The Greatest Issue in the Book of Revelation

Last week we surveyed the book of Revelation in 45 minutes and then added a few things in the next 30 minutes. Today we will continue in the book of Revelation, and on January 26 we will also have cybercasts, we'll have all three congregations together, also have another session, Bible study on the book of Revelation, in which we will cover some of the things that people really want to know about. They want to know about the seven spirits that we talked last time. Did John write a letter to an angel? What about the seven ears? Are there seven ears? Who is the beast? When will the beast appear? What about the marriage supper? We don't know the real answers to any of that, so we know some things in the general scheme. Today, the greatest issue in the book of Revelation, that's the title, the greatest issue in the book of Revelation, what is at the center of the conflict between the dragon and true Christians in the book of Revelation? The central issue. Have you ever focused on the remnant that is mentioned in Revelation 11 and verse 13? In conjunction with this, what is the greatest issue? Look at Revelation 11 and verse 13. I would imagine that most people have just read over this many, many times. In Revelation 11 and verse 13, in the same hour was there a great earthquake. See, this is after the two witnesses have been killed. There are bodies lying in the streets for three and a half years. The people, three and a half years, three and a half days. It would be quite a feat if it would be three and a half years. But anyhow, in the same hour was there a great earthquake. So this is after the three witnesses lie in the streets for three and a half days. The peoples of the world send gifts to one another, and they are really jubilant about it, saying those who tormented the earth. So they're blaming the two witnesses for what's been happening. So now that they're dead, they think, oh, we can really get on with it. And the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were a slain of men, seven thousand. And the remnant were affrighted and gave glory to God. The remnant were.

And they gave glory to God, so doubtlessly these people were converted people. The final conflict centers on a single word that appears over and over in the book of Revelation, especially chapters 13 and 14. Now, what is that word? Do you already know what the word is? That word is worship. Who are you going to worship? Are you going to worship the beast system, Satan, the beast, and the false prophet, the unholy triad, those three?

The word is worship. The most frequently used word for worship in Revelation is the Greek word proskuneuwe. It means to bow down, an act of submission to God's kingly sovereignty. The main reasons given for worshiping God in Revelation are God is worthy. He is eternal. He is sovereign. He is holy. He is the creator. He is the Redeemer. He is the judge, and His plan is coming to pass. All of these themes tie into the circumstances and purposes of the book. In Revelation chapter 4 and verse 10, Revelation 4 gives you a description of God's throne and the living beings that surround God's throne.

One verse of that was referenced in the sermonette. In verse 10, remember the key word worship, the four and twenty-four elders. There's been a lot of speculation about who are the four and twenty-four elders. I don't know, and nobody else knows on the earth today. What I believe about that is that some say, well, it's a picture of the completed church, 2 times 12. The four and twenty elders fall down before Him that sat on the throne and worship Him that lives forever and ever and casts their crowns before the throne saying.

So if they cast their crowns before the throne saying, crowns, of course, put on the heads of kings. So crowns are cast before God's throne just as Senate members and delegates from other communities in the empire, that is the Roman Empire, would do before Caesar to acknowledge His authority over them. So by casting the crowns before the throne of God, the twenty-four elders, this might be symbolic of all the kings of the earth that have ever lived, but they're round about the throne of God. So it's very difficult to say, well, who do these really symbolize?

But casting of the crowns was a common practice of the lesser ones, lesser than Caesar, in the days of the Roman Empire. Even the act of singing around the throne is a political parody. The emperors kept courtiers close at hand who were notorious for keeping up a perpetual course of praise, lauding Caesar, the emperor, day and night. So before the throne of God, we have these. The twenty-four elders fall down before Him that sat on the throne and worship Him that lives forever and ever, saying, you are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power, for You have created all things, and for Your pleasure they are and were created.

So that's one of the reasons for worshiping God, is that He is the Creator, and He is worthy to be worshiped, because if God had not created us, we would never exist. Most people have not yet figured that out. As stated in Revelation 19.12, He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He is sovereign over all the universe. In Revelation 13, the word worship is used quite a few times for the unholy triad of Satan the Devil, the beast, the false prophet.

In Revelation 13.4, we'll back up to verse 2, And the beast which I saw was likened to a leopard in his feet, whereas the feet of a bear in his mouth is the mouth of a lion, and the dragon, that's Satan the Devil, is identified in Revelation 12.9, that old serpent, the dragon, Satan the Devil, gave him his power and his seat in great authority.

So his power, his seat, his spiritual power, his miracle working power comes from Satan the Devil. Now in the book of Revelation, what is taking place toward the end of the age, of course, is Satan, the beast's power, and the false prophet are, in essence, mimicking the return of Jesus Christ. They're setting up their unholy kingdom, and all the world is going to worship them except, and we'll read that in just a moment. So the dragon gave him power and his seat in great authority, and I saw one of his heads, as it were, wounded to death, and his deadly wound was healed, and all the world wondered after the beast.

And they worshiped the dragon, they worshiped Satan the Devil, which gave power unto the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? So the question of worship, who are you going to worship? Verse 5, he has a mouth of blasphemy. He blasphemes against God. Verse 6, verse 7, he makes war against the saints and overcomes them. He has power given him over all kindreds and tongues and nations. It's a worldwide thing. And in verse 8, 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. Everybody whose names are not written in the Lamb's book of life, according to the Bible, are going to worship this system, Satan the Devil and the Beast.

Now in verse 12, let's say you don't want to worship the beast. Well, look at verse 12. And he exercises all the power of the first beast before him, causes the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast whose deadly wound was healed. And of course, the emperor of worship was common in the ancient world. The Caesars were worshipped. Then you notice, verse 13, He did great wonders, or he does, will do, great wonders, so that he makes fire come down from heaven on the earth and the sight of men. So a miracle-working power is not necessarily a sign that is of God. And deceives them that dwell on the earth by means of those miracles which he had power to do and the sight of the beast, saying to them that dwell on the earth that they should make an image of the beast which had the wound by a sword and did live. Parallel to this would be what happened in Daniel, where they made an image to Daniel, and the decree went out to Daniel to Nebuchadnezzar.

And the decree went out that everyone who would not fall down and worship the image would be cast into fiery furnace. And you know the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. So we have a similar kind of parallel here. And verse 14, Delivers them that dwell on the earth by means of those miracles which he had power to do and the sight of the beast, saying to them that dwell on earth that they should make an image to the beast which had the wound by the sword and did live.

And he had power to give life. And you can look up on the word life, and it's the word that is used for life, for giving life and breath, under the image of the beast. That the image of the beast should both speak and cause that as many as would not worship, the image of the beast should be killed. And he causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand or in their foreheads, that no man might buy or sell, say, he that had the mark or the name of the beast or the number of his name.

So we see clearly here that worship is at the heart of this. So they are forced to worship the image of the beast if they don't, they can't buy or sell, and they are killed. Now look at Revelation 14, Revelation 14 and verse 6. Revelation 14 and verse 6.

Revelation 14 you have what's called the three angels message. And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, saying, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and exactly how this is done and preached, I don't think anybody knows, because the Seventh-day Adventists had part of their doctrine of belief has to do with the seven, with the three angels message. So I saw this angel having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on earth, and to every nation and kindred and tongue and people. The gospel is going to be preached to every kindred, nation, tongue, and people. Saying with a loud voice, fear God, 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.

Once again, a reason for worshiping God is that he is the Creator, that he made it all. Eight times in chapters 13 and 14, attention is called to worship. It is the crucial word throughout the book of Revelation. Who are you going to worship? After the first six plagues are over, the first six trumpet plagues turn back to Revelation 9.

Revelation 9, verse 20. After the first six trumpet plagues are over, the rest of the men, which were not killed by these plagues, yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should worship devils and idols of gold, and silver and brass and stone and wood, which neither can see nor hear nor walk. It is a frightful thing to try to play this game of, if things get bad enough, then I'm going to do what I need to do.

I use the analogy of a rubber band. If you once had the Spirit of God, and you begin to drift away, and you can stretch that umbilical cord, as it were, but we're attached to our mother, Jerusalem above, the Church of Israel, we have the Holy Spirit as like our umbilical cord to God the Father, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit that emanates from the Father, proceeds from the Father. How far can you stretch that? You can stretch it so far, and after you stretch it so far, it snaps. And when it snaps, there is no way back. You can read about that in Hebrew 6.

We're not turning there now. See, after a period of time, people set their minds, and they go a different way. So, in this case, these people have witnessed the six trumpet plagues, the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues, repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils.

And idols of gold and silver and brass and stone, and of wood, which neither can see, nor hear nor walk, neither repented they of their murders, nor their sorceries, nor their fornication, nor their thefts. They just continue to go their own way. So, I was talking with someone before services about people who once knew the truth. And here they are. It seems they've gone. It's like they never knew the truth. And you say, well, what would it take? What would it take to bring them back? So, what would it take for the peoples of the world to turn to God?

Well, here's an example showing that even with the pouring out of these plagues, a lot of people do not come back. You can contrast the worship that we read about in Revelation 13, of worshiping the dragon Satan the beast with the worship of God. Now let's go to Revelation 15. Revelation 15, where we see these on the sea of glass, they're singing the victory song of Moses in verse 3. And in verse 4, Revelation 15.4, So we know the scripture there in Zechariah 14, that if Egypt doesn't come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles, then they shall have no reign.

So all nations are at least going to play church during the millennium. But as we know, and we talked about last time, that at the end of the thousand years, Satan is loose for a little season. He goes out and deceives the nations, and great multitudes come up against the city of God after Satan's final rebellion. In Revelation 22, verse 9, one of the final admonitions here with regard to worship God, Revelation 22, verse 9, Then he said unto me, This is the angel that brought the message, the revelation, to John. Remember that chain of revelation? God the Father, Jesus Christ, the angel, and John. In verse 8, John tries to worship this being that brought the message.

We heard about that in the sermonette. John, the messenger, refused the worship of John. Verse 9, Then said he unto me, This messenger that brought the revelation, See you do it not, for I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book.

Worship God. Don't worship me. Worship God. So clearly, worship provides the main conflict of the book of Revelation. The contrast between those who worship God and those who worship the beast. God will not tolerate false worship.

So the story revolves around the theme and is punctuated often by scenes of true worship. We have noted the scene in Revelation 15, John here in Revelation 22. At the end of this age, the testing for the world is centered on the matter of whom are you going to worship. Worship that is acceptable to God has historically been at the center of man's relationship to God. Worship that is acceptable to God has historically been at the center of man's relationship to God. Cain and Abel were divided on the issue of worship. Cain killed Abel because his, quote, worship, his offering was not accepted. On Mount Carmel, the issue was worship, where Elijah came up.

There was a confrontation between the priests of Baal and Elijah. Elijah cried out to Israel and said, How long will you halt between two opinions? Are you going to worship Satan and his priests, or are you going to worship God? So, as already noted, we haven't yet talked about this. This was mentioned too in the sermonette, I believe. In Matthew 4, let's turn there. In Matthew 4, when Satan tempted Jesus in the desert after he was baptized by John, the crucial issue, the main issue, first of all, he had turned the stones into bread, the second was to jump off the temple, and the other one was, look out here at the kingdoms of the world.

If you'll bow down and worship me, I will give you all these kingdoms. So, in Matthew 4, verse 8, Again, the devil takes him up into an exceeding high mountain, shows him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them, and he said unto him, All these things will give you, if you will fall down and worship me. So, this question from the Garden of Eden to the present time, who are you going to worship? Then said Jesus unto him, Get you from here, Satan, for it is written, You shall worship the eternal your God, and him only shall you serve.

Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and ministered unto him. Paul warns us that those who do not love the truth will be sent grand delusion, that they should believe the lie. And what lie is it? Let's turn there. 2 Thessalonians 2. As I said earlier, what's happening in the book of Revelation, and 2 Thessalonians adds a lot to it, 2 Thessalonians 2.

What's happening in the book of Revelation is that the satanic system of the beast and false prophet, led by Satan the devil, energized, empowered by Satan the devil, tries to give the world and deceives the whole world into worshipping them and causing them to believe that this is the kingdom of God. In 2 Thessalonians 2, verse 3, Let no man deceive you by any means, don't let it happen to you. For that day shall not come, except there come an apostasia. That's the Greek word for falling away, a false teaching, a falling away departing from the truth, that the man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped, so that he as God sits in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.

And as we read from Revelation 13, everybody whose names are not written in the Lamb's book of life worships Satan, the beast, and the system. Pick it up again in verse 9, Even him whose coming is after the working of Satan, with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish, because they receive not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

And if you don't love the truth, the truth, don't let anybody lead you away with fables or legends or any such thing, or get you involved emotionally to come to conclusions that are not proven from sound doctrine, with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish, because they receive not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause, God shall send them strong delusion that they should believe the lie. There's no indefinite article in Greek. The lie. What's the lie? Well, the lie is that this one who's sitting in the temple of God, claiming that he is God and receiving worship, believing that that's true.

And God then sends them strong delusion because they did not love the truth. The focus of Satan's wrath in Revelation 12, verse 17, let's turn there. The focus of Satan's wrath. Who is it on? In Revelation 12, Satan is cast down. We talked about verse 11 last time. They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb. By the word of their testimony, they love not their lives until the death. Therefore, rejoice, you heavens, and you that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea, for the devil has come down, and you having great wrath, because he knows he has but a short time. And when the dragon saw that he was cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man-shot. Well, of course, woman can represent a nation. In the first part of the chapter, a woman brought forth a man-child. Of course, Mary was the mother of Jesus Christ. Mary was from Israel. And then, of course, woman can represent the Church of God. Now, Satan is going to go after the woman. What woman does he go after? What is the trademark of the woman that he goes after? So we continue here. Verse 14, The woman were given two wings of great eagle that she might fly into the wilderness into her place. So exactly where this place is, that's another big point. Well, where is the place of safety? Is it Petra? Well, you can't prove it from the Bible. I sat by Mr. Armstrong in faculty dining there back in 1990... not 1990, 1982 or four, somewhere along in there, and he's on his way to Jordan. And I talked about, I said, well, some of these ministers are talking about Petra as a place of safety. And I said, well, I've never said that Petra was a place of safety and all of that. But I have said, if the Bible reveals a place, maybe that's it. You know, in today's world, with the smart bombs, the missiles and all of that, I don't care where you go. I mean, you're not going there as a special place because you can be, quote, hide out in a cave. Now, those things that look like a cave in Petra are tombs that the Nabataeans carved out to bury the dead. And they left a hole there so the evil spirits could get out after they were placed in there. But exactly where this place is, you don't know. I don't know, but I can pretty well prove that it's not Petra. But anyhow, we're not going into that. There is a place where she is nourished for three and a half years from the face of the serpent. The serpent cast out his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood, flood representing an army. And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth and swallowed up the flood, which the dragon cast out of his mouth. So here is supernatural intervention on the part of God. And the dragon was mad with the woman and went to make war with the remnant. Remember that remnant we read about in Revelation 11, verse 13? To make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. The testimony of Jesus Christ is His word, His actions, everything that He stands for, and what He is.

We have that written on our inward parts, hopefully. So the goal of the Antichrist is a so-called New World Order, a so-called global community, utopia on earth. And whether you like it or not, you will participate, or God will supernaturally protect you, or whatever, as we have seen here.

I don't know how that got messed up, but anyhow, maybe the rest of the sermon is blank.

The Antichrist system will control everything. Religion, jobs, economics, politics, education, government, police, military, banks, communications, entertainment, a cashless society, a universal monetary system, and a one-world religion under the Antichrist, the false prophet.

The system will wrap its tentacles around virtually every person on the earth, just like you might be gobbled up in a spider's web, or if you could get down and play with an octopus, and they would wrap their tentacles around you, every person on earth except those who know and do the truth.

Today's technology is tracking the movements of millions of animals using microchips the size 1-20th of a grain of rice, implanted in the skin with a small needle, holding information equivalent to 20,000 pages.

Canada has approved it for cattle. The European community requires all livestock be implanted with microchips.

In Colorado Springs and other cities of America, microchips are replacing dog and cat tags.

In a world where cash is eliminated and every financial transaction is done electronically, not only the credit cards can be used, but also your microchip number, retinal readers, your eyes, voice recognition systems, signature dynamics.

These tips don't need batteries. They have a little coil and a pre-programmed number all encapsulated in glass.

This can be inserted under your skin with a special hypodermic needle. It won't get infected and you will hardly know it's there.

But scanning devices will know it's there. It could be used to tie into your bank accounts or whatever they want it to do.

In the future, they can perfect this so it can actually be your smart card.

In a world where cash is eliminated and every financial transaction is done electronically, not only the credit cards can be used, but also your microchip number and so on.

In 1935, the Social Security Program and the brainchild of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, whomever all advised him, was enacted as a simple retirement system to be funded by payroll contributions.

In 1974, the Senate Finance Committee issued a Social Security card to every child entering the first grade.

Time Magazine of March 13, 1972, commenting, said, You can hardly do anything today without your Social Security number.

If you want to get your driver's license, get a social number.

If you want to get a card in your name, it's the Social Security number.

If you want to get a loan, they're going to ask for your Social Security number.

If you want to get a credit card, they're going to ask for your Social Security number. In 1989, a law was passed that every child over two years of age must have a Social Security number to qualify as a dependent on tax returns.

Now a program has been implemented that when a baby is born, a hospital will automatically apply for the Social Security number. The name of the program is Enumeration at Birth, and to enumerate means to assign a number. The mark of the beast will probably have a combination of two components, a physical means of identification as indicated by, no man might buy or sell safe he that had the mark or the name of the beast and the number of his name, and it will have a religious, spiritual basis as well, that is, you must worship. So it is a combination of church and state system. As we read from Revelation 13.15, he had power to give life unto the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.

In the final analysis, their worship is the mark by which they are identified. Those who refuse to worship will be exposed by their refusal to perform this idolatrous act of obeisance to a false worship system. The mark of the beast is not a visible writing, just as the seal of God's servants is not done in writing.

Look at Ezekiel 9. Ezekiel 9 should give us some insight with regard to a mark and a sign, but the most important part of this is yet to go. We're setting the background and what it means more in the spiritual, religious sense.

In Ezekiel 9, verse 1, he cried also in mighty ears with a loud voice, saying, Causing them that have charge over the city to draw near, even every man with his destroying weapon in his hand. And so, behold, six men came from the way of the inner gate, which lies toward the north, every man, a slaughter weapon in his hand. And one man among them was clothed with the linen with a rider's inkhorn by his side, and they went and stood beside the brazen altar. And the glory of the God of Israel, that's the presence of God, was gone up from the carob, whereupon he was to the threshold of the house. And he called to the man clothed with the linen, which had the rider's inkhorn by his side. And the Lord said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and cry, for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.

And to the others, he said in my hearing, Go you after him through the city, and smite, let not your eyes fair, neither have you pity, slay utterly old and young, both maids and little children, and women, but come not near any man upon whom is the mark, and began at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men, which were before the house. And he said unto them, Defiled the house, filled the courts with a slain, Go you forth, and they went forth, and slew you in the city. And it came to pass, while they were slaying them, I was left, that I fell on my face and cried, and said, Ah, Lord God, will you destroy all the residue of Israel in the pouring out of your fury upon Jerusalem? And he said unto me, The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceeding great, and the land is full of blood, and the city full of perverseness. For they say, The Lord hath forsaken the earth, and the eternal seas naught. That's basically where things stand in this world today. That God is not recognized. He's not even a part of their deliberations. They're being basically the Western world. Now, on the other hand, in the world of Islam, they are led in a spiritual sense, and they believe that they're fighting a spiritual war, holy warfare, jihad. And they're waging it with every facet of their being. In contrast, now we go to Revelation 14. So Satan's system puts a mark on the forehead or on the hand. You have to have the name or the number to the mark to buy and sell.

In Revelation 14, we see here of God-marking people so that they will not be slain those who sigh and cry for the abominations. It is a time to be concerned, and many voices are crying out.

Sadly, in one sense, some of the voices that are not associated with the Church of God are crying out in a greater and more urgent way than many of us are.

In Revelation 14.1, it looked in lower lambs stood on Mount Zion, with 144,000 having his father's name written in their foreheads. So Satan tries to counterfeit what the Bible says about God-marking people in their forehead. Revelation 12.17 identifies the two principal characteristics of true believers. We've already read that. They obey the commandments of God, and they hold the testimony of Jesus.

The testimony of Jesus, as we've stated, is the record, the witness that consists of the words and actions of Jesus, the words of life.

Now we turn to the characteristics of the faithful remnant at the end of the age, and that is, the remnant keeps the commandments of God. And we've read that from Revelation 12.17 and also Revelation 14.12.

This characteristic of the commandments, such as the prohibition against stealing, are commonly acknowledged. It is pertinent to ask whether Revelation narrows the focus of conflict to one or more commandments in particular.

And I believe we shall see that this is indeed the case. Does the focus on worship call our attention to any commandments in particular? Well, if you're talking about worship, and we have seen that it is about worship, the conflict, if you don't worship that system, you're killed unless your name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life.

And everyone whose names are not written in the Lamb's Book of Life will worship the system.

So attention is drawn to the commandments. Satan pursues those who keep the commandments, especially the first four commandments. The first four commandments are called the first table of the law. Write that down. The first four commandments are called the first table of the law. The last six commandments are called the second table of the law. The first table of the law, the first four commandments, are directly concerned with our relationship to God and with worship.

OK, commandment number one. You shall have no other gods before you. God is a jealous God. You shall have no other gods before. The second one. You shall not make unto you any graven image. Of course, they make an image to the beast. Third, you shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.

Number three. Number four, remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Because on this day, God made the heavens and the earth and everything therein, and he rested on the seventh day. And he goes on to say, this is the commandment with promise, and it has to do with having your life long here on the earth. So the first table of the law has to do directly with our relationship with God. So they will probably try to force obedience to the first table of the law. The first four commandments as well. So the first commandment says, and we'll rehearse that again, you shall have no other gods before me. But the beast in Revelation 13 takes the place of God by receiving worship of himself.

So we turn there to Revelation 13. Revelation 13, once again, verse 4. And they worshiped the dragon, which gave power to the beast. So they worshiped the devil. Verse 8. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose name is not written in the book of the life of the lamb slain from the foundation of the world. So that's violation of commandment number one. You shall have no other gods before you. The second commandment warns against the worship of images. Yet the beast raises up an image to be worshiped. Look at verse 14. And deceives them to dwell on the earth by means of those miracles which he had power to do, and decided the beast, saying to them to dwell on the earth that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by his sword and did live, and he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, because that as many as would not worship the image, violation of commandment number two.

Then, the third commandment, you shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, or you shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain. You look at Revelation 13.5, and there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and powers was given unto him to continue forty-two months.

So he speaks blasphemies against God.

So he takes the name of God in vain.

The fourth commandment says, Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy, yet the nominal world of Christendom keeps sending the first day of the week.

Ancient covenant tablets and contract documents were stamped in the center with a seal of ownership and authority.

Let's turn now to Exodus chapter 20. We've been quoting from there with regard to the first four commandments.

In Exodus chapter 20, we should have already turned there, I guess, in Exodus chapter 20, and we should have already turned there.

The ten commandments follow the form of ancient covenant tablets, so we should not be surprised to find that they too have a seal of ownership and authority in the center, the Sabbath commandment. Exodus 20 verse 11.

So let's read here Exodus 20 verse 11. We have sort of paraphrased it.

For in six days the eternal may heaven and earth, the sea and all that in them is, all that heaven, earth, sea, the whole universe, everything that is alive and rested, and that word rested is Shabbat, which means kept Sabbath, wherefore the eternal blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. He made it holy.

The reason for the worship, of course, is the fact that God is the creator of heaven and earth, and all that in them is. He set aside the Sabbath. He sanctified it. He made it holy. He rested on the Sabbath.

So let's read verse 10 through 11.

But the Sabbath day is the Sabbath of the eternal your God. In it you shall not do any work, you nor your son or your daughter, your manservant, nor the maidservant, nor the cattle, nor the stranger that is within your gates.

For in six days the eternal made heaven and earth, and all that in them is and he, Shabbat, rested, kept Sabbath.

Wherefore the eternal blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.

Now you go to Genesis chapter 2.

Genesis chapter 2.

After God created the heavens and the earth and all that in them is, of course this is recreation in Genesis chapter 1.

But after this act of recreating and creating humankind, remember the Sabbath day was made for man and not man for the Sabbath.

So we look at Genesis chapter 2 verse 1. And on the seventh day God ended his work, which he had made, and he Shabbath, kept Sabbath, rested on the seventh day, from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because that in it he had rested Shabbath, kept Sabbath, from all his work which God created and made. So what did the Sabbath day do? It reveals God as physical creator. It reveals God as spiritual creator because the law, the commandments, are holy just right and good. That's Romans 7.14.

So God is identified as the creator of heaven and earth and all that is therein.

He also is the author, creator of the Sabbath, which he made for man, to continually renew that relationship and that mark, that seal, between God and man. This concept of a seal is important to God. Now let's look at Exodus 31.

So I see here that I am at point 65, and I have 60 more to go.

We have 13 minutes, so we won't get there completely.

In Exodus 31, what we're talking about here to death is, and obviously, life and death matters. Life and death matters, and it seems that the irony of so much of what has happened in the world is that people tend to go to sleep, as the case of the virgins in Matthew 25, bury their heads in the sand, escape, pretend that all things continue as from the beginning, as in 2 Peter 3. Here we are in Exodus 31, verse 13.

And it goes on talking about what they can do.

So in the book of Ephesians, we look there in Ephesians, we see that we are already sealed to some degree.

Ephesians 1, verse 13.

But now, as Jesus Christ, but now in Jesus Christ, you who sometimes were afar off are made nigh by the blood of Jesus Christ.

In verse 19, Now therefore you are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and of the household of God.

You are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ being the chief cornerstone, in whom the building is fitly framed together into a holy temple in the Lord.

So here we are. We are the temple of God, and we have been sealed by the Holy Spirit.

Look in verse 13 of chapter 1.

In whom you also trusted after that you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also after that you believed, you were sealed with that Holy Spirit a promise.

Now in the book of Revelation, we go there in Revelation 7 and verse 3. Before the trumpet plagues are unleashed, 144,000 are sealed, and they are protected from the trumpet plagues.

In Revelation 7 and verse 3, saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.

So the mark of the covenant and the mark of the seal is very important to God.

The unholy triad of Satan, the beast, and the false prophet offer a counterfeit seal as well as the mark of the beast.

So all four commandments in the first table of the law come under attack by Satan and the satanic system.

The first table of the law, the first commandment, the first four commandments, they are at the heart, they are at the center of the battle between the dragon and the remnant, the true believers, those whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life.

So this emphasis on the first four commandments is underlined in other ways.

Followers of the beast are marked on the forehead or on the hand.

This concept recalls that many Jews considered to be the most important text in the Bible, Deuteronomy 6.4 and Deuteronomy 6.5, having to do with writing of the law of God.

So at the end of this age, we see that the table of the law will be at the heart and core.

Let's go to Deuteronomy 6, verse 4.

Let's see that we will have to save the second table of the law, which is really more the part, in one sense, that I wanted to get to for us today, because as you're turning there, he that hath an ear to hear let him hear.

What has the church mainly emphasized for the past since the 1920s to the present time, 70 plus 12, 82 years, if you round it off, we have mainly emphasized the first table of the law.

Now, of course, we've emphasized the second table to some degree as well.

But to a large degree, we have preached that first table of the law.

On the other hand, you look at what the world has done, and the world is mainly focused on the second table of the law, and has done all kinds of great works, and many of which are to be commended.

But as it says in Matthew 7, many will come to me in that day and say, Lord, Lord, have we not done all these wonderful works in your name?

And he will say, depart from me, you workers of iniquity. I never knew you.

So obviously, you have to put both tables together.

As I see it now, what God has been doing for the past at least two or three decades has been testing us on the second table of the law.

That is our relationship with one another.

Remember, Jesus Christ summarized the whole law.

They came to him and said, Master, what is the greatest commandment in the law?

And Jesus answered and said unto them, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, and soul.

The second is like unto it, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. First table, second table, and on these two, hang all the law and the prophets.

A whole bottle of wax is right there in the first and second table of the law.

In Deuteronomy 6, verse 4, Here O Israel, the Eternal, our God, is one Lord, called the Shema.

This is not speaking numerically in monotheism as the Jews proclaimed, but even some of the Jewish scholars now recognize and admit that is the case.

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your might.

In these words, which I command you this day, shall be in your heart, and you shall teach them diligently unto your children.

You shall walk at them when you sit in your house, when you walk in the way, when you lie down, when you rise up.

And you shall bind them for a sign upon your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.

So as a sign upon your hand and frontlet between your eyes.

So the beast and his system mimics that. But those who have the Spirit of God have a one-up on that.

If you go now to Hebrews chapter 8. In Hebrews chapter 8, see, if you are led by the Spirit of God and have the Spirit of God, then this is the case. Hebrews 8.10.

Hebrews 8.10. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days.

It says, The Eternal, I will put my laws into their mind, so the mind is here, and the forefront of the brain is the main thinking area.

I will put my laws in their mind and write them in their hearts, and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people.

So, brethren, the world is going to be tested to a large degree on the first four commandments.

It seems that we have emphasized the first four commandments. Have we done them perfectly?

Well, I don't think anybody has done the commandments. We kept them perfectly.

But now I think the test for us is on the last six, especially.

You have to do both tables of the law.

Like Christ said, Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, and soul.

That's the first and great.

The second shall I come to it. You shall love your neighbor as yourself on these two.

Hang all the law and the prophets.

So this great test, the great issue in the book of Revelation is, who are you going to worship?

A great test in the first table of the law.

And then, of course, the second table.

You can't have one without the other.

You can't do all the great works and leave this undone over here.

You have to put the whole package together.

And hopefully, we are learning.

And it made great strides.

I believe we have in this congregation.

I believe other congregations are doing the same of that second table of the law, in which we put the whole package together. And we do become true servants of the living God, in which we do humble ourselves before God and one another.

So, brethren, I hope that we have the message clear, a great issue.

And the book of Revelation is worship.

And the first commandment tells us you shall have no other gods before you.