I. THE JOY OF LOVESICKNESS – JOHN 3:29; Isaiah 62:5
“… because of the bridegrooms’ voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled.” (John 3:29)
A. God’s joy is the joy of a Bridegroom.
For as a young man marries a virgin, so shall your sons marry you; and as the bridegroom rejoices over
the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you. (Isaiah 62:5)
B. John the Baptist is a picture of the joy and gladness of the redeemed on the wedding day.
“Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has
made herself ready.” (Revelation 19:7)
II. THE LAST GENERATION – THREE CHARACTERISTICS
A. The final generation is a bridegroom generation.
“And it shall be, in that day” says the Lord, “That you will call Me ‘My Husband’, and no longer call Me ‘My
Master’. (Hosea 2:16)
…the Spirit and the bride say, “Come” (Revelation 22:17)
B. The final generation is a warring generation.
And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his
angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer.
(Revelation 12:7-8)
“Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the
sea!. For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.”
(Revelation 12:12)
C. Question at end of age: “If you had been there” (John 11)
D. The final generation is a generation of emotional crisis. The context of the time in history when all things will be
shaken.
For thus says the Lord of hosts: “Once more (it is a little while) I will shake heaven and earth, the sea
and dry land; and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this
temple with glory” says the Lord of hosts. ‘The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine’ says the Lord of hosts.
(Haggai 2:6-8)
1. The seven-fold shaking at the end of the age – Haggai 2:6-8.
The heavens: the sky, atmosphere, weather patterns etc.
Cosmic arena: sun, moon, stars, planets, etc.
Earthly atmosphere: sky, weather patterns, atmosphere etc.
The earth: earthquakes, volcanoes etc.
The sea: tidal waves, pollution, oil spills, chemical poisoning etc.
The dry land: vegetation and plant life.
The nations: the powerful institutions that comprise nations such as governmental, military, academic etc.
Spiritual disruption: the church filled with Glory will cause spiritual disruption in all religious systems.
Economic disruption: economic and commercial turmoil worldwide.
The result of the shaking – world evangelism (the Great Harvest). They shall come to the ‘Desire of All Nations’ –
Haggai 2:7. In the midst of the shaking Jesus will reveal His beauty – Isaiah 4:2; 33:17
2. Sorcery and occult activity will escalate. There will be tormenting spirits and fear everywhere.
…for by your sorcery all the nations were deceived. (Revelation 18:23)
Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to
deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy. Having their own conscience seared
with a hot iron (1 Timothy 4:1-2)
3. Fear will prevail.
“…men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on
the earth, for the powers of heaven will be shaken.” (Luke 21:26)
4. The emotional make up of the human race will be filled with anger and betrayal etc. There will be much relational
brokenness.
And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many
false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will
grow cold. (Matthew 24:10-12)
5. Sexual perversion will escalate reaching heights far beyond anything we have ever known. The Book of Revelation
highlights satan’s strategy of sexual perversion at the end of the age. The battle is about the passion of the human heart.
The Lord is claiming the passion of the human heart for His Son as a pure bride and satan will work on the exact opposite
with the counterfeit passion of immorality. It will be like Sodom and Gomorrah on a global dimension.
E. Summary – this emotional crisis will include: heightened demonic activity, escalating sin, he great shaking of all things,
relational brokenness. In other words, so many will be in emotional turmoil if hey are not rooted in God. My point is that
the bridal revelation will be critical to withstand all the pressures at the end of the age. I say this creates urgency not fear.
F. The romanced heart:
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory
which shall be revealed in us. (Romans 8:18)
For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal
weight of glory. (2 Corinthians 4:17)
Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for
whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ (Philippians 3:8)
III. INTRODUCTION OF SPIRITUAL WARFARE
A. Hindrances to simplicity of devotion:
But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted
from the simplicity that is in Christ. (2 Corinthians 11:3)
B. The reality of spiritual strongholds:
For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting
down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought
into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and begin ready to punish all disobedience. (2 Corinthians 10:4-5)
C. Three levels of strongholds
1. There are personal strongholds
2. There are cultural strongholds
3. There are cosmic or territorial strongholds in the atmosphere.
D. Pulling down strongholds – strongholds are pulled down by renouncing each argument against God and against
ourselves.
E. How do we cast these arguments down? How do we break our agreements with these accusing thoughts?
1. We expose the lies against the Word of God
2. You have to renounce your agreement with it
F. Paul declares the two foundational truths that begin the process of casting down arguments or accusing stones
against God.
For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may
present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. (2 Corinthians 11:2)
1. A chaste virgin to Christ – as clean as Jesus
2. Betrothed to one husband – desired by Jesus