WEBVTT 00:00:07.839 --> 00:00:09.519 You're listening to the road. 00:00:10.000 --> 00:00:12.080 Pastor teacher Steve Holmes. 00:00:12.880 --> 00:00:20.239 Jesus said, when all of the earth is heard, when all of the earth is heard the gospel, then the end will come. 00:00:20.640 --> 00:00:22.559 So God is studying this thing a lot. 00:00:22.960 --> 00:00:24.640 And that's why we have to hack school. 00:00:24.800 --> 00:00:25.920 That's why we have the road. 00:00:26.160 --> 00:00:30.960 That's why we have churches across the city and churches around the world where we need to plan a whole lot more. 00:00:31.280 --> 00:00:37.679 Is because God is calling us to preach the gospel to every tribe and every time. 00:00:38.000 --> 00:00:41.200 Because by so doing, we're setting up the coming war. 00:00:43.039 --> 00:00:47.840 Today, Pastor Steve continues his series of the Book of Revelation. 00:00:48.079 --> 00:00:53.600 At The Road, our vision is to raise up wholehearted disciples of Jesus Christ. 00:00:53.759 --> 00:00:58.000 For more information on The Road, visit theroad.org. 00:00:58.159 --> 00:01:03.280 We hope you are encouraged by today's message from Pastor Teacher Steve Holt. 00:01:06.319 --> 00:01:08.000 We are in the book of Revelation. 00:01:08.079 --> 00:01:09.920 We've been going through the book of Revelation. 00:01:10.079 --> 00:01:13.920 If you're new with us, I want to give you a little bit of a quick overview. 00:01:14.000 --> 00:01:15.120 I always have to do this. 00:01:15.280 --> 00:01:18.719 I find that, you know, just because of, I think two things. 00:01:18.879 --> 00:01:21.120 One, it's America and how fast-paced we are. 00:01:21.280 --> 00:01:24.000 But the second is we live in a beautiful state, don't we? 00:01:24.079 --> 00:01:33.120 I just got back from a hunting trip, and um I love being in the mountains, and I love being where the aspens are changing, and it's just gorgeous up there. 00:01:33.200 --> 00:01:36.480 And so I understand that people get away from time to time and miss church. 00:01:36.560 --> 00:01:38.799 So I always go back and do a quick overview. 00:01:38.879 --> 00:01:41.359 But we're in Revelation chapter 6. 00:01:41.599 --> 00:01:45.599 Don't turn there yet, but uh that that is where we're gonna start up today. 00:01:45.680 --> 00:01:47.519 I'm gonna actually take you to another place. 00:01:47.760 --> 00:01:54.319 But look at, if you have your Bibles, look at Revelation chapter 1, verse 19. 00:01:54.480 --> 00:01:57.760 This is an overview of the entire book of Revelation. 00:01:58.000 --> 00:02:01.359 This is the outline of the book of Revelation. 00:02:01.599 --> 00:02:15.840 And chapter one is seen where it says in verse 19, it says, Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this. 00:02:16.560 --> 00:02:19.919 Chapter one is the things which you have seen. 00:02:20.240 --> 00:02:23.599 Chapters two and three are the things which are. 00:02:23.759 --> 00:02:25.039 That was the seven churches. 00:02:25.199 --> 00:02:28.159 That was what was happening in that first century. 00:02:28.319 --> 00:02:34.000 And then chapter four onward are those things which will take place. 00:02:34.159 --> 00:02:39.520 Now we are already into chapter six, and we're gonna be moving into the bowls of wrath. 00:02:39.599 --> 00:02:48.240 We're gonna look at the the different trumpets and different aspects of that, but it really, really starts to pick up and get exciting. 00:02:48.319 --> 00:02:51.680 But here's what I want you to do this morning is turn to Matthew 24. 00:02:51.840 --> 00:03:00.240 So turn to Matthew 24, where Jesus is asked by his disciples about his second coming. 00:03:00.400 --> 00:03:20.080 And the reason I want to start with this is this is gonna lead into actually Daniel chapter 9, which is one of the most famous and one of the most profound, I think it's a good word, the most profound prophetic passages of the coming of the Lord in all of the Bible. 00:03:20.159 --> 00:03:21.280 That's in Daniel chapter 9. 00:03:21.360 --> 00:03:23.360 But look at Matthew 24, verse 3. 00:03:23.599 --> 00:03:34.319 Now as he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, Tell us when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age? 00:03:34.560 --> 00:03:39.039 And Jesus answered and said to them, Take heed that no one deceives you. 00:03:39.360 --> 00:03:44.159 For many will come in my name, saying, I am the Christ, and will deceive many. 00:03:44.319 --> 00:03:46.400 So deception is gonna be the word, gang. 00:03:46.560 --> 00:03:53.520 You're gonna see this all through Revelation, and you've heard this now for the last few weeks as we've been going through Revelation. 00:03:53.840 --> 00:03:56.719 Deception will grow. 00:03:57.039 --> 00:04:03.599 The deceiving ways of the devil, the deceiving ways of demons will increase in the latter days. 00:04:03.840 --> 00:04:04.639 Verse 6. 00:04:04.800 --> 00:04:07.280 And you will hear wars and rumors of wars. 00:04:07.360 --> 00:04:14.319 Now, men and women, there's always been wars and rumors of wars, but this will be on a whole nother level. 00:04:14.639 --> 00:04:20.560 See that you're not troubled, for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 00:04:21.040 --> 00:04:25.439 Verse 7, for nation will rise against nation, ethnos against ethnos. 00:04:25.519 --> 00:04:27.120 That's the word where we get ethnic. 00:04:27.600 --> 00:04:31.199 We've defined it in English to be nation, but the ethnic grouping. 00:04:31.360 --> 00:04:42.800 So make sure you understand as we move through Revelation that when we speak of nations, the tendency is to look at it in terms of political boundaries. 00:04:42.879 --> 00:04:51.120 And there is truth to that, but I think we see especially in the Middle East right now, that this is more and more ethnic issues. 00:04:51.279 --> 00:04:53.759 So you'll have a boundary, i.e. 00:04:54.000 --> 00:05:00.319 Iraq or Iran or places like that, Syria, where ethnic groupings are fighting each other within that. 00:05:00.399 --> 00:05:16.240 So he says, nation will rise up against nation, that's what he's speaking of here, and kingdom against kingdom, and there'll be famines and pestilences and earthquakes in various places, but all these things are just the beginnings of sorrows. 00:05:16.639 --> 00:05:34.399 So we've had earthquakes and we've had pestilences and we've had famines and we've had wars and we've had ethnic infighting for thousands of years, but this will be at a level that we've never seen in the past, and it's only the beginning of sorrows, and it's gonna exponentialize. 00:05:34.560 --> 00:05:40.639 It's going to increase at such a high level that it's gonna come, as Revelation says, it's gonna come quickly. 00:05:40.800 --> 00:05:47.360 And the idea of coming quickly is not kind of what we literally think of coming quickly soon. 00:05:47.519 --> 00:05:48.480 It means it will come. 00:05:48.639 --> 00:05:52.879 Another translation of the Greek there is it will come suddenly. 00:05:53.279 --> 00:05:59.120 So not just quickly, it's the idea that it, and have you, you've probably seen that with a birth of a baby. 00:05:59.279 --> 00:06:01.120 I mean, you wait nine months. 00:06:01.439 --> 00:06:11.519 You're like all the stuff and changes in the in your wife's body and all this stuff going on, and then when it happens, man, it kicks in and everybody's got then you got your bags ready. 00:06:11.680 --> 00:06:13.120 I mean, if you're smart, you got your bags. 00:06:13.199 --> 00:06:14.560 So some people do. 00:06:14.879 --> 00:06:15.680 We didn't. 00:06:15.839 --> 00:06:17.680 But we had home births, okay? 00:06:17.839 --> 00:06:18.480 But whatever. 00:06:18.800 --> 00:06:21.040 Anyway, so you know, and like it's gonna be like that. 00:06:21.120 --> 00:06:25.519 And I think that's why Jesus continually talks about it being like birth pangs. 00:06:25.600 --> 00:06:30.560 So it's gonna happen suddenly, and things are gonna begin to steamroll fast. 00:06:30.720 --> 00:06:35.360 But look at verse 15, because verse 15 is what I want to camp on to go to Daniel 9 with. 00:06:35.600 --> 00:06:41.839 Therefore, when you see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by who? 00:06:42.480 --> 00:06:51.360 Daniel, the prophet, standing in the holy place, which means the temple is going to be rebuilt on the mount there in Jerusalem. 00:06:51.600 --> 00:06:53.120 Whoever reads, let him understand. 00:06:53.279 --> 00:06:54.879 Whoever reads, let him understand. 00:06:55.040 --> 00:06:56.959 Most people reading this do not understand it. 00:06:57.040 --> 00:06:59.199 And yet he tells us directly, specifically. 00:06:59.279 --> 00:06:59.839 It's amazing. 00:06:59.920 --> 00:07:09.920 I did so much research this past week on Daniel, and by and large, theologians today completely miss this passage as it relates to Daniel chapter 9. 00:07:10.160 --> 00:07:11.680 So now look at Daniel chapter 9. 00:07:11.759 --> 00:07:14.639 So Daniel's in the Old Testament, so turn to Daniel chapter 9. 00:07:14.800 --> 00:07:22.560 Um, kind of if you open your Bible right in the middle, just kind of let it open, it kind of falls open in either Psalms or Proverbs, and then go right. 00:07:23.040 --> 00:07:26.720 As you go right, you'll find Daniel as you move toward the end of the Old Testament. 00:07:26.879 --> 00:07:31.519 But this is the most succinct, if you understand it. 00:07:31.680 --> 00:07:37.759 And I'm not going to go into it, I could spend two hours just on Daniel 9, 24 through 27. 00:07:37.839 --> 00:07:38.720 I'm not going to do that. 00:07:38.879 --> 00:07:41.120 I actually thought about doing it for Christmas Eve service. 00:07:41.199 --> 00:07:41.600 Haha. 00:07:41.680 --> 00:07:42.879 That might be kind of fun. 00:07:43.040 --> 00:08:08.959 But Daniel 7, I mean Daniel 9, 24 through 27, Gabriel visits Daniel in a very complex prophecy that's super profound, if we get it, based on the solar calendar of the Babylonians and the Jews at that time, a 360-day year solar calendar. 00:08:09.759 --> 00:08:22.319 So, I'm not going to go into all the details, and I may leave some of you hanging, and I could cover it through emails or something later, but let me just give it to you as best we can because I really want to get into Revelation chapter 6. 00:08:22.480 --> 00:08:23.519 Verse 24. 00:08:23.920 --> 00:08:47.679 Seventy weeks are determined for your people and for your holy city to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, to anoint the most holy. 00:08:48.080 --> 00:08:55.519 So this is the scope of the entire prophecy that he's giving, but as you can tell, it's not yet completed. 00:08:55.840 --> 00:08:58.240 He says, to bring to an end all sin. 00:08:58.480 --> 00:09:00.720 Anyone think there's an end to all sin yet? 00:09:00.879 --> 00:09:14.399 So this is this is basically the 70-week, verse 24 is to say, in this 70-week period that he's speaking of 70 weeks of years, there's going to be the end, coming to the end of all time. 00:09:14.559 --> 00:09:18.639 And then he breaks it down and gives more of an outline in verse 25. 00:09:18.960 --> 00:09:35.519 Know therefore and understand that from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince, there shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks. 00:09:35.919 --> 00:09:41.759 The street shall be built again, and the wall even in troublesome time. 00:09:42.159 --> 00:09:54.320 So this verse covers the 69 weeks to the time of the Messiah, Jesus, listen, being presented as the king. 00:09:55.519 --> 00:10:04.480 Okay, Zephaniah 9.9 talks about the king coming on a donkey into Jerusalem. 00:10:04.639 --> 00:10:09.519 So he's speaking here of this coming of the Lord, this presentation of the king. 00:10:09.679 --> 00:10:18.480 Remember how many times Jesus said he left them because they wanted to make him king, but it wasn't the right time yet. 00:10:19.039 --> 00:10:28.879 And then there was a right time as he came in with the triumphal entry into Jerusalem on his timetable, on God the Father's timetable. 00:10:29.279 --> 00:10:35.840 So seven plus sixty two equals sixty-nine weeks of years. 00:10:36.000 --> 00:10:40.080 Now listen, I know this is gonna be a little bit hard to understand, but I'm gonna do it really brief. 00:10:40.559 --> 00:10:50.799 Solar calendar used by the Jews and Babylonians at the time takes the 360 lunar solar days to make a year. 00:10:51.120 --> 00:10:57.120 You multiply them by seven to get a week, and you take 69 of those. 00:10:57.440 --> 00:11:01.360 It comes to the exact number of the day. 00:11:02.080 --> 00:11:20.399 173,880 days from when Artaxerxes commanded Israel and also the Assyrians to rebuild Jerusalem to the day of the triumphal entry of Jesus. 00:11:21.279 --> 00:11:22.720 That's phenomenal, gang. 00:11:23.440 --> 00:11:42.720 So Artaxerxes makes, and we have that document, and we have documented historical evidence of when he said, we're gonna rebuild Jerusalem after it had been destroyed, and then 173,880 days later, on the day of the triumphal entry, Jesus the King, entered Jerusalem. 00:11:42.960 --> 00:11:47.679 This is one of the most astounding prophecies in all of Scripture. 00:11:47.919 --> 00:11:49.279 Now, look at verse 26. 00:11:49.360 --> 00:11:50.480 Now, why did I bring this up? 00:11:50.639 --> 00:11:52.399 Because of verse 26 and 27. 00:11:52.559 --> 00:12:11.120 And after these 62 weeks, Messiah shall be cut off, but not for himself, and the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary, the end of it shall be with a flood, until the ends of the war desolations are determined. 00:12:11.200 --> 00:12:15.919 So Jesus was crucified then in the city, thirty-eight years later. 00:12:16.879 --> 00:12:20.320 Titus Espasian came and destroyed Jerusalem. 00:12:20.559 --> 00:12:27.360 Those 69 weeks have occurred, but what about the 70th week, verse 27? 00:12:27.840 --> 00:12:32.639 Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week. 00:12:33.840 --> 00:12:39.600 But in the middle of the week he shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. 00:12:39.919 --> 00:12:48.799 And on the wing of abominations, remember abomination of desolation, which he said was referred to in Matthew 24, Jesus refers to that in Daniel. 00:12:48.960 --> 00:13:00.240 The abomination shall be one who makes desolate the abomination of desolation, even until the consummation which is determined is poured out on the desolate. 00:13:00.559 --> 00:13:04.960 This is the 70th week of Daniel. 00:13:05.440 --> 00:13:09.679 He, look at it again, he shall confirm a covenant. 00:13:10.000 --> 00:13:12.960 He shall confirm a covenant with many for one week. 00:13:13.120 --> 00:13:21.200 We believe that's a seven-year period where the abomination of desolation, which is the Antichrist, will have a covenant of peace. 00:13:21.360 --> 00:13:24.159 And that peace will last about half a week. 00:13:24.320 --> 00:13:25.039 That's what it says. 00:13:25.200 --> 00:13:26.639 In the middle of the week. 00:13:26.799 --> 00:13:34.960 After three and a half years, there will be a change, a transformation, and wars will break out. 00:13:35.120 --> 00:13:37.200 But he will come, and we're going to look at that in just a second. 00:13:37.360 --> 00:13:41.279 This right applicable to Daniel chapter 6, I mean to Revelation chapter 6. 00:13:41.440 --> 00:13:43.919 He's going to come on a white horse. 00:13:44.480 --> 00:13:51.759 The Antichrist, this one world leader, will come as a peacemaker and a man of peace, and he'll have a covenant. 00:13:52.000 --> 00:13:52.720 It's interesting. 00:13:52.799 --> 00:13:57.279 There's 33 titles in the Old Testament for the Antichrist. 00:13:57.759 --> 00:14:01.279 There's 13 in the New Testament for the Antichrist. 00:14:01.600 --> 00:14:06.639 This is the abomination of desolation that Jesus really wants us to understand. 00:14:06.879 --> 00:14:08.240 He says, remember this. 00:14:08.480 --> 00:14:10.480 It's what Daniel told you. 00:14:10.639 --> 00:14:13.440 Reader, understand, get this. 00:14:13.679 --> 00:14:17.120 And it's amazing how the church has missed this through the centuries. 00:14:17.200 --> 00:14:18.799 To me, this is exciting, gang. 00:14:18.960 --> 00:14:23.600 This is not, and you say, well, I just had, I want to, I want to get married and I want to have kids. 00:14:23.919 --> 00:14:26.480 Well, get married and have kids. 00:14:26.639 --> 00:14:28.960 You're not supposed to be looking around for the Antichrist. 00:14:29.039 --> 00:14:30.480 You're supposed to be looking at Jesus. 00:14:30.639 --> 00:14:34.320 But the reality is, is that he's giving us a briefing. 00:14:34.559 --> 00:14:44.240 This is a briefing of the last days of the coming of the Lord, so we're not surprised and we're not shocked when things begin to take place. 00:14:44.480 --> 00:14:47.120 So Revelation 6 through 19, don't miss this. 00:14:47.279 --> 00:14:51.519 Revelation 6 through 19 is about verse 27. 00:14:51.759 --> 00:15:04.480 So verse 27 of Daniel 9 that we just read is elaborated on with the specifics of how the enemy's going to work and how God's going to work in the last days from Revelation 6 through 19. 00:15:04.559 --> 00:15:10.320 So we're coming in to some of the most exciting parts of the book of Revelation. 00:15:10.639 --> 00:15:19.519 God's judgment's going to be poured out through seven seals, seven trumpets, and seven bowls of wrath. 00:15:19.840 --> 00:15:21.919 And this is just the birth pangs. 00:15:22.240 --> 00:15:23.759 This is just the birth pangs. 00:15:24.320 --> 00:15:28.559 So Revelation 6 and 7 is the birth pangs. 00:15:28.720 --> 00:15:32.720 Revelation chapter 8 is the great tribulation period. 00:15:32.879 --> 00:15:36.159 So we're going to experience that through the seven seals. 00:15:36.320 --> 00:15:41.519 And we may be, quite frankly, gang, getting really, really close to this. 00:15:41.679 --> 00:16:02.320 I don't know about you, but I can say this in all my years, and we've talked about this before here at the road, how it does seem like there's been so many challenges to the very core values that we've believed in in America and as believers in the church. 00:16:03.440 --> 00:16:12.639 We could take America as a cultural issue, but there's also a cultural issue within the church that is radically changing. 00:16:12.879 --> 00:16:16.320 I mean, it is so quick what's been happening. 00:16:16.480 --> 00:16:26.720 And the kind of discussions that are online theologically about stuff that, seriously, just five years ago, we would have considered untouchable. 00:16:27.039 --> 00:16:41.679 I mean, you would have just said that's that for two for 2,000 years, and if we count the Old Testament for some 8,000, 6 to 8,000 years according to how you want to uh date it, those were settled issues, gang. 00:16:41.919 --> 00:16:43.679 They are not settled anymore. 00:16:44.000 --> 00:16:46.080 They are not settled anymore. 00:16:46.240 --> 00:16:47.840 And things are steamrolling fast. 00:16:48.000 --> 00:16:57.600 So now look at Revelation chapter 6, and let's open there, and we'll go as far as we can in six today, and then we'll pick it up next week. 00:16:57.840 --> 00:17:00.639 Revelation 6 gets into the seven seals. 00:17:01.039 --> 00:17:10.799 I've entitled it Come and See, because every major seal is open, the angel says, Come and see. 00:17:11.440 --> 00:17:14.960 And so we're gonna proceed. 00:17:15.039 --> 00:17:16.240 That's actually what come means. 00:17:16.319 --> 00:17:18.000 It means proceed and watch. 00:17:18.160 --> 00:17:19.039 That's another way to say it. 00:17:19.200 --> 00:17:20.160 Proceed and watch. 00:17:20.319 --> 00:17:28.319 Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, come and see. 00:17:28.400 --> 00:17:32.000 So come means to proceed, to watch, be released. 00:17:32.160 --> 00:17:38.720 We're about to see the four famous four horsemen of the apocalypse here in Revelation chapter 6. 00:17:38.960 --> 00:17:40.799 Horses, you're gonna see horses. 00:17:40.960 --> 00:17:45.599 Horses in the Bible always represent judgment. 00:17:45.920 --> 00:17:56.160 2 Kings 6, Jeremiah 46, Joel 2, Nahum 3, Zechariah 1, Zechariah 6, all speak of judgment on horseback. 00:17:56.319 --> 00:17:59.359 And I looked, and behold, a white horse. 00:18:01.039 --> 00:18:03.680 He who sat on it had a bow. 00:18:04.720 --> 00:18:10.799 And a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer. 00:18:11.039 --> 00:18:19.200 Now, because we know that Jesus does come on a white horse in chapter 19, many have thought this is Christ. 00:18:19.279 --> 00:18:20.240 And it's not, though. 00:18:20.319 --> 00:18:24.160 Look at you as we go through this, you're gonna see these three buddies that he's hanging out with. 00:18:24.319 --> 00:18:25.119 Three bad guys. 00:18:25.279 --> 00:18:28.559 One is war, one is desolation, and the other is death. 00:18:28.799 --> 00:18:31.200 I believe that this is a picture of the Antichrist. 00:18:31.359 --> 00:18:44.480 What we just read in verse 27, a peacemaker, a white horse coming with one of peace, coming with one of reconciliation, a covenant, a covenant of peace for three and a half years. 00:18:44.640 --> 00:18:46.559 And he's carrying a bow. 00:18:46.960 --> 00:18:57.519 The traditional symbol of Nimrod was the bow, and Nimrod was the dictator or the leader over the Tower of Babel. 00:18:57.839 --> 00:18:58.880 Don't forget that. 00:18:59.119 --> 00:19:09.839 So this bow represents war, it represents desolation, and in a near and far prophetic sense, it represents Nimrod. 00:19:10.240 --> 00:19:12.319 And you know about the Tower of Babel. 00:19:12.960 --> 00:19:26.720 There was that desire and that passion to get to God, to gain knowledge from God, and to be God, and to build a temple where the people of the whole earth would come and worship. 00:19:26.799 --> 00:19:34.319 And we're going to see the rebuilding of the temple through this one world dictator, and he's conquering. 00:19:34.480 --> 00:19:35.839 He's on a horse. 00:19:36.160 --> 00:19:37.519 He's coming to conquer. 00:19:37.680 --> 00:19:39.519 And he's been given a crown. 00:19:39.759 --> 00:19:40.640 He's a leader. 00:19:40.720 --> 00:19:42.079 He's a worldwide leader. 00:19:42.319 --> 00:19:44.319 New agers are looking for this. 00:19:45.519 --> 00:19:48.319 Muslims are looking for this. 00:19:48.640 --> 00:19:51.519 Jews are looking for this. 00:19:52.799 --> 00:19:55.440 Political parties are looking for this. 00:19:56.960 --> 00:20:02.000 Someone, a savior, who can get us out of this mess. 00:20:03.200 --> 00:20:04.880 The earth is looking for such a man. 00:20:04.960 --> 00:20:17.039 And I think as we see the catastrophic days that are ahead of us in the future, more and more we'll be longing for this kind of leader. 00:20:17.440 --> 00:20:19.440 The world is clamoring for this kind of leader. 00:20:19.519 --> 00:20:21.200 It's only going to increase. 00:20:21.519 --> 00:20:30.480 The bow mentioned here is the same word used for the rainbow in Genesis chapter 9 for a covenant. 00:20:30.720 --> 00:20:32.160 Isn't that interesting? 00:20:32.559 --> 00:20:40.160 The rainbow, a covenant of peace, a covenant from God to the people that he would never flood the earth again. 00:20:40.720 --> 00:20:43.599 This guy will be carrying this kind of a bow. 00:20:44.079 --> 00:20:47.279 And I'll explain in a minute what Antichrist means. 00:20:47.440 --> 00:20:48.799 It's not what we think. 00:20:49.119 --> 00:20:51.359 He'll be accepted by Jews and Muslims. 00:20:51.440 --> 00:20:53.279 He'll be a peacemaker. 00:20:53.599 --> 00:20:57.839 He'll be a false Christ, a false Messiah deceiver. 00:20:58.640 --> 00:21:06.799 Matthew 24, 4 and 5, which we just read, says this take heed that no one deceives you, for many will come in my name. 00:21:07.039 --> 00:21:09.519 So he may call himself a Christian. 00:21:09.920 --> 00:21:13.759 Some have believed he'll come from a large church setting. 00:21:14.000 --> 00:21:17.200 Some have believed that he'll come as a media mogul. 00:21:17.839 --> 00:21:22.319 I am the Christ, and he will deceive many, is what Jesus said. 00:21:22.640 --> 00:21:25.759 He will be a global world leader. 00:21:26.079 --> 00:21:33.920 We now have a military in America that basically has to ask permission to go to war from the United Nations. 00:21:34.480 --> 00:21:38.079 We are moving increasingly toward a global tax. 00:21:38.240 --> 00:21:44.319 You already know about what's happened in Europe with the one European currency that's used there. 00:21:44.880 --> 00:21:56.160 Some have said, and I think there's some truth to this, that the rapture of the church may be causative to a one world leader because so many will be gone. 00:21:56.400 --> 00:22:05.920 I mean, if you think about America today, I'm just going to Speak of America, and then I'll say it was definitely true in Japan in the 20th century. 00:22:06.000 --> 00:22:07.680 I can't say so much about the 21st century. 00:22:07.759 --> 00:22:09.599 I've been gone from Japan for so long. 00:22:09.839 --> 00:22:12.319 But it was, yeah, and I know it's true in Thailand. 00:22:12.400 --> 00:22:14.319 It's definitely true in Korea. 00:22:14.559 --> 00:22:17.119 I don't think it would be true in China. 00:22:17.359 --> 00:22:37.119 It's true in certain countries where revival is broken loose in South America, but here's what I'm about to say is that if you took out the believers, those who are spirit-filled, not those who say they're Christians, but those who really are truly living for Christ, most of those kind of people are pretty successful at what they do. 00:22:38.079 --> 00:22:43.839 Most of your large companies, most of your most successful people are Jesus people. 00:22:44.000 --> 00:22:44.799 They really are. 00:22:50.000 --> 00:22:58.400 When we leave this earth, I mean we're talking about a huge gap in America and in Korea and in Thailand. 00:22:58.480 --> 00:23:23.200 And the reason I mention Japan was because from the beginning of the 20th century, the 19th, 20th century onward, all almost all, I can't say all, because I don't know, there's probably some, but almost all of your major hospitals, schools, and um educational universities. 00:23:23.359 --> 00:23:30.720 So elementary school, but also main major universities in Japan were started by Japanese who are Christians, who become believers. 00:23:30.960 --> 00:23:32.160 It's amazing. 00:23:32.400 --> 00:23:46.480 So if believers were suddenly gone, talk about the causative effect and impact that would have worldwide on ushering in this kind of a leader. 00:23:46.720 --> 00:23:50.079 The checks and balances would be gone. 00:23:50.720 --> 00:23:51.759 They wouldn't be here. 00:23:51.920 --> 00:24:00.799 Think about our city of Colorado Springs if those that are spirit-filled, word-rooted believers were suddenly gone. 00:24:00.960 --> 00:24:02.240 We were just out of here. 00:24:02.559 --> 00:24:04.640 What would happen in our streets? 00:24:04.880 --> 00:24:06.640 What would happen in our schools? 00:24:06.880 --> 00:24:09.279 What would happen politically? 00:24:09.920 --> 00:24:18.720 So there is reason to believe there's a causative effect of the coming of the Lord through first him releasing believers off the earth. 00:24:18.960 --> 00:24:20.000 Verse 3. 00:24:20.240 --> 00:24:26.160 When he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, Come and see. 00:24:27.119 --> 00:24:32.240 Another horse, fiery red, went out. 00:24:32.480 --> 00:24:39.759 And it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another. 00:24:39.920 --> 00:24:42.880 And there was given to him a great sword. 00:24:43.039 --> 00:24:46.720 So red is always a symbol of war and violence. 00:24:46.960 --> 00:24:49.359 And this is the restrainer, gang. 00:24:49.519 --> 00:24:54.960 This is the restrainer of the Holy Spirit being lifted. 00:24:55.839 --> 00:24:56.720 Being lifted. 00:24:57.359 --> 00:24:59.440 2 Thessalonians 2, 5 and 7. 00:24:59.599 --> 00:25:03.039 Do you not remember that when I was still with you, I told you these things? 00:25:03.200 --> 00:25:07.920 And now you know what is restraining that he may be revealed in his own time. 00:25:08.160 --> 00:25:12.319 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. 00:25:12.559 --> 00:25:19.680 Only he who now restrains, listen, will do so until he is taken out of the way. 00:25:20.160 --> 00:25:26.880 So God's wrath is being held off by the power of the Holy Spirit. 00:25:27.119 --> 00:25:29.440 And I believe it's also political, by the way. 00:25:29.680 --> 00:25:33.839 I believe that the restrainer is political power and spiritual power. 00:25:33.920 --> 00:25:34.640 I think it's both. 00:25:34.720 --> 00:25:35.920 Because that's the purpose of government. 00:25:36.000 --> 00:25:43.440 We know in Romans 13, we know all through scripture that the purpose of government is actually the protection of the people and the restraining of evil. 00:25:43.680 --> 00:25:44.640 Do you know that? 00:25:45.200 --> 00:25:46.240 Do you guys know that? 00:25:46.400 --> 00:25:47.440 It's really important. 00:25:47.680 --> 00:25:54.000 The purpose of the government is to restrain evil and protect its people. 00:25:54.160 --> 00:26:08.720 That's the number, that's the founding fathers believed that was the most important thing about our government was to restrain evil through laws and to protect us and to have a strong military to protect us from other nations. 00:26:09.920 --> 00:26:16.559 Right now, the United States has what we would call, quote unquote, the five-earth arsenal. 00:26:16.880 --> 00:26:20.960 The five-earth arsenal, the Russians have a four-earth arsenal. 00:26:21.039 --> 00:26:25.839 That means we can, through nuclear weapons, destroy the earth five times over. 00:26:26.000 --> 00:26:29.200 So if we didn't do it the first time, we got four more chances. 00:26:29.599 --> 00:26:33.039 They, if they miss it the first time, they got three more chances. 00:26:33.759 --> 00:26:35.440 That's what we're sitting on. 00:26:35.599 --> 00:26:40.880 That's what these just these two nations have at their disposal. 00:26:41.119 --> 00:26:44.640 And that is under the restraining. 00:26:45.680 --> 00:26:51.759 Can you imagine, church, when the restrainer is lifted? 00:26:52.559 --> 00:26:53.519 What could happen? 00:26:53.680 --> 00:26:59.119 The best picture I have, and I haven't seen, I mean, I saw Independence Day and all that. 00:26:59.440 --> 00:27:04.160 But the picture I have that I guess meant, I guess was the most emotional to me. 00:27:04.240 --> 00:27:12.400 I could see it was in the Batman series with Gotham to see where that, where the evil had taken over a city. 00:27:12.559 --> 00:27:20.480 Can you imagine all the cities of the world like Gotham, you know, in the movie Batman, just evil, just taking over everything. 00:27:20.720 --> 00:27:21.759 And it's amazing. 00:27:21.839 --> 00:27:23.839 I went to the Holocaust Museum. 00:27:24.160 --> 00:27:32.640 I've been to the Holocaust Museum in Israel commemorating six million Jews slaughtered. 00:27:32.799 --> 00:27:34.880 That's under the restraining. 00:27:35.359 --> 00:27:37.359 That's under the restraining. 00:27:38.079 --> 00:27:44.079 We believe now there's been a billion children killed through abortion. 00:27:44.240 --> 00:27:46.319 That's under the restraining. 00:27:46.640 --> 00:27:51.279 There were a million slaughtered in the tribal warfare in Rwanda a number of years ago. 00:27:51.359 --> 00:27:52.960 That's with the restrainer. 00:27:54.160 --> 00:28:02.960 Imagine when the spirit has pulled back and allows evil to be released, what we're talking about here. 00:28:04.079 --> 00:28:09.039 When he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, Come and see. 00:28:09.839 --> 00:28:11.119 This is like a briefing, in it. 00:28:15.920 --> 00:28:19.200 And he's going, now come and see this part. 00:28:19.279 --> 00:28:20.640 Now come and see that part. 00:28:20.799 --> 00:28:26.480 I mean, this is amazing that we as believers get to have this bird's eye view into what's happening in the future. 00:28:26.720 --> 00:28:29.519 So I looked, and behold, a black horse. 00:28:30.240 --> 00:28:33.920 And he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. 00:28:34.480 --> 00:28:47.039 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, A quart of wheat for a deneri, and three quarts of barley for a deneri, and do not harm the oil and the wine. 00:28:47.279 --> 00:28:51.759 Black is always a picture of famine in the Bible. 00:28:52.079 --> 00:28:55.359 This idea of a deneri was a full day's work. 00:28:55.519 --> 00:29:02.240 So a full day's work to feed one person a day. 00:29:02.480 --> 00:29:07.279 That shows controlled rationing and famine on the earth. 00:29:08.079 --> 00:29:14.480 Someone I found here said you'll be spending around$150 a day for a loaf of bread. 00:29:14.960 --> 00:29:19.920 Necessities are ration, and the world economy will be under the control of this man. 00:29:20.880 --> 00:29:25.359 Romans 13 says he will have worldwide economic control. 00:29:26.640 --> 00:29:31.839 So sickness, malnutrition will be setting in around the world. 00:29:32.079 --> 00:29:37.920 When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, Come and see. 00:29:38.880 --> 00:29:41.839 So I looked, and behold, a pale horse. 00:29:42.000 --> 00:29:46.160 Interesting, this is the word chloros, where we get the word chlorine. 00:29:46.880 --> 00:29:51.759 So it's kind of a ghastly green, kind of a sickly color, this idea of a pale horse. 00:29:51.920 --> 00:29:57.359 And the name of him who sat on it was death, and Hades followed with him. 00:29:57.599 --> 00:30:07.599 And power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beast of the earth. 00:30:07.920 --> 00:30:10.400 So one fourth of the world dead. 00:30:10.640 --> 00:30:17.200 That would be all of South America, all of Canada, all of Central America, and all of Africa dead. 00:30:17.759 --> 00:30:20.000 But look at Revelation, don't look at it. 00:30:20.079 --> 00:30:20.960 I mean, let me read it to you. 00:30:21.039 --> 00:30:23.359 Revelation 5.9 says this. 00:30:23.680 --> 00:30:39.839 They sang a new song saying, You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain and have redeemed us by your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation. 00:30:41.839 --> 00:30:49.359 Jesus said, When all of the earth is heard, when all of the earth has heard the gospel, then the end will come. 00:30:49.680 --> 00:31:10.960 So God is setting this thing up, and that's why we have Act School, that's why we have the road, that's why we have churches across the city and churches around the world, and why we need to plan a whole lot more is because God has called us to preach the gospel to every tribe and every tongue, because by so doing, we're setting up the coming of the Lord. 00:31:11.279 --> 00:31:17.680 Because there's going to be a day coming, church, don't miss this, where it won't be possible. 00:31:18.000 --> 00:31:27.039 Things will happen so cataclysmically and so quickly that that opportunity to preach the gospel will be in the past. 00:31:27.680 --> 00:31:28.960 So I want to challenge us. 00:31:29.039 --> 00:31:31.680 It's not a time to be looking for the Antichrist. 00:31:31.759 --> 00:31:34.400 It's not a time to be looking for a one-world leader. 00:31:34.559 --> 00:31:36.880 It's a time to be sharing our faith. 00:31:37.119 --> 00:31:39.200 It's a time to be prayer-walking. 00:31:39.359 --> 00:31:46.400 It's a time to be meeting people and inviting them to church and inviting them to Christ, to know Him in a personal way. 00:31:46.799 --> 00:31:55.599 It's coming together this Saturday and Sunday mornings to pray and to ask God for revival and awakening. 00:31:56.000 --> 00:31:58.079 I want to work with God, not against God. 00:31:58.160 --> 00:31:58.880 How about you? 00:31:59.119 --> 00:32:00.480 I've served some in my time. 00:32:00.559 --> 00:32:00.799 I don't know. 00:32:01.039 --> 00:32:01.839 How many of you served? 00:32:01.920 --> 00:32:03.119 How many have any of you surfed? 00:32:03.200 --> 00:32:05.440 Yeah, we're in Colorado, so kind of landlocked here. 00:32:05.519 --> 00:32:14.240 But okay, for you that moved here from another place, I surfed a lot in Southern California and then some in South Carolina. 00:32:14.400 --> 00:32:18.559 And you can't, listen, you can't make a wave. 00:32:19.440 --> 00:32:23.039 But you can know what to do with a wave if you catch it right. 00:32:23.359 --> 00:32:25.119 And so that's the hard part. 00:32:25.200 --> 00:32:41.200 And I and Deborah and some of my kids here in the room remember last time we were in South Carolina, I took, I got a foam, I got a big foam surfboard, and we went out about this deep with probably about one foot waves, and I would put them on the board. 00:32:41.279 --> 00:32:47.039 I showed them how to jump up and get ready, and then when they would catch that wave, I'd push them and they'd ride that thing in. 00:32:47.119 --> 00:32:48.000 And it was really fun. 00:32:48.079 --> 00:32:51.119 But I can't make the wave, but I can make someone surf. 00:32:51.359 --> 00:32:53.519 I can teach someone to surf. 00:32:54.240 --> 00:32:58.400 We've got to surf God's wave, but we need God's wave. 00:32:58.640 --> 00:33:04.480 And I'm telling you, it goes a lot better with revival and awakening than it does doing it just on your own. 00:33:04.720 --> 00:33:11.839 And so the reality is God always in history comes in response to people who pray for him to come. 00:33:13.039 --> 00:33:15.359 Jesus comes where he's welcome. 00:33:15.599 --> 00:33:18.240 And when he's welcome, he does mighty things. 00:33:18.400 --> 00:33:20.559 And so we we ride that momentum. 00:33:20.640 --> 00:33:22.960 So that's why we're praying on Friday. 00:33:23.599 --> 00:33:26.319 Excuse me, on Saturday morning and Sunday night. 00:33:26.559 --> 00:33:29.039 We're praying for revival and awakening. 00:33:29.119 --> 00:33:32.960 And it's up to him to choose the time and the place he does that. 00:33:33.119 --> 00:33:37.359 But I know that he hears our prayers when we cry out to something that's part of his will. 00:33:37.519 --> 00:33:39.119 And he desires that. 00:33:39.599 --> 00:33:48.640 And so Jesus says, now when these things begin to happen, look up, lift up your heads because your redemption draws near. 00:33:48.880 --> 00:33:51.599 Men and women, lift up your heads. 00:33:52.079 --> 00:33:53.119 Lift up your heads. 00:33:53.200 --> 00:33:55.200 We're going to go into worship in a minute. 00:33:55.440 --> 00:33:57.039 And the team's going to come up here. 00:33:57.200 --> 00:33:59.359 Lift up your heads and worship. 00:33:59.920 --> 00:34:02.640 Come on Saturday morning and Sunday. 00:34:02.799 --> 00:34:05.519 Lift up your heads and worship in our prayer room. 00:34:06.480 --> 00:34:07.599 Lift up your heads. 00:34:07.759 --> 00:34:14.559 As a family, regularly come together as a family and lift up your heads because your redemption is near. 00:34:14.960 --> 00:34:29.280 Because if you don't, if you let the culture, if you let depression, if you let the loss of a job, if you let the struggles of your marriage be the focus of your life, you will go down. 00:34:30.079 --> 00:34:38.159 God wants us to lift up our heads and see that our redemption is near and cry out to Him for all that we need in every aspect of our life. 00:34:38.559 --> 00:34:40.559 We're gonna be tested. 00:34:42.239 --> 00:34:44.320 We are being tested now. 00:34:44.559 --> 00:34:49.519 And this is nothing compared to what's going to happen. 00:34:50.559 --> 00:35:00.000 And so if we get tired running from a wolf, what will we do when we have to run against an army? 00:35:00.320 --> 00:35:02.559 So God's building endurance into us. 00:35:02.719 --> 00:35:04.800 God's building strength into us. 00:35:06.000 --> 00:35:17.840 Since it talks about beasts here in our passage, could be viruses, could be supply of diseases and antibodies, HIV, tuberculosis, we don't know. 00:35:18.159 --> 00:35:27.440 After World War I, the conditions were so bad in Europe that more people died after World War I than those who had died in World War I. 00:35:27.760 --> 00:35:30.000