You are listening to a message from Sound Words. To find information about our ministry, please visit our website at soundwords.org. You can also download our free app from iTunes or Google Play to access more great sermons. We're going to the book of Revelation in your Bibles. The last book in your Bible, the book of Revelation. All the Bible is of great importance. It's the Word of God. But when we come to the book of Revelation, we come to God's last word to man. This completes his revelation to us. to have a grasp of what he has said, to see everything put together, it's important that we understand the book of Revelation. It is sad that for so many, the book of Revelation is just somewhat a confusing book, hard to understand. When God gave it as a revelation, something to reveal and make important matters known to us, to understand God's purposes and plans and how they will all culminate. It's important to understand the book of Revelation. There's an order to the book. It flows rather simply. There's a sequence. It follows in a pattern, one event after another. So we keep some of these things in mind. We won't get confused. It's not just a jumble. People open the book of Revelation and say, well, I don't know. It's a lot of symbols and hard to understand. Started out with the revelation of Christ, then we unfolded the churches, the letters to them in chapters 2 and 3. We had a scene set in heaven that prepares us for the rest of the book in chapters 4 and 5. Chapter 6, we begin with the judgments of the book of Revelation. And we're moving through that section. That will take us from chapter 6 through chapter 19. They follow an order. It's just not a mixture or collection of judgments. They are one, follow another, follow another. We're going to take a break in those judgments. We had the first two series. We had seal judgments, basically chapter 6. Then we had an interlude, a break. We got information that would help us to understand what was coming. like the 144,000 Jews that were sealed. Then in chapter 8, we had the next series of judgments. The seventh seal is opened, and out of that comes seven trumpet judgments. The first six trumpets are blown, and we cover chapters 8 and 9. Every time a trumpet's blown, a judgment came. Now we're into a break again, an interlude between the sixth and seventh trumpet. And really we won't have the content of the seventh trumpet until we get to chapter 16. And what is going to happen in chapters 10 through 14, basically, is we're going to get more details on information that are necessary for us to understand the last half of this seven-year period. If you could put up the chart on the 70 weeks again, And you've been here, many of you got this memorized. The 70 weeks of Daniel come from Daniel chapter 9. Seventy-sevens are determined upon your people in Jerusalem. 490 years. They're seven-year periods. Started about 444 BC, 445 BC. There varies about a year, but we know when it began. Those first 69 weeks ended just about a week before the crucifixion of Christ. Then there was a break, the church age. So when we talk about the 70th week of Daniel, we're talking about this last seven year period. That's important because we're going to be talking a lot about half of that period, the last half of the 70th week of Daniel. I always want people to know what we're talking about. The church will no longer be on earth. The church will have been removed at the beginning. basically of this seven-year period. Then we have the seven-year period. We're going to be talking about things that will help us understand what happens during this period, and particularly what happens in the middle is where we're going. When we get to the middle, events happen that impact the last half and are of special importance. So we'll be talking about those for a while. Then we'll get to chapter 19 where the arrow comes down and Christ returns to earth, then we move into the kingdom. So the book of Revelation follows a rather logical pattern and it's sequential. Most of what takes place, chapter 10 prepares us Then chapter 11, we begin to talk about what happens in that last three and a half year period. Remember the end of verse two of chapter 11. They'll tread underfoot the holy city for 42 months. 42 months is half of seven years. last half, what we're talking about. The end of verse 3, they'll prophesy for 1260 days, again referring to the last three and a half years. Down in chapter 12, the end of verse 6, that she would be nourished for 1260 days, three and a half years. Down in chapter 13, the end of verse 5, the authority to act for 42 months. We talk about all the details, but all of this is relating to what will take place in this last three and a half years. And we'll see some dramatic things that take place right in the middle. that will prepare the way and unfold what happens before we get to the judgments, the last series of judgments. So my understanding is the book of Revelation, we have come to the middle of the tribulation with chapter 10, this interlude. We're in the middle of that seven-year period. If we're just going to take the book in sequential order, it seems to me that's where we are. We had the sixth trumpet in the last part of chapter nine. Then we have a break. The seventh trumpet will be sounded in chapter 11, verse 15. But the content of that trumpet The judgments that come out of it won't begin until chapter 16 verse 1. So this is such a key time, particularly in God's program for Israel, that we have this extended break and it's sort of building the anticipation of the importance of where we are. Let's look at chapter 10 of Revelation. We look down through the first six or seven verses. Remember, you sort of have a break in the flow so we can be prepared for what is going to be taking place in these momentous events. A strong angel appears from heaven, and he comes with the glory that you would expect from an angel that served in the presence of God. We know that this is an angel, but the angels do radiate the glory of being in the presence of God. We look back and saw Moses. When he went into the presence of God on behalf of Israel, he'd come out, his face was shining. So it's not unusual to expect that the angels who serve continually before the throne of God would reflect something and radiate something of the glory of his presence. This angel has a little book in his hand. It's important for what we're going to cover at the end of this chapter in a moment. So he has a book and it's open. And then he has a foot that he plants on the land and the sea. He noted something portraying his authority over the earth. And he comes as God's representative. And of course, God is the one who is the creator and the God who is sovereign over all. So his feet are planted on the earth and on the sea. And that'll be stated three times in chapter 10, denoting his absolute authority and the surety of what is going to happen that will be prophesied. Verse 4, there was a voice like thunder that comes out, but John is not allowed to record that, and that's a reminder. Everything God intends us to know, everything necessary for us, for His purposes for us, has been revealed to us. But everything that God is going to do has not been made known to us. So John is instructed not to write, what was told to him by these seven thunders voices. Just a reminder that there is more to what God is going to do than has necessarily been revealed. But what we are responsible to know and live in light of has been revealed. This angel who stands with a foot on the land and on the sea swore by him who lives forever and ever, verse 6, This is the eternal God, the creator of heaven and everything in heaven, the earth and everything in it, the sea and everything in it. This is God's sovereignty over all. This is an oath taken. There will be delay no longer. We are ready for the final. chapter, and the last three and a half years of this final seven-year period before the return of Christ is the last chapter. When these events have unfolded, Christ will return to earth. We'll have Armageddon, and then we will have the establishing of his earthly kingdom. You might come back to Daniel chapter 12, Remember, Daniel is just after those large prophetic books. You start about the middle of your Bible after the Psalms. Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel. And look at Daniel chapter 12. You see the connection with what is said in Revelation chapter 10. Remember, the book of Revelation is filled with hundreds of references and allusions to the Old Testament. That's why sometimes people struggle in the book of Revelation. Their lack of familiar with the prophetic portions of the Old Testament in particular. In chapter 12 of Daniel, verse 1. Now at that time, and in the context, the end of chapter 11 was what was going on in the last three and a half years of that seven year period. Now at that time, when you get to the middle, Michael the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people will arise. We'll get to this in detail in Revelation chapter 12 where he talks about what takes place here. There will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time. You see, we begin the time of greatest tribulation, or the Great Tribulation. The whole seven-year period is a time of tribulation. The last seven and a half years really are a time of great tribulation, particularly as it relates to the nation Israel. And again, we'll be in this in Revelation 12. Jesus talked about it in Matthew chapter 24. Said, at this time there will break out tribulation against the nation Israel such as the world has never seen. And Israel will be in danger of being annihilated, but for the grace of God. You come down, verse 4 tells us that Daniel is to conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time. Then he will go back and forth, knowledge will increase. He's talking about there the knowledge, what we're getting in the book of Revelation. In other words, the book of Daniel could not be fully and clearly understood in these prophetic portions. until a later time. This is progressive revelation. We'll talk more about that in a little bit, where God progressively revealed more of his purposes. But with the giving of the book of Revelation, now we'll understand these prophetic portions of the book of Daniel in a way that could not be understood before. It will not change anything in the book of Daniel, but it will add to it and clarify it. It's important. The later revelation, that's progressive revelation, God progressively revealed. The last of God's revelation is the book we call the book of Revelation. So that ties it all together and gives the greatest clarity. So the book of Daniel, many of these things, when Michael the prince will stand, what's that all mean? Well, it's concealed and sealed. Down in verse 8, Daniel even wants to know. For me, I heard, but I could not understand. I said, as he addressed the angel, my Lord, what will be the outcome of these events? Verse nine, go your way, Daniel. These words are concealed and sealed up. It's revelation, but there's not enough of it yet to put it all together. With the book of Revelation, remember at the end of the book of Revelation, John is told, do not seal up this book. So now we will have the added knowledge that enables us to understand the book of Daniel and other prophetic portions as well. In the end of verse six while you're in Daniel 12, you have this angel stands. And how long will it be until the end of these wonders? I heard the man dressed in linen who was above the waters of the river. He raised his right hand and his left toward heaven, swore by him who lives forever and ever." See the similarity to what we have in Revelation chapter 10. It would be for a time, two times and a half time. So again, you see the connection with Revelation 10. The angel stood and swore by him who lives forever and ever. And then Revelation 10, and he adds, the one who created all things. There will be no more delay. That's what he says here. It will be for a time, times, and a half time. We're at the point for the last phase. time two times and a half time 1260 days 42 months the last half of the seven years we are in the last of the last now you think the 70 weeks 490 years of Daniel began in 444 BC we're in 2000 AD roughly 2,500 years along all that has happened empires come and go People have died, there have been wars, there have been disasters. We're moving right along on God's schedule. Now we're ready for the last of the last. The last three and a half years. We're intended now, we can understand what Daniel could not understand. While you're in Daniel, come back to Daniel chapter 7 verse 25. We're going to be into this when we get into chapter 12 and 13 of Revelation. But you have the first beast out of the sea when we get further into those chapters I just mentioned in Revelation. You're going to see the rising of the one we call the Antichrist. And you'll note at the end of verse 25 that People will be given into his hand for a time, times, or two times and a half time. So we have these prophecies that are given that are coming together. All right, come back. You might leave something in Daniel. I don't know if we'll make it back here or not, but if you want to leave a marker. Come back to Revelation chapter 10. You know, there will be delay no longer. This is where we left off in our study last time. We just came into verse 7. In the days of the voice of the seventh angel. This is the seventh angel. The voice will be the sound of the trumpet that he will blow. When he is about to sound or when he shall sound. Perhaps a clearer translation. Then the mystery of God is finished. We say we've come to that last three and a half year. So 490 years determined in God's program for Israel. Remember the church age is not included. That was a break after the 69th week, 483 years. Messiah was crucified. It will pick up again after the rapture of the church with the signing of an agreement. between Israel and the Western world leader. We'll talk about that in the future. So 490 years. We're at the last three and a half years. and they will unfold with a series of judgments and climactic events. The climax of the climax is Christ's return in chapter 19. The voice of the seventh angel, when he shall sound, then the mystery of God is finished. You see the sovereignty of God. He's been in complete control all along the way. In the most chaotic times, Everything was under his control. Our finite minds cannot grasp the greatness of our God. We get concerned, what's going to happen? What's going to happen in these days? What is going on? And everything is under control. It will be finished. Not a day early, not an hour early, exactly on his schedule. As he preached to his servants, the prophets, like Daniel. Before Daniel, you go back to Isaiah, they prophesied these things. They'll come about. The purpose and plans of God cannot be frustrated. and fights against God, and we think, what will be the end of this? The end of this is God wins. You can't fight against God. Oh, you can oppose Him, but it's futile. We sang in the song, the nations are like less than a speck of dust on a scale. They're nothing to God. Raises them up, He puts them down. He brings men to power, he removes them from power. He is sovereign. This is as he preached to his servants, the prophets. So this is additional information, but Isaiah talks about the kingdom. Isaiah talks about coming judgment. That'll all begin to be finally realized. There's conclusion. Now Isaiah couldn't understand. Jump back to Isaiah. I'm gonna leave these out, but I'll take you back there. If we run out of time, it's your fault. Isaiah 2. I've learned some things from the day in which I live. It's always somebody else's fault. Isaiah 2 says it will come about that in the last days the mountain of the house of the Lord will be established as the chief of the mountains a mountain symbolizing representing a kingdom and The kingdom that God will establish on the earth through his Son will rule over all All the nations will stream to it. Many people will come and say, let's go to the mountain of the Lord, which will be at Mount Zion. To the house of the God of Jacob that he may teach us concerning his ways, we'll walk in his paths. Verse four, he'll judge between the nations, render decisions between many people. They'll hammer their swords into plowshares, their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation. Never again will they learn war. We have part of that verse printed, I believe, on the United Nations. The problem is they just pick out what they like. The Prophet Joel says before this you should beat your plowshares into swords because we have the battle and the war before the peace and the peace will only be brought by Christ. So this was prophesied. We're hundreds of years before Christ. Come over to Isaiah. Go to chapter 11. There's verses in between, but we'll go to 11. And you have something of the first coming of Christ in the opening couple of verses. And then you jump to what will be true of the second coming of Christ. This is why the prophets couldn't put things together. You see, the Old Testament, everything Isaiah said is exactly true. And when Christ came at the first coming, the Spirit of the Lord rested upon him and so on. But he didn't exercise judgment. Verse six, the wolf will dwell with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the young goat, and so on. The little boy will lead them. Verse nine, they will not hurt or destroy and all my holy mountain, the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the water. That didn't happen. This is what confused John the Baptist, remember. He sent his followers to Christ. He says, are you really the Messiah? Because John the Baptist was in prison. He had been announcing the Messiah is coming. When he comes, he'll exercise judgment on all his enemies. He'll establish a kingdom that will never end. And John's in prison. Something's gone wrong. He's not rebuked for that because he's an Old Testament prophet. He couldn't sort it out. He believed Christ would rule and reign. guess he had to suffer and die but Peter wrote in 1st Peter chapter 1 the prophets couldn't sort that out now what they said was true we now know what there's two comings of Christ first coming to suffer and die 2,000 years later whatever we're already 2,000 years about along he's going to come again so later revelation clarifies it puts things in order Over in Isaiah 53, Isaiah is going to prophesy about the suffering and death of Messiah with great clarity. Wait, I thought we read in Isaiah 11 we have a perfect kingdom. Now we got them dead and buried. raised. Then you get to chapter 13 in verse 6. Well, the day of the Lord is near. It's coming with fury. And we've looked at that. So you see the mixture. What the book of Revelation is doing is sorting things out finally. There's been a process with the coming of Christ. Certain clarity has been given. Now greater clarity. The mystery of God is finished. On your way back to Revelation, stop at Romans. Romans, just after the Gospels, you have Acts, then you have Romans, chapter 16, 25. Now to him who is able to establish you according to my gospel, all right in here, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, now note this, according to the revelation of the mystery, What do you mean a mystery, something hard to understand? No, something that cannot be understood apart from revelation from God. So the mystery, which has been kept secret for long ages, but now is manifested, made known. So that's what a mystery is in the Bible. The New Testament uses this word mystery a number of times. It refers to something that God is revealing that was not revealed before. It was concealed. It was hidden. It doesn't mean there was no information given because he goes on to say, but now is manifested and by the scriptures of the prophets. But what the prophets had said took additional revelation. He's talking about that the Messiah came, suffered, died on the cross, was raised in glory, and now is seated at the right hand of the Father until the time he returns to earth. Well, that's additional information. But now the scriptures of the prophets can be understood. Isaiah wrote about the Messiah ruling and reigning in glory when he comes and suffering and dying when he comes. He could never sort it out. If you'd ask Isaiah, are you writing about the first coming or the second coming of Christ? What do you mean? I don't know what you're talking about. I'm writing about the coming of the Messiah. He didn't have any idea he would come twice, 2,000 years or so apart. So that's what a mystery is. Something that hadn't been revealed before, but now is being revealed. So come back here to Revelation chapter 10. When the seventh trumpet is sounded, we are ready for finishing the mystery of God. All that God revealed now will unfold because, you know what will happen? Chapter 19, we'll have Christ returning to earth in glory. Well, you know, after everything's fulfilled, it is as clear as the bell. And we're finding out in Revelation just how that's going to happen. And that's what finishes it, because when he returns to earth, he can judge his enemies and set up a kingdom. Then we'll learn more about the kingdom that had not been revealed with clarity when we get there. So this ongoing unfolding, it's the mystery of God is finished, which he preached to his servants, the prophet. He gave them information about the future you couldn't have known otherwise. But now we're getting that completed information. So verse eight, then, then the voice which I heard from heaven, I heard again speaking with me. John had heard the voice earlier, now he hears it again. The voice coming out, probably the voice of God here, addressing him and giving him instruction. Says, go take the book which is open in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the land. This is awesome. Now John, for the first time, is drawn in these visions and so on that he is seeing. He's not just an observer. Here you have this strong angel standing with a foot on the land and on the sea and holding this book, and a voice comes out from heaven, go take the book out of the hand of the angel. Yeah, that could be a little intimidating. What if he doesn't want to give me the book? He's standing on the land and the sea. I imagine he could step on me. But it's the voice of God. There's no hesitation here. John realizes that's God's will. Go take the book out of his hand. So I went to the angel. I love it. Telling him to give me the little book. I try as I work through these things sitting at my desk, close my eyes and picture John walking up to the angel, give me the book. Probably said it more nicely, please. Could I have the book? No, he just said, give me the little book. And the angel is prepared, obviously. God has sent him. He is aware. He tells John what he's to do with the book. You know, again, you see God's sovereignty and moving in every way. Our finite minds can't grasp his grasp of every detail. Give me the little book. He said to me, take it and eat it. He was holding it. He brought it because it was for John. will make your stomach bitter, in your mouth it will be sweet as honey." I took the little book out of the angel's hand, ate it, and in my mouth it was sweet as honey. And when I eaten it, my stomach was bitter. You say, well, why did we bring that in here? Well, John is being prepared for the rest of his prophesying. So that's where verse 11 occurs. You must prophesy again. You're not done. So what is going to unfold here in the rest of the book of Revelation is what is going to be given. Again, the background for this ties John in his prophesying to the Old Testament prophets. Come back to Ezekiel. Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel. Ezekiel just before Daniel. So if you left a marker in Daniel, you can just come before Daniel. Remember in Ezekiel chapter 1, Ezekiel was given a vision of the glory of God. He was brought into his presence. And the end of verse 28, he fell on his face, of Ezekiel chapter 1. We saw that in Revelation chapter 1, when Christ had the vision of the resurrected Christ. He falls on his face as a dead man, then he's helped up. Chapter 2 opens up, then he said to me, Son of man, stand on your feet that I may speak with you. As he spoke to me, the Spirit entered me, set me on my feet, and I heard him speaking to me." Now you're getting the commission of Ezekiel, even as John is being recommissioned, if I can say that. He's already been serving, but John now being prepared for the rest of the prophetic ministry he has in recording the rest of the book of Revelation. So God tells Ezekiel, son of man, Favorite name for Ezekiel. The favorite title that Christ used for himself, you remember, during his earthly ministry. Son of man. Son of man, I am sending you to the sons of Israel. To a rebellious people who have rebelled against me. Much of what John's going to have to say from this point on is going to have a lot to do with Israel. and the punishment of a rebellious people. They've rebelled against me. They and their fathers transgressed against me to this day. I'm sending you to them who are stubborn and obstinate children. You shall say to them, thus says the Lord. What if they don't listen? As for them, whether they listen or not, for they're a rebellious house, they will know that a prophet has been among them. And you're not to fear them. It doesn't matter, though thistles and thorns are with you and you sit on scorpions. Neither fear their words, nor be dismayed at their presence. They're a rebellious house. In other words, Ezekiel, you're being sent with my word, the word of the living God. They have rejected me and rebel against my word." Now, what kind of response do you expect to get? If they reject the Lord, they'll reject you. Remember what Jesus told his disciples? If they hear my word, they'll hear yours. If they reject me, they'll reject you. We somehow have the idea that we can get the enemies of the Lord to love us. so that was the goal or we can present the word that they reject and we'll just massage it and alter it and change it and they won't recognize it and now they'll accept it and they'll like us verse 7 you shall speak my words to them whether they listen or not for their rebellious Ezekiel just had the simplest ministry you could want here's my words tell them We get, you know, we say, well, we do studies on what people like and don't like, and we know they don't wanna hear this, so we're going to, that's not the ministry of those who are entrusted with the word of God, which includes all of us. We'll see in a moment. Now you, son of man, listen to what I'm speaking to you. Do not be rebellious. Danger is Ezekiel get caught up the rest of Israel, they don't like this, and I don't like not being liked." And so he becomes rebellious by not telling them exactly what God said. So he says, note the end of verse 8, this is our connection, "'Open your mouth and eat what I am giving to you.' I looked, and behold, a hand was extended to me. Lo, a scroll was in it. I spread it out. It was written on the front and the back were Lamentations and Mourning. He said to me, son of man, eat what you find, eat this scroll and go speak to the house of Israel. I opened my mouth, he fed me this scroll. He said, son of man, feed your stomach, fill your body with this scroll I'm giving to you. I ate it, it was sweet as honey in my mouth. Sounds like what the angel says to John, right? So you can see the connection going back to the Old Testament prophets. And this will fulfill what the Old Testament prophet said. You know where Ezekiel's prophecy is going to end? Most of you do. With the description of the temple that will be in existence during the first thousand years of the kingdom. Oh, as sweet as honey in his mouth, there are prophecies of blessing and salvation. But there are also lamentations and mourning. So down in verse 14, the Spirit lifted me up and took me away, I went embittered. Remember, the word for John was sweet as honey in his mouth and bitter in his stomach. Here, the word as he takes it in is sweet in his mouth, but the end result with these, God does preach about judgment, he goes away embittered in the rage of my spirit. It's the word of God working on him, having that impact. It's the prophetic task and responsibility to take in the Word. That's the picture of eating it. To take it in, assimilate it into your heart. Verse 10 says, "'Moreover,' he said to me," in Ezekiel 3.10, "'Son of man, take into your heart all my words, which I speak to you. Listen closely, important for us today. You know, we come to the Word of God, our minds are on a hundred different things. You know, God says this word, pay attention. I mean, you think about it, the eternal God speaking, and we just, can't we move this along? I'm getting restless. I'm not used to paying attention. You know, we got to recondition ourselves and our thinking when we come to approach the Word of God. God's holding us accountable. Well, was Ezekiel going to be able to say, Lord, you know, I wasn't paying attention. I had other things on my mind. And, you know, a lot of troubles come along in these days. He's in Babylon. He'd been deported from Israel. Out of my mind, Lord, I didn't get that all. So I probably didn't get it all right. But I'm sure you understand. God doesn't understand. He makes it clear. Verse 11, Speak to them and tell them whether they listen or not. And he goes away, ready to do what he's been told to do. One more passage, you're back here, might as well go to Jeremiah chapter 1. So just before Ezekiel, Jeremiah chapter 1 verse 5, God says to Jeremiah, before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I consecrated you, I've appointed you a prophet to the nations. And Jeremiah, oh, I can't do that, I'm too young. I don't know how to speak. Sounds like Moses in some ways, don't know how to speak. And I'm too young, as though God needed information. You know, how long will we borrow with God and say, Lord, you put me in this situation, it's not a good place for me. As though God put you in a situation he didn't know wasn't a good place for you, for me. I mean, he's that simple. And God says, don't tell me you're a youth. Didn't God know him from the womb? Before he was born, he had appointed him to this ministry. Because everywhere I send you, you shall go. All that I command you, you shall speak. So I didn't pick you for your intellect. I didn't pick you for your age. Because all you have to do is tell them what I told you in the places I send you. So any dimwit can do that. I'm not saying Isaiah was a dimwit, but I'm saying he didn't have to come up with some kind of plan. Now, what's my strategy here? And I know I'm a prophet. And you know, they didn't like what Jeremiah had to say. You don't have to worry about those things. All you have to be as concerned about is do what I tell you. You tell them what I told you, wherever I send you. Verse 9, Behold, I have put my words in your mouth. Now note this, this is where he's going in verse 11 of Revelation 10. I have appointed you this day over the nations and over the kingdoms to pluck up, to break down, to destroy, to overthrow, to build, to plant. That dual ministry of the prophet, the sweet, the bitter. And the authority is over all creation. God's Word reigns supreme. Here it is. Presidents aren't greater. Senators aren't greater. Kings aren't greater. The Word of God is supreme. It has absolute authority. Jeremiah has to have the courage and the boldness. He'll have to tell the king. What God said, and the king won't want to hear it, but the Word of God has authority over the king. Doesn't mean there's not respect. Jeremiah is always respectful, but there is no compromising. Well, this is not just an average person that I would tell about what God said. I have to think about this. This is the king. I don't have to think about it. In that sense, I have to tell him what God said. So he has to eat the Word. He has to take it in. He has to assimilate it. It has to become part of him. Stop at 1 Corinthians 3 on your way back to Revelation. 1 Corinthians 3. The same analogies are used for us as believers. We've been entrusted with the Word. I don't want to leave this and think, well, this is just for the prophets. No, the prophets were given the Word and they had a responsibility so they could give that same Word to you and me. And Paul writes to the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 3. And I, brethren, could not speak to you as the spiritual men, but as the men of flesh, as the infants in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food. You were not able to receive it. Indeed, you're not able even yet, for you are still fleshly." And he's frustrated. You know, it's all right to have baby food for babies. I still remember when my youngest brother was born. I liked that little vanilla pudding that came in the baby food jars, so I'd go help myself to that. I didn't give him the crushed peas or whatever that green gook is, but I liked that. I would say, well, that's not for you. I like it. You know, you have to outgrow the baby stage. I was slow. The Corinthians were slow spiritually. No excuse for it, Paul said. We should be maturing. No excuse for a person to have been a believer for 20 years and, I don't know about the book of Revelation, I just, I don't understand that. What are you saying? You're a fleshly Christian? Are you stunted growth? We think it's all right. just have a general knowledge. People go to churches and as long as the pastor presented the gospel somewhere along the line it's fine and besides he talked about having a healthy marriage and he talked about raising kids and all those things are practical and helpful. Remember we don't have the liberty to alter the message and you don't have the liberty to decide whether you want to hear it or not. It doesn't mean the teachers don't have a responsibility in trying to prepare it and present it, but we're stuck with the content. And I don't say that disrespectfully. This is the only thing. The church is the pillar and support of the truth. And you just can't fly in and Pick up a few thoughts and get on your way. It's like church is interrupting. Next weekend, we've gotten information they're going to be having some kind of race. Know that traffic patterns will be different. It's in your newsletter. You notice everything gets moved to Sunday? Well, people are doing important things the other six days of the week, and Sunday's free. We don't do anything important Sunday. And the pressure comes to us as believers. We don't either. Less is better. How are we going to get a grasp so that we have really literally devoured the Word as newborn babes longing for the pure milk of the Word that we might grow with respect to salvation, applying ourselves diligently that we might handle accurately the Word of Truth so we might be approved by God? If we can do it in 15, 20-minute segments or something that doesn't make me concentrate, I'm tired. To come together, I understand it's hard work. We have to focus. We have to concentrate. What more important than knowing this? Come back to Revelation chapter 10. Why? He said to me, you must prophesy again. You're not done, John. Verse 11. Many peoples, nations, tongues, kings. He has the authority over them because the angel who was given authority over all the earth, holding the book, passed on. John has the authority. Here's what you tell them. So we'll pick up with chapter 11 and he'll tell us what he tells them. And now we've been entrusted with it. It's not a dead end of the word. He prophesied what? Remember how the book starts, the book ends, blessed is he who reads. Those who hear and heed what is in the book. Now we're entrusted with this. Think about it. We have the completed revelation and you have it in a form now. You can just tuck under your arm, take with you. You have it on your computer. We have it in various sizes wherever we are. And we're going to tell the Lord, well Lord, you know, Life's busy. Well, you're my child. You're my slave. You have my word. What in the world could be more important than this? God has spoken. As his children, he's given us his spirit to understand it. And we find ourselves bored, uninterested, trying to squeeze in as little as possible. I'm thankful to pastor in a church where people do listen for an hour and encourage me in the study. We have to wrap up. I have some summary points for you to help your memory. The plans of God revealed to the prophets will be finished. Sort of where we left off last week, we picked up this week. the days of the voice of the seventh angel when he sounds his trumpet then the mystery of God is finished and everything God said you can go back to the earliest Old Testament prophecies Moses prophesied God would raise up a prophet like him we go back to the beginning things in Genesis the plans of God revealed to the prophets will be finished secondly The Word of God is to be assimilated into our hearts and lives, and there's no way to do that without disciplined hard work, study, concentration. It's just the way it is. I'd like to be a rocket scientist. Can't do it. But you know, we have the ability. I can say, well, I'm not intellectual enough to do certain things. But that's not an excuse with the Word, because you know what the Bible says? If you're a believer in Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit is your teacher. The human teachers are instruments He uses, but it's the Holy Spirit using the human teacher with the Word, and the Holy Spirit using your concentration and submission to the Spirit's ministry that enables us to grow. builds it into our hearts and lives. So we're to assimilate it. We're to devour it. We're to be passionate about it. We ought to be looking for more, not less. Thirdly, the Word is sweet, the Word of God. It proclaims the joys of our salvation, God's mercy, God's grace. It tells us of the final victory. That's exciting. The Word of God is bitter. It tells of wrath and judgment. You can talk about the love of God to all kind of people. No, yes, yes, God is love. You talk about the judgment of God, the wrath of God, the seriousness of sin. Who are you to be judging? I'm nobody. If this is just my opinion, you ought to ignore it. But when God speaks, We have to listen or we're in rebellion. So the Word of God is bitter. Don't be discouraged. We can't alter the message. It's sweet in what it promises. It's bitter in what it promises. And the Word of God rules over all. It rules over kings. It rules over nations. You know, in a world, and it seems to be more chaotic, I don't know whether it's more chaotic, But it's chaotic in our day, and we have to deal with terrorism, and we have to deal with this and that and the other thing. The Word of God rules. It's sovereign. That's what we bring. That's why we don't want to get distracted and caught up in what the world says is important. The world can do some of those things. That's fine. We have to do what only we can do. The church is the pillar and support of the truth. If the Church of Jesus Christ is not being faithful with the truth, where will the world go to hear truth? This is what God says he's established. We are his family, a family where the truth is foundational, central, and the focus of all we do. There are a lot of, quote, good things the world does, helping other people and meeting needs. But you know, we get distracted and all that. I get a lot of missionary information. I'm saddened that much of what I get, I find very little missions material coming to me talking about people that have heard the gospel and been saved or they're teaching the truth. They talk about who they're helping, who they've given medicine to, how they're trying to improve their living conditions, what they've done here, and then they invite if you'd like to give and help with this. Not condemning all men, but somewhere we've lost our way. I expect the church is where we seriously deal with the truth. I understand the unbeliever is going to come, and unless the Spirit of God is working in a special way in his heart, he certainly won't want to come back. Any more than the unbelievers in rebellion against God wanted to listen to the prophets. That doesn't mean we don't want to be kind and thoughtful in our presentation to the truth. But we must be faithful with the truth. Let's pray together. Thank you, Lord, for the riches of your word. We would not take for granted the greatness of the privilege that has been given to us to have experienced the salvation you provided in Jesus Christ, and, Lord, to live in this day in which you've placed us. Your revelation to us is complete. And, Lord, we've been blessed with many faithful servants who have studied the Word, taught the Word. We have our own copies of the precious truth. Lord, we have no excuse. not to thoroughly understand the Word. Take it in and live in light of it. May we be faithful as a church body, as individuals. May our light shine as we give forth the truth wherever we are. Bless this day. Bless the Word as we've been in it together. We pray in Christ's name. Amen. Thank you for listening to this message from Sound Words, a ministry of Indian Hills Community Church. Make sure to download our app from iTunes or Google Play for more messages like the one you just heard. If you would like to contact us, please email soundwords at ihcc.org or give us a call at 402-483-4541.