God’s Goodness and Power

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Jesus Unveiled

God’s Goodness and Power

(Revelation 9:13-21)

 

INTRODUCTION

VIDEO – “Does Neil deGrasse Tyson Believe in God? | Netflix [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXAokvnv7Mc].

 

BODY

  • ME

    • Healed shoulder

        • When Wade and Seth were much younger, I would wrestle with them on the floor

          • I would take on both of them at the same time

          • Once, while I was doing this, I had one of them over my left shoulder holding on to them while I attacked the other one with my right arm

          • The boy who was on my left shoulder started to fall and would have landed on his head if I wouldn’t have grabbed him tightly and held on

          • The result of saving my son from landing on his head was that I hurt my rotator cuff

          • It ached most of the time, but wasn’t too painful

        • God’s goodness and power

          • I had been to the doctor at least one time before about the pain in my shoulder

          • When I went back, probably a year later, the doctor said that if I was still having pain in a couple of months, he would recommend a cortisone injection

          • I don’t like needles and I was too young to start getting injections

          • Judy and I began to pray and at the same time we started taking some nutritional supplements

          • I’m here today with a left shoulder rotator cuff that is perfectly fine

          • I never had to have any injections or surgery to repair the rotator cuff

          • God’s goodness was displayed to me through His healing power

    • Salvation

        • I have seen God’s goodness and power in saving me from my sins

        • I accepted Jesus Christ as Savior at the age of 4

        • While I didn’t understand everything that my decision entailed, I can look back on my life and see how God’s sovereign power has protected me as I grew and learned more about Him

        • I see how He directed my path through my education, work experience, and life circumstances to bring me to this time in my life, right now

        • For me, that is proof of God’s goodness and power working together simultaneously

 

  • WE

    • Healing

        • Perhaps you have experienced God’s goodness and power through a healing you have experienced in your own life

        • I know there are those in our congregation who have experienced that firsthand

        • Maybe you’ve experienced it through a family member or close friend that God healed

        • God’s goodness and power can also be seen and experienced through the healing of relationships – that may be your experience instead of a physical healing

    • Salvation

        • If you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, then you’ve experienced God’s goodness and power working together

        • Think back to your conversion experience

          • What kind of sin were you embracing when Jesus arrested you and set you free from the slavery to sin?

          • For some individuals the desire to continue to pursue certain sins completely left them at the moment of conversion – that is God’s goodness and power at work!

 

Throughout the seven seals and the first five trumpets we saw that God’s goodness and power are true, simultaneously. ​​ This has been true of God from the very beginning. ​​ John wants us to understand that...

 

BIG IDEA – The proof of God’s goodness is His restraining power.

 

Unfortunately, not everyone will see and understand that. ​​ Those who believe like Neil deGrasse Tyson does, don’t understand that God in His goodness has been using His power to restrain evil from having full sway in our world. ​​ We have seen through Revelation so far, that God, in His sovereign power, has limited His wrath and the power of Satan and His demons. ​​ He has not allowed them to do everything that’s in their heart to do. ​​ They want to completely destroy anything and everything that has been created in God’s image.

 

Let’s pray

 

  • GOD (Revelation 9:13-21)

    • Demons released (vv. 13-16)

        • When the sixth angel sounded his trumpet, John heard a voice coming from the horns of the golden altar

          • Golden altar

            • This golden altar is the same one we were introduced to in Rev. 6:9 (souls of those who had been slain were under it)

            • It was also mentioned in Rev. 8:3 (angel with golden censer stood at the altar and offered up the prayers of the saints)

            • Here the horns (projections) of the altar are mentioned

              • They were on the four corners of both the altar of incense (Ex. 37:25) and the altar of burnt offering (Ex. 38:2)

              • Throughout scripture, when the term “horn” is used it traditionally signified strength and power

              • The horns on the altar would represent the strength and power of Yahweh (God)

          • Voice

            • The voice comes from the horns of the altar

            • It’s interesting that John would say that an inanimate object would speak

              • We know that Balaam’s donkey spoke

              • We also hear Jesus tell the religious leaders, who are instructing Him to silence His followers when He’s entering Jerusalem, that if they remain silent even the rocks will cry out

              • So, it’s not impossible for God to give a voice to an inanimate object

            • Two good potentials emerge from what we have previously seen in Revelation

              • It could be the souls under the altar who have been lifting up prayers

              • It’s probably better to see it as the angelic-priest who offered up the incense and prayers of the saints in Rev. 8:3

            • Whomever the voice represents, we know that they are not speaking outside of the will and plan of God as we’ll see in a moment

          • The voice speaks to the sixth angel who blew the trumpet, and gives him a command

        • Command

          • The sixth angel is to go the great river Euphrates and release the four angels that have been bound there

            • This is the one and only time that one of the angels who blows a trumpet or pours out a bowl is asked to do anything else

            • There is probably no significance to this angel being asked to do this while the other angels haven’t been asked to do anything extra

          • Euphrates River

            • “The Euphrates, originating in Armenia, is the long river winding steadily across the face of the Middle East and touching Turkey, Syria, and Iraq until uniting with the Tigris and together reaching the Persian Gulf.” ​​ [Patterson, The New American Commentary, Revelation, 224]

            • This river is fairly significant throughout Scripture

            • In the New Testament it is only found in Revelation at two places, 9:14; 16:12

            • This river was the eastern boundary of the Roman Empire

            • The Parthians lived on the other side and had breached the river and successfully defeated those on the western shore, twice

            • In the Old Testament we see the Euphrates River mentioned several places

              • In Gen. 2:14 it is listed as one of the four rivers flowing out of Eden (Pishon, Gihon, Tigris, Euphrates)

              • Gen. 15:18 has it as part of the boundary line for the covenant that God was making with Abram

              • In Deut. 11:24 it is mentioned as part of the boundary line for the Promised Land

              • There are many other Old Testament references to the Euphrates River

            • It’s significance in the Old Testament is primarily as the eastern boundary for the Promised Land

            • This river is still an important part of future history as there are four angels bound there

          • Four angels

            • “Evil angels were thought to be bound in various places (9:14; 20:2, 7), including subterranean chasms (1 En. 10:4-6, 12-13; 88:1-3; Jub. 5:6) and bodies of deep water (Test. Sol. 6:3-6; 25:7).” ​​ [Keener, The NIV Application Commentary, Revelation, 271]

            • The fact that these four angels are bound, is a good indication that they were evil angels being restrained by God’s power

            • God is in control of every created thing, including evil angels

            • They should not be associated with the four angels in Rev. 7:1 that are standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth – these were four good angels acting with God’s power

            • The four angels that are bound are probably the leaders of the 200 million strong demonic force that is unleashed, after these angels are released from their restraints

          • God’s perfect timing and plan

            • God had a specific timeframe established, when these four angels were going to be released

              • That is the significance of the reference to the increasing time frames – hour, day, month, and year

              • PRINCIPLE – God’s timing is perfect!

                • God has prepared His plan for the end of the world and has bound these four angels in advance for this specific time and purpose

                • He will not be caught off guard by the events of the end of the world, because He planned them

                • He is not caught off guard by the circumstances of your life either, because He is always present (omnipresent) and all-knowing (omniscient)

                • Whatever difficulty you are currently facing, He is aware of it (spiritual, emotional, physical, financial, or relational)

                • He knows how long you will be going through it and how long you need to go through it

                • His timing is perfect, so trust Him and rest in Him

            • God’s plan to avenge the blood of His saints is perfect

              • He hadn’t forgotten the prayers of the souls under the golden altar

              • He had given them white robes and told them to wait a little while longer until the full number of martyrs had been reached

              • Now His plan to deal with those who had killed them was beginning

              • His plan was limited to a third of the unbelievers who were still on the earth

                • A fourth of the unbelievers had already been killed by the rider of the pale horse (Death) when the fourth seal was opened

                • Now an additional third of unbelievers will be killed, which means that half the population of the earth, at that time, will be gone

                • PRINCIPLE – God is the only One who knows how to judge mankind rightly.

                  • Since God knows our heart, the part of us that thinks and feels, He knows our true intentions in every situation, circumstance, conversation, and interaction

                  • We can hide our true intentions from other human beings, but we can’t hide them from God

                  • We may think we know what someone is thinking and why they are acting the way they are, but we can be wrong

                  • That’s why talking to them is the best way to know what’s going on

            • God has a perfect plan worked out for the end of the world and He will execute that plan at the perfect time

            • As we saw last week, and now again this week, He can and will use evil to judge evil

          • Demonic troops

            • Behind these four evil angels is a mounted demonic force of 200 million troops

            • John heard the number clearly, so it must have been announced

            • There have been attempts to connect this to our modern world

              • Some point to the fact that China could rally a military force of 200 million soldiers

              • We have to avoid the temptation to try to connect John’s vision to our modern culture

              • When we do that we can add to Scripture what was not intended to be there

              • The force that John sees is a demonic one

              • God could certainly use this demonic force to influence governments and nations to join together to form a force of 200 million mounted soldiers

              • We may not know how this force will be formed, but we know that it will be formed and will fulfill their purpose of killing a third of unbelievers who are still on the earth

        • John moves from describing what happens, after the sixth trumpet is sounded, to describing what this mounted force looks like

    • Demon force described (vv. 17-19)

        • John again uses the word “like” and “resembled” in describing what he saw in his vision of this mounted force

        • Breastplates

          • Most translations of the Bible translate the Greek text to read that only the riders of the horses have the breastplates on

          • These riders have these beautiful tri-colored breastplates that are fiery red, smoky blue, and sulfury yellow

          • The tri-colored breastplates match what comes out of the mouths of the lion-headed horses

          • The riders are not the ones who are killing a third of mankind, but rather the three plagues that come out of the mouths of the “horses”

        • Horses appearance

          • These are probably not horses at all, but that is the closest thing, from John’s experience and knowledge, to compare them to

          • Heads resembled the heads of lions

            • John is trying to explain what he is seeing, so he says the heads of the horses resemble the heads of lions

            • Their heads are not actually lions’ heads

          • Tails like snakes

            • Their tails were like snakes

            • They were not actually snakes, but they appeared to be snake heads that could cause injury

          • This mounted force was able to inflict injury and death from both directions (front and back)

          • In the second half of v. 17 and v. 18 we see that what came out of the mouths of these demonic creatures is what caused the death of a third of mankind

        • How a third of mankind dies

          • What came out of their mouths was:

            • Fire – we all know that fire can kill a person

            • Smoke – we also know that inhaling smoke from a fire can also cause death

            • Sulfur – we need help from the Old Testament to understand that God used burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 19:24, 28)

          • In an effort to understand what John is seeing, there have been two ideas presented

            • Neither of these seem viable to me

            • If God wanted us to know exactly what this mounted force is supposed to be, He would have explained it in His Word

            • The closest comparison that John would have had to a fire breathing creature would have come from Greek mythology or from Job’s description of the Leviathan

              • Keener points out that in Greek mythology there was a horrifying creature called the Chimaera (it had the head of a lion, the tail of a dragon or serpent, and the body of a goat). ​​ This creature would belch fire [Keener, 271-72]

              • Listen to how Job describes Leviathan, Firebrands stream from his mouth; sparks of fire shoot out. ​​ Smoke pours from his nostrils as from a boiling pot over a fire of reeds. ​​ His breath sets coals ablaze, and flames dart from his mouth (Job 41:19-21)

            • In our modern era, there have been individuals who have tried to connect events and images from Revelation to what we are familiar with, in an effort to determine the time of Christ’s return

              • In that vein, they will say that John was seeing modern forms of warfare and was trying to explain, in 1st Century terms, what he was seeing

              • Those who hold to this kind of application believe that John was seeing tanks, cannons, battleships, missile launchers, flame throwers, etc.

              • Modern instruments of warfare could certainly be described as shooting fire, smoke, and burning sulfur out of their mouths, but John likens then to a horse with a head like a lion and a tail like a snake

            • I believe that God has purposely allowed John’s description to sound supernatural so we won’t become obsessed with trying to connect it with something we are familiar with, but rather so we will remain focused on what this mounted demonic force is doing – they are executing God’s judgment on those who have continued to reject His grace and mercy

          • A third of mankind will be killed

            • This proves God’s goodness to humanity

            • He could have allowed this demonic mounted force to wipe out all of the remaining unbelievers on the earth, but He restrained His power out of love and a desire for them to repent

            • The proof of God’s goodness is His restraining power.

        • The final two verses in this section are heart breaking!

    • Demons worshiped (vv. 20-21)

        • The remaining two-thirds of unbelievers, who’ve just experienced the death of a third of the population, still reject God

        • They refuse to repent of two things:

          • Sins directed against God

            • They didn’t stop worshiping demons, the very beings that had tortured them for five months and have now killed a third of the population

            • They continue to worship the idols they’ve made, with their own hands, out of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood

            • The deception of Satan is thorough when human beings make their own idols, knowing that they are lifeless (can’t see, hear, or walk), and continue to worship them

            • Easley directions our attention to the first four Commandments found in Exodus 20:1-11 – these are sins directed against God [Easley, Holman New Testament Commentary, Revelation, 161]

            • Read Exodus 20:1-11

          • Sins directed against God’s creation (other human beings)

            • They were still murdering, practicing magic arts, participating in sexually immoral acts, and stealing

            • We see these four and more in Exodus 20:12-17, the last six Commandments

            • Read Exodus 20:12-17

        • You would think that after God gave His Commandments and then executed His judgment on sinful humanity that they would repent and turn to Him, but that’s not the case

          • God’s judgment appears to drive them deeper into rebellion against Him

          • PRINCIPLE – The depravity of humanity blinds them to the truth of God’s heart.

            • 2 Peter 3:8-10, But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: ​​ With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. ​​ The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. ​​ He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

            • “One of the strangest things about human nature is that man has not changed because of punishment. . . . He may desist from evil because he is afraid, but his heart is still evil. ​​ He would do evil if he could get by with it. ​​ A man is really changed only by the Gospel of the grace of the Son of God. (Sermons, 3:192).” ​​ [W. A. Criswell cited by Akin, Christ-Centered Exposition, Exalting Jesus in Revelation, 186]

            • “Those who love God will be made more godly by suffering; those how hate him will become more rebellious.” ​​ [Easley, 162]

            • Romans 1:32, Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.

            • 1 Timothy 4:1-2, The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. ​​ Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.

          • Here’s the kicker for me, and we saw it in the video at the beginning, humanity wants to be able to do whatever they want without any consequences and then be accepted by God solely on His attribute of love

            • When they are told that God can and will judge them, they refuse to believe in Him, because His lack of love, long-suffering, and tolerance somehow negates His deity [Patterson, 227]

            • If God will not accept me, without me repenting of my sins, then He is not all-powerful or all good and therefore not important

            • God is perfectly good and perfectly just at the same time, therefore He is all-powerful

            • “For God to fail to judge when – despite the fact that people continue in their iniquity – he has given every conceivable warning of what it means to be the recipient of divine judgement, is unthinkable. ​​ Such inaction would present to the world a God who is powerless in the face of evil.” ​​ [Patterson, 227]

            • We saw today that God is all-powerful

              • He is able to bind evil angels until His perfect timing for judgment arrives

              • He is able to restrain a demonic mounted force to only kill one third of the remaining population on earth

              • He did this so that the other two-thirds would repent and turn to Him for salvation, but they refused

              • The proof of God’s goodness is His restraining power.

 

  • YOU

    • God’s timing is perfect

        • Do you need to claim that promise for yourself today?

        • God is fully aware of the circumstances you are currently experiencing

        • He has not been caught off guard

        • He knows what’s best for you and how long you need go through this situation

        • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Rest in God’s perfect timing and plan for me.

    • Let God judge

        • Perhaps you’ve been dealing with a situation where you think you know the intentions of a family member, coworker, neighbor, or fellow Christian

        • God is the only One who knows how to judge mankind rightly

        • Perhaps you need to go to the individual you are currently judging in your heart and have a conversation with them

        • I can almost guarantee that it will clear up whatever ideas you may have about the situation and/or the individual

        • Prayer is a key factor in being able to move beyond preconceived ideas and feelings associated with those ideas

    • God’s heart

        • We know from Scripture that God’s desire is that everyone will repent and turn to Him for salvation

        • He is infinitely patient with us, but a time is coming when He will have to execute judgment on those who refuse to repent

        • His judgment is evidence of His infinite power over evil

        • Gospel (Admit, Believe, Choose)

        • Ephesians 2:8-9, For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.

        • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Accept God’s free gift of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.

 

  • WE

    • When we rest in God’s perfect timing and plan and when we let God judge rightly instead of us judging, then the world sees us a unified body of believers – that testimony alone speaks volumes

    • We are also commanded by God to share His heart with the world – that means telling others about the Good News of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection, and God’s grace extended to us

 

CONCLUSION

“The gospel is not a tranquilizer for worried weaklings to help them sleep at night. ​​ It is not a mass of dead dogmas, deep frozen in some ancient cathedral to be carried as a burden through life and thawed out five minutes before death. ​​ The gospel is not a list of religious rules and regulations to be strung around the soul like a lucky charm in case of accidents. ​​ No, the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is a message – and what a message! ​​ It is a living message from the living God for living people, just like us, for people with sins just like us, for people with sorrows and heartaches just like us. ​​ It is the only message on the face of the earth with concrete promises and absolute assurances of an eternal inheritance that will withstand the impact of death and the collapse of the universe. ​​ (Uplook, 11)” ​​ [J. Boyd Nicholson cited by Akin, 184].

11

 

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The Wrong Side of the Glass

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Jesus Unveiled

The Wrong Side of the Glass

(Revelation 9:1-12)

 

INTRODUCTION

“An episode of the television western Gunsmoke once featured a huckster who traveled from town to town with a huge rattlesnake in a glass cage. ​​ He collected bets that no one could place his hand against the glass and keep it there when the rattlesnake struck.

The gullible townspeople bet on their fellow citizen who volunteered his courage. ​​ After all bets were collected, the huckster tore the cover off the glass cage, revealing a huge reptile coiling and buzzing his rattles. ​​ The man moved his hand toward the glass and the snake coiled even tighter. ​​ As soon as the hand touched the glass, the snake struck with fury. ​​ Involuntarily the man jerked his hand away. ​​ The huckster collected his money from the bets and left for the next town. ​​ He knew the glass would hold. ​​ There was nothing to fear but fear itself. ​​ He played on that fear to earn a living.

That story is a great picture of spiritual warfare. ​​ The snake is the devil and the forces of evil. ​​ The glass is Jesus. ​​ As long as we stay on the right side of the glass, we have nothing to fear. ​​ Real danger lurks on the wrong side of the glass, but we are safe on the right side of the glass, no matter how fearful things appear (adapted from Max Anders, Spiritual Warfare, 11-12) ​​ [Easley, Holman New Testament Commentary, Revelation, 164].

 

BODY

  • ME

    • Living in Florida and snorkeling

        • Judy and I lived in Florida right after we graduated from college

        • She had gotten a teaching job at a Christian school and I worked for a bank

        • We spent a lot of weekends at the beach, since we only lived a mile away from it

        • Our best friends, the Smith’s, would go with us to the beach

        • Steve and I would spend time snorkeling and using our Boogie Boards

        • One day while we were floating just off the shoreline over top of a manmade break under the water (they used highway dividers) he began to flail his arms and legs wildly

        • I thought this was hilarious and started laughing until he took his mask off and told me why he was flailing around

        • He said, “I don’t know what just went under us, but it was huge!”

        • He had been lying flat on his Boogie Board, while I had my arms draped over my Boogie Board with my legs hanging down in the water

        • You guessed it, I started flailing around as I scrambled to get on top of my Boogie Board

        • I felt like I was on the wrong side of the water

        • We both decided that snorkeling for the day was  done and headed back to the beach

        • We saw the warning signs of something potentially harmful and made the decision to remove ourselves from the situation before either of us got hurt – we choose to move to the right side of the glass

 

  • WE

    • Choosing the side of the glass we’re on

        • Perhaps we have all experienced something that has placed us on the wrong side of the glass

        • It could be an addiction (alcohol, drugs, pornography, gambling, work, video games, etc.)

        • It could be a moral or ethical situation that we’re confronted with at work, school, church, or in our neighborhood

          • While doing what our boss says, guarantees that we will keep our job, it may compromise our character and conscience

          • Not doing what our boss says will maintain our character, but cost us our job

          • The same is true in our friendships – doing what is right may cost us a friendship, but our character remains intact

        • We can trust the Lord to take care of us when we choose the right side of the glass – it may not be easy, but it’s right

 

In Revelation 9, we’ll see two demonic attacks that take place against those on earth who do not have a relationship with Jesus. ​​ These are both under the total control of God, as Sovereign. ​​ These judgements are an expression of God’s love for His creation. ​​ He wants the unbelievers to repent and turn to Him for salvation. ​​ In today’s passage, we’ll see that God has given them more time to repent. ​​ John wants us to understand that . . .

 

BIG IDEA – God’s judgment gives time for repentance.

 

Let’s pray

  • GOD (Revelation 9:1-12)

    • Star and Abyss (vv. 1-2)

        • Jason shared the first four trumpets and how the results of those affected the earth

        • This week we’re looking at the fifth trumpet where God’s wrath begins to affect a certain group of individuals on the earth

        • As the fifth angel blows his trumpet, John sees a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth

          • There is debate concerning who the star represents

          • Most scholars agree that it is representative of a being and not an actual star or meteor

          • Who this being represents has the scholars split, which tells us that we really don’t know for certain (that’s alright, because what the star does is more important than who the star represents)

          • Two views

            • Satan/Devil

              • Most modern translations correctly translate the Greek word used for fallen

                • In the Greek it is a participle in the perfect tense, which emphasizes an event that happened in the past but has continuing results

                • The falling that John is talking about is something that had happened in the past and not immediately during his vision, but the results of the falling still have results during his vision and even in to the future

              • Some scholars associate the perfect tense with Satan’s fall [Akin, MacArthur, Courson, Wiersbe, and Patterson]

                • In Luke 10:17, the seventy-two messengers, that Jesus had sent out, have returned and they are excited because even demons had submitted to them in Jesus’ name

                • Jesus then responds in vv. 18-20 by saying, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. ​​ I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. ​​ However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

              • In Isaiah 14:12, Satan is identified as a star, How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! ​​ You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations!

              • Ezekiel explains why Satan was thrown out of heaven, You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. ​​ You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones. ​​ You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you. ​​ Through your widespread trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned. ​​ So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God and I expelled you, O guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones (Ezekiel 28:14-16)

              • The star could certainly represent Satan, but others believe it is one of God’s angels

            • One of God’s angels

              • We see in Revelation 1:20 that stars are often a symbol of angels

              • In the Old Testament and other extra biblical writings we see stars personified as angels (Judg. 5:20; Job 38:7; 1 Enoch 88.1; T. Sol. 8.2-11; 18.1-42) [Osborne, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, Revelation, 362]

              • We know that God has angels who carry out His will

                • In Revelation 20:1-3 we read these words, And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. ​​ He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. ​​ He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. ​​ After that, he must be set free for a short time.

                • This passage makes it clear that this angel is from God, coming down from heaven and he has the key to the Abyss

                • So, if stars are often symbols of angels and the angel in 20:1 has the key to the Abyss, it could very well mean that the star in 9:1 is the same angel

              • Some question how Satan or a fallen angel/demon could be entrusted with the key of the Abyss, but I like what Martin Luther has been credited with saying, “The Devil is still God’s Devil.” ​​ [Akin, Christ-Centered Exposition, Exalting Jesus in Revelation, 178]

              • God is still sovereign and the final authority over Satan and his minions – Satan has no power or authority that God has not given him

          • Both of these viewpoints are logical and have backing from Scripture, so who does the star represent? ​​ (That is not for us to know)

          • What is important is what the star is given

        • The star was given a key

          • The key that this being was given was for the shaft of the Abyss

            • While it’s not directly stated in verse 1, we know from all of Revelation that God is sovereign and in control of the judgments that are being poured out on the earth

            • So, it’s logical to believe and understand that God is the One who is giving the key of the Abyss to the star

          • Abyss

            • We know from other passages in the Old and New Testaments what the Abyss is

              • Place of dead

                • Romans 10:7, ‘WHO WILL DESCEND INTO THE ABYSS?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). [NASB]

                • Romans 10:7, And don’t say, ‘Who will go down to the place of the dead?’ (to bring Christ back to life again). [NLT]

              • Prison for demons/evil spirits

                • Luke 8:30-31, Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” ​​ “Legion,” he replied, because many demons had gone into him. ​​ And they begged him repeatedly not to order them to go into the Abyss.

                • 2 Peter 2:4 and Jude 6 also talk about how God has bound demons with chains and placed them in dungeons until the final judgement – these are references to the Abyss

            • I like how Easley describes what John is seeing, “To follow John’s imagery, you must imagine the Abyss as something like a huge underground cavern, perhaps like an old California gold mine. ​​ Then imagine a narrow shaft going up to the surface, with a locked door at the top. ​​ Finally, picture the cavern filled with choking blue smoke created by a sulfurous, crude-oil burning furnace.” ​​ [Easley, Holman New Testament Commentary, Revelation, 157]

            • As the Abyss is opened the smoke that has been building behind the door is finally released

              • The sheer volume of smoke that is released from the Abyss is incredible

              • It cause the sun and sky to darken

              • We already saw last week after the fourth trumpet was sounded that a third of the sun was struck and turned dark

              • Now with the remaining two-thirds are being darkened by the smoke that has been released from the Abyss

        • Using the smoke as a screen, we see that demons, described as locusts, come down upon the earth

          • Throughout the Old Testament, locusts symbolized destruction

          • We see this in Joel 1:4-7, What the locust swarm has left the great locusts have eaten; what the great locusts have left the young locusts have eaten; what the young locusts have left other locusts have eaten. ​​ Wake up, you drunkards, and weep! ​​ Wail, all you drinkers of wine; wail because of the new wine, for it has been snatched from your lips. ​​ A nation has invaded my land, powerful and without number; it has the teeth of a lion, the fangs of a lioness. ​​ It has laid waste my vines and ruined my fig trees. ​​ It has stripped off their bark and thrown it away, leaving their branches white.

        • John uses many descriptive words to share what he is seeing, but the mighty force that springs from the smoke of the Abyss are not actually locusts

    • Demonic force (vv. 3-11)

        • Description (vv. 3a, 7-11)

          • Read Revelation 3a, 7-11

          • John uses the word “like” seven times in four verses

            • He is trying to put into human terms what he is seeing

            • The 1st Century believer would have understood the significance of a demonic force that destroyed and devoured like locusts

              • Throughout the Old Testament locust were a symbol of destruction (Deut 28:42; 1 Kings 8:37; Ps 78:46) [Mounce, The New International Commentary on the New Testament, Revelation, 186]

              • Those living in Israel and the surrounding region understood how powerful a swarm of locust could be, especially from spring through late summer (five month dry season), when millions of them could come out of the desert and completely destroy all the vegetation [Easley, 157]

              • So, John is describing a demonic force that has the same kind of destructive power that a swarm of locusts have

            • He is describing demons as Aune points out, “These are demons in the guise of locusts, for their king is Abaddon, the angel of the abyss [Rev. 9:11].” ​​ [Aune cited by Osborne, 364]

              • We could spend a large portion of our time explaining each of the figurative descriptions for the demons that John saw, but what they looked like is of less importance than what they are doing

              • Easley does an excellent job of summarizing the various images used to describe this horde of demons [Easley, 158]

                • Looked like horses prepared for battle – Battle horses are bred for strength and equipped with bridle and saddle. ​​ This was no slipshod host but was well prepared

                • They wore something like crowns of gold – They symbolize victory. ​​ They will succeed completely in their appointed mission

                • Their faces resemble human faces – There was cunning and intelligence in these creatures

                • Hair like women’s hair – This may be their antennae waving in the wind. ​​ Some ancient warriors, particularly Parthians, wore long flowing hair as a symbol of fierceness (not effeminacy)

                • Teeth like lions’ teeth – Such teeth tear apart. ​​ Again, fierceness and strength come to mind with such an image

                • Breastplates like breastplates of iron – This further specifies the military preparation of this evil horde. ​​ Ancient Roman breastplates were usually leather and bronze, so these were much stronger and much more invincible

                • Sound of their wings like the thundering of many horses – The military imagery continues as John turns up the volume for us. ​​ In times of war, battle lines sometimes advance with as much noise as possible. ​​ This army is no exception

                • Tails and stings like scorpions – normal locusts do not attach humans, but these locust demons are supernatural

            • John’s imagery is designed to strike fear into those who are reading his letter – this is something to take seriously

          • King over these demonic locusts

            • This is an interesting play on words

              • In the animal kingdom, locusts do not have a “king” or leader

              • Proverbs 30:27, locusts have no king, yet they advance together in ranks

              • This is another reason why we can rest assured that these are not actually locusts, but rather a demonic force

              • They obviously need a leader to direct them as they carry out their task

            • Abaddon/Apollyon

              • Here again, scholars are split on who this “king” is

              • Satan/Devil (Courson, Wiersbe, Akin, Patterson)

                • Those who believe it is Satan reference the fact that the two names used both mean “destroyer”

                • They look to John 10:10 which describes Satan, The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy

              • Arch demon (Keener, Mounce, Easley, Osborne)

                • Those who believe that it is some arch demon directed by Satan, mention that Satan is identified later in the book of Revelation, chapter 12

                • They also believe that this arch demon was imprisoned with the demonic horde in the Abyss and is released at the same time

              • Whether it is Satan or an arch demon doing his bidding, they are under the total control of God and His sovereign plan

              • PRINCIPLE – God is in control of everything, including demonic forces.

          • John has described for us a demonic force, with a leader, that has been released from the Abyss to accomplish a specific task

        • Torture (vv. 3b-6)

          • Throughout this section of Scripture we will see that this demonic force is given power to do one certain thing, but is also restricted from doing a couple of things

            • God’s sovereign control and plan may seem antithetical to us – even hard to understand

            • PRINCIPLE – God even uses demonic forces to accomplish or carry out His judgment on the wicked.

              • We’ll see that God uses evil to judge evil

                • We see this throughout the Old Testament

                • When the Israelites were in rebellion against God – worshiping idols – He sent them into exile

                • The countries where they were exiled were not following God, but were also worshiping idols and false gods

                • God allowed them to be separated from the Promised Land so they would repent and return to Him

                • When they repented, He restored them to the Promise Land

                • We see in the Old testament that the Israelites were exiled multiple times

              • What we have to understand is that the purpose behind God’s judgment here is to bring His creation to repentance

              • God’s judgment then is an expression of His love for humankind – He doesn’t want them to be separated from Him for all eternity

          • Power they were given (vv. 3b, 5b-6)

            • The imagery is that the locust were given power like that of scorpions of the earth

              • The sting of a scorpion is not lethal to most human beings, but can be for a small infant

              • While the sting is not lethal, the numbing, aching, and pain associated with the sting are intense

              • We are not told what kind of torture these demons use against unbelievers, only that the agony they endure will be like the sting of a scorpion

                • It is not inconceivable that these demons will inflict physical pain of some sort

                • The pain they inflict will probably also be spiritual and psychological

                • “Those who have experienced unrequited spiritual and psychological agony would be the first to attest that it can be far worse than any physical pain imaginable.” ​​ [Patterson, The New American Commentary, Revelation, 221]

              • We know the agony of the torture will be so intense that those who are afflicted will seek death

                • We try to run from death, but it eventually catches up to us

                • Here, those who are running after death are unable to catch up to it – they are too slow

                • John MacArthur summarizes very well what has been happening during the first four trumpet judgments

                • “So intense will be the torment inflicted on unbelievers that in those days (the five month of v. 5) men will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, and death flees from them. ​​ All hope is gone; there will be no tomorrow. ​​ The earth people have loved and worshiped will have been utterly devastated, the land ravaged by earthquakes, fires, and volcanoes, the sea filled with the putrefying bodies of billions of dead creatures, much of the fresh water supply turned into bitter poison, the atmosphere polluted with gases and showers of heavenly debris. ​​ Then, worst of all, will come foul smoke from the pit of hell as demons are released to spiritually and physically torment wicked people. ​​ The dream of a worldwide utopia under the leadership of Antichrist (the beast of 13:1ff.) will have died. ​​ Driven mad by the filth and vileness of the demon infestation, people will seek relief in death – only to find that death has taken a holiday. ​​ There will be no escape from the agony inflicted by the demons, no escape from divine judgment. ​​ All attempts at suicide, whether by gunshot, poison, drowning or leaping from buildings will fail (Revelation 1-11, 261-62).” ​​ [Akin, 182]

              • The torture is limited to five months

                • It is interesting that the amount of time they are given to torture unbelievers corresponds to the life span of a locust

                • As was mentioned earlier, God’s purpose behind unleashing this demonic force was to cause His creation to repent and turn to Him

                • In limiting the torture of this demonic force, we see another principle

                • PRINCIPLE – God never stops showing mercy and extending grace to those He has created.

                  • This is an important principle here at trumpet 5, because trumpet 6 will usher in the death of a third of mankind

                  • What unbelievers will experience through physical, spiritual, and psychological agony is another attempt by God to help them see that He is sovereign and all-powerful and that they need to repent

                  • God’s judgment gives time for repentance

                  • Perhaps you feel like God is bringing judgment on you right now

                  • Maybe you feel like you’re on the wrong side of the glass and you are experiencing physical, spiritual, emotional, and/or psychological pain that is so intense you wish you could die

                  • It could be that God is allowing this suffering so you will recognize that He is all-powerful and sovereign

                  • He is giving you more time to repent

                  • But you also have to realize that eventually time will run out

                  • Gospel (sin, punishment, God’s love, Jesus perfect sacrifice)

                  • 2 Corinthians 5:21-6:2, God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. ​​ As God’s fellow workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. ​​ For he says, “In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” ​​ I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.

                  • It is not too late; you haven’t done too many bad things; it doesn’t depend on your worthiness or righteousness, but on Jesus Christ’s perfect sacrifice

                  • Repentance mean to make a 180 degree turn

                  • Acts 3:19-20, Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you – even Jesus.

                  • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Repent and turn to God, so He can make me clean by wiping away my sins.

              • Though this demonic force was given power, it was very limited

            • They were only allowed to torture any human being that did not have the seal of God on their forehead

            • They were not given power over nature and those sealed by God

          • Power they were not given (vv. 4-5a)

            • God gave them a divine directive that they were not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree

            • They were not allowed to torture any human being that had the seal of God on their forehead

            • Their power was limited to torturing unbelievers, but they were not allowed to kill them

        • Transition (v. 12)

          • Some scholars include this verse with vv. 1-11, while others include it with vv. 13-21.

          • That leads me to believe that it is transition verse

          • It concludes the first of the three woes (the eagle cried out “woe, woe, woe” in Rev. 8:13)

          • Two more woes are still coming in the sixth and seventh trumpets

 

  • YOU

    • Discipline

        • As a follower of Jesus Christ, you be feeling like God is using evil individuals to discipline you

        • Maybe you are rebelling against His will for your life

        • Perhaps something in your life has become more important to you than God – it has become your idol

        • God does use evil forces to accomplish or carry out His judgment on the wicked

        • He will restore you when you repent and turn to Him

    • Salvation

        • If you are not a follower of Jesus Christ, you may be wondering why you are currently experiencing suffering or hardships

        • God loves you and His greatest desire is your salvation

        • He doesn’t want you to be separated from Him for eternity

        • Turn to God today and have your sins wiped away

 

  • WE

    • The Israelites were supposed to model what a relationship with the true and living God looked

    • While they did that sometimes, they often failed

    • As Christians, our responsibility is to model for unbelievers what a relationship with God looks like

    • We should be showing them how to live on the right side of the glass and not be driven by the fear of Satan

 

CONCLUSION

The episode of Gunsmoke only showed failure, but my guess is that somewhere along the line, the huckster lost when a rough tumble cowboy who had handled snakes in the past stepped up and accepted his challenge. ​​ The cowboy who beat the huckster knew all about snakes and did not fear them.

 

God’s Word tells us all we need to know about Satan. ​​ We can stand against him without fear, because we know his tactics and the end of the story. ​​ Jesus has already won and He gives us His Holy Spirit so that we can have the power over temptation, sin, and one day death.

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Your Kingdom Come

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22nd July, 2018

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Your Kingdom Come
Revelation 8:7-13

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Introduction

The Lord’s Prayer

In this prayer, we tell God that we want to see His Kingdom Come, His will be done. And as we saw in the beginning of this chapter, God answers the prayers of His people.

These trumpets and the plagues they usher in are God’s tangible answers to the prayers of His people for His Kingdom to come and His will to be done.

Here we see a God of action, in response to His people.

In the same way, the purpose of Revelation is not to promote speculation about the future, but rather to compel action in the present.

The trumpets being blown by the angels here remind us of the victory of Joshua and God’s people at Jericho. Seven priests blew seven trumpets as they marched around the city seven times. These trumpets brought both God’s judgment and the victory of His people, ushering them into His promise.

The trumpets in Revelation serve a very similar purpose, but on a much larger scale.

 

Body

    • The First Trumpet (v. 7)

      • Hail

        • Hail is also seen in the seventh plague on Egypt in Exodus 9:18-26

        • Hail is also seen in Joshua 10:11, in the story of God making the sun stand still for Joshua and the Israelites

        • In Job 38:22-23, God speaks of “storehouses of hail” which he “reserve[s] for times of trouble, for days of war and battle.”

        • In all of these instances, hail is seen as an instrument used by God to act against the enemies of His people (Exodus 9:17)

        • Keener points out that even in literary works from the ancient Mediterranean world, hail appears as a warning of divine judgment, such as in Homer’s Iliad.

        • So the hail here represents God’s power and judgment over the earth.

      • “...and fire, mixed with blood”

        • According to Osborne, fire and blood are often combined as symbols of judgment

          • Isaiah 9:5

          • Ezekiel 21:32; 38:22

        • In Joel 2:31, fire and blood are “wonders in the heavens,” displaying God’s power, as well as signs of the “coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD.”

      • “...a third…”

        • This phrase occurs 12 times in verses 7-12

        • Why one third and not the whole?

          • Easley brings our attention to the fact that the destruction of one third of the earth and trees, while devastating, is not yet fatal. This is because this destruction is meant as divine warning of worse disasters to come.

          • This is because, as Osborne suggests, the purpose of these acts is to prove the sovereignty of God and give one last chance for repentance. God could have destroyed everything all at once, but systematic destroys only a portion so that the people of the world could repent before the complete and final destruction.

          • Joel 2:32--Even in the midst of this destruction, God still provides opportunity for salvation

          • In this way, God is showing mercy, even in His wrath, something only God could do.

      • “...a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees…”

        • This destruction would devastate the food supply, and create a barren, uninhabitable wasteland over much of the earth.

      • “...and all the green grass was burned up.”

        • According to Mounce, “grass” here refers to all vegetation, further limiting the supply of food on the earth.

        • Keener then observes that he destruction of all grass means the “impending death of sheep, goats, and cattle,” ending the world’s supply of meat, milk, and cheese.”

      • Already with this first blast, we see incredible destruction, but also indications of God’s M.O. His destruction is very systematic, leaving room for repentance.

Priciple One: Even in destruction and judgment, God is merciful.

    • The Second Trumpet (vv.8-9)

      • “Something like a huge mountain, all ablaze…”

        • This could be understood as a volcano. In his commentary, Mounce notes that less than twenty years before John wrote this passage, Vesuvius had erupted and destroyed Pompeii and Herculaneum. Because this catastrophe was widely known, this imagery would have been especially powerful for a contemporary audience.

        • It does seem, however,that John is simply describing what he’s seeing the best that he can from what he knows. John cannot say exactly what this fiery mass is, but only that it is “like a huge mountain.”

      • “A third of the sea turned into blood, a third of the living creatures in the sea died...”

        • Very similar to the first plague in Egypt in Exodus 7:17ff

          • The consequence of this plague in Egypt, as seen in Exodus 7:18, was that the Egyptians lost their source of fish and clean drinking water. ​​ 

        • This plague on such a large scale would deliver yet another devastating blow to the world’s food supply.

      • “...and a third of the ships were destroyed.”

        • As Wiersbe states in his commentary, “this will be an ecological and economic disaster of unprecedented proportions.”

          • As of January 2017, there were 52,183 ships in the world’s merchant fleets. Imagine the effect on the shipping industry and the global economy as a whole if 17, 394 ships were suddenly destroyed, including all of their cargo.

      • Again, each destruction is only in part, affecting one-third of the sea, its life, and commerce. The purpose here, as before, is to warn and lead to repentance.

Principle Two: It is God’s desire for us to repent, turn from our sins, and surrender to Him.

    • The Third Trumpet (vv.10-11)

      • “...A great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky…”

        • According to Easley, it’s possible that this meteor-like device began as the fiery censer which an angel hurled down to earth in verse 5.

          • We see this action replicated in all of the first three trumpets:

            • In verse 7, hail and fire mixed with blood was “hurled down on the earth”

            • In verse 8, the fiery, mountain-like mass is “thrown into the sea.”

            • And here in verse 10, this great star falls from the sky.

          • This repetition of symbolism could represent the continuing response of God to the prayers of His people through the destruction following each trumpet.

        • Despite this speculation, however, Easley concludes that John provides no clear identification of this star beyond its name. So let’s examine the name.

      • “...The name of the star is Wormwood…”

        • According to Easley, wormwood was an extra bitter, but not poisonous plant with medicinal value.

        • Aune tells us that the taste of wormwood is so potent that one ounce of it can still be detected in 524 gallons of water.

        • Wiersbe also adds that this word translated as “wormwood,” Apsinthos, is the origin of our English word, “absinthe”, which is a popular liqueur in certain parts of the world.

          • The word means “undrinkable,” and in the Old Testament was synonymous with sorrow and great calamity.

          • This word was used to represent bitterness, poison, and death by both Jeremiah (Jer. 9:15; 23:15; Lamentations 3:15, 19) and Amos (Amos 5:7).

          • In Deut. 19:18, Moses warned that idolatry would bring sorrow to Israel, “like a root producing wormwood.”

          • In Prov. 5:4, Solomon warned that immorality might seem pleasant, but in the end, it produces bitterness like wormwood.

      • “...On a third of the rivers and on the springs of water….” “A third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter.”

        • Once again we are reminded of the first plague in Egypt (Exodus 7:17-18).

          • Though it is not blood tainting the water now, the effects of the Wormwood are very similar, causing the water to become undrinkable, and presumably uninhabitable for any sort of creatures.

        • This event is also reminiscent of Moses’ miracle at Marah in Exodus 15: 23-26, though the two stories seem to be the reverse of each other.

          • In the story of Moses at Marah, God instructs Moses to throw a certain piece of wood into undrinkable water, making it drinkable.

          • In verses 25-26, God decrees that if the Israelites listen carefully to Him and do what is right in His eyes, He will not bring upon them the diseases He brought against the Egyptians.

          • The reversal of this story in the events of the third trumpet-plague could be an allusion to the idolatry and disobedience to which these destructive events are a response. (Deut. 29:18)

          • Osborne concludes, however, that while the parallel to the story in Marah is obvious, it is difficult to prove that John had it in mind.

        • Further meaning can be found in the phrase, “springs of water.”

          • Osborne informs us that because of that fact that much of Judah’s water stems from natural springs, this phrase was used often in the Old Testament.

          • Springs were viewed as a source of life because of the scarcity of water in that region.

          • We see this metaphorical meaning in several places:

            • “The fountain of life” (Prov. 10:11; 13:14; 14:27)

            • God as “the spring of living water” (Jer. 2:13; 17:13)

            • Isaiah 35:7 promises that God would turn “the thirsty ground into bubbling springs”

            • In Revelation 7:17, the Lamb leads the saints to “springs of living water” and in 21:6 gives drink to the thirsty from “the spring of the water of life.”

          • Osborne’s conclusion is that what has been done to the rivers and streams during this trumpet-plague may be to “heighten the great reversal of water as life to water as death in this judgment.”

          • In the fourth trumpet-plague, God continues this theme of permanently altering the essential elements of nature on which we so thoroughly rely.

    • The Fourth Trumpet (v. 12)

      • “...a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them turned dark. A third of the day was without light, and also a third of the night.”

        • If there is one aspect of nature on which we know that we could always rely, it is the sun and moon. We rely so much on these two celestial bodies, in fact, that we plan our daily lives according to their cycles of movement.

        • Yet here, God chooses to flip the script and change even the patterns of the sun and moon. Now “day” and “night” themselves are no longer guaranteed, at least not how we’ve always known them.

        • There definitely seems to be a connection here to the ninth plague in Egypt in Exodus 10:21-22, in which God darkens the sky over the Egyptians for three days.

        • The bottom line, according to David Platt in “Life of the Christian” is this: “Do not put your ultimate hope in created things. All things--even the most secure things like the light of the sun--all things in heaven and on earth are passing away.”

        • Osborne summarizes in this way:

          • “The purpose of the first four trumpet judgments is primarily to disprove the earthly gods and to show that Yahweh alone is on the throne. By recapitulating the Egyptian plagues, God wants to make His omnipotence known to the world and to show the futility of turning against him. Each of these judgments addresses a different aspect of life in the ancient world and in the modern world as well. The first shows that the material world is no answer; the second and third address the sea trade, including food supplies; and the fourth focuses on life itself in the heat and light of the celestial bodies. The four together prove that those who live only for this world have chosen foolishly, for only in God is there true life. Earthy things turn on us, and we dare not depend on them.” (Revelation, 357)

Principle Three: God is the only one in this universe worth putting our hope in.

    • An Eagle’s Announcement of Three Coming Woes (8:13)

      • “...I heard an eagle that was flying in midair call out…”

        • According to Easley, this eagle may be an angelic being in the form of an eagle, especially considering the tendency of eagles not to speak in words decipherable to humans. He references Revelation 14:6, in which an “angel flying in midair” is also found making proclamations mid-flight. In fact, some Greek manuscripts even have “angel” instead of “eagle” here.

        • Wiersbe expands on Easley’s theory by suggesting that this was in fact the eagle-like living creature that John saw worshiping before the throne in Revelation 4:7-8. While this is an intriguing thought, Wiersbe himself admits that there is no way of saying for sure, though it is a possibility.

        • Wilcock offers yet another theory about this bird, noting that the Bible tends not to distinguish between eagles and vultures. He suggests that this bird, may be a vulture, symbolizing impending doom, “circling over the dying body of mankind.”

      • “‘Woe! Woe! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the trumpet blast about to be sounded by the other three angels!”

        • Wiersbe rephrases the words of the eagle in this way: “If you think this has been terrible, just wait! The worst is yet to come!” This seems to be the clear message of the eagle: that these first four trumpet-plagues were simply a warm-up, an introduction to what is coming.

        • Easley explains this comparison by pointing out that while the first four trumpet attacked nature, affecting humankind only indirectly, the next judgments will attack humanity directly.

          • Wilcock informs us that this shift in intensity and target (so to speak) is due to the steadfast impenitence of those remaining. God had given clear opportunity and reason for repentance in the first four trumpet-plagues, and now shifts toward directly affecting those who still refuse to repent.

          • These humans who are now being “attacked” directly are “the inhabitants of this world,” who Easley reminds us are only those hostile to God, and those, according to Wiersbe, who “live for the earth and the things of the earth.”

 

 

Principle One: Even in destruction and judgment, God is merciful.

Principle Two: It is God’s desire for us to repent, turn from our sins, and surrender to Him.

Principle Three: God is the only one in this universe worth putting our hope in.

My Next Steps:

  • ​​ Accept the opportunity to repent of my sins and turn to God.

  • Pray that others would also repent and turn to God.

  • Proclaim the Gospel of Salvation through Jesus Christ whenever and however you can.

 

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The Greater Work

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Jesus Unveiled

The Greater Work

(Revelation 8:1-6)

 

INTRODUCTION

“Some say that prayer, and ‘the spiritual life’, or ‘the inner life’, or the soul's private love affair with God, is an unaffordable luxury today, or an irresponsible withdrawal from the pressing public problems of our poor, hurting world. I say just the opposite: that nothing, nothing is more relevant and responsible; that nothing else can ever cure our sick world except saints, and saints are never made except by prayer.

 

Nothing but saints can save our world because the deepest root of all the world's diseases is sin, and saints are the antibodies that fight sin.

 

Nothing but prayer can make saints because nothing but God can make saints, and we meet God in prayer. Prayer is the hospital for souls where we meet Doctor God.”

 

Peter Kreeft, Prayer for Beginners (Ignatius Press, 2000), page 14

 

[https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2017/june/8062617.html].

 

“Prayer does not fit us for the greater work; prayer is the greater work.” ​​ [Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, October 17]

 

BODY

  • ME

    • Answered prayer

        • I was struggling, during the first week of July 2018, with a decision that needed to be made

        • I didn’t feel like I knew the direction God wanted this decision to go

        • As the end of the week got closer and I still didn’t have an answer, I prayed a “fleece” prayer, asking the Lord to reveal His will based on what happened with regards to the fleece I had laid before Him

        • He answered two prayers that week and gave me the direction I needed

    • Unanswered prayer?

        • Not all of my prayers are answered so quickly

        • In fact, there have been times where I feel like God has not answered my prayer at all

        • It’s during those times that I realize I was praying with preexisting expectations of how God should answer my prayer

        • The reality is that God had answered my prayer, but it wasn’t the answer I was looking for or expecting

        • God answers our prayers three ways: ​​ 1) Yes; 2) No; or 3) Wait

 

  • WE

    • Answered prayer

        • Have you experienced answered prayer in your own life?

        • Perhaps the answer came quickly and it was what you were asking for and expecting

        • Those answered prayers always encourage us and drive us to continue to pray

    • Seemingly unanswered prayers

        • Maybe you are currently waiting for an answer to prayer

        • God may have already answered you by saying, “wait”

          • That is never easy in a culture that promotes instant gratification

          • Perhaps you’ve prayer, “God give me patience and give it to me now.”

          • We have to learn to wait on God’s perfect timing

        • He could have also answered, “no”

          • This is equally hard for us, because we don’t like to hear the word “no”

          • Many times we have prayed for something with an expectation of how God is supposed to answer

          • We haven’t left any room for Him to say “no” or “wait”

          • When this happens, we blame God and say that He hasn’t answered our prayer

          • We can grow spiritually through this if we recognize the sovereignty of God at work in our lives, protecting us from something that could hurt us

          • His answer of “no” or “wait” allowed us more time to reflect on the situation or circumstances and realize that had He answered “yes,” we may be in a situation that is much worse

 

After Jesus opened the fifth seal, we heard the cries of many souls from under the altar, in heaven, asking God when He was going to bring His justice on the inhabitants of the earth. ​​ They were told to wait a little while longer until the full number of martyrs had been reached. ​​ God had heard their prayers, but He was waiting for the perfect timing to accomplish His justice. ​​ We’ll see today, that the perfect timing had arrived. ​​ John wants us to understand that . . .

 

BIG IDEA – God answers our prayers in His perfect timing.

 

Let’s pray

 

  • GOD (Revelation 8:1-6)

    • Silence (v. 1)

        • Storm imagery

          • Are you familiar with the saying, “the calm before the storm?”

          • A similar saying is, “It is often quietest before the storm.”

          • Hurricanes can be deceptive in the middle, because everything becomes calm in the eye of the storm – you think the hurricane has finally passed over you, but within a short period of time, the back side of the hurricane hits and the winds and rain are just as powerful as before

          • The silence that follows the opening of the seventh seal is perhaps representative of the calm before the storm

        • Anticipation

          • Something significant is about to happen and all of heaven and earth are silent in anticipation

          • “Instead of angelic action as in all the rest of the seals, trumpets, and bowls, there is a dramatic silence that lasts about a half hour.” ​​ [Osborne, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, Revelation, 336]

          • Easley makes an intriguing comment concerning the opening of the seventh seal

            • We know from previous messages that the scroll would not be fully opened until all seven seals were broken

            • Now that the seventh seal is broken, the contents of the scroll can be revealed, as it unrolls

            • Easley says that another way to think about the trumpets and bowls is that what is written on the scroll are the judgments that are described through the seven trumpets and seven bowls [Easley, Holman New Testament Commentary, Revelation, 142]

          • Those in heaven are silent as they hold their breath in anticipation of God’s final actions at the end of the world, while those on earth are holding their breath as they await to hear their final judgment [Osborne, 337]

        • Reverence

          • The Jewish hearers of this section of Scripture would have associated everything with the priestly sacrifices in the Tabernacle at Jerusalem

          • The priests were supposed to offer the incense and sacrifices in silence as an act of reverence to the Lord [Osborne, 337; Keener, The NIV Application Commentary, Revelation, 253]

          • Biblical support from the Old Testament

            • Habakkuk 2:20, But the Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him.

            • Zephaniah 1:7a, Be silent before the Sovereign Lord, for the day of the Lord is near.

            • Zechariah 2:13, Be still [silent] before the Lord, all mankind, because he has roused himself from his holy dwelling.

        • Length of the silence

          • About a half hour is representative of short period of time based on eternity

          • A half hour can seem to be a long time, especially when surrounded by silence

          • “Everybody seems to be looking for a little peace and quiet these days. ​​ But even such a reasonable idea can go too far. ​​ The quietest place on earth, an anechoic chamber at Orfield Laboratories in Minnesota, is so quiet that the longest anybody has been able to bear it is 45 minutes.

            Inside the room is so silent that the background noise measured is actually negative decibels, -9.4 dBA. ​​ Steven Orfield, the lab’s founder, said, ‘We challenge people to sit in the chamber in the dark – one person stayed in there for 45 minutes. ​​ When it’s quiet, ears will adapt. ​​ The quieter the room, the more things you hear. ​​ You’ll hear your heart beating, sometimes you can hear your lungs, hear your stomach gurgling loudly. ​​ In the anechoic chamber, you become the sound.’

            But the room isn’t just for torturing people. ​​ Companies test their products in it to find out just how loud they are. ​​ And NASA has sent astronauts to help them adapt to the silence of space. ​​ For you and me, however, the room is a deeply disorienting place. ​​ Not only do people hear their heartbeat, they have trouble orienting themselves and even standing. ​​ Orfield said, ‘How you orient yourself is through sounds you hear when you walk. ​​ In the anechoic chamber, you don’t have any cues. ​​ You take away the perceptual cues that allow you to balance and maneuver. ​​ If you’re in there for half an hour, you have to be in a chair.’

            So the next time you wish for some quiet time, remember that it could also drive you crazy.”

            Rose Eveleth, “World’s Quietest Place Will Drive You Crazy in 45 Minutes,” The Smithsonian (12-17-13)

            [https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2015/october/6100515.html]

          • The length of the silence is not really explained here, which is fine, because that’s not the primary theme or focus of this passage of Scripture

          • What is happening during the half hour of silence is of more importance

        • What we see in verses 2-5 probably took place during the half hour of silence

    • Preparations (vv. 2-6)

        • Seven angels with seven trumpets (vv. 2, 6)

          • Angels

            • The seven angels are not identified here in Revelation, but the use of the definite article, “the,” in the Greek means that it’s talking about a specific group of seven angels [Mounce, The New International Commentary on the New Testament, Revelation, 172]

            • Jewish and Christian tradition identify seven archangels through extra biblical writings

              • “Raphael identifies himself to Tobit as ‘one of the seven holy angels who present the prayers of the saints and enter into the presence of the glory of the Holy One’ (Tob. 12:15).” ​​ [Mounce, 172]

              • These seven archangels are named in 1 Enoch 20:2-8 as Uriel, Raphael, Raguel, Michael, Saraqa’el, Gabriel, and Remiel

              • This could certainly be the names of the seven angels here in Revelation, but they are not specifically named in this book

            • Each one of the angels are given a trumpet

          • Trumpets

            • There are two kinds of trumpets that are spoken of in Scripture

              • The one found most often in the Old Testament is the ram’s horn (Hebrew shophar), but Moses was also instructed to make two silver trumpets as seen in Numbers 10

              • The other trumpet mentioned in both the Old and New Testaments was a long metal tube with a mouthpiece and flared end

                • It was used during warfare to help move troops, but it was also used in worship at the temple

                • Trumpets were used for many purposes – to call people together, to move the tribes on their journey in the wilderness, to sound the alarm for battle, to celebrate days of sacred feasts, at the dedication of the temple, at the coronation of the new king, before burnt offerings were sacrificed, to call the nation to repentance, and when the ark was brought up to Jerusalem

                • Seven priests blew seven trumpets at the fall of Jericho (Josh. 6:4, 8)

            • The trumpets mentioned here in Revelation are ones that will be used to announce the day of God’s wrath

          • Preparing to sound the trumpets

            • We see in v. 6 that the seven angels are poised to sound their trumpets

            • The imagery I have of this comes from my years of playing in the marching band and concert band

              • I played the baritone in high school

              • Whether in marching band or concert band, our instruments are in the resting position until the band director or the drum major signals us to prepare to play

              • Then we raise our instruments and press our lips to the mouthpiece or reed and our fingers to the valves or holes

          • The seven angels will sound their trumpets one at a time as we’ll see in the rest of chapter 8 and then chapter 11

          • Another angel arrives on the scene during the half hour of silence

        • Another angel (vv. 3-5)

          • Offering incense and prayers

            • This other angel is carrying a censer

              • A censer was a bowl or firepan that was used to hold coals and incense

              • It was used to carry the coals from the altar of burnt offering to the altar of incense

              • The censers for the tabernacle were made of brass (Ex. 27:3)

              • When Solomon’s temple was built, the censers were made of gold (1 Kings 7:50)

              • We see that the angel is carrying a golden censer

            • He came and stood at the altar

              • We were introduced to this altar in Rev. 6:9 when the fifth seal was opened and John saw the souls of the martyrs under, it crying out for God’s justice to be fulfilled/accomplished

              • It is the same as the golden altar mentioned later in v. 3

            • Given much incense to offer

              • God gives the angel a lot of incense to offer

              • The incense in the Old Testament consisted of three aromatic spices [Osborne, 344]

                • Resin and galbanum gum (taken from shrubs or trees)

                • Mollusk scent (from the mollusk shellfish)

                • Frankincense (also a gum resin)

                • They would add salt to the mixture and then grind it up into a powder, which would be sprinkled on the hot coals in the censer and create an incredible fragrance

              • There is debate over whether or not the prayers of the saints are added to the incense or whether the prayers of the saints equal the incense

                • Revelation 5:8 is helpful for us in trying to determine which it is

                • Revelation 5:8, And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. ​​ Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.

                • From this passage it is very likely that the incense equals the prayers of the saints

              • These prayers of the saints are rising like the smoke from burning incense straight from the hand of the angel to God, Himself

                • Imagery of smoke rising

                  • In the Old Testament the smoke from the incense offered at the altar of incense would rise and fill the Holy Place

                  • It represented the pleasing aroma of the sacrifices offered to God

                  • Ephesians 5:1-2, Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

                  • Philippians 4:18, I have received full payment and even more; I am amply supplies, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. ​​ They are a fragrant offering, and acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God.

                  • 2 Corinthians 2:15-16, For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. ​​ To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. ​​ And who is equal to such a task?

                • “The scene in heaven suggests that there is something sacrificial about genuine prayer. ​​ Both the believer and his prayer enter the presence of God by way of the altar.” ​​ [Mounce, 175]

              • PRINCIPLE – God receives the prayers of His people and acts in response to those prayers.

                • James 5:16, Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. ​​ The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

                • Charles Spurgeon said, “It is a good fall when a man falls on his knees.” ​​ [Akin, Christ-Centered Exposition, Exalting Jesus in Revelation, 171]

                • “Prayer is not getting man’s will done in heaven, but getting God’s will done on earth. ​​ It is not overcoming God’s reluctance but laying hold of God’s willingness.” ​​ [Richard Trench cited by Akin, 172]

                  • How often are the prayers we’re lifting up to God trying to accomplish our will in heaven – trying to get God to do something the way we want it done?

                  • If we’re really honest with ourselves, our prayers are focused on trying to overcome God’s reluctance to act on our behalf, instead of us praying according to His will

                  • When we pray according to God’s will, He will answer

                  • The disciples wanted Jesus to teach them how to pray and we see His model of prayer in Matthew 6:9-13

                  • In Matt. 6:10 we hear these words, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

                  • Our prayers have to line up with God’s will and not our will

                  • In there lies the frustration that many express when they say, “God hasn’t answered my prayers!” or “God doesn’t answer prayer!”

                  • We have to examine our prayers to determine if they line up with God’s known will as found in Scripture

                  • We pray and ask God to bless our relationship with a boyfriend or girlfriend, but we are having premarital sex with them, which goes against God’s will

                  • We pray and ask the Lord to help us advance at work, but we’re gossiping about fellow employees or our boss

                  • We pray for God to bring healing to some physical ailment we have, but we are harboring bitterness and unforgiveness toward a fellow believer

                  • We pray for God to act in a certain way that we know is opposed to His Word and then we’re surprised and frustrated when His answer is “No!”

                • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Examine my prayer life to make sure that it is according to God’s will and not my own.

                  • It’s important to examine our prayers to make sure they line up with God’s will

                  • It’s also important that we examine our lives to make sure they are in obedience to God’s Word

                  • Psalm 139:23-24, Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. ​​ See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

                • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Ask the Lord to search me and test me to see if there is any offensive way in me that needs to be confessed and dealt with.

                  • This will definitely mean confessing these sins to the Lord

                  • It may also mean confessing them to the individual(s) you have hurt or offended

            • As we saw in Rev. 6:9-11, the martyrs were asking the Lord when His judgment was going to come

              • He gave them white robes and told them to wait a little while longer – it wasn’t quite time yet

              • God answers our prayers in His perfect timing.

            • We see in v. 5 that the time has come

          • Offering judgment

            • “The prayers that had ascended before God are transformed and hurled back to earth. ​​ The mood changes from intercession to judgment.” ​​ [Easley, 143]

              • The angel refills the censer with fire from the altar and hurls it on the earth

              • Read Ezekiel 10:2-7

            • As the censer is hurled upon the earth we see that four things happen: ​​ peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lighting, and an earthquake

              • The first three items we saw in Rev. 4:5 when John first saw the throne room

              • These same things will happen two more times in Revelation (11:19; 16:18)

              • We also see these same things happening when God descended on Mt. Sinai

              • Exodus 19:16-19, On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. ​​ Everyone in the camp trembled. ​​ Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. ​​ Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the Lord descended on it in fire. ​​ The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, the whole mountain trembled violently, and the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder. ​​ Then Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him.

            • God does hear our prayers and He acts according to His perfect timing and His will

 

  • YOU

    • Perhaps you’re struggling with your prayer life right now

        • Take time to examine your prayers to make sure that are in line with God’s know will revealed in the Bible

        • Make sure that you are living a life that is in obedience to the Bible and make any necessary changes

    • Are there any ways I can be more intentional in my prayer life?

        • Keep a prayer journal

          • You can do that with a notebook

          • I use the app PrayerMate

        • Our denomination has been encouraging us, as congregations, to be spiritually alive, relationally connected, and missionally engaged

        • We can accomplish those three goals in a couple of ways

          • We have a group that meets on Sunday mornings at 8:30 am to pray over the facility and then meet at the altar at 8:45 am to pray for the morning activities – this is your invitation to join us

          • We have time of praise and prayer on Wednesday evenings from 7:00-8:00 pm – I want to encourage you to make this a priority in your schedule – I’ve challenged our board to model the importance of prayer by attending the Wednesday evening services

          • We can be missionally engaged by praying for our missionaries (their newsletters are hanging in the foyer)

          • We can also be missionally engaged through prayer by praying for the world (Operation World, book or app)

 

  • WE

    • Every one of us can commit time to prayer

    • I was challenged by the President of CEF to turn off the radio while driving to work and spend that time in prayer

        • If you feel like you need to have something playing while you’re driving I want to suggest a song

        • “An unusual song has emerged next to the hottest new albums and multi-platinum artists on iTunes’ Top 50 charts. The track, which costs $0.99, is titled ‘A a a a a Very Good Song’ and includes almost ten full minutes of complete silence. Not a single musical instrument, voice, or sound of any kind can be heard-and people are loving it. Why? The reason might be apparent if you happen to own a model of car that automatically plays music from a Bluetooth-connected mobile phone when first turned on. Most cars carrying this feature auto-select the first song alphabetically whether you want it to or not. Thus, ‘A a a a a Very Good Song’ allows drivers to avoid any unwanted music playing by beginning their drive with up to ten minutes of complete silence. The five repetitions of the letter ‘A’ in the song title aim to ensure it gets first treatment alphabetically, and you get the silence you never realized you wanted so badly.”

          Ethan Adams, PreachingToday.com; source: Associated Press, "Silent Song Finds popularity Due to Special Role," Yahoo! News (8-16-17)

          [https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2017/september/2090417.html]

 

CONCLUSION

“E. V. (Ed) Hill, who pastored Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles, tells the story of how ‘Mama's’ love and prayers changed his life. During the height of the Depression, Hill's real mother, who had five children of her own, didn't have enough food to go around, so she sent four-year-old Ed to live with a friend in a small country town called Sweet Home. Ed just called her Mama. As he was growing up in Sweet Home, Mama displayed remarkable faith which led her to have big plans for young Ed. Against nearly insurmountable obstacles, Mama helped Ed graduate from high school (the only student to graduate that year from the country school) and even insisted that he go to college.

 

She took Ed to the bus station, handed him the ticket and five dollars and said, ‘Now, go off to Prairie View College, and Mama is going to be praying for you.’ Hill claims that he didn't know much about prayer, but he knew Mama did. When he arrived at the college with a dollar and ninety cents in his pocket, they told him he needed eighty dollars in cash in order to register. Here's how Hill describes what happened next:

 

I got in line …, and the devil said to get out of line …, but I heard my Mama saying in my ear, ‘I'll be praying for you.’ I stood in line on Mama's prayer. Soon there was [another new student ahead of me], and I began to get nervous, but I stayed in line …. Just about the time [the other student] got all of her stuff and turned away, Dr. Drew touched me on the shoulder, and he said, ‘Are you Ed Hill?’ I said, ‘Yes.’ ​​ ‘Are you Ed Hill from Sweet Home?’ ‘Yes.’ ​​ ‘Have you paid yet?’ ​​ ‘Not quite.’

 

‘We've been looking for you all this morning,’ [he said].

 

I said, ‘Well, what do [you] want with me?’

‘We have a four-year scholarship that will pay your room and board, your tuition, and give you thirty dollars a month to spend.’

 

And I heard Mama say, ‘I will be praying for you!’”

 

Martha Simmons & Frank A. Thomas, editors, Preaching with Sacred Fire (W. W. Norton & Company, 2010), pp. 707-708

 

[https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2011/may/2050211.html].

11

 

/by

Signed, Sealed . . . and now Delivered

, ,

Jesus Unveiled

Signed, Sealed . . . and now Delivered

(Revelation 7:9-17)

 

INTRODUCTION

A child comes to his Father with his electronic gaming system in two pieces. ​​ It breaks the Father’s heart to see his child in despair, so he goes online to find the needed replacement parts for the gaming system. ​​ It isn’t an easy task, but eventually he finds the parts he needs and places the order with one of the well-known online shopping stores.

 

He has a little bit of apprehension about the seller of the item, because it will be shipping from Taiwan. ​​ His desire to repair his child’s gaming system overrides the apprehension he is feeling about the seller.

 

The money was withdrawn from his bank account through a special online payment system. ​​ He watches his email every day for an update about the shipping status. ​​ It will take a couple of weeks since it is coming from overseas. ​​ The status of the shipment has been changed from “pending” to “shipped.” ​​ The waiting game begins. ​​ After about two weeks, the status of the package has been changed to “delivered.” ​​ The only problem is, this Father hasn’t received the package yet. ​​ He follows the online shopping stores’ procedure to determine where the package was delivered. ​​ In contacting the seller, he realizes that he had not updated his address with the online payment system. ​​ The seller used the address from the online payment system, meaning that the package was delivered to an old address in a different state. ​​ The seller was not obligated to refund his money and he never received the parts needed to repair his child’s gaming system.

 

BODY

  • ME

    • This story is from my life

        • I bought the replacement parts for one of the boys handheld gaming systems that had broken

        • It was a Nintendo DS, if I remember correctly

        • I never received the replacement parts and lost the money I spent in the process

        • We eventually replaced the entire gaming system

    • While the package was delivered, it wasn’t delivered to me

 

  • WE

    • The delivery waiting game

        • Have you experienced having to wait for a package to arrive?

        • Have you found that the estimated delivery date has been wrong?

        • Have you experienced the agony of waiting for a package to arrive and it never does?

        • This can be frustrating

    • God delivers on His promises

 

The scene that John now sees is a great multiethnic multitude of believers standing before God’s throne. ​​ They have come through the great tribulation and John wants us to understand from their experience that . . .

 

BIG IDEA – Temporal tribulation brings eternal reward.

 

This is the hope that followers of Jesus Christ have as they deny themselves and make sacrifices for the Gospel. ​​ As they persevere through the trials and tribulations of the end times, God promises them relief from the hardships of this world.

 

Let’s pray

 

  • GOD (Revelation 7:9-17)

    • Worship (vv. 9-12)

        • Change of perspective

          • Revelation 7 is a single unit, but from two different perspectives

          • “Have you noticed how looking at persons or things from a different vantage point changes what they appear to be? ​​ It all depends on your perspective. ​​ The city I live in, Memphis, illustrates this perfectly. ​​ A visitor arriving from the west is struck with the sight of a glittering metropolis – skyscrapers, magnificent Mississippi River bridge – that rises suddenly to view from the river valley. ​​ The same visitor arriving from the east is welcomed by sprawling suburbs – shopping mall, well-groomed subdivisions – that merge from rolling farmland and continue for miles. ​​ So which is it, glittering metropolis or sprawling suburbs? ​​ It all depends on your perspective, but the best answer is both.

            This chapter in Revelation is similar to that. ​​ John describes a limited earthly group and an unlimited heavenly group. ​​ They seem to be quite different, but in reality they are the same people, just viewed from different locations in space and time.” ​​ [Easley,             Holman New Testament Commentary, Revelation, 123]

          • Last week we saw the 144,000 believers on earth being sealed in preparation for the tribulation that was about to be poured out

          • Today we will see that the believers have come through the great tribulation and are in heaven

          • “As 7:1-8 presents the church militant on earth, sealed and drawn up in battle formation before the coming struggle, 7:9-17 presents the church after the battle, triumphant in heaven.” ​​ [Boring cited by Osborne, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, Revelation, 317]

          • After John had the vision of those on earth, the vision changes to a heavenly view

        • Great multitude from the earth

          • Multiethnic, multicultural, and multilingual

            • The description, every nation, tribe, people and language, means that all people groups on earth have heard the Gospel

            • There are individuals from all 11,243 people groups, currently on the earth, who are represented in heaven as followers of Jesus Christ [Akin, Christ-Centered Exposition, Exalting Jesus in Revelation, 157]

            • Akin shares that there are still 3,056 people groups who are currently unengaged, yet, there will be followers of Jesus Christ represented from those groups in heaven [Akin, 157]

            • That is an exciting prospect and promise, isn’t it?

              • It really speaks to the power of the Gospel

              • We can be assured that everyone will have the opportunity to hear about Jesus Christ

              • In Jesus’ Olivet Discourse we hear these words:

              • Matthew 24:9-14, “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. ​​ At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. ​​ Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. ​​ And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

              • We see the same promise in Mark 13:10

            • PRINCIPLE – God’s desire is that every people group on earth have the opportunity to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ and He is able to accomplish that through His people.

            • We see, then, that God’s desire will be fulfilled as these followers of Jesus Christ stand before the throne

          • Location

            • They are standing in a place of honor – before the throne of God

            • They are standing in front of Jesus as they await their reward for their faithfulness while on earth

          • Victory displayed

            • What they are wearing and holding are symbols of victory

            • White robe

              • The white robes represented purity, but also victory

              • This great multitude is not found pure in and of themselves

                • It is an “imputed righteousness or holiness” [Patterson, The New American Commentary, Revelation, 200]

                • This means that their righteousness, holiness, and purity came as a result of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross

                • We see this in Revelation 7:14, they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

              • In Greco-Roman times the conquering general would wear a pure white toga as he participated in the parade-like procession through the streets of Rome [Osborne, 319]

                • The idea of the white robe representing victory is a potential connection between these believers and the martyrs of Revelation 6:11 and the other overcomers found in Revelation 3:4-5, 18

                • These believers have pressed on and have been found faithful, which is why they are standing before the throne of God and in front of Jesus

              • It wasn’t just what they were wearing that represented victory, but also what they were holding

            • Palm branches

              • While the palm branches represented victory, they also represented joy!

              • “Palm branches were the ancient equivalent of balloons at a party, a mark of joy and festivity.” ​​ [Easley, 128]

                • Instead of buying balloons for the next party you have, maybe you should consider buying palm branches

                • This new trend for parties may not take off here in southcentral Pennsylvania, but my guess is that it could be big in California, Nevada, Arizona, Florida, and any other location where there are palm trees

              • The mention of palm branches is only found in two passages in the New Testament

                • The first place is in John 12:13, which explains Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem

                • John 12:13, The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. ​​ They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna!” ​​ “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” ​​ “Blessed is the King of Israel!”

                • The second place is here in Revelation 7:9

            • This very diverse group of people are wearing white robes, waving palm branches, and worshipping the Lord with their tongues

          • Words of worship

            • Again we see that what they’re saying is said with clarity and is understandable – in a loud voice

              • They’re not ashamed

              • They aren’t holding back

              • They’re rejoicing and worshipping boldly

            • PRINCIPLE – Salvation from sin’s penalty comes only through Jesus Christ.

              • Read Revelation 7:10

              • Acts 4:12, Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.

              • John 14:6, Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. ​​ No one comes to the Father except through me.

              • 1 John 5:11-12, And this is the testimony: ​​ God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. ​​ He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.

              • Gospel

                • Our sin problem (Rom. 3:23; Rom. 6:23)

                • God shows us His love in spite of our sin (Rom. 5:8)

                • God’s plan to save His creation from the penalty of sin (1 Cor. 15:3b-4)

                • Romans 10:9-10, That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ​​ For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

                • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Be saved from the penalty of sin by believing in Jesus with my heart and confessing that with my mouth.

              • Perhaps you’ve already taken that step of believing and confessing

                • Have you taken the next step of following Jesus’ example of being baptized?

                • Baptism is an outward expression of an inward decision

                • You are confessing to those around you that you have believed in Jesus with your heart

                • Maybe the next step in your spiritual walk is to be obedient by participating in believer’s baptism

                • We have a baptismal service coming up on July 29, 2018 following the worship service

                • If you are interested in participating in believer’s baptism, please mark your Communication Card

          • There aren’t just earthly believers standing before the throne of God and in front of Jesus, there are also heavenly inhabitants surrounding the throne

        • Heavenly inhabitants

          • Angels

            • All of the angels have gathered for this special occasion

            • This is significant, because in Revelation 5:11 we saw “many angels” that surrounded the throne, but now it is “all the angels”

            • They have gathered around the elders and the four living creatures that continually surround the throne of God

            • Jesus used the parable of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son to express the value of one person turning from a life of sin to a life of righteousness

            • In the parable of the lost coin, the woman encourages her friends and neighbors to rejoice with her after she found her lost coin

            • Jesus then says, In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents (Luke 15:10)

            • If the angels are rejoicing over one sinner who repents, just imagine their excitement over seeing a multitude of believers standing there in heaven

            • Their worship is directed toward God as they bless Him with seven of His attributes

            • Their position of falling face down before the throne is an act of submission and acknowledgement of the authority of God

          • Sevenfold blessing

            • PRINCIPLE – Worship is the only response to God’s salvation.

            • Most of these are not new to us, because six of the seven were attributed to the Lamb in Revelation 5:12

            • ‘Wealth,” in Rev. 5:12, is now replaced with “thanks”

            • The worship of the angels begins and ends with “Amen!”

              • Most scholars agree that the first “Amen!” is the agreement of the angels to the benediction spoken by the great multitude of believers

              • They are agreeing that salvation belongs to God and to the Lamb

            • Attributes

              • Praise (eulogia)

                • A good word, a praise, speaking well of someone

                • This is the natural response of the angels to God’s salvation of humanity

                • When Peter talks about salvation, he explains that the prophets searched intently and with the greatest care to find out the time and circumstances surrounding the coming of the Messiah, but were told that they were prophesying about the future – serving those who would experience the coming of the Messiah

                • He also told his readers that, even angels long to look into these things (1 Peter 1:12)

                • So imagine their excitement, and the praise that follows, when they see the fruition of the coming of the Messiah in the lives of all humanity

              • Glory (doxa)

                • Radiance or majesty of God (revealed in His final victory over His enemies)

                • It is what makes God impressive to man

                • The force of His self-manifestation

              • Wisdom (sophia)

                • Divine knowledge and perspective about the world and how it works

                • Also the divine knowledge concerning the plan of redemption for humanity

                  • Matthew 25:34, “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.’”

                  • Ephesians 1:4, For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.

                  • 1 Peter 1:20, He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.

              • Thanks (eucharistia)

                • We get our English word Eucharist from the Greek word

                • This is the thanksgiving feast that the church celebrates as the Lord’s Supper or Communion

                • It is an outpouring of thanks for all that God has done to bring us to salvation

              • Honor (timē)

                • Public and deserved recognition of God’s saving power

                • It is respect for someone in a position of authority or power

                  • Court judges are introduced as, “the honorable Judge . . .”

                  • They are also addressed in the courtroom as, “your honor”

              • Power (dunamis)

                • Omnipotence (all-powerful)

                • It is God’s ability to act as He wills

              • Strength (ischus)

                • God’s ability to accomplish the mighty act of salvation throughout history

                • God’s ability to endure

                • The application of God’s power in salvation history – the working out of His plan according to His timing

                • Read Romans 5:6

                • Read Galatians 4:4-5

            • All of these attributes are ascribed to God for ever and ever – these attributes are true of God, all the time

            • They conclude their blessing of God with “Amen!,” once again agreeing together

          • Our only response to God’s salvation should be to worship the Lord

            • We see seven attributes of God that we can use to worship Him, but there are many more attributes we can use

            • Have you taken time recently to worship the Lord as a response for His salvation in your life?

            • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Set aside time this week to worship the Lord as my response to His salvation of me.

        • John is trying to understand this heavenly scene and before he even asks the question, one of the elders asks him a question

    • Reward (vv. 13-17)

        • The elder’s question (v. 13)

          • This question was perhaps on John’s mind already, but the elder beats him to the punch

          • Who are the individuals dressed in white robes?

          • Where did they come from?

            • The various visions that John has had of heaven never included a great multitude of human beings standing before the throne

            • In Revelation 6:11 he saw the souls of those who had been martyred under an altar in the throne room

          • These are valid questions that need to be answered

        • John’s response shows that he does not know the answer, but knows the elder has the answer – “Sir, you know.”

          • The literal translation of the Greek should be “My Lord, you know.”

          • John shows this same kind of reverence in other parts of Revelation (19:10; 22:8-9)

        • The elder’s answer (v. 14)

          • Where they came from

            • They came out of the great tribulation

            • In the Greek, the definite article is present, which means that it is speaking of a specific tribulation and not just tribulation in general

              • Most commentators point to two passages to help us understand the great tribulation

              • Daniel 12:1, “At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. ​​ There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. ​​ But at that time your people – everyone whose name is found written in the book – will be delivered.”

              • Matthew 24:21-22, For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now – and never to be equaled again. ​​ If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.

              • It is probably referring to the final war, that the dragon wages against the followers of Jesus Christ, that we will see in Revelation 12

            • We now know that these believers, who are dressed in white robes, have come from earth after the final war with Satan and his followers

          • Who they are

            • They are Christians who have come through the great tribulation

            • They have become Christians in the same way we have, but the imagery used here sounds foreign to us, an oxymoron

              • If you have ever had to remove a blood stain from a light-colored piece of clothing, you know how difficult that can be

              • Yet here, the believers garments are made white by the blood of the Lamb

                • The imagery here is of a fully submerged robe being washed or cleansed – every part of the garment is covered with the blood of the Lamb

                • They didn’t just dip a portion of their robe in the blood of the Lamb – these believers were all in

                • It was this cleansing in the blood of the Lamb that purified them and made their robes white

              • We see the purifying power of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross throughout Scripture

                • 1 Peter 1:18-19, For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.

                • Hebrews 9:14, How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!

                • 1 John 1:7, But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

          • Because these believers have persevered and been purified, they are guaranteed a multi-faceted reward

        • The multitude’s reward (vv. 15-17)

          • Temporal tribulation brings eternal reward.

          • Any time we see the word “therefore,” we have to ask ourselves, “What is it there for?”

            • The NASB translates it as For this reason

            • In this text it is looking back to what was just said to help us understand what is about to be said

            • These believers who have persevered through the great tribulation and have been purified through Jesus’ perfect blood sacrifice on the cross, now receive their reward

          • PRINCIPLE – God promises His people eternal protection and provision.

          • Their reward

            • Service/Worship

              • They will be before the throne of God

              • The Greek word means more than just serve, but also implies worship

              • Their reward is to serve and worship God continually (day and night)

            • Shelter/Protection

              • The next facet of their reward is that God will provide shelter and protection

              • That is what it means for God to spread his tent over them

              • Scripture speaks of God protecting His people and dwelling among them

                • Exodus 26-30 talk about the tabernacle that housed God’s presence (Shekinah glory) as the Israelites traveled throughout the wilderness

                • Exodus 13:21-22, By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. ​​ Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.

                • Leviticus 26:11-13, I will put my dwelling place among you, and I will not abhor you. ​​ I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people. ​​ I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt so that you would no longer be slaves to the Egyptians; I broke the bars of your yoke and enabled you to walk with heads held high.

                • John 1:14, The Word [Jesus] became flesh and made his dwelling among us. ​​ We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

            • Provision

              • The things that our bodies are deprived of on earth will not be a problem in heaven

                • We may have a hard time connecting with the lack of food and water in our culture

                • There are those around the world who understand this perfectly

                • During the great tribulation it may be hard for believers to obtain food and water – the basics for life

                • They are assured here, as part of their reward, that they will no longer be hungry or thirsty

                • Isaiah 49:10, They will neither hunger nor thirst, nor will the desert heat or the sun beat upon them. ​​ He who has compassion on them will guide them and lead them beside springs of water.

                • Isaiah 55:1, “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! ​​ Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.

              • The effects of the sun and other sources of heat (fire and lightning) will no longer plague them

                • We see in Revelation 16:8 that those who are hostile to God will experience the scorching and searing of the sun

                • Revelation 16:8, The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and the sun was given power to scorch people with fire. ​​ They were seared by the intense heat and they cursed the name of God, who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent and glorify him.

            • Guidance/Comfort

              • Jesus will be their shepherd

                • One of the primary responsibilities of a shepherd is to find adequate water supplies for their sheep

                • Jesus will lead His people to the greatest water source

                • Revelation 21:6, He said to me: ​​ “It is done. ​​ I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. ​​ To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life.

                • One day Jesus will guide us to that eternal spring and allow us to drink from the water of life

              • God will wipe away every tear from their eyes

                • This is most likely referring to tears of suffering

                • The suffering that we experience here on earth will be removed forever

                • This perhaps eludes to Isaiah’s prophecy

                • Isaiah 25:8, he will swallow up death forever. ​​ The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth.

                • “The verb [will wipe away] is a very strong verb that also has the idea of ‘destroy’ or ‘obliterate.’ ​​ All earthly pain and sorrow will be removed forever by God (see also Isa. 35:10; 51:1; 65:19).” ​​ [Osborne, 332]

          • These are incredible rewards that we will experience in eternity

 

  • YOU

    • Salvation – take that step today to believe in Jesus and confess that with your mouth

    • Baptism – consider taking the next step in your spiritual walk by participating in believer’s baptism

    • Worship – set aside time to worship the Lord this week as your response to His salvation in your life

    • Claim the promise that God will provide eternal protection and provision

 

  • WE

    •  

 

CONCLUSION

In the movie Cast Away, Tom Hanks plays the role of Federal Express’ systems engineer, Chuck Nolan. ​​ He meets with several staff from Moscow to show them how FedEx does business. ​​ The most important thing for FedEx is that the package sorting must be completed precisely on schedule. ​​ The packages need to be delivered in a timely manner.

 

He travels extensively and on one trip the plane he is on encounters a fierce storm that causes it to crash into the ocean. ​​ Chuck survives and is floating on a life raft in the ocean until he washes up on a deserted island. ​​ Some of the FedEx packages wash up on shore also. ​​ He opens all of them, but one, and uses the contents to help himself survive. ​​ The only package he doesn’t open is one that is decorated with wings.

 

Long story, short. ​​ He is eventually rescued with Wilson, his volleyball friend, and the package with the wings on it. ​​ He attempts to deliver the package to the recipient in Texas, but they aren’t home. ​​ So, he leaves the package on the porch with a note.

 

The ending of the movie is Chuck at a crossroads. ​​ Watch this video clip of that ending scene: ​​ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvGHSvfnlsQ.

 

Chuck Nolan made sure the package with wings was delivered.

 

We serve a God that promises to deliver some incredible rewards to His people who persevere to the very end. ​​ We can take comfort and hope in the fact that temporal tribulation brings eternal reward.

13

 

/by

Signed, Sealed . . .

, ,

Jesus Unveiled

Signed, Sealed, Delivered

(Revelation 7:1-8)

 

INTRODUCTION

“First they scourged him [a character named Faithful], then they buffeted him, then they lanced his flesh with knives; after that they stoned him with stones, then pricked him with their swords, and last of all, they burned him to ashes at the stake. ​​ Thus came Faithful to his end.

 

Now, I saw that there stood behind the multitude [of evil men] a chariot and a couple of horses waiting for Faithful, who (so soon as his adversaries had dispatched him) was taken up into it, and straightway was carried up through the clouds with sound of trumpet the nearest way to the Celestial Gate.”

 

John Bunyan, The Pilgrim’s Progress

 

[Easley, Holman New Testament Commentary, Revelation, 123]

 

BODY

  • ME

    • Seminary classes

        • When I first started seminary, I was taking multiple classes each semester

        • Part way through my seminary degree, I felt overwhelmed and had to cut back on the number of classes I was taking each semester (the reasons were financial, physical, and emotional)

        • After getting a little break and because only certain classes were offered during the summer, the last year and a half I took classes year around

        • I know that God was the One who helped me to accomplish my seminary degree while working full-time and having a wife and three boys

        • He saw me through that challenging, busy, and fruitful season of my life

 

  • WE

    • God saw your through

        • Take time this morning to think about a time when God saw your through a difficult or busy time in your life

        • Perhaps you’re going through that difficult or busy season of life right now

        • We’ll see today that God will see you through

 

There is an interlude between the opening of the sixth and seventh seals. ​​ This interlude helps us understand that . . .

 

BIG IDEA – God will see His people through.

 

Let’s pray

 

  • GOD (Revelation 7:1-8)

    • Preliminary thoughts

        • Which direction does the interlude look (backward or forward)

          • Some scholars believe that what we see in Revelation 7 looks back to before the first six seals are opened

            • They believe that the sealing of the saints happens prior to the four horsemen and definitely before the seven trumpets are sounded and the seven bowls are poured out

            • 1 Thessalonians 5:9, For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ

            • This is certainly true, but many people use this passage and belief to say that believers will not suffer persecution, trials, and death during the tribulation

            • Osborne asks the question that naturally comes to mind, “How can believers be protected and killed at the same time?”

              • The answer comes from realizing that protection and death apply to two different aspects of the end times

              • Saints are sealed and protected from God’s wrath that is seen in the seals, trumpets, and bowls

              • They are not, however, protected from the wrath of the beast

              • They will be persecuted and some will be killed by the inhabitants of the earth (unbelievers)

              • When the second horseman removed peace from the earth and caused men to slaughter each other, it was not God’s wrath that killed saints, but rather the unbelievers on earth

          • The interlude looks forward

            • This is certainly a possibility also

            • The phrase, “after this,” is referring to the order of time

              • John’s vision continues

              • There is a transition taking place into the interlude

              • This transition of the vision happens after the first six seals have been opened

            • Some scholars see all of Revelation 7 answering the question in Rev. 6:17, “who can stand?”

              • There are two groups who are empowered by God to stand

              • We’ll see today that those who are sealed can stand

              • Next week we’ll see that there is a great multitude in white robes who can stand

              • They are able to stand because of their personal relationship with Jesus Christ

              • God did and will see His people through

            • The angel from the east tells the other four angels not to harm the land, the sea, or the trees

              • The first three trumpets target the land, the sea, the trees, and the grass

              • Some of the bowl judgments affect the water (bowls 2 and 3)

              • In the seals the land is indirectly affected (famine)

          • “In its chronological relationship to the seals of 6:1-8, 7:1-8 gives us a flashback to the time just prior to God’s outpouring of judgment, and 7:9-17 takes us forward to the time following these judgments.” ​​ [Osborne, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, Revelation, 303]

          • Either of these viewpoints are acceptable and do not take away from the main principles taught here

        • The trumpets and bowls describe in more detail the seals

          • There are again two viewpoints suggested

          • One is that the seven trumpets and the seven bowls are repeating the judgments of the seven seals with more detail

          • The other is that the seven trumpets and the seven bowls are other judgments in addition to the those found in the seals

          • There are certainly some similarities found in the seals, trumpets, and bowls

          • We even see an increasing number of individuals being killed (4th seal – ¼ killed; 6th trumpet – 1/3 killed; after the 7th bowl – remainder of unbelievers destroyed)

          • Again, the principles taught in Scripture are not affected by whether the trumpets or bowls are additional judgments or a more detailed view of the seals

        • After the sixth seal is opened, John’s vision transitions to four angels standing at the ready

    • Holding Pattern (vv. 1-3)

        • Four angels

          • Four corners of the earth

            • Some individuals speculate that this means the 1st Century people believed that the earth was flat

            • There are other references in OT Scripture that speak about the earth being a circle, so the idea that the 1st Century people believed the earth was flat is probably incorrect (this line of reasoning is used primarily by individuals who are looking for “mistakes” in the Bible in hopes of causing reasonable doubt about the inerrancy of Scripture)

            • It was a common way of referring to every direction

              • It was used as a way of talking about the entire world as a whole

              • It was a figure of speech to identify all four directions of the compass

            • The four angels aren’t just standing at the four corners of the earth, but they are also holding back the four winds

            • “Both participles stress ongoing action, as the angels ‘stand’ firm and ‘restrain’ the winds from their destructive purpose until God’s appointed time.” ​​ [Osborne, 306]

          • Holding back the four winds

            • The Greek for “hold back” is a very strong verb which means to forcefully “hold back, restrain,” or “prevent” an action

              • These four angels aren’t just standing around idly, twiddling their thumbs

              • No, they are actively straining to hold back these four winds, which represent destruction and judgment

              • PRINCIPLE – God is all-powerful

                • God’s sovereign power over the winds is a regular part of the Jewish lore surrounding the apocalypse and astronomy [Keener, The NIV Application Commentary, Revelation, 233]

                • God is in control of His creation, which includes the winds of destruction/judgment

                • God is able to delegate His power to whomever He chooses, which He was done here in giving these four angels the ability to restrain the four winds of the earth

            • Four winds

              • The winds that are being held back are “winds of destruction”

              • These are God’s judgments, placed in a holding pattern until He tells the angels to release them

              • In Bible typology (the study of types or symbols), wind normally speaks of the judgment of God

                • Read Daniel 7:2-8

                • Jeremiah 49:36, I will bring against Elam the four winds from the four quarters of the heavens; I will scatter them to the four winds, and there will not be a nation where Elam’s exiles do not go.

                • Exodus 10:13-14, So Moses stretched out his staff over Egypt, and the Lord made an east wind blow across the land all that day and all that night. ​​ By morning the wind had brought the locusts; they invaded all Egypt and settled down in every area of the country in great numbers. ​​ Never before had there been such a plague of locusts, nor will there ever be again.

                • “According to the Apocalypse of Pseudo-John (xv), four great winds will sweep the face of the earth and cleanse it from sin.” ​​ [Mounce, 155]

                • Zechariah 6:1-5, I looked up again – and there before me were four chariots coming out from between two mountains – mountains of bronze! ​​ The first chariot had red horses, the second black, the third white, and the fourth dappled – all of them powerful. ​​ I asked the angel who was speaking to me, “What are these, my lord?” ​​ The angel answered me, “These are the four spirits [winds] of heaven, going out from standing in the presence of the Lord of the whole world.

              • In Jewish thought the winds that blew north-south or east-west were actually helpful winds, while those that blew diagonally (southwest-northeast or southeast-northwest or vice-versa) were considered harmful winds [Osborne, 305; Mounce, 155]

                • We see that God also uses the wind for good things – to be helpful

                • Exodus 10:18-19, Moses then left Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord. ​​ And the Lord changed the wind to a very strong west wind, which caught up the locusts and carried them into the Red Sea. ​​ Not a locust was left anywhere in Egypt.

                • Exodus 14:21, Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land.

            • We see then that the four angels are holding back the four winds of judgement from blowing on the land, sea, and trees

          • Land, sea, and trees

            • The coming judgments will not be directly against the inhabitants of the earth, but will definitely impact them

            • We will see the impact of the four winds of judgment on the land, sea, trees, and grass with the first three trumpets in Revelation 8

          • While the four angels are restraining the four winds of judgment, John sees another angel appear on the scene

        • Single angel from the east

          • Coming up from the east

            • The NASB is a more literal translation of the original Greek and actually captures what is in the Greek

            • And I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun . . . (Rev. 7:2)

            • We know that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, so some translators simply stated that this angel was coming up from the east

            • The angel has the seal of the living God with him

          • Seal of the living God

            • The 1st Century hearers would have connected and understood the significance of the seal

              • In the cults of the Greco-Roman era the worshipers had a seal placed on them to show that they belonged to the god(s) they worshiped [Osborne, 307]

              • A signet ring of a king or ruler was well known during the 1st Century

                • The ring was pressed into wax or clay to seal a document, which guaranteed its authenticity and protected the information contained in the document

                • The use of seals predates the OT Israelites and goes as far back as the Babylonians and Egyptians [Patterson, The New American Commentary, Revelation, 191]

                • Perhaps the most important source for the idea of saints being sealed is found in Ezekiel 9:3-4

                • Ezekiel 9:3-4, Now the glory of the God of Israel went up from above the cherubim, where it had been, and moved to the threshold of the temple. ​​ Then the Lord called to the man clothed in linen who had the writing kit at his side and said to him, “Go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it.”

                • In the Ezekiel text the mark was the Hebrew letter for “T” (the mark was made like a plus sign or an “X” – also thought to look like a cross) [Easley, 125]

              • “In the ancient world the seal meant ownership, protection, and privilege.” ​​ [Osborne, 307]

                • We know what the seal was because it is revealed in Revelation 14:1

                • Revelation 14:1, Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.

                • So the seal or signet ring that the angel is bringing with him has Jesus’ and God’s name on it and it is put on the foreheads of the 144,000

                • PRINCIPLE – God rules the cosmos and can protect His people from the consequences of judgments He sends to get the world’s attention.

                  • These believers are being spared from the coming judgments of God that will be poured out during the trumpets and bowls

                  • There is a distinction made between those who are sealed by the angel of God and those who are not

                  • After the fifth trumpet is sounded we see these words, And out of the smoke locusts came down upon the earth and were given power like that of scorpions of the earth. ​​ They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads (Rev. 9:3-4)

                  • This was not the first time that God made a distinction between His people and unbelievers

                  • He also did it with the Israelites and Egyptians during the days leading up to their exodus

                  • The livestock of the Israelites were not affected by the plague that God inflicted on the livestock of the Egyptians (Exod. 9:4)

                  • The firstborn sons of the Egyptians and their cattle were killed while the firstborn sons and cattle of the Israelites were not (Exod. 11:7)

                  • God made a distinction and He had the power to protect

                  • God will see His people through.

                • We can take comfort in the fact that we are God’s children and that He promises to see us through

                • God’s sealed servants will not be hurt by His judgment winds, but the teaching of Scripture as a whole tells us that “God’s people go through the trials caused by ‘the world, the flesh, and the devil’ (thus there are many martyrs), but they are spared the experience of God’s wrath because of Christ.” ​​ [Easley, 125]

              • The owner of the seal is identified here and the title used is very important

            • Living God

              • Those who were sealed by the Greco-Roman cults were sealed into a religion of god that is not alive

              • The God of creation is alive and able to protect His people

              • “Only Yahweh is active and alive. ​​ Only Yahweh intervenes in the affairs of his people. ​​ God’s actions for his people prove his power and demonstrate the nature of his person.” ​​ [Butler cited by Osborne, 308]

            • The fifth angel has arrived on the scene and is prepared to use the seal of God, but first he gives a command to the other four angels

          • The fifth angel’s command to the other four angels

            • He speaks to them in a loud voice (this is again speaking of clarity – his message was clear and understandable)

            • He tells them to continue restraining the winds of God’s judgment until the seal of God is put on the foreheads of the servants of our God

            • PRINCIPLE – God is patient with His creation.

              • This is a good thing for us

              • What we see throughout Revelation is that God continues to woo His people to the very end

              • 2 Peter 3:8-9, But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: ​​ With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. ​​ The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. ​​ He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

              • God’s attribute of patience was also apparent during the time of Noah when He waited patiently while the ark was being built (1 Peter 3:20)

              • God is still patient with us

              • God will see us through

        • At this point John hears the number of those who are to be sealed

    • Sealed Up (vv. 4-8)

        • Number sealed: ​​ 144,000

          • “The purpose here is to stress the perfect completeness of the whole (note ‘every tribe’) ‘number’ of the persevering faithful in the church in a threefold way: ​​ taking 12 (the number of completeness), then squaring it, and then multiplying by 1000, another symbol of completeness in the book.” ​​ [Osborne, 312]

          • The 144,000 are being sealed, which is perhaps the more important aspect of this passage

            • They are being protected from the coming trumpet and bowl judgments

            • PRINCIPLE – God guarantees His people a future with Him.

              • While He protects them from His coming wrath, they will still experience persecution from the beast and the inhabitants of the earth

              • Paul expresses this principle beautifully to the Corinthian believers

              • 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, Therefore we do not lose heart. ​​ Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. ​​ For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. ​​ So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. ​​ For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

        • List of tribes

          • There is much debate over whether or not the 144,000 are only Jews or if it represents all believers

          • Only Jews

            • If we read it literally, then we have to say that it represents Jews only

            • There will be 12,000 from each of the tribes of Israel who will be sealed

            • Romans 11:25-27, I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: ​​ Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. ​​ And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: ​​ “The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. ​​ And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins.”

            • They will represent Christ to the unbelievers on earth and some of them will experience martyrdom

          • All believers

            • There seems to be more evidence that the listing of the tribes is symbolic of all Christians and not just the Jews

            • By the time that John was writing in the 1st Century, it was difficult for Jews to determine their tribal heritage

              • Ten of the twelve tribes were virtually wiped out during the time of the Babylonians (sixth century B.C.) ​​ [Easley, 126-27]

              • Modern Jews have found it impossible to reconstruct which tribe they are actually descended from

              • This is not to marginalize or minimize God’s omnipotence (all-powerful) – He is certainly able to do the impossible and the miraculous

              • There are other factors in Scripture that perhaps point to the fact that it symbolizes all Christians

            • Scriptural backing

              • Seal on the forehead

                • We see the seal on the forehead in Rev. 7:3 and 14:1

                • Revelation 14:1, Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.

                  • In this passage, the tribes of Israel are not listed at all

                  • It certainly could be assumed that the same group is being spoken of here

                  • That’s why we need to continue searching and looking at other Scriptures

                • Revelation 3:12, Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. ​​ Never again will he leave it. ​​ I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the City of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name. (church in Philadelphia)

                • Revelation 22:4, They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.

                • Revelation 7:4-5 is the only reference in Revelation that associates the tribes of Israel with those who are sealed, yet the other passages are talking about all Christians

                • New Testament writers refer to all believers in Judaic terms

              • Believers as true Jews

                • Paul

                  • Romans 2:29, No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code.

                  • Galatians 3:29, If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

                  • Galatians 6:16, Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule, even to the Israel of God. (Paul is referring to the church in this passage)

                  • Philippians 3:3, For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh. (Paul is using the Jewish covenant of circumcision)

                • Peter

                  • Peter applies some Old Testament phrases to the New Testament church

                  • He is taking what is originally intended for the Jews and reapplies it to all believers

                  • 1 Peter 2:9, But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

                • James

                  • Finally, James addresses his letter to the twelve tribes scattered among the nations (James 1:1)

                  • He is not only writing to the Jews, but also to all believers

              • Servants of God

                • The entire letter of Revelation is written to all believers

                • Revelation 1:1, The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place.

                • In Rev. 7:3, those who are sealed are referred to as servants of our God

          • Unique list of tribes

            • The order in which the tribes are listed is unique to this list and is not found anywhere else in Scripture

              • Other listings of the tribes usually have them in birth order from oldest to youngest with Rueben being first and Joseph being omitted and his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, being included

              • Most scholars agree that Judah is listed first, because Jesus was born from Judah’s line – Revelation is all about Jesus being unveiled

            • The tribes that are listed are also unique

              • Normally the tribe of Levi is omitted because their inheritance was the Lord (they served the Lord in the Temple and receive portions of the animal, grain, and wine sacrifices)

              • The tribe of Dan is omitted from this list, supposedly because of their connection to idolatry (Judges 18:30; 1 Kings 12:29)

            • Equal numbers from each tribe

              • As mentioned earlier the number, 144,000, points to the perfect completeness of God’s servants who are sealed

              • We know from the Old Testament that there were not equal numbers of Israelites in each tribe

              • The first census is recorded in Numbers 1:20-42

              • The second census is found in Numbers 26:12-51

              • The division of land in the Promised Land was also not equal

              • This seems to point to something symbolic instead of literal

 

  • YOU

    • We serve an all-powerful God who guarantees us a future with Him, because He is able to protect us from the consequences of the judgments He sends to get the world’s attention

        • This should give you hope and courage as we continue to see the moral fiber of our culture disappear

        • Our hope and strength do not come from human beings, political powers, circumstances, possessions, or anything else

        • It only comes from God

        • He is the One who will see you through the difficulties of life

        • You have to focus upon Him and His Word

        • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Trust in the promise that God will see me through.

    • We know that God is infinitely patient with His creation

        • Perhaps you’ve experienced His incredible patience in your own life

          • That is something you can be thankful for

          • Have you expressed your gratitude and thankful to Him recently?

          • Maybe you need take time today to do that

        • His patience with all of creation is designed to allow everyone to come to repentance, so that no one will perish

          • Romans 3:10-12, As it is written: ​​ “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. ​​ All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.

          • Isaiah 59:2, But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.

          • 1 Peter 3:18, For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God.

          • Romans 5:8, But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

          • John 1:12-13, Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God – children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

          • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Believe in the name of Jesus and receive Him into my life, so I can become a child of God.

 

  • WE

    •  

 

CONCLUSION

“Many Christians have fretted about how the tribulation might affect them. ​​ My beloved father-in-law Bob was one of them. ​​ In the late 1970’s he became convinced that he needed to stockpile food for the family. ​​ He didn’t want us to starve to death in case of severe famine or in case Christians were forbidden to purchase anything during the coming days of crisis. ​​ He invested a substantial amount of savings into hundreds of cans of specially processed food, everything from whole-wheat flour to peanut butter to dried banana flakes. ​​ Supposedly he gathered enough to feed us (sparingly) for three years. ​​ All the goods had a guaranteed shelf life of at least ten years. ​​ Bob died in 1982, leaving in his garage row upon row of cans untouched. ​​ Finally in 1997 they were all disposed of – a total loss.

 

What Bob and so many others have needed to understand is that in one way or another, tribulation is the normal lot of God’s people during this life-time. ​​ We prepare for it spiritually, not physically.

Certainly John and the Christians of his day were going through the ‘tribulation.’ ​​ Without doubt, for Jesus and the New Testament writers, tribulation is the common lot of humanity, including faithful believers (for example, John 16:33; Rom. 5:3; Jas. 1:27), though it is to be endured joyfully by God’s people.” ​​ [Easley, 134-35]

We have hope, because God will see His people through.

13

 

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Will You Run or Repent?

, ,

Jesus Unveiled

Will You Run Or Repent?

(Revelation 6:12-17)

 

INTRODUCTION

“Colin Smith addresses people who object to God's judgment on sin:

 

You may say, "Wait a minute. How can any sin deserve everlasting destruction? If God is just, how can he punish like this?"

 

The best answer I ever heard to that question was given by a friend of mine who is a middle school pastor. He outlined the stages of the following scenario:

 

  • Suppose a middle school student punches another student in class. What happens? The student is given a detention.

  • Suppose during the detention, this boy punches the teacher. What happens? The student gets suspended from school.

  • Suppose on the way home, the same boy punches a policeman on the nose. What happens? He finds himself in jail.

  • Suppose some years later, the very same boy is in a crowd waiting to see the President of the United States. As the President passes by, the boy lunges forward to punch the President. What happens? He is shot dead by the secret service.

 

In every case the crime is precisely the same, but the severity of the crime is measured by the one against whom it is committed. What comes from sinning against God? Answer: Everlasting destruction.”

 

Colin S. Smith, from the sermon "God Will Bring Justice for You," www.UnlockingtheBible.com

 

[https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2011/august/5081511.html].

 

BODY

  • ME

    • Running and repenting

        • As a high school student, some friends from work and I went to another friend’s house and toilet papered his front yard

        • While we were doing this, the neighbor’s dog started barking through the screen door, which drew the attention of the neighbor man

        • He hollered out the screen door at us and we ran away

        • As soon as I got home, I felt so convicted that I called my friend and confessed to rolling his house

        • His father was not pleased and was very upset with me

        • I had broken trust with him and it took a long time to rebuild that trust

    • My boys

        • There have been times when my boys have not told me about certain things that have happened, because they wanted to avoid the “wrath of Dad!”

        • There was a vase that I bought Judy in Romania that had gotten broken

        • I found out about it much later when we were packing to move

        • I’ve also found out about dents on vehicles after seeing it for myself – the boys never called right after the incident happened

 

  • WE

    • Run

        • Perhaps you have a story or stories from your youth where you did something and then ran

        • You didn’t want to get caught

        • Perhaps you got away with it

        • Maybe you have a story of doing something that you parents have never found out about

        • Some of us may be carrying around the guilt or pride of doing something wrong and never being caught

    • Repent

        • Others of us were caught in the deed or our conscience got the better of us and we repented

        • For some the conviction of the Holy Spirit was so strong that while we initially ran, we eventually repented

 

God is all-knowing, so whether or not we were caught by human beings here on earth, God knows what we did. ​​ He is aware of the circumstances surrounding how each martyr was killed throughout all time.

 

The sixth seal shows that God will judge and avenge the blood of those who were killed for the Word of God and the testimony they had maintained. ​​ We understand from this passage that . . .

 

BIG IDEA – God’s justice is just in time.

 

Let’s pray

 

  • GOD (Revelation 6:12-17)

    • Signs (vv. 12-14)

        • Jesus opens the sixth seal and immediately we see that some pretty seismic things happen on earth and some pretty unusual things happen in the sky

        • PRINCIPLE – God is in control of His creation.

        • Earth (vv. 12b, 14b)

          • Earthquake

            • The imagery that John is sharing here would have been particularly alarming, especially for the churches at Sardis and Philadelphia (both cities were devastated by the earthquake that happened in AD 17)

            • Some pagans viewed earthquakes as judgment from the gods

            • Earthquakes are a part of God’s judgment

              • when the seventh trumpet is sounded and the seventh bowl is poured out

                • Revelation 11:13, 19, At that very hour there was a severe earthquake and a tenth of the city collapsed. ​​ Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the survivors were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven . . . Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. ​​ And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, and earthquake and a great hailstorm.

                • Read Revelation 16:18-21

                • In Jesus’ Olivet Discourse, he says that the beginning of birth pains will include famines and earthquakes in various places (Matt. 24:7)

                • Isaiah 2:19, Men will flee to caves in the rocks and to holes in the ground from dread of the Lord and the splendor of his majesty, when he rises to shake the earth.

            • We see a couple of examples in Scripture where God’s presence on earth is sometimes accompanied by the earth shaking

              • In Exodus 19:18 we see the Lord descending on Mt. Sinai and part of what happened was the mountain trembled violently

              • At Jesus’ death we learn that the earth shook, rocks split, and tombs broke open (Matt. 27:51-52)

            • The shaking of the earth will cause mountains and islands to move

          • Every mountain and island removed from its place

            • The description here says that “every” mountain and island are removed from their place

              • The Greek word can be translated “all, any, every, the whole”

              • This earthquake will affect the entire earth

              • It will shake the foundations of the earth

            • Haggai 2:6, “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ​​ ‘In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land.’”

            • Zechariah 14:4, On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south.

          • There is certainly seismic activity happening on the earth, but there is also cosmic activity in the heavens (sky)

        • Sky (vv. 12c-14a)

          • “For a people who held that the well-ordered movements of heavenly bodies were a token of God’s providential control, the breakdown of this order would be a grim announcement that the end of the world was at hand.” ​​ [Mounce, The New International Commentary on the New Testament, Revelation, 150]

            • Here the heavenly bodies that Mounce is talking about would have been the sun, moon, and stars

            • They knew the patterns and cycles well

            • They ordered their lives around the solar and lunar cycles

            • Some of us are more attuned to those cycles than others

              • Some hunters hunt based on the lunar cycles and how animals act and react during those cycles

              • Farmers are also pretty attentive to the solar and lunar cycles when it comes to planting and other aspects of farming

              • The ocean tides are affected by these cycles as well

            • The breakdown of the solar and lunar patterns and cycles will be an indication that something significant is happening – something has changed in God’s providential control of His creation

            • God is still in control of His creation and He is allowing seismic and cosmic activity according to His sovereign power

          • Sun turns black and moon turns blood red

            • We’re not going to spend a lot of time trying to explain how the sun turns black and the moon turns blood red

            • There are theories about how this will happen, but we’re not really told here

            • The principle that God is in control of His creation is the greater truth here

            • Here are a couple of theories:

              • The moving of every mountain and island will cause the surface of the earth to crack open and potentially allow volcanic activity (the ash and smoke from the volcanoes would block out the sun and make the moon appear red in color)

              • Nuclear warfare could produce a cloud “that would blacken the sun’s rays and make the moon appear red . . .” ​​ [Patterson, The New American Commentary, Revelation, 187]

              • Blood moons

                • These happen when a full lunar eclipse takes place

                • A full lunar eclipse is the result of the earth passing directly between the sun and the moon at just the right angel so that the moon is completely in the shadow of the earth

                • What causes the reddish or ruddy-brown color is a tiny bit of the earth’s light, from the sunrises and sunsets, fall on the surface of the moon, but the stretching of the light waves cause the light to appear red

                • There are three more lunar eclipses coming (July 27, 2018; January 19, 2019; July 16, 2019)

                • They will be visible in different parts of the world

              • The sun turning black and the moon turning blood red will be an event that the whole earth will see at the same time (they will either see the darkening of the sun or the moon turned blood red)

            • The prophets foretold these cosmic events

              • Joel 2:30-31, I will show wonders in the heavens and on earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke. ​​ The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.

              • Isaiah 50:3, I clothe the sky with darkness and make sackcloth its covering

                • The same imagery of sackcloth is used by Isaiah that John uses here in Revelation

                • “Sackcloth was a coarse woven fabric worn by ancient Israelites as a symbol of mourning – for the dead, for disaster, or for repentance.” ​​ [Easley, Holman New Testament Commentary, Revelation, 110]

            • The sun and moon aren’t the only heavenly bodies that are affected, but also the starry hosts

          • Stars fall

            • Most scholars agree that the stars falling to earth is the idea of a meteor shower

            • Easley explains that with our modern knowledge of astronomy we know that stars cannot literally fall to earth [Easley, 111]

            • Isaiah prophesied about this, All the stars of the heavens will be dissolved and the sky rolled up like a scroll; and the starry host will fall like withered leaves from the vine, like shriveled figs from the fig tree (Isaiah 34:4)

            • Jesus quotes the prophet Isaiah in Mark 13:25 concerning the stars falling from the sky and the heavenly bodies being shaken

            • The heavens will be in such torment that the sky will look like a scroll being rolled up

          • Sky recedes

            • Patterson expresses it this way, “Almost certainly what is being described here are meteorological storms of such increased magnitude that tornado and hurricane-like effects are created everywhere in the sky, giving the look of the rolling up of a scroll.” ​​ [Patterson, 188]

            • I’m reminded of the what a tornado sky or massive storm front looks like (look at these pictures of a tornado sky and storm front skies)

            • For the 1st Century reader, the imagery of the scroll rolling up would have been poignant – if one of their scrolls had been torn down the middle while it was unrolled to be read, both sides would rapidly return to the wooden spindles they were rolled on to

            • That’s the idea of what the skies will look like when the earth is shaken and the heavens are in chaos

        • All of this happening by the divine sovereign will of God – He is still in control of His creation and His justice is just in time

        • The judgment that is being poured out on the inhabitants of the earth is really an effort by God to help them understand who He is and that they need to turn to Him to be saved

        • We see an important principle in vv. 15-17 . . .

    • No Escape (vv. 15-17)

        • PRINCIPLE – No one is exempt from God’s judgment.

          • Position in life doesn’t matter

            • John lists those who would normally get special treatment in this life (kings, princes, generals, the rich, and the mighty)

            • There will not be any special treatment for them when the wrath of God is poured out

            • Political, military, and economic leaders will not be able to drop names or shell out money to protect themselves

          • Social status in life doesn’t matter

            • John highlights the social status in the 1st Century – slave or free

            • This is his way of saying that everyone will come under God’s judgment – no one will be exempt

        • Response to God’s judgment

          • Everyone on earth hid

            • The mountains and islands aren’t in the same place – their GPS coordinates (latitude and longitude) have changed

            • People are scrambling to find a place to hide from the wrath of God – they’re seeking self-preservation

              • Biblical examples [Osborne, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, Revelation, 295]

                • Lot and his daughters lived a cave in fear after the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 19:30)

                • Five Amorite kings hid in a cave after Joshua had destroyed their armies (Josh. 10:16)

                • David hid in a cave from the wrath of Saul (1 Sam. 22:1)

                • The armies of the Israel hid in caves and rocks from the Philistines (1 Sam. 13:6)

              • We do the same thing when a natural disaster hits

                • Flooding – go to higher ground

                • Hurricane – flee inland or away from the hurricane

                • Tornado – retreat to the basement or the bathtub

                • Tsunami – move away from the ocean

                • Wild fires – leave our homes

            • They are fearful

              • Isaiah 13:6-8, Wail, for the day of the Lord is near; it will come like destruction from the Almighty. ​​ Because of this, all hands will go limp, every man’s heart will melt. ​​ Terror will seize them, pain and anguish will grip them; they will writhe like a woman in labor. ​​ They will look aghast at each other, their faces aflame.

              • Isaiah 2:19, Men will flee to caves in the rocks and to holes in the ground from dread of the Lord and the splendor of his majesty, when he rises to shake the earth.

            • I like what Mounce says, “From the day when Adam and Eve hid themselves from the presence of God (Gen 3:8), the guilty conscience has made people fugitives from God. ​​ But now there is no longer a place to hide.” ​​ [Mounce, 152]

          • They seek death instead of repentance

            • They would prefer to die than to face God and Jesus Christ in judgment

              • Unfortunately dying will not keep them from judgment

              • They will still have to face God and Jesus Christ

            • Hosea 10:8, Then they will say to the mountains, “Cover us!” and to the hills, “Fall on us!”

            • There is also an element here of blaming God

              • They obviously know who is in control of the seismic and cosmic events

              • They want the mountains and rocks to hide them from the face of God and Jesus Christ

              • They will probably say the same things then that we say now, when natural disasters hit us

                • “It’s all God’s fault!”

                • “What did we do to deserve this?”

                • “Why is God punishing me?”

                • Insurance companies refer to natural disasters as “acts of God”

                • My parents experienced an “act of God” this past week when a tree fell on their house

                  • A branch went through my sisters bedroom and missed her by two feet

                  • It damaged both of my parent’s vehicles as well

            • They are still running from God instead of repenting before God

              • “There is no security, no firm ground to stand on, nothing in the universe to depend on except God himself. ​​ The rest of creation will collapse.” ​​ [Keener, The NIV Application Commentary, Revelation, 225]

              • We see here the total and complete rejection of God

              • They’re statement, “Who can stand?” shows that they have lost all hope and that they continue to refuse to acknowledge God and Jesus Christ as their Savior

 

  • YOU

    • Run or repent?

        • Perhaps you can relate today, because you are running from God or trying to hide from Him

          • God is all-knowing and present everywhere, so there is nothing you’ve done that is hidden from Him

          • You may think that running and hiding from God is working just fine for you, but a day is coming when the God of creation will remove every mountain and island from its place (God is all-powerful)

          • There will be no place for you to run and hide

        • There is hope for you

          • The wrath of God and the Lamb have not been poured out on the earth yet

          • We have not experienced the seismic and cosmic events that John describes here

          • There is still time for you to repent and turn to God and Jesus Christ for salvation

            • Romans 3:23, For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

            • Romans 6:23, For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord

            • Romans 5:8, But God demonstrates his own love four us in this: ​​ While we were still sinners, Christ died for us

            • Romans 10:9-10, 13, That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ​​ For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved . . . for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

    • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Believe in Jesus Christ as my Savior from sin and confess that with my mouth.

 

  • WE

    • As followers of Jesus Christ we have been commanded to take this message of hope and salvation to every nation

        • Matthew 28:18-20, Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ​​ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. ​​ And surely I am with you always to the very end of the age.”

        • We are called to Pursue, Grow, and Multiply disciples

        • Our personal testimony, of the life change that took place when we believed in Jesus and confessed that with our mouth, is the most powerful tool we have in sharing the message of hope and salvation to a lost world

        • We can’t stand by hoping that someone else will share this message of hope and salvation – we all have to be actively aware of the divine appointments that God provides for us each day

    • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Be attentive to the divine appointments that God has for me each day, to share His message of hope and salvation.

 

CONCLUSION

We learned last week that those who had given their lives for the Word of God and the testimony they had maintained were curious about the timing of God’s divine judgment and vengeance of their blood. ​​ He gave them a white robe and told them to wait a little while longer.

 

We saw today that God’s justice is just in time. ​​ He is aware of the afflictions of His people. ​​ He has not forgotten what we have suffered for His Word. ​​ He is aware of the testimony we have maintained. ​​ The day of God’s wrath is certain. ​​ It will happen. ​​ He will judge the inhabitants of the earth who have completely rejected Him.

10

 

/by

What Are You Holding On To?

,

Jesus Unveiled

What Are You Holding On To?

(Revelation 6:9-11)

 

INTRODUCTION

“One of the repeated emphases of the entire New Testament is that it is the very nature of the church to be a martyr people. ​​ When Jesus taught that a man to be his disciple must deny himself and take up his cross (Matt 10:38; 16:24), he was not speaking of self-denial or the bearing of heavy burdens; he was speaking of willingness to suffer martyrdom. ​​ The cross is nothing else than an instrument of death. ​​ Every disciple of Jesus is in essence a martyr; and John has in view all believers who have so suffered.” ​​ [Akin, Christ-Centered Exposition, Exalting Jesus in Revelation, 146].

 

“On December 2, 2014, the Christian Post carried a story titled, ‘Vicar of Baghdad: ​​ Four Iraqi Christian Kids Beheaded After Refusing to Convert to Islam, Telling ISIS Militants ‘No, We Love Jesus.’’ ​​ That story contained the following:

 

Four Iraqi Christian children, who were all beheaded by the Islamic State, refused to betray Jesus and graciously died in his name when the ISIS militants gave them one last chance to say the Islamic words of conversion, the Rev. Canon Andrew White revealed in a recent interview. . . . White recounted the recent incident when ISIS militants beheaded four kids, all of who were under the age of 15, when the kids refused to say that they would follow the Prophet Muhammad and told the ISIS fighters that they will always ‘love’ and ‘follow’ Jesus.

 

“ISIS turned up and they said to the children, ‘You say the words that you will follow Muhammad.’ ​​ The children, all under 15, four of them, they said, ‘No, we love Yasua [Jesus]. ​​ We have always loved Yasua. ​​ We have always followed Yasua. ​​ Yasua has always been with us,’” White said. ​​ “[The Militants] said, ‘Say the words!’ ​​ [The Children] said, ‘No, we can’t do that.’ ​​ They chopped all their heads off.” ​​ (“Beheaded,” Dec. 2, 2014).” ​​ [Akin, 146-47] ​​ 

 

BODY

  • ME

    • Earbuds over Relationship

        • I want to share one of my failures that happened recently

        • We were traveling to FL for the Pastor and Spouse Summit and Levi was with us

        • He asked to borrow a set of earbuds, so when we stopped next I got a pair out of my book bag (I always carry two pair with me)

        • I gave him my older pair to use

        • When we stopped later, I was getting into my book bag to look for something else and noticed that the newer pair of earbuds were not in their case

        • So, I asked Levi if he knew where they were

        • He had taken the newer pair at another stop and started using them

        • I was upset, because he had switched them and hadn’t asked me to use the newer pair

        • He returned the newer pair, but a little while later I felt convicted for overreacting and holding on to the newer pair of earbuds too tightly

        • I apologized to Levi and told him that he could use my newer pair of earbuds, which he did for the rest of the trip

        • It’s sad that my initial reaction was to value the earbuds over my relationship with Levi, but the Holy Spirit quickly convicted me of that

 

  • WE

    • Valuing Possessions over Relationships

        • Perhaps we’re all guilty of doing this in some form

        • We can easily become upset when our children or grandchildren touch something that we highly value (our fear is that they will break it, making it valueless)

          • It can be our vehicle

          • It may be some decorative piece in our home

          • Perhaps it’s an electronic device

          • It could be a computer or gaming system, a television or sound system

          • Maybe it’s an heirloom

        • I want you take a moment to think about that one item that you perhaps value over a relationship

    • Comfort over Eternal Relationships

        • We tend to do that when it comes to sharing the Gospel with those in our sphere of influence and especially outside our sphere of influence

        • Keener expresses it well after he says that Christians should witness boldly because we know that we will be persecuted and that God will vindicate us, “Yet, in the United States, it is often my experience that Christians are complacent, satisfied with their own conversion and personal ‘growth.’ ​​ As I witness to members of various cults like Mormons, I often find a greater commitment to spreading their message – though it is a false gospel – than I find among most evangelical churchgoers.” ​​ [Keener, The NIV Application Commentary, Revelation, 225]

John sees the souls of martyred believers, and hears that there will be more martyrs coming. ​​ If he was here with us today, he would probably ask us the question . . .

 

BIG QUESTION – Are we willing to sacrifice everything for the Gospel?

 

Let’s pray

 

  • GOD (Revelation 6:9-11)

    • Martyrs (v. 9)

        • Fifth seal opened

          • Jesus opens the fifth seal and immediately John sees an altar in heaven with the souls of martyrs under it

          • For those who hold to a pre-tribulation rapture of the church, there is an effort to explain the scene that John reveals after the opening of the fifth seal

            • Some scholars suggest that this is an interlude in the judgments, that give us a glimpse of where those who have been martyred, throughout history, have gone

            • Yet the prayer of supplication from these souls would not apply to the martyrs of past history, because those who persecuted and killed them would have already died and come into judgment before God

            • So it’s probably not referring to all souls that have been martyred, but rather to the most recent souls that were killed at the hands of the inhabitants of the earth

              • “Far more probable is that the opening of the fifth seal introduces the fact that even the elect of the tribulation period do not avoid the consequences of the far-reaching impact of the seal judgments.” ​​ [Patterson, The New American Commentary, Revelation, 183]

              • Osborne cites Heil, “He believes the ‘slaughter’ occurred as the result of the ‘slaughter’ of the first four seals (6:4) . . .” ​​ [Osborne, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, Revelation, 283]

              • Both Patterson and Heil suggest that believers are still here on earth during the opening of the first four seals

              • They would have been killed when the red horse and its rider removed peace from the earth and made men slaughter each other

              • Other believers would have died from starvation caused by famine, through illness caused by plague/pestilence, and by wild animals because of their weakened physical state

          • These martyrs are under an altar

        • Martyrs under the altar

          • Added to the throne room scene is now an altar

          • There is no explanation about this altar, because John is more concerned about what is under the altar

          • There are two viewpoints about which Old Testament altar is represented by this altar in heaven

            • Position of the martyrs

              • We see that the martyrs (souls) are under the altar

              • This would have recalled for the 1st Century reader the blood that the priests poured out during the sacrifices – it went under the altar of burnt offering

              • Leviticus 4:7, The priest shall then put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of fragrant incense that is before the Lord in the Tent of Meeting. ​​ The rest of the bull’s blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.

              • The same procedure is carried out for all sin offerings and for the ordination of the priests (Lev. 4:18, 25, 34; 5:9; 8:15; 9:9)

              • “At the ancient tabernacle of the Israelites, the blood of slaughtered animals was drained at the base of the altar, with the blood representing the life (soul) of the animal.” ​​ [Easley, Holman New Testament Commentary, Revelation, 109]

              • Leviticus 17:11, For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life.

              • We see a similarity then in the souls of the martyrs who are at the base of the altar in heaven

              • The other viewpoint is that the altar in heaven, from John’s vision, represents the altar of incense

            • Prayers of the martyrs

              • The reasoning behind this viewpoint comes from verse 10 and the fact that the martyrs are lifting up prayers of supplication before the Lord

              • Those who prefer the altar of incense refer to the other references of an altar in heaven and how it talks about it being an altar of incense (Rev. 8:3, 5; 9:13; 11:1; 14:18; 16:7)

              • Revelation 8:3, Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. ​​ He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne.

              • We also see in Scripture that the prayers of the saints are like incense

                • Psalm 141:2, May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.

                • Revelation 5:8, And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. ​​ Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are like the prayers of the saints.

          • Mounce’s viewpoint is mentioned by two other commentators [Akin & Osborne] when he says, “It is probably unnecessary to conjecture whether the altar is the altar of burnt offering or the altar of incense. ​​ The theme of sacrifice would suggest the former, but the prayers that rise (v. 10) seem to indicate the latter. ​​ There is no reason why in John’s vision the two should not blend together as one.” ​​ [Mounce, The New International Commentary on the New Testament, Revelation, 146]

            • We saw in Leviticus 4:7 that the blood of the animal sacrifice was put on the horns of the altar of incense and the remainder of the blood was poured out at the base of the altar of burnt offering

            • Both altars had the life of the animal (soul) used on them

          • Which altar is represented here is of less importance to me than the reason behind why these souls were martyred

        • Why they were martyred?

          • Word of God

            • For the readers of the 1st Century, the Word of God went hand-in-hand with the teachings/testimony of Jesus Christ that they had heard directly from Jesus or from His apostles

            • It is not necessarily two different things that are being communicated here, but rather the second being more specific about the first [Mounce, 147]

          • Testimony they had maintained

            • Is this the testimony they received from Jesus or the testimony they maintained for Jesus

            • Maintained

              • John was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony he had maintained for Jesus (Rev. 1:9)

              • It is important for us to maintain our testimony for Jesus, but our testimony comes from who Jesus is and what He did and said on earth

            • Received from Jesus

              • “The Greek word martus, which gives us our English word martyr, simply means ‘a witness.’” ​​ [Wiersbe, 588]

              • Revelation 2:13, I know where you live – where Satan has his throne. ​​ Yet you remain true to my name. ​​ You did not renounce your faith in me, even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city – where Satan lives.

              • Revelation 17:6, I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus.

              • “Those who died, therefore, are those who gave their lives in faithfulness to God as revealed in and through Jesus Christ.” ​​ [Mounce, 147]

        • We see here that these martyrs from the time of the tribulation (opening of the first four seals) gave everything for the Gospel of Jesus Christ

          • “Some ants build; some ants sow and later reap the crop; and some apes fight and have wars although they are not as cruel as people are. But nothing in nature, except for man, ever tries to think of the meaning of life. Nothing climbs above its natural physical needs. No living creature, except for a man, is able to take a risk, and even the risk of death, for the sake of truth. Thousands of martyrs who have lived are a unique phenomenon in the history of all our solar system.”

            Slain Russian Orthodox priest Aleksandr Menn, cited by Larry Woiwode in Books & Culture, Vol. 2, no. 2.

            [https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/1998/february/2843.html]

          • They did not hold on to their own lives too tightly

          • Are we willing to sacrifice everything for the Gospel?

            • PRINCIPLE – God may require some of His people to give their lives in service to Him and the Gospel.

            • Keener shares that some of his students (primarily from the United States) in his Revelation class at Palmer Theological Seminary were getting nervous about the possibility of martyrdom

            • Emmanuel Itapson, a student and minister from northern Nigeria, “explained that martyrdom looks small when you actually face it.” ​​ Keener continues, “If we have proved our faithfulness in most of the tests we face today, we will have practiced for bigger tests if they come.” ​​ [Keener, 226]

            • Hudson Taylor was looking for men and women to establish “culturally sensitive indigenous Chinese churches” and who would put Jesus, China, and souls, above everything else in their lives, including their own lives [Keener, 226]

            • The Boxer Rebellion of 1900 tested the testimony of the missionaries and Chinese Christians (188 Protestant missionaries and 30,000 Chinese Christians were slaughtered), yet their martyrdom launched a “threefold church growth in the next decade.” ​​ [Keener, 226]

            • As Christians in the United States, who have rarely if ever experienced any kind of persecution for our faith are really unwilling to sacrifice anything for the Gospel, let alone our own lives

            • Musician, John Fischer, expresses our lack of sacrifice well, “Point a gun at each of the 60 million people who, according to Mr. Gallup’s poll, are born-again Christians. ​​ Tell them to renounce Christ or have their heads blown off, and then take a recount. ​​ I think George, like Gideon, would find his troops dwindling. ​​ Actually, the price probably wouldn’t have to be so extreme. ​​ Threatening to confiscate their TV sets might just produce the same results. ​​ When faith is cheap, it is easily pawned.” ​​ [Keener, 227]

            • Billy Graham asked the question of himself that applies to every believer: ​​ “In my eagerness to give away God’s great gift, have I been honest about the price He paid in His war with evil? ​​ And have I adequately explained the price we must pay in our own war against the evil at work in and around our lives?” ​​ [Keener, 227]

              • Here’s the difficult part for many Christians in the United States today, Billy Graham was highly motivated and eager to share the Gospel with everyone he came in contact with and yet questioned his own heart

              • As followers of Jesus Christ (who are mostly fearful about sharing the Gospel with our closest friends) do we even care about or love those in our communities who will spend all eternity separated from Jesus Christ and God?

              • We may say we care about and love them, but are we willing to sacrifice everything we have, including our own lives to share the Gospel with them

          • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Ask the Lord to help me willingly sacrifice everything for the Gospel.

            • I’m not asking you to go sell everything you have and move overseas to share the Gospel

            • If God prompts you to do that, then be obedient to Him

            • I’m asking you to consider sacrificing one or two things in order to be on mission to Pursue, Grow, and Multiple Disciples for Jesus Christ

            • I can’t tell you what it is you need to sacrifice, but I encourage you to diligently pray until you hear the voice of God telling you what He wants you to sacrifice

            • It may be money, possessions, time, fear, or something else

        • “Throughout the persecution and suffering in the book, the church is presented as a witnessing church. ​​ They do not flee for their lives or compromise the gospel in order to avoid persecution but boldly maintain their witness in the desperate situation.” ​​ [Osborne, 285-86]

        • The martyrs under the altar are praying a prayer of supplication

    • Martyr’s Request (v. 10)

        • They are calling out in a loud voice, which is again representative of their prayer being clearly heard and understood

        • Their prayer

          • They are praying to the Sovereign Lord

            • The Greek word for “Lord” is despotes and is used for the master of slaves

              • What is being expressed is that God has absolute power and authority – they are recognizing Him for who He really is, Omnipotent

              • It is only used here in Revelation

            • They also use two other attributes of God

              • Holy – perfect

              • True – trustworthy

            • Our prayers to the Lord should also be seasoned with the attributes of God

          • How long until you judge and avenge our blood?

            • We see the use of the question, “How long,” in other parts of Scripture

              • The Psalmist asks the Lord, how long, How long will the wicked, O Lord, how long will the wicked be jubilant? ​​ (Psalm 94:3)

              • The prophet Habakkuk asks the Lord, how long, How long, O Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen? ​​ Or cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not save? ​​ (Habakkuk 1:2)

              • Jesus explains in the parable of the persistent widow that God will bring about justice, And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? ​​ Will he keep putting them off? ​​ (Luke 18:7)

              • God is not blind, His arms are not short, He is aware of the plight of the martyrs

            • The martyrs are not pleading for personal revenge or vengeance, but rather for God’s divine justice to be served

              • They are not questioning whether or not God will judge, but rather inquiring about the timing – when will it happen?

              • The opening of the sixth seal (Rev. 6:12-17) will bring some judgment on those who have slain these martyrs

              • We will also see that the Lord has heard their prayers as the seventh seal is opened and the golden censer is used

              • Read Revelation 8:3-5

          • Inhabitants of the earth

            • This is talking about the human race that is in rebellion against God

            • These are not believers that are being referred to here

        • The martyrs do not have to wait long for the Lord’s answer concerning their prayer of supplication

    • More Martyrs (v. 11)

        • God responds in two ways

        • White robe

          • First, the Lord gives each of the martyrs a white robe

            • “Was given” is another divine passive, which tells us that this is the sovereign will of God

            • The white robe in this passage would have been one that reached to the floor

              • It was a robe of honor and dignity

              • The color white speaks of purity, holiness, blessedness, and victory

              • “The white robe assigned each of these martyr-spirits as a pledge of future and final glory (vii. 9) and a consoling proof that no judgment awaited them (xx. 4-6), is a favourite gift in the Jewish heaven (cf. Enoch 1xii. 15 f., and ASC. Isa. Ix. 24 f.).” ​​ [Moffatt cited by Patterson, 185]

            • They were probably given this robe as a reward for their faithfulness to the Lord, even to the point of death

          • “As we began to pastor our first church, my wife, Lori, and I found we were going to have a third child. Several weeks later, Lori was going through her clothes, which no longer fit. Watching her, our 5-year-old son asked, ‘Mom, now that you're going to have a baby, are you going to have to wear 'eternity' clothes?’”

            Rev. Bill McKibben, Woodlake, Cal. "Kids of the Kingdom," Christian Reader.

            [https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/1997/august/778.html]

          • That’s what I envision when I see the Lord giving these martyrs a white robe – they have received their “eternity clothes”

          • We see that the Lord responds in a second way

        • Wait for more martyrs

          • He tells the martyrs to wait a little longer

          • The Greek word for “wait” can be translated “stop” or “rest”

            • Within the context, the martyrs are being asked to stop their plea before God

            • But it also has the sense that they can rest knowing that God will judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge their blood

          • They are told to stop or rest, because there are more martyrs who need to join them before God is ready to judge the wicked on earth

          • PRINCIPLE – God will avenge the death of His saints at the right time.

            • “The emphasis is on divine sovereignty. ​​ God knows each one who is to be martyred and will vindicate them all at the proper time, which will soon come.” ​​ [Osborne, 289]

            • There is nothing to fear in martyrdom, because God is still in control

            • Those who are martyred for the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ are precious to God

            • Psalm 116:15, Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.

            • We know that the Lord is the One who will defend and avenge us – He has promised that in Scripture

              • Deuteronomy 32:35a, It is mine to avenge; I will repay.

              • Romans 12:19, Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ​​ “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.

 

  • YOU

    • Martyrdom

        • We don’t know if God will require us to give our lives for the Gospel

        • The question is really, are we willing to sacrifice everything for the Gospel?

          • Is there something that is holding you back?

          • Perhaps you need to sacrifice that item(s)

          • Most of us know, intuitively, what we should sacrifice in order to be on mission for the Lord

          • Are we willing to take that step

          • Romans 12:1-2, Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship. ​​ Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. ​​ Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.

    • Hope for our eternity

        • We know that God will judge those who persecute us and avenge the blood of His saints

        • Paul taught this hope of eternity to the Corinthian believers

        • 2 Corinthians 5:6-8, Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. ​​ We live by faith, not by sight. ​​ We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with Lord.

        • Do you have that confidence today?

 

CONCLUSION

“Mark Batterson tells of a modern day martyr in his book Chase the Lion:

 

With his hands tied behind his back, missionary J. W. Tucker was beaten and then with sixty of his Christian compatriots he was thrown into the crocodile-infested Bomokande River. It wasn't ISIS or Al-Qaeda who claimed responsibility. The attack took place on November 24, 1964, at the hands of Congolese rebels.

 

Our natural instinct is to feel sorry for Tucker, whose earthly life was seemingly cut short. But life can't be cut short when it lasts for all eternity. A holy empathy for his wife and children, who survived the terrorist attack, is biblically mandated. But heaven gained a hero, a hero in a long line of heroes who trace their genealogy back to the first Christian martyr, Stephen.

 

In the grand scheme of God's good, pleasing, and perfect will, eternal gain infinitely offsets earthly pain. God doesn't promise us happily ever after. He promises so much more than that—happily forever after.

 

It was that eternal perspective that inspired J. W. Tucker to risk his earthly life for the gospel. Tucker didn't fear death because he had already died to self. It wasn't an uncalculated risk that led J. W. Tucker into the Congo during a civil war. He counted the cost with his missionary friend Morris Plotts. Plotts tried to convince his friend not to go. "If you go in," he prophetically pleaded, "you won't come out." To which Tucker responded, "God didn't tell me I had to come out. He only told me I had to go in."

 

Adapted from Mark Batterson, Chase the Lion (Multnomah, 2016), page 107

 

[https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2017/september/7091817.html].

10

 

/by

The Horses of a Different Color

, ,

Jesus Unveiled

The Horses of a Different Color

(Revelation 6:1-8)

 

INTRODUCTION

Somewhere in Eastern Europe, an SS officer watched languidly, his machine gun cradled, as an elderly and bearded Hasidic Jew laboriously dug what he knew to be his grave. Standing up straight, he addressed his executioner. "God is watching what you are doing," he said. And then he was shot dead.

 

What Hitler did not believe, and what Stalin did not believe, and what Mao did not believe, and what the SS did not believe, and what the Gestapo did not believe, and what the NKVD did not believe, and what the commissars, functionaries, swaggering executioners, Nazi doctors, Communist Party theoreticians, intellectuals, Brown Shirts, Blackshirts, Gauleiters, and a thousand party hacks did not believe, was that God was watching what they were doing.

 

And as far as we can tell, very few of those carrying out the horrors of the twentieth century worried overmuch that God was watching what they were doing either.

 

John Lennox, Gunning for God (Lion Hudson, 2011), page 89

 

[https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2016/january/4011116.html]

 

What every one of those world leaders thought was that they had created their own power and authority. ​​ It was not given to them by anyone or anything. ​​ They had taken it or created it on their own. ​​ But that was not the case. ​​ It was given to them, but they did not acknowledge the source.

 

BODY

  • ME

    • Leading my family

        • The authority to lead my family is not something I created or took on by myself

        • Ephesians 5:22-24, Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. ​​ For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. ​​ Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

        • 1 Corinthians 11:3, Now I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.

        • The authority and responsibility to lead my family comes from God

    • Leading the church

        • My calling to pastoral ministry was clear – it came from God

        • My ordination as an elder in the United Brethren in Christ denomination came after completing the necessary years of service, educational requirements, and examination from the regional Ministerial Licensing and Ordination Team and the approval of the Pastoral Ministry Leadership Team

        • The authority to lead in the church is not something I created or took on by myself – it comes from God

        • Romans 13:1, Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. ​​ The authorities that exist have been established by God.

 

  • WE

    • Authority at home

        • The authority you have in your home comes only from God

        • We may not recognize or acknowledge that it comes from Him

        • We like to think that we have created our own authority, but that’s not the case

    • Authority at work

        • The authority we have at work is not our own

        • It is given to us by those in authority over us

        • Ultimately, the authority is given by God

 

John watches as Jesus begins opening the seven seals on the scroll. ​​ The first four go together because of the four horses and their riders that are sent out. ​​ From this scene we will see that . . .

BIG IDEA – Evil is allowed to act only within the sovereignty of God.

 

Let’s pray

 

  • GOD (Revelation 6:1-8)

    • Background

        • What we see with the first four seals is what Jesus mentions during His Olivet Discourse (Matt. 24:1-25; Mark 13:1-23; Luke 21:5-24)

          • One of His disciples comments on the size of the stones and the beauty of the buildings in Jerusalem

          • Jesus tells them that a time is coming when all the stones will be thrown down

          • The disciples want to know when this is going to happen and what the signs will be

          • Mark 13:7-8, When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. ​​ Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. ​​ Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. ​​ There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. ​​ These are the beginning of birth pains.

          • Jesus doesn’t say it is the end, but that it is the beginning of the end

          • “The seven seals are preliminary judgments on the earth that prepare for the trumpets and bowls.” ​​ [Osborne, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, Revelation, 269]

        • We see various colored horses in Zechariah’s prophecy

          • Read Zechariah 1:7-11

          • Read Zechariah 6:1-8

        • “The primary theme is divine sovereignty, as the Lamb initiates the event, and in three of them the divine passive ‘was given’ (6:2, 4, 8) controls the action. ​​ This means that the activities of the horsemen take place only as authorized by God . . . the first four seals center on the depravity of mankind . . . In other words, God simply allows human sin to come full circle, turn in upon itself, and self-destruct.” ​​ [Osborne, 272]

        • This leads us to Revelation 6:1-8 and the first seal that is opened

    • White horse (vv. 1-2)

        • We know from Revelation 5:5 that there is One who is able to open the scroll and its seven seals

          • He is identified as the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David

          • When John turned to see the Lion, he saw a Lamb that looked like it had been slain

          • This is the same Lamb mentioned in Revelation 6 that is opening the first six seals on the scroll

        • After the first seal is opened one of the four living creatures that is surrounding the throne of God speaks

          • His voice is like thunder

          • He simply says one word, “Come!”

            • In the Greek it is an imperative form of the verb, which is in the present tense

            • It means that living creature is saying it as a command

          • He is summoning something or someone to enter the scene

        • A white horse comes into view with a rider on its back

          • Who is this rider?

            • There are three interpretations of who this rider is

              • The first is that it represents Jesus Christ riding out in victory with the Gospel

                • Those who hold this belief look at Revelation 19:11 where Christ is identified as the rider of a white horse

                  • Revelation 19:11, I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. ​​ With justice he judges and makes war.

                  • His weapon in 19:15 is a sword that comes out of His mouth and not a bow

                • The only similarity is that both riders are riding on white horses

                • If Jesus is the One opening the seals, it seems strange that He would then ride out on a white horse at this point

                • The living creature is commanding the rider to come, and no heavenly being would command Jesus to do anything [Akin, Christ-Centered Exposition, Exalting Christ in Revelation, 134]

                • It would be unusual for one of the four horsemen to represent something good when the other three are representing the judgements of God on humanity

              • The second is that it represents the Antichrist

                • This is certainly a good and viable option

                  • The Antichrist will attempt to look like Christ, to imitate Christ – riding on a white horse

                  • He will appear to come in peace, but eventually his true purpose will be revealed

                • Daniel 9:26-27, “After the sixty-two ‘sevens,’ the Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing. ​​ The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. ​​ The end will come like a flood: ​​ War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed. ​​ He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ ​​ In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. ​​ And on a wing of the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.”

                • Jesus mentions this prophecy from Daniel when He talks about the future with His disciples in Matthew 24:15

                • The very first thing that Jesus mentions in His Olivet Discourse is the arrival of those who will claim to be the Christ

                • Matthew 24:5, “For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.”

                • John 5:43, I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him.

              • The third interpretation is that it symbolizes military conquest

                • The second and third ones can be easily connected

                • The reason for making it distinct is that the other three are all symbolic of something else

                • Conquest would naturally lead to war, war would naturally lead to famine, famine would naturally lead to death

            • The rider is on a white horse and has two items that John mentions

          • Significance of the white horse, bow, and crown

            • In order to understand the significance of the white horse, bow, and crown we have to place ourselves in the 1st Century

              • The 1st Century hearer of this revelation would have immediately thought of a military force that utilized white horses and bows

              • “Parthians were famous, like Scythians, for their horses. ​​ There were known as mounted warriors, and their cavalry were especially known for their formidable archery . . . the Parthians were all mounted archers; they were the only group of mounted archers know in the ancient Mediterranean world. ​​ White was the sacred color of the Parthians, and every Parthian army included some sacred white horses.” ​​ [Keener, The NIV Application Commentary, Revelation, 202]

              • The Parthians had conquered a Roman army twice – once in 55 B.C. and once in A.D. 62 [Osborne, 277]

              • They were a group of tribes east of the Euphrates River that were skilled at accurately shooting arrows from a charging horse [Osborne, 277]

              • The Parthian victory was probably part of the history taught to Greco-Roman children

            • Only the bow is mentioned here and not arrows, which some believe points to this rider coming in peace, which the Antichrist will do at first, but eventually will conquer the world through war, famine, and death

            • The crown is again the “victors crown” and not the royal crown

              • The Greek word is stephanos instead of diadema

              • Jesus will be wearing the royal crowns (diadema) when He comes, as we see in Revelation 19:12

              • For the hearer in the 1st Century the “victors crown” may have symbolized the independence of the Parthians from Roman rule – they had not been conquered by Rome

              • One more very important aspect of the crown was that it “was given” to the rider

                • The first, second, and fourth riders are all “given” certain things

                • Mounce cites Caird who says that normally in Revelation this refers to “the divine permission granted to evil powers to carry out their nefarious work.” ​​ [Mounce, The New International Commentary on the New Testament, Revelation, 142]

                • This takes us back to our big idea that, evil is allowed to act only within the sovereignty of God.

                • God is in control of His creation and He orchestrates all that happens, even the final judgements on mankind

            • This rider is sent out by God to accomplish a particular purpose on the earth

          • His purpose is to conquer and he’s intent on carrying out that purpose

        • We don’t know the timeframe between the opening of the first seal and the opening of the second, but when the Lamb opens the second seal another horse and its rider appear

    • Red horse (vv. 3-4)

        • The second living creature commands the second horse and his rider to come

        • The color of the horse is symbolic of what will take place as this rider moves out – there will be bloodshed and slaughter

        • God’s sovereign control

          • The phrase “was given” is again important

          • It is mentioned twice in these two verses

          • The rider of the red horse is not acting on his own

          • BIG IDEA: ​​ Evil is allowed to act only within the sovereignty of God.

          • He is given the power or authority to do two things

            • Take peace from the earth

              • This goes back to what Jesus said in Mark 13:7-8, that there would be wars and rumors of wars and that nations and kingdoms will rise up against each other

              • There have been wars throughout history, but even during the two World Wars there were pockets of peace

              • That will not be the case when the red horse and its rider are released

              • He will remove peace from the entire earth

              • Many believe Paul is referring to the red horse and its rider when he shares with the Thessalonian believers about the man of lawlessness

              • 2 Thessalonians 2:6-7, And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. ​​ For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way.

              • Peace will be gone, because God will remove His hand of protection from the earth

                • He is the One who holds back the power of lawlessness

                • He is the One who has not allowed humanity to express its full depravity

              • We see the result of God removing His sovereign protection from the earth

            • Make men slaughter each other

              • The rider is also given the power or authority to make men slay each other

              • The verb in Greek is very strong and means more than just killing each other

              • It means to slaughter

                • There will be a thirst for blood

                • Any moral or ethical boundaries that God and society have established will be stripped away

                • We see this kind of thirst for blood in serial killers

                  • Once they cross the line the first time, they have to continue taking lives

                  • There is a rush, a euphoric feeling that pushes them to continue to take lives

                  • All humanity will experience that thirst for blood

              • “Assassination and civil unrest, riots in the streets, and rebellion against authority will run rampant. ​​ No one will be safe. ​​ One will live in constant fear of life not knowing whom to trust.” ​​ [Akin, 135]

                • Matthew 24:9-11, “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. ​​ At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.

                • There’s a series of three movies called The Purge and the idea behind the series is that due to an increase in crime and overcrowding in the prison system, the government of the United States sanctions a 12-hour period every year where any and all criminal activity, including murder, become legal

                • When the fiery red horse and its rider are released, this idea from The Purge will not last just 12-hours, but will be continual

            • While the rider is given the authority to take peace from the earth and to make men slaughter each other, he is also given a large sword to accomplish this purpose

          • He is also given a large sword to accomplish his task

            • The sword that is referenced here is not the double-edged long sword

            • It is the Roman short sword or dagger that is used for close hand-to-hand combat

        • Peaceful conquest has given way to bloodshed, which prepares us for the next horse and rider

    • Black horse (vv. 5-6)

        • The third living creature commands the third horse and his rider to come

        • The color of the horse (black) is symbolic of what will happen when this horse and its rider are released on the earth – there will be famine

        • The rider is holding a pair of scales

          • The scale was a common tool used in the agora (marketplace) of every Roman and Near Eastern city in the 1st Century

          • It was a balance beam with a scale on each end, designed to ensure justice

          • They would use the scale to measure out the appropriate amount of grain

          • “During war the conquering army would live off the countryside, often taking the food by force and leaving a denuded countryside in its wake. ​​ Famine was the natural result.” ​​ [Osborne, 280]

          • Farmers would have been included in the individuals who were slaughtering each other after the second horse and its rider were released, so you also have the scarcity of those who planted and harvested the crops

          • Having grain or bread measured out by weight was a sign of scarcity/famine

            • Leviticus 26:26, When I cut off your supply of bread, ten women will be able to bake your bread in one oven, and they will dole out the bread by weight. ​​ You will eat, but you will not be satisfied.

            • Ezekiel 4:16-17, He then said to me, “Son of man, I will cut off the supply of food in Jerusalem. ​​ The people will eat rationed food in anxiety and drink rationed water in despair, for food and water will be scarce. ​​ They will be appalled at the sight of each other and will waste away because of their sin.”

          • While this rider is not given power or authority to do anything, we still see the sovereignty of God at work

        • God’s sovereign control

          • John hears what sounds like a voice among the four living creatures

            • It is not stated directly that it is the voice of God

            • The only thing that is among the four living creatures in the throne room scene of chapter 4 is God sitting on His throne, so it stands to reason that the voice is probably His

            • God was explaining the severity of the famine

          • Inflation for daily bread

            • Grain

              • Wheat

                • This was the preferred grain, because it had a better nutritional value

                • It was primarily eaten by the wealthy

              • Barley

                • This was primarily eaten by the poor and fed to animals, because the nutritional value was less than wheat

                • It was less expensive than wheat because of supply and demand

            • Quart

              • This measurement would have been enough for one person for one day

              • Imagine having wheat or barley kernels poured out into your hands as they are cupped together – that is approximately the measurement used here

            • Day’s wages

              • The standard for a day’s wage was a denarius, a single silver coin in the 1st Century

              • During that time period the day laborer was paid at the end of every day, so he or she could go to the marketplace and purchase food for themselves and their family

              • Leviticus 19:13, “Do not defraud your neighbor or rob him. ​​ Do not hold back the wages of a hired man overnight.”

              • 1 Timothy 5:18, For the Scripture says, “Do not muzzle the ox while it is treading out the grain,” and “The worker deserves his wages.”

              • In Matthew 20:1-16 we see Jesus’ parable of the workers

                • Each of them agreed to receive a denarius for the amount of work they did

                • Some worked all day while the others only worked a portion of the day

                • They were all called together at the end of the day to receive their wages – one denarius

                • The landowner did not wait until the next day to pay them

            • Inflation

              • During the time of the black horse and its rider individuals will only be able to purchase enough wheat (one measure) or barley (three measures) to feed themselves

              • “Ordinarily, a person could buy eight to twelve measures for a penny, and much more for barley, which was the cheaper grain.” ​​ [Wiersbe, 588]

              • We are looking at an inflation rate of 1000 to 1500 percent [Easley, Holman New Testament Commentary, Revelation, 107], about ten to twelve times the normal rate [Mounce, 144]

              • “There might be good reasons why many of us feel stressed by financial challenges. Economists have a term for our rising costs—they call it ‘Cost Disease.’ Here's how one researcher summarized all the stats about this ‘disease’:

                So, to summarize: in the past fifty years, education costs have doubled, college costs have dectupled, health insurance costs have dectupled, subway costs have at least dectupled, and housing costs have increased by about fifty percent. US health care costs are about four times as much as equivalent health care in other First World countries; US subways cost about eight times as much as equivalent subways in other First World countries.

                I worry that people don't appreciate how weird this is. I didn't appreciate it for a long time. I guess I just figured that Grandpa used to talk about how back in his day movie tickets only cost a nickel; that was just the way of the world.                 But all of the numbers above are inflation-adjusted. These things have dectupled in cost even after you adjust for movies costing a nickel in Grandpa's day. They have really, genuinely dectupled in cost, no economic trickery involved.

                Scott Alexander, "Considerations on Cost Disease," Slate Star Codex (2-9-17)

                [https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2017/march/4032017.html]

            • We see next that God only allows the famine to go so far

          • Don’t damage the oil and the wine

            • This is an imperative from the Lord

              • Again we see God’s sovereignty at work

              • BIG IDEA: ​​ Evil is allowed to act only within the sovereignty of God.

            • “Ancient Mediterranean warfare included destroying the standing crops in the fields but not the vines and olive trees; destruction of vines and olive trees would produce long-range devastation of the local economies (and so negate the entire point of conquering the land). ​​ Destroying wheat and barley meant hardship for a year until the new harvest would come, but destroying olive trees (which took about seventeen years to grow) and vines spelled enduring disaster.” ​​ [Keener, 205]

            • God was sovereignly protecting the olive trees and vineyards, for now, by limiting the black horse and its rider

        • Widespread famine naturally leads to death, which segues into the final horseman

    • Pale horse (vv. 7-8)

        • The fourth living creature commands the fourth horse and his rider to come

        • The color of the horse (pale) is symbolic of what will happen when this horse and its rider are released on the earth – there will be death

          • The Greek word for pale is helpful in understanding the color of this horse

          • The Greek word is chloros

            • Two English words are derived from this Greek word

            • Chorine – meaning to bleach

            • Chlorophyll – which is the green pigment found in all green plants

          • It would have been a yellowish-green or grey-green colored horse – just imagine a human corpse before the funeral director prepares it for a viewing

          • The color of the horse matches the function and purpose of its rider

        • Name of the rider

          • Here we are given the name of the rider unlike the other three riders

          • His name is Death

            • Often in the Greek translation of the Old Testament (LXX) the Greek word thanatos (death) is used to translate the Hebrew word for “pestilence” [Osborne, 282]

            • This is significant when we see what he and Hades have power and authority to do

          • Hades is also present

            • Hades can be literally translated as “the grave,” but this gives us a different understanding than what the 1st Century reader would have envisioned

            • We think about it as the place where our loved one’s body is interred

            • “Hades is the unseen and partially unknown and unknowable world to which the dead have departed.” ​​ [Patterson, The New American Commentary, Revelation, 182]

            • Hades is acting like a street sweeper that is following behind Death [Patterson, 182] as he strikes down victim after victim [Osborne, 282], up to a fourth of the population

        • God’s sovereign control

          • Here again we see the phrase “were given power”

            • Death and Hades have no power to act independently of God’s sovereign will

            • BIG IDEA: ​​ Evil is allowed to act only within the sovereignty of God.

            • They are not able to act beyond the boundaries He has set

              • The boundary for Death and Hades is set at a fourth of the earth

              • The population reached 7 billion people in 2011

              • That would mean that 1.75 billion people would be killed by Death

              • It will only get worse when the trumpet judgments are unleashed – during those judgments a third of the remaining population will be killed

            • We see the various methods that are used

          • The methods used to kill

            • We see these four methods used against the Israelites in Ezekiel’s prophecy

            • Ezekiel 14:21, “For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: ​​ How much worse will it be when I send against Jerusalem my four dreadful judgments – sword and famine and wild beasts and plague – to kill its men and their animals!”

            • Sword

              • We saw this with the second fiery red horse and its rider

              • He had the Roman short sword used for hand-to-hand combat

            • Famine and plague

              • The third horse, that was black, and its rider brought widespread famine to the earth

              • While it’s not stated directly, there will probably be people who will die as a result of hunger from lack of food

              • The unsanitary conditions that many will probably experience as a result of the famine will create plague-like symptoms (perhaps people will be scrounging for food and eating items that are spoiled)

            • Wild beasts of the earth

              • The weakened state of people’s bodies due to lack of food and sickness will make them easy prey for wild animals

              • This would be the natural result of war and famine

              • With the death of billions of people in a short period of time, the ability to bury them properly will allow wild animals access

              • Wild animals will also be affected by the conditions of famine and will probably scavenge where they would not normally venture

    • PRINCIPLE – When God allows humanity to exercise their full depravity, without His sovereign protection, then war, famine, and death are the result.

 

  • YOU

    • Blaming God

        • Perhaps you’re feeling like you’re experiencing the four horsemen of the apocalypse in your life right now

          • Maybe someone is deceiving you in a relationship

          • Perhaps your home is not a peaceful place and war is raging

          • You may be struggling to make ends meet and you’re wondering where your next meal is going to come from

          • An illness may be plaguing you and you don’t see any end in sight

        • It’s easy during those times to blame God and question His sovereignty

          • That’s what Job did

          • Jesus’ disciples also wondered who had sinned when He healed a man blind from birth (was it the man or his parents?) [John 9:1-12]

          • Jesus said it was neither of them, but it was all according to God’s sovereign plan, so the work of God might be displayed in his life (it was for God’s glory)

    • God’s sovereign protection is for His glory

        • We have to remember that the evil or difficult things that are happening to us right now are not a surprise to God

        • There are limits to what evil is allowed to do in our lives

        • Evil is allowed to act only within the sovereignty of God for His glory

          • That concept is difficult for us, especially within our culture

          • We think that bad things happen or difficulties come only when we are not following Jesus like we should

          • When difficulties come, we go back to church, start praying or pray more, begin reading the Bible or spend more time in the Bible

          • When we do these things we’re really showing that we believe in a works salvation theology

          • We show that we don’t really trust the sovereignty of God, that He has the right to rule and He rules rightly

          • We show that we’re really not interested in God’s glory, but rather our own comfort

          • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Trust in the sovereignty of God and believe that what He is allowing to happen in my life is for His glory.

 

  • WE

    •  

 

CONCLUSION

“Reviewing the various interpretations assigned to the Four Horsemen tends to rob the contemporary reader of the dramatic nature of the vision itself. ​​ It is good to place oneself back in one of the seven churches and listen to the visions as they are being read. ​​ Instead of discussing the probable significance of each of the four colored horses those first listeners would undoubtedly have recoiled in terror as war, bloodshed, famine, and death galloped furiously across the stage of their imagination. ​​ Visions at best are to be experienced rather than analyzed. ​​ Those who approach Revelation with a sympathetic imagination are most apt to understand its true meaning.” ​​ [Mounce, 145-46]

14

 

/by

Optimus Prime Jesus

,

OPTIMUS PRIME JESUS

Have you noticed the fascination our culture has with superheroes these days? In 2017, there were movies about Spiderman, Wonder Woman and the Justice League. Already in 2018, we have had the Avengers: Infinity War movie that came out not that long ago. These heroes are usually ordinary people who are able to transform into superheroes. For instance, we have Clark Kent who was an ordinary human being who would go into a phone booth and come out as Superman. Then we have Bruce Wayne & Dick Grayson who would go down the bat-pole and come out as Batman & Robin. Then there is Bruce Bannon who would transform into the Hulk when he got angry and Steve Rogers who was a frail young man enhanced to the peak of human perfection by an experimental serum and became Captain America. Finally, we have the transformers. The transformers are on the earth posing as vehicles hiding in plain sight. In the first movie, the main character gets in trouble and to his surprise his old rusted Chevy Camaro turns into one of these transformers and saves his life. What fascinates us so much about these superheroes? ​​ I think one thing that fascinates us is the transformation from the ordinary to the superhuman. Another, is that an ordinary person can transform themselves into a superhuman and save the day.

For those who may not know I have been volunteering with Youth For Christ at the Bermudian Middle School in their campus life club on Wednesday afternoons. A couple of Wednesdays ago, Perry, who runs the club asked me to bring in a wedding picture for his topic on commitment. As I was preparing this message I was reminded of the picture I took in. It made me think about the changes and the transformation of Judy and myself over the past 30 years. So, here is our wedding picture from 30 years ago.

I also thought about the changes and transformation some of you in our congregation have made since your wedding day and I asked some of you if I could use your wedding pictures for the message this morning, so here they are. See if you can guess who these are:

Wedding day and then now, Ben & Kelly, wedding day and then now, Doug and Stacey, wedding day and then now, Pam & Bill Emig; wedding day and then now, Pastor Stuart & Judy, wedding day and then now, Gene & Roxey.

We all have changed haven’t we? Through the years, we get older not younger. We grow from a little baby into a child to a youth into a young adult and finally into an adult. That is the nature and order of life. Even in our examples of superheroes earlier they went from the human to the superhuman first not the other way around. We go from young to old not old to young as we live out our lives.

Today, we are going to again be looking into the throne room of God. A couple of weeks ago Pastor Stuart showed us that John was transported to heaven into the very throne room of God where he saw the glory and magnificence of God. There were 24 elders encircled around the throne. There was flashes of lightning and peals of thunder. If you remember, the Holy Spirit was there and in front of the throne there was this thing like a sea of glass. Then between the throne and the 24 elders in a circle around the throne were these four living creatures. They had eyes in front and in back and they six wings all covered in eyes. One was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, and the fourth was like a flying eagle. It says that night and day they never rested they were always worshipping the God of Creation while the 24 elders fall down worshipping and laying their crowns before God’s throne.

We saw last week that John sees a sealed scroll in the right hand of God that was written on the front and the back but could not be opened. There was no one in heaven, or on the earth, or under the earth that was able to open the scroll. We see John weeping because there was no one worthy enough to open the scroll. The passage then ends with one of the elders commanding John to stop weeping because Jesus the Lion of Judah, the Root of David, has won the victory and he is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.

Which brings us to this morning. What happens now is right out of one of those transformers’ movies but with a plot twist. In our scripture this morning we will see that what John saw was not the Lion he was expecting to see. The Lion of Judah had been transformed but this transformation was more like the Transformer being changed back into a Chevy Camaro and the Camaro saving the day and becoming the hero. It is because of what Jesus has done for us on the cross that makes him the only one worthy to open the scroll. And when that happens the throne room of God breaks out into a worship service for the ages. John wants us to know this morning that the Lamb of God is the only one worthy of our worship. That is our Big Idea this morning.

So as we begin to unpack today’s scripture, let us pray:

Dear Heavenly Father, we praise you this morning for your son who was obedient even to death on the cross for us. We praise Jesus for his sacrifice and for allowing our sins to be forgiven. As we look into your word this morning may the Holy Spirit open our hearts and minds to the words you want us to hear, know and obey. We thank you for your love for us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This morning we will be in Revelation chapter 5, verses 6-14. There are 3 acts, so to speak, in our passage today. We will start with the first act which is found in verse 6: This is what God’s word says, 6Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.

Here we see the transformation of Jesus from the Lion of Judah, the conqueror, to the Lamb, looking as if it had been slain. This is not your normal superhero movie. This is more like if ​​ Superman turned back into Clark Kent or Batman back into Bruce Wayne and then saved the day. In our story this morning, the lamb is the hero. He is the only one who can open the scroll and usher in the judgments of God on the earth. He is the one that the 24 elders, the four living creatures, the angels and all the saints that have gone before have been waiting and praying for.

This lamb was unlike any lamb that John had ever seen. First of all, it looked as if it had been slain. The Lamb who is victorious bears the sacrificial wounds from the crucifixion. He has the nail pierced hands and feet. The hole is in his side from the spear and there are marks on his head from the crown of thorns. These wounds will still be there when we see Jesus in heaven.

At the same time the lamb is standing, symbolizing victory through sacrifice. He is clothed with the very might of God which can now shatter and break its enemies. Second, it had seven horns and seven eyes. We already know that the number seven means completion and perfection. In the OT horns stood for two things, power and honor. In 1 Kings 22:11, Zedekiah, the prophet, made iron horns as a sign of promised triumph over the Syrians. In Zechariah 1:18, Zechariah sees the vision of the four horns which stand for the nations who have scattered Israel. These are pictures of power that cannot be withstood. The horns also stands for honor. In Psalm 112:9 it says the good man’s horn shall be exalted with honor and in Psalm 148:14 it says God exalts the horn of his people. The horn then stands for the honor that God gives to his own. Here in the fifth chapter of Revelation the horns stands for the honor and power of the lamb that is perfect, full, compete and cannot be withstood.

The lamb also had seven eyes. John tells us the seven eyes are the fullness of the Holy Spirit dispatched into all the earth. This is the all-seeing omniscience of God. There is no place on earth which is not under the eye of God and which God does not see. This means that the Lamb sends the Holy Spirit out to the ends of the earth and he knows all, he sees all, has perfect knowledge and his presence is everywhere among us.

This is a tremendous picture of Jesus Christ. The tragedy of the cross has turned to triumph, and the shame to glory and he is the one with all the power and all knowledge, whose all-conquering might no one can withstand and whose all-seeing eyes no one can escape.

There are few passages of Scripture which show at one and the same time what Swete called “the majesty and the meekness” of Jesus Christ, and which in one picture combines the humiliation of his death and the glory of his risen life.

As we continue, in verse 7, we see the second act of this drama. We see what the Lamb was able to do. Follow along as I read verse 7: He (meaning the Lamb) went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne.

In one dramatic moment, Jesus Christ, the Lamb, boldly approaches the throne of God and exercises his sovereignty by coming and taking the scroll out of the Father’s right hand. This symbolizes a transfer of authority from the Father to the Son to reveal the future and to hand out judgment.

Now we come to the third act. John describes for us three waves of worship that take place in Heaven because of what they Lamb was able to do. We will look at each wave by itself. The first wave is in verses 8-10. Listen to verses 8-10 as I read.

8 And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people. 9 And they sang a new song, saying:

“You are worthy to take the scroll
    and to open its seals,
because you were slain,
    and with your blood you purchased for God
    persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.
10 You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.”

When the lamb takes the scroll immediately the 24 elders and the four living creatures fall down before the Lamb in worship. This transfer resulted in an outpouring of praise for the Lamb because it signaled that Christ would begin judging.

That is the only response for them for what they saw Jesus do. When the Lamb, who is the only one worthy to take the scroll, takes it, the worship experience starts and as we will see it does not stop until all creation is praising the Father and the Son. The Lamb of God is the only one worthy of our worship.

John says the elders had harps and bowls filled with incense. Throughout the Bible the harp is an instrument of joy and gladness and is used more than any other instrument to praise God. Psalm 33:2 says, Praise the Lord with the harp; make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre. Sing to him a new song;
play skillfully, and shout for joy. And Psalm 98:5 says, make music to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing.

John explains that the bowls contained the prayers of God’s people and they are like the fragrant aroma of burning incense to him. These prayers are probably all the unanswered petitions that people have prayed asking God to judge the unrighteous. They are the pleadings of the saints already in heaven, requesting God to right every wrong on earth and to vindicate his name by pouring out his judgments upon an unbelieving world.

As a result of the Lamb’s authority from God to advance God’s plan, the four living creatures and the elders sing a new song. This song represents new praise for deliverance about to take place. In this song the Lamb receives honor as being the only one worthy because of four things.

The first reason that the Lamb is the only one worthy is because of his sacrifice for us. He willingly went to the cross in obedience to the Father. He took the sins of the whole world on himself. He was slain for each one of us.

The second reason the Lamb is worthy is because he purchased or redeemed us for God by his blood. It goes on to say that he redeemed people from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. Meaning persons from every people group will be in heaven.

The third reason is that his death not only saved us but makes us priests and kings so that we would share in his kingdom. Priesthood involves immediate access into God’s presence for praise and worship as well as the privilege of priestly service.

And the fourth reason is the blessing of his people by allowing them to rule on the earth. We will worship God by fulfilling God’s ordained responsibilities on a new earth for all eternity.

These four things remind us of our Big Idea this morning which is the Lamb of God is the only one worthy of our worship.

The second wave of worship expands to all the angels of heaven in verse 11-12 it says this:

 

Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, 12 In a loud voice they were saying:

“Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
    to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
    and honor and glory and praise!”

Now an innumerable hosts of angels joins the four living creatures and the 24 elders and all heaven breaks loose in ascribing worth to the Lamb. John describes the scene of worshippers as “myriads of myriads” meaning hundreds of millions times hundreds of millions. The number is easily in the billions but then John records there are still thousands of thousands in addition to the billions. There are multiplied millions spilling over the billions of worshippers already counted. This staggering number exceeds the limits of our human language and our ability to comprehend it. Again, try to imagine the worship scene unfolding before John’s eyes. It had to be mind boggling.

But, we want to pay attention to the angels because what they do is important. They praise the Lamb with a magnificent sevenfold blessing, again signifying perfection, to indicate the wonder of the Lamb. The repetition of the word “and” between each quality brings special emphasis to each one. These seven characteristics of which Jesus is worthy are things he already possesses in heaven. Therefore the song of the angels implies he is worthy to break the seals, open the scroll and commence the great tribulation starting in chapter 6, in order to gain these seven characteristics on earth. The Lamb is the only one worthy of these seven things not only in heaven but on earth as well.

These seven characteristics are as follows:

First is power. It emphasizes the sacrificial death of the Lamb as the “power” by which the forces of evil have been conquered. It may be mentioned first because the immediate situation calls for the need of great power to accomplish God’s purposes on the earth. He alone is worthy of such power for he alone will and can use it with perfect justice and equality.

Second is wealth. This refers to the riches of the universe. This is the only place in the book of Revelation that wealth is used as a worship attribute. In Matthew 6:19-21 it says we are not to store up treasures on earth but rather store up our treasures in heaven for where our treasures are there are hearts are also. The only source of true riches lies in Christ.

Third is wisdom. This refers to his omniscience and its wise use in carrying out the purposes of God in the world. The Lamb’s wisdom speaks of his choice to become the God-ordained sacrifice for the sins of mankind.

Fourth is strength. This is the Lamb’s omnipotence in carrying out God’s will. No one or thing can stand against him. All he has to do is speak the Word and his will is done.

Fifth is honor. This is the esteem, the value and the respect which is due to Christ because of who he is and what he has done and will do for the glory of God and the benefit of the world.

Sixth is glory. This is the tribute and public display of adoration Christ is due again because of what he has done in the past, present and the future.

Lastly is blessing which refers to the praise that should be given to Jesus because of his wonderful acts of redemption.

What is being emphasized here is that the Lamb is worthy to receive all the power, wealth, strength, honor, glory and praise that the entire cosmos can bring to him in gratitude for salvation.

Finally, in verses 13-14 we see the third and final wave of worship and it is universal praise to the Father and the Son. Verses 13-14 say this:

13 Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying:

“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
    be praise and honor and glory and power,
for ever and ever!”

14 The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped.

In his vision John hears every created thing giving praise to God and to the Lamb. No living creature failed to join in the great and final hymn of praise. The crescendo that is added to the symphony of praise is all creation, everywhere and everything worships the father and the son. The stones, the birds, the animals and the fish finally cry out – all creation had been groaning under the futility of the curse, now they know they are about to be set free. Romans 8:22 sums it up, 22 We know that the whole of creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Even all of creation is waiting for the day of a new heaven and new earth.

This also shows us that God the Father and God the Son are both equally to be worshipped forever and ever.

This passage concludes as the worship culminates in John’s vision with the four living creatures saying “Amen”, after the vast multitude falls silent. Since the four living creatures were the first to offer their praise it is appropriate that they should also end it. As the four living creatures say, “Amen”, the elders fall down and worship before God’s throne.

Maybe you have heard this story before: A boy once captured two little birds and put them in a cage. A man saw the boy carrying the cage and asked him what he was going to do with the birds. “Oh,” the boy replied, “I’m going to play with them for a while and feed them to my cat.” The man looked at the caged birds and took pity on them. “Say, I’d like to buy the cage and the birds from you. How much do you want for them?” The boy thought for a minute and then named his price. The man paid it and the boy handed over the cage, after which the man immediately opened the cage and set the birds free.

That’s what Jesus did for us. Satan had us caged and was going to feed us into the jaws of eternal death. But Jesus Christ purchased us, cage and all, and set us free. We are going to be worshipping him for all eternity because he paid that price. We need to start practicing our worship down here because the Lamb is the only one worthy of our worship.

When I think of the times of awesome worship in my life, there is one that comes to my mind. I was probably 20 maybe 21 and I was on a young adult trip with my church and we went to Youghiogheny River Lake near Pittsburgh. On one of the nights there I decided to spend it outside and I remember laying on the boat dock under the stars. I was blown away. The awesomeness of God’s planetarium was one of the most awe inspiring, might I say, spiritual worship experiences I have ever had. From the east to the west and from the north to south and everywhere there were stars and shooting stars and constellations. Here is a picture of what it may have been like that night.

It was crazy to lay there and think how the God of Creation, the creator of the stars, the planets and the moon, put it all up there and it just stays there. I feel like John writing this book. I can’t do it justice. I can’t put it into the right words for what I saw that night. All I know is, it was awesome.

So I want you to imagine that the God that created those stars created you and me even though he knew we would sin against him. And even if we didn’t praise him all of creation would. The Bible talks about creation praising and worshipping God. In Luke, when Jesus came into Jerusalem riding on the donkey it says the disciples were joyfully praising God and the Pharisees were upset and told Jesus to rebuke his disciples and in Luke 19:40 it says ​​ “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” Isaiah 55:12b says, “The mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.” Psalm 19:1 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. And in Psalm 148:3 it says, Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars.

I have asked Pastor Stuart and the praise team to come up and they are going to lead us in a final song of worship that really sums up how I feel about God’s creation and our worship of him. Some of the words of this song are:

And as You speak
A hundred billion galaxies are born
In the vapor of Your breath the planets form
If the stars were made to worship so will I
I can see Your heart in everything You’ve made
Every burning star ​​ A signal fire of grace
If creation sings Your praises so will I

If the stars were made to worship so will I
If the mountains bow in reverence so will I
If the oceans roar Your greatness so will I
For if everything exists to lift You high so will I
If the wind goes where You send it so will I
If the rocks cry out in silence so will I

But this song goes on and toward the end it says:

God of salvation
You chased down my heart
Through all of my failure and pride
On a hill You created
The light of the world
Abandoned in darkness to die

Did you catch that? God created the hill that we crucified him on and yet he still created us and loves us and wants a relationship with us.

I will never forget one Wednesday a couple of years ago one of the youth was telling me about their worship experience at Rhodes Grove and how awesome it was and how they worshipped with their hands raised, etc. and they wondered why it never seemed to happen here on a Sunday morning. I had to stop and think about it because I certainly don’t worship like that here in this public place like I do in private. Why is that? Maybe it’s the fear of standing out and being different. But I want to challenge us this morning during this last song in this place right now to worship the Lamb of God the way we would if we weren’t worried about what the person beside was doing, or without the fear of being different or standing out. Maybe that’s with your hands raised, maybe that is on our knees, the altar is always open for you, maybe when you are alone you shout Amen or sing at the top of your lungs or maybe it is standing right where you’re at. God is giving you permission to express yourself in worship to him.

And while I hope you take me up on my challenge this morning, I also want to challenge you to do so in the future as well, so our last next step this morning is this, to:

find the courage to worship Jesus in public the same way I find myself worshipping Him when I am alone.

Worship is not all about the posture of your body in worship but it is all about the posture of your heart. So, with our final song this morning, let’s worship the Lamb of God who alone is worthy of our worship.

/by