Have You Sold The Angels Short

Today we're going to leave the world of Democrats and Republicans and everything else behind and focus on angels. Have you sold the angels short? That's the title. Have you sold the angels short? What do you think about angels? Are they cute little caribs with wings? Is that what you think? Sometimes people will say when a person dies, I guess God needed one more angel. No, we don't become angels when we die. Our calling is much higher than that of the angels. We're going to be sons and daughters of God, existing on the God plane as born spirit members of the family of God. Yet we should ask the question, have we sold the angels short? Let's go now to Job 38 verse 6. We see how ancient the angels really are in that they existed before God created the physical world. Job just before Psalms and Job 38.

Job 38 and verse 6 will begin.

Let's begin in 4. Where were you, God speaking to Job, when I laid the foundation of the earth, declare, if you have understanding, who has laid the measure thereof? If you know, or who has stretched the line upon it? Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened in? Who laid the cornerstone thereof? When you think about the earth out there in space, it's revolving on its axis. It is going around the sun. What a fantastic thing that is. And to say that that happened by chance millions of years ago is beyond credulity, beyond belief. Now, whereupon are the foundations fastened? Well, God did it. When the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy. So the angels were on the scene when God created the physical universe. And so the angels are very ancient. They have been helping God so many, many decades. In fact, centuries, millennia.

So we ask the question, are we selling the angels short? Jesus Christ in the flesh was made a little lower than the angels. The word angel in the Old Testament, in the Hebrew, is malak. In fact, the book of Malachi is a form of that word, malak. And it has the meaning of messenger. Malak is a messenger. But it is due in one sense in that malak can refer to a spirit being or a human being. Now notice this. The word is translated angel 111 times in the Old Testament. It is translated 98 times as messenger and 4 times as ambassador for 214 times. And that may not be exact, but that is close to it. In the New Testament, the Greek word angelos is parallel to malak. And it is translated as angel 179 times, 7 times as messenger for a total of 186 times. So you see that the word angel is used in the Bible about 400 times. Remember, one of the most important set of verses is found in Exodus 23 and verse 20. So let's go back there and identify this. So we also know this and know that we know it in Exodus 23 and verse 20. We shall begin Exodus 23 and verse 20. Behold, I send an angel, and in this case you see angel is capitalized before you to keep you in the way. The reason why it's capitalized, of course it is referring to Jesus Christ. And note this in particular. And to bring you into the place where I have prepared, Beware of him and obey his voice. Provoke him not, for he will not pardon your transgression, for my name is in him. Two very important things that shows that Jesus Christ has the power to forgive sin, which is also found in the New Testament, and also that God's name is in Jesus Christ. So sometimes Yahweh, the ever living one, the one who was, who is, who is to come, can refer to God the Father or to Jesus Christ. This one is also called the angel of God's presence. And then you notice that His name is in him, that is, God's name is in him. But if you shall indeed obey the voice and do all that I speak, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary under your adversaries. For mine angels shall go before you and bring you into the Amorites, Hittites, and all those Canaanite tribes, and I will cut them off. And then we read in 1 Corinthians 10 and 4 that the rock that Israel followed into the Promised Land was Jesus Christ. So we know for sure. Then we go to Isaiah 63 and verse 9. In Isaiah 63 and verse 9, we also see this term that is used for the one who became Jesus Christ as the angel of God's presence.

Isaiah 63 verse 9, In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence stayed them or saved them in his love and in his pity he redeemed them. In other words, he saved them. He brought them back, and he bared them and carried them all the days of old until they were settled in the Promised Land. And I gave you the New Testament reference of 1 Corinthians chapter 10 and verse 4.

So Jesus Christ was made a little lower than the angels as a human being. He was subject to everything that a human being is subject to. But of course, he has now been resurrected. He sits at the right hand of the Father as our high priest making intercession for us.

Angels can appear as human beings. The first time that angels are mentioned in Scripture is found in Genesis 19 and verse 1. So let's go there, Genesis 19 and verse 1. We see here where men, angels are referred to as men. There came two angels to Sodom at evening. So it's the time of sunset. The sun is going down. And Lot sat in the gate of Sodom. And Lot, seeing them, rose up to meet them and lowered himself and his face toward the ground. And he said, Behold now, my lords, turn and I pray you into your servant's house and wait all night and wash your feet. And you shall rise up early and go your way. And they said no, but we will abide in the street all night. And he insisted. And then the people of the city pressed upon them and wanted to get to them and, of course, to Sodomize them because new flesh had come to town. And so these two angels here appeared as human beings. Perhaps we have all had encounters with angels that we're not aware of. Be not forgetful. This is Hebrews 13, verse 2. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Perhaps all of you, as I've said, had an encounter with an angel. I remember back in the 71, 72, somewhere along in there, we were at the feast in Europe. We started off in Switzerland. Then we went to France and we came into Bordeaux. This is about sunset. And we didn't know where anything was. And I got out of the car and wondered, which way am I going to turn? We haven't reserved housing. And then suddenly a woman appears. And a woman says, what are you looking for, sir? And I said, I'm looking for the office of tourism. She said, follow me. So we walked about. It was about a half a block. We walked and she said, it's across the street there. And then I turned around and no one was there. And of course we went ahead and I went ahead to the office of tourism and made reservations. We had with us at that time two young girls, our daughters. And so that was a wonderful encounter. Whether that was an angel or not, I don't know, but I've had other such experiences. And probably you have too. Jacob encounters angels in his famous Jacob's Ladder. If we turn now to Genesis chapter 28. In chapter 28 of Genesis, we find in the first verse here, And Isaac called Jacob and blessed him and charged him and said unto him, You shall not take a wife with the daughters of Canaan. Of course, Ishmael had done that. Ishmael really broke the heart of Abraham. Hagar broke the heart of Sarah when he took one of the daughters of Ishmael for a while. Then we come down to verse 12.

And behold, the Lord stood above it and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham, your father. Actually, Abraham was his grandfather. He was the son of Isaac. Jacob was the son of Isaac. And the God of Isaac, The land whereof you lie, to you will I give it and to your seed. So the angels serve here as a medium of communication, is what one commentator writes, Between heaven and earth, which messengers pass to and fro on errands of mercy. But over the years, of course, heaven and earth has been separated from mankind by sin, and we have to be redeemed and brought back. Note in John chapter 1 and verse 51. John 1 and verse 51. In John 1 and verse 51. We see somewhat of a parallel scripture. Hereafter you shall see heaven open and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the son of man. Now, the son of man was one of the honorific titles that was given to Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ used that title very often. It seemed that he really liked to use the title because it depicted his humanity and his humility. In Genesis, it serves to bring Jacob into communication with God and teaches the emphatic lesson that he is to be accepted through a mediator. Of course, angels do not mediate between us and God at the present time. There is one mediator between God and man, as it says in 1 Timothy chapter 2, verse 2 and 3. There is one mediator between God and man, and that man is Jesus Christ. He is our high priest. He is seated at the right hand of the Father in Heaven, as we have noted. Note also in this encounter, and we read it, and we look at it once again, that it is reiterated by God that the land that you lie upon is the same land that God promised to Abraham. So it is a renewal of that. He reveals himself as the Lord, the God of Abraham, your Father, and of Isaac.

Abraham is the covenant Father, and God renews the promise of the land, of the seed, and of the blessings in that seed for the whole race of man. So eventually, that area will be the abode of those who were born into the family of God in the city of the New Jerusalem. So Jacob's Ladder is something we should really consider because there are all kinds of folk stories about it, and even songs about climbing Jacob's Ladder. But Jacob's Ladder is symbolic of the passageway being opened to God and for God to bless Jacob. And Jacob wrestled with God, and because of his determination to not let him go, he was blessed. And Jacob's name was changed. Jacob means supplanter, those who supplant. And that refers to he supplanted, in a sense, Esau and attained the birthright. But now his name is no longer supplanter, but his name is Israel, which means prince with God or prince of God. Of course, Jacob had his problems, but he was a very determined and persistent as one of the patriarchs. And when you look at the patriarchs, it's Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. So his name was changed to Israel, meaning prince of God, a ruling with God. And he is listed as one of the patriarchs, one of the founding fathers of the nation of Israel. I guess so, because Jacob had 12 sons, and those 12 sons became the 12 tribes of Israel. God was in the midst of the angels when he gave the law to Israel at Sinai. God is, the angels are present in so many big events that have happened. Now let's get in Revelation chapter 5.

Revelation chapter 5, beginning in verse 8, we get a glimpse of how wonderful, how numerous the angels really are. Revelation chapter 5. Revelation chapter 5 deals with who is worthy to open the seals. And of course, Jesus Christ is the one who is worthy. And then we come to verse 8 in Revelation 5 verse 8. And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and 24 elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps and golden vials full of odors, which are the prayers of saints. Notice that, that taken the book of the four beasts and the 24 elders of the Lamb. So they capture the prayers, and it is as incense. It is a sweet-smelling odor in the nostrils of God. And they sang a new song saying, you are worthy to take the book and to open the seals thereof, for you are slain and have redeemed us to God by the blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation. So God is a universal God. Jesus Christ died universally for all peoples, regardless of race, creed, color, ethnic origin, language, any of that. And it has made us kings and priests, and we shall reign on the earth. And behold, I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne, and the beasts and the elders and the number of them were ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands.

Seems like you can't count how many angels there really are. And every creature which is in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and such as are in the sea and all that are in them, I heard I say, blessing and honor and glory and power, be under the one that sits on the throne and unto the Lamb forever and ever. And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped Him that lives forever and ever.

At times, God used the fallen angels, the demons, to carry out His will. So remember that there are fallen angels. In Revelation 12, it talks about how the dragon's tail drew a third part of the angels. So you have thousands and thousands mentioned here in Revelation 5, and Satan's tail, the dragon's tail, drew a third of the angels. So that would be a lot of angels, a lot of demons, and lots and lots of demons. And sometimes God uses these demons to try, as you heard in the sermon, to try and test human beings and also to carry out His will, which is really a test for a person or a nation. In Psalm 78 verse 49, if you want to go there, Psalm 78 and verse 49, He cast upon them the fierceness of His anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble by sending evil angels among them.

As you recall from James chapter 2, that the demons, the devils, believe and tremble. They know that God exists, and they know that their days are numbered, because of an encounter in the Gospels where Jesus Christ was approaching these demons, and He says, have you come to torment us before our time? So God uses these fallen angels, the demons at times, to carry out His will.

Now, let's note the overriding purpose of angels. In this case, we want to turn to Hebrews chapter 1, Hebrews chapter 1 and verse 5. The overriding, the principle reason why angels were created. Remember, we established from Job 38 and verse 7 that the angels were in existence when God created the physical universe. So in Hebrews chapter 1, the principle overriding reason why God created the angels, for under which of the angels said, He at any time, you are my Son, this day have I begotten you. See, begettle and birth emphasizes just that, that you're begotten of the essence of the Father, and then you're brought to birth. Whereas the angels were created beings, and they never were promised sonship. So which of the angels said He at any time? You are my begotten Son.

And again, I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to me a Son. He never did. He never did promise that to the angels. And again, when He brings in the first begotten, that's Jesus Christ, into the world, He says, and let all the angels of God worship Him. So angels worship God in Christ. They were created by God in Christ. They were created with free will. They were created with the ability to choose which way they will go.

Now let's look at verse 10. You, Lord, in the beginning have laid the foundation of the earth. See, the angels were there, and they shouted for joy when that happened. And the heavens are the works of your hands. They shall perish, but you shall remain, and they shall all wax old as does a garment. And as the best you shall, you fold them up, and they shall be changed. But you are the same, and the years shall not fall or fail. So God is going to give the current earth a new vesture, a makeover, new heavens and a new earth. So now we see, once again, reiterated the overriding purpose of angels. But to which of the angels said He at any time? Sit on my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool, or are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister to the heirs of salvation? See, we are heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ. That's what it says in Romans chapter 8. So we see clearly from Hebrews 1.13-14 the overriding purpose of angels. People wonder if God is really watching over His children. Is God watching over you right now through His angels? Or is God watching over you? You remember that Satan quoted Psalm 91.11, and he quoted it in the sense, I'm not turning to Matthew 4, after Jesus Christ was baptized in River Jordan, He was driven into the wilderness where He passed 40 days and 40 nights, and the devil came to Him, testing Him, trying Him, tempting Him, and one of the verses he quoted is Psalm 91.11, for He shall give His angels charge over you to keep you in all your ways. And so Jesus Christ quoted Scripture right back and said, It is written, You shall not tempt the Lord your God. See, God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempts any man. Once again, as you heard in the sermonette. And so we have here that Satan is trying to get God, or Christ, to jump off this preface, and to see if God will save Him.

And then Jesus Christ makes the response. Don't tempt God. So we won't get on top of this building and say, Well, I've read Psalm 91 verse 11, and I'm going to jump off this building and see if God will catch me. We don't do that.

And we know better. The good angels are God's helpers to help Him in accomplishing His great plan of salvation from the creation of the earth. And through all creation, God has designed a purpose to bring sons and daughters to glory in His family.

So at any time a trial or a test comes to us, we must always justify God. Well, God, I'm going through this trial now. Is God treating me unfairly? No. We justify God. We judge ourselves. Because we are the ones that are imperfect, not God.

So we are to, when the trial or the test or the temptation comes, we don't blame God. We judge ourselves. The angels even play a role in burning the tears. Now if you'll turn to Matthew 13, 36, I found this very interesting. Sometimes you can read the passages of Scripture over and over for years and years, and then something hits you, and I just really never focused altogether on this. In Matthew 13 and verse, we'll start in...

I'm not going to cover the whole parable, so we'll start in 29. But he said, no, lest while we gather up the tears, because he'd been asked the question, don't you want us to gather up the tears and get rid of them, you root up also the wheat with them. So sometimes a person in the congregation may be going awry. The pastor needs to know about it, and he can deal with it. But it doesn't necessarily mean that he is going to toss them out on their ear, as they say, because he may be patient, loving, kind, and give them an opportunity to grow. But notice this. Let both grow together until the harvest, and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather you together first the tears and bind them in the bundles to burn, but gather the wheat into my barn. You see, the angels play a role in gathering the wheat and burning them up.

Let's go back and pick up the first part of this parable.

Verse 24, another parable put forth unto them, The kingdom of heaven is like unto a man which sowed good seed in the field. But while man slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. But when the bundle was sprung up and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the household came and said unto him, Sir, did not you sow good seed in the field? When whence then came the tares? And we read the other part, there to be bundled up and then burned. The angels also help God in the resurrection process. I think we overlooked this quite often. We'll go to Matthew 24 and verse 29. Matthew 24 and verse 29. And Matthew 24 and verse 29. Immediately after the tribulation, after the tribulation of those days, you see, Matthew 24 says there's going to be great tribulation, verse 21, such as never was or never will be again. So after that, after the tribulation, immediately after the tribulation of those days, shall the sun be darkened and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken. And the sun of man shall appear as a sign, I'm sorry, and them shall appear, the sign of the sun of man in heaven, and them shall all the tribes of the earth mourn. And they shall see the sun coming with power in the clouds of heaven and with the powers of great glory. And he shall send his angels. He shall send his angels with the great sound of a trumpet, and the Feast of Trumpet is shortly upon us. And everywhere it talks about the resurrection, basically, it talks about a trumpet.

And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather his elect from the four winds from one end of heaven to the other. So the angels play a role that says they gather from one end of the earth to the other. Now we go to Revelation 14 and the work of the three angels, according to the prophecy that was given by John. Now, on the way there, before we go there, let's read verse 14 of Matthew 24.

And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations, and then shall the end come.

The basic question of Revelation 14 seems to be that of a time order. The order of events are of special interest. We note, I haven't yet turned there, I'm going to turn to Revelation 14. We note that we see the lamb sitting on Mount Zion with 144,000. I'll get there and we'll read it straight from the book. And I looked and lo, a lamb stood on the Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 having his father's name written in their foreheads. And that's very important. The father's name is written in their foreheads. The father's name is not, as far as I know, I cannot find a verse where it says that the father's name will be written in our foreheads before the resurrection. So we note that the lamb identified many times in Revelation as Christ stands on Mount Zion and with him are 144,000 and they have the father's name in their forehead. Now let's look at the name of God just briefly here, because it's very interesting. It depicts God's power, his authority. In Revelation 2, Revelation 2, verse 17. Revelation 2, verse 17.

He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit says unto the churches. To him that overcomes will I give to eat of the hidden manna. Now the hidden manna, we can speculate on what the hidden manna is. Well, the Israelites had hidden. Well, it wasn't hidden. It was out in the open. They could gather on the sixth day before the Sabbath. They could gather the manna and they were together twice as much. For the sixth day and the seventh day. So this is hidden manna. This must be knowledge or insight into what God has planned.

I'm just speculating here, because I don't know. I can't turn to a verse and say, this is what the hidden manna means. I can just remind us that we know that God reigned manna down to the Israelites. And that they gathered twice as much on the sixth and seventh day. On the sixth day for both days, both the sixth and seventh. So three things are given to those that overcome.

By the way, all seven, what we call eras, all seven churches are given all of these things. I will give to eat of the hidden manna, which will give... I'm talking about reward now. I'm not talking about that which precedes resurrection. I will give to him hidden manna, will give him a white stone, and in the stone, a new name written doesn't say what it is. And you can search the commentaries and see if you can find out what the white stone is.

I can't find out with any certainty what it is. Which no man knows, saving he that receives it. And then, in conjunction with the angels, we go now to verse 12, in Revelation 3 and verse 12. Him that overcomes will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out. And I will write upon him the name of my God and the name of the city of God. And it tells what that name is, and that is the New Jerusalem, which comes down from heaven from my God, and I will write upon him my new name.

But it doesn't say specifically what the name is. So the name of God is in the forehead of those who have overcome. God's name means a lot to him because his power, his authority is vested in his name. We are to pray and do our work in the name of Christ, but we are praying to God.

Now in Revelation 14 and verse 3. Revelation 14 and verse 3. And in a sermon like this, it's of course very hard to just have everything unfold in a linear fashion. And they sung a new song, as it were, a new song before the throne and before the four of these and the elders.

And so this must be taking place in the heavenlies. And no man could learn that song but 144,000, which were redeemed. They were saved. They were rescued. They were redeemed from the earth. These are they which were not defiled with women, but they are virgins. They are spiritual virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits under God and to the Lamb.

And of course, the firstfruits are being called out right now. And there's becoming a reaping, a harvesting of the firstfruits. In Ephesians 5, 27, we'll go there. Ephesians 5, 27. We see here that Christ presents the virgins as pure and chaste. Ephesians 5, verse 27. That he might present it to him a glorious church. So we go back and pick up the context in 25. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the church. He gave himself for it that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of the water by the word that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing.

But that it should be holy and without blemish. Now, once again, this verse is enigmatic in that it causes the commentators a lot of problems. Christ, the old King James says, presented to himself that he might present it to himself a glorious church. Now, the word there that is translated present can be translated as stand before and be ready for whatever action is going to take place.

Now, the action that is going to take place eventually in the heavens, and a lot of people talk about this, where is the marriage supper of the Lamb going to take place? Well, some say on earth, some say in the heavens, some say in the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven to the earth. Now, in Revelation 19, verse 6, And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, the voice of many waters, the voice of mighty thundering, saying, Hallelujah!

Hallelujah! That means praise God! For the Lord God omnipotent reigns. Let us be glad and rejoice and give honor to him for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his wife has made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen clean and white, for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. So, God presents, or Christ presents, a church that is without spot, blemish or wrinkle, or any such thing. Now we want to go back to Revelation 3 and verse 5, because here we have another verse that seems a bit, I wonder what this is, Revelation 3 and verse 5.

He that overcomes, the same shall be clothed in white raiment, that's what the marriage supper of the Lamb, what they're clothed in. And I will not blot him out of the Book of Life, but notice this, I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. So, is God going to call the roll as it were? There's an old song they sing in the Baptist Church. When the roll is called to be under, I'll be there. I don't know if they took anything from this or not. It's an old song, it's a Protestant song. And I don't remember the other words, other than when the roll is called up, you know, I'll be there.

But here we see that Christ confesses his name, but I will confess his name, that is, those who overcome, before my Father and before his angels. They are clothed in white raiment, which is the righteousness of the saints.

So, where are the 144,000 as these things unfold? So, we go back to Revelation 14.

In Revelation 14 and verse 5. Revelation 14 verse 5, in their mouth, that is, in the mouth of the 144,000, was found no guile, for they are without fault before the throne of God. Then, there is a change in the narrative.

The change in the narrative, a dramatic shift in the narrative, takes place in what is called the Three Angels' Messages. It is popularly called the Three Angels' Messages. Now, the Seventh-day Adventists have taken up on this, and if you remember your church history back in the early 1800s, going up into the 1840s, a man named William Miller predicted that the end would come in 1844. And some of them referred to it as the Great Disappointment, because Christ did not come in 1844. Now, William Miller was a Baptist preacher, but the Seventh-day Adventists took up a lot of his teachings, and eventually the Seventh-day Adventists developed from the teachings basically from William Miller. In fact, I saw you can go to YouTube and you can put in Three Angels Network, and the Three Angels Broadcasting Network will come up. It's a Christian media network that broadcasts Seventh-day Adventist programs, but they say it's not formally affiliated with the church or any denomination, but they're not fooling me. It's all Seventh-day Adventists, except that the Seventh-day Adventists have fallen into the mainstream. There are many offshoots, like there are many offshoots now, of the United Church of God. Not so much from doctrine, but from, I guess, the person who leads it says it's doctrine, but it's probably just wanting to be in charge. But anyhow, the programming is basically Seventh-day Adventists. Now, the Seventh-day Adventists have adopted the Trinity, three gods in one. So, one god manifested as three beings at the given time. They also adopted, you go to heaven. The reward of the save is heaven and other Protestant doctrines, but they do keep the Sabbath. And there's a big university in Michigan, Andrews University, the Seventh-day Adventists. Seventh-day Adventists, it seems they view their mission as a part of the mission of John the Baptist and Elijah. John the Baptist turned the hearts of the fathers to the children, the children to the fathers, Elijah preparing a people, restoring all things. As time has gone on, as I've said, they have adopted some strange teachings, well, heretical teachers.

So, let's look at the three angels' messages, starting with verse 6. Now, let's introduce once again Matthew 24.14, where it says, The gospel of the kingdom will be preached to all nations. Sometimes we wonder, well, how in the world is God going to preach the gospel to all nations when the world is in such an uproar during the Great Tribulation and all the things going on connected with the... Oh, if this is for sure the way, but it sounds like it, because what do they preach? Now, the first five verses focus on the 144,000 before the throne of God. Now we see in verse 6, And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell where on the earth, and to every nation and kindred and tongue and people. Now, see, this is being done supernaturally by an angel. The Seventh-day Adventists seem to make this part of their mission, that they are to do this. Now, if you look at the Great Commission in Matthew 28, the Church of God, where Jesus Christ commissioned the church, go ye therefore into all the world, make disciples of all nations, teach them to observe all things whatsoever I command you, and lo, I am with you, even to the end of the age. And so, we see that God has commissioned the church, but there's only so much the church can do. So who is going to preach that message? Will it be the church? Will it be the two witnesses? Will it be one of the three angels? Because this is done... I'm reading from the Bible. I'm not reading from speculation. And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to them that dwell on the earth, to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him, for the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him that made heaven and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of water. So it's a warning to the people on earth, yet ready, because judgment is coming. Verse 8, And there followed another angel, saying Babylon has fallen, has fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. Now we can hold our place there and go to Revelation 18.

And I said here a little, there a little. In Revelation 18, verse 3, And all nations have drunk, most people would say drank, for all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are wax rich through the abundance of her delicacies. And I heard another voice from heaven, a voice from heaven, not a voice on earth. I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partaker of her sins, and that ye not receive of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. So she's going to be punished. Now, we look at Revelation 16. Now, as we look at Revelation 16, let's briefly review the book of Revelation of how we can outline it. First of all is the, we can outline it with the ceiling of the 144,000. So the 144,000 are sealed. Then, after the 144,000 are sealed, then you have the seven trumpet plagues. I'm sorry, I got it back up. After the 144,000 are sealed. Now, one of the things that is not made clear, you can't read a verse that says, Well, when are the seals opened? When are the seals opened? So Christ is worthy to open the seals, and those seals are described in Revelation 6. Revelation 6, the seals are described. And you have the ceiling of the 144,000. And then, you have the trumpet plagues. And the last trumpet plague is divided into the seven bowls of wrath. Now, let's look at the seven seals. We'll just look at the fifth one here.

This is verse 9 of chapter 6. And when He had opened the fifth seal, I saw the altar of the souls of them that were slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held.

The great day of His wrath.

Now we look at chapter 6 of Revelation 6.

This is verse 12. Revelation 6, 12. And I beheld when He had opened the sixth seal, and lo, there was a great earthquake. The sun became black and sackcloth of hair, and the moon became His blood. You see, that's when God directly intervenes. Now, God has been intervening in opening the seals and what takes place there. But when the sixth seal is opened, then He is in charge of everything from that point on. The stars of heaven fell, which means the fallen angels, and I don't know if it includes the good stars or not. And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, even as a victory casts her untimely face when she is shaken of the mighty wind. Now, you've got to consider this verse. That's symbolic. The smallest star is larger than the earth, so you couldn't have all the stars. The heavens literally falling upon the earth. You would have to have fallen angels or good angels on the earth. And the kings of the earth, the great men and the rich men and the chief captains and the mighty men, and every bondman and every free man hid themselves in the dens and the rocks and the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, hide us from the face of Him that sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of His wrath is come, and who should be able to stand?

So from that point on, then you have the seven trumpet plagues, then you have the seven bowls of wrath. You notice at the end of the seven bowls of wrath, there's a warning to the church given after He gathers the kings of the earth through the battle of what the world calls Armageddon. It's the battle of the great day of God Almighty. God says, Behold, I come as a thief. He that watches and keeps His garments, lest He walk naked, and they see His shame. So they're all together together at Armageddon, verse 16. The seventh angel sounds and pours out His vial on the end of the air. We're reading 17. And the seventh angel poured out His vial into the air, and there came great voice out of the temple of heaven from the throne, saying, It is done. And there were voices and thunder and lightnings. There was a great earthquake. That was not since men were upon the earth so mighty an earthquake so great. And the great city was divided into three parts. And the cities of the nations fell, and great Babylon came in remembrance before God to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath. Every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. And there fell upon men a great hailstone out of heaven. Every stone about the weight of a talent, and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, for the plague thereof was exceeding great. So the second angel in the three angels message pronounces the fall of Babylon. So we continue here in 14.

And the third is verse 9, Revelation 14 9. The third angel follows them, saying with a loud voice, Penny-man worshipped the beast in his image, and received his mark in his forehead, or in his hand. The same shall drink of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation. And he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb.

So you see the angels from Genesis to Revelation play an important part in the salvation process. The chronology of Revelation, and basically we have not addressed. I found one sermon on our website that directly was given in O5 about angels. The rest, I put a three angels message and did a search. You don't see anything about the three angels message. So it's interesting to look at this. I don't know. As far as I know, the church does not have an official position on the chronology of Revelation 14, and the three angels messages.

We can all take comfort in the fact that we have the sure promise that God is going to protect us, and he will carry us on into the kingdom. God will restore Israel, and they will become the model nation for the world. Right now, you look at Israel and what's happening in the Middle East, and you say, how in the world would these people ever be restored, and how would they be the model nation of the world? Is there anything too hard for God, too difficult for God? God is going to restore what he intended the government of God to be at the beginning. In Isaiah 1, verse 24, our final scripture, Isaiah 1, 24, therefore says the Lord, the Lord of hosts, the mighty one of Israel, I will ease me of mine adversaries and avenge me of mine enemies, and I will turn my hand upon you and purge away the dross and take away all your ten. And I will restore, notice this, I will restore your judges as at the first and your counselors as at the beginning. Afterward, you shall be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city. Zion shall be redeemed with judgment and our converts with righteousness. And the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together, and they that forsake the Lord shall be consumed. May God hasten that day of the restoration.