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Hendersonville Seventh-day Adventist Church, NC

Preparing For the End Times

David Wright

Facing Crisis

True or False Revival

Shaken or Sealed

Crisis or Commitment

Close of Probation and the 7 Last Plagues

Well, in September of 2009, Clifton Williams was headed to the courthouse.

He simply was going to support his friend on that particular day.

In fact, it was his cousin and he was going to be sentenced and so he was there for support.

And at the precise moment, and here's a picture of Clifton, he doesn't look too happy and you'll find out why in a minute.

At the precise moment that Judge Daniel Rozak was reading the sentence, Clifton let out a yawn.

You know yesterday I was looking at pictures of people yawning.

I'm looking, I'm waiting for somebody to yawn.

And the judge cited Clifton for contempt of court and handed down a sentence of 6 months in jail, which is the maximum sentence for contempt in court, all for yawning.

Ironically, his cousin, who was scheduled to be sentenced, only got probation but Clifton got 6 months.

Now after it was all said and done He was able to just only stay in prison for a few days, but even still all for a yawn.

Some said, you can't help yawns, it's something that just happens.

Today we are going to be continuing our series, Hope in the Last Days.

And I'm gonna tie that in with this piece that we're gonna be talking about today.

But we've been looking at the coming crisis anticipated or dreaded revival genuine or counterfeit shaken or sealed we've looked at that last week worship in the National Sunday Law and this week close of probation and the 7 last plagues it's in that order by the way the close of probation meaning the door is shut he that is just let them be just still, he that is holy let them be holy still, and so on.

And then of course next week, actually it'll be in 2 weeks, heaven and eternity.

But you might be thinking, was the penalty that the judge handed to Clifton, was it too harsh?

And you may also think very similar things when you go through and you read about the 7 last plagues.

Why would a loving God pour out 7 last plagues?

Are the plagues arbitrary scourges on the part of God to simply punish?

Is it true that all prophecy is Christocentric, meaning centered on Jesus Christ?

And if so, how does that come into account when we talk about the plagues?

So the questions become, what do the 7 plagues do to teach us about Jesus?

And we're gonna look at that today, because I think there's some very important points.

We're going to stay in these few chapters in Revelation, starting in Revelation chapter 14, 9 and 10, and then we're going to flip over to 15 and eventually 16.

And I have a few other texts and I'll put those on the screen today, but I want you to see this portion in your Bible.

Revelation chapter 14 and we're going to begin in verse 9.

This is the third angel that follows and we've read this before, but as a way of reviewing here, we're going to pick it up again today in Revelation chapter 14 verse 9.

And there I read, Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, if anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of his indignation.

Now we have looked before, what is this wrath of God?

Well, for that, you might have to turn your page to Revelation chapter 15 and verse 1.

And there we read, then I saw another sign in heavens, great and marvelous, 7 angels having the 7 last plagues, for in them the wrath of God is complete.

And so we have the wrath of God being connected with these 7 last plagues.

And then going to verse 8, it says, The temple was filled with smoke, and from the glory of God and from his power, and no 1 was able to enter the temple till the 7 plagues of the 7 angels were completed.

Well, we've seen it's the 7 last plagues.

We have seen it's those that receive the mark of the beast.

And then the question, when will Jesus come in relationship to the plagues is answered in that last text where it says, no man will enter the temple until the 7 last plagues are complete.

Well for that we're going to look at Revelation 21 verse 1.

I have it here on the screen or you can turn in your Bibles.

Revelation chapter 21 verse 1 and there we see we read, Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away.

Then I John saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, behold, the tabernacle, or temple, of God is with men.

So notice that nobody can enter that temple until the 7 plagues are fulfilled.

That must mean then that Jesus comes after the 7 plagues, not before the 7 plagues.

In other words, we're not raptured before the plagues Now this concept of the rapture is a subtle deception I believe of the devil for an easygoing crossless health and wealth prosperity form of Christianity.

If you follow God, nothing will ever harm you, nothing will ever be a problem for you.

We find this on many popular TV preachers today, this idea.

But as Seventh-day Adventists who believe in God, we believe that God is strong enough to hold us in his hand and to keep us secure in the time of trouble.

But we live in a society that says, no pain, no suffering.

Jesus came and died on the cross to give me a life of joy and happiness and prosperity and fulfillment.

And if you're sick it's because you haven't been blessed of God.

And if you're facing debt it's because you haven't been blessed of God.

The only thing you need to do is to be faithful to Jesus and it'll be like sitting on a cloud, writing on a cloud, floating to the kingdom with health, wealth, and prosperity.

They don't say it quite like that, but if you listen long enough, it Sounds very similar.

But the problem with that is that it's not realistic to life.

Because everybody goes through some sorrow in life.

Some heartache in life, some disappointment in life.

But Christ holds us in the disappointment We serve a Jesus Who often does not deliver us from the tribulation but is with us in the tribulation We serve a Jesus who at times is not deliver us from sickness at times.

He does But is with us in sickness We serve a Jesus who was with Noah during the flood.

Although the ark was being tossed and turned in the waves We serve a Jesus who was with Joseph when he was betrayed by his brothers, when he was lied about by Potiphar's wife, who was with Joseph in prison.

We serve a Jesus who was with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery flames.

We serve a Jesus who was with Daniel in the lion's den.

We serve a Jesus who was with Job in the midst of his boils and afflictions, financial adversity, when his house fell down.

We serve Jesus who was with Peter in his bondage.

We serve Jesus who understands suffering, who had nails driven through his hands, a crown of thorns on his head, who was rejected.

We serve a Jesus who is fully capable of meeting every 1 of life's trials and tribulations.

He is powerful enough to keep us through the time of trouble.

So Jesus will come after the plagues but how do we know that you might be asking?

Well clue number 1, no man as we saw was able to enter the temple until after the 7 last plagues.

For that let's turn to Revelation 16, verse 15.

This is in the midst of these 7 last plagues.

But notice in verse 15, before we get to the seventh, it says, Revelation 16, 15, "'Behold, I am coming, future, as a thief.

"'Blessed is he who watches and keeps his garments lest he walk naked and they see his shame." So Wait a minute, this is after the sixth plague.

Now what sense would it make for the revelator to say he is coming as a thief after the announcement of the sixth plague if he comes as a thief before the plagues?

It would make no sense to say in verse 15, he's coming like a thief, if he had already come like a thief in the past, at the beginning of the first plague.

So to those who believe in the rapture, you can ask them, tell me, what is it like when he comes as a thief?

Series

Preparing For the End Times

Close of Probation and the 7 Last Plagues

Transcript

Parent Series

Sponsor

Recorded

Unlocking Prophecy

12- The Certain, Unavoidable Identity of the Antichrist

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You’re Being Conditioned for a Lie

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Hebrews 11- Faith

21 The Faith of David

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When You Don’t Understand

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Going the Distance

8. Finishing Strong

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GYC SE 2011 Seminar: Relationships

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Encounters With Jesus

Jesus’ Encounter with the Rich Young Ruler

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Morning Devotional

The Faithfulness of God

23m

Last Day Events

Armageddon and the Seven Last Plagues

1h 5m

Antichrist: The One You've Never Known

Antichrist, Episode 5: More

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Faith on Fire

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Breakout Session B

The Last Attack

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Sound Doctrine