WEBVTT 00:00:07.360 --> 00:00:09.279 You're listening to the road. 00:00:10.000 --> 00:00:13.119 He's the ruler of the kings of the earth. 00:00:13.519 --> 00:00:15.839 Just camp on that for a moment. 00:00:16.320 --> 00:00:30.800 That President Obama, Net Yahu, these great leaders of the nation, the world, they're gonna be held accountable to this king, who's the king of the earth, Jesus Christ. 00:00:31.039 --> 00:00:35.840 At The Road, our vision is to raise up wholehearted disciples of Jesus Christ. 00:00:36.000 --> 00:00:39.759 For more information on the road, visit theroad.org. 00:00:40.000 --> 00:00:44.079 We hope you're encouraged by today's message from Pastor Teacher Steve Holt. 00:00:46.240 --> 00:00:47.280 Okay, we're gonna do this. 00:00:47.439 --> 00:00:48.799 We're gonna be on the book of Revelation. 00:00:48.880 --> 00:00:50.479 We're starting Revelation tonight. 00:00:50.640 --> 00:00:52.719 It's called the Apocalypse. 00:00:52.960 --> 00:00:59.039 And the late British Prime Minister Winston Churchill once said this about Russia. 00:00:59.520 --> 00:01:01.600 That's a great quote about Revelation. 00:01:02.960 --> 00:01:08.719 Soviet Union is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma. 00:01:09.200 --> 00:01:14.879 And in many ways, the book of Revelation, the apocalypse, is sort of like that. 00:01:15.040 --> 00:01:18.239 It is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma. 00:01:18.480 --> 00:01:31.280 It's so convoluted in some ways by many commentators' view of it that even a guy like John Calvin, who is the great systematic theologian of the Reformation, never did a commentary on the book of Revelation. 00:01:31.439 --> 00:01:38.000 And it's really sad because we're going to see starting tonight, and then we're going to see it seven times in the book of Revelation. 00:01:38.159 --> 00:01:43.920 No other book of the Bible actually promises you a blessing but the book of Revelation. 00:01:44.159 --> 00:01:47.120 Ephesians doesn't promise a blessing. 00:01:47.359 --> 00:01:53.599 Galatians, Romans, as beautiful as those books are, and they're all infallible, and they're all inspired by the Holy Spirit. 00:01:53.680 --> 00:01:59.519 Only the book of Revelation actually promises to the reader a blessing. 00:01:59.840 --> 00:02:06.719 No book of the Bible takes such a high view of Jesus Christ as the book of Revelation. 00:02:06.959 --> 00:02:12.960 No book of the Bible takes such a high view of the Scriptures as the book of Revelation. 00:02:13.199 --> 00:02:19.199 Out of 404 verses, 278 allude to the Old Testament. 00:02:19.520 --> 00:02:24.960 No book of the Bible so reveals the majesty and the power of God the Father. 00:02:25.199 --> 00:02:27.840 No book of the Bible so describes heaven. 00:02:28.080 --> 00:02:36.319 You guys realize, and I've told you this before, that if your kids have ever asked you what's heaven like, take them to Revelation chapter 4 and 5. 00:02:36.479 --> 00:02:44.879 There's no other place in all of the 66 books of the Bible that describe and give us a view of heaven like Revelation 4 and 5. 00:02:45.199 --> 00:02:49.840 No book of the Bible describes the end times in more detail. 00:02:50.000 --> 00:02:52.560 It is detailed about the great battles. 00:02:52.639 --> 00:02:54.240 It talks about seals. 00:02:54.479 --> 00:02:58.400 It talks about the work of turmoil of the Antichrist. 00:02:59.039 --> 00:03:19.360 This book will describe the great tribulation, the rapture of the church, but preeminent, and don't miss this, preeminent is the description of our great and powerful Lord Jesus Christ in all of his glory and majesty, like a cosmic pageantry. 00:03:19.599 --> 00:03:22.319 We're going to see pageantry at Easter. 00:03:22.560 --> 00:03:25.520 These guys have been practicing now for weeks, the kids. 00:03:25.680 --> 00:03:37.759 We've got a really awesome Easter program planned with kind of a bluegrass worship sound and about 50 or 60 kids up here. 00:03:37.919 --> 00:03:38.240 Okay? 00:03:38.719 --> 00:03:49.840 But nothing compares in the majesty and the glory of the greatest pageant in all of human history as it's described here in the book of Revelation. 00:03:50.479 --> 00:03:55.759 Seventeen times we will switch back from heaven to earth in the book of Revelation. 00:03:56.000 --> 00:04:00.960 There are 44 separate visions in the book of Revelation. 00:04:01.360 --> 00:04:09.280 Like, likeness, in other words, it looked like is used 21 times, 22 times. 00:04:09.599 --> 00:04:14.319 I saw, John saying, I saw something, 60 times. 00:04:14.719 --> 00:04:17.040 Behold, 30 times. 00:04:17.279 --> 00:04:23.839 The word great, for like great famine, great earthquakes, 84 times. 00:04:24.560 --> 00:04:28.720 The number seven, fifty-four times. 00:04:29.439 --> 00:04:33.199 Angels are referenced seventy-four times. 00:04:34.319 --> 00:04:50.800 The entire book is visions of signs, of heaven, of earth, of tribulation, of earthquakes, in this majestic pageantry, which we call the apocalypse. 00:04:51.120 --> 00:05:03.040 And it's important to understand that, and this is, you know, I've seen very few commentaries on this, but when I first taught Revelation a number of years ago, I had just concluded Genesis. 00:05:03.279 --> 00:05:05.120 And so I was really into Genesis at the time. 00:05:05.199 --> 00:05:11.360 So we had done Genesis, we'd done a year, I think a year and a half in Genesis, and then we spent the next year, year and a half in Revelation. 00:05:11.439 --> 00:05:15.600 We're going to be in the book of Revelation, you guys, for about a year to a year and a half. 00:05:15.680 --> 00:05:23.360 And it's important that you understand the two most maligned books in all of the Bible are Genesis and Revelation. 00:05:23.519 --> 00:05:30.000 There's no other place where we're human critics and what and what we call higher criticism. 00:05:30.240 --> 00:05:37.279 See, my dad was Lutheran, and in the Lutheran church, he went to Philadelphia Theological Seminary after graduating from Duke. 00:05:38.000 --> 00:05:44.639 And when he got there, German higher criticism was really at its apex at that time. 00:05:44.800 --> 00:05:52.800 And German higher criticism began to go after the book of Genesis and the book of Revelation about 75 years ago. 00:05:52.959 --> 00:05:54.959 And it's still true today. 00:05:55.199 --> 00:05:57.839 So Genesis and Revelation are powerful. 00:05:57.920 --> 00:06:01.120 And I want to say, I'm going to give you this is not from me. 00:06:01.279 --> 00:06:07.600 This actually comes from a great preacher of the past named Harry Ironside, but he called it the great circle of truth. 00:06:07.680 --> 00:06:08.879 You ought to jot that down. 00:06:09.040 --> 00:06:13.120 The great circle of truth of Genesis and Revelation. 00:06:13.839 --> 00:06:26.560 I would say it this way: the two most powerful books of the Bible are the capstones of the Bible, and that's Genesis, the beginning of all things, and Revelation, the end of all things. 00:06:27.360 --> 00:06:40.399 In this great circle of truth, with the beginning of Genesis and ending up with what I would call kind of the apex of truth, with the book of Revelation, Satan has done his greatest attacks. 00:06:40.639 --> 00:06:49.120 So your kids, if they're in public schools, and in some cases even charter schools and private schools, have been influenced by evolution. 00:06:49.439 --> 00:06:57.199 Evolution is the foundation for popular modern science today, as you know. 00:06:57.439 --> 00:07:04.800 Well, no other book, but Genesis so spearheads the issue of a literal six-day creation. 00:07:05.040 --> 00:07:23.439 And it's in that creation, it's within the creation of man that we come to this incredible promise in which the Lord says in Genesis, he, it doesn't say Christ, but parenthetically we could say Christ, he shall bruise your head, speaking of Satan. 00:07:23.680 --> 00:07:31.279 So if there's one book of the Bible that Satan would not want us to be reading, studying, and become knowledgeable of, it'd be the book of Genesis. 00:07:31.519 --> 00:07:38.000 Well, the same with the book of Revelation, because it's in Revelation that we see the ultimate demise of Satan. 00:07:38.160 --> 00:07:44.000 We see his destruction, we see the glory in the last three chapters of the coming of the Lord. 00:07:44.079 --> 00:07:46.639 And we see the new heavens and the new earth coming down. 00:07:46.800 --> 00:07:50.879 So Harry Ironside, writing in 1920, said this. 00:07:59.439 --> 00:08:13.519 Go through the testaments until we come to Revelation, the book of last things, and lo, we find that it dovetails perfectly into the book of Genesis, thus perfecting the inspired ring. 00:08:13.680 --> 00:08:23.680 So here's what he means: the book of Genesis is no less than paradise lost, and the book of Revelation is no less than paradise regained. 00:08:24.000 --> 00:08:27.040 Genesis gives us the creation of the heavens and the earth. 00:08:27.360 --> 00:08:32.240 Revelation gives us a new heaven and a new earth. 00:08:32.639 --> 00:08:42.240 That heaven and that stream coming out of Jerusalem, you'll go fly fishing there and always catch a 20-inch plus rainbow trout every time. 00:08:42.480 --> 00:08:44.159 A new heaven and a new earth. 00:08:44.399 --> 00:08:46.960 Genesis gives us an earthly paradise. 00:08:47.279 --> 00:08:50.639 Revelation gives us a heavenly paradise. 00:08:50.879 --> 00:08:56.960 In Genesis, we see the first Adam and his wife set over God's creation. 00:08:57.440 --> 00:09:05.279 In Revelation, we behold the second Adam and his bride ruling over a redeemed world. 00:09:06.080 --> 00:09:11.360 In Genesis, we learn of the beginnings of sin with the introduction of the serpent. 00:09:11.600 --> 00:09:18.960 In Revelation, we see the end of sin and the serpent cast into the lake of fire. 00:09:19.279 --> 00:09:21.840 In Genesis, we see the city of man. 00:09:22.320 --> 00:09:25.360 In Revelation, we view the city of God. 00:09:25.919 --> 00:09:29.600 So, folks, we are in for an exciting journey. 00:09:29.840 --> 00:09:30.720 You guys pumped? 00:09:30.879 --> 00:09:32.559 I've really been excited about this. 00:09:32.799 --> 00:09:35.039 So let's open up to Revelation 1.1. 00:09:35.279 --> 00:09:44.320 We're going to start there, and we're only going to cover a few verses here at the beginning tonight, and then we'll pick it up next week. 00:09:45.200 --> 00:09:48.799 The revelation of Jesus Christ. 00:09:48.960 --> 00:09:50.559 I think I stop there. 00:09:50.879 --> 00:09:53.039 The revelation of Jesus Christ. 00:09:53.200 --> 00:10:03.120 So this is not a revelation of John, but a revelation of and a revelation by Jesus Christ. 00:10:03.279 --> 00:10:05.519 It is a revelation given to John. 00:10:06.000 --> 00:10:09.039 And I was doing some research on Patmos this week. 00:10:09.200 --> 00:10:12.240 And the island of Patmos, they have the Cave of Revelation. 00:10:12.320 --> 00:10:14.960 They call it the Cave of John or the Cave of Revelation. 00:10:15.120 --> 00:10:17.039 And one of these days I'm going to go there. 00:10:17.360 --> 00:10:23.279 Do you realize that Patmos is considered one of the most idyllic cities in the world? 00:10:23.440 --> 00:10:25.360 It's only 3,000 inhabitants. 00:10:25.519 --> 00:10:28.320 And it's only 13 square miles, the whole island. 00:10:28.399 --> 00:10:37.840 But it was a volcanic, nothing was there except an imprisonment, a colony of slaves of Rome at the time John is there. 00:10:38.000 --> 00:10:42.720 But he's in this cave, they believe, and he had this revelation. 00:10:43.039 --> 00:10:49.279 John Wolford, which is the main commentary that I'm using, John Wolford's The Revelation of Jesus Christ, says this. 00:11:17.600 --> 00:11:31.360 Meaning, don't miss this, unveiling, uncovering, manifestation, or disclosing of a reality that previously has not been revealed. 00:11:31.919 --> 00:11:41.440 So the Old Testament is the revelation of the coming Messiah through prophecies. 00:11:42.799 --> 00:11:55.279 The New Testament Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, is the earthly, and I would say almost the earthly power and humiliation of Jesus Christ as he goes to the cross. 00:11:55.600 --> 00:12:04.720 The epistles are the letters written about the theology of how to walk in sanctification in Christ. 00:12:05.039 --> 00:12:22.399 But the book of Revelation is unique in that it is the majesty, the power, the glory of the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, not in humiliation, but in victory and in power. 00:12:22.639 --> 00:12:23.519 Now don't miss this. 00:12:23.600 --> 00:12:24.879 This to me is the most exciting. 00:12:25.360 --> 00:12:29.840 I read Revelation like, I don't know, eight or ten times over the last few months, just reading it, reading it, reading it, reading. 00:12:30.159 --> 00:12:36.480 And it and it hadn't hit me quite to the degree that at this time, maybe because of what I've been through over the last two years. 00:12:36.559 --> 00:12:43.679 And after our series that we did, the series at the beginning of the year on reigning in Christ. 00:12:44.000 --> 00:12:48.720 The book of Revelation is in a time of deep, deep persecution. 00:12:49.360 --> 00:12:52.320 This book is about being an overcomer. 00:12:52.480 --> 00:12:53.440 Don't miss this. 00:12:54.559 --> 00:13:02.159 On the practical side of the writing of Revelation for us today, it is for overcomers. 00:13:03.360 --> 00:13:06.960 It is not necessarily for those walking in victory. 00:13:07.200 --> 00:13:20.240 It's for those that are walking through difficulty who have decided that the reigning and ruling power of Christ is going to be exhibited in their life and they're going to be an overcomer through turmoil. 00:13:21.200 --> 00:13:24.799 It is an unveiling of the last days. 00:13:25.840 --> 00:13:28.639 It is the unveiling of the last days. 00:13:28.799 --> 00:13:47.759 It's divine intelligence of the last days from God the Father, from Jesus to us, so that we can see even what's happening in our world today and be aware, oh, that God's God's setting things up. 00:13:52.080 --> 00:14:01.679 And it gives us revelation into Luke 1, Mark 13, Matthew 24, and 1st and 2 Thessalonians. 00:14:01.759 --> 00:14:03.919 And I think I would also add Daniel. 00:14:04.399 --> 00:14:22.000 As to those areas, those books and those verses that have been given to us that have been hidden in ages past, we have an unveiling, we have an apocalyptic understanding through apocalyptic literature of the coming of the Lord. 00:14:22.240 --> 00:14:24.639 It is the unveiling of the final battle. 00:14:24.879 --> 00:14:29.039 Only in the book of Revelation do we have the word Armageddon. 00:14:29.600 --> 00:14:38.080 And I've been to that valley, the Valley of Megiddo, and seen that valley where that great battle will take place. 00:14:38.399 --> 00:14:43.919 No other book of the Bible so describes in detail the Antichrist. 00:14:44.159 --> 00:14:51.600 No book of the Bible so in detail describes the earthly reign of Jesus Christ. 00:14:51.759 --> 00:14:54.080 It is the unveiling of who Christ is. 00:14:54.159 --> 00:14:55.519 Now don't miss this. 00:14:56.080 --> 00:15:02.480 The names given in the book of Revelation about Jesus Christ are amazing. 00:15:02.639 --> 00:15:04.720 Let me just give you chapter one alone. 00:15:04.879 --> 00:15:07.840 In chapter one of Revelation, here's the names of Christ. 00:15:08.000 --> 00:15:15.600 He's the faithful witness, firstborn of the dead, the ruler of the kings of the earth. 00:15:15.919 --> 00:15:17.440 I like that one. 00:15:17.919 --> 00:15:19.600 I really like that one. 00:15:19.919 --> 00:15:23.039 He's the ruler of the kings of the earth. 00:15:23.360 --> 00:15:25.759 Just camp on that for a moment. 00:15:27.039 --> 00:15:41.360 That President Obama, Netanyahu, these great leaders of the nations of the world, they're going to be held accountable to this king who's the king of the earth, Jesus Christ. 00:15:41.600 --> 00:15:49.039 The one who loved us and has washed us, the Alpha and the Omega, the one who is and who was and who is to come. 00:15:49.519 --> 00:15:51.200 And the Almighty. 00:15:51.519 --> 00:16:00.720 And the title most often used of Jesus Christ in the book of Revelation is the Lamb of God 28 times in 22 chapters. 00:16:00.960 --> 00:16:15.440 The revelation of Jesus Christ, the apocalypse, unveiling, unraveling of confusion, and giving us an understanding of what God's going to do in the last days. 00:16:15.679 --> 00:16:22.480 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants. 00:16:22.639 --> 00:16:25.279 Daniel 12, 9 says this. 00:16:28.879 --> 00:16:37.440 Now we're going to see, we're going to cross-reference Daniel a lot over the next year, the 70th week and the issues of the book of Daniel. 00:16:37.679 --> 00:16:44.480 But it's interesting that in Daniel chapter 12 we read, seal up until the end times. 00:16:45.120 --> 00:16:59.200 Here in Revelation, almost dictating, and it's interesting when you read different commentaries about the view, there's no other book of the Bible that almost appears to be dictated by Jesus straight to the writer. 00:16:59.360 --> 00:17:04.400 In other words, it's a revelation of Jesus Christ, and it's Jesus Christ speaking to John. 00:17:05.440 --> 00:17:09.839 And in Daniel, he says, seal up this prophecy until the end times. 00:17:10.000 --> 00:17:13.920 But here in Revelation, he starts with, show his servants. 00:17:14.319 --> 00:17:16.240 Show his servants. 00:17:17.039 --> 00:17:19.599 So this is not a book for unbelievers. 00:17:20.240 --> 00:17:23.039 It's not a book for curiosity seekers. 00:17:23.200 --> 00:17:25.519 And it's not a book for critics. 00:17:25.759 --> 00:17:27.759 It's a book for the faithful. 00:17:54.000 --> 00:17:55.039 Isn't this interesting? 00:17:55.359 --> 00:18:00.319 Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book for the time is at hand. 00:18:00.960 --> 00:18:09.599 So in Daniel, he says, seal it up to the last days, Daniel 22, excuse me, Revelation 22 says, do not seal the words of this prophecy. 00:18:10.480 --> 00:18:15.119 So for some of you, this will be a fresh new revelation. 00:18:15.519 --> 00:18:20.799 Who here has done an in-depth verse-by-verse study of the book of Revelation? 00:18:20.960 --> 00:18:22.079 Who's done that? 00:18:22.480 --> 00:18:25.759 Okay, so maybe a quarter or less of you. 00:18:25.920 --> 00:18:29.440 So for many of you, this is going to be fresh and new stuff. 00:18:29.680 --> 00:18:37.839 This is a revelation in how to live during times of stress, persecution, and difficulties. 00:18:38.240 --> 00:18:51.839 So he says this the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave to him to show his servants, which God gave him to show his servants, things which must shortly take place. 00:18:52.400 --> 00:18:56.559 The early church really believed that they were living in the last days. 00:18:56.640 --> 00:18:59.440 We see evidence of this throughout the New Testament letters. 00:18:59.599 --> 00:19:03.039 Paul said in 1 Corinthians that the time is short. 00:19:03.839 --> 00:19:10.960 The Thessalonian letters speak of the coming of Christ being soon, 1 Thessalonians 4 and 2 Thessalonians 2. 00:19:11.440 --> 00:19:15.759 There was this sense in the early church that were pilgrims and sojourners. 00:19:16.240 --> 00:19:20.400 Peter wrote, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims. 00:19:20.799 --> 00:19:28.079 The phrase, shortly come to pass, has been controversial through the years. 00:19:28.240 --> 00:19:37.359 For those, and I'm not going to go into the there's really about five different perspectives of how you translate and interpret the book of Revelation. 00:19:37.920 --> 00:19:47.519 My notes, which I believe you may have in the app, actually has those five in there, but I pulled them out because I still had way too many pages. 00:19:47.759 --> 00:20:01.759 So you can look at what those are, but that there's a preterist view, there's a present-day view, what we call an idealistic view and a symbolic view, and I'm going to take a futuristic view on the book of Revelation. 00:20:02.480 --> 00:20:12.480 So shortly come to pass in the Greek has the idea entechi, which means quickly or suddenly coming to pass. 00:20:12.640 --> 00:20:16.400 So indicating speed and brevity. 00:20:16.720 --> 00:20:36.880 So when he speaks of, when he speaks of shortly taking place, listen closely, it's the idea that as these particular signs and these particular things begin to happen on the earth, the coming of the Lord will come speedily. 00:20:37.039 --> 00:20:39.200 In other words, it'll be like a snowball effect. 00:20:39.359 --> 00:20:43.039 Things are going to begin to fall into place and happen quickly. 00:20:43.279 --> 00:20:52.160 I mean, if you just look at the presidential primaries and the reality show, which is the Republican side. 00:20:52.559 --> 00:20:54.799 I mean, really, it's a reality show. 00:20:54.960 --> 00:20:56.319 I mean, that's what it feels like to me. 00:20:56.480 --> 00:21:00.000 Everybody making fun of each other and just ripping on each other and everything. 00:21:01.680 --> 00:21:09.119 If I had to bet my bottom dollar, that this is what would have been happening six months ago, I'd have said, you're nuts. 00:21:10.400 --> 00:21:20.000 If somebody had told me an avowed socialist who's really never had a job, would be on the other side. 00:21:20.960 --> 00:21:28.160 Who lived in a sugar shack, got his first paycheck at 40, and he's in the running. 00:21:29.200 --> 00:21:31.039 I said, You're crazy. 00:21:31.920 --> 00:21:34.400 And people are voting for these guys. 00:21:35.359 --> 00:21:36.880 I'm shocked. 00:21:37.119 --> 00:21:40.000 I'll be honest with you, I'm shocked with what's happening. 00:21:40.640 --> 00:21:45.279 The inability to think by the American people is phenomenal to me. 00:21:45.599 --> 00:21:46.880 Even Christians. 00:21:48.079 --> 00:21:50.799 Folks, something's going on. 00:21:52.640 --> 00:21:53.359 Have you felt that? 00:21:53.519 --> 00:21:55.039 Are you experiencing that? 00:21:55.359 --> 00:21:57.839 If you haven't, you need to get out more often. 00:21:58.559 --> 00:21:59.440 You really do. 00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:03.440 Because there's some bizarre stuff happening right now. 00:22:04.000 --> 00:22:04.720 And you know what? 00:22:04.799 --> 00:22:05.599 Let me just say this. 00:22:06.319 --> 00:22:10.240 However you vote, I can understand it. 00:22:10.400 --> 00:22:12.240 I can see pros and cons on all the sides. 00:22:12.319 --> 00:22:16.480 Okay, so don't, I'm not ad, I don't know who even who to advocate except Jesus. 00:22:16.640 --> 00:22:19.200 I wish Jesus was running for president, but he's not. 00:22:19.440 --> 00:22:19.759 Okay. 00:22:20.480 --> 00:22:27.279 But the reality is it's a it's a good example to me of what they mean by things shortly taking place. 00:22:27.440 --> 00:22:28.640 In other words, we're seeing. 00:22:28.799 --> 00:22:29.680 This is what's so exciting. 00:22:29.759 --> 00:22:31.279 We're in the book of Revelation. 00:22:31.839 --> 00:22:34.319 In this year, while all this is happening. 00:22:34.640 --> 00:22:37.039 Super Tuesdays, a few days away. 00:22:37.839 --> 00:22:45.920 And God led us to do this because I want to prepare your hearts that when these things begin to take place, it's going to have a snowball effect. 00:22:46.079 --> 00:22:48.799 Things are going to begin to happen rapidly. 00:22:48.960 --> 00:22:50.559 And you've got to be right with the Lord. 00:22:50.640 --> 00:22:51.279 That's what I'm saying. 00:22:52.000 --> 00:22:54.640 You guys need to be in one of these one-hour prayer rooms. 00:22:54.720 --> 00:22:57.039 We need to be praying and seeking the Lord. 00:22:57.200 --> 00:23:03.680 You need to be preparing yourself and your heart and your marriage and your family and your parenting for the coming of the Lord. 00:23:04.960 --> 00:23:10.799 Let me give you what I think are four apocalyptic indicators right now. 00:23:11.039 --> 00:23:16.000 Four apocalyptic indicators that I see scripturally and experientially. 00:23:16.160 --> 00:23:17.599 Number one, abortion. 00:23:17.920 --> 00:23:21.039 I believe abortion is an apocalyptic indicator. 00:23:21.279 --> 00:23:37.839 The reason I say that is because if you young people in this room, 25 and below, are the last generation, full generation before the coming of the Lord, Satan tried to take you out. 00:23:38.559 --> 00:23:43.680 Starting around 1973, he began to take out a generation. 00:23:44.400 --> 00:23:45.599 I don't know what our numbers are. 00:23:45.759 --> 00:23:49.440 I think we're at 55 million or 60 million or something like that. 00:23:49.680 --> 00:24:01.119 There's 55 million less young adults and even a little uh into the 30s and 40s there that were taken out by abortion. 00:24:01.599 --> 00:24:13.599 And if Satan, knowing that that might be the last generation as he sees the signs in the book of Revelation himself, in the book of Daniel, has used abortion to try to knock out a generation. 00:24:13.759 --> 00:24:14.880 So number one is abortion. 00:24:15.039 --> 00:24:18.079 Number two, the increase of signs and wonders. 00:24:18.400 --> 00:24:20.480 The increase of signs and wonders. 00:24:20.720 --> 00:24:24.559 Both false signs and wonders and true signs and wonders. 00:24:24.720 --> 00:24:38.559 As we studied, many of you were a part of this, when we were studying the book of Joel, I shared again and again this concept in the last days, the rise of lawlessness and also the rise of righteousness. 00:24:38.880 --> 00:24:43.359 The rise of the sons of Satan and the rise of the sons of God. 00:24:43.680 --> 00:24:47.200 God is raising up a signs and wonders church. 00:24:47.599 --> 00:24:52.799 We've seen people in this church healed, healed of stuff. 00:24:53.039 --> 00:24:55.039 Doesn't make sense, but they've been healed. 00:24:55.359 --> 00:25:05.359 We are seeing healings in many parts of the world, even in this country, through cults that's satanic and demonic, and it has bondages associated with it. 00:25:05.519 --> 00:25:08.400 So we're gonna see Matthew 24, Jesus talking about the last days. 00:25:08.559 --> 00:25:15.839 So you will see the rise, the increased rise of false as well as true signs and wonders. 00:25:16.000 --> 00:25:19.359 Number three, the apostate church. 00:25:19.599 --> 00:25:21.119 The apostate church. 00:25:21.440 --> 00:25:24.720 We know that many are going to fall away. 00:25:25.920 --> 00:25:39.359 This work of the enemy, which so affected the liberal, I would say the main line, neo-Orthodox liberal churches, starting in really the 1950s, moving into the 60s, 70s, and 80s. 00:25:39.519 --> 00:25:48.319 I mean, you go into most Lutheran churches, you go into most Methodist churches, you go into even most Roman Catholic churches today, and they're empty. 00:25:49.039 --> 00:25:51.519 I mean, there'll be some old folks there. 00:25:52.079 --> 00:25:55.039 But I mean, yeah, I talked to the pastors, I know. 00:25:56.480 --> 00:26:03.519 I mean, the priesthood, I was on a, we were on a flight back from Iowa this week, and I sat next to a Catholic guy. 00:26:03.680 --> 00:26:06.640 He says, Man, there's like no priests in the Catholic church. 00:26:06.720 --> 00:26:09.920 That's where you're gonna have to start ordaining women because they don't have any men. 00:26:10.079 --> 00:26:11.359 I said, Well, what's the problem? 00:26:11.440 --> 00:26:12.480 And he said, Well, I don't know. 00:26:12.559 --> 00:26:13.920 And I said, Is it a single issue? 00:26:14.000 --> 00:26:15.039 You can't be married and all that. 00:26:15.200 --> 00:26:20.079 The issue is there's no anointing and power of the Holy Spirit in those churches. 00:26:20.319 --> 00:26:24.400 It's interesting, those that are word and spirit churches are growing. 00:26:24.720 --> 00:26:26.079 They're growing. 00:26:26.480 --> 00:26:30.079 We don't know what to do with all the spirit-filled people that are coming up. 00:26:30.240 --> 00:26:36.319 And so we see a church now among the evangelicals that's jettisoning the word of God. 00:26:36.720 --> 00:26:58.559 As we've looked at some of the issues related to same-sex marriage, as we've seen issues related to stuff related to drugs and other areas that have come come about over the last, I'd say, 20 years, we are watching evangelical churches that have no hermeneutic scripturally to support. 00:26:58.640 --> 00:27:00.640 So they're jettising the Bible. 00:27:00.960 --> 00:27:02.799 Jettising the Bible. 00:27:03.039 --> 00:27:09.920 And then fourthly, this is really exciting, the worldwide preaching of the gospel. 00:27:10.559 --> 00:27:16.640 Jesus said this: the gospel of the kingdom will be preached to the whole world, and then the end will come. 00:27:17.599 --> 00:27:34.400 Wouldn't it be exciting that God would raise up through the road hundreds, if not thousands, of young men and women who want to go to the world and plant churches, who want to go to the world to unreach people groups and reach them for Christ. 00:27:34.720 --> 00:27:39.839 Wouldn't it be exciting to be a part of the last mop-up campaign? 00:27:40.640 --> 00:27:42.720 I mean, that'd be so cool. 00:27:43.039 --> 00:27:45.680 I mean, to hit Normandy for the Lord. 00:27:45.920 --> 00:27:49.359 You know, to have D-Day for the Lord, and let's finish this thing up. 00:27:49.519 --> 00:27:51.200 And there'll be a lot of casualties. 00:27:51.359 --> 00:27:57.680 There'll be a lot of casual the greatest casualties, the most casualties in World War II were at Normandy and beyond. 00:27:58.000 --> 00:28:00.720 The last year of World War II. 00:28:00.880 --> 00:28:09.039 Uh, that the most deaths occurred during that time, comparing all the other four years combined during World War II when we hit Normandy. 00:28:09.279 --> 00:28:10.400 Well, that's what's gonna happen. 00:28:10.480 --> 00:28:13.039 We the word witness in the Greek means martyria. 00:28:13.200 --> 00:28:14.480 That's where we get the word martyrdom. 00:28:14.559 --> 00:28:16.400 It's actually in our passage here. 00:28:16.559 --> 00:28:24.400 Um, and so we are gonna see worldwide persecution, but we are gonna see signs and wonders happening through the gospel being preached. 00:28:24.640 --> 00:28:36.480 And he sent and he signified it by his angel to his servant John, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ to all things that he saw. 00:28:36.640 --> 00:28:38.319 So John is the author. 00:28:38.720 --> 00:28:43.359 Four times the author refers to himself as John. 00:28:43.599 --> 00:28:46.799 He is the last of the Lamb's twelve apostles. 00:28:47.519 --> 00:28:49.279 He's the only one still alive. 00:28:49.599 --> 00:28:56.640 John was well known to his readers at that time, and his spiritual authority was unmatched among the early church leaders. 00:28:56.880 --> 00:29:02.400 It's believed that he had been persecuted and beaten and boiled in oil. 00:29:02.640 --> 00:29:03.759 So capture this. 00:29:04.000 --> 00:29:07.519 Here's a man, massive beard, probably. 00:29:07.680 --> 00:29:10.079 They weren't shaving a lot back then anyway. 00:29:10.319 --> 00:29:17.200 So, see, there's a real anointing on that, Nate, for you and your bass player, you know, Jeremy and everything. 00:29:18.000 --> 00:29:20.319 We need lots of beards up here, you know. 00:29:20.880 --> 00:29:23.920 I'm not gonna grow a beard because I can't. 00:29:24.720 --> 00:29:25.519 I've tried. 00:29:25.599 --> 00:29:31.519 I want to be cool like these guys, but the coolness factor in the beards passed to me by when I went through. 00:29:31.680 --> 00:29:33.759 But so he's here's this guy. 00:29:33.920 --> 00:29:41.279 If you can imagine, probably, if we could see into, if we were with John, from the neck down, he's scarred. 00:29:41.519 --> 00:29:51.359 Gross scars on his probably about a 95-year-old body, because he had been boiled in oil and lived, and he has this vision. 00:29:52.240 --> 00:29:53.200 He has this vision. 00:29:53.440 --> 00:30:03.440 All the all the church fathers, the early church, first 300 years, gave John the apostle, as the author. 00:30:04.240 --> 00:30:09.680 Thus, the phrase, witness to the word of God. 00:30:09.920 --> 00:30:10.480 Look at that. 00:30:10.799 --> 00:30:15.839 Bore witness to the word of God, which is martyrs. 00:30:16.400 --> 00:30:17.200 Martyr. 00:30:18.319 --> 00:30:31.519 John's the only one of the lamb's twelve, and I'm including the apostle Paul coming in later to take Judas' place, but of the lamb's twelve, he's the only one that we believe did not die, a martyr's death. 00:30:32.319 --> 00:30:38.079 He's on the island of Patmos, 13 square miles off the coast of Turkey. 00:30:39.039 --> 00:30:41.680 It's interesting about John, I'll give you a little background on him. 00:30:42.000 --> 00:30:50.799 John later died after the revelation was written, and till his dying days, he took care of Mary, the mother of Jesus. 00:30:50.960 --> 00:30:51.759 Did you know that? 00:30:52.000 --> 00:30:53.440 So he took care of Mary. 00:30:53.519 --> 00:31:01.599 If you remember when Christ was dying on the cross, he said, John, your mother, mother, your son, and gave John the care. 00:31:01.680 --> 00:31:02.960 And he took that seriously. 00:31:03.119 --> 00:31:11.200 And for the rest of his life, he took care of Mary, the mother of Jesus, and their graves are buried together nearby to each other. 00:31:11.519 --> 00:31:14.160 It's written during the reign of Domitian. 00:31:14.480 --> 00:31:15.839 The reign of Domitian. 00:31:16.240 --> 00:31:23.359 So between 81 and 96, the emperor of Rome was a man named Domitian. 00:31:23.920 --> 00:31:33.200 And he brought forth, following in the line of the emperors of that first century, great persecution upon the church. 00:31:33.440 --> 00:31:37.440 So, folks, this book is written during a time of great persecution. 00:31:37.680 --> 00:31:44.319 How many of you would say that right now you're going through some pretty hairy difficulties? 00:31:45.119 --> 00:31:46.880 This is the book for you. 00:31:47.279 --> 00:31:50.880 And if you didn't raise your hand, it's coming. 00:31:51.920 --> 00:31:53.279 It's coming. 00:31:54.400 --> 00:32:11.920 The early church fathers all believed in this date under Domitian, Clement of Alexandria, Origen, Victorinus, Eusebius, and Jerome all believe this was written during the time of Domitian. 00:32:12.960 --> 00:32:18.400 So the book of Revelation is to be an encouragement to be an overcomer. 00:32:19.680 --> 00:32:47.759 Men and women is to take you into these incredible symbols, some of it literal, some of it not literal, and say to you and me that even in the most intense times, the majesty and the rulership and the reigning power of Christ is coming. 00:32:48.640 --> 00:32:50.240 And it should be an encouragement. 00:32:50.400 --> 00:32:52.960 Take your eyes off your circumstances. 00:32:53.599 --> 00:32:56.559 Put your eyes on the coming of the Lord. 00:32:56.880 --> 00:33:00.160 This book is not about the humiliation of Christ. 00:33:00.559 --> 00:33:03.440 I mean, Revelation 4 and 5 alone. 00:33:04.720 --> 00:33:08.960 Show us Christ on the throne. 00:33:09.440 --> 00:33:11.440 He's on the throne, church. 00:33:11.759 --> 00:33:13.279 He's on the throne. 00:33:13.759 --> 00:33:19.440 Whoever becomes president of the United States, he's not coming off the throne. 00:33:20.079 --> 00:33:24.319 He's not in heaven worried about our political situation. 00:33:24.480 --> 00:33:26.559 He's not worried about our economy. 00:33:26.799 --> 00:33:29.680 You know what Jesus is praying for? 00:33:30.160 --> 00:33:41.519 He's praying for you and me and the Church of Jesus Christ that we would walk in the victory and the power of Jesus Christ daily here on the earth in the 21st century. 00:33:42.079 --> 00:33:43.200 Verse 3. 00:33:43.599 --> 00:33:44.720 Here it is. 00:33:45.359 --> 00:33:46.319 Blessed. 00:33:47.519 --> 00:33:48.480 Blessed. 00:33:49.680 --> 00:33:52.880 Blessed is he who reads. 00:33:53.680 --> 00:34:05.440 And those who hear the words of this prophecy and keep those things which are written in it, for the time is near. 00:34:05.599 --> 00:34:09.519 Another way to say that, the time is going to happen rapidly. 00:34:10.400 --> 00:34:11.679 So three things. 00:34:11.920 --> 00:34:13.440 Blessed are those who read it. 00:34:13.599 --> 00:34:19.119 So, folks, even if you're just bored by this message tonight, just read it. 00:34:19.360 --> 00:34:20.960 You'll get a blessing. 00:34:21.599 --> 00:34:23.679 Blessed is he who hears it. 00:34:24.159 --> 00:34:26.320 And then blessed are those who keep it. 00:34:26.559 --> 00:34:27.199 Three things. 00:34:27.360 --> 00:34:32.000 Hear it, speak it, live it. 00:34:32.880 --> 00:34:34.480 Gonna get blessed. 00:34:34.960 --> 00:34:38.320 Another translation of blessed is happy. 00:34:38.639 --> 00:34:46.320 Happy are those who read it, happy are those who hear the words of this prophecy and keep those things which are written in it, for the time is going to happen quickly. 00:34:46.559 --> 00:34:55.280 Seven times we are told in the book of Revelation, church, that you'll get a blessing by reading it and hearing it and obeying it. 00:34:56.559 --> 00:35:00.159 You've been listening to The Road with Pastor Teacher Steve Holt. 00:35:00.480 --> 00:35:02.639 We hope you've been blessed by today's message. 00:35:02.800 --> 00:35:05.840 To connect with us further, visit theroad.org. 00:35:06.079 --> 00:35:09.280 If you're walking through a difficult time, we want to pray for you. 00:35:09.440 --> 00:35:15.440 Go to theroad.org, click on the ministries tab, and go to our prayer page to fill out your prayer request. 00:35:15.599 --> 00:35:22.559 Thanks again for tuning in today, and be sure to listen again to the next edition of The Road with Pastor Teacher Steve Holt.