Let's begin with a word of prayer. Father, we again thank you for the privilege of meeting together as part of the body of Christ. And we thank you for your provision for us in Christ. And we just pray that we would be men who people who are aware of the times and ready to serve you in the midst of whatever you have for us, we ask in Jesus' name, amen. We've been looking at Jesus Christ as the angel of the Lord, and there's a passage that we'll be looking at in 2 Kings chapter 19, And a king named Sennacherib, king of Assyria, had come against Israel, blasphemed the God of Israel many ways, multiple ways. Arrogant man. And God's remedy against this man was accomplished by the Lord Jesus Christ as the angel of the Lord. And I want to preface that by saying, as I mentioned, Thursday I went out to get the radiation done. It's kind of a fascinating thing because you sign in and get all ready, put one of those stupid gowns on, you know, and you go and you sit in the back. And in the back there, there's people who just all gonna be radiated. So they're all there. And you don't know whether they have a month or a week. Some of them are very quiet, just sitting there with eyes shut. But I was, there was a man there. I think he said he was 84 years old. It was one of these people who liked to talk. And so he said, well, you know, when you get to be our age, it's pretty apparent we're all going to die. And I said, yeah, so we need to be ready. He says, yeah, well, I just hope that the good that I've done would balance out to bad. And I said, I don't trust in any of that. I said, I trust in what Jesus Christ did for me. And he says, yeah, yeah. But that, being in that room, just seeing people that have no answers. They're just kind of going this alone. And this man that was speaking, his wife has pancreatic cancer and she's lost 35 pounds and he clearly said she's probably gonna die just in a little bit. And it got me thinking about in connection with what we're gonna look at this morning in the angel of the Lord. Something sad, I will say this, has happened in the church. And that's probably a euphemism, you know, putting it lightly. But there's been such a, tremendous emphasis on the love of God, that the message of God's holiness has really fallen out of favor, I would say. It's just not talked about very much. And because it's not talked about very much, People don't know what's coming. And people don't know that scripture has laid out these clear, clear passages of what Jesus Christ is going to do when he comes back to reign on this earth. And I'll say there's never been anything like it. that judgment that he's gonna bring. And I want this to be in my mind, because if we are in the end times, I can't make that pronouncement, but if we are, and these things are close, then the people we know and love, The people we work with are gonna be in the middle of some of this stuff, for sure. And even if we're not in the end times, God is still holy. And when a person is outside of Christ, there's no hope for them. And so, let's go to 2 Kings chapter 19. And I'm gonna start in verse 28. And by the way, this is a tremendous chapter to look at, but the Lord now is speaking through Isaiah to Hezekiah, who's the king that this Sennacherib is attacking. And these are God's words to Sennacherib. Verse 28, because of your raging against me, and because your arrogance has come up to my ears. Therefore, I will put my hook in your nose and my bridle in your lips, and I will turn you back by the way which you came. In other words, in his attack on Jerusalem. Come down to verse 32. Therefore, thus says the Lord concerning the king of Assyria, he shall not come to this city or shoot an arrow there. Neither shall he come before it with a shield nor throw up a mound against it. By the way he came, By the same, he shall return and he shall not come to this city, declares the Lord, for I will defend this city to save it for my own sake and for my servant David's sake. Now here it is. Then it happened that night that the angel of the Lord, that's Jesus Christ, that the angel of the Lord went out and struck 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians. And when men rose early in the morning, behold, all of them were dead. So Sennacherib, king of Assyria, departed and returned home and lived at Nineveh. and it came about as he was worshiping in the house of Nishrach, his God. You get that? His entire army was destroyed by the God of Israel, and he's still what? He's still worshiping demons, idols. And it came about as he was worshiping in the house of Nishrach, his god, that Adramelech and Sharezer killed him with the sword, and they escaped into the land of Ararat, and Eshardon, his son, became king in his place. As a reminder, go to Hebrews chapter 13 and verse eight. We know that the angel of the Lord in the Old Testament is the Son of God, we commonly call Jesus Christ. And in verse eight, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, yes, and forever. And so we're gonna see as we go through these passages, Jesus Christ as the one carrying out these incredible judgments on this earth. Now, we can't do the whole subject, but we can touch some of the high points and hope that reverently we'll consider these things and realize that God has placed us as believers in Jesus Christ in a time of tremendous grace where we can sow the Word And as we sow the word, the power's in the word and people will be saved and brought out of this coming judgment and spared from the wrath to come. And it's a tremendous privilege to be part of that. Go to Hebrews chapter 10. I'm just gonna, Hebrews chapter 10, and I'm just gonna take out of this passage, you may not like me for doing this, verses 30 and 31. For we know him who said, vengeance is mine, I will repay. That's God's word who of course cannot lie, would not lie. And again, the Lord will judge his people. But this verse, it is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God. You think that's an exaggeration? Oh boy. I think about how if we could just view it in its reality, how, I'm afraid we'd say that doesn't tell this whole story. That's not, how can we put into words the solemnity, the awfulness of what's coming. And I wanna say this. I know that this subject can make us uncomfortable, the picture of the reality of Jesus Christ destroying all of his enemies. But that's what's going to happen. And you have to realize that these We have the magnificent side of it that God has called us out of darkness into his marvelous light and saved us through what Jesus Christ did. On the other hand, we recognize if he hadn't called us out of there, we would be obstinate just like Sennacherib and we would be, it wouldn't matter to us what we saw and what we heard. We would continue in our, and our rejection of him. But okay, so now let's go to, let's look at some of these passages. Zephaniah. Zephaniah. Chapter three and verse eight. I love the way this verse starts. Therefore, Wait for me, declares the Lord. For the day when I rise up to the prey. You know, we live in a time when we see such wickedness and such hatred of God and such rebellion in our own nation and all over the world against the things of God and against what's right and righteous and good and holy. And I think we say, Lord, how long? But at the same time, we realize when we say that, we're saying, Lord, it's time to judge. But the Lord says, wait for me. Whoa. Declares the Lord for the day when I rise up to the prey. Indeed, my decision is to gather nations, to assemble kingdoms, to pour out on them my indignation. all my burning anger, for all the earth will be devoured by the fire of my zeal." That's powerful. Outcome, for then I will give to the people's purified lips, to all of them that all of them may call on the name of the Lord to serve him shoulder to shoulder from beyond the rivers of Ethiopia. My worshipers, my dispersed ones, will bring my offerings. In that day, speaking to the Jews, he says, you will feel no shame because of your deeds by which you have rebelled against me. For then I will remove from your midst your proud, exalting ones, and you will never again be halty on my holy mountain. But I will leave among you a humble and lowly people, and they will take refuge in the name of the Lord." Okay. Then, go to Zechariah chapter 14. Now, Sometimes, you know, speaking with people, I find a tendency among believers to say, well, all that happened in 70 AD. You know, this is when God rose up to the pray. But, you know, the emphasis in, I just want you to look at this. The emphasis in these passages that we're looking at is judgment coming against the nations that are against Israel. And what do we see in 70 AD? The Romans came and they brought judgment against the Jews. We don't find the Romans walking off defeated. We don't find all the nations of the world and all the whole planet engulfed in this. Okay. Behold, A day is coming for the Lord, verse one of chapter 14, when the spoil taken from you will be divided among you. For I, notice, again, we just read, I will put a hook in your nose, a bridle in your mouth, but now he says, for I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle. and the city will be captured and the houses plundered, the women ravaged and half of the city exiled, but the rest of the people will not be cut off from the city. Notice, then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations as when he fights on a day of battle. When would we know at least one of those fights on the day of battle against Sennacherib when Jesus Christ went out and destroyed the 185,000? Okay. So this is clearly at his return because it says, and in that day, his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east. and the Mount of Olives will split in its middle from east to west by a very large valley so that half of the mountains will move toward the north and the other half toward the south. Nothing like that has happened, okay? And you will flee, the people in that day, and you will flee by the valley of my mountains, because of this valley that's created, for the valley of the mountains will reach to Ezel. Yes, you will flee just as you fled before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah, king of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come and all the holy ones with him. And it will come about in that day there will be no light. The luminaries will dwindle for it will be a unique day which is known to the Lord neither day nor night. And it will come about that at evening time there will be light. And it will come about in the day that living waters will flow out of Jerusalem. half of them toward the Eastern Sea and the other half toward the Western Sea. It will be in summer as well as in winter. Notice, and the Lord will be king over all the earth. In that day, the Lord will be the only one and his name, the only one. All the land will be changed into a plain. God's gonna redo the topography from Gabba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem. But Jerusalem will rise and remain on its site from Benjamin's Gate as far as the place of the first gate to the corner gate and from the Tower of Haniel to the King's wine presses. And the people will live in it and there will be No more curse, for Jerusalem will dwell in security. Then let's go to Joel chapter three. Joel chapter three, verse one. For behold, in those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, I, again, what does he say? I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat, and I will enter into judgment with them there on behalf of my people and my inheritance, Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and they have divided up my land. You think of, What do we constantly hear? The two-state solution. Notice what God says. It's my land. He says that throughout the Old Testament. It's my land. They divided up my land and they also cast lots for my people, traded a boy for a harlot, and sold a girl for wine that they may drink. Oh my. Come down to verse nine. In preparation for this, notice what God says. Proclaim this among the nations. Prepare a war. Rouse the mighty men. Let all the soldiers draw near. Let them come up. Beat your plowshares into swords. You ever hear that that way? Let's get ready for war. Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weak say, I'm a mighty man. Hasten and come, all you surrounding nations, and gather yourselves there. Bring down, O Lord, thy mighty ones. Let the nations be aroused. and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat. For there I will sit to judge." And we know from John, Gospel of John, all judgment's been given to the Son. For there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations. Put in the sickle. for the harvest is ripe. Come tread for the wine press is full. The vats overflow for their wickedness is great. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision or of God's verdict. For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision. Powerful, powerful passages. Then, Revelation chapter 16. A very interesting passage, because it tells, you know, the Lord says, I'll put my hook in your nose, in that one passage, but then he says, I'm gonna draw all the nations, and so let's come down to Revelation 16 and verse 12. It says this, and the sixth angel poured out his bowl upon the great river, the Euphrates. And as water was dried up, that the way might be prepared for the kings from the east. You know, I think about how up until not too long ago, if you didn't know the Bible, you hardly ever heard of the Euphrates River. You know what I mean? It was just like, what is that? And now we've got so many veterans that fought in that area that were there, and it's their reality now. Think about it. But here it is in Revelation. And the sixth angel poured out his bowl upon the great river, the Euphrates, and its water was dried up. that the way might be prepared for the kings from the east. Often thought Red China, probably. And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon, that's Satan, and out of the mouth of the beast, the Antichrist, and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs. for they are spirits of demons performing signs or miracles which go out to the kings of the whole earth to gather them together for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty. The war that we've been looking at in the Old Testament where God says here and there and there that he's gonna bring this about, now we find out that Satan, under the sovereignty of God, wants these nations to be there. And so they're performing signs that mislead these people to come up to the destruction that awaits them. Okay. Verse 15, behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his garments lest he walk about naked and men see his shame. And they gathered them together to the place which in Hebrew is called Armageddon, and we often hear it Armageddon. Okay, then Isaiah 66. And we're going to start in verse 15. For behold, the Lord will come in fire and his chariots like the whirlwind to render his anger with fury and his rebuke with flames of fire. For the Lord will execute judgment by fire and by his sword on all flesh. And those slain by the Lord will be many. Those who sanctify and purify themselves to go into the gardens, that's demonism, following one in the center who eat swine's flesh, detestable things, and mice shall come to an end altogether, declares the Lord. For I know their works and their thoughts. The time is coming to gather all nations and tongues and they shall come and see my glory. Whoa. Then Psalm two, kind of the outline for all of this. Psalm chapter two. I think really just about at any time in history you could look at this Psalm and it would be pertinent. But think of it for today. Verse one, why are the nations in an uproar? Boy, that's true. And the people's devising a vain thing. The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers take counsel together. What are they in agreement about? Against the Lord and against his anointed or the Messiah. And here's their thought. Let us tear their fetters apart and cast away their cords from us. Think of God's law and what do we want nothing to do with. We're reversing things that have been are trying to reverse things that have been since the beginning of history. That a man can be a woman and a woman a man and all of the lesbian, homosexual things and the tremendous fornication and wickedness. Let us tear their fetters apart and cast away their cords from us. So what's God's response? The Father. He who sits in the heavens laughs. The Lord scoffs at them. Then he will speak to them in his anger and terrify them in his fury. And here's the terrifying thing he's gonna do. But as for me, God the Father speaking, I have installed my king upon Zion, my holy mountain. What's his answer? Jesus Christ reigning on this earth. Okay. I will surely, now the son speaks, verse seven. I will surely tell of the decree of the Lord. He said to me, thou art my son, today I have begotten thee. Ask of me and I will surely give the nations as thine inheritance, the very ends of the earth as thy possession. Notice. What's he going to do? Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron. Jesus Christ will do that. Thou shalt shatter them like earthenware. There's a remedy today. for individuals, and it's to turn to Christ. It's a wonderful thing. But where the remedy is rejected and hated and opposed, what is there left to do? Do you know what I mean by that? In other words, God has to put down his enemies through the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. And so it goes on, it says, and rejoice with trembling, do homage to the Son, lest he become angry and you perish in the way. For his wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are those who take refuge in him. And then go to Psalm 110. This is what our Lord is doing right now. The Lord says to my Lord, in other words, God the Father says to David's Lord, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Lord says to my Lord, sit at my right hand. This is after the cross and his resurrection and his ascension into heaven. These are the words of the Father to him. Sit at my right hand until, boy, that word until is loaded, isn't it? Sit here until, and then there's gonna be a time when you're not sitting here, sit here until I make thine enemies a footstool for thy feet. The Lord will stretch forth thy strong, the Father will stretch forth the son's strong scepter from Zion or Jerusalem saying, rule in the midst of thine enemies. Thy people will volunteer freely in the day of thy power in holy array from the womb of the dawn. Thy youth are to thee as the dawn. All right, verse four. The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind. Thou art a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek. The Lord is at thy right hand. He will shatter kings in the day of his wrath. He will judge among the nations. He will fill them with corpses. He will shatter the chief men over a broad country. He will drink from the brook by the wayside. Therefore, he will lift up his head. go to Daniel chapter 2, way, way back in the time of Nebuchadnezzar. And Daniel told Nebuchadnezzar what his dream was about. Daniel chapter 2, and we're going to come down to He takes him all the way through the great world empires, and then he comes to the end of that, and he says in verse 44, and in the days of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people. It will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever. Inasmuch as you saw, speaking to Nebuchadnezzar, that a stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, God's work in bringing Christ to this earth, and that it crushed the iron, the bronze, we're working our way up through the statue, the clay, the silver, the gold. The great God has made known to the king what will take place in the future. So the dream is true and its interpretation trustworthy. Then let's go to Revelation chapter two. Interesting thought. I should say interesting truth. Revelation 2, verses 26 and 27. This is to the churches. And the Lord says this, and he who overcomes, and he who keeps my deeds until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations and he shall rule them with a rod of iron as the vessel of the potter are broken to pieces. So I have also received authority from my father. And then Revelation chapter 12 and verse five. Speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ and the birth coming through Mary out of Israel. And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who was to rule all the nations with a rod of iron. What does that rod of iron say to you? You know, doesn't that say, this is going to be a fierce reign of the Lord Jesus Christ in righteousness. And so, and she gave birth to a son, a male child, who was to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, and her child was caught up to God and to his throne. Father, we thank you for these passages, as hard as they are. Help us to understand the day in which we live, that we be knowledgeable of our times, and that we would be waiting for you to rise up to the prey at the same time that during this time of grace we would be preaching, living and preaching the gospel of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and living lives that draw people to him, we ask in Jesus' name, amen.