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Without star in news I'm Gordon Griffin president Donald Trump will not be adding 2 new lawyers to the legal team defending him in the special counsel's Russia investigation after all that according to Trump attorney Jay Sekulow the president wants Congress to ensure a better budgeting process he's urging Congress to change some of its rules after reluctantly signing a $1.00 trillion dollars spending measure into law last week the president said he would prefer a simple majority vote in the Senate to pass bills instead of the 60 votes needed now we have to get rid of the filibuster and go to $51.00 votes in the Senate it would going to have really sustained continued success the president also appealed to Congress for a line item veto that would grant him the ability to cross out any spending he opposes right Clarkston the White House more details the deaths are a News dot com head North Hills Christian school we partner with parents to instill in our students a thirst to love God serve others and change the world not only do children need the best education available they need to be taught in an environment that values them for who they are and we've been doing that in Vallejo for more than 40 years Short Hills offers a state licensed preschool along with a kindergarten through 12th grade education were conveniently located in the North Bay answer families throughout the region our students feel empowered free from the threat of being bullied and enjoyed being unconditionally loved we surround them with an atmosphere of encouragement with the goal of developing them to their highest God given potential we partner with parents to provide an education guided by a strong faith in Jesus Christ built on a solid academic base it's open enrollment time for new students at Northfield you can learn more at North hyphen Hills dot org That's North hyphen Hills dot au argy North hyphen Hills Oh argy. Think you can't afford to enroll your child in a Christian school think again we just can't even begin to say how grateful we are that you have this program that was the only way we could do it for the 7th straight year 1100 K. F. e X. Will be partnering with private Christian schools all around the bay to offer full tuition vouchers and half price now you can't afford to give your child or your grandchild a great education that lines up with your family's values we've seen the difference a Christian education can make in the lives of young people and we'd like to help your family experience that too is really huge difference. In the name that any of this is like watching a flower falling I cannot put it in words how much of a difference a Christian school has made Don't miss this opportunity to enroll your child in a Christian school this fall for half price it just feels like a mere circle April 2nd on your calendar and keep listening for more details on AM $1100.00 K. Of a X. Alister biggest sponsored by true for life on AM 1100. This is inviting you to join me this summer as I travel to Europe and visit many of the historic sites made famous by the reformation will make a stop and the burg to see the castle church where Martin Luther posted his 95 thesis will learn how the Reformation changed world history and helped form our faith today I hope you join me on this exciting journey for more details on the Reformation crucial break go to K F A X dot com. Welcome to treat her like weekend bible teaching ministry of Allister Begg Today we're taking a break from our series called Stories of the kingdom to hear a special message in preparation for Easter Alister is presenting solid evidence for the resurrection of Jesus. Luke Chapter 24 and I'm going to read from verse 36 this picks up the account after the 2 who had been on the A.M.A.'s road have come back to Jerusalem they come back into the house where the others are present and the conversation unfolds from there and then look tells us in verse 36 as they were talking about these things Jesus himself stood among them and said to them peace to you but they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit and he said to them Why are you troubled and why did doubts arise in your hearts see my hands in my feet that it is I myself touch me and see for a spirit is not of flesh and bones as you see that I have and when he had said this he showed them his hands in this feet and while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling he said to them Have you anything here to eat he gave them a piece of broiled fish and tea took it and ate it before them then he said to them these are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled. Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures and said to them thus it is written that the Christ should suffer and on the 3rd day rise from the dead and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations beginning from Jerusalem you are witnesses of these things Behold I am sending the promise of my father upon you but stay in the city until you were clothed with power from on high. Thanks be to God for His Word. Father what we know not teach us what we have not give us what we are NOT make us for your son say. I wonder did you notice as we read this passage at the question that Jesus addressed to his followers he said to them Why are you troubled and why do doubts arise in your hearts. That may actually be a question that is very apropos for some of us we come to Easter Sunday and although it is marked by celebration and by Joy we may find ourselves both troubled and doubt and also not least of all about the very nature of the things that we are here to consider is good to know that Jesus is alert to those who are doubting and who are troubled. Luke is honest enough to let us know that the appearance of Jesus on this occasion was met not with great joy and a warm welcome but rather with fear and with shock. Matching their earlier reaction which was one of bewilderment and unbelief. It's a reminder to is that these disciples despite all that they had enjoyed of the instruction of Jesus do not show up at the end of the Gospel in what we refer to as flying colors and in this little incident even after Jesus has given incontrovertibly evidence of his materiality when he says it is I myself when he said to them you can see me you can touch me give me something to eat and this eats it he points out you know spirits in go of stone eat fish and even after he has done all of that still their minds are clouded and crowded out by unbelieve and fight it's only when he explains to them the Scriptures that the jigsaw puzzle finally falls into place. And there are usually those on a Sunday morning like this who when we tackle the question of the resurrection are among the company that says you know I get all that stuff you're saying but what it's going to take for me is for Jesus is going to have to show up personally and attend the service and then I will believe do you really think so I want you know now that you wouldn't you wouldn't if Jesus actually came and held a rally in downtown Cleveland people would treat him in Cleveland the way he was treated in Jerusalem when he rode in will be a crowd who were very excited and another great crowd who said let's have nothing at all to do with them. But to mention that is to get to be that ahead of ourselves we need to recognize that this passage is in the Gospel of Luke Luke was a doctor he understood what it was to take a case study was an investigative kind of fellow he was a scientist if you like and he tells us at the outset that there is not going to be anything that is slipshod or anything that is haphazard in the material that he provides rather he says this is the product of my careful investigation I have sought to write down an orderly account and in doing so my hope is that those who read it will become convinced and will live in the certainty of the things that they're taught and as soon as you read the gospel and I encourage you to read it if you've never read it or read one of the others Matthew or Mark or look when you read it there are a couple of things that immediately strike one that is that it is clear from the gospel record that we're dealing here with historical matter historical data that these things actually happened the confirmation of that is in secular writing that surrounds the writing of the gospels but nevertheless it's just the flavor of it a look for example in chapter 3 as sets the story there within the context of the political and historical structures of the day and at the same time you have the combination of the supernatural with the historical We have a Jesus who walks on water we have a Jesus who raises people from the dead we have a Jesus who heals the leper and so on and some mistake of oh you can't get past it it is both historical and supernatural some of my colleagues that is folks who do what I do find it rather embarrassing. They're embarrassed by the idea that we can hurt this in history that embarrassed by the idea that somehow or another we have these supernatural parts to it and so in the hope that more people will be interested in it they have sought to dismantle the historical and the supernatural and so what they have produced is a kind of on miraculous Christianity a sort of vague and harmless Christianity. Minus the difficult parts and what are you left with. Christianity minus the difficult parts is not Christianity. It simply leaves as with the tattered rags of a naturalistic religion. In the Times of London yesterday they announced who would be preaching to day and I looked to see if we were in by we were and by the various cathedrals and Abbie's around him and were mentioned and I notice that the archbishop was going to be preaching in Canterbury and I like to pay attention to the Archbishop and I had one who was my favorite Donald Kogan and I was reading him this week on these very things and this is what Corgan had to say in an earlier era . He was the archbishop when I was a teenager take away the cross and resurrection from Christianity and you have a poor lifeless maimed thing left you're left with one more religion in the weary list of faiths which have come and gone in the centuries so unashamedly were tackling what the Bible has to say where affirming that. The reading of us 6th grade boy or girl would recognize that we're dealing here with that which is both at the same time historical and supernatural How do we want to handle it well this is how we're going to handle it when I read the Bible I often go on this line I say Well 1st of all I want to know what what is happening in terms of what is described as there then I want to ask the question So what you're moving from description to implication and then thirdly I want to ask now what now what in terms of application so that's the framework we're going to be a with what 1st of all and I actually the 4 It covers 3 phases in Luke Chapter 24 you immediately say to yourself this will be a very long talk no it won't be but I will spend longer on the 1st point than I do on the rest. You need to know that so that when I get to the end of the 1st point and you multiply by 3 and conclude that we're going to finish around 230 this afternoon you can know that I will not happen you can rest content especially to the children that are here under the under the age of 10 although not that one in particular so. The 1st the 1st incident is described in the 1st trial versus we might refer to it as morning at the Garden Tomb we referred to in that way because that is exactly what it is the ladies have come to the tomb and they are confronted by the fact that it is empty it is empty and this is one of the issues that historians have to deal with no matter who checked where or when it is clear that in Jerusalem following the death and burial of Jesus of Nazareth the tomb in which he was placed was on the Sunday empty empty it is hard to imagine anybody proclaiming this in Jerusalem if it were not the case for if it were not the case then anyone in Jerusalem could simply say Well that is not true letters go to the tomb together and we will show you that it is not empty that Jesus is there but he wasn't there and even the Jewish leaders were told had to invent a story for the empty tomb. Thus identifying for as the flag even the opponents of Christ were forced to conclude that something strange had happened and of course they said they paid some money to say to the soldiers to say that His disciples had come and snatched him away why it's hard to say but we have not only an empty tomb but we have also eyewitness reports. When you read for example in the Gospel of John you have the background to what we sang about it in what was I think our our 3rd song see Mary weeping here she is at the Tomb. Is Empty Jesus is gone I don't know what's going on she says and then she meets Jesus she meets Jesus she misunderstands who he is this is is an exchange kind of like you would expect. And then she returns to the disciples and she says I have seen Bill or. They do not come out with flying colors tell him tell her you got to be crazy which is the way you know they basically it is said this is what women do which is what men do. You know that's what men say well that's just an old wives tale. Well it was an old wives tale and in fact when you apply that to the other records particularly to Paul in his classic chapter on 1st in 1st Corinthians he begins there by saying Jesus appeared to this person to 500 at one time to so on and that and last of all he says and he also appeared to me and I am able to report to you that is Jesus of Nazareth is actually a lie incidentally that record in 1st Corinthians 15 was written within a matter of months of the resurrection of Jesus and so when you read in magazines as you will often do the idea that somehow or another the notion of a risen Jesus was a legend that developed over a long period of time it developed over the 1st 100 or 150 years post price while in actual fact the existence of 1st Corinthians disproves that in itself because it was within short order that they were able to testify to these things there is one little problem and that is that the gospel records give us as the key witnesses women women you say well is that really a problem well yes it was in the context because women's testimony was invalid in a court of law you couldn't you wouldn't call as a witness in your defense a woman. So why in the world if you were inventing something which you use as your key witnesses for the defense those who by dint of their very existence are regarded as invalid because you see the whole notion behind it is that somehow or another the disciples invented this story. I've been reading Cicero and Julius Caesar A Little Bit Me having a wonderful time doing it and you have sisters and sisters great question which lawyers all know all cui bono Cui Bono when you're trying a case and you're calling witnesses one of the questions you ask is who benefits is there benefit to this person to take a certain tack in saying certain things in a court of law in order to secure a verdict will the every give evidence against themselves and of course the question is what who benefited in terms of the disciples what did it benefit the did they become wealthy did they become significant Did the begin to establish themselves over the culture of their day No the reverse they were marked by deprivation and in significant cases by death so to what benefit of us is somebody we see this all the time it happens every week almost now that there are fanatics who die for causes that they believe to be true agreed. But in terms of the Christian martyrs Peter and Paul and the others these 1st Christian martyrs were in a position to know whether or not their cause was a fabrication. It wasn't that they believe something and pump themselves up for it it was that they were confronted by something they were confronted 1st by an empty tomb they were confronted then by the testimony of the witnesses. A German scholar of early Christianity in Judaism commenting on this and I find this wonderfully helpful he said he and his story about the fact that as as a historian and as a skeptic we've got to do something with amazing change that happens in these characters that they go from hiding on Friday night to within relatively short order on the streets of Jerusalem declaring that Jesus Christ is alive. He says if the defeated and depressed group of disciples overnight could change into a victorious movement of faith based only on auto suggestion or self deception without a fundamental faith experience then this would be a much greater miracle than the resurrection itself that's good that's helpful now as you listen to me speak and you process this for yourselves let's be honest and acknowledge that how we deal with this depends not only on the evidence that we have to consider but it depends also on our presuppositions about our understanding of the universe. So for example if you believe that the laws of nature exist in and of themselves that behind them there is no law giver. Then it will be perfectly understandable for you to say there is no possibility that this could ever happen because I have to explain it naturalistic way If however you believe that there is a law giver who has established our world as it is then it will not be in congress for you to say. And this evidence confirms for me that Jesus is actually alive. And some of you who say about science has disproved this no no science deals in the realm of the observable and the repeatable those of you who do science spend a large part of your life repeating the same thing over and over again to test any changes against that which is repeatable science has nothing to say concerning truth when it comes to matters that are by definition unique and unrepeatable. That is the morning in the garden to then you have the what of the 2 on the road to the mayor's you have to read this on your own I simply want to point out. The irony that is contained in this and the wonder of what unfolds you know the context. Of the disciples whether it is a man or a woman or 2 women were not told they have headed off to a mess on the same day as they make their way down the road Jesus comes and begins to walk beside them and their eyes are kept from recognizing him and he says to them what it wants what's the word on the street what are you talking about as you go along and look tells us and they stood still looking sad that little sentence for me again speaks to the to the truth of what Luke is saying when he says I I did a careful investigation and I put this down in an orderly fashion it's got all the hallmarks of the root the reportage of somebody who said what happened on that road so it goes like this while we were walking down the road if you really want to know we're walking on the road a stranger comes he walks beside us and he says to us what what's the word on the street and we stopped and we do stopped dead in our tracks and we looked at one another and then we said to are you the only visitor in Jerusalem that doesn't know what has just happened here that's irony right what is just happened here he is what has just happened here now he's on the road with us and Jesus then does not say oh yeah it's me no he says what things why things. And they said What consenting Jesus of Nazareth and then they recount he was a prophet my idea and deed and so on and we were convinced that he was actually the Messiah of God but all of that has come to a crashing halt as well buried in a Palestinian tomb and we were it's already the 3rd day and and it's over. And he said to them a little slow on the uptake aren't you. Oh foolish ones and slow of heart to believe. That the prophets have spoken he said you don't believe your Bible do. You call yourselves Bible scholars have you read the Bible you see again this is the idea of Jesus showed up you just believe no you wouldn't no you wouldn't and if Jesus showed up I think you do what he's white what he does in this case he doesn't see these people should then it's me no he does a Bible study for them why because the confidence of Heaven is in the Word of God the confidence of Heaven is in the Word of God If you want to know God If you want to consider God If you want to know if God knows you read the Bible read the Bible . And so he says to them you're slow on a dontcha Don't you realize that it was necessary that the cry should suffer these things and enter His glory and beginning with Moses and the prophets he interpreted to them in the scriptures all the things concerning himself that's what the name is Rod. You're listing to Alister beg on truth for life weekend today and again next weekend we're pausing our study in the parables of Jesus in order to focus on the glory of Easter and the resurrection in the event that you joined us late today you can hear this entire message again free of charge at truth for Life dot org. As Allister said the way we come to know God is through His word it's for that reason that our goal of truth for life is to teach God's Word with clarity and relevance because as God's word is taught unbelievers are led to conversion believers are established and local churches are strengthened to help you deepen your study of God's word throughout the week we also select resources each month currently we're featuring a substantial day by day guide to the Passion Week it's titled the final days of Jesus as we celebrate Easter next weekend you'll appreciate the maps and historical context but this book provides for the crucifixion as well as the author's deep insights into what the Scriptures teach you're welcome to request a copy of the book today ask for the final days of Jesus when you go to truth form IF dot org Again that's truth for Life dot org. And if you're a pastor or an elder or a missionary don't forget you're invited to join us this spring at the 2800 basics conference Alister will be speaking along with him savage and Christopher ash this is a time of equipping and refreshment and fellowship the conference takes place May 7th through the 9th it's at Parkside church near Cleveland Ohio registration is filling up fast so sign up today or sponsor your pastors registration by visiting basics conference dot org. I'm Pima inviting you to join us next weekend as we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Allister is continuing his message titled it is I myself this program in the Bible teaching of alast your bag is furnished by truth for life. For the learning is for living. This is this summer I'll be visiting many historic sites made famous over 500 years ago during the Reformation I'd like you to join me on this multi-city tour in Europe that includes a world class cruise down the scenic Danube river and along the way we'll study the Bible together and discover what insights the early reformers gained from scripture join me on this remarkable journey for more details on the Reformation cruise with almost a break. Hello I'm Pastor Dennis Tello pastor of the. Church . Chaplain in pastor of the West Valley Christian school I are all my children it was a Christian school one is currently 5th grade and one graduated last year working for a school that would support our family values a school that would love our children the way we do and we found that it was for the Christian we believe that the community's blessed when families are blessed and we have a teacher any church community supports a school as looking to build our community not just our faith for those of you in the Campbell area the south San Jose area we would love for you to consider West for the Christian for your children and your family to enroll your child at West Valley Christian school K. Through 8 or to offer your support visit West Valley C.S. Dot org Again that's West Valley C.S. Dot org or call 408-378-4327 West Valley Christian school serving the Campbell area for over 70 years 2. I mean the car driver James Hinchcliffe at the spring event I know this vehicle so well I can identify the blindfold. On the hottest civic. Best Buy hurry and 100 and get 0.8 percent A.P.R. And select 20. 5 by Visit your Northern California Honda dealers today for incredible deals on every 28000 Honda vehicle affix little September model see to the financing details from with the machine physically but it's because of its coming from a company where it. Not never told anybody the story from her own brothers entertainment comes I can only imagine when I was 11 years old my 1st to discover the untold story. Of the love song that inspired millions my dad. Sockeye transformed this song from my dad I came the only connection made it E.G. God suggest now play good I can only imagine dot com David Jeremiah is sponsored by turning point ministries on AM 1100 K. F. A X. Welcome to a turning point and Weekend Edition will people still become Christians even if God is pouring out his judgement on the earth during the tribulation today Dr David Jeremiah offers his answer from revelation based on the souls under the altar to introduce that message here's David and thank you for joining us today we have been teaching the Book of Revelation in our weekday program and capturing some of the highlights here on the weekend and today I want to talk with you about something that happens during the tribulation period that is truly remarkable men and women who stand up for their faith are martyred and the Bible tells us that their souls go to heaven and they're under the altar in heaven and they're crying out to God for him to bring about justice against those who have slain them it's an amazing story it's in Revelation Chapter 6 and it's the focus of our attention this weekend here on turning. The history of redemption for anyone who has studied it has been written in the blood of her martyrs. In John tells us. That the end of persecution is not yet there is still more to come and I think in order for us to understand the simple verses that are before us there are $45.00 points we ought to discuss together 1st of all I think it's important for us to look for a moment at the context of their martyrdom why they were killed in what setting where they killed who are these martyrs who are slain and we read about them in the text that their souls are under the altar How did they lose their lives where did they come from. Well there are some interesting things we can learn if we read carefully 1st of all we must remember that the Church of Jesus Christ has already been raptured the Church of Jesus Christ is in heaven you remember what the Scripture says that when Christ comes back in the rapture not only will he take all of the saints who are alive but the dead in Christ shall rise 1st and we who are alive will be caught up together with him and after the rapture immediately the tribulation starts how did they get to be saints how did they get to be a bit leavers. Secondly as we look at this it will answer that question in a moment since the martyrs ask for judgment on those who dwell on the earth notice what it says in the text they say how long the Lord before you will take vengeance on these who have persecuted us who are dwelling on the earth since these martyrs are talking about people who dwell on the earth it is obvious that their murderers are still living they are still living somewhere on the earth while they have been martyred and are in heaven their murderers are alive and well on this earth and this would strongly suggest that these martyrs have come from the tribulation period because what's going on in heaven now is coincidental with what's going on down here on this earth these are tribulations saints who have been martyred in the early part of the tribulation period they are no doubt casualties of the 1st 4 judgments that we have looked at already. I think it's important we understand that when the church is taken out of this world in the rapture God is going to deal with Israel once more many Jews will turn to God in that day and writing to the Romans Paul said it this way he said blindness in part is happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in and then all Israel shall be saved as it is written there shall come out of Zion the Deliverer and she'll turn away and godliness from Jacob Paul told the Romans that for a period of time the Jews would have a blindness a partial blindness and that here and there someone from the Jewish faith would come to Christ but there would not be on a large scale returning to the Messiah but when the times of the Gentiles are finished and when is that when the rapture comes the times of the Gentiles now God will turn again his main attempt to the Jewish people this is just another way of saying that Israel as a nation will be saved the partial blindness will be taken away many of the Jews during the Tribulation will turn to God and reject the anti-christ because of this the Anti-Christ will make their blood run like the river and many will be martyred these people whose souls are under the altar are basically Jewish Christians Jewish Christians who have been martyred for their faith how will people be saved in the tribulation period if nobody leavers are going to be left on the earth at the beginning of the tribulation How will people be saved some of them will be saved because of the 2 witnesses God sends forth and somehow also we learn in the 7th chapter that there will be 844000 Israel lives who will be sealed for God's service during this period. It is possible that through the witness of these 2 agents many will come to Christ among the Jewish population. And so people will be saved now in the tribulation period after they are saved they are going to have to pay a price because in the tribulation period martyrdom will be as common as it is uncommon today those who trust in God In that time will be called upon to demonstrate their faith oftentimes they will have to demonstrate their faith with their lives Revelation 1211 says this and they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony now listen to this and they loved not their lives unto the death. Zechariah the prophet speaks of the day of tribulation as a time when he says 2 thirds of the entire Jewish population will be killed and it show come to pass says the prophet that in all the land say if the Lord 2 parts there and shall be cut off and die but the 3rd shall be left there and I will bring the 3rd part through the fire and will refine them as silver is refined and will try them is gold is tried. And of course this follows again what our Lord said in the 24th chapter of Matthew that's exactly the Lord's prophecy on the Mount of Olives listen to what he said All these are the Beginning of Sorrows then show they deliver you up to be afflicted and she'll kill you and you shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake and then show many be offended and shall be tray one another and show hate one another. So the reason that there are people martyred during this period of time is simply this they have been saved they have come to Christ and now they are under pressure from the anti-Christ and when by the word of their testimony they acknowledge their faith in Christ they will be killed and we will see why and how in just a moment that is the context of their martyrdom Who are these martyrs the souls under the altar they are the people who were saved during the tribulation period All right what is the cause of their martyrdom number 2 notice the 9th verse and when he had opened the 5th seal I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain now here it is for the Word of God and for the testimony which they held. These Saints have been sacrificed in the tribulation period on the altar of their own devotion to God and the cause of their death says the scripture is their testimony and their inherent to the Word of God We need to remember folks that after the rapture of the church the restraint of the Holy Spirit will have been removed and the world rulers of that day will no longer be held in check by the godly people who are here and filled with the spirit of the Lord and when they are gone despaired of God having been removed the Spirit of God will operate in the tribulation period as he did in the Old Testament he will selectively come upon people as he did in the Old Testament Scriptures the Spirit of God having been taken out of the world in the sense that the church is removed now the Christians who remain will be the objects of torture and they will be able in these unrestrained ways to vent their anger and rebellion against God by taking the lives of the Christians Revelation 19 warns that all who receive the mark of the beast which we know is the number 666 all who. Receive it will suffer eternal judgment from God let me say that again if says that every person who takes the mark of the beast will suffer eternal judgment from God But the converse of that is also true. The passage reminds us that those who refuse to receive this Mark will suffer the wrath of the anti-christ Instead you got 2 choices in that period of time either Christ wrath or anti-Christ wrath if you take the mark the Bible says you will suffer the wrath of Christ but if you don't take it the Anti-Christ will take your life now the word of their testimony is very likely a reference to the word of judgment which they will preach let me give you the scenario after these Jewish converts are saved and they recognize what has happened and they realize that they have missed all of their lives knowing the Messiah and they began to read the scripture they will read Matthew $24.00 and Revelations 6 and then they will begin to rush around in their culture saying Repent for the judgment of the Lord draw us not I we are just about to be annihilated on this earth repent and receive Christ it's your only hope God is going to judge this world in an even worse judgment than we have known and it will be their message of judgment that will infuriate the anti-Christ and his followers and when they go about preaching judgment they will become the objects of the wrath of the anti-Christ and his followers and they will kill them now you can understand a little bit why these martyred saints have been killed they've been running around like little Jonas preaching that judgment is coming and they've made all of the world rulers angry and the word that is used to describe the death of these tribulation martyrs is a word that is peculiar to this book it is a word which refers to the killing of Christ or the killing of his followers the word is translated in your text by the word slain. The souls of them that were slain and it might better be translated by the word slaughtered that's the way it should be translated It's the Greek word SPOG so and here are places where this word is used let me just give you a couple of illustrations 1st John 312 Cains slaughtered his brother revelation 56 a lamb standing as having been slaughtered revelation 594 thou must slaughtered speaking of Christ Revelation 138 the lamb band has been slaughtered revelation 824 and in her was found the blood of prophets and saints and all who have been slaughtered upon the earth speaking of believers this word slaughtered is a sacrificial word that is used in keeping with the special character of these Jewish sacrifices and it simply says that when these martyrs were killed they weren't just summarily executed they were murdered slaughtered. Killed in a bloody manner. The word slaughter in the Greek lexicon has 3 words slaughter butcher murder. That's how they die. There's no other way to describe it the Jewish people have felt the pain of that and in that day when the rulers of this world will again be in control the Jews who have given their lives to Christ will once again know the pain of suffering and slaughter and butchering. And it is not a pretty thing and not something we like to talk about but this is what the Scripture says. Let me talk with you briefly about the consequence of their martyrdom notice in the 9th verse that John said I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain. As the 5th seal is opened the scene shifts from Earth back up to heaven and John sees a vision of those who are going to be martyred for their faith in Christ they are described as being under the altar in keeping with the fact that in the Old Testament the blood of the sacrifices was poured out under the altar or down alongside of the altar let me just read a verse from Leviticus 47 that will explain this usual take some of the blood of the bull and put it on the horns of the altar with your finger and pour all the blood beside the base of the altar so in the Old Testament the Jews poured the Sacrificial Blood down at the bottom of the altar that was a sign that the sacrifice had been completed and the effect of the sacrifice was in place here in Revelation Chapter 6 John sees the souls of them that were slain for the Word of God and he sees them under the altar as he watches he hears them cry with a loud voice asking why God has not judged those who took their lives and that brings us Fourthly to the cry of their martyrdom noticed the 10th verse and they cried with a loud voice saying how long the Lord Holy and true does down not judge and avenge our blood on them but dwell on the year now the 1st thing we know when we hear their cry is this we know that these martyrs cannot possibly be martyrs from the church age they are not church age sufferers the cry of the Church Age martyr is the cry of Stephen you remember when Stephen was martyred What was his cry his cry was Lord lay not this sin to their charge. And the cry of these martyrs is Lord get even take vengeance kill these people who have martyred us. If these martyrs revelations 6 were living in the church age there cried to the Lord for vengeance would be improper the persecuted Jew of the tribulation period will be able to call for God's judgment and it will be perfectly proper for him to do it the age of grace has been closed the church is gone the grace period is over and this is the day of the judgment of God. But let's don't stop there let's look at one more thing let's look at the comfort of their martyrdom it says in verse 11 that white robes were given unto every one of these martyrs and it was sent in to them that they should rest yet for a little season until their fellow servants also and their brother and that should be killed as they were should be fulfilled that was the Lord's answer to their cry How long in the Lord said I just let me explain to this to you need to rest for a little while because I'm going to take care of all of this at one time and the cup of iniquity is not quite full yet. I want you to notice that even in this terrible passage of judgment and blood and slaughter and murder and martyrs there is a picture of the compassionate heart of a loving God Watch what he does there are 3 things in this passage that speak of the refuge for the comfort of these martyrs noticed 1st of all the comfort of the refuge where are they we don't even have to talk about that we already know where are they there under the altar there in the refuge of the protection under the mighty refuge of an Almighty God who paid the price of their redemption on the cross nobody can get through the blood of Christ to get at them any more they are in the refuge and protection of the Lord noticed Secondly. The refuge for the comfort of their rest and I heard a voice from heaven saying and to me right bless it are the dead which die in the Lord for his 4th Yea say of the spirit that they may rest from their labors and their works to follow them Revelation 1413 the Bible says that the Lord said to these martyrs who are asking Lord how long will it be before you take vengeance on the world the Lord said just rest for a little while. Just take it easy now folks if you've been through the Tribulation you wouldn't mind hearing those words they've been having a hard time in the Lord said You just rest and they said Lord how long will it be before worry vanished and they are told that it will take a short period of time and that the fulfillment of God's program and still other martyrs are going to have to be added to their number before the final restitution . And then notice the 3rd thing that he did and verse 11 he gave them the rest of refuge and the rest of rest the comfort of rest and now notice Thirdly the comfort of their robes I think this is great and white robes were given a watch this unto each individual one of them. The Lord went around and each one of these martyrs who had given their lives for the testimony of Christ were given a robe. And individual row. This. Makes a stop for a moment and ask a question. What kind of robes do souls wear. I don't know if you ever thought about that before but it is an interesting question isn't it. What kind of bodies will Saints have in heaven before their own bodies are raised from the dead the bodies of these tribulation Saints are going to be raised from the dead yet they are the souls of those who are slain the body of the tribulation saint is not raised until the end of the tribulation period right before the millennium Revelation 20 verses 4 and 5 says this and I saw thrones and they sat on them and judgment was committed to them and I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the Word of God who had not worship the beast and of his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands and they lived and reigned with Christ a 1000 years but the rest of the dead did not live again until the 1000 years were finished this is the 1st resurrection the tribulation saints all of those who are saved during the tribulation period whether they extend their life to the end of it or their martyred in the middle of it or at the end of it all of the tribulation Saints it's going to be a special kind of rapture and resurrection for them at the end of the tribulation they are going to be resurrected at the very end so now let's stop for a moment and see what kind of a problem we have here we've got martyred saints in heaven whose bodies haven't been resurrected yet and now the Lord gave them a robe. And where they're going to do with it. Well. Scholars have been divided as to where the saints who die receive temporary bodies in heaven prior to the resurrection body or whether only their spiritual beings are in heaven before the resurrection I've looked everywhere I can find to get help on this one and I finally got some help from Dr Walford a man who I greatly admire and this is what he said he said the martyr dead here pictured have not been raised from the dead and. Not receive their resurrection bodies yet it is declared that they are given robes the fact that they are given robes would almost demand that they have a body of some kind a robe could not hang on an immaterial soul or a spirit it is not the kind of body that Christians now have that is the body of the earth nor is it the resurrection body of flesh and bones of which Christ spoke after his own resurrection Perhaps it is a temporary body suited for their presence in heaven but replaced in turn by their everlasting resurrection body given at the time of Christ return that's good enough for me I can rest now these robes are actually hanging on a body and I think that will be all right but the key thing is this the Lord love these people so much that he gave them a special robe and he ministered to them even advance of the closing of the tribulation period where all the saints will be together. Just 3 applications and we're finished what is the 1st application number one when we study something like this we learn that God has a plan that includes each detail. This passage strikes a death blow to soul sleep have you thought of that in 1st Estonians for 14 to 16 we are told 2 things about the resurrection of the believers listen carefully we are told that they rise from the grave right the dead in Christ shall rise 1st and we are also told that God will bring them with Christ when He returns now get this you probably never saw this before in that chapter we always turn to for the Rapture 2 things are said number one that the dead are going to come out of the grave the dead in Christ shall rise 1st and it also says that God is going to bring with Christ the Saints. And we're going to meet in the air and together will be if they were not here's the question. If there is only one way to explain how we can both rise from the earth and be brought from heaven at the same time that's what the text says the soul and the body you see aren't together anymore the soul and the body are separated at death so Paul says in his writings to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord and I've had people ask me this pastor what happens when a Christian dies well we take the house he lived in out and put it in the graveyard and his body goes in the grave but his soul goes to be with God immediately so on the Day of Resurrection what's going to happen is you've got to get the soul in the body back together Christ will bring the souls with him the bodies will be resurrected out of the grave and all those who are alive and remain will be caught up together and it's going to be more of a reunion than you ever thought it was. Now watch carefully. Sleep is only applied to the body of the B. Lever which goes in the grave and awaits the resurrection sleep is never never never applied to the soul of the believer and the passage we have studied settles the issue of soul sleep for ever there is no such thing the soul does not sleep the body sleeps the soul never dies let me suggest a 2nd thought God has a purpose that explains each delay God has a purpose that explains each delay notice these martyrs are told that they're waiting for judgment upon their enemies is only until the number of their fellow bond slaves in their brother and bit are about to be killed even as they also have been killed should be complete DO YOU HEAR WHAT I SAY THERE question is Lord how long how long are you going to wait the worse and I just come down. This is all under control I have a plan that includes planes every day delay and you see I can't do that yet because there's some more martyrs who are going to die in the 2nd half of the tribulation and their blood in their vengeance has to be taken care of at the same time as yours so when that's all done we'll go into operation and believe me it will be thorough complete and exactly what you're crying out for but you see there's just some of the things that have to happen before this judgement is executed. Surely this proves that God ordains the details. He numbers the hairs on our head. And he numbers the martyrs of the tribulation period. God has a plan that includes each detail and God has a purpose that explains each delay and then finally God has a program that extends to each dispense ation do you know what thrills me about this we talk about this being the day of grace God's program extends to each dispensation I remember as a student in seminary when I 1st was exposed to quote unquote Dispensationalism you know the 7 dispensations and I remember Charles Ryrie reminding us over and over again as we study that doctrine gentlemen one thing that is constant in every dispensation is this God has a plan and that plan includes the salvation of lost people and even during the tribulation period there will be hundreds or thousands of people multitude says Revelation who will give their hearts to Christ and will spend eternity with the lord over a quarter century ago alerted Russian Jew was sent to Palestine by the Jews to buy land for them. One day while he was in Jerusalem he went up to the Mount of Olives to rest someone had told him that he should take along a New Testament because it was the best guidebook for Jerusalem. The only Christ that this Jew had ever known was the Christ of the Greek and Roman churches who were his persecutors and the persecutors of his people as he read the New Testament . He became acquainted with the real Christ whom the Old Testament Scriptures had foretold and his heart grew warm and he looked off toward Calvary from his vantage point and he thought why is it that my people are persecuted and cast out and his conviction gave the answer it is because we have put to death our Messiah and he lifted up his eyes to that Messiah and he said my Lord and my God And he came down from the mountain disciple of Jesus Christ and he went home to Russia and he arrested a synagogue for the Jews and over the door of that synagogue was written let all the house of Israel know that God has made this same Jesus whom you have crucified both Lord and Christ want to saying to be written on the door of a Jewish synagogue. Today men and women we are not in the tribulation and God is not working nationally with Israel. But one of the greatest joys we can ever have is to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with the Jewish brother sister and have them come to know the messiah how we thank God for some who like that have trusted the Lord now. And what a better way to do it in this age and let them go with the church when they go out and they have them experience the terrible torture and suffering of the tribulation period. God has a program that extends to every dispensation and his program today is this he is not willing that any should perish but dental should come to repentance. We hope Mary Magdalen approach the empty tomb and the angel said Do not be afraid for I know that you see Jesus who was crucified he's not here he is risen as he said. Easter is a day to celebrate the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ Shiloh church in Oakland invites you and your family to join them this coming Easter Sunday to experience the power of the cross the love joy peace and hope that knowing Jesus as Lord and Savior brings Easter service times are at 9 and 11 am in Spanish service at 1 30 pm together we'll celebrate his victory over death Hell in the grave and the power we have as joyful overcomers in Christ it's all happening Easter Sunday had Shiloh church 3295 school St Oh. And Visit W W W dot Shiloh Church dot com or call 510-261-2052 extension 4 more information. It's habit for. The princes of service of Salem media. Without star in news I'm Gordon Griffin the average U.S. Price of regular grade gasoline shot up $0.07 a gallon over the past 2 weeks to $266.00 Bill prize analyst Trilby Lundberg says that prices could go another go up another $0.10 or more as recent increases in crude oil prices are passed on and seasonal factors start to bite the time of year we have higher costs. And we also have our demand building as it always does a top Chinese official is warning that a trade war will bring serious consequences and that it will serve or that it serves the interests of none but vice premier hangs ng isn't giving any any indication of what China's next move will be in the dispute with President Donald Trump over steel and over technology more details at S R and News dot com. 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Through 12 education in a safe and caring learning environment and will your child in Patton Academy learn more at Patton Academy dot org P A T T E N Academy dot org Durden Michael's here with you on this Lord's day bringing some great encouragement to take us right on into the workweek Taber in the gay host of through the Bible heard twice every day 8 am and 8 pm right here on campaign ads it's time for through the Bible radio send a sermon am 1100 camp or should a woman preacher teach the Word of God What role does a woman have in the local church will stay with us to find out the dish phone booth sentence own. Cooperated. With quote is to urge them to do all. That. To. Prove. The. Or. The quote We needed this is the question and answer program with our Bible teacher Dr J. Vernon McGee who for over 30 years answered the questions of his many listeners so join us for the next 30 minutes as he provides us with biblical insight to what may be one of your questions our 1st question comes from a listener in Jackson Missouri he writes If the 10 tribes of Israel have been lost where are they today. Well as I've said many times on this program there are 10 tribes so there Sorel are not lost they are scattered throughout the world today and no Jew can tell you what tribe he belongs to now there are some with a name of KOA Han Cohen in Hebrew means priests they problem with belong to the tribal Levi question many Jewish friends of mine and none of them actually know what tribe they belong to and so the tribes are scattered throughout the world and this party goes on out of right we know that the Jewish people are not all of Israel but only the tribe of Judah and Levi the priestly tribe and the tribe of Benjamin they split off from the other tribes and were called Judah may I say to you that you got your story all mixed up to begin with they didn't split off if you'll read the count accurately you'll find that Jeff Baran took the 10 try. In the north and form the nation Israel no one in the South was called Judah it wasn't a southern Free splitting off it was the 10 northern ones splitting off by the way so you are entirely wrong in that and I find that those who hold a viewpoint that this man hold hold a very simplistic interpretation of prophecy indeed and he goes on to say here that the Jewish people have never lost their identity and that is certainly true God said that he is sort of the lights would become as the sands of the sea and numbered to rid back to he said Be thou the mother of thousands of millions.