Loading summary
Transcript1 lines
- [00:00]
A
This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Do you ever find yourself playing the budgeting game? Well, with the name your price tool from Progressive you can find options that fit your budget and potentially lower your bills. Try it@progressive.com Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates Price and coverage match limited by state law not available in all states. I'm Hannah. I've lost 75 pounds in 20 months with GLP1s/ diet and exercise on RO. I've gone from struggling to run a mile to running farther. Every you can access FDA approved GLP1s online. Get the support you need to reach your weight loss goals. Go to Ro Co Weight to see if you qualify. I'm a paid RO partner. 20% average weight loss in one year in non diabetics with obesity or overweight with a weight related medical condition versus 3.1% in placebo arm Rx only. To stay informed about serious side effects, go to RO Co Safety. Hello everybody. Welcome to another episode of Christ with Coffee and Ice. I am your host, Ali Yost. It is a joy and honor to be here with you guys today. Happy Friday everybody. I'm gonna be honest, my outfit today is a little bit out of my comfy zone. I'm a little out of my comfy zone because typically, I don't know, you guys are always seeing me in like T shirts or tank tops or various of striped sweaters. And I received this shirt as a gift from Coco McCall shop. It's like a really cute shop based out of Florida, but I think they're mostly online anyway. It's really cute and whimsy. Okay. And I feel like this is the vibe for most girlies. It's giving very whimsy, Pinterest, girly cutie pie. But I just, I don't know. And I put it with these capris with these cute little flats. These are from Steve Madden. I've worn, I have worn the bottom of these out. I do, I do love these flats. But I'm like, do I look like a pilgrim? Who knows? I don't. I'm trying to give it a chance, but there's a, there's a, there's a good chance I'm probably gonna look back on this episode and go, girl, what are you wearing? I just feel like I'm not trying to. Coco McCall is great. They're awesome. They're lovely. They are so generous and actually a majority, if not borderline. Almost every striped sweater you've ever seen me wear on this podcast is from them. But this one I'm just like. I feel like there's a certain type of girly that can pull it off, and I'm not sure it's me. Yeah, whatever. It's fine. Who cares? Okay. Hey, guys, I'm really excited for today because today we are continuing in the book of Revelation. Yes. And the crowd goes crazy. I'm very excited for this because I had so much fun last week with you guys reading the book of Revelation. We covered chapters one through three. And if you didn't listen to last week's episode, I would definitely highly recommend listening to that first before we continue to this week's episode. And since it has been a week, I'm happy to even give you guys, like, a little bit of a refresher on what we covered. But first and foremost, above all else, obviously, we have our Christ. Okay. To go with the whimsy. We have our whimsy yellow Bible. She's cute and gorgeous. I'm going to be reading the new living translation. That is the NLT translation. That is typically what I always read. If it's not nlt, I usually. I mean, I started reading niv, which is the new international version. That was the translation that I started reading my Bible on. And I've. I've recently, over the last few months, transitioned to nlt, and I honestly feel like they're similar, but I do really, really like this translation. I feel like both of them are very easy to understand, especially if you are in the beginning stages of reading your Bible or it's not a typical habit of yours, and you're just, like, trying to overcome the fears of just how intimidating the Bible can be. I would really suggest both of those translations. I would not suggest doing the King James Version. That is going to be hard to first read your Bible. Anyway, enough about that. Yeah. And my Bible is from Hosanna Revival, which I mention every episode. But I won't stop because you guys are always asking, and I love to answer your questions. And so I'm answering a question of where, Ally? Well, one, what translation do you read? Just told ya. Two, where do you get your Bible? Just told ya. Hosanna Revival. And I do have a code with them that lives forever and on. And it's just my first and last name, Alios. And so you can always save using that code. If you ever want to update your Bible or get your first Bible ever, do it. It'll change your life. It'll change your life. Okay, so we have our Christ. We do. And then we have our coffee on Ice in our new, our brand new Christ with coffee and ice glass tumbler. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. And we have our coffee, which is on ice for sure. No judgment if you don't put your coffee on ice. But I prefer even in the mornings, no matter what time of day, no matter what time of year, I always need my coffee on ice. And then look who's on the back. It's literally Jesus, our Lord and Savior, our king, our hero. I love him. He's perfect. So, anyway, very excited about that. Guys. You ready? Are you guys ready to dive in again today? Last week was so much fun. I just pray that this week is also just as fun. Let's pray. Jesus. Hi. Hey, Jesus. Thank you for being with us today, Lord. Thank you for another day. Thank you for giving breath in our lungs today, Lord. I pray that the burdens of whatever it is that we woke up feeling today will just go away for the next hour. And we can just remember who you are. We can remember what is available to us when we are in your presence, which is your peace, which is your wisdom, which is your refinement, which is revelation. And so, God, I pray that as we are reading the book of Revelation, we receive just a deeper revelation of who you are through your Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit, we invite you into this environment. We invite you into this space. Holy Spirit, I ask that you meet my friend on the other end of this podcast, right where they are. Fill the space that they're in, whether it's in their break room, whether it's in their car, whether it's in their bedroom, their kitchen, their laundry room, their neighborhood as they're on a walk. Jesus. And I pray that you fill that space and overwhelm them with your presence and your love. God, I thank you that the book of Revelation is not something to actually be threatened by or intimidated by or. Or to be seen as a book of fear, but actually a book of hope and a book of love and a book of just opportunity, of knowing more of who you are. Jesus, we love you. We honor you. We ask for you to just reveal to us the things that need to be revealed. And just as we prayed in last week's episode, I just prayed again. I pray against any pressure to fully understand every single thing that we are reading today. Because the truth is, is there probably will just be things that go over our head, and that's okay. God, I thank you that you have grace and mercy for that and that you do not have these perfect expectations of us that we are supposed to grasp every single thing that we read in the Bible. I pray that the things that you'd like for us to receive, that we receive them. And there is nothing that gets in the way of that. In Jesus name, God, I pray a protection over this time. I pray. I pray against any distractions in the name of Jesus. And I just pray. I just pray for time together to just bask in who you are. Lord, we love you, we honor you, and we pray all these things in Jesus name, God, let there be seeds that are deeply planted in our hearts today. Amen. Amen. All right, as I always say, hey, guys, I haven't made eye contact with you in a couple minutes. I had my eyes closed while I was praying, and then I looked right down to my Bible and I said, oh, hey, guys. Okay. As I say every time, obviously, it would be awesome, amazing, incredible if you guys could read along. I do think that that's, like, the most impactful way to do these kinds of episodes is, you know, you guys having your own Bibles, and you're cracking them open and you're feeling them and you're touching them and you're reading them and you're writing notes, and I think that's great. So I think it's so fun when it's kind of like a Bible study together. But if you aren't in a position, situation, or place to have your Bible in front of you, that's totally okay. I'm happy to read to you, share my thoughts. And just as I disclaimed in last week's episode, like, I'm not a pastor, I'm not a theologian. I'm just a girl who loves Jesus and is figuring it out and is doing her best to understand and learn more about him as much as I can. And so I think we can all just humbly approach today saying, yep, we don't have it fully figured out. But that's all right. We're expectant for the things that are supposed to stick. And so I'm very excited. And before. So what we're gonna do is we're gonna start. We finished chapters one through three last week, right? So then this week, I think I would like to do four through seven, potentially, depending on how much we're reapping and reflecting. Okay, so before we jump into chapters four through seven, let's just remember where we've been and what we covered in last week's episode, just as a little refresher, because it has been a week. So the book of Revelation began with a Revelation of Jesus Christ given to the apostle John. Okay, so John is the one that's writing the book of Revelation, and it was during the time that he was exiled on the island of Patmos. Okay, so that's the setting of where we're at. That's who is talking to us. Or I should say, obviously, it's Jesus talking to us through John. And right away, we see Jesus not as a suffering servant, but as the risen, reigning king, glorious, powerful, and completely in control. So in the first two chapters, we saw that where John was describing who he was seeing, which was Jesus, but glorified, it was not the crucified Jesus. It was not Jesus who was slain. It was like glorified Jesus who has overcome all of evil sin in the world. And so this is the first time that we are being introduced to that version of Jesus as the risen king, glorious, powerful, and completely in control. In chapters two and three, Jesus addresses seven churches. Okay, so we went over all seven churches where Jesus had written or had had messages that he wanted John to relay to the angels who were with each of those churches to then relay it to those people. And while those were real churches for that time, obviously, as probably the Lord feels about everything that's documented in the Bible is, it was very relevant at that time, but it's also still very relevant for us today. The messages also reveal timeless truths for believers today, which is why the book of Revelation actually is so important even for us to reflect on. Jesus commended faithfulness, exposes compromise, warned against spiritual complacency, and repeatedly called his people to overcome and remain faithful. And then what we had finished on was when Jesus was talking to the church of Laod, Laodicea, where Jesus had rebuked them for their lukewarm faith. He wasn't looking for religious activity. He was looking for wholehearted devotion. Yet even in his correction, we saw his love. Jesus stood at the door and knocked, inviting people back into relationship with him. So another theme that we were seeing a lot last week was just how Jesus obviously rebuked, called out, and hopefully. I think his goal was for people to see all the ways that they were blind and all the ways that they had drifted away from him. But actually, every single time his invitation was for them to just draw nearer to him, was to just return to him. So he wasn't denying them. He wasn't rejecting them. He was pointing out the ways that actually he was like, this is so detrimental for your faith and your relationship with me because you think that you are where you need to be. And you think that you have done all you've needed to do, but you're actually so far from me. So chapters one through three have been largely focused on the church, Jesus speaking directly to his people. That's what we covered last week. So now. And I actually think this is really. We just stopped at chapter three last week because we had already been yapping for a while. But it actually was a really great stopping point because now, starting in chapter four, this scene actually dramatically shifts from obviously, Jesus speaking directly to the church, to now John is actually invited into the throne room of God itself. What follows is one of the most breathtaking visions in all of scripture. It's what we're about to read and cover right now. And these upcoming chapters. And these might be good questions for us to write down. But these chapters answer questions many of us ask, like who is really in control of history? What is happening behind the scenes of the world? What happens when God's plans begin to unfold? How does heaven view the events taking place on earth? So before we encounter judgment seals and end time imagery, Revelation first wants us to see something incredibly important, which is God is still on the throne. The message isn't meant to begin with fear. It begins with worship. I like that. All right, everybody, let's jump into it. Chapter four, verse one. Then as I looked, this is John talking. 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. The one sitting on the throne was as brilliant as gemstones, like Jasper and Carnelan. I don't know if I'm saying that right, but I don't feel like looking it up, so. But I would imagine those are very brilliant gemstones. And the glow of an emerald circled his throne like a rainbow. 24 thrones surrounded him, and 24 elders sat on them. They were all clothed in white and had gold crowns on their heads. From the throne came flashes of lightning and the rumble of thunder. And in front of the throne were seven torches with burning flames. This is the 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 four living beings, each covered with eyes front and back. This is getting trippy. Okay, guys, everybody just buckle up. 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. Each of these living beings had six wings. And their wings were covered all over with eyes, inside and out. Day after day and night after night, they keep on saying, holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, the One who always was, who is and who is still to come. Whenever the living being gives glory and honor and thanks to the one sitting on the throne, the one who lives forever and ever, the 24 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, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For you created all things, and they exist because you created what you pleased. 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. And it was sealed with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel who shouted with a loud voice, who is worthy to bring the seals on this scroll and open it? But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll and read it. Then I began to weep bitterly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll and read it. But One of the 24 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 the scroll and its seven seals. Oh, this part. 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 24 elders, he had seven horns and seven eyes which represent the sevenfold spirit of God that is sent into every part of the earth. And he stepped forward and took the scroll from the right hand of the one sitting on the throne. And when he took the scroll, the four living beings and the 24 elders fell down before the lamb. 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 song with, these are worthy to take the scroll and break its seals and open it. For you were slaughtered and your blood has ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. And you have caused them to become 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 and millions of angels around the throne and of the living beings and the elders. And they sang in A mighty chorus Worthy is the lamb who was slaughtered to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessings. And then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, they sang blessing and honor and glory and power belong to the one sitting on the throne and the Lamb forever and ever. And the four living beings said Amen. And the 24 elders fell down and worshiped the Lamb. And. Okay, so I want to stop us for a second. Let's just reflect on what we just read. That was chapters four and five. A lot, a lot to unpack there, and probably hard to imagine how any of that is real, but it is. It is real. And so starting off in chapter four, John writes, after this, I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. So John is essentially invited into heaven's throne room, which has got to be an insane experience. I don't know if many people can say that that's ever happened to them. I. I like. I actually, genuinely can't imagine what that had felt like. But what John sees is. Well, the first thing that he notices, the very first thing above all else, which we read, is he noticed a throne. Not the angels, not heaven's beauty, not loved ones who had died, but he. It was a throne, was the first thing that he saw when he entered heaven. And the word throne obviously appeared over and over in these last two chapters, because I believe that is the focus. Like, that's the point of what is being revealed to us, is that God is ruling. Like, it's very clear that in these, in these two chapters, and what God was revealing to John to then relay to all of us thousands of years later, is that God is king, Jesus is king. God is the one who is ruling over everything. To the Christians receiving this letter at the time, life felt really chaotic for them because this was a time where they were being persecuted, the Roman Empire looked powerful, and evil seemed to be winning. So those were the events that were happening at that time. And God's response wasn't. Let me explain everything. Like, his response is so clearly, look higher, because I'm still the one on the throne. And I think that this is also a great reminder for us even today, where we see the things that are happening in the world, we see the things that are happening even in our own lives, and we forget so many times who is truly on the throne. And it's the devastation, the evil, the disappointment that happens in the world or in our lives where it can feel as if evil is overcoming. And I think that the deep reminder of which God is trying to tell his people then and now is no matter what it looks like, okay, he is still on the throne. Running a business is hard enough without worrying about missed calls or forgotten follow ups. That's one of the reasons today's episode is brought to you by Quo, spelled Q U o the business communications system built so you never miss a call. Whether you're a solo business owner or you're managing a growing team, Quo helps everyone stay connected from one shared business number. Code, calls, texts, voicemails and customer conversations all live in one place, so nothing slips through the cracks. What I also think is really cool is that Quo uses AI to summarize calls, log conversations, and even flag next steps so you're spending less time trying to remember details and more time serving your customers. If you're trying to create a better experience for your clients while keeping your business organized, Quo is definitely worth checking out. Money is on the line. Always say hello with Quo. Try quo for free plus get 20% off your first six months when you go to quo.com coffee coffee on ice that's qU-U-O.com coffee on ice starting a business is actually one of the most exciting things that you can do, but it can also be pretty overwhelming. There can be so many moving pieces that it's actually really easy to just talk yourself out of it. That's one of the reasons why I love what Shopify is doing. If you have had an idea just sitting in your notes app or you've been dreaming about launching a product someday, Shopify actually gives you so much you would need right from the start. Their templates and AI tools actually help you set up a beautiful website. Their checkout experience is designed to make purchasing easy for your customers, but even if you get stuck along the way, their built in AI Assistant sidekick can help answer questions and keep you moving. So whether you are launching your very first business or finally taking that side, hustle more full time. Shopify helps remove so much of the overwhelm so you can focus on bringing your idea to life. All you need is the idea and then Shopify will handle the rest. Start your free trial at shopify.com backslash cwcoi that's shopify.com/cwcoi. Again, that's shopify.com/CwCoi so then John moves on to say that he sees 24 elders seated around the throne in their own thrones with their own crowns on. Okay, and there are different Interpretations. But many scholars believe that they symbolize the complete people of God. A common understanding. Old Testament is the twelve tribes of Israel. New Testament is the twelve apostles, but together representing God's redeemed people. And so I think before really making anything too complex, because again, I'm not a theologian, I'm not even going to try to break down some of this stuff. But I will say, okay, if we want to just take away an overall statement of what chapter four could mean is I think this entire chapter is obviously about worship. It's just overwhelming recognition that God deserves glory. That's what all the elders are doing. That's what all the creatures are doing, like every thing. And everybody is worshiping God. And it's revealing just how deserving, glorious he is. And then chapter five is the scroll and the Lamb, which this vision is really powerful. This chapter actually gets really emotional. So John sees a scroll in God's hand. And John gets emotional because he sees the way that from his perspective until that point, that there was nobody who actually was able to open the scroll. And so he obviously gets really weepy about it. And a scroll in ancient times often represented an official decree, inheritance, or legal document. So many believe this scroll contains God's plan for bringing his history to its conclusion. But the problem is that it is sealed with seven seals. And again, it doesn't seem that anybody can actually open it. And so that's when John starts to cry. And then a really big, strong angel asks, who is worthy to open this scroll? And no one is able to answer because no one is worthy. And I think that John begins to weep because maybe his understanding in that moment is like, oh, my gosh. Well, God's plan can't actually be completed. His plan for humanity can't actually be completed until this scroll is opened. Because if no one can open the scroll, then God's plan remains unfinished and evil isn't defeated, creation isn't restored, and justice never comes. But then an angel says, don't cry. The lion of the tribe of Judah has triumphed, AKA Jesus. Okay, so this is the official title for the Messiah. Jesus is the Messiah. John turns expecting. Okay, and this is a cool perspective because the angel had said the lion of the tribe of Judah. I would imagine that John turns around expecting to see a lion. And this is the biggest plot twist of this entire moment in the book of Revelation is I think all of us reading it for the first time, not knowing what would come next, would expect a lion. But instead we're met with a lamb who had been clearly slain and slaughtered. And I think that that image can be such a reminder to us that Jesus didn't just overcome by conquering, he overcame all of evil in the world and restored humanity through sacrifice. The victory came through the cross. It came through Jesus being slain. And another thing I think to take note of is that everyone at that point is like, oh my gosh, they're singing praises of, you are so worthy. You're worthy, you're worthy. And it wasn't because Jesus is powerful or because he's famous or because he created the world. Like, obviously all of these things are true. But I think the reason why they were all going, oh my gosh, you are truly worthy. They specifically praise him, saying, you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. Jesus is worthy because he redeemed humanity through his sacrifice. That is why he's worthy, because he was the one that was actually able to sacrifice his life for him to die and be raised back to life, overcoming everything. And so, in conclusion, chapter four, major question that I think was definitely answered for us is, who is on the throne? And the answer was God, Father, AKA Dad. Okay, chapter five, overall question that I believe was answered to us well, okay, who is worthy to carry out God's plan? The Father's plan. And our answer was Jesus the Lamb. He is the only one who is worthy to carry out God's plan and was able to do it. All right, let's keep on moving. So chapter six. As I watched the lamb broke the first of the seven seals on the scroll. Then I heard one of the four living beings say with 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 rode out to win many battles and gain the victory. 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 war and slaughter everywhere. When the lamb broke the third seal, I heard the third living being say, come. 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 say, a loaf of wheat bread or three loaves of barley will cost a 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. I looked up and saw a horse whose color was pale green. Its rider was named Death, and his companion was the grave. These two were given authority over one fourth of the earth to kill with the sword in famine and disease and wild animals. When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of all who had been martyred for the word of God and for being faithful in their testimony. They shouted to the Lord and said, o sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you judge the people who belong to this world and avenge our blood for what they have done to us? Then a white robe was given to each of them, and 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. I watched 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 mountains and islands removed from their places. Then everyone, the kings of the earth, the rulers, the generals, the wealthy, the powerful, and every slave and free person 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 throne and. And from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come and who is able to survive? Then I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds so they do not blow on the earth or the sea, or even on any tree. And I saw another angel coming up from the east, carrying the seal of the living God. And he shouted to those four angels who had been given power to harm the land and sea. And he shouted to those four angels who had been given power to harm land and sea. Wait. Don't harm the land or the sea or the trees until we have placed the seal of God on the foreheads 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. From Judah, 12,000. From Reuben, 12,000. From Gad, 12,000. From Asher, 12,000. From Naphtali, 12,000. From Manasseh, 12,000. From Simeon, 12,000. From Levi, 12,000. From Issachar, 12,000. From Zebulun, 12,000. From Joseph, 12,000. And from Benjamin, 12,000. After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes and held palm branches in their hands. 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 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 worshiped God. They sang, amen. Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and strength belong to our God forever and ever. Amen. Then the One of the 24 elders asked me, who are these who are clothed in white? Where did they come from? And I said to him, sir, you are the one who knows. Then he said to me, these are the ones who died in the great tribulation. They have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb and made them white. This is why they stand in front of God's throne and serve him day and night in his temple. And he who 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. For the Lamb on the throne will be their shepherd. He will lead them into springs of life, giving water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Okay, that was chapters six and seven. And to be honest, we're doing pretty good on time, so I definitely think that we could continue to read more after this. But again, these chapters are filled with a lot. You guys, I know. How we doing? Okay, so chapter six, obviously, we saw Jesus opened the first six seals. Well, John. John had seen it, and now he's telling us about it. But the first four seals were the four horsemen. And each horse was a different color. And so the white horse, a rider, appears on a white horse with a bow and crown. Then there was the red horse. The rider is given power to take peace from the earth. So this is when war breaks out, violence increases, people turn against one another. And then the black horse, this horse represents famine and economic hardship. So food becomes scarce, basic necessities become expensive, and it paints a picture of instability and suffering on earth. And then when Jesus moves on to the fifth seal, that is when our focus is shifted to the martyrs, which were all the people who were killed for their faith. And they cry out to Jesus saying, how long, sovereign Lord? And this is not a cry of revenge, obviously. It's a cry for justice. So they're like Lord, when are you going to make this right? And God tells them to rest a little longer. And this just reminds us that God's timing is often different from ours. Then when Jesus undoes the sixth seal, a great earthquake happens, and the sun becomes dark. The moon appears to be red like blood, and the stars start to literally fall out of the sky. And then it looks as if the sky is literally being rolled up. This is crazy stuff. This is crazy. The imagery is obviously dramatic and symbolic of God's judgment and the shaking of everything people trust in. The biggest statement that could be very real when we are reading something like this is that nothing on earth is actually secure apart from God, because everything on earth was created by God. Then we see that the servants of God are sealed by him or marked. Right? The servants of God are marked with his seal. Okay? And in the ancient world at that time, a seal signified ownership, protection, and identity. And so I think the simple message here is, you belong to God. Then John sees something incredible. We're then moved to a scene where he sees a crowd of people that is far too large to count. Nobody can count. And these are people from every nation, tribe, every people, every language, okay, worldwide, standing before God's throne, which I think all of us could agree that it shows that the Gospel has reached the entire world. So God's family is obviously far bigger than any one culture, denomination, or country. And then I think we could. We could. I'm sure we could assume why they were wearing white. The only reason that their robes were white was because they were washed by the blood of the Lamb, which was stated in there. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. So obviously, the white robes symbolize cleansing, forgiveness, and righteousness. And they're not standing before God because they were perfect. They're standing there because they were redeemed by Jesus. And I'd say that's one of, if not my. My favorite paradox about the gospel. I think God just is a paradox. Like, two things can be so true about him at the same time, but they feel so contradicting. But my favorite paradox about the gospel is that it's actually his blood that removes stain that cleanses us and makes us as white as snow versus staining us, which is actually what blood typically does. The blood of Christ cleanses rather than stains. And that's just the coolest thing to me. And then we have a beautiful ending. The chapter ends with one of the most comforting promises in revelation, which is that God promises no more hunger, no more thirst, no more scorching heat. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. It's actually very generous that God reveals to us the truth of what will happen at the very end. God has never asked us to just have faith in however things end. Like he's revealed to us the ending he's revealed to us, well, one who's in control no matter what, which is him who sits on the throne, who's him who overcame the world and redeemed humanity, which is His Son Jesus Christ. And then he tells us that at the end of all of it, there will be no more hunger, there will be no more suffering, there will be no more crying. Like he will literally wipe away every tear from our eyes and there will be no more evil here at Christ with Coffee and Ice we obviously talk a lot about purpose here, about finding the path God has set for us. And when it comes to education, that path should lead to a future that matters. That's why when I heard about Grand Canyon University, I was so impressed. Because they are a private, nonprofit Christian university in beautiful Phoenix, Arizona that believes education shouldn't be a privilege, but an affordable path forward for everyone. GCU is grounded in Christian truth. They are working to empower the next generation to lead with integrity and serve with purpose. And they make it accessible. Did you know GCU has kept tuition at the same rate on its traditional campus for 17 years? Plus in 2025 alone, they awarded over $404 million in institutional scholarships. Whether you're looking for a degree on campus or online, find your purpose at GCU Private Christian, affordable nonprofit. Visit gcu.edu. learn more there are things in life that you probably don't want to be transparent, like your swimsuit or maybe some of your chat history. When it comes to your wireless bill, transparency is everything. That's why Mint Mobile's wireless plans have no gimmicks and no gotchas, just high speed data and reliable coverage on the T Mobile 5G network. Actually, fun fact. My sister loves it. She has reception in areas that she usually doesn't and she's actually currently trying to get me to switch over. You can even bring your current phone and your number. Choose from 3, 6 or 12 month plans and say goodbye to a monthly bill. Ditch overpriced wireless with Mint Mobile to get your new wireless Plan for just 15 bucks a month, go to mint mobile.com CWCOI that's mintmobile.com CWCO I cut your wireless bill to 15 bucks a month at mintmobile.com CWCOI upfront payment of $45 for three months, $90 for six months, or 180 for 12 months. Plan required, $15 per month. Equivalent taxes and fees. Extra initial plan term only. Greater than 50 gigabytes. May be slow when the network is busy. Includes up to 20 gigabyte hotspot capable. Device required. Availability, speed and coverage varies. See Mint mobile.com Chapter 6 definitely shows us that judgment is real. And that day is very much real. It's very much happening. Evil will not reign forever. And every earthly source of, like, stability or comfort will eventually fail. I mean, the stars were literally falling out of the sky. The moon had turned blood red. Earthquakes were happening. Like, any. Anything of stability that we could find here on Earth in that time, no more. So I think the question at the end of chapter six is, who can stand? Who can withstand the day of judgment? Who can withstand before God? Like, even the verse where they were taught where it was mentioned that the people of power, you know, were trying to hide in caves, and they were like, please. They were talking to the mountains. They're like, please hide us from the One who sits on the throne. Like, no, we can't face Him. It's like, who. Who can actually stand against God before the Holy One? Spoiler. Nobody. Not you, not I, no one. That day will come where every knee will bow. And then chapter 7 answers the of just who actually belongs to the Lamb. Not because they're strong enough, not because they're good enough, but because Jesus has made them his own and he's cleansed them with his blood. And I think the truth of all of this, too, is, like, the safest place to be. Y', all, in all of this would be with the Lamb, who sits at the center of the throne with God himself. That's where we're safest, is with Jesus. Like, our souls, our future, our purpose, it's in our salvation. That is where we are the safest. All right, everybody. How are we. Is everybody hanging in there? Are we doing good? Hey, it's all right. It's all right if we're overwhelmed, but I'm. I'm hoping that at least the little side notes that I'm bringing today is helping a little bit. But this book is a book that definitely can be intimidating, especially where we get to the parts where it feels kind of crazy. Okay, we're going to move on to chapter eight. So chapter eight, verse one. The Lamb breaks the seventh seal. So 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. 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 incense mixed with the prayers of God's holy people ascended up to God from the altar where the angel had poured them out. Then the angel filled the incense burner with fire from the altar and. 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. The first angel blew his trumpet, and hail and fire mixed with blood were thrown down on the earth. One third of the earth was set on fire. One third of the trees were burned, and all the green grass was burned. 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 all the ships on the sea were destroyed. 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 was bitterness. It made one third of the water bitter. And many people died from drinking the bitter water. Then the fourth angel blew his trumpet, and one third of the sun was struck, and one third of the moon and one third of the stars. And they became dark, and one third of the day was dark, and also one third of the night. Then I looked, and I heard a single eagle crying loudly 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. 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 Loctus came from the smoke and descended on the earth. And they were given power to sting like scorpions. They were told not to harm the grass or the plants or trees, but only the people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. They were told not to kill them, but to torture them for five months with pain like the pain of a scorpion sting. In those days. People will seek death but will not find it. They will long to die, 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 battle. They had tails that stung like scorpions. And for five months, they had the power to torment people. Their king is the angel from the bottomless pit. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollon the destroyer. The first terror is past. But look, two more terrors are coming. Let's actually take a moment. Okay, let's take a second. Obviously, this week's episode is a little heavier because we're just getting into the realness of what life looks like when all is said and done and Jesus comes back and this all happens. I think the truth of. I'm. I'm just gonna be honest. Like, my thought pattern with reading this is, like, that sounds awful and a bit harsh. Like, I think, like, our instinct would be like, oh, my gosh, Lord, how could you even bear, like, seeing these people tortured and tormented like this? Okay. And the truth is, is, like, right before chapter nine, we had seen God claim all of his people and seal them and say, these are my people. They're safe and sound. They're with me. And then we're kind of shown the other side of the coin of the people who he does not stamp. And these are not people that God just simply rejected, because I don't believe that God rejects anybody. The only way anybody would be in this position, and these people are in this position is because they rejected God and refused to acknowledge him, to have a relationship with him, and they chose to live in this life without Him. And. And I believe that these people had plenty of opportunities to know God. But these are the kind of people who just looked him in the face and said no and continued to choose evil. And so this chapter is pretty disturbing for me to read, at least. And the way that these, like, insects are being described to us, how they have, like, faces of humans and they have hair like women, they have long hair and they have teeth like lion. And also I had read that most scholars believe this imagery points to demonic or spiritual forces rather than, like, literal insects. Whichever way it sounds like these people are being tortured by demons, because that's what they chose. They didn't choose God. And so the opposite of light is darkness, and darkness is the demonic. And so they are being tortured by these demons. And they. It also had said that these people actually had wished like they wished that death was an option, but they couldn't die. So they're just being straight up tortured by these demons for five months. So these demonic forces, spirits, bugs, insects, however you want to categorize them, they were told not to harm the grass or the earth or any plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. So the people being tormented are described as those who do not belong to God, those without God's seal. Earlier, in Revelation 7, God's people were sealed and marked as belonging to him. The torment lasts five months and is described as being so severe that people long for death but cannot find it. This is allowed to feel heavy because it is. And it's the reality of the consequences of denying God. And I think that the truth is, like, I think a lot of us are just going to struggle reading something like this because one theme throughout Revelation is that judgment isn't merely punishment. It's also meant to expose the true nature of sin and rebellion. The chapter ends with a surprising statement. After all these terrifying events, many people still refuse to repent. Isn't that insane? We actually haven't even read entire this. That wasn't even entirely chapter nine. But the next part that we're going to read is the sixth trumpet brings a second terror, which means that people watched this happen, still probably having an opportunity to repent and accept God and say, oh my gosh, they still rejected God after the five months of being tortured. We're now seeing that even in that these people would rather wish that they could just simply die to relieve themselves from the torture than to accept God. So they go through all of this and believe it or not, you'd think at that point, right, you'd be like, all right, God, I'm sorry, I surrender. I'm a sinner. I love you. Like, what have I been doing? Choosing anything but you. Because this is the reality of what life is without God, without light, which is who he is. Without love, without good, what you're left with is evil, darkness, torture, demonic demons. So after all these terrifying events, many people still refuse to repent. So John writes that they did not turn from idolatry, murder, sorcery, sexual immorality and theft. So it sounds like God, even up until this point, is actually still giving people the chance to turn from their evil. And they're not this Is what I'm gonna say. I don't think that these people are simply just people. This is just Ali talking, okay? Take it or leave it. I'm not. Again, I'm not saying I'm a scholar, but what I'm saying is I believe that our God is merciful. He is loving, he is kind. And I believe that he gives us a bajillion chances to accept him as our creator, right? And so I believe even literally, as the world is ending, God is still giving people a chance to accept him, and they're still not okay? So I think that the people that are left. I mean, we're gonna keep reading this after. These terrors are like the most evil, selfish, gross. Like, they are evil through and through. Because the fact that they could sit through that kind of torture and still deny God and say, no, I don't care. I'm still gonna choose my adultery. I'm still gonna choose murder. I'm still gonna choose sorcery, witchcraft, the things of this world, right? Worshipping the universe. I'm still going to live in sexual immorality. I'm still a thief. I'm not repenting for any of that. I don't care. I'm still choosing myself. I'm still choosing evil. I'm not choosing you, God. I'm just like, what more. What more could you actually ask of God at that point? He's given them a chance, probably for the entirety of their life for them to choose Him. They didn't. Now we're at the end times. We're at the end of all of it. And. And they're getting a taste of what evil, like pure, like evil. Him, God being completely removed from the equation. They're getting a taste of what that is like, and they still refuse to repent and accept God as their Father. It's crazy. I don't believe this is a moment where we get. We look at God and we go, oh, my gosh, God, how could you be so harsh? It's like, no, actually, we look at this and we go, oh, my gosh, how could you be so stubborn? Do you understand your fate if you continue to choose yourself and choose evil? That's the truth here. All right, moving on. This is still chapter nine, but we're in verse 13. So then the sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I 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 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 and month and year were turned loose to kill one third of all the people on Earth. I heard the size of their army, which was 200 million mounted troops. And in my vision I saw the 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. 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. Their power was in their mouth and in their tails, for their tails had heads like snakes, with the power to injure people. But the people who did not die in these plagues still refused to repent of their evil deeds and turn to God. They continued to worship demons and idols made of gold, silver, bronze, stone 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 or their thefts. Okay, moving on to chapter 10. Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven surrounded by a cloud with a rainbow over his head. His face shone like the sun and his feet were like pillars of fire. And in his hand was a small scroll that had been opened. He stood with his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, and he gave a great shout like a roar of a lion. And when he shouted, the Seven Thunders answered. When the Seven Thunders spoke, I was about to write, but I heard a voice from heaven saying, keep secret what the Seven Thunders said. Do not write it down. Then the angel I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand toward heaven. He swore an oath in the name of the one who lives forever and ever, who created the heavens and everything in them. The earth and everything in it, and the sea and everything in it. He said, there will be no more delay. When the seventh angel blows his trumpet, God's mysterious plan will be fulfilled. 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 open scroll from the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land. So I went to the angel and told him to give me the small scroll. 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, 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. Okay, so I do think that chapter 10 is the last chapter we're going to read for today. But I will say that chapter 10 did give us a bit of a pause in the middle of all the trumpets and judgment felt a little less intense after the intensity of chapters 8 and 9. God essentially interrupts the action to remind John and us that this isn't ultimately a story about destruction. It's a story about God's purposes being fulfilled and his message continuing to go out. So the little scroll that the angel was holding, that was already opened, and then John was told to take it from the angel and eat it. That part's a little crazy, huh? And how it was actually sweet as honey when he first put it in his mouth. And then when he swallowed it, it became sour. Apparently this image is actually, it actually comes from the book of Ezekiel. I just learned this where the prophet is also told to eat God's message before proclaiming it. So why is it sweet? I would imagine that it was sweet because God's word is sweet. Knowing God is sweet. God is sweet. His truth is sweet. His promises are sweet. Salvation, the gospel, it's sweet. But then the part where he swallows it and it becomes bitter. I think this could be because God's message also includes judgment, repentance, human rebellion, and the reality that not everyone will respond. And that's what we're seeing here. So I just think a lot of times as Christians, maybe we really enjoy the sweet parts of the gospel without also remembering that there are some bitter parts, which is just the reality of, like, that we truly are so sinful and we're dirty and we, we, we actually deserve judgment from God and we need to repent. And just like the, the, the reality that in our human nature we just want to rebel. And I think the other truth of this too is like, yeah, the reality that not everyone will actually respond. And that's what we're seeing in chapters 9 and 10 especially is people still refused to accept the truth of who God was and accept the truth of who they were, that they were actually evil. So I think this message obviously can be very beautiful. But also I think it's okay that we're, if we're feeling a little heartbreak over this. It's also a really hard pill to swallow, no pun intended, I guess. But we can rejoice over God's truth while grieving over a world that rejects it. And I think that's the truth of like really seeing these chapters for what it is. And I think that's the sweetness and the bitterness that John is experiencing in this moment. And then the final command again, I just think this is in God's mercy. The final command that God gives John at the end of chapter 10 is that or the angel does. But whatever it's God through the angel is, they said you must prophesy again about many peoples nations, languages and kings. In other words, John, you're not done. So I've shown you this vision, I've shown you all of this, but you're not done yet. You need to continue to go out into the world. And so after everything that he's now seen, which I don't know how he'd ever be the same after seeing stuff like this. But his assignment has not changed. It remains the same. Keep proclaiming God's message is what God is telling him. Now. Revelation 10. I think another really good takeaway from this is it reminds us before God calls us to speak. His message is to physically consume it, to consume it ourselves. And I think that's what we were obviously seeing in the act of John eating it and swallowing it. I think that's an encouragement to all of us. And John doesn't merely just read the scroll, he literally eats it. Right? So God's truth has to move from information in our heads to something that becomes part of who we are. We eat it, we swallow it. It's in us, it's living in us. And when it does, oh, this statement is so real. And this is actually a lot of what we've been discussing on the podcast as of lately, is that when we do consume ourselves with Jesus, the truth of who he is, the gospel, the truth of the fact that this is who we are without him. We are rebellious, we are evil, we want to just live life our own way, be our own gods, do things our way. Instead of trusting that God knows best for us, trusting that actually partnering with God isn't limiting, but it's actually freedom. What's the verse that says, wherever the Spirit of God is, there is freedom. And it's like as long as we resist God and his spirit, we are not free. So once we accept that truth, there is so much sweetness when discovering the truth of Jesus, but it can often be sweet and bitter at the same time. Our journey with Jesus, like realizing the truth of what this world is and what it looks like without Jesus and what it looks like with Jesus and what we look like without Jesus and what we look like with Jesus, that there are times that we feel so, so, so favored by God. And then there's other times where we feel like we are being stripped freaking raw, where we are being stripped beyond by God, and it's painful. And maybe another perspective of the sweet and bitter too, is like, sweet because of his goodness, grace and promises, but bitter because we live in a broken world and carry a message that many people actually reject and they don't want anything to do with. And so I think that could be the very thing that we focus on the most, especially coming out of chapter 10, is that maybe it's less about the End times events and more about the calling of God's people to faithfully receive and proclaim his word until his plans are complete. The best thing that we could do also is just pray for the hearts of the people who are blind to Jesus. There were a lot of people, and I know this because I've received comments and I've. I've even actually encountered a couple people, like, in person who have told me that they were praying for me. You know, if you don't really know my story, I've told it a lot on this podcast, and I talk about it in my book that's coming out in a few months, Secrets, Secrets. I'm making the big announcement in August, so you guys will see it soon. But I've actually physically met people and read messages and DMs of people who said that they had just seen something in me and were praying for me to actually genuinely give my life to Jesus and encounter his spirit and know Him. And here I am. And I still, to this day, I genuinely believe that it is because of Jesus and it's because of the prayers of those people that I'm here today. And so I really think what we need to continue to do as believers is intercede for the world, intercede for the people who do not know the truth of who Jesus is and how unbelievably fulfilled, loved, made whole they will be if they just came to that truth. And we're willing to just give Jesus a chance, you know, And I think that that's unfortunately, what we're seeing in revelation is it's so sad because there will be people who are given chance after chance after chance after chance. Even with seeing all that's happening in the end Times, they still deny Jesus. But, like, we just gotta pray for the World, y'. All. We gotta pray for those who do not know and for the people who actually, genuinely would really enjoy Jesus if they just knew the truth. You know, I. I do believe that the people who are left at the end of all of it are just straight up, just evil, evil, selfish people. But let's. Let's pray for the people who actually, genuinely would consider Jesus if they just knew the truth about who he was. Hey, I love you guys. Thanks for hanging in there with me for this episode. Let me know what you thought. Let me know what you think. Big episodes these last couple weeks. Okay. Big book of Revelation. And, I don't know, we could keep reading it if you'd like. We could jump around and maybe do something different next week if we want to keep it light, but I don't know, it's really up to you guys. Whatever you'd like. I do enjoy it because I don't think I've ever read the book of Revelation front to back. So it would be cool to continue to do that with you guys. But just let me know what you think. I love you. I'm really proud of you guys. Thank you for being here. Hey, before we go, actually, could we just do something really cool? Can we show somebody how cool Jesus is? Can we walk more like him, talk more like him, be more like Jesus today? I love you all. Happy Friday. I hope you have the best weekend ever. I hope that it's restful. I hope that you're able to spend some really sweet time with Jesus and just the people that you love. I'm pretty sure it's the Fourth of July weekend. I hope you have popsicles and you see really pretty fireworks and you wear red, white and blue. If you're in America at least. We do actually have quite a lot of listeners from, like, Australia and Europe and, yeah, the uk. You guys rock. Love you. I know you're there. South Africa, it's so cool. So. But for the Americans. Happy fourth of July. I love you guys. Same time, same place next week? I'll see you guys there. Bye. This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Do you ever find yourself playing the budgeting game? Well, with the name your price tool from Progressive, you can find options that fit your budget and potentially lower your bills. Try it@progressive.com Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates Price and coverage match limited by state law. Not available in all states. You want to get your backyard summer ready, but you don't want to break the bank. Wayfair gets it. Planning on dining Al fresco or relaxing poolside, Wayfair has everything you need to prep your space. Shop now and save up to 70% off during Wayfair's 4th of July clearance. Score huge deals on outdoor furniture, area rugs, and more. We're talking thousands of products for every style and budget, plus surprise flash deals. July 6th don't wait. Shop Wayfair's 4th of July clearance now through July 6th at Wayfair.com Wayfair every style, every home.