Glad I'm not a priest because priests are allowed to wipe their nose during the service. It's in their doctrine. Revelation chapter 13, if you will, verse 8, concerning the anti-Christ in the middle of the seven-year tribulation, and all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. sixteen, and he, that's the unholy spirit, the unholy spirit, the beast, and he causes all both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond enslaved to receive the mark in their right hand or in their foreheads. And that no man might buy or sell save, he that had the mark or the number of the beast or the number of his name, here is wisdom, let him that has understanding count the number of the beast for it is a number of a man and his number is 603 score and six. Right in the middle of the seven year tribulation the anti-Christ will make everybody in the world take the mark of the beast. It'll be easy to do because right in the middle of the seven year tribulations things will be chaotic food will be hard to find if any. There will be any money, jobs. After the first three and one half years in Revelation chapter 6, the world will just be practically destroyed and it's just the beginning. And so the anti-Christ sits on the throne in the middle of the seven-year tribulation, causes everyone to take the mark of the beast and they will be glad to do it. The mark of the beast is a political and a religious mark. politics and religion cannot be separated. It is a political and a religious mark. Once you look up here at the chart for just a minute, if you will, we're going to put out some things before we go any further. The four gospels were written after the cross. The cross is called the new covenant. The death, burial, and resurrection of Christ fulfilled the law and became the new covenant, the New Testament. The four gospels were written after the cross, but they record Old Testament events, which means they're literally bold Testament books, but they're not in the Old Testament. It's amazing how God works, isn't it? One more thing to look at here. The Old Testament and gospel prophecy. There is no prophecy for today. The Old Testament and the gospels predicted all the events up to the cross, including the resurrection of Christ. The Old Testament and the gospels predicted all of that. The very next prediction and the Gospels and the Old Testament is not the Church Age, but takes place after the rapture of the Church. The rapture and the Church are not mentioned in the Gospels. You'll find a hint here and there, but they're not mentioned in the Gospels. Now point that out for a reason and you're going to find out what the reason is shortly if I don't run out of time. Remember the mark of the beast in their right hand or in their forehead. Turn over to chapter 14, if you will. Same book, Revelation chapter 14. In verses 1 through 5, we have another picture of the 144,000 Jews, males. I believe we have a picture of these Jews in heaven. That's where I believe they are when we see the picture. During the first half of the seven-year tribulation, the two witnesses preach the gospel. They lead 144,000 Jews to Christ, all males. And the 144,000 in verse four are called the first fruits unto God, which means they are the first fruits who are led to Christ by the two witnesses. Their fruit means that they lead a lot of people. you have fruit when you lead someone to Christ. It's fruit. And then in verse 6, Revelation chapter 4, and I saw another angel fly 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. During the seven-year tribulation, many people will be lost. They will take the mark of the beast, they will go to hell when they die. They rejected Christ, but they don't have no excuse because the gospel will be preached during the tribulation just like it is today, just exactly like it is today. And we're not going to cover all of this today. We're going to get back on the mark of the beast somewhere down the road, but I'm just laying the foundation for what I really want to talk about this morning. And we have two things. We have those who are saved during the tribulation and those who are lost. In verse 7 and 8, we have a picture of those who are lost. In verse 9, verse 6, look in verse 9, if you will. Verse 8, Babylon is come into remembrance before God. Babylon is false religion. In verse 9, and a third angel followed them saying, well, the loud voice, if any man worship the beast and his image and receive his mark in his forehead or in his hand. The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture. And then over, if you will, to chapter 15, verse 1 and 2, if you will. In the rest of the chapter 14, beginning in verse 12, we have a picture of the saved who are in heaven. In verse 13, the rest of their labors and so forth. Now, we're going to skip the rest of this, but I want to go down to chapter 15, verses 1 and 2. Remember, chapter 7 is a parenthesis in the book of Revelation. You all know what a parenthesis is, right? Chapter 14 is a parenthesis in the book of Revelation. You have to know that. It helps to understand what Revelation is teaching. 15, verse 1, and I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous. Seven angels having the seven last plates, for in them is filled up the wrath of God, and it will not be fun, will it? And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire and then that had gotten the victory over the beast. How did they get the victory? They heard the gospel. They believed the gospel. They got the victory over the beast and over his image and over his mark and over the number of his names standing on the sea of glass having the seven hearts. didn't take his mark, probably most of them were beheaded for their testimony wound up in heaven, but that's what I want you to pay attention to the mark of the beast and I want you to turn over to Luke chapter 17 if you will. Now I like to give my interpretation of some of this and while you're turning over there I'm just going to mention something else here so just turn over to Luke chapter 17. I'm going to read something in first Corinthians chapter 7 but you don't have to Pay attention to this. But in verse 14, for the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband. Else were your children unclean. And now are they holy? You know what that means? That means some lost people received blessings from living with a Christian. I just thought I'd put that up. Some lost people received blessings from living with a Christian. Revol- uh, Luke chapter 17, beginning in verse 20. I'm going to hurry up through this because I want to make sure I cover the whole thing. Remember what we said. There is nothing in the gospels about the church age. So what is Luke talking about? You'll see shortly. And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom should come, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered, Notice that he they demanded of him. I think a lot of nerve, okay? The kingdom of God comeeth not with observation. He said Neither shall they say low here or low here there for behold the kingdom of God is in your midst or within That means the king is there If the king is there the kingdom of God is there and you know the kingdom of God is here Did you know that? It's everywhere because Christ is everywhere. Neither shall they say low here or low there, for behold the kingdom of God is in the midst of you. I'm here," he said. And he said unto the disciples, the days will come when you shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and you shall not see it. And they shall say to you see here or see there, go not after them, nor follow them. For it's a lightning that lighteth out of the one part of under heaven, China to the other part under heaven, so shall also the Son of Man be in his day. But first must he suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. The word generation, by the way, means many things. It's a Greek word, caneia, and even birth, descent, race, family, trot, all these things. Verse 26, And as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of Man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, more than one, they were given in marriage until the day that Noah entered into the ark and the flood came and destroyed them all, all except the ones in the ark. And as it was in the days of Lot, they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built. In other words, they were a bunch of musheds. I know some musheds. The gospel didn't enter into their mind. Musheds, worlds full of musheds. I got a little note in my Bible. It says musheds and it wasn't a day of lot. They did eat. They drank. In other words, they just went through their run-of-the-mill life. Not listening to the gospel. Paying attention to God's word, not paying attention to God's rules, God's regulation. It was all me, me, me, I, I, I, and most of it was homosexuality and demonic oriented. And by the way, if you want to know the sign of the times and you want to know what's going on in the world today, the points to the future, don't look to the gospels. Look to the Bible. first Timothy chapter four and six and all kinds of places in in the New Testament that will tell you how to look at the sign of the time today and you can you can do that. All you have to do is look at the gay agenda, six states have already passed the law and God says that's wrong but not man. Anyway they went through their life eating, drinking, marrying, having parties, doing is doing that. Waiting for their government check. Oh, waiting for their government paycheck. But the same day that lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. Verse 30, let me ask you a question. Is this a picture of the rapture? Read this verse if you will. Even the shall be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. Is that the rapture? The key word here is revealed. He will not be revealed at the rapture. The world will not be revealed to the church, but the world will not see him. They don't see him today. Why should they see him at the rapture? They don't deserve to see him at the rapture. When the Son of Man is revealed at the end of the rapture, in that day led him that shall be upon the house top and his stuff in the house, not come down to take it away and let him also that is in the field, not return. Remember Lot's wife, now here's another verse, I want to ask you a question. What does this mean? Whoever shall seek to save his life, shall lose it, and whoever shall lose his life shall preserve it. I'm going to give my interpretation of that verse shortly, but let's read on down. I tell you in that night there shall be two men in one bed, the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. Two women shall be grinding together, the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two men shall be in the field and the one shall be taken and the other left. By the way, this is a picture of the world. Notice that there's two men in bed at night. Notice also that there's two women grinding, preparing a meal. Notice also that there's two men in the field working. It's a picture of the entire earth at one time, night, day and between. So ever in verse 33, she'll seek to save his life. She'll lose it. And whosoever shall lose his life, she'll preserve it. What in the world does that mean? Does that mean that you can't save yourself. You'll lose your life trying to save your life. But if you lose your life of Christ, you'll preserve it because you'll have eternal life in heaven with him. That's very true. That's very true. Now some comment to Bible commentators say, that those who seek to save their life are those who are worldly look to the world for their gains. And that goes along with what are said. And then there are those who say, whoever shall lose his life, those who seek heavenly things. Well, that's also true, isn't it? But I'm going to give you the complete meaning of that verse, if you will, and shortly I will. But let's go back to the beginning of this context again. Back to verse 22, if you will, and he said unto his disciples, the days will come when you shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you shall not see it. And I believe he's talking to the nation of Israel specifically. They're going to go through seven years of tribulation. They're going to desire to see their Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, the true Messiah. But for seven years, they will not see it and it will be one long seven years and then there's going to be a lot of People calling themselves Christ. There is today in verse 25, but first he that's Christ First must he suffer many things and be rejected by this the present generation And also, most of the people during the generation of the seven-year tribulation now turn back to Revelation, if you will. Chapter 13 Remember what it said, those who seek to save their life shall lose it. And those who seek to lose their life shall save it. Revelation chapter 14, if you will. Look in verse 6, one more time. And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them to dwell on earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people. Let me ask you a question. Look up here. What's going to happen during the seven-year tribulation, if you believe the gospel? Golden torture. Well, if you do, they'll kill you, right? Now believe me, some many people are going to come out of the tribulation and go into the kingdom alive, physically. They're going to survive miraculously, God will preserve them. But anyone who does not take the mark of the beast will be beheaded. Look if you will. Let's see where do we want to go here. At verse 13, just one of the places. Let's go to verse 9. 9. Let's go to verse 9. Chapter 14. Looking verse 7 first, 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 in the fountain of waters. Verse 9 and the third angel followed them saying with a loud voice, if any man worshiped the beast and his mark and received his mark in his forehitter in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God which is poured out without mixture. And to the cup of his incarnation shall be tormented with fire and brimstone and the mark of their torment, ascended up forever, and they have no rest day and night, who worshiped the peace and whoever in his image and whoever received the mark of his name. And here is the patience of the saints. Here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. And then on down, if you will, verse chapter 15, and I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous seven angels having the seven last plagues for in them is filled up the wrath of God. And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire and them that had gotten the victory over the beast. Now hold your place, a sea of glass mingled with fire and then that had gotten victory over the beast. Hold your place. Go back to Luke chapter 17. Verse 33, who so ever shall seek to save his life, well how are you going to save your life during the seven-year tribulation? Go back to chapter 13 if you will. Let's do somebody say something. Well, not in this case, whose whoever shall seek to save his life sounds like it, sounds like it, but pay attention now, watch this. The anti-Christ, look at the will in verse 16, chapter 13, and he calls with all both small and great rich and poor, free and bond to receive a mark in their right hand or in their foreheads. And then no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark of the beast or the name of the beast or the number look up here for just a minute. Let me ask you a question. If you were living during the seven year tribulation, you can't buy or sell anything unless you have the mark of the beast. You can't go to the hospital unless you have the mark of the beast. You can't buy drugs for your pains or whatever you have unless you have the mark of the beast. You can't buy gasoline for your automobiles, you have the mark that you can't buy or sell anything. Now somebody is like, well, we'll just go underground. Oh, you think so? You know what will happen if you go underground and try to buy something from somebody that you think you don't ever know? They'll squeal on you. You won't be able to trust anybody. And we're getting close to that today. It won't be long before they're going to come banging in these doors here and complaining about the old preacher preaching against homosexuality and abortion. Mark it down, it'll happen. So you won't be able to buy anything or sell anything. You won't be able to buy or sell unless you have the mark of the beast. No man might buy or so if you're in business you can't sell anything. You can't sell anything unless you have the mark of the beast. And you know Satan would love to be doing that today and he's working pretty hard at it, he's using your government officials to do it, by the way. Your wonderful elected officials, and you know I get sick and tired of hearing about our government officials doing these evil things. You voted Baram. You deserve it. You aren't America. You voted for Obama. You deserve whatever he gives you. Amen. Give it to him, Lord. You voted for all these queers and perverts and and these people that cheat on their wife. You voted for them. Eric Spitzer, you went out and spent the thousands of taxpayer dollars to buy your prostitute and now you're on TV. You got to talk show. America, you voted for that idiot. You deserve it. You deserve whatever you're going to get. The sooner the better. I don't care if I start to death. I can't wait to see it come. I cannot wait to see this country pay for voting for who they voted for. For listening to these lousy idiot preachers have called Christ the liar. You listen to him, you go to his church, you give him money, you supporting. Look at this guy over here that has a Muslim speaking in his church. Doesn't even believe that Jesus Christ is God. Doesn't believe that he died on the cross. You asked for him, you got him, and look how many people go to that church. I saw a man over there right not a check to give to the Muslim. You're paying people to call Jesus Christ alive. I can't wait. It's coming. You can't buy or sell unless you have the mark of the beast or the number of his name. Look and Luke chapter 17, one more time, whosoever shall seek to save his life, shall lose it, once you take the mark, once you take the mark. See it's a political and a religious mark. During the seven-year termulations, they will be to like most churches today, you believe whatever you want. Ron gave me a paper last week on the Church of Christ, United Church of Christ, whatever they want to believe, they can believe. I don't know what to preach or preach at all. I really don't. But anyway, you seek to save your life. You're going to lose. There's a couple of answers here. Number one, if you seek to save your life by being religious, hang it up. If you seek to save your life by being good, but during the seven-year tribulation, they're going to seek to save their life by rejecting the gospel and accepting the mark of the beast. Let's look at the rest of that verse. Whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it. Let me ask you a question. How can you preserve your life by losing? I agree. What did he say? He said by being beheaded and not taking the mark of the beast. You see, once you put your faith in Christ and you believe the gospel, you cannot lose your life. Once you trust Jesus Christ, you cannot lose your life. You can lose this physical life, but not your eternal life. I wonder how many so-called Christians today would be willing to lose their life for Christ? That'd be a rough decision, wouldn't it? Many people have over the years. Many people still are. In China, a lot of people are offering up their lives to be a Christian over there, a lot of parts of the world. Unfortunately, the people in this country are so, I don't know, what's a word for it's so uh, ampered is a good word, I guess. They don't need Jesus. We don't need any. We don't need the gospel. Isn't that true? They give up meat for land, but they give up meat for land. Most Americans are worried about worldly things. worldly things. And most of it, most of it, they're taught that way. They're taught that, you know, whatever I remember talking to people, young people, we're going to get married one side. And I said, you know, you can't have what mom and dad did. You have to earn it. You have to work. So they got a bunch of credit cards. They were married two or three years, went out and bought a bunch of stuff on their credit cards. Then they got angry with each other because they couldn't afford to go out and enjoy life. They had bills to pay. Finally wound up up in the divorce as I told you. Why didn't you go to Goodwill or somewhere and get your furniture to start with? Why didn't you buy a used automobile? You know. Why don't you do the smart thing? Mom and dad, it took years to get what they got. Uncle John took him years to get what he got. He worked for it. He earned it. And so forth, enough of that stuff. Whosoever shall lose his life for the Lord Jesus Christ shall preserve it. Let's go back to Revelation and then we'll close. We'll go back to chapter 14 one more time. In chapter 14, verse 12, and we'll probably close with this verse. 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 lose their lives, but they preserve it. Notice that verse, blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from henceforth, ye see at the spirit that they may rest from their labor and their works do follow them. Isn't that amazing? And we're living pretty darn close to the seven-year tribulation in the rapture, or at least I hope so. I don't know if we are not, could be next week, could be today, could be a hundred years from now. I have no idea. But it sure would be nice if it came soon, because the way I see it, the sooner it happens, the sooner I get to be the Lord with the Lord and the sooner I get the watching judge this wicked crazy bird. My wife was watching TV this morning. I just remembered this and one of the commentators was making fun of another commentator who had a southern accent. Now what in the hack makes you any better than a person with a what is wrong with disgusting? I used to be hillbilly. Now I'm called a country wester because I'm up in the world. I'm a country westerner now. I'm not a hillbilly anymore. I'm an Appalachian mayor. That's good too. Anyway, in closing, I didn't bring my burning wall at the day, but you can't have everything. But there's only one way to avoid if the if the tribulation began today, the rapture takes place. There's only one way to avoid that, I'm sure you all heard this before. The Bible says we're all sinners, right? We are. This represents me, my sin. I can go to hell and pay for my own sin. God will allow me to do that. You know, people say, well, God won't let anybody go to hell. No, he doesn't want you to, but he'll let you. You ask for it. But anyway, I can go to hell and pay for it, or I can believe the very simple gospel. Christ died, was buried, and rose again for the forgiveness of sin. The Bible says all I have to do is believe it. Now John MacArthur will tell you that you've got to let Jesus the Lord of your life, but then John MacArthur is a liar. He's an idiot, doesn't know what he's talking about. Jesus is the Lord, and all you have to do to be saved is put your faith in it. That's a joke. And then when you do that, he's automatically the Lord of your life. You don't make him anything. He's God. Christ is God. You don't make him anything. He is what he is. But anyway, if you want to have eternal life, miss all the judgments, all you think is very simple, isn't it? Take your sin. Say, Lord, I believe you died on the cross from me. He marks it paid, and you have eternal life. How simple can you get? I've had two people lately that I witnessed two, so it sounds so simple. And I said, that's because it is. Only man makes it complicated, doesn't he? Let's have word of prayer, if you will, and both closes. Dear Lord, we just thank You for Your Word, the Bible, for most of all the Lord Jesus Christ and the cross of Calvary. And dear Lord, we just thank You for the opportunity to take Your Word, learn it, study it, and keep it in our hearts and minds, so that we have peace, joy, and contentment throughout our lives, knowing that my sins are paid, price is eternal, but is judgment's coming. And we just thank You for all these things in Christ's name. Okay. Okay, page 410.