Immerse: Messiah – Week 8: Day 39

Welcome to the saddleback church anchored life challenge which can also by found on the saddleback companion app or by purchasing the immerse messiah book from tyndale. The anchored life challenge includes speakers such as Andy Wood, Rick Warren, and Stacie Wood.  Immerse Messiah 39 === Rick Warren: [00:00:00] Welcome to Immerse Messiah Reading for week eight, day 39. Then as I looked, I saw a door standing open in heaven, and the same voice I had heard before spoke to me like a trumpet blast. The voice said, come up here and I will show you what must happen after this. And instantly I was in the spirit and I saw a throne in heaven and someone sitting on it. Rick Warren: The one sitting on the throne, was as brilliant as gemstones. Like Jasper and Carnelian. And the glow of an emerald circled his throne like a rainbow. Twenty four thrones surrounded him, and twenty four elders sat on them. They were all clothed in white and had gold crowns on their heads. Stacie Wood: From the throne came flashes of lightning and the Rick Warren: rumble of thunder. Rick Warren: And in front of the throne were seven torches with burning flames. This is the [00:01:00] sevenfold Spirit of God. In front of the throne was a shiny sea of glass, sparkling like crystal. In the center and around the throne were Stacie Wood: four living beings, Rick Warren: each covered with eyes front and back. The first of these living beings was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a human face, and the fourth was like an eagle in flight. Rick Warren: Each of these living beings had six wings, and their wings were covered all over with Stacie Wood: eyes. Rick Warren: Inside and out, day after day, and night after night, they keep on saying, Stacie Wood: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Rick Warren: God, the Almighty, the One who always Stacie Wood: was, Rick Warren: who is, and who is still to come. Whenever the living beings give glory and honor and thanks to the One sitting on the throne, the One who lives forever and ever. Rick Warren: [00:02:00] The twenty four elders fall down and worship the one sitting on the throne, the one who lives forever and ever. And they lay their crowns before the throne and say, You are worthy, Stacie Wood: O Lord our God, to receive Rick Warren: glory and honor and power. For you Stacie Wood: created all things, and they exist because you created Rick Warren: what you pleased. Rick Warren: Then I saw a scroll in the right hand of the one who was sitting on the throne. There was writing on the inside and the outside of the scroll, Stacie Wood: and it was sealed with Rick Warren: seven seals. And I saw a strong Stacie Wood: angel who shouted with a loud voice, Who is worthy to break the seals on this scroll and Rick Warren: open it? But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll and read it. Rick Warren: Then I began to weep bitterly, because no one was found worthy to open the scroll and read it. [00:03:00] But one of the twenty Stacie Wood: four elders said to me, Stop weeping. Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the heir to David's throne, has won the victory. He is worthy to open Rick Warren: the scroll and its seven seals. Then I saw a lamb that looked as if it had been slaughtered, but it was now standing between the throne and the four living beings and among the twenty four elders. Rick Warren: He had seven horns and seven eyes, which represent the sevenfold spirit of God that is sent out into every part of the earth. He stepped Stacie Wood: forward and took the scroll from Rick Warren: the right hand of the one sitting on the throne. And when he took the scroll, Stacie Wood: the four living beings and the twenty four elders fell Rick Warren: down before the Lamb. Stacie Wood: Each one had a harp, and they held gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of God's people, and they sang a new [00:04:00] song with these words. You are worthy to take the Rick Warren: scroll and break its seals and open Stacie Wood: it, for you were slaughtered and your blood has ransomed people for God from every tribe Rick Warren: and language and people and nation. Stacie Wood: And you have caused them to become Rick Warren: a kingdom of priests for our God, and they will reign on the earth. Then I looked again, and I heard the voices of thousands Stacie Wood: and millions of angels around the throne, Rick Warren: and of the living beings and the elders, Stacie Wood: and they sang in a mighty chorus, Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered, to receive power, and riches, and Rick Warren: wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing. Rick Warren: And then I heard every creature in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and in the sea. They sang, [00:05:00] Blessing and honor and glory and power belong to the one sitting on the throne and Stacie Wood: to the Lamb forever and Rick Warren: ever. Stacie Wood: And the four living beings said, Amen. And the twenty four elders fell down and worshipped the Lamb. Stacie Wood: As I watched, The Lamb broke the first of the Rick Warren: seven seals on the scroll. Stacie Wood: Then I heard one of the four living beings say with Rick Warren: a voice like thunder, Come! I looked up and saw a white horse standing there. Its rider carried a bow, and a crown was placed on his head. He Stacie Wood: rode out to win many Rick Warren: battles and gain the victory. Rick Warren: When the Lamb broke the second seal, I heard the second living being say, Come! Then another horse appeared, a red one. Its rider was given a mighty sword and the authority to take peace from the earth. And there was [00:06:00] war and slaughter everywhere. Stacie Wood: When the lamb broke the third seal, I heard the Rick Warren: third Stacie Wood: living being say, Rick Warren: Come! Rick Warren: I looked up and saw a black horse. And its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. And I heard a voice from among the four living beings Stacie Wood: say, A loaf of wheat bread or three loaves of barley will cost a Rick Warren: day's pay, and don't waste the olive oil and wine. When the lamb broke the fourth seal, I heard the fourth living being say, Come. Rick Warren: I looked up and saw a horse whose color was pale green. Its rider was named Death, and his companion was the Grave. Stacie Wood: These two were given authority over one Rick Warren: fourth of the earth, to kill with the sword and famine and disease and wild animals. When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I Stacie Wood: saw under the [00:07:00] altar the souls Rick Warren: of all who had been martyred for the Word of God and for being faithful in their testimony. Rick Warren: They shouted to the Lord and said, O Sovereign Lord, Stacie Wood: holy and true, how long before you judge the people who belong to this world and avenge our blood for what Rick Warren: they have done to us? Then a white robe was given to each of them, and Stacie Wood: they were told to rest a little longer until the full number of their brothers and sisters, their fellow servants of Jesus who were to be martyred, had joined them. Stacie Wood: I watched Rick Warren: as the Lamb broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake. The sun became as dark as black cloth. And the moon became as red as blood. Then the stars of the sky fell to the earth like green figs falling from a tree shaken by a strong wind. The sky was rolled up like a scroll, and all of the [00:08:00] mountains and islands were moved from their places. Rick Warren: Then everyone, the kings of the earth, the rulers, Stacie Wood: the generals, the wealthy, the powerful, and every slave and free person, Rick Warren: all hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains. And they cried to the mountains and the rocks, Fall on us and hide us from the face of the one who sits on the Stacie Wood: throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. Stacie Wood: For the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to survive? Rick Warren: Then I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds so they did not blow on the earth, or the Stacie Wood: sea, or even Rick Warren: on any tree. And I saw another angel coming up from the east, carrying the seal of the living God. Stacie Wood: And he shouted to those four angels, Rick Warren: who had been given power to harm Stacie Wood: land and sea, Don't harm the [00:09:00] land or the sea or the trees until we have placed the seal of God on the foreheads Rick Warren: of His servants. And I heard how many were marked with the seal of God. 144, 000 were sealed from all the tribes of Israel. Stacie Wood: From Judah, 12, 000. From Reuben, Rick Warren: 12, 000. From Gad, 12, 000. From Asher, 12, 000. From Naphtali, 12, 000. From Manasseh, 12, 000. From Simeon, 12, 000. Stacie Wood: From Levi, Rick Warren: 12, 000. From Isaacar, 12, 000. From Zebulun, 12, 000. From Joseph, 12, 000. From Benjamin, 12, 000. After this, I saw a vast [00:10:00] crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. Rick Warren: They were clothed in white robes and held palm branches in their hands, Stacie Wood: and they were shouting with a great roar, Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne and from the Lamb. And all the Rick Warren: angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living beings. And they fell before the throne with their faces to the ground and worshipped God. Rick Warren: They sang, Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and Stacie Wood: honor and power and strength belong to our God forever and ever, Amen. Rick Warren: Then one of the twenty four elders asked me, Stacie Wood: Who are these who Rick Warren: are clothed in white? Where did they come from? [00:11:00] Stacie Wood: And I said to him, Sir, you are the one who knows. Then He said to Rick Warren: me, These are the ones who died in the great tribulation. Rick Warren: They have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb and made them white. That is why they stand in front of God's throne and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who Stacie Wood: sits on the throne will give them shelter. They will never again be hungry or thirsty. They will never be scorched by the heat of the sun. Stacie Wood: For the Lamb on the throne will be their shepherd. He will lead Rick Warren: them to springs of life giving water, and God will wipe every tear from their eyes. When the Lamb broke the seventh seal on the scroll, there was silence throughout heaven for about half an hour. I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and they were given seven trumpets.[00:12:00] Rick Warren: Then another angel with a gold incense burner came and stood at the altar. And a great amount of incense was given to him to mix with the prayers of God's people as an offering on the gold altar before the throne. The smoke of the Stacie Wood: incense, mixed with the prayers of Rick Warren: God's holy people, ascended up to God from the altar where the angel had poured them out. Rick Warren: Then the angel filled the incense burner with fire from the altar and threw it down upon the earth. And thunder crashed, lightning flashed, and there was a terrible earthquake. Then the seven angels with the seven trumpets prepared to blow their mighty blasts. Stacie Wood: The first angel blew his trumpet, and hail and fire mixed with blood were thrown down on the earth. Stacie Wood: One third of the earth Rick Warren: was set on fire, one third of the trees were burned. And all the green grass was burned. [00:13:00] Stacie Wood: Then the second angel blew his trumpet, and a great mountain of fire was thrown into the sea. One third of the water in the sea became blood. One third of all things living in the sea died. And one third of Rick Warren: all the ships on the sea were destroyed. Rick Warren: Then the third angel blew his trumpet, and a great star fell from the sky, burning like a torch. It fell on one third of the rivers and on the springs of water. The name of the star Stacie Wood: was Bitterness. It made one third of the water bitter, and many people died from drinking the bitter Rick Warren: water. Then the fourth angel blew his trumpet, and one third of the sun was struck, Stacie Wood: and one third of the moon, and one third of the stars. Stacie Wood: And Rick Warren: they became dark, and one third of the day was dark, and also one third of the night. [00:14:00] Then I looked, and I heard a single eagle crying loudly Stacie Wood: as it flew through the air, Terror, terror, terror, to all who belong to this world because of what will happen when the last three angels blow their trumpets. Rick Warren: Then the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen to earth from the sky, and he was given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit. When he opened it, smoke poured out as though from a huge furnace, and the sunlight and air turned dark from the smoke. Then locusts came from the smoke and descended on the earth, and they were given power to sting like scorpions. Rick Warren: They were Stacie Wood: told not to harm the grass, or plants, or trees, but only the people who did Rick Warren: not have the seal of God on their foreheads. They were told not to kill them, but to torture them Stacie Wood: for five months with pain, like the pain of a scorpion Rick Warren: sting. [00:15:00] Stacie Wood: In those Rick Warren: days, people will seek death but will not find it. Rick Warren: They will long to Stacie Wood: die, Rick Warren: but death will flee from them. The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle. They had what looked like gold crowns on their heads and their faces looked like human faces. They had hair like women's hair, and teeth like the teeth of a lion. They wore armor made of iron. And their wings roared like an army of chariots rushing into Stacie Wood: battle. Stacie Wood: They had tails that stung like scorpions, and for five months they had the power to torment Rick Warren: people. Their king is the angel from the bottomless pit. His name in Stacie Wood: Hebrew is Abaddon. And in Greek, Rick Warren: Apollyon, the destroyer. The first terror is past, but look, two more terrors are coming. Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet. Rick Warren: And I [00:16:00] heard a voice speaking from the four horns of the gold altar that stands in the presence of God. And the voice said to the sixth angel Stacie Wood: who held the trumpet, Release the four angels who are bound at the great Euphrates River. Then the four angels who had been prepared for this hour and day Rick Warren: and month and year were turned loose to kill one third of all the people on earth. Rick Warren: I heard the size of their army, which was two hundred million mounted troops. And in my vision, I Stacie Wood: saw the Rick Warren: horses and the riders sitting on them. The riders wore armor that was fiery red and dark blue and yellow. The horses had heads like lions, and fire and smoke and burning sulfur billowed from their mouths. Rick Warren: One third of all the people on earth were killed by these three plagues, by the fire and smoke and burning sulfur that came from the mouths of the horses. [00:17:00] Their power was in their mouths and in their tails, for their Stacie Wood: tails had heads like snakes, with the power to injure people. But the people who did not die in Rick Warren: these plagues still refused to repent of their evil deeds and turn to God. Rick Warren: They continued to worship demons and idols made of gold, silver, bronze, stone, Stacie Wood: and wood. Idols that can neither see, nor hear, nor walk. And they did not repent of their murders, or their witchcraft, or their sexual immorality, Rick Warren: or their thefts. Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, surrounded by a cloud, with a rainbow over his head. Rick Warren: His face shone like the sun, and his feet were like pillars of fire, and in Stacie Wood: his hand was a small scroll that had been opened. Rick Warren: He stood with his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, and he [00:18:00] gave a great shout like the roar of a lion, Stacie Wood: and when he shouted, the seven thunders answered. When the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write, but I heard a voice from Rick Warren: heaven saying, Keep secret what the seven thunders said, and do not write it down. Rick Warren: Then the angel I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand Stacie Wood: toward heaven. He swore an oath in the name of the one who lives Rick Warren: forever Stacie Wood: and ever, who created the heavens and everything in them, the earth and everything in it, Rick Warren: and the sea and everything in it. He said, there will be no more delay. Rick Warren: When the seventh angel blows his trumpet, Stacie Wood: God's mysterious plan will be fulfilled. Rick Warren: It will happen just as he announced it to his servants, the prophets. Then the voice from heaven spoke to me again, go and take the Stacie Wood: open [00:19:00] scroll from the hand of the angel Rick Warren: who is standing on the sea and on the land. So I went to the angel and told him to Stacie Wood: give me the small scroll. Stacie Wood: Yes, take it and eat it. He said. It will be sweet as honey in your mouth, but it will turn sour in your stomach. So I took the small scroll from the hand of the angel, and I ate it. It was sweet in my mouth, Rick Warren: but when I swallowed it, it turned sour in my stomach. Then I was told, You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages, and kings. Rick Warren: Then I was given a measuring stick, and I was told, Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, and count the number of worshippers, but do not measure the outer courtyard, for it has been turned over to the nations. They will trample the holy city for forty two months, [00:20:00] and I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will be clothed in burlap, and will prophesy during those one thousand two hundred sixty days. Rick Warren: These two Stacie Wood: prophets are the two olive trees Rick Warren: and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of all the earth. If anyone tries to harm them, fire flashes from their mouths and consumes their enemies. This is how anyone who tries to harm them must die. Stacie Wood: They have power to shut the sky so Rick Warren: that no rain will fall for as long as they prophesy. Stacie Wood: And they have the power Rick Warren: to turn the rivers and oceans into blood, and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they wish. When they complete their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the bottomless pit will declare war against them. And he will conquer them and kill them. And their bodies will lie in the main street of Jerusalem, the city that is figuratively called Sodom, and Egypt, [00:21:00] Stacie Wood: the city where their Lord Rick Warren: was crucified. Rick Warren: And for three and a half days, Stacie Wood: all peoples, Rick Warren: tribes, languages, and nations will stare at their bodies. No one will be allowed to bury them. All the people who belong to this world will gloat over them and give presents to each other to Stacie Wood: celebrate the death of the two prophets who had tormented Rick Warren: them. But after three and a half days God Stacie Wood: breathed life into them, and they stood up. Stacie Wood: Terror struck all who were staring at them. Then a loud voice from heaven called to the two prophets, Come up here! And they rose to heaven in a cloud as their enemies watched. At the same time, there was a Rick Warren: terrible earthquake that destroyed a tenth of the city. 7, 000 people died in that earthquake, Stacie Wood: and Rick Warren: everyone else was terrified and gave glory to the God of Heaven. Rick Warren: The second terror is past, [00:22:00] but look, the third terror is coming quickly. Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices Stacie Wood: shouting in Heaven The world has now become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Rick Warren: Christ, and He will reign forever and ever. The twenty four elders, sitting on their thrones before God, fell with their faces to the ground and worshipped Him. Rick Warren: And Stacie Wood: they said, We give thanks to You, Lord God, the Almighty, the One who is and who always was, for now You have assumed Your great power and have begun to reign. The nations were filled with wrath, but now the time of your wrath has come. It is time Rick Warren: to judge the dead and reward your servants, Stacie Wood: the prophets, as well as your holy people and all who fear your name from the least to the greatest. Stacie Wood: It is time to destroy all Rick Warren: who have [00:23:00] caused destruction on the earth. Then, in heaven, the temple of God was opened, and the Ark of His Covenant could be seen inside the temple. Lightning flashed, Stacie Wood: thunder Rick Warren: crashed and roared, and there was an earthquake and a terrible hailstorm. Then I witnessed in heaven an event of great significance. Rick Warren: I saw a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon beneath her feet, and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She was pregnant, and she cried out because of her labor pains and the agony of giving birth. Then I witnessed in heaven another significant event. I saw a large red dragon with seven heads and ten horns, with seven crowns on his heads. Rick Warren: His tail swept away one third of the stars in the sky, and he threw them to the earth. He stood in front of the woman as she was [00:24:00] about to give birth. Ready to devour her baby as soon as it was born. She gave birth Stacie Wood: to a son who was to rule all Rick Warren: nations with an iron rod. And her child was snatched away from the dragon, and was caught up to God and to his throne. Rick Warren: And the woman fled into the wilderness, Stacie Wood: where God had prepared a place to care for her Rick Warren: for 1, 260 days. Then there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and his angels. Stacie Wood: And the dragon lost the battle, and he and his angels were forced out of heaven. This great dragon, Rick Warren: the ancient serpent called the Devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world, was thrown down to the earth with all his angels. Rick Warren: Then I heard a loud voice shouting across the heavens, Stacie Wood: It has come at last! Salvation, and power, and the kingdom [00:25:00] of our God, and the authority of His Christ. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters has been thrown down to earth, the one who accuses them before our God day and night. And they have defeated Him by the blood of the Rick Warren: Lamb and by their testimony. Stacie Wood: And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die. Therefore, rejoice, O heavens, and you who live in the heavens, rejoice. But terror will come on the earth and the sea, for the devil has come down to you in Rick Warren: great anger, Stacie Wood: knowing that he has little time. Rick Warren: When the dragon realized that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. Rick Warren: But she was given two wings, Stacie Wood: like those of a great eagle, so she could fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness. There she would be cared for and Rick Warren: protected from the dragon for a [00:26:00] time, times, and half a time. Then the dragon Stacie Wood: tried to drown the woman with a flood of water that flowed Rick Warren: from his mouth. Rick Warren: But the earth helped her by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that gushed out from the mouth of Stacie Wood: the dragon. And the dragon was angry at the woman Rick Warren: and declared war against the rest of her children, all who keep God's commandments and maintain their testimony for Jesus. Then the dragon took his stand on the shore beside the sea. Rick Warren: Then I saw a beast rising up out of the sea. It had seven heads and ten horns, with ten crowns on its horns, and written on each head were names that blasphemed God. This Stacie Wood: beast looked like a leopard, but it had the feet of a bear and the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave the beast his own power and Rick Warren: throne and great authority. Rick Warren: I saw that one of the [00:27:00] heads of the beast seemed wounded beyond Stacie Wood: recovery, but the fatal wound was healed. Rick Warren: The whole world marveled at this miracle and gave allegiance to the beast. They worshipped the dragon for giving the beast such power, Stacie Wood: and they also worshipped the beast. Who is as great as the beast, they exclaimed. Stacie Wood: Who is able to fight against him? Then the beast Rick Warren: was allowed to speak great blasphemies against God. And he was given authority to do whatever he wanted for 42 months. And he spoke terrible words of blasphemy against God, slandering his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven. And the beast was allowed to wage war against God's holy people and to conquer them. Rick Warren: And he was given authority to rule over every tribe and people and language and nation. And all the people who belong to this world Stacie Wood: worshipped the Rick Warren: beast. They are the ones whose [00:28:00] names were not written in the book of life that belongs to the lamb who was slaughtered before the world was made. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand. Rick Warren: Anyone who is destined for prison will be taken to prison. Anyone destined to die by the sword will die by the sword. This means that God's holy people must endure persecution patiently and remain faithful. Then I saw Stacie Wood: another beast come up out of the earth. He had two horns like those of a lamb, but he spoke with the voice of a dragon. Stacie Wood: He exercised all the authority of the first beast, and he required all the earth and its people to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound Rick Warren: had been healed. He did astounding miracles, even making fire flash down to earth from the sky while everyone was watching. And with all the miracles he was allowed to perform Stacie Wood: on behalf of the first [00:29:00] beast, he deceived all the people who belonged to this world. Stacie Wood: He ordered the people to make a great statue of the first beast, Rick Warren: who was fatally wounded and then came back to life. Stacie Wood: He was then permitted to give life to this statue so that it could speak. Then the Rick Warren: statue of the beast commanded that anyone refusing to worship it must die. He required everyone, small and great, rich and poor, Stacie Wood: free and slave. Rick Warren: To be given a mark on the right hand or on the forehead. And no one could buy or sell anything without that mark, which Stacie Wood: was either the name of the beast, Rick Warren: or the number representing his name. Wisdom is needed here. Let the one with understanding solve the meaning of the number of the beast. For it is the number of a man. Rick Warren: His number is 666. Then I saw the Lamb standing on [00:30:00] Mount Zion, and with Him were one hundred forty four thousand who had His name and His Father's name written on their foreheads. And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar Stacie Wood: of mighty ocean waves or the rolling of loud thunder. It was like Rick Warren: the sound of many harpists playing together. Rick Warren: This great choir sang a wonderful new song in front of the throne of God and before the four living beings and the twenty four elders. No one could learn this song except the 144, 000 who had been redeemed from the earth. They have kept themselves as pure as virgins, following the Lamb wherever He goes. Rick Warren: They have been purchased from Stacie Wood: among the people on the Rick Warren: earth as a special offering to God and to the Lamb. They have told no lies. They are without blame. And I saw another angel flying through the sky, carrying the eternal Stacie Wood: good Rick Warren: news to proclaim to the people who belong to this [00:31:00] world. To every nation, tribe, language, Stacie Wood: and people fear God. Stacie Wood: He shouted, give glory to him for the time has come. When he will sit as judge, worship him, who made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and all the springs of Rick Warren: water. Then another angel followed him through the sky shouting. Babylon is fallen, Stacie Wood: that great city is fallen, because she made all the nations of the world drink the wine of her Rick Warren: passionate immorality. Rick Warren: Then a third angel followed them, shouting, Anyone who Stacie Wood: worships the beast and his statue, or who accepts his mark on the forehead or on the hand, must drink the wine of God's anger. It has been poured full strength Rick Warren: into God's cup of wrath. And they will be tormented with fire and burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels [00:32:00] and the Lamb. Stacie Wood: The smoke of their torment will rise forever and ever, and they will have no relief day or night, for they have worshipped the beast and Rick Warren: his statue, and have accepted the mark of his name. This means that God's holy people must endure persecution patiently, obeying His commands and maintaining their faith in Jesus. Rick Warren: And I heard a voice from heaven saying, Write this down. Blessed are those who die in the Lord from now on. Yes, says the Spirit, Stacie Wood: they are blessed indeed, for they will rest from their hard work, for their good deeds follow Rick Warren: them. Then I saw a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was someone like the Son of Man. Rick Warren: He had a gold crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. Then another angel came from the temple and shouted to the one sitting on the cloud, Swing Stacie Wood: the Rick Warren: [00:33:00] sickle, for the time of harvest has come. The crop on earth is ripe. So the one sitting on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and harvested. Rick Warren: After that, another angel came from the temple in heaven, and he also had a sharp sickle. Then another angel, who had power to destroy with fire, came from the altar. He shouted to the angel with the sharp Stacie Wood: sickle, Swing your sickle now to gather the Rick Warren: clusters of grapes from the vines of the earth, for they are ripe for judgment. Rick Warren: So the angel swung his sickle over the earth and loaded the grapes into the great wine press of God's wrath. The grapes were trampled in the winepress outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress in a stream about 180 miles long and as high as a horse's bridle. This concludes today's Immerse Reading [00:34:00] Experience. Rick Warren: Thank you for joining us.