The Be Happy Blessings Of Revelation Pt 6 Series

Sermon 6 in the series, “The Be Happy Blessings of Revelation”

Introduction:

Today is Halloween a time which relishes in the emotion of fear and the act of scarring other people. This day celebrates death and the things associated with its torment. It is not known as a day that is filled with goodness, eternal happiness or even heavenly joy. It is a day which portrays images of devils, demons, witches, jack-o-lanterns, ghosts, goblins and even the eerie scene of graveyards.

It’s a day in modern day America to have fun with evil images and scary scenes with children being the focal point of these actions.

But today is actually a Satanic High Holy Day celebrated by the Satanic Church in America and by the church of Wicca (witches, or the church which practices witchcraft). Tonight these Satanist’s and witches will gather throughout the country and go through Satanic rituals, offering up sacrifices-even living sacrifices (usually animals) and they will focus on glorifying the realm of evil and they will seek to honor their god Satan who is also known as the horned god of the underworld.

We have all seen His images portrayed in movies, TV programs and even commercials over these last few weeks. It all seems innocent and in fun – but is it?

I have a video clip this morning I would like to play for you to remind you why celebrating Satan is not a good thing: In this video clip Satan may come across as funny or even charming but he relishes in evil and he hates Jesus. He is obsessed with the destruction of the church and her saints.

So let’s look at this interesting and even funny clip:

Video Illustration: Interview with Satan

Why does Satan hate Jesus? Why does He not even want to hear His name mentioned? Why does that which is evil hate that which is good? Maybe it has something to do with graveyards? Yes, you heard me right graveyards.

Let’s look first at Ezekiel 37:1-14 – really it’s a picture of a graveyard of destruction and death:

1The hand of the LORD was upon me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones.

2He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry.

3He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”I said, “O Sovereign LORD, you alone know.”

4Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD!

5This is what the Sovereign LORD says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life.

6I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’”

7So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone.

8I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.

9Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’”

10So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army.

11Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’

12Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: O my people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel.

13Then you, my people, will know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves and bring you up from them.

14I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the LORD have spoken, and I have done it, declares the LORD.’”

The time of the writing of this vision from this OT Prophetic book of the Bible”

In 586 BC Jerusalem was totally destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar and his great Babylonian army. Solomon’s Temple, which had been one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world and the glory of Israel for almost 400 years was now gone. The Temple was ransacked and reduced to ashes; all the inhabitants of Jerusalem had been taken captive, enslaved either in Chaldea or in Babylon. They had all become slaves to this invading empire. They had been warned repeatedly by God through His prophets about what would happen to them if they turned toward evil ways and evil worship, yet they had turned a deaf ear to God’s repeated warnings!