 Let's open our Bibles together to the book of Revelation. I originally was intending to take you through chapter 11 verse 14 and obviously by saying that we're not going to go all the way to verse 14 because in first service I I got stuck on verses 1 and 2 of chapter 11 so we're gonna just go to verse 2 of chapter 11 but we'll look at chapter 10 together and then close our study by looking at chapter 11 verse 1 and 2 and then we'll pick up next week at verse 3 and continue on with our series here with that said beginning here in Revelation chapter 10 I'll read I'll read it's only 11 verses I'll read the 11 verses and get into our study. Revelation chapter 10 beginning at verse 1 reading to verse 11 John writes I saw still another mighty angel coming down from heaven clothed with a cloud and a rainbow was on his head his face was like the sun and his feet like pillars of fire he had a little book open in his hand and he said his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land and cried with a loud voice as when a lion roars when he cried out seven thunders uttered their voices now when the seven thunders uttered their voices I was about to write but I heard a voice from heaven saying to me seal up the things which the seven thunders uttered and do not write them the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised up his hand to heaven and swore by him who lives forever and ever who created heaven and the things that are in it the earth and the things that are in it and the sea and the things that are in it that there should be delay no longer but in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel when he's about to sound the mystery of God would be finished as he declared to his servants the prophets then the voice which I heard from heaven spoke to me again and said go take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the earth so I went to the angel and said to him give me the little book and he said to me take and eat it and it will make your stomach bitter but it will be as sweet as honey in your mouth then I took the little book out of the angel's hand and ate it and it was the sweetest honey in my mouth but when I had eaten it my stomach became bitter and he said to me you must prophesy again about many peoples nations tongues and kings so as I've been doing with you I want to give to you enough information for you to be able to to get a grip of what's going on here in this particular chapter and so what we have here in chapter 10 is actually a break it's a parenthesis it's a break that begins in verse 1 and goes all the way to chapter 11 verse 14 and so what this is is a break between events that are taking place in future events and so commentators say that it gives details to help us understand the entire prophetic scenario and so in verses 1 through 3 we'll begin there John says I saw still another mighty angel coming down from heaven clothed with a cloud and a rainbow was on his head his face was like the sun and his feet like pillars of fire well we'll look at verse 1 and I'm gonna give you details again some of you have it perhaps are just joining us in this study and so I'm one of these people who gives you a lot of detail as a foundation so that you're able to look at the other verses and understand the context and so rather than just going into the application I like to give you a foundation and then I move into application and so what we have right now is we have John speaking concerning something that he sees in verse 1 he says he saw another mighty angel so throughout the book John uses the words I saw to reveal a new vision that he has received you see it in the book of Revelation six different times well here he's speaking about seeing another mighty angel now I want to give you a contrast right now because there are two different views related to who this mighty angel is I'm gonna give you both of those views so you have something that you can think through there are those who believe that by the symbols of authority that you see here and and I'll show them to you he says I saw still another mighty angel coming down from heaven clothed with a cloud and a rainbow was on his head his face was like the sun and his feet like pillars of fire those are what are called symbols of authority coming down from heaven with these symbols is what he's speaking about and so some believe that this angel that he's referring to is actually Jesus they believe that it's Jesus Christ because of those symbols of authority notice he says he's clothed with a cloud when it says he's clothed with a cloud a cloud will symbolize in Scripture very often power majesty and glory you see that in Daniel chapter 7 verse 13 but you also see it in Mark chapter 13 verse 26 where Jesus said you shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory and so when it says that he's clothed with a cloud symbolizing power majesty glory and so they say this obviously would be Jesus secondly it speaks of a rainbow there's a rainbow it says on his head well a rainbow in the Old Testament symbolizes mercy in the midst of judgment all the way back in Genesis chapter 9 verses 12 through 15 we see in those verses that Genesis 9 tells us that the rainbow is is the sign of a permanent covenant between God and the earth and that as he sees the rainbow God said I will remember my covenant which he said is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh the water shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh so the rainbow even though it's been hijacked today the rainbow in the Bible speaks of God's mercy that God will give mercy in the time of judgment and so he has a rainbow therefore they say this is obviously a symbol of authority it must be Jesus then third it says his face was like the Sun when it says his face is like the Sun that evidence is that he's in the presence of God you see that in the book of Exodus chapter 34 verse 29 how it came to pass when Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses's hand when he came down from the mount that Moses knew not that the skin of his face shown while he talked with him so his face is like the Sun they say that evidence as he comes from the presence of God then forth his feet were like pillars of fire fire in scripture very often is symbolic of judgment in Genesis 3 24 it speaks of how he placed cherubim at the east of the Garden of Eden and a flaming sword which turned every way to guard the way to the Tree of Life you see fire in Genesis 19 24 when it says the Lord reigned upon Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire and you see it again in 1st Kings chapter 1 verses 10 and 12 where the prophet Elijah prayed and fire came down from heaven so when it says his feet were like pillars of fire it's often a symbol of judgment there are others who say this is a mighty angel because it says notice again verse 1 I saw still another mighty angel they say this is a mighty angel but it's not Jesus some said it's Jesus others say it's not that's because John says I saw another mighty angel so the word another another speaks of something that is of the same kind this would identify the angel with the angels that are sounding the trumpets of judgment Jesus is not an angel and would not be spoken of as another angel also in the book of Revelation Jesus is identified by titles but never spoken of as being an angel he's the faithful witness he's the firstborn from the dead he's the ruler of the kings of earth he's the son of man he's the one who is holy and true he's the amen the lion of the tribe of Judah he's the faithful and true and the king of kings and Lord of lords but he's never spoken of as an angel and third there are other strong angels that are mentioned but none of them are identified as Jesus we saw that in chapter 5 verse 2 and later on in chapter 18 verse 21 but another thing that would point that this is not Jesus is that Jesus would not make the oath that we see in verses 5 and 6 when it says again the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised up his hand to heaven and swore by him who lives forever and ever who created heaven and the things that are in it Jesus would not swear an oath like that because he's God he's risen he's glorified if you swore an oath at all it would be by himself like it says in Hebrews 6 13 when God made a promise to Abraham because he could swear by no one greater he swore by himself you see in the book of Hebrews in chapter 1 the writer spoke of angels and Jesus and he differentiates them in Hebrews 1 7 and 8 it says of the angels he says he says who makes his angels spirits and his ministers a flame of fire but to the son he says your throne oh God is forever and ever a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of your kingdom so John speaks about an angel an angel that came down from heaven so one more thing to identify this angel as Jesus would add another return of Jesus to the earth and that doesn't line up with other descriptions of his return and finally John says that his feet were like pillars of fire that is a picture of powerful stamping out of unholiness that will come with judgment so he's speaking of a mighty angel that comes notice verse 2 he had a little book open in his hand he said his right foot on the on the sea his left foot on the land he has a little book this little book can contains the terrors of the judgment yet to come notice in verse 2 how his right foot's on the sea his left is on the land and that declares to us that God is sovereign over land and sea God has taken it back from Satan and I just have to stop for a second and say thank you Jesus you're taking the land back from the enemy thank you Lord you see because God has the authority God has the authority to judge the entire earth because the entire earth belongs to him in Leviticus 25 23 it simply says the land is mine it belongs to me and as this is happening notice verse 3 he cried with a loud voice as when a lion roars and when he cried out seven thunders uttered their voices now when it says he cried out notice it's with a loud voice that speaks of the volume but it may symbolize the authority that's being exercised he speaks clearly but he does it with great volume and as he's doing this that great volume captures the attention of people and it actually provokes fear because if you heard a lion roar it provokes fear and so it's capturing attention they're listening and fear is in their heart verse 3 says when he cried out seven thunders uttered their voices this thunderous sound is separate from the angels voice and again when you read your Bible thunder in Scripture is often associated with judgment Isaiah 29 6 says you will be punished by the Lord of hosts with thunder and earthquake and great noise with storm and tempest and the flame of devouring fire so thunder is often associated with judgment and these seven thunders represent the perfection of God's intervention in judgment while verse 4 it says when the seven thunders uttered their voices I was about to write but I heard a voice from heaven saying to me seal up the things which the seven thunders uttered and do not write them let me talk to you about that for just a moment here seal it up he heard it he understood it he's there obviously taking notes of what he's experiencing but the voice says no you're not to repeat what I'm saying or what you're hearing no seal it up you're not to repeat this at all it says seal up the things which the seven thunders uttered and do not write them John John John I call him John John should explain to you why I call him John John because he's so big it takes no I've known John John since he was six years old we used to do a Bible study in Mont Claire at his mom and dad's house and Marie and I would go there in whenever it was 74 75 and we would teach the Bible and John I've known him since he was about five or six years old and so I only know him by the name John John it's not that everybody should be walking up calling him that but that's how I know him and because I've known him since he was a little boy I tease him and the more I love you man I really love you John John the more I tease you I'm just letting you know because sometimes those who don't know me may be thinking I'm being mean to him but I'm not as mean to him as he deserves without said we were talking the other day he does a kind of a podcast is that what that's called what's it called and it's called random moments with Pastor David and what he does is he'll walk up and he'll ask me a question because he and I talk quite a bit and he'll say what do you think about this or what do you think about that and it's the random moment and so I'll just kind of share and and he says that people appreciate that and and I enjoy talking and sharing like that I say all of that to say that this last week he had asked me questions related to the revelation and this and that and so I'm simply repeating some of what I said to him when he asked that question and I was he said you know there are those who who who share things on the revelation in all and and act as if they have secret knowledge and and I think that that that's true that there are quite a number of people who will will give Bible studies in books like Revelation or Daniel or others like that prophetic books and then they'll give you things that perhaps aren't found in Scripture but they believe is true and I've seen that for a long time listen I got saved in 1970 and you need to understand something let me put that in context in 1970 the evangelical world was beginning to wake up to the issues of the last days were beginning to wake up because we're coming through the 60s and during the 60s there was a lot of turmoil I mean for those of you who didn't live through the 60s and you've only heard of it you may think of it as a romantic time in in the United States a period of time that was actually a lot of fun you know with the hippies and and the peace movement and all but it really wasn't that at all for those of you who are old enough to remember the 60s you'll know that it was a time of turmoil it was a time of assassinations it was a time of riots it was a time of war it wasn't it was not a time of peace and love like like we like to pretend it wasn't like that at all it was a time of a lot of pain a lot of and all and so a lot of a lot of young people myself included began to wonder what's the purpose of life and and what's going to happen in the future because we were hearing things of the ecology because at that time all of the scientists were saying that it was we were going to freeze we're going to go into a like an ice age again that's what they used to say until Al Gore taught us better and so and so that's that's so we're aware of those things right and so I got saved and when I got saved I started hearing Bible studies related to the last days my own pastor Chuck Smith and others who taught at that time awakened people like me to the reality of a rapture awakened us to the reality of the second coming of Christ and and prophetic things of that nature but every once in a while we would hear a teaching that was fantastic that that we were young I mean I was not even a month or two old when I began to hear these things a month or two in the Lord when I began to hear well if you take the number six six six and you give the numbers letter values you you can discover who anti-crisis I mean that's something I heard at the beginning and they said oh you know there have been times when it was Hitler there were times when it was Mussolini there were times when it was Lenin and and I discovered very early that you can you can make it whomever you want it to be so very early in my walk with Christ I made a decision I'm not going to believe the speculators I'm not because there's too many of them you know they went all the way back to Caesar in Rome and all the way up there's always been a way you could say this is the anti-Christ so when I give a Bible study here in the book of Revelation especially but always I try to stay away from the fantastic I I try to stay away from the speculation I try and stay away from and don't don't get that inoculation because if you get an inoculation you're going to have some kind of thing put in your arm and they're going to trace you and before you know it no shut up I don't buy that I just don't you know in the people who usually do that they're scaring you they're trying to scare you they don't know they don't know medicine and they don't know Scripture and combining the two they produce a frightened person sees so you know for those of you who are new here maybe this is your first or second maybe you're watching online you'll never do it again let me tell you you're not going to get speculation I'm not going to speculate about these things I'll tell you what the Scripture says and we'll watch God unfold those things together and that's how I do it I'm just letting you know that because somebody may have invited you and said he's teaching through Revelation and you're coming here go oh good he's going to tell me who the beast is he's raw race okay I said it for those who know wrong you know he is I'm just letting you know because again notice what it says here it says in verse 4 seal up the things which the seven thunders uttered do not write them God does not reveal everything to man did you know that some things remain a secret we don't have the task of trying to find out his secrets we are to obey what we know the word occult speaks of hidden things that's what the word means the occult or occultism means the hidden things the secret things those who are involved in occult are actually those who are trying to find out the secret things so they may do necromancy they may do you know astrology tarot cards you can name it they may do seances they're trying to find the secret things they may go to the Ouija board I wonder how many of you know what the Ouija board what the word Ouija means probably not many of you because why would you better stay away from it but Ouija is simply the word yes in French and German we and yaw Ouija yes yes the yes yes board right I tell you that just to show you I know things because when I was young in the Lord I began wondering and I started looking and that's how I know that the Ouija board and what that is again it's a it's a way to try and determine the secret things that's why God says the secret things he says it in the book of Deuteronomy 29 verse 29 the secret things belong to the Lord our God but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever that we may follow all the words of this law there are secret things that belong to God but he reveals things to us and those things belong to us so it's not up to you or me to try and find these secret things out in terms of the things that he has said I have hidden from you it's up to you and me to obey what he has already said to us what his word teaches us if you stay on that you'll be fine and so he says seal up the things which the seven thunders uttered do not write them verse 5 the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised up his hand to heaven and swore by him who lives forever and ever who created heaven and the things that are in it the earth and the things that are in it and the sea and the things that are in it that there should be delay no longer but in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel when he is about to sound the mystery of God the mystery of God would be finished as he declared to his servants the prophets so he lifts up his hand to heaven the lifting up of your hand to heaven is another way of symbolizing a vow he's making a vow you see that in Deuteronomy 32 verse 40 and notice it says he swore by him who lives forever and ever and who created all things he swore by God so that stresses God's eternity it stresses his omnipotence his power because he created all things his purpose for creation is being fulfilled it's going to be fulfilled through judgment through destruction and recreation notice in verse 6 he created all things all things belong to him everything everything a lot of times we we give to God we say we're giving to God with his mind but in fact it's already his it belongs to him you parents your children have no money probably I'm talking about small ones not adult children they better have some but this but the small ones but it's it's it's someone's birthday or it's Christmas it's time when gifts are given they're not out there mowing the lawn and washing cars and stuff they're six years old so what do you do you give them a few bucks and you say buy this for mama buy this for dad or grandma or whatever and they buy it and then they give the gift and it's Christmas and and grandma or whoever oh thank you so much baby I really appreciate it but you look at the parent because the parent is the one who gave the kid the money to buy you that so you look at their parent and you say you're cheap no you look at the parent could have bought me something better than that no it's the parent and and that parent gave to the kid and money belong to the parent not the kid and everything I have everything you have belongs to God it belongs to him it's his I only give him what is already his in Psalm 24 verse 1 the earth is the Lord's and all its fullness the world and those who dwell therein in Job 41 verse 11 who has preceded me that I should pay him everything under heaven is mine and we saw in Revelation 4 11 worthy are you our Lord and our God to receive glory and honor and power for you created all things and because of your will they existed and were created he created all things it belongs to him notice in verse 6 there will be delay no longer so when it says here that there will be delay no longer the prayer that we've seen in Revelation 6 verse 10 the prayer of the martyrs is now being answered they had asked how long until you avenge our blood and now he moves to do so he says in verse 7 notice in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel well the sounding speaks of the 7 7th trumpet judgment it's it's about to come it's going to cover many days the time of the 7th trumpet judgment is going to actually lead us to the greater judgments in the final judgments called the bold judgments and so the sounding of the trumpet is bringing final judgments God's patience towards those who reject him is coming to an end now until this time he has continued giving people opportunity to turn to him we've seen that but it's time of patience with the unbelievers coming to an end he has patience he gives you time to repent but eventually his patience comes to an end aren't you glad aren't you glad that God was patient with you aren't you glad I'm glad that God waited in my case I thought he waited a long time it was only 20 years 20 years now I say it's only 20 years but if you said your sentence to 20 years in prison that's a long time 20 years so 20 years he had patience with me until I was 20 years old I thank God for his patience how old were you when you got saved somewhere 30 somewhere 40 somewhere older he waited but the time of his patience comes to an end and there may be some watching right now somebody in this room somebody in the overflow and you you're being spoken to right now by the Spirit of God because he's waited a long time for you and you still haven't come to him but the time of his patience comes to an end in Romans 2 verse 4 the question is asked do you despise the riches of his goodness forbearance long suffering not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance some people think because God hasn't brought a swift judgment upon him that he must approve when in fact God is simply showing you patience because you know what you're doing is wrong and God is showing you patience so that you might turn to him in 2nd Peter 3 verse 9 the apostle said the Lord is not slack concerning his promise as some count slackness but his long suffering toward us not willing that he should perish but that all should come to repentance you know in the book of Habakkuk chapter 3 verse 2 the words in wrath remember mercy stand out and he has remembered mercy but that time is ending notice in verse 7 how it speaks of the mystery of God he said the mystery of God would be finished as he declared to his servants the prophets the word mystery in Scripture is it's used in a different way than you and I may use it in our day the word mystery if you're watching something on TV and they have a mystery it's usually speaking about something that that they're keeping from you but but the New Testament usage of the word mystery speaks of something that was hidden but is now revealed it's no longer hidden is now revealed and so the mystery that he's speaking of here the mystery of God that would be finished the mystery spoken of here is the destiny of the world the setting up of his kingdom it's going to be the full manifestation of his power it's going to be the consummation of all things and so he's going to continue to save people but it includes the final judgment of men as well as demons because Satan will no longer have his way on earth God is moving to end his evil forever he's establishing his kingdom and soon there will be a new heaven and a new earth and how we all as believers are looking forward to that aren't we you know just this week just this week week and a half we've had seven members of our church die different ways just yesterday I got noticed just yesterday morning two of my members of long standing of many years went home to be with Jesus members of our church seven of them you know and I have to be real with you when I say this it tears my soul it breaks my heart people I've known and I've loved I've served with her served in this church for year after year after year after year and my heart breaks and and those of you who who know some who have have died it it's the relievers so it's like a bittersweet for us it's on the one hand on the one hand there with Jesus and and I still remember my mom saying to me when when my dad went home to be with Jesus my mom said to me does your dad miss me I said no she wasn't happy she was not happy with me when I said that I said no why would he I've learned not to say things like that but so mama got kind of like a shocked look in her face I said no mama let me let me let me explain what I mean by that there is no sorrow in in heaven there's only joy and no daddy daddy is beholding the face of Jesus and in heaven it's all now it's a now so when mama went home to be with Jesus my dad didn't miss her for a second because it's all now and so no mama there's no pain in heaven there's no tears in heaven there's no sorrow in heaven those things are reserved for us on earth and the deeper you love as a Christian the deeper you grieve some people don't understand that but I believe because God has given to us Christians a knowledge of what love really is he showed us what love is when Jesus died and then he he gave us relationships with people we had never had without his power his spirit his word and so the love you have for your child or the love you have for a husband or a wife the love you have for a friend it's it the pain is deeper because the grief is deeper but the joy goes deeper it's a bittersweet kind of thing with all that said I still am looking forward to where Jesus says no more death no more sorrow no more tears no more pain it's all swallowed up in victory I look forward to that and and and so the enemy will be stopped and the things that he does and the pain that he brings and hurt that he that he has has exacted on people it's all over he will no longer have his way on earth God will end his his evil forever God establishes his kingdom there will be a new heavens there will be a new earth and God will rule it says in verse 7 that God declared this to his servants the prophets God had given in peace meal bits of revelation to the prophets like Jeremiah or Isaiah or Daniel Joel Ezekiel the others God revealed in bits and pieces his plan but not the fullness of it you see much of the details were hidden and none had a full picture of what God would do that came with Christ that came with New Testament revelation the Apostle Peter in first Peter chapter 1 verse 12 said it like this he said to them speaking of the prophets it was revealed that not to themselves but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven things which angels desire to look into so Joel and Ezekiel and Jeremiah Daniel Isaiah Habakkuk and so many of the prophets they didn't have a full picture so the Apostle Peter says no they they wrote bits and pieces as God by his spirit inspired them but didn't have a complete understanding that has been revealed through the gospel and through what Jesus has done you see those words that he wrote were intended to bring them hope because even now in the revelation we've seen that there's demon activity there's murder sorcery immorality thefts all around them but in spite of all of this God's promises when received and believed produces hope and in Romans 15 verse 4 it says whatever things were written before were written for our learning that we through the patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope I don't have hope based on somebody trying to cheer me up or tell me things are going to be better stiff up or lip or whatever I have hope because I read the last page of the Bible and I know we come out on top why because we're in Christ and Jesus Christ is victorious that's what gives me hope because if I look at the world the way it is right now I have anything but that especially this Wednesday I'll let that settle for a moment anyway verse 8 then the voice which I heard from heaven spoke to me again and said go take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the earth so I went to the angel and said to him give me the little book and he said to me take it eat it it will make your stomach bitter but it will be as sweet as honey in your mouth then I took the little book out of the angels hand and ate it and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth but when I had eaten it my stomach became bitter and he said to me you must prophesy again about many people's nations tongues and kings so this voice that speaks to him in verse 8 is the voice that he addressed in verse 4 and the voice says take the little book so John verse 9 did as he was commanded and he says he took the book and he ate it now this command when he says to take of it and eat of it is a way for the angel to say you're to take this and assimilate absorb God's word absorb it take it in it's not just looking at it but it's assimilating it's taking the word and and practically applying it to yourself I got saved at 20 I got drafted went into the military that's a long story by itself but I went into the military three months after getting saved California kid 20 years old never been on an airplane never really been further than Las Vegas in travel now I'm in in the army and and they they they shipped me from California Fort Ord all the way to Fort Benning Georgia I travel for the first time second time actually on an airplane first time I flew to San Jose but this was a cross country I still remember at the age of 20 traveling to Fort Benning Georgia I went through jump school at Fort Benning Georgia and then from Fort Benning Georgia after three weeks we went to Fort Bragg North Carolina and I was stationed there for the next 18 months and so I'm a California kid I had I've been saved just for a few months no fellowship listen those vets who are in this room listening to me right now you understand this there weren't a whole lot of Christians in the military there may be more now than then but there weren't a whole lot then I was pretty much the only evangelical Christian that I knew of and there I am in in in my barracks there's there's 400 people in in our company and I don't know anybody and I got lonely I was by myself I was a doper for years and I met a guy named Al Al white from Sacramento California he was a doper now I'm sharing with a friend of mine Leonard Troy Morgan from Lake Charles Louisiana he's 17 just about 18 I'm 20 and I tell him I'm a Christian he says oh good my mama's prayers have been answered because she was praying that that God would put a Christian man in my life who could be with me and have fellowship with me I said bless the Lord but my backslid my friend Al white was he he he he was a doper he got some some weed and you say let's take a ride I loved marijuana that wasn't something I liked I loved it and so I said well this must be the Lord no I didn't say that I just said why not because I was lonely and I'm not making excuse I'm trying to explain how this happened I was lonely I had no friends had never been out of California I'm there with 400 strangers and here's a California guy I liked him a lot came a friend let's smoke some pot why not I smoked with him a couple times and one day I was in in one of the one of the rooms and and I'm taking a hit off a joint when Leonard Troy walks in the room he looks at me I'll never forget his eyes kind of got big and he turned and walked away conviction hit me and it never left me I got out of the army I didn't I stopped smoking pot I got involved with the navigators I turned away from that life God began to move more completely and me I made a friend with a guy named Daniel and on who was a friend of mine from Baytown Texas and he helped the disciple me I grew I didn't turn back to dope or anything like that but I never forgot what happened with my friend Leonard Troy I got a job and the job I had I was able to make phone calls throughout the United States and one day I was sitting there back in 76 I was sitting in my office I thought of Leonard Troy Morgan and I called Lake Charles Louisiana's they used to have a information can you give me the number for Leonard Troy Morgan oh I have one yes Lake Charles thank you and I called him up and the phone rings I so remember it see I hold the phone like this that's not like this it's like this because it's a phone not a cell phone so you young people are going what's this but that's that's that was a phone we used to hang them on the wall but anyway so I called him and I said to him is this Leonard is this Troy because he actually went by Troy he goes yeah I said Troy let me ask you a question did you serve in the 82nd with the rig rigors rigors were the ones who packed the parachutes I said did you serve with the rigors I served in a rigor unit he goes I did do you know a guy named David Rosales he goes oh yeah because it had only been about four years he goes oh yeah I remember David I said well that's me he says doper and hung up no yes I said Leonard I said it's that's me and I'm calling you to ask for your forgiveness because when I was in the military I backslid you saw me I was smoking pot I stumbled you and I have not forgotten over these last four years how I stumbled you will you forgive me will you forgive me I need to hear it he said it didn't bother I said will you forgive me and he said yeah I will so I say that to say that there are things when I share with you that come from experience from making bad mistakes making bad choices but people will ask me how is it that you now have walked with the Lord for so long it's because I found his word and I assimilated it I ate it and it became to me the joy that can only come to the word of God in Jeremiah 15 16 your words are found I ate them your words your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart for I am called by your name oh Lord God of hosts so John is going to experience sweetness and bitterness his word will be sweet to you because you desire God to act and be honored it will be bitter to you because the future that awaits unbelievers will cause you pain you see the truly righteous grieve over those who are lost if you want to be used by the Lord learn to weep for the lost it's easy to be angry I know that it's easy to be angry when you see things that are so wrong and you can get angry and sometimes there's a place for righteous indignation Jesus saw what they did to the temple he drove them out there's a time for righteous indignation but we're not supposed to be mad all the time and what we see ought to drive us to our knees to pray for the lost because Lord they they know not what they do they don't have you they don't have your word they're just living and and it's not even real life Lord they don't know the joy that comes to self-action they don't know the joy that comes through forgiveness and so if you ever want to be used by the Lord learn to cry and Psalm 126 verse 6 he who continually goes forth weeping bearing seed for sowing shall doubtless come again with rejoicing bring in his sheaves with him I'm supposed to stop right now but I'm not I'm gonna I'll just take you just don't provoke me I am gonna just touch something and then I'll pick it up next week and give you more full details verses one and two of chapter 11 I was given a read like a measuring rod the angel stood saying rise and measure the temple of God the altar and those who worship there but leave out the court which is outside the temple do not measure it it's been given to the Gentiles they will tread the holy city underfoot for 42 months for three and a half years I'm just going to touch on a few things give you kind of up what your appetite if you will and then I'll pick up next week and give you a little bit more we've been to this particular location many times I have taught these two verses on the temple mount and let me share a few things with you because it's important to know he had said and he had said you must prophesy again so these continuing prophecies relate to everyone he said everywhere because it brings a warning of judgment but after that I was given a read like a measuring rod and he said the angel said rise and measure so rise and measure the temple of God he says the altar and those who worship there in measuring the temple John is identifying the temple as belonging to God the temple is the physical one that is in Jerusalem and by telling John to measure it the temple is declared as being in existence and that's important to know because the temple was destroyed by Titus of Rome in 70 AD Revelation was written somewhere around 95 or so 25 years earlier the temple was destroyed it was it was knocked down to the ground one million Jews had been slaughtered the temple itself had been burned and the Jews had been dispersed throughout the whole world Israel had been devastated and so this gives to us insight into a prophetic picture that the temple will be in existence the temple that John is seen is the one that will be built during the tribulation we know that Solomon built the first temple Solomon's father David thought it was wrong that he as a king should dwell in a palace when the ark of God was in a tent and so he made plans that he was going to build a temple for the glory of God but the prophet approached him and God spoke through the prophet and said have I ever asked you to build me a temple and it's good that it's in your heart to do that but you're a man of blood you've been a man of war you will not be the one who builds my temple your son Solomon will build my temple and Solomon did he built the first temple the temple goes through periods where it began to it was messed up and all and so Zerubbabel came in and did a rebuilding and then during the time of Christ there was Herod and Herod's worked over 40 years in in working on that temple and then it was destroyed by Titus of Rome in 70 AD but what we're seeing here is the temple that's rebuilt and the temple will be rebuilt there are plans right now in Israel they want to rebuild the temple but the problem is very simple the dome of the rock is up there it's the third most holy site in in all of Islam how are you going to build a temple in the same site of the dome of the rock there are those who say perhaps an earthquake will happen perhaps some tragedy of some sort Asher Kaufman who is an archaeologist as well as my pastor Chuck Smith said something I found interesting enough and I've taught this every time I've been up in that temple area because notice how it says in verse one rise and measure the temple of God the altar and those who worshiped there the altar speaks of the holy place it's got to be rebuilt and it will be rebuilt in the first half of the tribulation how is it possible well in 605 to 536 Daniel the prophet in the Old Testament revealed that the Antichrist would make a covenant with Israel in Daniel 927 speaking of Antichrist Daniel said he he will confirm a covenant with many for one seven in the middle of the seven he will put an end to sacrifice and offering and on the wing of the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation until the end that is decreed is poured out on him the covenant that Antichrist will make with Israel and the world will include the resuming of sacrifice in a rebuilt temple I'm trying to be quick with this but and I'll say it again next week to some degree but there are already plans for the rebuilding we go to the temple institute there in Jerusalem they already have the priestly garb they have all the utensils for sacrifice they have a giant menorah they have everything ready they're just waiting for the opportunity they have plans to do it and they're going to the Antichrist will sign an agreement which gives them the ability to rebuild but how's it going to happen when we're there they have the dome of the rock but when you go a little to the north there's another location called the dome of the spirits and I will have the people stand around me in front of me and I'm facing in the direction of the Mount of Olives and when you follow the temple precincts the when you're up there in the top and from the dome of the spirits not the dome of the rock from the dome of the spirits when you look towards the Mount of Olives that's where the eastern gate is it's not by the dome of the rock facing that it's by the dome of the spirits the highest elevation on the temple mount is actually in the dome of the spirits and the holiest of holies would have been in the highest elevated portion of the temple Asher Kaufman says the way that they're going to be able to rebuild the temple is they're going to be able to do it and allow the dome of the rock to continue and that's how it's going to take place part of the agreement that will be made with Islam will be the section left for the dome of the rock notice verse two leave out the court which is outside the temple do not measure it it's been given to the Gentiles another way of saying to those who are not of faith of Israel and they will tread the holy city underfoot for the 42 months three and a half years they'll be in there in the in the tribulation so I'm going to have to stop now because I want to give you more information next time but that gives you a little bit of a taste and when we get back next week I'll give you more