Prove All Things; Hold Fast What is Good

I'm going to start this important topic today, and I'd like us to begin in a scripture over in 1 Thessalonians, chapter 5, and verse number 21. 1 Thessalonians, chapter 5, and verse 21. This is actually a very short scripture, and yet it has something, I think, really that is very meaningful for us in our Christian lives that we need to follow and continue to follow as we go along our journey towards the kingdom of God. It's a short verse here that's found in 1 Thessalonians, chapter 5, and verse number 21. 1 Thessalonians, chapter 5, and verse number 21. I'll be reading from the New King James version here, but it says, 1 Test all things, and to hold fast that which is good. 2 I think the Old King James puts it this way. If you've got that in front of you on the table, prove all things and hold fast that which is good. 2 Brother, let's expound on this passage here a little bit today and see its importance in our lives.

I'll ask the question here, have you ever wondered why there are so many different religious beliefs out there? How is it that we have so many different church denominations, and most of them claim to get their teachings from Scripture?

There's the Catholic Church, the Big Mother Church, in a sense, out of Rome. There's the Eastern Orthodox Church over in present-day Turkey, Constantinople, now Istanbul. There are hundreds of different Protestant denominations and churches, and again, most of them claim to get their doctrines, their true teachings, which is what doctrine means. They claim to get those from the Bible, and yet their teachings, their doctrines are often very different and sometimes totally different. So how can we know the truth? And even today, in our United Church of God environment, you know that we've been, in a sense, as an organization for the last 25 years, you've probably heard a lot of different ideas when it comes to doctrine.

Some of them very different, and frankly, brethren, some of them heresy. You know, for some of us with gray hair here, we endured some very, very serious doctrinal heresy when it came to the keeping of the Sabbath 25 years ago. And also about the nature of God at that time. You remember, don't you? The nature of God, all of a sudden, God became convoluted. What was the nature of God? And ultimately, the worldwide Church of God, which began to introduce in 1994, 95, the fact that the Sabbath was no longer a command under the New Covenant, and it began to change the nature of God's belief to a trinity.

Ultimately, is where the dust settled on that. And there's been other doctrines over the years that we've had to go through. You know, the one that keeps arising up from time to time among many is the sacred names movement, where the teaching is that we are required, in a sense, to call God by His Hebrew name. Even though the Hebrew names, sacred names people, don't necessarily agree among themselves. Whether it should be Yahweh, whether it should be Yehova, whether it should be Jehovah.

And when it comes to Christ, Yeshua, Yahshua, I mean, it goes on and on. And those are some of the things that we've had to address. Well, let's turn over to 2 Peter chapter 3. 2 Peter chapter 3. And God does tell us through Paul, in the Scripture that we did just read, that we need to test all things, to prove all things, and we need to continue to do that along the way.

And let's pick it up here in 2 Timothy chapter 3. And let's begin here in verse number 15. 2 Timothy chapter 3 and verse number 15. You know, why is it that Paul gave us this admonition? 2 Timothy chapter 3 verse 15.

Why is it that Paul gave us this admonition in the Scripture that we read first here, to prove all things and hold fast what is good? Because this is God inspiring Paul to give us that admonition. Why? You know, I think the reason is that so many over the years have twisted and misrepresented the Scripture. And that's why we have all these different religious beliefs. That's why we have all these different denominations.

And yet, even pet doctrines that come into the Church of God from time to time. So many different teachings and ideas, because so many do twist and misrepresent Scripture. Now, one example that we'll see here in second Peter chapter 3 and verse 15, is we see that some of Paul's writings have been twisted over the years and misrepresented.

And it was even happening in the first century. And Peter addresses that here. He admits in this section of Scripture here that some of Paul's writings are hard to understand. So let's pick it up. Second Peter 3 verse 15. It says, consider that the long suffering of our Lord is salvation, as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you.

So Peter was aware that Paul had written letters to the Church. Verse 16 is also in all of his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which some things are hard to understand. So Peter admitted that some of Paul's writings were hard to understand. And then he goes on to say, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as well as they do the rest of the Scriptures.

Brethren, I'll tell you, this is a loaded verse here. Some areas of Scriptures can be hard to understand. Paul's writings and even some of the other Scriptures, which some people twist, as it says, to their own destruction.

Brethren, we don't want to do that. We don't want to misrepresent or twist Scripture to our own destruction. We want to prove or test these things. And we want to be honest and fair as we do it, and not twist in any way the Scriptures to our own destruction. Verse 17, let's go on. You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware. So here, you know, we've got this warning from Peter here.

Beware lest you fall from your own steadfastness and being led away with the error of the wicked. I think the New Living Translation says, I don't want you to lose your own secure footing to fall from your own steadfastness.

So, brethren, God doesn't want you and I to fall from our own steadfastness. He wants us to recognize when people twist or misrepresent the Scriptures. There is so much, brethren, in the Bible about what we're going to talk about today. Let's go over to Acts 20 and verse 28. I've got a lot of Scriptures for you today. And so, try to keep up as best you can or write them down and you can read them later. But let's go over to Acts 20. Try to not go too fast that you can keep up with me because I'd really prefer you to read the words with me as we go through these Scriptures.

Acts 20 and verse 28 is where we're going to begin. And this is a context where Paul is talking to the elders at Ephesus and he warns them about something. So, we've had this warning from Peter and now the Apostle Paul gives us this warning here as well as he's talking to the elders in Ephesus. Acts 20 and verse 28. It says, therefore, take heed to yourselves and to all the flock. So, watch yourself and also watch the flock. Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers to shepherd the church of God.

So, there's the name of the church there, the church of God, which he has purchased with his own blood. So, this is very valuable to God and to Jesus Christ. He purchased you and me. We make up the body, the disciples of Christ make up the body of Christ that we were purchased with Christ's own blood. He says, verse 29, for I know this, whether God gave him the understanding here, but he had a very firm knowledge that this was going to happen.

I know this, that after I leave, after my departure, savage wolves will come in among you and they will not spare the flock. Brother, savage wolves come into the flock from without. They've never been a part of the flock. A wolf has always been from the outside, has never been a part of the sheep, never been a part of the flock. So, Paul warns that savage wolves would come from outside the church. People outside the church will come and they'll not spare the flock. But also notice what he says in verse 30.

He warns them also about within. He says this down through the years. Even some have come up with different ideas. We have to be alert to that also. He says, verse 30, also from among yourselves, from within, brethren, men will rise up and speak perverse things. And why? Well, the reason's right here in the Scripture. To draw away disciples after themselves. It's all about me. It's not necessarily about the flock. It's about me. In verse 31, he says, therefore watch.

And remember that for three years that I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears. Well, this was a message that he was saying for three years. He was warning them every day, every night and day with tears. So, brethren, God would have us to test all things and then to hold fast to the truth. In a sense, to watch, be alert, have a solid foundation that nothing could ever sway us in order for us to be immovable and unshakable.

Let's go over to 2 Peter now, chapter 2. We'll go back to Peter now. We've gone from Paul to Peter, back to Paul. Let's go back to Peter. In 2 Peter, chapter 2, and verse number 1. 2 Peter, chapter 2. And we'll pick it up here in verse number 1. So again, we find so many verses here, brethren, warning about those who would twist God's words and misrepresent it and not handle it properly. And really, this whole chapter here in 2 Peter, chapter 2, is a strong indictment, in a sense, towards false teachers and false prophets and false apostles.

2 Peter, chapter 2. Let's pick it up here in verse number 1. He says, but there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you. Notice who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them. And they will bring on themselves something that really nobody wants. They will bring on themselves swift destruction. And notice many will follow their destructive ways. Many people will go along with these false teachers.

Many will follow their destructive ways because of whom the way the truth will be blasphemed. And so, brethren, we see here, really, this whole chapter is an indictment towards anyone who would teach anything other than the Word of God to anyone who would mishandle the Word of God. Let's now notice another scripture over in 1 Timothy, chapter 1, in verse number 3.

1 Timothy, chapter 1, and verse number 3.

Again, now back to Paul's writings now. 1 Timothy, chapter 1, and verse number 3.

And let's pick it up here. Paul is writing this letter to Timothy, and he says this in 1 Peter, chapter 1, verse 3.

He says, So Paul is saying that, you know, Timothy, you've got the responsibility for people that are not teaching correct doctrine, that you are to charge them to teach no other doctrine.

You know, the church of God has to be united in its teaching. And we take that very seriously, brother, in the church, that we understand the scripture that talks about, and we'll cover that in a moment, that the church is the ground and the pillar of the truth, and it has a responsibility to protect it and to pass it on to future generations.

So, charge some that they teach no other doctrine. Verse 4, Some of these things God calls a spade a spade through Paul to Timothy, that they're fables, they're false, they're not true.

They don't give heed to fables and endless genealogies. So some of the people at that time are into these things. But she says, He says, He says, The New Living Translation puts that this way, We focus on these doctrines and these disputes, and they keep us from focusing, really, on where God wants to take us, of living a godly life, emulating and imitating His Son Jesus Christ, which cause disputes rather than godly edification, which is in faith. Now, the purpose of the commandment is love, not disputes. It's love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith.

Notice verse 6.

They've strayed from the truth, brethren, and they've turned aside to idle talk. I think the old King James puts it this way, from which some, having swerved, have turned aside to vain, jangly, worthless talk. In fact, it's more than worthless. It actually causes damage.

In verse 7, they desire to be teachers of the law.

It touches a little bit that they wanted to have disciples after themselves. They desire to be teachers of the law, understanding either what they say, nor the things which they affirm. They've affirmed that these things are true, but they're not true, nor the things which they affirm.

So the conditions, then, brethren, in a sense, even back in the first century, are not unlike, in a sense, what has happened in our lifetime, and even what is happening today, just recently within the United Church of God. So we have to test, and to prove, and to hold fast the things that are good, and to be careful. We're in this context here, verse 7. Let's jump ahead to verse number 18 here.

Verse 18, same chapter, 1 Timothy 1. Verse 18, This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare. Brethren, a part of the good warfare is to have a solid foundation of Bible knowledge. Again, of testing all things and holding fast, which is good. Verse 19, Having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected. Some have rejected the truth of God, brethren. They've gone a different way. Which some having rejected concerning the faith, have suffered shipwreck, of whom Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I delivered to Satan, that they may learn something, that they may learn not to blaspheme. So, apparently, the example here that Paul had to ask these two men not to attend church anymore, because they had gone off in a different direction. They were teaching things and spreading things that were not true doctrine. And they were affecting brethren and causing division. So, the Bible has a lot of warnings, brethren. And I think it shows one of the struggles of the peoples of God down through the ages, is that it's not to be able to maintain the truth, and not to be led into error, but it can happen. It can happen to me. It can happen to you. You know, we can fall in love with a pet idea, and all of a sudden it can be truth to you and to me. And no one can talk us out of it. Brethren, I've had conversations with some brethren that have begun to embrace this doctrine and I've had conversations with some brethren that have been propagated by the Pacific Church of God and by Mark Mickelson. And I've had brethren that just close the Bible and say, I don't want to talk anymore. You know, you're not going to convince me. You're not going to change my mind. And so it can happen. It can happen to me. It can happen to you. Let's go over to 2 Timothy chapter 4 and verse number 1. 2 Timothy chapter 4 and verse 1. Brethren, we can fall in love with a pet idea that ends up becoming truth to you and me, and off we go in a different direction other than the truth of God. And we don't want that to happen. Brethren, we hear of somebody that has an idea that they're falling in love with. Be careful not to be swayed by it. So let's look at what it tells us here in 2 Timothy chapter 4 and verse number 1. 2 Timothy chapter 4 and verse number 1.

Again, there are many warnings here in the Scriptures. Paul, in a sense, writes about our time today here. He's kind of fast-forwarding, so it should not be surprising that this has not only happened down through history, but it will happen, continue to happen to the end of the age. And it does continue to happen today, brethren. This misrepresentation, this twisting of Scripture. 2 Timothy chapter 4 and verse number 1. He says, I charge you, Timothy. Therefore, before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing in His kingdom? Preach the Word. You'll preach the Word of God. And let there be verse after verse after verse, which is the Word of God, which points to what we are to do. Don't misrepresent. Don't mishandle. Preach the Word. And be ready. He says, in season, out of season, convince, rebuke, exhort, and do it with all long suffering and teaching. So these, again, are admonitions to Timothy, a minister of God. Notice verse number 3. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine.

But according to their own desires, because they want to hear something new, they have itching ears, they will keep up for themselves, teachers. They'll appoint for themselves teachers, teachers that are speaking the same thing that is interesting to them because they're not enduring sound doctrine. You know, they want to hear what they want to hear, which is intriguing to them. That's what it means to have itching ears. They want to hear what is appealing to them. And notice verse 4. And they will turn those itching ears away from the truth. And they will be turned aside to something that is not truth at all. Fables is the word that's used here. Verse 5. But you be watchful in all things. So, brethren, we want, again, to test all things, don't we? To hold fast what is true. We don't want to be among those who will not endure sound doctrine. God doesn't want us to be among those who will not endure sound doctrine. So, God in his love warns us not to be deceived, as we've been reading in that first scripture, 1 Thessalonians 5, verse 21. To test and to hold on. Let's go to 2 Peter 2, verse 16. 2 Timothy 2, verse 16. Sorry? Oh, I'm sorry. 2 Timothy 2, verse 16. Did I say Peter? Sorry about that. You just keep giving me that look, and I'll know something's wrong. And we'll try to get it straightened up. 2 Timothy 2, verse 16. I'll try to make it easier for you. Alright. Again, Paul writing to Timothy here. He says this. He says, But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness. Very similar to what we read in one of the other scriptures. This is the fruit of it. This is where it leads. It leads to ungodliness. And that's not where God's taking us. You know? It leads to more and worse things to ungodliness. That's its fruit. And then this message spreads. It spreads like cancer. Interesting that we have this first century analogy here. Some of these things can spread like cancer, which means it starts small, and then it begins to grow. Hyeninius and Phyletus are of this sort. We have real life examples on the ground in the first century. Paul even names another couple of people here. Notice, and he says, he calls a spade a spade. Verse 18, They, these two, have strayed concerning the truth, which means they have departed into error. They've strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection has already passed. Brother, that is profane and idle babbling. It is a strange doctrine. It's not according to the Scriptures at all, is it? We know that the first resurrection takes place at the return of Jesus Christ. And there's a second resurrection that takes place after the first thousand years of the Kingdom of God on earth. And yet there were some people that had this idea that the resurrection has already passed. You know, some of them were probably solid enough that that wasn't going to affect them. But notice here that some were affected by this false doctrine. Verse 18, who have strayed concerning the truth, saying the resurrection has already passed, and they overthrow the faith of some. So some were not grounded well enough in the truth. Now, brethren, you and I may not succumb to a false doctrine if the resurrection has already passed. But is there an idea out there that we could succumb to that we've never heard before? It's got a new twist. It's got a new interest. You know, God tells us to be thinking about that, to be careful, and to make sure you understand what's going on. Because there are some strange doctrines that are going around, and have gone around. And one we'll talk about here as we get a little further in the message.

Let's go over to 1 Thessalonians. Or, excuse me, no, let's go to 1 Timothy chapter 3 verse 15. I actually referred to the scripture, but let's look at it together. 1 Timothy chapter 3 and verse number 15. We're going to see here that the truth is very important. Well, we know the truth is important to God. Wow! It's very important to God, and it's also very important to His church, to those that make up the body of Christ. 1 Thessalonians chapter, I keep saying Thessalonians, 1 Timothy chapter 3 verse 15. Hang with me. 1 Timothy chapter 3 verse 15. Is that where you turn first, Timothy? Okay, don't leave.

1 Timothy chapter 3 verse 15. Brother, where is the ground and the pillar of the truth? You know, let's take a look here. We're going to see that the church is the very pillar and ground of the truth. 1 Timothy 3 verse 15. But if I'm delayed, I write, So that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, which is the pillar and the ground of the truth.

Wow, what a big responsibility that you and I have as part of the church of God. The church of the living God, which will continue to the end of the age until Jesus Christ returns, is going to be the ground and the pillar of the truth. Let me talk about an issue here, brother, and a doctrinal issue that's going around. Hang with me here. This is going to be maybe some things you've heard about, maybe some things that you have not heard about.

Here's something that's going around right now that is actually taking some people out of the church of God. It's a doctrine. The doctrine is this. Any time that you see in the Old Testament the capital letters L-O-R-D, four letters, L-O-R-D, that are capitalized, that every time you see that, that that's referring exclusively to God the Father, and never refers to the Word who became Jesus Christ. Now, brother, in the church of God teaches that that tetragrammaton, which is, depends on who you talk to, whether it's Y-H-V-H or Y-H-W-H, that every time that is translated into English, it's translated Lord.

Capital L-O-R-D. Capital letters. Now, nobody really knows how it's supposed to be pronounced. There are some people that believe the tetragrammaton, if you were to pronounce it in Hebrew, that it should be pronounced Yahweh. Some believe you should pronounce it Yahoba. There are many different variations. Nobody agrees, okay? Even those that feel it's important to pronounce it correctly, they don't all agree.

But here's the doctrinal thing that has been introduced here, is that every time you and I read the capital L-O-R-D in the Old Testament, that that is referring exclusively to the Father and never refers to Jesus Christ or the Word who became in the flesh Jesus Christ. Brethren, that's not what we teach. We teach that that tetragrammaton, YHVH or YHWH, whatever, can refer to either the Father or to the Word of God, Jesus Christ, depending upon the context.

That's our teaching. All right. So now, we have this situation now, that this, if you apply this understanding, that it always exclusively refers to God the Father, that begins to change doctrine. Begins to change doctrine. Because in Zechariah, and I'll just pronounce this tetragrammaton, YHWH, that doesn't necessarily mean it's the correct pronunciation, but just for the sake of simplicity, that YHWH's feet are going to stand on the Mount of Olives. And so, thou, the doctrinal shift has come to be that that is referring to the Father is the one that's coming back. His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives. And we see the prophecy of John the Baptist, that he is going to prepare the way for whom?

Well, we understand it's Jesus Christ. But when the Pharisees, the Jewish religious authorities that come to John say, Who are you? He said, I'm not the Messiah. I'm not that prophet. I am the one that it speaks about in the book of Isaiah, that I have come to prepare the way of the Lord. Well, he's quoting, and you can write this down, he's quoting Isaiah chapter 40 verse 3.

The voice of him that cries in the wilderness, prepare the way of Yahweh. The Lord, in English, capital L-O-R-D. Brethren, we understand that is referring to Jesus Christ. Yahweh can refer to Jesus Christ, or it can refer to the Father, depending upon the context. Just like they both have the name, the Hebrew name Eloim, they both have this name Yahweh. But that's not what this new doctrine that's been coming in and affecting some people believes. They believe it's only exclusively referring to the Father.

Let's look at a scripture. There are many, but let's look to a scripture that shows that Yahweh is referring to Jesus Christ. Let's go over to Jeremiah chapter 23.

Jeremiah chapter 23.

And verse number 5 is where we'll pick it up here. This is in the context of God's shepherd scattering the sheep. We were to look at verse 1 in Jeremiah 23. It says, "'Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture, that there would be false teachers, false shepherds that are out there that scatter God's people, because they want a following after themselves.' Notice what he says in verse number 5.

We'll drop down to verse number 5. He says, "'Behold, the days come,' says the Lord, that I'm going to raise up unto David a righteous branch." Now, if we look at Lord there, we know that's talking about the Father. The Father is going to raise up unto David a righteous branch. We know that's a prophecy about Jesus Christ. He's the Son of David. See that in the New Testament, the book of Matthew, and the genealogies, called the Son of Abraham, the Son of David. And the Father says, "'I'm going to raise up to David a righteous branch, and a king shall reign and prosper,' that's referring to Jesus Christ, "'and shall execute judgment.'" Jesus Christ has been given the authority by God the Father to execute judgment.

Father says, "'I don't judge anyone. I've committed judgment to Jesus Christ.' He shall execute judgment and justice in the earth." So this is going to happen on earth. Notice verse 6, "'In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely, and this is his name, whereby he shall be called.'" We're talking about the branch of David. We're talking about Jesus Christ. "'This is his name whereby he shall be called Yahweh, our righteousness.'" Does Jesus Christ have this name Yahweh as well as the Father?

Absolutely. He does. He has this name, Yahweh, our righteousness. Let's go over to Zechariah chapter 14. Let's look at another example here. Zechariah chapter 14. Hang with me, brethren. I know there's a lot of scriptures here. For those that really like to dig into doctrine, this is probably a message that, you know, that will be something you really want to pay attention to. And I think it's good information for all of us based upon the environment that's happening among some of the churches of God right now.

Zechariah chapter 14 verse 1. Zechariah is the prophet of God. This is an end-time prophecy here. This is talking about a future time, something that has not yet happened, but will happen. And it will be a reality in the future. Zechariah chapter 14 and verse number 1. Behold, the day of the Lord comes. The day of Yahweh is coming. It's a one-year period from other scriptures that we find. We'll read about some of that in a moment.

And your spoil shall be divided in the midst of you. I'm reading this from the Old King James. For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the cities shall be taken, and the houses shall be rifled, and the women shall be ravished. It's a terrible time. And half of the city will go into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then shall Yahweh, the Lord. Yahweh is going to go forth, and He is going to fight against those nations.

Are we talking about the Father here? We're talking about Jesus Christ. Well, let's see as we go along. Yahweh shall go forth and fight against those nations, as when He fought in the day of battle. In verse number four, And His feet, whose feet? Yahweh's feet. So that the fathers is at the sons, whose feet? Verse four, Shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof towards the east and towards the west. And there shall be a very great valley, and half of that mountain shall remove towards the north, and half of it towards the south.

So they believe, brethren, these people that are introducing this new doctrine, which I would call heresy, they believe the fathers' feet are going to stand on the Mount of Olives. Because Yahweh exclusively refers to the Father without exception. That's their belief. And so then, if this is Yahweh here, then it must be the Father according to them. Let's go over to Psalm, chapter 110. Psalm, chapter 110. And we're going to pick it up here in the very first verse.

Psalm, chapter 110. Now we're going to see another time where Yahweh is referring to the Father. It's very clear from Scripture that when we see the capital L-O-R-D here, it is referring to the Father. Psalm, chapter 110. And verse number 1. This is a Psalm of David. It's a pretty familiar Scripture. In fact, this is actually quoted many times, and we'll actually cover it here.

It's quoted many times in the New Testament. It says, a Psalm of David, it says, the Lord. Capital L-O-R-D, right? Hopefully that's what's in your translation there in front of you, referring to Yahweh, referring to the Father. The Lord said unto my Lord. David understood there were two God beings. But notice the second Lord is not capitalized. It's L-O-R-D, lower case. The first letter is capitalized, but the next three letters are not capitalized. The Hebrew word there is adon.

It's four letters, A-D-O-N. But the first Lord in that verse, the four letters are capitalized, and it's referring to the tetragrammaton, YHVH or YHWH, depending upon who you talk to. So we see the Father is saying to the Son, Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool. Now those who have come up with this new doctrinal understanding are saying, See, the Father's going to fight this battle. He's saying to Jesus Christ, You just sit here and relax. I'll take care of this. And so they've come to the understanding that the Father is going to subdue the nations, that the Father is going to fight.

That's the understanding that they have come to have. So let's address that, brethren, now in the balance of the message today. Let's address this question. Do stand on the Mount of Olives. Which being is actually fighting this battle? You know, is it the Father, or is it Jesus Christ? So we'll take some time here in the rest of the message to talk about this, and we're going to focus quite a bit on the second coming of Jesus Christ, and the fact that He comes with a sword, an offensive weapon, we'll be touching on that.

He comes with a sword, which is an offensive weapon to do battle, when He returns to fight in the battle of God Almighty. We're going to get into some Scripture now. I want you to hang with me. Let's pause for a moment, and let's understand before we get into some of these Scriptures. Let's understand some concepts here, because we want to understand the full context in the Scripture to understand the whole thing of what is happening towards the end of the age. I think that's going to be helpful for us, and maybe even critical for us, to be able to understand the intended meaning, so that we can grasp it, and then be able to answer the questions that we posed here.

Whose feet is it that stands in the Mount of Olives, and who is fighting this battle? Okay, the day of the Lord. That day that the Bible defines as the day of the Lord is a one-year period, which overlaps the last three and a half years prior to the return of Jesus Christ. The first two and a half years of that three and a half year period is defined as Satan's wrath, or the great time of tribulation on the earth, or the time of Jacob's trouble, a time of persecution also of the church, a time when Satan is trying to bring in the dominance of his system, followed by the year of God's vengeance, also known as the day of the Lord, a day for a year.

A few important things to remember regarding the day of the Lord before we step into answering these questions. Number one, the day of the Lord is a time that will involve God's judgment on all humanity.

The day of the Lord is a time that will involve God's judgment on all humanity. A second point to keep in mind. It will catch those who are spiritually unprepared as a thief in the night. It will catch those who are unprepared as a thief in the night. It will be a surprise. It will be a shock for those who are unprepared as a thief that comes in the night. And a third point here. The day of the Lord will culminate in the battle of God Almighty. The day of the Lord will culminate in the battle of God Almighty at the return of Jesus Christ. So again, the day of the Lord is a one-year stretch of time and it culminates in the battle of God Almighty. So God Almighty's battle will be the climax of the day of the Lord. Now, the Bible has a lot to say about the battle of God Almighty and who it is that will actually come down and fight it personally. And whose sword it is that will go forth in that battle. So first, now, let's get into some scripture. We're going to get into some Old Testament scriptures in a sense that begin to lay a foundation here. We're going to look at some Old Testament prophecies. And then we're going to look at their fulfillment from the New Testament. Alright. So let's go back to the book of Joel. Joel chapter 1. Let's go back to the book of Joel. It's actually one of the minor prophets, not minor because it doesn't have something important to say. It's actually got a lot of important information to say and to share with us. Minor in the sense that it's one of the shorter books, shorter prophecies here. But it is packed with a lot of things that happen in the end of the age. So let's go to Joel chapter 1. And let's read it together, brethren, beginning in verse number 13. Joel chapter 1 and verse number 13. We'll see the context here is the day of the Lord. It says, Gird yourselves and lament, you priests. We're in Joel chapter 1 verse 13. Wail, you who minister before the altar. Come and lie all night in sackcloth. Be humble for what's about to take place. You who minister to my God. For the grain offered and the drink offering are withheld from the house of your God. Consecrate a fast. Not only be in sackcloth, but verse 14, Consecrate a fast call and assembly. Bring the people together. Gather the elders. Gather all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the Lord your God, and cry out to the Lord. Verse 15, Alas! For the great day, for the day of the Lord is at hand, it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.

We're talking about the day of the Lord. It's going to come as a destruction from the Almighty. So what we see here from Joel is that the source of the destruction of the day of the Lord is prophesied to come from the Almighty. Throughout that year, the final year of the three and a half years, leading up to Christ's return, the Father is going to pour out His judgment upon the earth. And if we were to go back to the book of Revelation, which we will hear just in a moment, we can see various forms of that destruction that will come on the earth throughout that entire year from God the Father. For then, after all, the day of the Lord is the day of God the Father's judgment on the earth. That's clear from Scripture. The book of Revelation shows the manner, though, in which God will carry it out. It is by the hand and through the hand of His Son Jesus Christ, and also through the hand of some of the Father's angels. But it is of God the Father. It is His day, the day of God Almighty. But again, as we look at the prophecies about this day and who it is, that will literally come down to fight. If you're taking notes, I know many of you are, when it comes to this section of Scripture and Joel, write this down. A destruction from God Almighty. Destruction from God Almighty. Okay, let's go back to Psalm 110. Now, we were here earlier, but I want to read a little bit more in the context. Psalm chapter 110. And we're going to pick it up in verse number one.

Psalm chapter 110 and verse number one.

It says, The Lord Yahweh said to my Lord Adon, The Father said, Sit in my right hand, till I make your enemies your footstool. So here Jesus Christ is sitting at the right hand of the Father. There's other Scriptures in the New Testament that show that Jesus does sit at the right hand of the Father. So the Father says to Jesus Christ, Sit in my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool. Verse 2. Yahweh is going to send the rod of your strength out of Zion.

Rule in the midst, in the middle of your enemies. Your people shall be volunteers in the day of your power, in the beauties of holiness, from the womb of the morning you have the dew of your youth. The Lord Yahweh has sworn and will not relent. You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek, a clear prophecy regarding Jesus Christ and his priesthood. Verse 5. The Lord Adon is at your right hand.

He, Adon, shall execute kings in the day of his wrath. So verse 1 sets the context of the chapter, tells us who is at the right hand of who. Adon is at the right hand of Yahweh. Christ is at the right hand of the Father. Verse 5. The Lord Adon is at your right hand.

He shall execute kings in the day of his wrath. He shall judge. Who judges? Adon. He shall judge among the nations. He shall fill the places with dead bodies. He shall execute the heads of many countries. He shall drink of the brook by the wayside. Therefore, he shall lift up the head.

This is describing at the end of the day of the Lord. But there's going to be a great battle here. That there will be great destruction of the enemies of God Almighty. The biblical timeline shows that it culminates in the great battle of God Almighty. So in your notes here in Psalm 110, I suggest that you write down these statements. That he will execute kings.

He will execute kings. He will judge among the nations. He will judge among the nations. He will fill places with dead bodies. He will fill places with dead bodies. He will execute the heads of many countries. He will execute the heads of many countries. Brethren, this is describing the outcome of the great battle of God Almighty. Let's notice something now in another one of God's prophets in Isaiah. Isaiah chapter 31. Isaiah chapter 31. Again, all of these are important prophecies. They're here for a reason to help us to understand. Isaiah chapter 31. We're going to pick it up here in verse number 4. Isaiah chapter 31 and verse number 4. For thus the Lord has spoken to me, as a lion roars and a young lion over his prey, when a multitude of shepherds is summoned against him, he will not be afraid of their voice nor be disturbed by their noise.

So the Lord Yahweh, the Yahweh of hosts, will come down to fight. Brethren, I'm suggesting this is talking about Jesus Christ here. So Yahweh of hosts will come down to fight for Mount Zion and for its hill. Like birds, verse 5, flying about, so will Yahweh of hosts. He's going to defend Jerusalem. Defending He will also deliver it, passing over, He will preserve it. Return to Him against whom the children of Israel have deeply revolted.

For in that day every man shall throw away his idols of silver and his idols of gold, sin, which your own hands have made for yourselves. And then Assyria is going to fall by a sword. Notice the sword. We'll tie that in here in a moment. Shall fall by a sword, not of man. This is no human sword that's going to be able to do this.

Then Assyria, verse 8, shall fall by a sword, not of man. And a sword, not of mankind, shall devour him. But he shall flee from that sword, and his young men shall become forced labor. Verse 9, he shall cross over to his stronghold for fear, and his princes shall be afraid of the banner. Says the Lord, whose fire is in Zion, and whose furnace is in Jerusalem. Brethren, an important thing I think to note here, maybe to write down in your notes here, is that the Lord of hosts will come down to fight.

That's in verse 4 in this section that we just read. The Lord of hosts will come down to fight. And also notice in verse 8, they shall fall by a sword, not of mankind.

Again, we're assembling these prophecies, brethren, in the battle of God Almighty, so that we might have them when we look to the fulfillment of what it is that God, the Father, will do through Jesus Christ when Jesus Christ brings his sword.

We're in Isaiah chapter 31. Let's go to Isaiah chapter 63. Just a few more scriptures ahead here. Isaiah chapter 63. And we'll pick it up here in verse number 1. Isaiah chapter 63 and verse number 1. Who is this that comes from Edom? With dyed garments from Basra. This one, as translators must have known, it was a God being here that got one capitalized.

This one who is glorious in his apparel, traveling in the greatness of his strength. I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save. Why is your apparel red? And your garments like the one who treads in the winepress. You know, we have this prophecy of a glorious one who's traveling in the greatness of his strength. With garments red, as if he'd been trampling in the winepress. You know, as if this individual had been trampling in a winepress and got their garments stained. Now, we really don't have this dynamic, really, in our culture here in Wisconsin or Minnesota, in a sense, but just imagine if you were in an area where they have these vineyards and you got into a vat of grapes that was filled to the full and you start treading out the grapes.

You start treading out the juice squishing between your toes and your back and forth and trampling here, in a sense, the grapes underfoot. And as you squish the juice out, imagine what your clothes are eventually going to look like when you're done. So there's a betrayal here in this prophecy, portraying the battle of God Almighty. We're really not talking about grapes.

Verse 3. And notice, I have trodden the winepress alone. And from the peoples, no one was with me, for I have trodden them in my anger and I've trampled them in my fury. They're blood. We're really talking about blood, not just grapes. Their blood is sprinkled upon my garments and I have stained all of my robes.

For the day of vengeance is in my heart, the day of the Lord, and the year, which is where we think we get the year time, the day of for a year, year for a day. Verse 4. For the day of vengeance is in my heart and the year of my redeemed has come.

I looked and 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. And I have trodden down the peoples in my anger. We're not talking about grapes. I've made them drunk in my fury and I've brought down their strength to the earth.

Quite a graphic portrayal, brethren, in a way of the slaughter that's going to take place at the battle of the great God Almighty, at the culmination and climax of the day of the Lord and the conclusion of that year. It's expressing the fact that these peoples and these armies are going to be like grapes loaded into a vat and pressed underfoot. Some notes to suggest writing down here in this section of Scripture, verses 3 through 6, is that the winepress is trodden alone. Verse 3.

The winepress is trodden alone. The winepress is trampled in fury. We're also verse 3. The winepress is trampled in fury. And blood is sprinkled upon the garments of the one who tramples. That's also verse 3. And blood is sprinkled upon the garments of the one who tramples. Let's go back to the book of Joel. From Joel chapter 1.

This time let's go to Joel chapter 3. I know it's not an easy book to find, but there's a lot of, I think, important information, brethren, if you can find it. Joel chapter 3. And read along with me if you can get there. Joel's only got three chapters. Very short book, but boy is it filled with prophetic things that'll happen towards the end of the age. Joel chapter 3, we're going to begin in verse number 1.

Joel chapter 3 verse 1. For behold, in those days, and at that time, when I bring back the captives of Judah and Jerusalem, I'm going to gather all the nations. I'm going to 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, and they've also divided up my land. Let's drop down to verse number 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. Just the opposite of what we read usually at the Feast of Tabernacles, when they're beating their swords into plowshares. Now, he says, beat your plowshares into swords at the time of war. And beat your pruning hooks into spears, and let the weak say, I am strong. Verse 11. Assemble and come, all of you nations, and gather together all around. Cause your mighty ones to go down there, O Lord. Let the nations be awakened. Verse 12.

Let them 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 winepress is full. The vats are overflowing, 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. There are many other prophecies that we could read as well, but hopefully we're beginning to get the picture here. The battle of the great God Almighty is going to be waged on this earth.

And the climax, in a sense, of the day of the Lord is going to be this battle. God the Father is going to execute His judgment on the elements of this world, which stand in direct opposition to Him and to His kingdom. Now, in your notes here for Joel chapter 3, I've got some suggested things to write down here. Verse 2, all the nations are gathered for judgment. All the nations are gathered for judgment. And in verse 13, at the time of this battle, the winepress is full.

At the time of this battle, the winepress is full. So we've raised some questions together here in the message today. Who fights the battle of God Almighty? Who fights the battle of God Almighty? Is it the Father Himself? Is it the Father Himself? His Son are beginning to proclaim now that He personally comes down to this earth to fight the battle of God Almighty at the end of the day of the Lord? Does He Himself literally come down to fight this battle? After all, it's a battle that's got His name in it.

Doesn't it? Doesn't that mean that He will personally come down to fight it? And what does this all have to do with Jesus Christ? What does this have to do with the sword of Jesus Christ? What does Christ even have to do with all of these prophecies about the battle of the great God Almighty? After all, reading all of this, where is He? There are good questions to consider. And again, what does the sword of Jesus Christ have to do with this battle? Well, let's see what the Scripture says. Because some might look just simply at the Old Testament prophecies and come to the conclusion, well, it's God the Father Himself that the one is coming down to fight this battle, personally.

And better than that, if that's all we had was the Old Testament Scriptures, we might even come to that conclusion. We might think that's a possible explanation. However, those Scriptures are not the only ones that we have. There are other Scriptures that give us the fullness of the understanding on this topic. And God the Father Himself has given us further revelation on this particular topic and on these questions that we've raised.

So let's consider the whole Bible as a package. Let's consider these pieces of a puzzle that will eventually give us a full picture. It's called the Book of Revelation. Let's consider the revelation of God the Father because let's understand this is God the Father that is revealing this in the Book of Revelation. Let's understand that. Revelation chapter 1 and verse 1. God the Father wants us to understand how this plan works, how the two of them have been working together, how they came up with this plan together, and how they each have different roles and responsibilities in carrying out this plan. Revelation chapter 1 and verse 1.

Notice the revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave Him. The Father revealed these things to Jesus Christ. Jesus was the one that was worthy to open the scrolls. Remember other parts of Revelation? There was no one found worthy. And John started to weep and the angel said, don't weep. There is one who is worthy to open the scrolls. But this information comes from God the Father through Jesus Christ as we read the Book of Revelation.

Revelation chapter 1 and verse 1. The revelation of Jesus Christ which God, referring to the Father, gave Him. For what purpose? To show His servants, which must shortly, things that must shortly take place. And then He, referring to Jesus, signified it and sent it to His angel to John. So we have all these people that are here in the loop here. The Book of Revelation is a message from God the Father directly through Christ, through the angel, to John, to us. It's from the Father directly through Jesus Christ, through the angel, through John, to us, of showing us things that will shortly take place.

So, brethren, let's let the Bible speak for itself in these questions. Let's look at all of the Scriptures together. Let's consider the notes also that we took. And consider also what's revealed here in the Book of Revelation. Let's go to Revelation chapter 16. Revelation chapter 16. Let's pick it up here in verse number 12. Revelation chapter 16 and verse 12. And this is all going to be tied together here, brethren, I think, as we look at all the various verses of God on this topic.

It's also going to be tied into the sword of Jesus Christ, as we're going to see as we go along. Revelation chapter 16 and verse 12. It says, the six angels poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared. You know, God is saying, He wants the Father to say, I'm going to draw all of the nations to Jerusalem. I'm going to bring them all to this valley. And He says, I'm even going to dry up a river to make it easier for some of the kings to the east to be able to get there.

Part of the surrounding armies to get to that region for this great battle. Verse 13, and I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. Verse 14, they're spirits of demons. They're performing signs. They're doing miracles. They're doing things that are getting attention. They're performing signs which go out to the kings of the earth and the whole world to gather them together to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. So we see there's a lot of demonic influences that are going on.

The beasts, the false prophets, they're influencing kings and nations. There's demons, there's demonic influences backing the world-dominating power.

They're going out to assemble the kings and nations of the earth to gather them together for this great battle of God Almighty. Whose battle is it? It's the battle of God Almighty. It's the Father's battle. It's the great battle of God Almighty. There's no question there. Let's go over to Revelation 17, verse 12. Revelation 17. Just one chapter over. We're going to pick it up in verse 12.

Beginning to explain here some of the details here. There's ten horns on this final beast here. Ten horns, which you saw are ten kings, who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. All right? You want to be a part of this system and this conglomeration, you may do so. But the authority goes out from the beast. Verse 13. These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast. So these nations here that are in agreement with the beast, they've aligned themselves with the beast's power. They come under his authority. Verse 14. They will make war with the Lamb. With who? The Lamb. It's not a misstatement. These will make war with the Lamb. The Lamb is the Lamb of God the Father. Jesus Christ the Lamb slain before the foundation of the earth. The beast's power and these armies make war with the Lamb. And notice, and the Lamb will overcome them, because he is, after all, Lord of Lords, King of Kings. And notice, and those who are with him are called and chosen and faithful. So, brethren, what we notice here is that the battle is with the Lamb. The Lamb is with Jesus Christ. He is the one that defeats them. And, brethren, hopefully you and I will be there as well. That we'll be there with him. Those who are at the called and the chosen and the faithful. You know, the Bible says many are called but few are chosen. So there is a refining process along the way. So those who are called and chosen and faithful will be with the Lamb. You know, for time, I've got too many scriptures. It would probably take you a little longer than I should. I'm just going to refer to Revelation chapter 14 and verse 4. It's just a couple of pages over. You can look there if you want. But it says, those are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. The firstfruits. And they have white linen. Which means that they have right linen referring to the righteousness. They're the firstfruits. They go wherever the Lamb goes. So if the Lamb is coming to fight, they're with him. They're with him. So the question, brethren, why is the book of Revelation showing the Lamb fighting against these kings and nations that have gathered together for this great battle of God Almighty? Hasn't that battle been reserved for God the Father Himself? Well, that's what some would have you and I to believe. But I don't think it's scriptural, brethren. They'll say, well, isn't it His battle? Isn't it, again, His namesake?

Well, I think the truth and part of the answer is found in John 5, verse 21. Keep your marker here in Revelation. But let's go over to John 5 and verse 21. John 5 and verse 21.

We'll come back to the book of Revelation in a moment, but there's something here that Jesus Christ shares with us. John 5, verse 21. For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so, the Son gives life to whom He will. And notice verse 22. For the Father judges no one. I referred to that earlier, but here it is in the Scripture. The Father judges no one, but the Father has committed all judgment to the Son. Why? Why? Well, I think verse 23 is part of the reason that all should honor the Son, just as they honor the Father.

He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. Brethren, I would suggest that this doctrinal error that is being introduced is beginning to push Jesus Christ out of the role that God the Father and Jesus Christ agreed of the roles that they would have.

And of the roles that they are fulfilling. It's beginning to push Jesus Christ out of His role. Jesus Christ is coming to fight this battle, and Jesus Christ is going to render judgment. As we read here in verse 22, the Father judges no one. He's committed all judgment to the Son that all should honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.

So Jesus Christ states here that the Father has committed all judgment to the Son. Now, we don't have time to go back there, but we've already looked at Joel chapter 3 and verse 2, and you may recall there that God gathers all nations together for what purpose? The purpose is to enter into judgment with them. Who is going to execute the judgment of Almighty God? Who is going to execute the judgment of the Father? It's God the Father's judgment. It's His battle. But who is going to execute the judgment on the Father's behalf?

Well, I think we know the answer. It's Jesus Christ. But let's look at it from Scripture. Let's go to Acts chapter 17. Keep your marker here in Revelation if you haven't already left, because we're coming back there eventually. But let's go to Acts chapter 17, and let's pick it up here in verse number 30. Acts chapter 17 and verse number 30. Paul is speaking here, and he says this. He says, truly, these times of ignorance God has overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent. Because he, referring to God the Father, has appointed a day in which he, referring to God the Father, is going to judge the world in righteousness.

So there is a day coming that the judgment of God the Father is going to be executed in the world, on this world, in righteousness. How does He do it? Verse number 31. Because He has appointed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness. How? This is important. How? By the man whom He has ordained. God the Father is going to judge the world by and through Jesus Christ. By the man, capital M, whom He has ordained. And He has given assurance to this, that this is going to be Jesus Christ's role. He has given assurance to this by raising Him from the dead.

Brethren, we can be assured that God the Father is going to judge the world by Jesus Christ. By the man that He has ordained. And He's given us that assurance by raising Jesus Christ from the dead. He is the firstborn among many brethren. For there is no argument to the authority of God the Father. There is no argument to the supremacy of God the Father. God the Father will do what He wills and chooses to do.

They have agreed together the roles that they are going to have. We're going to see how God the Father chooses to do it. And it's by His design, by their design, they're working together on this. They work very closely together as one. So He's given us assurance how He's going to judge the world by the man that He's ordained. And He's given us assurance by raising Him from the dead. And then, of course, Jesus Christ, when He was raised from the dead, sat down at the right hand of the Father.

Brother, remember Psalm 110? Some are thinking that that's meaning that the Father is the one that's coming. The Father is the one that's doing the work. The Lord said unto my Lord, sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool.

Brother and I would suggest that the Father is gathering them all together in the same place to the point where He puts them all under Jesus Christ's feet. And then He tells Jesus Christ, go. It's time to go. I have brought them all together to one place. Now you go.

Brother, why does the Church of God teach that Jesus Christ returns to fight the battle of God Almighty? It's been questioned by some recently. Why do we teach it? Do we just make these things up, Brother? Why does the Church of God teach it? Because it's the record of Scripture. We're going to see it even more. We're not done yet. But we're going to see even more as we go along here. Let's go to Revelation 19. Now we're going back to Revelation. This time let's go to chapter 19. We don't make these things up, Brother. So let's go back to one of those times of judgment which the Father has committed to the Son, which is the great battle of God Almighty. Revelation chapter 19. You know, as we read through Revelation 19, I want to remind you of the notes that we took earlier as we walked through several prophecies in the Old Testament. Prophecies that showed some of the things that were going to happen at the battle of the great day of God Almighty. And those notes in Scripture showed that that battle of the great day of God Almighty was going to include several things. It was going to be a destruction from the Almighty. And as we see, it's of God the Father, but by Jesus Christ. But it is the Father's battle. It is His destruction. It is His judgment. So, destruction from Almighty, the execution of kings, the judgment of nations. These are all part of the notes in Scriptures that we looked at, filling places with dead bodies, the executions of the heads or the leaders of many countries. That Yahweh was coming down to fight, that His feet would stand on the Mount of Olos, and they shall fall by a sword that was not a sword of mankind. And that all nations would be gathered for this judgment, and that the winepress is full, and that the winepress would be trodden alone, trampled in fury, and blood upon the garments of the One who is doing the trampling. Brethren, let's now see how God the Father is going to indeed fulfill all of this by and through Jesus Christ and the sword of Christ. This is a time when Christ brings a sword in service to His Father's purpose. Let's pick it up here in Revelation chapter 19 and verse number 11. Revelation chapter 19 and verse number 11.

John is writing about what he's seeing here from this angel. He says, So we see one coming. He's coming to judge, he's coming to fight, he's coming to make war. And in righteousness it says, He judges and makes war. Two elements on our prophecy list that we noticed in the Old Testament.

Brethren, there's no question who this being is. This being who's coming on the horse, his name is called the Word of God. This is Jesus Christ. We read about that in the New Testament. John chapter 1 verse 1. The Word became flesh. He, in the beginning, was the Word and He was God. We're talking about this Word here. The Word of God is Jesus Christ. This is the Word of God from eternity coming to do these things as they have planned together. Brethren, when we go to Scripture, we see there's so much that they do together. They work together. They do it in unison. Even the creation. God the Father created all things through and by Jesus Christ. They work together. The Holy Spirit itself even coming through Jesus Christ, from the Father, through Jesus Christ, to you and I. So now we have this great battle at the end of the age. The nations are gathered. God fights this battle through Jesus Christ. Again, the Word of God. So why is His robe dipped in blood? Well, we shall see verse 14. Let's read on. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, follow Him on white horses. So the Word of God is coming to fight a battle and He's being followed by those in fine linen. And they're also riding white horses. Brethren, I'd suggest that those are the first fruits. That they've been resurrected and they follow Him wherever He goes. It could be the angelic realm as well, as we go through this here. Now verse number 15. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword. So we've been talking about the sword, referring to it here, the sword of Christ. And here Christ is bringing a sword in His Father's service. Out of His mouth goes a sharp sword that with it He, who? With this sword He should strike the nations. And He Himself, who Himself? Well, brethren, the one on the horse. Okay, the one who has the name, the Word of God. He Himself is coming. He Himself will rule with a rod of iron. He Himself alone treads the winepress of the fierceness of the wrath of His Father, the Almighty God. Whose fierceness and wrath is coming to bear on the earth? It is that of God Almighty. It is the wrath of Almighty God, which He has given to His Son to execute. Again, the sword of Christ in action. Notice who He's going to war with. It's going to strike the nations, those who have been gathered together, as we read earlier, to the great battle of God Almighty. The Euphrates rivers dried up, they're brought into the vat. The winepress has come to the full, and it includes the beast, it includes the false prophet, it includes many nations and their armies that are all gathered to fight against Almighty God. Whose battle is it? It's the battle of God Almighty. We understand it's God the Father's battle, and He is involving Himself in it directly. But how? By sending His Son, by sending the Lamb of God to fight. Brother, you go back in your memory to the early 2000s, remember we had the terrorist attacks, and all of a sudden we declared war against the terrorists, and it was known as President Bush's War. And whether you were a supporter of what he was doing or a detractor of what he was doing, they called it President Bush's War, or Bush's War for short. But you know, brother, he never put on a uniform. You know, he never got a submachine gun in his hands, and he never mowed down personally any of the terrorists. But it was known as his war, and he was the Commander-in-Chief of that war, and yet he never personally set foot on the soil of those nations that we were fighting. Oh, he sent generals. He sent troops.

Brethren, God the Father is the Commander-in-Chief of this end-of-the-age battle, in the end-of-the-age war. And he's going to send Jesus Christ and first-roots and angels to go and fight these nations and these demonic powers at the end of the age. And I don't think we can emphasize that point strong enough, is how they've agreed to carry this out. Jesus is the one, literally, that's going to come down to engage the enemies of God the Father at this time, the Word of God.

And he is the one that God the Father has given authority to. And he is the one that God the Father has given the power to. As Jesus said, all power and authority has been given to me by the Father who had it to give. Brethren, Jesus Christ is the one that God the Father chooses to fight this battle through. And we even have the scripture, even back in the very first part of the Bible, in Genesis 3, in verse 15, after Adam and Eve sinned and we were deceived by the present small gee God of this world.

And we see the prophecy about coming Jesus Christ, that there's going to be a descendant of yours, Adam and Eve, that is going to crush his heel. Oh, I mean, his head. His heel is going to be bruised, but Jesus is going to crush the head of the serpent, known as Satan the Devil.

God the Father chooses to do it that way. And he can choose to do it any way that he chooses and reveals it to us. He reveals in the scripture how he does it. The book of Revelation, again, it's from God the Father. I don't think he shows it being fulfilled other than through Jesus Christ in any other way. Notice verse 14, Revelation 19. And the 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 will rule them with a rod of iron. And he himself treads the winepresseth the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And on his robe and on his thigh there is a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. In verse 17, that I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, come and gather together for the supper of the great God.

Indeed, God is bringing them together for a slaughter that's just terrible. But he's gathering them all together. Verse 18, that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses, and of those who sit on them, and all the flesh of all people, free and slave, and both small and great. There's a massive destruction here of mankind that's going to take place. But he himself treads the winepress, Jesus Christ, but his actions are carrying out the fulfilling of the fierceness and the wrath and the anger of God the Father the Almighty.

Brethren, this is all going to be fulfilled here. In fact, all the things that we read about are really fulfilled through Jesus Christ. Destruction from the Almighty, the execution of the kings, the blood on the garments. It's all going to be fulfilled. Verse 19, And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies gathered together to make war against him. Against who? Against him who sat on the horse. Who sat on the horse?

The Word of God. This is whom the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies are gathered to make war with, the one whom the Father sends. They gathered to make war against him who sat on the horse and against his army. Saints, angels. Verse 20, And the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and who worshipped his image.

These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone, and the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from home. The rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of him who sat on the horse. Jesus Christ. And all the birds were filled with their flesh. Notice the sword of Christ in action at his second coming. So the beast and the false prophet are thrown in the fire at the second coming of Christ.

And all the rest are killed with the sword which proceeds from the mouth of Christ. Brethren, who else remains after this battle? Who else remains of this army assembled for the battle of God Almighty? Who else remains? Who's left to stand against God? The Father? Nobody. There's no one left. Brother, another question. If the Book of Revelation is God's additional revelation to us, and it is, about what's going to shortly come to pass, why doesn't the Father ever depict himself personally coming down to fight this battle that's given to his name? You know, if he's the central fixture or being that's coming to fight, if he's the one who's coming on that day, why doesn't he mention himself as personally being involved in this battle?

If God is giving us further understanding of what was prophesied in the Old Testament and its ultimate fulfillment, if God the Father is the central fixture, the one personally coming down to fight, why isn't he mention himself here? And again, who's left to stand after this battle or this war with the Lamb? Brethren, God is indeed appointed today, which is going to judge the world in righteousness by the man that he has ordained. And on that day of judgment, Jesus Christ is going to go and fight this battle on behalf of God the Father and for the glory of God the Father. Brethren, let's not be confused about who personally comes down to take action on this day and whose sword it is that goes forth.

Let's go over to the final scripture here, 1 Corinthians chapter 15. 1 Corinthians chapter 15 verse 24. The saints are going to be with Jesus Christ when his feet touch on the bow of olives. Brethren, when Christ brings the sword, it will be to establish the Kingdom of God. It will be at the establishment of the Father's kingdom. 1 Corinthians chapter 15. We'll pick it up here in verse number 24.

It says, then comes the end. When he, referring to Jesus Christ, delivers the kingdom to God the Father. When he has put an end to rule, rule, and all authority and all power, he must reign until he has put all enemies under his feet.

The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. Brethren, when Jesus Christ puts an end to all enemies, and the last enemy that's going to be destroyed is death, it says then he delivers the kingdom to God his Father. Brethren, the day of the Lord and the tribulation leading up to it will indeed be a day of darkness on the earth and in the world, but it's also going to lead to a day of glorious light in the face of God the Father and Jesus Christ. What a wonderful blessing it is, brethren, to consider the outcome of Jesus Christ's own role here as part of the plan, when he brings the sword on behalf of God the Father.