happens, now let's
just look at that for a moment. Revelation chapter seven verse
three says that they shall be sealed, they shall seal the servants
of our God in their foreheads. Now when you find out what this
means, you'll just stick your forehead out. If you've been regenerated, it's
already happened. It's in a mark that God can identify. Sometimes we look in the mirror
and say, oh, wretched man that I am. But God has never said
that about his elect, because he sees us in Christ. He sees
us in His Son. He sees us judged in Christ on
the cross, sees us buried with Him, sees us in the tomb with
Him, sees us resurrected with Him, and sees us sitting at the
right hand of the Father in Him. So He sees us as this mark is
applied. Now Revelation chapter 9, would
you just go there with me for a moment? Revelation chapter
9 and verse 4. Here we have this again, and
it tells us here Revelation chapter 9 and verse 4, and it was commanded
them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither
any green thing, neither any tree, but only those men which
have not the seal of God in their foreheads. Now this is when the
wind breaks loose. Those without this mark, judgment
will fall. Judgment will fall. Turn with
me to Revelation 14 in verse 1. Revelation 14 in verse 1. When God's people are beset by
temptations or persecutions, a revelation of God's character
and glory is the best remedy. Right here, Revelation chapter
14. You beset? Oh, yeah. Is there persecutions? Mm-hmm. Yeah, there is. Show me something,
Lord. Show me thy glory. Encourage
me with thy glory. And I looked, and lo, a lamb
stood on the Mount Zion. With him, 144,000 having their
father's name written in their forehead. Now that's that same group that's
over there in chapter seven. This is 144,000. This is another
name for the elect of God, and these elect of God have the names
of God in their forehead. They have, what we read over
in the book of Jeremiah, his name is the Lord our righteousness,
and her name is the Lord our righteousness. The church's name. The same as our God now, what's
it tell us right there having their father's name written in
their foreheads Now we had a scab Left on us from Adam Adam left
a mark on us. I It wasn't just Cain that got
a mark. Every descendant of Adam had
a mark, and it was our last name. Every one of our last names. Now, we may have a last name
Wells, but behind it, in parentheses, is the name Adam. We got it straight
line back. You can trace your line right
back to Adam. Now we may not literally be able
to do it, but we can, because it says, in Adam all die. We've got this parenthesis name
after our name, Adam. Now God comes along in his mercy
and grace, and he erases that relationship. And what does he
do? He puts his name in our forehead. Now he sees it. He knows it. It comes in regeneration. It's
not something that we earn and it's not something that we take
upon ourselves. I've had people tell me we've
got to apply the blood of the Lord Jesus to our door. My goodness,
how foolish that is. Jesus Christ never gave that
responsibility to anyone else but himself. He applies the blood
of his cross to every one of his children. He did it at the
cross. It was for everyone before the
cross and everyone after the cross whose names are written
in the Lamb's Book of Life. Now notice they're having the
Father's name written in their foreheads. And I heard the voice. from heaven as a voice of many
waters and as a voice of great thunder, and I heard the voice
of harpers harping with their harps, and they sung as it were
a new song before the throne and before the four beasts and
the elders, and no man could learn that song but the 144,000.
Now, I'm just going to say this, that song could be Amazing Grace,
and there's only one group that can sing it and know what it's
about, and that's the church. It is sung all over. It's sung
in country and western concerts. It's sung in rock concerts. It's
sung all over. It has a catchy tune. But only
the church knows what it's about. And that's this song. Whatever
it was, the only ones that could sing it are the 144,000, the
elect of God, which were redeemed from the earth. These are they
which are not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are
they which follow the Lamb, whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed
from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. These
are the ones that have the name of God in their foreheads. Turn
with me to chapter 20 and verse 4. Revelation chapter 20 and
verse 4, we have these words with regard to the forehead and
what happens? God does this. There's a mark
and he says, hold the winds back until all of them have this mark. until all the elect of God are
taken out of this world, and then the foundations of the deep
will be broken up, and the windows of heaven will be opened up,
and judgment will fall. All right, Revelation chapter
20 in verse four, it says here, and I saw thrones, and they that
sat on them, and judgment was given unto them, and I saw the
souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus and
for the word of God. Now when we get there, We're
not looking for guillotines, we're looking for the sword of
the Lord. We must have this mind. Let this mind be in you which
is in Christ Jesus. He is going to become our head.
We cannot enter into His presence with our Adamic head. We cannot
enter into His presence. So He is going to lop off and
engraft, spiritually speaking, engraft the head of Christ. He
is the head, we're the body. He is the one that moves us. In Him we live and move and have
our being. We will and we must have His
head to enter into glory. He is the head of the church.
I don't know how many times it mentions that in the scriptures.
Now, He is going to be the head of the church. And we will not
enter into his presence with our old Adamic nature head. We must have his head. Let this
mind be in you, which is also in Christ Jesus. Now, when we
get there, we'll talk about that. We'll be headed for the witness
of Jesus and for the word of God, and which had not worshiped
the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark
in their foreheads or in their hands, and they lived and reigned
with Christ forever. I know it says 1,000 years, but
the word means forever. He owned, same word, translated
from Old Testament to New Testament, he owns the cattle on 1,000 hills.
Now there's more than 1,000 hills in the Klikatats. It's a figurative
number that means all, forever. So they had not worship. Now,
when we get to that beast, I'm just, I'm this far from being
convinced. I've brought it up in the past,
but the worst beast that we face is our own nature. That's the worst piece. And we
keep talking about the beast being identified. They got him
as our president right now. Well, I'm sorry. There's one
worse than him. That's our own nature. It's our
own nature, and we'll get to that. So they had, they received
his mark upon their forehead. What is that mark? His name,
his name, identifying mark, the Lord, our righteousness, his
name. He has identified his elect. And then in chapter 22 in verse
four, chapter 22 in verse four, And they shall see his face,
and his name shall be in their foreheads. Verse 1, And he showed
me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding
out of the throne of God and of the Lamb, and in the midst
of the street in the midst of the street of it, and either
side of the river, was there a tree of life, bear twelve manner
of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month? Well, that's the
righteousness of Christ. We're going to get to enjoy that
for eternity. And the leaves of the trees are for the healing
of the nations? What in the world? That's the blood of Christ. That's
our healing? And it goes on to tell us there,
and there was no more curse, but the throne of God and the
Lamb shall be in it, and his servants shall serve him, and
they shall see his face, and his name shall be in their foreheads. So right now, angel has said,
wait, hold that wind back, hold that wind back. Hold the Sirachel
back. Hold the judgment of God back.
Hold it back until God has identified, got the gospel to, and regenerated
the last sheep. And when that happens, release
it. Release it. Send it forth. Judge
this world like God judged Christ. This judgment is serious. This
judgment is greater than we've ever known. It's like the fountains
of the deep being broken up and the windows of heaven being sent
out onto this earth. And when we get to farther in
the book of Revelation, we just find word after word about that. This is the second death. This
is the second death. This is the judgment of God.
And he's going to do what he said there in Peter. He's going
to do what he said he's going to do. He's going to clean up
this earth and make it new. And it will be that garden made
over, but there will never, ever, ever be the potential for it
going back like it is now. He will have all saved people
around him, all regenerated people. He will have made their hearts
new, their minds new, and given them a new body. So he shall
seal the servants of God in their forehead and wait till then. Wait till that's done. Judgment
must fall on all the goats that are on the left side. You see
what is going on in time. The wind is being held back,
held in check. The judgment is being held in
check till all the elect are brought in. And then when they're
all in, like they were all in the ark, there will be hell to
pay.