It is written: “Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and those who dwell in them!” And right next: “Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea!” (Revelation 12:12).
Do you think those who dwell in heaven don’t see what is happening on earth? – Of course they do. As far as the saints of God are concerned, they are already in eternity, so it can’t be that they are totally separated. They are separated only in their bodies, because a believer in Jesus has passed from death to life. If a believer in Jesus has passed from death to life, and those who are already in heaven are with Jesus, they are also joined with the saints who have passed from death to life and who are on earth yet. Therefore, I am convinced that in heaven there is knowledge of everything. And even the Lord, as it is written, ” if I make my bed in hell, behold You are there.”
This condition, which we need to learn today, is a very difficult condition – to see what “woe is for the inhabitants of the earth and the sea” and that “the devil has come down to you in great rage, knowing that he has little time left” – and to rejoice in heaven and dwell in them.
It is a wrong point of view – simply to get abstracted. Another point of view is to continue to please ourselves, as if we are saints, and nothing concerns us, Satan doesn’t get us, and we boast that we are “in Christ’s bosom.” I think it’s even more disgusting. If you have delicious food and you brag it to the poor this is something like the saints, who brag about their blessings to unbelievers who live in shortcomings and curses. This is not good. I think it’s a primitive theology, a theology of a primitive intellect, to brag about blessings to unbelieving people who live in adversity. Do not do that! It is immoral.
But this position – “rejoice, O heavens and those who dwell in them!” – I take it for myself: “rejoice, My son who dwells in heaven!”, if you dwell in heaven. But woe to those who inhabit the earth and the sea. And we kind of separate – woe for you, and joy for us. No! It is a cross, stretched at the same time from those to others – both vertically and horizontally.
The result of this unconnectable connection is the death of Christ. Jesus rose from the dead and rejoiced because He “sees His inheritance with satisfaction” because He knows the final result of everything. He communicates this final result to us, and that we are in the process. And so, the son is walking over the “nails”, on the “prickly stones” and is crying. And you tell him: “Wait, son! Do not cry! I’m already above it – there, we’re almost there, be patient! And they get encouraged and go, but someone doesn’t get encouraged, he keeps whining: “No, I don’t want to go anywhere, You don’t exist, Dad, You don’t exist, You don’t love!” Or blame someone else. Jesus told us calmly: that there will be a time when, because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold, but you watch and pray so that you don’t fall into temptation.
Therefore, the church must have a good sight, she must look higher than under her feet. She must lift up her eyes, raise them. When you lift up your eyes, you know where you are going and how it will all end, you have the strength to continue – through storms and typhoons, heavy winds, enmity, hatred, betrayal – go on.
Some words about Babylon. Now many nations of the world, to some extent, are Babylon. Because Babylon is a way of thinking, it is a nature. God says about Babylon: “And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore… Rejoice over her, O heaven and you holy Apostles and prophets; for God has avenged you on her” (Revelation 18:11, 20).
Therefore, we judge Babylon. She has different “brands”, and the saints judge her, they don’t sing to her, they don’t serve her.
“The sound of harpists, musicians, flutists, and trumpeters shall not be heard in you anymore. No craftsman of any craft shall be found in you anymore, and the sound of a millstone shall not be heard in you anymore. The light of a lamp shall not shine in you anymore, and the voice of bridegroom and bride shall not be heard in you anymore. For your merchants were the great men of the earth, for by your sorcery all the nations were deceived.” (Revelation 18:22-23).
Look: negative stuff is all over, you need to stay awake with the Internet, because they have lost faith – they went to Babylon to buy food. You don’t have enough of your own food, because you need a relationship with the Lord – you need to hear through foggy smoke and noise. Today there are higher requirements for hearing the voice of God and for the knowledge.
The joy of life is leaving people. Stay awake so that you remain bright people. People of Light. Not those careless ones who “cook” inside themselves, unwilling to hear anything, as if it weren’t their business. No! This is a terrible position!
Christ was the Light. At that time they were colonizing Judea, Roman soldiers were everywhere, dragging people, demanding taxes. Traitors from the Jews collect taxes, like Matthew, from their own people. But He takes from here and from there – he blesses a Roman soldier, the enemy, and the Roman centurion; John the Baptist blesses Roman soldiers, tells them how to serve, and the Jews too. They killed Jesus by the hands of the Romans. There they made collaboration, but here Jesus from above vertically gives grace to both of them, because for Him they are, first of all, lost sheep.
Who is sufficient for these things today – to see the world this way, to see first of all man in Muslims, Buddhists, in traditional religions? If there was love, we would see correctly. And love is an eye salve – how to open your eyes to reality.
It is written: “And in her was found the blood of prophets and saints and of all who were slain on the earth.” (Revelation 18:24). I read from Revelation the Word of God. You say, “What shall we do?” And this is what we are here for. Not to play any theater of church service, so that it all goes “sweet”, I’m not interested in that. I am interested in so that I live on earth not in vain, whether I bring profit for heaven. I don’t want heaven to serve me. I’ve moved on from just receiving. I’m not interested in that. I have enough to not complain, be satisfied and thankful. But this is a position. And I’m more interested in how we shall meet with the Lord. How will we meet Him? I want to get to this meeting and not be ashamed, and I want Him not to be ashamed of me. Because there will be such things in heaven that Christ will be ashamed of some: “… so that I would not be ashamed of you before My Father and before His angels.”
If you feel the strength, obedience, guidance of the heart and the ability to unseal it – read the book of Revelation. It is one of the most answering books to all questions, one of the most powerful keys, there is an arsenal for understanding today’s hour. In some books you will read personal things – about sin, about sanctification, about personal salvation. But in this book you will read how to see the context and yourself in this context. One of the most powerful and relevant books for the present is the book of the Apocalypse. It’s amazing that people don’t read it. Do not fear to approach this mountain – if the Holy Spirit leads you, you have grace enough to contain the means for the eternity.
Fighting for life, for the fire. One of the first means of fighting that I understand in the life of a man of God is to fight for the fire so that you are a blazing fire. You yourself, not dependent on anyone, not someone pushing or denouncing, but yourself. Here one has to love – to love God.
Revelation
“An angel of God sharpened the arrows, as some were blunt, outdated. And after that, the Angel of God burned these arrows in a strong fire, testing their strength. Then, if they were strong, the Angel of God treated them with oil.
When the arrows were ready, the Angel of God gave them to the man of God to shoot them. The man of God had a device that was both a bow and a crossbow, from which prepared arrows were shot. The direction where to launch was given from another Angel of God, on the map, which the man of God could read. Having direction and understanding, the man of God began to shoot these arrows, they couldn’t be kept for a long time.
Arrows are messengers. These arrows of deliverance were sent from the Lord. Fire and oil. Some people understand me, but I think most don’t yet. No matter how many people are in the church, no matter what trends we are experiencing, it is very important to continue the work of the mission. And I’ll tell you a different formula: you don’t send not because you don’t have people, but you don’t have people because you don’t send. You don’t have water, not because you have little, but you have little, because you don’t give it away. Today, more than ever, we need to return to the mission wave. Therefore, the arrows were burned in the fire, and then anointed with oil, and not the other way round. What would be the point of anointing a cracked arrow with oil? It will collapse even faster. Therefore, today this is a call – to a breakthrough on a mission.
“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” (Revelation 15:1).
We need to see another sign. Another sign was the transition from trumpets and seals to bowls of wrath and plagues. And a sign must first be seen in heaven in order for it to be on earth. You can’t see a sign on earth, but you can get a projection from heaven and recognize and interpret it. You need to see a sign in heaven and then you will bind on earth.
“I saw a sign in heaven.” I pray today that the church will see signs in heaven. We need to learn like this prophet and Apostle – he accepted and entered into it and remained himself. There is no hysteria, no unnecessary emotions, he continues to communicate what he saw. The Lord said to him: “Come and see!”
Seven Angels, having the seven plagues, in which the wrath of God is complete. Good news! The wrath of God will one day end. But after seven plagues (tr. ulcers, sores). The most terrible soars – are, first of all, in the soul: when you become a traitor. A good son became a scoundrel – he got an ulcer. He became a traitor – he received an ulcer. Became a liar – got an ulcer. He became a thief – he received an ulcer. These terrible ulcers – I think they are not talking about physical illnesses, but about ulcers in the soul. Beware of this – so as not to become people of this world, who, being wounded, stink before heaven with their ulcers.
These seven angels went out as a sign that these were the seven last plagues. It is written that these angels had the seven last plagues. I don’t know how it is literally – what it means to have ulcers, whether there were bowls with ulcers, not with the acid that produces them, but with the ulcers, or they had it in their hands. But these seven angels had the seven last plagues.
“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 the harps of God” (Revelation 15:2). In the fourth chapter, there was just a sea of glass like crystal. And here we see that this is the glass sea, but mingled with fire.
The “sea of glass” is, as the brothers taught us, it is like grace, like kingdom. But today this sea, symbolizing the world, is mingled with fire – look at the planet – the forests are burning, the cities are burning – today it is the sea mingled with fire. Confusion on the planet, the planet is shaking. And the sea of glass, mingled with fire, is purification. But it is important that they stood – those who had victory over the beast, the image, the mark and the number – stood on this sea. This is what we need – to stand on the sea from above. And their feet were neither scorched nor wet. They were on the sea. Here is the position of the church.
Rise up! Do not “mess around” in this sea! And this is possible only in the Holy Spirit, only in the truth of God. We stood on the sea of glass. Those who had victory over the beast, the image, the mark, stood on the sea of glass! Oh, how I pray to You, Lord, that I may stand on this sea of glass!
Jesus walked on water. This is how the victorious church must walk on the sea of glass mingled with fire.
“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! Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. For all nations shall come and worship before You, for Your judgments have been revealed” (Revelation 15:3-4).
This is not the song of Moses only, but also of the Lamb. These were the most prophetic words for this season. They took from the past, the future, and found that it was these words that Moses sang and the Lamb sang, they took them and found them to be the most accurate for this hour – that “all the nations shall come and worship before You, for Your judgments have been revealed.” The overcomers didn’t become bitter during the judgments, they sing. They have not become “smoky”, they don’t smell like smoke. They are singing! And our answer to all this is a song!
“After these things I looked, and behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened. And out of the temple came the seven angels having seven plagues, clothed in pure bright linen and having their chests girded with golden bands. Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God who lives forever and ever. The temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power, and no one was able to enter the temple till the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed” (Revelation 15:5-8).
These are the same Angels. The temple in heaven is open. The Church with proper gates. And these angels came out of the temple. They received this empowerment there – to carry the plagues. And they went out and had seven plagues from the temple. Therefore, it is a church that can judge. You remember that Paul shook off the dust. He was a good Christian, but he did it over cities; he delivered to Satan for the destruction of the flesh – we don’t know how, we are immediately afraid. But this is a temple with angels having the seven plagues.
See how they were clothed. Here they carry the plagues. They are “clothed in pure and bright linen and girded around their chests with golden bands.” Angels of the plagues. This is what is in this world. Sometimes you speak with a lawless person, and he needs ulcers to be added to him, because he is a scoundrel, and he needs to be instructed. But you stay bright. What is the band? It is the truth. And the golden band is the truth that speaks of glory. It is a message of the truth of the glory. Today, more than ever, the doctrine of the glory of God is needed. The golden bands are the teaching of glory. The Truth about lory. Light during judgments. Bright clothes. It is light, joy, peace, grace.
“Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God who lives forever and ever” (Revelation 15:7). It turns out that God’s wrath is in gold? Not in a rotten tree? We never studied that.
“The temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power, and no one was able to enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed” (Revelation 15:8)
Today the Lord gave us a revelation – to abide in the Apocalypse. And I want to invite you too. This is an incredible portal. We read a short passage, but this is food. You can take a few verses from Revelation and speak the will of God. Give me any place from Revelation – I will tell you the truth, the will of God. Because that living, eternal Word is bread. Any passage from the book of Revelation is the Bread of Life. Eat this bread, eat it, because today, more than ever, we need to put on the power of God. Be strong. Do not walk in weakness, stop whining, do not complain all the time. It’s time for us to work! Let’s get to work!
The time has come. This is our time. Let’s rise up, let’s stand. Let’s get into this work of God. Because this is the time in which we are with you. This is not a joke.
Who knows what you will have tomorrow. Will misfortune, grief, suffering or blessing fall upon you – does this affect our journey? True faith follows one path – straight and narrow. And we must be so – faithful to the end, and then the Lord will accept us for Himself. But we’ve got to take as much Divine blessings as possible, in order to bring Him as a reward. Let’s not live our lives in vain, so as not to be ashamed. My biggest fear is to stand before God and not see Him happy. And for this you need to be an outstanding person. To please God, you need to work hard, try hard. It is one thing to be saved as out of fire, and another thing is to please Him. This is a big difference. Some will be saved like through the fire, while others will receive a great reward. It is for the sake of this award that we live with you.