I don't know about you, but up until this point, I have been sitting in heavenly places. One of the things that I love to enjoy before the service starts is I love to sit over there in my corner and I love to watch and listen to Miss Nell play the piano. And I don't believe that we appreciate her nearly as much as what we ought to, but we certainly love you, sister, for God has given you a gift, and we praise God that he has called you here to fulfill that gift. I couldn't help but being overcome with a wave of emotion a while ago when she was playing Jesus Loves Me, this I know. I went back in my sentimentality to Little Sewell Baptist Church in Craig, West Virginia. And all the little kids singing that song with great gusto and exuberance. Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so. With that also in mind, I was also embarrassed this morning that I do not pray enough for you by calling out your names. I have been reminded of four scenarios in this church of folks who are really going through some trials. And we simply need to pray for one another for more than what we do. So with that in mind, we are going to look at chapter number 24 of the prophet Isaiah. And before we do that, let's go to the Lord in prayer. Heavenly Father, if you do not put your words into my mouth, and if you do not speak through me, then all that I say will prove humiliation and embarrassment. Heavenly Father, if you do not make our hearts open and receptive to your words, then all that we will do this morning is to entertain vain rhetoric. But we do know that what we are about to read here is some of the most serious and somber subjects in all of God's Word. That is the day of the Lord, the day of wrath and day of vengeance, the day of judgment, the day of dying and of Armageddon. Heavenly Father, we ask you, dear God, that we might not just read these words, but you will affect us with them. that you will prove to us our unworthiness of existence and even of salvation and of your son, Lord Jesus Christ. That you will affect us with these words and give us a holy terror so that we might warn others of that which is to come. Use these words to make us come alive and to regenerate and revigorate our spirituality and our love for unsaved folks and our love for one another. But we also ask you, dear Lord, that you will use these words to give us comfort and joy and peace in our hearts and knowing that we are in the palm of your hand and that nothing can touch us. when we are in your will. So, Heavenly Father, we pray these things in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen. In these chapters, Isaiah wrote of Judah's impending destruction. We can go to verse number one in chapter number 24, and behold, that word is always a strong word in God's word. God wants our attention. He wants our undivided attention. He wants us to look at something serious because there is great gravity in that which He wants us to look at. Behold, the Lord maketh the earth empty. That word Lord there speaks of Jehovah God, God the Father. The Lord maketh the earth empty and maketh it waste and turneth it upside down. and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof." The context of this chapter, I believe, has two applications. And many times in Old Testament prophecy, those prophecies a lot of times have two applications. The first application is the immediate application that will happen within a short period of time. And the second application is concerning eschatology, or the latter times, or the last days. Here, I believe that the immediate application is the demise of Israel and Judah. Israel had already gone by in history. They no longer exist as a nation. Shalem Ezer, in 2 Kings 17 and 18, Shalem Ezer of Assyria invaded, conquered, and deported, removed Israel from its land. Israel is no longer in existence at this time. Assyria also gathered many other heathen nations, and whenever he removed Israelites from Israel, he put those heathens into Israel itself. So now Israel is occupied by foreign nations. Isaiah is also the prophet who prophesied of the forthcoming and imminent invasion and conquering and deportation of Judah. We read this in II Kings chapter 24 and chapter 25 as well as in II Chronicles chapter 36. What Isaiah prophesied against Israel certainly had come to pass and that which he will prophesy against Judah in this particular chapter and others like it will certainly come to pass and history proves that. I believe that another thing that Isaiah is probably at least alluding to is that when Rome destroys Jerusalem and the temple in 70 AD. So I believe that that is the immediate applications. But I believe that it also has future applications as well. And that is that Christ will come the second time. I believe it also speaks of that Christ will fight the battle of Armageddon, which in many cases in scripture references is referred to the wine press. I believe that the future application also describes Lord Jesus Christ executing His final judgment upon the heathen nations and upon the world and upon the earth itself. Both applications, as we already know, the immediate applications, has already proven irreparable and irreversible. And certainly the future application will prove the same. If the prototype was irreversible, then certainly the future application is also that way as well. The Lord says in verse number 1 that He will remove and scatter the people, which we have also read. But now also look in verse number 6. Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate. Therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left. Isaiah also prophesied of the nation's destructions. In chapter number 13 and verse number 1, he writes of the burden of Babylon. That word burden literally means it is a prophecy of divine judgment resulting in disaster and ruin. And that is exactly what happened to Babylon, the burden of Babylon. If we go to chapter number 15 and verse number 1, Isaiah introduces the burden of Moab, which was a heathen, idolatrous country, and certainly one that was a grave enemy of Israel and of Judah. In chapter number 17, in verse number 1, Isaiah introduces the burden of Damascus. Damascus was another place who were enemies with Israel and Judah. In chapter number 19, we read of the burden of Egypt, which Isaiah introduced. Egypt throughout scriptures is always a type and a symbology of the world, and of worldliness, and of ungodliness, and of sensuousness. Then in chapter number 23, in verse number 1, Isaiah introduces the burden of Tyre, and certainly we are very familiar with Tyre, and of the demonic influence that Satan and Lucifer has had upon Tyre, and we have studied these things in the past. I believe that verses number 16 through number 23 is speaking of that future application, and I believe that it is speaking of Armageddon and how that Armageddon will climax the Lord's punishments upon the heathen nations. That which we will read in this passage far exceeds normal destruction and calamities that happens in ordinary wars. As bad as they are, what we are about to read far climaxes that which is normal and natural in war. So let's begin reading. In Isaiah chapter 24, starting with verse number 16, Isaiah writes, From the uttermost part of the earth have we heard songs, even glory to the righteous. But I said, Isaiah is saying this, but I said, My leanness, my leanness, woe unto me. I believe that Isaiah is speaking for Judah as a whole, and he's including himself in that. Woe is me, the treacherous dealers have dealt treacherously. Yea, the treacherous dealers have dealt very treacherously. In all honesty, I do not believe that I can interpret that particular verse, particularly making the first part of that verse agree with the second part of that verse. But I do know that the Spirit of Antichrist is speaking to those who have itching ears and are saying wonderful things to them, and things of comfort and of peace, and that they are deceiving them into making their audience believe what they are saying. We also know that the personal Antichrist in the book of Revelation will certainly do the very same thing. He will have to say something agreeable to the Hebrew nation in order to get them to make a covenant with Him. And so He is saying things, He is singing songs to them, even glory to the righteous in order to deceive them to make a covenant with Him. And so that's what we see there in verse number 16 in my estimation. Look in verse number 17. Fear and the pit and the snare are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth. And it shall come to pass that he who flees from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit. He that comes up from the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare. For the windows from on high are opened, and the foundation of the earth do shake. The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly. The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage, and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it, and it shall fall and not rise again. And it shall come to pass in that day. Usually when you see the expression, that day, in Old Testament prophecy as well as in New Testament prophecy, it is speaking eschatological, or of the day of the Lord. And it shall come in that day, that the Lord shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth. And they shall be gathered together as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited. This visited is a visitation from the LORD. Then the moon shall be confounded, and the earth ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign in Mount Zion in Jerusalem, and before His ancients gloriously. I believe that that word, ancients, is talking about the patriots, the prophets, the apostles, and the elect, and those who love the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ. Here the Lord focuses His punishment upon Jerusalem particularly, and I believe that it is that way because if you look in verse number 10 and in verse number 12, He speaks of the city. Here I believe the city is speaking of Jerusalem. Look in verse number 12 and you will also see the expression, the gate. The gate is where trials and judgments were passed. And God is going to judge the city and also the gate. Not only for their idolatry, but also for their misuse of judgment. Jehovah God, I believe, is this judge. Look in verse number 1 again. Behold, the Lord makes the earth empty. and makes it waste, and turns it upside down, and scatters abroad the inhabitants thereof. There was a time whenever the enemies of the church accused the apostles of turning the world upside down. Well, here, dear friends, Jehovah God will literally do so during the day of his vengeance. Look at the words like the earth. And He makes it empty and waste. Our Jehovah God, in His day of vengeance, He has the universe's resources at His disposal. And if those resources will not do the job, then He can create resources that will certainly do so. So when we read strong words like that in verse number 1 and in verse number 6, Then we can believe the Bible. We can believe the Old Testament prophets because they spoke literally the Word of God. Isaiah lists the reasons for their judgment. Look in verses number 5. The earth also is defiled. That word defiled literally means godless. The earth is defiled under the inhabitants thereof, because they have transgressed the law and changed the ordinance. Listen, church, we are in a day and age when that which is right is actually spoken of as wrong, and that which is wrong is actually spoken of as actually right. And God says, I will punish the nation and the culture that forgets the right judgments and ordinances of God. And we are there. Not only the American states, but the entire world is there. He says that they have changed the ordinances and they have broken the everlasting covenant. Look in verse number 6 in the latter part and you will see a very sinister expression. God's judgment leaves few men left. It is interesting that as we are in the trumpet judgments in Revelation there on our Wednesday evening discussions that often times we see that when certain judgment comes that a third of the men are killed. Then a little bit later on another judgment follows on its tracks and a third more of the men are killed. I think that whenever Isaiah says that there are few men left, I believe that he is talking about that very day and age, which I believe is literally just right around the corner. This verbiage describes a universal punishment. It is not just the demise of Israel or just the demise of Judah, The verbiage here certainly speaks of the entire world. Look in verse number 1, starting with verse number 1, six times. In this particular chapter, Isaiah references the earth. Then in verse number 4, Isaiah references the world. We have the earth, which is the physical globe, and the world is the inhabitable parts of the earth. In verses number 5, 6, and 17, three times, Isaiah references the inhabitants of the earth. That word of there speaks of their origin. It speaks of where they put their interest in. The inhabitants of the earth have no dealings, they have no thoughts toward, they have no interest in the things of heaven. Can we contrast that with Apostle Paul who says, our conversation is in heaven, this world is not my home, I'm just passing through. In verse number 18 he talks about the foundations of the earth to shake, the subterranean tectonic plates on a regular basis. causes earthquakes. Many of these earthquakes bring lots of death and destruction. But we're always able to rebuild from these things. But there will come a time, dear friends, whenever God will shake the foundations of the earth, and there's no coming back from that. Because in verse number 20, he says, the earth shall fall and shall not rise again. It implies an all-encompassing, a universal judgment upon the earth and upon the world. These verbiages go far beyond the Jewish and Hebraic objective. God will judge even the depraved, fallen spiritual realm as well. Look in verse number 21, The LORD shall punish the host Most of the time in the Old Testament, whenever you see the word host, it is speaking of armies, those who are trained and equipped and willing and adept and skilled at making warfare and killing and maiming and destroying. The Lord shall punish the host of the high ones. Here He's not talking about Earthly armies. He is talking about demonic, angelic armies. And the Lord will not let them get away with their doings either. The Lord shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high. You see that word on high? That word high literally speaks of the heavenlies. Where the angelic host operate. God will surely, without fail, He will guarantee the punishment of the wicked. In verses number 2 and 3, and also in verse number 13, we see this expression, IT SHALL BE. When God says IT SHALL BE, what does that mean? It means IT SHALL BE. It's guaranteed. It will happen. Look in verse number 2, you see the expressions, As with, so with. As with those who are in privilege and of high status and who are in comfort of this world and who have resources to make life convenient and pleasant. As with them, so with. So with them that they oppress and them that they take advantage of, no one is exempt. Look in verses number 18 and 21 and you'll see this expression, it shall come to pass. It's guaranteed. It will happen. I believe that these graphic descriptions far exceeds the usual calamities of war. Arnold Toynbee was a British historian and author. He was a very learned man. I've studied a little bit, researched a little bit of Arnold Toynbee over the past couple of days. And he died in 1975. It is interesting to look at his quotes, but one quote really came out and made me focus upon it. And here's what he says. Civilizations die from suicide not by murder. There is a lot in that little expression. Today I believe that the American state is on the verge and on the precipice of that which Israel suffered under the Assyrians, and that which Judah suffered under Babylon. And I believe that we are there, because everything that I have read so far and expounded upon so far concerning Israel and Judah, we are under the very same circumstances. And listen, if God did not let His chosen people slide by, He certainly will not heathen nations slide by. And you can explain what we are any way you want to, but today we are one of the most heathen nations in all of God's world. Our suicide drug of choice, I spent a good much of yesterday looking at several news websites. And I could bring up a hundred drugs of choice. I'm not talking about pharmaceuticals. I'm talking about what's going on in our culture that is bringing us to our fall, demise, and destruction where our culture is about to be wiped off into the dustbin of history. And I'm going to bring up just three that I really think is that which is bringing us there. First of all, wokeism has bound and made helpless the true patriot. We have very few patriots left in our land anymore. Number two is that illegal alien immigration across our southern border is nothing more than a military invasion of our nation. Possibly one of our most aggressive and worst enemies of the American states. By the way, I do not use the word United States anymore because we are not united. Possibly one of our worst and most aggressive enemies of the American states is China. I read an article yesterday that actually says that Chinese illegal aliens coming across our border has increased 6,000%. It is nothing more than an invasion. Who knows how many terrorist sails are waiting in our land right here today, waiting on God to break the seal and put them into motion. I believe that the third one, and this is the one that grieves me the most. I believe that the third one is anti-Semitism. I read an article yesterday where anti-Semitism in the American states has skyrocketed in 2023. And in 2023, there was an average of 24 anti-Semitism terrorist events in the American states and over half of them happened after October 7th. You know what happened on October 7th? That's whenever Hamas invaded and murdered over 1,200 Israelis, and many of them are still in captivity. It is interesting that if we keep up with the news, how much anti-Semitism is going on in our nation. Do you know that just a few days ago, that anti-Semitic actually closed down the Golden Gate Bridge? I have been across that bridge. That must have been a feat. And yet we tolerate. No, we don't tolerate it. We accept it. We are promoting it. A particular political party is actually promoting anti-Semitism. And I believe that our turn is now. I believe God's not going to let us get away with this. Let's look at our first main point. The Lord exempts no one from this punishment. Look in verse number 17. Fear and the pit and the snare are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth. that it is upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth, the Lord guarantees their doom. I looked at Isaiah chapter 5 and verse number 14. This is one of the most sinister verses in all of God's Word. And it says, HELL, that word HELL translates from the Hebrew SHE-O, HELL hath enlarged herself and opened her mouth without measure. And they, the rebellious, shall descend into it. It is interesting to me that I have several articles at home that speaks of the ground just opening up and swallowing people. I mean, it is a literal fact. We can research this and find out these sinkholes. just without warning and immediately open up and swallow people and we never find or hear of them again. But I can always go back to the very prototype of that in the Old Testament, where Korah rebelled against Moses, whom God had personally placed Moses there. And when Korah rebelled against Moses, he literally rebelled against God Almighty. And God Almighty says, Moses, you separate yourself from Korah. And even Moses says, under the Holy Spirit of God, I believe. He says, the Lord can punish them any way that He wants to. But if the Lord creates a new thing, and has the ground opened up underneath them, then you will know that God has put me here, and not Korah. And when Moses got through saying that, the ground literally opened up. And the Bible says that the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up. All of their possessions, and all of their cohorts and followers, and everything that appertained to Korah, God made disappear from the earth. And God's going to do it again one day. Fear in the pit and the snare of Rupon thee, O inhabitant of the earth. Look at two words in that verse. First of all, THE, T-H-E-E. It is a second person singular pronoun. Jehovah God, through Isaiah, is speaking directly to the rebel. And look at that word INHABITANT. He doesn't put an S on the end of that thing. That is a singular word. God is speaking to the ENTIRE human race of HEATHENS and He is placing them in ONE category and He is speaking to ALL of them as He would to ONE. He calls them the INHABITANT. Every individual on earth will experience God's wrath. Look in verse number 2. It shall be as with the people, so with the priest. Now, some of your translations, instead of having priest, it may translate into ruler. The same difference. Priests are those and rulers are those who have an influence and some authority over the subjects. As it is with the people, so with the priest. As with the servant, so with the master. As with the maid, so with the mistress. As with the buyer, so with the seller. As with the lender, so with the borrower. As with the taker of usury, so with the giver of usury. So those who are of some influence and those who have no influence whatsoever, both will suffer equally because neither one of them looks to God for help and for salvation. NONE are exempt. I read chapter 19 of Revelation yesterday talking about the supper of the great God. Listen to some of the verbiage in this. This angel here is speaking to the fowls of the air. He says, gather yourselves together that you may eat the flesh of kings, those who are in authority, those who are in places of influence and status. and the flesh of captains, those who are little less than kings, and the flesh of mighty men, see the hierarchy here, and the flesh of horses and of them that sat on them, and the flesh of all. What does the word all mean? The word all means all. Nobody is exempt from this. Both free and bond, both small and great. So God is going to deal with all of these in His vengeance. And a little bit later on, in fact in the very next chapter, we see the fulfillment of this. At the Great White Throne Judgment, Revelation chapter 20 and verse number 11, I saw the Great White Throne and Him that sat upon it. I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God. In this context, the dead are the unredeemed. The dead are those who are doomed to the lake of fire. THE SEA GAVE UP THE DEAD WHICH WERE IN IT, AND DEATH AND HELL, HE PERSONALIZES DEATH, AND HE ALSO PERSONALIZES HELL, AND GIVES THEM A LIFE OF THEIR OWN, AND DEATH AND HELL DELIVER UP THE DEAD WHICH WERE IN THEM, AND THEY WERE JUDGED EVERY MAN. NOT ONE EXEMPT. EVERY MEANS EVERY. and death and hell were cast into the lake of fire, this is the second death. God will execute three instruments of His wrath. First of all is fear. There are particular situations in which a person is in such fear that he goes numb, and many times they literally pass out. That is this type of fear. This is a fear that I wonder if any of us has ever experienced before. This is a fear that I believe that is so exceeding more than what we can even imagine because we're literally in the day of God's wrath. Think debilitating paranoia. In Luke chapter 21, the Lord spoke of the Jews' anticipation of the day of God's wrath. He says this, Men's hearts failing them for fear. They die from heart attacks. And for looking after or expecting those things which are coming upon the earth. I always think of Belshazzar. He's one that always comes to my mind. In Daniel chapter 5, Belshazzar looks over there. First of all, he brings in those instruments and those vessels that were in the temple dedicated for worshipping God. He brings those instruments in, pours wine into those instruments. Makes praises unto his heathen gods. Does he not think that God's going to see that? Does he not think that God's going to let him get away with that? We do not trifle with God. Not as individuals and not as nations, we do not trifle with God. Belshazzar was the king, but Babylon suffered for it. The Bible says He looked over there and saw the hand. He only saw a hand. That's all. Can you imagine those who literally see Him that sits upon the great white throne? The Bible says His thoughts troubled Him so that the joints of His loins were loosed and His knees smote one another. When He's talking about the joints, He's talking about the hip bone. The femur that goes into its pelvic socket. I have helped surgeons many times replace that particular joint, but in order to replace it you have to dislocate that joint. I have literally helped surgeons wrapping my eye or arms around that femur and twisting it and pulling it, and a lot of times it takes two to do it. That is the strongest joint in all of the body. Belshazzar, it came upon him spontaneous. Belshazzar saw that hand and he knew that it was the hand of God and he was so frightful that his joints just relaxed to such a degree that the joints of his lungs came out of their sockets and his knees smoked together. I can't imagine what the fear is going to be like whenever they see him that sits upon the great white throne. So that's fear. Not only that, but the pit. If fear does not kill them, then the pit will certainly do so as well. A pit is a concealed hole dug to trap and confine prey. Here is the person, the object of God's vengeance, and he is vainly trying to run from God, and God has already prepared the pit. God knows how to stop the heathen. Look at another one. Here we see the snare. The snare is a device that usually involves a noose. It is designed to capture the unsuspecting animal. I wish I hadn't done it, but I went on the internet and I looked up the snare, and I just looked at several images of it, and I saw animals trapped in those things. And some of them were dead. And the suffering that must have gone through in being caught by the snare. An animal that is caught by the snare has no hope. And brother, in this day of vengeance, because they are such rebels, there's no hope for them either. There's no grace. There's no mercy. God has exhausted his patience. Point number two is this, all means of escape from punishment end in death. Look in verse number 18. Their punishment is sure. You will see this expression in that verse, it shall come to pass. Solomon in Ecclesiastes chapter 9 writes this, Man also knows not his time. I know that I'm going to die one day. You know that as well. I have no idea when that will be. As the fish is that are taken in an evil net, the fish is just minding his or her own business, and they swim into the net, and the net takes them. There is no coming back from that. And as the birds that are caught in the snare, so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falls suddenly upon them. I know that you and I are going to die one day, and many times it will happen to us at a moment's notice, where there is no preparation for that. God will not give the heathen world preparation. Whenever the Lord Jesus Christ started extending His vengeance, they're going to run to no avail. Amos also talked about this in Amos chapter 5 during the day of the Lord. Amos writes, As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him. Or he went into a house and leaned his hand upon the wall. He's fleeing. He runs into a house. He leans up against the wall to rest himself because he's exhausted from his running and fleeing. And he leaned his hand upon the wall and the serpent bit him. God has already determined the demise of every individual who will suffer his vengeance. Punishment comes from above and beneath. Look in verse number 18. The windows from on high are opened and the foundations of the earth do shake. This has already happened. When did this first happen? During the flood. This is reminiscent of the flood. If God did it during the flood, when the windows of heaven were opened and the fountains of the deep were opened, if God has already done that, He can do it again. Let's look at main point number three. Man will not find refuge from punishment. We see this in verses 19 and 20. God will level all hiding places. All hiding places that a man will find as an obstacle between him and God, or as a barrier between him and God, or as security from the vengeance of God's wrath, he will find that they are vanity. The earth in verse number 19 says, now that word earth there literally speaks of the physical globe, the planet that we call earth. The earth is utterly broken down, meaning it is shattered in pieces. All of us have taken a sledgehammer and busted up large rocks into little rocks. That is the picture that we see here. And the earth is clean dissolved. That word dissolved means literally the earth is split into and divided. Now I don't know what that means, but I'll guarantee you in this day and age people will know what that means because they will literally experience it. The earth is moved exceedingly, violently, and irreparably shaken. Not only will we have earthquakes in isolated places, one here and one there, the entire earth is suffering from an earthquake that affects the entire globe. Man's sins to his downfall. In the latter part of verse number 20, the transgressions thereof shall be heavy upon it. That word heavy means that God is looking upon the heathen and they commit the last straw. God says, okay, that's the last straw. That's what that word heavy means. God will cease His patience upon the earth. The transgression thereof shall be heavy upon the earth, and it shall fall, meaning it shall become prostrated, and it shall not rise again. Nations have fallen, and heathen have rebuilt nations and cities. It will never happen again when this happens. But a nation will come about. In Isaiah chapter 65, Isaiah writes, Behold, I create new heavens and a new earth. If you love Lord Jesus Christ and if you are one of his children today, you and I are going to occupy the new heavens and the new earth. Here's my last point. High authorities provide no protection from punishment. The wicked can trust in their own wicked president for security, for money stolen from the taxpayer, and for whatever, any other thing that they think that they deserve simply because they exist, and yet the king is going to suffer just like the wicked. But here in verse number 21, in the first part, he's talking about unclean angels. The LORD shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high. That word high means the heavenlies. In Ephesians chapter 6 and verse number 12, Paul is writing of the angelic demonic spirits that you and I are wrestling with. And here's what he writes, we wrestle against principalities. That principality I believe that we can actually equate to an archangel. This is an angel that holds the highest supreme position of authority. We wrestle against principalities. I believe that Satan as the god of this world is THE supreme principality. In Revelation, as we have just got through studying, we read of the bottomless pit that is opened, and Abaddon in the Hebrew is his Hebrew name, and Apolluon is his Greek name, and he is the angel of the bottomless pit. He is the archangel of the bottomless pit. He is the angel and the commander-in-chief of the demonic locusts that surround the world and torment men for five months, and they shall seek death, and death shall flee from them." These are not angels to trifle with. Thankfully, we have a Jehovah God who is in control. Earthly kings. are powerless against them as well. Look in verse number 21, the latter part, the LORD shall punish the kings of the earth upon the earth. This also applies to the Antichrist and to the false prophet. The Antichrist who will be the world ruler at that particular time and the Bible simply states that whenever Lord Jesus Christ comes back that he will destroy him with the brightness of his coming. Lord Jesus Christ doesn't even lay a hand on him. He comes to his miserable demise simply by witnessing the brightness of his coming. WICKED ANGELS AND KINGDOMS ARE ALSO INCLUDED IN VERSE NUMBER 22. THEY WILL RECEIVE THEIR JUDICIAL SENTENCE. THEY SHALL BE GATHERED TOGETHER. THEY ARE COLLECTED AS ONE GROUP AS PRISONERS ARE GATHERED IN THE PIT AND SHALL BE SHUT UP IN THE PRISON. I BELIEVE THAT THIS PIT HERE IS ACTUALLY ALLUDING TO ARMAGEDDON, THE WINE PRESS IN WHICH LORD JESUS CHRIST SAYS THAT HE WILL TREAD ALONE. And as soon as He destroys them in the winepress, then He puts them in the prison, which I believe is hell, and they are in prison awaiting their final judgment, which is the lake of fire. The wicked are talked about in these verses as well. The wicked will surely receive punishment. After many days shall they be visited Meaning, dealt with after many days. I wonder if maybe the Lord is talking about these that are banished from the earth during the Lord's millennial reign on earth. After the millennial reign, they shall be visited when they are sent to the lake of fire. In Revelation chapter 20 verse number 13, the Bible says, Death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them, and they were judged. Every man, every single heathen, LORD JESUS CHRIST WILL JUDGE HIM, NOT FOR SOMEBODY ELSE'S WORKS, BUT FOR HIS OWN WORKS. THEY WILL JUDGE EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO THEIR WORKS. MATTHEW CHAPTER 25 SPEAKS OF THE JUDGMENT OF THE NATIONS. THEN SHALL HE SAY ALSO UNTO THEM, THAT IS NATIONS RULED BY KINGS, ON THE LEFT HAND DEPART FROM ME, YE CURSED, INTO EVERLASTING FIRE, PREPARED FOR THE DEVIL AND HIS ANGELS. Let's close. These verses have some wonderful words also attached to them that apply to you and me if we know Lord Jesus Christ is our personal Savior. First of all, look in verse 23, the latter part. The Lord of hosts shall reign in Mount Zion. I love the expression, Mount Zion. It has several applications in Scripture, but let me just give you four that I believe that apply in this context. The context of Mt. Zion here is that Israel's and Jerusalem's nation identities shall be restored. And we know that, that God will do it because He promised it to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He promised it to the patriarchs. He promised it to the prophets. And He promised it to David. From thy seed there shall not fail a king to rule on the throne of David." That word, Mount Zion, also applies to the present and future sovereign throne of God on earth. That expression, Mount Zion, also means the Lord's military headquarters, thinking of the Pentagon, and it also refers to the eternal capital city New Jerusalem. The Lord's glory will outshine the heavenly lights. In the first part of verse number 23 we read this expression, Then the moon shall be confounded. That word confounded means it is humiliated. It is embarrassing. It gives it a human personification here if we want to put it that way. The moon shall be confounded and the sun ashamed. Why is that? Because we read in Revelation 21, verse number 23, the city, meaning New Jerusalem, had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it, for the glory of God did lighten it. That doesn't mean that the sun or the moon is not there. I don't know if they are or not. It does not mean that they're not there. It means that their light is unnecessary anymore. Because the glory of God enlightens it, and we also read, and the Lamb is the light thereof. So what is the remedy, and the rescue, and the salvation for those who do not know Lord Jesus Christ, and for those who want to avoid this day of vengeance? There was a time whenever Paul and Silas were in the Philippian jail, the Bible says, at midnight. They're in stocks. These stocks probably contorted their bodies to make them very uncomfortable. They're in these stocks. and they still have blood streaming down their backs and scabs forming from the coagulating blood from the whippings that they had. While they are in the bowels, in the darkness of the flipping jail, they did not complain. They sang praises unto Jehovah God and unto their Redeemer. And the Bible says that God responded. God sent an earthquake. And God, because of that earthquake, loosened every one of those prisoners. And they were free to run. But I'll guarantee you that because of the sensation and the awe, that it just stopped them all in their tracks, not knowing really what to do. The Philippian jailer, he pulls out a sword, and he's about to stab himself to death. And Paul says, do thyself no harm, for we're all here. The reason why that he would have killed himself is because if prisoners escaped, if one prisoner, much less on a wide scale, if one prisoner escaped, the jailer paid with his life. He was going to take his own life, and Paul says, do thyself no harm, for we're all here. The Philippian jailer came to his senses and said, what must I do to be saved? And Paul spoke some of the most pleasing, sweetest words in all of God's word to you and to me. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Lord. Jesus. Christ. I don't have time to go into those titles and names. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul used all three of them for a reason. And thou shalt be saved. Let's sing. Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine. Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine. Heir of salvation, purchase of God. Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood. This is my story, this is my song. Praising my Savior all the day long. This is my story, this is my song. Praising my Savior all the day long.