Hello, and welcome to the Westside churches special Monday Morning Coffee podcast on this podcast, our preacher Mark Roberts will help you get your week started right. With look back at yesterday's sermon so that we can think through it further and better work the applications into our daily lives . Mark will then look forward into this week's Bible reading so that we can know what to expect and watch for. And, he may have some extra bonus thoughts from time to time. So grab a cup of coffee as we start the week together on Monday Morning Coffee with Mark.

Good morning. Good morning. Welcome to the Monday Morning Coffee podcast for Monday, November the 11th. I'm Mark and I have my Bible open. I've got some great coffee. This is some coffee from a roastery in South Carolina. When I was out there for the meeting a couple of weeks ago, the preacher there was so kind, gave me a bag. This is from Methodical Coffee and it's just amazing and wonderful. So I've got great coffee working this morning and I have sermon notes. Just wanna talk a little bit more about those breakthroughs yesterday and I'm ready to dive into the book of Revelation with you. So grab that coffee, get ready, get set, let's go. Yesterday's sermon was about spiritual breakthroughs, an idea that I think is mesmerizing sometimes we go to church a lot and we do a lot of religious things, maybe read in our Bible and listening to sermons and it just kind of all sits there. But we can't, can't really see that It's made a big difference in our lives. Sometimes we need to turn the corner or ratchet it up a level, however you want to turn it. Sometimes we need that game changer, and I hope yesterday's sermon can be that for you, but I know this, in order for that to happen, you must work on that today. It's not enough to sit in the pew and say, that's right, I need to get ahold of grace, or I need to pray better. I need to have a more a , a better, a more better. How about that? I need to have a more better understanding of what it is to go home to heaven more, better. Wow, it's not maybe more coffee is what I need here, but it's not enough to hold those ideas in our heads. As I brought that to a conclusion, I talked about integrating that into your life. Maybe that changes make some changes in how you talk about grace. Maybe that will make a change in how you pray today. Maybe that will make a change in how you handle adversity as you term that in in the idea of I can't do much about this. This is beyond my control, but I can't wait to go to heaven where everything will be what God wants it to be. Whatever that's gonna take, focus on that today so that those breakthroughs can be more than ideas. They can be breakthroughs spiritually that help us serve the Lord in a better way. Hope that's helpful to you as we keep the spiritual momentum from yesterday rolling into this week. And a big part of that, of course, is the reading we're doing in the Book of Revelation. Let's get to that Opening your Bible to Revelation chapter six. Our reading for Monday is Revelation chapter six, verses nine to 17. This is the opening of the fifth seal and the sixth seal. And as we get ready to talk about that and think about that, let me just say a word or two here about the structure of the book of Revelation. That's probably the key puzzle for most people who are interacting with the Book of Revelation on a very deep level or trying to think about the book in a studious kind of way. Just how does all of this go together? And I think a big mistake in all of that is to try to flatten the book into some kind of linear timeline. I made reference to this last week really think the book probably is showing us the same ideas several times over. And that would be important, as I said last week for Audible listeners, when you're hearing it, you need to hear it several times to make sure that that message will sink in. But the book will, the book will progress along with the seven. So there'll be seven seals and that will lead to seven trumpets and that will finally lead to seven bowls. And these judgements are broken, open or sounded with the trumpets are poured out on the earth and all these terrible things happen and we get very, very fixated on that. What's going on? How can you not see a scene of Harry grasshoppers and not say, what is that all about? And then of course, sometimes that drives us to search the news and to see if that's happening right now today. That certainly is what it , that's certainly where a lot of people are with the Book of Revelation. Or for people like you and me who are reading it more consistently with its due testament message. We may go back and we're searching Josephus or other annals of ancient history and we're trying to find where Harry Grasshoppers showed up in a Roman war or could be, I say that tongue in cheek . Of course nobody's really looking for Harry grasshoppers. What we're really thinking about is, is that symbolic of the 80 67 Jewish Rebellion or is that, does that have something to do with the 10th Legion of the Roman army when they marched to jour ? On and on and on. We look for some historical correspondence. I want to suggest that that's probably not a great approach to the book of Revelation. And that instead we just ought to see that these judgments are being poured out upon the earth and they are making life miserable for nonbelievers. If you're not a Christian, you're just suffering and it's just awful. And in fact, a lot of this may not be special divine activity where God is making something happen. It may just represent that this is the way the world goes. 'cause the world is eaten up by sin. And when you have sin, you have greed and you have covetousness and you have hatred and violence because I want what you want. And so I'll take it from you and all the things that go from go with that in an escalating spiral. Maybe we should see more of these things kind of in terms of Romans one, which is to borrow from Paul and not John, but to say that God gave them over I, I think that's a good fit for a lot of the bad things that are going on in the book of Revelation. They just naturally accrue when people go away from God and that serves to undergird that main message, which is stand with the lamb. Stand with the lamb, don't go over there with them. It's miserable over there. Maybe it looks like a lot of fun, but it's really not. It's just miserable. And that brings me to the second thing I need to need to say. Wow , so many things to say before we even read the Bible today. And that is we get these seals and then trumpets and then bowls and in between them there are these interludes, these pauses in the action. And even the name interlude causes us in some ways to say, this is not important, it's halftime. Can we get back to the game? Let's go see what's going on. And I want to strongly suggest that probably the interludes are the point and they are not the halftime. There's all these terrible things happening and then God does something and we'll get to see even that in our reading today and in our reading tomorrow. So let's get to our reading. First and foremost, there's the fifth seal, slay the souls that are slain under the altar. These are martyrs for the word of God and they ask the question, how long before you will judge? I think you need to underline that in your Bible, chapter six, verse 10. I think a lot of that is the question of the book of Revelation, how long till God takes some kind of action. That's what we're looking for here. And then action begins verse 12 to six, seal is open, there's an earthquake. There's all kinds of problems in the sky. Much of this reminds us of the Old Testament like Joel chapter two or Isaiah chapter 29, stars falling to the Earth. That's usually in the Old Testament, a reference to or a a figure of speech that references to leaders falling out of their places, kings being toppled, governments being toppled. There's just chaos. That's what there is. And the whole world just isn't plunged into anxiety and worry and trouble of every kind. In fact, this image 14 down to verse 16 sounds like the end of the world. And I wonder if, if maybe that's not the right thing to say here. And then we're just going to get a repeated image of this same kind of judgment bringing the world to its end over and over and over again. I'm not totally comfortable with seeing it that way. Maybe this is just some kind of mega judgment and all kinds of terrible things are happening to those who would fight against God's. People stand with the lamb, stand with the lamb because the lamb is in a battle with Satan. But maybe in some ways, maybe verse 16 shows the end verse 16 and 17 is is a picture of the end of everything. And then we're gonna get to see that picture several more times. I would have you underline verse 17, who can stand? That question is enormously important for our Bible reading tomorrow. See you tomorrow. We'll push forward and see who can stand. Revelation 6 90 17, that's our reading for Monday. It is Tuesday. And today we read Revelation chapter seven verses one to eight. And this comes directly out of the question in six 17 yesterday's reading, who can stand? And the answer is God's people, those who are standing with the lamb, they will stand. In fact, if you step forward a little bit in our reading, you'll notice in tomorrow's reading verse nine, I saw this great multitude standing before the throne. Who can stand the great multitude, the 144,000 , those who are with the lamb, they will stand. So the forces of destruction, verse one, they are held until this ceiling can take place. And here's a good place to see that. An image or a figure of speech, a metaphor can mean more than just one thing. Sometimes we get uncomfortable with the book of Revelation because we want something to mean one particular precise thing and then we're afraid we don't know what that thing is and we might be missing it here . The ceiling means you're part of the people of God, but it also protects you from these terrible things that are going to happen. Verse three, don't harm the earth of the sea of the trees until we've sealed the servants of our God. So going to be sealed and protected here. This comes right out of Ezekiel chapter nine and Ezekiel chapter 10, and there's going to be 144,000 who will be sealed. And while some people try to make that literal, I'm looking at huge Jehovah's witnesses. It can't be literal. This scene will be repeated in chapter 14 in verse four, the 144,000 are mentioned there. And in chapter 14, they're all men. They are all men. So there you go, proof that women can't be in heaven. Come on now, we need to know better than that. It's clearly a symbolic number that means all of God's people and it's counted out through the tribes. And you'll notice if you're reading carefully that the tribe of Dan is missing, Dan got omitted maybe because, maybe because that tribe is so closely associated with idolatry. Judges. The 18th chapter in one king, chapter 12, you remember the golden calf was set up at Dan. So I've been there. It's a terrible, terrible thing to see. This is the place where God's people turned their back on God never really to return. The northern 10 tribes are just lost in idolatry. So the tribe of Joseph is repeated in verse eight. Joseph, of course would be, is already counted in the tribe of Manasses, but now Joseph has added back in so that we can get to the 12 because the number matters. We want to have 144,000. And what's the point of all of this? The point of all of this is to say that the martyrs will be victorious. Those that we saw under the altar in yesterday's reading, those that are hearing this being read in their assembly and who are concerned that they will be joining those martyrs under the altar. These people need reassurance that God is going to bring judgment and they will be preserved in all the tribulation and trouble. God knows who they are. God knows where they are. God is taking care of his people. And that thought will be amplified times 11 bazillion in our reading tomorrow. I'll see you on Wednesday, Westsiders. We actually get to talk about this some more tonight. I'll see you on zoom. Revelation chapter seven verses one to eight. That's our reading for Tuesday . It's Wednesday, it is hump day. And today we're thinking more about this 144,000 as we read on Wednesday in Revelation the seventh chapter verses nine to 17. This is such a beautiful section of the book of Revelation. And I wanna say again, I think these interludes where all the crazy stuff that's breaking loose and bringing pain and misery upon the earth pauses for a moment and God's people are singled out, they're cared for, they're protected. God says, I'm taking care of you. And there's lots of discussion then based on yesterday's 144,000 in chapter seven, verses one to eight. Now verse nine, there's a great multitude, but I think these, I think this great multitude is the 144,000. If you'll notice yesterday in Revelation seven, verse four, I heard the number, but now in Revelation seven in verse nine, I looked and saw, behold there was a great multitude. This reminds us of chapter four where John heard about the lion of the tribe of Judah, but then he turned and saw the lamb that is slain. I think the great multitude is the 144,000 . I think they are identified as the saved of all times. These are the ones who have come out of the great tribulation who wash their robes in the blood of the lamb. These are the ones who have been saved. They are the people of God. Verses 13 and 14, God's taking care of them because they stand with the lamb. This must have been tremendously encouraging to those brethren and it is encouraging to us as well today. But of course when we get to the end, we read 15, 16, 17, it's just wonderful, just great to stand with the lamb. But we wonder, what about those who aren't sealed? What about those who aren't in the 144,000 who aren't in the great multitude? Well, in tomorrow's reading will begin to see God wants to do some things to see if he can get them sealed. God's going to do some things to try to move those people to repentance. That is what we'll work on in Revelation chapter eight on Thursday. But Revelation 7 90 17 is our reading for Wednesday. Welcome to Thursday. Today we read the eighth chapter of Revelation, revelation eight, one to 13 . And before you dive right into the text, let's make sure that we know exactly what's happening here. Lemme grab some coffee. Let's make certain we understand where we are in the book and why these terrible things that are about to be unleashed are being unleashed. And the answer to that is at the end of chapter nine, move over to chapter nine, verse 20 and 21, 9, 20. The rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues did not repent. Verse 21, they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries, their sexual immoralities and their thefts. So what happens here is God brings all kinds of chaos and trouble and turmoil, or maybe as I said earlier in the week, maybe these are just the things that happen when the world just devolves into more and more sin and it just gets worse and worse and worse. But the point of that, why does God give them over to use Romans one again, is because he wants people to repent. He wants people to see the folly of sin. And that that way of life is completely bankrupt. So everything begins with the lamb. Verse one, opening the seventh seal. And we get this progression in the book of Revelation where there's seven and there's 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and that builds the tension. And we just know something huge, huge. It's about to happen with number seven. And then when we get to number seven, actually, then that just leads the seals then lead to trumpets and they'll be the same. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and oh , seven's gonna be it, seven's gonna be it. And then seven leads to bowls and 1, 2, 3, 4. Yeah, it's building the tension where we just can't stop what's gonna happen, what's going to be next. And a big key to this is a chapter eight verse three. An angel came, stood at the altar. He was given much instance to offer with the prayers of the saints. Think about being a Christian in the first century. Is God hearing our prayers? Is God listening to us? Cry out as we are being persecuted and hurt for the cause of Christ? We are trying to stand with the lamb. Does God know the answer is yes? God responds to these prayers, the smoke of the incense, the prayers of the saints rose before God from the hand of the angel. Verse four. Then the angel took the sensor and filled it with fire. These judgments , these things that God allows to ha to happen or is actively causing to happen. These things are a response to the prayers of Christians. And so the first trumpet brings hail and fire and the second trumpet brings a mountain that's cast into the sea. And the third trumpet brings a star named wormwood, which of course we all know is the nuclear meltdown at Chernobyl. And that's exactly what's being described there in chapter eight in verse 11. What a bunch of nonsense I have seen that actively pushed that somehow that is talking about the nuclear meltdown. Come on folks. Nobody in first century Asia, in first century Turkey is thinking about nuclear reactors, all of these things. And I , I think it's very difficult to find any kind of specific situation in time and space. For example, in a moment in chapter nine in verse two, we get the opening of a bottomless pit. And I don't know where in human history somebody's opened a bottomless pit. I don't think these things are to be correlated directly with anything in our news today. Absolutely not. That's not shortly come to pass. And I especially don't think it's to be correlated with this war, this battle, this plague, this epidemic. All of this just echoes the plagues in Exodus. Doesn't it sound a lot like the things that Moses brought on through the power of God on Egypt? Some of this , uh, we're about to have some Harry locusts sounds an awful lot like the plagues in Joel. And I remember, and you do too, that in the plagues initially the Israelites suffered right along with the Egyptians. And I think you're seeing some of that here in chapter eight. But I believe the point of this one writer noted that these first four trumpets him people in and all sides as disasters strike the earth and the sea and the sky. And then in chapter nine, earth, earth erupts and bubbles up a whole new disaster that just comes out of the middle of it. So all of this is to say bad things are happening, terrible things are happening. And if you're not standing with the lamb, you better get over there with the lamb. You need to repent and go stand with the lamb. And of course, since this book wasn't written to pagans, pagans aren't reading this book, who's reading this book? This book's being written to Christians, what's the message then in chapter eight? Hey, you Christians don't give up. God knows what's going on. God is doing some of the things that are going on specifically to cause repentance. But don't you defect? You are standing with the lamb. You've been sealed. Chapter seven, stay with the Lamb because it's just awfully awful for those who don't stand with the lamb. As chapter nine will detail. Revelation eight, one to 13 is our reading for Thursday. Welcome to Friday. And our reading today is Revelation nine, one to 12. This may be one of the most frightening chapters in all of the book of Revelation. We've had the woes in chapter eight in verse 13, and it's bad and will get worse. And chapter nine shows us worse. The fifth Angel chapter nine verse one blew his trumpet and I saw star falling from heaven to earth. He's given the key to this shaft of the bottomless pit. Maybe that's a reference to Satan. There's lots of discussion, of course about the origins of Satan. The Bible never specifically details that, but that surely looks like Satan. Revelation chapter 12 and verse nine, maybe a little bit of second Peter fits in there as well. This kind looks like the devil being or given power to exercise authority over demonic forces. And what happens is he opens the shaft and pouring out of that comes the super locust. This reminds us of the plague that Joel uses to call people to repentance. And these locusts come pouring out. And they're not like anything we've ever seen before. These are some kind of monster grasshoppers. They are not ordinary locusts because verse four, they don't harm the vegetation that's on the earth. And please by the way, don't email me that there's a difference in a locust and a grasshopper 'cause I know that. But I can't just keep saying the word locust over and over again on the podcast. So I'm calling 'em grasshoppers from time to time. Just bear with me. Drink more coffee. You'll be fine. In those days, verse six, people will seek death and they will not find it. So that just shows you how terrible things are. They long to die, but death will flee from them. It's important to see that God is still in control. They are allowed. Verse five to torment, but not to kill God is running things. God is in charge. And again, I'm not looking for some specific event in New Testament history, this army or this plague where I can somehow say, look at this. That looks like the hairy grasshoppers. And I certainly don't believe that these are attack helicopters. That's the most common explanation of this in the craziness that people perpetrate today. No, this book is encouraging to first century Christians and the things that happen in this book are to shortly come to pass. I've said that about a thousand times and you better hold on 'cause I'm gonna say it another thousand times because knowing that keeps us from that kind of vain speculation that divorces the book from its meaning and from its power to first century Christians, and yes to you and me today. All the things that go on in our world today. Sometimes Christians get to biting their fingernails and shaken in their boots a little bit. And yes, there's a lot of bad things that happened in the first century world and there are a lot of bad things that can happen in our world as well. But we want to focus on God is in control of that. Verse five. We need to focus on bad things come because of this star fallen, this king abbadon in Greek. He's called a polyon . He's the destroyer. Don't blame God for the bad things that are going on and make certain that when you see bad things happening, it just makes you more determined to stand with the lamb. He's in a fight with the devil and we need to stand with him if we want to be victorious with him. If you're not standing with the lamb, go ahead and read part of the reading for Monday, the rest of mankind. Verse 20, who were not killed by these plagues? Notice the word plagues there. Yeah, right outta the book of Exodus, isn't it? If you weren't killed by these plagues, you did not repent. Verse 20. That's a disaster. These things are being allowed. These things are happening under the control of God because God wants people to repent. That's what they need to be doing. And instead, people resist the lamb. Don't resist the lamb. Stand with the lamb. So there's the podcast for the week. Thank you for listening. There's not anything quite like reading. The book of Revelation is there. If the podcast is helping you tell somebody else about it, please leave a rating or review that will encourage more people as they go searching for helpful podcast. They'll find it, they'll see that it's been reviewed well, and they'll want to listen just like you do. So until Monday when we'll open our Bibles together again, I'm Mark Roberts and I want to go to heaven, and I want you to come to I'll see you on Monday with a cup of coffee.

Thanks for listening to the Westside church of Christ podcast. Monday morning coffee with mark . For more information about Westside , you can connect with us through our website, just christians.com and our Facebook page. Our music is from upbeat.is that's upbeat with two P'S UPP , B E A T , where creators can get free music. Please share our podcast with others. And we look forward to seeing you again with a company coffee, of course, on next Monday.