WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:08.140 through this couple of chapters in Revelation, where is history heading? What does this year 00:00:08.140 --> 00:00:13.980 hold in store? And even bigger than that, where is all of history heading? 00:00:15.359 --> 00:00:22.460 Perhaps you saw on the BBC a reminder of the Tomorrow's World TV show, their predictions 00:00:22.460 --> 00:00:29.800 made back in 1985 about what 2025 would be like. So they anticipated some things that 00:00:29.800 --> 00:00:37.520 were fairly close, so they imagined a world where robots would help with surgery. They imagined a 00:00:37.520 --> 00:00:44.899 world where microchip banking would be a big thing. They imagined it being in arms rather than on our 00:00:44.899 --> 00:00:53.159 phones. But they also were wildly wrong. They imagined us mining space junk and walking around 00:00:53.159 --> 00:00:59.540 and not saying, hey Google, we'd have these huge VR talking heads that would kind of pop out and give 00:00:59.539 --> 00:01:05.299 us information when we needed it. Ultra fast travel that would let us get to the other side of the 00:01:05.299 --> 00:01:12.519 world in less than an hour. Some ways fairly close, some ways wildly off the mark. What about Jesus' 00:01:13.420 --> 00:01:22.019 vision of history that we're given here through this vision from John? It's a vision that takes in not 00:01:22.019 --> 00:01:33.039 just 2025, but takes in all history from the first century until the end of time. These are impressions. 00:01:34.039 --> 00:01:42.199 There's lots of symbolic language, lots of graphic pictures, so it's impressions, but they teach, 00:01:42.620 --> 00:01:50.039 they encourage, because this is true. And you'll maybe have noticed that in chapter 6 and chapter 7, 00:01:50.040 --> 00:01:53.680 there was a different focus. In chapter 6, and we're going to think about it, it was very much 00:01:53.680 --> 00:01:59.380 history from below, the focus of what would happen on the earth, and there were scenes of trouble and 00:01:59.380 --> 00:02:05.200 judgment of various kinds. But then in chapter 7, we had this kind of history from above, from heaven. 00:02:05.920 --> 00:02:12.659 We had this privilege of eavesdropping on eternity to listen in, to hear the songs of those who've gone 00:02:12.659 --> 00:02:18.420 before us, and to hear words of hope. So my hope is that as we get back into Revelation, 00:02:18.419 --> 00:02:22.839 as we come to these two chapters, we'll discover that these are truths that are very much for our 00:02:22.839 --> 00:02:29.939 lives. That as we read our newspapers, as we head back to school and to work this week, as we face 00:02:29.939 --> 00:02:36.139 futures that by and large for us are unknown, that we'd come more and more to see and to trust the Lamb 00:02:36.139 --> 00:02:42.019 who is on the throne. So let's begin, first of all, in chapter 6, thinking about this history 00:02:42.020 --> 00:02:48.120 history from below and these scenes of suffering and judgment. There are three groups mentioned in 00:02:48.120 --> 00:02:52.800 this chapter, and each of them have different things to teach us. The first, maybe we've come 00:02:52.800 --> 00:03:00.920 across these before, are who are often known as the four horsemen of the apocalypse. That image is now 00:03:00.920 --> 00:03:05.680 part of popular culture. Now you'll read about it in books, you'll see it in movies, you'll see it in 00:03:05.680 --> 00:03:10.599 memes, you'll have paintings that figure them, originally drawn from the Old Testament prophet 00:03:10.599 --> 00:03:16.780 Zechariah, but really I think come to kind of strike the popular imagination through the book of 00:03:16.780 --> 00:03:23.939 Revelation. And the purpose of these four horsemen, I think, is to show the downward spiral of evil. 00:03:25.159 --> 00:03:33.060 Grant Osborne, a Bible commentator, says in this vision scene, God is allowing sin to punish itself. 00:03:33.060 --> 00:03:41.360 And so we see something of the horror of what happens when God hands people over to their own sin. 00:03:42.860 --> 00:03:49.480 These are scenes that were written for first century listeners, but it's a story that's told 00:03:49.480 --> 00:03:55.659 and retold through the pages of history. So let's look at it really briefly. First horse and rider as 00:03:55.659 --> 00:04:02.599 the white horse, given a crown and riding out on conquest. So the theme of this horse is conquest, 00:04:02.599 --> 00:04:08.419 the idea of taking. The one who's riding the horse, he's like an antichrist figure, 00:04:09.259 --> 00:04:12.560 looks a bit like Jesus, but absolutely bent on destruction. 00:04:14.400 --> 00:04:23.040 And we recognize something of this instinct in human history, conquest that brings destruction 00:04:23.040 --> 00:04:32.259 when people fight for territory, or fight for profits, or fight for power at the expense of others. 00:04:33.340 --> 00:04:40.860 Often it leads to what we see in the second horse, verse 4, this fiery red horse with a rider given 00:04:40.860 --> 00:04:47.660 power to take peace and to make people kill each other. So the theme here in histories of war and of 00:04:47.660 --> 00:04:55.480 killing, of bloodshed produced by emperors and dictators, what happens when rival claims for power 00:04:55.480 --> 00:05:01.060 collide, and how often it's the innocents that get caught up in that suffering. 00:05:03.259 --> 00:05:08.140 When the third horse comes out, this black horse, 00:05:09.140 --> 00:05:14.840 the theme here is on the effects of what happens when there's war on the earth. There's famine. 00:05:14.839 --> 00:05:22.939 The effects include food shortages and price rises. So there was the rider with a pair of scales, 00:05:23.019 --> 00:05:30.799 and he's shouting a kilogram of wheat for a day's wages. These are higher, much higher prices than 00:05:30.799 --> 00:05:38.039 normal. And this often happens in the middle of war and devastation. So again, we're being reminded 00:05:38.040 --> 00:05:44.600 of the effects of sin and destruction in the world. And often, again, it's the needy who are exploited. 00:05:45.500 --> 00:05:52.660 And then we come to the fourth horse, the pale horse. And its rider was named Death, 00:05:52.660 --> 00:06:01.700 and Hades was following close behind. And the theme of this horse and this rider is death and disaster. 00:06:02.480 --> 00:06:11.280 There is a devastating impact on the world. 25% is the picture of those who are caught up in various 00:06:11.280 --> 00:06:17.340 ways of death and destruction. There's killing by sword and famine and plague and wild beef. 00:06:17.339 --> 00:06:26.659 It's the misery of sin and its effects on the earth. And to have any knowledge of history, 00:06:26.739 --> 00:06:31.459 and indeed to have any knowledge of current affairs, is to recognize that this is part of the ongoing 00:06:31.459 --> 00:06:38.279 story of our world. It was true for the folks living in the Roman Empire in the first century. 00:06:39.219 --> 00:06:43.839 It's been true through the 20th century. We can think about Germany. We can think about Russia 00:06:43.839 --> 00:06:55.079 in Europe. But every continent and every century has its dark stories to tell. And the 21st century has 00:06:55.079 --> 00:07:02.959 been and will be no different. So as Jesus the Lamb opens the first four of these seals, as He's 00:07:02.959 --> 00:07:08.959 revealing what happens as history is unfolded, we see the reality of suffering on the earth, 00:07:08.959 --> 00:07:15.719 and we know it in our experience. Well, the next seal that gets opened takes us to a different scene, 00:07:16.859 --> 00:07:23.439 takes us to see the martyrs in heaven. When He opened the fifth seal, verse 9, 00:07:23.500 --> 00:07:29.179 I saw under the altar the souls of those who'd been slain because of the Word of God and the testimony 00:07:29.179 --> 00:07:35.439 they'd maintained. So that killing sword of destruction, it doesn't spare God's people. 00:07:35.439 --> 00:07:43.100 Towards the end of the year, in the Houses of Parliament, open doors who advocate for the 00:07:43.100 --> 00:07:51.399 persecuted church, they delivered a report telling our MPs that 4,998 Christians had been killed for 00:07:51.399 --> 00:08:01.519 their faith around the world in the past 12 months. The same story continues. The Bible tells us people 00:08:01.519 --> 00:08:07.939 are killed for their faithfulness to Jesus because they bear witness to the fact that Jesus is Lord. 00:08:09.579 --> 00:08:16.180 Today in North Korea, there's about 200,000 Christians imprisoned in labor camps simply because 00:08:16.180 --> 00:08:25.500 they want to be faithful to Jesus. And so these martyrs who have been killed, they pray. And in verse 10, 00:08:25.500 --> 00:08:31.939 they pray, how long, sovereign Lord, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood? 00:08:33.039 --> 00:08:39.440 Sounds a lot like a number of the Psalms. When God's people are surrounded by enemies and they're 00:08:39.440 --> 00:08:45.080 surrounded by wickedness, they find themselves praying, how long? There's that longing for God's 00:08:45.080 --> 00:08:51.240 justice, for God to intervene. And notice that the martyrs in heaven, they're appealing to God. 00:08:51.240 --> 00:08:58.659 He is the one who will deal with wickedness and evil. And so they trust the God, the King who's on the 00:08:58.659 --> 00:09:06.100 throne, the one who said, vengeance is mine, I will repay. Now, how does God respond to their prayer? 00:09:07.100 --> 00:09:14.860 Verse 11, we see this, each of them was given a white robe. So here is good news, those who have suffered, 00:09:14.860 --> 00:09:21.840 those who have died as followers of Jesus, they now enjoy victory and triumph. That's what the white 00:09:21.840 --> 00:09:29.840 robe signifies. But they're also given a word to wait, to wait a little longer until the full number 00:09:29.840 --> 00:09:35.919 of their fellow servants were killed just as they had been. So they have to wait because there are more 00:09:35.919 --> 00:09:43.259 followers of Jesus who will be killed for their faith. And there's this remarkable truth that God knows 00:09:43.259 --> 00:09:50.919 that. And God is even able to use that for His plan to bring more people into His kingdom. 00:09:52.139 --> 00:09:57.319 One, I think, dramatic example of that, maybe some of us know the story of a guy called Nate Saint. 00:09:58.120 --> 00:10:05.519 He worked with Jim Elliott. He was a missionary pilot who really wanted to take the Word of God, 00:10:05.519 --> 00:10:10.899 the good news of Jesus, to this remote tribe of island Indians. 00:10:10.899 --> 00:10:17.199 And they made contact, and initial contact seemed to be quite good. There was some sharing of gifts. 00:10:17.299 --> 00:10:23.340 It was an attempt to communicate something. A few days later, they returned, and Nate Saint and Jim 00:10:23.340 --> 00:10:30.639 Elliott and two others were killed, were martyred for Jesus. But the story didn't end there, 00:10:31.360 --> 00:10:39.539 because in the course of time, Nate Saint's wife and Nate Saint's sister would join other missionaries 00:10:39.539 --> 00:10:45.699 in going back to that island, going back to those people, and bringing the good news of Jesus. And 00:10:45.699 --> 00:10:53.819 many of those islanders were then saved. And a church was established. And wonderfully, Nate Saint's own son, 00:10:53.819 --> 00:11:02.120 Steve, would come to be baptized by the very man who had killed his dad. He'd become a convert, 00:11:02.120 --> 00:11:08.039 leader, leading a church, baptizing the son of the man he had killed. 00:11:09.399 --> 00:11:18.259 So, seals 1 to 4 and seal 5 remind us about the reality of suffering on the earth, suffering for 00:11:18.259 --> 00:11:26.379 the church. And then there's a turn again in seal 6. We're moving all the way to the ends of history. 00:11:26.379 --> 00:11:33.759 So, again, this is where we see lots of symbolism drawn from the Old Testament about the coming of 00:11:33.759 --> 00:11:40.740 the Lord, the end of history. So, you get the sun turned black like sackcloth, the stars fell to the 00:11:40.740 --> 00:11:45.740 earth, the heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up. These are all images from the Old 00:11:45.740 --> 00:11:51.779 Testament about the coming day of the Lord, when God comes back for final judgment and salvation. 00:11:51.779 --> 00:12:00.360 And so, we've seen the riders, we've seen the martyrs, and now in verse 15 to 17, we're introduced 00:12:00.360 --> 00:12:07.379 to a group we can call the rebels. So, there's a group collected of the great and the good and 00:12:07.379 --> 00:12:11.319 everybody. There's kings, there's princes, there's generals, there's rich and mighty, there's everyone, 00:12:11.319 --> 00:12:18.839 slave and free. And this group represents all those who stand opposed to God, 00:12:18.840 --> 00:12:28.500 all those who choose to reject Jesus, all those who have made it their business to bring trouble 00:12:28.500 --> 00:12:36.800 on God's church, all those who have said no to God's salvation. And when Jesus returns, 00:12:37.680 --> 00:12:46.000 there is this reality that brings great fear. Verse 16, listen to the language. Jesus uses this same 00:12:46.000 --> 00:12:53.019 language when He teaches. They called on the mountains and the rocks, fall on us and hide us from the 00:12:53.019 --> 00:13:01.240 face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. There is fear and distress for those who 00:13:01.240 --> 00:13:10.440 now realize opposition to Jesus, who is the King, is both foolish and futile, that in the end judgment will 00:13:10.440 --> 00:13:22.040 fall. And it causes intense fear and distress. And we leave our section with this key question in verse 17, 00:13:22.600 --> 00:13:32.580 the great day of the wrath has come and who can withstand it? Who can stand when Jesus comes back 00:13:32.580 --> 00:13:43.440 to judge all of us? How can we face the prospect of standing before the judgment seat of God without fear? 00:13:45.020 --> 00:13:51.660 Question seven will give us the good news answer, but we wait for that to snow. But before we move there, 00:13:51.740 --> 00:13:57.600 three points of application to keep in view for this year and in light of history. One, 00:13:57.600 --> 00:14:04.340 we need to keep in view the reality of the return of Christ. So, the book of Revelation will say this 00:14:04.340 --> 00:14:10.000 lots of ways, backing up what Jesus said in His own words when He was on this life. Here is the goal to 00:14:10.000 --> 00:14:17.620 which history is heading. Jesus is coming back one day. And this is a message that is designed to give 00:14:17.620 --> 00:14:24.480 the suffering Christians in the first century hope. And it's always designed as a message to give God's 00:14:24.480 --> 00:14:31.100 hope. There is a day coming when Jesus comes back. There will be final judgment and final salvation. 00:14:31.840 --> 00:14:37.259 Here is the moment when all evil and suffering and death will be gone forever. Here is when Jesus will 00:14:37.259 --> 00:14:42.899 take His people to be with Him to live in the new creation. And so, we need to keep that in view. 00:14:44.100 --> 00:14:48.399 The message of the Bible, the message of Revelation, is that the timing, when's that going to happen? 00:14:48.399 --> 00:14:56.159 The timing is unclear. Jesus on this earth said, even He didn't know. Only God the Father in heaven knew. 00:14:56.220 --> 00:15:04.959 So, the timing is unclear, but the reality is certain. Jesus promises it. Jesus guarantees it. 00:15:06.139 --> 00:15:16.199 And so, that being the case, this message stands as a word of warning. The judgment messages in the 00:15:16.200 --> 00:15:21.580 Bible always represent a warning, which is actually at the same time a gift from God, 00:15:22.580 --> 00:15:30.520 a chance to turn and to change. Because the warning here is that if we say no to Jesus, 00:15:31.160 --> 00:15:35.600 the Lamb who was slain, the Lamb who died, that we might have our sins forgiven. 00:15:37.180 --> 00:15:44.120 If we reject that invitation to forgiveness, if we say no to the promise of eternal life with God, 00:15:44.120 --> 00:15:50.759 then we have awaiting us what's described as the wrath of the Lamb. 00:15:52.860 --> 00:16:01.379 Because God is holy. Jesus is holy. Jesus hates evil. Jesus must do what is just. He must punish sin 00:16:01.379 --> 00:16:09.799 and rebellion. And so, today becomes a day of opportunity to think about who Jesus is and what 00:16:09.799 --> 00:16:16.439 Jesus has done, that we might turn to Him and be saved. And for all of us, knowing that Christ will 00:16:16.439 --> 00:16:25.120 return, it's that invitation to live life backwards. Here is this moment that all history has pointed to 00:16:25.120 --> 00:16:30.000 in our life too, that we will stand before Jesus one day. How should we live today in light of that 00:16:30.000 --> 00:16:36.019 certain future? What does that mean for the priorities that we set for our lives in this coming year? 00:16:36.019 --> 00:16:42.799 So, there is the return of Christ. Another reality to keep sight of is the road of Christian suffering. 00:16:43.579 --> 00:16:49.019 And again, the book of Revelation is full of this. The reality that just as it was for Jesus, 00:16:49.419 --> 00:16:55.019 so it will be for His people. That Jesus came as the man of sorrows, familiar with grief. 00:16:55.600 --> 00:17:01.819 Jesus came as the suffering servant. Jesus suffered and died on the cross in the place of His people. 00:17:01.820 --> 00:17:07.340 And the Jesus who took up His cross said that we too must take up our crosses. 00:17:08.660 --> 00:17:14.420 And so, we need to bear in mind the reality of suffering for us as Christians. And perhaps as we 00:17:14.420 --> 00:17:22.180 get ready for a new week, we recognize that suffering is on our doorstep. Maybe it's in our schools, 00:17:22.259 --> 00:17:28.259 because it's hard to live as a Christian in school. And sometimes we hear things from our teachers that 00:17:28.259 --> 00:17:34.660 are very different to what the Bible teaches. Maybe it's suffering in the workplace, because 00:17:34.660 --> 00:17:40.440 the values of the organization do not match up to the values of the Christian church, and they are 00:17:40.440 --> 00:17:44.900 imposed on us. And that can be really hard. How do we stand up for Jesus in that context? 00:17:46.140 --> 00:17:51.759 Maybe suffering is on our doorstep every time we go into our house, because our family 00:17:51.759 --> 00:17:55.640 are not believers and we're on our own, and we feel that sense of isolation. 00:17:57.319 --> 00:18:05.660 What do we do when we face this path of suffering? We keep our eyes on Christ, the one who went before us, 00:18:06.119 --> 00:18:13.000 and the one who now walks with us on the road. He is with us through those dark valleys, 00:18:13.000 --> 00:18:20.740 and the rewards that He promises, and we'll hear them, make all of our suffering worth it, because Jesus 00:18:20.740 --> 00:18:30.480 is worth it. Here's a third reality to keep in view this year, and it's the reality of the rule of Christ. 00:18:31.079 --> 00:18:36.319 This has been emphasized since the beginning of the book of Revelation, and it's vital for us 00:18:36.319 --> 00:18:45.159 to understand and to remember who rules history. We switch on our news, and we watch our media outlets, 00:18:45.159 --> 00:18:53.639 and we can feel like it's chaos, and it's crisis from our perspective. But the perspective of God's 00:18:53.639 --> 00:19:04.259 Word is that it is in control, that God's will will be done. And it's even here in this chapter, 00:19:04.259 --> 00:19:11.680 the first thing we see in the chapter, it's Jesus, the Lamb of God, who is opening the scroll of history. 00:19:12.379 --> 00:19:20.359 He is making sure God's plans come to completion. And the last thing we hear is that Jesus will come back 00:19:20.359 --> 00:19:27.279 as judge to finally deal with all that is wrong and establish the new creation. And because these things 00:19:27.279 --> 00:19:37.240 are true, we are to look to Him and to trust Him, and to recognize that those who belong to Jesus, 00:19:37.859 --> 00:19:45.579 we will stand on that day. And that's what we need to see in chapter 7. So, we're going to turn now, 00:19:45.700 --> 00:19:51.180 thinking we thought about history from below, now we need to think about history from above to hear 00:19:51.180 --> 00:19:57.779 these messages from heaven. Because the privilege of chapter 7 is remarkable, because we get to listen 00:19:57.779 --> 00:20:06.600 in to saints who have gone before us. Christians who have died before us, they sing this song. 00:20:07.920 --> 00:20:13.580 And there are messages here to fuel our faith. Maybe you've had this experience, you're in the 00:20:13.580 --> 00:20:19.480 middle of a slog, whatever that slog might be. You know, you're in the middle of practice to get better 00:20:19.480 --> 00:20:24.579 at something, or you're preparing for an exam, or you're halfway up a challenging hill climb, 00:20:24.860 --> 00:20:30.720 or you're in the middle of the slog, perhaps, of being a parent wanting to bring your child up in 00:20:30.720 --> 00:20:37.420 the faith. Whatever it might be, imagine yourself in the middle of the slog, and someone comes beside you 00:20:37.420 --> 00:20:46.200 who's been there, who's done that. And they encourage you, keep going. It's all worth it. 00:20:46.200 --> 00:20:54.960 I've been in your shoes. I've walked this path. And the rewards, it more than makes up for the pain, 00:20:55.059 --> 00:21:01.220 for the struggle that you're going through. That's what we have in chapter 7. It's a message of 00:21:01.220 --> 00:21:08.559 encouragement to Christians on earth, from those who worship Jesus in heaven, who have come to 00:21:08.559 --> 00:21:16.799 experience that eternal weight of glory, and who say to us, following Jesus is absolutely worth it. 00:21:17.139 --> 00:21:22.339 And at the same time, it helps to answer the question, who can stand? How can we stand safe 00:21:22.339 --> 00:21:30.599 and secure before Jesus one day? Three things to notice. Those who stand, first of all, are those who 00:21:30.599 --> 00:21:37.700 are sealed. This is the point of verses 1 to 8. So, this is a different kind of seal. So, there's the 00:21:37.700 --> 00:21:43.640 seals of history. It's like a seal you might find on a really old book that needs to be unlocked. That's 00:21:43.640 --> 00:21:50.860 not the kind of seal here. The seal is the royal stamp. Like libraries have stamps, a mark of possession. 00:21:52.559 --> 00:21:58.900 There are those who are stamped as belonging to God. The chapter begins with a dramatic scene. We've got 00:21:58.900 --> 00:22:04.120 four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, and they're holding back the wind, 00:22:04.119 --> 00:22:12.539 the wind of God's judgment. That judgment will not come until angel number five comes along with 00:22:12.539 --> 00:22:22.219 God's seal to stamp, symbolically, stamp those who belong to Him. Do not harm the land or the sea or 00:22:22.219 --> 00:22:26.859 the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servant of our God. 00:22:26.859 --> 00:22:36.919 To be sealed as belonging to the Lord is both protection from judgment and also privilege. 00:22:38.319 --> 00:22:46.699 Who are sealed? Those who are sealed are everybody who belongs to Jesus. So, in verses 4 to 8, we meet 00:22:46.699 --> 00:22:52.839 some of that symbolic number language. We've got this symbol for the whole church being represented. 00:22:52.839 --> 00:23:00.679 The number 12, there's 12 tribes of Israel. There's also 12 apostles. The number 7, number 1,000 is their 00:23:00.679 --> 00:23:07.819 biggest number. It's the number of completeness. So, here is this picture of 144,000 intended to 00:23:07.819 --> 00:23:14.039 represent the whole church. And we know that because in verse 9, there's this great multitude from every 00:23:14.039 --> 00:23:20.819 nation, tribe, and people, and language. So, the 144,000 is this numberless crowd that's multi-ethnic, 00:23:20.819 --> 00:23:29.519 multi-language. So, those who can stand before Jesus when He returns are those who are sealed as 00:23:29.519 --> 00:23:37.039 belonging to Him because they put their faith in Him. Those who stand, secondly, are those who sing the 00:23:37.039 --> 00:23:45.519 song of salvation. This is verse 9 to 14. We've got this wonderful choir there in verse 9 from every tribe 00:23:45.519 --> 00:23:53.559 and tongue and tongue and people reminding us, as Christians, we have unity because Jesus is our 00:23:53.559 --> 00:23:59.099 center, because God is our Father, because we have the Holy Spirit, but we don't have uniformity, 00:23:59.839 --> 00:24:05.480 that we are all different. Different languages, different culture, and God values that. And we get 00:24:05.480 --> 00:24:13.299 this beautiful picture of worship in heaven, of the global church being represented, and culture is there, 00:24:13.299 --> 00:24:19.680 and language is there, and that's good. There's also a scene of great triumph. 00:24:21.339 --> 00:24:26.819 At the end of verse 9, they were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 00:24:27.519 --> 00:24:32.000 So, I think we've spoken about this before, that when a Roman emperor came to town after he'd won a 00:24:32.000 --> 00:24:37.240 victory, people would dress themselves up in white, and they'd get their palm branches, and they'd wave them 00:24:37.240 --> 00:24:44.359 to welcome the victorious king. Maybe you remember in the story of Jesus, that when he's welcomed, 00:24:44.460 --> 00:24:49.440 riding into Jerusalem on a donkey, there are people that bring the palm branches. Here is our king. 00:24:50.200 --> 00:24:56.539 Well, here is that sense of triumph, because they are celebrating the victory of Jesus as the eternal king. 00:24:56.539 --> 00:25:03.200 Look at the great theme of their praise. They cried out in a loud voice, 00:25:03.899 --> 00:25:12.799 salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne and to the Lamb. What causes joy in heaven 00:25:12.799 --> 00:25:22.639 is that God and Jesus Christ have the final victory, that salvation is mission accomplished, 00:25:22.640 --> 00:25:31.560 that all evil and all who stand opposed to God and His will will in the end be dealt with, 00:25:31.860 --> 00:25:34.660 so that God and His people can dwell together forever. 00:25:37.040 --> 00:25:45.560 And there is a great gospel being announced here. It's interesting, in verse 13 and 14, 00:25:45.660 --> 00:25:51.080 there's this question, who are the people in white robes, the Lamb? Here's the good news. 00:25:51.079 --> 00:26:00.359 Jesus saves His church. There is tribulation. There is intense spiritual battle. It isn't easy 00:26:00.359 --> 00:26:06.319 being a Christian, but in the end, Jesus makes sure that His people are brought safely through. 00:26:08.919 --> 00:26:13.740 And His people are those who have been washed in His blood, which again is a picture way of saying, 00:26:14.139 --> 00:26:20.599 we have been made pure. There is forgiveness, because Jesus died as a sacrifice, 00:26:20.599 --> 00:26:30.000 to take the penalty for our sin so that we don't have to. And in fact, His death and His record of 00:26:30.000 --> 00:26:39.159 righteousness given to us means that we are made fits for life with God. So, it's the good news of 00:26:39.159 --> 00:26:45.339 victory, because what Jesus has done for us on the cross, and we get to participate and to enjoy that. 00:26:45.339 --> 00:26:47.500 And the saints in heaven, they're doing it already. 00:26:50.139 --> 00:26:57.039 And so, those who are stand, who stand, who can have hope and joy when Jesus returns, 00:26:57.740 --> 00:27:02.379 are those who are sealed, are those who can sing the song of salvation, 00:27:02.380 --> 00:27:08.800 and they're also those who are sealed, and they're also those who see the shepherd. Because this 00:27:08.800 --> 00:27:14.780 chapter finishes with a wonderful picture, a wonderful scene to take with us into this year. 00:27:15.680 --> 00:27:23.400 It's the scene of Jesus, the good shepherd, leading His people into the joy of life with Him 00:27:23.400 --> 00:27:30.500 in the new creation. So, this theme of God, the shepherd, of Jesus, the shepherd, 00:27:30.500 --> 00:27:35.960 is a really powerful one that runs through the whole Bible. When God's people were slaves in Egypt, 00:27:36.099 --> 00:27:40.279 and there was no help for them, God said, I'll be the shepherd, and I'll deliver them. 00:27:41.400 --> 00:27:48.200 Isaiah 40, we heard about God being a shepherd for His people, rescuing His people. Psalm 23, 00:27:48.359 --> 00:27:53.799 we sang of God the shepherd, and Jesus comes and says, I am the good shepherd. And here, 00:27:53.799 --> 00:28:00.279 there's this particular aspect of the shepherding work of Jesus, He leads His people safely home 00:28:00.279 --> 00:28:08.180 into eternal joy. That's where history is heading for the people of God. It's heading towards the joy 00:28:08.180 --> 00:28:15.180 of service. Verse 15, they are before the throne of God and serve Him day and night in His temple, 00:28:16.039 --> 00:28:20.859 and He who sits on the throne will shelter them with His presence. Here's a picture of God's people, 00:28:20.859 --> 00:28:26.479 like the priests in the Old Testament, serving God joyfully in the temple. Here is the picture of 00:28:26.479 --> 00:28:33.439 Christians living always to worship our God and our Savior, and we're sheltered. We're covered 00:28:33.439 --> 00:28:41.659 by His glory, by the glorious promise of His presence with us forever. So, there's the joy of 00:28:41.659 --> 00:28:49.579 service. There's also the joy promised of suffering removed. It's there in verse 16 and verse 17. 00:28:49.579 --> 00:28:55.519 All of these are really rich promises drawn from the book of Isaiah. Never again will they hunger. 00:28:56.039 --> 00:29:02.139 Never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat down on them, and God will wipe away every tear from 00:29:02.139 --> 00:29:08.779 their eyes. What's coming for the people of God? An eternity where everything that causes suffering 00:29:08.779 --> 00:29:19.079 and sadness and sorrow is removed from us forever. What's coming for us is a feast of joy that never 00:29:19.079 --> 00:29:25.079 ends in the new creation that God through Jesus provides for us. 00:29:27.759 --> 00:29:35.160 Captured here in verse 17 as the joy of springs of living water. Again, that comes from the book of 00:29:35.160 --> 00:29:43.519 Isaiah. He will lead them to springs of living water. It's the work of God's servant, the Lord Jesus. 00:29:44.340 --> 00:29:49.860 Just as it was the work of God providing water in the wilderness for His people to satisfy their needs, 00:29:50.279 --> 00:29:56.019 just as it was the promise that God the shepherd would lead His people by still waters, making sure 00:29:56.019 --> 00:30:02.880 we have everything we need, the promise of Jesus, I give living water that eternally satisfies. 00:30:02.880 --> 00:30:11.960 This is our future as the people of God. And ultimately, it's the joy of the shepherd. 00:30:12.840 --> 00:30:23.700 The lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd. To see the face of Jesus is the center 00:30:23.700 --> 00:30:34.620 of our joy. To know Him as our good shepherd now and forever. This is what satisfies the people of God. 00:30:35.960 --> 00:30:43.240 So again, three things as we close. Three realities to keep in view. First, we return to the idea of the 00:30:43.240 --> 00:30:51.740 return of Christ. So as we've been listening to that song from heaven, it's been a testimony for our sake. 00:30:51.740 --> 00:30:58.460 That message, we have been there. We've walked in your shoes. We have suffered. Some of us have died for Jesus, 00:30:58.620 --> 00:31:05.700 but it was all worth it. Not one of us is disappointed, and you will not be disappointed either. 00:31:07.859 --> 00:31:14.180 John Newton wrote a letter to a friend in ministry encouraging him in this way. 00:31:14.180 --> 00:31:25.360 When we awake into that glorious world, we shall in an instant be satisfied with His likeness. 00:31:26.120 --> 00:31:35.279 One sight of Jesus as He is will fill our hearts and dry up all our tears. 00:31:35.279 --> 00:31:43.000 I think one of the things that we really need to grasp hold of here in our modern, comfortable West 00:31:43.000 --> 00:31:48.440 is to grasp hold of the fact that eternity is far, far greater. 00:31:49.799 --> 00:31:55.559 That Jesus is far more beautiful than what so often grabs our attention and keeps us clinging 00:31:55.559 --> 00:32:03.899 to life here in the world. Second reality to keep in view the road of Christian suffering. 00:32:05.179 --> 00:32:09.440 Those winds, those storms of judgment, the Bible says, honestly, they will come. 00:32:10.379 --> 00:32:17.859 But we have the promise that if we are sealed by Jesus, we have spiritual protection. We have the 00:32:17.859 --> 00:32:25.639 guarantee of future glory that Jesus will not fail us because we belong to the Lord. 00:32:27.459 --> 00:32:31.240 Just before Christmas, boys and girls, you may have noticed this, 00:32:32.099 --> 00:32:40.019 Cadbury's chocolate lost its royal seal of approval for the first time in 170 years. 00:32:40.659 --> 00:32:46.039 King Charles no longer wants it to be the supplier to the king's palace. 00:32:46.039 --> 00:32:51.659 That's bad news for Cadbury's that you can lose the royal seal of approval. 00:32:53.720 --> 00:33:01.159 We need to understand as Christians, we can never have that experience. We will never 00:33:01.159 --> 00:33:09.119 lose that royal seal of approval. Here is hope. If we love Jesus as Lord and King, 00:33:09.980 --> 00:33:15.920 if we live for Him, then our place in God's family is safe and secure. 00:33:16.039 --> 00:33:22.619 If we are struggling in the Christian life, and it seems really hard, we need to remember that Christ 00:33:22.619 --> 00:33:28.899 has sealed us as belonging to Him, and our standing and our confidence is not based on our feeling, 00:33:29.200 --> 00:33:36.460 it's based on His faithfulness. He will make sure His people are home with Him forever. 00:33:36.460 --> 00:33:43.720 And one last thing to remind ourselves of, and it's the rule of Christ. 00:33:45.920 --> 00:33:55.140 Whoever we are, whatever our story today, the Bible says to us, God wants us to know that our future hope 00:33:55.140 --> 00:34:06.600 and our hope of glory rests in knowing, trusting, following Jesus as the good shepherd and being part of His story of salvation. 00:34:06.599 --> 00:34:14.039 Jesus, the good shepherd who came to this earth on a rescue mission to rescue lost sheep. 00:34:14.559 --> 00:34:21.279 Jesus who would lay down His life for His sheep to fully pay the penalty for our sin. 00:34:21.940 --> 00:34:29.599 Jesus the one who is calling His sheep by name, who powerfully, effectively draws people to Himself, 00:34:29.599 --> 00:34:39.420 out of darkness into His light, the one who every day leads and guides and protects and provides goodness and mercy for His people. 00:34:39.900 --> 00:34:48.619 This is the good shepherd who will return, who will take us home to be with Himself forever in the new creation. 00:34:48.619 --> 00:34:53.299 That's where history is heading for the people of God.