Well, thank you for seeing those old time favorites. Been a long time since we’ve done just a whole series of all those like that. And I was joking with Pastor Steven and I said, do you think they’ll get the theme of love tonight rather than love or of blood? But we are looking at the the concept of blood.

Now, when, you know, I’m in this unique circumstance so that even as Pastor Stephen said this morning, he’s thinking about, OK, his his, you know, series of sermons, because he’ll be called on a lot to be preaching. And we want that. And that’s one reason why we called him in that. And I’m kind of pinch hitting, too, so that I can fill in when I can. But it’s kind of hard to come in with a with a series because it’s just gonna be a long time in between when I’m sprinkled in there and so forth. And so as I was reflecting upon that, that I thought, well, what I wanted to do was I wanted to go to 1 John, not because I’m new out of seminary and it’s easy Greek, as some have said from the pulpit here recently, but rather that that is the book that I was saved from.

And 1 John 1, if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. And so, you know, I’ve got to not that I like a lot of topical sermons, but, you know, I’ve got to look at it more topically now in my life. And so I thought, well, that would be a good one. But then, you know, as well, I thought, well, Pastor Ryan has preached on 1 John, and so I ought to avoid that one. But then I thought, OK, what would be some other ones? Some series that I’ve enjoyed in my ministry here of 30 some years at Fellowship Baptist Church.

And I love the sayings of the Savior on the cross. I just, you know, to tell us died. It’s just so easy to preach. And and that’s kind of always, you know, I’ve got basic outlines in my head and I can just go on that at a drop of a hat. But everyone that I wanted to speak on and and I and plus, I knew that you’ve heard those that are in the Gospel of John. And then I thought, well, I could go to John chapter 17 and to to preach the high priestly prayer of the Lord, because that’s kind of a series. And you could either try to get them all in or that breaks into three different. He prays for himself. He prays for his disciples. He prays for us, the disciples that will believe on him through their their testimony.

But then I thought, but Pastor Ryan is preaching through the Gospel of John. And so I wanted to avoid that. And so I saw a theme and I fully identified with the things that then Stephen said this morning. But then I thought, as he was relaying all of that, that, well, you know, another place I wanted to go and to preach was a special book in my heart and life that has a big testimony. It was used of God to lead me to get my second master’s thesis, my Master of Theology at Grace. And I took an extra Greek exegesis class with one of the most difficult books of the New Testament because it’s difficult Greek. And that is the book of James. And so I thought, wow, I could preach from the book of James because the last time I did that was during COVID. And I did that on Wednesday nights. And if you remember, you may not remember that’s when it was, you may not have actually even tuned in to actually see those that we put on YouTube. But it was in front of my aquarium.

Now maybe more will say, oh, yeah, I did see that series. Yeah, and you only watched in and tuned in to see my fish. And I knew that. And so I thought, well, then what I’ll do is I’ll just preach that series again. And lo and behold, the young guy is now going to start his series on the book of James. Well, then I thought, now what am I going to do? And well, then Stephen says, that, you know, he couldn’t do the gospel of John or the first John, and he couldn’t do the gospel of John. And he said he wasn’t ready for the book of the Revelation. And who is really, if you’re just plainly honest. But however, since, you know, hey, I just have the sprinkling of sermons and I can ditch out of here any time quick. So tonight, take your Bible and turn with me to the book of Revelation. And we are actually going to look at John in the book of the Revelation. But I want to do it thematically. Not a typical, it’s expository, but not a typical expository message with the theme of blood. But it’s blood in the book of the Revelation.

Now, there’s several reasons why I I really chose this. And just lest you think I just worked on this this afternoon and didn’t think of this before until after he gave me that good intro that. No, it was. But I was going to fan it out and look at the concept of blood throughout the scriptures. And I’ll make mention more of that. But I do want to limit basically our study tonight to the book of the Revelation for several reasons. I, I desire to do that. Number one, Oftentimes in our circles, we tend to avoid the book of the Revelation.

Now we do that for several reasons. One, it’s hard to understand. And it is full of colorful, apocalyptic, and literature, hermeneutic. The dispensationalists go around accusing everyone else of spiritualizing the text, and we all recognize there is no strict literalist when it comes to the book of the Revelation. If you do, our Savior looks kind of odd in some of the descriptions concerning him. And and it’s not to be read literature literally. And to that point, so specifically, and everyone either spiritualizes or sees that there is metaphoric language in this kind of literature, but it’s everywhere. And the differences of interpretation arise because, well, simply because it’s when do you start looking at metaphoric literature or metaphoric usage of words and just, you know, are you going to take everything? You’re going to take most things? Does 1,000 mean 1,000 or does it mean a long period of time? Well, 1,000 years is a long period of time. And everyone’s not that far off, but you know, whether there’s a literal 20 or a literal thousand year reign of Christ. And so interpretations come in.

So people come to this particular book and they avoid it because of the hermeneutic. Well, tonight I want to say we’re going to look at one word. And the one word that we’re going to see is going to be metaphoric. There’s going to be some metaphor that is used and it’s not necessarily literal. It’ll be within a context of things. But it’s where everyone is going to agree what it’s about. And so we’re going to take a look at it that way. Another reason why people tend is because of the disagreement. Everyone is afraid of it because depending upon if you’re an all mill, pre mill, post mill, whether you’re pre-trib, mid-trib, pre-wrath, post-trib, rapturous, and how you interpret it. People just tend to avoid that. And I think that that’s unfortunate because then you’re taking your systematic theology, imposing it upon the text, and sometimes you come to wrong conclusions because you do that.

As what Pastor Stephen said this morning, we take the scripture first. We don’t come with our preconceived theologically taught previously, whether in seminary and Sunday school or whatever, and imply it and apply it onto the scripture. But rather, we take the scripture and try and reconcile what is this truly saying and and to properly understand these things. So because of that, a lot of people avoid this book. And so all of those are, I think, substandard reasons for avoiding the book. And tonight, what I want to do is to approach the book as the book was written. And that is this. I had this sprinkling of messages throughout the years that this is a book that promises a blessing. it promises a blessing. Revelation chapter one verse three says this, blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy and keep those things which are written in it for the time is near.

So it’s a New Testament book that guarantees you that even in the reading and the hearing of it and Lord willing before this service is over the cockles of your heart. Now there’s two young young preacher guys they haven’t they won’t probably use that phrase but that’s kind of a keepsake phrase for around here that the cockles of your heart will be blessed because the Holy Spirit promises it through the inspiration of the word of God, through the Holy Spirit and having John write those words or these words that we’re going to read tonight. And we’re going to go through the book and we’re going to read the passages throughout the book of the Revelation. Now I chose the concept, not only the book because of that blessing, but also because of the words that are repetitive.

Pastor Ryan has been really good at going through the book of Ruth. I just so am enjoying that. But he keeps reminding us of repetitive words. Behold, and John is big into that if you remember it. And in the book of Revelation, Behold is another important one. We’ll see a couple of those tonight. But another word that is repeated is the word blood. But it has different kind of context. And I thought, what better time than tonight and the eve before Memorial Day when we remember those who have shed their blood for our freedom? And as I’ve been reading through my Bible this year and I’m going through twice, I staggered it. so that I’m in two different sections but I’m heavy into the Old Testament right now.

The Bible is a bloody book. It is just, I mean, I don’t agree with those obviously that say that we should not have it in the school system because it’s so bloody and the immorality that it tells us about. I disagree with that. But I do understand it because there is a lot of blood And people, I mean tent pegs going through brain cells, you know, it gets kind of gross. And people respond to blood in different ways. Most were repelled by it. There are a few that that like to go and see a lot of blood and gore and that kind of thing. But when it’s real and not on a movie screen, there is a repulsiveness to that. I still have a lot of people feed me a lot of questions, Bible questions. One just came to me and and I’ve just I’ve never responded because it’s hard.

But even in the blood animal sacrifices of the Old Testament, And, you know, during the heyday of Solomon’s dedicatory time of worship at the temple, they slaughtered an awful lot of animals and the blood was flowing or when there would be a tremendous victory and the people that they killed. And I do not determine the truth of scripture if I cannot. I don’t determine if the scripture is true, if I can’t understand it. I don’t know what they did with all that meat. I don’t know. I don’t think they just threw it in the dumpster over the city walls that it provided for the priest. And they had a big feast when it talks about blood and and and how much blood would have been gathered and how much blood was on the mercy seat. You see, we sometimes because of our doctrinal stance and because of living in 2025, we sometimes will pardon the phrase, but we clean up the scriptures. We really do.

Do you believe in propitiation? Do you believe in atonement? Do you believe that your sins have been atoned for and that the term propitiation in the Greek and a noun form refers to mercy seat? Yeah. Do you know what that mercy seat really looked like? Well, we think, well, it was gold and the cherubim and it was it was a bloody mess. It was gory. And when they did all that extra day of atonement that God has atoned for our sins and we just sang a lot about the stench. You know, if you cut yourself, you can smell the iron. Blood has a smell to it and The Holy of Holies. There was a stench because it took blood to Atonement without the shedding of blood. There is no forgiveness of sin.

And so when we think of all of these kinds of things that all from the very beginning of the book of Genesis, the violent death of Cain, killing Abel to the idea of the Atonement of what I’ve already mentioned. to go to the New Testament, and when the Bible, in giving its accurate account, talks about Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane, and our Savior’s sweat, great drops, not of sweat, but of blood. That as they pierced his side, blood and water came out. Blood can refer to kinship, it can refer to sickness, the woman who had an issue with blood. The metaphoric use, to the fact and we’ll see some of that in the blood and the depth of blood in the water. The theological aspects of blood, the worship, blood used in worship.

If man shed man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed. For in the image of God created he man. And so blood is found in the very fabric of scripture. And it’s something for us to consider biblically. Well, I don’t have enough time because my grandson’s graduated and we’re going to go over and celebrate part of that tonight. And and so we’re going to do that. But I do want to limit this concept of blood to the one book of the Old Testament or of the New Testament that promises a blessing. Even though There is a tremendous solemnity. It is a solemn concept. This is real and this is very important. So tonight what I want us to do is to consider four ways that blood is found in the book of the Revelation. And the first is this. In the book of the Revelation, it uses the term blood with respect to the blood of the lost, of unsaved people. in Revelation chapter 14. Turn there with me if you would. 14 and I want to begin the reading and scripture at verse 14.

So it’s 14 14 in Revelation and I’m going to read longer passages just because God has already told us that the passage is where the blessing is really going to come from. But don’t forget how serious this all is. Then I looked. And behold, a white cloud, and on the cloud sat one like the son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud, thrust in your sickle and reap, for the time has come for you reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe. So he who sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth and the earth was reaped. Now that’s a preparatory preface statement to what is coming. Then another angel came out of the temple, which is in heaven. He also having a sharp sickle. And another angel came out.

So we see a lot of angelical, angelic involvement. Um, angels doing a lot of things coming from heaven, issuing on earth with a sickle to bring judgment. Verse 18. And another angel came out from the altar who had the power over fire, and he cried with a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle saying thrust in the sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth for her grapes are fully ripe. Now it’s not just talking about the grapes in California. It’s talking about the time is now. So are these literal grapes? See that’s why you have to consider how one interprets this. So the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth and he gathered the vine of the earth and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trampled outside the city, and blood came out of the winepress, up to the horse’s bridles for 1,600 furlongs.

So that is in reference to the winepress of the wrath of God. Now that’s going to be mentioned a couple of times. This is coming because there’s been a great reaping. And if we go and look in the and the context is going to be great death, that this is part of the judgment of God and the blood is going to flow. If you go over one more chapter over to chapter two, more chapters to 16, go to chapter 16 and verse four. This is talking the bowls of judgment. We get a little bit more of what this looks like. And the third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water and they became blood. So the springs of water became blood. Now, again, literal blood. Some say yes, some say no. But whatever it is, water changed. So you can’t drink it. And it’s a show of judgment, the use of blood. And I heard the angel of heard the angel of the water saying, you are righteous, O Lord, the one who is and who was and who is to be, because you have judged these things, for they have shed the blood of saints and of the prophets.

Now that’s going to be my second one, the blood of the martyrs, because that’s another theme in the book. We’re going to let that blood, the blood of saints and prophets go. But notice what happened. And you have given them blood to drink for it is their just due. So the blood of the lost and the wine press of God’s wrath. The life of the flesh is in the blood. God is going to bring judgment. The lost are going to be judged. That’s held in contrast up there again in verse six, for they have shed the blood of the saints and of the prophets. That’s the blood of the martyrs. But the blood of the lost is here and God is bringing judgment. The lost and those outside of the saving grace and the cleanse, the soul cleansing blood of the lamb are going to be judged. And this is going to be real. It will be eternal. It will be conscious.

And so in the Book of the Revelation, I happen to be one that believes that it was written late in the first century. and that this is still being predictive, and the judgments of the book of the Revelation, while we’ve seen the destruction of Jerusalem 70 AD, okay, that was really bad. It’s not as bad as some of the stuff that we would read in all of this, where blood, you know, would be up to the bridle of the horse, the horses. Now, is that literal or not? People can argue over that, but the meaning is clear. There is a coming judgment of the unsaved on the earth that they will spill their blood and it’s gonna be a bloody mess. As if, if not as in real, all the way up, about four feet to the bridle of horses. It’s a bloody judgment. Well, that’s the blood of the lost. Not only that, there is the blood of martyrs.

Now, one of my favorite passages or one that at least I enjoy reading and because it keeps you in the realms of reality, look at chapter six. Chapter six and verses nine through 11. This is an awesome passage. Revelation 6 beginning the reading at verse 9. It’s the fifth seal of judgment. When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain. for the Word of God and for the testimony which they held. And they cried out with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, until you judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth? And then a white robe was given to each one of them as it was said to them, and that they should rest a little while longer until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who would be killed In other words, more blood to be shed. Be calm until then, as they were, it was completed.

The judge of the judgment of the blood of the martyrs, verse six. Let’s see, is that. No. So we’ve got to avenge their blood, then Chapter 18, verse 21. 1821. 1821 through 24. And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, threw it into the sea, saying thus with the violence of the great city Babylon. And again, people, is that a literal city? Is that OK? We’re not judged. This isn’t expository to determine all that, but it’s a coming judgment. The finality in Babylon will fall, shall be thrown down and shall not be found anymore. The sound of harpists, musicians, flutists, trumpets, trumpeters shall not be heard in you anymore, nor craftsmen or any craft shall be found in you anymore. And the sound of a millstone shall not be heard in you anymore. And the light of a lamp shall not shine in you anymore. And it goes on down. And then he says, for your merchants were great men of the earth, for by your sorcery, all the nations were deceived. And in her was found the blood of the prophets and the saints and all who were slain on the earth.

I mentioned these because of the blood of martyrs and something that I heard my pastor say that has stuck with me since I was a teenager, and that is this. He was a premill pre-trib. a man, a GARBC pastor. He held to that, although later on in his ministry he did change his position. But when he was young and I was just a teenager, he said something that I always remembered, because he took a cautious view and was very tolerant for different positions of eschatological frameworks, and he said, You know what really scares me? As he says, if I’m wrong, or if it’s a post-trib rapture, or if it’s an all-millennial position, which I think is what he became later on in later life after he retired, he said that if we were wrong, and if it’s all mill, or if it’s not pre-trib rapture, the church is not prepared for the tribulation.

You know, you can’t get around from the judgments that are said here. And if you take this as even being halfway literal, this ain’t happened yet, brethren. But you see, because oftentimes in premillennialism, and it’s a warning for people like us, everyone finds comfort in saying, well, I’m going to be raptured and I don’t have to worry about it. You better be careful, because what if it’s not? Are you really prepared? Jesus said, and if you read the Gospels. You know, the godly suffer persecution. And it’s going to be Israel oriented. I believe that there’s a future for ethnic Israel, and I think it’s going to happen. But the question is. that if we were to go through some persecution and through some real tribulation, are we prepared for it? Are you just keep looking for some kind of an escape route? I think he’s going to come and I think we will meet him in the clouds. And I mean, the scriptures are clear on all of that. But are we prepared for some real persecution? Just think of our dear brethren in China or in North Korea and what they go through. If that came to the United States, I do believe Christianity would really shrink.

So when we read something like that, as we go on and it says, for your merchants and great men of the earth, for by your sorceries, all the nations were deceived. And in her was found the blood of the prophets and of the saints and of all who were slain on the earth. Chapter 17, verses one through six, it talks about a woman who was drunk with the blood of the saints and of the martyrs. We go to chapter 19 verses 1 and 2. It talks about the blood of his servants that was shed. And so that’s the blood of the martyrs. There’s a third area. So we’ve seen the blood of the lost, the blood of the martyrs and the saints. Now there’s also a blood and things. And this one I’m just going to skip over.

I’m going to give the passages and say what they are. No doubt most of you have read the book of the Revelation and you’ll remember this. Blood and things, for example, chapter 6, verse 12, the moon will turn like blood. And they talk about a blood moon and so forth. 8, 7, hail and fire mixed with blood will fall in judgment. 8, 8, chapter 8, verse 8, a third of the sea will become blood and the sea creatures die in judgment. Chapter 11, verse 6, the water turns to blood. 16, 3, the sea turns to blood like a dead man. Which if you wonder what that means is it’s going to be like blood and it’ll coagulate and and the sea animals just they won’t be able to breathe and it just clogs up and it’s going to be thoroughly gory. And in chapter 16 verse 4 it talks about freshwater will be turned to blood. And it talks about the massive death.

Personally you can say well is it White blood cells, red blood cells and platelets with, you know, is that what this is talking about? Or is it just talking about a pollution? Well, one thing it’s talking about is tremendous judgment, tremendous death and sea creatures are dead all over the place. I do not see that that that has happened as of yet. And so, again. I perceive that the book of the Revelation is pointing us forward. But the fourth area. It’s not just blood and things and in demonstration of that. And this is where. It is extremely. Solemn and yet. You will be blessed. And that obviously is normally when we think of blood in a church and so forth, we’re thinking of the blood of Jesus Christ. And so the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ in chapter one and verses four through eight.

Listen to this. John is telling us to whom all of this has been written right after he tells us that there’s a blessing, John, to the seven churches which are in Asia, Asia. Grace to you and peace from him who is who was and is to come and from the seven spirits who are before his throne and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness of the firstborn from the dead and the ruler over all the kings of the earth to him. So in other words, this is to whom it is written. Prepare your soul for this. To him who loved us. And washes us from our sins in his own blood.

Now, this is the beginning. This is chapter one. He’s gonna take that word blood, and we’ve already seen now, because of the order I put this in, you can already see where he’s gonna talk about blood as a sign of judgment. The winepress of the wrath of Almighty God squishes the blood out of all who are guilty. And we’ve been washed by the blood of the Son of God. and have and he has washed us from our sins in his own blood. Because the wrath of God fell on him and has made us kings and priests to his God and father to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Now, I’m all for theological debate, but I’m going to tell you something. This is all going. Into the fact whether you’re a male pre male, post male pre trip and at all. Jesus is coming. And he is king. And he will dominate and have dominion completely. And there will be saints who will help him and come alongside him and worship him. And it’s only because we have been washed by blood. I remember I was saved in a church walk forward. You know, I was saved, I think, before I stepped out. But, you know, walk forward to get saved, supposedly. And they were washing. What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. I’m nine years old thinking blood is yucky. How can blood taking a bath in blood make me white as snow and wash away anything? It stains. It’s because it’s his blood. And I’m washed with the precious blood of the lamb. That is the theme of all 65 books, the previous to this. And so we have the blood of Jesus Christ and we are washed in his blood.

Not only that, in chapter five. Now, if you didn’t get a blessing from that shame on you, but we’re not done yet. Chapter five or six. And I looked and behold, there it is. That’s John Johannine. He says, behold, up in verse four to behold the lion of the tribe of Judah. The root of David has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals. If you remember, this is early Book of Revelation and they’re all bewailing. Oh, there’s a scroll. Nobody can walk in. He’s crying and everybody’s crying. and then the lamb comes forth and the lamb takes and everybody’s all happy and it’s the lion of the tribe of Judah. And I looked, verse six, and behold, in the midst of the throne and the four living creatures and in the midst of the elders stood a lamb. Now that’s not a little lamb, lamb. That’s the son of God, the lamb of God. It stood a lamb as though it had been slain. But notice having seven horns, seven eyes, which are seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. Then he came and took the scroll out of the hand of him who was on the throne. And we continue on.

Now, when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the 24 elders fell down before the lamb. each having a harp and the golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song saying, this is hymnity in heaven. You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals. You were slain and have redeemed us to God by your blood. The winepress of the wrath of God squeezing blood out of the reprobate in total utter judgment. Or you’ve got the wrath of God falling upon the son and here it redeems us because it was the blood of the son of God. So you have redeemed us by your blood out of every tribe, a tongue, people and nation. You have made us kings and priests to our God, and we shall reign on earth. Then I looked and heard with the voice of many angels around the throne, living creatures and elders, and the number of them was 10,000 times 10,000 and thousands of thousands. In other words, there’s a bunch of people there that have been washed in the blood and redeemed by the blood of the Lamb.

And this is what they say. Worthy is the Lamb who was slain. His blood had to flow. to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing and every creature which is in heaven and on earth and under the earth which are in the sea and all that is in them. And I heard them saying blessing and honor and glory and power to him who sits on the throne and the lamb forever and ever. Then the four living creatures said amen and the 24 elders fell down and worship him who lives forever and ever. Blood that redeems a people for eternal worship. Without any blemish. But yet. It will also, in a real sense, stand as a testimony to all of those who will not bow the knee and believe. Well, we go on. We’re washed in his blood, redeemed by his blood.

Chapter seven, verses 13 through 17. Chapter seven. Verse 13, and one of the elders saying to me, who are these arrayed in white robes and where did they come from? And I said to them, sir, you know, and he said to me, these are the ones who came out of the Great Tribulation and washed their robes and made them white. How? by the blood of the lamb. We are a people of blood. Not only do we just have one blood because we’re humans and so forth, but we and the family of God being born again are a people of the blood. Woe be to those who want to take blood out of hymns. Woe be to the people who want to say, I find the blood of Jesus to be offensive. I want love. Well, what?

Look at this. How much more love do you get? These are the people that can eternally worship God. They’ve had their sins forgiven. But it was because of blood. And they washed in the blood of the lamb, therefore. Therefore they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple and he who sits on the throne will dwell among them and they shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore. The sun shall not the sun shall not strike them nor any heat for the lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of water and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Now, this is one chapter after. Chapter six, where you’ve got the blood of the martyrs. And their souls crying out from underneath the throne of God, how long, oh, Lord, faithful and true. Will you take to judge and avenge our blood? Don’t worry. It’s coming.

You’ve been washed by the blood of the lamb. But their blood will be required at my hand. In chapter 7, verses 13 through 17, they washed their robes in the blood of the lamb. In chapter 12, there is a judgment that is given. And in chapter 12, verse 10, this is that when Satan is thrown out of heaven, that account is given. And it says in chapter 10, 12, 10, Then I heard a voice, a loud voice saying in heaven, now salvation and strength and the kingdom of our God and the power of his Christ have come for the accuser of our brethren, we know that to be Satan, who accused them before our God day and night, what he’s doing, has been cast down and they overcame him by the blood of the lamb.

You see, this judgment is not only for sinners of Homo sapiens. This will bring down, the blood of our Savior will bring down the highest of created beings in Satan. And they overcame him by the blood of the lamb and by the word of their testimony. And they did not love their lives unto death. Therefore, rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them. Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and of the sea, for the devil has come down to you having great wrath. Because he knows he has but just a short time. Now, personally, I don’t see that as having happened. I think that those theologians who want to say that that Satan has been judged and that he’s on a chain, the everlasting chains, but they’re long and therefore he’s like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour, but he can only reach certain ways. No, I don’t see that. No, I’m not downplaying the sovereignty of God. He has to ask for permission. But there just seems to be this concept of the importance of the final judgment of the one who is tainted all of creation. And he will do it through the blood of the son of God that was shed upon Calvary.

Well, we continue on in verse chapter 19, verses 11 through 21. And for sake of time, I’m not going to read it, it’s a longer passage, but it talks about he who comes whose robe is dipped in blood. And he will tell you, I’ll tell you what, you know what? I’m going to read it because this is the climax. It’s got Jesus on a white throne. This is the picture again. Everyone would, you know, you can say, is this literal? Will there literal be? Are there is there a stable up in heaven with this horse? Does this horse exist right now? Are there horses with eternal life? You know that? I don’t know. But I know what the text says and this says he’s coming and it’s going to be regal. That’s the point. Now I saw in heaven opened and behold a white horse and he who sat on him was called faithful and true and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire and on his head were many crowns.

Now that only refers to one person. That’s my savior. He had a name written that no one knew except himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and his name is called the Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed him on white horses. Now out of his mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it he should strike the nations, and he himself will rule them with a rod of iron. And he himself treads the winepress of the fierceness of the wrath of the Almighty, and he has on his robe and on his thigh a name written, King of Kings and Lord of Lords. His robe dipped in blood.

Now he is the King of Kings and he’s the Lord of Lords right now. And he’s ruling and reigning. But I say that’s already. But there seems to be in this picture and in this context, but not yet. And this is going to be an event that does happen. Because it will have a thought on his thigh is written King of Kings and Lord of Lords. And I saw an angel standing in the sun and he cried with a loud voice saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven come. and gathered together for the supper of the great God that you may eat the flesh of kings and a flesh of captains and the flesh of mighty men the flesh of horses and those who sit on them and the flesh of all people free and slave both small and great and I saw the beast and the kings and the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against him who sat on the horse against his army. Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked on signs and presents by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshipped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire, burning with brimstone, and the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded and all the birds were filled with their flesh.

Tremendous judgment, blood everywhere, awesome judgment. That is a picture of the winepress of the wrath of Almighty God, falling upon those who deserve it. And yet it’s also a picture of the winepress of the wrath of God that fell upon our Savior so that we could have our sins forgiven. Brethren, this is solemn. The concept of blood. We live kind of blood free. And in this Memorial Day, there were men and women who died for our freedoms to be able to worship here today. That is being ridiculed on college campuses and the disrespect for law and order, respect to parents, disobedience to parents, death penalty in the Old Testament, all of that in judgment. But because blood has been shed, we can stand forgiven. I trust you know Jesus Christ as your own personal savior. It is a good thing on what those men and women have done in our armed forces. But it is a God thing what Jesus did upon the cross. And it was accepted by the father from the third day he arose just as he said. Those are not truths that are negotiable. Those are truths to hold close. And for those of us who know Jesus as Savior, we are blessed because the blood of Jesus Christ, God’s son, cleanses us from all sin.

Would you stand with me and close tonight in prayer? Our father in heaven. We humbly bow. And recognize. We are unworthy. And yet, you died in our place. The Son of God shed his blood so that we could have our sins forgiven, atoned for, propitiated, redeemed. Father, as we read the words of this prophecy, may we be conscious of the fact It isn’t over till it’s over. Help us, Father, to not only look up, but to look to the future when we shall see our Savior and we’ll be like him, for we shall truly see him as he is. Father, dismiss us with your grace resting upon us. Father, bless the time of fellowship over in the gymnasium. Bless these two graduates. that as they seek to serve you, both profess to know you as their savior, their God. May you direct them, keep them, use them for your glory. Father, bless the fellowship, the refreshment, all for your glory. For we ask these things in Jesus’ name and for his sake.