- [Narrator] If you find a single word
that is used more than 70 times
in a single book of the Bible,
you can assume that God considers it important.
Welcome to Grace Digital presentation.
In this video, we will be covering angels
in the book of Revelation.
When you go through the entire Bible
and count the entries for angel and angels,
you will be amazed
to find that the latter portion of the New Testament,
the book of Revelation has considerably more to say
about angelic activity than any other part of God's word.
In one sense, you can say angels are bookends
for the book of revelation,
and understand that I say that with deep respect.
Look at revelations chapter one, verse one,
the revelation from Jesus Christ,
which God gave him to show his servants
what must soon take place.
He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John.
As we move on to the last chapter
in the last section of the verses, angels appear again,
holding the revelation in a single compact unit.
Our Lord points them out himself.
"I, Jesus, have sent my angel to you
this testimony for the churches.
I am the root and the offspring of David
and the bright morning star."
Revelations 22:16.
The book of Revelation
is often called the progressive development
of future events.
So let us look at the angels in Revelation
as their ministry gradually unfolds.
More than 10% of references to angels
are found in connection
with the letters to the seven churches
in the second and third chapter of Revelation.
It is fascinating to think
that God could have detailed angels delivering messages
to certain churches.
The meaning of angel in these references
to the seven churches is not entirely clear,
since angel literally means messenger.
And the word here could possibly mean something like pastor.
However, these references could also be
to the spiritual beings we have examined.
You will remember that the Apostle Paul
was once caught up into the third heaven.
He testified that he heard unspeakable words,
which it is not lawful for a man to utter.
Second Corinthians 12:4, was caught up to paradise
and heard inexpressible things,
things that no one is permitted to tell.
In revelation 7:11 and 12,
"All the angels were standing around the throne
and around the elders and the four living creatures.
They fell down on their faces before the throne
and worshiped God saying amen.
Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor,
and power and strength
be to our God forever and ever, amen."
A primary function of angels is to worship God.
We see in Revelation
that they will have this privilege forever.
It is disappointing to end our view of this heavenly scene
and to turn our eyes back to earthly things.
Instead of angels praising God,
we see men and women blaspheming God and living in sin
with no sense of obligation to God.
Why is this?
A partial answer can be found in the Ecclesiastics 8:11.
"Because sentence against an evil work
is not executed speedily,
therefore, the sentence for a crime
is not quickly carried out.
People's hearts are filled with schemes to do wrong.
Although a wicked person who commits 100 crimes
can live long,
I know those who fear God and are reverence of Him
will be better off."
In this age of grace,
all people benefit from God's patience and forbearance.
He does not punish sin immediately,
but the day comes when he will
and He will use angels as instruments.
In our video, the purpose of angels,
we had already studied briefly at angels
as agents of God's judgment.
Let us now concentrate on their activities in this role,
in the book of Revelation.
Angelic warnings, angelic reapings.
The angels task to warn people,
and then if the warning is not heeded,
to bring about the judgment of God.
This will be particularly effective in the last days
with regard to the antichrist.
Let me begin with a quotation
from Revelation 14:9 through 11.
"A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice,
'if anyone worships the beast and its image
and receives its mark on their forehead or on their hand,
they too will drink the wine of God's fury,
which has been poured full strength
into the cup of his wrath.
They will be tormented with burning sulfur
in the presence of the Holy angels and of the lamb.
And the smoke of their torment will rise forever and ever.
There will be no rest day or night
for those who worship the beast and its image,
or for anyone who receives the mark of its name.
During his brief rule on earth,
the antichrist will completely control
the economic life of all people.
No one will be able to buy or sell
unless they have a mark on their forehead or hand.
So people will have to make a decision
whether they identify with the people of God
and suffer death as a result,
or whether they join the antichrist.
The vast majority will make the wrong choice.
They will say, I am ready, give me the mark.
Then the wrath of God will spring up
like a dam that has been broken.'"
Notice how angels are involved.
Then another angel came out of the temple
and called in a loud voice to him
who was sitting on the cloud.
"Take your sickle and reap because the time to reap has come
for the harvest of the earth is ripe."
So, he who was seated on the cloud,
swung his sickle over the earth and the earth was harvested.
Another angel came out of the temple in heaven,
and he too had a sharp sickle.
Still another angel who had charge of the fire,
came from the altar and called in loud voice to him
who had the sharp sickle.
"Take your sharp sickle
and gather the clusters of grapes from the earth's vine
because its grapes are ripe."
The angel swung his sickle on the earth,
gathered its grapes
and threw them into the great wine press of God's wrath.
They were trampled in the wine press outside the city
and blood flowed out of the press.
Rising as high as the horse's bridles
for a distance of 1,600 stadia.
Revelation 14:15 through 20.
What a terrible image of God's coming judgment,
but one that is fully deserved.
Now we think of angels who bless the world
and strengthen us and lead us here.
They do, but there comes a time
when angels will dispense the wrath of a righteous God.
Where are you right now?
Under the present blessing of the angels
or under the coming judgment?
I pray that everyone watching this video
will come to know the Lord Jesus Christ
as his or her personal savior.
My words to you may not be effective,
but will you get a warning from the word of God?
I urge you to get yourself a Bible
and read the 16th chapter of Revelation,
which is too long for me to quote here.
You will know how seven angels are used by God
to execute his fierce wrath upon an unbelieving world.
It's a terrible, terrible picture of things to come.
And I would have you avoid it at all costs.
God is not only going to judge individuals
during the great tribulation,
but he is also going to bring judgment on world systems.
Two Babylons are mentioned in Revelation,
one in chapter 17 and one in chapter 18.
First to be judged is religious Babylon.
We cannot be sure of his exact identity,
but I want you to see how an angel was involved
in giving John information.
He wrote, "One of the seven angels
who had the seven bowls came and said to me,
'Come, I will show you the punishment
of the great prostitute
who sits by many waters.'"
Revelation 17:1.
So an angel gave the apostle a preview of the judgment
that will come over this false religious system.
Even more striking is the angelic involvement
with regard to the second, or economic Babylon,
described in Revelation 18 verse one and two.
"After this, I saw another angel coming down from heaven.
He had great authority
and the earth was illuminated by his splendor.
With a mighty voice, he shouted,
'Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great.
She has become a dwelling for demons
and a haunt for every impure spirit,
a haunt for every unclean bird,
a haunt for every unclean and detestable animal.'"
That is a remarkable prophecy
having to do with the tribulation period.
Nowhere else is an angel described quite like that.
His mission is to judge economic Babylon.
Some say it is New York City or the United Nations,
we can't know for sure.
But our point here is to emphasize the angelic involvement.
An angel in the sun.
Artists often imagine angels as radiant figures.
Where did they get this idea?
Perhaps from Revelation 19:17.
"And I saw an angel standing in the sun
who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair,
'Come gather together for the great supper of God.'"
This seems to refer to a brilliance
that shown from his face.
What a sight that would be.
I do not think, however, that our eyes would remain fixed
on the angel for long,
for he too has a job of judgment to do.
The rest of Revelation 19,
tells how the remains of a great army
provide food for the fouls,
and then how at last the beast and the false prophet,
and those who worshiped his image
are all cast into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
The proceeding have been just some highlights
of angelic involvement
in the judgments described in Revelation.
You will want to read the entire book of Revelation
for yourself to appreciate all that angels will be doing
in the end times.
Pay special attention to those passages
that have not been discussed much in this video,
as they relate to judgment.
For example, chapters four through 13, 20 through 22.
I pray that everyone watching this video
will come to know the Lord Jesus Christ
as his or her personal savior.