The Time is Coming to Choose Which Side of the Fence Are You On.

The one thing we all need to remember when we look around at the world today is to not be discouraged. That is God's plan for your life. We need to remember when we look at John in the Book of Revelation, he is no longer on earth, but has been transported to heaven, so he is looking down at what is going to happen to the earth one day. Remember John is not there. The church is not there. We need to make a decision, where will our eyes be? On heaven or on earth? In any situation, we face. Are our eyes focused on heaven or the earth? Do we look at them the right way, because when we consider that, it dramatically changes how we view what we are going through, with heavenly perspective or with worldly ones!

Are you swallowed up with fear at what is going on in your life? Maybe it's finances, a health care issue, marriage or family issues, and you find yourself so stressed out by how you are going to get through all of this, but if you focus on those things, they will consume you. However if you focus on God, it changes the entire perspective on everything. As we look at these things in the Book of Revelation in Chapter 6, you have a choice, to be a member of Jesus Christ by your faith in Him alone, and view these events from heaven. When you look at the things we are going to be studying today, what you are stressed about right now, will be nothing compared to what is coming.

In North Africa right now, they are facing a political and religious famine, with Islam imposing its rule on much of North Africa. One of the fall outs from this is famine. We know that people are being starved to death and those are political issues. They are controlled by those groups in power in those parts of the world. This famine that is coming, is coming to a Godless, faithless, Christ-rejecting world. You want to ensure that you are NOT part of what is coming. You need to trust in Jesus Christ of the Bible. Read your Bible. Start in John's Gospel in Chapter 1, learn about who Jesus is and put your faith in Him. He is mighty to save.

Our children are being raised in the public schools not to question their teachers. Go ahead and give them the answers they want, so you don't fail in school or college. If this is the answer they want, how did we come about, and the answer they are looking for is evolution, go ahead and give them that. When you get your grade and you are out of that class, you can go up to them and show them your grades. You can tell them you only believed about 7% of what they taught, God is real and some day you are going to meet Him one day. The only reason I got an "A" was because I gave you the answers you wanted. But I wanted to tell you before I leave here that I disagree with all of this. It's humanism.

People are blind like those college professors and they are on a course that they don't even know is ending. But you do and the Bible says its going to end. This man that comes forth in this system he brings will bring a horrible red horse symbolizing death that will come and he is given a great sword. A world that has lost its values is a world that is anarchic and has missed the blessings of God. When we are mindless of God, we begin to miss His blessings. God promises that if we seek Him we will find Him. "Take me on!" God says "and you will find Me!" God says, "I'll make sure you find Me!"  When you find God, you find meaning and purpose in life and blessings. The Bible says as long as we are walking with God, He'll shower His blessings upon us. God blesses obedience as long as it is not in violation of the Bible, God will bless you! Yet if we live in a world without God, we are going to miss His blessings.

God told Abraham, in Genesis 12:3 ~ "I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you. And in you, all the families of the earth shall be blessed." 

You don't have to agree with all that Israel does nor do I expect you too. They have done a lot of stupid stuff. But don't ever turn your back on Israel. It is a spiritual issue. God says don't do it. God says the moment a nation turns its back on my people, that nation will come under a curse. Take a look back in history to see what has happened to the nations that have cut Israel out of existence. Hints: You won't sign up to go there on vacation! If you do go there, you have to take antibiotics because their standard of living is pathetic. God has blessed America. He established the United States to put forth the Word of God, around the world as a platform, to show what a nation would look like when God was consulted, and to be a big brother or sister, to put a protective umbrella over the nation of Israel in its infancy as it gave birth to a new people on May 14, 1948, at the admonishment of our President at that time. As long as we are desiring to bless God's people, America will be blessed.

When this nation elects a President that goes against support of Israel, you can start marking your calendar. This nation will begin to diminish and I believe it will have to. When the advent of the Antichrist, the strength in the Euro, and the rise of the Ancient Roman Empire, we're the greatest nation on the planet, the most powerful nation ever in the history of mankind, the most affluent people in mass that the world has ever known, than why is this country not mentioned at all in the Bible? Iraq is mentioned. Iran is mentioned. Saudi Arabia is mentioned. Lebanon, Syria, Israel, Ethiopia, Russia, where is America? It's not there. Why? Why it's vacant is yet to be seen. It's such a Christian nation. Why is the greatest nation so absent in the Bible? We miss out on the blessings of God, which brings a hopelessness when we don't consult the Lord. The Bible says a famine will break out.

Revelation 6:5 ~ "When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, "Come!" I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying "A quart of wheat for a day's wages, and three quarts of barley for a day's wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!" 

What is all that about? First things first. A denarius was a day's wage from sunup to sundown. An entire days pay for a quart of wheat? That means that food will be scarce. Does it say that there will be no food? That is how amazing the Bible is. It says you have to buy food and it will take a day's wage. It didn't say there was no food. This is how brilliant God's Word is!

Jesus Christ said in Matthew 24:7 ~ "For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines."

The word here implies, not because God is faithful, it's not because God doesn't bring rain, or summer or winter and all that. He is faithful to do it. It's political and religious famines. Food is diverted. Manipulated. Played with. Interesting to note that is says, "do not harm the oil and the wine." This is a reference to those who are affluent and influential at that time, by both New and Old Testament scholars. They won't have a starvation problem. They are pulling the strings. But the bulk of the world will have to work all day, just to get a loaf of bread. Why? It is politically and religiously motivated. If you look back historically at famines in the world, there are very few that were environmentally related, did you know that? There have been some but nothing like what has come about due to politically and religiously controlled groups.

Look at North Africa, specifically Ethiopia, if you were to fly over the region and look down you would say, "What is the problem? " It's all green and beautiful down there, what is the problem? Why can't they grow food? You know why they can't grow food? It's a religious and political problem. The people who are not Muslims in Ethiopia, can't get the food, can't get the seed, and all the world food programs that try to get in there, everything gets confiscated and carted away. It's a political religious war! That is what is happening in the Sudan and other parts of North Africa. Political and religious control has brought about great famines. People can't have access to their crops, or their seed, or to water because those groups that are in control. Now that is not a popular thing to say. But that is exactly the truth. Jesus prophesied it before it ever hit this world.

We see a world that is missing the blessings of God and it doesn't have to be that way. A world without God is sentenced to death. There is hope in the midst of this whole thing. You don't have to be here to experience this whole thing. You have to make a decision. Is this what you want? What kind of person would sign up for this kind of mess? No one. There is only one option. To believe in the gospel. To believe that we are new creations in those who put their faith in Jesus Christ. That is your choice today. To inherit the hell that begins in Revelation Chapter 6, or to choose to inherit and accept heaven by the loving and given hand of God. Don't ever attack God for sending people to hell.

The world is sentenced to death. Man was not made to die. This was not the world God intended. Everything in this world, the heart, an amazing electronic pump, gets itself going, runs all by itself until God says to stop. Isn't that amazing. You know that death scientifically is a mystery? People might argue and say, "Well I know how that person died, it's because his kidneys failed." Why did his kidneys fail? We have come to swallow death like it's nothing but it petrifies us to death. The point of the matter is we were never intended to die, but we live in a fallen world and die we must, because we are all S.I.N. positive, says the book of Romans. Sin came into the world and by sin brought death. Jesus Christ came into the world to die on the cross, (1) to remove sin from all mankind, past, present and future sin, Jesus died for all of us. Yet only those who come to Christ and receive that offering that He paid for on the cross will benefit from His work. The choice is yours. Will you say "Yes!" to Jesus?

If you inherit this world that is coming, you have no one to blame but yourself. No one. Stop making excuses. Jesus wants you to have life! This is a world sentenced to death and He wants YOU out of here. In the Book of Revelation, there is a lot of hope. It just depends on whose side of the fence you are on. It's my prayer that you choose life today! What if our great God required your soul at this moment? You might say, well I'm an atheist, I don't believe in God. You know God can get you to believe in Him in just a minute. He can cause your heart for just a brief moment to have a tight sensation in your chest or perhaps you've been on a plane in a violent storm and you have that "man-moment," where you rationalize that you know how much stress a plane can take before something serious happens, you've seen Modern Marvels right? You say, this plane is no where near that stress on those wings. There not going to snap off! Those wings aren't even bending that much. I've seen them do that in a laboratory but they are no where close to that! Then it starts getting worse. The plane starts falling. Your drink flies up and you start thinking, "Um, Lord? Are you and I okay? Is there anything that needs to be cleared up?" Then the plane starts moving around, bouncing up and down, and then there is "Lord, take care of my family. " It just starts escalating.

You might be sitting here right now, saying you are an atheist. Billy Graham as he was nearing the end of his life has said, "No more than ever I am convinced there are no atheists, because when it comes to push and shove, someone will cry out to God or gods of some sort. Some might cry out to Budweiser. He is not there. Some might cry out to your horoscope. Not there. Only the Lord God is the only one who can save you!

"I am THE Way, THE Truth and THE Life," Jesus said, "and no man comes to the Father but through Me!" ~ John 14:6

As a pilot, there is a certain level of turbulence they are comfortable with and there is also a time, where they will begin to think about their own life, even if you're the greatest pilot in the world. What if God requires your soul in that moment. All pilots know where that level of concern is in regards to turbulence. When you hear that level of fear in a pilot's voice, you begin praying. Why would you choose to inherit this mess that is coming? It's strictly your own choice when it comes to your own future. You are the only one to blame. If you wind up in hell, you won't be blaming God. God went to the cross so you would have a choice! Decide today where you will wind up!

Revelation 6:3-8 ~ "When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, "Come!" Then another horse came out, a fiery read one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make men slay each other. To him was given a large sword. When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, "Come!" I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying "A quart of wheat for a day's wages, and three quarts of barley for a day's wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!" When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, "Come!" I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth. "

Everyone Wants Their Own Personal, Jesus!

When you look around the world today, do you ever ask yourself if its going to get better or worse? The Bible is pretty clear on that answer, it's going to get worse, much worse. We are going to see a continued degradation in the world. There will be more violence, more dissolving of nations, and there will be more lawlessness increasing. Jesus said in Matthew 24, this will all happen. The Bible teaches it will get bad. Then this guy, the Antichrist, will come onto the world, he will deceive it, the Bible tells us in the book of Daniel. The first 3 1/2 years will be a time of deception through peace and prosperity. If you give enough people peace and things to keep them entertained, they will be happy. The moment you take away their handouts, peace will be taken from the earth. There will come a time of such lawlessness, such upheaval, such lack of peace, and the Antichrist will come onto the scene and provide the answers people are looking for.

You can see just how this could happen, when you take a small city and when something goes wrong, the mob mentality rises up and almost overtakes all form of law and police in the city. It's what we feel over what is right that spurns them on to such things like rioting, violence, destruction and even taking the lives of those that get in their way. This is increasing in America. Our wealth and military powers now are only a mere perception of what it used to be. America is more in debt than it has value. Our power is a perception, because we don't have the will to use it. Our liberty has now been reduced to a perception. As soon as the enemy realizes that what we think we have is real and instead is only perceptions, you are going to see an unraveling of culture, you're going to see rioting and good being called evil, and evil being called good. You're going to see people endorsing lies rather than truth and Jesus was right when He said, " the love of many would grow cold." It's all about lawlessness abounding. That is becoming increasingly true even in the world we live in today. Many wonder, "will it get any better?"

Revelation 6:3-8 ~ "When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, "Come!" Then another horse came out, a fiery read one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make men slay each other. To him was given a large sword. When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, "Come!" I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying "A quart of wheat for a day's wages, and three quarts of barley for a day's wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!" When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, "Come!" I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth. "

We are now talking about a world that backfires on the agenda of humanity. A world that is crying out for God but God their way! The world is coming to a point where you will see a collective cry, according to the Book of Daniel, that the world will come together in one voice demanding peace from its global leaders. The Bible says that out of a world wide cry for peace, there will be ten kings or ten global leaders will arise and form some sort of council representing the powers that be at that time. Out of that ten unsuspecting group will rise up a man, the Bible calls him an eleventh king, and he will be the predominate one among three others in the group, out of this union of global politicians.

The Bible says, that this eleventh one, a small insignificant one, will rise up with the other three in this conglomerate, and he will begin to speak great swelling words about himself, and against the God of heaven. According to the Book of Daniel, this man will swoon the Israeli people into believing that he is on their side, and he will break this peace treaty in the middle of the seven year contract. This man will put down strongly the three other kings, so that he is the sole recognized leader of this group. Some people believe that is the whole idea behind the formation of the United Nations. It would cause the Secretary General of the United Nations, that represents the United States to be more powerful than the presidency in the United States. That is the goal, to weaken the presidency of the United States of America, or the Prime Ministership of England,  to take down the British pound which is not part of the Euro, nor is the US dollar.

You can expect the United States to dwindle in its influence, to dwindle in its financial prowess in the world, you can expect the United States to become weaker so that the European Union and its soon coming world leader, will arise and take the global scene. This is what the Bible says is coming. The people will cry out to have the peace of God, without God. They don't want anything to do with God. This European Union even now has declared that God will have nothing to do with how they run things. Isn't it interesting how in 2 Thessalonians it says that this lawless one will declare himself to be God. The world will join ranks with him and this again is the Antichrist, we are talking about. We are talking about a world without God.

A world without God is a world that has lost its values. A world that has lost its values is a world in peril.

Revelation 6:3-4 ~ "When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, "Come!" Then another horse came out, a fiery read one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make men slay each other. To him was given a large sword"

Is the world not becoming more perilous? Remember you don't have to be here when these things happen if you're a Christian. We need to give hope to those who don't. There is a day coming when they will want to know how to escape this coming storm. Is the white horse out yet? No. Is the red horse out yet? No, but the stage is being set! You can divide up Chapter 6 of Revelation into two parts, verses 1-2 are the first 3 1/2 years and verses 3-8 make up the last 3 1/2 years of the 7-year Tribulation Period. As hard as things look now, it's only going to get much, much worse.

You can ask any of our local police and they will say that ten years ago, if someone wanted to rob you they would hold out and gun and threaten to shoot you until you handed over your money or belongings. Now they simply shoot you and take what they want. It's because your life isn't worth a thing anymore. No human life is being considered valuable. Look at the rights of abortion proponents, who define the life of a unborn child, to the recent rulings over those who face terminal illness now how the right to end their own life, rather than endure the end. The value of human life is decreasing by the recent rise in shootings and violent murders in malls, schools, colleges and just about anywhere else. Why is that the case? Because we are setting the stage for a godless world. Even today, we live in a godless age. Everybody has everything against God, against the Bible, against Jesus, they can't point to anything that is real, but they have everything against Him. Jesus predicted that Christians would be hated because we stand for everything that is Jesus, and the world will hate us for it. That is exactly the world we are heading for.I think we are beginning to see a trailer of what will await those of left behind during the tribulation period.


A fiery red horse comes to take peace away from the earth. By the time this rider appears it will have already been 3 and 1/2 years into the 7-year Tribulation period.  We have already identified that the first rider on the white horse is the Antichrist, and he will have already deceived the world with his satanic powers.

2 Thessalonians 2:4 ~ " He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God."

That is why there is such a debate over the building of the temple in Jerusalem and why there is such contention over the rights of what goes on there. The Bible says in the last days a temple will be built there. There will be a wall built that on one side is the Dome of the Rock, and on the other side, the temple! 

Daniel 8:23-25 ~ "In the latter part of their reign, when rebels have become completely wicked, a stern-faced king, a master of intrigue, will arise. He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause astounding devastation and will succeed in whatever he does. He will destroy the mighty men and the holy people. He will cause deceit to prosper, and he will consider himself superior. When they feel secure, he will destroy many and take his stand against the Prince of Princes. Yet he will be destroyed but not by human power." 

2 Timothy 3:1-5 ~ "But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, loves of pleasure rather than lovers of God - having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them."

Are we not seeing these things even now? Won't people do this, eat things, for money? You were not made to eat certain things like people are. Anything for money. Sex, pranks, you name it for money. Out of control, explosive tempers. It hasn't even started yet, despite what we are seeing even now. Would you hang out with these types of people? They look like Christians, "they have a form of godliness, but they don't do church on any other days of the week but Sunday. They are fake Christians. They will not let the Holy Spirit govern their lives. Everybody is a Christian at the right time, it depends on who you are talking to and what day of the week. There will be time when people murder for sport. They will impose a humanism on the world.

Judges 17:6 ~ "In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit." 

What is being defined in that verse is humanism! Humanism is the existence of mankind without God. Humanism is what evolution is born on. When humanism was born it's child was evolution. Evolution is a joke and a mockery and the reason most scientists these days are rejecting it in light of intelligent design instead. Evolution is bankrupt of facts. It is still a great place to argue that life if not all that precious. Why? Because there is no God. Somehow we climbed out of a primordial ooze and it's survival of the what? Fittest. Look out for number who? Number one. If it feels good, what? Do it! Most people can answer those perfectly, all wrapped up in the humanistic Bible. You just said it, that is the manifesto! God is dead.

Forget values and morality because we are not made in the image of God, we are actually creatures that are at the top of the food chain, and it's the survival of the fittest. If you are a young person, you undoubtedly will have these types of courses in college. You have to have them. Your professor will tell you that we are only animals and don't try to impose your morality on us that has been brought onto us by conservative religious groups of people from the beginning. That is why you feel guilty when you do something that you have been told is wrong.  There is nothing wrong. Everything is negotiable. There is no black and white. We can't expect much out of you since you're just an animal. You can do a few things that are above the rest of the animals but when it all comes down to it, you're just an animal. So it's wrong for people to push morality on you. You're a little bit higher than your monkey friend that is down at the zoo. That is all you are. Your kids are being taught that and you wonder why kids are putting bullets in the heads of kids. Their just animals, what are you upset about? What feels good, do it! The humanistic manifesto is LIVE IT! If it's there, experience it! Get from life, all that you can! Throw out what you don't want and just create your own world. That is anarchy, that is a world without God and it's a world that is nearing its end.

Imagine what your professor would say if you recited all what they wanted you to say. That we can all do whatever we want to, because it is all about what is right in our own eyes, since we are simply just animals living at the top of the food chain. That is the answer they expect from you by the way. But how would they respond if you asked if they had a wife and children. They might stand back and feel super proud of their family. What if you asked them to bring their children to class one day so you could violently beat them until they were dead or bring their wife in so you could rape and murder her. I mean it's only right because you are simply an animal anyway responding to what feels right to you anyway, right? That's what I want to do Mr. Professor and you can't judge me because I am just an animal and there is no morality. I would guarantee you, that his or her humanism would fly out the window at that moment.

The world wants God on its terms. There is a God-shaped hole in all of our lives and if we don't fill it with God, we will fill it with things or spiritual deities or entities. You might remember Depeche Mode, their song, Personal Jesus, "Someone to hear your prayers, someone who cares.." It's all about everyone needs a Personal Jesus, and that is true if it is the Jesus of the Bible. There is only one Jesus, but there are counterfeit Jesus' out there and the world today wants a God, or a Jesus on their creative terms. But there is only one Jesus and He is listening and He wants to hear from you.

Jesus, I want to talk to the Jesus of the Bible, the Messiah God, the Savior God. I am calling out to You right now and asking You to reveal Yourself to me. I want to know the truth that sets people free. I want to know You. Are You the One who rose from the dead? Are You the One who died for my sins? Are You The One?

God is big enough and tender enough to reveal Himself to you, if you cry out to Him and ask Him to show Himself to you. He is the God of the Bible. The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Jesus Christ, Savior of the world. He will save YOU from your sins. Why wait any longer?

The Future is Coming! Who's Side Are You On?

Paul Harvey created a segment about "If I were the Devil." It is now available on YouTube and it's chilling to watch. It's prophetic actually. He created this in 1965 and when you look at what is happening in our world today, how can you not wonder how he came to know what would happen this far into our future with his prophetic words? Satan always has counterfeits. He always has stuff that looks like the originals that God created. Even the atheist today has to watch this and wonder. Was Paul Harvey used by God? God can use anybody and Paul Harvey was a believer! He had his finger on the pulse. That man, knew the culture and he was speaking in a very prophetic sense in that he was telling us or warning us what would happen if we remain on this Godless path. Yet here we are in the 21st century, right where he predicted we would be. 100% of this is absolutely true! It's the same thing people think when the read the Book of Revelation and think to themselves, this can't come true. Yet one day it will with 100% accuracy in every single detail.

https://youtu.be/H3Az0okaHig

Don't fool yourself. Every single one of us wants to know about the future. We have this bizarre, strange curiosity that is why every year at the checkout stand in November, they sell all these magazines predicting what might happen in the coming year. They sell out because people are interested in the future. The amazing thing is that the Book of Revelation is in fact the future, but people don't like the way it plays out. They want to write their future. But God has written a future that is far better than anything you could have dreamed of.

This is the stuff people want to talk about when it is entertaining, unfortunately many pastors and churches ditch the teachings on the Book of Revelation. Their flock misses out on what is perhaps the most important book of the Bible. This book covers more Old Testament Scriptures than any other New Testament book does. Satan always comes to us offering an alternative. Do this, instead of the Bible. Do this instead of prayer. Do you realize that if you told people we need to meditate more, everyone would agree with you. If you told people to sit on a rock naked with a pyramid on their head in order to understand the power of the universe, people with brains would want to know how to do it. How naked do they get? Where do they get the right pyramid for this?

Why do that when I can invite you to know God Almighty who can hear your cry? He will do what is best for you because you and I don't know what is best for us. You can meditate on everything and anything and miss it. God knows what you need before you even ask. No Satan comes along and offers alternatives. All Satan wants to do is flood the market with a counterfeit. What we see in the Book of Revelation is the unveiling of a counterfeit, and the world will go after him. He is riding a white horse, he has a crown and he has authority, he's got power. He's just the wrong guy! The world will go after him.

In the book of Daniel, the Bible says, he will promise peace and prosperity. Well who doesn't want those? But Jesus Christ came first to deal with sin, then comes peace and prosperity, when the Prince of Peace returns to earth in the Second Coming. (1) Jesus came to die for our sins. (2). He will come to establish His kingdom. Watch out because those alternatives will come and we see it coming in the form of the Antichrist, the first rider of the apocalypse, the first horseman. The advent is evil in human flesh, he will be amazing.

Revelation 6:1-2 ~ "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!" I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest."

When John says that he saw the Lamb and it opened the first of the seven seals, this is important, Jesus Christ is the one who releases that seal. The world has never known the advent of such evil. You might say, "Well why did Jesus send evil upon the earth?" It's not so much that Jesus is sending it, remember the requirements of the last will and testament of that seal, of that seven sealed book is being fulfilled. One of those things is that evil must run its course because this is what man wants. Man wants to be self-governed. That's the problem today. You don't want God to tell you what to do. Even the most devoted Christian struggles with what God tells us to do. It all comes down to a step of faith and obedience til the day we die.

When God says do this, don't do that, it levels the playing field to who truly loves Him. Do we love Him enough to do what He says? Or would we rather accept an invitation to something the world offers? Satan doesn't jump out at you saying "Come with me to hell Ha Ha Ha!" No he says things like, " He dressed up and says things like, "This is the norm.This is the way it goes. Everybody is doing it! YOU deserve it! " Satan is going to announce through the Antichrist, "You deserve it! You deserve peace!" What is the world crying for right now? Peace and prosperity! This man will come and give it all. When Jesus loosens the seal, He lets evil personify. He just steps back and says, "You want self governance without God? Instead of a theocracy, you want to have a monarchy? Go ahead and have your man! The Bible says that evil will come and it will be all dressed up and looking good.

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 loud voice, 'Come!" 

In the Greek, the word "Come" is "Ercho"  and means to come forth but also to go. The living creatures are not speaking to John, he is saying "Come forth and go!" It's a pulling out and sending. This living creature is saying, "First horse of the Apocalypse, the first rider, come forth and go to the earth!" There are going to be four messages sent to the earth with four riders and this one is the white horse.

The question remains, "Who is this rider on the white horse?" This is the unveiling of the Antichrist.

2 Thessalonians 2:4 ~ "He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God."

There is no temple of God in Jerusalem in this moment. There will soon to be however. Showing himself that he is god.

2 Thessalonians 2:5-8 ~ "Don't you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so til he is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, who the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming."

The Holy Spirit in the church on the earth is holding the lid on sin, on the Antichrist. Picture it this way, a big pot is boiling on your stove, and the lid is dancing on the top. The Holy Spirit through the church, is sitting on that lid so to speak holding evil down, until as 2 Thessalonians tells us, He steps out of the way, or steps aside. He doesn't leave the earth. Why? Because the rapture takes place, and then He steps aside and this wicked one is revealed. The lid is lifted off and all hell on earth is let loose.

Notice this! The Antichrist can not be revealed until the hindering power of the Holy Spirit determines it so. When the rapture happens, what then?

1. The Holy Spirit will resurrect the bodies the new physical bodies of those that died believing in Jesus. The Bible says to be absent with the body is to be present in the Lord. Those who believe in Jesus who die now, their Spirit is immediately in the presence of the Lord, but their physical body remains here in the grave. When Jesus comes for His church in the rapture, He will literally resurrect the atoms in the earth, and bring them up out of the ground, first.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 ~ "Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep , or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not recede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever."  

2. The Holy Spirit will hand the baton of the church over to Jesus Christ in the atmosphere. Right where you and I are standing at sea level, 0 to about 126,000 feet technically. That is where our atmosphere is. That is how specific our Bible is. When it says that Jesus will come in the air, when He raptures the church in the air, we are not going to land in Jupiter and wait for Him to come pick us up there. We will meet Him in the atmosphere, somewhere between sea level and 126,000 feet.

1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 ~ "According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not recede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever."

"Caught up" is where we get the word "rapture," which is Latin for 'rapturo' which is where we get "rapture" from. 

John 14:1-3 ~ "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am."

3. The Holy Spirit will stand aside, letting evil go unrestrained.

2 Thessalonians 2:6-8 ~ "And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, who the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming."

Like Lot and Sodom and Gomorrah. Remember when Lot asked if he could go to a safe city outside Sodom and Gomorrah and the angel said, "Yes! Go!" He could not bring judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah until they were gone. God is going to remove the church from the earth, and then Bible says throughout the Old and New Testament, that God will visit the earth in judgment because of their sins. You will NOT be judged for your sins. Your sins were judged on the cross with Christ. Some of you don't get this! I am more sure of that than my last name. All my sin was placed on Jesus on the cross.

How do you know? Because He died. He died on the cross. Then He rose again from the dead. And when He rose again, that was it. That settled it. My Lord has risen from the dead. It is something that He died on Friday, but Sunday was a coming!!! Sunday, Jesus rose from the dead. When they went to the tomb it was empty! There is more evidence of the crucifixion of Christ than there is evidence for you and I to go to court on any issue. You are going to have change Roman history, both secular and religious history if you don't believe in the crucifixion or resurrection of Jesus. It is one thing that Jesus died for us, but if He didn't rise from the grave it would have been an empty victory. But He did!

Genesis 19:22 ~ "But flee there quickly because I cannot do anything until you reach it."

4. The Holy Spirit will come upon the nation of Israel.

Ezekiel 36:27-28 ~ "And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. You will live in the land I gave your forefathers; you will be my people and I will be your God."

Acts 2:16-21 ~ "No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

These are specifically given to the nation of Israel. This is the Second Coming, not the rapture. Remember Israel didn't even exist 70 years ago. There is now a antisemitism movement in the world today. There is an Anti-Israel boycott of products in churches today. God loves Israel and His covenant is with them forever. Israel is going to be the central point of Revelation and in the last days. You better be on the right side of the future!

The Rider of the White Horse!

Before we head into Chapter 6 of the Book of Revelation, a transition has taken place. Let us recap in case you are just joining us today. We have learned up to this point about the revelation of Jesus Christ and His love for us, we have learned about His instruction for the church and what heaven is going to be like regarding worship that is beautiful, challenging, exciting, and personal. From Chapter 6 on out to Chapter 19, the vantage point is solely from heaven looking down on the earth, it is bloody. It is the wrath of God. It is the punishment of the earth for their sins. It is man gone crazy. It is evil unchecked. Chapter 6 through Chapter 19 is the Great Tribulation period. It is horrific and it all begins with the first rider in the famous four horsemen of the apocalypse. We now meet the first rider. This is a time yet coming for all of us. But the question is, will you be here on earth or will you be with us, looking down from heaven?

For some of you that have been following, we are getting into the Great Tribulation and you really want to hear more about this stuff. The dynamic about the Christian faith is that we do not worship some dead God or some token religion. But the fact of the matter is our Lord is risen, He is alive and His book, His love letters given to us in the Bible. In Revelation 5, we saw the glories of heaven and the worship that was taking place there. We saw those whom Christ has purchased through His blood and redeemed by every kindred tribe, tongue, nation and people. They have been raptured up into heaven. Now we come to Chapter 6, where the Tribulation Period begins. It covers all 7 years of it all the way to Chapter 19 around verse 11. The bulk of it, is the last 3 1/2 years of the Tribulation period. By the time we get to the end of the Book of Revelation, you should be an expert on the End Time Events!

We are going to set the plow today to begin to dig in deep into the Scriptures so you might want to gather together your Bible and something to write down what you have learned alongside your Scriptures for easy reference.

Revelation 6:1-2 ~ "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!" I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest."

This is the first of the four riders of the apocalypse and we will be spending some time really studying what they mean, what they are carrying and what it means for the inhabitants of the world. The first rider comes with the loosening of the first seal. Now remember that Jesus Christ was the only one found in heaven, on earth and under the earth, in all the created world both spiritual and physical,  to be worthy to take the scroll and open the seven seals. The word "worthy" meant that Jesus had met all the requirements necessary to take the scroll from God the Father, the Lamb of God, the Root of David. He was the only One to be found worthy to open the seven seals. Once He opens one, He will continue until they are all opened. This all takes place in a very short period of time. Once it begins, it will run its successive course. Once the seven year Tribulation period begins, yet one day in the future, and it will be so clear that those living then, will be able to mark their calendars and count the days as 7 years begins to the day. It will go 7 full years without stopping or pausing, without hesitation, without a comma, until Christ returns in the Second Coming.

We may all remember in high school or college, being on a time table. We enter high school on one day and will graduate on another. It may be two years or four years but there is a predetermined time table that must be followed to go from the beginning all the way to the end. We will have met all the requirements and all that needed to happen to graduate and be free from those institutions. As we approach graduation, there is an increase in the tests, exams and effort. There are finals we have to go through, and we have had to go through all those years to get to the point where we can finally graduate. We have met all the requirements.

The seven year Tribulation Period  must happen, it will happen, because all the requirements in both the Old and New Testament describe, must take place. When it comes to the prophetic Word of God, let alone all the other portions of the Bible, when we fail to take these Scriptures literally, unless otherwise specified by the Bible, we often wind up being in error. Most of the mistakes we often make is when we don't take the Bible literal enough. For example when Jesus says, "All those who come to Me, I will no wise cast out." What does that mean? It means that all those who turn to Him, He will not turn away! When He says, "You must be born again to enter the kingdom of heaven," what do you think He meant? If you keep reading John 3, He tells you exactly what He means. God is not mysterious in that He withholds all the information that we need. He gives us all what we need to know. He's a great God!

So in regards to the time table in your life, you are coming to a predetermined graduation so to speak, and so is this world, by the way, everything, politics, economy, ecological issues, are all marching forward in a predetermined moment of time in the mind of God. That is kind of eerie in one point but awesome in another. I don't know what tomorrow holds, but I know who holds tomorrow! We often feel that God is not on time. "Where is that predetermined moment in my life?" God is never early and He is never late. He is always on time and God's prophetic Word is one of those truths, about that.

In Chapter 6, this view is from heaven because the church is no longer mentioned from Revelation 4:1 on earth, until it comes back to earth from heaven with Jesus Christ in Revelation 19. That is significant with all the efforts put forth in chapters 2 and 3 of Revelation, regarding the church on the earth, now there is no church on the earth, and we shall see some of the reasons why as we go further into our study. The events of the 7 Year Great Tribulation Period is those 7 literal years that will usher in the return of Jesus Christ to the earth, in what is called the Second Coming.

These seven years or the seven year time table, is a time reserved specifically by God for global judgments and God's revisitation upon the nation of Israel. Make note of that.You may think Israel is out of the picture, but Israel is in the picture! The Bible tells us that God will re-establish the nation of Israel in the last days, and He will come and visit His people. The nation of Israel must be established and on the earth before the Second Coming of Christ. The 7 year period of the Tribulation deals with God's judgment on the earth for a Christ rejecting world, and the re-establishment and the redemption of the nation of Israel! This is very important. Always keep your eye on Israel! Up until May 14, 1948, we didn't have an Israel to look at. According to the Scriptures of Isaiah 66 and the United Nations, on May 14, 1948, Israel was born as a nation a second time in one day.

The Bible speaks of these 7 years that are coming. They will be commencing on a very specific and certain day. It's a day the Bible tells us that a peace treaty will begin with Israel and its surrounding neighbors, which just so happens are their enemies. When the peace treaty commences, there will be a date when its signed, and does anyone know how long that peace treaty will last in a contract form? 7 years! But in the middle of that time, the man who forges that agreement, breaks that agreement in 3 1/2 years! It will take place with the nation of Israel, not any other nation. This is what the Bible said would happen thousands of years ago! That day will commence a very terrible moment in time! That Jesus said would be unlike any other time on the earth, and unless He shortens those days, no flesh would remain upon the earth. Jesus said, "it will be a time of such tribulation nor shall ever be in the world."

In other words, it will make the Holocaust look like a picnic. One man, the Bible says, will be the one who instigates this process that will lead to earth's last attempt to govern itself in human politics, and that man, the Bible refers to him as the son of Perdition, the beast, the worthless shepherd, and in Zechariah, the Bible refers to him as the Antichrist.

As we look around in the world today, where the Bible says this man will come into the world, seeing and riding on the back of another beast called a religious beast. He will use that pseudo false church system and will come out of the old ancient Roman Empire, and he will come and use religion as a tool. At some point, he will discard that false religious system, and the Bible says, he will stand in Jerusalem in the temple and declare himself to be God, and the world will marvel and worship him.

What I find very interesting about that is even now people have been working and have spent tens of millions of dollars reconstructing the tools and the devices, that they believe will be used in the coming temple of their Messiah. They have already completed the menorah they plan on using that stands four feet tall, made of solid precious metal. It's under lock and key and they are waiting, they have tracked and trace men in their lineage of Levites, to be priests and make offerings and sacrifices because they believe their Messiah is soon to come. The problem is that the Bible says, the Messiah that they are going to receive will come riding upon a white horse. You might say, well what is wrong with that? The Bible says that Jesus will come riding on a white horse? It is not Jesus Christ, but the Antichrist. It is the one that is a false representation of the Messiah!

Revelation 1:17-19 ~ "When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades. Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now, and what will take place later."

We learned that when He (Jesus) told John to "write the thing you have seen", that is in reference to Chapter 1 of the Book of Revelation, "what is now," that is in reference to Chapters 2 and 3 and "what will take place later." is in reference from Chapter 4 until the end of the Book of Revelation.

The first rider of the apocalypse brings the advent of evil in human flesh. This man will be unlike Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, Hussein, and unlike them he will have success in what he plans to take place on the world. There are powers that are sinister and dark that are moving toward the reception of this man. I believe this man is alive in the world today somewhere, biding his time. I believe he is coming. He may be in his 30's, 40's, or 50's, I don't know, but I believe this Antichrist figure is alive. When he comes, the Bible tells us in the book of Daniel and Revelation, how specifically he arises. He will be evil personified. He will be the son of Satan.

As we go from chapter 6 to 19, keep this in mind, that Satan will always attempt to mimic what God has already given. As we have read in the Bible, we read that God told Moses to thrown down his staff and it would become like a serpent. Remember that? What did Pharoah's magicians do? Same thing. They mimicked back and forth, these miracles of God until they reached a point where their gods were exposed. Satan is always mimicking. He can not create anything new. When Solomon said there is nothing new under the sun, that applies to Satan too! He creates nothing! He only steals and manipulates, that which exists. He steals. He rips off. He does that in people's lives. Jesus says "he is the father of lies." The only thing he has ever produced is false lies. Because whenever there is the truth, he comes with a false alternative. He always comes in our life, trying to offer a false alternative.

From Chapter 6 to Chapter 19, these are the chapters in the Book of Revelation that no one wants to read. This is the reason why most people say they won't read the Book of Revelation. It shouldn't be the case. Each of us has the opportunity to choose where we will be viewing this from. If you make the right choice, Jesus being THAT choice, none of this will be yours to inherit. If you just listen to the Word of God, this is heavy stuff, because you don't get these in churches very often. The church in America today is messed up because it has been playing church for far too long. We need to get right with God and get back to the Bible! The first step in doing that is found in John's gospel, where he said, "Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world." Jesus Christ is your literal ticket to heaven. It's not your smile, your wealth, not your achievements or righteousness, that is all garbage to God. It's what Jesus has done! That is why at the base of the cross, everyone comes at equal footing. Rich man, poor man, beggar, thief. We all come to Him in need of His blood, which He shed upon the cross, Jesus died for us.

If you say to Him, wherever you are at right now, "Jesus save me! Jesus I love You today for what You have done for me. You died on the cross, You rose again from the dead, I declare You today and I receive You today, as my Lord and Savior!"

Worried? Try Worship for the Cure!

When we worship, we connect with our God personally. Sometimes, when you're at church on Sundays or Wednesdays or whatever day you attend, it is often easy to sneak out just as the worship team comes out for the final song, so you won't have to face any delay trying to get your car out of the parking lot. But what you fail to understand is that you are walking out on worship! It has to begin to start being a priority in our lives.  Nothing in this life is certain and sure, but worship is. Most fail to understand what a true privilege worship is.

There is something about this human life of ours, that the blackness and loneliness of the struggles and difficulties, the nagging pain and the sorrows, will someday be pressed into the Diamond of Glory. Deliverance from this world's troubles will cause us to sing. The moon can't sing God a song. Jupiter in all its splendor can't write Him a word of praise. Pluto can't pray to God. When we worship, we connect with our God personally!

It's not just about the singing. It's about having an object that is worthy to sing to. You have to, you must, you will. There will come a day, you will see the glories of God and you will want to break out in song and worship. One day every single knee will bow willingly and say that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior. But there will be no second chances after you die to make that choice to choose Jesus today. 

Psalm 100:4 ~ "Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name."

That's a command. When's the last time we told God thank You. There is always something to thank God for. No matter how much pain and suffering we might find ourselves in, there is always something to be thankful for.

Psalm 9:1 ~ "I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders."

That's a Christian. I am deficient in this area and I need to start thanking God more. Because He is on the throne and He loves me no matter what, good days or bad days.

Psalm 35:18 ~ "I will give you thanks in the great assembly; among throngs of people I will praise you."

Psalm 52:9 ~ "I will praise you forever for what you have done; in your name I will hope, for your name is good. I will praise you in the presence of your saints."

Psalm 57:9 ~ "I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples."

Psalm 118:21 ~ "I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation."

Psalm 138:1-2 ~ "I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart; before the "gods" I will sing your praise. I will bow down toward your holy temple and will praise your name for your love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things you name and your word."

Do you notice the repetition in these Psalms? 

1. You are worthy.
2. to take the scroll.
3. to open its seals.
4. for you were slain.
5. you have redeemed us to God.
6. by your blood.
7. out of every tribe.
8. tongue.
9. people and.
10. nation.

Peeking ahead to verse 12...

Revelation 5:12 ~ "In a loud voice they sang: "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and  honor and glory and praise!"

"Mark" - the things of heaven in your sights, Jesus Christ is returning to this earth. The song keeps going.

Revelation 5:10 ~ "You have made them to be a kingdom and priest to serve our God and they will reign on the earth."

They sang this song and it keeps on going. Some ancient scholars have said that a better understanding of this reads, "You have made us (a kingdom) , (priests we are) to our God. And we shall reign on earth. Regardless it's all about the divine government to come. "Kings and Priests" the reign of Christ and His government for a thousand years from Jerusalem, Israel. I really like that when you think that Christians really have no place in this world. We as Christians, as just pilgrims, just passing through. Our goal is to bring as many people to heaven with us.

Don't let the world determine what you need to become worthy in the eyes of those here, Jesus is what we should be focusing on. We shall reign on the earth with Jesus. The people in authority in our government will never work right, even though God has placed those people where they are at this time. Government only works when God rules. Until that time, human government is in power. There are men and women dying to establish government in their country, just to have the right to have a say so. To exercise their freedom. We as Americans, we have grown tired of freedom. We don't fight for it or defend it as much anymore. We fought for the right at one time to worship freely.

This year when you have the opportunity to vote will you do it? Will you understand the blood that was shed for that right to do so. In the end, in glory, the real Christians will stand before the throne of God. The Lord is saying the hour is late, it's time to worship Me and put Me first.It's time to rededicate our lives to Jesus once again and to be His will before our own.

Help us to search our hearts Lord and restore those broken places where we can learn to feel again. To understand what it is to feel You again in our lives. To come before His throne and read His Word like never before. We ask You Lord, that all we have we dedicate it all to You. Lead us and drive us like a ship across the sea and guide us with Your Spirit.  You've lost the sight of heaven and Jesus has been cursed more than praised and you're getting weaker by the day. It may be the very thing that brought you here today. He brought you here to bring this to your attention. It's time to come home to Him again. It's time to ask for His forgiveness and ask for His restoration. It's time to let Him take control of Your life again. God stores our tears in a bottle for us.

If you've never asked Jesus into your heart and want to do so now, simply pray this prayer and mean it from your heart. He will hear you right where you are at. He won't force His way in, you need to invite Him in today to your life and let Him change you.

Dear Lord Jesus, 

Forgive me of my sins. Write my name in Your Lamb's Book of Life. Receive me today. I believe You died and rose again, and I receive You now, as my Lord and Savior. In Jesus Name, I thank You, AMEN!!!

We need to live our lives on the mark because Jesus is come back. Time is running out and night is coming. Jesus is the most influential person who ever lived and has lived and continues to live. In just 3 1/2 years, He impacted the world like never before. Time is running out for us to minister for Jesus before eternity comes and we hear the final trumpet blast.

How Can Jesus Christ Be Both Lion and the Lamb?

You will never understand the Book of Revelation unless you view it through the Old Testament Scriptures. Where does a Lamb appear in Scripture? Old Testament. Where does a lion appear in Scripture? The Old Testament. What do horns mean in the Old Testament? All of these things speak of the ministry and the person and the authority of Jesus Christ. It's absolutely thrilling. He is the Lion from the Tribe of Judah. He is the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world. How can Jesus be both a lion and a lamb you might ask? Because He represents all of these things! He is both a King and Priest but also the sacrificial offering, and when we talk about the horns throughout Scripture, both Old and New Testament speak of kingship and authority.

Some people might argue that John was seeing some sort of mutation in heaven, when he describes what is written in Revelation 5, what he is seeing is a prophetic, apocalyptic manifestation of Jesus Christ, regarding past, present and future because he is in heaven viewing what was, what is and what is about to happen, meaning the Second Coming, wrath of God. He sees all of this stuff that to a Jewish mind, and remember that John was a Jew, we need to view these things through his eyes and see things historically that way he sees this. Imagine, he's thinking, this is the King, He's the sacrifice, He's the Priest, He's the Authority. The average Jew in that day would understand these things better than we would.

When someone tells you not the read the New Testament, you should. If your Rabbi tells you not to, trust me, there is something there he does not want you to know. Because if a Jew was to read the New Testament, everything talked about in the Old Testament is answered in the New.  When a Jew reads the New Testament, because he knows the Old, during the Tribulation Period, the Jews are going to open the New Testament. They are going to read it and know, that Jesus is the Lamb of God, He is the Lion, He is the King, He's everything and it's all there. He is the One and their eyes are going to be opened.

Jesus has met all the requirements by being obedient to the death on the cross.

Revelation 5:6-7 ~ " Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. He came and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne."

Don't let the horns and the eyes frighten you. It's symbolic language. It transcends all time and generations. The "having seven horns and seven eyes" is a great and wonderful thing. Seven is the number of completeness or completion, and the horns or horn represent an Authority or King in the Bible. Historically we know all about the lion of Judah in Israel's history.

2 Samuel 22:3 ~ "The God of my strength, in whom I trust, my shield and the horn (king or authority) of my salvation."

The seven horns speaks of absolute authority and now presides over all the kings and rulers over all the earth. 

"and seven eyes" this is the Lamb's perfect scope, vision and knowledge of earthly affairs. He is all seeing and all knowing. This verse means that Jesus Christ will be the Conductor over the events of the Great Tribulation. The vision is everywhere. When the Tribulation period begins, people everywhere will be reading the Bible. These seven seals will only be opened by God's authorized agent, Jesus Christ.

Revelation 6:16-17 ~ "They called to the mountains and the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?"

Why doesn't it say "from the wrath of the Lion?" Because He was rejected as King, but the Lamb came as a sacrifice. That is the issue today. If you are a Jew today, you welcome the Lion, but you will have nothing to do with the Lamb. You can't have the Lion without the Lamb. You can't have the position without paradise. This is none other than Jesus Christ, our Great God and Savior! These are the awesome and sober moments just preceding the opening of the Great Tribulation. As the Lamb, He is sacrificed, and as the Lion, He is King!

Revelation 5: Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne"

Notice now, that the direction in which the elders and the four living creatures fall down toward is in the middle of the throne. God had fulfilled His purpose! Isaac is with Abraham and they are going to worship God. Fire is the symbol of judgment, the knife represents that Jesus would be pierced.

Genesis 22:6-8 ~ "Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, "Father?" "Yes, my son?" Abraham replied. "The fire and the wood are here," Isaac said, "but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" Abraham answered, "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." And the two of them went on together."

There is no greater version than the Old King James version of this Scripture. It's called redemption. Isaac willingly laid on this structure and allowed himself to be bound without a word. Sound familiar? By the way, all this took place on Mount Moriah, the high point, today we would call this Golgotha, Mount Calvary. The place of the skull. The place of redemption. Thousands of years ago, we have a father willing to sacrifice his only son, willing to take a knife and plunge it into him, and be consumed by the fire, yet the Angel of the Lord comes and stops him. God knew that Abraham loved Him above all things, but Abraham didn't.

Then thousands of years later, a Father in Heaven puts wood on the back of His Son, and lives it out again, as He makes His way up to the mountaintop, there is the wood, there is the piercing, but where is the Lamb? Jesus never utters a word why? Because He was the Lamb. That is why He fulfilled the Scriptures in Isaiah that He uttered not a word like a sheep being led to the shearers. He did it.

 "as though it has been slain." meaning a mutilated lamb, beaten, torn, rejected, hated. This is exactly what we will see in Heaven when we arrive. Let see if you can identify who this is based on this passage of Scripture, written 743 years before Jesus was born, which for us today, makes it 2800 years old. If there is a skeptic here, let him figure it out.

Isaiah 52:13-53:12 ~ "But you will not leave in haste or go in flight; for the LORD will go before you, the God of Israel will be your rear guard. See, my servant will act wisely; he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted. Just as there were many who were appalled at him - his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness - so will he sprinkle many nations and kings will shut their mouths because of him. For what they were not told, they will see and what they have not heard, they will understand. Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root of of dry ground. He had no beauty of majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. By oppression and judgement he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken. He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, not was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand. After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life, and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors."

Every year when the lamb was offered up as a burnt offering, Dr. Eherdershiem, notes that the Leviticial practice was to take the sacrificial lamb and impale it through the rear and through the lower portion of the lower jaw.   The second stave would be used to pass through from left to right just below and behind the lamb's torso and front legs. It was then placed into the fires of sacrifice.

Professor Albert Barnes points out that if you would exalt or raise that lamb up vertically, you would see a lamb crucified on a perfect cross. That's what Jesus did for you and I!

Exodus 12:3-5 "Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household. If any household is too small for a whole lamb, they must share one with their nearest neighbor, having taken into account the number of people there are. You are to determine the amount of lamb needed in accordance with what each person will eat. The animals must be year-old males without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goats."

A Lamb: Today in your life, Jesus Christ is just a really great man, unless you know Him personally. , Buddha's doesn't have a lamb, Mohammad doesn't have a  Lamb, Joseph Smith doesn't have a lamb. whatever...they don't have a sacrificial lamb.

Until you consider The Lamb: He's the only Lamb! That's kind of tough to handle. You mean like He's the Lamb and all the others are chopped liver?

Your Lamb: Do you have a personalize Lamb? There is only One. He's the Lamb and if you don't have the Lamb, then you don't have a Lamb to trust in.

John 1:29-30 ~ "The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is the one I meant when I said, "A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me."

We are supposed be moved by the sacrificial lamb. It was supposed to mean something. The blood was supposed to have been spread upon the doorposts of the house so that the angel of the death would pass over those homes. It makes you wonder if there wasn't some Egyptian who believed in what Moses said about the Jews and believed in God, and he followed in the message he heard. He would have placed the blood on his doorposts as well and he is spared. Have you taken to yourself, Jesus Christ to be your Lamb? It's hell without Him. Jesus is the only One!

Satan Holds the Title Deed of the Earth!

When you think about it all the wealth and worldly goods you possess doesn't mean anything to anyone until we die. That is when it becomes valuable to those who are hoping that they might get some of what you acquired in your living trust or last will and testament. Those documents are worthless until you die and they become empowered by your death in order to make them valid. It's good to have, and means only something to you while you are still alive.

It's like that with the New Testament, it became empowered by Jesus the moment of his death and subsequent resurrection. When Jesus said, "It is finished," what did He mean? The moment He died, his death empowered the total fulfillment and totality of God's absolute Word. His Word would be nothing without His death. The moment He died, the Will was empowered and you and I are blessed. He fulfilled all the Old Testament prophecies and requirements. The mathematical odds 10 to the 26th power for just 8 prophecies being fulfilled to the letter as discovered by the University of Texas. That's 10 with 26 zeroes after that. That was only 8 prophecies being fulfilled. Jesus fulfilled over 600 of them. It comes down to an infinite number when you factor that in. He is God. How can you not believe that?!!

Most people don't believe in God, because they are angry at the way things are going, that there is evil in the world. It's not that they don't believe in God, they simply don't understand why things happen the way they do and why it feels at times that evil prevails because if they had it their way, they would certainly change things about the course of the way the world is going. This chapter in Revelation answers that age old question. You want to know why there is evil in the world? (1) Because this is not the world God intended. This world and the Garden of Eden was sold, so to speak, or relinquished to the hand of Satan the Bible tells us. Adam and Eve lived in perfection. They rebelled against God and in doing so, in their rebellion, Satan took possession of the earth. Satan has been in control of this world, did you know that? The Bible says, "He is the prince of the power of the air." Of the atmosphere of this world, Satan. The Bible calls Satan, the god of this age. Satan is in control! When there is a death, murder or robbery, or an illness or sickness that is claiming the lives of a child somewhere, who does that? It comes from the fall! You want to blame someone rather than criticize, than turn your righteous indignation against Satan. It's his fault.

What does this have to do with anything? It's all about redemption and this scroll is none other than the title deed to the earth. It is a will like that of a Roman will, sealed with seven seals. That authorized agent to open it had to meet all the requirements and demands to fulfill the things written that each seal unfurled. That's very important. By Himself, Jesus Christ is God's authorized agent. 
 
We have in historical museums, the wills of several Roman emperors each of them have been sealed seven times. The seven seals meaning, (1) indicated that the will had been completed by its author, (2) that the will could only be opened by an authorized agent, (3) that the will had specific "requirements of performance" that must be fulfilled, and (4) that the fulfillment of those performance, had to be done by someone who met those qualifications and/or by the author of the will himself (who would have already been dead, a little catch there.)

1 Corinthians 11:25 ~ "In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me."

Jesus is now saying that I am in the process of buying back the world, from its fallen condition and I am going to do it in my blood. I will empower the redemption of this world by my blood. You might think this is boring and that you already know all of this. Well then you should be the most outrageous worshiper in any church because of that truth. He redeemed us, Jesus has done it if you are a believer in Him.

Hebrews 9:15-17 ~ "For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance - now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant. In the case of a will, it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living."

Sounds like a lawyer wrote this huh? The scroll is a legal document, the seven seals are seven requirements... so then, for what reason, is our question...why? Some say it's the New Testament, others it is the will of God, still others, that it is the Counsel of God to man...the scroll is the Title Deed to Planet Earth. The unfolding of the seals takes up most of the Book of Revelation. The unfolding of that will, the scroll, written on the inside and on the back, of this one scroll. This means that all the requirements have been met, there is no room for anything further. It's complete, that is what is meant when it says it was written on inside and out. Been there, done that. There is a problem in all of this however, there is still someone who has to meet all the requirements.

Whatever is done here in order to get the world back to the possession of God, all of those requirements are complete, now it's time to enact it.

Revelation 11:15 ~ "The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven which said: "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever."

Did you get that? "Now they have become." Didn't God make the world and all there is? Yes, but it was delivered by Adam into the hands of Satan. Not only did Jesus redeem us from our lost condition, but His redemptive powers go to this world and the cosmos. He's buying it back. According to John, from his vantage point, it's done. It's finished.

2 Corinthians 4:3-4 ~ "And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God."

Ephesians 2:2 ~ "In which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient."

If this is hard for you to understand maybe this might help. Remember when Jesus came to the earth in the form of a man and went into the wilderness for 40 days and who came and tempted Him? The Bible says that Satan came and tempted Him. Now Jesus has no sin nature. But the temptations were true none the less. They were real temptations. He had to resist them. He laid aside certain mechanics of his deity as God, all of His powers and all of His knowledge, but certainly within reach, He didn't pick them up in his humanity, it's called "Kenosis." He could of picked them up at anytime, but He didn't. He humbled Himself and Satan tempted Him, when Jesus became thirsty, He felt it like you or I would. He got tired, He had to contend with the same things you and I do. 

So when Satan came to tempt Jesus, one of those temptations was this...

Matthew 4:8-9 ~ "Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of he world and their splendor. "All of this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me."

Was that a valid temptation? Yup! Did Jesus do it? Thank God, No! Did Satan have the power to tempt Jesus with that temptation? Yes, by the way, there is one coming who Satan will offer this deal one more time to. We don't know his name, but he goes by the title of the Antichrist. Satan is going to tell him if you bow down and worship me, all of these kingdoms will be yours. And he is going to do it. Pretty amazing! By Himself alone, He became the performance.

Revelation 5:2 ~And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, "Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?" 

Can you imagine the sound of this angels voice? He is referenced as mighty. There must have been silence in heaven when he posed this question. Angels looked at one another, redeemed hosts looked around, everyone looks at one another, John certainly observes the situation and there is a catastrophe in his heart. This redemption by Jesus means that He has done what no man can.


Revelation 5:3-4 ~ "But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside."

No one was worthy to take the scroll and look at it. John is weeping because there isn't anyone to be found who could open it. People might say they have a problem with that statement because they believe there are no tears in heaven. Wait that is coming. As John is viewing this in both heaven and the need upon the earth for this deliverance, Why is he weeping? Because no one was found worthy to redeem man and the world out of its lost condition, no one can do it, there is no salvation any other way. No one has cried like this, over the lost soul of someone. Then John realizes that salvation can only be found in God alone. No one is worthy. Listen to the answer. Redemption in Jesus Christ, is that He has meet all the requirements by being faithful to the commitment to save.

Revelation 5:5-7 ~ "Then one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals." Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. He came and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne."

The elder commanded him to stop crying. Not in a harsh way. It's strong but tender. God calls us His children because we are not supposed to worry. Much like a little child. They live for the here and now. They are supposed to worry about things. The elder turns to John and tells him, "Stop it, it's not over yet." It's not over until the fat angel is going to sing, and he's going to sing! Read Genesis 49: 1-11. Write that in your Bible next to Revelation 5:5! This is what this elder is referring John to!  Shiloh is one of Jesus' names! 

This is referring to the Tribulation period where it describes Jesus robe in Genesis 49:11 and His judgement found in Isaiah 61-63. Who is worthy? Jesus! The Lion of the tribe of Judah. How in the world can Jesus who the Lion of the tribe of Judah, be the Root of David, when David was born before Jesus? If you have kids, you are the root of your children! In other words, they came from you. You are a branch and they might be a leaf. You are a branch, because if you are alive today, you had a mom and a dad. That make them further up the trunk. But your grandfather is further down the trunk until somewhere in that genealogy you get back down to the dirt and the roots. How can Jesus who was born 2000 years ago be the root of David when David is older than Jesus? The answer is that David is not older than Jesus! Jesus has always existed! The Bible tells us this and the Scriptures challenge us with this.

Matthew 1:1 ~ "A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham." 

Matthew 9:27 ~ "As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, "Have mercy on us, Son of David!"

Jesus came forth from David's lions, from David's DNA, but watch what happens.

Matthew 22:41-46 ~ "While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, "What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?"  "The son of David," they replied. He said to them, "How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him Lord? For he says, 'The Lord said to my Lord: Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet.' "If then David calls him 'Lord,' how can he be his son?" No one could say a word in reply, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions."

The Father is always greater than the son, unless the Son is God from all time and eternity and came into this world. The Bible tells us that Jesus pre-existed. He is the eternal one. He draped Himself with human skin. That is why He is THE Root of David. David ain't got no roots without Jesus. He has no lineage without Jesus like Abraham. He declared Himself to be God. They couldn't handle the truth and thus the reason why the teachers of law wanted to stone him.

More to follow tomorrow!!! Hope you'll join me!

He is Worthy to Open the Scroll!

Chapter 5 in the Book of Revelation is the most neglected chapter in all of the Bible. It shouldn't be for this one ginormous reason, we will learn that no one was found worthy in heaven, on the earth, under the earth or anywhere to loose the seven sealed scroll. Jesus is the only one found worthy. So why is that important? Because without Jesus Christ being qualified as our Priest, our salvation, our advocate in heaven, we are lost because He alone is the only one who can unloosen these seven seals. Each seal, as we learned through studying Roman history represents a chapter in a person's life. In a sense the scroll represents a will, like it did in Roman times, sealed with seven seals. For the sake of argument and those living in the western world, the first seal would be opened by let's say, your real estate attorney, and he would tell those present what the will said in regards to the property or estate, because he, being the real estate attorney was qualified to share that part of the person's will.

The next guy would open up the will and he would be your financial adviser, he loosens the second seal and says here is where all the money is going to go and here is how it will be spent. Then the next guy would go who was qualified. You see my point? Here Jesus Christ is the only one to be found worthy to open all seven seals, who can unfurl the scroll and meet all the demands.

You've probably been to the auto races like Nascar or even some of the drag street races and have seen the cars labeled, "powered by...Ford" or whatever the sponsors want on the car. We, as believers in Christ are powered by Jesus. He has done it all and we are going to hear the accolades of heaven. One thing to note before we get into our study is that there is no break between chapter 4 and 5. When you look at the original scriptures, there is no break between chapters 4 and 5 like our Bibles have laid out for us today. There is a language flow that begins in Revelation 4:1 and and goes all the way out to the end of Chapter 5. There is no break to the presentation of this message. Meaning that John in the beginning of verse one in Chapter 4 when he is raptured out of the world, and now the perspective or vantage point is now from heaven looking down on the earth, John is giving us an eyewitness account to what is happening as he is in heaven.

He is like a reporter on the scene reporting to us live from heaven, with the events as they will happen just before the judgment comes to the earth. We are so often caught up in presenting the "fire and brimstone" nature of God, but what we should be focusing on, is the forgiveness and grace of God instead. But in order to give you the full biblical nature of God, God is holy, He is just, He is loving and like the Bible states, "He is angry with the wicked every day." God is all these things and He is also forgiving. But because He is holy, he must discipline all unrighteousness and godlessness. We believe that we will prosper if we simply turn the other cheek on certain matters, that maybe the evil that is happening in my home, my church or my community might just go away.

We do those things because we are unrighteous. God is holy, He doesn't think like that, He sees things that are wrong and unholy and must deal with them. As we enter into Chapters 4 and 5, we are seeing the preparation of God's judgment that is coming. From Chapter 6 through Chapter 19, is God's disciplining or judgment upon the world. He is not weak, or mad, or out of control for doing it, but His holiness creates a righteous indignation which must be executed, because of God's justice. The beautiful thing is that in Jesus Christ, we escape all of that. Jesus took the beating and the crucifixion upon Himself on the cross, for the sins of all those who put their trust in him. That is called redemption, that Jesus went to the cross for us. He bought for us, our salvation, which was a price so great, that all of humanities collective goodness, could have never produced.

You and I can offer up our best goodness that we can give, but the problem is, like poisoned water, it's tainted. You can't see it and it looks clear, looks okay and presentable, but there could be cyanide in that water. The best of our efforts is tainted the Bible tells us, by ungodly motives. and sometimes as the Bible tells us, we don't even know our own hearts. It is interesting when we look further into things that we see when the apostle Paul saw into heaven, he was told not to mention or write what he had seen when he gazed into heaven,

2 Corinthians 12:4, ~ "was caught up to paradise. He heard inexpressible things, things that man is not permitted to tell." 

Yet we see that John has permission from the angel to write about the things which he has been shown, to tell all that he sees and hears regarding the revelation of Jesus Christ, and the concluding events of these last 2000 years. Here John has been telling us of these great and awesome things about heaven, about the future and about eternity. We are just seeing snippets of Heaven and we won't see it in all its glory and wonder until we get there. Chapter 5 is the most important chapter thus far in our study because it deals with one of the most troubling issues in our lives. That issue being, "If God is all loving and caring, why is there so much suffering in the world?" and "Why did God create Adam and Eve, if He knew they were going to sin and mess it all up?" The answers are found right here in Chapter 5.

Revelation 5:1-7 ~ "Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, "Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?" But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. Then one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals." Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. He came and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne."

These things keep in mind, when we consider that our redemption comes from Jesus Christ, that Jesus has become our salvation, by Himself being God's authorized agent.

Revelation 5:1 ~ "Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals."

I stress this as if it was a legal term and I want you to think of it that way. Redemption is a legal affair. Redemption demands that certain legalities take place. We are a society that is governed by laws, in fact, there is no society unless it is a society that is governed by laws, and that law that we operated on has been founded on the Judean law or the law of the Bible. In the Supreme Court, there are marble carved images that go all the way around the court, and sitting right over the Chief Justice, a marble carved image of  Moses sitting on a throne, holding the ten commandments in both arms. The law giver! Emanating out from him and all around are the subsequent law givers throughout humanity, they all have their names. Redemption is a legal act before God. Let's look at how it authorizes Jesus to be that agent.

Revelation 5:1 ~ "Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals."

Everything in that culture, of authority and power, is on the right hand. Remember what Jesus said, "I will look to those on my right hand, and I will say enter into the joy of the Lord and he says to those on His left, depart from Me, you workers of iniquity." The right hand is the place of authority. It is the place of strength, it is the place of transaction on the right side. So John is telling us something that is very important. The protocol of heaven and the protocol of what is taking place, you've got the court set in heaven, Daniel talks about this in great detail. He says as the angels were gathered around and the court was seated, making a reference to the 24 elders, then the Ancient of Days did come, and He was seated and exercised judgement upon the earth. It is a legal courtroom setting. Jesus is our authorized agent. So when John says, "I saw him seated on the right side, he says in his hand is a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals." 

In Rome, when a will was written it had writing on the front and back. It meant that the scroll was full and nothing could be legally added. Roman law required that a legal will, a Last Will and Testament, be sealed 7 times. In fact in 1962 in the Middle East, through archaeological digs, a scroll was dug up, it was in an earthen jar, they pulled out that scroll and some of it was weathered and lost, but a lot of it was intact. It was dated some day in March, in 335 BC. They took it into a laboratory and began to unfold it and they unfolded the first seal, and that seal unfolded the next document, and the next document because it is all rolled up in one.

Imagine and I will try and describe it the best way I can. Imagine a long piece of paper like a newsprint laid out. That is a piece of paper rolled out. On the end of it is a seal. I place one more piece of paper on the inside a little bit smaller with one more seal. Yet a smaller one and a smaller one, each of them having a seal. You got it? When I roll it up, it is sealed but it has seven seals. So when I take off the first initial seal, and open it, it reveals the remaining seals, I can see them but I have to undo each seal, and with each seal opened, there were requirements that the go-el or redeemer, or the authorized agent, had to perform or to execute for that will to be enacted. As the scroll is unrolled, there are more and more things that must be done. They are not negotiable. The problem is that is deals with someone, that will, that someone wrote it, and as long as a will is in a safe deposit box or at the bank, or at your agents office, or whatever the case might be, that will has no power at all. Did you know that? It's worthless. It's just abiding. It's just there. There is no power to it. There is no authority to it until what happens? Somebody has got to die. Not just somebody, the person who wrote it. As soon as that person dies, by a record of the deceased, when the legalities declare that that person is pronounced dead and on that Good Friday at 3 o'clock, (we are going someplace with all of this), and the Roman government declared he is dead, grab a spear by the way, pierce it through his side, yup, he is dead; Rome requires that Jesus is dead. When Jesus died, that will, was empowered. The last will of the New Testament. A will is a testament. The Old Testament was completed in Christ. The performances.

The New Testament is written in His blood so to speak. Having no power, until Christ dies. But rather than leaving all that He wrote and planned to mankind to the distribution and authority of other people. He died and rose again so that everything written on that will would be executed. He didn't leave it to anyone else. He is that authorized agent.

Whether you believe it or not, doesn't change the truth of it. We come to the truth. Jesus Christ, is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Jesus says that when a man believes in Him and dies, he will have eternal life. We don't have to understand everything in the Bible, it is by faith that we do. He gives us evidence of that truth every day.  God gives us each day the ability to make that choice and only You are responsible for the decision to accept or reject Christ and that will have eternal consequences. That is a choice you want to ensure is the right choice.

Tomorrow we will continue this study and I hope you will continue to join me into our in-depth study of the Book of Revelation.