Sermon Tone Analysis

Uncommon Suffering like Never Before

This is the Worst ever

Ex

MAtt 24:

Matt 24:

The book of Revelation describes that final time of human history with terms that are beyond our imagination to even grasp.

But let me run it by you very fast.

Zech

Zech

From through , you have the details of that period of time, the last three and a half years of Daniel’s seventieth week … the great time of tribulation.

And the writer, John, sees in the vision there the following elements to that time: war, famine, 25 percent of the world killed, the collapse of the heavenly bodies, one third of the earth destroyed, one third of the sea destroyed, the creatures in it and the ships on it, one third of the fresh water and many multitudes of people who drink it, one third of the sky lights—the stars—

the release of hell’s demons to overrun the earth, the slaughtering of the beast and the false prophet consummates their evil, vile ministry that goes on during that time, body sores all over men, everyone in the sea and all living creatures in the sea are killed.

All fresh water will be polluted.

Scorching sunlight will burn people to death.

Darkness will cover the earth.

Pain, sores, more demons, and it just goes like that from to 19.

There will come a slaughter, two out of every three Jews will die, the other third will be redeemed.

They will be purged.

They will believe.

If the population of the world is 15 million Jews, that means 10 million will die were it to happen now.

An Uncommon Deliverance

Eze 20:37

Passing under the rod seems to be a shepherd’s term.

Each sheep would pass under the rod, he would drop the rod, stop the next sheep and examine it.

MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2014).

John MacArthur Sermon Archive.

Panorama City, CA: Grace to You.

Ez 20:38

Now listen, who is the all Israel that will be saved?

Well, in the end time, first during the testing period, the apostates and the rebels will be purged out.

Only the remaining ones will be protected

So, I really believe that when it says thy people shall be delivered, it does not make a blanket statement that every Jew alive on the earth is going to be saved at that time.

What it is saying is that God is going to purge, He’s going to put them under the rod, He’s going to test them, two thirds of them will die, one third will be protected for they are the ones who obey the commandments of God and keep the testimony of Jesus Christ.

They are the ones who are purged, they are the ones who are tested as in .…

or 11:35, they are the ones made white.

MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2014).

John MacArthur Sermon Archive.

Panorama City, CA: Grace to You.

Zech

Dan

Uncommon Angel

Job

Is

Matt

We have here, secondly, the reward of the working saint.

“They that are wise shall shine,” etc.

Among the nations of the earth decorations and honours are given to those who have done the greatest work of destruction.

But in the kingdom of Christ it is far otherwise.

The places of pre-eminence under Him are assigned to those who have been likest Him in the holiness of their characters, in the self-sacrifice of their lives, and in the hallowing and ennobling influence which they have shed around them.

Uncommon Preservation

Now what does he mean by this?

Well, what he is saying is a reference, mark this, to the time of the Great Tribulation.

It is best to interpret the phrase “the time of the end” as a reference to the Tribulation time.

It is not a new term.

It is a term used in 11:35.

Over in verse 40 of 11 it says: “And at the time of the end, the king of the south shall push and the king of the north,” and there we’re into the battles of the Tribulation.

So it is best to see “the time of the end” as a reference to the period of the Tribulation.

Now what is it saying?

Mark this now.

You preserve that book, seal it up until the time of the Great Tribulation.

Now the sealing does not mean the message is hidden, it only means that it is safely preserved for those who come later, especially those in the Great Tribulation

It is not talking about the increase of scientific knowledge primarily, although that may be an allusion or an implication that could be drawn.

What it is talking about is this, many people in the Tribulation, the time of the end, are going to run to and fro trying to find out answers to what’s going on.

And they’re going to find the book of Daniel and at that point, their knowledge will be increased.

“Many shall run to and fro in their desire for knowledge of the last things and finding it in Daniel’s book because it will have been preserved to this end, their knowledge shall be increased.”

In other words, Daniel has to preserve his book so that people of all time, from his day until the end, may have knowledge of these events.

And the most clear understanding will come to those who are living through it.

MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2014).

John MacArthur Sermon Archive.

Panorama City, CA: Grace to You.

MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2014).

John MacArthur Sermon Archive.

Panorama City, CA: Grace to You.

Now, in this final section, the Lord deals with Daniel and also with a couple of angels who express some questions about the details of what is coming to pass.

Even after all of the information of the book, there is still much mystery.

But all of this revelation has managed to peak their interest and they want more.

And so, in the closing section from verse 4 to 13, the Lord clarifies some final features.

And even after the clarification, leaves an abundant mystery for the future.

Now that is a very specific period of time.

Let me just work up to that.

The verse begins “Shut up the words, close up the words.”

And what really is being said here is the idea of preservation, don’t let this thing get away, shut it up, preserve it, seal it, make it secure.

And it could even apply with an authenticating stamp so people treat it with seriousness.

Seal it up so that it is secure and preserve it.

An Uncommon Chronology

Three and a half years

Now this is fascinating.

Whenever a Jew wanted to make an oath, he raised his right hand.

And we do that, don’t we? Go to court to testify, you raise your right hand, promise to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

You raise your right hand.

That’s a sign of a swearing.

When you raise both hands, that’s about as far as you can go.

And that’s an utter absolute binding affirmation.

And here the Lord puts up both hands and swears by Him who lives forever.

Who’s that?

That’s God.

God who alone has immortality, .

God alone lives forever.

And He swears by the everlasting God.

And what does He swear?