The book of Revelations chapter
11 is what we've come through. This is our second study in the
11th chapter of Revelations, and we've got one or two more
studies in it. But I think probably that someone
was right when they said the 11th chapter of Revelations is
one of the most important chapters and necessary for us to understand
as we look through this book. And I want to spend probably
one or two more weeks in it. But let's begin tonight and read
down through verse seven, verses one through verse seven. And there was given me a reed
like unto a rod. If I was writing that today,
I would say the angel handed me a measuring tape. And the
angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and
measure the altar, and them that worship therein. But the court
which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not, for
it is given unto the Gentiles, and the holy city shall they
tread under foot forty and two months. And I will give power
unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy, a thousand two
hundred and threescore days clothed in sackcloth. These are the two
olive trees and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the
earth. And if any man will hurt them,
fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies.
And if any man will hurt them, they must in this manner be killed.
These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days
of their prophecy. and have power over waters to
turn them to blood, and smite the earth with all plagues as
often as they will. And when they have finished their
testimony, the beast which ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall
make war against them, and overcome them, and kill them." Now last
week you and I looked at this Levith's chapter, and especially
these two witnesses, as they were the church. This is the
church and her ministers, her preachers here in the 11th chapter
of Revelations. And they go forth into all the
gospel preaching. They give testimony to who God
is, who man is, who Jesus Christ is and what He's done. They open
up the book and they give testimony to the truth of God to this lost
and dying and perishing world. And since Acts chapter one, when
the Lord Jesus ascended back to heaven, this has been taking
place. The church has been bearing witness
to this lost and dying world for almost 3000 years now. And we have this time period
here symbolically called 42 months or 1260 days. Another place calls
it three and a half years. I think Daniel may have called
it time, times and half time, three and a half years. And the
church has been preaching the gospel to this lost world now
for all of these 2,000 years. And will continue to do so until
we saw last week, by God's permission, the beast, the devil, Satan,
that descends out of the bottomless pit with all of his cohorts will
have permission to make war against the church and overcome her and
kill her. And she will lie in the streets,
mocked, ridiculed, shamed, without any power, weakened utterly with
no testimony left until suddenly the Lord, it says in this chapter,
raises them up in their sin to heaven and all their enemies
behold them. I want to look tonight at a very popular interpretation
of verses 1 and 2 in our text concerning this temple and this
altar and those who worship therein and the measuring of this. I
want us to dwell on this just a little bit. I can't be in any
hurry because I've talked to some of you sometime during the
week after after we've looked at a chapter, and you'll say,
I have no idea what you're saying. I can't understand this, so I'm
going to have to keep going slower and slower and slower, okay?
Because I spend a lot of days just looking at this. Patrick,
before he preaches a message, he meditates on it. He searches
out scriptures and everything. You guys don't do that. So we
got the advantage over you. And then I expect when I come
here and hurry through this, you're just going to soak it
up like a sponge. But it's more difficult than
that, isn't it? So we're going to have to stay slow and look
at some interpretation of these and find out what the meaning
of this is. I want us to look, first of all,
and consider a very popular interpretation of the temple here Measure the
temple and the altar and those who worship in that place. But he said, don't measure the
outer court. Now, if you have a John saw a
picture of the temple, if you ever seen a large picture of
the temple, you've got you've got the immediate temple. And
in that temple, you've got your most holy place. Then you had
your holy place. Then the outside, they held the
altar of burnt offerings. And you had a small court there.
John saw the people gathered in this court worshiping. Well,
outside that immediate temple was the outer court. Sometimes
it was called the court of the Gentiles. Anybody could come
into that court and believe anything or worship anything in this world.
What does this mean? What does it mean? The temple
mean and the measure of the temple and so on. Well, let me give
you one popular interpretation of this, and it's very popular,
been popular now for a few decades. It was popular when the Lord
first saved me. But here's how this interpretation goes. In chapter four, the church experiences
a secret rapture. Now, you remember chapter four
where the spirit spoke to John and said, come up here there.
And John was caught up into heaven in a vision, not literally, but
in a vision. And some say that that's when
the church was raptured. It was a secret rapture. And
so now from chapter 4 on through chapter 19 to 20, the church
is never heard from again or never seen again. But what happens
right after the rapture of the church, this Jewish temple, the
physical, literal Jewish temple is rebuilt there in earthly Jerusalem. And when that temple is rebuilt,
the Levitical priesthood with all of its animal sacrifices,
all of its feast days and all of its holy days and all of the
ceremonies and everything that has to do with that temple worship
is reinstituted. And what they tell us then in
this interpretation is for 42 months, The Jews, the literal
Jews, are gathered, forced into that temple area, that small
area, and war is made against them. The Gentiles occupy that
whole area on the outside of the immediate temple. And sometime
during this time, these two witnesses appear. And according to this
interpretation, these two witnesses are two literal men. And most would say it was Enoch
and Elijah. And they preach for three and
a half years, or 42 months. Literal months. And then the
Antichrist is allowed to make war against them, he kills them,
and they lay in the streets of literal Jerusalem for three and
a half days, and then they're resurrected and they ascend up
to heaven in the sight of their enemies. Now that's a very popular
interpretation. It's one probably the pre-millennialists,
at least in some part, would hold to. Here is why I have trouble. with this interpretation. When
our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross said, it is finished, and
the veil of that temple was rent in two from the top to the bottom,
that whole Jewish system of worship came to an end. With God, it
came to an immediate end right there. He was finished with it. It had its day. God instituted
it, but it had its day and it came to an end. In 70 AD, it literally had its
end as far as the Jewish nation was concerned because Titus,
the Roman general, came in and tore this temple down, burned
it, tore the city down, and it to this day has not been rebuilt. And some say, according to this
interpretation, that it will be rebuilt and worship will be
re-established in it. But this old city of Jerusalem
and that temple was destroyed, the Levitical priesthood with
all of its pomp, with all of its animal sacrifices and ceremony
was suspended forever. The whole system was merely tops
and shadows and figures to represent what was coming. It was shadows
that were representing substance. It was figures that were representing
the reality. And when the reality is come,
we will never go back to those figures. We will never go back
to those shadows. The New Testament epistle teaches
us that these things are finished. That they have decayed and waxed
old and they vanished away. Not only do they instruct us
that that's so, but the New Testament warns believers not to go back
to that old Jewish way of worship. The temple worship. with a little
political priesthood and all those sacrifices and feast days
and so on. That was a portion of the covenant
that God made with the tribes of Israel. It was one aspect
of the law of Moses. And today, when the Lord Jesus
said it's finished, that law, that law was completely fulfilled. It has no more right our obligation
to the church today than some false gospel has. We're not to
go back to that form of worship. Now, I want you to go to the
book of Hebrews right quickly with me. Patrick's been going
through this book, and I'm sure he can verify just what we're
going to say here. But look in Hebrews, just a few
places here in Hebrews. Look in Hebrews chapter 7. The
book of Hebrews is the book that is instructing the Jewish believers
that the temple and the ceremonial law was instituted of God. It was shadows and types to picture
the Lord Jesus Christ and redemption by him. But when Christ came,
Then this law, this ceremony, the temple worship was set aside,
and now they weren't to practice that stuff anymore. They were
to look to this person, to the Lord Jesus Christ, who brought
in this new covenant, this new and better way. Now look what
he says in chapter 7 and verse 28. Read with me real quickly.
For the law made men high priests, which have infirmity, but the
word of the old which was since the law maketh the Son who is
consecrated for evermore." Now look down in verse 1 of chapter
8. Now the things which we have
spoken, this is the Son. We have an High Priest who is
set on the right hand of the throne of God, throne of the
majesty in heaven. a minister of the sanctuary and
of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched and not banned."
Then he begins to talk about the old covenant, and look what
he says in verse 6. But now hath Christ obtained
a more excellent ministry, by how much also is he the mediator
of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.
For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place
should have been sought for the second. For finding fault with
him, he said, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord. I will
make a new covenant with the house of Israel, with the house
of Judah, not according to the covenant I made with their fathers,
when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land
of Egypt. They continue not in my covenant, and I regarded them
not, saith the Lord. This is the covenant that I will
make with them after those days. I'll put my laws in their mind.
I'll write them in their hearts. I'll be to them a God. They'll
be to me a people. They'll not teach every man his
neighbor, saying, Know the Lord. All shall know me from the least
to the greatest. I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, their
sins and iniquities, while I remember no more. In that he saith a new
covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth
and waxeth old is ready to vanish away. And it vanished away. totally and completely and in
reality in A.D. 70 when Titus destroyed the temple. And should the temple be rebuilt? Should we go back to that form
of worship? Let me show you the last chapter.
You can read, especially in chapter 10. Look in chapter 10 on our way
over to chapter 13. This is talking about the blood
of bulls and goats could never take away sin. But this man,
when he cometh into the world, he says sacrifices and offerings
that was not but a body, have you prepared me? And verse 11,
and every priest standeth daily ministering and offering all
times the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But
this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever,
sat down on the right hand of God. Now look in verse 19. Having therefore, brother, boldest
to enter the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living
way, which he hath consecrated for us through the veil, that
is to say, his flesh. It's a new way, isn't it? The
old way He tells us in chapter 8, has been banished, and now
we're in a new way. Look in chapter 13. Look over
in chapter 13. What was happening, the Jews,
especially in Jerusalem, they were telling believers, you are
denying yourself temple worship. You won't come in and bring your
sacrifices anymore. You've fallen this Jesus and
you've forsaken the way that God ordained this temple worship.
And Paul writes this epistle and says that's exactly what
you should be doing. You should be forsaken that old
Jewish way of worshiping and following Jesus Christ by faith.
And look what he tells them here in verse 9 of chapter 13. Be not carried about with strange
doctrines, different doctrines, for it is a good thing that the
heart be established with grace, not with foods, not with meats,
which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.
We have an altar. Who is our altar? Christ is our
altar, isn't He? He's in heaven. He's our priest.
He's our sacrifice. He's our altar. And look at this,
they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle. You're
going to hang on, Paul said, to that old temple worship? You're
going to continue to take your sacrifices to the priest? You're
going to take an animal and say, would you offer this to atone
for my sins? You're not going to come away
from that type of worship and follow the person of Christ by
faith? Then you have no right to Christ. You have no right
to Christ. Look what he continues to say.
For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought unto the
sanctuary by the priests for sin, are burned without the camp. Wherefore Jesus also, that he
might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without
the gate. Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing
his reproach. For here we have no continuing
city, but we seek one to come. Why does Paul warn us that this
Jewish temple and all that that entails has vanished away and
we must now forsake that altogether and follow the Lord Jesus Christ?
Why does he tell us that? Because you can't mix these two.
You can't take any aspect of the law and mix it with grace.
We worship God, we come to God through one means, and that's
this glorious person of Jesus Christ. Now, if they rebuild
a temple over in Jerusalem, they've rebuilt that physical temple,
and they put out word, we've got the priesthood, we've got
the sacrifices, and you have the opportunity to go over there.
If you could take an animal sacrifice and go up to that priest and
say, would you offer this to God to atone for my sin, what
would your conscience do to you? It would smite you, wouldn't
it? And why? One person has already atoned
for your sins. And to take a sacrifice over
there and ask a mere man to offer it to God is an insult to God. An insult to Christ, insult to
the law of God. We can never do that, could we? Listen to what Paul said in chapter
4 of Galatians verse 9. He said, When you knew God, when
you did not know God, you did service to them which by nature
of know God. But now, after you have known
God, or rather are known of God, how turn you again to these weak
and beggarly elements were until you desired to be in bondage.
He looked at this temple. He looked at the priesthood.
He looked at all the sacrifice and all the feast days, and he
said, these are nothing now but weak and beggarly elements, which
if you give heed to them and leave Christ and go practice
those things, they won't do anything but bring you into bondage. And
he said in Galatians chapter 5 and verse 1, stand fast in
the liberty wherewith Christ has made you free and don't be
entangled again with that yoke of bondage. You remember when
Peter, they had the first Sovereign Grace Conference there in Jerusalem
in Acts chapter 15. And these Pharisees finally come
to realize that we have to believe in Christ. That's evident. You
have to believe in Christ. But they said that's not enough.
You can't give up circumcision. You can't give up temple worship.
You can't give up the Aaronic priesthood. So they said we must
believe in Christ, but we must maintain temple worship. So Peter
stood up and he said, why are you putting a yoke upon the necks
of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able
to bear. But we believe that through the
grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, we shall be saved. We Jews shall
be saved, even as those Gentiles. See, brothers and sisters, there
is but one way to be saved. One way to be saved. I think,
this is what I earnestly believe, and I think This is a gospel
issue. I doubt if those who hold to
that interpretation that they're going to rebuild the temple and
start the temple worship again and the priesthood. I doubt if
they realize that's a gospel issue, but it is. If they tell
you that that's got to be reinstituted, then what's that going to have
to do with your worship of God or your salvation? Does it add
something to it? I think it's dangerous to say
the temple is going to be rebuilt and instituted those sacrifices.
What good is that going to do to those Jews over there now?
Is it going to help them to say, well, your temple is going to
be rebuilt and there's coming a day you can approach them to
God again? That wouldn't help them, would it? They need to
hear the gospel. Animal sacrifices won't do them
any good. They had that one time, and they
didn't see Christ in it. And they won't see Him if they
get them again. They need to hear of this person.
They need to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God,
and until they do, those sacrifices, that temple worship, will do
nothing else but further deceive them. So one of the reasons I
wanted to look at that interpretation is that I just really and earnestly
believe, brothers and sisters, that it is a gospel issue that's
vanished away and it's gone and it will never be established
to the church as a means to worship God again. Why tempt you, God,
to rebuild the temple? Well, I tempt you, God, to reinstitute
that again. You know who a real priesthood
is today? There is a priesthood today. Do you know that? Well,
of course there is. Revelation 1, verse 5. Listen
to this. John said, To Jesus Christ, who
loved us, washed us from our sins in his own blood, and has
made us into our God, kings and priests. And to tell us that
this priesthood that Christ has established, making every believer
a priest, that that's going to be set aside and the old, ironic
priesthood is going to take its place, if that's true, I've missed
it. I don't need to be up here teaching
you if that's true, because I've absolutely missed it. If the emphasis is to be taken
off the blood of the Son of God that truly puts sin away and
emphasis is once again put on animal sacrifices, then I have
to confess I missed it. I missed it. So this interpretation
that the temple is going to be rebuilt and everything that is
entailed in that is going to be reinstituted. I have to utterly
reject that and I think, I know it's really a gospel issue. Peter said we must be saved even
as they. A Jew, a Gentile don't come and
be saved the way the old Jew used to come to God through the
temple worship. The Jews has to come and be saved
just like we're being saved. dead dog sinners saved by grace
through faith. That's the only way anybody will
ever be saved. Let me ask two questions. I have to hurry. Two
questions. What then is the temple of God? If it's not that old Jewish temple
that's rebuilt, what is the temple of God? And secondly, quickly
answer this question, what is this holy city that the Gentile
world trodden under their feet? What is the temple? That's what
he said here in chapter 11. There was given to me a reed
like unto a rod, and the angel stood saying, Rise and measure
the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein."
Now what is the temple of God? I want you to look, because you
won't remember this if I quote it to you. I want you to look
in Ephesians, and if you don't mind a mark in your Bible, you
take this and you underline this. Look in Ephesians chapter 2.
And look in verse 19. Paul had just been talking about
Christ that reconciled both the Jews and Gentiles in His own
body upon the tree. He'd removed all hindrance between
those two parties and He'd removed all hindrance between the parties
in God. He's made reconciliation through
the blood of His cross. And verse 18, for through Him,
we both, the Jews and Gentiles, have access by one Spirit into
the Father. Now, therefore, you are no more
strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints
of the household of God. You are built upon the foundation
of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the
chief cornerstone, in whom all the building fitly framed together
groweth into that holy temple in the Lord. in whom you also
are built together for the inhabitation of God through the Spirit." There
is a holy temple that God inhabits, but it's not that earthly temple.
It's people. It's the church, isn't it? It's
the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. Listen to how the Apostle
Peter says this in chapter 2 of 1 Peter. He said, you are coming
unto Christ as unto a living stone, disallowed in need of
men, but chosen of God and precious. You, as living stones, are built
up a spiritual house, manholy priesthood, to offer up spiritual
sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. You are a chosen
generation, a royal priesthood, than holy nation and peculiar
people." What is the temple of God? It's the church. It's those
who are burned again. It's those who are believers
in Jesus Christ. It's those who are in Christ.
Listen to how Paul says it in 1 Corinthians 3.16. He's writing to the church. Know
you not that you are the temple of God? and that the Spirit of
God dwells in you. Now if any man defile the temple
of God, him shall God destroy. For the temple of God is holy,
which temple you are." Listen to what he said in II
Corinthians 6.16, writing to the church again, believers,
Jew and Gentile. What agreement hath the temple
of God with idols? For you are the temple of the
living God." And then he quotes that passage out of the Old Testament,
as God had said, I will dwell in them and walk in them, and
I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Now, when this angel instructed
John to take this measuring tape, and he says, measure, measure,
that holy place and the most holy place and measure that court
that is in that immediate temple location. Measure them that worship
in there. You measure them. God wanted
that account. He wanted the number of those
that worship in that immediate location. Now listen, that's
where the church worships. The church is in that inner sanctuary. She's in that holiest of all
places. She worshipped before the blood-stained
mercy seat. She worshipped before the altar
of sacrifices. You have to be a born-again person
to be there. God said measure that because
that's my people. That's my children there. They're
worshipping. I want to number them. I want
you to measure them. They're under my protection.
But he told him to leave out the outer court, didn't he? What's
in the outer court? Who knows what's in the outer
court? You could be a Gentile and go in the outer court. You
could be an atheist and go in the outer court. You could be
a heretic. You could believe in the sun
god and go in the outer court. That outer court is everybody
outside the Lord Jesus Christ. And he said, don't measure them.
They're not true worshippers. They may be open hypocrites or
atheists who believe some false religion. They're not under my
protection. They're not my people. So he
says, leave them out. Don't measure. What is the temple? It's God's church. Where does
God's church worship? In the holy place. She's risen
and she's seated with Christ in heavenly places. She looks
to that blood-stained mercy seat, the blood of her substitute.
She worships before the cross of Jesus Christ. She glories
in the cross of Jesus Christ. And everybody else is outside
in what John saw as this outer course. So what is the temple?
That's what the temple is, and that's where they worship. And
that's the ones he measured. Here's the second question I
ask. What is this holy city that he's talking about here in verse
2? The court which is without the
temple leave out, and measure it not. For it is given unto
the Gentiles, that outer court, and the holy city shall be tread
under foot forty and two months. What is that holy city? Now the
first, that interpretation I gave to you, That interpretation says that
Jerusalem, physical Jerusalem, is the holy city. Well, sometime
in the Old Testament, one or two places in the New Testament,
you read that that was so. That that old city is the holy city. And it was
called that, no doubt, because God in the Old Testament chose
to put His name there. He chose that location to set
a temple there and give His presence there. But even in the Old Testament,
it began to hint that the Holy City was not that physical city
of Jerusalem. It was actually a people. Listen
to a couple of places. Listen to Isaiah chapter 60 and
verse 14. The sons also of them that afflict
thee shall come bending down unto thee. And all that despise
thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of your feet, and
they shall call thee the city of the Lord, the Zion of the
Holy One of Israel." And listen to this passage, another passage
in the book of Isaiah. Isaiah 62, 12. And they shall
call them, now listen to this, the holy people, the redeemed
of the Lord, and thou shalt be called, sought out, a holy city,
not forsaken. Now who is the holy city? Those
that are redeemed. Those that are called out. Those
that are sought out. The church. It goes right back
to the church, doesn't it? What is the temple? It's the
church. What is the holy city? It's the church of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Now, I want you to mark this
scripture down. I don't have time to go to them.
But I think we have to interpret scripture by scripture, don't
you? If you want to know what the holy city is, go over to
the book of Revelation, chapter 21, and read verses 2 and verse
10. And the angel told John, come
here and I'll show you the whole city. And he said, come here
and I'll show you the bride, didn't he? I'm going to show
you the wife of Christ. And he turned his head towards
heaven and said, can you see her? And John said, that's a
city. He said, that's her. That's the
holy city, new Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven. But I want to show you another
place to prove that. In chapter 12 of Hebrews, run
back over to chapter 12 right quickly. The Holy City. Paul is distinguishing here between
law and grace. And look what he says back in
chapter 12 of Hebrews and look in verse 18. Look in verse 18. You're not coming to the mount
that might be touched, Mount Sinai. that burned with fire,
nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest. You have not come
unto the sound of that trumpet, and the voice of words, which
voice they that heard entreated, that the word should not be spoken
to them any more. For they could not endure that
which was commanded. And if so much as a beast touched
the mountain, it had to be stoned, or thrust through the dark. And
so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear
and quake. But you are come unto Mount Sinai, and into the city
of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to the innumerable
company of angels." There is a holy city. And you don't have
to go over there in Israel to see it. It's the church. I've come into the church. I'm
looking at the holy city. And she comes down from God out
of heaven. It's not a physical place at all, is it? It's the
church of the Lord Jesus Christ. In Galatians chapter 4, Paul
said that Agar, the Egyptian slave, was symbolic of earthly
Jerusalem. Remember that? And he said, Sarah,
the free woman, was symbolic of the church, new Jerusalem. And he said, natural Jerusalem,
physical Jerusalem, is still in bondage with its children. But the Jerusalem which is above
is free, which is the mother of us all. I don't say this with
irreverence. I don't say this to be unkind,
but I have no interest. I have absolutely no interest
in that old city of Jerusalem. I have no interest in it. But
I've got interest in this city, in this new Jerusalem, this heavenly. I want to be a citizen of that
city. Don't you? I think it's very telling that
Well, we looked at last week in Revelation chapter 11 and
verse 8. He equates Jerusalem with Egypt
and Sodom, where our Lord was crucified. Isn't that amazing?
Now, that's not a holy city, but there is a holy city. And
I wanted to make that clear, brothers and sisters, because
in our text that I read to you, it says that this unregenerate
world shall tread the holy city under its foot for forty-two
months." Now, if you tread something under your foot, if you stomp
on stuff, what does that say? That you're counting it to be
nothing. It's no more than dirt. For two thousand years now, the
world has trampled on the church. Not only will it not receive
the gospel that the church preaches, but it hates the church and it
hates the one true savior the church preaches. Is that so or
not? You've got these two entities,
you've got these completely heaven born and earth born. And they'll never be made friends.
And sometimes we get it in our little peon brain that the world
loves the church. But it doesn't. You've got neighbors that's lost.
They'll probably be kind to you. Hopefully they won't hurt you. Hopefully the world ain't going
to rise up against us and persecute us and kill us. But if they don't,
it's because God restrains them. It's not because they love us,
and it's not because they love our Lord. The world for 2,000
years has spent nothing but neglect and outright persecution and
hostility towards the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. I have
given them thy word. And what's the consequences of
that? The world hath hated them. The Lord said, don't marvel if
they hate you. They hated me before they hated
you. You know why this place is not
full tonight? There's neighbors that never
come here. They never go any place where the gospel is preached.
This place should be full of people worshiping the living
God, sharing the gospel of eternal salvation. But it's not. And
why is it not? Because the world hates it. Paul made this wonderful statement.
He said, I glory in nothing but the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. By whom? By whom this cross? By whom? By Christ. The world
is crucified unto me. What does he mean by that? He's
saying I look upon this world as being nothing but criminals
against God. They're already judged. They're
already condemned and they're just waiting the day of execution. This world is nothing but criminal
and worthy of crucifixion. And in turn, the world looks
upon me and says, you're a criminal. You've stole our peace. You've
stole our confidence. You're tormenting us. You're
the criminal. You're the one that needs to
be put to death. And they tried to do that. They stoned him,
didn't they? What is this holy city? It's the church. And the
world has been trampling the church under its feet. And it
will continue to do so until finally, by God's permission,
that beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit with all of
his cords will be allowed to kill the church for three and
a half days. And the world just weeps and
weeps. Oh no, we miss her so bad. Oh, what are we going to
do? That's not what they did at all. They had a party. They started sending gifts one
to another. They said this wretched church is gone. We'll never have
to hear about sin anymore. We'll never have to hear about
the holiness of God. We'll never have to hear about sovereign
grace anymore. That's gone. And they sing it's
Christmas. They say it's Christmas. Why
would you do that? Because that's the way they really
feel about God and our Savior. The church is light. The world
is darkness. The church is alive. The world
is dead in trespasses and sins. The church is holy. The world
is defiled. The church is redeemed. The world
is in bondage to sin and Satan. The Church is forgiven, the world
is guilty. The Church is clothed in righteousness,
and the world wears its filthy rags. The Church lives in hope,
and the world is ready to perish. The Church is the pillar and
grounds of the truth, and the world believes Satan's lies.
And the Church will finally hear this glorious sentence, Come
ye blessed of my Father, and the world will hear this, Depart
ye cursed. These are two different people,
aren't they? One belongs to heaven. One belongs to this earth. And
they will never be made friends. If a man is the friend to this
world, then he's the enemy of God. The world hates the church. The church prays for the world. The church shed tears over the
world. The church pleads with the world
to hear its message. And all the time, the world says,
we hate you. We hate you. We hate your Lord.
We hate your message. And we're going to trample it
under our feet. It's nothing to us. Absolutely
nothing. Did I lose you? Did I lose you
tonight? Next week, we've got to answer
this question then. Who are these two witnesses?
Because I preached to you last week that this was just the church
and its ministers preaching all through the gospel age, 42 months
of the gospel age. But we'll look at that closer
next week. OK? Our Father, thank you. Thank you for your precious Word.
Thank you for the glorious gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. We
know there's nothing that can take its place. We know there's
nothing that must ever be mixed with it. It must remain pure
if it's to save us. And we praise You for these instructions. We praise You for the warnings.
And we would ask of You, our Father, to keep all of us centered
upon the Gospel of Christ our Lord. Don't let us stray. Don't let us leave You. Keep
us hunger. Keep us thirsty, keep us believing, and keep us cleaving
to our Savior as our all and all. Bless this dear people. Thank you for them. Bless their
health physically and spiritually. And visit us, our Father, in
our homes. Oh, Lord, we leave here and we
rejoice in your presence that you promised to be with us. Oh,
Lord, visit our hearts and our homes. Visit the moms and dads
and children. Visit them as they rest upon
their bed. Come to their hearts. Deal with
them. Save them. Oh, may our homes
become altars where we bow before you and worship you and honor
you. Oh, our Father, this church,
Patrick's Church, Wayne's Church and David's Church and all your
churches. They need a visitation. We all
need desperately a visitation of your presence. Oh, would you
visit us with your grace. And may great grace be upon us
for your glory and for your namesake. Amen. Any questions before we go?