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HopeLives365

Mark Finley

13 Ablaze with God’s Glory

We come to the last of our lessons in this series titled Three Cosmic Messages. I've titled this lesson A Blaze with God's Glory. The glory of the book of Revelation is the glory of Christ. Revelation chapter 1 verse 1 says, the revelation of Jesus Christ that God gave unto him to show unto his servants things which must surely come to pass and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John is the revelation of Jesus. Jesus is the Lamb of God throughout the book of Revelation. He is mentioned at least 27 times in Revelation as the Lamb of God. In Revelation there is a great contrast between the Lamb of God and the dragon and the incredible good news is that the Lamb wins, that Jesus Christ is victorious over the principalities and powers of hell. With everything targeted against God's people, with everything focused to destroy God's people, God's people win. They triumph over the powers of evil. Revelation is the story of the great controversy. It's the story of the conflict between good and evil. Now in this last lesson we point out very clearly that sooner or later final events are going to unfold. Now exactly when and how they're going to unfold we may not be sure of every precise event but we do know there'll be a conflict over worship, a conflict over man's way and God's way, a conflict between human tradition and divine revelation, a conflict between the teachings of man when it comes to worship on Sunday and the teachings of Christ when it comes to Sabbath and the seventh day of the week. To prepare for that final crisis, God gives us an appeal throughout scripture. In 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 verse 1 to 5 we read, But concerning the times and seasons, brethren, you have no need that I write to you. You know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. So Christ's coming is quickly, rapidly, unexpectedly. For when they say peace and safety, then sudden destruction comes upon them as labor planes upon a pregnant woman and they shall not escape. But notice verse 4 and 5, But you, brethren, are not in darkness so this day should overtake you as a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep as others but let's watch and be sober. So the purpose of the book of Revelation and the purpose of all prophecy according to the Apostle Paul speaking to the church at Thessalonica. John wrote the book of Revelation, Paul wrote Thessalonians. Paul says and he coordinates his message of course with John because all the Bible is given by inspiration of God and we see the interlinkage of Bible passages. Paul says be prepared, be ready. The call of the hour is to prepare for the second coming of Jesus Christ and Ellen White adds in Testimonies volume 8 page 28 and it's under Sunday's lesson. It is a statement that has really moved me personally. We who know the truth should be preparing for what's soon to break upon the world is an overwhelming surprise. So the events that are going to take place in the history of the world are going to be a surprise. They're going to be an overwhelming surprise to the population of this world but to us who have eyes divinely enlightened through the Holy Spirit's revelation in the book of Revelation, we will not be surprised but we will sense the power of the living God in these last days as he unfolds truth through the Holy Spirit to make it clear to us. Now somebody says but wait a minute how can I know truth? Can you really know truth? There are three passages in the book of John that to me are very helpful. Jesus says in John 8 verse 32 under Monday's lesson you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free but how do I know the truth? Distinguish from my own desires. If you're teaching this lesson or you're studying it don't miss John 7 verse 17. It's a key principle. John 7 verse 17 says this it says if any man will do his will he shall know of the doctrine whether I speak of man or myself. So knowing God's will is contingent upon the willingness to do God's will. If any man will do his will he shall know. So the willingness to do God's will, the desire in the heart to please God opens the mind to be receptive to the Holy Spirit's divine truth. Then Jesus says in John 17 17 sanctify them through thy word thy word is truth. So you put those three things together. First Jesus says and you shall know the truth so the truth can be known. How is it known? Secondly if any man will do his will you have a willing heart to know truth. Thirdly sanctify them through thy word thy word is truth. So as we say as we saturate our minds with the word of God he reveals truth to us. The reformation today is to continue. It's to continue on the shoulders of the great reformers. The great reformers in the past emphasized the word of God as scripture sola scriptura as the basis of truth. They emphasize Christ as the only savior. Christ the one that has redeemed us on the cross. Christ the one who ascended who resurrected who ascended to heaven. Christ the one who intercedes for us. So here we find the emphasis in Tuesday's lesson on the fact that the reformation continues. There were many truths that the reformers did not discover. Many truths that they were not aware of. Many of them didn't understand the truth about death. They didn't understand the truth about the sabbath. So God has raised up an end time last day movement to call men and women from the errors of Babylon apostate religion opposed to God. And we find this in Revelation 18 verse 1. Revelation the 18th chapter in the first verse. This is where we get the title for today's lesson. After these things, Revelation 18 1, I saw another angel coming down from heaven having great authority. That word authority is power. In the Greek language it's exousia. It means the triumph of the principalities and powers of hell. The earth was illuminated with God's glory. What is God's glory? According to Exodus, it's his character of goodness, graciousness, kindness, compassion, integrity, righteousness, truth. So the earth is filled with God's glory. How? Because God has raised up a group of people filled with his love, charmed by his grace, redeemed by his power that go out to the ends of the earth as ambassadors for Christ. And it says, he cries mightily, Babylon is fallen, is fallen. It's become the habitation of demons, a prison for every foul spirit and a cage for every unclean and hateful bird. So the habitation of demons. So he's got spiritualism there. The nations have drunk the wine of the wrath of her fornication. So what is the wine? The wine has to do with false doctrine. So the false church, Babylon, apostate religion, unites with the kingdoms of this world. And notice verse four, and the merchants of earth. So you have this triumvirate of error, and you have the triumvirate of truth. The triumvirate of truth is the father, the son, and the holy spirit. The triumvirate of error is the beast, the political powers of the world, and the economic power. So you have religious, political, and economic powers that unite in a great power block. And in one of the vehicles of their unity is the first day of the week worship, and also the immortality of the soul. It says, verse three, the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. So you have false doctrine that unites them. But I heard another voice from heaven, verse four, saying, come out of her, my people, lest you share her sins. What is sin? First John three, verse four, sin is the transgression of the law. So here, God's people, Jesus says, my sheep hear my voice, and they know me, and they follow me. Jesus has come out of her, my people. So Revelation 18 tells us three things. One, the earth will be filled with the glory of God. Two, that there'll be a great triumphant of error with the apostate religion, with political, religious, and economic powers. And thirdly, that God will give a call to his people who will respond. God's glory will fill the earth. Revelation 19, verse one, points that out. It says in Revelation 19 there, and verse one, that the great controversy between good and evil is about God's honor, about God's reputation. And in Revelation 19, one, it talks about, it introduces the four hallelujahs. And it's amazing when you look at these four hallelujahs, all of heaven is rejoicing, saying, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah. The beast has been destroyed. Hallelujah, hallelujah. Righteousness is triumphed. Hallelujah, hallelujah. Jesus reigns. And then you come down to that tremendous passage in Revelation 19, six. Hallelujah for the Lord God omnipotent reigns. The earth is filled with the glory of God because Jesus Christ reigns. We look at that in Wednesday's lesson. And in Thursday's lesson, we come to the fact that it's the slain lamb that brings triumph to the world. It's the slain, it's Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ's power, Jesus Christ's grace, Jesus Christ's love, Jesus Christ's love and mercy. Look, Revelation 21, Revelation 21, verse 22. But I saw no temple in it for the Lord God almighty and the lamb or its temple. The city had no need of light for the who is illuminated by God and his light and the lamb of God. Or you look, for example, at Revelation 22, verse one to three. He showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal proceeding from the throne of God and the lamb. All through Revelation, you have the lamb of God, the lamb of God, the lamb of God. Jesus, the lamb was slain for our sins. Jesus, the lamb died in our place. Jesus, the lamb took upon himself the sin, the grief, the agony, the sorrow, the condemnation of all mankind. And he died on the cross. And with his stripes, we are healed. That's the story of the book of Revelation. It's the story of the slain lamb. It's the story of the dying Christ. It's the story of the resurrected Christ. It's the story of the living Christ. It's the story of the coming again Christ. The earth will be ablaze with the glory of God, because in the final analysis, Jesus wins and Satan loses. Praise the name of Jesus. This media was brought to you by AudioVerse, a website dedicated to spreading God's word through free sermon audio and much more. If you would like to know more about AudioVerse, or if you would like to listen to more sermons, please visit www.audioverse.org.

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13 Ablaze with God’s Glory

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