Past, Present, Future in Revelation

Now, in opening the meeting tonight, I want to look at three passages that are in the last book of our Bibles, the book of Revelation, Chapter 1. Book of Revelation, Chapter 1. I'm going to call these three timestamps as we move through this book. Because Revelation is a book that has a tremendous amount of verses relative to time. Time, whether it's months of time, or years, or even we read of silence in heaven for the space of half an hour.

There's time all through this book. And it's interesting, I want to look at the past, the present, and the future. So, Revelation, Chapter 1, and verse 4. And that is actually continuous.

Chapter 20. Chapter 20, and verse 11. And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away.

There was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God. And the books were opened, and another book was opened, which is the book of life.

And the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their works. The sea gave up the dead which were in it. Death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them.

And they were judged, every man, according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. Chapter 21, verse 6. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end.

And I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. Chapter 22, and verse 17. And the spirit and the bride say, Come.

And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely.

Three time stamps, if you will. The past, the future, and the present. John is writing this book.

It is the capstone of scripture. It is a book that so many people are having an interest in. It seems that when world events and different things happen that there is a new peaking of interest in this book.

And yet, this book defines to us how things end. It is the word of God that is absolutely infallible, inerrant, conclusive, true. And God, in his kindness, is giving us a book that literally tells us how everything folds up.

How everything concludes. And in the middle of this book, once again, he is telling people, giving them an invitation. It seems that God just can't hold back, as it were.

And I say that reverently. So that a book that is full of judgments and cataclysmic occurrences and events. God steps out, as it were.

He moves out and he extends a hand. Extends an invitation. And the beginning of this book that is so full of judgments begins with that statement.

Unto him that loved us. Washed us from our sins in his own blood. A love in the past.

An act that occurred in the past that has eternal results. Loosing sinners. Freeing individuals.

I'm speaking to people. I don't know everyone here. I don't know who's saved, who's not saved.

But this is a message of tremendous invitation. There are people tonight, and in this world, and in this room, and in this state, that are in bondage. They're bound to their sins.

They're shackled to their sins. They're chained. They can't break free.

There is no force on earth that will release you. There is no cleanser on earth that will cleanse you. Not only are you shackled, you are stained.

You are indelibly marked because of your sin. The sins that you commit. Not the sin of the world now.

This is on an individual basis. And as you think of this love, I want to tell you tonight at the opening of this meeting, and I am sure my brother will continue, that this is not only a love that is beyond our understanding, beyond our comprehension, but it's a love that actually goes out to individuals. To individuals.

God is extending Himself, eternal life, salvation, at such a tremendous cost. A son that has suffered. Christ that has died.

A finished work. I want you to think that there is a contrastive aspect to this love. Because to me, as I go through this book of Revelation, earth's greatest judgments, the flood was tremendous.

The flood was global. Sodom and Gomorrah. The conflagration, that which came out of heaven in those local areas was tremendous.

But the Lord Jesus, in speaking about the judgments that are to come, in this day, encapsulated in the book of Revelation, says this. There was no time like it. No time like it.

Now we are moving. You have to have blinders on. Never mind world events.

By the sheer tick of the clock, you know that we are moving to these tremendous judgments to come. And so God begins this book in contrast to these judgments, these thunderclaps that will fall from heaven. The dam being broken open.

Heaven being opened. Bowls, vials, wrath, judgments, trumpet. All of these things.

Pestilences. Diseases. Death.

Demons. Unleashed. Like a tsunami.

Over this world. There has been nothing like it since the beginning of time. And in the middle of all of that, God is still warning.

He's telling us right at the beginning in this stamp. Unto him that loved us and washed us from our sins. This meeting is divided tonight.

Literally divided. Not between men and women. But between saved and lost.

I am so thankful to be able to tell you that I am in the group that is saved. My sins were washed away. I was cleansed.

There was a moment in my life when I found out that the judgments that are to come were already presently as it were over me. I was guilty before God. I admitted that.

I freely acknowledged that. That if I were to go to hell, I would deserve it. And I found out that what Christ did, he did because he loved me.

And he did it to save me from those very judgments. Listen, God, in all of this book, 22 chapters of all of these judgments, understand one thing. That when it comes to judgment, it is actually God's strange work.

He doesn't delight to do it. He's holding back. Look at the world in which we live in.

Look at the lack of morality. Look at the hatred of God. Look at the willfulness, the selfishness of men.

Look at the perversion and twistedness of humanity. And then understand one thing. That you and I are part of that group of humanity.

And the difference is this. There are companies of people, individuals, who have been saved out of it. We're not under judgment.

Our judgment was borne by another. Taken by his son. The wrath of God that fell on him.

That blood that was shed on Calvary's cross. Washed me, loosed me, freed me from my sins. The stains that would have been there forever.

The sins that would have sunk me to hell and a lake of fire eventually. Forever. Gone.

Because Christ suffered. The just one. For me, the unjust one.

Let me tell you something. God. God.

Is offering to you. The salvation that you need. He's offering you his love.

Eternal life. Christ is offering himself. Once, in the end of the world, he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

And if you were to take him, your sins could be put away. There's a contrastive aspect to this love. There's a collective aspect to this love.

Unto him that loved us. Loosed us. John is including himself in a company of people.

That this isn't something that's just reserved for special ones. It's for the same writer who writes this. Unto him that loved us.

Is the same writer that tells us in his gospel. It's for whosoever will. You know what the problem is tonight? And it might just be in this meeting.

That while God says whosoever. And God says all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. There are sinners that are just too proud to admit it.

And you exempt yourself. You remove yourself from that class. You think you're a little cut above.

A little better than the next person. And you really haven't seen up until this point now. That you actually are guilty before God.

And you deserve. Not heaven. But judgment.

John is including himself in a great group. A group of people like myself and others in this meeting. Who have realized, accepted and agreed with God.

That we're guilty. We're sinners that are. Have nothing.

Nothing to boast of. Nothing to bring. Nothing to brag about.

Condemned. There's a collective aspect to this. But you know what? There's a complete aspect to this.

Unto him that loved us. And washed us. From what? From our sins.

The very thing that God abhors. The very thing that God hates. He wants to loose you from.

What must it have been like? I've spent countless hours. Collectively thinking. About the cross and what the Lord Jesus.

What my Lord suffered for me. What it must have been. I'll never know.

Several years ago there was a man in Ohio. His name was Ray Blankenship. Ray Blankenship was actually making a meal.

He was looking out his window of his kitchen. It was a stormy day in Ohio. And as he looked out that window.

There was a culvert behind his house. And because of the heavy rains that had happened. And occurred.

That culvert where that water would go through. That was normally just a slow stream. Had become a raging torrent.

And as he looked out that window. He couldn't believe what he saw. A little girl.

A little girl. Like a cork. Shooting down that stream of water.

That had now become a torrent. And he saw her. And without even a second's thought.

He ran out his backyard. Followed that culvert down. Because he knew.

That about maybe 100, 200 yards down. It would disappear underground. And that girl was going to be lost.

He got to the end at one point. And he literally dove in that water. To save that girl.

End over end they tumbled. He managed to grab an arm. And latch on to that girl.

And with the other arm he grabbed. There was a tree branch that had been swept in. And he was holding on.

And he thought if I can just hold on. Until someone comes. And he started yelling.

But he did better than that. He actually managed. To drag that girl out of that stream of water.

And bring them both safely to shore. Ray Blankenship was actually awarded. The U.S. Coast Guard's.

Silver life saving medal. But let me tell you the little twist to this story. Because what Ray Blankenship did.

Was not only heroic. It was actually unthinkable. Because Ray Blankenship didn't know how to swim.

And he threw himself. Into an environment. That was literally foreign to him.

He was not at home. He couldn't swim. He knew the danger he was placing himself in.

By saving that young girl. And he did it. Unto him that loved us.

And loosed us. Washed us. From our sins in his own blood.

Do you know what the Lord Jesus did? He literally went. And I say it reverently. Into an environment.

Taking upon himself. Something that was absolutely hostile and abhorrent to him. The very thing that God hates.

He bore in his own body on the tree. He took the wrath. The judgment.

The penalty. The punishment. To free me.

Is there someone. Someone. In this meeting tonight.

And you would turn to that cross. And see one. Who there is dying.

Who is suffering. Who is bearing the punishment. For your sins.

And you would receive and acknowledge. He loves me. That it's God loving the world.

Yes. But I'm part of that. He loves me.

John says unto him that loved us. And washed us from our sins in his own blood. It's a love in the past.

I want to tell you about a loss in the future. Revelation chapter 20. He is sitting on the throne.

A great white throne. The second greatest company. Is assembled.

Because I do believe. According to the word of God. There will be more people in heaven.

Than there will be in the lake of fire. In all things. He will have the preeminence.

In praise. But what a company it's going to be. The elite of society.

The rich. The poor. The religious, the irreligious.

Children. That come from gospel homes. Doctors, lawyers.

Judges. They're all there. They're all being now.

Cast. Into a lake of fire. If what I told you about that story about Ray Blankenship.

And being swept away in a torrent of water. Moved you. I pray to God.

That a lake of fire churning under the wrath of God. Moves you even more. No bottom.

No shores. No stopping. The activity of this lake forever.

Loss. Everybody there is lost. They've lost a lot of things.

They've lost friends. They've lost family. They've lost all the money they've had.

They've lost everything else. But you know what the greatest thing is? They've lost their souls. They've lost themselves.

I pray to God. I'm not preaching to someone tonight. Who is lost right now.

But can be saved. That you will not be lost forever. And can't be saved.

A loss in the future. When I read this account. There is.

And as you read it. There's nothing rushed about it. Is there? There's nothing frenzied.

There's nothing. God is sitting. People are being summoned.

And one by one. The dead were judged out of those things. Which were written in the books.

According to their works. Every single sin. That the sinner has committed.

Sins that nobody knew about. That God knows. Sins that are unthinkable.

Sins that were excused. That were justified in the minds of the individuals. Lies that were told to get out of a jam.

Things that were taken. To supply a need that a person justified. Words that were said.

That were ill advised. That were wrong. Morality.

Immorality. That was crooked. And perverse.

And twisted. And then one of the greatest sins of all. The sin of unbelief.

As individuals sit in gospel meetings like this. And listening to the gospel. As God is now commanding all men everywhere to repent.

And individuals sit in unbelief. And go out those doors again tonight. In your sins.

Headed for hell. I wonder if I'm looking at someone tonight. And you're going to be there.

A human being. Someone who will exist forever. And you're lost.

A loss in the future. Times of conviction. Experienced when God spoke.

When you knew. You knew. This is right.

And you chose. To stay wrong. When you knew.

What Christ had done. And you turned. And you went away.

You know what's going to happen? The God of love. That has offered his hand. The son of God.

That has extended. An invitation. Will be moved with that same hand.

To wave away forever. The sinner. That has died in their sins.

And now. Cast into a lake of fire. Forever.

Forever. As it were. In the depths.

Of a lake of fire. My brother Paul spoke earlier about. The greatest of lakes.

Lake Superior. Wanted to see it. The greatest of lakes is here.

It's not a lake to swim in. It's a lake to sink in. It's a lake of suffering.

The lake of fire. I want to tell you about a longing in the present. As I close.

Let him that is a thirst come. That's the present. John is writing from the past.

Unto him that loved us. Washed us. We're looking to the future.

In a lake of fire. And individuals now. Summoned from all areas.

From all events. From all fields. The sea.

The sod. The soil. All of it.

Summoned. But now. Right now.

Here's the time stamp. Let him that is a thirst come. The opportunity.

The invitation. Is now. Come now.

And let us reason together. Sayeth the Lord. Come now.

You know at the start of our Bibles. God called men. At the start of our new testament.

God calls men. And here we are 2024. God is calling people.

The question that I have to ask you right now. As I go to sit down. Are you not only listening.

Are you willing. To come. Now.

God's way. And receive Christ. As your very own savior.

He will. He has loved you. He does love you.

And he will loose you. From your sins. Through that precious blood.

And the work that he did on that cross. It is the only way of salvation. And it is offered and open to you.

Right now.