Category: redemption

Palm Sunday – Seeing the Unseen

March 30th, 2018

AUDIO FOR THIS SERMON CAN BE FOUND HERE
Revelation 1-9 Recap – Getting our Bearings

March 21st, 2018
Revelation Part 20 – Recap

Revelation Ch. 9

AUDIO FOR THIS SERMON CAN BE FOUND HERE

Having just covered this unusual chapter in 2 parts, someone asked if I might do a brief recap to help put it all together. I thought that was a stellar idea. At the same time wanted to show you just how and why I arrived at some of the interpretive decisions I made, with the hope that it will be both useful and encouraging to each of you in your own study.

While there is no question Revelation is a challenging book, with just a few key ideas under your belt, there is no one here who cannot read it without great understanding and profit – as long as we avoid assigning arbitrary meaning to the symbols and pictures it contains.

So today will be a bit different as a sermon as I attempt to explain some of the methodology of approaching it.

Basic Method: Questions.
1. Are the symbols self-explanatory or even common to John and his first readers?
2. Are they explained in the immediate text?
3. Are they explained elsewhere in the Bible?
4. Do the concepts accord with other clear Biblical teaching?
What is certain? What is reasonable? What is mere speculation?

I try to be careful to tell you where that is the case on my part.

Quick recap up to Ch. 9.

Ch. 1 – Introduction & Commission

Chs. 2-3 – The Letters

Ch. 4 – The Throne of God

Ch. 5 – The Lion, the Lamb and the Scroll

Ch. 6 – Opening the 6 seals (Revealing and enacting)

Ch. 7 – Sealing the Saints

Ch. 8 – The 7^th Seal and the 1^st 4 Trumpets

Ch. 9 – The 5^th & 6^th Trumpets / What can we know for sure, and how do we know it?

1. Books as we have them, were quite rare in John’s time. Scrolls were the norm. A sealed scroll was the typical means of preserving very important documents untampered with. Especially the wills of important people in John’s day. When a will was opened, just as today, it then entered the stage of its contents being carried out. Disbursements. In this case, taking into account the rest of the book – God’s final plan for judging sin and evil, and granting the saints their inheritance. We take that scenario from reading the book as a whole. That is how it ends – sin and death and Satan being finally dealt with, and Believers entering the fullness of their promised inheritance.

Writing on both sides would indicate the contents were entire. There was no part 2, say on another scroll. Someone took pains to be sure it was all written in one place and made tamperproof. This was the whole deal.

2. From the OT we firmly established how God appointed the use of trumpets to signal action on the part of His people militarily, civilly and even ecclesiastically. Military use of trumpets has been common through the ages up to and including our own civil war. Hence our view that the trumpets serve as announcements and warnings. And as we’ve seen, they appear to enlarge upon aspects of God’s judgments as revealed in the opening of the seals. There are a dozen or more passages in the OT where God tells His prophets to “blow the trumpet” in warning God’s people judgment is coming upon them for their sins.

III. Rev. 9:1

Stars: As early as Job 38 angels are sometimes referred to as “stars”. Rev. 1:20 clearly explains that picture and sets the tone for its use in the rest of the book. In this verse, the star is even personified as “he.” So we KNOW it is an entity.

Angels as “fallen” are never referred to positively in Scripture.

IV. Rev. 9:2

The bottomless pit or abyss we’ve seen addressed in other places like 2 Peter 2:4 and Jude 6. Additionally, this will reappear in Rev. 20:3, where the pit is identified as the place where Satan is bound – so that he can “deceive the nations no longer.” There we also see another very important fact: The activity of Satan and the main concern about his activity is – deception. Darkness from the truth.

V. Rev. 9:3-5

Natural knowledge of locusts combined with the revelation of darkness and deception from Satan and his minions is clear. Natural locusts eat plant life – these do not. Natural locusts would not make a distinction between people – these do. The previous chapter showed us by demonstration from the OT that this sealing of God’s people was invisible and spiritual – keeping them from the harm of the locusts, just as Jesus told us that if it were possible, even the elect would be deceived in the last days.

Matthew 24:24–28

Again, the natural knowledge of the 1^st readers would have recognized the 5 month period as simply the season of locusts – indicating this demonic deception has its season too.

VI. Rev. 9:6

Common knowledge would tell us there is no state of immortality for people, which would rule out the idea this inability to die is a purely physical thing – not to mention the fact that later in the chapter, 1/3 of mankind ARE killed. Physical death in that sense is not the issue. This coincides more closely with spiritual or psychological pain as the result of the demonic darkness and deception.

VII. Rev. 9:7-10

The language here is clarified for us in detail back in Joel 2. There, a genuine locust invasion is used to symbolize God’s judgment on His people – just like the locust plague on Egypt in Ex. 10. And all of the same military language is used of the locusts back there too – because they are in effect, an “army” sent from God in judgment.

IIX. Rev. 9:11

In case we had any doubt this plague is Satanic and demonic in nature – the text then says explicitly that Satan is the one behind this invading force which inflicts woes on those who do not belong to God in Christ.

IX. Rev. 9:12-16

Keeping with the involvement of the angelic hosts, both holy and fallen, one sent from the very altar of incense before the throne in Heaven – where the prayers of the saints are offered up (so we too factor into this) God sends an angel to loose 4 demonic entities to marshal an innumerable army of other demons to bring about the loss of 1/3 of mankind. Exactly how is not explained. But whatever the means, it seems to have zero impact on people in terms of turning from their sin and to God.

X. Rev. 9:17-19

Once again, we are given images to reinforce the attack nature of God’s judgments in military imagery. And in keeping with what we have seen already in the first part of the chapter, these do their damage by what comes out of their mouths. Just as in Ch. 1 it is a sharp, two-edged sword which comes out of the mouth of the Risen and glorified Jesus, so here, their word is the means whereby people are destroyed in great number.

It is the propagation of deception and darkness from the truth. This is a recurring motif throughout the Bible where the figures of light for truth, and darkness for the obscuring of truth is common. Especially in John’s writings.

John 3:19–21 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.”

We see it in Paul too: 2 Corinthians 4:6

Colossians 1:13

2 Corinthians 4:1–5

And in Peter as well: 1 Peter 2:9

1 John 1:5–10

XI. Rev. 9:20-21

Given the ways mankind is suffering to this point, even to a 1/3 of it being wiped out in the era of this 6^th trumpet – it seems to have no impact on the hearts and minds of those remaining.

As the text marvels at their unrepentance, so should we. And marvel that in God’s economy, repentance is still being held out as a hope – though it is rejected.

The previous 2 times we’ve looked at several lessons we can take away from all this – and there are yet more for us to consider as we think about this recap.
1. What can possibly be more cruel, than to seal the fate of people such that they die in their trespasses and sins? That they be blinded from the truth of reality – of Who God is, who and what mankind is, why we are here, why things are the way they are, what the purpose of creation and life is, and what will come after this.
“In 1944, Hiroo Onoda was sent to the small island of Lubang in the western Philippines to spy on U.S. forces in the area. Allied forces defeated the Japanese imperial army in the Philippines in the latter stages of the war, but Onoda, a lieutenant, evaded capture. While most of the Japanese troops on the island withdrew or surrendered in the face of oncoming American forces, Onoda and a few fellow holdouts hid in the jungles, dismissing messages saying the war was over.

For 29 years, he survived on food gathered from the jungle or stolen from local farmers.

After losing his comrades to various circumstances, Onoda was eventually persuaded to come out of hiding in 1974.

His former commanding officer traveled to Lubang to see him and tell him he was released from his military duties.

In his battered old army uniform, Onoda handed over his sword, nearly 30 years after Japan surrendered.” CNN Website article.

Think of the sad deception of world-renowned theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking who just passed away last week. Deceived into a wholly materialistic view of life and the universe, standing finally before the Creator he steadily and emphatically denied. How tragic is that?

2. While Christians, as sealed by the Spirit are protected against the great delusion of unbelief, we are not immune to the enemy attempting to deceive us as well in making us ineffectual for the Kingdom.

We can all too easily buy into some of the World’s current thinking as well – and be deceived in some ways. This was a key issue in the letters to the 7 churches in Chs. 2-3.

The Ephesians were deceived into thinking that as long as they had their doctrine straight, their lack of passion toward Christ was irrelevant.

Smyrna was in danger of hiding their Christianity due to persecution.

Pergamum was in danger of syncretism – blending their Christianity with false religions and what it could lead to. Losing the exclusivity of salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, because of Christ’s substitutionary death on the cross alone.

Thyatira was being deceived by a false prophetess who was convincing them in matters that led them into sexual immorality.

Sardis was living on their reputation as hot, hip and happening, when their spiritual lives were all but dead. Deceived into relishing external demonstrations over internal life in Christ.

Philadelphia was in danger of thinking that because they were small and marginalized, that they didn’t really matter in the grand scheme of things. Of losing their grip on how important patient endurance is.

Laodicea was wealthy, prominent and self-sufficient, and were deceived into settling for that even though they were not of any real spiritual value to anyone else.

We must guard our own hearts and minds – for this enemy of ours will attempt – if it were possible – to lead the very elect into the great deception of rejecting Christ.

Knowing he cannot do that, he will do his best to distract, discourage, demoralize, doubt and derail us from our mission to the world.

3. This is the great deception WE are called to dispel in the preaching and living of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in our age.

1 John 2:7–11

If you are looking for purpose in life – what can possibly be greater than helping people see and understand the truth about all of life – in the light of glory of Jesus Christ? Seeing them reconciled to the God who made them? Forgiven of all their sins. Freed from the bondage of those sins. Becoming inheritors of eternal life. How?

Prayer.

Giving so the Church continues to preach and teach the Word of God.

Public Worship in making God known locally.

Personal growth in the image, the character of Christ so others are exposed to Him through us.

Sharing the Gospel of justification by faith alone in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

Serving the local Church so it continues its testimony in the world.

Missions – so the Gospel goes abroad.

Newton:

You have only to repose

On my wisdom, love, and care;

When my wrath consumes my foes,

Mercy shall my children spare;

While they perish in the flood,

You that bear my holy mark,†

Sprinkled with atoning blood,

Shall be safe within the ark.”

4 Sinners, see the ark prepar’d!

Haste to enter while there’s room;

Though the Lord his arm has bar’d,

Mercy still retards your doom:

Seek him while there yet is hope,

Ere the day of grace be past,

Lest in wrath he give you up,

And this call should prove your last.
Revelation Ch.9b – Seeing the Invisible

March 14th, 2018
Revelation 9:13–21

Daniel 2:1-45

Seeing the Invisible

AUDIO FOR THIS SERMON CAN BE FOUND HERE

We are currently in the 2^nd portion of Revelation ch. 9. As we saw last time, a pretty challenging chapter due to the nature of its imagery.

Once again, we are approaching this structure of Jesus addressing the 7 churches in Asia as they were in John’s day; moving on to Jesus opening the 7 seals of the scroll which lays out and begins God’s final program for judging sin and rewarding His saints; and now the sounding of the 7 trumpets which appear to be warnings and enlargements on the way God’s judgments will take place; and then on to the 7 bowls which seem to be the actual final events being accomplished.

And just as John reminds us in his own 1^st letter, 1 John 2:18 “Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour.” – All the way through this book of Revelation we have this dynamic of the very final things yet to come, but in some capacity we’re are already experiencing some of those things now. I believe this 9^th chapter gives us a real sense of that.

This of course is fully in keeping with Jesus’ words to John in Rev. 1:19 “Write therefore the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this.”

Because Jesus reveals Himself several times as: Rev. 1:8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” We should expect this back and forth between things which are already history, some things contemporaneous with ourselves and some things yet to come. Trying to slice these too thinly may be not really be possible with much certainty. Though there are places where the timeframe is more evident.

So, at the sounding of the 5^th trumpet, we were introduced to the reality that not only is God in Heaven and doing things, and that we are on earth doing things, but also there is the unseen realm of the demonic and that also has to factor into how we understand what is going on around us. And we saw that the chief work of Satan and his demons is to perpetuate deceptions to keep people from knowing God as He truly his, our own sinful, fallen condition and its implications, and especially our need of salvation and how that has been provided for in the life, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus – especially His substitutionary death on the cross and salvation by faith in it.

Now, at the sounding of the 6^th trumpet, a voice comes from the altar in Heaven – an indication this would be the voice of God Himself – issuing a command that has further massive implications on earth.
1. (13-15) “Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar before God, saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour, the day, the month, and the year, were released to kill a third of mankind.”
The command is to set free 4 angels, who had apparently been kept bound by God – most likely in judgment. That would be in keeping with what we saw last time – how the angels who rebelled against God earlier were consigned to chains of darkness. (2 Pet., Jude 6)

These particular angels are bound at the river Euphrates. And they are released according to a divine time table of some sort.

What we are probably looking at here is not so much a geographical reference, as it is what the geography represents.

Looking back at the whole Old Testament and especially the passage we had read for us in Daniel, we recall the Euphrates basin was where Babylon was located. And the figure of Babylon always represented 2 things to the Jewish mind Biblically. We’ll see this developed more later in the book. But the 2 things Babylon most often represented to John and his 1^st readers are these:
1. Babylon was used as symbol of the contrast between human government and the World system, as opposed to God’s Reign and His people. This will be developed more in Revelation later.
2. Babylon represented global conquest. The great Babylonian empire which conquered and destroyed Israel gave way to the Medo-Persian empire, then the Greek and the finally the Roman empire. And as the prophecy in Daniel demonstrates, there will NOT be another world empire like those – for in the days the Roman empire, Christ came and began to establish His empire, before which all other world empires had to crumble.
There will never again be a world empire the likes of those previous ones. But that does not mean the idea behind those empires is gone.

When prophecy mavens look for a one-world government politically or militarily, they are probably barking up the wrong tree. From what we see here, the “one-world government” is spiritual in nature. We are being exposed to the global deception of it even now; which is keeping people from the light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and bound in the deception of human religion, material wealth, cultural morality and personal autonomy.

The world is captive to this system. This is the global empire of darkness as we saw last time. All the more insidious because of its seeming invisibility.

It is this invisible empire that is being exposed in this chapter as we began to see last time – and which is now expanded upon in the 6^th warning, announcement or trumpet.

There is no bondage as great as that of the invisible chains of deception.
1. (16-17) “The number of mounted troops was twice ten thousand times ten thousand; I heard their number. And this is how I saw the horses in my vision and those who rode them: they wore breastplates the color of fire and of sapphire and of sulfur, and the heads of the horses were like lions’ heads, and fire and smoke and sulfur came out of their mouths.”
Once again, we’re being confronted with images that are surreal, but communicate important ideas.

The number is simply meant to communicate immensity – 200 million. Just like the picture of the vast number of “locusts” in vs. 3 that darken the sky.

Breastplates clearly speak of war or battle of some sort. They are referred to as “troops” – the same way the locusts above were, both here, Joel and elsewhere.

Lion’s heads indicate ferocity.

Fire, sulfur and smoke are common images of judgment lumped together which we can trace throughout Scripture: (Gen. 19:24, 28; Deut. 29:23; Isa. 34:9–10; Ezek. 38:22 etc.).

But the most important feature is that “fire and smoke and sulfur came out of their mouths.” Again, images like this one on the screen completely miss the point.

We’re already familiar with this kind of imagery, aren’t we?

Remember what we saw back in Ch.1 and the vision of the risen Jesus John saw there? Revelation 1:16 “In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.”

Do we imagine Jesus actually has a sword coming out of His mouth? Or do we instantly recognize that what is being depicted is the power and action of His word?

The same here. What is dangerous and devastating about these demonic entities is what they communicate! How they lie against the truth of God and spread deception that blinds people to the Gospel, so that they die in their sins.
1. (18-19) “By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed, by the fire and smoke and sulfur coming out of their mouths. For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails, for their tails are like serpents with heads, and by means of them they wound.”
By the lies these demons propagate, and what ensues or follows from those lies (the picture of their tails biting like serpents) – 1/3 of mankind dies.

And immediately our minds run to a picture of either some biological disaster or perhaps war – especially with the idea of 200,000,000 mounted troops. A specific event or battle.

But I am not so sure those interpretations fit with how this is all the result of darkness and deception.

Note first of all that earlier in the chapter, we’re told those sealed with the mark of God are spared from this. But in all human wars Christians have always suffered and died along with unbelievers. Something else is happening here.

Perhaps more fitting, and I am only suggesting here, but just perhaps – we’re witnessing something far more insidious. What if through the darkening of people’s eyes from Biblical truth, a doctrine, a pervasive point of view began to spread that justified the murder of untold millions – but all in the name of doing good, supporting human autonomy, in line with economic expediency, with the moral approval of the culture and even justified by those claiming to be religious ? Something like a global capitulation to – abortion?

Population today: 7.4 billion

Total number of abortions worldwide since 1980 – 1.5 billion

We’re not far off from 1/3 of mankind being slaughtered with governmental, cultural and moral approval, in the darkness of demonic deception and all right under our noses in those nations most championed as enlightened and evolved.

I’m not saying that specifically IS what is being referred to here. But it sure makes us realize how it can happen, with nary a hand raised in opposition. Happening, but still not alarming those in the following verses to repentance. For that is precisely what is recorded – they aren’t alarmed. They don’t repent.
1. (20-21) “The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk, nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.”
By virtue of their false teaching – what comes out of their mouths – they will seal the fate of 1/3 of mankind.

What’s happening here? Mankind is being decimated in unimaginable numbers, and the rest of humanity witnesses it, but doesn’t comprehend what’s going on.

The darkness and deception has so clouded their minds, they cannot see the reality of it. And so they don’t repent. They don’t understand that this is judgment for sin and demonically inspired. They just go about their business of serving material goods under the influence of demons. Increasing in their violence against one another in war, abortion, the character assassination that pervades social media, their humanly invented religion and spirituality, their sexual immorality and their greed.

None of it sinks in. They truly have become dumb sheep marching to their own slaughter.

So they do not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk. And for many, their idols of gold are enshrined in their bank accounts, while they live in their temples of stone and wood.

Nor do they repent of their murders (war, abortion, etc.).

Nor their sorceries.

I know it is common today for many to make a connection here between the Greek word “pharmakon” from which we have the English word pharmacy and the prevalent use of drugs in our culture. There is a slight possibility there, but that’s not really how language works. Like no one imagines that a butterfly has anything to do either with butter or flies.

The word as it was used then, had more to do with using means to manipulate reality – or especially manipulate God – or the cosmic or spiritual powers. It is more akin to the idea behind books like The Secret or even some books in Christian circles, like The Prayer of Jabez. More subtly, using rites, rituals, promises or behaviors etc., to get God to do what we want Him to do.

Bargaining with Him. Using obediences as means of bribery or cosmic arm twisting.

All of which is utterly and completely contrary to Biblical truth, and who God is and who we are.

The idea that God can be bought off to give us what we want if we promise to read the Bible more, or pray more, or give more or go to Church more make Him out to be a deity for hire! It is blasphemy.

It demeans Him as God, and we as made in His image.

Deut. 10:17 “For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe.”

Nor do they repent of their sexual immorality. No indeed. They even justify it – Biblically!

Nor their thefts. Greed governs all.

So we’re reminded in 1 Tim. 4:1–3 “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.” Teachings of demons that destroy biblical notions of marriage and even how we eat in the name of a humanly created religion.

2 Tim. 3:1–9 “But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power.”

2 Tim. 4:3–4 “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.”

All of this resulting in a Cross-less salvation, personal autonomy, invented legalism for salvation (political correctness), license for sin and false Christs.

What if anything then are we to take away from this? Let me suggest just 3.
1. Grasping the SPIRITUAL REALITY OF OUR SITUATION. We must remain aware of the demonically influenced BLINDNESS OF MEN.
That even as Christ’s Kingdom is already among us, but not yet fully realized, so this demonic darkness and deception is already at work and increasing.

Hence our need to be aware of, and to live in, the light of this revelation. This will greatly impact what we do.

There are no political solutions to spiritual problems.

There are no legal solutions to spiritual problems.

There are no scientific solutions to spiritual problems.

There are no economic solutions to spiritual problems.

There are no religious solutions to spiritual problems.

We must act responsibly in all of these spheres, but realize that nothing short of true, inward spiritual renewal through the Holy Spirit’s application of the Gospel can change fallen human nature.

Humankind needs Christ!
1. Resting in God’s SOVEREIGN SUPERINTENDENCE. Rev. 9:15 “So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour, the day, the month, and the year, were released to kill a third of mankind.”
So completely is our God still actively in control, that even these demonic hordes cannot act except He permits them, and that, down to a year, a month, a day and even a specific hour.

How comforting for those sealed with the seal of God in their foreheads – those who are Christ’s!

We are kept by His love and power. In the midst of all of these grizzly things – God still knows His people, and sets the limits on those who seek to do us the most harm – even the very forces of Hell.
1. Committing to the MISSION and METHOD OF THE CHURCH. God’s chief method and means of protecting of His people is by sanctifying us, setting us apart by the truth as it is in Jesus Christ.
I wish I could go back this morning and unpack Jesus’ prayer in John 17 as it relates to all of this – because it instructs us by example to face all that is coming. But there is this all important point in that prayer that speaks to the heart of all of this for Believers – the importance of God’s Word as our source of unimpeachable truth.

John 17:17 “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.”

Beloved, Read, know, meditate on, study God’s Word. It is God’s means to separate His people from those upon whom these plagues are poured out.

Sunday school and preaching and the Bible studies we offer aren’t just to keep people busy or “involved” – they are to keep the truth before our hearts and minds in the face of demonic opposition.

And His Word IS sufficient for all these things, by the power of His indwelling Spirit – come what may.

Christ has died for us, that it might be so.
Plain Theology for Plain People – A Review

March 7th, 2018

Charles Octavius Boothe was a slave. Born in Alabama, June 13, 1845, he was the “legal property” of one Nathaniel Howard.

Charles Octavius Boothe was a man of God. Coming to faith in Christ in 1865 and baptized in 1866. It seems his social or physical, and his spiritual emancipation coincided. And from that time on, as Walter Strickland writes in the introduction to Boothe’s “Plain Theology”, “Racial uplift was Boothe’s consuming passion.”

Boothe’s efforts toward this end were concentrated above all in education. He was convinced that an educated black community was the best way to contradict the stereotypes with which black Americans were saddled.

Entering the ministry, he both founded and pastored two important churches: “First Colored Baptist Church” in Meridian, Mississippi, and in 1877, “Second Colored Baptist Church” in Montgomery Al. The latter had a name change to Dexter Avenue Baptist Church and went on to civil rights fame under the pastorate of Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King served there from 1954 – 1960.

Thus while basic education was a necessity, Boothe was burdened that mere education was not enough. The impact in black literacy rates due to his and other’s efforts during this time was profound. In 1860, literacy among southern blacks was a mere 10%. By 1890, that rate had risen to 43%. But as I said above, for Boothe, that was not enough. Literacy alone could not accomplish what needed to be done. To quote Strickland’s Introduction once more: “Boothe promoted literacy so former slaves could read the Bible and break free of the oppressive interpretive practices that made the Christian faith a tool to subjugate blacks during slavery. By reading the Bible for themselves blacks could escape manipulative interpretations that were used to foster docility in slaves and make obedience to their masters synonymous with obedience to God.”

Boothe’s response to that fuller need was: “Plain Theology for Plain People.” A systematic theology for those who had no prior theological platform to build upon. A volume in the plainest English, to summarize a Biblical framework and worldview to lead African Americans to their rightful place at the table of broader Evangelicalism. Simple but not simplistic. Brief, but not scant. Plain but not vulgar. It is a model of concise lucidity.

Boothe felt keenly the reality that in the African American community, those endeavoring to shepherd the souls of others and pastor God’s people were woefully ill-equipped. In most cases prevented from higher education let alone formal theological education, something was needed to meaningfully and soundly fill the gap. And in my estimation, he more than succeeds.

As I read this very slender volume (140 pages in all) the word that kept coming to my mind was that it “breathed.” Systematics can be stifling. Don’t get me wrong, I am a systematics guy. I love systematic theology. I love the symmetry and the depth and the framework it provides. From Calvin’s Institutes (interestingly penned as a digest for the average ex-Romanist in the pew) to Shedd’s Dogmatic theology, Berkhof, Horton, Packer, Grudem, Erickson, Ryrie, Mullins, Boice, Frame and others – I gladly swim in these waters. But often, they can be so academic and philosophical, or so driven by a pre-cast system that they lose their energy. They don’t breathe. They aren’t for the average guy or gal in the pew, but more for specialists. Unlike the Bible. Not so Plain theology for Plain People.

I did not go back to actually test this in fact, but I think if you were to take out all of Boothe’s Scripture quotations and only referenced them – you would reduce the book by 1/3 to ½. This tells you two things: 1. It is Scripture-rich in all of its points. 2. It shows Boothe’s extraordinary facility with the Word in that Plain Theology is a sum of crucial Bible doctrine demonstrated from the Bible itself, threaded together by connecting thoughts from the author. Brilliant.

Gone is the specialized technical jargon of the academic in favor of clarifying simplicity.

There are a couple of glitches. Boothe is clearly committed to Believer’s Baptism. That might give some an itch to scratch. And his portion on church discipline seems a tad unbalanced at first blush. I would love to be able to have him clarify a couple of his statements more. But no one is going to be led astray. And while the readers will not emerge with the delightful ecclesiastical labels we are so fond of in our day for classifying everyone into categories, sub-categories, sub-sub-categories etc., they will be sound their overall Biblical understanding in a systematic way. He won’t say a word about being a Baptist, a Presbyterian, Methodist or Episcopalian. He won’t refer to being “Reformed” or “Calvinistic”, “Arminian”, pre- post- or a-mill, traducian, creationist, tricotomist, in-errantist or supra- sub- or infralapsarian. Nor will he mention being a White Christian versus a Black Christian vs a Hispanic Christian vs. any other ethnically categorized Christian. He will talk only of being Christ’s and belonging to His Church and knowing truth as revealed in the Scriptures.

It BREATHES!

Plain Theology for Plain People would make a stupendous small group study, beginning Believer’s class or individual Bible study for anyone wishing to come away with the basics in a readable, accessible non-technical format.

I really cannot recommend this work highly enough. Reading it was a real treat for my own soul. And at 140 pages, it can be read through very quickly.

Plain theology for Plain People has earned one of those permanent places in my collection – and one I plan to revisit again.

Lexham press is to be commended for bringing this gem of African American theological thought to us anew in our generation. It may be more useful now than ever before.
Revelation Ch.9a – A New Dimension

March 5th, 2018

Revelation Part 18 – 9:1-12

A New Dimension

AUDIO FOR THIS SERMON CAN BE FOUND HERE

Well now, after reading these 12 verses one has to scratch their heads and ask: ‘What in the world is this all about?’

Rightly so! Locusts as big as horses; with the faces of humans; the hair of women; and tails that sting like scorpions?

Bizarre doesn’t quite cover it.

So once again our practice of majoring on the things we can be certain about, touching on what is reasonable and shying away from what is purely speculative takes on fresh importance.

And Don Carson’s reminder that Revelation is a picture book and not a puzzle book where we to try and fit the pieces together is also useful.

What we want to get at here is lifting out the concepts being communicated by the pictures and not trying to turn the pictures into detailed descriptions of objects, beings etc.

If I were to ask you to think of a baseball diamond you would not try to assign attributes to it like transparency or translucency. You wouldn’t imagine it to be a pure form of carbon, it is just a dirt figure. It doesn’t have multiple facets, can’t be worn as jewelry, won’t admit of various shapes and sizes and isn’t super valuable. We would all be aware we are simply referring to a rough shape.

Just so in many of these pictures. We cannot press each detail beyond its purpose but need to discern what chief or basic concepts are being communicated.

So when John says these things looked like locusts, had crowns etc., we more than likely are not trying to get a grip on huge, monstrous beast/insect hybrids. We’re looking at what those pictures might reasonably represent – especially to the first readers, conversant both with the Jewish Apocalyptic writing style, and especially their Bibles.

So let’s take the things that are really clear, and make some reasonable connections from there. And by God’s grace we can arrive at some practical applications .

What is certain here? And what can we reasonably make of it without going into wild speculation?

1 – John is introducing a new element or dimension in helping us understand God’s plans and purposes and the way our present world works

And remember – we’re using a very loose structure of the 7 seals being the revelation and beginning of the plan unfolded; the 7 trumpets being repeated announcements and warnings of what coming in more detail; and then the 7 bowls being the actual pouring out of final judgment in full.

Last time, we saw the 7 angels given their trumpets, the prayers of the saints as integral to Christ’s Kingdom coming and the 1^st 4 trumpets blown.

Up until now, the focus has been on two realms, Heaven – or what goes on in the presence of God, and Earth – starting with the 7 churches.

Now a 3^rd dimension gets added. It is referred to in vs. 1 as the “bottomless pit,” or the abyss.

So we’ve now got three areas of action – Heaven with God, His angels and the dead redeemed; Earth with human beings – both believing and unbelieving and some angelic presence as well; and now The Abyss – with what can only be understood as dark forces or fallen angels – the demonic. Which now also enter into the earthly scene.

In other words, while God is bringing both final judgment against His enemies, and final reward for His saints, there is more to the picture than just God/Human relations.

It takes the reader back to the Garden of Eden. That when mankind fell, we did not fall alone. Satan was an actor then. An instigator and influencer. So here, we are being reminded that this is still very much the case. Which will be teased out more in later chapters.

Human affairs and especially this present worldly system with its four pillars of: material wealth versus the Spiritual riches of Christ Himself; Man-made religion versus the Christ-centered redemption of the substitutionary death of Jesus on the cross to pay for our sin and reconcile us to the Father through faith; Culturally determined morality versus Biblical holiness through the work of the Spirit; and self-governing belligerence – Personal autonomy versus the perfect rule of God in Jesus Christ – finds its roots in the suggestion and influence of Satan and his minions. There really are dark forces afoot. And this is the darkness they bring to the world. A counter or counterfeit kingdom to that of God and Christ.

Scripture will make the two concepts known this way: Colossians 1:13–14 “He [God] has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

No, these demonic entities aren’t imps or gremlins out to simply pester us to death – nor are they invincible ghouls. They are as Paul describes them in Ephesians 6:12 “cosmic powers over this present darkness,” and “spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” These are pictured well for us in the verses that follow.

Forces as Christians we are told we “wrestle against.” Just how appears more fully in the nature of the battle.

Satan and his demonic forces are real, and must factor into how we understand God’s redemptive plan working in this world today, and why the world is the way it is today.

2 – Note how the “Star” of vs. 1 is personified. “He” was given the key to the abyss. As we’ve mentioned before, stars in this kind of literature and in the book of Revelation as a whole most often refer to angels. In this case, we don’t know if this angel is good or bad, simply that he is sent with this key and opens the pit.

Again, the first readers would have thought of passages like 2 Peter 2:4 “For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment;”

And Jude 6 “And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day—”

In simple terms, as human history draws near to final judgment, not only is mankind judged for sin, but the wicked forces of evil are also exposed as they are nearing their final disposition too. And in that, appear to be given a season of renewed activity.

3 – (2) The immediate result of opening the pit is something like smoke – producing great darkness. This is central and most descriptive.

Drawing back again on 2 Peter and Jude, as well as a motif used throughout Scripture – we simply cannot miss this or overestimate the importance of this: The chief activity of Satan and his allies, is the obscuring of the light of God and His truth. John 8:44 “You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”

Satan’s hatred of God is most manifest in his constant campaign of obscuring the light, the glory of God, both in disinformation about God Himself – think back to the lies told in the Garden that God was petty and did not have the best interest of Adam and Eve at heart – And then in the defiling and exploitation of humanity as made in God’s image.

4 – (3-4) Out of this darkness came these locust-like creatures who unlike real locusts, are restricted from harming the vegetation, but instead only afflict those who were not sealed or marked out as God’s people in the last chapter.

5 – (5) They had a period of time or a season in which they had permission to afflict unbelievers in some fashion that produces great pain. To a people like John’s 1^st readers who were familiar with plagues of locusts devastating crops, this was an apt illustration of a true plague. They would have connected the idea with how God used locusts as one of the 10 plagues used to judge the Egyptians and free the Israelites. And no doubt they would have remembered the book of Joel and the locust invasion he witnessed in Judah, used as a portent of coming judgment on God’s people for their sin. Everyone back then knew that locust season lasted about 5 months. Thus it is a graphic and simple way of saying Satan and his hoard will have their season as part of dismantling this present world system and ushering in the full reign of Christ. How long this season is precisely we do not know.

6 – (6) Those afflicted would desire to die rather than endure the affliction, but do not.

Several commentators take the same track I am convinced of as well – that this “sting” the creatures inflict is not a physical thing, but rather psychological and spiritual.

Let me cite Matthew Henry here, but Greg Beale takes a very similar approach: “The hurt they were to do them was not a bodily, but a spiritual hurt. They should not in a military way destroy all by fire and sword; the trees and the grass should be untouched, and those they hurt should not be slain; it should not be a persecution, but a secret poison and infection in their souls, which should rob them of their purity, and afterwards of their peace. Heresy is a poison in the soul, working slowly and secretly, but will be bitterness in the end.”

Unless we want to posit the idea that some form of immortality is suddenly given to some on earth – a notion the balance of the chapter shows is clearly not the case – the idea here is that in their torment, these who are afflicted would prefer death over their circumstance, but can’t find it in themselves to commit suicide to escape. We’ll come back to this before we finish.

7 – (7-10) These locust-like beings have some remarkable features which make them quite terrifying. Again, it is what these features communicate which is important.

Attempts to visualize the locusts totally misses the point.

And of all the commentators I’ve read, it is interesting that good old Matthew Henry is among the clearest and sanest. He writes: “These locusts were of a monstrous size and shape…They were equipped for their work like horses prepared to battle…They pretended to great authority, and seemed to be assured of victory: They had crowns like gold on their heads; it was not a true, but a counterfeit authority…They had the show of wisdom and sagacity, the faces of men, though the spirit of devils…They had all the allurements of seeming beauty, to ensnare and defile the minds of men—hair like women…Though they appeared with the tenderness of women, they had the teeth of lions, were really cruel creatures…They had the defense and protection of earthly powers—breastplates of iron…They made a mighty noise in the world; they flew about from one country to another, and the noise of their motion was like that of an army with chariots and horses… Though at first they soothed and flattered men with a fair appearance, there was a sting in their tails; the cup of their abominations contained that which, though luscious at first, would at length bite like a serpent and sting like an adder.”

It is the fierceness and brutality as they attack the minds and souls of the lost that jars you. These demonic spirits who defy Christ will gleefully rip every shred of decency and remainder of the image of God from everyone they can get their hands on – through deception from the truth of Jesus Christ.

No wonder then that Paul warns Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:23–26 “Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.”

8 – (11) The beings are not simply creatures but have a leader who is identified as Abaddon or Apollyon. Abaddon being an Old Testament word for the underworld – the habitation of the wicked dead, and Apollyon being Greek for the Destroyer – or Satan.

9 – (12) This all is once again (in keeping with the nature of the trumpets as serving to announce or proclaim) a powerful pronouncement of “woe” to those living on the earth.

Well now, what are we to do with all of this?

I think there are 4 things most worthy of our attention in it all.

1. Humanity has a very real and utterly ruthless and savage enemy who with his cohorts will stop at nothing to keep people in darkness from the God of the Bible and the salvation He offers to us in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

False religions and cults are not just some societal phenomenon. They are the result of the machinations of the powers and principalities of darkness. 1 Timothy 4:1 “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons.”

2. This enemy’s chief instrument of war against God and mankind is deception and the perverting of the truth about God, your origin, your lost condition, your rebellion, your need of redemption from sin, and the only means of that redemption in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

2 Thess. 2:9–12 The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”

It is Satan’s strategy to keep people: Preoccupied with the pursuit and false promise of security and well-being in material prosperity –

Stupefied with a cross-less, Christ-less religion which cannot address sin –

Perpetually dissatisfied in the pursuit of ultimate sexual satisfaction through every form of immorality –

And Arrogantly self-deified in the self-deception of total, personal autonomy.

And when all of these prove to be empty, what pain!

Think of it for a moment. There is little more painful in all of life than investing your whole being into something, and then after getting it, finding it utterly empty and unfulfilling. It is true with careers, relationships, education, fame, accomplishments – you name it.

But it can be worse. What if you bought into the whole paradigm of material wealth, cultural morality, man-made religion, and personal autonomy, only then to add to it that you are nothing but a cosmic accident, with no ultimate purpose – just existing until you die?

What if the utter futility of life finally came crashing in on you, and because your mind is utterly darkened to the truth of God having created you in His image; of sin having separated you from Him – sin in the very things you’ve given your life to; darkened to the forgiveness of that sin and the cleansing and reconciliation to the God who made you through faith in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross – blind to all of that so that you have nothing left but the pain of emptiness and meaninglessness? What do you do with THAT pain?

Recently Sarah sent me the lyrics to a 2017 song by the Canadian Indie pop group Arcade Fire. Listen to what “the sting” sounds like.

Some boys hate themselves, Spend their lives resenting their fathers

Some girls hate their bodies, Stand in the mirror and wait for the feedback

Saying God, make me famous, If you can’t just make it painless

Just make it painless

Assisted suicide, She dreams about dying all the time

She told me she came so close, Filled up the bathtub and put on our first record

Saying God, make me famous, If you can’t just make it painless

Just make it painless

It goes on and on, I don’t know what I want

On and on, I don’t know if I want it – On and on, I don’t know what I want

On and on, I don’t know if I want it – (On and on I don’t know what I want)

No wonder our text calls this especially a “woe”. Woe to those who are caught in this wicked deception that keeps from the love and glory of Christ. What pain indeed.

3. That Christians have been translated out of this kingdom of darkness into God’s marvelous light and are kept from these ultimate deceptions.

We are not left without insight, protection in the sealing of God and instruction.

Matthew 24:24 “For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.”

But He has sealed those who are His and we are kept from this hideous darkness that plagues the World.

4. That Christians join the warfare in bringing down the kingdom of darkness through faith in the atoning work of Christ, and the proclamation of the light and truth of God’s Word to this dark world.

We know how to engage in this battle. Not by superstitiously spying out demons behind bushes, wearing crosses or carrying bigger Bibles, but: 2 Corinthians 10:3–5 “For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,” TRUTH! The Truth as it is in Jesus Christ is our armament.

And so we proclaim the Gospel once more , especially to you here today who have not yet come to Christ for the forgiveness of sins through His substitutionary death on the cross – and reconciliation to the God who made you, through His blood.

This very hour you can be delivered from the kingdom of darkness and translated into the kingdom of God’s dear Son. The pain can end now – and you can be born again. Look to Him.
Revelation Ch. 8 – The Power of Prayer

February 21st, 2018

Revelation Part 17 – Revelation 8

AUDIO FOR THIS SERMON CAN BE FOUND HERE

As I mentioned last week, Ch. 7 serves as a parallel to what had been revealed earlier.

And in some ways ch. 8 continues that parallel while also moving us on to new pictures and a deeper understanding of how the whole of God’s redemptive plan of final judgment works.

We are getting more and more insight not only on what is coming on the earth – the events and movements among the nations – but what else is involved behind the scenes or in the heavenlies as well.

Vs. 1 – So in vs. 1 we get this opening of the 7th or final seal.

And the immediate result of that is silence. Silence NOT on earth – but in heaven.

Interestingly, what stuns those in heaven at this moment, seems to have no impact upon those on earth at all.

It is a vivid reminder that – as in this case – eternally monumental things can be going on, while the world hardly takes notice at all.

This reality was driven home to me multiple times during my tenure working for Keenan’s Funeral Home.

Each time I got into the hearse to lead a procession to a graveside, I was profoundly aware that for the friends and family of those in the procession – this moment was absolutely life changing and in some ways life transforming. The burying of this loved one was for those involved catastrophic, painful and grievous. And yet for all those passing us in their cars on the way to the cemetery, and for the rest of Rochester or Monroe County, those who never even saw the procession, life was just life as usual. They were completely unaware of what was absolutely consuming and life-altering to others.

It was never more true than on the day of Jesus’ crucifixion.

At that moment, the whole of the human race stood at the very edge of God’s wrath being poured out to consume all sin and sinners. But the very Son of God interposed Himself. He let that unleashing of God’s fury fall on His own back, that all who put their trust in Him might have absolute forgiveness of sins and reconciliation to the Father – and the rest of mankind would have a reprieve to hear the Gospel and repent in the years before Jesus’ return.

Collectively we stood on the brink of annihilation, and not a one of us knew it! This adds great weight to Jesus’ appeal to the Father: “Forgive them, they do not know what they are doing!”

The perpetrators knew they were murdering an innocent man. But they had no idea they were murdering the Son of God, and that in the process their very lives were being spared by His death; that salvation was being provided for in His atonement; and that reprieve was being enacted so that the Gospel might go out into all the world.

They especially had no idea what this meant to the Father.

So at this moment in the opening of the last seal: The significance is grasped in heaven, so that the heavenly host of the angels and the saints already there hold their breath in stunned silence, while the world below spins ignorantly on – almost wholly unaware of what is unfolding all around them. That the end is in process.

VS. 2 – It is at this point that 7 trumpets are then given to 7 angels. Now what is this?

To John and his 1st readers – to those familiar with the Old Testament this would not have seemed odd the way it does to us.

The use of trumpets for community announcements and especially for use in war – before the modern advent of radio communications – were the norm.

We get a rather full picture of this in Numbers 10:1-10. Once again, Scripture helps serve as its own best interpreter.

Here we see that trumpets were made for ancient Israel under God’s direction to serve a number of purposes.

(1) Summoning the congregation and for breaking camp.
(2) Calling just the chiefs or everyone to meetings.
(3) Alarms for the tribes to set out in order.
(4) At feast times.
(5) But especially when going into battle. Vs. 9.

So we most likely have much of those same things going on here.

The Church is to be warned and called to be part of the fact that we are about to move on. This world as it is, is NOT our final home.

And these trumpets are a call to the Church as a whole, and especially to the leadership to be ready before God.

It is also an announcement that the final feast – the consummation of all things is near at hand.

But most especially it is to call us to war! The program of righteous conquering that God revealed in the 1st seal is underway – and we are called to our part in it. What that looks like we’ll address shortly.

This pattern of “sounding the trumpets” in this regard is not new in Scripture either. Particularly when it comes to God being careful to warn of impending judgment over and over and over.

Think of Noah – who Scripture tells us was a preacher of righteousness for 120 years! God didn’t send the flood overnight – without more than a century of warning – both in Noah’s preaching and in the spectacle of his building the Ark.

And note 2 Chron. 24 how God reminds His people that the coming invasion of Babylon should not take them by surprise, because in His Mercy and lovingkindness He had been warning them over and over and over and calling them to repentance. So we read in 17-19: “Now after the death of Jehoiada the princes of Judah came and paid homage to the king. Then the king listened to them. And they abandoned the house of the Lord, the God of their fathers, and served the Asherim and the idols. And wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this guilt of theirs. Yet he sent prophets among them to bring them back to the Lord. These testified against them, but they would not pay attention.”

These warnings went on literally for hundreds of years.

So as I mentioned before, we see how the seals as a revelation of the Program, sort of give way to a call, a series of announcements and further details on the program, which in time will give way to the actual pouring out of God’s judgments in the 7 bowls.

These 7 Trumpets are God’s perfect, loud, repeated and sustained call to the World – through His Word, His preachers, the lives of His people and providential world events that His Kingdom is coming, and the Kingdoms of this world will fall and give way to it.

Now just what this call and announcement looks like to Believers gets uniquely unpacked in VSS. 3-5

VS. 3-5 – The picture is really informative. And here is the main idea. In some way, the unfolding program of God in judgment is connected to the prayers of the saints.

For now, just note the picture is of angelic involvement as an angel stands at the altar of God with a censer – a receptacle for burning incense – which the angel then mixes with the prayers of the saints.

And as the smoke of this combination rises before God – something happens on earth: “peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.”

We’ll come back to this in a moment because this is the key concept to be wrestled with in this chapter.

Once this fire from the altar is hurled on the earth – then the sequence of the trumpets begins.

VS. 6-13 “Now the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to blow them.”

7 The first angel blew his trumpet, and there followed hail and fire, mixed with blood, and these were thrown upon the earth. And a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up.

With the 1st angel is the announcement that some sort of disaster will strike earth in which a huge portion of the trees and green grass will be destroyed.

8 The second angel blew his trumpet, and something like a great mountain, burning with fire, was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood. 9 A third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.

The 2nd angel’s announcement reveals another type of disaster all together – with the result of destroying massive numbers of marine life and even the ships in the oceans.

John is at a loss for words here. He says what happens here is something “like” a great mountain is the cause. He does not know precisely what it is and neither do we.

10 The third angel blew his trumpet, and a great star fell from heaven, blazing like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. 11 The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many people died from the water, because it had been made bitter.

On the 3rd trumpet blast, another ecological disaster occurs and this time there is much loss of human life as well. The star here, given Ch. 9, may well be an angel. We’ll see that later. i.e. this disaster includes direct angelic involvement.

12 The fourth angel blew his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, and a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of their light might be darkened, and a third of the day might be kept from shining, and likewise a third of the night.

Then with the 4th trumpet we are introduced to some sort of cosmological disturbance that blocks out sunlight and moonlight alike. Reminiscent of the way darkness covered the land for the 3 hours Jesus was on the cross. How? We don’t how it worked then and John gives us no more details here.

13 Then I looked, and I heard an eagle crying with a loud voice as it flew directly overhead, “Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, at the blasts of the other trumpets that the three angels are about to blow!”

Then at last there are more announcements of warning. WOE to those who dwell on the earth. Things are really ramping up and soon, after the last 3 trumpets, there will be no more warnings – just the actual outpouring of God’s judgments in full.

It is quite a picture isn’t it? Frightening and overwhelming.

And what are we to make of all of this? What practical use would it have been to the believers then – and what to us now?

I do believe there is a very central though which is at the heart of this portion, but let me offer two other ancillary points as well.

1. Note that God does not act without revelation and warning.

God is neither capricious nor knee jerk. He is so gracious and so kind and so patient, that we can in fact take His patience for granted as though He will never act at all. And that is a very grave mistake on our part.

Paul mentions this in Romans 2:3–4 “Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God? 4 Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?”

People can easily conclude in their hearts – God is fine with their sin. There’s no PRESSING need to repent. If He hasn’t judged me yet, He must be OK with what I’m doing.

All the time unaware that God’s patience is itself meant to be a means to call us to repentance. Oh how we can presume on God’s patient lovingkindness.

But we are reminded here how that He is exceedingly forbearing – He has also still fixed a day when He WILL judge. And has been warning us for several thousand years. How much closer we are now to His return – and judgment that will fall without mercy.

How patient He is demonstrated once more today in the fact you are hearing this message and we are studying this book together.

If you don’t know Christ – if you have not yet bowed the knee to Him as Lord, if you have not come to Him for salvation as your sin bearer and redeemer – He sounds the trumpet of the Gospel in your ear one more time today. Come to Him before it is too late.

The judgment is already beginning out in some measure, and you have this moment, this opportunity to confess your sin, to run to Him and to be forgiven and born again that you might face all that is coming on the earth with joy, confidence and His mark upon you as His own.

2. Events on earth are not to be thought of in isolation from God’s eternal plans and purposes.

When we saw the program laid out or revealed in the 7 seals, the activities referred to were from an earthly or horizontal view.

War, famine, etc., are part of earthly experience.

Now, as we see in the trumpets, each is coming from above. So the picture in these things aren’t just happening down here, they have a Heavenly origin or component.

The hail and fire were THROWN down. The great mountain was thrown. The burning star, whatever it is falls from above. It is the sun and the moon that is struck – celestial. What is happening on earth isn’t disconnected from God and His actions.

Natural disasters, plagues, cosmological upsets, all have their earthly causes and effects, but they are not totally disconnected from the plan of God and the judgments He is accomplishing on the earth.

Heaven and earth are not so disconnected that we can sever these things as though they have nothing to do with each other.

Each is a sign of ultimate judgment to come. Each has a spiritual dimension to it as well as the earthly and physical. God’s hand is as visible in all of them as mere nature or even man-made aspects.

I do not know if climate change is a wholly man-made phenomenon, the mere outworking of a natural cycle, or a divine judgment. But if we are understanding God’s Word aright, it is most likely a mixture. But at the very least – not apart from God’s hand.

3. The prayers of the saints are potent and are integral to God’s plans being accomplished.

At the beginning we had a portion from the book of Daniel read. In that portion, the text notes that Daniel had discovered in reading Jeremiah that Israel’s captivity in Babylon was to be 70 years, and that time was nearly up. What was Daniel’s response? He began to order his prayers in concert with what he knew the plan of God to be.

We also had read for us the portion of the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus instructs us how to pray. Unfortunately in our day, that prayer has been looked at as either simply be prayed as rote, or virtually ignored for all of our own prayers. I think this is an error on both parts.

Yes, Scripture is clear that we are to bring everything which concerns us to God, and because of the entrance Christ has made for us to the throne, to have confidence in the Father’s wise and loving response to those needs.
But there is certainly more to this – and I think this chapter demonstrates that for us. It has to do both with being in concert with what God is doing, and in arranging our priorities.

Jesus not only delivered this prayer in this sermon, He did again later when His disciples asked Him to teach them to pray. And in doing so, He gave a most intimate look into His own heart and mind. For it is as if He said in answer to their question – do you want to know what the greatest burden on MY heart is? What moves ME most in prayer? What are the things which I deem of supreme importance to be pleading with God for?

First that reverence for my Father’s name be restored in the universe.
And secondly – that His Kingdom – MY Kingdom would come in its fullness. That everything that opposes My perfect, all wise, all holy, all just and wondrous rule would be put down and crushed forever – that I might rule and reign in My glory – which is the ultimate good of the universe!

So what is it that is part and parcel of the beginning of judgment being poured out on the earth? It is the prayers of the saints being heard, and those judgments then beginning to be unfolded.

So here is the question beloved – do WE, you and I – do we make it a priority in our prayers that sin and all that goes with it be overthrown on the earth, and Christ’s absolute rule come into full power?

Does it even cross our minds from day to day? For it sure is represented as being an absolutely integral part of the judgments being delivered as we see it in this passage.

Let’s make it even more personal. Do we pray for that overthrow in our own hearts and minds? Do we want our skewed value system destroyed? Our twisted morality forever stamped out? Any religious notion not fully in concert with God’s revelation in Christ and His sovereign government to have absolute authority within us?

Do we plead for the coming of His Kingdom IN us, no matter what the cost, even as we pray for His kingdom to come in this world no matter what the cost?

So that after we see what it takes to destroy the kingdoms of this world and usher His in – we can pray with John at the end of this book – Even so – no matter what it takes – come quickly Lord Jesus.

Part of what is involved in the tearing down of these world systems that surround us is the vital role our prayers play in seeing it accomplished. It will produce the rumblings, thunders and earthquakes of an entirely new world system.

The destruction won’t be pretty. But the end will be glorious.

And so we join with the saints in Heaven and say Father YOUR KINGDOM COME – so that YOUR will is done on this earth – IN this earth, even as it is in Heaven. Overthrow everything in me that might still oppose that, even as I pray for it in the world at large.
God’s Provision for His People – Revelation Part 16

February 13th, 2018

Revelation Part 16

Chapter 7

Ezekiel 9:1-6

God’s Provision for His People

AUDIO FOR THIS SERMON CAN BE FOUND HERE

One of my favorite vacation pastimes is reading science fiction. And over the years I’ve grown to be quite a fan of one particular writer: Orson Scott Card.

Arguably, Card’s most popular book by far is Ender’s Game. A futuristic story of a young man named Ender. Having sold over 7 million copies, I’m not alone in appreciating Card’s writing.

This Christmas, Sky purchased another book by Card for me, titled Ender’s Shadow. And it was lauded as highly innovative and a breakthrough in literature. It wasn’t a sequel or a prequel, but it covered the exact same time and events, but from the perspective of one of the other characters in the original book – a diminutive little boy/genius named Bean.

And if one hadn’t read the book of Revelation, this concept of covering the same time and events from a wholly different perspective would seem radically new and innovative.

But here we are in our study of Chapter 7 of the Revelation, and we are in fact confronted with the very same literary device Card is so lauded for. He’s just late to it by about 2,000 years.

For ch. 7 isn’t giving us a look at some sequential material down the road from what we’ve just seen in 6 and the opening of the seals – it is simply shifting point of view, from what’s happening on earth during the opening of the seals, to what’s happening in Heaven.

And from this point of view, the idea is to bring perspective, comfort and confidence to Christians after having rattled our cages with the things we saw earlier.

Last time we examined the opening of the 7 seals which we were told seal the scroll which was in the right hand of God as He sat upon His throne.

No one in all the universe was found worthy to break those seals and open the scroll until the Lamb of God, the Lion of Judah, Jesus the Messiah steps up, takes the scroll and begins to open it. He was worthy to do this because: Revelation 5:9–10 “And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”

This scroll, which we’ve said is nothing less than the eternal plan of God both to ultimately judge all sin and to reward His saints is both revealed, and enacted by Jesus Christ, the crucified and risen Son of God. He is, for lack of a better term, the executor of the Father’s will. And His action puts all of His will into motion.

Because Jesus resisted all sin in His life; paid the penalty for sin in His death; rose from the dead overcoming sin’s ultimate outcome in His resurrection – securing the salvation of all who will trust in His atoning work on Calvary – He alone is worthy to vanquish all sin and its effects, and to reward those who by faith are in Him. To bring about the glorious, eternal end the Father has promised.

That plan, as we saw last time, entails the crushing of all human governments and institutions and trust in anything but God Himself – ushering in His own Kingdom in its fullness. A Kingdom which will also get unpacked for us before this book is done.

More, it requires the complete undoing of this present world system which is based upon material economics, human/and or demonically inspired religion, culturally defined morality and autonomous human authority. Those 4 things must be overthrown.

Christ must finally rule and reign as the true King of Kings and Lord of Lords on earth. Holiness must permeate our beings in that we walk in holiness as thoroughly and naturally as God Himself does. All things of value are measured by God’s standard of what is most valuable to the soul in Christ. And all worship is the constant, joyful outflow of being blessed beyond our comprehension in the unending revelation of God in all of His magnificence and glory. For as we’ve said so often He can bless us with nothing greater than Himself, since nothing greater exists.

What we are seeing unfold then in the following chapters, is the road to get there.

Yes, there will be judgment and destruction, but it will give way to eternal glory and wonder and goodness and perfection.

[XXXX] So as we saw last week – the opening of the 6 seals so far have laid out the basic plan.

It is a program of:

Righteous conquering, by means of

Human warfare

Famine

Massive loss of life

Widespread Christian martyrdom

Earthquakes and eco-cataclysm

Walking through those last week certainly wasn’t pleasant, nor was it pleasant for the first readers.

But our God knows how unsettling this picture is for us.

And so it is, He quickly gives us glimpse of something to settle our hearts and minds, when we know full well all of these things are coming on the world – and the world as we now know it, will cease to be.

Outline of Ch. 7

Vss. 1-3 / Restraining the wind until…

Vss. 4-8 / The 144,000

Vss. 9-10 / The Great Multitude

Vss. 11-12 / The Angelic Response

Vss. 13-14 / Explanation of the Multitude

Vss. 15-17 / The Promises

Vss. 1-3 / Restraining the wind until…

Yes judgment is coming, but God also has mercy and provision for those who are His – which all benefit from. The winds which will eventually bring great destruction, are restrained. And that, for a very specific purpose.

Fortunately, this picture of sealing or marking God’s people in their foreheads is not new in Scripture. We can go back and see how it was used before to get a handle on what is meant here. This will also inform us as to what is most likely meant later in the book with the mark of the Beast as a counter symbol.

We get a view of this in Ezekiel Ch. 9. The setting is another vision. This time, one given to the Prophet Ezekiel when he is exiled along with the rest of the Jews in Babylon.

Since Ezekiel’s mission was to preach to the Jews in captivity, a major part of that mission was to make them understand exactly why it was they were in exile. Why Jerusalem was destroyed.

The bottom line was, they had become an idolatrous and unrighteous society governed by greed, self-interest, oppression and sexual immorality.

Now for Ezekiel and many of his contemporaries, all of whom had gone into exile, the question was: Were their NO righteous people in Judah at all? And if so, how could God let the righteous go into exile along with those who were unrighteous?

And God uses this vision to say “I haven’t forgotten about those who didn’t give in to this sinful lifestyle like the rest.”

So God gives Ezekiel a look back at what was happening from God’s point of view BEFORE the Babylonians arrived to sack the city – Ezekiel 9:4 [The Lord sent an angel] And the LORD said to him, “Pass through the city, through Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations that are committed in it.”

And then in the following verses He begins to strike down the wicked.

The very same sort of thing is being communicated in Rev. 7. Yes, judgment will fall and when it does, there will be both righteous and unrighteous people on the earth – but the Lord knows, the Lord marks out and takes special note and care for those who are His even though they will endure much discomfort in it.

So the seal in their foreheads is probably not literal, but signifies something like what is said in 2 Timothy 2:19 “But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.”

The picture is simply and beautifully that no matter what happens on the earth as God is carrying out His judgments, these things will not be indiscriminate – God knows and will always regard those who are His, no matter how difficult things become.

If you press me, I would say that the most likely explanation here is that the mark is faith itself. Believing that what God has said is true, and ordering our lives accordingly is always the mark of God’s people in every generation. Even as Hebrews 11:1 notes it is faith which is the conviction or evidence of what is unseen. A regenerate soul cannot be observed with the eye. The evidence of the unseen work of regeneration of the soul is that one by faith grasps the Gospel and trusts God by taking Him at His word.

Go back to the 10 plagues in Egypt. Remember how the first plagues affected everyone and not just the Egyptians?

The Nile turning to blood impacted Jews and Egyptians alike.

Same with the swarming frogs, and the gnats. But when it came to the flies next, God said: Exodus 8:22 “But on that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, where my people dwell, so that no swarms of flies shall be there, that you may know that I am the LORD in the midst of the earth.”

And from thereout, the Israelites were spared.

Go back to Noah. Noah and his family went THROUGH the flood, but they were not harmed by the flood. They were in fact “sealed” inside the Ark.

We see this same picture over and over, and it always testifies to God’s marking out His faithful ones to Himself, even when they must go through things that are judgments upon the wicked – they are not judgments upon them!

Vss. 4-8 / The 144,000

This number has been the source of endless speculation. The number is just too neat not to be symbolic. There are a couple of features that demonstrate this.

No census of Israel ever produced numbers like these.

The unique squaring off numbers is itself a hint as to its being symbolic. It is a common feature in Jewish apocalyptic literature.

Then there is the strange grouping – Judah first instead of Reuben the actual firstborn. Perhaps because the list is being impacted by the fact Messiah comes out of Juda? But then, there is the missing tribe of Dan and the insertion of Manasseh. All very odd.

In fact, there are no sacred records of genealogies of the Jews after 70 AD and the destruction of the Temple. Once the records were destroyed, attempts to keep tribal purity were abandoned as well. The lines are all mixed. There is no one who can say my lineage is just from Judah, or Gad, or Naphtali, etc. It just doesn’t exist.

No, something else is afoot here. Israel the people group which went into Canaan, is not comprised of the same individuals as came out of Egypt – even though it is still the same nation.

And so we see a transition in the New Covenant as well.

There is always a fair amount of discussion at this point from various groups, especially over what is sometimes labeled “replacement theology.” The idea being that some systems say that the Church replaces Israel in God’s program, and then there is no future place for ethnic Jews in God’s program.

We can’t unpack that whole debate here but what we CAN say is that at least in some sense, Israel was a type or a shadow. But of what? Of the Church? In some ways. But more precisely, of Christ Himself.

The language of the Old Testament about Israel is that she is represented by the figure of a “vine”. It is all through the Scriptures. An example would be: Ezekiel 19:10 “Your mother was like a vine in a vineyard planted by the water, fruitful and full of branches by reason of abundant water.”

When we come to Jesus, He deliberately appropriates this imagery to Himself. So in John 15:1–2 Jesus says: “I am the TRUE vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in ME that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.”

JESUS is the new or better, the fulfillment of Israel and all who are grafted into Him are considered such.

So it is that Paul argues at length how believing Gentiles are “grafted” in which makes us heirs of Abraham by faith, and breaks down the wall between Jews and Gentiles because we are one in Christ.

It makes more sense then to see the 144,000 as symbolic of the whole of Believers – from the 12 tribes, and from the fruit of the 12 apostles.

This is in keeping with how we would understand Ephesians 2:14–15 “For he himself [Jesus] is our peace, who has made us both [believing Jews and Gentiles] one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself ONE NEW MAN in place of the two, so making peace”

Which figure then is expanded or further explained by seeing the great multitude in the following verses.

Vss. 9-10 / The Great Multitude

The same group from 2 different vantage points. All of the redeemed, fulfilling Israel’s type and putting all things in Christ – where, as we read in Revelation 5:9–10 “And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”

Using here, the very same language of Ch. 5 of a “ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.”

Vss. 11-12 / The Angelic Response

The angelic host around God’s throne, are tremendously moved by the display of God’s goodness to His people.

And seeing how God in His providence will mark out and keep His own no matter what else unfolds on that earth, they cry: “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”

Vss. 13-14 / Explanation of the Multitude

This then accords with the angel’s explanation. Who are these? Those whose sins have been washed away by the atoning sacrifice of Jesus on Calvary.

Let me make one quick comment here on the words “great tribulation.” If you come to the book with a particular scheme in mind, you might impose on these words more than is in the text. Some see a “great tribulation” of 7 years before the end. But that is a construct of the system. A 7 year tribulation is not spoken of in those terms directly. More likely, and we’ll address this later in more detail, the “tribulation” extends from Christ’s ascension and the death of Stephen the first martyr, all the way until Jesus returns. At certain times and certain places this tribulation is more intense than in others.

So as Jesus told us plainly: John 16:33 “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Which then was part and parcel of the early Church preaching from the beginning: Acts 14:21–22 When they [Paul and Barnabas] had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, 22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.

Vss. 15-17 / The Promises

Now the promises outlined here make themselves the application of what we are reading in this part of the vision. This is our takeaway.

What will keep our souls when we find ourselves in the very midst of this world coming apart at the seams in God’s judgment?

Because they have “washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb: Revelation 7:15–17

15 “Therefore they are before the throne of God,

Unending union with God in His unveiled presence.

and serve him day and night in his temple;

Service life built around responding to the unspeakable experience of His presence and glory.

and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence.

Perpetual, personal protection from all ills of any kind.

16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore;

Absolute, unvacillating satisfaction.

the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat.

No good ever distorted into harm.

17 For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water,

and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

The end of all sorrow, and the tender, personal comfort of the God of all comfort for ever and ever amen.

All this, for we who were once Christ hating sinners, but who have found forgiveness, adoption, eternal life and reward, through faith in the substitutionary, atoning death of Jesus on the Cross.

Now let us join with hearts and tongues,

And emulate the angels’ songs;

Yea, sinners may address their King

In songs that angels cannot sing.

2 They praise the Lamb who once was slain;

But we can add a higher strain;

Not only say, “He suffer’d thus,

“But that he suffer’d all for us.”

3 When angels by transgression fell,

Justice consign’d them all to hell;

But Mercy form’d a wondrous plan,

To save and honour fallen man.

4 Jesus, who pass’d the angels by,

Assum’d our flesh to bleed and die;

And still he makes it his abode;

As man he fills the throne of God.

5 Our next of kin, our Brother now,

Is he to whom the angels bow;

They join with us to praise his name,

But we the nearest int’rest claim.

6 But, ah! how faint our praises rise!

Sure, ’tis the wonder of the skies,

That we, who share his richest love,

So cold and unconcern’d should prove.

7 Oh, glorious hour, it comes with speed!

When we, from sin and darkness freed,

Shall see the God who died for man,

And praise him more than angels can. John Newton
Opening the 7 Seals – Sermon notes on Revelation Ch. 6

January 30th, 2018
Revelation part 15

Opening the Seals

Chapters 6 & 8:1-2

AUDIO FOR THIS SERMON CAN BE FOUND HERE

It is no understatement to say we are now entering into deep and mysterious territory in our study of this amazing book.

So far, most of what we’ve looked at has been fairly easy to grasp.

Ch. 1 set the stage in telling us how the book came about – John’s commission to write it while he was in exile on the island of Patmos for the crime of preaching the Gospel. And we get an account of the glorious vision of Christ that he saw.

Chs. 2 & 3 contain the letters Jesus dictated to John to be sent to the 7 churches in Asia: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.

Ch. 4 took us right into the very throne room of God to see Him in His glory and reassuring all that He is truly ruling and reigning and carrying out His divine plan for the ages – even if we can’t sense that here and now.

Ch. 5 introduced us to the scroll with 7 seals – A representation of the unfolding and enactment of God’s final judgment upon sin, and His justification and reward of Believers – all in the hands of the only one worthy to open the scroll and accomplish its contents – The Lamb of God, The Lion of Judah – Jesus the risen Christ. Let’s look at that briefly again.

Revelation 5:1–10 Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.” And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”

From this point on, the bulk of the book follows what one writer calls “three cycles of God’s judgment on his enemies—( 1) seven seals (Rev 6: 1– 8: 5); (2) seven trumpets (Rev 8: 6– 11: 19); and (3) seven plagues or bowls (Rev 15 and 16).¹¹Emerson, Matthew Y.. Between the Cross and the Throne: The Book of Revelation (Kindle Locations 62-63). Lexham Press. Kindle Edition.

The question of how the 7 seals relate to the 7 trumpets and both of them to the 7 bowls is not an easy one to answer.

Are they simultaneous? Are they sequential? Some mixture? Opinions abound. What seems most useful to me, is to think of them in this way:

The opening of the seals is the first step in enacting the contents, and is a revealing of the PROGRAM of God’s judgments.

The Trumpets are then a PROCLAMATION of the judgments in more detail. Urgent and graphic warnings of what has begun. What is now in process and how it will end.

And the bowls are the actual POURING OUT of the Judgments.

I use this cycle type of format because each of these groups of 7 ends the same way – in final judgment. And when you think about it, there can only be one “final” judgment.

So you compare Revelation 6:15–17 Which records the end of the opening of the 6^th seal. “Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”

So these clearly understand that this is the wrath of the Lamb being inflicted on them.

With Revelation 9:20–21 This again is at the end of the 6^th trumpet being blown. “The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk, nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.”

The “rest of mankind”is mentioned here, and their unrepentance, even though as we saw in the 6^th seal, they know this is the wrath of the Lamb!

And Revelation 18:9–10 This scene comes at the end of the last bowl being poured out. And no more judgments take place after these events until the war at the end of the millennium. “And the kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her, will weep and wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning. They will stand far off, in fear of her torment, and say, “Alas! Alas! You great city, you mighty city, Babylon! For in a single hour your judgment has come.”

Each section has a final judgment element. But there aren’t 3 final judgments, just one. So it would make sense that some kind of layering of one sort or another is going on.

Now whether or not that is THE actual scheme, won’t be as important to us as making sure we get the thrust of what is being revealed in each scenario. Fortunately, we can get to that without speculating on the way the interconnectedness might work.

So let’s take a broader look at what we can take away solidly from what we read in this portion.

1^st SEAL: 6:1–2 Now I watched when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say with a voice like thunder, “Come!” And I looked, and behold, a white horse! And its rider had a bow, and a crown was given to him, and he came out conquering, and to conquer.

Lots of speculation surrounds trying to identify who this rider on the white horse is.

The 2 most popular theories are that it is either Jesus, or the Antichrist.

In truth, if the identity of the rider were that important to what God is keen on us needing to know, I think it would have been spelled out.

Since he isn’t identified – what CAN we know?

That God’s ultimate PROGRAM is one of righteous conquering of all that which has been in rebellion against God.

This rebellion will be characterized later as a kingdom that stands in opposition to God’s kingdom.

White nearly always represents righteousness in this book, and in other apocalyptic literature. Whether the rider is Jesus, or the antichrist or someone else – God’s program for judging sin and rewarding His saints is a righteous one which involves conquering that which needs to be put down in opposition to Him.

2^nd SEAL: 6:3–4 When he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!” And out came another horse, bright red. Its rider was permitted to take peace from the earth, so that people should slay one another, and he was given a great sword.”

The Program Of conquering sin, evil and the kingdom of this world system will incorporate a great escalation in human warfare.

The phrase “slay one another” may be an allusion to civil war versus just war in general. Either way, an escalation in warfare is clearly indicated.

3^rd SEAL: 6:5–6 When he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” And I looked, and behold, a black horse! And its rider had a pair of scales in his hand. And I heard what seemed to be a voice in the midst of the four living creatures, saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius, and do not harm the oil and wine!”

This judgment results directly from the wars which dreadfully reduce food and produces famine. Though it IS controlled. These too are part of the program. Part of dismantling human self-dependence.

4^th SEAL: 6:7–8 When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!” And I looked, and behold, a pale horse! And its rider’s name was Death, and Hades followed him. And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by wild beasts of the earth.

The judgment will be characterized by massive numbers of death finalizing the sentence for masses.

5^th SEAL: 6:9–11 When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.

This judgment will include great persecution against the saints including martyrdom.

6^th SEAL: 6:12–17 When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”

The judgment will incorporate global, cataclysmic upheaval.

7^th SEAL: 8:1-5

The program WILL have an absolute final judgment upon all sin. God’s judgment will give way to the fulfillment of all His promises to His people.

But first will come vivid, graphic, repeated warnings to all in the time of the 7 trumpets.

As a sort of preview – I will tell you now that Chapter 7 is a pageant of how God will preserve His own throughout all the trials and tribulations which come upon the earth as a result of sin – and even through the Great Tribulation. God will not lose His own, no matter how bad it gets. We’ll see that next time.

Then Ch. 8 will see the 7^th seal opened and the 7 trumpets begin to sound the last warnings in urgent, and graphic pictures to the Church and to the World. No one need be caught unaware if the Church is doing her job in preaching and teaching. For this IS what is coming. And our evangelistic zeal needs to be fueled by a clear and overwhelming sense of how God is not playing around, that He will not remain patient forever, and that His wrath is far more terrible than anyone imagines.

But what about this portion before us today? What is it we need to take away from this for our lives here and now?
1. God isn’t winging it, and human history isn’t flying blind or undirected. Wars, rumors of wars, false prophets, false Christs, persecutions of the saints, global geo-political upheavals, natural and ecological disasters, and the like: Jesus Himself told us in Matt. 24 and elsewhere these are part of the Program and are not “the end” in and of themselves.
Christian – be heartened.

This would have been the immediate application to those the book was initially written to as they were undergoing their trials under Roman rule.

And it is meant to inform and comfort Christians in EVERY era when facing all of the things listed in their own context.

As we will see later in the book, every society, every people group, every “kingdom” has 4 common elements:
1. A RELIGIOUS perspective.
2. A POLITICAL structure.
3. An ECONOMIC system.
4. A MORAL framework.
And in this book we will see that every society which does not have a religious foundation of the Biblical Gospel of Jesus Christ; a political structure where Christ is the absolute monarch; an economic system which trades on spiritual values not materially based ones; and a moral framework established in Biblical holiness – will not only fall – it MUST fall when crushed by the coming of Christ to establish His Kingdom.

This includes fascist, communistic, democratic, autocratic, theocratic, anarchic and yes – even western representative republics like our own.

Western culture and society WILL perish. If not by virtue of its own inner corruption before Jesus comes, then by His judgment of it when He comes, if, it still exists at all.

Put no trust in man’s invented religious notions, political and governmental systems, financial prosperity or humanly defined morality. It all must give way.

It IS giving way.

Their dissolution is all in God’s program. Christ has ascended, and as Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:25 “he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.”

Christian – take heart.
1. Note that it is Christ our Savior who is the executor of God’s will in all of this.
He opens the seals. He sets the timing, directs the events and guides them to completion.

For those who belong to Him – this is supreme comfort in all trials and difficulties.

For those who are His enemies – who simply live life unto themselves and not under His rule – this is terrifying.

And so it is again a call to be reconciled to God through Jesus – through faith in His atoning work on Calvary.
1. Look at the patience and grace of God even in this.
Jesus comes and preaches the Gospel and dies for our sins.

The Disciples begin to preach the Gospel.

The Gospel spreads all over the world – transforming men and nations.

The Bible is written, preserved, published and distributed everywhere for generations.

The Church is established in worshiping communities all over the globe.

Missionaries travel to the remotest of unreached regions and people groups.

The Gospel is preached in pulpits, print, the radio, television, the internet and person to person.

The promise of Jesus’ return and the final judgment upon sin and wickedness is proclaimed generation after generation by every means possible.

Mankind is given millennia to hear, repent, turn to Christ in saving faith and be delivered from the wrath to come.

Every war, every earthquake, every famine, tornado, tsunami , and ecological disaster screams out God’s warning message that final judgment is on the way and demonstrates it in miniature.

And even as the seals of God’s program are broken open and enacted by Christ – still time is given to the 7 trumpets to herald Jesus’ return and the coming judgment. Once again people are called to forsake their sin and flee to Christ for forgiveness, eternal life and the gift of the Holy Spirit.

And so it is the trumpets are already sounding in our ears even today aren’t they? And still some of you refuse to hear, refuse to repent of your sin, refuse to bend the knee to Christ to be reconciled to God by faith in His substitutionary atonement. Refuse to serve Him as Lord.

Your eyes are still on human governments and western culture.

You believe a gospel of your own invention while refusing His.

You trust in your wages, 401K, and seek safety and well-being in investments and bank accounts. Seeking financial prosperity over seeking the face of God.

And what is right or wrong, moral or immoral changes at your own personal whim, or the current of popular culture.

Beloved – now is the time to call upon the Lord – before all of this gives way to pouring out of the 7 final bowls of His wrath, and it truly is – too late.

Today is still a day of grace. He calls out to you one more time to come to Him for mercy and forgiveness and transformation.

I do not know about tomorrow, only now. Won’t you come?
Light for The New Year – Sermon on 1 John 1:5

January 15th, 2018
1 John 1:1-5

James 1:16-17

Revelation 22:16

AUDIO FOR THIS SERMON CAN BE FOUND HERE

What I would like to address this morning is truly nothing new. We’ve spent some time on it before. But it is so essential, both in terms of our current study in the Book of Revelation, and in the Christian’s everyday life and thought process – that I thought it would be very fitting for the start of this new year of 2018.

Of all the damage done to the human soul in the Fall, nothing is so pervasive and must be so continually resisted as is the inward suspicion of God. The recurring thought that when things go wrong, or are hard, painful and difficult to understand, that God’s love or power or both, are somehow defective. Or that He harbors some dark or secret agenda which does not have the good of the Believer at heart.

This would have been at the forefront of those first readers of the Book of Revelation as they see the coming persecutions and the outpouring of God’s judgment on the world.

First you have those in the 7 churches each facing their challenges.

And one might ask – where is God in this?

Then as one reads on in Ch. 6, you read of global conquest, civil war, famine and death. One scene has the martyrs, those who have already died for the cause of Christ under the altar and the text reads: Revelation 6:10 “They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” And God responding that such a day is coming, but more yet need to be killed as they were.” Where is God?

Chs. 8 & 9 detail global disasters of all kinds, and even more brutal wars.

In one place a ¼ of mankind perishes and then in another 1/3 more perish. And there is persecution and mayhem as God pours out His wrath. And from what I can read, the saints will be here for these extraordinary and terrifying events – the same way the Israelites were present when Egypt was judged, and Noah and his family went through the flood. Unharmed, but not unaffected. And again we might ask – where is God?

All the way through Revelation John is taken from these very troubling scenes to scenes in Heaven where we see God sitting on His throne, ruling all, and of countless men and angels worshiping in unspeakable joy – and one could wonder – how can these two things co-exist?

How can a God who the Bible paints unequivocally as Holy and just and good allow sin to wreak its ravages on the human race?

Perhaps this has entered into your own thinking as you’ve wrestled with the disappointments, pain, suffering, and unexplained difficulties you’ve endured or are even enduring now?

Maybe you haven’t formalized the thought or said it out loud, but is there a nagging shadow in the back of your heart and mind – is God secretly angry with me? Punishing me for what – I don’t know? Is there some dark place in Him that leads me not to believe He is ALL good in all ways?

Does the combination of physical weakness, the way life hasn’t turned out the way you thought it would – the stresses and the circumstances of job and family and the nation and the world – find you casting some slight shadow of suspicion on God?

It is for just such a purpose that John reminds the readers in his little letter of 1^st John: “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— 2 the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— 3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. 5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.”

Bound up with the message of the Gospel and all of its glory, this message must be heard and heard again and again and again by God’s people – or we will fail to have true fellowship with The Father, the Son Jesus Christ and with each other: God is light. And in Him is NO darkness at all!

For you cannot draw close to anyone you suspect as having some dark ulterior motives in their relationship with you. You cannot live in faith with someone you don’t trust. It is true on the human level, and especially true in the Spiritual life with God.

It is a very common phenomenon among believers, that when we go through hard times, especially those with unexplained or seemingly senseless suffering attached – to grow inwardly suspicious of the purity of God’s love toward us.

Mentally, theologically we say to ourselves, I KNOW God is good and loves me – but in truth, we don’t feel it, and begin to question His wisdom in what He allows us to suffer, but more fundamentally, His secret attitude toward us.

And so it is many who suffer, instead of drawing closer to the Lord in their trials, actually grow farther from Him – for as I said above, you do not, can not, WILL NOT draw close to someone you suspect harbors ill toward you. If you cannot trust them, you cannot, you WILL NOT draw close to them.

So it is, when the Holy Spirit of God is the very Comforter of our souls, and we reject Him in suspicion, we rob ourselves of the comfort that may be ours in the midst of our trial.

Beloved this is so vitally important to the health of our spiritual lives and to having any growth in the depth of our relationship to Him.

These cannot be separated.

So it is I want to unpack just 3 ways we need to understand this indispensably foundational truth, that God is LIGHT, and in Him is NO darkness at all.
1. There is no darkness in His CHARACTER.
There is no flaw of any kind, no even slight tendency toward sin in Him. He is altogether – HOLY.

Remember how we saw that in such detail in chapter 4 of Revelation – that amazing scene where the Revelation 4:8 [Where] “the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!”

That isn’t for show. It isn’t some vain pageantry – it is the declaration of who He is at the very core of His being. And as Holy – He cannot sin. He cannot plot wrong or evil or anything less than the very best for His own and still be God.

Certainly there are times when we do not understand what He is doing, or be able to directly discern how it is some events, experiences and circumstances can possibly be redeemed for our good – but because He is absolutely and undefilably holy – it must be so!

God is no more constitutionally capable of sinning than you and I are of capable of blowing out the sun like a match.

So it is, even when God is rebuking Israel for its sin He reminds them: Malachi 3:6 “For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.”

And we are reminded in Hebrews 6:13–18 “For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself, saying, “Surely I will bless you and multiply you.” And thus Abraham, having patiently waited, obtained the promise. For people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation. So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us.”

It is not that God WILL NOT lie, the appeal to our faith in His promises is based upon the fact that “it is impossible for God to lie.”

Child of god, no matter how mysterious your circumstances might be; No matter how strangely the world around us might seem; no matter how dire, unchangeable or dark the things you are facing might be – if you are in Christ – God is FOR you, and is constitutionally unable to act in any other way toward you but in perfect, uninterrupted holy love.

When Adam and Eve fell, they did so because they believed the suggestion that God was not entirely good in what He had provided for them, and forbidden from them. They believed He could do them wrong.

And it is inevitably where we fall as well – even today.

God is light, and in Him is NO DARKNESS AT ALL.
1. There is no darkness in His MOTIVES.
While this idea is closely related to the first, it differs some.

A person might be paralyzed and for that reason, unable to harm someone else physically. But that does not mean they might not have ill-will toward them.

So God might be constitutionally unable to DO wrong, because He must act in holy ways at all times. He cannot pervert justice.

So when Abraham is bargaining with God over the fate of Sodom he argues: Genesis 18:25 “Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?”

But mere actions and motivations may differ.

There is an old story told about Clyde the farmer. One day Clyde was out in his field plowing, when lightening struck, tipping the tractor over pinning Clyde underneath with his legs broken. The fuel spilled out of the gas tank, which when ignited by another lightening strike, burned his entire crop to the ground, spread to the house and burned it down too. Soon Clyde’s wife appeared, berated him for being such an idiot and a loser and announced she was leaving him with his farm hand.

As hail began to fall and Clyde remained pinned under his tractor, in pain, confusion and anguish Clyde looked up into the heavens and cried: “Lord! Why me?” And in a moment, the clouds parted and a voice boomed back: “I don’t know Clyde, something about you just bugs me!”

I dare say there are some even here today who have imagined that to be the case between themselves and the Lord. That He just seems to have it out for you. Nothing goes right. Everything you try fails. No matter how you try to pick up the pieces and do right, it just seems that everything falls apart over and over. And deep down you suspect God just has some undefined thing against you.

So while you would never accuse God of actually doing you wrong, you do suspect He has it in for you in some way. You doubt that His motives toward you are completely and wholly loving and good.

No, He cannot DO us wrong, but do we really know His heart? Might there still be dark motives in Him somewhere? Might He not have the best interest of His children in view even if He cannot actually sin against them – might He just let evil roll over us?

And the answer is – NO! No!

We could spend the rest of our lives plundering God’s Word for all of the expressions of His unfailing, unerring, perfect love toward His own.

But if there is one passage that to me transcends them all it is the one captured in the midst of Jesus’ High Priestly prayer for Believers in John 17: John 17:22–23 “The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.”

Did you hear that? Jesus prays that the world might come to understand that God the Father loves the Redeemed, even as He loves Jesus Himself.

That the world might know it? That BELIEVER’S might know it! And believe it. And rest in it!

Oh if we could only grasp it for a moment.

If you are a Christian here today, know that the purity, the holiness, the perfect of God the Father’s love for His only Begotten, incarnate Son, in no way surpasses the love He has for you as in Christ today.

What possible ill-will could the Father have toward Christ? What possible dark or nefarious motives against Him? How could He have anything but the very highest regard, love and desire for His Son?

So much so then is it true for all of us who are in Christ by faith.

Believer, He loves you even as He loves the Son. And His motives toward you are all wrapped up in making you one with the Son and with Himself in eternal, unimaginable bliss having perfected that which He has begun in you.

God is LIGHT! And in Him is no darkness at all.
1. There is no darkness in His KNOWLEDGE.
Satan is a skilled adversary. And if he cannot win the day by convincing us that there is no darkness in God’s character, and no darkness in His motives toward us – but perhaps there is something lacking in His knowledge. In other words, maybe He just doesn’t know how badly I am suffering right now, how hard I am struggling.

Yes He is good. Yes He loves me. But if He only knew what was really going on in my life and in my heart – surly He would intervene and change things.

But of course, that is simply because we have forgotten His word to us. Remember David’s Psalm 139:1–24 “O LORD, you have searched me and known me! 2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. 3 You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. 4 Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether. 5 You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it. 7 Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? 8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! 9 If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, 10 even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. 11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,” 12 even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you. 13 For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. 17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! 18 If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you.”

Oh Believer, He knows you. He knows your every care and concern – no matter how slight or how dire.

And He is holy in His sovereign appointments in your life.

He is unspeakably loving toward you in all of His providences.

And He knows you infinitely better than you even know yourself.

You can trust Him. And as you do, the more you do, the more you will find your relationship with Him deepening and comforting.

For He is light, and there is no darkness in Him at all.

And Unbeliever today, because these things are true, because God is light and in Him is no darkness at all, then know too this means He cannot overlook, excuse or condone your sin either.

Because He is holy and just, and cannot change – He MUST judge sin. And everyone will stand before Him to give an account even of our secret thoughts one day.

His holiness will not allow Him to ignore your sin. You will either stand before Him robed in the righteousness of Christ, cleansed by His blood and purged of your guilt in bowing the knee to Christ Jesus as your Savior, substitute and Lord, or you will stand on your own, to suffer the just wrath of God against your sin. And in the Light that He is, no dark spot in you will be missed.

The bad news is, God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.

But the good news too is: God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.

Come to Him who knows your every sin, and be forgiven, cleansed and made a new creature in Christ – to know Him as He is.

Child of God – trust Him. More and more and more. And you will know Him more and more and more. And your joy and comfort will have no end.
Immanuel – God With Us – Christmas 2017

December 17th, 2017

Christmas 2017

God With Us

Genesis 3 – Entire

Matthew 1:18-25

AUDIO FOR THIS SERMON CAN BE FOUND HERE

The two passages we’ve just had read for us are not usually considered together – in fact, they are so vitally linked that we must consider them side by side in understanding Christmas.

I know I have mentioned the trip Sky and I took last month to attend the annual conference of the Evangelical Theological Society. As always there were several hundred academic papers read by theologians, philosophers and others who are committed to the inspiration and inerrancy of the Scriptures, and to furthering our understanding and application of them.

One of the sessions we attended was a festschrift for Dr. Vern Poythress, who has been professor of New Testament interpretation at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia since 1987.

A festschrift is simply a collection of writings brought together as a book to honor a scholar at a certain point in their career.

At this festschrift, several of the contributors to the book also spoke, and several made comments about Dr. Poythress’s prodigious Bible memorization. He has committed huge amounts to the Bible to memory, many portions, both in English and in Greek.

But when asked initially about his memorizing, he mentioned that first of all he memorized the first three chapters of Genesis. Because, as he said, everything else in the Bible flows from those chapters.

Indeed, when we come to consider something like the incarnation of Christ at Christmas, the truth is, the Son of God becoming incarnate as Jesus, living, dying on the Cross and rising again – none of it makes a lick of sense without Genesis 3 especially.

Jesus didn’t come to earth in a vacuum. He didn’t just appear disconnected from human history nor the rest of the Biblical story.

He came as the focal point of the Biblical record. He came in answer to the prophecy and promise that God gave to humankind back in the Garden of Eden. As the fulfillment of the Divine prophecy and promise which came directly out of and on the heels of – The Fall. The descent of mankind into the darkness and wretchedness of sin.

He came especially, to address the key element of the Fall, the problem out of which all human misery flows – separation from God.

To state the issue as simply as I can: Sin separates. And it is this dis-integration, this dreadful separation in all of its manifestations which is at the heart of the Christmas story.

To get to that, let’s go back to see what I mean when I say that sin separates, and that this separation is at the bottom of all human woe – and – Christmas.

Genesis 3 as we have already seen, records the Fall of humanity into sin by means of our first parents, Adam and Eve. Let’s look at it afresh.

Genesis 3:1–5 “Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ” 4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.

The 1st separation we encounter is a Separation from God’s Authority. Satan’s suggestions take precedence for Eve over what God had already said. He assumes an authority to re-interpret God’s words. And ultimately, she does the very same thing.

The result of this is a Separation from God’s truth. God’s revelation is questioned. God doesn’t communicate well is the accusation. He didn’t mean what He said. You must make His Word fit into your understanding, and not go back to Him if clarification is needed.

Genesis 3:6 “So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.

Once God’s authority is left behind, and His truth obscured, the natural result is Separation from God’s Wisdom. Human wisdom takes precedence. God has said X – but I know better.

And as the text records, once God’s wisdom is left, Separation from God given structures is inevitable. The woman leads and the man partakes without ever rebuking the serpent. Man had authority over all the creatures, but now he wimps out. Woman who is there is help man serve God most effectively as one with him, suggests another path, and he doesn’t resist. Abdication from responsibility.

Genesis 3:7 “Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.

Separation from Innocence and Purity. Now their eyes are open in ways they were not designed for. They see things but not from a vantage point of innocence and purity, but one of lewdness.

Genesis 3:8–11 “And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?”

Separation from FELLOWSHIP with God.

Genesis 3:12 “The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.”

Separation from one another. Adam throws Eve under the bus! All marital and relational strife can be traced back to sin, on the part of one or both parties – but sin is always at the root of driving us apart.

Genesis 3:13 “Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

Separation from God ordained responsibility. Responsibility for her own actions, and responsibility over creation.

Genesis 3:16 “To the woman he said, “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be contrary to your husband, but he shall rule over you.”

Separation from original joy and fulfillment. The very roles God had given to bless and help mankind flourish become painful and are seen even as onerous or restrictive.

Genesis 3:17–19 “And to Adam he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; 18 thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. 19 By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

Separation from original purpose, fruitfulness and joy in labor.

Genesis 3:19 “By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

Separation from life. Mankind was made to live. And now, we will die.

Genesis 3:22–24 “Then the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—” 23 therefore the LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. 24 He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.”

Separation from the Presence of God. This, in the final analysis is the great, ultimate, terrible, tragedy and result of sin. In this case, God removed Adam and Eve from His presence in judgment.

This, is the state of humankind from the Fall forward to today.

Now in one sense – it is true, God is omnipresent – everywhere present at the same time. But in another sense – He is altogether absent.

Trapped in our guilt and sin, the beauty of God’s presence, the wonder of it, the desire for it and the love of it – the ultimate blessing of it is gone. And apart from some means of taking away our guilt, cleansing away the defilement of our sin and brining forgiveness of it – we remain without hope.

Or as Ephesians 2:12 so graphically describes the plight of one outside of Christ: At that time you were without Christ, excluded from the citizenship of Israel, and foreigners to the covenants of promise, without hope and without God in the world.

Sin separates! It disrupts and corrupts everything having to do with mankind. It dis-integrates the fundamental unity of the Cosmos as God has created it.

And it is into such a world – so wretchedly separated from its Creator and sustainer, that Christ comes.

He comes to a guilty humanity – guilty along with Adam in our rebellion against God’s rightful authority over us: A guilt we ratify every time we still disobey and live beneath the glory we were created in – to reflect His eternal perfections.

To this dark world, to these rebellious people who want to rule ourselves rather than bend the knee to Him – who serve our fleshly wants and desires above His perfect desires for us – who seek our own happiness above what we were created for – and could give little care as to whether or not He is actually in the picture, as long as we think we are happy – to such He came.

To you, and to me.

And apart from Divine love flowing from the Giver rather than the attractiveness of the loved – there would be no hope.

But there IS hope, a hope first found in one portion of Gen. 3 we didn’t examine, and then in the other passage we had read this morning.

Yes, Mankind had sinned.

Yes, Mankind in our sin had ushered in all manner of human suffering and woe.

And yes, God banished us from His presence, and even put a barrier in the way of our finding our way back to the Tree of Life as a just penalty for our sin.

But He also promised us something. At the very same time God pronounced His curse on Satan for his role in tempting our first parents and encouraging the Fall – He also announced that someday , God would intervene and that one born to this same rebellious and fallen race, would be the very means to reverse the damage done. To the Serpent God says:

Genesis 3:15 “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”

The woman will have an offspring, who will take on this Tempter and will suffer in so doing, but will deliver the decisive crushing blow against him. An ironic separation to sever what should never have been an alliance.

And what will that look like? For that We go to our Christmas passage.

Matthew 1:18–25 “Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). 24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, 25 but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.”

God, the offended, holy, just and perfect God, will come to His offenders – and be present with them again, and end the banishment enacted at the Fall. And this restoration of His presence with us, will begin the redemption of what was lost in the Fall, until all is once again as it should be in Him.

In reverse order to all the separation we saw in the Fall –

Separation from the Presence of God. Vs. 23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).

We could not go to Him – but He would come to us. Jesus – is God WITH us! Not far off. Not estranged. Not impossible to reach – but walking among us and restoring all things.

Separation from life. John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Separation from original purpose, fruitfulness and joy in labor. 1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

Separation from original joy and fulfillment. John 15:11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

Separation from God ordained responsibility. Revelation 5:9–10 And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, 10 and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”

Separation from one another. John 13:34–35 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Separation from FELLOWSHIP with God. 1 John 1:3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.

Separation from Innocence and Purity. 1 John 1:7 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.

Separation from God given structures. 1 Corinthians 11:3 But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God.

Separation from God’s Wisdom. Colossians 2:1–3 For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, 2 that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Separation from God’s truth. John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Separation from God’s Authority. Colossians 1:13–14 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

God WITH us, is the beginning of the restoration of all things in and through Him.

And this beloved is Christmas. It is God taking the full initiative to restore sinners to Himself by the 2^nd member of the Godhead – becoming incarnate – that He might not just be among us – but that we might be WITH Him – forgiven, cleansed, redeemed from our Fall – and made new creatures.

Christmas is the at the heart of the Gospel. It is God bringing salvation to lost sinners – and the very beginning of restoring all things to Himself. It is God with us. Now I must ask – are you with Him?