God is Going to Answer America's Prayer

There are two different types of people who read the Bible, there are prederists who believe that the events in the Book of Revelation have already happened. Then there are the futurists, that believe in the literal interpretation of the Bible in Revelation are future events. It's futuristic. It is yet to come.

There are those that believe God is done with the nation of Israel and the Jewish people. This is not true, otherwise, there is no future for us. The exact opposite is true. If He doesn't keep His promises to the Jewish people or the nation of Israel, then there is no hope for God to fulfill any promises to us.

Mount Zion is in Israel near the Temple Mount today and it will be where the throne of David will be established during the millennium. Many liberal churches don't believe that. This is why it is important to know your Bible. What it says, is what it is.

When we left off in our study yesterday we were dealing with Chapter 14 in the Book of Revelation and that verses 1-5 are what is called a parenthentical pause. God has push paused on the action to give us some behind the scenes information about what is coming after the Tribulation. Without knowing that it can be kind of confusing to understand it if you look at it chronologically based.

We left off with four important things to consider when looking at these verse, yesterday we looked at the person, the Lamb which is Jesus Christ, and almost got into the place, which is Mount Zion. The important thing to note here is that Jesus Christ is standing! There are only two places where Jesus Christ according the scripture stands. The first is right here in Revelation 14:1 and the second one is in the Book of Acts as Stephen is being martyred. An interesting book to read would be Foxes Book of Martyrs to understand how people can go through intense persecution for their faith and not bat at eye. Stephen was in the process of being stoned and he looked up into heaven and saw the Son of God standing before the throne."

All other times when we read about Jesus' ascension, He is seated. He is seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven. Even in earlier studies of this book we see Him seated at the right hand of God. He is resting. I believe that Jesus stands whenever he receives a saint home. To receive us into heaven into glory. That is why scripture tells us that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord, and that He is with us always. What a greater moment for us to need God then when we are passing from this life into our eternal home!

Do you have that assurance today?

So just where is Mount Zion?

Psalm 2:2-6 ~ "The kinds of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the LORD and against his Anointed One. Let us break their chains, they say, 'and throw off their fetters.' The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. Then he rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath saying, 'I have installed my King on Zion, my holy hill." 

There are passions inside people to cast God out. Trust me, God doesn't stay where He isn't wanted. He will answer that prayer one day and leave the nation to its coming judgment. It's coming to America. You want God out of the schools, out of the courts, out of the medical decisions, out of your marriages and homes, He is leaving very soon. This nation needs desperately to repent of its sin.

Psalm 48:1-3 ~ " Great is the LORD, and most worthy of praise, in the city of our God, his holy mountain. It is beautiful in its loftiness, the joy of the whole earth. Like the utmost heights of Zaphon is Mount Zion, the city of the Great King. God is in her citadels' he has shown himself to be her fortress."

We know currently that Mount Zion is not lofty in elevation, but this psalm has yet to be fulfilled. This is a future event being spoken off where a great earthquake will happen that will raise Mount Zion to a lofty elevation and that will be coming just prior to the millennium. We have seen that mountains can rise in great elevation as Mount St. Helens has already grown by 900 feet since its last eruption.

Psalm 48:11-14 ~ "Mount Zion rejoices, the villages of Judah are glad because of your judgments. Walk about Zion, go around her, count her towers, consider well her ramparts, view her citadels, that you may tell of them to the next generation. For this God is our God forever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end."

Judah is in Israel today and those future generations will be during the millennium when the longevity of life is extended once again. Imagine to be 100 is to feel like a child?!!!

Psalm 132:13-14 ~ " For the LORD has chosen Zion, he had desired it for his dwelling; This is my resting place forever and ever; here I will sit enthroned, for I have desired it -"

Without Israel being a nation, Christ can't return until it does. May 14, 1948 made that a reality.

Isaiah 2:1-4 ~ "This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem; In the last days the mountain  of the Lord's temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. Many peoples will come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths." The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore."

This is the earthly Mount Zion in Israel. These are the events following the Tribulation.

Light Begins to Dawn

As we open our study today into Chapter 14, we need to come to an understanding before reading this so it does not confuse you when you read it. This is going to be a sneak peek into heaven. Our spiritual life should be dominating our life that it impacts our physical world. To walk in the Spirit, we will not satisfy the flesh. To walk in the Spirit is to obey God. Stand up against the darkness of the world.

We are going to learn more about the 144,000 sealed men of God, think of 144,000 Billy Grahams or Paul the Apostles. In fact if you circle Chapter 14 from verses 1-5, this is another parenthetical pauses from God in the action of what we have just been reading. We left off with the Antichrist and the False Prophet in Chapter 13 and the receiving of the mark and now arrive at Chapter 14. It is not the chronological events in the order as they happen from verses 1-5. It is a highlight chapter or an insert to provide some detail from God on the events as they are on pause. These verses will deal the things that follow the Great Tribulation Period in verses 1-5.

We will come across 6 angels as we move forward in Chapter 14.

In verse 6, we come across another angel # 1.
In verse 8, we come across another angel # 2
In verse 9, we come across another angel # 3.
Then we have a break with the mention of Jesus Christ.
In verse 15, we come across another angel # 4.
In verse 17, we come across another angel # 5.
In verse 18, we come across another angel # 6.

There are three types of believers in the world when it comes to Bible Prophecy. You have the Pre-millennialists, A-millennialists or the Post-millennialists.

Pre-millennialists believe that Jesus Christ must return in the Second Coming before the 1000 year reign of Jesus Christ can begin because He has never sat on the throne of David which the Bible says He must do.

A-millennialists fall into a lot of what the Catholics believe which is the 1000 year reign of Jesus Christ is symbolic and it is not real. Christ will not return to the earth.

Post-millennialists - are of the dominion now theology and that Jesus won't come back until the church prepares the earth for His Coming. He needs to the church to get the world ready.

I'm a firm pre-millennialist because you really have to twist scripture any other way into order to get it to fit the logic of what they believe.

4 Things are apparent in this parenthetical pause in chapter 14. The first is the person of the vision - the Lamb of God.

Revelation 14:1 ~ "Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads."

In this chapter, God reveals how you want to be marked by Him. The 144,000 are marked with the name of God. "the Lamb" is Jesus Christ.

In verses 1-5, deal with John seeing those things that will happen after the Antichrist is defeated, after the false prophet is judged, and when the millennium age is about to begin just after the Tribulation.

Revelation 5:6 ~ "Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it has been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders." 

Revelation 5:8 ~ "And when he had taken it, the four-living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls of incense, which are the prayers of the saints."

Revelation 5:12-13 ~ "In a loud voice they sang: "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealthy and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise! Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, forever and ever!"

Revelation 6:1 ~ "I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, "Come!:

Revelation 7:9-10 ~ "After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne and to the Lamb."

Revelation 7:14 ~ "I answered, "Sir, you know." And he said, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."

The Lamb, mentioned in all of these verses and in Chapter 14 is Jesus Christ! The person is Jesus!

The second thing we need to consider is the place of the vision. The Mountain of God in verse 1. Where is Mount Zion? If you said Heaven, you are correct. If you said, on earth. You are also correct, because one day the two will be in the same place as heaven and earth come together. Remember again this is a future vision or parenthetical pause.

A Lamb is Standing on Mount Zion.

Jesus is standing. There are only two times that Jesus stands in the Bible and we will look at that.....


...tomorrow!!!