We're not just going to study Revelation. We're going to go through the entire Bible as we do So we're going to take a long time Turn in your Bibles to Revelation chapter 6 if you will And you'll probably say well, we've already been there. I know I know In Revelation chapter 6 we're going to lay the foundation for what we're going to talk about this morning go to verse 9 if you will in Revelation chapter 6 verse 9 and when he had opened the fifth seal I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. During the tribulation people will be saved. People will realize that they've missed the rapture. They will realize that Jesus Christ died on the cross for their sins. They will trust him as their savior and and then they will probably be murdered, probably be murdered. Then in Revelation chapter 6, verse 17, you pay attention to this, if you will, for the great day of his wrath has come and who shall be able to stand. In Revelation chapter 6 is a picture of the first half of the seven-year tribulation. Look at the chart. The first half of the seven-year tribulation In Revelation chapter 6, verse 1 through 17, in the first half of the tribulation, in verse 9, people are going to be saved. They are in heaven waiting for their new glorified bodies, which they will not yet until the end of the seven-year tribulations. And then there's an interlude, what we call a parenthesis, a parenthesis, a qualifying or explanatory word or clause or sentence inserted into a passage with which it does not seem to have any grammatical connection. Now I know that's long, but I hope you understand what that means. A parenthesis. Revelation chapter 7 is a parenthesis in the book of Revelation. The qualifying word doesn't seem to have any grammatical connection, but it's there, and there's a reason for it. Then look in Revelation chapter 8, verse 1. In Revelation chapter 8, verse 1, the second half begins. The second half begins. All of God's plagues, all of God's judgment upon the earth begins the second half of the seven-year tribulation. But in Revelation chapter 7 we have a parenthesis, and that's what we're going to look at this morning. We're not going to look at everything that the parenthesis has to offer, but we're going to look at Revelation chapter 7. However, before we do that, go to Revelation chapter 14, if you will. Revelation chapter 14, verse 12 and 13. Revelation 14, verse 12. Here is the patience of the saints. Here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, right, blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from his fourth. Ye say at the Spirit that they may rest from their labors and their works do follow them. Look in chapter 15, verse 1-4. And I saw another sign in heaven, chapter 15, verse 1, great and marvelous, seven angels having the seven last plagues, forend them as filled up the wrath of God, another would be complete. And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire, and them that had gotten the victory over the beast and over his image and over his mark, and over the number of his name standing on the sea of glass, and they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, the song of the Lamb, just in true or his ways, the out King of saints, verse 4, who shall not fear the old Lord and glorify thy name for thou only are holy. By the way, you won't meet a priest that's holy, they just think they are. You won't meet a preacher that's holy, they just think they are. I don't, by the way. I'm not holy. I'm just a man. I'm simple man. I'm not holy. No, I might have holes in me, but I'm not holy. For all nations shall come and worship before the endigedments are made manifest. Revelation chapter 20, if you will, in verse 4. I'm going through all of this for a reason by the way. We're gonna cover this later on down the road, but I want to make a point this morning, if I may. Revelation chapter 20 verse 4 and I saw thrones and they sat upon them and judgment was given unto them and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus and for the word of God and who had not worshiped the beast. Neither his, remember, these are those who came out of the seven-year tribulation. They were beheaded. they didn't worship the beast. Neither had received his mark upon their foreheads or in their hands and they lived and rained with Christ a thousand years. Look up here for just a minute. They were beheaded. Did you get that? They put their faith and trust in Christ during the seven-year tribulation. They refused to worship the anti-Christ the beast, false prophet Satan. Because of that they be headed but notice that it said they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. They were not dead. They were beheaded physically but they got a brand new glorified body and they lived and reigned with Christ not only on the earth but forever for all time and eternal. You're never dead when you trust the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior. You're only dead physically. You're only dead physically. I point all this out to show that during the 7-year tribulation, people will put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ. They will be saved just like you and I. The only difference is, they'll be living in a different time period in history. Now with that in mind, let me ask you a question. Since you're living in the church age and you You put your faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. Is there anybody in your life that is going to heaven because of something you did? Maybe you lived a good life and they saw the difference. Maybe they saw Christ in you. Maybe you told them that Jesus Christ died on the cross for them. Maybe you had the courage to witness for the Lord Jesus Christ. Maybe they were obstinate. Maybe they didn't want to hear it. But maybe you had the courage to witness for the Lord Jesus Christ. Tell the truth. Not like some of these churches we have today that believe that you know why this church is empty by the way that it'll never be full because we don't give people emotions. We tell them that Christ died on the cross-form and we teach the Bible. My wife and I went past the church this morning and I pointed out two or two young people walking in the church. I said, look, they're not carrying the Bible. They're not even carrying a Bible down to carrying anything. If you don't carry a Bible, what are you learning? In church, nothing. You're learning how to be emotional. We lose a lot of people in this church because we teach the Bible. I've had about a half a dozen people come in this church in the last couple of years. They only came once because they don't know the Bible. They feel embarrassed when we go through the Bible and they never come back. That's not my problem. It's unavoidable and it's sad, but it's not my problem. We teach the Bible in this church. So go to Revelation chapter 7 with all that in mind, a parenthesis in the book of Revelation. In between the account of the first half and the account of the second half, there are parenthesis. And this is one of those parenthesis. Revelation chapter 7, verse 1. And after these things, I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth that the wind should not blow on the earth nor on the sea nor on any tree. And I saw another angel ascending from the east having the seal of the living God, and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was given to her to the sea and the earth and the sea, saying, hurt not the earth, neither the sea nor the trees. So we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads, and I heard the number of them which were sealed, and it goes on to say that it was 144,000. By the way, these are not Jehovah witnesses, they just think they are. First of all, if you're going to be one of the 144,000, there are some things you need to consider. Notice, if you will, of all the tribes of the children of Israel, first of all, if you're going to be one of the 144,000, you've got to be a Jew. If you're not a Jew, you're just a liar and a hypocrite. And then it goes on to say that of the tribe of Judah, and then we're going to get on this later down the road in a couple of weeks. But one of the tribes that's not mentioned is the tribe of Dan. And we'll get on that later, but that's not important right now. And so he describes 144,000 Jews of the tribes of Israel, and then we have another account of the same group of people in chapter 14. So go over there, if you will, in chapter 14. Another picture of 144,000. This is another parentheses in the book of Revelation. one. And I looked in low a lamb stood on Mount Zion. Who's that? Jesus Christ the Lord stood on Mount Zion and with him 140 and 4,000. Having his father's name written in their foreheads, and I heard a voice from heaven. Notice that if you will, from heaven, like the voice of many waters, that's people, multitude of people, and a voice of thunder and a voice of harpers and harping with their harps, and they sang a new song in verse three, and on down at the bottom of verse three, look what it said, but the hunt and no man could learn that song, but the hundred forty and four thousand who were redeemed from the earth. What does that mean? That's the twelve tribes of Israel, 144,000, they were redeemed because they put their faith in Jesus Christ the Lord. When you put your faith in Jesus Christ the Lord you are redeemed, purchased, bought, paid for. Notice another thing if you will, Jehovah Witnesses pay attention. These are they who were not defiled with women. Oh, that leaves a lot of your hope of witnesses out, doesn't it? At least everybody out, doesn't it? It certainly does. They were not defiled with women for they are virgins. These are they who followed the Lamb, wherever he go. These were redeemed from among men, the first fruits, and in their mouth was found no guile for their without fault. Notice all the things that it says. Number one, they are in heaven. This is a heavenly scene. That leaves out the Jehovah Witnesses, doesn't it? They are men. Well, ladies, I talked to a lady with the Jehovah Witness once and said she was one of the 144,000. I said, well, according to the Bible, you have to be a man and a Jew. Do you fit those qualifications? Well, no. And at the end of that. You had to be a man, you had to be Jew, you had to be a virgin, and you had to be in heaven in the Jehovah Witnesses, there's no such thing as heaven and hell. It leaves them all out, isn't that sad? But the point I really want to make this morning is going to be made in Mark chapter 8. So turn over there, if you will, all the way back to Mark chapter 8. We'll get back on this later concerning the 144,000. But we're going to look at something else this morning in Mark chapter 8 if you will. I believe Revelation chapter 7 and chapter 14 and chapter 14 is a picture of the 144,000 who had been martyred. That's my belief. I could be wrong but I take that as a picture of the 144,000 which is really irrelevant. One thing for sure they were redeemed and saved. So I want you to notice something in Mark chapter 8, remember, all the things that we just read in Revelation, those who are beheaded, those in Revelation chapter 6, verse 9, who are the end of the altar, they lost their lives during the seven year, the anti-Christ will kill anybody who claims to be a Christian. Sounds like a Muslim to me. The Muslim does not like you, by the way, and we're just supposed to love those creatures. They are already teaching our kids a song to them. Now if you have a Korean and I have one, if you read the Korean it says that you should be murdered. That's what the Korean says. And we're supposed to love them and we're supposed to condone them, I don't. The Antichrist doesn't like Christians, the Antichrist doesn't like Jews, Satan doesn't like them, and Satan doesn't want to give us the Korean. Bless his Peepic and little heart. It came from Satan. Mark chapter 8 verse 33 my question is if you're a Christian do people know it do people see it in your life Do people realize that you're a Christian does anybody know it? Do your neighbors know it do your friends know it does your family know it? When you go to family gatherings do you drink with the people and just have a good old time? They don't know your Christian after all Who's gonna accept me if I'm a Christian? Verse 33 and Mark chapter eight. Remember all these people lost their lives during the seven-year tribulation for their witness, their testimony. We have the count of Peter in Mark chapter eight. And he told the Lord he said, well, you're not going to go to the cross, Lord, I won't let that happen. How foolish. You know, Peter was religious. He made an awful lot of mistakes. He realized, but in his seal to serve God without knowledge, which is usually the case. Look what the Lord said to him in verse 33, but when he had turned about and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter. Now listen, folks, if he rebuked Peter, all I'm doing is repeating what he said about Peter. You see, so no condemn me, I didn't do it. rebuke Peter saying, Get thee behind me, Satan, for thou savorest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of man. Have you noticed how many Christians today are so worried about humanity, the world, their own personal desires than they are about the Lord Jesus Christ and the truth. Peter, you're more worried about the world than you are me. Get thee behind me, Satan! Wow, that's strong, isn't it? You're more worried about the things of men than the things of God's Peter. And when he had called the people unto him and his disciples also, he said unto them, whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. That's pretty strong, isn't it? Do you have any Christians do that? Probably one out of ten at the most. Let him take up his cross, that means your suffrage, whatever it is. And follow me, for whosoever whosoever will or would save his life shall lose it. But whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospels, the same shall save it. Look up here for just a minute and pay attention. The Lord Jesus Christ is talking about the Seven-Year Tribulation, but it also fits today. Notice what He said, whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospels, the same shall save it. Remember, all of these people in the Book of Revelation lost their life for the gospel. Do you realize that you don't have that problem? It won't be long before you will. But right now, today, in the age that we're living in, someone said to him in the other days, said, the good old days, I remember the good old days. And I said, I do too, but if you really stop to think about it, we're living in the good old days. We're living in them. You think you have hard times, but we're living in the good old days. joy. Tell somebody that Christ died on the cross for them because one of these days the good old days that you're living in won't be here anymore. It's called perilous times in 2 Peter chapter 3. They're coming. They're coming fast. Even today every country over in the Middle East is going to attack Israel. They want Israel destroyed. Why? Because Jesus Christ was a Jew. They hate Israel. They hate the Jews. Read your Bible. for crying out loud. You say, yeah, but not all Jews are saved. That has nothing to do with it. I know they're not all saved. I know a lot of them are going to go to hell, but they're God's chosen people. And he said, whoever curses the Jew will be cursed. Don't curse the Jews. Don't do it. I don't care if they're saved or not. I don't care if they reject Jesus Christ or not. I'm not going to take a chance, but during the seven year tribulation, and this is what Christ is talking about, but it also fits today. Remember, our three, the ways that we split and studied the Bible. Remember this. The primary interpretation. Remember that. The primary interpretation is here during the kingdom people will lose their, during the seven year tribulation. People will lose their lives for witnessing for Christ. The practical application is we live in an age when you and I should witness for Christ. And during the church age a lot of people have lost their lives because of the gospel. All you have to do is read Fox's book of martyrs by the way. If you don't have one, get one. A lot of people lost their lives during this church age. And then there's more. That's the practical application. The prophetic application is yet future, we've already touched on that. Okay, let's get back to the Bible. For what shall it profit a man? If he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul, by the way he's not talking about your eternal soul here in this verse, he's talking about your life. If you gain the whole world and lose your physical life, your physical contentment, happiness, or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Whosoever therefore, pay attention to this verse. You need to pay attention to this verse. Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me. Let's stop right there. Look up here for just a minute. Are you ashamed of Jesus Christ? Are you ashamed of witness for the Lord Jesus Christ? Are you ashamed to defend your faith in the community? Are you ashamed to go pay somebody a visit and tell them how to be saved? Are you afraid that you might offend them? Therefore, shall be ashamed of me and of my words. Imagine this, if you will. You see, people are ashamed of the Lord Jesus Christ today in this world that we live in. Most Christians are ashamed to confess Christ. And if you're ashamed of confessing today, how much worse will it be during a seven-year tribulation? For you, how much worse will it be? For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and my words, you know, let me just point out something else here if I may. I just sat in a run across my mind, along with a lot of other things that run across there. You know when we tell people that God hates homosexuality, we get criticized and condemned for it. Oh, preacher, you're intolerant. When it disagrees with this Bible, the word of God, I am intolerant, and I'm going to tell you that every Sunday. When it comes to someone that goes into a church across the street over there and calls the Lord Jesus Christ and this Bible alive, I am intolerant. I'm not going to live with it. I'm not going to just gloss it over. As a matter of fact, I told the preacher over there that that guy's calling God Jesus Christ and the Bible allire. a liar. Do you know he's doing that and you're paying him to do that? He said, well, we just want to be, we just want to get along. Well, you can get along all you'd like. But I'm not going to pay anybody to come into my church and call Jesus Christ a liar and then go home and feel good about it. It's impossible. Now that's disgusting. Anybody, where are four? Who's so ever there for? Shall be ashamed of me? Christ. And of my words and this adulterous and sinful generation of him also shoved the Son of Man be ashamed. Do you know something? Do you believe Christ died on the cross for your sins? Do you really believe that? I believe he died on the cross for my sins. But someday, when I leave this world, I have to stand before something called the judgment seat of Christ. And if I have ashamed of the Lord Jesus Christ in this life I live, how do you think he's going to feel about me when I stand before the judgment seat. Well, son, you're in heaven now, but I'm going to tell you lost some awful lot of rewards. You were ashamed of me. And now I'm pretty much ashamed of you. You know who really spoke up the other day I told you this before? Cassie. Cassie Naila. I wish more people would do that. She's not ashamed of Jesus Christ, most of the people in this church aren't I hope. Are you ashamed to mention Christ before your children? Are your children going to get mad at you? Oh, mom, I don't want to hear that. Oh, dad, don't, I don't want to hear that, dad. You wouldn't be much of a parent would you if you were ashamed of Jesus Christ and let your children go to hell, would you? You wouldn't be much of a neighbor, but I'm going to explain verse 38 just a little bit further, so pay attention. Who's so ever there for shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him also shall the son of man be ashamed. When he cometh in the glory of his father with the holy angels, he is talking specifically about the kingdom. Remember the primary interpretation. If you go through the seven-year tribulation, you put your faith in trust in Christ, but you're afraid to mention him, you're afraid to talk about him, you're ashamed of him, and you make it into the kingdom, then he will be ashamed of you. In the kingdom, imagine that. That's the primary interpretation. The practical application is if you're ashamed of him today in the church age, he will be ashamed of you. Do you know what? If you're ashamed of Christ and you don't witness for him, he doesn't have to answer your prayers. Do you know that? He's not obligated. He said, if you don't confess me before men because you're ashamed of me, I will not confess you before my father in heaven, that's what that means. Has nothing to do with salvation and has to do with you and I serving here. If you're ashamed today and you do not confess me before men, you go ahead and pray all you want, but I won't confess you before the father. In other words, I will not answer your prayers. Think about it. Now that doesn't mean if God doesn't answer your prayer just like that, you're not doing okay because there are sometimes when he doesn't want to answer your prayer He's doing you a favor by not answering some of your prayers during the seven-year tribulation Times are going to be not just difficult almost impossible But those who lose their lives during the seven-year tribulation are are going to have everything that God has to offer. They're going to be in glory. They're going to be happy, praising God. It's going to be an amazing time. And they deserve everything they're going to get everything. But most Christians in this world, the life that we live in, don't deserve anything because they will not witness for Jesus Christ. They won't mention his name. They won't acknowledge him. They won't acknowledge it. They're a Christian. They don't acknowledge that they believe in God. They won't let anybody see them carrying a Bible. I'd love to see people carrying a Bible, especially religious people. Every time they see you carrying a Bible on an elevator, they run. It's funny. They do. They just take off. Why? Because it bothers people. It's God's Word. My wife and I can tell you by the We were on an elevator and went with a religious, quote, religious people when the elevator door stopped I took off it's comical. Why was that Bob and Morrison's long TV a weekend? Yeah, I remember. Yeah, took off running. Got halfway down the hallway in a big long hallway in the hospital, stopped turning around and make sure I wasn't running after him I can't. I don't, I don't be people over the head with the Bible, but it is fun isn't it? You know, if you want to have, you never get bored, I'm going to tell you how to overcome boredom. I'm going to tell you how to overcome depression. It's easy. Don't have to take a pill, by the way. You can take all the pills you want, but that won't do it. I'm going to tell you how to overcome depression and lead a fruitful, happy, joyous life without being depressed. Read this thing and tell people about Jesus Christ. be surprised. You'd be surprised how interesting life can get. It's really amazing. Give it a try. Just tell other people, hey Christ died on the cross for me. I'm going to have them when I die and then try to tell them somebody else about it. Yeah, I'll bet you never get bored again. They'll keep bored of them out of your life. Give it a try. And not only that, Jesus Christ, there's a good chance that he may be ashamed of some of us, but it's not necessary. There's no reason why Christ should be ashamed of you. In closing, let me just say this. Next week we'll get back on the 144,000. All Jews, all men, all virgins, and in heaven. Mount Zion is a heavenly thing. So do you have a witnesses that leaves you out. I'm sorry. Knock on my door. I'd love to tell you about it. In closing, the Bible says this. We're all sinners, amen? Well, that's not an amen, but it is true. We're all sinners. I'm a sinner. Still am. This Bible says I'm a, this Bible says I'm a sinner. This represents my sin. Need to be paid for. You can't pay for your own sin. There's no way you can do it because you're not good enough. You can't be good enough. I can't be good enough to pay for my own sin, but the Bible says Christ died on the cross, was buried and rose again for my sin, for your sin, for everybody's sin. The Bible says all I have to do is believe it. As soon as I believe it, he takes my sin, puts it to his account, marks it paid. That means I'm redeemed, purchased, have eternal life. Now I have an option. Do I just take that and run away with it? Or do I tell somebody else? Because after all, should I be ashamed of Jesus Christ? I don't think so. I can do that, or I can say I don't believe none of that, but hell is a pretty hot place, and I'm not going. Let's have word of prayer and we'll close. Dear Lord and Heavenly Father, we thank You for Jesus Christ. He died on the cross, paid for our sin. All we have to do is believe it. But He also says that if you already believe it, then tell somebody else there's no reason to be ashamed of Jesus Christ. Because if you're ashamed to Him, He will be ashamed to you. I don't want Him to be ashamed to me. I really don't. I hope he's not. I do the best I can, maybe I don't, but I'm not going to take any chances. I don't want him to be ashamed of me. And if you're here today and you don't know, you're going to have him when you die. Just before we close, say, Lord, I believe you don't have to do it for nobody will know just between you and him. Say, Lord, I believe you died on the cross for my sin. If you've never done that before and you're doing it now, you will walk out of here, redeemed. Isn't that great? And dear Lord we just thank You for it and we bless each one here throughout the week in Christ's name. Amen. Okay, let me see here, page 63, I guess one verse, I like the other one myself. I like the one we just did. Page 63, to get to that, page 63 will do one verse. Thank you.