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 Sermon > Official Service |
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Title |
Revelation Lectures(75) |
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Speaker |
Rev. Jaerock Lee |
Bible |
Revelation 17:14 - 18:3 |
Date |
2008-09-05 |
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Revelation 17:14 - 18:3
[14] "These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful."
[15] And he said to me, "The waters which you saw where the harlot sits, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues.
[16] "And the ten horns which you saw, and the beast, these will hate the harlot and will make her desolate and naked, and will eat her flesh and will burn her up with fire.
[17] "For God has put it in their hearts to execute His purpose by having a common purpose, and by giving their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God will be fulfilled.
[18] "The woman whom you saw is the great city, which reigns over the kings of the earth."
[1] After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illumined with his glory.
[2] And he cried out with a mighty voice, saying, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place of demons and a prison of every unclean spirit, and a prison of every unclean and hateful bird.
[3] "For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the passion of her immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed acts of immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich by the wealth of her sensuality."
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ.
There are people who keep their faith under extreme persecution and torture during the 7 Year Great Tribulation.
And most of them die martyrs.
When the Holy Spirit has been taken away it is most assuredly not an easy task to overcome such terrible torture and die as martyrs.
The fact is, however, that a man of true faith in the Lord overcomes all of it in the end.
Revelation 17:14 explains who they really are that stand against and overcome the persecution of the forces of the antichrist.
It says, "These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful."
It says those who are with the Lord will overcome.
And it adds that 'those who are with Him are the called, the chosen and the faithful.
I explained the meaning of each in the last lecture.
First, simply speaking those who are "called" are the selected ones.
You must correctly understand the meaning of 'being selected.'
The Lord says in Matthew 22:14, "For many are called, but few are chosen."
In accordance with what this says, the Lord calls almost everyone.
But, there are few who come unto the Lord in obedience to the calling.
Those who are obedient to the calling and come into the Lord; they are the selected from among many.
However, the fact that they are selected doesn't mean that they have been selected for unconditional salvation.
It means that they have freely responded in obedience to the calling of the Lord and are coming unto the Lord.
Therefore, salvation is not predestined. It's decided only upon one's freewill.
Since God foreknows everything in advance, however, God knows who will obey the calling and be selected.
He also knows who will be used by God as a precious instrument in making the obedience all the more complete.
It is through them that God accomplishes His works and enlarges His kingdom.
This is called "Predestination by Foreknowledge"
The big difference between "Predestination" and "Predestination by Foreknowledge" is "Freewill."
Those who follow the idea of "Predestination" say that salvation is fixed because God has predestined everything.
They say that the salvation is effective till the end once you are saved.
On the other hand, those who follow "Predestination by Foreknowledge" know that the end can change depending on individual freewill.
Of course, God knows what choice each one will make and what its result will be.
But it doesn't mean that God has predestined everything in advance to make the final outcome happen as desired.
The final result can change depending on the freewill of the individual. God just knows the end result and thus He plans and accomplishes it.
Therefore, the Christian life between those who follow "Predestination" and those who follow "Predestination by Foreknowledge" is totally different.
If salvation is fixed, who do you think will diligently live a Christina life?
There may be some who will say, "All I need to do is repent after committing sin," and they will take the ways of the world.
If salvation is predestined, why does Philippians 2:12 says, "So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling"?
Until your salvation is completed, you should never be careless or absent-minded.
Those who receive 'Gleaning Salvation' during the 7 Year Great Tribulation are the ones who are obedient to the calling of the Lord and keep their faith.
These are the "called" and they are the "selected". They are the ones who will overcome and reach salvation.
Now, 'the chosen' are those who are 'chosen by God to be specifically used for the will of God.'
For example, if you want to make a national soccer team, won't you pick the best players from all the available teams?
Likewise, God chooses necessary people especially for His kingdom and He accomplishes His work through them.
There are chosen people like this even during the 7 Year Great Tribulation.
They are the ones who are given the duty to preach the gospel on earth where the Holy Spirit is taken away to receive great glory in the future.
The 144,000 bond servants of God are such.
I told you that they receive not only 'Gleaning Salvation,' but also even greater glory.
Lastly, the term "the faithful" refers to those who are neither sly, nor false, nor evil, nor unrighteous.
Since their hearts are sincere and truthful, they can quickly come into spirit and whole spirit to be faithful in the Lord to the point of sacrificing their lives.
This kind of person never betrays nor compromises no matter what difficulties or suffering they may encounter once they know the truth.
The fact is that God the Father is searching for this kind of people even today.
They are those who have sincerer hearts in full assurance of faith so that God can trust them 100% and entrust them with any task.
They can accomplish more than what they are entrusted.
How reliable and trustworthy they are in God's sight?
In the name of the Lord, I pray that you may be with the Lord and furthermore become the called, chosen, and faithful.
Now, Revelation 17:15 says, "And he said to me, 'The waters which you saw where the harlot sits, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues.'"
It says that 'the waters where the harlot sits are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues.' It refers to the world.
Lucifer and the forces of the antichrist that is controlled by Lucifer rule everything in the world; they supervise, control, and issue orders over the world.
As their instrument, they use the people who live in the darkness, befriend and follow the darkness to rule this world.
Actually, no peace, thanks, laughter, and happiness can be found in those who live like this in the world.
During the 7 Year Great Tribulation, therefore, desolation, viciousness, and mental suffering that comes from harsh and stony hearts will be terrible.
"How am I supposed to manage today? How can I survive today?" Under such burdens and horror, they have to manage their lives suffering everyday.
Revelation 17:16 says, "And the ten horns which you saw, and the beast, these will hate the harlot and will make her desolate and naked, and will eat her flesh and will burn her up with fire."
This verse doesn't make sense if you read it in a fleshly sense.
It says that the ten horns and the beast that have been controlled by the harlot, Lucifer, will hate the harlot and make her desolate.
It says that they even make her naked and eat her flesh and burn her up with fire.
Then, why is this happening and what is the meaning in it?
Its true meaning is this; at the end of the 7 Year Great Tribulation, the forces of the antichrist will fight each other and collapse by themselves.
As explained previously, at the end of the 7 Year Great Tribulation, there is internal strife inside the forces of the antichrist.
The ill-feelings that have been suppressed will explode and they do evil to each other.
The results from their cooperation so far is in vain. They harm and destroy each other to find their own way of survival.
"Have we ever cooperated with you?" they fight each other as if they never allied themselves with each other.
This is an attribute of the flesh.
They join hands for the benefits before their eyes, but once they find it benefits nothing, they betray each other at anytime and they become enemies.
Isn't it the same with the fleshly love?
They say they are nothing without each other. But as time goes by and when they don't agree with each other and things don't benefit them, they betray and discard each other and turn their backs on each other.
The lovely eyes with which they stare at each other turn into the eyes of hatred and cursing. Their pleasant voices becomes harsh and brash.
It eventually proves that how self-centered and fleshly their confession were, and that their love was fleshly.
I feel so badly that there are still people who are deceived by this fleshly love enough to commit sin and leave God.
The forces of the antichrist during the 7 Year Great Tribulation seem to cooperate, but they eventually collapse due to their evil.
Matthew 12:25-26 reads, "And knowing their thoughts Jesus said to them, "Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and any city or house divided against itself will not stand. If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then will his kingdom stand?""
Events take place at the end of the 7 Year Great Tribulation in which the forces that are controlled by Satan betray and attack each other for their individual benefit and advantage.
Of course, during the time when God allows the evil spirits to have the authority over the darkness, it doesn't happen.
But, when their allotted time is over, the result is going to be like this since they will follow their original evil attribute.
No matter what you do, don't commit the act of the original evil in the flesh.
The flesh surely rots and the result is obviously miserable.
I urge you in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, to pile up everything in spirit and goodness by faith.
Revelation 17:17-18 says, "For God has put it in their hearts to execute His purpose by having a common purpose, and by giving their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God will be fulfilled. The woman whom you saw is the great city, which reigns over the kings of the earth."
Dear brothers and sisters.
The forces of the antichrist that appears during the 7 Year Great Tribulation are controlled by Lucifer.
However, they don't come into playing such roles because God gives them their roles.
Through the Bible, God warns us about the forces of the antichrist.
If they think they believe in the Lord and the Bible, therefore, how can they ever imagine becoming a part of the forces of the antichrist?
But, when it is the 7 Year Great Tribulation, those who say they believe the Lord and know the Bible follow the forces of the antichrist.
Moreover, among the heads of the forces, there are quite a few who think they believe in the Lord and God.
But still, they obey Lucifer and become the slayers for Lucifer.
It's possible because they choose their way following the evil attributes from inside them.
Nothing has predestined that they have to become like that.
They choose it by themselves according to their evil.
For this, the bible says, "God has put it in their hearts to execute His purpose by having a common purpose."
The formation of the unified government with a common purpose and to persecute those God-believing people and stand against God is all done according to each individual's own freewill.
Some people misunderstand God and say, "God purposely makes some people's hearts hardened and use them as evil-instruments," but it is never true.
For example, Exodus 9:12 says, "And the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he did not listen to them, just as the LORD had spoken to Moses."
If it is literally interpreted and misunderstood, it seems to say that God purposely hardened the heart of Pharaoh so that he didn't listen to Moses.
And thus, it seems that he was destroyed by the ten plagues.
However, this verse doesn't mean that God purposely hardened the heart of Pharaoh.
It rather means that God allowed Pharaoh's evil attributes to be revealed in his freewill.
Even though Pharaoh saw the great signs and wonders that God showed, he didn't believe the word of God's prophet.
As it was repeated, he made his heart more and more hardened.
It was rather the case that God who showed the ten plagues to him so that he could turn his heart back.
But Pharaoh couldn't stand for the good side because of his evil.
Since his heart was evil, even after he chose goodness, he eventually chose evil over goodness later.
Likewise, those with evil hearts cannot choose goodness even if they want to.
"I will speak good words from now on, and I will act in goodness." People make up their minds, but soon the evil inside comes out again.
That's why you are told to circumcise your heart.
Only after you circumcise your heart and cast off evil from your heart, can good words and deeds come out.
No matter how long you have managed a Christian life, no matter how great the signs and wonders are that you have seen, unless you circumcise your heart, it's useless.
The evil still hidden in your heart will come out, and you will disobey the word of God.
"Isn't it better God controls our heart so that we can choose the good side?"
You may think like this, but it's against the law of justice.
If it were so, there would be no one who cannot become good and receive salvation.
There would be no need for human cultivation, and God wouldn't have needed to allow for the evil spirits.
All He had to do was create human beings as true children of God in the first place.
But, it is against justice. Without cultivation, true children cannot be harvested.
Only through the procedures of experiencing the relativity of things, could people become God's children who know the truth.
That's why God is cultivating human beings on earth within His Justice.
God gives freewill to each one and entrusts them; He doesn't force His will.
And He gives grace and strength and the help of the Holy Spirit to those who choose goodness and follow the will of God in their freewill.
On the other hand, the enemy devil and Satan incite those who choose evil and disobey the word of God in their freewill, and lead them to the darkness.
Also during the 7 Year Great Tribulation, among those who are fallen to the earth, those who become agitated by Lucifer following evil in their hearts become the forces of the antichrist.
And God leaves them alone until the time that God has allotted to the enemy devil and Satan is up.
He leaves them to establish their own kingdom on earth and to have authority over the darkness.
Then when the time that was set is over and when it is time for the Millennium Kingdom, God will destroy them and establish the new kingdom of God on earth.
For this, tonight's scripture says, "God has put it in their hearts to execute His purpose until the words of God will be fulfilled."
Now, the scripture says, "The woman whom you saw is the great city, which reigns over the kings of the earth" and explains about the identity of Lucifer.
'The kings of the earth' refer to those who have authority over the earth; they are those who stand against God and have authority of evil.
They also refer to those who take honor, wealth, and authority out of their greed, and those who ally themselves with the antichrist and rule over the earth like kings.
And Lucifer is the foremost leader of those who are the heads of this evil authority.
Lucifer instigates them to do more evil.
That's why the scripture calls Lucifer who is the woman and harlot 'the great city, which reigns over the kings of the earth."
Dear brothers and sisters.
Let's now look into Revelation Chapter 18.
Verse 1 says, "After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illumined with his glory."
"After these things" has the same meaning as "after a series of incidents such as the wars that break out at the end of the 7 Year Great Tribulation and the collapse of the unified government."
It says that another angel comes down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth is illumined with his glory."
The angel that comes down has such great authority as to be able to illuminate the darkness of the earth.
This is the angel that destroys the unified government - the forces of the antichrist - and puts an end to the 7 Year Great Tribulation.
IN order to accomplish such an important task, God sends down an angel that has such a great position.
This angel comes down to the earth and reveals the justice of God.
In fact, for those who live during the 7 Year Great Tribulation, the power and authority of the antichrist seems to last forever.
But, as the time that God has set is up, the forces of the darkness is destroyed by the power and glory of God.
Revelation 18:2-3 says, "And he cried out with a mighty voice, saying, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place of demons and a prison of every unclean spirit, and a prison of every unclean and hateful bird. For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the passion of her immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed acts of immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich by the wealth of her sensuality.""
It proclaims that fall of Babylon the great, which is the force of the antichrist.
And all the nations that have been together with them also fall.
How strict is the judgment of justice of God, who repays according to what has been done at the time of the conclusion of the 7 Year Great Tribulation-- we will look into this in the next lecture.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ.
At the time when the 7 Year Great Tribulation comes to an end, God reveals the identity of Lucifer.
In fact, Lucifer and her group will soon fall into the way of destruction.
But God records clear explanation regarding their identity.
It is to make people prepared for the incident that will take place at the end of the Millennium Kingdom.
As the end of Millennium Kingdom approaches, I told you that Lucifer and evil spirits that are confined in the abyss will be released again.
And they will tempt countless people of the flesh who have been taught of the gospel by the people of spirit for a thousand years.
Even though the people of spirit teach them over and over again, countless people will be tempted.
For them, God explains the identity of Lucifer and her group once again at the moment when the 7 Year Great Tribulation is to be concluded.
It is to make you recognize the identity of those who controlled the darkness of the world so that you will not be tempted.
The purpose of Revelation is the same.
There are people who will be living to be confronted with the Lord's Second Advent that will surely take place and also meet with the 7 Year Great Tribulation.
Since God wants all of us to come to the 7 Year Wedding Banquet, instead of falling into the 7 Year Great Tribulation, God gives a warning message again and again through Revelation.
Of course, the same applies to those who went to sleep before the Lord's return to meet with Him later.
In addition, if there are any who may fall into the 7 Year Great Tribulation, know well that God wants everyone to hold on to this message of warning and achieve victory.
Please, realize this heart of the Lord.
Revelation 22:6-7 says, "And he said to me, "These words are faithful and true"; and the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent His angel to show to His bond-servants the things which must soon take place. And behold, I am coming quickly Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book.""
You are not blessed if you just listen to the words or know the words.
Only when you put the words into practice, will you be truly blessed.
Please bear this in mind once again.
By doing so, may you surely receive in your life God's wonderful blessing that is given to those who keep the word, in the name of the Lord, Jesus Christ, I pray!
[Amen] |
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