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Who are the REAL Millennials? Rev. 20 Pt. 1

October 15th, 2018
Revelation 20:1-6

Revelation series part 34

AUDIO FOR THIS SERMON CAN BE FOUND HERE

Who are the Millennials?

The term millennials as we most often hear the word today, was most likely coined by William Strauss and Neil Howe in a 1987 book they co-authored.

Also know as Generation Y or Gen-Y – they meant it to describe the first generation of those who would graduate High School in the year 2000 and a bit beyond.

In 2006, Psychologist Jean Twenge dubbed millennials “Generation Me”. Her book was titled: “Generation Me: Why Today’s Young Americans Are More Confident, Assertive, Entitled—and More Miserable Than Ever Before.”

But long before these terms and ideas were coined, Christians have discussed and debated what is called “The Millennium.” A term taken from this passage in the reference to, The Thousand Years.

For that is what a millennium is – 1000 years.

If you have been a Christian for very long, and especially if – as virtually all of us here – you were raised in our 20th century brand of American Evangelicalism, the idea of the millennium has probably impacted the entire way you understand Scripture.

More pointedly, it may even define how you understand the book of Revelation and the whole range of end times events surrounding Jesus’ 2nd coming.

Other than a handful of references, our clearest understanding of this millennial period comes from this chapter. From these 15 verses.

But where it exactly fits in the scheme of the last days or end times, is a place of great disagreement among believing scholars.

So here we need to do a bit of a very brief historical survey.

Now the view of the millennium with which most of us are probably familiar, is what is called: Dispensational Pre-millennialism. And it has a specific and detailed view of how the last days will play out. Though there are some variations on it in some groups.

The most common form of Dispensational Premillennialism was made popular by books like Hal Lindsey’s “The Late, Great Planet Earth” and the very successful “Left Behind” series.

But this view falls within a spectrum of views on the end times. In reference to the millennium or the 1000 years mentioned in this text, that spectrum looks broadly like this:

There are 4 main views on this question of The Millennium – all 4 of them orthodox; and all 4 of them held to by sound Biblical scholars and Bible teachers.

I personally have no vested interest in which one you may hold to.

For in the final analysis, the BIG, the REAL issue for Christians isn’t our view of the millennium, but the fact that Jesus IS coming back, literally, physically; and that our great hope rests in His return, the resurrection of the dead and His eternal reign in the New Heavens and the New Earth.

As long as we agree on THOSE facts, we can be one.

The order of events leading up to the New Heaven and Earth – including this 1000 years period called the millennium – is interesting, but ultimately not all that important; though arguments over the order of events have at times split both churches and entire denominations. Much to our shame.

As the writer to the Hebrews emphasized: Hebrews 9:27–28 / And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

Or better yet – when the Disciples asked the resurrected Jesus if He was about to restore the kingdom to Israel – Jesus replied: Acts 1:7 / He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.

This of course begs the question for every Christian: Are you eagerly waiting for Him?

If not, I would argue, you cannot truly live the Christian life; as it is meant to be lived.

It is a most important reality, central to the life of every Christian.

While some in my generation can well be accused of “millennium madness” in trying to nail down every detail of prophecy surrounding Jesus’ return while ignoring growth in the image and character of Christ – so many today can rightly be charged with having very little regard for Jesus’ return, and being woefully unprepared for it; let alone actually yearning for it.

A lack of personal anticipation of Jesus’ return has the exact same effect as does over-preoccupation with the details – we grow lazy and disinterested in making true spiritual progress in our growth in Christ and in preparing to receive Him when He comes.

It becomes more of a far off fantasy than a motivating truth that informs and impacts everyday life.

The Apostle Paul shows how the doctrine of Jesus’ return impacted him when in jail and expecting to be executed for The Faith, in his last letter before his death:

2 Timothy 4:6–8 / For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.

In another letter John puts these 2 ideas of looking forward to Jesus’ return as our great hope and living the Christian life like this:

1 John 3:1–5 / See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin.

In other words, my hope in Jesus’ return, in wanting to be ready for Him and living in concert with who He is and what He came to do (to take away sins) informs my attitude toward and relationship to – sin; and thus life in this present world.

I cannot be looking forward to His coming with all my heart and at the same time living as though sin doesn’t matter.

His goal is to make me entirely pure as He is pure – and so I begin to seek out how, by His Word and the power of His Spirit to live in accordance with that goal

He appeared the 1st time to take away sins, and there is no sin in Him – so I want to cast off sin as I look to welcome Him back.

Can you imagine meeting Him and then saying: “Look, I know you died to pay the price for my sin, to free me from sin’s dominion and to make me holy as you are holy, but to be honest, I just wanted to live my life the way I saw fit, and figured you’d deal with sin once you got here.”

It reminds you of Augustine’s confessions reflecting on himself before his conversion; he admits: “But I wretched, most wretched, in the very commencement of my early youth, had begged chastity of Thee, and said, “Give me chastity and continency, only not yet.” For I feared lest Thou shouldest hear me soon, and soon cure me of the disease of concupiscence, which I wished to have satisfied, rather than extinguished.” (Book 8, ch. 7)

Do I HAVE to say that doesn’t fly? No, I didn’t think so.

That said, let’s take a very brief look at these 4 views of the millennium and then look at the passage itself to see 4 key things.

1. Dispensational Premillennialism

The order of events from this view happen like this – a. Jesus’ 1st coming.
1. The church age (Rev. 2-3)
2. Rapture of the Church (secret return of Jesus) which those who hold this view are waiting for now.
3. Then the 7 Year Great Tribulation will come while the Church is gone.
4. Jesus’ 2nd, 2nd coming & 1000 year reign
5. After the 1000 years, Satan is loosed, there is the final battle called Armageddon & Final judgment.
6. New Heavens and New Earth.
Of the 4 we’ll look at today, this is the most recent view.

The idea of a secret rapture of the Church was not taught before the mid- 1860’s.

It was popularized by J. N. Darby and codified in the Scofield Reference Bible – the first ever “study Bible”.

It is the view of some very solid men like Chuck Swindoll, James Montgomery Boice, John MacArthur, Harry Ironside, & many, many others.

It is the view I was raised with.

It has some problems though; as EACH of these views do.

It’s biggest problem to me is the idea of a 2nd coming of Jesus at the so-called “rapture” of the Church which is in fact – secret.

Such a secret appearing is hard to reconcile with: Revelation 1:7 / Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.

Or: 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17 / For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.

This sounds like a pretty public and noisy affair to me; not at all secret.

In effect, the view proposes 2, 2nd comings. One invisible, one visible.

This is also sometimes called a “futuristic” view or “Futurism” because essentially, nothing in the book of Revelation from ch. 4 until ch. 20 has anything to do with the Church at all.

It sees all of what we’ve covered in these past months as events still to come, and all transpiring within the 7 years of the Great Tribulation.

I think our current study has demonstrated that the balance of the book is in fact very Church focused and of great value to the Believer in every age.

Revelation 1:3 / Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.

The unusual and specific blessing for Christians attached to reading the Revelation would seem to demand that Christians in every age see its importance for them and not assume the bulk of it has nothing to do with them.

In any case, I am not throwing stones at this position.

It is an orthodox view and many of those who I would hold in high regard as the soundest of Biblical scholars take it.

If in fact this is the way the end times unfold – you’ll get no weeping and gnashing of teeth from me.

If in the end, the Church does escape the Tribulation, I will be most happy to be wrong.

But I don’t think so.

2. Postmillennialism

As the “post” indicates, this view essentially holds that the Gospel will have such a global impact over time, that for all intents and purposes the world will be Christianized and THEN Jesus will return.

The millennial period is seen as just that long period of time when Christianity is the predominate world condition before Jesus comes back.

It is a very attractively optimistic view.

And it always enjoys a resurgence when the Church experiences revival or times of ease and growth.

Many of the Puritans and the likes of Jonathan Edwards, John Owen and Charles Hodge held this view.

It underwent a severe decline when WWI, WWII and the Great Depression occurred; but is growing in some circles today.

2 theological camps promote it today: What is called Dominion Theology – which promotes Christians taking over politics, economics, even by force if necessary. This is big in some Charismatic and Pentecostal groups.

In Reformed circles Postmillennialism finds its home in Theonomy or Christian Reconstructionism – which looks to establish Old Testament law as normative for American (and all) society.

Men like Rousas Rushdoony, Gary North and Greg Bahnsen are examples of modern champions of this view.

You don’t have to remember any of this, there won’t be a test.

Its biggest problem seems to be passages like Jesus’ sermon in Matt. 24 and 2 Tim 3:12-13

2 Timothy 3:12–13 / Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

Or Jesus’ own lament: Luke 18:8

Luke 18:8 / I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

3. Amillennialism

The 1st view is quite recent (19th century). The 2nd had an earlier introduction – perhaps around 1100 – but didn’t catch on until the 17th century. Amillennialism (poorly named by the way) however can trace its roots all the way back to St. Augustine – circa 400.

The main idea here is that the millennium is simply the entire time between Jesus’ resurrection and His 2nd coming.

So the Church is IN the millennium now.

It posits that Satan has been bound in some way now so that the Gospel has been free to go out into all the earth.

It does have the advantage of being very simple and clean. Jesus came; Jesus died; Jesus rose again; The Church enjoys the spread of the Gospel; a tribulation period comes near the end; Jesus returns and judges the world. Done.

It was the dominant view of the Reformers – and it is the most common view in Reformed, Lutheran, Methodist, Roman Catholic, Anglican, and even Amish circles today.

Its biggest problem to me, is that it cannot reconcile this idea of Satan being bound now, with passages like 1 Pet. 5:8 telling us Satan is a roaring lion still out there seeking people to devour; that he IS -not WAS – the “Prince and the power of the air” Eph 2:2; and that Christians are repeatedly admonished to resist him.

Ephesians 2:2 / in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—

In contrast to that, our text today says: Revelation 20:3 / and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while.

It is hard to imagine Satan being thought of as not being able to deceive the nations today given the growth of false religions like Islam, the proliferation of Christian cults and rise of atheistic secularism. It just doesn’t seem to fit the facts.

4. Historic Premillennialism

This leads us to our 4th, and coincidentally, our oldest view.

This view was the most common from the days of the Apostles until Augustine, whose amillennial view can be traced to being a reaction against abuses of historic premill.

We can read it in Papias (AD 60-130), a companion of Polycarp – both of whom were personal disciples of the Apostle John.

Justin Martyr (circa 120 AD) and Irenaeus (circa 150 AD) held it.

It became the view of Spurgeon, G. E. Ladd, Francis Schaeffer, Gordon Clark, Vern Poythress, etc.

It happens to be the view I take. And it is confessedly messy. It leaves all sorts of unanswered questions.

Questions like, who will be this mass of people ruled over during this time?

Will the resurrected saints in glorified bodies interact with these people during that time? How?

And what is the millennium even for?

I’ll try to touch on some of these later.

In this view, tribulation increases at various times and various places until it perhaps culminates in a final escalation just before Jesus returns.

Then, at Jesus’ return, His 1000 year reign on earth begins.

I think it makes the most sense given the whole of Scripture.

1st, it appears to be the plainest reading of ch. 20.

2nd is the fact that there are several other passages – like Isa. 65 which we had read this morning, that depict an incredibly different existence on earth which has never yet been experienced, but which nonetheless falls short of the entirely new heaves and new earth of chapters 21 & 22.

To use the language of Isaiah 65:20–21 / No more shall there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not fill out his days, for the young man shall die a hundred years old, and the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed. They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.

In the New Heavens and the New Earth we know there will be no more death.

But here, there is the idea of someone dying at 100 or 120 being too young! And, the building of houses and planting food continues as normative.

With the view then that we are still awaiting the 2nd, but not secret return of Jesus – His coming and conquering being what we just studied in ch. 19 – that takes us back to our text and it divides itself up into 3 sections.

1-6 The Millennium

7-10 The Final Vanquishing of Satan

11-15 The Great White Throne Judgment

All we have time for this morning is vss. 1-6, The Millennium itself. And there are just 4 things to note about this 1000 year period after Jesus’ return.

Revelation 20:1–3 / Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while.

1-3 / Satan Bound. It would not be a stretch to label this portion the humiliation and binding of Satan.

It is of no small importance to see this fallen angel called “the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan” – combining all 4 titles given to him in the Revelation – so unceremoniously dispatched.

This monster who has incited opposition to God from the very beginning; who has tried his all to oppose God Himself; who set himself up as a god of sorts; who delights to have brought misery, savagery and sin of all kinds into the world to afflict mankind as made in God’s image; who labors with all of his might to blind mankind to the Gospel of saving grace in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus on the cross; who continues to torment Believers by temptations to sin, to doubt the goodness, faithfulness and holy character of God; who tries to make God suspect and untrustworthy in His love and mercy toward sinners and incites every form of false religion and irreligion among men – bound by a nameless, Joe Average angel and cast into bottomless pit, chained.

There is no great ceremony.

He is summarily dismissed as though a pesky gnat instead of the giant he imagines himself to be, and so many of us have been deluded into fearing.

He thinks himself God’s antithesis. But he doesn’t even rate the cosmic equivalent of a military funeral.

He is brushed off into obscurity.

What a delight it will be for Believers to witness this binding first hand.

We who have been so grieved by our temptations.

We who have hated sin but have lived our lives in a world infused with his God-hating mindset.

We who have loved righteousness because of grace and have endlessly lamented each time we believe one of Satan’s lies and fall into sin – we will see him bound at last!

It is not the least of the Believer’s comforts to know that this turn of events will mark the beginning of our eternal joys.

Yes, as we’ll see later, he will be allowed to have some activity after the 1000 years – but for those sharing in this 1st resurrection – we’ll never face the activity of Satan like we have in this life – again. We’re not in Heaven yet – but oh what a reprieve it will be! The beginning of eternal glory.

And what a blessing to mankind as a whole. 1000 years without his evil influence anywhere to be found in the earth.

The nature of this binding is comprehended in this – he will not be able to deceive the nations during this time.

A marvelous time this will be!

The inhabitants of earth exposed to the bodily presence of Jesus, under His just reign, along with the resurrected saints – and no influence from the Devil whatsoever.

Again, the text says he WILL be released for a little while, but for this extended period of time, his actions will be null and void.

As Robert Mounce notes: “The purpose of the confinement is not to punish him but to prevent him from deceiving the nations.” Robert H. Mounce, The Book of Revelation, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1997), 362.

But even this, is still short of Heaven.

Then what must Heaven be?

4 / 1st Resurrection Re 20:4

Revelation 20:4 / Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

Some have thought this resurrection only applies to those who were beheaded for the faith.

But one asks, why only THOSE martyrs? What about those burned alive or drowned or hanged or whatever?

Instead, the text seems to indicate this is all of those who have refused to worship the beast or take its mark – i.e. all those who have remained faithful to Christ – in every generation.

In some way then, all those who have died in Christ, joined with those translated at His return, serve in the administration of Jesus over the earth for this period. Remember Jesus’ parable in Luke 19?

A nobleman goes off into a far country to receive title to a kingdom. Before leaving, he calls 10 of his servants, gives them some money and asks them to employ it in his interests until he returns.

Upon his return, each gives an account of what he’d given them and each is rewarded according to what they had done on His behalf.

By way of it, Jesus was telling His disciples He was going to be gone for a period of time, and that before He left, He would give His servants part of His wealth to use in His interests until He returned.

In the parable, when the nobleman/Christ returns – He gives each one authority over a number of cities proportionate to their efforts on behalf of His Kingdom.

So here, we see that this in some way will be literally fulfilled.

Those who have served Christ in this life – at His coming will serve in His administration over this earth.

What exactly that looks like – we can only guess. But it clearly is a picture of union with Him and sharing in His ruling and reigning over the nations.

Believers will not just waft off into some formless afterlife – we will be actively employed in His Kingdom as His imperial agents.

Once again we are struck with this thought – if this is but the state of the Redeemed in the Millennium, what then will our final state be like in the New Heavens and the New Earth?

No wonder then Paul will write: 1 Corinthians 2:9–10 / But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”— these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.

Where has the Spirit revealed what we cannot imagine? Right here!

5 / The 2nd Resurrection

Revelation 20:5 / The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection.

We won’t take time to unpack this further this morning, because we’ll deal with it more in the 3rd section on the Great White Throne Judgment.

Suffice it to say here that the text clearly states there will be a 2nd resurrection after the 1000 years are completed. And that resurrection will have special reference to unbelievers, those who rejected the Gospel and took the mark of the Beast in this life. Those who lived for themselves instead of for Christ Jesus.

Jesus Himself referenced this in John 5:28–29 / Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.

What we didn’t know until this revelation was given to us here, is that these 2 resurrections would be 1000 years apart.

And it is a good reminder of why we need the entire Bible to interpret the entire Bible. One verse taken alone is seldom sufficient to get the whole of what is being communicated.

6 / Reigning with Jesus

Revelation 20:6 / Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.

With this we close this morning.

3 things to consider for those of you who are Christ’s today.

Those who belong to Jesus by faith in His atoning sacrifice on Calvary – need never fear Hell again. Never!

Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the 1st resurrection – the 2nd death, which is as we will see, eternal Hell, has no power, no authority over them.

Eternity is settled.

Come quickly Lord Jesus!

They will be priests of God and of Christ.

God is not interested in establishing some sort of priestly class among Christians. As he first revealed to Israel in Ex. 19:6, His desire is for ALL of His people to be priests.

To John’s Jewish mind, and that of his 1st readers, this would have been most potent. For it was the priests alone in Israel’s history who had access to the Tabernacle, and especially, for the High Priest, to the Holy of Holies – the very presence of God.

But each Believer will have unfettered, unclouded, unveiled access to God and Christ.

No intermediaries are needed in any way.

Beloved, we will be in His revealed presence as His own priests, with absolute access and availability at all times.

Paul says that right now, our experience of God is somewhat dim, as though reflected in the poor mirrors of His day.

But not then.

We will see Him as He is. Changed and transformed to be able to approach the unapproachable light 1 Tim. 6:16 says God is.

We’ll reign with Him.

WITH Him. As Heb. 1:3 says Jesus sat down at the right hand of the Father when He was raised from the dead – so will we sit down with Him as though in some inexplicable, mysterious and glorious way, we’ll have the right to sit on His throne with Him.

Beloved, I do not have the slightest idea of how to imagine the wonder of what that means.

But here it is.

And all of this is meant as a comfort to the saints as we suffer now – in whatever ways we suffer – this is just before us. Hold on!

And, it is meant as an inducement to saint and sinner alike to abandon sin in any and all of its forms.

To flee to, cling to, serve and adore Christ.

Unbeliever – today is the day you can find complete deliverance from the 2nd death in turning to Jesus by faith, and trusting His sacrifice in your behalf as fully satisfying the Father for your sins.

Believer – seeing this is our coming reality – oh how we need to fight, put off and do everything we can to separate ourselves from the remnants of indwelling sin, and the allurements of this present world and age.

Christ is coming! Let us prepare for it now.
Jesus and Social Media

October 3rd, 2018

Matthew 5:21–26 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ ²² But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. ²³ So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, ²⁴ leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. ²⁵ Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. ²⁶ Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.”

Social media is a wonderful thing. What a genuine blessing it is to be able to keep up with family and friends far removed from us geographically. I for one am grateful for it.

As with any good thing, it can be used poorly, even harmfully. And one of the ways social media gets abused and abusive, is when it is used to spew anger, vitriol and scorn. What appear to have become 3 of America’s new favorite pastimes.

In today’s social media and internet climate, scorning others has become a way of life. We walk around perpetually angry with others, flinging insults everywhere we go and denominating everyone a fool who does not agree with us on anything. Sounds a little like our text, doesn’t it?

WARNING! Jesus’ is clear here – that kind of behavior invites censure. Not from others, but from God Himself. The kind of censure that bids us to think twice if we imagine we can verbally scorn others at will, and still come and worship Him acceptably. We can’t.

A warning that this kind of perpetual anger makes us liable to His judgment.

A warning that when we have sinned against others in it, we had better be quick to go and make it right, because we are both on our way to the Judge of all things.

Is there a place for righteous anger? You bet. But how quick we are to baptize our anger in righteousness, when in fact it is little more than an occasion to rip others and vent our spleens. Not upset at true unrighteousness and injustice, but merely in disagreement. An anger that moves from challenging ideas and injustices, to personal attacks and character assassination. Name calling, motive judging (as though we really know what is in men’s hearts), and slander.

Just because we can hide behind a keyboard and a screen name, doesn’t mean our God doesn’t see. And it DOES matter how we respond to those we disagree with, even on vital matters.

What an opportunity this is for Believers to show the World a very different Spirit from the one that influences men outside of Christ.

He has made us lights. Let us expose evil with that light. But at the same time, we had better expose the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ with that same light. Should we decry sin? You bet! But if we only decry it and do not present Christ at the same time, all we do is condemn. And Christ has not given us the ministry of condemnation, but of reconciliation. If we do not offer the solution of Christ, we’ve done nothing but spit on the perishing.
The Rest of the Story – Rev. pt. 33 / Ch. 19:11-20:3

September 24th, 2018
Rev. 19:11-20:3 / The Rest of the Story

Reid A Ferguson

Revelation Part 33 / Eschatology: Last Judgment; Christ reigns for a thousand years; Second Coming / Rev. 19:11–20:3; Isaiah 63:1–6

The 2nd great vision of the Resurrected Christ

Audio for this Sermon can be found HERE

During the 2nd World War, radio broadcaster Paul Harvey – with his unmistakable voice and cadence – began including a segment in his daily newscast called “The Rest of the Story.”

Each installment centered around some culturally familiar event, fact or person. Then, Harvey supplied unknown or surprising information that gave the listener an entirely new perspective on the person or event being discussed.

Example: Al, was utterly useless. He wrote to his sister saying “I’m nothing but a burden on my family, really, it would have been better if I had never been born.”

At 22 he had hit bottom. His parents had become impoverished and couldn’t support him any longer. And he couldn’t get a job anywhere.

He was thrown out of high school at 15. With no diploma, he couldn’t go to college, so he opted to apply at a technical school – but flunked the 1st entrance exam. So he tried to go back to high school. His old school wouldn’t accept him, but another one did. Graduating there, he went back to technical school. But with his record of chronically cutting classes, barely passing his tests and disrespecting his teachers – no one wanted to hire him.

Finally, pushing an old school chum whose Dad had some connections, he got an interview with Fred Haller at the Federal patent office. They needed a guy to take a first look at patent applications to see if they had any merit.

When Fred asked Al what he knew about patents, he answered truthfully – nothing. But for some reason he took a chance on Al. He thought Al was just a failure that needed some self-confidence, and so gave him a probationary job as “technical expert 3rd class.” Al did OK at the job. And the boost helped him a lot.

And thus began the career of one Albert Einstein. And now you know – The Rest of the Story.

Well this portion of Rev. 19 plays a similar revelatory role.

As Ch. 18 records the coming downfall of this present world system and the compromising church with it, together dubbed Babylon in the text – so it also recorded the response of fallen humanity to Babylon’s demise. It mourned.

In contrast to that response, last week, we saw how Heaven erupted in its 3 transcendent hymns of Hallelujah!

But now, we’re about to get the rest of the story.

1- Jesus personally destroys Babylon

In today’s portion, we’ll see that this worldly system doesn’t just collapse due to its own corruption, or merely fade away. Rather, it is personally judged and thrown down by Jesus Christ Himself.

2 – Satan bound for 1000 years

Then we’ll see that even Satan himself is to be dealt with – powerfully. Even if temporarily at first. He will be bound and a period of extraordinary and unprecedented blessing on this earth will be had before Satan’s final disposition.

3 – The glories of the Coming Kingdom

Then in the balance of the book we will begin to catch glimpses of the coming Kingdom of Christ Paul says the Believers are waiting for:

Titus 2:11–13 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,

Today: A Cosmos Shattering vision of Jesus

You will remember how in Ch. 1 we saw what we termed a soul shattering vision of the risen Christ? Well hang onto your hats – because if that first vision was unbearably fabulous – what we are about to see absolutely defies imagination.

And the 12 aspects of this vision in themselves spell out so much of what we briefly mentioned last week – “Do you want to know the key to unlock all of Scripture and its prophecies? The wonder, the fullness, the majesty, power and fullest revelation of God, His person, nature character and works is all found here – in the testimony of Jesus Christ.”

Let me briefly give you the overview, and then we’ll spend our time on this stupendous vision of Jesus.

1st – 11-16 The vision of Jesus.

2nd – Revelation 19:17–18 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he called to all the birds that fly directly overhead, “Come, gather for the great supper of God, to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, both small and great.”

17-18 The angelic call to “the great supper of God.” No interpreter takes this as literal – but rather as symbolic of how utter the devastation is. In the ancient world, one showed the most disdain possible against their enemies by refusing to bury their dead bodies after a war – leaving them to be mere carrion. Food for the animals. That is the picture here. God has no use or compassion for this corrupt world system in any way, shape or form. It has to be completely and utterly destroyed. It is not redeemable. Jesus will not return to re-establish or rescue Western Civilization nor any other.

Revelation 19:19–21 And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army. And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh.

19-21 Reminds us that the world, the world system and mindset is utterly opposed to the rule of God in Christ and that they are irreconcilable.

Personal autonomy, self-styled spirituality, materialistic well-being and human constructs of morality are utterly opposed to God and must be eradicated. One is either for God and the rule of Christ or opposed to God and His enemy. There is no neutral stance as James 4:4 tells us.

James 4:4 You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

20:1-3 Reveals to us that Satan himself, the one behind all human opposition to God will be absolutely disarmed for a season.

Revelation 20:1–3 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while.

But! He will be allowed one last assault before his final disposition. That will get unpacked a bit more in the weeks to come.

So let’s go back to vs. 11 and begin to examine the vision of Jesus shown to John in more detail.

Revelation 19:11 Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war.

As we’ve seen before, one riding on a white horse would have been a familiar picture to the 1st readers in that this was typical of a conquering king in their day. Once the battle had been won, the king would ride into his newly captured territory on a white horse to announce his victory. And here Jesus is shown to be the ultimate conqueror over sin and rebellion and even death itself. But what about this King Jesus?
1. FAITHFUL AND TRUE. I love that the vision begins here. think for a moment how this would have impacted John. He is the last living Apostle.
All of his fellow apostles and many more have been martyred already.

He is an old man, exiled to a desolate island.

The state of the church is not the best as we saw in the chs. 2 & 3. The church is being co-opted by the World in a lot of cases, and persecuted by the World and the government when it won’t compromise.

Jesus hasn’t returned.

What is to become of it all?

And so what is revealed to him 1st at this moment? That the conquering Jesus – what riding on a white horse signifies – is FAITHFUL!

He always, always, ALWAYS fulfills His promises.

He can be trusted to fulfill everything.

He will not, cannot fail to deliver.

He WILL come again. He WILL set the world to rights. He WILL judge sin. He WILL vanquish Satan. He WILL reward His saints. He is faithful!

AND, He is true – trustworthy. He is to be believed, no matter what things may look like.

He is always – true. He cannot lie.
1. IT IS IN RIGHTEOUSNESS AND JUSTICE HE MAKES WAR. Mankind is forever starting and fighting wars that have at their root human lust for power and acquisition.
Satan’s war on God and God’s people has never been just or rooted in righteousness.

Not so Christ Jesus.

He doesn’t come to conquer all because of His ego, or because this ball of dirt is worth anything in itself. He comes and makes war to bring about righteousness and for nothing but pure and holy motives.

He does not judge capriciously or skewed by any personal biases – but makes war because the evil of this present world and age need to be conquered because it is right.

Because mankind, made in His image needs to be redeemed from the bondage and shame of sin.

Because those the Father has given Him MUST be bought and restored at all costs.

Revelation 19:12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself.
1. HIS EYES ARE LIKE A FLAME OF FIRE. As in the vision of ch. 1 this is to signify He needs no outside light source to see anything.
He perceives and knows everything with perfect accuracy due to the light He brings to it.

And He always discerns rightly. He cannot be fooled. Nothing can be hidden from Him, even the darkest secrets of the heart.

Proverbs 15:11 Sheol and Abaddon lie open before the Lord; how much more the hearts of the children of man!
1. ON HIS HEAD ARE MANY DIADEMS. Many diadems signify the breadth of His Lordship.
Allow me to steal liberally from that famous sermon by S. M. Lockridge given years ago: The Bible says my king, is the King of the Jews; He’s the King of Israel; He’s the King of Righteousness; He’s the King of the Ages; He’s the King of Heaven; He’s the King of Glory; He’s the King of Kings; And He is the Lord of Lords; That’s my King;

And I wonder…do you know Him?

My King, is a sovereign King; No means of measure can define His limitless love;

He’s enduringly strong; He’s entirely sincere; He’s eternally steadfast; He’s immortally graceful; He’s imperially powerful; He’s impartially merciful;

Do you know Him?

He’s the greatest phenomenon that has ever crossed the horizon of this world;

He’s God’s Son; He’s the sinner’s Savior; He’s the centerpiece of civilization; He’s unparalleled; He’s unprecedented; He is the loftiest idea in literature; He’s the highest personality in philosophy; He’s the fundamental doctrine of True Theology; He’s the only one qualified to be an all sufficient Savior;

I wonder if you know Him today?

He supplies strength for the weak; He available for the tempted and the tried;

He sympathizes and He saves; He strengthens and sustains; He guards and he guides; He heals the sick; He cleansed the lepers; He forgives sinners; He discharges debtors; He delivers the captive; He defends the feeble; He blesses the young; He serves the unfortunate; He regards the aged; He rewards the diligent; He beautifies the meager

I wonder if you know Him?

He’s the key to knowledge; He’s the wellspring of wisdom; He’s the doorway of deliverance; He’s the pathway of peace; He’s the roadway of righteousness; He’s the highway of holiness; He’s the gateway of glory

Do you know Him?

His life is matchless; His goodness is limitless; His mercy is everlasting; His love never changes; His Word is enough; He grace is sufficient; His reign is righteous;

And His yoke is easy ; And His burden is light; I wish I could describe Him to you;

He’s indescribable; He’s incomprehensible; He’s invincible; He’s irresistible; You can’t get Him out of your mind; You can’t get Him off of your hand; You can’t outlive Him; And you can’t live without Him;

The Pharisees couldn’t stand Him; But they found out they couldn’t stop Him;

Pilate couldn’t find any fault in Him; Herod couldn’t kill Him; Death couldn’t handle Him; And the grave couldn’t hold Him;

That’s my King!”

On His head are MANY diadems!
1. AND HE HAS A NAME WRITTEN THAT NO ONE KNOWS BUT HE HIMSELF.
He is Infinitely inexhaustible – we will never be able to comprehend Him entirely. There will always be more to discover and know and enjoy.

As Adam Clarke noted: God is “The eternal, independent, and self-existent Being: the Being whose purposes and actions spring from himself, without foreign motive or influence: he who is absolute in dominion; the most pure, the most simple, and most spiritual of all essences; infinitely benevolent, beneficent, true, and holy: the cause of all being, the upholder of all things; infinitely happy, because infinitely perfect; and eternally self-sufficient, needing nothing that he has made: illimitable in his immensity, inconceivable in his mode of existence, and indescribable in his essence; known fully only to himself, because an infinite mind can be fully apprehended only by itself. In a word, a Being who, from his infinite wisdom, cannot err or be deceived; and who, from his infinite goodness, can do nothing but what is eternally just, right, and kind.”

Revelation 19:13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God.
1. A ROBE DIPPED IN BLOOD. A direct allusion to the Isa. passage we read earlier where God is pictured as the one who is “mighty to save” coming back from the conquest of delivering His people from the oppression of the World. He has done all it takes to bring salvation to His people.
2. HE IS THE WORD OF GOD. He is the ultimate self-expression and self-disclosure of God Himself.
He does not HAVE the Word of God, He IS the Word of God. He is all that God has to say and reveal to us. In Him is the sum of all reality.

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1:18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.

Hebrews 1:3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

Everything God has to say and everything God IS – is wrapped up in this Jesus.

Revelation 19:14 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses.
1. THE ARMIES OF HEAVEN FOLLOW HIM.
The angelic hosts all serve at His behest and follow Him in His purposes.

And note here – what an army. No armor, and no weapons – just clothed in righteousness.

The whole of the equipping of the heavenly host is summed up in this one thing – they follow Him!

Oh that we would understand that this is the key to every victory over temptation and brokenness and sin – FOLLOW HIM!

Revelation 19:15 From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.
1. HE DOES ALL HE DOES SIMPLY WITH HIS WORD. He needs nothing outside of Himself, but to make the pronouncement of His will brings all to pass – just as when He created the physical universe and all that is in it. He will conquer the nations simply by His word.
2. HE WILL RULE WITH A ROD OF IRON.
And He will come to shepherd all people personally, not to set up some system. The word “rule” here is in fact the word used elsewhere in the NT to signify Shepherd or Pastor.

He will not simply rule – He will shepherd and pastor the nations He conquers.

The glory of the age to come isn’t that we will have some perfected form of human government. It is that He will personally rule and reign as the uncontested Monarch of all nations. A monarch who sees His role as shepherding. Leading, feeding and protecting.

And His rule is likened to a rod or scepter or shepherd’s crook of iron – that is, it is unbreakable.
1. HE WILL TREAD THE WINE-PRESS OF THE FURY OF THE WRATH OF GOD.
Once again referencing Isa. 63, He personally will serve as both judge and executioner over sin and sinners.

He brings the Father’s justice to bear.

He alone.

This is the fulfillment of what we heard in Ch. 6 when those who oppose God finally cry out “Hide us from the face of Him who is seated on the throne – and from the wrath of the Lamb!”

Sinful humanity will not stand before some cosmic court presided over by their peers – but before the sinless Lamb of God who will then Himself carry out the sentence.

If you are not a Christian today, listen to Jesus’ own words in this regard:

Luke 12:58–59 As you go with your accuser before the magistrate, make an effort to settle with him on the way, lest he drag you to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, and the officer put you in prison. I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the very last penny.”

Settle with Jesus today – for today is the day of Grace. You can still come to Him.

It is not too late.

Bring your sin – your every sin.

Confess to Him that as God, you owed Him all of your allegiance, love and obedience but that you have been living in rebellion – living your life for yourself.

Come to Him and ask Him for His forgiveness – ask Him to cleanse you from every stain.

Bow to Him as Lord and King and He will not just forgive you, but love you, make you new and grant you the eternal life that union with Him brings.

He died on the Cross that the just wrath of God may be satisfied for you.

Come and put your faith and trust in His atoning work there.

Come and be born again.

Revelation 19:16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.
1. Oh how I love this last image. On His thigh, where a soldier’s sword would ordinarily be – especially given the 1st figure of Him riding a white horse to make war – He needs no other weapon, than the unveiled revelation of who He is: The King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.
The absolute monarch of all things, in Heaven and on earth – in all the universe.

This Beloved is what it means when Paul writes in Phil 2:10 at the name of Jesus, every knee will bow.

At the full disclosure, at the full revelation of who Jesus really is – the mere vision of it itself will cause every knee to bow and every tongue to confess that Jesus Christ is Lord – to the glory of God the Father.

Imagine it! A scene so magnificent, so powerful that the mere sight of it will transform the entire universe.

So amazing. So transformative. So blessed and all-consumingly wonderful is this vision – this glorious revelation of Jesus – That Jesus Himself considers it the highest gift He can give us as His own dear Bride.

So in John 17 He prays:

John 17:24 Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.

Oh Christian – no matter what you or I may face today, tomorrow or in the days to come – this is what awaits us. HE, is who awaits us.

And the glory of that day of meeting and final revelation will so satisfy us, so thrill us, so move us, so fill us – that we will know nothing but eternal, everlasting joy and love and glory.

Come quickly Lord Jesus!
Revelation 19:1-10 – 3 Hallelujahs

September 16th, 2018
Revelation 19:1-10 / 3 Hallelujahs

Matthew 25:31–46; 2 Corinthians 7:10–12

Audio for this sermon can be found HERE

“Vengeance is mine; I will repay”

Last week I began by relating how I was deliciously vindicated in front of my 4th grade class over a test I had presumably failed and everyone else passed. It was a moment I obviously (much to my shame) still cherish!

Let me take you back to around that same period for another experience in my oft misspent youth.

Many of you know I have an older brother – Ken. And as older brothers are wont to do, he picked on me, played practical jokes on me etc. – the usual sibling stuff.

Kenny also had a habit in those days, when we took car rides. He liked to have his head out the window.

Once, in a need to get him back over some real or perceived slight, it dawned on me that with his head out the window, pressing the “up” button on the power window might have an interesting effect.

At first, Kenny thought it was kind of funny too. Until his head got stuck. He in his panic couldn’t push the down button and me, in my delight, WOULDN’T push the down button. This too was delicious, and well worth the spanking I received later. I had had my vengeance. And it felt good. Sinful though it was.

The theme of chapter 18 we saw, is the Saint’s right, just and holy VINDICATION for our rejection of Babylon’s worldview and values.

That as Christians we do not seek personal autonomy but the Lordship of Jesus; we refuse to seek our well-being and security in material wealth but rather in the riches of Christ; we take our understanding of true spirituality from the Scriptures instead of inventing our own; and we repudiate the Culture’s morality in favor of Biblical holiness empowered by the Spirit.

Those who have lived as citizens of Christ’s Kingdom to come, will be fully vindicated in that day.

As Hebrews 10:30-31 notes,

Hebrews 10:30–31 ESV

For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.” It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

In the end – those who call themselves Christians, but by adopting the World’s values are indistinguishable from the World, will be judged WITH the World, with Babylon. Thus the compromising Church is called Babylon as well.

And so as we examined the dirges, the funeral songs sung by the World as it watched Babylon being destroyed – today, we make a most important turn in the book as a whole.

The entire tenor of the book changes here to begin fixing the Believer’s attention, heart and mind on the glories to come in Christ. We move from 2 dirges to 3 hymns. And those 3 in a crescendo that is magnificent.

Hymn 1 – Vengeance

Revelation 19:1-3

Revelation 19:1–3 ESV

After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying out, “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for his judgments are true and just; for he has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality, and has avenged on her the blood of his servants.” Once more they cried out, “Hallelujah! The smoke from her goes up forever and ever.”

“After this” simply refers to after witnessing the destruction of Babylon.

John then hears this massive chorus – “the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying out, “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for his judgments are true and just; for he has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality, and has avenged on her the blood of his servants.”

Hallelujah being a Hebrew word picked up from the Psalms and appearing only here in the whole of the New Testament. Literally it means: Praise Yahweh – the name God gave to the Israelites to know and call Him by. “I am that I am” – the ever existing one.

Praise God! They cry. He is the God who saves – who alone saves. He is the God who is glorious in His saving work. He is the God who is all powerful – for it takes an omnipotent God both to redeem the lost unto salvation in Christ Jesus and to bring an end not just to sinners – but to sin, to sinfulness itself. We’ll come back to that thought for it is essential for understanding God’s vengeance as opposed to fallen man’s notions of revenge. Hallelujah indeed.

But more. His judgments are true – accurate. He neither imputes too little nor too much guilt in His assessments. We, are all too prone to minimize our own sins and magnify other’s – But His judgments are true.

And, they are just. No one is ever under punished, and no one is ever over punished. God is a just God and cannot do otherwise.

So in His truth and justice He has rightly judged the Great Prostitute, that world system called Babylon which seeks to lure men and women into its values and mindset versus pure allegiance to the God who made us – and judged the compromising Church which made serving the World’s values seem reasonable, right and good – compatible with serving Christ. The Church, those Christians, who sought to gain what the World has to give, and its acceptance, by compromising with it in materialism, autonomy, morality and supposed spirituality.

And thus He has avenged on her the blood of His servants.

And let’s pause right here to tease out the nature of God’s vengeance.

Note that it is not a vengeance upon people here, but upon Babylon, the system, the mindset, the worldview. As Mounce notes – Babylon has always been symbolic of opposition to the advance of the kingdom of God.

Now this is vitally important. If God only poured out His judgment upon the people – sinners as sinners – which He does do, but if He only did that – the greater sin problem would remain unsolved.

On our behalf, God judges and destroys the entire construct that lures us away from fidelity to Him. He destroys the entire system that obscures the truth about His nature and character and salvation itself. He crushes that which continually and ubiquitously tempts us with all forms of sin and unbelief. Which makes the World and what it offers seem so inviting, satisfying and worth forsaking Christ for.

In bringing His kingdom to pass He must take us utterly out of an atmosphere which caters to fallen human lusts, and that creates a reality which exchanges the truth of God’s Word for lies the Devil perpetrated on the whole of mankind since the Fall. Of making God suspect, not loving, not to be trusted, of being obtuse, unreasonable and having hidden, nefarious motives so that we must look out for ourselves even against Him.

Let me try to make this clearer by looking at one of the passages we had read for us already 2 Cor. 7:11-12

2 Corinthians 7:11–12 ESV

For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! At every point you have proved yourselves innocent in the matter. So although I wrote to you, it was not for the sake of the one who did the wrong, nor for the sake of the one who suffered the wrong, but in order that your earnestness for us might be revealed to you in the sight of God.

In this passage we get a look at what genuine, New Testament repentance looks like. Unlike the current notions among many that repentance is just feeling bad or saying one is sorry for their sin, notice the components of Biblical repentance.
1. There is an earnestness to deal with sins, not a cavalier or blase attitude. Not a “can we just move on?” – instant fix-it approach.
2. There is eagerness to clear oneself – a sense of being soiled by their sin and needing to be washed of the filth and stain of it.
3. There is indignation at self. As a child of God, this is beneath me and I am ashamed.
4. Fear – disturbed that they can still depart from righteousness so easily rather than an “oh well, nobody’s perfect” attitude.
5. Longing to be free at last from the principle of indwelling sin, not just the immediate action.
6. Zeal to do whatever it takes to make things right.
7. Punishment! In the Greek – our word here for vengeance. The very same word used in the Revelation text. A commitment to take vengeance on my own sinfulness.
You see it moves beyond dealing with a mere action or infraction to wrestling with the inner dynamics of sinfulness itself.

How does one do that? What does that look like? Ephesians 4:25-32 gives a series of examples but let me just cite 1 of them here: Eph. 4:28

Ephesians 4:28 ESV

Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.

Do you see it? One hasn’t repented from the sin of theft when they simply stop stealing. They haven’t repented until their mindset has changed and they not only do not steal, but labor honestly instead – AND become generous to others!

We cannot explore it now, but this dynamic of taking vengeance on our sins is very often the missing key in dealing with besetting sin. We just want done with it. But true repentance wants revenge on it!

God in judging Babylon and avenging His servants does not simply do away with sinners, He deals with sin, with sinfulness itself.

He destroys the very mindset of the World we’ve imbibed AND the inward principle that leads to sin. Heaven will not be Heaven until Believers bear the image of Christ fully, and in His character, love holiness and hate sin as naturally and perfectly as He does.

And so it is, at the contemplation of THIS avenging – Rev. 19:3

Revelation 19:3 ESV

Once more they cried out, “Hallelujah! The smoke from her goes up forever and ever.”

To be perfectly honest, it is of little consequence to me that God should ever repay anyone for any sin they might have committed against me in this life. God forbid! Let me learn to pray always – Father, forgive us, forgive me MY sins, even AS I have forgiven others. Teach me to avenge my un-forgiveness. Revenge on others is grotesque and sinful in light of how He has cleansed my sin in the blood of His own Dear Son Jesus.

No, I want vengeance on how this world lied to me about who I am – a random assemblage of molecular accidents – instead of created in His image.

How it robbed me of knowing true eternal purpose by training my eyes to look to this world and to myself as supreme.

How Satan’s lies led my first parents into thinking God was against them, egocentric and dark in prohibiting the fruit of the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil. And how the remaining echo of that that still makes God suspect in my heart at times.

I want vengeance on the World that catered to my fallen lusts to make me live for self instead of Him, and that tried to blind me to the Gospel and the truth of His Word. That encouraged me to sin and destroy my own soul and heart and mind in the process.

I want vengeance on my own indwelling sinfulness, faithlessness, unfaithfulness and impurity – all fostered and catered to by the World.

I want to be avenged of these wrongs! And this hymn tells me it is so.

Hallelujah!

Hymn 2 – Eruption

Rev. 19:4

Revelation 19:4 ESV

And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who was seated on the throne, saying, “Amen. Hallelujah!”

It is at this point that even the 24 elders and the 4 living creatures we saw back in ch. 4 – indeed, the very throne room of God at this moment convulses, erupts, responds with a resounding – cosmic and heavenly YES!

Amen! they shout – so be it. And we add our Hallelujah – praise to Yahweh.

Rev. 19:5 At which affirmation there comes out of the very midst of the throne itself -perhaps the voice of the Holy Spirit calling all of creation to join in the singing.

Revelation 19:5 ESV

And from the throne came a voice saying, “Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, small and great.”

Hymn 3 – Marriage

Rev. 19:6-8 Which then gives way to our 3rd hymn – and with an increased participation in response to the Spirit’s call.

Revelation 19:6–8 ESV

Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”— for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.

Oh what a scene this is. Loud and massive – like the roar of many waters – the same term used for the voice of the glorified Jesus in 1:15; as though to say that now His voice and the voices of His redeemed are one in some way – and in unison all cry out HALLELUJAH!

Why is God to be so praised now? There are 3 reasons in the text.
1. Because now that Babylon is fallen, Jesus reigns uncontested. He has always reigned since His ascension, but now, all opposition is gone.
2. Because the marriage of the Lamb has come at last. The consummation of all that we as Christians hope and long for, and that Jesus died for – finally reaches its apex: The Believers joined to Christ as His bride in unspeakable and eternally unbreakable intimacy and unity and joy. Hallelujah indeed! A union with Him that we will never grow tired of, perpetually cherish, and enjoy in ever increasing waves of unending pleasure and perfection.
3. Because the Bride’s readiness – OUR readiness if you are in Christ here today – is found in His grant to us of fine linen, bright and pure – which also symbolizes the righteous deeds we’ve done.
Note: While our righteous deeds are symbolized as this fine linen, bright and pure – it is clothing that is “granted” to us. Unearned. Bestowed.

What can that mean? How can both be true? Is it our righteous deeds, or is it something He has given us?

The mixed language may mean that once we reach Heaven, we will realize that all the good things we have done, have been done out of the working of His Spirit within us. In fact I am fairly certain that is at least part of what is meant here.

But if I can take you back to another portion of Scripture we had read this morning – we might get still more insight.

Matt. 25:31-46

Matthew 25:31–46 ESV

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.

Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left.

Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,

I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’

Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?

And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?

And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’

And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,

I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’

Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’

Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’

And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Matt. 25:37-40 The key is found in 37-40.

Matthew 25:37–40 ESV

Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

Listen child of God, this is beyond sweet. The simplest and most faltering of actions done by His beloved children, even unknowingly, are received by Him and rewarded by Him, simply because we are His.

It is not their magnitude. It is not their perfection. It is not their number. It is that they are ours – and we are His by virtue of His saving grace .

Beloved, He will not forget your weakest, poorest, most pitiful acts – because you are His. And these paltry offerings of obedience and even unconscious acting out of your renewed nature will be the very fabric whereby you are clothed and made ready to be married to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Astounding!

At the revelation of all of this, at the blessedness of who we are and our being brought at last to dine with our King at our own marriage supper – and, of the angel’s affirmation that this is TRUE – as unbelievable as it seems: John is so overwhelmed, he forgets himself falls down at the angel’s feet to worship him.

Rev. 19:9-10

Revelation 19:9–10 ESV

And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.” Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God.” For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

The angel helps John regain himself and reminds him that the angels are fellow servants of God, even as John and we all are who hold to the testimony of Jesus – and says: Worship God. Give Him the hallelujah.

And then he says the most astounding thing: Do you want to know the key to unlock all of Scripture and its prophecies? The wonder, the fullness, the majesty, power and fullest revelation of God, His person, nature character and works is all found here – in the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Beloved – let no person, no system, no notion ever have a moment’s purchase in your heart and mind regarding things spiritual, eternal and the sum of truth, if it does not give full glory to Jesus Christ as the incarnate Son of God, dying His substitutionary, atoning death on the cross, bearing the wrath of God on our behalf, that all who trust in Him alone might be reconciled to the Father, born again, and have eternal life with Him when He comes again to vanquish all sin, and make us His eternal bride.

Hallelujah! For vengeance on Babylon.

Hallelujah! For our being made a fit Bride for the very Son of God.

Hallelujah! For the final fulfillment of all of His promises.

Hallelujah!
Revelation Chapter 18 – The Dirges

September 9th, 2018
Revelation Part 31

Revelation 18:1–24

Genesis 11:1-9

AUDIO FOR THIS SERMON CAN BE FOUND HERE

It was 4^th grade – Miss Houston’s class. She was a favorite of mine and the one who made me learn to love poetry. But she had just failed me miserably in a test, oddly enough, I had actually studied for. I thought I had looked up the details of the locations on the globe where the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn appear (23.5° north and south of the equator respectively) – but I had them both off. And I was the only one in class who failed this.

I went home in tears. And my Dad got out the encyclopedia to see how it was I had gone so far astray. And lo and behold, my test answers coincided with the encyclopedia’s.

So the next day, encyclopedia in hand, Dad went to my class and argued that either the encyclopedia was wrong, or the material Miss Houston was using was wrong – but in either case, I had done my homework and should not be penalized.

To her credit, Miss Houston checked everything, found it was her teaching materials which were in error, and announced to the entire class that I alone had gotten the test questions right and everyone else, including her, were wrong. VINDICATION!

And it felt so good! Though that would be the last time in my life I would have that delicious experience.

But as we come to this chapter – which I’ve titled “The Dirges” – even though there is great sorrow in it, there is also the glorious theme of vindication for the Believer – and thus it becomes a most encouraging chapter in the midst of much lamentable revelation.

In the previous chapter, John was given a vision of the compromising Church and how it is supported by Satan himself (she is pictured as riding him) and, how she is called “Babylon the Great.”

But previously, we had seen Babylon described more in terms of a world system. As Robert Mounce writes: “Babylon has always been symbolic of opposition to the advance of the kingdom of God.”

So we naturally ask ourselves what is going on here? Is Babylon the world system as seen in opposition to God’s rule and reign, or is it the compromising Church?

And of course the answer is a categorical – yes! It is both. The metaphor gets applied to both because once the Church, once those who profess saving faith in Jesus Christ and claim to be His disciples take on the same values as the World without God – the two become indistinguishable. The Church becomes the World, when the Church adopts the World’s mindset and worldview. No matter, how it thinks of itself or what it calls itself. This is true for the Church at large, and for individual Christians.

When the supposed Christian (or the greater body of Christians – the Church at large) becomes materialistic and seeks safety and well-being in material wealth; when personal autonomy takes precedence over submission to the Kingship of Jesus; when so-called believers capitulate to letting the Culture determine what is moral and immoral; and when worship of and service to God become merely a matter of personal taste, preference and creativity – The Church becomes the World and the World has become the Church.

And thus they will share a common judgment.

So 1 Peter 4:15–17 reminds us: “let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?”

But with all this talk about Babylon, it might be good to revisit the role this Babylon idea plays in Scripture.

We get our first picture of it in Genesis 11:1-9 in how mankind responded to God in the generation after Noah’s Flood.

Genesis 11:1–4 “Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.”

Here the problem begins.

God had commanded mankind in Genesis 1:28 “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” A command reiterated to Noah and his sons in Gen. 9:1.

This is often referred to as the Creation mandate. Mankind had a commission to settle and inhabit the entire earth.

The picture was, start at the Garden, and then expand the Garden to encompass the globe. This would be God’s society.

But as we see here, they did not want to be dispersed over the face of the whole earth. Man does not want to yield to the authority of God over our lives – but be self-determining.

So, they established themselves as a society separate from God’s commanded society. They wanted a life apart from God, serving their own ends and by their own means. Their laws, their values, their morality, and security in their wealth and ability.

And they agreed together to build this tower with its top in the heavens.

Secular history tells us such towers from this part of the world – the Mesopotamian plane – were called ziggurats and they were religious in nature. The people decided they would not hang around and build society around the blocked entrance to the Garden awaiting the Messiah who could make a way back into the presence of God for them. They would make their own way to God. They could rise to the heavens themselves.

Additionally, they wanted a name for themselves rather than be identified as God having authority over them. Those obliterated in the Flood had left no memory, no heritage. These, they imagined, would perpetuate their name no matter what God did. They, would be remembered.

The narrative continues: 5-9 And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built. And the LORD said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech.” So the LORD dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth. And from there the LORD dispersed them over the face of all the earth.

“Therefore” vs. 9 says, its name – the name of the city was called Babel. The place where confusion reigns.

It is in this same place the Babylonian kingdom would arise with its great city of Babylon. Babylon from then on historically would be the standing symbol of human society establishing itself independent of God and His rule and intents, and the enemy of the people of God.

This is why in the Revelation, Babylon serves as the perfect picture of both this present World system, and, the Compromising Church. This chapter like the last one – focuses on the compromising Church.

So now let’s work through the passage.
- DECLARATION: 1-3 “After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was made bright with his glory. And he called out with a mighty voice, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place for demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable beast. For all nations have drunk the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown rich from the power of her luxurious living.”
This angel is not identified, but the message is clearly that judgment has come.

Whether Babylon’s becoming a haunt for uncleanness is WHY it is being judged or if that IS the judgment itself, is debated. But in this picture – as we saw last week – God detests the professing Church when it seeks what the World seeks, buying into the World’s system. Even if we kid ourselves that such compromise is a method to reach the World, the truth is we get seduced by what the World can offer, and the World in turn sees a chance to enrich itself at the Church’s expense.

NOTE: When God is abandoned as Lord, something must fill the vacuum.

Why is Babylon fallen in judgment? Because in her abandonment of God in His rightful place, she becomes the haunt for every evil thing.

Unclean spirits, Unclean birds, Unclean beasts. The tripling here probably meant to be a way of making its uncleanness emphatic. You cannot have true morality or moral goodness apart from God. No matter how outwardly moral or organized a society might seem. Once God is no longer given His rightful place, that society will degenerate to its lowest level. It will undo itself.

What does that look like? Romans 1 spells it out: Passion for sexual immorality dominates.

Rom. 1:18–31 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men…For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him…and their…hearts were darkened…[T]hey exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images. Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves…God gave them up to dishonorable passions. [T]heir women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men…gave up natural relations with women…consumed with passion for one another…God gave them up to a debased mind…They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice…full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless.

Abandoning God for gods – Abandoning holiness for personal pleasure – No mind to put to death the deeds of the flesh as pleasing in the Father’s sight.
- CALL TO GOD’S PEOPLE: 4-5 “Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues; for her sins are heaped high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.”
This is a call to the faithful not to participate in Babylon’s value system.

To not align ourselves with what God will judge in utter violence.

How is this done? How do Believers “come out”?

The concept here can’t refer to proximity or gathering into cloisters or separate “Christian” communities. 1 Cor. 5 reminds us we can’t totally disassociate ourselves from unbelievers without exiting the planet.

The idea is that we “come out” by repudiating the things the World values both in word and deed. By decrying a life built on the World’s system, and by LIVING for different goals. According to God’s revealed plans and purposes rather than our own.
- CALL FOR JUDGMENT: 6-8 “Pay her back as she herself has paid back others, and repay her double for her deeds; mix a double portion for her in the cup she mixed. As she glorified herself and lived in luxury, so give her a like measure of torment and mourning, since in her heart she says, ‘I sit as a queen, I am no widow, and mourning I shall never see.’ For this reason her plagues will come in a single day, death and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire; for mighty is the Lord God who has judged her.”
Who specifically is issuing this call for judgment isn’t clear. Is it angelic? Is it the Believers who have just been called out? ???

What is clear is that true justice, a full recompense is being called for.

Recompense for what? For seeking material luxury at the cost of spiritual fidelity to Christ. And thinking that can be done with impunity. She sought to glorify herself above revealing God. Echo of Babylon?

Receiving double is a phrase that needs some clarifying. The word “double” in the English doesn’t quite capture either the Hebrew or the Greek. In their contexts in the OT to double means to “produce a duplicate” (“duplicate, twin, matching equivalent”)
- THE DIRGE Part 1: 9-13 “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.” And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn for her, since no one buys their cargo anymore, cargo of gold, silver, jewels, pearls, fine linen, purple cloth, silk, scarlet cloth, all kinds of scented wood, all kinds of articles of ivory, all kinds of articles of costly wood, bronze, iron and marble, cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and slaves, that is, human souls.”
Note well their weeping is over the loss of their perceived riches, not for Babylon’s demise itself.

The World has no real use for the Church except as one more way to get what it is always after – possessions, prestige or pleasure. So there is grief over the destruction of the Great Whore, but no weeping and grief over their sins. They only grieve the loss of what they prized so highly. Even witnessing such utter destruction, seeing God judge His Church first, excites no repentance in them – for they have no love of God and His truth. They care only for the loss of this present world and system. They don’t weep for her because they have any true affinity for her, but because of what they lose materially with her passing. Weeping for the spectacle, and for the loss – but no repentance.

And woe to the Church, when the merchants of the World can boast their best customers are the very ones who claim our riches are in Heaven and in Christ.

And just so we don’t miss it, the list of what constitutes wealth to the people of this world is spelled out: Precious metals and stones, fabrics, woods, food, smells, intoxicants, emoluments, possessions, power, even people – human trafficking.
- HEAVENLY INTERJECTION 1: 14 “The fruit for which your soul longed has gone from you, and all your delicacies and your splendors are lost to you, never to be found again!”
On the heels of the Dirge comes this refrain – from where we aren’t told. It is the summary exposition of the emptiness one experiences, after seeking one’s soul’s satisfaction in anything we could possibly gain in this earthly realm. No matter how good it is in and of itself.

All, ALL of what so many, both in and outside the Church have given their entire lives for – will perish in a moment. And what will each one do then?
- The DIRGE Part 2: 15-19 “The merchants of these wares, who gained wealth from her, will stand far off, in fear of her torment, weeping and mourning aloud, “Alas, alas, for the great city that was clothed in fine linen, in purple and scarlet, adorned with gold, with jewels, and with pearls! For in a single hour all this wealth has been laid waste.” And all shipmasters and seafaring men, sailors and all whose trade is on the sea, stood far off and cried out as they saw the smoke of her burning, “What city was like the great city?” And they threw dust on their heads as they wept and mourned, crying out, “Alas, alas, for the great city where all who had ships at sea grew rich by her wealth! For in a single hour she has been laid waste.
- HEAVENLY INTERJECTION 2: 20 “Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, for God has given judgment for you against her!”
- TOTAL LOSS: 21-24 Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, “So will Babylon the great city be thrown down with violence, and will be found no more; and the sound of harpists and musicians, of flute players and trumpeters, will be heard in you no more, and a craftsman of any craft will be found in you no more, and the sound of the mill will be heard in you no more, and the light of a lamp will shine in you no more, and the voice of bridegroom and bride will be heard in you no more, for your merchants were the great ones of the earth, and all nations were deceived by your sorcery. And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slain on earth.”
SUMMARY: In the midst of this sad and sorrowful dirge comes this most amazing word to the true Believer – to the saints, apostles and prophets.

“Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, for God has given judgment for you against her!”

REJOICE OVER HER!

Rejoice over the judgment of the World and the compromising Church? YES!

Nowhere is the stark contrast between true and false religion, and between the World and the genuine Church to be seen – than in examining what brings us joy, and what brings us sorrow.

Jesus told us this plainly in Luke 7:31–35

The occasion was Jesus questioning people about their response to the preaching of John the Baptist. After asking them to examine themselves about how they responded to John’s ministry Jesus says:

“To what then shall I compare the people of this generation, and what are they like? They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another, “ ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not weep.’ For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by all her children.”

Genuine Believers are truly out of step with this World – failing to rejoice in what pleases them, and grieving over God’s concerns more than the World’s.

Jesus’ point was that time will show that John and his message were from God, and so Christ’s too. But the world can’t discern such things. It only knows its own time and purposes, and anyone not in sync with those is misunderstood, and disregarded. I don’t care if I am on the right side of human history – I want to be on the right side of God’s future.

Nothing is so revealing of our spiritual state as asking what things give us the most joy, and what causes us the most grief?

If our supreme happiness and grief are tied to the things of this world; material comforts and security, home, family, career, accomplishments, relationships, status, health possessions, experiences, etc., then we truly are no different than those who do not profess Christ.

If we cannot find a higher more perfect joy in Christ and His redeeming love, and the promises to be fulfilled at His return, and our deepest sorrow in our sinfulness and failure to love and glorify Him as we ought – we have great cause to be alarmed over our spiritual state.

Only those in Christ can rejoice over the things the World mourns over, and grieve over what seems to bring them the most joy.

So again I ask: REJOICE OVER HER?

Rejoice over the judgment of the World and the compromising Church? YES! And this for at least 3 reasons.
- For in this judgment – Christ and the truth of the Gospel are vindicated. The reality of the Gospel message comes home with full force. When Paul preached in Acts 17 (and we still preach) Acts 17:30–31 That “God …commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”
God’s Word WILL be vindicated in full.
- For in it, justice has finally been brought to bear in the world. As that great messianic passage in Isaiah 9 says: “Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.”
The zeal of the Lord for justice in His kingdom WILL come to pass. Make no mistake. No wicked man, no wicked act of our or any previous generation will go without Christ bring full and final justice to bear.
- In this judgment, the faith of the Believer, the faith that leads us to forsake the values of the World is fully vindicated at last.
As v20 says: “Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, for God has given judgment for you against her!”

As Asaph prayed in Psalm 73:2–17 He was tripped up for a while when he thought about how wicked men seem to fare so well in this life.

They don’t seem to fear death, eat well, and many have fewer troubles than the Christians. This breeds arrogance and pride as it seems the worse they act, the more they prosper. They even scoff at the gospel and blaspheme God. Society embraces them and they think to themselves: “How can God know? Is there knowledge in the Most High?” He began to think, I’ve been an idiot to serve God, its bought me nothing. They’re doing great and I’m struggling every day. And when I thought how to understand this, I said I just don’t get it. Until. Until, I went into the sanctuary of God; then I discerned their end.

Beloved, we are not fools to –
1. Love God’s holiness more than temporary human pleasure.
2. Find our true riches and security in the splendor of gaining Christ Jesus.
3. Worship and serve God as He reveals in His Word rather than creating our own spirituality.
4. Surrender the whole of our lives and being to Jesus as Lord over personal autonomy –
We will be VINDICATED! And Christ will be all in all.
The Judgment of the Great Prostitute – Revelation Ch. 17

August 27th, 2018
Revelation Part 30

The Judgment of the Great Prostitute

Rev. Ch. 17

Ezekiel 16:1-32

I don’t know how may of you may have seen the movie The 6^th Sense – but if you haven’t and are planning to – let me issue a spoiler alert for next minute or so.

As with most of M. Night Shyamalan’s movies, they contain a surprise ending – a big reveal that once seen, takes you back and makes sense of other things you’ve seen throughout the movie. The reveal completely reframes the entire story.

In the 6^th Sense, a child psychologist works with a young man who is troubled because he thinks he sees dead people. Some of whom talk to him. When the movie plays out, we find out in fact that it is the psychologist who is actually dead. Suddenly almost everything of what you’ve already seen is completely recast.

In a very real way, this is how chapter 17 of The Revelation works. In it, comes “the big reveal.” All of which centers around the new figure who is shown to John by the angel – someone called “the great prostitute” or the great harlot.

It is no surprise then that getting the identity of this harlot (as she is called) correct, takes you back and strings a whole lot of what has come before, together in an entirely new way.

In the process, a number of the metaphors or symbols we’ve seen along the way, get mashed up together and we see how they are often various ways of seeing exactly the same thing from different angles.

So bear with me as first, we try to establish who or what this “great prostitute” is. Then, we’ll read the entire chapter through, wearing this new lens. And we’ll end with some applications.

Once again we are reminded that though the book of Revelation does not quote the Old Testament very much, it nevertheless makes more references or allusions to the Old Testament than any other New Testament book. You truly cannot make real sense of it apart from a firm grip on the OT. And nowhere is this more true than in this chapter.

The purpose of the chapter is given to us unambiguously in vs. 1: “Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute who is seated on many waters,”

There is no question regarding what it is we are to be taking away from this vision: The Judgment of the Great Prostitute.

That being the focus, we need to identify her. 3 things to note here.

The phrase that “she is seated upon many waters” is helpful, since that idea is explained in vs. 15 “And the angel said to me, “The waters that you saw, where the prostitute is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages.”

An individual cannot be seated upon peoples, multitudes and nations. That an individual is not meant here seems pretty clear.

This is reinforced by vs. 2 where her “immorality” is with “the kings of the earth.”

This is reinforced yet again by vs. 3 where she is seen “sitting on a scarlet beast.” This description of the Beast having 7 heads and 10 horns was seen to be Satan himself in ch. 12. AND, it is also the antichrist mindset Satan uses to create a human society founded upon principles opposed to the rightful rule and reign of God.

There is no individual personage who we can imagine actually sits astride Satan in some way. This is clearly symbolic – but of who or what?

Of all the theories throughout history on this question, perhaps the prevailing view among the Reformers was the closest one. They were convinced the harlot depicted the Roman Catholic Church. In their eyes, the Church having sunk into selling indulgences, its seeking such vast wealth and political power – all the while abandoning the Gospel of justification by grace alone through faith alone, and persecuting those who put their faith in Christ alone – made real sense. It still has a lot to commend it.

I think this is close, but a little too located in their own place and time.

I think the key does rest in the basic description: She is THE great Prostitute. And there can be little question that the prostitution being referred to here is spiritual, not physical.

There are 2 things which denote a harlot.

Rejection (or betrayal) of the sanctity of an exclusive intimate relationship in marriage, for some perceived gain. (Material wealth, security, status, satisfaction of illicit desires etc.)

Which always results in the harlot seeking to be as attractive as possible to the widest audience possible – rather than seeking to be most attractive to a singular love.

This is an image John and his first readers could not help but be drawn back to consider seeing as God’s most poignant way of referring to Israel’s sin against Him, as we just heard read to us from Ezekiel. A picture so graphically portrayed in the book of Hosea.

What appears to me to be the case, is that this pictures a people with professed fidelity to God and Jesus, I’ll say professed Christianity – but who in fact live more by the Worlds’ values and seek the Worlds’ acceptance and approval more than the Christ she claims to be betrothed to.

It is professing Christians & Christianity given over to the spirit of the age. Pursuing personal autonomy and denying that one owes allegiance to Jesus as Lord. Capitulating to the World’s morality so as not to be marginalized or persecuted. Inventing and promoting self-styled religion and spirituality apart from the Word so as to embrace everyone. Above all, seeking its approval from the World and seeking the material prosperity and security that acceptance offers.

We’ll claim to be “Christians” but we’ll seek what the World seeks, love what the World loves, approve what the World approves, and compromise wherever we need to, to be accepted and participate in what the World offers.

The liberal, compromising Church in whatever generation or form at any given time in history. And by whatever denomination or name.

God’s people, playing the whore with the world – to get its benefits.

And can there be a more timely warning to us? Can’t we see this all around us?

In July, I shared with you the account of Trinity Western University in Langley BC and their plight of being denied national accreditation for their law school because they require students and faculty hold to a very specific, Bible-based code of conduct. Each student was required to sign a community covenant which included a pledge not to lie, steal, cheat, curse, get drunk, use pornography—and to abstain from sex outside Biblical marriage. That last point proved too much for the Canadian Supreme Court. They ruled that to require students to abstain from sex outside of marriage discriminates against gay people. And on that basis, Trinity was rejected nationally from being able to add a law degree program.

The Canadian Supreme Court admitted that the University’s religious freedom was violated in this case. But ruled the law societies had the authority to refuse to approve this law school. Simply holding to a Biblical view of marriage was sufficient to keep them from forming a law school.

How did Western University respond to the Court ruling? We found out just this past week.

They have decided that getting the accreditation they were seeking, takes priority over their commitment to the moral covenant. And this very week have said students are no longer required to sign or abide by the covenant.

Believe me, I feel the pinch and the pain of the position Trinity was put in: Yield to the culture on this moral issue – or accept the consequence of not being allowed accreditation for the Law School.

But this IS the position the Church, Christians of all stripes, will be placed in increasingly in the days to come. And the question is, will we choose to consort with the World to get what it offers even if it means lack of fidelity to the God who made us, the Christ who saved us and the Spirit ho indwells us? Will WE play the harlot?

Will we take the temporary material security the World offers over the spiritual blessings of Christ? For we cannot have both.

Will we serve the World or self rather than King Jesus? We cannot serve 2 diametrically opposed masters. (Matt. 6:24)

Will we compromise on holiness to have what our flesh desires over what Christ has purchased for us? For without holiness, no man will see God. (Heb. 12:14)

Will we reshape worship and religion to be acceptable to those who reject the Gospel and the salvation found in Christ alone?

The Scripture paints those who claim to be Christ’s and yet take these steps – as prostitutes. And this spirit, this attitude, is the fountain from which every other abomination flows.

So now, let’s read through the text, stopping only long enough along the way to see how knowing this clarifies and changes the story line.

17:1 “Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute who is seated on many waters”

What about this Prostitute – this compromising Christianity then? She is to be judged along with Satan and the World.

17: 2 with whom the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality, and with the wine of whose sexual immorality the dwellers on earth have become drunk.”

What of this woman’s activities? The kings of the earth have consorted with her. She has entered into an illicit relationship with the world powers. Seeking their approval and security above that of the God she professes to love.

And this relationship distorts all truth. It has produced effects something akin to drunkenness.

When the Church compromises this way, she distorts people’s vision and understanding of God and the truth so that they cast off restraint: We contribute to the moral decline of the world around us.

(Rom. 2:21-24)

17:3 And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names, and it had seven heads and ten horns.

Make no mistake, the compromising church is supported by a scarlet beast full of blasphemous names. As we saw already, the beast with 7 heads and 10 horns was identified earlier: In ch. 12: this is the description given to Satan, and in ch. 13 to the Antichrist system.

So the metaphors get mixed together to reveal that The Beast is both Satan, AND the antichrist mindset he uses to create a human society founded upon principles opposed to the rightful rule and reign of God. The City of Man as opposed to the City of God. God created this world and mankind to live in right relationship with Himself, and Satan strives to turn that on its head in his hatred of God. And he uses us to do it. Precious mankind made in the image of God.

The picture is the Church allying itself so as to be supported by those/that which blasphemes God.

17:4-6a The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality. And on her forehead was written a name of mystery: “Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth’s abominations.” And I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of the martyrs of Jesus.

The woman is dressed as royalty, with wealth. But in her compromise of the Gospel, she actually ends up slaking her thirst on her immoralities – her illicit union with the World and its values.

Her name is Babylon the great – Babylon being the OT pinnacle of a godless society raised up in opposition to God’s people in judgment.

Thus in her compromise she has given birth to all literal prostitution and all the earth’s abominations. For ALL sin from the Garden of Eden forward flows from rebellion against the God who made us for Himself, in order to please ourselves above Him.

As a result, she is even intoxicated by the destruction of the saints. She is so distorted in her pursuit, she actually contributes to the destruction of the faithful. The liberal church turns on those who hold to Biblical authority and truth.

17: 6b-7 When I saw her, I marveled greatly. But the angel said to me, “Why do you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman, and of the beast with seven heads and ten horns that carries her.

John was astonished – but the angel tells him not to be intimidated by her apparent wealth and status. We’ll come to see why.

17:8 The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to rise from the bottomless pit and go to destruction. And the dwellers on earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world will marvel to see the beast, because it was and is not and is to come.

The beast that supports her is what we’ve seen before; what was, but right then wasn’t on the scene, but would arise later and then be destroyed. Antichrist kingdoms and movements have come and gone before.

And as we’ve seen before, those who are not truly Christ’s will be taken in by the power, glamour and wealth she appears to have by virtue of her union with Satan.

17:9-11 This calls for a mind with wisdom: the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated; 10 they are also seven kings, five of whom have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, and when he does come he must remain only a little while. 11 As for the beast that was and is not, it is an eighth but it belongs to the seven, and it goes to destruction.

7 heads = 7 mountains – probably indicating pinnacles of power because they are also 7 kings. The antichrist spirit and philosophy always attaches itself to some worldly political system. Some have already come and gone, and some are yet to come.

The woman, the compromising Church always seeks to capitalize on the rise of world and political powers. To cozy up to whoever is most prominent and beneficial at the time.

But the last manifestation of this will have only a short time of power.

17:12 And the ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received royal power, but they are to receive authority as kings for one hour, together with the beast.

A great number of kings or world rulers will be allied with the Beast to get their turn at power.

17:13 These are of one mind, and they hand over their power and authority to the beast.

Such world powers will always be in league with Satan’s agenda and in opposing Jesus as King.

17:14 They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.”

Each and every one of them will fall apart – even the last, under the just and final conquering war of The Lamb!

17:15 And the angel said to me, “The waters that you saw, where the prostitute is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages.

So remember, all of this is about the corrupting influence the compromising Church has upon the entire world. This is why she will be judged along with the Beast.

17:16-17 And the ten horns that you saw, they and the beast will hate the prostitute. They will make her desolate and naked, and devour her flesh and burn her up with fire, for God has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose by being of one mind and handing over their royal power to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled.

What happens to the Church which compromises with the world in order to get its approval and material wealth? Those 10 kings, when they have no more use for the Woman, will ravage her and throw her aside. Compromise always leads to destruction by the very ones whose favor we court through it. The Church cannot perpetuate itself though compromise.

This is all part of God’s judgment plan.

17:18 And the woman that you saw is the great city that has dominion over the kings of the earth.”

When it is all said and done – the compromising Church is itself the very counterfeit city set up in opposition to God’s city of the New Jerusalem where Christ will reign for ever and ever.

The prostitute and those who consort with her, take that which is most representative of union, exclusivity, intimacy and commitment, and turn it into a commodity to be bought and sold on the open market.

When the Church, Christ’s betrothed bride seeks the attention and approval of those other than Him; looks for security and enrichment beyond what He promises to provide; invites into union with it those who are not Christ’s and expends her gifts on others for their ends rather than for His glory – we become the great harlot.

NOW – we can go back and see why the warnings to the 7 Churches in the opening chapters are so important, and how they are the thread which runs through the rest of the book.

The individual Christian and/or The Church at large when compromising with the world.

APPLICATIONS: 17:14 They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.”
1. A Word of Warning: Make no mistake – for all the money, all the machinery, all the Satanic influence, all the deception, all the prosperity and military might this world may possess, all will be defeated by the Lamb, the conquering Son of God. He is the Lord of lords and the King of kings, and those with Him remain faithful.
No matter how beneficial it might seem in the moment, all compromise with the world will end in those compromising – no matter what their profession of faith – being judged by the Lamb along with Satan and the World.
1. A Reminder of the Gospel: Note how it is that all human sin and satanic power is destroyed – by the death, burial, resurrection and return of the incarnate Son of God.
It is the Lamb of God who alone conquers sin, satan, death and all that is contrary to the glory and goodness of God.

And how counter intuitive this is. Satan is seen as this massive, dreadful beast, scarlet, with 7 heads and 10 horns. On the back of which is all that is wicked and abominable and destructive – brought down by a Lamb. Brought down by the sacrificial and overcoming love of the living God for those who were once His enemies, redeemed by the atoning blood of the spotless Lamb. What a picture!

The Lamb WILL conquer them.
1. An Encouragement to the True Believer: No matter how bad it might look. No matter how compromised the Church at large or some in it may become, those with Jesus are called chosen, and FAITHFUL.
He has saved us through His electing grace, and those He elects He preserves through the gift of faithfulness – to remain true to the very end. What a Savior this Lamb is. What a redeemer. How glorious our Jesus is.
Revelation Part 29 – The 7 Bowls of Wrath

August 14th, 2018
Revelation Part 29

The 7 Last Plagues

Rev. 15:5-16:21

Proverbs 19:3

AUDIO FOR THIS SERMON CAN BE FOUND HERE

In 2 recent sermons, we’ve been taken to Jesus’ parable of Lazarus and the Rich man. In the latter portion of that parable, we saw the Rich man in Hell, pleading that someone go back from the dead – namely Lazarus – to warn his 5 brothers not to live and sin as he did, so as to avoid the same fate.

It’s then we encounter Abraham’s response: Luke 16:29–31 “Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ The Rich man shot back, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’ ”

As though our text today were penned as a further explanation of the mysterious nature and the depths of the twistedness & hardness of the fallen human heart, in it, we’ll be brought face to face with this phenomenon once again in startling clarity – along with a picture of God’s continued faithfulness, goodness and goodwill toward His enemies. And both are jaw dropping.

It might be useful to go back and recall just a few key facts from earlier in our study for context and clarity’s sake.

You will remember that Ch. 5 introduced us to a scroll sealed with 7 seven seals – which no one in Heaven or earth was able to open until Jesus stepped forward to do it. He alone is worthy.

That scroll, as Don Carson put it: “contains all of God’s purposes for blessing and judgment…[it] contains God’s purposes for redemption and condemnation…the fullness of all that God wants to do in blessing and judgment. This is the whole plan”

The opening of the 7 seals gives us the big picture.

Then, in Ch. 8 once the 7^th seal is opened we are introduced to 7 angels with 7 trumpets. We saw how trumpets were used in ancient days as a means of communicating and sounding warnings like in Israel’s history. And how God appointed them for Israel. They were blown to summon troops to war, to warn about approaching enemies, announce feasts and special events etc. They announce.

So as each of the trumpets are blown, we get increased detail about the judgments of God on this fallen earth and those who reject the Lordship and salvation of Jesus Christ.

God’s goodness and patience are highlighted in the way He warns and warns and warns. He goes out of His way to prepare humanity and to call us to repentance from our sin and faith in Jesus. And He places the reality of the coming judgments front and center in graphic and even shocking detail.

Which brings us to our text today where having seen the plan in the opening of the seals, and being warned of what is coming – and in some sense has already begun – by the trumpets. We now see the final judgment actually being poured out or accomplished on the earth – figured by 7 golden bowls.

God reveals, God expands and warns, and finally God acts. He is never given to knee-jerk actions.

The scene itself doesn’t need a lot of explanation – but let’s look at it in the text and make some observations along the way. And then I have 4 considerations for us to entertain at the end.

Rev. 15:5 After this I looked, and the sanctuary of the tent of witness in heaven was opened,

John’s vision here begins in Heaven and recalls the same sanctuary or temple Moses was shown in Ex. 25. The REAL temple which was the pattern for Moses’ Tabernacle.

Rev. 15:6 and out of the sanctuary came the seven angels with the seven plagues, clothed in pure, bright linen, with golden sashes around their chests.

7 angels make their appearance, in pure bright linen – no doubt indicating the purity of their mission – and golden sashes indicating they have royal authority to execute their mission. They are God’s agents in what is about to unfold.

Rev. 15:7 And one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God who lives forever and ever,

This would have been one of the 6-winged seraphim we saw in Ch. 4 – and the bowls may be representative of the ones we saw in Ch. 5 which contain the prayers of the saints. Hence something of God’s final judgment on sin is connected to our prayers. Perhaps Jesus’ instruction to us to be praying “Your Kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.”

A fulfillment of what Paul notes in 2 Thess. 1:6–10 “indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed.”

15:8 and the sanctuary was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power, and no one could enter the sanctuary until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished.

This is nothing less than a picture of how dramatic and all consuming it is when God makes Himself known in greater ways than we are used to. As he reveals Himself, everything else must come to a full stop. It is reminiscent of the day when they dedicated Solomon’s temple in 1 Kings 8 – when even the consecrated Priests could not stand up to minister when the glory of God filled the place.

Remember back in the 1^st chapters when John encounters a fuller vison of the risen Christ? It is overwhelming, shattering. And now God is breaking out in revealing His holy judgment upon sin and His glory in rewarding the saints and even in Heaven – nobody moves a muscle. Not even the highest angels. Even the ordinary affairs of Heaven come to a screeching halt in the face of the cosmic spectacle.

Rev. 16:1–2 Then I heard a loud voice from the temple telling the seven angels, “Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God.” So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth, and harmful and painful sores came upon the people who bore the mark of the beast and worshiped its image.

Actual judgment has begun. Whether it is God Himself who gives the order here, or some angelic being, the command is to pour out the 7 bowls. In fact, that only one command is given may indicate these are not supposed to be thought of as being poured out in succession, but that each of the 7 angels go out at the very same time, each pouring out his unique plague.

The 1^st bowl is poured out with terrible results, specifically on those who bear the mark of the Beast – those marked out as his by virtue of taking on the World’s mindset in opposition to serving Christ: Material wellbeing; personal autonomy; cultural morality and invented religion or spirituality.

The question of course is whether or not this is literal or figurative. Sorting out what is literal or symbolic throughout this book has been a never ending task. But I will have to say that given the parallels between these 7 plagues and the last 7 plagues on Egypt in Exodus 7-12 – which were literal, it seems most in keeping with the text to see them as literal here too.

This is some sort of physical plague which manifests itself in harmful and painful sores breaking out on a large part of humanity.

The word “harmful” may indicate not just painful sores, but those which do severe and lasting damage.

Rev. 16:3 The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became like the blood of a corpse, and every living thing died that was in the sea.

Whether this is meant to indicate the oceans of the world just the Mediterranean Sea or sea as referring to humanity is unclear, but that it is an ecological disaster of epic proportion is not.

The blood of a corpse is clotted, putrid and would create worldwide panic, famine and disease.

Rev. 16:4 The third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of water, and they became blood.

The disaster spreads so that the water sources of all the earth are affected.

Rev. 16:5–7 And I heard the angel in charge of the waters say, “Just are you, O Holy One, who is and who was, for you brought these judgments. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink. It is what they deserve!” And I heard the altar saying, “Yes, Lord God the Almighty, true and just are your judgments!”

And as though anticipating how the reader might recoil in shock and disgust at such a gruesome sight, the text records how the angel in charge of the waters reminds himself and us that however extreme this seems – God’s actions here are in keeping with His holiness and justice. He cannot over punish any more than He can under punish and remain just and holy. However staggering the realities may be, they are fitting, right, proper.

Rev. 16:8 The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was allowed to scorch people with fire.

A cosmic disaster follows the 1^st 3, one in which the sun itself is employed to make people suffer.

Rev. 16:10 The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness. People gnawed their tongues in anguish

The above are followed by the terror of darkness.

Rev. 16:12 The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, to prepare the way for the kings from the east.

All of this apparently gives way to global war as the east begins to attack the west. Demonically inspired to target the Believers as the source of their woes (14).

Rev. 16:17-18 The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple, from the throne, saying, “It is done!” And there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, and a great earthquake such as there had never been since man was on the earth, so great was that earthquake.

All of this culminates in an earthquake unparalleled in human history and bringing civilized life on the planet to abject and final destruction. Accompanying this is a targeting of peoples with 100lb hailstones.

Well now, what are we supposed to do with all of this?
1. We are to realize that God WILL indeed finish His work and judgments upon human sin – and that His wrath is far more terrifying than anything we can humanly imagine. We dare not temper God’s wrath.
2. Given the hardness of the human heart – what a miracle it is that ANYONE is saved. If it were not for the sovereign working of God to overcome that hardness in us – NOTHING else would be sufficient to turn us around.
Look at the responses of those undergoing these plagues as it is emphasized for us in 3 places.

Rev. 16:9 They were scorched by the fierce heat, and they cursed the name of God who had power over these plagues. They did not repent and give him glory.

10b People gnawed their tongues in anguish and cursed the God of heaven for their pain and sores. They did not repent of their deeds.

21 and they cursed God for the plague of the hail, because the plague was so severe.

This is the true condition of fallen man – no matter how much some want to whitewash it and claim some island of righteousness in us.

Prov. 19:3 When a man’s folly brings his way to ruin, his heart rages against the LORD.

Christian, marvel at your salvation this morning. What it took for the Triune God to bring you to Himself.

Nothing less than the overcoming love of the Father toward His enemies to want you for His own.

Nothing less than the sacrificial blood of the sinless Son of God to be shed in place of yours, and His righteousness to be placed on your account.

Nothing less than the same power it took for the Spirit to brood over the face of the deep in the first creation, to bring forth human life, and to raise Jesus from the dead – to bring forth the eternal life that you now possess – to raise you from your being dead in your trespasses and sins, RE-created.

Unbeliever – understand what a miraculous salvation is being held out to you today in this Gospel.

He calls to you once more today, as He has in every pain, every disappointment, every hardship and every blessing you have ever experienced.

He calls to you yet again though you’ve heard such sermons over and over and over.

He calls to you even now as you sit firm in your self-satisfaction and unbelief and offers you cleansing from all your sin; forgiveness for all your offenses against Him; eternal life and the righteousness of Christ that you may be with Him forever; and deliverance from all that this fallen world has inflicted upon you.

And will you instead rage against Him for the sorrows that find their root in our own shared sinfulness?
1. Look at the amazing grace of God as He continues to exert all manner of pressures upon mankind to bring us to an end of ourselves and turn to Him – right up to the very last moment.
Those statements that those suffering the plagues would not repent, show that they might – even then!
1. What will it take for you to finally bend the knee to Christ and stop playing at religion, self-justification and clinging to the sin you love so much – so that Jesus might have His proper place over your person and life?
What sin is so precious to you that you would rather suffer the loss of all for eternity, to have it for the fleeting moments of this life?

Whose opinion of you is so important that to humble yourself before the Lord of Glory seems too much to ask?

What great thing is it you think you need to accomplish, what experience do you think you need to have BEFORE you give Christ His proper place in your heart?

“What more can He say, than to you He has said?”
Deliverance! Revelation 14:14-15:8

July 29th, 2018
Revelation Part 28

Rev. 14:14-15:8

Matt. 13:24-30 & 36-43

DELIVERANCE!

AUDIO FOR THIS SERMON CAN BE FOUND HERE

The 1^st part of Ch. 14 gave us a vision of how human history will end. It portrayed only 2 alternatives. And, it challenges the reader to determine which of those two each of us is heading toward at present.

It was both heartening and sobering. And as we saw then, because we are still in the age of grace, no one need find themselves shut out from the Kingdom of Christ and the glories of it. But that human history IS on that trajectory is beyond question.

So the call is to every one of us to reckon with that fact now.

And if you haven’t yet, the call to you remains.

To be reconciled to the God who made you. The God you have sinned against in living your life for yourself instead of for the purposes for which He has created you.

To acknowledge your sin of rebellion against His right over you, and to believe the Gospel that Jesus died in your place on the cross, was buried, and rose again to show His substitution was accepted by the Father.

To turn from your self-government to Him, trusting that Jesus’ sacrifice was sufficient for your sins, and to receive the eternal life He gladly gives all who put their trust in Him.

But neither the passage nor the book ends there.

The balance of what follows are more pictures of how the final days of this present world order will play out. How God’s judgment against the world system which stands in opposition to His perfect rule will be dismantled, why, and what it will give way to. This, both for the Believer and the Unbeliever.

But its main thrust, is to tie together an Old Testament theme that John’s first readers would really identify with, and one we need to as well. It is the theme of DELIVERANCE.

This theme is then teased out in a metaphor – the metaphor of a HARVEST.

Revelation 14:14–20 “Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and seated on the cloud one like a son of man, with a golden crown on his head, and a sharp sickle in his hand. And another angel came out of the temple, calling with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud, “Put in your sickle, and reap, for the hour to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is fully ripe.” So he who sat on the cloud swung his sickle across the earth, and the earth was reaped. Then another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, the angel who has authority over the fire, and he called with a loud voice to the one who had the sharp sickle, “Put in your sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, for its grapes are ripe.” So the angel swung his sickle across the earth and gathered the grape harvest of the earth and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress, as high as a horse’s bridle, for 1,600 stadia.”

Now a question immediately arises from this is; are we looking at 2 different harvests, or what? And what does this mean?

vss. 14-16 give us a picture of one who the majority of commentators agree is Jesus “harvesting” – whatever that means.

Then 17-20 depict an angel with a sickle also harvesting, but this time it is grapes, and clearly leads to a picture of judgment. Vs. 19 makes that unmistakable.

The main views on this are pretty straightforward.

Most would say the 1^st picture is that of Jesus gathering up the Believers at the end of the age. And the 2^nd picture is that of the angels gathering up unbelievers for judgment at the end of the age.

If this is two separate events, many argue, the first is what might be called the rapture of the church, removing Believers out of the world before God’s final judgment is poured out.

The 2^nd then would come sometime later. Typically, that later date is thought of as 7 years later – the 7 year period being the Great Tribulation.

While that view is possible, I would want to argue it doesn’t seem to fit the present context well, nor the tie the next chapter will make to the Song of Moses, nor Jesus’ parable in Matt. 13, nor a repeated picture throughout Scripture that we’ll explore in a minute.

What seems to fit the text best is that we are getting two looks at one and the same event. In other words, when the time comes for Jesus to gather His saints to Himself to reward us, judgment will also be poured out on those who remain His enemies in unbelief. 2 different peoples experiencing the same thing 2 different ways.

Let’s go back and look at Jesus’ parable in Matt. 13 for a moment.

The picture He gave there is simply one way of understanding how the kingdom of God works. It is one of 7 parables in Matt. 13 that taken together, were meant to give the Disciples a really well rounded primer on how they were to understand the unfolding plan of God.

1^st (3-9) was the parable of PROPAGATION – How the Kingdom of God grows – through sowing or preaching the Gospel.

2^nd (24-30) is the parable of MIXTURE & INIQUITY. There will always be both the righteous and the unrighteous in the world, and even in the Church until Christ returns. We’ll come back to this one.

3^rd (31-32) The parable of TRANSITION. Christ’s kingdom will start small like a mustard seed but end up large and full.

4^th (33) The parable of LEAVEN or TRANSFORMATION. Those in the kingdom are gradually transformed the way yeast permeates dough – until every aspect of our being is affected.

5^th (44) The parable of the hidden treasure: REVELATION. Once someone’s eyes are opened to the value of Christ and salvation, we will do everything and anything to be a part.

6^th (45-46) The pearl of great price: The TRANSCENDENCE or SUPERIORITY of having Christ above everything this world can offer.

7^th (47-50) The net. The mystery of the GOSPEL & CONSUMMATION. The Gospel will go out though the world, and many will respond, but there will be a final sorting out of those who are truly His, and those who are not.

These 7 parables would give the Disciples a realistic understanding of what to expect in the time between Christ’s resurrection and His return, so that we would neither get discouraged, confused nor have unreal expectations.

But it is in that 2^nd one that we find the parallel to what we’re seeing in Rev. 14.

Matt. 13:38 “The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one”

Matt. 13:39 “The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels.”

Matt. 13:40–43 “Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.”

So when does this separation come between the sons of the Kingdom and the sons of the devil?

At the harvest – of BOTH, at the same time.

Matt. 13:30 “Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.”

In keeping with this picture, John is seeing that when the time comes for Jesus to gather in His sons and daughters – at the very same time, judgment will be meted out on the rebellious world. They are one and the same event, experienced by two different groups. The difference being one thing – their relationship to Jesus Christ.

And the figure of the blood of those being judged coming up to the height of a horse’s bridle for a distance of 184 miles, (the length of the land of Palestine) is meant to show the staggering thoroughness of that final judgment. It will be quite literally unimaginable.

Well OK Reid, thanks for spoiling my morning so far – where does this theme of DELIVERANCE that you mentioned factor in?

I hear your cry. Let’s move on into Ch. 15.

Rev. 15:1–8 “Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and amazing, seven angels with seven plagues, which are the last, for with them the wrath of God is finished. And I saw what appeared to be a sea of glass mingled with fire—and also those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name, standing beside the sea of glass with harps of God in their hands. And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, “Great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations! Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.” After this I looked, and the sanctuary of the tent of witness in heaven was opened, and out of the sanctuary came the seven angels with the seven plagues, clothed in pure, bright linen, with golden sashes around their chests. And one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God who lives forever and ever, and the sanctuary was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power, and no one could enter the sanctuary until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished.”

What do we see here? 2 things chiefly.
1. A picture of God’s final wrath on human sin and the world system it created – about to be poured out through angelic means – the details of which occupy the next several chapters.
2. The Saints, “those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name” standing on the crystal sea we saw in ch. 4 that surrounds the throne of God – SINGING!
And what are they singing? The text calls it “the song of Moses…and the song of the Lamb.”

And here is where the imagery strikes home for the first readers and needs to strike home for us.

The song itself is a composite from at least 4 Old Testament passages: Ps 111:3; Amos 4:13; Deut 32:4; Jer 10:7. But its being identified as “the song of Moses” unquestionably takes us to Ex. 15 and what Moses and the Israelites sang on the day God delivered them from Pharaoh and Egypt at the Red Sea. A 2-stage deliverance we’ll see more next time.

Of particular note in that song are these words: Ex. 15:11–13 “Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders? You stretched out your right hand; the earth swallowed them. You have led in your steadfast love the people whom you have redeemed; you have guided them by your strength to your holy abode.”

God had swallowed up their enemies, but more, He had redeemed His people and brought them “to your holy abode.” Their deliverance, the great Exodus, as great and stupendous and miraculous as it was – was still only a type and shadow of the true and final Exodus and deliverance of God’s people from the oppression and slavery of sin and of this world. They were on the edge of the desert, not Canaan.

We see this model in Scripture elsewhere. It was true in Noah being delivered from the Flood, while others were perishing in it. It was true with Lot being delivered even as Sodom was being destroyed. And it was true with Israel being delivered from bondage in Egypt even as Egypt’s grip on then was being once and for all destroyed. So, Christ delivers His people from the bondage of darkness, demonic deception, sin’s grip on our lives and the chains of self-government, materialism, false religion and fleshly lusts – at the very same time that He finally crushes this present world system.

And this beloved is the song we’ll sing on that day. Not two separate days but that great “Day of the Lord” as it is most often called in judgment, and the “Day of Jesus Christ” as it is for Believers.

Jesus will not return to fix this present world system (which is why we can’t fix it now) but to redeem His people out of it, while wholly and utterly destroying this present world system.

And this will be the great celebration the redeemed will rejoice in: That Jesus Christ has delivered us from every last vestige of bondage that has had its claim on us since the Fall. Both externally AND internally.

In the immediate, to be delivered from the oppressive Beast that wages war against the saints. But not delivered to be still left to ourselves and our still indwelling sinfulness. No, much, much more!

To be delivered from all selfishness; pride; arrogance; bitterness; unforgiveness; lust; greed; hatred; anger; violence; faithlessness; foolishness; doubt; compromise; cowardice; lying; lovelessness; turmoil; self-promotion; uncleanness; fear; self-deception; self-pity; indolence; carelessness and anything and everything else that is part of the Fall in humanity as a whole and in each of us individually.

“Great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations! Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.”

Oh how we will glory, not just in what He has given us in Jesus, but what He has delivered us from by His blood!

Heaven will be Christ. But getting there is deliverance.

Rescue from the sinful world system that keeps people from the saving knowledge of Jesus and tries to stamp out His Church.

AND deliverance from all the remnants of indwelling sin.

No more groaning with Paul “who will deliver me from the body of this death.”

Absolute and complete – DELIVERANCE. And oh how we’ll sing!
What is Your Trajectory? Revelation 14:1-13

July 16th, 2018
Revelation Part 27

Rev. 14:1-13

2 Corinthians 11:1-4

What is Your Trajectory?

AUDIO FOR THIS SERMON CAN BE FOUND HERE

One of the surprising and useful features of the book of Revelation, is how it gives us these short interludes to catch our breath and gain some perspective.

Let’s face it, we’ve been wading through some pretty deep waters. There is so much symbolism to unpack. And deciding what is to be taken literally and what isn’t is hard work. There is no question that many of the details will have to await their fulfillment in time before we REALLY know what is being revealed to us. When that day comes, we WILL get it. Until then, we walk through these passages somewhat tentatively, and continue to put our weight on the things that are most solid and useful.

Fortunately, the passage we are considering this morning comes complete with its own explanation for how to use it.

14:12 spells out what this passage is for. “Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.”

It is first and foremost meant to serve the Believers – the saints, defined as those who keep the commandments of God; to remain steadfastly serving Him, and keep their faith in Jesus – in His substitutionary atonement on the cross – against the onslaught of all the lies of the enemy and the pressures of the world around us.

The point of the passage is clear: It is meant to be encouragement. And it does this by reminding us of the future that is immediately before us – The glories we enter into immediately should we die before Christ’s return. And, the reality of final justice.

But, there is a 2^nd purpose in the text. That, is the depiction of the ghastly future of those who reject Christ and instead, take the “mark of the beast”. To those who live according to the values and priorities of this present world system. Just because the 2 may appear parallel doesn’t mean they share the same destination – like escalators.

And we are solemnly required to consider that as well. At the same time, never, even remotely to gloat in some way over those who find their end there, but to weep over it. To spark us to compassion for those outside of Christ – that we might plead with them with tears to be reconciled to God in Jesus Christ. In 1830’s Scotland, Andrew Bonar and Robert Murray Mc’Cheyne were close friends. They would often meet on Monday to discuss what each had preached the day before. One time, Bonar said he preached the previous day on hell – to which Mc’Cheyne answered without skipping a beat: “And were you enabled by God’s grace to preach it with tears?” Spiteful glee at the judgment of the lost is never a right response.

So hot off the bad news that ended the previous chapter, the rise of the antichrist’s false belief system and its spokesman the False Prophet – deluding the masses and marking them out in their hand or forehead, by what they think and what they work for – John is shown the bliss of those who instead are marked by God as His own.

For what can be more useful to people enduring dark days of difficulty and persecution than to be reminded that this time will end? And that it will end in a bliss that so magnificently transcends the memory of their trials, as to make them fade into obscurity.

Or as Paul will state it in Rom. 8:18 “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”

I understand that the idea of a life set on a conscious trajectory toward eternity with Christ is not the norm any more. So much of our preaching and teaching today is almost exclusively focused on how to have our “best life NOW”; How to succeed NOW; How to be happy NOW; How to have all that life can give us NOW. Actually ordering our lives now in line with where we WILL be for eternity is off the table.

We tend to look at everything in the short term. Oh, we’ll plan for our retirement. We’ll plan for our eventual death in buying burial plots and enough insurance to provide for those we leave behind. But beloved, that really still is the short term. What about after? What about where and how we will spend eternity? Are we planning for that? Are we preparing our hearts and minds to be with the Savior? For an existence so utterly removed from this present fallen world that comparison is impossible? No one will stumble into Heaven accidentally. The only ones who will arrive there are the ones intentionally going there by God’s grace and means.

How many of us here have purchased a piece of clothing that is the size we would like to be rather than the one we are at present? And then, don’t we do what it takes to be able to wear that eventually?

Well Christ has purchased a robe of righteousness for all who are His. Are we getting ready to be clothed in that robe? Are we preparing to be His bride? Are we living now with an eye toward what we will be in Him? 2 Peter 3:11–12 “Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn!”

Are we getting ready now for what is to come in HIM? Or merely for today?

This is the driving consideration this passage forces on us.

So let’s look at the text and see how all this unfolds.

Rev. 14:1 “Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.”

WHERE does the trajectory of the lives of those who are marked out by God as His in Christ lead?

To mount Zion. The idea here is not that the redeemed will be gathered into geographical Jerusalem. The writer to the Hebrews makes the difference clear: Heb. 12:22–24 “But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.”

Nor is this thought new. As far back as Abraham, the anticipation of the fulfillment of God’s promises even to the Jews was not a sliver of land in the Middle East: Heb. 11:8–10 “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.”

This is the life of faith – leaving the false riches of this world behind us, we go out seeking the Heavenly Jerusalem, the city whose designer and builder is God! We travel this earth now – walking daily toward the Heavenly City. This is what it means to BE a Christian.

Mount Zion is WHERE the Redeemed are headed. But we are not going there to be alone. WHO are we going there to be with?
1. With the Lamb, & the 140K – all those that are His. Hear me beloved – if the great goal of your life is not to be with Jesus and those He has redeemed by His blood – then Heaven would truly be Hell for you.
As the Psalmist said: Ps. 73:25 “Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.”

What makes Heaven Heaven is that Christ is there! That the One who died in our place on the Cross, taking all of the just wrath of God against our sin upon Himself will receive us to Himself.

And WHAT will that be like? We get a most sweet and inviting picture.

ECSTATIC JOY, FULL OF GLORY. Rev. 14:2–3 “And I heard a voice from heaven like the roar of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder. The voice I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps, and they were singing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders. No one could learn that song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth.”

Heaven will NOT be quiet. An innumerable chorus with one voice like loud thunder singing a song ONLY the redeemed can sing. A song so transcendent that the 4 living creatures we saw in Ch. 4 with their holy, holy, holy, and the 24 elders too look on in stunned amazement. Caught up in the spectacle of wretched sinners redeemed by the blood of the Lamb and elevated to such unspeakable glory. Can we even begin to imagine such a sight?

But this is what is just before us Saints, and why serving Jesus and not this present world system is worth everything we might have to endure in the meantime.

And I love how the saints are described here:

Not Defiled w/Women: Celibacy cannot be the issue here since marriage was ordained before the Fall, and later Scripture notes the marriage bed is undefiled.

It may mean that they govern their sexuality only within the confines of Biblical standards – i.e. monogamous marriage between a man and a woman or chaste singleness.

But it more likely refers to their singular devotion to Jesus and the truth of the Gospel as opposed to false teaching and the 4 pillars of the City of Man: Personal Autonomy; Well-being n Material Wealth; Man-made Religion; Cultural Morality.

It follows Paul in2 Cor. 11 where he says he has betrothed or engaged Believers to Christ as a “pure virgin” through the Gospels. Sinners of every stripe become that pure virgin in Christ.

They follow the Lamb wherever He goes. It would be hard to find a more succinct description of the Christian life. Every call to the Disciples was to “follow me.”

There is no such thing as a Christian who is not called to follow Christ Jesus. This was the failure of the Rich Young ruler in Matt. 19:21. Leave everything else and come and follow me was Jesus’ directive.

But what does that mean to us today who cannot physically follow Him?

Just what it meant to them when Jesus had His exchange with Peter on the night of His passion.

John 13:31-38 Jesus was going to the Father, by way of the Cross. And this is where we follow Him today. Renouncing sin and self, and trusting in His substitutionary death on our behalf – we begin to follow Him to the presence of the Father – to Heaven!

Firstfruits: Not chronology, but priority. These (Christians) have been redeemed that they might serve God as their priority above all else they give themselves to. They will pursue all kinds of things in life, but their service to Christ informs and supersedes all else. They are Christ’s first, and that is why they are the Fathers, Mothers, Employees, citizens and neighbors they are. They are honest because they are Christ’s. They are gentle because they are Christ’s. They are chaste and sober and self-controlled because they are Christ’s. They aren’t this way to gain Christ, but because He has already gained them!

No lie. Complete fidelity to the Gospel, to God’s Word. Especially as opposed to the lies of the False Prophet.

Blameless: Eph. 1:3–4 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.” No wonder the passage ends saying: “Blessed are those who die in the Lord.” Even in death we are blessed beyond comprehension.

Oh how I wish I could end there. I have deliberately spent the bulk of our time this morning on this opening portion. Both, because, as I mentioned above, the Holy Spirit told us this was to be the emphasis of the passage (vs. 12) but also, because we do not want to be ghoulish or needlessly preoccupied with the terrors the next few verses convey.

At the same time, we cannot ignore them.

Our theme has been trajectory, and there are but 2 from God’s point of view. Either you are at present headed to the things we just saw, or to the only other alternative given to us in Scripture. As you hear me today, you are on one of those roads. And you will leave having either switched them, or advanced further down them.

14:6–7 “Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people. And he said with a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.” This statement is not the Gospel, but the proper response called for having heard the Gospel.

In contrast to what was revealed to John for the saints, another angel brought some revelation as well. That having heard the Gospel men are called upon to believe it, to fear God and give Him glory – because judgment is at hand.

14:8 “Another angel, a second, followed, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who made all nations drink the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality.”

This impending judgment is amplified by another angel who makes us know that the judgment is so certain, it is announced in the present tense: Fallen IS Babylon. Judged IS the system that caters to personal autonomy above the Lordship of Christ; of cultural morality above Biblical holiness; of man-made religion above the Gospel of Jesus Christ; of material wealth above the riches of Jesus.

14:9 “And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand,”

And then a 3^rd confirming angel announcing how God’s certain judgment applies to everyone who is marked out by those 4 things – the mindset of antichrist, of this fallen world system. Of the City of Man – Babylon, versus the City of God – the Heavenly Zion.

To which 4 ghastly descriptors are appended as the most severe of warnings: 14:10–11 “he also will drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name.”

What is the end of those whose trajectory is not to seek eternity with Christ Jesus – who will not submit to the Gospel of grace in the substitutionary atonement of Christ on Calvary?
1. God’s wrath without any dilution, mercy or grace to temper it.
2. Torment in the presence of The Lamb Himself.
3. Torment that is perpetual. To use the words of Jesus in describing it: Where the worm never dies and the fire is never put out. (Mark 9:48)
4. And where there is never any rest from a perfected and tortured conscience. Forever guilty. Never pardoned. Never given any reprieve, any rest, of any kind.
Hear me Beloved – The revelation of God in this passage gives us only 2 ends. There is no 3^rd option.

And everyone here today or in the sound of my voice is on one of these 2 trajectories. There are no other choices. You are either on your way to that eternal and ineffable wonder of eternity in with Jesus having been reconciled to the Father through His blood, or you are on your way to be tormented in the presence of the holy angels and The Lamb.

But if you are not yet Christ’s today – look at what lengths He has gone to in these verses to grab your attention and draw you to Himself. He has shown you the sweet wonders of the bliss of the saints in Christ to make you long for what is blessed and holy and good and glorious and everlasting. And He has shown you the horrors of continuing on your present path to make you hate your sin and its consequences. Especially how it separates you from God Himself.

But that view is a future one. It is not where you are already. Today is still the day of grace. You can be born again right now. Today you can begin to enter into the fullness of His favor and forgiveness. Every speck and spot of sin and guilt can be washed clean away in the blood of the Lamb of God who was crucified for our sins, and raised up again for our justification – that everyone who believes and casts themselves on Him might be declared holy in Christ, and given all that belongs to Him as though it is your own.

Oh that today you would turn from this world and its fake offers, and look to Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God as your substitute, as your sin-bearer.

We want you to be able to sing the song of redemption with those who believe on that day. And to join even this very hour in the chorus the old hymn writer composed:

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!

O my soul, Praise Him, for He is your health and salvation!

All you who hear,

Now to His temple draw near;

Praise Him in glad adoration.
Rev. 13:11-18 / The False Prophet – Now it’s Getting Personal!

July 9th, 2018
Revelation Part 26

Chapter 13:11-18

The False Prophet: Now It’s Getting Personal!

Last time, in vss. 1-10, we saw Satan calling up out of the sea, what the text calls – The Beast. And we came to see this Beast was what we also call – antichrist.

It might have been a surprise to some of you to learn that not all in the church have held quite the same understanding of who or what antichrist is historically. As I said last time, from the 2^nd century on, there have been 2 main ways of understanding the idea of antichrist. Both are orthodox. Both views have their pluses and their minuses.

1^st : Antichrist as a literal historical person who will try to pass himself off as Christ, with the goal of replacing him and wreaking havoc on the world. Irenaeus (130-202) would be a prime example. He along with many others – solid, excellent men throughout history have argued some future, specific person will emerge as THE antichrist. F. F. Bruce, Donald Grey Barnhouse, Robert Mounce, George Eldon Ladd, John Walvoord, John MacArthur – etc. It is perhaps the most dominant view in American Evangelicalism today. It has a political, one-world government emphasis. And this interpretation is certainly possible and reasonable.

2^nd : Antichrist isn’t so much a person as it is a pervasive heresy which deludes the world and keeps people from the knowledge of God in Jesus Christ. This view was held by Polycarp (69-155), a personal disciple of John, and Tertullian (160-220) to name a few. The idea here is of antichrist being a false teaching with perhaps a primary false teacher rather than a political figure. So the emphasis is neither political nor personal. It’s why many of the Reformers identified antichrist with the Papacy. Not a specific Pope, but the office and the system deceiving many in the guise of Christ and true Christianity. This is the direction I took because I believe has the most Biblical support. Though as I said, both views have both their pluses and their minuses.

I hope you are also able to see that no matter which of these two views you might hold, the take away points from the chapter are exactly the same. This is not a place for Christians to divide, even if we may not have precisely the same understanding. The bottom line is the reality of God’s sovereignty over Satan and world events; His provision for those who are His, and His promised protection for the saints against the deceptions of antichrist. These apply to both views equally.

That said, we will now go on to look at the 2^nd Beast Satan brings on the scene in vss. 11-18 – a figure named later in the book as “The False Prophet” (16:13; 19:20; 20:10). And here, commentators tend to be far more agreed.

This beast is denominated The False Prophet in Revelation 16:13–14 “And I saw, coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs. For they are demonic spirits, performing signs, who go abroad to the kings of the whole world, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty.”

And here we get another interesting parallel: Where Christ is the logos, the Word Of God / Antichrist is seen as the word of Satan.

So I argued that taken together, the data seems to indicate antichrist is: The fundamental denial of the person and work of Jesus Christ as revealed in the Bible and the entire world view which springs from that revelation.

A global deception regarding the person and work of Jesus instead of a specific individual or person. Nevertheless, I do see this portion of the text indicating a specific end-times individual who we can call The last False Prophet.

Just as every product has a spokesperson, and every cause or movement has its one person who seems to be the face and the voice of that cause or movement – so does antichrist.

Revelation 13:11–18 divides up into 3 parts.
1. (11-12) 4 Characteristics of the Beast (False Prophet)
2. (13-17) 4 Actions of the Beast
3. (18) The call to wisdom about 666
Then I saw another beast:

(11a) Rising out of the earth. Some have thought that rising out of the earth is meant to be in contrast to the 1^st beast rising out of the sea, but Daniel 7:1-17 shows the two are used synonymously. This seems to be simply reiterating that Satan has been cast down to earth (12:9), and that this is his theater of operation. What he does is earthly, not heavenly.

(11b) It had two horns like a lamb.

Probably a mock of Jesus as the Lamb of God as we saw in Ch. 5.

I.e. The False Prophet comes meek, mild, winsome. A Lamb not threatening. He doesn’t appear evil, threatening or scary.

Perhaps he even comes out of the Church? 1 John 2:18–19 “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. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.”

Cults and cult leaders might be good examples of this.

(11c) And it spoke like a dragon. In other words, it speaks deceptive lies like Satan does.

Satan was a liar from the beginning. Deception has always been his primary tool. John 8:43–44 “Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. 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.”

1 John 2:22 “Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son.”

(12) “It exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence, and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed.”

It makes the case. As the False Prophet it does its job of being so convincing as to bring about a near universal mindset. It speaks with authority. And one has to ask, what authority any more – is universally appealed to? Certainly not the Bible. Given our current climate, I think a good argument can be made for this authority being “science”? Not genuine science as investigation and study, but science hijacked by political and social agendas that moves things moral from the realm of God and the Bible – to supposed science. A science that directly speaks to morality and denies the special creation of man as made in God’s image. The implications of which are vast. Some scientists have – for all intents and purposes – become the new priesthood. So it is the likes of the late Stephen Hawking, as brilliant as he was, begin to weigh in on theological topics – such as the existence of God, from a scientific point of view. Or consider this from astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson: “Earth needs a virtual country: #Rationalia, with a one-line Constitution: All policy shall be based on the weight of evidence.” Evidence determined and interpreted by – “science.” Science that starts with a purely naturalistic explanation of all things and from the outset rejects anything supernatural. This is what Webster’s Dictionary refers to as “Scientism” – “an exaggerated trust in the efficacy of the methods of natural science applied to all areas of investigation (as in philosophy, the social sciences, and the humanities)”. And, we might add – religion.

Those are the False Prophet’s characteristics, now what does he do?

(13-14a) “It performs great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people, and by the signs that it is allowed to work in the presence of the beast it deceives those who dwell on earth.”

Science can and does often do – the seemingly miraculous. Something we are all grateful for. But Science is not God. Science is not the final arbiter of all truth. Even when science has rightly called the Church to go back and re-examine its interpretation of some Biblical passages – it cannot be the final word – since science too has its limits, and its practitioners have their own interpretations of all things – which often need revised. We cannot displace the revelation of God with the suppositions of fallen mankind. When we do, a true, new idol has entered – at the feet of which all may be required to bow.

Am I saying this is it? No, but it is an example of how this kind of pervasive thought system can exert so much influence on society.

Matt. 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.”

2 Thess. 2:8–10 “And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. 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.”

In terms of calling down fire – Primasius (fl. 550–560), Bishop of Hadrumetum in North Africa (modern Tunisia) speculates this refers to a false Pentecost. Trying to deceive the Church especially, the False Prophet recreates Pentecost and uses it to convince religious people he is from God. Don’t be fooled by false demonstrations of what people tell you is the Holy Spirit because of their supposed gifts. Just because they may speak in tongues or even work miracles DOES NOT mean they are Christ’s.

Whether false miracles or false gifts of the Spirit, the Church is being equipped to avoid deception.

Matt. 7:21–23 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’”

(14b) Telling them to make an image for the beast that was wounded by the sword and yet lived.

The False Prophet will gain such influence that virtually everyone one will be forced by social and other pressures, to make his teaching, his worldview, the one which must frame everyone’s understanding. The ultimate image.

(15) And it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast might even speak and might cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain.

And the image will be given breath. Probably just a way of saying it will speak and be heard everywhere.

(16-17) Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name.

To THINK, and to ACT, according to the deception they are motivated by.

Remember how we saw in Ch. 7 & 9 that God marks His own people in their foreheads, and this was not a physical mark but a spiritual marking out? So here too. The idea isn’t a physical computer chip or tattoo, but a way of them being identified with the antichrist. The forehead once again pointing to a way of thinking. And the hand, as one working to promote antichrist’s mindset.

What might that look like in concrete terms? Let me give you just 1 of many examples – this, from our neighbors to the north – Canada.

Trinity Western University was founded in Langley BC in 1962. It serves 4,000 undergrad and grad students.

Research revealed a demand for a legal education from a school with Christian values like Trinity. So they applied to the accreditation agencies in all 8 provinces. 6 gave their approval, 2, Ontario and BC did not, preventing them from starting such a program. So Trinity took them to the Supreme Court.

The problem it turned out, was that the founders gave the school a mandate to teach from a Christian worldview. And it requires students and faculty hold to a very specific, Bible-based code of conduct. The community covenant each student is required to sign includes a pledge not to lie, steal, cheat, curse, get drunk, use pornography—and to abstain from sex outside Biblical marriage. The last point proved too much for the Canadian Supreme Court. It was ruled that to require students to abstain from sex outside of marriage discriminates against gay people. And on that basis, Trinity was told their rejection to add a law degree program was upheld.

In the decision, a majority of the judges recognized that religious freedom was violated for the University in this case. But ruled the law societies had the authority to refuse to approve this law school. Simply holding to a Biblical view of marriage was sufficient to keep them from forming a law school.
1. (18)This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666.
Wisdom then is needed on several fronts.

1^st. To recognize what is really going on. Once again this is a spiritual battle, not a political one. Seeing what is behind such things is vitally important in dictating how we respond to them. You cannot fight spiritual blindness and the deception of Satan in court. Faith as Rom. 10:17 reminds us “comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”

2^nd. Wisdom is needed to navigate what become increasingly complex and confusing waters. Christians are called upon by Jesus Himself to be both as wise as serpents, but as harmless as doves. Knee jerk and retaliatory reactions will diminish the progress of the Gospel. We will suffer some injustices at times, and having the wisdom when and how to speak and what to do will grow increasingly important.

3^rd. Wisdom is needed to recognize the limits of our understanding, and therefor to rein in the focus and use of our energies.

Example: What is meant by 666? And to be perfectly honest, no one really knows. There are far more than 666 theories, but none of them is absolute. I’ve read a good many, and have my own – but ultimately the text does not appear to give us a solid interpretation.

Personally I think a reasonable connection can be made to the only other place in Scripture where 666 appears. 1 Kings 10:14 “Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was 666 talents of gold.” Possibly an allusion to what we’ve already looked at as fundamental to the City of Man vs the City of God – material wealth and well-being being all consuming. But that is mere speculation and I would not want to take it very far even though it makes sense.

Perhaps more likely than any direct 666 meaning is the idea that we simply do not need to know until time and circumstances reveal it.

Nor is that completely unusual in the Scripture. In 2 ways.

First you have many of the prophecies of the OT about Jesus that didn’t make complete sense until they were fulfilled in His incarnation.

Who knew before hand that Matt. 2:15 “Out of Egypt I called my Son” was fulfillment of Hosea 11:1 until it happened? We have many such examples in Jesus’ case.

Second, we have some revelations that are explicitly “sealed” until a time in the future.

We encountered this back in Daniel 8. Part of what Daniel had seen in a vision didn’t make sense to him. When he inquired God said: Daniel 8:26 “The vision of the evenings and the mornings that has been told is true, but seal up the vision, for it refers to many days from now.” I’ve shown it to you, but it is not for publication to others. It must remain a mystery for now.

We saw this again in Revelation 10:4 “And when the seven thunders had sounded, I was about to write, but I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Seal up what the seven thunders have said, and do not write it down.”’”

Irenaeus: “It is therefore more certain and less hazardous to await the fulfilment of the prophecy than to be making surmises and casting about for any names that may present themselves, inasmuch as many names can be found possessing the number mentioned; and the same question will, after all, remain unsolved.”

Andrew of Caesarea (early 6th century). Bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia. “For the sober-minded, time and experience will reveal the actual significance of the number and the truth of whatever has been written about it. For, were it necessary, as some of the teachers say, that such a name be clearly known, the seer would have revealed it. But the divine grace did not consent that the name of the destroyer be noted in the divine book.”
1. Look at the wisdom God has put at the disposal of His saints.
We not only have His promise earlier in the ch. that those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life will not be deceived – we have all of this detailed information to prepare us.
1. Note too how we are are fortified against fear by seeing how The Father has told us all about this before hand, and also revealed that no matter how supernatural the enemy may appear, his number, 666, is just the number of man – just that of a creature. A creature made by God and under His authority. Neither the dragon, nor antichrist nor the false prophet are divine. Angels were created to be servants of the heirs of salvation. They are not our superiors. In the Garden, Adam abdicated his authority and listened to the serpent rather than to God. We will be given the honor of reversing that scenario, and exercise our rightful place in refusing to hear the dragon, and heeding our Heavenly Father instead.
2. If 666 is tied some way to the amount of gold Solomon received as tribute each year, then how powerfully we are warned against the false gospel of material wealth that has become so prevalent in the church today. Wisdom from God rejects finding our hope, our security, our wellbeing in precious metals instead of the true treasure of Heaven.
1 Peter 1:18–19 “knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.”

Sin and the World and Satan and the False Prophet can promise the gold of this earth to those who bow before them, but oh how wretchedly worthless that is compared to the Christ who is promised to all who are His by faith – trusting in His saving work on the cross.

John Flavel: “It is a special consideration to enhance the love of God in giving Christ, that in giving him he gave the richest jewel in his cabinet; a mercy of the greatest worthy, and most inestimable value, Heaven itself is not so valuable and precious as Christ is: He is the better half of heaven; and so the saints account him, Ps. 73:25. “Whom have I in heaven but thee?” Ten thousand thousand worlds, saith one, as many worlds as angels can number, and then as a new world of angels can multiply, would not all be the bulk of a balance, to weigh Christ’s excellency, love, and sweetness. O what a fair One! what an only One! what an excellent, lovely, ravishing One, is Christ! Put the beauty of ten thousand paradises, like the garden of Eden, into one; put all trees, all flowers, all smells, all colours, all tastes, all joys, all sweetness, all loveliness in one; O what a fair and excellent thing would that be? And yet it should be less to that fair and dearest well-beloved Christ, than one drop of rain to the whole seas, rivers, lakes, and fountains of ten thousand earths. Christ is heaven’s wonder, and earth’s wonder.

Now, for God to bestow the mercy of mercies, the most precious thing in heaven or earth, upon poor sinners; and, as great, as lovely, as excellent as his Son was, yet not to account him too good to bestow upon us, what manner of love is this!”