The TakeAway
The Takeaway
with Pastor Harry Behrens
www.thetakeaway.faith
The Takeaway is a verse-by-verse teaching podcast devoted to helping believers see the glory of God revealed through His Word. Hosted by Pastor Harry Behrens, each episode walks carefully through Scripture—unpacking the command that confronts us, the revelation that exposes us, the grace that rescues us, and the glory that transforms us.
Rooted in expository teaching and a deep reliance on God’s sovereignty, The Takeaway invites listeners to slow down, look closely at the biblical text, and discover how every passage points us to the life found only in Jesus Christ. Whether studying the Gospel of John, exploring the riches of Ephesians, or engaging challenging theological questions, each message is designed to bring clarity, conviction, and encouragement for everyday faith.
If your desire is to grow in your understanding of God, deepen your walk with Christ, and learn how Scripture shapes real life, this podcast will help you take the next step.
The TakeAway
Revelation 19 The wedding Feast
In this episode we’ll be looking at Revelation chapter 19 to see that this is the climax from the previous chapters in Gods judgments. The worship and rejoicing in heaven at this point will be unprecedented to anything else we have seen so far. Evil is destroyed and the lords kingdom has come. This is something we should all be looking forward to and excited about as this leads up to the wedding feast in Heaven.
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Please visit www.chosenbydesign.net for more information on Pastor Harry’s new book, "Chosen By Design - God’s Purpose for Your Life."
Hello, and welcome to the Takeaway, where we teach through the Bible, chapter by chapter and verse by verse, to help you understand God's Word so that you can have a more intimate relationship with Jesus, our Lord and Savior.
SPEAKER_00:Hello, welcome again to the takeaway. I'm your host, Pastor Harry Barrens, and in today's episode, we're going to be looking at Revelation chapter 19 to see that this is the climax from the previous chapters in God's judgments. In chapter 18, we saw the merchants of the world weeping over the fall of Babylon, and now we will see heaven rejoicing over her fall. The worship and rejoicing in heaven at this point will be unprecedented to anything else we have ever seen. Evil is destroyed and the Lord's kingdom has come. This is something we should all be looking forward to and excited about as this leads up to the wedding feast in heaven. If you are married, then you know the excitement of that special day and the memories you have from it. But the marriage feast in heaven will be our spiritual wedding, unlike anything we have ever experienced. In verses one to five, we read, After these things, I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven saying, Hallelujah, salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God, for true and righteous are his judgments, because he has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication, and he has avenged on her the blood of his servants shed by her. Again they said, Alleluia. Her smoke rises up forever and ever. And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshipped God, who sat on the throne, saying, Amen, Alleluia. Then a voice came from the throne saying, Praise our God, all you his servants, and those who fear him, both small and great. The word Alleluia is found in this chapter four times and nowhere else in the New Testament. In Hebrew, it means praise the Lord. It is an encouragement and exhortation to praise the Lord. This is not a word we should take lightly, and it deserves thought and intention when being used as it embodies the blessedness of heaven. The focus here is completely on Jesus and his perfect judgment against a wicked world and the setting up of his kingdom. To say Alleluia is to give him all of the glory, honor, and power. It removes the focus off of us and on to him. In verse two, we see that all who have been martyred by this wicked system have now been avenged and their prayers answered. In verse three, we see the smoke of the great harlot rising forever. This is to indicate that there will never be another system like this ever again. Just as we saw that Babylon was never to be rebuilt ever again, as we see in Isaiah 13, 20 to 22. Babylon will never rise again. Generation after generation will come and go, but the land will never again be lived in. In verse 4, we see the same 24 elders that we saw back in chapter 4 when John was called up in the heaven. But notice here, they say Amen with an exclamation point and Alleluia with an exclamation point. To say Amen means to say, so be it, which means you agree with the testimony or statement made, and that you are aligned with the statement as if it's yours. For these elders to be saying this now indicates a completion of works that they agree with, and by saying Alleluia, they celebrate and give glory to the one who completed those works. In verse 5, a voice, most likely an angel, comes from the throne of God and commands both small and great to praise God. Can you say amen to that? Do you find great joy in these statements, or does the idea of thinking about all this scare you? There are many believers living in this world who avoid thinking about these events because to them it reminds them of all they will lose instead of what they will gain. There's no simple way to put this, but if that's the case, then you, my friend, are holding on to the very things Jesus says to let go and come out of. This world has a strong grip on a great many people, but we have been set free, and it's about time we start living that way. When people around us see us living free from the bondage of this world, they will desire to know how we achieve that freedom. It's our freedom that sets us apart and relieves us from stress, worry, and fear. When we live in this way that the world can see, they will glorify our Father in heaven. First Peter two twelve. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. John thirteen, thirty-five. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. Take some time today to evaluate if the idea of going to heaven scares you or encourages you. If it in any way it brings the thought of what you will lose instead of what you will gain, then ask God to help you release that, so that you may enter into the joy of the Lord. It's the things of this world that will hold you back from truly knowing God the way he desires. Verses six to eight we read, and I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters, and as the sound of mighty thundering, saying, Hallelujah, for the Lord God omnipotent reigns. Let us be glad and rejoice and give glory and give him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his wife has made herself ready, and to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. There will be no greater celebration than this. We should all have our hearts set on it, just as a bride looking forward to her wedding day. This will be our wedding day with Jesus, as the church is the bride of Christ, and we will be celebrating with him. Ephesians 5, 22 to 33 reads, Wives, submit to your own husbands as to the Lord, for the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church, and he is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for her, that he might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that he might present her to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she might that she should be holy and without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This is a great mystery. But I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless, let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. If you are a believer in Jesus, then you are a part of the bride, and as such, we should prepare ourselves as a bride prepares for her husband on the wedding day. We are to separate ourselves from the world and live to exalt Jesus above all else. We saw in Revelation chapter 17 the great harlot that represented false religion and how to identify it. We are not to live as the harlot doing what we think is right in our own eyes, but living to please God in the ways he says pleases him. A wife aligns her desires with her husband's, and the two become one flesh, and that's how we're to be with God. John chapter ten, verses twenty-two to thirty. Now it was the feast of dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter, and Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch. Then the Jews surrounded him and said to him, How long do you keep us in doubt? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly. Jesus answered them, I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me, but you do not believe, because you are not of my sheep. As I said to you, My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me, and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. Neither shall any one snatch them out of my hand. My father who has given them to me is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of my father's hand. I and my father are one. Jesus said, He and the Father are one, indicating they are the same. We are to see ourselves as one with Jesus and act according to his spirit that dwells in us. When we don't do that, we are no different than a harlot. But a wife dresses up in fine linen to prepare for her husband, and as such, we could do the same. In verse eight, it says clearly that our fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. So it's our righteous acts that are done by the working and power of the Holy Spirit in us to glorify Jesus that clothes us. To accomplish this, all we have to do is submit our lives to Him, and He promises to give us His Spirit that will do the works that point to Him. John 14, 15 to 21. If you love me, keep my commandments, and I will ask the Father, and He will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever, the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him because it neither sees him nor knows him, but you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans. I will come to you before long. The world will not see me anymore, but you will see me because I live. You also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in the Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commandments and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my father, and I too will love them and show myself to them. Second Corinthians 11 2, for I am jealous for you with godly jealousy, for I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chast virgin to Christ. This makes it abundantly clear that the church is Christ's bride, and he is coming to claim us and present us to the Father. Until that time we are to live as he lived, and in so doing we clothe ourselves in his righteousness. Verse eight makes it very clear that our works are what clothe us in fine linen. It's not to say that our works save us, but we are rewarded by our works. Our works are the thing that show we have faith in Jesus and that he lives in us. James 2, 17 to 20. Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, You have faith, and I have works. Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God, you do well. Moving on to verse nine. Then he said to me, Write, Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he said to me, These are the true sayings of God. Jesus told us that he was going away to prepare a place for us, and that he would come and get us when the time was right. When he does, this will be one of, if not the first, experience we have with him in heaven. How great and marvelous is that. Like I said before, we are to be looking forward to this day and rejoicing that this is a promise given to those who live in Christ. John fourteen, one through six. Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me. In my father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you, I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself, that where I am, there you may be also, and where I go you know, and the way you know. Thomas said to him, Lord, we do not know where you are going, and how can we know the way? Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. Verse ten, and I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, See that you do not do that. I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who had the testimony of Jesus. Worship God, for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. It's hard to say why John fell at the feet of this angel to worship him, knowing that he should never do that. Only God deserves worship, and this angel makes it clear. John would have known this and most likely was consumed by what he was seeing, and his emotions got the best of him. We too have to remember never to bow down to anyone or anything other than God. When we do, it is an act of worship. Psalm 95, 6. Oh come, let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. Now, the big question is, what do we bow down to in our hearts and minds? We may not worship with purposeful intent, but there are many things that capture our hearts in this world. Have you ever been in the presence of someone extremely wealthy or famous? It's hard not to elevate them because we see them as someone who has attained that which we can't. The problem with that is they have actually attained that which we shouldn't desire. We need to check ourselves constantly and ask, What do I truly desire? Jesus said in Matthew 6, 19 to 23, Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. He makes it clear that the things we treasure show us where our hearts truly are. So again, what do you treasure? Do you treasure the things of God? Or do you treasure the things of this world? A great way to tell is in how you prioritize your life. Where does reading your Bible rank against watching TV? What about prayer or fellowship with other believers? Here's a big one. What about sports? I know many Christians that can't wait to get out of church to catch a game or maybe not even come at all. They elevate sports to a place of worship because they place it before God's desires. It's a slippery slope when we start down that path. It becomes easier and easier to please ourselves, and before we know it, we are completely lost and broken. God does not desire that for us and instead wants us focused on Him. And in that place, He promises to fill us with His joy. Go read Matthew 25 for an example of this. From the world's point of view, it looks like living for God is dull and boring. But from the one who is in God's will, he is filled with a joy that can't be explained. It is a joy that is lasting and doesn't fade with time, like the joy we get with a new toy or experience. The world's joy needs to be replenished, where the Lord's joy is everlasting. All we have to do is live with him and for him. Take a step of faith today and trust that the Lord will fill you with his joy when you walk away from the things that are taking you away from him. I personally walked away from worldly idols nearly 20 years ago, and I remember praying to God and saying that if he didn't replace the joy I received from those idols, that I would find myself running back to them. I recognized the stronghold they had on me, just like any addiction. The difference was I didn't wait to get myself right before I approached God. I approached God trusting that he would heal me and fill me with his joy. Needless to say, I have never looked back. He was faithful to fill me with a greater joy that has never faded. John chapter six, sixty-seven to sixty-eight. Then Jesus said to the twelve, Do you also want to go away? But Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Now moving on to verses eleven to sixteen. Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on him was called faithful and true, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and his name is called the Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed him on white horses. Now out of his mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it he should strike the nations, and he himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He himself treads the wine press of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he has on his robe and on his thigh a name written, King of Kings and Lord of Lords. What a beautiful picture of our Lord Jesus. Everything that we have read in this book up to this point has led to this. This is truly the revelation of Jesus Christ. Back in chapter one, we received an introduction to King Jesus and a description of him, the eyes like fire that pierce the heart, the many crowns showing his authority and power, and the sharp two-edged sword that proceeds from his mouth, indicating that he that his word cuts to the heart. But now we are given further description as we see Jesus coming to set up his kingdom and destroy the wickedness of this world. He comes on a white horse, indicating honor, power, and speed, and the fact that it's white indicates victory. He is called faithful and true, showing that he is the keeper of promises, including his promise to judge. His robe dipped in blood could indicate one of two possibilities. One is that this is the blood of his enemies, and that he alone is the one that judges and destroys them in the wine press of God. Just as any executioner would no doubt get the blood of their victim on them, so does Jesus, indicating that his judgment is righteous and true, and that he has authority to carry it out. The second is that this is his blood that he spilled for our salvation. This would be the evidence that innocent blood was spilled for the sin of this world, and that by rejecting it, they have brought judgment upon themselves. In either case, it points to the fact that he is just in his judgments and payment is due, and the cost is blood. Psalm two, seven and nine. I will declare the decree. Ask of me, and I will give you the nations for your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron, you shall dash them to pieces like a potter's vessel. To rule with a rod of iron tells us that there are harsh judgments for falling out of line. We know that God pours out grace and gives many opportunities to repent and get right with him. But that does not mean he won't eventually deal with those who have broken his commands. It just means that when he does, he will deal with them thoroughly and completely. Now the biggest difference of Jesus here versus anywhere else in Scripture is that the armies of heaven are with him. This is not any army of angels. This is his bride, as was just described to us in the previous verses. Notice that they are clothed in fine linen, white and clean. Angels may very well be clothed in white as well. But notice that it states they are clean, indicating that they were filthy and have been made clean. Angels were never filthy. We are. Revelation seven thirteen to fourteen. Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, Who are these arrayed in white robes? And where did they come from? And I said to him, Sir, you know. So he said to me, These are the ones who came out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. And first John one to seven, uh chapter one, verse seven. But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his son, cleanses us from all sin. This army is his bride, and we return with him on white horses just as he is, showing that we are indeed errors with him. Romans chapter 8 verse 17. And if children, then errors, errors of God and fellow errors with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. We are also with him because we will be with him for eternity as his bride. Once a woman marries her husband, they do everything together. She goes where he goes and cares about what he does also. At least that's what a healthy marriage should look like. They become united in their efforts, beliefs and goals. As the bride of Christ we will be with him to serve him as a wife serves a husband. We will have his authority just as he has the fathers. It will be in perfect unity with him and not in service under him. The fact that we come back on white horses just as he does shows that we have suffered with him and are now going to rule with him. This is similar to someone who lives in poverty and marries into royalty. In an instance they are elevated to royalty and have all the same authority and privilege as the rest of the royal family. They are not a lesser version of royalty. They are considered the same and everyone outside the royal family has to show them the same respect. I can't stress enough that we are already the bride of Christ and we are heirs to the kingdom of God. We just haven't entered into the wedding yet to complete our entrance into royalty. We are still suffering as he suffered and our role while on earth is to continue his ministry that he left with us. Matthew chapter twenty eight verses eighteen to twenty and Jesus came and spoke to them saying all authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth go therefore make disciples of all the nations baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you and lo, I am with you always even to the end of the age. Amen. When a husband goes on a long trip or off to war, the wife has to step in to do what her husband did while he was there. She now has to do double duty to take care of the kids, work a job, clean the house and cut the lawn. This is the state we are currently in waiting for our Lord to return. In the Jewish culture a woman is betrothed to a man but before they consummate the marriage he must go off to prepare a place for them to live. Just as we saw in John 14 when Jesus said he was going to prepare a place for us. But he also said he would return to gather us to himself. Again in the Jewish culture the wife to be never knew when her husband was coming to get her. She had to always be ready as it could be at any time day or night we see a picture of this in Matthew twenty five in the parable of the ten virgins then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them but the wise took oil in their vessels with the lamps but while the bridegroom was delayed they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight a cry was heard Behold the bridegroom is coming go out to meet him then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps and the foolish said to the wise Give us some of your oil for our lamps are going out but the wise answered saying No, lest there should be not enough for us and you, but go rather to those who sell and buy for yourselves and while they went to buy the bridegroom came and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also saying Lord, Lord open to us but he answered and said As surely I say to you I do not know you watch therefore for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of man is coming. The culture Jesus was speaking to would have understood this completely. From that point forward we will forever be with him. When he comes back we will be with him when he creates a new heavens and earth we will be with him. We will never have to wait on him ever again wondering when he will return we will be with him for eternity right there by his side enjoying everything that he delights in. If that doesn't excite you then you my friend don't know the Lord the way you should and the way to do that is to love what he loves. Be about his business and not yours. Trim your lamp and be ready for him when he comes for we know neither the day nor the hour Matthew twenty four thirty six but concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the sun, but the Father only Verses seventeen to twenty one Then I saw an angel standing in the sun and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, come and gather together for the supper of the great God, that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people free enslaved, both small and great and I saw the beast, the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against him who sat on the horse and against his army. Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshipped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone, and the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of him who sat on the horse and all the birds were filled with their flesh. Throughout our study of Revelation I have pointed out that John jumps back and forth in the timeline of events. The reason for this is perspective. And once again in these verses we are seeing a more detailed picture of an event that was already presented to us multiple times. In each instance John does this there is a different point of view that he wants us to capture. In Revelation 14 John jumps ahead to show Jesus reaping the earth with a sickle to gather the wicked for judgment and the great winepress of God's wrath. The perspective here is that Jesus is the one gathering them and not that they are coming to fight him. We see the heavenly events that drive the earthly ones Revelation 1419 so the angel thrust his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. In Revelation 16 the perspective given to us is that of the events taking place on earth that lead up to the winepress of God's wrath. In the bold judgments we see exactly what is happening on earth as a result of the heavenly events Revelation 1619 and great Babylon was remembered before God to give her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. Now in chapter 19 the perspective is that we are coming back with Jesus. All three chapters are covering the same event from a different perspective but this chapter shows us exactly what it will look like and how it will go down. This will not be a battle where both sides trade attacks this will be very much one sided all Jesus has to do is speak a word. Verse 21 and the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of him who sat on the horse and all the birds were filled with their flesh we are nothing more than spectators for this battle as vengeance belongs to the Lord and not us. Romans 1219 Beloved do not avenge yourselves but rather give place to wrath for it is written Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord as the bride of Christ he does not desire that we have blood on our hands. We are not to fight the battles that are clearly his instead we are to live in purity and preparation for him. This lifestyle leads to suffering because we are vulnerable in this state but that's exactly how Jesus lived on this earth and how he wants us to represent him when we take things into our own hands our emotions take control and we become the judge instead of God. He is the lawgiver and the judge of that law he will deal with all wickedness in his timing and it will be just and righteous. Do you take matters into your own hands? How does that work for you? One of the reasons we tend to take matters into our own hands is pride. The idea that we will just let someone run all over us and get away with it is crazy. There must be immediate punishment and if not I will be the punisher. When we do this we take from God what is his and in turn we are making ourselves out to be God. That brings us right back to the original sin that we inherited in Genesis 3 4 then the serpent said to the woman you will not surely die for God knows that in that day you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God knowing good and evil there it is the root of all our problems man's issue is that from the very beginning we desire to be like God that was Satan's issue and he deceived Eve the bride of Adam to believe the same thing to this day he continues to deceive us the bride of Christ into thinking the same thing. Did God really say whenever we question whether God really said or really meant something we are falling for the same line Adam and Eve did. If you have ever wondered whether you would have fallen for the same trick there's your answer we have all fallen for it at one point or another every time you took from God what was his you fell for the lie. The only way to gain wisdom is to know God's word just as Jesus did so that we can refute the lie with the words of God. The only way to know the word is to start reading it and studying it. Get into a Bible teaching church find a mentor someone that is well versed in the word of God and question everything. Never stop seeking truth and do everything you can to separate yourself from this world and live in purity for him. Do not take revenge into your own hands and instead love your enemies and allow God to be glorified in your life Romans 12 9 to 21 let love be without hypocrisy abhor what is evil cling to what is good be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love and honor giving preference to one another not lagging in diligence fervent in spirit serving the Lord rejoicing in hope patient in tribulation continually steadfastly in prayer distributing to the needs of the saints given to hospitality bless those who persecute you bless and do not curse rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another do not set your mind on high things but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible as much as depends on you live peaceably with all men. Beloved do not avenge yourselves but rather give place to wrath for it is written Vengeance is mine I will repay says the Lord therefore if your enemy is hungry feed him if he is thirsty give him a drink for in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good let's pray Father thank you again once once again for your revelation for your word and for your truth to give us understanding that we may better know how to have a relationship with you to live like you to purify ourselves for you Jesus to prepare ourselves for the wedding feast that we may be ready for your coming I pray this for our listeners today God that they will trim their lamp that they will be ready looking for you God doing good works to glorify you and honor you so that they may be clothed in fine linen in heaven God we love you so much and we thank you that you give us these words so that we can prepare ourselves so that we can know how to prepare ourselves. We ask you to fill us with the Holy Spirit to strengthen us. We are nothing but empty vessels Lord and all the good works that we do are your works not ours we are just a vessel being used by you Jesus so glorify yourself in us. Prepare us for that great and wonderful day that we'll be with you in heaven and forever. We love you and we thank you Jesus in your name we pray. Amen I want to thank you for joining us today and I hope this message helped you take a step closer in your relationship with Jesus and that you have a better understanding for just how much God loves you and wants you to know him. And before we wrap this up I want to point out one more thing. In verse 17 we saw an angel standing in the sun that is most likely brighter than the sun as he is seen standing in it. He calls the birds of the earth to come feast on the flesh of all the mighty men of the earth that were killed by God's wrath. We see this exact same description in Ezekiel 39 to 17 And as for you son of man thus says the Lord God speak to every sort of bird and to every beast of the field assemble yourselves and come, gather together from all sides to my sacrificial meal, which I am sacrificing for you, a great sacrificial meal in the mountains of Israel, that you may eat flesh and drink blood. You shall eat the flesh of the mighty drink the blood of the princes of the earth of rams and lambs of goats and bulls all of them fatlings of Bashan you shall eat fat till you are full and drink blood till you are drunk at my sacrificial meal, which I am sacrificing for you. You shall be filled at my table with horses and riders with mighty men and with all the men of war, says the Lord God. This description follows the war of Gog and Magog, which we will discuss in great detail in our next episode. This is a highly debated war that was prophesied by Ezekiel thousands of years ago. As we will see in chapter 20 Gog and Magog are mentioned at the end of the thousand year reign of Jesus and many scholars have debated whether or not these are the same battles or two different ones. My hope is that as we break it all down we will be able to understand how all this fits together and exactly what the takeaway is for us. Before we go I want to encourage you to visit us at thetaway on our website you can find out more about who we are and sign up to receive emails to get notifications on new episodes and ministry updates. This also makes it easy to share our podcast and allows you to use it as a resource to help others. On our website you can easily send us a message a word of encouragement questions or comments we would love to hear from you and encourage you to send us a message soon. God bless and we'll see you next time on the takeaway