Even so, come

Let's turn, please, to the book of Revelation. Revelation chapter 1, please. Conference was started Friday night with references to the return of the Lord.

That is part of what's on my mind, and there's a couple of other things that I have been enjoying in the book of Revelation. There's a very interesting, it's a little word that is very easily to overlook in the New Testament. It's going to appear almost 34 times in the New Testament, and it will appear as ye, Y-E-A.

It'll appear as surely, even so, and it's really a very interesting word. If you were to do a little look into what it means, it's a word that means it's a strong affirmation. So I often try to explain it to people this way.

I'm sure you can relate, those that go to school or have gone to school, I can certainly relate to it. Many times, having taken an exam, walking out of that classroom thinking, oh man, I've failed that. And then I got to school the next day and I got the exam back and there was a B on it.

And I went, yes! It surprised me. It wasn't just, oh, that was great. No, no.

There was a tremendous amount of emotion in that, yes! Because I was so glad at what I saw. Well, it's interesting that when you go through the book of Revelation, that little word yes, even so, surely, is going to appear five times. And it's delightful to see who's saying it and what it's said for.

So let's look at the first one. I'll try not to be too explosive there and keep you all awake. We wouldn't want to cause any kind of heart flutters Sunday afternoon.

But we will try to keep you engaged. Revelation chapter one and look at verse number seven. Now I just quickly made reference to this yesterday.

I think you all know John has been exiled to the Isle of Patmos. He's probably between 85 and 90 years of age. And he's all by himself in this abandoned island, probably in a cave or something.

I don't think it was very comfortable. But here's what happens. Verse seven.

Behold, he cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see him. And they also which pierced him. And all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him.

And here's the word, even so. That's one word. Even so, amen.

So we don't use the term even so today. So in our equivalent to our English language, here's John on this island. And all of a sudden, he gets this vision.

The way I imagine it is the walls of that cave that he was in. It's just like God runs the whole program right across his eyes. And the vision fills his head.

And his mind is taken off of the circumstances. And he's so taken up with this revelation, the unfolding of all of God's plans and purposes. A lot of things that we get confused with in the book of Revelation.

And not only does that plan encompass the rapture of the church, the bride taken out of this world, which John was a part of. And then it rolls off into the seven-year tribulation. And then at the end of the seven-year tribulation, we have Revelation 19.

John says, I saw heaven open. And we see the rider on the horse coming out. And all the saints of heaven with him.

And then it just rolls off into the millennial reign. And the setting up of the kingdom. And Christ ruling over this nation.

And then we just keep on rolling off into the eternal state. And as we draw near the middle island, can't you just hear the man? Yes! He forgot about everything. What was taking up his mind? Everything that God has planned.

We heard our brother mention, you ever feel like giving up? Yeah, I do. Sure. Not easy being a preacher.

Not easy trying to preach either. Not easy standing up here. You know, it's like Mr. Robert McPhee used to say, you're just like a fish in a fishbowl.

And some Christians, they'll even pick you up and look underneath, just to see what's going on. But sometimes when you get down, isn't it wonderful to have the word of God, eh? Truth revealed from God. Not a hope, so maybe.

This sort of thing that we're looking forward to, the rapture. And then the millennial reign of Christ. And then the eternal state.

The golden age, euphoria. It's not mystical, all right? It's not mystical nonsense that you read in the bookstores today. All of this fantasy stuff.

This is real. And I guarantee you, you don't need my guarantee, but it is going to happen. And I don't mind admitting I'm looking forward to it.

It's going to be tremendous. I've often said I'm a little bit of an eager beaver. I like the story of the talents the man's given one, two and five.

Cities, I think that's all relating to us and ruling over the kingdom, helping Christ administer the kingdom. And one fellow buries the talent in the ground. We can become like that.

The other gentleman has two, he gets five. And the other gentleman has five, he gets 10. Be thou ruled over 10 cities.

Be thou ruled over five cities. What are you looking forward to? I want the 10 cities. We're not going to lowball this.

We're going for the top. Isn't it something, dear child of God, in the coming day, we're going to be side by side with our Savior? And the whole thing under our feet. That's Ephesians.

And this entire creation will acknowledge Christ as head. And everything that he wants to do, he'll administer to the church. What a day.

We should never be discouraged. I know it comes, it happens. But may we be given help to be just like John here.

I can just hear it, I keep listening to it. All alone on that island, what a sight. And he got so taken up by it, he just said, yes, amen, let it be.

Now, let's turn to another one. Let's go to chapter 14. Let's go to chapter 14.

This is amazing. There's a lot in this that I do not understand. Chapter 14.

Now, we have come to the middle part of the seven-year tribulation. Now, there might be some younger people here that might not quite understand what all that means. But the program of God is very simple.

The very next event to happen is the rapture of the church. There will be a certain space of time, and then the seven-year tribulation will commence. Terrible judgment upon this earth.

That seven-year tribulation is divided into two parts. Three and a half, three and a half. This is called the tribulation.

This is called the great tribulation. As you're going through the book of Revelation, there's a number of places where he gives you a chronological view of what's happening, and then he backs up and gives you a parenthesis to fill in some information at the first, some information during it, and so on. We are here in parenthesis number three, and here's what it says.

Midweek, three and a half, three and a half years is over. Here's what it says. Revelation 14.

Look at verse number 13. And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, write. Now, listen to this.

This is amazing. Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth. Yay.

Yes, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors and their works to follow them. Now, it's wonderful to see the two groups of martyrs in the book of Revelation. One group, Revelation chapter 6, is linked with the first three and a half years.

You go to chapter 6, and you're going to find, I think it's the fifth seal judgment. They are actually, their souls are underneath the altar, and they're calling out to God for vengeance. Take vengeance, God, on our blood that was spilt upon this earth during that first three and a half years.

And God says, just wait until your brethren are slain like you. Now, we come to Revelation 14, and this is going to parallel Revelation 17. You get the second group of martyrs during the last three and a half years.

And it's interesting to contrast the first three and a half group, the martyr, with the last, because with the second one, you know what is mentioned? No man can number them. It seems to indicate to me that there's going to be many more Christians, tribulation Christians, they will be slain for the Word of God and for their testimony. Now, we come to chapter 14, a parenthesis, where the Spirit of God has given us just a little insight and a little overview, and we actually get heaven's perspective on what has been happening on this earth.

I want you to get a hold of this. Just try to imagine, three and a half years, the last three and a half years, there's a number of Christians that will lay down their life. I will not take the mark of the beast.

I will not bow to this antichrist. I will, by the help of God, stand for my God in this world of wickedness. I will lay down my life for my Savior.

Do you know what John hears in heaven? Blessed are they, the dead, that die in the Lord from henceforth. And this angel steps forth, or the Spirit of God steps forth and says, yes, do you look at your death like that? I don't. Don't we normally look at death as a total defeat? I was thinking even of the words that the Lord would say about Peter, how that he would glorify God in his death.

What? Is it possible that me, in 2012, whenever my death is, is it possible that I could bring glory to God in my death? Well, think of the words of the psalm. Blessed is the death of his saints in sight. That doesn't make sense to my mind.

I was listening recently, and it was an amazing thing. I was listening to a preacher. And this is an event that happened just a couple of years ago in India.

And these individuals that were against Christianity, they came upon this house with this man and his bride with a child. And they hauled the man out, and they stuck him up on bamboo, and they left him for a couple of hours in the burning sun. And they came out, and they said, recant, deny your Savior.

And there he is, stuck up on the bamboo, a couple of hours under the sun. He says, I will not recant. They hauled his wife out, recant, or you're going to lose your child.

What would you do? What would I do? Spoke to me. There he is, hanging up on the sun. I will not recant.

Bang, they cut the child out of her. Recant, and we'll let your wife live. I will not recant.

Boom, they took her life. And then they took him down, they cut him in pieces. Two years ago, that happened.

I look at that, and I say, oh, my. Could that possibly be the will of God for that individual, that family? Can you not lean near to heaven and hear the Spirit of God? Yes! There's an individual that stood for God. Look at the cost.

My mind was going to Hebrews chapter 11. That tremendous hall of faith. And we see wonderful examples of faith.

And it starts off nice, and then you get to the part where others, others, tortured, beaten to death, pulled asunder, endured tremendous suffering. That would just cause me to withdraw. I read it, and I really don't understand it.

Can you try to understand that? God, give me grace. I probably will not face that in my lifetime. I could.

I don't know. Why is it, dear child of God, in light of what this Bible teaches, that when I go into a restaurant, I find it embarrassing to bow my head and give thanks for my food? Why is it that when I'm approached by an individual and asked, why are you different, there seems to be that hesitation to even just speak to them? I'm probably not going to be hung up and killed. Can I ask you a question? Can I ask myself a question? Is it too much just to stand for him when we can? What an environment we have to preach the gospel in.

Freedom of this land. Thank God for it. I think it's tremendous.

What a devastation will be happening upon this earth. We know that the two witnesses will continue to testify through the seven-year tribulation. We know that the spirit of God will be taken out of the midst.

The church, the salt of the earth, will be taken home to heaven. Do you realize, dear child of God, that God, if I understand my Bible right, God will save more people in seven years than what he's done from Pentecost till now. And that will be during earthquakes and famines and thunders and lightnings and stars falling and just massive devastation across this world.

I think it's going to be tremendous in heaven when we're at the end and we see this second group of martyrs, white robes, palms in their hands. And as you begin to scan that number, you know what the spirit of God says? You can't number it. What a number.

From every walk of life, every tongue, every nation. Tremendous what God is going to do. Tremendous the glory that they're going to bring to God through much suffering.

I just leave that for you to think about. That is a tremendous thing. Let's go a little bit over to chapter 16.

Here's another one, Revelation chapter 16, and look at verse number 4. Now, once again, we're still at the three-and-a-half midpoint. Verse number 4, we're getting... It's going to go fairly quick now, the last three-and-a-half years. We're right to the vial, the bowl judgments.

Verse 4, and the third angel poured out his vial, his bowl, upon the rivers and fountains of waters, and they became blood. And I heard the angel of the water say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and was, and shall be, because Thou has judged thus. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and Thou has given them blood to drink, for they are worthy.

Listen, verse 7, and I heard another out of the altar say, even so. Yes, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are Thy judgments. Now, let me remind you what's happening.

If I go through the plagues correctly, the judgments, at the three-and-a-half midpoint, 50% of the world's population is gone from judgment from God. Seven billion people, roughly, in the world at this moment. Three-and-a-half billion people destroyed in three-and-a-half years from God's judgment.

Is God heard? Is this going to murder the character of God? If I understand that rightly, that's 2.7 million per day. Just taken out by the wrath of God. Now we come to the last three-and-a-half years where the intensity is just going to be amplified.

They're going to come quick, quick, quick, quick. And as that third judgment is being poured out upon the earth, it produces worship in heaven. And an angel steps forth, and as that judgment begins to pour upon this earth, bringing destruction, and misery, and death, an angel says, yes.

Can you understand that? I can't. I can't understand how massive God is, and how perfect God is in his dealings, how righteous he is in his wrath, even to the point where it produces worship. Now you're going to discover, if you have a hard time swallowing that, you go through the book of Revelation, you're going to get about nine times where angels are worshiping God because of judgment being sent on this earth.

Tremendous. Don't ever think, young child, that you've got God comprehended. Don't you ever think that you can read something like this and put your intelligence to it, and come up with an answer that the humanist is going to believe.

Never. God's dealings, God's ways, they're beyond my mind. All I know is this.

I'll rejoice in this, too, in the coming day. When I'm in heaven, during that seven-year tribulation with my Savior, I will rejoice. I'll worship, along with this angel, with everything that God does upon this earth.

Tremendous. Let's go, finally, now to Revelation 22. Revelation 22, we come to the end.

So we started with John, and then we went to the Spirit of God, then we went to an angel. Now we come, of course, to a lovely one. Some have heard me speak on the rapture out of Revelation 22, but maybe you might have forgotten.

So here it is, a refresher. Revelation 22, look at verse number 7. The Lord Jesus, of course, has been speaking all throughout the book. And he says in verse 7, behold, I come quickly.

Blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book. Then you come to verse 12. Once again, the Lord Jesus says, and behold, I come quickly.

Now John is hearing all of this. Then you come to verse 16. I, Jesus, have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches.

I am the root and offspring of David. I take it that's to the nation of Israel. Now we come into play.

And the bright and morning star. That's what we're looking forward to. That's the rapture.

Verse 17, and the Spirit and the bride say, come. And let him that heareth say, come. Now come down to verse 20.

He which testifies, that's Jesus, he which testifies these things saith, surely. Yes. Why is he saying that? Yes, I come quickly.

Here's the Lord Jesus unfolding this revelation to John. And we come to the end of the book and this truth of him coming. I take it chapter 22 is taken up with the rapture.

Here's the Spirit of God linked with the bride, inseparable. And as they hear the truth of the rapture, the coming Christ, what do they say? Come. And then it spills over.

And others hear. And they say, come, great anticipation. The Lord Jesus looks at the effect his coming has on the Spirit, has on the bride, the church.

You know what the Lord Jesus does? Yes. You ever think of your Lord saying that? We like to think of the shout from the cross. It is finished, one word.

Think of it in relation to his truth of him coming. You want to know the effect the rapture should have on me? There should be a little swelling up of a voice that says, come. You know the effect that has on your Savior? Yes.

That's right where I want them. I want them on the tiptoe of expectation, looking for my coming. All right, look how it ends.

Here's what John does, the latter part of verse 20. Amen. When John hears the Lord Jesus say, yes, I come quickly, John just goes, amen.

And then he says this, even so. Yes, come Lord Jesus. So you get this yes coming down from heaven.

Now you have this yes arising up from earth. I wonder if John would have traded where he was to be back in Ephesus. If you had a choice between staying in Ephesus or going to the rock island called Patmos to get this, would you go? Well, I don't like pain no more than you do.

I don't like isolation no more than you do. It is difficult living in this world, dear child of God, it is. We need help.

But may we keep our eyes focused upon what's guaranteed to happen. And the one who is in complete control, and may I live for his glory.