Rev 10:1 The Mighty Angel From Heaven 10/2/2005 ßà

Seven Seals, Seven Trumpets, Seven Vials (Rev 10:1-7)

#1. Who Is This Mighty Angel? (Rev 1:13-16,10:1, Mal 3:1, Dan 7:13, Mal 4:2, Ex 14:24, 1Cor 15:25)

He Sware By Him That Liveth Forever (Dan 12:4-7, Rev 10:5-7)

#2. The Actions of This Mighty Angel (Rev 10:2-4, Psalm 110:1, 1Cor 15:25, Eph 1:22)

The Seven Thunders (Rev 10:3-4, Psalm 18:13, Amos 3:7, Psalm 25:14)

#3. The Purpose of This Mighty Angel (1Cor 2:5-13, John 6:44, Phil 1:6, 3:20-21)

The Comfort That He Is Lord (Isa 40:26, 41:8-10, Col 1:16)

Please open your Bibles to the Revelation of Jesus Christ, Rev 10:1 (2X). We have arrived at chapter 10 in this prophecy and for the second time we have arrived at an “Interlude”. Perhaps you remember that after Christ opened the 6^th seal, and before He opened the 7^th seal, there was also an interlude. We read in Rev that there are Seven Seals, Seven Trumpets, and Seven Vialsof Wrath. In addition we have to deal with interludes, or episodes, which are portions that do not belong to the revelation of the seals, or the trumpets, or the vials, but are thrown in between for a definite purpose. We could already see the purpose God had in the first interlude in chapter 7. There we read that God’s people are sealed and they shall become heirs of the great and glorious salvation that is promised to them. The purpose of that interlude was to comfort and strengthen the people of God in the midst of the tribulation for God’s people, and judgment for the unsaved. This time also after the blowing of the 6^th trumpet, and before the blowing of the 7^th trumpet, there is an interlude. God takes, as it were, a step back in time, and God gives us an interlude which lasts until the blowing of the 7^th trumpet in Rev 11:15. That this is an interlude is clear from the facts that “another angel” appears, and John’s point of view changed from heaven to the earth, and in chapter 10 we read no more of woe and judgment, but of something different. And the purpose of this interlude is again to strengthen the people of God in the midst of all the turmoil and agony described here in chapter 9, which deals with the FTP. At the start of this interlude God introduces us to “A Mighty Angel from Heaven”. That is why the title of this sermon is, “The Mighty Angel From Heaven” (2X). Let us read about this mighty Angel here in Rev 10:1,

Re 10:1 ¶ And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire:

Re 10:2-4 And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth, And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices. And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not.

Re 10:5-6 And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven, And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer:

Re 10:7 But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.

John saw a Mighty Angel come down from heaven. It means that John’s point of view had changed back to earth. In chapter 4, verse 1, John spoke of a door opened in heaven and thus John was shown a vision in heaven. It does not mean that John was taken up into heaven but that he was given a vision from the vantage point of heaven. Now John’s point of view is changed back to earth.

#1. Who Is This Mighty Angel? (Rev 1:13-16,10:1, Mal 3:1, Dan 7:13, Mal 4:2, Ex 14:24, 1Cor 15:25)

Compare these words in verse 1 with the words we find in chapter 1. Please turn to Rev 1:13 (2X). What did John see in the 1^st vision of this prophecy? There in Rev 1:13 John saw the Lord Jesus,

Re 1:13-14 And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;

Re 1:15-16 And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.

This is a figure of the Lord Jesus Christ. This does not describe Him in all His glory, but it describes Him in aspects that are pertinent for what He is going to do in this prophecy of Revelation. He was clothed with a priestly garment, His feet were like burnished brass, as if they burned in a fire, and His face was shining as the sun. Compare this with the words we find in Rev 10:1,

Re 10:1 ¶ And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire:

Without any question the Angel in Rev 10 is not an angel, but is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Why is He called an Angel? The word “Angel” in the Bible should have been better translated “Messenger” in every place where we find this word. It would make the Bible easier to interpret. A messenger could be an angel, or it could be a human being, or it could be Christ, who is called the “Messenger of the Covenant” in Mal 3:1. Here in Rev 10:1 Christ is called a “Mighty Messenger from Heaven”. Why is He arrayed in a cloud? What does the cloud signify? Christ shall come with the clouds of heaven to judge the living and the dead. In that context the clouds are the symbol of divine majesty, especially of that divine majesty as it is coming for judgment. God says in Dan 7:13, “I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him”. In addition Christ was clothed in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night when He led the children of Israel out of Egypt towards the Promised Land. It was a picture of the Divine Majesty leading His children through the sinful wilderness of this earth towards the glorious Kingdom of God. And that is that not also what we are seeing here in Rev chapter 10, where the Divine Majesty is leading His children through the FTP into the glorious Kingdom of God? And then we read in Rev 10:1 that a rainbow was upon His head. In other words the rainbow is His crown. We saw in Rev 4:3 that “there was a rainbow round about the throne” of God. God showed the rainbow to Noah as a symbol of His grace and faithfulness in keeping His Covenant. And therefore in Rev 10:1 Christ was crowned with a rainbow to indicate to His servants that they should hold on in the midst of all the tribulations, because He will keep them faithful unto the end by His grace and faithfulness in keeping His Covenant. Certainly this was not the appearance of an angel, but of the Lord Jesus Christ. Then we read that His face was as the sun. It means that His face was so glorious and majestic that it is impossible to look upon. God says in Mal 4:2, “But unto you that fear my name shall the SUN of righteousness arise with healing in his wings”. And so we see that this prophecy is being fulfilled in Rev 10:1. Christ is that SUN of righteousness who shall arise with healing in His wings. Then we read that Christ had feet as pillars of fire. This has two aspects, both of which are valid in this vision. His feet as pillars of fire remind us of Christ in the pillar of fire when He led the children of Israel through the wilderness. His pillar of fire was a comfort to them, since He guided them by the light of His fire. And so, Christ gives us light in this world. But for the enemies of Christ fire indicates war and judgment. God says in Ex 14:24, “And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the LORD looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians”. Fire indicates war of the Almighty upon the wicked world and it indicates the destiny of the wicked, Hell fire. And His judgment upon the wicked is still more emphasized by the fact that it is His feet that appear under this symbol. God says in 1Cor 15:25, “For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet”. And so, when we compare the description of Christ in Rev 1 with that in Rev 10 we see that it agrees in most points. The main difference is found in the fact that in Rev 1 Christ wears a long priestly garment, whereas in Rev 10 He does not wear such a garment. This is in harmony with the occasion of the appearance of Christ. In Rev 10 Christ does not mean to reveal Himself as priest, but as the Protector and Avenger of His people. Please drop down to Rev 10:6 (2X). There we see that

· He Sware By Him That Liveth Forever (Dan 12:4-7, Rev 10:5-7)

He “sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, … that there should be time no longer”. What does that mean? Put a sticker here in Rev 10 and please turn to the Prophecy of Daniel, Dan 12:4 (2X). You find the prophecy of Daniel right after Ezekiel, and I am sure that after last week’s sermon you will now easily find where Ezekiel is. In this last chapter of the prophecy of Daniel God speaks about the FTP and about the time that the saints shall inherit the New Creation. And then God says in Dan 12:4,

Da 12:4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.

Da 12:5-6 Then I Daniel looked, and, behold, there stood other two, the one on this side of the bank of the river, and the other on that side of the bank of the river. And one said to the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, How long shall it be to the end of these wonders?

Da 12:7 And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.

Look at the similarities between Rev 10 and this passage from Daniel. Daniel had to seal the Book. He could not write about or clarify the words he had heard, but they had to remain a mystery until the time of the end. Christ is the man clothed in linen, standing upon the waters of the river, and He swears that the time is appointed, and after the appointed time His words shall surely be fulfilled. In Rev 10 Christ swears that the appointed time of the end is approaching, and that there shall be no delay any more. Let us compare again with the words in Rev 10:5-7, where we read,

Re 10:7 But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.

Here in Rev 10 Christ appears as King of the whole world. He sets His feet upon the earth and upon the sea, indicating that it is all in subjection under His feet. He is the King to whom all power is given in heaven and on earth. But it is especially the appearance of the Judge which is very prominent. The brightness of His face, the raiment of the cloud, and especially the fiery feet are ready to consume the enemies of His Kingdom. He appears here especially as the Judge of heaven and earth, who has come to take vengeance upon all the host of His enemies. This is emphasized by the fact that there is no mention of the priestly garment of reconciliation. The time for the priestly work of reconciliation is drawing to an end. This interlude is especially connected with the last part of the preceding chapter, and it is at the same time preparing for what is still to come. The people of the world do not repent, but continue in their Devil worship, idolatry, murder, fornication, and theft, and continue to trample under foot the blood of reconciliation that cries against them. And thus the purpose of this vision is to announce to the world that a terrible and final judgment shall presently and speedily come upon the world, and that the enemies of the Kingdom are about to be cast into Hell. But for the people of God there is no reason to fear, for Christ still carries the rainbow, the symbol of the grace of God for His children. It is through these final judgments that creation shall be completely redeemed, and that the Covenant shall be realized and perfected, and that all the world shall be subjected to the Triune God in glory. It is through these judgments that the Kingdom of our God shall be permanently established and perfected in all creation. And in this we can rejoice, even in the midst of our tribulation. Let us look at:

#2. The Actions of This Mighty Angel (Rev 10:2-4, Psalm 110:1, 1Cor 15:25, Eph 1:22)

The earth and the sea are to be taken here as symbolic of all the world and of all that it contains. It

is symbolic of the kingdom as God originally created it, the kingdom of the world that He gave to Adam to rule over it. But Adam squandered that kingdom and sold it and all his posterity into the hands of Satan. And upon that kingdom the Lord Jesus Christ now sets His feet as pillars of fire. This indicates that our Lord has subjected all things under Him. By placing His feet upon anything is symbolic of subjection and taking possession. For example, God says in Psalm 110:1, “The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool”. This should not be understood literally, as if God is going to make footstools of all His enemies. God expresses here the idea of absolute subjection. Also we read in 1Cor 15:25, “For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet”. And God says of Christ in Eph 1:22, “And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church”. By placing His feet upon the earth and the sea our Lord expresses symbolically that the entire world is actually subject to Him. He has all things under His absolute control, even now. But although this is true, His sovereignty is still disputed. The prince of this world still rises up against Him. People who are still in their natural state follow their father the Devil in either rebelling against God, or by ignoring Him altogether. As the judgments of Christ shall come over this world, it shall appear more and more plainly as if the power of evil is actually reigning and ruling supreme. It shall appear as if the Devil does as he pleases and as if Hell reigns sovereignly over all the world, especially since men do not repent of their wickedness, and continue to ignore the blood of Christ’s atonement. And yet, this is only apparently so. Christ does control all things. When the Lord holds His feet of fire upon the wicked world, He indicates that through it all He is executing His judgments upon the world of rebellion against Him. In other words, His judgments manifest themselves as greater rebellion against God. For example, when God gives them up to uncleanness & fornication and adultery and pornography, God’s judgments are manifested in their impure behavior. When God gives people up to vile affections, and they become addicted to acts of homosexuality and they become addicted to drugs, it is the evidence that they have come under the judgment of God. And since they do not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gives them over to a reprobate mind to do those things which are clearly acts of rebellion against Him. And thus, the judgments of Christ manifest themselves as greater and greater rebellion against Him. And when Christ, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, had cried with a loud roar, the seven thunders uttered their voices. What is the meaning of:

· The Seven Thunders (Rev 10:3-4, Psalm 18:13, Amos 3:7, Psalm 25:14)

We must remember that thunder in the Word of God, and especially in the Revelation of Jesus Christ, thunder represents the judgment of God. For example in Psalm 18, in the midst of Jehovah’s coming against the enemies of David to destroy them, we read in verse 13, “The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail stones and coals of fire”. Moreover, in Rev 8 when the prayers of all the saints were offered upon the golden altar before the throne of God, we read that the answer to these prayers came in the form of thunderings and voices and an earthquake. Here in Rev 10 John speaks of a definite, well known number of thunders. He does not say “seven thunders”, but He says “The seven thunders uttered their voices”. In this passage the Lord Jesus Christ sets His feet as pillars of fire upon the entire dominion to express that He is taking possession, and that He is about to destroy all His enemies. At the same time He swears that there shall be no more delay, but that presently the mystery of God shall be fulfilled. God speaks here about a finished mystery of God. And is it not interesting that God uses the number seven again. The number 7 or 7^th appears in Rev 49 times. It may be just coincidence that 7 x 7 = 49. Seven is the number of the completed and perfected Kingdom. These seven thunders are the symbols of judgments which must come for the completion and for the final perfection of the Kingdom of God. Moreover, these seven thunders speak in plain human language, so plain that John is immediately ready to write down what they speak. And the inference is again that they revealed in plain language what judgments would come upon the world till the completion of the Kingdom. But John was commanded to seal up what he heard. It was not the Lord’s will that the voices of these seven thunders should be revealed. But why would God not want their message to be revealed? The answer is perhaps that these seven thunders spoke so plainly that we could all follow them in the history of the world, and know exactly what was happening and how far we have proceeded on the way to the end of time. Even the world, without faith, could feel that these things were clearly being realized. But that is not the purpose of this prophecy of Revelation. In this prophecy the history of the world is not outlined before us, so that we can plainly recognize God’s plan being realized, for then we would be able to determine the timing of Christ’s return to this earth. No, according to the first chapter the things revealed are “signified”. It means that they come to us in symbolic garments. And because of this it is possible that only the church, under the influence of God the Holy Spirit, can recognize that the coming of Christ is near, while the world, which tramples under foot the blood of Christ, is blind for this truth. The mystery of God must certainly be revealed, but only in such a way that the church may receive comfort at the proper time, but it must remain hidden for the world of sin. It is not in this form that John may receive the revelation of the mystery of God, but in a far different form, which we shall see in the following chapters. The contents of the utterance of the seven thunders must forever remain hidden. But he who would want to understand the mystery of God must labor in the Word of God under the guiding influence of God the Holy Spirit. And certainly it is a comfort to us when we remember that God said in Amos 3:7, “Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets” (2X). It means that God will tell us what He is going to do before the end of time comes. It does not mean that God reveals His secret to one person who then gathers a bunch of people who rally behind him. No, that would be the characteristics of a cult. When God reveals His secrets He reveals them to many of His servants, who are called prophets because they are prophesying, they are proclaiming the Word of God, the Bible, and nothing more than the Bible. A verse that is closely related to the revelation of the mystery of God is Psalm 25:14, where God said, “The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant”. God will show His servants the prophets His covenant. In other words, His servants the prophets shall know if they are in the covenant or if they are not. And God will show His servants the meaning of His covenant. It is to their comfort. Likewise we can ask the question, What is:

#3. The Purpose of This Mighty Angel (1Cor 2:5-13, John 6:44, Phil 1:6, 3:20-21)

What is the purpose in this interlude of the appearance of Christ in this way? It is to comfort us in the midst of our tribulations. Please turn in your Bibles to the First Epistle to the Corinthians, 1Cor 2:5 (2X). Just think of the terrible conditions we will experience in the FTP. There shall be an increase in sin and iniquity, and many even in the conservative churches shall fall away to another gospel. Many of our family members shall cling to another gospel. Many shall believe that God is still speaking today, and they shall seek to hear something extra that God did not include in the Bible. The saints will also experience moments of fear, and anxiety, and doubts, and will sometimes lose sight of their King. It is at times like these that we need to take hold of the comforting words God wrote in 1Cor 2,

1Co 2:5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

1Co 2:6-8 Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

1Co 2:9-10 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

1Co 2:11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.

1Co 2:12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

1Co 2:13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

Beginning at verse 5: Our faith does not stand fast in the wisdom of men, our faith does not rest in what one man has taught us with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but our faith is a gift from God and thus our faith depends entirely on the power of God and on the wisdom of God. When troubles are all around us we put our trust in the power of God and in the wisdom of God. Christ knows what is best. He knows what He is doing. And therefore we should be at ease with whatever He sends our way. Let us pray to God that He will give us the wisdom to accept this and believe that He is in full control of our lives. Then we will be in tune with the wisdom of God, the mystery of the hidden wisdom of God, which He ordained before the world began to our glory. Then we will understand that everything is a gift from God, whether sickness or health, whether riches or poverty, whether life or death. We do not deserve anything good from God. We lived a life in rebellion against God. He would be absolutely righteous to cast everyone of us into Hell. But God had mercy on us. And what is the definition of mercy? God’s mercy means He is withholding from us what we do deserve. We deserve Hell. When God withholds the penalty of Hell from us because Christ has poured out His soul unto death for our sins in our place, then we realize that God has had mercy on us. He did not do that because we were so good, for we were rebellious sinners on the way to Hell, even as others who never become saved. And thus when God had mercy on us He bestowed His mercy on whom He will, and then He drew us to Christ even against our will. The Lord Jesus said in John 6:44, “No man CAN come to Me, except the Father which hath sent Me draw him”. And if I have received the faith to believe this, it gives me unspeakable comfort that it does not depend on me and my efforts to remain a child of God. He will preserve me forever. And then I remember that He has said in Phil 1:6, “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ”. How is it possible that God had me marked to be His servant from before time began? How is it possible that He let me lead a sinful life for 40 years before He began to draw me? How is it possible that He rewarded me for all my sin with a goodness and grace and mercy beyond what I can ask or think? How is it possible that he gave me a love for Him whom I have never seen? And then while meditating about these things I can understand that the words of 1Cor 2:9 were not written for a future glory, but they were written for today. 1Cor 2:9, “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him”. O yes, in addition God has some wonderful things planned for us in the life hereafter. For example, God said in Phil 3:20-21,

Php 3:20-21 For our conversation (citizenship) is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

The purpose of the appearance of Christ in Rev 10 as the Mighty Messenger is to assure us that we are His children, and that He will keep us safe and secure in His hands, for the rainbow is His crown. Therefore it is to our comfort that He is King of kings and Lord of lords.

· The Comfort That He Is Lord (Isa 40:26, 41:8-10, Col 1:16)

Please turn in your Bibles to the prophecy of Isaiah, Isa 40:26 (2X). What is so comforting that Christ is Lord over all? Can we draw comfort in the fact that Christ is the Creator of all things, that He is the Redeemer of all His elect, and that He is the Redeemer of the world in that He creates a NH&NE? The Lord Jesus Christ speaks in the prophecy of Isaiah, and He says, “To whom then will ye liken Me?

Isa 40:26 Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth.

Christ has created all things. For example, we read in Col 1:16, “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him”. Then when we read in Isa 40:26, “he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might”, does this not indicate that He knew our names at the beginning of creation? That He knew our names also means that He chose the names of those whom He wanted to include in His covenant. And He had the authority to do this, for we read that He does this by the greatness of His might. The last three words of Isa 40:26 are, “not one faileth”. Not one of His elect is lost to Satan. Therefore we are safe and secure in His hands. Please turn now to Isa 41:8 (2X). In Isa 41 beginning in verse 8 God addresses the church, the body of believers, the Bride of Christ, and God calls her Israel. Since Christ is called Israel, and since we are the Bride of Christ, it is no wonder that God addresses us as Israel. God says in Isa 41:8-10,

Isa 41:8 But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend.

Isa 41:9 Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away.

Isa 41:10 ¶ Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

In verse 8 God switches from Israel to Jacob. Who does God have in mind? God says he is “the seed of Abraham my friend”. From the NT we know that the only people who qualify to be called the seed of Abraham are those who have received a faith like the faith of Abraham. Today’s unconverted Jews do not qualify as the seed of Abraham, according to God’s terminology. And thus Jacob refers to the same group of people that were called Israel. But God does not let us forget that we at one time were like Jacob, which means we were at one time deceivers, and schemers, like Jacob was in his younger years. God has taken us from the ends of the earth, and God said to us, “Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee”. “Fear thou not; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness”. It means that we can rest assured that we will be kept safe in the hollow of His hand, and no one nor any bad circumstance will be able to separate us from the love of Christ. Therefore since Christ is Lord, nothing happens against His will. Returning now to the vision of Christ in Rev 10:1, we see that this vision ought to dispel all the fears and doubts and anxieties of the people of God, no matter how things may develop. Secondly, it ought to strike terror in the hearts of those who still love their sin over Christ, and who with the world continue to ignore Christ and His atoning blood. It may seem that His coming is very near. “Behold, I come, and come quickly”. AMEN.

Let us turn to the Lord in prayer.