Address—C. Hendricks
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Turn with me, please, to Daniel 7, verse 9. Daniel 7.
I was thinking of.
Continuing just with a few thoughts from what our brother Clem had brought before us.
Verse 9 of Daniel seven I beheld till the Thrones were cast down.
Or another translation set up.
And the Ancient of Days did sit.
Whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool.
His throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.
A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him.
1000 thousands ministered unto him.
And 10,000 * 10,000 stood before him.
The judgment was set, and the books were opened. I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horns spake.
I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed and given to the burning flame.
As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away, yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time.
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.
And there was given him dominion and glory and a Kingdom.
That all people, nations and languages should serve him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not pass away, and his Kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.
Well, we the ancient of days that sits on this throne we would consider to be God the Father and then the Son of man comes in the night visions and to to him is given that was given him dominion and glory.
Hebrews 2 Says not to angels hath he put in subjection the world to come whereof we speak.
But one in a certain place testify as saying, What is man that thou art mindful of him, or the Son of man, that thou visitest him, Thou hast put all things under his feet.
Well.
That day is soon coming, when this one who was so despised and cast out, will come, and the Kingdom will be given to him.
Notice in verse nine I beheld till the Thrones were were set up. Now turn to Revelation chapter 4.
In Revelation chapter 4 verse one, after this I looked and behold, the door was opened in heaven, and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me, which said, come up, hit her, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter or after these things.
What's after? What things? The Church period, Chapters 2 and 3.
And immediately I was in the spirit, and behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. Now that's that same one that in Daniel 7 is called the Ancient of Days. I didn't read it. I meant to read it but a little farther down in Daniel 7 it speaks of, but no one is seen sitting on those Thrones in Daniel.
But now we find that these Thrones are occupied.
Round about the throne were 4 and 20 Thrones. Seats are Thrones, and upon the seats I saw 4 and 20 elders sitting.
Clothed in white raiment, and they had on their heads crowns of gold.
Now who are these?
I believe these 24 elders 24 refers to the 24 orders of the priesthood that David set up and I believe it it refers to the the Old Testament and the New Testament Saints which will be raptured to heaven after the church period.
Is completed. Oh, I realized that after the true church is raptured to heaven, the false church will continue on.
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Probably to the middle of the week, because in the middle of the week there's this beast that rises out of the sea, Revelation 13. In order to appreciate what I'm saying this afternoon, you have to know a little bit about the Book of Revelation. Try to put it as simply as possible. There's a beast that comes out of the sea in Revelation 13, and that's the Roman Empire revived, or the head of that empire.
That's that little horn of Daniel Seven that we read of.
And then a little farther down in Revelation 13, there's another beast that comes out of the earth.
And it has two horns like a lamb, but it speaks like a dragon. Now that's the Antichrist, or called elsewhere, the false prophet. That's the religious leader. But the one that comes out of the sea is the political leader that will lead the Roman Empire in its revived condition. Now these 24 elders are seen sitting.
On Thrones.
Clothed in white raiment, they're not angels, they're Saints. And I believe this indicates from this point on.
They're referred to many times in the Book of Revelation. Either all of them or one of them from that company is referred to, I think, 12 Times.
In the Book of Revelation.
And.
It goes right on to the 19th chapter. And then when the marriage supper of the Lamb has come, since the 24 elders refers to not only the New Testament Saints, which are the Church Saints, but also the Old Testament Saints to make up the complete company of the priesthood. But when the bride is separated out and the marriage supper of the Lamb comes, then the 24 elders cease.
They're not spoken of again as a figure, because when the when the marriage of the land lamb comes, that's the Church united to the heavenly Bridegroom, and then there will be the friends of the bridegroom, the other heavenly Saints.
We took up.
In Dorothy Revelation Four and Five, we had five readings.
And brother suggested Chapter 5 and I said, well, if we take up five, we've got to take up Chapter 4 because it goes with five. So we had two readings on Chapter 4 and three on Chapter 5. Most profitable. Pretty heavy stuff, though. I don't know how much the young got it, but what I enjoyed so much, and I want to pass this on at that conference.
To We're talking together, and one young man was reading.
The Book of Revelation and the other said what are you reading? I'm reading the Book of Revelation.
Would you understand it? Well, not all of it, certainly. Well, what do you get out of it?
What I get out of it is Jesus wins.
In that precious and Satan loses as we look around us today.
It seems like Satan's got the upper hand, doesn't it? Seems like everything is going his way.
All the difficulties and the troubles and the problems among the Saints of God, it's not just among our company, but everywhere you talk to Christians, there's the conflict between those that are trying to to hold and maintain a line of truth and then those that just want to overthrow everything.
It's not just amongst us that this has happened. What many others going through the same kind of conflict. Satan is attacking fiercely all truth, whatever measure of truth anyone holds attacking it.
And.
The Lord would have us to hold fast what we have.
So in Daniel those Thrones were not occupied, but here they're occupied because the first resurrection has taken place and that heavenly company represented by the 24 elders consisting of Old and New Testament Saints are seen Until in the Book of Revelation at chapter 19, I think it is when the marriage supper of the Lamb comes, then the bride, the church is taken out of the 24 and the the figure of the 24.
Elders ceases.
Now in this chapter 4 of Revelation, we have.
He is our Creator.
He is our Creator. Let me just quickly read through it. Verse 4 again, round about the throne where 4 and 20 seats or Thrones, and upon the seats I saw 4 and 20 elders sitting clothed in white raiment. They had on their heads crowns of gold. White raiment is the righteousness of the Saints, we're told in this very book, and that applies to redeemed.
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Souls.
Now, this is not a throne of grace that we approach to in this day of grace. We approach a throne of grace. This is a throne of judgment. There's five. Out of the throne proceed lightnings and thunderings and voices out of the Thrones, the throne, throne of judgment. And these judgments are preparatory to the establishment of the true king in this world. It's about to happen.
And he will reign.
He has been so rejected. As we were reading this morning, they spit upon him. They showed their utter contempt for the the Lord of glory.
He's going to reign and every knee will bow to him. Seeing 2 Thessalonians chapter 1, seeing it as a righteous thing with God through recompense, tribulation to them that trouble you.
And to you who are troubled now, many Saints being persecuted today, Rest with us when?
He shall come.
In with his mighty angels in flaming fire, taking vengeance, and then that no not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. That day is coming.
And we'll come with it.
To be admired in all his Saints that come with him. We'll be in glorified bodies then, and come with him.
Well, that day is coming, beloved, if he came today.
Came today.
Seven years would pass and we would return with him approximately 7 years, and we would return with him when he would set up his Kingdom to reign. That's how near we are to the establishment of his rights in this world.
Well, let's read on a bit Out of the throne, perceived lightnings and thunderings and voices.
Just pause here in the 8th chapter. Notice how the judgment, the the character of the judgment intensifies as you go forward in the Book of Revelation in the 8th chapter.
Umm verse 5 The Angel took the censer and filled it with fire of the altar and cast it into the earth, and there were voices and thunderings and lightnings and an earthquake.
More is said than was said in Chapter 4.
And then in Chapter 11.
Verse 19 And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there were seen in his temple the ark of the testament, and there were lightnings and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and then is added, and great hail.
Great hail and the last mention of these judgments that will pro ceed from the throne.
Is in chapter 16.
Chapter 16 In verse 18 And there were voices, and thunders and lightnings, and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earthquake so mighty an earthquake, and so great. And the great city was divided into 3 parts, And the cities of the nations fell in great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the of the wine of.
Fierceness of his wrath.
And every island fled away and the mountains were not found. Another catastrophe is not added to the to the group, but it's intensified here. And then it says.
Verse 21 And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven.
Every stone about the weight of a talent over 100 lbs I believe.
And men blasphemy God because of the plague of the hail, for the plague thereof was exceeding great. So you can see this is a book of judgment.
It starts out fairly mildly, but it proceeds from the throne. It's a throne of judgment, not a throne of grace.
Now let's read on in Chapter 4.
Verse 6 And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal, and in the midst of the throne and round about the throne were four beasts. 4 living creatures that should read full of eyes before and behind. I think these living creatures had the attributes of the cherubim and also of the seraphim of Isaiah 6.
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And they represent, I believe, the attributes of God in in his judging evil.
Says the first living creature was like a lion.
And the second.
Like a calf.
And the third at the face of the man, the lion speaks of strength and.
Fierceness in the calf, the steadiness of the judgment that is going to emanate, and it will be according to the intelligence that the man speaks of. And the fourth beast was like a flying eagle. I remember 1 remarking when I was at work in a in a very.
Disdaining way he's slower than the wrath of God.
That was a comment.
When this starts to happen, he's going to make short work of this world and he'll find out. A man like that will find out that when God starts to judge, he will make short work of things.
We've been threatening in gospel preaching and that that the wrath of God is going to fall, Hasn't fallen, hasn't fallen.
When Noah builded the ark.
The rain didn't come for a long time, but when it did come.
It was all consuming.
This world is right for judgment.
Swift as an eagle when it does finally come. And verse 8, the four living creatures had each of them six wings about him. That's seraphic. Like I say, A6.
And they were full of eyes within, and they had rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy Lord God Almighty, which was and is and is to come.
And when those living creatures gave glory and honor and thanks to him that sat on the throne who liveth forever and ever, the four and 20 elders fell down before him that sat on the throne and worshipped him that liveth forever and ever. That will be us all, the redeemed up to this point in time that have been resurrected. The first resurrection will be there in heaven and worship Him that liveth forever and ever. Cast our crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive.
And honor and power, for thou has created all things, and for thy pleasure new translation says, for thy will.
They are and were created. I want to just dwell on that. This creation exists as a product of the will of God.
He willed it into existence. He said let there be, and there was. He spake and it was done. He commanded, and it stood fast. The infinitely great and mighty God that we know, He willed this universe.
Into existence.
They were created.
They are and were created for thy will, thy pleasure, but thy will. The will is a sovereign act of God.
From his own will, he brought into existence this creation.
And they all worship him as creator now in the 5th chapter. We know it quite well. I don't want to spend much time on the living room.
For others we have Let's read it quickly. I saw on the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside sealed with 7 seals. Now the one that's occupying the throne is God the Father.
And I saw the strong Angel proclaiming with a loud voice, who was worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof. And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. I wept much because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon. And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not, behold a lion of the tribe of Judah.
The root of David hath prevailed to open the book.
And the loose the seven seals thereof.
And I beheld and lo, in the midst of the throne, and in the and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, 24 elders, that is, to the Lamb, as it had been slain, having 7 horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. Notice in the 4th chapter it says.
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In verse 5, out of the throne preceded lightnings and thunderings and voices, and there were 7 lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God? And here the Lamb having 7 horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent forth unto all the earth. What does this represent?
The seven spirits of God, of course, represent the Holy Spirit, but in in the in the character that you don't have in the epistles. He's not here represented as representing it as one that that has formed the assembly by his baptism or Indo valley indwells individual Christians, but he emanates from the throne and from the Lamb who is about to establish his rights in this world. And these seven spirits of God represent the.
Of the power of the Holy Spirit acting in that day towards the establishment of the Kingdom, when Christ will reign here.
That's a wonderful day that's coming. And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat on the throne.
It says in the first verse this book was written within and on the backside, sealed with 7 seals there. Usually a scroll is written on one side and you unroll it and you read it, but this was written within and on the backside in other words.
It contains.
The final judgments that have to fall in this world in order that the Kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ be established here in the power of the sevenfold spirits.
Power of God.
There's no room on that scroll to add anything else. This is the final act of judgment. This is the final book of prophecy that we have and we have the fullness, the full power of it. And when this, this scroll is on, on the rolled, it contains on the inside and on the outside all the judgments that will follow the seal judgments.
The trumpet judgments and the bowl or the vile judgments?
And then he will come on that White Horse and establish his rights in this world.
Here we have the Lord Jesus represented first as a lion, the tribe of Judah in power and glory, and then it's a lamb as a lamb.
It's not the normal word for lamb.
It's it's a little lamb. It's the diminutive word I understand.
And I believe it represents the Lord Jesus in the character in which he was rejected.
By man.
We had read to us this morning at the breaking of bread, the 69th Psalm and the 22nd Psalm. They're very different in character. In the 69th Psalm, if you read far enough into the Psalm, you find the call for judgment upon those that that maltreated the Lord Jesus. But in the 22nd time, that's his martyr sufferings and that results in judgment on man. That's what you have in the Book of Revelation.
You have judgment on those that crucified Him.
Those that have rejected Him. But in the 22nd Psalm, you have nothing but blessing following His sufferings, because those are His atoning sufferings that are before us. The effect of His atoning sufferings is blessing to us. That's what's the foundation of our salvation, this atoning sufferings. But His martyr sufferings, the effect of that is judgment.
And God has not yet judged this world for what it did to His Son.
Does that mean he's indifferent to it? Not a bit of it. It's going to be judged. And you get that in the final Book of Revelation.
What a day.
Well, let's read on a bit. Verse 7. He came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat on the throne. And when he had taken the book, the four living creatures in the four and 20 hours fell down before the land, having every one of them harps and golden vials full of odors, which are the prayers of Saints. Now these prayers of Saints are the prayers of Saints that are on the earth. These 24 hours are in heaven, churches in heaven here.
The resurrection has taken place.
The church period has ended and the believers are in heaven under the figure of the 24 elders.
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And.
There are Saints still on earth, Jewish Saints and Gentiles, great company of Gentiles. They're spoken of in the 7th chapter. Out of every nation, God going to have his people here. Earthly Saints, their prayers are going up to heaven.
And these 24 elders, it says.
Having everyone of them harps and golden vials full of odors, which are the prayers of Saints, by the way, the harps that are mentioned here, that's symbolical. Much in Revelation is symbolical. We're not going to have literal harps in heaven, I don't believe, but it speaks of the joy that will characterize that place. Golden vials full of odors, which are the prayers of Saints. That's the prayers of the earthly Saints that are going up to God. How long, O Lord, you get it all through the Psalms. The, the.
It'll go through the Tribulation period. They're crying to God for deliverance, and here these heavenly Saints present them to God.
And they sung a new song saying, Thou art worthy. That's the 24 elders. Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof, for thou was slain and hast redeemed. I'm going to change the wording here as it is in the new translation and has to be deemed to God.
By thy blood out of every kindred and tongue, and people and nation, and has made them not us. They're not singing about themselves that they're singing about those that are on the earth. Made them unto our God, kings and priests, and they shall reign over the earth.
So they're going to have a part in the earthly reign of the Lord Jesus and they're praying about that. And I beheld and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts of the, the living creatures and the elders and the number of them. That's the angels. It was 10,000 * 10,000 and thousands of thousands saying with a loud voice worthy of the land that was slain to receive power.
And riches and wisdom and strength and honor, and glory and blessing.
Those seven things all refer to the Kingdom reign of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will have power.
He will have riches, He will have wisdom, He will have strength, He will have glory and honor and dispense blessing in that coming day.
Every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, the under him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb forever and ever.
For a living creature, said Amen.
4 and 20 elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth forever and ever. Now we come to the 6th chapter, 6th chapter of the vials. Excuse me, the seals and the seals that sealed this, this book that contains the final judgments towards the establishment of the Lord's reign here on earth.
I saw when the lamb opened one of the seals.
And so on. Now I want to read the 5th seal. Verse 9. Verse 9.
When he had opened the 5th seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain.
For the Word of God and for the testimony which they held. Now just hold your place here and go over to Revelation 20.
Brother Clem brought before us.
In verse 4.
Says I saw Thrones now that's the 24 elders. They sat on the Thrones. And that's the resurrected Saints of the Old and New Testament. They sat upon them.
Judgment was given to them.
And then there's another group. I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus and for the word of God.
Now hold your place here and turn back to this fifth seal, verse 9, Chapter 6.
I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. That's that first group. Those are the martyrs.
Of the 1St 3 1/2 years.
And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood?
Of them that dwell on the earth. And white robes were given unto everyone of them. And it was said unto them that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow servants also, and their brethren that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled. That's the fifth seal, and it talks about those that were martyred. And that's this second group in Revelation 20 and four. And then there's a third group. You don't see it.
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Punctuated correctly, but it should read.
I saw Thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them, and I saw the souls of those that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God. We just read about them in Revelation 6. Now it should read. And I saw them which had not worshipped the beast.
Neither his image, neither had received His mark upon their foreheads and in their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ 1000 years. They lived and reigned with Christ 1000 years as resurrection. They lived. The first group are already in resurrection bodies, the 24 elders. But now you have the martyrs of the 1St 3 1/2 years. They will be resurrected at the end of the tribulation period before the Kingdom is set up. And then those that wouldn't worship the beast.
We read of them. Look at Revelation 13.
Revelation Chapter 13. Keep your place here in chapter 20.
Verse 15.
This false prophet, this beast out of the earth, it says he had power to give life or it should read breath. Only God can give life, Satan cannot. He can give what looks like life, but he can't give life. So that ought to read. He had power to give breath under the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
That's this third group in Revelation 20, verse 4.
Let's turn to it again and he says.
Those which had not worshipped the beast neither his image.
Neither had received his mark upon their foreheads or in their hands.
And they lived and reigned with Christ 1000 years. I just want to call your attention before I sit down to the 15th chapter.
Verse 2 it says I saw as it were, a sea of glass. That's a fixed state of holiness.
Mingled with fire, and then that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his names. Stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God, and they sing the song of Moses, and so on. It speaks of these that were martyred by the beast because they would not receive the mark of the beast.
I saw recently a demonstration of what has been developed in our century. They took an animal dog, they ran this detector over the dog, nothing happened. And then they took this injector, put it under the skin, shot it into the animal, didn't hurt the animal a bit. It's right below the skin and.
They sweat that detector over the animal and a number appears.
That is, that animal was numbered, and every animal can be numbered. They can do it right now, they can do it with humans, and they will. Everyone will have to have a mark.
And you won't be able to buy or sell without that mark. But here are those that were martyred because they refused that they were the Lords and they were martyred. They were put to death. But it says in the 15th chapter, very precious, they got the victory over the beast.
Well, I thought they were put to death. They were, but they got the victory because they wouldn't submit to the mark of the beast, which meant eternal damnation and all those that have the mark of the beast will go to hell. These are those that got the victory over the beast by refusing submission to the beast. Even though the beast had the power to put them to death, they were the victors.
Doesn't look that way to the eyes of those onlookers on earth because they were put to death. But God sees it differently.
And so when we're called upon to compromise.
Even if you have to give your life, stand for the truth. You will be the victor.
You'll be the victor. It will be so in that day and it will be so today. There are many, many, many Christians today in other lands that are being persecuted, tormented, put to death, tortured. We don't know much about it in Muslim lands and communist lands.
Those that are doing that to them.
Will receive their judgment, seeing it as a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you, he said to the Thessalonian Saints. And that's true today.
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So we have to be patient and be true to him regardless of what the cost is.
And we will be the victors. Well, I don't want to take any more time, but I wanted to connect those three classes. In Revelation 20, it says they lived. The second and third class were martyrs. They were dead and they lived. They were resurrected and they joined the first class of resurrected Saints. So then you have 3 heavenly Saints. So you have heavenly companies, the Church in the Old Testament Saints, the martyrs of the 1St 3 1/2 years, the martyrs under.
Of the last 3 1/2 years they lived and they'll all reign with Christ and have part in the heavenly side of the Kingdom that's coming when the Lord comes to take us home. There's so much more but I've said enough and trust the Lord will use this for our strengthening and and encouragement.
That we might too get the victory over every.
Tendency that is given to us to compromise. Compromise the truth. And I may not be martyred, but we may lose our job. We're not faithful. We may.
Be punished or suffer in in various ways, but if if you're true to the Lord, you'll be the one that has gotten the victory.