 Revelation chapter 14, we're going to be looking at the very first part of this chapter, but right now I want you to keep your place there and I want you to flip over to Revelation chapter 7. The title of the sermon tonight is the End Times Witnesses. We're going to talk about the witnesses tonight. You say what witnesses? So that's what we're going to look at this evening, the witnesses of the End Times. The first witnesses that we're going to look at, we just read about in Revelation chapter 14, but there is also detail about these witnesses in Revelation chapter number 7. What I'm talking about here is the 144,000. So very famous people are taught lots of different religions and the Jehovah's Witnesses, of course, talk about the 144,000 all the time. So we're going to study through this and just see if we can figure out what the 144,000 is all about, who they are, what they're doing, where they are, basically the who, why and where of the 144,000. So look down, you're going to keep your place in Revelation 14 and you're going to look down at Revelation chapter 7. Revelation chapter 7, we're going to start out in verse number 3. The Bible says, saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the scene or the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their forehead. So Revelation chapter 7 is preparing for, we're right at this time in Revelation chapter 7, where the three and a half years, or really Daniel's 70th week, is coming to an end. The rapture is right here in front of us and the wrath is starting right after, within an hour of the rapture itself. So the rapture, of course, is found in Revelation chapter 7. We'll look at that in just a couple of minutes, but look at verse number 3, where it says, Hurt not the earth. Now that's talking about the wrath of God beginning. God is going to pour out his wrath for, I'm sorry, we're at the midpoint of the week and I was still at the millennial reign already, alright? So we're kind of backing up in time from this morning and we're at the midpoint of the week where the great tribulation is coming to an end, the rapture is about to happen and right after the rapture happens, the wrath of God is going to begin for the final three and a half years of Daniel's 70th week. But first, in Revelation 7, the Bible says, Hurt not the earth, neither the seed nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. And this is going to go into this 144,000. But verse number 3 is super important because that shows you where the 144,000 are going to be. So, you know, who are they? We're going to look at it in just a minute. But right away here we can see that they are sealed and they are going to be on the earth. How do we know that? Because the Bible is saying, seal them and don't hurt the earth until they're sealed. Meaning, we need to be able to differentiate who they are when God is pouring out his wrath upon the earth. We need to know that they are, who the sealed are and who the people are not, that are not sealed. And then, of course, verse number 4. So, that tells us right there that they're on the earth. These 144,000, whoever they are, are going to be on the earth during the wrath of God. Because God makes sure that he seals them, he marks them so they can be differentiated as he's pouring out his, basically his seven trumpets and his seven vials. And look, there's some, there's some crazy wrath there. All right? There's a lot of different plagues that come upon the earth. And God just wants to make sure that he doesn't, he doesn't have any friendly fire incidents here. Okay? So he seals them in their foreheads. All right? And this, I've told you this before, but this is also why I believe the mark of the beast is either in your forehead or in your right hand. Because Satan never really comes up with anything on his own. He just kind of copies what God does and just kind of twists it and changes it slightly. So it says, I heard in verse number 4, and I heard the number of them which were sealed. Again, they were marked so they don't get hurt, making sure we mark them first. And they were sealed in 144,000 of all the tribes of the children of Israel. And then, of course, it goes into great detail here in Revelation chapter 7 about all the different tribes. It's talking about the tribes of the children of Israel, the 12 tribes, 144,000, the tribe of Judah, Asser, Simeon, Zebulon. And it's basically 12,000. So 12 times 12,000 is 144,000. All right? And then look at verse number 9. So this is the rapture in Revelation chapter 7 here. And now, how anybody could think that the rapture is anywhere in Revelation other than Revelation chapter 7? It's in Revelation 14, too. But how anyone could think it's in Revelation 4 or Revelation 6 is just so confusing. I'm lucky in my life, or I feel blessed in my life, that I didn't have a lot of false teaching on end times doctrine because really, Lutherans didn't have any idea about end times doctrine. So they just kind of either said, Lutheran pastors that I grew up with said, oh, we can't understand that. Or they just said like that's already happened or whatever. You know, they just kind of like give some answer where they don't have to explain any of this. But the rapture itself, I mean, just look at this in verse number 9. It says, after this, I beheld and lo, a great multitude which no man could number of all nations and kindreds and people and tongues stood before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes and palms in their hands and cried with a loud voice saying, salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne and unto the Lamb. So that's obviously the people that were raptured that were taken up to heaven by Jesus Christ out of that great tribulation. So who are these 144,000? If we look at the verses between verse number 4 and verse number 9, it's literally telling you that it's 12,000 of everyone out of each of these 12 tribes of Israel. Now since no one, what tribe they would be of Israel today, and we're talking about saved believers here, we're talking about saved believers here. So even if somebody could claim that they were the tribe of whatever, which you know, most people who are Jewish have no idea what tribe they are today. And they may claim that they know, but nobody knows. Genealogies are long lost, especially for the 10 tribes in the northern kingdom of Israel since they were just kind of taken away and they just kind of all became like the Samaritans, right? They became this mixed people of the Assyrians and the 10 tribes in the northern kingdom. These are clearly Old Testament saints that have died. It's only explanation I've ever heard that makes any sense is that they are Old Testament saints that are resurrected in that first resurrection. And God is giving them a task here, alright? It's the rapture here. Now remember the structure of revelation, okay? Remember the structure of revelation where, you know, Revelation chapter 1 through chapter number 11 is kind of the first, you know, telling of this story. And it's kind of like the Gospels. Then Revelation chapter 12 through verse or through chapter number 22 is parallel to Revelation 1 through 11. And probably the biggest evidence of that is the seven trumpets and the seven vials. How all of those judgments and all of those plagues perfectly match up to each other. But you can also see that in Revelation chapter 7 and verse number 9 where the rapture is there. And then the rapture is also in Revelation chapter 14 that we just read. Talking about that reaping, you know, where the Son of Man comes back and he reaps the earth, alright? So we see Revelation chapter 1 through 11 and then it starts the story over with Revelation chapter 12 through verse or chapter number 22. But go back and another proof of this is go back to Revelation chapter 14 now. Now we get some more detail. It's very similar to the Gospels actually because you get kind of a different telling of the same events. But you get more detail, you get a different perspective in Revelation 12 through 22. And that's we get a different perspective on the 144,000 and we get a little bit more detail in Revelation chapter 14. Look at verse number 1 of Revelation chapter 14. So from Revelation chapter 7 we know that, you know, these are Old Testament saints that are being brought back to the earth, they're being sent to the earth during what? At what time? Right before God starts to pour out his wrath upon the earth. So you say, what would be the point of that? And that's what we're going to talk about tonight. We're going to talk about these witnesses and why God did this. Look at verse number 1 of Revelation 14. And I looked and lo, a lamb stood on Mount Zion and with him in 144,000 having his father's names written in their foreheads. Here they've been sealed. And I heard a voice from heaven as the voice of many waters as the voice of a great thunder. And I heard the voice of the harpers harping with their harps. And they sung as it were a new song before the throne and before the four beasts and the elders. And no man could learn that song but the 144,000 which were redeemed from the earth showing that these are saved people. These are definitely saints. Again, I explained this morning, saints are anyone who is saved. All right. Saints are not some, you know, weird, applique, you know, title that someone gets by some earthly false church. Okay, saints are anybody who has believed on the Lord Jesus Christ and is saved. I'm looking at a bunch of saints this evening. All right. So it's Old Testament saints from the tribes of Israel. All right. But now we get more detail. Look at verse number four. And this just really backs up that these must be Old Testament saints. Look at verse number four. It says, these are they which were not defiled. And this is for the Jehovah's Witnesses too. Because not only did the Jehovah's Witnesses, so the Jehovah's Witnesses this false cult, they actually teach that only 144,000 people will go to heaven. All right. So if you, if you actually meet a Jehovah's Witness at the door, and you know there's Jehovah's Witnesses, you really shouldn't say, you really shouldn't use the words, you know, if you died today, do you know if you would go to heaven? You really shouldn't say it that way because they'll tell you no. They don't even think they're going to heaven. Right. So they're part of this false religion that doesn't even teach them that they're going to heaven unless, unless you've been lucky enough to meet one of the 144,000. Because I have met a couple of different people who say that they're actually part of the 144,000 and they do think that they're going to heaven. The irony is, I can't remember when I did a sermon a couple of years ago on the Jehovah's Witnesses. And I believe they filled up the quota like 100 years ago or something. So it's like no one has a chance, right. So at least if you're going to, you know, start a false religion, you know, make the, make the, you know, the hotel bigger for success, right. But anyway, so the Jehovah's Witnesses, though, this is the problem is really interesting if you find someone that thinks they're part of the 144,000 and as a woman, all right, because it's super interesting because if you go to Revelation 14.4, how good it says? Not only are they of the tribe of, you know, the specific tribes, but look what it says here. These are they which are not defiled with women, for they are virgins, for they are they which follow the lamb, which with or so ever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the first fruits unto God and to the lamb, meaning they were set, they're set aside after the rapture, they're being set aside for specific purpose. But the Bible basically says these are male virgins. All right, so I mean that pretty much disqualifies probably any Jehovah's Witnesses, Jehovah's Witness that you talk to, you know, out there that thinks that they're part of the 144,000. But I mean, I'm kind of saying this tongue in cheek, it's not going to help to show this to them in the Bible, because if they cared what the Bible said, they would not be Jehovah's Witnesses in the first place. All right, so verse number five, and it says in their mouth was found no guile, for there without fault, we have for the throne of God. So what do we know? Who are they? They're of the specific tribes, they're male virgins, they're Old Testament saints. Look at verse number six. The next question we're going to ask is this, they're being sent to the earth, they're sealed and they're sent to the earth right before God pours out his wrath. What is their purpose? Why would God do this? Why send them there? Verse number six answers that question for us. This angel in verse number six and verse number seven, I kind of have a bracket around those two, around those two verses, and it's kind of like the marching orders for the 144,000. Look at what it says in verse six, and it says, I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth and to every nation and kindred and tongue and people. Saying with a loud voice, fear God and give glory to him for the hour of his judgment has come and worship him that made heaven and earth and the sea and the fountains of water. This angel is basically telling you what the 144,000 are going to be doing. They're going to be telling people to fear God, they're going to be carrying the gospel, the everlasting gospel during the time of the wrath of God. I mean, it makes perfect sense. I mean, here comes the wrath, like within minutes of what we're talking about here and God sends these witnesses down to the earth to carry the gospel. The gospel is still important during the wrath of God. And that's why I love how the Bible calls it here, the everlasting gospel, meaning as long as there is breath and on the earth, the gospel is important. So then we have the rapture, we have the seven trumpets, the seven vials for three and a half years. Think of it. This just wrath, these plagues being poured out. I don't want to give away the plagues, but it's bad. It's bad. The plagues in Revelation are terrible. I'm glad we won't be there to be part of it, but God's pouring out his wrath for three and a half years. It's not like it's going on for two weeks, but God makes sure that he has these 144,000 there to catch the repentance of people. What do I mean by that? I mean, to catch, I mean, I'm thinking that after the rapture, that after, you know, the wrath of God, after the first plague, after the second, you know, vile and trumpet, and after the third and fourth, I'm guessing that there's going to be people all along the way that are like, hey, we're on the wrong side of this thing. They're going to change their mind about where they're at. I mean, I imagine that there's going to be a lot of people right after the rapture, after Jesus comes and takes the saints to heaven with him. They're going to change their mind after just that one thing before the wrath even begins. But that's why the 144,000 are sent to the earth. They're going to have that job of preaching the gospel during the wrath of God. What a job that would be. Turn to Revelation chapter 11. Turn to Revelation chapter 11. Talk about, you know, exciting soul winning. These guys get to go soul winning, you know, during the wrath of God, you know, all these flying scorpions running around like tormenting people that where did they come from? They came out of hell. You know, people are just hiding and just fearing for their lives. They're just being tormented by all these plagues and earthquakes and the waters turning to, I mean, just crazy stuff happening. And you know, the earth's being burnt up and they're soul winning during that time. They're not hurt. They're protected by the Lord and they're soul winning during that time. But there's even more. God even provides more witnesses during the wrath of God. Look at Revelation chapter 11 and look at verse number three. Now let's talk about the two witnesses. Let's talk about the two witnesses of Revelation. Look at Revelation chapter 11. And I want to kind of show you tonight, you know, of course we have the 144,000 in Revelation 7 and Revelation chapter 14. But in Revelation chapter 11, you know, the Lord points out these two special witnesses that are going to be in Jerusalem. And I want to show you how those two witnesses kind of play together with the 144,000 during what? During the wrath of God. All right, look at Revelation chapter 11, verse number three. Look what the Bible says here. It says, And I will give power unto my two witnesses and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and three score days clothed in sackcloth. If you divide that out, it's, you know, it's almost, you know, it's like 3.45 years. It's almost three and a half years. And we're going to see that it's not really three and a half years because something happens to them, you know, towards the end of the three and a half years. But pretty much the entire section of God's wrath, that three and a half years, these two witnesses will be on the earth. Look at verse number one. Actually, go back to verse number one. They're going to be there. They're going to be there in Jerusalem and they're going to be explaining the why, what, and the who of God's wrath. Look at verse number one. It says, And there was given to me a reed like unto a rod. And the angel stood saying, Rise, measure the temple of God and the altar and them that worship therein. But the court, which is without the temple, leave out and measure it not for it is given unto the Gentiles and the holy city shall be tread under foot forty and two months. That's exactly three and a half years, forty and two months. So during this time and then of course we get into, you know, the witnesses that are going to be there and they're going to be telling everybody what's going on. And God says I'll get power to my two witnesses. Now look at verse number four. It tells us, you know, what these witnesses are going to be doing in Jerusalem. These are the two olive trees and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth. If any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth and devour their enemies. And if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. So these guys are going to be in the holy city in Jerusalem and they're going to be, you know, preaching the word of God. They're going to be explaining, you know, you know why this is happening. I mean, they're basically going to be doing what every prophet in the Old Testament did. Just warning that, you know, of course they're going to be doing it when God's literally pouring out his wrath. All right. And people are not going to like them. You know, shocker, right? Big surprise. People aren't going to like when the man of God is standing there preaching the word of God and they're going to want to be, they're going to want to kill them. But it says if anybody tries to hurt them, they're going to have fire come out of their mouth and they're going to burn up anybody that tries to kill them. God's going to protect them. Look at verse number six. These have power to shut heaven that it rained not in the days of their prophecy and have power over waters to turn them to blood and to smite the earth with all plagues as often as they will. So look, it's not just the revelation plagues. These guys can do whatever they want. God's giving them power to stop rain when it says shut heaven. It means, you know, cause of famine, basically. All right. Look at verse number seven. It says, when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast, this is the beast that ascended out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them and shall overcome them and kill them. The antichrist is going to kill them and their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt. That's just like that spiritual Babylon. That's that same type of language. Where also our Lord was crucified. So we're talking about Jerusalem here. And they of the people and kindreds, they are of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and a half. So everyone's going to see this. I mean, so this is going to be like on the news, this is going to be broadcast over, you know, the whole world that these guys have been killed and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in grave. So at this point they're pretty hated these these guys. They've been preaching for three and a half years during this terror, these terrible plagues and everyone hates them and they're glad they're dead. They finally, you know, the beast, the antichrist is finally able to kill them and everyone's happy about it. Look at verse number 10. And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them and make merry and shall send gifts to one another because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth. So these guys, I mean, they're going to have just, there's going to be this massive party because these guys are dead. I mean, just think, these people are people that have burned up against the Lord even during God's wrath. These are the people that are going to party over the prophets dead bodies. They heard a great voice from heaven saying, oh and after three days and a half, sorry, verse number 11, the spirit of life from God entered into them and they stood up upon their feet and great fear fell upon them which saw them. I mean it's interesting that they're, you know, they were kind of in the grave for about the same time as Jesus was in the grave but they're going to be resurrected from the dead and, you know, great fear. I mean, everyone's going to be afraid of them. I mean, you think? And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, come up hither and they ascend up to heaven in a cloud and their enemies be held them. So I mean, you would think, I mean, think about this for a second. These guys are going to be preaching against these people. I mean, this, for people that don't believe the reprobate doctrine, I mean, you really just kind of have to picture this whole scene right here. You have to picture this scene where these two witnesses, these two prophets, the Bible says, are preaching against this city and against the people of the earth for three and a half years. They are preaching like, this is why this is happening to you. You turned against the Lord. Basically, they're every, you know, the minor prophets, you know, they're just like going after, you know, the people of the earth and saying, you've forsaken the Lord, you know, and this is why this is happening. This is the wrath of God. That's what they're going to be saying. Everyone, but think about it. I'm sure some people will get saved. So when you look at the two witnesses and the 144,000, it's kind of like, you know, bad cop, good cop. You know, the two witnesses are like, this is what you deserve and this is God's wrath. All this and some people are going to repent and get right. And they're going to, you know, turn to the Lord and that's where the 144,000 they go and they preach the gospel and they pick up the pieces. But look at this in verse number 11 where, you know, these in verse number 10, these people are just partying over their dead bodies and then they literally come back to life. They literally, this is so similar to the story of the miracles of Jesus. How could you not believe the reprobate doctrine? Look, these people just saw God raise dead people from the grave to life. And do they believe? No, they don't believe. They don't believe they bur up more against the Lord. And so what you have to understand is like they did the same thing to Jesus. Jesus went and did all these miracles. He literally raised Lazarus from the dead and the Pharisees, they didn't say, oh man, he raised Lazarus from the dead. They're like, we need to kill Lazarus and we need to kill Jesus. I mean, they dismissed the fact that he actually did the miracle. They dismissed it. Why? Because they could not believe. They could not. I mean, it's not that they could not believe Jesus was God. They could not trust in him. They could not put their trust in him. They didn't want him. They, they what? It's different from not knowing. There's a lot of people in the middle that don't know. There's a lot of people in the middle that maybe they've been, you know, taught a false religion and they don't know the truth of the Bible. But these people know the truth and they reject it. It's, it's a different thing. It's a different thing altogether. Look at verse number 13. And the same hour was a great earthquake in the 10th part of the city fell and in the earthquake were slain of men 7000 and the remnant were frightened and gave glory to the God of heaven. So yeah, some people are going to get saved. Some people are going to get saved through all of these miracles and the wrath of God that's being poured out. But the two witnesses work hand in hand with the 144,000 because they are there with the harsh message and the 144,000 are there with the everlasting gospel. So the question is, and I think the key to who they are is in verse number six, if you go back up to verse number six, who are they? I mean, this is a big, you know, debate and many people ask me this and I don't even know if I've really ever answered this question. But I mean, I don't know exactly who they are. I guess is really the answer. But I mean, the smart money says it's Moses and Elijah. I mean, that's basically the probably it's, I mean, if you want to have some, you know, offshoot, you know, this isn't going to get kicked out of church if you think it's Samuel and, you know, Jacob or something. That would be weird. But anyway, I mean, I've never actually heard that combination. But I mean, if you think it's somebody else, it's really no big deal. But I mean, just the biblical context lends you to believe it's Moses and Elijah, really from verse number six and really verse number six is kind of the key because when you look at Moses and Elijah turned to Exodus chapter seven. So Moses, of course, turned water to blood, you know, in the plagues in Egypt. If you look at Moses in Exodus chapter seven, look at verse number 20. This is why, you know, just the kind of the mainstream biblical knowledge will say it's Moses and Elijah. Moses and Aaron did so in verse number 20, as the Lord commanded, and he lift up the rod and smote the waters that were in the river and in the sight of Pharaoh and the sight of his servants, all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood. So of course, Moses did similar miracles to what the two witnesses are going to do. And of course, Elijah really fits because Elijah, I mean, in 1 Kings chapter 17, in just the very first verse, basically Elijah like shuts up heaven. He does exactly what these two witnesses are going to do and he causes this great famine that makes Ahab just hate him. You know, and Ahab is hunting him and looking for him. And of course, 1 Kings chapter 18, the famous, you know, showdown with the prophets of Baal is when basically it rains, you know, when he basically, he comes and he shows himself to Ahab and then goes and kills all the prophets of Baal. But what does Elijah do? You know, when he calls, when he has this big showdown with the prophets of Baal, he literally calls down fire from heaven. He calls down fire from heaven and burns up the sacrifice that they just soaked in water and built the, you know, the big trench with the water. And then of course, in 2 Kings chapter 1, Elijah literally burns up all of Ahaziah's captains, you know, the 50 men that they just kept sending. He just burns them up, just burns them up, just burns them up, very similar to these witnesses here. All right. So, you know, some say it's Enoch and Elijah because Enoch and Elijah were both, you know, taken up to heaven. But, you know, God did, you know, take Moses' body. So it's probably, you know, Moses and Elijah. That's where the common knowledge is really not too important to me who they actually are. It's kind of like, I'll let you know when we see it from heaven or, you know, when we're watching this whole thing. But it's more important, not so much who they are, more important is what their role is. More important is what their role is than who they actually are. It's really interesting because the two witnesses are really kind of a one, two punch when it comes to the wrath of God. You've got these guys and it's also interesting that when you look at the two witnesses in combination with the 144,000, it is very similar to our soul-winning presentation of the Gospel. Because our soul-winning presentation, when you think about it, it's a one, two punch. It's a one, two punch. I mean, you're not giving people the Gospel for the first five minutes, six, seven, eight minutes of the Gospel presentation. You're not really telling them nice things. You're not really telling them that, you know, you're great and, you know, you're going to go to heaven and everything's wonderful. What are you telling them? You're telling them, hey, you're a sinner. You know, for all it's sinned and comes short of the glory of God. You're kind of given the bad news. That's what these two witnesses are doing and that's why everybody hates them. Because they're in Jerusalem when this terrible time is coming down. It's kind of like, you know, Jeremiah. He was given this message that people just didn't want to hear. You know, if you're, you know, this, this, just die-hard, you know, you know, beer-drinking, conservative guy, they're just America, American flags, freedom. You probably didn't want to hear the sermon this morning. Because, you know, that doesn't really jive with what you think is reality. So, you know, when we step to someone's front door and start giving them the gospel, we're kind of like those two witnesses for the first few minutes. We're sitting there and we're saying like, hey, man, here's the situation you're in. The wrath of God abideth on you. And they're like, oh, you know, look, some people are offended by that and that's as far as you get. That is the way it is. Some people don't like to hear that. The humble person, though, will get to the 144,000. The humble person will get to the point where you can go, OK, now, do you think God loves you? Do you think God wants that to happen to you? Do you think God, you know, you do deserve it? You've got to tell them because they've got to know they deserve it. They've got to know they deserve it. Otherwise, what's the point? What are they being saved from? Nothing. So they need to know that this is why God sends the two witnesses and the 144,000. They work together. You've got the two witnesses out there, just this is why this is happening to you. Can you imagine? It's like a country being invaded, like Jeremiah. The country is being threatened by this empire that's just encroaching on their borders, being threatened. And he's like, yeah, they're going to win. I mean, imagine he's not popular. Imagine the wrath of God being poured upon the entire earth and some two guys standing there saying, we deserve all this. You all deserve this. You know, most people are going to be like, ah, we should fight this and we're against this and trying to save everything and come up with their own solution. These guys are just standing there saying, this is the wrath of God. You all deserve it. And the people that listen to them are the ones that are going to get saved through that everlasting gospel. The people that burr up, they're going to be the ones that are at the battles that we talked about this morning. They're going to be the ones that show up to the battle of Armageddon. They're going to be the ones or the people like them are going to be the ones that show up to the battle of Gog and Magog. And you know, Jesus is just going to take care of business in both instances. Because why? Because it doesn't matter what they see. They can't believe. They're just, they're done. They hate the Lord. And God's just going to take care of it at that point. So look, all that to say this, this is not a super complicated message tonight. But witnesses, let me just, now we see these two witnesses. We see the 144,000 witnesses. You're like, that's kind of neat. But you know what? That's kind of like the way God has always been. That's been God's philosophy. That's why the explanation of the 144,000 being Old Testament saints, you know, I think the first person I heard it from was Pastor Anderson. It makes the most sense, but it also fits with how God operates. Because God operates even today with what? With witnesses. He expects witnesses. Turn to Malachi chapter three. Turn to Malachi chapter three. It's not, it's not a new philosophy. But guess what? God doesn't change. In Malachi chapter three in verse number six, the Bible says this. It says for I am the Lord, I change not. So it makes sense that we see a philosophy in the end times. That's the same philosophy that we saw in the Old Testament. That's the same philosophy that we see today. Turn to Ezekiel chapter 22. Turn to Ezekiel chapter 22. God has always operated this way. God has always relied on witnesses to pass his word along. Look at verse number 26 of Ezekiel chapter 22. So here we see, you know, God is rebuking a nation here. It says her priests have violated my law and have profaned my holy things. They have put no difference between the holy and the profane. Neither have they showed difference between the unclean and the clean and have hid their eyes from my Sabbaths and I have profaned among them. It's talking about, you know, his people haven't separated. Same message as the New Testament. Her princes in the midst they're over like wolves ravening the prey to shed blood. There's that violence we talked about and to destroy souls to get dishonest gain. Those false prophets just like the Pharisees that are just, what? They're making merchandise of people. Second Peter chapter two. It's all the same thing and God is the same philosophy towards it. And her prophets have dogged them with untempered mortar seeing vanity and divining lies unto them saying, Thus saith the Lord God when the Lord had not spoken. So he's just talking about false prophets making merchandise of people just as Paul and Peter and all the apostles were warning everybody about in the New Testament. It's all the same. The people of the land have used oppression, exercised robbery, vexed the poor and the needy. Yet they have oppressed the stranger wrongfully. And look at verse number 30. This is God's philosophy right here. He says, And I sought for a man among them that should make up the hedge. He's talking about, he's saying, you know what? I'm looking for a man to stand up. This is what I talked about this morning. I'm looking for a man to stand up and actually say what my word is and actually tell the truth. But in this case, and stand in the gap for me in the land that I should not destroy it. But I found none. Look at this for a minute. And this gives you some optimism about America right here. Because here he's saying for one guy, and I can't find one. I'm looking for one guy to stand in the gap. And I believe, just as I said this morning, that America probably has the most saved people on planet Earth. This nation right here. So we do have some people in America that are standing in the gap today. I talked to a conservative person, a conservative person about several weeks ago. And they started, they're not from California and they started lambasting California. And I'm like, you know what? There's some people, there's some real Christians standing in the gap in California. As a matter of fact, it's the state, no offense to Arizona, but it's the state where I know the most people that are standing in the gap. And I kind of got a little hot under the collar. But don't stand there in Virginia or stand there in Tennessee or some red state or whatever it is. And tell me about standing in the gap because we're doing something here. There are people standing in the gap in California, in Arizona, in Texas, in Washington, all over the country. There's people standing in the gap. There's people doing stuff. And that's some optimism about America right there because the Bible says in God, not just Genesis 19, but right here, he says I'm looking for one man and I won't destroy it. We got way more than one here. We got way more than one in the United States of America. There's some positive news for you tonight. So God has always relied on saved believers to stand in the gap, to be what? To be those witnesses that will speak his word, that will go out and preach the gospel. Look folks, there is a lot of people preaching the gospel in the United States of America. There's a lot of churches that are still and there's a revival of soul winning happening in this country. And that's what God wants to see. That's what God needs to see where he won't destroy the land. So I mean, you're welcome, all you conservative red states. As we stand here in California, fighting the fight, you know what I think about that anyway. I think it's a cowardly philosophy to be like, oh, there's liberals there. Let's get out of there. I mean, what, what? How tough is that? You know, I was like, oh, there's people that don't agree with us here. They didn't hide in a cave. Let's go and hide in Alaska where nobody else wants to live. You know, population four or whatever. So look, no matter the nation, God needs witnesses. He always needs a man. Turn to Ephesians chapter two. And you know what this really, the second thing, so the first thing that the two witnesses and the 144,000 demonstrate is that God has always operated this way. It's just proof of him just continuing the same philosophy of using man to deliver his word, especially the gospel. Okay. But the second thing that shows is this. Think about it. God is pouring out his wrath now. His wrath is, his indignation is full. You know, God is, he's like, he's had it at this point. During when the wrath of God after the rapture, God's like, I've had it. Here comes the wrath. He seals them and he sends them down. But look at Ephesians chapter two. Look at verse number four. The second thing that it really shows with the two witnesses and the 144,000 is it shows God's just undying mercy. Even during his wrath, God is not like, just burn them all up. If they didn't get it by this point, just forget about them. Even during his wrath, he has mercy. Look at Ephesians chapter two. Look at verse number four. It says, Who is rich in mercy? For his great love, wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, by grace, year saved. So of course, you know, Romans five, eight, you know, I mean, God commendeth his love toward us and while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. It's just more of that same philosophy. Not only did, did God, you know, send Jesus Christ to the earth to die. Well, I mean, we didn't get right. Nobody got right when Jesus came here. I mean, it wasn't like, I mean, before Jesus came. It's not like he's waiting for the nation of Israel or God's people to like get, you know, as right as they possibly can. Then he's gonna send Jesus. No, he sent Jesus when they were an absolute man in an absolute disaster. While we were yet sinners and he's gonna send the witnesses, the 144,000 and the two prophets in Jerusalem his wrath, even in his fury. He has mercy. Even in his, the execution of his wrath, he has mercy. But still at that point, he tells people to do it. He has bodies, saved believers that go do it. Look at Romans chapter 10 in verse number 14. I know you know this verse very well. But the point is, it's always, it's designed this way. It is designed to work this way. Romans 10, 14. It's talking about how people will get saved. You know what? It's talking about how people will get saved here. It's talking about the mechanics of salvation. How does salvation actually work? Okay, I get it. Somebody has to trust on Jesus. All right? Somebody has to trust on, take the trust of themself, trust on Jesus and they're sealed for eternity. They're sealed by the Holy Spirit. You know, everlasting life forever. There's nothing they could ever do to lose their salvation. We get that. But what are the mechanics of it? The mechanics of it are right here. Also then they call on him and who they have not believed. So it's kind of like showing you the process backwards here. You know, it's basically saying, once people have believed on Jesus, they will call on him. And how so they believe in him of who they have not heard. The only way that they'll believe the Gospel is if someone tells them the Gospel. Because the Bible is a spiritual book. The Bible says it is spiritually discerned. A saved person has to go with the Bible and show the Gospel to someone. You know, you're not just gonna sit down. I've tried it. I've tried it. I mean, somebody asked me the other day out soul winning, how many times did you read the Bible before you were saved? I'm like, none. I'm like, I couldn't get through it. I tried. I read Genesis one a bunch of times. But it just, especially the New Testament, I can still remember the confusion of it. I don't know if you can, I don't know if any of you have the similar experience, but when I was saved, I would try to read the New Testament, the Bible was a mystery to me. I really wanted to know what it said. I wanted to know. And so I would try to read my New King James that I had since I was a kid. I tried to read that, especially the New Testament, many times. I was very, very confused. And look, we need to remember that when we talk to people and we give the Gospel to people, it's very simple. It's very simple to us. But you have to remember, and this is by the way, why you will hear so many people that you give the Gospel to, they will say to you, well, when you explain it like that, it's really simple. It is simple. But just thinking about it, not, I mean, because I, I couldn't get through it because I would just be like, that sounds like worst-baked salvation. That doesn't, and what is it, and what in the world? And I just, I couldn't understand it, so I would stop. So the answer was never, that I never read the Bible cover to cover, not even close before I was saved. So whenever people tell me, like whenever people aren't saved and they're like, oh, I've read the Bible 10 times or whatever, I'm just like, okay, whatever. I mean, you're a dedicated individual to sit down and read the entire Bible cover to cover and not understand anything that you're reading. I really, I don't believe it when people tell me that, right? The Bible is one of those books. It's like the only book that people will claim to know everything about and they've not read one page. I don't know any other book where people do that, but the Bible is definitely one that many, many people claim that, all right? But the point I'm trying to get at is this. It says, look at verse 15, it says, and how shall they preach except they be sent? You see that? What does God do with 144,000? He sends them to preach. As it is written, how beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, showing that they need to be sent and they need to go. Just like us, just like the Old Testament, just like Ezekiel 22, where God was looking for the man to stand up and preach his words, and it says, and bring glad tidings of good things. You know what that is? That's the good news. That's the gospel right there, that glad tidings of good things. So yeah, we might be the two witnesses at first, the two prophets. We might be Ezekiel or Elijah and Moses for the first eight minutes, but after that, we've got glad tidings of good things for you. So we're kind of, we encompass that entire thing. But the point I'm trying to get at is the witnesses, the preachers, they've always been baked into the cake. They've always been necessary for the gospel because that's how God designed it to be. That's how God designed the earth to get the gospel is through men, through people, all right? So you say, why during the wrath? Why during the wrath? Think of the wrath. I kind of mentioned this already, but you know, some people, there's a lot of people out there. So we got the people who are saved and you got the people who just hate the Lord, but most people are in the middle there. The vast majority of people are in the middle and those are the ones that we're trying to what? As Paul said, we're trying to persuade them, right? We're trying to persuade them of the truth. You think about people that are not interested in the gospel. Somebody said at Men's Preaching Night on Friday, it seems like in one of the sermons, this was another, I love Men's Preaching Night because there's so many different kind of angles coming at things and I really appreciate how different people view different. I mean, we're not talking about different doctrines, just things people pick up out of the Bible. And one of the guys said this, he said, it seems like sometimes that we're more concerned for people's souls than they are. And I'm like, exactly. You know, I mean, we all walk away from those doors where we meet that guy or that gal and they're just really nice people and they're just, they have no concern for their own soul. And you walk away and you're just like, ah! Why am I the only one that cares about that person's soul? Why don't they care about their own soul or the soul of their families? But you know what, some people are just too comfortable. They're too comfortable in their life. They're too comfortable in their life. And you know what, the wrath of God, you say, why have the witnesses in the wrath of God? Because a lot of people are gonna be made uncomfortable in the wrath of God. A lot of unsaved people who are just too comfortable to care about their own soul are gonna be very uncomfortable during those three and a half years. A lot of people are too proud. You know, there's a lot of people that, you know, a good prayer, if you have somebody that you love or a loved one in your life that's not saved and maybe they're just too comfortable, they're too proud, they think they've got everything figured out, I think we probably all know somebody like that. A good prayer is that, you know what, maybe God just make them a little bit uncomfortable. Make them uncomfortable enough to where they'll listen to your word. That's a good prayer. You say, I should pray for bad things? No, pray for people to get uncomfortable or get their pride removed from them, whatever God has to do, you know, ask God to intervene to humble somebody so they could be saved. That's a good prayer. But that's what's gonna happen to a lot of people during the wrath of God. A lot of people that pride is gonna knock down, you know, when things are too good for them to care about heaven or hell, things aren't gonna be good for anybody during that time. All right, so when circumstances change, a lot of times people will go, I know so many people that have heard the gospel that got the gospel multiple times before they got saved. The guy standing right here didn't get saved the first time. The guy standing right here went to faithful word Baptist church and somebody turned around and started, you know, giving him the gospel and the guy standing right here argued with that guy and didn't get saved the first time. But it made me uncomfortable and it made me think about, you know, the cognitive dissonance that I had and how I wasn't really making sense with some of the beliefs that I had. But it was somebody that told me, it was a witness. Somebody turned around and witnessed. This is why God sends witnesses. And as he's gonna send him during the wrath is as those pushes happen, that's when, you know, that uncomfort comes and that's when there's gonna be people that wouldn't have received it before that will now receive it. And God sends the witnesses to pick up the grain. And that's why, you know, Pastor Anderson years ago I heard a sermon and he talked about the first resurrection and the second resurrection. What we're talking about with the 144,000 and the witnesses, we're talking about people that are gonna be in the second resurrection. We're talking about people after the rapture that are gonna be part of that second resurrection. He talked about it, you know, from a perspective of a harvest, you know, the first resurrection being that main harvest and then the second resurrection being what? The gleaning. And you go back and you pick up the stuff that you missed. And that's what the 144,000 are gonna be doing. And that's what the two witnesses are gonna be doing. They're gonna be picking up the gleaning which are that second resurrection. What's power heads?