The Humble Servant! The Conquering King!

Well this afternoon, brethren, I'd like to begin the message by looking at a prophetic passage that will be the anchor point for the message. I think as we come into the Holy Day season in the fall, very much our Bible study and the emphasis of our sermons and sermonettes are very much prophetic. And we go to a lot of scriptures that are prophetic because they point to what God is yet to do. Genesis chapter 49 is where I'd like to begin today and look at a verse that will be the anchor point for the message. Genesis chapter 49, this takes place as you'll recall the patriarch Jacob is about to die and he calls his sons together and he tells them what will befall them, you know, their tribes and their families as they extend out into nations, what will befall them at the end of the age. And if we go to verse 10, he gives a prophecy about the tribe of Judah. In Genesis chapter 49 verse 10 it says, the scepter shall not depart from Judah nor a lawgiver from between his feet until Shiloh comes and to him shall be the obedience of the people. So this is a prophecy about rulership, about a kingly line, about a line that would come down through the tribe of Judah. And we've walked through this before, in fact, on the Feast of Trumpets a couple of years ago, the promises made to David and that kingly line that would come from him all the way down through the Messiah who then ultimately Jesus Christ who will come as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, that line would extend all the way till his return and then he will reign on that throne in righteousness. So again, this rulership, this kingly line that is yet to come. And in the world of Messianic prophecies, this is a one that has a lot of attention, okay, a lot of attention in the world of Messianic prophecies. But I want to actually move on to verse 11, which is a little less focused upon, but I think equally important. Genesis chapter 49 verse 11 carries forward with this prophecy to Judah and it says, binding his donkey to the vine and his donkey's colt to the choice vine, he washed his garments in wine and is clothed in the blood of grapes. Now my Bible translators actually didn't recognize verse 11 as being a Messianic prophecy. If you look back at verse 10, if your Bible's like my new King James versus a star next to verse 10, that is an indicator. This is a Messianic prophecy and of course it points to Jesus Christ as the King to come. And throughout it, he and him is capitalized, again indicating that divinity. But we come to verse 11, no star by verse 11, him is not capitalized. And interestingly, this is generally recognized as a prophecy about the tribe of Judah, but not Jesus Christ.

You can go and look at a number of commentaries on this verse, which I did, and most do not recognize this as pointing to Christ in any manner. The general consensus is this is a prophecy of the tribe of Judah and the time will come where the blessing of abundance will be there to the point that you'd wash your clothes in wine, so to speak. And maybe these choice vines would be so common even to tie your beast of burden, your donkey, your donkey's colt to the vine.

But none of those really recognize this as a millennial prophecy. But when I look at verse 11, there's parallels here. And there is imagery here that point to both the first and the second coming of Jesus Christ, who is from the tribe of Judah.

And it is my belief that this verse is in fact a messianic prophecy. Now the fulfillment may be dual. Indeed, we know many prophetic verses in the Bible have a dual application in their day as well as yet future pointing. So this may indeed be a dual prophecy, and it may point to Judah and the physical blessing of the vine and of wine, of that which would come forth in that way. But I believe the primary focus of this verse points to the role of Jesus Christ, and it's in fact a continuation of verse 10 of the king that would come, and then indeed what he would do at his first coming as well as his second coming.

And so I'd like to explore that concept and the time we have together today. I've titled the message, The Humble Servant, The Conquering King. Two very real aspects of the work of Jesus Christ, the humble servant, the conquering king. And as we walk through the exploration of this verse, there's two primary lessons I want us to take away today.

Number one, in his dealings with mankind, God is merciful and he's also just. God is merciful and he's just. Those aren't exclusive of one another. In fact, they go hand in hand. And the second lesson I'd like for us to take away today is understanding the fulfillment of God's holy days gives us comfort and clarity in the face of uncertain times.

We're living in troubled times and worrisome times, really. Turn on the news, look around. Even since I was just here on the Sabbath and speaking to you, now we've had Iran firing, right? Hundreds of missiles over to Israel and Israel responding. This is a very troubled world and troubled time, yet God's holy days give us hope and encouragement and comfort, knowing what it is that he will yet do. God will work out all things for the good in the end according to his timing and his purpose. So let's start to break down Genesis chapter 49 and verse 11.

How would this apply to Jesus' first coming and his second coming? Well, the first half, Genesis 49, 11, the first half says, binding his donkey to the vine and his donkey's colt to the choice vine. This appears to be referring to the manner and the purpose in which Jesus came at his first coming. When Christ came to the earth and he walked the earth three and a half years of his ministry and he declared the gospel of the kingdom of God, who was it that he came to primarily?

Now, the Bible does tell us he died for the sins of the world, but he came specifically and primarily to a certain people. It's important we understand who they are and how it relates to the choice vine. Matthew chapter 15 and verse 21, let's go there. Matthew chapter 15 and verse 21 says, then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to him, saying, have mercy on me, O Lord, son of David.

It's interesting and in the morning, this morning in the Tri-Cities, Mr. Ficke spoke about names and titles and how you receive a title and what those mean. This woman referred to Jesus Christ as the son of David. She wasn't a Jew and yet she seemed to have an understanding of the prophetic line of kingship that would come down and actually who it was that Jesus Christ was even in this day.

He was the son of David, the prophesied king. She said, have mercy on me, O Lord, son of David. She says, my daughter is severely demon possessed, but he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and urged him saying, send her away for she cries out after us. But Jesus answered and said, I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

Now as you read the story on, Jesus did in fact have mercy. Indeed, his ministry, his sacrifice was that of mercy for all of mankind. And he did grant a blessing unto her. But let's understand clearly and directly who he said his primary focus was to when he walked the earth.

He said, I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And so we see that his primary focus at his first coming was the minister to the physical people of God. Who is it that's referred to in the Bible by God himself as the choice vine, as that vineyard of God that his focus and his love was dedicated to?

Well, it was the physical house of Israel. Notice that in Isaiah chapter five in verse one. Isaiah chapter five and beginning in verse one says, now let me sing to my well beloved a song of my beloved regarding his vineyard. It says, my well beloved has a vineyard on a very fruitful hill. And so as we understand the context of this passage, God is the beloved and the vineyard that is his, it is the house of Israel.

It is the physical people of God. Verse two, it says, he dug it up, he cleared out its stones and planted it with the choicest vine. He built a tower in its midst, also made a wine press in it.

So he expected it to bring forth good grapes, but it brought forth wild grapes. You know, the purpose of a choice vine is to bear good fruit. And we sort of live in wine country here, and there's bus tours that go around and take people on wine tasting tours at different vineyards. I'm not a wine expert. My palate, there's not a big difference between two buck chuck and, you know, up the line of ways, but I'm trying to learn just a little bit, right?

But I would assume, give you an assumption here, to have good wine, you really need to have good grapes. And to have good grapes, it really depends on the vine, the type, the quality. This was a choice vine, God said, a vineyard I established. And the wine press is in the midst of this vineyard, but it produced not anything I could use onto what it was I desired from my people. It bore bad fruit. Verse 7, carrying on, it says, for the vineyard of the Lord of Host is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are his pleasant plan.

He looked for justice, but behold oppression, for righteousness, but behold a cry for help. So God's people fell short of that expectation that he had for them. They did not produce the fruit of righteousness that he desired to see, and yet he called them here his choice vine, because it is what he intended they would be.

Brought them out of bondage into the Promised Land, planted them there, and expected them to produce fruit of righteousness. Yet the result was quite different than that. But at his first coming, Jesus Christ came to tend to those God had planted as his vineyard and regarded as his choice vine. And in the book of Matthew, there's an event that took place just shortly before the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, just prior to that Passover. And I believe it's important for us because it's through this event we come to understand the connection between the donkey's colt and the choice vine and the role Jesus plays in binding that imagery together.

Again, the choice vine is the people of God. Matthew chapter 21, you know, what's a donkey's colt have to do with all of this? What does Jesus Christ's ministry have to do with this?

And are we just talking about really a physical plant? Matthew chapter 21, verse 1 says, Now then they drew near Jerusalem and came to Bethaphage at the Mount of Olives. Then Jesus sent his two disciples, saying to them, Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to me. In Mark's account it says this was a donkey's colt on which no one had ever ridden.

Jesus Christ said, Bring them to me. Verse 3 says, If anyone says anything to you, say to them, The Lord has need of them, and immediately he will send them. All this was done that it might be fulfilled, which was spoken by the prophet, saying, Tell the daughter of Zion, behold, your king is coming to you, lowly, and sitting on the donkey a colt the fall of a donkey. Verse 6, So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them.

They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, set him upon them, and a very great multitude spread their clothes in the road. Others cut down branches from the trees, spread them on the road. And I cannot read the section of scriptures without hearing my wife's voice in my ear saying, you know, there's a miracle here. There's a miracle right here. You take a young colt on which nobody has ever sat. You throw garments upon him, a blanket upon him, put a person upon him, start leading him down the road with people lining the street, waving, cheering, throwing branches in the road that he's tromping through, clothing on the road.

You know what you have? The prime opportunity for a rodeo. This is a miracle and Christ is proving a point. Verse 9, The multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying, Hosanna to the son of David. Again, that recognition, the son of David. Blessed they see who comes in the name of the Lord, Hosanna in the highest. In parallel passage in John 12 verse 13 says, they cried out, Hosanna, the king of Israel. Okay, the recognition of who this is. This is the one of the line of David prophesied to be the Messiah, the anointed one, the king of Israel.

We're standing when he had come into Jerusalem. All the city was moved saying, who is this? So the multitudes says this is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee. This event in the scriptures is known as the triumphal entry. Jesus Christ entered Jerusalem in a very triumphant way on the back of the cult of a donkey in a manner that would have been recognized by the people as significant. You see, Jesus came to a people that were looking for a savior.

In fact, they were desperate for their savior. The Bible had prophesied about him. And as you come forward to this day, they're living under the oppression of Rome. And they're looking for the one that was prophesied to come to be their king, to throw the Roman boot of oppression off their neck and to establish the glory of Israel again, to establish the kingdom where Israel would be, you know, that dominant nation that would shine as a light of the model nation to the world that they should have been from the beginning. They were looking for that restoration at the coming of the Messiah in their day.

Their sense of national pride, their sense of power as God's holy people. It was very much diminished.

Yet they knew the prophecies of old. They could read just as you and I can read, you know, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and a number of prophetic prophecies pointing to the coming of the Messiah, recognizing there would be this king from the line of David that would conquer the nations and establish that dominant kingdom and the glory to Israel again.

That's who they were looking for in Jesus Christ at his coming.

And as he's riding into Jerusalem on the back of a colt of a donkey, they're crying out this expression that was a kingly expression to the one they looked to as the son of David.

No doubt many of these individuals, you know, they journeyed up to Jerusalem. This is a pilgrimage feast, right? So the place is brimming full.

And no doubt many of them had seen Jesus as he made his way throughout the regions.

Maybe some of them were at the feeding of the thousands where he made the bread and the fish multiply. Maybe some of them heard his teachings, seen his miracles, been recipients of his healing. It really wasn't all that long before that Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. There were many who witnessed that as well. And so in their minds, this must be their king, right? This must be the one with the power to deliver them and to restore their national glory.

Again, and as is written here in the book of Matthew, they cried out to him as such.

So here we see Jesus entering Jerusalem in a manner much like a king would enter a city and be received by the people receiving their king.

Again, in verse nine, the people cried out, Hosanna to the son of David, blessed to see who comes in the name of the Lord.

Hosanna in the highest. They were crying out to Jesus as their king and their Messiah.

The word Hosanna is a Hebrew word and it literally means save now.

Save now.

It was used by the Hebrew people asking their king for help, crying out to their king to save them, to intervene on their behalf, to deliver them. Save now, son of David.

Save now, our king. And it was a desperate plea for deliverance.

By doing this, the multitudes were acknowledging Jesus Christ as their king and they were asking him to save them.

Of course, they had what they were looking for in a king.

And then there was who Jesus Christ was when he came at his first coming, what he came to fulfill.

And you know, those didn't exactly match up in the minds of most.

What they didn't understand is what his first coming represented and what it was they saw in the Messiah. How do these things match?

Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the cult of a donkey and that in and of itself would not have been considered out of place. You recall the command to the kings of Israel was don't multiply horses to yourself. Don't multiply wives to yourselves. You know, something Solomon forgot on both accounts. But the kings of Israel rode on the back of donkeys because they were lowly animals and appointed to the humility, the sacrifice and the service of the king who would come Jesus Christ.

And so by riding on the donkey, they pointed to him. Horses were a symbol of exaltation and conquest.

So Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem demonstrated his position and his authority as king and savior. And the mount he rode, a lowly donkey, symbolized the humility of his service and sacrifice that would come. Oh yes, he would save them.

He would provide the means of their salvation in that day through his sacrifice. But again, in a different form than what most were looking for.

This is the merciful side of God's nature.

John chapter three verse 16, most well-known verse in Christianity in this world, right? John three verse 16, God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. That's the mercy of God.

It's God who desires for people to be saved out of their sins, saved from death, to clean up their lives in repentance, turn and live.

And it's the purpose for which he sent Jesus Christ at his first coming. He sent them to his choice people, sent them primarily first of all to the house of Israel, that choice vine, desiring the reconciliation that should have been there as his covenant people from the beginning.

The beginning.

Jesus came to a physical nation, Israel and Judah, to be a humble servant. That's what the donkey's colt represented, one who came in humility and service, laying his life down in sacrifice for all of mankind.

But unfortunately, a suffering Messiah is not what most were looking for.

And it's not what they expected or even wanted in their king of that day.

Ultimately, Jesus came to a people that rejected him. Right. It says he came to his own and his own did not receive him. And the same individuals that lined the street were crying out, Hosanna in the highest, probably just a short time later, were among the crowds saying, crucify him, crucify him. Give us the criminal instead. Jesus did come in great power in mind, but not according to the manner in which the people were anticipating.

The problem with many of the first century Jews was that they did not understand the distinction in the prophecies between Jesus first and second coming. To them, this was a continual uninterrupted event, as in you read the prophecy of the coming Messiah, the conquering king.

It's a package and that's who we're looking for, again, to restore the dominance of our nation.

As such, they weren't looking for a suffering savior, a suffering king to die.

They were looking for a conquering king who would live.

And so in doing so, they looked right past the one whom they cried out, Hosanna, save now.

And indeed, that's exactly what he came to do.

In that day, let's go to Zechariah chapter nine.

Let's go back and see the prophecy of this event, plus other things. I want to see how the Jews would have viewed this prophecy through the lens of their day. I think it is helpful to understand maybe how they saw it and understand even as well, I would say, with a warning of how we should look at prophecy today.

Zechariah chapter nine, beginning in verse nine, were you in their day and read this, what would you think the result would be?

Zechariah chapter nine and verse nine says, Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion, shout, O daughter of Jerusalem, behold, your king is coming to you. He is just and having salvation lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the fall of a donkey.

Carries on, verse 10, I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the horse from Jerusalem. The battle bow shall be cut off and he shall speak peace to the nations. His dominion shall be from sea to sea and from the river to the ends of the earth.

You know, if you didn't understand the distinction between Jesus' first coming and his second coming, you would read this as one continual event.

The king that would come again, conquer the nation, speak peace to the nations, establishes dominion from sea to sea. He would cut off the battle bow and the chariot from Jerusalem. It would be a place of dominance in the world.

This was the prophecy.

This was what Jesus rode in the door of Jerusalem down the streets that day, living out at least a portion of it.

They viewed this as one event.

We live in a rather unique place in time and we have 2020 hindsight.

We know what Jesus Christ accomplished at his first coming and we have understanding into what he's going to accomplish at his second coming.

We have the book of Revelation, which is a further revealing and it does not disagree with what has been revealed prior all through scripture. In fact, it agrees. And as John says, it is of the father to Jesus Christ, to the angel, to you, John, who recorded it for us. So we understand indeed what yet lies ahead at the second coming of Jesus Christ.

And you know, it's a holy day plan God has given us.

And as we walk through these holy days, that's another element that allows us to to piece this together and recognize what God has done and what he has yet to do and the hope he has laid before us.

So this is a prophecy about the first and second coming of Jesus Christ and the millennium beyond and a time span of thousands of years that reads seamlessly in the course of two verses.

So I would just say, as the apostle Paul said, we see through a glass darkly.

Or dimly, we know in part and we prophesy in part, but he essentially said when that which we see in part is fulfilled, we'll understand it clearly.

I would just caution us as we read through prophetic elements of the future and sometimes go, oh, that's seamless in one or two verses. It just happens immediately back to back and together. Perhaps, perhaps not.

Some of these things we will see as they unfold according to God's timing and purpose, but as they lay ahead of us, you know, there's things we know and there's things that have not given us to completely know at the moment. So I just give that to us as as something to consider.

Understanding the ultimate fulfillment of God's holy days, brethren, it gives us comfort and clarity in the face of uncertain times and it gives us hope in the plan and the purpose of God.

So as it pertains to the first half of Genesis 49 11, we recognize that the donkey and colt as symbols of the humanity in which Jesus Christ came at his first coming in his humility.

And we recognize that he came and not only rode in on that expressing his ministry, but he came in a way that laid his life down, binding himself to the vine, his humility, his service. That is indeed what the colt and the colt of the donkey symbolized. Jesus came to them as their savior and he was very much tied in that relationship to the choice vine.

So if we go back now to Genesis 49 verse 11.

Hopefully this symbolism is clearer for us as we read it. It's very much a continuation of messianic prophecy from verse 10.

Again, the first half, Genesis 49 and 11, binding his donkey to the vine and his donkey's colt to the choice vine. It pictures Jesus first coming to the physical people of God in humility and sacrifice and service, but it doesn't end there. And just like we read in Zechariah, here we have a prophecy that spans thousands of years in one verse and you have to understand it for what it is to understand indeed the fulfillment.

So carrying forward with the second half of Genesis 49 verse 11, it says, he washed his garments in wine and his clothes and the blood of grapes.

Well, what in the world does that mean?

What does wine, what does grapes have to do with the second coming of Jesus Christ? Well, as we'll see this imagery, very much of the wine and the blood of grapes on his garments points to his second coming and what he will fulfill to establish the kingdom of God.

I very much appreciate the other messages that came today. I had time in the car to pull down the morning service and listen to the messages that were given this morning and pointing to the hope, pointing to what it is that God's kingdom will bring. And I appreciate Mr. I'm's message this afternoon talking about peace because this is all part of the picture that God gives us. I want to talk about an element of war, frankly, that must happen to lead to that peace.

Evil cannot continue to exist unchecked and the system of man must be swept away for the kingdom of God to be established. And it is indeed what Jesus Christ is prophesied to do at his second coming.

That's what this visa trumpets proclaims.

At the seventh trumpet blast, Jesus Christ will return as King of kings and Lord of lords. He will come in great power and might and his triumphant return to Jerusalem will come in a manner quite different from his first coming. This time, Jesus will subdue the nations of the earth under his authority and rulership, and it will indeed be a day of blood because as we will see, brethren, again, Jesus Christ will come to a world that will reject him, reject the ways of God, reject the kingdom of God, and it must be established.

His father will send him to do such. So the description of his garments here washed in wine and his clothes and the blood of grace portrays the culmination of what the Bible calls the great and terrible day of the Lord.

The day of the Lord, as it seems to be in Scripture, appears to be a one year period of time, which overlaps the last year of the three and a half years prior to Christ's return.

So we have the great tribulation. Okay. Satan's fury and wrath against the people of God, both the physical people of God, the physical nations of Israel and his wrath against the spiritual people of God as well. That is the great tribulation.

Three and a half years prior to the return of Jesus Christ and you have that final year overlapped the year of God's vengeance, the day of the Lord throughout which seven trumpets are blown periodically throughout the course of that year.

Each trumpet blast releasing a trumpet plague God's judgment upon the nations.

It's very important to remember a few things regarding the day of the Lord. I want to give you three brief points to remember. Number one, the day of the Lord is a time that will involve God's judgment on all humanity.

Okay. God says the time of my wrath has come. The system cannot continue and this is not a remodeling project and you stand in resistance. Those who would stand in opposition to God must be subdued.

It is the time of his judgment.

Number two, the day of the Lord will catch all those who aren't spiritually prepared as a thief in the night and their scripture after scripture that talk about. And Christ says, be awake, keep your lamp lit.

You know, watch, beware.

Son of man will come and an hour you do not expect. It will catch this world as a thief in the night. But the point was to you who are not in darkness but in light and should not catch you as a thief.

Be awake, watch, be prepared.

Point number three, the day of the Lord will culminate in the battle of God Almighty at the return of Jesus Christ.

Let's notice another passage connected to the wine stained garments of Christ with the final events of this day. Isaiah chapter 63.

Isaiah chapter 63 again a prophecy. Isaiah chapter 63 and we'll begin in verse one.

It says, who is this who comes from Edom with dyed garments from Basra?

This one who is glorious in his apparel traveling in the greatness of his strength. I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save.

Verse two, it says, why is your apparel red and your garments like one who treads in the winepress?

So here we have this prophecy of a glorious one coming in power and might traveling in greatness of strength with garments dyed red says as if trampling in a winepress.

I think trampling in a winepress is a little outside of my culture. I think probably most of us we tend to like the finished product. Right. Go to the store. It's in a bottle of the quirk. And it's nicely done. And we don't think about, you know, what could be done to to bring it there. But just imagine if you were to climb into a great vat full of grapes, you know, you maybe seen it on TV and people roll up their garments, maybe up past the knees and then get in their barefoot and they're tromping around in this vat full of grapes and they're squirting and they're squishing and they're shooting up between their toes. And depending how vigorous you're going to stomp on those grapes, that juice is going to splash up even on your clothing. That is the portrayal here is the prophecy of one who has been, you know, why are your garments, verse two, why is your apparel red and your garments like one who treads in the winepress?

This is a Messianic prophecy. Verse three, it says, I have trodden the winepress alone.

Something to take note of as we go along. I have trodden the winepress alone and from the people's no one was with me. For I have trodden them in my anger and trampled them in my fury. Their blood is sprinkled upon my garments and I have stained all my robes.

It says, verse four, for the day of vengeance is in my heart and the year of my redeemed has come.

Again, the day of the Lord as it would appear from the word of God a year in period of time.

Verse five, I looked but there was no one to help and I wondered that there was no one to uphold. Therefore my own arm brought salvation for me and my own fury. It sustained me.

I've trodden down the people's in my anger, made them drunk in my fury and brought down their strength to the earth.

This is quite a graphic portrayal, brethren, of frankly, a slaughter that will take place at the culmination of the day of the Lord as the nations are gathered in defiance to the kingdom of God and the returning Jesus Christ. As they are driven by the influence of Satan, the devil, as they are led by the beast and the false prophet, they stand in resistance to the kingdom of God.

Day of judgment must come and they will be like grapes loaded into a vat. Impressed out underfoot.

When will this happen? How will this happen?

And by who will this happen?

Genesis, wrong side of the book, Revelation chapter 19.

Revelation chapter 19. Again, what does a wine press and garments dyed with the blood of grapes have to do with Jesus Christ? Revelation chapter 19 and verse 11.

Now I saw heaven open to behold a white horse and he who sat on him was called faithful and true. And in righteousness he judges and makes war.

Mr. Rhimes was talking about the fact that peace only comes through the righteousness of God. This is a righteous judgment that will indeed take place. And you'll notice Jesus is not returning on a donkey.

He's coming on a horse.

A horse portraying war, conquest and ultimate victory is a completely different approach from his first coming. This is the conquering king. Carrying on in verse 12, Revelation 19.

His eyes were like a flame of fire and on his head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except himself.

He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood and his name is called the word of God.

No question here who this is. This is Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, the Word of God coming to execute the judgment.

Of God.

Verse 14 and armies in heaven clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed him on white horses.

Now out of his mouth goes a sharp sword that with it he should strike the nations and he himself, who himself?

The one on the back of the horse.

The one the Word of God, the one who the Father sent to execute judgment. He himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He himself treads a winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

And he has on his robe and on his thigh a name written King of kings and Lord of lords.

So just like the harvested grapes are put into a vat to be pressed out into wine at his return, Jesus Christ will tread the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

Acts chapter 17 verse 31 says God is appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he has ordained.

So this is the judgment of God. This is the judgment of the Father upon the world. This is the battle of God Almighty. This is the great day of God Almighty and his judgment upon the earth, which he executes through these actions.

Of the man whom he has ordained, Jesus Christ.

And we might read these verses and we might read other prophecies that are just as dramatic and we might wonder why.

You know, why does God have to do this? Why must judgment come in such a manner? Why must Jesus Christ bring something that is so different and so seemingly severe from what it was that he brought at his first coming?

Well, we can understand that by understanding the circumstances that lead up to this point.

What is happening here? Why must this intervention be so dramatic?

Let's go to Matthew chapter 24.

Matthew chapter 24 and verse 3, the Olivet prophecy. Matthew chapter 24 and verse 3, it says, now as he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, came to Jesus, saying, tell us, when will these things be?

What will be the sign of your coming and the end of the age?

And Jesus answered and said to them, take heed that no one deceives you, for many will come in my name saying, I am the Christ and will deceive many. OK, that can take different forms. OK, that deception. Some will say, look, he's here, he's there and there's other verses Christ says. Well, when they tell you he's out over there, he's over in the wilderness. Don't believe it.

You know, this isn't going to escape you unnoticed, especially those who are awake and watching.

But it also means a false Christ will be taught.

A doctrine will be taught of a Jesus Christ that is not true to who he was and who he is and what it is that he will do.

And he says, you know what, this will deceive many.

An important element for understanding the progression and timing of what Jesus is about to tell them is to take Matthew chapter 24 and compare it against Revelation chapter six. And I sent out an email last night with an attachment and it's not necessary for going through the sermon today, but that's probably the most common attachment I've ever given out. I think every other year I hand that hand out out and it puts Matthew 24 side by side with Revelation chapter six. And you can go and follow through with that later if you like.

I'm not going to go through all of them in detail today, but Revelation six contains six of the seven seals that are opened in progression. The first four seals are the four horsemen of the apocalypse. And when we lay Revelation six next to Matthew 24, we see the manner that this all of that prophecy will play out, the time leading up to the return of Jesus Christ.

So we have Matthew chapter 24 and verse five. He said, for many will come in my name saying, I am the Christ and will deceive many.

The first seal of Revelation chapter six is religious deception and it's symbolized by the white horse.

And understand as we walk through these, a number of these seals frankly have been open in varying degrees since the time of Jesus Christ.

But the point is as we get to the end of the age and because of the influence that will back this world, it will increase dramatically and exponentially to the point of the tipping point.

The need for God's intervention, religious deception, the white horse, verse six of Matthew 24 says, and you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. The second seal of Revelation six is war symbolized by the fiery red horse. Again, has always existed.

You can turn on the news today and you can see the war that exists in our world up in Russia and Ukraine in the Middle East, which is, you know, rather interesting to watch. And, you know, I think we watch these things through the backdrop of prophecy and God can lengthen the days or he can shorten the days according to his purpose. But again, war and rumor of war. This is a seal that has been open and apparent and unfolding, but it will build dramatically to the end of the age, the red horse. Matthew 24 verse seven and eight for nation will rise against nation kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines, pestilence and earthquakes in various places. All of these are the beginning of sorrows.

This is encompassing the third and the fourth seals of Revelation six.

The third seal is famine, which famine is so often really the consequence of war.

When you think about it, the destruction, the sieges, I've spoken before about the fact that in Nigeria, the northern part of the country where Boko Haram, that terrorist organization took hold for a number of years. There was a period of three to four years where they couldn't plant crops or harvest crops at the threat of being killed. Even the Muslims in the north. If you weren't joining in with the extremist, you were lumped in with those who just needed to be removed.

And frankly, that part of the country was cut off due to the terrorism and the war and the killing and the threat was starvation in the millions.

Three, four years without crops and the transportation cut off. You see how these things very quickly can begin to escalate. Additionally, the fourth seal Revelation six is disease epidemics leading to death. Again, consequences of war, consequences of famine that would follow symbolized by the pale horse.

When you study into the first four seals of Revelation, what you will find as they come into their climax is that one fourth of the earth's population is killed as a result of these seals being opened. And Jesus Christ says, this is just the beginning of sorrows.

Says this is just the beginning.

Matthew chapter of 24 and verse nine, then they will deliver you up to tribulation. He's talking to the disciples and he's talking to the church.

They will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you. You will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. The many will be offended and will betray one another and will hate one another. And many false prophets will rise and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. He's talking to the church and the struggle indeed that even the church will face in the midst of all these incredible events at the end of the age.

Verse 13, but he who endures to the end shall be saved. Shall be saved.

The fifth seal of Revelation six is religious persecution and tribulation upon the people of God.

Not only the church, the church are the spiritual people of God, but also upon the physical covenant people of God, upon the people of Israel, upon the nations of Israel, as they're scattered across the globe in various places, not just the Jews, but the tribes. Okay, there's coming a time that the Bible calls time of Jacob's trouble.

And you say, well, there's always been trouble.

There's always been trouble.

Okay, but this is a time of the trouble of the descendants of Jacob at the end of the age where the Bible shows captivity and persecution upon those covenant people of God. And frankly, a number of the tribes of Judah today, or not Judah, but Israel today.

Are scattered amongst the earth.

We believe and teach United States, Britain, Canada, Australia, many frankly, Western nations that have been so blessed in this age by God's hand, not by our righteousness because of Abraham's righteousness. Okay. There is coming a time of trouble.

That is the fifth seal, religious persecution and tribulation on the people of God. And the thing we need to remember is that all of this takes place prior to the great tribulation.

One fourth of humanity of the earth dies from war, pestilence and disease. God's people are persecuted and killed. Turn on one another. The love of many grows cold. And it says the great tribulation has not even begun.

You know, say sometimes we as the people of God think, okay, we will escape all these things. And I do pray. Jesus said, you know, pray that you be worthy to escape all these things in the stand before the son of man.

And though we understand that has not been the history of the church to just go unscathed from persecution. And frankly, it is not the prophecies of at least a portion of the church leading up to and including the end of the age.

The place of safety that the Bible would indicate a place of safety does not make itself apparent until the three and a half years, final three and a half years of great tribulation. Jesus Christ says these things still lie ahead.

These five seals are the time leading to that point.

But again, in many ways, the condition of these five seals have been open and present on the earth since the time of Christ.

But again, they will expand and continue to grow in intensity into the very end.

Verse 21, Matthew 24, Jesus says, for then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved. But for the elect's sake, those days will be shortened.

Mankind left to his own devices, along with Satan's influence, would destroy themselves apart from the intervention of God.

OK, for the elect's sake, for your sake and my sake, and those that would be faithful to God to the end, says those days will be shortened.

This is the condition of the world at the time of Jesus Christ's return.

Is a world that's going through great tribulation, a world that's led by the beast system, by the false prophet, a system standing in opposition to the truth of God, the people of God, the witnesses, the two witnesses of God, and ultimately standing opposed to Jesus Christ at his return. The armies will gather to fight in resistance to the kingdom of God.

Brethren, God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, and he desires that all men would repent and be saved, be reconciled in relationship to him. But understand, there comes a point where evil left unchecked would lead to complete destruction.

There comes a point where God has to put an end to the ways of man and establish the kingdom of God. And frankly, it is an action that comes with force.

But it is for the good. And indeed, righteousness as a result will triumph. This is the action of God who is not only merciful, but also just. And he will bring evil into judgment so that the day will dawn, the peace we heard about in the first message this afternoon, and the righteousness that will reign. Evil first must be stopped and removed because the kingdom of God will not coexist with evil.

It must be brought into judgment.

Verse 29, Matthew chapter 24, immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. The sixth seal of Revelation 6 is heavenly signs announcing God's judgment and God's wrath is now to come upon the earth. And we have the seventh seal finally, which is opened, in which the seven trumpets are blown. The trumpet plagues are poured out upon the earth. God's judgment is carried out.

And at the seventh trumpet, actually, it's not all disheartening.

Right? I appreciate Mr. Neff's message this morning and the hope and the resurrection and the purpose that God intends. That's all a part of this day. It's all a part of the package. It's all a part of the hope God brings. Removing the influence of Satan and the resistance to the kingdom of God is all part of bringing the hope that God has for the future of mankind.

And so at the seventh trumpet, the saints are resurrected, and Jesus Christ returns to the earth, and he will wage war.

Matthew 24, verse 30. Then a sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then the tribes of the earth will mourn, as they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory, and he will send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet.

At the last trumpet, right, the dead will rise.

He says, and they will gather together his elect from the four winds from one end of heaven to the other.

Brendan, all these events, Matthew chapter 24, Revelation 6, and the things that are tied into that, and indeed, moving forward in the book of Revelation, lead up to the events of the wine press.

At the return of Jesus Christ, the nations of the earth will gather together at Armageddon. They will move up into the valley of Jehoshaphat on their way towards Jerusalem. It is there that Jesus Christ will engage them in the battle of God Almighty, and this is where we find the fulfillment of the last half of Genesis 49, verse 11.

Okay, our anchor point for today.

I remind you, the last half of Genesis 49, verse 11, says, as garments are washed in wine, and as clothes in the blood of grapes.

This is where Jesus Christ treads out the wine press and the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

We find a description of that in the book of Joel, Joel chapter 3.

Joel chapter 3 and verse 2.

Again, prophetic verses of the end of the age and the day of the Lord. Joel chapter 3 and verse 2 says, I will also gather all nations and bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat, and I will enter into judgment with them there on account of my people, my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations.

They have also divided up my land. Let's go down to verse 9. Joel chapter 3 verse 9, proclaim this among the nations, prepare for war. Wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near, let them come up. Beat your plowshares into swords, your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weak say, I am strong. Assemble and come all you nations and gather together all around, cause your mighty ones to go down there, O Lord. Let the nations be weakened and come up, excuse me, wakened and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat, for there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations. Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe, come go down, for the wine press is full. The vats overflow, for their wickedness is great. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision, for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision. The battle of God Almighty will be fought again at culmination, the climax of the day of the Lord. God will send Jesus Christ to wage war on the elements of this world, which stand in direct opposition to the kingdom of God. The nations will be gathered, the wine press will be full. Revelation chapter 14. Revelation chapter 14 and verse 17. Revelation 14, 17 says, Then another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. Then another angel came out from the altar who had power over fire, and he cried with a loud cry to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, thrust in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripe. So the angel thrust his sickle into the earth, gathered the vine of the earth and threw it into the great wine press of the wrath of God. And the wine press was trampled outside the city, and blood came out of the wine press up to the horse's bridles for 1,600 furlongs. Understand, brethren, that wine press was trampled, and blood came out to the horse's bridles for approximately 184 miles. As the conquering king sent by God, Jesus Christ is going to tread that wine press. Again, Revelation 19, 15, which we read, and he himself, Jesus Christ, treads the wine press of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. Acts 17, 31, again, says that God will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he has ordained. Isaiah 63, verse 3, we read, I have trodden the wine press alone. Jesus Christ is the one who is prophesied to wash his garments and wine in his clothes and the blood of grapes. Genesis 49, verse 11, Brethren, understand, God is a God of mercy. He loves all the people of the earth, and he desires that they would turn, that they would repent, that they would establish a reconciled relationship with him. That is why he sent his son. But again, there comes a point where evil in this earth, driven by Satan the devil, is so embedded, so intertwined with the workings of man, and frankly, the system that will exist at the end of the age, so embedded that they will not turn, they will not repent. Therefore, God in his righteous justice and judgment will not allow them to continue in their ways. God's judgment is also an act of mercy. To remove Satan and his influence is an act of mercy. To remove evil is an act of mercy, and it must happen for righteousness to reign. God's justice is one of the great understandings and the blessings of this day of trumpets. And you know what? His only day plan doesn't end with trumpets, thankfully.

Now we might say for the saints, the seventh trumpet, hey, that would be, you know, works well for us, but you understand God has a plan for the rest of mankind as well, and it does not end with this day. The Feast of Trumpets is simply a step in God's overall plan of salvation for all of mankind, a plan that can only be fulfilled fully when evil is defeated, when Satan is bound, when the knowledge of the Lord covers the earth as the waters cover the sea, indeed, festival days that yet lie ahead for us, and the hope that they portray. This is a turning point in human history where God intervenes directly for the purpose of ending the ways of man and establishing the kingdom of God. It is truly a blessing to have the hope and understanding of these holy days which God has given us. They give us comfort and clarity in the face of the uncertain times in which we live, brethren, and I hope you appreciate them. I hope as we move closer and closer to the end of the age, we appreciate them all the more for the comfort God provides through these days. I want to conclude in Revelation, chapter 11, verse 15.

Very important words for us never to forget. Revelation, chapter 11, verse 15.

Revelation 11, verse 15 says, Then the seventh angel sounded, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever. May God speed that day.