The Revelation 6:17 + Matthew 24:4-13 | Episode # 1043

October 8, 2025

Hope Alive: Applying God’s Word to Your Daily Life

The Revelation 6:17 + Matthew 24:4-13

I am Chad Harrison, and I am the teaching pastor of Lake Community Church and had been serving as a pastor for 25 years. I'm also a practicing attorney. This podcast is designed to help you study God's word and find God's will for your life. The purpose of studying scripture is that you might know the character of Jesus Christ, and that you might see the world from the Father's perspective. That you gain wisdom that changes your life. I pray in the name of Jesus right now that God would open His word to you and allow you to see Him and to know Him. To know His will, that you might glorify Him and that you might walk in faith and power each day, especially today. In Jesus name.

If you would like to revisit today’s Bible study, please visit our website at https://hopealive.buzzsprout.com/ to download the transcript. 

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Transcript

This is Chad Harrison, and you're listening to Hope Applying God's word to your daily life.

Hi, this is Chad Harrison and I am the teaching pastor of Lake Community Church and have been serving as a pastor for 25 years.

I'm also a practicing attorney. This podcast is designed to help you study God's word and find God's will for your life.

I pray in the name of Jesus right now that God would open up his word to you and allow you to see him and to know him and to know his will, that you might glorify him and that you might walk in faith and power each and every day,

especially today in Jesus name.

Now, for some of y', all, this is. This you go, well,

that's just real interesting. Well, let me, let me, let me give you something a little bit more interesting when you deal with prophecy,

okay? When we're dealing with prophecy, there are three books in the New Testament that are the primary books for prophecy. Okay? The first book is the book of the Revelation.

The second book is 2 Thessalonians, and it was written because the Christians got all upset that they got left behind. Okay?

So it's a great book. He goes in a lot of detail. Great for that. The third great book of prophecy in the New Testament is who?

Matthew. Very good. It's Matthew and it's called the Olivet Discourse.

Okay.

And just like at the start of Matthew, you start out with the Sermon on the Mount. And all y' all think that that's just the Beatitudes. The Beatitudes are just a part of the Sermon on the Mount.

It's actually three chapters long and it's all in red, if you got the red Bibles.

Okay. And it, he explains his. He explains his ministry. It's really kind of like his coming out story. And it's great for the Romans because the Romans want to know what's happening.

Well, obviously Matthew's a Roman and he's written his book, his gospel to the Romans. And Jesus explains in detail how he is,

what his ministry is about, how he's tied to the Old Testament, what the end's going to be about.

Makes sense. He overturns society with that sermon because he changes the importance of things in that sermon.

Well, just like Matthew begins with a great sermon, it ends with a great sermon before he goes to the cross. And it's called the Olivet Discourse. And it's a time where he's with the disciples and they're asking him what the end times is going to be about.

All Right. And so it begins in chapter 24 or 27.

My mind just went blank.

It's 24 Matthew 24. And let's just start with verse four, okay?

I'm not going to do the whole Olivet discourse tonight. Okay? All right. I'm not doing that. He says, and Jesus answered to them,

take heed that no one deceive you,

for many will come in my name saying I am the Christ.

What was the first horse?

It was the white horse,

and that was the Antichrist coming out. Right?

He's the one who comes out,

and he is. He takes control.

He's the one who's going to be in control.

Notice Jesus says in his.

In his sermon,

he says, there's going to be many who come in my name.

He says, take heed that no one deceives you, for many will come in my name saying I am the Christ and will deceive many. That is called the spirit of Antichrist.

Okay? And you go, what is the spirit of Antichrist? Well, the Bible says the spirit of Antichrist went out into the world right after his crucifixion, okay?

And his resurrection. It is the spirit that tries to lure you away from God by claiming that it is God or it is Christ. Remember, it's not anti as in against.

It's anti as in place of.

Okay, so the spirit of Antichrist is someone who is acting like they are a messiah,

that. That they have the answers for you. They have hope for you. And that hope is not in Jesus Christ.

It's in something else. That can be false religion. It can be Marxism,

okay? It can be utopianism. Meaning. Meaning. Meaning the idea that we can make the world into some kind of great utopia where humanity's. Okay, I've already explained to you.

Humanity does not progress.

The only thing that has progressed in our world is what?

Technology.

Humanity still wicked to the core.

Human beings are still wicked. The only thing that's changed is technology.

Okay?

And if you start scrambling the mountains and the oceans up, technology ain't very good anymore.

Are you with me?

It says here verse 6. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars.

See that you're not troubled, for all these things must come to pass. But the end is not yet.

Verse 6. The second seal is what?

The red horse.

He's the horse of war,

where you go out and he takes away the peace of the earth.

And there's wars between not only nations, but between people groups and cities and towns. It goes back to the old,

old times where. Where different tribes and different villages fought other tribes and villages all over the world.

Notice Jesus is giving you it without the horses, right?

It says, for nations were wise against nation, to kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and pestilence and earthquakes in various places.

That's verse seven, right? That's the black horse.

Nations will rise against nations and kingdoms against kingdoms.

And then you got seven. You got the pale horse in seven and seven, B and eight. All these things are the beginning of sorrow. So you've got the pestilence,

you've got the famines, you've got the war,

you've got,

well, the animals killing people.

Verse 9.

They will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you. And you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake.

Isn't that the fifth seal with the martyrs under. Under the altar?

He tells them that he says, and.

And many will be offended, will betray one another and will hate one another.

Then many false prophets will rise and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound and love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved.

And that's the worldwide chaos that is unleashed in the last when the sixth seal is opened.

All right,

now, aren't you hear me today?

Because this is real important,

especially in the modern movement that we have away from institutional religion.

Okay,

I believe that that is a movement of God.

Are you following me away from institutional religions? How do I know that?

Because he says, if I be lifted up, I'll draw all men unto me.

And institutional Christianity is fading and falling.

Are y' all listening to me?

You need to hear that.

I remember going to the Alabama Baptist Convention when I was 23 years old.

Interesting. The story takes place in the bathroom. All right.

We just had one of the sessions and they'd had a great preacher.

And I'm in there using the bathroom and with several other men. It was at a big church up in Huntsville.

Anybody from Huntsville know which church it is? But I'm not going to mention it. All right?

And one of the big fat preachers came in and he said,

the Baptist church has never been stronger.

It is going to take over the country.

And that's just about the time it started shrinking.

It's about time it started shrinking. And you go, well, they're there. They are.

Some of the other denominations have slowly faded away.

There's many denominations that fade away.

There's going to come a time where Christianity is going to be based solely on one thing.

And I want you to hear me.

It's going to be based off the word of God.

All right?

Now, you need to hear this because he says there's going to be many that come out and deceive you.

All right?

I want you to hear me.

I cannot protect you from that deception.

All I can do is share with you the word of God the way you don't be deceived. Because remember this message that Jesus has given them is a message to the disciples.

The only way you're not deceived is that you know the Word of God.

My job as the shepherd is to give you the Word of God. That's my job.

It's your job to learn it, know it, love it, walk in it,

become what the word of God has for you to become.

That's your job.

I can't do that for you.

I can't keep you from being deceived. I do not hold you like that,

okay? I can't.

What I can do is I can teach you God's Word.

And if you'll notice,

I have disciplined myself.

And what, what I mean by that. Well, what I meant by that is I know that there's a tendency to want to preach me rather than preach something else,

rather than preach God's word,

okay? And by the way, they taught that in seminary.

You come up with a good topic and you find where the Bible talks about it and then you tell them what the topic is,

okay? That's not preaching God's word.

So if you'll notice, on Wednesday night, what are we going through?

Revelation, verse by verse. Sunday morning, we're going through what,

John? In the mornings when I teach, we're going through what do. Well, Deuteronomy. Now, it was numbers. We just, just passed over into Deuteronomy. All right? I want you. I want you to think about that,

all right? What am I doing?

I'm going through scripture, expository, preaching, teaching through the Bible. Why?

Because that's really all that there is.

All right? And there's going to be an age where the institutional church collapses,

okay?

That's coming.

All right?

People are not going to give money to the institutional church.

They're not.

They're not going to. And, and, and there's going to come an age in the not too distant future where,

where a, A, a paid clergical staff becomes close to impossible to have,

okay? I'm talking about paying big salaries for church pastors and all that.

Find it difficult even today,

okay? That's why every young person that I run into that I feel like Has a,

has a calling on their heart. I always tell them,

you know, you need to figure out what your job is. What tent maker. Are you going to be a tent maker or what are you going to be?

Okay, what did Peter do every time he needed some money?

He went fishing. Why?

He was a fisherman.

Okay, Paul, when he was in a town and was preaching the gospel, what did he do?

He made tents because he's a tent maker.

Okay. All right.

Why am I telling you this?

Because there's going to come a time when institutional church is removed and the believers are going. There's nothing going to be in between them and God. God is going to be God.

And him.

Him pouring his spirit out on his. On the people that are his.

His people.

And the way he does that, and you can't get past that, is by the Bible.

It's by the Bible.

Okay?

You, you need to know it.

You need to give it to your children and your grandchildren. You need to know it.

You go, well, my children don't want to hear it.

Well, sneak it in anyway.

Okay. Your grandchildren, I'm sure they would love to hear bomb Bible books, bomb Bible stories when they're young and when they're old, talk to them about those things and, and teach those things over and over and over again.

You go, what are we? Jews? Yes. In many ways, yes. That way. Yes.

He said the word supposed to be before him. Teach it to your children when they rise up, when they go to bed. All day, all time.

Why?

Because the only thing that's powerful enough to hold you is Jesus and he is the word made flesh.

You got you, you, you. There's. There's no way to get around that. Okay.

I. I was asked by someone a couple of years ago.

He wanted to. His. The church he was in was having some trouble and struggling and he wanted, how do you have all these kids? How do you get all these kids here?

And I knew, he told me, I want to meet with you and figure out how you get kids.

Okay?

You know what the answer to that is?

Teach the Bible.

You know how you get old folks?

Teach the Bible.

You know how you get middle aged folks?

Teach the Bible.

You know how you get spirit moving and God working in your whole congregation and people showing up to do ministry and be a part of ministry and finding their place in the kingdom?

Teach the Bible.

Teach the Bible.

All the time.

All the time.

All the time.

Why?

Because it is life.

He says, you can't have life unless you eat of my flesh and drinking my blood isn't that what we're talking about in Sunday mornings, John? You can't have it.

There's no life in you unless you're consuming me. That's what he's saying.

If you're not consuming me, there's no life.

How many Christians walk around, I just feel so empty.

Eat.

Right,

and the bad part about a person who fails to eat for a long period of time, you know what happens even when they have food? They begin to starve to death.

Why?

Because they're not eating. They're not used to eating.

Eat if you feel empty.

Eat if you feel empty. Drink.

Put on some Christian music.

Worship a little bit.

Read the word until you find something that speaks to you. Look, if you want to know how to study the Bible, people ask me all the time, how do you study the Bible?

Eat.

Okay, but this is. If you want to know really how you study it, this is the best way to study it. First of all, you need to read it all the way through just like it's the novel.

Okay?

Why do you do that? Just so you know where everything is.

Are you with me?

You know, you just need to know where everything is. You need to get to know it. All right, Second time you read through the Bible, this how you ought to read it.

Read book until you hit something. Don't have a rule, don't be a rule based Bible reader.

Read until something sticks out.

Might be two verses, might be 10 verses, might be 15 verses. You go, what about the 15 verses before? It didn't stick out. You know why? Because the, the Holy Spirit ain't dealing with you about that right now.

He's trying to get you that verse.

All right, read it when something speaks to you. Stop,

Read it again.

Stop.

Read it again. Stop. Read it again. And then spend the rest of the day memorizing it.

Why? Because then you're chewing the cud. Do you know what I'm talking about?

You're ingesting the word.

Memorization is important because it helps you think about what he's saying. What is every word. You're going through every word.

Study it that way.

Okay, you go. Well, how long does that take to get through the Bible? I don't know.

Who cares?

Listen to me. Really. Who cares?

Yeah, until I tell you. Dead.

I mean, what if you spent just a whole lifetime reading through the Bible once, but you did it every day until. Until the Holy Spirit spoke to you and all you got through it was once.

Would that be a life well lived? Yeah, it'd be great. Life Be a great life. And by the way, there's places in the world where all they've got is one chapter.

Some of the places they only got one page.

At the height of communism in China, especially during the great leap forward in some of those time periods in China,

we would send missionaries over there that would have some ruses. You know, they were teaching English or something like that. And they would take one Bible over there because the Chinese will let you take one Chinese Bible.

Did y' all know that? They won't let you now, but they would then.

And you know what they would do?

They would take the Bible,

they would get rid of the binding of the Bible. They'd break it up into sheets, all the pages, and they'd spread it out to the home churches.

So if you're a home church, you might have, you know, a page from Deuteronomy, a page from John, and.

And a page from Hosea.

Just one page.

One page.

Can you. Can you study the Bible that way?

Yeah.

Yeah, you can study it that way.

You sure can.

It's. It's. He says my. He says. He says, my flesh is real, is real meat,

and my blood is real drink.

So how do you keep from being led astray by the Antichrist and all these things that we're talking about? And I'm. I'm gonna get. Go over it over and over and over again with you.

The way you do it is you study God's Word.

The way you get strong is studying God's word.

Listen to me.

The way you get strong is studying God's word.

There. I don't have any other answer.

I've been doing it since I was 8 years old. I don't have any other answer for you.

Okay?

That's the answer.

Read the word. When something hits you, memorize it.

Memorize the whole verse. I don't know.

Whatever hits you. It might be three words.

I don't know what it is.

Think about it. Ponder it. Consider it all day long.

Next day, read some more.

It works.

Pray about it. That's right.

That's. That whole communing with God, talking to him about what he said.

That's some good stuff right there.

And notice Jesus went through the six seals in a few verses and explained to him exactly what was going to happen.

Exactly what was going to happen.

John confirms it. He goes to heaven. He sees the seals open. He sees God at work. Jesus already told him that's how it's going to take place. John sees it actually going on.

That's pretty cool, isn't it?

It's really cool.

The word of God's that way all over the place.

The more you study the word of God, you realize that it all fits together and you get good at fitting things together.

You start realizing it's not inconsistent, it's real consistent.

You. You realize that it's not some ancient book that has no meaning. You begin to realize, you know, it's.

It's real relevant for today.

And if you've. If you're on Snapchat or Facebook and all your friends are putting on Bible verses, then you realize how relevant it is, right?

Huh?

Or sometimes they put it weird stuff on there and you don't realize how relevant it is.

As you go today, I pray that the Lord will bless you and keep you, that he'll make his face to shine upon you and that he will give you hope and peace today in Je