The triumph of the kingdom. A song that celebrates the downfall of the kingdom of evil. They've got much to sing about at this point. This, of course, this Song of Moses, it's a reenactment. of when they were delivered.
from Pharaoh's army chasing them. The final victory of Satan matches that. It is a salvation song. for the delivered from the curse. of this world.
Now Moses has another song. Yes. Deuteronomy 32, that's not this song. This is Cross Reference Radio with our pastor and teacher, Rick Gaston. Ricky is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville.
Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the last book of the Bible, Revelation. Please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross-reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching. But for now, let's join Pastor Rick in the book of Revelation chapter 15 with today's edition of Cross-Reference Radio. Great and marvelous. It includes judgment, but it also includes salvation, and these are facts that we have to live with.
I wonder if some are too busy trying to survive in life to take Bible prophecy seriously. Maybe they don't understand the value Of Bible teaching means to us, to each other, and to the Lord. Without it, where does that road lead? The prophecies in the Revelation tell us our future. And it also tells us that life is More important uh in heaven than it is here.
Though that does not mean it doesn't count what's going on here, you can't get to heaven until you've got it together here with the Lord. In the Psalms we read, He delivers me from my enemies.
Well, this cursed world in many ways is my enemy, and he will deliver me, and deliver as in rescue from it all, and happy, happy. happy will be the saints. When we are finally in glory. Away from these things. But we have work to do, and we have to approach them courageously.
The more courageous and faithful we are, the better it is. It is all around. And the song, And My Song Shall Ever Be? How Marvelous! How wonderful.
Is my Savior's love for me? That part, that chorus, and my song shall ever be. There's a note of defiance and a note of rejoicing in that one line.
Well, let's look at what's coming. Verse 1. Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels having the seven last plagues, for in them the wrath of God is complete.
So now John he s being shown in the vision and he sees astounding details. about the end of the world's ruled by man. underfallen mankind. The seven angels mentioned here in verse 1 that have the seven plagues, seven angels having seven plagues, for in them the wrath of God is complete.
So there is coming a time when there will be no more wrath of God. There will be nothing for him to be that upset about. That day is coming.
Now, the angels having the plagues, they're not afflicted by the plagues. That's certainly not what's meant. But they're carrying the ammo, sort of, so to speak, ready to afflict on the wicked, because that's what it's going to take. And plagues are not limited to, in Scripture, to diseases, but they are the attacks of God. We might want to say the counter-attacks.
It is God dealing with evil in humanity and amongst the fallen angels also. But this will be the last of it. And the rule of man ends, and the rule of the Lord on earth begins. and for a thousand years. This will be a much better place.
But there's better even than that to come. God loves to create. And you could just go to a pet shop and go to the Where the fish are, the freshwater fish, and just look at how many different and beautiful kinds of fish there are. It's like somebody got carried away. And Jesus said, You know, Solomon in all of his glory, speaking of the lily, was not arrayed such as one of these.
And so God is going to make a new heavens and a new earth. And uh who can doubt it's going to be so incredibly amazing that It would be almost a crime to try to explain it to us. He just assures us. Verse two. And I saw something like a sea of glass mingled with fire, and those who have the victory over the beast.
Over his image. and over his mark and over the number of his name standing on the sea of glass having harps of God.
Well, you know, Christians have always had it rough. People have had it rough. It's going to be Unlike ever before, in the days that these verses are addressing. Victory isn't that the beast was defeated by them. That's not the victory.
God will defeat the beast. The victory is that. They are not defeated. They are in heaven. That's the victory, that's the backfire.
The purifying, the sea of glass mingled with fire.
Well, fire, of course, the purifying element. cleansing creation. These symbols as Revelation is stopped with the sea water The sea fire, sea on fire. Uh they stir thoughts of Our conversion and our filling, when you read these words, John the Baptist said of Jesus, Indeed, I baptize you with water unto repentance. But he who is coming after me is mightier than I.
whose sandals I'm not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit. and with fire, lot of activi activity, a lot of cleansing. God's holiness. is at work, it does work, it is not static.
It's not like a block of ice just sitting there melting. It is very active, is holding this. the sea of glass mingled with fire. How did John you know how many questions? Did he receive?
Once this was published and circulated, Uh it probably got to the point where he said, I don't even know what I saw. What I wrote is what I wrote. That's what I saw. And I can't go beyond that. It continues in those who have the victory over the beasts, over Antichrist.
when he takes the life of the saints, as we're told in chapter thirteen verse seven. It is he who is conquered, The martyr who died for Jesus has conquered the work of Antichrist. Their death is. their final victory.
So the saints are seen by John rejoicing in this victory, and the doing it in song, thus the introduction to the harp. Absolute victory. They were faithful. to the death As they were told to be in chapter 12 and verse 11 and other places, of course. For instance, before this.
Generation that goes into the tribulation period, Jesus said to the church in Smyrna. Almost two thousand years ago, Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.
Well, I mean, when we dread the thought of suffering, we dread we have anxiety over things that hurt us emotionally, physically. And yet, there Jesus says, in the world you will have much tribulation, but be of good cheer. In the midst of it, I need you to function, I need you to have enough. Faith to see beyond these things. and to work in the midst of them.
And uh there are times when we get weary. And then we recover and we're back at it, and hell hates that. But fortunately, that is. the life in Christ.
So they are seen not as defeated and killed, but as triumphant and alive. I don't know if this registers with with us enough. I know it it does with many, but I don't know i if a lot of you know Church goes just want pep talks that really have no basis in Scripture. They're just, you know, expressing things that we all want. but have nothing to do with the mission.
And and it is a mission, life for the Christian, it is a job, it is a task. They have this victory over his image.
Well, the idolatry that surrounds Antichrist is shown in chapter 14, their flag. Where they have victory over their flag and on his mark. That's his symbol of ownership that they have. They were very gleeful about receiving. They delighted in their tattoo, in their being branded, as belonging To this Antichrist figure.
And make no mistake, his hatred. For not only Israel But for anything Jesus. That's why He is the anti-Messiah, the Anti-Christ. And John sees this. and over the number of his name.
That is that six six six combination. that we won't crack that code now, but those living during those days, they will understand That Those that side with Antichrist share his nature. He is their leader. They bear their mark, they identify with him, they are influenced by him. And they have his its characteristics.
Standing on the sea of glass. He saw the saved who dealt with these things: the image, the mark, and the number. And he sees them standing on the sea of glass. The source of judgment is The same as the source of mercy incidentally, but And God is the one that's going to judge the wicked, but He's also the one that's going to give mercy to those who. Turn from wickedness, who turn to him.
Both flow from God. Both are essential to His nature. Both can be understood only at the cross of Christ. When that is contemplated, when you meditate on those things. Having hearts of God.
They are happy. They are happy now.
Now they're really happy. They've never known such happiness. not more happy than the saints that have gone before them that will be in heaven at the time these things take a place, but as happy. And outwardly so. singing God's praises.
songs of deliverance, as a memorial to what has taken place, that is what what has gotten them into heaven. And you may not feel like singing here. But you won't stop wanting to sing when you get to heaven. That's the point of bringing these things up. And it is up to the Holy Spirit to intensify the meanings.
It is not up to the pastor to try to manipulate your feelings into excitement. That would be by human effort and not faith. But when the Holy Spirit comes along, It locks in and far better. As with the elders in chapter 5 and the 144,000 in chapter 14, they're singing. They're rejoicing.
The presence of the harps It brings to us the that Old Testament imagery. about being joyful in worship. It is the first instrument Mentioned in Scripture, Genesis four twenty one, It is an instrument of song that represents all music. It's not limited to. You might say, I don't like the harp.
Don't limit yourself. It's not going to be. And even if it were. By the time you get to heaven, you're going to love it.
So the harp It was and it's also the last instrument mentioned in Scripture. because it speaks of all instruments. It was the choice instrument of King David. You know, sometimes you read the Psalms, at least I do, and I say, Boy, David, you're a bit of a cry baby Well, that's very immature of me. Just live long enough and you begin to sing along with him.
He was known as the sweet psalmist of Israel. because he brought sweetness in his psalms. He spoke of days when he wanted to fly away, and then he spoke of other days where, why do you ask me? I'm not flying anywhere. And the people could identify with him.
And he influenced almost all the psalmists that came. He influenced all of them that came after him. He took worship to another level.
So much so that you can sing Just the psalm words, the scripture of these psalms. And be blessed. This was the man whose heart was after God. Yeah, he had, there were failures. Uh but his heart never, never turned away from God, as did his predecessor King Saul.
He is the slayer of the giant and the one who captured Jerusalem and he is one of the magnificent characters in Scripture. Verse 3, they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God. And the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvelous are your works, Lord God Almighty, just and true are your ways. O king of the saints. That's what they were singing.
So you come to church. And maybe you think you're expecting to hear this or that.
Well, you should be expecting. to be a vessel for the Holy Spirit. Jesus said to those that were going out to the wilderness, What did you come out there to see? A reed shaken by the wind? A man magnificently dressed?
No, you went to hear a prophet, and more than you went to get the word of God. You traveled all that way to do it. And still going to church is You're going for the word of God That God will take the speaker. and say something to you That you need. that you're better off with.
It's not a contest. He's not trying to show you how much more he knows the Bible than you. Nor the other way around. He's just being a vessel. Paul said it this way, that which I first received, God wants to speak to us.
Problem is We want to tell them what we want to hear, and that is, of course, that will shortchange us. The triumph of the kingdom. a song that celebrates the downfall of the kingdom of evil. They've got much to sing about at this point. This, of course, this Song of Moses, it's a reenactment.
of when they were delivered. From Pharaoh's army chasing them, the final victory of Satan matches that. It is a salvation song. for the delivered from the curse of this world.
Now Moses has another song. in s Deuteronomy thirty two. That's not this song. That song prophesies about chastisement and other things for the Jews. This song of Moses is linked to, again, Exodus fifteen, when Pharaoh was hunting down the believers of God.
and were defeated. It is the song that merges the law of Moses, who gave the law about the sacrificial lamb. And it mixes it with Of course, the New Testament love of Christ, who is the Lamb of God.
So now listen, listen to the. personal pronouns. Moses wrote this. At that time, in Exodus 15 verse 2, Yahweh is my strength. And song.
He has become my salvation. He is my God. and I will praise him My Father's God, I will exalt him. My God, I will. The determination, the defiance against sin, all packed into that one verse in Exodus fifteen, verse two.
my strength, my salvation, my God, my Father's God I will exalt him. I will praise him. This is the song of the lamb. It's not an additional song. When it says, sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb.
It's not two songs, it's one song of deliverance. merged together. and the song of the lamb. celebrating this You know If you're trapped and you can't get out. And then you manage to Be freed by someone else, you're delivered.
And that's what this world has. It's a trap. has much in it that's Scary. but we will be delivered and we will sing about Being delivered, and my song shall ever be.
Now that's not scripture, but it certainly is based on scripture. The person that wrote that song. had a knowledge of What God is doing and is going to do. This Song of Moses is also the song of the Lamb, because the final victory is in Christ, not Moses. Moses just prophesied.
Which those things we take seriously because nobody else has the prophecy. No one else is telling the future. Like the Bible.
So the true Es exodus, the true escape is not from Egypt. But it is from the curse. of this world.
and for eternity. from the power of of sin. by the blood of Christ.
So here Moses, of course, he gave us the rules concerning As I mentioned. The sacrificial lamb, Christ is that lamb. It's all tied in. In heaven the saved have learned How law and love work, because a lot of Christians don't. A lot of Christians don't understand their identity.
They can't make up their mind if they're an Old Testament Jew following the law, if they're free in Christ, and their identity is once you figure that out, you have a lot more strength. To do what? Jesus said, I'm going to give you the Holy Spirit. To do what? Oh, to show off that I can speak in tongues, or pretend to speak in tongues.
Yeah. that you would be witnesses to me That you will be able to articulate the gospel of Jesus Christ beyond the Jew, beyond the Gentile. That is the main power. of the Holy Spirit. And of course, there are many things that go along with that to get us to be effective witnesses for Christ.
Because if you don't know the Scripture, if you don't know the plan of salvation, well, what do you have to witness? It hasn't happened to you.
Well Revelation twenty two verse three And there shall be no more curse. But the throne of God and the Lamb. She'll be in it. And his servants shall serve him. without resistance, without confusion.
With this happiness. that the book of Revelation yields.
So the book of Revelation is constantly presenting the two sides. The wrath on the wicked And the salvation to those who would come. And it's going to end that way. Whomsoever will, let him come.
So don't side up against God and say, well, he's cruel and he's mean. No, who's the dumb one in this context? God and you know maybe you have a fatalistic Christianity which is out there, which you know, God just chose who's going to hell and and that Islam has the same thing. God wills it. Inshallah, and something like that, they called it anyway.
I don't believe in that. I believe the God of the universe will do right. all the time. without exception, and he's no he has no obligation To brief me. Hey, let me tell you what I'm going to do.
No obligation. What he is doing is saying, This is your life. This is what I want from your life.
Now go out and do it. And Exodus 15:2 is an example of Moses acting on that. This is my God, this is the God of my fathers. I will praise him, I will serve him. Not fretting about, well, I wonder what's going to happen to the people over here.
Well, focus on what the people are, what's happening to the people where you are. You're not ubiquitous. You cannot be in two places at once. You have a hard time being at one place at once.
So let's remember the Song of Moses was sung. At the sea of reeds, when Pharaoh chased them, and now the song of the lamb is sung. at the sea of crystal in heaven. Purified by fire. The Song of Moses was first recorded.
The first recorded song in Scripture. The Song of the Lamb is the last recorded song in Scripture. Moses' song was the the victory over the Egyptian Pharaoh The song of the Lamb is the victory over all evil. not just what's chasing us as individuals. Great and marvelous are your works, Lord God Almighty.
Just and true are your ways. I can't figure out why there are so many people that say they're Christians, but they advocate for lies. They support things that aren't true, that aren't biblical, that are against God. And I'm a Christian. And it says, just and true are your ways.
So be careful of the things you support. Because your vote in this way counts big. It is an expression of what's in your heart or what's not in your heart. No complaints. are listed here from these Who are now in heaven?
About the judgments of God. Nobody's whining and fussing. This is cruel, this is mean. What would have been cruel and mean. was to continue the curse for all eternity.
And let the wicked never go judged. No complaints about what they suffered on earth. It's all behind them now. Everything is settled. This is where we're going as believers.
And he includes, oh, King of the Saints. It was almost. a lamentation in that note John, after this vision, he had to go about the rest of his. life, which wasn't very long, 'cause he's very old at this time. And we, of course, invite the rule of God.
It's called lordship. You cannot just say he's my Savior. But he's not my lord. To be Lord is to be the one to dictate what you're supposed to do, to call for obedience from Him. And I am surprised.
At how many Christians turn on pastors when pastors uphold the scripture, uphold the truth, stop advocating for sin.
Well, how are you going to save them if you don't compromise? You're not saving them. You're setting them up. with a false gospel and I don't save anybody anyway. This has been Cross Reference Radio with Pastor Rick Gaston.
This program is a radio outreach of Calvary Chapel, Mechanicsville, in Mechanicsville, Virginia. Pastor Rick has been teaching through the book of Revelation, but if you're interested in learning about a different book of the Bible, we have hundreds of past episodes available to listen to on demand. Just visit us online at crossreference radio.com and you'll find an archive of Pastor Rick's past teachings. While you're there, you can also find links to follow our program on your favorite podcast app, as well as links to get connected with us on Facebook and YouTube. There's also an interviews tab where you can learn more about Pastor Rick's heart for ministry.
Well, we hope you'll join us next time here on Cross Reference Radio. Hello. I didn't run up to the bottom of the city.
